Week 27 Picks / Results (with 1 to play)

This is one of those annoying Rounds of football that seems to stretch on-and-on. The Cityzens defeated the Toffeemen 2-0 over 2 weeks ago and the Chelsea game is still outstanding. Nonetheless I wanted to update the weekly picks and standing.

The Picks
Who’s This On the Top? Can it be KMFE?

Weekly Comments

JE: ” Away this weekend so fingers crossed that we all win again in the family (apart from Tottenham and arsenal). So just me and you then really!! I hope we don’t lose to Liverpool. Would hate that…..”
Klopp may rather have been at “Thriller” than watching this “thriller”

“Fucking Hell, This Game Was Shit”

KMFE: “Mark this day down in the annals of history: I AM ACTIVELY GOING FOR MANCHESTER UNITED. “
Marked!

BE: ” As I had Man City, Arsenal, Watford and Spurs all down for a win, I thought I had better do the same for Man Utd and hope de Gea is in form”
Seems that DDG didn’t need to be in form.

ME: “Need spurs to win!”
Tough to keep winning. I am slowly not hating the new offside rule but I hate the new offside rule. How you can stand in the six-yard box by the goalie and not interfere with play is beyond me. I think it’s time someone employed the Inzaghi style of play and just always stands offside preventing that high-line defense. I’m sure Poch is working on it.

That lad must have been born offside.

Sir Alex Ferguson

ME: “Chelsea may or may not turn up… “
I’m guessing not!

Weekly Summary
Watford had a good week with Deulofeu scoring the team’s first ever hat-trick in the Premier League. To put into perspective how good that it is, that’s 9% of Aguero’s total!

Deeney Still Thinking He Carries the Team

This weeks Watford survival gauge looks considerably better!

Coca-Cola, Rumbelows, Littlewoods, Milk Carabao Cup Final

Today’s big game was the EFL final between Chelsea and Man Citeh. We expected goals. we got none. We expected Sterling to choke, he didn’t. But nothing was as strange as the ending of an otherwise boring game.

Yeah, I really Stretched my Photoshop chops !


F.A.Cup 5th Round Final Results

Well… the 5th Round selections have been tallied and results are finalized despite the fact that Citeh couldn’t beat Huddersfield and Burnley lost to Lincoln.   Scores were not dependent on replays.

The winner was: Supercomputer2 and 3 {because one copies the other}
The human winner was: LJ  Congratulations… an exact result of the Gooners at Sutton made all the difference.

I did not win despite picking the least incorrect game results – notably, Supercomupter2 actually only predicted 4 which was terrible.

Here are the results presented with points at the top and number ofcorrect games picked.

LJ Preferred Vew

 

My preferred view

F.A.Cup 5th Round Picks

Guesses

Too tired to use much thought this week so re-using images I’ve used before:

Yes, this is just a picture of the the F.A.Cup

You’ll notice the sponsor is wrong,right?  If you didn’t you should be sure to tell the current sponsor they are wasting their money on this and any other Stadiums or teams they bankroll

This weeks picks were all skilfully selected.  This is how it could be done:

Not How it was Done

The picks were actually quickly put down to spreadsheet and uploaded – the exception was Supercomputer 1 that seemed to go into an infinite loop and printed logs and logs and logs of 2-1 until I unplugged it.  I won’t examine how others might have done it.

Will Give Spuds a Hard time

Burnley v  Lincoln
At home the Aston Villa imposters are unbeatable in the Premier League but this is the cup so anything could happen … it could.. but it won’t.

Middlesbrough v  Oxford United
Boro setup and play like all they want to do is pick up a point at a time.  I’m hoping by half-time they realize that they need to win cup games.   Could be 0-0 if Aitor Karanka doesn’t take 15 minute break to tell his team to score.

Huddersfield Town v  Manchester City
Citeh are playing Champions League in the week so will rest all their best players.  Or, alternatively,they could focus all their energy on a cup they have a chance of winning.

