Goodbye, Chris Hutchings

Six consecutive losses and just 8 points from 12 league games forced Wigan chairman Dave Whelan to make a managerial change today as Chris Hutchings has been given the axe.

"This has been a very difficult decision for me and the board to make but I felt we had to act in the best interests of the club and its long-term future.

'Chris has worked very hard since becoming manager and I cannot fault either his effort or commitment to the cause. However, it is crucial for the development of Wigan that we maintain our Premier League status this season and following results and performances in recent matches, we feel it is critical to act now.

'My energies will now be fully focused on getting the right man, firstly to stop the decline we have suffered in the last two months or so, and secondly, to take us forward in the future," said Whelan in a statement.

Realistically, Wigan know they're in a fight for their Premiership lives and this move has the markings of one to give the team an immediate, short-term spark in a hope to turn the season around. I picked this team to finish 18th, the last relegation spot, and I stand by my prediction. Wigan don't have the players and don't have the money to go out and acquire much talent in the January transfer window. Their only hope is for teams like Middlesbrough and Bolton to keep struggling, as we all know Derby will finish last.

Former boss Paul Jewell has been linked to reclaim his old position in charge but he's too talented of a manager to be stuck with a team that's probably going to be relegated; Jewell would be idiotic to take this job. He's in a decent position to become England's next manager once Steve McLaren gets fired (and he inevitably will, sooner or later), and there will be more attractive domestic jobs out there than Wigan.

Liverpool's Woes Continue

If you didn't watch the game yesterday and only saw the 0-0 full-time scoreline between Liverpool and Blackburn, you would most likely credit Liverpool for going on the road and getting a point against one of the up-and-coming teams in the Premiership. Yes, it was a game that if Liverpool truly believed themselves to be title contenders, they should've grinded out a victory and taken full points, but there's nothing wrong with earning a draw away from home.

However for those of us who watched the game, you have to question (once again) manager Rafael Benitez's tactics and squad selection. He gave Dirk Kuyt the start again even though it's been forever and a day since Kuyt scored from anything other a PK in the Premiership and left Peter Crouch on the bench until the 71st minute. He started both Sissoko and Mascherano instead of going with a more attacking mindset (Kewell on the right wing, Benayoun and Gerrard in the center, Babel up top with Crouch, Riise at left wing instead of left back, and Aurelio at left back). Sissoko and Mascherano are good players in their own right, quality holding midfielders, but Benitez had to know that Blackburn was going to park the bus and he needed more creativity and skill than those two provide in the midfield. Kewell wasn't fit to play the whole game and neither was Aurelio, but starting them and playing them for 60 minutes probably would've given Liverpool a lead and then they could've been subbed out for a more defensive-minded formation.

When Crouch finally entered the fray, he linked up multiple times with captain Steven Gerrard for Liverpool's most dangerous chances of the day. Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel was up to the task though, and the game ended 0-0. This isn't the first time Crouch has been brought on late and still made a contribution; he did the same against Besiktas in the Champions League last week. Dirk Kuyt is completely off-form right now. He can't hit the broad side of a barn with his shots, his finishing is awful, and he doesn't give you any speed or aerial ability at all. I guarantee that the next Premiership game Crouch starts, and not Kuyt, will be won by Liverpool.

College Basketball Season is Underway

Well it is for me at least, anyway. Teams were allowed to officially begin practicing two weeks ago and the school I root for (in all college sports) is the Maize and Blue, the Michigan Wolverines of the rough-and-tumble Big Ten Conference. Last year's NIT trip (yet another one) under then-coach Tommy Amaker capped off a season well short of expectations and as a result, Amaker got fired. Renowned offensive guru John Beilein was brought in from West Virginia to take over the still-prestigious program in Ann Arbor. Michigan opened its season tonight with a 78-40 exhibition win over Division II program Ferris State, with freshman guard Manny Harris leading the way with 15 points for the Wolverines. Michigan's first official game is next Friday night (Nov. 9) at home against the Radford Highlanders (where coincidentally, I played in two state semifinal games as a freshman and sophomore with my high school soccer team; Radford is the host of the Virginia High School League state playoffs for boys' and girls' soccer). The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network with tipoff set for 7:00 PM.

Since this blog is geared mainly towards English soccer, I'm going to keep the basketball talk light and leave the nitty-gritty stuff to the professionals and the folks that write about it on a full-time basis. What you'll get here is content about Michigan, the Big Ten, and some random thoughts of mine during the season and all the way through March. There some great, great sites listed under the Useful College Basketball Sites section on the left of the blog homepage and I strongly recommend to you that you check those out if you want the real detailed information about what's going on on the national scene. Here, I'll give you some bracketology and tournament talk as well as what I've already discussed earlier, but like I said, head over to those sites if you want more than just the basics. Believe me, if I had the time to maintain and update a serious, truly informative college basketball blog at the level at which I'm capable of doing so, I would do it, as it's my favorite sport in America, but I simply don't have the time. You can't match the passion and atmosphere found in a college arena, you can't match Dick Vitale or Bill Raftery and their enthusiasm for the game.

For right now though, I've decided to leave you with a few of the many, many early-season tournaments that are becoming the new craze these days. Michigan will be heading to Anchorage, Alaska to take part in the Great Alaska Shootout from November 21-24, where they'll join some quality opposition in Butler, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, and Gonzaga, as well as the hosts Alaska-Anchorage, Western Kentucky, and Eastern Washington.

Here are some of the more notable tournaments/events this November:

2K Sports Classic (Nov. 5-16)
NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 12-23)
CBE Classic (Nov. 12-20)
Paradise Jam (Nov. 16-19)
Puerto Rico Shootout (Nov. 15-18)
Top of the World Classic (Nov. 15-18)
Maui Invitational (Nov. 19-21)
Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 20-24)
Anaheim Classic (Nov. 22-25)
Old Spice Classic (Nov. 22-25)
Las Vegas Invitational (Nov. 17-24)
Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Nov. 26-28)

Premier League Captains

I'm a big fan of the NHL and hockey in general, specifically of the Broadway Blueshirts (New York Rangers, for those of you don't know much about the NHL). I was watching some games last night on my Center Ice package and got to thinking. Captaincy probably means the most in hockey than in any other sport (again, those of you who don't really know much about hockey, I'm here to tell you that it does, flat out). Each team has one captain, who wears the C on his jersey, and typically two alternate or assistant captains, each of whom wear an A. Tradition has made the captaincy, as I said before, incredibly prestigious and is a symbolic thing more than anything else, although if you follow the letter of the law, captains and alternates are the only ones permitted to talk to the officials about calls they've made and penalties and most of the time, that holds true in actual game situations as well.

In hockey, captains and alternates are typically the elder statesmen of their teams, often the players that have played for that team the longest or have been in the league the longest. There are, of course, exceptions to this; many teams over the years have had young players step up in a leadership role and earn a letter, in fact, Sidney Crosby is the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain at the tender age of 20, and players who are in their first or second year with a team also have been captains due to the leadership and experience they bring with them from another team or teams.

I've noticed that in the Premiership, however, captains aren't really the older players on their teams at all, and I'll show you my list of data below. It begs the question for me, what does a captain really mean, is whoever the captain deserving of that honor, or is he the captain because the player who logically should be it doesn't play every game, is a sub, etc.? I'm going to list the Premier League captains below, followed by their age, followed by who I believe would be captain if the NHL's general model of seniority combined with leadership ability was used, as well as who speaks English well, who is a good representative for the club in the community, and who best serves as a link between the manager and squad. Consider this, the average NHL captain is 31.7 years old, which is slightly skewed by the fact that Crosby is only 20. There are 30 NHL teams but three of those are currently playing without a captain for one reason or another, they are permitted to have three alternates on a game roster.

