What a difference a few months can make. Oh how the mighty have fallen. As a participant in The Football Blog World Cup predictions pool through Sportguru, I was riding high. In the Premier League incarnation I am a lowly thirteenth out of fifteen players.

Some of the newly promoted sides have predictably been given a rude awakening by the traditional ‘Big Four’ (although fourth spot is seemingly up for grabs again following the demise of Liverpool and the inexorable rise of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City).

West Bromwich Albion were thrashed 6-0 on the opening day by champions Chelsea. Blackpool were similarly dispatched at the Emirates by a ruthless Arsenal.

So where has it all gone wrong for me so far? Granted, perhaps I should have seen Wigan Athletic’s surprise 1-0 win over Tottenham last week coming. Spurs were no doubt suffering a post-Champions League qualification hangover and have seen their squad depleted, notably their strike force.

Not many would have predicted Blackpool’s opening day mauling of Wigan although the new boys’ hunger, combined with a shocker from Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and a lethargic performance by his fellow team members, was tangible.

Nor did I see Sunderland overcoming Manchester City last weekend. Again though, perhaps my naivety showed in not believing in Steve Bruce’s capable squad and their ability to defeat  a newly assembled group of highly paid mercenaries who have yet to form a ‘team’ in the true sense of the word.

That though, is encouraging a debate that will rage over the course of the season and will have to wait for a future blog.

With the newly promoted teams largely proving cannon fodder for the bigger fish, it’s been up to the established sides to offer a threat. Fulham salvaged a point in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United however perhaps I should have expected nothing less given the Cottagers’ home form against United. It is also worth considering the Red Devils’ makeshift defence minus Rio Ferdinand.

It is mainly the games concerning those aspiring for Europe and those settling in for a comfortable mid-table finish that have had me stumped.

For example, I gambled on Everton to sneak a win in the Midlands last Sunday against a struggling Aston Villa side. I was imagining headlines reporting caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald had stepped down.

Cue a scrappy home win for the Villains despite Everton’s best attempts at salvaging a point from the moment Villa took an early lead through defender Luke Young.

It’s a rare occurrence for ‘Big Four’ to drop points against those at the bottom. As Fulham showed however, they can be susceptible to slip-ups against the established teams. In truth, there isn’t much to choose from between the mid-table sides as they search for consistency to progress further up the league.

I fear that until I manage some consistency in guessing the results concerning these teams, I could be struggling near the bottom of the table for some time. The consolation for me is that at least there is no chance of being relegated – yet.

By William Geldart

With the start of the Premier League season now under two weeks away, and with managers putting the finishing touches to their squads after the pre-season schedule, now is the perfect time to get involved with our prediction game and fantasy league. If you are looking for an added incentive, we have copies of Fans United on DVD to give away to three readers who sign up to the prediction league. 

Entering our league is simple, and if you sign up before the new season kicks off then you could be a winner before the competition has even begun. We will select three entrants at random to win a copy of Fans United, but only from those who are in The Football Blog pool before the first game of the new season between Tottenham and Manchester City kicks off. To get involved, here is what you need to do:

1. Head over to our sister site SportGuru and, if you haven’t already done so, register to play
2. Join the Premier League tournament
3. Under ‘Pools’, click on ‘Join a pool’ and enter the following code: kalealum
4. You are now part of The Football Blog league and are ready to start making your predictions

If that wasn’t enough for you, our fantasy league is also back for the new season and awaiting your entry. Most will be familiar with the Fantasy Premier League format by now, so head over to the official site, select your team, and join The Football Blog league by entering league code 20959-7984. Make sure you read up on the new rules before you choose how to spend your £100 million.

So two competitions to get you ready for the new season and make it all the more interesting. We’ll be bringing you a comprehensive Premier League preview on The Football Blog over the course of the next two weeks to help inform your predictions and fantasy league selections, but for now why not sign up to our competitions for your chance to steal a march on your rivals and win a copy of Fans United of DVD?

Following on from the success of our World Cup prediction game (congratulations go to Dobbo for victory in that), here at The Football Blog we are now launching our very own Premier League prediction competition in conjunction with our sister site, SportGuru. The key to winning is simple: correctly predict as many Premier League results as you can. If you’d like the chance to prove yourself against other readers, then read on. 

As any player or manager will tell you, it’s a very long season and as such our competition won’t follow every fixture of the Premier League because it would just be too exhausting to try to pick so many results. Instead, we’re following the top eight sides from last season: Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Everton. Any matches involving one of these teams will appear in the competition.

