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The Full English: Out Of Hibernation
The snow is mostly gone and that means the EPL can return to action this weekend.
Jan 15, 2010 3:49:00 PM
By Shane Evans
By Shane Evans
We’ll call it a mini-winter break. The English Premier League doesn’t usually get one, like most of Europe, so last week’s little snow storm will count as that.
Now we move forward.
There are a full slate of matches on this weekend, and at my last check, which was a few moments ago, they all seem ready to kick. I’m sure the players are jumping at the chance to get out there, being that only six teams played a week ago.
That goes for me, too. I really enjoyed watching Leicester on Sunday, but there was nothing else going on in the entire country that day, and we all know how much I love my footy. No time to waste. To the Bacon we go.
Stoke vs. Liverpool (Britannia Stadium, January 16th, 7:45 a.m. ET, ESPN2)
Liverpool are a team who probably just want to stay buried under 15 feet of snow, if they could. Things couldn’t get much worse for them right now. I think it’s because I have kept the faith in Rafa Benitez and insisted that they’ll turn it around that they in fact haven’t. Perhaps some negatives will help them get back on course? Seems to work that way for me.
To start, they better hope new signing Maxi Rodriguez has the goods to make things happen as he’ll be thrust into the line-up tomorrow sans Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun. This is not good news. With Torres now out six weeks, Gerrard a fortnight and Benny a month, Liverpool have lost arguably their top three attacking players.
It’ll be up to the likes of Rodriguez and Alberto Aquilani to supply the goals against Stoke, while Dirk “Heyyyyy youuuuu guyyyyys” Kuyt puts in the hard work. I never like a big team coming off of a loss, especially a shocking one like they experienced midweek against Reading in the FA Cup, but this season, you never know with Liverpool.
You could be facing the team that beat Hull 6-1, or the team that lost 2-0 to Portsmouth. That kind of uncertainty doesn’t bode well for Reds fans and especially Rafa Benitez, who currently has every pundit in England peering over his shoulder screaming for the sack.
With the likes of Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho touted as potential replacements at Anfield, my main man Rafa the Gaffer is on thin ice. Like millimeters thick. Losing to a club like Stoke could be the final straw. Forgive my overuse of cliches, but they are the best way to describe Rafa’s plight. He just can’t get things in order, and it may cost him his head.
As some of you know, I have the upmost respect for what the opposing manager has done with his team over the last few years. That man being Tony Pulis. Built on a limited budget in a small town, Stoke have risen through the ranks of English football and have done well to plant themselves in the EPL with some gutsy performances and teamwork. You know what that is, right Liverpool?
They have quality dispersed throughout their squad but lack a real lethal finisher. If Pulis could nab one of those to go with creativity of Tuncay, they may be onto something. Those Van Nistelrooy rumors seem like a bit of a stretch, but it’d be a great move for both sides, if you ask me.
Looking at the match itself, I have the unthinkable happening: Stoke edge out the win, Rafa gets sacked, he moves to the States and becomes my butler. Maybe next year, Kopites.
TFE Prediction: The final blow to Rafa’s Liverpool career as Stoke take it 2-1 sending the Spaniard packing.
Manchester United vs. Burnley (Old Trafford, January 16th, 10:00 a.m. ET)
Revenge, anyone? Who remembers the other match between these two this season. The first of a handful of United performances that were dominating, yet in a loss.
T’was but the second match of the season and Burnley put in a delightful effort to see off the champions despite being outshot 2-1. That has been their M.O. this season, holding down teams and sneaking in a winner. Robbie Blake’s goal was a prime example of this. Coming against the run of play, Blake hit one on the volley that got by Ben Foster and that was that.
You can bet your ass that Sir Alex has not forgot that game and will be looking to top a club who recently had their manager walk out on them. Morale can’t be too high at Turf Moor, even with a quality man like Brian Laws now running things.
