#I have so much love and respect for Troy and Ashley too

[carry-on-every-neverland-magic]

hbo Ellie is so much more childlike in the best endearing way like how her face lights up at escalators and dancing with Riley or Joel testing her grip on a gun. Bella has captured something so special and in a way so much more heartbreaking because when the shift comes when something bad happens and Ellie is screaming or panicked or afraid or has to fight, it hits so much harder how young she is and how much of normal life she has never seen nor experienced. The closest was the mall and even that was ripped away.

Joel too is softer and shows more vulnerability and emotion, something Pedro does SO well and though two Ellies and Joels can and do exist, hbo is really tugging at every emotion and diving so deep with them in the show, its beautiful and painful and is only gonna make the future journeys of them hurt even more because in some ways they feel even more deeply connected. 

[kaptainandy]

My Complete In-depth TLOU 2 Thoughts:

Yeah I know, y’all have already read through countless reviews and thoughts, but I gotta get my thoughts out there. So, continue under the cut for some somewhat coherent, essay-ish style ramblings. There will be a TL;DR at the end because this is going to be long. (Spoilers ahead).

Okay so my overall perception of this game is that it’s average and I’m slightly disappointed. I’m going to start with the things I really liked and enjoyed before I get into what I didn’t like.

The visuals and gameplay were solid and enjoyable with small improvements upon the first game’s already fun and interesting, gameplay. The NPCs felt less like they were following a track in terms of their movements and felt more natural. The dialogue between enemies felt more varied than the first game, and the addition of giving everyone a name made me feel more immersed and the reaction from other characters to their fallen friends felt more believable. I feel that overall, the development of gameplay from the first to the second game felt “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” and I think it worked out because it’s one of the aspects I liked about the first game. The addition of craftable silencers, varied stealth takedowns, ability to go prone, tall grass to hide in, cars to hide under, larger infected (bloaters and shamblers) now being able to destroy weak walls, etc. were fun editions that helped the combat feel less repetitive. And lastly, the areas of combat that included both human enemies and infected, (and later WLF soldiers vs Seraphite soldiers)  was really cool and felt more realistic for the world of the Last of Us. It was something I think the first game lacked and it was really interesting to choose who to take down first and let the enemies fight each other.

The level design was also great. I felt it gave the player a lot of options of how they wanted to traverse the area to takedown enemies and look for supplies. Everything felt huge and worth exploring. The player was rewarded appropriately for checking every nook and cranny, and the addition of going prone to fit under small spaces or breaking glass to get into locked buildings was a lot of fun. The first day in Seattle as Ellie was especially enjoyable as you got to explore the city and mark things on your map while engaging in dialogue with Dina. Every building held something new and acted as an opportunity for Dina and Ellie to banter.

The art direction was incredible and I don’t think I’ve seen a more stunning looking game. It felt like a lot of time and care went into the design of each item and every corner of every environment. My favorite environments were definitely the homesteads of the major characters/factions (Jackson, the stadium transformed into a village by the WLF, the Seraphite island, etc.) because it told the player more about what everyday life is like for these characters and how they’re similar and different. Also, the weather, time of day, lighting, and use of space (or lack there of) added tension and changed the tone in scenes and levels appropriately. I felt engaged in each moment. I think the best use of visuals and atmosphere to set tone and really immerse the player was in the lower level of the hospital during the Abby playthrough. It was claustrophobic, damp, dark, ominous, and it always felt like danger and despair were right around the corner. And the massive clicker cluster fight in the small hospital corner was one of my favorite parts in the entire game. What would have felt like a silly and dumb concept if encountered elsewhere, was actually legitimately terrifying and really cool due to the tone set from the scene. Seeing the effects of a ground zero site for infection 25 years later was really cool to see.

The music? A masterpiece. We have to stan Gustavo Santaolalla. What more can I say? He did a great job. If nothing else, give the soundtrack a listen.

The acting was incredible, as to be expected. The emotional moments were really sold and carried by the actors and the music together. Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, Shannon Woodward, and Laura Bailey I expected to be phenomenal and they were, but I’d like to give a shoutout to the newcomers and more minor actors as well. I felt no one had a bad performance, or even an average one. Every performance felt genuine and made me more connected to the characters.

As for new characters, I felt Yara and Lev were the ones I felt the most for and were the best written. The inclusion of Lev being trans was really cool to see as a trans person, and I felt it was executed well within the story. Lev being exiled from the Seraphites for questioning their ways and attempting to transition while Yara fought to remain by his side and protect him, made them both interesting and likable characters. They had depth to their characters. Despite coming from an environment that seemed ruthless and unforgiving they both acted as voice of reasons and wanted to help others, which was their strength and their weakness in the end, adding to their complexity.

