The debate has raged all summer, intensifying every time Mark Hughes spends big bucks bringing in stars of the highest quality. Now, with City's activity on the transfer market dwindling somewhat, aside from the ongoing Lescott saga, the squad is nothing less than impressive, with a long list of players that would get into the first team of most Premier League clubs.
The question is, will it be enough to drive them forward into the top 4?
If their big money transfers are to be analysed, the theoretical tactic in player selection is something of a masterstroke by Hughes. Most of the players bought in the summer from one of the top 4 teams, with one purchased from a potential fifth spot threat (Barry from Villa) and another still pending (Lescott from Everton).
Granted, some weren't as vital to their former team as others. For example, most people consider Adebayor and Toure's form last season somewhat average, whereas, Gareth Barry was the driving force behind Aston Villa last season, playing all 36 Premier League games and was generally the backbone of the team.
But will the practical work as well as the theoretical?
Buying some of the best players the Premier League has to offer is one thing, but getting them to work as a cohesive unit is another thing.
Will Hughes be able to shape his players into a fighting force capable of defeating any side, home or away? Maybe, maybe not. All we've really saw of Hughes is that he's decent in a relegation scrap, elevating the likes of Blackburn into the top 10. He's entirely untested at the other end of the table and whilst some may consider it the easier job, most don't.
I think the more pertinent question Hughes must consider is, if the team doesn't break the top 4 simply by throwing money at it, will the owners be as patient as he to get the team working as one?
Most predict Man City a mid-table finish this season whilst the team learn to work together, perhaps mounting a more serious challenge next season. Is this all part of the plan? Will they give Hughes the time he needs to build his foundations?
It's just another interesting facet of the game, which we'll follow as it unravels throughout the season.
Roll on Saturday, roll on the Premier League
premier league Archives
Posted by KJB on 11th August 2009 @ 20:07pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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Posted by KJB on 15th August 2009 @ 12:22pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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Preview
Carlo Anchelotti's second professional game in charge of Chelsea, first Premier League game in charge and one would imagine Chelsea shouldn't have too many problems in dealing with 08/09 relegation survivors Hull. However, last season this same fixture produced a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge and no doubt the Tigers will strive hard to replicate such a result.
Injuries
Chelsea have a number of injuries in their squads, but the remaining players they have left are nothing less than impressive. The Blues are missing Yuri Zhirkov (knee injury). Juliano Belletti (Achilles) and defender Alex (groin), with Joe Cole (knee) and Paul Ferreira (knee) returning to training but are not match fit.
It's thought Phill Brown will hand out debut's for all four summer signings, Stephen Hunt and Kamel Ghilas will go straight into the squad, joining fellow new boys Seyi Olofinjana and Jozy Altidore.
Missing for the Tigers all through knee-injury are Ian Ashbee, Jimmy Bullard and Richard Garcia, but Boaz Myhill is once again fit after overcoming a thumb injury.
Squads
Chelsea: Cech, Turnbull, Hilario, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Carvalho, A Cole, Ballack, Sturridge, Mikel, Deco, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Sturridge, Kalou, Malouda, Essien.
Hull: Myhill, Warner, Duke, Dawson, Gardner, Turner, Fagan, Barmby, Altidore, Geovanni, Hughes, Mendy, Halmosi, Kilbane, Folan, Mouyokolo, Boateng, Marney, Zayatte, Olofinjana, Cousin, Hunt, Ghilas.
Footy Banter Prediction
I very much doubt Hull will be able to resist the undeniable might of the Chelsea squad and with both Drogba and Anelka up front, I also expect goals.
I'm going with 3-0.
Posted by KJB on 15th August 2009 @ 14:39pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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Aston Villa v Wigan
Preview
Villa are set to hand debuts out to both Habib Beye and Fabian Delph, whereas new Latics manager Martinez is set to debut both striker Jason Scotland and midfielder Jordi Gomez, both of whom played with him at Swansea last season.
Villa have failed to beat Wigan at Villa Park for the past four campaigns, losing two and drawing two and will look to finally get a win of the Latics on the opening day of the season.
Injuries
Villa's summer signing Stewart Downing is out up until December with a broken foot, but are set to be boosted by returning midfielder Stilyian Petrov who dislocated his shoulder in a pre-season friendly.
