Prediction League There wont be any prediction games for this week due to World Cup 2010 qualifiers.Hope after the international break, Jaywalk can win back his beer fund picks while I need to work hard to reclaim my throne. At the moment, thanks for keeping it warm for me. hur hur hur. Results - Games 30 - 31 Aug 2008 EPL Prediction League 2008/2009 Bad weekend for everyone as banker sweeps us all. It was one of those weekends where you get to be king even if you scored only 4 points.Kudos to hotdog for extending the lead to 5 points. Participation took a dip last weekend as we have only 14 predictions. Hopefully, that will pick up this weekend.Housekeeping Notes:All of this season's tables will be kept in Flickr's photoset. Click Here.EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of FamePerfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.1) [Nobody Yet]Marksmen Board (Number of Exact Predictions)1 Game - hotdog, weimengScoring System3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)1-point each for correct score on each side.Double EntryLater submission shall override earlier submission.PenaltyNo points for submission after kick-off. (Disqualification)Blogspot BlackoutThe EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email as well as SPUG Off-Topic Chat.Prediction League Past WinnersCopa America 2004 - WeiMengEPL 2004/2005 - Friday13EPL 2005/2006 - ianrushWorld Cup 2006 - EdwinSngEPL 2006/2007 - VoxerosEPL 2007/2008 - Cool402Euro 2008 - VoxerosAs usual:1) If you have spotted a mistake, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores. Once the table has been updated, the old table will be overwritten.3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table. Beer Fund Raising: 30 - 31 Aug 2008 Bad luck for the both of us as we claypot big time.Really bad start for me to kick off the season 3.5-DN in the blink of an eye.Hopefully this is just a minor blip in the radar as we hope to recover this week with the start of both the Serie A and Primera Liga.- VoxerosCOOL's Saturday's PicksWest Brom - Eat 0.5 ball (Win)Portsmouth - Eat 0.5 ball (Win)Newcastle - Eat 1.25 ball (Lose)Inter - Give 0.5 ball (Lose)Valencia - Give 0.75 ball (Win)COOL's Sunday's PicksTottenham - Eat 1.25 ball (Win)Aston Villa - Level ball (Draw)Numancia - Eat 1 ball (Win)Deportivo La Coruna - Eat 0.25 ball (Win)AS Roma - Give 0.75 ball (Lose)JayWalk's Saturday's Picks:Espanyol - Give 0.25-Ball (Win)JayWalk's Sunday's PicksMan City - Eat 0.25 ball (Win)AS Roma - Give 0.75 ball (Lose)Reggina - Eat 0.5 ball (Lose)Barcelona - Give 1 ball (Lose)Osasuna - Level ball (Draw)Real Betis - Give 0.5 ball (Lose)COOL's Result this week: 6-1-3COOL's Result this season: 10-1-6 > 4 UP as at 31 Aug 2008JayWalk's Result this week: 2-1-4JayWalk's Result this season: 2 - 1 - 7.5 -> 5.5-DN as at 31 Aug 2008Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet. Spurs Fans Are Prepared Got this funny comic from, fellow Spurs fan, KingMeng's blog.Just thought I post this to kachow the hell out of Bedokian and ihawk98, whom both are fanatical Spurs fans.Heh heh...Image Credit: http://soccerlens.com Fixture Focus - Spurs (31 Aug 2008) Chelsea vs Spurs Can we start over again please? Se-mu-la! (a term we got familiar with during NS when we needed to do things over)It must be deja vu for Spurs fans again. Last season we also started the season with 2 losses. But a year ago, our 3rd game was a home tie against minnows Derby County and we promptly thrashed them 4-0. Well, Chelsea are not Derby, and we have to play them at fortress Stamford Bridge. We'll be lucky if we are not thrashed 4-0!Chelsea have not been beaten at home since August 2004, which is a highly impressive record. And with Scolari's men firing on all cylinders especially Deco who has settled nicely into life in the EPL, it is not likely that Spurs will get the honor of breaking this record (although we can cross our fingers and hope for a draw). This could get ugly and Spurs fans got to sit tight and hold on for another week as Spurs attempts to shore up our attacking needs. However, with all the late transfer activity slated to happen this weekend, I'm wondering if we will get a chance to see Berbatov on the field at the same time as (the almost confirmed signing) Pavlyuchenko?!! THIS would be an interesting strike partnership.COYS!!! Weekend Review - 29th August 2008 Manchester United vs Zenit St Petersburg"...both teams cant seem to take their eyes off in the transfer market..."-Gary, 29 August 2008It was a rather fortunate goal from Darren Fletcher that secure a win for Man Utd. Seeing from the statistics, it seem to be an open game where both sides are attacking.With the Super Cup to be held in France this week, Man Utd have 2 weeks of rest before facing Liverpool.At the moment, both teams cant seem to take their eyes off the transfer market where Man Utd trying to secure Berbatov from Tottenham whereas Zenit is in two minds in keeping Arshavin. But Arshavin is in the squad to face Man Utd. Guess we shall see on the last day of the transfer windows when it closes shut on 31 Aug midnight.Man Utd Team News: Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Ronaldo are still in the treatment table. Anderson, Carlos Tevez and Nani is back from Olympics, family bereavement and suspension respectively.Zenit Team News: Danni will debut against Man Utd after his transfer move of 30 millions euro from Dynamo Moscow.Odds and Analysis: Man Utd giving 3/4 ball handicap at 1.95. Take Man Utd to win by a single goal.Disclaimer: This review is entirely on my own views and opinion. I didn’t point a gun at you to ask you to follow. If you want to bet on this game, do so at your own risk. Pls bet within limits. Good luck. EPL Prediction League Match Weekend 30 - 31 Aug 2008 On Saturday, Paul Ince brings his Blackburn team to Upton Park and the Hammers will look to get things back on track at home after losing to Man City last weekend.On Sunday, Villa will also look to get things back on track at home after suffering a surprising loss to newly promoted Stoke City when they scored a last minute goal the previous