The story had it’s moments. I found myself being impacted more during light and happy moments more so than the traumatic and sad ones. I felt a lot of time was put into showing the love and care between Ellie and Dina, and I found myself smiling like a goober when they were being goofy or together or cuddling. This also ties into the LGBTQ representation, which I personally thought was well done as I briefly touched on with Lev. I understand and respect those who felt there was too much trauma forced upon the LGBTQ characters, and I agree with that when it comes to Ellie because the whole game was essentially torturing her. I’ll at least give Naughty Dog credit for avoiding the “bury your gays” trope when they very easily could’ve done that given the constant death in the world of the Last of Us. Treatment aside, as a gay trans man, the overall presentation of these characters I felt was realistic, respectful, and gave me hope for future LGBTQ representation in triple A titles. I know this is literally doing the bare minimum but we gotta start somewhere.

Now, as for things I disliked about the game, there was a lot and I felt the weight of things I disliked outweighed those that I like since the overall experience depended on them more heavily.

I’ll start with the small things that irked me, that could be somewhat excused and are more a personal preference. For starters, I felt the game was too long. After awhile it got repetitive and having nearly the entire game take place in one city (as opposed to the first game that took place across the country), the scenery got old pretty quickly. I feel like a lot of the traveling could have been cut. For example, instead of showing a cut scene where characters say “we have to get to x” and having to basically travel the entire way, it would’ve worked better had it cut to them being at or close to their destination, thus cutting back on repetitive combat. It didn’t feel super rewarding and it only sometimes resulted in something added to the story. In the end, I felt it should be exempt for a similar reason you don’t need to show a character’s entire traveling in a movie, it’s just unnecessary.

Another minor detail that bothered me was the shamblers. Not as a concept, because I thought they were really fun new enemies and added something to combat, but the fact that they felt thrown in with no explanation. Where did they come from? Are they only in the northeast of the US? What caused them? It’s mentioned briefly by one character (I forget who) that it could be a result of excessive rain, but it was just a guess and not further elaborated on.

The fact that events and characters of the first game that were influential to Ellie and Joel’s character seemed to be inappropriately forgotten about. I understand the game is meant to be enjoyed by people who haven’t played the first game as well as fans of the first one, but it could still be done in a way to cater to both audiences. It would also help people who didn’t play the first one learn and connect more to Ellie and Joel. Why was there no Riley-related dialogue for Ellie upon seeing “The Turning” arcade machine? Hell, Riley was never mentioned at all. Same with Tess. Bill was briefly mentioned, but not by name. Ellie’s mom still remained a mystery, and I don’t recall her being mentioned. Henry and Sam? Also never mentioned. Upon seeing Sam’s robot toy in Ellie’s room (which I thought was a nice touch) I would’ve thought he might’ve been brought up in discussion with Dina about past friends. I get that it could be implied Ellie has discussed her past with Dina and others before the events of the game took place, but you have an audience to think about. Essentially you have to think that if the audience didn’t see it or hear about it, it didn’t happen. I feel the omission of past characters and events was a disservice to the first game and was really disappointing.

This relates to something else I disliked: It felt like too much time was spent on characters solo traveling and being in combat and not enough on story and relationship building. I felt the time spent traveling alone as Ellie or Abby was far greater than traveling with a companion. The dialogue and interactions between Ellie and Joel in the first game was crucial to the story and relationship, and when the characters were apart, it made the player that more eager for them to be reunited. They were only ever apart when one was missing/injured or they were unintentionally separated and it made sense to the story. In terms of missed opportunity, I especially thought Jesse’s character was mishandled and wasted. Just as the player was really beginning to know his past and connect with him, he dies a seemingly (in my opinion) stupid death. Not only that, but there’s almost no mention of him or his death after it happens, and Ellie and Dina seem relatively unaffected. I felt like Dina’s character also could’ve been fleshed out better. She was one of my favorite characters, but the things we knew about her didn’t seem to impact the story or her character that much, especially the loss she’s suffered. Her thoughts about her sister’s death and Jesse’s death are barely touched on, and I just felt like I was left wanting more.

