Pick of the Week.. Week 3

Yes I know I did not start from week one, but I had to have two weeks to absorb the euphoria around the beginning of the league again and what a start it has been in the best league in the world. But from now on it will be a weekly review over everything thats good, thats ugly and that looks like Joey Barton. 



Game of the weekend : Manchester United 8 Arsenal 2


Well, it wasn't rocket science. This game will be remembered for a very very long time for all the right reasons if you are a United supporter, the wrong reasons if you are apart of the Arsenal faithful and just a showcase of the beauty of the game for the neutrals. The quality of the goals from United can only be admired by everybody who loves the beautiful game. The furore that surrounds Arsenal at the moment with nobody coming in and everybody going out. The stubborness of Arsene Wenger and the utter stupidity from fans calling for the frenchmans head. The big question is whether in the next 3 days we see some money thrown out every which way.


Player of the weekend : Edin Dzeko


I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of the towering Bosnian forward, before the charity shield, I felt he was very sluggish and heavy on his feet. But he seems to have found the form he held in Germany and has flashed in 6 goals in 3 games, not to mention the 4 he scored at White Hart Lane, becoming the first city player in the Premier league to achieve that. He was pushed very closely by Ashley Young who tore Arsenal to shreds with his energy and 2 quality strikes. Dzeko was also pushed close by Rooney who scored 2 superb free kicks and the penalty who seems to regained the form from 09/10. Also a mention has to be given to Nasri, although I heavily questioned his move to Man City, it was a master class with 4 assists for Manchester City's 5 goal haul.


Clown of the weekend : Luka Modric


What on earth this man is doing I have no idea. How he can come into the Spurs dressing room at 11.30 and say he did not want to start because his head was not right is beyond me, and Harry Redknapp says he is one of the most professional lads around. On this view he is certainly from it as he looks to do everything he can to push a move to Chelsea. He gets star treatment at Spurs and is their main man, so why he is showing so little respect, I have no clue. Sadly not far from him, has to be about every soul in the Arsenal back line, Jenkinson put in a brave performance, but the other 3 played like absolute donkeys, shown by Welbeck's first goal.


Goal of the weekend : Ashley Young (Both goals)


The quality of the two goals Ashley Young scored, which were both similar, can be seen from how simple it looked. It looked as though he just effortlessly caressed the ball into that far corner, but in truth the technique and skill to be able to do that sort of finish is something most players only dream of, and to recreate that and do it again is mystifying.


Pass of the weekend : Luis Suarez


If Manchester's teams did not play on Sunday, this man would have won everything. The elegance of Suarez, the movement, the tenacity is on another planet. Everything he seems to touch creates something, a sense of excitement arises. He was unlucky not to score against Bolton but his pass to Downing was truly mind-boggling. It cant be explained how hard it is to do a pass with the outside of the foot, generating so much power while standing dead still. If there was to be a second it would be his delightful ball inside the fullback to downing not long after.


Moment of the weekend : Penalties between Blackburn and Everton


To be honest it was just crazy what happened at Ewood Park, all the 3 penalties shouldn't have been given for starters as Formica left a leg out and dived for both, Samba did not lean on Fellaini at all, although he did crush him while landing, and on top of that, Blackburns penalties were sloppy. Hoilett and Formica both did not have the composure to finish, and the lack of respect shown to Emerton who played his last game was unbelievable. Oh and not to mention Everton winning it with the last kick of a ball from their penalty.

I'd 8-2 be an Arsenal fan right now.

Will this be the moment Arsenal
get the cheque book out

It was dubbed the week from hell. They were nothing like the Arsenal we know against a resurgent Liverpool, they played brilliantly away in Italy after looking shaky. It looked as if they may had found some retribution with that performance to save £26m and their status among Europe's elite. Some Arsenal fans must have dream't late on Saturday that they could somehow find the performance that would inspire their season. Then they woke up. Nobody could have guessed what was to happen from 4pm to approximately 5.49pm. Most fans, pundits, managers everybody in the footballing world could see nothing but a Manchester United win, but not like this. Just saying the scoreline makes even neutrals think they were at a Rugby match.