Premiership captains, (age)...who would be captain:

Arsenal: William Gallas (30)...Jens Lehmann
Aston Villa: Gareth Barry (26)...Barry
Birmingham City: Damien Johnson (28)...Johnson or Maik Taylor
Blackburn: Ryan Nelsen (30)...Tugay
Bolton: Kevin Nolan (25)...Gary Speed
Chelsea: John Terry (26)...Terry
Derby County: Matthew Oakley (30)...Oakley by default, no other real options
Everton: Phil Neville (30)...Neville
Fulham: Brian McBride (35)...McBride when healthy, Aaron Hughes now
Liverpool: Steven Gerrard (27)...Gerrard
Manchester City: Richard Dunne (28)...Micah Richards, the Premiership's Sid the Kid
Manchester United: Gary Neville (32)...Ryan Giggs
Middlesbrough: George Boateng (32)...Mark Schwarzer
Newcastle: Geremi (28)...Nicky Butt
Portsmouth: Sol Campbell (33)...Campbell or David James
Reading: Graeme Murty (32)...Murty
Sunderland: Dean Whitehead (25)...Dwight Yorke
Tottenham: Ledley King (27)...Robbie Keane no matter if King is healthy or not
West Ham: Lucas Neill (29)...Freddie Ljungberg
Wigan: Mario Melchiot (30)...Antoine Sibierski

I was interested to note that the average age for Premiership captains was 29.15, about three years younger than the average NHL captain. I know that soccer players don't play to the same ages as hockey players but still, some of these captains really surprised me (Geremi, Kevin Nolan, Dean Whitehead, Lucas Neill, and Ryan Nelsen). Obviously I'm not around these guys every day but from what I've seen and read about each of these players and looking at some of the other candidates on their teams, I don't understand the choice. All in all, I'd say most teams got it right with either their captain and vice-captain, but then again, who am I to say. Just one man's opinion here, folks.

New Podcast

In conjunction with BCJohn (who runs "The 3rd Half", a new blog listed under the Useful Soccer Sites section, and can be heard as a regular contributor on the Major Soccer League Talk podcast as well as the EPL Talk podcast), I'm excited to announce that I, along with my brother, will be once-a-week guests on the new Third Half Podcast, scheduled to debut within the very near future as a creation of BC himself.

This podcast will be done on a twice-a-week basis with another guest scheduled to cohost the other weekly show with BCJohn. Full details will be released by BC very soon as to where the podcast will be available for your listening pleasure and to the actual date of the show's debut.

According to BC, this new podcast "is going to be a no-nonsense look at the Barclays Premier League and beyond, a perfect compliment to the interviews done (elsewhere). So you ask yourself how this is going to be different than from other podcasts online? Simple, it's going to be the most honest, brunt analysis of the events at the weekend, cutting through the BS to get to the heart of the news. It will also look at the action in other leagues around Europe as well as Major League Soccer."

To say the least, I'm excited for the show to get started and I can't wait to start recording. I speak for my brother in saying we're honored that BC has asked us to cohost with him once a week and it's something we think will be enjoyable for all the listeners out there and for the readers of our blogs.

Once BC lets me know about the full details and show schedule, I'll be sure to post back here with everything regarding the new Third Half Podcast, where to find it, when to listen to it, and how to contact us. Until then, once again, I'm excited and can't wait for the show to begin.

What We Learned This Weekend

There were goals galore in the Premiership this weekend and after 11 games (for some teams), things are finally starting to become clear as we're roughly a quarter of the way into the season. The title chase will once again be a four-horse race with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal out in front right now and the relegation battle may not be much of a battle at all with Derby County, Bolton, Wigan, and Middlesbrough playing so poorly. Here it is then, four observations from the weekend:

1. Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez are the most lethal striking duo in the Premiership, if not Europe. After Rooney scored twice (and just missed a hat trick) against Aston Villa with the help of Tevez, it was the Argentine's turn to bag a brace this weekend against Middlesbrough in a 4-1 victory. Whoever said these two can't play together because they're the same type of "in the hole" player is dead wrong. The interplay between them is incredible, both players have a very strong work rate, but most importantly, these are two of the most clinical finishers out there right now. Rooney's backheel pass to Tevez, who then scored, was the number 1 play of the day on SportsCenter Saturday night, and if SportsCenter can make you number 1 on a day filled with college football, it shows just how much class and skill these two players have. Rooney has now scored 4 goals in 6 Premiership matches while Tevez has 4 in 10, though some of those games came without Rooney alongside him.

2. Chelsea are back and better than ever/Manchester City isn't for real. Chelsea's 6-0 thrashing of Man City was a showcase of attacking soccer from the West London club and an absolute embarrassment for the second team in Manchester. Micah Richards has all the tools and potential to be England's best defender ever but he looked miserable this weekend, caught out multiple times which led to Chelsea goals. Joe Hart was beaten through the legs on 3 or 4 occasions (I lost count, to be honest), but to be fair, he wasn't going to stop a couple of them no matter what. If you want to be one of the best teams in the Premiership, you have to do two things: win on the road consistently and beat the best teams in the Premiership ("Big Four"). City are now 1-1-3 away from home, which simply isn't good enough, and have been pounded by Chelsea and Arsenal, though the scoreline doesn't truly reflect that in the Gunners match. Yes, they beat city rivals United, but the game was at City's stadium and the defending champions played without Rooney, Ronaldo, and Anderson. City's next tough road test is at Portsmouth on November 11. Come away with a victory there and you'll open my eyes again, but right now, City look to be a pretender, not a contender.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are playing the attacking style promised by temporary manager Avram Grant. Grant is certainly making a case to be hired on a permanent basis, but I don't know if Henk Ten Cate would've left Ajax just to be a coach at Chelsea. Either way, it's good to see Joe Cole back in the lineup and contributing, Didier Drogba is doing his thing (whether he wants to stay with Chelsea or not, who knows), and even Shevchenko got a goal this weekend. I'm not convinced Chelsea can win the title yet; they have the players but the manager doesn't compare to Sir Alex or to Arsene Wenger, but we'll see.

3. Cesc Fabregas is really pushing for Player of the Year. As much as Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard put his club on his back yesterday (he was Liverpool's best player by far), the 20-year old Spanish midfielder did the same and got the tying goal for the North London side. A point on the road against Liverpool is certainly a point earned, and Cesc now has 5 goals in 10 Premiership games. This, of course, doesn't reflect what he's truly gifted at: passing and spraying balls all over the field. Fabregas is a quality, quality player and definitely the catalyst to everything the Gunners do on the field.

4. Gary Megson has a tough road ahead at Bolton. Megson has come out in the press saying he believes Bolton can stay up, and he has the players to do it..except for the fact that there's no way Nicolas Anelka will stay with Bolton come the January transfer window and if/when he leaves, I don't think this club will be able to score any goals. Megson has proven that he's not a Premiership quality manager (got West Brom relegated) and once again, Bolton hired a new manager too quickly after doing the same with Sammy Lee last year.

Why I Believe Playing a Premier League Match Will Happen in the US

Over at epltalk.com (a great site, by the way), the Gaffer came out with a post today with his reasoning as to why the Premier League won't play an official league match here in the US. West Ham's chairman, Eggert (Elf-Ears) Magnusson, did an interview with Sky Sports News and claimed it "would be good for the game" and he "could see it happening sooner rather than later."

Personally, I agree with Magnusson on this count. Playing a Premier League game in the US would be a big step towards expanding soccer here and would be, provided the right teams were involved, a welcomed, well-supported concept with fans in America. It's a perfectly feasible thing to schedule as well.

Without further ado, here's why I believe a Premier League game will be played in America:

1. The United States has the type of state of the art, fan-friendly stadiums that don't exist anywhere else in the world. If you want to play a game in a more cozy, soccer fan-specific atmosphere, you can play at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas, the Home Depot Center in suburban LA, or Dick's Sporting Goods Park in suburban Denver. If you want to make it a spectacle, you can play in any of the new, large NFL stadiums, like Reliant Stadium in Houston, Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, or the University of Phoenix stadium in suburban Phoenix. It all depends on the preference of the executives involved and how much money they want to make while not compromising the integrity and importance of the match. Either way, the fans will be treated to a show and in a stadium that has all the modern conveniences one could ask for.

2. The market in the US is there for the taking. The media bias towards soccer notwithstanding, there are plenty of fans in America who already support teams in the Premier League and the Premier League in general. When the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994 and the Women's World Cup in 1999 and 2003, the passion of the fans was clearly visible in the stands. As the wealthiest country in the world, Premier League teams should be itching at the chance to sell us their overpriced merchandise. Once you get Americans hooked on something, you have them at your mercy. An entertaining match with international stars that actually means something would go a long way towards enlarging our interest in soccer.

