EPL Talk » Michael Carrick

West Ham Fans To Get A Surprise

Paul Bestall — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:54:31 +0000

When the final whistle went and those West Ham fans who’d spent most of Saturdays game against Chelsea abusing former old boys, Frank Lampard and John Terry, had disappeared to the pubs around and about, I bet they never thought they’d ever see either player back at Upton Park that soon. Obviously they were unaware that both players have agreed in principle to play for West Ham in a testimonial match for the Hammers’ academy director, Tony Carr as a celebration of his 36 years working for West Ham.

Now the West Ham fans have to swallow their pride after Saturday and think about how their actions toward those two former players reflects on Tony Carr’s night. Here’s a guy who’s given years of service to West Ham United and brought through countless players since he took over the role as Director Of Youth Development in 1973.There’s no doubt if Chelsea had played anywhere that weekend, they’d have got a lot of stick, especially Lampard and Terry and the chants weren’t that bad in the context of some of the things that are sung at football matches.

Yet, Lampard hasn’t helped himself before, with some comments about how his time was at West Ham, that he didn’t enjoy it as well, his family was badly treated by the club, he also said in a Chelsea supporters meeting he’d love to score the goal that sent West Ham down as well as the allegation that when he broke his leg playing for West Ham, some fans were cheering. I’d hate to think that was true, in fact I find it very hard to believe that West Ham fans would do that at all.So the abuse he got on Saturday was to be expected really.

People forget that Lampard has a history of slating West Ham whenever he seems to be interviewed but to say Lampard had a tough week last week would be an understatement, with the anniversary of his mothers death, an on air argument with a sad little shock jock and then the gauntlet of abuse he ran at Upton Park.

West Ham fans didn’t sing anything about his mother, but they did about the rant with the DJ and splitting up with his girlfriend, Terry got the same about his mother’s shopping indiscretion. That’s what happens at football matches, away players get rude songs sang at them, always have done, always will do. Some of the criticism the West Ham fans have received seems to be rather calculated in my opinion and I don;t think the stick they got was any worse than they would have received at Arsenal, Tottenham and Fulham.

I’m sure the majority of West Ham fans that attend Tony Carr’s testimonial remember it’s a celebration of someone that has brought through the calibre of Joe Cole, Lampard, Carrick, The Ferdinand brothers, Glen Johnson, Mark Noble,Tony Cottee, Paul Ince and the latest batch of Collinson, Tomkins, Sears and Stanislas. Let’s hope the minority don’t spoil a celebration of a man who would bleed claret and blue if you cut him, a more humble and proud Hammers fan you’d be hard pressed to find. Save all your singing for the next time you play Chelsea and give them the stick you feel they deserve, just don’t overstep the mark or spoil Tony Carr’s night.

Will The Real Dimitar Berbatov Please Stand Up?

Paul Bestall — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:20:20 +0000

So the dust seems to be finally settling on the criticism about Berbatov’s mishit penalty on Sunday in the semi-final defeat against Everton. There’s no doubting it was a badly hit penalty, but it seems to have unpicked a scab over his performances for Manchester United as his time so far with the Red Devils.

After the protracted courting ritual that saw Berbatov fluttering his eyelids at Sir Alex Ferguson all Summer long to try and engineer his dream move, it seems that for some, Berbatov’s debut season is turning into one long underwhelming performance. For a player that lit up White Hart Lane for two years, it seems as if his less talented twin brother has taken his place or has it really?

Now I’m not one of those Spurs fans that still thinks it’s the mid 80’s and we’re challenging for major honours every season. I’m a realist, I know we can’t compete with the Big Four. It’s tough to take but I can understand when one of our top players wants to join Manchester United, why wouldn’t they. We’ve still not replaced Michael Carrick and when Berbatov finally went on transfer deadline day to join him last August for £30.75 million, I was disappointed but I understood his reasons for wanting to leave. He didn’t go about it in the right way and Tottenham didn’t have a replacement lined up but that’s football these days.

Once he went to Old Trafford, I thought he’d show those United fans just what us Tottenham fans had been spoilt with for his two season at the Lane, with 46 goals and countless assists in his 102 appearances. What has surprised since Sunday is the level of vitriol aimed at the Bulgarian by Manchester United fans and the fact that people seem to be judging his season by that snail paced penalty.

Now I’m not sure just what type of striker people thought Berbatov was before he joined Manchester United, but I do know one thing. He’s no Ruud Van Nistelrooy, he’ll never get you 30 goals a season, but by god he’ll set 30 up for you. For people to start clamouring that he’s one of the worst transfers ever, one of the costliest flops is ludicrous, regardless of his experience of the Premier League, he’s still getting used to being a Manchester United player.

