05-31-2023, 03:40 AM
SATURDAYQPR v TottenhamHarry gets a visit from his former employers in the first game of the weekend as Spurs travel acro s London to Loftus Road. I was tempted to fill this match preview with typical Arry clichs to mark the occasion but Im not sure I could do him justice. My IQ just isnt low enough. There is a growing feeling that both bo ses are starting to put their respective stamps on their teams. The win at Chelsea must surely have given the Rangers squad a huge boost. They still have a mountain to climb in terms of escaping the drop but never underestimate what some confidence and belief can do to players. This QPR squad in particular is dripping with confidence players and if they can gain some momentum under Redknapp they will start to scare plenty of teams above them. They will have their work cut out this weekend though against a Spurs side who have found a level of consistency which a Chelsea team managed by Villas-Boas never achieved. There is now little doubt that he can get the best out of his current crop (something Redknapp was lauded for, and rightly so for the most part), his next challenge will be adding to Jim McMahon Jersey his squad and developing his system. I would be surprised if we dont see a new striker bought in January, especially with Adebayor now mi sing for most of the month. QPR will need new faces at both ends of the pitch, although captain Ryan Nelsen will be available after postponing his move to Toronto FC, where he will become Player/Manager. As stre sful as management will be, he has been playing centre-half for QPR this season so if anything he will be over-prepared. This sets up to be an entertaining game. QPR will have their moments, Spurs will have goals.Prediction: QPR 1-3 TottenhamAston Villa v SouthamptonIm not sure what stage of the season standard three-point gamesofficiallybecome six-pointers but if we are past that point then this game certainly qualifies. Southampton have found their stride of late having looked like early season relegation fodder. Fair dues to Nigel Adkins, he has stuck by his principles and is starting to reap the rewards and his team are now at least competitive in every game. Gaston riskiest transfer of the summer Ramirez has found his Premier League legs and has been at the heart of the Saints recent revival and while they will never resemble the AC Milan team of the late 80s to early 90s( look them up kids, they conceded about 4 goals in 6 years), they are defending better as a team. Villa stopped Tashaun Gipson Jersey the rot at Swansea last week and were only denied by a late Danny Graham equaliser as up to then they enjoyed about as much festive cheer as Ebeneezer Scrooge opening his presents to find nothing but Comet vouchers. Maybe The Muppets can make that version for next year. Gonzo and Kermit might do a better job of defending than some of the recent Villa performances and the early promise of the Lambert era is starting to fade. His young players will have to start repaying the faith he has shown sooner rather than later. This could be a game where the Villa youngsters get plenty of time and to expre s themselves and space to operate, but Count von Count might needed to calculate their goals against.Prediction: Aston Villa 2-2 SouthamptonEverton v SwanseaThis has the potential to be one of the match-ups of the weekend. Both teams like to control the flow andpo se sionof a game, using Leon Osman and Britton respectively. Osman has had another fine season for Everton, his composure and distribution in midfield has been a joy to behold and many of the same compliments can be directed at Britton. Both teams use their Leon as a pivot to start and continue attacks. While other players such as Fellaini and Michu have grabbed the headlines, I felt it important to acknowledge the engine room of each team. Swansea continue to enjoy an excellent season on all fronts, combining attractive football with a steady stream of positive results. Arlington Hambright Jersey When you consider they lost their manager, backroom staff and four of their best players; Sinclair, Allen, Caulker and Neil Taylor through injury, their achievements are made even more remarkable. One of the few setbacks of the season however came against Everton. The Swans were soundly beaten that day and it is hard to see them turning around the form here in the midst of their heavy cup fixture list. Everton created a host of chances in the reverse fixture and this could be an afternoon when Nikica Jelavic finds his scoring boots. Plenty of nice pa sing on both sides, but Everton may just have the ability to mix it up more when it matters.Prediction: Everton 2-0 SwanseaFulham v WiganJust when you thought you couldnt love Dimitar Berbatov any more than you already do, he goes and lifts his shirt up to reveal a witty me sage to end all me sages. Berbatov may well be one of the few modern day footballers who displays a modicum of self-awarene s. He is fully aware of how he is perceived and is at the stage of his career where he is playing up to his role as laconic genius. Whilst some will continue to brand him lazy and arrogant, I prefer to enjoy what is easily one of the most gifted players to ever stroll about a Premier League pitch. He ran the show then Fulham beat Wigan earlier in the season and could easily do so again. Wigan have so far signed Roger Espinoza and Angelo Henriquez who together with Jordi Gomez, Franco Di Santo and Ivan Ramis will Breshad Perriman Jersey form a Mariachi band. Any money raised from the band with go towards funds to buy actual players. Fulham have signed young Dutch striker Chris David, which got me thinking of other footballers with a forename as a surname. I could only think of Gareth Barry and Im not sure England midfielders can really be counted as footballers. Hard to see Wigan keeping a clean sheet in any game, this will be no different.Prediction: Fulham 3-1 WiganNorwich v NewcastleTwo teams falling faster than Felix Baumgartner meet at Carrow Road in what would normally be a certainty to be last game screened on Match of the Day, but wait until you see whats coming later. Chris Hughton gets a chance to twist the knife into the club that dismi sed him and while Hughton seems far too humble to publicly admit to any Josh Woods Jersey feelings of revenge, I am sure he will enjoy a quiet smile to himself if he manages to pull off a result here. He will never have a better chance. The Magpies have more wounded bodies than a scene from Platoon and also have to cope with the departure of Cheick Tiote to the African Cup of Nations. Demba Ba has also moved on to Chelsea tofulfilhis lifelong dream of having more money than God. Although the lo s of Ba is untimely, it may finally give Papi s Ci se a chance to resume a more central role which he was so devastatingly effective in during the second half of last season. Newcastle h