Connor's Blog

Crystal Palace v Newcastle Both of these teams have been playing some good football since the start of the season but I think the hosts will come out on top here. The Eagles are very attractive to watch this season and are only missing goals to their game. Newcastle tend to be involved in low-scoring games which can go one way or the other. Prediction 1-0 Brighton v Liverpool Brighton have been struggling lately but a win against Villa at the weekend has stopped their rot. I would say this is a good time to play the champions but they showed against Leicester that even with 10 first team injuries they can still blow teams away. They will continue to get stronger as more players return from injury. Prediction 0-3 Manchester City v Burnley After their defeat against Spurs last weekend this is the perfect game for City to bounce back with a bang. Yes Burnley got their first win of the season on Monday night, but in all honesty they were very lucky to hold on and have Nick Pope to thank. T...

Good afternoon and welcome to today's blog. As I am sure you have all been reading in the news this week, we finally have some more positive news about the pandemic we have been living through all year. Yes we are still in a national lockdown, but it is about time we were given a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, especially as we are approaching Christmas. People seem a lot happier and a lot more positive at the moment, but I want to emphasise that this is only the beginning of the journey. There is still a long way to go and we must all continue to do our part against this virus. So what exactly have we got to look forward to?  First, and possibly the most important piece of news, is that there will be a five day window around Christmas where families can mix indoors. This might seem like a small reward for months of lockdown and suffering, but Christmas is a time of year for families to get together, exchange gifts and to appreciate having people to spend quality time wi...

Newcastle v Chelsea Funny results can happen after the international break with lots of players returning from their national teams, and I think there could be one here. Newcastle have played well all season without just rewards. Chelsea have looked very strong lately but I have a gut feeling about this one. They are always a threat going forward but still look susceptible at the back. Prediction 1-1 Aston Villa v Brighton So far this season Villa have wiped the floor with the better teams but lost against teams near the bottom. I think that pattern will change here though. Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins have been particularly impressive, whereas Brighton have been mediocre at best. They will more than likely find this season very difficult. Prediction 2-0  Tottenham v Manchester City Spurs started to look more of an attacking threat before the international break, but the sour Dele Alli situation will continue to hinder them until it is resolved. City finally have a fit and in-fo...

Good afternoon and welcome back to this afternoon's blog. Back in July (I know that feels like years ago now), I did a blog about making yourself happy and being kind to yourself. That article focused on the physical and emotional facts behind what makes us happy as humans. I have been thinking about this topic a lot recently and have been doing extensive research into why we are happy, and when things go wrong how we can use positive thoughts and experiences to change this around. When people say the word ' happy' or 'happiness' they often think purely about the emotional aspect and having a smile on their faces, but there is far more to it than that. Our emotions are funny things that are constantly changing. Understanding why we feel certain emotions, however, is what science is all about. Finding satisfaction and contentment is a continual process. Psychologists have now identified many of the tenets that help individuals along that journey. Happiness incorporat...

Good afternoon and welcome back to this afternoon's blog. I am mightily relieved that this week is drawing to a close as it has been one of stress, high emotions and destruction in so many ways. It's actually very disappointing as today just happens to be my 25th birthday (I can hear you all singing and cheering for me) and we are approaching Christmas in the not too distant future. However, life is unfortunately not all plain sailing and things do happen. Covid, for example, is something that nobody would ever have expected when they were celebrating the New Year back in January. And sometimes people get events happen to them that they do not deserve because they have done nothing wrong. Sadly, some people (me) get exactly what they deserve. I can tell you're all desperate to hear this enthralling-sounding story. Well here it is. A seemingly usual evening with a completely innocent conversation between a tight-knit group of friends. Everyone is trying to help and offer adv...

Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's blog. Hopefully the second national lockdown is not affecting you too much yet - I sure know it is affecting my weekends. At this moment of writing I should be half way through a round of golf. Oh well! And let me take a moment to congratulate Joe Biden in his victory over Donald Trump in the American Presidential election. Whilst I do not want to get into a debate about American politics, I am very pleased with the result and would thank the good citizens of America for doing what is best for everyone (as always just my opinion - I can already hear the haters). So onto today's topic. We have now entered November and in the minds of many we should be talking about Christmas. Now I will allow each individual to have their own opinion, but I want to focus on the mental aspect of getting into the festive spirit too early. The most important thing, and this quotes a number of my blogs before, is do not wish your life away. Life is such...

Brighton v Burnley The Seagulls have been playing some good football of late without getting the results to back it up. The arrival of Adam Lallana has yet to have the impact Brighton supporters would have wanted. Burnley, without being too harsh, have been poor. The only hope they have is that they nick a few games by the odd goal. They do not look like beating anyone at the moment.  Prediction 2-0 Southampton v Newcastle Southampton will become the 29th team to lead the Premier League with a win here. They have certainly been better recently, much helped by the goals of James Ward-Prowse. Having said that, Danny Ings will be a big miss. I don't think the Saints will hit the top tonight but they have certainly started the season very well. Prediction 1-1 Everton v Manchester United Everton, after a great start, come into this game off the back of a couple of disappointing defeats. They are facing a United team who have been outclassed by both Arsenal and Istanbul Baseksehir in the...

Good afternoon and welcome back to this afternoon's blog. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 24 hours (not a bad idea at the moment) then you will have seen the Government's master plan of another month-long national lockdown beginning on Thursday. People can talk about sports and leisure centres, pubs and restaurants and what is an 'essential' shop all they like. However, what is the one place that every single day brings families, households and even strangers together? The answer is very simple - schools and universities. Have the Government once again overlooked a growing sector of the pandemic, and just how much of an impact could this have of hospitalisations, and ultimately deaths?  Well, in my opinion, the very short answer is yes they have. Within a typical environment you can have up to 30 children and 2 members of staff (try and follow my maths here people). You then have 2 classes in each year group (remember a year group constitutes a bub...