Kazmierczak superb volley

There was a spectacular goal in the Ekstraklasa clash between Pogon Szczecin and Slask Wroclaw on Sunday. Former Derby County midfielder Przemyslaw Kazmierczak scores an absolute screamer of a volley in today’s viral of the day.

Unbelievable tekkers…

Written by Charlie Cook @charlie_cook09

Sir Alex’s Man-Management Shows Rare Glimpse Of Weakness

In the tone that an underworld criminal might use to refer to a fellow gangster, ‘We’ll deal with it, don’t you worry,’ were the words Sir Alex Ferguson used when referring to Rio Ferdinand, and his latest cause of controversy. The irate manager has opened a debate on whether his comments were justly or not, on a weekend when other Premier League managers supported their players who opted against promoting the Kick It Out campaign.

Opting Out: Rio choosing to ignore his manager and not wear Kick It Out t-shirt against Stoke City

Throughout his career at Old Trafford, Ferguson has been known for his man-management – the ability to deal with high profile players and the determination not to let any player become bigger than the club. His attitude has not come without trouble in the past. Stories of boots being thrown around the Manchester changing rooms have been well published. Ruud van Nistelrooy soon left United after a training ground row with Ronaldo and Roy Keane was shown the door following his criticism of younger players at the club. On the whole though, players who play for United know the score and they know the manager is not to be disrespected.

So how should, or more importantly, how will Sir Alex Ferguson react to this latest tension around the club?

Rio Ferdinand, one of a number of players who refused to support the Kick It Out campaign this weekend, is perhaps closer to the issue than anyone else. After all it was his younger brother, Anton, who was victim of racial abuse from John Terry twelve months ago, Terry who was given a minimal punishment of a four game ban this week. With recent events in Serbia with Danny Rose experiencing racial abuse when playing for England U21’s, and the cases of Patrice Evra and Anton Ferdninand over the last year, fears that this stain on the game is not completely abolished have been heavily sparked.

Club problems: A red-faced Ferguson shows his anger at Rio’s decision

So Rio’s view, along with players like Jason Roberts and Joleon Lescott, is clear, he does not feel the Kick It Out campaign is doing enough to abolish racism in football. An opinion entitled to him. The problem the defender faces is that Ferguson made it clear to Friday’s press that all players would be wearing the campaign’s t-shirts. Either a break-down in communication between manager and player has occurred, or Mr Ferdinand simply stood by his views and ignored Ferguson, either way it has left Sir Alex red-faced and Ferdinand no doubt facing disciplinary action, formal or not.If this wasn’t enough for the English defender, then a shaky performance in United’s defence would not have helped his situation. The 33-year-old was at fault for Stoke’s second goal in Saturday’s 4-2 win when he let midfielder Michael Kightly ease through the centre of Manchester United’s defence.

As well as all of this, his contact expires at the end of this season; do not expect renewal talks to be imminent.

What’s your view on the Rio/Ferguson saga? Who was right, who was wrong, and what actions should now be taken?

Written by Alfie Long. See more of his work at: pitchsidetalk.wordpress.com or follow him on twitter @pitchsidetalk

 

Edited by Charlie Cook @charlie_cook09

 

Thoughts and comments welcome, all support appreciated!

Alen Halilović – The New Luka Modric

In the scouting report section of the site, Liquid Football hopes to bring you the best young talent from around the World. We started off at Barcelona, with Alfie Long’s report on Jean-Marie Dongou. Our next wonderkid is Alen Halilović who plays for Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

Below is some footage of Dinamo Zagreb’s highly rated attacking midfielder Alen Halilović. Halilović is now 16-years-old. He has represented Croatia at youth level from U 14’s up, and recently became the youngest ever Dinamo Zagreb player making his debut at 16 years and 102 days old. 10 days later he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the league.

Alen Halilović’s likes to play in the number 10 role but he can also play on the right wing. His slight frame and long blonde hair has seen him likened to fellow Croatian Lua Modric. Dinamo academy director Romea Jozaka said: “I watched Luka at the same age and it seems to me that Alen is a step, maybe two in front of him.” He went on to describe him as “an extraordinary talent. Incredibly powerful with the ball for his age. We know that he’s been mentioned throughout Europe as the best we’ll see in the next few years in his position.”

Both Manchester clubs have reportedly visited Zagreb to keep up to date with his progress, he also spent 4 days training with the Real Madrid youth team when he was 14. This is what a Real Madrid source had to say about him: “Everyone here knows he will be a sensation. When he as the ball he is reminiscent of Lionel Messi.” He is currently continuing his education in Zagreb, but he is destined to move to a top European club soon and if the praise he has received is anything to go by then he is certainly one to watch.

