Andrew is Footy Matters' editor, a shifty, enigmatic presence who picks holes in articles like Xavi picks holes in defences. But he will buy you a pint if you would like to chat about Andriy Shevchenko, Zvonimir Boban or Dejan Savicevic.
With British winter-time in full swing, the dominance of the ‘Big Four’ was further eroded as Portsmouth and Fulham upset the apple-cart, assuring an unhappy Christmas for Manchester United and Liverpool.
moreOn a rare weekend when all the ‘Big Four’ played on Saturday, it was Chelsea who lost to Manchester City while Manchester United went to West Ham and cleaned up.
moreA wet and windy Premier League weekend was full of welcoming hospitality as only two home sides won and visiting Manchester United and Chelsea sides plundered vital points.
moreChampions League hopefuls Liverpool and Manchester City drew 2-2 at Anfield as Steven Gerrard returned to action. The game would have provided little joy for either manager as a first half high on mediocrity was replaced by a second littered with errors.
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With its rubbish sponsors and final that really comes along too early in the year to be that important, the League Cup offers the middling clubs and the top sides’ second strings a real chance to shine. It’s a little bit of excitement in a sport which has become crushingly predictable.
moreTheir league positions may contradict it, but Sunday’s game produced few moments of top-class football – punctuated by Fernando Torres’ terrific opening goal – and both teams looked short on genuine attacking quality.
moreThis weekend’s Premier League fixtures threw up a heady mixture of the bizarre and the sublime as defeats for Chelsea and Liverpool showed that the 2009/2010 title race is in real danger of becoming genuinely competitive.
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Benitez’s record at spending big money is mixed at best. Successful buys in the shape of Fernando Torres and the aforementioned Alonso have been offset by the disastrous Anfield careers of Ryan Babel, Andrea Dossena and, in particular, Robbie Keane.
moreHis propitious vantage point also enabled him to anticipate the play and glide into challenges unseen, taking possession with minimal fuss whilst unsuspecting opposition strikers wondered where the ball had gone.
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