Salut! Prediction League: Will Sunderland beat Fulham? Will Swansea beat Newcastle?

Stephen Goldsmith writes: Trip to the capital this weekend for the lads and it follows an encouraging defeat – if there is such a thing! Welcome to the world of being a Sunderland fan. I think you know what I mean anyway, it can only be a matter of time before we put a run together if we continue to express ourselves like we did at Goodison against a side many fancy for the top four this season.

Fulham have always been decent at home so it will be interesting to see just how encouraged our panel actually are by the performance last Saturday, and whether they think we’ll win. And whether they trust Newcastle to win at home to Swansea after they cost people points last week. Not that that was deemed a bad thing of course.

Staying with Newcastle, it always makes for pleasant reading when people give their measured forecasts for our friends from eleven miles or so up the road. Here at Salut! we are all obviously loyal Sunderland fans, but I like to think that we can rise above just giving predictions based on anti-Newcastle agenda. We start with that game to highlight just how impartial our panel are when it comes to the mags.

Newcastle v Swansea

Jake: The Mags’ sh***ness is beginning to show through, Swansea won’t beat them but will get a 1-1 draw.

John Mac: Doing this has made me realise that it’s impossible to put NUFC down for a win. I would rather come bottom than be so dishonoured. Two teams that are beginning to find the going tougher than early results suggested. Both can score, both can allow softish goals   1-1

Colin: When Mags come up against Swans, there is scope for ornithological viciousness. So I’ll go for at least one red card and fierce controversy. 1-1.

The rest: Goldy 1-1. Sixer 1-1. Robert 2-1. Jeremy 1-1. Bill 2-1. Malcolm 1-3.

Fulham v Sunderland

Goldy: I’ve never been to Craven Cottage – just about the only ground in the top two divisions. How fickle of me? I attended this fixture once, but it was at the time the world famous London club played at Loftus Road awaiting their state of the art facilities to be improved. I think it will be 1-1.

Robert: Not much reason to be positive bout this one. Fulham’s form has been better than expected, ours has been much worse. Ever the optimist I’ll predict us to end our slump. 2-1 and we leave London with 3 points.

Jeremy: Normal service to be resumed at Craven Cottage with Norman Stanley eventually getting a decent ball into the box and getting us a goal. Does anyone remember our last goal? Few of us have lived long enough to have witnessed the one before that. Normal  service of course includes the specific requirement to take in an equaliser. This one to end. A draw is all that even an incurable optimist dare hope for these days.

The rest: Malcolm 1-2. Jake 0-1. Colin 1-2. Bill 0-1. John Mac 2-2. Jeremy 1-1.

Arsenal v Spurs

Alright alright, this has finished but these predictions were in previous to it.

Sixer: 2-3. Over hyped North London derby, complete with offensive chanting and two sides who cannot defend. Could be the other way round.

Bill: Two teams desperately looking for a fourth-place finish; neither likely to get it. And neither side particularly on form right now. I can’t see this match adding glory to either of them and I imagine Whinger is already polishing his post-game “we wuz cheated” speech.

Malcolm: There is no way that Spurs can lose this game. Even if they were to get a player sent off, they have too much for Arsenal. 0-2.

The rest: Goldy 2-2. Colin 2-2. Jeremy 2-2. Sixer 2-3. John Mac 1-1. Robert 1-1.