RBSC

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Lawro's predictions

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Lawro's predictions

    Lawro's predictions


    By Mark Lawrenson
    BBC Sport football expert



    HOW DID LAWRO DO LAST WEEKEND?

    Lawro's predictions
    Birmingham 1-1 Bolton
    Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
    Everton 1-2 Man Utd
    Portsmouth 1-1 Liverpool
    Sunderland 2-0 Reading
    Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal
    West Ham 2-0 Middlesbrough
    Wigan 1-0 Fulham
    Man City 0-2 Aston Villa
    Derby 1-2 Newcastle Actual results
    Birmingham 1-0 Bolton
    Chelsea 0-0 Blackburn
    Everton 0-1 Man Utd
    Portsmouth 0-0 Liverpool
    Sunderland 2-1 Reading
    Tottenham 1-3 Arsenal
    West Ham 3-0 Middlesbrough
    Wigan 1-1 Fulham
    Man City 1-0 Aston Villa
    Derby 1-0 Newcastle
    Lawro got four results right, but no perfect scores.
    THIS WEEK'S PREDICTIONS

    (Kick-offs 1500 unless stated)
    SATURDAY
    Arsenal v Derby


    A routine home win - if there is a such a thing in the Premier League.
    It was a good win for Derby against Newcastle on Monday, but it is asking a lot of Billy Davies' side to get something from this game because Arsenal's form at the moment is nothing short of imperious.
    606: DEBATE
    Give your thoughts on Lawro's predictions

    The reason Arsene Wenger's side have made such a good start is simply because they have so many good players.
    I couldn't believe anyone could have tipped Tottenham to finish above them at the start of the season.
    Arsenal are a side with very good players who play in a particular way. They are a top-four side and the top four continue to be a million miles away from the rest.
    Match preview

    Prediction: 2-0

    Fulham v Man City (1715 BST)


    It would be a big scalp for Fulham to beat Manchester City, who began the weekend in second place.
    City have tightened up defensively under Sven-Goran Eriksson. I think central defenders Richard Dunne and Micah Richards are maybe as good a defensive partnership as there is in the Premier League.
    I have also been impressed by Vedran Corluka at right-back.
    City are very well organised and Dietmar Hamann and Michael Johnson provide a good defensive screen.
    The downside is that they are not scoring a lot of goals - three of their four Premier League victories have been 1-0 wins.
    In attack, Emile Mpenza on his own did not create much in the win over Aston Villa and if you stop Elano and Martin Petrov you can negate City.
    Fulham are a decent side at home. They have got a Britiish style of play, very much in your face, but the best they can hope for is a draw from this game.

    Match preview

    Prediction: 1-1

    Liverpool v Birmingham


    Two draws in the last two games, but I expect a comfortable win for Liverpool.
    And that is even if Rafa Benitez rotates his squad.
    Benitez will be without Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger for the next six weeks due to their foot injuries, but I don't expect Liverpool will miss them too much.
    Sami Hyypia has slowed up a bit, but you need the opportunity to expose that lack of pace and he will be well protected by Liverpool's midfield.
    Birmingham are probably aiming to finish the season a couple of places above the relegation zone and to do that Steve Bruce's side need to concentrate on beating the teams around them.
    So far this season, apart from the defeat at Middlesbrough, Birmingham have done that and if they continue to do so they will be fine.
    Match report

    Prediction: 2-0

    Middlesbrough v Sunderland


    Boro and Sunderland have seven points from six games - meaning both are just three points away from the relegation zone.
    Boro are bit inconsistent and when Mido doesn't score I'm not sure Tuncay Sanli or Jeremie Aliadiere will notch all that many.
    For Sunderland this year is all about survival. If you are perceived as as a bottom-six club by prospective players then they are not going to sign for you.
    Unless you throw daft money at players then they aren't going to sign as they know they are likely to be involved in a relegation scrap.
    That changes when players know you will be playing in the Premier League next season. Then it will be a different outlook for Sunderland.
    Match report

    Prediction: 2-1


    Reading v Wigan


    There was a lot of predictions Reading that would suffer from second season syndrome and by the look of it Steve Coppell's side have a bad case of it.
    Just as worryingly, Reading are a bit thin on the ground in terms of the depth of their squad.
    Reading should have enough to beat a Wigan side who have made a reasonable start to the season.
    But Wigan will miss striker Emile Heskey over the next few weeks as he recovers from his broken foot.
    Match report

    Prediction: 2-1



    SUNDAY

    Aston Villa v Everton (1400 BST)


    Two teams who I predict will finish in the top eight.
    I like the way Villa play. They are a side with plenty of pace provided by Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, but against Manchester City last weekend John Carew and Luke Moore did not provide much of a cutting edge in attack.
    There has been talk in Liverpool that Everton will leave out Andrew Johnson and play in a slightly different way for this game.
    Yakubu might still be settling in, but I expect Everton will get a draw.
    Match preview

    Prediction: 1-1

    Blackburn v Portsmouth


    Blackburn's Uefa Cup defeat to Larissa was surprising given how well Blackburn have started the season in the Premier League.
    I like the way Morten Gamst Pedersen and David Bentley provide Blackburn with plenty of width.
    In attack Roque Santa Cruz has proved an inspired signing and is difficult to play against.
    Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has done a great job. He has brought players in with a point to prove. Just look at Benni McCarthy - nobody was prepared to take a chance on him before Blackburn signed him.
    Hughes has made the players he has bought better and that tells you everything you need to know him about as a manager.
    Portsmouth have had tough set of fixtures to start the campaign, playing the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, and they need to start picking up points, but I cannot see them doing it against Blackburn.
    Match report

    Prediction: 2-0

    Bolton v Tottenham


    Bolton have tried to change their style under new boss Sammy Lee but I don't think they have got the players to do it.
    Once you lose that nastiness you take away 50% from their game and they need to go back to that old style if they are going to win.
    I'm loathe to tip Spurs on the road, but I think they will win this game.
    Spurs have made a poor start, but it is all about where you finish at the end of the season.
    I don't take too much notice of the table until after 10 games and Spurs are one of the few sides in the Premier League capable of going on a 10-match run.
    I'm a big fan of Martin Jol, though his position has become untenable through nothing of his own doing.
    Spurs might have spent £30m in the summer but in the Premier League that only guarantees you higher wages.
    Do not forget that Spurs have finished fifth in the table in the last two years.
    Match preview


    Prediction: 0-2


    Man Utd v Chelsea (1600 BST)



    Match preview

    I can imagine Chelsea captain John Terry will be very vocal in the dressing room before this game, telling the players that this one is for Jose Mourinho.
    Manchester United haven't made a great start to the season, but then again you are comparing it to last season when they played such scintillating football.
    As for Mourinho going, you always knew it was going to happen.
    And you knew it would either happen over a clash of personalities or something Roman Abramovich wouldn't let Mourinho do or wanted him to do and the manager wouldn't.
    I'm just surprised it has come so early in the season.
    We will miss Jose. He has done a really good job. When Barcelona and Real Madrid come looking for a new manager he will be at the top of everyone's list.
    Prediction: 0-0

    Newcastle v West Ham (1330 BST)


    There has been criticism that Newcastle's football is a little bit dull, but you have to give new manager Sam Allardyce time.
    After Monday's defeat to Derby I wouldn't have wanted to be a Newcastle player. To see Big Sam coming through the door during the week wouldn't have been a great sight - he'd probably be like a bear with a sore head.
    After last season's relegation scrap, West Ham are looking in better shape this time round.
    New players have come in and bedded down well, while Dean Ashton knits everything together nicely.
    Just as encouragingly West Ham have a lot of players to come back from injury, notably Scott Parker.
    Despite all that, this one is a home win for Newcastle.
    Match preview



    Prediction: 2-0 Mark Lawrenson was talking to John Sinnott
    "Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." ~ Kahlil Gibran

  • #2
    4 RIGHT? so what qualify him fi give predictions?

    Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe. Thomas Paine

    Comment

    Working...
    X