For Wigan, only midfielder Olivier Kapo is out with a knee ligament injury also sustained in a pre-season friendly.
Teams
Aston Villa: Friedel, Guzan, Beye, Luke Young, Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Delph, Ashley Young, Heskey, Carew, Agbonlahor, Lichaj, Clark, Albrighton, Lowry, Gardner, Delfouneso.
Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Figueroa, Edman, Boyce, Bramble, Thomas, Scharner, Brown, N'Zogbia, Koumas, Watson, Gomez, Sinclair, Scotland, King, McCarthy, Rodallega, Pollitt.
Footy Banter Prediction
Wigan's talent depleted squad, reinforced with Swansea regulars will not be able to withstand pressure from equally depleted Aston Villa, who still only have two first-team centre-back's in their squad following the retirement of Martin Lausen and the sale of Zat Knight.
2-0 to the Villa.
Blackburn v Man City
Preview
Big spender's Manchester City return to Ewood Park with a vast array of talent at his disposal. There has been a lot of speculation how he will set his side out.
Last season, this fixture ended up a 2-2 draw, which City will undoubtedly look to improve upon.
Injuries
Blackburn captain Ryan Neilson will have a late fitness check ahead of the match, after injuring his knee in a pre-season friendly at Dundee, with Christopher Samba definitely to return to squad and Paul Gallagher expected to miss the fixture.
Gael Givet and Vince Grella return to full training, but the latter unlikely to play due to lack of match fitness, the same as new striker Nikola Kalinic. Steven Reid, Brett Emerton and David Dunn are all still out with long term problems.
New City signing and former Blackburn player Roque Santa Cruz is out until September and Adebayor is set to undergo a fitness test thanks to the groin strain endured during an international match on Wednesday. Both Tevez and Bellamy should be match fit after overcoming niggling problems, with both Vincent Company (toe) and Michael Johnson (abdomen) definitely missing the fixture.
Teams
Blackburn : Robinson, Brown, Jacobsen, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Olsson, Diouf, Hoilett, van Heerden, Doran, Nzonzi, Andrews, Pedersen, McCarthy, Roberts, Di Santo.
City: Given, Zabaleta, Dunne, Toure, Ben Haim, Onuoha, Bridge, De Jong, Barry, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Weiss, Robinho, Adebayor, Bellamy, Tevez, Richards, Garrido, Etuhu, Vidal, McGivern, Petrov, Benjani, Taylor.
Footy Banter Prediction
With Blackburn losing quality players over the summer and City's billion dollar team yet to gel properly, I expect this to be a tight match.
0-1 to City.
Bolton Wanderers v Sunderland
Preview
Steve Bruce begins his reign at Sunderland with a potentially tough game at Bolton on the opening day and is hoping his team can break the impeccable record Bolton have at holding the Black Cats at home. Bruce is also liable to hand out debuts to four of his summer signings, with Lee Cattermole, Lorik Cana, Darren Bent and Fraizer Campbell looking to make opening day impacts.
Bolton manager Gary Megson is also likely to issue debuts to his summer signings, with Sean Davis, Paul Robinson, Sam Ricketts and Zat Knight set bolster the Wanderers team.
Injuries
Sunderland are without Paraguayan defender Paul Da Silva due to lack of match fitness, keeper Craig Gordon who is recovering from knee surgery, with Andy Reid (thigh) and Phil Bardsley (ankle) slight doubts.
Bolton have few injuries, but it is thought new South Korean midfielder Lee Chong-Young is unlikely feature.
Teams
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Ricketts, Cahill, A O'Brien, Knight, Gardner, Robinson, Samuel, Taylor, Davis, McCann, Elmander, Basham, K Davies, Al Habsi, Hunt, Cohen, M Davies.
Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Cana, Cattermole, Richardson, Reid, Malbranque, Campbell, Bent, Jones, Nosworthy, Da Silva, Leadbitter, Henderson, Tainio, Edwards, Healy, Carson.
Footy Banter Prediction
A tough game in which I expect Bolton to maintain their unbeaten home record against Sunderland - just.
1-1 Draw.
Portsmouth v Fulham
Preview
Fulham travel to Fratton Park with two competitive Europa League victories under their belts already, looking to start the season how they ended last season - on a high note.
