Is it too early in the Premier League season for a signpost weekend?
By the end of Sunday everyone will have played three games and some four, which metes out to eight percent and 10 percent of the entire 38-game schedule. In the same vein, the average point total to win the league over the last five seasons is 90.4.
So, if Tottenham beats Birmingham City on Saturday and sits on 12 points with an International break coming, does it or should it mean anything?
It would be only 13 percent of the way to the mythical 90 points. Yet, as the saying goes in Major League Baseball, you can't win World Series in April, but you sure can lose them. (Not that Everton, Bolton, Blackburn or Portsmouth were winning the title, but zero points is now way to go through life.)
Maybe people don't put too much stock in these sort of things, but after matches this week there's nearly two weeks between the next whistle on Sept. 12. And over that time, the transfer window shuts until January.
That's what makes the first truly bellwether match of the season so important when Arsenal goes to Old Trafford to play Manchester United Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal, arguably the most impressive team through its two matches, can validate that it's the real deal by going to Old Trafford and mashing Sir Alex's boys around the field. Arsene Wenger has preached patience with his youth movement and it would seem the seeds are finally about ready to yield fruit.
For me, what I'd like to see with Arsenal is a look in their eyes. A sense that,
"yeah, we're kind of a big deal -- so deal with it."
If Arsenal can go up to Old Trafford Saturday and layeth the smack down (sorry for the WWF talk), it certainly will send shivers down the spines of the rest of the league. It's a statement game, plain and simple. A notice of intent, as it were.
On its absolute best, when the weather's nice it's hard to see many teams being strong enough to match the Gunners toe-to-toe. Yes, Cheslea has the brute strength to do so and Spurs have the pace, plus the North London Derby extra-juice, but overall, if Arsenal turns it on and clicks it'll be tough to stop.
So long as Robin van Persie and Eduardo stay on the field, coupled with the raw Danish viking strength of Niclas Bendtner, Arsenal has enough firepower up top to replace Emmanuel Adebayor. And again, with health, as long as Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin stay on the field, the midfield with be a handful.
Yes, questions remain about guys like Denilson and Abou Diaby having enough grit against the grinding, physical teams and the defense is clearly suspect, but when you can score two or three goals in a manner of seconds, it pretties up a lot of pigs, not that the Arsenal defense is all that porous.
Granted the jury is still out when the Gunners go to places like the Brittianna Stadium or St. Andrews and the opponents still all 10 men behind the line, bury strategically placed landmines and park the bus in front of the net.
Still, even with some defensive question marks, Arsenal are a red Ferrari in the fast lane with a full tank of gas.
Now on the other side, can three-time defending league champion Manchester United keep up? If either Chelsea or Tottenham win and move to 12 points and United lose, they're already trying to make up six. (Yay math!) Yeah, it's still a long season, but trying to catch up for so long takes its toll.
There are more questions right now at Old Trafford than a game of Trivial Pursuit.
Is Michael Owen worth a damn?
Do Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have anything left in the decade nearing the end of two decades of service with the club?
Can Nani consistently provide offensive flashes from the flank?
Will guys like Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Ji-Sung Park be able to step up their games without Cristiano Ronaldo, or will they be exposed?
Can the Continental Dmitar Berbatov successfully conduct the ballet inside his mind AND score goals at the same time?
Right now about the only givens at United are Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic.
Some loyalist Brit columnists would rather jump off London Bridge than say a cross word about Sir Alex Ferguson. Yet, you have to wonder if he still knows what he's doing in light of the Ronaldo/Carlos Tevez exodus. (I'll question him, but never bet against him.)
United can silence most of these doubts with an inspired performance on Saturday. It won't define a season, but it'll signal intent that four-straight titles, though, unlikely is possible.
Bottom line, if you're reading this here slice of the Internets, you don't need me to tell you how important, though early, this match is.
