The Championship games went pretty much as expected, I reckon. Patriots were run a bit closer by Ravens than I and most had thought they would be, but they still came out on top.
Patriots vs Ravens
It was a poor offensive start to the game, with the first 6 non-punting plays of the game combining for 11 yards. It took another 3-and-out, with no yards gained, before anyone established any real momentum. Brady managed to settle down and get down the field into the Red Zone, but Ravens defence held strong to restrict Patriots to a field goal.
Baltimore punted again after losing 15 yards on their 3-play drive. Brady then threw his first interception of the game, and then Flacco managed to get some yardage as he marched his team down the field in just over 4 minutes and got to the Patriots 3. However, much like Baltimore, New England held firm to restrict Flacco and co. to a field goal. Patriots then took a 10-3 lead through a 7-yard rush from Green-Ellis, who was holding the offense together. Brady only passed 4 times on the 10-play drive, including a 20 yarder to Tight End extraordinaire Rob Gronkowski.
Just a few plays later however, Ravens were back on level terms when a 37-yarder from Flacco to Boldin put them in the Red Zone on Patriots 18. 4 consecutive rushes for 12 total yards from Ray Rice edged them even closer to even things up, and then Pitta was found in the end zone to level the game at 10.
Brady was beginning to find some rhythm and made 5 consecutive passes to get New England into Field Goal range, but 3 incompletions in a row meant they had to settle for 3. This ensured they had a 13-10 lead going into half time.
Patriots went downfield on the opening drive of the 2nd half, but once again had to settle for 3 more after they could not find a way past Ravens superb defence. Ravens then took the lead for the first time 6 minutes later thanks to some steady play, which was topped off by Torrey Smith getting into the end zone for a TD.
Ravens steady offense and fantastic defence had given them belief that they could cause an upset. The pressure got to Patriots kick off returner Danny Woodhead, who fumbled the ball on his own 28 to set up Ravens in an excellent position. A touchdown here would have made it an 8 point game, but defence once again came out on top and Ravens kicked a field goal to go ahead by 4.
Just one drive later, Ravens were made to pay for that missed chance when Brady decided he'd had enough of field goals and dived in himself on 4th & 1 at the Ravens 1 yard line.
Defence once again prevailed for the rest of the quarter when first Flacco was intercepted by Spikes, and then on the next play Smith returned the favour to intercept Brady. Flacco was on the Patriots 33 on the resulting drive, and he went for it on 4th & 6. The pass was broken up by some more good defence, but Patriots could not take advantage of this and went 3-and-out to give Ravens the ball back on their own 17.
Step up Joe Flacco. Starting on his own 21, he had the chance to do an Alex Smith and win the game. Patriots defence forced a couple of 3rd downs, but Flac held his nerve to convert them, and with 22 seconds left, Ravens were on Patriots 14. Flacco did not convert the 3rd & 1, so the Field Goal unit came on for a routine 32 yarder and 3 points that would have taken the game into OT. Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff stepped up and everyone was expecting OT. But the set wasn't great and Cundiff shanked it horribly wide left to give Patriots the game and a trip to the Lucas Oil stadium.
49ers vs Giants
A cautious start by both teams resulted in neither team getting a big play for the opening couple of drives, with the longest passing play being 12 yards. But then on the second play of 49ers 2nd drive, Alex Smith hit Vernon Davis, the hero of the Divisional win vs Saints, for a 73 yard touchdown play that gave 49ers the first points of the game.
Manning looked more settled, making some big plays, but neither team could establish some rhythm. A turnover on downs from New York gave the ball back to San Francisco, but they had to punt after some good defencive work. Eli then built a good drive, combining long and short passes to get to the 49ers 6 yard line. There Manning found Pascoe for the tying touchdown. The final 11 minutes of the quarter passed by, with most of the drives resulting in a punt. However Eli managed to string some more passes together and got down the field in 90 seconds to set up a field goal, which was duly converted by Tynes.
Defence dominated the start of the 2nd half, with 3 punts being forced in the opening 9 minutes. The final punt, from Giants punter Steve Weatherford, was returned for 24 yards by Williams to give 49ers good position on their own 46. Here, Alex Smith took just 3 plays to get the ball into the end zone, with Davis once again on the receiving end of his pass to make it 14-10.
Defence soon took over again, with 4 more punts being forced in the 11 minutes or so that sandwiched the 3rd and 4th quarters. The final punt however, was so crucial. It was a routine catch, but Williams fumbled the ball and it was recovered by new York to give them an excellent chance to take the lead on the 49ers 29. They did just that when a few plays and a 10-yard penalty later, Manningham caught the ball in the end zone to give the advantage back to the visitors.
