Wigan v Chelsea - 3:1 - Blues suffer from Latics Acid (Ed. - Isn’t that 'lactic acid'? It's a play on words - you see, Readers, what I'm up against….). After 15 minutes an excellent header by Bramble put Wigan ahead. And they could have scored again using the same short corner followed by a cross tactic. Terry looked bemused, but 90 seconds into the 2nd half Drogba (recovered from the cramps that saw him off the field against Spurs) got his 100th Chelsea goal. Much Blue pressure ensued, then events took an unexpected turn. Cech was sent off for a clumsy trip on Rodallega (Cech now misses the next game v Liverpool) and Rodallega converted for Wigan to regain the lead. To cap it all Scharner made it 3 in extra time. History for Wigan - poor old Chelsea, turned over by one of the most unlikely teams (not as bad as ManU losing to Burnley, though). Wigan did well but again, a first class team revealed gaping holes in its defence.
Liverpool v Hull - 6:1 - Wonderful footwork and a great finish got the first goal for Liverpool (Torres, clinical stuff). Geovanni’s well-taken volley equalized 3 minutes later. Torres got going again and scored an even neater goal than his first to make it 2:1, then did it AGAIN (you'd think Hull might have seen him coming the third time). Adding insult to injury Gerrard curled in an improbable goal from near the sideline (Your Ear thinks he meant it, too). Liverpool had several more chances before Babel got their 5th goal. A freakish goal (Babel again) in extra time completed Hull’s misery.
Spurs v Burnley - 5:0 - Jensen denied Keane an early chance and Nugent (who would dearly love to score against a manager who paid £6m for him at Portsmouth but rarely played him) had a chance at the other end. Keane scored a penalty Jensen could not stop after Defoe was brought down in the box. Fletcher was wrongly denied a good goal for Burnley (given offside). Unbelievably, given his recent form, Defoe missed a sitter, but Jenas scored Spurs' second goal with a good shot. Defoe went off (dislocated fingers) then Keane put away a good goal, scooping it into the back of the net. He got his hat-trick shortly after, and another shortly after that. And he could have had a couple more, but four will do, I suppose. Easy-peasy on the day for Spurs. It had been 31 years since Spurs last met Burnley in a league game - unfortunately for Burnley (given the score) they only have a few months at best to prepare for the return. Alan Hanson commented that ‘Burnley’s defence was so poor it made Hull’s look solid’.
Stoke v Man Utd - 0:2 - Goal-less, but all United for a long half (for Stoke). Giggs came on for Nani in the 2nd half and everything clicked into place for ManU. Berbatov scored an easy goal from Giggs' precision pass and O'Shea scored from Giggs’ free kick. Giggs nearly scored himself but missed narrowly. Workmanlike stuff from United and a great stint by their 35-year old, top man, Giggs. If only he’d played for England.
Birmingham v Bolton - 1:2 - Cohen got an easy goal on Bolton's first opportunity. Fahey hit the bar for Birmingham but it ricocheted out. Both sides missed a chances. Kevin Phillips looked his old self when he came on as a sub and equalized. A foul on Davies a minute later gave Bolton the winner. Scrappy game, all round.
Blackburn v Aston Villa - 2:1 - Agbonlahor scored in the first 3 minutes (that’s 5 in 5) making it look easy. Samba equalized 21 minutes later and could have scored again. Grella was unlucky to receive a second yellow card to be sent off, but Blackburn pressed on and were awarded a dubious penalty (handball) to take the game (Dunn, 89th minute). O'Neil not best pleased, to say the least. Happy Sam for once, you'd think, but no smiles.
Fulham v Arsenal - 0:1 - Arshavin returned for Arsenal but it was Mannone, the Gunner's keeper who was busiest to begin with, making two good saves within seconds of each other. Fulham looked the likelier side in the first half but Van Persie scored early in the second to give the Gunners the lead. Arsenal upped the pace and pressed Fulham hard, but Fulham nearly scored on a counter attack, and then again. Fulham refused to cave in and Arsenal did well to stay in front to the end.
Portsmouth v Everton - 0:1 - Portsmouth's new signing, Dindane (an Ivory Coast player) looked sharp and almost scored but instead Saha got his 7th of the season to put Everton ahead. Everton's keeper did well to keep them ahead with a reaction save with his left shoulder. Two Portsmouth players tripped each other, no Everton players involved, and both looked surprised not to get a penalty (a bit harsh, but it made me smile). That's seven defeats in a row for Portsmouth (yes, their record has just worsened), but they played well, were on the wrong end of some cruel football luck, and were applauded off the pitch by the home supporters.
Sunderland v Wolves - 5:2 – After 9 minutes Bent scored from what the pundits considered to be a bad penalty decision to give Sunderland the lead. Wolves thought they should have had two penalties of their own but had no luck with the referee (not that you should need luck with the ref, but still…). Instead Bent got a second penalty, which he allowed Jones to take and score. Later Bent said he had had ‘a telling off from the gaffer’ for his unselfish act (Steve Bruce commented “thankfully he [Jones] scored so it wasn't an issue, but if he hadn't scored it would have been all sorts of serious issue”). Under the circumstances I think we can translate ‘a telling off’ as ‘a bollicking’, but Bent seems to have found his niche in Sunderland. Early in the 2nd half Wolves got a goal back (o/g, Mensah, bounced in-off, but deserved). Following this Wolves (Doyle) scored one of the strangest goals of the season following a short range (2-3 yards) free kick given for what was judged to be a pass back to the Sunderland goalkeeper (which he was forced to save). Then Jones scored a very good long range drive into the bottom corner of the net (I refuse to use the words ‘back of the net’ like Hanson). Shortly after Sunderland got a free header to make it 4 (Turner). Bent got another in extra time (Mancienne, o/g, deflected) to make it 5 overall. Hard to know what to make of this game - a big score but Wolves looked good for the ticket money, nonetheless. Your Ear, for one, regrets that Spurs allowed Bent to leave, or could not persuade him to stay.
