Premiership Predictions: Week 6

Fernando Torres struck the derby winner in march
It's derby time on Merseyside. For Liverpool supporters, beating Manchester United might be more important, but Evertonians wait all year for the chance to knock their illustrious neighbors off their perch. Yet, seldom do things go well for the blue half of Merseyside - Liverpool have dominated in recent years, winning 7 of their last 9 trips to Goddison.

Later on Saturday, Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa look to continue their excellent start to the season as they welcome Roy Keane's Sunderland. Expect fireworks on the touchline in that one.

Of the other afternoon kick-offs, Fulham will fancy their chances against West Ham. The Cottagers have a good home record and the West Ham players will take some time to adjust to Gianfranco Zola's management.

Manchester United, languishing in 15th but with a game in hand over their major rivals, are desperate to get their season going. Bolton at home should provide that opportunity with 3 points an absolute minimum.

Elsewhere, West Brom travel to the Riverside. Perhaps Stewart Downing will finally score a penalty?! Joe Kinnear faces Blackburn in his first challenge as Newcastle caretaker. The former Wimbledon boss will need to instill some fighting spirit into a fragile team if he hopes to take anything from Paul Ince's committed side.

Finally on Saturday, the Premiership's pace-setters both take on newly promoted clubs. League leaders Arsenal host a surprising Hull outfit that has impressed many. Fellow newcomers Stoke may have to batten down the hatches again this week when they take on the Chelsea Machine at the Britannia Stadium.

Sunday's games feature a clash between two woefully underachieving clubs, Portsmouth and Tottenham. Pompey's atrocious defending - 12 goals conceded in 5 Premier League games - has been their downfall so far this season. Nothing has gone well for Spurs, but the midweek Carling Cup win at Newcastle could be the start of the "expected" recovery.

The final game of the week pits Wigan against Manchester City at the JJB. The Premier League's joint-top scorer, Amr Zaki, against its record transfer, Robinho. The Brazilian will return for City, along with talisman Shaun Wright-Phillips, having missed the Carling Cup humiliation at the hands of Brighton.

Without further ado, our Premiership Predictions for Week 6 are...


SATURDAY

Everton v Liverpool (Kick-off 1245 GMT)
Prediction - 1-2
Everton's 12th man will do their best, but like of Gerrard and Torres give Liverpool the edge.

Aston Villa v Sunderland (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-0
Villa to remain undefeated at home. The speed of Young and Abgonlahor will hurt Sunderland's less mobile defenders.

Fulham v West Ham (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 1-0
Fulham are turning the Cottage into a fortress. No Dean Ashton is bad news for West Ham.

Man Utd v Bolton (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 5-1
Bolton offer little going forward. If United can score early it could be a rout.

Middlesbrough v West Brom (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 3-2
Boro have been unlucky recently and they have the talent to be a top-8 side. West Brom don't.

Newcastle v Blackburn (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 1-1
Can Kinnear give the Geordies something to smile about? Not yet.

Stoke v Chelsea (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 1-3
Can't see Chelsea slipping up here. Stoke will be more adventurous at home than at Anfield and that will be their downfall.

Arsenal v Hull (Kick-off 1730 GMT)
Prediction - 4-0
Arsenal are in one of those grooves at the moment and Hull aren't the team to knock them off course.


SUNDAY

Portsmouth v Tottenham (Kick-off 1330 GMT)
Prediction - 2-1
Pompey play and defend much better at Fratton Park. The Spurs revival may be short-lived.

Wigan v Man City (Kick-off 1600 GMT)
Prediction - 2-2
Two high-powered attacks go head to head. City have the edge in talent but Wigan are a spirited unit under Steve Bruce and a draw is likely.


