WDKF Wednesday: What a difference a year makes…

It’s Wednesday again and so I’ve written my weekly piece over at We Don’t Know Football. This week I’m reflecting on what has been quite a remarkable year for Tottenham Hotspur. At this point last season they were rock bottom of the Premier League but this time around they’ve had a flying start and recovered from two defeats to United and Chelsea to score ten goals in two games. It’s been quite a turnaround, so make sure you click through to find out how it has come about.

Also, while I’m at it, apologies for the lack of proper posts over the past few days. I’m having something of a crisis of inspiration and motivation at present – there doesn’t seem to be a great deal going on in the world of football at present and I haven’t had the energy or imagination to dig something up to write about. Hopefully I’ll rectify that from now on though, and things will start to pick up in terms of interesting stuff to write about!

For now though, click through to read my WDKF Wednesday article…

Salient Article: Different Worlds, Different Sports

I’ve developed an undoubtedly unhealthy habit of sleeping very little over the weekends these days, largely due to the large amount of live football (and sometimes cricket) that is screened during the nocturnal hours over here. Subsequently, given that Monday is also my busiest day of university, I usually neither have the time nor energy to write anything of any value on these most irksome of days, and today is no exception.

Conveniently though, Monday is the day that Victoria University;s student magazine Salient is published and given that I usually have an article in there, I can at least provide you with a link to the article I wrote for them last week. This week’s column is a consideration of the varying sporting preferences of England and New Zealand and a look at why that is and what it means. It’s a bit of a strange article if I do say so myself…

…but why not click on through and have a read anyway?

Premiership Predictions

As we move into the weekend attention returns once again to the Premier League after some Carling Cup action, and what looks to be a comparatively low-key affair after the dramas and derbies of last week. Still, there are some interesting encounters to look forward to with potential for upsets as all of the ‘big four’ teams face sides against which they will expect to win. I think we’ll see a few surprises too, but hopefully I can call them as well as last week where I got seven correct predictions and one perfect score.

Saturday Fixtures, 3pm kick-off unless stated.
Portsmouth vs. Everton (12.45pm)
With Pompey having lost all six of their opening Premier League matches and looking to be sinking like a stone, they won’t be looking forward to facing an Everton side who have shaken off their dodgy start to score 11 goals while conceding none on their way to three successive wins. Still, with Portsmouth having picked up a morale boosting win in the Carling Cup and myself foolishly tempting fate by writing an article all but condemning the South Coast club this week, anything could happen. I have to back the in form Toffees though.
Prediction: 1-3.

Who wants to win the Carling Cup?

"What are you lot shouting about? It's only the Carling Cup..."

It’s all a bit quiet of late isn’t it? After the drama of last weekend with the time-keeping in the Manchester derby vociferously questioned in certain quarters following on from the previous controversy surrounding Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal, or rather Adebayor’s clashes with Van Persie and the Gunners’ faithful, it seems like football is collectively taking a bit of a breather. A typical Carling Cup week then.

But that’s an interesting thing really, because for me to say that a Carling Cup week of football is a bit like a breather isn’t exactly controversial, given that that’s exactly how it’s treated by many Premier League managers. It’s the one competition that no one is ever really disappointed about being knocked out of, the one from which elimination is actually a ‘good thing’ because it “allows us to concentrate on the league”. But that’s rubbish really isn’t it?

WDKF Wednesday: Is this Football 2.0?

It’s Wednesday again! And to be quite honest there wasn’t really much happening in the world of football apart from – of course – the Carling Cup. Fantastic. However, there I was, trawling the internet for something to write about and lo’ and behold, Sol Campbell provided. About five weeks into a five year contract Campbell has had enough of life at Notts County and walked away from the club.

That, it has to be said, is pretty ridiculous, and brings player power to an all time high, building on the increasing levels of disloyalty shown in football in recent years and in particular over the Summer with the transfers of several high profile players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Joleon Lescott. Over at We Don’t Know Football then I’ve had a look at what this says about the evolution of football as a whole and it’s place in our modern day society.

Click through to read my WDKF Wednesday article…

EPL2?! What is this madness?

The Premier League and the Old Firm: soon to be joined... and divided?

