Football, for a change

Having expressed my passive-aggressive leanings and been rightly ticked-off for it today, I thought I'd do the slightly less controversial football predictions now, as this blog is supposed to have an incongruous sporting content. As my (very late) dinner is cooking, there won't be much explication:

The 'Who Gives One' TV Premier League

Winners: Man Utd - Chelsea's midfield logjam will haunt them. Cole (though he may be off to Liverpool), Ballack, Lampard, Deco, Essien, Makalele, Mikel and Malouda won't go, even if they play 4-2-3-1 and cause striker selection controversy. Liverpool won't cut it, again.

Champions League qualifiers: Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs (Ramos, I think, knows what he's doing).

5th and 6th: Arsenal (transitional season, but think this might be Walcott's last season before he goes supernova), Villa

Relegated: Stoke, WBA, Bolton. I think Hull might pull a Reading and surprise a few people.


Championship


Winners: Wolves. A bit of a leftfield choice, but McCarthy is employing the same strategy he used to take Sunderland up a few years ago. He should perhaps revise his battle-plan if he gets there, though...

Second: Reading. Have what it takes to become the new irritating yo-yo team.

Play-Offs: Ipswich, Sheffield United, Swansea, Birmingham. Brum should win, but I've got a feeling about Ipswich this season.

Expect underachievement from QPR and Derby, I think. Cardiff for 8th.

Relegated: Plymouth, Barnsley, Blackpool


League 1

Champions: Leeds, surely.

Runners-up: Oldham. Probably their turn.

Play-offs: Leicester, Stockport, Huddersfield, Peterborough - Peterborough to go up.

Relegated: Hereford, Cheltenham, Yeovil, Scunthorpe

League 2

Champions: Gillingham

Promoted: Darlington, Bradford

Play-offs: Wycombe, Shrewsbury, Grimsby, Lincoln. Grimsby promoted.

Relegated: Luton, Rotherham

Conference:

Champions: Wrexham

Play-offs: Stevenage, Oxford, Torquay, Burton. Probably Oxford to escape, though they've had a bad start.

Relegated: Altrincham, finally, Woking, Lewes, Salisbury.

FA Cup: Spurs

League Cup: Villa

There you go. I'll be impressed if any of this comes good.