Friday 25 November 2011

Preview: NIVEA's Great Football Experiment: Ivory FC v England Legends

This Sunday, (26th November) there is a fantastic football project going ahead at Dagenham and Redbridge's Victoria Ground.

The project is entirely unique, exciting and absolutely ground breaking. An amateur side, Ivory FC will pit their fists against a side of former England Legends. A team including the likes of Ray Parlour, Clive Allen, Rob Jones and Luther Blissett. The encounter will be intriguing for all involved. Especially for the Ivory FC players who are eagerly waiting for the game as if its Christmas!

But here's the twist to the tale, Nivea have provided Ivory FC with official training FA training and their coaches have been a certain Terry Venables and Ray Wilkins. That's not too bad now is it!? Not only this, the Ivory players have had training sessions with other top FA coaches, the players have also received the advice of top physio's too and to top the whole thing off, the team have been given a brand spanking new Umbro Kit.

The game is going to be a sensational, unique and rather funny experience. If you're free this Sunday you must go down.

The game kicks off at 2pm, at Dagenham and Redbridge's Victoria Ground so get yourselves down there early, its going to be incredible.

You can find out much more information about Nivea's Great Football Experiment here: http://www.niveaformen.co.uk/nivea_for_men_england_cooperation/thegreatfootballexperiment.html

Make sure you follow their Facebook page too: http://www.facebook.com/niveaformenuk?sk=app_122333154537264

To give you a bit of a taster of the fantastic experiment, watch this latest episode about Nivea's Great Football Experiment.


The Football Front will officially back Ray Parlour to be Man of the Match! So good luck to Ray!

Premier League Predictions – Week 12

Another batch of Premier League fixtures are amongst us, this weekend sees Man United host Newcastle United, which should be a fantastic encounter. While Liverpool host the league leaders Man City on Sunday.

This week, our predictors are Gagan of Anfield Index and EPL Index. The other predictor this week is, Jonny Mullins of Lanky Guy Blog.

So onto the predictions,


Fixture

Ibby Akkas prediction

Gagan prediction

Jonny Mullins prediction

Actual Score

Stoke v Blackburn

2-1

2-1

2-2

3-1

Bolton v Everton

3-2

1-1

1-2

0-2

Chelsea v Wolves

2-0

3-2

2-0

3-0

Man United v Newcastle

1-0

2-0

3-1

1-1

Norwich v QPR

2-2

2-1

2-1

2-1

Sunderland v Wigan

3-1

1-1

2-1

1-2

West Brom v Tottenham

1-2

1-2

0-3

1-3

Arsenal v Fulham

4-1

3-1

4-0

1-1

Swansea v Aston Villa

1-1

1-0

2-0

0-0

Liverpool v Man City

3-2

2-2

0-2

1-1

Total Correct Scores

correct results - 4

perfect results - 0

correct results - 4

perfect results -1

correct results - 3

perfect scores - 1



The Results

Gagan - 7 points

Jonny Mullins - 6 points

Ibby Akkas - 4 points

This week's winner is Gagan who edges past Jonny Mullins by 1 point. It was a very close encounter this week, will all the predictors besides Ibby, getting one perfect score. But a decent effort for both Gagan and Jonny!
Make sure you take a look at Gagan’s fantastic Anfield Index and EPL Index, both websites are fantastic and have articles filled with brilliant statistics. Both EPL Index and Anfield Index can be found on Twitter: @EPLIndex + @AnfieldIndex.

Jonny Mullins blog is most definitely worth the time. His blog: Lanky Guy Blog specialises on tactical analysis of recent matches across the globe. Jonny can also be followed on Twitter: @Lankyguyblog.

Take a look at this season’s Prediction Challenge League Table.

Find out here how last week’s predictors did!

For more information on The Predictions Challenge check out this page.

Thursday 24 November 2011

Contracts in Football - Are they worth the paper they are written on?


