# UK football, season 2008/09, forecasts **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 7, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150 "2008-08-07T12:09:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 55
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1081 "2009-05-10T13:54:08Z")
Come on **chowder** , tell your lads to pull their fingers out and give us a game! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1082 "2009-05-10T16:48:36Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Come on **chowder** , tell your lads to pull their fingers out and give us a game! šŸ˜ƒ Meh, weā€™re just toying with you, wait until next season pal then ask the same question. please God , please ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1083 "2009-05-10T17:42:03Z")
Well, first game today was indicative of the relative abilities of the two teams. WHAT, I ask, are City paying that Brazilian so much for??? The second game displayed a comprehensive dismissal of a team that plays attractive football, but doesnā€™t quite get the idea that sticking the ball in the back of the net is the ultimate goal, something Chelsea generally understands (and failed to demonstrate any comprehension of during the tie with BarƧa). That keeper for Arsenal doesnā€™t exactly impress me, either. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1084 "2009-05-11T22:05:42Z")
Bad news: Newcastle now have a decent chance of staying up. Good news: Boro _have_ to be going down. Right?! The only thing thatā€™s ever happened for Boro that I liked was when the season ticket holder threw his ticket book at Southgate or someone. I hate their uniform, I hate their stadium, I hate their sponsors, and I hate that theyā€™re game-raising bastards half the time they play United. I know a Newcastle fan whoā€™s a bit giddy, but I warned him that Hull may have a chance against United in 2 weeks. If United get their needed 4 points from Wigan and Arsenal, then with the CL Final just 3 days after the United-Hull match, we might see this line-up: Kusczak Neville-Evans-young player-Oā€™Shea Park-Fletcher-Gibson-Nani Wellbeck-Macheda That should be enough for United to win, but Iā€™ll laugh if that line-up gives Hull 3 points and sends Newcastle down (Iā€™d like them to pop right back up, but hopefully itā€™d be a lesson to their crazy management). ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1085 "2009-05-12T07:04:43Z")
more good news for Hull, they play Bolton next, and weā€™re playing badly right now, and have nothing much to play for. It ainā€™t over yetā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1086 "2009-05-12T11:02:00Z")
Just a few more games to go and itā€™s all over. ā˜¹ Then what have we got? Boring cricket,faggotty tennis, horse racing and other assorted shite sports. Roll on August šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1087 "2009-05-12T11:14:12Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Just a few more games to go and itā€™s all over. ā˜¹ > > Then what have we got? > > Boring cricket,faggotty tennis, horse racing and other assorted shite sports. > > Roll on August šŸ™‚ You forgot golf, the one redeeming sport of the summer. šŸ™‚ To which, thankfully, you Brits offer a truly worthwhile contribution in July, I might addā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1088 "2009-05-12T15:53:37Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > You forgot golf, the one redeeming sport of the summer. šŸ™‚ > To which, thankfully, you Brits offer a truly worthwhile contribution in July, I might addā€¦ Golf was covered in _other assorted shite sports_ šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1089 "2009-05-12T16:18:16Z")
No, no, no. Golf is not able to be covered by a generic four-letter word term. Golf is itā€™s OWN four-letter word!!! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1090 "2009-05-12T18:42:05Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > No, no, no. Golf is not able to be covered by a generic four-letter word term. Golf is itā€™s OWN four-letter word!!! šŸ˜ƒ Who was it that said ā€œGolf is a good walk, ruined?ā€ He was right whoever it was. Grown men (and women) trying to hit a ball into a little hole thousands of yards away using an assortment of sticks. And doing the same for 18 more little holes, madness I tell you, madness. Mind you I got a hole in one onceā€¦on the crazy golf in Benidorm, Spain šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1091 "2009-05-12T19:40:56Z")