Finally, here's a quick recap of how we did last week:

Row ZZ prediction - Sunderland 1-2 Middlesbrough
Actual result - Sunderland 2-0 Middlesbrough

Row ZZ prediction - Blackburn 2-0 Fulham
Actual Result - Blackburn 1-0 Fulham

Row ZZ prediction - Liverpool 3-0 Stoke
Actual result - Liverpool 0-0 Stoke

Row ZZ prediction - West Ham 2-2 Newcastle
Actual result - West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

Row ZZ prediction - Bolton 1-2 Arsenal
Actual result - Bolton 1-3 Arsenal

Row ZZ prediction - West Brom 1-3 Aston Villa
Actual result - West Brom 1-2 Aston Villa

Row ZZ prediction - Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
Actual result - Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United

Row ZZ prediction - Hull 1-1 Everton
Actual result - Hull 2-2 Everton

Row ZZ prediction - Manchester City 2-1 Portsmouth
Actual result - Manchester City 6-0 Portsmouth

Row ZZ prediction - Tottenham 3-2 Wigan
Actual result - Tottenham 0-0 Wigan

Row ZZ picked 6 correct results and 1 perfect score.


What do you think of this week's picks? Let us know by commenting here.

Read More...

Summary only...

They Did What??? Insult to Injury

As if the punishment of a ludicrously awarded goal wasn't enough, the FA has now charged Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd over comments he made to referee Stuart Atwell during the controversial match last Saturday.

This is, in a word, ridiculous. Having refused even to publicly acknowledge the mistake, both the FA and Football League have shown that their much-lauded Respect Campaign is designed to work in only one direction.

Yes, the referees must be respected. But can that really happen when officials make such blatant and uncorrected mistakes?

In a recent article at soccer365.com, I criticized Steve Coppell for not demonstrating more initiative in righting the wrong. One of the good guys, Coppell should be publicly calling for a replay, but in truth he cannot do it alone.

The FA needs to stand up for justice within the game and, regrettably, they have shown very little to Watford.

Do you think the game should be replayed? Are the FA right to charge Boothroyd? Tell us what you think by commenting here.

Also, you still have time to answer our North Poll (in the right sidebar) on the use of video replay in football.

Read More...

Summary only...

The Boot Room: Week 5

Robinho is the star of the show at City
The star performers this week were a pair of Premier League newcomers, one more predictable than the other. At the City of Manchester Stadium, Robinho (discussed in last week's column) set the tempo as Manchester City hit Portsmouth for six. Pompey's defence last season was a model of consistency, with the first choice quartet playing 83% of the combined possible minutes. On Sunday, only the centre-backs from last season's campaign lined up in defence, with Glen Johnson pushed forward into midfield. Robinho took advantage of the confusion, causing mayhem with only 3 of his 52 passes failing to find a sky blue shirt.

The less heralded star performer was Italian journeyman David Di Michele, now of West Ham. Aged 32, the striker hasn't had a 15 goal season since his days with Salertina in Serie B around the turn of the millennium, but took advantage of the general air of celebration that comes to strikers lucky enough to be facing Newcastle United's hapless defence at the moment. Like Marlon King the week previously, he bagged a brace. Any attacker facing the Magpies has to be in a starting line-up until further notice – Blackburn are the visitors at St James' Park next week.

Stoke City keeper Tomas Sorensen had a fantastic game against Liverpool, beating out six attempts on goal to preserve his clean sheet. Through the first four weeks Sorensen had been the second worst player in the game, however, so be cautious with him.


Comeback Kids

Like many at Eastlands, Shaun Wright-Phillips is a man on a roll. Through three games with his new/old team, the diminutive winger has scored 3 goals, created 5 attempts and drawn 10 fouls.

Peter Crouch has combined well with Jermain Defoe
The defence behind him may be having a hard time, but Peter Crouch is settling very nicely into Portsmouth's attack. The lanky Timmy-alike has used his aerial presence to create 13 chances (second most in the league), most of which have fallen to his partner Jermain Defoe, who has more shots on target than any other player thus far. Both are top 30 players in the Fantasy game.

Emmanuel Eboue laboured through his 2007/08 campaign without much impact, playing under 50% of minutes for Arsenal and struggling to adjust to life in midfield following the arrival of Bacary Sagna at right back. he finished outside the top 200 fantasy players. This year, however, Eboue has played in all but half an hour of the Gunners' campaign, right across midfield, and is 13th on the player-rater. His passing is up 9% to 88.7%, and he's drawing fouls and creating chances at an increased rate. Once Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky return to fitness, the Ivorian's place is no longer secure, but it's hard to bench a guy who's playing well.


Shooting Statistics

Can Anelka improve his shooting percentage?
Nicolas Anelka has let 16 shots fly this season, with only 4 on target. Last season the Incredible Sulk had a shooting accuracy of over 56%, so if he can keep his minutes on the pitch up, he should get his radar more fixed soon. Anelka has already scored with 2 of those on-target attempts.

Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa has the most shots without hitting the target of any player so far this season, with 8 attempts, most from his powerful left boot.

Cesc Fabregas fired off 68 shots last season, but has yet to try his hand at goal in 3 games this campaign. The Spaniard has been the most selfless player in the league, with 10 attempts created for team-mates, more than any other player without an attempt of their own on goal. Long throw specialist Rory Delap is second with 9.

Fernando Torres has been struggling to recapture the form with which he tore up the league, and the European Championships, last season. The Spanish hitman has only managed to put 1 of his 7 attempts on target, after an even 50:50 rate in 07/08. The one that hit the target also hit the back of the net.


Looking Ahead

Following the impressive performance of his young stars in the Carling Cup tonight, Arsene Wenger may use the game against Hull this weekend to give some first XI players another rest. Samir Nasri may return for Wenger's team.

West Brom have yet to score away from home, and they travel to the Riverside, where Middlesbrough have a 100% record. After Brad Jones started in week one, Ross Turnbull seems to have locked up the goalkeeping jersey, making him reasonable second keeper for the season and a good short term play for this weekend.

Can Everton's Cahill be the difference in the derby?
Tim Cahill is on a hot streak since returning to fitness, scoring in each match, and has three goals in Merseyside derbies over recent seasons.

Martin Petrov is returning to fitness, giving Mark Hughes a selection dilemma. Stephen Ireland, Sean Wright-Phillips and Elano have been fantastic in the attacking midfield positions in Petrov's absence. Hughes would be mad to change the side that thrashed Pompey 6-0 unless forced to.

Johan Elmander will have a fitness test before Bolton's match at Old Trafford. The Trotters have scored just 2 in 4 since their club record signing injured his hamstring, so Gary Megson will be anxious to get him back in the starting XI.

By Sandy King

Read More...

Summary only...

New North Poll: Video Replay

Aidy Boothroyd's Watford were victims of a farcical decision against Reading
We can only imagine what linesman Nigel Bannister saw at Vicarage Road on Saturday. His explanation, that it was an "optical illusion" seems to be the only reasonable excuse for such a terrible mistake.



If that is the case, should we continue to place all our trust in the officials to make game-changing goal line decisions?

Have your say in the brand new North Poll - Should video replay be used in football?

Vote (in the right sidebar) and comment here.

Read More...

Summary only...

Premiership Predictions: Week 5

Chelsea face United for the first time since Moscow
All eyes this weekend will be at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have their first chance for revenge over Manchester United. The home side will be relieved to have John Terry available after his red card against Manchester City was rescinded. For United, Cristiano Ronaldo should make his league return and the word is that Dimitar Berbatov will feature, at the expense of Wayne Rooney.

Elsewhere Arsenal travel to Bolton in what is traditionally one of their toughest fixtures of the year. Playing away from home, and dealing with opponents' physicality has troubled Arsene Wenger's side in the past; today's game will be a good indication of any progress made.

Of Saturday's other ties, the season's first North-East derby takes place between Sunderland and Middlesbrough, second-place Liverpool face Stoke in what should be a home-banker, Blackburn must bounce back after their 4-0 home loss to Arsenal against a surprisingly good Fulham side, and Gianfranco Zola takes charge of West Ham for the first time by hosting a Newcastle club still in turmoil.

Tomorrow West Brom and Aston Villa square off in the weekend's second regional derby, an all-midlands affair. Then, after the fireworks at Stamford Bridge, Hull welcome an improving Everton, Portsmouth travel to Eastlands for a matchup with Robinho and Man City, and Tottenham will look to secure their first league win of the season at home against Amr Zaki-led Wigan.

Right...let's get down to business shall we? Prediction Time.


Saturday

Sunderland v Middlesbrough (Kick-off 1245 GMT)
Prediction - 1-2
A hard-fought game but expect Boro's extra quality to be decisive.

Blackburn v Fulham (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-0
Fulham often flatter to deceive away from Craven Cottage.

Liverpool v Stoke (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 3-0
Too much firepower for Stoke to handle. Will Robbie Keane finally break his duck?

