Liverpool go into this season full of hope as they have a manager who took them from near the relegation zone back up to the top end of it last season, as well as the strong new signings they have made. Sunderland however have a completely new look about them after signing Larsson, Vaughan, Brown, O'Shea and Wickham and we were unsure how they were going to look.
First half looked very much one sided with Liverpool dominating possession and looking very much in control of play. Richardson was very lucky not to have been sent off after taking down Suarez in the box and Suarez who went on to take the resulting penalty skied it over the crossbar. However not letting this put him off his game 5 minutes later nodded in a header after a superb Charlie Adam free-kick. Later in the half Stewart Downing had a terrific run from just past the half way line cutting into the centre of the pitch between two defenders and then smashed a shot from distance which slammed against the crossbar. Had it gone in would have been not only the perfect debut for the guy but also a potential goal of the season due to the fact it came from nothing. At half time Liverpool went in a goal infront and may have been dissapointed it wasn't more.
Second half and Steve Bruce had clearly had a word with his players as they were suddenly creating more chances and having more time on the ball. This was making the game more open and started being a bit end-to-end. This style of play seemed to benefit Sunderland as 10 minutes into the second half they conjured up a bit of magic. Gyan held the ball up around the corner flag then neatly laid the ball off for Elmohamady who picked out Larsson at the back post unmarked who smashed a volley past Reina into the back of the net levelling the game. Liverpool tried to fight back but struggled to make many big chances for themselves. The game ended level.
Liverpool will consider themselves unlucky not to have taken 3 points from this match but they failed to convert their chances in the first half. Sunderland however will be thrilled to have got even the one point away at Anfield. Their new signings also showed promise with Wes Brown looking strong at centre-back and Larsson causing mischief up-field.
Saturday, 13 August 2011
The New Season Kicks Off !!!
Finally after a long wait and lots of weekends spent wandering what to do, the Premier League is back! We all have high expectations after witnessing one of the tightest and most entertaining seasons in the leagues history last season, so who is going to push for the title and who is going to be in the relegation scrap?
BLOG CONTINUES
Sorry for the long delay but I will now try and work on this blog every week to give you my personal opinions on the world of football and individual match analysis
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Player Celebrations
Not that long ago in football players were allowed to celebrate with their fans. These days rules restrict what players are allowed to do. If players take off their shirt or jump into the crowd they will be given a yellow card. Should players really be getting punished for this?
It would seem crazy to me if a player was to receive a second yellow and be sent off for celebrating a moment the whole team has worked for. As long as they do not waste too much time or celebrate in an inappropriate fashion, for example infront of the opposition supporters then their is no reason why they should not be allowed to jump over the advertising boards and engage with fans.
For example on the 22nd January 2011, Frederic Piquionne scored what he thought was to be the winning goal for West Ham against Everton in the 85th minute. He jumped over the advertising boards and celebrated with his team mates infront of the travelling West Ham supporters. When he came back onto the pitch the referee gave him his second yellow and dismissed him. To make things even worse for West Ham, Everton then scored an equaliser in stoppage time, arguably due to the extra player on the field. After the game Avram Grant was very extremely angry with the referee's decision, calling it a "joke".
Also as an example of an inappropriate (though funny) celebration was when Adebayor faced his old club Arsenal, playing for Manchester City. He obviously felt he had been treated badly at Arsenal as usually players who score against their old club refuse to celebrate or keep it low key. Not Adebayor, he sprinted the whole length of the pitch, faster than the cameraman could keep up with, just to celebrate in front of the travelling Arsenal supporters. As you can imagine this didn't go down well with the travelling supporters and objects were thrown in his direction. To me this is behaviour that warrants a booking as he has caused fans to start being violent, making stewards have to hold fans back.
I think the FA needs to take a more relaxed view on players celebrating as I feel players engaging with the fans can only be good for the club. Obviously there are always going to issues with when players take it too far and when this happens I can understand bookings etc, but on the whole it is a good thing for the game and keeps greater interest and passion in the game.
I couldn't finish this article without talking about the Icelandic club Stjarnan that specialises in funny celebrations. They have a huge variety of celebrations that are all on YouTube, I think this is their most well known and probably their best celebration so far.
It would seem crazy to me if a player was to receive a second yellow and be sent off for celebrating a moment the whole team has worked for. As long as they do not waste too much time or celebrate in an inappropriate fashion, for example infront of the opposition supporters then their is no reason why they should not be allowed to jump over the advertising boards and engage with fans.
For example on the 22nd January 2011, Frederic Piquionne scored what he thought was to be the winning goal for West Ham against Everton in the 85th minute. He jumped over the advertising boards and celebrated with his team mates infront of the travelling West Ham supporters. When he came back onto the pitch the referee gave him his second yellow and dismissed him. To make things even worse for West Ham, Everton then scored an equaliser in stoppage time, arguably due to the extra player on the field. After the game Avram Grant was very extremely angry with the referee's decision, calling it a "joke".
Also as an example of an inappropriate (though funny) celebration was when Adebayor faced his old club Arsenal, playing for Manchester City. He obviously felt he had been treated badly at Arsenal as usually players who score against their old club refuse to celebrate or keep it low key. Not Adebayor, he sprinted the whole length of the pitch, faster than the cameraman could keep up with, just to celebrate in front of the travelling Arsenal supporters. As you can imagine this didn't go down well with the travelling supporters and objects were thrown in his direction. To me this is behaviour that warrants a booking as he has caused fans to start being violent, making stewards have to hold fans back.
