Of all the top 5 clubs (Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur), only Man Utd and Spurs fail to get 3 points in their opening games of the Barclays Premier League. Man Utd had to settle for a scoreless draw against Reading while Spurs were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by newcomers Sunderland. So what went wrong for these two clubs that are expected to challenge for honours this season? Tactics!
In the Man Utd - Reading game, Sir Alex Ferguson opted for Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs as their front two. Ryan Giggs isn't a striker, he is best playing on the left even at this late stage of his career. Throughout the game, Giggs tend to drift to the midfield quite a bit leaving Rooney alone upfront. Rooney isn't the classic centre forward. He is more of a playmaker forward in the Cantona mould. Playing him alone upfront is not a good choice tactically. And when Rooney went off injured, United basically had no natural strikers in the team. They had to call utility player John O'Shea to play upfront. I was watching him closely on TV when he was out of the dugout. He look shocked when he was told by the Man Utd bench to play up front. Don't get me wrong. United dominated Reading from the start of the whistle. I think they had more than 20 chances to score but fail to convert even one. I think the problem with the system that United is playing is that, they think even without a natural out and out striker, they are able to score goals by anyone in the team. Last season, they had Ronaldo in super human form scoring the bulk of the goals for them but you can't depend on a winger all the time to be your main scorer. I doubt Ronaldo can score 20 goals again this season. So you look at the rest of the United team and ask who else can score goals? Well they of course have plenty of attacking players but most of them are creative and flair midfielders/wingers. The likes of Nani, Anderson and Scholes will not get 20 goals a season. With Rooney now injured for 6 weeks, United will turn to new signing Tevez but he is very similar to how Rooney plays his game. Teves is not an out and out striker. Unless Man Utd get Saha fit, I think they will have a tough time scoring lots of goals but I still do think they are good enough to win the Premiership.
As for Spurs, oh boy here we go again. Everyone expects them to do well every year and they keep failing to reach people's expectations. I think they have a good squad this year and I am sticking to my prediction of a fourth place finish for them but they need to get their tactics right for the rest of the season. Against Sunderland, Spurs were lacking penetration down the wings and creativity in the centre of midfield. They had Steed Malbranque on wide left and Tainio on the right. Both of them are not wingers. Malbranque did play alright but playing on the left, he tended to drift in quite a bit while Tainio is more of a defensive midfielder. In the centre of midfield, Spurs had Zokora and Jenas. Jenas in my opinion, was awful. I just don't understand how Martin Jol can praise him all the time. He lost the ball so many times. His passing was awful. Basically he was just a spectator. Spurs need the width and creativity if they are to make full use of their awesome strikers like Berbatov, Keane, Defoe and Bent. Berbatov and Keane started the game at Sunderland. I do think that these two are the perfect striking combination at Spurs but we can't depend on them to deliver all the time if the rest of the team, especially in center of midfield and on the wings are not delivering. Spurs need to drop Jenas and put in Huddlestone. Move Malbranque to the right while Lennon is still out injured and bring in the young Adel Taarabt at left wing. These changes will make Spurs a more effective attacking team.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Weekend Results
Results of the weekend's opening games:
Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham
Bolton 1-3 Newcastle
Derby 2-2 Portsmouth
Everton 2-1 Wigan
Middlesbrough 1-2 Blackburn
West Ham 0-2 Man City
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
Chelsea 3-2 Birmingham
Man Utd 0-0 Reading
The Football Pundit's Predictions:
Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham
Bolton 1-1 Newcastle
Derby 0-2 Portsmouth
Everton 2-0 Wigan
Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn
West Ham 3-1 Man City
Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Fulham
Chelsea 1-0 Birmingham
Man Utd 3-0 Reading
BBC Pundit Mark Lawrenson's predictions:
Sunderland 1-1 Tottenham
Bolton 1-0 Newcastle
Derby 1-2 Portsmouth
Everton 2-0 Wigan
Middlesbrough 1-1 Blackburn
West Ham 2-0 Man City
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
Chelsea 2-0 Birmingham
Man Utd 3-1 Reading
The Football Pundit got only 3 results correct and all score predictions wrong. Mark got 4 results right and 1 perfect score. Mark wins!
Prediction Table:
BBC Pundit Mark Lawrenson 1 win
The Football Pundit 0 win
The Football Pundit has to work harder for the upcoming midweek matches.
Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham
Bolton 1-3 Newcastle
Derby 2-2 Portsmouth
Everton 2-1 Wigan
Middlesbrough 1-2 Blackburn
West Ham 0-2 Man City
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
Chelsea 3-2 Birmingham
Man Utd 0-0 Reading
The Football Pundit's Predictions:
Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham
Bolton 1-1 Newcastle
Derby 0-2 Portsmouth
Everton 2-0 Wigan
Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn
West Ham 3-1 Man City
Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Fulham
Chelsea 1-0 Birmingham
Man Utd 3-0 Reading
BBC Pundit Mark Lawrenson's predictions:
Sunderland 1-1 Tottenham
Bolton 1-0 Newcastle
Derby 1-2 Portsmouth
Everton 2-0 Wigan
Middlesbrough 1-1 Blackburn
West Ham 2-0 Man City
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Arsenal 2-0 Fulham
Chelsea 2-0 Birmingham
Man Utd 3-1 Reading
The Football Pundit got only 3 results correct and all score predictions wrong. Mark got 4 results right and 1 perfect score. Mark wins!