Entering our league couldn’t be more simple, the hard part begins when you start to predict the outcome of the games. To get involved, here is what you need to do:

1. Head over to SportGuru and, if you haven’t already done so, register to play
2. Join the Premier League tournament
3. Under ‘Pools’, click on ‘Join a pool’ and enter the following code: kalealum
4. You are now part of The Football Blog league and are ready to start making your predictions

With the start of Premier League competition now just three weeks away, now is the time to start swotting up on the pre-season form of the teams involved and assessing how well you think they can do in the new season. You have right up to kick off to make your predictions for each round, although the game is already up and running so feel free to make your opening predictions now if you are feeling bold. Be warned however: once made, your picks can not be changed.

Our prediction game is the perfect way to drag yourself out of the post-World Cup lull and ignite your interest in the domestic season ahead, so get involved today and prove what you really know about top flight football.

Let’s be honest, how many of you predicted that Brazil would only manage to beat North Korea by two goals to one? For those playing the SportGuru World Cup prediction game, the answer is just 3.3%. Other games have thrown up a similarly low success rate, so with the second round of group games kicking off this evening when South Africa take on Uruguay, now might be the time to reappraise your prediction strategy. 

It’s hard to ignore the fact that goals have been hard to come by so far in this tournament. In 2006, 41 goals were scored in the opening sixteen games (an average of 2.56 goals a game); in 2002 it was 46 goals (2.88 goals a game); in 1998 it was 37 from 16 (2.31). So far in 2010 there have been just 23 goals in 14 games – an average of just 1.64 goals per game, something which appears to have tripped up a lot of predictions.

For example, only 3.0% predicted the Uruguay vs. France game would end goalless, whilst just 4.5% expected Argentina to beat Nigeria by a solitary goal. The opening Group G game between Portugal and the Ivory Coast yesterday was a major disappointment for those who had anticipated it to be the most exciting of the first round of games, and just 1.3% predicted the eventual stalemate in Port Elizabeth.

So has this influenced the picks for the second round of games? The answer would appear to be ‘yes’, with low scoring predictions now apparently the order of the day. In this evening’s game a whopping 33.7% have backed a 1-1 result, whilst in the other fixture in Group A between France and Mexico, 24.8% have gone for the same 1-1 scoreline. There is even some caution in backing the free scoring Germans, with 31.0% going for a modest 2-0 win for Joachim Low’s side against Serbia.

“And what of England?”, I hear you ask. Pre-tournament optimism clearly took its hold ahead of the USA game, with 85.5% predicting some form of England victory and just 6.1% correctly guessing the actual 1-1 scoreline. In spite of the inspid performance in Rustenburg, and probably in no small part due to Algeria’s poor showing against Slovenia, confidence in Fabio Capello’s men remains intact with 33.8 % going for a 2-0 win on Friday, and 27.4% plumping for a 3-0 victory.

So what are your predictions? If you haven’t already joined our game and think you can make up on a bit of lost ground, here are the details of how you can join the SportGuru tournament and enter The Football Blog pool, currently being led by Palsey with WillyG in close pursuit in second place. There is a long way to go yet however, and as has been proved so far, this tournament is far from easy to predict.

With every team finalising their preparations and kick off just around the corner, time is running out for you to make your picks in our World Cup predictions competition. Having carefully studied your handbook, consulted your wallchart at length, and watched some of the warm up games on offer, you should by now be ready to make your selections.

To pit your wits against fellow readers of The Football Blog and enter our league, here are the simple steps you need to follow:

1. Head over to SportGuru and, if you haven’t already done so, register to play
2. Join the World Cup tournament
3. Under ‘Pools’, click on ‘Join a pool’ and enter the following code: zetagirt.
4. You are now part of The Football Blog league and are ready to start making your predictions.

Remember, for the chance to score as many points as possible, you need to get your first picks in before the opening game between South Africa and Mexico on Friday. So if you’re feeling ready for the challenge, why not sign up today and see if you can finish top of the pile? Good luck!

The World Cup kick off is now just two weeks away, as managers fine tune their squads and players from the 32 nations hope to avoid that freak training ground injury which could jeopardise their place at the tournament. As teams continue their warm up schedule, we’re starting to get a better idea of who’s in form and who still needs their play their way into it. How well do think you can predict events in South Africa?

The World Cup prediction game at our sister site, SportGuru, is now up and running and ready for your predictions. Let’s face it, you won’t be immediately excited about every game being played (Switzerland vs. Honduras anybody?) so why not make it a bit more interesting by pitting your wits against fellow fans and enter The Football Blog league? Here are the simple steps you need to follow:

1. Head over to SportGuru and, if you haven’t already done so, register to play
2. Join the World Cup tournament
3. Under ‘Pools’, click on ‘Join a pool’ and enter the following code: zetagirt.
4. You are now part of The Football Blog league and are ready to start making your predictions.

Of course, there are those who will still be undecided by the outcome of some of the opening games and will want to hold off until the last minute – once you have made your predictions, they can’t be changed – but there is always the risk of over-analysis and excessive procrastination. So if you’re feeling ready for the challenge, why not sign up today and let your predictions do the talking? Good luck!

