THE COALITION government suffered its biggest split so far as the Liberal Democrats helped defeat Conservative plans to redraw constituency boundaries before the 2015 general election.
A Lords amendment to the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, which postpones the boundary revision until 2018, was favoured by 334 MPs to 292, a significant majority of 42.
All 57 Lib Dems entered the opposite lobby to their Tory colleagues, along with the 251 Labour MPs, six Scottish Nationalists, six Democratic Unionists, three Plaid Cymru, three Irish Nationalists.
Caroline Lucas of the Green Party, George Galloway of Respect and two independents also voted with Labour and the Lib Dems.
Notably, even four Conservative MPs - David Davis, Philip Davies, Richard Shepherd and John Baron - rebelled against party policy.
For the most part, though, the disdain from the Tory backbenches was unequivocal.
Peter Bone, MP for Wellingborough, even went as far as to call on the Lib Dem ministers to resign if they could not accept collective responsibility. "They're a disgrace and they should be over there," he said, pointing across the floor.
Mr Bone was joined by Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North, who said the Lib Dems were motivated by "spite, pettiness and self-interest". Miss Mordaunt also accused them of making "flirtatious glances" to Labour as potential future coalition partners.
"The Liberals have exchanged their legendary sandals for flip-flops in
the hope that it will enable them to keep their options open," she added.
However, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg defended their position and described it as "perfectly reasonable". After all, the other part of this Bill was meant to bring about reform of the House of Lords, but that collapsed last summer due to opposition from Conservative backbenchers.
Indeed, some will consider this as the day Mr Clegg's party finally stood up to David Cameron's Tory bullies - and a more lusty blow they would have struggled to deliver.
For, now that the boundaries will remain untouched before 2015, the chances of a Conservative majority at the next general election are looking slim.
On his New Statesman blog, George Eaton has noted that the Tories require a lead of seven points to win an overall majority, compared to a
lead of four points under the new boundaries.
Labour, by contrast,
needs a lead of just one point to win a majority under the current
system, compared to a lead of three points under the proposed boundaries.
And so, the voting by the Labour, Lib Dem and other MPs was actually fundamentally undemocratic.
This was a point made by Leader of the House of Commons Andrew Lansley who described the Lords' amendment as a "democratic travesty" and an "abuse of parliamentary process".
However, there was little sympathy for Mr Cameron, and certainly none from the Lib Dem benches, following the failure in 2011 of Alternative Vote referendum.
The Conservatives claimed that simply just by holding the referendum, they had upheld their side of the deal.
But, while Mr Cameron was not directly involved, the Lib Dems were aghast that the No2AV campaign received strong support from the Tories and their well-oiled media machine.
After all, on constitutional matters, it is defeat in the AV vote which has caused the Lib Dems the most heartache, not their failure to reform the Lords.
Of course, it must be said that nothing has actually been decided in electoral terms by this decision in Parliament, and both main parties will feel that there is everything to play for.
Bullish Labour has already published a list of 106 target seats which, if successful, would give the party a working majority.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Home website has a running blog simply called "Majority", which is attempting to come up with a strategy of just how the party could win an overall majority for the first time since 1992.
On the political Right, though, the boundaries decision is killing off hope. Following the result, Daily Mail deputy political editor Tim Shipman declared on Twitter: "Labour cheers as they win the next election".
And, while it is difficult still at this stage to envisage the prospect of Ed Miliband as Prime Minister, his party certainly now justifies the shortening in their odds to triumph in 2015.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Saturday, 26 January 2013
FA Cup Fourth Round: Man United on the box again
MANCHESTER UNITED will extend their extraordinary run of televised FA Cup ties to 38 today when they take on Fulham in the Fourth Round at Old Trafford.
The streak stretches back to a Third Round replay in 2005 when the Red Devils beat Exeter City in a Third Round replay at St James Park in Devon.
Since then, Sir Alex Ferguson's men being on the TV on an FA Cup weekend has become a third certainty in life, just like death and taxes.
First, though, the case for the defence of the continual Man United selections. It is indeed true that, in recent seasons, the 11-time winners have had some mighty draws.
As the match preview on the BBC website pointed out: "Fulham are the sixth successive Premier League club they've been drawn to meet in the competition, and the 21st in 26 rounds."
It is not as if their fixtures in the early rounds have been against run-of-the-mill top-flight clubs either. Liverpool have featured three times in 2006, 2011 and 2012, Tottenham Hotspur twice in 2008 and 2009, as well as Arsenal (2008) and Manchester City (2012).
Even when Sir Alex Ferguson's men have been drawn to opposition from a lower league, there has often been a story to tell - for example, the renewal of hostilities against Leeds United in 2010 and the rags-to-riches tale of Crawley Town in 2011.
Also, the fact that Man United have reached two finals, four semi-finals, and five quarter finals in the last eight years will inevitably mean that a lot of their FA Cup ties have been broadcast.
Finally, on top of the fixtures, there is the argument that Man United - as the biggest club in English football - will always draw the biggest television audience, and that commercial stations like ITV and ESPN would be crazy not to include them as one of their picks.
After all, hordes of their armchair supporters are bound to tune in, while many others will watch in the hope that Fulham can pull off a shock
The latter is unlikely to happen this afternoon, though. Instead, we are more likely to see an under-strength team from the league leaders roll over a notoriously poor-travelling, middling top-flight team in front of a near silent ground.
Indeed, those desperately needing to see a Man United-Fulham fixture broadcast live will not need to wait long: the league match at Craven Cottage is on ESPN at 5.30pm next Saturday.
There is none of the romance of the Cup in this selection, and - in FA Cup terms - the Macclesfield Town v Wigan Athletic or Norwich City v Luton Town would have been a much better choice.
In fact, Macclesfield Town chief executive John Harris has gone as far as to call the decision "farcical", adding: "When we beat Cardiff City here in the third round, the scenes at our stadium were magnificent and a giant-killing could be on the cards again.
"No disrespect, but is Manchester United playing Fulham more attractive to a football purist?"
For, it is not only at the big clubs that there is narrative to tell. Macclesfield go into their tie against Premier League opposition on the back of a tale of tragedy and decline, with the sudden deaths of manager Keith Alexander and midfielder Richard Butcher followed by relegation out of the Football League.
The hard work which has been required at Moss Rose even to get the match played - with 50 people shovelling the pitch clear of snow - would have added to the feeling that this is not just any other weekend of the season.
Luton Town, too, can feel aggrieved at not being chosen. Their match against Norwich City is another Conference v Premier League tie but the Hatters are hardly a typical non-league side.
Winners of the League Cup in 1988, Luton have fallen on hard times recently, and their cause has not been helped by three successive failures in the Blue Square Premier playoffs.
Nevertheless, things are looking up at Kenilworth Road, and a group of investors - led by former breakfast TV host Nick Owen - have stabilised the finances. What odds on an upset against the horribly out-of-form Canaries?
At least the other television matches look like cannier selections. Yes, Stoke City v Manchester City is another all-Premier League tie but it is, at least, the replay of the 2011 Cup Final, the scene of Man City's first major trophy for 35 years.
Meanwhile, the other matches all have a big Premier League club scrapping it out at a lower league ground. Brentford v Chelsea is a west London derby no less, while Leeds will reprise their role as the Championship club to avoid in the Cups when they take on Tottenham.
Finally, the third game on Sunday sees Liverpool travel to Oldham Athletic who will surely make a better fight of it at Boundary Park than they did in last year's 5-1 Third Round defeat at Anfield.
Already, the television companies have missed out on a so-called shock with Championship team Millwall beating Aston Villa 2-1 with a last-minute goal.
The match at the Den was moved to Friday night as Met Police in the area will be required today to deal with a protest march against the closure of Lewisham Hospital.
However, neither ITV nor ESPN saw fit to broadcast live the latest chapter of Villa's demise following their exit earlier this week to Bradford City in the League Cup semis.
With Swansea City beating Chelsea on the following night, the League Cup Final thus gained an unusual look in being a Bradford-Swansea fixture.
Unusual - but all the better for it, as it spares us another deeply unimaginative selection from the broadcasters.
THE AMAZING MANCHESTER UNITED TV CUP RUN
FA CUP FOURTH ROUND
FA CUP FIFTH ROUND DRAW
Ties to be played on 16-17 February
Huddersfield Town or Leicester City v Wigan Athletic
Milton Keynes Dons v Barnsley
Oldham Athletic v Everton
Luton Town v Millwall
Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
Manchester City v Leeds United
Manchester United v Reading
Middlesbrough v Brentford or Chelsea
The streak stretches back to a Third Round replay in 2005 when the Red Devils beat Exeter City in a Third Round replay at St James Park in Devon.
Since then, Sir Alex Ferguson's men being on the TV on an FA Cup weekend has become a third certainty in life, just like death and taxes.
First, though, the case for the defence of the continual Man United selections. It is indeed true that, in recent seasons, the 11-time winners have had some mighty draws.
As the match preview on the BBC website pointed out: "Fulham are the sixth successive Premier League club they've been drawn to meet in the competition, and the 21st in 26 rounds."
It is not as if their fixtures in the early rounds have been against run-of-the-mill top-flight clubs either. Liverpool have featured three times in 2006, 2011 and 2012, Tottenham Hotspur twice in 2008 and 2009, as well as Arsenal (2008) and Manchester City (2012).
Even when Sir Alex Ferguson's men have been drawn to opposition from a lower league, there has often been a story to tell - for example, the renewal of hostilities against Leeds United in 2010 and the rags-to-riches tale of Crawley Town in 2011.
Also, the fact that Man United have reached two finals, four semi-finals, and five quarter finals in the last eight years will inevitably mean that a lot of their FA Cup ties have been broadcast.
Finally, on top of the fixtures, there is the argument that Man United - as the biggest club in English football - will always draw the biggest television audience, and that commercial stations like ITV and ESPN would be crazy not to include them as one of their picks.
After all, hordes of their armchair supporters are bound to tune in, while many others will watch in the hope that Fulham can pull off a shock
The latter is unlikely to happen this afternoon, though. Instead, we are more likely to see an under-strength team from the league leaders roll over a notoriously poor-travelling, middling top-flight team in front of a near silent ground.
Indeed, those desperately needing to see a Man United-Fulham fixture broadcast live will not need to wait long: the league match at Craven Cottage is on ESPN at 5.30pm next Saturday.
There is none of the romance of the Cup in this selection, and - in FA Cup terms - the Macclesfield Town v Wigan Athletic or Norwich City v Luton Town would have been a much better choice.
In fact, Macclesfield Town chief executive John Harris has gone as far as to call the decision "farcical", adding: "When we beat Cardiff City here in the third round, the scenes at our stadium were magnificent and a giant-killing could be on the cards again.
"No disrespect, but is Manchester United playing Fulham more attractive to a football purist?"
For, it is not only at the big clubs that there is narrative to tell. Macclesfield go into their tie against Premier League opposition on the back of a tale of tragedy and decline, with the sudden deaths of manager Keith Alexander and midfielder Richard Butcher followed by relegation out of the Football League.
The hard work which has been required at Moss Rose even to get the match played - with 50 people shovelling the pitch clear of snow - would have added to the feeling that this is not just any other weekend of the season.
Luton Town, too, can feel aggrieved at not being chosen. Their match against Norwich City is another Conference v Premier League tie but the Hatters are hardly a typical non-league side.
Winners of the League Cup in 1988, Luton have fallen on hard times recently, and their cause has not been helped by three successive failures in the Blue Square Premier playoffs.
