2013/2014 Barclays Predictions League 2

Norwich v Aston Villa (Saturday, 12:45pm)

Norwich were more or less outplayed by Tottenham last weekend but it was a result many were expecting but Aston Villa also suffered a loss at the hands of Newcastle. 

This is also significant for Paul Lambert who, of course, used to manage Norwich. Chris Hughton's team are usually tough to break down at Carrow Road and I see it ending all square.

But expect an open game.

Score: 1-1

Liverpool v Southampton

Even though Liverpool's 100% record was ended at Swansea on Monday night, they are still top of the pile and the fans must be so happy with their start to the season.

Daniel Sturridge in particular is in fine form although he did get a big slice of fortune thanks to Jonjo Shelvey. Nevertheless, he has scored in each of Liverpool's games this season.

But Southampton are a tough team to beat and I am sure Brendan Rodgers will not be underestimating Mauricio's Pochettino's men.

Southampton have a struggle of scoring goals at the moment and I do see them finding the back of the net, but conceding more at the back so home win for me here.

Score: 2-1

Newcastle v Hull

See what a couple good results makes for a team! People need to bear in mind that you get one or two wins and everything looks good again and Newcastle have proved this point.

After their goalless draw with West Ham people were giving them a hard time about scoring. Two wins later and there aren't as many critics for Alan Pardew's side.

Against Aston Villa in particular they were brilliant as they went for the win as the away team and got what they deserved.

As many have said previously, Hull can create chances but they cannot finish them off and goals along with wins keep you in the Premier League. I think in the long run Hull will be fine, but another away defeat should be on the cards for tomorrow.

Score: 2-1

West Brom v Sunderland

19th v 20th in the league! Relegation six pointer already? Of course not, it is still WAY too early in the season for that but these two do need their first win on the board.

West Brom only scored their first Premier League goal of the season last weekend to earn a somewhat fortunate point at Fulham. But that result, along the services of former Black Cat Stephane Sessegnon, could give the home fans confidence of receiving three points here.

However, I do not see Steve Clarke's side winning. Yes they are at home and yes Sunderland cannot keep a clean sheet to save their lives right now but at home they have been poor so far and the pressure of being at home with the expectation behind them could give Paolo Di Canio's team an advantage.

Sunderland should really have got a point last week against Arsenal but at the same time they started very slowly and even against the big teams you cannot do that because you give yourself a mountain to climb.

Referee Martin Atkinson's decision to somehow disallow Jozy Altidore's second-half goal arguably robbed them of a point and I think they could have got at least a draw had the goal stood.

What baffles me about most pundits is that they seem to think Sunderland under Martin O'Neill will get better results when the football was too defensive and the tactics were too negative yet under Di Canio when they are having a go at teams they get slated. I don't get that.

But they are bottom of the league and need a win themselves. Because Di Canio will get his players ready for the game, I them taking three points back to the Stadium of Light.

Score: 1-2

West Ham v Everton

Jussi Jaaskelainen produced a man-of-the-match performance last week to singlehandedly earn West Ham a point at Southampton. I am sure Sam Allardyce felt relieved and indebted to him when the game reached full-time.

The Hammers are usually a tight team and seem to hit the opposition on the break really well but they are especially difficult to play against at Upton Park.

Roberto Martinez finally celebrated his first win against Chelsea last Saturday and there could be an opportunity to get back-to-back wins.

But these two teams should be up in the top half this season and I they are likely to spent a majority of this game cancelling each other out.

Score: 1-1

Chelsea v Fulham (Saturday, 5:30pm)

Jose Mourinho said this week that the reason for Chelsea's 'poor' form is because 'he is trying to change the style of play'. Firstly, I do not consider Chelsea's start to the season poor. They are only three points off the top spot so anything could happen. Secondly, while they got a surprise loss against Basel, Bayern Munich lost against Arsenal in last season's knockout round so every team experiences this.

They are up against a Fulham side who have had an average start to the season and given that it is at Stamford Bridge a Chelsea win is what is expected.

Despite this, Fulham have took a point from this fixture for the past two visits to this ground. So Chelsea fans know how difficult they can be to play against.