Injuries
David James will start despite being ruled out of the England match midweek with a shoulder injury, whilst new boy Anthony Vanden Borre will only be in the squad if he receives international clearance from former club Genoa, with fellow new signing Steve Finna and Portsmouth regular Herman Hreidesson struggling with fitness over hamstring injuries.
Fulham are without Simon Davies (foot injury) and defender Toni Kallio (achilles) , while new signings Stephen Kelly and Bjorn Helge Riise set to be included in the squad.
Teams
Portsmouth: James, Primus, Kaboul, Mokoena, Mullins, Hreidarsson, Diop, Nugent, Distin, Utaka, Kranjcar, Kanu, Ashdown, Hughes, Begovic, Basinas, Wilson, Belhadj, Vanden Borre, Piquionne, Niemi.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Etuhu, Murphy, Gera, Johnson, Zamora, Nevland, Kamara, Zuberbuhler, Stoor, Baird, Riise, Kelly.
Footy Banter Prediction
With Portsmouth leaking players and not replacing them with equal quality I expect them to struggle in the Premier League this season, even at home and especially against tough teams like Fulham.
0-1 to Fulham for me.
Stoke City v Burnley
Preview
Burnley's induction to the Premier League will be marred somewhat by a tough opening fixture away to Stoke, who will be wanting to keep their home ground every bit as much as fortress as it was last season.
Injuries
Glenn Whelan could be left out of Stoke's starting line-up after his appearance for the Republic of Ireland, but Stoke's only injury worry is defender Danny Higginbotham who faces a late fitness test on a hamstring problem.
However, Burnley manager Owen Coyle finds himself with something of a defensive crisis with captain Steven Caldwell out with a groin injury, Michael Duff out with an ankle injury and new signing David Edgar suspended.
Teams
Stoke: Sorensen, Shotton, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Beattie, Fuller, Simonsen, Whelan, Wilkinson, Cort, Kitson, Cresswell, Dickinson, Pugh, Diao, Amdy Faye, Tonge, Griffin.
Burnley: Jensen, Eckersley, Carlisle, Alexander, Mears, Jordan, Kalvenes, Eagles, Blake, McCann, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Easton, Thompson, Rodriguez, Paterson, Elliott, Fletcher, Penny.
Footy Banter Prediction
With Burnley's defensive crisis and Stoke's impressive form last season, I have to side with Stoke, who will look to gain as many points as they can from the newly promoted sides.
1-0 to Stoke.
Wolves v West Ham
Preview
With Mick McCarthy bringing in no less than seven new signings over the summer, Wolves are set to have a new look line-up on the opening day on the new season, whereas West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has his three new signings vying for contention in an impressive West Ham squad.
Injuries
Wolves are without Scottish defender Christophe Berra (hamstring), but it is likely new signing Michael Mncienne will step into to fill the role. They are also without Kevin Doyle (groin), Chris Iwelumo (foot) and Michael Kightly (hip and foot).
Zola is likely to use new loan signing Jimenez and Kieron Dyer to support for Carlton Cole, but are without Dean Ashton (ankle), Luis Boa Morte (knee) and Valon Behrami (ankle).
Teams
Wolves: Hennessey, Hahnemann, Ikeme, Foley, Berra, Craddock, Stearman, Zubar, Ward, Elokobi, Hill, Halford, Surman, Henry, Milijas, Jones, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Keogh, Vokes, Doyle.
West Ham: Green, Ilunga, Upson, Gabbidon, Faubert, Noble, Parker, Collison, Dyer, Jimenez, Cole, Stech, Daprela, Tomkins, Collins, Stanislas, Kovac, Savio, Spector, Davenport.
Footy Banter Prediction
Tough game all around for this one. Although West Ham are coming off the back of a stunning season, their strike force is somewhat depleted and may struggle to get goals, especially away.
0-0 draw.
Posted by KJB on 15th August 2009 @ 16:46pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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Preview
Last season Arsenal got the better of Everton in the face for the fourth and final Champions League spot and the Toffee's will look to gain an early upper hand over the depleted Arsenal side in the opening game of the season.
Injuries
Everton are without Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Victor Anichebe, with Steven Pienaar doubtful with a knee injury. However, despite alleged unrest at the club, Joelon Lescott is expected to play.
Arsenal begin the new season without Abou Diaby (groin), Theo Walcott (back), Douro (knee), Lukasz Fabianski (knee), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Samir Nasri (broken leg), but are expected to field Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen, despite the new signing suffering from a slight groin problem.