3. Teams would love to come to the US. Yes, one of the teams would have to give up a home game, but that would be offset with a share of the ticket sales generated by their game here combined with some sort of compensation given to them by the Premier League. As I said before, a chance to expand their network and popularity to the world's largest market is too great to pass up on, and I don't believe for a second that teams wouldn't want to come to the US to play a game. Teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool have countless supporters here in the US already and playing in front of fans who most likely haven't seen their teams in person before would be a great opportunity for the English clubs.

Top 20 Under-20

With England's present not looking particularly bright, possibly missing Euro 2008 and the inevitable quarterfinal exit in World Cup 2010, I've made another one of my "Best Of" lists. The following are my Top 20 English players currently 20 years old or younger. These players are the stars of the future and England's hopes for success down the road, especially in Euro 2012 (Poland/Ukraine) and World Cup 2014 (most likely Brazil). I've taken into account both their present abilities and their future potential; players don't have to currently be playing in the Premiership to be eligible, and the club listed is the club they're playing for at this moment, whether it be on loan or permanently.

1. Micah Richards (Manchester City; 19)
2. Aaron Lennon (Tottenham; 20)
3. Theo Walcott (Arsenal; 18)
4. Joe Hart (Manchester City; 20)
5. Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham; 20)
6. Mark Noble (West Ham; 20)
7. Michael Johnson (Manchester City; 19)
8. Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham City; 19)
9. Nedum Onouha (Manchester City; 20)
10. Daniel Sturridge (Manchester City; 18)
11. Scott Sinclair (Chelsea; 18)
12. Nathan Porritt (Middlesbrough; 17)
13. Adam Hammill (Southampton; 19)
14. Paul Anderson (Swansea City; 19)
15. Ben Alnwick (Luton Town; 20)
16. Adam Johnson (Watford; 20)
17. Danny Haynes (Ipswich Town; 19)
18. Tristan Plummer (Bristol City; 17)
19. Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa; 16)
20. Stephen Darby (Liverpool; 19)

Editor's Note: I completely forgot about Lee Cattermole (Middlesbrough; 19) and James Vaughan (Everton; 19) to be honest, but they definitely would've been on that list. Cattermole is going to be a solid Premiership midfielder in the future (though probably not for Middlesbrough) and while I'm still not completely sold on Vaughan, he would've made the list as well. Consider this an official editing of sorts; Cattermole slides in at 11th behind Sturridge and Vaughan 12th right behind him and ahead of Scott Sinclair. Unfortunately for Nathan Delfouneso, the youngest player on my original list, and Stephen Darby, they're bumped off my Top 20. As if they really care though, right?

Tottenham Needs a Change--Jürgen Klinsmann Perhaps?

Watching Tottenham's 3-1 loss yesterday to Newcastle at St. James' Park, it could not have been any clearer that Spurs need to shake things up in a major way. They've gotten off to a rough start this season (18th place after 10 games) and the players aren't really responding on the field; they look either disinterested or simply flat-out bad. Reports have surfaced that star striker Dimitar Berbatov didn't want to come on as a 2nd half substitute yesterday and had to be asked (or told) several times by manager Martin Jol to enter the match, which wouldn't be the first time that Berbatov and Jol have had a dust-up either. Some of the personnel decisions made by Jol and club executives have left many fans scratching their heads as well, not just this season but even in recent years when Tottenham had the most success they've ever had as a club.

One thing Tottenham has been consistently good at the past few seasons is scoring. Goals have come aplenty for the North London side, and when big money was splashed on Darren Bent this summer, questions were raised. Spurs conceded more goals (54) than any other team in the top 14 in the Premier League last season despite finishing 5th, and to break the "Big Four"'s stranglehold on the Champions League positions, Spurs needed to find a way to play better defensively. Many (myself included) picked them to finish 4th this season after they went out and signed Gareth Bale and Younes Kaboul this summer in an attempt to shore up the defense, but both of those players are attack-minded. Michael Dawson, as evidenced in the Newcastle game, is an average Premiership center back (above average on his good days), and captain Ledley King, while a good, good player, is always injured. Instead of spending money on Darren Bent, club executives should've realized their team's defensive deficiencies and gone out to get a quality center back or two, as well as help on the outsides.

18th place is unacceptable for a club like Tottenham; it just is and there's no way around it. This is a team with high expectations and European aspirations and the bottom of the table simply doesn't cut it. While Martin Jol is a relatively well-liked, well-respected manager in the domestic scene, it's time to cut ties and club owner Daniel Levy needs to make the move soon. We're already a quarter of the way into the season and Tottenham can't afford to drop any more points. It's become obvious that Jol has lost his players and they're not responding to him, so it's either make the move now or condemn yourself to a top-10 (at best) finish.

Jurgen Klinsmann, is, for me, the ideal candidate to replace Jol at Tottenham. The former German national coach and former star striker played at Tottenham during his club career (1994-1995 and 1997-1998), and more importantly, knows all too well the expectations and scrutiny surrounding a club like Tottenham, having led the German national team to 3rd in the World Cup as well as playing for some high-profile clubs (Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, AS Monaco, and Tottenham) in his day. The question is, is North London tempting enough to take him away from his cushy lifestyle in Southern California with his family? To be honest, I would say no, but Klinsmann has to be itching to get back in the game after a while away. What's more, Klinsmann speaks very good English (obviously; he lives in the US and has an American wife), which is important at Tottenham because they bring in young English talent left and right, and likes his teams to play the attacking style of soccer that Tottenham employs now. His German team was respected at home for the spirit and flair with which they played, and those are things Tottenham is lacking right now under Martin Jol.

Tottenham, without a doubt, need to invest in some defenders come the January transfer window. It's an attractive job in what is arguably the most attractive domestic league in the world and with a few significant changes here and there, Tottenham have the talent to compete with the "Big Four". When you break down their roster, Spurs are dangerous up top and solid in the midfield, shoring up the back four is what is holding them back from competing for a Champions League position, at least from a players' standpoint. Bringing a manager like Klinsmann in would be essential to keeping Berbatov at the club, which is an absolute must considering how shockingly poor Darren Bent has been, and would also be helpful in attracting new players as well.

David Beckham is Back..Who Cares??

David Beckham made his less-than-triumphant return from injury last night, playing 22 minutes as a substitute as his Los Angeles Galaxy drew 1-1 at home with New York Red Bulls, a game the Galaxy really needed to win to realistically have a chance at making the MLS playoffs. Every team seemingly gets into the playoffs (8 out of 13 teams, in fact), which is a joke in itself, but the more comical, and unfortunate, part of this story is that no one in mainstream America cares.

Beckham was officially unveiled as a Galaxy player on July 13, which would've been the perfect time for soccer in America to finally gain some positive recognition in the media. The Michael Vick/dogfighting issues were just unfolding and the Tim Donaghy refereeing/betting on games scandal was causing the NBA widespread embarrassment. More importantly, however, MLS had as little competition for publicity as it could get at any time during the sporting year. College football, college basketball, NFL, NHL, and NBA seasons hadn't started yet, and the only professional sport going at that time is Major League Baseball, but the regular season, especially in July, isn't exactly a top-drawing, casual fan-enticing time. David Beckham's arrival was the perfect opportunity for MLS to finally break its way into the top tier of professional sports in America (NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA), the largest sporting market in the world.

As we all know though, that's not how things played out. Beckham's ankle injury proved to be more serious than previously indicated and he didn't play a league match until August 9, against DC United. MLS backloaded the Galaxy's schedule so that they'd play in all the major markets (New York, DC, Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, Boston/New England) after Beckham got to LA so they could capitalize on high TV ratings and sellout crowds. Beckham missed the Galaxy's games in Dallas, Toronto, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Columbus, and New England, as well as the Los Angeles derby against Chivas. He did play in DC (as a substitute) and New York (undoubtedly MLS's match of the season). It doesn't take a genius to figure out that things didn't exactly go according to plan.

Fast forward to the present. Let's be honest; the only people that care about the MLS regular season are the clubs themselves and the most diehard of their fans. The fact is that the regular season means nothing; the league champion is determined in the playoffs. The league as a whole gets less and less interest as the season goes on, especially now with the NFL, NHL, and college football seasons underway, as well MLB's playoffs. The NBA preseason is here as well and college basketball is only about 2 or 3 weeks away. In short, the casual fan, the fan MLS is desperate to attract and the fan that they planned the Galaxy's schedule around, simply isn't going to watch MLS regular season games with all of these other sporting options. Sure, I'll watch the playoffs, but if they're on at the same time as Michigan Wolverines basketball or football or the New York Rangers, sorry, those games will be getting the most of my attention.