Man City v West Ham - 3:1 - West Ham, lacking a strong attack, tried to sit back and absorb City pressure. Not a good idea – Tevez, once a favourite son of the Hammers, soon scored. Not so favourite now, methinks, although the Hammers continue to cheer for him. Then he hit the bar and they stopped, for a while at least, allowing the City fans to cheer Tevez on instead. The game more or less went to sleep before Diamanti, totally against the run of play, managed to whack the ball in-off against an unsuspecting Carlton Cole and, almost beyond belief, West Ham were level. What a strange game football can be. Your Ear would not have wanted to be Mark Hughes at that point - City had done everything right and more, and then the Hammers got the goal back, and got right back into the game. Petrov sorted them out, scoring City's second goal after about half an hour. City got their third goal (Tevez) about 30 minutes into the second half despite the fact that West Ham had had as many opportunities. City brought on £18m Paraguayan, Roque Santa Cruz for his debut with 10 minutes to play, replacing Wright-Phillips. Several good-looking City moves went begging and the game ended with City on the up. Nevertheless, Your Ear is not particularly concerned for West Ham's Premiership future, they have come up against a few tough teams so far and have only played at home twice. However, there might be some low level alarm bells ringing in the West Ham boardroom, particularly concerning the lack of goals for.
The Sun Goes Down - Sol parts company with Notts County after one just game - he's a funny guy. There was some to-ing and fro-ing in terms of how much players can be payed in relation to a club's overall finances, but in the end Sol left, apparently, when he realized he really was buying into a 5 year project and that he was a very large catfish in this particularly small pond. Strange he could not see that before. Anyway, Campbell left by mutual consent, and the club thoughtfully issued a statement to the effect that any fan who'd bought a Notts' shirt and had 'Campbell' printed on the back would be offered a voucher for a replacement shirt. They should have gone for sponsorship and offered money for adding “’s Soups”. But if I were a fan I think I'd leave the next shirt blank, or perhaps inscribe it with ‘No Bill Posters’. On the other hand, William would probably last longer than Campbell.
The Ear – all the news that's fit to spout.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
CCCC – Cursory Comments on the Carling Cup
Man Utd v Wolves - 1:0 - Wolves looked to be the better side and actually seemed to be leaning on ManU. A red card for a last man challenge reduced United to 10 men, but in the end Welbeck settled the match in United's favour in the 66th minute. United seem to use the Carling Cup to bring on their younger players but, unlike the common belief a few years ago, there can be no doubt now about their commitment to try to win the competition.
Man City v Fulham - 2:1 - City shaded Fulham in all departments.
Chelsea v QPR - 1:0 - Joe Cole was welcomed back for Chelsea after several months' absence through injury and played a full 90 minutes. One goal was enough to win it.
Aston Villa v Cardiff - 1:0 - a sweet back heel by Agbonlahor opened up Cardiff, but Cardiff were in the game right through the first half and were unlucky not to equalize (given offside).
Hull v Everton - 0:4 - Hull simply outclassed.
Preston NE v Spurs - 1:5 - Crouch scored first from Defoe, then Defoe scored himself, then big C in the 2nd half again. Gomes, back in goal for Spurs, did his usual trick, played some good stuff and some bad stuff, but did not concede until the 83rd minute. Keane got Spurs’ 4th then Crouch wrapped it up and took his hat-trick with a back heel on the volley, even better than Agbonlahor's goal. Not a bad tally for St Hal's 50th game in charge.
Leeds v Liverpool - 0:1 - An early Leeds goal was disallowed and they nearly scored a little later, looking far more the likely side for most of the first half. Then Ngog scored for Liverpool, well against the run of play. Leeds lost, but look very strong.
Barnsley v Burnley - 3:2 - good game, Barnsley scored some good goals. Burnley unable to dominate their opponents.
Stoke v Blackpool - 4:3 - Blackpool led by 2 goals for most of the game, then Stoke scored 3 in rapid succession to go ahead. They then went to sleep and Blackpool scored again. Stoke nicked it at the death.
Arsenal v West Brom - 2:0 - West Brom were a better side than Arsenal's junior team, but lost a man (red card) through a silly incident - game over.
Bolton v West Ham - 3:1 – scrappy, but a good result for Bolton, and maybe a reprieve for Megson.
Carlisle v Portsmouth - 1:3 - s'welp me, P have won a game!
Notts Forest v Blackburn - 0:1 - fairly routine stuff.
Sunderland v Birmingham - 2:0 - Sunderland looked very strong and proved to be so, scoring two very well taken goals.
Headlines, To Keep Us In Perspective:
Lewis (Carl Davidson) Hamilton, MBE, British citizen resident in Switzerland for tax reasons, wins Singapore GP.
‘Brown's a dead man walking’ (Labour MP's damning verdict) - Mandleson comes to his aid at party conference.
Roman Polanski to fight extradition after Zurich arrest - French not happy.
Council hires hoodie spies to rummage through bins - someone has to do it, argues council.
One German in seven wants the Berlin Wall to be rebuilt because (according to poll) they were better off when the country was divided.
Shirt design company comes up with commuter tie with hidden iPod storage pocket for bored commuters with bulging pockets.
But we don't care about any of that - all we're interested in here is THE FOOTBALL.
Man City v Fulham - 2:1 - City shaded Fulham in all departments.
Chelsea v QPR - 1:0 - Joe Cole was welcomed back for Chelsea after several months' absence through injury and played a full 90 minutes. One goal was enough to win it.
Aston Villa v Cardiff - 1:0 - a sweet back heel by Agbonlahor opened up Cardiff, but Cardiff were in the game right through the first half and were unlucky not to equalize (given offside).
Hull v Everton - 0:4 - Hull simply outclassed.
