11* prime reasons to see the Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time

2 FAITHFUL TO THE BOOK
The script in Simon Stephens' play adaptation was almost entirely faithful to Mark Haddon's award-winning book, an important aspect given the unique nature of the narration from 15-year-old protagonist Christopher John Francis Boone. The narration from the lead character is very precise with matters both relevant and seemingly largely irrelevant described in great detail. Without giving too much away, Christopher is an autistic mathematics genius who notices patterns, especially in numbers. He also seemingly has a photographic memory, can recall whole conversations to the word, and lives his life in a solely logical and fundamentally truthful manner.
However, his self-admitted "behavioural difficulties" mean he finds it difficult to mix socially - he cannot eat a plate of food if the broccoli and baked beans are touching, or use a toilet if a stranger has previously been in it. He cannot understand metaphors at all and has little ability to use "white lies" to keep himself out of trouble. Consequently, even the most unremarkable situations can become extraordinarily difficult, something which the play demonstrated over and over again by keeping the narrative pretty much exactly as it was originally written, f-word and all.

3 TECHNICAL BRILLIANCE
Equally as brilliant as the acting and the narrative was the technical output - aided by the intentional decision not to change the physical background throughout the whole of the play. Instead, against grid walls and a grid floor similar to squared paper in maths exercise books, excellent use of lighting marked scene changes with each square in the grid able to light individually or, as often was the case, in a pattern.
In representation of Christopher's horribly confused state of mind when faced with an overload of information, streams of letters and words would flash rapidly across the walls. But - at other times when Christopher was feeling calmer and able to think logically - star constellations, diagrams, maps and mathematical puzzles would appear or be scrawled across the walls in an additional device to explain the narrative. It was all magnificently innovative and quite fascinating in itself to watch.

5 RELEVANT STUDY THEMES
Author Haddon has mixed feelings that The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time has become a set text, studied by schoolchildren and used for professional purposes by policemen and social workers. In June 2012, he wrote on his blog: "I'm a little uneasy when, as occasionally happens, it is used as a textbook, and handed to policemen or social workers to give them some insight into the behaviour of people they might come across in their professional lives."
This is understandable on the author's part - it was, after all, written by him purely as a novel, and nothing more. And yet, within the conversations in his narrative, Haddon so naturally incorporates the raw emotions of two big themes - family breakdown and disability discrimination - that the next generation would be missing out on their own development if there were simply no analysis whatsoever. If nothing else, though, it was wonderful to see that a couple of school trips were clearly as absorbed in what was an impressive, heart-tugging adaptation.

7 THE BEST OF BRITISH HUMOUR
On a lighter note, it is clear that The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time is a British book, simply from its intentionally understated humour, drawn largely from Christopher's inability to understand or cope with everyday social situations. Often his lack of comprehension is greeted with a disbelieving expletive - "Holy fucking Jesus, Christopher. How stupid are you?" - but, sometimes even more cruelly, he receives a response dripping in sarcasm. Of course, as the sarcasm cannot be taken literally and Christopher is only able to understand logic, this does nothing more than serve to confuse him further with the potential for still more misunderstandings.

11 ALL-ROUND PACKAGE AND REPUTATION
Clearly from the outset, the performance at the Theatre Royal of Simon Stephens' stage adaptation of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time was not going to be a dud. As a winner of seven Olivier awards in 2013 from its highly-acclaimed West End run in London, the arrival of this play in the north east was much-anticipated - although that is, of course, no complete guarantee of a good showing.
Thankfully, though, it fully lived up to its fine reputation, staying faithful to a thoughtful, quirky and gladdening tale, and providing two-and-a-half hours of truly great entertainment.

Limited tickets are still available at the Newcastle Theatre Royal here or by calling the Box Office on 08448 112121.

*“Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.”
Christopher Boone,The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time

Deconstructing the Iron Lady

 The Iron Lady (12A)
Dir: Phyllida Lloyd
Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent
Running time: 105 minutes


THE IRON LADY has split the opinion of the critics right down the middle - and many will suggest, not unfairly, that it is quite an appropriate verdict on a figure as divisive as Margaret Thatcher.

But, while I think little for Thatcherism and feel some disdain at the extent to which it sadly pervades British politics today, at the same time I found this biopic rather engaging and also strangely moving.

The film benefits from a simple background plot in which an ageing Mrs Thatcher (Meryl Streep) is being helped by her daughter Carol (Olivia Colman) to clear out the clothes of Mrs Thatcher's late husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent).

We find that Denis is never far away from Mrs Thatcher's thoughts. In fact, she still sees him all of time and his sharp sense of humour ensures that he gets many of the best lines.

In the same way as Denis is close to Mrs Thatcher's thoughts, so are the former premier's political memories, and these are presented in a series of flashbacks.

This device may seem a little contrived for some critics but it logically allows the film to shift time from present to past with a smooth chronology.

We get to see how Mrs Thatcher rose through her party from an unpromising position to win power in the 1979 general election; how she then overcame her early problems in government with decisive victories in the Falklands abroad and at home against the miners.

And, finally, how she ultimately fell from grace with her party split over Europe and her popularity diminished by her introduction of the regressive poll tax.

There are, of course, scenes throughout the film of Mrs Thatcher debating in the House of Commons and heading her Cabinet meetings. However, none of the issues mentioned above is presented in the context of a political discourse.

For, that is not what this film set out to do - these are, more simply, the sepia-tinged memories of Mrs Thatcher and her thoughts upon them now.

Still, nothing of what I have written yet explains why someone like me - far removed from the Thatcher political philosophy - found the film "rather engaging and strangely moving".

Well, while I am not about to start paying subscription fees to her fan club, even this Thatcher detractor must concede that the drive and ambition which the young Mrs Thatcher showed in rising to the top was remarkable.

In this regard, Streep does fantastically well to convey the conviction and steely determination of the green-grocer's daughter, written off by many even from inside her own party.

Nowhere in the film is this better shown than in the scenes in the Commons where, at the height of her power, Mrs Thatcher's screechy oration was able to control the attention of a rowdy chamber full of men.

However, for me, Streep really excels with her portrayal of the much older Mrs Thatcher as a dementia sufferer in the present.

Dementia is an illness which is no respecter of authority and Streep's accurate representation of how it affects one of the previously most powerful persons in the world is highly commendable.

As you may have guessed, dementia is something which is rather close to home for me. Two of my deceased grandparents suffered from it, and my remaining 80-year-old nanna is also having her final years blighted by it.

I do not think I will ever understand how the brain will allow a person to remember vividly a moment from 30 years ago or more, and yet that same person cannot say what month it is, or what they had for breakfast. 

Oddly, the illness is still largely treated as a bit of a taboo subject when it comes to film and television, and so members of the Alzheimer's Society forums have been heartened to see it highlighted on the big screen.

I can only add my support to this and, consequently, I am happy to concede that Meryl Streep's Iron Lady has found an unlikely ally.

Glastonbury 2011 and Hyde Park review: Mud, sweat and beers

BEYONCE KNOWLES brought the curtain down on the last Glastonbury Festival until 2013 with a stunning show in front of a packed crowd on the Pyramid Stage.

The 29-year-old Texan singer opened her set by stepping down onto the stage from a mini version of the Pyramid while ticker tape and fireworks filled the air.

Beyonce fronted her performance with some of her biggest hits - starting with Crazy In Love and Single Ladies - before teaching the crowd some of the lyrics to her new single, Best Thing I Never Had.

The latter part of her set included covers of Prince and Kings of Leon, and a medley of Destiny's Child tunes.

But it was hardly a mistake to leave early and close the festival in style on the West Holts Stage with Kool & The Gang who played great versions of Get Down On It and Celebrate Good Times.

Earlier on the Sunday, Don McLean won the battle of the two American legends against Paul Simon, delivering a beautiful slow version of Vincent before milking American Pie for all its worth.

Simon stirred the crowd with Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes and You Can Call Me Al but he needlessly omitted Graceland and also could not find time for any Simon & Garfunkel tunes.

Thankfully, then, the Kaiser Chiefs on Other ran through all of their hits from their first album Employment after the Eels had helped us see in a beautiful sunset.

The hot sun on Sunday had come as a welcome relief after the heavens had poured down on most of Friday and Saturday morning.

Much of the site turned into a quagmire with up to a foot of mud in places and some of the bands struggled to rouse the crowd in the rain.

U2 were the biggest of the casualties with a largely underwhelming set.

Nevertheless, it did have a classy touch when Beautiful Day was introduced by an American astronaut in the International Space Station.

And Bono and the others will have at least pleased the purists having featured virtually all their biggest hits.

Earlier in the day, the Pyramid played host to an uninspiring set by Metronomy who would subsequently disappoint again at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park.

On the Park, American pop duo Jenny and Johnny unsurprisingly struggled to blend their summery tunes with the inclement weather, despite their best efforts.

But, back at the Pyramid, there was total reverence as 85-year-old BB King sang the blues before, over on West Holts, Dr Jimmy Cliff hosted one of the best party atmospheres of the weekend.

On Saturday, Coldplay were another act to produce a great atmosphere at the front.

However, a truly magical Glastonbury moment - like when they finished on Fix You in 2005 - eluded Chris Martin and his band as they opted instead to finish on their new single Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall.

Elbow were a sound choice in providing the warm-up for Coldplay with front-man Guy Garvey giving the appearance of a man who could not believe his band had finally made it.

Meanwhile, much earlier in the day on John Peel Stage, Ardal O'Hanlon-lookalike Jamie 'Pockets' Fox from Fight Like Apes gave the impression that he should be anywhere other than a rock band.

That was not to his detriment, though, and the Irish group - fronted by shouty female vocalist Mary-Kate 'MayKay' Geraghty - provided a hugely entertaining start to the day with both their songs and ad libs.

After repeating the trick at Wireless, I can see Fight Like Apes - and not Shite Like Apes as a self-referential Fox amusingly called them - become another favourite of mine.

