Plutonium? Check.
DeLorean? Check.
Orange vest? Check.
Yep, let's put the peddle to the metal and dial it back to July 1989 when an irate 9-year-old version of myself was nothing short of apoplectic, no not because Andreas Papandreou stepped down as prime minister of Greece, but because Terry Steinbach(*) was voted to start the 1989 MLB All-Star game over slugging Orioles backstop Mickey Tettleton, who's numbers were far superior.
(*) Quick aside. Steinbach hit 35 homers in 1996 more than doubling his career high total for a single season. Maybe we ought to ask newly hired New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is he knew his team might possibly be juicing. Just a thought. ... Also in July 1989? A little show named the "Seinfeld Chronicles" debuted.
Even at a young age, the concept of All-Star games or teams angered me to irrational levels. Fortunately I've mellowed out and realized these games are popularity contests and items for networks to fill prime time programming. No sense getting angry about it.
The reason I felt it was necessary to share this little story was an an introduction to my 2010-11 Premier League First Half Best XI. Catchy title, huh?
Whenever you form a "Best of" or "All-Star" team for any sport, be it professional soccer or high school field hockey, you have to make concessions. Soccer, of course, if difficult since every team plays an XI, but the formations, tactics and systems are wildly different. Not everyone plays a third baseman or a left tackle. The easiest way to cheat on picking a soccer list is just drop a pedestrian 4-4-2, or a blanket "defense," "midfield" and "forward" lines, but does this mean shoe-horning in a lesser player like Bacary Sagna to play right back, while leaving off a more worthy player on another place on the field?
Consider this year, however, in the EPL where stalwarts like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas -- perennial Best XI contenders -- all spent parts of the fall injured. Or to the fact that who exactly has been the best player on Manchester United? How do we rate Chelsea? On the the Blues' first half dozen merciless beat-downs, or the last two months of indifference? Or what about the so-called "destroyer" midfielder position? Was anyone who plays in this role worthy of inclusion?
In short, it's not as easy as going down to the local stadium and poking out holes in the ballot.
Picking this XI is a combination of what I've seen and some statistical evidence. I'm also rewarding players who've been consistent, remained healthy and help their teams win games. I'm also avoiding the big cheat of listing Gareth Bale as a defender, which the Actim Stats have him.
And yes, I realize the season isn't half over, but if I wait until next week we're bumping up with Christmas and the busy Boxing Day fixtures, so it would probably get lost in the shuffle.
Pepe Reina, goalkeeper, Liverpool -- On the one hand, Liverpool have only kept six clean sheets and allowed a mediocre 22 goals. Consider, though, he's been "protected" by Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos as well as a revolving door central midfield partnership, which isn't exactly breaking up plays like Javier Mascherano. For my money, Reina is still the best shot stopper in the League, with the best distribution. Reina gets the ever-so-slight edge over Joe Hart, who's been superb for Manchester City. Liverpool have struggled, but it's not because of Reina, who might be getting the nod for his track record. For whatever it's worth he's made 43 saves, while Ben Foster's made 80. In a big spot, I prefer Reina over Hart or Foster.
Also considered: Joe Hart, Ben Foster, Paul Robinson.
Ashley Cole, left back, Chelsea -- Considering the personal imbroglios of John Terry ... and now his even bigger scumbag brother, Cole is no longer the most loathed defender on the books for the Blues. On the field, despite tailing off, has been the most consistent performer for Chelsea playing in all 17 league matches, generating many of the movements when the Blues were smashing the opposition in August-October. Teams are making it a point to shut down his overlaps on the left, which is more than you can say for most players in England playing this position.
Also considered: Leighton Baines. Perhaps the toughest omission, since he's created the majority of Everton's attacking movements. (Small lesson here, if you want the inside track at left back in England, have a gender neutral first name.)
Nemanja Vidic, center back, Manchester United -- The Serb is back to his snarling best, or should I say, beast, even chipping in three goals on headers. Vidic gets the nod here, but his return to form is probably due to a) not being chumpatized by Fernando Torres and b) Rio Ferdinand's return to his best. Ferdinand's highly intelligent positional play and ability to play without conceding fouls is allowing the Serb to play his rough-and-tumble game and gamble more. (Ferdinand's played 10 League games without picking up a yellow card.)