A superb 40-yard kickoff return from Williams meant that Smith and co. started the drive on their own 45, and a couple of big rushes later, first from Smith himself, and then from Hunter, 49ers found themselves on the Giants 10. A touchdown here would have made it a 4-point game, but San Francisco could not find a way past the excellent New York defence and they had to settle for 3.
The game looked destined for overtime as neither defence looked like crumbling under the pressure. More punts were forced, and before we knew it, overtime was upon us.
More punts followed, and another fumbled return by Williams (again), gave the Giants a fantastic chance to get to the Superbowl when they lined up on the 49ers 24. In the next 5 plays, Giants made 11 yards to make it slightly easier for Tynes. He did not replicate what Billy Cundiff had done just a few hours earlier, and Giants were going to Indianapolis.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
NFL Divisional Games
Could anyone have predicted what would happen in the NFC? It was all pretty smooth to start with, seeds 3 (Saints) and 4 (Giants) winning in the Wildcard rounds. Then came the Divisional championships, and one of the greatest playoff games of all time.
After destroying Detroit Lions at home, Saints had to to travel to Candlestick Park to face San Francisco 49ers for a place in the Conference championship game. It was a pretty average game initially; 49ers scored a pair of touchdowns and a field goal before Saints were on the board, but New Orleans hit back with 2 touchdowns of their own to cut the gap to 3 halftime at 17-14. The 3rd quarter consisted of interceptions, punts and fumbles, with a 41 yard field goal from David Akers being the only score in the quarter.
Then the game came alive.
The teams traded field goals to make the score 23-17, and then Saints took the lead for the first time in the game after a good run-and-catch from Darren Sproles. 49ers soon hit back after a gutsy play call on 3rd and 8 resulted in Alex Smith running the ball into the end zone for a 29-24 lead after the 2-point conversion failed.
Saints had 2:11 to score a touchdown, and score they did. A 4-play drive resulted in a 66-yard Jimmy Graham touchdown, and then Sproles held on to Brees' pass for a successful 2-point conversion to make it 32-29 Saints with 92 seconds left on the clock. All Saints had to do was stop Smith marching downfield from their own 15 after a poor return from Williams, but Smith and Davis had other ideas. After a 47 yard catch from Davis set up some good field position on the Saints 20, Gore made 6 yards and Smith spiked the ball with 14 seconds left. Smith then proved his doubters wrong by hitting Vernon Davis with an inch-perfect pass, as he was getting smashed by Saints Safety Roman Harper, and into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Saints tried to comeback with a touchdown with a lateral play on the final play on their own 16, but Meachem was tackled 1 yard ahead of the line of scrimmage after Sproles lateraled the ball to him via Brees. Just like that, Saints' record-breaking season had come to an abrupt end.
There was another great game the day after, this time the New York Giants travelled to 15-1 Green Bay Packers, who beat Giants 38-35 earlier on in the season. Giants were the brighter of the 2 teams, taking a 10-3 advantage in to the 2nd quarter. Giants added a field goal and Packers got their first touchdown of the game, but then with time expiring in the first half, Eli Hail Mary-ed it into the end zone. Hakeem Nicks then proceeded to make a fantastic catch with defenders draped around him to make it 20-10.
Based on that play and that play alone, Giants deserved to win this game. How many teams would have either taken a knee to run out the clock? Obviously a 56 yard FG is a bit far, but barely any teams would have done what Eli did. Only Packers themselves or Saints probably would have attempted it. It's that type of balls you need to win in the playoffs. Anyway, back to the game.
A slow 3rd quarter meant the only points were a Packers field goal with 3:55 left, and then the game picked up once more in the 4th quarter with the score at 20-13 Giants. Rodgers went for it on 4th down on the Giants 45, but was sacked, meaning New York got the ball back on the Packers 49, setting themselves up for a potential play that could all but eliminate the reigning champs. Giants strolled down the field in 5 minutes and hit a field goal to give them a 10 point lead.
Surely this would be where Packers showed why they're the best? It was perfectly set up: 10 points down, 7:40 on the clock. The stage was set.