Score: 2-0

Arsenal v Stoke (Sunday, 1:30pm)

While I thought Arsenal got a big stoke of luck in their win at Sunderland, they were brilliant in the first half particularly. Arsene Wenger pulled off a masterstroke in signing Mesut Ozil as he looked very lively and he will do well for them this year.

The fans seem to have put their opening day defeat to Aston Villa behind them and can look forward to the rest of the season.

Stoke themselves lost on the opening day and after two wins back-to-back they dominated Mark Hughes' former club Manchester City last week. That shows how far they have come in the last year.

Although I sound like a broken record, home win here but Stoke's season looks very optimistic at the moment.

Score: 3-1

Crystal Palace v Swansea (Sunday, 1:30pm)

Ian Holloway stated that Swansea's style of play influenced the way Crystal Palace play. Palace do play attacking football and they have had a go at the teams they have played against and no doubt they will do so here.

Swansea got their Europa League campaign off and running with a deserved 3-0 victory at Valencia allbeit the early red card may have helped.

Michael Laudrup has stability at Swansea. After defeats to Manchester United and Tottenham, they deservedly beat West Brom and impressively drew against Liverpool.

As for this match, yet another home win but only because Palace will be the much fresher side going into the game.

Score: 2-1

Cardiff v Tottenham (Sunday, 4:00pm)

Although this point has been emphasised many times, newly-promoted teams are always difficult to beat, especially if you are going to one of their grounds.

Manchester City found that out in August when Cardiff beat them 3-2 and Everton drew there so it is a hard place to go.

Cardiff picked up yet another point last week at fellow newcomers Hull and have only lost once this season.

Tottenham have recovered well since the loss of Gareth Bale and responded with wins against Norwich and Tromso.

I see this one ending up as a draw as Cardiff will want to produce a good performance, similar to the performance against Man City.

Score: 2-2

Man City v Man Utd (Sunday, 4:00pm)

And so we move on to the game of the weekend, for neutrals anyway. Manuel Pellegrini v David Moyes. Manchester City v Manchester United.

People have really turned their attention to this game over the last couple of years and the games, including City's 6-1 thumping at Old Trafford in October 2011, have not disappointed.

Both teams have made ok starts to the season but I am surprised City are not nearer to top spot. They didn't demonstrate title qualities against Cardiff and Stoke; winning games when you aren't playing at your best.

As for David Moyes, I believe this game will be his biggest test yet. The good thing for Man Utd fans is that he has a personally good record against City but he has also failed to beat the top teams he has faced this year.

I back the home team to win what should be a tight, intense but also thrilling football match.

Score: 2-1

2013/2014 Barclays Predictions League

See what I did there! No, ok. This is my first Premier League Predictions for the 2013/14 season. Hope you all had a good summer break and here we go.

Man Utd v Crystal Palace (12:45pm)

It is very unlikely for this game to result in anything but a home win but Ian Holloway's team got their campaign off and running with a deserved victory over Sunderland nearly two weeks ago. In the defeats to Tottenham and Stoke, they gave a good account of themselves but as everyone knows you have to score goals to get wins that will keep you in this division. 

The slight encouragement for Palace fans is when their team last visited Old Trafford they came away with a 2-1 win after extra time. David Moyes has had a mixed start to his time in Manchester but it is still early in the season so anything can happen. 

I said at the start of the season if they win one of the cups and get a Champions League place, for his first season I think it would be a good platform to build on.

Score: 3-1

Aston Villa v Newcastle

I think both teams have made decent starts to the season. Paul Lambert will be pleased with three points considering their first three games were trips to Arsenal and Chelsea followed by a tight home tie with Liverpool. I feel they should have five points but still they have made a decent start.

Newcastle have improved considerably defensively since the opening day mauling at Manchester City where in fairness lots of teams will be comfortably beat this year. Clean sheets against West Ham and Fulham are a good sign. The only worry for the fans is the lack of goal threat as Shola Ameobi doesn't really contribute much in terms of goals, Papiss Cisse is offside half the time and Loic Remy has a court case coming up. 

However, Hatem Ben Arfa does provide some real creativity on his day and Alan Pardew's team could well end up with a point to bring back to the North East from the Midlands this weekend.