Nevertheless, things are looking up at Kenilworth Road, and a group of investors - led by former breakfast TV host Nick Owen - have stabilised the finances. What odds on an upset against the horribly out-of-form Canaries?
At least the other television matches look like cannier selections. Yes, Stoke City v Manchester City is another all-Premier League tie but it is, at least, the replay of the 2011 Cup Final, the scene of Man City's first major trophy for 35 years.
Meanwhile, the other matches all have a big Premier League club scrapping it out at a lower league ground. Brentford v Chelsea is a west London derby no less, while Leeds will reprise their role as the Championship club to avoid in the Cups when they take on Tottenham.
Finally, the third game on Sunday sees Liverpool travel to Oldham Athletic who will surely make a better fight of it at Boundary Park than they did in last year's 5-1 Third Round defeat at Anfield.
Already, the television companies have missed out on a so-called shock with Championship team Millwall beating Aston Villa 2-1 with a last-minute goal.
The match at the Den was moved to Friday night as Met Police in the area will be required today to deal with a protest march against the closure of Lewisham Hospital.
However, neither ITV nor ESPN saw fit to broadcast live the latest chapter of Villa's demise following their exit earlier this week to Bradford City in the League Cup semis.
With Swansea City beating Chelsea on the following night, the League Cup Final thus gained an unusual look in being a Bradford-Swansea fixture.
Unusual - but all the better for it, as it spares us another deeply unimaginative selection from the broadcasters.
THE AMAZING MANCHESTER UNITED TV CUP RUN
| 2005 | ||
| Third Round replay | v Exeter City (A) | BBC |
| Fourth Round | v Middlesbrough (H) | BBC |
| Fifth Round | v Everton (A) | BBC |
| Quarter final | v Southampton (A) | BBC |
| Semi final | v Newcastle United (N) | BBC |
| Final | v Arsenal (N) | BBC |
| 2006 | ||
| Third Round | v Burton Albion (A) | Sky |
| Third Round replay | v Burton Albion (H) | BBC |
| Fourth Round | v Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) | Sky |
| Fifth Round | v Liverpool (A) | BBC |
| 2007 | ||
| Third Round | v Aston Villa (H) | BBC |
| Fourth Round | v Portsmouth (H) | BBC |
| Fifth Round | v Reading (H) | BBC |
| Fifth Round replay | v Reading (A) | BBC |
| Quarter final | v Middlesbrough (A) | Sky |
| Quarter final replay | v Middlesbrough (H) | BBC |
| Semi final | v Watford (N) | BBC |
| Final | v Chelsea (N) | BBC |
| 2008 | ||
| Third Round | v Aston Villa (A) | BBC |
| Fourth Round | v Tottenham Hotspur (H) | BBC |
| Fifth Round | v Arsenal (H) | BBC |
| Quarter final | v Portsmouth (H) | Sky |
| 2009 | ||
| Third Round | v Southampton (A) | Setanta |
| Fourth Round | v Tottenham Hotspur (H) | ITV |
| Fifth Round | v Derby County (A) | ITV |
| Quarter final | v Fulham (A) | ITV |
| Semi final | v Everton (N) | ITV |
| 2010 | ||
| Third Round | v Leeds United (H) | ITV |
| 2011 | ||
| Third Round | v Liverpool (H) | ITV |
| Fourth Round | v Southampton (A) | ITV |
| Fifth Round | v Crawley Town (H) | ITV |
| Quarter final | v Arsenal (H) | ITV |
| Semi final | v Manchester City (N) | ITV |
| 2012 | ||
| Third Round | v Manchester City (A) | ITV |
| Fourth Round | v Liverpool (A) | ITV |
| 2013 | ||
| Third Round | v West Ham United (A) | ITV |
| Third Round replay | v West Ham United (H) | ITV |
| Fourth Round | v Fulham (H) | ESPN |
FA CUP FOURTH ROUND
| Friday 25 January | ||||
| 19:45 | MILLWALL | 2-1 | ASTON VILLA | |
| Saturday 26 January | ||||
| 15:00 | BOLTON WANDERERS | 1-2 | EVERTON | |
| 15:00 | BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION | 2-3 | ARSENAL | |
| 15:00 | DERBY COUNTY | 0-3 | BLACKBURN ROVERS | |
| 15:00 | HUDDERSFIELD TOWN | 1-1 | LEICESTER CITY | |
| 15:00 | HULL CITY | 0-1 | BARNSLEY | |
| 15:00 | MACCLESFIELD TOWN | 0-1 | WIGAN ATHLETIC | |
| 17:30 | MANCHESTER UNITED | 4-1 | FULHAM | ESPN |
| 15:00 | MIDDLESBROUGH | 2-1 | ALDERSHOT | |
| 15:00 | NORWICH CITY | 0-1 | LUTON TOWN | |
| 15:00 | QUEENS PARK RANGERS | 2-4 | MILTON KEYNES DONS | |
| 15:00 | READING | 4-0 | SHEFFIELD UNITED | |
| 12:45 | STOKE CITY | 0-1 | MANCHESTER CITY | ITV |
| Sunday 27 January | ||||
| 12:00 | BRENTFORD | 2-2 | CHELSEA | ESPN |
| 14:00 | LEEDS UNITED | 2-1 | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | ESPN |
| 16:00 | OLDHAM ATHLETIC | 3-2 | LIVERPOOL | ITV |
FA CUP FIFTH ROUND DRAW
Ties to be played on 16-17 February
Huddersfield Town or Leicester City v Wigan Athletic
Milton Keynes Dons v Barnsley
Oldham Athletic v Everton
Luton Town v Millwall
Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
Manchester City v Leeds United
Manchester United v Reading
Middlesbrough v Brentford or Chelsea
Friday, 25 January 2013
Cameron offers a way out of Europe
In a long-awaited landmark speech, Mr Cameron set out the proposals for a nationwide vote to be held by the end of 2017 so long as he is returned as PM.
Mr Cameron said he would seek a return of certain powers from Brussels to Westminster before campaigning to stay in the EU on the new terms.
Ultimately, though, he confirmed that the choice would be made by the public. "It is time for the British people to have their say," he said.
"It is time to settle this European question in British politics. I say to the British people: this will be your decision."
Unsurprisingly, the news was welcomed by most Eurosceptics who have long campaigned for a vote, but UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he would have only been satisfied by an immediate referendum.
Nevertheless, it must be said that Mr Cameron has made a clever move politically, and it is one which has almost certainly put Labour and UKIP on the back foot.
Even LabourList editor Mark Ferguson has conceded that Ed Miliband's hasty response in ruling out a referendum could mean that he and his party are perceived as "the status quo-endorsing, Europhile democracy haters".
Meanwhile, the UK Polling Report blog has recalled the popularity boost which Mr Cameron received in December 2011 when he used his veto over proposed treaty changes.
There are some cautionary words on the same site, however. Europe is not actually an issue which is particularly salient with the public, ranking behind other topics such as "the economy, pensions, crime, health and so on".
Also, the fact that, on the very next day, the Chancellor George Osborne announced his spending cuts would have to continue, coincidentally, until 2017 will not give the Tory vote much chance to bounce.
Indeed, the struggling economy means there remains a fair chance that Mr Cameron may only be a one-term Prime Minister, unable to follow through on his promise.
Even if he is re-elected, it is not clear exactly what settlement he would be able to secure as both France and Germany have warned Britain that it simply cannot "cherry pick" its EU membership.
But, despite these difficulties, it was no surprise to see Mr Cameron face this challenge head-on.
The issue of Europe has haunted the Conservatives for decades, so much so it effectively brought down the curtain on the premierships of Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
During the Cameron ministry too, it has lingered in the background like a bad smell and the rift has continued. For now, though, both sides seem to have been placated.
Eurosceptic Tories will be pleased that they finally have a goal to aim for, and that the UKIP vote against them should be blunted.
Meanwhile, BBC political editor Nick Robinson notes that pro-Europeans "were relieved by the pragmatic tone of much of the rhetoric".
That rift in the Conservative party remains, though - and it cannot be underestimated just how big a political risk Mr Cameron has taken with his promise to hold a referendum. Certainly, Mr Cameron will have to hope history does not repeat itself.
For, when Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson held a similar vote in 1975, the fall-out caused a schism in the party which would eventually leave it in the electoral wilderness for years.
Defeat to the Conservatives in 1979 sent Labour lurching further to the Left, and this caused centrist pro-European members to set up the Social Democratic Party, which would subsequently merge with the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats.
Of course, it is highly unlikely anything as dramatic as that will happen to the Conservatives, especially while they remain in power.
However, it could still be the case that Mr Cameron will be forced again to take on the Eurosceptics in his own party, depending of course on how successful the election and his negotiations are.
Finally, it must be said that the views of the British public on EU membership are unpredictable, to say the least.
Back in that vote in 1975, voters overwhelmingly opted to stay in Europe by a margin of two to one. But who knows, though, what the outcome will be in 2017 if we do indeed get the chance to vote?
Indeed, bearing in mind the anticipated one-eyed Eurosceptic stance from the likes of the Sun and its ilk, it will also be worth asking: just how informed will the decision actually be?
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Hope springs eternal for Obama
PRESIDENT Barack Obama officially began his second term at the White House yesterday with a bold commitment to gay rights, gun control, and action against climate change.
Fresh from his successful re-election in November, Mr Obama made clear his ambitions for the next four years in front of a 700,000-strong crowd at the Capitol.
In his second inaugural address, the 51-year-old said: "America's possibilities are limitless… My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it so long as we seize it together."
But, in contrast to his 2009 speech, which called for bipartisanship with his political opponents, Mr Obama seemed much more prepared to go on the offensive - and why not?
Free from the shackles of seeking re-election, he can afford to be bolder. Furthermore, he should also benefit from the fact that the economy surely cannot struggle as badly as it did at times in the previous cycle.
Already, the signs are there that the United States is over the worst for now and, of course, Mr Obama can take some credit for the improved standing.
As an example, the President's decision to bailout the automotive industry in Michigan proved vital in saving thousands of jobs, and it was richly rewarded at the ballot box in the state in November.
Meanwhile, since then, the United States has avoided so far falling off the much-hyped fiscal cliff following a last-minute budget deal which will avert tax rises and budget cuts.
However, the wider social reforms will certainly not come as easily. No way.
Mr Obama is still faced with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and conservatives have reacted with howls of anguish at certain sections of his speech.
On same-sex marriage, the President made no secret of where he stands when he said: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law."
And, if that was not enough for the foaming right-wing zealots, Mr Obama has announced plans to take on the gun lobby as well.
But that also looks to be a stern test, despite the tragedy just before Christmas at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut.
There, 20 children, all aged four and five, and six teachers were killed in addition to the perpetrator's mother who was shot at her home.
It has been confirmed as the second-deadliest school shooting in United States history after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre - but, as this extraordinary chart shows, there have been plenty other deaths caused by gunfire even since then.
It just goes to show that some Americans have such a strange sense of liberty. After all, many of the same folks who defend their right to bear arms under the Second Amendment refuse minority groups equal rights.
Of course, stubborn opposition is not the only problem which Mr Obama faces.
Foreign affairs will likely feature, as they always seem to do - and, while Mr Obama is reluctant to engage in any more theatres of war after the struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Benjamin Netanyahu's own re-election as Israeli Prime Minister is likely to bring Iran's nuclear programme back to the fore.
Despite all this, though, Mr Obama's biggest opponent to him leaving a legacy is most probably time.
