Picklive

We're very sorry but we failed in our efforts to fix the server problems from last night.

We're really grateful to all of you who tried to play tonight and appreciate your help. We'll bend over backwards to get this problem fixed and hope to have some good news ahead of next week's games.

Hope you're enjoying the match, looks like United are in the box seat.

(Photo by kennymatic).

The good news is we've applied a fix for the server problems that we had last night.

The bad news is that we can't be 100% sure that the fix has worked. We thought about canceling tonight's match but one of the best ways of testing the fix is to run the game as normal. So we'll be running the Man Utd Vs AC Milan game tonight for our own purposes as much as anything. We'd love it if you joined us and played along as it'd help us a lot but please note:

1. there is a possibility that the game will not work as it should;

2. there will be no prizes tonight, its purely for fun;

3. some common problems are addressed here.

We'll let you know how it goes before we move back to prize games.

(Photo by honeyroastd).

Whilst David Beckham's return to Old Trafford is hogging the headlines, here are three current United players who will be looking to grab Picklive points and overshadow the return of the former United great:

Wayne Rooney: After being passed fit for the return leg, the hottest striker in the country will want to continue his rich vein of form. We know what to expect from Rooney and he is likely to be the pinpoint of the United attack as Fergie continues his policy of playing one up front in Europe. His power and speed against an ageing Milan backline could see him score heavily. His last outing for the Red Devils saw him play for just an hour but still place third in the overall Picklive points standings so expect to see more of the same at Old Trafford.

Darren Fletcher: He hasn't always been popular with some fans but will undoubtedly have a huge role tonight. He is known as the man for the big games so expect an all action display from the Scotland captain. With the absence of Carrick through suspension, Fletcher will have the chance to shine as he reverts to his more familiar central role unlike in Milan a fortnight ago (although he was still second highest scoring United player on the night). Fletch's passing and ability to break up play surely makes him odds on to score well and don’t be surprised if he pops up with an important goal as he has done in the past.

Ji-Sung Park: Another player who is favoured on the big stage due to his tenacity and high work rate. He’ll be looking to help United on the break especially since Milan need to come to Old Trafford and win. The Korean always helps out defensively enabling him to pick up points for tackling and interceptions. After notching a poor points tally in Milan, expect Park, who will play in a wider role, to be more influential tonight. Ji-Sung’s ability to unhinge the defence with a killer pass and score a vital goal, as he’s did recently against Arsenal, could see him steal the show from a certain Mr Beckham!

(Photo by Crystian Cruz).

Last nights match was marred with technical problems relating to us having changed the configuration of our server environment. This was an unfortunate thing to happen on the night that we changed our name from Football3s to Picklive Football. What should have been a night of celebration became a night of frustration.

We apologise to everyone that tried to play and we appreciate how frustrating it is when the game doesn't work properly. We're working hard to fix these problems.

When we're up and running again we'll double the prize for one match as Picklive players correctly predicted Diaby would top score on the pass count last night - a remarkable achievement and one of the few positives on a difficult night for Picklive players.

(Photo by florian).

"This will be big. Realtime social fantasy football."
—tobiaspeggs

Football3s has been around for about a year. And, in total, you lot have played over 12,000 games.

Tobias knows his stuff. Not only that. We reckon realtime social fantasy will be big. That's why Football3s has become Picklive Football. And in the future, you'll be able to pick live and play along to different sports on picklive.com.

Behind the scenes, at Picklive HQ, Picklive Football is being improved. The good bits are getting better. The frustrating bits are getting removed. New exciting bits are coming. In a nutshell, the game is going to get a whole lot more fun.

For now, tell us which sport you would most like to play along to live?

We've changed our name from Football3s to Picklive Football. To celebrate this we'll double tomorrow nights prize pot to £200.

As we all know there is no such thing in life as a free double prize pot. So we'll only double tomorrow nights prize if you successfully predict which footballer will accumulate most completed passes in tonight's Picklive Football match between Arsenal and Porto. Diaby, Nasri, Meireles, someone else? - pop your guess in the comments below and if the consensus matches the actual then BAM we'll double Wednesday's prize for the United match.

(Photo by rorris).

