Hey readers! Your favourite Footie Frog won't be around 'til the New Year but here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes,
FF x
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Hoppy Holidays
Hey readers! Your favourite Footie Frog won't be around 'til the New Year but here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Moving The Goalposts!
FootieFrog's Uncle has noticed something awry at Stamford Bridge recently, and has sent a letter to several different authorities with his discovery. Footie Frog thinks that this should be given some publicity, so is posting these findings hoping the word spreads and things are rectified!!
From the Fifa regs:
Goals
Goals must be placed on the centre of each goal line.
They consist of two upright posts equidistant from the corner flagposts and joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar.
The distance between the posts is 7.32m (8yds) and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44m (8ft).
Both goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and depth which do not exceed 12cm(5ins). The goal lines are the same width as the depth of the goalposts and the crossbar. Nets may be attached to the goals and the ground behind the goal, provided that they are properly supported and do not interfere with the goalkeeper.
The goalposts and crossbars must be white.
In James Patterson's words....
"I noticed during the recent game with West Ham that your goalposts do not seem to be actually vertical and seem to lean backwards away from the pitch. The net support stanchions actually do seem to be vertical. Now, technically the rules below just state that the post must be "upright" but if you consider the images below, you can clearly see the leaning posts.
I think this should be corrected by your ground staff as soon as possible as the FA may take a dim view of this."
I think this should be corrected by your ground staff as soon as possible as the FA may take a dim view of this."
"On this picture I have added a truly vertical line for clarity. I reckon at least half a balls width at the bar height. This is when Anelka had just put away the equaliser."
"Later in the game, a looping header was sent towards Robert Green's goal and it dropped down almost vertically towards the goal with what looks like Scot Parker making a goal line clearance. However, I've drawn the line again to add a true vertical (notice how the corner flag pole tends to agree with me and so it's not down to the camera lens) and it can be seen that most of the ball crosses the vertical plane of the goal line. Now this could have happened two ways in my opinion, either it would have glanced the bar and bounced back into play right at John Terry's feet, or it would have hit the bar and gone over. I'm sure the Sky Sports HD coverage with a bit of Andy Gray's magic will be able to show the clarity of the situation."
Footie Frog's first scandal has offcially been posted... Let's hope this gets sorted for the integrity of the league!
Premier League Mid-Season Review
Usually as we move into the Festive Football period, the League is starting to take shape. More often than not the table has been nicely split into fifths: title challengers; Euro hopefuls; those stuck in mid-table mediocrity; the dogfighters; and of course the relegation favourites. Yet here we are at the half-way point of the tightest Premier League season in years, and it seems impossible to predict.
At the time of writing, there are only two small gaps opening up – one at the very bottom, the other at the very top.
Both West Brom and Blackburn are hoping Santa brings them some results over Christmas, with woeful form meaning they’re propping up the table, at least 5 points behind the rest. Blackburn have attempted to rectify the problem by sacking Paul Ince and appointing Sam ‘Oh-Sunderland-don’t-want-me-then-I-guess-I’ll-take-Blackburn’ Allardyce. Don’t hold your breath, Rovers faithful. West Brom haven’t done anything about their situation. As long as manager Mowbray continues to try ‘sexy football’, the Baggies will continue to lose.
A hamstring injury left a Torres-shaped hole, but unbelievably Liverpool still top the table, with Chelsea and Man Utd snapping at their heels. Title predictions seem impossible as this ‘big three’ continues to play ‘tit-for-tat’ stealing points from each other when necessary. It says something for the standard of the League this year that Arsenal have beaten Chelsea and Man Utd (who are, at the time of writing enduring a draining World Club competition in Japan), and the Gunners are still languishing in 5th, 8 points behind Liverpool.
With Hull and Villa surprisingly good, and Newcastle and Tottenham surprisingly bad, these last few months have made for exciting viewing. Besides the small aforementioned gaps, the league is bum-squeakingly close. Fans’ cheeks are clenched across the country as they look for the results, knowing that with a mere 5 points separating managerless Sunderland in 18th and Portsmouth in 8th, a win could turn relegation battlers into Euro contenders.
If nothing else is clear, it’s obviously going to be a nervous 2009. Still, if the tension we’re all suffering is bad, I wouldn’t want to be a Ref this season...
At the time of writing, there are only two small gaps opening up – one at the very bottom, the other at the very top.
Both West Brom and Blackburn are hoping Santa brings them some results over Christmas, with woeful form meaning they’re propping up the table, at least 5 points behind the rest. Blackburn have attempted to rectify the problem by sacking Paul Ince and appointing Sam ‘Oh-Sunderland-don’t-want-me-then-I-guess-I’ll-take-Blackburn’ Allardyce. Don’t hold your breath, Rovers faithful. West Brom haven’t done anything about their situation. As long as manager Mowbray continues to try ‘sexy football’, the Baggies will continue to lose.
