Editorial: The Fallen Ones

Greece the land of a thousand tales and the inspiration of so many stories. One of my favorites is that of Daedalus and his fool-hardy son Icarus...........what you do not know who they are, my I am hurt don't worry Uncle Info is here to bring the fire like Prometheus to illuminate the dark canvases of your minds, yet another Greek mythical icon I think I used that line already but it sounds fresh. Daedalus was the architect of the Crete labyrinth that housed the dark creation of King Minos the Minotaur. The great architect was imprisoned with his son in a tall tower where escape was damn near impossible because he helped a young Greek hero decipher the enigma which was the labyrinth. In a desperate charge to freedom being the innovator he is Daedalus crafted two sets of human sized wings for him and his son Icarus out of bird feathers and droppings from waxed candles. On their avian ascension Daedalus told his son Icarus not to fly to close to the sun for the ductile wings could perish and in Icarus' youthful exuberance he disobeyed and fell to his death in the river below. How appropriate for my little segment here. If you haven't guessed it I'm talking about failures. What you have not probably guessed is that I'm talking about teams who have not qualified for the FIFA World Cup being held in South Africa namely once glorified teams, well I have complied a list of beautiful losers and I will share them with you .

Here's a list of those teams that would have been there but have fell by the wayside (note these are teams of value so you won't see teams like Laos or Anguilla) they will be watching it on tv like me and that gives me comfort.

Sweden (UEFA/Europe)
Norway (UEFA/Europe)
Costa Rica (CONCACAF/Central America)
Egypt (CAF/Africa)
Czech Republic (UEFA/Europe)
Saudi Arabia (AFC/Asia/Middle East)
Tunisia (CAF/Africa)
Austria (UEFA/Europe)
Republic of Ireland (were robbed lol) (UEFA/Europe)
Russia (What happened Guus?) (UEFA/Europe)
Turkey (UEFA/Europe)
Belgium (UEFA/Europe)
Croatia (UEFA/Europe)
Ecuador (CONMEBOL/South America)
Israel (UEFA/Asia/Middle East)
Morocco (CAF/Africa)
Ukraine (UEFA/Europe)
Poland (UEFA/Europe)
Senegal (CAF/Africa)

Okay these are the teams I have picked that could have easily in Durban battling out for that old gold and they are some nations I could have included but didn't like Togo who are basically a one man team and China who maybe trying but are to be honest not that great and the likes of Serbia and Finland who are now starting to grasp football and produce quality players. They are definitely teams in that line up that should be there and to be frank I am very pissed that they aren't. Sweden I am extremely disappointed in you as well Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian scenario was very unpleasant in my eyes and other teams I really hurt for them. Ireland I hope France does not gain a point or score a goal and Henry not get a minute of action and for the likes of Ukraine who have punched above their weight for so many years and have now subducted into the realm I fear of distant return and their hero Andriy Shevchenko has sung his last song for the Kings of Kiev. I will take a look at all of these nations shortcomings and why they could not follow the gold at the end of the Rainbow nation.

Random Bite

I never thought I would have had to do one of these so soon. After Sir Bobby Charlton's death about a couple of months ago I thought the game had loss one of its true gentlemen and my tributes to decease players were coming to a welcoming end. Then unfortunately the Grim Reaper struck and Espanyol's hard nose captain Jarque dies. Now today I regret to inform anyone who has not heard the footballing world has loss another of its mythic stars to the Angel of Death.

Robert Enke the passionate German goalkeeper was passed away at the age of 32 on the 10th of November 2009. It is ironic that the East Germany native passed away on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Enke's fall was caused by his own devices. Enke orchestrated his won suicide in Neustadt am Rubenberge a sleepy German town. According to German authorities Enke drove his car onto a train track and waited for an arriving train.

The Former Barcelona, Borussia Monchengaldbach, Benfica and Hannover 96 man leaves behind his wife Teresa and two year old adopted daughter Leila. Enke's personal problems may had led to his death, the death of his own biological daughter Lara in 2007 due to a heart defect probably the main contributor of his motives. His wife Teresa revealed to German media that her husband was seeing a psychiatrist for six years due to a serious bout of depression. Enke's current club Hannover 96 president Martin Kind stated that Enke was an unstable person.

Enke played for Zeiss Jena, Borussia Monchengaldbach, Barcelona, Tenerife, Fenerbache and Hannover 96 and was capped by his nation 8 times. In a tribute to his life his current club Hannover 96 has frozen the #1 jersey in his honor while fans of the club have flooded the ADW-Arena to lay flowers in memory of the German pit

bull.