A commonly-held belief is that a second-term President must achieve his goals within the first two years of his re-election before the attention begins to turn to whom his successor will be.
At least, though, the 44th President is aware of the ticking clock. He said: "For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay.
"We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate."
I am sure many will agree that those words are more like it from Mr Obama!
And, following four years of dampened expectations, maybe - just maybe - he can and will realise a more progressive society in the United States.
Friday, 18 January 2013
Retired Cooke lances the boil
CYCLIST cheat Lance Armstrong choked back crocodile tears last night as he admitted for the first time that he used banned
drugs and blood doping to win all seven of his Tour de France titles.
The 41-year-old Texan made the confession to television host Oprah Winfrey on her OWN network in a two-and-a-half-hour interview which was also streamed worldwide through her website.
"I view this situation as one big lie I repeated a lot of times. I made those decisions, they were my mistake and I'm here to say sorry," Armstrong said.
However, Armstrong also revealed that he had considered doping as simply part of the process required to win Le Tour, comparing it to having "air in our tyres or water in our bottles".
Moreover, when asked by Winfrey if he considered what he was doing was "wrong" or "cheating", Armstrong answered that he did not, adding: "The definition of a cheat is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe.
"I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field. I didn't understand the magnitude of that. The important thing is that I'm beginning to understand it."
In fairness to Armstrong for a moment, it is easy to see why he was forced into thinking like that, given the context of the times.
He won his seven Tour de France titles consecutively between 1999 and 2005, and the first of those triumphs came just a year after the Festina affair when a huge haul of doping products was found in a car of the Festina cycling team.
The 1998 scandal had huge implications for Festina and its riders, team soigneur Willy Voet and doctor Eric Rijkaert were ejected from the race and arrested. Seven of the riders admitted doping, and they were suspended and fined.
Meanwhile, some of the other teams threatened to withdraw from the race, protesting the decision to treat the riders as criminals - but the move did little more than to cast suspicion upon themselves. Basically, it seemed like everyone was at it.
Ultimately, though, it was not just a level playing field which Armstrong had hoped to achieve. Indeed, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused him and the US Postal Service team of operating "the most sophisticated, professional and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".
But it was not difficult to see why Armstrong was willing to push the doping boundaries so hard. In 1996, he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had also spread to his brain and his lungs.
Following brain surgery and extensive chemotherapy, he was given the all-clear in February 1997, and the narrative of his life made his victories all the more extraordinary, cultivating an image of him winning brilliantly against all the odds.
Furthermore, Armstrong used his powerful positive message to set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which has raised $325m (£203m) through the sale of its yellow Livestrong bracelets.
That is all well and good outside of the sport - but, within it, the American had gained the reputation as a bully with an almost dictatorial cult of personality within his team.
And, while he denied his fellow team-mates were forced to comply with the doping programme, he did admit last night that the strength of his personality could have implied that.
He said: "Yes, I was a bully. I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn't like what someone said I turned on them. We felt like we had our backs against the wall and I was a fighter."
Most relevantly, Armstrong continually strenuously denied using performance-enhancing drugs to anyone who dared suggested that he had, and even went as far as reversing his 2005 retirement decision to return to the sport between 2008 and 2011.
He backed up his denials with a crack team of lawyers who would come down hard on accusers in the courts, suing - among many others - the Sunday Times.
The newspaper paid £1m damages in its settlement outside of court but it has now counter-sued, and is just one of a whole slew of interested parties which Armstrong's lawyers will have to deal with.
Former team-mate Floyd Landis - who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for doping - has filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit accusing Armstrong of defrauding the US Postal Service, which paid more than £18.7m to sponsor the team Armstrong competed for.
And the US Department of Justice is reportedly considering whether to join the lawsuit against him
Finally, having lied under oath in 2005, Armstrong could also face criminal charges of perjury - and he surely cannot expect all of this to go away because of a cosy chat show apology to Oprah.
Certainly, USADA would have much preferred him to have made his admission under oath, and it may yet still force him to do so.
For, rather than the sponsors and the newspapers, Armstrong has done most damage to the sport itself and its competitors.
That much was clear earlier this week when British Olympic gold medallist Nicole Cooke announced her retirement.
Cooke bowed out with a parting shot, saying she had been "robbed" of more success by drugs cheats, and the Beijing Olympics road race champion clearly had little sympathy for Armstrong.
She said: "When Lance cries on Oprah later this week and she passes him the tissue, spare a thought for all those genuine people who walked away with no rewards - just shattered dreams. Each one of them is worth a thousand Lances."
Indeed, and it is fair to say that this dark episode in the sport of cycling will never be forgotten. After all, the official Tour de France record simply now states: 1999-2005 - no winner.
See also: Lance Armstrong & Oprah Winfrey - the transcript.
The 41-year-old Texan made the confession to television host Oprah Winfrey on her OWN network in a two-and-a-half-hour interview which was also streamed worldwide through her website.
"I view this situation as one big lie I repeated a lot of times. I made those decisions, they were my mistake and I'm here to say sorry," Armstrong said.
However, Armstrong also revealed that he had considered doping as simply part of the process required to win Le Tour, comparing it to having "air in our tyres or water in our bottles".
Moreover, when asked by Winfrey if he considered what he was doing was "wrong" or "cheating", Armstrong answered that he did not, adding: "The definition of a cheat is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe.
"I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field. I didn't understand the magnitude of that. The important thing is that I'm beginning to understand it."
In fairness to Armstrong for a moment, it is easy to see why he was forced into thinking like that, given the context of the times.
He won his seven Tour de France titles consecutively between 1999 and 2005, and the first of those triumphs came just a year after the Festina affair when a huge haul of doping products was found in a car of the Festina cycling team.
The 1998 scandal had huge implications for Festina and its riders, team soigneur Willy Voet and doctor Eric Rijkaert were ejected from the race and arrested. Seven of the riders admitted doping, and they were suspended and fined.
Meanwhile, some of the other teams threatened to withdraw from the race, protesting the decision to treat the riders as criminals - but the move did little more than to cast suspicion upon themselves. Basically, it seemed like everyone was at it.
Ultimately, though, it was not just a level playing field which Armstrong had hoped to achieve. Indeed, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused him and the US Postal Service team of operating "the most sophisticated, professional and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".
But it was not difficult to see why Armstrong was willing to push the doping boundaries so hard. In 1996, he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had also spread to his brain and his lungs.
Following brain surgery and extensive chemotherapy, he was given the all-clear in February 1997, and the narrative of his life made his victories all the more extraordinary, cultivating an image of him winning brilliantly against all the odds.
Furthermore, Armstrong used his powerful positive message to set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which has raised $325m (£203m) through the sale of its yellow Livestrong bracelets.
That is all well and good outside of the sport - but, within it, the American had gained the reputation as a bully with an almost dictatorial cult of personality within his team.
And, while he denied his fellow team-mates were forced to comply with the doping programme, he did admit last night that the strength of his personality could have implied that.
He said: "Yes, I was a bully. I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn't like what someone said I turned on them. We felt like we had our backs against the wall and I was a fighter."
Most relevantly, Armstrong continually strenuously denied using performance-enhancing drugs to anyone who dared suggested that he had, and even went as far as reversing his 2005 retirement decision to return to the sport between 2008 and 2011.
He backed up his denials with a crack team of lawyers who would come down hard on accusers in the courts, suing - among many others - the Sunday Times.
The newspaper paid £1m damages in its settlement outside of court but it has now counter-sued, and is just one of a whole slew of interested parties which Armstrong's lawyers will have to deal with.
Former team-mate Floyd Landis - who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for doping - has filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit accusing Armstrong of defrauding the US Postal Service, which paid more than £18.7m to sponsor the team Armstrong competed for.
And the US Department of Justice is reportedly considering whether to join the lawsuit against him
Finally, having lied under oath in 2005, Armstrong could also face criminal charges of perjury - and he surely cannot expect all of this to go away because of a cosy chat show apology to Oprah.
Certainly, USADA would have much preferred him to have made his admission under oath, and it may yet still force him to do so.
For, rather than the sponsors and the newspapers, Armstrong has done most damage to the sport itself and its competitors.
That much was clear earlier this week when British Olympic gold medallist Nicole Cooke announced her retirement.
Cooke bowed out with a parting shot, saying she had been "robbed" of more success by drugs cheats, and the Beijing Olympics road race champion clearly had little sympathy for Armstrong.
She said: "When Lance cries on Oprah later this week and she passes him the tissue, spare a thought for all those genuine people who walked away with no rewards - just shattered dreams. Each one of them is worth a thousand Lances."
Indeed, and it is fair to say that this dark episode in the sport of cycling will never be forgotten. After all, the official Tour de France record simply now states: 1999-2005 - no winner.
See also: Lance Armstrong & Oprah Winfrey - the transcript.
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Halfway to hell?
COALITION partners David Cameron and Nick Clegg reaffirmed their belief in their historic agreement as the Government's fixed five-year term reached its midway point this week.
Conservative Prime Minister Mr Cameron said: "It is a Ronseal deal: it does what it says on the tin. We said we would come together, we said we would form a government, we said we would tackle these big problems. That is exactly what we have done."
Meanwhile, Mr Cameron's Liberal Democrat deputy Mr Clegg looked ahead to the next general election, adding: "Of course we can fight, as we will do, as two separate, independent parties.
"Of course we will set out different visions of the future. Of course we can start explaining that before the general election. But we will govern and provide this country with good government until the election is held in May 2015."
Yes, it looks as if this coalition government is going to last a full five-year term but what Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg will not say is that this is due to necessity, rather than choice.
Frankly, either party pulling out of the coalition would be the equivalent of pulling a gun on itself, considering their respective, weak positions.
The Conservatives have trailed Labour with every single polling company for more than half a year now, and the Tories have further been damaged by the emergence of UKIP as the new home of the protest vote.
Almost as a consequence of the rise of Nigel Farage's party, it seems, Mr Cameron's Conservatives have stepped further to the political right in their recent rhetoric.
The launch of what can only be described as a brazen propaganda campaign which demonises all benefits claimants will play well with misinformed members of the public.
And, as the Independent newspaper pointed out this week, there are plenty of people who fall into that category, unfortunately.
The Guardian went even further, mounting a counter-offensive by pointing out the 1% cap on benefits will actually have most effect on the likes of nurses, soldiers and teachers.
After all, several of the capped benefits - such as Maternity Allowance, Statutory Sick Pay, and tax credits - are paid to working people on a low wage.
And so, while the benefits cap will inevitably play well to the archetypal Daily Mail reader, for many of the affected workers in the political centre, the move will simply reinforce the toxic Tories' negative brand.
This could be important, as a loss of voters in the centre makes it even more difficult for the Conservatives to get a majority in 2015.
Indeed, as explained here on the UK Polling Report blog, the way the boundaries are set up means that they are already at a mathematical disadvantage, compared to Labour.
Furthermore, those boundaries are unlikely to be changed by the time of the next election following the coalition partners' fall-out over the Alternative Vote referendum and House of Lords reform.
However, the Lib Dems' opposition to the boundary changes is unlikely to reprieve them in the eyes of the public at large.
For, from voting through the rise in tuition fees in December 2010 to forcing through a 1% cap on benefits tonight, the Lib Dems will rightly be seen as patsies for the worst excesses of the Tories' agenda.
Already subject to some humiliating by-election results, it is not yet quite clear exactly what the extent of the damage will be when the country goes to the polls as a whole.