He’s no Juan Pablo Veron scale flop, who’s performances still have me scratching my head and thinking, is that the same player I saw so imperious for Argentina, Sampdoria and Lazio or Chris Sutton hell bound spell when he moved to Chelsea and couldn’t score a goal against the Pensioners, never mind anyone in the Premier League. Even a player of Shevchenko’s reputation failed to set his time in England on fire with just 22 goals in 2 seasons at his stint at the Bridge.

Yet to write him off now is crazy, 13 goals and 15 assists so far this season isn’t too bad a return but I think he’s still suffering from a little bit of nerves. I thought he’d dovetail perfectly with Rooney and Ronaldo this season but its not quite come off yet. Once he gets his first season out of the way and gets a full preseason of training rather than courting under his belt, he’ll show the Unitedites just how good he really is but remember he’s no Eric Cantona, he’s no Van Nistelrooy, He’s Dimitar Berbatov and people need to remember that.

That’s the crux of Berbatov’s problem for me, he needs to be judged on who he is, not who people want him to be.

Everton Undone by Soft, but Correct Penalty While Kevin Davies Rescues Bolton

Johnathan Starling — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:20:24 +0000

It was the last thing Everton needed to do against Manchester United, give up a penalty. But that was exactly what they did towards the end of the first half and Cristiano Ronaldo made sure they paid the price as his goal from the spot gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory.

When I first saw the penalty live, my first reaction was ‘you have to be kidding me…another United gift’. It just didn’t look like a legitimate decision. However I’ll be the first to admit the live angle wasn’t the best angle to be looking at and once I saw a better camera angle, it confirmed in my mind that it was a right decision.

Mikel Arteta has to know not to keep his foot out that close to the penalty area and he had to realize that once Michael Carrick was heading his way, the contact was going to be inevitable. While the contact looked accidental, according to the laws of the game, it’s still a penalty.

It’s decisions like this one that makes me wonder again if it’s time we get rid of using the words ’soft’, ‘harsh’ ‘and ‘tough penalty to give’ when we are discussing penalty decisions. It’s either a penalty or it isn’t, regardless of what our interpretation is in terms of severity. While from my eyes it the penalty looked soft, it was indeed a penalty and that’s all that matters.

Everton didn’t have much of a threat and only seven shots in ninety minutes isn’t going to cut it against a Manchester United side. To think if Tim Howard wasn’t on song today, this could have been a 3-0 victory earily. We know David Moyes is going in search of a forward or two on loan before the end of the transfer window, and they need it badly.

Another stand out moment was the Kevin Davies goal that gave Bolton all three points against Tottenham. It gives Bolton some temporary breathing room from the relegation zone. His header towards the end of the match was just in my mind and serves as a reminder to Harry Redknapp that regardless of who’s in the posts, it’s the people in front of him that matter just a little more.

The game should have been done and dusted when Davies made it 2-0 but defensive lapses did Bolton in inside of three minutes. But Kevin Davies was not to be denied. Off the corner kick late, Davies wasn’t afraid to get his head in the mix, and the mass of bodies between him and Cudicini did the rest to make sure it wasn’t saved.

A deserving win for Bolton, a loss that will make Harry Redknapp keep the phone companies happy over the next 2 days.

Other Thoughts From Today
* Credit to West Bromwich Albion who fought back twice after going down. However I wonder why Myhill wasn’t in goal. I am sure I probably missed something.

* Is Tony Adams fixing to be out of a job? If you’re to believe the Times, it’s highly possible. It didn’t help that Fulham just tore them apart today.

* Middlesborough and Blackburn has to qualify as one of the worst matches of the season.

* Manchester City…wow. Stoke City dared them after going 1-0 up at the end of the first half to get the equalizer and win and they simply couldn’t do it.

What were your thoughts on today’s action?

Barcelona v Manchester United Preview: Champagne Wishes

Lonnie — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:07:23 +0000

Posted from ChampionsLeagueTalk.com:

Unlike the comedy of errors that Chelsea and Liverpool managed to produce in their first leg match, I have sky-high expectations for the Barcelona – Manchester United match. Barca will look to salvage something from what has been a bit of a lost season for them while United will be looking to overturn last year’s disappointing loss to AC Milan and that’s where our comparison begins. The two clubs are the only unbeaten sides in this season’s Champions League tournament so one of them will have to give but which side will it be?

Barca hold the edge in semi-final victories overall having won four of the eight previous semi-finals they have competed in while United’s nine previous semi-final appearances have yielded only two victories. Also going against United is their record against Spanish opposition in Spain. They have contested 16 matches in Spain and won only once, drawing six and losing nine.