West Ham v Newcastle (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-2
Two clubs in flux. Neither boasts a watertight defence.

Bolton v Arsenal (Kick-off 1730 GMT)
Prediction - 1-2
Megson will make sure his Bolton side keep Arsenal honest but the Gunners should be ok....just.


Sunday

West Brom v Aston Villa (Kick-off 1200 GMT)
Prediction - 1-3
No shortage of passion in this clash. Villa are on a roll right now and should have too much for their neighbours.

Chelsea v Man Utd (Kick-off 1400 GMT)
Prediction - 1-1
United need a result and a performance. Ferguson's selection - between Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov - will be crucial.

Hull v Everton (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 1-1
Hull suffered a blow with the loss of Craig Fagan. Everton are still far from convincing.

Man City v Portsmouth (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-1
This will be close match between two very talented sides. We're going with home advantage.

Tottenham v Wigan (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 3-2
Goals galore at White Hart Lane. Expect Darren Bent to have some joy against Titus Bramble.


Finally, here's a quick recap of how we did last week:

Row ZZ prediction - Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United
Actual result - Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

Row ZZ prediction - Blackburn 2-2 Arsenal
Actual Result - Blackburn 0-4 Arsenal

Row ZZ prediction - Fulham 3-0 Bolton
Actual result - Fulham 2-1 Bolton

Row ZZ prediction - Newcastle 3-1 Hull
Actual result - Newcastle 1-2 Hull

Row ZZ prediction - Portsmouth 2-1 Middlebrough
Actual result - Portsmouth 2-1 Middlesbrough

Row ZZ prediction - West Brom 2-1 West Ham
Actual result - West Brom 3-2 West Ham

Row ZZ prediction - Wigan 3-1 Sunderland
Actual result - Wigan 1-1 Sunderland

Row ZZ prediction - Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea
Actual result - Manchester City 1-3 Chelsea

Row ZZ prediction - Stoke 0-2 Everton
Actual result - Stoke 2-3 Everton

Row ZZ prediction - Tottenham 2-2 Aston Villa
Actual result - Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa

Row ZZ picked 4 correct results and 1 perfect score.


What do you think of this week's picks? Let us know by commenting here.

Read More...

Summary only...

Soccer365 Column: Crunch Time for the Premier League

With the economy in shambles, many fans look to a their local football club matches for some respite. But increasingly the multi million dollar takeovers and businesslike running of these teams find the line becoming ever more blurry. Soccer 365’s Martin North examines how the financial fall-out might affect English football.

Click here to read my latest column - Crunch Time for the Premier League

Read More...

Summary only...

The Boot Room: Week 4 and Free Agents

Week 4

Player of the week was Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor, who took advantage of some static goalkeeping by Paul Robinson (hate to say we told you so, folks) to bag a hat-trick. Manuel Almunia also contributed to a comfortable win for the Gunners with the best goalkeeping performance this week. The Spaniard, who has claimed he will be eager to represent England once he becomes eligible for consideration, saved all three shots that came his way.

Frank Lampard had a fine week, scoring and creating four chances as Chelsea overcame Manchester City. Lampard is in fact the most valuable player in the Roto FC game through week four, just ahead of Wigan's league-leading scorer and FIFA favourite Amr Zaki. Arsenal full-backs Sagna and Clichy are the highest performing defenders, while Petr Cech leads all keepers, having saved 11 shots and conceded just 2 goals.

Flying under the radar are the West Brom midfield pair of Jonathan Greening and James Morrison. Greening is the eighth highest performing player to date, with some superb passing at a success rate over 88%, which has created 8 chances for the WBA strike force. Morrison saw The End of his time at Middlesbrough in 2007, but has since been able to Light the Baggies' Fire at The Hawthorns. If he carries on creating chances and can add to the goal he scored against West Ham this weekend, he might just Break On Through into the public eye. Be sure to Tell All The People you know to keep an eye on his progress.


New Arrivals

With the first opportunity to make changes to teams in need of an early pick-me-up arriving with the first Free Agent claims, The Boot Room takes a look at the biggest arrivals to the player list since the draft last month:

No place to consider starting beyond the mercurially gifted, and now British transfer-record signing Robinho. Brought in to Manchester City by their new owners as an early statement of intent, the 'little Robin' scored on his debut against his former suitors Chelsea, and this combined with some crisp passing placed him in the top 30 of Roto FC's player rater for the week.

