Squarefootball Diary

Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter.

00:27 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 23:30 Squaref... bit.ly/adHCiq #sqf #

09:43 sqF Mailbag: Totally agree with this, am not saying he should walk in to the team but he should be able to prove h... bit.ly/91cgy5 #

09:43 sqF Mailbag: Mikel Arteta has already been quoted on an Everton TV interview that hes sees himself finishing his c... bit.ly/cVYshy #

15:00 sqF Mailbag: Almunia is a poor excuse for a goalkeeper - that howler against Birmingham case in point! I for one a... bit.ly/9qRJSg #

15:00 sqF Mailbag: There are a few players that dont get capped, but that Arteta hasnt been granted a few minutes is ast... bit.ly/brDWec #

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Squarefootball Diary

Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter.

23:30 Squarefootball Diary articles.squarefootball.net/squarefootball/2010/03/squarefootball-diary-27.html #

23:50 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 06:23 Burnley... bit.ly/bV3rOO #sqf #

07:52 sqF Mailbag: i think that Laws should go now......unfortunately i think it is too late to save us from the drop (w... bit.ly/9fEswv #

07:52 sqF Mailbag: I dont think Laws is the man to bring Burnley back to the premiership, now or in the future. Its abou... bit.ly/9zNOXJ #

07:52 sqF Mailbag: laws out bit.ly/b6Mzbn #

07:52 sqF Mailbag: Yes! Axe him now! This man has no game plan, plan B or a plan A. The same players under Coyle created... bit.ly/aOyOeF #

07:52 sqF Mailbag: Laws has to go at the end of the season to late now to change the manager,a lot of the blame has to b... bit.ly/bC7DDJ #

22:24 Everton’s No10 - Best Premiership player never to be fully capped?: Mikel Arteta is the most creative player o... bit.ly/dljD55 #sqf #

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Everton’s No10 - Best Premiership player never to be fully capped?

Mikel Arteta is the most creative player on Everton’s books. He was blessed with over-generous helpings of footballing ability but then that is a pre-requisite for F.C. Barcelona trainees. It still ceases to amaze that his International career never passed the infancy stage.     

The Spanish playmaker was out of action for almost a year with knee ligament damage but his return from injury has coincided with the Toffee’s late charge towards a European place. His six entire ninety-minute appearances reflect two assists and three goals at the tail end of this season. 

Who wouldn’t want him? Spanish boss Vicente Del Bosque for one, or indeed any of those who went before him. It seems strange that Arteta has never earned a senior Spanish cap. The five-year-residency rule would now allow him to represent England but the player seems non-plussed.  

David Moyes only enhanced his own shrewd reputation in the transfer market by bringing Arteta to Goodison in 2005 and surely Arteta would profit any team in the top flight, even those in the coveted top four.

Cesc Fabregas must be considered one of the Spanish midfielders partly responsible for Arteta’s banishment to the international wilderness. So its only for a younger, fitter model, who has already attained Emirates legendary status that Arteta would not make Arsenal’s first team.   

Following Manchester United’s Champions League disappointment against Barcelona last May, the grace and swagger of Pep Guardiola’s midfield poked fun at the deficiencies in United’s equivalent’s.     

This season though Darren Fletcher has started all but seven league games for Utd and along with the Ji-Sung Park, (who is finally earning some recognition), Sir Alex Ferguson has found his big match players. The aforementioned are not generally noted for their creativity but they play solid roles in a winning unit.

But with Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs fighting the unstoppable process of age, Arteta could surely slip in with minimal fuss.

Chelsea’s European exit indicated that their squad needs some revitalisation. As much inspiration as Frank Lampard delivers maybe too much responsibility rests on his shoulders. Arteta’s style would suit Carlo Ancelotti’s and vice-versa.

Rafael Benitez doesn't even play the £20m playmaker he made such a fuss about signing so discussing the red side of merseyside just wastes breath.

There are very few, if any, English teams who would not offer Arteta a job. It seems quite bizarre then that he has not fully represented his country - and probably never will.

The fact that Arteta has never really got the chance to even flirt with the international scene, as well as being criminal, mainly indicates the calibre of player Spain already have at their disposal. 

But it cannot detract from the amount of talent Everton have in their uncapped No10, football can sometimes defy logic.

Squarefootball Diary

Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter.

06:23 Burnley: Should Kilby axe Laws and fight for survival?: They say football is a funny old game but I don’t see ... bit.ly/dqnofY #sqf #

07:24 Manchester City v Wigan Athletic: City need to show their manager’s fighting spirit: Manchester City may have ... bit.ly/9KrMbq #sqf #

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Manchester City v Wigan Athletic: City need to show their manager’s fighting spirit

Manchester City may have been beaten by Everton in midweek but at least manager Roberto Mancini showed his fighting spirit on the touchline. The Italian certainly lost his cool with David Moyes near the end of that 2-0 defeat but the former Inter Milan chief will be hoping his troops follow his lead in a game that they must win if they are to have any chance of breaking into the top four.

City will close the gap on Spurs in fourth place to just two points with victory tonight and the smart money is definitely on a home win. Everton were the first team this season to defeat City at Eastlands in the league this season while Wigan haven’t won on their travels since turning over Wolverhampton Wanderers in mid-January. However the Lactics have won two of their past four visits to the blue half of Manchester so Roberto Martinez may just have a sting in the tail for City.

Manchester City v Wigan Athletic; Kick Off 8pm 29 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel

Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 3 - 1
Chris Cox : 3 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 3 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 3 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 3 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Peter Lee : 3 - 0
Don McMahon : 2 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 2 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 0
Peter Rendle : 3 - 0
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict

The Panel is going unanimously for a home win.

Home: 14; Draw: 0; Away: 0; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Burnley: Should Kilby axe Laws and fight for survival?

They say football is a funny old game but I don’t see too many smiles on the faces of Burnley fans right now. After a fantastic start to the Premier League season the Clarets look like they are resigned to playing in the Championship already.

Blackburn Rovers, their bitter rivals, turned up at Turf Moor yesterday with one of the poorest away records in the top flight and Brian Laws had the opportunity to restore local pride, boost their survival hopes and even win over the fans disillusioned at his appointment. Instead the Clarets put in another inept display which saw them manage just seven shots on goal – with only three on target – and leave the fans wondering why on earth they hired Laws in the first place.

For a derby game you would have expected the players to have been pumped up for this one with tackles flying in, everyone giving 100 per cent and trying their hardest to win the game. Unfortunately for Burnley fans there was more life in Vanessa Feltz’s bedroom than there was by those in claret shirts and relegation now seems a near certainty. But I find it hard to blame the players for this situation. The person I blame is the chairman Barry Kilby.

When Owen Coyle decided to leave Turf Moor for the Reebok Stadium, Burnley had the opportunity to make a statement of intent with an appointment that would have inspired the staff and fans and convince everyone that they could keep their place at the top table of English football. Names like Paul Jewell, Paul Lambert, Sean O’Driscoll and Simon Grayson were all mentioned as possible replacements. Sure they are hardly up there with your Jose Mourinhos or Fabio Capellos but Jewell has kept teams in the top flight against the odds before, Lambert and Grayson are forging out great careers for themselves in the lower leagues and even O’Driscoll has a reputation for playing entertaining football.