Score: 1-1

Fulham v West Brom

Following a fortunate opening day win over Sunderland with defeats to Arsenal and Newcastle so Martin Jol maybe pretty satisfied with the points tally but against Arsenal and Newcastle they were outplayed in most aspects possible and should get more points sooner rather than later.

This is an ideal game for them to get back to winning ways as West Brom are not on the best of form themselves. Against Everton they were resilient but their two home games against Southampton and Swansea they were poor and Steve Clarke needs to get a win soon.

Last season West Brom failed to take a single point against Fulham and haven't beaten them in a league encounter since October 2010 in a 2-1 home win. I think Fulham's good recent record against the Baggies will remain in tact.

Score: 3-1

Hull v Cardiff

Everyone will remember what happened at this ground the last time these two met - which is probably one of the best advertisements for the Championship. The 2-2 draw in May which sealed Hull's promotion was incredible, especially at the end when Leeds scored the winner at Watford to send Steve Bruce's Tigers up to the Premier League.

Five months on and these two have made steady ground in their top flight campaign, Cardiff taking four points from a possible nine including that dramatic win over title contenders Manchester City. Hull have taken three points against Norwich which is good considering that game was sandwiched between trips to Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium.

As for this weekend's game, I am backing Hull to take the win. I feel that they have the best chance of staying up out of the three teams but Cardiff have been a pleasant surprise so far this year and certainly aren't a force to be reckoned with.

Score: 2-1

Stoke v Man City

The last four league meetings here between these two sides have all ended 1-1 although Man City did win here in the FA Cup last year.

Mark Hughes has had a good start as Stoke boss after losing at Anfield he has won his next two games and Stoke currently sit fifth in the league table.

Manuel Pellegrini has also claimed six points out of a possible nine and has made a steady beginning to his rein at Manchester City. But as the stat speaks for itself, City do not like going to the Britannia and I think 1-1 is the most predictable scoreline for this game. So, naturally, that's what I am going for here.

Score: 1-1

Sunderland v Arsenal

Paolo Di Canio's side desperately need a win. The home defeat to Fulham where they dominated was followed by a 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace which sandwiched a well-earned point at Southampton. Not the start the Black Cats fans were hoping for but there is still 35 league games to go this season so it is still early days.

Arsene Wenger will be delighted as well as the fans for the deadline day capture of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid for £42.5m. I do not think they will be title contenders this year but this is a step in the right direction for them.

Arsenal have won the previous two league visits to the Stadium of Light while losing 2-0 in a FA Cup game and I think they may just edge it here but you never know which Sunderland will turn up.

Score: 1-2

Tottenham v Norwich

Andre Villas-Boas made a very good statement this week - Spurs must move on from Gareth Bale's transfer to Real Madrid and I couldn't agree more.

Bale was an influential player last season, there is no doubting that, but he is not the only quality player that Tottenham have got so it may not be as big an issue as people think. What is a concern, however, is they have yet to score a Premier League goal from open play as their two goals so far have come from the penalty spot.

Against a disciplined Arsenal side in the North London derby, they had some nice build up play but in reality the Gunners looked comfortable in defending their lead.

They should not have as much trouble breaking down Norwich but the previous two White Hart Lane encounters ended with an away win followed by a draw. Chris Hughton's team got a needed win against Southampton but I only see a home win here.

Score: 2-0

Everton v Chelsea (Saturday, 5:30pm)

Everton fans must be cursing the rule where loaned players are not allowed to play against their parent clubs, otherwise deadline day signing Romelu Lukaku could have been in the starting line-up.

Roberto Martinez has been doing some very good business in this summer's transfer window. True they sold Marouane Fellani for £27.5m but they have replaced him with former Wigan midfielder James McCarthy and signing Gareth Barry and Lukaku on loan deals to add quality to the team.

Jose Mourinho rather unfortunately lost the super cup game against Bayern Munich on penalties but their performance and their seven points on the board will give them confidence for the season. I still think Chelsea will win the league this season but I also see Everton matching them, securing a draw.

