Football: Premiership Review – International Break

After a fantastic weekend of football action from the best league in the world, we are left with complete uncertainty of whose hands the title is going to end up in.

As things stand Manchester United are still favorites with one point ahead of Liverpool and a game in hand, but the form Liverpool are in is undeniably breathtaking, their 5-0 win against Aston Villa looked like a day out in the sun, nothing taken away from Villa who just were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Man Utd carried on with their low confidence dropping three crucial points at Fulham, who have shown to be a tough team to break down for the big four this season. Though Sir Alex’s men still have a cushion from the brilliant run earlier this season, Liverpool are creeping up and the pressure is now on.

Chelsea on the other hand look good and buried with their defeat to Spurs, a superb goal from Modric was enough to seal the win for the North Londoners, but Chelsea performed well and deserved a point from the game, if not more. Chelsea do have the easiest run to the finish however, apart from Arsenal all their tough games have been done with, so they will need to win for the rest of the season and hope the other two slip up to have a chance.

Arsenal are out of the race, mathematically still possible but now they are just looking to secure fourth spot and focus their attentions to the FA cup and Champions League, the game against Newcastle was a classic end to end game we’ve have come to miss from both teams, great football from both sides but a managerial decision (or indecision) cost Newcastle the game, when Steven Taylor was off the pitch receiving treatment the manager didn’t fill the hole, why? It was an odd decision for no one to think quickly which of course Arsenal took advantage for a splendid goal from Abu Diaby to get the gunners ahead. With the luck Newcastle are running on, relegation fears are looking likely to continue right till the end of the season.

So that’s the review of how the top four are looking as we go into the international break, it will require a whole new post to discuss the relegation battle this season, lets just say the way its ended up positions 10 and 11 (Manchester City and Tottenham respectively) are not safe from the drop, a few bad results and they may face the axe.

Football: Champions League Draw

Draw 1 – Villarreal FC Vs Arsenal FC

The turnaround of fortune continues for Arsenal as they have drawn one of two possible teams that they really wanted, the other being Porto. After beating Roma on a very fortunate night for Arsenal, they had the best Premier League weekend they could have hoped for, beating Blackburn in a emphatic 4-0 win at the Emirates and Aston Villa losing to Arsenal’s bitterest rivals, Tottenham, to get the gunners in fourth spot for the Champions League. A further positive is nearly all their injured players will be back, and for the first time, Arsene Wenger will have a squad with in depth strength and creative options on the bench. Villarreal have had a better season thus far also sitting fourth in the Spanish Premier League, but matching the quality of the sides makes Arsenal the bookies favourite for this tie.

Draw 2 – Manchester United Vs FC Porto

A very fortunate draw for Manchester United, Porto are considered the weakest side remaining, though at one stage they had been tipped as outside favourites to make the final this season, but after losing to Arsenal 4-0 early on in the group stages, and losing one of their key players Ricardo Queresma, they really are up against it in this tie. Man Utd had just suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Liverpool, but they are still tipped to win the Premier League title and the Porto tie may even be considered a breath of fresh air.

Draw 3 – Liverpool FC Vs Chelsea FC

The third draw came in as the most mouth-watering of them all, Liverpool and Chelsea have such a large history in the competition and in the domestic games, with Guus Hiddink bringing out Chelsea’s best form and Liverpool have just come through two monumental wins against two monumental teams so this tie is set up to be something special. Neither team can be happy that their other two domestic rivals got “lucky”, but to win this competition they will have to face the best and beat the best at some point. As both teams are locked in the Premiership on 61 points the game looks dead even, only Chelsea have the advantage with the second leg being at Stamford Bridge.

Draw 4 – FC Bayern Vs FC Barcelona

The two highest scoring teams this season in the champions league lock horns with the first game played at Nou Camp, Barcelona have been on high scoring form in their domestic games recently, but they did show a hint of struggle against Lyon with their back line, and against a stronger opponent a weak defence would be ripped apart with ease, as Liverpool showed against Barca’s rivals Read Madrid in the first stage. Bayern are just fresh from beating Sporting by 12 goals over 2 legs, it was pure free-flow football from the German side and they are now full of confidence and really have nothing to lose against Barca who are considered one of two favourites to pick up the title, it should be an interesting clash.

Football: Barclays Premier League Mid-Season Review

Christmas is approaching and so is almost the 19 game mark, things have been quite interesting in the beginning half of the season with teams like Hull and Fulham have been killing off some of their giant competitors leaving a very uncertain view of the top four and how things will shape up in the new year.

Liverpool started off with some brilliant results but with some very poor performances but they got the results that they needed and that’s why they are top. Having wins against Man City away and Chelsea away are all great but then drawing to Hull, Fulham and West Ham all at home is shocking, two of them being goalless, sure Hull are playing well but if Steven Gerrard wants to live up to his wishes pre-season of actually challenging for the title the whole season and not just playing for 3^rd or 4^th, they really had to get at least 7 out of 9 points in those games, had they had done, they would have been 5 points ahead of Chelsea which would definitely have boosted their chances.