Were the higher-ups at MLS nuts to schedule last night's game between the Galaxy and Red Bulls for 11 PM East Coast time?? The East Coast makes up the majority of television viewership. If you want the casual fan to watch, start the game at a reasonable hour during primetime (7-9 PM ET); they can play in LA from 4-7 Pacific time and the stadium will still be sold out if David Beckham is there. It also was an unlucky break for MLS that ESPN's telecast of South Florida-Rutgers had national title implications and the baseball playoffs were on as well, a high draw when Boston is playing.

Also, according to who you believe, Beckham hasn't been doing much in the community, not in Los Angeles and not in the rest of the cities he and the Galaxy visit. Listening to World Soccer Daily, which is based in LA, hosts Steven Cohen and Howard Rogers have said repeatedly that Beckham doesn't do much in the way of signing autographs for the kids and doesn't do publicity events. People who call into the show say the same thing. A lot was expected of Beckham when he came to America; perhaps far too much. One thing for certain, however, is that he's failed miserably to deliver on the media hype and interest surrounding him.

Let me be clear that I support soccer here in America and across the world; I wouldn't be writing those blog if I didn't care about soccer. It's a shame that more people aren't paying attention to MLS because the quality of soccer is getting much better, and more notable international players than ever before recognize that and are coming here. David Beckham's injury woes certainly were a heartbreaker for MLS executives, who basically banked this season on him coming and being a success. He hasn't been this season, and maybe he will be next year and for seasons after that, but a prime chance for soccer in America to gain a foothold was wasted this summer. I'm not sure if it will come again.

Russia-2, England-1...Is Anyone Really Surprised?

England's hopes for Euro 2008 qualification were dealt a critical blow today as the host Russians came from behind to take full points in what was a must-win game for them at home. Wayne Rooney's volley put England up 1-0 in the 29th minute but two goals in four minutes from substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko gave Russia the 2-1 victory at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

No matter what England does in their final group match (at home against probable Group E winner Croatia), Russia can qualify for Euro 2008 simply by winning their next two games, at Israel on November 17 and at Andorra four days later. However, an English win over Croatia coupled with a Russian draw or loss at Israel would ensure the Three Lions a trip to Austria/Switzerland next summer.

Russia certainly had the home-field advantage in this game (and they'll sorely miss it in those next two critical away matches) with the artificial surface and hostile crowd, but we all know that individually speaking, England has better, more talented players by far and a true world power would've handled their business and picked up a tough road victory. Here's the difference-maker: England's manager is Steve McLaren; Russia is led by Guus Hiddink. Anyone who's followed international soccer in recent years knows that Hiddink is an extremely capable, skilled manager with a penchant for having success with teams not normally associated with achieving much on the world stage.

In 1998, Hiddink led his homeland Dutch national team to the semifinals of the World Cup, a squad full of individuals who didn't play as a team before Hiddink took over in '95, constantly racked by disagreements and arguments among the players. Four years later, Hiddink took host nation South Korea to the semifinals as well before they bowed out to Germany. South Korea certainly were boosted by the fact that they had the crowd support wherever they played, but there's no getting around advancing further than some of the more traditional powers with a much larger talent base from which to choose. In 2006, Hiddink took Australia to the Round of 16, where they lost to eventual champions Italy 1-0 (though Italy won the game on a 90th minute PK by Francesco Totti, and the penalty decision by Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo was dubious, at best).

In short, this was a game won on tactical decisions made by Hiddink and lost by the ineptitude of English manager Steve McLaren, who probably should be reminded that Joleon Lescott is a good CENTER back, not a left back, not when Nicky Shorey and Phil Neville are available. Guus Hiddink opted to bring on another striker, Pavlyuchenko, and was rewarded when he scored twice. Though Wayne Rooney scored today, he and Michael Owen simply don't make for a good combination up top. What's worse is that Peter Crouch was the only striker on the substitutes' bench. Peter Crouch can't even get a game at Liverpool, a club team; how do you expect him to make a contribution for England when he hasn't been playing recently?

England could, and perhaps will, still qualify for Euro 2008 in spite of all this. They certainly don't deserve to and Steve McLaren certainly shouldn't be their manager if they do qualify. This upcoming Russia-Israel game will be a tricky one for Russia, but they have the added advantage in that they're playing to qualify and Israel have already been eliminated; they have nothing to play for other than pride. It'll be a long month for English fans and players, and make sure to mark November 17 on your calendar.

Game highlights can be found at http://www.megavideo.com/?v=2DG0UCV8.

Two-Referee, Four Official System

There is no single more important position on the field in any given game than that of an official, whether it be the center referee or his two assistants. Officials have the power to influence the result of any game with the decisions they make and their authority is final.

As a certified referee myself, I undertand how difficult it is for the man in the middle to do his job, and the same goes for the linesmen. It's impossible to officiate a game in which both teams involved are happy; every decision is questioned by either players or coaches and usually both.

In watching the Manchester United-Wigan game last weekend, there was one clear penalty waved away by referee Mike Riley and another that probably should've been a penalty but wasn't called either. Mr. Riley, to his credit, was at least in a decent position to be able to make an informed decision but when you watch other games, there are plenty of situations where the center referee either gives or denies a penalty kick when he doesn't have the proper viewing angle to make the right call, yet he makes a decision anyway because he has to.

The officials are professionals in other walks of life, yes, they get paid a good amount at the high levels to do games, but that's not their only job. These are middle-aged (mid 30's-mid 40's) men who aren't always the most physically fit individuals, yet it's their job to keep up with some of the fastest, most skilled athletes in the world. It's not fair for the teams involved in any given game or their fans to possibly have a game or a season decided by someone who's simply not able to be in the best position they should be to do their job. If the National Hockey League has enough sense to use two referees (and two linesmen) for a game that's even faster than soccer and takes place on a shorter, narrower playing surface than a soccer game does, surely soccer should use two referees as well.

This debate has been discussed, though nothing serious has ever come out of it, by the powers-that-be at FIFA and other major governing bodies for years now, and it's time something was done about it. Does it really make sense to ask one 40-year old to run up and down the field with men half his age? Referees run the diagonal system to cut down on the actual area they have to cover, but how often do you see a referee out of position when he has to make a call, yards away from the action and screened behind other players? Playing high school soccer, I can't tell you how many cheap shots and the like that have no place in the game occur behind the referee's back, when he's doing his best to keep up with the play.

Each referee would be responsible for his half of the field, more or less, with as little overlap as possible in between. Less ground to cover would lead to better positioning for the two referees and allow for a better called game. The linesmen's duties would remain the same (determining on/offside, goal kicks and corner kicks, and signaling for fouls and misconduct that the referee may not have been able to see).

The two-referee system would make for a fairer game for all parties involved, including the officials themselves. I'm tired of crucial decisions hinged on where the referee was positioned because chances are it wasn't the right spot to make the proper call. Middle-aged men have no business running up and down a 110-yard field with professional athletes half their age; they need help.

Best of the Rest--2nd XI and Honorable Mention

Following up on my Best XI team from a couple days ago, I've come up with my 2nd Team and Honorable Mention picks:

2nd Team:

GK: David James (Portsmouth; England)
RB: Lauren (Portsmouth; Cameroon)
CB: Sol Campbell (Portsmouth; England)
CB: Richard Dunne (Manchester City; Ireland)
LB: Gareth Bale (Tottenham; Wales)
RMF: Mikel Arteta (Everton; Spain)
CMF: Elano (Manchester City; Brazil)
CMF: John Utaka (Portsmouth; Nigeria)
LMF: Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn Rovers; Norway)
ST: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers; South Africa)
ST: Nicolas Anelka (Bolton; France)

Honorable Mention:

Kanu (Portsmouth; Nigeria)
David Bentley (Blackburn Rovers; England)
Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough; England)
Robbie Keane (Tottenham; Ireland)
Marcus Hahnemann (Reading; USA)
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa; England)
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa; England)
Mark Viduka (Newcastle; Australia)
Steven Taylor (Newcastle; England)
Robert Green (West Ham; England)
Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham; England)
Tim Cahill (Everton; Australia)
Leighton Baines (Everton; England)
Yakubu (Everton; Nigeria)
Craig Gordon (Sunderland; Scotland)

Euro 2008--England's Prospects

Consecutive 3-0 victories at home for England over Israel and Russia last month have put the Three Lions in the driver's seat to qualification for Euro 2008, cohosted by Austria and Switzerland next June. With 3 group games left to play, England currently sit in second place in Group E, 3 points behind Croatia, 2 points ahead of Russia, and 3 ahead of Israel. The first and second place finishers in each group qualify for next summer's competition and for England, they've done a good job to this point of fighting through the immense media pressure and speculation they've encountered at home about manager Steve McLaren, his squad selection, and the team's overall play.

