21/08/2010 Premier League football review

Featured match
Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool

Theo Walcotts fine display was the highlight of a convincing win for Arsenal against the newly promoted Blackpool. Arsenals all round display was impressive with Arshavin, the outstanding Rosicky and Theo all linking up well. Whilst Blackpool may think that the sending off of Evatt half an hour into the game may have ruined their match, there was never really an doubt in the result. It was important for Arsenal to reach the levels of performance of Chelsea and Manchester United early in the season and this result will without doubt bring them a huge boost. Having watched as their title rivals slapped in 6 and 3 goals respectively whilst Arsenal laboured to a draw against Liverpool in their opening games could have put pressure on a young Arsenal team but even with the biggest names (Van Persie and Fabregas) on the bench Arsenal looked strong. The test for Arsenal and Walcott will now be whether or not they can push on against stronger teams.
They must show the confidence that was embodied in Walcott throughout the rest of the season, Wenger needs to show faith in the young winger to a degree he has yet to do, and give the 21 year old his first proper run in the team, if Walcott can keep on top of his form and stay injure free Arsenal will be a more balanced team and that could be a telling factor come the end of the season.

The results around the rest of the Premier League looked like this
Birmingham 2-1 Blackburn
Everton 1-1 Wolves
Stoke 1-2 Spurs

West Brom 1-0 Sunderland

West Ham 1-3 Bolton

Wigan 0-6 Chelsea

Birmingham came from a goal behind to beat Blackburn 2-1. Morten Gamst had a penalty excellently saved by Ben Foster in the Birmingham goal before Blackburn eventually took the lead. However Craig Gardiner who joined Birmingham from local rivals Aston Villa last season popped up with two goals the second a well hit shot from 25 yards. Blackburn bossed the game for a while with Kalinic coming close twice including heading onto the post but after Nzonzi put the visitors ahead Birmingham came on strong to steal the points.

Everton and Wolves fought out a tough 1-1 draw with Everton yet to really get going this season and perhaps struggling for goals, Cahill was the man to put them in front. However Wolves fought back well and Moyes will be disappointed to only have secured the one point from their opening two games.

Stoke will feel hard done by to have lost this close fought tie with Spurs, The Excellent Gareth Bale (tipped to do well this season by us) put Spurs ahead twice in this game with his second strike a beauty. This however was overshadowed late on when the ball appeared to just pop over the spurs line as Peter Crouch blocked a close range header late on. Despite the Referee being in a good position the goal wasn't given and Spurs just about held on.

West Brom secured their first three points of the season after new signing Odemwingie grabbed a debut goal in the 81st minute. The performance will do a lot to relive West Broms nerves after the thrashing from Chelsea last week whilst Sunderlands away form must be a major concern for Steve Bruce.

West Ham continued their poor start to the season by conceding another 3 goals this time at home to Bolton as the visitors ran out 3-1 winners. The rejuvenated Johan Elmander helped himself to two goals as Petrov, Davis and himself all linked up well to leave Bolton looking strong going forward this season. West ham look set for a difficult season, after losing to both Villa and Bolton they now face Chelsea and Manchester United and face the real possibility of having secured no points in the first four games of the season.
The Last game of the day kicked off at the DW stadium where Blackpool had beaten a sorry Wigan 4-0 only 7 days earlier, this time however rather than having the team predicted to finish bottom running out along side them they had the team hotly tipped to finish champions and this was once again reflected in the scoreline. Chelsea handed out their second 6-0 thrashing to another set of relegation candidates. Wigan started quite brightly and passed the ball well but as soon as the first goal went in they never really recovered. Wigan consistently played too high a defensive line and paid the price as Drogba was able to play a 20 yard ball to himself before slotting in Kalou, from then on it was all too easy. It could turn out to be a long season for Wigan season ticket holders even if they do end up getting the most goals for their money.

Predictions for the new season, Guardian style

There is something about the start of the football season for us addicts that indicates our life is back on track, a better and more structured weekend awaits, and after all a more structure life is meant to be the easier to deal with our addictions.

 Champions

Manchester United, they have increased strength and depth in their squad and with their attacking options upfront and some proper wingers Manchester United are my favourites for the title.