What we know about him…

 

D.O.B – 18/06/96 (Age 16)

Nationality – Croatian

Height – 5ft 7″

Position – Attacking Midfielder (Playmaker – No. 10) – Likes to cut in from the right hand side onto his left foot.

Preferred Foot – Left

 

 

Written by Charlie Cook @charlie_cook09

 

Thoughts and comments welcome, all support appreciated!

Beat Lawro – Premier League Predictions

Before each set of Premier League fixtures, I have a look at ‘BBC football expert’, Mark Lawrenson’s predictions. Every week I have the same reaction. I reckon I could do better. Season after season I complain about his ‘woeful’ tipping. Now it’s time to put my proverbial money where my mouth is and try to ‘beat Lawro’.

The points: 1 point for a correct result and 3 points for a correct score.

LAST WEEK

Very good week’s tipping last week. I managed to correctly predict Everton’s 3-1 victory over Southampton, Stoke’s 2-0 win over Swansea and Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw with West Brom.  Check out last weeks tips to see how we both did.

Lawro got four results right, including one perfect score with a score of 4.

I managed six results right, including three perfect scores with a score of 12.

After three weeks of tipping the scores currently stand at:

Liquid Football 32-21 Lawro

Don’t forget the BETTING TIPS at the bottom of the page, we are £130 UP after 2 weeks.

SATURDAY

Man City v Sunderland

I said it last week and I’ll say it again. Manchester City have yet to really hit their stride. I thought they would do that last week against Fulham, but they scraped a 2-1 win with a late Edin Dzeko goal. They were even more unconvincing, only just managing to nick a last minute equaliser at home to Borrussia Dortmund midweek. It says something about their performance, that Joe Hart was man of the match pulling of a number of outstanding saves to keep them in the game.

Sunderland will not be easy opponents, still unbeaten this season, although unconvincing last week in a 1-0 win over Wigan. Sunderland were the only side last season that City couldn’t beat in the league. They drew 3-3 at The Etihad and lost 1-0 at The Stadium of Light. I still see Man City shading this one, but it could be a tight game. Adam Johnson will feel he has something to prove, so expect a big performance from him.

My prediction: 2-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Chelsea v Norwich

This has been a very good week for Chelsea. The win against Arsenal may not have been the cleanest of performances, but it was a fantastic result. The greatest sides find a way to win when they are not playing that well and Chelsea did exactly that. I am not suggesting they are a great side yet, but they have definitely added an attacking flare to the team in the summer. They followed the win over Arsenal with a 4-0 thumping of FC Nordsjælland in the Champions League too.

I fear for Norwich in this one, they have conceded at least 3 goals in their past 4 matches at Stamford Bridge. They were very poor in their 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool and I don’t see them picking up anything from this one either. I can’t see anything that suggests that Norwich will stay up this season. Grant Holt has again been complaining about not being picked for England, but he should really concentrate on producing for Norwich because his goals kept them up last year and he hasn’t looked anywhere near his best.

My prediction: 3-0

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Swansea v Reading

Swansea were a revelation at the start of the season, but they are in a bit of a rut now. They have failed to score in their last 3 Premier League games. This will be a huge game for Michael Laudrup’s Swansea to show that they weren’t just on a hot streak. Reading are the weakest of the promoted sides by the looks of it. They gave a spirited performance against Newcastle last week in drawing 2-2 with Newcastle, and if it wasn’t for the brilliance of Demba Ba they would have taken all 3 points.

In many ways this is a must win for both sides, but I see Reading taking a point which will be a better result for them than Swansea who will be expecting to win the game.

My prediction: 1-1

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

West Brom v QPR

West Brom are the unsung heroes of the season so far. Not much has been said about them, but Steve Clarke’s side have made a great start. They have only lost once, and are sitting comfortably in 6th place. QPR on the other hand, are really struggling. Mark Hughes has had plenty of financial backing, and they should be picking up more points with the players they have. It won’t be long before he starts really feeling the pressure. West Brom have won all 3 of their home matches this season, and QPR have lost 9 of the last 10 away from home. This has home win written all over it.

My prediction: 2-0

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Wigan v Everton

What a start to the season for Everton. 2nd in the league behind Chelsea, they are playing very good football, and bar the loss of the monumental loss of Fellaini, finally look to have some real depth to their squad. I have been very impressed by the new signing Kevin Mirallas, very quick, can play on the wing or up front, he works hard and looks like he scores a few goals too. He is a very good foil for the brilliant Nikica Jelavic, who is a brilliant finisher.

