THE TOP 100 - DIVISION 1 - HALFWAY REPORT

Good afternoon gentlemen and welcome to the halfway report on how each club has fared compared to the TOP 100, DIVISION 1 PREVIEW. Before the season started I done a preview that included a prediction of where each team would finish and this report will let us know how they predictions have so far played out. I have also graded each side from A to E on their season so far. The teams are in order of league position after 19 games.






1st   BARCELONA          50pts       Predicted Finish    3rd

Champions Barcelona have shown that they are in no mood to relinquish the Top100 crown and have lost just one game in the first half of the season. On their travels they have picked up 28pts from a possible 30 and look a better team than they were when they won the title last season. Who can stop them?

Best result:  Bayern Munich 2-3 Barcelona              Grade:  A



2nd   BAYERN MUNICH         47pts      Predicted Finish    1st

In almost any other set up, 47pts would be more than enough to be top of the table but for Bayern Munich, the tally is 3pts short. My pre season tip for the title are still very much in the race which is becoming more and more between the top two. The home defeat to Barcelona is why they lie second so they will likely have to reverse that result in Spain to win the title.

Best result:  Bayern Munich 2-1 Juventus              Grade:  B+



3rd   JUVENTUS          39pts      Predicted Finish   4th

Juventus have been steady and have lived up to their pre season hopes. On the downside they are 11pts behind Barcelona and it is unlikely the current champions are going to drop as many points as that meaning that Juve will have to concentrate on making sure they earn a Champions Cup place for next season.

Best result:  Juventus 3-1 Real Madrid              Grade:  B+



4th   BORUSSIA DORTMUND          35pts      Predicted Finish   10th

Borussia Dortmund have exceeded all expectations with a superb first half of the season. I expected Dortmund to manage a top half finish but on this form a Champions Cup place can be within reach. Their first match ended with a 5-0 defeat at home to Real Madrid which suggested a difficult season but some great away results has seen them being labelled as this years FC Porto. Can they keep it going or will they start to falter?

Best result:  Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Juventus              Grade:  A



5th   REAL MADRID          34pts      Predicted Finish   2nd

After a bright start, Real Madrid have lost their way and have picked up just 7pts from the last 18. I expected Real to up challenging Bayern and Barcelona but boss Roy Keane has taken his eye off the ball and claims of conspiracies against his side have fallen on deaf ears. Roy needs to concentrate on his team and try and get them back into the top 4 and a place in the Champions Cup next season. Roy is the bookies favourite to be the next 1st Division manager to be sacked.

Best result:  Borussia Dortmund 0-5 Real Madrid              Grade:  D



6th   LIVERPOOL          33pts      Predicted Finish   14th

After two seasons of struggling at the wrong end of the table, Liverpool look to have finally got their act together. A big improvement on home form with just 1 defeat in 10 games and a much more solid defence has been the main contribution to their success so far. Lacazette was shipped out and Alexis Sanchez and Javier Hernandez were brought in with positive results. The second half of the season will be tough but a place in Europe was the aim and that should succeed.

Best result:  Borussia Dortmund 0-3 Liverpool              Grade:  B



7th   PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN          33pts     Predicted Finish   9th

An excellent first half of the season for PSG included the very rare double of beating both Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Only a poor run of 4 defeats on the bounce has prevented them being up with the top two and if they can stay consistent throughout the second half of the season then a top 4 place is a strong possibility. Home form will have to improve for this too happen but no matter what, Gary Naylor must be delighted with their showing so far.

Best result:  Barcelona 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain              Grade:  B+



8th   SS LAZIO          30pts     Predicted Finish   19th

Lazio have fared a lot better than I expected. They have played above their level after having a slow start. A good run of just 1 defeat in nine games has been the main contributor to their top 10 position but they will have to maintain their high level if they have European ambitions. Hard team to beat and very unpredictable.

Best result:  SS Lazio 1-0 Juventus              Grade:  B



9th   ARSENAL          28pts     Predicted Finish   8th

After failing to win any of their first six games, Arsenal have now recovered and have settled into their annual league position, give or take a place. Mixed form has been the undoing of Arsenal since the TOP100 first started and they can expect to stay in and around their current position. Improving a poor home record of 5 defeats in 9 games should be the main priority

Best result:  Arsenal 2-1 Real Madrid              Grade:  C



10th   SSC NAPOLI          25pts     Predicted Finish   17th

For Napoli you can read Lazio. Another side that have mixed success but are certainly coping better than expected. Napoli have the potential to become even better than their league position suggests but likewise also have the potential to go on a bad run and find themselves slipping down the table. The win over Manchester United broke a run of 10 games without a win. More of the same could see the board and fans fall out of love with Rob Ryan.