8-2? This was nothing but a demolition of sadly, being a Liverpool fan, of the highest quality. From the word go Man Utd tore into the fragile and vulnerable Arsenal line up, who consisted of barely any players that would even make the reserves in Manchester's finest club. Even for Arsenal, who had sold the heart of their midfield and their team for the past 3 seasons with Fabregas' inevitable departure to his beloved Barcelona, and Nasri's money motivated move to Manchester City, they wouldn't have even been able to achieve this score on FIFA. They had so many injuries and suspensions with Wilshere, Gervinho, Vermaelen, Squillaci, Sagna, Song, Frimpong and many more it was unlikely they were going to roll over Man United, but they were put to the sword and it cant be helped but think of Fabregas and Nasri thinking they couldnt have left at a better time.





The game started off pretty much as usual with Arsenal having slightly more possesion with Arshavin looking like a lost sheep and Walcott tripping over himself while running at 200mph. Then after 20 minutes, United took control and when the greatest teams take control they often score and Man United did, but only thanks to some of the worst defending I have seen in my entire life, you are taught from young as a defender to not let the ball bounce, but Djorou obviously heard that the wrong way round and let Welbeck in to poke home his second in as many games. Arsenals hope for a reprieve was reject when Ashley Young, who made Jenkinson wish he had still been in the conference, turned inside with a lovely two touch move and curled a magnificent effort around Szczesny into the far corner.


To be honest all the people who tuned in to watch the game will forget what was definitely a turning point, the penalty Arsenal got not long after Man Utd went 2-0 ahead, Walcott actually used his pace to good effect to get a run inside Evans, who barely touched the winger but it was enough to bring Walcott down. This was the moment Arsenal fans had waited for, to show what they were made of thicker stuff. But Van Persie who has one of the best left pegs in the world barely connected with it and De Gea did what he had to do. That was the game over and done with, from the 26th minute. If that penalty had gone in it would have been game on no matter how weak Arsenal were.  

The match ball is going home
with Rooney

From then on it was all about damage limitation as Rooney who had been full of energy, swung a delightful free kick over the wall from 25 yards, with Szczesny getting a weak glove to it. To end the half, the smallest glimmer of hope came about as poor positioning from Evra allowed Walcott to be slipped in, although his shot went straight towards De Gea, his leg actually lifted above the ball to make it 3-1 just before the break. What Arsene Wenger said at half time was obviously nothing comparable to Alex Ferguson's half time talk as the home side started where they left off. Once again Wayne Rooney struck and it was virtually a carbon copy of the free kick he had scored in the first half as he played it to young who teed it up for him, albeit going across the goal this time, Szczesny barely moved. So by now it was 4-1 and it turned from here on in, into an exhibition match. Goals followed again 3 minutes later with Nani scoring the most audacious of chips after great interplay which involved a lovely threaded ball by Rooney. The audacity of the finish would have drove Wenger to drink. 

Park adds a 6th

3 Minutes later, Park who always seems to pop up against Arsenal, was given 5 yards of space, played it out to young, who in turn played it square with ease, for Park to turn home a 6th, yes 6th and there was still 20 minutes to go, records looking to be broken. Van Persies finish 4 minutes later did nothing but highlight Jenkinsons work ethic, and even he felt the strain of the Premier league when he brought down Hernandez and was lucky not to be given a straight red. It looked as though Man United had shown Arsenal Mercy but a decent run by Evra was thwarted by a timid Walcott shove, and Rooney chalked up the hat trick. If your wondering if it has finished yet, well sadly no because Ashley Young again struck a jaw dropping strike, similar to his first to the far corner yet again. That finally ended the rout. The report took so long because rarely are there 10 goals in a game to comment upon.