However Mr Kilby handed the challenge of keeping the Clarets in the top flight to the man who had just left Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday. Understandably there wasn’t a rush of fans at Turf Moor to greet the new manager Brian Laws and that lack of ambition from board level has spread to the players.

The Clarets have managed to take just a pathetic four points from a potential 33 since Laws took over and there’s more chance of me competing in the 2012 Olympics than there is of Burnley finding a run of form and avoiding the drop, particularly on current form.

Of course Burnley did only lose to Blackburn by a solitary goal after referee Mike Dean’s wrongly awarded them a penalty but a point at home was never going to be good enough for the Clarets. If they wanted to stay up this was the game that they needed to win.

Laws, himself a defender in his playing days, deserves credit for tightening up the leaky defence in recent games but in doing so he has seemingly throttled their attacking threat. Fans want to see their heroes have a go at the opposition and try to win games, even if they are on the receiving end of a hiding, which is why Coyle was such a hit with them. He wanted to entertain the fans and give them something to get excited about. Unfortunately it looks as though Laws’s mindset is to defend, defend, defend and possibly sneak a goal at the other end. Why he keeps Eagles on the bench is a mystery.

In fairness the chairman does run his ship in a fit and proper manner and he isn’t willing to put the club into debt in order to pursue success, but surely there were more ambitious managers out there that he could have hired instead of Laws. Many people felt at the time that Kilby had hired an experienced Championship manager because that was where they would end up. With six tough games left to play that certainly looks to be the case, but there’s no guarantee that Laws will be able to turn around the club’s fortunes in the Championship.

There were rumours in the media recently alleging that Kilby was on the verge of axing Laws – stories that he quickly dismissed as rubbish – but I’m sure most Burnley fans would back him if he did decide to call time on Laws’s spell at Turf Moor.

Burnley are just three points behind West Ham United and Hull City in the fight to beat the drop so they are not out of the running to survive statistically but it will take an almighty change in fortunes to retain their place in the top flight. The goals have dried up, their away form shows no sign of improving and their three home games are against Champions League hopefuls Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool.

Burnley need a miracle to stay up and I don’t think Laws is the man to produce it. Maybe Kilby will be brave enough to take one more roll of the dice in order to beat the drop. After all, if they go down it may take them a long time to sample football in the Premier League again.

· Calling all Burnley fans. How would you assess the job Laws has done at Turf Moor? Would you like to see the chairman bring in someone new in order to give you a chance of beating the drop or are you prepared to give him more time to turn things around? How confident are you of beating the drop with Laws in charge? If Laws was to leave, who would you like to see at the helm instead? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.

West Ham United: Has the time now come for Zola to go?

Under-fire West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola recently claimed that the Hammers needed 10 points to avoid the drop. Following six demoralising defeats on the bounce it’s looking increasingly likely that the only thing that will keep West Ham United in the top flight this season is a change of manager.

Zola’s position at the Boleyn Ground has been under intense scrutiny since the arrival of David Gold and David Sullivan and despite the owners recent vote of confidence it appears as though Zola is a dead man walking at Upton Park.

Stoke City’s 1-0 win on Saturday combined with Hull City’s comfortable victory over Fulham have placed the Hammers in real danger near the foot of the table. West Ham’s superior goal difference is the only thing stopping them from sitting in the bottom three, but with just six games left is it time for Zola to go?

Following Saturday’s sorry defeat at the hands of the Potters, West Ham now face an almighty task of retaining their Premier League status and Zola admitted after the game that he will consider his position at the club.

Tuesday’s night display against fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers was arguably one of the worst performances ever witnessed in the East End and saw thousands of disillusioned fans leave the ground with 30 minutes left. Now West Ham fans are many things but above all else they are passionate and will support the team to the hilt, especially if they see that those on the park are giving their all for the cause. Unfortunately there was simply no fight, no passion and no effort.

The only player to come out of the recent spell with any credit is the phenomenal Scott Parker who is willing to put his body on the line each and every game for the Hammers. If they had a team full of Scott Parkers they wouldn’t be anywhere near the drop zone. But it does beg the question, does Zola have what it take to motivate the players for the task ahead? However, there are a number of experienced internationals at Upton Park and it can be argued whether they are actually taking responsibility for their own actions.

Everyone believed there would be some sort of reaction against Stoke City and although the Hammers did show a lot more commitment and effort it just wasn’t enough to stop the rot. Zola, the former Chelsea striker, just can’t put his finger on what the problem is at the club but he is wary that he may be to blame for the disastrous decline in fortunes and could take the ultimate sacrifice to save the club.

Zola is widely regarded as one of the nicest man in football but everyone knows that niceness doesn’t necessarily translate into success. Despite his Chelsea connections, the majority of West Ham fans supported Zola’s appointment and were willing to give him time to build his own team. And after a tricky start the fans were soon rewarded with some entertaining and attractive football. He even managed to turn Carlton Cole into an England international. Unfortunately injuries to key players combined with some poor tactical decisions and forays into the transfer market have placed huge question marks over the manager’s position.

West Ham United are reportedly more than £100 million in debt and relegation would result in Armageddon according to the two Daves, but the Hammers have six games left to save their top flight status. The only problem is that there are no easy games when you are in West Ham’s position and their run-in is scarier than finding Amy Winehouse naked in your bed. Not only do they have to travel to Merseyside to face Everton and Liverpool, they must also entertain Sunderland, Wigan Athletic and Manchester City and travel across the capital to take on in-form Fulham. For many fans, Wolves and Stoke at home were the games they believed they would pick up points from and move away from the dog fight. Instead they lost both and now find themselves right in the middle of a relegation battle and one that could spell disaster for the club.

Rumours of Alan Curbishley being reappointed by the owners as manager or Mark Hughes taking over at the helm continue to rage on despite Gold and Sullivan’s public support of Zola, but it looks as though he will be shown the door in the summer regardless of whether he keeps them up or not. I hate to see managers sacked but Zola appears to have run out of ideas at Upton Park and may opt to walk before he is pushed. The chairmen have not helped this situation either by publicly criticising the players and saying that they will have their pay cut next season but something has to be done for West Ham to remain in the top flight.

West Ham need a boost, a boost which often comes with a change of manager. With six cup finals left to play the Hammers need someone who can lift the players, get them organised and get the best out of them. Unfortunately it looks as though Zola and Clarke are not the men for this job.

· Calling all West Ham United fans. Do you think the time has come for Zola to leave or do you believe that the little Italian can turn things around? Why do you think things have gone so wrong at West Ham this season? If Zola was to go who would you like to see placed in charge of the club and why? Finally, how confident are you of beating the drop? Whatever your views I’d love to hear from you.

Liverpool v Sunderland: Is time running out for Rafa?

The clocks may have gone forward an hour in the UK last night but Rafa Benitez’s time at Anfield could be all over if they fail to beat the Black Cats this afternoon.

Liverpool enter the game seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the race for fourth place and every match between now and the end of the season is a cup final for the Merseyside giants. Failure to qualify for the Champions League would be a disaster for a club like Liverpool and almost certainly spell the end of Rafa’s eventful reign at Anfield.

Sunderland recorded their first win over the Reds in seven attempts in October thanks to a beach ball at the Stadium of Light and former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce would love to inflict more misery on Rafa’s Reds. Following a dreadful spell which almost saw them sucked into the drop zone, the Black Cats have turned things around and have lost only one of their past nine outings.