Millwall  v Leicester City
Upset city.  Except is it really an upset if a team can beat Watford handily?  Big Sam is still my pick to be fired but only because there’s a loyalty that gets bought with a Premier League win.  Ranieri should have his suitcase packed just in case.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea
if I could force an upset through my picks I would pick the Wanderers over Chelski.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the same interest in these games as God so I can’t make a difference.  Cmon Wolves!

Fulham v  Tottenham
Fulham have a decent manager (whatever fires decent managers, apparently).   Spurs will field a weakened team and struggle but a mini Wycombe Wanderers comeback at the end with Dembele and Dele helping score two late goals

Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United
Jack Walker would be disappointed that the Cup is where these teams meet now. He’ll be sadder if he look at Blackburn’s form.  He’d also took about how good a player he had in Chris….

Sutton United v Arsenal

Sutton beat Coventry once in an upset (yes that was an upset!).  Arsenal aren’t Coventry and will want a decent performance after a mid-week hammering.  They could put their heads down or they could focus all their energy on a cup they have a chance of winning.

F.A.Cup 4th Round Final Results

Final Results are in and Mr LJ did actually win the round despite the gap being closed to 1 game (well he tied with the Supercomputer).

Here are the results.

 

And here is the game chart….. look at SC1 picking the upsets!  The lone picker of the Millwall and Lincoln games (overshooting it a bit with Citeh and Rochdale).

F.A.Cup 4th Round – Interim Results

The results are not final final as there is one game left but

LJ is the winner!!

Well Done Livi!!!!!

I told KMFE today that within a few minutes of logging in that LJ asked me who had won the FA Cup picks (I knew it wasn’t me and he let me know it was him).
The response?  “Well, I’m not surprised he told you won because he’s been always last!”

It’s funny but not fair.  LJ is a student of the game – he just spends too much time studying Liverpool!

But in all seriousness…a win is a win and the winner was not me.  Well done, LJ 🙂

The Guesses

The Best Guessers

F.A. Cup 4th Round

The picks – I think we’ll need to start doing scores as there’s not much variation in picks here…I mean, who’s going to pick Palace over Citeh?

Quick analysis

Derby vs Leicester
Not Nottingham but a midlandish Derby game.  The Foxes should focus on the leagues over the cup – the Champions League (still can’t believe that) and the Premier League but they’ll field a strong team and take on Derby and eek out a result.

Liverpool vs Wolves
Liverpool have been poor – 1 win in 7?  I really like Wolves and always have since Steve Bull was banging them … so now that nostalgia just makes me feel old.  Liverpool will win.

What Load of Old Bull

Blackburn Rovers vs Blackpool
Gary Bowyer is back at against the team he managed.  Been a while since Blackburn were Premier League champions….. makes me feel old… not “I remember Bobby Charlton playing when they showed him being overtaken by Rooney last week old”… but old.  Rovers to win.

Burnley vs Bristol City
Burnley at home.  Bank that win.

Chelsea vs Brentford
Chelsea at home.  Bank that win. Playing Brentford.  Put your house on it.

Crystal Palace vs Man City
So Sam doesn’t value the FA Cup but does the league (not as much as money but that’s not relevant and potentially slanderous) and Pep put out a strong squad in the last round so it’s obvious.  Palace will cause an upset because no one expects it. [Worst Photoshop ever]

No One Expects the Selhurst Inquisition

Lincoln City vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Brighton were in the final once.  They lost and Kevin Moran got sent off… that makes me feel old.

Middlesbrough vs Accrington Stanley
Who’s Acctrington Stanley? Exactly.

Oxford United vs Newcastle
The Magpies are going to be back in the Premier League like they were once.  Oxford were in the first division once – the old first division.  I’m old.

Rochdale vs Huddersfield
Huddersfield are near the top of the Championship and have been for a while.  They’ll win.

Tottenham vs Wycombe Wanderers
Spuds.  Easy win.

Southampton vs Arsenal
Southampton knocked out Liverpool and will be in the Milk Cup final.  They’ve turned it on and who wouldn’t want to win the double?  The Cup Double. A shocker!

Millwall vs Watford
Not a long trip… Watford need something,anything…so a win would be good or it will be near the end for Walter.

