Rhys Bandy

Premier League team of the week – Matchday 14

December 2, 20191 Comment

David Martin

Following Spanish goalkeeper Roberto’s calamitous few months in goal, 33-year-old ex-Millwall player David Martin stepped up; providing an inspiration appearance is goal for the hammers. I think it’s obvious that this man has kept Manuel Pellegrini is his job, as he did actually make 6 strong saves. Could this change West Ham’s season?

Virgil Van Dijk

Well then, Liverpool have won the league. Currently 8 points ahead of second-placed Leicester, surely the reds will finally win the league this season; but would have they deserved it? Anyway, Van Dijk was up to his goal-scoring antics again – scoring 2 brilliant headers.

James Tomkins

I’m going to be honest, I did not see Crystal Palace winning at Turf Moor this weekend; and boy did they do it well! Even though Zaha and Schlupp were the goal scorers, English defender James Tomkins was on the top of his game. Burnley are no easy team to play against, with their rough and strong playing style giving any defender a bumpy ride. However, Tomkins came out of this clash with 3 interceptions and 11 clearances.

Riccardo Pereira

What a dramatic win for The Foxes! To score a late, late winner like that takes some doing, and Leicester have to be given a lot of credit for that. However, Portuguese Full-back Pereria offered both offensive power and defensive stability on Sunday afternoon – proved by his assist and 4 interceptions.

Matt Targett

Good point for Villa, especially against their relegation rivals. I’m impressed how they managed to get back into the game so quickly after falling behind to United, and it was Matt Targett who got the assist! The English Full-back also made 5 tackles and made 3 interceptions.

Jack Grealish

Isn’t it obvious why he is in here? The ex-Ireland international was instrumental in Villa’s offensive play – and opended the scoring with his sublime curling effort.

Jonjo Shelvey

The ex-Liverpool player wins Liverpool the league – who would have thought it? It was a great strike from Shelvey, and yes – I am putting him in here purely based on his goal.

Dele Alli

Looks like he’s back to form, doesn’t it? Another two goals, and tidy finishes too. However, I think it is disgusting that he can just turn it on for one manager, and down tools for the other; or maybe it is just a tactical difference? Anyway, it’s good to see a fellow Englishman getting back to form.

Onel Hernandez

Following Onel Hernadez’s return from injruy, Norwich’s form has began to improve. All canary fan’s will hope that his man can carry on his decent form into the winter months. The Cuban winger got an assist, made two key passes and completed two dribbles.

Wilfred Zaha

Another palace player! Following the win, Wilfred’s first words were “my season starts here” – which is rather exciting for the supporters, as the Ivorian winger can be one of the best players in the league on his day.

Aubameyang

I was very hesitant to put this man in my team of the week, considering that one of his two goals was a penalty and another was a fortuitous goal from a corner; however, there is certainly an argument that without this man the gunners would have gone on to lose against the canaries. In addition to this, the Gabonese forward also made a key pass and completed a dribble.

Premier league Preview – Matchday 14

November 29, 2019Leave a comment

Chelsea vs West Ham United

To start of this weekends preview, we have Chelsea vs West Ham! With both teams coming from the back off narrow defeats, it more than likely that the two sides will be eager to show their best at Stamford Bridge. However, due to Hammer’s awful form since they beat Manchester United back in the latter stages of September, most football fans will say that Chelsea are the favorites in this clash.

In terms of players, Chelsea fans will be very disappointment to see the back of Tammy Abraham, due to his hip injury in midweek, as himself and the goals that he brings along with him are very important for the Blues. In midfield, Chelsea have got a wide range of options including; Mount, Kovacic, Kante, and Jorginho – all players that have either proven themselves at the highest level or dramatically improving as a footballer. However, English duo Ross Barkley and Callum Hudson-Odoi are not to feature. If I had to pick out one Chelsea player to make an impact in this London derby would be Pulisic – who is currently in a hot vein of form.

