Winners and Losers...and more!

Winners:

Manchester United

Jose’s gone, they’ve beaten Chelsea, and they managed to get knocked out of the Carling Cup. I refuse to believe that any team who willingly picks Dong Fangzou in their first eleven is trying to win that game, so for all Ferguson’s complaints, United can be quite happy with their week’s work. John Terry’s pre-International-break rant that Chelsea had “a hell of a gap already” on United is looking just a bit silly now. What I can’t believe is how they’re managing to do it without any strikers. If they ever get one they’ll be f**king lethal.

Fernando Torres

Left on the bench for two games that finish 0-0, and then you score a hat trick. The events of the last week and a half will surely now see Torres rotated less than any other Liverpool player for the remainder of the season. Things have come together so nicely for Torres it’s almost like Roy of the Rovers stuff, but if he keeps playing as well as he did on Tuesday, Liverpool will benefit just as much as the man himself. Personally, I can understand why he was left out against Birmingham in particular, but it’ll be a real test of Benitez’ balls to drop him again.

Arsenal

An easy game against Derby at the weekend, but the cup games saw them banish the ghost of Allardyce, their kids easily dispatching of his new club. It’s safe to say that for now at least, Wenger is free from the biggest thorn in his side, just as Benitez and Ferguson are now that Mourinho’s gone. Adebayor is actually starting to look like a real football player too, which must make a nice change.

Portsmouth

A win at Blackburn – their main rivals for a surprise top 6 spot – was a fantastic result for Harry Redknapp’s men. As he himself pointed out afterwards, the most satisfying element was the strength available on the bench. Portsmouth’s squad is far, far better than last year, and Redknapp was confident of his ability to change the game – with quality players – if necessary. They then mixed their side up a bit, and won in the cup with that rarest of commodities – a Nugent Portsmouth goal. Everything’s coming up Pompey at the moment.

Reading

Won a massive bottom-of-the-table clash at the weekend. Before anyone gets all smart-arse about Wigan being mid-table, you all know as well as I do that won’t last long, and by Christmas Reading will be looking at this as a much needed result against a struggling team. They also put up a decent fight against Liverpool in the cup (despite both their goals being so far off-f**king-side it wasn’t even funny), but will be just as happy not to have the extra games bearing in mind the size of their squad.

Aston Villa

A great result against Everton at the weekend, with a goal for John “what’s a goal” Carew of all things. Agbonlahor getting one is perhaps more crucial though, he might just be turning into the consistent goalscorer they’ll need. A disappointing cup result in midweek will have taken the gloss off things, but they’re still looking good for a major UEFA cup challenge. I can only assume they were expecting a free goal from Leicester, who failed to turn their gesture into a tradition.

Losers

Middlesbrough

Losing all of your strikers to injury must be bad enough without having to watch your ex-striker destroying West Ham the next day. Having just conceded a last-minute equaliser to your local rivals. They didn’t lose, but it wasn’t a good weekend for Boro.

Derby

A massive weekend for them coming up, and it’s all about home games for them now. Quite clearly they are the worst away side ever to grace the Premiership, getting battered wherever they turn up. In fact their result at White Hart Lane the other week was only marginally better than that of Anorthosis Famagusta, whoever they are, so that sums Derby up for you. This week it was the Emirates, and it was just as bad. Battered again.

Blackburn

What’s going on? A good win in the cup fails to disguise what has been a poor week for Hughes’ men. Beaten by Larissa (or “by a girl” as a Rovers fan put it to me) in Europe, then losing at home to Pompey on Sunday is a totally bizarre slump in form. In fact, I was so certain they’d beat Portsmouth at home that I’d bet on it, so Rovers p*ssed me off pretty bad this week. Probably fitting, since my prediction that they’d finish 5th last week is what seems to have cursed them.

Chelsea fans

As much as they deserve it, you have to admit you’d be pretty gutted if you were one of them. What’s going on at that club? The Special One replaced by a nobody – and one who makes Harry Redknapp look like an Oil of Olay model. Putting Grant’s hideous appearance aside, (not easy to do, trust me) you have to ask why he’s got the job. Nearly (but notice, NOT) taking Israel to the World Cup hardly makes you Marcello Lippi, and right now Chelsea need Jesus Christ himself to rescue their title challenge. Dour football, poor spirit and worrying injuries is hardly the combination you want to add an unproven manager to, but Abramovich’s demand for global adoration and his total lack of football knowledge has taken priority. Chelsea look royally f**ked to me.


