Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (December 12-14)

The busy Christmas period is fast approaching for the sides in England with this being one last quiet week ahead of that time. Teams have a chance to prepare this week, but next week will see them open a stretch of three games in an eight day period and that recovery time and squad depth will be tested to the full.

Another weekend is in the books and this one also came with two big draws for the Euro 2016 Finals and the Knock Out Stages of the Champions League and Europa League which will commence in February.

Pressure Continues to Build on Louis Van Gaal

I have never been a fan of Louis Van Gaal and don't buy his previous 'successes' outside of his time at Ajax. When he first was expected to be the next manager of Manchester United I made a note of saying his best experiences as a manager came in the last century, but that we had to give him time to right what had been a disastrous time under David Moyes.

Any Manchester United fan had to know it would take time and Van Gaal had to be supported even if my personal opinion was that this was a manager who greatly overestimated his own achievements over the last fifteen years.

Van Gaal has had eighteen months and has spent a lot of money to mould the squad to his liking, but the football remains as uninspiring as ever and now the results are also beginning to suffer.

Being knocked out of the Champions League in a weak Group was a disaster, even if the money men at Old Trafford achieved their goals, and a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth has increased the pressure on a man that simply doesn't look like he knows the answers.

His substitutions are baffling and Van Gaal has killed any creativity that might have been in the squad. The team play like robots and to a set system, but the blood and thunder of the Premier League has exposed those limitations while Van Gaal has never quite understood that this is a unique League.

Not for quality, but the sheer fact that any team in this League is capable of beating any other on their day. And 'smaller' clubs are not financially constrained as they are in La Liga or the Bundesliga so they are more than capable of coming out and giving the 'big' clubs big problems.

Yes Manchester United are generally defensively sound even if the last week has been poor. But as an attacking threat they are very easy to negate at times and the lack of urgency or tempo, even when drawing or losing a game, is inexcusable and a poor reflection on the manager.

Van Gaal has continued to ignore the obvious problems- every interview bar one at Arsenal and one at Crystal Palace has spoken about the dominance Manchester United have had and the chances that most fans simply don't see.

And if David Moyes had spoken about United not being able to compete at the top level of the Champions League after he had spent a quarter of a billion pounds I honestly think he would have been lynched.

Outside of the fancy sounding foreign name, too many similarities with Moyes are beginning to worry me. The training is being criticised now, the conclusion that dominance of the ball is a good indication that a game is in control, and the outward expression that Manchester United are not able to compete and perhaps looking at other teams with envy are mistakes both managers have made.

Do I think it's time for Van Gaal to go? No, I think a snap judgement at this stage of the season would be a mistake as Manchester United are still in the top four. The idea that another banner will be flown over Old Trafford this Saturday is beyond a joke and highlights why some United fans are complete idiots.

However, failure to beat Norwich City followed by defeats at Stoke City and at home to Chelsea might start changing the opinion of not just myself, but the board at Manchester United too. Even if United do finish top four, I do think there has to be some evaluation of Van Gaal's position at the end of the season if the 'progress' and the 'philosophy' continue to show no sign of being a hit.

United can't afford to back this manager with another huge outlay of spending if that progress is not there and there are big options out there. Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti are the obvious names that might be available and I think there are some big decisions ahead for Ed Woodward and Manchester United.

Aston Villa Need the Greatest of Great Escapes

Appointing a manager who has had no experience of doing that in the Premier League looks to have blown up in Aston Villa's faces and I think it is going to take some miracle for this club to avoid the drop. After flirting with relegation for the last few years, Aston Villa might not have the time to be saved by the January transfer window as it is hard to see how they can entice anyone good enough to help them when in the position they are in.

Six points from sixteen Premier League games is an embarrassment to be frank and there is little to suggest that improves. Aston Villa have a huge game at Newcastle United on Saturday, a team that has won two in a row, and a defeat there effectively puts them down before Christmas Day as far as I am concerned.

This is a poor squad.

One that I would seriously worry about when going into the Championship and definitely not one I see challenging for an immediate return to the Premier League. In fact I would be more worried about the team 'doing a Wolves' and suffering back to back relegations down to League One!!

Defensively Aston Villa are a mess and they don't have enough goals in the side, while missing out on the huge increase of money being put into the Premier League next season is huge for this club.

So many mistakes have been made since Martin O'Neill left the club and it looks like the chickens are coming home to roost for Aston Villa.