I am really upset about this personally because as I like to say there is more to life than football but how Robert died really broke my heart. Enke was so agile in goal and vocal individual. I really wished he would not have given up on us not for the sake of football but for the sake of your love ones fans and family alike.

Sunrise- 08/24/1977

Sunset- 11/10/2009

Sleeping Dragons

It has been a while. If you have been waiting with bated breath on my next installment, you have probably died from suffocation. So that being said I probably don't have to apologize if your dead but since your reading this I will make an educated guess that you are alive and your not dead. I'm not Socrates but I think my powers of deduction are good enough to have some levy on thought. I do apologize if you have missed my presence. What have I been doing? Simply I have been busy, really busy. I think I'm entitled to give out some sort of treat for your patience. I feel extremely disappointed at the frequency in which I get to drop tantalizing text but look at it this way it makes it even more special when I do. Now with the perfect segue I usher in my special Sleeping Dragons. Its been awhile for this as well but lets just say they have been sleeping like I have. So whats constitutes a "Sleeping Dragon?," well for one let me say I am referring to to people not the mythic beast of old. My dragons are footballers. These are the lads that are very talented but who for some reason or another have not been able to emit the flames in their bodies. Clever dragon quote there for the intellectual. So its the guy in laments terms who is good but wastes his talent. I'll try not to waste mind what ever it is.

Name: Miguel Luis Pinto Veloso

D/O/B: 05/11/1986 (age 23)

Place of Birth: Coimbra, Portugal

Height: 5'11 ft/inches

Position: Midfielder (Central Defensive Midfielder)

Preferred Foot: Left

National Team: Portugal

Caps: 7

Club Teams: Olivais Moscavide (2005-06) (loan), Sporting Clube de Portugal (2006-present)

What's Wrong With You Son?: Portugalitisis see: Nuno Gomes, Ricardo Quaresma and Helder Postiga for other known cases.


Had I the heavens embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet,
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
William Butler Yeats

That poem changed my life for the better it gave me a sense of who I am, I know it sounds silly or cliche but its true. I thank you William Yeats the famed Irish play write. I want young Veloso to see that poem and by the grace of some divine power maybe he will pull up his socks and realise what a fantastic talent he is. It is people like him in which the first half of the poem refers. All that heavenly embroidered cloth stuff. Meaning someone is rich and has the luxuries of life. Lets face it any professional athlete is rich, they have a precious commodity, there talent. It is this line of thinking that makes me want to slap people like Miguel Veloso. The latter part of the poem relates to folks like me, the being poor and only have dreams part. You see why I would be upset. Well here are a little facts about Sporting's number 24.
Miguel Luis Pinto Veloso was established on the 11th of May 1986 in the classical Portuguese capital Coimbra, yes Coimbra was the capital of the Iberian nation. Miguel Veloso followed in his father's footsteps Antonio in becoming a footballer and a good one at that. In his youth career Miguel played for Sporting's hated rival S.L. Benfica before becoming a turncoat and switching allegiances to the Lisbon based club Sporting. Like any young player he had to adjust to first team football so he was loaned out to little known club Olivais Moscavide where he impressed in 2005. Impressive work got him a birth in the starting eleven for Sporting and there he stayed to this day. What I really like about Veloso is his ability to play the position which he plays and not conform to the traditional traits of that position. Do you follow? No. Okay Miguel plays in that defensive midfield role which traditionally sees players who tackle hard and have an aggressive and a bit of a mean streak to them. Perfect examples are Gennaro Gattuso, Roy Keane and Patrick Viera, men of that ilk. Veloso has a really neat knack to challenge without being a cage animal. He is a very precise tackler of the ball. Going forward he is more useful than most would think, I know I always say this but he really does have great vision in that he picks a pass so well, he really does. He being Portuguese does mean he has an erotic asphyxiation for the dead ball situation, well not maybe erotic but he does know how to strike a free kick and he does so with great gusto.
With the good comes the extremely atrocious. Miguel is painfully slow. There is a lot to the lad if you get me. Speed is something he could work on. My major strive from this Portuguese prince is his homogeneous nature. I am not knocking the Portuguese Superliga but at best it is a second tier league. I may be even hasty with me wanting him to go abroad and play in one of the top leagues but I argue if you are good young you can play anywhere. Sure he could take my advice and do make it to that top league but suppose he turns out like Ricardo Quaresma and Helder Postiga his fellow countrymen and just tank overseas. Or what if he stays in the safety of Portugal like one Nuno Gomes. Sure like Senor Gomes he will be venerated like a god in Portugal and win all but the old Portuguese crown but he will not be that well known or well rounded or well respected. Nuno Gomes is good but how many of you know him?, if this is the first time you have heard of him or if all the memories are surging back of the glimpses you did see of him my point is well justified and if you do know him good for you I have no witty phrases to attach. Bit of a conundrum isn't it, either you stay and be a king of an island or go be a knight kingdom. Veloso will have to know. Offers have been made to him so he could leave and but what annoys me is his lack of urgency to leave. Now I don't work for Sporting Lisbon nor do I live in Portugal but I do know he had chances to leave but never unpicked his teeth to voice a desire to do so not because of the calibre of team because they were pretty fashionable clubs. So it is a mystery to me, maybe he likes home. I know the feeling but I do believe in fortune favours the brave and he is not being very brave.
Internationally he's look good in all ranks for the Portuguese, I mean they was not a hold lot to see but he does look like one for the future and will be. Portugal does not boast greatest defenders in the world and he is a fairly decent defensive unit and how he is mobilized for the Maroon and Green will be interesting.
Now the fun part what I think he should do to get a move on in the career department. I hate repetition but I have to say it again the boy has to get out of Portugal. Playing it safe gets you an average, bland wife named Carol who is a librarian. A fixed income job with no chance of climbing the cooperate ladder in a market that no one knows about. An income that is okay and after taxes you have $7.50 to splurge that you then in turn give to your cold wife so she can buy the Nigerian stamps that were outlawed in 1997 so she can complete her 20th century stamp collection. He just has to, the boy has a talent why confine it to just but a corner of the earth. In terms of his game he is young and will develop soon enough, that speed which I may have mentioned maybe his Achilles heel but no one said you had to be an Olympic sprinter to play the game but you do have to be a quarter miler though something I know he can cope with. He does not have to much in question to bash but I really hope he steps out of that box.
Wyvern

