Author: Liam_Richner

It isn’t just a World Cup Qualifier tomorrow night against Poland at Wembley. For Roy Hodgson and co, its make or break time.

After a much needed victory last Friday against a spirited Montenegro side, the Three Lions can now prepare for their most crucial qualifier since Greece at Old Trafford back in 2002. That game produced one of the most memorable of memories in recent England history, David Beckham’s free kick.  Repeat of a moment like that tomorrow evening would relieve the tension surrounding Wembley Stadium.

It has been built up like a World Cup Final. England, top of the group only by a point, have to win tomorrow in order to qualify automatically. Anything else and it’s the dreaded Play-offs, a place no team wants to find themselves (unless your classed a minnow country in aspect to teams like France and Portugal). England’s rivals in group H are Ukraine. They caused the biggest problem for England last Friday by defeating Poland in Kharkiv. With San Marino there next opponents, it’s fair to say they will grab the 3 points with relative ease, which is why England have the win or bust scenario put before them.

Confidence should be high following a comfortable 4-1 win on Friday, led magnificently by the impressive debutant Andros Townsend. However it is without a shadow of a doubt the nerves will kick in in the opening stages. If England manage to score early it could be another rampant performance.

Robert Lewandowski has come out publically stating Poland are going to Wembley to win, even if they have nothing to play for. The Poland talisman has been in immaculate form for Dortmund this season and he will cause our defence problems.

Although it does look a tougher test to last week, England should have the quality to grab the much needed three points and book their place in Brazil next summer, a less then reasonable expectation is for our country to make it to the World Cup Finals.

A nation will watch on expectant of a positive result. No pressure boys….

The moment the final whistle went at Wembley in the Championship Play Off final last May, I knew instantly that for Crystal Palace, this season was going to be one with great difficulty.

The Eagles always had an uphill task on their hands in order to sustain their Premier League status come May; and after a rather challenging opening to their season, this task has grown a lot steeper and unrealistic.

I know what some of you are thinking, ‘you’re a Brighton fan, of course you are going to slag Palace off!” and yes, part of me is secretly enjoying watching my rival team get beat, no, stuffed on Match of the Day, but also I think a lot of football fans, including possible some of Palace’s own, are not looking forward to the next few months.

Three factors help to convince me that Crystal Palace will make a swift return to England’s’ second tier of football next season. Firstly, the manager- Ian Holloway may be somewhat of a character that brings that little more to the Premier League, but tactically he isn’t the strongest managers. He also has that philosophy he brings to whatever team he manages; the old rough, hoof and hang on to what we got routine. I’m sorry but Ollie might have the credentials to get teams into the premier league- but not to keep them there.

Secondly, the transfer window wasn’t one that favoured Palace. They lost Wilfred Zaha, who isn’t even getting a sniff under David Moyes and failed to get him back on Loan. Then they brought in Chamakh; Perhaps the worst striker in the Premier League. Eagles’ fans must have feared for their lives when they heard the Arsenal flop was moving to Selhurst Park on 50k a week! Also signing Reading double Jimmy Kebe and Adrian Mariappa, two players that last year experienced top flight football for the first time and suffered relegation early into the season haven’t proven they have what it takes. To sum it up, Palace is unfortunately a Championship team with Premier League clowns and wannabes.

Thirdly, the league itself is a massive step up from the Championship. There are not as many games in a regular season depending on cup runs. The teams therefore are even fresher and more prepared for the next game. The championship is a funny old league where results are to be honest unpredictable. But  in the Premier League, you can almost count upon the big six winning their games most weeks, you could easily predict the league table standings on the final day in August and come very close to the real thing, it is a tough old league and without the quality you will struggle to adapt.

Today I heard from sources that Liverpool stuffed Palace in their encounter at Anfield- especially in the first half of the game, it could easily have been 5 or 6 at half time. 3-0 is game over in the Premier League and for Palace; they knew by half time they were defeated.