Robinho saw most of his action at Real Madrid as an inside forward, but will play in an orthodox front two for Mark Hughes' City side, a role which should help him improve on the 11 goals he notched in La Liga last season. With a lesser supporting cast than he enjoyed at the Bernabeu however, his tally of 39 chances created may drop back a little. However, if the (roughly) 1,136th man to be dubbed 'the new Pele' had produced his season stats from last year's Spanish league campaign in the Premiership, he would have ranked 9th overall in this fantasy format. If you have first waiver priority, this is a no-brainer.

Roman Pavlyuchenko is the man tasked with filling Dimitar Berbatov's boots at Tottenham, and while he will not match the Bulgarian's all-around game, he is nonetheless a predatory striker who has topped the charts in the Russian league two years running. However, the transition to English football may take a little while for the striker, who told Russian paper Izvestia of his debut:

“'I immediately realised that English football is much faster than in Russia. Our opponents didn't give me enough time to get to the ball properly. That's why I had practically no chance to score. So I'll have to keep it up and work on it. And about 20 minutes before the end, the strength started running out of me. My leg muscles felt unusually cramped up.”

The last part in particular will be a worry for prospective owners, especially as Pavlyuchenko arrives in mid-season condition from the Russian league, which runs March-November. I think Roman may be over-valued by fantasy owners seeking the 'next big thing' and suggest that, while he's certainly worth claiming, he may bring you more in a trade than in your team.

Spanish under-21 striker Xisco also scored a debut goal this weekend, which like that of Robinho was not enough to stop his new team slipping to defeat. Despite being a controversial acquisition who may have inadvertently helped precipitate Kevin Keegan's exit from St James' Park, Xisco is a talented young player who seems to have been highly rated by Deportivo fans. Like Pavlyuchenko he finds himself at a club in desperate need of a good news story, and could become a favourite amongst those fans who remain prepared to turn up on matchdays. I could see 10 goals and a decent partnership with Michael Owen.

Aston Villa completed their summer dealings by bringing Carlos Cuellar in from Rangers too strengthen their back line. The Spaniard did sterling service in Rangers' run to the UEFA Cup final last season and will bring a combative presence to the Villa defence. I see him making an above average number of tackles for a centre back, but picking up his fair share of cards in the process. He chipped in with four goals in the SPL in 07/08.

Manchester City reacted to Spurs' pursuit of Vedran Corluka by bringing in Argentine Pablo Zabaleta as well as Belgian Vincent Kompany. Zabaleta is a powerful defender who lacks the attacking prowess of many modern full-backs and will pick up too many disciplinary points to be anything more than a lower-tier option in defence. Kompany is a centre back by trade who has been used as a defensive midfielder by Hughes in his early appearances in sky blue. His eligibility for clean sheets is a nice perk, but he lacks the creativity to make a real impact, but he is a smooth tackler and comfortable on the ball; in a defensive midfield role he reminds me of Ledley King when David Pleat and Sven-Goran Eriksson used the Spurs man there. I would take him ahead of Zabaleta.


This Week

Consensus number one draft pick Cristiano Ronaldo may look to return to the Manchester United starting line-up after playing 28 minutes of their Champions League tie against Villarreal tonight. If he plays he will go up against John Terry, who is eligible to play after having his recent red card overturned by the league.

Free-scoring Manchester City take on Portsmouth, who have looked much shakier at the back than last year, not helped by the arrival of Younes Kaboul, or as they call him back in France: 'Le Titus Bramble Francaise'. Something has to give at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland, having lost two of two at home, take on a Boro side who have lost both their away games. Perhaps a good matchup for Wigan defenders against a troubled Tottenham attack, while Liverpool's still-gelling partnership of Torres and Keane could help their confidence by fill their boots, and the Stoke City net.

By Sandy King

Read More...

Summary only...

New North Poll: Worst Owners

It's fair to say that there have been more popular owners than Newcastle's Mike Ashley. Not only has the billionaire come under attack from Geordies for the shambolic firing/not firing/resignation of Kevin Keegan, Ashley has also been criticized by a fellow Premier League owner. Now club legend Peter Beardlsey has lept to the beleaguered owner's defence claiming that Ashley "really cared about Newcastle."