Leicester City and Chelsea, What a Difference a Year Makes!

Go back to December 13th 2014.

Here is one club leading the Premier League table having earned 39/48 points and three points clear of the second placed team.

The other is bottom of the table with just 10 points earned and five adrift of safety.

The tables have really turned for Chelsea and Leicester City since with the roles reversed in one calendar year.

Ok, Chelsea are not bottom of the table, but how many would have predicted the reigning Champions would have lost nine times by this stage of the season and be down in 16th place with a point separating them from the bottom three? And how many would have doubled that up with Leicester City leading the Premier League heading towards Christmas?

Leicester City beat Chelsea on Monday Night Football to retake their place at the top of the pile and not many would argue they didn't deserve that. Even Jose Mourinho admitted his team didn't deserve anything less than what they got and the pressure has built on the Portuguese manager.

In fact there has been a board discussion about Mourinho's future in the wake of that defeat and his criticism of his squad and the feeling of 'betrayal' he has. There is even some suggestion that Mourinho won't make it to Christmas as manager of Chelsea and this is a club that looks like it is being ripped at the seams.

On the other hand Leicester City couldn't be closer together as Claudio Ranieri has continued what was a very good job to end the last campaign by Nigel Pearson. Ranieri hasn't changed too much, but he has given his players a new level of belief and Leicester City have to begin thinking about the top four now and a Champions League place.

Keeping hold of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy through January is key and Leicester City might even add a couple of players to increase squad depth. Some have suggested that might rock the boat a little with new characters being brought into the squad, but I think Ranieri has the personality to integrate new members for his squad and Leicester City might just be ready to have the best season in the club's history.

Euro 2016 Finals Draw

I don't think I have ever been truly convinced about the increase of the European Championships to twenty-four teams, but you can't help but be excited about a major international tournament to fill in the summer void we have every other season.

Maybe the Group Stages will be less exciting than in previous years with only eight of the twenty-four nations involved being knocked out at that Stage.

However, there are enough games to look forward to even that early in the tournament which will get the fans up for the event, mainly those involving the Home Nations.

England were inevitably going to be paired with one of the other Home Nations considering Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were in Pot 4. It was Wales who came out and I think both England and the Welsh have to be confident of getting out of their Group.

That isn't the case for Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland who both received daunting tasks. Even the additional four places offered to the best third placed sides might be beyond them, although I would give Northern Ireland half a chance to be able to get the results needed.

Martin O'Neill admitted he didn't enjoy the draw as the Republic of Ireland were placed in the 'Group of Death' alongside Italy, Belgium and Sweden, and they will do well to get anything out of that. At least Northern Ireland can look at Poland and Ukraine and perhaps think they are good enough to earn some kind of win from those games which could be enough to move into the Last 16.

I did also go through a quick breakdown of the draw and ended with Spain, Portugal, France and Germany as the final four with England going out at the Quarter Finals Stage. However, the tournament is still months away and will be re-evaluated closer to the time once injuries, form and other factors are considered.

Champions League and Europa League Knock Out Draws

It still grates that Manchester United are out of the Champions League, but it won't be a big surprise if two more English clubs exit at the Last 16 Stage after the draw was made on Monday.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea had their 'worst case' scenario come true as they were paired with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. It is hard to see either improving on their Last 16 showing from last season in those ties if everyone is fit going into those games in February and March.

Barcelona look the team to beat and PSG are earning more and more experience at this level while they looked superior to an in-form Chelsea last season, let alone a Chelsea team that is out of sync this time around.

Manchester City should be the most pleased as they drew Dynamo Kiev, a team Chelsea took four points off in the Group Stage, and I think City will progress fairly comfortably over two legs. This could be a huge moment in their European development getting into the Champions League Quarter Finals for the first time and Manchester City could be a dangerous team to face as the competition goes on.

Oh, and just to really rub in Manchester United's defeat, Wolfsburg managed to draw the weakest team in the Last 16 when they face Gent in the next Round.


Manchester United fans might not want to be in the Europa League, but this looks a competition that might produce some big games as the teams are whittled down. The draw to face Midtjylland over two legs in the Last 32 looks like one Manchester United should be able to progress from, although no one will take anything for granted after the failures in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur might be disappointed they didn't pick up an 'easier' tie than Augsburg and Fiorentina respectively after winning their Groups, but I would expect Jurgen Klopp's knowledge to help the former through.