I think the FA needs to take a more relaxed view on players celebrating as I feel players engaging with the fans can only be good for the club. Obviously there are always going to issues with when players take it too far and when this happens I can understand bookings etc, but on the whole it is a good thing for the game and keeps greater interest and passion in the game.
I couldn't finish this article without talking about the Icelandic club Stjarnan that specialises in funny celebrations. They have a huge variety of celebrations that are all on YouTube, I think this is their most well known and probably their best celebration so far.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Players Doing Well At The Moment
The Premier League has been very entertaining and unpredictable this season, so which players are showing their qualities on the pitch?
- Samir Nasri (aged 23)
He was not included in France's World Cup squad at the end of last year and has said that he has been motivated to prove that decision was wrong. So far this season he has scored 14 goals in total making him Arsenal's top goalscorer. He also did a good job near the start of the season covering for an injured Fabregas and taking charge of the midfield. I feel we first saw Nasri's talent at the end of last season when he scored a great goal for Arsenal in the Champions League against Porto, taking on 3 defenders and finishing from a very tight angle helping Arsenal to get into the quarter finals (as seen below). A young player who is developing into a big talent for the future.
- Gareth Bale (aged 21)
Another young player who has been on great form at the start of this season. I feel his best performance was against Inter Milan in the Champions League where he made Maicon (arguably the best right-back in the world) look like an amateur, as he was constantly skipping past him with amazing pace. He has also formed an un-stoppable partnership with Rafael Van der Vaart as well, where he always manages to get on the end of Van der Vaart's great passes. He has also scored 11 goals for Spurs this season as well as getting lots of assists. Spurs need to hold on to such a good player as they can be sure there will be a lot of demand for him near the end of his contract.
- Dimitar Berbatov (aged 30)
Not as young as the others but he has taken up the role of scoring the goals for United this season with Rooney not in the same form he was last season. Arguably he is not the most active player on the pitch and has got a lot of slack from United fans for not running very much, but if he keeps putting the ball in the net they'll have no complaints! He has scored 19 goals in the Premier league making him the highest goalscorer in the league. His best performance this season was against Blackburn where he scored 5 goals and had one of the best games of his career.
- David Silva (aged 25)
It's taken him a while to settle into the City squad but he has now found his touch and proving why City paid the big bucks for him. A tricky player for any defence to handle and he is creating a good partnership with Tevez. He could be the final peice in the jigsaw for City and I think he's going to do very well for them at the end of this season and perhaps for much longer as well.
- Raul Mereiles (aged 27)
Bought by Roy Hodgson, he has only recently shown his potential scoring multiple volleys from distance and providing good distribution to his team-mates. He may prove to be Hodgson's only good act at the club. He has scored 5 goals for Liverpool this season. I feel he has been one of the key players that has turned Liverpool's season around. He also had a good World Cup with Portugal, having a big part in the 7-0 win they had over North Korea. His best goal this season was against Wolves in the Premier League, where he hit the perfect volley from the edge of the box.
These are the players that have shined so far this season, whether they continue to or not who knows! Maybe we'll have some others for me to talk about at a later stage.
- Samir Nasri (aged 23)
He was not included in France's World Cup squad at the end of last year and has said that he has been motivated to prove that decision was wrong. So far this season he has scored 14 goals in total making him Arsenal's top goalscorer. He also did a good job near the start of the season covering for an injured Fabregas and taking charge of the midfield. I feel we first saw Nasri's talent at the end of last season when he scored a great goal for Arsenal in the Champions League against Porto, taking on 3 defenders and finishing from a very tight angle helping Arsenal to get into the quarter finals (as seen below). A young player who is developing into a big talent for the future.
- Gareth Bale (aged 21)
Another young player who has been on great form at the start of this season. I feel his best performance was against Inter Milan in the Champions League where he made Maicon (arguably the best right-back in the world) look like an amateur, as he was constantly skipping past him with amazing pace. He has also formed an un-stoppable partnership with Rafael Van der Vaart as well, where he always manages to get on the end of Van der Vaart's great passes. He has also scored 11 goals for Spurs this season as well as getting lots of assists. Spurs need to hold on to such a good player as they can be sure there will be a lot of demand for him near the end of his contract.
- Dimitar Berbatov (aged 30)
Not as young as the others but he has taken up the role of scoring the goals for United this season with Rooney not in the same form he was last season. Arguably he is not the most active player on the pitch and has got a lot of slack from United fans for not running very much, but if he keeps putting the ball in the net they'll have no complaints! He has scored 19 goals in the Premier league making him the highest goalscorer in the league. His best performance this season was against Blackburn where he scored 5 goals and had one of the best games of his career.
- David Silva (aged 25)
It's taken him a while to settle into the City squad but he has now found his touch and proving why City paid the big bucks for him. A tricky player for any defence to handle and he is creating a good partnership with Tevez. He could be the final peice in the jigsaw for City and I think he's going to do very well for them at the end of this season and perhaps for much longer as well.
- Raul Mereiles (aged 27)
Bought by Roy Hodgson, he has only recently shown his potential scoring multiple volleys from distance and providing good distribution to his team-mates. He may prove to be Hodgson's only good act at the club. He has scored 5 goals for Liverpool this season. I feel he has been one of the key players that has turned Liverpool's season around. He also had a good World Cup with Portugal, having a big part in the 7-0 win they had over North Korea. His best goal this season was against Wolves in the Premier League, where he hit the perfect volley from the edge of the box.
These are the players that have shined so far this season, whether they continue to or not who knows! Maybe we'll have some others for me to talk about at a later stage.
