GW4: The Gaffer's Verdict

Right, GW4 done and dusted, and the Gaffer's walked out with his pockets jingling but not exactly bulging.

Wolves and Newcastle was the call of the week, no question. Called it 1-2 on the nose, five points in the back pocket, lovely jubbly. Anyone watching Wolves this season could see they're leaking goals like a dodgy roof in Bow, and Newcastle were always going to nick it with that forward line. Wasn't rocket science, but you've got to back your gut, and mine was screaming Geordies all week. Job done.

Now the worst miss. Liverpool 3-0 over Forest. Hands up, I bottled it. Thought Slot's lot would steamroll Nuno's boys at Anfield, and Forest turned up and mugged them off in their own back garden. Total zero, nothing to show for it. In my defence, you don't predict Liverpool losing at home to Forest unless you've been at the sauce.

“The trick in this game is being right about the boring stuff, not just the bangers, and this week I was on the bangers and off the bread and butter.”

Brighton nil-nil with Ipswich was another sickener. Had the Seagulls walking it 2-0 and they couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo. Fulham and West Ham draw cost me too. I had the Hammers nicking it, and they nearly did, but a point apiece means nothing for the Gaffer's tally. The North London derby I got the result right but the scoreline wrong, three points is alright but I wanted more from that one. Same story with Bournemouth Chelsea and Palace Leicester. Right idea, wrong numbers. That's the game though.

Twenty points across ten matches. It's not a disaster, but it ain't champagne football neither. It's a solid pint of bitter down the local. The reads were mostly there, the scorelines were all over the shop. Too many draws I didn't see coming, and that Liverpool result is going to haunt me till Christmas. The trick in this game is being right about the boring stuff, not just the bangers, and this week I was on the bangers and off the bread and butter.

Could have been worse, could have been a lot better. The Gaffer's seen weeks where he's cleaned up and weeks where he's been turned over good and proper. This was somewhere in the middle, which annoys me more than a proper hiding.

GW5 next, and I'm coming back swinging. Get the kettle on.