Everton v Krasnodar Europa League group qualifiers 2014

          Everton have performed well in the Europa League. Before kick-off, they were already guaranteed to progress to the next round of the competition, so there was no pressure on the team to get something from the game.  It was a chance to give their reserve players some game time, a good tactic, as these players are keen to impress and show the manager their worth. As for the Russian side, they have had a dismal European campaign. They sat rock bottom of Group H with not a single win to their name before kick-off, and would remain there if they did not take points from this fixture. However, a win tonight against a weakened Everton side would renew some confidence within the squad.

          Despite neither side having anything to play for in this match, it was a good contest. It was great to see that Roberto Martinez had chosen a lot of young players, a number of them being Everton academy graduates and, despite a few lapses in concentration at the back, they settled into the game well. Garbutt the left back was particularly impressive. He got forward often and was always looking to run at the defence and cause them problems. Despite starting promisingly, there was not a lot of creativity in the final third. On a night that was set for the youngsters of Everton to shine, it was typical that, instead, the visitors had the majority of the chances and just after the half hour mark, Krasnodar took the lead. The game then became a very open affair, as Everton searched hard for an equaliser, and Krasnodar pressed for a second. Everton re-asserted themselves in the game but half time came at the wrong moment for them, as they were just starting to get into a good rhythm. Everton went into half time 1-0 down.

           Roberto Martinez looked increasingly frustrated with his young side. Their passing football was easy on the eye but they lacked any cutting edge and rarely caused the Russian sides defence any difficulties. Everton were finding it hard to cope with Krasnodar, and if the visitors were more clinical with the opportunities presented to them, they could have been three up by the hour mark. The second half lacked the intensity of the first, and the game rather petered out towards the end, with the away side maintaining their advantage, and leaving Goodison park with all three points.

          It was a valiant effort from Everton's youngsters and it was good to see them acquire some match practice. In patches, they played stylish football, but really did not have anyone who looked like they were going to find the net today. Nonetheless, they now have been given a taster of the Europa League and can take many positives from this evenings contest. Krasnodar did well to come to Goodison Park and take all three points today, despite being against a weakened opposition. At least they have now recorded a win in this year's Europa League, despite having been already knocked out of the competition prior to kick-off. Everton can now focus on their domestic campaign. They will feel confident for Monday night's game against QPR as their first team has now had a substantial rest.

Cardiff v Rotherham Preview 2014

          Cardiff have improved in recent weeks. The club seems far more stable than it previously was at the start of the season. The new players have settled in well, and with Russell Slade at the helm, they look well organised. Cardiff's aim is to occupy a spot in the top six by the end of the calendar year, and they are on course to achieve that at the moment. Last weeks win over Watford was a great step forward, despite it not being the most convincing of victories, and it was enjoyable to see that at the end of the game, the manager went over to the fans to celebrate, portraying his passion for the club.

          Rotherham will be a fixture that many fans will expect Cardiff to take all three points from, but the players can not be complacent. Rotherham are hovering just above the relegation zone but that does not mean they are a weak side. Russell Slade knows all about Rotherham having lost to them in the League One Play Off final last year when he was in charge of Leyton Orient, so there is no doubt he will want revenge. Cardiff are unfortunately without Pilkington and Manga who have suffered injuries which rules them out of the game. Both these players are key to Cardiff's side, but given their strength in depth, they should be able to bring in players that can do the job just as well. With the Bluebirds being at home against a team that is likely to be involved in a relegation battle this year, anything less than a win will be disappointing.

          As for Rotherham, they have found life hard in the Championship so far, but should certainly not be under estimated. They have recorded famous wins against the likes of Wolves and Blackburn at the start of the season, but as is the story for many promoted sides, they find it hard to consistently perform at the level required to compete with the teams in this league.

          There is no doubt that Cardiff should win this game. They are more than capable of winning the match comfortably, but it will not come easy. Rotherham are fighting for their place in this league and will not go down without a fight. They know they have a challenge on their hands today, with Cardiff being one of the stronger sides in the Championship, but they will certainly give Russell's Slade's men a run for their money. However, I do believe Cardiff's quality will shine through, and they will record their ninth win of the season. 