Like Liverpool, things haven’t been that rosy for United lately and they’ll want to put down a weaker opponent whenever they get the chance. They just need to finish their chances and points will come. You could argue that they have wasted so many opportunities this year that they could have easily netted another 15-20 goals, all told.
Luckily for them, Burnley like giving up goals, especially on the road, and I think the Red Devils have what it takes to get back on track in this one.
TFE Prediction: Gonna say 3-1 United thanks to another classy effort from Wayne Rooney.
Everton vs. Manchester City (Goodison Park, January 16th, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Should be a good one, I think. I always like when teams like this get together instead of the ‘big four.’ I’m talking your Evertons, Aston Villas, Tottenhams, Man Citys, Fulhams even. Just has an intensity about them that exhibits how badly each side wants to beat the other and take the points.
Everton have slowly been returning to form and it comes at the right time as they are welcoming a white-hot Manchester City side to town, one fresh off a 4-1 thumping of Blackburn on Monday.
The man on everyone’s mind right now is Carlos Tevez and if Everton want any chance of winning this match, they’ll have to shut the little Argentine down. He’s a tricky character and gives his all in ever match, so it won’t be easy.
It’ll be up to the likes of John Heitinga and Phil Neville to put a lid on Tevez, and with the shock transfer of Lucas Neill to Galatasaray, things look pretty grim in the back for David Moyes. I think his match has the potential to be pretty high scoring and we could maybe see one knocked in by Landy Cakes Donovan? Fingers crossed.
City are the better side though and have been playing wonderfully under Roberto Mancini. As I said in Tuesday’s “Fish & Chip Shots,” his style isn’t that different to Mark Hughes’ but his willingness to switch things up is what has helped him thus far. He won’t get stuck in a type of play or strategy, everything moves quickly and without hesitation. I can respect that as Italy’s Serie A is hardly that most of the time and it’s where Mancini was last seen coaching.
TFE Prediction: Should be a good one, with City prevailing 3-2.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
Edwin Van Der Sar, Manchester United: Out of action for quite some time, the Dutch goalie appears ready to return for the Red Devils. He was injured and then his wife became ill and he had to leave the team. She has apparently made a complete recovery and this has allowed the 39-year-old to return to England and join his teammates. He should start tomorrow.
West Ham Fans, Londontown: The Irons support certainly know how to cause a ruckus, don’t they? They went so far in their Carling Cup tie against fellow London club Millwall that they got the team slapped with a £115k fine. Not too shabby. Who said hooliganism is dead? These boys make Green Street look like Abbey Road.
Owen Coyle, Bolton: Hmm...not sure what to think of this one. Yes, Bolton is a bigger club than Burnley, but the timing doesn’t feel right. Coyle was doing excellent things with Burnley and probably would have guided them to safety. He’s now at Bolton, a team with two less points and a lot less hope. Seems like one step forward, two steps back, but what do I know?
Leicester Update
Another match with sheep-lovers Swansea tomorrow. We knocked them out of the FA Cup and hopefully can create a bit of space between them and ourselves as they sit one point back in seventh. It’s an away day though, and that’s never easy, but Nigel’s boys like to tighten things up on the road and it should be a close match. Come on you Foxes!
Philadelphia Union Update
The MLS SuperDraft was yesterday in Philly and I was there with a press pass dangling around my neck. The Union had the first pick and then five others in the four round draft and to put it simply, they cleaned up. One of the best draft’s in recent MLS history, the Union selected a host of exciting players who will do some great things for them this season and in the future.
And Finally...The Black Pudding of the Day
Haiti: We all know what happened, and we all know help is needed. It seems like a dark time lately, given the dust has just settled from the Togo attacks and now this. I’m sure you all can figure out how to do your part, so I implore you do to do something and though my words don’t go very far, I’d like to send my regards and best wishes to all those effected by this horrible natural disaster.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. His feature, "Fish & Chip Shots" appears weekly. Contact Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments and concerns, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shanEvans or join the TFE/FCS Facebook fan page!