Tottenham Hotspur might have been beaten by Fiorentina last season at the same Stage, but having the home fixture second is important and they might be able to reverse that result. However, that looks a tough tie for a Spurs team that is also battling in the Premier League for a top four spot.

There are other big ties to look forward to in this Round: Borussia Dortmund v Porto; Villarreal v Napoli; Shakhtar Donetsk v Schalke; Galatasaray v Lazio; Sporting Lisbon v Bayer Leverkusen; Marseille v Athletic Bilbao.

Those show the strength left in the Europa League and the potential for some huge matches later in the tournament.

Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (November 28-29)

The last month has been very busy with some big changes coming up in my personal life which had taken away some of my focus and time to put up the posts I have wanted to.

Things are settling down somewhat at the moment and that should present more opportunities for me especially with the College Football season winding down and the tennis Tour on a break until the new calendar year.


Another round of Premier League fixtures are in the books in November and now the teams will be looking 'forward' to the big December and January schedule which means a lot of games are going to be played over the next six weeks. There are final European matches for the 2015 year to be completed as well as League Cup Quarter Finals, a number of quick rounds in the League before the FA Cup Third Round in the first week of the New Year.

Busy times ahead, but here is a quick look back at the action that took place this weekend.

Have Aston Villa Already Left Themselves With Too Much to Do to Avoid Relegation?

After going down to a 2-3 home loss to Watford, the Premier League table doesn't make for good reading for Aston Villa fans. The side have managed to earn just five points all season and that leaves them seven points behind Sunderland in 17th place and some of the fans must be looking at The Black Cats with some envious eyes.

I was not convinced of the Remi Garde appointment as manager simply because he has had no Coaching experiences in England. Yes he is a former Arsenal player, but that doesn't mean he understands the inner workings of the Premier League and I think most Aston Villa fans would have preferred someone like Sam Allardyce who has experience and the resume to back up his ability to keep teams in the top flight.

Allardyce might not be to everyone's liking, but his performance at Sunderland would just have underlined what he can do with limited squads who look completely out of the required quality to stay in this League. Most thought Sunderland were doomed when Allardyce took over but the manager has guided them out of the bottom three while Aston Villa have remained as terrible as they were before Garde took over.

A 4-0 loss at Everton followed by a 2-3 defeat at home against Watford has left Aston Villa in a very difficult spot in the League table and there are little signs their new manager is going to help them turn things around.

The next few weeks are crucial for Aston Villa and perhaps already for their manager- they play at Southampton, Newcastle United, Norwich City and Sunderland in that time with home games against Arsenal and West Ham United. Anything less than 8 points from those games might not be good enough and see teams moving too far in front of Aston Villa.

A lack of experience in the squad, which was pointed out by Micah Richards this week too, doesn't suggest Aston Villa have the characters to get out of their current predicament and this could be a club that becomes one of a host of 'sleeping giants' struggling to get out of the Championship.

Is Steve McClaren's Position as Manager of Newcastle United Untenable?

Last week we heard reports that Steve McClaren had got into the faces of a number of the Newcastle United squad after the 0-3 home loss to Leicester City. Most notable of the names was the Captain Fabricio Coloccini and McClaren didn't dispute the reports later in the week.

The former England manager would have been hoping for a big reaction and must have been pleased to see his side take a 0-1 lead at Crystal Palace this weekend.

That was as good as it got for McClaren though as Newcastle United slumped to a 5-1 defeat, the second time they had led an away game only to lose by at least four goals this season.

The former much maligned manager of Newcastle United sat in the opposition dugout and must have felt a huge amount of sympathy for McClaren after hearing the fans turn on him during this loss. It was the same fans that effectively made it easy for Alan Pardew to return to Selhurst Park, this time as manager of Crystal Palace, and I am not sure how long McClaren is going to get.

I do believe he is a capable manager, but the last few months have been difficult for him first at Derby County and now at Newcastle United. Falling out with the players might mean they have given up playing for McClaren and the fans have certainly turned against him now with a number of heavy losses behind him.

You have to feel another home defeat this weekend to Liverpool might see Mike Ashley make the move at manager having seen Sunderland respond impressively to their new manager, but I have no idea who would want to take this job. There is no investment being made to further the club on the pitch and it is all about the bottom line off it which is resulting in another relegation scrap.

It isn't good enough for the fans and relegation would be a huge blow from a financial standpoint for Ashley which may result in McClaren being the fall guy.