If previous meetings between these two are to be any guage of what to expect, this ought to be another classic. The clubs met twice in the old European Cup Winners’ Cup and have twice found themselves in the same Champions League group. Each tie proved to be memorable for different reasons but for pure drama the first a Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final in March 1984, was arguably the best. United overturned a 2-0 deficit in the second leg at Old Trafford. United went on to lose 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final’s to Michel Platini’s Juventus. I have not seen the full game from 1984 so the game I most remember is the dramatic 3-3 draw from the group stage in the 1998/99 season. This match had it all and was a display of skill and style that makes football such a beautiful game.

Now, onto this year’s matchup.

Lineups and Tactics
Barcelona were given a huge boost when it was announced that dynamic forward Lionel Messi would be healthy for this fixture. Like Kaka did last year to United, Messi has the ability to single-handedly turn a game with his pace and vision. Captain and anchor of the Barca backline, Carles Puyol, is suspended for this match but Rafael Márquez should be recovered from injury and is likely to start in his place. Thierry Henry has been fighting off a fever/flu and is a doubtful starter but could play a role from the bench. One must keep in mind that Henry has scored nine goals in 18 appearances against the Red Devils.

Possible Starting XI (4-3-3): Valdés — Zambrotta, Milito, Márquez, Abidal — Yaya Touré, Xavi, Iniesta — Eto’o, Messi, Bojan

For Manchester United, Edwin Van der Sar is fit after a groin strain and Wayne Rooney looks to have overcome the hip injury he sustained on Saturday. Both Owen Hargreaves and Anderson have recovered from minor injuries. Gary Neville and Darren Fletcher have also been named in the squad but are unlikely to start.

While United has received plenty of press for their flashy forwards, the outcome of this semi-final depends heavily on how well the back line deals with the danger posed by the likes of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic. Manchester United trained without key defenders Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown and both are said to be a game-time decision.

It is not a stretch to say that the central defensive partnership of Vidic and Ferdinand has been the cornerstone of United’s success in the past two seasons. This year, no team has conceded fewer goals in the Premier League and only Chelsea FC have let in less in the Champions League. Another factor will be Patrice Evra’s ability to get forward and support the attack. If he is pinned back by Messi, United may struggle to create and will be forced to rely on counter-attacks.

On the offensive side, United will again be looking for their interchanging forwards to confuse and unsettle the opposing defenders.

Possible Starting XI (4-3-3): Van der Sar — Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra — Carrick, Scholes, Hargreaves — Cristiano Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney

Key Matchups:
Lionel Messi v Patrice Evra
As discussed above, Messi can be highly influential in setting the table for the Barcelona attack. He likes to attack from wide positions and Patrice Evra will need to contain his runs and deny him time/space when Messi has possession on the flank. However, Evra also does a lot to support the United attack as he often makes supporting runs down the wing to stretch the opposition defence and open space for the United forwards.

Xavi/Iniesta v Carrick/Hargreaves
Xavi and Andres Iniesta are the twin engines that drive Barcelona’s midfield play. Neither player gets enough credit for their hard work but if Barca has success going forward, these two will be involved. On the other side, you have another pair of talented central midfielders. Owen Hargreaves has had a hard time cracking into the United starting XI, partially due to injury, but he showed in recent performances why United spent big money to sign him from Bayern Munich.

Verdict
The purist in me would like to see another 3-3 draw with lots of flowing passing and end-to-end action. However, it will largely depend on the forces at hand for both sides. If Vidic and Brown are out, I think United may be a bit more conservative, despite speaking about bringing “a positive approach” to the match. For Barcelona, they will need to come out atacking and look to build a lead that they can nurse through the second leg at Old Trafford. It’s tough to go against Barcelona at home but I have to go with the form team at the moment so look for a 2-1 United scoreline.

Premier League Odds and Sods 12 Feb 2008

tyduffy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:39:20 +0000

It was night of black armbands and barren kits in Manchester, which only served to emphasize the sponsorship everywhere else as Man City shocked Man United 2-1 at Old Trafford. It is no coincidence that most of Man U’s losses come without Wayne Rooney on the pitch. Ronaldo can score goals but even he with the fleetest of foot needs space to exploit, which only Rooney appears capable of providing.

Neither of City’s goals was very impressive, coming more from good luck and poor defending. United supporters obviously reflected the solemn occasion by “saluting” Benjani after he put through the second on his debut.

Carrick came through with a fine goal at the end, which, though meaningless, proved a point. His goal was no stroke of magic but rather pedestrian, a product of practical opportunism rather than a hair-raising blitz from the back. Carrick is not as flashy as Hargreaves, but that’s not a weakness for a holding midfielder. Carrick may not pose as much of a threat going forward, but his conservatism keeps things tight at the back. Were it not for the 2006 World Cup, would Carrick be starting in his stead?

