Technology Partner


Community Partners

Five Spices

"One accusation you can't throw at me is that I've always done my best." (Alan Shearer) And our Chairman Damon can never be said to be one to make unfair criticisms.

Harsh, but fair, our Chairman dispenses his trenchant, pithy post match analysis of the overpaid heroes and goats that make up the “Happy Band” of Euro 2008. If you're in the prawn sandwich and skim latte club, or part of the "Dippy Darling" brigade this column is not for you!!

Who's hot? Who's not? Who's left their bottle at home? Watch this space carefully as the tournament unwinds.

Previous Analysis :

Week 6.... Week 5.... Week 4.... Week 3.... Week 2

 

Chundering Arsene and other stories

 

Blackburn Rovers 0 - Manchester United 2

No dodgy penalties were required this week as Man United cruised past Blackburn at Ewood. That's not to say there was no controversy - Nemanja Vidic looking to have stuck his elbow up stand-in keeper Jason Brown's oesophagus as Wes Brown bounced the Red Devils' first into the net off the corner of his bonce - just this time the referee will probably escape the frothing indignity of a million armchair subscribers. In truth, with Dimitar Berbatov finally looking worth his price tag (well, if anyone is), the visitors won this fairly comfortably and underlined their supremacy with a classy second goal just after the half hour, when the otherwise subdued Cristiano Ronaldo broke down the right and squared for Wayne Rooney to spoon into the far top corner. The defending champions look back on form.

 

Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 0

Villa's pretentions of barging into the top four this season are likely to be under critical review after they were simply blown away by a fluent Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Dominant from the first whistle, a patched-up Chelsea side finally took the lead after twenty minutes when Frank Lampard put Joe Cole in to smash the ball past Friedel. Just before half time, the home side doubled their lead when Nicolas Anelka tucked away the loose ball after Friedel had blocked both his initial effort and a Ballack drive. Friedel, in fact, proved to be Villa's best performer on the day, keeping the hosts down to two whilst the rest of the side barely mustered an attempt on goal. This being their seventh game in three weeks, Martin O'Neill's lack of options to rotate could well be a contributary factor in a below-par performance. It's Chelsea, though, who go into the international break as league leaders.

 

Everton 2 - Newcastle United 2

Honours even between two sides struggling for form this term but it'll be foul-mouthed Toon gaffer Joe F'Kinnear who'll be happiest with the point after seeing his side come back from two goals down at Goodison. Mikel Arteta was able to open the scoring from the spot for the Toffees just after the quarter-hour after Leighton Baines had been upended by a clumsy Nicky Butt. Marouane Fellaini made it two with a tidy finish just after the half-hour and it looked as if Newcastle were ready to lurch into the next stage of their crisis before "Cockney barrow boy" Steven Taylor headed them a lifeline just before the break. Their inspirational Greenwich-born centre back then provided the cross just after half time that Damien Duff converted to give the small travelling support something to cheer about on their way home ... and perhaps this will prove a turning point in the club's fortunes. Everton's form continues to be fairly wretched, largely unnoticed due to the Keystone Cops antics of both today's opponents and Tottenham, and David Moyes will be hoping the draw may prove a turning point for his side, too.

 

Manchester City 2 - Liverpool 3

City's bubble of optimism was well and truly burst by a battling Liverpool side who came back from two goals down to snatch the three points. In a fairly even-matched first half it was Man City who took the lead when Stephen Ireland latched onto a loose ball in the area and rifled it into Pepe Reina's net on twenty minutes. Five minutes before the break they were two up after Javier Garrido curled home a tremendous free-kick and it looked as if it was going to be the home side's day. Liverpool, though, came out for the second half full of purpose and Fernando Torres pulled a goal back ten minutes after the restart before it all went tits-up for City. First, Robinho contrived to miss an open goal from three yards out, before Garrido was given his marching orders shortly after for an irresponsible two-footed lunge on Xabi Alonso. When Torres somehow managed to put a chance over the bar from all of five feet, it looked as if City may have got away with it, only for the same striker to head the visitors level with a quarter of an hour to go. With both sides down to ten men (Skrtel having been carried off after Benitez had made all his substitutions) the game then looked to be heading for a draw until Dirk Kuyt popped up on the far post to guide a wayward Torres effort home in injury time. It's another three points snatched at the death for the Merseysiders ... they have to be considered serious contenders now.

