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High Fives Welcome to "High Fives" the personal column of our ace Director of Football "Magic Mike". Other than being handicapped by being a Bolton Wonderers fanatic, Magic Mike's football credentials are outstanding and impeccable. We've heard rumours on more than one occasion that a potential purchaser of at least one former Premier League side has promised him the Director of Football position there, just as soon as the acquisition can be completed. As the saying goes "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental" (Doug Plank) and 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 out do him. The Management - Score Five And now over to Magic Mike... previous predictions - Round 18.... Round 17.... Round 16.... Round 15.... Round 14.... Round 13It's Christmas!! As the schedule is tight this week our expert predictor will be releasing his predictions for rounds 19 & 20 simultaneously. And as a special seasonal feature we've invited Magic Mike Senior (visiting us from Bolton - are you surprised?) and Magic Mike Junior to provide us with their predictions. We'll soon see whether Magic's unique talents run in the family or descended on him one foggy night... Merry Christmas everyone! Round 19 The Boxing Day matches mark the halfway point of the season. The festive period can be a defining moment for the upward or downward momentum of teams and with 9 points available, league positions can change dramatically. It's after this period that struggling sides start to run out of a games to claw themselves out of the dreaded drop zone and the real Championship Challengers are sorted out from the season's "Also Rans" The first game of the festive period sees Stoke City take on Manchester United at the Britannia Stadium. A disappointing defeat for Stoke last week at Blackburn leaves Tony Pulis's side looking anxiously over their shoulders as the bottom 2 team both won. A great week for Manchester United who returned from their Tokyo break as newly crowned World Club Champions whilst their main Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea could only manage draws. With 2 victories form the 2 games in hand Sir Alex's men now have, will leave them poised to push on for their third cosecutive Premier League title Magic predicts: Stoke City 0 - Manchester United 1
Chelsea vs West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea management were unhappy with the performance of referee Phil Dowd in their Monday night draw at Everton. Dowd gave Chelsea and England skipper John Terry a straight red card that sees him miss the Christmas programme. Chelsea's 100% away record was lost and they now need to return to winning ways at The Bridge, where they have disappointed so far this season. West Brom hope to turn their season around after they recorded their first win in 11 games in beating Manchester City at home last Sunday to give their supporters some Christmas cheer. Luke Moore opened his Premier League account with The Baggies after along barren spell. West Brom though are bottom at Christmas and have a mountain to climb if they are to avoid the drop. Magic predicts Chelsea 2 - West Bromwich Albion 0
Portsmouth vs West Ham United at Fratton Park. Portsmouth were completely out of sorts against Bolton last Saturday and will need vast improvement if they are going to match their efforts of last season. With Lassana Diarra completing his Stg 20m move to Real Madrid and Portsmouth up for sale these are indeed testing times for Tony Adams. West Ham lost unluckily to a late deflected goal against high flying Aston Villa on Monday night. Gianfranco Zola's side sit just above the relegation places and will be looking to repeat their solid showings in their recent away games, where they have forced draws against Liverpool, Chelsea as well as winning at Middlebrough. Magic predicts: Portsmouth 1 - West Ham United 2
Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham at White Hart Lane. Harry Redknapp is sure to be in the transfer market once the window opens in January to strengthen his squad as they continue to distance themselves from the relegation zone. The corresponding fixture at Craven Cottage marked the first defeat for Harry Redknapp as the Spurs manager and he will be looking to avenge that defeat against Roy Hodgson's men. Fulham moved back into the top half of the Premier League with a convincing 3-0 victory over Midlesbrough last Saturday. Another clean sheet in that game for Fulham and Roy Hodgson will be looking for more of the same. Magic predicts: Tottenham Hotspur 0 - Fulham 0
Liverpool vs Bolton Wanderers at Anfield. Liverpool still head the Premier League but Rafa Benitez's side, like Chelsea, have lost momentum in recent weeks with a cluster of diappointing draws that has paved the way for Manchester United to make their challenge. Liverpool have had 3 consecutive draws at Anfield and there can be no more slip-ups today. Gary Megson's Bolton have enjoyed a terrific spell that earned Megson the manager of the month for November. His side will go into the Anfield game with confidence and will be hoping to avenge their 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool, which was their only loss in November. Magic predicts: Liverpool 1 - Bolton Wanderers 0