Vincent Kompany, center back, Manchester City -- Quietly the bald Belgian has been a rock on the taught City back line, playing all 17 matches. Kompany isn't flashy. He doesn't make waves. He doesn't punch teammates or get punched by them on the training ground. He doesn't shatter opponents ankle ligaments. All he does is do his job.
Also considered: Rio Ferdinand, Roger Johnson, Bransislav Ivanovic (super utility defender), Chris Samba.
Nedum Onuoha, right back, Sunderland -- Herein lies the troubles I outlined above. Should I take a player here at right back? Skip the position all together? I considered adding Baines, but, eh, that's cheating. Sunderland, without fanfare, has the fourth-best defense in the league behind Chelsea, and the Manchester clubs. Somebody on that line should be rewarded, and since Steve Bruce has shuffled Titus Bramble, Michael Turner and Anton Ferdinand in the middle, might as well highlight the on-loan youngster from Manchester City. Maybe his awesome, dangling goal at Chelsea pushed him over the top. Who knows.
Also considered: Alan Hutton.
Gareth Bale, left midfielder, Tottenham -- Feel this pick speaks for itself. Maybe the award deserves to go to the bottle of Brandy consumed by Harry Redknapp that convinced him to move Bale higher up the field last season. Yeah, Bale's highlight performance was against Inter in the Champions League, but he's still be great in the Premier League, recapturing his form after stumbling a little bit in November. Best aspect of Bale, he forces opponents to change the way they're doing things. Nobody in England is playing quite like Bale and when he touches the ball, cutting a little inside on the trot, you almost expect something great to happen. That might be why he's been fouled a whopping 33 times.
Also considered: Flourent Malouda (emblematic of Chelsea. Great early, faded lately.) , Matthew Etherington.
Charlie Adam, midfielder, Blackpool -- Unconventional pick, but this guy deserves it. He's played across the midfield and is the driving engine to the Tangerines remarkable start to the season. Three goals, four assists. Passing vision, energy, graft. He's even ripped off 54 shots. Symbolic of the unpredictable nature of how this season has unfurled. The fact the usual midfield generals have been missing this year opens up the spot for Adam.
Also considered: Alex Song, Craig Gardner, Jordan Henderson, John Obi Mikel, Scott Parker.
Samir Nasri, central midfielder/creator, Arsenal -- Fun to watch and certainly the most improved player in the league. The most consistent performer for the Gunners, as they flirt with first place. Eight goals near the midway point prove he's a player hitting his potential. French Footballer of the Year. Oh, and snood innovator, too. Caught his ballerina-toed goal against Fulham from the the overhead camera on "Arsenal 360" at the gym on Thursday, good gravy, who else bessi Leo Messi can dance on the ball like that?
Also considered: Kevin Nolan, Stuart Holden (honest), Chris Brunt, Luka Modric
Nani, right midfielder/wide attacker, Manchester United -- Still not sure exactly how good the tiny Portugeezer with Michael Jackson's old perm actually is, but he carried United offensively without Wayne Rooney and a semi-invisible Dimitar Berbatov. Five goals, eight assists, danger on set piece delivery. No, he's not Cristiano Ronaldo -- aside from his injury theatrics -- but he's having a fine season for first-place United.
Also considered: Chung-Yong Lee, Andrey Arshavin,
Carlos Tevez, secondary striker, Manchester City -- The numbers have it for Tevez, though I don't think he's had a great season outside of scoring. City wouldn't be in position to win the league without him, though. Maybe this is a good stat or a damning one, but Tevez hasn't scored in City's three losses and four draws. He's only been held scoreless in one of their wins, while scoring game-winners in 1-0 wins vs. Chelsea and Bolton. After Tevez's 10 goals, the next highest player at City -- Yaya Youre -- has three. I wanted to make a case for maybe Tim Cahill, but Everton hasn't been good. Johan Elmander, emerging with eight goals, would be worthy of a spot too, if I picked two out-and-out center forwards, but the Swede's goals haven't been nearly as timely as Tevez'.
Also considered: Clint Dempsey, Rafael van der vaart, Tim Cahill
Andy Carroll, striker, Newcastle United -- Probably the easiest pick on this list. Ten league goals, burly play, aerial wins, ponytails. No drop off from moving up from the Championship. Hey, even his legal issues seem to be improved. He hasn't been arrested in over a week. Good times. What more could you want?
Also considered: Didier Drogba, Dimitar Berbatov, Peter Odemwingie, Johan Elmander, Maroune Chamakh, Kevin Davies.
