These ten things I know are true - week eight

Oh look at me – super efficient this week as I’m writing this on Sunday night. A weekend with six games on the Sunday is always a bit wrong but we saw some cracking games. So here are ten things that I know are true following the weekends games.

I know that Manchester United didn’t even have to get out of second gear on Saturday night as they cruised past Blackburn at Ewood Park. Wayne Rooney was immense and I think he needs a big season after a couple of slightly disappointing campaigns. United look strong and I think they’ll be in the hunt come the final day of the season.

I know that Arsenal fans better look towards Europe if they are going to lift any silverware this season. I love Arsenal and when they are on there is no-one else I’d rather be watching on a football field. However they just don’t have the consistency to stage a sustained assault on domestic glory. They can win the Champions League though.

I know that Portsmouth may just have the best strike partnership in the Premier League and I know that is quite a statement. Adebayor and Van Persie are great and Torres and Keane could be special too. Both United and Chelsea don’t play 4-4-2 so they don’t have a strike pairing but in Crouch and Defoe, Portsmouth have a little and large combination that screams goals. When Niko Krancjar returns from injury they might get even better and that is a scary proposition for the league.

I know that Spurs can’t beat Hull City at home. I didn’t know that last week and deep down I genuinely thought Spurs would wake up and smash Hull by three or four. However they failed to perform yet again and with each week that passes the more I start to think that Spurs could actually go down.

I know that Joe Kinnear’s 52 swear rant wasn’t good for his image but that it did help his team. He was trying to create a siege mentality and with his team down 2-0 at Everton you wouldn’t expect to get anything out of the game. Yet when all is said and done you would say that the Toon were the more likely to win. They showed a bit of fight and that is what they’ll need.

I know that Stoke City without Rory Delap and the long throw weapon will go down. I wasn’t down at the Park today but I spoke to several of my friends who were and they tell me that they were worse than the Leeds team we hammered 6-1 a few years back.

I know that I wish I’d been able to watch the Manchester City v Liverpool game. From all the reports it was an absolute cracker and I look forward to MOTD2 later on tonight. That was a game that was clearly a mouth-watering clash so how was it not picked by Sky or Setanta for live coverage?

I know that Everton’s psyche is damaged and they are not the team of the 2007/2008 season. 2-0 up against Newcastle should be it but they were lucky to hold on and get a point. Four games at home and only a point – things aren’t rosy down at Goodison Park.

I know that having four players in the England squad makes me a very proud Portsmouth fan. David James, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch are all well worthy of being in the squad and congratulations to them all. They’ll all (well not so much Jamo) but the other three have been absolutely awesome this year and Jamo is class so I’d have him in goal above anyone else.

And finally…

I know that Fabio really really doesn’t rate Michael Owen. That makes me sad.