I read on the BBC Sport website the other day that the proposal to increase the Premier League into two tiers of eighteen teams apiece while also introducing the Old Firm Scottish clubs into the equation is to be discussed at a Premier League meeting in November. For years now people have been suggesting that Rangers and Celtic should be inducted into the English top flight, largely because they’re clearly too good for the SPL.

However, I have to say that I am absolutely flat-out opposed to this proposal. It seems to me that whenever we hit on something good, which the Premier League undoubtedly is, those in charge can never seem to accept it for what it is and have to try and keep updating it. What they’re actually doing of course, is flogging a dead horse in the hope that it bleeds money, and I for one will be disgusted if the proposal becomes a reality.

‘Respect the Fans’ Campaign

Not all Evertonians were as lucky as this lot...

Back in April when the ticket allocations for the 2009 FA Cup Final between Everton and Chelsea were announced, I wrote a post about the idiocy of the FA. This was because they gave Everton and Chelsea each 25,000 tickets to the game while giving the remaining 40,000 to members of the FA’s Football Family. This, frankly, was ridiculous and unfair because it meant that some of the hardcore season ticket holders of both clubs would miss out on seeing their club in the biggest domestic cup final in world sport.

And it’s not a new thing either. For years the FA has been giving far too many tickets to its pals and forcing fans of the clubs who are actually involved in the matches at Wembley to buy tickets at extortionate prices through ticket touts, which is where many of those 40,000 tickets will have ended up. As I mentioned, I wrote about this back in April and you can find the article here, but I’ve just come across the ‘Respect the Fans‘ campaign which is well worth your attention and your support.

Salient Article: Flight Potential

After last night’s disappointing draw courtesy of a late, late goal by North Queensland Fury, I’m pretty demoralised and disappointed as a Wellington Phoenix fan. However, last week I wrote an article for Salient, the Victoria University student magazine, which argued that despite our disappointing start to the season, there was no need to write us off yet. And reading it back now that it’s published, I stand by that.

After all, we outplayed North Queensland Fury yesterday, a side who are in good form and came to the Ring of Fire off the back of a 1-0 win over high flying Sydney. We can be pleased then, that we are so disappointed with a draw from this match and the performance continues to suggest that we can be a threat this season – we only lack the ability to kill off games, but hopefully that will come. So if you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps about our draw too…

…click through and have a read of my article, and let’s hope it cheers you up.

For Pompey’s sake, Paul Hart must go.

These are testing times for Paul Hart at Portsmouth.

So yesterday’s Premier League action went pretty much according to script for the most part, with shock of the round perhaps going to Burnley who beat Sunderland – who’ve had a very promising start – by three goals to one at Turf Moor. Probably the most significant result of the day though, was from Villa Park where Portsmouth succumbed to their sixth defeat out of six so far this season. Things really do look grim for the South Coasters.

In fact, things are so grim that despite the season being only six games old, the Eurosports wrap up that I saw on Sky Sports 3 before actually said that “Aston Villa secured a 2-0 win over relegation-bound Portsmouth at Villa Park…” before going on to name the scorers and show the (lovely) finish from Agbonlahor. And that’s the trouble, looking at Pompey at the moment, there’s very little if about it. Relegation seems like a when for them at the moment, so something has to change.

Premiership Predictions

Well, last week’s Premier League action was full of goals and controversy, but it was one to forget for me as Everton succumbed to Fulham on the Sunday and I racked up just three right results with my Premiership Predictions and no perfect scores. Still, just like Everton I remain confident that I’ll bounce back to the good form I showed last season, so I’m pulling my socks up, my magic predictions hat on and getting cracking again…

Saturday Fixtures, 3pm kick off unless stated.
Burnley vs. Sunderland (12.45pm)
Burnley have had a decent start to the season, though they’ve been beaten by Liverpool and Chelsea on the road on their last two outings they did pick up the scalps of Man Utd and Everton at Turf Moor and so will fancy making the most of home advantage again today. The Black Cats have started well too and Darren Bent looks in top form since his drawn out move from Spurs. Both these sides will play good attacking stuff but I think Sunderland may just sneak this one.
Prediction: 1-2.