Can I Predict the Premier League? (28-30 Sept)

Last week's matches.

Match	My Prediction	Lawro’s Prediction	Actual Result
Norwich vs. Aston Villa	Norwich Win	Draw (1-1)	Aston Villa Win (0-1)
West Ham vs. Everton	Draw	West Ham Win (2-1)	Everton Win (2-3)
Newcastle vs. Hull	Newcastle Win	Newcastle Win (2-0)	Hull Win (2-3)
West Brom vs. Sunderland	Draw	West Brown Win (2-1)	West Brom Win (3-0)
Liverpool vs. Southampton	Liverpool Win	Liverpool Win (2-0)	Southampton Win (0-1)
Chelsea vs. Fulham	Chelsea Win	Chelsea Win (2-0)	Chelsea Win (2-0)
Crystal Palace vs. Swansea	Swansea Win	Crystal Palace Win (2-1)	Swansea Win (0-2)
Arsenal vs. Stoke	Arsenal Win	Arsenal Win (2-0)	Arsenal Win (3-1)
Man City vs. Man Utd	Man City Win	Draw (0-0)	Man City Win (4-1)
Cardiff vs. Tottenham	Tottenham Win	Tottenham Win (0-2)	Tottenham Win (0-1)

Final result
Lawro scored 4/10 correct match predictions
I scored 5/10 correct match predictions

One more than Lawro. Man City always has a strong home record against Man Utd since the Saudi's bought the club.

Correct predictions by me = 25/49
Correct predictions by Lawro = 25/49

Leader Sofa - All square

This weekend's predictions

Match	My Prediction	Lawro’s Prediction	Actual Result
Tottenham vs. Chelsea	Chelsea Win	Draw (1-1)
Man Utd vs. West Brom	Man Utd Win	Man Utd Win (3-0)
Hull vs. West Ham	Hull Win	Hull Win (2-1)
Fulham vs. Cardiff	Fulham Win	Fulham Win (2-1)
Aston Villa vs. Man City	Man City Win	Man City Win (0-2)
Southampton vs. Crystal Palace	Southampton Win	Southampton Win (2-0)
Swansea vs. Arsenal	Arsenal Win	Draw (1-1)
Stoke vs. Norwich	Stoke Win	Stoke Win (2-1)
Sunderland vs. Liverpool	Liverpool Win	Draw (1-1)
Everton vs. Newcastle	Draw	Everton Win (2-1)

If you're foolish to put a bet on. If you place £1 and decide to bet on all ten match results, depending whether to go with me or Lawro then you could win.

If my ten match predictions are correct. £1 will win you £1,392.48
If Lawro's ten match predictions are correct. £1 will win you £1,838.45

Worth noting that although I scored 5/10 last weekend. The 5 correct predictions were consecutive correct results.

Just Read: The Crow Trap (DI Vera Stanhope #1) by Ann Cleeves

For those who follow my Just Read posts. I will write up about The Big Sleep and other books I've read very soon. In the meantime, this latest post is about The Crow Trap.

ITV have recently aired the latest series of Vera on Sunday nights. Based on the character Vera Stanhope,
who was invented by author Ann Cleeves. I decided to read the first book in the DI Stanhope series to see whether the books are any good.

The mystery sets out where three women, all with different mysterious pasts meets up at a cottage in the North Pennies to complete an environmental survey to determine whether a quarry can be built on the green and pleasant land. When Rachael arrives at the cottage, she discovers her friend Bella Furness has committed suicide by hanging herself. It is when another incident takes place another dead body is found. The murder investigation has to be solved by unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope.

To be honest, I had two massive problems reading through this book. Which might explain it took me over a month to finish it.

Firstly, the book is split into three parts. The first part is split into three smaller parts, where the smaller parts covers each of the three girls. Rachael, Anne and Grace. The second part takes place after the murder and we see Vera being introduced. The second part is written, still in the third person view but focuses on the girls rather than Vera. The third and final part focuses entirely on Vera and how she continues her investigation, tracking down the murderer. As you can see, the book is written so we don't get to see Vera until the second part. To give you a better idea. The book is 533 pages long. The second part kicks in around the 200 page mark. Meaning the heroine of the story doesn't come into until a third into the book. When I read this I had thoughts of Agatha Christie's first Jane Marple book, The Murder at the Vicarage. Christie wrote the book in the first person view of the vicar but Miss Marple was always mentioned in numerous conversations and quite early in the book. It felt very strange not to learn any of the "new detective on the block" until part two. Yet, we don't see her crime solving methods and get to know more about Vera's past until part three, where we're nearly at the end of the book.