weekend. But will Liverpool prove to be too much quality this season for them?GAME ON!EPL05: SAT 30/08 West Ham vs Blackburn at 9:55pm SIN/HKTEPL06: SUN 31/08 Aston Villa vs Liverpool at 10:55pm SIN/HKTp.s. Please continue to spread the word around as many may have forgotten about the league.Scoring System3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)1-point each for correct score on each side.Double EntryLater submission shall override earlier submission.PenaltySubmissions after kick-off will not be admissible. (Disqualification)Blogger/Blogspot BlackoutThis Prediction League will be played here but if in the eventBlogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to the personal blog of Voxeros at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email as well as SPUGOff-Topic Chat.Now that we got the first week out of the way, it is time to focus on another 2 matches this coming weekend. Results - Games 23 - 24 Aug 2008 EPL Prediction League 2008/2009 We welcome back weimeng to the league and granted that he missed the first week, he is quick to be back in the game with a 6-point haul.Congrats to hotdog for taking the pole this week and was soooooooo close to our first Perfect-10 of the season. Better luck next time!p.s. We finally got a couple of names on the Marksmen Board! Scroll down to see it.Housekeeping Notes:All of this season's tables will be kept in Flickr's photoset. Click Here.EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of FamePerfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.1) [Nobody Yet]Marksmen Board (Number of Exact Predictions)1 Game - hotdog, weimengScoring System3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)1-point each for correct score on each side.Double EntryLater submission shall override earlier submission.PenaltyNo points for submission after kick-off. (Disqualification)Blogspot BlackoutThe EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email as well as SPUG Off-Topic Chat.Prediction League Past WinnersCopa America 2004 - WeiMengEPL 2004/2005 - Friday13EPL 2005/2006 - ianrushWorld Cup 2006 - EdwinSngEPL 2006/2007 - VoxerosEPL 2007/2008 - Cool402Euro 2008 - VoxerosAs usual:1) If you have spotted a mistake, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores. Once the table has been updated, the old table will be overwritten.3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table. Weekend Outlook (25 Aug 2008) Portsmouth vs Manchester United"...The way I see it, I think the Berbatov deal is in the toilet. Even if the flushing lever was not pulled, I doubt if Fergie wants to stick his hand in to fish it out.Still, the publicised pessimism may be a smoke screen to ward off Chelsea's attention as the Blues have a knack of nicking ManUtd targets just to piss us off....." - JayWalk, 24 Aug 2008The way I see it, I think the Berbatov deal is in the toilet. Even if the flushing lever was not pulled, I doubt if Fergie wants to stick his hand in to fish it out.Still, the publicised pessimism may be a smoke screen to ward off Chelsea's attention as the Blues have a knack of nicking ManUtd targets just to piss us off.Perhaps, we should also place a bid for Real Madrid's Robinho just to stir up the pot of shit?Anyway, as expected, we got off the new season with a lead foot, drawing a goal apiece with Keegan's Toon Army. We had more chance and possession and alas the lack of striker options was just blatantly screaming at us. Already lacking strikers with the write-off of Saha, injury of Ronaldo and bereavement of Tevez's family, ManUtd operated with a make-shift attack duo of new boy Frazier Campbell and Wayne Rooney.Campbell is one of the new crop of starlets groomed to take over the old guards of Neville, Scholes, Giggs & Co.. Names like Darron Gibson, Danny Welbeck, Pereira da Silva, Jonathan Evans and Rodrigo Possebon will be expected to start showing up on the team sheet this season as part of Fergie's continuity master plan. For those who are hoping to see Dong FangZhuo on the pitch, I am afraid that's not going to happen for another year at least, for the young Ch1nese talent is still a few rungs in the talent department from his fellow counterparts.JayWalk The Talk: With Tevez back from the funeral, expect the fiery Argentine teaming up with Rooney upfront. Rest of the team sheet looked woeful as Giggs, Carrick, Park, Ronaldo and Hargreaves are all out due to injury. Saha is also injured but will not be used even if he is fit as Fergie has already deemed him as a write-off. Nani has this weekend to finish his suspension while Anderson will be given an extra week of rest after returning from the Olympics.We'd be missing the services of Silvestre too as the French defender has been transferred to Arsenal earlier in the week.Captain-designate is expected to hold the fort and Brown certainly earned a place in the Starting XI, to mark his 200th Premiership game for ManUtd, after scoring his first ever international goal for England in the mid-week game against Czech Republic. All eyes will be on John O'Shea who has been tasked to control the midfield in place of the injured Carrick.On the Pompey side, Kanu, Nugent, Pamarot are the only reported casualties not available for selection, with Kranjcar being doubtful. Perhaps half a game with a substitution midway for the midfielder?JayWalk The Walk: Bookies are, in my opinion overly optimistic, with ManUtd today as ManUtd's handicap is a Give 0.5-Ball at 1.875 decimal odds.Perhaps the bookies have taken into consideration that Portsmouth is presently a tad goal-shy with no goals from them in the last 4 Premiership games, counting from last season.The way I see it, I think it will be a repeat of last season where ManUtd opens the season with 2 consecutive draws and then slowly shifts into second gear with a string of scruffy 1-0 victories.Still, it doesn't mean punting on Portsmouth and eat the 0.5-ball handicap. This is a precarious situation where although Portsmouth is unlikely to beat ManUtd today, like they haven't beaten any of the Top 4 last season, a draw here is a very strong possibility on the cards. However at 0.5-ball, a