But it seems unthinkable now that the Lib Dems will have time to turn around the way which the public perceives them.
It is therefore almost inevitable that the party will lose some of its 57 seats, a total which it has painstakingly built up over the last 20 years since the 1992 election.
Back then, under the leadership of Paddy Ashdown, the Lib Dems scored 17.8% of the vote but, due to the intricacies and indeed biases of the First Past the Post system, took only 20 seats.
Gradually, the party was able to build up a supporter base and become stronger in certain areas, which allowed it to pool its resources into more winnable seats.
Ultimately, their historically strong performance for a third party in British politics in 2010 left them in the position of kingmakers - but, equally, their choice of a coalition with the Conservatives may reduce their number of seats down to 1992 levels. It might even be worse.
Surely, then, the Government struggles must mean that Labour - as the only major HM Opposition party - must be odds-on to win an overall majority in 2015. Well, not quite, as it happens.
The problem for Labour is that the public's political consciousness not as short as the party would like it to be, and the Conservatives - despite their poor ratings generally - are still more trusted to deal with the economy.
Perhaps most damagingly, Labour leader Ed Miliband still trails Mr Cameron when it comes to the public's preference for Prime Minister, and he has rarely looked like shifting this perception.
Labour's mid-term poll lead will count for very little once the increasingly-personified general election campaign gets properly under way, if Mr Miliband's personal ratings remain so poor.
Indeed, the 2015 general election is pointing towards being yet another election in which no one wins.
Even going back as far as 2005, none of the main parties can claim to have had a particularly impressive general election result.
Of course, in 2005, Labour won a majority for the third consecutive time - but it did so on the back of just 35.2% of the popular vote, having nominally lost 47 seats against the backdrop of the unpopular Iraq war.
For the Conservatives, 2005 represented some progress compared to the wretchedness of 1997 and 2001. However, then-leader Michael Howard was still only able to attract 32.4% of the vote.
Finally, the Lib Dems could be best pleased with their 2005 result, winning many seats due to their opposition to the Iraq war - but their 62 MPs were still unable to do much to influence Parliament.
That all changed in 2010 of course - but, even amid the short-lived and ultimately fabled Clegg-mania, the Lib Dems could only manage 23% of the vote. In fact, their number of MPs actually fell by five.
For Labour, 2010 was an unmitigated disaster, as the party recorded its worst share of the vote - 29% - since 1983.
But, for the Conservatives too, the last general election was hugely disappointing with the party still unable to get an overall majority despite having been in opposition for 13 years.
Consequently, despite all the hullabaloo about the Alternative Vote system causing hung parliaments, there might be a second successive one under the First Past the Post method in 2015.
Until then, no doubt, the coalition will stumble on, intermittently losing Cabinet ministers despite the Lib Dems bowing to most of the Conservatives' wishes.
Sometimes, somewhat despairingly, it is easy to forget that this is only the halfway mark...
Saturday, 5 January 2013
FA Cup Third Round 2013: Cup of pain continues for Newcastle
NEWCASTLE UNITED added another chapter to their depressing recent FA Cup history by falling to defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion for the second time in under a year.
Alan Pardew's injury-ravaged side were thoroughly outplayed by the Championship outfit who won 2-0 thanks to goals from Andrea Orlandi and Will Hoskins in front of the ITV cameras.
The result means the Magpies have now failed to play in the FA Cup beyond January since 2006, having also failed to win any of their last 10 away ties.
In particular, that latter record was always unlikely to be overcome in this season in which Newcastle have played 16 matches on the road in all competitions without success.
And, with a distinct lack of scalps elsewhere, the headlines could have been even more embarrassing for Newcastle if two clubs from the Blue Square Premier division had not had such a brilliant day.
Luton Town beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0, prompting the Midlanders to sack their Norwegian manager Stale Solbakken. Meanwhile, Macclesfield Town came from 1-0 down with five minutes left to beat Championship leaders Cardiff City 2-1.
Sadly, there was no such joy for the lowest-ranked side left in the competition but that is not to say that Hastings United did not battle hard in their defeat to Middlesbrough.
Hastings goalkeeper Liam O'Brien saved a first-half penalty, and Bradley Goldburg scored a consolation for the lowly Isthmian Premier team, but the Teessiders still triumphed 4-1.
There was a similar story at White Hart Lane where visitors Coventry City could not repeat their 1987 Final victory over Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs scoring three first-half goals in a 3-0 win.
Indeed, the only team outside of Brighton, Luton and Macclesfield to win against opposition from a higher division were League One Oldham Athletic who beat Nottingham Forest of the Championship.
The Latics extended Alex McLeish's miserable, winless start at the City Ground with three goals inside seven second-half minutes in a 3-2 win.
Elsewhere, the best that could be achieved by the giant-killers was several draws with the ties going to a replay.
Nonetheless, there were still some decent stories as, sixty years on from the Matthews Final, Blackpool kept their Wembley dream alive with a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
And, in another two Championship v Premier League clashes, Bolton Wanderers blew a two-goal lead over Sunderland to end up drawing 2-2, while Crystal Palace and Stoke City settled for a soporific 0-0.
Top flight strugglers Aston Villa and Reading both survived a shock, going 1-0 down before battling back to overcome Ipswich Town and Crawley Town respectively.
However, Wigan Athletic were not so fortunate, only managing to claw it back to 1-1 against AFC Bournemouth.
The biggest win of Third Round day went to Derby County who hit five without reply against League One leaders Tranmere Rovers.
Meanwhile, holders Chelsea also hit five after recovering from an early setback at Southampton to extend their glorious recent FA Cup record to just one defeat in 34 games, stretching back to 2006.
New signing Demba Ba scored twice on his debut as the Saints joined Ba's former club Newcastle as the only top flight sides to fail to make it through to the Fourth Round in Saturday's games.
Not yet mentioned but safely in the hat are Aldershot of League Two, Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, Millwall, Sheffield United, and Norwich City.
2011 winners Manchester City also made it through with a 3-0 win over Watford - but Manchester United relied on a stoppage-time Robin van Persie goal for a 2-2 draw at West Ham United.
Unsurprisingly, the ITV cameras were at the Boleyn Ground - remarkably, this was Man United's 36th consecutive FA Cup tie to be screened, as Tom Cleverley gave Alex Ferguson's 11-time winners the lead.
It lasted only four minutes before Joe Cole, on his second Hammers debut, set up defender James Collins for a headed equaliser, before the pair combined again to put Sam Allardyce's side 2-1 up.
Van Persie was brought off the bench to rescue the situation and duly scored his 19th goal of the season to set up a replay at Old Trafford, which will inevitably be on TV again...
The Uniteds of West Ham and Manchester are not the only Premier League pair forced into an extra match after bottom-of-the-table Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion drew 1-1.
And also heading to a replay after 1-1 draws are Hull City and Leyton Orient, and Leeds United and Birmingham City. Sheffield Wednesday drew 0-0 with Milton Keynes Dons while Southend United came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Brentford.
NUFC POST-WAR FA CUP RECORD
FULL FA CUP THIRD ROUND FIXTURES
Alan Pardew's injury-ravaged side were thoroughly outplayed by the Championship outfit who won 2-0 thanks to goals from Andrea Orlandi and Will Hoskins in front of the ITV cameras.
The result means the Magpies have now failed to play in the FA Cup beyond January since 2006, having also failed to win any of their last 10 away ties.
In particular, that latter record was always unlikely to be overcome in this season in which Newcastle have played 16 matches on the road in all competitions without success.
And, with a distinct lack of scalps elsewhere, the headlines could have been even more embarrassing for Newcastle if two clubs from the Blue Square Premier division had not had such a brilliant day.
Luton Town beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0, prompting the Midlanders to sack their Norwegian manager Stale Solbakken. Meanwhile, Macclesfield Town came from 1-0 down with five minutes left to beat Championship leaders Cardiff City 2-1.
Sadly, there was no such joy for the lowest-ranked side left in the competition but that is not to say that Hastings United did not battle hard in their defeat to Middlesbrough.
Hastings goalkeeper Liam O'Brien saved a first-half penalty, and Bradley Goldburg scored a consolation for the lowly Isthmian Premier team, but the Teessiders still triumphed 4-1.
There was a similar story at White Hart Lane where visitors Coventry City could not repeat their 1987 Final victory over Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs scoring three first-half goals in a 3-0 win.
Indeed, the only team outside of Brighton, Luton and Macclesfield to win against opposition from a higher division were League One Oldham Athletic who beat Nottingham Forest of the Championship.
The Latics extended Alex McLeish's miserable, winless start at the City Ground with three goals inside seven second-half minutes in a 3-2 win.
Elsewhere, the best that could be achieved by the giant-killers was several draws with the ties going to a replay.
Nonetheless, there were still some decent stories as, sixty years on from the Matthews Final, Blackpool kept their Wembley dream alive with a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
And, in another two Championship v Premier League clashes, Bolton Wanderers blew a two-goal lead over Sunderland to end up drawing 2-2, while Crystal Palace and Stoke City settled for a soporific 0-0.
Top flight strugglers Aston Villa and Reading both survived a shock, going 1-0 down before battling back to overcome Ipswich Town and Crawley Town respectively.
However, Wigan Athletic were not so fortunate, only managing to claw it back to 1-1 against AFC Bournemouth.
The biggest win of Third Round day went to Derby County who hit five without reply against League One leaders Tranmere Rovers.
Meanwhile, holders Chelsea also hit five after recovering from an early setback at Southampton to extend their glorious recent FA Cup record to just one defeat in 34 games, stretching back to 2006.
New signing Demba Ba scored twice on his debut as the Saints joined Ba's former club Newcastle as the only top flight sides to fail to make it through to the Fourth Round in Saturday's games.
Not yet mentioned but safely in the hat are Aldershot of League Two, Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, Millwall, Sheffield United, and Norwich City.
2011 winners Manchester City also made it through with a 3-0 win over Watford - but Manchester United relied on a stoppage-time Robin van Persie goal for a 2-2 draw at West Ham United.
Unsurprisingly, the ITV cameras were at the Boleyn Ground - remarkably, this was Man United's 36th consecutive FA Cup tie to be screened, as Tom Cleverley gave Alex Ferguson's 11-time winners the lead.
It lasted only four minutes before Joe Cole, on his second Hammers debut, set up defender James Collins for a headed equaliser, before the pair combined again to put Sam Allardyce's side 2-1 up.
Van Persie was brought off the bench to rescue the situation and duly scored his 19th goal of the season to set up a replay at Old Trafford, which will inevitably be on TV again...
The Uniteds of West Ham and Manchester are not the only Premier League pair forced into an extra match after bottom-of-the-table Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion drew 1-1.
And also heading to a replay after 1-1 draws are Hull City and Leyton Orient, and Leeds United and Birmingham City. Sheffield Wednesday drew 0-0 with Milton Keynes Dons while Southend United came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Brentford.