But! Green Bay had not banked on Giants ruthless defence. Grant fumbled the ball on his own 44, and the fumble was subsequently returned just short of a TD for 40 yards. But it didn't matter as one play later, Manning hit Manningham to extend their lead to 30-13 and surely put the game out of reach. Never rule out a team that's gone 15-1 though. Just 2 minutes later, Rodgers found Driver to bring the deficit back to 10. Packers obviously had to go for the onside kick with just 4:46 left, but Victor Cruz recovered it. Another touchdown a couple of minutes later ensured Giants were heading to the Championship game. Rodgers had a chance to add another TD to his collection, but his pass was intercepted, thus ending the game.
Packers didn't lose this game. Giants didn't win this game. Giants defence won this game. They worked like Trojans to ensure passes didn't get to their intended receivers, and their linemen were brilliant at getting to Rodgers and putting the pressure on him.
To the AFC!
After the heroics of Tim Tebow last week (how many times did we hear that this season?), could he do it again against #1 seed New England Patriots? The answer to that question, was no. Not by a long shot. (This review will be a lot shorter than the previous 2. Sorry).
The opening quarter was dominated by Patriots, with the score being at 14-0 at the end of it. McGahee scored the Broncos only TD on a 5-yard run to half the deficit, but Brady took over once again. He dominated the rest of the quarter, throwing 3 touchdowns to pretty much end the game as a contest at 35-7.
The scoreline looked even worse for Denver when Hernandez was found by Brady early on in the 3rd, but a field goal from Splitter gave Broncos a morsel of hope. I know I said that I would never rule Tebow out, but surely even he could not come back from a 32 point deficit? Of course he couldn't. The 4th quarter passed by with barely a whimper, the only score coming from a New England field goal.
And so ended Tebowmania.
The final conference game came in Baltimore, between Ravens and Texans. This was the dullest of the games, with the game being dominated by defence and the score ending up 20-13 in the hosts' favour.
It was a promising start to the game, with Ravens taking a 17-3 lead to demoralise Texans. But Houston clawed their way back into the game with a touchdown and a field goal to get back within 4.
A dull 3rd quarter ended in 0-0, and the 4th quarter was a lot of Arian Foster running the ball and the Ravens defence playing superbly to keep him out. Yates was intercepted by Reed on the Baltimore 29 to set up Ravens for a score to put the game out of reach. But they had to settle for a field goal when Cundiff scored to make the lead a touchdown.
This gave Texans some hope, but Yates was intercepted Reed again with 2 minutes left to all but end the game. Ravens had to punt with 53 seconds left, but Yates got little-to-nowhere and Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship game.
Look out for my NFL Championship post coming very soon. Definitely before the Superbowl. There may also be a Superbowl preview and review in the next few days
After destroying Detroit Lions at home, Saints had to to travel to Candlestick Park to face San Francisco 49ers for a place in the Conference championship game. It was a pretty average game initially; 49ers scored a pair of touchdowns and a field goal before Saints were on the board, but New Orleans hit back with 2 touchdowns of their own to cut the gap to 3 halftime at 17-14. The 3rd quarter consisted of interceptions, punts and fumbles, with a 41 yard field goal from David Akers being the only score in the quarter.
Then the game came alive.
The teams traded field goals to make the score 23-17, and then Saints took the lead for the first time in the game after a good run-and-catch from Darren Sproles. 49ers soon hit back after a gutsy play call on 3rd and 8 resulted in Alex Smith running the ball into the end zone for a 29-24 lead after the 2-point conversion failed.
Saints had 2:11 to score a touchdown, and score they did. A 4-play drive resulted in a 66-yard Jimmy Graham touchdown, and then Sproles held on to Brees' pass for a successful 2-point conversion to make it 32-29 Saints with 92 seconds left on the clock. All Saints had to do was stop Smith marching downfield from their own 15 after a poor return from Williams, but Smith and Davis had other ideas. After a 47 yard catch from Davis set up some good field position on the Saints 20, Gore made 6 yards and Smith spiked the ball with 14 seconds left. Smith then proved his doubters wrong by hitting Vernon Davis with an inch-perfect pass, as he was getting smashed by Saints Safety Roman Harper, and into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Saints tried to comeback with a touchdown with a lateral play on the final play on their own 16, but Meachem was tackled 1 yard ahead of the line of scrimmage after Sproles lateraled the ball to him via Brees. Just like that, Saints' record-breaking season had come to an abrupt end.
There was another great game the day after, this time the New York Giants travelled to 15-1 Green Bay Packers, who beat Giants 38-35 earlier on in the season. Giants were the brighter of the 2 teams, taking a 10-3 advantage in to the 2nd quarter. Giants added a field goal and Packers got their first touchdown of the game, but then with time expiring in the first half, Eli Hail Mary-ed it into the end zone. Hakeem Nicks then proceeded to make a fantastic catch with defenders draped around him to make it 20-10.