Let's face a few facts here. England host Estonia in three days' time, a basically guaranteed 3 points. Take care of business there and England would be 5 points ahead of Russia, though Russia would have a game in hand. It will all boil down to the match on October 17, where England will have to make the long flight to Russia and play on the synthetic field in front of a hostile crowd in Moscow (talk about home-field advantage here!). At best, I could see England getting a draw out of that game and if they can do that, that would pretty much stamp their ticket to the beautiful Alpine region for Europe's biggest tournament. The more likely result seems to be a Russian victory, however, considering the desperation with which the Russian squad will be playing.

If England beats Estonia (they will) and lose to Russia (real possibility), Russia would only be 2 points back with a game in hand. England's last group game is at home against Croatia, the leader of Group E. The two teams' first meeting was a 2-0 Croatian victory and England would absolutely need full points from this game as Russia play host to Israel and then go to Andorra, which could easily turn into 6 points for Guus Hiddink's squad.

It comes down to this: an English draw or victory against Russia would surely see them through to Euro 2008, but a loss would really put them up against it. England controls their own destiny and it'll be interesting to see how things play out.

Best of the Rest

When the 2006-2007 PFA Team of the Year was named at the end of last season, I was a bit shocked, to say the least, to see 8 players from Manchester United. The Red Devils won the Premiership last season; it made sense that they had the most players on the Team of the Year. That's how postseason awards work in every sport. The succesful teams, the teams that win something, usually receive the accolades and deservedly so. If you took a look at the recent MVP's, Rookies of the Year and all-league teams in the professional and college sporting leagues here in America, a large majority of the winners played for teams that either made the playoffs or won the title.

However, to have 8 players out of 11 was a joke. To be completely honest, I would argue that the only Manchester United players who earned a spot on the Team of the Year were Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs. Each of the other players were/are good players in their own right, but to say that they had better seasons than some of the players from other teams who didn't finish in the top four wouldn't be true in my estimation.

I understand that awards like this are often based more on reputation than anything else. It's hard to judge center backs because they don't put up eye-popping statistics; they're just rock-solid and steady in the back.

It's time to recognize the players who have the individual talent but don't play on a team good enough for their performances to be honored. Remember, this isn't based specifically on last year or even this year, it's based on their entire body of work. Each of the players all currently play in the Premier League and not for a "Big Four" team; players who played in the Premier League last season but moved to another country this summer and players who played for one of the other 16 teams but transferred to one of the "Big Four" aren't eligible for my team. Give me these 11 players and I guarantee you'd have yourself a team to be reckoned with. With all of this in mind, the following is my Premiership Best XI (minus players from last season's top four).

GK: Tim Howard (Everton; USA)
RB: Vedran Corluka (Manchester City; Croatia)
CB: Micah Richards (Manchester City; England)
CB: Joleon Lescott (Everton; England)
LB: Nicky Shorey (Reading; England)
RMF: Aaron Lennon (Tottenham; England)
CMF: Pedro Mendes (Portsmouth; Portugal)
CMF: Kevin Nolan (Bolton; England)
LMF: Ashley Young (Aston Villa; England)
ST: Obafemi Martins (Newcastle; Nigeria)
ST: Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham; Bulgaria)

Games to Watch--10/07

It's a relatively tame fixture list on tap for Saturday and Sunday, but two games stand out to me in Liverpool-Tottenham and Newcastle-Everton. These matchups are significant for each of the 4 teams involved and should make for entertaining soccer this weekend.

1. Liverpool vs. Tottenham (Sunday, 10:00 AM, FSC)

After Monday's exciting, come-from-behind 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at White Hart Lane, Tottenham face a tough test in a trip to Liverpool. Tottenham were 4-1 down in the second half but three unanswered goals, capped by a last minute equalizer from Younes Kaboul, gave Tottenham an unexpected share of the spoils. The manner in which Spurs came back showed the team's true character. They could've packed it in for the day after they faced a three-goal deficit but they never quit, they fought their way back and came away with a point. It was the type of game that could help turn around Tottenham's season. Already 13 points behind Arsenal, they need every single result they can get.

Unlike Tottenham, who are on the upswing, Liverpool have no momentum going for them. They've scored just one goal in their last three games, as they were held to a 0-0 tie at home by Birmingham on September 22, beat Wigan 1-0 at the JJB on the 29th (though they were held scoreless for much of that game and looked sluggish throughout), and most shocking of all, lost 1-0 to Marseille at Anfield in their Champions League group stage fixture this midweek. Manager Rafael Benitez has been under recent fire from the club's fans and media for his squad rotation policy (hindsight is 20/20; no one doubted him when it was working) and he'll need to put the right lineup out there for this game. Liverpool head across town to play Everton in two weeks' time and host Arsenal in three weeks, and I honestly believe that if Liverpool don't get a win over Tottenham this weekend, they'll be looking at 1 point from the three games.

It's not a must-win for Tottenham this early in the season, but they're desperate for points right now and I like them to pull off the upset on Sunday.

Prediction: Tottenham-2, Liverpool-1

2. Newcastle vs. Everton (Sunday, 10:00 AM, Setanta Xtra)

After coming out like a house on fire to start the season, Everton have cooled down as of late. Yes, they've won three straight games overall but one was in the Carling Cup (3-0 at Sheffield Wednesday) and one was in the UEFA Cup (3-2 at FC Metalist Kharkiv). In the Premier League, Everton have won just twice in their last six matches. The Toffees were expected to contend for a UEFA Cup spot this season and as of right now look to be favorites to do so. They're sitting in 5th place and that could likely be their finishing point. Manchester City are a likely bet to fall back to earth at some point and slide in somewhere behind Everton and Chelsea should leap back over Everton by season's end. Sooner or later, however, someone other than Joleon Lescott (3) is going to need to step up and score some goals for this club.

A casual fan of the Premiership might take a glance at the standings, see Newcastle in 10th place, and not blink twice about it. Newcastle have been a fairly mediocre team in recent years but new manager Sam Allardyce has legitimate European aspirations for his Tyneside club after four straight top-8 finishes with Bolton. Like Everton, Newcastle haven't been on good form recently (3 losses in their last 4 games) and need a rejuvenating performance in this game. Big Sam is one of the best managers in the Premiership and you can't underestimate that, but the fact of the matter is his team simply may not be good enough to finish higher than Everton, Blackburn, Portsmouth, and Aston Villa, the UEFA Cup contenders.

This is a big, big game for both teams. Newcastle really need to hold serve and win at home but I'm not sure if they can do it against Everton. A point gained on the road is a point earned, I always say.

Prediction: Newcastle-1, Everton-1

Tiebreaking Procedures

Any fans of Major League Baseball out there know what a wild, unbelievable month of September just came and went, particularly for the teams in the National League. The New York Mets were ahead of the second place Philadelphia Phillies by 7 games with 17 remaining and blew their seemingly insurmountable lead in one of the greatest all-time choke jobs in American sports history. Entering yesterday, the final day of the season, the Mets and Phillies had the same record (88-73). The Phillies victory over Washington, coupled with the Mets loss to Florida, gave Philadelphia the NL East division title and a spot in the playoffs. New York was left on the outside looking in, a game short of winning the division and a game short of being tied for the Wild Card. If the Mets would've won, there would've been a 4-team tie for 2 playoff spots, leaving a complicated tiebreaking scenario that has no place on a soccer blog.

"Hurry up, Michael, get to the point here." OK. Colorado will host San Diego in a one-off, winner-take-all game tonight to determine the Wild Card winner and the last playoff spot that comes with it. This is the proper way to break tie when the stakes are meaningful; an actual game (or games) between the team (or teams) that are tied.

The situation was different at the end of the 2006-2007 Premiership season, but the stakes just as high. Sheffield United and Wigan finished the season tied on points (at 38), yet it was Sheffield United who got relegated. We all know the reason why; the Premier League uses goal differential, of all things, to break ties in determining the higher-placed team. GOAL DIFFERENTIAL!!