NUFC POST-WAR FA CUP RECORD
| 1946 | 3R | lost 4-5 on aggregate v Barnsley [4-2 (H), 0-3 (A)] |
| 1947 | Semi final | lost 0-4 v Charlton Athletic at Elland Road |
| 1948 | 3R | lost 1-2 v Charlton Athletic (A) |
| 1949 | 3R | lost 0-2 v Bradford Park Avenue (H) |
| 1950 | 4R | lost 0-3 v Chelsea (A) |
| 1951 | WINNERS | won 2-0 v Blackpool at Wembley |
| 1952 | WINNERS | won 1-0 v Arsenal at Wembley |
| 1953 | 4R | lost 1-3 v Rotherham United (H) |
| 1954 | 5R | lost 2-3 v West Bromwich Albion (A) |
| 1955 | WINNERS | won 3-1 v Manchester City at Wembley |
| 1956 | 6R | lost 0-2 v sunderland (H) |
| 1957 | 4R | lost 1-2 v Millwall (A) |
| 1958 | 4R | lost 1-3 v Scunthorpe United (H) |
| 1959 | 3R | lost 1-4 v Chelsea (H) |
| 1960 | 3R | lost 2-4 v Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) after 2-2 |
| 1961 | 6R | lost 1-3 v Sheffield United (H) |
| 1962 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Peterborough United (H) |
| 1963 | 4R | lost 0-5 v Norwich City (A) |
| 1964 | 3R | lost 1-2 v Bedford Town (H) |
| 1965 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Swansea Town (A) |
| 1966 | 4R | lost 1-2 v Sheffield Wednesday (H) |
| 1967 | 4R | lost 0-3 v Nottingham Forest (A) |
| 1968 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Carlisle United (H) |
| 1969 | 4R | lost 0-2 v Manchester City (A) after 0-0 |
| 1970 | 3R | lost 0-3 v Southampton (A) |
| 1971 | 3R | lost 1-2 v Ipswich Town (A) after 1-1 |
| 1972 | 3R | lost 1-2 v Hereford United (A) after 2-2 |
| 1973 | 4R | lost 0-2 v Luton Town (H) |
| 1974 | FINAL | lost 0-3 v Liverpool at Wembley |
| 1975 | 4R | lost 0-1 v Walsall (A) |
| 1976 | 6R | lost 2-4 v Derby County (A) |
| 1977 | 4R | lost 1-3 v Manchester City (H) |
| 1978 | 4R | lost 1-4 v Wrexham (A) after 2-2 |
| 1979 | 4R | lost 0-1 v Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) after 1-1 |
| 1980 | 3R | lost 0-2 v Chester City (H) |
| 1981 | 5R | lost 0-4 v Exeter City (A) after 1-1 |
| 1982 | 4R | lost 1-2 v Grimsby Town (H) |
| 1983 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Brighton & Hove Albion (H) after 1-1 |
| 1984 | 3R | lost 0-4 v Liverpool (A) |
| 1985 | 3R | lost 1-3 v Nottingham Forest (H) after 1-1 |
| 1986 | 3R | lost 0-2 v Brighton & Hove Albion (H) |
| 1987 | 5R | lost 0-1 v Tottenham Hotspur (A) |
| 1988 | 5R | lost 1-3 v Wimbledon (H) |
| 1989 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Watford (A) after 0-0(H), 2-2(A), and 0-0(H) |
| 1990 | 5R | lost 2-3 v Manchester United (H) |
| 1991 | 4R | lost 0-3 v Nottingham Forest (A) after 2-2 |
| 1992 | 3R | lost 3-4 v Bournemouth (H) on pens having drawn 2-2 in replay after 0-0 |
| 1993 | 5R | lost 0-1 v Blackburn Rovers (A) |
| 1994 | 4R | lost 0-2 v Luton Town (A) after 1-1 |
| 1995 | 6R | lost 0-1 v Everton (A) |
| 1996 | 3R | lost 2-4 v Chelsea (H) on pens having drawn 2-2 in replay after 1-1 |
| 1997 | 4R | lost 1-2 v Nottingham Forest (H) |
| 1998 | FINAL | lost 0-2 v Arsenal at Wembley |
| 1999 | FINAL | lost 0-2 v Manchester United at Wembley |
| 2000 | Semi final | lost 1-2 v Chelsea at Wembley |
| 2001 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Aston Villa (A) in replay after 1-1 |
| 2002 | 6R | lost 0-3 v Arsenal (A) in replay after 1-1 |
| 2003 | 3R | lost 2-3 v Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) |
| 2004 | 4R | lost 1-2 v Liverpool (A) |
| 2005 | Semi final | lost 1-4 v Manchester United at Millennium Stadium |
| 2006 | 6R | lost 0-1 v Chelsea (A) |
| 2007 | 3R | lost 1-5 v Birmingham City (H) in replay after 2-2 |
| 2008 | 4R | lost 0-3 v Arsenal (A) |
| 2009 | 3R | lost 0-1 v Hull City (H) in replay after 0-0 |
| 2010 | 4R | lost 2-4 v West Bromwich Albion (A) |
| 2011 | 3R | lost 1-3 v Stevenage (A) |
| 2012 | 4R | lost 0-1 v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) |
| 2013 | 3R | lost 0-2 v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) |
FULL FA CUP THIRD ROUND FIXTURES
| Saturday 5 January | ||||
| 15:00 | ALDERSHOT | 3-1 | ROTHERHAM UNITED | |
| 15:00 | ASTON VILLA | 2-1 | IPSWICH TOWN | |
| 15:00 | BARNSLEY | 1-0 | BURNLEY | |
| 15:00 | BLACKBURN ROVERS | 2-0 | BRISTOL CITY | |
| 15:00 | BOLTON WANDERERS | 2-2 | SUNDERLAND | |
| 12:30 | BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION | 2-0 | NEWCASTLE UNITED | ITV |
| 15:00 | CHARLTON ATHLETIC | 0-1 | HUDDERSFIELD TOWN | |
| 15:00 | CRAWLEY TOWN | 1-3 | READING | |
| 15:00 | CRYSTAL PALACE | 0-0 | STOKE CITY | |
| 15:00 | DERBY COUNTY | 5-0 | TRANMERE ROVERS | |
| 15:00 | FULHAM | 1-1 | BLACKPOOL | |
| 15:00 | HULL CITY | 1-1 | LEYTON ORIENT | |
| 15:00 | LEEDS UNITED | 1-1 | BIRMINGHAM CITY | |
| 15:00 | LEICESTER CITY | 2-0 | BURTON ALBION | |
| 15:00 | LUTON TOWN | 1-0 | WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS | |
| 15:00 | MACCLESFIELD TOWN | 2-1 | CARDIFF CITY | |
| 15:00 | MANCHESTER CITY | 3-0 | WATFORD | |
| 15:00 | MIDDLESBROUGH | 4-1 | HASTINGS UNITED | |
| 15:00 | MILLWALL | 1-0 | PRESTON NORTH END | |
| 15:00 | NOTTINGHAM FOREST | 2-3 | OLDHAM ATHLETIC | |
| 15:00 | OXFORD UNITED | 0-3 | SHEFFIELD UNITED | |
| 15:00 | PETERBOROUGH UNITED | 0-3 | NORWICH CITY | |
| 15:00 | QUEENS PARK RANGERS | 1-1 | WEST BROMWICH ALBION | |
| 15:00 | SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY | 0-0 | MILTON KEYNES DONS | |
| 15:00 | SOUTHAMPTON | 1-5 | CHELSEA | |
| 15:00 | SOUTHEND UNITED | 2-2 | BRENTFORD | |
| 15:00 | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | 3-0 | COVENTRY CITY | |
| 17:30 | WEST HAM UNITED | 2-2 | MANCHESTER UNITED | ITV |
| 15:00 | WIGAN ATHLETIC | 1-1 | AFC BOURNEMOUTH | |
| Sunday 6 January | ||||
| 16:00 | MANSFIELD TOWN | 1-2 | LIVERPOOL | ESPN |
| 13:30 | SWANSEA CITY | 2-2 | ARSENAL | ESPN |
| Monday 7 January | ||||
| 19:45 | CHELTENHAM TOWN | 1-4 | EVERTON | ESPN |
The Season 2012/13: Van Persie puts Man United "halfway" to title
1 MANCHESTER UNITED (P21 W17 D1 L3 F54 A28 Pts 52)
Festive form: DWWW
FA Cup: 3R v West Ham United (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 4-5 aet v Chelsea (A) in fourth round
Europe: Last 16 v Real Madrid (A) on 13 February/(H) on 5 March
Top scorer: Robin van Persie (16)
Sack race: Alex Ferguson (manager since November 1986) 100/1
Original prediction: 2nd
Manchester United are halfway to their 20th league title by the admission of their own manager Alex Ferguson after a fruitful, if somewhat controversial, festive period. Ferguson has not been slow in shouting his mouth off in recent weeks, ludicrously claiming that Robin Van Persie could have been killed after Swansea's Ashley Williams blasted the ball at him from close range in a 1-1 draw. Then, following the 4-3 victory over Newcastle on Boxing Day, during which Fergie lambasted the officials and yet served no punishment, the Scot disgracefully labelled his opponents as a "wee club in the north east". At least this alleged knight of the realm refrained from any other notable comments after six goals without reply against West Brom (2-0) and Wigan (4-0). And, while it pains me to say it, Ferguson is right to be confident of another title despite the Old Trafford club blowing a similar-sized lead last season. The difference is that, this year, the Red Devils have Van Persie scoring on an almost weekly basis. It was, indeed, £24m well-spent in the summer, as even Man City manager Roberto Mancini has conceded.
2 MANCHESTER CITY (P21 W13 D6 L2 F41 A19 Pts 45)
Festive form: WLWW
FA Cup: 3R v Watford (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 2-4 aet v Aston Villa (H) in third round
Europe: Knocked out at Champions League group stage
Top scorer: Edin Dzeko (9)
Sack race: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009) 12/1
Original prediction: Champions
Manchester City only dropped three points over Christmas, as Sunderland repeated their 2012 New Year's Day win on Boxing Day - but it was still enough for the defending champions to lose more ground to rivals Man United. The festive period actually started well for Roberto Mancini's men as they eked out a 1-0 win over Reading while the Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by Swansea. However, it changed on Boxing Day with that defeat on Wearside while, in the meantime, Man United beat Newcastle 4-3 to go seven points clear. Man City then got their scoring act together for a 4-3 win of their own - against Norwich, before prevailing 3-0 on New Year's Day against Stoke. However, the fact remains that the Blues are six points and a massive 18 goals down on this stage last season.
3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (P21 W12 D3 L6 F39 A27 Pts 39)
Festive form: DWWW
FA Cup: 3R v Coventry City (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Norwich City (A) in fourth round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Olympique Lyonnais (H) on 14 February/(A) on 21 February
Top scorer: Jermian Defoe (10)
Sack race: Andre Villas-Boas (since July 2012) 50/1
Original prediction: 5th
Tottenham Hotspur moved into third position over the Christmas holidays with 10 points out of 12 as they continue their strong form under Andre Villas-Boas. Opening the festive period with a dominant performance in a slightly disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke, Spurs found their scoring form with a 4-0 thumping of beleaguered Aston Villa before successive comeback wins over Sunderland (2-1) and Reading (3-1). Villas-Boas' old club from across the capital may have a game in hand but the north Londoners still look good at this stage for a second consecutive top four finish and, barring a repeat of last season's extraordinary circumstances, Champions League football in 2013-14.