Based on that play and that play alone, Giants deserved to win this game. How many teams would have either taken a knee to run out the clock? Obviously a 56 yard FG is a bit far, but barely any teams would have done what Eli did. Only Packers themselves or Saints probably would have attempted it. It's that type of balls you need to win in the playoffs. Anyway, back to the game.
A slow 3rd quarter meant the only points were a Packers field goal with 3:55 left, and then the game picked up once more in the 4th quarter with the score at 20-13 Giants. Rodgers went for it on 4th down on the Giants 45, but was sacked, meaning New York got the ball back on the Packers 49, setting themselves up for a potential play that could all but eliminate the reigning champs. Giants strolled down the field in 5 minutes and hit a field goal to give them a 10 point lead.
Surely this would be where Packers showed why they're the best? It was perfectly set up: 10 points down, 7:40 on the clock. The stage was set.
But! Green Bay had not banked on Giants ruthless defence. Grant fumbled the ball on his own 44, and the fumble was subsequently returned just short of a TD for 40 yards. But it didn't matter as one play later, Manning hit Manningham to extend their lead to 30-13 and surely put the game out of reach. Never rule out a team that's gone 15-1 though. Just 2 minutes later, Rodgers found Driver to bring the deficit back to 10. Packers obviously had to go for the onside kick with just 4:46 left, but Victor Cruz recovered it. Another touchdown a couple of minutes later ensured Giants were heading to the Championship game. Rodgers had a chance to add another TD to his collection, but his pass was intercepted, thus ending the game.
Packers didn't lose this game. Giants didn't win this game. Giants defence won this game. They worked like Trojans to ensure passes didn't get to their intended receivers, and their linemen were brilliant at getting to Rodgers and putting the pressure on him.
To the AFC!
After the heroics of Tim Tebow last week (how many times did we hear that this season?), could he do it again against #1 seed New England Patriots? The answer to that question, was no. Not by a long shot. (This review will be a lot shorter than the previous 2. Sorry).
The opening quarter was dominated by Patriots, with the score being at 14-0 at the end of it. McGahee scored the Broncos only TD on a 5-yard run to half the deficit, but Brady took over once again. He dominated the rest of the quarter, throwing 3 touchdowns to pretty much end the game as a contest at 35-7.
The scoreline looked even worse for Denver when Hernandez was found by Brady early on in the 3rd, but a field goal from Splitter gave Broncos a morsel of hope. I know I said that I would never rule Tebow out, but surely even he could not come back from a 32 point deficit? Of course he couldn't. The 4th quarter passed by with barely a whimper, the only score coming from a New England field goal.
And so ended Tebowmania.
The final conference game came in Baltimore, between Ravens and Texans. This was the dullest of the games, with the game being dominated by defence and the score ending up 20-13 in the hosts' favour.
It was a promising start to the game, with Ravens taking a 17-3 lead to demoralise Texans. But Houston clawed their way back into the game with a touchdown and a field goal to get back within 4.
A dull 3rd quarter ended in 0-0, and the 4th quarter was a lot of Arian Foster running the ball and the Ravens defence playing superbly to keep him out. Yates was intercepted by Reed on the Baltimore 29 to set up Ravens for a score to put the game out of reach. But they had to settle for a field goal when Cundiff scored to make the lead a touchdown.
This gave Texans some hope, but Yates was intercepted Reed again with 2 minutes left to all but end the game. Ravens had to punt with 53 seconds left, but Yates got little-to-nowhere and Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship game.
Look out for my NFL Championship post coming very soon. Definitely before the Superbowl. There may also be a Superbowl preview and review in the next few days
Monday, 9 January 2012
Sorry Tim
So apparently I decided to write the following lines in my previous post: "Broncos don't stand a chance in their game, even though they are at home. Sorry Tim and co. Steelers will dominate from start to finish. Tebow won't be ready for the playoffs mentally, and even if he does mount a 4th quarter comeback for a change, Steelers will be too far ahead by then."
I apologise for this. Tebow and the Broncos proved me wrong. They were brilliant throughout, and that final play was just the icing on the proverbial cake (Did anyone else start Tebowing after it happened?)
On a stats note, Tebow completed 10 of 21 passes for 316 yards. 31.6 yards per completion. And Demaryius Thomas had 4 receptions for 204 yards, 51 yards per reception. Incredible.
I promise I won't rule out Tebow for a win ever again. Ever.
I apologise for this. