The second last weekend of the season and its the first genuine "Super Sunday" on Sky sports.
The exciting race to reach the Premiership and stay in the Championship will reach its climax tomorrow, and for the first time Sky's alliterative title for Sunday football will be a fitting billing.
Stoke look set to join West Brom in the automatic places. The real excitement lies in the race for 5th and 6th. Watford are in freefall,whilst Crystal Palace are charging up the table. Wolves and Ipswich will also be full of optimism, and Sheffield United will be wishing the season was just a single game longer!
Southampton appear to be everyones favourites to avoid the drop, but it is hard to see them beating a Sheffield United side wanting to give themselves every chance of stealing 6th place.
For some reason I feel Leicester will snatch at least a point at Stoke. Ian Holloway has his faults, just ask any Plymouth fans, but when it comes to rallying his troops when they are the underdogs, it is hard to think of anyone more adept in that situation.
He will certainly have his players prepared to run through brick walls to avoid relegation, and if they do stay up I'm sure he will have a great press conference up his sleeve.
Something along these lines maybe.............
Classic Holloway
Certain Dive
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Show me the money!
Flamini is learning fast.
Not how to dictate play from the middle of midfield against the best teams in Europe. No, no he has been attending the Wes Brown school of how to get far more money than your limited ability deserves.
Brown has managed to secure a reported £60,000 a week as Manchester United wanted to secure his services beyond this summer. Brown has played nearly all of United's games this season, looks set to win a League winners medal and appear in a Champions League Final, and still he felt he should try to push his luck even further and threaten to leave on a free so he could sign a lucrative new contract.
Brown is undoubtedly a very good player,England international and regular for the potential champions of England and Europe. But for him to try and hold United to ransom over his new deal is a slight over estimation of his importance to the team.
With Arsenal supposedly tabling a £50,000 a week contract for Flamini, how much does he think he is actually worth?
Footballers only have a limited time in the game so yes they have every right to maximise their income while they are playing, but maybe Flamini should be showing some loyalty to a manager who has shown enough faith in him to drop the captain of Brazil to allow him to play.
Arsenal took Flamini from Marseille when he refused to sign a long-term contract with the French side after emerging from the youth team. There he exploited a loophole that allowed him to move for mere "training compensation" and was shrewd enough last year to threaten to buy out his contract and leave if Wenger did not start playing him this year.
So clearly Flamini is all about doing what is best for himself.
Maybe it is time for him be a team player and show some loyalty to a club who has given him the chance to show case his talents on the biggest stage of all.
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Over rated
He may love the ball, but the ball doesn't love him!
Dirk Kuyt is not my favourite player by any stretch of the imagination.
He certainly works hard, gives his all and does a decent job on the right of Liverpool's midfield. But is that really what you want from a player who cost around £10 million?
Brought in to answer Liverpool's goal scoring problems, he has found himself having to fill the void on the wing due to the disappointing performances of Jermaine Pennant. Thats a £10 million mistake trying to hide the failures of a £7 million mistake.
And there has been Rafa moaning about not having enough money to spend....
What I do think about Kuyt is that for all his effort, his ability just lets him down to often for such an expensive purchase. He seems to be battling the ball just as much as the defender marking him in most matches.
Putting in a decent shift, covering lots of yards and closing people down is not what most football fans would define a wingers job as. It is hard to knock someone who gives so much to the team in commitment, but I just don't think this should be his main focus in games.
You can work hard in other ways. Work hard to make your run stay onside, work hard to provide a good cross, work hard to pass to feet. These things should be of most importance to an attacking player.
Personally I want a winger to make the opposition full back defend, get lots of crosses into the box and get into the box himself whenever possible. Defending should be second to all of this, especially in a team that uses two holding midfielders.
Despite popping up with some important Champions League goals, he doesn't contribute enough in the final third. With Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez scoring and creating goals every week at Old Trafford, Liverpool struggle because they have to rely on Gerrard and Torres week in, week out. People like Kuyt should be stepping up to share the burden, next season there will probably be someone else brought in to do just that.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Look ref no hands!