Secondly, I was getting bored with the first part and the three women. Only Grace had the most interesting background. I had no interest with Rachael and Anne. As mentioned, you have to trudge through 200 pages just to get to the interesting part where the murder investigation got underway.

Perhaps the book would've been better if the first part was trimmed down by an hundred pages, so we get to see Vera earlier on. I understand it's a meaty book but the Roy Grace series by Peter James are meaty as well. I remember reading the first book, Dead Simple in 2012 where Roy Grace was introduced about 30-40 pages into the book. It's interesting that Ann Cleeves published The Crow Trap in 1999. It wasn't until 2006, seven years later where the second book, Telling Tales was released. I understand Telling Tales is about one hundred pages less compared to The Crow Trap. Perhaps it's a sign the second book onwards does see some improvements into the Vera Stanhope series. Simply put I won't be rushing to read Telling Tales but I suspect I will read the second book in the series sometime in 2014.

I will confess I've never seen the television adaptation of Vera. I understand The Crow Trap has been adapted. Therefore when I do get to see the telly version. I will make an amendment to this post to compare between the book and televised versions.

I gave The Crow Trap 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Can I Predict the Premier League? (21-22 Sept)

Going to keep last weeks results and this weeks predictions as one post rather than two,

Firstly, to last weeks results.

Match	My Prediction	Lawro’s Prediction	Actual Result
Man Utd vs. Crystal Palace	Man Utd Win	Man Utd Win (3-0)	Man Utd Win (2-0)
Fulham vs. West Brom	Fulham Win	Fulham Win (2-0)	Draw (1-1)
Hull vs. Cardiff	Draw	Draw (1-1)	Draw (1-1)
Tottenham vs. Norwich	Tottenham Win	Tottenham Win (2-0)	Tottenham Win (2-0)
Stoke vs. Man City	Man City Win	Draw (1-1)	Draw (0-0)
Aston Villa vs. Newcastle	Newcastle Win	Aston Villa Win (2-1)	Newcastle Win (1-2)
Sunderland vs. Arsenal	Arsenal Win	Arsenal Win (0-2)	Arsenal Win (1-3)
Everton vs. Chelsea	Chelsea Win	Draw (1-1)	Everton Win (1-0)
Southampton vs. West Ham	Draw	Southampton Win (2-1)	Draw (0-0)
Swansea vs. Liverpool	Liverpool Win	Draw (1-1)	Draw (2-2)

Final result
Lawro scored 6/10 correct match predictions
I scored 6/10 correct match predictions

All square between me and the expert. This means.

Correct predictions by me = 20/39
Correct predictions by Lawro = 21/39

Leader Sofa - Lawro by 1 point

Onto this weekends predictions

Match	My Prediction	Lawro’s Prediction	Actual Result
Norwich vs. Aston Villa	Norwich Win	Draw (1-1)
West Ham vs. Everton	Draw	West Ham Win (2-1)
Newcastle vs. Hull	Newcastle Win	Newcastle Win (2-0)
West Brom vs. Sunderland	Draw	West Brown Win (2-1)
Liverpool vs. Southampton	Liverpool Win	Liverpool Win (2-0)
Chelsea vs. Fulham	Chelsea Win	Chelsea Win (2-0)
Crystal Palace vs. Swansea	Swansea Win	Crystal Palace Win (2-1)
Arsenal vs. Stoke	Arsenal Win	Arsenal Win (2-0)
Man City vs. Man Utd	Man City Win	Draw (0-0)
Cardiff vs. Tottenham	Tottenham Win	Tottenham Win (0-2)

If you're foolish to put a bet on. If you place £1 and decide to bet on all ten match results, depending whether to go with me or Lawro then you could win.

If my ten match predictions are correct. £1 will win you £1,169.69
If Lawro's ten match predictions are correct. £1 will win you £2152.36

Watching Foreign Telly: German Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

I was going to write about the new series of Italian Deal or No Deal (Affari Tuoi) this weekend but it can wait. I watched the German version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? this evening. However, it was first of two, two hour specials called Wer wird Millionär? – Das große Zocker-Special. For those who don't know German, the English title is Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The Great Gambler Special. You wouldn't see that title on ITV anytime soon. 

