Monday, 29 September 2008
Best Players so far...so say the Actim Index
Actim Stats are a collection of team, player and match statistics. They are derived from all the actions that take place during a match, including goals, shots on target, corners, assists, clean sheets, fouls, off-sides, passes, tackles, blocks and clearances.
Actim Stats are produced by PA Sport, a division of the PA Group, on behalf of Football DataCo. PA Sport gathers match data for every Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship match. The data is gathered by two methods - real-time match analysis and the study of video footage. The real-time analysis is conducted by ex-professional footballers who report on action at the grounds, as it happens. Further, more detailed analysis is obtained by studying videos of the matches and collecting more intense data.
The Actim Index is the official player rating system of the Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship. So thats the basic gist of it.
So here they are...
Arsenal.....Denilson 115pts, Adebayor 182pts, Almunia 77pts
Aston Villa.....Agbonlahor 125, Carew 101, Young 83
Blackburn.....Warnock 62, Nelsen 59, Dunn 53
Bolton.....Davies 96, Steinsson 61, O'Brien 56
Chelsea.....Deco 109, Lampard 105, Carvalho 84
Everton.....Yakubu 92, Arteta 78, Yobo 53
Fulham.....Hangeland 64, Hughes 54, Bullard 52
Hull.....Turner 58, Dawson 57, King 55
Liverpool.....Kuyt 83, Reina 75, Arbeloa 64
Man City.....Wright Phillips 97, Robinho 74, Elano 73
Man Utd.....Fletcher 57,
Middlesbrough.....Wheater 68, Pogatetz 62, Huth 60
Newcastle.....Taylor 63, N'Zogbia 55
Portsmouth.....Defoe 88, Crouch 68, Johnson 57
Stoke.....Sorensen 50
Sunderland.....Nosworthy 76, Malbranque 57, Gordon 50
Tottenham.....Corluka 65, Jenas 59
WBA.....Robinson 59, Barnett 58, Morrison 58
West Ham.....Neill 85, Davenport 78, Parker 73
Wigan.....Zaki 77, Melchiot 57, Valencia 57
Actim Stats are produced by PA Sport, a division of the PA Group, on behalf of Football DataCo. PA Sport gathers match data for every Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship match. The data is gathered by two methods - real-time match analysis and the study of video footage. The real-time analysis is conducted by ex-professional footballers who report on action at the grounds, as it happens. Further, more detailed analysis is obtained by studying videos of the matches and collecting more intense data.
The Actim Index is the official player rating system of the Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship. So thats the basic gist of it.
So here they are...
Arsenal.....Denilson 115pts, Adebayor 182pts, Almunia 77pts
Aston Villa.....Agbonlahor 125, Carew 101, Young 83
Blackburn.....Warnock 62, Nelsen 59, Dunn 53
Bolton.....Davies 96, Steinsson 61, O'Brien 56
Chelsea.....Deco 109, Lampard 105, Carvalho 84
Everton.....Yakubu 92, Arteta 78, Yobo 53
Fulham.....Hangeland 64, Hughes 54, Bullard 52
Hull.....Turner 58, Dawson 57, King 55
Liverpool.....Kuyt 83, Reina 75, Arbeloa 64
Man City.....Wright Phillips 97, Robinho 74, Elano 73
Man Utd.....Fletcher 57,
Middlesbrough.....Wheater 68, Pogatetz 62, Huth 60
Newcastle.....Taylor 63, N'Zogbia 55
Portsmouth.....Defoe 88, Crouch 68, Johnson 57
Stoke.....Sorensen 50
Sunderland.....Nosworthy 76, Malbranque 57, Gordon 50
Tottenham.....Corluka 65, Jenas 59
WBA.....Robinson 59, Barnett 58, Morrison 58
West Ham.....Neill 85, Davenport 78, Parker 73
Wigan.....Zaki 77, Melchiot 57, Valencia 57
Tottenham have done it!
Yes, they have done it. They have lost again! That makes it 2 points out of a possible 18 points. Yes at this point, they are worst off than the 3 promoted teams and Newcastle. I don't know the exact figures but last Monday's lost against Villa was their worst start in 34 years. Add another defeat to Pompey and we can expect that total amount of yrs to increase. They were aiming for a top 4 place. (Gomes was even aiming top 2). Well Mr Gomes, you lot are 10 points off the 4th spot and 12 points off your top 2 spot. Fancy coming from the Dutch league and talking big.
