Altamullan

Can only imagine stark difference between Gini's home and way form is due to the manager's desire to play a certain way away. As others I would prefer it if we let our star midfielders keep playing and get used to each other. Hope we're a bit more positive today and give them problems to solve, rather than creating some tactics wank-fest which always strikes me as being more about managers self-importance/emperor's new clothes than truly effective football.

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

Yep, me too. Lovely to see desire to get back, willingness to dig in, and full throttle sprint.

Yup, a lot more variety in our attacking play with Shelvey, Sissoko, Townsend and Gini. ... Spice of life. Now trying to think of Spice up your life lyrics featuring the above... I may be some time/don't hold your breath.

Unintended comedy gold. Alert Steve Coogan or Paul Whitehouse, SAYLOR is Alan Partridge (nearly typed Pardew!) meets Julio Geordio

Yep, not as depressing having to leave a sojourn in Benton, as it is leaving one in Bali

All scores to be confirmed by Magpie. Week 25: Another decent week scoring wise, our average score was 18.4; a couple of points higher than the average for the season . The highest scoring game again featured Arsenal and returned 109 points with ten correct scores, two of which were nominated/doubled-up. Chelsea v Man Utd also chalked 10 correct results (you jammy buggers! thought my 0-1 was looking good...) but no 10 pointers. It is also worth noting that it was a case of welcome to our world for Froggy, first time he’s predicted his team to lose (Man Utd) and they let him down/cheer him-up/generally mess with his head in the mode of our United. Stand out predictions this week, for me, have to go to POOT. Only player to predict a 2-0 Villa win (amid 12 home wins) AND only player to predict a 1-0 Spurs win (amid 25 home wins). Mention to Kaizero too who nominated his 2-3 Leicester Away win at Man City; well deserved 6 points. This was also my original posted prediction (along with a draw for the Makems...)—must take a leaf out of Ranieri’s book and stop tinkering! Lawro would have scored 22 points this week, and his guests, Dad’s Army actors, 18. Lawro’s total score would now be 450, on my reckoning. Making him third now, behind BeloEmre, who appears to have had another outstanding week: seriously impressive run of scoring The above, assumes that the first set of scores will be used from the players who posted two sets, and as ever relies on my adding-up; may need a slight tweaking after Magpie’s done his thing.

Two players with double entries on week 25.

Chancels are he will. OLD on a mo, he Con Go to London.

Best find another reason to be proud other than success. Even the Tino hat trick was so against the odds, real 'pinch me/ punch me in the face' time, (Dagga the blagga had them playing s****) I genuinely could barely speak at half-time. Plenty of reasons beyond current regime, shameful branding, and woeful occasional hope-raising performances' to be proud of supporting Newcastle United. Just can' t think of them at the mo!

It is funny though. Not even laughing into the void, a bit too high pitched, laugh or else you'll cry, funny. Just funny. Seven months of clammering for a centre back and a left back, and we find ourselves multi-million pounds lighter and possibly having to play Jack Colback's spotty little bro'...

This. Says Iron Mike... I agree btw, just found juxtaposition of MW praising ST funny, for some reason.

Man City 2-2 Leicester Aston Villa 1-0 Norwich Liverpool 2-1 Sunderland Newcastle 2-0 West Brom Spurs 2-0 Watford Stoke 0-0 Everton Swansea 2-1 Crystal Palace Bournemouth 2-4 Arsenal Chelsea 0-1 Man Utd Southampton 1-0 West Ham

A remarkably high scoring week! Congratulations to all (pretty much). Our average was 22.7 points, a new record. 20 players scored 20 or over; three of which hit the dizzy heights of the >30. There were 34 correct score predictions (5 of which were nominated/doubled-up to 10 points). 44% of our predictions scored more than 2 points; highest to date. We also picked 148 correct results, out of 270 guesses (55%); pretty damn good. Highest scoring game was West Ham v Villa, with 111 points. Everybody scored something on that game, with 24 of us going for a home win, the three who picked a draw still getting a point, and 12 of us picked 2-0, with two jammy buggers doubling-up. Whilst not an outstanding points total – by this week’s standards – hats off to sbnufc for being the only person to pick a correct result in the Arsenal v Southampton game (26 home wins and one draw). Lawro would have scored 16 points this week, beaten by his guest Felix White (...no idea either), who scored 17. The most popular guesses on BBC Sport Predictor, would have scored 22, and our group guess an impressive 27. Lawro’s total score would now be 428, making him joint third with BeloEmre, who has a cracking total for the last 5 weeks: 102 points (including a measly 6 pts in wk 21). He’s been pushed close by joeyt, whose ‘mid season push for Europe’ is still in full swing, leaving him now just three points behind Froggy, having collected 101 points over the last five weeks. The Toon are now 6th bottom (15th) of the most points returned league climbing above Chelsea, up to an almost respectable average of 44.2 points per game (involving them) just behind Leicester on 44.3ppg. Arsenal still top on 65.3 ppg.

Cunt soup.... yum! Though Cunt pot noodle = even better....

What a fucking knobber.

"Hey, Stevie! How come you're such a big hit with the girls?" "I got the moves baby, you got the motion, let's get together we'll be causing... causing... well, to be honest, causing an underwhelming, uninspiring, under confident, impact on seemingly decent footballers. Whoops!"

Says it all...

We are in a corner ,WBA will be the watershed and lose that and the run of fixtures to follow could see us losing ground if Norwich win at Villa potentially leaving us 5 points adrift then they play West Ham at home and we have Chelsea away and that could be 8 points adrift after the next 2 games .This bloke changes players/formations and still fails ,Mitrovic low on confidence dropped to bench and comes on misses a sitter so thats him even more screwed now ,defensive performance bordering on one of the worst this season and potentially more injuries back there has us fecked so judgement day saturday With this many points still available, I would usually try and temper any shit or bust type thinking about one game. But, I totally agree. WBA are at risk. If we can't beat them at home, do we really deserve to be in this league? If we don't beat them at home, I don't see how our confidence won't be further dented ( holed below the water, even). Must win.

Yes. Would be difficult to do worse. An achievement in itself. Carver was absolutely horrifically bad, but McLaren must be edging him close for win percentage Carver was an embarrassing joke without the experience McClaren has. Still the results are similar. I've seen us get relegated from the old division 1 and when Ossie was in charge but I can't recall a season as depressing as this. It's the hope that kills you...

I'm not that arsed about losing away to Everton, that is pretty much what we do. I am dismayed about set-up/formation, better players not showing-up, and lack of any sign of the manager having a pair of balls.

One evaluation of SMc's competence is how would the squad do if 'random clueless fan' picked and motivated the team. I may be over reacting, but I genuinely think that with this group of players, and the oddness of some of his decisions, a RCF couldn't have done worse.

Lack of courage again apparent and influential. Twist you fucking boring bastard TWIST!

yes, in his under 21 seasons, circa 1995.