Posts Tagged ‘Man Utd’
Premier League 2009/10 Mid Season Reveiw
It is almost the same old….. same old…..in the Premier League this season, but with one notable exception missing from the top four so far. That team is obviously Liverpool, but they are hanging in there in fifth spot and have Spurs and Arsenal in 4th and 3rd respectively well in their sights.
That said many are saying that the Premier League has already been won this season with no team seemingly capable of catching Chelsea at the top of the table and that the main interest will lieu in the battle immediately behind them.
It has to be said that Chelsea have been ultra consistent so this season where it is becoming unimportant whether they will win or not but more so by how many. They have already netted 36 times this season and conceded a paltry 8, with only 1 goal conceded at Stamford Bridge in 7 matches played.
Much of this improvement has to be down to new boss, Carlos Ancelotti who has picked up the baton handed to him by Guus Hiddinck and has improved the side even more, without it has to be said spending any money this season. Chelsea’s latest results speaks volumes about the form that they are in and why it would be difficult not to back them to regain the Premier League title. It is more than a daunting run and it is why Chelsea get 10/10 for their performances so far this season.
Man Utd winners of the Premier League for the last three seasons and with eleven wins overall are leading the chasing pack, but even they have slipped five points behind with just over a third of the season gone where they have already lost one of their two matches against Chelsea.
Yes it is true that United have lost the invaluable services of the world’s most expensive player, Cristiano Ronaldo and they miss, Carlos Tevez more than they would care to admit to. Nonetheless, they have Wayne Rooney proving himself as one of the great players of modern times but it is his partnership with Dimitar Berbatov that just has not struck gold as yet and they could struggle on all fronts if it completely fails.
United get a 7/10 so far for their efforts this season.
We all know that Arsenal play the prettiest football these days, they have long since moved off their unwelcome nickname ‘Boring Arsenal’ of the past and produce some of the most talked about football anywhere in Europe. However, it is when they come up against the big boys when they are left wanting and their most recent game against Chelsea, where they were crushed 3-0 at home sums up their chances of winning the Premier League for the first time since the 2003/4 season.
Arsenal are also guilty of dropping points against teams that they really should not. The defeat at Sunderland was the latest of these, should they continue then it could be them and not Spurs who will have Liverpool climbing all over them by the end of the season.
Arsenal get 10/10 for entertainment but only 6/10 for the overall improvement.
Perhaps the biggest surprise so far is the progress of Spurs under Harry Redknapp. They have held out in the top four all season so far and will be beginning to think that they can make Champions League qualification for the first time next season.
The ‘Glory Glory’ days are not quite back at White Hart Lane, but they are showing huge improvement since Redknapp took them on. They have an excellent squad of players where very importantly contains several proven goals scorers at this level. They have scored 33 times so far this season, with Jermaine Defoe currently the League’s equal leading scorer so far with a third of them.
Spurs are worth 8/10 for their efforts so far this season.
Liverpool, have had a miserable time of it so far this season. They have struggled for consistency in the League and have already been eliminated from the Champions League. Their two star players, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have been in and out of the side due to niggling injuries which has cost the ‘Red’ the foundation for consistency.
Perhaps being knocked out of the Champions League will do them good, at least they can concentrate their efforts in one direction only. They only have two teams to catch to gain a coveted top four spot and we all know how good they can be when the whole team is firing.
They are only worthy of a mark of 5/10 for efforts so far this season.
If the second half of the 2009/10 Premier League season is anywhere near as exciting as the first half then football fans are in for an exciting five months.
Free Bets: Premiership Soccer Betting Preview
Last year’s campaign was one of the most enthralling and competitive seasons for a few years. Man Utd eventually won the title by 6 points with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal making up the top quartet. Will this year be as interesting? My guess is without a doubt, yes. Teams have strengthened again this year but with some real quality signings, not just cheap foreign imports but players with pedigree and potential such as Liverpool’s Fernando Torres and Chelsea’s Florent Malouda. This piece will run you through the major players for the coveted title (with a few surprise inclusions) and the teams who may have to fight tooth and nail to stay up.
Manchester United – 5/4
Where better to start than with last seasons Champions. Sir Alex has been relatively busy in the transfer window this year with England midfielder Owen Hargreaves being the major signing. He is a player who will do all the leg work in the team, tracking back and protecting his defenders. This will allow Scholes, Carrick and the more centrally located Giggs to maraud forward and to add to an already impressive attack. Two fairly unknown quantities are the youngsters from Sporting and Porto, Nani and Anderson. These have cost Utd a combined fee somewhere in the region of £25m-£35m, so they must have a lot of potential. Utd assistant Carlos Quiroz will have no doubt watched these players on many occasions to splash out the sorts of figures that have been banded around. They are both attacking midfielders and although they may not be an instant hit, they may warm up to the Premierships fast pace and then take the league by storm ala Cristiano Ronaldo. Overall Man Utd have a huge chance of retaining their title, providing the main two players Rooney and Ronaldo have another relatively injury free campaign. This for me is my main concern. They are by no means a one man band but lets face it, the two R’s made all the difference for Utd last season.
