Newcastle VS Manchester United – The Small Potato Preview

The last time Newcastle played MU was upon after Big Sam’s sacking as manager, in which they experienced a humiliating 6-0 drubbing by a vintage Manchester United side exploiting the mismanagement and uncertainty that surround Tyneside.

I have very low expectations of Newcastle able to pull something off here. They are facing an MU side who recently gave a similar drubbing to most probably the most talented Arsenal team ever produced by Arsene Wenger. And as we have seen MU do when their chips are down, they can produce the familiar stunning counter-attack / fight-backs during the last few minutes of the game to ultimately seize premiership points when all seems lost.

  I grossly mis-underestimated my score prediction for Man U against Arsenal when they met in the FA Cup last week. (I predicted a 1-0 win, real score: multiply that by 4). Maybe I didn’t expect Arsenal to play so badly.

These are the key MU players that I believe will take Newcastle by the balls and squeeze them hard …

1. Rooney. United has not lost a game this season when he’s around.
2. Ronaldo. The last few games have not been his best, but expect him to show you a trick you haven’t seen before.
3. Nani. Question is … will he start ahead of Giggs? His last goal celebration brought a flood of Deja Vu memories of the Street Fighter arcade game where I would use Guile to apply those somersault kick moves.

All of them are in my fantasy team this week!

Aston Villa VS Newcastle – The Small Potato Preview

The return of Keegan to Tyneside was splashed in the papers with the following headline phrases – “MESSIAH”, “KING KEV”, “SAVIOUR” … giving me the impression that he’s Aragorn from the LOTR movies.

But history has shown that Keegan probably does not have the mental strength and technical acumen to dent the Premier League Big 4 juggernaut. The EPL has become more corporate, more global, and certainly having a much more pressure-cooker environment than the early days when Keegan was thriving. Expect Keegan to join the nut-house in one or two seasons.

He certainly has a good bunch of players – Owen (now made captain), N’Zogbia, Milner (he will be key to Newcastle’s resurgence), amongst others.

But these days teams are won by management … which leads to Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa.
It was no accident that many Villa players are now under heavy consideration for the new England regime led by Don Fabio. Take a look at players like Barry, Agbonlahor (injured, doubtful for the Newcastle game), Curtis Davies, Ashley Young.

O’Neill does deserve plaudits for bringing up young English talents and steering Villa to within touching distance of a final Champions League spot. (possibly the best they can do this season)

But facing rabid Newcastle supporters and facing a mini injury crisis and post-international fatigue, it is possible they may come out of this encounter empty-handed.

My prediction: Aston Villa 1  Newcastle 1

“Lack of attractive, attacking football” …

… is becoming the latest lame excuse reason a football manager is getting sacked these days. But then again, it’s hard to complain now that the EPL is becoming more akin to a globally televised reality show. Team not entertaining enough? Rewrite the script to add more sex and slapstick humor! Or, sack the manager and hire someone that can bring attractive, attacking football!

Consider the managers who have been dismissed for not turning up the style for the respective teams they have managed:

• Jose Mourinho. Chelsea’s charasmatic Portuguese was dismissed (or quit?) DESPITE helping Chelsea win a trophy every season he’s been in charge.
• Martin Jol. Apparently the owners got Juande Ramos to replace him because he can bring attacking football to an unmotivated Tottenham team.
• Sam Allardyce. Latest manager to be fired because of the apparently ugly football that he crafted so effectively in Bolton did not translate well to Newcastle’s credibility as a top EPL team.

The irony? Hiring Capello as England manager! This is the man known for his boring, defensive football, which recently resulted in his firing from Real Madrid — despite winning La Liga! Will he transform England to a World Cup winning team? If so, will this set a trend for teams to deviate to “dour yet effective” football — resulting in a chain of managerial firings across the Premier League?

