S11M3: Circle of Life

I can confirm that the football has returned. The surrealism of last weekend has started to dissipate and routine is slowly returning, exercising some mental muscles that once got a good working out.

Always nice as well when a bit of footballing routine helps ease that transition. Easy Liverpool & Man City wins. Check. Newcastle defeat. Check. Man Utd struggle at Southampton. Check. Arsenal get bullied out of the game by a Chelsea striker. Check. Nice.

What else happened? The newest London derby ended with spoils shared at Selhurst Park, as did the first PL game in front of a full Elland Rd in ages. Brighton battered Watford and they look very good this season. Bissouma anyone? The return to Wolves ended happily for Nuno Espirito Santo, with an early Dele penalty the difference maker. Finally, what on earth is happening to West Ham and how are they maintaining this form. I can't prove it but I reckon its EPO or something.

Let's get statty:

This week, 18 people played

Most popular predicted results: Liverpool & Man City WIN (18/18)

Most disputed result: West Ham vs Leicester (5-8-5 split)

Highest/Lowest odds: Steven Daniels 1042/1

Average odds: .....

Best predictors: David Brickman/Gaj Thiru (8/10)

Worst predictor: Daniel Wigman (3/10)

Average score: 5.71/10

Best predicted result: Liverpool & Man City WIN (18/18)

Worst predicted result: Southampton vs Man Utd DRAW (1/18 - well done Gaj)

Everyone's results:

Leaderboard to follow in the next blog

Matchday 3 predos:

Good luck all!

S11M2: Are we back?

Well that was nice...

I'm not sure why it still doesn't feel real to me. I haven't been to a football match for ~18 months, which is probably the longest I've not been since I went my first game. I'm unlikely to go for several months more - so no idea if that'll change matters. Therefore, all the return of the matchday pageantry hasn't really impacted me. I don't really watch MOTD anymore 'cos online highlights are faster and Jermaine Jenas is a pillock, so that's not changed. The summer seems to be more about transfers than football and that soap opera is still going. So yeah - all still surreal to me.

I've gotten into Kit Twitter. It's really interesting to hear designers talking about the process - the briefs, the challenges and a bit more about the mechanics of how the process works - including the economics of it after the whole "Messi pays for himself" shpiel - spoiler: he doesn't. Highly recommend falling down that rabbithole.

Meandering here. Let's look at what happened on matchday 1. 

The season kicked off in West London, inaugurating Brentford's new stadium and their return to the top flight for the first time in 200 years. My club believe in values, morals and being gracious guests, so we played our part in allowing them their party. You are welcome, Bees fans.

Moving onto the Bs, Brighton beat Brunley at Turf Moor. Easy home wins for Man Utd & Chelsea, less easy home wins for Everton, Leicester and Watford who had a bit of a squeaky bum time in injury time. Liverpool are up and running with a comfortable 3-0 win at Norwich and West Ham came from behind twice to continue their good form from last season at St James Park. 

Finally, a Spurs side missing Harry Kane for [insert reason] beat Man City - a team they seem to have a slight hoodoo over since they moved to their new stadium. Didn't watch the game as I have self respect but apparently it was a deserved victory so let's all thank Spurs for making Invincibles Day more likely this year. 

Let's get statty:

This week, 21 people played

Most popular predicted result: Leicester WIN (21/21)

Most disputed prediction: Burnley vs Brighton (8-6-7 split respectively)

Highest odds: Josh Daniels 2462/1

Lowest odds: Steven Daniels 1418/1

Average odds: 1940/1

Best predictor: David Brickman (8/10) 0- someone wants their title back...

Worst predictors:3 of us (4/10)

Average score: 5.62/10

Everyone's scores:

No leaderboard until after Matchday 3....

To this week's predos:



Good luck all!

S11: 'Ere We Go

 Somebody needs to have a word with the Sun. Or Earth. Whoever's in charge of orbits and stuff. How is it already the eve of a new season? We've just done the last one. Then the Euros. Then the Olympics. And now we're all lined up in the tunnel waiting to go again.

A reminder of the rules for any new players:

• Predict the result (Home Win/Draw/Away Win) for each fixture
• 1 point per correct prediction
• Leaderboard = weekly average score for those who play >2/3 of available weeks
• That's basically it

There's a more detailed expansion here

So, let's ImpossibiliPreview - give me your season predictions which we'll pull out in May...

and Matchday 1 Predictions

Please share this widely - the more the merrier!

Good luck all!

S10: All Done

 And breathe.

Another season over

A bizarre one, and hopefully, the last season under COVID restrictions. Famous last words.

I don't know about you lot but I'm cream-crackered. The schedule. The compressed season. I haven't set foot inside a stadium for 15 months which I think is the longest period for well over 20 years. It's just all a bit surreal. I was thinking about this when the Arsenal players were bidding farewell to David Luiz on Sunday - 2 years at the club and he's probably played in front of the fans fewer than 10 times. He's probably played in front on Arsenal fans more for Chelsea than for Arsenal, in 2 years as a starting player. Just absolutely bizarre.