That's my team. Am I crazy about it? Not really. A little too pedestrian. It sure would be a lot easier to just pick the XI best forwards, now wouldn't it? Let me know what you guys think, because isn't that the point of these lists, to generate hours of (inevitably pointless) debate?
Maybe I owe Terry Steinbach and apology after all.
Round 18 Picks:
Saturday:
* Sunderland v. Bolton -- (Live, ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.) Good job by ESPN running classy, first-rate promos for this match -- and all matches on the network. This one smartly featured American Stuart Holden, doubtful, though, it inspires too many casual eyeballs to wake up early for this match. It's a shame since this match pits your surprise sixth and seventh placed teams, too teams indicative of the improved middle class of the EPL. If that doesn't do anything for you, how about the Holden/Jordan Henderson match up? Or Darren Bent/Asamoah Gyan v. Johan Elmander/Kevin Davies? Perhaps this tweet from Landon Donovan sums it up best. ... Sunderland 2, Bolton 1
* Wigan Athletic v. Aston Villa -- At least Villa will probably wear their cool black away kits. Otherwise? Not much to say here. Remember, too, when Gerard Houlier denies reports of a backroom player rebellion, then there's definitely a player rebellion going on at Villa. ... Wigan 1, Villa 1
* Arsenal v. Stoke City -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) My guess is Ryan Shawcross' tackle, which broke, well, shattered Aaron Ramsey's leg earlier this year will be mentioned once every three minutes on the telecast. Remember, the Gunners rallied to win that match last year at Stoke and then proclaimed they were a different team, which knew how to win against cynical tactics.
Problem, here, is once again Arsenal's mettle is being tested after its ineffectiveness against Manchester United on Monday. Stoke, if it comes to play, will test the Gunners, whether it be set pieces aimed at the giants noggins of Robert Huth, Shawcross or Kenwyne Jones from Matthew Etherington, or long throws by Rory Delap. Something says those long bombs and Wojciech Szczesny might make a headline. For all their ball skills, Arsenal will need to get down and dirty to win this one. Maybe Arsene Wenger dusts off Niclas Bendtner, who does have some match winners in him. ... Arsenal 2, Stoke City 1
* Blackburn Rovers v. West Ham United -- Outside of the Venky's boardroom, is there a person on earth that figures firing Sam Allardyce is a good idea? Guess one of the requirements of owning a soccer club is that, unlike the Army, you prove that you actually are batshit insane before they let you take over. Go figure. Guess Allardyce is already plotting to see if his bluetooth headset gets quality reception at Upton Park since Avram Grant appears to be a dead man walking. No pun intended. Curious to see what the firing does for Blackburn, though. When the Indian owners took over, they said 10th place was okay. Rovers are in 13th. Are the players going to check out, realizing now they aren't good enough to fit the owners unrealistic goals? Just the mere thought of Maradona as manager goes to show how clueless they are. It would be fitting, wouldn't it, that they're dreaming of the Champions League, only to find the club they bought stuck in the Championship next year. Could happen. ... Blackburn 1, West Ham 1
* Birmingham City v. Newcastle United -- (Live, FSC+, 10 a.m.) Just a hunch Roger Johnson and Scott Dann might find a way to mark Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan this week. If you like set pieces, this could be your all-time favorite match. ... Birmingham 2, Newcastle United 2
* Liverpool v. Fulham -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) So, last weekend the cameras caught Roy Hodgson with his comical face rub. Will they catch him this week whistfully looking over to the other sideline, tearing up wishing he was still coaching Dickson Etuhu, et al? Wonder if the announcers address the Clint Dempsey-to-Liverpool rumors. Where did those start? ... Liverpool 1, Fulham 0
Sunday:
* West Brom v. Wolves -- (Live at 7 a.m., have fun waking up for it.) Haven't seen Wolves play in a couple weeks and West Brom continues to befuddle me in this space each and every weekend. ... West Brom 2, Wolves 0
* Blackpool v. Tottenham -- (Live, FSC+, 8:30 a.m.) Last team with the ball wins? Tottenham do need to find a way to win this match if the club wants to keep pace. Blackpool is going to give them chances, but Spurs will give the Tangerines just as many. Surprised how good a player Alan Hutton has turned into. He's been excellent both ways for Tottenham. Also wonder how much better Spurs would be if Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe weren't so wasteful with chances. We might see Sandro here too. Blackpool are without Charlie Adam through yellow card accumulation. Buckle up. ... Blackpool 2, Spurs 4
* Chelsea v. Manchester United -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Are either of these teams actually "good" right now? Manchester United are grinding out results and that might just be enough. Sir Alex Ferguson is cagey enough to field lineups for the situations, meaning Monday's 4-3-3-ish formation with Nani and Ji-Sung Park supporting Rooney wide might be dumped for a more conventional 4-4-2 with Dimitar Berbatov recalled. We do know that Carlo Ancelotti is tipping his hand, announcing Frank Lampard will start. (Hey, shocker of shockers, Chelsea get FC Copenhagen in the Champions League knockout round.)
