Championship Update

All a bit clearer in the Championship now.
Cardiff and Norwich play tomorrow and if either win Swansea will drop out of the race for automatic promotion.
Reading join 2 of the above 3 in the play off's with either Forest or Leeds, Leeds will need a miracle set of results to make it.

QPR - 88 (+40) - (H) Leeds
Norwich - 80 (+24) - (A) Portsmouth, (H) Coventry
Cardiff - 79 (+25) - (H) Middlesbrough, (A) Burnley
Swansea - 77 (+23) - (H) Sheff Utd
Reading - 74 (+25) - (H) Derby
Nottm F - 72 (+16) - (A) C Palace
Leeds - 69 (+10) - (A) QPR

QPR are champions as long as the FA don't give them a points deduction for their use of "third party" player Alejandro Faurlin for over a year.
Considering Rangers manager Wanker Warnock was very vocal about West Ham deserving a points deduction after the Tevez affair which prompted the rules to be changed allowing for a possible 15 point deduction it would seem only fair to hit Rangers with the full penalty to show Warnock they were listening to him ... hahaha :)

On the same subject it was nice to see Sheffield United relegated obviously having wasted the £30 million they screwed out of the Hammers.
Forgive and forget? ... not a f***ing chance :)
Sadly Scunthorpe are also down along with Preston.

Predictions (Week 33)

Not many weeks left and the title and relegation is still in the balance.
Arsenal could do Chelsea a favour by beating United although on recent form this looks unlikely, Chelsea usually beat Tottenham and now Torres has finally broken his duck the floodgates should open.
West Ham are unlikely to get anything from Man City but need to make this their last possible defeat this season if they are to survive.

Saturday
Blackburn v Bolton 1-1
Blackpool v Stoke 2-2
Sunderland v Fulham 1-1
West Brom v Aston Villa 2-0
Wigan v Everton 0-2
Chelsea v Tottenham 3-1

Sunday
Birmingham v Wolves 2-1
Liverpool v Newcastle 2-0
Arsenal v Man Utd 1-2
Man City v West Ham 2-0

Champions League

The Champions? League Semi's both finished as 2-0 wins for the away teams so the odds are on for a repeat of the 2009 final between Barcelona and Man Utd.
Hopefully it will be a better game than the last one where Man Utd just looked like frightened rabbits and let Barcelona take them apart.

Man Utd totally overran Schalke who looked a shadow of the side that hammered Inter Milan in the previous round and but for some terrible finishing and heroics from goalie Manuel Neuer could have hit double figures, maybe Fergie will be looking at Neuer as a replacement for Van Der Sar?

Barcelona may be the best team in the world at the moment and Messi is the best player in the world but this display showed the unlikeable side of them diving, whining, acting etc they don't need to do it.
Sergio Biscuits throwing himself to the floor with the imaginary facial injury was a disgrace as was after every Madrid tackle seeing the Barca players hit the floor with multiple rolls and then surrounding the ref waving their imaginary cards.
I love the way they pass the ball and Messi's skill is amazing but after this performance I really hope they don't win the cup.

The Championship

Who's going up from Division 2 (as I call it) to the Premier league next season?
2 games to go and nothing is absolutely certain.
QPR are very nearly there only 2 defeats for them and 2 wins each from Norwich and Cardiff with lots of goals will deny them.
I have to admit to hoping Norwich go up for the football related reason of .. I like the colours :), Welsh pair Cardiff and Swansea are still in with a chance although the Swans need a miracle.
Play off places are between the top 3 and Swansea, and 2 from Reading, Nottm Forest, Millwall, Burnley, Leeds, Hull and Leicester.

Fixtures Remaining

QPR - 85 (+38) - (A) Watford, (H) Leeds
Norwich - 80 (+24) - (A) Portsmouth, (H) Coventry
Cardiff - 79 (+25) - (H) Middlesbrough, (A) Burnley
Swansea - 74 (+21) - (A) Millwall, (H) Sheff Utd
Reading - 73 (+25) - (A) Coventry, (H) Derby
Nottm F - 69 (+12) - (H) Scunthorpe, (A) C Palace
Millwall - 67 (+17) - (H) Swansea, (A) Barnsley
Burnley - 67 (+5) - (A) Leeds, (H) Cardiff
Leeds - 66 (+9) - (H) Burnley, (A) QPR
Hull - 64 (+4) - (H) C Palace, (A) Bristol C
Leicester - 63 (+3) - (A) Doncaster, (H) Ipswich

At the bottom Preston are already down, and Sheff U (Shame haha) and Scunthorpe are needing miracles both 6 points and a lot of goals behind Doncaster and Palace.

Coming up from Npower division 1 (Division 3) are Brighton with any 2 from Southampton, Huddersfield, Peterborough, MK Dons, Bournemouth, Leyton Orient, Rochdale and Exeter.