Liverpool – 6/1
It is probably best to start with saying that Liverpool are one of my strong fancies for a good title challenge this season, although 6/1 isn’t massive – it is still a bet that I will be placing. Liverpool have made plenty of signings so far and quality ones at that. We all know Torres’ pedigree and is potentially a special player. He literally carried Althletico Madrid for several seasons, taking the captains armband aged just 19. Ryan Babel is another quality signing. Anyone who saw this lad in the U21’s European Championship knows what he can do, we mustn’t forget that he also has 14 full international caps, netting 4 times. Benayoun and Ukrainian Vornin seem to have settled in well too, especially the latter, he has been named LFC man of the match twice out of his three pre season friendly appearances scoring twice. I think what is more important than the signings is the hunger shown by all of the players. They have been quoted as saying how important the opening weeks of the season are. This is where Liverpool have slipped up recently. The Premiership cannot be won in the first 10 fixtures but it can be lost. In summary – Liverpool are a good bet at better odds than Man Utd and Chelsea, with for me – similar potential.
Chelsea – 13/8
Jose Mourinho is never one to shy away from the media spotlight, even when the team is in L.A on their pre season tour he still manages to put his two penneth in. He recently said that all of the pressure is on Man Utd and Liverpool this season as they have been the “spending clubs”. While this may be true I do not whole heartedly agree. Chelsea have the reputation of being up there with the “world’s elite” and rightly so – after winning back to back League titles, but last season they lost their title and got knocked out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage yet again. Make no mistake they are under pressure too. The addition of Frenchman Florent Malouda will certainly help their cause, especially if Robben does leave “the bridge”. Ex Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has also been added to the squad, although I fail to see where he will fit in with Lampard, Ballack, Essien and Makele. Chelsea will be chomping at the bit to regain their title and this is what makes them so dangerous. Obviously they too have an excellent chance of regaining it and it will be up to the rest to stop them.
Arsenal – 9/1
Not many peoples fancy this season, but this can be such a huge advantage for the Gunners. After losing Henry and Ljungberg, many people have written of their chances of winning the league – this can be dangerous. Arsenal will be playing with little pressure this season, they have been quoted as being in a “transitional period” which will only push them on to be stronger and pressure free. Croatian International new boy Da Silva may or may not work out, but one man who will step up and be counted for is Van Persie. He was missing for a lot of the season last year and will be looking to make amends. He will be first choice up front in my opinion and is one for your Fantasy Football teams. The young players at Arsenal had a good shot in the first team last year with all of the injuries – this too is an advantage for the Gunners. Whilst they do have a chance at winning the league, I feel they MAY fall short. The squad is very thin with not too many new signings, an injury to Gilberto or Fabregas could be detrimental to their challenge.
Tottenham – 100/1
Spurs will not win the Premiership this season, BUT they are a cracking bet for “without the big 4” at 11/8. They have a very youthful and skilful squad, the addition of Darren Bent and Gareth Bale will be huge. Spurs’ weakest position for quite a while has been left back. Bale who has gone to Spurs with a big reputation will make this position his own and do very well. Dimitar Berbatov was awesome last year, his first season at Spurs and in the Premiership and he scored 25 goals in all competitions. That is truly outstanding, now he is in his second season you would expect him to be even better. For me, worth a good punt for 5th place betting and if they do make 4th or 3rd which is likely – you will still win.
The relegation battle is often more exciting than the actual title race, we’ve seen plenty of last day survival games recently. Wigan were very lucky not to be relegated to the Championship last season, instead the plucky Sheffield Utd took the drop. It may be different this year, Paul Jewell has now left the JJB and he will be missed more so than if Heskey, Baines and Scharner were all to leave. He has proven in the past he is an excellent manager and you have to wonder whether Chris Hutchings can keep them up. At 5/4 to be relegated you’d have to be mad not to back it. Derby have to be an obvious choice to go back down, I can not see them having the ability or the squad to stay up, however 1/2 is hardly a price to be jumped upon. The final relegation place isn’t so simple. It would have to be a toss up between Fulham (2/1) and Birmingham (5/6), only a minor preference for the former
Fernando Torres Signed Liverpool Photograph
Signed Photo: Liverpool 2 Man Utd 0
Personally signed by Fernando Torres
This photograph shows Fernando Torres celebrating after scoring Liverpool’s first goal against Manchester United on October 25, 2009. The Merseysiders beat Utd 2-0 as once again El Nino ran United’s defence ragged, leading to a red card for Nemanja Vidic for the second successive game between the two clubs.
Thissuperb shot is 16 inches by 12 inches in size and was personally signed by Torres at an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Spanish striker in Liverpool on December 1, 2009.
The photograph is one of only 50 that were signed by Torres and comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Torres signing the photograph. It would make an incredible Christmas present for any Liverpool fan.
Buy the Fernando Torres Signed Liverpool Photograph Now.