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Referees, Microphones and Post-Match Interviews
After talking the other day about goal-line technology and how we cannot simply introduce systems from other sports I started thinking about how this might not be true in all situations. In rugby the audience can hear everything the referee is saying between the players and the other officials. This allows the audience to understand the actions the referees take and may help them understand the decisions made later in the game. Currently in the Premier League the officials use microphones to discuss decisions between themselves, though the audience are not able to listen into these discussions. Due to this we are forced to come to our own conclusions about the decisions they make. There have been calls for referees to have interviews after the game to discuss their decision making. However I feel anyone who has been watching the game will have already come up with their own conclusions by then which may increase the pressure on referees rather than reduce it.
At the moment referees are given a lot of protection from the FA. This is due to the amount of criticism they often receive from players and fans. It would be interesting to hear more often about their views on the game and how they feel things could be improved. Though at the moment there is far too much criticism aimed at them for people to take them seriously. This is predominantly due to the fact that on TV we see multiple slow motion replays from a variety of angles to watch the instants they have one angle at full speed to assess. Therefore the introduction of microphones for us to hear on the TV would help us understand how they make their decisions, based on what they say rather than what we see. I have to admit post match interviews would be a step in the right direction and hopefully we will start seeing these soon to help us reason with the referees in our game.
At the moment referees are given a lot of protection from the FA. This is due to the amount of criticism they often receive from players and fans. It would be interesting to hear more often about their views on the game and how they feel things could be improved. Though at the moment there is far too much criticism aimed at them for people to take them seriously. This is predominantly due to the fact that on TV we see multiple slow motion replays from a variety of angles to watch the instants they have one angle at full speed to assess. Therefore the introduction of microphones for us to hear on the TV would help us understand how they make their decisions, based on what they say rather than what we see. I have to admit post match interviews would be a step in the right direction and hopefully we will start seeing these soon to help us reason with the referees in our game.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Should Goal-Line Technology be Introduced into Football?
Ever since the World Cup one of the big discussion points was about the introduction of goal-line technology. England fans walked away from the match against Germany feeling gutted but with the thought of "what if" in their minds after Frank Lampard's shot clearly went over the line but was not given. FIFA originally announced on the 6th March 2010 that it would not be pursuing goal-line technology any further after The International Football Association Board (IFAB) voted against any further experiments. However in October IFAB (during its annual business meeting) went back on their earlier decision and agreed to re-open the discussions concerning the matter.
So would it have a positive impact on the game?
If the technology was introduced it would prove decisive on whether the ball crossed the line or not, therefore supporting the referees by helping them make less mistakes.
Some of the reasons why FIFA are cautious about introducing goal-line technology are:
- It may ruin the rhythm of the game
I think this is the biggest issue that we may not be able to judge until we see it in action. We cannot simply introduce the same technology as sports like rugby, as the excitement we get from football is from it being a fast tempo sport, whereas rugby is very stop-start and played in stages. Therefore any technology that is introduced to the game would need to act instantaneously allowing the game to flow as it currently does.
- They like fans discussing controversial decisions
There are always going to be controversial decisions in football whether they are for a disallowed goal or a free kick that isn't given, but to have FIFA reject goal-line technology due to the fact they want to keep some bad decisions in the game seems a bit silly. This will keep the pressure on the referees all for the sake of some good headlines. Admittedly FIFA may be worried this could be the first step into introducing more technology into the game, which could lead to other controversial decisions being being removed, but I don't think it should be a reason behind not bringing goal-line technology into the game.
- The cost of the setting up and testing the technology is expensive
Surely with all the money available to FIFA if they believe this will benefit the game then it is worth spending the money to investigate!
- They want the game to be played in the same way whether this be kids in the park or professionals on the international stage
This is an interesting point, though there are already a number of differences between them. For example the quality of the pitch being played on, ball being used and the standard of refereeing. You are always going to be have better conditions when playing as a professional and as long as the nature of the game stays the same there is no reason why this should be a bad thing for the sport. Local people at the park manage to play rugby, tennis and cricket without having video technology so why should it be different for football.
Hopefully in the next couple of months we should start to see the technology being tested on the big stage. Will be interesting to see whether it will work or not and how often it needs to be used.
So would it have a positive impact on the game?
If the technology was introduced it would prove decisive on whether the ball crossed the line or not, therefore supporting the referees by helping them make less mistakes.
Some of the reasons why FIFA are cautious about introducing goal-line technology are:
- It may ruin the rhythm of the game
I think this is the biggest issue that we may not be able to judge until we see it in action. We cannot simply introduce the same technology as sports like rugby, as the excitement we get from football is from it being a fast tempo sport, whereas rugby is very stop-start and played in stages. Therefore any technology that is introduced to the game would need to act instantaneously allowing the game to flow as it currently does.
- They like fans discussing controversial decisions
There are always going to be controversial decisions in football whether they are for a disallowed goal or a free kick that isn't given, but to have FIFA reject goal-line technology due to the fact they want to keep some bad decisions in the game seems a bit silly. This will keep the pressure on the referees all for the sake of some good headlines. Admittedly FIFA may be worried this could be the first step into introducing more technology into the game, which could lead to other controversial decisions being being removed, but I don't think it should be a reason behind not bringing goal-line technology into the game.
- The cost of the setting up and testing the technology is expensive
Surely with all the money available to FIFA if they believe this will benefit the game then it is worth spending the money to investigate!
- They want the game to be played in the same way whether this be kids in the park or professionals on the international stage
This is an interesting point, though there are already a number of differences between them. For example the quality of the pitch being played on, ball being used and the standard of refereeing. You are always going to be have better conditions when playing as a professional and as long as the nature of the game stays the same there is no reason why this should be a bad thing for the sport. Local people at the park manage to play rugby, tennis and cricket without having video technology so why should it be different for football.
