StarkMallard

I think Belshaw already let the cat out of the bag @theAnticlough. During his interview he talked about what it will be like to walk out in front of the Kop for the first time against Crawley. He's either counted his chickens before they've hatched or he's been told he'll start. I'd wager the latter.

I'm happy too. It's great that he's a proper magpie, but the bottom line is that this signing strengthens us. He's been playing regularly and can hopefully slot straight into the team. And goalkeepers often reach their peak after 30. So this move makes perfect sense to me and gives us a bit of breathing space to find a younger goalkeeper for the longer term.

The results: Leyton Orient 1-1 Cardiff City Peterborough United 3-1 Bolton Wanderers Accrington Stanley v Barnet - POSTPONED Chesterfield v Colchester United - POSTPONED Tranmere Rovers 0-2 Bromley Aldershot 1-5 Solihull Moors Sutton United 1-2 York City Woking 4-0 Hartlepool United Drum roll for this round's winner @Megan_Elizax! And also a mention to @4everapie, who got 8 points despite only predicting five games, which is frankly showboating. No change in the top ten this week, @magpiejue still leads the way with @Dan banging on the door in second. The next round is on Saturday, so the prediction league pixies will post the fixtures on Wednesday. Thanks for playing!

We can, but it all depends on some smart business during this window. The spine of the team is lacking, from the goalkeeper through to the number 10 position, and if we don't bring in players who can improve us immediately it will catch up with us. Now the table. This is the table at this point last season: In terms of points there's little difference all in all, it's going to be close once again. Note that none of the top three teams eventually went up (two of them didn't even make the play-offs). We were above three of the four teams that eventually won promotion (and the other one was only above us on goal difference). We blew it in the second half of the season. Bradford eventually won automatic promotion on just 78 points, Vale got 80. We're currently on course for 75 despite our limitations. An injection of quality and flair could give us the push we need to get that to 80+. My other point in response to @theAnticlough is that it isn't always obvious who will be a promotion-level player. You mentioned Tsaroulla; Gordon came with him, who was also a promotion winner at Crawley yet has struggled to hold down a place for us. On the other hand, Dennis arrived to a lukewarm reception and Rodmac went under the radar. In the NL, Langstaff was a great prospect but it was by no means guaranteed he'd make the step up (I remember Sean Canham), while Rodders needed a fair amount of time to acclimatise. None of this is an exact science. Let's hope whoever comes in gives us a good shot and success and let's get behind them!

Welcome! Sounds a promising signing to me - maybe someone who can play behind the striker(s). A Hall replacement? It also looks like a return to the policy of signing promising young players on their way up.

What an incredible performance it was too. Sometimes in cup games we're told that the lower team was the "better side", and it's often an exaggeration. It was absolutely not an exaggeration yesterday. In a way, Palace scoring their free kick and setting up a tense finish was good for the game as it was starting to feel like an anticlimax. Macclesfield looked likelier to score for the majority of that match and deserved to go through. Well done them! Fun fact: the last time the cup holders were knocked out by a non-league side was in 1909. The non-league team in question? Crystal Palace!

It seems there's speculation because Harrogate tongues have been wagging if even Simon Weaver is commenting on it. Even this is not confirmation that we're the club he's joining. I'd be pleased with it but let's not count our chickens.

Leyton Orient 0-2 Cardiff City (joker) Peterborough United 2-1 Bolton Wanderers Accrington Stanley P-P Barnet Chesterfield P-P Colchester United Tranmere Rovers 0-2 Bromley Aldershot 1-1 Solihull Moors Sutton United 0-2 York City Woking 2-1 Hartlepool United

I haven't been over this season yet, but on PiesPlayer I can't help noticing the new standing areas at Meadow Lane and a few other grounds. On the TV it looks like they've just left the normal seating in and tacked some rails on top. Is this right or am I missing something? The equivalent areas in Germany are separated from seating areas and have a seat that stands flat against the rails. It's uncomfortable but it only gets used at half time. There's also an additional step between the rails and two to three spectators are allowed per seat, so it's a bit more snug and prices can be lowered. Does anybody here use the safe standing areas? What are they like?

Not necessarily me old anticl**gh, but you don't want to waste your joker on a postponed game!

It looks like we're going to have some postponements again. At the minute, only the Chesterfield match is postponed, but it might be a good idea to check which games are going ahead before predicting.

Saturday is FA Cup third round day, but luckily there's also a league programme for teams that don't go in for all that cup nonsense (mentioning no names). As usual, get your predictions in by 3pm on Saturday and remember your joker! Leyton Orient v Cardiff City Peterborough United v Bolton Wanderers Accrington Stanley v Barnet - POSTPONED Chesterfield v Colchester United - POSTPONED Tranmere Rovers v Bromley Aldershot v Solihull Moors Sutton United v York City Woking v Hartlepool United

Hope he does well with us! The defence is the area where I see the least need to improve (we've got five really solid options for the back three, and hopefully six now), but this is hopefully a player we can develop and who can maybe step in and play a bigger role next season.

I've seen the article about this, it's just a column recapping transfer rumours, nothing to get excited about. Belshaw is an obvious rumour as he's a Notts fan, would improve the team and would probably be affordable too. But we don't tend to go for obvious signings. I have a horrible feeling we'll end up with a young Premier League loanee in goal, which can be very hit and miss. As for Hall, he can be fantastic on his day but is very inconsistent. He hasn't delivered a stand-out performance in a while now. It would be a shame to lose a potentially very good player but not devastating. But as @menzinho says, what would they want with him in the PL anyway?