Relegated

Blackpool, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan
Top scorer

Dider Drogba should snatch the golden boot award again, loves playing up front on his own and Chelsea are sure to bag plenty of goals at Stamford Bridge.

Summer signing

Javier Hernandez looks set to be a fantastic young player he has shown his quality and the good world cup, he has bags of pace plenty of ability and two good feet.

One to watch

Gareth Bale looks likely to one of the best players in the League this season, he may be more like one to continue watching but his first full season at left wing could leave Spurs in a very strong position.


Improvement

This obsession with using the term "football" to indicate whether a team is playing "attractive football", a lot of pundits of journalist say things like "Stoke/Blackburn dont play football". They do play footall, football is more than just about nice touches and great goals. Whilst it would be impossible to argue that Stoke play attractive football they nevertheless play football and excel at some of the games other facets, lessons which Aresnal could learn from.

I'm most looking forward to ... the Manchester Derbys were two of the best games last season, the game at Old Trafford being one of the highlights of last season, this years rivalry could be even bigger.

By May we'll know ... whether or not Man City's big squad can be kept happy.

A look ahead to this seasons Premier League

With the Premier League season just around the corner, where will each teams finish this year around?

Arsenal

Arsenal have kept hold of all their important players this summer unlike previous years and whilst some may see Gallas as a big lost I do not. He has been far from his best for some while at the attitude of the French squad at the world cup is indicative of him, his move may be a blessing in disguise. If Arsenal can ensure they get a new goalkeeper they will be strong this year.

Prediction 2nd.


Aston Villa
Villa did well to finish in 6th place last year however I don’t feel they will be able to keep the standards as high this year, they are yet to strengthen their squad, Milner is on his way out and the untimely departure of Martin O’Neil does not bode well for next. The teams that finished below them this year such as Everton and Liverpool are bound to have better seasons that last time out. 
Prediction 8th
 

Birmingham

Birmingham had a great season last year however I do not feel that this season will match up to expectations, they haven’t spent lots of money and they have lost a very good goalkeeper in Joe Hart admittedly Ben Foster will feel he can fill those gloves but he’s not had much football in the last few seasons, having said that he has a lot to prove to fulfil his early promise.

Prediction 12th


Blackburn

Blackburn have a very good home record and don’t tend to concede too many goals at Ewood Park, they are not so good on the travels but I suspect they will have another steady season, only one loan signing to date can be a bit worrying as if you’re not moving forward in the premier league you tend to be moving backwards. Having said that with big Sam at the helm another strong season should be expected.

Prediction 10th


Blackpool

The Premiership new boys look set to struggle, they are finding signing players hard and are one of the smallest clubs ever to have entered the division, whilst Holloway will add entertainment and they will fight hard, I believe that this is a bridge too far for Blackpool at the moment.

Prediction 20th

Bolton
Bolton have made one very good signing in the shape of Martin Petrov on a free from Manchester City and if they can keep him fit all season then Bolton will in turn have a strong season, Petrov and Davies should link up to good effect and Coyle will continue to lead them in the right direction.

Prediction 11th



Chelsea

Chelsea have always had one of the stronger squads in the Premier league but after the departures of J Cole, Ballack and Deco, their bench looks nowhere near as strong, and although you can argue these players may be past their best they certainly wouldn’t do any harm to your team. They had lots of players at the world cup and looked to be struggling against Man United in Sundays Community Shield match which could in turn give them a slow start to the season. With no real improvements I can’t see them doing as well this year. 
Prediction 3rd




Everton

For the last few seasons Everton have always started slowly and improved as the season has wore on. If they can make a good start to the season then I feel this team can push on and be high achieves this season, they have a mean defence and lots of strong midfield options, if and when Fellaini gets back to fitness Everton are in a strong position they will be able to push on because he is a very important player for them.
Prediction 7th


Fulham

Without the pressure of European competition this year and Mark Hughes contacts Fulham will be a strong team this year and will no doubt finish higher than they did last year. Mark Hughes is a good manager and will make some strong signings, his record with Craig Bellamy makes that option a good chance, and he may be just the type of lively front man that will work will be Zamora.