Ashley Young finishes of the rout
with an exquisite finish

Dont be fooled, Arsenal are a lot stronger than this, and showed it out in Italy and they will be up and around the top 4 in May, but for this to happen and not be a wake up call for Wenger will be beyond me and just about everybody. Although those calling for his head are out of their minds because he has created what Arsenal are as a team and a brand. He just needs to freshen it up, with more co-operation from the board and some defenders who know how to defend. Furthermore, dont be fooled by Manchester United, if that was Barcelona, they would have not even got anywhere near what the Catalans are capable of. They have not had a real challenge yet, and they can still be found out. They can only be measured after playing Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.


By the way. I'd 8-2 be an Arsenal fan right now.

RIOTS? NO THIS IS ALL OUT BARBARISM.

All these riots have taken it out of me and the whole of the London, watching our city, which aint great but its OUR beloved city, getting torn to bits as if NATO have come in and tried to find gaddafi in carpet right. This is just heartbreaking, to see people running round, thinking there hard because they can break down a glass window and rob something from JD? I mean young people our age dont even shop in JD anymore and your going to come up in here and take shoes that you wouldnt even get any credit for out on the roads anyway. Please these people need to clearly re-evaluate their lives cause nobody is going to accept them after this. That reminds me, What is going on with the parents of all these people? Its clear that a lot of neglect within families is happening, if my mother ever let me go and do this, or ordered me on blackberry to go and get a TV, id get social services to go in.


Im not going to be very formal because this is a matter for the young people in London, and we dont get a huge voice and when we do, we are only going to say it one way. These acts of BARBARISM all began because a guy, no matter his personality, was somehow breaking the law and got caught, then got aggressive and got shot and killed sadly. His family did what was right and now they have stopped, its just given people who dont get on with the police a chance to start getting lary.  This stuff of burning down businesses and houses is just confusing, i dont understand why somebody would do that, these looters would probably loot their mum's safe if they had the chance.


I mean people are scared to leave their houses, How can we in our own country and city be living like animals in the London Zoo, and there were rumors that was TIGERS were out of the cage. But all i can see is that the tigers are out the cage and its these guys are out of the cage. I mean if they dont like the police, why dont they bring arms to the police instead of breaking into businesses that have nothing to do with the police. This isnt even a riot anymore, it is turning into a war and race is no longer the reason. I know that alot of black young people, asian young people feel they get targeted by the police, and its true that they do and we wont know the life of some of these, but if you want to get rid of those racial stereotypes, why are you doing this and then living up to it. Life is just gonna get harder for all of us now, because some people want to get some free basmati rice from tesco's. I wont even lie, it looks like the apocalypse has just happened out here.


We could go on for days about the people looting but its just too tiring to continue, the way the police have dealt with this is shambolic, the strategy of the riot police, running at rioters, then stopping and doing it continuously, is giving the rioters the chance to try and act big and chuck missiles at the police. The London met have 32,000 officers, and a reported 2000 are out patrolling, if all the officers were out there, this would be funneled in an instant. The truth is, there is just one answer, Get the army in and soon all these people who are trying to act up would be crying themselves to sleep if the soldiers got onto them.  I have heard calls to shoot, gas, taser, the rioters and to be honest it would probably help stop it right now, but there are so many they would just keep coming back like a disease.


I like all of of the teenagers just want it to stop, there are people we know who are doing it and have completely gone out of control, how the mothers of these guys can just sit there and watch the news, i hope they feel guilt. Most of all we just want our city back to being quiet and improving, no thanks to these jokers in the government who can go chatting up waitresses while people are fighting for their lives. Just chill and do it the right way for the sake of London Town.

'Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner'.. Are Londoners slowly loosing their identity?

So today I was sitting in my mothers car, on a pretty laborious journey listening to radio stations such as; ChoiceFm, Kiss100,Radio1 and CapitalFm, and the whiff of dissapointment infiltrated my nostrils not long after tuning in to each radio station about the horrible noise that was protruding out of the car speakers. These stations, in which all are based in London and claim themselves to be Londons No.1 music station, played near enough the same music for around 3 full hours. The most worrying thing about it is, I couldn't tell which station I was listening to because they all played the same American music and for a second I thought I was travelling on some long journey from west to east in the USA.