This weekend it appears handball is no longer an offence.
Fans of Middlesbrough and Manchester United will be cursing referring decisions that cost both sides valuable points.
United saw their title chances dealt a minor blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a dogged Blackburn side.
Rovers' certainly enjoyed a favourable decision from referee Rob Styles when he failed to award a penalty when a goal bound header from Michael Carrick was blocked by the arm of Brett Emerton. United had been denied penalty claims earlier in the game, but to anyone who saw this incident they will agree United should have had a spot kick.
The heroics of Brad Friedel didn't deserve to be in a losing team however,so 1-1 was a fair reflection of the game.
Middlesbrough would have earned a point against Bolton had Alan Wiley correctly awarded a penalty for Gavin McCann's handball.
Bolton will not be complaining because they have finally climbed out of the bottom 3. Hopefully they will return there very soon though because they are terrible and play a brand of football that should not be allowed in the Premiership.
All these wonderfully kept pitches to play on and they keep the ball in the air as much as possible....such a waste.
Maybe they used up all their luck when Wiley went temporarily blind, and will be able to test there long ball tactics against fellow hoof and chasers Watford in the Championship next season.
Fans of Middlesbrough and Manchester United will be cursing referring decisions that cost both sides valuable points.
United saw their title chances dealt a minor blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a dogged Blackburn side.
Rovers' certainly enjoyed a favourable decision from referee Rob Styles when he failed to award a penalty when a goal bound header from Michael Carrick was blocked by the arm of Brett Emerton. United had been denied penalty claims earlier in the game, but to anyone who saw this incident they will agree United should have had a spot kick.
The heroics of Brad Friedel didn't deserve to be in a losing team however,so 1-1 was a fair reflection of the game.
Middlesbrough would have earned a point against Bolton had Alan Wiley correctly awarded a penalty for Gavin McCann's handball.
Bolton will not be complaining because they have finally climbed out of the bottom 3. Hopefully they will return there very soon though because they are terrible and play a brand of football that should not be allowed in the Premiership.
All these wonderfully kept pitches to play on and they keep the ball in the air as much as possible....such a waste.
Maybe they used up all their luck when Wiley went temporarily blind, and will be able to test there long ball tactics against fellow hoof and chasers Watford in the Championship next season.
Friday, 18 April 2008
Derby Debacle
Derby County were always going to be relegated this season. Clearly they did not have the playing staff to make the step up to the Premiership, they barely had the players to get themselves out of the Championship.
What is not so clear is why the board gave Billy Davies the chance to spend some money before the season started, and then proceeded to sack him when Derby struggled to establish themselves in the early part of the season.
He signed the best players his budget could attract, but not the players that could take Derby to the next level. While the teams around them went and signed proven players, Richardson going to Sunderland for example, Derby could only add the likes of Eddie Lewis and Rob Earnshaw.
So what expectations did the board have of Billy Davies? Surely they should have been proclaiming him as their messiah because he took them to the promised land with a team that had no right to make it into the play-offs to start with.
Instead of this they sacked him not long into his first crack at Premiership management. In a strange way they have done his CV a favour as he won't have to put a relegation on it just yet. He definitely deserved better treatment than this though.
Paul Jewell has made it obvious that he does not rate the squad he has inherited, but the signings he made himself have done nothing to improve Derby's performances. Robbie Savage has done little, and well Laurent Robert has been a non-entity.
All this goes to show that the people in the most important positions in football are often the ones who know the least and make the worst decisions.
Don't even get me started on the decision makers at FIFA.....................
What is not so clear is why the board gave Billy Davies the chance to spend some money before the season started, and then proceeded to sack him when Derby struggled to establish themselves in the early part of the season.
He signed the best players his budget could attract, but not the players that could take Derby to the next level. While the teams around them went and signed proven players, Richardson going to Sunderland for example, Derby could only add the likes of Eddie Lewis and Rob Earnshaw.