Prediction Table:
BBC Pundit Mark Lawrenson 1 win
The Football Pundit 0 win
The Football Pundit has to work harder for the upcoming midweek matches.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
This week's predictions
Sunderland vs Tottenham: Sunderland's first home game in the top flight so it will be a massive game for them. The Stadium of Light has been like a fortress for Sunderland last season. They have not lost a League game at home in 2007. Spurs, if they want to signal their intention of breaking into the top 4, have to win games convincingly against lower quality oppositions. This will be a tough game for them but their attacking strength will do enough to get them the points.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 1-1
The Football Pundit says: 1-2
Bolton vs Newcastle: Interesting game this one. Big Sam returns to his old club Bolton. New strikers Viduka and Smith look set to play their first game for Newcastle. Bolton have to prove to the rest that they are strong enough without Big Sam at the helm. Bolton's record of not losing in its first game of the season is impressive. The last time they lost an opening game was 16 August 2003 against Man Utd at Old Trafford.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's predition: 1-0
The Football Pundit says: 1-1
Derby vs Portsmouth: I look at the team assembled by Derby and ask myself, where's the quality? Compare that to Portsmouth which has £23m worth of new signings available for this game. New signing Nugent will lead the attack for Portsmouth but don't expect him to get his debut goal.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediciton: 1-2
The Football Pundit says: 0-2
Everton vs Wigan: Everton at home will be too strong for a very weak Wigan team who will struggle this year. You look at Wigan's defence, you see Titus Bramble playing there and you can say that's a sure win for Everton.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 2-0
Middlesbrough vs Blackburn: Boro have lost the past 5 games to Blackburn while Blackburn have lost their opening games two seasons in a row so I guess both teams will be out to make sure they do not lose. On paper, Blackburn has a far superior squad than Boro.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 1-1
The Football Pundit says: 0-0
West Ham vs Manchester City: Another interesting game. Ex England boss Erikson makes his return to England as the manager of Man City. West Ham after remarkably escaping relegation last season, want to make sure they have a good start to their campaign. They will surely miss Tevez but Dean Ashton is back and I think he will sparkle for them this season. Man City will look out of sorts tonight as they will take time to gel together as a team. They also have a terrible first game of the season record.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 3-1
Aston Villa vs Liverpool: All eyes will be on the much strengthened Liverpool team. New signings Torres and Benayoun will get their debuts. They do look an impressive team. Liverpool have not won an opening Premier League fixture since 18 August 2002. Villa as we all know are the draw specialists. They draw almost half of their league games last season.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 1-2
The Football Pundit says: 0-0
Arsenal vs Fulham: I think this is an easy game for Arsenal. Fulham are a very weak side. Eduardo da Silva and Bacary Sagna will get their debuts and I expect Arsenal to come out all firing. They lost Henry but many in the Arsenal camp feel that the team can surprise many this season by winning the League. Fulham have never won a game at Arsenal's home ground.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 3-0
Chelsea vs Birmingham: Battle of the Blues! No John Terry for Chelsea but Drogba should be in the team. That's good news for Chelsea because Drogba is their main source of goals. Chelsea have a very good record at home - unbeaten in 63 straight games!
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 1-0
Manchester United vs Reading: The Champions kick off their first game at home against a side that surprised many last season. New signings Hargreaves and Nani should get their debuts for Utd. Reading have not bought enough to strengthened their side this season. I fear their defence will be overrun by United's forwards in this game. Reading's last victory over Utd was on 17 January 1927.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 3-1
The Football Pundit says: 3-0
Read Mark Lawrenson's predictions here.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 1-1
The Football Pundit says: 1-2
Bolton vs Newcastle: Interesting game this one. Big Sam returns to his old club Bolton. New strikers Viduka and Smith look set to play their first game for Newcastle. Bolton have to prove to the rest that they are strong enough without Big Sam at the helm. Bolton's record of not losing in its first game of the season is impressive. The last time they lost an opening game was 16 August 2003 against Man Utd at Old Trafford.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's predition: 1-0
The Football Pundit says: 1-1
Derby vs Portsmouth: I look at the team assembled by Derby and ask myself, where's the quality? Compare that to Portsmouth which has £23m worth of new signings available for this game. New signing Nugent will lead the attack for Portsmouth but don't expect him to get his debut goal.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediciton: 1-2
The Football Pundit says: 0-2
Everton vs Wigan: Everton at home will be too strong for a very weak Wigan team who will struggle this year. You look at Wigan's defence, you see Titus Bramble playing there and you can say that's a sure win for Everton.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 2-0
Middlesbrough vs Blackburn: Boro have lost the past 5 games to Blackburn while Blackburn have lost their opening games two seasons in a row so I guess both teams will be out to make sure they do not lose. On paper, Blackburn has a far superior squad than Boro.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 1-1
The Football Pundit says: 0-0
West Ham vs Manchester City: Another interesting game. Ex England boss Erikson makes his return to England as the manager of Man City. West Ham after remarkably escaping relegation last season, want to make sure they have a good start to their campaign. They will surely miss Tevez but Dean Ashton is back and I think he will sparkle for them this season. Man City will look out of sorts tonight as they will take time to gel together as a team. They also have a terrible first game of the season record.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 3-1
Aston Villa vs Liverpool: All eyes will be on the much strengthened Liverpool team. New signings Torres and Benayoun will get their debuts. They do look an impressive team. Liverpool have not won an opening Premier League fixture since 18 August 2002. Villa as we all know are the draw specialists. They draw almost half of their league games last season.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 1-2
The Football Pundit says: 0-0
Arsenal vs Fulham: I think this is an easy game for Arsenal. Fulham are a very weak side. Eduardo da Silva and Bacary Sagna will get their debuts and I expect Arsenal to come out all firing. They lost Henry but many in the Arsenal camp feel that the team can surprise many this season by winning the League. Fulham have never won a game at Arsenal's home ground.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 3-0
Chelsea vs Birmingham: Battle of the Blues! No John Terry for Chelsea but Drogba should be in the team. That's good news for Chelsea because Drogba is their main source of goals. Chelsea have a very good record at home - unbeaten in 63 straight games!