The point I am trying to make is that Londoner's in general are beginning to loose their identity to the American culture of today which for some reason, unbeknownst to me is so desirable. I mean a couple of years ago on the way to school, I could hear a variety of songs that all sounded different because they had difference influences, from UK Hip Hop to some American Indie Rock, it all sounded unique. But now London seems to be lost in the mire of America. I won't lie and say that British music is more successful than American music because it obviously isn't the case, but we should promote our homegrown talents and values over the country thats just over the pond. To be fair it has happened in some cases, such as Tinie Tempah and Chipmunk; although I wish it hadn't. But even they have become so commercial at times I think to myself whether some big American bloke has just wrote their lyrics and the music has no British influence, for example Champion and Till Im Gone.

The Bloodz and the Cripz rivalry goes far beyond
a normal gang rivalry.

Closer to home, this has become even more apparent as I explore Facebook, Youtube and Twitter and all I seem to see is people dressing up in a traditional American style, talking about all things American and quite sadly I even heard secondary school kids talking in a West Coast accent. The worst thing about this is that alot of teenagers and even young adults in London have lost some of their identity to the American way of life and some people have even convinced themselves that London is so rotten and so corrupt, people refer to their lives as though they are living in the gutter or slums like this is Compton Ave. or something. I think people actually find it fun to imitate the hardships in American life such as the gang culture, because out there the gangs mean alot more than a postcode or when someone comes up to you and says 'what school you from' or some nonsense. 

In UK gangs, violence is getting more common every year

Out in America we only watch the things on TV, but you can tell that the gangs give people a sense of identity out there because the ethnics are still treated like house flies in certain parts of the US, whereas here, despite the police at times being unreasonable and do target stereotypes do not treat teenagers or in fact anybody as bad as over there. I think sadly people want to think people are always out to get them, so they got to look 'Hard' and not show no emotion and act like they've come from the gutter. In the UK, London especially, people that join gangs or try to be something they arent, loose their identity and all the possibilities that their life holds.


I'm not saying London is all rosy because I know it isn't and the gun and knife crime continue's to get worse, but this addiction and fascination with imitating the American culture doesn't have to happen and before you think one day how bad of a life you have and 'the roads are cold' Remember you would rather live here than somewhere which is a real life slum or gutter such as Mexico or Rio De Janeiro.

Something Different... Prospects for Battlefield 3,MW3 and Resistance 3

Being a huge fan of Gaming, I decided it would be good to switch my blog up a bit and not just include my footballing opinion. 2011 is going to be a huge year in the world of gaming in more ways than one. Not only is the time looming for the big hitters such as FIFA/PES and Call Of Duty to be released in the autumn, but there are two names that have come back this year and they are already packing a Wladimir Klitschko fist.


The 3 games, which are bound to be up there for game's of the year are Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 and the return of Playstation 3's flagship game, Resistance 3. These three games have all released their reveal trailers and various gameplays and so forth, but nowadays the gaming community has learnt from past projects that trailers only count for about 10% of the real thing, as was shown with the hugely successful trailers for Call Of Duty: Black Ops, only for it to turn out to be dull and boring, much like Call Of Duty 3. So this entry will be about my personal opinions on each of the franchises, and the prospects of them this year.


First off I will look at Modern Warfare 3, as Call Of Duty seems to be pretty much on every living persons shelves who has an Xbox 360 or Ps3. It is undoubtedly true, that Black Ops did not live up to its predecessor in the form of Modern Warfare 2, but then again was it really going to ever accomplish that? Modern Warfare  2 encapsulated the finest things about First Person Shooters(FPS), the intensity, the gameplay, oh and the complete idiots that played it. So when i look at Modern Warfare 3, I begin to think whether the game will be completely down to community pressure or the developers will switch it up. The reveal trailer did look very appealing to the eye, however it showed no actual gameplay, such as Battlefield 3 has. Which creates the question whether MW3 is just all show and no action.