So who are the worst Premier League owners? That is the question posed by our latest North Poll (in the right sidebar).

Liverpool's American pair Tom Hicks and George Gillet are personas no grata on Merseyside. Malcolm Glazer has saddled Manchester United with millions of debt. West Ham's Icelandic owner Björgólfur Guðmundsson introduced a management structure that drove Alan Curbishley out after players were sold without his consent.

Are we missing anyone? If you think there's a worse owner in the Premier League choose "other" and tell us about them here.

Read More...

Summary only...

North Poll Result: Walcott Set to Soar

It's time to take a belated look at how Theo Walcott fared in our last North Poll. We asked how many caps England's new star will win. Having usurped David Beckham in Capello's first choice side, will the youngster go on to enjoy a lengthy international career? Or will he fizzle out like so many prodigious talents before him? Is he the next Michael Owen (89 caps and counting) or Robbie Fowler (26 caps)?

Row ZZ readers are cautiously optimistic about Walcott's chances - 57% believe he'll collect between 60-80 caps. That total would place him with the likes Tom Finney, Gordon Banks and Alan Shearer. What really counts, of course, is whether he can help England to a second World Cup.

Have your say on Theo Walcott by commenting here.

Read More...

Summary only...

Premiership Predictions: Week 4

Alex and Rafa: Best of friends
The Premier League is coming back with a bang. Get ready for a Super Saturday with some mouth-watering match-ups. First up, United travel to Anfield for the latest Manc-Scouse derby. Later, the nouveau riche - Manchester City and Chelsea - battle it out in Robinho's debut at (Middle) Eastlands.

Those are the headliners, but there are several other clashes worth watching this weekend. Arsenal's young guns - including a certain Mr.Walcott - face a tough trip to Ewood Park. The match pits Paul Ince, who has admitted being "flattered" over links to the vacant Newcastle job, against "Big Four" opposition for the first time in his meteoric managerial career.

Over at St. James', it will be interesting to see if the anticipated boycott actually materializes against Hull. Whatever the off-field distractions, Newcastle will be favorites against Phil Brown's Tigers.

Also on Saturday, Portsmouth entertain Middlesbrough in a contest between two of the Premier League's up-and-coming teams. Another tasty encounter between improving sides will see Sunderland travel to Wigan. And Gianfranco Zola will be the guest of honor as his new charges take on West Brom at The Hawthorns.

As if all that wasn't enough, Monday night's game between Spurs and Aston Villa should be a cracker. All eyes at White Hart Lane will be on Roman Pavlyuchenko with the Russian set to take his Premier League bow.

Quite a weekend then. Make sure the fridge is stocked. Unless, of course, you're going to one of the games. In which case, lucky you.

Ok...prediction time! Here's how we think Week 4 will pan out...

Saturday

Liverpool v Manchester United (Kick-off 1245 GMT)
Prediction - 0-1
United continue to have Liverpool's number in England's fiercest derby.

Blackburn v Arsenal (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-2
Rovers' physicality stems Arsenal's crimson tide.

Fulham v Bolton (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 3-0
Injury problems scupper Bolton's chances at the Cottage.

Newcastle v Hull (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 3-1
Hull were shambolic against Wigan. Even Newcastle can't mess this one up.

Portsmouth v Middlesbrough (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-1
A clash of small clubs with big aspirations. Home advantage edges it for Pompey.

West Brom v West Ham (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 2-1
With Zola watching, the West Ham players will want to impress. But Albion have been unlucky so far and are, perhaps, due a result.

Wigan v Sunderland (Kick-off 1500 GMT)
Prediction - 3-1
Wigan have excellent firepower and Sunderland struggle away from home.

Manchester City v Chelsea (Kick-off 1730 GMT)
Prediction - 1-1
Not quite a changing of the guard, but City have a chance to signal their intent. Who fancies marking Robinho?

Sunday

Stoke v Everton (Kick-off 1330 GMT)
Prediction - 0-2
After their dismal home loss to Portsmouth, Everton will bounce back against Stoke.

Monday

Tottenham v Aston Villa (Kick-off 2000 GMT)
Prediction - 2-2
Should be a great game between two clubs with lots of English talent. Time to sit on the fence...a draw.

