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The Full English: End In Sight in the EPL?
Goal.com’s Shane Evans' trip to England may soon be at an end, and, coincidentally, a few others' tenures might suffer the same fate in the EPL. Who? I suppose you just have to read on to find out.
Dec 12, 2008 1:53:12 AM
By Shane Evans
Being in England must be doing something to my prediction skills. Two weeks here, two top predictions accurately sussed. Unfortunately for the old boy, this is the last column I’ll be writing in England as I return home to sunny Philadelphia on Thursday. The streak, not to mention the trip, was good while it lasted, I suppose.
Who didn’t enjoy last weekend’s Villa-Everton clash? Quite entertaining stuff really. I only caught the second half of the match, and was pulled in the entire time. End-to-end and all that. You would have been happy only watching the last 15 minutes or so, but I like to think those reading this column are full-match-watchers.
Let’s hope this week’s action is as good as that match was.
What do we have this week? Spurs-ManU, ManCity-Everton, Liverpool-Hull anddddd an intriguing match-up between Wigan and Blackburn. We’ll get to that after we interrupt the normal flow of this feature for a short rant:
You know, I had a full English fry-up on the weekend. Made writing this piece that much more enjoyable, and for you readers if you ever have the chance to dig into one, it’ll certainly make this column more enticing to scan over. I’m not sure how that makes sense, but inside my head, it is as clear as day. Just delicious in every way, and no matter how you do it at home, it just doesn’t taste the same in the Colonies.
OK, chow time.
The Bacon (as in Bringing it Home)
Tottenham v. Manchester United (White Hart Lane, December 13th, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Two different, but somewhat similar stories here. Both teams started slow, which by United’s standards meant not in first place after three matches, and are now starting to gain momentum. Spurs needed a new boss to fix things, while United needed to just put more balls in the net.
Spurs still sit way off where they thought they would be, currently occupying 15th place in the table, but have had a steady stream of good results. You have to be impressed with the job that Harry Redknapp has done with the club, practically night and day. And what does sacked boss Juande Ramos get as a parting gift (albeit a month or so later)? The top spot at Real Madrid, where, one can speculate he’d much rather have been in the first place. And everyone’s happy. Football is an interesting game, that is for sure, or fo sho, if you prefer.
This one will come down to who want it more. Berba returns to WHL, so he’ll be driven to prove the doubters wrong. Tottenham desperately want to keep their good run of form going, and they have Darren Bent. United need to keep pace with the top two. What will happen? Dare I say, read on?
TFE Prediction: United are too strong and too determined to keep up with Liverpool in an effort to make it three titles in a row. Reds 3-1 winners.
Manchester City v. Everton (City of Manchester Stadium, December 13th, 10 a.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Only four points separate these two clubs, but that makes up six places in the table. Interesting how jumbled the standings are thus far. Man City seem to be on the upswing, while Everton, a side hurting for goals (did Joleon Lescott really score twice against Aston Villa?) might see a slip in their future, especially after being booted out of the UEFA Cup.
Honestly, whenever I think Manchester City anymore, I think about the January transfer window and what they’ll do during the time it’s open. I don’t even really care about the match, I just want to speculate about who they’ll sign. In an effort to get some of you to leave comments, who’s your pick? Give me a top three. I’m saying, Buffon, Villa, Aguero. What about you? Go on then, let’s hear it.
I would prefer Everton won though, because they can barely afford not to lure Henrik Larsson to Merseyside. Pity.
TFE Prediction: As my cousin Jon and I have spoke many-a-time for some unknown reason, the City of Manchester Stadium is an impressive, somewhat imposing one. Plus Everton are still in shock of Ashley Young’s brilliance. Manchester City come out victorious 2-1.
Liverpool v. Hull (Anfield, December 13th, 9:30 a.m. ET, Setanta Sports)
It certainly would be nice to see Hull add to their list of victims in this one, would certainly make the title race more interesting, but it is very unlikely.
Even though Liverpool has forgotten how to score goals (see Everton above), they have way too much class for the EPL new boys, even without Fernando Torres in the line-up. Robbie Keane has had his struggles lately (we'll touch on him more in a bit), but the Reds can score from wherever.
Some Hull players don’t even have their heads in the right place, given Marlon King’s recent antics. I do love Phil Brown, and the orange-black color combo is certainly my favorite, but I just don’t see the Tigers escaping Anfield with anything but a spanking.
TFE Prediction: The goals finally come for Liverpool (I’m giving at least one to the hardest working man in the EPL, Dirk Kuyt) as Hull is humbled 3-0.
Wigan Athletic v. Blackburn Rovers (JJB Stadium, December 13th, 12:00 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel (delay))
Two former understudies of Sir Alex go at it in a match that if you looked at it in August, you would have thought the teams would be in opposite spots in the table. Steve Bruce’s Wigan are doing quite well for themselves, sitting up in 11th place, while Paul Ince’s Blackburn look like early favorites to be relegated. They’ve come some way since ’94, eh?