Saturday:
* Chelsea v. Burnley -- (Live, ESPN2, 7:45 a.m.) Burnley is immediately the feel-good story of the season. Too bad Chelsea eats feel-good stories for breakfast. Lots of riboflavin in there. ... Chelsea 3, Burnley 0
* Tottenham v. Birmingham City -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Really no excuses here for Spurs not to get to 12 points. Birmingham is competent overall, but impotent offensively at the same time. Ruud von Nistelrooy for Big Pavs? That's a win for Spurs if it happens. ... Spurs 2, Birmingham 0
* Blackburn Rovers v. West Ham United -- A couple weeks in and the first game I'd label for potential gamblers -- STAY AWAY. Really, do yourself a favor and pick another match. Blackburn is desperate for a result and probably should get it at Ewood Park, but West Ham is surprisingly decent. Carlton Cole, horrific back-pass and all, was almost in the mythic realm of 'Beast Mode' Sunday vs. Spurs. I forgot how tall he was. I'll go with desperation winning out here. Speaking of desperation, that's another way to say you just signed Pascal Chimbonda. Him and El Hadj Diouf on the same team? Will teams ever learn? ... Blackburn 1, West Ham 0
* Wolves v. Hull City -- The Mustard Bowl! ... Wolves 1, Hull 1
* Bolton v. Liverpool -- (Live, 10 a.m., Setanta) Admittedly, I haven't seen Bolton play this year. And admittedly, I'm not too broken up about that fact either. This match is about pure desperation. Bolton doesn't want to see a big fat zero next to its name for two weeks, but Liverpool doesn't want to be lumped in with the Wigans of the world, either. Quality should win out, but it won't be easy. ... Bolton 0, Liverpool 1
* Stoke City v. Sunderland -- If you play the official Premier League fantasy, are you able to tell the jersey icons apart from these two clubs? I certainly can't. ... Stoke City 1, Sunderland 1
* Manchester United v. Arsenal -- (Live, FSC, 12:15 p.m.) Every inkling says Arsenal goes up and stomps confidence waving United. From whatever angle you like, the tea leaves read Arsenal, whether its United's shaky defense and goalkeeping or suddenly suspect midfield. Arsenal should, in theory, be able to pass United to death. If there's one reason for United to have hope its obviously Wayne Rooney. Perhaps he and Berbatov can expose an Arsenal defense that's yet to see the quality of attacking players United has at its disposal. From experience, I don't think this particular match will be a beauty to watch, but expect plenty of incidents. It may go back and forth, but Arsenal grabs it late through Nic Bendtner. ... Manchester United 1, Arsenal 2
Sunday:
* Portsmouth v. Manchester City -- (Live, 8:30, Setanta) Let's see, City Bucks open at Blackburn, home to Wolves and travel to Fratton Park. What, Glass Joe and Von Kaiser weren't available? ... Portsmouth 1, City 2
* Everton v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) For sanity's sake, I'll always take Everton when its backed into a corner, even if I think the Sylvan Distin signing reeks of desperation, and onions too. ... Everton 1, Wigan 0
* Aston Villa v. Fulham -- If history has taught us anything, never back teams returning from the Russian front. Sorry Fulham. ... Aston Villa 2, Fulham 0
Last week: 7-3
Season: 14-12
By the end of Sunday everyone will have played three games and some four, which metes out to eight percent and 10 percent of the entire 38-game schedule. In the same vein, the average point total to win the league over the last five seasons is 90.4.
So, if Tottenham beats Birmingham City on Saturday and sits on 12 points with an International break coming, does it or should it mean anything?
It would be only 13 percent of the way to the mythical 90 points. Yet, as the saying goes in Major League Baseball, you can't win World Series in April, but you sure can lose them. (Not that Everton, Bolton, Blackburn or Portsmouth were winning the title, but zero points is now way to go through life.)
Maybe people don't put too much stock in these sort of things, but after matches this week there's nearly two weeks between the next whistle on Sept. 12. And over that time, the transfer window shuts until January.
That's what makes the first truly bellwether match of the season so important when Arsenal goes to Old Trafford to play Manchester United Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal, arguably the most impressive team through its two matches, can validate that it's the real deal by going to Old Trafford and mashing Sir Alex's boys around the field. Arsene Wenger has preached patience with his youth movement and it would seem the seeds are finally about ready to yield fruit.
For me, what I'd like to see with Arsenal is a look in their eyes. A sense that,
"yeah, we're kind of a big deal -- so deal with it."
If Arsenal can go up to Old Trafford Saturday and layeth the smack down (sorry for the WWF talk), it certainly will send shivers down the spines of the rest of the league. It's a statement game, plain and simple. A notice of intent, as it were.
On its absolute best, when the weather's nice it's hard to see many teams being strong enough to match the Gunners toe-to-toe. Yes, Cheslea has the brute strength to do so and Spurs have the pace, plus the North London Derby extra-juice, but overall, if Arsenal turns it on and clicks it'll be tough to stop.
So long as Robin van Persie and Eduardo stay on the field, coupled with the raw Danish viking strength of Niclas Bendtner, Arsenal has enough firepower up top to replace Emmanuel Adebayor. And again, with health, as long as Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin stay on the field, the midfield with be a handful.
Yes, questions remain about guys like Denilson and Abou Diaby having enough grit against the grinding, physical teams and the defense is clearly suspect, but when you can score two or three goals in a manner of seconds, it pretties up a lot of pigs, not that the Arsenal defense is all that porous.
Granted the jury is still out when the Gunners go to places like the Brittianna Stadium or St. Andrews and the opponents still all 10 men behind the line, bury strategically placed landmines and park the bus in front of the net.