For West Ham, it’s all about their keepers! Following Spanish goalkeeper Roberto’s absolute stinker against Burnley the over week, under-pressure boss Manuel Pellegrini may decide to start ex-millwall player Martin in goal. In terms of injuries, West Ham are not doing too bad off however Issa Diop will not be able to play in this fixture due to suspension. If I had to pick a player to make the biggest impact for the Hammers would be Felipe Anderson, who always has a trick up his sleeve.

My prediction – 2-0

Norwich vs Everton

Big relegation 6-pointer here! In all seriousness, Freddie Ljungberg will want to win, to insert a bit of momentum in the lack-luster Arsenal team of late; especially if a new full-time is set to come in the next few weeks. For Norwich, they will be desperate to build on that impressive 2-0 win away at Everton – and with their home support behind them and a new manager at the helm at Arsenal – they may just send up doing this.

For Norwich, there should not be any new injury troubles; however English Attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell has took a slight knock in training, and may be a doubt for Sunday’s fixture. Upon reflection, I would not be surprised if we see another Pukki party on Sunday afternoon.

For the away side, David Luiz may not come back into the side; as he picked up an injury in the midweek defeat to Frankfurt. Apart from that, Arsenal are looking all good!

My prediction – 2-2

Leicester vs Everton

For our last game in today’s preview, It’s a unique one! I personally feel that if Leicester win this game then that Top 4 will be theirs to lose, however if they do end up losing this game; I can see there being a real fight between them and Tottenham for that forth spot come end of the season. For Everton, a loss surely has to mean the end for Marco Silva; and at long last.

On the injury front, both teams have had no new troubles – however Marco Silva may choose to change up his side in response to his sides horrfic preformace at home to Norwich last weekend – with Coleman, Keane and Calvert-Lewin among those who may get a place in the Portuguese tactician’s team.

My prediction – 2-0

And the rest of my predictions!

Newcastle 1 – Manchester City 3

Tottenham 2 – Bournemouth 0

Burnley 1 – Crystal Palace 0

Liverpool 3 – Brighton 0

Southampton 2 – Watford 1

Wolves 1 – Sheffield United 1

Manchester United 3 – Aston Villa 2

Premier League Team of the week – Matchday 13

November 26, 2019Tagged book, football, fortnite, manu, manunited, minecraft, norwich, read, sportLeave a comment

Matchday 13! Now every team has played 13 games, let’s look at my team of the week!

Tim Krul

The goalkeeper for my team of week has to be Norwich City goalkeeper Tim Krul. During the canaries 2-0 win over Everton, the Dutch keeper was brilliant – catching crosses, reading the game and had some very good hands. He made an especially good save against Turkish forward Tosun, which would have made the game 1-1.

James Tarkowski

As there were no outstanding fullbacks this week, I have decided to set the formation to 3-4-3 – with my first centre back being the Burnley man Hames Tarkowski. During The Clarets 3-0 away win over Watford, the English defender scored a goal, won 7 aerial duels and made 6 clearances. His form will definitely give Gareth Southgate some ideas in relation for his team at next summers’ Euros.

Fernandinho

Due to Manchester City’s injury troubles at the back, the Veteran midfielder has been placed in defense by Pep – where he has impressed. This may be due to his bite, tackling ability – or maybe even due to his ball-playing ability. However, his performance against Chelsea demonstrated all of these skills – with the Brazilian making 4 tackles, winning 6 aerial duels and making over 70 passes. He has filled the hole made by Laporte very well.

Çaglar Söyüncü

At the start of the season, many football fans were left worrying for Leicester City’s defence – due to the departure of England centre-half Harry Maguire. However, the young Turk has really stepped up; bringing consistency with him, week in, week out. During the Foxes 2-0 win over Brighton, he won 3 aerial duels, made 2 interceptions and made 8 clearances. Where he also finished the game with a 7.4 rating.

