Sum of human knowledge greater than it was yesterday

With television rights to the weekend football highlights package up for discussion again shortly, this may be the penultimate season viewers of Match of the Day get to enjoy Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson yawning back at them from a BBC sofa each Saturday night.

But the prospect of unemployment hasn’t blunted Alan “good at discussing strikers” Shearer’s quest to unravel the mysteries of football for the ignorant millions at home.

Last night, following Wigan’s 5-0 education of Hull, the great pundit felt moved to peer into Wigan manager Steve Bruce’s future. “He’ll (Steve Bruce) do really well. He’ll continue to carry on.” Got it.

The Spoiler takes the bitter one down! 

Match of the Day’s own Madame Zaza, fortune-telling Mark Lawrenson, is in need of a bejewelled turban with greater powers, as he only managed to correctly guess four results from last weekend’s games, unlike The Spoiler, which correctly managed FIVE.

Like a good pro, however, he has picked himself up for another go, and this week likes the look of United over Pompey, Chelsea over Barnsley, Blackburn over Fulham, Liverpool over Newcastle, Reading over Man City, Boro over Cardiff, Bristol Rovers/WBA and Sunderland/Everton to draw, Tottenham over West Ham and Arsenal over Wigan.

But no! This is what will happen. United over Pompey, Chelsea over Barnsley, Blackburn over Fulham, Liverpool over Newcastle, Reading/City draw, Boro/Cardiff draw, Rovers/WBA draw, Everton over Sunderland, Spurs/West Ham draw and Arsenal over Wigan.