Monday Manchester United dispatched Arsenal in a game that was memorable for being totally forgettable aside from the jerseys on display at Old Trafford, a game that typified this season so far. The Gunners still don't have the nerve vs. the best of the league, ready to capitulate when pressed. Chelsea are the opposite, showing signs of life last weekend at White Hart Lane when they went down 1-0 to Spurs.
With the level of emotion peculating on both sides, the referee will have a huge impact on this match. We should see plenty of free kicks and better than 5o-50 bet, a penalty. Both teams would prefer to probably attack on the counter, attacking vacated space. In this match the best unit might be the improving United defense, which can absorb Chelsea's body blows. All-and-all, pretty even. ... Chelsea 1, Manchester United 1
Monday:
* Manchester City v. Everton -- (Live, ESPN2, 3 p.m.) The more you read about this Carlos Tevez story, the more it makes your head hurt. Is it possible for a guy who hasn't even been bothered to learn English really be pulling the strings of this power play? Strange. If rumors of the wages he wants are accurate, who can afford him? Qatari Super FC United? City seems to slowly be coming to life, with Yaya Toure and David Silva each adapting to English football as the weather gets cold. City don't need to put all their eggs in the Tevez basket any more. Everton could certainly use Mikel Arteta remembering he used be mentioned among the most influential midfielders in the league. As it stands, Everton can't cope with City's midfield power. ... City 3, Everton 1
Last round: 2-8
Season: 73-96
DeLorean? Check.
Orange vest? Check.
Yep, let's put the peddle to the metal and dial it back to July 1989 when an irate 9-year-old version of myself was nothing short of apoplectic, no not because Andreas Papandreou stepped down as prime minister of Greece, but because Terry Steinbach(*) was voted to start the 1989 MLB All-Star game over slugging Orioles backstop Mickey Tettleton, who's numbers were far superior.
(*) Quick aside. Steinbach hit 35 homers in 1996 more than doubling his career high total for a single season. Maybe we ought to ask newly hired New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is he knew his team might possibly be juicing. Just a thought. ... Also in July 1989? A little show named the "Seinfeld Chronicles" debuted.
Even at a young age, the concept of All-Star games or teams angered me to irrational levels. Fortunately I've mellowed out and realized these games are popularity contests and items for networks to fill prime time programming. No sense getting angry about it.
The reason I felt it was necessary to share this little story was an an introduction to my 2010-11 Premier League First Half Best XI. Catchy title, huh?
Whenever you form a "Best of" or "All-Star" team for any sport, be it professional soccer or high school field hockey, you have to make concessions. Soccer, of course, if difficult since every team plays an XI, but the formations, tactics and systems are wildly different. Not everyone plays a third baseman or a left tackle. The easiest way to cheat on picking a soccer list is just drop a pedestrian 4-4-2, or a blanket "defense," "midfield" and "forward" lines, but does this mean shoe-horning in a lesser player like Bacary Sagna to play right back, while leaving off a more worthy player on another place on the field?
Consider this year, however, in the EPL where stalwarts like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas -- perennial Best XI contenders -- all spent parts of the fall injured. Or to the fact that who exactly has been the best player on Manchester United? How do we rate Chelsea? On the the Blues' first half dozen merciless beat-downs, or the last two months of indifference? Or what about the so-called "destroyer" midfielder position? Was anyone who plays in this role worthy of inclusion?
In short, it's not as easy as going down to the local stadium and poking out holes in the ballot.
Picking this XI is a combination of what I've seen and some statistical evidence. I'm also rewarding players who've been consistent, remained healthy and help their teams win games. I'm also avoiding the big cheat of listing Gareth Bale as a defender, which the Actim Stats have him.