Preston NE v Spurs - 1:5 - Crouch scored first from Defoe, then Defoe scored himself, then big C in the 2nd half again. Gomes, back in goal for Spurs, did his usual trick, played some good stuff and some bad stuff, but did not concede until the 83rd minute. Keane got Spurs’ 4th then Crouch wrapped it up and took his hat-trick with a back heel on the volley, even better than Agbonlahor's goal. Not a bad tally for St Hal's 50th game in charge.
Leeds v Liverpool - 0:1 - An early Leeds goal was disallowed and they nearly scored a little later, looking far more the likely side for most of the first half. Then Ngog scored for Liverpool, well against the run of play. Leeds lost, but look very strong.
Barnsley v Burnley - 3:2 - good game, Barnsley scored some good goals. Burnley unable to dominate their opponents.
Stoke v Blackpool - 4:3 - Blackpool led by 2 goals for most of the game, then Stoke scored 3 in rapid succession to go ahead. They then went to sleep and Blackpool scored again. Stoke nicked it at the death.
Arsenal v West Brom - 2:0 - West Brom were a better side than Arsenal's junior team, but lost a man (red card) through a silly incident - game over.
Bolton v West Ham - 3:1 – scrappy, but a good result for Bolton, and maybe a reprieve for Megson.
Carlisle v Portsmouth - 1:3 - s'welp me, P have won a game!
Notts Forest v Blackburn - 0:1 - fairly routine stuff.
Sunderland v Birmingham - 2:0 - Sunderland looked very strong and proved to be so, scoring two very well taken goals.
Headlines, To Keep Us In Perspective:
Lewis (Carl Davidson) Hamilton, MBE, British citizen resident in Switzerland for tax reasons, wins Singapore GP.
‘Brown's a dead man walking’ (Labour MP's damning verdict) - Mandleson comes to his aid at party conference.
Roman Polanski to fight extradition after Zurich arrest - French not happy.
Council hires hoodie spies to rummage through bins - someone has to do it, argues council.
One German in seven wants the Berlin Wall to be rebuilt because (according to poll) they were better off when the country was divided.
Shirt design company comes up with commuter tie with hidden iPod storage pocket for bored commuters with bulging pockets.
But we don't care about any of that - all we're interested in here is THE FOOTBALL.
Monday 21 September 2009
Premiership Round up Week 6
West Ham v Liverpool - 2:3 - Hines should have scored for the Hammers, a let-off for the scousers. Benayoun is on top form at the moment, the ball seems super-glued to his boots, just like Kanu a few years ago, but he missed his chance. Torres didn't miss and scored a top-drawer goal, back to (nearly) his best it would seem - at any rate he does not look tired at the moment. Hines then got a penalty (for what would, in olden times, have been a fair shoulder charge) converted by Diamanti with a terrible penalty kick. Still, they all count, even this one, though it was claimed to be a double kick. Gerrard was credited with Liverpool's second although Kuyt scored it. Carlton Cole equalized with a magic header - and all in the first half! Torres scored Liverpool's third goal (another header) and that was largely that. In the end Liverpool were just too good for the Hammers, who were by no means disgraced - afterwards Zola was generous, as always, to both his players and to Liverpool.
Burnley v Sunderland - 3:1 – Much Sunderland effort in the first half proved fruitless. Burnley were awarded a penalty and Alexander converted it, a lead Burnley retained despite more pressure from Sunderland until Bent scored in the 39th minute (that's 5 for Bent so far this season and he should have scored again early in the 2nd half). Against the run of play Nugent scored a skull-cracker for Burnley to go ahead again and then again with a good strike to increase their lead. Burnley did well but Sunderland were by far the better side. Still, as we all know, in football the best side does not always win.
Arsenal v Wigan - 4:0 - A few Arsenal chances went begging until Vermaelan (Arsenal's new Belgian import) scored a clean header. Vermaelan's second goal was even better, surgically precise. Eboue made it 3, Fabregas 4. Wigan were all over the shop whilst Arsenal could have scored double their tally, or more. Smiles all round at The Emirates.
Aston Villa v Portsmouth - 2:0 - Villa scored from the spot after a clumsy challenge by Portsmouth's Belhadj. Agbonlahor showed strength, pace and a little sliding luck to score Villa's second. Portsmouth worked hard but could not break through. You probably know but Portsmouth now hold the record for the most games lost in a row (6) at the start of a Premiership season. It's about the only record they are likely to hold this year (unless it gets worse). Villa continue to look strong and purposeful.
Hull v Birmingham - 0:1 – There were scoring chances at either end but good defences and goal-keeping kept the sheet clean. Birmingham got their noses in front in the 75h minute (O'Connor) and stayed there. (Ed. Correction - the last report incorrectly spelt Benitez Chucho's name as 'Chu-chu’. Apologies. Your Ear still thinks he's no dummy). Hull are struggling and there seems no hope in sight for them But where there's life… At this point in last year's season Hull were in the top 6. They finished in the bottom 6 (17th in fact). Now they are in the bottom 6 (19th). I wonder what odds one could get for Hull to do the trick in reverse this year and finish in the top 6? I think I’d keep my fiver in my pocket.
Bolton v Stoke - 1:1 - Lively play by both teams but the initiative was seized by Stoke's Kitson with an excellent finish. Bolton had chances to gain parity, including at least two open goals, but could not take them. They needed to win and convert a penalty to equalize and Taylor duly scored. Stoke could have nicked it, but it ended in a draw. Despite getting the draw with seconds to spare in the game Bolton supporters booed their side off the field - the press say Megson's days are numbered.