Jesse and Dina could’ve definitely been handled better, but at least I cared about them. I didn’t have those feelings towards anyone in Abby’s story (except Yara and Lev). This relates to the bigger problem with the timeline of events and the and the order they were shown in the game, but I’ll touch on this in a bit. Before beginning to know these characters, the only thing you know is that they were involved in killing Joel, and happy about doing so. Now the challenge was to get the player to like them, which the writers failed abysmally. I couldn’t even remember half of their names when they were brought back up. The most influential of Abby’s friends, aside from Owen, seems to be Manny and the only things we get to know about him is that he’s horny, likes to get drunk, and - much like the writers - tries to force other characters to like each other (i.e. Mel and Abby). He only exists to establish Mel and Abby’s relationship and to save and help Abby when they encounter Tommy trying to snipe them. Mel and Abby (who I will touch on extensively in her own paragraph because yikes) both seemed like miserable people to be around and their relationship seemed catty and to simply revolve around Owen. I’m kinda sick of having women characters’ relationships revolve around the fact that one of them used to date the guy that the other is now currently dating. It’s stupid and I couldn’t give less of a fuck if that’s the biggest roadblock in their relationship. Also Mel calling Abby a piece of shit seemed unwarranted based on what we knew. Like we knew Mel was against the brutality of Joel’s death, but the way she spoke to and of Abby seemed like there was something else that the writers forgot to tell/show the audience. Abby never did anything personal to Mel (that Mel knew of) yet Mel decides to hate her guts and be unreasonable? Nora was kind of okay and seemed like an actual decent person (aside from wanting Joel dead and them making that shitty comment to Ellie) in her relationship with Abby. She was willing to risk getting in trouble to help Abby, but we weren’t given enough time with her to make me give a shit, especially after what she said to Ellie. Owen had potential to be likable; he was charming, funny, a bit of a fuckboy, but nonetheless was optimistic and hopeful. But for some reason the writers decided to throw out any ounce of care we had for him by having him cheat on Mel with Abby in a shitty sex scene. 

Now for my thoughts on Abby. My thoughts about her also relate to my thoughts on the order of events, and a few other aspects I haven’t mentioned yet, so forgive me if my thoughts are a bit all over the place. I really really tried to sympathize and like Abby, but holy shit they fucked up every possible opportunity to create some sort of likability. For starters, it boggles my mind that they had her commit the atrocity that was Joel’s death as basically the introduction to her character. Not only that, but just mere minutes beforehand Joel had saved her life and shown her nothing but kindness and she goes on to torture him and continue to do so while his surrogate daughter begs and screams for her to stop. She shows no guilt both in the moment or afterwards. It doesn’t eat her up inside at all. Every time Joel is brought up by Abby and her friends, she wastes no time expressing how elated she is that she not only killed him, but did so in such a gruesome way. You really expect fans to even WANT to like this character after she tortures and kills the only other character (besides Ellie) that fans LOVED. And I’m not upset that Joel died, because I expected he would and there were a million ways it could’ve been done appropriately to both the story and fans. But the way he died and how early he died at the hands of essentially some nobody really rubbed me the wrong way, they essentially threw him away without any honor to the experience we had with him in the first game. So, that’s our introduction to Abby and her friends. Again, the writers had the challenge of trying to make us like her, but it felt like they didn’t even try. Every attempt to make her likable fell flat either due to an action that happened right before or after. Abby’s only expression of sorrow is after the death of her father and Owen. Manny’s death is never mentioned after it happens and she seems to act like it never really happened. There is no remorse when she kills Jesse and Tommy, or anyone for that matter. She and (seemingly most of the WLF) condone and even get off on torturing Seraphites (they’re terrible people but if you’re trying to make me like a character, I don’t think you should have them condone the torturing of anyone). Abby is quick to kill Dina even after learning she’s pregnant, to which she comments, “good” and only stops because Lev is an actual decent human being and gets her to stop. And the writers have the gall to try and compare her to Ellie; trying to be like, “see she and Ellie aren’t so different uwu.” Meanwhile, Ellie is crying each time she hits Nora; she just wants Abby, she didn’t want to have to torture Nora like that. Ellie is traumatized after finding out that Mel is pregnant after killing her. Ellie is constantly shown to be grappling with the consequences and feelings of her actions. She experiences guilt and shame while Abby is shown time and time again to not regret her wrongdoings. The writers really tried to push us to like Abby by having her care for Yara and Lev, but I felt she did it out of selfishness and needing to feel good about herself not because she truly cared for these kids.

Going back to Joel’s death, the gruesomeness wasn’t even warranted based on Abby’s reasoning. Abby’s dad didn’t get murdered in front of her and he was killed because he stood in Joel’s way, holding a scalpel to Ellie. Jerry’s death was quick and painless too. And I know people will be like, “but Abby was also mad because now there’s no cure because of what Joel did!!!” However, she had no problem wanting to kill, or leave Ellie alone despite knowing she was immune. Abby was never on a quest to capture Ellie or talk her into finding the Fireflies with her (which would have made for an interesting storyline actually), she wanted her dead too. Joel’s death was the most tasteless death of a beloved character I think I’ve ever experienced.