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Team of the Season So Far

Now that Drew’s back to full health and has some sort of Internet access, I’m not running this blog alone anymore. We’ve managed to put our heads together, and along with some new features that’ll be coming in the next week or so, we’ve created a team of the players to have most impressed us so far this season. Get them in your fantasy teams…

Gk: Pepe Reina
He’s only conceded from the penalty spot this season, and he even managed to save one of those. Hardly put a foot wrong in the Premier League so far, and fast looking like the World Class keeper Benitez thinks he is. You have to go back to this time last season to find his high-profile blunders against Everton, etc – it seems harsh to hold two or three bad games (that happened over a year ago) against any player.

RB: Alvaro Arbeloa
A revelation at Anfield this season, has played all across the back four and hardly put a foot wrong. Comfortable going forward, it’s his defending that’s really come on leaps and bounds. Seems to have put in more than enough work at the gym over the summer, and has started the new season far more prepared for the physical demands of the Premiership. Has played every minute of Liverpool’s season, a sign of Benitez’ faith in the former Real Madrid and Deportivo man.

LB: Charles N’Zogbia
If Sam Allardyce will keep playing him out of position, so will we. He’s never looked anything like a defender before, but has somehow coped remarkably well with being an emergency full-back. Has probably been the only player to provide Newcastle with attacking width this season, and yet he’s managed not to be a noticeable weak link in defence either. He’s also weighed in with a fair number of goals already for a full-back, so edges in here ahead of Gael Clichy.

CB: Micah Richards
He’s a bit good you know. He’s broken into the England side, playing at both right back and centre half. He’s got an amazing physique considering he’s only 12, and Sven has already made him captain at City. Was totally immense in that win over Man U.

CB: Nemanja Vidic
Man Utd’s defence looks very weak without him. His ability to even make Rio look world class at times justifies his choice in this team. Extremely powerful and his heading ability has shone this season, making him our choice ahead of Klingon burns-victim Joleon Lescott.

RM: Elano
When Sven was asked why his Man City team already looks more creative and attacking than England ever did, his answer was simple and revealing. “England don’t have Elano.” This lad was criminally under-rated when he came to England, although his displays so far should ensure no-one makes that mistake again. He must now be the best-ever import from a Ukrainian side, overtaking such luminaries as Sergei Rebrov and Oleg Luzhny.

LM: Martin Petrov
Has made an excellent start to his Premier League career. I’m not just excited about him because of his two goals against Fulham last week, he’s been quietly playing well for weeks. It’s always been said about Petrov that if he stays fit, he can be a world-beater. Well - so far, so good for the Bulgarian’s dodgy knee.

CM: Cesc Fabregas
Here at The Late Flag, we quite rate this kid. In fact, we’d go so far as to label him a “decent prospect”, who has “potential”. Remember, you heard it here first.

CM: Javier Mascherano
Unrecognisable from the player he wasn’t during his time at West Ham, he has been superb in his Liverpool performances this season. Arguably (since I don’t have any stats to hand) gives the ball away less than anyone in the league, and absolutely hard as nails. Derby’s Robert Malcolm will never forget being absolutely clattered by Mascherano after dithering in possession at Anfield, and watching the loose ball roll to the about-to-score Fernando Torres. He can probably still feel it. (And by the way, can you imagine a Mascherano / Fabregas midfield? Nice.)

ST: Nicolas Anelka
Even in a poor Bolton team he has shown that he can still score goals. His pace still frightens defenders whilst his attitude and work-ethic have been surprisingly impressive. Has scored a couple of cracking goals, and is single-handedly Bolton’s best chance of staying up. Just think what he could do playing with Tevez or Rooney at Man U, it’s a terrifying thought.

ST: Fernando Torres
This week Steven Gerrard said of Torres “he reminds me of Ian Rush”. As a Liverpool fan, there isn’t a much higher compliment you can give to a striker. Coming from someone as experienced as Liverpool’s captain, that’s high praise indeed. Luis Aragones’ claim that Torres “never scores the same goal twice” seems accurate so far, his 6 goals have demonstrated a startling array of skills. Whilst his finishing can be erratic at times, he seems to escape Premier League defenders with such ease that getting chances doesn’t look like it’ll be a problem for him at all. If you’re getting 10 chances a game, even a 25% conversion ratio will see you finish top scorer.

Subs:

Casper Schmiechel
Gael Clichy
Joleon Lescott
Mikel Arteta
Emmanuel Adebayor


Disagree? It's probably Drew's fault. Leave us a comment detailing what you'd change in that team, then I'll print them all off and beat him round the head with the results. You know you want to...