single winning goal from ManUtd, is enough to tip the pot to ManUtd side.Verdict? Stay away and continue to observe ManUtd's form for now.Disclaimer: The above views are purely my own two-cents' worth. In other words, I cannot and will not guarantee that my predictions are accurate. If you want to bet on the game, do so at your own risk. Also, please bet responsibly and within your means regardless of how "sure thing" that game may appear to be. As the old saying goes, "The Ball Is Round". Good luck. Beer Fund Raising: 23 - 25 Aug 2008 Look like Chelsea is making their intention known in reclaiming the title back from Manchester United. Damn, if i had know, i would have punt Chelsea. Put money and take back more. Hur hur hur. Manchester United were disappointing, they have so many injuries that they have to field Frazier Campbell and Patrice Evra as make shift strikers.Hope this week will have more luck.COOL's Sunday's PicksChelsea - Give 1.25 ball - Lose 1/2West Ham - Eat 0.25 ball - Lose JayWalk's Saturday's Picks:Aston Villa - Give 0.5 Ball - LoseArsenal - Give 0.75 Ball - LoseJayWalk's Sunday's PicksChelsea - Give 1.25 ball - Lose 1/2West Ham - Eat 0.25 ball - Lose COOL's Result this week: 0-0-1.5COOL's Result this season: 4-0-3 as at 17 Aug 2008JayWalk's Result this week: 0 - 0 - 3.5 > 3.5-DNJayWalk's Result this season: 0 - 0 - 3.5 > 3.5-DN as at 25 Aug 2008Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet. Fixture Focus - Spurs (23 Aug 2008) Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland AFCNot only this is the first game on home soil since the start of the season, it is also a sort of reunion for the Spurs players. Malbranque, Tainio and Chimbonda will return to the Lane, though in the colours of red and white, not lilywhite.After a dismal start at the Riverside Stadium (where, ironically, an ex-Spurs player, Mido, had scored against us), Spurs should be one-up this time, with home ground advantage and the "statistic" of Sunderland never won at the Lane since the start of the Premiership.The new Spurs team (most importantly, midfield) must gel well and show its tenacity as what was demonstrated to AS Roma in the pre-season friendly. Also, our "beloved" Berbatov, though his fate in Spurs is still not known, must show us his "last burst of fire" nevertheless.Spurs must convert this game with 3 points in order to be a true blue potential Top 4.Outcome of the game? I would say it's a Spurs win.COYS! Match Weekend 23 - 24 Aug 2008 EPL Prediction League Now that we got the first week out of the way, it is time to focus on another 2 matches this coming weekend.First up, we have Newcastle playing their home opener against Bolton. Coming off from a surprisingly well fought draw at Old Trafford, all eyes will be on KK's men to get a result against an always resilient Bolton team.On Sunday, Sparky (Mark Hughes) and his merry men will play their home opener against the Hammers. Will Dean Ashton be able to do an Agbonlahor and score a hat-trick against City?GAME ON!EPL03: SAT 23/08 Newcastle vs Bolton at 9:55pm SIN/HKTEPL04: SUN 24/08 Manchester City vs West Ham at 10:55pm SIN/HKTp.s. Please continue to spread the word around as many would have forgotten about the league after such a long break.Scoring System3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)1-point each for correct score on each side.Double EntryLater submission shall override earlier submission.PenaltySubmissions after kick-off will not be admissible. (Disqualification)Blogger/Blogspot BlackoutThis Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to the personal blog of Voxeros at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email as well as SPUG Off-Topic Chat. Results - Games 16 - 17 Aug 2008 EPL Prediction League 2008/2009 Welcome everybody to yet another fun-filled season of the EPL and what's EPL without our Prediction League?Also, this is the debut season of the PangPuarLiap site and I am sure many of you are glad to have this on neutral ground and we have added Spurs supporter to give you more content. If there is any other supporters and would like to be part of the writing team, please get in touch with one of us and we'll see what we can arrange for you.In the mindtime, it's a great start for me as I am the only 6-pointer this weekend and rightfully taking the first weekend's pole position.At present, we have 15 players which is a tad short of your usual 20+. Still, we are known to have slow starters to join us slightly later as it is still quite easy to catch up at this point.So if any of you know any old members and/or know any new people who may be interested, send them this way!Housekeeping Notes:All of this season's tables will be kept in Flickr's photoset. Click Here.EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of FamePerfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.1) [Nobody Yet]Marksmen Board (Number of Exact Predictions)1 Game - [Nobody Yet]Scoring System3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)1-point each for correct score on each side.Double EntryLater submission shall override earlier submission.PenaltyNo points for submission after kick-off. (Disqualification)Blogspot BlackoutThe EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email as well as SPUG Off-Topic Chat.Prediction League Past WinnersCopa America 2004 - WeiMengEPL 2004/2005 - Friday13EPL 2005/2006 - ianrushWorld Cup 2006 - EdwinSngEPL 2006/2007 - VoxerosEPL 2007/2008 - Cool402Euro 2008 - VoxerosAs usual:1) If you have spotted a mistake, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores. Once the table has been updated, the old table will be overwritten.3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table. Beer Fund Raising: 16 - 17 Aug 2008 Finally, English Premier League have started. These are my picks for this weekend.COOL's Saturday's Picks:Blackburn - Eat 0.5 ball (Win)Sunderland - Eat 0.75 ball (Lose 1/2)COOL's Sunday's PicksMan Utd - Give 1.5 ball (Lose)Aston Villa - Give 0.5 ball (Win)COOL's Result this week: 2-0-1.5COOL's Result this season: 4-0-1.5 as at 17 Aug 2008Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet. Weekend