Liverpool lost ground on the Champions League hopefuls last weekend following their defeat at Old Trafford and Benitez is under pressure to ensure that they do finish in the top four, as he promised, but they should have more than enough for a Sunderland team who haven’t won at Anfield since 1983.

The Wearside outfit go into today’s game in search of their first double over Liverpool since 1936 but the Panel believes this is a home banker.

Liverpool v Sunderland; Kick Off 4pm 28 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel

Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Chris Cox : 3 - 0
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 3 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 3 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 0
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 0
Peter Lee : 3 - 0
Don McMahon : 1 - 0
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 2 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 1
Peter Rendle : 2 - 0
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 1
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict

Liverpool are widely expected to get back to winning ways.

Home: 13; Draw: 1; Away: 0; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Burnley v Blackburn Rovers: Just who are the top dogs in Lancashire?

Forget about the Glasgow, Milan and Manchester derbies, nothing simply comes close to the passion and rivalry of a good old fashioned east Lancashire encounter, and what a game it would be for Brian Laws to get back to winning ways.

The Clarets have only won once under the guidance of the former Sheffield Wednesday boss and their formidable home form has taken a bit of a beating since the turn of the year. Laws was a surprise choice to succeed Owen Coyle and his record so far has led to many fans questioning the chairman’s wisdom. However, everything will be forgotten about if Laws can manage to record Burnley’s first win over their nearest and dearest at Turf Moor since Boxing Day in 1978.

Blackburn Rovers have endured an indifferent season and like Burnley are in possession of a terrible away record. Big Sam’s style of play has angered a few Blackburn fans but they currently sit 11 points off the drop zone and the gaffer can now start planning for next season with their place in the top flight almost a certainty.

Allardyce will be only too aware of the importance of this game in the fans’ eyes and be keen to leave Turf Moor having put another nail in Burnley’s coffin.

Burnley v Blackburn Rovers; Kick Off 12pm 28 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel

Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 1 - 1
Chris Cox : 0 - 2
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 0 - 2
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 3
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 1
Don McMahon : 0 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 1 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 2
Peter Rendle : 1 - 1
Dan Taylor : 2 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict

It really could go either way.

Home: 3; Draw: 6; Away: 5; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Squarefootball Diary

Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter.

23:30 Squarefootball Diary bit.ly/aOg3Gq #

00:16 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 23:30 Squaref... bit.ly/9CFFga #sqf #

01:12 Birmingham City vs Arsenal: Gunners face true title test bit.ly/bqMjvc #

01:21 Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Ancelotti may be forced onto the defensive bit.ly/chRobP #

01:35 Hull City vs Fulham: Must-win for Tigers bit.ly/cvNhZu #

01:41 Tottenham Hotspur vs Portsmouth: Friends reunited? bit.ly/cpIi4i #

01:48 West Ham United vs Stoke City: Zola on the brink bit.ly/dtZsM8 #

02:19 West Ham United vs Stoke City: Zola on the brink: Managers are always on tricky ground when new owners come in... bit.ly/9VdrGZ #sqf #

03:18 sqF Mailbag: no you dont have it right, the real result will be 1- 3 away win etherington, kitson, shawcross i am ... bit.ly/9p3H1k #

03:18 sqF Mailbag: A very talented young man whose personal problems have held him back for the last 2 seasons. Very tel... bit.ly/cM0xsK #

18:41 Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United: Coyle looks to repeat his magic: Owen Coyle stunned Sir Alex Ferguson at... bit.ly/9TXWfC #sqf #

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Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United: Coyle looks to repeat his magic

Owen Coyle stunned Sir Alex Ferguson at the start of the season by beating the champions at Turf Moor when he was manager of Burnley and the young Scot will be hoping for a repeat performance tonight as he welcomes the champions to the Reebok.

Bolton Wanderers have eased their relegation worries recently with a string of impressive results but this will be a huge test for Coyle. Sir Alex is chasing his fourth Premier League title in a row and will be determined not to have any slip ups at places like this.

United have won on four of their past four visits to the Reebok and although it is always a tricky place to play the Panel strongly fancies the champions to be victorious come the final whistle.

Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United; Kick Off 5:30pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel

Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 0 - 2
Chris Cox : 0 - 2
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 1 - 4
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 2
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 0 - 1
Peter Lee : 0 - 2
Don McMahon : 0 - 2
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 1 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 3
Peter Rendle : 0 - 2
Dan Taylor : 1 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 0 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict

The champions are strongly fancied to take all three points at the Reebok.

Home: 0; Draw: 2; Away: 12; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton: Sides are on the up

Mick McCarthy’s men put in a devastating performance at Upton Park on Monday night to ease their relegation fears and put Gianfranco Zola right in the firing line. This afternoon they take on an Everton side that hasn’t given up hopes of securing a European place.

Wolves enter the game on the back of a three-game unbeaten run while David Moyes’s side travel south on good form too having failed to lose their past four games. Who will continue their impressive run of form today? The Panel is strongly fancying the visitors to leave the happier of the two sides.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton; Kick Off 3pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel

Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 0 - 1
Chris Cox : 1 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 3
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 2
Peter Lee : 0 - 1
Don McMahon : 0 - 3
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 0 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 0 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 2
Peter Rendle : 1 - 1
Dan Taylor : 1 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict

Everton are favoured to take all three points.

Home: 1; Draw: 3; Away: 10; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

West Ham United vs Stoke City: Zola on the brink

Managers are always on tricky ground when new owners come in, but given recent results there can be few complaints if the new West Ham owners called time on Gianfranco Zola's time in eat London. West Ham stuck by the manager and kept all the big name players at the club in January and even allowed for a couple of fresh faces - but results have not improved. With tough games to come and in dire form West Ham will need to dig deep to drag themselves clear.

Stoke often travel poorly and would be forgiven for not wanting the three points as much as the Hammers - but Tony Pulis simply does not accept that kind of attitude. I wonder what he would make of West Ham?

West Ham United vs Stoke City; Kick Off 3:00pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 1 - 1
Chris Cox : 1 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 0 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 0 - 2
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 1
Don McMahon : 0 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 0 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 1
Peter Rendle : 1 - 1
Dan Taylor : 1 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 1-1 draw.

Home: 4; Draw: 7; Away: 3; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Tottenham Hotspur vs Portsmouth: Friends reunited?

Half the Tottenham management team and players were at Pompey during the glorious cup winning season of 2008. Of course the cost of that team has now unravelled the club and it will be relegated in the next week or two. Pompey is now being hamstrung further by the costs of playing certain players (like Dindane) being too much to afford just as an injury crisis strikes. It never rains when it can pour. Tottenham are unbeaten in eight and Harry Redknapp knows that fourth place demands a win today especially considering the fixture list that remains.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Portsmouth; Kick Off 3:00pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 3 - 0
Chris Cox : 3 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 3 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 3 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 3 - 1
Peter Lee : 3 - 0
Don McMahon : 2 - 0
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 2 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 3 - 0
Peter Rendle : 0 - 5
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 3 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a comfortable 3-0 Tottenham win.

