Gamball:
Liverpool - Arsenal

Others:
West Ham - Man Utd
Nottingham Forest - Bournemouth
Leeds - Ipswich
Blackburn - Watford
Middlesbrough - WBA
Plymouth - Birmingham
Sheff W - Cardiff
Stoke - Millwall
Wolves - Chelsea

Championship strugglers Stoke City have appointed Plymouth Argyle boss Steven Schumacher as their head coach.

The 39-year-old leaves the Pilgrims - who are three points above the Potters in the second tier - to replace Alex Neil on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Schumacher spent two years in charge at Argyle, leading them to the League One title with 101 points last season.

Stoke, without a win in eight, are three points above the drop zone and on to their sixth manager in six years.

Plymouth assistant manager Mark Hughes, first-team coach Peter Cavanagh and goalkeeping coach Darren Behcet have also left the club to join Schumacher.

Schumacher, who initially joined Argyle as assistant to Ryan Lowe and was promoted in December 2021 when Lowe left for Preston, said he was "attracted" to Stoke by "its history and everything it represents".

"The values that resonate with me for a Stoke City team are bravery and hard work, coupled with a desire to play attacking football and be a team our supporters can connect with," he told Stoke's website.

"We have the players to do that and, if we can get back to a point where the Bet365 Stadium is thought of as a tough venue to visit, we can really get it rocking again."

Neil was sacked on 10 December after 16 months in charge, having led the club to a 16th-placed finish in 2022-23.

Schumacher follows the same route as Tony Pulis, Stoke's most successful manager of the past 50 years, who left Home Park to return to the Potteries for a second spell in charge in 2006, culminating to the club's return to the top flight in 2008.

A reunion with the Pilgrims will come late in the season, with Stoke hosting the Devon side in late April.

Stoke chairman John Coates says the Potters feel they have "one of the most exciting young coaches in the country" in Schumacher, while Plymouth have said the promotion and title-winning boss "will go down as an Argyle great".

"We are naturally sorry to lose a manager of Steven's potential, but he has decided to take a new role that he sees as the next step in his career," Plymouth chairman Simon Hallett told the club website.

"I would like to thank Steven for his hard work, dedication, and success during his time with Argyle and I'm sorry that he won't be with us as we work to deliver our new mission."

Plymouth's director of football Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell have been placed in interim charge of the club as they search for Schumacher's replacement.

So it's Steven Schumacher next for what is turning out to be a red-hot manager's chair at Stoke City.

It will be Schumacher's second managerial job and, much like his close friend Ryan Lowe, he's decided the time is right to seek a new challenge with a club that has a bigger playing budget than Plymouth's.

It's Stoke's fifth new manager since the 10-year spell in the Premier League came to an end in 2018. And, in Schumacher, they have selected a man who has worked diligently to find himself at a club who have a real desire to get back into the top flight.

The expectation - and believe me there is an expectation from the Stoke supporters - will be a new experience for Schumacher.

One of the big questions will be how he handles adversity from a demanding fanbase, however from afar he strikes me as someone who will thrive under the spotlight - the natural charm and confidence of a streetwise Liverpudlian.

John and Peter Coates, the joint chairmen, and Ricky Martin, the technical director, might have just picked out a real gem, but as always in football, time will reveal all.

Losing Steven Schumacher is the news all Argyle fans dreaded, but at the same time expected.

In just two years at Home Park he has gone from managerial novice to a title-winning boss, who saw off sides with bigger budgets to set an extraordinary tally of 101 points last season.

That talent has made other Championship clubs eye the Liverpudlian as a possible boss, and Stoke have finally been the ones to prise him away from Devon.

Earlier this month he said he was "flattered" to be linked with the vacant role at Sunderland, but admitted that there would be a time when he would leave Home Park.

In his two years Schumacher has impressed with his tactical flexibility - the Pilgrims have had success with both three central defenders and a back four under him - while also being popular with the players.

He leaves Plymouth Argyle owner Simon Hallett's "project" to be a sustainable Championship club in a much better state than when he arrived.

But now we will see how he fares at a club who spent a decade in the Premier League, but who have had little success since then and who have gone through five permanent managers in as many years.

Forest Green Rovers have appointed ex-Watford captain Troy Deeney as head coach following the departure of David Horseman by mutual consent.

Deeney, 35, has been working in a player-coach capacity since joining the League Two club in the summer.