This version is basically the Millionaire format we all loved but with little tweaks. To give you a quick overall. The German version still uses the 15 question money tree, Fastest Finger First and the original musical cues from Keith and Matthew Strachan. In these two specials, the money tree and format is designed to encourage contestants to climb up the money tree without using any lifelines. The higher up the money tree the contestants go, the bigger the risk.

The top prize has been doubled from €1 million to €2 million, therefore the money tree values have slightly changed from the regular money tree. There is only one safe level at €1,000 (question 5). The major factor with these shows, contestants cannot use any lifelines for the first nine questions. Once they win €16,000 (question 9), they can use the four lifelines (Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience, 50/50 and Ask the Audience Member) for the remaining six questions.

As with some European versions of Millionaire, there are larger jumps higher up the money tree. As you can see, question 13 is worth €250,000 with question 14 trebling the amount to €750,000. Question 15 is worth an extra €1.25 million. However, it's worth remembering there is only one safe haven at €1,000, so to win €2 million you would have to risk €749,000. Possibly the biggest risk on any version of Millionaire in the world.

The show had a slow start with the first two contestants (both female) losing €7,000 each to leave with €1,000. Third contestant, Alexander Zimmer fared much better. He zipped through the first nine questions, securing €16,000 and his four lifelines. He used his 50/50 to win €32,000, his Phone a Friend to win €64,000, Ask the Audience to win €125,000 and Ask the Audience Member to win €250,000. Alexander had this question, worth a staggering €750,000. Remember he is risking €249,000 if he is wrong.

The translation for this question is as follows.

What is often equipped with a ferrule?

A: Teabag
B: Condom
C: Pencil
D: Compact Disc



Alexander decides to play the question and he is right for €750,000. 

Alexander is now one question away to winning €2 Million. If he answers question fifteen wrong, he loses €749,000

Translation:

If you believe the Apollo astronauts that were on the moon, what does moon dust smell like?

A: Window Cleaner
B: Aniseed
C: Gunpowder
D: Smelly Feet

Alexander decides not to risk his €749,000 and becomes the second biggest winner on the German version. Had he played the question he would've lost €749,000.

Given the slow start, this has been an entertaining, tense and dramatic two hour special. It proves the legacy of the classic Millionaire format carries throughout the world. Given Victory Television has completely ruined the UK version over the last two years. Especially with their recent People Play specials. The second Great Gamblers special will air next Friday

The correct answers were C: Pencil and C: Gunpowder.

Can I Predict the Premier League? (14-16 Sept)

After a terrible England game in Ukraine, which resulted a score bore. Premier League football is back this weekend. I decided to make my predictions on Tuesday evening. Given what Lawro has predicted for this weekend, the comparisons are very interesting.

Match	My Prediction	Lawro’s Prediction	Actual Result
Man Utd vs. Crystal Palace	Man Utd Win	Man Utd Win (3-0)
Fulham vs. West Brom	Fulham Win	Fulham Win (2-0)
Hull vs. Cardiff	Draw	Draw (1-1)
Tottenham vs. Norwich	Tottenham Win	Tottenham Win (2-0)
Stoke vs. Man City	Man City Win	Draw (1-1)
Aston Villa vs. Newcastle	Newcastle Win	Aston Villa Win (2-1)
Sunderland vs. Arsenal	Arsenal Win	Arsenal Win (0-2)
Everton vs. Chelsea	Chelsea Win	Draw (1-1)
Southampton vs. West Ham	Draw	Southampton Win (2-1)
Swansea vs. Liverpool	Liverpool Win	Draw (1-1)

It's interesting that Lawro thinks Man City, Liverpoo and Chelsea will fail to win their away games. Obviously Lawro is a football expert and I'm not but I think he has made a mistake. Chelsea will certainly beat Everton. While I think Man City and Liverpool will get a close win over Stoke and Swansea respectfully. We shall see come Monday evening.

To remind you with the current score.

Correct predictions by me = 14/29
Correct predictions by Lawro = 15/29

Leader Sofa - Lawro by 1 point

If you decide to be foolish and bet £1 on all ten matches, depending who you go for then...

All my ten correct predictions will win you £1,971.47
All of Lawro's ten correct predictions will win you £3,278.80