Teams
Everton: Howard, Neville, Baines, Yobo, Lescott, Hibbert, Osman, Cahill, Fellaini, Rodwell, Baxter, Jo, Saha, Vaughan, Gosling, Wallace, Pienaar, Nash.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Song, Fabregas, Arshavin, van Persie, Eduardo, Mannone, Bendtner, Denilson, Ramsey, Wilshere, Gibbs, Silvestre.
Footy Banter Predictions
I personally think this is going to be a rough game for both teams and secretly, both managers would be quite happy with a draw here.
1-1 Draw
Last season Arsenal got the better of Everton in the face for the fourth and final Champions League spot and the Toffee's will look to gain an early upper hand over the depleted Arsenal side in the opening game of the season.
Injuries
Everton are without Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Victor Anichebe, with Steven Pienaar doubtful with a knee injury. However, despite alleged unrest at the club, Joelon Lescott is expected to play.
Arsenal begin the new season without Abou Diaby (groin), Theo Walcott (back), Douro (knee), Lukasz Fabianski (knee), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Samir Nasri (broken leg), but are expected to field Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen, despite the new signing suffering from a slight groin problem.
Teams
Everton: Howard, Neville, Baines, Yobo, Lescott, Hibbert, Osman, Cahill, Fellaini, Rodwell, Baxter, Jo, Saha, Vaughan, Gosling, Wallace, Pienaar, Nash.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Song, Fabregas, Arshavin, van Persie, Eduardo, Mannone, Bendtner, Denilson, Ramsey, Wilshere, Gibbs, Silvestre.
Footy Banter Predictions
I personally think this is going to be a rough game for both teams and secretly, both managers would be quite happy with a draw here.
1-1 Draw
Posted by KJB on 16th August 2009 @ 10:10am | Tagged under: premier league |
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Manchester United v Birmingham City
Kick-Off 1:30pm
Sky Sports 1
Preview
Man Utd begin their new season without Ronaldo and protecting their Premier League crown against newly promoted Birmingham City.
Injuries
Man Utd are without Jonny Evans (ankle), Nemanja Vidic (calf), Gary Neville (groin), Van Der Sar and long term injury Owen Hargreaves and so Wes Brown is expected to start in the back alongside Rio Ferdinand.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish faces major selection problems ahead of his team's daunting prospect, with Liam Ridgewell, Martin Taylor, Scott Dann, Giovanny Espinoz, David Murphy, Lee Bowyer and Marcus Bent are all unavailable. However, new signings Joe Hart, Gregory Vignal and Barry Ferguson are all set start.
Squads
Man Utd: Foster, Kuszczak, O'Shea, De Laet, Ferdinand, Brown, Evans, Evra, Fabio, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Park, Tosic, Valencia, Owen, Rooney, Berbatov, Macheda.
Birmingham: Hart, Taylor, Carr, Roger Johnson, Queudrue, Vignal, Parnaby, Larsson, Carsley, Ferguson, McSheffrey, Damien Johnson, Fahey, McFadden, Jerome, O'Connor, Phillips, Benitez, Sammons, Wilson.
Footy Banter Prediction
With both squads depleted, I have to go with the sheer power of the Utd squad.
2-0 Man Utd.
Tottenham v Liverpool
Kick-Off 4pm
Sky Sports 1
Preview
This fixture last year was one of only two defeats the reds suffered last season, losing 2-1 to Spurs in Harry Redknapp's first outing as manager. Red's will undoubtedly want to improve this result and set a new title challenge off on the right foot.
Injuries
Tottenham are without Gareth Bale (knee), Jermaine Jenas (calf) and Jonathan Wood gate (groin) and new boy Sebastien Bassong is set to make his debut for the club.
Liverpool are without Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and new signing Alberto Aquilani. Central defenders Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel are expected to be available after ankle and hamstring problems respectively. However, despite sitting out England’s midweek game, Steven Gerrard is expected to start.
Squads
Spurs: Cudicini, Gomes, Assou-Ekotto, Chimbonda, Corluka, Hutton, King, Naughton, Bassong, Bentley, Boateng, Bostock, Huddlestone, Lennon, Modric, O'Hara, Palacios, Rose, Crouch, Defoe, Keane, Pavlyuchenko.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Ayala, Benayoun, Lucas, Gerrard, Mascherano, Riera, Kuyt, Torres, Babel, Cavalieri, Degen, Dossena, Ngog, Plessis, Voronin, San Jose.
