Tag: English Football

  • ODDS and ENDS: North London Derby, Apple Picking, and My Flute!!!

    (My weekly segment and , you know, I like soup.)

    Here we are – Tottenham v Arsenal. The North London Derby. The #1 and #3 team of the Premiere League go at it. Will Spurs stay undefeated? Will Arsenal stay on top of the League? I won’t know because NBC is showing the match in USA, and I don’t have cable. I have Peacock, and the more I say that out loud, the sillier and more embarrassed I feel. What the hell am I paying for if I can’t watch matches live. (Yes, I sound like a bitter old man, and yes, I will start yelling out a cloud next.) Anyway, I saw a report that Dejan Kulusevski got injured this past week, and might not play. On paper that shouldn’t be an issue with Kane, Son and Richarlison up front and Dier anchoring the back line. Still, it is Arsenal which has been playing really well, and if there is a team that can get under Tottenham’s skin, it’s Arsenal. Should be a fun match, but I’ll have to catch it on the replay, because NBC’s Premiere League coverage sucks.

    Tomorrow starts October, which means I will go apple picking with my family, and I will have flannel on. Even if it is too warm out, I will be decked out in Autumn appropriate clothing, even if it kills me. It just was the season demands.

    Apparently, according to our American Conservative friends, Lizzo isn’t allowed to play an old flute that no one knew existed three days ago. I can’t prove any of this, but I have a feeling that the idea of Lizzo playing the Madison flute probably was thought up by someone in the Library of Congress with the intention of expanding kids’ interest in American history, and Lizzo was all for it. Good intentions, you know… I bet there are a bunch of history nerd at the LoC looking at each other wondering how this flute situation has become “controversial.” I bet the “H.E.R. Playing Lincoln’s Guitar” idea is now out the window.

    (Say, before you head over to another blog, do me a favor, huh? I need you to like, share, comment on, or subscribe to this blog. Every click I get helps an angel keep his wings.)

  • Son Showed Up

    So, you remember how I said on Friday that Son needed to show up if Tottenham was going to have a successful season? Well, only one person read that blog, so the odds are that you didn’t know that I said that, but I’m not going to hold that against you.

    But let’s be honest about that match between Leicester and Tottenham; Spurs were up 3-2 by the time Son came in, so it wasn’t like the game was on the line. I hate to think that Conte is playing mind game with his team, but it did kind’a feel that way. Son didn’t get the start for this game, and when he did come in, he looked like he had a chip on his shoulder. His first goal, a right footer from outside of the box that curved into the right corner was just brilliant. The way Son stood on the field, soaking in the roar of the crowd, and having his team mates congratulate him, it was like all that pressure was coming off his shoulders. Then his goal eleven minutes later off the left foot to the left corner was like a mirror image of the first. You could tell the man was having fun again with that one; smile was back on his face; all was right in the world. THEN, two minutes later, he gets his third goal of the day – completing the hat trick.

    I like Son. I think he’s a lot of fun to watch, and he’s a very competitive man. He wants to be out there and he wants the ball. I think it helped that Spurs didn’t need any of those goals to win the match, which allowed Son to just play his game. But like I said on Friday, if Tottenham wants to go deep in the Champions League, and if they want to win the Premiere League, Son has got to be out there scoring goals.

    Bottom line; I just might know what I’m talking about when it comes to Tottenham.

    (I know I just impressed you with my knowledge of football, so be a good lad and share the love with a like, comment or a share. It would help me carry on.)

  • Premier League Week 3: A Tottenham Win, Brentford’s Heartbreaker, and Leeds

    Tottenham Hotspur took on Wolverhampton this Saturday, and it was a mixed blessing of a match. A win is a win, so I’ll take it – No complaints there. But the start of the match, Wolverhampton looked pretty solid, as they had some good chances that they just couldn’t convert. What I thought the Wolves did great against Spurs was shut Son out of the match, which third match into the season, I have yet to see Son be Son. Either way, Spurs had another slow start, and the first half of the match left me feeling like this is a team that keeps bending to opponents, but not breaking. In the second half, Tottenham came out fighting, and it really felt like it was only a matter of time before that were able to strike. It came in the 64th minute when Harry Kane got a header to score which was all Spurs needed to get the win. This match did feel like another test, and Tottenham proved that they could keep it together to stay undefeated. Yet, this still doesn’t feel like a team that finds ways to win, but a club that refuses to lose.

    Then there was my dark horse team Brentford that lost a heartbreaking nail biter at Fulham. The match started off awful for the Bees who gave up two goals early, one being in the first minute. Brentford hung in there with Norgarrd scoring at the end of the first half, and Toney scorning an equalizer in the 71st minute. But Fulham’s forward Mitrovic was able to put the match away at the 90th minute. Sure, there were four minutes of stoppage time, but Brentford was spent. This was a match of two very scrappy teams fighting it out for respect in the League. Fulham just got promoted last year, and Brentford looking to prove they belong here as well, especially after the drumming the handed Man United last week. I’m telling you, and I know nothing about football, keep your eye on Brentford.

