The sun shines brightly for the Premier League right now. The new season has kicked off without the plague of TV problems that La Liga has encountered. The play on the pitch, so far, has been exciting and much better than the slump we saw last Fall. The only negatives thus far have been the controversial refereeing decisions with teams like Fulham, Liverpool and Chelsea — to name but a few — having key decisions going against them.
But look under the carpet, and you’ll notice a dark netherworld of activity that the press haven’t covered lately. That’s because it’s remarkable how soon we as football fans forget. And it’s remarkable how the flurry of entertainment on the pitch makes us forget some of the less friendly moments in the game.
I’m talking about the bung scandals and the Tevez Affair. The latter has been quiet as of late. Even trying to find updates about the case on the Sheffield United website is difficult to do so. The last report is five pages deep on their site here.
In the bung scandal, it’s still dragging on. The latest there was the recent arrest of Pascal Chimbonda on suspicion of fraud resulting from his transfer from Bastia to Wigan. The longer these type of cases drag on (as this one has, indeed), the more likely the public is to get less interested in the story. We’re still waiting for the shoe to drop regarding a Premier League manager getting fined or accused of irregularities.
I believe it’s the press’s responsibility to stay on top of these stories and keep on reporting them to the public and demanding resolution. Instead, the tabloids resort to backpages with Mourinho talking about eggs. How low can we go?
All the talk the past few days about players only playing for Chelsea because Mourinho was there got me thinking whether they’d prefer to have Mourinho FC or Chelsea FC crests on their shirts?
It’s a ridiculous thought, but in a way it does demonstrate the grip that Mourinho had on his players.
Psychologically, the Chelsea side this Sunday will be a shambles against Manchester United. Sure, they’re professionals and they should be able to put the turmoil at the club behind them, but such is the sensitivity that players have for Mourinho that I believe it will affect them in a very negative manner.
My concern is that some Chelsea players may not play to the peak of the game and may not believe in Avram Grant, especially if the players were psychologically playing for Mourinho FC instead of Chelsea FC in the past.
They’d never admit that but based on the the feared exodus by Chelsea players and what they’ve said in the press thus far, they are wearing their hearts on their sleeves and honoring Mourinho — which is understandable. However, psychologically I wonder if Chelsea players believe an emphatic loss against United will prove how much of a difference Mourinho was and how much of a mountain Grant has to climb.
If you’re searching for a way to experience Saturday’s match between Arsenal and Sunderland online, join the EPL Talk Chat hosted by BC John.
We’ll have Gunners, Sunderland and neutral fans from around the world chatting in real-time about the final. We’ll also be able to tip you off regarding Man Utd v Wigan Athletic radio coverage and how to listen live (depending on what part of the world you live in). The match kicks off on Sunday, October 7th at 7am ET/12pm GMT. You can access the EPL Talk Chat from the EPL Talk homepage.
If you have your own webcam, feel free to switch it on and point it at you so we can see you wearing your club’s colors with pride whether it be Arsenal, the Mackems or any other team.
Rafa Benitez has himself to blame for Liverpool’s defeat last night in the Champions League. Deciding to put Leto and Aurelio on the left wing and Sissoko in the middle was a devastating mistake.
It was almost as if Benitez seemed to not take Marseille too seriously, the first French side ever to win at Anfield. Valbuena’s goal, an exquisite shot, was the deciding factor.
For Benitez, he should have started Arbeloa as left back instead of the woeful Aurelio. Riise should have began the match as left winger instead of Leto, and Mascherano should have been on instead of Sissoko.
With those changes, Liverpool would have been a completely side last night. Based on Sissoko’s poor performances recently, how did he start the match and why did Benitez keep him on for 90 minutes?
Tired of walking around without a Footytube logo on your clothing? Well worry no more as we bring you a range of apparel to fill this overlooked niche in you wardrobe.
I found a great little site today that lets you do ‘pretend’ betting on the footy. The premise is simple, pick some games, predict the results, and see what you would have won (or lost) had you really gone to the bookie…
