Arsenal 2 Manchester United 1 - a fantastic match with both teams attacking non-stop. Fair play to Arsene Wenger who has been under fire for not signing enough new players and for not winning a trophy for the past three years. Wenger is clearly not for changing but the Pieman believes he still has to strengthen his squad, goalie, defence and midfield being the priorites. The other top three have stronger squads. True, Arsene has some very good youngsters developing with the club but he still needs success before they may be ready.........
As for United, they have some great players, a terrific attack and of course Sir Alex. But Wayne Rooney and Christiano Ronaldo both missed match winning chances at the Emirates. By the way, Manchester United have only one win from their last eight matches there. They cannot afford the gap behind Chelsea to increase. They are currently eight points behind both Chelsea and Liverpool with a game in hand.......
The Premier League is as tight as a duck's bottom is June - that's watertight! West Bromwich Albion are bottom but only three points separate them and Fulham who are half way up the table in 10th spot. It’s unbelievable. It’s pretty close at the top but the big four are in those top four spots already. I've had a £250 bet with a rich Aston Villa fan Colin who is adamant that Villa will be in the top four at the end of the season. I have told him that Villa have some good players and a brilliant manager. Fair play to them but they are not better or have the depth yet of the big four. I have also had a £100 bookie bet that Portsmouth under Tony Adams will finish 9th or lower. The Pieman got evens, it’s now odds-on! Adams will do his best but they'll miss Harry Redknapp. I am sure Tony is a great number 2 but I am not sure he can cut the Pie in charge. They are 9th at present.......
Ref bashing continues. Mark Hughes, under real pressure at Sheik owned Manchester City, went bonkers at Mike Dean who sent off three players in City's 2-1 home defeat by Spurs. Gelson Fernandes and Richard Dunne received red cards as did the Spurs player Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Hughes, formerly Wales and Blackburn boss, has been earmarked as a real top gaffer. The way the City results are going he may lose his job. Refs always get the blame......
Harry Redknapp continues to do the business at Spurs. He must be eating Pukka Pies.10 points out of a possible 12 with lots of goals and winning their UEFA Cup group stage match -just terrific. Fair play to Harry boy! He has got mis-fit Darren Bent scoring goals again, Tom Huddlestone back in the team both creating and scoring and so on. Blinding stuff, Harry. Fair play to you.........
Newcastle's makeshift manager Joe Kinnear called referee Martin Atkinson "Mickey Mouse" after the official failed to give a free kick against Fulham striker Andy Johnson for a push on defender Claudio Cascapa in the attack that led to Johnson being fouled by Fabricio Coloccini (sounds like a Pizza!) for the match winning penalty. Now the Pieman recalls that last time Kinnear called a refereee "Mickey Mouse" was four years ago when he was Nottingham Forest manager. He received a touchline ban after telling the referee at the time. First of all, its not fair on Mickey Mouse who is one of my heroes and secondly there was plenty to blame with his own poor central defenders. Constant referee bashing is not fair play and that's what the Pieman stands for on this station!
Loved Gianfranco Zola as a Chelsea player and he always came over on the telly as a good bloke. A Pieman's sort of player. But I could not understand at the time why West Ham picked him as their manager with the club appearing to go skint. Zola's West Ham record so far: 9 matches, won 2 lost 6 and drawn one. Not good enough for the patient West Ham fans. Let me know, Hammers fans. Emails and texts .Look at the website for details. Meanwhile West Ham have slipped from fifth in the Premier League under manager Alan Curbishley on September 3, to14th on November 10 under Zola and it now means that the Hammers are one point off the relegation zone and just two points off the bottom of the Premier League. They may not be blowing Premier League bubbles for much longer!
Brian Clough's widow Barbara unveiled a £70000 statue of the legendary manager. The money was raised by public subscription. It got the Pieman recalling some of the Nottingham Forest football messiah's quotes:
"I certainly wouldn't say I'm the best manager in the business, but I'm in the top one".
"They say Rome was not built in a day, but I wasn’t on that particular job".
"If God had intended for us to play football in the clouds, he wouldn't have put grass on the ground".
…and so it went on. One of the greatest, Brian Clough.
I'll be updating my blog regularly so keep checking my website. I’m back on this Friday, November 14th with a new show and blog. Be part of the Pieman's football army!
Yours in pie
The Pieman
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