Tag: Aston Villa

Verbal Memo | Frank Lampard & more…

In this week’s memo to fellow football fans, we talk Frank Lampard and Chelsea. Does Frank Lampard deserve more respect? It’s rare for me to praise Chelsea Football Club. It’s almost as rare as one of those space comet things.

We do have to recognize Chelsea’s battering of Aston Villa this weekend. Eight nil is an impressive score regardless of the opponent. And the young players emerging in the Chelsea team are exceptionally exciting. Eden Hazard can dazzle, Juan Mata is a total magician and David Luiz has found himself in the midfield position. Rafa Benitez is making progress and Fernando Torres might be finding his confidence again.

We also chat Jose Mourinho, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Is Jose Mourinho the right man to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson? Things are very wobbly at Real Madrid right now. Sixteen points behind rivals Barcelona and a manager at odds with the President, the fans and the media. Should Manchester United replace a long-term great like Sir Alex Ferguson with someone like Jose Mourinho who only stays at clubs he manages short-term?

Join in the banter and make your football voice heard. If you agree or disagree with any of the football dialogue, socialize with us on Twitter @soccerdiva. Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Weekly Verbal Memo

A Conversation With…Bobby McMahon

The Premier League is only days away and boy do I have a treat for all of you.

In A Conversation With Bobby McMahon from Fox Soccer Report and Forbes.com we break the game down to its core and talk tactics. From Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle, Bobby shares his brilliant football brain with you.

We also chat about the managerial changes and who Bobby thinks will be in trouble. Plus don’t miss Bobby’s Top 4 predictions as you might be surprised who he has missing from his list. He also shares who he thinks will sink to the Championship at the end of the season.

Don’t miss Bobby McMahon broadcasting his las show on Fox Soccer Report on Thursday 16th August.

A Conversation With…Derek Rae

A Conversation With Derek Rae is pure football poetry. One of football’s finest voices, Derek always paints a beautiful picture through his commentary. Do you know anyone who can marry the famous poet Robert Burns with football?

From Team GB and the Olympics to all things Premier League including Luis Suarez, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Andre Villas Boas, Brendan Rodgers, Manchester City, mid-level clubs and beyond, Derek discusses it all with an honest perspective. There’s even time to talk a wee bit of Rangers!

Football, soccer, call it what you want, it’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

It’s early days but…

Did anyone think Newcastle would thrash Aston Villa 6-0? Are Chelsea going to score 6 goals week-in-week-out? Is this Theo Walcott and Arsenal’s season to shine? Are Manchester City the real deal this time around? Do Manchester United look sluggish? Will Tottenham flounder after a stellar showing last season? Is it me or do Liverpool look pizazzless?

We all know the season rarely ends the way it starts. But I feel like I can make one prediction already. West Ham look woeful and unless they strengthen their team, they are toast. Their fans can look forward to life in the Championship if their first two games are anything to go by. Time to put some superhero power in those bubbles Hammer fans!

Everyone was blown away by Blackpool’s first game and they soon bounced back to earth after being tossed like a salad by Arsenal. Theo Walcott looked explosive and he sure feels like a man with a point to prove. It’s good for Arsenal that he’s started off the season that way. Let’s hope he can stay fit .

Manchester City have spent gazillions on some foreign imports but it’s the homegrown talent that look like the sharpest tools in the shed. Adam Johnson and James Milner could be the difference in that team this season and to see young British players flourish and play with such style is refreshing. I’m not rooting for City, but I am rooting for Johnson and Milner to do well!

Newcastle stunned Villa and perhaps even themselves with an outstanding home return to the Premier League. Is Andy Carroll finally the man to fill legend Alan Shearer’s shoes? He could be a winner for the Toon and England. Will be exciting to keep watching how he progresses.

Chelsea look sharp and ready to defend their title. So what’s new?

Manchester United look non-plus at this point. But the Red Devils always get off to a slow start. Perhaps this season is the type where no team can afford a slow start?

It seems you were all chicken to cast your stones and vote who you think will finish where. It’s time to put your footballs where your mouths are fellow fans. Check out the THIS IS IT post and plaster your predictions for the football world to see. What has caught your eye so far?