Leanne Duckett explains to The Football Front the true value of contracts and whether they have real value.

The thing in football that baffles me most is ..... CONTRACTS!! Do they actually mean anything?


As an HR Advisor this may be a little surprising but it seems Football as a business is totally exempt from the normal everyday HR structure that other businesses run to.

Contract of Employment: "Oral or written, express or implied, agreement specifying terms and conditions under which a person consents to perform certain duties as directed and controlled by en employer in return for an agreed upon wage or salary. Whether stated or not, both the employee and the employer owe the duty of mutual confidence and trust, and to make only lawful and reasonable demands on each other. Every employee is under the obligation to carry out assigned duties, or the employers instructions to the best of their abilities. The employer is under the obligation to protect the employee from harm or injury." (www.businessdictionary.com, 2011)

By its very definition a contract is there to in-still "mutual confidence and trust" it seems ‘confidence’ and ‘trust’ are the missing elements in the Mancini -Tevez affair.


So, the key question is has Tevez breached his contract?

Well, he allegedly refused a request from his manager to play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Manchester City then suspended him for a maximum of two weeks, on full pay whilst they conducted an investigation into the incident. Tevez was then fined 4 weeks wages, close to a £1 million pounds, and was training with the youth team.

Some of the options available to City are, to retain Tevez's registration until 2014, leaving him unable to play any competitive football, except for Argentina, until the registration expires. Or, they can sell him, his former club, Corinthians are said to have expressed interest in taking him back for around £16-£18 million, almost a third of the £47 million City paid for him.

Man City Chairman, Sheikh Mansour however has stated no cut price deals will be made.

Indeed, there is a FIFA regulation where a player can terminate his contract if he feels he has sporting just cause:

"An established professional who has, in the course of the season, appeared in fewer than ten per cent of the official matches in which his club has been involved may terminate his contract prematurely on the ground of sporting just cause. Due consideration shall be given to the player’s circumstances in the appraisal of such cases. The existence of a sporting just cause shall be established on a case-by-case basis. In such a case, sporting sanctions shall not be imposed, though compensation may be payable. A professional may only terminate his contract on this basis in the 15 days following the last official match of the season of the club with which he is registered." (www.fifa.com)

This is not new territory that Tevez finds himself in. At the end of his time with Corinthians he refused to play, thus to push forward his transfer to West Ham United.

Carlos Tevez is well known for his sulking and petulance which is a massive shame, considering how talented he is.

Tevez did initially receiving the backing from the PFA in his claim against Mancini for defamation of character. But since he’s gone AWOL, presumably back to Argentina, this sour affair shows no signs of being settled this year.

Champions League club representatives have urged FIFA to take a tough stance against Carlos Tevez if his self-imposed exile from Manchester City leads to the end of his contract.

One club executive said: ‘If Tevez does get away with having his contract cancelled and then gets himself a lucrative deal elsewhere, what’s to stop others doing the same thing? We are all watching this situation very closely.’

As are we all!

This article was written by Leanne Duckett, you follow her on Twitter: @halftimejaffas .You can find her work on her blog here too -> http://halftimejaffacakes.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Arsenal and the one-man team myth

The Football Front's, Jake Harrison evaluates the notion of the 'one-man team myth' and Arsenal

Saturday’s win at Carrow Road was Arsenal’s fifth straight Premier League victory and continued a fine series of games that has seen them look comfortable against teams who, a few weeks ago, commenters were saying they should be beating with ease.

They managed to finally break down Stoke and edged past Bolton before easing past West Brom and comfortably beating Norwich at the weekend – whilst smashing Chelsea 5-3 in the middle of it all.

An early Per Mertesacker mistake could have derailed Arsene Wenger’s side on Saturday as Steve Morison scored after 16 minutes but two goals from Robin Van Persie secured the points for the Gunners.

