Break Time

No proper footie for nearly two weeks, so time to reflect.
Usually fall asleep during these pointless England games, but they turned in one of the best performances I had seen in many years.
No Palmer, Saka, Foden or Kane (at the start), but the replacements were really good.
Curtis Jones' previous call ups were mainly because he was a bit part Liverpool player, but this season he actually deserved it and was probably man of the match. 

Pickford showing he's still far and away our best keeper was a close second.
Madueke, I get the feeling he wants to show off his skills and tries to beat everyone single handed at Chelsea, but played the team game last night and was really good.
Let's hope they don't blow it against Ireland.

Referee Coote paying the price for giving a penalty for West Ham, especially against Man Utd with the release of the blackmail tapes.

West Ham, Lopetegui needing to do something fast as we've been awful this season.
I called him the Spanish Moyes when he took over, but I don't think he's that good. So called 'experts' said we'd had a good transfer window? Apart from AWB, Rodriguez (on a free) and maybe Summerville when he plays the rest have not really been an improvement, and letting JWP go on loan to a rival was crazy.
Just finding it hard to like him, his press conferences and interviews are as dull as ditchwater without the humour of some of our previous managers even when they had been doing badly, thinking of Allardyce, Bilic and Moyes.
Would love Mourinho, might not play better but the interviews would be great. 😁

Anyway here's the early predictions full details.
I think I need to go back to gut instinct, instead of analysing likely results?

 

Premier Predictions (Week 11)

Week 11 the last one before yet another International week. 😠
6 games on Saturday, 4 on Sunday
No early games so it's a 3pm kick off, but the Liverpool Villa game is late on Saturday.

Mixed week in Europe with Rodri-less Man City getting hammered by Sporting for a 3rd straight defeat, even Haaland having a nightmare. Going to Brighton not ideal for them.
Liverpool the form team take on Villa, who's drop in form has coincided with Mings coming back (did well last season when he didn't play). 🤔
Arsenal with just one point from last 3 PL games and a defeat in Europe go to Chelsea.
Posting this before Chelsea play Noah's Ark FC, but they are another in-form team.
West Ham meet Everton, our away record is better over them. Will need a massive improvement to avoid another home loss.
Apart from Liverpool and maybe Tottenham expect some tight games.

Brentford v Bournemouth
Crystal Palace v Fulham
West Ham v Everton
Wolves v Southampton
Brighton v Man City
Liverpool v Aston Villa
*
Man Utd v Leicester
Nottm Forest v Newcastle
Tottenham v Ipswich
Chelsea v Arsenal

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 10)

Week 10 so already over a quarter of the way through the season.
7 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday and a West London derby on Monday.
Top 5 all have reasonably tough games.
Bottom 6 all play each other

Newcastle v Arsenal
Bournemouth v Man City
Ipswich v Leicester
Liverpool v Brighton
Nottm Forest v West Ham
Southampton v Everton
Wolves v Crystal Palace
*
Tottenham v Aston Villa
Man Utd v Chelsea
*
Fulham v Brentford

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 09)

Early start this week with a Friday night Midlands derby kicking off at 8pm
Followed by 5 games on Saturday then 4 games on Sunday.
Top game will be Arsenal v Liverpool if Arsenal have any players left, a good week to face the Gooners as they could be missing most of their defence as well as Saka and Odegaard.
How will West Ham's dodgy defence cope against Man Utd's dodgy defence?
A few teams with Euro ties this week also have Carabao cup next week.

Leicester v Nottm Forest
*
Aston Villa v Bournemouth
Brentford v Ipswich
Brighton v Wolves
Man City v Southampton
Everton v Fulham
*
Chelsea v Newcastle
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
West Ham v Man Utd
Arsenal v Liverpool

Good Luck All  😀

Things I Miss

To prove I'm an old git living in the past  😁
Things I miss from my glory days of watching football.

Weekend League matches all played together at 3pm on a Saturday.
Knowing at the start of the season when your team was playing.
Never playing on a Thursday.
Paying at the turnstile on the day.
Terraces, Singing and swaying with the crowd, or being able to move to a better position.
Shirts without advertising on the front.
Cup Replays.
Muddy pitches.
Players wearing 1-11
Cheap coach travel to all away games.
Train ticket, match entrance, a programme, Pint and a burger before kick off and still have change from a fiver.
Friday night games at Southend, due to market on Saturday. Leaving Saturday free for West Ham.