João Moutinho

Like last season, the portugese midfielder is truelry making Wolves a strong force. Not only did he score a elegant free kick, but his overall game was also very impressive. He made 3 key passes, 69 total passes, and was also very strong in the tackle.

Dele Alli

What a difference a new manager makes? First game under Mourinho, and the England international was superb. The midfielder brought his trademark bite and aggression, but also included creativity and composure in the attacking midfield position. Statistically, Alli got an assist, made 4 tackles and made 2 key passes.

Conor Hourihane

The Irishman won Villa the game yesterday – there’s no doubt about that. Both of his free-kicks were superb – and even his overall game was excellent. Making 3 key passes and completing 98% of his passes.

Todd Cantwell

Another Norwich player – English Midfielder Todd Cantwell. It was his goal that opened the scoring at Goodison Park, and which ultimately helped secure their first away win of the season. As well as his goal, He completed 3 dribbles, made 2 tackles and made 54 touches.

Riyad Mahrez

From a person who hasn’t watched Manchester City much this season, it seems that Riyad Mahrez has really come to life, and has really begun preforming on the pitch. This was perfectly Demonstrated on Saturday evening, where the Algerian Forward had 5 shots, made 4 dribbles and was a threat to Chelsea’s full-backs all game.

Alexander Lacazette

Even though Arsenal’s performance was horrendous, the French strikers’ finishes were great. He also made 4 dribbles, made a key pass and was always a threat to the Southampton Centre backs.

Raul Jimenez

Also a goal scorer, the Mexicans involvement was also very good against Bournemouth. but some people he should have scored more due to his massive 7 shots in this game. However, the forward also made 2 key passes – showing that he also has a creative spark.

Premier League Preview (23/11/19)

November 22, 2019Leave a comment

West Ham vs Tottenham

Arguably the biggest game this weekend, with it being Jose Mourinho’s first game in charge of Tottenham – But will it end with a win for the North London Team?

West Ham have looked vulnerable in the last few weeks, with Felipe Anderson’s form really starting to worry the supporters of the hammers; however the return of Andriy Yarmelenko has been especially promising. – with the Ukrainian winger chipping in with 3 goals and an assist so far this season. Defensively, the hammers have conceded 20 goals so far in the league this season – the joint forth worst in the division.

In regards to Spurs, there should be a massive boost around the squad – a new manager always brings that buzz, even if it is for a short amount of time. You would like to hope that Jose won’t choose to go too defensive, and actually try to have a go at the fragile West Ham defense. Taking all this into account, these are the three questions in which you should try to get answers for after the match…

Will Jose change his style of play? Will Kane suffer due to different tactics? How will West Ham react to losing 3-0 to Burnley before the international break?

My Prediction – West Ham 1 – Tottenham 2

Ethan’s Predictions – West Ham 1 – Tottenham 1

Everton vs Norwich

Relegation 6 pointer? Seeing this game, I get the feeling that if Everton can get the win; they will build on it and start climbing the table. However, If Everton lose this game to a very, very naïve and defensively weak Norwich Team, then I can see Marco Silva being sacked. People will say that he deserves more time, but from my perspective he is the most overrated manager in the league.

Looking at the actual game, you’d have to say that Everton should leave Goodison Park with a win; especially if you put their pretty decent form into consideration. If you match that with Norwich’s poor away form (1 point from a possible 18), then you’ll have to come to the conclusion that Everton fans will be happy. If you talk about players who will be able to actually change the game, you’d have to consider Everton striker Richarlison – with him being involved in 5 goals so far this season, with a average rating of 7.3. In Norwich’s case, It will be interesting to see who starts in the midfield for the canaries, as they look a completely different team with Tom Trybull in there. However, it is all about who partners him in the middle – will it be Moritz Leitner, Alexander Tettey, Kenny Mclean or Mario Vrancic? All of these option shave had trouble with injury and from, with Daniel Farke unable to come up with the right partnership in the middle. Consequently, the three questions I would have in my mind would be…

Can Marco Silva keep his job if he drops points? Can Pukki get back to his goal-scoring form? Will Everton and Norwich both be involved in a serious relegation battle come may?