A hamstring injury left a Torres-shaped hole, but unbelievably Liverpool still top the table, with Chelsea and Man Utd snapping at their heels. Title predictions seem impossible as this ‘big three’ continues to play ‘tit-for-tat’ stealing points from each other when necessary. It says something for the standard of the League this year that Arsenal have beaten Chelsea and Man Utd (who are, at the time of writing enduring a draining World Club competition in Japan), and the Gunners are still languishing in 5th, 8 points behind Liverpool.
With Hull and Villa surprisingly good, and Newcastle and Tottenham surprisingly bad, these last few months have made for exciting viewing. Besides the small aforementioned gaps, the league is bum-squeakingly close. Fans’ cheeks are clenched across the country as they look for the results, knowing that with a mere 5 points separating managerless Sunderland in 18th and Portsmouth in 8th, a win could turn relegation battlers into Euro contenders.
If nothing else is clear, it’s obviously going to be a nervous 2009. Still, if the tension we’re all suffering is bad, I wouldn’t want to be a Ref this season...
Friday, 12 December 2008
Premier League Preview - Carling Cup Final Preview?
A long weekend packed with eleven fixtures (Blackburn and Stoke both play on Saturday, before playing each other on Monday night) has thrown up some interesting matches, as sides try to grab as many points as possible before the hectic festive football period.
The most exciting match on paper certainly appears to be Saturday’s evening kick-off at White Hart Lane, as Manchester United travel to the capital to play Tottenham. The match could be fascinating for two reasons. Firstly, if Dimitar Berbatov can get fit, then this will be the first time that he has been able to hear first-hand what the Spurs faithful think of him after his somewhat acrimonious departure at the beginning of the season. He is struggling with an Achilles problem, suffered in United’s midweek match against Aalborg, but Footie Frog thinks that he should make a remarkable recovery to play his old club. With Rooney out through suspension, the pressure will be on Berba to make a big impact… but it is good news for Carlos Tevez, who should see a starting berth thrust his way, and the Red Devils’ fans will be hoping he can repeat the hat-trick tricks he showed at Blackburn in the Carling Cup.
This brings me nicely onto the second reason this game is so intriguing – with so many big names knocked out of the Carling Cup, both United and Spurs have a terrific chance of making it through to the final, and this weekend’s Premier League encounter could provide a little bit of insight as to the eventual winners of the competition. With on-loan Fraizer Campbell ineligible to play, it will be interesting to see who Redknapp plumps for up front, and with top scorer Bent seemingly below Pavluchenko in the pecking order, Redknapp could play the Russian as a lone striker.
The most exciting match on paper certainly appears to be Saturday’s evening kick-off at White Hart Lane, as Manchester United travel to the capital to play Tottenham. The match could be fascinating for two reasons. Firstly, if Dimitar Berbatov can get fit, then this will be the first time that he has been able to hear first-hand what the Spurs faithful think of him after his somewhat acrimonious departure at the beginning of the season. He is struggling with an Achilles problem, suffered in United’s midweek match against Aalborg, but Footie Frog thinks that he should make a remarkable recovery to play his old club. With Rooney out through suspension, the pressure will be on Berba to make a big impact… but it is good news for Carlos Tevez, who should see a starting berth thrust his way, and the Red Devils’ fans will be hoping he can repeat the hat-trick tricks he showed at Blackburn in the Carling Cup.
This brings me nicely onto the second reason this game is so intriguing – with so many big names knocked out of the Carling Cup, both United and Spurs have a terrific chance of making it through to the final, and this weekend’s Premier League encounter could provide a little bit of insight as to the eventual winners of the competition. With on-loan Fraizer Campbell ineligible to play, it will be interesting to see who Redknapp plumps for up front, and with top scorer Bent seemingly below Pavluchenko in the pecking order, Redknapp could play the Russian as a lone striker.
Footie Frog sees this one as a tricky match to predict, and it all depends on the availibility of United’s stars – Evra is suspended, Carrick and Ronaldo are both nursing complaints, and Ferdinand looks to be out after a back spasm. There may not be a better time for Spurs to play United, and Sir Alex’s men will have to work hard prove why they are the reigning champions. Tottenham 2-2 Man Utd
Footie Frog is also curious to see how Sunday’s London derby turns out, as West Ham make the tube ride to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Or, rather, Gianfranco Zola goes ‘home’. The diminutive, loveable Italian is bound to enjoy the start of the day as the Blues faithful will undoubtedly give him an unbelievable welcome, but given recent West Ham performances (1 win in last 10), it will take a tremendous effort from the Hammers if Zola is to be smiling at the end of this one. This game is also a case of one of the Premier League’s lowest scoring teams (3 goals in last 9 games) against the League’s meanest defence (only 6 goals conceded). It is difficult to see an upset here, and though Chelsea have found defence-minded opposition frustrating on their own turf, the return to fitness and goalscoring form of Drogba partnered with the terrific Anelka could cause major problems to a ragged Hammers back line.
