BBC Match of the Day pundit Mark Lawrenson may be famous for his blunt analysis and scathing reviews, but latest revelations suggest that he has a soft spot for Sunderland AFC...
As part of his role with the BBC, Lawrenson predicts the scores from each round of Premier League fixtures. Now these scores have been compiled and a final table has been released, it seems that Lawro believed that David Moyes’ side would easily avoid the drop.
Lawrenson’s predictions had them sitting in 14th place, seven points clear of ‘relegated’ Swansea City. Unfortunately for Black Cats fans, predictions such as a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton in February ended in a 4-0 defeat. The grim reality is that they will spend next season in the second tier.
Lawrenson didn’t fare too well in other regions of the table either. A famous Liverpool fan, he predicted that The Reds would go the season unbeaten, finishing above Chelsea on goal difference. He also thought that Southampton would flounder this term, finishing on a meagre 29 points - just one above the drop,
He did manage to predict two of the relegation candidates correctly, sending down Middlesbrough and Hull with Swansea.
It remains to be seen where Lawro predicts newly-promoted Newcastle will finish next year, but one thing’s almost certain - he probably won’t get it right.
- Chroniclelive