It's good to be back!

Happy Monday Everyone,

I haven't done a blog for an absolute age so I thought I would get back into it as well...why not? This is the first blog of the season and I was going to record a video and go over all the weekends football in the Premier League but I thought I would write something instead. It was another action packed week and I am going to give you my honest and totally non-biased (kind of) opinion.


Cardiff 0 - 0 Newcastle United

This game wasn't exactly what you would call a classic but it was still full of controversy, so let me start with Kenedy, the Brazilian who is on loan at The Magpies from Chelsea. He had an absolute shocker at the Cardiff City Stadium, he should have been sent off for a quite frankly stupid kick out at Spanish Midfielder Victor Camarasa which was right under referee, Craig Pawson's nose. I just don't understand what was going through his head. The Ref didn't exactly have the best of games as he also failed to see Harry Arter's petulant swing on Joselu. There was one red card which saw Isaac Hayden off for a very silly tackle on Josh Murphy. As I say it wasn't a great game but there was late drama as The Toon got a 96th minute penalty following the handball by Bluebirds Captain Sean Morison. It was an utterly atrocious spot kick which cost his side the 3 points and his silly kick out will no doubt cost him 3 games.


Tottenham 3 -1 Fulham

So he has finally done it, Harry Kane has scored in August! A massive round of applause. It was a very entertaining game at Wembley on Saturday and while Spurs deserved the win in the end, the boys from Craven Cottage made it hard work at times. Lucas Moura opened the scoring with a delish curling effort and I must admit that I thought that the floodgates would open and it would turn into a bit of a rout but Fulham battled hard and probably deserved the leveller from Mitovic. Kieran Tripper made us all reminisce about that night against Croatia with another worldie of a free kick to score his first goal in a Tottenham shirt. Harry Kane added the 3rd to wrap it up and if it wasn't for the post and some good keeping probably could have had 4.


Chelsea 3 - 2 Arsenal

"sigh" another week and another defeat for The Gunners as they undone all their hard work with yet more bad defending. I wasn't expecting much from Stamford Bridge and I had that sinking feeling as we fell behind in the 9th minute from a Pedro goal and then Alvaro Morata made it 2 nil in the 20th minute. I had that deja vu feeling that it was going to be another long 90 minutes and in years gone by it probably would have been but I was very impressed with how Arsenal got back into the game and once we got a foot hold then we started to play. Aubameyang wasted a guilt edged chance by somehow hitting it over the bar then a few minutes later, Mkhitaryan ballooned one skywards. The Armenian did make amends in the 37th minute with a very well hit strike into the bottom left corner which lifted the players and the Arsenal contingent in the away section. Alex Iwobi got the leveller 5 minutes later and I really thought, wow we can go on and win this. The half time whistle was welcomed by Chelsea as they looked all over the place. The second half was much more of a quiet affair as the Gunners sat back and it looked like heading for a draw but Lacazette's lazy pass gave it away to Eden Hazard and his cross found Marcos Alonso who slotted past Cech. While sitting on zero points isn't ideal it's very important to stay calm and not panic. It will get better it is just going to take time.


Brighton 3 - 2 Man Utd

Wow, what a performance by The Seagulls, they hassled the United defenders all game and completely deserved the win. Eric Bailly looked atrocions and he is regarded as their best defender. Paul Pogba looked far from a leader and just didn't look interested. Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a massive fan of Mourinho and anything that makes him one step closer to a meltdown makes me very happy. I thought they were poor vs Leicester last week and if it wasn't for De Gea they probably would have lost. A lot of money has been spent since Mourinho took over and I don't think they look any better than when Van Gaal was there. Of course the playing staff has improved but the overall approach looks just the same.


Hope you all have a good week and I'll be back later!

FA Cup weekend preview

Hello ladies and Gentleman, after a pretty horrific week as an Arsenal fan but it's the return of the FA Cup which will hopefully shed a little light after a vey dark week. There are some huge games this weekend it should be a good one.



