Although much of the attention will be on friendly internationals this Wednesday there are CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. However, do not expect Anguilla to move on at the expense of El Salvador…..given the first leg score.
After the weekend’s play and as an update to the British bookies odds posted on Friday here is how they now stand.
To win the Premiership – Manchester United 2/7, Chelsea 7/2, Arsenal 9/1, Liverpool 500/1.
In midweek Marseille became the first French side to win in European competition at Anfield. Going into the game there was nothing to indicate that a team, fourth from the bottom of the French league, was likely to pull off such a surprise.
Nevertheless, Marseille did win, and now Rafa Benitez and Liverpool need an emphatic win when Tottenham visits this weekend to shore up support from some sections of Liverpool support that have grown restless over the last month or so.
While Marseille made a coaching change after Champions League match-day 1 and prior to their Anfield appointment, Tottenham Hotspur still have the same man in charge as they did on the first day of the season when they lost to Sunderland. The opening day loss and another in the next game to Everton turned the firing spotlight onto Martin Jol and it is still burning brightly.
Monday’s three goal fight-back to salvage a home draw against Aston Villa meant that once more the big Dutchman escaped the axe but it is inevitable that the day will come – and it may come after the trip to Liverpool.
In fifteen Premiership visits to Anfield Spurs have only won once and drawn four times. The win came in 1993 when two goals from Teddy Sheringham sealed the points for Spurs. (New England Revolution manager Steve Nicol was on the losing side that day.) Since the loss, Liverpool have outscored Spurs 23-8 over the 13 games at Anfield. The international break kicks in next week so if the Spurs board is finally going to cut bait then a loss at Anfield maybe Jol’s last as Spurs boss.
Manchester City continues to confound the critics and go into the game against Middlesbrough as one of only two teams in the Premiership with a 100% home record – the other is Arsenal.
Last weekend, against Newcastle, was the first three goal Premiership performance at home by City, since a 3-1 win over Fulham on November 18, 2006. It also marked the first time that City had bounced back win again after being behind since August 27, 2005 when they turned the tables on Portsmouth.
Leading the way is Brazilian midfielder Elano who has proven his worth by assisting on six goals from open play already this season. Up until last season a visit by Boro would be one anticipated with much trepidation. After all Boro had never lost to City in the Premiership (14 games) but last season City did the double over their hoodoo side.
The Columbus Crew are fast running out of games if they are to make it into the 8th and final MLS play-off spot. The Crew are two points behind Chicago who occupy the last precious spot and there are only three games left including this weekend’s tilt with FC Dallas. After this game Columbus will finish with matches against the New England Revolution and DC United - Chicago faces the same two opponents plus the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The current form of both Columbus and Dallas leaves a lot to be desired with the former managing only one win in 9 games and the latter picking up a full three points only once in the last 7 games. Dallas won the one previous meeting this season 3-2 after they came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win with a 90th minute Clarence Goodson goal.
Fiorentina has made the kind of start that has some pundits eyeing them as a squad capable of making a push into the top four. They are unbeaten in six games so far and have 3 wins. Two of their draws have come against Roma and Milan and along with Inter are the only undefeated sides in Serie A. Juventus provides the opposition this weekend and former Juventus player Adrian Mutu will probably be recalled last week after being rested in a 3-0 win over Livorno.
The Romanian has already scored four Serie A goals this season but he wasn’t missed as 21-year-old Argentine summer recruit Pablo Osvaldo scored twice on his Fiorentina debut. The youngster was signed during the summer from Atalanta after spending last season at Lecce on loan but he will probably return to the bench for the game against Juve.
This is a young Fiorentina squad and if they can pull off a win they will have done something no other Fiorentina team has achieved since December 1998. In order to do so they will have to stifle the league top scorers (15) and in particular, Frenchman David Trezeguet who has scored seven. There is little doubt about the match of the weekend in Spain.
Barcelona and Atletico is an intriguing game on many levels. For starters two of the game’s finest young talents will be on display and going head-to-head. The coronation of Lionel Messi as the latest King of the Nou Camp is almost complete while Sergio Aguero is using the summer transfer of Fernando Torres to Liverpool as an opportunity to establish himself as Atletico’s main man. Reports this week said that over half of all Atletico shirt sales this season have Aguero on the back.
Both players have five goals and both clubs have won their last three matches impressively. Up until last season Atletico (and Torres) seemed to have a hex on Barcelona but a 6-0 thrashing at the Vicente Calderon may have put paid to that. Even so Atletico are unbeaten on their last three trips to the Nou Camp with two wins and a draw. In fact, Atletico were the last team to beat Barcelona at home in league play and that was 19 months.
Rangers will be looking to follow up on one of their greatest ever away showings in European completion with a win over Hibs who sit only one point behind them in the SPL. Rangers and Celtic are tied on points at the top of the league but Celtic hold an edge in goal difference.
Hibs have proved to be extremely difficult opponents for Rangers over the last two seasons with nine games being shared at four wins each and a 3-3 draw. They are also the only undefeated team in the SPL although they will not be repeating as CIS Cup winners after going out to Motherwell 4-2 at the last 16 stage ten days ago.
LosAngelesChelseaFan - Your thoughts on Denis Law?
