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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.

Watch this page for Magic Mike's first round and future predictions and analysis coming this weekend on the 1st June 2008.

Here's our second round of predictions from our resident expert Magic Mike. Can he be beaten? Suck it in, swirl it about and make your own mind up. At least you have the benefit of his views before you make your own decisions. In any event have fun!

The Management - Score Five

And now over to Magic Mike...

previous predictions -

Week 1.... Round 6

ROUND 2 predictions from Magic Mike

 

After their away-day success at the Stadium of Light, it's Liverpool Vs. Middlesbrough, another North East club, in their first home Premiership league game. 

A gritty Liverpool display against Sunderland, who had the better of that game, but failed to create chances, was headed for a goalless draw until Fernando Torres struck late in the game to make the difference.  In recent seasons without the cutting edge, that Torres, and it is hoped new signing Robbie Keane will bring to the team, it would have been 2 points lost. But Liverpool left with 3 points and will be hoping for a better performance against a Boro side that defeated Juande Ramos’s new look Tottenham team.

Boro showed against Tottenham that they can make life difficult for the opposition with a defence marshalled by David Wheater. Gareth Southgate will be hoping Wheater's partnership with Robert Huth can flourish this year, providing Huth can remain in injury-free. Justin Hoyte’s arrival from Arsenal to replace Aston Villa bound Luke Young also adds strength to the backline. Without an early Liverpool goal, I expect a similar game to last week for Liverpool.

Magic predicts: Liverpool 1 - Middlesbrough 0

 

Newcastle United vs Bolton Wanderers at St James Park. Kevin Keegan’s men battled and fully deserved their draw at Old Trafford last week and will be full of confidence for the visit of Bolton. Newcastle though will still be without Mark Viduka and Michael Owen. Gary Megson’s Bolton will be organized and difficult to breakdown.  Last season This fixture marked Kevin Keegan’s first game in charge on his return to manage Newcastle and it ended goalless. Expect another tight game, but with Newcastle just edging it.

Magic predicts: Newcastle United 1 -  Bolton  Wanderers 0

 

Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland at White Hart Lane features the 2 teams who were beaten last week in their fixtures against two other teams, Middlesbrough and Liverpool, who coinincidentally also meet each other today.  Jauande Ramos will be looking for a much-needed win to kick-start Spurs season.  Another defeat could see confidence start to drain after the hope that, in Ramos, Tottenham might have a manager who could bring the good times back to The Lane. Sunderland will also be looking for their first points of the season. Roy Keane has been active in the transfer market and will be looking to distance his Sunderland side from the wrong half of the table.

Magic expects a tight game, but a Tottenham win: Tottenham Hotspur 1 - Sunderland 0    

 

Stoke City vs Aston Villa at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke play the first home game of what already inevitably looks  like being a long hard battle to avoid the drop back to the Championship like so many newly promoted teams before them. Their first game at Bolton was already a lost cause at half-time and Tony Pulis will be hoping for a better showing second time out. Stoke are big physical side, but it’s going to need more than that to survive at this level. Aston Villa will see this game as a chance to build on last week’s winning start. There looks to be too much quality in this Villa line-up for Stoke, even though Stoke have the home advantage.

Magic predicts: Stoke City 1 - Aston Villa 3

 

West Bromich Albion vs Everton at the Hawthorns. West Brom couldn’t have had a much more daunting start on their Premier return at Arsenal and acquitted themselves well despite going down to an early Nasri strike. In their first home game they face an Everton side looking to make amends after going down in topsy-turvy encounter against Blackburn last week. David Moyes has been largely frustrated in the transfer market and faces a few injury problems in his team. It’s probably as good a time as any to be playing an Everton side that finished 5th last season. Magic sees this as a game neither side will want afford to lose and consequently it will play out as a draw.

