EPL Game Week 29

Not only did Nani saw red against Real Madrid. Many Man Utd fans were infuriated and Rooney did not start. No player is bigger than the club. Period. At one time, Rooney probably thought that he was bigger than Utd. Now they have RVP. Things are somewhat different.  There'll be a power struggle but the management at Old Trafford - read "Sir Alex Ferguson" has never lost. Let me dedicate this song to Nani: I Saw Red by Warrant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dh79Ggx9Js

This week, there'll be only six matches with the most mouth watering tie between Liverpool and Tottenham.

Norwich v Southampton - Norwich are no longer the same team. Although they held Spurs, they got thrashed 5-0 by Liverpool and then 4-0 by Man Utd. Southampton are also finding the going tough. They had beaten Man City 3-1 but slumped 2-4 to Newcastle and then lost at home to bottom team QPR 1-2. It is cruel to pit both teams together as I like the way they have been playing. The Saints are a scoring team scoring 1 and 2 goals in alternate games while the Canaries are having trouble finding the net. If they don't find the net, the net will find them. It is Southampton's turn to score 2 but they'll be away and Norwich is capable of blocking some of the teams in their many 0-0 draws. I pick a draw similar to their previous encounter at St. Mary's. 1-1.

QPR v Sunderland - QPR have been scrapping the single points barely enough to keep them up. I was expecting to win a couple of games here and there but they only just managed it last week winning 2-1 away to Southampton. Sunderland have not won in 5 matches with only 2 draws at best and will be poorer away. This is one of those matches where Harry Redknapp and QPR must pile up the points so that Tony Fernandez will not wish to leave. Their previous meeting at the Stadium of Lights, home of the Black Cats ended 0-0. Can The Loops do it? Yes I think. 2-1.

Reading v Villa - The second last and third last teams in the table battling it out. Reading after a short recovery and respite and finding it hard to cope again at this level. Things have improved a bit for the once great Aston Villa as their losses were close. Reading have now lost their last four matches and lost both their encounters with Villa previously. Vill scored 7 goals and conceded 9 in their last 5 matches. For Reading it was 6 for and 12 against but don't read too much into this. It will be a draw. 2-2. 

WBA v Swansea - WBA losses are by a goal. They have even beaten Liverpool away. The Baggies are coming back a bit. Swansea have already done well where they are. WBA at hard to beat especially at home but the Swans are flying. They will play a good passing game. All they need is for Michu to restart his scoring streak. Both teams are at 40 points, just 2 behind Liverpool and are in 8 and 9 position respectively. If they keep their postion, it would have already been a good achievement. 2-2.

Newcastle v Stoke - The Magpies recovery can continue with their French flair but hovering in 15th position at 30 points, 3 behind Stoke. Stoke who started brightly have declined and lost their last 2 matches 1-0 to Fulham (away) and West Ham (home). Newcatle should ace this one at St. James Park. 2-1.

Liverpool v Tottenham - Match of the week for sure. Liverpool have beaten Swansea 5-0 and Wigan 4-0 away. Very impressive as they have scored plenty and kept clean sheets but Tottenham is on song and unbeaten in 8 matches in all competition. They have just conquered Inter Milan 3-0 with of course Bales scoring again. Few teams can beat Tottenham right now and don't bet against Bales scoring but will all good things come to an end as it must? If so, will it be now? Liverpool are at  home and Spurs are more in-form than anyone right now. Liverpool are the fresher team with more rest. Liver Bird or Cockerel? It shall be a draw. 2-2.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Uncle Choo

Image
Preface It has really been awhile since I have last written and published an article on my blog with the last being in October last year. Before that I have been writing and publishing non-stop for 15 years since 2008.  I was not suffering from writer's block. They say running water never grows stale. So I have to move on to other things since the pandemic has ravaged and torn all asunder. No matter how passionate you are about anything, you will find that after an absence for sometime, the engine gets cold and you find it harder to start.  Just too darned busy and being too busy with one thing means one becomes lazy with the others. The law of compensation. A hiatus if you must.  Covid made it worse as there was no more travelling since borders were closed and eating locally and overseas were curtailed. So I could not write about these things. In fact, I laid out my travel luggage, sat down and spoke to them - "We are not gonna travel for a few years". They have since be
Read more

The Kallang Roar! (Part Three)

Image
Back in the good old days, we have four other national teams. Besides the National Team (The Lions), we also have a B team (The Cubs). Then we also competed in the Sultan's Gold Cup fielding a team called Singapore Malays. We have the Singapore Indians playing in the Bardhan Cup and the other being the Singapore Chinese team also competing aga inst Malaysian state teams in the same format and also the Ho Ho Cup triangular among Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. In 1976, Englishman Trevor Hartley became responsible for the Singapore team at age 28. I can't remember which year Singapore beat Malacca 6-2 and Lee Bee Seng was sent off for punching an opponent who must have trampled on him. Here is Bee Seng with Brian Rozario. In the same match Quah Kim Song was sent off too for fighting. And I said wow! Malaysia Cup is like that? I like! (Pix - Lee Bee Seng with Brian Rozario). And can you believe this? Before all these we have Mike Walker who played Kim Song a
Read more

The Hainanese

The Hainanese are people from Hainan who originated from Hainan Island - the smallest province of China at the Southern most tip. They were originally fishermen from Fujian and Guandong and later settled over there. The Hainanese, part of the Chinese dispora migrated to different South East Asian countries including late comers to Singapore worked in ships as sailors, opened their own coffee shops or restaurants, bakeries or bars and worked as cooks and chefs and others at local hotels.  Hainanese in Singapore made up 7% of the Chinese population. The Hainanese came to Singapore much later than the Hokkiens and Teochews who are already well entrenched in trade and commerce. Originally they also have problems communicating with other dialect groups as their language seems unintelligible to the others but they began to carve out a name for themselves working for wealthy Europeans including as canteen operators for military bases.  Hainanese are especially with food and beverage.
Read more