Still, even with some defensive question marks, Arsenal are a red Ferrari in the fast lane with a full tank of gas.
Now on the other side, can three-time defending league champion Manchester United keep up? If either Chelsea or Tottenham win and move to 12 points and United lose, they're already trying to make up six. (Yay math!) Yeah, it's still a long season, but trying to catch up for so long takes its toll.
There are more questions right now at Old Trafford than a game of Trivial Pursuit.
Is Michael Owen worth a damn?
Do Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have anything left in the decade nearing the end of two decades of service with the club?
Can Nani consistently provide offensive flashes from the flank?
Will guys like Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Ji-Sung Park be able to step up their games without Cristiano Ronaldo, or will they be exposed?
Can the Continental Dmitar Berbatov successfully conduct the ballet inside his mind AND score goals at the same time?
Right now about the only givens at United are Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic.
Some loyalist Brit columnists would rather jump off London Bridge than say a cross word about Sir Alex Ferguson. Yet, you have to wonder if he still knows what he's doing in light of the Ronaldo/Carlos Tevez exodus. (I'll question him, but never bet against him.)
United can silence most of these doubts with an inspired performance on Saturday. It won't define a season, but it'll signal intent that four-straight titles, though, unlikely is possible.
Bottom line, if you're reading this here slice of the Internets, you don't need me to tell you how important, though early, this match is.
Saturday:
* Chelsea v. Burnley -- (Live, ESPN2, 7:45 a.m.) Burnley is immediately the feel-good story of the season. Too bad Chelsea eats feel-good stories for breakfast. Lots of riboflavin in there. ... Chelsea 3, Burnley 0
* Tottenham v. Birmingham City -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Really no excuses here for Spurs not to get to 12 points. Birmingham is competent overall, but impotent offensively at the same time. Ruud von Nistelrooy for Big Pavs? That's a win for Spurs if it happens. ... Spurs 2, Birmingham 0
* Blackburn Rovers v. West Ham United -- A couple weeks in and the first game I'd label for potential gamblers -- STAY AWAY. Really, do yourself a favor and pick another match. Blackburn is desperate for a result and probably should get it at Ewood Park, but West Ham is surprisingly decent. Carlton Cole, horrific back-pass and all, was almost in the mythic realm of 'Beast Mode' Sunday vs. Spurs. I forgot how tall he was. I'll go with desperation winning out here. Speaking of desperation, that's another way to say you just signed Pascal Chimbonda. Him and El Hadj Diouf on the same team? Will teams ever learn? ... Blackburn 1, West Ham 0
* Wolves v. Hull City -- The Mustard Bowl! ... Wolves 1, Hull 1
* Bolton v. Liverpool -- (Live, 10 a.m., Setanta) Admittedly, I haven't seen Bolton play this year. And admittedly, I'm not too broken up about that fact either. This match is about pure desperation. Bolton doesn't want to see a big fat zero next to its name for two weeks, but Liverpool doesn't want to be lumped in with the Wigans of the world, either. Quality should win out, but it won't be easy. ... Bolton 0, Liverpool 1
* Stoke City v. Sunderland -- If you play the official Premier League fantasy, are you able to tell the jersey icons apart from these two clubs? I certainly can't. ... Stoke City 1, Sunderland 1
* Manchester United v. Arsenal -- (Live, FSC, 12:15 p.m.) Every inkling says Arsenal goes up and stomps confidence waving United. From whatever angle you like, the tea leaves read Arsenal, whether its United's shaky defense and goalkeeping or suddenly suspect midfield. Arsenal should, in theory, be able to pass United to death. If there's one reason for United to have hope its obviously Wayne Rooney. Perhaps he and Berbatov can expose an Arsenal defense that's yet to see the quality of attacking players United has at its disposal. From experience, I don't think this particular match will be a beauty to watch, but expect plenty of incidents. It may go back and forth, but Arsenal grabs it late through Nic Bendtner. ... Manchester United 1, Arsenal 2
Sunday:
* Portsmouth v. Manchester City -- (Live, 8:30, Setanta) Let's see, City Bucks open at Blackburn, home to Wolves and travel to Fratton Park. What, Glass Joe and Von Kaiser weren't available? ... Portsmouth 1, City 2
* Everton v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) For sanity's sake, I'll always take Everton when its backed into a corner, even if I think the Sylvan Distin signing reeks of desperation, and onions too. ... Everton 1, Wigan 0
* Aston Villa v. Fulham -- If history has taught us anything, never back teams returning from the Russian front. Sorry Fulham. ... Aston Villa 2, Fulham 0
Last week: 7-3
Season: 14-12
Labels: English Premier League, Premier League, Soccer
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Riccardo
Sport City-Calcio
http://sportcity-ricio.blogspot.com