My prediction – Everton 2 – Norwich 0

Ethan’s prediction – Everton 2 – Norwich 2

Chelsea vs Manchester City

The biggest game this weekend, with no doubt. Frank Lampard’s young blues entertain Manchester City. Surely this game should have goals? Right? Well, not for me. Normally, when games get hyped up like this it normally ends 0-0 or 1-0. But, who will influence the game itself?

In all honestly, I haven’t watched Manchester City much this season but due to their expansive and exciting way of playing football, I usually can’t help myself watching some highlights every now and then. What I do know is how dangerous Mr. Kevin de Bruyne can be – already involved in 11 goals this season, Chelsea must learn from their previous mistakes and stop the ball from getting to his feet, as it only takes half a yard of space for the Belgian Midfielder from making that killer pass.

In terms of Chelsea, you have to single out Christian Pulisic as their dangerman; as he has really pushed on since that Hattrick at Turf Moor a few weeks ago. However, due to City’s full-backs being quite athletic and fast he may struggle to get in the game – but surely he’ll get a few chances? Personally, I think Chelsea have one of the strongest midfields in the league – Kante, Kovacic and Jorginho? That is what you call quality. So, In conclusion, these are the three questions I would be considering…

Can Pulisic keep up his good form? Will the game be open? How will Manchester City play?

My prediction – Chelsea 1 – Manchester City 1

Ethan’s prediction – Chelsea 2 – Manchester City 2

Sheffield United vs Manchester United

Oh god, A team of hard-working championship players vs a team full of lazy, overpaid and lethargic millionaires? Sounds like a fun Sunday evening..

No, but in all seriousness, Manchester United have really picked up their form in the last few weeks, with the loss at Bournemouth the only real negative in the last 6 games or so. In particular, Marcus Rashford, Scott Mctominay and Anthony Martial have really stood out for me, with the three being involved in 24 goals combined. Personally, I think Ole still has to do some work before he wins the fans back – especially after the season the red devils have had so far…

Sheffield United! What do I have to say? The whole British press have given them endless praise – and rightly so! As I have not actually watched the Blades so far this season, I’m actually fairly excited to see how they will play! So! My questions!

Will Manchester United play on the counter-attack? Will a negative result put pressure on Ole’s job? How will Sheffield United play?

My prediction – Sheffield United 1 – Manchester United 2

Ethan’s Prediction – Sheffield United 0 – Manchester United 0

England vs Montenegro Review! MR.ENGLAND SCORES A HATTRICK

November 16, 2019Leave a comment

England vs Montenegro

Well, 7-0! What else is needed to say? Yes, there were a group of farmers but they still are professional footballers, some of which play for some of the best teams in Europe (Such as their first choice centre back, Stefan Savic). However, in all seriousness, let me talk about the game.

First of all, Chamberlain scoring a goal was great to see – especially if you take in account all the injury trouble the Liverpool midfielder has had over the last year. The way he just calmly blasted the ball past the goalkeeper was elegant, and really set up England for the rest of the night. And overall, his energy really caused Montenegro some problems – constantly putting them on the backfoot.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford scored England’s forth

Looking at my notes, I did think Rashford really impressed me; as he did have the right-back on toast for the majority of the night. His driving runs down the left channel make a massive impact, as he is so quick the defenders don’t actually know what to do with him. I did say in my preview that Rashford was in-form, and then it was proved by his involvement in the fourth and sixth goals!

Harry Kane also got up to his usual tricks; ignoring his mediocre Spurs form and making a statement by scoring another Hattrick – becoming the first player to score consecutive hattricks at the new Wembley in the process! He really exploited Montenegro’s poor set piece defending and Chilwell’s sensational crosses – a true striker.