Chelsea showed great promise thrashing teams near the beginning and with their prolific striker Nicholas Anelka, actually I say prolific but I am only really quoting what the press say, I think personally Anelka is the most boring goal scorer in the Premiership, that’s harsh I know but he doesn’t do anything, he doesn’t threaten defenders, he doesn’t link up well he doesn’t know how to pass, he just finishes all the things left on a plate. Its not a bad thing I guess but Chelsea want to live to a standard of attractive football and Anelka is not it, ok sure people will criticize me in saying this but just wait when he goes through a period of not scoring goals he will as useless as the referee, or even worse, Kalou.

Now Drogba, there’s a striker who knows how to make an impact, he terrorises defenders and scores some wonderfully team and individually crafted goals, that’s a striker to be proud of (apart from his attitude). Chelsea did look really good but a string of poor home form has left in doubt whether they really have that edge to win convincingly this season, I do believe they will be up there at the end, but it will be very close with them and Manchester United

Speaking of Man Utd, who out of the top four have had the hardest first half of the season, playing 9 away games against the 9 teams that were in the top 10 last season, and they have managed to come out of this quite well being 3^rd in the Premiership only 6 points behind Liverpool with a game to spare, they did lose two really important games against Liverpool and Arsenal, but they have done the business against the rest, the 2^nd half will be easier for Man Utd and if Berbatov can kick his old goal scoring form into gear, Man Utd are sure to be strong favourites.

Arsenal on the other hand are not, they have struggled this year and its hard to explain why, the only thing that really makes sense about Arsenal is that they don’t have Flamini, or a replacement of him that is experienced enough to hold that mid-field strong, Denilson is absolutely rubbish, this player doesn’t know how to pass the ball, stay on his feet, or score! I think even Eboue is better than him, and Song, who has started playing in that position recently, is just not good enough. Why Arsene Wenger insists on playing Bendtner I don’t know, especially when you have Carlos Vela rotting away on the bench. I really think Wenger has been very stubborn this season and it does seem he is trying to make a point, his first point being not to fall for the presses pressure, the press said he needs experience, pundits said if he has money to spend, then spend it, he went against this, they also said buy experience, he ignored this and went young again, this has cost them dearly, and they just can’t win games with conviction anymore, just like Arsenal used to.

Middle table looks exciting as ever too, Aston Villa are playing some attractive football and so are Everton, Man City have disappointed defensively but attacking football has been immense for them, almost to the standard of the top four, if they spend in January and with over half a trillion funding them I’m sure they will, you can be sure they will be a menace in the 2^nd half, and especially next year.

So in the end, I do predict Manchester United will be crowned once again, but if Chelsea can get their home act together it will be a very close race to the finish. Liverpool, no chance, thats harsh I guess, they do have a chance but I really think its more luck than talent that will take the crown. Arsenal, I don’t like to say but this season they need to pit their hopes on the Champions League, because the premiership is going to need a miracle. I do believe the top four will remain the same as last season.

Please leave your thoughts and predictions.

Football: Chelsea Vs Manchester United Preview

Well another exciting weekend for the two big guns, the first time they will meet after their Champions League clash and it is certain to entertain!

Man U have had a lot of tough games recently, in fact their first 10 games are against the top 10 teams in the league, they have had the hardest start to deal with compared to the other 3, and after a disappointing week they really need a result here.

Chelsea are going in the game with extreme confidence, they haven’t really been challenged yet, unless you call Man City a challenge, but they have managed to mop up the little teams with ease, a thing they haven’t been able to do in the past. Confidence wise, Chelsea will definitely be on a high, however they could face a United backlash.

The Teams

Well Chelsea’s team may be a bit of a surprise on this occasion, I don’t think Scolari will go for his two wing forwards and play a 4-3-3, I think it will be Anelka with Cole playing just off him on the right, and Lampard left centre, and a midfield of Deco, Mikel, and Ballack. If he does play this team it is one scary line up! (the usual defence)

However, a great line-up it may be, United have its full force bar Vidic, a Berbatov Tevez strike force, Rooney on the left, Ronaldo on the right, Scholes and Carrick in the centre. Look at United’s bench, Giggs, Anderson, Nani, Hargreaves, all players that can impact a game, Chelsea’s bench just as frightening, Drogba, Malouda, and their impactful Brazilian defender Alex.

The game is questionable, will it be a stalemate like we have seen in the past years, a boring 1-1 draw, thank God the Champions League final was really good to watch, otherwise the whole world would complain how boring English football would be, but on that day Chelsea were slightly better, and when they click they look good, the only team in the world I can think that clicks as well as Chelsea is United, so I predict an exciting game with lots of hot air and tension, with United going for the win, and Chelsea going for a thrashing!!

Please leave your thoughts on the game!

Chelsea: 2008-09 Prediction

Although trophyless, Chelsea had a very good season under Avram Grant as he led them to there first Champions League final and just lost the Premier League and it’s hard to see why he was sacked but that’s a story for another day. Chelsea now look for a new era under Scolari who said he can win the quadruple in his first season. He certainly has the team and knowledge to do so, but only time will tell.

