The EPL: The Beginning of the Sorting Out

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks



Most of the teams in the EPL have played six matches and as the winners and losers are sorting out themselves, there are, hitherto, some surprising results. Chelsea is at the top of the tables with 16 points after beating Arsenal 2-1 on Arsenal’s home ground. To everyone’s surprise, Everton is riding high in second place with 13 points. Manchester United who lost to Tottenham at home is in third place with 12 points. Defending champions, Manchester City are in fourth place with 12 points. Tottenham is beginning to look as if they are for real and they are in fifth place with 11 points. Again surprisingly West Brom is in sixth place, ahead of Arsenal, with 10 points. Vanquished by Chelsea over the weekend is the inconsistent Arsenal with 9 points.

Newcastle, who finished with a flourish last season and had a chance to play in the Euro Championship League, is off to a slow start in 2012. They are in ninth place and drew this weekend top against Reading. Liverpool has had an un- Liverpool start and are in fourteenth place. But Liverpool won this week spearheaded by a Suarez hat-trick and a handsome and sorely needed 5-2 victory against Norwich City.

The three teams in the regulation zone are Norwich, Reading and Queens Park Rangers. QPR, who barely escaped relegation last season, has not reaped much dividend on all the money spent in the off-season.

Arsenal vs Chelsea: A Battle of Coaching Wits

Di Matteo seems to have settled on Chelsea’s starting eleven. Lampard will have difficulty breaking into the starting eleven. Oscar’s play on both sides of the ball has forced Di Matteo to include the Brazilian who has also forced his way into the starting Brazilian National Team.

Rather than playing Ramires on the right wing where he played most of last season, Di Matteo has brought Ramires into the center of the mid-field, playing in front of Mikel, Chelsea’s defensive mid-fielder.


Chelsea’s mid-field is formidable, both offensively and defensively. Mata, Oscar, Ramires and Mikel constitute a hard running and creative force, with Hazard behind the improving Fernando Torres. The back four has become somewhat impregnable with the charismatic David Luiz making less mistakes in the back and ably supported by John Terry, Ivanovic and Cole.

Arsenal had their chances. Unfortunately, Abou Diaby, who was hurt while performing for France, had to be removed in the 20th minute.

Arsenal failed to live up to expectations. Poor defending on set pieces gave Chelsea the match. And Arsenal’s strike force with the exception of Gervinho did not look sharp. Cazorla did not have any impact on the game. Podolski was equally innocuous. Giroud came on as a substitute but late in the game missed a crucial scoring opportunity which would have changed the outcome.

Wenger keeps trying with Ramsey but the Welsh captain has not been a positive factor. The find for the season has been Kieran Gibbs and Jenkinson in replace of Sagna has played well.

Arsenal’s dilemma is the 4-3-3 formation. Their style of football means that they have to maintain possession and cannot be outplayed in mid-field. The Chelsea four outplayed them in mid-field yet Arsenal’s wing play with Chamberlin and Walcott presented Chelsea with problems. Throughout the game, Chelsea controlled the middle and Arsenal controlled the flanks.

Di Matteo has settled on his starting eleven. Wenger is still sorting out his starting eleven. Arsenal’s fortunes for 2012 will depend heavily on avoiding defensive lapses like what occurred against Chelsea and the durability of the resurrected Abou Diaby.

Drawing Down the Final Curtain

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

It’s curtain call for the Wolves. They will be relegated to England's Championship League at the end of the season. For two seasons they fought gallantly to stay afloat in the Premier League. What they lacked in talent they made up for it in tenacity. The tenacity this season waned. Wolves is a classical example of a club with limited resources up against moguls with unlimited riches willing to spend and compete in the English Premier League.

The Wolves are gone but the race to stay afloat may very well obviously come down to the remaining three games. Aston Villa, Bolton, Wigan, Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers are all fighting for their club life to stay afloat in a League where profits are more bountiful than the League below.

Mancini’s Moment of Hope

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

Mancini’s Manchester City captured their old form and simply tore apart Norwich’s defense on Saturday afternoon. Tevez was terrific scoring a hat trick. Aguero was prolific and scored a brace. Yaya Toure was an unstoppable force. Manchester City won 5-1 and closed the gap by two points leading Manchester United.

Manchester had veered off course as they lost 1-0 to Wigan. But this Sunday playing at home, Manchester United destroyed Aston Villa. Aston Villa is a team investing in their young players but the truth of the matter is that they are not ready for prime time. They are lucky that they are out of the regulation runnings.

Camouflage Keeper

Goalkeepers have been known to get the short end of the stick when it comes to jersey designs. Everton gets involved with a camouflage pattern that would work for the outdoorsman hunting quail or maybe trapping crosses. We're not sure what to make of this one, the only thing that we can confirm is that Tim Howard is going to have to wear this. I'm sure the comments from the press box will be fashion related for the first 8 weeks of the EPL season.

Ballharambe: EPL Standings at Half-Time

By
Bagga Wilks

We have reached the half way mark in the English Premier League. There are five teams in contention for the title, the leaders, Manchester United with 44 points with a game in hand, Manchester City with 42 points, Arsenal with 40 points with having played one game less than Manchester City, Tottenham in 4th place with 36 points and the slumvering Chelsea with 35 points.

Manchester United has not hit top form but are in the lead and find ways of winning close games even when they are far from their best.

Birmingham 2 - 2 Everton: Futbolr Cameron Jerome named Player of Match

Birmingham City came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Everton on Saturday. Cameron Jerome's third goal in the last two matches gave City a lifeline before setting up a second for Craig Gardner's moment of glory following his £3m January move from local rivals Aston Villa. American Landon Donovan has played his last game for Everton for now, having flown back to LA Galaxy yesterday at the expiry of his loan.