Just as the Gaslight Anthem did after their visit to Glastonbury on John Peel Stage in 2009. This year, the Brian Fallon-led New Jersey rockers were back - and playing on the big, uncovered Pyramid Stage.

But the Americans did not let the big venue unnerve them and they gave the big crowd an assured display of their talent.

Of course, as always, Glastonbury Festival has far more to it than just the main music stages though Tony Benn disappointed on the Leftfield Stage by turning up an hour early, meaning I missed him for a third successive year.

Another irritation was the new late night one-way queue system. With its winding seemingly never-ending path, it did its best to exhaust revellers even before they reached the likes of Shangrai-la and the Unfairground.

Worse still, most of these areas remained clogged up with mud even after the sun had dried out the rest of the site on Sunday.

My preview post showed I was skeptical of the one-way idea beforehand and being stuck in such a big queue did little to force me to reevaluate my opinion.

It may have been more organised for the organisers but there was an element of it becoming a chore to visit the late night areas when this has always previously been one of my most enjoyable parts of the festival.

Nevertheless, Arcadia is now such an impressive structure that Orbital played a DJ set there on Saturday night and it has certainly been a pleasure to see the venue develop over the last few years.

My favourite after-hours place this year was away from the south east corner, though. The Bourbon Street Bar gained two visits from myself.

The first was to see Sandi Thom play the blues on Thursday evening, and the second was for some late night boogie back to the jazz of the brilliantly-named Rabbit Foot Spasm Band on Friday.

Glastonbury certainly tested my patience on this fourth visit but, as usual, it still came through with a kaleidoscope of flying colours.


Hyde Park

ARCADE FIRE and Mumford & Sons impressed Hyde Park on the following Thursday, managing to stir a sleepy crowd into action after earlier sets by the Vaccines and Beirut.

And last weekend, Chase & Status, the Chemical Bros., The Streets, The Hives and Pulp were top billing at the aforementioned Wireless Festival.

Wireless was not without its hitches. A poor queuing system meant that I missed the chance to see Devotchka, a band which I held back from seeing at Glastonbury.

However, my biggest beef with the Hyde Park event was its rampant commercialism.

I understand the need for a festival to pay its way with advertisers but there were enough adverts there to make your eyes and ears bleed.

Mike Skinner of the Streets even joked main sponsors Barclaycard had approved the popping of pills during the subsequent sets by Chase & Status and the Chemical Brothers.

Earlier, Canadians Arcade Fire sprung somewhat of a surprise by featuring as many songs as they did from their first two albums, Funeral and Neon Bible, rather than their most recent release The Suburbs.

Still, another chance to hear Rebellion (Lies), Wake Up and No Cars Go live was no bad thing.

On Sunday at Wireless, the Hives played a straighter bat, reminding us of their biggest songs Hate To Say I Told You So and Main Offender.

Dressed in their usual sharp suits, Swedish front-man Pelle Almqvist ever-modestly self-proclaiming his band as the only one the crowd wanted to hear.

Of course, it was Pulp who were closer to that the description and the Sheffield band dug even deeper into their back collection to perform Disco 2000 and Babies in what was effectively a greatest hits set.

Appropriately, Jarvis Cocker and his band finished on Common People and ticker tape fell from the skies to signal the end of a party.

What a party it had been, though! An epic fortnight of music, mud, sweat and beers.

F1 2011 Special: Senna-sational

Senna (12A)
Dir: Asif Kapadia
Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis
Running time: 106 minutes

AYRTON SENNA gets the documentary which his legendary status deserves in this epic biopic about the three-time Formula One world champion.

Senna was released in the UK on 3 June and has received rave reviews ever since. As of June 2011, it has a 100% fresh critical consensus on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes.

And it has already received notable recognition at the prestigious 2011 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Audience Award for a documentary.

So, is Senna actually as good as virtually everyone is saying? I had feared that it would not be.

Modern life, by its very nature, teaches you to be cynical, especially when something is quite as hyped as this film had been.

Thankfully, for just short of two hours, modern life was put on hold and replaced by childhood memories and an awe of Senna which wiped away the fears... and brought in the tears.

My interest in Formula One originated in the early 1990s but it was really only a patriotic pursuit on the back of Nigel Mansell's world championship for Williams in 1992.

Back then, in my uneducated eyes, Senna and his great rival Frenchman Alain Prost were just two of Mansell's opponents. Clearly, my tender years meant I did not appreciate the sport like I should have.

Of course, I had read about the rivalry since but had, strangely, declined to seek out footage of Senna and Prost at the peak of their conflict.

And so, the early parts of Senna, which looks back at 1988 and 1989 when the pair were both at McLaren, made for truly fascinating viewing.

Even non-F1 fans will be gripped by the dynamics of the established champion Prost and his upstart of a new team-mate in Senna, and their complete contrast in styles.

Senna sought glory every time he took to the race-track whereas Prost was more pragmatic, willing even to turn into a corner too early if it meant he could take out his rival and win the championship.

By 1990, the relationship between the pair was so fractious that Prost had moved to Ferrari. The move meant that Senna was established as the clear number one driver at McLaren and the Brazilian responded with successive championships.

His 1991 success included a first-ever Grand Prix win at his home circuit in Sao Paulo. This was my favourite part of the film, a high-point which brought a lump to the throat and made the tear ducts well.

On-board footage, which is used extensively throughout, serves its purpose particularly well when capturing this special moment.

The cameras show how Senna battled extreme physical pain to ensure he would see the chequered flag first despite his car being stuck in sixth gear, making low-speed corners almost impossible.

The pictures then show how Senna celebrated his Sao Paulo win with his parents, McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and the adoring public from his home city.

Indeed, Senna does a wonderful job to convey just what its subject's success meant to a country which was run by an oppressive government and beset by poverty.

Of course, as the years roll on towards 1994, everyone knows how the film will end up.

Nevertheless, the archive footage remains just as haunting as you would expect and, once again, it is difficult to keep your eyes dry while watching the spools of Senna being interviewed.

Some interviews show Senna discussing his relationship with God and his awareness of his own mortality. Others show him becoming increasingly preoccupied with the dangers of his profession.

On the weekend that Senna died at Imola in San Marino, both of those subjects had already been brought to the forefront by two high-speed crashes.

First, there was an accident featuring his protege Rubens Barrichello - and, then worse, Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed in qualifying.

Senna still took the track, though, considering that by failing to do so he would cease being a racer.

It was this demand of perfection - not just victory - which separates him from the rest.

And so it is apt, then, that Senna's life and legend is celebrated by a film which is just about as close to perfect as you can actually get.

The Season 2010/11: Club-by-club half-time verdict

1 MANCHESTER UNITED P20-W12-D8-L0 F43/A19 Pts 44
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (since November 1986)
Top scorer: Dimitar Berbatov (14)
Cup progress: Manchester United beat their great rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup Third Round on Sunday but they are out of the League Cup after a 4-0 defeat at West Ham in the QF. In Europe, Ferguson's men eased through a group featuring Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor to book a second round tie against Marseille.
Highlight of the season: The Red Devils really turned on the style in the 7-1 home thrashing of Blackburn Rovers in which Dimitar Berbatov scored five, becoming only the fourth man after Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Jermain Defoe to do so.
Verdict: Manchester United are still unbeaten at Christmas and, with games in hand on all their rivals, they are in great shape to land their 19th league title despite rarely playing their best football. A series of away draws looked damaging early on as Chelsea opened a gap but, just as the Blues have wobbled, the Red Devils have hit top form. If the Old Trafford club win another league title, they will go clear on their own ahead of Liverpool who remain on 18.
Original prediction: Champions

2 MANCHESTER CITY P22-W-12-D6-L4 F33/A16 Pts 42
Manager: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009)
Top scorer: Carlos Tevez (12)
Cup progress: Manchester City were forced into a replay after their FA Cup Third Round tie against Leicester City finished 2-2, and in the League Cup, Mancini's men were eliminated at just R3 by West Bromwich Albion. City have fared better in the Europa League where they topped a group featuring Lech Poznan, Juventus and Salzburg to set up a second round tie against Aris Salonika of Greece.
Highlight of the season: The Blues played some brilliant football to lead 3-0 against Fulham at Craven Cottage inside half an hour. The match eventually finished 4-1 with Tevez scoring two of the goals.
Verdict: Manchester City have rarely sparkled like they did in that match against Fulham with the recent 0-0 draw against title rivals Arsenal dropping them further behind city rivals United. The stalemate at the Emirates was City's fourth 0-0 of the season and Mancini's penchant for playing two defensive midfielders and just one up front already looks like it may cost the Blues silverware. Much of the responsibility of scoring rests with Tevez although that may be eased by the arrival of Edin Dzeko as City splash the cash again. Still, this season has seen some progress on last year when City failed to qualify for the Champions League - that aim looks a lot more like being achieved this time.
Original prediction: 3rd

3 ARSENAL P21-W12-D4-L5 F42/A22 Pts 40
Manager: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996)
Top scorer: Samir Nasri (9)
Cup progress: The Gunners face a replay against Leeds United in the FA Cup but they have made it through to the semi finals of the League Cup where they will face Championship club Ipswich Town. They are also through to the knockout stages of the Champions League but face a tough test against Barcelona after finishing behind Shakhtar Donetsk in their group.
Highlight of the season: Arsenal overcame a psychological barrier by beating Chelsea 3-1 at home, having lost 11 of the previous 12 matches against the Blues. Alexandre Song gave the Gunners the lead on the stroke of half-time before Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott made it 3-0 soon after the interval. Although Branislav Ivanovic then pulled a goal back, Arsene Wenger's men had successfully kept Didier Drogba quiet for once.
Verdict: Arsenal's quest for a first trophy looks set to be concluded if they justify their favourites tag in the League Cup against lesser opposition in Ipswich and West Ham or Birmingham. In the Premier League, too, Arsene Wenger's men are handily placed having overcome a significant psychological barrier in beating Chelsea 3-1. But, if they are to win a fourth Premier League crown, the Gunners' will need to avoid being beaten at home as regularly as they have been in the first part of the season. Ultimately, defeats at the Emirates to a Spurs comeback and newly-promoted pair Newcastle and West Brom will be what costs Wenger's men the title.
Original prediction: 4th

