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The Full English: Heavy Hitters
Sandwiched between two Champions League fixtures is this weekend’s EPL action, and Goal.com’s Shane Evans expects the big guns to get the job done as the season draws ever-closer to conclusion.
Apr 10, 2009 10:43:21 AM
By Shane Evans
Just when I thought things at the top were all clear and settled, this mess has to happen. The title race is wide open once more, and contradictory to the rest of the table, it seems anything could happen.
Below the ‘big four’ we have a bit more consistency as the relegation fight seems to have picked its handful of victims. The battle will be between those six teams instead of the 12 of a few weeks ago. What that means is teams are starting to play solid football for stretches of time (finally) and the picture is a bit clearer at this stage.
Right now, it’s hard to pick who will win the title, and harder to say who will be playing football in the Championship next season. But that my friends, is what makes football great. If things go down to the last day of the season, similar to how they did last time around, I’ll be a very happy journalist. Not only that, but the weather finally starts getting nice in England around that time, so the games are lovely to take in from an aesthetic standpoint.
For all you MLS fans out there, once Portland and Vancouver join the league in 2011, don’t you think a single table is the best way to go? Yes, me too. A big step in further legitimizing the league.
Thankfully, this column isn’t called “The Full Grand Slam,” it’s “The Full English,” and when it comes down to it, I care about Major League Soccer’s alignment quandary about as much as Billy Gallas’ knee injury. Take that how you want, as per usual.
Without further ado, let’s dive right into this week’s helping of games and see how satisfied we feel after consumption.
The Bacon (as in Bringing It Home)
Aston Villa v. Everton (Villa Park, April 12th, 8:25 a.m. ET, Setanta Xtra)
The last time these teams played, they combined for one of the best games of the season, a result that ending in a thrilling 3-2 victory for the now down-trodden Aston Villa.
Oh, how things have changed. That win pushed Aston Villa into one of their best stretches of the season, one that saw them reach the dizzying heights of 3rd place in the table. Since then it’s been a bit of a rag-tag affair and Martin O’Neill’s side have drifted from their great form and now seem destined to lose 5th place to the team they are set to welcome on Sunday.
The tide has favored Everton over the last handful of matches and David Moyes has Everton playing as he always does, determined and disciplined football. They play as a unit and reap the dividends at the right moments.
A victory in this one and the Toffees will hop over Aston Villa and claim that much-sought-after 5th position. You could argue that Villa are due for a win as they haven’t won in nine through all competitions, and frankly I agree. O’Neill had his men playing the right way last weekend at Old Trafford, and to be frank once more, they deserved the three points in that one. Everton is playing great, but Villa are a desperate side, and the last match between these two is still fresh in the players minds, with Villa having the much happier thoughts.
TFE Prediction: With their backs against the wall Villa take a stand and stop the siege of Villa Park, coming away with a very entertaining 2-1 victory.
Wigan v. Arsenal (JJB Stadium, April 11th, 10:00 a.m. ET, not televised)
This match is mighty interesting. Wigan have been slipping of late, while Arsenal are in high gear and making their case for their the fourth seat in the table. Wigan boss Steve Bruce knows how important getting points is down the stretch, especially if he wants to keep his team in the upper echelon of teams for the first time in their history.
The Latics have played above themselves this year, and they should be proud. In this match they’ll try to exploit an injury hit Arsenal squad, who we now know will be without my pal Billy Gallas for the rest of the season. More on him in a bit. The biggest loss for the Gunners could be Manuel Almunia who is out with an ankle injury, allowing Lukasz Fabianski to step in. No matter how good your team is, you are always concerned when you have to put a very raw keeper between the pegs, particularly in a league bout.
Thankfully for Gunner fans, they have one huge advantage in their corner. I’ll give you a clue: he’s tall, loves puffy jackets, and enjoys a fine aged wine. Nothing against former Manchester United legend Steve Bruce, but Arsene Wenger is as classy as they come in the Premier League. His tactics could be the difference here in guiding the Gunners to a fifth successive victory.