Of course a lot of the success from MW2 will make MW3 sell instantly as fans have been calling it from the moment Black Ops released, but there comes a time when the COD franchise can no longer fall back on exactly that. Since the first Modern Warfare, the gameplay has been quite repetitive and the community is now looking for something different. If i was to guess what MW3 would achieve by the end of 2011, i would say HUGE sales, similar gameplay and basically a reboot of MW2. I would give it a 7/10 based on prospects alone. But you never quite know with these guys.


I intentionally didn't write that much about MW3 because i think COD has been talked about so much its just tiring these days. Anyway, onto my next game which is Battlefield 3. This game has changed its tactics quite dramatically, in that the release date for previous Battlefield games had been in March-May but has now moved to the autumn, to be in direct competition with COD. Battlefield 3 has already captivated millions around the world with its 12 minute long trailer 'Fault Line' and its marketing campaign is far ahead of that of MW3. Being a fan of Battlefield Bad Company 2, what captivated me about BF3 is how dynamic the game looks, even though it keeps the destructible environments and some key components, it has adapted by the looks of things to what the FPS community wants. BFBC2's multiplayer game mode was so vast and expansive anybody wanting to make the transition from intense shooters like COD would take a millenium to adapt. BF3 however has recognised this and the trailer looks completely dedicated to action, but also has added spontaneity, which is huge in making a successful FPS.

Battlefield 3 and the new Frostbite 2 interface is bound to be a huge hit with fans, finally allowing them the realism they have wanted for so long, as shown with the camera disorientating and and actual feel of the weapons. Furthermore as the trailer shows, the thing it has over COD is the use of vehicles which are essential in multiplayer and single player game modes on this game. My bet's for this game is that it will truly open up a new direction for first person shooters and i hope that it sweeps the board for all awards, especially game of the year. I see this game coming around a 9/10 unless something miraculous happens.


Last but most definitely not least, Resistance 3. Now this game is of course a bit more difficult to place alongside BF3 and MW3 as it is a sci fi shooter, but the fact of the matter is, it may well overwhelm both these games and should be definitely considered a dark horse. Not that much is known about what to expect in what could be the final entry of PS3's flagship series. The story and complete ambiguity is what sets this game apart from its 360 counterpart Halo. The story in which see's the ultimate alien race, the Chimera look to decimate human life has taken plenty of twists, the biggest ending with the main characters demise in the last game. This is what makes Resistance 3 a worthy contender because as the reveal trailer showed, there is far more then what meets the eye to this game. Of course the post apocalyptic scene appeals to most but at the same time, there is an eerie realism to the franchise. To see what Joseph Capelli and the remaining survivors of mankind can do is going to be something worth waiting 3 years for.

The conspicuous thing about Insomniac games' approach to their trailer, was to add a real life aspect to it, thus leaving the fans of this game even more clueless about what to expect, but at the same time just salivating for more. If one criticism of Resistance 2 could be made, it was the extremely short single player campaign, which was only a measly 13 hours. However Resistance 3 has been in production for 3 years so we are expecting one Goliath attempt from Insomniac. On a personal level, this is the game I would love to be the most successful, it is not as commercially successful as its counterpart Halo, but that has also worked to its advantage. Its prospects could range anywhere between a 7/10 to a full 10/10. Time will tell.

What to expect from Liverpool in 2011-12?

Liverpools January 2011 signings: Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez
who cost a combined total of £57m

Most football fans, and of course Liverpool fans, are wondering what will the club and the players achieve in the coming season. We have already seen many ex football players and pundits, chuck the same old expectations of a club of Liverpool's stature every season. 'They will be challenging for the title' or 'They will easily regain their top four status' I have even heard one fan say Liverpool will clear the board and win the League, F.A Cup and League Cup. 

Its nice to be optimistic like that, but to be quite honest, Liverpool would be lucky to achieve the same position they did last season and that was a mediocre 6th. This is not to say that the apparent rebirth of a club that this time last year were floating in the waters of the unknown, which is ultimately down to King Kenny. However it is becoming increasingly hard to see Liverpool challenging for the top four and almost laughable to honestly think they can challenge Manchester United. Yes Liverpool had the best form in the second half of the season last year, being second only to Chelsea, but us fans have to be realistic and when you realise after Liverpool steered clear of relegation, the pressure was completely off because nobody had expected anything from a squad severely lacking in depth.

