Roundup for March 29th & 30th

 Derby County 2 - 2 Fulham

Rams confirm relegation at Pride Park. Paul Jewell knew awhile ago that his club would be playing next season in the Championship. Saturday’s result made it official as Derby hosted fellow cellar dwellers Fuham. Emanuel Villa scored his first goal for the club in the 10th minute with a deflection. Diomansy Kamara evened it up fourteen minutes later with a strong drive for the Cottagers. Both sides had their chances to net throughout, but the deadlock was only broken when Dean Leacock deflected Hameur Bouazza’s shot into his own net. County salvaged some pride when Villa headed in his second to take a point from the match. Too bad they are done after one season, but maybe Jewell can get the side put together and make a comeback to the Premiership.

  Bolton 2 - 3 Arsenal 

Gunners resurgent at the Reebok. At the half things looked pretty bleak for Arsenal. Matthew Taylor put the Wanderers up before the fifteen minute mark when he headed home Gretar Steinsson’s cross from short range. Manuel Almunia had no chance of stopping the shot and Bolton were on the board for the first time since March 6th. Arsenal played well in the first half, they just couldn’t be effective enough to dent the twine. Things went from bad to worse when Abou Diaby was shown a straight red for a shocking tackle on Steinsson in the 31st minute forcing Arsenal to fight on for the rest of the match down a man. Just before the half Taylor got his second goal when his shot deflected off of William Gallas and past Almunia.

The second half was a different affair as Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott came in on the hour to give the Gunners a different look. It worked as Gallas found the net almost immediately from Robin Van Persie’s corner, giving life to the visiting fans. Six minutes later Gary Cahill brought down Alexander Hleb in the box. RVP calmly slotted home the penalty for an unlikely comeback. Jlloyd Samuels ended up being the last to touch Cesc Fabregas’ shot in stoppage time, sending it into his own net and sending all three points back to London.

By the way the only difference between Diaby’s tackle on Steinsson and Martin Taylor’s tackle on Eduardo is that Eduardo’s leg actually broke. Diaby went in studs up and hit Steinsson in the shin and could easily have broken his leg too. Characteristically Arsene Wenger saw no problem with the tackle this time around saying “I feel it was more a protective tackle than an aggressive one but he was too high – I don’t complain.”. Well that’s very kind of you Arsene, what about holding your own players to the same standards as you seem to hold any player that wears a different jersey? The tackle on Eduardo was terrible, but the Gunner faithful need to get off of their holier than thou attitude, it’s getting very old.

 Manchester  United 4 - 0 Aston Villa

Roo, Ron and Tev run riot at Old Trafford. Ashley Young’s shot in the early minutes of the match was the closest the Villans would come to winning the game. From that point on it seemed as though it wasn’t going to be if, but by how much. The Red Devils attacked Scott Carson’s goal from all angles, coming close a few times. In the 17th minute Cristiano Ronaldo found himself in the box with the ball falling to his feet courtesy of Rio Ferdinand. The Portuguese winger hit the ball with a remarkable back heeled shot, sending it through the defense and past a very surprised Carson. Ronaldo turned provider for the second goal in the 33rd minute with a one timer cross to the back post and finding a flying Carlos Tevez, who headed the ball in for his sixteenth goal of the season (all competitions).

The two squad’s traded early post shavers as Wayne Rooney and Shaun Maloney each missed left within a minute of each other. Rooney was in an attacking mood and he looked dangerous throughout the second half. Ten minutes into the half he was rewarded when Ronaldo mule-kicked a no-look pass twenty yards to an on rushing Rooney. The striker faked a shot getting Carson to go to ground then calmly rounded the keeper and slotted home.

Maloney nearly drew one back a couple of minutes later and would have made the score-sheet but for a remarkable save by Tomasz Kuszczak. Ronaldo slid the ball to Rooney in the 70th and he found the net once more to finish the scoring at 4-0. Even though they were up by four I was impressed by Tevez’s persistence as he continued to run down the ball and whoever had it until the final whistle. 

 Tottenham 1 - 4 Newcastle United

 Toon trounce Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Darren Bent has had quite a forgettable season so far. It’s hard to score when your ass never leaves the bench. He got the start against the Geordies and in the 26th minute he popped in a cross from Steed Malbranque putting the hosts on the board. Juande Ramos went with Bent, Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane on the attack and in the beginning it looked like it would work as each player had chances to score. Nicky Butt opened the second half with a goal in the first minute to tie the match courtesy of Geremi. Geremi gave his side the lead seven minutes later with a free kick from the edge of the box that Paul Robinson never had a chance to save.

Newcastle kept up the attack and were rewarded by Michal Owen’s curling shot in the 65th minute that was vintage Owen. Mark Viduka showed great presence of mind when he let Obafemi Martins’ pass run through to Owens for the goal. An unselfish move that resulted in a score. Martins showed his skill at the end of the match when he went forward on the counter attack, left Teemu Tainio on his rear and made Robinson look foolish for the fourth goal.  