Home: 13; Draw: 0; Away: 1; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Hull City vs Fulham: Must-win for Tigers

The defeat to Portsmouth was a body blow for Hull, yet again conceding late goals to drop points; Hull dropped 5 points last week due to goals conceded in the 88th minute or later. Fulham are starting to look tired after one of the longest seasons possible and a team that rarely travels well will not be expected to win this game easily.

It now looks like two from Hull, Burnley and West Ham will join Portsmouth in the Championship next season and if Hull want to finish fourth bottom again then four wins are probably needed - this is a must-win for Hull. Whether they get the win is another matter.

Hull City vs Fulham; Kick Off 3:00pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 0 - 0
Chris Cox : 0 - 0
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 0 - 2
Chris Goodwin : 0 - 2
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 1
Don McMahon : 0 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 0 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 1
Peter Rendle : 0 - 1
Dan Taylor : 1 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 0 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a low-scoring game with Fulham edging it 1-0.

Home: 2; Draw: 5; Away: 7; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Ancelotti may be forced onto the defensive

There is no disputing that Chelsea's form has dipped in the wake of the John Terry and Ashley Cole shenanigans; the timing for such things is never good but 10-15 games to go is a bad time to struggling for form. One or two key injuries to the likes of Essien and Ashley Cole haven't helped and with Joe Cole's contract being speculated on the feeling persists that Chelsea need the season to end quickly. I think if Chelsea were offered a winner-takes-all game against Man United or Arsenal for the title now they would take it and go on holiday.

Aston Villa are a dangerous side to play if you are forced to chase down a win. Although Villa draw too many games - which may cost them fourth - they are capable of beating anyone on the counter-attack. Chelsea have a ponderous midfield without Essien and this could force Ancelotti to play a more defensive structure than he would like to counter the Villa fliers.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa; Kick Off 3:00pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 1
Chris Cox : 3 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 2
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Peter Lee : 2 - 1
Don McMahon : 1 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 2 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 1
Peter Rendle : 1 - 1
Dan Taylor : 1 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict
The panel is split between a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 Chelsea win.

Home: 7; Draw: 7; Away: 0; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Birmingham City vs Arsenal: Gunners face true title test

Few teams get an easy ride against Birmingham and at St Andrews both Chelsea and Manchester United were lucky to escape with draws - Chelsea courtesy of a poor offside decision, United after a scrappy grind. So if Arsenal can win at Birmingham they will not only chalk off probably their hardest game remaining and better the Chelsea and Man United results they will also again push the pressure squarely onto the other two teams fighting for the title. An Arsenal win would probably reinforce the belief that Chelsea or Man United will have to win every game to hold off the Gunners.

Birmingham's form has dipped from the impressive run of results immediately after the ownership situation was resolved, but a very satisfactory finish in the top half of the division beckons.

Birmingham City vs Arsenal; Kick Off 3:00pm 27 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 1 - 2
Chris Cox : 0 - 2
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 0 - 3
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 3
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 3
Peter Lee : 0 - 2
Don McMahon : 2 - 3
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 0 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 1 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 2
Peter Rendle : 0 - 1
Dan Taylor : 2 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 1
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a tight Arsenal win, possibly 2-1.

Home: 1; Draw: 3; Away: 10; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

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David James - is it possible... bit.ly/ajmd9O #

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Does David Bentley Still Have An Outside Shot At South Africa?

Seeing David Bentley make such a difference to Tottenham's efforts in the FA Cup tie with Fulham, it's possible to believe the right winger might still have an outside chance of going to the World Cup.

Very much a long shot of course but the England right side candidates are thinning out. David Beckham is a definite absentee and Aaron Lennon is still not back in action for Spurs- to Bentley's benefit.

Shaun Wright-Phillips has yet to make a really convincing case in an England shirt and Theo Walcott has had a frustrating and truncated season. Joe Cole has always played on the left for England, though he does play right side for his club. Likewise, Ashley Young is usually on the left for Aston Villa despite being right-footed.

James Milner's adaptability is probably the biggest obstacle to Bentley making a late surge for the squad. The Aston Villa player is very much a Capello player and can turn his hand to several positions. He's recently been in central midfield for Villa but played a lot out wide before this season.

If Walcott has a decent run to the end of the campaign- and avoids injury- the Arsenal man will be nailed on to go. If Lennon doesn't get back, Capello's must decide whether to take Wright-Phillips or let Milner cover that spot.

However well Bentley plays , it would need another of Capello's favoured men to be ruled out before the ex-Blackburn man is really in the frame but he is a useful fall back option for the manager, just as he's been for Harry Redknapp.

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18:24 West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Survival is in sight bit.ly/9Ri0cq #

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West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Survival is in sight

The weekend went well for West Ham and Wolves. Although West Ham lost against Arsenal this was pretty much expected and the performance hinted at better times ahead; and Wolves played even better in getting a point at Aston Villa. But the defeats for Burnley and Hull in games where both will have expected at least a point was the bonus.

There is now daylight between the bottom three and the rest and if either of these teams win tonight that may well give them more points than any of the bottom three will ultimately muster. This is bound to be a tight game and I reckon a draw that pulls both teams away from the dropzone will be the result - even if the panel reckons that West Ham will win this one.

West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers; Kick Off 8:00pm 23 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Chris Cox : 2 - 0
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 0 - 0
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 0
Peter Lee : 1 - 0
Don McMahon : 0 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 0
Peter Rendle : 2 - 0
Dan Taylor : 3 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 2 - 0

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting, perhaps surprisingly, a 2-0 West Ham win.

Home: 11; Draw: 2; Away: 1; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

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Some Handy Facts About VFL Wolfsburg

After eliminating Juventus and the holders Shakhtar Donetsk, Fulham drew the least well-known of the other qualifiers for the last eight. Like the Cottagers, VFL Wolfsburg aren't one of the traditional elite clubs in their country.

1 Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga title in 2008/09, for the first time in their history

2 Their first attempt at the Champions League was a little disappointing as they finIshed third in their group behind Manchester United and CSKA Moscow

3 In the Europa Lague they have eliminated Villarreal 6-3 on aggregate

4 Former German international Felix Magath led them to the title but he left and his replacement has also been dismissed

5 Last season they had two strikers- Brazilian Grafite and Bosnian Edin Dezko- who scored over 20 League goals each

6 Former Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins joined the club in the close season

7 At the time of writing Wolfsburg lie only 10th in the Bundesliga

8 The club grew from a sports club for Volkswagen workers and is still connected to the firm

9 Palermo's World Cup-winning defender Andrea Barzagli joined the club in 2008

10 Bizarrely, the club were managed by Wolfgang Wolf in the early part of the last decade

11 Former Fulham star Brian McBride played a season there in the 1990s

12 Wolfsburg usually line up in 4-3-1-2 formation

13 Dzeko has 14 goals already in the league but fellow Bosnian Zvejden Misimovic is the team's playmaker

14 In the middle of last season Wolsfburg strung together a run of 10 successve wins- a Bundesliga record

15 Wolfsburb scre freely and concede a lot. They have bagged 50 League goals but let in 51 so far.

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09:00 Manchester United vs Liverpool: Must-win bit.ly/areRum #

10:15 Fulham vs Manchester City: Will Fulham be hungover from Euro success? bit.ly/9P9slO #

10:16 Blackburn Rovers vs Chelsea: Chelsea playing catch-up bit.ly/da2E82 #

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13:13 Benfica v Liverpool- The History: Until these two clubs met in the round of last 16 in the 2005/06 Champions L... bit.ly/cAln6n #sqf #

15:15 Bayern Munich v Manchester United- The History: When these two giants were paired in the last eight of the Cha... bit.ly/b3cvMz #sqf #

16:16 Arsenal v Barcelona- The History: Memories of the 2006 Champions League Final are still fresh in the memory. A... bit.ly/bcKTia #sqf #

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Arsenal v Barcelona- The History

Memories of the 2006 Champions League Final are still fresh in the memory. Arsenal lost keeper Jens Lehmann early on and battled away with ten men for most of the contest before Barcelona and some cunning from Henrik Larsson sealed their fate.