And yes, I realize the season isn't half over, but if I wait until next week we're bumping up with Christmas and the busy Boxing Day fixtures, so it would probably get lost in the shuffle.
T.O.P. Premier League First Half Best XI
Pepe Reina, goalkeeper, Liverpool -- On the one hand, Liverpool have only kept six clean sheets and allowed a mediocre 22 goals. Consider, though, he's been "protected" by Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos as well as a revolving door central midfield partnership, which isn't exactly breaking up plays like Javier Mascherano. For my money, Reina is still the best shot stopper in the League, with the best distribution. Reina gets the ever-so-slight edge over Joe Hart, who's been superb for Manchester City. Liverpool have struggled, but it's not because of Reina, who might be getting the nod for his track record. For whatever it's worth he's made 43 saves, while Ben Foster's made 80. In a big spot, I prefer Reina over Hart or Foster.
Also considered: Joe Hart, Ben Foster, Paul Robinson.
Ashley Cole, left back, Chelsea -- Considering the personal imbroglios of John Terry ... and now his even bigger scumbag brother, Cole is no longer the most loathed defender on the books for the Blues. On the field, despite tailing off, has been the most consistent performer for Chelsea playing in all 17 league matches, generating many of the movements when the Blues were smashing the opposition in August-October. Teams are making it a point to shut down his overlaps on the left, which is more than you can say for most players in England playing this position.
Also considered: Leighton Baines. Perhaps the toughest omission, since he's created the majority of Everton's attacking movements. (Small lesson here, if you want the inside track at left back in England, have a gender neutral first name.)
Nemanja Vidic, center back, Manchester United -- The Serb is back to his snarling best, or should I say, beast, even chipping in three goals on headers. Vidic gets the nod here, but his return to form is probably due to a) not being chumpatized by Fernando Torres and b) Rio Ferdinand's return to his best. Ferdinand's highly intelligent positional play and ability to play without conceding fouls is allowing the Serb to play his rough-and-tumble game and gamble more. (Ferdinand's played 10 League games without picking up a yellow card.)
Vincent Kompany, center back, Manchester City -- Quietly the bald Belgian has been a rock on the taught City back line, playing all 17 matches. Kompany isn't flashy. He doesn't make waves. He doesn't punch teammates or get punched by them on the training ground. He doesn't shatter opponents ankle ligaments. All he does is do his job.
Also considered: Rio Ferdinand, Roger Johnson, Bransislav Ivanovic (super utility defender), Chris Samba.
Nedum Onuoha, right back, Sunderland -- Herein lies the troubles I outlined above. Should I take a player here at right back? Skip the position all together? I considered adding Baines, but, eh, that's cheating. Sunderland, without fanfare, has the fourth-best defense in the league behind Chelsea, and the Manchester clubs. Somebody on that line should be rewarded, and since Steve Bruce has shuffled Titus Bramble, Michael Turner and Anton Ferdinand in the middle, might as well highlight the on-loan youngster from Manchester City. Maybe his awesome, dangling goal at Chelsea pushed him over the top. Who knows.
Also considered: Alan Hutton.
Gareth Bale, left midfielder, Tottenham -- Feel this pick speaks for itself. Maybe the award deserves to go to the bottle of Brandy consumed by Harry Redknapp that convinced him to move Bale higher up the field last season. Yeah, Bale's highlight performance was against Inter in the Champions League, but he's still be great in the Premier League, recapturing his form after stumbling a little bit in November. Best aspect of Bale, he forces opponents to change the way they're doing things. Nobody in England is playing quite like Bale and when he touches the ball, cutting a little inside on the trot, you almost expect something great to happen. That might be why he's been fouled a whopping 33 times.
Also considered: Flourent Malouda (emblematic of Chelsea. Great early, faded lately.) , Matthew Etherington.
Charlie Adam, midfielder, Blackpool -- Unconventional pick, but this guy deserves it. He's played across the midfield and is the driving engine to the Tangerines remarkable start to the season. Three goals, four assists. Passing vision, energy, graft. He's even ripped off 54 shots. Symbolic of the unpredictable nature of how this season has unfurled. The fact the usual midfield generals have been missing this year opens up the spot for Adam.
Also considered: Alex Song, Craig Gardner, Jordan Henderson, John Obi Mikel, Scott Parker.