4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR P21-W10-D6-L5 F31/A25 Pts 36
Manager: Harry Redknapp (since October 2008)
Top scorer: Rafael van der Vaart (9)
Cup progress: Spurs eased through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic but collapsed in extra time to go out of the League Cup in R3, 4-1 to Arsenal. However, their achievements in the Champions League have more than made up for that. Having overturned a 3-2 deficit in the qualifiers by thumping Young Boys 4-0 in the home leg, Redknapp's men continued to score at will in the group stages. In all, Spurs scored 18 goals on their way to winning the group, beating Inter (3-1), Werder Bremen (3-0) and FC Twente (4-1) at home to set up a last 16 tie against AC Milan.
Highlight of the season: For all Spurs' efforts in European games this season, it does not get sweeter for Spurs fans than coming back from 2-0 in the North London derby to beat Arsenal 3-2 away. Rafael van der Vaart was at his inspirational best, setting up goals for Younes Kaboul and Gareth Bale and scoring a penalty.
Verdict: This has been a memorable campaign so far for Spurs, their free-scoring side taking on all-comers in Europe and just about staying in the title race on the domestic front. Every now and then, though, their attacking approach can leave Spurs open at the back, causing them to lose unexpectedly. For instance, this season would look even better but for defeats at home to Wigan Athletic (who they beat 9-1 last season) and away to bottom team West Ham United.
Original prediction: 7th

5 CHELSEA P21-W10-D5-L6 F36/A19 Pts 35
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Didier Drogba (9)
Cup progress: Chelsea returned to some of their best form of the season to beat managerless Ipswich 7-0 as they look to win a third FA Cup in a row. Meanwhile, their League Cup campaign ended prematurely in a 4-3 home defeat to Newcastle United in R3 but the Blues topped their Champions League group with five wins out of six, and they face FC Copenhagen in the second round.
Highlight of the season: The Blues began the season with successive 6-0 wins - at home against West Bromwich Albion and away at Wigan Athletic, and their good form continued until the end of October by which point they had already opened up a five point gap...
Verdict: ... Then, all of a sudden, Chelsea stopped playing, and their last 11 league matches have seen the west London club take just 10 points with defeats to Liverpool, Sunderland, Birmingham City, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers leaving Carlo Ancelotti's position uncertain. Chelsea have gone from a five-point lead to a nine-point deficit and it is hard to see the Blues hauling back that position. Indeed, given the way they have played recently, Chelsea will do well to retain their top-four place.
Original prediction: 2nd

6 SUNDERLAND P22-W8-D9-L5 F25/A22 Pts 33
Manager: Steve Bruce (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Darren Bent (8)
Cup progress: Hopes of a decent Cup run this season have been dashed by early defeats in the both domestic competitions. In the FA Cup, Sunderland lost 2-1 at home to Notts County and they also lost at home in the League Cup, 3-1 in R3 to West Ham United.
Highlight of the season: A 3-0 thumping of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge came just two weeks after a horrendous derby loss at Newcastle United as Nedum Onouha, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck gave the Black Cats a memorable day.
Verdict: Sunderland used that win against Chelsea as a springboard to launch a surprise challenge for a top six place, shedding their early season tag as draw specialists. After Bent was isolated during the awful derby loss to Newcastle at St James Park, manager Bruce switched to playing two up front with Gyan forming part of a £23m strikeforce. Add in Welbeck, playing on the wing, and the Black Cats have much more bite about them than previously although they probably still need more goals from elsewhere in the team.
Original prediction: 13th

7 BOLTON WANDERERS P22-W7-D9-L6 F34/A29 Pts 30
Manager: Owen Coyle (since January 2010)
Top scorer: Johan Elmander (9)
Cup progress: Bolton beat non-league side York City 2-0 in the FA Cup Third Round but only after two late goals. Meanwhile, in the League Cup, manager Coyle made an unhappy return to his former club Burnley which he left amid acrimony in December of last season. The Clarets were eventually relegated in 2009-10 but gained some measure of revenge by winning their R3 tie 1-0.
Highlight of the season: Bolton showed great character to complete a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers despite being reduced to ten men after Kevin Davies was sent off. Rovers looked like they had nicked a point with a late equaliser to Fabrice Muamba's goal but the ten men went up the other end and secured three points through Stuart Holden's strike. It was the first time since 2000 that Bolton had come out on top in this Lancashire derby.
Verdict: Sometimes a change in manager really does work for a club. Heading nowhere under Gary Megson, Bolton have not looked back since Coyle replaced him midway through last season. First, Coyle secured the Trotters' top flight status with some comfort in the second half of last season - and since then, he has crafted Bolton into being just about the 'best of the rest'. Bolton have lost just once at the Reebok all season and Wanderers fans may have to locate their passports for a European adventure next season.
Original prediction: 14th

8 NEWCASTLE UNITED P21-W8-D4-L-9 F34/A31 Pts 28
Manager: Alan Pardew (since December 2010)
Top scorer: Andy Carroll (11)
Cup progress: Stevenage gained revenge for their Cup defeat of 13 years ago by embarrassing Newcastle with a comfortable 3-1 win at Broadhall Way in this year's Third Round. Earlier in the season, Newcastle were dumped out of the League Cup after a 4-0 home loss to Arsenal in R4 having beaten Chelsea 4-3 at Stamford Bridge in R3.
Highlight of the season: The 5-1 thumping of Tyne-Wear rivals Sunderland will live on long in the memory of Magpies fans with Kevin Nolan hitting the first hat-trick in the match since Peter Beardlsey in 1985 and Shola Ameobi continuing his decent record against the Black Cats by scoring the other two.
Verdict: A microcosm of the Premier League season as a whole, Newcastle have pulled off some stunning wins, beating Aston Villa 6-0, Sunderland 5-1, West Ham United 5-0, and Arsenal and Everton away. However, home form has been more of a concern with defeats to Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, and draws against Fulham and Wigan Athletic. Perhaps it was this lack of success at St James Park which cost Chris Hughton his job but that decision still seemed incredibly harsh on a dignified man. Nevertheless, despite a lukewarm welcome, new man Pardew has enjoyed early wins over Liverpool, Wigan and West Ham - and when the Magpies put their first XI on the pitch, they seem more than capable of holding their own in this division.
Original prediction: 16th

9 BLACKBURN ROVERS P22-W8-D4-L10 F29/A35 Pts 28
Manager: Steve Kean (since December 2010)
Top scorers: Nikola Kalinic, Morten Gamst Pedersen (4)
Cup progress: Aston Villa, who beat Blackburn 7-4 over the two legs of last season's League Cup semi final, were again Rovers' conquerors in the competition, winning 3-1 at Villa Park in R3. Remarkably, Blackburn's reward for beating Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup Third Round is yet another tie against Villa!
Highlight of the season: The 3-1 home victory over Liverpool, which proved terminal for Reds boss Roy Hodgson, came as a great relief to Rovers fans, by contrast, as they saw their players publicly back new manager Steve Kean with a fine display. Martin Olsson struck the first goal before Benjani scored twice to put Rovers 3-0 ahead at the hour mark before Steven Gerrard netted a late consolation.
Verdict: Blackburn Rovers' new Indian owners, the Venkys, caused a stir by sacking Sam Allardyce, bringing to an end his two year reign at Ewood Park. In that time, Allardyce had rescued Rovers from the desperate situation in which they had been left by previous manager Paul Ince before reaching a League Cup semi final last season. However, though results had improved, the style of Allardyce's football had not and Allardyce was hardly helped by two of his last three results being a 7-1 mauling at Old Trafford and a 2-1 defeat to 10 men against Bolton Wanderers in a derby. Still, the Venkys took a risk in appointing the unheralded Steve Kean in Allardyce's place but the players have responded with a couple of wins to put Rovers in the top half. There have also been fanciful rumours of the arrival of Ronaldinho and David Beckham at Ewood but for now Rovers fans will just be concerned that this current squad is more than good enough to avoid the relegation scrap.
Original prediction: 8th

10 STOKE CITY P21-W-8-D3-L10 F26/A26 Pts 27
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006)
Top scorer: Kenwyne Jones (5)
Cup progress: The Potters' last trophy was the 1972 League Cup but they will not be winning the competition this season after going down to a 3-1 defeat at West Ham after extra time in R4. In the FA Cup Third Round, Stoke face a replay at Cardiff City after a 1-1 home draw.
Highlight of the season: 1-0 down in their fourth match of the season with 80 minutes gone, Stoke were facing the prospect of failing to put a single point on the board. But, at half time, manager Pulis arrived, having expected to miss the match after the death of his mother. Pulis inspired Stoke to score twice late on to turn around the match and - at that early stage - their season.
Verdict: A model of inconsistency, Stoke City began the season with three defeats before the Villa comeback helped them take 10 points out of the next 12. Then, another worrying run of four successive defeats followed before another unbeaten run of five matches included three wins in a row. Indeed, it looks as if it could continue like this throughout the season though the Potters will get enough results to maintain their top flight status for a third year in a row - even if their style of play continues to leave a lot to be desired.
Original prediction: 10th

11 EVERTON P21 W5-D10-L6 F23/A25 Pts 25
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002)
Top scorer: Tim Cahill (9)
Cup progress: With no European football to distract the Toffees, a domestic cup run looked to appeal. But, despite disposing of Huddersfield 5-1 in R2, Everton were dumped out the Cup by League One Brentford in R3 on penalties as part of their dreadful start to the season. In the FA Cup Third Round, Everton again handed out a thumping, winning 5-1 at Scunthorpe United, but they face Chelsea in the next round in a repeat of the 2009 Final.
Highlight of the season: The 2-0 home win over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby was a rare bright spot of the season as Everton found a club from the city in even worse form than themselves. Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta got the goals against a pitiful Reds opposition.
Verdict: Everton have performed poorly in the first half of the season and they deservedly sit in the bottom half of the table. Slow starts are nothing new at Goodison and David Moyes' men lost three of their opening five league fixtures. Three wins and three draws followed to suggest signs of a recovery but, with too many draws, the Merseysiders have won just twice since late October. There is a lack of cutting edge up front the obvious weakness and it will not help the Toffees that their best player Tim Cahill will miss several fixtures in the New Year due to Australia's participation in the Asian Cup. More encouragingly, though, those recent victories came against two of the current top-four, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, and they have also drawn against Manchester United and Chelsea this season.
Original prediction: 6th

