Half Term Report Card (Part 1)

With 2008 kissing good bye tonight, it is a good time to look back at the season that has come half way through...a season which many have described as the most competitive and packed with more surprises than any we've seen in recent years.

Here I've drawn a report card of all the 20 teams fighting it out there. I'd start from the bottom of the league as of today.

West Brom

Many pundits described them as the best of the promoted side, and not without a logic. Not only were the baggies last year's Championship champions, but the way they achieved promotion was remarkable. The kind of flowing football which is slightly out of place in a league like the Championship, they won many hearts. Life in the top tier, however, has not been as rosy. Although they've kept the style of play, the end result has been eluding them for most of the season. Yet they are no Derby! With a couple of wins in last three games, confidence is back and they could well stay in the top flight if they could capitalize on the current form.

Verdict: relegation

Blackburn Rovers

Paul Ince was a gamble Rovers took at the start of the season, and it has certainly come off badly for them. Half way through the season they have only managed as many points as West Brom. Only the goal difference keeps them from the bottom position. An indifferent form of last year's sensation Roque Santa Cruz has not helped and suggestions are that his mind could be elsewhere. With a proven PL manager now at the helm, there is hope but it could soon wane if they keep throwing away two goal leads in the last seven minutes as seen against ManCity last weekend. A string of good results is what Blackburn need and soon. With Fulham away and Newcastle and Bolton at home as their next three fixtures, it doesn't look a particularly easy ride but one they would expect to get a few points from if they have to stay up.

Verdict: 17th

Stoke City

Only goal difference separate Stoke from 16th and 17th placed Spurs and Middlesbrough resp. Their physical style and Rory Delap's throw ins have given us a few surprise results like victory over Arsenal and Aston Villa but that apart, Stoke have been found wanting in many areas vital to stay in the top flight. Pundits described them as one of the candidates for relegation and I would not bet a fortune against it.

Verdict: relegation

Middlesbrough

Gareth Southgate's men over the past couple of years have done just enough to stay clear of the relegation dog fight. This season its different with the league being so competitive, they are just goal difference away from relegation zone while just 2 points away from their last season's 13th place finish. If the current form is anything to go by, they could well be in the mire this season. Sunderland and West Brom are the next two games and their chance to get points on board before they travel to Stamford Bridge.

Verdict: 15th

Tottenham Hotspurs

With their worst ever start to a season, Spurs have steadied the ship a little with the help of Harry Redknapp. But the results still do not guarantee survival. With Harry's honeymoon period long over, they have mustered just one win from their last six league games. Still the feeling remains that Spurs are just too big to go down. That said, they should act soon to get some results in the next few games because this season there is no guarantee. As little as 5 points separate the bottom half of the league and a couple of games here and there could turn it all around.

Verdict: 14th


more to follow...

Can Arsenal turn it around?

Arsenal have always had a consistent approach to the way they play their football. They have never differed from their footballing philosophy but consistency is something that hardly goes in conjunction with Arsenal FC nowadays. Results and performances such as the wins against Manchester United and Chelsea and matching Liverpool brilliantly after being a man down would have every football fan believe that they are having a great season. But a quick look at the points table reveals the other half of the story when you see them fighting for the fourth place with Aston Villa.
Arsene Wenger, Arsenal’s talismanic manager and probably the manager with the least pressure to perform in this world of pressure cooker sports has always maintained that his side is good enough to mount a serious title challenge and his belief in his team was almost justified last season. Arsenal might be tempted to cite the recurrent injuries to their team as a reason for their derailed campaign but it is no secret that champion teams are not made by the starting eleven alone but by having an excellent squad. Wenger doesn’t have to look beyond his team to justify that cliché. Arsenal led the table in the premier league last season until the last third of the season and it was their trophy to lose from there. Injuries, lack of form, lack of a leader allowed Manchester United and Chelsea to cruise past them in the last third of the season. Wenger surely should have brought in a couple of more players in the summer, even more so, considering the departure of two his best players last season, Flamini and Hleb.

Arsenal had a great chance on the Boxing Day to remind Villa that they still have a long way to go before considering themselves as a potential team in the Champions league. But as we have come to know them this season, they squandered a two goal lead and have instead given Villa a huge boost. There was a sense of purpose from both the teams
as the match started but only one team had actually issued a statement of intent. Aston Villa had to show the world that they are no mere flash in the pan and are actually capable of achieving a top four finish. They could have finished the match within the first half an hour when they were denied thrice by the woodwork. But like any other good team, Arsenal, stayed in the match, displayed their mental fortitude and took the lead against the run of play. Diaby added to the first one within ten minutes of the second half and that surely should have wrapped up three points for them.

Amidst the amazing come back by Aston Villa, people have forgotten the generosity displayed by Arsenal after they bagged the two goals. With the kind of experience they have at the back, they surely, more than anyone else on the pitch, should have known how to defend the two goal lead. Mind you, none of the goals scored by the Villains belonged to the bracket of outstanding or to the level of unstoppable football. Both the goals were conceded largely due to the lax and callous defending by Arsenal. Arsenal on that day had most of their experienced players, Almunia, Gallas, Toure and Silvestre playing in the defence yet they would have conceded many more goals if not for the heroics of the outstanding Sagna. Lee Dixon, Arsenal’s former defender and great had been reiterating all week the need to defend deep when a team does not have the required personnel in the mid-field to pressurize the opposition. Arsenal, clearly, should have defended deep that day especially when they were up against Agbonlahor, the quickest in the league. As a manager one can only work out the tactics and the game plan but what goes on in a players mind on the pitch is widely out of a manager’s control. Gallas, should have learnt from his mistakes from the game against Liverpool when they conceded a goal to Robbie Keane from a similar set of play. They allowed him to run behind the defence, collect the long ball and dispatch it home. Gallas should have definitely had that in mind as he was up against a player who is quicker and in better form than Keane. Such naivety from an experienced defender led to a desperate plunge which in turn into a goal and a ray of hope for Villa.
If the first goal was a mistake in the game plan of the defence, the blunder committed for the second was even more elementary. Aston Villa gave their all, pulled all stops to get the equalizer and they had four players in the box, rightly so, when Zat Knight received the ball. To everyone’s amazement there were only three Arsenal defenders defending against those four Villa players and this was in the final few minutes of the match when they were sucking in the Villa attack. One is tempted to ask where the other defenders were when the ball was being whipped into the box. Arsenal had five established defenders at that point of time and along with Denilson and Diaby they had enough numbers to deal with any sort of threat. If only they had a clear game plan and answers for these questions.

