Newcastle United

McCormick’s Craic: down among the dead men, a lifeline for Aston Villa

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John McCormick: reviewing the trends
John McCormick: reviewing the trends

So who is going down? For virtually the first time this season neutrals are mentioning Sunderland as serious contenders. Given our awful run, and the tough bunch of games to come, that is hardly surprising. John McCormick has been studying trends again and comes up with potentially good news for Aston Villa, though he still sees QPR and Reading going. At whose expense would Villa survive? Ours? Not according to whatever can be gleaned from the stats John has been reviewing. Read on but expect to be blinded by this branch of science …

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Salut! Predictions: Sunderland, Fulham, Newcastle, Swansea, Arsenal, Spurs – How will they fare?

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NB: Completed but inexplicably not posted by kickoff time. Sorry, Monsieur Salut’s 1-0 prediction already blown to pieces but he also had a punt on 4-3 ….

Salut panel member thinks long and hard about the weekend fixtures.
Salut panel member thinks long and hard about the weekend fixtures.

 

I have vocally embraced a well used assumption a lot today, writes Stephen Goldsmith. The one that goes along the lines of “Don’t worry, we’re bound to win tomorrow as I’m not there”. You know the drill. Then it dawned on me that Sunderland tend to lose the games I do and don’t attend in equal measure. I may not care by tea time if I’m as intoxicated as expected in a Liverpool pub somewhere.

The Predictions League table has undergone a stewards enquiry since last time it was published. Carelessness on my behalf and I’m thankful for Malcolm’s obsessive compulsive tendencies for all things correct that it’s now been updated. Apologies if you have slipped down it somewhat. Imagine needing things to be correct and proper, and witnessing Sunderland this season? Ouch!

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Sunderland, Newcastle safe (ish). And the losers are … QPR, Aston Villa plus Reading or Wigan

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John McCormick's examines his source material
John McCormick examines his source material

It may not seem a good time to be predicting relegation for Reading (just after they’ve beaten us), QPR (buoyed by big new signings with an escapologist in charge) and Aston Villa (didn’t we somehow contrive to make even them seem half-decent?). But John McCormick has been pottering around with his blinding statistictal science again, attempting to calculate the impact fluctuating goal differences can have on survival prospects. As things stand, he sees safety for Sunderland but not by a comfortable margin and a possible lifeline for Reading, at Wigan’s expense …

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Wigan winter warmer confounds Notts Forest fan’s predictions (SAFC down, Newcastle 9th)

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Jake catches Sixer smiling again
Jake catches Sixer smiling again

Pete Sixsmith did not expect to be at the DW Stadium. His original plan involved a trip to Bitton, not far from Bristol, to see Shildon in the FA Vase but he wisely changed his mind even before all Saturday’s games in the competition were called off. So he became one of the 5,000 candidates for Man of the Match at Wigan as he joined the fabulous travelling army roaring Sunderland to victory …

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Danny Graham: couldn’t care less whether he supports Newcastle provided he can play

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geordies v mackems

Here is news of a talking point at ESPN resulting from today’s reports that Sunderland have tabled a bid for Swansea’s Danny Graham.

There is a sort of Piers Morgan effect out there – light-hearted chatter about petitions to stop him, Graham that is, coming back to the North East because he’s a Mag and has made disaparaging comments about Sunderland. But also a spot of white-hot hatred.

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Wigan v SAFC ‘Who are You?’: Bernard Ramsdale returns with ominous news for Newcastle

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Jake asks the question
Jake asks the question

Bernard Ramsdale, a founder of the Wigan Athletic fan site This Northern Soul has been a friend to this site for a few years, so much so that one of two Wigan fans raised doubts the ensuing “love-in”. He remains a great, albeit electronic pal whose contributions to these pages have been outstanding. After a rest from “Who are You?” duties, Bernard is back. That friendship does not extend to playing to the gallery – Bernard simply speaks his mind – but he has, shall we say, interesting thoughts on the relegation battle …

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