Meanwhile, what's your take on our premiership champions pick? I can't begin to figure why JM played 3 holding midfielders against Villa and left Joe Cole on the bench. It was hardly the all out attack we saw at Reading. No-one looked sharp. Maybe it's not surprising when the manager looks so bored/resigned. I'd rather have "bad, angry Mourinho" back. I get the feeling that Abramovich actually didn't have money to spend right now and has asked Mourinho to make do with "adequate" for a while. Do you detect something missing at Chelsea in all of this?
Bobby – Denis Law was simply one of the most explosive and exciting players you could ever hope to see. He was brave and lightning quick and fantastic in the air. He also inspired a generation of young footballers to stretch the sleeves of their jerseys so they could grab on to them with their fingers! I still find myself doing it if I am out running or playing in long sleeves. Chelsea midfield was absolutely pedestrian and cried out for Joe Cole. The game has passed Makelele me thinks.
Leche010 - Is it just me, or is the Premiership just filled, from top to bottom, with more quality than it ever has before?I mean even the bottom club (and all but sure to remain there) Derby has Kenny Miller as a striker.
Bobby – Having Kenny Miller as your striker in the Premiership is more a sign of weakness than strength I am afraid. Miller has his strengths but putting the ball in the back of the net regularly is not one of them. However, I think a number of sides have made good acquisitions – Everton, Portsmouth, Manchester City, Liverpool as examples.
Henry14 - 1 Do you think Diarra's addition can help Arsenal with the bullies up north and maybe there is a chance for a real title challenge? 2 th14 is looking doggy for Barca for the past or so games l have seen him do you see him being a great player as he was or he will be another Sheva or Ballack? 3 Do you still think Arsenal will be under Hill Wood come start of next season?
Bobby –1. From what I have seen of Diarra he can’t be described as the second coming of Patrick Vieira – not so far anyway. He certainly is not going to be the difference between a league challenge and no league challenge. 2. Thierry Henry has looked fine to me. 3. I think the question is really will they be under the same regime at the start of next season? If so my answer is yes.
Foxcube - Re: Robson article. I feel it's unfair to match Pires/Ljunberg with Rosicky/Hleb head to head, toe to toe. This is because Arsenal has changed their way of playing since the 2005 and new players were bought for this new style. Bobby would you please give some analysis of their change?
Bobby – What new style? Bergkamp’s gone and can’t be replaced but the wide players are still being asked to do what they were two or three years ago as far as I can see.
Foxcube - Do you see the foreign investments will go on forever? Will the top teams break FA's restrictions and getting their TV deals individually?
Bobby – No tree grows to the sky. The question is how much upside is left in terms of increased revenues. That comes back to TV and internet deals and I’m guessing that there is a big upside left. Unfortunately most of the clubs have shown that can spend the money as quickly as it is given to them so the foreign investments will continue until someone realizes that soccer in Europe has never been a moneymaker. In fact the only people to have made money the last few years are the folks who have sold out to foreign buyers. What does that tell you? Remember apart from Abramovich most of the deals are being done with other people’s money not the names that hit the newspapers. Relatively little of their money is at risk.
The fallacy is that “new owners” bring new transfer money. Normally they increase the club’s debt load to pay for new transfers. Further to the TV deals I don’t believe that there are FA restrictions – it is a Premiership rule.
Foxcube - Re: players' sudden death. Nobody mentioned their insurance situation. Any insights?
Bobby – No different than any other worker dropping dead or being injured at work. If fault can be shown then the employer faces the possibility of legal and civil action. Otherwise you will probably find that depending on the professional players association in each country that the club and/or player carry some form of death benefit.
Craigyf - Your comments on the US MNT squad? Any USA v Brazil predictions? So far only two teams remain on maximum points in Serie A, does that surprise you. What has stood out in Serie A so far? Any thoughts on who might be favourites for the MLS Cup yet?
Bobby – A couple of minor surprise in Bradley’s selections but nothing stunning. Far too early to read anything into Serie A results – check in again around week 10. MLS Cup – I’ve been very impressed with DC United the last few weeks. However, MLS teams are very prone to streaks and there is still 2 plus months of the season left. You have to factor in New England given Steve Nicol’s record in the play offs. Houston still has time to find there feet again and Chivas as flown under the radar. Chivas’ record at home is outstanding.
Ringo - Now that we’re a month into the EPL season, would you like to take a mulligan on any of your picks?
Bobby – I’ll stick. It is a long season – lots of drama to come.
CIAO - What do you make of the final day transfers? Or lack there of in the case of Riquelme, Adriano and Ballack? Maybe Inter and Chelsea should just swap the 2 players. Inter has much better luck with German players than Brazilian strikers.
Bobby – As I said on the show - the transfer deadline had Super Bowl hype and Super Bowl excitement.
Bigdavedisaster - Why the need for the lack of a better word "lies" in the handling of Graversen and Miller transfers by Gordon? Is he simply covering incase the transfers don’t go through and then don’t the players already know that he was willing to let them go?
Whenever I read something on George Best I’m always reminded of my Uncle talking about what a shame it was that he never played in a World Cup for a United Ireland team (if they could have made it?) so that the world might see him on its biggest stage.
Bobby – The manager’s job is to do his up most to win games and that comes before being honest with the press. In the case of George Best my understanding is that he was asked to join the 1982 Northern Ireland squad for the World Cup in Spain but he said no. Can anyone else confirm that story?
Roy Collins compares the arrival of David Beckham to that of Wayne Gretzky’s move to the Los Angeles Kings in the late eighties. Given the NHL’s almost joke-like status in the US it is not something that MLS should try hard to emulate.
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
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