Villa have certainly showed us this season that they are good enough to be in the top four one day. It might not happen this season, as I, for one, believe Arsenal have too much quality to let that happen. Neither are good teams made in a fortnight nor the good ones become bad overnight and Arsenal certainly is a good team.

Mid-Season thoughts on United

Manchester United have clinched another trophy this week to make 2008 as amazing a year if not more as 1999 which witnessed vintage United. Surely the year of the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster will go down in the history books of football as Manchester United’s year and a feat which pundits across the world will use as a benchmark to compare any team’s achievements.
Manchester United are currently 7 points behind the Liverpool, the league leaders, with two games in hand and all their remaining fixtures against the top teams are at Old Trafford. That certainly is a situation which will not worry a United fan unduly and it is something that Sir Alex and United fans would have accepted before the start of the season. However, that is not to be so. There is something missing which is distinctly highlighting the gulf in the ruthlessness of this team to the one that won the double. On paper, this team looks even more menacing than the previous one with the addition of Berbatov and the Da Siva twins. United have earned the tag of being slow starters over the years but they have never taken so long to hit top gear and neither have they been this inconsistent. Many a times this season fans and Sir Alex himself have predicted that United had actually top gear only to be let down by their performance in the next game. To be fair to the players, they have been handed out a really cruel fixture list pitting them against all the top teams, in their respective backyards, very early in the season. They missed players and lost players through injuries at crucial times of the season but with the squad strength that United possesses that can no longer be used as a valid excuse for the lack of momentum. To put it plainly, United have been slow on the pitch this year and the interchanging of positions and the lightning counter attacks are not coming to the fore.

Let me list down the things that United need to address in the winter break :
Berbatov: Untied have an embarrassment of riches in the striking department but they haven’t been able to get the best out of the various strike partnerships. Berbatov has taken time to adjust to United’s style of play and the fans are still waiting to see vintage Berba’s displays. Nevertheless, he already has around 6 assists to his name and his magical flicks and touches always leave the crowd enchanted. Sir Alex needs to find a way to get the best out of the Bulgarian without sacrificing the talents of the other players because right now Berbatov has not done much to become an automatic first starter.
Tevez and the formation: Though the Rooney- Berbatov partnership is being preferred to the rest, Tevez still plays a huge role if United are to win anything. A terrier by nature, the skillful Argentine has the uncanny knack of getting important goals. Will Fergie devise a system to accommodate all the big four players of Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez and Ronaldo?
Rooney and Ronaldo : Sir Alex was just not ready to sell Ronaldo , his most prized asset , not just because of his influence on the pitch but also because United were not equipped to deal with the sale of Ronaldo as Fergie built this great team revolving around Ronaldo’s talents. Any football fan who has been watching United for the 3-4 years would have realized by now that the team has been built to get the best out of Ronny. Two strikers who work their socks off, who move to the middle to collect the ball and who keep drifting off to the wings to provide space to Ronaldo to cut in, two deep lying centre mid fields who got themselves into positions to put forward a ball to Ronaldo running behind the defenders, all these tactics have been well documented over the years. Ronaldo is not being given this kind of freedom this season as Fergie wants the attack to revolve around Berbatov as the focal point. This system invariably gets the best out of Rooney and has been adopted to do just so. Rooney has been outstanding in some of the games so far and every United fan right now just wish he stays healthy for the rest of the season because when on song there is no better player in United who can influence a match as much as he can. The plain truth is Fergie needs to get the best out of Ronaldo without sacrifing Rooney in the centre of the pitch. The solution to this problem will probably go a long way in deciding where United end up this season.
Centre Mid-field: The injury to Hargreaves has been a big blow to United and with Scholes showing signs of his age, suddenly United look a little light weight in the centre of the mid field. Carrick has picked up from where he left off last season and he has been superb in the centre of the mid-field for the last ten games or so bagging four consecutive man of the match performances. Fletcher has complimented him well in the mid-field so far and it remains to be seen if Anderson is beginning to find his touch again after an indifferent start to the season. What Fergie needs to address here is he needs to come out with his best and most balanced mid-field combination and the most capable mid-field to battle it out against teams which play through the centre such as Inter. The plain truth is this has to be done without Scholes in the mix of the things. As much as a world class technician he is and he is still arguably the best passer in the league , he sadly does not have the legs anymore to last for 90 minutes of a tight game.
Right-Back: The only problem or the possible debate has revolved around this position; the rest of the defense picks itself up. I, for one, believe that Fergie has to give Rafael an extended run and should start with him in the big games as well. Clearly the boy is not just the future but also the present.

Emirites || Arsnl-Pool || Ref

The Emirites would’ve produced a definite result yesterday but for the intervention of the Ref Howard Webb. The game started off well, with both sides settling down well. Liverpool settled down faster than Arsenal. But, Gunners were the first to get the break through at 24" with a splendid finish by Van Persie. A perfect pass from Nasri and a great first touch and control by VanPersie. He’s sometimes criticized for hitting the ball too hard when not really necessary. But yesterday, he shot the ball so hard that it was virtually impossible for Reina to react so fast. Any football fan would standup and clap for that finish.

Then came the complacency in Arsenal. They started sitting back when they should’ve gone for it and looked to extend the lead. Anyways, thanks to the inexperience of Djourou and clinical finish by Robbie Keane, Pool managed to get the equalizer.

Until then, Howard Webb was doing OK…making some bad decisions once in a while. By now, he should’ve realized that it wasn’t his day and he should’ve atleast tried to stay put and do his best. The first yellow card of Adebayor was a total crap. And the second one was surely a yellow card. But it could never be a second yellow that could lead to a red. But yet, Webb chose to make a difference. He didn’t want the match to take it’s shape in due course of time. Probably he was bored…so, he wanted to add a twist in the tale. Like the reality shows that bring in the wild card entries when the show is getting boring.

But it didn’t go any good either. Atleast, he didn’t make it a point to maintain consistency in whatever he doing. When there was a heavy tackle on Gerrard just outside the penalty box, it wasn’t given. Anyone with a pair of eyes (and glasses if required :-P) would’ve agreed that it was a foul. But, Webb chose to be different yet again !

Arsenal lost its front guns and Liverpool were sitting back and planning to settle for a draw. Right from the beginning, Andy Gray has been telling that Rafa would go for a draw. He would be defensive and stick to a draw and would try to stay in Top2 of the table and look for some luck from Gods at the end of the season. Interestingly, the cup eludes anyone who don’t GO for it. At times, too much strategy kills the spirit of the game.

