S12M13: Gareth Southgate for PM

 Double matchday week, and yet all the headlines are about minor things like the collapse of the UK into some sort of discordant dark age. I've long thought that the only way out of this mess is to install me as a dictator, line up my enemies, engage the firing squad and dunno, haven't really gone much further than that. Still, stronger policy platform that Lizzy T eh? #politics

M11 marked a nice early Invincibles Day which was greatly enjoyed. Excellent goal from Salah, previously excellent save from Ederson, dodgy VAR call again. Deja Vu. 
Brighton are playing some lovely attacking football since de Zerbi came in, but they're also doing the traditional Brighton thing of refusing to score. Deja Vu. Wolves have shown more under an absence of a manager than Bruno Lage, who my Wolves supporting mate thought should have been sacked after week 1. Still though, lasted longer than Lizzy T. #politics.

Arsenal won at Leeds under challenging circumstances which is nice for them, but also means that they are the first club to have a 100% record throughout the entire tenure of a Prime Minister in the history of the UK. Amazing scenes. #Politics

Obviously M12 was played under a different chancellor, and a different Prime Minister in part. 

Somethings didn't change though. Brighton did not score. Liverpool won with the Scouse VAR missing Allison off his line for the penalty save. Newcastle are looking solid, Man Utd spanked Spurs up and down Sir Matt Busby way, and Ronnie had enough and decided to beat the traffic home down the A56. Awful roadworks outside Altrincham fire station. Fellow resident Ten Hag did not appreciate this and booted Ronnie out. You know who else is from Altrincham and put someone out of a job this week. Sir Graham Brady MP, chair of the 1922 Committee and revolver wielder to Lizzy T #Politics.

Ok, will stop now.

Let's get statty:

M11

18 people played

Most popular predicted result: Arsenal WIN (18/18)

Most disputed result: Man Utd vs Newcastle (8-5-5 split)

Highest odds: Aron Kleiman (7152/1)

Lowest odds: Steven Daniels (2282/1)

Average odds: 4718/1

Best predictor: ECI (7/10)
Worst predictor: Loads of us (4/10)
Average score: 5.33/10

Best predicted result: Arsenal WIN (18/18)
Worst predicted result: Liverpool WIN (1/18) - Well done ECI

M12 - 9 games, pro-rated

16 people played

Most popular predicted result: Brighton WIN (16/16)

Most disputed result: Leicester vs Leeds (6-4-6 split)

Highest odds: Josh Daniels (9558/1)

Lowest odds: Steven Daniels (671/1)

Average odds: 5115/1

Best predictor: Massey Ratings & Nick Taylor-Collins(6.67/10)
Worst predictor: Zoe Daniels (2.22/10)
Average score: 4.86/10

Best predicted results: Newcastle & Liverpool WINS (16/16)
Worst predicted result: Brighton vs Notts Forest DRAW (0/16)

Everyone's scores:

Leaderboard (>2/3; 8/11)

This week's predos:

Good luck all

S12M11 & M12: In Ter Section

Life is tough enough. All this bad stuff and whatnot. So you need to take the little joys that bejewel the world as a powerup to get through to the next crisis.

Saturday provided just one of those joys. The winning team in each game's score created a lovely sequence. 1-2-3-4-5. Nearly as enjoyable as looking at a clock at 12:34. Wonderful stuff.

Of course, it wasn't in perfect order. So, chronologically it was 2-3-4-5-1. But we're all used to Spurs ruining things. 

Let's start at the top. 

Leicester are in deep doodoo. Rodgers is gonna sleep with the fishes in the *checks Wikipedia* River Soar. Bournemouth on the other hand are making Scott Parker look silly and have the Vegas billions on the horizon. Then you had comfortable home wins for Chelsea, Man City & Newcastle. Finally, Spurs beat a spirited Brighton side who have taken to life after Potter pretty well so far.