4 CHELSEA (P20 W11 D5 L4 F39 A19 Pts 38)
Festive form: WWWL
FA Cup: 3R v Southampton (A) on 5 January
League Cup: SF v Swansea City (H) on 9 January/(A) on 23 January
Europe: Knocked out at Champions League group stage. Europa League last 32 v Sparta Prague (A) on 14 February/(H) on 21 February
Top scorer: Juan Mata/Fernando Torres (7)
Sack race: Rafael Benitez (since November 2012) 16/1
Original prediction: 3rd
Just when it seemed Rafael Benitez was starting to win over the Chelsea fans following his controversial appointment, the Blues lose 1-0 to bottom-side Queens Park Rangers in a west London derby. The Stamford Bridge club had started the Christmas period with an 8-0 thumping of Aston Villa before a 1-0 win at Norwich, and an excellent 2-1 comeback victory against Everton. However, defeat to the Rs on 2 January has left Benitez's men in fourth, 14 points adrift of Man United, leaving owner Roman Abramovich looking at the cups again for success this season.
5 EVERTON (P21 W9 D9 L3 F35 A26 Pts 36)
Festive form: WWLW
FA Cup: 3R v Cheltenham Town (A) on 7 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Leeds United (A) in third round
Top scorer: Marouane Fellaini (8)
Sack race: David Moyes (since March 2002) 66/1
Original prediction: 8th
Everton maintained their assault on a Champions League place after a trio of 2-1 wins from their Christmas and New Year matches away at West Ham and Newcastle, and at home against Wigan. In between, on 30 December, the Toffees came unstuck by the same score to Chelsea, having taken the lead courtesy of Steven Pienaar inside two minutes. Chelsea's Frank Lampard-inspired comeback brought an end to Everton's unbeaten home league record for this campaign. But the last time that the Merseysiders had as many as 36 points after 21 games was in 2007-08 when they finished fifth, suggesting they will go close to the top four again this time.
6 ARSENAL (P20 W9 D7 L4 F40 A22 Pts 34)
Festive form: WWD
FA Cup: 3R v Swansea City (A) on 6 January
League Cup: lost 2-3 on penalties (after 1-1 draw) v Bradford City (A) in fifth round
Europe: Last 16 v Bayern Munich (H) on 19 February/(A) on 13 March
Top scorer: Theo Walcott (8)
Sack race: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996) 25/1
Original prediction: 4th
Just when it looked as if Arsenal were hitting some form, with a streak of four successive league wins culminating in a 7-3 thrashing of Newcastle, the Gunners shoot themselves in the foot. As brilliant as they were against the Magpies on 29 December at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger's men were back to their frustrating best as they toiled to a 1-1 draw away at Southampton. Top scorer Theo Walcott - who hit a hat-trick against the Toon - inadvertently caused an own goal for the equaliser against the Saints. However, his long-term future at Arsenal player remains as uncertain as the Gunners' bid to make it in the Champions League for a 16th successive season.
7 WEST BROMWICH ALBION (P21 W10 D3 L8 F29 A27 Pts 33)
Festive form: WWLL
FA Cup: 3R v Queens Park Rangers (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Liverpool (H) in third round
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku (7)
Sack race: Steve Clarke (since June 2012) 33/1
Original prediction: 18th
West Bromwich Albion's recent inconsistent form continued over the Christmas and New Year period with two 2-1 wins against Norwich and Queens Park Rangers, followed by two defeats, away at Man United (0-2) and, less acceptably, at home to Fulham (1-2). However, it should be noted that, even in defeat in the match against the Cottagers, West Brom looked the better side for good-length periods and missed some glorious chances. Immediately before Christmas, the Baggies followed up four league wins with just one point from 12 - and yet they remain in seventh. Indeed, if the form of Steve Clarke's men can become less bipolar, the Midlands could remain in the shake-up for the European places for a while yet.
8 LIVERPOOL (P21 W8 D7 L6 F34 A26 Pts 31)
Festive form: WLWW
FA Cup: 3R v Mansfield Town (A) on 6 January
League Cup: lost 1-3 v Swansea City (H) in fourth round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Zenit St Petersburg (A) on 14 February/(H) on 21 February
Top scorer: Luis Suarez (15)
Sack race: Brendan Rodgers (since June 2012) 33/1
Original prediction: 7th
Three decent wins out of four for Liverpool made this a highly satisfying - if not perfect - Christmas. Luis Suarez was in excellent form over the festive period, twice hitting braces in a 3-0 wins either side of the New Year against Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland. The Reds also opened up this busy spell of fixtures with a 4-0 thumping of Fulham, meaning the goal difference has certainly been boosted in recent games. However, it did take a bit of damage at the Britannia Stadium where Stoke prevailed 3-1 despite Brendan Rodgers' men taking a second-minute lead thanks to Steven Gerrard's penalty. Nevertheless, Suarez's form points to the Anfield club avoiding another embarrassing finish outside the top seven this season.
9 SWANSEA CITY (P21 W7 D8 L6 F31 A26 Pts 29)
Festive form: DDWD
FA Cup: 3R v Arsenal (H) on 6 January
League Cup: SF v Chelsea (A) on 9 January/(H) on 23 January
Top scorer: Miguel 'Michu' Perez Cuesta (13)
Sack race: Michael Laudrup (since June 2012) 50/1
Original prediction: 17th
Swansea City went through the Christmas and New Year period unbeaten but a spate of draws has prevented them from climbing the table any higher than a still admittedly impressive ninth place. Michael Laudrup's men were resolute in a 1-1 draw against Man United before a much more disappointing stalemate against Reading (0-0). Danny Graham and Jonathan de Guzman then scored as the Welsh club recorded a fourth away win of the campaign by taking the three points at Fulham before Graham struck again late on to rescue a point against Aston Villa. It shows just how far Swansea have come in that they were expected to win that game easily against the struggling Villains, and they would have if they had taken some excellent chances early on. Keeping a hold of Michu is vital for the Swans as they eye a Cup final appearance in 2013.
10 STOKE CITY (P21 W6 D11 L4 F21 A20 Pts 29)
Festive form: DWDL
FA Cup: 3R v Crystal Palace (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 3-4 aet v Swindon Town (H) in second round
Top scorer: Jonathan Walters (5)
Sack race: Tony Pulis (since June 2006) 50/1
Original prediction: 12th
Stoke City remain the only team in the Premier League this season with an unbeaten home record, having last lost a league game at the Britannia back in February 2012. Their good form in front of their own fans has given the Potters a genuine chance of recording a top-half finish in the top flight for the first time since 1981, and five points from the four festive fixtures - courtesy of draws against Tottenham (0-0) and Southampton (3-3), and a win over Liverpool (3-1) - has put Tony Pulis' men in 10th. However, Stoke will need more goals if they are indeed to stay there, having scored on average just a goal per game so far. Instead, the Potters' strength has been at the back with the defence keeping an amazing nine clean sheets in 21 games.
11 WEST HAM UNITED (P20 W7 D5 L8 F24 A24 Pts 26)
Festive form: LLW
FA Cup: 3R v Manchester United (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-4 v Wigan Athletic (H) in third round
Top scorer: Kevin Nolan (5)
Sack race: Sam Allardyce (since June 2011) 40/1
Original prediction: 14th
It was a happy New Year's Day for West Ham United who won for the first time in five games to remain firmly in mid-table. Sam Allardyce's side got their worst result of the season in the 1-0 defeat to Reading on 29 December, and it was a loss which left them only six points clear of the drop zone. However, a tight 2-1 win at the Boleyn Ground over Norwich has extended that gap back up to eight - and it would be a major surprise if the east Londoners were involved at the bottom in May now.
12 NORWICH CITY (P21 W6 D7 L8 F24 A34 Pts 25)
Festive form: LLLL
FA Cup: 3R v Peterborough United (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-4 v Aston Villa (H) in fifth round
Top scorer: Grant Holt, Anthony Pilkington, Robert Snodgrass (4)
Sack race: Chris Hughton (since June 2012) 50/1
Original prediction: 20th
Norwich City have endured an awful Christmas season with four straight defeats to West Brom, Chelsea, Man City and West Ham United. Immediately before those four games, though, the Canaries were in excellent form, going unbeaten for 10 matches, a run which included 1-0 home wins over Arsenal and Man United, and which keeps them out of any relegation worries for now.
13 FULHAM (P21 W6 D6 L9 F32 A37 Pts 24)
Festive form: LDLW
FA Cup: 3R v Blackpool (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 0-1 v Sheffield Wednesday (A) in second round
Top scorer: Dimitar Berbatov (7)
Sack race: Martin Jol (since June 2011) 20/1
Original prediction: 16th
Fulham gained a vital New Year's Day victory over West Brom to pull themselves six points clear of the relegation places. The Cottagers have spent the last two months of their campaign going backwards with only one win in their previous 12 league matches sending them down to 14th. However, Dimitar Berbatov remains a class act for the west Londoners and he opened the scoring against the Baggies to give Martin Jol's men this morale-boosting result.
14 SUNDERLAND (P21 W5 D7 L9 F21 A29 Pts 22)
Festive form: WWLL
FA Cup: 3R v Bolton Wanderers (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 0-1 v Middlesbrough (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Steven Fletcher (8)
Sack race: Martin O'Neill (since December 2011) 20/1
Original prediction: 11th
Sunderland's slight improvement came crashing to a halt in a 3-0 defeat at Anfield but the situation on Wearside certainly looks less desperate than it once did. The Black Cats slipped into the bottom three following their defeat to Chelsea on 8 December but climbed straight out with a 3-0 win over Reading. Though a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford followed, successive 1-0 wins at Christmas over Southampton and, remarkably for a third season in a row, Manchester City lifted Martin O'Neill's men to a heady 13th position. The New Year period went less well with defeats to Tottenham (1-2) and Liverpool but Sunderland will simply be satisfied to be looking down on their north east rivals Newcastle for the first time in over a year.
15 NEWCASTLE UNITED (P21 W5 D5 L11 F27 A39 Pts 20)
Festive form: WLLL
FA Cup: 3R v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Manchester United (A) in third round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Metalist Kharkiv (H) on 14 February/(A) on 21 February
Top scorer: Demba Ba (13)
Sack race: Alan Pardew (since December 2010) 9/1
Original prediction: 6th
Newcastle United's wretched campaign continued with three defeats out of four over the Christmas and New Year period. In fairness to the Magpies, the fixtures computer could have been kinder and, following a heart-breaking defeat in a seven-goal thriller against Man United (3-4), and despite scoring three away again, the Toon conceded seven against a much fresher Arsenal (3-7). At least, Newcastle started the festive games with a tense 1-0 win over bottom-placed QPR at home - but defeat at Everton on 2 January leaves Alan Pardew's men just two points above the drop zone after nine defeats in their last 11 league games. Newcastle will also have to stay up without any help from their top-scorer Demba Ba who has signed for Chelsea for £7m after the London club triggered his well-publicised release clause. And, although France right-back Mathieu Debuchy has come in for £5m, the Magpies' creaky rearguard is going to need a centre-back as well.
16 ASTON VILLA (P21 W4 D7 L10 F17 A41 Pts 19)
Festive form: LLLD
FA Cup: 3R v Ipswich Town (H) on 5 January
League Cup: SF v Bradford City (A) on 8 January/(H) on 22 January
Top scorer: Christian Benteke (6)
Sack race: Paul Lambert (since June 2012) 2/1fav
Original prediction: 10th
After 10 minutes of the action on New Year's Day, Aston Villa's festive season record was: played four, lost four, scored none, conceded 16 - and it only seemed as if it was going to get worse as Swansea City poured forward. This awful sequence for Paul Lambert's young side began with a 8-0 defeat away against Chelsea before Tottenham (4-0) and even Wigan (3-0) added to the Villains' embarrassment at home. And so, it is with some credit that Villa emerged from a gruelling start to the Swansea game with a point. Indeed, it would have been more if it weren't for Danny Graham's last-minute equaliser for the Welsh - but, having come through an awful Christmas period, the Second City club will be satisfied with a league position outside of the bottom three.
