The Mail Bag
Christmas Fixture Prediction
Comments (21)
I see in Mark Lawrenson's Prediction list that this week's celebrity host ? someone called Len Goodman ? has predicted a 1-0 win for Everton away to City... The fixture list over the festive season up to 5 January really is make or break. I see us taking 9 points from 15 which should take us much closer to the red filth going into the derby match in mid-January:
Man City ? draw
Brum ? win (surely)
West Ham ? win (mind you the script is wriiten with Avram Grant's ultimatum that he has to get one win from the next 3 matches ? we're the third match!)
Stoke ? draw
Spurs ? draw
Greetings of the season to you all.
Mike Hughes, Posted 16/12/2010 at 22:37:26
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I like your optimism though, you don't have us down for a defeat.
http://guardian.touch-line.com/?CTID=11&CPID=4&TEID=223&pStr=League_Pos&t=3
Is this where we start winning like last season? The incredible thing is even though results have been rubbish this season we've still only lost 7 of our last 41 league matches. Only Utd have lost less.
I remember a couple of months ago we had a very winnable set of games and we didn't win them and that's what's put us in this mess!
I'll be happy if we're not in the bottom 3 on Christmas Day!
My first prediction is that Moyes will play 4-5-1. My second is, at the 80 minute mark he will swap a striker for another striker. For my third, Osman will play his usual role as the invisible man.
Gee, I never thought this prediction caper would be so easy.
WE ARE IN A RELEGATION BATTLE ? there, said it, people... deal with it.
The game against West Ham will not be to see us push toward top eight, it will be a massive 6 pointer that will have a bearing on who will go down!! Forget the optimism and grasp reality.
Brum ? win (surely)????
West Brom (home) ? win, surely??
Wigan (home) ? win, surely ??
Bolton (home) ? win, surely??
Blackpool (away) ? win, surely??
The answers to all those 'surely's was No ? which is why we are in a relegation battle. City away is normally a decent fixture to us as is West Ham away. I do agree with the moral of your article though ? 3 wins over these games is a must otherwise it's tenderhooks up till the very end.
I'm going to miss the Brum game on Boxing Day which will be the first home game I have missed all season. Let's hope my absence results in a decent home performance for the first time in a long time. To me, City away is now the most crucial game in a long time ? anything other than 3 points could have disastrous consequences going into the Xmas run of games.
We are West Ham's bogey - team - i.e. the team we've taken more points off than any other in the Prem era.
I know that doesn't count for much. I take your point about optimism but any less than 9 points and we really will be up shit creek I think. Then I fear it will be time for the RS chants of "Going Down" on 16 Jan.
I think that we need to play either the Yak or Beckford up front. I think Coleman whatever you say is getting tired and faitigued. I think we should go with Anichebe on the right. Against Birmingham we have to go for it playing Beckford and the Yak up front. I don't know what will happen at City but hopefully we get a result.
My advice to anyone who's expecting a victory out of any of our festive games, don't build your hopes up. West Ham won't be easy but perhaps more suited to the way we play and hopefully we can get a result their.
Stoke will be hard as whatever you say Stoke are a decent side and will cause us some serious problems, they deserved a draw at GP this year.
It's impossible to know what Spurs will turn up but with Defoe back we could have some problems.
Man City ? win
Brum ? win
West Ham ? win
Stoke ? win
Spurs ? win
15 points. 4-5-1 employed. Saha comes good and bags 7 in 5 games. Osman starts all 5 and shines. Heitinga starts CDM and is a brick wall and distributes beautifully, we score 5 on counters after opposition corners by putting someone up the pitch to control the inevitable hoof, and Howard has 5 clean sheets without bumbling one ball.
In the words of the immortal Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life:
Merry Christmas everyone!
It was 75 degrees here in Florida today - enjoy your snow!
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1 Posted 17/12/2010 at 08:07:46
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We`ve tended to do well against City... and Spurs don't seem to be a force at all outside London. Sooner or later, somebody's will start putting the ball in the net, I'll be the first to stick my neck out...
I'll be disappointed with less than 12 points from that group of fixtures