Wigan are in 16th place, and I suspect that if they finish the league season there they will be happy. This season like every other is about staying up. Even though Wigan put in a good performance away to Sunderland, I still think Everton will be too strong. It will be pretty tight.

My prediction: 1-2

Lawro’s prediction: 1-2

West Ham v Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has had many opponents during his time at Arsenal, but ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce may just be one of the toughest. His record in home matches against Arsenal is 5-3-4, which is unlikely to have been bettered by many. It is as much the style of football that his teams play, as opposed to tactical nous. Arsenal used to dread trips to The Reebok Stadium to meet ‘Big Sam’s’ Bolton and he has created a similar side at Upton Park. Marshalled by the  consistently dangerous Kevin Nolan, West Ham provide threats in every supposed area of Arsenal weakness. The return of Andy Carroll will also worry Arsenal, he has caused them many problems in the past.

Arsenal have not had a good week. They were poor against Chelsea last weekend. In a game that they would have gone into feeling very confident, they looked lackluster and they gifted Chelsea two goals. They were second rate against Olympiakos too, despite coming out 3-1 winers. They have started to look shaky at the back and their weakness in defending set pieces and corners will be a real concern against West Ham. Steve Bould will have worked hard during the week getting the defence up to scratch, but they conceded another header against Olympiako and that will be a worry. Per Mertesacker should be reintroduced in place of Koscielny and they will need his experience and organisation as well as his height at the back. Giroud could well be key on the weekend, both up front and at the back defending set plays. Expect him to start.

This is a very tough game to pick as Arsenal have the quality to produce enough chances to beat West Ham regardless of defensive frailties. I can see it going either way, but I am going to go for an upset. Nolan will relish the opportunity and I think he and Carroll will lead West Ham to an unlikely victory.

My prediction: 2-1

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

SUNDAY

Southampton v Fulham

I was really pleased for Southampton when they got their first win of the season against Aston Villa a couple of weeks ago, but it was back down to earth with a bump last week as Everton beat them 3-1 pretty comfortably. Gaston Ramirez scored first but it was all Everton for the rest of the game and they really could have scored more than 3 in the end. One thing that Southampton offer is goals, whether for against, I think this could be a high scoring game. Fulham have been a touch inconsistent, but they were unlucky not to get a point against Man City last weekend and Mladen Petric and Bryan Ruiz look to be forming a good partnership. Southampton will be hoping to get all 3 points at home especially as Fulham are still missing Dimitar Berbatov and I can see them doing that.

My prediction: 3-2

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Liverpool v Stoke

Liverpool seem to be taking one step forward then two steps back. As much as Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed with the loss against Udinese, his main focus will be on the league and that was evident as Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard were on the bench for the Europa League tie. I may sound like a broken record, but Liverpool are going nowhere until they can find a consistent goalscorer. Suarez scored a brilliant hat-trick against Norwich last week, but he is infuriatingly inconsistent in front of goal. This will be a tricky game as Stoke will look to frustrate Liverpool and they will need to be at their best in front of goal to break down Tony Pulis’ side. I can see Liverpool winning, but I think it may be a nervy one.

My prediction: 1-0

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Tottenham v Aston Villa

Spurs recorded their first win in 23 years at Old Trafford last week. Remarkably they only had 26% possession yet still came away with the points. They look very dangerous on the break, and they attack with a lot of pace. Aston Villa will be looking to not give Spurs as much space to play in, they will be sitting deeper and they may well find it harder to break a team down at White Hart Lane, as they have showed so far with disappointing draws at home to QPR and Norwich. I still think Tottenham will be too strong for Villa though and I think if they can break the deadlock early then they could run out comfortable winners.

My prediction: 3-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Newcastle v Man Utd

This is going to be a cracking game. Man Utd have a glittering attack with Wayne Rooney back, joining Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, but their defence looks very brittle. Nemanja Vidic is a huge loss and Rio Ferdinand looks to be on his last legs. He was very vulnerable when left defending against the pace of Gareth Bale, and Newcastle will be hoping that Hatem Ben Arfa will get a chance to run at him too. Demba Ba looks to be in brilliant form once again, and I think Newcastle will cause Man U a lot of problems.

Although United lost last weekend against Spurs, they did manage to control 74% of the possession, and if van Persie had had his shooting boots on they could have come out on top. He missed a number of glorious chances to at least get Man U level. I am going for another upset in this one though, Newcastle got a very imressive 3-0 victory over Bordeaux on Thursday night and with Demba Ba firing they could nick a victory. However, they will have to keep RvP quiet, as anything can happen when he is on the pitch.

My prediction: 2-1

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

BETTING TIPS:

We suggest putting £10 on each choice at betfair. Our First goalscorer bet on Steven Fletcher won last week at 4/1, leaving us £40 up for the week and £130 up overall.