Horseman, 39, spent only five months in charge and has left following the team's FA Cup exit to Blackpool.

Rovers have won only four league matches this season and sit 23rd in the table, five points from safety.

Forest Green owner Dale Vince said he needed to "act decisively to improve our performances and league position".

"Troy came to us to begin his career in coaching and take the next step of his career - this is happening sooner than expected but he's built strong relationships already with our staff, squad and fans - and is well placed for the challenge," said Vince.

"We'll strengthen our squad in the coming transfer window as well, to give ourselves the best chance of first securing our place in League Two before looking upward once more, toward League One and beyond."

Deeney spent 11 years as a striker with Watford after moving to Vicarage Road from Walsall in 2010, and went on to score 140 goals in 419 appearances as he twice helped the Hornets win promotion to the Premier League and led them to the 2019 FA Cup final.

He joined Forest Green after leaving Championship side Birmingham City in the summer and has scored four goals in 18 appearances this season while also working on the coaching staff at The New Lawn.

He becomes the club's fourth boss in 19 months since the departure of Rob Edwards in May 2022, after Ian Burchnall, Duncan Ferguson and Horseman.

His first game in charge will be Friday's visit of Gillingham.

"One thing I can assure everyone is that we will work our very hardest to bring this wonderful club back to success," said Deeney.

"This is an exciting new role with many challenges that I'll embrace, and there's a lot of work for us to do, which has already started."



The former Southampton academy coach was brought in following the club's instant return to the fourth tier this summer, after one season in League One.

However, Rovers have continually languished near the bottom of the table - not helped by raft of injuries to key players - and are fighting to avoid a second successive relegation and a return to non-league football.

Their last League Two win came on 28 October against Crawley. Friday's home game against Gillingham is the first of four fixtures over the festive period.

After the 3-0 loss by Blackpool on Tuesday, Horseman said he believed he could turn the team's fortunes around and still had the support of Vince.

"We're ambitious in January because we could turn this around quite quickly," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

THE MATCH

SATURDAY 23RD DECEMBER KO 3:00PM

v

LAST MATCH



We got back to winning ways in dramatic style with 2 late goals. It was a drab first half punctuated by a goal for QPR, when Chair cut inside, took a shot only for Diaby to divert into his own net. Onto the 2nd half and we were brighter although chances were at a premium, Bannan forcing a save. Then as time dwindled, up steps Cads to guide in the equaliser. Just as it looked as we had rescued a point, we go and win the thing, Musaba turning it in after we had hit the post.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

THE MATCH



Next up and Cardiff make the trip north. The Bluebirds lie in 12th place at the moment, 6 points off the playoffs and 10 points above the relegation zone. I could see them staying around mid table, not good enough to reach the playoffs and not bad enough to go down They aren't in the best of form, losing 4 of there last 5 games. They are managed by Erol Bulut who has been in charge since the summer. There leading scorers are Etete with 5 and Ugbo with 4.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 28
CARD 28 
DRAWS 18 

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                                                                  

CARD               -                                                          

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

SAM BARROTT
Bhupinder Singh Gill and Mark Stevens
Fourth Official : David Webb

THE TEAM

Dawson
Palmer Ihiekwe Bernard Famewo
Windass Bannan Vaulks Byers Johnson
Cadamarteri

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

2-1 Cadamarteri

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

30

ATTENDANCE

25112

BML LEAGUE

Washington 10
Imre 7
Owlkev 7
Maddix 6
SCO 3

BMPL

Wereham 6
Stateside 3
Pei -9

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Liverpool v Arsenal
Middlesbrough v WBA
Reading v Wigan
Wrexham v Newport
Barnet v Boreham Wood

HDAHH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

Congratulations to Mary Earps, winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67764684

Steve Cooper has been fired by Nottingham Forest. Nunes favorite to take over.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67757915

Not sure this is a good move for them, Cooper has been harshly treated by the club and to me this is a short-sighted decision.

League Two's bottom side Sutton United have sacked manager Matt Gray.

Sutton were beaten 8-0 at leaders Stockport County on Saturday to leave them without a league win in five and six points from safety.

Gray, 42, became manager in 2019 and led them to the Football League for the first time in their history in 2021.

"Matt will forever have a large place in Sutton's history as the manager who took us to the Football League," a statement from the club said.