As a Gooner, I would’ve been happier if Arsenal had managed to win the game. I was pretty happy that they atleast managed to get a point out of it. But, as a football fan, I was very disappointed that the game didn’t give us a true result. The game was never going for a draw….there was a definite result all over it…could be on anyone’s favour. But, Ref intervened and spoiled the game. Infact, I would’ve been happier if the game produced a result (even if it was against Arsenal). I’m a football fan first and then a Gooner.(thnx kuyil)

Btw, Arsenal are going nowhere this season. I think they would settle down for a 4th position. I don’t think Aston Villa has the consistency to hold on to the 4th place. Arsenal has a great team only when (Sagna-Toure-Gallas-Clichy) do the defending, (Walcott-Febregas-Denilson-Nasri) play in the midfield and (Adebayor/Eduardo-VanPersie) play up front. Anything other than this would spoil the rhythm of the game. A passing game needs rhythm. Without that, there’s no meaning to that kind of game. Rest of the players like Song, Eboue and Diaby are not natural passers of the ball. Song and Eboue are not footballers in my point of view. Diaby would fit into more attacking positions, similar to Babel. So, Wenger should look to expand his team in proper direction rather than getting dummies like Eboue and Song. He should get true replacements. I hope he doesn’t some Christmas shopping this time.

League ON or GONE for Arsenal

At least third time in season, its on or gone aka do or die situation for Arsenal. First up against ManU, we stood up to challenge and got the result in style. Second time, away against chelsea wasn't very comfortable but persie's brace within 6 minutes got us the result.
But we are arsenal and we never learn and if we will, i don't know when. After drawing with Boro, when we should have castrated ourselves for dropping ponts against second half of table, we are in a desperate position to make a come back again, otherwise it will be surely too late for
this season.

The result of this match is going to be important for all the top four (or top five?). Currently, the top 5 standings are as follows:

Teams Played Points
Liverpool 17 38
Chelsea 17 37
Aston Villa 18 34
Man United 16 32
Arsenal 17 30


The Chelsea (and fans) would be surely watching this one. If its a win for Arsenal today, gooners cant even rest after that. Given the fact, chelsea is playing on monday, the lead could still stretch to 7 points. But if they draw with toffees, 5 teams within 6 points!
It could potentially be a nail-biting rest of the season for all the top 4 teams fans. Isn't it? I believe Villa would hang around but would surely drop enough points to stay at fifth.


Liverpool is missing Torres. So, Rafa would surely start with keane. And Arsenal is without Walcott. Nasri is back and Eboue is there too. Who Arsene will go for on right flank - Denilson or Eboue ? I guess Arsene will stick to Denilson.

None of the gooners have forgotten the Champions League Q/F exit against Liverpool. Its still as livid in every gooner's memory as sun is in the sky. The match is also an occasion to celebrate 20th year anniversary of 1989 famous night at Anfield. So we would be seeing a lot of yellow gooners.
Moreover, God who was a Gunner, would be glued to TV. His name is Thierry Henry !

My prediction: 2-1 to Arsenal (with Nasri and Persie on scoresheet)

So, its do-or-die, chance to rake revenge, anniversary and God's blessings - WHAT ELSE YOU NEED GUNNERS ?

A Statician's View on the race

 

 

With United trailing behind Chelsea and Liverpool this season, there is the argument that United have played much more difficult fixtures this season. This is not a whiny excuse, rather a pretty reasonable explanation. United’s performances haven’t been anything special, but then, neither have Chelsea’s nor Liverpool’s. When you look at the fixtures a bit more logically, you can see our position in relation to Chelsea is pretty decent.

Well, comparison of the stats of one season to the previous season might not be helpful in determining the course of the title race but they might give a fan a rough idea as to what to expect from one’s team for the rest of the season.

This season’s results against the some of the teams looks like this:
Portsmouth: 1-0 win
Liverpool: 2-1 loss.
Chelsea: 1-1 draw
Blackburn: 2-0 win.
Everton: 1-1 draw.
Arsenal: 2-1 loss.
Aston Villa: 0-0 draw
City: 1-0 win

That’s 3 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses, giving United 12 points of a possible 24. Last season they also picked up 12 of the possible 24:
Portsmouth: 1-1 draw
Liverpool: 1-0 win
Chelsea: 2-1 loss.
Blackburn: 1-1 draw.
Everton: 1-0 win.
Arsenal: 2-2 draw.
Aston Villa: 4-1 win.
City: 1-0 loss.

If we were to compare this to their main title rivals, Chelsea, it is more difficult to do so. Last season they continued their brilliant unbeaten record at home, but only won 12 games out of 19 (in contrast to the 17 United won at home). This season, their home form is not at all desirable, yet they are doing the business away from home.

Instead, I will compare like for like, their results this season compared to last, showing first their result this season, then their result last. (There obviously will be some fixtures missing, allowing for the teams that have been promoted/relegated since last season).

Chelsea
Portsmouth (home) won WON
Wigan (away) won WON
Tottenham (home) draw WON - worse
City (away) won WON
United (home) draw WON - worse
Villa (home) won DRAW - better
Boro away won WON
Liverpool (home) lost DRAW - worse
Sunderland (home) won WON
Blackburn (away) won WON
Newcastle (home) draw WON - worse
Arsenal (home) lost WON - worse
Bolton (away) won WON
West Ham (home) draw WON - worse

When comparing their results this season against those same games last season, Chelsea are 10 points worse off. They collected 38 points from these fixtures last season, yet just 28 from the same games this season. On just one occasion they’ve bettered their result from last season and on five occasions they have done worse.

United
Newcastle (home) draw WON - worse
Portsmouth (away) won DRAW - better
Liverpool (away) lost WON - worse
Chelsea (away) draw LOSS - better
Bolton (home) won WON
Blackburn (away) won DRAW - better
Everton (away) draw WON - worse
West Ham (home) won WON
Arsenal (away) lost DRAW - worse
Villa (away) draw WON - worse
City (away) won LOST - better
Sunderland (home) won WON
Spurs (away) draw DRAW

Last season United picked up 25 points from the games we have played so far this season, meaning this year we are worse off by 2 points. We have bettered last season’s result on four occasions and have done worse on five occasions.

In Chelsea’s past seven games in all competitions, they have won two (Sunderland and Cluj), drawn two (West Ham and Newcastle) and lost three (Liverpool, Arsenal and Burnley).