First Goalscorer: Demba Ba – Newcastle v Man U at 7/1 on betfair.

Accumulator: Southampton, West Brom, Tottenham and Liverpool at 9/1 on betfair.

Thoughts and comments welcome, all support appreciated!

Betting Tips for the Weekend

We suggest putting £10 on each choice at betfair. Our First goalscorer bet on Steven Fletcher won last week at 4/1, leaving us £40 up for the week and £130 up overall.

First Goalscorer: 

Newcastle’s Demba Ba is in fantastic form. He scored two goals against Reading last week including this sumptuous volley. The United defence without Vidic has looked weak, and I am hoping Ba will be able to exploit that.

Demba Ba – Newcastle v Man U at 7/1 on betfair.

Accumulator:

Southampton although soundly beaten are a good side, expect them to pick up the points in a tough game against Fulham. The loss of Berbatov is a big one though, so I think the saints will come through. West Brom have won their first 3 games at home this season, and QPR have lost 9 of the last 10 away from home. Sounds like a no brainer to me. Spurs got a brilliant win at Old Trafford and both they and Liverpool look to have turned a corner of sorts and I think they will both win at home to Villa and Stoke Odds of 9 to 1 on the four is not bad if you ask me.

Southampton, West Brom, Tottenham and Liverpool at 9/1 on betfair.

More Problems For Rodgers At Liverpool

Liverpool’s resounding win against Norwich City last weekend was supposed to be a catalyst for change, the fixture that ended a terribly unlucky start to the season and start to the Brendan Rodgers project at Anfield. The word project perfectly fitting because of the long term nature of the task that faces him. In his first few months in charge, noticeable changes have taken place. Rodgers wants to implement a style of play which proved so effective at Swansea, but to achieve this, a revamp is a must. Out with the old and in with the new has been the running theme over the summer in Merseyside.

Long road ahead: Rodgers at the start of his journey at Liverpool

Players like Andy Caroll and Charlie Adam, who were brought in during Kenny Dalglish’s period in charge, have been axed as the new manager seeks to bring in the right footballers for what he is trying to achieve. Changes to any team will always mean a time of transition, it will inevitably mean an unsettled time as new players adjust to their new environment. Having said this, no one would have predicted such an unsettled start to Liverpool’s campaign. Before the weekend just gone, they had played five Premier League games, losing three and without recording a win. Performances have not been bad, but luck has been far from them, as Rodgers continues to reiterate.

A 5-2 win at Carrow Road on Saturday changed that and finally gave Liverpool the domestic win they deserved, after harsh results against ManCity, Arsenal and Man United. It seemed their luck had changed and their season had re-started. Udinese did not read the script though, ahead of their Europa League fixture with the Reds on Thursday. In particular, their striker Di Natalie who’s class and experience lent a hard lesson to an experimental Liverpool team. Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard took their places on the bench before the game – a decision by the manager that will no doubt be argued by many – nevertheless it was a Liverpool team which included quality and more significantly a team of players keen to impress. The first half saw Liverpool boss Udinese in front of an ignited Kop crowd. A 23^rd minute goal for Jonjo Shelvey was the first of what could and maybe should have been a few first half goals for Liverpool, who failed to capitalise on their neat play. Their luck worsened within a minute after the break when the timeless classic that is Di Natalie stepped up to equalise for the visitors. Further pressure and unconvincing defending led to a second for Udinese via the headed own goal of Sebastien Coates on the 70^th minute mark, and a third two minutes later from Giovanni Pasquale.

Period of transition: Rodgers has had to deal with the problems left by the Dalglish campaign before initiating his own plan

The result proved the hangover from Dalglish’s time in charge remains. The fact is it may not be a physical problem anymore than it is a psychological issue that Liverpool are not winning games that they should. They have often been without luck already this season but that will not hold up for very long with the Merseyside faithful. The issue may be a lacking winning mentality that has been left to linger like a bad smell over Anfield, a problem that Rodgers will need time to fix.

The question is, how long will he have before criticism is directed at him and the lack of luck excuse is no longer in place? Sitting 14^th in the league as they go into the third month of the season, Rodgers will know results must pick up soon.

 

Written by Alfie Long. See more of his work at: pitchsidetalk.wordpress.com or follow him on twitter @pitchsidetalk

 

Edited by Charlie Cook @charlie_cook09

 

Thoughts and comments welcome, all support appreciated!