Middlesbrough 0 - 3 Man City

Boro are in massive trouble in the Premier League so the Cup has been a welcome distraction but I can only see one winner in this game. Man city may not be the best at the back but their forward line is good enough to out score teams. Karanka's side will try and make it difficult for City and try and frustrate them but I just think City will just be to strong in the end.



Arsenal 3 - 0 Lincoln City

First of all, a massive well done to the Cowley brothers on doing an absolutely phenomenal job at the Non league side by getting them this far. I don't mean that in any patronizing way, they have been a breath of fresh air. This one isn't going to be a walk over and especially with how low in confidence the Arsenal players are. Lincoln are going to bring a massive crowd with the, I think in the region of 9000 and can come to The Emirates under no pressure. I do think that Arsenal will get the win tomorrow but I am not going to lie, this game feels me with dread because Lincoln are a very good side.



Tottenham 2 - 1 Millwall

This game is very interesting because Millwall aren't conceding goals, have only conceded two goals in 10 games. Spurs have been flying recently so I can see this one be a tight one. Millwall will come and play football and try and hit Spurs on the break. I think Spurs will get over the line, it would be brilliant if they got knocked out though.



Chelsea 2 - 0 Man United

I really only see one winner, The Blues are like a well oiled machine and I just see them being to strong for United. I saw a little bit of the United game on Thursday night at Rostov and I wasn't massively impressed. I know the pitch wasn't ideal but surely United should be beating times like that with ease? United will probably be without Zlatan as he is banned after that disgusting elbow on Tyrone Mings at the weekend. I am still wondering how he didn't get a longer suspension.

It's time for change.....Please

Good morning ladies and gentleman, I hope you're all well on this sunny Tuesday morning. A lot has been said over the last couple of days about the Alexis Sanchez being benched for the defeat at Liverpool on Saturday due to a training ground bust up with a teammate, well apparently anyway.



I am writing this morning because well I haven't done a blog for a while, I was going to write about all the weekends action and go over all the goals, dodgy referee decisions and everything else. Today's blog isn't a neutral one but in fact a very honest one about my club. Arsenal needs to change because the fans are fed up of the same old story every single year. We need something to get excited about because the start of every season we start quite well and we all get drawn in to thinking that this year is going to be different and then BOOOM, February comes and it's the same old story. Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal for 20 years but it is time to go and it does hurt to say that because I love the man and everything he has done for the club but I really do think he is starting to ruin his legacy.


I am fully aware that it may mean we go 2 step backwards but if that means that in the future we are 5 steps ahead then I can take it. It could be exciting to not know what is going to happen rather than wait for the impending doom and gloom. What I am trying to say is I am sick and tired for just finishing in the top 4, what's the point in qualifying for a competition that if we are honest, we are not good enough to win. The board are just as much to blame not if not more because they have tuned this great football club into a business where money is more important than success and I while I think Wenger needs to go, I totally disagree with the horrible comments about him and the anger should definitely be aimed at Silent Stan and the rest of them.



What I think is needed is Wenger to announce that he is stepping down so every single Arsenal fan can get behind the team for one final push and we can all be as one. Arsene is an absolute legend and he deserves a statue outside the ground because we will never see another manager be at a club for this length of time. I hear a lot of people saying well who are you going to get in? Arsenal are a massive football club and any manager worth their salt would love to take the job. There are some fantastic managers out there could do a job and bring something different. Allegri, Simeone, Tuchel have all been linked but I personally would love to see Max Allegri take the job because I really rate him, he has done an awesome job at Juventus and think he wouldn't take any player not putting in a shift.


I love Wenger and I genuinely think he is still capable of winning things just not at Arsenal anymore, I am gutted he never got to lift the Champions League so I hope he may get his chance, maybe at PSG. I love this club and I just want to feel excited again because I really do fear about the next 2 years if he signs an extension. Know one is bigger than the club.


I love you Arsene Wenger but I love Arsenal Football Club more and it's time for change.


Please.

It's been a while!

Hello people, I have been massively slacking in the blogging department over the last few months but I thought I would start again. There are some big games coming up in the Premier League this weekend and I am going to be giving my predictions.