Thank goodness normal life has resumed once again…

Who will cross the finish line first..?

horsesOur crystal ball spoke to us clearly and concisely when the excitement and anticipation of the 2009/10 season kicked-off.  We made our predictions. We chose the chosen ones and it was off to the races.

As the best of the best galloped into the eyes of victory and defeat, we raved, we ranted, we posted and we polled about the beautiful game. And as the race to be crowned champion nears its end, we can’t help but wonder, who will cross the finish line first?

For so long Chelsea have been the favourites to scoop the Premier League title. If I remember correctly, we warned the Stamford Bridge outfit not to celebrate too soon. At Christmas, the Chelsea players and faithful believed they had it in the bag. There was an evident cockiness to them which has become synonymous with Chelsea. But a loss to Everton and a whipping by Manchester City in their own park soon made the Blues players and fans realize the fight to the finish will not be so easy. Did they under estimate their opponents? Did the John Terry scandal hurt them? What would they do without Drogba? Will the iron Chelski curtain find its strength again as they head towards the finish?

With Wayne Rooney turning on the style and making a case to be European Footballer of the Year, Manchester United are once again finding their strength and form at the right time. Determined to create history and make it four Premier League titles in a row, the Red Devils are as hungry as ever for silver ware. They’ve already bagged the Carling Cup, they have one eye on a Champions League quarter final spot and they are two points clear at the Premier League summit. Granted they haven’t been as exciting to watch as a team this term, but Rooney has given us every reason to be up for watching Manchester United play. Do you think they’d be flying if Ferdinand and Vidic were fit all season? Do you think Rooney deserves to be Player of the Year? Has Valencia been a success? Will Berbatov be the man United fans want him to be?

And what of Arsenal? After losses to Manchester United and Chelsea, everyone had written off their title chances for good. How could the Gunners win the league if they couldn’t beat the two best teams in the country? Somehow, some way, Arsenal have hung in there. Even though they lost to the big two, they picked up some good results in games we’ve easily seen them lose over the last few seasons. Beating the likes of Stoke and Hull has helped. Losing Ramsey to such a horrific injury has not. But unlike the Eduardo injury experience which saw Arsenal implode that season, it appears this time around the team are galvanized to win it for Ramsey. They seem to have a purpose we may not have seen in recent times. Can Arsenal finish strong without Fabregas? Would they be clear of United and Chelsea on points at this stage if Van Persie hadn’t been injured? Was Vermaelen the best buy of the season? How good could Arsenal actually be if they bought three more world class players?

The rest of the league are fighting for a fourth Champions League spot, a Europa League place or just plain old fashioned survival. How do your predictions match up to what you thought at the beginning of the season? Who do you see wining it all? Chelsea? Manchester United? Or Arsenal? Can Tottenham really steal a Champions League birth? Will Manchester City or Aston Villa ruin their coming out party? Will we see another famous old club like West Ham go down? Has Hull City’s luck finally run out? When Portsmouth go down, how much further will they sink over the next few years? Remember Leeds?

There is still much to play for. It’s sad that the season is almost ending but fear not fellow footie fans! The silver lining is that we are in a World Cup year so the wait for some quality football won’t feel like eternity. Could this be the year Wayne Rooney shines on the world stage? Is it his time to be crowned a world football superstar? The race to the finish line is almost over. The only question is, who will win?

Kiss it…

DEFOE_280x390_934278aJermain Defoe scored a record 5 goals in one half of football to help Tottenham secure one of the biggest wins in Premier League history. The blue side of North London battered Wigan 9-1 and reminded everyone they do have what it takes to hang around the top 4 with all the other big boy wannabes. Only Manchester United have scored 9 goals in the Premier League and that was against Ipswich many moons ago. And yes, once upon a time, Ipswich were in the top flight!

Not even ‘Arry Redknapp could believe how his team trounced Wigan. Wigan have been doing some solid business under new manager Roberto Martinez. They have fought well thus far in the Premier League this season and have secured a couple of surprise results including a 3-1 victory over Chelsea. Does this mean Tottenham are better than Chelsea? Of course it doesn’t, but it’s an interesting fact don’t you think? What does it mean when Manchester United lose to Burnely, but Tottenham beat them too? We looked at this trend in the Topsy Turvy post a few weeks ago. We will only know if it means anything at the end of the season and what Spurs really need to do is beat the likes of United, Chelsea and Arsenal to up their game to the next level.