Outlook (17 Aug 2008) Manchester vs Newcastle United"...ManUtd is a little bit like Ch1nese hurdler Liu Xiang. We are always a tad slow off the block but we always catch up midway and then power through to the finish to win the gold....." - JayWalk, 16 Aug 2008Welcome one and all to another new season of the English Premier League. After a break of so many weeks, I find it rather hard to get this first outlook entry of the season out of the way. In fact, I have been staring at the screen for 2 days already and all I had was just 2 crummy sentences.I guess I just need to summon the last reserves of my strength and bulldoze it through. Once I get the momentum going, it will be business as usual.This season sees Fergie not making any changes to the present squad. There were talks of bringing in Berbatov and Henry but I don't really see them happening with the 31 Aug 2008 transfer deadline looming in just a fortnight.So the good thing is that we will have another year of the same squad to gel better with each other rather than to have to adapt to new additions. The down side however, is that everyone is a year older. For the young, there will be stronger and faster, while the older in the likes of Giggs, Ferdinand, Neville and Scholes, there will be a tad slower and weaker.Fortunately, for ManUtd, the age spread of the entire squad is pretty wide which means that continuity has always been in the cards. This in contrast with Chelsea whose squad average age is unfavourably high and Arsenal whose squad average age is on the opposite polar end of the spectrum.JayWalk The Talk: Problem with ManUtd today is that despite a summer's break, you don't get a full squad at the start of the season. Ronaldo is recovering from surgery, Saha, Park, Foster, Hargreaves are all out due to injury. Nani has a two-game suspension to serve while Anderson is playing in the Olympics.That would leave Rooney to partner Tevez up front, assuming the former has recovered from the virus together with Carrick who will be taking charge of midfield hopefully.The dynamic defence duo of Vidic and Ferdinand will hold fort but Fergie will have to decide where to put Neville, Evra, O'Shea or Brown.Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at things, Keegan's side is not faring any better, expect the absence of Owen, Viduka, Barton, Faye, Martins, Amoebi and Carroll. What that means is that there is a lot of vacancies for new signings to make their debut. Players like Gutierrez, Coloccini, Bassong and Guthrie will be running unto the pitch in the black and white stripes for the first time. Let's see how they fare against the current champions.Also, we look forward to see old boy Alan Smith making a return to face us at Old Trafford.JayWalk The Walk: ManUtd is a little bit like Ch1nese hurdler Liu Xiang. We are always a tad slow off the block but we always catch up midway and then power through to the finish to win the gold.Newcastle has never won at Old Trafford when it comes to the EPL and the last victory over us was way back in 2001. Do we still remember the 6-0 thumping last season? Oh yes we do!Bookies are making ManUtd give a 1.5-ball handicap and a 2.05 decimal odds to beat it. In English, it means that ManUtd will win the game but not so sure if the margin is going to be 2 goals or more.Past records has always shown ManUtd to be slow off the blocks and I think ManUtd probably win this 1-0 or 2-1 and hence lose the handicap despite bagging the 3 points.Disclaimer: The above views are purely my own two-cents' worth. In other words, I cannot and will not guarantee that my predictions are accurate. If you want to bet on the game, do so at your own risk. Also, please bet responsibly and within your means regardless of how "sure thing" that game may appear to be. As the old saying goes, "The Ball Is Round". Good luck. Fixture Focus - Spurs (16 Aug 2008) Middlesbrough vs Spurs Are the 2008 Spurs Contenders or Pretenders?Every Spurs fan knows the feeling. We go through a summer punctuated with transfer activity and every Tom, Dick, and Harry (or in this case, Villa, Capel, and insert your favorite football player name) linked with the Lilywhites. This is usually followed by a superb pre-season peppered with thumping wins and confidence becomes sky high. Spurs can contend for the Top 4!But come opening day, we sputter out of the gate and before long, all the wheels fall out from under us. Last year, Sunderland's last minute goal took the wind out of our season in the opening game and in 2006, Bolton beat us 2-0 to start the season. Spurs are just pretenders as the legion of EPL fans would say....but has it changed now?...Saturday's opening game at the Riverside will herald the beginning of Juande Ramos' first full season as manager. After inherting Martin Jol's team last year, this season's team has been overhauled and the new signings are supposed to bring the pace and sting that Ramos is famous for. But the departure of Keane and imminent departure of Berbatov do bring our striking options into question.The match is by no means a walk in the park. Gareth Southgate has new players like Didier Digard and Marvin Emnes signed, with Justin Hoyte (Arsenal) probably on the way.But perhaps the loss of stalwarts like Luke Young, George Boateng, Fabio Rochemback and Mark Schwarzer are enough to leave a few gaping holes for Spurs to exploit and get their first winning start to the season in 2 years.COYS!!! JayWalk's Quickie Guide To EPL 2008/2009 Arsenal - This season's squad looks rather depleted with the departure of several key players. Only significant signing is Samir Nasir (I keep mixing him up with Nasri Nasir!) which hasn't been really tested in the English game. I worry about Adebayor as I think his heart is no longer with the Gunners.Predict: 4th Placing this season perhaps.Aston Villa - Martin O'Neil has done very well with this team of limited resources and finished a very credible sixth position last year. All eyes will be on Sidwell and Barry but it will be an either-or situation. Sidwell will be the one to take charge of midfield only if Barry's move to