Sutton started the season with a 5-1 thumping of Notts County but then lost their next seven league games and failed to win again in League Two until October.

They have only won one more time in the league since, although they have made the third round of the FA Cup where they will visit Plymouth.

After Gray took Sutton into the EFL, they narrowly missed out on the play-offs by one point as they finished eighth in their first season in League Two and finished 14th last season.

The south London club also reached the final of the EFL Trophy in 2021-22 but were beaten by Rotherham on penalties and said the decision to sack Gray was "extremely difficult".

"This season's results have been disappointing and our league position, as we approach the half way mark of the season, led us to decide with great reluctance that a change is necessary," the statement continued.

"We would like to express our massive gratitude to Matt for the success he has given us during his four and a half years in charge, and for his endless dedication, commitment and hard work in that time, all done with an attitude, passion and energy that made him hugely popular in every area of the club.

"He will always be welcome at Sutton, and we offer him every good wish for his future career.

"An update on the managerial position in the immediate future will be given later

Premier League

Zinman 23
Blue B 23
B.B.B. 16
Minizin 12
Derby 9
Stairs 9
Dingle 7
Lady J 2

It seems that this week being a scorer in the game maybe gives you the ability to predict better!!   Joint leaders this week in the PL, and two players who are both in form currently with both Zinman and Blue Baggie scoring an impressive 23 points each.  For Zinman this represents a season high score and for Blue its his second best haul.  Both scored a max on the Gamball and then added to this by scoring on 6 other games including one more CS each.  Blue's score could have been even better but his Bonus was wiped out due to the abandoned game at Bournemouth - although he would likely have lost 3 points with his record on the Bonus!!

Third place goes to BBB with 16 points, he scored on 6 games and had 2 CSs including a rare success on the Bonus for him.  Minizin rounds out the double figure score with 12 points, he missed the Gamball, had a postponed Bonus but did score on 5 other games.  Derby and Stairs ended with 9 points each, like the others they had no Bonus this week, so like others maybe their score this week is slightly inflated!!  God help them next week when they have to use 2 Bonus Balls!!

Dingle is 7th with 7 points, he managed to get a CR on the Gamball but missed on his bonus and managed no CSs, whcih we know boost the score nicely.  Lady Jane is bottom for their 3rd week in a row with just 2 points.  Her form is awful at the moment and if she wants to have any chance of avoiding relegation she will need to improve during the January transfer window!!

205 Zinman
183 Blue Baggie
172 Minizin
171 Derby
165 BBB
156 Stairs
133 Dingle
124 Lady Jane

Zinman stretches his lead a little to 22 points and is the first player to go over 200 points , but now its Blue who is in 2nd spot and is now 11 points ahead of Minzin who rises to 3rd, with Derby dropping two spots to 4th. BBB is now breathing down their necks and is only 6 points off Derby.  Stairs has stabilised his sinking ship and can't be ruled out just yet.

Dingle and LJ are still fighting it out for the bottom 2 spots and are falling further adrift as each week goes by.

Cheers
SCO


Championship

SCO          18
Twerton    17
AAA          15
Sanjay      12
BaggieOne  12
Snooty        6
Themaclad  0

One of the Championship's better weeks with 5 players reaching double figures though the 2 that didn't fell a long way short! Only 1 correct gamball prediction, with 2 players choosing, wisely, to avoid it, and for the 2nd week in a row, the bonus ball actually added points to the total (a rarity in the Championship this season).

SCO and Twerton both scored on 7 games with SCO edging ahead due to his one extra correct score though both missed out on the gamball. AAA matched SCO's 2 correct scores, including his bonus, among his 4 correct predictions. As he has done for the last few weeks, he avoided the gamball saving himself 1 point not that it would have altered his final position.

A rarity for Sanjay - a double figure score. His first since week 3 and 12 points represents his second highest return so far - could this be a start of a resurgence? Sanjay was matched by BaggieOne who only scored on 3 games but was boosted by scoring with every ball.

Not such a good week for Snooty and Themaclad. Snooty scored on 5 games, behind only SCO and Twerton, but he missed out on all his balls to leave him some way off the pack with just 6 points. Themaclad had a 'mare - zero points with just 2 correct predictions and a balnk on his balls.

