It's Back! Winners & Losers -
Winners:
Arsenal
Completed their customary win at White Hart Lane following an early scare. Spurs aren’t the greatest at the back this season, but I couldn’t help wondering whether last season’s Arsenal would have been able to come back from a goal down. It’s far too early for any team to answer all the pre-season questions about them, but so far at least, goals aren’t an issue for Wenger’s men.
Manchester United
Winning this weekend has seen them fly up the table and all of a sudden the question is “Crisis, what crisis?” Of course, this doesn’t tell the whole story, not by a long chalk. Were it not for two sweetly taken (and poorly defended) corners, United would be four points worse off, and effectively out of the title race. Whilst playing poorly and winning is the mark of a great side, sterner tests than Sunderland at home and Everton at Goodison (where United have won 14 out of the last 16) await, and improvement will be required. Still – they won, and they’re right back in the mix.
West Ham
After getting battered by Man City on the opening day, few would have predicted the remarkable turnaround in West Ham’s fortunes. Despite a huge injury list Curbishley’s men just keep on winning, and find themselves nicely placed early on. God I hate them though.
Man City
Up to 2nd after a win over a lacklustre Villa. Interesting question though – for all Thaksin’s millions spent this summer, where would Eriksson’s men be without Kasper Schmiechel, Micah Richards and Michael Johnson? Perhaps credit is due to Stuart Pearce – or more likely, his academy director.
Roy Keane
After an impressive start, Sunderland’s recent run of form has had many questioning whether the sun does, after all, shine out of Roy Keane’s arse. Eyebrows have been raised at his £6m signing of Kenwyne Jones, but in this weekend’s meeting of the two out-of-form clubs in the league, Jones stole the show with a raking goal on his home debut, before creating a second for Ross Wallace. I’ve said all along that Sunderland will be ok this season, but if I’m proved right many may look back to this game as a key milestone to safety. In the meantime, expect the brown-nosing media to get the sunglasses back on.
Blackburn
How do they keep doing it? They’re a hell of a lot better than most people give them credit for, but even then a point at Stamford Bridge is an achievement. True, the linesman helped, but Chelsea were probably due a bit of that anyway, and Rovers were good value for a point. Hughes’ men now look a good outside bet to finish 5th.
Birmingham
They won, if anyone really cares.
Arsenal
Completed their customary win at White Hart Lane following an early scare. Spurs aren’t the greatest at the back this season, but I couldn’t help wondering whether last season’s Arsenal would have been able to come back from a goal down. It’s far too early for any team to answer all the pre-season questions about them, but so far at least, goals aren’t an issue for Wenger’s men.
Manchester United
Winning this weekend has seen them fly up the table and all of a sudden the question is “Crisis, what crisis?” Of course, this doesn’t tell the whole story, not by a long chalk. Were it not for two sweetly taken (and poorly defended) corners, United would be four points worse off, and effectively out of the title race. Whilst playing poorly and winning is the mark of a great side, sterner tests than Sunderland at home and Everton at Goodison (where United have won 14 out of the last 16) await, and improvement will be required. Still – they won, and they’re right back in the mix.
West Ham
After getting battered by Man City on the opening day, few would have predicted the remarkable turnaround in West Ham’s fortunes. Despite a huge injury list Curbishley’s men just keep on winning, and find themselves nicely placed early on. God I hate them though.
Man City
Up to 2nd after a win over a lacklustre Villa. Interesting question though – for all Thaksin’s millions spent this summer, where would Eriksson’s men be without Kasper Schmiechel, Micah Richards and Michael Johnson? Perhaps credit is due to Stuart Pearce – or more likely, his academy director.
Roy Keane
After an impressive start, Sunderland’s recent run of form has had many questioning whether the sun does, after all, shine out of Roy Keane’s arse. Eyebrows have been raised at his £6m signing of Kenwyne Jones, but in this weekend’s meeting of the two out-of-form clubs in the league, Jones stole the show with a raking goal on his home debut, before creating a second for Ross Wallace. I’ve said all along that Sunderland will be ok this season, but if I’m proved right many may look back to this game as a key milestone to safety. In the meantime, expect the brown-nosing media to get the sunglasses back on.
Blackburn
How do they keep doing it? They’re a hell of a lot better than most people give them credit for, but even then a point at Stamford Bridge is an achievement. True, the linesman helped, but Chelsea were probably due a bit of that anyway, and Rovers were good value for a point. Hughes’ men now look a good outside bet to finish 5th.
Birmingham
They won, if anyone really cares.
Losers:
Martin Jol
Not long for his job, surely. True, having faced Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United they’ve not had the easiest of starts, but games against Fulham and Sunderland should have yielded maximum returns. Several papers are suggesting Jol has until the next international break to save his job – his make or break game then could well be at Anfield on October 7th. Ouch.
Bolton
Just how bad can they get? So far all Sammy Lee has achieved is a total vindication of Sam Allardyce’s methods. We often heard Allardyce respond to critics of his style by asking “And what would Arsenal have us do instead? Try and play like they do and just get hammered every week?”
No-one thought Bolton would ever try to play real football, or even that if they did the results would be as disastrous as Allardyce suggested. We were all wrong. They are trying, and it’s car-crash football at the Reebok.
