EPL, England, Europe, Features, Ian John, Leagues, Regions POSTS

Things that puzzle me…

Published by Ian John on August 23, 2010

Football, Jimmy Greaves often remarked, is a funny old game. Though sometimes it isn’t a laughing matter. Just ask Harry Redknapp’s opinion on plastic pitches, Roy Hodgson on the merits of the football league computer ‘randomly’ selecting games for clubs each season, Sir Alex Ferguson on last minute equalisers and Roberto Martinez on the longevity of a Premier League manager. As we begin the 2010-2011 EPL season, there are still more than a few things that puzzle me.

1. The Fixture Computer: Yes, I know over the course of a 38 game season, each team plays the others in the league twice. So all is fair and above board isn’t it? Well no, I don’t think it is. Take Chelsea’s start to the season. West Brom at home, Wigan away. Who is surprised Chelsea have rattled in 12 goals already? No, me neither. Their main rivals Manchester United also had a home game against a newly promoted side in Newcastle and then an away game at Fulham, slightly tougher on paper and also in practice, but hardly the start to the campaign that would have fans of the big two having sleepless nights due to the worry. Strangely, for the second season in a row, the fixture gods weren’t quite so kind to other teams. Tottenham faced Man City at home and then Stoke away. Man City faced Spurs and then Liverpool, Liverpool meanwhile faced Arsenal and then Manchester City. Which all means that come 3 or 4 games into the season, Chelsea and United will be buoyed and confident from their good start and already several points ahead of the chasing pack. No advantage? What nonsense. Carlo Ancelotti could not have picked a better start to the season for his team, Roy Hodgson, Roberto Mancini hardly a worse one.

2. Aston Villa eh? Strange one this. Kevin McDonald takes charge and leads his team to a thumping 3-0 victory over West Ham, then they travel to St James Park and put on the worst display of defending at the weekend (I even include Wigan Athletic in that) to succumb to a 6-0 hammering. It must be a worrying time at Villa Park at the moment and until they appoint a manager it looks like being a bumpy first few games of the season for Villa fans.

3. West Ham. All that money ‘saved’ or ‘spent’ depending on how you want to view the machinations of Gold and Sullivan, Avram Grant brought in to take the club on from Franco Zola and a 3-0 drubbing at Villa followed by a 3-1 home defeat by the mighty Bolton. Hardly inspirational stuff for Hammers fans. Sullivan and Gold can moan about money all they like, but it isn’t the cash that is the problem at the club. The only problem is, I have absolutely no idea what the problem is, and I am sure I am not alone.

4. Sir Alex Ferguson moaning about Manchester City putting the prices up on players across the board with their aggressive transfer policy. Doesn’t this smack a little rich to you? The worlds most in-debt club complaining how their solvent city rivals spend their money? You could almost accuse Sir Alex of being a little jealous if we didn’t all know that he is never that petty.

5. I went to my first Tranmere Rovers home game of the season at the weekend, with my son in tow. We’d bought him a season ticket and he was hugely excited. A 3-0 home drubbing at the hands of Bournemouth, a performance so inept even Wigan might have drawn with Rovers and 270 minutes and counting without seeing a Tranmere goal and my son is now thinking his father has bought him the worst birthday present in the history of mankind. Still, Swansea on Tuesday night, it can only get better. (Who am I kidding?)

The big game tonight is at Eastlands where Manchester City host Liverpool. Defeat for either could put them in a really awkward spot, with just one point from their opening two games and already five points and many goals adrift of Chelsea. Big game? You bet it is.

Image Courtesy of W10 on Flickr.com

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