Football Dispatch

Premier League look-ahead
05 October 2007
by Jerrad Peters

IN just over a month, Manchester United have won six matches to the tune of 1-0. Through twelve matches including the Community Shield, they have scored just ten goals – one of which was a Louis Saha penalty. Pro-rated, United are on pace to notch a paltry 33-goals in the Premier League this season – a full 50-goals less than last season. Sir Alex Ferguson: “It is a disease and we are trying to get a vaccine for it.” Unfortunately for the gaffer, there may be no medical solution to United’s scoring woes; but a visit from Wigan will surely suffice.

I think three goals would be considered a bursting-out of sorts at Old Trafford. And I feel that United will get their trio at the weekend. Saha, while invisible against Roma on Tuesday, gives his teammates a target in front of goal and typically plays well with Wayne Rooney. Ferguson would obviously prefer to have Carlos Tevez gel with Rooney. But Tevez clearly lacks match fitness and has looked rather out of sorts since his arrival from West Ham in the summer. That said, Cristiano Ronaldo is heating-up and Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are both due as well. This has all the makings of the blow-out that everyone’s been waiting for. I can’t see a thrashing; but I think 3-0 is a reasonable score.

Saturday’s only other contest has Aston Villa hosting West Ham. John Carew’s injury was a big blow for Martin O’Neill. But Gabriel Agbonlahor has been nothing short of splendid so far this term and Ashley Young is well deserving of his recent England inclusions. Still, you’re never sure what you’re going to get with Villa. They can play some tantalizing stuff one week and fall flat on their faces the next. Since they botched the last quarter-hour at White Hart Lane on Monday, I’ll tip them for the victory at home.

Arsenal-Sunderland looks another walk in the park for Arsene Wenger. That said, the Gunners fell into old habits, midweek, when they failed to kill-off Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic. In Roy Keane’s Sunderland, they’ll be faced with a much more aggressive opponent on Sunday. I rather like these Black Cats. And the obvious connections to Manchester United are not the only reasons why. Liam Miller has really impressed me this season. He and Grand Leadbitter are, to me, automatic selections for Keane. Did I mention that Miller came through at Manchester United? Kenwyne Jones has scored just once in four matches for Sunderland but has a lot of upside. He may not be the next Didier Drogba, as George Burley once attested, but Keane doesn’t need him to be. If each of the frontmen can bag between eight and ten goals, Sunderland will be just fine this season. I think they’ll give Arsenal a good test in a 2-0 loss.

Blackburn Rovers bowed out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday. Through two matches with Greek side Larissa, Rovers played three periods of rubbish football. The only nugget of quality was produced in the second-half of the return-leg at Ewood Park. I think that going out of the competition so early will be a major disappointment to manager Mark Hughes and his players; but they are fully capable of qualifying for the tournament against and will be looking to bounce back against Birmingham City. In the Carling Cup last week, Blackburn destroyed Steve Bruce’s men 3-0. I think they’ll win again. But a simple 1-0 scoreline is more Blackburn’s style. I just don’t know where the Brummies will be getting their goals from this season.

Fulham-Portsmouth has goals written all over it. The Cottagers, aside from their impressive 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge last week, are an entertaining bunch with a penchant for going forward. Pompey, for their part, are coming off a seven goal outing against Reading. Harry Redknapp, while delighted with the output, will be sure to demand a far more responsible approach this week. But I can’t see why both sides won’t score a pair. Another draw for Fulham, unfortunately: 2-2.

Somehow, Reading scored four goals away from home on Saturday and failed to get a single point. Defensively, Steve Coppell has managed to run a tight ship for the better part of thirteen months in Premiership football and will be hoping that last week’s seven goal disaster at Pompey was merely an aberration. Personally, I feel that Reading will struggle to stay in the top flight this season. No worries ahead of Sunday, however. Derby are absolute rubbish and will ultimately threaten Sunderland’s futility record.

Futility and Middlesbrough go together like bread and butter. Thankfully for Gareth Southgate, he somehow convinced Jonathan Woodgate to stay at The Riverside; so Boro are unlikely to get blown out of the water this season. Personally, I don’t rate Southgate a Premier League manager to begin with. Nothing he has done in his tenure has convinced me that Boro will be a mainstay in the top-flight. The purchase of Jeremie Aliadiere was ludicrous and Mido is moody and inconsistent at the best of times. Sunday’s opponent, Manchester City, is in a very good vein of form. Sven-Goran Eriksson has his youngsters playing some lovely, fluent stuff. Martin Petrov has been sensational – probably the best player in the Premier League so far other than Cesc Fabregas. I rate Elano Blumer, Javier Garrido, and Vedran Corluka quite highly as well. City are a genuine threat to Chelsea’s place in the top four.

Everton will be tired in the build-up to Sunday’s match against Newcastle at St. James’ Park. But I think the Toffees will be buoyed by their result in the UEFA Cup rather than depleted of energy. They have a 10-day international break after the game – plenty of time to reflect on their recent results. So I doubt fatigue will be a factor. Newcastle, on the other hand, have just been finding their feet under Sam Allardyce. The loss at Pride Park was an embarrassing slip-up; but I still fancy Magpies to qualify for European football next season. Obafemi Martins is finally tapping into a bit of form and Mark Viduka has been brilliant since moving from Middlesbrough. I’m going to go out on a limb and take Newcastle in this one.

The most intriguing of the weekend’s fixtures has to be Liverpool-Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. Liverpool are still reeling after the disastrous loss at home to Marseille in the Champions’ League on Tuesday. Manager Rafael Benitez is being widely criticized for his rotation policy and many supporters are calling for captain Steven Gerrard to be dropped from the squad. And while that suggestion is nothing more than the knee-jerk emotion of a few embarassed fans, you take their point. Stevie-G has been sub-par so far this term – whether from lingering injury problems or run-ins with pedestrians, he just hasn’t looked himself. Still, he will obviously line up against Spurs on Sunday. Who joins him in the starting-XI is anyone’s guess. Tottenham manager Martin Jol must feel that he’s in a perfect position to get something out of this match. Spurs, despite being humiliated for over an hour during their 125th anniversary match against Aston Villa on Monday, rebounded nicely with three quick goals to tie the game. Midweek, they advanced into the Group Phase of the UEFA Cup. Add Liverpool’s poor string of domestic matches into the equation and you can almost smell the upset. Almost. One-nil to Liverpool.