Saturday
Tomorrow is the 2nd weekend of the new season, and with many of the matches tough to call, this footballing weekend should make for interesting viewing, and in Footie Frog's opinion there could be one or two surprises in store...
Tomorrow is the 2nd weekend of the new season, and with many of the matches tough to call, this footballing weekend should make for interesting viewing, and in Footie Frog's opinion there could be one or two surprises in store...
There should, however, be no surprises at the Britannia Stadium, as last weekend's strugglers (and newly promoted) Stoke City take on Aston Villa, who tore Man City apart with a fine display at the weekend. The fact that this is Stoke's first Premier League match at home could work in their favour, maybe producing a goal, but a win is unlikely. Footie Frog expects a Villa win, with Agbonlahor adding to the 3 goals he bagged last Sunday. 0-2/1-3…
The weekend could hold a little more promise for Championship winners West Brom. They played some tidy football last week against Arsenal, allowing the Gunners a solitary tap-in, and could get something out of this Saturday's home match against Everton. Moyes' depleted side could this season be a shadow of recent years, and may find goals hard to come by having sold Johnson. Footie Frog believes that the Baggies could boing-boing to a point, but doesn't feel there will be many goals in this one. 1-1…
There could be a very interesting match-up at Anfield, as the usually-useless Middlesbrough seem to have a buzz about them, for the start of this season at least. After beating Tottenham for their first win on the opening day for the best part of a decade - a win that was as suprising as it was comfortable - 'Boro head to Liverpool to see if they can continue their winning start. Odds are, they won't. But this is a big test for Benitez's side's title credentials - which didn't look too great after scraping past Sunderland. In Footie Frog's opinion, though, Fortress Anfield will be unsuccessfully seiged, and look out for Keane's first goal for the Scousers... 2-0...
Worrying times ahead at Craven Cottage, where Fulham ‘entertain’ Arsenal in the late kick off on Saturday. Although against West Brom last week the Gunners were obviously far from the form that Wenger would have hoped for, they shouldn’t have to push themselves too hard against a Fulham side embarrassed by Hull in their opener. Without Andy Johnson, and with only one win in their last 14 matches against Arsenal, Footie Frog predicts a comfortable win for the away side. Keep a close eye on the expected return of Van Persie to the side. 0-2…
Newcastle make their St. James’ Park bow this season against a Bolton side that looked surprisingly comfortable in their opening match (despite the fact that they were playing Stoke!) There are two players from each side looking to build upon their fine debuts – Elmander and Muamba for Bolton, and Coloccini and Gutierrez for Newcastle. Footie Frog predicts a brighter (despite it being played in Newcastle) afternoon for the latter, as the ‘Toon Army’ cheer their offensively superior side to victory. Keegan’s men will undoubtedly make hard work of the win though. 2-1...
Paul Ince will also be looking to build on his opening day win. However the Ewood Park faithful will be hoping the Blackburn Rovers turn last week’s slightly fortunate victory at Everton, into a slightly more resounding victory at home. Hull City are the visitors, and the facts do not look in their favour. Rovers are unbeaten at home in 2008, and with Santa Cruz having signed a new deal AND a fully fit squad to choose from, it will take something special from the Tigers’ mercurial winger Geovanni for Hull to gain anything on Saturday. And he can’t do it every week. Can he…? Footie Frog says no. 3-0…
The Saturday game I have failed to mention thus far, is also the most difficult one to call. Tottenham host Sunderland in what should be a very interesting match-up at White Hart Lane. Spurs looked a very confused team last weekend, with players out of position, and star strikers (Berb-something, wanted by Man Utd…) used as subs. The lack of harmony under Ramos at the start of the season could be exploited by Keane’s battling team, who have recently added the pacy Djibril Cisse to their ranks. If the Mackems play as they did against Liverpool, they could cause Spurs problems. The speed of Diouf and Cisse (if he plays) up front, may expose the defence that looked more than shakey against Middlesbrough. Footie Frog thinks that Tottenham should have the skill and firepower to beat Sunderland, but believes a sneaky away win could be on the cards. 0-1…
Sunday
There are two matches this Sunday. The earlier match should be easier to judge than the later, as Chelsea head to the north-west to take on Wigan at the JJB. A sumptuous performance from Scolari’s Chelsea defeated Portsmouth last weekend, and in Footie Frog’s humble opinion, Steve Bruce’s outfit shouldn’t put up much more resistance. If Chelsea play to the same high standard, this game could be a whitewash. Wigan will rely on big performances from their few stars (Valencia, Scharner, Palacios) and the Latics fans will be hoping Titus Bramble gets stuck in the bath. The pace of Anelka and vision of Deco could make him look, well, like Titus Bramble. 0-3…
The final match of the weekend, at Eastlands, could potentially be a goalfest. Footie Frog has no idea which way this one will swing – quite frankly it depends on which Manchester City/West Ham team turns up. Two of the most inconsistent sides in the Premier League, both are equally capable of producing wonderful or woeful performances. Unfortunately it is the latter slightly more often. Both sides with quality goal-getters in Ashton and Elano, but quite random defences - although Hughes has shored up the City defence with the signing of Vincent Kompany. Footie Frog is predicting a high-scoring draw for this one, and a good match for the neutral. 2-2…
(Footie Frog is not liable for lost bets placed using his knowledge!!!)
1 comments:
Good words.
Post a Comment