Liverpool is successful. However, it looks like the deal is going to tank since both side can't come to an agreement on terms.Predict: Definite contender for the UEFA Cup spot.Blackburn Rovers - Mark Hughes has gone to Manchester City with another ManUtd old boy Paul Ince coming in to take over the gaffer's seat. Problem is that Ince has never managed a club in the top flight and I wonder if he has what it takes to perform well enough to have something to show for? Like Keane, Ince is also very tough on discipline but as we have all witnessed, all labour and no skill may get you results in the lower divisions but when it comes to the big league, it may only get you as far as off the relegation zone by the skin of the teeth.Predict: Without Sparky, mid-table at best.Bolton Wanderers - Escaped relegation but after the sale of Nicolas Anelka, they looked destined for the another brutal fight to the finish. Probably be able to survive again for the gutsy team but how long more can they hold this up?Predict: Bottom six finish.Chelsea - Runners-up last season with a spectacular collapse on the very last match day. Had it been Mourihno, they probably would have won the title from ManUtd. Too bad, Avram ain't the special one which explains his short tenure as manager. Scolari comes with an impressive resumé but he has no experience in the EPL. Would he be able to pick up the slack left behind by Mourihno? That we will have to see as the new season unfolds.Predict: A definite shoo-in for the runner-up spot and a high chance to wrestle the title away from ManUtd.Everton - Moyes performance at Goodison Park is nothing short of spectacular given the resources that he has to work with and is aptly rewarded with a place in the UEFA Cup competition. Problem is that would the extra fixtures undermine their performance in the domestic league? We all know that in order to survive both EPL and Europe, you need a good squad depth. Unfortunately, there hasn't been any significant signings during the summer to beef up the squad, which probably would turn around and bite them in the ass.Predict: Top half finish with a good chance to win another season in the UEFA Cup.Fulham - Another relegation struggler and with Fayed's interest in football fast waning. This may be the season for them to go down. Then again, they have the services of Andy Johnson this season to provide the goals. Johnson was superb when he was with Everton but the fact that Moyes had let go of his best striker then, may hint that the striker has past his prime?Predict: Relegation candidate and a bottom six finish at best.Hull City - This is their maiden season in the EPL and prime target for the drop. Although many newly promoted clubs managed to survive the first season as a result of their opponents' inexperience playing against them, I doubt if they could do another Ipswich.Predict: Definite candidate for the drop and a cellar finish is not surprising.Liverpool - We used to speak of the Top 4 where the Reds were often at the risk of being replaced as one of the members of this elite group. With the EPL getting a little bit more predictable at the top, the EPL is more or less all about the Top 2 hereon. Perhaps the next exciting thing is the watch the Next 4 battle out for the 2 CLQ spots and the losers taking the consolatory UEFA Cup place.Predict: With Gerrard behind Torres and Keane up front, I think 3rd place finishing ahead of a weakened Arsenal is definitely in the cards.Manchester City - A poisoned chalice handed to Mark Hughes who earlier signed on with great aspirations only to have Thaksin chipping away at the foundation. With Thaksin's funds freezed and a risk of being booted out of the EPL, the ex-Thai PM will be the biggest unnecessary distraction that Sparky would gladly do without.The behind-the-back sale of Corluka and Ireland certainly sours the relationship between Thaksin and the manager and I won't be surprised if Sparky walks out before the season is over.Predict: If they can finish mid-table, it's considered good for them and expect a mass exodus of players in the coming summer.Manchester United - The main reason why clubs find it so hard to defend their title is once they achieved it, the hunger is no longer there. The added fixtures of the Super Cup and the World Club's Cup will certainly stretch the squad to the brink of breaking and granted that there will be extra revenue generated from these matches, the price to pay is perhaps the detriment to their EPL and ECL games as a result of fatigue.This should be Ronaldo's final season as half his heart is at Real Madrid already. Giggs and Ferdinand's tenures are nearing the end and be sure to see Fergie looking out for successors. Saha is definitely out the door to AS Roma and we are still unsure if Henry and/or Berbatov will don the Red Devil jersey prior to the 31 Aug 2008 transfer deadline.Predict: Like Chelsea, a Top 2 finish but I have a gut feeling that this will be Chelsea's season.Middlebrough - I have never like them cause they bore the life out of me watching them play. However, one thing that has caught my attention is the progress that Gareth Southgate has made since he took over from McLaren. Despite the modest, mid-table finish last season, Southgate has come a long way from a wet-behind-the-ears young manager to one that is oozing of great potential.However, it's a chicken-and-egg thing with boring players resulting in boring club, and boring club attracting boring players. Southgate has to break that vicious cycle if he wishes to achieve something beyond mediocre for the club.Predict: Mid-table finish with the likelihood of being in the top half.Newcastle United - With big clubs, come big expectations and Newcastle is by far the most underrated team last season. Gone are the glory days of Peacock, Asprilla, Ginola and Shearer. Newcastle has since sunk to the cesspool of mediocrity. Owen was out of most of last season and somehow, everybody pointed to his absence as the sole reason for their dismal performance. That to me is a load of crap and I am glad to see Keegan coming in and taking charge, with Shearer refusing