12 LIVERPOOL P20-W7-D4-L9 F24/A27 Pts 25
Manager: Kenny Dalglish (since January 2011)
Top scorer: Fernando Torres (6)
Cup progress: Kenny Dalglish did not enjoy a dream start at Old Trafford as Manchester United won a dubious penalty within a minute and Giggs' conversion proved to be the only goal of the FA Cup Third Round tie. Earlier in the season, Liverpool were beaten 2-1 after extra time at Anfield by Northampton Town in one of Roy Hodgson's most embarrassing results. But at least the former Fulham boss continued to get results in his favoured competition to Europa League as the Reds finished above Napoli, Steaua Bucharest and Utrecht to set up a second round tie with Czech champions Sparta Prague.
Highlight of the season: Results on the pitch have generally been so few and far between that nearly all Reds fans would suggest that the appointment of Kenny Dalglish, almost 20 years after he last managed at Anfield, was the highlight of the campaign so far.
Verdict: The Hodgson experiment has failed, long live King Kenny! It has been an extraordinary first half to the season for Liverpool which has seen the return of Dalglish to the Anfield hot-seat after 20 years away. Hodgson's departure was not a surprise - he had a poor away record of just one win from 10 league games and he had overseen home defeats to Northampton Town, Blackpool and Wolves during his turbulent tenure. Indeed, it was the Wolves defeat which spelled the end for the former Fulham boss after he claimed to much consternation he had never had the backing of the Anfield faithful. Some backtracking was done by Hodgson but Reds fans felt they needed a hero in the run-up to successive matches against Manchester United and Everton after a woeful defeat to Blackburn Rovers. Dalglish duly arrived but could not prevent Liverpool from losing at Old Trafford in an uneven contest which shows just how far the Reds have fallen behind. It will take more than a Dalglish appointment to restore the confidence around Anfield and scraping into the top half seems like Liverpool's best bet.
Original prediction: 5th

13 BLACKPOOL P17-W7-D4-L8 F27/A32 Pts 25
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
Top scorer: Dudley Campbell (6)
Cup progress: The fact that the cups were not a priority for Blackpool this season was demonstrated by a 2-0 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup Third Round and a 4-3 defeat at Milton Keynes Dons in R2 of the League Cup. On both occasions, Holloway opted to field a much-changed side.
Highlight of the season: The stunning 2-1 win at Anfield against Liverpool thanks to goals from Charlie Adam and Luke Varney confirmed Blackpool were not just in the league to make the numbers up.
Verdict: Blackpool have been a real credit to the Premier League, playing with a refreshing attacking bravery that belies their resources. Derided in pre-season for their failure at one stage to capture any signings, the Seasiders have proved the doubters wrong from the start. The 4-0 win at Wigan Athletic was a dream re-introduction to the top-flight after 39 years and it got better with further wins at St James Park and, of course, Anfield. Since then, Holloway's men have continued to gain results with wins against Wolves, Stoke and Sunderland but the manager now faces a test to keep the momentum going after three successive defeats in league and cup. Blackpool remain just four points off the relegation zone, although with games in hand - and more home games than any of their rivals - the Seasiders should make it to the safety mark.
Original prediction: 20th

14 FULHAM P21-W4-D10-L7 F22/A24 Pts 22
Manager: Mark Hughes (since July 2010)
Top scorer: Clint Dempsey (6)
Cup progress: The Cottagers put six past Peterborough in the FA Cup Third Round as a 6-2 win earned the Cottagers a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham had already hit six in the League Cup this season with a 6-0 win over Port Vale but this was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City in R3.
Highlight of the season: While the 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion was Fulham's best result of the season, an early 2-2 home draw against Manchester United represents the only time the Cottagers have bloodied any of the big boys' noses this season. It looked as if the match against the Red Devils might end in defeat after Brede Hangeland's late own goal but he made amends with an even later goal at the other end to rescue a point.
Verdict: Fulham had only won twice in their opening 18 Premier League games, drawing on 10 occasions. But Mark Hughes' men have won twice since Christmas, including a rare away win at Stoke City. However, it was the 3-0 home win over West Brom which showed Fulham back to the best as a Simon Davies strike on the stroke of half time gave the Cottagers the confidence to produce a dominant second half display in which Clint Dempsey and Hangeland added further goals. It looked at one stage as if Roy Hodgson's decision to move to Liverpool would not work for either party but, while Hodgon has already gone from Anfield, Fulham have finally begun to look upwards.
Original prediction: 11th

15 BIRMINGHAM CITY P20-W4-D10-L6 F20/A25 Pts 22
Manager: Alex McLeish (since November 2007)
Top scorer: Craig Gardner (4)
Cup progress: Blues won their first derby against Aston Villa in seven attempts to reach the League Cup semi finals where they will face West Ham United over two legs. Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Birmingham had no problems in disposing of Millwall 4-1 at the New Den.
Highlight of the season: Birmingham fans cherish any victory over Aston Villa but their first win in the second city derby since 2005 was extra special as it qualified them for a League Cup semi final, just a two-legged tie away from Wembley. It is a shame then that certain 'supporters' spoiled the occasion with both Blues and Villa fans guilty of violence after the full-time whistle.
Verdict: Birmingham City were never likely to repeat last season's fine top-half finish and that has been reflected in the first part of this campaign. Every single one of the Blues' 13 wins in 2009-10 were by a single goal and so it is no surprise to see McLeish's men drawing exactly half their league games this time around. After all, there is often not much between a one-goal win and a draw in a game. What Birmingham have retained is some decent home form, with 14 of their 22 points coming at St Andrew's. That could prove vital for them as, due to a lack of goals and no great flair up front, it appears that they will be in a scrap for most of the rest of the season.
Original prediction: 12th

16 WEST BROMWICH ALBION P21-W6-D4-L11 F26/A39 Pts 22
Manager: Roberto di Matteo (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Peter Odemwingie (6)
Cup progress: Their 1-0 defeat at Reading in the FA Cup Third Round was the Baggies' sixth successive loss - worrying times at the Hawthorns. Earlier, West Brom reached the QF of the League Cup but missed out on a big chance to make into the last four by losing with a reserve side to Championship strugglers Ipswich Town.
Highlight of the season: West Brom pulled off an extraordinary result to win 3-2 at the Emirates against Arsenal with a performance which was more dominant than the final score suggests. After a goalless opening half, di Matteo's men stunned their hosts when Odemwingie and Gonzalo Jara scored within seven minutes of the restart. Earlier, Chris Brunt had missed a penalty but Jerome Thomas scored a third with 17 minutes left and the Baggies then survived an Arsenal comeback as Samir Nasri struck twice.
Verdict: If this blog had been written a month ago, West Bromwich Albion would have received a largely positive reception as, at the start of December, the Baggies sat in eighth having just convincingly beaten Everton 4-1 away and Newcastle United 3-1 at home. Even earlier in the season, di Matteo's men had deservedly earned plenty of plaudits for that 3-2 win at the Emirates and a fine comeback at Old Trafford to come from 2-0 behind at half-time to draw 2-2 with Manchester United. But the recent 3-0 defeat to Fulham was West Brom's fifth consecutive league defeat and alarm bells are ringing as Hawthorns' regulars worry about an attack too reliant on Odemwingie and, more generally, a return of the Baggies' soft underbelly which has caused so much Premier League woe in past seasons. Di Matteo must turn this terrible run of form around quickly but West Brom have shown more than enough in the first half of the season to suggest it can be done.
Original prediction: 18th

17 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS P21-W6-D3-L12 F21/A34 Pts 21
Manager: Mick McCarthy (since July 2006)
Top scorers: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Steven Fletcher (4)
Cup progress: Wolves drew a topsy-turvy FA Cup Third Round tie with Doncaster Rovers 2-2 meaning there will be a replay at Molineux next week. In the League Cup, they were beaten by Manchester United for the second successive season. While last year they went out 1-0 at Old Trafford in R3, this time the McCarthy's men were defeated 3-2 at the same venue in R4.
Highlight of the season: There haven't been too many highs in a season of just six league wins but a deserved first victory in 26 years at Anfield against Liverpool courtesy of a neat Steven Ward finish gives Wolves plenty of hope for the second half of the season.
Verdict: This has been a tough second successive Premier League season for Wolves with only two stunning 1-0 wins over Liverpool and Chelsea since Christmas now putting their heads above water. However, a wider look at their recent form is more encouraging with four of their six league wins coming in the last seven games. The fixtures now take another turn for the worst, though, and McCarthy's men will have to be at their best against the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal within the next month. If Wolves survive that horrid little run without falling too far away from the safety line, then they should avoid the worst effects of second season syndrome.
Original prediction: 17th