This is a problem. When the stakes are that high, when there's that much money involved, something as semantical as goal differential simply shouldn't be used as the determining factor. Who cares how many goals a team scored and allowed over the course of the season?? Teams play different styles to fit their personnel. Some teams aren't ever going to score a lot of goals, though they can still be successful (Bolton), and some teams are going to give up some goals because they play an attacking style that causes them to be caught out at times (Tottenham). The way a team plays shouldn't be used to break ties; no, meaningful ties should only be broken by a playoff system.

It just isn't fair that Sheffield United were relegated and Wigan weren't, even though they had the same number of points. In 38 games, each team worked hard to accumulate their 38 points and at the end of the day, their respective destinies weren't even determined on the field.

Here's my solution for this, and it's an easy one. The meaningful ties, and by that I mean 1st-2nd place (champion), 4th-5th place (last Champions League place), 7th-8th (usually last UEFA Cup place), and 17th-18th (safety/relegation spots, should meet and determine their standing on the field, where it counts. Teams that are tied for those spots would play either a one-off game at a neutral venue or a home-and-home (two-leg) series to break the tie. In the single game format, it'd be the standard 90 minutes of regulation, followed by two halves of 15 minutes (golden goal) if necessary, then PK's if it's still tied. In the two-leg style, the ridiculous "away goals" system would be thrown out. Most goals wins. If it's tied after 180 minutes, then the 30 minutes of extra time and PK's would be employed.

Multiple-team ties would be a bit tougher to work out, but it's still feasible. Head-to-head results would be used first. Example: Team A, Team B, and Team C all finished with 68 points (3rd and 4th place in the Premiership last year). Team A took 4 points from their two games against both Team B and Team C, so they go straight through to the playoff game (or games). Team B only took a point from Team A but they won both games against Team C, so they would meet Team A in the playoff and Team C would come away as the worst-placed of the three teams based on their results against the others.

No more of this goal differential stuff, that's rubbish. It doesn't represent the better of the tied teams, it's just a useless stat. Last year, Bolton finished in a UEFA Cup spot with a negative goal differential. Does that mean they weren't a good team?? Get rid of the goal differential-to-break-ties-system!!

Unbalanced Schedule

After watching a few Premiership games last weekend, I really got to thinking about something. If anyone saw Portsmouth's 1-0 win at Blackburn, they would've seen almost 12,000 empty seats (offical attendance: 19,506; stadium capacity: 31,367), and there's nothing that takes the life and energy out of a game, in any sport, more so than nobody in the stands to watch it. I'm not sure how this policy works in England, but here in America the "official attendance" reflects tickets sold and not the actual number of people who went to the game, so it's likely that there weren't even 19,500 at Ewood Park on Sunday to watch a game between two European contenders.

Attendance is also, generally speaking, embarrassingly low at Middlesbrough, relatively low at Manchester City, Bolton, and Newcastle. However, when those teams play their respective derbies against natural rivals, the stadiums sell out and the atmosphere is second-to-none. It's the games that feature two teams on different sides of the country that don't draw well (Blackburn against Portsmouth, for instance). Fans of the teams that aren't in the "Big Four", Portsmouth, Tottenham, or Fulham, simply don't come out for those kinds of games, and it's understandable why. Who cares about a Middlesbrough-West Ham game?? I'm not going to spend my hard-earned money on an inflated ticket price to watch that borefest when I could watch it on TV for free. Only the diehard fans will come see that match; they'll go to any match. Diehard fans make up the minority of supporters. It's the casual, jump-on-the-bandwagon fan that represents the fan base that the marketing team goes after.

What's the solution, you ask? There probably is no solution; the way it is now is the way it probably will always be. What I'd like to see, however, is a system modeled after the schedule that the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL all use: an unbalanced schedule. There's always the argument, and it's a valid one, particularly regarding MLB, that too much of a good thing takes the novelty out of it. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, geographic rivals and historic rivals, play each other 18 times in a 162-game regular season. That's too many times; it dilutes the product. It's the idea that these American professional leagues have in place that makes sense though. Games between rivals should be promoted. Fans love derbies in England. There's nothing better than a Liverpool-Everton game or a Manchester United-Manchester City match. It's a shame that they only play twice a season and Everton, for example, play Portsmouth, on the opposite side of England, twice as well.

Derbies and other rivalry games (Chelsea-Reading, Manchester United-Portsmouth, for example) should be played three times a season, with a game against some other far-off opponent trimmed off the schedule. Summed up: Rivalries-(3), "Regular/Normal" games---Blackburn-Newcastle, Everton-Derby, etc.---(2), games in the Newcastle-West Ham, Blackburn-Fulham, Liverpool-Sunderland vein-(1). Teams that are involved in three games with an opponent would alternate years hosting two out of those three, so one year, Manchester United would play City at Old Trafford twice, the next year, United would come to the City of Manchester Stadium twice.

But Michael, what about the London teams? There's five of them (Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, and Fulham), so three games against each team would total 12 games out of 38 and that's too many. You can argue with me all you want, but the only meaningful London derbies are Chelsea-Arsenal, Arsenal-Tottenham, and Fulham-Chelsea. If you're not involved in one of those, you play your fellow London club twice a season.

Every Premiership team would still have to play every other Premiership team at least once a season, this isn't like the NHL where an Eastern Conference team goes all 82 games without seeing some of the teams in the West.

Sure, I know you'll say this isn't fair, and it's not fair. But since when are the Premiership and the FA concerned with being fair? Was it fair when West Ham escaped without a points penalty for the Carlos Tevez fiasco? Was it fair when they decided to share the revenue in a fashion that practically ensures that the only teams with a realistic chance to win the Premiership are the "Big Four"?

Playing these rivalry games and derbies three times a season would bring more attention and interest to the fans, and when it comes down to it, the fans are what every sport is about. Fans of Middlesbrough would rather see their club face Newcastle three times a year than Fulham twice. It's depressing to see these half-filled stadiums on a weekend. Promote the rivalries, it's good for the fans and good for the game.

Guess Who's Back, Back Again

I'm back and better than ever, at least that's how the saying goes. It's been about a month since I posted last and to be honest, I needed to recharge the old batteries and take some time off from writing. As I said in my last post, I started college in late August and it's been a hectic time, getting used to a new school and new people every day.

That said, I'm ready to return to this blog because it's something I truly enjoy doing. I don't want to get all sentimental here so I won't, but suffice it to say that English Soccer Talk and the EPL Talk Community pages will once again be "blessed" with my opinions regarding the beautiful game in England and the US.

I will say, however, that you're going to see a few changes regarding the blog. Instead of two posts a week, the weekend preview and weekend recap, I'm thinking about concentrating more on some "original programming", as Fox Soccer Channel likes to say. You can find a Premiership preview and recap very easily if you look on the Internet, and I don't want this blog to fit in with the hundreds of others out there; I want to try and stand out from the rest. Sure, I still may sprinkle a preview or recap in there every now and then, but there are a few things on my mind that will be my first posts and trust me, you'll want to comment on them.

It's good to be back, and my next post will be the 100th on English Soccer Talk. Here's to many more.

Checking In

So, it's been a while since I last posted here and I'll have my weekend recap up tomorrow hopefully.

Here's the deal. I started my freshman year of college on Monday and I've got a full schedule with classes and uh, extracurricular activities. Don't get me wrong, I'm still trying to put as much time into this blog as I can but I haven't even been able to spend much time watching and keeping up with my traditional "American" sports like baseball and football lately with all this college stuff.

From now until breaks, I can pretty much say that it's going be two posts a week (Predictions and Recaps) and maybe the occasional rant, but believe me, I've got a few topics in mind already that I want to address in the coming weeks (Instant Replay, Refereeing, etc.)

I just wanted to check in, I'm still here and doing the best I can to keep up with what's going on. The Gaffer and fellow EPL Talk Community posters are more than capable of filling everyone in on the latest news and things that I simply won't have time to mention on this blog, so head over to www.eplleague.blogspot.com for that, and check the sites I have listed under "Useful Soccer Sites" regularly.

