So this rearranged fixture, due to Celtic's exotic training stint in sunny Dubai, will KO on Monday night. Hibs not in good shape TBH - looking defensively fragile and our forwards not performing well either. It looks like an odds-on home win for Celtic. So what does Jack Ross do to change it? Not an easy question to answer with certain Hibs players not looking good on the pitch! I think he has to play with "one up top" because he has failed using the "two up top" ploy v lesser teams than Celtic. I'd just suggest going for a "man for man" marking system but that is asking for a strong commitment/work ethic in order to "hold firm". Also try to defend both our flanks stoutly.

GGTTH

THE MATCH

SATURDAY 9TH JANUARY 3PM

v

LAST MATCH



We started the new year with a win as we saw off Rooney and his minnions. Derby controlled the first half but either poor finishing or Wildsmith making a save couldn't find the breakthrough. We had one good chance but Kachunga headed wide from close range. Onto the 2nd half and we came out more on even terms with Derby. We kept the chances down and then scored from a Bannan free kick, headed on by Lees and put in by Paterson from close range. We managed to holdout for the remaining minutes with 1 or 2 scares near the end and our 3rd win four games.

THE MATCH



Next up the FA Cup and a nice long trip down to Exeter. Id take the embarrassment of a defeat as long as we ended up staying in the Championship. Probably going to be a few changes as it has been a busy schedule of late. Our record down there is abysmal, losing 5 and drawing once including a 5-1 hammering a decade ago. They are managed by Matt Taylor who played for the club and are currently 10th in league two.

CURRENT FORM

OWLS               -                      

EXETER             -                          

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

Referee Dean Whitestone
Assistant Referees Mark Russell & Christopher Wade
Fourth Official Kevin Johnson

THE TEAM

Cup game so probably a few changes

Wildsmith
Palmer Lees Brennan Penney
Harris Brown Paterson Shaw Reach
Rhodes

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

1-2 Rhodes

BML STANDINGS

Owlkev 9
Washington 8
Stateside 6
Imre 6
Pei 6
SCO 5
Maddix 2
Wereham 1

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Oldham Athletic v AFC Bournemouth
Queens Park Rangers v Fulham
Stevenage v Swansea City
Stoke City v Leicester City
Wycombe Wanderers v Preston North End

AHAAA

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC





One for Washington

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/no-...d=msedgdhp

So it looks like a sham of a self-defence reason presented by a Kenosha Co Police Officer named Sheskey is enough to let him off scot-free in a court of law. Note the details of his self-defence excuse centres on shooting his victim in the back SEVEN TIMES!!!!????? WTF is wrong with the proper application of true justice against what appears to be racist Police officers????? I wonder if the Police killers of George Floyd are gonna be "specially protected" in the same way and, if this subversion of the law materialises again, what reaction will follow on the streets of lotsa US cities??? A shocker and a sign that institutional racism is still "alive and kicking" in the "land of the free". I recommend to anybody who doubts this assertion please watch a Netflix documentary named "The 13th" i.e. the 13th resolution of the American constitution. It gives a viewer a historical education on said racism that extends from US Presidents to corporate/wealthy backers who assist in compiling and passing highly questionable laws such as eg defending your ground. Plus there is much more in revealing how black leaders have been systematically assassinated by the US state, a process of eliminating any threat to a white dominated US society. Call it an enlightenment and it is a real shocker that depicts a form of terrorism and genocide against black citizens.

Friday 8th January

Aston Villa v Liverpool 7.45ko

Saturday 9th January

Notts Forest v Cardiff 12.00ko
Luton Town v Reading 12.00ko
Blackpool v Albion  
QPR v Fulham
Stoke v Leicester
Exeter v Sheff.Wed
Bristol Rovers v Sheff.Utd

Sunday 10th January

Cheltenham v Mansfield 13.30ko
Newport v Brighton 7.45ko

Solihull Moors 0-2 Chesterfield
Stockport 2-0 Eastleigh
Weymouth 3-3 Yeovil

League Table After Matchday 18
Lord Snoots = 174
Spireitematt = 150
Dancing = 136
Amelia = 134
Devon = 118
St Charles = 78

I notice Hibs second choice goalie, Barnes, recalled back to QPR. I must say I don't think he'll be missed by many Hibs fans although he didn't get many opps to show how well he can perform for Hibs first team. My initial perception of him was a positive one after the match at Ibrox. However, in the following games v the Staggies and the Lions he didn't do enough for me to be greatly impressed TBH. I have a hunch that Hibs were happy to see him on his way but JR still needs an experienced back up goalie to replace him.