to step up to the plate.Friggin' cowardly ingrate.Predict: Mid-table finish and absolutely no shot at the UEFA Cup place.Portsmouth - The Pompeys are the more environmental friendly club in the EPL cause Redknapp really know how to recycle old stuff and making them useful again. David James, Sol Campbell and Kanu. Need I say more?Hopefully, Defoe and Crouch would be able to benefit from Redknapp's magic and bounce back after being discarded by their previous masters.Predict: No question about a top half finish and a definite contender for the UEFA Cup spot.Stoke City - The Potters simply do not belong in the top flight.Predict: Down to back where they belong at the end of the season.Sunderland - Keane's last gasp effort towards the end of last season got them to 15th position in the EPL. Not a bad effort for Keane's debut in the top flight.There is no way, Sunderland will be relegated this season, but only because the bottom three places have already more or less been filled up. Still, Keane, being a man of great pride will make sure that the Black Cats do not remain in the top flight via grovelling. Hence the signings of Malbranque, Chimbona and Diouf to boost the fire power.Granted these are second-hand players, I am sure Keane would be able to whip them up into formidable weapons for at least a couple more seasons.Predict: Still bottom-half with a possibility of mid-table success.Tottenham Hotspur - Dud of last season where there were so much excitement pre-season that there were even talks of them replacing Liverpool as the Top 4. However, all that came tumbling with the surprise departure of Martin Jol. Next thing you know it, they finished 11th. Top 4 my ass!With Berbatov and Keane out the door, Ramos is going to have a headache trying to figure out where to get the goals. The two strikers chalked up about 60 goals for Spurs last season. Where is Ramos going to get the next 60 goals from?Predict: Mid-table finish and top half if Ramos have a solution for their attacking department. Otherwise, we are looking at a defensive playing team all season. No UEFA Cup spot for them.West Bromwich Albion - My wager for the team with the least goals scored this season and definitely a place in the Championship League next season. They used to have Kevin Philips but now that he is gone, WBA is like another Spurs except that the Lily Whites is akin to an Armoured Personnel Carrier i.e. strong resistance but no guns, the Baggies is your Datsun 100A. No resistance and sadly, no guns.Predict: Bye bye Baggies!West Ham United - The only person keeping them afloat in the Premier League is Curbishley. Although they finished 10th last season, I see that as a fluke and unlikely to be repeated again.Predict: Bottom half finish and flirting with relegation.Wigan Athletic - Unlike Liverpool, Chelsea and ManCity, this is a club where the owners don't interfere with the manager and allowing the latter to do his job in peace.Predict: Steve Bruce's boys finished 14th last season and is likely to stay around there this season as well and like Sunderland, only because the bottom have already been filled up. Match Weekend 16 - 17 Aug 2008 EPL Prediction League A warm and exciting welcome to everyone to another season of the EPL Prediction League. This is the first season we'll be playing this league at this spanking new website.Scoring System3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)1-point each for correct score on each side.Double EntryLater submission shall override earlier submission.PenaltySubmissions after kick-off will not be admissible. (Disqualification)Let's get to the matches!First up, we have Tottenham making a trip to Riverside Stadium to play Middlesbrough. The off season always brings about a flurry of transfer of activity for Spurs and this season, the make up of the team is arguably completely overhauled. Let's see if Spurs get off to a strong start this season.On Sunday, Villa will take on Thaksin's blue half of Manchester who also sport a new coach in Sparky (Mark Hughes).GAME ON!p.s. Please spread the word around as many would have forgotten about the league after such a long break. Hope to see everybody back!EPL01: SAT 16/08 Middlesbrough vs Tottenham Hotspur at 9:55pm SIN/HKTEPL02: SUN 17/08 Aston Villa vs Man City at 9:55pm SIN/HKTGood luck and good game!! Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid.... Just now, I was alternating between the Olympics channels 601-606, the Community Shield game between Man Utd and Portsmouth, and the pre-season friendly between Spurs and AS Roma.The Olympics euphoria would last another 2 weeks more. Man Utd clinched the Community Shield after a penalty shootout. But what I was most concerned was the (surprise) friendly between Spurs and Roma.The slew of new signings were in - Gomes, Modric, Dos Santos, etc. And we had trashed them 5-0, all to the delight of the Lane supporters.We had been rated as under-achievers, even though we were labelled as one of the greats in the history of English football. With this performance, albeit a friendly, will Spurs finally be the team with teeth for this season? That's where my title comes in - the other teams should be afraid now that Spurs is a serious challenger for the EPL's top 4 spots.But this "afraid" also works twofold - as with all other seasons, quipped with being the "potential this" and "potential that", would we still follow the past seasons of losing steam at the wrong moments?We will see very soon, who is afraid of who.... Beer Fund Raising: 09 - 10 Aug 2008 This may seem unofficial as the picks that some of us punt are from the 3 major leagues like English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A.Just testing water, luck whatsoever. Maybe my hands are too itchy.COOL's Saturday's Picks:Birmingham City - Give 0.5 ball (Win)Cardiff City - Give 0.5 ball (Win)COOL's Result this week: 2-0-0COOL's Result this season: 2-0-0 as at 9 Aug 2008Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet. Weekend Outlook (10 Aug 2008) Manchester United vs Portsmouth"A warm welcome to the new blog. New season. Hope to see more participants especially females for the prediction league."