I did not watch the game against Pompey so i cant really say much about how they played. Wait i just read this off Soccernet. Worst start in 53 years! Anyways a look at the match stats and i see Spurs dominated possession(66%)and had more shots AT goal. But, only 4 out of 16 shots were on target.
A look at the starting line up look decent enuff. 4-5-1 with balance in midfield with Gilberto and Bentley down the flanks. I saw the substitutions made and saw a bit of chaos and desperation there. On 45 mins, right winger Lennon came on for the left sided Gilberto. Now we have two right wingers on the pitch. On 57 mins, Dos Santos(a winger as seen in his Barca days)came on for Zokora. 3 wingers now on the pitch along with Jenas and O'hara across midfield.
Then Pompey scored the 2nd goal. What does Juande do? He takes off Bent for Pavlyuchenko. Now he has still 1 striker and an unbalanced midfield. Why not load up with two strikers and go for it. But then again i did not see the game so i cant really criticise too much.
Nonetheless, it was another poor result for them. And to have two ex players condemn you to defeat is a bitter pill to swallow. To my friend out there who supports Spurs, for all your trash talk when u got Modric, i have nothing to trash back. Spurs are doing it for me.
I did not watch the game against Pompey so i cant really say much about how they played. Wait i just read this off Soccernet. Worst start in 53 years! Anyways a look at the match stats and i see Spurs dominated possession(66%)and had more shots AT goal. But, only 4 out of 16 shots were on target.
A look at the starting line up look decent enuff. 4-5-1 with balance in midfield with Gilberto and Bentley down the flanks. I saw the substitutions made and saw a bit of chaos and desperation there. On 45 mins, right winger Lennon came on for the left sided Gilberto. Now we have two right wingers on the pitch. On 57 mins, Dos Santos(a winger as seen in his Barca days)came on for Zokora. 3 wingers now on the pitch along with Jenas and O'hara across midfield.
Then Pompey scored the 2nd goal. What does Juande do? He takes off Bent for Pavlyuchenko. Now he has still 1 striker and an unbalanced midfield. Why not load up with two strikers and go for it. But then again i did not see the game so i cant really criticise too much.
Nonetheless, it was another poor result for them. And to have two ex players condemn you to defeat is a bitter pill to swallow. To my friend out there who supports Spurs, for all your trash talk when u got Modric, i have nothing to trash back. Spurs are doing it for me.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Players to Watch
I've been watching Spanish Primera for the past few weekends. Specifically the matches invloving Real Madrid and Barcelona. Here are two youngsters which i thought are worth sharing. The little info about them i got is of course from wikipedia. They both play for Barcelona.
Sergi Busquets
Sergi Busquets was born July 16, 1988 in Sabadell, Barcelona. He is the son of the Spanish former player Carles Busquets who played professionally during the 1990s. He played as a goalkeeper for FC Barcelona and UE Lleida.
He plays defensive midfielder. Calm, good passing game.
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma was born July 28, 1987 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. He is mostly known as Pedrito (meaning "Little Pedro") as well as Pedro.
Pedro started his career in Barcelona's youth system, eventually playing regularly for FC Barcelona B. He made his debut for Barcelona's senior team on 12 January 2008 during a 4-0 home win against Murcia.He then made his European debut against Wisła Kraków on August 13, 2008 in another 4-0 victory for Barcelona.
Pedro began the 2008/09 season by scoring a goal in Barcelona's first pre-season match against Hibernian in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Plays as a winger. Loves to run at defenders.
Pictures from
http://goal.excite.co.jp/resultsimg/9785.jpg
http://www.blaugranas.com/media/users/25/1/8/8/a_Cantera4ever_f_c_barcelona_5881_1.jpg
Sergi Busquets
Sergi Busquets was born July 16, 1988 in Sabadell, Barcelona. He is the son of the Spanish former player Carles Busquets who played professionally during the 1990s. He played as a goalkeeper for FC Barcelona and UE Lleida.
He plays defensive midfielder. Calm, good passing game.
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma was born July 28, 1987 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. He is mostly known as Pedrito (meaning "Little Pedro") as well as Pedro.
Pedro started his career in Barcelona's youth system, eventually playing regularly for FC Barcelona B. He made his debut for Barcelona's senior team on 12 January 2008 during a 4-0 home win against Murcia.He then made his European debut against Wisła Kraków on August 13, 2008 in another 4-0 victory for Barcelona.
Pedro began the 2008/09 season by scoring a goal in Barcelona's first pre-season match against Hibernian in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Plays as a winger. Loves to run at defenders.