One thing is sure from this result. If injuries are not a factor and form is not an issue, Jermain Defoe will be going to the World Cup with England next summer. And if Aaron Lennon can keep up his current play, he will be on that same flight to South Africa with his Spurs pal. These two players wreaked havoc on Wigan this weekend. They were devastatingly good and there was no stopping them. If they can produce this type of football every week, Tottenham are absolutely a team to be reckoned with and England might benefit from their chemistry at the World Cup.

We have to give credit where credit is due fellow football fans. It’s not easy to score goals in the Premier League. Spurs scored 9. Defoe alone scored 5. Only 3 other players have scored that many in a Premier League game. Spurs were playing against a decent side. The question about Spurs is consistency. Can they bring their “A” game to every game? History has shown us this is not usually the case. But history is there to be altered. Can Tottenham continue the good fight and prove they can hang with the best of them?

Other notes from the weekend…we footie fans needed Manchester United to win so they can keep close to Chelsea. Arsenal blew it against Sunderland. They need to win that game in hand more than ever now. Liverpool look like they are out of the race after a draw with Manchester City. They just don’t look good enough and they don’t have that Liverpool spirit about them. How long will Rafa hang on? Even with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham all still sniffing around, everyone is starting to talk about the Premier League being a two horse race? I’d hate to think so when there is still so much football to be played. What do you think? I believe anything is possible as long as it’s still this side of Christmas!

Look out for the party crashers…

Dunne_and_Collins_2_911003aThe wannabe top four teams of the Premier League are really making a case for themselves this season. Aston Villa beat the power house that is Chelsea 2-1, Tottenham piled on the misery for Portsmouth with a victory at Fratton Park and Manchester City continue to prove they are serious about challenging for the title even though they walked away with a draw against Wigan.

Seeing these types of teams rise up and worm their way into the elite group of teams in the Premier League is a great thing for English football. It certainly makes the game more exciting for us fans and it’s great to see the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City making a run for it. Don’t you find this refreshing?

Aston Villa is my team of the week. They have often lost games like they won against Chelsea. It’s happened to them many times against the current big four. But they showed a superb team spirit and togetherness which eventually won them the game. Brad Friedel was a monster in goal and he certainly saved his team on a few occasions. Collins and Dunne were immense on set pieces and their goals were much needed after Drogba put Chelsea ahead. Whether Aston Villa have the squad and fitness to fight on in February, March and April we shall see. This has always been the question mark against Aston Villa. Can you see them breaking into the top four this season? Can they stay consistent?

Tottenham’s path to victory this weekend was a little easier. Beating Portsmouth isn’t exactly a difficult task this season, but with ex-Pompey boss Harry Redknapp returning to the team he helped build, it was going to be a heated affair. In fact, there were a few ex-Portsmouth and ex-Tottenham players on display in this battle. Sharp shooter Defoe scored against his old club but saw himself go from hero to zero after being sent off for a stamp on Portsmouth’s Mokoena. Despite the setback, Spurs went onto win and they maintained their place within the top four. Can they keep it going?

Liverpool have some serious problems. If Torres and Gerrard are not in the squad, they struggle to win. I cannot see them winning the league this season. It seems they may have to make some major transfer moves in January if they want to push for the title. What’s lacking for me when I watch Liverpool is their team spirit. They might put in the effort, but where’s the fight? You can’t blame a balloon for your loss. You need to make your own luck on the pitch sometimes and Liverpool just couldn’t find the inspiration to do that. Can you see Liverpool turning it around this season? Benitez is under pressure, can you see him losing his job if things don’t improve?

West Ham lose to Stoke. Are the East Londoners in trouble? Surely the buyout of the club couldn’t come fast enough for Hammers fans? Is Zola’s job safe for now?

My goal of the week was Robbie Blake’s for Burnley against Blackburn. How great was it to see two old rivals like Blackburn and Burnley back in the Premier League battling it out in one of football’s best local derby’s? The fans created an incredible atmosphere and the old rivalry was well and truly alive. Long may they reside in the Premier League so we can see more great games like the one witnessed on Sunday.