Then came Sunday. MORE SEQUENCES. Cumulative goals went 3-4-5-oh

Man Utd just couldn't do it properly. Sure they beat Everton, but that's not the point. Good wins for Palace and West Ham too. Then finally, the headline game of the weekend. A pulsating game between a creaking giant and the Best Team in The World. Anyway, I think we can all agree that the forces of Good triumphed over the forces of Evil.

Then something happened in the Midlands. Draw. Heard someone talking this week about how the East Midlands aren't even a place....like some places think of themselves as 'The North' and others think of themselves as, I dunno, not The North. Flyover country if I ever heard of it

Let's get statty:
This week, 19 people played
Most popular predicted results: Man City & Chelsea WINS (19/19)
Most disputed predicted result: Arsenal vs Liverpool (10-4-5 respectively)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels (3996/1)
Lowest odds: Aron Kleiman (840/1)
Average odds: 2297/1

Best predictor: WhoScored.com (8/10)
Worst predictors: Loads of you (5/10)
Average score: 6.11/10

Best predicted result: Man City & Chelsea WINS (19/19)
Worst predicted result: Bournemouth WIN (3/19)

Everyone's results:

Leaderboard (>2/3; 6/9)

To this week's predos:

Good luck all

S12M10: It's all Wright now

Howdy all.

Lovely day. Lovely week. Lovely lovely jubbly. Amazing how external factors can impact a mood. All those Eastern Philosophies about Zen and internal focus and whatnot don't hold a candle to a nice Derby win. Highly recommended. Unless your Spurs. In which case, you probably wouldn't like it.

It's also lovely to play early and win and tee up the rest of the weekend. Loads to enjoy after that. I mean not the Bournemouth/Brentford draw. Not the ridiculous decision not to send off Tiago Silva for DOGSO allowing Chelsea to get back into the game and score a (lovely) late winner. Fair props to MoTD for digging out an old clip of Ian Wright scoring against Palace for a bit of a ribbing.

I haven't watched a full episode of MoTD in years. Enjoyable one to start. The Liverpool/Brighton game was mad. Brighton could have been 4-0 up, and found themselves 3-2 down, before Trossard completed his hat-trick to get a draw. Only the 3rd away hat-trick at Anfield in the PL...anyone name the other 2 (without looking it up)?

Everton do Everton things in false dawning all over the place but the big 😮 moment was seeing Diego Costa in a Wolves shirt. He looks like he's about 100 years old. Great chance to score though.

Then to Sunday. Schadenfreude Sunday. The contractual Weekly Mention of Haaland Being Ridiculous needs to occur, but there really is nothing like embarrassing your Derby rivals. The footage of the United fans streaming out after 35 minutes was perfect. 2 late whocares goals will not reflect the gamestate in history, but this was as paddling a paddling as I've ever seen.

Leicester also somehow won a game. #Scenes

Let's get statty:

This week, 19 people played
Most popular predicted results: Man City & Liverpool WINS (18/19)
Most disputed result: Southampton vs Everton (6-7-6 split)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels (13956/1)
Lowest odds: Aron Kleiman (3475/1)
Average odds: 7809/1

Best predictor: David Graniewitz (9/10) - Trossard ruined the perfect card, 7 mins from time,
Worst predictors: Me & David Brickman (3/10)
Average score: 5.11/10

Best predicted result: Man City WIN (18/19)
Worst predicted result: Liverpool vs Brighton DRAW (1/19 - well done Zoe)

Everyone's results:

To the leaderboard (>2/3; 6/8)

This week's predos:

Good luck all!

S12M9: New Plan

 Regular readers may know that I've been referred to as a 'firebrand politico' in my time. Doesn't matter who by. None of your business.

Anyway, away from my day job of chivvying my awful MP to get off his backside and do some work supporting his constituents, I've spent the bulk of the last 20 years developing my own political philosophy. I've always wanted an eponysm. Admittedly, I've not really got the last name for it, and much of the policy framework is somewhat incoherent, but I think I've coalesced around a core belief. 

Anti-Nationalism.

Not the Soviet sort where they hate countries unless they don't.

Not the weirdo, every man is an island sort

A very simple, contagious philosophy, that Nationalism is bad. Having nations means having states, which means having heads of them. They die, no football, then reduced football. This plays havoc with my spreadsheets.