Hopefully in the next couple of months we should start to see the technology being tested on the big stage. Will be interesting to see whether it will work or not and how often it needs to be used.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
FA Cup Quarter Final Draw
Stoke City v West Ham or Burnley
Manchester City or Aston Villa v Everton or Reading
Birmingham City v Fulham or Bolton
Manchester United v Leyton Orient or Arsenal
There could be a few good fixtures coming up then. The old rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal depending on the result later today, a Premier League clash and still the possibility that Reading and Burnley could go further. Who knows??? That's why people like the FA Cup, anything can happen!
West Brom v Wolves (1-1)
A derby match and a chance for either team to help themselves in the relegation battle. So would it live up to expectations. Well it took 39 minutes for the first goal, and it was a cracker by Tottenham loanee Jamie O'Hara who smashed the ball into the top corner after it was laid up to him from the free kick by Nenad Milijas. It looked like this would be the winning goal as the game went into injury time but it wasn't to be. James Morrison took a shot from the edge of the penalty area, the keeper couldn't hold onto it and Carlos Vela followed up to give the home fans and new boss Roy Hodgson something to cheer about. Not the best result for either team, though West Brom will be the happier as they could have easily gone away with nothing. Wolves remain bottom of the table and West Brom sit just outside the relegation zone 1 point clear of Wigan.
Saturdays Other FA Cup Action
Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday (3-0)
A simple win for Birmingham helped by some poor defending. Martins got his 1st goal for the club after skipping past a few weak tackles then easily slotted the ball past the keeper. Beausejour and Murphy scored the others. A game they will be happy to have won so comfortably but there was no real competition.
Stoke City v Brighton (3-0)
All the goals in this match came in the first half and all from headers. Carew, Walters and Shawcross scoring them. Stoke will not have been happy to see Matthew Etherington limping off at the end of the first half with a hamstring injury. He has only just come back from a period out with the same injury and perhaps the club rushed him back too quickly. Brighton created a few more opportunities in the second half but none that really troubled Sorensen. An easy match for Stoke to put them into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Manchester United v Crawley Town (1-0)
Manchester United took this match as an opportunity for some of their younger players to have a chance. I have to admit I was hoping a certain Joshua King on the bench would play some part as I had seen him play a few minutes in the Carling Cup and felt he had some real talent. Unfortunately he never came on. Darren Gibson was the player who showed the most quality in this match. His passing was amazing and he also provided the cross for Wes Brown's goal. Crawley Town were very much part of the game and came very close on multiple occasions to getting an equaliser in the second half. United brought on Smalling late in the game to tighten things up at the back and he again showed why they paid the big bucks for him. A hard fought match that went on till the final whistle.
A simple win for Birmingham helped by some poor defending. Martins got his 1st goal for the club after skipping past a few weak tackles then easily slotted the ball past the keeper. Beausejour and Murphy scored the others. A game they will be happy to have won so comfortably but there was no real competition.
Stoke City v Brighton (3-0)
All the goals in this match came in the first half and all from headers. Carew, Walters and Shawcross scoring them. Stoke will not have been happy to see Matthew Etherington limping off at the end of the first half with a hamstring injury. He has only just come back from a period out with the same injury and perhaps the club rushed him back too quickly. Brighton created a few more opportunities in the second half but none that really troubled Sorensen. An easy match for Stoke to put them into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Manchester United v Crawley Town (1-0)
Manchester United took this match as an opportunity for some of their younger players to have a chance. I have to admit I was hoping a certain Joshua King on the bench would play some part as I had seen him play a few minutes in the Carling Cup and felt he had some real talent. Unfortunately he never came on. Darren Gibson was the player who showed the most quality in this match. His passing was amazing and he also provided the cross for Wes Brown's goal. Crawley Town were very much part of the game and came very close on multiple occasions to getting an equaliser in the second half. United brought on Smalling late in the game to tighten things up at the back and he again showed why they paid the big bucks for him. A hard fought match that went on till the final whistle.
Chelsea v Everton (1-1) (3-4 on Penalties)
This will be a huge boost to Evertons confidence after beating the holders of the FA cup and the Premier League on penalties. Though for Chelsea it was yet another bad day at the office. They must have thought they had won it when Frank Lampard scored in the 104th minute with a well hit shot into the bottom corner. But it wasn't to be as in the 119th minute Leighton Baines scored with a fantastic curling free kick into the top corner. So to the penalty shoot out!
Cech saved Evertons first penalty taken by Baines to give Chelsea the advantage. Though Anelka then missed after a casually taken kick was saved well by Howard putting the teams level. The next few penalties for both teams were very well finished until up stepped Ashley Cole who missed the goal completely, leaving Phil Neville to successfully score the winner for the Toffees.
A great game to watch as there was plenty of action throughout the game. Chelsea had plenty of chances to win the match in normal time but were denied by an in form Tim Howard.
Cech saved Evertons first penalty taken by Baines to give Chelsea the advantage. Though Anelka then missed after a casually taken kick was saved well by Howard putting the teams level. The next few penalties for both teams were very well finished until up stepped Ashley Cole who missed the goal completely, leaving Phil Neville to successfully score the winner for the Toffees.
A great game to watch as there was plenty of action throughout the game. Chelsea had plenty of chances to win the match in normal time but were denied by an in form Tim Howard.
Saturday, 19 February 2011
Todays Fixtures
This weekend has been taken over by the FA Cup. This is usually the round where we might get some big upsets and see clubs from the lower leagues trying to show how good they are with thousands more people watching them than normal. We also have a few Premier League teams playing against each other which could provide some good entertainment.
