Yay! My co-ed indoor team won on Friday, 4-1. We were greatly helped by the opposition not having any subs but we also happened to move the ball around very well, and we only had two subs for the guys ourselves and they were a decade younger. Happily, I scored the opener and assisted on the game-winner. And what pleased me to no end was the fact that I scored off a bit of deliberate trickery—nutmegging the oncoming defender with the shot and in doing so screening the keeper. Worked like a charm. I almost, almost lobbed the keeper from the halfway line but he just managed to tip it onto the crossbar. I could have died a happy man.

I looked up from my reading yesterday to watch bits of Liverpool vs. Pompey. My attitude towards ‘Pool and Benitez in particular soured a great deal. Why can’t the manager figure out that earning draws with weakened sides rules you out of the title race? Benitez is a lucky, lucky man that Torres found the winner in stoppage time. Down 2-1 with five minutes to go and coming back to win 3-2? That’s not strategical genius, that’s dumb luck. Emphasis on dumb.

I looked up from my reading today to watch bits of Man Ure vs. West Ham. All around this was a much better game played at a much faster pace. Man Ure weren’t entirely convincing but you can’t say they didn’t earn their win. As opposed to luck, I think most neutrals would admit that it was a victory they ground out. While we’ll hear for months that the title race isn’t over, can you see Man Ure faltering? Or perhaps more to the point, can you see ‘Pool or Chelski or Villa making up ground? ‘Cause I can’t.

Finally, everyone seems to still find reason to laugh at Spurs for not being able to finish off 10-man Ars*nal in today’s derby. While sure, Spurs wasted an opportunity, no one (and I do mean no one) in the media has remarked that the Arse are now seven points adrift of Aston Villa—the team that they’re supposedly vying with for fourth. The closest team to Ars*nal? Sixth-placed Everton, four points back.

Can we declare an international holiday where the entire planet must agree that now, officially, once and for all, that ARS*NAL ARE OUT OF THE TITLE RACE, twelve points off the top with Man Ure having a game in hand? Or is the marketing power of this odious club so great that their weenie fans and the media will somehow be convinced that magnificent, flowing soccer (which isn’t even on display nowadays) will suddenly start earning five points per win rather than three? Or the equally likely proposition that Man Ure, who haven’t given up a goal in dog’s years, will somehow lose four games over the rest of the campaign while the Ars* win out. Right.

The good news for Spurs is that out of the bottom half of the table (!), only Newcastle and Sunderland managed wins. Hull and Spurs drew, whereas the rest—WBA, Boro, Blackburn, Stoke, Pompey, and Bolton—all lost. Still, Tottenham is only two clear of the drop zone so there’s no cause for celebration. Thought I haven’t seen them play yet, it seems like Palacios (who plays deeper than I thought) and Keane should give them enough presence to pick up some vital points in the coming weeks. Hull, Sunderland, and Boro are the three next league games, and all are huge. Fingers firmly crossed.

Current Mood: Tired of Reading |