Premier Predictions (Week 08)

The Prem is back 😉
7 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday, 1 on Monday
Another London derby for West Ham to start, Top 4 clash on Sunday.
Bottom club Wolves take on Man City, Arsenal go to Bournemouth.

Thomas Tuchel the new England manager, did well and unlucky to be fired at Chelsea, Not so good at PSG and Bayern Munich.
Not an inspiring choice but for those saying we should have an English manager there wasn't much to choose from, only Howe, Dyche and O'Neil in the Premier league, Carsley who doesn't seem to want the job, or currently unemployed Potter, Allardyce or Redknapp and that's about it.

Tottenham v West Ham
Fulham v Aston Villa
Ipswich v Everton
Man Utd v Brentford
Newcastle v Brighton
Southampton v Leicester
Bournemouth v Arsenal
*
Wolves v Man City
Liverpool v Chelsea
*
Nottm Forest v Crystal Palace

Good Luck All  😀

England

England's 2-8-0 formation not really working, Carsley's job interview not going well.
Greece 2-1 winners + 3 Disallowed goals and a brilliant goal saving clearance by Colwill.
Totally deserved win.

?? Solanke 2 England Caps

Vitesse - 25 goals
Liverpool - 0 goals - 1 England cap
Bournemouth - 72 goals
Tottenham - 2 goals - 1 England cap

Proving my old point of if pull on a shirt for Liverpool, Tottenham, Man Utd or Chelsea you will get a call up, all others have to be exceptional for any other team?

 

Also RIP George Baldock 😢

Premier Predictions (Week 07)

7 Games on Saturday, 3 on Sunday before yet another International week.

Quite a few tough to call games this week 😕
Arsenal should beat Southampton unless Ramsdale has a blinder.
Liverpool should beat Palace, although they did lose at home to them last time.
Fulham on the up might give Man City a game?
West Ham who knows? Ipswich 4 straight draws.
Villa on a high, Man Utd in the dumps. Should be a home banker but football doesn't work like that 🙄

Crystal Palace v Liverpool
Arsenal v Southampton
Brentford v Wolves
Leicester v Bournemouth
Man City v Fulham
West Ham v Ipswich
Everton v Newcastle
*
Aston Villa v Man Utd
Chelsea v Nottm Forest
Brighton v Tottenham

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 06)

This week it's 7 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday and 1 on Monday.

Man City possibly vulnerable this season with Rodri and KDB injured?
Arsenal looking most likely at the moment, Liverpool's front line on form.
Chelsea also looking good as the new manager seems to be sticking to a settled team, rather than trying to keep everybody happy.
West Ham? despite what so called "experts" said about our transfers, my personal view is that I wasn't impressed with the new manager or most of the signings, Summerville good and maybe Kilman but the rest? £20m for Luis Guilherme who can't even get in the U21 squad, £27m for Fullkrug when Duran was available? Hope they prove me wrong.

Anyway after this weekend it's another full week of Euro fixtures coming up.

Newcastle v Man City
Arsenal v Leicester
Brentford v West Ham
Chelsea v Brighton
Everton v Crystal Palace
Nottm Forest v Fulham
Wolves v Liverpool
*
Ipswich v Aston Villa
Man Utd v Tottenham
*
Bournemouth v Southampton

Good Luck All  😀


Hopefully Biopunk's posts will show up? need everyone here to stop Paul  😆

Spam

The stupid thing with Google's spam filter is it blocks posts from regulars

while letting through actual spam 😠

... and a football related moan.

Why don't people like fun in football anymore?

Haaland bouncing the ball of Gabriel's big head was the funniest thing I've seen on the pitch in ages, but nearly all the pundits, commentators etc were all "offended" and want him booked, banned?

Premier Predictions (Week 05)

Week 5
13 teams played Euro and League cup games this week, and 10 play midweek games next week. 

So expect lots of excuses. 🙄
This week 8 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday.
Obviously the big game is West Ham v Chelsea lunchtime Saturday, plus the title decider is on Sunday.
2 big relegation 6 pointers on Saturday with Everton and Southampton hoping for a first point.

West Ham v Chelsea
Aston Villa v Wolves
Fulham v Newcastle
Leicester v Everton
Liverpool v Bournemouth
Southampton v Ipswich
Tottenham v Brentford
Crystal Palace v Man Utd
*
Brighton v Nottm Forest
Man City v Arsenal

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 04)

Back from the Internationals, Arteta probably glad that's finished.
8 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday ahead of a packed week of Euro and Caribou games.

Man City and Liverpool on maximum points, both at home.
Everton and Southampton on zero points but might get something this week?
North London derby on Sunday, Arsenal missing a few players so might be a shock?

Southampton v Man Utd
Brighton v Ipswich
Crystal Palace v Leicester
Fulham v West Ham
Liverpool v Nottm Forest
Man City v Brentford
Aston Villa v Everton
Bournemouth v Chelsea
*
Tottenham v Arsenal
Wolves v Newcastle

Good Luck All  😀

Summer Transfers 2024

Time for my annual pet project, where the Premier league cash was splashed this summer.
Still a few transfer windows open around the world for transfers out, and many players still needing to find a home as free agents.

Spending down slightly, but still over £2 billion changing hands.
As usual Chelsea were the big spenders, Brighton made a big profit last year but blew all that and more this season.
Ipswich taking a big chance bringing in 16 players for £127m. Southampton signing nearly 3 teams worth of players?
Amazingly 6 teams made a profit and Liverpool and Man City spent very little by their standards.
3 of the 4 biggest fees were paid by foreign teams.

The Chart:
(Info based on the best sources I could find, includes squad and youth players).

Total Spend - £2,280,870,000
Most Players In - Southampton 29, Everton 17, Aston Villa, Ipswich, Nottm Forest 16
Most Players Out - Chelsea 45, Arsenal 38, Brighton 36
Most Money Paid - Chelsea £287.4m, Brighton £201.9m, Man Utd £195.5m
Most Money Received - Man City £197.95m, Chelsea £187.95m, Aston Villa £152.6m
Largest Profit - Man City £174.85m, Wolves £31.1m, Crystal Palace £29.9m
Largest Defecit - Brighton £151.4m, Ipswich £125.42m, Chelsea £99.45m

Largest Fees Paid (Over £40m)

Julian Alvarez [Man City - Atletico Madrid] £81.5m **
Dominic Solanke [Bournemouth - Tottenham] £65m    
Moussa Diaby [Aston Villa - Al Ittihad] £60m **
Michael Olise [Crystal Palace - Bayern Munich] £60m **
Pedro Neto [Wolves - Chelsea] £54m    
Joao Felix [Atletico Madrid - Chelsea] £52m    
Leny Yoro [Lille - Man Utd] £52m    
Amadou Onana [Everton - Aston Villa] £50m    
Manuel Ugarte [Paris SG - Man Utd] £50m    
Joao Palhinha [Fulham - Bayern Munich] £46.5m **
Riccardo Calafiori [Bologna - Arsenal] £45m    
Ian Maatsen [Chelsea - Aston Villa] £44m    
Matthijs de Ligt [Bayern Munich - Man Utd] £42.9m    
Douglas Luiz [Aston Villa - Juventus] £42.35m **
Archie Gray [Leeds - Tottenham] £41.2m
Evanilson [Porto - Bournemouth] £40.2m

Premier Predictions (Week 03)

After last weeks high scoring affair, let's see if we can do it again?
7 Games on Saturday, 3 On Sunday
International break coming up after this (yawn) 🥱

2 of the Top 3 to start, see how good Brighton really are?
West Ham take on City, Hammers 2 wins in 3 without looking any better than last season, while City and Haaland have hit the ground running.
Liverpool go to Man Utd on Sunday, always interesting even though it's not the big game it once was.

Arsenal v Brighton
Brentford v Southampton
Everton v Bournemouth
Ipswich v Fulham
Leicester v Aston Villa
Nottm Forest v Wolves
West Ham v Man City
*
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Newcastle v Tottenham
Man Utd v Liverpool

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 02)

Week 2
7 games on Saturday, 3 on Sunday
Top of the table Brighton v Man U is the early game on Saturday.
Chelsea already in Euro action this week, lucky they have lots of players.
Hard start for Ipswich, Liverpool last week now away to Man City.

Brighton v Man Utd
Crystal Palace v West Ham
Fulham v Leicester
Man City v Ipswich
Southampton v Nottm Forest
Tottenham v Everton
Aston Villa v Arsenal
*
Bournemouth v Newcastle
Wolves v Chelsea
Liverpool v Brentford

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 01)

(Drum Roll) ....  🥁

Here we go again the Premier League is back, so if anybody is still interested here we go with the 15th NBTF Premier Predictions competition (2024-25 Edition).

Hopefully the regular players will be back and anyone reading this blog is welcome to join in at any point, just let me know a name and club supported so I can give you some colours.

