Chef Gilligan kicks off football season with chicken and mushroom pie

A great traditional pie recipe

After what seems like only 20 minutes, the football season is upon us again.

As a kid growing up the summer seemed to drag on forever with no football, and as I grew up in England I had to endure boring cricket and tennis on the telly. These days with the advent of the web and satellite television it seems like it never goes away (well, that’s what my wife says anyway).

My boys Birmingham City are back in the big time again, well for a season at least!

We seem to be a yo-yo team these days but our recent performance against the champions Manchester United has given me some heart. I was expecting a real tanking but to lose 1-0 at Old Trafford is practically a victory for us. The last time we beat United at Old Trafford I was 10-years-old so I wasn’t really entertaining any thoughts of a different result.

The other team in the city of Manchester has spent big, but we know that money doesn’t buy greatness, although it really, really helps. I think they will need time to grow, just as Chelsea did when the Russian geezer came in with his dough.

Arsenal started the season in style by thrashing Everton and of course Chelsea score in the last minute to give them a winning start.

This year it is going to be tight at the top; but I don’t think we will see anyone break up the dominance of the top 4.

I think Manure will miss Ronaldo too much. It is impossible to replace that kind of talent and Nani has some large Nike’s to fill, but you can never write off Sir Alex.

Can Liverpool finally get their elusive Premier League crown? This could be the year.

So here’s where I make my predictions for the final table of the season:

 

1 Liverpool

2 Man Utd

3 Chelsea

4 Arsenal

 

5 Man City

6 Spurs

7 Everton

8 West Ham

9 Fulham

10 Vile

 

11 Sunderland

12 Blackburn

13 Bolton

14 Stoke

15 Wigan

16 Portsmouth

17 Blues

 

18 Wolves

19 Burnley

20 Hull

 

The last game I went to was a couple of seasons ago at White Heart lane to see Spurs thrash my Blues. That wasn’t the worst part. The draught beer was pre-poured and covered in cling film, but I can live with warm flat beer as it is better than no beer.

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