Footie Frog is also curious to see how Sunday’s London derby turns out, as West Ham make the tube ride to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Or, rather, Gianfranco Zola goes ‘home’. The diminutive, loveable Italian is bound to enjoy the start of the day as the Blues faithful will undoubtedly give him an unbelievable welcome, but given recent West Ham performances (1 win in last 10), it will take a tremendous effort from the Hammers if Zola is to be smiling at the end of this one. This game is also a case of one of the Premier League’s lowest scoring teams (3 goals in last 9 games) against the League’s meanest defence (only 6 goals conceded). It is difficult to see an upset here, and though Chelsea have found defence-minded opposition frustrating on their own turf, the return to fitness and goalscoring form of Drogba partnered with the terrific Anelka could cause major problems to a ragged Hammers back line.
With no goals from Bellamy, Di Michele or Cole since early October, West Ham fans will be hoping that their dry spell must soon come to an end. Footie Frog thinks that they will have to wait a little bit longer… if only Zola could don the shirt, eh...? Chelsea 3-0 West Ham
It will be a question of ‘which side will turn up?’ at the Riverside this weekend, as Middlesbrough entertain Arsenal. Two consistently inconsistent teams go head-to-head in a battle that Gareth Southgate has never lost since taking over the managerial reins at Boro. With no wins in their last four games, Boro fans will be pleased that the record books are in their favour this weekend, Arsenal having scored just once in their last 5 visits. However after defeat in midweek to Porto, Arsene Wenger welcomes back Fabregas, Adebayor, Van Persie and Clichy to the starting line-up, and will hope that his young guns can find the form that made Footie Frog drool with pleasure when they dispatched both Man Utd and Chelsea. The less said about performance against Stoke and Hull the better. Defensive problems (Wheater, Taylor and Hoyte could all be missing), key injuries (Huth, O’Neil, Mido) and profligate strikers (namely Alves) all stand in the way of a victory for Gareth Southgate, who will as usual be relying on Tuncay and Downing for goals.
Footie Frog thinks Arsenal should win this one, but not by much. If Boro pack the midfield they could have a good chance of a draw. Middlesbrough 0-1 Arsenal
Elsewhere this weekend….
Liverpool entertain Hull City, a side that have looked more than impressive away from home since their promotion, tasting defeat only once… at Old Trafford. Oh and they scored three. Liverpool will be hoping that their defence is too strong to concede the goals that Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs leaked against the Tigers. It should be. With Torres out of action until the New Year, the Reds will again be looking for goals from Gerrard and special K’s Keane and Kuyt. Footie Frog thinks that with Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Dirk Kuyt and Pepe Reina all rested midweek, Liverpool should be too strong for Hull, who with limited striking options, I can only see scoring through a Geovanni wonder goal. Huffing and puffing won’t be enough… oh wait, that’s Wolves, not Tigers… Liverpool 2-0 Hull
Like Hull, Bolton are in fine form away from home, having won their last 3 away fixtures, and they will be looking to continue this trend against Aston Villa on Saturday. Gavin McCann, Jlloyd Samuel and Gary Cahill will all be hoping that the Trotters come away from their old stomping ground with 3 points, but recent performances from the 4th place chasers Villa, unbeaten in 4 and winning against the odds against Everton last weekend, show that the Villains will be more than tough opposition.
Elsewhere this weekend….
Liverpool entertain Hull City, a side that have looked more than impressive away from home since their promotion, tasting defeat only once… at Old Trafford. Oh and they scored three. Liverpool will be hoping that their defence is too strong to concede the goals that Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs leaked against the Tigers. It should be. With Torres out of action until the New Year, the Reds will again be looking for goals from Gerrard and special K’s Keane and Kuyt. Footie Frog thinks that with Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Dirk Kuyt and Pepe Reina all rested midweek, Liverpool should be too strong for Hull, who with limited striking options, I can only see scoring through a Geovanni wonder goal. Huffing and puffing won’t be enough… oh wait, that’s Wolves, not Tigers… Liverpool 2-0 Hull
Like Hull, Bolton are in fine form away from home, having won their last 3 away fixtures, and they will be looking to continue this trend against Aston Villa on Saturday. Gavin McCann, Jlloyd Samuel and Gary Cahill will all be hoping that the Trotters come away from their old stomping ground with 3 points, but recent performances from the 4th place chasers Villa, unbeaten in 4 and winning against the odds against Everton last weekend, show that the Villains will be more than tough opposition.
