Main Listening Report: Liverpool and Spurs: 2010-11 Part II

[print_link] | Subscribe: Main Listening Report | Complete List Here On this week's main report we take a look at the beginning of the season and see how our predictions at that time have panned out. There is a transcript below, while explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be found at the foot of the post. Transcript Ten or less games to go in the Premier League and with the FA Cup taking centre stage this weekend it's a good time to revisit the start of the season and some predictions we at languagecaster.com had then. Damian and myself started by looking at how our teams, Tottenham and Liverpool, would fare in the 2010 season. I predicted Liverpool would make the Europa League semi final and the FA Cup semis or even the final - Wrong! Of course, Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup by big rivals Manchester United in Kenny Dalglish's first game in charge, but they still can progress in the Europa League, but need to beat Portuguese outfit, Braga, at Anfield by two goals or more to do so. I also guessed the Reds would get a top four spot with Roy Hodgson steadying the ship. I also was fairly positive about some of Liverpool's summer signings, Poulson, Cole and Jovanovic. Well, Hodgson was sacked after a dreadful run and those three players I mentioned have all failed to impress. I didn't foresee Kenny's return, Torres leaving, and I was wrong about a top four finish, barring a miracle. I also hoped that the ownership problems would be resolved and thankfully they were, and now Liverpool have no debt and have splashed out all the money they recouped from Torres sale on two interesting signings, Suarez and Carol. So, here are my revised predictions. Liverpool will finish sixth, out of the places for Europe. They will be knocked out of the Europa League by Braga next week on away goals. But the new owners will announce plans for a new development of Anfield, expanding it to a 60,000-seater, and a lot of the dead wood in the squad will be cut out and some new signings will be added to players from the youth team to make the 2011 season one to look forward to. What about Damian and Tottenham. Well, here's Damian on the new signing Gallas and Spurs' first tilt at the Champions League. "Surprisingly for Harry Redknapp, the club has only moved for Gallas during the transfer window who joins along with Brazilian midfield star, Sandro who was signed in March. The feeling is that we are one or two big signings away from a real push for success so next week's Champions League qualifier takes on an even more important role as players may decide to come to a club in rather than out of the top European club competition." Well, I think Damian has got what he wanted, a strengthened squad, as perhaps the Premier Leagues best bit of business, Van der Vaart joined Gallas and Sandro to really beef up the London side's squad. And as for his predictions, well, he guessed Tottenham would finish 4th and have a 'fun run' in the Champions League. Well, they are in contention for fourth but need to overhaul Chelsea, but they are certainly having a great run in the Champions League making it to the quarter finals after beating two giants of Italian football, Inter and AC Milan, on the way. Can they get that fourth spot? Well, they can do it, but they need Manchester City or Chelsea to slip up. I think they will do it at the expense of Manchester City. I think it's safe to say that Spurs have had the better season so far, but at least Liverpool can look forward with new owners and popular and effective new manager. Vocabulary pan out: a casual expression meaning - to work out; turn out; result in something take centre stage: be the most important action, be the main focus in charge: in control, to be the leader outfit: team steady the ship: make things calm, make the situation safe after a difficult time fail to impress: do not live up to expectations, to not make people impressed splash out: spend a lot of money, be extravagant away goals: in two leg ties (home and away) if you score a goal away it counts more than one scored at home. When results are tied, then the team with more away goals wins dead wood: something not wanted, something old and not useful new signing: new player, new addition to the team beef up: strengthen, improve overhaul: overtake, move above in the league