So what matches are going on today?
Chelsea v Everton (12:30)
Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday (15:00)
Stoke City v Brighton (15:00)
Manchester United v Crawley Town (17:15)
Friday, 18 February 2011
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs yesterday agreed a new one year contract extension. A top class player who has already made an amazing 862 appearances for Manchester United and now after having yet another good season with the club has decided to stay on for his 21st year. Giggs is United's most capped player after surpassing Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances and will be a fantastic role model to the younger players coming through United's ranks.
Things could have been very different though. Giggs was scouted and had signed up to Manchester City's School of Excellence in his early teens. However a keen Alex Ferguson went to his house on his 14th birthday and Giggs jumped at the opportunity to play for the team he had grown up supporting.
At United so far he has won 32 winners medals, including 11 Premier League titles and 2 Champions Leagues. He has also never been sent off for United, was awarded an OBE for his services to football in 2007 and won BBC Sports Personality of the Year at the end of 2009.
Ryan Giggs Goal Vs. Arsenal - Wednesday
Uploaded by slammer96. - More professional, college and classic sports videos.
For me Giggs' best goal for United was against Arsenal in the FA cup semi-final replay in 1999. A fantastic run through the centre of the Arsenal defence which he smashed into the roof of the net to finish it off. This was in the era when the two big teams of the English game were these two clubs and this goal gave United a major boost and sunk Arsenal. The goal also took United into the final at Wembley where they went on to beat Newcastle United 2-0.
I am very glad he has chosen to stay on with the club for another season. He has been a very loyal player and he has already said how he would love to become a manager for United one day. After signing the extension the other day he said "It's great to know I'm still contributing to the teams success. I feel I've still got a lot to offer".
Things could have been very different though. Giggs was scouted and had signed up to Manchester City's School of Excellence in his early teens. However a keen Alex Ferguson went to his house on his 14th birthday and Giggs jumped at the opportunity to play for the team he had grown up supporting.
At United so far he has won 32 winners medals, including 11 Premier League titles and 2 Champions Leagues. He has also never been sent off for United, was awarded an OBE for his services to football in 2007 and won BBC Sports Personality of the Year at the end of 2009.
Ryan Giggs Goal Vs. Arsenal - Wednesday
Uploaded by slammer96. - More professional, college and classic sports videos.
For me Giggs' best goal for United was against Arsenal in the FA cup semi-final replay in 1999. A fantastic run through the centre of the Arsenal defence which he smashed into the roof of the net to finish it off. This was in the era when the two big teams of the English game were these two clubs and this goal gave United a major boost and sunk Arsenal. The goal also took United into the final at Wembley where they went on to beat Newcastle United 2-0.
I am very glad he has chosen to stay on with the club for another season. He has been a very loyal player and he has already said how he would love to become a manager for United one day. After signing the extension the other day he said "It's great to know I'm still contributing to the teams success. I feel I've still got a lot to offer".
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Who Should You Support?
Ok, so the other day whilst I was watching the Arsenal v Barcelona match my mum asked me why I was supporting Arsenal. To me it seemed obvious that being an English football supporter I wanted to see the teams from our country do well against other teams from around the world, just like an international match. However not everyone thinks like this. I know for a fact that many Liverpool supporters despise Manchester United and would enjoy nothing more than to see them lose, whoever the opponent may be and I'm sure the same thing applies with the other rivalries such as Arsenal and Tottenham.
Are they right to do this? Arguably all of the English clubs playing in Europe have not got fully English squads, so it may be wrong to compare these European games to internationals, but surely we all want the English Premier League to be the best league in the world and the best way to prove and maintain this is in the big competitions like the Champions League and the Europa League. This is the way our league we watch every week will attract the big names in football and be as beautiful and as entertaining as football can get.
Are they right to do this? Arguably all of the English clubs playing in Europe have not got fully English squads, so it may be wrong to compare these European games to internationals, but surely we all want the English Premier League to be the best league in the world and the best way to prove and maintain this is in the big competitions like the Champions League and the Europa League. This is the way our league we watch every week will attract the big names in football and be as beautiful and as entertaining as football can get.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Arsenal v Barcelona
Before the game there was the best atmosphere I think I have seen at the Emirates stadium. Every fan had either a red or white flag and was waving it, music was going loud and there were loud chants. So would the game live up to expectation?
First Half Analysis
Great opening to the match both teams having really good opportunities to score in the first 15 minutes. Arsenal had the best chance with Theo Walcott dancing the ball around the Barcelona penalty area passed short to Fabregas who then conjured a cheeky little chip through to Van Persie who had his shot saved. Barcelona though had been testing Arsenal's defence and offside trap in the opening and in the 26th minute this was how they scored. A Messi through ball went through to Villa who was onside and he put the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper to score the opener. There have been a few booking during the half aswell, most notably was Alex Song's as he kept giving away little fouls even after his booking, he needs to be careful.
Second Half
Arsenal came out realising what they had to do. Straight away they were stopping Barcelona's attacks and looking much more threatening at the other end too. Eventually one of Arsenal's attacks paid off, a brilliant chip through ball by Clichy to Van Persie lead to a volley at a really tight angle beating Valdes. He should not have let that in! This built up real momentum and the crowd were really behind their team. Not long after we then had the second goal for Arsenal scored by the substitute Andrey Arshavin after a great pass back to him from Nasri. Now they were hungry looking for more, though still having to keep alert at the back as Barcelona would take advantage of any mistake. However Arsenal held out and based on their second half performance deserved to. Koscielny made some crucial tackles and had a top game showing himself as a leading figure in the backline for Arsenal. Jack Wilshire again proved his qualities at running with the ball and distributing it neatly.