It looks like there are going to be lots of re-arranged Friday and Monday night games which muck up this and fantasy football, plus hundreds of other re-arranged for TV games over the season. 😠

T&C's - Usual rules apply

3 Points for a correct score, 1 Point for a correct result.

Predictions League will be decided on weekly wins first, if 2 or more people share a weekly win that will be classed as a draw, if at the end things are still level the total points for the season come into play.

Predictions in the comments please  😀     

Obviously predictions will only count if they are made before the kick offs, please try and post the whole set at once (but I won't enforce it as these Friday night games catch everyone out including me). 

All 380 Premier League games will be covered, plus sometimes FA Cup games and the League Cup Final will be included to make up weeks where there are many postponements due to those games.

Prizes - Just the admiration of everyone who plays

I guess the comments problem is still going on? so if your comment does not post straight away don't worry it should be in my comment moderation box as it assumes a lot of posts are spam.
Will publish as soon as I check.

Here we go  👍

Week 1 - Friday 16th August to Monday 19th August
1 game on Friday night, 6 games Saturday, 2 on Sunday and one on Monday

*

Man Utd v Fulham

*

 Ipswich v Liverpool       

Arsenal v Wolves

Everton v Brighton

Newcastle v Southampton

Nottm Forest v Bournemouth

West Ham v Aston Villa

*

Brentford v Crystal Palace

Chelsea v Man City

*

Leicester v Tottenham

Good Luck All  😀

Season 2024 - 2025

My expectations for the new season

Usually wrong, but I'll give it a go 😊

Arsenal

Last season they kept going, when they usually fade at the end.

If they all stay fit Arsenal are really in with a shout this time, all depends on what City do? 

Aston Villa

Shocked a few last season with the top 4 finish, lots of signings but the pressure of Europe will cost them this season. Might make the Euro positions 

Bournemouth

Surprised me last season, Iraola looked like a terrible choice in the first 10 games but they got a whole lot better.

Will miss Solanke, so bottom half and possibly in the relegation scrap if any of the promoted teams do well.

Brentford

Play some good football, but feel they will be nearer the bottom even if Toney stays. With a fully fit squad they can give anyone a game.

Brighton And Hove Albion

Another new manager (Fabian Hürzeler) I've not heard much about him so no idea what we are going to get? replaces the highly overrated De Zerbi.

Did well last season despite a lot of injuries, will miss Gross. Mid table.

Chelsea

Another new manager (ex Leicester boss Maresca), he probably has no idea what players he has available as Boehly and co do their usual 'buy everything that moves' ritual. Read they have 43 first teamers after another £230m spending spree this summer.

If he can work out what 11 players can play well together they might make top 4?

Crystal Palace

Glasner came in last year and in the last months of the season Palace were flying, when Olise, Eze and Mateta were fit they could beat anyone.

Losing Olise is a big blow, Mateta may need recovery time after the Olympics? and the 'big" teams are sniffing around others.

If they play like they did last season a possible European shout, but a few injuries to key players could drop them into the bottom half.

Everton

One day they will get relegated, I like Dyche no frills but gets results.

If Calvert Lewin actually stayed fit they would easily be mid table, but expect another season near the bottom.

Fulham

A few big players gone, only the frequently injured Smith Rowe in so far so not expecting much from Fulham this season. Might struggle.

Ipswich Town

2 promotions in a row, hope they do well but expect them to struggle.

Maybe like Luton last season they will put in some good performances but don't really have the squad to compete with the big boys.

Some big money arrivals who most won't have heard of Greaves, Delap, Hutchinson, Muric. 

Sammie Szmodics could be a great signing? scores goals everywhere he's been, Kalvin Phillips will he be the great Leeds player or the disaster we saw at West Ham and Man City?

Leicester City

Steve Cooper back in the Premier league after Maresca's defection to Chelsea, Dewsbury Hall, Albrighton, Praet and Iheanacho gone, Vardy and Daka injured. Can only see a season of struggle for last season's Championship winners.

Liverpool

New manager Slot has made no signings yet, but apart from injury prone Matip and Thiago everyone else is still there including Salah.

Expect them to be Top 4 but trailing City and Arsenal.

Manchester City

Will always start favourites, but will need to be on their best form to keep Arsenal away. Alvarez going will weaken them but if Haaland is on form they will be hard to stop.

Manchester United

Surprised Ten Haag is still there, but the Cup win shows there is still a team capable of beating the best. If he could keep most of his players out of the treatment room they could be contenders. But already have injuries including new guy Yoro so who knows?