18 ASTON VILLA P21-W5-D6-L10 F23/A28 Pts 21
Manager: Gerard Houllier (since September 2010)
Top scorer: Stewart Downing (5)
Cup progress: Villa began their FA Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United in the Third Round. However, their League Cup run ended in a huge disappointment as they lost a second city derby for the first time in seven attempts in the QFs. The match was then marred by violence from both set of supporters on the full-time whistle. Villa's progress in Europe was halted early on as Rapid Vienna beat the Villans in the Europa League qualifiers for the second season in a row.
Highlight of the season: Villa showed some rarely seen desire to take a point from Stamford Bridge in a brilliant 3-3 draw. After Frank Lampard's spot-kick made it 1-0 to the champions, Villa scored either side of half time through Ashley Young's penalty and Emile Heskey. Chelsea then turned the match on its head again as Didier Drogba and John Terry scored to put the home side 3-2 up but Ciaran Clark's stoppage time goal proved to be the final twist of a pulsating game.
Verdict: An awful season for Aston Villa sees a club more accustomed in recent seasons with a top six finish actually struggling in the bottom three. Villa's season began with a bombshell announcement from Martin O'Neill that he was leaving and it was clear early season confidence was dented by this. Villa lost 6-0 to Newcastle United under reluctant caretaker boss Kevin McDonald but, if anything, results have got even worse under new permanent coach Gerard Houllier. The former Liverpool boss has taken just four points from his last eight games and caused a fuss by lauding the Liverpool fans at Anfield without mentioning the Villa faithful in a pitiful 3-0 defeat. Villa's backline has really suffered this season - only West Brom have conceded more - and Richard Dunne appears to be playing without any confidence. In fairness, that is a statement which could apply to numerous Villa players - a long second part to the season awaits.
Original prediction: 9th

19 WIGAN ATHLETIC P21-W4-D9-L8 F18/A33 Pts 21
Manager: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Hugo Rodallega (5)
Cup progress: Wigan were always in control of their FA Cup Third Round tie against Hull City despite the final score of 3-2. The Latics face Bolton in round four having earlier enjoyed their best run in the League Cup since they reached the Final of the competition in 2006. Martinez's men reached the QFs before bowing out 2-0 to a strong Arsenal side at the Emirates.
Highlight of the season: Wigan revisited White Hart Lane in their third league match less than one year on from their 9-1 mauling having lost their opening two games 4-0 and 6-0 respectively. Remarkably, Rodellega's goal with just 10 left on the clock gave Wigan a truly unexpected 1-0 win in a much improved defensive performance.
Verdict: Wigan Athletic stayed up last season despite conceding 79 goals, including 17 in just two games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. This season also began in atrocious fashion with a humiliating 4-0 home defeat on the opening day to Blackpool being followed up by another thrashing, this time 6-0, at Stamford Bridge. However, since those first two league games, the Latics' problem has not actually been their defence and their attack seemingly utterly reliant on Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia has scored just 18 goals all season. Wigan have always possessed the canny knack of picking up a draw or a win every now and then but a lack of goals throughout the team and a still creaky defence point to this being the season in which the Latics cannot surely survive again.
Original prediction: 19th

20 WEST HAM UNITED P22-W4-D8-L10 F20/A33 Pts 20
Manager: Avram Grant (since June 2010)
Top scorer: Frederic Piquionne (5)
Cup progress: Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole both scored twice as West Ham United beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup QF to set up a two-legged semi final tie with Birmingham City in the New Year. FA Cup progress was also made with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Barnsley in the Third Round - Nottingham Forest are up next in round four.
Highlight of the season: Approaching half time in their Boxing Day match at Fulham, West Ham were 1-0 down and manager Grant possibly heading for the exit door. But in the last 10 minutes before the break, front pairing Cole and Frederic Piquionne turned the match around with a goal each before Cole added a third goal with under 20 minutes left for his first ever Premier League brace. Victory lifted the Hammers off the bottom for the first time since September.
Verdict: Having sacked Gianfranco Zola for finishing 17th, the Hammers have endured an even worse league campaign this time around. Zola's replacement Avram Grant seems determined to retain his position as a cup run and relegation specialist beyond his reign at Portsmouth. Israeli Grant may have guided the Hammers to the League Cup semi finals but he has also overseen a series of dispiriting defeats with just one away win from 11 league games. Their latest loss, a 5-0 hammering at Newcastle United, has undone all the Hammers' good work over the festive period when they took eight points from four matches. Defeat at St James Park sent the Hammers tumbling back to the bottom of the table where they had resided since September before their decent run either side of Christmas, a run which undoubtedly saved Grant from the chop. It is hard to see Grant surviving another loss of form while West Ham have given themselves an almighty task to survive this season.
Original prediction: 15th

All W-D-L statistics and named managers correct as of 11-01-2011. Top scorers feature league goals only. Current Premier League table here, original predictions blog post here.

Brooker's back with Newswipe

SATIRICAL columnist and presenter Charlie Brooker returns tonight with a second series of Newswipe, the current affairs offshoot from television review show Screenwipe.

Except for links when Brooker is sat behind a big desk in a mock up of a news studio, Newswipe is presented in much the same way as Screenwipe.

Brooker more commonly sits on his own on a sofa with a single camera in what purports to be his flat, providing a scathing commentary on the media's coverage of news events.

In his Guardian column prior to the first series of Newswipe last year, Brooker explained that the show was "not aimed at political junkies... [but] at people like me - average types who feel like they've fallen behind and are a touch ashamed about it".

As a matter of fact, overlooking the occasional intentional vulgarity, some of the critical analysis in the actual content would not look out of place in an academic thesis.

In fact, it could be argued that Brooker sheds more of the light of truth on the industry than any higher educational establishment ever has.

Brooker focuses mainly on broadcasting and the struggles of 24-hour news channels to fill all the hours of the day.

In the first series, broadcast in March and April, this was no more evident than when heavy February snowfall led the BBC News Channel to use thousands of public photographs to fill air-time.

He also criticised the widespread use of ludicrous gimmicks to explain complex subjects, such as the collapse of the economy. And he despaired at the pointlessness of some graphics showing meaningless percentages.

There was analysis of the media's treatment of grief and, in particular, the growing emphasis on emotion rather than facts ever since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

This kind of reporting was widespread in all media forms after reality television's Jade Goody died.

According to Brooker, the tabloid newspapers "made a U-turn so big, it was visible from space". OK! magazine shamefully even went so far as to produce a tribute edition while she was still alive.

Another part of the series showed how rolling news coverage missed the point of the majority of the G20 protesters, and missed the biggest story of them all - the death of Ian Tomlinson.

Tomlinson died of a heart attack shortly after being shoved to the ground by an overzealous police officer as he made his way home from work through the protests.

Despite saturation coverage, it took footage from a person's mobile phone and rare "good, old-fashioned" investigative reporting to reveal the story in The Guardian.

Recently, Brooker has become more of a mainstream commentator with more television reviews on his Channel 4 series, You Have Been Watching, in summer 2009.

He also appeared alongside David Mitchell on C4's annual Big Fat Quiz Of The Year over Christmas.

Of course, there is nothing necessarily wrong with Brooker getting his voice heard on a more recognisable channel than BBC4.

But most of his fans would agree that he is at his best on Newswipe/Screenwipe when slouched behind the desk or on the sofa, slagging off the latest incredulous media own goal.

Newswipe with Charlie Brooker is on BBC4 at 10.30pm. Find out more about the upcoming series on his Twitter account, here.

The Season 2009/10 - Half time club-by-club review

With the football season just past its halfway stage and the clubs in the top two divisions out of league action for the coming weekend due to the FA Cup, it is time to assess the campaign so far on a club-by-club basis.

It is shaping up to be an exciting season in the Premier League with Arsenal joining the annual Chelsea-Manchester United battle for the title and several clubs competing at both ends of the table - for the final Champions League place and to avoid relegation.

In the Championship, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion lead the way but there is good pressure from Nottingham Forest.

As usual at this stage, most of the division still harbour realistic hopes of a playoff place while four of the bottom five clubs have changed their manager as they seek to stay in the division.

I have included the original predictions which I made in these pre-season guides for the Premier League and The Championship for no other reason than to show how poor my crystal ball skills were.

The Premier League
Table

CHELSEA
Position: 1st (P20 W14-D3-L3, Pts 45)
Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (14 league goals)
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (since June 2009)
Cup progress: Reached last 16 of the Champions League where they will face former manager Jose Mourinho, now in charge of Internazionale. Knocked out of League Cup in quarter finals in a penalty shoot-out against Blackburn Rovers.
Recent form: The Blues have been patchy and failed to win away since their fine 3-0 success at the Emirates at the end of November seemed to put them in control of the league. They lost 2-1 to Manchester City before draws against West Ham United and Birmingham City. Chelsea’s home form remains excellent with only two dropped points so far, though that was also relatively recently in a 3-3 draw with Everton. Their title bid will greatly depend on how they cope next month without the services of Didier Drogba who is at the African Nations Cup.
Original prediction: Champions

MANCHESTER UNITED
Position: 2nd (P20 W14-D1-L5, Pts 43)
Top Scorer: Wayne Rooney (13 league goals)
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (since November 1986)
Cup progress: Reached last 16 of the Champions League where David Beckham will return to Old Trafford with AC Milan. Reached semi finals of the League Cup where they will face city rivals Manchester City.
Recent form: With six wins from their last eight matches, United have stayed in touch with Chelsea at the top despite having lost five league matches this season already. But with just one draw all season, it has been a very much all-or-nothing campaign. Despite looking lightweight up front at times – all of their defeats have come when failing to score – United’s points total so far will please Sir Alex Ferguson who knows his teams usually peak in the second half of a season.
Original prediction: 2nd

ARSENAL
Position: 3rd (P19 W13-D2-L4, Pts 41)
Top Scorer: Cesc Fabregas (9 league goals)
Manager: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996)
Cup progress: Reached last 16 of the Champions League where they will face FC Porto. Knocked out of League Cup in the quarter finals when young team were convincingly beaten by Manchester City.
Recent form: Consecutive losses in the league in November to Sunderland away and at home against Chelsea seemed to end Arsenal’s title bid prematurely once again. But with 16 points collected out of 18 in busy December, the Gunners are right back in contention, and they will finally catch up that game in hand against Bolton Wanderers at home in the first week of January. A win in that match would put them to within a point of leaders Chelsea.
Original prediction: 4th