Summary
Barcelona played some outstanding football at time and could have got more goals to show for it in the first half. However Arsenal came back and deserved the victory showing real character and maturity in their young squad. I have often said the Emirates can be a library in terms of how quiet it can get, but not today. The fans were really behind their team and in great voice tonight. Great game to watch and I hope for more of the same in the return leg!
Man of the match: Koscielny, his great performance in defence kept Arsenal in the game and lead to lots of Arsenals chances. Great performance to a man who has never looked too convincing before this match. Wilshire came narrowly second with his great game aswell.
First Half Analysis
Great opening to the match both teams having really good opportunities to score in the first 15 minutes. Arsenal had the best chance with Theo Walcott dancing the ball around the Barcelona penalty area passed short to Fabregas who then conjured a cheeky little chip through to Van Persie who had his shot saved. Barcelona though had been testing Arsenal's defence and offside trap in the opening and in the 26th minute this was how they scored. A Messi through ball went through to Villa who was onside and he put the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper to score the opener. There have been a few booking during the half aswell, most notably was Alex Song's as he kept giving away little fouls even after his booking, he needs to be careful.
Second Half
Arsenal came out realising what they had to do. Straight away they were stopping Barcelona's attacks and looking much more threatening at the other end too. Eventually one of Arsenal's attacks paid off, a brilliant chip through ball by Clichy to Van Persie lead to a volley at a really tight angle beating Valdes. He should not have let that in! This built up real momentum and the crowd were really behind their team. Not long after we then had the second goal for Arsenal scored by the substitute Andrey Arshavin after a great pass back to him from Nasri. Now they were hungry looking for more, though still having to keep alert at the back as Barcelona would take advantage of any mistake. However Arsenal held out and based on their second half performance deserved to. Koscielny made some crucial tackles and had a top game showing himself as a leading figure in the backline for Arsenal. Jack Wilshire again proved his qualities at running with the ball and distributing it neatly.
Summary
Barcelona played some outstanding football at time and could have got more goals to show for it in the first half. However Arsenal came back and deserved the victory showing real character and maturity in their young squad. I have often said the Emirates can be a library in terms of how quiet it can get, but not today. The fans were really behind their team and in great voice tonight. Great game to watch and I hope for more of the same in the return leg!
Man of the match: Koscielny, his great performance in defence kept Arsenal in the game and lead to lots of Arsenals chances. Great performance to a man who has never looked too convincing before this match. Wilshire came narrowly second with his great game aswell.
AC Milan v Tottenham (0-1)
Fantastic result for Tottenham! AC were sloppy and looked tired and Tottenham took advantage of this in the second half. A great quick break by Lennon through the AC defence led to the goal as he then laid it off for Crouch to finish neatly into the bottom corner. This puts them into a really good position going into the second leg as they have 1 away goal, Bale should be back and there is a good chance Gattuso will be suspended following his head butt on Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan. A red mist moment I feel, possibly as a result of what he felt was bad refereeing after a goal was disallowed in the final minute of play. Not acceptable behaviour though by the captain!
Birmingham City v Newcastle United (0-2)
Newcastle after being unlucky not to beat Blackburn away on the weekend wanted to make sure they won this game away, whilst Birmingham were hoping for a much better performance than their weekend game despite them getting them winning that. Peter Lovenkrands scored after just 1 minute and 30 seconds to give his team a big boost. He got in front of his defender and poked it in at the front post past Ben Foster. Birmingham then tried hard to get back into the game as Zigic had a good shot well saved by Harper. At the beginning of the second half and Newcastle came out strong again and scored their second of the evening after Leon jumped up well and headed it past Foster. Again Birmingham tried to fight their way back and had two good chances they couldn't take through Zigic and Roger Johnson. Newcastle have looked good recently which is a great achievement considering they have lost their best player in Andy Carroll.
Monday, 14 February 2011
Team of the week
Robinson: Was kept busy throughout the game and produced some great saves. Also came out with a clean sheet.
Dawson: Showed great qualities as a captain to lead the way to a Spurs comeback. Nice powerful header to score the equalizer and some superb defending after that to keep them in the game.
G.Cahill: A fastly developing centre back who was attracting a lot of attention in the January transfer market. He scored a neat header against Everton and also stayed solid at the back to help his team get a 2-0 win over Everton.
Smalling: A player I was doubting before the game proved me badly wrong. He did a great job at stopping any play City were developing and had Tevez in his pocket, great game by the young English defender.
Enrique: The first time this guy has caught my eye and he did just that. This guy has skill, pace a great crossing ability and some magical moments in him. Great game for him today, he would have led Newcastle to victory had it not been for Robinson
Kranjcar: The man who is coming out to remind us who he is. He seems confident, energetic and certainly knows how to volley the ball. Again his goal led to Tottenham winning the game, he has well deserved his starting position and could be a decent replacement for Bale in the Champions League.
Nani: Had another great game. His skill was causing City's defence all sorts of problems as they didn't know which side to put him on as he was playing well with both feet. He also scored a good goal and provided the assist for Rooney's awesome goal.
Adam: Again proving he will still fight for the team despite the transfer speculation in January. His corners are always deadly as it showed in this match and I really like this guys attitude.
Van Persie: A player on great form at the moment, scoring goals for fun and came close to getting another hatrick. Arsenal will always be threatening when he's on the pitch.