Prediction: Cardiff 2-0 Rotherham

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund preivew 2014

          After back to back defeats in the Premier League, Arsenal will be looking for all three points in tonight's Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund. Where as Dortmund have already secured qualification to the round of 16, it is still possible, however unlikely, that either Anderlecht or Galatasary could over take Arsenal. It would be a major upset, but I am sure the pessimistic Arsenal fans will not be satisfied until qualification has been confirmed. Dortmund are enjoying their time in Champions League. The German giants have been victorious in all four of their games, and have done so in style. They have been almost flawless, scoring 13 goals and conceding just one. Despite them losing a number of big players, they could prove to be a surprise package this year.
          Arsenal have endured a very slow start to their season, and the pressure continues to mount on Arsene Wenger. They have gone into their season with just six first team defenders for four places, which is ludicrous. It has come as no surprise that they are now riddled with many problems, such as having to play Monreal at centre back, where he looks very out of place. To make things worse, Giroud and Wilshere are unavailable for tonight, but they can find solitude in the fact that Koscielny has returned from injury.
          As for Dortmund, they too have had a terrible start to their domestic campaign. They currently sit in 16th position, and are just two points of bottom place. Jurgen Klopp is also going to have to cope without the prolific Marco Reus, who is reportedly out of action, through injury, for the rest of the calendar year. However, Dortmund look like a totally different team in the Champions League. As previously mentioned, they are storming their group,  having won all of their games so far. It is now a case of staying professional and seeing out the rest of their fixtures, which I am sure they will do.
          Despite their problems, Dortmund can always rely on their fans for backing. They are famous for their undying support which is quite the contrast to Arsenal, and I think this will be a key factor in tonight's game. Should Dortmund take the lead, the Arsenal fans will get on the players backs and it will put them under pressure. Along with this, Arsenal have a number of issues at the back that have yet to be resolved. Dortmund have showed they are a team, and do not rely on individual stars, where as Arsenal do to an extent, in the form of Sanchez. I think Arsenal are in for a tough night.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool review 2014

          Both of these teams have not had the greatest of starts to their 2014/15 campaign. Last season, they each performed far better than many expected, with Palace surviving relegation, and Liverpool only a whisker away from claiming the title. On that note, this fixture will bring back bad memories for any Liverpool fan. The comeback from Palace last season left Luis Suarez in tears, along with many of their supporters, which ultimately contributed to Liverpool's season ending on a low. Against all the odds, Palace were exceptional last season, and fully deserve their place in the top flight. However, with the departure of Tony Pulis at the start of season, they may find things a lot more difficult this time around.

          The game could not have got off to a worse start for Neil Warnock's troops. It took just a minute and a half for Liverpool to grab the lead. Lallana played a beautifully weighted, lofted ball over to Lambert, who kept a cool head to slot home past Speroni. Palace responded well and immediately went searching for an equaliser. Eventually their persistence payed off. Yannick Bolasie, undoubtedly Palace's most threatening player in the first half, was given far too much room to release a thunderbolt that rattled the post, which rebounded into the path of Dwight Gayle. He gleefully tapped it past the scrambling Mignolet, to send Selhurst Park into pandemonium. The rest of the half was rather subdued, with few chances created by either team. The two sides went in level at half time.

          Liverpool made offensive changes in the hope of attaining all three points. Borini came on for Lallana to give them more fire power up top. But the substitutions hardly made an impact. Instead, Palace continued their high tempo level of play and looked threatening whenever they ventured into the Liverpool half. They broke Liverpool down through, once again, a piece of individual brilliance from Bolasie down the line. He fired a cross in towards Joe Ledley who side foot finished between the legs of Mignolet. To add insult to injury, Palace went on to get a third and it was the goal of the game. A superb free kick from Mile Jedinak that curled over the wall into the top right hand corner. From then on, it was a case of Palace staying professional and seeing out the game, which they did. Palace lifted themselves to 15th place while Liverpool remain in 12th.