Wayne Rooney's Position in the Manchester United Team Finally Under Threat

There has been a clear downward trend in the Wayne Rooney performances over the last couple of years to the point that David Moyes' biggest mistake as manager of Manchester United might have been to ignore Sir Alex Ferguson and offer England's leading goalscorer a new contract.

Perhaps Sir Alex saw this downward spiral coming and he recognised that Rooney's best days were behind him, or perhaps he was settling an old score, but it has reached this point where Rooney's position in the team has been openly questioned by many.

Anyone who has watched Manchester United play will recognise that there have ben problems.

Forget all the media who make excuses that he is not a Number 8, 9, 10, 11, and forget others who want to blame Louis Van Gaal for all of Rooney's problems and just look at the basic attributes of the player.

The first touch has never been great, but it looks a lot worse when the pace has disintegrated to the point that he can't recover those mistakes. The passing in the final third to create chances have been wayward on too many occasions and Rooney is struggling to find the space in the box to try and fashion any chances.

That has resulted on him getting deeper and deeper, but so many attacks have come to an end with the ball at his feet- either a misplaced pass to no one or losing the ball to the opponent has become a far too common feature of his play and he is clearly not a top class footballer any more.

When the best argument people have for Rooney is 'how effective he was five years ago', you know those same people are recognising a spent force but are unable to separate their emotions from the performances they see.


So the result at Leicester City wasn't the best, but for the first time Louis Van Gaal yanked an ineffective Wayne Rooney from the field of play at a point in the game where Manchester United didn't have the game won.

It has been a long time coming to put it bluntly.

Too often it has felt his Captain privileges meant his poor performances were being overlooked while the likes of Anthony Martial and Ander Herrera were being forced to play in unfamiliar positions or left on the substitute bench.

Van Gaal spoke of a small injury being carried by Rooney, but I am hoping he has seen the problems being caused by a player who has been far below average for far too long. Maybe having some time spent out of the first eleven would help Rooney rediscover some of the energy that has been sorely lacking in his play even if I personally think he is finished at this level and needs to be moved on in the summer if that is possible.

Maybe Rooney goes on a big run over Christmas and silences some of his doubters? Personally I think it is more likely he will continue struggling to influence the play while being a chief culprit in the poor Manchester United performances in the final third, but hopefully Saturday has proved to be the point when Van Gaal has said enough is enough and EVERYONE should be responsible for their performances, Captain or not.

Has the Diego Costa-Jose Mourinho Relationship Broken Down Irretrievably?

I am using words you may find more common when you read of reasons for a divorce, but that might be where Diego Costa and Jose Mourinho are effectively heading too.

After being left off the bench through the entirety of a goalless draw at White Hart Lane, Diego Costa was caught on camera at what looked like an attempt to throw his bib at Jose Mourinho.

That comes just days after Mourinho admitted they had a half time 'kiss and cuddle' following an argument coming off against Norwich City.

It is clear that Mourinho has tried his best to get his players to rally in what has been a poor campaign for them to date and one that leaves them looking unlikely to get back into the Champions League through their League position. Diego Costa has been a figure that has taken a lot of criticism because he is no longer scoring the goals that had people forget his tendency to wind up opponents and get into the greyer areas of what you can do on a football pitch.

Without the goals Costa is nothing more than a wind up merchant and that isn't going to be enough for Chelsea.

Perhaps now that attitude is beginning to rub Mourinho up the wrong way and what looks like a falling out between two stubborn characters is unlikely to be resolved quickly. Diego Costa showed last year he can be a very good player, but he has been set back by a niggling injury which never seems to be fully healed and I am not surprised Chelsea are being linked with bring in replacements.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Costa heading back to Spain at the end of the season too as he has become a player that is more of a problem for his own team than he has been to opponents.

Who is the Premier League Title Favourite Heading into December?

Some people might think it is disrespectful I have an image that doesn't include Leicester City but does include Chelsea.

To be fair Chelsea would only be in as the current Champions, but it would take something special for them to win the title from the position they are in.

In terms of Leicester City, if they are still within touching distance going into the New Year, I will change my mind about a team who have overachieved but have big challenges ahead.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur would perhaps take a top four berth ahead of a title challenge this season but there is only 6 points between Liverpool in 6th and Manchester City leading the Division as teams fail to put a consistent run together.