Man Utd v Man City - 4:3 - This game had it all, beginning with Rooney’s superb poacher's goal in the second minute. City's defence were out to lunch at the time. Profiting from some great work by Tevez, Barry equalized for City after Foster, United's keeper, made a beginner's mistake. This was swiftly followed by another piece of poor play - a bad back heel by Rooney allowed Tevez a free shot which hit the post. Fletcher scored a soft goal at the start of the second half (a header) but Bellamy's equalizing shot only 3 minutes later was brilliant, the best of the lot. ManU applied a lot of pressure but Shay Given dealt with it well. Berbatov was denied two good heading opportunities before being substituted for Owen. Fletcher scored again, another header, to make it 3:2 but Bellamy got a second, after a daft mistake under no pressure at all by Ferdinand in the 89th minute. But in a true fairy story, Owen snatched the winner in the the last second or two of extra time. Phew! It's amazing how top-flight professionals make such fundamental errors, but they do, and City were presented with two of their goals as gifts. On the other hand, if Adebayor had not been suspended (for GBH on Van Persie last week) the result might have been reversed. Despite Your Ear's reservations, and the fact that ManU were the better side, City were never out of the game. A final moan - why are supporters so rabidly anti ex-players – it seems a United fool threw a coin at Tevez. They should understand that players, with few exceptions, (just like clubs) are mercenary. And quite right too, they have to make the best of their brief careers (see later).
Chelsea v Spurs - 3:0 - Chelsea nearly started well with a thumper by Bosingwa, but Spurs also had their chances through Defoe and Huddlestone. The deadlock was broken after half an hour when Ashely Cole buried a header for Chelsea. Spurs should have had a penalty (any impartial observer would agree that Carvalho brought Keane down). Although Chelsea were the stronger side it is on moments like this that games pivot. Following this refereeing cock-up Ballack scrambled a goal in the 55th minute putting Chelsea two ahead. Drogba got Chelsea's 3rd (his 99th for the Blues) through another scrambled egg effort, but it was good goal, well provided by Lampard. There were lots of injuries in this game, none caused by malicious intent. King was hurt again, a hamstring rather than his knees this time. Bassong knocked himself out tussling with Drogba and was stretchered off and hospitalized. Drogba was also injured later, appearing to pull a leg muscle. As things stand it’s ManU or Chelsea for the title, although Liverpool…
Everton v Blackburn - 3:0 - Saha scored a no-nonsense goal to get Everton off the mark after 22 minutes. Diouf did well to give Blackburn an opportunity, but much mayhem in the goal-mouth came to nothing. Saha looked well on top of his game to score again for Everton. Yobo scored another, making it three for Everton in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Robinson showed great athleticism to keep out a fourth. Big Sam was not overly happy with Blackburn's concentration and effort, Everton back in the groove.
Wolves v Fulham - 2:1 - Wolves harried Fulham, denying them any opportunity to put their game together - it was an hour or so before they managed to get their first shot on goal. Wolves’ first goal (Doyle, 18 minutes) looked a bit like one of those skipping stones thrown on the water - a long throw was followed by two headers in quick succession - and then a splash. Edwards got a second for Wolves in the 50th minute, then Fulham scored from the spot (Danny Murphy) in the 67th minute. Frantic stuff ensued for a while but Wolves held on for a well-earned first Premiership home win. Wolves displayed good energy levels throughout, while Fulham maintained their lackadaisical and poor away form.
Granny's Sight Restored With Tooth Implant - An American grandmother, Sharron Thornton, was left blind for nine years after a rare disease scarred her cornea. But doctors in Miami made history by extracting one of her canines (an eye tooth, appropriately), and drilling an optical lens into it before installing it in her reshaped eye socket. Sounds gruesome, but it worked. Granny Thornton is the first person to have this procedure. After two weeks she could read the newspapers again, although not everyone would count that a bonus. Now, if we can put them where we like, Your Ear can suggest various places for football teams to have some teeth installed. Perhaps to fill the holes and get some bite into Arsenal's defence, a return to the style of play made famous (or infamous) by Norman 'bites yer legs' Hunter (for younger readers a Leeds and England player of the 1960s and 70s). Or to install some wisdom into the madness that is Portsmouth, or to unleash the dog(teeth) of war in Fulham (etc). As to precisely where teeth could be removed to, they might try inserting some in the backsides of various commentators and pundits, as this is where they generally speak from (no, no, I shall name no names). And Ledley King's knees could do with a transplant, although they might need his entire mouthful to effect a repair. Lastly, perhaps we could use them (transplants) to cure referees’ poor sight, with a view to reducing bad decisions, although thinking again, that’s as improbable as hens’ teeth.
A life less ordinary - A recent Radio 4 programme dealt with the extravagant lifestyles of footballers. Premiership players can expect to earn around £15m over a 'normal' career, which ends around the age of 33. They usually earn more in a week than the PM (including expenses!). Most live such protected existences that they rarely exit their sporting world without experiencing a few blows to the psycho-system, including a 75% divorce rate within the first 3 years. The more they earn the more footballers drift away from the lives of ordinary mortals. For example, the current generation are in the habit of taking private jets to move around, allowing them to use small airfields by arrangement, avoiding fans and the press. Understandably, footballers are cash-rich and time-poor, so they frequently employ people to manage their affairs. David Beckham is clearly no mug and led the way. He has a large staff who look after his finances, sponsorship and other business deals, his social life and, importantly for him, his PR. A few footballers do less than the obvious things with their money, such as charitable and youth initiatives, but most depend on advisors. Which is not surprising, given that most of them are recruited as youngsters and could hardly be described as worldly-wise, except, perhaps, in their own sphere. As we learn from the press, footballers often fall foul of drugs and alcohol and are prone both to gambling and excessive behaviour. What is less well-known is that footballers are often targetted by fraudsters (particularly so-called builders) and that in towns and cities lucky enough to host a Premiership team (far-flung places like Manchester and Liverpool, for example) a fair part of the luxury goods industry, particularly luxury cars, is dependent on them. Being sheltered from the 'real' world they often prefer to put their dosh into things they know and understand. Property investment has therefore proved to be popular and some footballers have invested so heavily in real estate that they become known (and derided) for it. In Liverpool, where property used to be relatively cheap, fans would sing ♫We all live in a Robbie Fowler house!♫ (to the tune of 'Yellow Submarine') to Fowler, who owned 'huge swathes' of the city. Wonder if he still does. Peter Crouch has a staff of seven who attend to his financial and social needs - no chance of his mum failing to get a birthday card or a restaurant table not being booked when required. He also has a dry wit - asked what he would have been if he had not become a footballer he replied; 'A virgin.'