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-0
The Football Pundit says: 1-0
Manchester United vs Reading: The Champions kick off their first game at home against a side that surprised many last season. New signings Hargreaves and Nani should get their debuts for Utd. Reading have not bought enough to strengthened their side this season. I fear their defence will be overrun by United's forwards in this game. Reading's last victory over Utd was on 17 January 1927.
BBC's Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 3-1
The Football Pundit says: 3-0
Read Mark Lawrenson's predictions here.
The Ultimate English Premier League Guide
Today is the big kick off so I thought it's best that I give my analysis of every team in the Premier League.
Arsenal: They lost Thierry Henry which is a big, big blow to them. Henry is such a brilliant player and he has scored a lot of goals during his time with Arsenal. Without him, a lot will rest on the shoulders of van Persie whom I rate very highly. He may not be as quick as Henry but he has the same shooting abilities and skills as the great man.
Arsenal has bought striker Eduardo Da Silva to replace Henry. The jury is still out on how good he really is. It will be interesting to see who Arsene Wenger playes upfront. Don't forget. They still have Adebayor and not forgetting young Walcott and Brendtner.
The main problem I see with Arsenal is that they will play the best football but they can't seem to finish off their fine moves with a goal. I think they do need a 20 goal a season striker if they want to win the League. Unfortunately I don't think the strikers they have now can accomplished that.
They were 4th in the league last year but I fear this time, their place among the top four will end. There will be too much pressure on the young lads to keep delivering so I predict they will only end the season in 5th position. I feat they will also lose Wenger at the end of the season.
Aston Villa: I like Martin O' Neill. I've always regarded him very highly as a manager. He has won titles in Scotland but unfortunately I don't think Aston Villa is the right club for him if he wants to be a winner in England.
He has bought the two West Ham boys, Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood. Harewood will hopefully provide them with more ammo up front. Villa has been lacking goals last season and they drew too many times instead of winning games. I really like Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor. Both of them have really got lighting pace. I don't think John Carew is the man for them to fire in the goals though. He looked a little out of sorts last season.
My prediction for Aston Villa is a mid table position.
Birmingham: It is one of the newly promoted clubs - second in the Championship last year. Manager Steve Bruce will have a tough time. He doesn't have a quality squad to fight in the Premier League. A lot will depend on the performances of the other weaker teams if they are to survive.
Will they? I'm afraid not. A bottom three position and relegation to the Championship where they came from.
Blackburn Rovers: They were impressive at times last year. Solid at the back, good in midfield and they got some good strikers. Roque Santa Cruz, their new addition, is a great signing. I like him a lot and I think he will score a fair share of the Blackburn goals this season. If they can hold on to wingers Pederson and Bentley, they will do much better this year.
I expect Blackburn to be challenging for the UEFA slot.
Bolton Wanderers: Big Sam left last year and Bolton is never the same again. Sammy Lee is a very good coach but I don't think he is a good manager. They bought quite a number of new players this season but none really stood out for me. More importantly they lost Tal Ban Haim who was an important asset for them at the back. If Bolton were to repeat their 7th position, they will need to be really tight at the back and play with the same steel and determination like they played when Big Sam was there. Unfortunately I don't think they can do it again without him. Anelka will score goals for them but it will only be enough for them to achieve a mid table position.
Chelsea: Chelsea wants to win the league this year desperately after losing it to Man Utd. They are a hard team to beat but I think the key for them is to score goals. If they can keep Drogba injury free this year, he will continue to bang in the goals for them like he did last year. New signing Malouda looks natural at left wing. I expect Chelsea to play with a 4-3-3 with two wingers supporting a lone striker upfront. Lampard is also key for them but I think he will struggle this year to get into the scoresheet. They are losing Terry due to injury during the early parts of this season and I think that's a big blow. New signing Alex should play ok with Carvalho at the back but without Terry, Chelsea loses its heart and soul. Then there is the African international tournament in which they will lose Drogba and Essien. That's a big factor too.
A Premiership win is beyond Chelsea this year. I think they will remain 2nd and Mourinho to be sacked at the end of the season.