What do you think of our picks? Let us know by commenting here.

Read More...

Summary only...

Clips of the Day: Fab Capello vs Steve van Klaren

Who would have thunk it? It took an Italian to get England playing Total Football. And his bungling predecessor is now plying his trade in the land of tulips.

Capello has already shown what he can do, letting his team's actions speak louder than his words. Having said that, the Italian's transition to English has beeen remarkable. Not only has he mastered a new language, but he does it all without opening his mouth:



Meanwhile, McClaren has adjusted to Dutch society and developed his own unique linguistic skills. Note the authentic, native accent:

Read More...

Summary only...

Player Ratings: Croatia 1 - 4 England

Fabio Capello's England passed their first real test with flying colors, handing Croatia their first competitive loss at the Maksimir Stadium.

Here are Row ZZ's player ratings:

David James - 5
Equal to an early Pranjic effort but dropped a corner during a period of Croatian pressure. Never looked entirely comfortable despite England's dominance.

Wes Brown - 7
With Walcott stretching Croatia's left flank, Brown focused on defensive duties and performed solidly. A safe bet against England's more dangerous opponents.

John Terry - 6
Created a couple of hairy moments with some sloppy touches in the first half. Always committed and should have won a free kick in the build-up to Croatia's goal.

Rio Ferdinand - 7
Assured defending throughout and contributed to second-half England pressure by venturing forward and trapping Croatia in their own territory.

Ashley Cole - 6
Busy night for the Arsenal defender, up against the dynamic Darijo Srna. Attacked with purpose and his harrying helped create England's third goal.

Theo Walcott - 9
Out with the old (sorry David). In with the new. Walcott's pace gives England an extra dimension and his cool finishing belies his inexperience at the highest level.

Gareth Barry - 7
Very quiet, but that's not a bad thing. Kept England ticking along and prevented Luka Modric from having a huge influence on the game.

Frank Lampard - 7
Took his chance in an England side "sans Gerrard," enjoying his best international performance for some time. His disallowed goal would have been the best of the lot.

Joe Cole - 6
Failed to make an impression on the game before being clobbered by Robert Kovac. Occasionally left Ashley Cole exposed after losing possession.

Wayne Rooney - 9
Walcott will take the headlines but Rooney was England's creative force - showed wonderful control and delivered a perfect pass for Walcott's third. Still drops too deep at times.

Emile Heskey - 8
England's battering ram. The only forward available to Capello who relishes playing with his back to goal. Unlucky not to win a first-half penalty.

Subs

Jermaine Jenas (on for Joe Cole, 55) - 7
More effective on England's left than the wounded Cole. Kept the ball in play to set up Rooney's goal.

David Beckham (on for Theo Walcott, 84)
Not enough time to make a significant impression. Sideline encouragement suggests he could have a mentoring role in Walcott's development.

Matthew Upson (on for John Terry, 88)
Enjoyed a five minute run-out with the game winding down.

Tell us what you thought of England's performance? Comment here.

Read More...

Summary only...

Clip of the Day: Newcastle "Boycoutt"

Times are hard for the Toon Army. Less than nine months into Keegan's second coming, the Messiah has gone and Newcastle United is, once again, a club in turmoil.

When will this proud club, with some of the most passionate supporters in the country, finally get their act together and install a capable manager with the license to implement a long-term strategy for success?

Unfortunately, that seems unlikely to happen under the stewardship of Mike Ashley. The self-made billionaire made his name through aggressive brand acquisitions and the shady tactic, employed at his Sports World stores, of perpetual "closing-down" sales.

Newcastle United supporters now find their club in a similarly never-ending state of flux. Fans have called for boycotts before, notably during Freddy Shepherd's reign as chairman. It remains to be seen if the famously loyal Geordies will carry out their latest threats when Newcastle face Hull on Saturday.

For those attempting to organize any such revolt, it would be prudent to make sure the message is as clear as possible. Note to Geordies: make sure all protest banners are spelled correctly...

Read More...

Summary only...

New North Poll: England vs Croatia

After scraping past Andorra (maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it wasn't pretty) England face their first real test of Group 6 against Croatia.

Slaven Bilić's side beat England twice during qualification for Euro 2008 and Wednesday's match will give the first clear insight into how far England have progressed under Fabio Capello.

