How Our Season Predictions Are Getting On So Far..

Can you believe it has been nearly a month and a half already since the first domestic football of the season was kicked in England?

Two of our most viewed posts ever came in the form of our 2014/15 Season Previews, whereby we analysed each teach in both the Premier League and the Championship and eventually produced a final league table based on our predictions.

Anyway, despite it still being relatively early doors we thought it would be fun to see how we're getting on, and which teams are over/underachieving based on where we expected them to be.

In the tables below we have placed the leagues in their present order, before detailing the difference to our predicted finishing position, and of course how this compares with our eternal yardstick; the bookmaker. 

This is of course likely to change as teams pick up form, make crucial signings in January, change managers, and of course, suffer the dreaded injury crisis. Nonetheless, certain teams have caught the eye, some for all the wrong reasons (Fulham and Newcastle, we're looking firmly at you).

Premier League

Premier League table; accurate as of 18/09/2014

The obvious over-achiever comes in the form of Aston Villa. Despite having languished in the nether regions of the league, flirting with relegation throughout most of the last two seasons, the Villains have started impressively, alongside Swansea City.

Keane has added a winners mentality to
the Villa dressing room.

Our "one-to-watch" Fabian Delph has started the season well, earning a call up to Roy Hodgson's England side for the games against Norway and Switzerland, and you can't help but feel the presence of a certain Roy Keane is spurring Aston Villa on. No doubt such a ferocious winning mentality in the camp will have made several under-performers at the club sit up and take notice. Managing to cling on to MVP Ron Vlaar is also a huge success.

Swansea meanwhile have had a similar upturn in performance, despite also not making many changes. Manager, Garry Monk seems to have steadied the ship following the somewhat shock departure of Michael Laudrup, and is now really starting to put his own stamp on the team. The second coming of Gylfi Sigurdsson has been inspired, as the Icelandic playmaker has returned to the kind of form that sparked interest from Spurs in the first place.

Elsewhere, Newcastle the perennial underachievers, have had a shocking start to the season, with many Geordies calling for the head of Alan Pardew; who must be coming close to the end of the line. For a club the size of Newcastle to not be consistently pushing for the top six, you have to look beyond the playing and coaching staff however. 

Mike Ashley, though a shrewd businessman, does not have many fans on Tyneside, despite turning around the financial fortunes of the club. There is only so long that they will tolerate a sub-par Toon side, in a region where football is religion. We predict that we may see an "Ashley Out" campaign by the end of the season, if form does not pick up soon.

Chelsea look a cert for the title.

Otherwise the table is shaping up to represent what we thought it might. As the league picks up momentum teams will start to settle out into their respective positions, and we will start to gain a true representation of how the Premier League may look come May.

Honourable mentions for Leicester City who have started well; we predicted them to avoid the drop and they look more than equipped to do so - and Chelsea, our tip for the title, which seems to be their's to lose on current form. Can anybody stop Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas from delivering the trophy back to The Bridge for the first time since 09/10?


In terms of how we are currently faring vs. the bookies; the bookies just edge it, in a neck and neck battle. Our predictions are currently displaced by 88 positions, compared to the bookies 82. We do however take comfort in having predicted Chelsea to be in the top spot, with Ladbrokes having picked Manchester City.

Championship

Championship table; accurate as of 18/09/14

You'd be forgiven for thinking the table was upside down.

True to form, the Championship has proven difficult to predict. Several fancied teams have failed to get going; chiefly in the form of Wigan, Cardiff (as I type, it has just been confirmed that Ole Gunnar Solksjær has left the club), Brighton and Fulham who, despite being firm play-off contenders, have found themselves floundering in the bottom half. On top of this, we have already seen three managerial changes, with Huddersfield's Mark Robbins winning the sack race in bizarre fashion following the season opener.

Psycho's Forest have looked impressive in the early stages.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table it is a different picture. Nottingham Forrest have regained their identity under club legend Stuart Pearce, whilst newly promoted Wolves have continued along the upward curve following promotion last season. Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday have also outperformed everybody's expectations and find themselves in-and-around the crucial top six positions. A mention must also go to Millwall, who have turned around a pretty desperate situation early doors, and Brentford who are currently looking good for their money to stay in the league. Derby however, have started slowly. Nonetheless, we're still confident that they will be there or there about come May.

Fulham have to be considered the out and out under-performers so far this season, and haven't even managed to pick up a win; losing six of their seven games so far - despite having poached Leeds strike partnership Ross McCormack and Matt Smith.

In our original post we said that it is apparent Felix Magath has already underestimated English football and could look set to do it again; having been unable to avoid the drop last season despite boldly claiming it to be impossible.

We also predicted that he'd be out of work by December. With Magath visivly perplexed by the lack of form his team have shown, he has absolutely no answers to his critics - claiming to have never witnessed anything like this in his career. Hate to say we told you so Felix.

Looks like it's going to be a lean Christmas at the Magath house this year.

Felix Magath has seemingly no answers for his teams
"calamitous" start to the campaign. 

We must take off our hat to Stuart Pearce. Following a pretty poor few years with the England U-21's, we had Pearce down as a tactically inept manager, with little to offer. Forest however, have started the season strongly and look to be a shoe-in for a play-off position at least.

Time will tell how much of this is down to the feel-good factor from the return of a legendary leader, as Pearce will be forced to show his managerial qualities and improvise as the fixture schedule goes into overdrive, and injuries become more of a problem.

Before leaving you, we must address Leeds United. Having picked up various amounts of grief from angry Yorkshiremen following our Pre-Season Prediction, we feel that the season has so far, provided us with enough evidence to feel justified in our decisions.

We predicted that Leeds would finish around the mid-bottom half of the table, where they currently reside. We also said that they were in big trouble in terms of club hierarchy, following the farce last season that led to the take-over of the club, and sacking of previous manager Brian McDermott.

With the Dave Hockaday shambles now done and dusted, it is also apparent that this is indeed the case. It is time supporters of Leeds United stopped living under the pretence of a divine right to be top of the league, and start preparing for a long old season and relegation battle. As long as Massimo Cellino remains the man with the power at Elland Road, Leeds face a bleak outlook.

Dave Hockaday; one of football's nice guys, but doomed from the off.

With regards to how our predictions are faring against the bookmaker, we are afraid that the Bookies are currently in the driving seat with this one. Our displacement of 190 is somewhat lacking behind a still-struggling total of 158.

One thing is clear; the Championship is as (un)predictable as ever.

On a much more serious note: Newcastle  midfielder Jonas Gutierrez has revealed that he is suffering from Testicular Cancer. We wish him the very best and a speedy recovery. Remember to Check Your Balls fellas!