Manchester City vs Hull City at City of Manchester Stadium. A tale of 2 cities as the Manchester side have been disappointing so far this season and their recent form has seen them drop into the bottom 3. Mark Hughes's job is thought tobe safe but surely if the current form continues into January the knives will be out. Phil Brown's Hull side have lost some momentum in recent weeks but they are still outperforming to expectations. They will make things difficult for Manchester City and Brazilian Giovanni will make make his first appearance back at Eastlands with something to prove. Magic predicts: Manchester City 3 - Hull City 1
Middlesbrough vs Everton at The Riverside Stadium. Middlesbrough's mixed form continues as they were soundly beaten last week at Fulham. They return to the Riverside hoping to capture the same form that earned them the draw with Arsenal. Middlesbrough were unlucky not to beat Everton in the corresponding fixture at Goodison Park in November. Everton ended Chelsea's run of away victories on Monday by holding Chelsea to a goal-less draw. Everton have improved their defensive record in recent weeks and David Moyes will be looking to maintain form and earn a UEFA Cup place again this season. Magic predicts: Middlesbrough 1 - Everton 1
Sunderland vs Blackburn Rovers at The Stadium of Light. Since Roy Keane's departure Sunderland have been in fine form with 8 goals and 2 victories in their last 2 games that have seen them move to mid table in the league. Caretaker Ricky Sbragia is making a case to handed the job on a permanent basis. Big Sam returned to Premier League management to lift the gloom at Ewood Park as Blackburn recorded their first win in 12 games. Blackburn now play play Sunderland for the third time this season with honours even so far. Magic predicts: Sunderland 2 - Blackburn 1
Wigan Athletic vs Newcastle United at the JJB Stadium. Wigan return to action after a week's break. Steve Bruce's side have been in good home form and will be looking to put an end to Newcastle's 6 match unbeaten run. Newcastle took the points with a late goal against Tottenham on Sunday. Michael Owen has been offered a new contract to stay on Tyneside but will make decision at the end of the season. Newcastle have prospered under Joe Kinnear and things looking up if you're a Newcastle supporter. Magic predicts: Wigan Athletic 1 - Newcastle United 1
Aston Villa vs Arsenal at Villa Park. Martin O'Neill's Villa upset Arsenal at the Emirates a few weeks ago. These sides are locked in a tussle for a Champions League spot and this game is 6 pointer that Arsenal really can't afford to lose. Defeat for Arsene Wenger's side would see them fall 6 points adrift of Villa in the league standings. With skipper Cesc Fabregas confirmed to be missing for 3 to 4 months these are probably the most worrying times of Arsene Wenger's reign. Expect some reinforcements to the Arsenal squad in the January transfer window. For Villa the season only gets better as Villa's "Young Gun's" Agbonlahor, Young and Milner continue to mature. Magic predicts: Aston Villa 2 - Arsenal 1 The Magic Family predictions Round 19 - Playing on 26th December
Round 20 Newcastle United vs Liverpool at St James Park Joe Kinnear has defied the odds by easing the crisis on Tyneside. Forgotten by most in the world of football, his temporary appointment raised a few eyebrows to say the least, yet the Magpies have turned their season around, and Kinnear is expected to take on the role permanently. His team have not been defeated since losing to Fulham in early November, and have since notched a draw with Chelsea, as well as a 3-0 triumph over Portsmouth and a comeback win against Spurs last week. However, Newcastle are not yet out of the woods, and defeat at the hands of Liverpool could see them slide back towards the bottom three. Liverpool have been at the head of the table for most of the season so far but haven’t been all too convincing. Slip-ups against ‘lesser’ teams have cast a shadow over their title hopes, in particular draws against Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Hull, as well as defeat at White Hart Lane. The Reds have been boosted by wins against both Chelsea and Man United, and more recently a draw with Arsenal, but they are fortunate their fellow title challengers have also dropped points. Robbie Keane hopes to banish rumours of his exit from Anfield and has promised he will score more goals after only managing three EPL strikes since his big money move from Spurs. The expected return of Fernando Torres will be a massive boost for boss Rafa Benitez, whose side need to beat the likes of Newcastle if they are to remain at the top. Magic predicts: Newcastle United 0 - Liverpool 1