Samir Nasri, central midfielder/creator, Arsenal -- Fun to watch and certainly the most improved player in the league. The most consistent performer for the Gunners, as they flirt with first place. Eight goals near the midway point prove he's a player hitting his potential. French Footballer of the Year. Oh, and snood innovator, too. Caught his ballerina-toed goal against Fulham from the the overhead camera on "Arsenal 360" at the gym on Thursday, good gravy, who else bessi Leo Messi can dance on the ball like that?
Also considered: Kevin Nolan, Stuart Holden (honest), Chris Brunt, Luka Modric
Nani, right midfielder/wide attacker, Manchester United -- Still not sure exactly how good the tiny Portugeezer with Michael Jackson's old perm actually is, but he carried United offensively without Wayne Rooney and a semi-invisible Dimitar Berbatov. Five goals, eight assists, danger on set piece delivery. No, he's not Cristiano Ronaldo -- aside from his injury theatrics -- but he's having a fine season for first-place United.
Also considered: Chung-Yong Lee, Andrey Arshavin,
Carlos Tevez, secondary striker, Manchester City -- The numbers have it for Tevez, though I don't think he's had a great season outside of scoring. City wouldn't be in position to win the league without him, though. Maybe this is a good stat or a damning one, but Tevez hasn't scored in City's three losses and four draws. He's only been held scoreless in one of their wins, while scoring game-winners in 1-0 wins vs. Chelsea and Bolton. After Tevez's 10 goals, the next highest player at City -- Yaya Youre -- has three. I wanted to make a case for maybe Tim Cahill, but Everton hasn't been good. Johan Elmander, emerging with eight goals, would be worthy of a spot too, if I picked two out-and-out center forwards, but the Swede's goals haven't been nearly as timely as Tevez'.
Also considered: Clint Dempsey, Rafael van der vaart, Tim Cahill
Andy Carroll, striker, Newcastle United -- Probably the easiest pick on this list. Ten league goals, burly play, aerial wins, ponytails. No drop off from moving up from the Championship. Hey, even his legal issues seem to be improved. He hasn't been arrested in over a week. Good times. What more could you want?
Also considered: Didier Drogba, Dimitar Berbatov, Peter Odemwingie, Johan Elmander, Maroune Chamakh, Kevin Davies.
That's my team. Am I crazy about it? Not really. A little too pedestrian. It sure would be a lot easier to just pick the XI best forwards, now wouldn't it? Let me know what you guys think, because isn't that the point of these lists, to generate hours of (inevitably pointless) debate?
Maybe I owe Terry Steinbach and apology after all.
Round 18 Picks:
Saturday:
* Sunderland v. Bolton -- (Live, ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.) Good job by ESPN running classy, first-rate promos for this match -- and all matches on the network. This one smartly featured American Stuart Holden, doubtful, though, it inspires too many casual eyeballs to wake up early for this match. It's a shame since this match pits your surprise sixth and seventh placed teams, too teams indicative of the improved middle class of the EPL. If that doesn't do anything for you, how about the Holden/Jordan Henderson match up? Or Darren Bent/Asamoah Gyan v. Johan Elmander/Kevin Davies? Perhaps this tweet from Landon Donovan sums it up best. ... Sunderland 2, Bolton 1
* Wigan Athletic v. Aston Villa -- At least Villa will probably wear their cool black away kits. Otherwise? Not much to say here. Remember, too, when Gerard Houlier denies reports of a backroom player rebellion, then there's definitely a player rebellion going on at Villa. ... Wigan 1, Villa 1
* Arsenal v. Stoke City -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) My guess is Ryan Shawcross' tackle, which broke, well, shattered Aaron Ramsey's leg earlier this year will be mentioned once every three minutes on the telecast. Remember, the Gunners rallied to win that match last year at Stoke and then proclaimed they were a different team, which knew how to win against cynical tactics.
