OT - What are you doing now? (2024)

We dive headlong in to the frenetic festive schedule from today.  English roads will be packed with vehicles heading to obscure relatives for the annual, just a little awkward exchange of chocolate, bottle of sherry and budget toiletries.  Interspersed will be other vehicles of euphoric and/or dejected football fans who opted to spend their Yuletide following their team. Naturally, public transport will have failed and the fixture setters conspired to match the most distant teams on the public holiday.  But come on - it’s Christmas!   Six points cover 4th to 13th and Chelsea are serious title contenders, ignore any other opinion on that.  We’ve seen two managerial sackings, just in time for the January transfer window to open. 

Saturday 

Villa v Man City, a home win puts the Villans back in the top 4 and Citeh deep in crisis mode down as far as 7th, moreover a lot of points and form short of where they should be. The hosts are erratic but still good enough to and land a punch. 2-1

Brentford v Forest, The Bees need to be wary of a very successful travelling Forest who are now up to 4th after two victories. Close to call but it feels like 1977 all over again as Forest feature in the top tier title race. 1-2

Ipswich v Newcastle, beating hapless Wolves last week must not paper over the cracks at the struggling Tractor Boys, despite being buoyed by that result - this is Toon and they have enough talent in the tank to take the away win. 0-2

West Ham v Brighton, after a resounding defeat by the mighty Eagles, no really it was - a further defat could really bring about the colly-wobbles. The Hammers have stabilised with a win and draw in recent matches, but let’s face it, neither team are reliable right now. 1-0

Palace v Arsenal, meh - just when we find form and confidence we face one of those teams we just can’t beat. A draw would be a genuinely good result and we have achieved 7 of those so far - the most in the PL and the Gunners have 6, but a narrow defeat feels most likely given the disparity in depth of talent. 1-2

Sunday

Everton v Chelsea, the Toffees saga has turned a corner with new owner; Dan Friedkin - arriving this week. Little chance that will upset the form book for this game but in all likelihood will release the shackles and see Everton float towards upper mid-table. 0-2

Fulham v Southampton, Saints have activated the manager ejector seat and face being bottom at Christmas which is overwhelmingly a portent for relegation in May.  Best hope is for damage limitation now, and a miracle in the New Year. 3-0

Leicester v Wolves, The Old Gold also dispensed with the boss in order to stave off relegation and confront the chippy, awkward and newly spirited Foxes. Both hot off miserable defeats and all results conceivable.  Dreary 0-0 is unlikely, but 1-1 more feasible and equally useless to both teams. 

Man Utd V Bournemouth, far from reliable Utd welcome a Cherries team with nothing to lose and in good form.  Bone shuddering home defeat could occur and to be honest last week’s win over Citeh spoke more of their decline that Utd’s resurgence. 0-1

Spurs v Liverpool, chaos theory personified Spursy Spurs host a static Reds team with two draws behind them.  Business as usual 9-13 scoreline, anyone?  OK 0-2 it is. 

There you have it, and in administrative news; your correspondent will be trialling a new user experience for you next week - providing you with a self-service opportunity, whilst deep behind the cheese eating surrender money lines, where the internet is erratic but chess and wine epic.  

You might choose to reset your notification settings for the premier league to minute by minute updates for ten days,  you might choose to install a WW2 style air operations rooms to chart scores and predictions, you might be thrilled to not see these posts filling a couple of scrolls down the thread. 

In any case, see you in 2025 when everything will be better - right? 

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

ColtsFan said:

GrateEggspectations said:

Tools are like kitchen knives. Always keep a cheap one on hand for use by others. 

I even do that with my wife. She has her own little cheap tool box full of anything she would ever need. Leave my roll-around alone...lol

For a hot second there I thought you were indicating you keep a cheap wife on hand for use by others and I was like… man I thought I knew you but this is some wild Mormon sh!t.

JohnInCarolina said:

ColtsFan said:

GrateEggspectations said:

Tools are like kitchen knives. Always keep a cheap one on hand for use by others. 

I even do that with my wife. She has her own little cheap tool box full of anything she would ever need. Leave my roll-around alone...lol

For a hot second there I thought you were indicating you keep a cheap wife on hand for use by others and I was like… man I thought I knew you but this is some wild Mormon sh!t.

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

Foghorn said:

Well, since you are abandoning me next week I guess this has to be the week when I actually bet it all based on your perfect predictions.  Retirement here I come!  Enjoy your holiday chess and wine.  I won't be able to set up an operations room as I will be traveling a couple of times between Florida and Texas for the holidays - particularly on the Saturdays.  And I'm working on Boxing Day so I won't be able to enjoy those matches either.  With that said, I'll track the results as able.  And when I'm not working, there will be a lot of good wine consumed while watching the waves of the Atlantic, or manatees, or tequila tasting at EPCOT.

I would send corresponding views of the Atlantic, but we're nearer the Med.  How about a distant view of Andorra? 

I've only been near there once. The Med in that area is spectacular.  I will get back to Tossa de Mar at some point - probably in a VRBO for a month or more.  Sounds like you'll be more inland - maybe even on the north side of the national border there?

Canugghead said:

When all else failed and the rubber strap wrench is misplaced