Each year Rant predicts the outcome of the season to come – winners, losers – Manchester United and others. There have been mixed results in over the years – 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12. And 2012/13 proved to be particularly challenging, with Rant’s worst prediction performance yet – just four correct answers, with the Champions League final yet to come. How did you do?
United’s Season
- Premier League: second – FIRST
- Champions League: quarter-final – SECOND ROUND
- Carling Cup: quarter-final – QUARTER FINAL
- FA Cup: winners – QUARTER FINAL
- Player of the Year: Wayne Rooney – ROBIN VAN PERSIE/MICHAEL CARRICK
- Reserve Player of the Year: Jack Barmby – ADNAN JANUZAJ
- Academy Player of the Year: Mats Moller Daehli – BEN PEARSON
Premier League Top Ten
- Manchester City – MANCHESTER UNITED
- Manchester United – MANCHESTER CITY
- Chelsea – CHELSEA
- Arsenal – ARSENAL
- Liverpool – TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
- Newcastle United – EVERTON
- Tottenham Hotspur – LIVERPOOL
- Everton – WEST BROMWICH ALBION
- Sunderland – SWANSEA CITY
- Fulham – WEST HAM UNITED
Relegated
- Southampton – WIGAN ATHLETIC
- Norwich – READING
- Reading – QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Champions League
- Winners: Real Madrid – TO BE CONFIRMED
- Runners-up: Bayern Munich – TO BE CONFIRMED
Europa League
- CSKA Moscow – CHELSEA
FA Cup
- Manchester United – WIGAN ATHLETIC
Carling Cup
- Arsenal – SWANSEA CITY
Player of the Season
- Wayne Rooney – GARETH BALE
Young Player of the Season
- Eden Hazard – GARETH BALE
Sack Race
- Brian McDermott, Reading – SACKED
- Chris Hughton, Norwich – SAFE
- Sam Allardyce, West Ham United – SAFE
I got them all right.
You got 3 & 4 in the Premier League top ten right, Chelsea finished above Arsenal, would have loved a playoff though.
I made only a few predictions about my lowered expectations for United’s hunt for silverware last season, and I’m happy to say that I got it completely wrong in the Premiership, where I thought United would finish second to City. As I expected, United didn’t get to any of the domestic cup finals, but I can’t say that the failure to do so was down to fielding a poor mix of the younger and older squad players—with several playing out of position, as I thought it would be. I was actually quite proud of the side that lost to Cheatski in the league cup; every time Sir Alex made a substitution, the side got younger and less experienced, but still put up a good fight against a Cheatski side that used its substitutions to bring on its star players, and was still fortunate to force extra time.
I also predicted that United would be lucky to make it to the UCL quarter-final round; United wasn’t lucky. So, three out of four predictions were correct, but I hope to do worse next season.
Is it “wasn’t” or “weren’t”?
Wasn’t. Technically a football club is a singular entity. The eleven players “weren’t” lucky. But the club “wasn’t” lucky either.
Then again it’s like you’re supposed to say “fergie and I are going to the shops” not “me and fergie are going to the shops”. But language is always in flux, evolving, I suppose.
Slim, swim, slippy, swammy….Samsonite…I was way off!!