Already??
IT SEEMS like only yesterday that the 2019-2020 Premier League season ended and yet here we today celebrating/ dreading (Delete where applicable) its return. There is still the probability of the virus decimating squads, the further prospect of empty stadiums fills me with dread, and the transfer window is still open so a clubs fortunes could drastically alter if the right buy is made, but we are where we are so without further ado here’s some very ropey predictions; top four same as last season but if Pep Guardiola can finally buy himself a world class centre half and Phil Foden proves as good as he is said to be then I expect them to top the table with Liverpool as runners up. If those conditions aren’t met then the title stays at Anfield. Despite continued reservations about their defence I’m going for Chelsea in third, Frank Lampard has won the transfer window hands down and has spent over £230 million on some real talent. It has to be Manchester United in fourth; Bruno Fernandes improved them considerably in the second half of last season and his partnership with Paul Pogba allied to the bringing in of Donny van de Beek should provide plenty of goal scoring opportunities for Rashford, Martial, and Greenwood. Plus if all else fails the 205 penalties that are coming their way this term should see them alright. At the bottom I’m going for Fulham, West Brom and Aston Villa to make the drop though I wouldn’t be too amazed if one of West Ham, Palace, Burnley, or Brighton joins the relegation party. I expect Leeds to prosper and survive fairly comfortably and am really looking forward to seeing the machinations of Marcelo Bielsa. Most of the other sides will be vying for midtable boredom while the also rans will be Arsenal, Spurs, Wolves, and Everton who will be fighting for/trying to avoid (Delete where applicable) the Europa League spots. PS; if Manchester United ever deign to wear their third strip even once this season they should be automatically relegated. Same goes for Chelsea.
7-0-3?
I found myself vigorously rubbing my eyes when I saw the England formation against Denmark on Tuesday night; three rightfooted centre backs, two right footed full backs, two holding midfielders covering the aforementioned defenders, against the might of Denmark? This may be justifiable against the Belgians, Germans French, or Italians, but Denmark? In Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho England have a front four that would be the envy of many countries, but how are they supposed to function with no attacking midfielders to supply them?
Fun fact
It’s well known that Manchester United blew away the old record for penalties awarded last season with Bruno Fernandes to the fore on that front, if that wasn’t bad enough their new signing Donny van de Beek led the Dutch Eredivisie for penalties awarded last season. It’s gonna be a long frustrating year ahead for ABU’s (ABU= Anyone But United)
Guilty as charged
It would be fair to say that Liverpool cakewalked their way to the title last season, equally few would disagree that the extremely muscular Adama Traore exhibited oodles of power and pace on the wing for Wolves, but you know what? The very fact that I’ve just used the words cakewalked, power, and pace, means that according to some woke people at the BBC I am guilty of racial stereotyping. I still can’t get my head around the cakewalked bit but the fact I said that Traore exhibited power and pace apparently shows that I value the player not for his intelligence but for his physical attributes and by doing so I’m unconsciously associating his blackness with someone or something of lesser mental acuity than white people. The strange thing is that over the years I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the West Indian batting and bowling greats, had no problem with the great cricketers from the sub-continent, been in awe of Carl Lewis, Usain Bolt, Daley Thompson, and many other brilliant athletes, and quite obviously I’ve had the pleasure of watching both live and on the box many fantastic non-white footballers. But hey; fair cop, I’m obviously a racist and there’s no hope for me.
This week’s big games
Premier League today 2:30; Fulham vs Arsenal. 5pm; Palace vs Southampton, West Ham vs Newcastle. 7:30; Liverpool vs Leeds. Tomorrow 4pm; West Brom vs Leicester. 6:30; Spurs vs Everton. Monday 10pm; Brighton vs Chelsea. Selected Championship today 2:30; Birmingham vs Brentford. 5pm; Bristol City vs Coventry, Cardiff vs Sheffield Wednesday, Derby vs Reading, QPR vs Forest. Friday 9:45; Coventry vs QPR. League Two today 5pm; Barrow vs Stevenage. Selected Scotland today 5pm; Rangers vs St Johnstone, Ross County vs Celtic, St Mirren vs Hibs. Wednesday 9:45; St
Mirren vs Celtic. Europa League Thursday 6pm; Lincoln Red Imps vs Rangers. 7pm; Locomotiv Plovdiv vs Spurs. 9pm; Shamrock Rovers vs AC Milan. 9:30; Coleraine vs Motherwell, Viking FK vs Aberdeen..
F1
Toscana Grand Prix tomorrow 4:10; hopefully Lewis Hamilton keeps his concentration levels up better than he did when his pit lane blunder cost him the win in Monza last weekend.
And finally
Last week’s question; name the manufacturer and driver of the first rear engine car to win the Indy 500. 1965 was the year that saw the great Jim Clark pilot the Colin Chapman designed Ford V8 engined Lotus type 38 to victory at the Brickyard in a race that sounded the death knell for all other designs. From that day on
American open wheel racing has been dominated by European style cars. Brian Baines, Graham Paxton, John Sanders, and John Grundey all lapped the competition last Saturday with the correct answer. (Bainesey even brought his expensive scale model down to the bar) This week; how many British drivers have won the Indy 500 and name them. Bonus; what connects Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, and Jacques Villeneuve?
Really finally
Yesterday I attended the burial and subsequent gathering for a popular Lapta resident; Angie Cutler who passed away last weekend after a long illness, she was an extremely pleasant vivacious lady with a very interesting back story. Here are just some of the snippets of that story; along with her daughter Dawn she headed up the only on course female bookmaking team in horse racing featuring at many locations and races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Was seen on the box being interviewed by John McCririck on more than one occasion including after she beat the ‘Tote’ in a court case to become the first person to inherit on course pitches. She was a charitable lady who donated two Sunshine coaches to The Variety Club of Great Britain, dined twice at Buck house in the presence of the Queen, where Prince Philip apparently loved Angie’s Brummie accent, she had shared ownership in casinos in Birmingham and Manchester and raced horses and greyhounds. All of this shows that including the 18 happy years she spent here in Lapta with her partner Brian Flanigan, Angie enjoyed a pretty good life which after all is something we all aspire to, we’ll miss her. RIP Angie and commiserations to Brian and Dawn.