Also the order of events was really detrimental to the story and especially Abby’s character. The way that flashbacks were thrown in throughout the story after Joel’s death fell flat and made Joel’s death feel even worse. The Joel and Ellie flashbacks were honestly the highlight of the game because we got to spend time with the only 2 fleshed out and likable characters. Had they been placed at the beginning of the game and also showed more of their relationship after Joel tells Ellie the truth about the Fireflies, I would’ve felt his death would have been more okay (still shitty, but slightly better than what they gave us) because it would feel more unexpected and it would hit better emotionally after these moments we had with Ellie and Joel. Hell, the majority of the game should have been as it was advertised (which is another issue I’m gonna touch on shortly): the rocky relationship between Joel and Ellie after Ellie learns the truth and the two of them going on a revenge quest together, as Joel tried to earn Ellie’s forgiveness. The events presented in the order in the game also made it impossible for anyone to try to like Abby. We learn she commits the biggest atrocity and we know all her friends are going to end up dead, so there’s no emotional impact when we see how they die because we’ve known the whole time they were gonna be killed by Ellie. Both Abby’s character and the story they were trying to tell could’ve have been really great and interesting but it was just so poorly executed. 

The story itself seemed so amateur as well. It just boiled down to “revenge and violence are bad uwu” while giving the player no choice but to engage in said violence. They tried to create a gray area between good and evil like they did in the first game, especially with Abby’s story but they ended up doing the opposite. Also the weak use of animals and pregnancy to create emotional impact is just so easy. They couldn’t think of any other way to make us connect to the characters except “hey look they love this animal” or “this is someone who is going to have a baby under these rough circumstances” and it’s just sloppy writing especially because they use both tactics MORE THAN ONCE. 

The intersecting stories, themes of “what really is good/evil,” redemption of a thought to be unlikable character, and the death of a beloved character would have been so interesting and emotionally impactful if done right, but it felt like Naughty Dog chose every terrible option and outcome, resulting in the wet fart that we got. It felt sloppy with no honoring of the previous game or characters. We all cared, but apparently the writer’s didn’t. The ending with Ellie essentially being left with what she feared most, being alone, would’ve been way more appropriate had anything prior warranted this consequence. Not only is she alone, but Ellie loses the ability to play guitar, a way in which she remembered and felt connected to Joel. Like she goes through hell, and 99% of her actions are justified, yet she gets punished.

Lastly, I want to touch on the false advertising for the game. Normally, I wouldn’t be upset because movie trailers do it all the time where there will be subtle differences or added scenes that don’t occur in the movie, but this was a whole other level of fuckery. I get trying to mislead people to think something is going to happen only to steer them in a different direction, in fact I think this is really cool and fun when done well. However, this was straight up lying and essentially selling an entirely different game. Not only were these lies perpetuated in trailers and ads, but even in events such as E3. Neil Druckmann constantly harped on the idea that the game was going to be about Ellie and Joel having a falling out after Ellie learns the truth and how they navigate their relationship through their next adventure together. Yet the game was never about that, instead it was just a story about drawing shitty parallels between a beloved character and a new character who was destined to be unlikable from the start.

In the end, I think it’s still worth playing because I’ve seen so many mixed reviews floating around so I feel it’s best to make your own opinion. And if nothing else, it’s a fun experience if you’re just looking at a fun game to play if you don’t really care too much about the series or characters as a whole. Will I return to this game? Not anytime soon likely. But just being the fan that I am of the series I think I’ll try to get most of the achievements eventually, and to experiment with photomode because the visuals are so good. Even with how much of a disservice this game is to the series, I don’t think it ruins it for me. It just makes me love and appreciate the first game even more and I think they could bounce back from this, but they’d need to put in a shit ton of work to earn their core audience back.

TL;DR: As an addition to the Last of Us as a series, the game is a huge disappointment and disservice, but as a standalone game it’s slightly above average. The gameplay, music, and visuals slap but the story, characters, and relationship building (or lack thereof) suck. Naughty Dog lied in a highly scummy way to fans via advertisements and trailers. Fuck Abby. Stan Lev and Yara.

[fnvexpo]

[lauraramargosian]

High School Musical 4 continues filming Utah and what we know!

High School Musical 4 continues filming Utah and Positive Celebrity has learned about the new film and series.

Image from IMDB.

Disney announced that High School Musical 4 series, as of late, there have been rumors that all platforms will be able to view the series, that in fact is false.

High School Musical 4 will only be available on Disney+ service. The service is comparable to Netflix and Hulu.

Disney+ is rumored to be more affordable than Netflix. Further, you will be able to watch a lot of Disney’s best films and shows on the service (no fear that your young ones will bump into the adult audience cartoons).