Derby: Hmmmm. Should I just say they will be relegated this season? Seriously, they are not good enough. Their best player in my opinion is young Giles Barnes - and I'm not even sure if he will remain with the club. Key man for them will be striker Earnshaw but I don't think he is of Premiership class.
They may need to buy more players if they are to remain in the Premiership. My prediction is a bottom three position for them. Relegation!
Everton: It's hard for one to be an Everton fan. You look across and see your closest rival Liverpool spending all that cash to bring so many star players. David Moyes knows that he has a long way to go to match Liverpool and he has had problems bringing in new players. They did get Leighton Baines who will do well in the left back slot. They will depend on Arteta a lot in midfield to create the goals for their lone striker Johnson.
I think Everton will challenge for one of the UEFA slots this season.
Fulham: I pick Fulham as the last team for the drop this year. I think they are really weak. They have bought a number of decent players but I doubt they will do much difference to the side. Their defence will leak in lots of goals and upfront, they will have problems scoring them. Manager Lawrie Sanchez is not Premiership quality manager. I think the club will struggle this year.
My prediction is that they will narrowly avoid relegation.
Liverpool: They bought big. Torres has arrived. He will hopefully be the 20 goals a season man that they've been craving for. But I don't know if he can do that. A lot will again rest on the performances of Stevie Gerrard. If he is playing in central midfield, and if Liverpool can get their new players to gel quickly and have a good start to the Premiership, I think they can get closer to the likes of Chelsea and Man U come the end of the season.
Last season, they were third and this season, I think it will be another 3rd position for them.
Manchester City: I don't really like Eriksson as a manager. I thought he was very negative and ran out of ideas during his time managing England. I still think that he will struggle this year in a Manchester City side that has more doubts than quality. They have too many new foreign signings which will be a problem for unity at the club. But the real problem is behind the scenes. Thaksin's take over of the club is to me a very very big gamble. If he was to be convicted for corruption back in Thailand, the club will be in disarray.
I think Eriksson's reign at the club will be a short one. Maybe just one year. I see them struggling this year but will do enough to avoid relegation.
Manchester United: Sir Alex has bought very good players this season. I think Nani will complement Ronaldo on the wings. Teves will be a great signing and Hargreaves will provide them with the much needed steel in midfield. It's a pity they do no sign a quality player at the back and an out and out striker. They need to get Saha fit because I think Man U play their best football with one out an out striker partnered by a creative Cantona or Sheringham-like forward. Partnering Rooney and Teves up front will not be a wise thing as both of them are similar players. If Ronaldo can play as brilliantly as he did last season, Man U will be unstoppable this season.
They have too much firepower upfront for any teams. Will convincingly win the Premiership this season.
Middlesbrough: They lost Viduka but they bought Tuncay and Aliadare to beef up their attack. Luke Young will be a good addition to their defence and having Johnny Woodgate signing for them permanently is a big boost. Their problem will be scoring goals. I have a feeling that Yakubu will leave the club. He is their main man upfront. Stewie Downing will also be an important asset for them. He is a very good crosser of the ball from the left hand side.
A mid table position for Boro this season.
Newcastle: Big Sam will be trying to make Newcastle stronger and harder to beat this year after taking over the reigns as manager. I think selling Scott Parker is a big mistake although Big Sam may think that he has a ready made replacement in new signing Joey Barton. Mark Viduka and Alan Smith have been brought in to bolster the attack. If Newcastle can get Michael Owen fit (which I doubt it), then they will do much much better this season.
I think they will be top half in the table come the end of the season.
Portsmouth: Harry Redknapp did very well last season to finish 9th in the league. I think they will do alright. A lot of players have been bought. Striker Nugent is the most famous one. Can he do it in the Premiership? I think he will struggle to get the goals but Portsmouth has quite plenty of strikers to fill in for him if he does.
I don't think the club will do as well as they did last season but a mid table finish is possible.
Reading: Fairy tale first season but it will be different this time around for Steve Copell and his men. I like Reading and they showed last season they can play with the best teams in the Premiership. I wished they had bought more quality players in. Don't forget. They lost Steve Sidwell to Chelsea. He is a big lost of them as he is their main midfield man. And upfront, they do not have a good enough striker to partner Kevin Doyle.
I think Reading will finish in the lower half of the table.
Sunderland: A lot of eyes will be on Sunderland and their manager Roy Keane. They were Championship winners last season. Can Keane do it at the Premiership as a manager? We all know what a great player he was with Man Utd. I think Keane has the makings of a great manager and I wldnt be surprised if he end up managing Man Utd one day. But managing Sunderland in the Premiership is not an easy task. The club lacks quality players. Chopra upfront is not Premiership class and Kieran Richardson has a lot to do to convince many that he is the Premiership's best left winger. Problem for Keane is that he has a tough time recruiting the good players to his team.
I do think Sunderland will survive the Premiership - just narrowly missing relegation.
Tottenham Hotspur: Two 5th place positions over the last two seasons. Is this the year that Spurs break into the top 4? I do think so. They kept Berbatov who is their key man. They bought Bent who will make Spurs' forward line a threat to anyone in the Premiership. They lost King to injury but I think Kaboul looks like a great defender. He and Dawson will do fine. Bale is a good addition to the side. He will be the best left back in the Premiership this season.
My prediction for Spurs is 4th position.
West Ham: They will do well to stay out of the relegation zone this season. No Tevez but the returning Dean Ashton will do well for them. They bought a lot of players thanks to the millions of their new owner.
Alan Curbishley is a good manager. I think West Ham is a perfect club for him with the financial support that he gets from his chairman. He has a lot of firepower upfront too. Bellamy will provide them with the pace and unpredictability and Scott Parker in midfield looks like a great signing.
I think they will be fine this season, probably in the lower half of the table.
Wigan: The problem with Wigan is the loss of their former manager Paul Jewell. I don't think their new boss Hutchings has got what it takes to manage a Premiership side. Signing defender Titus Bramble is as good as committing suicide. That boy can't defend to safe his life.
They managed to survive last year but this year, they will unfortunately go down.
Arsenal: They lost Thierry Henry which is a big, big blow to them. Henry is such a brilliant player and he has scored a lot of goals during his time with Arsenal. Without him, a lot will rest on the shoulders of van Persie whom I rate very highly. He may not be as quick as Henry but he has the same shooting abilities and skills as the great man.
Arsenal has bought striker Eduardo Da Silva to replace Henry. The jury is still out on how good he really is. It will be interesting to see who Arsene Wenger playes upfront. Don't forget. They still have Adebayor and not forgetting young Walcott and Brendtner.
The main problem I see with Arsenal is that they will play the best football but they can't seem to finish off their fine moves with a goal. I think they do need a 20 goal a season striker if they want to win the League. Unfortunately I don't think the strikers they have now can accomplished that.
They were 4th in the league last year but I fear this time, their place among the top four will end. There will be too much pressure on the young lads to keep delivering so I predict they will only end the season in 5th position. I feat they will also lose Wenger at the end of the season.
Aston Villa: I like Martin O' Neill. I've always regarded him very highly as a manager. He has won titles in Scotland but unfortunately I don't think Aston Villa is the right club for him if he wants to be a winner in England.
He has bought the two West Ham boys, Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood. Harewood will hopefully provide them with more ammo up front. Villa has been lacking goals last season and they drew too many times instead of winning games. I really like Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor. Both of them have really got lighting pace. I don't think John Carew is the man for them to fire in the goals though. He looked a little out of sorts last season.
My prediction for Aston Villa is a mid table position.
Birmingham: It is one of the newly promoted clubs - second in the Championship last year. Manager Steve Bruce will have a tough time. He doesn't have a quality squad to fight in the Premier League. A lot will depend on the performances of the other weaker teams if they are to survive.
Will they? I'm afraid not. A bottom three position and relegation to the Championship where they came from.
Blackburn Rovers: They were impressive at times last year. Solid at the back, good in midfield and they got some good strikers. Roque Santa Cruz, their new addition, is a great signing. I like him a lot and I think he will score a fair share of the Blackburn goals this season. If they can hold on to wingers Pederson and Bentley, they will do much better this year.
I expect Blackburn to be challenging for the UEFA slot.
Bolton Wanderers: Big Sam left last year and Bolton is never the same again. Sammy Lee is a very good coach but I don't think he is a good manager. They bought quite a number of new players this season but none really stood out for me. More importantly they lost Tal Ban Haim who was an important asset for them at the back. If Bolton were to repeat their 7th position, they will need to be really tight at the back and play with the same steel and determination like they played when Big Sam was there. Unfortunately I don't think they can do it again without him. Anelka will score goals for them but it will only be enough for them to achieve a mid table position.
Chelsea: Chelsea wants to win the league this year desperately after losing it to Man Utd. They are a hard team to beat but I think the key for them is to score goals. If they can keep Drogba injury free this year, he will continue to bang in the goals for them like he did last year. New signing Malouda looks natural at left wing. I expect Chelsea to play with a 4-3-3 with two wingers supporting a lone striker upfront. Lampard is also key for them but I think he will struggle this year to get into the scoresheet. They are losing Terry due to injury during the early parts of this season and I think that's a big blow. New signing Alex should play ok with Carvalho at the back but without Terry, Chelsea loses its heart and soul. Then there is the African international tournament in which they will lose Drogba and Essien. That's a big factor too.
A Premiership win is beyond Chelsea this year. I think they will remain 2nd and Mourinho to be sacked at the end of the season.
Derby: Hmmmm. Should I just say they will be relegated this season? Seriously, they are not good enough. Their best player in my opinion is young Giles Barnes - and I'm not even sure if he will remain with the club. Key man for them will be striker Earnshaw but I don't think he is of Premiership class.
They may need to buy more players if they are to remain in the Premiership. My prediction is a bottom three position for them. Relegation!
Everton: It's hard for one to be an Everton fan. You look across and see your closest rival Liverpool spending all that cash to bring so many star players. David Moyes knows that he has a long way to go to match Liverpool and he has had problems bringing in new players. They did get Leighton Baines who will do well in the left back slot. They will depend on Arteta a lot in midfield to create the goals for their lone striker Johnson.
I think Everton will challenge for one of the UEFA slots this season.