Pictures from
http://goal.excite.co.jp/resultsimg/9785.jpg
http://www.blaugranas.com/media/users/25/1/8/8/a_Cantera4ever_f_c_barcelona_5881_1.jpg
Goal.com's Serie A Preview : AC Milan vs Inter Milan
Milan Derby
The Derby della Madonnina is always one of the most anticipated matches of the season in Italy. While domestic matches between top sides are usually boring, with each team not wanting to sacrifice their defensive posture for gambles in attack, the Milan derby rarely ever disappoints.
Take this corresponding fixture from last May, for example. Milan came out knowing that nothing less than a victory would do, as they were battling with Fiorentina for that fourth place in the standings that brings with it Champions League football and the huge financial windfall (which they ultimately did not obtain).
Inter, on the other hand, were close to securing the Scudetto for the third consecutive time. Amazingly, however, manager Roberto Mancini decided not to field his strongest first-eleven. It didn’t really make any sense at all, given that they had already been eliminated from the Champions League and had no obvious reason to rest players. If anything, it was intended as a slight toward Milan, with Mancini showing that he believed he could beat Milan without having to use all of his best players.
He was sorely mistaken. Milan came out with all guns blazing, and won the match 2-1. Kakà was his usual brilliant self, and Filippo Inzaghi tormented the Inter backline. Nevertheless, Inter still made it a good game.
When all was said and done on the season, Inter did manage to capture the title on the final day.
Taking It One Game At A Time
Milan have now built upon the 4-1 demolition of Lazio last Sunday, which was their first win of the season. On Wednesday, they got an important three points on the road by defeating Reggina by a score of 2-1.
Two-straight wins has removed all the pressure off of Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti’s shoulders, after it seemed to be only a matter of time before he would be sacked. Now, Milan are playing with confidence and are sure of what they must do, yet they are not overeager toward their cause. This has been voiced this week by none other than club captain Paolo Maldini:
“This derby is not a decisive game. It's an important game but being at the beginning of the season, it doesn't matter if it goes wrong because there is still plenty of time to recover. The league always brings apprehension but we want to try and change things for the better.”
Clearly, the mood of the club is relaxed at the moment, and they are not getting ahead of themselves as to what a win or loss in this match would mean. Even manager Ancelotti has spoken in an unenthusiastic tone of this fixture, saying that he gave more thought to his side’s recent encounter versus Lazio.
Whether or not this attitude backfires on the Rossoneri remains to be seen, but you can bet that pre-game butterflies will not be rampant in the dressing room.
Making a Statement
While Milan are relaxed in the lead-up to this match, Inter seem to be a bit more determined, and well they should be. Despite winning on Wednesday at home against Lecce, their performance was quite unconvincing, as the match ended at 1-0.
Inter struggled to break down Lecce, and were only saved embarrassment by the efforts of Julio Cruz, who came on as a substitute and scored with ten minutes remaining.
Although they disappointed on the opening day 1-1 away draw to Sampdoria and the narrow 2-1 home victory over Catania (in which they got two own goals), it was enough to see them reach first place in the standings. Coming into this match, the side is confident of their abilities. Central midfielder Patrick Vieira said:
“We are much stronger than Milan and we are in a moment where we are winning our games by playing well. I am happy with the way things are going and I am hoping it continues that way.”
While Vieira’s comments about playing well may be a bit misleading, it shows that Inter do feel that they have the upper hand heading into the derby. Whatever the case may be, they are the reigning champions, and it almost goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that it’s never easy to knock the champions off of their perch. Surely, winning this match would go a long way toward helping Inter to start playing better football.
You also have to factor in the affect that injuries have on the side. Players such as Luis Figo and Walter Samuel are not easy to replace, even when you have the bankroll of Massimo Moratti supporting you. Manager Jose Mourinho has brought in some star names this summer such as Ricardo Quaresma and Amantino Mancini, but neither of those players has a reputation as being very consistent in their performances.
FORM GUIDE
Milan
31/08 (Serie A): Milan1-2 Bologna
14/09 (Serie A): Genoa 2-0 Milan
18/09 (UEFA Cup): Milan 3-1 Zurich
21/09 (Serie A): Milan 4-1 Lazio
24/09 (Serie A): Reggina 1-2 Milan
Inter
30/08 (Serie A): Sampdoria-Inter 1-1
13/09 (Serie A): Inter-Catania 2-1
16/09 (Champions League): Panathinaikos-Inter 0-2
21/09 (Serie A): Torino-Inter 1-3
24/09 (Serie A): Inter 1-0 Lecce
TEAM NEWS
Milan
Alessandro Nesta, Filippo Inzaghi, Andrea Pirlo and Philippe Senderos will not be fit to participate due to injury. After picking up a muscular strain in his thigh on Wednesday, Marco Borriello will not be available. Andriy Shevchenko will take his place alongside Alexandre Pato up-front.