Truthfully, the generations have changed a lot but that doesn’t mean you should be worried about your child seeing something meant entirely for adults. There is an age and time for those kind of cartoons and films.

But if my daughter or future son is under 6-years-old, frankly, I don’t want them watching it. Disney+ will ensure that your kids still get to keep things on their level, most importantly, shows and films your comfortable with, that’s what counts.

On My Block a Netflix series holds up to realities.

CEO Robert Iger opened up about the plans.

“Plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is,” he shared “the price will reflect that,” he said, according to Deadline. “Our goal is to attract as many subs as possible starting out.”

High School Musical 4 is still filming in the Salt Lake City area and it’s been a great production. Although we aren’t allowed to talk details, we can say that the whole cast and crew are killing it on set.

In fact, two of our talented and signed actors have been working the set. They’ve met new friends, and are always surrounded by hard working individuals.

The extras are treated well and we are proud of the way this production has taken off. It’s great to see that extras and featured cast have been treated with the same level of respect.

Again, with new features, we can’t share a lot but fans of Octavian Vlad (Octo) and Braxton Gray can stay up-to-date by following their socials. Further, we look forward to seeing them on the Disney screen.

(The following images were taken behind the scenes, set images are not allowed to be posted presently).

Positive Celebrity has learned the original cast will not be in the High School Musical 4 series. Unfortunately, if you were looking forward to seeing original characters in the halls of East High, don’t get your hopes up.

Yes, the original cast has shown extreme excitement over social media about the new series but they have made it clear to fans that expectation cannot be held. I mean, they’ve grown up, graduated and don’t look as similar as they used to back in the franchise.

They are iconically loved but it was time for the new series and that meant fresh faces.

Ashley Tisdale, who played Sharpay in the original three films, shared she wouldn’t be going back to the role.

“I honestly don’t think I would, just based off of, I don’t know if I could fill her shoes again,” Tisdale told E! News. “I’ve matured so much, I just don’t know if I could give her justice — Sharpay — and be that character again. And I would hate to not have it be great.”

Remember when we said the whole cast and crew have made new lifelong friends, proof that it’s a great production straight from Ashley Tisdale.

“Looking back, it was such a perfect thing for its time and was so pure that I just don’t know how you go from there. High School Musical didn’t make us, we made High School Musical because of our friendship, how close we were, and the magic there at the time. Kenny Ortega just made it what it was. Disney is an amazing company so I’m sure they’ll find some way to do it.”

Incredible, don’t you think?

Now you might be wondering why we keep saying the word “series,” because a film is not technically a series. The film will follow quite the characters as they take East High as brand new students.

High School Musical 4 rumored cast.

Erin — A badass soccer player who strives for excellence — and the only girl on the boys’ team. She starts falling for Derek, the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks but isn’t sure whether to follow her heart.

Derek — The resident bad boy who falls for Erin. He’s tough as nails on the surface but is a soft-hearted family guy deep down. He’s an excellent soccer player and incredible dancer who teaches dance classes to little girls at his family’s studio.

Campbell — Troy Bolton 2.0, Campbell is a super hot soccer captain and theater star who also happens to be Sharpay and Ryan Evans’ cousin. He decides that he wants to date Erin, and isn’t too happy when she wants to be with Derek instead.

Nathalie — East High’s biggest fan. She’s a loyal, outgoing cheerleader and big-hearted BFF to Erin.

Tamara — East High’s former queen bee who’s attempting to climb back up the social ladder.

The students will be performing new songs for you to love on the series and film. Get ready for some new hits!

Even though the original cast would return Zac Efron would have loved to return to set. Sharing that he still has a bone to pick with the coach and Ms. He took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the series.

“I got a bone to pick with that W. High coach and Ms. d and the drama department can help me get even. He shared. “I thought that kooky Sharpay nut job was coming back to help out with the actor weirdos anyway. Where she at tho? I still got those digits from the school database so let’s ring crazy up and get her and her bro back to put this dance battle together and LETS GO!! I’m ready and I’ve got YEARS worth of plans and ideas moving forward in the East vs West battle so LET GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

Zac Efron’s Instagram

That’s hilarious, don’t you think?

There have been no confirmed announcements regarding the new movie. But we do know they have continued filming in Salt Lake City, Utah. Alright, we might know who the leads are but we aren’t allowed to share that much information yet.

Stay tuned for the latest High School Musical 4 news right here on positive celebrity gossip and entertainment news.

Blessed be!

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[ghoulratdanny]

Rules: Pretty self explanatory.  If you’re tagged, you write out your celebrity crushes. The catch? You have to tag one person for each crush. Ie; 10 crushes, tag 10 people. Tagged by @tennantmademedoit

Haha, thanks for tagging me! :D I see a common theme here among mine....