The Ear – all the news that's fit to spout.
Burnley v Sunderland - 3:1 – Much Sunderland effort in the first half proved fruitless. Burnley were awarded a penalty and Alexander converted it, a lead Burnley retained despite more pressure from Sunderland until Bent scored in the 39th minute (that's 5 for Bent so far this season and he should have scored again early in the 2nd half). Against the run of play Nugent scored a skull-cracker for Burnley to go ahead again and then again with a good strike to increase their lead. Burnley did well but Sunderland were by far the better side. Still, as we all know, in football the best side does not always win.
Arsenal v Wigan - 4:0 - A few Arsenal chances went begging until Vermaelan (Arsenal's new Belgian import) scored a clean header. Vermaelan's second goal was even better, surgically precise. Eboue made it 3, Fabregas 4. Wigan were all over the shop whilst Arsenal could have scored double their tally, or more. Smiles all round at The Emirates.
Aston Villa v Portsmouth - 2:0 - Villa scored from the spot after a clumsy challenge by Portsmouth's Belhadj. Agbonlahor showed strength, pace and a little sliding luck to score Villa's second. Portsmouth worked hard but could not break through. You probably know but Portsmouth now hold the record for the most games lost in a row (6) at the start of a Premiership season. It's about the only record they are likely to hold this year (unless it gets worse). Villa continue to look strong and purposeful.
Hull v Birmingham - 0:1 – There were scoring chances at either end but good defences and goal-keeping kept the sheet clean. Birmingham got their noses in front in the 75h minute (O'Connor) and stayed there. (Ed. Correction - the last report incorrectly spelt Benitez Chucho's name as 'Chu-chu’. Apologies. Your Ear still thinks he's no dummy). Hull are struggling and there seems no hope in sight for them But where there's life… At this point in last year's season Hull were in the top 6. They finished in the bottom 6 (17th in fact). Now they are in the bottom 6 (19th). I wonder what odds one could get for Hull to do the trick in reverse this year and finish in the top 6? I think I’d keep my fiver in my pocket.
Bolton v Stoke - 1:1 - Lively play by both teams but the initiative was seized by Stoke's Kitson with an excellent finish. Bolton had chances to gain parity, including at least two open goals, but could not take them. They needed to win and convert a penalty to equalize and Taylor duly scored. Stoke could have nicked it, but it ended in a draw. Despite getting the draw with seconds to spare in the game Bolton supporters booed their side off the field - the press say Megson's days are numbered.
Man Utd v Man City - 4:3 - This game had it all, beginning with Rooney’s superb poacher's goal in the second minute. City's defence were out to lunch at the time. Profiting from some great work by Tevez, Barry equalized for City after Foster, United's keeper, made a beginner's mistake. This was swiftly followed by another piece of poor play - a bad back heel by Rooney allowed Tevez a free shot which hit the post. Fletcher scored a soft goal at the start of the second half (a header) but Bellamy's equalizing shot only 3 minutes later was brilliant, the best of the lot. ManU applied a lot of pressure but Shay Given dealt with it well. Berbatov was denied two good heading opportunities before being substituted for Owen. Fletcher scored again, another header, to make it 3:2 but Bellamy got a second, after a daft mistake under no pressure at all by Ferdinand in the 89th minute. But in a true fairy story, Owen snatched the winner in the the last second or two of extra time. Phew! It's amazing how top-flight professionals make such fundamental errors, but they do, and City were presented with two of their goals as gifts. On the other hand, if Adebayor had not been suspended (for GBH on Van Persie last week) the result might have been reversed. Despite Your Ear's reservations, and the fact that ManU were the better side, City were never out of the game. A final moan - why are supporters so rabidly anti ex-players – it seems a United fool threw a coin at Tevez. They should understand that players, with few exceptions, (just like clubs) are mercenary. And quite right too, they have to make the best of their brief careers (see later).
Chelsea v Spurs - 3:0 - Chelsea nearly started well with a thumper by Bosingwa, but Spurs also had their chances through Defoe and Huddlestone. The deadlock was broken after half an hour when Ashely Cole buried a header for Chelsea. Spurs should have had a penalty (any impartial observer would agree that Carvalho brought Keane down). Although Chelsea were the stronger side it is on moments like this that games pivot. Following this refereeing cock-up Ballack scrambled a goal in the 55th minute putting Chelsea two ahead. Drogba got Chelsea's 3rd (his 99th for the Blues) through another scrambled egg effort, but it was good goal, well provided by Lampard. There were lots of injuries in this game, none caused by malicious intent. King was hurt again, a hamstring rather than his knees this time. Bassong knocked himself out tussling with Drogba and was stretchered off and hospitalized. Drogba was also injured later, appearing to pull a leg muscle. As things stand it’s ManU or Chelsea for the title, although Liverpool…
Everton v Blackburn - 3:0 - Saha scored a no-nonsense goal to get Everton off the mark after 22 minutes. Diouf did well to give Blackburn an opportunity, but much mayhem in the goal-mouth came to nothing. Saha looked well on top of his game to score again for Everton. Yobo scored another, making it three for Everton in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Robinson showed great athleticism to keep out a fourth. Big Sam was not overly happy with Blackburn's concentration and effort, Everton back in the groove.
Wolves v Fulham - 2:1 - Wolves harried Fulham, denying them any opportunity to put their game together - it was an hour or so before they managed to get their first shot on goal. Wolves’ first goal (Doyle, 18 minutes) looked a bit like one of those skipping stones thrown on the water - a long throw was followed by two headers in quick succession - and then a splash. Edwards got a second for Wolves in the 50th minute, then Fulham scored from the spot (Danny Murphy) in the 67th minute. Frantic stuff ensued for a while but Wolves held on for a well-earned first Premiership home win. Wolves displayed good energy levels throughout, while Fulham maintained their lackadaisical and poor away form.