Despite my questions about Wayne Rooney, Manchester United have a set of fixtures prior to Christmas that can see them lead the way as long as they take the points expected. If there is a genuine title challenge brewing at Old Trafford, Manchester United have to win home games against West Ham United and Norwich City and also win at Bournemouth before tougher tests on Boxing Day and December 28th.

However, I am not sensing United will have enough goals and I truly can't look beyond Manchester City to reclaim the title at this point of time.

Manchester City have the deepest squad and they might be getting healthier now at a time when the whole squad is going to need to be utilised. I place them above the rest of the League in terms of quality at their disposal, while they seemingly have more character than Arsenal who are fighting through injuries and dropping points they shouldn't be.

There are only 2 points between Manchester City and Arsenal and they do have a big game days before Christmas at The Emirates Stadium, but the latter have just slipped up of late.

I have had a look at what the League table may look like when the FA Cup Third Round weekend is played and I think there is a chance that things are as tight as they are the moment in terms of points differential. I have Leicester City slipping down the table from their current heady heights of 2nd and have the side down in 7th place, and have the top of the table in the same positions other than Leicester moving out.

With the quick turnaround of fixtures during December and the turn of the year, it is easy for things to change through injuries, suspensions or simply tiredness, but it does set the Premier League up to be an exciting five months to decide the title.

It is just still hard to look past Manchester City as being the team to beat.

Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (October 17-19)

It was an another interesting week in the Premier League as domestic football returned following a two week break. Time has been of the essence this week and so I will get on with my few thoughts following the action this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp Takes Charge for the First Time for Liverpool

I was a little surprised by some of the reactions to Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge as if Liverpool had played so much better than they had in previous weeks under Brendan Rodgers.

I am not ragging on Klopp here, but I also think people are super-high on the German at the moment and that means he can do no wrong in the early stages of his time as manager. That is certainly good news for Klopp who will be given the time to establish his philosophy (listening to too many Louis Van Gaal press conferences) at the club, but I think the same problems that existed for Rodgers will apply in the coming months.

Namely Klopp will need some luck with injuries which have again reared their head at Liverpool- Daniel Sturridge missed out, while Danny Ings is a potential long-term casualty which leaves Liverpool short up front.

The return of Sturridge and Jordan Henderson for a prolonged period make Liverpool a much different team than the one that took the field at White Hart Lane and that will be key to how well the side do this season, regardless of who was going to be in charge.

The goalless draw at White Hart Lane was an impressive result on paper, but the key for Klopp will be to turn a few of these draws into wins and get Liverpool moving up the table.

My opening grade for Klopp has to be a 'B -' because I wasn't expecting Liverpool to win at Tottenham and it was a good result. In saying that, the performance was average so he gets a slightly above average grade because of the injuries Liverpool have to deal with too.

How Long Will Aston Villa Give Tim Sherwood?

A managerial change has been made at Sunderland, a team in the bottom three alongside Aston Villa, and that might have a few of the board members at Villa Park considering their own manager's position.

Another defeat in the Premier League has heaped the pressure on Tim Sherwood and I do think the game against Swansea City next weekend is a huge one for him.

It hasn't been that long since I said I have warmed to Sherwood and I do think he needs to be given time, but Aston Villa's League position isn't helping his cause and the fear of being cut off in the bottom three has to be playing a big part in the rumours.

You can't blame Randy Lerner considering the money that is going to be pumped into the Premier League next season and relegation could be very difficult for Aston Villa to recover from. They've been flirting with relegation for a few years, but there was a real hope that Aston Villa would be much higher in the League table this time around after it had looked like Sherwood had sparked some form.

Losing Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph has been tough, while the replacements still need time to gel, but I am not sure Sherwood will be given the time to oversee that. It is a big weekend for the manager and anything other than a victory might mean Sherwood is moved on and the likes of David Moyes, Garry Monk and Brendan Rodgers are targeted to get the club out of trouble.

Leicester City's Character Cannot be Questioned

On the one hand you might be worried as a Leicester City fan that your side keeps falling 2-0 behind in games, but on the other you'd be proud of the character that they have displayed to come back and recover points in those games.

The Foxes were at it again this weekend as Jamie Vardy scored twice to help them come from 2-0 down to earn a draw at Southampton and I have been very impressed with the character they have displayed through the season.

There has been no drop off from the form that carried Leicester City to safety at the end of last season even though Nigel Pearson was removed as manager and I think the players need to be given a whole load of credit for that. Claudio Ranieri has been smart enough to keep the 'Tinkerman' from interfering too much and Leicester City have responded.