Consistency has been a problem for both the sides so far this season. Neither seem to have hit the top gear as of yet. However, despite United’s position in the table, istics are anything to go by then they are in the strongest position given the games they’ve yet to play and those they’ve got out of the way already. It’s a mixed bag for United, improving on some of last year’s results, whilst doing worse in others. For Chelsea though, they are worse off, in terms of results, in plenty of games in comparison to last season.

No wonder people expect this to be the tightest of title races, Who would eventually go onto win the title? It’s a guess as good as anyone’s

What happened and what next for Arsenal??

After a long break, owing to my professional and educational demands, I am back. I thought I would summarize the feelings going on in an arsenal fan’s mind(at least mine), given the roller coaster ride that arsenal is going through and how confused and irritated we are with the recent results and incidents . Also I will try to come up with solution(s) from a fan’s perspective and leave the door open for more discussion.

Firstly I am not that optimistic as I was at the start of the season regarding the chances of arsenal winning any silverware. Inconsistency brought out of lack of motivation and failing to learn from mistakes, contributed to the recent lackluster performances, and has seriously undermined Arsenal in becoming a serious title contender. I still don’t write them off, as we are still in the first half of the season and there is ample time to make amendments (if at all Wenger wishes to make any).

Now coming to my musings, though many pundits are of the opinion that the defense is the major culprit (came across explanations like fragile, leaky, clueless, feeble defense) for the current disappointing situation. I would like to differ. The midfield and the striking departments also should share the blame equally. I have never seen Arsenal with such a weak midfield in the recent past. Even at the start of last season I had the same feeling, but the formidable combination of Fabregas and Flamini proved me wrong. Hleb, Rosicky (for whatever less time he played), Gilberto played their supporting roles well and Arsenal was never found short in creating ample opportunities for the strikers. The midfield was always energetic and was fighting till the last minute of the game. And thanks to that, Arsenal was the team which scored the highest number of goals in the final 15 minutes. They were out of steam in the last quarter of the season but that is another issue. Now, this year, they already look tired and lack the sharpness to compete in the toughest league. I think part of it is because of lack of motivation and part due to inexperience.

Players like Song, Diaby and Bendtner will be strolling around the ground leisurely as if they were invited to witness the match from close quarters on the pitch, rather than being involved in it. Talented they are, but I feel that they are far less committed to the cause than others. There is no energy in their play and their nonchalant nature pisses me to the max. Denilson is one of the most talented among the Arsenal’s youngsters. He plays his heart out and tries to contribute as much as he can. Though very good his intentions and determination are, he is not ready for the biggest stage and it is evident in the innumerable errors he commits and such an inconsistent form he enjoys. He could not carry his early season form and has been quiet mediocre (forget about him replacing Flamini).

Coming to the striking department Persie has been good(though I don’t know for how long he will stay injury free), Adebayor has been in and out of the team and can’t really find any fault with his performances. That leaves us with Bendtner who has played most number of matches as a striker, either by starting or by being substituted. But he had done less than vela or Wilshere or Ramsey who were far better in creating some impact. I am not being harsh on him just because he didn’t score many goals, but because he is so inept at creating chances or taking them and doesn’t show any signs of improvement, and as I mentioned before his lack of commitment.

Defense, lot of people had spoken about it and I don’t want to dwell on that for long. Toure has been out of form ever since the African nations cup, Gallas inconsistent, Silvestre by no means great but has been doing a decent job, Djourou chipping in well when required. The thing is that the two of the best defenders we have had indifferent form and that affected us the most. And nothing has been sorted out regarding the long ball threat and the set pieces. The full backs have been great till now, but this year they are frequently getting injured than in last year, which is a bit of concern.

So What should Wenger do now. Though I agree with him about the fact that this team has enough talent to beat any other top flight team, the question is how consistently they can do that. As we have witnessed they are not able to do that on a regular basis. And there is not enough bench strength to give rest to some players and make them regain their sharpness. The only solution i can think of is to buy one experienced person in the defense and mid field departments. If not both, then at the least in the midfield. I feel that with one experienced, energetic CDM, Fabregas will get the necessary freedom to go forward and create more chances. And the defense will also feel more secure.

I think with the return of Eduardo, which will be like a new signing according to wenger, we will have enough fire power in the striking department. Also his finishing prowess should reduce the wastefulness in front of the goal. So no need of any additional purchases here.

The lack of motivation is still a big worry. The captaincy change surely should have great impact on that, given that Gallas has never been a natural leader. But there is a need for some more experienced players in dressing room for the younger ones to look up to. Keeping all the responsibility on Fabregas is unfair.

Sometimes I feel Wenger is expecting that most of his youngsters can do a ‘Fabregas’ (break into the first team at very young age and become a consistent and key member of the team). Fabregas is one in a million and Wenger is completely wrong if he is thinking so. Also the club should show enough ambition, so that players like Fabregas will be motivated and in turn bring out the best among the rest. And right now I can’t see a better solution than bringing in a fresh face and give an impetus to this beleaguered team. But given that the toughest part of the season happens to be in December, I am a bit worried if the signing would be too late. Nevertheless it will improve our chances in the Cup competitions.

It's a crazy game!

So what was Ronaldo thinking back there? We all know the chap is on a high with all the awards and the cups that he won last season. He was always, and still is the cocky son of a gun that everyone loves to hate. He knows that everyone grudgingly acknowledges that he might be the best player on the planet right now- there is, after all, nothing he cannot do with a ball. Right leg, left leg, header, freekick... you name it, and he's got it.

So what the hell was he thinking when he decided to play in goal for Manchester City last week?! Even hard core Man Utd fans like myself cannot think of a way to defend him from this incident! The ridiculous post match explanations- he was pushed.. he heard a whistle.. he wanted to protect his beautiful face!! -nonetheless, it did provide for some entertainment to the Man Utd fans, especially when Citeh could muster hardly a chance even with a man advantage. Especially heartwarming was the fact that Robinho (more about him, later) was totally shackled by his 18 year old counterpart.

A fine moment of madness, is what I say. I tried to put myself into Ronaldo's position as he went up to perform this act, and this is what I was thinking:

"I'm the best in the world, I've got everything and a beautiful face. But damn that Kaka, being voted the most handsome! That prick, I'll show him at the Ballon D'Or whose better! Now, wait, I think I can get this ball if I jump high enough... here I go!! CR7, up, up and away!! Oh no, wait! I got that award to win tomorrow!! I can't break my nose now!!! Quick, avert! Oops, no time for that... do something!! Damn, not that thing!! I'm so stupid! Hope the ref won't give me a card! No, I'm sure he will! Wait, is it Graham Poll there? Maybe I'll be lucky... nah, I'm done for :( I think I'll just wait here on the pitch a couple of minutes though, millions around the world are watching me right now. This is probably the best chance to show them I'm more beautiful than Kaka! Well, time to go, hope the old geezer doesn't fry me!"