Granny's Sight Restored With Tooth Implant - An American grandmother, Sharron Thornton, was left blind for nine years after a rare disease scarred her cornea. But doctors in Miami made history by extracting one of her canines (an eye tooth, appropriately), and drilling an optical lens into it before installing it in her reshaped eye socket. Sounds gruesome, but it worked. Granny Thornton is the first person to have this procedure. After two weeks she could read the newspapers again, although not everyone would count that a bonus. Now, if we can put them where we like, Your Ear can suggest various places for football teams to have some teeth installed. Perhaps to fill the holes and get some bite into Arsenal's defence, a return to the style of play made famous (or infamous) by Norman 'bites yer legs' Hunter (for younger readers a Leeds and England player of the 1960s and 70s). Or to install some wisdom into the madness that is Portsmouth, or to unleash the dog(teeth) of war in Fulham (etc). As to precisely where teeth could be removed to, they might try inserting some in the backsides of various commentators and pundits, as this is where they generally speak from (no, no, I shall name no names). And Ledley King's knees could do with a transplant, although they might need his entire mouthful to effect a repair. Lastly, perhaps we could use them (transplants) to cure referees’ poor sight, with a view to reducing bad decisions, although thinking again, that’s as improbable as hens’ teeth.
A life less ordinary - A recent Radio 4 programme dealt with the extravagant lifestyles of footballers. Premiership players can expect to earn around £15m over a 'normal' career, which ends around the age of 33. They usually earn more in a week than the PM (including expenses!). Most live such protected existences that they rarely exit their sporting world without experiencing a few blows to the psycho-system, including a 75% divorce rate within the first 3 years. The more they earn the more footballers drift away from the lives of ordinary mortals. For example, the current generation are in the habit of taking private jets to move around, allowing them to use small airfields by arrangement, avoiding fans and the press. Understandably, footballers are cash-rich and time-poor, so they frequently employ people to manage their affairs. David Beckham is clearly no mug and led the way. He has a large staff who look after his finances, sponsorship and other business deals, his social life and, importantly for him, his PR. A few footballers do less than the obvious things with their money, such as charitable and youth initiatives, but most depend on advisors. Which is not surprising, given that most of them are recruited as youngsters and could hardly be described as worldly-wise, except, perhaps, in their own sphere. As we learn from the press, footballers often fall foul of drugs and alcohol and are prone both to gambling and excessive behaviour. What is less well-known is that footballers are often targetted by fraudsters (particularly so-called builders) and that in towns and cities lucky enough to host a Premiership team (far-flung places like Manchester and Liverpool, for example) a fair part of the luxury goods industry, particularly luxury cars, is dependent on them. Being sheltered from the 'real' world they often prefer to put their dosh into things they know and understand. Property investment has therefore proved to be popular and some footballers have invested so heavily in real estate that they become known (and derided) for it. In Liverpool, where property used to be relatively cheap, fans would sing ♫We all live in a Robbie Fowler house!♫ (to the tune of 'Yellow Submarine') to Fowler, who owned 'huge swathes' of the city. Wonder if he still does. Peter Crouch has a staff of seven who attend to his financial and social needs - no chance of his mum failing to get a birthday card or a restaurant table not being booked when required. He also has a dry wit - asked what he would have been if he had not become a footballer he replied; 'A virgin.'
The Ear – all the news that's fit to spout.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Week 5
EAR 'ERE!
Man City v Arsenal - 4:2 - Gallas missed a good chance and City fluked an early lead (Almunia o/g). Even without Arshavin, Arsenal looked the better side in the second half. Van Persie equalized in the 62nd minute but his game was not improved when Adebayor stamped on his face (for which he should have been sent off). Bellamy scored City’s second goal. Then Adebayor scored again in the 80th minute and celebrated with an 'inflammatory' run towards the Arsenal supporters for which he was booked. Wright-Phillips made it 4. Rusitsky got one back for Arsenal at the end. 100% record for City but Your Ear remains deaf to any arguments that City look convincing. Arsenal, however, have no defence.
Spurs v Man Utd - 1:3 - A goal by Defoe in the first minute, with a bicycle kick - nice one. Giggs equalized with a good free kick that Spurs should not have conceded. Berbatov looked sharp but skied a chance. Anderson put Utd ahead with a good strike. Jenas nearly equalized (but didn't). Crouch put two over the bar with his head (Oi! - one a week or you’re out!). Scholes was sent off for two rash tackles - nothing new there, particularly as he gets older, I'm sorry to say. But Utd did not seem to worry about being a man down and Rooney, who played very well, made it 3.
Stoke v Chelsea - 1:2 - Chelsea's defence was on another pitch when Stoke scored the first goal. A near record 8 minutes was added to extra time to the first half (following injuries to Stoke's Beattie and goalkeeper, Sorensen). Drogba only needed 3 of them to equalize with a thumping strike. Chelsea applied relentless pressure in the second half and finally broke though with about 20 seconds left in the game. Still, the Stoke crowd were happy (to begin with, at least) singing; ♫You're not signing any more, You're not signing any more!…♫ to Chelsea - wonder whether they knew (or cared) that it was an anagram of the usual ‘You're not singing any more!’ The word ‘defenestration’ means the act of throwing something, especially a person, out of a window, as depicted in the painting; ‘The Defenestration of the Commissioners at Prague’. The Independent used this term to describe Chelsea being thrown out of the next two transfer windows by FIFA (for illegal machinations in persuading French youth international Kakuta to break his contract in order to join Chelsea). Abramovich seems almost relieved, being about to shell out about £250m for his newest yacht (4 of 4). It’s a hard life, having to think up names for all those boats.
Portsmouth v Bolton - 2:3 - Cohen scored a net-breaker to give Bolton the lead. A great header by Kaboul drew Portsmouth level. Portsmouth should have gone ahead a couple of times but a dodgy penalty decision allowed Bolton to score again. Boateng equalized for Portsmouth but Bolton nicked it with only a couple of minutes to spare. Hard to feel sorry for Portsmouth but they were out of luck today.