Man United 3 - 0 Bournemouth

I can only see  one winner in this one, Bournemouth are leaking goals by the bucket load and I can see them conceding a few more here. I really like The Cherries and manager Eddie Howe but they must be starting to look over the shoulders because relegation is a real possibility. Man United won the first piece of silverware last weekend with their late win against Southampton and will look to keep this good form up. They were superb for the most part of the Cup final but Southampton gave them a real game and had the goal from Gabbiadini been awarded then it may have turned out a whole lot different.


West Brom 2 - 1 Crystal Palace

There is no denying that Tony Pulis has done a superb job at The Hawthorns and the fact they are 8th in the table shows how much credit he deserves, I can see another victory for The Baggies as they play a Palace side who although got a huge win last time out are still in massive trouble. They have some very talented players but a lot of them have been truly woeful this season.



Swansea 2 - 0 Burnley


It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Burnley's away form is pretty poor and their home form is the reason why they probably won't go down this year. Swansea have really turned the corner since Paul Clement arrived and they were a little unlucky not to get a point at Chelsea last time out. I can see the Swans grabbing another victory against a side who's away form is a real worry.



Watford 1 - 2 Southampton


Southampton were very unlucky in the EFL Cup final last weekend, at 2 nil down I thought it was game over but they showed a lot of heart to get back to 2 a piece and if it wasn't for a poor offside call then I have no doubt they would have gone on to win that game. Manolo Gabbiadini has been superb since he joined and I fancy him to grab another goal and get the Saints back to winning ways. Watford are a strange side, they can look awesome as they did at Arsenal or terrible. 3 points to the Saints here.


Leicester 2 - 1 Hull


Just which Leicester will turn up? They were class on Monday night, everything that won them the league last season was on show, passion, commitment. Where has this been all season and why now that the manager has been sacked? I think the Foxes will get another win here and begin to look up the table rather than down.



Stoke 2 - 0 Middlesbrough


I really worry about Boro, they may not concede but they also have only scored 19 times this season and that is a huge problem, I think they may actually go down, they do play some nice football but putting the ball in the net is the most important thing. Stoke were atrocious at Spurs, don't get me wrong to lose to Spurs isn't anything to be ashamed about but to be 4 nil down at half time was awful so I expect a reaction.


Liverpool 2 - 2 Arsenal


These games always produce goals and I can see plenty here with both sides going gung ho. A draw isn't really good for either side but I can't separate them. Liverpool will be desperate to get back into some kind of form and they do seem to turn up for the big games. Arsenal can't afford to lose this game especially one Arsene Wenger who is under more pressure every week. If Arsenal can keep a clean sheet for the first half hour then it could be a positive outcome.


Tottenham 2 - 2 Everton


Another cracking fixture, Spurs are a good side and they look like the only team that if Chelsea do somehow slip up, could catch them. Both of these sides are awesome going forward so I can see plenty of goals with Lukaku, Kane, Alli, Barkley and a few others on show.


Sunderland 0 - 3 Man City


Probably the banker of the weekend with bottom club Sunderland hosting Man City, the Black Cats are in huge trouble and I can only see a very easy City win. Jermaine Defoe has to be Sunderland's only hope of a goal.


West Ham 1 - 3 Chelsea

Chelsea just keep on winning and although they lost here in the EFL Cup earlier on the season, I don't see anything other than an away win. The only thing West Ham may win is if we have similar scenes to what we saw in that cup game.


So that is it, my predictions for the weekend :)

Predictions time!!

It has been far to long since I last done some predictions but I have decided to make a comeback! It has been a brilliant season so far and I think it is only going to get better!




Burnley 0 - 3 Man City - The Clarets were utterly awful on Monday night at West Brom and I think Sean Dyche would have given his side a damn good rollicking because all over the pitch they were just abysmal. City on the other hand just got over the line at Selhurst Park with Yaya Toure grabbing himself a brace, I think Burnley will perform better than they did last time out but I can only see a win for Pep's side. I think the quality of the City side will be far to strong and they will pick them off easily.



