Premiership Predictor - The Result

Here are the results for the weekend's round of Premiership Predictor. Not bad for a first shot if we do say so ourselves.




Saturday
Chesea v Bolton
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-0
TTIAO: 1-1
Actual: 2-2

Everton v Man Utd
Lawro: 1-1
Pies: 0-1
TTIAO: 1-2
Actual: 2-4

Blackburn v Charlton
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-0
TTIAO: 1-1
Actual: 4-1

Man City v Aston Villa
Lawro: 1-2
Pies: 1-1
TTIAO: 1-2
Actual: 0-2

Middlesbrough v Tottenham
Lawro: 0-2
Pies: 1-2
TTIAO: 1-3
Actual: 2-3

Portsmouth v Liverpool
Lawro: 1-1
Pies: 0-0
TTIAO: 1-2
Actual: 2-1

Sheff Utd v Watford
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-1
TTIAO: 2-1
Actual: 1-0

Wigan v West Ham
Lawro: 2-1
Pies: 1-2
TTIAO: 2-2
Actual: 0-3

Sunday
Arsenal v Fulham
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 2-1
TTIAO: 3-1
Actual: 3-1

Monday
Reading v Newcastle
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-1
TTIAO: 1-2
Actual: 1-0

Result: Well not many actual correct scores out there, but as results go, TTIAO and Lawro came joint first with 6 correct results, with Pies bringing up the rear with 5. Lets hope we can go one better next week and wipe the smile from beneath that scouse moustache of his.

Sunderland & Birmingham Promoted

Derby's 2-0 loss to Palace left both Steve Bruce and Roy Keane jumping for joy, as their Birmingham and Sunderland sides were promoted back to the Premiership, just a season after getting relegated.

The Rams started the day four points adrift of Sunderland and five behind leaders Birmingham and were unable to close the gap, with one match to play. Derby will now have to fight it out in the play-offs for a place in the Premiership, after what has been a dismal run-in for them.

Sunderland's Carlos Edwards had put them to the brink of promotion on Friday, after his late stunner secured a 3-2 victory against Burnley. And Birminham managed to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 on Saturday, which really put the heat on Derby.

Now Birmingham go to Preston and Sunderland visit Luton on the final day of the season as both teams battle for the Championship title. However neither side will be too worried if they lose the title, as the lucrative opportunity of playing in the best league in the world is what all the staff, players and fans have been aiming for.

Both clubs had shaky starts to the season, with Sunderland losing the first five games on the bounce under Niall Quinn, before Roy Keane took over. He since has taken Sunderland from the foot of the table, to promotion, in what has been his first season in management. Such a feat is truly incredible, and TTIAO takes are hat off to you Roy. The thought of Keane going up against Mourinho, or his old master Sir Alex is simply mouthwatering.

There were calls for Birmingham's Bruce to be sacked in mid-October, after his side were left 11 points adrift of leaders Cardiff. However, the board have been rewarded for their faith, and we will arguably now see the Championship's best side back where they belong. Villa fans will no doubt welcome the local-derby fixture!

Now we look forward to the final promotion spot being decided in the play-offs at Wembley. Our tip is for Derby to make up for their automatic promotion cock-up.

Mourinho spoof sketch all too true

No matter how controversial Mourinho may be, he will always have a place in TTIAO's hearts. What would the Premiership really be like without him.

However, he has been even more controversial than usual just of late. Firstly he accused referees of imposing new rules on his team that don't allow penalties against them, but don't allow penalties to go against title rivals United. Furthermore, he is caught in a bitter web of mind games with Liverpool boss, Rafa Benitez, whilst at the same time accusing fellow portuguese and United winger Cristiano Ronaldo of being a liar. Hasn't he been busy!

In reaction to this non-stop whining, TTIAO has found this little beauty. It's a sketch from 'Ruddy Hell It's Harry and Paul', a new show from none other than classic comedy duo Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.Readers meet Jose Arragantio...

Watch JOSE ARRAGANTIO:

Premiership Predictor

We at TTIAO are a keen admirer of Who Ate All The Pies. It's a mighty fine example of how football blogs should be done. Anyway, reading through you will no doubt find the feature 'Pies vs Lawro'. They go head to head with BBC's Mark Lawrenson to see who can most accurately predict the weekend's scores.

Well, this duel is about to become all out war, as TTIAO joins the battlefield to see who really is the daddy of all predictors. Who will in? Nobody can be sure. But TTIAO is making a special effort to cause a big impression! With no prizes at stake, its all about pride. Other football blogs are welcome to join in if they dare, and any reading prediction wizards out there should leave their predictions in the comment box. Let the battle commence.

