Premier League predictions: Lawro v legendary Style Council drummer Steve White
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Manchester United have bounced back from their 6-1 home defeat by Tottenham with impressive wins over Newcastle and Paris St-Germain, but can they continue their good form against Chelsea on Saturday?
"United have had a good week, just when questions were starting to be asked about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future as manager," said BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson.
"Ole has been under pressure but he was proven right to play Harry Maguire against Newcastle. Then, against PSG, he had to change things at the back when Maguire was ruled out and he got that one right too.
"But what United need on Saturday is another good performance, because it still feels like they are too inconsistent at the moment. No-one is quite sure what to expect."
Lawro is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
This weekend, he is up against legendary Style Council drummer Steve White.
The band's greatest hits anthology 'Long Hot Summers: The Story of The Style Council' is out at the end of this month.
White, who has also played with Paul Weller, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene and The Who among many other bands, is a lifelong Charlton fan.
White has been going to watch Charlton for nearly 50 years. The Addicks have won their past two games in League One 1-0 and he is predicting another victory by the same margin for them on Saturday, when they play Northampton
"I had no choice in the matter," White told BBC Sport. "My first Charlton game was against Bolton in 1971. I went to The Valley with my dad and my grandad, and I was never allowed to go anywhere else.
"There have been plenty of ups and downs since then. It just seems to be that we have had our unfair share of people coming in to run the club in the past and making promises that they can never keep.
"Hopefully we have got a more stable future, because we have got a fantastic ground and a fantastic fanbase - we are a fantastic club and we should not be in League One."
It is 13 years since Charlton were last in the top flight but White still watches a lot of Premier League football. His wife is Mancunian actress and TV presenter Sally Lindsay and their twin sons are Manchester City fans.
"They come to The Valley with me but they are City fans, without a shadow of a doubt!" White said.
"What has happened to City, and also clubs like Leeds and Southampton, shows how you can recover if you fall down the divisions.
"But what you really need are the right people in charge. It might sound odd coming from a Charlton fan, but what Steve Parish has done at Crystal Palace is fantastic.
Who are White's favourite Charlton players? "I was lucky enough to see Derek Hales play in his prime, one of the great lower-league strikers of the 1970s. Then coming into the golden times we had great players like Andy Hunt, Mark Kinsella, Johnny Robinson and Dean Kiely - and obviously super Clive Mendonca."
"There are good people running lots of clubs, but what has happened to us in recent years shows how there needs to be more stringent checks on people that are potentially investing in football clubs, before they take control.
"All this talk of a closed shop at the elite level of football is wrong as well. It gets boring otherwise.
"And also, what I don't like and what you are beginning to start to see is the elevation of clubs into global brands, where the fans don't actually matter anymore.
"For me, having been a Charlton fan all my life, it is about the experience on the day as much as how well the team is doing. We all want to go to play-off finals again, we all want to be back in the Premier League too, but I go with my dad, who is nearly 80, and I have been going with him for nearly 50 years.
"My eldest son and my twin boys go too and we meet people down there. I kind of have an afternoon off from music and watch the Reds. Maybe I'm a bit naive or old school but that is what football is all about for me - that experience, and the fans and the banter.
"Even now, my two 10-year-olds are playing for a team and I am involved in the refereeing - I really enjoy it.
"Obviously, with the coronavirus pandemic we have not been allowed to watch Charlton, but watching kids' football, I have been getting that same feeling of just the passion and the fun. That's what I think it is all about really."
Premier League predictions - week 6 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Result | Lawro | Steve | |
FRIDAY | |||
Aston Villa v Leeds | 0-3 | 1-2 | 2-1 |
SATURDAY | |||
West Ham v Man City | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-3 |
Fulham v Crystal Palace | 1-2 | 0-2 | 0-2 |
Man Utd v Chelsea | 0-0 | 2-0 | 1-1 |
Liverpool v Sheff Utd | 2-1 | 2-1 | 2-1 |
SUNDAY | |||
Southampton v Everton | 2-0 | 2-0 | 0-3 |
Wolves v Newcastle | 1-1 | 2-0 | 1-1 |
Arsenal v Leicester | 0-1 | 2-1 | 2-1 |
MONDAY | |||
Brighton v West Brom | 1-1 | 2-0 | 0-1 |
Burnley v Tottenham | 0-1 | 2-1 | 1-2 |
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
FRIDAY
Aston Villa 0-3 Leeds
Lawro's prediction: 1-2
Steve's prediction: I'm so glad to see Leeds back in the Premier League, I think it is where they deserve to be... but I can't see them beating Villa, who are really well organised. 2-1
SATURDAY
West Ham 1-1 Man City
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Steve's prediction: This should be fairly comfortable for City. 0-3
Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Lawro's prediction: 0-2
Man Utd 0-0 Chelsea
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Steve's prediction: Chelsea have a great attack but their defence is pretty shocking. United aren't much better at the back though. 1-1
Liverpool 2-1 Sheff Utd
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
Steve's prediction: I've got a soft spot for Sheffield because I do a lot of work there, but Liverpool are going to be too strong for the Blades. 2-1
SUNDAY
Southampton 2-0 Everton
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Steve's prediction: Because of my good friend [former Ocean Colour Scene bassist] Damon Minchella I have to say Everton will win this one, but they have started the season so well anyhow. 0-3
Wolves 1-1 Newcastle
Arsenal 0-1 Leicester
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
Steve's prediction: Arsenal to edge it. I've got a lot of Gooner mates, so I'd better say that. 2-1
MONDAY
Brighton 1-1 West Brom
Burnley 0-1 Tottenham
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
Steve's prediction: Spurs will have something to prove after what happened last weekend. 1-2
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
How did Lawro do last time?
Last weekend was another tough one for Lawro and his guest. Lawro got three correct results, including one exact score, for a total of 60 points, while Afrobeat star Rema scored zero.
+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO'S TABLE AND ACTUAL POSITION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TEAM | P | W | D | L | PTS | +/- | |
1 | Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | +7 |
=2 | Leicester | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | +2 |
=2 | Man Utd | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +13 |
=2 | Tottenham | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | +5 |
5 | Liverpool | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | -2 |
6 | Arsenal | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | -1 |
7 | Leeds | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | +3 |
=8 | Everton | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -7 |
=8 | Man City | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | +3 |
=10 | Aston Villa | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | -8 |
=10 | Burnley | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | +8 |
=10 | Newcastle | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | +3 |
=10 | Wolves | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -4 |
=14 | Sheff Utd | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | +5 |
=14 | Southampton | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -2 |
=14 | West Ham | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -5 |
17 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | -3 |
18 | Brighton | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | -2 |
=19 | Fulham | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +1 |
=19 | West Brom | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | -2 |
GUEST LEADERBOARD 2020-21
Score | Guest |
|---|---|
80 | Raye |
70 | Lawro (average after five weeks) |
60 | Celeste, Caroline Weir |
50 | Declan McKenna |
0 | Rema |
Total scores after week 5 | |
|---|---|
Lawro | 350 |
Guests | 250 |
Lawro v Guests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
P5 | W3 | D0 | L2 |
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