Footy Banter
A tough competition all around for this one. I expect the match to be tight, with Liverpool not wanting to give anything away and Tottenham wanting to start out on a high.
1-1 draw.
Posted by KJB on 17th August 2009 @ 21:48pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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It was an interesting weekend all around and as the saying goes - anything can happen in the Premier League. Both Chelsea and Man Utd struggled to victory at home against lesser teams, Liverpool lost away to a superb Spurs side and Arsenal, the team thought weakest of the big 4, absolutely demolished Everton away from home. Outside the big 4, the Premier League had a few more surprises up its sleeve with Wigan beating Aston Villa at Villa Park and Man City's billion dollar team worked well together - old players and new - to beat Blackburn at Ewood Park.
Saturday 15th August 2009
Chelsea 2 - 1 Hull City
Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan Athletic
Blackburn Rovers 0 - 2 Manchester City
Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Sunderland
Portsmouth 0 - 1 Fulham
Stoke City 2 - 0 Burnley
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 - 2 West Ham United
Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal
Sunday 16th August 2009
Manchester United 1 - 0 Birmingham City
Tottenham 2 - 1 Liverpool
Saturday 15th August 2009
Chelsea 2 - 1 Hull City
Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan Athletic
Blackburn Rovers 0 - 2 Manchester City
Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Sunderland
Portsmouth 0 - 1 Fulham
Stoke City 2 - 0 Burnley
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 - 2 West Ham United
Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal
Sunday 16th August 2009
Manchester United 1 - 0 Birmingham City
Tottenham 2 - 1 Liverpool
Posted by KJB on 18th August 2009 @ 19:28pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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Wigan v Wolves
Preview
Fifth place Wigan will be in high spirits going into their game against Wolverhampton after outplaying Aston Villa away from home last Saturday and will look to capitalise on their win.
Injuries
Wigan are still without Olivier Kapo who was injured pre-season and winger Charles N'Zogbia is a doubt for the match after sustained a knock at the Villa game on Saturday.
Wolves are without a number of players tonight, with manager Mick McCarthy calling their treatment room "emergency ward 10". They’re without Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (hamstring), Kevin Foley (medial ligament problems), Kevin Doyle (groin), Christophe Berra (hamstring), Stephen Ward, Greg Halford, Matt Jarvis, Chris Iwelumo and Michael Kightly.
Squads
Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Figueroa, Edman, Boyce, Bramble, Thomas, Scharner, Brown, N'Zogbia, Koumas, Watson, Cho, Gomez, Sinclair, Scotland, King, McCarthy, Rodallega, Pollitt.
Wolves: Hennessey, Hahnemann, Ikeme, Craddock, Stearman, Mancienne, Zubar, Ward, Elokobi, Hill, Halford, Surman, Henry, Milijas, Jones, Jarvis, Keogh, Vokes.
Footy Banter Predictions
Wigan look strong and are on a high coming off the Villa win and combined with Wolves injuries, it's hard to bet against them.
2-0 Wigan.
Sunderland v Chelsea
Preview
Both teams coming from victories on the opening day of the season will not look to give anything up. It could be a tough, scrappy match with both midfields battling hard for the win, but only gaining the stalemate.
Injuries
Sunderland are without Steed Malbranque (ankle), Paul McShane and Craig Gordon, but Andy Reid is expected to make a return from a thigh problem.
Chelsea are still without new-boy Yuri Zhirkov (knee), Juliano Belletti (Achillies) and Alex (groin). Midfielder Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira are back in the team, but are not expected to make the squad until match fit.
Squads
Sunderland: Fulop, Gordon, Carson, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Collins, Nosworthy, Da Silva, McCartney, Cana, Cattermole, Richardson, Reid, Malbranque, Leadbitter, Henderson, Tainio, Edwards, Bent, Jones, Campbell, Healy.
Chelsea: Cech, Turnbull, Hilario, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, A Cole, Terry, Carvalho, Essien, Ballack, Obi, Lampard, Kalou, Deco, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba, Sturridge, Hutchinson.
Footy Banter Predictions
Tough battling midfields and improvement in Sunderland's form makes me think they can win or at very least get the draw out of this one. I'll play it safe.