Saturday
Chesea v Bolton
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-0
TTIAO: 1-1

Everton v Man Utd
Lawro: 1-1
Pies: 0-1
TTIAO: 1-2

Blackburn v Charlton
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-0
TTIAO: 1-1

Man City v Aston Villa
Lawro: 1-2
Pies: 1-1
TTIAO: 1-2

Middlesbrough v Tottenham
Lawro: 0-2
Pies: 1-2
TTIAO: 1-3

Portsmouth v Liverpool
Lawro: 1-1
Pies: 0-0
TTIAO: 1-2

Sheff Utd v Watford
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-1
TTIAO: 2-1

Wigan v West Ham
Lawro: 2-1
Pies: 1-2
TTIAO: 2-2

Sunday
Arsenal v Fulham
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 2-1
TTIAO: 3-1

Monday
Reading v Newcastle
Lawro: 2-0
Pies: 1-1
TTIAO: 1-2

Check back for results on Monday...

Pompey unveil new stadium plans

Now that is a stadium. Just imagine. You're a Pompey supporter (Too much to take! Okay your team is there playing away). It's a few hours before kick-off, on a hot spring day. You're sitting with a beer by the waterfront, in the shadow in one of the most amazing stadiums ever to grace this country.

This dream is soon to become reality.

Portsmouth have today unveilled plans for a new £600 million waterfront stadium on reclaimed land in the city's dockyard and at Fratton Park. The stadium is set to be a 36,000 all-seater, just another sign of the success and investment the club has receieved since surviving the drop just one year ago.

With Gaydamak and Redknapp on board, Portsmouth really seem a class act. If the team keep performing to the same standard as they have done this season, European football in this stadium in years to come will be an almost certainty. Of course there is no place like Fratton Park, and when its gone it will be sorely missed by all Pompey fans (and the odd other fan). However, Portsmouth are going places, and this super stadium seems only fitting.

Click here for some more awesome pics

Torres to Kop it after showing his true colours

Spanish whiz-kid Fernando Torres may have at last given us all a clue to where he may be playing come the start of next season. The Athletico Madrid captain, reportedly a target for a host of European clubs, including Man Utd and Chelsea, revealed the famous Liverpool slogan "You'll Never Walk Alone" written behind his captains armband in his side's 2-0 defeat at Real Sociedad at the weekend.

Quite how a captain can have an iconic motto for another team sewn behind the garment that signifies his leadership, allegiance and love for his club is beyond us. However, as Torres has stayed at Athletico since his boyhood days, withstanding offers thus far from much bigger clubs, we feel that in this case he may be excused, just this once!

If it is in fact meant to serve as a hint to where he would like his future to lie, then I'm sure it will be of great news to Rafa Benitez, who is likely to be already eagerly planning on how to spend all the extra money available to him after the American takeover. Expect an explanation from somewhere over the coming days.

Cleberson cautioned after giving ref kiss of approval

After first hearing about this amazing incident on the BBC Paper Gossip page, we at TTIAO felt intrigued to find out more. And above is the fruits of our labour. Oh yes, please do not adjust your screens. In the above clip you can see Brazilian Cabofriense defender Cleberson, kissing the referee after conceding a foul on the edge of his own box.

A short, sharp peck was a bit too much for referee Ubiraci Damasio, who at first seemed to revel in the close attention he was recieving from the player. After being shown the yellow card (under what ruling we're not too sure), Cleberson looked dismayed, and after the game claimed: "I did not know it was against the rules."

We dread to think what happens when a team-mate actually scores, let alone what goes on in the showers after the game. Maybe this is why Brazil win so many World Cups - perhaps treating referees with affection is the way to go for the England players come 2010. If so, there may just be a role for Beckham after all.



[Video: Charlatecnica]

Mourinho escapes in laundry bin to beat ban

The self-proclaimed 'special one' is rarely one to hide away from a situation. However it emerged today that Mourinho managed to beat a Uefa touchline ban by doing just that, in the club's laundry basket. So that's where that sheepskin coat came from!

The Chelsea boss was barred from contact with his players during both legs of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich in 2005. This was the punishment set by Uefa after his controversial remarks following the previous rounds game against Barcelona.

Mourinho however allegedly arrived early at Stamford Bridge, and managed to watch the game on TV from inside the dressing room. After delivering the pre-match and half-time talks, it is claimed he escaped the stadium in the club's laundry basket 10 mins before the final whistle, back to the Chelsea Village Leisure Club, where it is said he was situated all evening.

Such a long time has passed that Uefa are very unlikely to even look into the incident, yet if true, it may well have proved instrumental in Chelsea's 4-2 win that night, and could also be an indicator of just how far both Mourinho and Chelsea are prepared to go to secure success. Would it be unwise or unfair to think that with all their money, power and success, Chelsea see themselves as a cut above the rules, even those directed by Uefa.

Of course, Chelsea and their manager will deny the incident ever took place, as they focus on tomorrow's crunch Champions League semi-final with arch rival Liverpool. It is however another intriguing landmark, in the ever blossoming and controversial career of Jose Mourinho.

The Re-launch

After a marathon lay-off, They Think It's All Over is back - and it's better than ever. The blog has had somewhat of a refit and will now aim to serve as one of the best football blogs on the net.

The re-launch has luckily coincided with the crunch time of the season, a time I along with Sir Alex like to call 'squeaky bum time'. Everything is to play for, and we'll be with you in the run-in every step of the way.

Bums at the ready! - It's good to be back.