Their last defeat came at the hands of rivals Tottenham at the beginning of October and, despite some defensive issues – Mertesacker should have coped better this weekend. Although, as many have pointed out, a shorter player could have dealt with the danger with more ease – the team, including the summer recruits, seems to be settling down.

The only side in the League who are in a better run of form than Arsenal are the unstoppable Manchester City. Arsenal, in the 12 games they have played this season, have scored 25 goals: only the two Manchester clubs have scored more.

Of course, a large proportion of those goals have come from one indomitable source in the shape of Robin Van Persie. 13, to be precise, taking the Dutchman’s tally for this calendar year to 31. Arsenal’s second top goalscorer in the League is Gervinho with two goals to his name.

Such a fantastic record has lead many to go down the slightly ignorant route of declaring that Arsenal are a one-man team, if such a thing exists.

However, Arsenal are reliant on Van Persie. Just as Liverpool are reliant on Luis Suarez and Manchester United are reliant on Wayne Rooney. It is also true that Arsenal would be a worse team without Van Persie; of course they would be. Look at any club in the world, take away their best player and they will indeed be a team that isn’t as good as they were before.

But having one player who is the focal point of the team is not the same as being a one-man team, or even vaguely similar. Van Persie has 52% of Arsenal’s league goals – but then someone has to give him the ball to score those goals.

Theo Walcott put in one of his best Arsenal performances on Saturday and is enjoying a fantastic season on the right-wing, while Gervinho – despite a wasteful showing at the weekend - looks a class act on the opposite wing. The attacking three behind Van Persie seems to be working well for Arsenal, with Aaron Ramsey also having a fantastic season.

It is Mikel Arteta, though, who proves to be just as key to Arsenal’s side as Van Persie does. His ability to hold on to the ball and rarely give away possession (an average pass completion rate of 90.5% over nine games) is almost dwarfed by the amount of defence-splitting, key passes he makes per game (2.3). He may not be a direct and all-conquering replacement for Cesc Fabregas, but Arteta is proving himself to be a superb buy at just £10 million.

Arteta has just the one assist this season but Gervinho has got five, with Ramsey getting four, as has Alex Song. More often than not Alex Song is usually viewed as something of a peripheral figure, sometimes a distinctly average defensive midfielder, but he's been fantastic this season and he was absolutely sublime against Norwich.

Even players who were being ridiculed weeks ago are now showing themselves to be more than competent. Mertesacker clearly lacks pace but his ability to read the game at Premier League speed is improving and his robustness in the air is something that Arsenal have been craving for a while now, especially with Thomas Vermaelen continuously injured.

The Belgian has now returned though and Lorient Koscielny also looks very impressive. Now all of a sudden, Arsenal have three excellent centre-backs. Add all of that to the fact that they also boast one of the best goalkeepers in the league in Wojciech SzczÄ™sny and it makes the ‘one-man team’ argument look even more flawed.

Arsenal, like every other football club, rely on much more than the goals of one player. But viewers of football see one player score lot of goals and equate that with him being the only player who does anything. But look at the fantastic team play and passes that lead to Van Persie's goals, without the sensational creativity of Arsenal's midfield and wingers, Van Persie probably wouldn’t have scored that much nor would Arsenal be on such a healthy run.

The goals Robin Van Persie has scored tell a story of a team, that are all working productively. Rather than showing a team with just one man performing.

This article was written by Jake Harrison, you can follow Jake on his Twitter: @Jake_Harrison92 .You can also find his blog here: jakecharrison.blogspot.com/

Friday 18 November 2011

Michael Owen: did he ever fulfil his true potential?

Michael Owen is a figure who divides opinions. Some view him as a player who was once a World Class player and a player who took the world by storm, but for others it’s a completely different story.

But almost everyone agrees in his younger days, Owen was world class. To put things into perspective, Michael Owen is the 6th most profile striker in the Premier League era, with 149 goals. He's scored more Premier League goals than, Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke, Ian Wright and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

But the real question which divides many is: did Michael Owen ever fulfil the potential that surrounded him during his teenage and early years in professional football.