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Position: 4th (P20 W11-D4-L5, Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Jermaine Defoe (14 league goals)
Manager: Harry Redknapp (since October 2008)
Cup progress: Knocked out of League Cup in the quarter finals by Manchester United in repeat of the 2009 Final.
Recent form: Spurs have put themselves in an excellent position to challenge for a top four spot in the second half of the season thanks to a brilliant show of attacking strength in the majority of their games. This was no more evidently on display than in the 9-1 demolition of Wigan Athletic with Jermaine Defoe scoring five goals in a mach to equal Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s Premier League record. Typically, Tottenham lost their next home match, 1-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and so there are still too many off-days for their fans to be certain of fourth. But that Wolves defeat is the only one in nine games since Redknapp’s men lost horribly to Arsenal.
Original prediction: 7th

MANCHESTER CITY
Position: 5th (P19 W9-D8-L2, Pts 35)
Top Scorer: Carlos Tevez (9 league goals)
Manager: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009)
Cup progress: Reached first semi finals of a major domestic cup for over two decades after beating Arsenal 3-0. They will face Manchester United over two legs for a place in the final.
Recent form: Sixth place in the league with two defeats all season and a first Cup semi final for more than two decades was still not enough to prevent Mark Hughes from getting the sack. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak of the Abu Dhabi United Group wielded the axe despite City winning their last match under Hughes, 4-3 against Sunderland. But the Dubai moneymen were always likely to want their own man in place at some stage and Hughes hardly helped himself with a Premier League record of seven consecutive draws which caused them to fall away from the leaders. More heavy investment in the January transfer window is likely to follow to firm up a leaky defence and ensure City get fourth place at least. Comfortable wins against Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers have allowed Roberto Mancini to ease into his new role.
Original prediction: 5th

ASTON VILLA
Position: 6th (P20 W10-D5-L5, Pts 35)
Top Scorer: Gabriel Agbonlahor (8 league goals)
Manager: Martin O’Neill (since August 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out in the first round of the Europa League against Rapid Vienna, but reached the semi finals of the League Cup where they will face Blackburn Rovers.
Recent form: Four consecutive wins without conceding a goal in the run-up to Christmas included a first win at Old Trafford against Manchester United since the 1980s. The four wins were part of a run of just one loss in 12 matches which had taken Villa into the top four. But late goals in two losses over Christmas to Arsenal (0-3) and Liverpool (0-1) have once again suggested Villa have a habit of losing crunch matches at a crucial stage of the season.
Original prediction: 8th

LIVERPOOL
Position: 7th (P20 W10-D3-L7, Pts 33)
Top Scorer: Fernando Torres (12 league goals)
Manager: Rafael Benitez (since June 2004)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the group stages of the Champions League having picked up just seven points from their six matches. Finished third in group so the Reds have the consolation of a Europa League place – they face Unirea Urziceni in the last 32. Knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal in the fifth round.
Recent form: Three wins out of the last four matches have given Liverpool’s points tally a little more respectability and leaves them still in a position to challenge for fourth place. But that is a disappointing state of affairs for a club which finished runners-up in 2008-09, having lost only two league games all season. This time around, the Reds have already lost seven games and went through a patch of just two wins in nine league matches – though those two wins were against Manchester United and Everton. Even this slight recent revival was tempered by a woeful 2-0 loss at bottom of the table Portsmouth.
Original prediction: 3rd

BIRMINGHAM CITY
Position: 8th (P20 W9-D5-L6, Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Lee Bowyer (5 league goals)
Manager: Alex McLeish (since November 2007)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round, losing 2-0 away to Sunderland. Recent form: They cannot have had it much better than this at St Andrew’s – eleven matches unbeaten, seven of which were wins including five consecutively. If anything, the four draws have been just as impressive as they have come against Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, while none of the wins was by more than one goal. Whichever way it is looked at, though, it is a valuable run which has just about secured a Premier League place next season for The Blues already. That’s not bad for a newly-promoted team, especially after a concerning start of six defeats in the first nine games.
Original prediction: 18th

FULHAM
Position: 9th (P19 W7-D6-L6, Pts 27)
Top Scorer: Bobby Zamora (6 league goals)
Manager: Roy Hodgson (since December 2007)
Cup progress: Reached last 32 of the Europa League where they will face holders Shakhtar Donetsk. Qualifying from the group with a 3-2 win in their final match against Basle. Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round after extra time by Manchester City.
Recent form: Tipped by many to struggle this season with the extra workload of the Europa League, Fulham have lost just twice in their last 13 league matches, though they are yet to win consecutive league games. Roy Hodgson is a canny manager and The Cottagers have also come through a tough festive period with four points against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, including a fine display in the 3-0 win against United. Victory in their game in hand at Stoke City next week would push them towards the European qualifying spots once again.
Original prediction: 11th

SUNDERLAND
Position: 10th (P20 W6-D5-L9, Pts 23)
Top Scorer: Darren Bent (13 league goals)
Manager: Steve Bruce (since June 2009)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round by Aston Villa, losing 3-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
Recent form: An impressive 1-0 win at home against Arsenal is now Sunderland’s only win in eleven league matches, six of which have ended in defeat, blowing what had been a reasonable start. Wins against Arsenal and Liverpool, and a draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United, have been offset by away losses at lesser lights, the worst of which came at Wigan Athletic just a week after the Latics had been hammered 9-1 by Tottenham Hotspur. It leaves The Black Cats just five points clear of relegation and no doubt they would have been even closer without Darren Bent’s excellent contribution.
Original prediction: 12th

EVERTON
Position: 11th (P19 W5-D7-L7, Pts 22)
Top Scorer: Louis Saha (10 league goals)
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002)
Cup progress: Reached last 32 of the Europa League with a game to spare. They will face Sporting Lisbon in the next round. Knocked out of the League Cup in fourth round, losing 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur.
Recent form: The season has been a tale of woe for the Merseyside clubs so far. While Liverpool have struggled by their high standards, injury-ravaged Everton have still not been able to keep pace, spending all but two weeks of the season in the bottom half of the table. The home win against Burnley in their most recent match was the Toffees first success in eight league attempts, though their form has steadily improved with four successive draws immediately prior to that lifting them to mid table.
Original prediction: 6th

STOKE CITY
Position: 12th (P19 W5-D6-L8, Pts 21)
Top Scorer: James Beattie (3 league goals)
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round, going down to a 4-0 hammering away to Portsmouth.
Recent form: Unsurprisingly, Stoke City’s form at the Britannia Stadium is the reason for the continuation of last season’s position of lower mid table. The Potters fans have only enjoyed one win away – 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur – though that is at least one more win than at the same stage last season. But since the win at White Hart Lane at the end of October, City have won just once in the league and that was against bottom of the table Portsmouth. A failure to score in five of the last six games and, indeed, four defeats in the last five games suggest Tony Pulis’s men may be looking over their shoulder a little more than they would have hoped.
Original prediction: 13th

BLACKBURN ROVERS
Position: 13th (P20 W5-D6-L9, Pts 21)
Top Scorer: David Dunn (5 league goals)
Manager: Sam Allardyce (since December 2008)
Cup progress: Reached semi finals of League Cup where they will face Aston Villa over two legs.
Recent form: Blackburn Rovers have been struggling to find the net with any regularity under Sam Allardyce, and have struggled away from home with just five points on the road all season. Two score draws in the Christmas fixtures against Wigan Athletic and Sunderland brought to an end a run of just a single goal in six league games. Rovers have still been picking up points – three of those six matches ended 0-0 – but they have now failed to win any of their last eight league games.
Original prediction: 9th

BURNLEY
Position: 14th (P20 W5-D5-L10, Pts 20)
Top Scorer: Graham Alexander (5 league goals)
Manager: Owen Coyle (since November 2007)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round, losing 3-2 at Barnsley.
Recent form: The most schizophrenic of all the Premier League sides this season are Burnley, with just one defeat at home all season – but only one point from 30 away, coming in a dramatic 3-3 game at Manchester City. It is fair to say that if The Clarets are to retain their hard-won Premier League place, they are going to need to rely on that home form holding up. But, already it is slipping with all of their last four matches all ending in draws. Combined with their awful away form, Burnley have now failed to win any of their last nine league games since beating Hull City 2-0 on the last day of October. It is going to be a long second half to the season.
Original prediction: 20th

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Position: 15th (P20 W5-D4-L11, Pts 19)
Top Scorer: Kevin Doyle (5 league goals)
Manager: Mick McCarthy (since July 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in third round, 1-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Recent form: Wolverhampton Wanderers may have emerged from the worst part of the season still in a decent position. Just two wins from their opening 14 games had seen last season’s Championship winners drift towards the bottom of the Premier League. But three wins in four after that, including an impressive 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, has seen Wolves climb the table before they predictably lost their two festive fixtures to Liverpool and Manchester City which has halted their progress somewhat and they are still just a point above the drop zone.
Original prediction: 16th

WIGAN ATHLETIC
Position: 16th (P19 W5-D4-L10, Pts 19)
Top Scorer: Hugo Rodallega (7 league goals)
Manager: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup at the second round stage, losing 4-1 to Championship side Blackpool.
Recent form: A second 5-0 thrashing of the season against Manchester United means it is only one win in nine league matches now for Wigan Athletic. Sound beatings are becoming a regular occurrence for The Latics with heavy defeats at Arsenal (0-4), Portsmouth (0-4) and of course the 9-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur in addition to their losses against United. And so it is no surprise that Wigan’s goal difference of -23 is the worst in the top flight. But Roberto Martinez’s men have a canny knack of getting a win just when they need one and have not lost consecutive games since August.
Original prediction: 15th

WEST HAM UNITED
Position: 17th (P20 W4-D6-L10, Pts 18)
Top Scorer: Carlton Cole (7 league goals)
Manager: Gianfranco Zola (since September 2008)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round after a 3-1 extra time defeat against Bolton Wanderers
Recent form: Four points from the last six games is relegation form and West Ham United have been stuck in first gear with just three more wins since an opening day success away at Wolverhampton Wanderers. It has been a troublesome second season for likeable manager Gianfranco Zola after his impressive ninth-place finish in 2008-09 with injury to Carlton Cole robbing him of his best striker and alternatives sparse after the long-awaited retirement of Dean Ashton. The Hammers have little money to spend and must hope Cole recovers from his knee problems soon, else they face a real fight to prevent a second Premier League relegation.
Original prediction: 10th