Swansea 2 - 1 Crystal Palace - The Swans got a well deserved point at Everton and if it wasn't for a late goal from Seamus Coleman then Bob Bradley's side could've stolen all three. They played alot better than they have been recently. Crystal Palace are in freefall, their record in 2016 is appalling and they are in real danger of being dragged into a relegation scrap. They are a team that cannot defend which is a massive problem. I predict a very tight game but I am going to go for a Swans win.



Liverpool 2 - 0 Sunderland - Liverpool are a good side and I really do think they are going to be up there at the end of the season, Coutinho, Mane, Firmino are playing some really good football at the moment. Sunderland got a massive win over Hull last time out but my fear for them is what if Jermaine Defoe gets injured? Victor Anichebe is in good form but he isn't the man who is going to score enough to keep them up and the less said about the defence the better. I think Liverpool will have to much quality for Sunderland in this one.



Leicester 2 - 1 Middlesbrough  - Leicester made it through to the knockout stages by finishing top of their group in the Champions League but now they must concentrate on getting their league form back on track because they have been pretty woeful so far this season, it is quite amazing how much they are missing Kante. Boro were pretty good last weekend when they lost to Chelsea, they do play some really nice football at times but I just think they lack a real top class striker. I am going for The Foxes to just edge this but I expect the visitors to make it a really tight game.



Hull 1 - 2 West Brom - I can only see Hull going in one direction because they were awful last weekend, I bet some of their fans wished the floodlights would've stayed off rather than have to watch their team get outplayed all over the pitch. West Brom thumped Burnley on Monday and they played some good stuff. I just can't see Hull winning this one.



Chelsea 3 - 1 Spurs - Spurs were pretty poor last time out but somehow came from 2 - 1 down in the last minute to get the three points but were helped by some dodgy defending. The game in midweek against Monaco was a must win for them to have a chance of getting through but he rested very key players. I don't think I have to mention on how bad Moussa Sissoko is, £30 million? REALLY? Why keep players rested in a competition so you can play them in a big game in order to try and get in the very competition that you are going to rest them in? Let's get one thing clear, Spurs AREN'T going to win the league because they are not good enough. I think the way Chelsea are playing at the moment is unstoppable and I can only see one outcome.



Waford 1 - 1 Stoke - The Potters would have been very disappointed with the defeat at home to Bournemouth and as for Watford they are a good side and I think this game could be a good one but I am going for a draw.



Arsenal 3 - 0 Bournemouth -  Arsenal weren't great at home to Spurs, neither were they great at Old Trafford but they didn't get beat. They are unbeaten in 18 games and while the football hasn't been fantastic over the past couple of weeks, it is still an impressive run. I do think they will come away with all three points here. There is no denying that Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin are massive misses but I just think they will have to much for The Cherries. I really like Eddie Howe and the way his team play football and they will cause problems but a home win for me.


Southampton 2 - 2 Everton - I think this game could be the game of the weekend, both sides are good going forward so I see plenty of goals. Both of these sides aren't in great form, The Saints were pretty poor in midweek and will look to bounce back. As for Everton they haven't won since beating West Ham at the end of last month.



Man United 2 - 0 West Ham - I am still not convinced by United, they may have dominated last week against Arsenal but didn't really create much and just don't look like they can break teams down. They were better in midweek so it should give them some confidence. West Ham were so close to getting at least a point at Tottenham last time out but once again, the defending left a lot to be desired. They have to start picking up points because they could be dragged into a relegation scrap. I think United will just about get over the line.

My trip to the London Stadium

Hello people! It has been far too long since I did one of these but I thought I would treat you all, lucky you eh?