EPL Team Of The Week

I have been in deep thought of late, well to be honest I do think alot. I often scare myself and on the brief occasion amuse myself. Anyway as I said I have been on my Sigmund Freud slash Herodotus tip both men worth a google and there is this one question that really reverberate in the canyon which is my skull, that is how can I change the world? I know I am not the first man who have asked this question and similar versions of it but I did dwell on it. What can I do that will change the world. Firstly does the world need changing and if so will I change it for better or worse?What tools to I have to bring about change. Well personally I really have no outstanding skills. I am not athletic, I don't consider myself very smart and as for extreme monk like discipline goes you again have the wrong man. Now hearing what I can't do you would think I do not have alot to offer. You would be right to a point. I am what you call a dreamer, someone who hopes against hope. I do think I am good at one thing though and that is this writing thing. Well the jury is still out on that but these lot are great with out question. In my ramblings I forgot to properly set up the EPL team of the week. Or was it a set up in itself? Think about it, insert comic laugh here.

Match Day 4

Formation: A lone farrow shall be ploughed by the striker this week. He will me up top all on his own. We are going with a 4-2-3-1 line up.Why? To be honest this weekend only this one forward really jumping up and down in my Flintstones underwear. Plus the two in the line that you see were Titanic had to structure the whole formation around them.

Team Of The Week
Goalkeeper- Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Left Back- Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Center Back-John Terry (Chelsea)
Center Back- Richard Stearman (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Right Back- Glen Johnson (Liverpool) (captain)
Central Defensive Midfielder- Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
Central Defensive Midfielder- Darren Fletcher (Manchester United)
Left Winger- Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal)
Right Winger- Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspurs)
Central Attacking Midfielder- Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Striker- Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspurs)

Why?

Petr Cech- It was only a matter of time before he was in the team. I went with the safe approach this week. No keeper shone this week. Cech in all honesty had a pretty boring game for Chelsea and as a former goalkeeper myself I know boring is beautiful. Clean sheet nice one from the Czech.












Ashley Cole- A very swashbuckling performance from the England left back. If you don't know, Cole tends to have a go f**k yourself mantra but who can blame him if he is this good. Wonder goal on the weekend the lad picks himself.