Best result:  SS Lazio 1-1 Barcelona              Grade:  B



11th   FC SCHALKE 04          24pts     Predicted Finish   16th

Schalke complete the teams that were promoted last season and considering they are 11th in the table speaks volumes for the teams that came up. Schalke are very much relying on home form and have picked up 17 of their 24pts there. One win in ten away games means that they can't afford to let their home form slip or they will be battling against relegation come the business end of the season.

Best result:  Real Madrid 0-0 FC Schalke 04              Grade:  C+



12th   FENERBAHCE SK          24pts     Predicted Finish   18th

I tipped Fenerbahce to be relegated but they started the season like a house on fire and two fingers were stuck in front of my face. Five wins and a draw suggested that they were in for a great season but they then went on a horrendous run of just one win in twelve games. Relegation form.A win at home to Real Madrid has arrested the slump but Fenerbahce still have a bit of work to do to stay away from the relegation fight.

Best result:  Fenerbahce SK 2-1 Real Madrid              Grade:  B-



13th   CHELSEA          22pts     Predicted Finish   7th

Chelsea have been one of the disappointments of the season so far and manager James McKenzie would be first to admit it. Two home wins from 9 games is simply not good enough for a club their size and unless their is a big upturn in performances on the park then there is little chance of a top ten finish. Changes in personnel looks the obvious way to go but it is not really the time to be experimenting and it would probably be better trying to get the best out of the current staff. Worrying times for Chelsea.

Best result:  Paris Saint-Germain 3-5 Chelsea              Grade:  D



14th   VALENCIA CF          22pts     Predicted Finish   12th

Valencia's season has went pretty much as expected with form being unpredictable and a mid table position constant. Avoiding relegation was always the main priority for David Senior and although not completely safe it is hard to see Valencia being caught up in the battle at the bottom. More of the same should see them finish safely in mid table

Best result:   Arsenal 0-1 Valencia CF              Grade:  C



15th   FC PORTO          21pts     Predicted Finish   6th

FC Porto were always going to be hard to predict what kind of season they would have. They took everyone by surprise last season but have struggled to make an impact in Season 3. They have been given much more respect and this has seen more teams working harder against them. They always say that the second season in the top flight is the hardest and this is proving to be correct. Porto will be looking over their shoulder during the second half.

Best result:   Juventus 1-2 FC Porto              Grade:  D-



16th   ATLETICO MADRID          17pts     Predicted Finish   11th

Atletico Madrid overachieved last season and a more difficult season was expected but they have struggled more than anyone predicted. The squad didn't look strong enough and that has been proved with results at home especially disappointing. Atletico are very much in a battle against the drop but it is one they can win if they can pick up wins against the teams around them.

Best result:   Fenerbahce SK 0-1 Atletico Madrid              Grade:  D-



17th   MANCHESTER UNITED          14pts     Predicted Finish   5th

Easily the 'WTF??' of Season 3. Champions in Season 1, United have fallen apart and nothing has went right for them. To be sitting in the bottom 4 at the halfway point is inexcusable and Joe Jordan is hanging on to his job by his finger nails. What can be done to make sure United don't go down? To be honest I don't know and I fear for them going into the second half. United have to try and find the determination and spirit that seen them win the title in Season 1

Best result:   Liverpool 0-3 Manchester United              Grade:  E



18th   BAYER LEVERKUSEN          13pts     Predicted Finish   20th

The one thing that stuck in my mind pre season was the comment from Noisy that there was thing he knew for certain and that would be he wouldn't finish in the predicted bottom place. I suppose he is technically correct but there is still time for the prediction to come true. Leverkusen don't have a Division 1 squad and it was always going to be difficult to survive. Still plenty of time for them to recover but I doubt they will.

Best result:   SS Lazio 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen              Grade:  C



19th   MANCHESTER CITY          11pts     Predicted Finish   15th

It's been a difficult first half of the season for Will Trafford and his Manchester City side. Survival was the biggest challenge they were going to face and for most of the season they were lying bottom of the pile, unable to buy a win. Two wins on the spin, including a stunning 6-0 win at Schalke, have given new hope to the Etihad Stadium faithful and it is not beyond City to go on a run that can take them out of the bottom four. Could be the most interesting campaign to keep an eye on.

Best result:   FC Schalke 0-6 Manchester City              Grade:  D



20th   ACF FIORENTINA          9pts     Predicted Finish   13th

It's been a long hard season so far for Mister Malcolm at Fiorentina. Just one win in the 19 games by a squad that should be performing a lot better is going to cost the manager his job. The fans are furious at the lack of action by the board and the signings have been less than attractive, suggesting that the club is already focusing on Division 2 football. They will get their wish.

Best result:   Manchester City 1-3 ACF Fiorentina              Grade:  E




That's it for the first half of the season and my prediction grade is probably about a C. There is still plenty of time for the league to change and there is a good chance it will look a lot different outside of the top 3 come the end of the season. The second half gets underway tonight so good luck to everyone.

Ciao