The United loss opened the way for Arsenal to take a five point lead in the Premier League, with their 2-0 defeat of Blackburn. The victory for Arsenal proved important, but hardly impressive. Despite dictating play for much of the game, Arsenal failed to create chances for much of the game, and largely failed to capitalize upon the chances that they did have.

They still have no genuine threat on the wings, which Wenger acknowledged by fielding four central midfielders (Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto, and Flamini.) The approach limits their angle of attack on goal and affords teams the opportunity to defend less of the field. To get any pressure whatsoever on the wings, Wenger’s gents rely on overlapping fullbacks to create any width, leaving the defense vulnerable. Against Blackburn, who cares? However, that strategy may be exposed if they try it against A.C. Milan.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa throttled Newcastle 4-1. Toon supporters, you’re gonna need a bigger boat. The extended decrepitude of Keegan’s tenure has dried up the market for “exciting football” and “soccer circus” jokes. Newcastle are just terrible. With Keegan’s 2 pts since taking over the club, they are now a mere six points from the drop zone. If Michael Owen scores in an empty championship ground, does Fabio Capello hear it?

If it is possible to have an unflattering hat trick, John Carew accomplished it.

Here is all you need to know about Liverpool 0 – Chelsea 0. I fell asleep during the highlights. The only thing productive that happened was that it killed Chelsea’s title hopes, 8 pts behind with two teams to overcome and it increased the probability of Liverpool being knocked out of the Champions League places.

Premier League Odds and Sods 4 Feb 2008

tyduffy — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:36:50 +0000

After this weekend a Google search for “Sven” and “Up the Arse” won’t lead you astray as Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-1 away from home to move to the top of the table. Adebayor dropped a deuce, scoring in his eighth straight match. Eduardo also controlled a ball magnificently with his chest to set up an overhead bicycle kick for a goal. If he ever comes back from injury, Robin Van Persie may struggle to get back into the side.

Arsenal should have scored more, the scoreline hardly flattering their control of the match. The only blight was Clichy’s mistake that led to the City goal, but it is easy to forgive the Frenchman who has been fabulous all season.

Man City have managed just two points from their last four Premier League matches. Barry Glendenning winning his bottom half bet still looks unlikely, but a fall from the European places is well within the realm of possibility.
Arsenal took the lead at the top thanks to Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. It was a gutsy performance by Spurs, fueled by superb signings Jonathan Woodgate and Alan Hutton. Dimitar Berbatov finally decided to show up against a Top Four club, with an efficient finish. They played well enough to deserve a win, but were once again foiled by poor set piece marking, leaving Tevez unmarked in front of goal in stoppage time.

Once again, Manchester United struggled on an away trip to London. Hargreaves was taken off in favor of Michael Carrick. Hargreaves plays with a lot of enthusiasm, but his penchant for going forward left them caught out on Tottenham’s goal. One wonders if the more conservative Carrick might be the better choice to pair with Scholes.

The Gunners also picked up two points on third place Chelsea who drew 1-1 with Portsmouth. Last minute signing Jermaine Defoe capped his Pompey debut with a goal, with an assist from Belletti’s poor positioning. However, he missed two chances that could have given them the win.

The impetus behind Chelsea’s Day-Glo away kits was finally explained, with the ref missing two blatant handballs due to the glare. With Fat Frank and Capt. John in dry dock and the African Nations Cup losses, their squad is thinner than Lindsey Lohan after a coke binge. You know that it is dire when you rely upon Pizarro as your late impact sub. Will someone please slip Avram a couple caffeine pills?

Moving on to squads out of the title race, Liverpool strode their way back into the European places with their 3-0 defeat of Sunderland. Crouchie wasn’t having his nachos, as Rafa finally gave him a run out. Not surprisingly, he scored a goal, nearly had another with a bicycle kick and set up Torres in space with a fabulous flick with the back of his head. Whether it is a handball, a judo-tackle or a swift kick in the shins, the rules do not apply to Jamie Carragher. The Pool are now in 5th place, one point behind Everton with a game in hand.
Kevin Keegan’s soccer circus has brought exciting football to St. James, though unfortunately for Newcastle it has been by the other team. He finally got his first result, however, as Newcastle drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough. Little Mickey got his first league goal in 4 months, though it was from a set piece rather than exciting football. Newcastle were lucky that the Boro couldn’t capitalize more on the counterattack, and they were saved a scare when the one adept strike of Aliadiere’s career was ruled offside. Gareth Southgate stole his grandfather’s cardigan before the match.

Finally, Fulham beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Craven Cottage to get their first win in the League since Nov. 3. The recently returning Jimmy Bullard was man of the match, creating one goal and scoring another. Hodgson will be happy if he doesn’t attempt anymore somersaults, however. They also should get a boost from getting Brian McBride back in the side. They’ve been extraordinarily unfortunate this season, and sit at 19th in the table, though only 3 pts from safety.