The week in Premier League football: Family, sex and con artists

Fulham

Zamora's stoppage-time winner stuns Arsenal.

Their form has been very, very patchy of late but they have been putting in hard working displays against their local rivals that has frustrated them and their chase for Europe. Their record against their London rivals is P5 W2 D2 L1 – the second-best record in London derbies this season, behind Spurs. Based on their first half display against Arsenal, many thought they would repeat their 5-0 loss to Manchester United.

A dubious red card and a Bobby Zamora strike in the depths of injury time helped them come away with the points against a very strong Arsenal side who have hit form. With a couple more additions to their squad in January, and hoping Zamora & Dempsey hit top form, one would expect to see them sit comfortably in the league again and build on that for next year and aim for Europe.

Barton’s Red Card & Aftermath

Well it is one of the talk of the terraces this week, but it is a very simple one to go with. You either love to hate Joey Barton or you just hate him. This time it was a sending off for a ‘headbutt’. We should look back to when he was at Newcastle and the game against Arsenal earlier on in the season where a slap by Gervinho caused Barton to roll around on the floor like he had been hit across the face with a bat.

I think this is karma coming to bite back at him. Personally, I think the red card was a bit unfair for various reasons including the referee and linesman not fully seeing the incident and tough challenges he received on him prior to the red card. However, it is Barton and he had it coming, so good.

Martin O’Neill

The man has worked wonders at Sunderland so far. Courtesy of Dagur Brynjólfsson.

Martin O’Neill is a special manager. I think his record speaks for itself, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be managing a big club in the future. He has got Sunderland playing with a confidence that they did not show whilst Steve Bruce was in charge. Only conceding seven goals in six games and scoring 11, they have an attacking freedom about them again.

Bringing in some youth players who have been on the fringes of the first team and using the players he has at his disposal, he has worked wonders. Now with the January transfer window open and a nice war chest behind him, it would not surprise me for him to make some changes to the squad, and bring in some quality which might push them up the table and maybe, maybe, challenging for Europe. Only time will tell.

Liverpool

Their troubles are clear, and the club has been clear with their statements on the Suarez case as well as almost everyone associated with the club. The real reason I am choosing them this week is how they are going to deal with their main striker not playing for a quarter of the season. Andy Carroll has no confidence at all. However, with a brief cameo from club captain Steven Gerrard, Carroll looked good.

But Gerrard is not match fit and this can only lead to one problem, Liverpool drawing or even losing many of their upcoming games due to the lack of quality in the middle of the park shown by Charlie Adam. Dirk Kuyt is not fitting in comfortably in the current system and is rumoured to be leaving in January. What Liverpool need to do is alter their tactics and put Craig Bellamy as their main striker. Craig has only a bit part player so far this season for them but he would be the smart option for Daiglish to put up top and is proven to score goals at this level.

Beckham to PSG

Goodbye LA?

Beckham has been one of the most important players for club, country and football in recent years. Not only have his performances been consistently amazing, but it is his image and what it brings to any club is what convinced Real Madrid to sign him from Manchester United in 2003 for £25m.

Moving to Los Angeles Galaxy has been indifferent for Becks, mainly due to the unrest he received when he arrived back from his extended loan with AC Milan. Fans calling him a “fraud” and a “part time player”, many thought that it would be the end of the road for him. Rumours started to surface then about a move away. Further rumours surfaced again after he helped LA win the MLS Champions Cup and coming close to the end of his 5 year contract. Many believed that he was looking for a move back to Europe to stand a better chance at being in Team GB.

Enter PSG with their Qatar Investment Authority money to sign him. He faced a difficult decision. Move his family for a third time or stay in LA where they are settled. He does not need the money like some of the players currently out looking for their last major pay packet, instead he decided to stay purely on a family basis, not money.

That shows you what kind of sportsman he is. A man that is more devoted to his family than his wallet. Lucky for him he is being allowed to play for Team GB by the Galaxy and is currently negotiating a contract as we speak.

The Two Tim’s of Merseyside

Everton are having a very indifferent season, but some say their season is only starting as they perform better after the winter period.

Tim Cahill has been one of their most consistent performers in the past few seasons, however the Aussie has been finding it extremely difficult to find the back of the net. One of the best bargain buys of the Premier League, his last goal came away from home in Everton’s game against Manchester City in 2010. He since has failed to find the back of the net in the entire calendar year of 2011.

Just to make matters worse, his colleague and goalkeeper Tim Howard became only the fourth goalkeeper to score in Premier League history with a long clearance that, with the help of some gale force winds, was able to bounce over Bolton goalie Bogdan’s head. It was merely a freak goal that Everton did not deserve, as Bolton clawed back to get three much needed points. Cahill must be thinking what must he do to score a goal, and so too is David Moyes, who needs him to find the back of the net and soon.

Tim Howard in action for the USA. Courtesy of Nathan Forget.

Manchester United

The 19 time champions are starting to look a bit shaky at the moment. Having secured three convincing wins over QPR, Fulham and Wigan, the Red Devils have notched up two straight leagues defeats. This is the first time that they have suffered two consecutive league defeats since the 2005-2006 season.

Why has their season looking to stutter? Plain and simple, injuries. They have nine of the first team out injured at the moment. The player that they have missed the most would have to be club captain Vidic, who is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Sir Alex has always had a large squad to choose from, however his reserve squad are not up to the standard that are needed to help keep their title hopes alive. With January coming up, they will need to add to their squad with youthful experience and sharpish, but then again Fergie does not do much business in January. I think if they put together a bad run, they will safely be tying the blue ribbons onto the Premier League title for their rivals.

The Sex Life of Titus Bramble

Bramble is back in the headlines for his over active mojo. Mr Bramble was formally cleared of a charge of urinating in a public place after the prosecution said it was no longer being pursued. Accused of indecently touching two women in separate incidents in Yarm in September, another sexual assault charge is being added on one of the existing charges already handed out to Bramble. Titus has not focused on his football for several years now, and he is now considered to be one of the joke defenders of the Premier League. With Martin O’Neill in charge at Sunderland, it would not surprise me to see him shipped out for being a disruption to the club and team.