Coming to Robinho, is it just me or is he the biggest moron on the planet? Okay, so Citeh have got all the money, but who in their right mind can imagine that Kaka, Messi, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Maradona, Pele and every other great on this planet will take up lodgings in Manchester in January! Mark Hughes hopefully is more sensible than that (he did play for United, and before you mention it, Ronaldo is an aberration, he is after all the second most beautiful player on the planet.. as the adage goes, beauty and brains don't go together!). Anyways, Hughes better tell Robinho to shut his fat mouth and get on with the stepovers that he is better at, and find ways to go past his younger Brazilian teammates!

If you think there's not enough craziness to go around in football, check this out (Hat tip to Rahul for the link)

Another matter that I do not entirely attribute to craziness is Drogba's throws. I mean, if the lad thinks he's got enough money, and is not a beggar to receive coins on his head from the crowd, he has all the right to chuck it back at the crowd. Of course, next time he might have to consider the matter that it is very difficult to hit the guy who throw the coin at you in the first place. He would do much better following the example of Eric Cantona, or for that matter, Inzamam Ul Haq. 

That's all for now, have a crazy week!

The Mighty Blues?

No, not about Chelsea! There wouldn't be a question mark there in that case. But Manchester City!

Browsing through SkySports, I came across this funny bit....Man City fail in a massive bid for Casillas. There were talks of buying out his contract which stands at a staggering 128M and paying 230K per week in wages to the Real keeper. Its funny, part because of all these figures quoted, but mostly because you still cannot imagine Casillas or Kaka going to Manchester City, can you? True that most footballers today are mercenaries with all the Matt le Tissiers and Maldinis of the world either extinct or on the verge but what these players still have in them is some amount of pride. Ambitions of the club still count at least on equal footing to their weekly wages.

'Money can't buy success' is a cliche floating around in footballing world like mist on Himalayas. But in City's case, money will not be enough to buy the first step towards success - big players. (Robinho is not a big player!) We often compare them to the Blues from west London and say that City can emulate what Chelsea did five years back. There are marked differences between the two and here I am to point all of those out...

Chelsea were already there or thereabouts the top when Roman took over. They were already a Champions league team which is a big factor for top players to join. It was easier to lure good players than it would be for City for foreseeable future. Also being in London helped Chelsea's cause.

One thing Hughes should refrain from at this moment is talking about the biggest players right away. Kaka, Casillas, Buffon, Torres will not come to City for whatever money you offer them. Period. What they can look for in the market are very good, but still not star, players. Much like Ranieri and Mourinho did. They bought the best from Porto, Renne, Lyon, Marsielle, PSV et al rather than trying from Real, Milan or Juventus. What this does is, at least, it doesn't make you a laughing stock in the market. Make a brand quite like Chelsea did, perform on the pitch, and become a top club before trying to sign galacticos.

I am quite sure success will eventually come to Man City if their owners are serious. It will, however, be a question of when. Is Sparky the right man for the job? I would like to think so, but I have my doubts.

Weekend Preview

I'll be concentrating entirely on the two big games coming up this weekend (for want of spare time to do justice to the rest of the bunch, sorry about that!).

The Manchester Derby

The Red and the Blue sections of Manchester come face to face this weekend in what has become a much anticipated derby clash. What used to be a regular run-of-the-mill huge vs small derby, where the small, over the last few years, unusually came better off on more occasions than not, has now taken a completely different complexion since City's takeover by the Arab behemoths. Its no more seen as huge vs small but as huge vs potential juggernauts. The recent form of both teams have been pretty indifferent, going by their usual standards....but a derby always brings something special as they say!

Not only is the game a derby between two bitter local rivals but it also has a small battle within the battle. Robinho epitomizes Man City as Ronaldo does Man Utd. The former has great potential and wants to be the best in the world one day, the latter is the reigning best. Robinho will take this chance with both hands to show the world and Real in particular that his former employers made a mistake by continuously pursuing Ronaldo and ignoring the gem they already had in their ranks. It would be unfair to say that its Ronaldo vs Robinho out and out, far from it...but this will be an interesting little battle to watch out for.

We have to go all the way back to May last year when Man Utd failed to score on two consecutive games, hence Sir Alex would be hoping their attack devoid of Berba through injury doesn't fail on a third occassion in a row. We might have to dig history books to find that kind of a record. Man City are good too going forward with Robinho and especially Ireland in a great goal scoring nick, but to face Rio and Vidic is a totally different prospect.

Verdict: I will go for an away win with plenty of goals......4-2 to Man Utd.


The London Derby

We are looking at a strange game here. At the start of the season, this fixture would have been dubbed as a tug-of-war between two genuine title contenders...what it has now become is a game where credentials are at stake(at least partially) , not for Arsenal, who are well and truly out of the race after five defeats and the problems going on at the Emirates, but for Chelsea.This season again, they have an appalling home record compared to their fantastic away one. Three draws and a loss at home out of seven is hardly a championship winning form, and if not for the away results, they'd be quite far away from the top. Scolari's argument that on away days, the home teams attack more and hence leave gaps for the Blues to exploit...while at The Bridge they come to park the bus and get a draw, maybe a valid one, but that also reveals the one dimension-ness of the Chelsea attacks. They fail to break down packed defenses because they lack one player, like Ronaldo or Robinho, who can draw defenders and create space for others. They depend heavily on passing the ball around the final third hoping for the defense to make a mistake and leave a space for Anelka, Lampard or Malouda to get into. Comparisons are made between Mourinho's and Scolari's Chelsea, but I have to bitterly concede.....however beautiful the football's being played under Felipe, Jose had an edge in big games.

Arsenal pose a different prospect though. They will come as a not so well organizes defensive unti with great attacking ability. Arsenal's display agianst Man utd showed that if the gunners have the right kind of motivation, they are good enough to beat anyone on their day, except for Stoke and Hull, of course! Needless to say, they would be highly motivated for this one too and the threat they pose will not be overlooked by anyone inside Stamford Bridge. Whether they hang on to fourth(or even come better off) or let Aston Villa take that hallowed spot for once, this game has little bearing on that. What a bad result for Chelsea would do for their title credentials, on the other hand, is something completely different.

