Joe I’ll do that later this morning. It’s just the two rounds after this one I think and then we go into the international break. It’s not a lot of work to do the fixtures: just 24x3 characters to type for each round. What I don’t want to do though is to set the Super Matches now. My original intention was to pick games with a vaguely amusing connection: towns that fought on opposite sides in the Civil War or that both host the HQ of their local fire brigades. I hadn’t considered the powerful effect of joker on top of a Super Match so now I try to pick what look the most likely draw. If you put down a 4:0 win, 3-0 still gets you points but one extra goal in a predicted draw and you’re sunk. So, I like to do the Super Matches last with complete up-to-date results included so you’ll just have to apply your jokers by natural means! To keep it simple, there will be just one joker in each round.
Joe is travelling and so has asked for early circulation of the Match Text for the remaining games in March. You are NOT required to submit early or for both rounds together: in fact I'd be very grateful if you didn't! Apart for Joe, please follow the normal routine. Match text for the next two rounds are as follows. In each case, the Super Match will be nominated closer to kick off. Otherwise, normal rules apply. I was wrong about the international break: it's between these two rounds, not after them. Games from Friday 14th March 8.00pm to Sunday 16th March: Bristol City - Norwich City Millwall - Stoke City Queens Park Rangers - Leeds United Blackburn Rovers - Cardiff City Coventry City - Sunderland Luton Town - Middlesbrough Oxford United - Watford Plymouth Argyle - Derby County Preston North End - Portsmouth Swansea City - Burnley West Bromwich Albion - Hull City Sheffield Wednesday - Sheffield United Games from Friday 28th March 8.00pm to Wednesday 2nd April: Sheffield United - Coventry City Hull City - Luton Town Watford - Plymouth Argyle Burnley - Bristol City Cardiff City - Sheffield Wednesday Leeds United - Swansea City Middlesbrough - Oxford United Norwich City - West Bromwich Albion Portsmouth - Blackburn Rovers Stoke City - Queens Park Rangers Sunderland - Millwall Derby County - Preston North End
Rather modest scores going into tonight's games.... some more modest than others of course... Some have jokers left to come into play though:
Games from Friday 14th March 8.00pm to Sunday 16th March: Bristol City 2 - 0 Norwich City Millwall 2 -1 Stoke City Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Leeds United Blackburn Rovers 3 - 1Cardiff City Coventry City 2- 1Sunderland Luton Town 0- 1Middlesbrough Oxford United 1- 2Watford Plymouth Argyle2 - oDerby County 23 mins joker Preston North End 1- 1Portsmouth Swansea City 0- 2Burnley West Bromwich Albion2 -0 Hull City Sheffield Wednesday2 - 2Sheffield United Games from Friday 28th March 8.00pm to Wednesday 2nd April: Sheffield United 2-1 Coventry City Hull City 0-0 Luton Town Watford 0- 1Plymouth Argyle Burnley2 -1 Bristol City Cardiff City 1- 3Sheffield Wednesday Leeds United 3-0 Swansea City JOKER Middlesbrough 2- 0Oxford United Norwich City3 - 1West Bromwich Albion Portsmouth2 -0 Blackburn Rovers Stoke City1 -1 Queens Park Rangers Sunderland 2-0 Millwall Derby County1 -1 Preston North End
Bristol City -2-1 Norwich City Millwall 1-0 Stoke City Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Leeds United Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Cardiff City Coventry City 0- 2Sunderland Luton Town 1-2 Middlesbrough Oxford United 1-2 Watford Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Derby County JOKER 39min Preston North End 1-1 Portsmouth Swansea City 1-2 Burnley West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Hull City Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Sheffield United
The big scores were indeed in the second half of this sequence. Hats off to those that got points on Argyle winning away, namely Joe, Lyndhurst, Plym and Sensible. To be fair, Away and I put us down for a draw but I am hanging my head in shame. Forecasting Argyle's results at the moment is more superstitious than analytical for me, he said drinking the dregs of the breakfast coffee from his lucky Argyle mug. Anyway: Lyndhurst topped the match scores with 7 of the 12 results correct with 4 correct scores among them. Given I pick the Super Match to be as close a call as possible, I've now realised I almost always put it down as a draw. But as I said earlier this week, with a draw, one more goal is fatal whereas with a win or defeat forecast, a 3-0 win gets you some points even if you put down 2-0. I shall have to get even more Machiavellian. This Super Match yielded 18 of the total 74 points scored. Plym continued his March To Victory, which he could star in as a sequel to the truly awful Sylvester Stallone football-cum-POW-escape movie Escape to Victory. I'll leave that mental image with you. Hope it doesn't keep you awake tonight.