So what expectations did the board have of Billy Davies? Surely they should have been proclaiming him as their messiah because he took them to the promised land with a team that had no right to make it into the play-offs to start with.
Instead of this they sacked him not long into his first crack at Premiership management. In a strange way they have done his CV a favour as he won't have to put a relegation on it just yet. He definitely deserved better treatment than this though.
Paul Jewell has made it obvious that he does not rate the squad he has inherited, but the signings he made himself have done nothing to improve Derby's performances. Robbie Savage has done little, and well Laurent Robert has been a non-entity.
All this goes to show that the people in the most important positions in football are often the ones who know the least and make the worst decisions.
Don't even get me started on the decision makers at FIFA.....................
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Jamie has changed
Redknapp hasn't shaved!!!!
He also isn't wearing his grey suit. He must be dressing down to make Peter Reid feel more comfortable sitting next to him. Not renowned for his fashion sense is Peter.
Hopefully the Chelsea game will prove to be more of a talking point than Redknapp's appearance.
After sitting through the worst game of the season on Monday, when Chelsea conspired to perform dismally and allow a hapless Wigan team to leave the Bridge with a point, it is hard to be optimistic of an all out attacking, convincing performance from Chelsea.
That game was a stark contrast to the open football at Old Trafford the day before, and is a strong reflection of the dour demeanour of Grant. He is always dressed for a funeral by the looks of him, and it looks like it will be his tenure at Chelsea that passes if his team continue to play this way.
Reid just described himself as 'no oil painting', priceless television moment.................
He also isn't wearing his grey suit. He must be dressing down to make Peter Reid feel more comfortable sitting next to him. Not renowned for his fashion sense is Peter.
Hopefully the Chelsea game will prove to be more of a talking point than Redknapp's appearance.
After sitting through the worst game of the season on Monday, when Chelsea conspired to perform dismally and allow a hapless Wigan team to leave the Bridge with a point, it is hard to be optimistic of an all out attacking, convincing performance from Chelsea.
That game was a stark contrast to the open football at Old Trafford the day before, and is a strong reflection of the dour demeanour of Grant. He is always dressed for a funeral by the looks of him, and it looks like it will be his tenure at Chelsea that passes if his team continue to play this way.
Reid just described himself as 'no oil painting', priceless television moment.................
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Stay on your feet lad!
Steven Gerrard needs to stop falling over when his Liverpool team come under pressure!
When Liverpool need a result and things aren't going well, "Captain Marvel" Gerrard turns into Bambi on Ice whenever he gets near the oppositions penalty area.
His first attempt at conning the referee against Blackburn saw him reaching out a leg to make contact with Brad Friedel when he realised the 'keeper's slide was not going to result in him making contact.
How embarassing to see one of England's top players resorting to such tactics.
Near the end of the game he took another tumble, at least this time there was some sort of challenge in his vicinity. Samba dangled out a speculative right footed tackle, but again minimal contact, if there was any, sent Gerrard head first to the deck.
Gerrard pulled a similar stunt out of the bag when Sheffield United battled for a point so bravely against Liverpool on the opening day of last season. Its happened to often for it to be an exception, he needs to stop!
The case for the prosecution Exhibit A
When Liverpool need a result and things aren't going well, "Captain Marvel" Gerrard turns into Bambi on Ice whenever he gets near the oppositions penalty area.
His first attempt at conning the referee against Blackburn saw him reaching out a leg to make contact with Brad Friedel when he realised the 'keeper's slide was not going to result in him making contact.
How embarassing to see one of England's top players resorting to such tactics.
Near the end of the game he took another tumble, at least this time there was some sort of challenge in his vicinity. Samba dangled out a speculative right footed tackle, but again minimal contact, if there was any, sent Gerrard head first to the deck.
Gerrard pulled a similar stunt out of the bag when Sheffield United battled for a point so bravely against Liverpool on the opening day of last season. Its happened to often for it to be an exception, he needs to stop!
The case for the prosecution Exhibit A