As the title of the piece reads, the end could be in sight for a number of people involved in this match. First and foremost, the Guv’nor, Paul Ince is on thin ice right now, having lost an impressive five matches in a row. He could be shown the door if that type of form keeps up. Then you look at all the players the big clubs will swoop for in January: Emile Heskey, Roque Santa Cruz, Amir Zaki. Three big names who can certainly put the ball in the net. Bruce said he’s not going to let Heskey and Zaki go without a fight, I find that hard to believe. As for Roque, who has the coolest name in the biz, I reckon he’s a virtual goner.
TFE Prediction: Heszaki are too much for Blackburn and Ince’s laddies fall again, 2-1.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
Robbie Keane, Liverpool: The talk of the Irishman being forced out of Anfield have been rife in recent weeks. I don’t see it happening. This was his dream move and he’ll plug away until he figures things out. Again, it’s that niggly little hamstring's fault, as, if Torres was playing, I feel like Keane would have a higher goal total then he does. He doesn’t work as well with Kuyt, unfortunately.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United: During the Reds' unconvincing 2-2 draw with Aalborg, Rooney allegedly stamped on midfielder Kasper Risgard. I thought Roo had cleaned up his act? I mean have you watched “Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker”? Obviously not. But I saw the incident, looked pretty tame to me. Am I being a bit biased? Perhaps. But it still looks like he’s losing his balance...just like he did in the World Cup.
Ronaldo, Corinthians: Oh why, oh why, didn’t you sign for Man City when you had the chance?! He’s like the Manny Ramirez of football. You love to hate him and hate to love him. Personally, I can’t get enough and wish he would have played some footy here in England.
Leicester Update:
Well, I was treated to a great show last Saturday at Walkers Stadium when my Foxes thrashed Southend United 3-0 on the back of a Matty Fryatt hat-trick. I was so inspired, I change my facebook picture to him in honor of his achievements. Did I mention he leads League 1 in total goals scored? Next up is an away date with 17th place Carlisle. Another good thrashing, I suspect.
And finally...the Black Pudding of the Week:
Michel Platini, UEFA President: Hey guess what Michel, you Premier League hating Frenchy? All four English teams are through to the Champions League round of 16. Again. I don’t see an end in sight for that little ditty as it seems to happen every year. Oh, and an English team has made it to the final four years in a row. Yea, how about them apples?!
Shane Evans is an associate editor for Goal.com. His feature “The Full English” appears every Friday morning.
Being in England must be doing something to my prediction skills. Two weeks here, two top predictions accurately sussed. Unfortunately for the old boy, this is the last column I’ll be writing in England as I return home to sunny Philadelphia on Thursday. The streak, not to mention the trip, was good while it lasted, I suppose.
Who didn’t enjoy last weekend’s Villa-Everton clash? Quite entertaining stuff really. I only caught the second half of the match, and was pulled in the entire time. End-to-end and all that. You would have been happy only watching the last 15 minutes or so, but I like to think those reading this column are full-match-watchers.
Let’s hope this week’s action is as good as that match was.
What do we have this week? Spurs-ManU, ManCity-Everton, Liverpool-Hull anddddd an intriguing match-up between Wigan and Blackburn. We’ll get to that after we interrupt the normal flow of this feature for a short rant:
You know, I had a full English fry-up on the weekend. Made writing this piece that much more enjoyable, and for you readers if you ever have the chance to dig into one, it’ll certainly make this column more enticing to scan over. I’m not sure how that makes sense, but inside my head, it is as clear as day. Just delicious in every way, and no matter how you do it at home, it just doesn’t taste the same in the Colonies.
OK, chow time.
The Bacon (as in Bringing it Home)
Tottenham v. Manchester United (White Hart Lane, December 13th, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Two different, but somewhat similar stories here. Both teams started slow, which by United’s standards meant not in first place after three matches, and are now starting to gain momentum. Spurs needed a new boss to fix things, while United needed to just put more balls in the net.
Spurs still sit way off where they thought they would be, currently occupying 15th place in the table, but have had a steady stream of good results. You have to be impressed with the job that Harry Redknapp has done with the club, practically night and day. And what does sacked boss Juande Ramos get as a parting gift (albeit a month or so later)? The top spot at Real Madrid, where, one can speculate he’d much rather have been in the first place. And everyone’s happy. Football is an interesting game, that is for sure, or fo sho, if you prefer.
This one will come down to who want it more. Berba returns to WHL, so he’ll be driven to prove the doubters wrong. Tottenham desperately want to keep their good run of form going, and they have Darren Bent. United need to keep pace with the top two. What will happen? Dare I say, read on?
TFE Prediction: United are too strong and too determined to keep up with Liverpool in an effort to make it three titles in a row. Reds 3-1 winners.