          Liverpool do not look half as good as they did last season, and seem to still be in a period of transition. The new signings do not seem to be making much of an impact, most noticeably Markovic and Balotelli, who have produced thoroughly underwhelming performances when they have been picked. Alarm bells must now be ringing for Brendan Rodgers. His teams morale is shattered, and he has a tough Champions league game in mid week to contend with. As for Palace, they came into this game sitting just one point above bottom side QPR. It was vital they got something from this game and they fought hard to do so. Neil Warnock must also be delighted at the fact that his team do not seem to have lost their fighting spirit that they were famous for under Tony Pulis. Palace were well worth their win today, Liverpool are crumbling.

Can Cardiff City make it to the Premier League?

          The international break gives teams a chance to reflect on how they have performed so far. From Cardiff's point of view, they are probably not where they want to be at this moment in time. They currently sit in 12th position in the Championship, but are only five points short of the play-offs. That itself shows how close this years second tier has already become. Because this year has so many promotion contenders, it is impossible to accurately predict who will make the leap into the Premier League. At the moment Derby are top of the pile, with shockingly, Bournemouth hot on their heels. But where will Cardiff City end up when the final whistle is blown, on May the second?
          First of all, the squad, on paper, is certainly one that should be challenging for at least a play off place. They have recruited well and bought players that are more than capable of beating many of the teams in this league, when they are at the top of their game of course. With money being invested in all areas of the pitch, it is not unreasonable for everyone involved with the club, to expect the Bluebirds to make a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. But of course, it is never quite that simple. It seems that so far, Cardiff have underestimated the Championship. With shocking defeats to Millwall and Blackpool respectively, it seems that Cardiff could be in for a tough season. When Cardiff are on form, they are one of the most dangerous sides in the league, and have the capability to tear teams apart. On the other hand, when they play poorly, it is extremely frustrating to watch, considering the quality on the field. I believe the squad is good enough to achieve a high finish, but ultimately, it is down to the players.
          However, they will not achieve a high finish, without encountering some fierce competition along the way. I could name half the teams in the league but in particular Norwich and Nottingham, along with Derby, look very strong. It will take something special to stop them this year and it seems likely that all three of them will end up in the top six. We have already seen how Norwich faired against Cardiff and it was ugly to watch from a Cardiff point of view. That sort of performance will simply not be good enough when they play the others in the league that are too pushing for promotion. On their day, Cardiff are able to compete with the best in this league, as evident from the game against Nottingham Forest, but whether they are able to do that consistently, remains to be seen.
          A change in management has certainly bettered Cardiff's chances of doing well this year. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer they looked weak and devoid of ideas. Even the most optimistic fan would have had trouble claiming Solskjaer was the man to take Cardiff back to the Premier League, and in many peoples view, he was the wrong man for the job in the first place. But Russell Slade brings something new to the table. His philosophy is based on hard work and determination which they have shown in patches, such as the game against Ipswich where they came from behind to win. It will take time for them to really become a force to be reckoned with, but I am optimistic that Russell Slade could guide Cardiff in the right direction.
          When taking into consideration, their team, the competition, and the appointment of Russell Slade, Cardiff should be able to hold their own this year. Regardless, unless big improvements are made quickly, I can not see them making the play-offs, let alone the automatic promotion places. I believe it will be a solid season that can serve as the building blocks for next years campaign. It is difficult to say at this early stage, but I would expect Cardiff to finish 8th in the table come the end of May.