Blackburn v Wolves - 3:1 - Wolves gave away a simple goal to Djouf. Much Blackburn pressure eventually resulted in a second goal (Roberts) and then a third (Dunn), although Wolves retrieved one through Maierhofer's late strike. Wolves need to step up a gear if they are to remain in the Premiership.
Liverpool v Burnley - 4:0 - Burnley beat Liverpool in 2005 in the FA Cup, but there was no sign of them doing it again (unlike at ManU). An irrepressible Benayoun scored an early goal for Liverpool and nearly scored again but the rebound was taken by Kuyt to make it 2. Gerrard should have had a goal (well saved by Jensen). Benayoun made it 3 and should have had a hat-trick but was mistakenly given offside. He got it later, anyway.
Birmingham v Aston Villa - 0:1 - could have gone either way but Abonlahor's goal in the 85th minute settled the derby. It's not unusual to see a goalkeeper flattened in the box, but it happened to Hart, Birmingham's goalie (on loan from Man City) in Aston Villa's goal mouth when he ran up-field to try to assist in a late corner. The last 5 minutes plus extra time were worth the ticket alone. Villa look determined, more like last season. Birmingham were resilient in defence but lack a penetrating attack although Benitez Chu-chu, Birmingham's late sub, is no dummy (sorry!).
Fulham v Everton - 2:1 - Cahill's (offside) bullet header put Everton ahead, Duff (signed 2 weeks ago from Newcastle) nearly equalized but Koncheski (newly arrived from Portsmouth) did the business for Fulham. Then Duff did what he had threatened to do before and Fulham took the lead in the 79th minute. Despite Everton's frantic efforts Fulham managed to hold on for their second win of the season, which hoiks them up to 10th in the table, whereas Everton still languishes in the bottom 3. Only Portsmouth have failed to win a point so far, but then, they have no players!
Sunderland v Hull - 4:1 - Bent scored from the spot for Sunderland after a silly handball incident. Zayatte levelled the game for Hull but Sunderland (Reid) regained the lead. Bent thumped home a third and Turner headed home a pile-driver to put the game beyond Hull's reach. Bent seems to have found his feet (a good thing for a footballer to do, really) at Sunderland - Spurs might regret letting him go, although St Hal knows what he is up to.
Wigan v West Ham - 1:0 - Carlton Cole thought he'd scored but he'd not heard the ref blow for half-time. Normally referees wait until the ball is out of play or the action is going nowhere - ending the half just as someone is on the point of scoring was mystifying, particularly to Cole, who had the good grace to laugh about it. Rodallega put Wigan ahead. Diamanti nearly scored a great goal for the Hammers, but hit the woodwork.
Cameras needed - England v Slovenia - This was a friendly, and to be fair Slovenia played better than a team ranked 54th in the world, and then, oh dear - a bad penalty for England - the ref saw something the TV cameras did not, no matter how replays were reviewed. The alleged offender, Bostjan Caesar, was injured, booked and subbed. We must have action replays soon to sort out such nonsense. We have cameras all over our streets, why not have them on football pitches (other than for TV), at least some would welcome them there. Moving on - if you want a goal give the ball to Defoe, who is in cracking form. I like Heskey, a typical England centre-forward, big and strong, but there was no doubt who would start on the following Wednesday. Meanwhile, Capello moves steadily forward in naming an entire England team with the surname 'Cole' (Ashley, Carlton, Joe). Any more contenders?
Money Talks - Last time Your Ear wrote about Sol Campbell moving to Notts County. Later I wondered what might have persuaded him to go there. Apparently the answer was £10m (silly me). And I had forgotten that Sven-Göran Eriksson was already at the club (at £2m pa). Big money for (effectively) the 4th Division. Although they are still losing games, Notts County 'are funded by the seemingly bottomless pockets of their Middle Eastern owners (Munto Finance)’. A bit like Man City, only City, unlike County, haven't lost any games yet. They will though. Sir Harold is reported as saying that if he had been at any other club he would have signed Campbell, but the fans at White Hart Lane would not have had him back after the way he left 8 years ago (on his way to the dreaded Arsenal, you will recall). Pity, this fan would, but Your Ear, ostensibly a neutral and independent observer, is probably not hardcore enough. Incidentally, Man City have just sold Kasper Schmeichel to Notts County. City seem to have more than their fair share of keepers at the moment. In any case, is Kasper a popular name in Denmark, or did his dad, Peter the Great, just like friendly ghosts? (Ed. - That was Casper the Friendly Ghost - do your research). It’s the Danish spelling.
The Ear – all the news that's fit to spout.
Man City v Arsenal - 4:2 - Gallas missed a good chance and City fluked an early lead (Almunia o/g). Even without Arshavin, Arsenal looked the better side in the second half. Van Persie equalized in the 62nd minute but his game was not improved when Adebayor stamped on his face (for which he should have been sent off). Bellamy scored City’s second goal. Then Adebayor scored again in the 80th minute and celebrated with an 'inflammatory' run towards the Arsenal supporters for which he was booked. Wright-Phillips made it 4. Rusitsky got one back for Arsenal at the end. 100% record for City but Your Ear remains deaf to any arguments that City look convincing. Arsenal, however, have no defence.
Spurs v Man Utd - 1:3 - A goal by Defoe in the first minute, with a bicycle kick - nice one. Giggs equalized with a good free kick that Spurs should not have conceded. Berbatov looked sharp but skied a chance. Anderson put Utd ahead with a good strike. Jenas nearly equalized (but didn't). Crouch put two over the bar with his head (Oi! - one a week or you’re out!). Scholes was sent off for two rash tackles - nothing new there, particularly as he gets older, I'm sorry to say. But Utd did not seem to worry about being a man down and Rooney, who played very well, made it 3.