Premiership Predictions--Weekend, Round 4

1. Sunderland vs. Liverpool (Saturday, 7:45 AM, Setanta): Neither of these teams were happy with the result they got last weekend but the difference between the two is that Liverpool actually played well. It was a poor refereeing decision that cost the Reds all 3 points against Chelsea but Sunderland came out totally flat and uninspired in their 3-0 loss to Wigan. Black Cats manager Roy Keane won't stand for another performance like that in this game but his squad is simply overmatched. Liverpool had their share of problems on the road last season but I just can't see them dropping points in this game. Liverpool-2, Sunderland-0

2. Aston Villa vs. Fulham (Saturday, 10:00 AM, Setanta Xtra): I guess you either have to be American or hail from Northern Ireland to play for Fulham these days. Kasey Keller was brought in this week by the Cottagers as a stopgap solution to their goalkeeping woes but he'll face a proficient Aston Villa striking corps of some combination of John Carew, Marlon Harewood, and Gabriel Agbonlahor in this game. Those guys haven't really gotten it going yet this season but the Fulham defense is the perfect solution to their problems. The fans at Villa Park are desperate for a win after two disappointing performances from their club to start the year. They'll get one here. Aston Villa-2, Fulham-0

3. Bolton vs. Reading (Saturday, 10:00 AM): If this game was being played in my front yard, I'd sneak out the back window to avoid it. Luckily neither FSC nor Setanta will be televising this fixture because it has ugly and boring written all over it. Bolton are without a point in 3 games and Reading sit in 10th place with 4 points. The Royals certainly aren't doing it in style but they're getting the job done and that's all that manager Steve Coppell is responsible for. Chalk up a victory for the away team in this one. Is it over yet?? Reading-1, Bolton-0

4. West Ham vs. Wigan Athletic (Saturday, 10:00 AM): Another game I can't say I'd watch even it was on TV. Wigan have gotten out to a surprising start with 2 wins in 3 games while West Ham can thank a Colin Doyle goalkeeping blunder for their only 3 points of the season. It's good to see Jonathan Spector getting a game for the Hammers in their back line, which will do its best to contain a red-hot Antoine Sibierski. Sibierski is gunning for his fourth goal in as many games. Sign him up for your fantasy team! West Ham-1, Wigan-1

5. Derby County vs. Birmingham City (Saturday, 10:00 AM--2:30 AM replay on Sunday; FSC): This is already Birmingham's second game against fellow newly-promoted teams this season, meaning after this match things get considerably more difficult for the Blues in the first half of the year. Both teams are struggling to find consistency at the moment. Which Derby team will show up in this game, the one that got a tie against Portsmouth and played Manchester City close or the one that got blown out by Tottenham? Will we see the Birmingham side that scored twice at Stamford Bridge or the one that gave up 2 goals at home to Sunderland? Whichever team finds the form they had opening day and shows it in this game will win. Problem is, I don't think either of them will. Derby County-1, Birmingham City-1

6. Arsenal vs. Manchester City (Saturday, 10:00 AM, FSC): If anyone out there put money on Manchester City to lead the Premiership after 3 games, they'd be rich. Their foreign signings are, to this point, defying the prototypical logic that says it takes a while for new players to jell together and get used to the faster style of play found in the Premier League. Speaking of foreigners, Arsenal are made up almost completely of non-English players. The fact that Gunners goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is out for two weeks with a knee injury is a blessing in disguise for Arsenal fans as it's been one howler after another for the German this season. Sven's perfect record at City ends here. A thought just occurred to me when I looked at these two teams: No wonder it's not called the ENGLISH Premier League anymore. Arsenal-2, Manchester City-1

7. Chelsea vs. Portsmouth (Saturday, 10:00 AM, Setanta): This is the Saturday morning game I'll be watching live. Chelsea's right back problem was solved today with the addition of Barcelona's Juliano Belletti, although he was not their preferred signing (fellow Brazilian defender Daniel Alves). Ironically, Portsmouth's right back last season, Glen Johnson, who was on loan from Chelsea, is the player who was given an opportunity to win that starting spot with Chelsea this year and just didn't play well enough to do so. Johnson will watch his former teammates from the bench in this game. Chelsea will keep their Premier League record home unbeaten streak going, but they'll have to settle for a point. Chelsea-1, Portsmouth-1

8. Everton vs. Blackburn (Saturday, 12:15 PM, FSC): This game pits teams that will battle it out for two of the three available UEFA Cup spots this season. Everton's two-match winning streak was grinded to a halt at Reading last weekend and Blackburn capitalized on an aforementioned Jens Lehmann howler to snatch a draw with Arsenal. Leighton Baines is set for his Toffees debut as he'll return from injury in front of the new home fans. I'm still not completely sold on Blackburn but an away win here would be a great result for them. With Tim Howard in goal, I find that unlikely. Everton-1, Blackburn-0

9. Middlesbrough vs. Newcastle (Sunday, 8:30 AM, Setanta): It's the first of two Tyne-Tees Derbies this season between the Boro and the Magpies as the Riverside will play host to the late-summer edition. One point separates these two teams in the standings, although Newcastle has a game in hand. Both sides have toiled in mediocrity over the past few seasons and there's no signs of that changing this year. Middlesbrough's problem lies in the fact that their youth academy is so good that the players who come out of it want to go to a big club and Middlesbrough can't afford to pay them. They're a victim of their own success, but success is something Newcastle would love to have in any form. This game screams "draw". Middlesbrough-0, Newcastle-0

10. Manchester United vs. Tottenham (Sunday, 11:00 AM, FSC): When you talk about a failure to live up to expectations in the early part of the season, you're referring to these two teams. The defending champions are winless in 3 games and Tottenham, who many people (including myself) had pegged to finish in the top 4 this season, have only 3 points. It's too early in the year to call this game a must-win for either team but it's about as close as you can get to being one. Usually when both teams need a victory, neither of them get one. I'm still going to give the benefit of the doubt to last year's champions. Manchester United-2, Tottenham-1

Premiership TV Games This Weekend

Saturday, August 25:

Sunderland vs. Liverpool--7:40 AM Eastern, Setanta; Live
Chelsea vs. Portsmouth--9:55 AM Eastern, Setanta; Live
Aston Villa vs. Fulham--9:55 AM Eastern, Setanta Xtra; Live
Arsenal vs. Manchester City--9:55 AM Eastern, FSC; Live
Everton vs. Blackburn--12:00 PM Eastern, FSC; Live

Sunday, August 26:

Derby County vs. Birmingham City--2:30 AM Eastern, FSC; Delayed
Manchester United vs. Tottenham--11:00 AM Eastern, FSC; Live
Middlesbrough vs. Newcastle--8:00 AM Eastern, Setanta; Live


•TV times and channels courtesy of soccertv.com

England-Germany Preview

On its face, tomorrow's friendly between England and Germany (5:00 PM Eastern, FSC) means nothing. The game will be played at the new Wembley Stadium in London, whose former namesake hosted the England-Germany World Cup Final in 1966 and their Euro 1996 semi-final match, with Germany winning the most recent affair. The 2007 edition of this rivalry will be played without some of both countries' biggest stars. Owen Hargreaves, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney (and others) won't play for the Three Lions and Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski, and Miroslav Klose won't suit up for Germany.

When you look deeper however, this game really is important. Embattled England manager Steve McLaren and his team are in serious danger of not qualifying for Euro 2008, cohosted by Austria and Switzerland. They have four home games remaining out of their last five qualifying matches and currently sit in 4th place (they need to finish 2nd or 1st) in Group E, 3 points behind the cutoff line. Tomorrow's friendly provides an excellent chance for McLaren to see some backups and 3rd-stringers play in the hopes that some of them will step up and make a case to contribute in the more meaningful games. It's the guys like Micah Richards, David James, Shaun Wright-Philips, Stewart Downing, and Jermain Defoe who will be given an opportunity to prove that they can provide a spark to a team that's been stagnant since McLaren took over after the 2006 World Cup.

The major problem for England right now is a lack of competition for spots. There's a sense of complacency hovering around the team. Players who haven't done anything for their clubs in the past few seasons are still being handed starting spots on the national team (Michael Owen, Jonathan Woodgate, and Ledley King, I'm talking about you) over the players who have accomplished more and stayed healthy. It's an outrage that a quality, quality center back like Jamie Carragher can't get a game for England over King, Woodgate, and Michael Dawson and it was right for him to quit international soccer for the time being. Holdovers like Alan Smith and Owen still play more often than Darren Bent, Andy Johnson, or David Nugent. It seems like places are being given based on reputation and past performances than current form, and that's not right; it's why England are just a "quarterfinal" team at the World Cup.