I fear for you Palace Fans, I’m worried that you will have to watch a lot of pain this season as you see your side struggle to cope to life in England’s’ elite division. But eh, I look forward to the matchday derbies between Palace and Brighton when we face each other in the Championship next season. You never know, Palace may stay up, but if you do fall through the trapdoor into the Championship, we (as in Brighton Hove Albion) may be the team replacing you in the Premier League.

But all rivalry aside, Crystal Palace are a good example to show the difference in class between the top two divisions in England, and what you need to cope. Hull has the Manager in Steve Bruce, and Cardiff has spent the money- Palace hasn’t done either and look where they are. So if your team do get promoted to the Premier League, prepare for it in the summer or prepare for a season worth forgetting.

The Champions League. The pinnacle of European club football. The 32 best (debatable) teams from Europe going head to head in a group/knockout competition. This season this could be the most tightly fought contest since its establishment back in 1992. Real Madrid and Barcelona have both gained new rising stars in Gareth Bale and Neymar, but will they be shadowed over by their god like overseers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two German teams who contested last season’s final will no doubt be in the mix again this term, especially with the inspiring managers Jurgen Klopp and Josep Guardiola at the helm. The Italian representation this season will be strong as Napoli and Juventus will provide tough tests after a good bit of business in the transfer window; Juve bringing in Carlos Tevez whilst Napoli captured Pepe Reina and Gonzalo Higuain. Paris St. Germain will be stronger than last year’s appearance as their player’s champions league experience grows. And for the English representation, their success is anyone’s guess. Arsenal gained star player Mesut Ozil on transfer deadline day; can he help the team gain silverware for the first time in eight years? Mourinho will no doubt enhance Chelsea’s chances but he hasn’t had much success since he was at Inter who won the competition in 2010. Manchester City just want to get out of the group as they haven’t in their previous European adventures in this competition, and United, well they have a new boss who for him, is entering the unknown.

David Moyes has had some big moments in the few months he has been in charge of Manchester United; but the biggest of them all was tonight as he made his Champions League group stage bow as a manager.  He also handed deadline day signing Maraoune Fellani a first start for Manchester United as they took on Bayer Leverkusen of Germany at Old Trafford.

It was a familiar face in the Leverkusen dugout as ex-Liverpool defender Sami Hypia returned to Old Trafford for the first time since leaving these shores back in 2009. The Fin had taken his German outfit to third in last seasons Bundesliga campaign and is also making his debut in Europe’s elite competition. This wasn’t going to be the easiest of opening group matches for Moyes and Co. Well that’s what many thought pre match when in fact the game was pretty comfortable for the Red Devils in the end.

The first half was dominated by Manchester United possession wise and the ball was forever in the final third as Leverkusen failed to manage to keep the ball and get it away from their own penalty area, United were comfortable on the ball, making steady progress towards the Leverkusen goal. Robin Van Persie had the first attempt of the evening but his shot dragged wide of the goal, not troubling the Leverkusen goalkeeper Leno.

The first goal seemed to always be coming; it was just a matter of when, and it took Manchester United twenty-one minutes to finally get through the German barricade as Patrice Evra guided the perfect cross into Wayne Rooney’s path and the England striker calmly slotted the ball home, although the Germans were adamant an offside flag should have gone up. Replays showed RVP was offside but didn’t interfere with the play and Evra was marginally offside so the linesman could be given the benefit of the doubt. What was more debatable though was the impact Antonio Valencia had on the goal as he seemed to be blocking Leno from saving Rooney’s shot. However the match referee decided to award the goal instead of agreeing with the German side’s appeal for a free kick.

Just before half time the England forward almost scored another from a set piece similar to the one he scored at the weekend in United’s win over Crystal Palace but his shot kissed the post as it went just wide.

Leverkusen had more impotence this half, they wanted the ball more and created more when they had it, making the contest more exciting as a spectacle. David De Gea was finally called into action after being more of a spectator for the first fifty minutes of the contest as he had to save a fierce shot from Sam. The Leverkusen winger released a shot which was straight at the United Goalkeeper.