Indeed, this is a rather inflammatory question which stirs a lot of debate. Especially as present Michael Owen, now 31, spends most of his time sat on the bench at Man United whilst lapping up the trophies.

But rather ironically, as a teenager, Michael Owen was a certain starter for his side and more importantly, Owen was a consistent goal scorer at the tender age of 18. It’s very easy to forget how much of a prodigy Michael Owen was when he was a teenager.

Owen’s scoring knack began at just 17 years of age. He even scored on his Premier League debut in 1997 away at Wimbledon.

But that goal was a plain glimpse of what was to come from Michael Owen.

The following season, Michael Owen’s first full season in professional football, the then 18 year old scored a total of 18 Premier League goals. A demonstration of his achievement is truly represented by the fact the teenager finished joint top goal scorer alongside Dion Dublin.

Michael Owen took the Premier League by storm. He was untouchable. His electrifying pace, movement and clinical finishing made him an incredibly potent and threatening striker– even for the most experienced of defenders.

The fact Owen, a mere 18 year old, a player had no previous Premier League experience could take England’s elite league by storm summoned many to believe Michael Owen would become a global superstar. A player would end his career in the same bracket as many English legends such as Gary Linekar, Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer.

But the expectations of his potential grew to a sky high level by the 1998 World Cup in France. His magnificent individual goal against Argentina proved not only could he compete with the best in England, he could also compete with the best players in the world.

After this glorifying World Cup for Michael Owen was destined for more than just a global superstar, he was perceived as a player who would go onto be an all time great footballer: a player in the ranks of Pele, Ronaldo and Maradona.

To be fair to Owen, with the global attention which was following and expecting from him, he initially didn’t fail to deliver. His progression continued in a substantial fashion after the 1998 World Cup.

In the 2001/02 season Michael Owen reached his best goal tally for a season. He scored 28 goals in 43 games. Upon reflecting, one could argue the 2001/02 season was Michael Owen’s pinnacle season. Owen was single handily winning games for his club and this was internationally recognised.

The 2001 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Arsenal is the perfect example of Owen single handily changing the game for his team’s favour. In the final, Liverpool for most of the match were second best and looked odds on to lose the final. But a five minute spell of brilliance from Michael Owen transformed the game for Liverpool. Owen’s potent finishing and blistering pace caught a dominate Arsenal side completely off guard.

Michael Owen was the star. He was England’s finest striker. No English striker was anywhere near Owen’s abilities. The year 2001 ended with Michael Owen being crowned with FIFA’s Ballon d’Or - a vivid symbol of Michael Owen’s abilities and how they were leaving the footballing world in absolute awe.

However, Michael Owen for all of his talents was not enough for Liverpool to consistently challenge for the title. Continuously, Owen would lead by example scoring in the bucket loads, single handily carrying Liverpool from one game to the next. But his team mates were often no where near to his level of performing.

Inevitably, the writing was on the wall. In order for Michael Owen to reach the pinnacle of European football, he would have to win trophies. And that meant leaving his beloved Liverpool.

In 2004, this happened. Michael Owen transferred to Spanish giants Real Madrid. To many, this move was Owen’s downfall. Some label it as the end of the golden boy era for Michael Owen.

Make no mistake, Michael Owen was no golden boy at Real Madrid. The talented Englishman spent most of his time fighting for a place on the bench, often drawing criticism from the Spanish press and the fans for his inconsistent form.

Within a year, Owen arrived back in England.

Owen’s time at Newcastle was spoiled with injuries. Had Michael Owen returned to England and managed to stay injury free, maybe the striker would be performing to a very high level to this day, thus assisting him fulfil his full potential. But at Newcastle, Owen would take a few steps forward, scoring a number of goals. Then he would take a few steps back and would find himself injured for a lengthy period.