Possible Formation (4-3-1-2): Abbiati; Zambrotta, Kaladze, Maldini, Jankulovski; Ambrosini, Gattuso, Seedorf; Kakà; Pato, Shevchenko
Inter
Luis Jimenez, Walter Samuel, Maxwell and Luis Figo are all suffering from injuries at the moment, and will not be used in this match. Sulley Muntari has one match remaining on his three-match ban for striking an opposing player.
Possible Formation (4-4-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Materazzi, Chivu; Zanetti, Vieira, Cambiasso, Mancini; Ibrahimovic, Cruz
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Milan
Kakà was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch in the Milan derby last May. He looks like he is fully fit now after battling injuries over the summer. Andriy Shevchenko tormented Inter in his previous seven years with Milan, and he has extra motivation with his former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, on the Inter side of this affair.
Inter
The Nerazzurri striking partnership of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz has tormented Milan in the past, especially last season. Neither player has begun firing on all cylinders yet, but this could very well be the match where they break out. Also, Marco Materazzi usually plays well against Milan, even chipping in on the attack.
A question was posed this week by Goal.com: Has (Javier) Zanetti ever had a bad game?
While the result of such a debate may rage on for quite a while, it is beyond doubt that Zanetti always has a good match against Milan.
PREDICTION
Whereas the Milan attack has looked better as of late, Inter were stagnant on Wednesday. Inter has sputtered at times this season, but they definitely have the capability to burst out at any time and score in bunches. With the motivation of playing against their eternal rivals, Inter will put on a good show, but so will Milan.
Milan 2-2 Inter
Joel Whitehead
The Derby della Madonnina is always one of the most anticipated matches of the season in Italy. While domestic matches between top sides are usually boring, with each team not wanting to sacrifice their defensive posture for gambles in attack, the Milan derby rarely ever disappoints.
Take this corresponding fixture from last May, for example. Milan came out knowing that nothing less than a victory would do, as they were battling with Fiorentina for that fourth place in the standings that brings with it Champions League football and the huge financial windfall (which they ultimately did not obtain).
Inter, on the other hand, were close to securing the Scudetto for the third consecutive time. Amazingly, however, manager Roberto Mancini decided not to field his strongest first-eleven. It didn’t really make any sense at all, given that they had already been eliminated from the Champions League and had no obvious reason to rest players. If anything, it was intended as a slight toward Milan, with Mancini showing that he believed he could beat Milan without having to use all of his best players.
He was sorely mistaken. Milan came out with all guns blazing, and won the match 2-1. Kakà was his usual brilliant self, and Filippo Inzaghi tormented the Inter backline. Nevertheless, Inter still made it a good game.
When all was said and done on the season, Inter did manage to capture the title on the final day.
Taking It One Game At A Time
Milan have now built upon the 4-1 demolition of Lazio last Sunday, which was their first win of the season. On Wednesday, they got an important three points on the road by defeating Reggina by a score of 2-1.
Two-straight wins has removed all the pressure off of Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti’s shoulders, after it seemed to be only a matter of time before he would be sacked. Now, Milan are playing with confidence and are sure of what they must do, yet they are not overeager toward their cause. This has been voiced this week by none other than club captain Paolo Maldini:
“This derby is not a decisive game. It's an important game but being at the beginning of the season, it doesn't matter if it goes wrong because there is still plenty of time to recover. The league always brings apprehension but we want to try and change things for the better.”
Clearly, the mood of the club is relaxed at the moment, and they are not getting ahead of themselves as to what a win or loss in this match would mean. Even manager Ancelotti has spoken in an unenthusiastic tone of this fixture, saying that he gave more thought to his side’s recent encounter versus Lazio.
Whether or not this attitude backfires on the Rossoneri remains to be seen, but you can bet that pre-game butterflies will not be rampant in the dressing room.
Making a Statement
While Milan are relaxed in the lead-up to this match, Inter seem to be a bit more determined, and well they should be. Despite winning on Wednesday at home against Lecce, their performance was quite unconvincing, as the match ended at 1-0.