2 points for a correct result
4 points for a correct score
2 points for each correct scorer
Correct joker doubles your score      
Wrong joker result gives you minus 2
Correct Random Badger gives you 2 points

The random badger is used for any random prediction used once in each matchday sequence. For instance, a scorer at a particular match, the number of red cards in the matches or yellow cards or own goals or owt you want really within reason, I do need to be able to check whether it's correct or not. Please don't put stuff like....."Commentator says...."  
The joker   is played for one match in each sequence and if correct you get double points. So if you've predicted 1-0 and it finishes 2-0, you get 4 pts, but if you've predicted 2-0, that's 8 pts. But if you get it wrong, it's minus 2.
Jokers and badgers are optional. You don't have to play one if you don't want.


Cup games:
In the event of a draw, it's half the points if you've predicted a draw when it gets to 90 mins and the full points if it's still a draw after extra time. Half the points will be awarded for correctly predicting the winner of the match if it goes to penalties.

Random score generator: I will be using the random score generator again for those who miss predicting, so we shouldn't get some people too far behind that after missing a couple of weeks they lose all interest, because I know it's not easy getting on here every week.
To be fair to everybody, this is going to be like, say if three people in one week miss their predictions, the first one in the table will be given all 0-0, the second one down the line will get 1-0 and the third will get 0-1 and so on, like if there's four missing the 4th will get 1-1, then 5th 2-1, 6th 1-2. and if there are so many missing, might as well pack in.
And if you miss two weeks on the trot, I'll stop until you come back on again. Not doing it for half a season like I did t'other year.  

Friday 8th January:
Aston Villa v Liverpool

Saturday 9th January:
Town v Plymouth (18:00)
Town scorers:
Plymouth scorers:

Boreham Wood v Millwall (12:00)
Everton v Rotherham United (12:00)
Chorley v Derby County (12:15)
Blackpool v West Bromwich Albion
Exeter City v Sheffield Wednesday
Stoke City v Leicester City
Wycombe Wanderers v Preston North End
Arsenal v Newcastle United (17:30)
Manchester United v Watford (20:00)

Sunday 10th January:
Barnsley v Tranmere Rovers (13:30)
Crawley Town v Leeds United (13:30)
Marine v Tottenham Hotspur (17:00)
Newport County v Brighton & Hove Albion (19:45)

Monday 11th January:
Stockport County v West Ham United

Scottish Premiership:
Celtic v Hibernian

Tuesday 12th January:
Championship:
AFC Bournemouth v Millwall

Table after Matchday 18:

1. themaclad = 448 pts
   
2. jjamez = 444 pts
   
3. theo_luddite = 433 pts
   
4. Baggiebob(BBB) = 421 pts
   
5. neonfoxinthebox = 406 pts
   
6. St Charles Owl = 403 pts
   
7. Lord Snooty = 401 pts
   
8. SHEP_HTAFC = 379 pts
   
9. Beefy 1965 = 356 pts
   
10. Amelia Chaffinch = 347 pts
    
11. ritchiebaby = 345 pts

To put all thoughts of this season in a nutshell:

We came up to the PL by the skin of our teeth. Expectations fairly modest but hoping for survival - after all we basically had the same squad that stuttered to promotion.

Strange selections, tactics etc. but hey - we're amongst the big boys now - we'll lose more than we'll win.
Whow! Right!

Anyway, we're where we are now - losing heavily pretty often, and look sure to go down.
But let's still remember the joy of going up, of being up with the big boys. We're badly financed and badly run in some areas..... but we'll survive. We'll hopefully be in a position to build again next year; maybe we won't come straight back up, maybe not for a few years. But let's keep our support going for the the club we love.
Unless we get a big time owner who pumps millions in, we will probably be a biggish club in the Championship or a very small one in the PL.
Wherever we are, let's not be too critical of others - let's enjoy the fact that we're who we are!

Haven't we always had a soft underbelly? Haven't us fans ALWAYS had to have a sense of humour?

Spare a thought today for the 66 fans who died in the Ibrox Disaster on 2 January 1971. I've been in similar crowded situations leaving Easter Road from the expanse of the East Terrace but, as luck would have it, without incident.

RIP to those Rangers supporters who perished that day 50 years ago.