Score: 1-1

Southampton v West Ham (Sunday, 4:00pm)

Southampton's unbeaten start to the season ended with defeat at Norwich and this game should get them back to winning ways as West Ham's away record could be better to say the least.

England man Rickie Lambert has had the time of his life in the last couple of weeks. He scored the winner at West Brom and internationally established himself. Mauricio Pochettino's side still play some lovely football and I can see them winning this one.

Sam Allardyce's side may struggle to cope with the intensity of the Saints but I think the Hammers could still have a decent season.

Score: 2-1

Swansea v Liverpool (Monday, 8:00pm)

Brendan Rodgers' second return to the club where he made his Premier League debut. The last visit ended in a goalless draw but he will obviously want to continue his side's tremendous start to the season.

They may be without in-form Daniel Sturridge but they still have other goal-scorers and Luis Suarez will be back from suspension soon enough.

Swansea have had a difficult start to the season but in fairness two of those games were against Manchester United and Tottenham but got a good win against West Brom before the international break.

I see this one ending the same as the last one but not 0-0. A trip to Swansea is usually difficult for many teams and let's just say Simon Mignolet will earn his wages this weekend.

Score: 1-1

Premier League Table Predictions

The Premier League is back! After over two months of interesting transfer debate and activity, we are within reach of the opening weekend of the 2013-14 season. Here are my predictions for the final table.

1ST - CHELSEA

Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge makes Chelsea title favourites for me. Romelu Lakaku's development last season at West Brom has changed him for the better as he looks much more comfortable in this division. 

But I believe Chelsea's squad is strong enough to win them the title as they will see this season as a great opportunity to do so. With Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and Manchester City changing their manager, the 'Special One' could be in for a special season. 

The only area Chelsea need strengthening is upfront and IF they can somehow land Wayne Rooney, then Blues' fans will see a beast of a team in the coming campaign.

2ND - MANCHESTER CITY

City are giving Chelsea a run for their money when it comes to the dismissal of managers! Roberto Mancini's sacking was completely undeserved and I am sure many people can agree with me. 

In fairness, however, Manuel Pellegrini has brought in some quality, spending over £90m in the process. There will be high expectation on him and City fans will want the team to at least be in the running for title this year. 

I think the title will be decided between Chelsea and City, but even all the signings Pellegrini has made, I back City to finish as runners up.

3RD - MANCHESTER UNITED

This is an interesting one. Sir Alex Ferguson's achievement's are very difficult for new manager David Moyes to top but he has a great squad left for him to work with.

Robin Van Persie singlehandedly won United the Premier League last season and the Community Shield this time around but there is also the potential departure of Wayne Rooney to think about.

If he does go, then Moyes will need to replace him. This year I think will be a transitional period for the Red Devils as the club will be getting over the loss of Ferguson. I think third in the league and a cup win will be a decent first attempt for Moyes at Old Trafford.

4TH - ARSENAL

I can only imagine the frustrations of Arsenal supporters with the club mainly selling and not buying anyone. Arsene Weneger deserves credit for getting them into the Champions League qualification stages, especially since the departure of Robin Van Persie to Man Utd a year ago.

But as most pundits will have said, the Gunners need world class talent in their team if they are to be considered title contenders again.

The Luis Suarez saga continues but if no-one is signed this transfer window I still expect Arsenal to finish in the top four this season because they usually hit form in the last 10 games or so of the campaign.

5TH - TOTTENHAM

My top-seven had been decided weeks ago and I stick by it but fourth and fifth spots were the hardest to predict. Spurs fans must be pig-sick of Arsenal finishing above them in the table almost every year. Andre-Villas Boas was particularly unlucky last year in that he got Tottenham's record points total, 72, but still missed out on a top four spot.

The biggest talking point at White Hart Lane is of course Gareth Bale. Read Madrid were willing to pay £85m to land the player and I think Spurs are stupid in not selling him. Get £85m in your bank account and you can buy two or three world class players with that money.

Villas-Boas has spent really well this summer and I think there is no reason why Tottenham cannot get in the top four - I just do not see them doing so.

6TH - LIVERPOOL

I thought Brendan Rodgers did well in his first season at Anfield. He had a dreadful start but did well to pick the team up and get them to a deserved seventh-placed finish. I believe Liverpool are making steady progress and the summer signings arguably suggest that.

The signing of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from Sunderland was an excellent move as he is intended to be the long-term replacement for Pepe Reina, who is off to Napoli. Kolo Toure adds experience to the back four and Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto look promising.

However, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho are my two players to watch this season. Whether Suarez stays or goes, these two players have took no time in adapting to life at Anfield.

7TH - EVERTON

Just like David Moyes at Old Trafford, Roberto Martinez has big shoes to fill at Goodison Park. He has probably deserved a step up from constantly avoiding relegation with Wigan and this is a fresh challenge for him.

Arouna Kone follows him to Everton along with Antolin Alcaraz and goalkeeper Joel Robles and keeping Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines will be a big bonus for them.

I expect the usual from Everton - a top six/seven finish, a good cup run and as always they will want to finish above Merseyside rivals Liverpool - third time lucky?

8TH - FULHAM

Fulham's 12th-placed finish last season was a step back from the previous campaign where they finished ninth. But the summer signings include Adel Tarrabt and Darren Bent, both on a season-long loan.

Martin Jol has done well since replacing Mark Hughes but I think Fulham will be the surprise package in a way this season. I think the players know they could have done better last season by Tarrabt in particular will be a big part of their season.

Comfortable in mid-table, not seriously troubling the teams for a European place but no real danger of relegation.

9TH - ASTON VILLA

If my memory is correct, I predicted Aston Villa to finish around or in the top 10 last season and I predict the same again. Paul Lambert's side did well towards the back end last season and Christian Benteke staying is a big boost for them.

Matthew Lowton was also influential in Villa's side and I not just talking about his stunning strike at Stoke either. He was consistent last season and I think with Premier League experience he will be even better this time around.

A top ten finish would probably delight Villa fans and if they have another good cup run, then this season could be one to remember.

10TH - WEST HAM

Tenth place was a brilliant finish for West Ham, especially with it being their first year back in the top flight. At Upton Park they proved a real match for the big teams and were difficult to beat for the most part for anyone.

Signing Andy Caroll and Stewart Downing can only help their cause this season. Caroll looked at home last season as the style of play from Allardyce's side really suited him more so than Rodgers at Liverpool.

If they continue the route they travelled down last season they should match their top 10 finish or even exceed it.

11TH - WEST BROM

Another top eight finish in the offering Steve Clarke? I personally doubt it as their fantastic start to the season is rather difficult to repeat. Look at Newcastle if you don't believe me.

Nicolas Anelka is in to replace Romelu Lakaku who has returned to Chelsea which I think it a good signing for them having coming close to double figures in pre-season. West Brom have a good squad in them and I think a steady mid-table campaign awaits them.

12TH - SWANSEA

Yet another team who I think will struggle to match last season's success. Michael Laudrup did tremendously well with Swansea last year and will want more of the same.

But once you prove you can bring success, there is more pressure on you to deliver good results the next time. Wilfred Bony is a big boost for the Welsh side and seems to partner with last season's top scorer Michu very well.

But two big questions must be asked. One: can Bony and Michu pair effectively in the Premier League? And Two: Can Swansea balance potential Europa League duties and their domestic campaign?

13TH - SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton seriously impressed me during their first season back in the Premier League and the style of football was very eye-catching. Signing  Dejan Lovren from Lyon and, in the words of BBC Sport's Phil McNulty, "powerful midfielder" Victor Wanyama from Celtic are two boosts for the team and they can only go from strength to strength.

If Mauricio Pochettino's side keep taking the game to the opposition and score enough goals, with now England goalscorer Rickie Lambert proving he can find the net in all the English divisions, Southampton can be a real force to watch this season.

14TH - SUNDERLAND

Paolo Di Canio has brought a belief at Stadium of Light that the players and fans didn't feel as much when Steve Bruce or Martin O'Neill were at the helm. The major problem with the Black Cats last season was their mentality on the pitch where they seemed to settle for a draw even before kick-off.