We are continuing our build up to the World Cup here at The Football Blog by launching our very own prediction competition in conjunction with our sister site, SportGuru. If you’d like the chance to prove yourself against other readers and make the outcome of games such as New Zealand vs Slovakia more meaningful, then read on.

Entering our league couldn’t be more simple, the hard part begins when you start to predict the outcome of the games. To get involved, here is what you need to do:

1. Head over to SportGuru and, if you haven’t already done so, register to play
2. Join the World Cup tournament
3. Under ‘Pools’, click on ‘Join a pool’ and enter the following code: zetagirt.
4. You are now part of The Football Blog league and are ready to start making your predictions

With the start of the tournament still a little way off, the scoring system is currently being finalised but we will let you know once it is up and running and you can start making your predictions. In the meantime, start swotting up on the teams involved and how they are predicted to perform. Can Honduras cause an upset perhaps? Could North Korea go all the way?

Our prediction game is the perfect way to ignite your interest in the sport’s showpiece event this summer, so get involved today and prove what you really know!

So just one game remains in what has been a thoroughly enjoyable and very memorable Premier League season. Aside from the small issue of the title still to be decided, victory, as well as pride, is still up for grabs in The Football Blog’s fantasy football league as managers prepare their teams for one final points surge.

Buoyed by another excellent gameweek, Affizzul Hakim’s ~StarCaster~ continue to lead the way and are clear favourites to claim the title. Richard Bourne’s Get Loose Get Loose sit 18 points off the top and he will require some bold moves and good luck to make up the difference on the final day. SportGuru sit a further 21 points off the pace and James Hutchison’s side would require something special to top the pile come Sunday evening.

So for those managers looking throw in some less obvious choices to help them make up ground this weekend, who could they turn to? From the title rivals, Salomon Kalou has been in form of late and could be a good addition to any midfield, as might Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs, with both veterans seemingly ending the season with a flourish.

Elsewhere, Carlton Cole and Araujo Ilan seem to have hit a bit of late season form up front for West Ham. With the threat of relegation no longer an issue, and with their opponents Manchester City out of the race for fourth spot, there could be some goals at Upton Park on Sunday. Scott Parker might also fancy his chances of getting in on the act.

Other potential less owned options might include a fit again Robin Van Persie as Arsenal take on a Fulham side whose minds must surely now have drifted towards the Europa Cup Final. Another team with one eye on a cup final is Portsmouth, which could be to Everton’s benefit when the sides meet at Goodison Park. Ayegbeni Yakubu and Louis Saha appear to have been forgotten from a fantasy perspective but could be worth a gamble here.

So your final league position could well be determined by whether you can out think those around you in the last gameweek. Let us know your thoughts and who you are looking to recruit to push you over the line. Also let us know who you think look to be the best prospects for next season. Do you have a starting XI in mind already? Enjoy the weekend’s games and good luck!

We are now heading into the last nine gameweeks of the fantasy football season, with injuries, suspensions, rearranged fixtures and double gameweeks making it one of the most exciting and unpredictable to date. And there is still time for a few extra twists as teams raise their game for the run in. So how are things looking at the top of The Football Blog league?

After some chopping and changing in recent game weeks, James Hutchison’s SportGuru team once again lead the way in the league after previous leader Scooby FC had a poor gameweek, accumulating just 18 points and dropping to third place in the process. The gap at the top is by no means comfortable however, with second place ~StarCaster~ just 8 points adrift.

This gameweek sees Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic playing twice, and some managers may well be tempted to recruit heavily from these two sides following Villa’s recent goal surge and the Latics’ morale boosting victory over Liverpool. More importantly however, there are no less than ten teams playing twice in the following gameweek, so the more astute strategists may be planning ahead for this.

Given the percentage of teams with some of the most obvious players selected (think Fabregas, Lampard, Drogba and Rooney), it is around this time of the season that managers in the chasing pack may need to take some calculated gambles in an attempt to claw back some of the deficit. Mikel Arteta grabbed the headlines last weekend, guessing correctly who it will be this weekend could change things completely for some managers.

Let us know your thoughts. Will you be looking to draft in for the final stage of the season? Who have lost faith in and will be transferring out at the first available opportunity? Don’t forget, if you still haven’t entered and fancy your chances of being top of the league come May and winning a replica shirt of your choice, 479-218461 is the code you need.

Modern day footballers are often portrayed to be no more than neanderthal thugs, a reputation which their actions often serve to justify. So full marks to Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle for his winning performance on Countdown today. He beat reigning champion Adam Guest 89-55 to secure victory, a sensation he has experienced all too rarely on the pitch with Burnley this season. All the best for the next round from everybody here at The Football Blog!