Stoke v Chelsea - 1:2 - Chelsea's defence was on another pitch when Stoke scored the first goal. A near record 8 minutes was added to extra time to the first half (following injuries to Stoke's Beattie and goalkeeper, Sorensen). Drogba only needed 3 of them to equalize with a thumping strike. Chelsea applied relentless pressure in the second half and finally broke though with about 20 seconds left in the game. Still, the Stoke crowd were happy (to begin with, at least) singing; ♫You're not signing any more, You're not signing any more!…♫ to Chelsea - wonder whether they knew (or cared) that it was an anagram of the usual ‘You're not singing any more!’ The word ‘defenestration’ means the act of throwing something, especially a person, out of a window, as depicted in the painting; ‘The Defenestration of the Commissioners at Prague’. The Independent used this term to describe Chelsea being thrown out of the next two transfer windows by FIFA (for illegal machinations in persuading French youth international Kakuta to break his contract in order to join Chelsea). Abramovich seems almost relieved, being about to shell out about £250m for his newest yacht (4 of 4). It’s a hard life, having to think up names for all those boats.
Portsmouth v Bolton - 2:3 - Cohen scored a net-breaker to give Bolton the lead. A great header by Kaboul drew Portsmouth level. Portsmouth should have gone ahead a couple of times but a dodgy penalty decision allowed Bolton to score again. Boateng equalized for Portsmouth but Bolton nicked it with only a couple of minutes to spare. Hard to feel sorry for Portsmouth but they were out of luck today.
Blackburn v Wolves - 3:1 - Wolves gave away a simple goal to Djouf. Much Blackburn pressure eventually resulted in a second goal (Roberts) and then a third (Dunn), although Wolves retrieved one through Maierhofer's late strike. Wolves need to step up a gear if they are to remain in the Premiership.
Liverpool v Burnley - 4:0 - Burnley beat Liverpool in 2005 in the FA Cup, but there was no sign of them doing it again (unlike at ManU). An irrepressible Benayoun scored an early goal for Liverpool and nearly scored again but the rebound was taken by Kuyt to make it 2. Gerrard should have had a goal (well saved by Jensen). Benayoun made it 3 and should have had a hat-trick but was mistakenly given offside. He got it later, anyway.
Birmingham v Aston Villa - 0:1 - could have gone either way but Abonlahor's goal in the 85th minute settled the derby. It's not unusual to see a goalkeeper flattened in the box, but it happened to Hart, Birmingham's goalie (on loan from Man City) in Aston Villa's goal mouth when he ran up-field to try to assist in a late corner. The last 5 minutes plus extra time were worth the ticket alone. Villa look determined, more like last season. Birmingham were resilient in defence but lack a penetrating attack although Benitez Chu-chu, Birmingham's late sub, is no dummy (sorry!).
Fulham v Everton - 2:1 - Cahill's (offside) bullet header put Everton ahead, Duff (signed 2 weeks ago from Newcastle) nearly equalized but Koncheski (newly arrived from Portsmouth) did the business for Fulham. Then Duff did what he had threatened to do before and Fulham took the lead in the 79th minute. Despite Everton's frantic efforts Fulham managed to hold on for their second win of the season, which hoiks them up to 10th in the table, whereas Everton still languishes in the bottom 3. Only Portsmouth have failed to win a point so far, but then, they have no players!
Sunderland v Hull - 4:1 - Bent scored from the spot for Sunderland after a silly handball incident. Zayatte levelled the game for Hull but Sunderland (Reid) regained the lead. Bent thumped home a third and Turner headed home a pile-driver to put the game beyond Hull's reach. Bent seems to have found his feet (a good thing for a footballer to do, really) at Sunderland - Spurs might regret letting him go, although St Hal knows what he is up to.
Wigan v West Ham - 1:0 - Carlton Cole thought he'd scored but he'd not heard the ref blow for half-time. Normally referees wait until the ball is out of play or the action is going nowhere - ending the half just as someone is on the point of scoring was mystifying, particularly to Cole, who had the good grace to laugh about it. Rodallega put Wigan ahead. Diamanti nearly scored a great goal for the Hammers, but hit the woodwork.
Cameras needed - England v Slovenia - This was a friendly, and to be fair Slovenia played better than a team ranked 54th in the world, and then, oh dear - a bad penalty for England - the ref saw something the TV cameras did not, no matter how replays were reviewed. The alleged offender, Bostjan Caesar, was injured, booked and subbed. We must have action replays soon to sort out such nonsense. We have cameras all over our streets, why not have them on football pitches (other than for TV), at least some would welcome them there. Moving on - if you want a goal give the ball to Defoe, who is in cracking form. I like Heskey, a typical England centre-forward, big and strong, but there was no doubt who would start on the following Wednesday. Meanwhile, Capello moves steadily forward in naming an entire England team with the surname 'Cole' (Ashley, Carlton, Joe). Any more contenders?
Money Talks - Last time Your Ear wrote about Sol Campbell moving to Notts County. Later I wondered what might have persuaded him to go there. Apparently the answer was £10m (silly me). And I had forgotten that Sven-Göran Eriksson was already at the club (at £2m pa). Big money for (effectively) the 4th Division. Although they are still losing games, Notts County 'are funded by the seemingly bottomless pockets of their Middle Eastern owners (Munto Finance)’. A bit like Man City, only City, unlike County, haven't lost any games yet. They will though. Sir Harold is reported as saying that if he had been at any other club he would have signed Campbell, but the fans at White Hart Lane would not have had him back after the way he left 8 years ago (on his way to the dreaded Arsenal, you will recall). Pity, this fan would, but Your Ear, ostensibly a neutral and independent observer, is probably not hardcore enough. Incidentally, Man City have just sold Kasper Schmeichel to Notts County. City seem to have more than their fair share of keepers at the moment. In any case, is Kasper a popular name in Denmark, or did his dad, Peter the Great, just like friendly ghosts? (Ed. - That was Casper the Friendly Ghost - do your research). It’s the Danish spelling.
The Ear – all the news that's fit to spout.
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