Manchester United vs Newcastle 6-0

While Ferguson is reportedly stunned by Toon traumas, he has no qualms in piling on their misery. If you did not manage to catch the Red Devils 6-0 drubbing of Newcastle, check out the highlight clip below! I would have preferred the actual commentary instead of the Red Devils track playin in the background, but the video quality is pretty good. Includes the Tevez pacifier celebration

VIDEO LINK

P.S. What is it with Rooney and his celebratory slapping and hair-pulling????

Chew this, Sam! The Sam Allardyce dilemma

There was a passage in one article about Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce which I found laugh-out-loud funny.

Let me chew the whole essay and spew it out for you … the way Big Sam chews his gum during games. Read this:

There has rarely been anything to like about Allardyce, whose rugged appearance and ugly Bolton side did their best to stop any of their opponents from playing football over an unfortunately successful period.

If you enjoyed watching football from the dark ages, then Big Sam was your man during his time at the Reebok Stadium, but the empty seats in the stands every week suggested his supporters were hard to find.

We all knew Big Sam was destined to mould Newcastle into Bolton 2.0, but lest we forget, the tough-as-nails approach is not attracting supporters nor big-name foreigners. Will this be the latest dilemma for this side of Tyneside?

Watch Newcastle’s attempt to get medieval on Man City’s ass on Astro TV Malaysia

ESPN (Channel 812) 03 Jan 2008 0330 Newcastle United vs Manchester City

Today’s Astro EPL Fixtures

ESPN

01 Dec 2040 Chelsea vs. West Ham United
01 Dec 2255 Blackburn Rovers vs. Newcastle United
02 Dec 0130 Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester City(Delayed)

Starsports

01 Dec 2255 Portsmouth vs. Everton
02 Dec 0110 Aston Villa vs. Arsenal

Manchester United 2 Sporting Lisbon 1

While you folks are stacking up on Arsenal, Newcastle, or even Sunderland players for the ever-frenetic fantasy football weekend, crucial Champions League matches are in progress (maybe just for Liverpool).

I’ve kept faithful to Cristiano Ronaldo, which essentially limits my other options in the YFF squad. Nevertheless, this video should serve as a warning to the non-believers:

UEFA Champions League match
27th November 2007
Manchester United 2 Sporting Lisbon 1

Today’s EPL Fixtures

 

Saturday, 24th November 2007

Newcastle vs Liverpool [Live on ESPN CH 812: 8.40pm Malaysian time]
Predicted Newcastle to turn it up at home, at least a draw

Bolton vs. Manchester United [Live on ESPN CH 812: 11.00pm Malaysian time]
Shebby predicted Man U will be held back. Not likely, me thinks …

Arsenal vs Wigan [Live on Starsports CH 813: 11.00pm Malaysian time]
Arsenal missing key players but even the reserves can beat Wigan blind-folded

Derby vs Chelsea [Live on Starsports CH 813:1.10pm Malaysian time]
Drogba unleashed

Our Week 13 Game Predictions are Out!

Cantona Kickem’s Predictions VS Small Potato’s Predictions

As you can see, we generally share the same predictions except one – the Newcastle vs Liverpool game – as Gerrard and Crouchie, still reeling from England’s Euro 2008 disaster, won’t be much of a factor. Added to that, I am still not convinced of Rafa Benitez long-term future in Liverpool.

Expect Allardyce yet again trying hard to prove his England Manager credentials to the FA, although I think he’s too old school for consideration. A cultured, yet tough-as-nails foreigner like Mourinho is a better bet for an England team accused by the media of having overpaid millionaires.

Prominent Number 7s in the EPL

Presenting the current crop of number 7s in the EPL – and as mentioned in our last post, the number 7s are typically midfielders renowned for their speed and creativity in the flanks.

Well … except maybe for seasoned hit-man Schevchenko, who’s more likely to pull the trigger rather than loading the ammunition!

[Top Left--Bottom Right] Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal), Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd), Harry Kewell (Liverpool), Joey Barton (Newcastle), Andriy Schevchenko (Chelsea), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Andy Van der Meyde (Everton), Brett Emerton (Blackburn), George Boateng (Middlesbrough)