On Reflection, I may have got it a little wrong.

Back in August, you may recall I made some predictions for the current football season. As the title of this blog suggests, I may have got it a little wrong. Some might say badly wrong, others might even go as far as to say it was all a complete load of tripe. But that's the thing about trying to predict stuff. The folks at the Met Office do degrees and what have you, and they still can't predict the weather to any level of accuracy!

Just to recap, I'll put my predictions against existing standings (as at 20th March 2012), just to make it easier for you to see how horrifically bad I was:

Premier League
Me                                                               Actual
1. Manchester Utd                                      1. Manchester Utd
2. Chelsea                                                  2. Manchester City
3. Manchester City                                     3. Tottenham
4. Arsenal                                                   4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool                                                5. Chelsea

18. Wigan                                                  18. QPR
19. Norwich                                               19. Wigan
20. Swansea                                             20. Wolves

So, as you can see, I had no faith in Swansea or Norwich, and yet they are easily holding their own around the mid-table area. At least I had the sense to see another struggle for Wigan. The two Top 5's are fairly similar in that the usual suspects are there. I didn't expect Spurs to have such an impact though. And Liverpool have let me down. Again.


Championship 
Me                                                               Actual
1. West Ham                                               1. Southampton
2. Reading                                                   2. Reading

Play-offs
Leeds (promoted)                                       West Ham
Birmingham                                                Brighton
Cardiff                                                         Middlesbrough
Nottingham Forest                                      Birmingham

22. Crystal Palace                                     22. Coventry
23. Peterborough                                      23. Doncaster
24. Brighton                                              24. Portsmouth

I got Brighton's season wildly wrong for a start!! West Ham have been around the top most of the season and could still conceivably get back to the top, but Southampton do look unbeatable at the moment. Neither did I compute the problems that have engulfed Portsmouth yet again. Peterborough are near the bottom, but the current bottom three seem poor enough to ensure Peterborough stay up. Leeds probably won't be going up though, even with new manager Neil Warnock. And at least I've got Reading right as potential promotion candidates!!


League 1
Me                                                             Actual
1. Sheffield Utd                                         1. Charlton
2. Sheffield Wed                                       2. Sheffield Utd

Play-offs
Charlton (promoted)                                 Sheffield Wed
Colchester                                                 Huddersfield
Huddersfield                                             MK Dons
Preston NE                                               Carlisle Utd

21. Stevenage                                          21. Walsall
22. Notts County                                      22. Rochdale
23. Walsall                                               23. Exeter
24. Bury                                                   24. Chesterfield

As it stands, I could still get all three promoted teams right, but in a different order. Huddersfield are also up there. Stevenage have proved me wrong in a pretty spectacular way, seeing as they currently lie just outside the play-off zone and played their way to the FA Cup 5th Round just to rub it in!
Down at the bottom, I have managed to guess at Walsall's struggle at least. Which, for a Shrewsbury fan was quite a nice, pleasurable surprise!! Bury are also struggling and might still slip into the bottom four by season's end. Notts County will not though, they are battling for a play-off spot along with Stevenage.


League 2
Me                                                         Actual
1. Swindon                                            1. Swindon
2. Shrewsbury Town                             2. Torquay Utd
3. Bristol Rovers                                   3. Shrewsbury Town

Play-offs
Crawley (promoted)                             Southend
Crewe Alex                                          Crawley
Gillingham                                           Cheltenham
Plymouth                                              Oxford Utd

23. AFC Wimbledon                             23. Hereford
24. Barnet                                             24. Dagenham & Redbridge

First thing's first, I'm happy to say that Shrewsbury haven't let me down this season. Yet. Swindon have surprised nobody, whereas Torquay have. I expected them to have an average season having lost their manager and some star players to Bristol Rovers (who I thought would be up there), but it's turned out the opposite, so what do I know?! Crawley are in the play-off mix, so I could well be getting that right. The big over-estimation is obviously Plymouth. I had them as play-off contenders, but problems off the field have left them floundering at the bottom all season. A bit of a recovery has given them a fighting chance, as other clubs have surprisingly struggled - Northampton and Dagenham & Redbridge namely. Barnet are in a relegation fight, so could prove me right. AFC Wimbledon aren't mathematically safe yet, but I don't expect them to go down this season. Which is quite nice actually.


As for my Conference promotion tips, only Luton are still in with a chance of fulfilling my prophecy, but only just. Fleetwood look like running away with the title, and Wrexham are also dangerously good this season. Lincoln however, are in a huge mess and in danger of suffering a second successive relegation.

There it is then. I will refrain from making any more foolish predictions because I will only get them wrong!

I will, however, say that Celtic will win the Scottish Premier League this season!!!