John Terry- They say the most important part of a sword is its blade but it is the hilt of a sword its handle where the true power comes from, the back of the sword. John Terry is the hilt of his team solid assured and this week and for many years he has been that fulcrum. JT the legend.










Richard Stearman- Finally a man that is not in Chelsea blue. Stearman battled hard this weekend for Wolves and the lad did steer the ball into the back into the net for his side's only goal that earned them a point. Was that a pun. Yes albeit poor one. Well done Stearman.











Glen Johnson- You guys must be wondering if I am sweet for this guy and you would not be very far of if you were inquiring. I do like Glen and he has cemented in my mind what a right back should be, so for this he is this week's captain. He made the team 3 weeks in a row he deserves it.P.S they are other right backs but the boy is amazing.









Michael Ballack- The former Bavarian baller is one half of the equation that prompted me to choose this unique formation. His defensive play and offensive punch was a sight. So this makes him the fourth Chelsea player in the team. No mind though the German was easily distinguishable from his compatriots for his power and placement.














Darren Fletcher- The other half of that equation I spoke of. O how far Ye have come Darren Fletcher. From bit part to United's heart. He has come a long way. His performance for Manchester United was empowering. He never complains just runs and tackles, the way it should be.














Andrei Arshavin- It is so very ironic that Arsenal manager Arsene Wegner said before he signed the Russian that he is not in the Arsenal mold and is to weak for the English game. Now he is an integral member of his squad. He lost on the weekend but he was lively and did score a beauty and his play had United very worried.















Aaron Lennon- The hottest Hotspur at the moment this is not his first time on the team,the England man can do no wrong another goal this week and the game winner to boot.















Steven Gerrard- Dumb over used title number one. Steven Gerrard.....the King of the Kop. Number two. The Lord of Liverpool. Number three the Red Baron. All that and more is valiant midfielder. Inspired his team to victory over a pugnacious Bolton. The fighting fighter.









Peter Crouch- Did not start the game. This will tell you what miracles he performed to be on this team. He was marvelous I liken it to the return of Napoleon from the isle of Elba. He really upped the moral of his side.















All of the "Big Four," in England has a bloke in this side and I must say this by far the strongest side to be fielded on the blog to date. Teams beware. This week's video would have been the Chelsea game but that has been posted on the Round Up so we toss it over to the big game of the week.

I Shall Spur You On!

Manchester United v Arsenal
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Round Up

The weeks keep rolling on and so with them so we shall roll. The English Premier League is now taking shape and now we see who will have what kind of season but let it be known fortunes can turn by the back hair of a Moldovan prostitute. A side note though the Spanish Primera has begun over this weekend and I'm very stoked about that now I can do a Euro Round Up so that I get all of the top footy to you the masses. There is something special about the English game, there is something about, I dear say it has an heir of magic to it. I mean football is a pretty special game and I am very jealous with anyone with an ounce of skill. It is a blessing to do anything well and I see myself as one of the unfortunates who have not been blessed with raw talent but what I have to a point is graft and grit. It may not seem like alot and in truth it is not but with it you can make great strides. You may not because life is more complicated than that but a combination of natural ability and determination is what you see when you ever see any successful person let alone athlete. Such breed of man can be found in the Premiership. The real reason why I feel in love with the English League is that grit. Its not like other leagues where you have to play like you have been possessed by an arch angel. All you need is heart and the right attitude and a willingness to run until the salt bursts from your veins.

Match Day 4

Fixtures

Chelsea 3 Burnley 0
Venue- Stamford Bridge
Goals- N.Anleka (45mins), M.Ballack (47mins), A.Cole (51mins) (Chelsea)
Review- Everyone on Chelsea earned their over inflated wages on the day. If you wanted to expose football to someone who never saw it show them how Chelsea played on the day. Burnley to be fair tried their damnedest but were in the end received their just pasting.












A goal for Ashley Cole. It rhymed, it was in sync. Can't say that about the defending!

Blackburn Rovers 0 West Ham United 0
Venue- Ewood Park
Review- I must say the pitch at Blackburn was immaculate. That was the highlight of the game. It was worse than a Greek tragedy. You remember when I just said how Chelsea in their game was the perfect example how the game should be played. Well this is the complete opposite.