Strengths:

• Michael Ballack: Showed us why he is a great player, he was pivotal part of the team towards the end of last season and had a phenomenal European Championship. He will surely be key to their title hopes next season.
• Michael Essien: Another key member of the Chelsea setup. He’s great both going foward and defensively. Chelsea will rely on him to be the new Makelele.

Weakness:

• We’ll get back to you on this one. . .

Our Predictions:

J-Lee: Hate them or love them, Chelsea have one of the best squads in the world. Scolari must get them to gel in the way that he wants and if the team respond to former Portuguese manager’s wishes, they could win almost every trophy. Good luck to the other teams in the ‘Big Four’, they’re going to need it. Chelsea will win the league!

The Doc: Big Phil will have an immediately impact, although he will play a similar formation to Mr Mourinho. His attacking style is exactly what the bridge owner has been looking for. My prediction: Top spot

Transfers:

• Urm. . .

Links: Yahoo! Chelsea FC Wikipedia Chelsea FC

Goodbye – Adebayor, Lampard, Hleb and Ronaldo?

I’m probably jumping the gun here, but I wanted to talk about a number of players that look likely to leave the English Premiership. All the these players have made some sort of impact last season. So how much of a gap will these players leave? Will the premiership be the same without them? Will the respective clubs be able to replace these players? Or will they struggle in the coming season?

Hleb - it all started with an innocent excursion in Milan with the Inter representative, while deciding what flavour of Italian gelato to have, the Italian journalist put two and two together and quickly deduced that this meeting was more then a social excursion. Hleb has amazing ball control, my colleague Ash-sta rates him extremely highly. His ability on the ball, his passing and movement is awesome, he is a typical Wenger player, who loves to pass. However his goal return is shocking!

In recent weeks Hleb has also since been linked with a move to Barcelona. Personally, I don’t see him as a traditional Jose Mourinho player so I reckon he’s off to the Spanish giants. The question remains… will Arsenal miss him? They have Walcott, Rosicky, Nasri (according to everyone) and Eboue (does he really count)? They have plenty of cover, however there are questions marks over these players, especially over fitness and ability (Eboue).

Lampard – After a difficult season both personally and professionally, Lampard looks set to join his old manager at Inter. J-lee mentioned with the bargain signing of Deco. This one is defiantly going to happen. Looks like J-lee’s post has pretty much covered this one:

Deco’s arrival however seems to signify Frank Lampard’s exit from Stamford Bridge, meaning both he (Deco) and Michael Ballack must add to the goal tally.

Adebayor – Another Arsenal player linked with Barcelona! The 30+ goal’s he scored last season has gone to his head and a number of Arsenal fans are wondering if Mr Wenger should cash in ‘Greedy Adebayor‘. Its always hard to tell what Wenger is thinking, so if Adebayor goes, Arsenal will need to sign a new striker to replace him. Villa, Santa Cruz and Arshavin have all been mentioned as possible replacements for the Big Togoan. Any of these would be a great replacement but he will need replacing!

Finally Cristiano Ronaldo – The first player to win all three player of the year awards in England, there is no doubt he will be (or is) world player of year. But is the Portuguese starlet destined for Real Madrid? During the Euro 2008 all reports suggested that he has already agreed personal terms, and that all that was required is for both clubs to decide a price! Read all about the saga here. Out of all the players mentioned in this post I believe if Ronaldo was to leave he will be the most missed. A player who is regarded by most if not all as the best player in the world is no small title. Who will score the goals? Who will Sir Alex look to when a game needs changing? Did I mentioned who will score the goals?

Chelsea’s Hunt for the Title

After recently signing Deco, Chelsea look a strong side for next seasons Premiership as well as Champions League. The play-maker will bring a lot to the team with both technical ability and experience as he still has about four years left in him. The Portuguese midfielder only cost the club £8m which seems like a bargain especially after Man Utd payed £18m for Michael Carrick. Deco’s arrival however seems to signify Frank Lampard’s exit from Stamford Bridge, meaning both he (Deco) and Michael Ballack must add to the goal tally.

All eyes now turn to Scolari who has been given £250m to spend on transfers (yes you read it right, two hundred and fifty million pounds). So where does he look next? With Drogba remaining very quiet, it seems as though he will stay at the club. Whether Scolari would like to replace Hernan Crespo after he was released is another matter.

Robinho reportedly remains the number one target and the Brazillian was recently classed ‘as good as Cristiano Ronaldo’ by his agent. You are probaly aware that the statement is complete nonsense as I would like to see Robinho score 42 goals in a season playing in the Spanish league let alone Premier league.

There’s no doubt that Roman Abramovich is attempting to buy all the trophies next season when to be honest, Scolari does not need to spend that much money on new players. I reckon he’ll just buy big named players rather than players who will play in a team and wouldn’t be surprised if next season has a similar outcome to lasts.