Thought I'd take a look at this lot as there is always an outside chance :) the Hammers could be playing this lot next season :(

Chelsea v West Ham Live(ish)

Luckily we get ESPN so I'm sitting here watching the game live on the box praying for miracles :)

Upson is out which is probably a bonus, Parker being out isn't so good, Freddie Sears being back is good news and no Keane = no loss.
No Torres starting for Chelsea which causes mixed emotions as he looks like he'll never score but sod's law says he will probably find the net against us.
Amazed to see the rain pouring down as we've got blue skies and sunshine here in Southend which isn't that far away?
Bridge ignores knobhead as expected which will probably be the story on the news.
Hopefully Phil Dowd isn't part of the syndicate of refs who have put a large bet on the Hammers going down and will ref fairly (I won't hold my breath).

First 10 minutes - West Ham playing like strangers looks bad for the rest of the match, first dodgy refs decision as Hitzlesperger is booked after a Kalou dive.

To Be Updated ...

Rest of the first half - West Ham playing pretty well after the bad start several chances and Cole seems up for it.
43 minutes and Wank Lampard scores :( hopefully a lightning bolt will take him out like it has the floodlights :)

To Be Updated ...

70 minutes gone still 1-0, Mark Noble injured sadly, the rain has made the passing game impossible for both sides.
West Ham still looking dangerous but Chelsea go closest when Sideshow Bob hit the bar. Keane's just missed a sitter f'kin Spuds reject.

To Be Updated ...

FUCK!! I knew it, should have put money on it :(

To Be Updated ...

3-0 as predicted but feel for the Hammers who weren't that bad, Gabbidon Sears and Spector all did well after coming in, we missed Parker and Noble's injury didn't help, the waterlogged pitch had a part in the last 2 goals but obviously Chelsea deserved the win but with better finishing it could have been closer.

Predictions (Week 32)

Bonus games this week, and I'm trying reverse psychology in one of the matches :)
Chances are the bottom 3 could be getting cut adrift, hopefully the shock results kick in and it all gets tight again :)
It's about time Torres was injured again, I think he's played more games in a row for Chelsea than he ever managed for Liverpool and I just know the b'stard is gonna score this week :(

Saturday
Man Utd v Everton 2-1
Aston Villa v Stoke 2-1
Blackpool v Newcastle 2-2
Liverpool v Birmingham 2-0
Sunderland v Wigan 1-1
Tottenham v West Brom 3-1
Wolves v Fulham 1-1
Chelsea v West Ham 3-0

Sunday
Bolton v Arsenal 1-2

Monday
Blackburn v Man City 1-1

Tuesday
Stoke v Wolves 3-1

Wednesday
Fulham v Bolton 1-0

Doom And Gloom

Predictions (Week 31)

A mixed league program this week with the FA Cup Semi's causing a few re-arrangements.
In the cup I fancy a Rooneyless United to be stronger than a Tevezless City and Bolton are without Daniel Sturridge but should beat Stoke.

As for the Premier league Nine games this week with Chelsea, Arsenal and Birmingham playing twice and Man City, Bolton, Fulham, Stoke and Wolves not playing at all.
West Ham have yet another must win game, Tottenham must win against Arsenal to put pressure on City and Arsenal could see their season collapse even more if they fail to win this week.

Saturday
Birmingham v Sunderland 2-1
Blackpool v Wigan 1-1
Everton v Blackburn 2-0
West Brom v Chelsea 1-1
West Ham v Aston Villa 2-1
Sunday
Arsenal v Liverpool 1-1
Tuesday
Newcastle v Man Utd 0-2
Wednesday
Chelsea v Birmingham 2-1
Tottenham v Arsenal 2-1

The current Lee v Longy score is 9-8 to me, tense stuff :)

Predictions (Week 30)

Just 7 premier league weekends to go, the relegation battle is the best for years and the title is Man Utd's to lose.
Chelsea and Man U probably have other things on their mind so might come unstuck on Saturday but Tottenham can concentrate on the league now, Torres probably won't have a better chance to break his expensive duck against Wigan but might not play?
Hopefully Bolton will be thinking about next week cup semi and take it easy against the Hammers :)

Saturday
Wolves v Everton 1-1
Blackburn v Birmingham 2-1
Bolton v West Ham 1-1
Chelsea v Wigan 2-1
Man Utd v Fulham 1-1
Sunderland v West Brom 0-0
Tottenham v Stoke 1-1
Sunday
Blackpool v Arsenal 1-2
Aston Villa v Newcastle 1-0
Monday
Liverpool v Man City 0-1

Something Wrong?

Can't help thinking that West Ham keep forgetting something important in their match preparations?
I'm sure Fergie and other managers haven't forgotten.