Suarez: A player who was expecting to play alongside Torres is now showing the fans that he can be just as good as he was. He was unlucky not to have got a couple of goals today showing great skill and attacking ability hitting the woodwork twice.
Rooney: The only reason this man is in my team of the week is due to his AWESOME goal to win the Manchester derby. My goal of the season so far and a great way for him to end his lack of goals recently. Daniel Sturridge came close but just lost out due to that goal.
Mondays Match
Fulham v Chelsea (0-0)
Well if I was a Liverpool fan I would be happy with the amount of money they got for Torres because he played rubbish and he's not showing much sign of improvement at the moment either. He had multiple chances that he didn't take and his touch was awful, you would think Drogba who was sat on the bench could've done better. However you can be sure they won't be giving up on their 50 million pound striker! Fulham had less chances though they were still good, one just 5 minutes in and the biggest being the penalty at the end which Clint Dempsey missed. David Luiz will be chuffed to bits about that since it was his debut and he has the one to give it away.
Well if I was a Liverpool fan I would be happy with the amount of money they got for Torres because he played rubbish and he's not showing much sign of improvement at the moment either. He had multiple chances that he didn't take and his touch was awful, you would think Drogba who was sat on the bench could've done better. However you can be sure they won't be giving up on their 50 million pound striker! Fulham had less chances though they were still good, one just 5 minutes in and the biggest being the penalty at the end which Clint Dempsey missed. David Luiz will be chuffed to bits about that since it was his debut and he has the one to give it away.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
The Other Weekend Matches
West Brom v West Ham (3-3)
Great goal by Dorrans to open the scoring and get West Brom rolling, a good passing move and some confident attacking play led to West Brom going in at half time 3-0 up. Second half West Ham came out flying after Scott Parker gave an inspirational team talk. They soon got their first goal which gave them the momentum to go further and pull out a 3-3 draw at full time. Either team could have won this match in the end but a draw was probably a fair scoreline. Both teams had defensive nightmares!
Arsenal v Wolves (2-0)
Arsenal were in control of this game from the off. The first real chance that Arsenal had was converted by Van Persie volleying in to the bottom corner from a Fabregas cross. Walcott had plenty of chances to increase Arsenal's lead including what should have been a simple tap in after a magical run by Jack Wilshire. Arsenal's second goal was a perfect example of how to break quickly, though there was a slight hint of offside it was a fantastic counter attack. Wolves didn't have many good chances to talk about other than a shot late on by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake which flew over the crossbar. Great play from Arsenal and hopefully they can play like this against Barcelona in the Champions League midweek.
Liverpool v Wigan (1-1)
Just when Liverpool look to be turning a corner under new manager Kenny Daglish they slip up to miss out on arguably easy points at home. However things could have been different with Wigan's equalizer clearly being offside after a flick header in the box. Luis Suarez looked very promising for Liverpool being a huge attacking threat. He had a decent penalty claim early on, a curling shot bounce off the back post and a free kick that slammed against the bar. Mereiles was Liverpool's goalscorer with a powerful volley after a cross took a heavy deflection, he has been getting a very good taste for goal recently. Wigan had limited chances and can count themselves lucky that they came away from Anfield with any points at all.
Sunderland v Tottenham (1-2)
Sunderland went ahead in this game with the help of William Gallas being off the pitch replacing his bright yellow boots! Gyan picked up the ball in the box and struck a brilliant turning volley into the bottom corner. The game was pretty level at this stage with both sides having chances and battling in the midfield. Tottenham then grabbed an equalizer just before half time with Michael Dawson jumping well and hitting a powerful header through the legs of the Sunderland keeper. The second half stayed just as competitive with both teams having decent chances but it was not to be Sunderland's day. A brilliant through ball by Corluka gave Sandro acres of space to run into, he then chipped a cross in towards the middle, Mensah got a head to it but set it up perfectly for Kranjcar to expertly volley in from the edge of the box. Hopefully he manages to keep his place in the 1st team, a great player who could definitely help Tottenham achieve silverware this season.
Blackpool v Aston Villa (1-1)
A lively start to this match, Blackpool as always were pressing but they were the team to concede first. A good tackle by Makoun on Charlie Adam gave Villa possession, some quick passing then set Agbonlahor in on goal, he went round the keeper and placed his ball into the back of the net. However the lead was short lived. Charlie Adam who has been an amazing corner taker for Blackpool whipped in a great cross to the front post which was headed in by Grandin for his first goal at the club. Both teams continued to create great chances but neither team managed to convert them. Howard Webb then had to make a big decision as Makoun went in with a ridiculous lunge tackle on DJ Cambell getting none of the ball and a lot of the player. The referee rightly pulled out the red card. The last incident in the game was another big decision for Howard Webb though this time I feel he got it wrong as Ashley Young was shoved to the ground. This game was also a welcome return to the female lineswoman Sian Massey who (in my opinion) should never have been taken away. She also received the backing of both managers after the game who were happy with the job she did.
Birmingham City v Stoke City (1-0)
A very dull game with not many decent chances. A draw would have been a fair result but in injury time a Begovic fumble lead to Cameron Jerome stealing it away, chipping it back infront of goal and Zigic heading home in a goal mouth scramble. The only other action worth mentioning was a good claim for a Birmingham City penalty as the ball hit Huth's hand in the box and he went down pretending the ball hit him in the face. He had me fooled on 1st viewing.
Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United (0-0)
Newcastle were much the better team in this game. Jose Enrique was absolutely terrific for them, taking on defenders, doing skillful dribbles and providing some fantastic crosses and through balls. Outstanding! Due to this Paul Robinson was being kept busy and had to pull off a few dramatic saves through the game. There was a little scuffle between Dunn and Nolan at one point in the game but I think once Samba arrived, nobody was going to risk causing any more trouble! Newcastle unlucky to not get 3 points from this.
