Premier League 2010/11

Saturday, 2 October 2010 Barclays Premier League
Birmingham 0-2 Everton
Stoke 1-0 Blackburn
Sunderland 0-0 Man Utd
Tottenham 2-1 Aston Villa
West Brom 1-1 Bolton
West Ham 1-1 Fulham

Brum have not lost at home for 12 months, Everton have not managed to win this season - so, of course Everton win.... Also having the dual advantage of moving off the bottom of the table to 4th. from bottom &, for now, sending Liverpool into the bottom 3!!
United secure their defensive frailties (ironically, to me, by having Ferdinand back) but the attack (san an injured Rooney) can't spark either.
Spurs fall a goal behind & then drag out a win - seem to be getting to grips with midweek Europe...
The rest draw, which is little credit to any of them.....

After haranguing Citi in the rumours thread I now find myself in the embarrassing position of reporting that after this afternoons' 2-1 victory over Newcastle they move above United in the table to second place & 1 point behind Chelsea - who play the Gunners later..
I'm still not convinced by them & apart from the Chelsea game last week they have certainly had the rub of the green in all the matches they have played..
Pool are currently at home to Blackpool...and are in the amazing position of being 2-0 down at half time...I don't bear much ill will towards Liverpool & have a lot of time for their current manager. Sadly I think that they are just the latest of a long line of clubs where the Boardroom do not deserve the supporters that the club has. Until the current owners finally admit defeat & throw in the towel I cannot see much improvement either. If the score remains similar then they will be in 18th. league place - relegation would be unthinkable, but the league rarely lies (even when looking at Citi ) over the course of the year.
Ian Holloway is a real character but is proving this season (if he didn't last) that for all his witticisms there is more to him than just the odd wisecrack. If they do win this game then they have 10 points on the board already - probably a quarter of the points needed to make this a real successful year for them...

Liverpool had a far better second half & managed to score early but Blackpool hung on for a 2-1 win.
Half time in the Chelsea game & they are 1-0 up with, surprise, surprise, Drogba netting for them. He has a great scoring record against the Gunners & has just about been the only difference between the sides as others have had chances & missed at both ends...

I thought that Newcastle were very unlucky against Citeh....referee Martin Atkinson may well have got two key decisions wrong.....it was a harsh penalty against the Toon when Williamson looked to have got the ball first,then near the end Lescott looke to have clearly blocked Ameobi in the area but play was waved on.
Chelsea were comfortable against Arsenal who couldnt turn their early dominance into goals.
United were shocking against Sunderland.....outfought and outplayed.....but at least the defence looked secure with Ferdinand and Rafael back.
I'm not laughing too much at Liverpools current predicament....honest.....because I know United could well be in the same boat in a couple of seasons.

Greetings!
Some of you may already know that I am a follower of The Beautiful Game and a card carrying and founder member of "The Blue Brazil Appreciation Society". With that in mind, please do not think that this is in any way an underhanded Evertonian dig at our poor unfortunate neighbours from accross the park, (Liverpool FC) who chose to tread the path of the dark side......But I have just received an SMS from a cousin of mine (who incidently is a red) regarding the dark side. If I may, I would like to share it with my fellow forum members........I hope you enjoy and sing along!

To the tune of Amarillo by Tony Christie:

When the day is dawning
On a Scousers Monday Morning
How I long to be there
The bottom 3 is waiting for me there
All around the City
Where I lay my hat
They say Thanks to Torres
The useless Spanish Tw@t

Is this the way to Relegation
The laughing stock of The Nation
Dreaming dreams of trips to Preston
Days out in Scunthorpe wait for me............

And repeat

Will be buying a few drinks upon my return for the best singers
Cheers

Well after the highlight ( maybe more lowlight if from the UK) of the internationals last week back to the real money of the Premiership...