0-0 Draw.
Posted by KJB on 20th August 2009 @ 21:00pm | Tagged under: premier league |
(1) Comment
As round two of the Premier League closes for most, no one can say the greatest league in the world is predictable, with defeats for Wigan at home to Wolves and more shockingly Man Utd away to Burnley, with Tottenham continuing their winning start to the season by knocking five past Hull at the Kingston Comms Stadium and Liverpool bouncing back to form with a confident home win against Stoke.
Sunderland 1 - Chelsea 3
Attendance: 41,179
Goals
Sunderland: Darren Bent (18)
Chelsea: Ballack (52), Lampard (61 pen.) and Deco (69)
Wigan 0 - Wolves 1
Attendance: 16,661
Goals
Keogh (5)
Birmingham 1 - Portsmouth 0
Attendance: 19,922
Goals
McFadden (90 pen.)
Burnley 1 - Manchester Utd 0
Attendance: 20,872
Goals
Blake (18)
Hull 1 - Tottenham 5
Attendance: 24,735
Goals
Hull: Hunt (24)
Tottenham: Defoe (9, 44, 90), Palacios (14), Keane (78)
Liverpool 4 - Stoke 0
Attendance: 44, 318
Goals
Torres (4), Johnson (45), Kuyt (78), Ngog (90)
View BBC's Goals of Week
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
 | |||||||||
| 1 | Tottenham | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
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| 2 | Chelsea | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
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| 3 | Arsenal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
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| 4 | Liverpool | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
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| 5 | Manchester City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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| 6 | West Ham Utd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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| 7 | Wigan Athletic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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| 8 | Fulham | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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| 9 | Birmingham | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
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| 10 | Man Utd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
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| 11 | Sunderland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
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| 12 | Burnley | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
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| 13 | Wolves | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
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| 14 | Stoke City | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
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| 15 | Bolton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
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| 16 | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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| 17 | Blackburn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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| 18 | Portsmouth | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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| 19 | Hull City | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
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| 20 | Everton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
Top Goalscorers
| 1 | Jermain Defoe | Tottenham | 3 | ||||||
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| 2 | Darren Bent | Sunderland | 2 | ||||||
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| 3 | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 2 | ||||||
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| 4 | Francesc Fabregas | Arsenal | 2 | ||||||
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| 5 | Stephen Hunt | Hull City | 2 | ||||||
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| 6 | Emmanuel Adebayor | Manchester City | 1 | ||||||
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| 7 | Benoit Assou-Ekotto | Tottenham | 1 | ||||||
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| 8 | Michael Ballack | Chelsea | 1 | ||||||
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| 9 | Sebastien Bassong | Tottenham | 1 | ||||||
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| 10 | Robbie Blake | Burnley | 1 | ||||||
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| 11 | Deco | Chelsea | 1 | ||||||
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| 12 | Neves Denilson | Arsenal | 1 | ||||||
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| 13 | Da Silva Eduardo | Arsenal | 1 | ||||||
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| 14 | William Gallas | Arsenal | 1 | ||||||
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| 15 | Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | 1 | ||||||
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| 16 | Stephen Ireland | Manchester City | 1 | ||||||
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| 17 | Glen Johnson | Liverpool | 1 | ||||||
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| 18 | Robbie Keane | Tottenham | 1 | ||||||
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| 19 | Andrew Keogh | Wolves | 1 | ||||||
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| 20 | Jason Koumas | Wigan Athletic | 1 | ||||||
Posted by KJB on 22nd August 2009 @ 17:33pm | Tagged under: premier league |
(4) Comments
Coming off a 1-0 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor, the majority of the pundits predicted that Man Utd would bounce back against Wigan today and bounce back they did. Hard. Today they smashed Wigan at the JJB Stadium an astounding 5-0, with Rooney getting two (and his 100th goal), Berbatov and Owen finally hitting the mark and Nani stepping up to the plate and hitting a quality free kick.
Utd clearly went to the JJB Stadium to prove a point and judging by the result, nobody can say that point hasn’t been made.
