Altamullan

This is all we have It's the small things...

At least Palace are losing again.

Sounds like we need someone to hold the ball-up (de Jong or Mitro), neither Cisse nor Gini will do it.

This sounds like dire stuff.

Apart from that, are we doing ok??

First goal Gini, please.

Getting the full 5 Live Chris Sutton 'experience'

I've really been hooked-in again this season (shit timing or what) and although shed loads of work to do, I can't concentrate on anything else. Really feel I need to watch. Wish it was on Sky so I could get via Now TV.

f*** that s***! Don't think my heart could take it I did think about the prospect of it going 2-2, then 3-2 but didn't even want to imagine that kind of tension!

Pre-match delusional mode kicking-in big style: score first and we're going win 3-2. 1-0 (us), 2-0, 2-1, HT, 3-1, 3-2, much collective shitting of pants...sweet sound of final whistle.

Form is always going to fluctuate, but he isn't a central midfielder; he's not a winger either. Rafa has had a look at him centrally and personally I think it would be an oversight not to use him in preferred position.

Thanks. Might be sensible to follow suit. With Townsend and Sissoko also stretching them/giving them something to think about

Anyone know what position Gini played for Holland?

Putting the 'being shit at life' bit slightly to one side, I suspect a young Gazza wouldn't progress through academies these days as the 'chosen ones' all seem like little robots. Very technically adept, competitive, and most of all very good at listening/paying attention/being well-behaved. Not many who look like they would crack you up on the coach or who have the attention span of a goldfish. Watch a fair bit of under 7 & under 8 and the 'elite' (yep, that's what they call them...) kids seem to have a pretty joyless experience of footy. Real shame, given they're all sold the dream and risk having all their 'self-esteem eggs' in one basket but even from those who last until under 9's, less than 1 in 500 are likely to have a professional career after 21. That said, if someone had appreciated the talent of a young Paul, I really hope he would be better supported and nurtured these days (bizarre as it is, I really wish he'd went to Man Utd instead of Spurs- think Fergie may have done a Giggsy on him). Clubs have a duty of care to their young lads, the kind of pressure they're under must mess with their minds; even those from loving well-balanced families.

Obviously it wouldn't be anywhere near over mathematically. But if we fail to win tomorrow, I think we're screwed. I can't get past a strong sense that we needed 6 points, or at least 4, from Bournemouth and Sunderland. I'm looking forward to usual pre-match delusional optimism kicking-in.

Are you available for relationship coaching? 'cause I've got lifestyle envy (wife style envy?).

We're doomed...

We're doomed.

29... ouch.?

Could Cisse play off Mitro? I'd rather see half-chances fall to Cisse, but think Mitro is more likely to win the ball in the final third.

Aston Villa 0-3 Chelsea Arsenal 1-0 Watford Bournemouth 1-2 Man City Norwich 2-3 Newcastle Stoke 2-0 Swansea Sunderland 2-1 West Brom West Ham 2-0 Crystal Palace Liverpool 2-1 Spurs Leicester 0-2 Southampton Man Utd 3-1 Everton

All scoring to be confirmed by Magpie. Week 31: We returned to a 10 game week (thankfully), and a decent one at that, scoring wise at least, with an average of 18.3; a couple of points above the usual. I reckon 11 of the 25 regular players scored 20 or over. There were 20 correct score predictions, three of which were doubled-up (BeloEmre for Spurs v AFCB; Disco and Minhosa for our game. Good call chaps). The Spurs game returned the most points for us (86), followed by the Swansea v Villa game (85). There has been a big change in how predicable teams are to us. Top ‘points-returners’ are now Villa. Games involving them have returned 1,870 points (62 per week, or 6.6% of the total; all things being equal each team would have given us 5% of the total points). Spurs have overtaken Arsenal (prediction mirroring reality…) returning 6.4% of the points. We’ve climbed to mid-table (if only…) with 4.8% of the points (47 per week). There’ve been some great performances recently, with some leaping-up the table, with the athleticism and grace of Alex 'fan-vaulter' Mitrovic. The highest scorers over the last five weeks are: Jill 102, jdckelly 92, Pilko 90, Barnes23 and Nev with 88. Our two breakaway (ish) leaders are maintaining their top-form also (BeloEmre on 87 and Magpie collecting 85 points in the last five weeks); they’ve also both scored 20+ points on 14 occasions. Which is exactly twice as often as me! Great consistency in what is generally seen as an even more dodgy season than usual for making predictions. Lawro would have had a below average week, with 16 points. He was pipped at the post by his guest Steve Cram (“he’s a big skinny Dutch Makem man”), who collected 17 points: thankfully only two of which were for his 0-1 away win ‘nomination’ of his own team’s result. Lawro would now be on 541 points: dropping to fifth place, behind Jill and Nev who I have as joint third (to be confirmed). Lawro’s guests total 449, or an average of 14.5 points per week. The lowest average points in our actual players is 15.6. Some of these ramblings may need a gentle tweaking when the ever-reliable Magpie submits the correct weekly scores.

Last season's table, at the same point in time, is encouraging; it shows the possibility of a (continued) tail spin bringing Palace into it, and of meaningful change helping us climb out. However, IMHO we really needed more from AFCB and SAFC games (4 or even 6 points, instead of 1). So now I can't see us getting more than 35 points. I don't think this will be enough.

10 additional points...