Prediction 9th


Liverpool

Liverpool have once again held on to their important assets and although Javier Mascherano looks set to leave, he may be no great loss if Poulson replaces him or Lucas can step up into his place. Hodgson is a good manager and looks to be settling and trimming his squad down, a few more signings and Gerrard and Torres fit all season Liverpool won’t be outside the top four.

Prediction 4th


Man City

Man City have a very good squad but will suffer if they do not offload some players before the end of the transfer window. Every player will have their own opinion about the starting line up and with some of the players unlikely to be happy on the bench, keeping the squad happy will be difficult and will only negatively affect their performances if it is not achieved. With Ireland , Wright-Phillips, Johnson, Barry, Silva, Vieira, De Jong, Weiss, Toure, Bellamy, Robinho all perhaps vying for positions in midfield or attacking midfield, not only will it be hard to keep them happy, it’s hard to choose who to play. It could take Mancini a long time before he figures out his best starting line up rather than his best players, Manchester City fans will have to hope it doesn’t take too long.

Prediction 5th


Man Utd

Not many of Manchester United’s players went globetrotting to South Africa and this could give them a quicker start at the beginning of the season and a strong finish towards the end. They looked fresh and lively against Chelsea and Hernandez looks to be a very bright young player. With a good blend of youth and experience Manchester United should be the team to beat this year, with a slightly bigger squad and more forward options than Chelsea, Manchester United will regain their title this year. 
Prediction 1st




Newcastle

Newcastle appear to have more of a goal threat than the other teams that came up and their extra support should see them good. A bright start and a strong home record should see them through to another season, but any complacency could see them punished.
Prediction 17th


Stoke City

Stoke will again be hard to beat at home and this should leave them in a strong position to stay up again this season. They haven’t made too many signings but are always strong at the back and have a very good goalkeeper. Teams won’t look forward to away days there, however don’t expect anything different from them this season, Pulis likes his players to work hard over ability Tuncays constant warming of the bench is testament to that. Stoke should be fine for another season in the top flight.

Prediction 13th


Sunderland

I don’t think Sunderland will be surprising anyone once again this season, they easily have enough to stay in the league, but some of their signings lack ambition. Lee Cattermole should be their driving force if he can stay fit this season, which could guide them into an even higher place. However in Bent is not bagging the goals Sunderland will look short of them, in short if Bent fires so will they.

Prediction 14th


Tottenham

Tottenham did very well to finish 4th last season but have found it hard improving their squad this summer. They have one of the brightest young talents in Gareth Bale and he should set the league alight on the left hand side this season, so long as he is played further forward which is where he will shine with his blistering pace and crossing ability. Spurs have a very good squad without having a great one, I can’t quite put my finger on why but Spurs don’t seem likely to improve on last year, whereas teams around them may just have.

Prediction 6th


WBA 
The yoyo team of the Premier League, West Brom never over spend and thus never get themselves into difficulty; it does however mean that they resign themselves to almost an instant return to the championship. They do however look stronger than recent years and Dorrans looks to be a very good player and if he has a good season it could well be his last at the club. If West Brom sign a good goal scorer they have a chance, if not, its back down again. 

Prediction 18th


West Ham Utd

West Ham have made some strange signings, which could be their undoing, however Grant has a good record and looks to be a good manager, the board may need to show unprecedented patience though as West Ham take a while to find their feet. Could do with some extra defence cover too.

Prediction 16th


Wigan Athletic

Wigan were poor last season and had a tendency to capitulate when things weren’t going their way, a strong indication that the players are losing heart to quickly and perhaps don’t back the boss. I would like to see them have a stronger spine to their squad and a bit more belief, they have a few flair players that will create chances and goals, but if they leak goals again this season, the future looks very gloomy for Wigan.

Prediction 19th


Wolves

Wolves may be some peoples favourite to be relegated this year, however they did well last season and put together a very strong run at the end. I fully expect Wolves to continue in that vein, Hunt and Fletcher are good strong signings and will improve the side, they should do well and continue in the Premiership into the following season.
Prediction 15th

Robbie Savage... The new face of football?