The consequence of continuous lengthy periods on the sidelines had adverse effects on Owen’s abilities. Owen style of play depended on his pace and sharpness. But without these components Michael Owen lacked the cutting edge, the confidence and crucially, the chance to be a serious thereat to the opposition.

Some argue, Michael Owen was an early peaker, but one can never be sure of this. If Owen hadn’t suffered from a history of injuries in the second half of his career, maybe he would have continued to progress or at least maintain his fantastic goal scoring form.

To be fair, Owen’s injuries were not spontaneous occurrences. They were subtly arising on the surface, even when Owen was at his peak.

Tom Nash (@ffootballer) argues because Michael Owen was exposed to so much high level football at a young age, it would inevitably end up catching up with Owen’s body. This is a fantastic point. By the age of 21, Owen had already played more than 95 Premier League games. Not only this, the sheer expectation, and summer tournaments at a young age must have had an effect on his body.

One must remember, even when Owen was in his early twenties, he suffered some lengthy injuries. In the 1999/2000 season, Owen played 30 games in total. While in the season prior, he appeared 40 times.

Perhaps if Michael Owen’s development was better protected by his national team and club, maybe Owen could have consistently played and performed at the highest level for a longer period of time. His sudden thrust into the highest level of football and his comfort in these surroundings created massive expectations which Owen had to strive to conform to.

It’s sad to say, but Michael Owen’s injuries have hindered him from reaching his true potential. If 10 years ago, one would ask where they would see Michael Owen being, many would speculate he would be playing week in week out continuously finding the net.

The grim reality is that Owen, finds himself predominantly on the bench at Liverpool’s arch rivals Man United. Something which I’m sure most United and Liverpool fans would have never imagined.

However, it cannot be denied. Michael Owen WAS world class. But in the early period of his career. But during a footballer’s conventional peak years (26-31 years old), Owen at that age was never able to regain his world class label.

But Owen was a special player. He held the hopes of the nation, he held the hearts of many football fans. Off the pitch, even at a young age Owen was a true role model not only to children, but to adults.

The regrettable aspect is that poor protection of the striker from his national team and clubs along with some poor transfers and the critical loss of crucial abilities have meant Michael Owen never truly fulfilled his potential.

But when Michael Owen retires from football, he probably will reflect on his career, considering all the if’s and buts. However, when he looks at the medals he has won and what he achieved in his career he will look back at his career with great pride.

Owen has won 89 England caps, scoring a sensational 40 goals. He has a Premier League medal, an FA Cup medal, three League Cups medals and one UEFA Cup medal in his cabinet.

Michael Owen was a special player, a world class player at times, but his decline in the second half of his career hindered him reaching his true potential.

Here are a collection of some of Michael Owen's best goals in a Liverpool shirt:



Premier League Predictions – Week 11

Finally. THE PREMIER LEAGUE IS BACK! After a week long international break, we can finally get back to club football and all the fun that comes along with it. This week there are some fantastic games. On Saturday, the two remaining unbeaten sides in the Premier League, Manchester City and Newcastle United go head to head. While on Sunday, Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea, a game which entices many I’m sure.

This week, our predictors are Liam Angell of Pitch Talk and Gary Linton of The Football Project and Lovely Left Foot.

Fixture

Ibby Akkas prediction

Liam Angell prediction

Gary Linton prediction

Actual Score

Norwich v Arsenal

2-2

1-2

1-3

1-2

Everton v Wolves

3-1

2-2

2-1

2-1

Man City v Newcastle

2-0

3-1

2-1

3-1

Stoke v QPR

2-1

2-1

2-0

2-3

Sunderland v Fulham

3-2

3-2

2-2

0-0

West Brom v Bolton

1-2

0-0

1-0

2-1

Wigan v Blackburn

0-0

3-3

1-1

3-3

Swansea v Man United

0-2

1-3

0-3

0-1

Chelsea v Liverpool

1-0

1-2

2-1

1-2

Tottenham v Aston Villa

3-1

2-1

2-0

2-0

Total Correct Scores

correct scores -5

perfect scores - 0

correct scores -2

perfect scores - 4

correct scores -6

perfect scores - 2




The Results

Liam Angell - 14 points

Gary Linton - 12 points

Ibby Akkas - 5 points

After a very high scoring week, Liam Angell wins with a fantastic 14 points, with a sensational 4 perfect scores. While in second place, Gary Linton finished with an impressive 12 points, Gary got 8/10 of his Premier League predictions correct or even got the perfect score, which is a very impressive feat! While in last place, Ibby Akkas, with a 5 points.