What followed can only be judged as a blunder by Wayne Rooney. He had capitalised on a mistake by Leverkusen centre half Toprak, he then easily rounded Leno but in front of an open goal and RVP square on, the England international somehow managed to miss the goal. This miss proved crucial as only a minute later the Leverkusen skipper, Rolfes, curled a shot past a stranded De Gea to equalise for the Germans. For Mr Moyes, it was a painful watch as the score line should have read 2-0 not 1-1.

But like Manchester United do, they manage to get through the sticky spell of a game and restore their control of the game and it only took five minutes for the Red Devils to restore their lead as RVP volleyed a shot into the net, another goal for the Dutchman in the famous red shirt. It was a questionable attempt of a save from the Leverkusen goalkeeper however as Leno somewhat attempted to punch the ball out.

Wayne Rooney then scored his 200^th goal in a Manchester United shirt as he latched onto David De Gea’s long kick and slot the ball into the near post following a defensive mix up between the two Leverkusen defenders. This secured Moyes’s first 3 points in the Champions League and led United to the perfect start to their European venture.

Manchester united seemed to go down the gears after that goal but with ten minutes to go Antonio Valencia added a fourth after top world class counter attack football from United had Leverkusen on the back foot and for David Moyes, the only thing he could taste now was victory.

Leverkusen did grab a late consolation through Toprak but that wasn’t to ruin a good night for David Moyes, who will be nothing short of relived to get that first Champions League win as Manchester United Manager.

David Moyes first game at Old Trafford as Manchester United manager was headlined not by the result but by the performance of the most talked about United player this summer: Wayne Rooney. The England striker produced in my eyes a man of the match performance against the team who were thought to be close to capturing him this summer.

Over the course of the day, many fans have been asking the same question. Will Wayne Rooney play or won’t he? The answer to that question was yes; as Rooney started for United for the first time this season. Jose Mourinho started the game without a typical centre forward as Demba Ba, Fernando Torres and Romain Lukaku all missed out on starting at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney started the game with full intentions on helping United gain victory in David Moyes first game in charge of the Red Devils at Old Trafford as he would run and chase after the ball and not allow Chelsea any time on the ball; each time Rooney was involved in play both sets of fans would chant his name; as his future is still unknown for now.

It was Chelsea who had the first attempt on goal as Brazilian Oscar latched onto Kevin De Bruyne’s low cross but his shot was fired straight at United goalkeeper David De Gea. The game was tight in the opening twenty minutes with that Oscar effort the only major talking point of the game; both teams cancelled each other out every attack with both defences looking solid. By the way the game was playing out, it seemed only one goal could seal the fate of the contest. Eventually it was the away side that again seemed to be creating the chances as again Kevin De Bruyne and Oscar linked up but the Brazilian’s curling effort with the outside of his foot dragged wide of the goal.

Manchester United then created their first attempt on twenty two minutes as Carrick intercepted the ball and played it to Van Persie, whose first touch seemed to drag the ball to wide to make any decent effort but his shot, which was deflected slightly, violently smacked the side netting, showing the quality the Dutchman can use when given the space. Man United then dominated the next five or so minutes, constantly moving towards the Chelsea goal although the team in red couldn’t produce the end product to create any sort of attempt at Petr Cech’s goal.  Eventually the Red Devils gave the Chelsea keeper something to do as Wayne Rooney’s tame effort was pounced on by the Czech Republic goalkeeper. Rooney was by far the most energetic player on the pitch, who looked up for a match against his most likely destination should he still decide to move on.

Again it was United piling on the pressure on the Chelsea defence and after good build up play, a cross from Phil Jones down the right found its way to Tom Cleverley but his shot was always rising into the stands above the net. United ended the first half on the front foot like they had been for the last twenty minutes of the half, although Chelsea had the final attempt of the half as once again Oscar had a shot from just outside the area but his shot was weak and straight at De Gea. For the visitors improvement on the ball was required in the second half, where as United just needed to find that end product in front of goal. Half time 0-0.

The second half started similarly to how the first played out; United pursuing towards the Chelsea goal only to fail to make any attempt or shot. Ten minutes into the second half Man United had the first real attempt of the half as Danny Welbeck gathered the ball on the left but blasted the ball over the bar as he came infield, similarly a couple of minutes later the England international was fed through by Rooney into the Chelsea box but he again hit his shot over the crossbar, squandering the best opportunity of the match at the time.