    Hey! Leeds beat Chelsea 3 – 0. That just made me happy, as clearly I’m not a fan of Chelsea. Nor of Arsenal. Or Man City. I’ll throw Liverpool in there as well. But Hey! Leeds looked awesome! No disrespect to Leeds.

    On to Week Four!

    (And, as always, if you are find this insights insightful, then don’t be a bother, give a like, share a share, or sound off in the comments. It’ll do you good, as I knew your father, I did!)

  • Premier League Week 2: Tottenham Draw, and Brentford’s Statement Win

    I was all hyped up for the Tottenham v Chelsea match, and it didn’t disappoint. I can be fully honest while also being biased for Spurs, but Chelsea was the better team that day. Raheem Sterling is just a dangerous man on the pitch, and it looked like Tottenham’s defense didn’t have an answer to stop him, or the rest of Chelsea for that matter. Clearly, these two teams don’t like each other, and everyone was getting chippy out there. But I will say this, Chelsea shut Son down, and made him a non-factor in the match, but there wasn’t a whole lot they could do to stop Kane. Chelsea gave Tottenham too many opportunities at the end, and if you do that, Kane will find a way to get the ball. In that sense, Chelsea got what the deserved. Yup, Conte wanted to make a statement, and the first statement was don’t piss him off when shaking hands, and the second was the team never gave up; Spurs were out matched, out played, and out classed, but they never gave up. That’s a huge difference from the team that took the field last season. Last year, Tottenham would just folded in the last ten minutes of a match. This team fought, and pushed, and hung in there. A win would have been great, but the draw meant this Tottenham team won’t accept a loss.

    I think I have mention that I don’t know a whole lot about the Premier League. That also includes looking up the schedule for the other 19 teams. I wasn’t paying attention, and didn’t realize that Man United, who picked up Christian Eriksen off of Brentford, was coming to Brentford to play this past Saturday. On paper, Manchester United still looks like a powerhouse; they have Ronaldo, Maguire and Eriksen to say the least, so heading into Brentford, this should have been an easy win for Man United. Brentford is only starting their second season the the PL, after having won promotion, and normally a team like that is still adjusting to the new level. What ended up happening was a statement win from the Bees, that I am sure made Eriksen wonder if he made the right decision in leaving the team for United. Yes, the first goal Brentford got was a bit of a fluke, as the ball went through the United goalie’s hands, but the three that followed were executed by a team that was focused and ready to play, and acted like they expected to win this match from the beginning. Manchester United looked like the inferior club, like they hand just been promoted. Yes, that 4 – 0 win by Brentford was impressive, and I won’t lie, made me feel like I knew something that no one else did. Keep an eye on Brentford.

    (Pardon me, but if you found my personal insight into the world of English football enjoyable, please, try keeping calm, and liking, commenting, or sharing this post. Carpenters and Walruses would approve.)

  • Premier League Week 1: Tottenham Won, and some other stuff happened…

    The one advantage I had with being sick this weekend was that I was able to watch the opening matches of the Premier League.

    And I will reiterate yet again, that I know nothing about the Premier League, other than what I have picked up over the past five years of watching, which really isn’t that much, being that I follow Tottenham Hotspur, and don’t pay attention to much else in the league.

    At the conclusion of Week One, Tottenham is sitting on top of the table, and I’m going to enjoy that as much as I can for this week. Yes, Spurs did beat up on Southampton, but I would like to point out that Kane and Son were pretty silent in the match, which isn’t a bad thing, and may have been by design. Kulusevski, on the other hand, looked amazing and completely in control of the pitch – putting the ball where he wanted and setting the pace of the game. Now, Tottenham did have a slow start, and gave up a goal early, but unlike last season’s team, starting out in a hole didn’t seem to dim their aggressiveness at all. In fact, that early set back seemed to have inspired the team to play harder.

    With Chelsea coming up this Sunday, I will bet that Son and Kane will play a much more aggressive role. From what I understand about Conte as a manager, he will want to send a message to the League, and beating Chelsea at home would do that. It’s an early test for them, and could set the attitude for the first half of the season depending on the outcome.

    Other than that…

    Man City seems to have signed an honest to god Viking to play on their team. Erling Haaland is from the land of the ice and snow. Yet again, it does seem unfair that Man City can keep adding these dominate players, year after year, which makes the League feel like a two-team race between them and Liverpool. But, I cannot deny watching Haaland play was impressive.

    My dark horse team of the season will be Brentford again. No real reason, I just like the fact that it’s a scrappy team working their way up. I was a little sad that they lost Eriksen to Man United in the off-season, but I also knew that he had a high value, and little Brentford wasn’t going to be able to pay those prices. My hope is that they will finish in the top ten.

    On to Week Two.

    (By the way, if this blog is enjoyable to you, like a well-worn tweed blazer with elbow patches, then take a moment to like, share, or leave a comment. It will make this anglophile very happy. Chip-chip! Cheerio-o!)