Having nations means national teams. Team who then spend ages playing each other for a tin of beans to be able to what....wear a flag or something. Nonsense. I'm very pro-Corinthian sporting ideals, but not at the expense of my spreadsheet and my routine.

Basically, utterly pointless. And it's not even like the World Cup are the World Champions. It's marginally better than the best MLB team winning the "World Series" but only just. To suggest that one nation is better than another at football when they've retained the benefit of a century of political and economic benefit over another is hardly a level playing field. 

You, Gianni Infantino, have soiled the famous white shirt and as punishment, I suggest that all National Team Captains who will be partaking in the next World Cup should be summarily executed. Ciao Harry & Sonny.

Vengeful Capital Punishment. The second tenet of Danielsism. 

Let's get statty:

M8 (7 matches played, scores pro-rated)
This week, 16 people played

Most popular predicted result: Man City WIN (16/16)

Most disputed prediction: Everton vs West Ham (4-6-6 split)

Highest/Lowest/Only odds: Aron Kleiman (72/1)

Best scorer: Steven Daniels (8.57/10)

Worst scorers: Loads of us (4.29/10)

Average score: 5.80/10

Best predicted result: Man City WIN (16/16)

Worst predicted result: Newcastle vs Bournemouth DRAW (2/16)

Everyone's scores: 

Leaderboard: (>2/3; 5/7)

To this week's predos:


Good luck all!

S12M8

 What to say?

Press "Publish" and the PL/FA cancel everything. I do not agree with this for many reasons and especially when cricket, rugby, racing etc do not follow suit.

It's then bizarrely inconsistent - so this week, European football was permitted on Wednesday in London but not on Thursday. Domestic football in permissible in London on Sunday but not Saturday in Wolverhampton. I understand a bit about how the policing and security frameworks operate for football, and (after attending a wedding this summer where I spoke to a police officer from Birmingham about the arrangement for the Commonwealth Games) understand how personnel are transferred from around the country to assist with major events, I do understand how non-London events will be impacted by a London-based parade....but even so....

For me, it all comes down to Communication. Transparency and Clarity. It'd improve VAR no end, and would have helped relieve some of the frustrations felt this week. As well as that other footballing truism, put your foot on the ball and get your head up - there was no real need to jump the gun (sporting metaphor mix klaxon) last week.

So, last week has been voided and will be repeated at some point.

In other news, last night saw another, possible Peak Haaland example. The man is a machine. 13 goals for City already in all comps and it's mid-September.

To M8 predos:



Good luck everyone

S12M7: Smorgasbord

Not short of talking points this week then....
Where to start? VAR controversy AGAIN? Tommy T facing a winter of unemployment? Graham Potter chasing the moolah? Or the overshadowing news from today.

I think the thing I'd like to start with is the Haaland. There are certain movements or skills that get associated with players. The Cruyff turn. The Ronaldinho Elastico. Or the Vieira insouciant cross-field switch with the outside of the boot. Snappy name. Well I'm calling the Haaland nice and early. The Haaland is a back-post kung fu style volley, launching his go-go-gadget 10 foot leg from somewhere near the penalty spot to convert a deep cross from a yard out into an open net. He's done it at Dortmund and is doing it at City. TM. Copyright. You read it here.

Erling Haaland GIFfrom Erling GIFs

See, I'm getting good at predictions. Last week I wrote, 

"I do reckon Tommy T is starting to go a little, so sneaky feeling he's not lasting the season"

Now admittedly, I didn't think he'd not last the week. But when it's not right, it's not right. Tuchel has a habit of falling out with people so it wasn't the biggest stretch, but also Todd Boehly really is putting himself front & centre. A long may the Chelsea Soccerball Experience continue.

Ah, bugger, they've hired a good coach. Really annoying when that happens. 