Chelsea eventually clicked into action after the Welbeck attempts and after good build up play, the ball found its way to Gary Cahill and from long range, the centre back released a pile driver which forced De Gea into a save. Then Andre Schϋller hit the crossbar after Patrice Evra was caught up field but the German was deemed offside.  Mourinho decided the system then needed to change in order to push for the win so replaced Kevin De Bruyne with Fernando Torres.

Just past the hour mark, Tom Cleverly smashed a shot into Frank Lampard, who had his arms in front of his body as Old Trafford screamed for a handball; however referee Martin Atkinson straight away refused to give in to the Manchester United support. Wayne Rooney, still looking as sharp as the first minute had a shot at Cech but the Chelsea stopper kept the shot out with ease.

With twenty minutes remaining, it was Chelsea’s turn to claim for a spot kick as Ashley Cole felt he was pulled back in the 18 yard box by Phil Jones, but Atkinson again refused to point for a penalty. The fact it took Chelsea seventy four minutes to gain their first corner made it clear they hadn’t been able to break down the Man United backline.

On seventy five minutes the stadium watched and gave Wayne Rooney a standing ovation after the United number ten ran down the line to commit into a sliding tackle with Ramires, one in which he won the ball clearly and kept it in before producing a pass up the pitch to Van Persie, and then Rooney forced Cech into a save which a fierce shot.

Man United were close to snatching it on 87 minutes as Van Persie smashed a volley into Jon Obi Mikel but the ref again didn’t give a penalty and Evra followed up with a shot which went wide.

As Martin Atkinson blew time on a close encounter where both defences were solid the game finished goalless. For Mourinho, perhaps he gained what he set out to get, for Moyes it was a satisfying start to his Old Trafford reign with the performance of Wayne Rooney one which could only please the Red Devils boss, and perhaps the so called bid from Chelsea may not be needed as Rooney may have finally found his feet again at Old Trafford.

Once again, football fans can look forward to another Sky Sports treat as they broadcast three live games from the Premier League on Saturday evening, going right through to Monday night. Here is my preview of each of these 3 games.

Aston Villa v Liverpool, Saturday 24^th August, 5:15pm, Villa Park

Aston Villa have surprised me so far this season. They have produced some excellent football and completely outclassed Arsenal on the opening day last weekend and were unlucky at Chelsea in midweek. This team very much contrasts the side from last season, who struggled to cope with the ferocity of the premier league, but now these players have matured into Premier League stars and for Villa fans things are starting to look good. Paul Lambert’s masterstroke of the summer was most defiantly keeping Christian Benteke; who had originally handed in a transfer request early into the transfer window. However the young Belgian made a U-turn on his decision and signed a new contract at Villa Park, and it seems to have benefited Benteke with three goals already to his name this season.

Liverpool also made a promising start to season with a win against Stoke at Anfield a week ago. To think Liverpool would struggle without Luis Suarez was a mistake as Countinho and Daniel Sturridge have seemed to create a strong partnership and some of their link up play would torment the defence of any side in the world.  Goalkeeping heroics from debutant Mingolet made sure Liverpool kept hold of the three points and I think he will be needed again this Saturday as Villa are sure to create plenty of opportunities. The stadium will be rocking, fans will get behind the team in claret and blue and most of all the Liverpool defence may struggle to keep Benteke quiet, likewise, the villa defence may struggle with the pace of the Liverpool forwards.

Prediction: 1-1

Cardiff City v Manchester City, Sunday 25^th August, 4:00pm, Cardiff City Stadium

For the championship champions, it was a tough welcome to the elite league in England as Cardiff were turned over 2-0 by West Ham United. For me it wasn’t a surprise to see Cardiff struggle as they will need to adapt to the change in class and pace that is the Premier League. There were moments for Cardiff fans to feel content about, they created good chances last week and perhaps could have scored a goal. However this week it will be an even tougher test as a slick and world class Manchester City side travel to Wales.

Pellegrini’s men convincingly brushed Newcastle aside last Monday with a 4-0 win, and if City mange to perform anywhere near like they did at the Etihad, I fear for the premier league newbie’s. The debutants Jesus Navas and Fernandinho impressed for City and I feel the former Premier league champions will slowly rip the Cardiff city defence open and expose the gaps to put a few past Marshall, who is sure to have a busy Sunday.

Saying that, this will be the first Premier League match at the Cardiff City Stadium therefore the place will be bouncing, excited fans will vocally get behind the home team and for City it may not be as easy a stroll as many would predict.

Prediction: 0-3

Manchester United v Chelsea, Monday 26^th August, 8:00pm

The nation will be watching on with excitement. David Moyes could hardly of received a tougher opening home match as United Manager, with the “Happy one” Jose Mourniho bringing his Chelsea side to Old Trafford for a mouth-watering contest. Both teams look strong after opening day victories.

Manchester United will be the fresher of the two, as Chelsea played Villa in midweek (a 2-1 victory for the Blues) but Moyes knows he can’t take anything for granted against Mourniho’s team. With Wayne Rooney’s future still in the balance and ironically Chelsea the most likely destination for Rooney should he walk out on Old Trafford, it is unlikely the England forward will take part in the match therefore Robin Van Persie will need to be on top form along with Vidic, Ferdinand and De Gea who are prepared for a tough 90 minutes.

Chelsea will go into the game on the back of two wins, providing confidence as they head to Old Trafford, a venue where Chelsea haven’t been too bad at. Again I predict Mourniho will make changes in order to make his impressive squad content with enough playing time. Kevin De Bruyne surprised me last week with a terrific performance against Hull City, but that was Hull, and United are for sure another step up, can De Bruyne step up to it? Well I guess we will find out Monday should Mourniho pick him.

What is guaranteed though is excitement, and on Monday I’m sure we will be blessed by the footballing gods with goals and incidents to keep us glued to the television screens for a few hours.

Prediction: 2-2

So this weekend sit back, get the beers or cokes in and enjoy the football. It’s sure to be a cracking weekend.

As we head towards the end of the largest shopping spree in football, the summer transfer window, both Premier League representatives from north London (Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur) seem to be preparing for a last ditch trolley dash for talent that will hopefully help them gain that all important and valuable Champions League spot.

Out of the two, Tottenham Hotspur seem to be the team spending what seems to be the money coming in from Madrid for the transfer of Gareth Bale. The team has broken their own transfer record twice this summer with the purchases of Brazilian international Paulinho (£17m) and then Spanish centre forward Roberto Soldaldo (£26m). But Spurs seem to be on the brink of yet again breaking that record with the imminent arrival of Willian from Anzhi for a hefty £30m. That isn’t all the late shopping list completed though, as more are rumoured to be heading through the doors at White Hart Lane, with Real Madrid full back Fabio Coentrao and Roma striker Erik Lamela possibly targets, which if both go through, will make Spur’s total spending this window around £120 million, showing a level of optimism from the chairman and a message to rivals that Tottenham certainly mean business this season in an attempt to break into the top four.

After Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa, it seems now that Arsene Wenger has finally been hit on the top of the head with the transfer hammer, and now intends to splash the cash, in a summer in which Arsenal, unlike the three teams that finished above them, were well placed to mount a title challenge had they bought early, instead it seems panic buying is in order at the Emirates, with a £12 million pound bid sent to Newcastle for stay playmaker Yohan Cabaye, which was rejected. Arsenal in my eyes have left it all too late, and only big bucks will prize players away now as the season has begun. Injuries and suspensions and lack of depth in the squad will now prompt the Gunners to spend on more quality, although previous panic buys such as Sebastian Squllaci proved mega flops in the Premier League.

At this stage, Tottenham are without doubt the stronger of the two North London clubs and with hardly any time left to spend, it could be difficult for Arsenal to make any key signings to turn the tide.  It’s simply a case of well spent Spurs and too little, too late for the Gunners.