Top 5 Goals of the Week (VOTE)

Thierry Henry

Adel Taarabt

Andrija Zivkovic

Martin Jiranek

Demba Ba

Beat Lawro

Before each set of Premier League fixtures, I have a look at ‘BBC football expert’, Mark Lawrenson’s predictions. Every week I have the same reaction. I reckon I could do better. Season after season I complain about his ‘woeful’ tipping. Now it’s time to put my proverbial money where my mouth is and try to beat Lawro.

The points: 1 point for a correct result and 3 points for a correct score.

LAST WEEK

After struggling the first week, I had a good one last time out. Managed to correctly predict the 2-1 victory for Manchester United and the 1-1 draw between West Ham and Sunderland. Check out last weeks tips to see how we both did.

Lawro got five results right, with one perfect score.

I managed seven results right with two perfect scores.

After two weeks of tipping the scores currently stand at:

Liquid Football 20-17 Lawro

Don’t forget the BETTING TIPS at the bottom of the page, we are £90 UP.

SATURDAY

Arsenal v Chelsea

What a game to start off the weekend. In previous years this has been a battle of styles; the direct, powerful game of Chelsea up against the more technical, passing game of Arsenal but since their last meeting, Chelsea, with the likes of Hazard and Oscar have gone through a transformation under Roberto Di Matteo. Arsene Wenger has already mentioned this week that although Chelsea may miss Didier Drogba, Arsenal certainly won’t. This will hopefully be a more open, entertaining game than in the past.

Both teams have started the season well. Arsenal have gone to Liverpool, Man City and Stoke yet still remain unbeaten. Chelsea too have not lost a game, so it is the battle of the undefeated. Chelsea’s new open attacking style could suit Arsenal this weekend though. In the past Arsenal have found Chelsea a difficult nut to crack,  but this is a new side. Chelsea are top of the League but there have been signs that they have not completed their transition yet. They were beaten 4-1 by Athletico Madrid in the Super Cup and came close to dropping points against Stoke and Reading recently.  All the talk during the week has been about John Terry’s trial, but both teams scored 6 midweek in the Capital One Cup so it should be a very good game. Arsenal were unlucky not to take all the points against City and I think they will be too good for Chelsea this weekend.

My prediction: 3-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Everton v Southampton

I wrote a piece earlier in the week about David Moyes and what a fantastic job he has done. Everton have been the surprise package so far this season, currently sitting in 3rd place. Last week they were brilliant in dismantling Swansea 3-0. Southampton had a poor start with some very tricky fixtures, but they showed their true potential with a brilliant 4-1 win over Aston Villa last time out. Many pundits suggest that the key ingredient in survival for the promoted sides is having a goalscorer and Ricky Lambert looks like he is exactly that. They also have some very exciting players, and play attractive attacking football. They will trouble many sides this season and I believe they will stay up, but Everton will be too strong for them on Saturday. Everton are on a fantastic run, and I don’t expect that to let up at Goodison.

My prediction: 3-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Fulham v Man City

Martin Jol has done a great job at Fulham. They have lost two of their top performers in Dembele and Dempsey, but have arguably made one of the signings of the season by nabbing former Premier League top goalscorer Dimitar Berbatov. Fulham are a very difficult proposition at Craven Cottage and they have a good record there against the bigger sides. They have only lost 5 of the last 30 at home, but when they have lost it has been by a few goals. Manchester City have stuttered so far this season without reaching top form. I feel they are due a big win and with Dimitar Berbatov out for the next two weeks I think this could be a bit of a one sided encounter.

My prediction: 1-4

Lawro’s prediction: 0-2

Norwich v Liverpool

If the table is to be believed then this one could be classed as a relegaton 6 pointer. Neither side has registered a victory yet in the League, but Liverpool have already had to play both Manchester clubs and Arsenal as well as two tough away trips to Sunderland and West Brom. Since Norwich lost 5-0 away to Fulham on the opening day, they have made themselves difficult to beat without offering too much going forward. Snodgrass has been a real bright spark for them, but with Grant Holt misfiring they are really struggling. Liverpool have been very unlucky so far this season, but the signs from the League Cup win over West Brom midweek suggest they are going in the right direction. With memories of last years magnificent hat-trick still fresh in his mind, I am backing a Luis Suarez inspired change of luck for Liverpool. Just.

My prediction: 1-2

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Reading v Newcastle

I said last week that Reading look like the weakest of the promoted sides, and they have done nothing to change my mind. Reading have managed one solitary point at home to Stoke, a game which in all fairness they should have won. Newcastle have been short of the form they displayed last season but they have still been picking up results. Last time out at Reading, they were soundly beaten by Spurs. You don’t want to give the two Newcastle forwards, Ba and Cisse too many chances, and I think they will be the difference between the sides. I can see Newcastle scoring a few goals.