Oh and will someone send the lifeboat out to Phil Brown and his Hull City tigers…

The weekend that was…

08_Ashley_Cole_cele_892833aChelsea look sublime. Can anyone catch them? Ancelotti is doing a fantastic job at the Bridge so far this season. He has the team swinging their pants down the King’s Road again. Ashley Cole is scoring goals now!! The Blues are looking good. They’re looking real good. Can anyone beat them? Do you think Chelsea are they putting all their efforts into this season as they won’t be able to transfer players and make a real run for the league next season?

Arsenal looked good against Wigan. But let’s face it, they should be beating teams like Wigan by 3 or 4 goals. Vermaelen is really proving to be a solid signing by Wenger. It’s still early in the season to make judgements about him, but he certainly is looking good. He gets forward and puts himself into scoring positions. Arsenal fans should like that. He reminds me of Vidic a little. Fabregas was wonderful against Wigan and I would like to see him shine more in the big games. I agree with the commentator though…the atmosphere at the Emirates was like a testimonial game. Where’s the chanting and the excitement? And what about the players. Who cares if it’s the 4th goal…you just scored for Arsenal so show some passion please!

Tottenham have hit the skids. They need to stop the bleeding right now before their sensational start to the season requires a blood transfusion. Surely losing Modric cannot be the reason they’ve lost 2 games can it? Has Modric become that influential down at the Lane? Who is going to step up and fill that role? Do you think ‘Arry should start Jenas? They looked weaker to me with him starting. And I think Lennon needs to stay consistent if he wants to be the starter on that right side for England. That means good performances every single week.

Liverpool seem to be getting back on track. Torres looked superb at West Ham. His first goal was finished with pure strength and determination. And the winner he netted was again proof that Torres can score any goal, anywhere, anytime. The power behind his header to make it 3-2 was fierce. I for one am excited to see him almost back to his best. Let’s see how the next few games go. For me, Gerrard is really slow out of the blocks for the scouse house this season. Benayoun and Kuyt are playing really well together. And as for Carra, I still believe he’s a liability and could cost Liverpool games this season. As I’ve said in previous posts, leave him on the bench. You need someone with more pace back there. Carlton Cole embarrassed him.

Burnley pulled off a huge win at home against Sunderland. Great performance, good win and another 3 points to help them in their efforts to stay in the Premier League. It’s amazing how moving to a new club transforms players who are lacking in confidence. Nugent was amazing. His first goal was one of the best goals scored this weekend. I bet Paul Hart is wondering how Owen Coyle got him to play like that! It’s a long hard season so securing these points early is a good thing for Burnley. Let’s hope they don’t suffer the same fate as Hull City. They are far more exciting to watch than Hull were last season! Seeing such an old club like Burnley do well right now is a great football story. Sunderland on the other hand need to get their act together. Bruce has a good set of players, but they don’t seem to have an identity yet. Perhaps that will evolve over the season.

It’s great to see Everton winning big again. They dominated Blackburn Rovers and hopefully this win will give them every confidence to start climbing that Premier League table. They have been rocked by so many injuries again this season, but you never hear David Moyes complain about much. He just puts his head down and gets on with it, which is why so many people respect him. I for one would like to see him do well.

Aston Villa are also playing much better right now. Good results in the last couple of weeks should give them a boost. Let’s see if they can hang in there.

Here are my nominations for Goal of the Week. What do you guys think?

1. David Nugent against Sunderland (1st goal)

2. Michael Owen against Manchester City

3. Vermaelen against Wigan (2nd goal)

4. Bellamy against Manchester United (1st goal)

5. Torres against West Ham United (1st goal)

What caught your eye this weekend?

The Penalty Gods punish Arsenal…

zeus-greek-mythology-687267_1024_768They say you reap what you sow. And the Gunners can tell you it’s true. Not even a Godly strike from Arshavin could save Arsenal. They lost to Manchester United in a game they absolutely should have won. They gave away a costly penalty and some might think it was the Gods punishing them for Eduardo’s dive against Celtic earlier in the week. Were the Penalty Gods trying to put the world right at Old Trafford on Saturday? Did Arsenal deserve at least a point for their efforts? Will they bounce back in their next game against Manchester City? Do you think Wenger could play up front after showing his water bottle kicking skills?