Inter struggled to break down Lecce, and were only saved embarrassment by the efforts of Julio Cruz, who came on as a substitute and scored with ten minutes remaining.
Although they disappointed on the opening day 1-1 away draw to Sampdoria and the narrow 2-1 home victory over Catania (in which they got two own goals), it was enough to see them reach first place in the standings. Coming into this match, the side is confident of their abilities. Central midfielder Patrick Vieira said:
“We are much stronger than Milan and we are in a moment where we are winning our games by playing well. I am happy with the way things are going and I am hoping it continues that way.”
While Vieira’s comments about playing well may be a bit misleading, it shows that Inter do feel that they have the upper hand heading into the derby. Whatever the case may be, they are the reigning champions, and it almost goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that it’s never easy to knock the champions off of their perch. Surely, winning this match would go a long way toward helping Inter to start playing better football.
You also have to factor in the affect that injuries have on the side. Players such as Luis Figo and Walter Samuel are not easy to replace, even when you have the bankroll of Massimo Moratti supporting you. Manager Jose Mourinho has brought in some star names this summer such as Ricardo Quaresma and Amantino Mancini, but neither of those players has a reputation as being very consistent in their performances.
FORM GUIDE
Milan
31/08 (Serie A): Milan1-2 Bologna
14/09 (Serie A): Genoa 2-0 Milan
18/09 (UEFA Cup): Milan 3-1 Zurich
21/09 (Serie A): Milan 4-1 Lazio
24/09 (Serie A): Reggina 1-2 Milan
Inter
30/08 (Serie A): Sampdoria-Inter 1-1
13/09 (Serie A): Inter-Catania 2-1
16/09 (Champions League): Panathinaikos-Inter 0-2
21/09 (Serie A): Torino-Inter 1-3
24/09 (Serie A): Inter 1-0 Lecce
TEAM NEWS
Milan
Alessandro Nesta, Filippo Inzaghi, Andrea Pirlo and Philippe Senderos will not be fit to participate due to injury. After picking up a muscular strain in his thigh on Wednesday, Marco Borriello will not be available. Andriy Shevchenko will take his place alongside Alexandre Pato up-front.
Possible Formation (4-3-1-2): Abbiati; Zambrotta, Kaladze, Maldini, Jankulovski; Ambrosini, Gattuso, Seedorf; Kakà; Pato, Shevchenko
Inter
Luis Jimenez, Walter Samuel, Maxwell and Luis Figo are all suffering from injuries at the moment, and will not be used in this match. Sulley Muntari has one match remaining on his three-match ban for striking an opposing player.
Possible Formation (4-4-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Materazzi, Chivu; Zanetti, Vieira, Cambiasso, Mancini; Ibrahimovic, Cruz
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Milan
Kakà was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch in the Milan derby last May. He looks like he is fully fit now after battling injuries over the summer. Andriy Shevchenko tormented Inter in his previous seven years with Milan, and he has extra motivation with his former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, on the Inter side of this affair.
Inter
The Nerazzurri striking partnership of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz has tormented Milan in the past, especially last season. Neither player has begun firing on all cylinders yet, but this could very well be the match where they break out. Also, Marco Materazzi usually plays well against Milan, even chipping in on the attack.
A question was posed this week by Goal.com: Has (Javier) Zanetti ever had a bad game?
While the result of such a debate may rage on for quite a while, it is beyond doubt that Zanetti always has a good match against Milan.
PREDICTION
Whereas the Milan attack has looked better as of late, Inter were stagnant on Wednesday. Inter has sputtered at times this season, but they definitely have the capability to burst out at any time and score in bunches. With the motivation of playing against their eternal rivals, Inter will put on a good show, but so will Milan.
Milan 2-2 Inter
Joel Whitehead
Less than 90 mins to.....
Singapore Grand Prix Race!!!!!!!!!
As i sit here watching the clock, as time goes by, for THE race i have been waiting for ever since it was announced, my mind inevitably drift to the soccer world. A mixed bag of results yesterday. Some of the big guns went unscathed. One of them experienced an upset. No, i am not going to diss Arsenal. The game throws curve balls and as always luck can have its way.
Just got to mention how soccer pundits can swing opinions or what they say over a course of 90 mins. Before the game they were raving bout how good the youngsters were during the carling cup. They went on on how they say Arsenal will win by 2 and 3goals. 90 minutes past....and how the tune changed. They began to criticise the lack of power to kill off thems, lacking the killer instinct, overplaying. Yes there is some truth but sure didnt hear of them pre match. Arsenal just did not have the luck on the day. That ball could have landed anywhere but his thigh and Vela would have tapped it in and everyone knows of thier ability to get the goals late.
