After falling into the top spot of the 2001/02 Prediction League on the last day of the season it is my dubious distinction to be responsible for the new seasons Prediction League previews.
To be honest I’m a bit tentative about the task I have to take up. Predicting any Motherwell result is hard enough when you are a regular visitor to Fir Park but as I am well and truly exiled just outside Woking in Surrey the predictions will be based solely on gut instinct and many years of knowing that predicting anything when it comes to Motherwell Football Club is an impossible task.
My main source of info will be FPC (no press or TV coverage down here of course) for injuries, suspensions form etc. so I will not have any information to hand that you all don’t already know.
So what of the opening league game against Livi. Initially I thought this was going to be an easy opener. Livi one of the revelations of last season against the side that everyone is expecting to go down. Then of course Motherwell go on a nice little run of wins in their warm up matches. OK they are only friendlies the critics will say but it can only have restored a little bit of confidence and belief in the side that perhaps survival this year is possible. Most people are expecting Livi to find their real level in the league this season - let’s hope they find it like Ipswich Town did last season in the Premiership!
Historically, certainly over the last 2 or 3 seasons, we do not start the new season well having to wait usually until September (or even later) for our first win. These bad starts may have been a consequence of the side feeling a little over confident in their own ability and expecting to just turn up to take the 3 points. Complacency should not be a problem on Saturday and hopefully the attitude and application will be spot on right from the kick-off. If it is not we will struggle to get anything from the game. Hopefully Livingston will be thinking that their first game is a home banker and all the complacency will come from the home dressing room.
Obviously I would love to see us start the season with 3 points but as the head now rules the heart when it comes to predicting results the best I can see us coming away with is a point. After all before the pre-season started if a draw was offered for this opening game we would have taken it!
So it’s an optimistic 1-1 prediction for the opening fixture.
Phil Swainston