 

Newcastle United

Expect them to do better this season after their European hangover last year, again injuries will decide. A full strength Newcastle team will be a match for most.

Nottingham Forest

Another revolving door team like Chelsea. Don't think Nuno Santo really improved them much from what Cooper did. Some good players like Gibbs White and Elanga but expect them to be down near the bottom again.

Southampton

Hard to see Southampton doing anything but fight relegation.

Might have a few good days but fear it's back to the Championship next season.

Tottenham Hotspur

They looked good at the start of last season, but faded.

Solanke a good signing so could be in around the top positions but unlikely to be in the title hunt.

West Ham United

Lots of signings but I'm not feeling it at the moment.

Kudus and Bowen will star, Paqueta facing a ban is a worry.

Have a stronger squad this season despite not being in Europe, but not sure what our best XI is, Fullkrug will only be good if we cross the ball to him and won't hold up play as well as Antonio, reminds me of Haller mk2 great player but only if you give him the ball.

Summerville has potential, Wan Bissaka probably a better defender than Coufal but will he put crosses in like Vlad?

Top half but not seen anything in pre-season to get excited about yet.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 

Losing Neto and Kilman will be a blow, and Cunha injured.

Wolves did better than expected last season, but think it's bottom half for them.

Tips

Top 4 - Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd

Next best - Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham

Relegated - Southampton, Leicester

Relegation battle - Ipswich, Nottm Forest, Wolves, Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Bournemouth

Fantasy Football

For anyone who fancies joining the Nothing Better Than Football Fantasy Leagues this season

Codes shown below

Fantasy Football 2024-2025

Fantasy Premier League (FPL)
League Code: gusl9w

Telegraph Fantasy Football (TFF)
League Code: DE0WPY5U

Predictions

For anyone interested?

Here are the all time Nothing Better Than Football predictions charts.

1) Premier League Predictions

2) All predictions (Premier League, FA Cup, World Cup, Euro's)

* update, as Google doesn't like Firefox anymore? so pics have to come from Google drive (I think)?

The Euro's and England

Spain the winners, were the best team in the tournament so fully deserved.
Yamal, Williams and Ruiz were the stars and young enough to be major players for years to come.

Overall good games were few and far between, most teams operating a press making chances hard to come by, so it was a disappointing competition.

Top rated teams like France, Portugal, Belgium and England were all pretty poor.

France were probably favourites but Mbappe looked a shadow of himself even before the broken nose, Griezman usually a key component was looking his age. Just 4 goals in 6 matches including 2 own goals and a penalty meant although the defence was good they have striker problems.

Portugal despite a host of quality players seem to be a Ronaldo XI, probably time to say thank you and goodbye and give the likes of Ramos and Jota a go up front.

Belgium always seem to be ranked highly but fail to deliver, KDB and Lukaku although still world class don't really perform in a Belgian shirt and most of the other 'stars' are getting too old.

Germany and Netherlands probably did better than expected as neither have been contenders in recent years.
Turkey, Switzerland, Austria all looked good at times.

England, I'm sure it will come out that Harry Kane was carrying an injury as he never looked fit. 

Jude Bellingham looked knackered in most games, guessing a hard season at Real Madrid took it out of him. 

Rice, Saka, Foden and a few others played ok but not at the top of their game.
Going into a tournament without a fit left back seemed crazy, when Shaw was finally fit it was good but Trippier was not the answer as he was only just back from injury himself and playing out of position.
Did seem crazy to take Gomez who has been decent at left back and not play him, and Wharton just there for experience when another Palace player Tyrick Mitchell would have solved the left back problem.
Palmer, Watkins, Eze, Toney, Gordon, Bowen all getting just a few minutes on the pitch was confusing.

After the first game I couldn't see England getting anywhere near the final, so they over achieved in that sense, and despite England's lack of form they still came within 3 minutes of a shock draw and possibly an extra time or penalties win.
So reasons to be optimistic in the future.

Should Southgate go?
I have no idea, he seems to have lost his mojo recently.
England's success in recent tournaments has raised expectation and now he appears to have a fear of failure so no risk taking.
Can't actually think of anyone who would replace him and do a better job?
Most of the top English managers have a history of failure after being built up and knocked down, and apart from Eddie Howe, Sean Dyche, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard I'm struggling to think of any others.
The foreign coach thing doesn't really work either for England, the top names are very unlikely to want the job. Thinking of Guardiola, Klopp etc.

I guess we will find out soon?