the first leg in London. Brilliant Burnley led 3 nil in the return at Turf Moor against an out of form and sorts Spurs to take the tie into extra time. If there had been no more scoring in that extra half hour then Burnley would have reached the final on the away goals rule. But fair play to Spurs, they scored twice in the very last two minutes and will now play Manchester United in the Carling Cup final on Sunday March 1. United suffered four more injuries in overcoming another Championship club Derby County and are now missing nine top players. United are still firing for four trophies - the Carling Cup; they head the Premier League as defending Champions, are in the knock-out stages in the defence of their European Champions League title and ironically meet Spurs in the FA Cup fourth round at Old Trafford. Spurs manager says that because his club face serious relegation threats and because they are now in the Carling Cup final this FA Cup tie is secondary in their priorities which suggests he will rest some players. It’s a certain home win for United who are unbeaten at Old Trafford this season.Manchester City make the lottery look redundant. They could stock the nation with Pukka Pies for a year except that the real Pieman couldn't make them quick enough! £100 million package for Kaka (still waiting), £18 million for Nigel de Jong, defensive mid-fielder from Hamburg (train arriving) and £14 million on 29 year old Craig Bellamy from West Ham (train at the platform). The Arab owner is seriously wedged up. Fair play mate. He needs to be. City manager Mark Hughes wants 27 year old striker Roque Santa Cruz from his old club Blackburn, for whom Hughes paid just £3.5 million two years ago to Bayern Munich for the Paraguayan international. Now big Sam Allardyce wants £40 million for Cruz. Manchester City appear to think that the credit crunch is a new biscuit while Big Sam obviously believes that Rover(s) likes lots of biscuits! It’s all gone potty, folks. Britain and most of the world face recession and Premier League football plays the banking game. Maybe they should buy one…
Rafa has got the hump. First of all with Sir Alex Ferguson and referees and now with his own bosses over transfer and wage policies that the Liverpool manager wants to control. Senor Benitez clearly thinks he is in a powerful position to take on his governors. It’s a dangerous game for a manager who has not won the Premier League and may not do so this season. Like Phil Scolari (who says, “If I am sacked I work somewhere else”), Benitez obviously believes or knows that he would get a job somewhere else as well. And fair play mate, they both probably would!
Harry Redknapp went critical publically with his striker Darren Bent from missing an easy chance to score what would have been the winning goal for Spurs against Portsmouth, the club Harry left for White Hart Lane. Harry fumed: "Bent didn't only have part of the net to aim for but the entire net - and he puts it wide. Unbelievable. Even my missus Sandra could have scored that one! I was so frustrated. If the ball goes in it’s goodnight Portsmouth and Spurs have three points in the bag" .....staggering stuff. It was a terrible miss by Bent but managers rarely blast their own player in public, choosing instead to blame the referee and sometimes his assistants. Harry was right. It was a shocker by Darren Bent but the Sky TV pundits made Portsmouth's keeper David James man of the match.
Spurs are out of the bottom three but only on goal difference. Indeed, the bottom five clubs, Spurs, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Stoke and West Bromwich all have 21 points. Spurs have the best goal difference and in descending order the goal difference (difference between goals scored by the team and goals conceded) Spurs are minus 6; Blackburn -11; Middlesborough -15; Stoke -16 and West Brom minus 17. West Brom's 3 consecutive home wins has put them back in range while Portsmouth (24 points); Bolton(23); Newcastle(23) and Sunderland (also 23 points)are being dragged into the relegation mire. What a season throughout the Premier League!
With 21/22 games played (depending which team at this stage) and 38 in all the Pieman's predictions are as follows: Manchester United as Champions(consistent from day one by the Pieman); Liverpool to finish second (instead of Chelsea who may be third now) and fourth spot between the most improved team of the season Aston Villa and the most disappointing Arsenal. I think Arsenal might just take that fourth spot.
Relegation? Much more difficult but I will now go for Stoke, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth. What do you think?
The Premier League is providing a lot of late goals this season - particularly winners. This recent weekend for instance Manchester United went top of the Premier League for the first time this season with a 90th minute goal by Dimitar Berbatov; Frank Lampard gave Chelsea a home win over stubborn Stoke with a 90th minute winner as well. Arsenal clinched their 3-1 win at Hull with late goals from Nasri (82 minutes) and Bendtner (86); and Gareth Barry's 80th minute penalty secured the win for ten man Aston Villa at Sunderland. Heck, you daren’t nip out for a pie or whatever in case you miss a goal near the end these days!
Good words and bad words.......good words for West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola who has come in this season, improved results and looks like losing some of his players because West Ham have money problems. Zola continues to be a good person and accommodating to all. Top man!
Bad word for the over the two foot off the ground tackles. Ashley Young (an unlikely one from Aston Villa) and Didier Digard (Middlesbrough) got red cards. It’s very dangerous and could cause career ending injuries. That certainly was not the case here but the principle is there. Both players get an automatic three matches suspension.
Liverpool blew their chance of regaining the lead in the Premier League when Everton's Tim Cahill skilfully equalised in the closing minutes at Anfield. One-one after Liverpool's captain and regular hero Steven Gerrard had put them ahead. Instead, the champions Manchester United stay top on superior goal difference and with a game in hand. That will be at home to Fulham. Liverpool, like Manchester United, are unbeaten at home in the PL but unlike Utd have drawn five of their 11 home matches. United have drawn just one. Liverpool play Everton again at home in the weekend's FA Cup but it’s the Premier League that the club and its fans have as the priority. Liverpool have not won the League for 19 years. There is still a long way to go but for a variety of reasons the Pieman cannot see them going anywhere else than Old Trafford!
What were they saying?
"He is the kind of player you only miss when he is not playing." GRAHAM TAYLOR
"Queen of the South know they've got their tails in front." MURDO MACLEOD
"He was running quicker than his legs could go." STEVE McCLAREN
"I'm always a little bit disappointed sometimes." GRAHAM TAYLOR(again!)
"Somehow his legs couldn't keep up with his body." GLENN ROEDER
"Relieved...anxious...flushed…all and superlatives come out." STEVE BRUCE
and finally..........
"And Andrew Surman wears his sleeve on his heart for Southampton." DAVE MERRINGTON
Fair play to them!
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