Bolton Wanderers 2 Liverpool 3
Venue- Reebok Stadium
Goals- S.Davies (33mins), T.Cohen (46mins) (Bolton), G.Johnson (40mins), F.Torres (56mins), S.Gerrard (82mins) (pen) (Liverpool)
Review- Really starting to fear for Bolton they do not have a point about four weeks into the season now. They are trying but you don't get those for that. Liverpool great fightback but this is still not championship form. The goals are being leaked to much.

Stoke City 1 Sunderland 0
Venue- Britannia Stadium
Goals- D.Kitson (42mins) (Stoke)
Review- What can be said Stoke are the set piece kings, yet another goal scored from a dead ball situation. Sunderland were unlucky deserved more from the game.

Tottenham Hotspurs 2 Birmingham City 1
Venue- White Hart Lane
Goals- P.Crouch (71mins), A.Lennon (90mins) (Spurs), L.Bowyer (75mins)
Review- Tottenham had to fight hard for that win but their apocalyptic offensive eventually doomed Birmingham. Who to their credit gave them good but they need to be more ruthless.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Hull City 1
Venue- Molineux
Goals- R.Stearman (46mins) (Wolves), Geovanni (2mins) (Hull)
Review- Very even game. Really no deserved winner. They both are the epitome of average.

Manchester United 2 Arsenal 1
Venue- Old Trafford
Goals- W.Rooney (58mins) (pen) (M.United), A.Diaby (63mins O.G), A.Arshavin (40mins) (Arsenal)
Review- How did United win this game is beyond me but maybe the question I should ask is how did Arsenal lose the game. They were the better team but in the end they beat themselves, a penalty conceded and a wretched own goal says it all. Count yourself lucky United.

Portsmouth 0 Manchester City 1
Venue- Fratton Park
Goals- E.Adebayor (30mins)
Review- City with the slow and steady approach to the season three wins out of three. The Manchester outfit did well to weather the south coast storm which is Pommey, who bombarded their goal. Despite such a fight Portsmouth are going to go down if they keep this folly up.

Everton 2 Wigan Athletic 1
Venue- Goodison Park
Goals- L.Saha (62mins), L.Baines (90mins) (pen) (Everton), P.Scharner (56mins) (Wigan)
Review- Everton made very heavy work of this game but now its back to back wins for David Moyes side so some parity is being resorted. As for Wigan they have certainly on the snide allowing a ton of goals. It will not be easy this season for them.

Aston Villa 2 Fulham 0
Venue- Villa Park
Goals- J.Pantsil (30mins O.G) (Fulham), G.Agbonlahor (59mins) (A.Villa)
Review- Text book win for Villa. I have to ask is this the same Fulham that dazzled last year, two back to back losses means they have hit a rough patch. They soon will turn it around though.

Chelsea nickname is the "Pensioners," but Burnley played like they were on a pension.LOL

Chelsea v Burnley
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EPL Team Of The Week

"What is today but yesterday's tomorrow." Very profound is it from some Athenian aristocrat may be it came from the great halls of Thebes or could it come from the tales of the Orient and no I don't mean Leyton. Inside football joke. No it came from the most unlikely of places. Nickelodeon and their marquee cartoon Spongebob. The words echoed from the frame of my favourite character Mr.Krabbs. What I guess he is getting at is that time is really irrelevant I can go a step further and say that time is only relevant when it is in use. Well I am on the time power trip because I am a tad late on my updates which I can't apologize enough for but better late than never and I will have to side with that dumb cliche this time.The football is flying and I am loving it she is gathering steam and soon we all shall be steamrolled. Their have been some guys really making the headlines with their style of play and that all important effort. This is where I come in, team of the week looks at those high rollers lets make a move.

Match Day 3

Formation: Well we are going this week with my favourite formation. I use it all the time on FIFA (the video game). It is the 4-1-2-1-2 aslo known as the diamond. Let put these fools in their place shall we.

The Team Of The Week
Goalkeeper- Thomas Sorenson
Left Back- Patrice Evra
Center Back- Franck Queudrue
Center Back- William Gallas
Right Back- Glen Johnson
Central Defensive Midfielder- Abou Diaby
Left Midfielder- Luis Nani
Right Midfielder- Aaron Lennon
Central Attacking Midfielder- Kamel Ghilas
Striker- Wayne Rooney (captain)
Striker- Jermaine Defoe

Why?

Thomas Sorensen- A very unheralded figure for years now. The Dane certainly played his part in their 0-0 draw with Birmingham City. Brilliant saves and the lack of any tremendous goalkeeping this week sees him take the spot.