Fri 14th Mar Bristol C..,.1-0...Norwich Sat 15th Mar Millwall...2-1...Stoke QPR ...1-2...Leeds Blackburn...2-1...Cardiff.....(joker) Coventry...2-2...Sunderland Luton...1-2...Middlesboro........Come on Whittaker do something for Argyle this season. Oxford...1-1...Watford Plymouth A...2-1..,Derby.....(45mins)......come on Argyle win two on the trot. PNE...2-1...Portsmouth Swansea...1-2...Burnley WBA...2-1...Hull Sun 16th Mar Sheffield W...1-1...Sheffield U.........Surely must be the super match.
Bristol City 2-2 Norwich City Millwall 2-0 Stoke City Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Leeds United Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Cardiff City Joker Coventry City 1-0 Sunderland Luton Town 1-1 Middlesbrough Oxford United 2-1 Watford Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Derby County 28 mins Preston North End 2-0 Portsmouth Swansea City 0-1 Burnley West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Hull City Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Sheffield United
Bristol 2-1 Norwich Millwall 1-1 Stoke QPR 0-2 Leeds Blackburn 1-0 Cardiff Coventry 1-1 Sunderland Luton 1-2 Middlesbrough Oxford 0-1 Watford Plymouth 2-1 Derby 10min PNE 1-1 Portsmouth Swansea 1-2 Burnley WBA 2-1 Hull (Joker) Sheffield W 2-2 Sheffield U
Oooh no.... I haven't done my forecast yet either. I have to go out tomorrow morning (as I was today) but I'll do it by lunchtime. Just changing the subject, have you done your joker?
Bristol City 2 - 1 Norwich Millwall 1 - 0 Stoke QPR 0 - 2 Leeds Blackburn 2 - 1 Cardiff Coventry 1 - 2 Sunderland Luton 0 - 2 Middlesbrough Oxford 1 - 2 Watford Plymouth 2 - 0 Derby (11 mins) Preston 1 - 1 Portsmouth Swansea 0 - 2 Burnley WBA 2 - 0 Hull Sheff Wed 1 - 3 Sheff United Joker is whatever match is decided as the Super Match.
Bristol City 2 v 1 Norwich Millwall 1 v 0 Stoke QPR 1 v 2 Leeds Blackburn 2 v 1 Cardiff Coventry 1 v 1 Sunderland Luton 1 v 1 Middlesbrough Oxford 2 v 1 Watford Plymouth 2 v 1 Derby (19 mins) Preston 1 -v 0 Portsmouth Swansea 1 v 2 Burnley WBA 2 v 1 Hull Sheff Wed 1 v 2 Sheff United surely Joker is on the Sheff Derby however Joker on super match
That is a big local derby between big clubs. I'd have picked it as Super Match early in the season. Now though, with the development of the Super Match/Joker Super Weapon, I'm trying to make the Super Match as difficult to predict as possible. Wednesday have won only one of their last 6 home games - and that was against Argyle - whereas United have lost only 1 of their last 6 aways, Those stats may not include the most recent mid-week games. So, the Super Match is: Oxford v Watford.
Just been checking our end of season predictions.....SMH is the only winner here.....(just click on the above)