174 Twerton
168 SCO
168 Snooty
150 AAA
133 BaggieOne
125 Themaclad
  85 Sanjay

Changes at the top this week as Snooty's brief spell at the top is ended by his poor score. Twerton seems to have recovered his early season form as his 3rd consecutive double figure score sends him back top with SCO's good week seeing him take a share of 2nd place - the race for promotion is hotting up with these 3 beginning to open up a bit of a gap to AAA in 4th. Sanjay still has some way to go to catch Themaclad at the foot of the table but a few more weeks like this one may see that happen.

Zin


For reference the Bournemouth-Luton predictions were null and void this week due to the game being abandoned. This means that next week Derby, Stairs, Minizin and Blue Baggie will all have to play 2 Bonus balls and Zinman can play 2 score balls.

Morecambe and the club's owner Jason Whittingham have been charged by the EFL for failing to adhere to an agreed decision imposed in August after the club failed to pay players on time.

The club had been given a suspended three-point deduction over the matter.

Whittingham had been told to deposit an amount equal to 125% of their monthly wage bill to cover any future delays.

The EFL stated that the following month the deposited funds had been used without being re-deposited, however.

"Mr Whittingham's failure to re-deposit the funds has led to personal charges, while the club has also been charged for failing to meet deposit account requirements," the EFL said.

"The charges will now be considered by an independent disciplinary commission with the outcome to be communicated by the EFL once a decision is reached."

In response, a club statement said that Bond Group, which owns the Lancashire club, had instructed "specialist sport lawyers to defend the club's and owner's position" at the commission hearing.

"The board remains focused on the priority of ensuring that Morecambe Football Club meets all its obligations, which means working with Bond Group to prevent cashflow issues and doing everything within its powers to expedite the process of finding new ownership as quickly as possible," the statement added.

The charge comes after the club's board of directors said earlier in December that the club could be at "serious risk" with the Shrimps having been up for sale for 15 months.

The board added they have "no confidence" in the club's owners in overseeing a sale of the League Two side.

Championship club Sunderland have appointed former Rangers boss Michael Beale as their new head coach.

The 43-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

Beale had a brief spell in the Championship with QPR last season before leaving in November 2022 to join the Scottish Premiership giants.

He won 31 of his 43 games in charge of Rangers but was sacked on 1 October after three defeats in their first seven league matches of the campaign.

Beale, who has replaced Tony Mowbray as boss, takes over at Sunderland with the club seventh in the Championship, three points outside the play-off spots, following a 1-0 defeat away at Bristol City.

That loss came after successive wins under caretaker Mike Dodds, who will stay on as assistant head coach.

"We have monitored Michael's career for some time and we are delighted to have reached an agreement for him to become our new head coach," sporting director Kristjaan Speakman told the club website.

"He has an excellent and well-founded reputation for developing players and he is an outstanding progressive coach, who is aligned with our playing identity and naturally fits within our structure alongside Mike Dodds and the wider team."

Mowbray led Sunderland to a sixth-placed finish last season but was sacked in early December after a run of two wins in nine league matches saw them slip down to ninth in the table.

He had spent 15 months in charge of the Black Cats after replacing Alex Neil following the former Norwich and Preston manager's move to Stoke in August 2022.

Beale back in Championship after rollercoaster year with Rangers
Beale coached in the youth academies of both Chelsea and Liverpool before being appointed as first-team coach at Rangers under Steven Gerrard, with whom he had previously worked alongside at Liverpool.

He helped Rangers win the Scottish league title in 2020-21 and then followed Gerrard to Aston Villa in October 2021.

QPR gave him his first senior managerial role in June 2022 and he guided the club to the top of the Championship in the opening months of last season.

Then Premier League strugglers Wolves approached him to replace Bruno Lage in October 2022 but he turned them down, saying: "I have been all in here and I have asked others to be all in so I can't be the first person to run away from the ship."

However, the offer to take over at Ibrox from the sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst the following month proved too good to turn down.

He made a bright start to life in Glasgow, winning the manager of the month award for December and 13 of his first 14 matches in charge, but was unable to help them rein in Ange Postecoglou's Celtic and they lost to their fierce rivals in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and final of the League Cup.

Despite recruiting heavily in the summer, Beale's Rangers were knocked out of the Champions League in the play-off round by PSV Eindhoven and a 3-1 home defeat by Aberdeen on 30 September was his final game in charge.

His first match as Sunderland boss will be Saturday's home game against Coventry.