Arsenal vs Portsmouth at The Emirates Stadium. The Gunners aim to close the gap at the top of the table, and boss Arsene Wenger remains convinced the teams above them will slip up. Perhaps he is correct -the last time Liverpool were top of the league at Christmas, they ended the season in 4th place. Arsenal cannot afford to drop as many points as they have done in the first half of the season, and their task has become increasingly more difficult with the knee injury suffered by club captain Cesc Fabragas. However, the Gunners have plenty of quality in Van Persie and Adebayor to name a few, and should at least beat a Portsmouth team with a very poor defensive record of late. Former Gunner Tony Adams’ team is being dismantled with ease of late and Pompey could soon find themselves in a dogfight if they fail to improve. They have leaked an average of more than one goal in every game of the campaign so far, and after a heavy defeat to Newcastle and conceding two goals in the opening two minutes of the game against Bolton, Portsmouth will not be looking forward to the clash at the Emirates. They have an ageing team who will probably struggle against a young and dynamic Arsenal, and the team might be distracted by the news of Lassana Diarra completing his transfer to Real Madrid. Adams is confident he will be allowed to re-invest the full proceeds from the deal, which will be of some consolation to the Fratton Park faithful. Magic predicts Arsenal 3 - Portsmouth 0
Bolton Wanderers vs Wigan Athletic at The Reebok Stadium.November saw Gary Megson receive the Manager of the Month award, after he orchestrated three away wins on the trot and a home win over Manchester City. Bolton picked up only their third home win of the season against Portsmouth last week, which was sandwiched between difficult fixtures against Chelsea, Villa and Liverpool. They will approach this game with the same positive attitude and will want to separate themselves from the many teams sitting uncomfortably above the drop zone. Elmander has found his scoring touch and is showing quality while Kevin Davies continues to lay down the law. The Trotters are tight defensively and will be very difficult for Wigan to break down. Wigan have also been very impressive of late, winning four of their last seven matches and drawing two. Top scorer Amr Zaki only contributed to one of the ten goals scored in those games and has recently lost his place in the Latics’ starting line up. Manager Steve Bruce has dismissed reports that the on-loan striker will leave the club in January and expects Zaki to fight his way back into contention. Emile Heskey is also the subject of January transfer speculation and is out of contract at the end of the season and could leave for free, but for now his full attention is with Wigan. The Latics are also tight at the back, which suggests a close game is on the cards, but Magic predicts Bolton to turn up trumps. Magic predicts: Bolton Wanderers 2 - Wigan Athletic 1
Everton vs Sunderland at Goodison Park. Everton have miserable form at home where they have won only 1 game in 9 so far. They hope to give their fans something to cheer as they try to replicate their away form, having notched 6 wins. Only Liverpool and Chelsea have a better away record. Sunderland will be looking to continue their good form of late under caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia. Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse will give the Everton defence a stern test. Magic predicts: Everton 1 - Sunderland 0
Fulham vs Chelsea at Craven Cottage. Fulham have been one of the surprises of the season, in terms of clean sheets at least, as Roy Hodgson’s side rest in the upper half of the table with a game in hand. Before Christmas the Cottagers haven’t lost a game since the first day of November, when Everton scored late, late goal. Since then they have earned goalless draws against both Liverpool and Aston Villa, so Hodgson will shut up shop and hope for a similar result against Chelsea, who have been faltering of late. Unfortunately Fulham have found it difficult to score goals. In fact few, if any, would have expected them to put three past Middlesbrough last week. Chelsea expect nothing but the three points each week, yet manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has witnessed his team win only two of their last five fixtures, with draws against West Ham and Everton, and a bitter defeat to London rivals Arsenal. Chelsea’s away form has been impeccable so far this season, winning all but last week’s draw at Goodison Park, and Big Phil will expect more of the same. John Terry will miss the game with a suspension, which is a big loss for the Blues, but if they want to be crowned champions they must win games such as this, regardless of injuries. Scolari hinted he would pair Didier Drogba with top scorer Nicolas Anelka in attack against Everton, which failed to materialise, but whatever he throws at Fulham should be enough to secure victory. Magic predicts: Fulham 0 - Chelsea 1
West Bromwich Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur at The Hawthorns. West Brom will need to start taking points from most of their home games if they are to avoid a return to chamionship football next season. Another 6 pointer for them today with Harry Redknapp's Spurs side looking to add some distance from the drop zone. A musn't lose game for West Brom, a win and they will close the gap on a pack of teams just above the relegation places. A win for Tottenham would give them at minumum 7 point advantage over West Brom. Magic predicts: West Bromwich Albion 1 - Tottenham Hotspur 1