We’ll call it a mini-winter break. The English Premier League doesn’t usually get one, like most of Europe, so last week’s little snow storm will count as that.
Now we move forward.
There are a full slate of matches on this weekend, and at my last check, which was a few moments ago, they all seem ready to kick. I’m sure the players are jumping at the chance to get out there, being that only six teams played a week ago.
That goes for me, too. I really enjoyed watching Leicester on Sunday, but there was nothing else going on in the entire country that day, and we all know how much I love my footy. No time to waste. To the Bacon we go.
Stoke vs. Liverpool (Britannia Stadium, January 16th, 7:45 a.m. ET, ESPN2)
Liverpool are a team who probably just want to stay buried under 15 feet of snow, if they could. Things couldn’t get much worse for them right now. I think it’s because I have kept the faith in Rafa Benitez and insisted that they’ll turn it around that they in fact haven’t. Perhaps some negatives will help them get back on course? Seems to work that way for me.
To start, they better hope new signing Maxi Rodriguez has the goods to make things happen as he’ll be thrust into the line-up tomorrow sans Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun. This is not good news. With Torres now out six weeks, Gerrard a fortnight and Benny a month, Liverpool have lost arguably their top three attacking players.
It’ll be up to the likes of Rodriguez and Alberto Aquilani to supply the goals against Stoke, while Dirk “Heyyyyy youuuuu guyyyyys” Kuyt puts in the hard work. I never like a big team coming off of a loss, especially a shocking one like they experienced midweek against Reading in the FA Cup, but this season, you never know with Liverpool.
You could be facing the team that beat Hull 6-1, or the team that lost 2-0 to Portsmouth. That kind of uncertainty doesn’t bode well for Reds fans and especially Rafa Benitez, who currently has every pundit in England peering over his shoulder screaming for the sack.
With the likes of Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho touted as potential replacements at Anfield, my main man Rafa the Gaffer is on thin ice. Like millimeters thick. Losing to a club like Stoke could be the final straw. Forgive my overuse of cliches, but they are the best way to describe Rafa’s plight. He just can’t get things in order, and it may cost him his head.
As some of you know, I have the upmost respect for what the opposing manager has done with his team over the last few years. That man being Tony Pulis. Built on a limited budget in a small town, Stoke have risen through the ranks of English football and have done well to plant themselves in the EPL with some gutsy performances and teamwork. You know what that is, right Liverpool?
They have quality dispersed throughout their squad but lack a real lethal finisher. If Pulis could nab one of those to go with creativity of Tuncay, they may be onto something. Those Van Nistelrooy rumors seem like a bit of a stretch, but it’d be a great move for both sides, if you ask me.
Looking at the match itself, I have the unthinkable happening: Stoke edge out the win, Rafa gets sacked, he moves to the States and becomes my butler. Maybe next year, Kopites.
TFE Prediction: The final blow to Rafa’s Liverpool career as Stoke take it 2-1 sending the Spaniard packing.
Manchester United vs. Burnley (Old Trafford, January 16th, 10:00 a.m. ET)
Revenge, anyone? Who remembers the other match between these two this season. The first of a handful of United performances that were dominating, yet in a loss.
T’was but the second match of the season and Burnley put in a delightful effort to see off the champions despite being outshot 2-1. That has been their M.O. this season, holding down teams and sneaking in a winner. Robbie Blake’s goal was a prime example of this. Coming against the run of play, Blake hit one on the volley that got by Ben Foster and that was that.
You can bet your ass that Sir Alex has not forgot that game and will be looking to top a club who recently had their manager walk out on them. Morale can’t be too high at Turf Moor, even with a quality man like Brian Laws now running things.
Like Liverpool, things haven’t been that rosy for United lately and they’ll want to put down a weaker opponent whenever they get the chance. They just need to finish their chances and points will come. You could argue that they have wasted so many opportunities this year that they could have easily netted another 15-20 goals, all told.