Both teams should have near full-strength sides out, but Villa will be desperate to show that they deserve fourth. Bolton’s recent good form will continue, but to no avail. Aston Villa 2-0 Bolton
From a side that is decent away from home, to two sides that can’t buy a win away from their own stadia; Newcastle and Fulham.
Newcastle have the trickier match of the two, making the long trip down to Fratton Park to take on Portsmouth. With Pompey unbeaten in their last 5 matches in the premier League, they will be confident, and the history book is also in their favour, with the Toon only managing 4 draws and a loss in their last 5 visits to the south coast.
From a side that is decent away from home, to two sides that can’t buy a win away from their own stadia; Newcastle and Fulham.
Newcastle have the trickier match of the two, making the long trip down to Fratton Park to take on Portsmouth. With Pompey unbeaten in their last 5 matches in the premier League, they will be confident, and the history book is also in their favour, with the Toon only managing 4 draws and a loss in their last 5 visits to the south coast.
Guthrie, Butt and Duff could all be back for Newcastle, and they will hope to take advantage of Pompey’s poor defensive record at Fratton Park, but 1 win in their last 19 away fixtures says it all for the Toon. Portsmouth 1-1 Newcastle
Fulham head to Stoke on Saturday in one of the weekend’s less exciting fixtures. The Potters have lost only 1 of their last 7 matches (including 5 unbeaten at home), and with Fulham unable to secure a win in 7 away from Craven Cottage, the odds are stacked in favour of Tony Pulis’s side, as he celebrates his 250th match in charge. Stoke 1-0 Fulham
A relegation battle is in the offing at the stadium of Light this weekend, as Boro legend tony Mowbray takes his all-style-no-substance West Brom outfit up to Sunderland in a bid to get some goals. Unfortunately, their only real striker, Miller, has been ruled out for a long while. The Baggies will attempt to take advantage of the recent turmoil on Riverside, but goals just don’t look likely.
Sunderland looked like getting a deserved point last week against Man Utd at Old Trafford, and if they can produce another performance like that, they should beat West Brom comfortably. Sunderland 2-0 West Brom
After last week’s thriller against Aston Villa, David Moyes’ Everton side travel to another attack-minded outfit, Manchester City. City could welcome back captain Robinho for the match, and will be hoping that he can add to the vast number of goals that City have managed on their own turf this campaign, matched only by City rivals United (19). Everton, in contrast, have major attacking problems, losing Yakubu and Vaughan to injury, and Saha only just fit for this one. They have performed much better away from home than at Goodison Park however, scoring 13 goals and picking up 5 victories, so this match is a difficult one to predict.
After last week’s thriller against Aston Villa, David Moyes’ Everton side travel to another attack-minded outfit, Manchester City. City could welcome back captain Robinho for the match, and will be hoping that he can add to the vast number of goals that City have managed on their own turf this campaign, matched only by City rivals United (19). Everton, in contrast, have major attacking problems, losing Yakubu and Vaughan to injury, and Saha only just fit for this one. They have performed much better away from home than at Goodison Park however, scoring 13 goals and picking up 5 victories, so this match is a difficult one to predict.
If City can make the most of the opportunities they create they can win this one, as I don’t see the toothless bite of Everton being too tricky to deal with – even with City’s defence. Man City 2-1 Everton
The final game to look at is a north-west derby; Blackburn make the short trip to Wigan as two former Man Utd players go head-to-head. With the League as tight as it could possibly be this season, messrs Ince and Bruce could both do with the huge fillip that would be a victory over an old team-mate. Blackburn have been woeful thus far this season, recording 1 win in their last 11, and though Bruce’s side seem to be much better off, sitting high in 11th, they are only 3 points from the drop themselves.
The final game to look at is a north-west derby; Blackburn make the short trip to Wigan as two former Man Utd players go head-to-head. With the League as tight as it could possibly be this season, messrs Ince and Bruce could both do with the huge fillip that would be a victory over an old team-mate. Blackburn have been woeful thus far this season, recording 1 win in their last 11, and though Bruce’s side seem to be much better off, sitting high in 11th, they are only 3 points from the drop themselves.
Since Zaki’s early good form, Wigan have not looked too strong in front of goal, and Rovers have similar striking difficulties, as last season’s star (and soon to be headline writers’ dream for the festive period) Roque Santa Cruz has not been hitting the same heights. This one is too close to call, and if either side does manage to score, there should be no more than a goal each. Wigan 1-1 Blackburn
Friday, 5 December 2008
SORRY!!!!
Sorry for the lack of amphibious insight guys - snowed under with work at the mo - will get back on it ASAP (next week!!)
Love You All !!!
F.F. x
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