One more thing that can’t be looked over as well is the dilemma up front for Bruce. His one Egyptian striker is AWOL, while the other feels slighted by the first. Chemistry is key up top, and well, Wigan are lacking in that department.
TFE Prediction: In a move that will surely make my legions of Arsenal-loving readers happy, I’m going with the Londoners here. 3-1 Gunners.
Middlesbrough v. Hull (The Riverside, April 11th, 10:00 a.m. ET, not televised)
“In a surprising move, Evans decides to cover two teams outside of the top eight. Rarely does he does this, but for the good of his fans, and ensuring he stays somewhat impartial, the much-acclaimed journo delves into the depths of the lower end.”
Not sure who said that, but they’re right on the money. I have to keep things fair, so including these two bottom feeders is only natural.
Relegation is something sports fans in this country don’t really have a strong grasp on, no fault of your own, of course. It’s a unique concept used in practically every footy league worldwide, and like I said at the beginning of this column, hopefully MLS adapts it so we can experience it here. Oh wait, there isn’t an MLS-2 or anything. Well, you get the idea.
The best comparison that can be made is if Major League Baseball had a table format, and at the end of the season when the Royals finish in dead last, they don’t get to keep playing the New York Yankees every year, they’d be stuck battling the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in Triple-A.
That is what ‘Boro and Hull are essentially fighting for in this one. Dropping down to the Championship is something no team wants to experience, particularly not Hull who just dragged themselves up from there less than a year ago.
Gareth Southgate’s team hasn’t been below the top flight in over 11 years. Right now, they are five points from safety with seven matches left. A very sticky situation indeed. Hull are a bit better off, but they are certainly slipping. They are only five out of the drop zone, with the same number of matches left. Winning two matches in 22 is not the way to stay up, Mr. Brown.
TFE Prediction: Hull’s form has been so bad that I’m going with Middlesbrough in this one. On-loan Tiger Marlon King will haunt his contractual team (not his former, right?) and give Middlesbrough three vital points at home with a 1-0 win.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
William Gallas, Arsenal: Out for the year. Shame. Philippe Senderos anyone? Yeah, I didn’t think so…
Guus Hiddink, Chelsea: Not much to report here really other than how impressed I am with the job this guy has done since taking over for Luiz Felipe Scolari in February. This was represented fully by their thrashing of Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday. You don’t win like that at Anfield, especially after falling behind early early on. I’m no Blues fan, but you have to respect Hiddink and what he has done in his career. Anyone that can coach South Korea to fourth place (FOURTH PLACE!!!) in the World Cup deserves a medal, or at least praise from me, either or.
Manchester United: Let me preface this by saying I know nothing about football economics. Or any kind of economics. I barely can figure out how to pay my own bills, let alone worry about other people’s. But when I read that Manchester United reported losses of something like £40 million, and debts of £650 million, I had to scratch my head. Aren’t they the biggest football club in the world? Don’t they continually buy players for near that much money without breaking a sweat? (Funny, the player they bought doesn’t break a sweat either). Because of this news, I think the best option for us all to take is to keep our cash under our mattresses until things settle down. I have spoken.
Leicester Update:
Oh boy. Things are a bit close now at the top. Only two points in it. Where did the lead go. Similar to ManU’s hold on the EPL, Leicester have lagged a bit down the stretch and find themselves in a battle with Peterborough for the trophy. It’s karma, I guess. Should know when to run my mouth (the first half of the season), and when not to (now).
And Finally...The Black Pudding of the Week
Adriano, Inter Milan: How can you not love what is going on with this Brazilian nutter? He has nothing to do with the EPL, but I had to pick him for the pud-pud. Granted, there are issues out there that are bigger than football. I understand that, I do. But imagine, if you will, if Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees (I apologize for two Yankees references in one column) decided he needed to take some time off to recover from all the media blasting he’s been receiving lately. I think the response would be enough to implode the old Yankee Stadium. People would go crazy if they heard that.
