EPL Week In Review December 5th/6th
Interesting to see England is already in their World Cup form when it comes to taking penalty kicks.
- Credit to Avram Grant who somehow got these Portsmouth players to put in a performance after many of them haven’t been paid. Burnley are a much different team on the road than they are at home but it still says a lot for the character of these Portsmouth players to keep a clear sheet and earn the three points in such a situation.
- What is there to say about Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Stoke? Every time I start thinking this Arsenal team may be onto something they lose. Yeah it was a case of job well done but I’ll only start caring when they do it in the business end of the season against a top team.
– Coaches usually view the coach of the month award as the curse of death but Jimmy Bullard might be thinking the same about the player of the month award. Just after being awarded the honour for November Bullard had to hobble off in tears after suffering another knee injury.
- Aston Villa is in a perfect spot right now. They don’t have to deal with the press/pressure of people tipping them to break the top four as that honour goes to Tottenham and Manchester City but on the flip side they can draw from last year’s experience on how to push on for an entire year in order to break through the glass ceiling of English football.
- Perfect game for Sam Allardyce to come back too as there wasn’t a moment of excitement for his repaired heart to deal it.
- Allardyce must be over the moon with the past week for Blackburn, advancing in the Carling Cup and then drawing against Liverpool in the league.
- Liverpool is in the same spot Arsenal were last year with everyone pegging them to drop out of the top four. Much like Arsenal rounding into form during the second half of the season I’d lean to Liverpool doing the same but I wouldn’t be putting any money on it.
- Those West Ham players should have a long look at themselves. It’s one thing to be favored to lose; it’s another to hang your head low and let Manchester United walk all over them after Darren Gibson’s second goal. They laid down in front of the home fans, have some pride for crying out loud.
- Every time I start to write off Paul Scholes he seems to come up with something from the top drawer to remind everyone what type of talent he has.
- Was thinking to myself a couple of days ago about just what type of player Darren Gibson could be. Kept thinking on the low end he should be no worse than Michael Carrick who is a fine player in his own right and on the high end a Frank Lampard type player. It should fall somewhere in the middle and if so Manchester United would be quite pleased considering the likes of Carrick and Anderson cost them 20 million pounds each.
- One of the cool things about having a site for close to two years is the fact I can go back and see what I’ve said about certain players.
Regarding Darren Gibson
On June 4th 2009
Manchester United trio Fraizer Campbell, Danny Simpson and Darron Gibson have been placed on the transfer list at Old Trafford. (Daily Mirror)
For the best as Campbell and Simpson are way back in the depth chart. In the right team United might end up regretting selling Gibson in a couple of years.
and on May 25th
- Darren Gibson’s strike was a goal even Paul Scholes could be proud of. With more playing time teams will quickly learn to close down Gibson or risk more goals like yesterday’s.
- By the way yes I know I’m sure the search feature could also produce many dumb things I’ve said over time.
- Birmingham city fans must love the start to the season. After coming back to defeat Wigan 3-2 they sit at 21 points over 15 games. They are already half way to the magical 40 point mark which usually means safety.
- Calls for Gary Megson head should start growing louder after dropping to 19th on the table losing to a struggling Wolves side 2-1.
- Speaking of Wolves what an important win for Mick McCarthy who were briefly at the bottom of the table thanks to Portsmouth win earlier. Wolves are still in the drop zone but it’s a big difference being one point away from safety than four.
- Job well done Manchester City, they didn’t let Chelsea early goal let them down and get taking the game them. Chelsea on the other hand looked like a team off its game. Even when Manchester tied it up Chelsea could never seem to find that extra gear.
- Ricardo Carvalho you know I think the world of you but please don’t foul anyone like to did to Tevez next summer.
- Petr Cech you should have learned from Manuel Almunia mistake last week guessing on a free kick. Credit for Carlos Tevez still for getting it through a tight spot so close to goal.
- I know it’s easy to say now but had a feeling Frank Lampard was going to miss. He’d been ineffective the entire game and even his run up for the penalty kick was timid. At no point did he seem confident out there.
- Bobby Zamora for England before Trinidad & Tobago snaps him up. Without their best striker in Andrew Johnson, Fulham is still fighting it out just outside a European place.
- And no I’m not serious with that Bobby Zamora comment.
- What a game between Tottenham and Everton! The first half was filled with hard tackles and chipy play. In the second half once Michael Dawson made it two goals in two weeks you figured job done for Tottenham but to Everton’s credit they fought back and earned a draw but to them it must be a win. Louis Saha comes on and scores with an eye for goal Jo could only dream he had then Tim Cahill got to box with the sticks when he tied it up.
Then drama as Tony Hibbert goes for the man after being beaten to the ball by Wilson Palacios. Penalty corrected awarded but Jermain Defoe kicks it straight where Tim Howard is able to get a leg on it to save a point.
- Lessoned learned from this game:
a) Tottenham, learn to play 90 minutes. Everyone on that team must know they let Everton off the hook.
b) Wilson Palacios, smooth move laying around like you’ve been shot out then and icing Jermain Defoe.
c) Forget about these Jack Rodwell to Manchester United, Chelsea or even Real Madrid rumours how about the game right back Séamus Coleman had? His performance is what turned the game around for Everton.