My player ratings

Pickford (6) – Didn’t really have much to do, made good save from Simic though

Chilwell (9) – 3 assists in the first thirty minutes, nothing more needs to be said. Did defend well as well though.

Stones (7) – Bought ball out well, little mistakes and nice passing.

Maguire (7) – Got rid of his “iffy” united form and did well.

Alexander-Arnold (8) – Did not have as big as an impact as his opposite full-back but still got assist for Harry Kane’s third. Still put in more crosses than any other England player (10).

Mount (7) – Struggled to create much due to Montenegro’s “bus” in front of their goal, but passing was neat.

Winks (7) – Dictates the tempo really well, and recycles the ball amazingly.

Chamberlain (8) – Like I said, his energy was amazing and topped it off with a goal.

Rashford (8) – Caused so, so many problems and was involved in a couple of goals.

Kane (9) – Mr.England, Mr.Goal; scored three.

Sancho (8) – Runs were amazing, similar to Rashford!

Subs – Abraham (7), Gomez (N/A), Maddison (N/A)

Thank you for reading, please leave your opinions in the comments and I will reply! Please read my international review on Tuesday night, which will include my team of the week, quote of the week and villain’s of the week!

England vs Montenegro preview – 13/11/19

November 13, 2019November 13, 2019Tagged arsenal, england, engmon, euro2020, euros2020, football, gomez, kane, liverpool, man united, soccer, sterlingLeave a comment

England vs Montenegro. Sounds a bit boring, don’t it? Well if you are true England fan, you’ll be bound to stick on Talksport and give it a listen; or you might even go down to your local pub and watch it with your mates – up to you! However, and seriously, this game does hold some significance in relation to England’s Euro 2020 campaign – where an England win would manage to book their place at next summers tournament, along with Belgium, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain and Ukraine. Without further or do, let us get into the preview!

Predicted line-ups

England

With Sterling ruled out due to his “friendly” accouter with Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, Gareth Southgate may choose to start the in-form Marcus Rashford on the left flank, where he has been involved in 7 goals in his last seven games for his Manchester outfit. Along with him on the left, Leicester player Ben Chilwell has been earning rave reviews from the English press – and rightly so! He has been a real asset for this refreshing and inspiring Leicester team we have seen of late, with his bombing runs perfectally showcased in the 9-0 demolition of Southampton a few weeks ago. The other Leicester city player which is included in my predicted eleven is James Maddison – one of the most sort-after players in Europe at the moment. Following his incredible display versus Arsenal on the weekend, where he capped it all off with a beautiful finish from outside the box, Gareth has to at least consider starting the young man; especially regarding the fact that he hasn’t actually made his international debut yet!

Form – WLWWWL

Most inform player – Raheem Sterling (8 goals in last 8 games)

Montenegro

I’m not going to lie, I don’t really know much about Montenegro… The football team at least… The country seems alright though. But in all seriousness, Stefan Savic, best centre-half has actually been a consistent figure for Atletico Madrid – with an average rating of 7.27 in La Liga this season…. Yay? Not to be disrepectful, but Montenegro’s squad isn’t necailly blessed with talent, with their most talented forward being Stefan Mugosa, having scored 13 goals in 27 games for his club (Incheon United), and being at 6″2, he will offer a good challenge to Harry Maguire and co.

Form – LDLWLD

Most inform player – Stefan Savic (7.27 average rating)

England’s starting eleven vs Montenegro in March 2019

Predictions

After questioning a few England fans, these are the most common results I came up with:

4-0

4-1

6-1

With mine being 3-0

In conclusion, I can’t really see how else this game will go apart from an England win, especially with the three lions being at home. It will be interesting to see how England play without Raheem Sterling as he has been so influencial and crucial in the way England play their football.

Extra details

19:45 Kick off

ITV

Wembley Stadium