So what gives Adriano the right to just decide he needs some time off? As a journalist, I don’t get it. As a fan of the game I hope he gets better soon and gets his game back together. Those Brazilians are special, that’s for sure.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. "The Full English" appears every Friday morning. Reach Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments or concerns.
Just when I thought things at the top were all clear and settled, this mess has to happen. The title race is wide open once more, and contradictory to the rest of the table, it seems anything could happen.
Below the ‘big four’ we have a bit more consistency as the relegation fight seems to have picked its handful of victims. The battle will be between those six teams instead of the 12 of a few weeks ago. What that means is teams are starting to play solid football for stretches of time (finally) and the picture is a bit clearer at this stage.
Right now, it’s hard to pick who will win the title, and harder to say who will be playing football in the Championship next season. But that my friends, is what makes football great. If things go down to the last day of the season, similar to how they did last time around, I’ll be a very happy journalist. Not only that, but the weather finally starts getting nice in England around that time, so the games are lovely to take in from an aesthetic standpoint.
For all you MLS fans out there, once Portland and Vancouver join the league in 2011, don’t you think a single table is the best way to go? Yes, me too. A big step in further legitimizing the league.
Thankfully, this column isn’t called “The Full Grand Slam,” it’s “The Full English,” and when it comes down to it, I care about Major League Soccer’s alignment quandary about as much as Billy Gallas’ knee injury. Take that how you want, as per usual.
Without further ado, let’s dive right into this week’s helping of games and see how satisfied we feel after consumption.
The Bacon (as in Bringing It Home)
Aston Villa v. Everton (Villa Park, April 12th, 8:25 a.m. ET, Setanta Xtra)
The last time these teams played, they combined for one of the best games of the season, a result that ending in a thrilling 3-2 victory for the now down-trodden Aston Villa.
Oh, how things have changed. That win pushed Aston Villa into one of their best stretches of the season, one that saw them reach the dizzying heights of 3rd place in the table. Since then it’s been a bit of a rag-tag affair and Martin O’Neill’s side have drifted from their great form and now seem destined to lose 5th place to the team they are set to welcome on Sunday.
The tide has favored Everton over the last handful of matches and David Moyes has Everton playing as he always does, determined and disciplined football. They play as a unit and reap the dividends at the right moments.
A victory in this one and the Toffees will hop over Aston Villa and claim that much-sought-after 5th position. You could argue that Villa are due for a win as they haven’t won in nine through all competitions, and frankly I agree. O’Neill had his men playing the right way last weekend at Old Trafford, and to be frank once more, they deserved the three points in that one. Everton is playing great, but Villa are a desperate side, and the last match between these two is still fresh in the players minds, with Villa having the much happier thoughts.
TFE Prediction: With their backs against the wall Villa take a stand and stop the siege of Villa Park, coming away with a very entertaining 2-1 victory.
Wigan v. Arsenal (JJB Stadium, April 11th, 10:00 a.m. ET, not televised)
This match is mighty interesting. Wigan have been slipping of late, while Arsenal are in high gear and making their case for their the fourth seat in the table. Wigan boss Steve Bruce knows how important getting points is down the stretch, especially if he wants to keep his team in the upper echelon of teams for the first time in their history.
The Latics have played above themselves this year, and they should be proud. In this match they’ll try to exploit an injury hit Arsenal squad, who we now know will be without my pal Billy Gallas for the rest of the season. More on him in a bit. The biggest loss for the Gunners could be Manuel Almunia who is out with an ankle injury, allowing Lukasz Fabianski to step in. No matter how good your team is, you are always concerned when you have to put a very raw keeper between the pegs, particularly in a league bout.
Thankfully for Gunner fans, they have one huge advantage in their corner. I’ll give you a clue: he’s tall, loves puffy jackets, and enjoys a fine aged wine. Nothing against former Manchester United legend Steve Bruce, but Arsene Wenger is as classy as they come in the Premier League. His tactics could be the difference here in guiding the Gunners to a fifth successive victory.
One more thing that can’t be looked over as well is the dilemma up front for Bruce. His one Egyptian striker is AWOL, while the other feels slighted by the first. Chemistry is key up top, and well, Wigan are lacking in that department.