Magic predicts: West Bromich Albion 1 - Everton 1

 

Blackburn Rovers vs Hull City at Ewood Park sees 2 more teams that won their opening games somewhat against the odds. Both teams will go into the game with confidence of building on the positive start to the season.  Roque Santa Cruz, should be leading the Blackburn line after opening his account last week. The Paraguayan has been interesting other clubs, but the good news for Blackburn supporters is that, for this season at least, Santa Cruz will remain a Blackburn player. Morten Gamst-Pedersen also had a good opening game and after a disappointing 07/08 season, where he was overshadowed by David Bentley, the expectation will be that he can show the kind of form of 2 years ago, which made him a firm favourite at Ewood.

Hull City will be hoping that George Boateng’s injury sustained late in the game against Fulham will not rule him out of the Blackburn game. Boateng will be a key figure in Phil Brown’s plans this season, Hull’s new signings all proved to be hits in the opening win against Fulham last Saturday. Geovanni, scored a great opening goal and Caleb Folan scored the winner, whilst Anthony  Gardner was solid at the heart of the defence. Magic expects both teams to continue their unbeaten start.

Magic predicts: Blackburn Rovers 1 - Hull City 1

 

Fulham  vs Arsenal at Craven Cottage in the 17.30 hrs Saturday kick-off. A disappointing defeat for Roy Hodgson’s new look Fulham side at Hull last week leaves them with a more difficult game to get their first points of the season. A defeat here would leave then with a next game against Manchester United and the makings of another potential relegation dogfight. This team looks capable of entertaining football but a light-weight midfield could be the Achilles Heel this season.

Arsenal couldn’t add to their early goal against West Brom last Saturday, but Arsene Wenger will have been pleased with the 3 points and the performance of his young side. Arsene Wenger, like me will be expecting 3 points from this game.

Magic predicts: Fulham 1 - Arsenal 3

 

Wigan Athletic vs Chelsea in the Sunday game at the JJB Stadium. Wigan took a point in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea at the end of last season and Steve Bruce would probably settle for a similar result for his Wigan side in their opening home fixture. Wigan are looking to get their first points on the board this season after an opening day defeat at West Ham. 

Chelsea began this season with a bang as Big Phil’s side delivered on his promise of an attacking brand of football to crush Portsmouth 4-0 last Sunday. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal take note that this Chelsea team means business this year after the bitter disappointment of finishing runners- up in 3 competitions last term. Based on the form that Chelsea showed last week, Wigan will be in for a torrid time this Sunday. 

No surprises here. Magic predicts: Wigan Athletic 0 - Chelsea 3

 

In the other Sunday game it's Manchester City Vs. West Ham at Eastlands. Despite having more strikers on their books than most Premier League teams, Manchester City have something of striker injury crisis with Jo on Olympic duty, Vassell out with a knee injury, Benjani thigh, and the unlucky Bojinov snapping his Achilles in the warm-up in last week’s defeat at Aston Villa. City competed for much of the game at Villa, but succumbed to an Agbonlahor hat-trick in a 7 minute period in the second half. West Ham also have injury problems with strikers, with Dean Ashton sustaining a calf injury after his 2 goals in the defeat of Wigan last weekend and Craig Bellamy still out with a hamstring injury. I am expecting Manchester City to bounce back after last week’s loss.

Magic predicts: Manchester City 2 - West Ham United 0

 

The Monday night fixture is a repeat of the Charity Shield of 2 weeks ago with Portsmouth Vs. Manchester United at Fratton Park. Portsmouth have a decent record over Manchester United in recent seasons, having drawn last season‘s corresponding fixture and winning in the 2006/07 season. Portsmouth will still be smarting from last week’s defeat at Chelsea and will want to get some points on the board this season from what is a difficult opening fixture list that also sees them visit Everton next weekend.

Manchester United had a disappointing draw against Newcastle last weekend at Old Trafford and after Chelsea’s performance against Portsmouth will not want to fall further points adrift of Chelsea even though it is still early in the season. Cristiano Ronaldo was sorely missed as United lacked a cutting edge and on that performance. Dimitar Berbatov would be a welcome addition to the squad.I expect United to sneak this one.

Magic predicts: Portsmouth 0 - Manchester United 1