How far can that character take them? I am not sure they can keep falling 2-0 down and think the fitness and belief will help them come back on a consistent basis. It would be a disappointment if Leicester City failed to finish in the top half of the table, although pushing on for a European spot through their League form is going to be difficult.

I wouldn't be surprised if they go deep in one of the Cup competitions though as this is a team that will be a pain in the backside for any in the country, especially knowing their focus can be completely on those Cup games. Later in the season the top teams need to balance Europe with their domestic schedule and that is where Leicester City, and the next team I talk about, potentially take advantage to give their fans a memorable 2015/16 season.

Potential for West Ham to Finish in the Top Six

West Ham United have had five away games in the Premier League and four of those have been at sides that currently occupy places in the top ten in the League table. Stunningly, West Ham have won all four of those games on their travels and they might be moving into the Olympic Stadium next season having secured their best League finish of the century.

The Hammers finished 5th in the 1999 Premier League season and while that still looks a big ask to match that final position, I really do think this is a team that can potentially do that.

It all will depend on whether they can find the right balance at Upton Park where they have won just one of their four home games in the Premier League.

West Ham are up to 4th in the Premier League despite their home record and improving at Upton Park while maintaining these ridiculously high standards away from home might potentially see them as a dark horse for a Champions League place.

However, I think they will have a hard time to do that and improving the home form could instead lead to a top six finish. The problem for Slaven Bilic is he has found the perfect counter attacking tactics away from home which are much harder to employ at home where the space is restricted.

The 2-2 away draw at Sunderland, when West Ham were 2-0 down and fortunate to be in the game at half time, might suggest The Hammers will struggle with 'expectation'. These are the kind of issues that Bilic will have to fix if they are going to finish in the top six and remains the big questions to be answered around a West Ham United team that have had a magnificent start to the season.

A few thoughts from the last week in Football (February 11-19)

It has been two weeks since the last time I put down a few of my thoughts from the week in football so I have a little bit more to look through.

Some of the issues may seem like they happened a lifetime ago now as football moves on so fast, so I won't cover those in great depth.

Hopefully I will be able to get back to doing these on a weekly basis, but that is something that will be dictated by work pressures unfortunately and finding the time between writing previews and thoughts.


1) Where do Arsenal go from here?: For the second season in succession, Arsenal have found their season in tatters before we get to 'squeaky bum time' and the question is relevant as to where they will go from here. The Gunners are effectively out of the Champions League following a crushing defeat in the San Siro last week and have now fallen out of the FA Cup at the 5th Round as they have reached 7 years since they have last won a trophy.

The pressure is on the management and staff to make sure that they get into the Champions League, but the best they can hope for on that front is reaching the Qualifying Round as they had to pass this year.

Even that is no guarantee with a host of clubs queued up behind them and they have to find their form quickly.

The game against Tottenham Hotspur was usually a 'gimme' for Arsenal fans over the years, but this Sunday the tables will be turned as Spurs come to the Emirates intent on keeping their title ambitions alive while denting their North London rivals' own abitions.


2) Fourth place is up for grabs: The Premier League was not in action this weekend, but Newcastle United and Liverpool must feel they have a great chance of securing the coveted Fourth Place in the Premier League as Arsenal and Chelsea continue to show massive vulnerabilities in their own play.

Both London clubs struggled mightily in their respective FA Cup ties, and both have looked vulnerable in the League all season so surely the other two teams in contention for this place will be full of confidence.

Newcastle United would be the surprise package if they could manage it, while Liverpool may just finish with one of their most successful seasons in recent times if they can get back into the Champions League as well as adding a couple of bits of silverware too. They host Arsenal and Chelsea during the remainder of this season and will feel comfortable having already played Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur twice this season.


3) Aston Villa cannot afford to lose at the DW Stadium this weekend: I said, with my tongue in cheek, that Aston Villa fans may have to deal with a relegation scrap if they don't pick up form a couple of weeks ago in my preview for their game with Manchester City, and that could become a real concern if they were to lose at Wigan this weekend.

Villa are currently on 28 points, leaving them 7 clear of those in the relegation zone, but a defeat could suddenly leave them in an extremely uncomfortable position.

Speaking off the top of my head, I believe they are yet to play Manchester United (Away), Liverpool (Away), Arsenal (Away) and Chelsea (Home) in the League this season, so those 7 points could quickly evaparote with a defeat on Saturday.