BOLTON WANDERERS
Position: 18th (P18 W4-D6-L8, Pts 18)
Top Scorer: Ivan Klasnic (6 league goals)
Manager: vacant – Gary Megson sacked in December 2009.
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round, losing 4-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Recent form: Blowing a two goal lead against Hull City at home with minutes to go cost Gary Megson his job in the most predictable sacking of the season. The majority of the fans at the Reebok Stadium had never particularly taken to Megson and he was under real pressure from the start after mediocre finishes in the last two seasons. A decent run of just one defeat in six games towards the start of the season seemed to relieve some of the pressure. But the Trotters have won just once in the last nine games, 3-1 at home against fellow-strugglers West Ham United. Christmas fixtures against Burnley and Hull City were expected to yield more than just two points but they did not and Bolton became the third Premier League club to seek a new manager this season. With two of their next three league fixtures coming against Arsenal, it is likely to get worse before it gets any better.
Original prediction: 14th

HULL CITY
Position: 19th (P20 W4-D6-L10, Pts 18)
Top Scorer: Stephen Hunt (5 league goals)
Manager: Phil Brown (since December 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in third round, losing 4-0 at home against Everton.
Recent form: After staying up by the skin of their teeth last season, Hull City were always going to struggle in this campaign without serious improvements to the squad. A poor start, which culminated in a meek 2-0 loss to Burnley, put manager Phil Brown under pressure but instead it was the chairman Paul Duffen who stepped down, replaced by Adam Pearson. The return of the industrious midfielder Jimmy Bullard saw an upturn in The Tigers’ fortunes on the pitch but his comeback was short-lived and he picked up another injury in the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa. Further defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United have followed and it is now just one win in eight for Hull. The fixtures get no easier, either, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur away and the return against United at Old Trafford unlikely to yield many points in the coming weeks.
Original prediction: 19th

PORTSMOUTH
Position: 20th (W4-D2-L14, Pts 14)
Top Scorer: Aruna Dindane (4 league goals)
Manager: Avram Grant (since November 2009)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fifth round by Aston Villa, losing 4-2 at home.
Recent form: Rock bottom since the end of August with players who are not paid on time and a winding-up order from HMRC hanging over their heads – it has not been a happy season at Fratton Park. Having lost eight of their opening nine games, including all of their first seven, Pompey have done reasonably well just to avoid being cut adrift. But three more defeats in their last four games still leave Avram Grant’s new club in a desperate struggle to stay up.
Original prediction: 17th


The Championship
Table

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Position: 1st (P24 W15-D6-L3 Pts 51)
Top Scorer: Kevin Nolan (10 league goals)
Manager: Chris Hughton (since October 2009 (permanent basis))
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Peterborough United in the third round.
Recent form: The Magpies have opened up a slight gap at the top thanks to an unbeaten run of 11 games, including eight wins. Seven consecutive wins within this run is the best sequence of any team in the division. However, three of their last four matches have been draws, giving the chasing pack renewed hope.
Original prediction: 11th

WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Position: 2nd (P23 W13-D6-L4 Pts 45)
Top Scorers: Jerome Thomas, Simon Cox, Chris Brunt (6 league goals each)
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo (since June 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the third round.
Recent form: Just one loss in ten games has kept West Brom firmly in an automatic promotion place.
Original prediction: 3rd

NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Position: 3rd (P24 W11-D10-L3 Pts 43)
Top Scorer: Robert Earnshaw (7 league goals)
Manager: Billy Davies (since January 2009)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the third round.
Recent form: Forest are on an unbeaten run of 16 matches, the longest by any club in the division so far this season. Their sequence of 10 wins and six draws began with five straight wins which lifted them out of mid table to their current challenging position.
Original prediction: 13th

CARDIFF CITY
Position: 4th (P23 W11-D4-L8 Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Peter Whittingham (13 league goals)
Manager: Dave Jones (since May 2005)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at Aston Villa in the third round.
Recent form: The Bluebirds remain as inconsistent as ever, exemplified in their most recent match against Peterborough United when they blew a 4-0 lead and only drew 4-4. That does mean that they have had just one defeat in their last five matches but even that followed on from three consecutive defeats.
Original prediction: 9th

LEICESTER CITY
Position: 5th (P22 W10-D7-L5 Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Matt Fryatt (11 league goals)
Manager: Nigel Pearson (since June 2008)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Preston North End in the second round.
Recent form: Consecutive wins against both Sheffield clubs either side of Christmas steadied Leicester’s promotion push after a run of just four points from 15 immediately before it.
Original prediction: 14th

SWANSEA CITY
Position: 6th (P24 W9-D10-L5 Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Lee Trundle, Darren Pratley (5 league goals each)
Manager: Paulo Souza (since June 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 at home against Scunthorpe United in the second round.
Recent form: The Swans have lost only to in-form Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in their last 18 matches but could only manage draws in their two Christmas fixtures with Reading (1-1) and Crystal Palace (0-0), and continue to struggle to find the net regularly.
Original prediction: 17th

SHEFFIELD UNITED
Position: 7th (P24 W9-D8-L7 Pts 35)
Top Scorer: Darius Henderson (10 league goals)
Manager: Kevin Blackwell (since February 2008)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 at home against Port Vale in the first round.
Recent form: One defeat in nine matches, including five wins, has pushed the Blades right back in contention for a playoff spot after a worrying run of four consecutive defeats.
Original prediction: 4th

BLACKPOOL
Position: 8th (P22 W9-D7-L6 Pts 34)
Top Scorer: Charlie Adam (7 league goals)
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
League Cup: Lost 4-3 to Stoke City in the third round.
Recent form: The Tangerines have hit a sticky patch over the last few weeks with three losses in their last six matches. But they still managed a fine 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in December, and have the benefit of games in hand on all their rivals above them.
Original prediction: 22nd

CRYSTAL PALACE
Position: 9th (P24 W8-D10-L6 Pts 34)
Top Scorer: Darren Ambrose (11 league goals)
Manager: Neil Warnock (since October 2007)
League Cup: Lost 2-0 at home against Manchester City in the second round.
Recent form: Palace have lost just three times since mid-September to overcome their early-season woes but the number of draws is preventing them from making further progress.
Original prediction: 6th

QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Position: 10th (P24 W8-D9-L7 Pts 33)
Top Scorer: Jay Simpson (9 league goals)
Manager: Paul Hart (since December 2009)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the third round.
Recent form: QPR suspended then-manager Jim Magilton after the 3-1 defeat to Watford after a bust-up with midfielder Akos Buzsaky, an incident which coincided with a poor run of form of just one win and five defeats in seven games. Since Magilton was replaced by Paul Hart, an extension of that run now reads as just two wins in eleven games. Their most recent result was a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.
Original prediction: 7th

MIDDLESBROUGH
Position: 11th (P24 W9-D5-L10 Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Adam Johnson (9 league goals)
Manager: Gordon Strachan (since October 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest after extra time in the second round.
Recent form: Boro sacked Gareth Southgate after a 2-0 win against Derby County when they were just one point off the top. They now find themselves 19 points away from the summit after a run of just two wins in eleven games. Boro have lost four of their last five matches under new manager Gordon Strachan, whose reigns at his earlier clubs have traditionally started slowly.
Original prediction: 1st

BRISTOL CITY
Position: 12th (P24 W7-D11-L6 Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Nicky Maynard (10 league goals)
Manager: Gary Johnson (since September 2005)
League Cup:
Recent form: A run of just one win in ten games extending to the back of October has seen City drop away from the playoff scene into their predicted position of mid table.
Original prediction: 12th

WATFORD
Position: 13th (P24 W8-D8-L8 Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Tom Cleverley (8 league goals)
Manager: Malky Mackay (since June 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Leeds United after extra time in the second round.
Recent form: It has been a tough few weeks for Hornets fans who will have been relieved to hear that their club is not going into administration. On the pitch, the team has won just one of its last seven games, suggesting that the speculation over the club’s finances has not served them well. They remain safe enough in mid table for now, though.
Original prediction: 16th

DONCASTER ROVERS
Position: 14th (P23 W7-D9-L7 Pts 30)
Top Scorer: Billy Sharp (10 league goals)
Manager: Sean O’Driscoll (since September 2006)
League Cup: Lost 5-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at home in the second round.
Recent form: An excellent run of five wins in seven matches is just what Rovers needed, having won just twice before November all season. Unsurprisingly, their form has had a positive effect on their league position, lifting them from a low of 20th to 14th.
Original prediction: 18th

BARNSLEY
Position: 15th (P22 W8-D6-L8 Pts 30)
Top Scorer: Adam Hammill, Daniel Bogdanovic (5 league goals each)
Manager: Mark Robins (since September 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Manchester United at home in the fourth round, one of only three clubs outside the Premier League to reach that stage.
Recent form: The Tykes have lost just three league games and progressed well in the League Cup since Mark Robins replaced Simon Davey in September after a woeful start of just one point from 18. They are currently on a run of eight unbeaten league matches, with four wins and four draws.
Original prediction: 23rd

PRESTON NORTH END
Position: 16th (P23 W7-D8-L8 Pts 29)
Top Scorer: Neil Mellor (6 league goals)
Manager: Vacant – Alan Irvine sacked in December 2009.
League Cup: Lost 5-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at home in the third round.
Recent form: A run of just one win in ten matches was enough for Alan Irvine to be given an unwanted late Christmas present. After failing in the playoffs last season, another top six push looked likely in the early months before this recent form has dropped them to lower mid table.
Original prediction: 5th

COVENTRY CITY
Position: 17th (P24 W7-D7-L10 Pts 28)
Top Scorer: Leon Best (8 league goals)
Manager: Chris Coleman (since February 2008)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at home to Hartlepool United after extra time in the first round.
Recent form: The Sky Blues have won three of their last four games, much to the relief of their supporters as it followed a run of just two wins in 18 matches. City’s recent upturn means the threat of relegation has eased for now.
Original prediction: 19th