Saturday, 16 October 2010
Arsenal v Birmingham, 15:00
Bolton v Stoke, 15:00
Fulham v Tottenham, 15:00
Man Utd v West Brom, 15:00
Newcastle v Wigan, 15:00
Wolverhampton v West Ham, 15:00
Aston Villa v Chelsea, 17:30
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Everton v Liverpool, 13:30
Blackpool v Man City, 16:00

I see that the new man at Villa is saying that Heskey is as good as Drogba, but he just forgets it sometimes...
I am a great believer in trying to inspire confidence within the team but any "stories" that you tell the team members must have at least the remotest possibility of being believable if it stands any chance of succeeding...

Unless matches go against the 'tide' then the only ones of interest to casual onlookers are probably the 2 being played tomorrow.
The Liverpool derby match has a real importance for both sides for the first time in a few years. Sadly it is because the loser will find themselves deep in the relegation mire. On paper both sides look far too good to be in the position that they find themselves in but both of them are going to have to start getting winning results pretty darn soon. Still being near the bottom 3 in a few months time at Christmas could find the board taking emergency actions at both clubs.
I have been singularly unimpressed with Citi but they are right there at the top, so something is going well for them.. Any stories coming out of the club are that they are trying to buy every player not yet associated with them or that all the players that are associated with them would be well happy to be somewhere else. An odd set of circumstances compounded by the fact that the players who do find an exit appear to have little regard for the abilities of their former manager.
Blackpool could really upset the apple cart in what is almost another derby match. Sadly I think Citi will continue their relentless progress towards buying the Premiership, although I still think it will be at least a season or two before they accomplish that...

Saturday, 16 October 2010 Barclays Premier League
Arsenal 2-1 Birmingham
Bolton 2-1 Stoke
Fulham 1-2 Tottenham
Man Utd 2-2 West Brom
Newcastle 2-2 Wigan
Wolverhampton 1-1 West Ham

United go 2 nil up & end up with yet another pathetic draw.. Gunners go 1 nil down and end up winning it & rightly go above ManU in the table. Newcastle rescue a point against Wigan in a game that they looked like losing & will be delighted. The winners so far as certainly Arsenal & probably Chelsea. Also good results for the Merseyside derby tomorrow as (at one time today) they were 2 & 3rd. from bottom...
Suspect that at the top of the table Chelsea & Citi will probably be drawing away after the full weekend of games. Gunners are starting to look a bit more resolute than last year & are looking good for 3rd. spot at the moment. United look, frankly poor. I can see them finishing 4th. or 5th. (if Harry does not get all worried about European dreams) & even that is flattering.

I'm wondering if we are witnessing the demise of Man Utd, as a contender and the retirement of Fergy?I certainly agree with your assessment Bob.
I guess,for me,it is just spoiled expectations as I have gotten used to there dominant play which has definitely waned as of lately.I wonder how the financial losses will determine their future also!

Well Villa do what few have done so far this season & stop Chelsea scoring.
Looks like Citi are in with a real chance to make this title more of a 2 horse race. A win to day would pull them up into second & only 1 point adrift..

Agree Stan that Sir A is looking like he is running out of steam. Sadly for us United fans he was going to be a near impossible act to follow even if he was leaving behind a winning team. Sir A's track record on buying good/great players was always very much a mixed bag, with as many bad (in the United side) choices as good ones. I believe that his real success came from `building a good squad from the younger players & then just buying the last bit of the jig saw.
Sadly the United team have not been as good as their results for a number of years now. A quite brilliant spell from Ronaldo & then Ronney have hid flaws within the side which are now manifesting themselves for all to see. Roy Keane was never adequately replaced & neither was ruud van nistelrooy. Currently the goalkeeper is nearing the end of a career, with no genuine replacement for him either.
The owners should be brought before the FA for bringing the game into disrepute. The finances are something that Wall Street bankers could learn from by way of fiscal ineptitude.
Not a happy time ahead for certain!!

This season,United....Played 8 Won 3 Drawn 5.....they will be lucky if they claim a Champions League spot at the end of the season,at this rate.
BUT
Fergie will retire at the end of the 2011/12 season and Jose Mourinho will be installed as manager with Carlos Queiroz as his no.2.The Glazers will be ousted and United will be taken over by a Singaporean billionaire and all will be fine once again !

Anyway,lets at least be grateful for the Merseyside 6 pointer relegation battle tonight.......