- Gary, 5/8/08A warm welcome to the new blog. New season. Hope to see more participants especially females for the prediction league. For a start, this match is the curtain-raiser for the new Premier League to be commence from 15 August 2008 to 24 May 2009.After a month of unusually quiet transfer market despite all the rumors of players leaving for another club, English Premier League teams are gearing themselves up for all kinds of battles. Championship, entry to Europe and fighting against relegation.Portsmouth will be trying to improve their league position after winning the FA Cup last season and an entry to the UEFA Cup this coming season. With an all-England strikeforce consisting of Defoe and Crouch, this team looks promising to break into the Top 4. On the other hand, you have to see how Harry Redknapp will rotate his squad for a marathon season.Man Utd, EPL and Champions League winners of 07/08, will try their luck again on the newly revamped World Club Cup in Japan during December. They famously rejected their place in the FA Cup in 99/00 season to play in the first ever World Club Cup in Brazil. In the end, not even a place in the final.Just to sidetrack for a moment, ever since the Premier League started in 1992, only Man Utd have won the English Premier League 3 consecutive seasons. Im having some serious doubts about Man Utd winning it 3 times in a row again. Maybe a new champion like Chelsea managed by the first Brazilian, Luiz Felipe Scolari or Liverpool, whom last won the championship in 1990?Man Utd Team News: Only casualty in the treatment room is Ronaldo.Portsmouth Team News: A fully-fit squad to choose from.Odds and Analysis: Man Utd giving 1 ball handicap at 2.09. Not going to punt as i view this match as a friendly.Disclaimer: This review is entirely on my own views and opinion. I didn’t point a gun at you to ask you to follow. If you want to bet on this game, do so at your own risk. Pls bet within limits. Good luck. Leaving? We're sad, but..... For the past few days I have been inundated with news on Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov leaving.If they do leave, Spurs would have lost another few iconic players of recent times. For Robbie Keane, since his move from troubled Leeds back in 2002, he has remained popular with the fans at White Hart Lane, securing Spurs' Player of the Year 3 times.Berbatov, though he is relatively new, has also captured the Spurs faithfuls' hearts. Since arriving in 2006, the Bulgarian proved to be a good goalscorer, and one of the factors of Spurs being touted as "the team to replace one of the big four".As a fan, it is sad to see them go, but hey, it's a fact of football life. We were sad then to see Jurgen Klinsmann go (not once, but twice, even though the 2nd time he was on loan), David Ginola, Teddy Sheringham, etc. After all, all football fans around the world have experienced sadness at their fave players leaving, but at the same time welcoming new changes (for better or for worse, that's another issue). For the players themselves, probably they need a new environment where they could advance their footballing careers even more.All I would say is, we would treasure their existence and contribution in the past, but let us now focus on the future of the club.Spurs fans! Let's join ranks and move on!Audere est Facere - To Dare is To Do! What is Modric up to... For those players that were not involved in Euro 2008, training camp has started and the coaches are putting them through the paces.But IF you have been granted rest from the magnificent efforts at Euro 08, you get to do this for a little while longer....enjoy yourself Modric! Transfer News - Rumours, News or Half-Truths? It is the best time for shopping, so they say.And no, I am not talking about the Great Singapore Sale. Rather, it is the Great Spending Spree by clubs all over Europe.And with Euro 2008 behind us, it is now a mad scramble for the players of choice, where clubs, not just the EPL's, are participating.You may be subscribing to your fave sports newsfeeds or reading up sports websites to catch hold of who is going where. However, with the influx of information, some of them conflicting, or even propagating what others might have said, it is difficult to discern whether that someone will be going or coming to somewhere.Imagine this - you have read the news that so and so is going somewhere and it is likely confirmed, you go out with your football buddies to discuss on the latest stuff 3 hours later. And when you say the news, one of your buddies will say, "Eh? I thought he denies it!" Then you may ask, "When you got this?" And he replied, "Just an hour ago, on my RSS feed in my mobile!".While a true blue football fan will chase after every lead, whether false, rumour, speculation or even the truth pertaining to his/her club, even if he/she is "disconnected" from such news in even a day, he/she would be labelled as "outdated". I got caught a few times and was being called "outdated" during those few times. :)And especially during this time, where it is just weeks away from the opening of the EPL, such news will be flying hot and fast all over the internet.So, if you are a football fan but find it a hassle to chase after rumours, news or even half-truths, I'd say you could just relax, wait for the EPL to start, and see those players perform.After saying this, I think I'd better go for a vacation.... Logjam in the midfield - Spurs With the Euro 08 competition in the books, the transfer market will start to heat up.  No surprise that Spurs continue to be in the transfer news every summer.  We've added Luka Modric and Dos Santos, with strong rumors that David Bentley has cleared his medical early this week.   Luka ModricDos Santos    At current count, it looks like we have too many midfielders so some have to go for sure.  Ramos loves to attack via speedy wingers which explains his signing of Dos Santos and pursuit of David Bentley.  