With very few Premier League games in this last week, it has been rather quiet. Yes some teams playe...

By Andy Jones

With very few Premier League games in this last week, it has been rather quiet. Yes some teams played in Europe and I could comment on those games, but I’m sure you all either watched them, have seen replays or read about them. One match in particular I didn’t like involved a silly goal keeper. Anyway, here the two games that took place this week in the league where Wigan (0) vs Bolton (0) and Stoke (1) and Man City (1). Personally I would of felt Wigan could of beaten Bolton, I’m not quite sure why. I just feel they have a better calibre of players even if they are significantly weaker than last season when they had Cattermole, Palacios and Valencia as well as Zaki and it just highlights how small teams can have have to struggle to hold onto their best players, because let’s be honest, Wigan weren’t a terrible side with atleast the first 3 of those 4 players in their team, it gave them a back bone, the tough tackling Palacios combined with the work-horse Cattermole who could both tackle and pass along with the quick and direct Valencia down the wings.

For me I like it when the underdog triumphs, it makes me smile (bar when they are playing Arsenal) but with teams constantly changing, players leaving every season to “bigger” teams it makes me think, well why not stay? Why as a group of players make the decision to really go for it, change the team from a stop gap and a place where players just showcase themselves for the next buyer to a team who are at least challenging for the Europa League and maybe with some luck challeneging for one of the cups like the FA or Carling. The other thing I read when I buy FourFourTwo is a section called “The Boy’s A Bit Special” and it’s a quick, slightly comical interview with a up and coming player and they always ask them where they want to be in 5 years I think it is and almost every single one if not all of they say “Playing for a big team and winning trophies” or something similar to that generic statement. I have yet to read (I may be wrong) of one of them saying “Promoted with this club” or “Still here with this club and alot higher in the table”.

I can understand people’s desire to move to the best clubs and to be challenging or silverware, but it would be nice for some loyalty to be shown to the people who have spent a long time and probably alot of money training you only to see you jump ship. Maybe I’m just being old fashioned, who knows. That’s why, even though I really don’t like Man City for coming in and spending millions of pounds, atleast they are bringing something new to the league, adding some competition to the usual big clubs. What’s your opinion on this?


Finally, Pick of the weekend games:
For me, I will be watching my beloved Arsenal, but this weekend I think the game to watch is The Toffees (Everton) vs The Red Devils (Manchester United). The Beast that is Rooney is on fire and playing at a whole new level, while Everton are back on form and salvaging their season, United will be favourites, but with Rooney returning to his boyhood club, Everton have former United players Neville and Saha in their rank and maybe the Frenchman can sink United just like he did Chelsea?