Problem, here, is once again Arsenal's mettle is being tested after its ineffectiveness against Manchester United on Monday. Stoke, if it comes to play, will test the Gunners, whether it be set pieces aimed at the giants noggins of Robert Huth, Shawcross or Kenwyne Jones from Matthew Etherington, or long throws by Rory Delap. Something says those long bombs and Wojciech Szczesny might make a headline. For all their ball skills, Arsenal will need to get down and dirty to win this one. Maybe Arsene Wenger dusts off Niclas Bendtner, who does have some match winners in him. ... Arsenal 2, Stoke City 1
* Blackburn Rovers v. West Ham United -- Outside of the Venky's boardroom, is there a person on earth that figures firing Sam Allardyce is a good idea? Guess one of the requirements of owning a soccer club is that, unlike the Army, you prove that you actually are batshit insane before they let you take over. Go figure. Guess Allardyce is already plotting to see if his bluetooth headset gets quality reception at Upton Park since Avram Grant appears to be a dead man walking. No pun intended. Curious to see what the firing does for Blackburn, though. When the Indian owners took over, they said 10th place was okay. Rovers are in 13th. Are the players going to check out, realizing now they aren't good enough to fit the owners unrealistic goals? Just the mere thought of Maradona as manager goes to show how clueless they are. It would be fitting, wouldn't it, that they're dreaming of the Champions League, only to find the club they bought stuck in the Championship next year. Could happen. ... Blackburn 1, West Ham 1
* Birmingham City v. Newcastle United -- (Live, FSC+, 10 a.m.) Just a hunch Roger Johnson and Scott Dann might find a way to mark Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan this week. If you like set pieces, this could be your all-time favorite match. ... Birmingham 2, Newcastle United 2
* Liverpool v. Fulham -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) So, last weekend the cameras caught Roy Hodgson with his comical face rub. Will they catch him this week whistfully looking over to the other sideline, tearing up wishing he was still coaching Dickson Etuhu, et al? Wonder if the announcers address the Clint Dempsey-to-Liverpool rumors. Where did those start? ... Liverpool 1, Fulham 0
Sunday:
* West Brom v. Wolves -- (Live at 7 a.m., have fun waking up for it.) Haven't seen Wolves play in a couple weeks and West Brom continues to befuddle me in this space each and every weekend. ... West Brom 2, Wolves 0
* Blackpool v. Tottenham -- (Live, FSC+, 8:30 a.m.) Last team with the ball wins? Tottenham do need to find a way to win this match if the club wants to keep pace. Blackpool is going to give them chances, but Spurs will give the Tangerines just as many. Surprised how good a player Alan Hutton has turned into. He's been excellent both ways for Tottenham. Also wonder how much better Spurs would be if Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe weren't so wasteful with chances. We might see Sandro here too. Blackpool are without Charlie Adam through yellow card accumulation. Buckle up. ... Blackpool 2, Spurs 4
* Chelsea v. Manchester United -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Are either of these teams actually "good" right now? Manchester United are grinding out results and that might just be enough. Sir Alex Ferguson is cagey enough to field lineups for the situations, meaning Monday's 4-3-3-ish formation with Nani and Ji-Sung Park supporting Rooney wide might be dumped for a more conventional 4-4-2 with Dimitar Berbatov recalled. We do know that Carlo Ancelotti is tipping his hand, announcing Frank Lampard will start. (Hey, shocker of shockers, Chelsea get FC Copenhagen in the Champions League knockout round.)
Monday Manchester United dispatched Arsenal in a game that was memorable for being totally forgettable aside from the jerseys on display at Old Trafford, a game that typified this season so far. The Gunners still don't have the nerve vs. the best of the league, ready to capitulate when pressed. Chelsea are the opposite, showing signs of life last weekend at White Hart Lane when they went down 1-0 to Spurs.
With the level of emotion peculating on both sides, the referee will have a huge impact on this match. We should see plenty of free kicks and better than 5o-50 bet, a penalty. Both teams would prefer to probably attack on the counter, attacking vacated space. In this match the best unit might be the improving United defense, which can absorb Chelsea's body blows. All-and-all, pretty even. ... Chelsea 1, Manchester United 1
Monday:
* Manchester City v. Everton -- (Live, ESPN2, 3 p.m.) The more you read about this Carlos Tevez story, the more it makes your head hurt. Is it possible for a guy who hasn't even been bothered to learn English really be pulling the strings of this power play? Strange. If rumors of the wages he wants are accurate, who can afford him? Qatari Super FC United? City seems to slowly be coming to life, with Yaya Toure and David Silva each adapting to English football as the weather gets cold. City don't need to put all their eggs in the Tevez basket any more. Everton could certainly use Mikel Arteta remembering he used be mentioned among the most influential midfielders in the league. As it stands, Everton can't cope with City's midfield power. ... City 3, Everton 1
Last round: 2-8
Season: 73-96
Labels: best XI, English Premier League, EPL, EPL picks, Soccer
0 Responses to “Halfway Best”
Post a CommentLinks to this post
Create a Link