My prediction: 1-3

Lawro’s prediction: 1-2

Stoke v Swansea

Swansea started the season brilliantly, but they have lost their last two without scoring a goal. I feel that Laudrup made a mistake leaving out Leon Britton last week, he is an underrated player. His ability to sit behind the Swans midfield and dictate the tempo of the game was sorely missed as Everton dominated. Even if Leon Britton is included I still think Stoke will be too good. It is hard to go to the Britannia and play good football as Stoke try to suffocate their opponents. Stoke will be too physical for Swansea and I expect them to win comfortably.

My prediction: 2-0

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Sunderland v Wigan

Sunderland have drawn their first four games of the season, but when you take into consideration trips to Arsenal, West Ham and Swansea I expect Martin O’Neil will be pretty pleased with how his side is shaping up. Steven Fletcher is in fantastic form. In only his second game at the Stadium of Light, he will want to impress again and he could cause havoc against Wigan’s leaky defence. Only two sides in the league have a worse defensive record and I think Sunderland will take advantage of this and score a few goals in a comfortable win.

My prediction: 3-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Man United v Tottenham

Last time Spurs beat United in the league was in 2001 and Spurs havn’t even managed a point at Old Trafford since 2005. That will give you some idea of what a tall order this is for AVB. Having said that, they have now recorded two wins on the bounce as well as an encouraging 3-0 win midweek in the Capital One Cup. So they will go into the game with increasing confidence.

The loss of Nemanja Vidic is a big one for United, but with Rooney returning and van Persie as lethal as ever I think they will be too strong for Spurs. Spurs are adjusting to life under AVB and they are improving steadily, but Old Trafford may be a step too far for them. Should be a very entertaining game, keep an on Moussa Dembele he was the best player on the pitch when visiting Old Trafford earlier in the season with Fulham.

My prediction: 3-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

SUNDAY

Aston Villa v West Brom

Most derby games are tense scrappy affairs and I expect that this game will be very tight. West Brom have had a very good start with 3 wins and a draw in their first 5 games. Aston Villa looked to be progressing well under Paul Lambert with a win over Swansea, but last weeks 4-1 loss to Southampton will have been very disappointing. The one positive will have been Darren Bent finding the back of the net. They will also have had a huge boost from beating Man City in the Capital One Cup midweek. There is never more than a goal between these two sides and I fancy it to be a draw.

My prediction: 1-1

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

MONDAY

QPR v West Ham

Monday night football is back with a London derby. Both managers have a tendency to set their sides up as hard to beat and go from there, so I don’t expect it to be an open game. QPR need a win, as they are sitting second bottom with only 2 draws so far, West Ham on the other hand have started the season very positively. If you were to follow form, then West Ham would be favourites, but QPR are looking better each week. Esteban Granero is slowly acclimatising to the Premier League and his influence on the side will grow as he is a quality player. It will be a nervy game at Loftus Road, but I think QPR have the quality to nick their first win of the season.

My prediction: 1-0

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

BETTING TIPS:

We suggest putting £10 on each choice at betfair. Our Accumulator won last week at 10/1, leaving us £90 up.

First Goalscorer: Steven Fletcher – Sunderland v Wigan at 5/1 on betfair.

Accumulator: Arsenal, Everton, Stoke, Sunderland and Manchester United at 18/1.

Thoughts and comments welcome, all support appreciated!

Missed As a Footballer But Not As a Man

Following the news that John Terry has been found guilty of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand and that he will no longer pull on the famous white jersey of England, there will be many that see this as a triumph for the decent over the disgraceful. Despite his many controversial mistakes, his footballing ability has never been called into question. While Terry has been on a mission of self-destruction for as long as the mind remembers, there is the argument that we have pushed and harried England’s best defender and leader into early retirement, and our reasons are completely non-football related.

Mark Lawrenson said on Match of the Day 2, “It seems Terry is pre-empting the FA by retiring. He’s almost citing a witch-hunt with his statement. But away from that, he’s always been outstanding for England as a leader and a player on the pitch. They will miss him”.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and defend a man who has compiled a shameful repertoire, which rivals even the infamous Joey Barton, if a little less sociopathic. He is guilty of a multitude of misdemeanours, all of which could have been easily avoided with even the slightest hint of brain power. Problems were clear right from the start of his career; from kicking off repeatedly at night clubs to revealing his sensitive understanding of world affairs by mocking American tourists at Heathrow airport days after 9/11 – it was plain to see from an early age that Terry was, in many respects, a bad egg.