Chelsea
Mourinho promised a more free-flowing, entertaining, attacking Chelsea this season. Which makes it even funnier that they’re worse than they ever have been under his stewardship at the moment. I guess being able to take the best side in the league by a country mile, spend freely from the fattest chequebook in the land and manage to go backwards really does make you a “special one”. But probably not in the way he meant it.
Reading
Last season’s success story looks like a long time ago now. Steve Coppell must surely be regretting failing to strengthen the squad pre-season. For all the talk of their difficult start against Man U and Chelsea, it’s been the games afterwards that they’ve stumbled in, and they’ll be sucked into a battle at the bottom unless they turn a corner soon. Nowhere near good enough to deserve a point on Saturday.
Middlesbrough
Are they the most inconsistent team in the league? Quite possibly. What they’ll do from one week to the next is a total mystery. Fluking a win at Fulham, rising to the occasion to secure a spirited draw against Newcastle, battering Birmingham…and then getting t**tted 3-0 at West Ham? A strange old season for the Boro so far, god only knows what’ll happen in the Tees-Wear derby coming up.
Aston Villa
Another contender for the crown I’ve just awarded to Boro. Losing at Man City is no real disgrace this season, but their performance level paled when compared to their recent win over Chelsea. Consistency required, especially up front. I’ve said it before, but Villa don’t have a consistent goalscorer in their squad, and unless one of their kids steps up and delivers on a regular basis, these frustrating blanks in front of goal will continue.
Fat Frank Lampard
Never darken England’s door again. Thank you.
Not long for his job, surely. True, having faced Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United they’ve not had the easiest of starts, but games against Fulham and Sunderland should have yielded maximum returns. Several papers are suggesting Jol has until the next international break to save his job – his make or break game then could well be at Anfield on October 7th. Ouch.
Bolton
Just how bad can they get? So far all Sammy Lee has achieved is a total vindication of Sam Allardyce’s methods. We often heard Allardyce respond to critics of his style by asking “And what would Arsenal have us do instead? Try and play like they do and just get hammered every week?”
No-one thought Bolton would ever try to play real football, or even that if they did the results would be as disastrous as Allardyce suggested. We were all wrong. They are trying, and it’s car-crash football at the Reebok.
Chelsea
Mourinho promised a more free-flowing, entertaining, attacking Chelsea this season. Which makes it even funnier that they’re worse than they ever have been under his stewardship at the moment. I guess being able to take the best side in the league by a country mile, spend freely from the fattest chequebook in the land and manage to go backwards really does make you a “special one”. But probably not in the way he meant it.
Reading
Last season’s success story looks like a long time ago now. Steve Coppell must surely be regretting failing to strengthen the squad pre-season. For all the talk of their difficult start against Man U and Chelsea, it’s been the games afterwards that they’ve stumbled in, and they’ll be sucked into a battle at the bottom unless they turn a corner soon. Nowhere near good enough to deserve a point on Saturday.
Middlesbrough
Are they the most inconsistent team in the league? Quite possibly. What they’ll do from one week to the next is a total mystery. Fluking a win at Fulham, rising to the occasion to secure a spirited draw against Newcastle, battering Birmingham…and then getting t**tted 3-0 at West Ham? A strange old season for the Boro so far, god only knows what’ll happen in the Tees-Wear derby coming up.
Aston Villa
Another contender for the crown I’ve just awarded to Boro. Losing at Man City is no real disgrace this season, but their performance level paled when compared to their recent win over Chelsea. Consistency required, especially up front. I’ve said it before, but Villa don’t have a consistent goalscorer in their squad, and unless one of their kids steps up and delivers on a regular basis, these frustrating blanks in front of goal will continue.
Fat Frank Lampard
Never darken England’s door again. Thank you.
2 comments:
Andy S said...
quoting everton as an easy fixture for man u(just cos they always win it), then a hard fixture for tottenham? I'm hesitating to be so slanderous but is this column biased against man u?! were u involved in picking the fixture list this season too? "haha, international break - lets give man u the early kick off mwahahaha....."
although they deserve all they get, manc bastards.
Dont try and twist my words on me bitch.
First of all, yes I'm claiming that what's a hard game for one team isn't necessarily hard for another. For example, playing away at Darlington would be a tough game for Whitley Bay reserves, but perhaps not so for AC Milan. Before you start pointing out the gulf between AC Milan and Whitley Bay, think for a second about how s**t Spurs are, and compare them to Man U.
Secondly, Manchester United's record at Everton is truly remarkable. They always, ALWAYS win at Goodison. I hope Alex is reading this at somepoint, he's a bluenose and he can confirm it. Man U turn up, and 3 points goes with them 90 mins later. Always.
In fact, it is written that if Man U ever failed to win at Goodison, the sun would explode. So what you've got is the f**king Champions, going to the team that finished 6th. Or, say, Real Madrid against Villarreal.
Then when Everton play Spurs, that's 6th against 5th. You don't need me to tell you (or you shouldn't) that this is a tighter encounter altogether. Somewhat more akin to Atletico Madrid vs Villarreal, which again demonstrates my point.
Think of it from a betting point of view - I'd rather pick a winner from Villarreal-Real Madrid than Atletico-Villarreal. Even then I'd be backing the away team in both encounters, and as Villarreal are Everton in my little Spanish metaphor, that sums things up nicely.
I'd never be biased against (I hate) Man U.
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