Alex McLeish has been under pressure even since accepting the job as he came across town from Birmingham City and that could be increased ten-fold with a defeat at the weekend.


4) The Premier League being the best League in the World: Now I personally hate it when the Premier League is described this way, usually by Sky in hyping a game or by fans that haven't visited a stadium more than twice in their lifetime, as I just don't believe it is true.

There was a period recently when the English sides would do very well in Europe, but they never had a sustained period of dominance in actually WINNING the Champions League, with only Liverpool in 2005 and Manchester United in 2008 winning the top prize since the famous Treble-winning United side of 1999. To prove the Premier League was the 'best League', surely English sides should have won more than a couple of titles in the last 12 seasons, especially considering Real Madrid and Barcelona accounted for 4 of those between themselves in that time and the two Milan clubs have shared 3 titles.

On Wednesday last week, we saw one of the two remaining English representatives hammered at the San Siro, while Manchester United and Manchester City were preparing for their first Europa League games.

The Premier League may be the most 'competitive' League, but the League is of a poor standard as far as I am concerned.

I say this as a United fan myself- the fact we are sitting 2 points off the lead with the midfield we have operated this season is a sad indictment of the quality in the Enlish Premier League rather than anything else.


5) And they said Patrice Evra was the liar?: Over the last 3 months since the incident between LS and Patrice Evra, we have heard a bunch of rhetoric coming out of Anfield from people like Kenneth Dalglish straight through to the players and the fans, with most of that people an attempt to discredit Patrice Evra and the allegations he had made.

There have been a number of PR gaffes throughout that time (those T-Shirts being the most embarrassing without a doubt), but it all seemed to come to a head at Old Trafford 10 days ago.

The most influential way Liverpool had felt it was right to defend their own player was to accuse Evra of being a liar, Dalglish in particular saying soon after the allegations had been made that 'he has done this before, hasn't he?'

I even remember people telling me it was Evra's word against LS's word and that Evra was a known liar so how could he be believed...

Since last Saturday, I have heard nothing but radio silence...

You see LS was proven to be an absolute liar when he informed the club and his manager that he intended to shake Evra's hand, only to decide against it at the last minute... He didn't tell anyone, everyone believed LS when he said he would shake hands, so I guess the FA believed the right person after all.

The embarrassment was not complete though for Liverpool as Kenneth decided to blow up live on TV moments after the game (not quite Kevin Keegan levels, but very enjoyable all the same) and then we once again got all the Liverpool fans up in arms that EVRA had refused the handshake and it was all a conspiracy against the club- some even went so far as to say that Rio Ferdinand should have some consequences for his refusal to shake LS's hands (they were being serious too).

The climbdown on Sunday, courtesy of the American owners finally deciding to make a stand, saw a number of apologies come out of the club- far too little and far too late considering there was no apology over the whole incident that began this sorry affair.

Right now, I don't think it is too far fetched to believe that LS will be shipped off in the Summer at the request of the owners, especially since the refusal to shake Evra's hands had reached the New York Times on Sunday morning.

Saturday 13th August Football Picks (English and Scottish Premier League)

Finally... After 2 loooong months, football is finally back in its finest form as the English Premier League returns to action. After all the riots that broke out up and down the country over the last week, it will be nice to be able to sit down and be entertained for 90 minutes and forget about all the crap... well unless you have a ticket for Ewood Park to see Blackburn play Wolves (sorry Blackburn and Wolves fans).

It is always tough to predict how teams will react at this stage of the season as new signings are blooded and different teams will be at different stages of the return to full match fitness. For that reason alone I would not launch myself into a 2 footed tackle (my fault for following Rio Ferdinand's Twitter page) and dive into big picks.

Instead, I have had a look through the Saturday coupon and picked out the following matches:

Liverpool v Sunderland (http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11300-Liverpool-v-Sunderland.htm)

Fulham v Aston Villa (http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11306-Fulham-v-Aston-Villa.htm)

Newcastle United v Arsenal (http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11301-Newcastle-United-v-Arsenal.htm)

Inverness CT v Rangers (http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11317-Inverness-CT-v-Rangers.htm)

You can either just skip to the bottom of the post for my picks or read my full thoughts at the links provided in the brackets


MY PICKS: Liverpool win to nil @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Fulham @ 2.20 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Newcastle United-Arsenal Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.05 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Rangers win to nil @ 2.38 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)


AUGUST FOOTBALL UPDATE: 3-4, - 2.1 Units