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High Fives From Magic Mike

Welcome to "High Fives" the personal column of our ace Director of Football "Magic Mike".

Magic Mike's football credentials are first class. Last season he handily beat the Beeb’s expert tipster “Lawro” who never got a look in after Magic took an early lead at the start of the 2008/09 season.

A good number of our players were rescued by Magic’s tips in our Five Lives scheme which automatically gives you his tips, up to five times during the season, should you forget to enter them yourself. Magic Mike's canny inside knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of players and teams, combined with a passion for getting it right, is what you need to make an impact in this game. It also means you're going to have to be at your best to outdo him.

The Management - Score Five

And now, once again, over to Magic Mike...

See what Mike had to say in the olden days - visit his 2008/09 season archives.

previous predictions -

Round 14.... Round 13.... Round 12.... Round 11.... Round 10.... Round 9

Your Wish is Granted

Portsmouth vs. Burnley at Fratton Park - Avram Grant took over from where Paul Hart left off as Pompey were given a master class by Manchester United last Saturday. Grant will need to bring some new life to his side as they already look doomed for the drop. They have an opportunity against Burnley  that has struggled away from home to date.

Owen Coyle’s side will be looking to add to their 1 away point so far this season and based on the form book there is no better place than Portsmouth who have 1 win and 6 defeats . Burnley play their second consecutive game on the road, having lost last week at West Ham in an 8 goal thriller.

Magic predicts: Portsmouth 2 - Burnley 1

 

Arsenal vs. Stoke City at the Emirates Stadium. A disappointing defeat for the Gunners against title rivals Chelsea last Sunday highlighted Arsenal’s shortcomings as title contenders. Without the injured Robin Van Persie, they rarely troubled the Chelsea defence and looked decidedly light-weight in all areas of the pitch. Arsenal have often struggled against teams that adopt a physical approach and Stoke are a team in that mould.

Stoke played out a drab goal-less draw at Ewood Park last Saturday and have lost only 1 of their last 7 games in the league. Tony Pulis’s side will travel to the Emirates in good heart and will make life difficult for the Gunners. Stoke’s influential defender Ryan Shawcross remains a doubt for the game. A tight game can be expected with Arsenal looking for their first win in 3 league games.   

Magic predicts: Arsenal 1 - Stoke City 0

 

Aston Villa vs. Hull City at Villa Park- Aston Villa will be looking for their first win in 3 games after 2 draws. With Stewart Downing back to fitness, Martin O’Neill has some selection problems. With James Milner and Ashley Young regulars this season, it will remain to be seen whether O’Neill will accommodate all 3 players in his starting line-up. Villa progressed to the Carling Cup semi-finals with a win over Portsmouth in mid-week and will be looking to get their Champions League challenge back on track with a win over struggling Hull.

Hull have rallied in their last 4 matches, taking 8 points, to ease pressure on Phil Brown. This run of form has coincided with the return of Jimmy Bullard to the Hull squad after a long term injury. His influence in the dressing room and on the pitch cannot be underestimated.  Last week he fired home an equalising penalty at Manchester City, his 2^nd penalty in 3 games.

Magic predicts: Aston Villa 4 - Hull City 1

 

Blackburn Rovers vs. Liverpool at Ewood Park – Sam Allardyce might make an appearance after undergoing heart surgery. Rovers have done well without him though, securing 4 points in those 2 games. It’s an entirely different game this week, as Rovers face a Liverpool side determined to force their way back into title contention. Liverpool came out the victors in the Merseyside derby last Sunday and despite a poor start to the season are just 3 points behind 3^rd placed Tottenham.

Magic predicts: Blackburn Rovers 0 - Liverpool 1

 

West Ham United vs. Manchester United at Upton Park. The Hammers have been amongst goals with 8 in their last 2 games. Gianfranco Zola’s side have lifted themselves out of the bottom 3 and will be confident going into the game but face a strong Manchester United side who brushed aside Portsmouth. Wayne Rooney and the evergreen Ryan Giggs starred in that game and Sir Alex’s side look to have too much in their locker to be troubled by the Hammers.

Magic predicts: West Ham United 1 - Manchester United 3 Banker

 

Wigan Athletic vs. Birmingham City at the DW Stadium. Unpredictable  sums up Wigan this season. They bounced back from the 9-1 drubbing at Tottenham to beat Sunderland last Saturday. They are also the only team to beat Chelsea but were thrashed 5-0 by Manchester United. Hugo Rodallega has been a shining light for Wigan this season and will be the main threat against a mean Birmingham defence.

Birmingham come into the game on the back of two 1-0 victories and Alex McLeish will be looking for a third consecutive clean sheet. Lee Bowyer has been the scorer in Birmingham’s last 2 games and looks to be capturing the kind of form we remember in his days at Leeds. A low scoring game to be expected.

Magic predicts: Wigan Athletic 0 - Birmingham City 0

 

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Bolton Wanderers at Molineux. 19^th plays 18^th and a game that is vitally important to both sides. Wolves have had an alarming slide and remain without a win in their last 9 games in the league. Tottenham and Manchester United up nex,t and a defeat today could consign them to the unenviable position of being bottom of the league at Christmas.

Gary Megson’s Bolton have also endured a miserable spell. They did though snatch a point at Fulham last Saturday for their first point in 4 games and will be desperate to at least come away undefeated. A win would take Bolton 5 points clear of Wolves and that gap would be a nice cushion to have going into the second half of the season. Ivan Klasnic was on target for Bolton last Saturday and Gary Megson may again prefer him to Bolton’s disappointing record signing, Johan Elmander.

Magic predicts: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 - Bolton Wanderers 1

 

Manchester City vs. Chelsea at the City of Manchester Stadium.  Another disappointing draw for City last Saturday against Hull, their 7^th consecutive draw for Mark Hughes’ side in the Premier League and a record. This run has left City’s Premier League title aspirations in tatters but they could do themselves and bitter rivals United a big favour if they could cause an upset and take all 3 points from this encounter.

Chelsea, under Carlo Ancelotti, look to be in total control at the moment. They made light work against another title rival Arsenal last weekend and with Didier Drogba and Michael Essien back to their best, who would bet against Chelsea lifting the title this season, although probably Alex Ferguson may have something to say about that.

Magic predicts: Manchester City 0 - Chelsea 2

 

Fulham vs Sunderland at Craven Cottage. Damien Duff snatched a point for Fulham last Saturday and they go into the game with just 1 defeat in their last 8 league games. Bad news for Fulham is that Andy Johnson could be missing for quite a while as he seeks a cure for a longstanding groin problem but Fulham have plenty of other attacking options.

Steve Bruce’s side have a poor away record this season but have taken some notable scalps on their own patch. Last week Sunderland added to their poor away record with a defeat to Wigan and Steve Bruce must be wondering when his side can again win on the road with their only success being the opening day victory at the Reebok Stadium.

Magic predicts: Fulham 1 - Sunderland 0

 

Round 15 is complete with the 4.00pm GMT Sunday kick-off between Everton and Tottenham at Goodison Park.  Everton need to shake off last week’s derby day disappointment and start to pick points as they hover dangerously close to the relegation zone. Everton have just 1 win in 8 games and face Chelsea away next week so David Moyes will be looking for a result against Spurs.

Spurs are playing well and Harry Redknapp is quietly confident that his side can break into the top 4 this season. A point earned on a trip  to Goodison would have been considered a good result in the last 2 seasons but with Everton struggling and Jermain Defoe on fire for his club at the moment, Harry will be looking for all 3 points.

Magic predicts: Everton 1 - Tottenham Hotspur 2