Odds and Sods

(Photo:BBC)

The editorial staff would like to apologize for the delay in the Premier League Sods, as we are currently in transit to our spacious new offices in Boston.

Tottenham 3 - Fulham 3

Martin Jol, though not necessarily his own fault, doesn’t look to be employed in North London much longer.  Like last season, Spurs showed flashes of brilliance often combined with flashes of complete incompetence.  A disturbing trend of letting games slip away has continued from last season.  Taking Keane off for Defoe was a questionable move.  Paul Robinson is awful.

On the plus side, Clint Dempsey appears to be proving himself for Fulham.  He’s not a great player, but, like a few of his American brethren, may prove a bit of a bargain.  Many are tipping him as the best American in the Premier League (not wearing gloves), and we may be inclined to agree.

If you were an Arsenal supporter who happened to have Bale and Berbatov on your fantasy team, it was a wonderful day.

Liverpool 6 - Derby 0

That result says enough on its own really.  Liverpool are in excellent form.  Derby may beat out Mick McCarthy’s Sunderland side.  It is an impressive result for the Pool, particularly without Carragher and Gerrard.  They look to be the best side in Europe at the moment.

Manchester United 1 - Sunderland 0

The Red Devils got one late goal on a set piece and still looked impotent up front.  A true test will be to see how they play with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.  Sunderland didn’t get a result, but claimed a moral victory with a fairly good performance.  Keano may not be finished quite yet.

Arsenal 3 - Portsmouth 1

If Fabregas was one of the top five players last season, how high will he be rated when he scores 15-20 goals this year?  His brilliance has masked some of the other deficiencies in the squad.  Senderos picked right up where he left off last season.  His case isn’t helped by the fact that he looks like he should be in a Monty Python skit hitting himself in the head with a brick.

Though he got left out to dry by his defenders, why exactly is David James ahead of Scott Carson in the pecking order?  Does anyone have a sane rationale for this?

Aston Villa 2 - Chelsea 0

Chelsea are tied top of the table, though they have not looked impressive this season.  With Abramovich pulling the club in one direction toward fanciful attacking football, and Mourinho pulling it the other direction toward a more cynical and physically dominant style, one has to wonder how long it can continue before the team rips apart.  Normally fit and confident, Mourinho looks haggard, paunchy, and stressed.  Not all of that can be due to the trauma over his dog.