1. James Bowen

UGH, be still my heart <3

2. Troy Baker

The man is freakishly talented and I respect him so much. (also totally stealing inspiration from his wardrobe)

3. Matthew Mercer

Another awesome and extremely talented nerd <3

4. Travis Willingham

Such a giant dork, and I love him for it!

5. Laura Bailey

Flynn Rider has nothing on that smolder.

6. Ashley Johnson

7. Marisha Ray

LOVE her! ;__;

8. Liam o’Brien

The cutest.

9. Jon Risinger

Plus, he has the most adorable dog. Not to mention his girlfriend (Riot Rogers) is pretty freaking awesome. (she could technically be number 10 lol)

10. Rahul Kohli

Another dork that I love XD

And then, I’m going to tag these amazing people: @mooneifos - @poisonous-candies - @juramie - @allpinktop @myfiremoon - @jedicollins (now you have to do it because you’ve been tagged twice X’D) @rikkisixx - @afterglowingassassin - @roryvalintine - @thechrizzler

(and for a certain few of you on here, yes, I’m allowing fictional characters too ;) you know who you are X’D)

[365footballorg-blog]

Supporting Man Utd is like having a tortoise as a pet - Pilkington v Lawro at predictions

Supporting Manchester United at the moment is “like having a tortoise as a pet,” according to comedian, TV presenter and Red Devils fan Karl Pilkington.

Pilkington, who takes on BBC Sport’s football expert Mark Lawrenson in predicting this week’s Premier League fixtures, was a boyhood Manchester City fan but switched sides to United in the 1990s.

“A bit of me now wishes I could change again, because City are good, aren’t they?” Pilkington explained.

“But you can’t, can you? I realise that now as I get older – that it is about being loyal, isn’t it?

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“Still, I feel like supporting United is like having a tortoise as a pet. I had a tortoise, and they are not entertaining to watch. You don’t watch them, but you know you have got a bit of responsibility to show some interest.

“That is what I do with United. I keep an eye on them.

“I don’t watch them every game because, at the minute, that is a waste of 90 minutes. I just look at the result and if they win it is a bonus, I have no expectations any more.”

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Premier League predictions – week 7 Result Lawro Karl SATURDAY West Ham v Man Utd x-x 0-2 1-1 Arsenal v Watford x-x 2-0 1-1 Everton v Fulham x-x 2-0 1-0 Huddersfield v Tottenham x-x 0-2 1-3 Man City v Brighton x-x 3-0 4-1 Newcastle v Leicester x-x 0-2 0-2 Wolves v Southampton x-x 2-0 1-0 Chelsea v Liverpool x-x 1-1 1-2 SUNDAY Cardiff v Burnley x-x 1-1 1-3 MONDAY Bournemouth v Crystal Palace x-x 2-1 1-1

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

LAWRO’S PREDICTIONS

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated.

SATURDAY

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West Ham v Man Utd (12:30 BST)

The situation at Manchester United is turning into a soap opera.

Paul Pogba’s relationship with Jose Mourinho is not just in doubt, it is developing in front of our eyes[1] – which is an absolutely ridiculous situation when you think of the size of that club.

It would appear that one of the two has got to give, and it is probably easier to sell a player than it is to get rid of a manager.

What complicates matters is that Pogba could and should be United’s best player, and I would love to know the part that Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has played in all of this.

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It would appear he has sniffed the possibility of a better deal at Barcelona and is thinking “let’s get him out of Manchester United” which is the kind of scenario that I actually hate about football now.

Whoever is behind it all, it looks like Pogba no longer wants to play for United and in the end the player will always get his way.

It is a case of what does Mourinho do with him between now and 1 January?

I would suggest that he tells him to stay and play and give 100% until the transfer window opens and if he does that, he can leave.

It is a difficult situation for Mourinho and some of his behaviour has not helped him – at the moment it reminds me a lot of his acrimonious third year at Real, which obviously did not end well for him. [2]

But the situation is still salvageable. I hate the term that a manager has “lost the dressing room��� because generally they don’t lose the entire squad, they only lose the players who are not playing.

They just become a nuisance, because they sense a manager could be on his way out and, because a change could benefit them, they are the ones who are whispering to the press.

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It is those disaffected players that are a problem, and there are plenty of them at United that definitely do not fall into that category, who will still be playing for Mourinho.

That is why I think they will go to West Ham and win.

The Hammers have had a good week, with their point against Chelsea and then thumping Macclesfield 8-0.

But if I was in that United dressing room after everything that has gone on this week, I would be thinking now “let’s just go and win this game and show people what we are about”.