17 SOUTHAMPTON (P20 W4 D6 L10 F27 A38 Pts 18)
Festive form: LDDD
FA Cup: 3R v Chelsea (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 0-3 v Leeds United (A) in fourth round
Top scorer: Rickie Lambert (8)
Sack race: Nigel Adkins (since September 2010) 14/1
Original prediction: 9th
Southampton still are not winning too many games but Nigel Adkins' team has at least tightened up considerably from their early-season benevolence. While the Saints failed to win any of their four Christmas and New Year fixtures, they did come away with credible draws away at Fulham and Stoke, and at home to Arsenal. Against Stoke and Arsenal, though, the Saints held the lead and it remains to be seen just how vital all of Southampton's dropped points will be at the end of the season. The draw at the Britannia was particularly galling, given Stoke's equaliser came in the 90th minute from a thunderbolt strike by Cameron Jerome which could easily win goal of the season.
18 WIGAN ATHLETIC (P21 W5 D3 L13 F22 A39 Pts 18)
Festive form: LLWL
FA Cup: 3R v Bournemouth (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 2-4 on penalties (after 0-0 draw) v Bradford City (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Arouna Kone (6)
Sack race: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009) 40/1
Original prediction: 15th
Wigan Athletic will never learn - or perhaps the Latics simply do not have the resources to avoid being a team constantly batting relegation. Anyway, it did look like it was going to be better than that this season for Roberto Martinez's men after successive wins at the start of November. But a total of just four points from 27 after that dropped the Lancashire club into the bottom three for the first time in 2012/13. And, though a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on 29 December provided some welcome relief, an entirely predictable 4-0 loss to Man United on New Year's Day has once again left Wigan with work to do.
19 READING (P21 W2 D7 L12 F23 A40 Pts 13)
Festive form: LDWL
FA Cup: 3R v Crawley Town (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 5-7 aet v Arsenal (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Adam Le Fondre (5)
Sack race: Brian McDermott (since December 2009) 3/1
Original prediction: 19th
Reading remain in deep trouble - five points from safety, having dropped more points (20) from winning positions than any other Premier League team this season. New Year's Day was the latest example of this generosity as Tottenham overturned an early 1-0 lead to win 3-1. Otherwise, the Royals actually did reasonably well over the Christmas period, losing narrowly 1-0 to Man City before keeping two clean sheets and picking up four points from home games against West Ham and Swansea. However, Brian McDermott's men remain well off the pace as those four points followed a terrible sequence of seven successive league defeats, and relegation beckons.
20 QUEENS PARK RANGERS (P21 W2 D7 L12 F17 A36 Pts 13)
Festive form: LLLW
FA Cup: 3R v West Bromwich Albion (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 2-3 v Reading (H) in third round
Top scorer: Adel Taarabt (4)
Sack race: Harry Redknapp (since November 2012) 28/1
Original prediction: 13th
Queens Park Rangers may have been able to start the New Year on a high with a frankly unbelievable 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - but it speaks volumes how poor the Rs' season has been so far that it was not enough to take the west Londoners off the foot of the table. Indeed, Rangers had endured a pretty miserable Christmas and New Year period until then, losing consecutive games at Newcastle (0-1) and at home against West Brom (1-2) and Liverpool, where they found themselves 3-0 down in half an hour. Only the Reds easing off spared Harry Redknapp from further embarrassment and, while the wily campaigner fully believes he can keep QPR up, it still looks a long shot to me.
Note: All clubs have now played 21 league games except Arsenal-West Ham United whose match on 26 December was postponed due to industrial action on the London Underground, and Chelsea-Southampton whose match on 15 December was postponed due to the Club World Cup.
Top scorers' goals relate to Premier League only. Sack race odds are provided by Skybet, correct on Friday 4 January but subject to change. Original predictions feature in this preview post.
Festive form: DWWW
FA Cup: 3R v West Ham United (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 4-5 aet v Chelsea (A) in fourth round
Europe: Last 16 v Real Madrid (A) on 13 February/(H) on 5 March
Top scorer: Robin van Persie (16)
Sack race: Alex Ferguson (manager since November 1986) 100/1
Original prediction: 2nd
Manchester United are halfway to their 20th league title by the admission of their own manager Alex Ferguson after a fruitful, if somewhat controversial, festive period. Ferguson has not been slow in shouting his mouth off in recent weeks, ludicrously claiming that Robin Van Persie could have been killed after Swansea's Ashley Williams blasted the ball at him from close range in a 1-1 draw. Then, following the 4-3 victory over Newcastle on Boxing Day, during which Fergie lambasted the officials and yet served no punishment, the Scot disgracefully labelled his opponents as a "wee club in the north east". At least this alleged knight of the realm refrained from any other notable comments after six goals without reply against West Brom (2-0) and Wigan (4-0). And, while it pains me to say it, Ferguson is right to be confident of another title despite the Old Trafford club blowing a similar-sized lead last season. The difference is that, this year, the Red Devils have Van Persie scoring on an almost weekly basis. It was, indeed, £24m well-spent in the summer, as even Man City manager Roberto Mancini has conceded.
2 MANCHESTER CITY (P21 W13 D6 L2 F41 A19 Pts 45)
Festive form: WLWW
FA Cup: 3R v Watford (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 2-4 aet v Aston Villa (H) in third round
Europe: Knocked out at Champions League group stage
Top scorer: Edin Dzeko (9)
Sack race: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009) 12/1
Original prediction: Champions
Manchester City only dropped three points over Christmas, as Sunderland repeated their 2012 New Year's Day win on Boxing Day - but it was still enough for the defending champions to lose more ground to rivals Man United. The festive period actually started well for Roberto Mancini's men as they eked out a 1-0 win over Reading while the Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by Swansea. However, it changed on Boxing Day with that defeat on Wearside while, in the meantime, Man United beat Newcastle 4-3 to go seven points clear. Man City then got their scoring act together for a 4-3 win of their own - against Norwich, before prevailing 3-0 on New Year's Day against Stoke. However, the fact remains that the Blues are six points and a massive 18 goals down on this stage last season.
3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (P21 W12 D3 L6 F39 A27 Pts 39)
Festive form: DWWW
FA Cup: 3R v Coventry City (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Norwich City (A) in fourth round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Olympique Lyonnais (H) on 14 February/(A) on 21 February
Top scorer: Jermian Defoe (10)
Sack race: Andre Villas-Boas (since July 2012) 50/1
Original prediction: 5th
Tottenham Hotspur moved into third position over the Christmas holidays with 10 points out of 12 as they continue their strong form under Andre Villas-Boas. Opening the festive period with a dominant performance in a slightly disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke, Spurs found their scoring form with a 4-0 thumping of beleaguered Aston Villa before successive comeback wins over Sunderland (2-1) and Reading (3-1). Villas-Boas' old club from across the capital may have a game in hand but the north Londoners still look good at this stage for a second consecutive top four finish and, barring a repeat of last season's extraordinary circumstances, Champions League football in 2013-14.
4 CHELSEA (P20 W11 D5 L4 F39 A19 Pts 38)
Festive form: WWWL
FA Cup: 3R v Southampton (A) on 5 January
League Cup: SF v Swansea City (H) on 9 January/(A) on 23 January
Europe: Knocked out at Champions League group stage. Europa League last 32 v Sparta Prague (A) on 14 February/(H) on 21 February
Top scorer: Juan Mata/Fernando Torres (7)
Sack race: Rafael Benitez (since November 2012) 16/1
Original prediction: 3rd
Just when it seemed Rafael Benitez was starting to win over the Chelsea fans following his controversial appointment, the Blues lose 1-0 to bottom-side Queens Park Rangers in a west London derby. The Stamford Bridge club had started the Christmas period with an 8-0 thumping of Aston Villa before a 1-0 win at Norwich, and an excellent 2-1 comeback victory against Everton. However, defeat to the Rs on 2 January has left Benitez's men in fourth, 14 points adrift of Man United, leaving owner Roman Abramovich looking at the cups again for success this season.
5 EVERTON (P21 W9 D9 L3 F35 A26 Pts 36)
Festive form: WWLW
FA Cup: 3R v Cheltenham Town (A) on 7 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Leeds United (A) in third round
Top scorer: Marouane Fellaini (8)
Sack race: David Moyes (since March 2002) 66/1
Original prediction: 8th
Everton maintained their assault on a Champions League place after a trio of 2-1 wins from their Christmas and New Year matches away at West Ham and Newcastle, and at home against Wigan. In between, on 30 December, the Toffees came unstuck by the same score to Chelsea, having taken the lead courtesy of Steven Pienaar inside two minutes. Chelsea's Frank Lampard-inspired comeback brought an end to Everton's unbeaten home league record for this campaign. But the last time that the Merseysiders had as many as 36 points after 21 games was in 2007-08 when they finished fifth, suggesting they will go close to the top four again this time.
6 ARSENAL (P20 W9 D7 L4 F40 A22 Pts 34)
Festive form: WWD
FA Cup: 3R v Swansea City (A) on 6 January
League Cup: lost 2-3 on penalties (after 1-1 draw) v Bradford City (A) in fifth round
Europe: Last 16 v Bayern Munich (H) on 19 February/(A) on 13 March
Top scorer: Theo Walcott (8)
Sack race: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996) 25/1
Original prediction: 4th
Just when it looked as if Arsenal were hitting some form, with a streak of four successive league wins culminating in a 7-3 thrashing of Newcastle, the Gunners shoot themselves in the foot. As brilliant as they were against the Magpies on 29 December at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger's men were back to their frustrating best as they toiled to a 1-1 draw away at Southampton. Top scorer Theo Walcott - who hit a hat-trick against the Toon - inadvertently caused an own goal for the equaliser against the Saints. However, his long-term future at Arsenal player remains as uncertain as the Gunners' bid to make it in the Champions League for a 16th successive season.
7 WEST BROMWICH ALBION (P21 W10 D3 L8 F29 A27 Pts 33)
Festive form: WWLL
FA Cup: 3R v Queens Park Rangers (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Liverpool (H) in third round
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku (7)
Sack race: Steve Clarke (since June 2012) 33/1
Original prediction: 18th
West Bromwich Albion's recent inconsistent form continued over the Christmas and New Year period with two 2-1 wins against Norwich and Queens Park Rangers, followed by two defeats, away at Man United (0-2) and, less acceptably, at home to Fulham (1-2). However, it should be noted that, even in defeat in the match against the Cottagers, West Brom looked the better side for good-length periods and missed some glorious chances. Immediately before Christmas, the Baggies followed up four league wins with just one point from 12 - and yet they remain in seventh. Indeed, if the form of Steve Clarke's men can become less bipolar, the Midlands could remain in the shake-up for the European places for a while yet.
8 LIVERPOOL (P21 W8 D7 L6 F34 A26 Pts 31)
Festive form: WLWW
FA Cup: 3R v Mansfield Town (A) on 6 January
League Cup: lost 1-3 v Swansea City (H) in fourth round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Zenit St Petersburg (A) on 14 February/(H) on 21 February
Top scorer: Luis Suarez (15)
Sack race: Brendan Rodgers (since June 2012) 33/1
Original prediction: 7th
Three decent wins out of four for Liverpool made this a highly satisfying - if not perfect - Christmas. Luis Suarez was in excellent form over the festive period, twice hitting braces in a 3-0 wins either side of the New Year against Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland. The Reds also opened up this busy spell of fixtures with a 4-0 thumping of Fulham, meaning the goal difference has certainly been boosted in recent games. However, it did take a bit of damage at the Britannia Stadium where Stoke prevailed 3-1 despite Brendan Rodgers' men taking a second-minute lead thanks to Steven Gerrard's penalty. Nevertheless, Suarez's form points to the Anfield club avoiding another embarrassing finish outside the top seven this season.
