09 May 2008

Last predictions of the season

So with one week of fixtures left I’m one game below the goal of 50% for the season, and that’s only because I went 7-2 last week. I’m fully aware I’ll probably end up missing it regardless. The current tally is 166 right and 167 wrong, with 37 spot on.

Chances are we won’t be doing this again next season either way.

Chelsea v Bolton, 10am, FSC: Chelsea 2-0
Wigan v Manchester Utd, 10am, Setanta: United 3-1
Birmingham v Blackburn, 10am: 1-1
Derby v Reading, 10am: Reading 1-0
Everton v Newcastle, 10am: Everton 2-1
Middlesbrough v Manchester City, 10am: 1-1
Portsmouth v Fulham, 10am: 1-1
Sunderland v Arsenal, 10am: Arsenal 2-0
West Ham v Aston Villa, 10am: Villa 1-0

It’s in Fulham’s hands thanks to a superior goal difference over Reading (Birmingham can still go down even if they win if either Fulham or Reading do the business), but traveling to Derby is a bit different than traveling to Fratton Park, even if Portsmouth will be focused on the FA Cup final and have lost their last three. Pompey certainly won’t want to go into the cup final winless in their last five.

If these predictions bear out, Reading would escape relegation by beating Derby, with 36 points compared to Fulham’s 34 and Birmingham’s 33.

Personally, I’d love to see Fulham stay up. Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, and Jimmy Bullard are all players I really like, not to mention I lived nearest to Fulham when residing in London and saw games at Loftus Road (it was the year Craven Cottage was being renovated) on a few occasions, but there’s a lot to be said about playing the worst team in Premiership history on the last day of the season, even if it’s at their ground. But I have been known to make predictions in the hopes of jinxing results, much to the detriment of my predictions record.

Why there are no games on Setanta Xtra when they’re all playing at the same time is beyond me. Nice going, US television.

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