The two clubs have hardly ever met in Europe. In pre-Champions League days the pair were often competing in different competitions and aside from the 2006 Final their only encounter came in the group stages in 1999/2000.

This was a period when Arsenal were struggling to progress from the group stages of the Champions League. The experiment of playing home games at Wembley stadium proved to be a disappointment.

The games with Barca were a case in point. Arsene Wenger's team started well with a point in the Nou Camp but slumped to a 4-2 defeat on the wide spaces of Wembley. FiorentIna also won at Wembley that season, so Arsenal were consigned to the UEFA CUP.

In the home defeat Arsenal couldn't overcome a dreadful start that handed Barca a two-goal advantage after 15 minutes. After that it was a tremendous free-flowing contest but the Gunners were always likely to concede again against a star-studded line up.

From the 2006 Final, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Eboue, Sol Campbell and Manuel Almunia and Thierry Henry may feature in this year's quarter-final- though the Frenchman will be in different colours.

For Barca, Valdes, Puyol and Iniesta should all be on duty and Mexican defender Rafael Marquez might be in the match day squad.

Bayern Munich v Manchester United- The History

When these two giants were paired in the last eight of the Champions League on Friday, the immediate thought was of the epic 1999 Final- but apart from that contest meetings between these two clubs have been rarer than expected.

Bayern were a modest club in the early days of European competition and after they became the top German club United were in a period when the league title eluded them. As a result this meeting will only be their fifth tie in club competition.

It's often forgotten that in 1998/99 the clubs played each other three times. They were paired in the group stages and fought out a pair of draws which allowed both to progress past Barcelona. It finished 2-2 in Bavaria and 1-1 at Old Trafford. Bayern topped the group but United came through unbeaten.

The two teams reached the final in Barcelona where the Germans were by far the better side for much of the match- Manchester United were without Roy Keane and Paul ScHoles who had both scored in the group games.

Bayern could have been 2-0 up before two very late goals by subs Sheringham and Solskjaer made the difference and left the unfortgettable image of Bayern defender Sammy Kufour beating the ground with frustration.

Bayern had their revenge two years later in the last eight. The Bavarian side prevailed in both legs; in the four years following their 1999 win United were knocked out three times in the last eight and once in the semis.

 Bayern went on to beat Valencia on penalties in the final and Kuffour, the player who was so distraught in 1999,won a winners's medal along with several others from the 1999 side.

A year later the teams met in the interminable second group stage of the Champions League - happily, UEFA soon got the message and simplified the tournament. As in 1999, the clubs shared a pair of draws and easily eliminated Boavista and Nantes. Each club were then knocked out by a finalist- Bayern by Real Madrid and United in the semis by Bayer Leverkusen.

Since 2002 United have come up against Leverkusen, Stuttgart and Wolsburg but Bayern are the biggest test from Germany and one of the few clubs with a European record to edge them- Bayern have four European Cups to United's three.

Benfica v Liverpool- The History

Until these two clubs met in the round of last 16 in the 2005/06 Champions League Liverpool had every reason to think drawing Benfica was a lucky omen. Three times the clubs met in the European Cup (as it was) and on each occasion the Anfield side went to the Final.

The ties were in the days when Liverpool were in their pomp- the most feared team in Europe. Benfica were no mean shakes either but the Eagles were not the side that reached the pinnacle of the European game in the early 1960s.

Liverpool disposed of Benfica easily in 1977-78 in the last eight, on the way to their second successive European Cup win. It finished 6-2 on aggregate with Bob Paisley's side winning both legs; at Anfield the score was 4-1 to the home side.

It was a measure of the class in the Liverpool side at that time that the six goals were scored by six different players- Case, Hughes, Dalglish, McDermott, Callaghan and Neal.

Benfica must have cursed their luck to come up against the Reds in both 1984 and 1985. In the first tie the Eagles were again brushed aside, only this time Liverpool won 4-1 in the Stadium of Light. The predatory Ian Rush netted in both matches and Ronnie Whelan hit a pair. Liverpool went on to lift the European Cup in Rome.

A year later that man Rush bagged a hat-trick as the Reds won 3-1 at Anfield. It was a tougher return though and Benfica won 1-0- another goal and they would have progressed.Ultimately, the win didn't matter as the 1985 Final was played against the backdrop of the Heysel tragedy.

Benfica supporters partied long and hard when they got a measure of revenge in 2006 and they won both legs of the last 16 tie for good measure.Liverpool were expected to pull back a one -goal deficit in front of the Kop but chances were missed and Simao scored on 36 minutes, Miccoli's late, late strike just added some more gloss to a tie that was over.

The pairing in the Europa League will be the first time these two sides have met outside the premier European competition. Benfica come in as leaders of the Portuguese top division, on course for yet another title.

Blackburn Rovers vs Chelsea: Chelsea playing catch-up

... preview to follow

Blackburn Rovers vs Chelsea; Kick Off 4:00pm 21 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 1 - 2
Chris Cox : 0 - 3
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 0 - 4
Chris Goodwin : 0 - 3
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 0 - 2
Don McMahon : 1 - 3
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 2
Peter Rendle : 0 - 2
Dan Taylor : 1 - 3
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 0 - 1

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 2-1 Chelsea win.

Home: 1; Draw: 2; Away: 11; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Fulham vs Manchester City: Will Fulham be hungover from Euro success?

... preview to follow

Fulham vs Manchester City; Kick Off 3:00pm 21 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 1
Chris Cox : 1 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 1
Don McMahon : 2 - 2
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 2
Peter Rendle : 1 - 1
Dan Taylor : 2 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 2 - 1

Panel Verdict
The panel is very split, with a 1-1 draw the verdict

Home: 6; Draw: 5; Away: 3; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Manchester United vs Liverpool: Must-win

With Arsenal winning again and looking like they have the resilience to keep winning there is no room for slip-ups in the run-in; you would suspect that if United are to break new ground and secure a 19th title they will need to win seven of their last eight games - and how Liverpool would love to break the back of this particular title bid.

Liverpool have won the last three league games between these two teams so will have few fears on the game itself. But with Fernando Torres being reported to require Champions' League football to stay at Liverpool this will be a defining game in Rafa Benitez's time as Liverpool boss. To finish fourth Liverpool will probably need to get close to 70 points so six wins from the last eight should be enough but hardly guaranteed at this stage.

Manchester United vs Liverpool; Kick Off 1:30pm 21 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Chris Cox : 2 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 3 - 2
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 0
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Peter Lee : 2 - 1
Don McMahon : 0 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 0
Peter Rendle : 2 - 1
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 1 - 2

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 2-0 win to United.