What followed was the Wayne Bridge affair in 2010, a tumultuous period that cost him the England captaincy as punishment. Who would have believed that Terry, having been reinstated, would lose it again less than a year later? The irrepressible cloud that has hung over Terry since the incident of apparent racism against Anton Ferdinand in 2011 has not since dissipated, and Terry has cited the FA’s stance on the matter as the key factor in his decision to retire.

Having been cleared of racially abusing Ferdinand in July, Terry found himself the subject if an FA investigation into the matter. Objectively, you can understand Terry’s evident frustration at this. He was found not guilty, but the FA still pressed charges against him. Their decision to do so, whether you agree with the punishment or not, has been vindicated with Terry found guilty of the FA enquiry. It is evident however that they no longer wanted him to play for England, and his decision to retire will have been met with relief from English football’s governing body, but will there be a cost for their obsession?

Terry is a colossal leader and an outstanding defender. He is, and has been for the best part of a decade, a footballing role model for young defenders the world over. Of this, there is no question. It is worth noting that Terry is no longer the powerhouse defender that he was, but he is still only 31 and in footballing terms a player of his quality will be hard to replace. Fabio Cannavaro led Italy to a World Cup triumph in 2006 at the age of 33 and in an ideal world Terry would play on helping nurture his future replacements.

His two worlds are separate; his ugly, off the field side, and his heroic performances on it. Unlike other bad boys of English football, he has been able to shut out the destructive, and concentrates on leading his team to victory. We all expect a trail of injured players and multi-coloured cards to follow when the likes of Lee Catermole, Marlon King and Ryan Shawcross take the field, but Terry is different, as much as we hate to admit it.

Terry has led Chelsea to three Premier League titles, four FA cups, two League cups and a Champions league since 2004, making him Chelsea’s most successful captain. He was named Uefa Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009. He was PFA Player’s Player of the year in 2005, and was also in the FIFAPro World XI from 2005 to 2008. As England captain, he always displayed absolute professionalism on the pitch throughout his tenure.

The endorsements from England bosses are endless. Fabio Capello resigned on the eve of Euro 2012 after Terry was stripped of the captaincy for the second time; Roy Hodgson consistently backed Terry, and always picked him to start for England right up until his retirement. Asked whether the Chelsea skipper is a natural leader in 2001, Steve McLaren told the BBC: “Yes, of course he is. I think everyone accepts that, everyone can see it, everybody who knows John Terry behind the scenes knows that.” McLaren was almost right. Yes, everyone can see he is a leader, no doubt those who work with him know that he is (with a few notable exceptions), but the nation cannot and probably never will accept John Terry.

Written by Tom Gatehouse. See more of his work at: http://goodbadribery.blogspot.co.uk/ or follow him on twitter @tragatehouse

 

Edited by Charlie Cook @charlie_cook09

3 Observations from the Weekend

Everton provide blueprint that others should follow

In an era when having two managers in a single season is normal, it is remarkable that David Moyes has manged to spend 10 years at Everton. The chairman, Bill Kenwright’s faith in Moyes, and his undoubted ability are the key to Everton’s success so far this season and in the past decade. Moyes has never had much money to spend, in fact he has only had a net spend of £14 million pounds while at Everton. Despite that, he has transformed them from a team battling relegation to one currently sitting in 3rd place in the Premier League.

Everton’s lack of funds has led many to suggest that their squad lacks depth. This is the case to some extent, but every season despite losing key players Everton become stronger and this season they have more quality beyond the first team than many give them credit for. Jelavic has proven himself as an impressive goalscorer since arriving from Rangers, and he has been joined in the attacking ranks by his former partner at Rangers Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas who was brilliant against Swansea. It looked like the absence of Jelavic for that game at Swansea on the weekend would be a big loss, but Anichebe was a more than handy replacement. They are also well stocked in defence too, with Distin, Jagielka and Heitinga an imressive trio of centre-backs. Everton have a number of players that are versatile enough to play in a various positions, meaning that injuries have less of an effect. Phil Neville can play anywhere across the defence and in the midfield, Fellaini can play up front or in midfield and Jagielka can even play in goal, as Arsenal fans will remember when he kept a clean sheet against them back in his Sheffield United days. These are just a few examples.

Admittedly Fellaini and Pienaar are vital to this Everton side. The diminutive South African adds that touch of class, cutting in from the left flank, he is their creative spark and Marouane Fellaini the afro-haired Belgian has the ability to bully sides off the park as he did against Manchester United on the opening day. Like many sides, they will need to be lucky with injuries to keep this brilliant form going, but it would be harsh to say their squad lacks depth.