American's finding new homes in January!

Landon Donovan, Damarcus Beasley and Eddie Johnston are looking like they will be living in new cities come January. Eddie Johnson has been named to a transfer list for his current squad Fulham FC in English Premier League. Johnson has been at Fulham for 2 years but has only appeared in 1 league game this year. Rumors are spreading he would either end up in Championship or MLS.

Everton are hopeful of agreeing a deal to sign United States star Landon Donovan on loan.

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said: "Landon is a player David Moyes has identified as someone he would like to bring to the Club. We are working to make that happen and hope we can reach agreement soon with all the appropriate parties”.

If negotiations are successfully completed, the forward would join the Blues on January 2.

Still only 27, Donovan is his country's leading international goal-scorer and is also their most capped player with 120 appearances.

He can operate in a withdrawn striker's role, on the wing or as a more conventional attacking midfielder.

Along with David Beckham, he fired LA Galaxy to last month's final of the MLS Cup - the trophy contested by the top-placed league teams in the American competition.

Regarded as his nation's best ever player, Donovan won the MLS Most Valuable player and the Goal of the Year awards for the 2009 campaign, which concluded last month.

Donovan has previously played in Europe for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen and would remain at Goodison Park until mid-March, joining fellow USA international Tim Howard.

According to the Daily Mirror, Fulham boss Roy Hodgson looking to spring Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley from Ibrox. Damarcus Beasley, the American left-winger, has previously expressed his wish to leave the Scottish club in pursuit of the regular game time he believes he needs to get into the USA's World Cup squad.
Beasley 27, played in the Premier League before with Manchester City, on loan from PSV Eindhoven. He has not featured for the U.S. national team since the summer, when a passing error in the Confederations Cup consigned him to the bench for the remainder of the tournament. Fulham features American Clint Dempsey, and previously also included Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride and Kasey Keller on the roster.

Everton announce Kitbag and Le Coq Sportif deal

Everton has announced the biggest commercial deal in the Club's 131-year history.

The Goodison Park Club has signed a 10-year agreement with Kitbag Limited, Europe's leading online sports retailer, to provide exclusive retail services on a global basis. The new agreement is expected to generate in excess of £30 million over the duration of the contract.

In addition to the deal with Kitbag, the new retail arrangement for Everton includes a sports marketing agreement of up to five years with Le Coq Sportif which will generate £3 million.

Kitbag Limited, whose existing portfolio of clubs includes Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid, will operate under a bespoke Everton retail brand and will be directly responsible for high street shopping, mail order and the Club's online store.

Their vast experience in online sports retail will see the introduction of one of the most innovative football shopping web platforms in existence.

The deal will also mark a spectacular return for Everton retail in Liverpool City Centre with the opening of a new flagship store in the £920 million Liverpool One complex.

The new City Centre outlet will be the sister store of a fully refurbished retail operation at Goodison Park.

Chief Executive Officer, Robert Elstone said: "This new and exciting partnership represents real and tangible progress in the retail arena for Everton. It is, and will remain, a key area of the Club's overall business and therefore it was crucial to find the right partner. I believe we have done that with Kitbag Limited.

"Their pedigree in sports retail is first class - there is a refreshing progressiveness and ambition about their organisation and the way in which they run their business - one that I believe compliments ours. It will undoubtedly benefit Everton and our supporters for many years to come.

"There has been a significant amount of investment in this partnership from Kitbag already and it further demonstrates the ambition to improve our retail brand, our product ranges and customer service levels."

Ray Evans, Managing Director of Kitbag Limited, said: "We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring Everton fans a product offering through truly innovative retail environments that will reflect the heritage, passion and ambition that encompasses this football club.

"Our business employs very talented people who have great experience and fully understand the football club retail business - but most of all and crucially Kitbag people are all passionate football fans."

"Our capital investment into the Everton retail business is the single largest club partner investment in the history of our company. We are very much looking forward to revealing our plans and commitments to this business over the coming weeks."

Le Coq Sportif

The Le Coq Sportif brand - worn 25 years ago during the Club's most successful season - will be the official and recognised technical partner and the brand on the 2009/10 Everton home shirt that goes on sale in June.

Mr Elstone added: "Le Coq Sportif has a proud heritage, very closely aligned to Everton and we are delighted to be back amongst their stable.

"We are excited by the range and quality of products to be provided under the Le Coq Sportif umbrella and are confident, especially when fans see our new home shirt in June, that they'll agree we're at the start of a great, new sportswear partnership."

David Tolman, Managing Director of Focus International, licensee for Le Coq Sportif, said: "Le Coq Sportif was associated with Everton back in the glory years of the mid 80s and we are delighted to renew this relationship at a time when the Club is enjoying such a renaissance. The combination of the heritage values of both the club and Le Coq Sportif will deliver a powerful proposition for the fans."

Everton's new retail arrangement sees the Club part company with JJB Sports with whom they have enjoyed a strong and mutually beneficial relationship since 2004.

JJB Sports PLC will close the existing online store (evertonfc.com/megastore) and mail order at the end of trade (5pm) on Friday May 1, 2009 and the Club Megastore at Goodison will close on Sunday May 31, 2009.

Mr Elstone added: "Everyone at Everton has enjoyed the past 5 years working with JJB Sports. We would like to thank them for their continued support since 2004, particularly during recent, challenging economic times and wish them every success in the future.

"The Club would also like to place on record our thanks to Umbro. They have supported the Club with top quality product throughout the period of our partnership. We have enjoyed a resurgence in our fortunes on the field under the Umbro brand and we hope they bring us a final piece of good luck in the FA Cup Final at Wembley."

written by www.footballshirtculture.com