Home: 10; Draw: 1; Away: 3; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

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12:17 Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: First goal wins? bit.ly/b6W33T #

12:18 sqF prediction panel: Villa 2 - 0 Wolves - bit.ly/b6W33T #

12:37 sqF Mailbag: Rooney is the best bit.ly/cNRZer #

12:37 sqF Mailbag: He’s never performed consistently enough to even justify requesting a first team place. Let alone t... bit.ly/cGFOnl #

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13:15 Passed a year on Twitter on 17 March (not been concentrating) and 200 followers. #

13:29 Everton vs Bolton Wanderers: Toffees should be too sweet bit.ly/9efNW7 #

13:38 sqf prediction panel: Everton 2 - 1 Bolton #

14:05 Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Can Spurs match top four ambitions? bit.ly/aFEjXQ #

14:06 sqF prediction panel: Stoke 1 - 1 Tottenham bit.ly/aFEjXQ #

14:12 Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Can Spurs match top four ambitions?: Stoke have already lost at home this sea... bit.ly/9js2WW #sqf #

14:13 Portsmouth vs Hull City: Can Hull catch Pompey demotivated bit.ly/cF867h #

14:19 Sunderland vs Birmingham City: Nailed on 1-1. bit.ly/a0XBqL #

14:19 sqF prediction panel: Portsmouth 1 - 1 Hull - bit.ly/cF867h #

14:20 sqF prediction panel: Sunderland 1 - 1 Birmingham bit.ly/a0XBqL #

14:28 Wigan Athletic vs Burnley: Can Burnley save themselves? bit.ly/cVq4OL #

14:36 Arsenal vs West Ham United: Arsenal look to Fergie-time to got top with a win bit.ly/bZJWFm #

14:37 sqF prediction panel: Wigan 2 - 1 Burnley - bit.ly/cVq4OL #

14:37 sqF prediction panel: Arsenal 3 - 1 West Ham - bit.ly/bZJWFm #

15:13 Arsenal vs West Ham United: Arsenal look to Fergie-time to got top with a win: Arsenal will be excited (and ne... bit.ly/9vCA5p #sqf #

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Arsenal vs West Ham United: Arsenal look to Fergie-time to got top with a win

Arsenal will be excited (and nervous) at the gourmet prospect of meeting Barcelona, but the meat-and-two-veg of West Ham is on the menu today. Arsenal can go top with a win and with Chelsea facing a tricky trip to Blackburn and Man United playing Liverpool, a win could keep Arsenal top come Monday morning. West Ham are likely to make this game tight, but like a northern serial-title-winning side Arsenal have suddenly mastered the art of the Fergie-time winner scoring 6 goals on or after the 90th minute in the last five games. West Ham will have to play out of their skins to get anything from this game.

Arsenal vs West Ham United; Kick Off 5:30pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 3 - 1
Chris Cox : 3 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 3 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 3 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 3 - 0
Peter Lee : 3 - 0
Don McMahon : 3 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 1
Peter Rendle : 2 - 0
Dan Taylor : 3 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 2 - 0

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 3-1 Arsenal win.

Home: 14; Draw: 0; Away: 0; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Wigan Athletic vs Burnley: Can Burnley save themselves?

Burnley have the most abject away record of the 92 clubs - with only Gillingham and Hull joining the Lancashire team with a liking for claret in failing to win away. But Gillingham and Hull have picked up nine draws between them - compared to Burnley's one. But these two teams have had regular clashes as they have risen through the leagues - and the home team has rarely won. A home win for either Wigan or Burnley (against each other) has only happened once in the last ten games. So Burnley may be hoping to get something - especially as the most common (historically) scoreline between these two teams is 0-0 - and they need something if relegation is to be averted.

Wigan Athletic vs Burnley; Kick Off 3:00pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Chris Cox : 2 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 2
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 3
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 0
Don McMahon : 2 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 0
Peter Rendle : 0 - 0
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 1 - 0

Panel Verdict
The panel is favouring a 2-1 Wigan win.

Home: 10; Draw: 2; Away: 2; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Sunderland vs Birmingham City: Nailed on 1-1.

Sunderland's thumping 4-0 win over Bolton was the only win in the last six - but with four draws in the same time period, the north-east side is clearly scrapping its way back into some kind of form. Birmingham have scored just 30 times this season and yet managed to pick up 44 points (compared to Sunderland's 34 goals and 31 points) but many of these points have been the results of clean-sheets. With the Black Cats looking likely scorers again this looks a nailed on 1-1 draw with an obdurate Blues outfit.

Sunderland vs Birmingham City; Kick Off 3:00pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 1 - 1
Chris Cox : 1 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 1 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 2
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 0 - 0
Peter Lee : 1 - 1
Don McMahon : 0 - 2
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 1
Peter Rendle : 2 - 2
Dan Taylor : 1 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 1
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 1 - 1

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 1-1 draw.

Home: 2; Draw: 10; Away: 2; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Portsmouth vs Hull City: Can Hull catch Pompey demotivated

The Portsmouth nine point deduction all but relegates the south coast side and that relegation could now be confirmed next Saturday when Portsmouth travel to Tottenham where they will ironically face their former manager and about half of their team from the cup winning season. Hull will be hoping to get a bounce for new Manager Iain Dowie on the back of the points deduction as there cannot be a better time to travel to Fratton Park.

Portsmouth vs Hull City; Kick Off 3:00pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 2 - 0
Chris Cox : 1 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 1 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 3 - 2
Peter Lee : 1 - 0
Don McMahon : 1 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 2
Peter Rendle : 3 - 1
Dan Taylor : 2 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 3
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 0 - 0

Panel Verdict
The panel is very split, but narrowly favours a 1-1 draw.

Home: 5; Draw: 6; Away: 3; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Can Spurs match top four ambitions?

Stoke have already lost at home this season to the top three, so will the team currently leading the race to be fourth complete the set? The loss of Jermain Defoe could be crucial against a team that works hard to restrict the opposition and will reduce the mobility of the Spurs attack in the continued absence of Lennon. Tuncay isn't growing into his role as a striker in the Potteries - but as he is the clubs leading scorer with four goals it explains why Stoke have won one in the last six games and points to an issue that needs to be addressed in the summer.

Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur; Kick Off 3:00pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 0 - 0
Chris Cox : 1 - 2
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 1 - 3
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 1
Don McMahon : 1 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 1
Peter Rendle : 1 - 1
Dan Taylor : 2 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 1
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 2 - 1

Panel Verdict
The panel is split but a significant minority predict a 1-1 draw.

Home: 2; Draw: 9; Away: 3; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Everton vs Bolton Wanderers: Toffees should be too sweet

Everton have won nine of their last ten at home and will relish a meeting with such a poor travelling team as Bolton. But the Trotters under Owen Coyle are a difficult side to score against (if the 4-0 at Sunderland is ignored) and so there won't be much in it. Relatively speaking these are two of the divisions form teams but Everton should be too good if they really are good enough to snatch a top six finish.

Everton vs Bolton Wanderers; Kick Off 3:00pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 3 - 1
Chris Cox : 2 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 2 - 1
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 1
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 3 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 1
Peter Lee : 1 - 0
Don McMahon : 1 - 0
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 0 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 0
Peter Rendle : 2 - 1
Dan Taylor : 1 - 0
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 1
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 2 - 0

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 2-1 Everton win.