Premier League Round-Up
Arsenal 4 - 1 Portsmouth
Goals:
Diaby 18
Diaby 21
Kaboul 37
Gallas 51
Ramsey 68
Birmingham 0 - 0 Stoke
Hull 1 - 0 Bolton
Goals:
Ghilas 61
Man City 1 -0 Wolves
Goals:
Adebayor 17
Sunderland 2 - 1 Blackburn
Goals:
Givet 21
Jones 32
Jones 53
Posted by KJB on 23rd August 2009 @ 19:00pm | Tagged under: premier league |
(2) Comments
With Chelsea's 90 minutes of dominance of Fulham, beating their London rivals 0-2 in a game that was unarguably one-sided. Fulham set out the stalls to defend from the outset, hoping to contain the frightening in-form duo of Didier Drogba and Nicholas Anelka. They failed on both counts with Drogba getting on the score sheet on the 39th minute and Anelka doing the same on the 76th. Judging by today's performance, and indeed their bright start to the season, it’s easy to understand why football pundits are so adamant that it’s once again Chelsea’s year to win the Premier League and finally usurp bitter rivals, Man Utd, after almost four years out in the cold. The Rest of the Action
Burnley 1-0 Everton (Elliot 34)
West Ham 1-2 Tottenham (Cole 49, Dafoe 54, Lennon 79)
Posted by KJB on 26th August 2009 @ 20:39pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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It was confirmed earlier today that the fiscally-challenged Premier League side, Portsmouth, has been bought by Arab businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim in deal thought to be worth over £60m.
"Sulaiman Al Fahim welcomes this agreement and looks forward to helping the club build on its impressive history," his spokesperson said.
But how secure is the foundation upon which to build the club? Pompey have failed to accumulate points in the first three games of the season and with locker room unrest and the sale of the club's more prominent players, I wonder just how much of struggle Al Fahim has let himself in for.
Indeed, there may now be money available for manager Paul Hart to spend (assuming he maintains his managerial role) but it could be too little, too late with the transfer market closing in just 5 days time.
Will there be cash injection for the transfer kitty? Will Hart be able to tempt quality players to potential relegation battlers? Will this be enough to pull Pompey from the brink?
Posted by KJB on 28th August 2009 @ 18:00pm | Tagged under: premier league |
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With Liverpool losing as many games in a fortnight as they did all season, manager Rafa Benitez has taken to questioning the club captain's form.
"Gerrard will know he has played a couple of games that are not up to his best level," said Benitez.
"Because he so often plays really well, people maybe can see the difference. I know he will be ready now."
But is Gerrard the only one to blame for Liverpool’s poor opening season on his own? Rafa doesn't think so, but he's certain it isn't the tactics on the field that's the Merseyside team's problem.
"We have a problem because we are losing matches. People can be critical of our system and suggest we have been worked out," he argues. "But everybody knows all the systems, it is nothing really new.
"It is not the systems, it is the players out on the pitch. Maybe we do not have squad depth at the moment and there were youngster on the bench.
"But we have three key players to return - Fabio Aurelio, Danny Agger and Alberto Aquilani - and that will make a difference."
But will it though?
Aurelio is a very talented left-back, but for a top 4 team is he really a key player? Aquilani? He barely stood out in a league in which the Premiership unarguably dwarfs and game played/injury record speaks for itself. However, I'd imagine many Liverpool fans are wondering can he be any worse than Lucas at this juncture?
Let's hope he is.
Posted by KJB on 8th September 2009 @ 21:21pm | Tagged under: premier league |
(4) Comments
Four games into the season perhaps this a debate is a little premature, but I can't get it out of my head that this club is in real trouble. Every time I try to decide on the teams that will be relegated this season, Portsmouth always seem to be on the tip of my tongue.
Is it wrong of me to think like this so early in the season? Or is it more of a grim premonition for the Pompey fans and owner to mull over?
Relegation Battlers
The Premier League is getting more competitive with each passing year, but with the 'big 4' teams seemingly etched at the top of the table, everything beyond has become something of a battleground; a bloody and brutal fight for established and rookie Premier League sides alike.
Similar to last year, the newly promoted sides are all showing that they won't simply rollover and die against the established Premier League sides. Burnley particularly stand out, adopting a stance similar style to Stoke last year, converting their home ground into a fortress and daring anyone to try and steal three points away from them. In fact, Burnley have already turned over two top five Premier League sides at home this season already, including reigning champions Man Utd and Everton.