Patrice Evra- One of the great fullbacks in the game it was only a matter of time before the Frenchman infiltrated this team. Excellent mix of offensive and defensive play against Wigan over the weekend.











Franck Queudrue- Continuing with the French theme sees Franck make the team at the coveted center back role. Franck must be said is not a steady competitor but he did enough this week to make this role his. Consistency Franck, consistency.











William Gallas- Willaim Gallas so far this season has more goals this season than his Arsenal team mate Nicklaus Bendtner who by the way is a striker. The lad is in a goal scoring run maybe he does deserve the No. 10 on his back.










Glen Johnson- Second week in a row he has made the team and for a second time he has battled and his teammates have failed him. His side loss again but yet a again Johnson was the sole beacon of light.















Abou Diaby- Cracking goals over the weekend, silky play overall. Nuff said.










Luis Nani- You know what this young man is starting to convert me to Nanism. He is starting to prove me wrong. He was absolutely amazing, who needs Ronaldo when we have Nanito.















Aaron Lennon- The young Englishman is part of a red hot side at the moment and in this premature season has found the goal on more than one occasion. He's quicker than Hermes, you should probably google that.















Kamel Ghilas- He was born in France but plays for Algeria. Don't know much about him but for one he is exciting. Doesn't hit the target alot but has nice link up play. Hull has a real gem there.











Wayne Rooney- Look I know people say that he does not score as much goals as he should but give the guy a chance. Although I am anti- Man U I know he is great and the way he inspired his team to victory recently earns him the armband on this team. Wayne is the quintessential Englishman. Loyal and a fighter.










Jermaine Defoe- The second Spur in the line up and he deserves to be. Jermaine is playing his way into the England starting line up, the league top goalscorer, he is a problem.










Five Frenchman, four Englishman a Cape Verdean disguised as a Portuguese, I see you Nani and a Dane. The cosmopolitan that is the EPL. Since we have so many men from Gaul, lets all watch them in action. Arsenal might as well be France.

GUN HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arsenal v Portsmouth
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Round Up

Hola mi raza I know I am kind of late on the round up but hectic times have hit and I do apologize. Its match day three or is it two and a half because we did have that mid week spell of play in the English league. I committed a very vile sin in the world of journalism. What was it? Well I was caught in two minds and in the end I did nothing and as the old adage states something is better than nothing. Those mid week games which I spoke about did not have the full roster of teams in action so regrettably I let it slide. Another thing that has me worried is the amount of football kicking off and sadly I don't know if I can cover it all with all my many missions I have to complete. I know I am sadden by this as well but I will try. Serie A has finally kicked off and some surprises have came out on the first day was not expecting what I saw I guess that that's why they call it a surprise. What was not surprising is how the EPL went over the weekend and if you missed out I am here to pick up the slack as late as I am, sorry as I said been really busy.

Match Day 3

Fixtures

Arsenal 4 Portsmouth 1
Venue- Emirates Stadium
Goals- A.Diaby (17,21mins), W.Gallas (50mins), A.Ramsey (68mins) (Arsenal), Y.Kaboul (37mins) (Portsmouth)
Review- Two teams on completely different ends of the spectrum. Arsenal are miraculous while Portsmouth need a miracle.

Birmingham City 0 Stoke City 0
Venue- St.Andrew's
Review- Two teams who will be fighting for their lives, a good point won all around. Very dogged stuff I liked it if you are not a football enthusiast you might have changed the channel.

Hull City 1 Bolton Wanderers 0
Venue- KC Stadium
Goals- K.Ghilas (60mins) (Hull)
Review- Very fun game tons of chances but as you can tell by the scoreline not a whole lot of accuracy. Hull will need to put those chances away. As for the Wanderers points need to be amassed quickly. They won't go down put they will cut it close.

Manchester City 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
Venue- City of Manchester Stadium (COMS)
Goals- E.Adebayor (17mins) (Man City)
Review- For a team that payed shed loads of money for players of guile City have a problem of hitting the back of the net. Well they did what they had to do as for Wolves they will do well to do the same they could have gotten something from this game only thing they got is another "L," in their column.

Sunderland 2 Blackburn Rovers 1
Venue- Stadium of Light
Goals- K.Jones (31,53mins) (Sunderland), G.Givet (20mins) (Rovers)
Review- Sunderland thoroughly deserve their win and they have a very cohesive unit up there. Blackburn need to find goals from somewhere the fact defender Gael Givet got their sole goal says something.