It was also interesting to see Daniel Cousins moving from Champions League regulars Rangers to Hull City. Its not as if he wasnt getting games at Ibrox.
Dear oh dear oh newcastle. I have a friend who is a newcastle supporter. It must be torture for him. They cant get any points if they tried to buy one at the present moment. Another defeat at home, this time to blackburn. Saw the highlights, both headed goals from blackburn. Poor marking the main reason really.
Joe Kinnear has been installed as the new boss there at St James Park. Remember him? My earliest memory wof him was a short, chubby guy who was in charge of the Crazy Gang of now non-existent Wimbledon. Fancy him coming back. Watch all the soccer shows and his name sure wasnt on the cards. Surprise installment indeed considering Dennis Wise is a former Wimbledon player. it seems that Wise is controlling the club, master of puppets-esque. Kinnear was quoted saying that he was surprised people turned down the job. Begs to wonder, has he been reading the papers recently bout Newcastle's turmoil.
Other things that happened on Saturday....
Man Utd required a non-penalty to break Bolton down in thier 2-0 win. Rooney scored a peach by the way.
Liverpool won the Merseyside derby 2-0 over a out of form Everton side. Gerrard was amazingly disciplined defensively.
Zola made it 6 out of 6 for his infant time as West Ham Manager. They won 2-1 away to Fulham.
Aston Villa into the top four as promising looking Villa beats Sunderland 2-1 at Villa Park.
70 mins to go now.....
As i sit here watching the clock, as time goes by, for THE race i have been waiting for ever since it was announced, my mind inevitably drift to the soccer world. A mixed bag of results yesterday. Some of the big guns went unscathed. One of them experienced an upset. No, i am not going to diss Arsenal. The game throws curve balls and as always luck can have its way.
Just got to mention how soccer pundits can swing opinions or what they say over a course of 90 mins. Before the game they were raving bout how good the youngsters were during the carling cup. They went on on how they say Arsenal will win by 2 and 3goals. 90 minutes past....and how the tune changed. They began to criticise the lack of power to kill off thems, lacking the killer instinct, overplaying. Yes there is some truth but sure didnt hear of them pre match. Arsenal just did not have the luck on the day. That ball could have landed anywhere but his thigh and Vela would have tapped it in and everyone knows of thier ability to get the goals late.
It was also interesting to see Daniel Cousins moving from Champions League regulars Rangers to Hull City. Its not as if he wasnt getting games at Ibrox.
Dear oh dear oh newcastle. I have a friend who is a newcastle supporter. It must be torture for him. They cant get any points if they tried to buy one at the present moment. Another defeat at home, this time to blackburn. Saw the highlights, both headed goals from blackburn. Poor marking the main reason really.
Joe Kinnear has been installed as the new boss there at St James Park. Remember him? My earliest memory wof him was a short, chubby guy who was in charge of the Crazy Gang of now non-existent Wimbledon. Fancy him coming back. Watch all the soccer shows and his name sure wasnt on the cards. Surprise installment indeed considering Dennis Wise is a former Wimbledon player. it seems that Wise is controlling the club, master of puppets-esque. Kinnear was quoted saying that he was surprised people turned down the job. Begs to wonder, has he been reading the papers recently bout Newcastle's turmoil.
Other things that happened on Saturday....
Man Utd required a non-penalty to break Bolton down in thier 2-0 win. Rooney scored a peach by the way.
Liverpool won the Merseyside derby 2-0 over a out of form Everton side. Gerrard was amazingly disciplined defensively.
Zola made it 6 out of 6 for his infant time as West Ham Manager. They won 2-1 away to Fulham.
Aston Villa into the top four as promising looking Villa beats Sunderland 2-1 at Villa Park.
70 mins to go now.....
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
5 games after....
We are 5 games into the premier league season and honestly it is still early to read into the table right now. Some has not started full throttle while others are enjoying an early day in the sunshine.
At present moment, the youthful exuberance of Arsenal leads the way with 12pts, ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea, both on 11pts. Already the cream has risen to the top. Arsenal suffered a suspicious setback when they lost to Fulham but bounced back well to win away at Bolton and Blackburn. They key to sustaining for them is rally to keep the injury room empty. Chelsea has looked solid and just have such a German efficiency to them. 85 games unbeaten at home and counting...Liverpool is enjoying their day on in the sun somewhats. Poor performances saved by late goals, mistakes from opposition has got them here at this stage. Once again, the lack of incisiveness was exposed by a determined Stoke. Manchester United, is way down in 15th with 5 points. Yet, everyone knows, its just a matter of time before they rise up the table. They have one game in hand and like past seasons have always been the slow starters. Only one question to ponder, could it cost them this time around. They need to get a winning run in the next few match days.
As i look at the table, way way way down the table, 20th position to be exact. I see Tottenham Hotspurs. Not quite giving out heat at the moment. 2pts from a possible 15. You look at the fixtures past..hmm...wigan,villa,chelsea,sunderland,middlesboro.
3 home games. The most realist of fans could say maybe we could pick up home wins against wigan n sunderland. 6pts the least. Yet they struggled to pick up the points. To make matters worse, their inability to pick up points is accompanied with inability to put a decent performance.
Several reasons can be attributed. They got a new bunch of players in. They lost their two top scorers. Team has not gel. Berbatov saga took its toll. Look closer and at times i feel Juande has to take some of the blame. Why? The way he set up his team can be questionable. I ve seen modric play def mid and out on the left. I ve seen bentley played wide left. In one of the games he started with 4 centre mids across midfield. His transfer activity before Corluka, was too concentrated on attacking midfielders. It seems he forgot Tottenham were leaking goals as fast as they scored in the opposite end. Pavlyuchenko just arrived. i dont know much about him. One good tournament really and thats about him. I shall reserved my comments. Tottenham need to get their act together soon. If not, forget even UEFA cup.
Looking at the rest of the teams...a few teams deserve a posting for a later time..Newcastle, Hull, Middlesboro, West Ham...but thats for another day.
At present moment, the youthful exuberance of Arsenal leads the way with 12pts, ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea, both on 11pts. Already the cream has risen to the top. Arsenal suffered a suspicious setback when they lost to Fulham but bounced back well to win away at Bolton and Blackburn. They key to sustaining for them is rally to keep the injury room empty. Chelsea has looked solid and just have such a German efficiency to them. 85 games unbeaten at home and counting...Liverpool is enjoying their day on in the sun somewhats. Poor performances saved by late goals, mistakes from opposition has got them here at this stage. Once again, the lack of incisiveness was exposed by a determined Stoke. Manchester United, is way down in 15th with 5 points. Yet, everyone knows, its just a matter of time before they rise up the table. They have one game in hand and like past seasons have always been the slow starters. Only one question to ponder, could it cost them this time around. They need to get a winning run in the next few match days.
As i look at the table, way way way down the table, 20th position to be exact. I see Tottenham Hotspurs. Not quite giving out heat at the moment. 2pts from a possible 15. You look at the fixtures past..hmm...wigan,villa,chelsea,sunderland,middlesboro.
3 home games. The most realist of fans could say maybe we could pick up home wins against wigan n sunderland. 6pts the least. Yet they struggled to pick up the points. To make matters worse, their inability to pick up points is accompanied with inability to put a decent performance.
Several reasons can be attributed. They got a new bunch of players in. They lost their two top scorers. Team has not gel. Berbatov saga took its toll. Look closer and at times i feel Juande has to take some of the blame. Why? The way he set up his team can be questionable. I ve seen modric play def mid and out on the left. I ve seen bentley played wide left. In one of the games he started with 4 centre mids across midfield. His transfer activity before Corluka, was too concentrated on attacking midfielders. It seems he forgot Tottenham were leaking goals as fast as they scored in the opposite end. Pavlyuchenko just arrived. i dont know much about him. One good tournament really and thats about him. I shall reserved my comments. Tottenham need to get their act together soon. If not, forget even UEFA cup.
Looking at the rest of the teams...a few teams deserve a posting for a later time..Newcastle, Hull, Middlesboro, West Ham...but thats for another day.
Someone needs Beijing 101 hair care...
Ricardo Carvalho in his golden years
Pictures from
news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39956000/jpg/_399...
portodaspipas.blogs.sapo.pt/arquivo/Ricardo%2...
www.portugoal.net/.../RicardoCarvalho041004.jpg
http://img.skysports.com/08/04/218x298/Ricardo_Carvalho_808737.jpg
Pictures from
news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39956000/jpg/_399...
portodaspipas.blogs.sapo.pt/arquivo/Ricardo%2...
www.portugoal.net/.../RicardoCarvalho041004.jpg
http://img.skysports.com/08/04/218x298/Ricardo_Carvalho_808737.jpg
The 'Ghost' Goal
This happened between Reading and Watford in the Championship. The linesman awarded a ghost goal. Listen in and keep your eyes open
Carling..Coca Cola...League....whatever you call it...
Yesterday was the third round of the Carling Cup in England. It is the 2nd top level CUP competition in the country. Let's look back on some of the history of the cup. It was founded in 1961. Basically the generic name is the Football League Cup. Why has the name change for so many times? Sponsors. The cup has been called(recently first) Carling Cup, Worthington Cup, Coca Cola Cup, Rumbelows Cup, Littlewood Challenge Cup and Milk Cup...Yes, Milk Cup sponsored by the Milk Marketing Board.
The most successful club has been Liverpool with 7 wins, followed close behind by Aston Villa with 5.
So whats the difference between FA Cup and this League Cup? The League Cup only includes those clubs that play in the Football League which means clubs from the Premier League down to League 2. In present times the winner of the competition gains a UEFA Cup spot. In the case where the winner has won a Champions League spot, the next best finisher in the League will received the UEFA spot.
So whats my beef with it. Its become a laugh of a tournament really. Top sides are fielding youth or reserve teams. In a way, kinda taking it easy for the tournament, almost disrespecting it(arguably). This is most probably a fact, but it must be bottom of the list for the top sides in terms of priorities. Arsenal fielded their youngest team ever last night and still romped to a 6-0 win.
I watched Football Focus on Tuesday and they were debating on this topic and i was intrigued by one of their suggestions. Steve McMahon was proposing to change it to a youth competition say under 21 or 23. Then of course, one would see the results on Tuesday and say surely Arsenal would win it. Hell yeah it could be just that. But if u observed the past winners of the FA Youth Cup(U-18), Arsenal has now won it since 2001.
Here's my take on it, English football is in shambles. Internationally i mean. So why not use this tournament to display the best youths of the nation. Then again u can tell me the top sides can just field an international 11. To tackle this, why not use Blatter's concept of 6+5 or even more emphasis on English-born players.
So turn it into a Under 21 knock out tournament featuring the League clubs with a minimum number of English players required to be in the playing side. You get the opportunity to watch and scout upcoming youngsters at the same time. Of course this is in the ideal world. Why this idea will not probably take off? Money. No matter what, a more glorified YOUTH cup wont bring in the cash such as the present Football League Cup. Money makes everything tick around here...cough robinho....
So thats my two cents worth on the present League Cup. Dun really bother about it. Just watch the final when it comes around to it.
picture from http://frikifootball.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/carling_cup.jpg
The most successful club has been Liverpool with 7 wins, followed close behind by Aston Villa with 5.
So whats the difference between FA Cup and this League Cup? The League Cup only includes those clubs that play in the Football League which means clubs from the Premier League down to League 2. In present times the winner of the competition gains a UEFA Cup spot. In the case where the winner has won a Champions League spot, the next best finisher in the League will received the UEFA spot.
So whats my beef with it. Its become a laugh of a tournament really. Top sides are fielding youth or reserve teams. In a way, kinda taking it easy for the tournament, almost disrespecting it(arguably). This is most probably a fact, but it must be bottom of the list for the top sides in terms of priorities. Arsenal fielded their youngest team ever last night and still romped to a 6-0 win.
I watched Football Focus on Tuesday and they were debating on this topic and i was intrigued by one of their suggestions. Steve McMahon was proposing to change it to a youth competition say under 21 or 23. Then of course, one would see the results on Tuesday and say surely Arsenal would win it. Hell yeah it could be just that. But if u observed the past winners of the FA Youth Cup(U-18), Arsenal has now won it since 2001.
Here's my take on it, English football is in shambles. Internationally i mean. So why not use this tournament to display the best youths of the nation. Then again u can tell me the top sides can just field an international 11. To tackle this, why not use Blatter's concept of 6+5 or even more emphasis on English-born players.
So turn it into a Under 21 knock out tournament featuring the League clubs with a minimum number of English players required to be in the playing side. You get the opportunity to watch and scout upcoming youngsters at the same time. Of course this is in the ideal world. Why this idea will not probably take off? Money. No matter what, a more glorified YOUTH cup wont bring in the cash such as the present Football League Cup. Money makes everything tick around here...cough robinho....
So thats my two cents worth on the present League Cup. Dun really bother about it. Just watch the final when it comes around to it.
picture from http://frikifootball.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/carling_cup.jpg
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