Wolves and Birmingham have also adapted to life in the Premier League reasonably well, picking up points in some very hard-fought matches of their own. No doubt all three will finish in the bottom half of the table by the end of the season, but not one of them will go down without a fight.
In fact, it's a few of the more mainstay Premier League clubs who are currently joining Pompey at the foot of the table. Bolton and Blackburn are already looking a little worse for wear, but when thinking about those clubs I automatically think: battlers.
Both teams play a rough and ready sort of game that often makes it difficult for opposing teams to score goals and sometimes allows them to scrape a few scrappy wins or at least hold on for a point. When thinking about how Pompey have played this season, I don't consider them to have the same grit and determination to win battles in such a manner.
The stats say it all. Pompey rest at the foot of the table, having played four games and gaining no points. They've managed just one goal and, disturbingly, have already conceded seven. Bolton are next in line, playing three games, scoring two goals and conceding five. Finally, Blackburn have managed just the one point in their opening three games, scoring one goal and conceding four.
But how can stats from four (in some cases three) games into the season give me a sense of foreboding about the club?
It's simple: they can't. They can only paint the current picture. For me, the future of the club seemingly rests in the transfer market.
Transfers
It cannot be denied that Pompey's squad has been ravaged of some the better players over the summer and more worryingly, most of these have not been - and perhaps could not be - properly replaced.
Emanating from the club's worrying financial situation, a number of players felt at unease with their situation and the future of the club, losing faith in the club's board entirely in some cases.
Attacking right-back, Glen Johnson was the first notable name to leave, securing a transfer to Liverpool thought to be in the region of £17.5m. Established England striker, Peter Crouch, was the next to leave, securing himself a move to Spurs, reuniting with former Pompey strike partner Jermaine Dafoe. Next, the backbone of their defence, Sylvain Distin, was snapped up by Everton. Finally, the last of their 'stand-out' players, Niko Kranjcar, joined Crouch at Spurs on the transfer deadline day for the diminutive (and seemingly ridiculously low) fee of £2.5m.
Time will judge whether the replacements Pompey manager Paul Hart has brought into the club will live up to the skill and capabilities of their predecessors, but with second string players such as Michael Brown, Tal Ben Haim, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Aaron Mokoena, Steven Finnan and Antti Niemi, combined with relatively untested Frederic Piquionne, Tommy Smith, Mark Williamson and Anthony Vanden Borre becoming the bulk of the squad, I respectfully doubt it.
Conclusion
I had hoped that running through this article would alter my perception somewhat. I hoped it would make me reconsider my initial judgment and look to the rest of the season with some hope for the club, but I think I may have done the opposite.
I just can't see how Pompey can survive the current climate in Premier League, unless things change for the better - quickly.
Perhaps when the new transfer window opens if January, if things have not improved for the club, their new owner will realise the danger Pompey are faced with and attempt to buy the club out of the relegation zone.
And then the question becomes: will anyone of note want to join them?
Posted by KJB on 23rd September 2009 @ 11:30am | Tagged under: premier league |
(1) Comment
Bright up-and-coming Gunners youngster Jack Wilshire is under fire following his actions in yesterday's Carling Cup victory over West Brom and more specifically his role in Jerome Thomas' red card.
From the Baggies perspective, gaffer Roberto Di Matteo claimed: "There was an exchange of words and Thomas reacted. He reacted to what was said, something insulting."
Whilst on the other side of the coin, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger claimed he missed the incident and said: "My eyes aren't great and my ears are worse." Perhaps the second most comical thing he’s said this year beyond the Mark Hughes comment from a few weeks back...
Di Matteo accepted that Thomas ultimately deserved his dismissal, but added: "I'm disappointed that Wilshere didn't accept his hand.
"He wanted to help him get up, actually. He's a fellow colleague. But, anyway, that's part of the game.
"I'm very proud of my players and my team. I'm not disappointed in my player. Thomas went to shake hands, Wilshere refused and Thomas reacted. There was an exchange of words and a reaction."
Wenger said Wilshere was injured in the initial challenge but could not shed any light on what followed.
"I could not hear anything from the touchline," he explained.
"Thomas has reacted, and in these cases you always need to control your nerves. Have you any excuses? I don't know - but Jack looked upset as well, he said he has been kicked."
Perhaps just handbags at dawn combined with Matteo having a few sour grapes due to the loss, but it does make you wonder just what was said...
(source: BBC)
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