Fernando Torres Signed Photo: Goal Against Man Utd
£74.99
This photograph shows Fernando Torres celebrating after scoring the first goal in Liverpool's 4-1 demolition of Manchester United on March 14, 2009.The result, which briefly blew the title race wide open, was one of the highlights of the season for Liverpool fans. The fact that it took place at Old Trafford, where Man Utd had previously been so invulnerable, made the victory even sweeter.This highly collectable piece of sports memorabilia, which is bound to become a classic image, is 16... More


Fernando Torres Signed Photo: Goal Against Real Madrid
£74.99
This photograph shows Fernando Torres celebrating after scoring the opening goal for Liverpool in their 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid on March 10, 2009.The result, which sent a message across Europe that Liverpool were a force to be reckoned with once again, was one of the highlights of the season for Liverpool fans and set them up for their drubbing of Manchester United at Old Trafford only days later.It was also particularly sweet for Fernando, thanks to his long-standing association with Real... More


Fernando Torres Signed Spain Shirt
£199.99
This Spain shirt was personally signed by Fernando Torres in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Liverpool and Spain striker in Liverpool on August 7, 2009.The shirt has been embroidered with stitching commemorating Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany in the Euro 2008 final. It is one of a limited number of only 35 that were signed. With Torres scoring the winning goal in Euro 2008 this is a highly collectable shirt and one that is likely to increase in... More


Fernando Torres Signed Photo: First Goal For Liverpool
£74.99
This photograph shows Fernando Torres, Liverpool's number nine, celebrating after scoring his first ever goal for the club. This strike was the first of 33 goals that Torres scored during his debut season at Anfield and came against fierce rivals Chelsea in the Premiership clash on August 19, 2007.This highly collectable piece of sports memorabilia, which has quickly become a classic image, is 16 inches by 12 inches in size and was personally signed by Torres at an exclusive signing session... More


Fernando Torres Signed Liverpool Home Shirt
£199.99
This Liverpool home shirt was personally signed by Fernando Torres in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Liverpool and Spain striker in Liverpool on December 1, 2009.After two seasons as Liverpool's number nine, El Nino has established himself as a world-class striker and has already become a firm Kop favourite. His understanding with Steven Gerrard is almost telepathic, and many believe that without his injuries last season the Merseysiders would have... More






CODE: MPQ697