The reason I have decided to write a new blog is because I went to the West Ham VS Southampton game yesterday at the London Stadium because basically my Stepdad is a season ticket holder and had a spare ticket so I thought why not go for a day out? So the day started at Ashford International where we got the 12.16 train to Stratford International with some of his West Ham friends. I must admit it was rather weird getting off at Stratford because I am so used to getting off at St Pancras to go and watch The Arsenal. The walk to the ground is very quick and as soon as you exit the station you can see the stadium and I must admit it is a lovely arena. The walk up to the ground has a very Wembley feel to it because there is a long walkway but as we were early there were hardly anyone about which was quite nice because I could have a proper look about. I was very impressed with the whole layout of the place and I could see why West Ham wanted to move there but one thing that I did like was if you're a season ticket holder then you get this little voucher so you get a programme for free.


Next stop, the pub, which was about a 5 minute walk away from the ground but you have to go down this dodgy looking path right by the river, to be honest it looked like it could be a scene from a Green Street film. So we get to the pub which has been converted from a non used warehouse, apparently the company that purchased it before the Olympics only paid £300k so whoever you are, I bet you're loving life right now. The pub was feeling up nicely and every so often, you would get this loud "IROOOONNS" and let me tell you, there is something very intimidating about West Ham fans. The only disappointing about the pub was the burgers, now I am not expecting a Michelin star bit of meat but what I do expect it to be is cooked properly. A son of one of the people I was with had to take his back because it was under cooked but when he got it back it was a freshly cooked one. I had a bit of a heavy night the night before so I was beginning to get hungry so decided to brave the burger stand. I am going to let you guess how much it cost.........£7 for a burger with a bit of cheese, it was like being at The Emirates!


The time is getting on so we all decided to leave the pub and head to the ground and I must admit it was very much looking forward to watching game of football as a complete neutral. We walked up the stairs and we could the loud from the Southampton fans and then the West Ham fans would start singing back. We got through the turnstiles and headed to our seats and I was very impressed with my view, on the halfway line in the lower tier. So the players head out onto the pitch and there is a loud rendition of " I am forever blowing bubbles" and I got to say it's a special song to hear in the flesh. The game kicks off and it's a great atmosphere with both fans in full voice and the sun is shining, what a perfect day to watch football just think there are people out there that would rather watch Antiques Roadshow. As first halves go it was pretty scrappy but Southampton looked the better of the two but West Ham just couldn't get going and 5 minutes from the break there was a goal but it was inevitable that it was the away side, Charlie Austin scored a lovely goal and there was immediate frustration from the home fans.


The halftime whistle blew and there was a few boos from the home faithful, so there is only one thing to do during the break and that is to get a drink. At Arsenal, you can queue up for almost the entire 15 minutes and by the time you get served, you have to down it because it's nearly the second half but there was no queuing for drinks which was very nice because watching that rubbish for 45 minutes is thirsty work. It's amazing how we all become football managers when our teams are not playing very well but you could sense the frustration. We find our seats for the second half and hope that West Ham can turn it around because although I am not a fan, it would be nice to see them at least score. Southampton's second goal was a comedy of errors as West Ham gave the ball away cheaply which allowed Dusan Tadic to take it around Adrian to send the away end into raptures again. The home fans were furious now, the boos were louder and West Ham looked all over the place. My Stepdad text me straightaway saying " if they score again then I am off" which I couldn't blame him for because it was awful. There was 10 minutes to go and I got another text saying " I am going in a minute, are you coming?" Now I am not a fan of leaving early because I believe if you can't stay in one place for 2 hours or so then don't bother going however this wasn't my team and I had seen enough. We left in the 85 minutes and the amount of people walking towards the station was unbelievable, we got about 100 yards from the ground and we heard another roar and it sounded a little to loud to be an away goal but then it dawned on me that there probably isn't enough West Ham fans left to make a noise and low and behold it was 3 nil to Southampton.


We headed to the station and the whole place was so flat, the fans looked so dejected and just fed up with what they have been witnessing recently. We got on the train and headed back home, if I am honest, I had a great day of watching football and just being a neutral and I am hoping to be going back but as an away fan in December.


Well that was my day at West Ham, if you do get the chance to go to the new stadium then definitely go because it's a lovely ground.

I will be back soon! Cheers  

Predictions!