New Boy: Jordan Henderson is already being claimed the replacement
For Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard

So what to expect from Liverpool in 2011-12? It has been very positive to see the impact of Luis Suarez last season as he is a player with undoubted flair and the natural ability to come deep then open up space for runners from deep. But when i look at the midfield of Liverpool, it is strong, but there are no runners. Steven Gerrard is beginning to lose the legs he has held Liverpool on for the last decade and the new boy Henderson is by far a runner from deep. This then brings the question of wingers. For about 10 years now Liverpool have not been blessed with a winger who can beat a man and swing in deadly crosses. Liverpool did have Jermaine Pennant, although when you look at Spurs, Manchester City and Man United's wingers, you can see why he is never mentioned. So the targets in the transfer market is simple. They have two strikers who can fit in perfect harmony, a very strong midfield but it is out on the flanks and a centre midfielder who can run beyond Suarez & Co.

Concerning what Liverpool will achieve in terms of results is extremely hard to estimate. Everyone thought last season we would steady the ship with Roy Hodgson in charge, but on the year anniversary of that appointment, even that managed to go wrong as Liverpool had languished in 19th place. Now though, King Kenny is at the helm and if Liverpool were to stop the rot away from Anfield, then and only then could they be considered to be in a position to claim a Champions League Spot. 

Expectations are high and always will be at Liverpool, but this season it is about regaining that 4th spot and perhaps actually trying in the F.A Cup or League Cup. Although many times said before, it is a huge season ahead for Dalglish and his men.

Loyalty? Why it has been lost from the Beautiful Game

Okay so following the news that today, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy have been mentioned to be extremely close to moving to the incomparable might of moneybags Manchester City, once again the question has to be asked, where has loyalty to your club gone in the game?

You do not have to look far as to why loyalty has become transparent in the game that over 3 billion people have come construct a love at first sight relationship with. The simple answer everyone gives is 'Money' but I wonder to myself, is that really the case? It is often extremely easy to just say oh this player is going for the money and in some cases indeed it is, such as the majority of the whole Manchester City squad who were probably dribbling at the prospect of seeing 6 figure sums casually walking down the yellow brick road into their bank account. 


But I think loyalty has become deceased not because of just money, but because of reasons far deeper than those of sport, loyalty has become less practised in everyday life now. You often see marriages lasting little over a year and then the two parties ask where was the loyalty? It may seem far fetched but the principle of loyalty has been extinguished from all traces of life. When I began as a youngster trying to reach the dream of almost every boy in the world of becoming a footballer. My family taught me to stay loyal and remember where you came from and how you got to where you are.

Manchester City's owner Sheik Mansour has over £500billion
in wealth.

From grass roots football, the fabrics of the game are taught from learning to kick with your laces to how to beat the offside trap. But loyalty to your morals, your manager and your club have all deserted the youngsters of today. Even young supporters now tend to be 'Glory Hunters' and often only support Manchester United, Chelski, Arsenal or Liverpool, because they are the most successful clubs with the most expensive and best players in the world. Not because of the history or tradition of the clubs. I think inevitably the players have now embraced this repulsive viewpoint on their careers. Players now want to earn even more money than they have braincells and couldnt care less about the fans who pay money out of their back pockets to come and watch. 

Steven Gerrard Twice flirted with the prospect of moving to Chelsea under Mourinho
But opted to stay with Liverpool

Players want to make the most of their careers, and rightly so its only human nature, but for a player such as Samir Nasri who has had one good season at Arsenal, who play the most elegant football ever seen in British football, to want to go to a club like Manchester City who are steeped in more money than trophies would of been unheard of even 10 years ago.

To Top it off, the generation of those who ooze loyalty, the likes of Class of 92', Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard will not be around for much longer and when they go, will anybody remember them? or remember the players like Yaya Toure who earn 280,000 a week.