 

Saturday Wrap Up March 15, 2008

  Derby 0 - 1 Man United 

Ronaldo stars at Pride Park. Rams supporters have to be very proud of their club today as they almost took a point from the champions, and deservedly so. Robbie Savage did exactly what he was brought in for by shutting down United players all over the park. The Red Devils came out firing in the first half and should have gone up by a couple, but yet again they would have been more successful on a rugby pitch. When they were on target Roy Carroll was there. Carroll had a great day in the net and was surely the star of the show for Derby.

On the other end of the pitch Ben Foster made his first start for Manchester United and put in his claim for the future starters job. Derby only had a few chances but they could have scored twice through Kenny Miller before the half. Foster was up to the task though and kept his side from being even more embarrassed at the break. The Red Devil attack kept coming with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs working the home defense. Ronaldo came through in the 76th minute with a super volley just out of Carroll’s reach for the winning goal. Manchester United have made the last few matches much more difficult than they needed to and they had better get their heads out or the season will be circling the drain soon.

  Liverpool 2 - 1 Reading 

Torres continues tear at Anfield. Liverpool reasserted their claim as a top four Premiership club by coming back from an early deficit and putting in a solid performance. In a perfect execution of a free kick with an amazing finish by Marek Matejovsk in the 5th minute. Javier Mascherano matched the performance with a power shot of his own in the 19th to even the score. Just after the break Fernando Torres slid unmarked around the crowd and headed in the winner.

I have been impressed with Torres this season and his almost effortless ability of finding the goal. Not impressed however with Steven Gerrard. Watching him dive with minimal contact from Andre Bikey then give the Reading defender a bollocking showed me that he is not only a world class diver, but a whinging prat.

 Arsenal 1 - 1Middlesbrough

Gunners escape at the Emirates. Arsenal again pulled a late escape as Kolo Toure scored from a deflected ball with his noggin in the 86th minute to save major blushes for the hosts. Middlesbrough had gone ahead early through Jeremie Aliadiere’s finish of a controversial play. Mark Schwarzer booted a long kick into the Boro offensive half that was met by an apparently offside Tuncay Sanli. The flag stayed down and the Turk found Aliadiere who calmly slotted home. Arsenal had the best of the possession throughout the match, they just could not crack the Boro defense until deep into the match.

The Gunners seemed to have joined Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea in the petulant club with their oh so professional performance after the final whistle. Watching Emmanuel Eboue verbally assault referee Mark Halsey after the match is indicative of the top four mentality that they deserve to be treated differently than everyone else.

Other action- Portsmouth 2-0 Aston Villa; Sunderland 0-1 Chelsea; West Ham 2-1 Blackburn

Saturday Wrap Up February 9, 2008

With twelve weeks left in the Premiership season things are going to get dicey for those in the Relegation Race. Every match is another step closer to making the rounds of the Championship grounds next season. Let’s look at the results from those lurking at the bottom of the table.

Spurs cruise at Pride Park. Paul Jewell tried his best to help the Rams avoid the drop in January when he brought in a seasoned group to help shore up all areas of their game (see January 10th posting). Even with the new arrivals Derby have only 9 points in 26 matches this season. Tottenham didn’t give the home side a chance to move off of the bottom of the League. The first half held some opportunities for Derby as they hassled the Spurs enough to provide some chances for themselves. Giles Barnes came close a couple of times and could have given Jewell his first win since taking the helm.

The second half saw Juande Ramos adjusting early to counter a very game Rams attack and was rewarded by Robbie Keane’s 68th minute cleanup of a Roy Carroll rebound. Younes Kaboul and Dimitar Berbatov drove the point home with late goals for the visitors. Jewell has to be proud of the effort put forth by the lads today. I am concerned for his ability to hold onto players like Barnes and Kenny Miller when they go down. Tottenham 3-0 Derby County.

Fulham falls at the Riverside. Gareth Southgate trotted out new signing Afonso Alves early in the second half, but Boro’s record signing was overshadowed by Jeremie Aliadiere’s early goal. The Teesiders three points gave them a little room for themselves from the drop zone while the Cottagers supporters are already getting the train schedule for Hull City pinned to the fridge. The early goal put Fulham on their back foot for much of the game until Clint Dempsey and Leon Andreasen gave the home supporters a couple of moments on edge. In the end Roy Hodgson might be available for Finland again this summer. Middlesbrough 1-0 Fulham.