TFE Prediction: In a move that will surely make my legions of Arsenal-loving readers happy, I’m going with the Londoners here. 3-1 Gunners.
Middlesbrough v. Hull (The Riverside, April 11th, 10:00 a.m. ET, not televised)
“In a surprising move, Evans decides to cover two teams outside of the top eight. Rarely does he does this, but for the good of his fans, and ensuring he stays somewhat impartial, the much-acclaimed journo delves into the depths of the lower end.”
Not sure who said that, but they’re right on the money. I have to keep things fair, so including these two bottom feeders is only natural.
Relegation is something sports fans in this country don’t really have a strong grasp on, no fault of your own, of course. It’s a unique concept used in practically every footy league worldwide, and like I said at the beginning of this column, hopefully MLS adapts it so we can experience it here. Oh wait, there isn’t an MLS-2 or anything. Well, you get the idea.
The best comparison that can be made is if Major League Baseball had a table format, and at the end of the season when the Royals finish in dead last, they don’t get to keep playing the New York Yankees every year, they’d be stuck battling the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in Triple-A.
That is what ‘Boro and Hull are essentially fighting for in this one. Dropping down to the Championship is something no team wants to experience, particularly not Hull who just dragged themselves up from there less than a year ago.
Gareth Southgate’s team hasn’t been below the top flight in over 11 years. Right now, they are five points from safety with seven matches left. A very sticky situation indeed. Hull are a bit better off, but they are certainly slipping. They are only five out of the drop zone, with the same number of matches left. Winning two matches in 22 is not the way to stay up, Mr. Brown.
TFE Prediction: Hull’s form has been so bad that I’m going with Middlesbrough in this one. On-loan Tiger Marlon King will haunt his contractual team (not his former, right?) and give Middlesbrough three vital points at home with a 1-0 win.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
William Gallas, Arsenal: Out for the year. Shame. Philippe Senderos anyone? Yeah, I didn’t think so…
Guus Hiddink, Chelsea: Not much to report here really other than how impressed I am with the job this guy has done since taking over for Luiz Felipe Scolari in February. This was represented fully by their thrashing of Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday. You don’t win like that at Anfield, especially after falling behind early early on. I’m no Blues fan, but you have to respect Hiddink and what he has done in his career. Anyone that can coach South Korea to fourth place (FOURTH PLACE!!!) in the World Cup deserves a medal, or at least praise from me, either or.
Manchester United: Let me preface this by saying I know nothing about football economics. Or any kind of economics. I barely can figure out how to pay my own bills, let alone worry about other people’s. But when I read that Manchester United reported losses of something like £40 million, and debts of £650 million, I had to scratch my head. Aren’t they the biggest football club in the world? Don’t they continually buy players for near that much money without breaking a sweat? (Funny, the player they bought doesn’t break a sweat either). Because of this news, I think the best option for us all to take is to keep our cash under our mattresses until things settle down. I have spoken.
Leicester Update:
Oh boy. Things are a bit close now at the top. Only two points in it. Where did the lead go. Similar to ManU’s hold on the EPL, Leicester have lagged a bit down the stretch and find themselves in a battle with Peterborough for the trophy. It’s karma, I guess. Should know when to run my mouth (the first half of the season), and when not to (now).
And Finally...The Black Pudding of the Week
Adriano, Inter Milan: How can you not love what is going on with this Brazilian nutter? He has nothing to do with the EPL, but I had to pick him for the pud-pud. Granted, there are issues out there that are bigger than football. I understand that, I do. But imagine, if you will, if Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees (I apologize for two Yankees references in one column) decided he needed to take some time off to recover from all the media blasting he’s been receiving lately. I think the response would be enough to implode the old Yankee Stadium. People would go crazy if they heard that.
So what gives Adriano the right to just decide he needs some time off? As a journalist, I don’t get it. As a fan of the game I hope he gets better soon and gets his game back together. Those Brazilians are special, that’s for sure.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. "The Full English" appears every Friday morning. Reach Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments or concerns.
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