Premier League

Spurs top of the premier league, who could have thought it, I think this season will be one of the closest title fights in the short history of the premier  League, and don’t be surprised to see a new top four.

I know  common sense dictates that it is to early to write any teams of, but I don’t think Liverpool will hold on to top four status this year, I did not see the second game against Stoke which they won 4-0 but I understand from reports that Stoke were exceptionally poor, however I did watch the Spurs game and I will say I was underwhelmed by the Scousers.

Man City look like they may gatecrash the party at the top after spending 200 million pounds they really cant do anything else, Chelsea look very strong and they seem to have a extra toughness about them this year, they have won all three games played so far this season coming from behind each time, this new diamond formation Ancelloti has them playing looks very effective and they can only get better as the season goes on.

As for the current holders of the title and my team Manchester Utd, I don’t think they will have things their own way, and I will reserve judgement on their chances of a record breaking four consecutive titles until a few more games have been played.

Though it will be difficult to adjust to a post Ronaldo formation, the team was built around him for the past few years, I have been reasonably impressed with Utd’s start this year though the blip against Burnley was unexpected, we are playing without arguably the Leagues best central defensive partnership Ferdinand and Vidic due to injury’s.

Up front I am confident Owen will prove to be a good buy, Rooney is proven quality, and Berbatov looked brilliant, Giggs looks to have a new lease of life and was inspirational in the first game, against Burnley Utd created lots of chances and were unable to convert the Burnley keeper also had an exceptional night, as The manager Ferguson pointed out I would be more concerned if we were not creating the chances rather than the fact we could not convert chances on the night.

So sit back and enjoy the next 8 months and lets see how close my prediction will be. This is my top six in order and it is in print now so I cant change it, come April next year I will be proclaimed the best pundit of all time or the most deluded only time will tell.

Man Utd (Champions)

Chelsea

Man City

Arsenal 

Spurs

Liverpool

DurdensView Tags: Premier League, Rooney, Giggs, Ferguson, Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs

Manchester Utd

The Premier league is in full swing and now the unexpected first couple of results are out of the way, you always have surprises at the beginning of a season, but now the teams are settling down the cream begins to rise to the top.

And this season promises to be a cracker with an unbeaten Chelsea looking very solid playing some good football, a little lucky against Stoke yesterday managing to get a result in the very late stages of a tough game. Liverpool have managed to get a couple of results under there belts to after a not so good start.

But the best news as far as I am concerned is about my own team Manchester Utd, after a Luke warm start by their very high standards the Champions have started to turn on the style, despite the massive gap left by the departure of Christiano Ronaldo who left in  a 80 million pound deal to go to Real Madrid.

The way a ten man Utd destroyed a Spurs side yesterday was awesome to watch, Spurs who had had their best ever start to a season winning their first four games 5-1, 2-1,5-1, 2-1,  but they were no match for the Red Devils when play like they can., there were so many performances around the pitch that it is difficult to pick a man of the match, though Darren Fletcher may have just edged it from the fantastic Wayne Rooney who is rapidly turning into the player everyone knew he could be.

So after all the pundits saying this could be the closest title fight in years and if I’m honest I thought so to, it turns out the same two teams will fight it  out again.I didn’t think Utd would get into the flow so easily after the disruption of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez leaving, but as usual the master Tactician  Sir Alex Ferguson has carried on business as usual, so here we go a two horse race between Manchester Utd and Chelsea, and everyone else can fight for the scraps, actually I can name the first 3 places add Man City into third , Mark Hughes looks to have got it  spot on with his buys and they will be hard to beat this season.

DurdensView Tags: Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, League, Champions

FA Clowns

Liverpool boss rafael Benitez faces a touchline ban  after being charged with improper conduct by the FA,this is because  Rafa  tapped his glasses as he spoke about referee Phil Dowd after losing to Spurs earlier in the season.

Now far be it for me to stick up for anyone remotely concerned with the Scousers let alone their manager but I have to say this is ridiculous, it’s getting so that soon managers or players for that matter wont be able to open their mouths at all.

Last time I bothered to check this was still a free Country (only just) and free speech was still tolerated, The FA are making themselves look ridiculous and petty if they follow through with  this charge.

One of the great things about football is that every game has a talking point an incident or two in a game that friends and work colleagues can argue and debate Monday morning, we all have our own opinions and different takes on how we see incidents in a match, why should managers not be afforded the same right to discuss and argue their points to.

So I hope the FA reconsider and drop this, Liverpool have enough problems this season on the pitch without outside interference, when they drop out of the top four this season I don’t want them to have anything they can blame except their own shortcomings.

Incidentally this will be the only time I ever stick up for the whinging Scousers.

DurdensView Tags: Liverpool, Scousers, Rafa, Benitez, FA

It’s not over till its over

I was bombarded with text and email taunts last night after the Man City Man Utd game, it appears a lot of my tormentors think that City are through to the Final of the league cup, when in reality it is only half time after all  its a two leg match. I suppose the excitement of the result has affected the anti Utd brigade more than normal.

It was a entertaining game particularly  the last 10 minutes  which was edge of the seat stuff particularly if you follow Utd, City have a one goal advantage going into the second leg last week courtesy of a ridiculous penalty decision, even the most faithful City fan must admit it should not have been awarded as initial contact was outside the area and Bellamy went down for no reason after he got into the box, but no matter the game is poised nicely and I have full confidence in The Red Devils turning around a one goal deficit.

An interesting game for neutrals tonight Spurs play Liverpool in what could be a job decider for Benitez, as I don’t like either Manager I’m not sure which way to lean, Harry is a thief and Rafa is incompetent, I should hope for a draw but I will  come down on the tax dodgers side for no other reason than to annoy my brother (a Liverpool Fan).

DurdensView Tags: Man Utd, Man City

Harry Redknapp

In a newspaper report yesterday referring to Harry Redknapp the Spurs manager who yesterday was charged with false accounting (a posh term for fiddling his tax).  He was described as a successful long serving Premiership manager.

He has won one cup in 50 years hardly “successful” Harry reminds me of a used car salesman I don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth, I predict  that he will be found guilty, sadly he cant be hung for this offence and he will walk a way with a fine while still protesting his innocence and how he was “fitted  up”, there are people out there who will swallow this line.

The footballing establishment however  know how bent Harry is that’s why he has never seriously been entertained as a England Manager, that and his appalling success rate.

DurdensView Tags: Harry Redknapp

Taliban- Sick Animals

Just saw a news report that the Taliban have detonated a huge bomb on the outskirts of  Kabul, it was very near a primary school and 12 of the reported 25 dead are schoolboys. It appears the truck carrying timber with the  bomb hidden beneath it skidded of the road and finished in a ditch quite close to the school, when emergency services came to help it was detonated manually.  Now it could be argued that the truck was being driven into Kabul to target a Government building or an army barracks, not that that would be acceptable, but with their twisted logic they could perhaps make a case of being at war. But once the truck has stopped by a school only containing civilians what earthly justification could there be for detonating it, these people claim to act in Gods name, they are animals, sick animals , and sick animals need to be put down. I hope this spurs on the US and Afghan forces to smash these people wherever they find them.