Arsenal may be veterans when it comes to 3s, but FC Porto are still blinking into what is the bright new dawn of their Football3s day. Having had the previous clash in Portugal to assess the two sides, here are my 3 to watch ahead of the second leg at the Emirates:

Abou Diaby: Diaby is in line to replace the talismanic Cesc Fabregas in the heart of the Arsenal midfield, and that could lead to a big haul of points for the Frenchman. Using a combination of strong tackling, accurate passing and a decent record of popping up with a goal, Diaby could be amongst the highest scorers on the night. While the withdrawal of Fabregas could hinder Arsenal’s cause, it could lead to Diaby seeing a lot more of the ball, which is no bad thing for anyone wise enough to include the lanky midfielder in their trio. Having completed 42 passes in the first leg, he proved he certainly can be trusted on the ball, and with 17 interceptions, he’s more than capable of regaining possession for the Gunners.

Samir Nasri: The injury to Fabregas could lead to Diaby’s compatriot, Samir Nasri, being deployed in a central role. Although he hardly set the world alight with a modest return of 36 points in the first leg, the greater responsibility of being the creative heart of the team could spur Nasri on to a much higher total this time around. If Arsenal are successful in turning around this tie, their number 8 could be one of the main reasons why. Playing at the Emirates, Arsenal are likely to see a lot of the ball, meaning Nasri could have a magnificent opportunity to showcase his abilities when in possession.

Raul Meireles: Arsenal may enjoy large amounts of possession in this encounter, but they’ll have to be sharp should Meireles be on the field. The Portuguese international topped the tackling charts with an impressive 12 in their last meeting. If you couple that with his 13 interceptions, you begin to get an idea of how essential the all action midfielder is to this Porto team. With Arsenal chasing a win to progress, Porto could find themselves with their backs to the wall, something you imagine Meireles may relish.

(Photo by ewan-m)

For a more in-depth look from an Arsenal perspective check out our friends Arsenal Blog here: Untold Arsenal.

What a three weeks since the first leg. Stoke away saw huge emotion from fans, players and even Arsene. The obvious worry about Aaron’s injury has calmed with the news that he should make a full recovery and the game looks like it could end up being a defining point in the season. Having been at both Birmingham for Eduardo’s leg break and Stoke for Aaron’s I saw the players’ reactions first hand and the feeling after Stoke was very much ‘let’s go and win the title’ rather than the bruised and battered feeling that saw us draw three games post Birmingham.

So, Porto return tomorrow and the big question is how will we cope without Cesc? Porto looked weak defensively and we gifted them the game in the Estadio Dragao. Nasri can come in and play in midfield now that we have some more attacking options. I think we’re strong enough to beat Porto without Cesc and it’s the right decision to rule him out.

The big one for Arsene is obviously the Champions League but the Premiership is now very winnable this year and to win it from how far back we have been on two occasions would be a truly remarkable achievement. Plus if Spurs beat Fulham in the FA Cup the game will be moved to midweek at the end of the season and...I can’t even say it.

If this team does win the league this year it will be arguably one of Arsene’s greatest achievements. With the money spent compared to other teams and the injuries, would it be better than 2004? I think for Arsene it might be as satisfying. He has stuck by his players and if they deliver for him it will be a fantastic two fingers up to fans and media who didn’t believe in his philosophy.

A final word on Theo Walcott, what a way to answer his critics on Saturday. I hope Chris Waddle was watching with his fantastic football brain. You have to wonder what his football brain was telling him to do when he took that penalty in 1990. Idiot.

(Photo by wonker).

Our guest player for next week is dance diva Rowetta.

As well as being a legendary singer, Rowetta is a big Manchester United fan so she'll be playing Football3s on Wednesday night as United take on AC Milan in the Champions League. Keep your eyes peeled for GoRoGo in the lobby and dont talk hip or she'll twist your melon man.

(Photo by timdobson).

It’s amazing what lengths students will go to find new drinking games. Yes, Football3s is now the latest in a long line to grace the Cardiff pre-drinking scene.

Our Cardiff aide Adam Horne has been experimenting in his Football3s ‘group sessions’ recently, and this week saw them impressively juggle booze and management during the Brazil Vs The Republic of Ireland game.

With added incentive placed on the match, the foursome found the Irish players were having a great deal of possession in the early stages, much to Adam’s dismay.

Brazil did find their rhythm, however, and Keith Andrews’ own goal marred what was an otherwise impressive display from the Blackburn man. Thankfully none of the four had him in their side…

(Photo by H Dickins).