I am not suggesting that Everton will win the League, or necessarily even a finish in the Champion’s League places, but they have already shown that they are quality side and they will continue to grow under David Moyes. Their success is a direct result of Bill Kenwright’s trust in his manager. He has given him the time to improve the squad and implement his plans and it has undoubtedly paid off. He is the 3rd longest-serving manager in the Premier League and has recently become one of only four managers to amass 150 Premier League victories joining Harry Redknapp, Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson. This Everton blueprint is one that other teams in the Premier League would be well served following. It may well be one that their Mersyside neighbours may need to adopt to achieve their former glories.

Short supply of luck in Liverpool

It is clear that Liverpool need a finisher, they are 3rd for number of shots per game yet they are lying in 18th place with only 4 goals. It is also clear that Brendan Rodgers only let Andy Carroll go because he was of the assumption that Clint Dempsey was on his way to Anfield.

Liverpool’s bad luck continued on the weekend. Like the Arsenal and Manchester City games previously, they were the better side for much of the game, but on this occasion their inability to score goals was not the sole reason for their downfall. The key decisions of the game went against them. The referee Mark Halsey, in my opinion was very poor. There were two key decisions that changed the game. The first was the red card for Jonjo Shelvey. It is clear from the photo (above) that if Shelvey deserved a red card then Johnny Evans did too. If anything, Evans’ challenge looks worse, it could easily have gone the other way with Man Utd being reduced to 10 men had Shelvey been the one lying on the floor after the challenge. Even after Shelvey’s dismissal Liverpool looked dangerous, but Mark Halsey came to United’s rescue again awarding a very debatable penalty. Glen Johnson was stupid to put his arm across Valencia’s back, but the contact was minimal and not enough to warrant a penalty.

If the defeat wasn’t bad enough, Martin Kelly suffered an injury that could see his season over, Daniel Agger will be out for at  least a week with a “heavily bruised knee”, and Fabio Borini is out indefinitely. Brendan Rodgers has had a difficult start to his tenure at Liverpool, but he has been unlucky. He is trying to transform this Liverpool side and it will take time. Let’s hope John Henry and Tom Werner take a leaf out of Bill Kenwright’s book and give it to him.

Arsenal 12/13 are better than Arsenal 11/12

It seems that Arsenal have solved all the problems from last season. They looked shaky at the back, they lacked structure in the midfield and they were almost devoid of creativity. These are all overstatements that were toggled by the media and fans throughout the season. The one thing that everyone agreed on though, was that Arsenal had the best striker in the league.

What was clear from the game against Manchester City at the weekend, was that Arsenal are more solid at the back now, Steve Bould has obviously made a big difference. They have only conceded 2 goals in their 5 games as opposed to 14 at this stage last season. Per Mertesacker looks to be the player to have benefited most, his intelligence and ability to read the game was evident with 7 interceptions at the Etihad. Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs have also improved remarakbly, they were a constant threat down the flanks and looked far more composed in defence.

Much was said about Arsenal’s lack of a defensive midfielder to start the season, but Wenger’s choice to replace Alex Song with Mikel Arteta has been a master stroke. Arsenal’s midfield looks to be more structured with Arteta in that role, as he is more disciplined than the wandering Song. He is also more efficient with the ball, he made 100 of his 106 attempted passes against City. Diaby too has been a revelation. On the weekend Yaya Toure only really managed to influence the game when Diaby left the field. Aaron Ramsey also had a good game, he will be hoping that he can finally put his injury hell behind him. Santi Cazorla has perhaps been the most important addition to the Arsenal midfield. He provides the creativity that has been missing since Cesc Fabregas left. Wilshere and Rosicky are back in training too and the talented Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently on the bench so there are more options waiting in the wings.

The problems from last season, seem a long way away. Unfortunately, so does the best striker in the league. The one thing Arsenal didn’t need fixing in 11/12 is now missing in 12/13. Arsenal’s most wasteful player, Gervinho, played up front against Manchester City. It would be hard  not to argue that if a certain RvP had been in his place then Arsenal would have won. The Ivorian’s all round play was good, but his finishing was atrocious. Olivier Giroud has failed to find the target and may need more time to adjust to the Premier League. Podolski seems to have slotted in perfectly forming a brilliant partnership with Cazorla, but Wenger seems reluctant to move him from the left flank. It is clear that Arsenal look a far better team than last season, but if they want to truly challenge for the title then they will have to find someone to “score when he wants”, like van Persie did.

Just one final thought…

Sunderland have drawn their opening four games of the season, but with Steven Fletcher in red hot form and Adam Johnson returning you would definitely fancy them to beat Wigan at the Stadium of Light. Maybe have a save some money for a cheeky bet on Fletcher for first goalscorer too.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see home wins for Arsenal, Everton and Stoke either. May be worth an accumulator.