SUNDAY
Bolton v Everton (2-0)
After this match David Moyes came out and said it was one of Everton's worst defeats. In a way I would agree with this, not due to the fact they weren't in the game but they were sloppy and missed a handful of good chances. Also both goals they conceded could have prevented if the defense had been more organised. However Bolton looked very positive and like a team that is looking to fight for a Europa League spot perhaps. The loan signing of Sturridge has brought life to their attack and the whole team seems to be working well together. Gary Cahill is proving how good he could become in the future for Bolton and perhaps England with a nice goal and a clean sheet.
Great goal by Dorrans to open the scoring and get West Brom rolling, a good passing move and some confident attacking play led to West Brom going in at half time 3-0 up. Second half West Ham came out flying after Scott Parker gave an inspirational team talk. They soon got their first goal which gave them the momentum to go further and pull out a 3-3 draw at full time. Either team could have won this match in the end but a draw was probably a fair scoreline. Both teams had defensive nightmares!
Arsenal v Wolves (2-0)
Arsenal were in control of this game from the off. The first real chance that Arsenal had was converted by Van Persie volleying in to the bottom corner from a Fabregas cross. Walcott had plenty of chances to increase Arsenal's lead including what should have been a simple tap in after a magical run by Jack Wilshire. Arsenal's second goal was a perfect example of how to break quickly, though there was a slight hint of offside it was a fantastic counter attack. Wolves didn't have many good chances to talk about other than a shot late on by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake which flew over the crossbar. Great play from Arsenal and hopefully they can play like this against Barcelona in the Champions League midweek.
Liverpool v Wigan (1-1)
Just when Liverpool look to be turning a corner under new manager Kenny Daglish they slip up to miss out on arguably easy points at home. However things could have been different with Wigan's equalizer clearly being offside after a flick header in the box. Luis Suarez looked very promising for Liverpool being a huge attacking threat. He had a decent penalty claim early on, a curling shot bounce off the back post and a free kick that slammed against the bar. Mereiles was Liverpool's goalscorer with a powerful volley after a cross took a heavy deflection, he has been getting a very good taste for goal recently. Wigan had limited chances and can count themselves lucky that they came away from Anfield with any points at all.
Sunderland v Tottenham (1-2)
Sunderland went ahead in this game with the help of William Gallas being off the pitch replacing his bright yellow boots! Gyan picked up the ball in the box and struck a brilliant turning volley into the bottom corner. The game was pretty level at this stage with both sides having chances and battling in the midfield. Tottenham then grabbed an equalizer just before half time with Michael Dawson jumping well and hitting a powerful header through the legs of the Sunderland keeper. The second half stayed just as competitive with both teams having decent chances but it was not to be Sunderland's day. A brilliant through ball by Corluka gave Sandro acres of space to run into, he then chipped a cross in towards the middle, Mensah got a head to it but set it up perfectly for Kranjcar to expertly volley in from the edge of the box. Hopefully he manages to keep his place in the 1st team, a great player who could definitely help Tottenham achieve silverware this season.
Blackpool v Aston Villa (1-1)
A lively start to this match, Blackpool as always were pressing but they were the team to concede first. A good tackle by Makoun on Charlie Adam gave Villa possession, some quick passing then set Agbonlahor in on goal, he went round the keeper and placed his ball into the back of the net. However the lead was short lived. Charlie Adam who has been an amazing corner taker for Blackpool whipped in a great cross to the front post which was headed in by Grandin for his first goal at the club. Both teams continued to create great chances but neither team managed to convert them. Howard Webb then had to make a big decision as Makoun went in with a ridiculous lunge tackle on DJ Cambell getting none of the ball and a lot of the player. The referee rightly pulled out the red card. The last incident in the game was another big decision for Howard Webb though this time I feel he got it wrong as Ashley Young was shoved to the ground. This game was also a welcome return to the female lineswoman Sian Massey who (in my opinion) should never have been taken away. She also received the backing of both managers after the game who were happy with the job she did.
Birmingham City v Stoke City (1-0)
A very dull game with not many decent chances. A draw would have been a fair result but in injury time a Begovic fumble lead to Cameron Jerome stealing it away, chipping it back infront of goal and Zigic heading home in a goal mouth scramble. The only other action worth mentioning was a good claim for a Birmingham City penalty as the ball hit Huth's hand in the box and he went down pretending the ball hit him in the face. He had me fooled on 1st viewing.
Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United (0-0)
Newcastle were much the better team in this game. Jose Enrique was absolutely terrific for them, taking on defenders, doing skillful dribbles and providing some fantastic crosses and through balls. Outstanding! Due to this Paul Robinson was being kept busy and had to pull off a few dramatic saves through the game. There was a little scuffle between Dunn and Nolan at one point in the game but I think once Samba arrived, nobody was going to risk causing any more trouble! Newcastle unlucky to not get 3 points from this.
SUNDAY
Bolton v Everton (2-0)
After this match David Moyes came out and said it was one of Everton's worst defeats. In a way I would agree with this, not due to the fact they weren't in the game but they were sloppy and missed a handful of good chances. Also both goals they conceded could have prevented if the defense had been more organised. However Bolton looked very positive and like a team that is looking to fight for a Europa League spot perhaps. The loan signing of Sturridge has brought life to their attack and the whole team seems to be working well together. Gary Cahill is proving how good he could become in the future for Bolton and perhaps England with a nice goal and a clean sheet.
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