Fulham: I pick Fulham as the last team for the drop this year. I think they are really weak. They have bought a number of decent players but I doubt they will do much difference to the side. Their defence will leak in lots of goals and upfront, they will have problems scoring them. Manager Lawrie Sanchez is not Premiership quality manager. I think the club will struggle this year.
My prediction is that they will narrowly avoid relegation.
Liverpool: They bought big. Torres has arrived. He will hopefully be the 20 goals a season man that they've been craving for. But I don't know if he can do that. A lot will again rest on the performances of Stevie Gerrard. If he is playing in central midfield, and if Liverpool can get their new players to gel quickly and have a good start to the Premiership, I think they can get closer to the likes of Chelsea and Man U come the end of the season.
Last season, they were third and this season, I think it will be another 3rd position for them.
Manchester City: I don't really like Eriksson as a manager. I thought he was very negative and ran out of ideas during his time managing England. I still think that he will struggle this year in a Manchester City side that has more doubts than quality. They have too many new foreign signings which will be a problem for unity at the club. But the real problem is behind the scenes. Thaksin's take over of the club is to me a very very big gamble. If he was to be convicted for corruption back in Thailand, the club will be in disarray.
I think Eriksson's reign at the club will be a short one. Maybe just one year. I see them struggling this year but will do enough to avoid relegation.
Manchester United: Sir Alex has bought very good players this season. I think Nani will complement Ronaldo on the wings. Teves will be a great signing and Hargreaves will provide them with the much needed steel in midfield. It's a pity they do no sign a quality player at the back and an out and out striker. They need to get Saha fit because I think Man U play their best football with one out an out striker partnered by a creative Cantona or Sheringham-like forward. Partnering Rooney and Teves up front will not be a wise thing as both of them are similar players. If Ronaldo can play as brilliantly as he did last season, Man U will be unstoppable this season.
They have too much firepower upfront for any teams. Will convincingly win the Premiership this season.
Middlesbrough: They lost Viduka but they bought Tuncay and Aliadare to beef up their attack. Luke Young will be a good addition to their defence and having Johnny Woodgate signing for them permanently is a big boost. Their problem will be scoring goals. I have a feeling that Yakubu will leave the club. He is their main man upfront. Stewie Downing will also be an important asset for them. He is a very good crosser of the ball from the left hand side.
A mid table position for Boro this season.
Newcastle: Big Sam will be trying to make Newcastle stronger and harder to beat this year after taking over the reigns as manager. I think selling Scott Parker is a big mistake although Big Sam may think that he has a ready made replacement in new signing Joey Barton. Mark Viduka and Alan Smith have been brought in to bolster the attack. If Newcastle can get Michael Owen fit (which I doubt it), then they will do much much better this season.
I think they will be top half in the table come the end of the season.
Portsmouth: Harry Redknapp did very well last season to finish 9th in the league. I think they will do alright. A lot of players have been bought. Striker Nugent is the most famous one. Can he do it in the Premiership? I think he will struggle to get the goals but Portsmouth has quite plenty of strikers to fill in for him if he does.
I don't think the club will do as well as they did last season but a mid table finish is possible.
Reading: Fairy tale first season but it will be different this time around for Steve Copell and his men. I like Reading and they showed last season they can play with the best teams in the Premiership. I wished they had bought more quality players in. Don't forget. They lost Steve Sidwell to Chelsea. He is a big lost of them as he is their main midfield man. And upfront, they do not have a good enough striker to partner Kevin Doyle.
I think Reading will finish in the lower half of the table.
Sunderland: A lot of eyes will be on Sunderland and their manager Roy Keane. They were Championship winners last season. Can Keane do it at the Premiership as a manager? We all know what a great player he was with Man Utd. I think Keane has the makings of a great manager and I wldnt be surprised if he end up managing Man Utd one day. But managing Sunderland in the Premiership is not an easy task. The club lacks quality players. Chopra upfront is not Premiership class and Kieran Richardson has a lot to do to convince many that he is the Premiership's best left winger. Problem for Keane is that he has a tough time recruiting the good players to his team.
I do think Sunderland will survive the Premiership - just narrowly missing relegation.
Tottenham Hotspur: Two 5th place positions over the last two seasons. Is this the year that Spurs break into the top 4? I do think so. They kept Berbatov who is their key man. They bought Bent who will make Spurs' forward line a threat to anyone in the Premiership. They lost King to injury but I think Kaboul looks like a great defender. He and Dawson will do fine. Bale is a good addition to the side. He will be the best left back in the Premiership this season.
My prediction for Spurs is 4th position.
West Ham: They will do well to stay out of the relegation zone this season. No Tevez but the returning Dean Ashton will do well for them. They bought a lot of players thanks to the millions of their new owner.
Alan Curbishley is a good manager. I think West Ham is a perfect club for him with the financial support that he gets from his chairman. He has a lot of firepower upfront too. Bellamy will provide them with the pace and unpredictability and Scott Parker in midfield looks like a great signing.
I think they will be fine this season, probably in the lower half of the table.
Wigan: The problem with Wigan is the loss of their former manager Paul Jewell. I don't think their new boss Hutchings has got what it takes to manage a Premiership side. Signing defender Titus Bramble is as good as committing suicide. That boy can't defend to safe his life.