So I know it's over, and the medals are being given out, but it, and as previously chronicled on these e-pages, last season, just seem a bit....meh

Obviously if I were a Leicester fan, or a Villareal fan, I'd probably feel less meh. Whoever wins on Saturday will probably also be able to rise a smile. All in all, the beautiful game is a lot less beautiful when it's covered in SARS-CoV-2. Please desist from further pandemics. Many thanks

Let's get statty:

Matchday 36 (8 matches, pro-rated)

20 people played
Most popular predicted results: Spurs & Everton WINS (20/20)
Most disputed predicted result: Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa (4-8-8 split)

Highest odds/Lowest odds: Steven Daniels (108/1)
Average odds: You do the maths

Best predictor: Lawro (8.75/10)
Worst predictor: AFM (3.75/10)
Average score: 6.06/10

Best predicted result: Spurs WIN (20/20)
Worst predicted result: Sheff Utd WIN (0/20)

Matchday 37

15 people played
Most popular predicted results: Liverpool, Newcastle & Man Utd WINS (15/15)
Most disputed predicted result: Southampton vs Leeds (6-3-6 split)

Highest odds: Josh Daniels (9775/1)
Lowest odds: Steven Daniels (318/1)
Average odds: 5047/1

Best predictors: Lawro, David Brickman & Feneley (7/10)
Worst predictor: Josh Daniels (4/10)
Average score: 5.53/10

Best predicted results: Newcastle & Liverpool WINS (15/15) 
Worst predicted result: Man utd vs Fulham DRAW (0/15)

Matchday 38

17 people played
Most popular predicted results: Liverpool & West Ham WINS (16/17)
Most disputed predicted result: Sheff Utd vs Burnley (5-3-9 split) 

Highest odds: Aron Kleiman (533/1)
Lowest odds: Aron Kleiman (533/1)
Average odds: Guess

Best predictors: Aron Kleiman, Josh Daniels, Nick Taylor-Collins (8/10)
Worst predictor: WhoScored.com (4/10)
Average score: 6.35/10

Best predicted results: Liverpool & West Ham WINS (16/17)
Worst predicted result: Aston Villa WIN (2/17)

Everyone's results:



To the FINAL Leaderboard

To qualify, you needed to have played >2/3 of matchweeks - or 25/36

So yet again, for the 4th time in 8 years, EuroClubIndex are the champions, beating out BBC darling, Lawro. Nathan Daniels snuck in in the last few weeks to take the top human player spot. David Graniewitz adrift by some distance at the bottom.

The secondary board for those who played, but didn't qualify for the main table. Just do better guys. Reminders on your phones etc. I've also really pretty much dropped Facebook - so please let me know if you want reminding by email/Twitter or to join the Impossibilitee WhatsApp group

Congrats to all involved.

I'm frankly exhausted, so radio silence from me over the summer. Enjoy the Euros if that's your bag & set your alarms for August.

Time for a sangria & a snooze

x

S10M36: Caught Up

 Let's just get to it. City win. Man Utd 2nd. Relegated are relegated. Weeks to get through

M32 (7 matches pro-rata)

20 people played
Most popular predicted result: Man Utd & Arsenal WIN  (20/20)
Most disputed predicted result: Leeds vs Liverpool (4-6-10 split respectively)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels 84/1

Lowest odds: Steven Daniels 84/1

Average odds: 84/1

Best predictor: 4 of you (5.71/10)
Worst predictor: Loads of us (2.86/10)

Average score: 4.07/10

Best predicted result: Man Utd WIN (20/20)
Worst predicted result: Arsenal vs Fulham DRAW (0/20)

M33 (8 matches pro-rata)

18 people played - 1 late entrant
Most popular predicted result: Leicester WIN (18/18)
Most disputed predicted result: West Ham vs Chelsea (7-5-5 split respectively)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels 685/1

Lowest odds: Steven Daniels 685/1

Average odds: 685/1

Best predictor: Rafi Kleiman (5/10)
Worst predictor: Loads (1.25/10)

Average score: 2.64/10

Best predicted result: Leicester WIN (18/18)
Worst predicted result: Everton WIN (1/18)

M34 (9 matches pro-rata)

20 people played
Most popular predicted result: Man City WIN (20/20)
Most disputed predicted result: WBA vs Wolves (8-6-6 split respectively)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels 4429/1
Lowest odds: Steven Daniels 4429/1

Average odds:  4429/1

Best predictor: Joe Abbott (7.78/10)
Worst predictor: Gaj Thiru (2.22/10)

Average score: 5.17/10

Best predicted result: Man City WIN (20/20)
Worst predicted result: Southampton vs Leicester DRAW (1/20)

M35

17 people played
Most popular predicted result: Leicester WIN (16/16* - 1 late entrant)
Most disputed predicted result: Wolves vs Brighton (7-4-6 split)

Highest odds: Steven Daniels (3706/1)

Lowest odds: Aron Kleiman (626/1)

Average odds: 2166/1

Best predictor: ECI (8/10)
Worst predictor: Gaj Thiru (3/10)

Average score: 5.47/10

Best predicted result: Man Utd WIN (16/17)
Worst predicted result: Newcastle WIN (0/17)

Everyone's results:

Leaderboard (>2/3; 23/33)

This week's predos:

Good luck all!

S10M35: Come friendly bombs

Ok, so I know I said I'd get the catch up blog in but there's a game this evening so here's the prediction form and let's try again later...

This week's predos:

Good Luck!

S10M34: Promises Promises

 Ok so nights followed a mad week, so the catch up blog will likely be over the weekend with TWO if not THREE sets of results.

The good news, however, is you miss my rambling on about the ESL debacle.

Everyone's a winner then

Quick predos post before I get back to the day job

Good luck all