Luckily for them, Burnley like giving up goals, especially on the road, and I think the Red Devils have what it takes to get back on track in this one.
TFE Prediction: Gonna say 3-1 United thanks to another classy effort from Wayne Rooney.
Everton vs. Manchester City (Goodison Park, January 16th, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel)
Should be a good one, I think. I always like when teams like this get together instead of the ‘big four.’ I’m talking your Evertons, Aston Villas, Tottenhams, Man Citys, Fulhams even. Just has an intensity about them that exhibits how badly each side wants to beat the other and take the points.
Everton have slowly been returning to form and it comes at the right time as they are welcoming a white-hot Manchester City side to town, one fresh off a 4-1 thumping of Blackburn on Monday.
The man on everyone’s mind right now is Carlos Tevez and if Everton want any chance of winning this match, they’ll have to shut the little Argentine down. He’s a tricky character and gives his all in ever match, so it won’t be easy.
It’ll be up to the likes of John Heitinga and Phil Neville to put a lid on Tevez, and with the shock transfer of Lucas Neill to Galatasaray, things look pretty grim in the back for David Moyes. I think his match has the potential to be pretty high scoring and we could maybe see one knocked in by Landy Cakes Donovan? Fingers crossed.
City are the better side though and have been playing wonderfully under Roberto Mancini. As I said in Tuesday’s “Fish & Chip Shots,” his style isn’t that different to Mark Hughes’ but his willingness to switch things up is what has helped him thus far. He won’t get stuck in a type of play or strategy, everything moves quickly and without hesitation. I can respect that as Italy’s Serie A is hardly that most of the time and it’s where Mancini was last seen coaching.
TFE Prediction: Should be a good one, with City prevailing 3-2.
The Toast (as in Of The EPL)
Edwin Van Der Sar, Manchester United: Out of action for quite some time, the Dutch goalie appears ready to return for the Red Devils. He was injured and then his wife became ill and he had to leave the team. She has apparently made a complete recovery and this has allowed the 39-year-old to return to England and join his teammates. He should start tomorrow.
West Ham Fans, Londontown: The Irons support certainly know how to cause a ruckus, don’t they? They went so far in their Carling Cup tie against fellow London club Millwall that they got the team slapped with a £115k fine. Not too shabby. Who said hooliganism is dead? These boys make Green Street look like Abbey Road.
Owen Coyle, Bolton: Hmm...not sure what to think of this one. Yes, Bolton is a bigger club than Burnley, but the timing doesn’t feel right. Coyle was doing excellent things with Burnley and probably would have guided them to safety. He’s now at Bolton, a team with two less points and a lot less hope. Seems like one step forward, two steps back, but what do I know?
Leicester Update
Another match with sheep-lovers Swansea tomorrow. We knocked them out of the FA Cup and hopefully can create a bit of space between them and ourselves as they sit one point back in seventh. It’s an away day though, and that’s never easy, but Nigel’s boys like to tighten things up on the road and it should be a close match. Come on you Foxes!
Philadelphia Union Update
The MLS SuperDraft was yesterday in Philly and I was there with a press pass dangling around my neck. The Union had the first pick and then five others in the four round draft and to put it simply, they cleaned up. One of the best draft’s in recent MLS history, the Union selected a host of exciting players who will do some great things for them this season and in the future.
And Finally...The Black Pudding of the Day
Haiti: We all know what happened, and we all know help is needed. It seems like a dark time lately, given the dust has just settled from the Togo attacks and now this. I’m sure you all can figure out how to do your part, so I implore you do to do something and though my words don’t go very far, I’d like to send my regards and best wishes to all those effected by this horrible natural disaster.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com. His feature, "Fish & Chip Shots" appears weekly. Contact Shane at shane.evans@goal.com with questions, comments and concerns, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shanEvans or join the TFE/FCS Facebook fan page!
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