Losing Simon Mignolet to Liverpool is a big loss but they still have a decent keeper in Keiren Westwood. Buoyed by the derby win at Newcastle before a battering off Aston Villa, Di Canio has almost signed a whole starting team, including Jozy Altidore and Modibo Diakite, and this could be seen as a make-or-break season for his team.

15TH - NORWICH

Norwich have really strengthened their attacking options this summer with the signings of Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper. If those two form an effective partnership then Chris Hughton's side should score enough goals to keep them out of trouble.

Nathan Redmond from Birmingham City also looks a decent proposition too as does Netherlands players Leroy Fer who is a highly rated midfielder. A season where Norwich should not be in serious danger of the drop zone.

16TH - NEWCASTLE

Newcastle have only signed Loic Remy from relegated QPR but he does have some quality about him and he is a goalscorer. The big question, however, is whether Joe Kinnear and Alan Pardew will actually work together.

Mike Ashley needs to invest in the club if Newcastle are to achieve anything this season and I have placed them 16th only because the teams around them have strengthened. Even though I have predicted them to finish this low in the table I do not seriously see them in danger of relegation.

17TH - HULL

Of the three newly promoted teams, I for some reason see Hull as having the best chance of staying up. Cardiff have invested this summer but so have Hull and they have an experienced Premier League manager in Steve Bruce.

The biggest profile signings would be Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore from Tottenham, one on a permanent deal and a season-long loan respectively. Danny Graham is arguably brought in to give the Tigers a striker as the goals were shared out last season.

18TH - STOKE

Mark Hughes has had mixed fortunes in his career. He did a decent job at Blackburn and Fulham but not so well at Manchester City and QPR. He, of course takes over from Tony Pulis who resigned in the summer.

Hughes' appointment can either be a good or a bad thing for Stoke. Stoke's style of play is more defensive than offensive and Hughes is arguably brought in to try and change that. However, as much as I could be wrong, Stoke hovered dangerously close to the drop zone last season and I can see that happening again.

19TH - CARDIFF

This one was also tricky. Malky Mackay did an excellent job at finally getting Cardiff into the Premier League and their fans have been waiting to be in the top flight for so long after just falling at the final hurdle in the past.

Cardiff have broken their transfer record three times and it is good to see they are preparing for the Premier League and they realise how tough it is going to be.

For me, it was a toss between Cardiff and Hull for who was going to survive and I know this may sound stupid, but the team who finishes second in the Championship usually does better in the Premier League than the league winners. But of course, I could be wrong.

20TH - CRYSTAL PALACE

Ian Holloway is back, ladies and gentlemen, and I think the Premier League has missed him. With Blackpool, he gave the top division a real go and even though they got relegated, he made lots of friends.

Crystal Palace are, unfortunately, on a lot of people's lips to go straight back down and I fall into that category. They have made signings, including Marouane Chamakh from Arsenal, but I question the overall quality of their team and whether or not they can cut it in the Premier League.

I would love to see Palace stay up - purely for Holloway - but I just do not see it happening.

The Hangover Part III Movie Review

First of all, how is that poster NOT copying Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2?! Look at them, they are almost identical! I know that both franchises belong to Warner Bros, but come on!

But in all seriousness I was half looking forward to this film but I was also half skeptical of it. The first Hangover movie I felt had an original concept (as I clearly had not seen Dude, Where's My Car?) and it was genuinely funny. A lot of comedies lure the audience into the trap of seeing a film where the funniest moments all in the trailers and T.V. advertisements. I felt Todd Phillips really set the standard for the series and that is why I was extremely disappointed with Part II.

Apart from the location of the film, the character who goes missing and the character who gets married, Part II is essentially the first film all over again. Some people love it as much and that is fine, but for me, the film didn't really try anything new in terms of the story. The formula is exactly the same; the characters get drunk, wake up wondering "what the hell happened last night" and go on a crazy mission to find one of their own who has mysteriously disappeared. Nothing different or new.

So here we are at Part III. The plot is about the Wolfpack, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Doug (Justin Bartha) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis), all going to an intervention after Alan's father dies and on the way they are ambushed by the new villain, Marshall (John Goodman) who demands the money that Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) stole is returned or Doug (surprise, surprise!) will be killed.