DERBY COUNTY
Position: 18th (P24 W7-D5-L12 Pts 26)
Top Scorer: Rob Hulse (6 league goals)
Manager: Nigel Clough (since January 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Rotherham United in the first round.
Recent form: Just one win and three goals in six matches means The Rams are looking over their shoulder going into the New Year.
Original prediction: 10th

IPSWICH TOWN
Position: 19th (P23 W4-D12-L7 Pts 24)
Top Scorer: Jonathan Stead, Jonathan Walters (6 league goals each)
Manager: Roy Keane (since April 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Peterborough United in the second round.
Recent form: Roy Keane’s men may have lost just once since October but there have also only been four wins. Ipswich are the draw specialists of the division with 12 in 23 games so far. At least they have finally started getting three points– their first success came at the 15th attempt, ruining early on what many had predicted to be fruitful season.
Original prediction: 2nd

READING
Position: 20th (P24 W5-D8-L11 Pts 23)
Top Scorer: Grzegorz Rasiak, Gylfi Sigurdsson (6 league goals each)
Manager: Vacant – Brendan Rodgers sacked in December 2009.
League Cup: Lost 2-1 at home to Barnsley in the second round.
Recent form: Brendan Rodgers paid the price for failing to lift a dispirited squad after last season’s playoff defeat and the departure of Steve Coppell. His sacking came after a run of just three wins and six defeats in 11 games which compounded a slow start to leave the Royals struggling. Since Rodgers’ sacking, form has hardly improved with just two points to show from their three matches around Christmas.
Original prediction: 8th

SCUNTHORPE UNITED
Position: 21st (P23 W6-D5-L12 Pts 23)
Top Scorer: Gary Hooper (7 league goals)
Manager: Nigel Adkins (since November 2006)
League Cup: Lost 5-1 at Manchester City in the fourth round, one of only three clubs from outside the Premier League to reach that stage.
Recent form: The Iron have won just once in their last ten league matches, nine of which have been since their heavy loss when exiting the League Cup. Their recent form will disappoint manager Nigel Adkins as, before then, they had embarked on a run of just two defeats in eight matches which lifted them up to 14th.
Original prediction: 24th

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Position: 22nd (P23 W6-D3-L14 Pts 21)
Top Scorer: Alan Judge (5 goals)
Manager: Paul Mariner (since December 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Gillingham in the first round.
Recent form: This has been an odd season for the Pilgrims who have won their last two matches under new manager Paul Mariner, including a 4-1 demolition of Reading. But this was only after club legend Paul Sturrock moved upstairs following a second bad run of consecutive defeats in the season. Plymouth had lost seven games in a row near the start of the season before a slight recovery. But then three 1-0 losses finally ended Sturrock’s second reign. Mariner started with two further defeats without scoring before those two recent wins give the Pilgrims’ fans hope.
Original prediction: 21st

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Position: 23rd (P23 W4-D7-L12 Pts 19)
Top Scorer: Marcus Tudgay (6 league goals)
Manager: Vacant – Brian Laws left by mutual consent in December 2009.
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Port Vale in the second round.
Recent form: Manager Brian Laws left the club by mutual consent after a run of nine games without a win has left Wednesday stranded in the relegation zone. That run has since extended to 11 games but at least they scored for the first time in over six games in the battling 2-2 draw against leaders Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
Original prediction: 15th

PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Position: 24th (W3-D9-L12 Pts 18)
Top Scorer: George Boyd (9 league goals)
Manager: Mark Cooper (since November 2009)
League Cup: Lost 5-2 to Blackburn Rovers in the fourth round, one of only three clubs from outside the Premier League to reach that stage.
Recent form: Posh have struggled to adapt to this level all season with just three wins so far. Darren Ferguson left the club by mutual consent in November after the team picked up just four points from eight matches. But there has been little improvement in terms of results under new manager Mark Cooper as they have only taken five points in their eight matches since then. This leaves Posh rooted to the bottom of the table where they have been since early November.
Original prediction: 20th

League One
Table

LEEDS UNITED continue to sweep all before them as they charge their way towards the Championship having lost just once all season.

United have racked up 56 points at the halfway stage, eight clear of second-placed Charlton Athletic as they seek to escape League One at the third attempt.

Charlton have also had a good season, having lost just twice and they are well-placed to make an immediate return to the second tier after a nightmare relegation campaign in 2008-09.

But the Addicks are sure to be pushed all the way by another relegated team, Norwich City, who are just three points behind, having lost just once in 16 matches after a poor start.

Colchester United are also firmly in the hunt on 45 points, having recovered from a slight blip in form to record five wins out of their last six games.

Then there is a gap of seven points to the other playoff teams, Huddersfield Town and Swindon Town both on 38 points.

Free-scoring Huddersfield are unbeaten at home but have unsurprisingly struggled away, given that they have played all but one of their fellow top half teams.

Swindon were draw specialists up until October with seven of their opening 12 games ending in stalemate.

But the Robins have started to convert one point into three more regularly with six wins from their last eight league matches.

Millwall on 36 points are just outside the playoffs along with Milton Keynes Dons, also on 36 points and Bristol Rovers, on 34 points, both of whom have fallen away in recent weeks.

The Dons have won just two of their last nine league games while Rovers have lost three of their last four.

At least their form is not as bad as poor Stockport County, rock bottom with 14 points having lost their last 11 league matches.

The Hatters, who spent the summer in administration, look destined for the drop. Now fully 10 points adrift of safety, their team is just not competitive enough for this level.

Wycombe Wanderers are also in trouble, standing six points adrift after a recent run of just four points from their last 18 while third-bottom Tranmere Rovers are another team to have spent much of their season in the drop zone.

At least Tranmere have come out of their own terrible run of defeats earlier in the season to have lost just once in their last six and reach 21 points.

They are now just three points adrift of Leyton Orient, in the final relegation place, and Brighton and Hove Albion, both on 24 points.

Oldham Athletic on 25 points have two games in hand on all of the teams around them after postponements due to the recent wintry weather.

Gillingham and Exter City on 26 points are just two points clear of the trap door.


League Two
Table

ROCHDALE are the latest team to hit the front of the basement division after an excellent run of seven wins and a draw from their last eight matches.

That puts the Dale on 51 points from 24 games, putting them in excellent shape for a first promotion in 34 years as they hold a 14-point advantage over fourth place.

Former leaders Bournemouth are five points behind in second place but with a game in hand and reasonable recent form with just two losses in 11 games, though they were both heavy defeats.

There is a further gap of seven points to Rotherham United on 39 points, though the Millers would surely have had a larger total if all their Christmas matches had not been postponed.

Indeed, Rotherham have not played since 12th December, denything them a chance to extend their run of just one defeat in seven.

Fourth-placed Notts County have rarely stayed out the news this season after caretaker manager Dave Kevan became their third boss of the season.

Swede Hans Backe left the club just days after Peter Trembling took over from Munto Finance who had launched ambition plans in the summer of bringing Premier League football to Meadow Lane.

On the pitch, County have lost just two of their last 14 league games to record 37 points from 22 games.

But a damaging run of six draws in seven matches has left them currently two points adrift of Rotherham in an automatic place.

Level on points with County but having played a game more, Dagenham and Redbridge are fifth.

That represents something of a disappointment for the Daggers who led League Two briefly in November before a current run of just one win in seven games.

Aldershot in sixth are on a much better run, having shot up from mid table on the back of four wins in their last five games.

The Shots are 36 points, just three behind Rotherham, though having played a game more.

Chesterfield occupy the final playoff spot on 35 points but having enjoyed seven wins out of eight in October and November, four defeats in their last five games puts their top seven place in doubt.

Shrewsbury Town and Bury are also on 35 points with Morecambe on 34 points and Accrington Stanley on 33 also well-placed to take advantage of any slip-ups.

At the bottom, Darlington's season of woe continues, though at least they are unbeaten since 12th December - because they have not played due to postponements!

When the Quakers have taken to the field this season, they have lost on all but four occasions with two wins and two draws their only return so far.

Indeed, Darlington have lost their last five league games, conceding 19 goals, leaving them 14 points adrift of safety.

Grimsby Town have been in the relegation zone with Darlington for much of the season and the Mariners are starting to be cast adrift as well.

They have won just three times all season and collected 17 points from 23 matches. Indeed, they are without a win in 15 attempts and are now five points away from Lincoln City in 22nd place, having played one game more.


Blue Square Premier
Table

OXFORD UNITED still lead the Blue Square Premier division but their lack of recent action has seen their lead cut to just two points.

The Us are still well-placed with 56 points from 24 games, two fewer matches than second-placed Stevenage Borough who are on 54 points.

York City have won their last nine league and cup matches to stay third, five points behind Stevenage having played a game less.

Then, there is another five point gap to fourth-placed Mansfield Town on 44 points and AFC Wimbledon on 43 points.

Wimbledon have taken 16 points out of 18 and not conceded a goal in any of those six games to rise from mid table to fifth.

While Wimbledon have risen, Kettering have suffered from the effect of losing manager Mark Cooper to Championship club Peterborough United.

A run of just one win in six league matches since Cooper's departure means the Poppies have dropped out of the playoff places with 42 points from 25 games.

At the bottom, Chester City have still not wiped out their 25 points deduction. They are on -3 points from 25 games and the pressure on their small squad has started to tell.

Just a single point from their last seven games has ended the slimmest chance that they would survive in the division.

Second-bottom Grays Athletic are five points adrift from safety after a run of just one win in 13 games, leaving them on 17 points.

But third-bottom Ebbsfleet United are fighting hard with three wins from their last five games to reach 18 points.

Forest Green Rovers occupy the final relegation place at present, but they are also on a good recent run of seven points from nine to hit the 20 points mark before their FA Cup tie with Notts County this weekend.

With just one win in 17 games, Eastbourne Borough look most likely to be caught but their reasonable start puts them on 22 points. Gateshead's inconsistency also keeps them on 22 points.

Statistics from Statto.com and BBC Sport website.