Manchester United were exceptionally lucky to get a win against Arsenal. I know they came back and gave it a good fight, but in the overall picture of play, Arsenal made United look really average. The penalty decision was questionable and the own goal from Diaby was incredibly unlucky. Arsenal then had a goal disallowed in the dying seconds and again, you’ve seen them given. Rooney was brilliant. He is the spark for United. His passion drives the team and you can’t deny their never say die attitude. Rooney is the engine though. He is United right now. They need him more than ever. The Gods were certainly on the Red Devil’s side in this game.

Tottenham won again. You read that right people. Tottenham won again. What did they put in the juice down at the Lane? Surely they can’t keep this up can they? ‘Arry is doing a superb job so far this season. It’s a shame Modric will be out for 6 weeks. They say it’s a broken leg. What a blow as he’s been sensational. How will this affect Spurs? Lennon has been on fire in the last couple of games and deserves his England recall. Crouch helped change the game when he came on and he too deserves his call-up from Capello. Can Tottenham really win the League? Can they keep this up? Or will they be arguing about ketchup in a couple of months?

Chelsea look dangerous. They demolished Burnley. Remember, Burnley beat Manchester United last week. Interesting that, don’t you think? Chelsea look connected as a team. They look like they are playing for each other. They’ve maintained the spirit Hiddink recreated from the Mourinho days. Ancelotti has added his flavour to the mix and the Blues are looking good. Frank Lampard continues to impress for me. And it might be painful to hear because I know it’s painful to write but…Ashley Cole is having an incredible start to the season. What do you think of Chelsea?

Liverpool were lucky. The good news for them is they had a very average performance and still won the game. It was so typical of Gerrard to hit a winning goal the way he did when he was not really a factor throughout. This will help the team’s confidence and seeing Torres and Gerrard score will help. Not sure about the new signing Kyriakos. Let’s give the guy more time though. Carragher is a liability at the back. Rafa should stop acting with his heart and start acting with his head when it comes to Carra. He’s a good player to have on the bench. If Liverpool want to win, they need to fix their problems at the back.

Manchester City kept their 100% record alive. Adebayor scored again. Gareth Barry is the most impressive of their new signings. He has to be one of the best midfielder’s in the country. Let’s see how City do in the next few weeks when they meet Arsenal and Manchester United. They are doing well, but for me, they are not interesting yet. It was good to see Everton win. I think Distin is a solid signing for them. Villa won their second in a row so that will help them continue to build their confidence. Stoke are in 4th place! Go on Stoke!

What stood out for you this week?

It’s a Topsy Turvy game this football…

MrTopsy-TurvyLast night Aston Villa beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield. Liverpool fans must be feeling sick this morning. This is not how they planned out their season at the pub this summer. It will take a lot more than a couple of pints to erase this miserable loss.

Did anyone tell the Liverpool players the summer is over and it’s time to get back to work? Do they know it’s not pre-season any more? Someone send them the memo.

Liverpool just don’t look like the same team right now. Torres appears sluggish. Gerrard looks lost. The defense looks dodgy. The midfield is uninventive. The majority of the team can’t finish. And the manager is too busy moaning instead of coaching. Get off your soap box Rafa and get on with it. Stop acting as though the world is against Liverpool. Start doing your talking on the pitch.

Liverpool need to bring in a couple of new players. The scouse house has another week or so to splash the cash in the transfer market. It’s tough to talk about whether or not they will be better with Aquilano as we haven’t seen him perform in the league yet. And despite his acquisition, they could still use an additional midfielder and perhaps even a little more firepower up front. They cannot afford to lose too many more games. We all saw what happened to Arsenal last season. Once they lost 3 or 4, there was no turning back. It was over.

The new season is up to it’s old tricks again. We have plenty of drama early on. Hold onto your balls as though Ronaldo were firing one right at you people. This is going to be one Topsy Turvy season. Are you ready to roll with the nutmegs?