The Full English: Off The Snide

Harry Redknapp | Just win, mate!

I call them two-faced because, well, look at their home and away performance this season: at Turf Moor, 3 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, +4 goal differential. Away from home, 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses, -9 goal differential. Those are pretty contrasting numbers, wouldn’t you say?

If you could ask Owen Coyle who he’d least like to play this weekend, I’m sure a team like Spurs, who are out for blood after two consecutive tough losses against Chelsea and Manchester United, would be one of the first he chooses.

Going into White Hart Lane with a road record like they have, Burnley will be hard-pressed to even score in this match, let alone any points.

In my opinion, Spurs are as dangerous as a team gets right now. Fresh off those two bitter defeats I mentioned a couple paragraphs up, they will see a Clarets side coming to town and I can assure you Harry Redknapp will expect nothing less than three points, and wouldn’t mind a nice 5-0 scoreline either.

My money is with ‘Arry on this one.

TFE Prediction: Spurs come out fast and furious, and take the match to Burnley early, effectively continuing the visiting sides’ Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde routine. 4-0 Tottenham.

Portsmouth vs. Everton (Fratton Park, September 26th, 7:45 a.m. ET, ESPN2)

Poor, poor Pompey. The wheels are just falling off of this team, not only on the field, but in the board room as well. ESPN is reporting that they are so deep in a financial crisis that they could literally go under at any moment. Go under as in collapse, fold, cease to exist.

Fratton Park | That flag really should be at half-mast

Granted, it probably won’t happen, but it just pains me to see such a loyal fan base suffer so greatly. Those south-coasters pack the century-old Fratton Park every weekend to it’s 20,000 seat capacity and cheer their hearts out for Portsmouth.

And this is what they get?

Anyway, this match is still on at least and will be aired on ESPN2 (which may save them?). Everton are coming to town and will look to deepen the woes of the home side who have yet to record a win or a draw this season. Yup, that’s right, six consecutive losses.

Everton on the other hand come into the match seemingly a different side to the one that started the year with two straight losses. Three straight clean sheets across all competitions helps and Tim Howard may have his mojo back. This is a match that they should win, and they know it. They still sit on only six points so far, and that’ll need to change if they want to make any kind of European push this season.

Unfortunately, things are in such disarray right now for Portsmouth that getting something out of this match will prove to be very difficult.

TFE Prediction: Everton add to Pompey’s woes in their 2-1 victory at Fratton Park.

Manchester City vs. West Ham (Eastlands, September 28th, 3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

West Ham are in a similar boat that Portsmouth are in at the moment. Dwelling near the bottom of the table with only four points through five matches, the Hammers need to fix things and fast.

Gio Zola | Falling by the wayside?

I had a talk with one of my readers about Gianfranco Zola’s tactics and how they need to change if he wants to see West Ham be successful this season, and it got me thinking if that’s even possible. He has some good players at the club, and has the vision to make it work, it just hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully this will be one of those ‘time cures all things’ situations. Remains to be seen.

As for Manchester City, they are fresh off one of the most disappointing losses in the team’s recent memory, and we all know what that was. Taking three points from a lowly West Ham side is a must for Mark Hughes if he wants to get the psyche of his players back to where it should be.

The options are there and the team has been playing solidly so it wouldn’t be too inconceivable to think that City have a pretty easy one this weekend. West Ham will be up for it, as Zola always keeps his men motivated, but it’s that rebound match theory stuff again like we saw with Spurs, so City will want to make an example of the visiting side.

TFE Prediction: It’s closer than the scoreline reads but the Citizens come away with a 3-1 victory.

The Toast (as in Of The EPL): The Naughty Citizens Edition

Emmanuel Adebayor, Manchester City: I feel like I have hammered this to death, and the whole City debate is getting a bit old, but Ade said something this week that caught me off guard. The striker said that emotion is part of the game and it shouldn’t be hidden from or persecuted. When I heard this I immediately thought of the NFL and how the league is apparently dead set on making the game as boring and passionless as possible. If Ade did his Arsenal goal celebration in the NFL he’d get suspended for the year. So amazingly, for the first time ever, I have to agree with what he is saying. Football is emotion and passion and although I don’t condone what he did, it goes without saying that taking that kind of expression from the game would hinder it tremendously.

Craig Bellamy | Self defense, you say?

Craig Bellamy, Manchester City: Unfortunately for Bellamy, I can’t really say I agree with his actions following the Derby last weekend. Why get involved? Why approach the idiot pitch invader? What was the point of that, Craig? He’s just one of those athletes that when they do certain things, you aren’t really mad, you just have to stop and wonder what was going through his mind as it happened. Then you shake your head and move on with your life.

Mark Hughes, Manchester City: I respect his abilities as a player and he has come really far as a manager, but I cannot help but think that he could be one of the most bitter human beings on earth. I get that they lost the derby and were hard done by, but not everyone is against you. Not even just that match, but it seems that whenever something doesn’t go his way, he speaks out in objection. It’s not even like how Rafa does it, as the Liverpool boss does it in more of a nonsensical gibberish type of way, whereas Hughes just genuinely goes after people and things. Not a fan of that type of behavior.

Leicester Update:

Well, I can’t say I’m pleased that the Foxes relinquished a two-goal first half lead to Watford last weekend and then almost lossing if it weren’t for Dany N’Guessan’s stoppage time leveler. Matches like that are the worst kind because you know you’re in the driver’s seat and then it just slips away before your eyes. Thankfully, my main man Nigel Pearson voiced his displeasure of the result and hopefully the team will be back to their normal selves this weekend when they take on Preston North End, the very same team that knocked them out of the Carling Cup last month. Revenge is sweet, my friends.

Philadelphia Union Update:

Another bit of not-so-great news for my other team, the Union. Apparently, the stadium won’t be ready for the start of next season. Not good. Our first home fixture will be at Lincoln Financial Field and all 70,000 of its seats. Similar to how things work in D.C. and New York at the moment, I feel the enthusiasm and noise generated by our fans will be lost in it’s cavernous size. At least with our east coast neighbors, their stadiums are closed so some of the noise is retained. Not a great way to start things, but regardless, they are starting and that’s what I’m thankful for.

And Finally...The Black Pudding of The Week:

Sol Campbell, Currently Unemployed: What a strange, strange set of events that unfolded for the former England international. Apparently, loyalty means nothing to our boy Sol, who is famous for leaving Spurs to join Arsenal back in 2001 after almost 10 years at White Hart Lane. Up to his old tricks again, Campbell has decided one match was enough at Notts County and asked for the five-year contract he signed...oh, a month ago, to be terminated. Hey, at least you know I’d never skip out on you lot, that’s something, right?

Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. His feature, "The Full English" appears every Friday morning. Contact Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments and concerns or follow him on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/shanevans

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