In a week full of surprises such as Tyson Gay's win over rival Usain Bolt and Fabio Capello's new look England squad is it any wonder that Robbie Savage seems to be the new face of football (for this week at least). The popular love it or hate it Marmite slogan is thrown around a lot in sport, but no recent figure quite optimises this like Robbie Savage. Throughout his successful career Robbie has received his fair amount of pantomime boo's and in some cases, trips, falls, strong armed referees (literally) some cheers. As is so frequently stated the fans whom have Robbie in their beloved teams adore him, and those who don't, not so much.

However it appears that this image is finally changing and Robbie Savage seems to becoming an extremely popular face of football, frequently appearing on the BBC and with his popular Daily Mirror column, the Derby City player has also just released his autobiography. The tide seems to have changed very quickly for Robbie to the point where there is a strong current flowing in his direction, people are not only attracted to his flamboyant, attractive personality but he is still putting in the performances when it matters, winning the internal players player award at Derby last season.

Not only that he appears to make the dressing room run smoothly and has fiercley defended the backroom staff, all of which must do nothing but give his Derby team strength and after their 2-1 win today against newly promoted Leeds it all seems justified. If Robbie Savage Continues his remarkable turn around in public persona and achieves his ambition of becoming the new Gary Linker then the turn around really will be complete and one of the hardest working, fiercely loyal and seemingly nice caring guys will have done well, now if only Fabio Capello's new  England squad can complete such a turn around we might all be as happy as Robbie tonight.

Left Foot Forward - Garry Nelson

Left foot forward by Garry (yes two r's) Nelson is the diary of a football season as journeyman footballer. The diary stars in June 1994 and recounts the tail of an average football season for an average (forgive me Garry) footballer, at an average football club, in this case Charlton Athletic. This brings to the fore the first question I asked and without doubt (if you're my age) the first question you asked too, Who is Garry Nelson?


Garry Nelson was a professional football who played upfront or as an occasional left winger between the years 1979 and 1997, he played for several different clubs, notably in the south of the country and by the end of his career his league stats looked like this.

Years        Team      Apps† (Gls)†

1979–1983 Southend United 129 (17)

1983–1985 Swindon Town 79 (7)

1985–1987 Plymouth Argyle 74 (20)

1987–1991 Brighton & Hove Albion 144 (47)

1990 → Notts County (loan) 2 (0)

1991–1996 Charlton Athletic 185 (37)

1996–1997 Torquay United 34 (8)

Total 647 (136)


In many ways you will quickly be forgiven for not knowing who Garry Nelson is, but his story is surely a more common one than a quick glance at the newspapers may suggest.Whilst there are some footballers earning fame and fortune through their careers there are also large numbers of us who have to pay subs every week to play. Then there must of course be a middle ground, a grey area, that's where Garry Nelson fits in, fighting tooth and nail for a career in the sport he loves.

Garry Nelson was one of the lucky ones he had a 17 year career and played 647 league games, however a 17 year career whilst being a relatively long footballing career is of course a short career in almost every other field. Whilst never denying he earned a good wage Garry stress's the well... stress's of being a middle of the road professional footballer. During the season Garry turned 34 and from day one consistently fretted about the re-newal of his contract, without a new contract he would have to find a new club, which he concedes can be hard at his age, or in fact he would have to retire and forge a new career, indeed in pre season he almost resigned himself to such a fate. So it appears the life as a football isn't all pop stars and shiny new cars, indeed Garry drove a Fiat. In fact many footballers, especially in the lower leagues try to elongate their careers to give them financial security, not a side of football frequently shown. In fact many pro footballers have to make sure they have careers to pick up once their life as a footballer ends. This may of course be harder than expected, with footballers being picked up at younger ages, their education can be affected and as Garry touches on in the book, these youngsters can of course not make it, football does have its dark dingy side.

This book helps to give the reader a deeper understanding of life as a lower league footballer and will show up many an ignorant fan as well as lay persons, who believe footballers just to be overpaid idiots. The book is a good read with some very useful insights it allows the reader to understand the daily chores of a footballer, the commute, the training, the injury room and the long away days. Overall though it leaves you thinking about the gulf in pay between the football leagues and the impact this has upon the perception of all footballers and the lived reality of some, as Garry talks about his pre season holiday to Florida during the 1994 USA world cup an American asked him what he did, as Garry replied a professional footballer the American assumed Garry to be extremely wealthy, this Garry concedes, was far from the truth.