 

Portsmouth 2 - Stoke City 1

Pompey registered back-to-back League wins for only the second time this season to leave Stoke in the bottom three. In truth, there was a visible difference in class between these two sides and Portsmouth's opener was as deserved as it was spectacular - Peter Crouch a blurred flurry of spindly limbs as he scissor-kicked Jermaine Defoe's cross past stand-in keeper Steve Simonsen. Stoke hit back just after the break, when another huge Rory delap throw caused panic in the Portsmouth area, allowing Ricardo Fuller to steal in at the far post, but parity was to be short-lived and Defoe wrapped things up just two minutes later, letting fly after being given the freedom of the Stoke half. City continue to be bloody awkward to play against but need to start picking up some points ifthey are to avoid the drop.

 

Sunderland 1 - Arsenal 1

If Arsene Wenger was feeling "physically sick" after last week's defeat to Hull, he was in danger of hawking up his ring-piece at the Stadium of Light with just stoppage time to play. In a poor first half, it was Sunderland who made the best of the few chances there were, though Djibril Cisse (chiefly) was unable to make the most of them. With Sunderland looking to close down the match and Arsenal utterly lethargic, it came as a bolt from the blue when Grant Leadbitter spanked home a twenty-yard beauty to leave the Gunners teetering of the precipice of multi-coloured yawn-dom. Fortunately for the bloke who swabs down the changing rooms, though, Arsenal's guts were spared right at the death when the towering figure of Cesc Farbregas (!) launched himself John Hartson-like through a crowded box to head home Robin Van Persie's corner and salvage a point to apply a band-aid to the North Londoners' title aspirations.

 

Tottenham Hotspur 0 - Hull City 1

Sorry Spurs slip up again as Hull's start to their first season in the top flight just gets better and better. It only took nine minutes for the visitors to take the lead - that man Geovanni curling home a thirty yard free-kick for another addition to his personal goal of the season video - and the remaining eighty-odd passed with Spurs huffing, puffing but ultimately failing to blow anyone's house in. The woodwork was struck by both sides in a hugely entertaining game and there was even a late Gareth Bale free kick whistling just past the post to add the the tension ... but it's the Tigers who come out of this weekend an unbelievable third in the table and the Spurs who come out still bottom and without a win.

 

West Bromwich Albion 1 - Fulham 0

Two wins on the bounce and the Baggies find themselves in the top half of the table as Fulham's promising start peters out. In an attractive game, both sides looked to pass the ball around but both suffered from a lack of sharpness in front of goal - with Roman Bednar the chief culprit for the home side. The Czech was eventually to come good, however, turning home Ryan Donk's blocked header on the hour to take all three points for the home side. Albion have made the start they needed to if they are to avoid going straight back down but Fulham suddenly find themselves just outside the drop zone (albeit a win away from mid-table).

 

West Ham United 1 - Bolton Wanderers 3

Bolton arrest their recent slide by inflicting Gianfranco Zola's first defeat as West Ham boss. Despite a positive start for the hosts, the Trotters took the lead when Robert Green inexplicably dropped a cross at the feet of Kevin Davies half an hour in and doubled their advantage when the keeper spilled Gretar Steinsson's volley back into the path of Gary Cahill just four minutes later. Conceding twice in quick succession was a visible body blow to the Hammers and it took until after the break before they started to get back into the game. Largely controlling possession, it nonethless took United until the sixty-ninth minute to give themselves a chance, when Carlton Cole converted Matt Upson's nod back from a corner. It was to be Wanderers who were the next to score, however, Matty Taylor's outrageous free-kick finding the net from nearly forty yards out and game over.

 

Wigan Athletic 0 - Middlesbrough 1

So often the victims of late winners this season, Boro found one themselves to nick all three points from their trip to Wigan. Athletic looked the better side throughout most of this one but the Middlesbrough rearguard, well-marshalled by David Wheater and Chris Riggott, stood firm with Ross Turnbull equal to anything that did get through to him. Four minutes before the end, Jeremie Aliadiere controlled and slotted home Stuart Downing's nod down to send the travelling fans home happy and leave the home support wondering what had just happened to them. Football's a bitch like that, sometimes.