Thursday 16 February 2012

Week 25: Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League- Picks of the Weekend

Child holding a sign: Please Don't Go HarryTop game and team: If you wondered for one second whether Tottenham could cope with all the stress and attention around their manager, with the court case and England speculation, please join the laughing stock! The team got together and smashed their opponents to pieces 5-0! I feel sorry for Newcastle who could never have predicted what was ahead of them, after most probably favouring their chance, thinking they could catch out Spurs, that they were at a weak or crises point. The London side quickly put that to bed with three goals inside 19 minutes. Unbelievable!

Wayne Rooney celebratesTop player: Wayne Rooney made the difference at Old Trafford and got the ground rocking with two goals inside three minutes at the start of the second half. It was a scruffy, intense encounter with Liverpool matching their rivals and staying in the competition with a shout eventhough the home side dominated most of the game. But the former Evertonian stole the show, the first goal summarising his top class, an unstoppable volley off a Ryan Giggs corner.

Thierry Henry scoresTop goal: Thierry Henry's last minute winner for Arsenal was another one of those too-good-to-be-true goals! The Frenchman ended his return just as he started it, like a scripted dream. Jamie Mackie's late two goals, especially the second for QPR, was an unstoppable smacker and unbelievable show by the sub striker. Too little, too late though in their 3-2 defeat at Blackburn.

Top news: Harry Redknapp said a part-time role as England manager would be possible... Really?! That would be too good to be true for England. I don't think the Spurs Director quite agrees with his manager, no surprise there... :-P

Joleon Lescott scores for Manchester City against Aston VillaFlop game: Manchester City's 1-0 win at Villa Park was not much to write home about. City dominated the game from the first second to the last minute, Joleon Lescott grabbing the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute from close range against his boyhood club. It saw Aston Villa drop down to 15th and the fans showing their frustration towards manager Alex McLeish.

Wolves Manager Mick McCarthy looks on at the Wolves v WBA matchFlop team: Wolves' 5-1 thrash defeat against West Brom was sad, no, annoying to watch. As soon as the first goal fell, the home side crumbled to bits. It looked like no one wanted to shoulder the blame, eventhough they were all contributors to their downfall, no one took the responsibility to grab the side and get a grip. In the end, it saw the side drop into the relegation zone and cost Mick McCarthy his job and after six successful years at the club, it is sad to see him leave. Chelsea's Andre Villas-Boas is the most likely candidate next on the sacked list after his side's dire 2-0 defeat at Everton. Pressure is moutning on the Portuguese - his side dropping out of the top four into fifth, level points with Arsenal in fourth, tehn points behind Tottenham in third.

Luis Suarez fails to shake Patrice Evra's handFlop player: Luis Suarez, what were you thinking?! It was your chance to wipe the slate clean with Patrice Evra, but instead you spat on it and poked it into his face! It caused unnecessary trouble adding to the already intense rivalry and atmosphere in the game and ground. It cast an unnecessary and unwanted shadow over the game, teams and the whole competition and sport. I know apologies have now been officially given by both player and manager Kenny Dalglish and accepted by Manchester United, but there is still something crucial missing: Suarez and Evra shaking hands and drawing a line under it! Sir Alex Ferguson's post-match interview was a bit harsh (the striker should never play for the honorable Merseyside club again) but understandable. I hope the Uruguayan has slowly but surely come to his sences now!


Raul Meireles looks dejectedFlop goal: The top sides' defenders seemed to be asleep this weekend. The Chelsea back line let Everton's Steven Pienaar and Denis Stracqualursi to the ball too easily, giving away open chances they both netted with thanks. David Luiz and Jose Bosingwa were especially poor, seeming completely unaware of play and where the ball is on more than one occasion. 
Liverpool's Jay Spearing and United's Rio Ferdinand both saw giveaways they will want to forget, the former losing the ball to Antonio Valencia who eventually found Rooney to net it and the latter pushing the ball ón to Saurez right in front of the goal.
Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen's own goal against Fulham was cruel, he didn't see any of it, Clint Dempsey's shot from 25 yards hitting the cross bar and bouncing off the goalkeepers back and over the line.

Flop news: Aaaaaand Carlos Tevez is back, whining on, blaiming manager Roberto Mancini and painting him as the booman... Zzzzzz...

My predictions-Actual results:
Man United 2:1 Liverpool - 2:1
Blackburn 1:1 QPR - 3:2
Bolton 4:1 Wigan - 1:2
Everton 1:0 Chelsea - 2:0
Fulham 2:0 Stoke - 2:1
Sunderland 1:1 Arsenal - 1:2
Swansea 2:0 Norwich - 2:3
Tottenham 3:1 Newcastle - 5:0
Wolves 1:2 West Brom - 1:5
Aston Villa 0:1 Man City - 0:1

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