Obviously neither side wants to lose this game and that goes without saying. Germany leads their group and are unbeaten so far in Euro 2008 qualifying so tomorrow will simply be a tune-up match for their two qualifiers in September. England would be wise to put a higher value on the game though because if they continue to play the way they have been recently, the only part of Euro 2008 they'll play is spectator.

My Radio Interview

I got an e-mail last week from a suburban Boston radio host, The Brick, who has a Saturday night show from 10-midnight on WMFO 91.5 FM in Medford, Mass., and the surrounding area. He wanted me to come on the show and talk about this site and English soccer in general, as well as the hype around David Beckham. I believe any publicity is good publicity so I agreed to call in and we did the interview Satuday night.

You can download the interview by going to www.wmfo.org, clicking the "Schedule" link on the left, going to the 10-midnight slot on Saturday night and clicking "download last show". It'll take a couple minutes to download so don't click out, and then the Quicktime audio will play. I called in around 10:45, so go about a third of the way into it for my interview.

The Brick House is a great show and streams live on Saturday nights from both WMFO's website and from the show's website, http://thebrickhouse.bravehost.com/index.html. Check it out if you get a chance, it's 2 hours well-spent.

Weekend Recap

Round 3 is in the books and with no games this midweek, Manchester City fans can savor their team's position at the top of the Premiership for a little longer. A sound thrashing over Derby County may not be enough for Tottenham manager Martin Jol to keep his job even though his club has been the best non-"Big Four" team in the last two seasons. Story plots abound in the Premiership; that's why we love it so much.

On to the recaps:

1. Portsmouth-3, Bolton-1 (My prediction: Portsmouth-2, Bolton-1): A late penalty converted by Portsmouth's Matthew Taylor thwarted my predicted scoreline and the fact that it shouldn't have even been a PK just makes it that much unfortunate for me. Nicholas Anelka put the visitors in front after slipping one through David James' wickets, but the Kanu/John Utaka combination struck for two goals in 15 minutes to give Pompey the 2-1 lead. John Utaka's goal was one of beauty; a 55-yard solo run in which he simply outsprinted Bolton's defenders, capped off by rounding Jussi Jaakselainen and sliding the ball into the empty net. Portsmouth remains unbeaten on the season; Bolton can't buy a point right now. I can't believe I picked the Trotters to finish 9th!

2. Middlesbrough-2, Fulham-1 (My prediction: Fulham-2, Middlesbrough-1): I don't think there was any team more unlucky this weekend than Fulham. First their captain and today's goalscorer, Brian McBride, dislocated his left knee on the shot he scored on, then Hameur Bouazza dislocated his shoulder. Worst of all, though, was the potential late equalizer that was disallowed by the assistant referee, who didn't believe the ball had completely gone over the goal line (replays showed it clearly did). Middlesbrough's new signing, Mido, benefited from a Tony Warner howler to draw his side level in the 54th minute and young midfielder Lee Cattermole gave the Boro the eventual winner just 3 minutes from time. Full credit to them for going on the road and getting full points but let's be honest: Fulham were jobbed. These things tend to work themselves out over the course of the year.

3. Wigan Athletic-3, Sunderland-0 (My prediction: Sunderland-1, Wigan Athletic-0): Two home wins in a row for Wigan put them just three victories short of last season's total. Some atrocious defending from Sunderland's substitutes led to two PK's (both converted) and were just the insurance Wigan wanted after Emile Heskey's header gave them the early advantage. Antoine Sibierski has scored 3 goals in 3 games for Wigan this season. He'll go for 4 this weekend at West Ham. Antoine Sibierski?!?

4. Reading-1, Everton-0 (My prediction: Everton-2, Reading-0): Reading won the game in typical Royals fashion: an ugly goal (Stephen Hunt) made to stand up by gritty, hard-nosed defending. Everton threw everything they had and the kitchen sink at Reading to try and snatch a draw, and almost found one late through a James McFadden chip, which hit the crossbar but had Marcus Hahnemann beaten. Andy Johnson picked up the loose ball and got around Hahnemann, but his left-footed short range effort came back off the post. The other American goalie in this game, Everton's Tim Howard, was booed relentlessly every time he touched the ball. Reading manager Steve Coppell has to be happy with his club after the tough run of games they've had to begin the season as they sit on 4 points.

5. Tottenham-4, Derby County-0 (My prediction: Tottenham-2, Derby County-0): Tottenham scored early and often in this game with a goal in the opening minute and 3 in the first 13 minutes. French midfielder Steed Malbranque scored twice for Spurs and summer signing Darren Bent got off the mark with a late tally. If you believe the various newspaper reports out there, Tottenham manager Martin Jol will be fired later this week. His sideline clash with star striker Dimitar Berbatov after their first game of the season and his stated wish to sell Berbatov have drawn matters to a head at White Hart Lane. The board at Tottenham already have a tense relationship with Jol but firing him only 3 games into the season would be a huge mistake.

6. West Ham-1, Birmingham City-0 (My prediction: Birmingham City-1, West Ham-1): Mark Noble's PK was the difference in this game as he converted from the spot after Craig Bellamy was sent sprawling midair by Birmingham keeper Colin Doyle, who then looked as if he wanted to fight Bellamy after the call was made (I don't like your odds in that one, Colin). Noble hit the post on a driven, skidding free kick 25 yards earlier in the game as well. Birmingham head to Pride Park this weekend to battle a fellow newly-promoted side, Derby County.

7. Newcastle-0, Aston Villa-0 (My prediction: Newcastle-1, Aston Villa-1): Michael Owen made his less-than-triumphant return to his Newcastle team as a 63rd minute substitute but played no part in this scoreless game. Aston Villa's new goalie, Scott Carson, on loan from Liverpool, made a great save on a screaming left-footed drive by David Rozehnal in the 36th minute. Not many highlights in this game but I'm left wondering one thing: Why in the world did the Newcastle fans give Owen an ovation when he came on as a sub? He's constantly injured and has been a major disappointment since coming Tyneside.

8. Manchester City-1, Manchester United-0 (My prediction: Manchester United-1, Manchester City-0): Manchester City kept up their perfect record after getting a deflected goal from Geovanni in the 30th minute. Sven-Goran Eriksson's extensive experience in Italian soccer certainly came in handy as City slowed the game to a crawl after that and defended, defended, and defended some more. Manchester United has dictated play in each of their first 3 games but have only 2 points to show for their considerable efforts, something that Sir Alex Ferguson won't be happy about. Wayne Rooney's absence showed considerably in this game. United had plenty of chances and a couple that needed just one touch to finish but couldn't convert, though City's Micah Richards played an outstanding center back all game long. Sven will try and make it 4-for-4 this weekend at tbe Emirates against Arsenal.

9. Blackburn-1, Arsenal-1 (My prediction: Blackburn-2, Arsenal-2): Has any keeper looked worse this season than Jens Lehmann?? He gift-wrapped another goal for an opponent in this game when David Dunn's pedestrian long-range effort was tipped into the net by the German. Robin van Persie scored for the Gunners after a goalmouth scrum 17 minutes into the game. Neither team has lost a competitive game this season to this point but more shoddy goalkeeping from Lehmann and Arsenal will change that. Former MLS standout Ryan Nelsen was sent off for Blackburn after he received his second yellow card.

10. Liverpool-1, Chelsea-1 (My prediction: Liverpool-2, Chelsea-1): Liverpool were denied the victory when a controversial penalty was awarded to Chelsea by match referee Rob Styles. Styles had an extremely rough game in the middle and the Premier League has announced that he won't be working this weekend, a punishment for his shoddy work on Sunday. To be fair to Chelsea however, the Blues deserved a share of the points in this game with the way they played. It seems unlikely they would've gotten a draw without the penalty though and Liverpool had every reason to complain about the decision. Fernando Torres scored his first league goal for Liverpool to put the Merseyside Reds ahead in the first half. Frank Lampard converted the equalizing PK in the 61st minute for Chelsea. This was a great game to watch. Tempers flared all game long between the teams and between the teams and Mr. Styles. "Well, we played hard today because we are champions and we will not complain. We are champions."--Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho after this one.


Prediction results so far ("Wins" are games in which I have the result right, either win, loss, or draw, "Losses" are games in which I don't have the result right. Scorelines are not included): 9-18