Wigan 0 Manchester United 5
Venue- DW Stadium (didn't even know they changed the name of the stadium LOL)
Goals- W.Rooney (55,64mins), D.Berbatov (58mins), M.Owen (85mins), L.Nani (90mins) (M.United)
Review- The game started slow for United but my goodness did they turn on the style. Wigan for they part fought for most of the game put lapses in the old concentration caused their demise.















Now that's the Man U I know and hate.

West Ham United 1 Tottenham Hotspurs 2
Venue- Upton Park
Goals- C.Cole (49mins) (W.Ham), J.Defoe (54mins), A.Lennon (79mins) (Spurs)
Review- Best derby I have seen in a while. I won't say who should have won but what must be said is the quality of goals on show and I urge you to check them out if you can. Very tasty.

Burnley 1 Everton 0
Venue- Turf Moor
Goals- W.Elliot (34mins) (Burnley)
Review- Have you ever watched the movie Freaky Friday? Well if you haven't its basically two people switching bodies. That is my best description of the form of these two teams. It is suppose to be Everton that are suppose to be putting fear in opposition and Burnley cowering for their lives. Good show Burnley keep it up. Everton sort yourself

Fulham 0 Chelsea 2
Venue- Craven Cottage
Goals- D.Drogba (38mins), N.Anleka (76mins) (Chelsea)
Review- Why yes.....I will have the Drogba and Anelka combo hold the fries. That combo needs no side dish, those two have been a dream dipped in sprinkles and this game showed their sparkly awesomeness. Oh yeah Fulham was there to I think.

Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 3
Venue- Anfield
Goals- Lucas (33mins O.G) (Liverpool), C.Davies (45mins), A.Young (74mins) (pen) (A.Villa)
Review- Liverpool did not look interested at all and they got what they deserved. This Torres and Gerrard excuse is getting a bit annoying and what has happen now is that the rest of their side believe that if those two though don't sprinkle the magic nothing can be achieved. All credit to Villa they had lost their first two games and now they can use this as a spring board for better things.

I left it late and so did United in the end pure class.

Wigan Athletic v Manchester United
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Hatchlings

Its been a while I know. I feel something poetic must be said, maybe a haiku or a quatrain to somewhat stimulate the soul.Or maybe a some feminine interpretative dance needs to be performed or my personal favourite the pantomime. I say to you my reader you have never truly experience life if you haven't seen a 98 pound seven year old Chinese girl name Bau in an owl costume jumping around screaming the most God awful things. This is the world of pantomime as I knew it. I will never get back those few precious hours of my life but the youngsters in Hatchlings seem like they have all the time in the world. I came out with all the poetic references for good reason that being I have not done this particualr segment for what must seem like ages. Something always came up or I was to big of a vagabond, note my grandmother's favourite word when referring to misplaced youth folk, to motivate myself for some reason or another. I was in hiding like how Rhea hid her son Zeus from his father Kronos so that he would not be devoured like all her other children and like Zeus I have returned to exact righteous and valor to the world and oust the old guard. Well not really but I am back to shine light on the often forgotten. This dude though is hard to forget trust me.

Name: Theo James Walcott

D/O/H: 03/16/1989 (age 20)

Place of Hatching: Stanmore, Greater London, England

Position: Winger/Forward

Preferred Claw: Right

Height: 5'9 ft/inches

National Team: England

Caps: 8

Club Teams: AFC Newbury, Swindon Town, Southampton FC (2005/06), Arsenal FC (2006-present)