Manchester City v. Everton (City of Manchester Stadium, December 13th, 10 a.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Only four points separate these two clubs, but that makes up six places in the table. Interesting how jumbled the standings are thus far. Man City seem to be on the upswing, while Everton, a side hurting for goals (did Joleon Lescott really score twice against Aston Villa?) might see a slip in their future, especially after being booted out of the UEFA Cup.
Honestly, whenever I think Manchester City anymore, I think about the January transfer window and what they’ll do during the time it’s open. I don’t even really care about the match, I just want to speculate about who they’ll sign. In an effort to get some of you to leave comments, who’s your pick? Give me a top three. I’m saying, Buffon, Villa, Aguero. What about you? Go on then, let’s hear it.
I would prefer Everton won though, because they can barely afford not to lure Henrik Larsson to Merseyside. Pity.
TFE Prediction: As my cousin Jon and I have spoke many-a-time for some unknown reason, the City of Manchester Stadium is an impressive, somewhat imposing one. Plus Everton are still in shock of Ashley Young’s brilliance. Manchester City come out victorious 2-1.
Liverpool v. Hull (Anfield, December 13th, 9:30 a.m. ET, Setanta Sports)
It certainly would be nice to see Hull add to their list of victims in this one, would certainly make the title race more interesting, but it is very unlikely.
Even though Liverpool has forgotten how to score goals (see Everton above), they have way too much class for the EPL new boys, even without Fernando Torres in the line-up. Robbie Keane has had his struggles lately (we'll touch on him more in a bit), but the Reds can score from wherever.
Some Hull players don’t even have their heads in the right place, given Marlon King’s recent antics. I do love Phil Brown, and the orange-black color combo is certainly my favorite, but I just don’t see the Tigers escaping Anfield with anything but a spanking.
TFE Prediction: The goals finally come for Liverpool (I’m giving at least one to the hardest working man in the EPL, Dirk Kuyt) as Hull is humbled 3-0.
Wigan Athletic v. Blackburn Rovers (JJB Stadium, December 13th, 12:00 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel (delay))
Two former understudies of Sir Alex go at it in a match that if you looked at it in August, you would have thought the teams would be in opposite spots in the table. Steve Bruce’s Wigan are doing quite well for themselves, sitting up in 11th place, while Paul Ince’s Blackburn look like early favorites to be relegated. They’ve come some way since ’94, eh?
As the title of the piece reads, the end could be in sight for a number of people involved in this match. First and foremost, the Guv’nor, Paul Ince is on thin ice right now, having lost an impressive five matches in a row. He could be shown the door if that type of form keeps up. Then you look at all the players the big clubs will swoop for in January: Emile Heskey, Roque Santa Cruz, Amir Zaki. Three big names who can certainly put the ball in the net. Bruce said he’s not going to let Heskey and Zaki go without a fight, I find that hard to believe. As for Roque, who has the coolest name in the biz, I reckon he’s a virtual goner.
TFE Prediction: Heszaki are too much for Blackburn and Ince’s laddies fall again, 2-1.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
Robbie Keane, Liverpool: The talk of the Irishman being forced out of Anfield have been rife in recent weeks. I don’t see it happening. This was his dream move and he’ll plug away until he figures things out. Again, it’s that niggly little hamstring's fault, as, if Torres was playing, I feel like Keane would have a higher goal total then he does. He doesn’t work as well with Kuyt, unfortunately.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United: During the Reds' unconvincing 2-2 draw with Aalborg, Rooney allegedly stamped on midfielder Kasper Risgard. I thought Roo had cleaned up his act? I mean have you watched “Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker”? Obviously not. But I saw the incident, looked pretty tame to me. Am I being a bit biased? Perhaps. But it still looks like he’s losing his balance...just like he did in the World Cup.
Ronaldo, Corinthians: Oh why, oh why, didn’t you sign for Man City when you had the chance?! He’s like the Manny Ramirez of football. You love to hate him and hate to love him. Personally, I can’t get enough and wish he would have played some footy here in England.
Leicester Update:
Well, I was treated to a great show last Saturday at Walkers Stadium when my Foxes thrashed Southend United 3-0 on the back of a Matty Fryatt hat-trick. I was so inspired, I change my facebook picture to him in honor of his achievements. Did I mention he leads League 1 in total goals scored? Next up is an away date with 17th place Carlisle. Another good thrashing, I suspect.
And finally...the Black Pudding of the Week:
Michel Platini, UEFA President: Hey guess what Michel, you Premier League hating Frenchy? All four English teams are through to the Champions League round of 16. Again. I don’t see an end in sight for that little ditty as it seems to happen every year. Oh, and an English team has made it to the final four years in a row. Yea, how about them apples?!
Shane Evans is an associate editor for Goal.com. His feature “The Full English” appears every Friday morning.
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