9 SWANSEA CITY (P21 W7 D8 L6 F31 A26 Pts 29)
Festive form: DDWD
FA Cup: 3R v Arsenal (H) on 6 January
League Cup: SF v Chelsea (A) on 9 January/(H) on 23 January
Top scorer: Miguel 'Michu' Perez Cuesta (13)
Sack race: Michael Laudrup (since June 2012) 50/1
Original prediction: 17th
Swansea City went through the Christmas and New Year period unbeaten but a spate of draws has prevented them from climbing the table any higher than a still admittedly impressive ninth place. Michael Laudrup's men were resolute in a 1-1 draw against Man United before a much more disappointing stalemate against Reading (0-0). Danny Graham and Jonathan de Guzman then scored as the Welsh club recorded a fourth away win of the campaign by taking the three points at Fulham before Graham struck again late on to rescue a point against Aston Villa. It shows just how far Swansea have come in that they were expected to win that game easily against the struggling Villains, and they would have if they had taken some excellent chances early on. Keeping a hold of Michu is vital for the Swans as they eye a Cup final appearance in 2013.
10 STOKE CITY (P21 W6 D11 L4 F21 A20 Pts 29)
Festive form: DWDL
FA Cup: 3R v Crystal Palace (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 3-4 aet v Swindon Town (H) in second round
Top scorer: Jonathan Walters (5)
Sack race: Tony Pulis (since June 2006) 50/1
Original prediction: 12th
Stoke City remain the only team in the Premier League this season with an unbeaten home record, having last lost a league game at the Britannia back in February 2012. Their good form in front of their own fans has given the Potters a genuine chance of recording a top-half finish in the top flight for the first time since 1981, and five points from the four festive fixtures - courtesy of draws against Tottenham (0-0) and Southampton (3-3), and a win over Liverpool (3-1) - has put Tony Pulis' men in 10th. However, Stoke will need more goals if they are indeed to stay there, having scored on average just a goal per game so far. Instead, the Potters' strength has been at the back with the defence keeping an amazing nine clean sheets in 21 games.
11 WEST HAM UNITED (P20 W7 D5 L8 F24 A24 Pts 26)
Festive form: LLW
FA Cup: 3R v Manchester United (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-4 v Wigan Athletic (H) in third round
Top scorer: Kevin Nolan (5)
Sack race: Sam Allardyce (since June 2011) 40/1
Original prediction: 14th
It was a happy New Year's Day for West Ham United who won for the first time in five games to remain firmly in mid-table. Sam Allardyce's side got their worst result of the season in the 1-0 defeat to Reading on 29 December, and it was a loss which left them only six points clear of the drop zone. However, a tight 2-1 win at the Boleyn Ground over Norwich has extended that gap back up to eight - and it would be a major surprise if the east Londoners were involved at the bottom in May now.
12 NORWICH CITY (P21 W6 D7 L8 F24 A34 Pts 25)
Festive form: LLLL
FA Cup: 3R v Peterborough United (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-4 v Aston Villa (H) in fifth round
Top scorer: Grant Holt, Anthony Pilkington, Robert Snodgrass (4)
Sack race: Chris Hughton (since June 2012) 50/1
Original prediction: 20th
Norwich City have endured an awful Christmas season with four straight defeats to West Brom, Chelsea, Man City and West Ham United. Immediately before those four games, though, the Canaries were in excellent form, going unbeaten for 10 matches, a run which included 1-0 home wins over Arsenal and Man United, and which keeps them out of any relegation worries for now.
13 FULHAM (P21 W6 D6 L9 F32 A37 Pts 24)
Festive form: LDLW
FA Cup: 3R v Blackpool (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 0-1 v Sheffield Wednesday (A) in second round
Top scorer: Dimitar Berbatov (7)
Sack race: Martin Jol (since June 2011) 20/1
Original prediction: 16th
Fulham gained a vital New Year's Day victory over West Brom to pull themselves six points clear of the relegation places. The Cottagers have spent the last two months of their campaign going backwards with only one win in their previous 12 league matches sending them down to 14th. However, Dimitar Berbatov remains a class act for the west Londoners and he opened the scoring against the Baggies to give Martin Jol's men this morale-boosting result.
14 SUNDERLAND (P21 W5 D7 L9 F21 A29 Pts 22)
Festive form: WWLL
FA Cup: 3R v Bolton Wanderers (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 0-1 v Middlesbrough (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Steven Fletcher (8)
Sack race: Martin O'Neill (since December 2011) 20/1
Original prediction: 11th
Sunderland's slight improvement came crashing to a halt in a 3-0 defeat at Anfield but the situation on Wearside certainly looks less desperate than it once did. The Black Cats slipped into the bottom three following their defeat to Chelsea on 8 December but climbed straight out with a 3-0 win over Reading. Though a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford followed, successive 1-0 wins at Christmas over Southampton and, remarkably for a third season in a row, Manchester City lifted Martin O'Neill's men to a heady 13th position. The New Year period went less well with defeats to Tottenham (1-2) and Liverpool but Sunderland will simply be satisfied to be looking down on their north east rivals Newcastle for the first time in over a year.
15 NEWCASTLE UNITED (P21 W5 D5 L11 F27 A39 Pts 20)
Festive form: WLLL
FA Cup: 3R v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Manchester United (A) in third round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Metalist Kharkiv (H) on 14 February/(A) on 21 February
Top scorer: Demba Ba (13)
Sack race: Alan Pardew (since December 2010) 9/1
Original prediction: 6th
Newcastle United's wretched campaign continued with three defeats out of four over the Christmas and New Year period. In fairness to the Magpies, the fixtures computer could have been kinder and, following a heart-breaking defeat in a seven-goal thriller against Man United (3-4), and despite scoring three away again, the Toon conceded seven against a much fresher Arsenal (3-7). At least, Newcastle started the festive games with a tense 1-0 win over bottom-placed QPR at home - but defeat at Everton on 2 January leaves Alan Pardew's men just two points above the drop zone after nine defeats in their last 11 league games. Newcastle will also have to stay up without any help from their top-scorer Demba Ba who has signed for Chelsea for £7m after the London club triggered his well-publicised release clause. And, although France right-back Mathieu Debuchy has come in for £5m, the Magpies' creaky rearguard is going to need a centre-back as well.
16 ASTON VILLA (P21 W4 D7 L10 F17 A41 Pts 19)
Festive form: LLLD
FA Cup: 3R v Ipswich Town (H) on 5 January
League Cup: SF v Bradford City (A) on 8 January/(H) on 22 January
Top scorer: Christian Benteke (6)
Sack race: Paul Lambert (since June 2012) 2/1fav
Original prediction: 10th
After 10 minutes of the action on New Year's Day, Aston Villa's festive season record was: played four, lost four, scored none, conceded 16 - and it only seemed as if it was going to get worse as Swansea City poured forward. This awful sequence for Paul Lambert's young side began with a 8-0 defeat away against Chelsea before Tottenham (4-0) and even Wigan (3-0) added to the Villains' embarrassment at home. And so, it is with some credit that Villa emerged from a gruelling start to the Swansea game with a point. Indeed, it would have been more if it weren't for Danny Graham's last-minute equaliser for the Welsh - but, having come through an awful Christmas period, the Second City club will be satisfied with a league position outside of the bottom three.
17 SOUTHAMPTON (P20 W4 D6 L10 F27 A38 Pts 18)
Festive form: LDDD
FA Cup: 3R v Chelsea (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 0-3 v Leeds United (A) in fourth round
Top scorer: Rickie Lambert (8)
Sack race: Nigel Adkins (since September 2010) 14/1
Original prediction: 9th
Southampton still are not winning too many games but Nigel Adkins' team has at least tightened up considerably from their early-season benevolence. While the Saints failed to win any of their four Christmas and New Year fixtures, they did come away with credible draws away at Fulham and Stoke, and at home to Arsenal. Against Stoke and Arsenal, though, the Saints held the lead and it remains to be seen just how vital all of Southampton's dropped points will be at the end of the season. The draw at the Britannia was particularly galling, given Stoke's equaliser came in the 90th minute from a thunderbolt strike by Cameron Jerome which could easily win goal of the season.
18 WIGAN ATHLETIC (P21 W5 D3 L13 F22 A39 Pts 18)
Festive form: LLWL
FA Cup: 3R v Bournemouth (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 2-4 on penalties (after 0-0 draw) v Bradford City (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Arouna Kone (6)
Sack race: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009) 40/1
Original prediction: 15th
Wigan Athletic will never learn - or perhaps the Latics simply do not have the resources to avoid being a team constantly batting relegation. Anyway, it did look like it was going to be better than that this season for Roberto Martinez's men after successive wins at the start of November. But a total of just four points from 27 after that dropped the Lancashire club into the bottom three for the first time in 2012/13. And, though a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on 29 December provided some welcome relief, an entirely predictable 4-0 loss to Man United on New Year's Day has once again left Wigan with work to do.
19 READING (P21 W2 D7 L12 F23 A40 Pts 13)
Festive form: LDWL
FA Cup: 3R v Crawley Town (A) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 5-7 aet v Arsenal (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Adam Le Fondre (5)
Sack race: Brian McDermott (since December 2009) 3/1
Original prediction: 19th
Reading remain in deep trouble - five points from safety, having dropped more points (20) from winning positions than any other Premier League team this season. New Year's Day was the latest example of this generosity as Tottenham overturned an early 1-0 lead to win 3-1. Otherwise, the Royals actually did reasonably well over the Christmas period, losing narrowly 1-0 to Man City before keeping two clean sheets and picking up four points from home games against West Ham and Swansea. However, Brian McDermott's men remain well off the pace as those four points followed a terrible sequence of seven successive league defeats, and relegation beckons.
20 QUEENS PARK RANGERS (P21 W2 D7 L12 F17 A36 Pts 13)
Festive form: LLLW
FA Cup: 3R v West Bromwich Albion (H) on 5 January
League Cup: lost 2-3 v Reading (H) in third round
Top scorer: Adel Taarabt (4)
Sack race: Harry Redknapp (since November 2012) 28/1
Original prediction: 13th
Queens Park Rangers may have been able to start the New Year on a high with a frankly unbelievable 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - but it speaks volumes how poor the Rs' season has been so far that it was not enough to take the west Londoners off the foot of the table. Indeed, Rangers had endured a pretty miserable Christmas and New Year period until then, losing consecutive games at Newcastle (0-1) and at home against West Brom (1-2) and Liverpool, where they found themselves 3-0 down in half an hour. Only the Reds easing off spared Harry Redknapp from further embarrassment and, while the wily campaigner fully believes he can keep QPR up, it still looks a long shot to me.
Note: All clubs have now played 21 league games except Arsenal-West Ham United whose match on 26 December was postponed due to industrial action on the London Underground, and Chelsea-Southampton whose match on 15 December was postponed due to the Club World Cup.
Top scorers' goals relate to Premier League only. Sack race odds are provided by Skybet, correct on Friday 4 January but subject to change. Original predictions feature in this preview post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)