Get well soon @super_ram and wrap up warm the rest of you! I ventured out to work under a blue sky and a fresh temperature of -7 this morning. It felt strange to be wearing proper trousers again, but on the plus side I got to see the sunrise. Then when I was in the office I found out that a bomb from WW2 had been discovered at or near the railway station where I'd been before just an hour previously. I made it home again without being blown up! On a very different and much sadder note, a friend of mine died this week. She'd had cervical cancer and it finished her off in just a few months. She was in her early forties. If anyone reading is delaying getting checked up, don't.

The results: Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Charlton Athletic Hull City P-P Watford Plymouth Argyle 3-0 Burton Albion Reading 1-0 Stockport County Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 AFC Wimbledon Barnet P-P Crewe Alexandra Barrow P-P Bristol Rovers Walsall P-P Fleetwood Town And this round's winner is... me! Come on people, put some effort in. But everyone did manage to score despite only four of our matches actually going ahead this time. @magpiejue consolidates her position at the top somewhat, but a big-scoring round from one of the chasing pack could still change everything. Elsewhere, @cheeky~k8 and @Megan_Elizax join @Garry Lee in notching up a hundred points. And that's how things look now the festive fixtures are complete and the Christmas chocolates are finished! I'll post Saturday's fixtures on Wednesday and hopefully there will be more points, thrills and spills. Thanks for playing everyone!

Losing four players of that quality would be a major blow to any team at this level. That we're in the mix again is a great achievement and shows that we're getting more out of what we have at our disposal. I think the quality of football we're playing has been worse, and that's largely due to our best centre midfield pairing being unavailable pretty much all season and our inability to sign a new number 10 who can make the ball stick. The result is too many hopeful balls forward instead of dominating the opposition. What we're better at is "hanging in there" and getting our rewards in games that are 50:50, and we were sorely lacking in that department last season. However, our limitations are there for all to see and a couple of prudent additions could make all the difference.

The results for 1 January: Southampton 0-0 Millwall Swansea City 1-0 West Bromwich Albion Leyton Orient 1-3 AFC Wimbledon Reading 2-0 Burton Albion Wigan Athletic 1-1 Barnsley Fleetwood Town 0-1 Grimsby Town Shrewsbury Town 0-3 Bristol Rovers Swindon Town 2-0 Gillingham This round's winners are the mighty, triumphant @DangerousSausage and @william1984. Overall, @magpiejue holds on to top spot while @Dan is right back in the mix. As the (joint) best player of the year so far, I have surged from tenth to ninth; my ultimate triumph is surely just a matter of time and this defnitely hasn't gone to my head. There's a round up and running for today's fixtures; you've still got two hurs to predict so head on over there if you haven't already. After that, we're back to our usual Saturday round, with round 26 to be posted on Wednesday. Thanks for playing!

Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Charlton Athletic Hull City 0-2 Watford Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Burton Albion (joker) Reading 1-0 Stockport County Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 AFC Wimbledon Barnet 1-0 Crewe Alexandra Barrow 0-2 Bristol Rovers Walsall 1-1 Fleetwood Town

Yeah, that was pants. We looked bang average, very little urgency or creativity. The only positive is that the powers that be can't be complacent in the January window, it's clear to everyone that we need reinforcements in key areas if we're to compete at the top end.

More prediction league? You'd better believe it. Send in your entries by 3pm on Sunday, remember your joker and may the best (wo)man win! Blackburn Rovers v Charlton Athletic Hull City v Watford Plymouth Argyle v Burton Albion Reading v Stockport County Wycombe Wanderers v AFC Wimbledon Barnet v Crewe Alexandra Barrow v Bristol Rovers Walsall v Fleetwood Town

Wish all fellow PON stars a very happy new year! There weren't as many private fireworks on our street as usual (to our disappointment, we always enjoy the neighbours' fireworks without spending any money ourselves). But the city centres were manic as usual. There's talk about banning private fireworks as it's been totally out of hand for years, but it would be nice if councils put on an official display rather than doing absolutely nothing. Usually I'd take a new year's walk, but I've got a busy day of football, darts and Stranger Things coming up!

I'm doing the same, but I'm staying even further off the pace. It's all a brilliant tactical plan.

Southampton 0-2 Millwall Swansea City 2-1 West Bromwich Albion Leyton Orient 1-1 AFC Wimbledon Reading 2-0 Burton Albion (joker) Wigan Athletic 3-1 Barnsley Fleetwood Town 2-0 Grimsby Town Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Bristol Rovers Swindon Town 2-0 Gillingham

The results: Leicester City 2-1 Derby County Oxford United 0-1 Swansea City Blackpool 4-0 Rotherham United Peterborough United 1-1 Reading Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers Chesterfield 0-1 Cambridge United Gillingham 1-1 Colchester United Grimsby Town 1-0 Shrewsbury Town @magpiejue wins this round, congrats! That means @magpiejue extends her lead at the top, with @Robbie and @4everapie leading the chasing pack. That wraps things up for 2025 and the first half of the season. But there's plenty of prediction league over the coming days - there's a round up and running for 1 January, so go and send in your predictions if you haven't already! Thanks for playing!