When I heard the third film would have a different storyline I was relieved and hoped that it worked. This film, when compared with the first two, feels much more like an action thriller than an outright comedy. There is no hangover at the start of the film and it almost feels like a heist film involving a quest to retrieve the stolen gold. I think this change in direction worked really well and I enjoyed seeing something different this time around.

Now let's face it, these films are not best known for the acting talent; it is usually about the ridiculous situations our characters find themselves in. But Cooper, Helms, Bartha and Galifianakis all have great chemistry throughout the trilogy and that shows on screen. But for what it is worth, the actors get the job done in entertaining the audience.

There are some laugh out loud moments, such as Alan buying a giraffe early on and also one particular scene near the end of the movie which, as far as Alan's story goes, is personally satisfying. Mr Chow provides a lot of the comedy relief and while not as funny as he was in the first film, he still had me laughing here. I think there was a real fun factor about this film even with it taking a darker direction and the fact that I was not simply watching the first film again.

There was, however, one thing that really annoyed me about this film. Once again, Doug was written out of the action and is pretty much out for most of the movie. This, in my view, is lazy writing and I feel Phillips, Craig Mazin, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore could have written him into the main story. I could understand if he wasn't written out of the second film (as I can see why he was in the first) but for him to be out of the action for all three instalments is a step too far. That is my only major gripe.

Overall as you will be probably tell by now, I feel that this film is a redemption for Part II and it is a fitting end to the trilogy. It is as good as Part I? No, but I feel it comes very close to being so and is only just surpassed by the original. A lot of critics feel this film isn't much if any better than the second but there you go. I think Part III ends the series well but I do NOT want a Part IV but knowing what Hollywood is like with making money from successful franchises we will have to wait and see!

Newcastle 4-2 Southampton

Newcastle recovered from falling behind early on to beat Southampton in a six-goal thriller at St James' Park.

 

Alan Pardew's side trailed as early as the third minute when Morgan Schneiderlin beat both Mathieu Debuchy and Steven Taylor in the box to fire past Rob Elliot.

 

Newcastle then turned the game in their favour just after the half-hour mark as Yoan Gouffran set up influential signing Sissoko to tap home before Cisse's stunning strike put them ahead.

 

Saints striker Rickie Lambert cooly finished from close range to level just after the interval before a Yohan Cabaye penalty and a Jos Hooiveld own goal sealed the win.

 

Newcastle had never won a Premier League game after conceding the opening goal but Pardew will be especially pleased to beat the club which sacked him in August 2010.

 

Crucially for Newcastle, the result means they now go six points clear of the relegation zone and one place and one point above rivals Sunderland.

 

Southampton were relishing in confidence since their surprisingly comfortable 3-1 win over champions Manchester City a fortnight ago and that confidence was on show in the opening minutes.

 

A cross into the box was headed over to the feet of Schneiderlin by Lambert and the midfielder did well to shoot past a packed penalty area to make it advantage Southampton.

 

Newcastle dominated possession since the goal that could have seriously set them back but lacked any cutting edge in the first 30 minutes.

 

But the home fan's patience was finally rewarded as Gouffran shot at the visiting keeper Boruc but the ball went past him and fell to Sissoko to equalise.

 

The magpies hit the crossbar before eventually going ahead shortly before half-time.

 

An Elliot free kick found its way into the visiting half of the pitch and fell to Cisse who with his first touch scored a magnificent strike from 25 yards, leaving Boruc helpless.

 

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino got the start he craved when Lambert came back to haunt the man who signed him at St Marys.

 

The 31-year old top scorer emerged from a surrounding Newcastle defence and slotted the ball in to make it 2-2.

 

The home side seemed to have been knocked back by the equaliser and clear-cut chances were few and far between until the game reached 66 minutes.

 

Right-back Debuchy struck against the arm of left-back and substitute Daniel Fox on the arm from a few yards and Chris Foy made no hesitation in pointing straight to the spot.

 

Cabaye kept his cool to restore Newcastle's lead and the win was sealed just over 10 minutes from time.

 

A cross found its way to Fox and ball ping-ponged off him and then Hooiveld and into the back of the net as Newcastle overtake Southampton to go 13th in the Barclays Premier League table.