What else? VAR controversy is boring, but I think I need to make special mention of the farce that disallowed the Brighton goal. The most nothing of nothings that took over 4 minutes of checks (so I'd argue by definition not a clear & obvious error) to rule out one of the best strikes you'll ever see. Buzz (Kevin MacAllister's brother, geddit) will be fuming that history will lose that goal forever, especially given that it's have been up there with the best hat tricks of all time.

I'm not anti VAR conceptually as I've stated many times before, but it's quite impressive how the implementation can be screwed up in so many ways.

Let's get statty:

This week, 18 people played
Most popular predicted result: Man City WIN (17/18)
Most disputed predictions: Brentford vs Leeds & Man City vs Arsenal (8-8-2 & 4-4-10 splits respectively)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels (1136/1)
Lowest odds: Aron Kleiman (657/1)
Average odds: 926/1

Best predictors: ECI & debutant Massey Ratings (6/10)
Worst predictors: Feneley, Feneley's mother & WhoScored.com (2/10)
Average score: 3.89/10

Best predicted result: Brighton WIN (16/18)
Worst predicted results: Everton vs Liverpool DRAW, Bournemouth WIN & Aston Villa vs Man City DRAW (1/18)

Everyone's results:

 

Leaderboard (>2/3; 5/6)

This week's predos:



Good luck!

S12M6: Shuttered

Erling Braut Haaland is not human. That is all. Back to back hat-tricks, and he's got 9 goals already. He's making the transition from Germany effortlessly and the whole "City will struggle to adapt to him" narrative sounds really silly already. 

He's basically a just-finished-puberty Nordic Terminator and I look forward to Aston Villa trying to stop him this weekend. I honestly don't know what they can do, short of Mings, Konsa and Kamara all grabbing a limb and clinging on for dear life whilst John McGinn clambers onto his back and tries to wrestle him to the ground. It's got merit, but the problem is then defending against the rest of the City team with only 7 players. Anyway, as the saying goes....not my circus....

What else? Arsenal playing some great stuff and deservedly 5 wins from 5, but the injuries are starting to mount even before September starts. Liverpool and Man Utd are starting to find some form and Chelsea....well...I don't really know what is a Chelsea these days. I do reckon Tommy T is starting to go a little, so sneaky feeling he's not lasting the season. 

Spurs are doing their thing in getting points without playing well, unlike Brighton and Leeds who are playing well and deserve their points. Fulham are comfortably the best of the promoted sides - Bournemouth are dead already, and have predictably sacked Scott Parker, and I am PRAYING for the Redknapp Return. Newcastle and Palace are the anti-Spurs and are not getting the points their play deserves, whilst on the ballot paper for "which established team will be relegated this year?" we've got some early runners and riders with Everton, Leicester, Wolves & Villa all looking absolutely rubbish.

They should all just sign brilliant Norwegian prodigies. They can have that advice for free.

Let's get statty:

M4

This week, 16 people played
Most popular predicted results: Liverpool & Man City WINS (16/16)
Most disputed predicted result: West Ham WIN (4/16)

Highest odds: Aron Kleiman (1685/1)
Lowest odds: Steven Daniels (258/1)
Average odds: 822/1

Best predictors: Joe Abbott & Josh Daniels (9/10) - Both thwarted by Man Utd!
Worst predictors: Few of us (5/10)
Average score: (7/10)

Best predicted results: Liverpool & Man City WINS (16/16)
Worst predicted result: Brentford vs Everton DRAW (1/16)

M5

This week, 15 people played
Most popular predicted results: Liverpool & Arsenal WINS (15/15)
Most disputed predicted result: Fulham vs Brighton (3-5-7 split)

Highest odds: Josh Daniels (703/1)
Lowest odds: Aron Kleiman (245/1)
Average odds: 463/1

Best predictors: David Graniewitz & Zoë Daniels (6/10)
Worst predictors: Loads of us (3/10)
Average score: 3.93/10

Best predicted results: Liverpool & Arsenal WINS (15/15)
Worst predicted results: Southampton WIN & Bournemouth vs Wolves DRAW (1/15)

Everyone's results:



Leaderboard (>2/3; 4/5)

To this week's predos:

Good Luck all!