Fulham vs Hull
So the manager of Fulham has them on the right track.  He’s good.  How do I know?  He got Watford promoted and then got fired.  [Feature image]

Sutton United vs Leeds
If Watford lose I fully expect a great fight in the next round when Leeds draw Millwall like the old days… I feel old.

Man United vs Wigan
C’mon Wigan you can’t do it!

F.A.Cup 3rd Round – Final Results

The replays are in and the final scores are done.

3rd Round Picks

The score in Yellow were replays.

Looks like things got a little close for comfort after the replays happened. I went from dominant lead to barely winning after Burnley took advantage of a home return fixture,Norwich missing the home chance and losing in the last to the Saints and Blackpool pulling off a bit of an upset.

Nonetheless, I still was the 3rd Round winner with KMFE close behind.  I was disappointed with LJ’s effort after talking big all week in the run-up.

Chicken Dinner

Next Round will be straight up picks again though I don’t expect too many variations in picks.. might need to rethink this method.

F.A.Cup 3rd Round – Interim Results

So 32 games and still 9 yet to be decided- including the ‘pool who have added to their own fixture backlog but the current standings are as follows:

F.A.Cup Predictions

Unfortunately, JE didn’t participate but the good news is that it means that I am currently dominating!  Only 5 of 23 incorrect and I would have done better had I gone with my instincts to go for Wolverhampton Wanders.

Current Standings

Let’s see how the rest of the games go.  Here’s hoping that Big Sam gets a big comeuppance against his former team….  he needs to be fired.

Young and Foolish vs Tw@t

 

F.A.Cup 3rd Round – Picks

F.A.Cup Rules.

This round is 1 point for picking the game winner.  These will be added up to get a FA Cup Total.
The next round I will offer bonus points for confidence picks (I’ll explain for Round 4).

Once again JE…..

Cheeky Time Abuser

Here are the picks:

Looks like a lot of home wins especially for SC1 who I presume wants each game to be 2-1.

The following are the predictions for ultimate winner :

BE – Arsenal (duh!)
ME – Spuds (actually, he chickened out and picked the ‘pool)

Not sure about KMFE, LJ, or JE yet.

My feeling is that the F.A. Cup will be on Merseyside but I’m not sure which side yet.  I looked for inspiration and have decided that it is going to be based on who has the best F.A.Cup song.  I think we have a clear winner with the Macca/Aldridge rap.

First Game Analysis

Pep will not want to leave the cabinet bare this year so I expect him to field a semi-weakened team. West Ham are a little more comfortable in the league so will also be out for a good cup run, especially to get some interest and atmosphere in the new stadium.  Don’t see Citeh giving this one away.

F.A. Cup Final

It’s the end of season spectacular…. well if you exclude the more exciting play-offs for promotion.

FA Cup
FA Cup

I believe that I picked either Crystal Palace or Everton so I’m going to have to stick with the underdog Palace.

The game will be tight boring with Trafford United trying to score by passing the ball sideways with a little bit English to get it forward. Palace, on the other hand, will launch the ball down the sides and pray that Zaha can cut inside and dive into the box without securing a yellow card.

The French Brazilian-Ronaldo* could score setting off a range of “martial law” puns but it will be Rashford to break the no-score bore-draw game.  Rashford’s goal will distract the commentators long enough to have them miss the referee giving Palace a Zaha dive “make-up call” for the dive Zaha made earlier that he thought should have been a penalty earlier on.  Palace will score.  It will be 1-1.

For those who stuck it out they will see 29 minutes of standing around until Delaney scores a weak header on the one effort anyone makes to go forward in extra time.   Man of the match will be Delaney for scoring though the pundits will claim it should be Clattenburg before talking endlessly about how Rashford with 11 appearances should go to Euro 2016 and Rooney shouldn’t (though he’s still the most influential player on the team today).  Then a brief discussion on how the FA Cup is still important and for final round up the view that LVG should go back to Europe in 2016 as well before the final end of season tease….. will Jose be the next coach?

Well the Superbowl-style show is over so the game is on leaving only the question: Does William feel silly singing “God Save the Queen”?

Palace 2-1 United

*I’m not sure I understand why he’s on the wing if he is the fat Ronaldo.