The new Premier League season may only be a few weeks old, but England will have to be sharp if they want to leave Zagreb with a result that sets the tone for their campaign.

Several key players will be under the microscope:

David Beckham - The suspicion is that Theo Walcott's inconsistency against Andorra will see the former captain return to England's midfield in Zagreb. Beckham still delivers a pinpoint cross (a huge improvement on the woeful Stewart Downing), but aging legs mean he's unlikely to stretch the Croats and his lack of stamina could expose England's right flank to the counter-attack.

Frank Lampard - Lampard is the focal point for many of the current criticisms directed at England's star players. More than most, the Chelsea midfielder has struggled to replicate his club form at international level and suffers from the never-ending debate over his ability to partner Steven Gerrard in the centre of England's midfield. With Gerrard injured, and the workmanlike Gareth Barry in his place, Lampard has the perfect opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.

Wayne Rooney - Still the golden-boy of English football, but it's some time since Rooney lived up to his early promise. A man for all seasons at Old Trafford, Rooney's England performances have suffered as he's lost his penchant for driving at the heart of opposition defences and shooting on sight. Rooney "The Provider" is an excellent all-round player, but he's far less productive and fun to watch to watch than the swashbuckling striker of 2004.

John Terry - Though his place in the team is beyond doubt, Terry's captaincy will be under close scrutiny and his leadership will be vital in the partisan atmospheres of Zagreb and Kiev. Capello's choice of Terry over Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard - players who lead by their example more than their words - will be vindicated if Terry can marshal his backline to keep clean sheets away from home.

Fabio Capello - A draw against Croatia would be a fantastic result for Capello and would serve to draw a line between his reign and his predecessor's calamitous time in charge. England's next two games - at home against Kazakhstan and away to Belarus - are very winnable and a favorable result in Zagreb would set England up nicely for the road ahead.

Tell us who you think has the most to prove on Wednesday. Answer our new North Poll (in the right sidebar) or comment here.

Read More...

Summary only...

North Poll Result: City Success Will Take Longer

In a very close vote, 54% of Row ZZ readers decided that 3 years is a bit too optimistic for Manchester City to break into the Premiership's Top 4.

This one was a real toss up and, although there are plenty of doubters, City do have a great chance if they trust in Mark Hughes and resist the urge to assemble a "dream team" of washed-up stars and former Galacticos. Young talents like Robinho are the way forward, alongside the current squad that features many exciting young British players.

After three consecutive years with the same "Big Four" controlling the Champions League places, it will be exciting to watch City's progress and see if they can crash the party.

Watch out for a NEW North Poll after the international games this weekend.

Read More...

Summary only...

Clips of the Day: Silky Skills

Missing the premier League this weekend? Depressed at the prospect of watching England labor to a 3-0 win over Andorra? Here's a video to lighten your mood. This clip comes from the Sky Sports morning show Soccer AM and it features some of the tastiest tricks of the season so far.

Even the A league has its share of showboaters. Newcastle Jets' Song Jin-Hyung gets in on the act.




No doubt Robinho will soon be wowing Eastlands with similarly extravagant skills. Here's a taste of things to come for City fans. (Tip - You may want to mute the sound)




Finally, a look back at the last great Sky Blues entertainer, Georgi Kinkladze.

Read More...

Summary only...

Soccer365 Column: A Tale of Two Citys

The Premier League landscape has been dramatically altered with the recent purchase of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group. Soccer 365’s Martin North takes a look at the recent move and how it might affect City and their fans.

Click here to read my latest column - A Tale of Two Citys

Read More...

Summary only...

New North Poll: Manchester City

Manchester City shocked the footballing world yesterday when, in the dying moments of the transfer deadline-day, they swooped for Brazilian superstar and Chelsea target Robinho.

The move came after the clubs new owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, failed in a similarly audacious attempt to take Dimitar Berbatov from under the noses of Manchester United.

More blockbuster signings are expected in January, but with the change in ownership comes increased expectation.

Can Mark Hughes deliver the goal of Champions League football within 3 years? If not, his tenure at Eastlands (now dubbed "Middle Eastlands") will be short lived.

Tell us what you think lies ahead for new-look City by answering our latest North Poll (on the right sidebar) or commenting here.

Read More...

Summary only...