Toffees unimpressive at Goodison. Everton looked like anything but a Champions League hopeful as they downed a scrappy Reading side through Phil Jagielka’s header in the 62nd. David Moyes’ boys had some unbelievable chances to put the wood to the Royals, they just couldn’t find the net. What happened to Andy Johnson by they way? The man will run all day and his tenacity is unquestionable, BUT when the keeper is out of the goal and nothing is stopping you how can you miss that badly???? In the end Everton did just enough to pull this game out, Reading should have probably gotten a draw though.

Stephan Hunt could have given the Royals a very early lead with a 25 yard free kick that gave Everton keeper Tim Howard fits. Nicky Shorey also had a good opportunity to get the visitors ahead when he found David Kitson for a header that sailed over the bar. Steve Coppell likes an ugly match and this one was ugleee. Everton 1-0 Reading.

Elsewhere: Sunderland helped their cause as they dumped Wigan Athletic at the Stadium of Light 2-0. Bolton couldn’t find the net at the Reebok, but Portsmouth did 0-1. West Ham hosted Birmingham City to a draw 1-1. Aston Villa watched Michael Owen put Newcastle ahead, then thumped the travelling Toon 4-1.

Saturday Wrap Up January 12, 2008

Gunners gutted at Emirates. How Arsenal didn’t get full points in this match is the mystery. Birmingham City had two shots in the game to Arsenal’s sixteen. Usually if there is that much of a discrepancy you would expect the more active team to win. Emmanuel Adebayor’s  penalty in the 21st minute seemed to be a harbinger of things to come, but, the Blues had a stifling defense that had an answer for every flashy move that the Premiership leaders tried. A Gary O’Connor header from a Sebastian Larsson corner in the 48th minute leveled the score and the Arsenal rush was on. At the end of the game the London side spent as much time in  the City box as Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor. They just couldn’t find the twine and in the end they had to settle for the draw. Arsenal 1-1 Birmingham City

            

Ronaldo adds to Toon Woes.  Like him or not, that boy can score. The Red Devils opened the match with plenty of shots at Shay Given. Wayne Rooney had enough chances in the first half hour to match most people for an entire game. The England international kept the Newcastle keeper limber he just couldn’t get the ball in the net. Alan Smith welcomed himself back to Old Trafford with a foul on Ryan Giggs that should have resulted in a penalty to open scoring in a scrappy first half, but referee Rob Styles set the tone by ignoring one of a string of fouls on both sides.

The second half opened up when Styles finally joined the game mentally and gave a free kick to Ronaldo after Smith fouled him just outside the box. The Portuguese winger drove the shot from 20 yards out under the jumping wall and past Given to open his account. When all was said and done the little diver finished with a hat-trick while Carlos Tevez tallied two and Rio Ferdinand (not to be outdone by his brother’s earlier game winner) drove in a header from a Rooney cross. Steven Taylor was amazing at the beginning of the second half as he kept Man U off of the scorecard with an amazing display of defense on his own goal line. In the end the Red Devils went back on top of the table on goal difference. Manchester United 6-0 Newcastle United.

         

No Derby day at Pride Park. Four new players went from signing a few days ago to starting for the Rams today. Robbie Savage, Emanuel Villa, Laurent Robert and Hossam Ghaly all made their debut for Derby County, but none were able to bring a victory to the beleaguered cellar dwellers. Savage and Ghaly were able to give some backbone to the midfield, which was comforting, and they were able to give the defense some much needed help.

The Latics had the lion’s share of shots (13-3) but just could not break through until Steve Bruce sent in Antoine Sibierski in the 81st minute. Forty-three seconds on the pitch and the Frenchman broke Derby’s heart by slotting home the winner. Wigan earned their first away win of the season while pushing the Rams ever closer to the precipice. Derby County 0-1 Wigan.

         

Missing African players, same result at Stamford Bridge. Avram Grant got his man when he brought in Nicolas Anelka this week for 15 million pounds. But he really didn’t need him for this one. Tottenham Hotspur played hard but Juliano Belletti put them behind early with a brilliant shot from thirty yards out. Dimitar Berbatov had a chance to tie with a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 69th minute. The visitors had to watch as his shot went just wide. Shaun Wright-Phillips sunk the dagger in the 80th with a low drive. The final score really isn’t a good snapshot of this match, they both played well.

Anelka came on mid-way through the second half. He failed to score, but Chelsea are going to have to bend the crossbar back into shape after it stopped a rocket from the Frenchman. His second attempt was palmed away by the keeper. If Grant can convince him to play with Didier Drogba this will be a duo to be reckoned with.

Paul Robinson had to watch this one from the bench as Radek Cerny got another start ahead of him. Cerny said earlier this week that he felt Juande Ramos was going to bring in a new keeper which doesn’t bode well for either of the two he already has. Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur.

                 

                                       

Aston Villa 3-1 Reading; Everton 1-0 Manchester City; Middlesbrough 1-1 Liverpool; West Ham 2-1 Fulham