Welcome to ‘Something For The Weekend’, as we attempt to offer you some food for thought and a bit of a giggle, in preparation for another big couple of days of football.
Where better place to start than at Upton Park? Well, Rafa will probably prefer it to another trip to ‘The Bridge’ – where its not exactly been ‘Made In Chelsea’ for the ex Liverpool manager. At the current rate, Chelsea could have accrued more nil’s than a Danish phonebook or on a positive (or should that be negative note) more clean sheets than the Chelsea Village hotel washroom. It’s a heavyweight clash in all senses of the word as ‘Big Sam’ takes on a man who the Chelsea fans like to refer to as a ‘fat Spanish waiter’, It’s east versus west but I don’t expect Rafa and Sam to serve up a feast, well not until after the game anyway.
Sky Bet offer 5/2 on 1.5 goals
a less on this lunchtime clash.
On the other side of the Thames, Fulham take on AVB’s Spurs side who have been Baled out by the form of their Welsh Wizard of late, probably the most in form player in the Premier League. His heart celebration has been described as camper than Tom Daley, not the only similarity that he shares with Britain’s star diver. Former Tottenham hero Dimitar Berbatov, will be keen to inflict pain on his former club. Stats on the Chelsea-Fulham game in the week, showed that Berba covered twice as much ground as Fernando Torres – and that’s a FACT. I expect the (no longer) lazy Bulgar to make the net bulge at the Cottage and
Bet 365′s 7/10 on over 2.5 goals
looks like a Dimi.
I have my apostrophe hot keyed as ‘Arry Redknapp is back in the Premier League, great news for those of us who have missed sound bites, cliches and interviews from car windows. The man who struggles with the 3 R’s now has to take charge of a whole squad of them. Rangers looked a lot more organised in a dour spectacle at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday and a game against fellow strugglers Aston Villa could well offer them the chance to bag their first win of the season.
Sky Bet offer 10/11
on Redknapp lifting QPR out of the doghouse (password : Rosie) and picking up their first victory of the season.
It’s been a fairly London-centric piece so far, so lets draw our attention to the game at the Etihad, as Manchester City take on Everton, in what could be an interesting clash. Mancini’s underrated tactical tinkerings worked again at the DW on Wednesday as the unlikely switch of Kolarov for Aguero was key in changing the game. Talking of underappreciated – the young Serb Matija Nastasic has been imperious of late and looks more like the new Nemanja Vidic than the new Phil Jones. Sky Bet offer a generous 7/4 on Nastasic & co (or Kompany) if you prefer to contribute to a City win to nil.
We spread our wings and head over to Spain, where the first Madrid derby of the season has added spice, with Atletico having a magnificent start to the season. Falcao can certainly sniff a goal (well, he is Colombian). The Special One’s Real have not been their usual self, faltering in La Liga and the Champions League. This is a game which invariably produces goals and lots of them : the last eight meetings average an incredible 3.75 goals and both of last season’s games ended 4-1, so 9/4 on over 4.5 goals looks as tasty as one of Rafa’s Kings Road paellas. Dos cervezas por favor!!
We’ll leave you with this, Manchester United ‘keeper Anders Lindegaard this week said that football needs a gay hero, rumours that Louis Walsh had sent Union J in One Direction (to United’s Carrington training ground), appear to have been unfounded. I’m off to help Danny Shittu work on a title for his autobiography, adios amigos.
Written by Jamie Ellis.