West Ham will come at them too which, with the way United like to play, is perfect for them.

Lawro’s prediction: 0-2

Karl’s prediction: (sighs) It is going to be another draw isn’t it? 1-1

Karl on Jose Mourinho and his playing style: I am sure he has got a plan – he has got to have a plan, he has won a lot of stuff.

He got annoyed, didn’t he, about not getting respect, and he does deserve respect – but I just want to watch a good game.

That is all I want, even if we lose – just an entertaining game. At the moment it is just not entertaining but is that how he operates? Is that important to him, or does he just want the three points?

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Arsenal v Watford

Arsenal have now won six games in a row in all competitions – OK, they have not beaten any big-hitters but you can only beat what is put in front of you, and they are doing that which is the most important thing.

I am sure new Arsenal boss Unai Emery will be asked about the comments by Hornets’ striker Troy Deeney last season that the Gunners’ lacked the “cojones” for a fight after his side had beaten them.[3]

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I don’t actually think much has changed about Arsenal under Emery – they are a good side, but they were a good side under Arsene Wenger, just not one of the best three teams in the country.

As well as their good results, I like the look of Lucas Torreira in midfield, so there is lots to be encouraged about.

I think they will beat Watford and make it seven in a row, but it will be interesting when they come up against the big teams – like Liverpool on 3 November for example.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Karl’s prediction: Watford are doing all right aren’t they. I am going to play it safe and go for another 1-1.

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Everton v Fulham

As we saw again with the chances they missed against Arsenal,[4] Everton are still missing a finisher.

That defeat at the Emirates Stadium means the Toffees have won only one of their first six league games, but they have actually not been playing that badly and I think they will put that right here.

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Fulham are a funny side – they were poor defensively in the first half of their draw against Watford,[5] but they came back well and almost nicked the win when Aleksandar Mitrovic headed against the bar.

I just wonder if the Cottagers have a bit of a frailty when teams go at them – they try to play good football and I would applaud for them that, but they are also a little bit open.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Karl’s prediction: 1-0

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Huddersfield v Tottenham

Huddersfield are yet to win in the league this season and are bottom of the table after their defeat by Leicester,[6] and it is hard to see things improving for them this weekend.

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Spurs were very impressive when they won here last season,[7] and I think we will see the same outcome this time.

It is very difficult to talk about Huddersfield without being critical because, although they are organised and competitive, they don’t really look like scoring goals.

There is nothing wrong with the Terriers’ application, it just comes down to a lack of quality.

Lawro’s prediction: 0-2

Karl’s prediction: Tottenham will win that won’t they? 1-3

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Man City v Brighton

Brighton were a bit unlucky to lose to Tottenham last weekend[8] – I have talked before about how good they are at fighting back in games but it is not a positive that they seem to have to go behind before you see a reaction.

It is Manchester City they are playing this week, though, so I think we can forgive them if they do ship a goal or two.

I was with Seagulls boss Chris Hughton, an old Republic of Ireland team-mate of mine, in Dublin on Monday.

He is very pragmatic and his approach is to treat every single Premier League game like it’s a cup final because every point they get could end up being the one that keeps them up.

Chris told me he does not let his players get too excited when they win, or too down when they lose – and I cannot see him or his team dwelling too much on this result if they do get beaten.

Lawro’s prediction: 3-0

Karl’s prediction: No doubt about it, another City win. It is just a case of how many numbers and how high shall we go? 4-1

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Newcastle v Leicester

Newcastle got a draw at Crystal Palace[9] last weekend, but I will never know how Mamadou Sakho missed an easy chance to win it for the Eagles late on.

Rafa Benitez’s side need to find a way to start winning games, though, and I cannot see that happening on Saturday.

With the pace that Leicester have got in their attack, I can see them going to St James’ Park and winning.

There is a lot of goodwill towards Benitez from the Newcastle fans, but he has got start getting some points.

At the moment, there is still an awful lot of noise coming from supporters about Mike Ashley and how he needs to spend more money on players, but they should park that until the transfer window opens in January.

Lawro’s prediction: 0-2

Karl’s prediction: 0-2

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Wolves v Southampton

I thought Wolves’ performance last time out in their draw with Manchester United[10] was excellent.

They carried a real threat from the first minute and they just looked like a team that is very much at home in the Premier League.

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Before this week, I had only predicted one win for Wolves this season in their first six matches, but I must admit I had not really watched that much of them before that game at Old Trafford, which is why I thought they would struggle.

Mea culpa, because actually they look a really well-balanced side and I would not be surprised if one or two of the bigger teams are already looking at some of their players and thinking “crikey, they are making this look easy”.