They managed to survive last year but this year, they will unfortunately go down.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Man Utd beat Chelsea to win Community Shield
Manchester United won the Community Shield on Sunday after beating Chelsea on penalties. The Premier League Champions scored during the first half through Ryan Giggs but Chelsea, the FA Cup winners and last year's runner up in the League, equalised through new signing Malouda. United keeper became the hero during the penalty shootout when he saved all three of Chelsea's spot kicks.
Both teams sprang surprises during the kick-off. Manchester United named Patrice Evra, usually a left back, at wide left of midfield. I understand this was done so to accommodate United's other left back, Mikael Silvestre who wants to do a Heinze and leave United. Alex Ferguson, the United manager could have included Silvestre in the team to prevent him from leaving.
Chelsea's team was more of a surprise. No Drogba - he's out for a few weeks. And more importantly no John Terry. The skipper will be out for one month. Upfront, Jose Mourinho used Joe Cole as the main striker supported by Malouda on the left wing and Wright-Phillips on the other.
I thought Chelsea's attack was ineffective throughout the game. Using Joe Cole as a striker isn't the best decision made by Mourinho. Cole is at his best on the wings or as a midfielder. Wright-Phillips was a threat, occasionally on the right side but his crossing was poor most of the time. The only good spark is Malouda. The Frenchman scored the equaliser for Chelsea after showing considerable strength to hold off and then beat the clumsy Rio Ferdinand. Frank Lampard was also poor for Chelsea in midfield. The other debutant, Tal Ben Haim looked ok at centre back while new striker Pizarro looked a little overweight when he came on later. Mourinho said after the match that his side controlled the game. I was wondering which game he was watching. I thought his side was poor.
As for Man Utd, we did get to see new signing Nani who came on as a substitute. We did not see much of his Ronaldo-like dribbling and step overs in the game though. He did take some of the dead balls for United. He looked a bit rusty to me. I think he needs some more games to tune up. Silvestre was poor at left back. He seems to be losing his pace. There were many times when Wright-Phillips skipped past him easily. I expect the impressive Patrice Evra to be United's first choice left back when the Premier League season commences. Evra did well on the left wing. It was him who created the goal for Ryan Giggs who played upfront with Rooney. Cristiano Ronaldo had one of his quieter games for United. Maybe he was saving his best for the league season. My only concern with United is the striking positions. United does not have a good target man to play upfront with Wayne Rooney. During this game, Giggs was paired with Rooney and Rooney as usual did not look comfortable playing the role of the striker chasing after the balls. Rooney needs to play beside or behind a natural out and out striker if he is to be effective.
Man of the match: For me it it had to be United keeper Van der Sar for saving all three of Chelsea's spot kicks.
Memorable moments of the match: Nani misplacing his passes when he entered the game and he even fell down without anyone near him. Later he had his boots replaced. Blame it on the boots son! Second, the look on Mourinho's face after Van Der Sar saved all three of Chelsea's penalties And lastly, Alex Ferguson's man boobs. I swear I saw them when the tv camera showed his side profile.
Both teams sprang surprises during the kick-off. Manchester United named Patrice Evra, usually a left back, at wide left of midfield. I understand this was done so to accommodate United's other left back, Mikael Silvestre who wants to do a Heinze and leave United. Alex Ferguson, the United manager could have included Silvestre in the team to prevent him from leaving.
Chelsea's team was more of a surprise. No Drogba - he's out for a few weeks. And more importantly no John Terry. The skipper will be out for one month. Upfront, Jose Mourinho used Joe Cole as the main striker supported by Malouda on the left wing and Wright-Phillips on the other.
I thought Chelsea's attack was ineffective throughout the game. Using Joe Cole as a striker isn't the best decision made by Mourinho. Cole is at his best on the wings or as a midfielder. Wright-Phillips was a threat, occasionally on the right side but his crossing was poor most of the time. The only good spark is Malouda. The Frenchman scored the equaliser for Chelsea after showing considerable strength to hold off and then beat the clumsy Rio Ferdinand. Frank Lampard was also poor for Chelsea in midfield. The other debutant, Tal Ben Haim looked ok at centre back while new striker Pizarro looked a little overweight when he came on later. Mourinho said after the match that his side controlled the game. I was wondering which game he was watching. I thought his side was poor.
As for Man Utd, we did get to see new signing Nani who came on as a substitute. We did not see much of his Ronaldo-like dribbling and step overs in the game though. He did take some of the dead balls for United. He looked a bit rusty to me. I think he needs some more games to tune up. Silvestre was poor at left back. He seems to be losing his pace. There were many times when Wright-Phillips skipped past him easily. I expect the impressive Patrice Evra to be United's first choice left back when the Premier League season commences. Evra did well on the left wing. It was him who created the goal for Ryan Giggs who played upfront with Rooney. Cristiano Ronaldo had one of his quieter games for United. Maybe he was saving his best for the league season. My only concern with United is the striking positions. United does not have a good target man to play upfront with Wayne Rooney. During this game, Giggs was paired with Rooney and Rooney as usual did not look comfortable playing the role of the striker chasing after the balls. Rooney needs to play beside or behind a natural out and out striker if he is to be effective.