I grew up on a farm and spent way, way too much time in my youth chasing cows around pastures. I see no point whatsoever in chasing little white balls around pastures - no challenge if there arenā€™t cowpies to avoid. Or cranky bulls. Man, thereā€™s something that would make golf interesting. šŸ˜ƒ Newcastleā€™s likely staying up and Bartonā€™s likely getting canned. Not sure which of those make me giggle more. Was hoping your boys would do better in the derby, **chowder**. Iā€™m disappointed in you! You didnā€™t watch hard enough. Or something. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1092 "2009-05-12T19:46:44Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Who was it that said ā€œGolf is a good walk, ruined?ā€ > > He was right whoever it was. > > Grown men (and women) trying to hit a ball into a little hole thousands of yards away using an assortment of sticks. > > And doing the same for 18 more little holes, madness I tell you, madness. > > Mind you I got a hole in one onceā€¦on the crazy golf in Benidorm, Spain šŸ˜ƒ What do you expect from a game invented by the Scots? :smack: :rolleyes: šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1093 "2009-05-12T20:29:13Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Who was it that said ā€œGolf is a good walk, ruined?ā€ A good walk spoiled. Mark Twain. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1094 "2009-05-13T06:41:54Z")
> [@chique](#): > > I grew up on a farm and spent way, way too much time in my youth chasing cows around pastures. šŸ˜‰ Really? I guess thereā€™s no accounting for taste šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1095 "2009-05-13T16:40:50Z")
Ok, so now comes the real question: Which of the two go down: Hull or Newcastle? My money is that Hull go down. Theyā€™ve been awful since they woke up and realized what league they were playing in. And it appears that Newcastle just woke up and realized what league they were NOT going to be playing in. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1096 "2009-05-13T19:33:25Z")
The race for the bottom is always more interesting, isnā€™t it? Sunderlandā€™s last two matches are against Pompey and Chelsea, both of which theyā€™ll likely lose. Newcastle have Fulham and Villa; Hull have Bolton and ManU; Boro have West Ham and Villa; and West Brom have Liverpool and Blackburn. If my Sunderland prediction is correct (which it probably wonā€™t be, but I think weā€™ve already established my lack of psychic abilities earlier in this thread) and Newcastle and Hull both manage to pull off a win, Sunderlandā€™s going to drop instead. Will be an interesting couple of weeks. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1097 "2009-05-14T06:58:07Z")
Iā€™ll agree with you there **chique** the ā€˜raceā€™ for the bottom is allus _very_ interesting. Unless of course your own team is involved in the race. Whoā€™s going down? Itā€™s very difficult to tell with so many teams fighting to escape the dreaded drop, my moneyā€™s on HULLā€¦what **DSY** said WBA NEWCASTLEā€¦they may have woken up but I feel they left it to long ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1098 "2009-05-14T10:56:39Z")
So tell me, Chowder, how 'Boro are going to manage to get ahead of Newcastle? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1099 "2009-05-14T11:28:13Z")
Have a play around with the [BBCā€™s table predictor](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/predictor/default.stm). All good fun. I think Boro and West Brom are as good as gone; both need at least four points (or three and a bucketload of goals) to overhaul Newcastle thanks to their crappy goal difference. That means WBA need at least a point out of Liverpool and to beat Blackburn, while Boro have to beat at least one of Villa and West Ham and draw with the other. I donā€™t see either scenario happening, and thatā€™s even with the assumption that Newcastle lose both their last matches. I reckon Hull have the best chance to rescue themselves with their match against Bolton. Itā€™s very hard to see Newcastle getting more than a couple of points out of Villa and Fulham, so a win there would, I think, see them safe. Even a draw might do if Newcastle revert to type. But really, if I were a betting man Iā€™d say that none of the bottom four are going to get any more points, and that WBA, Boro and Hull are going down. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150/1100 "2009-05-14T12:25:06Z")
I keep seeing here and elsewhere this feeling that Newcastle will struggle to get a point against Fulham, and I keep thinking ā€œdoes not compute.ā€ Itā€™s funny how wild the teams that have been anywhere from 5th to 17th the last few years just fly up and down the table. Never before would I have thought Fulham would be a really difficult match for Newcastle. For those who say the bottomā€™s always more exciting than the race at the top, thereā€™s a great exception going on in Germany. Four teams are between 61 and 63 points with 2 to play. I donā€™t get a channel to watch any Bundesliga, but itā€™s got to be so much fun for all involved to watch that race. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150.md?page=54) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-football-season-2008-09-forecasts/459150.md?page=56)