You can find Liam Angell on Twitter: @SSLJA. Check out Pitch Talk, where Liam is a key contributor: Pitch Talk

Gary Linton is a leading contributor at: The Football Project and Lovely Left Foot, both are worth a glance over. Gary can be found on Twitter too: @Linton1388

Take a look at this season’s Prediction Challenge League Table.

Find out here how last week’s predictors did!

For more information on The Predictions Challenge check out this page.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Video: Lionel Messi doing a Moonwalk?

Here's a great little video, it was made from the game PES2012. The game gives users the option to allow your players to do the moonwalk as one of their celebrations. And yes, its the whole moonwalk, check it out below, its rather funny!


Monday 7 November 2011

Five Observations from Week 10 in the Premier League

  1. Manchester City prove they get can away wins against tough mid-table teams- This was a real test for Manchester City. It was a test which City just about passed. QPR threw a load of punches at Man City. The first critical punch came when QPR took the lead. It was the first time in the league an opposition has taken the lead against Manchester City. Indeed, Manchester City stood up and got the equaliser through Edin Dzeko, who has now scored 10 Premier League goals, 7 of those coming away from home. City then grabbed the initiative again by taking the lead, but against determined opposition, who have a very solid attacking unit and with their passionate fans behind them, QPR reacted and managed to bring the game level to 2-2. But again, this didn’t effect severely effect Man City. Within a few minutes City took the lead again – which ended up being the crucial winning goal. This result proves City have strong belief and togetherness to come out of tough tests with all the three points. A number of teams would have fallen apart and lost their way after being pegged back away from home. It also proves, even if City don’t play at their very best, the team have enough quality and cohesion to get the win away from home.
  2. Liverpool are not good enough for a top four finish – Liverpool let themselves down again. For the third home game in a row, they have drawn. For the second time in a row, they have drawn at home games against two newly promoted sides. Utterly woeful. Liverpool’s attack has improved from last season, but The Reds have lacked a clinical cutting edge this season. Indeed, Liverpool have created the chances but the finishing simply hasn’t been there. That was the case against Swansea. It’s clear if a team have aspirations to be in the top four they must win their encounters at home against the teams below them in the league. With every game, Liverpool’s finishing has been a growing concern. It’s vital Dalglish and his players rectify this because as it stands, Liverpool feel and look extremely brittle at Anfield.
  3. Chelsea finally get their first clean sheet since August but one must not get carried away with this stat – Chelsea grabbed their first win in three with an away win at Blackburn. Perhaps this result was expected. After all, prior to this game, Blackburn had gone 5 games without a win. But Chelsea, got the three points thanks to yet another Frank Lampard goal, and they said his best days were over? Look at him now! But more crucially, Chelsea got themselves a clean sheet. Their first clean sheet since the opening day draw at Stoke. But Chelsea know they can’t get carried away. They were playing one of the Premier League’s out of form sides, they were playing a team who had only managed a woeful 1 win in 5 games at home this season. Furthermore, Blackburn haven’t kept a clean sheet this season, so it was inevitable Chelsea would come out on top. But this is a morale boosting win, as bigger challenges lay ahead for Chelsea.
  4. Wolves get three points in their biggest game of the season..so far, while Wigan lose yet again- Wolves finally end their run of 8 games without a win. It was a win which was utterly deserved. Wolves didn’t play Wigan off the park, but they did play a far better game than Wigan. Wolves defended better, used the ball more wisely and attacked in a more clinical fashion. This was a vital game for both Wigan and Wolves. Prior to this game, both teams had lost more than 6 games in a row. Both teams saw this as a 6 pointer fixture for themselves. But Wolves showed their strength and determination to end this run. While Wigan, yet again, showed no substance. The team were not clinical and arguably their goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi kept Wigan within reach of Wolves. But Wigan looked out of sorts. The team seem struggle to score and struggled to defend. It will certainly be a long season for Wigan. While for Wolves, what a difference a win makes. Wolves go into the international break in 13th position, a point behind Stoke and QPR.
  5. Bolton finally win at home – Prior to this game, Bolton were the only team in the Premier League who have failed to pick up a single point at home. But that changed this weekend. Bolton hammered Stoke. Perhaps it was a reverse of the hammering Stoke gave to Bolton in the FA Cup Semi-Final last season. Bolton fully deserved the points against Stoke. Bolton seemed more fresher and more hungry for the win. The Wanderers imposed themselves on Stoke and put Pulis’ men under a great deal of pressure throughout the game. Kevin Davies, a man whose form has been under scruinity this season played a crucial part in Bolton’s win. He was an imposing figure, who caused Stoke a handful of problems with his physicality and great holding up of the ball. However, for Stoke, the team looked tired and its evident the effects of playing in the Europa League are having an effect on the team’s domestic performances. Pulis must find a formula to get his side to perform in the games after tough Europa League encounters.