Oh my oh my..
First game of the evening over

FULL-TIME Everton 2-0 Liverpool

Everton rocket up to 11th. in the league. Pool languish in 19th. place, only held off the bottom by goal difference.
The Toffees have had a pretty useless start to the season after such a great end to last season. The fans will be happy, but, still much to do...
But what of Pool????? By all accounts yet another poor performance by them. Before this season they relied far too much on Gerrard getting them out of trouble. Last season he had (when he was not on the treatment table) Torres ability in front of 1 goal & the ever reliable Carragher infront of the other.
Carragher has just appeared to have let too many defensive seasons catch up with him this year.
Torres is the Spanish equivalent of Rooney. Went downhill just before the end of last season. Failed dismally to have any impact in the World Cup. Has not played a half decent game all season.
Liverpool do not even have a good starting 11 any more. An uphill battle ahead for them, new owner or not. Need to knuckle down & earn some points & seem less & less capable & willing of doing so...

Lord Alan Sugar on Twitter: "Liverpool problems - I think Hodgson was bad move. Players not playing for him. Bet he's sorry he left Fulham he was big cog in small wheel."

Well Sir A i said similar BEFORE the season started, so without the history of the season so far...
From my excellent memory your stewardship at Spurs was hardly a thing of delight & very few of that clubs' fan mourned your passing from the club....
I think Pool were in a hard, hard place when they appointed Mr. Hodgson & their options at that time were extremely limited by the owners. The thing that will (or will not) save Liverpool from the Championship are exactly the qualities that the manager created at Fulham last season. The flaw in that sort of recovery plan is that many of the Liverpool players do not appear to have the appetite to knuckle down & actually fight for safety.
I actually think that, given what has happened at the club, Mr. Hodgsons' appointment was rather inspired. Is he the man to take Liverpool to the title, probably not, but Pool are far,far away from that.
Make no mistake if Liverpool do actually go down (which, personally I still think is unlikely) Mr. Hodgson is not to blame....Look no farther than the Spanish waiters strange desire to turn Liverpool into Deportiva with the assistance of owners looking for a 100% profit on borrowed cash....

Blackpool 2 - 3 Man City

A rather unlucky Blackpool don't even get any points out of a good display. Any 'rub of the green' still seems to be following Citi. In this one Blackpool have a goal disallowed for an offside decision, minutes later Citi have a goal allowed in almost identical circumstances...
Citi now firmly in second, two points behind Chelsea. I guess some of the 'chasers' must believe that Citi run of successful dubious decisions cannot continue & the onslaught of winter could have an effect as well....

Everton thoroughly deserved their win over Liverpool last night.Liverpool had plenty of possession but rarely threatened.
Too many "journeymen" players in Liverpools side like Konchesky,Kyrgiakos,Maxi Rodriguez and Lucas....they should never be at Anfield.
Also Joe Cole.....you are now starting to see why Chelsea wanted rid and he hasnt featured for England for a while.
Carragher.....great servant but looking past his best now,Gerrard too maybe not the player he once was.
Torres....ineffective World Cup and Premiership season so far but at Liverpool he just does not get the service.He may well want away in the January transfer window.
Meireles....did he cost 12m ?.....doesnt look a patch on Darren Gibson who is just a fringe player at United.
Liverpool are in a right mess.....the banner "Built by Shanks,ruined by Yanks" says it all.

Sadly I think we could well be saying the same about Manchester United in a couple of seasons time.

As for this season.....Citeh are the only realistic challengers to Chelsea in the Premiership.

I think the only way Liverpool can go forward is to sell their main assets, rebuild the team and start from scratch.
Torres looks uninterested and disillusioned. If they sold him for 50M they could buy back Crouch, Keane and Bellamy. At least they would have a forward line then.
Gerrard can go to Chelsea for 25M. I already think of him as a Chelsea player after his back pass last year gifted us the Premiership. With his 25M you could buy 2 decent players. Look at Charlie Adams of Blackpool. Cheap as chips but just as good, if not better than most other midfielders in the Premiership.
Unfortunately Hodgsons purchases so far this season don't bode well for the future.