Verdict: A fairly open game with lots of goal-mouth action. An uncomfortable home win 2-1.

Enjoy the weekend ahead!

Champions League Round Up

 

Arsenal 1-0 Dynamo Kiev

 Arsenal finally put an end to their crisis by winning it late against Dynamo Kiev. Fabregas promised the Arsenal fans that he would take the team as far as he can under his reign. The win bodes well for Arsenal’s future and now it would be very interesting to see their duel against Chelsea next weekend. Though Arsenal were not at their artistic best , they did probe Dynamo and found a winner through a late Nikola Bendtner goal. Will Arsenal finally start to win games when things don’t go their way? A game against Chelsea might be the best test to such credentials.

 

Manchester United 0-0 Villareal

 Manchester United have once again entered those tortoise zone , where they turn up at a game leaving their shooting boots at Carrington. They created many chances only to be denied by the Villareal goal keeper Lopez. Villareal started with only one upfront, Rossi playing as the lone man against his former team-mates. The tricky forward showed glimpses of his class again but was kept quiet for most parts of the game by the ever impressive Johnny Evans. Villareal never showed any intent to win the game and played for a draw, this one being the fourth consecutive draw between these two clubs. Man United too started with 4-5-1 with Rooney as the lone striker flanked by Nani and Ronaldo and with Fletcher, Carrick and Anderson completing the mid-field. Ronaldo came closest when he hit the woodwork and Rooney had a few shots saved and a goal disallowed but then again this game looked like a repeat of the last weekend game against Aston Villa.   

 

 

Should we have 11 leaders ?

How important is it to have a captain in your side? Does a captain in a football team have as many responsibilities as a captain in any other sport, say cricket, does?

 Are the Captain’s responsibilities just restricted to motivating his team mates?

These have been some of the many questions asked this weekend when Arsene Wenger finally decided to strip Gallas of his captaincy. The newly appointed Captain, Cesc Fabregas, is not as vocal as his predecessor but certainly more calm and relaxed then any other Arsenal player. So how exactly will Cesc manage to inspire his team mates when he is not getting under the skin of his team-mates?

Do football captains not only have to lead by example but also be vocal on the pitch?

The Mid-Field Connundrum

Much has been made about England’s International football abilities over the last decade so and even more so now since they have strung together five successive wins. Fabio Cappello has instilled the discipline in his team that is often seen on his rather phlegmatic face. Probably Cappello has promised the FA to flash a smile on his face only after he gets England to WC 2010. Assessing England from the performances so far under ‘Don Fab’ they might as well end up being the first team to book their hotels in South Africa.

 The major difference between Cappello and his predecessors has been that Cappello is not afraid to give a kick up the butts to some of his so called ‘untouchables’. Under McLaren and Sven these untouchables were guaranteed a place in the side, all they just had to do was come out in public and support their manager. Fabio Cappello on the other hand has not only changed the team ethics but changed the way England plays its game. One can associate a more continental approach to their game now. It is in stark contrast to the huff-puff, end to end stuff seen in the EPL. They are more firm with the ball, they are decisive and they now believe in possession play.

 This brings us to the topic that I would like to discuss. England have a plethora of mid-fielders but the problem lies in selecting the most balance combination. Each of the mid fielders who are in contention of a starting berth such as Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick, Barry and Hargreaves are different from one another and different set of attributes to the team.

 While Gerrard comes across as the all action mid-fielder who can play anywhere across the mid-field , Lampard comes off as the more disciplined of the two and a promise of translating his goal scoring form for Chelsea onto the International stage.

Hargreaves is the no nonsense traditional style of central defensive mid-fielder who’ll get stuck in the tackles and will never give opponent players an ounce of space. But unfortunately for him and England he has had persistent injury problems. Hopefully the surgery on his knee which will keep him out of the entire season will come back a stronger player. Barry on the other hand is a different type of defensive mid-fielder who keeps things simple, he is more of an anchor man someone who doesn’t try to do anything flashy. He also possesses an excellent left foot and can bend a few.

 But one man whom I always thought of as the perfect mid-fielder for the International set up is Michael Carrick especially even more when Cappello wants one of his mid-fielders to slow down things and keep the ball moving in the mid-field. Carrick and Barry were excellent against Germany and England mid-field never looked so balanced.  The advantage and different set of skills that England will have when Carrick is on the pitch is that he is a naturally gifted passer , some one who has an eye for a pass and who can shift flanks with consummate ease. Carrick is not an all action mid- fielder like Gerrard , he is not a natural goal scorer like Lampard , he is not a ferocious tackler , but he offers something different from them. He provides an assured presence in the middle , someone who is very good in slowing down the tempo of the game and someone who has always been touted as a good reader of the game.

 The best Combination : I would personally pick Lampard and Carrick, Carrick for the above mentioned reasons and Lampard for his superior tactical sense than Gerrard. Gerrard is quick , direct but is not a natural playmaker and for me personally Lampard is better at dictating the tempo of the game better than Gerrard .

 I'm ending the post a little rather abruptly due to some issues at work and I would even incur the wrath from a few of you as some might accuse me of looking at things through my red tinted glasses but I would really like to hear about the mid-field combination that you would prefer.

 PS : Not that I care about England

 

Too long a break

 

 Sorry for the long hiatus. We let the blog seep through to a dormant state for the last two weeks or so as we had to occupy our minds with work in the office.

 Now we vow to turn around the defunct state of the blog and spring life into it again. We would be back with our weekend predictions, ‘big games’ previews and review, players’ ratings and many more articles.

 To bring to you some recent news and events that occurred last week, you must have enjoyed the weekend action which had plenty of goals in the ‘big four’ matches only if you are not an Arsenal fan.

 Titles are not won in November but they can so easily be lost. I wonder if Arsenal fans are beginning to worry about their team’s prospects this season. They have lost close to one-third of their matches so far losing 4 out of 13. What must be worrying Arsenal fans more (they must have been used to their team not winning anything by now) is that the team has been woefully inconsistent. While everyone has been singing praises for Arsenal’s fledglings, much deeper cracks seem to have appeared in their first team set up. Arsene Wenger got a fantastic response from his team after the loss against Stoke when they beat Man United but the performance against the ‘Villains’ according to him was lackluster, lack of enthusiasm and energy. Arsenal is dropping far too many points at home and if you come to think of it they have played just one of the other teams in the ‘Big Four’. They still have to travel to Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge and also entertain the latter two at Emirates.