West Ham United vs Stoke City at Upton Park. Another game against sides just outside the relegation places. Pressure on both these team mounts. West Ham had a great start to the season but slipped down and now face a fight for their Premiership lives. With the purse strings at the club seemingly tight, Gianfranco Zola will have to juggle with existing resources. Tony Pulis' Stoke, with just 3 points in 4 games need another win to ease the relegation pressure. They are currently outside the drop zone, but it's all too close for comfort at the bottom this season. Magic predicts: West Ham United 2 - Stoke City 1
Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester City at Ewood Park. Blackburn currently sit at the bottom of the fair play league, with 35 yellow cards and 2 red, and we can assume the recent appointment of Sam Allardyce is unlikely to change that. The Rovers board, however, won’t mind if their team repeats the antics that saw them defeat fellow strugglers Stoke, as they aim to move away from the drop zone. Big Sam will be looking to implement the notorious ‘Bolton tactics’ that eventually proved so successful at the Reebok Stadium, and a positive result against Man City will be very much appreciated. Despite the backing of City’s new owners, Mark Hughes is a troubled man. His City side dropped into the relegation zone last week after winning only one of their last nine games in all competitions, and it will take more than a win at Ewood Park to ease the increasing speculation surrounding his job. In the short term, however, Hughes has urged his team to be mentally strong and City will expect to pick up maximum points from this fixture. Sam Allardyce hopes to win more than one psychological battle in the form of Roque Santa Cruz, who has been persistently linked with a January transfer to the Eastlands. Magic predicts: Blackburn Rovers 0 - Manchester City 2
Manchester United vs Middlesbrough at Old Trafford. United did not make the best of starts to the season and a few weeks ago they were well off the pace. Yet you can never write them off, and after slip-ups from Liverpool and Chelsea, Sir Alex’s team find themselves only seven points behind the leaders, with two games in hand. Wayne Rooney seems to have found his goal scoring touch again after netting the winner in the United's Club World Cup final win over Ecuador's LDU Quito in Japan, as well as coming on as a late substitute in the semis and bagging a brace. Nemanja Vidic will want to put his midweek misery behind him after being sent off with a straight red and the whole team will be determined as they didn’t have a fixture last week due to their European exploits. Magic Mike thinks it will be business as usual for the champions. Middlesbrough will want to banish their inconsistency to avoid mid-table mediocrity. With the Premier League being so compact this season, however, they could easily find themselves in a dogfight. Gareth Southgate’s team seemed to put that behind them when they pegged a goal back against Arsenal and were unlucky not to find the winner a fortnight ago. Yet last week saw them dismantled against an in-form Fulham side and as a result Boro had failed to win in six league games. Southgate will want to lift his team far beyond the relegation zone, however the odds suggest he must wait another week at least. Magic predicts: Manchester United 2 - Middlesbrough 0
Hull City vs Aston Villa at The Kingston Communications Stadium. Phil Brown’s Tigers will be looking to return to the form that saw them hit the heights of the Premier League. They have failed to do so since a run of defeats to Chelsea, Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers knocked them out of their stride, yet they have still managed to pick up four draws, including one at Anfield, and a win against Middlesbrough, but last week’s thrashing by Sunderland was a setback. Hull will want to take advantage of the fact they are playing at home this week, a fixture that has been sandwiched between two difficult away games at Manchester City and Everton, before hosting an Arsenal side who will be smarting after losing to the Tigers at home. Aston Villa moved into the top three of the Barclays Premier League after a slice of good fortune for James Milner earned them a 1-0 victory over West Ham and they are keen to establish themselves as a top four side. They appear to have the best chance of all the outsiders to finally break into the exclusive bracket, although for a side also competing in the UEFA Cup, their squad lacks depth. They will hope to defeat Arsenal to widen the gap between the Gunners and themselves in what is a crucial six-pointer only days before this fixture. Phil Brown will hope it leaves Martin O’Neill’s men with little in the engine room, but Magic Mike believes Villa have too much quality in the form of Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor, among others. Magic predicts: Hull City 1 - Aston Villa 2
The Magic Family predictions Round 20 - Playing on December 28, 29 & 30
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