With Tom Huddlestone signed to a new 5 year deal, looks like the following may be wondering where they will be come August:Didier ZokoraTeemu TanioKevin Prince Boateng - Stuttgart?Steed MalbranqueHossam Ghaly - Brums?Aaron Lennon - Keagan calling?Adel TaarabtI think Jenas is probably safe and O'hara also signed a 3 year deal till 2011.  So where will the rest be? The EPL - Some Trivia Hi all, I am honoured to be part of this blog, and to be part of this blog means I have to write something on it.Although the 08/09 season is still a month plus away, and we are beginning to get some cold turkey from the lack of football, I would like to take this opportunity to post some trivia on the EPL, or the English Premier League in full.The EPL was formed on 20 Feb 1992, with the main aim of bringing in more revenue.It is a corporation, and its shareholders are the 20 clubs it contains in any season.The FA (Football Association) does not involve itself in the daily operations of the EPL, but it is considered a "special shareholder" with veto powers on matters concerning the election of the chairperson and chief executive of the EPL, and on rules adoption in the EPL.The sponsors are: Carling (1993 - 2001), Barclaycard (2001 - 2004) and Barclays (2004 - 2010).The founding clubs of the EPL, and those who stayed in every season, are: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Season 2008/2009 Ok folks. New season new beginning. As such, I will give an outline what will be featured on this blog.Match Outlooks - We will cover every match that the Man U or Spurs are involved in. There will not be a standard format as each writer has his individual writing style which is a good idea as it showcases a wider variety.Prediction Leagues - Same format as what you have seen in Euro 2008 Prediction League over at RedHalfOfManchester.The picks entry will be handled by ihawk while the tabulation and publishing of the results will be handled (as usual) by JayWalk. C.O.O.L will be fighting tooth and nail to try to defend the title.Beer-Fund Picks - Just a section for some of us punters to keep score of how well we have done over the season. The picks will apply to the EPL, Serie A and Primera Liga but there may be the odd itchy-hand occasion where we may dabble in the various European campaigns.Other Stuff - Don't know what they are at this point but we will throw in new and interesting stuff if they come our way. Who The Hell Are We? A Little IntroductionThe history dates back all the way to the early 90s starting with JayWalk writing in a small column on a local Bulletin Board Service (BBS) in Singapore. It has then evolved to emailing list with the introduction of the internet for the consumer public and a few years later the introduction of blogs.Football writing had a short stint on JayWalk's personal blog before breaking away to RedHalfOfManchester. During this while, JayWalk started the Prediction League on Singapore Palm Users Group (SPUG) back in 2004 and the Prediction League is now into the 5th year of its existence.So a football blog on RedHalfOfManchester and a prediction league on SPUG's forum and merging the two of them was only a matter of time.RedHalfOfManchester as the name itself suggests is a fan site of Manchester United. However, since players of the Prediction League support a wide range of other clubs, PangPuarLiap is hence created as a neutral ground for all to co-exist peacefully.JayWalk, as mentioned earlier has been writing since the early 90s, surprisingly started out as a Junior Gunner in 1978. A year later switch his allegiance to Manchester United when his boyhood hero Frank Stapleton was traded from Arsenal to Manchester United for 900,000 Pounds Sterling.Currently based in China and regularly shuttling between China, USA and Singapore, JayWalk is very much still a Singaporean at heart who would queue patiently under the hot blazing sun simply because the TOTO jackpot has crossed the $5 million mark. He will however, not queue for the MacDonald's Hello Kitty toy simply because he thinks MacDonald's burgers are crap.ihawk is your typical couch potato, avid sports fan. He is a massive supporter of Tottenham Hotspur since he was 12 years old and has suffered through multiple roller coaster seasons with the Lilywhites. Although much older now, ihawk prays that his heart is able to withstand the stress and anxiety of being a Spurs fan. Ever the loyalist, ihawk believes that "we can be heroes, just for Juande!".If there is one sport that is even more interesting to him than football, it is American Football. ihawk follows the sport at both college and pro levels with rabid fascination and tracks his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes (hence the moniker 'ihawk') and the San Franciso 49ers everyday during football season. If he is hunched over his laptop at the office looking busy, it is likely that he is tinkering with his Fantasy Football team and trash talking with other players.Constantly on the move, ihawk has enjoyed the opportunity to live and work in the United States, Singapore, Thailand, and is currently based in hazy Kuala Lumpur.Bedokian claimed to be the one to invent the word "Bedokian" back in the 80s.The 80s. A period where we have good songs, good school-day memories, and of course, that's where his love for Tottenham Hotspur came about. It was that fateful day when Spurs won QPR in the 1982 FA Cup final replay that captured his heart.Though no longer living in Bedok, but as Bedokians say - "Once a Bedokian, always a Bedokian". C.O.O.L is currently studying in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, pursuing a Banking and Finance Services diploma. He will be covering ManUtd's games together with JayWalk.C.O.O.L supports Manchester United when the Premier League started in 1992. He was captivated by the the waves and waves of attack whenever ManUtd find themselves a goal down (and pretty often at that).Now that the heart stopping roller coaster of ManUtd's form has since been more stabilised, C.O.O.L is thinking of putting up his defibrillator and pace-maker up for sale on eBay.C.O.O.L's hobbies include surfing the net, playing soccer and going out with friends for a drink. And one of his wish before he dies is to visit the Old Trafford.