West Brom v Newcastle 2014

          How a fortnight can change a football club. Nowhere is this statement more true than with Newcastle United. After a quite frankly dreadful start to the season, Alan Pardew's side have improved dramatically. With hugely moral lifting wins against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as keeping clean sheets against them, they look a totally different team. However, consistency is the key in football, and they came up against a West Brom side today that have recruited well in the summer, and have made a solid start to their campaign. With Berahino on form and Joleon Lescott providing some much needed experience in the back line, they are a team not to be under estimated. With these two sides playing good football and high on confidence, it was set up to be an exciting fixture.
          Therefore, it was typical that the first half got off to a very slow start. Both teams were settling in and getting a feel for the game. Newcastle pressed high and had a couple of early chances, none of which tested Ben Foster.  From a Newcastle point of view, it was good to see that their defence has been enhanced. Coloccini in particular was very switched on, and made some excellent tackles to prevent dangerous attacks from West Brom. In fact, both teams were organised at the back, which meant the play was bogged down in midfield, and very few chances were created. Just as it looked as though the sides would be level at the break, on the stroke of half time, a low ball was drilled in towards the Baggies box, and directed in by the Newcastle striker, Ayoze Perez. An acute finish that flashed across Ben Foster into the far corner. A great time to score for Newcastle who now had something to protect.
          West Brom came back out showing a great willingness to get back into the game. They worked hard and upon losing possession, won it straight back and started playing again. They were firing shots at Tim Krul's goal left, right and centre but they were not of good quality. They failed to really test the Netherlands keeper all afternoon, apart from a few that were straight at him. They did not take their chances and were punished for it. West Brom never fully cleared their lines from a corner and the ball was whipped back in at the far post for an unmarked Coloccini, who nodded home in front of the Newcastle faithful. This did not deter Alan Irvine's men from pressing on, and they kept the pressure on Newcastle, but in truth, they never looked like scoring. Wisdom had their best chance and instead, took a touch that got away from him. The final whistle blew, which meant Newcastle recorded their fourth win in a row, incredible seeing they could not buy a win at the start of the season.
          It was poor decision making from West Brom all afternoon, but at least now they have the international break to re-assess. They face Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive games after it so they need to use their break well. As for Newcastle, the turn around is astonishing. They are playing miles better than a few weeks ago and maybe now the fans will start to warm to Alan Pardew. A huge improvement that means they now sit in seventh position. Just to show how well they have done, a win against their next opponents, West Ham, could take them into the top four. I do not think anyone could have predicted this comeback from the Magpies.

Premier League predictions - Matchweek 11 2014

          I believe this week could produce a few surprises in the Barclays Premier League. The most anticipated fixture on the list, of course, is Liverpool v Chelsea. These two sides will want to bounce back due to poor performances in the Champions league mid-week, so I am sure Liverpool will opt for a stronger line-up this time out. Other fixtures include Burnley v Hull and QPR v Man City. Both will produce entertainment in some form, as Burnley are still looking for their first Premier League win under Sean Dyche, and how will Man City bounce back after their major set back in the Champions League, due to their defeat against CSKA Moskva?
          Beginning with the early kick off. Liverpool at home are always hard to beat, with their ever passionate crowd playing a massive role in the success of the team. With that said, we all know what happened the last time Chelsea made the trip to Anfield, and the upset of that day may still be in the backs of the minds of the players. And as we know, Mourinho is a fan of mind games, so this could work to his advantage. Diego Costa is set to return and Liverpool's defence has been shaky of late. Combine this with The Reds lacking an inform striker, I can not see anything other than a Chelsea win. I am sure they will continue to extended their lead at the top. Prediction: Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea.
          Burnley need to find a win from somewhere and they need to do it fast. The Premier League is unforgiving and they need to take their chances whenever possible. The Clarets need to give everything to convince the Turf Moor faithful they are determined to stay in the top flight of English football. But to do this, it is vital they get their defending right. They have conceded far too many soft goals, so they need to tighten up or the way they are going, they will be as good as relegated by Christmas. But the fact they have bagged four goals in as many matches, may give them some hope. As for Hull, they seem to making a steady start to their second season. The signings they have made have generated a positive impact, such as the powerful Mo Diame, so the club is heading in the right direction. Their fans will expect all three points to brought back to KC Stadium tomorrow, and that's what I expect too. Prediction: Burnley 1-3 Hull
          Finally there is QPR v Manchester City. QPR look a totally different side from two years ago. The players are far more focused, and have impressed many football fans with their tenacity so far this season. From the players they have added, only Leroy Fer looks worth his money. Caulker still has a lot to learn and his inexperience is clear to see. However, if they play like they did against Aston Villa and Liverpool, they could certainly get something from this game. Man City have recently had some real shock results and from the neutral point of view, it would be enjoyable to see it happen again. But City will comeback eventually, and I feel they may do exactly that at Loftus Road tomorrow evening with style. Prediction: QPR 1-4 Manchester City.