Home: 13; Draw: 1; Away: 0; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: First goal wins?

I'm not sure what is in the west Midlands water, but Wolves, Villa and Birmingham seem to be thriving despite scoring too few goals for their respective places in the division. Wolves are the divisions lowest scorers on 23 and yet are clear of the relegation zone; Blues have only 30 goals and yet are in the mix for a Europa League slot and Villa on 39 have real hopes of finishing fourth - despite barely outscoring the likes of West Ham, Bolton and Sunderland. Against that backdrop a 0-0 draw may not be the worst prediction.

Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers; Kick Off 12:45pm 20 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 3 - 0
Chris Cox : 3 - 1
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 1 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 0
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 2 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Peter Lee : 2 - 0
Don McMahon : 2 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : TBC
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 1
Peter Rendle : 2 - 0
Dan Taylor : 2 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 2 - 0
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : 2 - 0

Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 2-0 Villa win

Home: 14; Draw: 0; Away: 0; TBC: 6.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

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12:52 Another Liverpool Wide Man Bites The Dust: Alberto Riera's comments about Rafa Benitez may have told us a litt... bit.ly/ab9Spd #sqf #

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Another Liverpool Wide Man Bites The Dust

Alberto Riera's comments about Rafa Benitez may have told us a little bit more about how the Anfield boss communicates (or doesn't ) but it didn't tell us much we didn't know about his attitude to wide players.

Somebody should have had a word with Riera before he went to Liverpool- Benitez mistrusts wide men- period. The Spanish boss still keeps buying them but never seems to find one that fits his purposes.

Riera could have had a chat with Mark Gonzalez, Jermaine Pennant, Sebastian Leto and Bolo Zenden, or swapped notes on arrival with Ryan Babel. You'll get a few games- usually against the lesser lights- but when it comes to the big ones Dirk Kuyt or the likes of Fabio Aurelio are likely to get the nod.

None of the elite clubs in the Premiership plays narrower than Liverpool. Benitez favours what Italians used to call the 'false winger'- one most likely to cut inside rather than head for the by-line. Even when he does pick a creative talent out wide like Yossi Benayoun, the tendency is still to come away from the whitewash.

The system has often worked perfectly to stifle the opposition in Europe but it makes for sterile football at times.And huge frustration for wingers who want bto take men on, get to the by line and cross it.

Benitez might argue that his wide men didn't deliver often enough but the question is do they ever get a decent run in the side? Pennant looked the most promising, as his performance in the 2007 Champions League Final and destruction of Chelsea in January 2007 ( albeit with a makeshift central defence) showed but he rarely got a lengthy run.

In some respects, Benitez seems to mistrust creative players as a breed, With the exceptions of Torres and Gerrard, none of Liverpool's playmakers can ever feel secure. Alberto Aquilani must be wondering about his future and Maxi Rodriguez will be desperately trying to cajole the boss into letting him play centrally rather than take up the graveyard slot out wide.

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Beckham bows, Bale wows

OK, so the nation’s red-top readers might not be unified in touching an x-ray of his broken Achilles tendon this summer, but David Beckham’s injury and subsequent absence from this year’s World Cup rightfully dominated Monday's papers. Sure, his prospective absence isn’t anywhere near as pressing this summer as it was eight years ago in Asia – and, if cynicism is anything to go by, he wouldn’t even have made this year’s plane – but after working tirelessly to get back into the England setup over the last 18 months, chez-Beckham surely won’t be mounting any more international caps on the mantle piece(s).

Now, I haven’t got a problem with Beckham. I haven’t even got a problem with brand-Beckham; sure, he married into fortune, fame and OK magazine shame, but nobody should begrudge him of that. Not least when he is (was) still going strong a week before his thirty-fifth birthday, featuring in massive Champions League knock-out matches and being tipped – by some – to feature in an ultra-commendable fourth successive World Cup Finals.

My gripe on this one is with the fickle nature of those who constitute the football-supporting (and, come to think of it, the football-writing) demographic in this country. David Beckham can’t win. He never could (a non-satirical lexical choice). I’m going to hedge my bets and say that all the people who state Beckham should never had made an England team for just being “committed” and “passionate”, are exactly the same short-sighted fools who say that John Terry should have retained the nation’s captaincy for having these very traits alone. "We don’t solely want passion and commitment in our players, but seeing as John Terry only offers both he can have the captaincy"... the only traits I want in these people are consistency and sense.

* * *

Meanwhile, two bouts of brilliance locked horns at White Hart Lane on Saturday, as Tottenham’s reformed Gareth Bale came face-to-face with Blackburn’s deformed Michel Salgado. The only difference being, of course, is that Bale’s brilliance came in the 90 minutes of football, while Salgado’s came in his post-match comments. After being tormented for the best part of an hour by the Tottenham left-sider’s power, craft and pace, Salgado felt the need to publicly piece together the mystery of his own performance: “Bale is a diver”, the deluded Spaniard concluded. I haven’t laughed so hard since Allardyce signed him in the first place. I would put to Salgado that he doesn't really have a leg to stand on with this one. Much like during Saturday's game. His comments were the footballing equivalent of a child refusing to accept defeat at Pogs by stating that his opponent “smells”. I half-expected Salgado to blow a raspberry at the interviewer, fold him arms and sulk. Alan Hansen's assessment of the full-back's eventful Saturday: "He looked 49". Time for him to act his age, methinks.

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Arsenal: Campbell for England? You’re having a laugh!

Arsenal’s veteran defender Sol Campbell started the 2009/10 season at Notts County but the former Spurs ace has not ruled out ending the campaign with a place in Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad. Now I’ve heard some ridiculous things come out of the mouths of footballers in my time but this has to be up there with the best of them.

Arsene Wenger stunned the football world by giving Campbell a contract in January but unlike other pundits I fully supported the Frenchman’s decision. After all Campbell had been training with Arsenal for the past couple of months and Wenger must have seen something in his displays to warrant such a move.

At his peak Campbell was a fearsome defender. He had pace to burn, was supremely strong and knew what it took to win games and keep clean sheets. But that was before he lost his head during a game with West Ham United and left for Portsmouth.

However, with a squad lacking strength in depth and Wenger knowing exactly what he could offer the team, the Frenchman bit the bullet and offered Sol a deal he couldn’t refuse. I think it was his valuable top flight experience and the thought of relying on Silvestre that convinced Wenger to give him another chance at the top, and let’s not forget that it was rumoured that Sir Alex was also interested in signing him as cover for Vidic and Ferdinand at Manchester United.

Unfortunately it’s been painfully evident that his absence from top flight action has caught up with the former England international. Since coming in to cover the injured William Gallas, Campbell has looked slow, cumbersome and leaves many Arsenal fans with their hearts in their mouths every time he’s in possession. Against Porto his schoolboy-like mix-up with Fabianski allowed the Portuguese giants to take a 2-1 lead to the Emirates and his clumsy challenge on Veenegoor of Hesselink against Hull City on Saturday almost cost them two vital points in their race for Premier League glory.

Of course Campbell has shown some glimpses of his former self. He did score the Gunners’ crucial away goal in Portugal and rolled back the years to make a superb challenge on Hull City’s Kamil Zayatte – one that left Hull boss Phil Brown raging – but it’s clear that his fitness is not up to scratch. Campbell has admitted as much himself, but Wenger must be secretly praying for Gallas to make a swift return to first team action as he enters the business end of the season.