Man of the match: For me it it had to be United keeper Van der Sar for saving all three of Chelsea's spot kicks.
Memorable moments of the match: Nani misplacing his passes when he entered the game and he even fell down without anyone near him. Later he had his boots replaced. Blame it on the boots son! Second, the look on Mourinho's face after Van Der Sar saved all three of Chelsea's penalties And lastly, Alex Ferguson's man boobs. I swear I saw them when the tv camera showed his side profile.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Chelsea vs Man Utd: Community Shield 2007
The Community Shield is on tonight and it pits last year's Premier League Champions Manchester United against the FA Cup winner Chelsea. I think it will be 1-1 scoreline which leads to a penalty shootout. Tsk. Don't ask me to predict who wins in a penalty shootout.
Man Utd doesn't have a good win record against Chelsea. If this is a League game to be played one or two weeks later, I would expect Man United to win because technically this season, they have a much better team of players than Chelsea. But their new signings will not be playing tonight. It's a pity because it will be exciting to watch Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves play for Man Utd. Chelsea, meanwhile has the services of their new players - Ben Haim, Pizarro, Malouda and Sidwell. And if you look at the team that Man Utd has named for tonight's match, you will realise that Man Utd has only one natural striker in their team - Wayne Rooney, and he is not even an out and out sriker.
I suspect United will play with a 4-3-3 with Flectcher, Carrick and O'Shea as the central midfielders while Rooney will be the central striker supported by Ronaldo and Giggs on the wings. To me, this is not an ideal formation for United. They have always been unbeatable playing with a basic 4-4-2 with two srikers and two wide players in midfield. Playing in the 4-3-3 system with Rooney alone in the central striker position makes Utd weaker. I would prefer a out and out striker in that position, not someone like Rooney who is not good in the air and not a target man.
There's a lot of talk as to which formation will Mourinho choose for his Chelsea team this year. Some say he will revert to his favourite 4-3-3 instead of the 4-4-2 that he used so many times last season. New signing Malouda will play on the left of the three man up front while Joe Cole will be on the right. They sill support Drogba who will play in the central position.
I think based on the teams and formations that these two teams will play tonight, Chelsea is a stronger team. But I think United still have enough to score a goal. So a 1-1 draw in the end followed by a penalty shootout.
Man Utd doesn't have a good win record against Chelsea. If this is a League game to be played one or two weeks later, I would expect Man United to win because technically this season, they have a much better team of players than Chelsea. But their new signings will not be playing tonight. It's a pity because it will be exciting to watch Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves play for Man Utd. Chelsea, meanwhile has the services of their new players - Ben Haim, Pizarro, Malouda and Sidwell. And if you look at the team that Man Utd has named for tonight's match, you will realise that Man Utd has only one natural striker in their team - Wayne Rooney, and he is not even an out and out sriker.
I suspect United will play with a 4-3-3 with Flectcher, Carrick and O'Shea as the central midfielders while Rooney will be the central striker supported by Ronaldo and Giggs on the wings. To me, this is not an ideal formation for United. They have always been unbeatable playing with a basic 4-4-2 with two srikers and two wide players in midfield. Playing in the 4-3-3 system with Rooney alone in the central striker position makes Utd weaker. I would prefer a out and out striker in that position, not someone like Rooney who is not good in the air and not a target man.
There's a lot of talk as to which formation will Mourinho choose for his Chelsea team this year. Some say he will revert to his favourite 4-3-3 instead of the 4-4-2 that he used so many times last season. New signing Malouda will play on the left of the three man up front while Joe Cole will be on the right. They sill support Drogba who will play in the central position.
I think based on the teams and formations that these two teams will play tonight, Chelsea is a stronger team. But I think United still have enough to score a goal. So a 1-1 draw in the end followed by a penalty shootout.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Rhain Davis: The Next Rooney?
Everybody's raving about Manchester United's new 9 year old signing from Brisbane, Rhain Davis. That's right. Fucking 9 years old! He is called the next Wayne Rooney. Man Utd signed him after watching a dvd of him playing football which was sent by his grandad.
So is he that good? Watch the clip above. Yup, he is good alright. And for his age, I would even call him great but the next Wayne Rooney?
Errr...
I don't think so.
Davis is only 9 years old. If everything goes well for him, we will only get to see him in a senior Man Utd shirt in 7 to 8 years time. And a lot can happen during those 7 years. He may not grow up to fulfill his promise.
If you're looking for the next Wayne Rooney, you don't have to wait that long. There's this 17 year old playing for Tottenham Hotspur's 2nd year Academy team. His name is Terry Dixon. And if you listen to the coaches at Tottenham, they will tell you this boy is something special. His style of play (and looks) reminds many of Wayne Rooney.
Dixon made the headlines last year when he was called up to the senior Ireland squad despite never playing for the Spurs first or reserve teams. He did not win any cap (thankfully) because he ended up being injured for most part of last season. He is recovering from his injury now. Why thankfully? Because as an England fan, I would prefer him to be playing for the 3 Lions. From what I know Dixon qualifies to play for England but Ireland has been quick to call him up. But since he has yet to win any senior cap for Ireland, England can still secure his services. I'm sure they do not want the next Wayne Rooney to be playing for the Irish.
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