 On the subject of big games, Manchester United should be well placed in the title race come March as they have played all the big away games of the season bar the one at Eastlands. If the performance against Stoke is anything to go by then they are also discovering their goal scoring touch.

 Liverpool has been the surprise package this season. Over the years one has got used to hearing Liverpool’s false promises of doing better and winning the league the next season during this time of the season. But they seemed to have that around this season; they are coming out unscathed in tough away games though it will be interesting to see if they can sustain that for the entire season.

 Chelsea has started well as they have always done since they go the taste of fine Russian vodka. They are also hitting top gear this season and have an excellent goal difference which might actually decide the outcome of the title race. Chelsea loses very few matches but draws a bigger proportion of matches and it will be interesting to see if the form of some of their goal scorers like Anelka and Lampard ensure otherwise.

We had another boring week of International friendlies, they are the worst that can happen to a club at this point of the season when there is usually a hectic schedule for the top teams. Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex can testify this as they will be without the services of Walcott and Berbatov respectively thanks to the meaningless friendlies.

 

 

Turn On The Style

"The team is experienced with most of the players above and around 30. We cannot expect a drastic improvement from them."

These are the quotes made by Sir Alex Fergusan(may not be the exact words but almost means the same) at the start of the season about Chelsea's credentials this season. Not only have these old legs defied Sir's logic, but also in style. The team which was ridiculed for grinding out results after results is suddenly the team catching the eye worldwide. The same bunch of players who were written off as not capable of playing beautiful football together by a large section of the football fraternity have proved everyone wrong. Although, we've had one of the best summers in recent times with respect to transfers this season,getting what could be said as the two most important pieces of the zig saw namely Bosingwa (the most important transfer since Frank Lampard in my opinion) and Deco, one cannot discount the one most important capture of the summer, Luis Felipe Scolari. He's the man behind the face lift of the team, unarguably. What impact the gaffer can have on a team is not something too covert in todays footballing world. Its a true saying that a team clearly reflects the personality of its coach. Mourinho's Chelsea was resilient, strong, never-say-die, Scolari's Chelsea is very Brazil-like. I'm not saying we've suddenly become Barca or Arsenal for that matter, but we certainly are a joy to watch unlike the last couple of seasons.

The first couple of games of the season, I had a feeling that all the change is due to Deco. His touch and vision allow us to be more capable of unlocking defenses, which is true, but later on even without him we were as good. We gave two of the best performances against Villa and Boro without him. It was clear then that it was Deco but it is the belief in each player shown by the gaffer to express themselves is what has brought about all the change. It would be an understatement to say that Mourinho did not allow showboating, which would be the wrong word to use for this Chelsea, but certainly the confidence is there to show off some skills without having the boss at the back of your mind. When I compare Mourinho's Chelsea to Scolari's, one thing that is apparant is that the players are more comfortable on the ball than they used to. That could be attributed the movement of the players aound the guy who has the ball. He always knows where the players are moving which makes passing and controlling the ball easier.

The tactical nous of Mourinho cannot be questioned but the difference lies in the mentality of the team. The former boss gave much importance to being solid at the back. The full backs did not bomb as much forward and as frequently as they do now. The mentality was to go up and then shut shop, which is also a very good tactic given the personel he had at his disposal to do just the same. But the style was not eye catching to say the least. It was much result oriented than aesthetics oriented and that is why he was so successful. In his first year at Chelsea, we were a great force going forward too, with the width we had in the form of Duff, Robben and Joe Cole and fast paced counter attacks. That somehow went astray as we offloaded Robben and Duff. We became very one dimensional in our approach and that became easier for teams to defend against. With Makelele a constant presense in the heart of midfield, as good a defensive midfielder as he was, he lacked those move starting passes especially as he got older. With next no width on the flanks, the obvious way was to go direct. Drogba is undoubtably one of the best center forwards for that approach which helped us get results but not in so much style.

Scolari has changed that mentality. He gives much importance to retaining the ball and making it work. As in his own words 'you must have the ball at your feet to make it work'. Ball retention can only be possible if the players move intelligently around the pitch, find spaces. The cliche 'passing and movement' with which Manchester United and Arsenal were showered week in week out before, is now being linked to us too. And it has not come overnight. Any mentality needs time time to change, and the amount of work being done on the training grounds for exactly the same is mind blowing. Players perform sessions after sessions of just passing the ball and moving off the ball, which is clear on the playing field. Players like Lampard and Mikel are revelling in Scolari's system as they have the licence to create. The full backs spend most of the time in opposite half and dare I say, Ashley Cole finally looks like the player he was at Arsenal.

There are a few drawbacks too. Since we're a bit new to the system, and most importantly since we dont have a world class wide man of the likes of Robinho and Ronaldo, who can beat defenders, we struggle to create much when the opposition hunts down all the spaces and close the gaps quickly. For example the games against Liverpool, Roma and Spurs. They crowded the midfield and put their wide men to close down our full backs. Malouda is clearly appalling and looks out of sorts. Sorry to say, but he has to be the worst player since Asier del Horno to get a continuos run of games despite being poor. We certainly missed Joe Cole, who has such a great record against Liverpool. We suddenly looked like we're clueless in these games, especially without Drogba, as Anelka is hardly the man to go with route number one approach.

If most players could remain fit for the rest of the season, I think we're on course for big things this term....and in style!

Champions League Round Up

English clubs have started well in the Champions league this season not losing a single game. It would be interesting to see if the ‘Big Four’ can make it to the semifinals this time. That would definitely be the talking point as the season wears down. 

While Arsenal and Manchester United had emphatic victories, Chelsea earned 3 points courtesy to their captain while Liverpool earned hard fought out draw.

 In a match that was billed as the ‘Battle of Britain’ Manchester United turned on the style against their Scottish rivals in the second half. Berbatov added two more goals, which were contentious as they looked offside, to his short United career while Rooney who is currently enjoying a rich vein of form added another after he was denied a perfectly legitimate goal.

Manchester United 3- 0 Celtic

 Elsewhere Arsenal and Fenerbache played if they didn’t know what defending was all about. Arsenal got goals from Song and Diaby which would make them and Wenger feel good while Fenerbache got one thanks to an own goal by Silvestre. It was not as if the Man Utd fans didn’t warn their Arsenal compatriots about that.

Arsenal 5-2 Fenerbache

Reports suggest Chelsea were far from their best and John Terry grabbed the winner from a set piece in a match that lacked any sort of tempo and both the teams were below par.