At the same time as Wolves were looking so impressive against United, Southampton were having a very different afternoon at Anfield – and, after conceding three first-half goals, their game against Liverpool[11] was done and dusted by half-time.

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I think Saints will have another difficult day at Molineux. I like the way Wolves play through their midfield and Nuno Espirito Santo has got a good mix of skill and industry in his team.

By now, they themselves will know they belong in the top flight.

Of course every promoted side will say before the season starts that they fancy themselves, but you don’t know for sure until you start – and I cannot remember another team to come out of the Championship and look so comfortable, so early.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Karl’s prediction: 1-0

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Chelsea v Liverpool (17:30 BST)

I don’t think Chelsea’s win at Anfield in the Carabao Cup[12] will have any bearing on this game – there will not be too many players from either side who started on Wednesday night that will also start on Saturday evening.

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Maurizio Sarri has done a great job after taking charge of Chelsea over the summer but, even with home advantage, he will know the threat that Liverpool carry.

I am going to go for a draw here, and that would be a good result for both teams.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Karl’s prediction: This is a good one. It is annoying to say it but I reckon Liverpool will do it. 1-2

SUNDAY

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Cardiff v Burnley (16:00 BST)

Burnley picked up their first Premier League win[13] last weekend, although Bournemouth had the better of the early play.

I have been reading what Clarets boss Sean Dyche said about their preparations for that game, after his side had made such a poor start to the season, and he and his players had sat down in the week and had a big chat about everything.

I can imagine Dyche doing that, and it worked.

Cardiff, in contrast, were on the wrong end of a drubbing by Manchester City[14] and they are still without a win.

Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock has got so much experience that I bet he has barely mentioned that defeat since. They will definitely be competitive in this game, although Burnley will cope with the physical side of their game.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Karl’s prediction: Burnley got a good result against Bournemouth last week, so I’m going with them again. 1-3

MONDAY

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Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)

It will be interesting to see how Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe reacts to his side’s defeat by Burnley,[15] and whether he changes anything or just puts it down to a bad day after their strong start to the season.

Crystal Palace picked up a decent win at The Hawthorns against West Brom in the Carabao Cup[16] on Tuesday but this is a much harder task for them.

Whenever they are at home, Bournemouth always seem to create a lot of chances, regardless of the opposition, so I am backing them here.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Karl’s prediction: 1-1

How did Lawro do last week?

Lawro got four correct results, including two perfect scores, from 10 matches for a total of 100 points.

He beat Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, who got five correct results, with one exact score, for a total of 80 points.[17]

Total scores after week 6 Lawro 430 Guests 460

Lawro v Guests P6 W2 D1 L3

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+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO’S TABLE AND ACTUAL POSITION POS TEAM P W D L PTS +/- =1 Man City 6 6 0 0 18 +1 =1 Man Utd 6 6 0 0 18 +6 3 Chelsea 6 4 1 1 13 0 4 Liverpool 6 3 3 0 12 -3 5 Crystal Palace 6 3 1 2 10 +6 =6 Arsenal 6 3 0 3 9 0 =6 Everton 6 3 0 3 9 +6 =6 Tottenham 6 2 3 1 9 -1 =9 Burnley 6 2 2 2 8 +7 =9 Leicester 6 2 2 2 8 0 =11 Bournemouth 6 1 4 1 7 -3 =11 Fulham 6 2 1 3 7 +4 =11 Southampton 6 2 1 3 7 +3 =11 West Ham 6 2 1 3 7 +6 =15 Newcastle 6 1 3 2 6 +3 =15 Watford 6 2 0 4 6 -11 17 Brighton 6 1 2 3 5 -4 =18 Cardiff 6 0 3 3 3 +1 =18 Wolves 6 1 0 5 3 -8 20 Huddersfield 6 0 1 5 1 0

GUEST LEADERBOARD 2018-19

SCORE GUEST LEADERBOARD 120 Joe Thomas 80 Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg James, Mark Wahlberg 72 Lawro (average after six weeks) 60 Idris Elba 40 Tom Grennan

References

^ it is developing in front of our eyes (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ which obviously did not end well for him. (www.theguardian.com)

^ after his side had beaten them. (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ they missed against Arsenal, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ their draw against Watford, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ their defeat by Leicester, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ when they won here last season, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ to lose to Tottenham last weekend (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ got a draw at Crystal Palace (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ in their draw with Manchester United (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ their game against Liverpool (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Chelsea’s win at Anfield in the Carabao Cup (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ picked up their first Premier League win (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ a drubbing by Manchester City (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ his side’s defeat by Burnley, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ against West Brom in the Carabao Cup (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Supporting Man Utd is like having a tortoise as a pet – Pilkington v Lawro at predictions was originally published on 365 Football