Five Statistics from this Weekend

  1. Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored against 26 of the 30 different teams he has faced in the Premier League.
  2. 48% of Arsenal’s goals have come from Robin Van Persie this season.
  3. Liverpool have drawn the most games at home this season (4 draws)
  4. Brad Friedel made his 276 consecutive start in the PL versus Fulham. Last time he missed a match was May 2004.
  5. QPR have only won 1 home game in 6 attempts this season.

Friday 4 November 2011

Premier League Predictions – Week 10

The games are coming thick and fast, the ultimate bliss for any football fan. Perhaps it’s not entirely blissful for the managers who have little time to prepare their teams for important matches.

But this weekend, our predictors are: John of Tangerine Dreaming and Michael Moruzzi of Regista Blog.

Fixture

Ibby Akkas prediction

John prediction

Michael Moruzzi prediction

Actual Score

Newcastle v Everton

2-0

1-1

2-1

2-1

Arsenal v West Brom

3-0

4-0

3-0

3-0

Aston Villa v Norwich

2-1

2-0

1-1

3-2

Blackburn v Chelsea

1-3

2-4

0-2

0-1

Liverpool v Swansea

5-1

1-0

3-1

0-0

Man United v Sunderland

3-0

2-0

3-0

1-0

QPR v Man City

1-3

0-3

0-2

2-3

Wolves v Wigan

2-1

3-1

2-1

3-1

Bolton v Stoke

1-0

2-2

1-0

5-0

Fulham v Tottenham

3-2

1-2

2-2

1-3

Total Correct Scores

Correct Results - 7

Perfect Results - 1

Correct Results - 6

Perfect Results- 1

Correct Results - 5

Perfect Results - 2



The Results

Michael Moruzzi- 11 Points

Ibby Akkas - 10 Points

John - 9 Points

Michael Moruzzi wins this weekend's Prediction Challenge with an impressive 11 points. So a good by performance by him! In second place, we have Ibby Akkas with 10 points, while just behind him is John with 9 points.

You can follow John on his Twitter: @Tanger_Dreaming. Check out his Blackpool dedicated website too: tangerinedreaming.com

Michael’s Regista Blog is worth the look too: http://www.regista-blog.com. He can also be found on Twitter: @Regista_blog.

Take a look at this season’s Prediction Challenge League Table.

Find out here how last week’s predictors did!

For more information on The Predictions Challenge check out this page.

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