OH Britannia, Britannia we love you.I DON'T. As a national team I personally think England is the most boring over hyped, over payed, over rated, dull although I said boring, vane and uninteresting harem of bitches one can ever come across. That is England as an unit but in terms of their league structure they are immaculate. The football leagues in the British Isles are masterstrokes and one has to admit their top league is the finest in the world, ironically though it is not the English that has made it what it is to be its the influx of foreign talent has made it what it is today. You take the England's players out of their drab national strip then we can talk and talk we shall. Individually English players are very skillful I won't call names because they are for one to many to call and two it is all about the young man aloft in said picture. Lets due him justice shall we.
Theo James Walcott was born in Stanmore, Greater London, England on the 16th of March in the good year of 1989. To a Jamaican father and an English mother. A prodigy is an understatement. I personally call him Teofilo after the Portuguese play write who was known for his artistry. At age 14 teen I was to playing football for the reserves of my secondary school team, Theo well.........he to was playing for his secondary school team so at least we are even there. What can be said in his early stages of his football tutelage Theo even before he was at the mature level of secondary school the kid was talented. I am really struggling to find a word that can describe a youngster even younger than what he is now. His father took Theo to his first club setting with AFC Newbury after lighting up the school setting with his advanced style of play not only in football. Walcott like so many sportsmen excels at other sports with basketball also an option for the England wide man but thank goodness football prevailed seeing him playing basketball I don't think would be that exciting as his football. Newbury was just a stepping stone for Theo and soon found himself at Swindon Town a team I actually know. With prodigies there is almost a curse that follows them that being they can never hide, they are always a prized commodity with everyone wanting to be their great mentor the one who coaxed raw potential into assured ability. With Walcott his future was set in stone the day he signed Southampton in the season of 2005/06. In his times with the club affectionately known as the "Saints," Walcott amassed 21 appearances with the first of which coming in 2004 against Championship rivals Watford. Becoming the youngest player ever to play for Southampton at 15 years 157 days to be exact. I was not surprise the boy had a deal with Nike at age 14. This kind of hype for 15 year old is not normal but not uncommon. Throughout the sports world kids are earmarked to be the future of the game in which they play and everyone wants a piece of that next big thing, dumb cliche number one. What was not so dumb was the attention he was receiving and a watchful gaze from an old French man in London soon landed upon him. Like a stalking pedophile Arsene Wegner swooped in for the starlet and brought Theo Walcott to the then home of Arsenal FC, Highbury. Maybe pedophile was a bit harsh but if you don't know Monsieur Wegner has a tendency to buy extremely young players a trend I don't think he will ever stop. In 2006 Walcott became a Gunner and to this date has appeared 63 times and netted six times for the North London outfit. Dubbed the next Thierry Henry, a tag I think unjustly fitted to the man but not unreachable or insurmountable. They are some very close similarities between the two they are one both black that helps the likeness situation, they both are quick and wiley, they both play in a striker slash winger role they both played for Arsenal and they are two nifty alluring guys. Theo's Arsenal career has had its moments and has had its rocky periods. His fragile physique is cause for concern to regularly he is on the physcian's table as I type even now at this present date the poor lad is injured.
On the international stage Theo is very much a fledgling when it comes to the senior squad with only eight caps to his name but when we mention England and his name in the same breath we have to put B or under 21 or 17 as a suffix. Don't get me wrong his forays with the full national side have been breath taking but one must realise the kid is exactly that just a kid and really England has no real need in my opinion right now for his services but I could be wrong which is a bit of an oxymoron because I'm never wrong. Enough self praise though back to young Walcott. At the junior level for England it has to be said is the go to guy and was the go to guy for a while. His outings for the young Lions which I call the cubs because I am attuned with the animal kingdom, has been outstanding. Like so many of his brief career his cameos in big games have warranted him to receive promotions to greater teams and England is no exception. His first venture with the full side came in 2006 at the World Cup held in Germany under the enigmatic Swede Sven Goran Eriksson he failed to get a game but prior to the world tournament the young forward made his debut on the 30th of May 2006 against a Hungarian side at Old Trafford at the tender age of 17, dumb cliche number two. England went on to win that match 3-1 for those interested, as you may know I couldn't care if England never played again. Who will play again is young master Walcott but not just yet. With one world icon David Beckham heading further and further into mediocrity with his play not to mention he is getting old a spot on that right hand side of midfield must open up. This is where it gets tough for Theo, England happen to be blessed with talented players on either wing on the right there is the appropriately named Shaun Wright-Philips, Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Pennant who are ahead of the queue so it will be hard for him to break through. Maybe one day but not now.
I think England as a team are weak little girly men that to light a fire under them takes huge financial packages and a tearful speech from a dying child. Not even then I think but I do love their individual players, am I contradicting it is a possibility but I do know this young man has a bright future and I hope he does not let his career go by the bye it would be a real shame. Football need more men......well boys like him. I am so tired of these late bloomers coming into the game at age 30 and starting to play like they have talent. I want to see the 15 year old boy wonders who can afford a Ferrari but would rather go buy an Xbox, the kid whose mom does his laundry but can buy her a maid to so she would not have to do it. I miss that but with guys like Theo around there is hope still. A very nifty and tidy little player all I can say. Anticlimax why yes it is I said my piece now you make your own conclusions.
Reptile