Who's Hot and Who's Not?
The winners this week were Birmingham, Bolton, Portsmouth, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United.
I’m dismissing Birmingham, Bolton, Tottenham and Liverpool vecause none of them were terribly impressive in their victories. That leaves Pompey, Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs.
United deserve huge credit for picking up yet another trophy. Pompey’s players responded to a terrible week and a terrible few months with a win that showed enormous character. Arsenal showed great spirit to come back from conceeding an early goal at Stoke and then great mental strength to score twice after witnessing yet another sickening injury to one of their players.
Despite all that, the winners of the award this week are Manchester City. To inflict Chelsea’s first home defeat and score four goals in the process makes them the only real possible winners.
The losers this week were Wigan, Wolves, Burnley, Chelsea, Stoke, Everton, Blackburn and Aston Villa. The ‘Not Hot team’ award can’t go to Villa, Blackburn or Everton, who all put up a decent show.
Stoke battled away and Wolves hit the inside of the post twice and were therefore a little unlucky. Chelsea were poor by their own standards but are hardly a ‘Not Hot’ team. The award this week, therefore, has to go to Burnley who were pretty awful and lost at home to the bottom club. They look doomed to me.
This award this week again goes to a keeper who ended up on the losing side. Wolves’ American keeper Marcus Hahnemann was excellent in their 1-0 defeat at Bolton. He made three or four fine stops and stood out from the crowd this week.
Petr Cech has not played well since his serious injury a couple of years ago, but he was just beginning to find some form somewhere near that he showed when many people thought he was the best in the world. His calf injury that means he will miss a month could be a really serious blow for Chelsea.
Cech’s understaudy, Hilario, was pretty dire in their defeat on Saturday. I have no doubt that Cech would have saved at least two of City’s goals.
Over the years Bolton’s giant defender Zat Knight has had his fair share of critics including me. However, in a run of clean sheets since Owen Coyle arrived at the club, Knight has been excellent.
On Saturday, as well helping to keep a clean sheet, he also popped up with a very rare goal to give his side a crucial three points.
Ryan Shawcross has to get a mention for the tackle that so horribly injured Aaron Ramsey. Having said that, I am 100% certain that it was a poor tackle rather than a malicious one. Shawcross is a good young defender who plays the game fairly. He was distraught by what happened and there was no intent whatever.
Richard Dunne made a couple of errors for Villa and Nemanja Vidic was incredibly lucky to stay on the pitch, but the award goes to Burnley defender Clark Carlisle. The man crowned as Britain’s braniest footballer who is currently doing well in TV quiz show in England was absolutely terrible on Saturday.
I like Clark because I’m a Watford fan and I always thought he was excellent when he played for us, but he had a total nightmare against Portsmouth.
In what was always going to be a battle, Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas led his team by example. He showed talent and spirit in abundance.
I have been mightily impressed by the contribution Landon Donovan has made for Everton since arriving on loan from LA Galaxy. However, after coming on as a substitute at Tottenham yesterday he was presented with a simple tap-in.
What transpired as he managed to miss the goal and hit the side netting was one ogf the worst misses of the season.
Like an awful lot of football fans, and players, if you believe what you read, I can’t stand Craig Bellamy. He comes over as such an unpleasant character and for him to be moralistic about John Terry is excrutiatingly hypoctitical.
Having said that, like he has against many defences this season, he absolutely terrorised the Chelsea back four on Saturday and was well worth his two goals and this award.
Has anybody worked out why Wigan’s Columbian striker Hugo Rodallega is playing in the Premier League? OK, he is probably better than Jason Scotland, but is he better than anyone else?
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