Chelsea 1-0 Roma

Robbie Keane scored for Lievrpool after opening his account against PSV Eindhoven earlier in the competition. Immediately after the first half Aguero was introduced for Athletico and it changed the complexion of the game as Athletico dominated the game in the second half andhad  more than a couple of chances to level before Simao scored an equalizer seven minutes from time.

Liverpool 1-1 Athletico Madrid.

 

Finally to end the round up with a joke on Tottenham as that seems to be the latest fad in footballing circles .

Q. What is the difference between Tottenham and a triangle?

A. A triangle has three points.

 

Spurs Down and Out ?

The world no more makes sense to the Tottenham Hotspur fans. If they were granted just one wish by a genie right now they would wish to wake up from a nightmare that they had been sleeping through over the last few months. Unfortunately for them the man who was touted to be their genie, Juande Ramos, is failing to deliver after promising a lot.

Tottenham has been perennially tagged as ‘Pretenders’ or ‘Fools Gold’ and Ramos and his ambitious Chief executive at the club vowed to finally throw those tags in the bins. Ramos showed the right intent when he came to the club as he immediately snatched up a defender that the club was missing so much. Woodgate suddenly got rid of the demons inside him and he was no more a regular visitor to the team physio. He started brightly, scored a goal in the Carling Cup which they won and played like a general for the second half of last season. Probably Woodgate promised a bit too much that Ramos blissfully and totally wrongly ignored the lack of quality defensive cover in the team. Ledley King when fit is an excellent and inspirational defender but one gets to see him as sporadically as one gets to see the sun in northern part of England.

If defense has always been their undermining their attack this season too falls way short of the quality that they have had for quite a few years. Ramos’ transfer activity will once again under the microscope and not without a reason. Ramos went for young bright talents in Bentley, Dos Santos, Corluka and Modric when he could have done with a couple of experienced players more so considering the departure of their two most talismanic players Berbatov and Keane.

Daniel Levy will really have to put his hand up for Spurs’ dismal start to their season. It is actually baffling to even think how he hung onto Berbatov until the last day of the season trying to increase his sale value rather than selling him and giving Ramos some time to find his replacements. It is always an excellent strategy to change the way your team plays after a season as Sir Alex will have you know but sometimes it is always safe and prudent to go for like-for-like replacements. Ramos brought in a couple of wingers and he has Darrent Bent and Pavlyuchenko leading their line and if you watch a s Spurs game this season it is quite astonishing to see the number of crosses that they are putting into the box now. To be fair to Ramos Bent and Pavlyuchenko have neither the skill or finesse to play one touch football as their predecessors but you buy replacements according to the way you want to play the game not always play the game according to the players you have. Ramos had the whole summer to plan and be prepared for the departure of his strike force and he failed to strengthen that area in particular. One gets a feeling that Tottenham’s board members have failed to learn from their mistakes. They have failed to fill the mid-field void left by Carrick ever since his departure to Man Utd and now they seem to be treading on a similar path. Ramos will have to come up with a solution , a quick solution or else ass the table suggests right now Tottenham’s fans would be cheering their club in another league.

These transfers below sum up the transfer activity of Tottenham this season:

IN:

Vedran Corluka; from Manchester City; £8.5m

Roman Pavlyuchenko; from Spartak Moscowl; £14m

Cesar Sanchez; from Real Zaragoza

David Bentley; from Blackburn Rovers; £17m

Giovani Dos Santos; from Barcelona; £4.7million fee rising to £8.6million depending on appearances

Luka Modric; from Dinamo Zagreb; £8.75(subject to granting of a work permit)

John Bostock; from Crystal Palace; £700,000

Heurelho Gomes; from PSV; £7.8m

Paul-Jose Mpoku; from Standard Liege

OUT:

Dimitar Berbatov; to Manchester United £30m

Lee Young-Pyo; to Borussia Dortmund

Anthony Gardner; to Hull; £2.5m

Younes Kaboul; to Portsmouth

Steed Malbranque; to Sunderland

Robbie Keane; to Liverpool; £20.3m

Pascal Chimbonda; to Sunderland

Paul Robinson; to Blackburn; £3.5million

Teemu Tainio; to Sunderland

Tommy Forecast; to Southampton

Radek Cerny; to QPR; free

Joe Martin; to Blackpool.

 

 

Weekend EPL Predicitons

Weekend Predicitons

# Middlesbrough v Chelsea
Boro are not an easy place to go to,especially for the "BIG FOUR".Chelsea know they have a tough game on their hands.Chelsea's quality should eventually win them the game.
Prediction:1-3

# Arsenal v Everton
Arsenal have lost some important players to injuries in the international break.Everton will combative as usual as we know they usually are under Moyes,though they been under performing of late.
Prediction:2-0

# Aston Villa v Portsmouth
Will be an interesting match.Villa have started well this season with Young,their star player so far.Pompey havent hit their stride yet,but Defoe and Crouch are starting to combine well.Expect a few goals here.
Prediction:2-2

# Bolton v Blackburn
Bolton have 7 points out of 7 and are struggling.Rovers have been OK under Ince so far.We can expect them to do better when Santa Cruz starts firing.
Prediction:1-2

# Fulham v Sunderland
Expect home advantage to count here.Not much difference to pick out between the teams in terms of quality or form.
Prediction:2-1

# Liverpool v Wigan
Liverpool have been in good form and we can expect them to run out easy winners in this game.Zaki is scoring for fun.I dont see him scoring here, though I would be quite happy to see him proving me wrong.
Prediction:3-0

# Man Utd v West Brom
ManUtd are on a good run and so is Rooney for both club and country in front of goal.I dont expect the Baggies to hold on for long.
Prediction:2-0

# Hull City v West Ham
Hull have been the surprise package so far this season,lying 3rd in the table with an impressive 14 points from 7 games,2 more than the Hammers who have 12.Expect a close contest between these two.
Prediction:2-1

# Stoke City v Tottenham
Its the bottom two against each other.Spurs have made their worst start in 96 years.It might get worse as Stoke will give them a tough time but Spurs' quality should help them get their first win of the season.
Prediction:0-2

# Newcastle v Man City
Robinho's a major doubt for this game after picking up an injury while playing for Brazil in their WC qualifier against Colombia.But they do have SWP who seems to be back playing at his best after a couple of forgettable seasons at Stamford Bridge.Have Newcastle turned a corner under Kinnear after their well earned draw at Goodison Park in their last match?
Prediction:1-1