Campbell has looked suspect in an Arsenal shirt and he doesn’t fill me with confidence when the ball is at his feet, but he has done an adequate job in the absence of Gallas. He’s still strong in the air attacking the ball and is disciplined defensively which allows Vermaelen to get forward when possible, but his defensive errors have largely been covered up thanks to their awesome attacking prowess. I’d hate to see what the likes of Rooney and Drogba would do to Campbell.

Of course Fabio Capello does have a huge decision to make on who he takes to the World Cup as cover for John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. The Chelsea captain has looked ropey in recent games while Ferdinand is troubled by a niggling back injury. Capello has never picked Campbell in any of his squads before and it would be a massive shock if he was given the nod over established squad players like Lescott, King and Brown.

Campbell may have played at the highest level and could potentially end the season as a Premier League and Champions League winner but that would in spite of his performances not because of them. The former Portsmouth man may have dreams of playing in the World Cup. Unfortunately an England recall for Campbell would leave the majority of England fans having nightmares.

· Calling all Arsenal fans. What do you think of Campbell’s displays in an Arsenal shirt this season? Do you think he warrants a recall to the England side? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.

Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa: Can Martinez be the main Villain again?

Aston Villa’s top four hopes were shattered on the opening day of the season by Roberto Martinez’s Wigan, but can the Lactics be the Villains again tonight?

Wigan, on the back of their impressive win over Liverpool, were destroyed at the Reebok on Saturday and Martinez will be looking for a marked improvement when O’Neill’s men arrives. Aston Villa themselves lost ground on Spurs at the weekend by drawing with Stoke City, but if they win their two games in hand they will go level on points with the north London giants.

Villa have only lost one previous trip to the DW Stadium and haven’t lost on their travels this calendar year, while Wigan have recorded just one win in 11. O’Neill’s men have proved that they are made of stern stuff and have battled back well from their opening day nightmare at the hands of Wigan. The former Celtic and Leicester City boss will not want to let the fans down again but he is still waiting on his first league win in March as Villa boss.

Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa; Kick Off 7:45pm 16 Mar 2010

Prediction Panel

Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).

Dave Blackburn : 0 - 2
Chris Cox : 1 - 2
Graham Enwright : TBC
Sue Gardener : 1 - 3
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 2
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 2
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : TBC
Peter Lee : 1 - 2
Don McMahon : 0 - 3
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 2
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 0 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 1 - 1
Peter Rendle : 1 - 2
Dan Taylor : 1 - 2
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 2
Isaac Williams : TBC
Mark Williams : TBC

Panel Verdict

The Panel strongly favours an away win.

Home: 0; Draw: 1; Away: 12; TBC: 7.

* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!

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West Ham United: Ten points to safety, but where will they come from?

Struggling West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola believes that 37 points will be enough to guarantee survival this season but after a thumping defeat by Chelsea, and Arsenal next on the horizon, where will these points that the little Italian so dearly craves come from?

Traditionally forty points is the mark that every team tries to amass in order to beat the drop from the Premier League but in recent seasons this total has ranged between 34 and 38 points. Portsmouth’s slide into administration will almost certainly consign the basement boys to life in the Championship and Hull City and Burnley look destined to join them. But the Hammers are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination.

Life at the Boleyn Ground has been anything but sweet for Gianfranco Zola with a massive debt hanging over the club and injuries to key players playing havoc with results on the field. However, everyone believes that the Hammers will have enough about them to retain their Premier League status, but talk is cheap – Zola needs his players to do their talking on the pitch and fast.

West Ham have managed to win just two of their past 11 league and cup fixtures and find themselves perilously close to the drop zone. In fact if the Hammers lose to Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday and Hull City or Burnley end their away day blues at Portsmouth and Wigan respectively, West Ham United will be in real danger.

Ten points is what the gaffer is after but where will they come from? The Hammers have nine games to save themselves this season starting with a trip to north London on Saturday and not even the most optimistic fan can see them derailing Arsenal’s title hopes. The Hammers have only lost at the Emirates once in their past four visits but you’d have to fancy the stubborn Gunners to keep the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester United. Points: Zero.

Once Arsenal is out of the way West Ham host a crucial double header against fellow strugglers Wolves and the ever determined Potters of Stoke City. The Hammers defeated Mick McCarthy’s men on the opening day of the season at Molineux – which remains the only away win for Zola this season in the league – and haven’t lost at home to Wolves in 32 years. But Wolves have proved to be a lot harder to beat in recent outings and will be keen to leave the capital with a share of the points at least. Points: At least one.

Stoke City beat the Irons for the first time in six attempts earlier this season but their record at Upton Park is sketchy to say the least. They have left the East End with maximum points only once in the past 36 years and have managed just two away victories this season, but the Potters are always hard to play against and you must fight to get anything from them. Points: At least one.

April sees the Hammers travel to Merseyside to face a team they haven’t beaten in their past six clashes. Goodison Park is notoriously a difficult ground to visit and the Irons will be looking to record only their third win there in 27 years. Everton have overcome their poor start to the season and David Moyes will want his players to finish on a high. Points: Zero.

They then face Steve Bruce’s Sunderland. The Black Cats look to have turned the corner following their 4-0 drubbing of Bolton Wanderers but Zola should feel comfortable welcoming them to the East End. The Wearsiders have amassed only seven points on their travels this season and have lost their last three visits to the Boleyn. Points: Three.

Zola then faces another to visit to Merseyside, this time to take on Liverpool. The Anfield giants have been a shadow of their former selves and are in real danger of losing their grip on fourth place. However, Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for West Ham. Their last win there was back in 1963 and last season’s goalless draw was their first point at Anfield in a decade. But if Zola has a full squad to choose from and Liverpool are without a few of their senior players anything could happen. Points: One.

West Ham then entertain Wigan Athletic, who themselves are in danger of slipping through the trap door. Meetings between the two sides have been scarce but the Lactics have left the Boleyn with maximum points in three of their past five visits and you can never be sure what Roberto Martinez’s men will produce. Points: At least one.

The Hammers’ penultimate game is away at Fulham – a ground where they haven’t lost in the league since 1966 – before hosting Champions League hopefuls Manchester City on the final day. Points from the two games: Four.

By my calculations that will be 11 points for the Hammers, two more than Zola expects, and will put them on 38 points which should ensure their Premier League survival. It’s ultimately in their own hands but looking at those fixtures they are going to have to do it the hard way. There are a number of winnable games but they must start picking up points on the road if they are to beat the drop again.

Wolves, Stoke and Sunderland are three massive games for the Hammers and if they can win those then they should be able to enjoy the final few games of the season. If they lose them, it could be curtains for Zola and the Hammers as we know them.

Personally, I think (and hope) the Hammers will find some form and beat the drop, and they deserve to do so. They like to play football on the deck, have a loyal fan base and Zola warrants another season to show what he can do in the top flight. It will be tough and there will be plenty of ups and downs but that’s part of the course being a West Ham fan isn’t it? Just as long as they stay up.

· Calling all West Ham fans. Where do you think the points will come from to keep you up this season? How confident are you of beating the drop? Do you think you may need more than 10 points to stay up? Is Zola the right man for the Hammers? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.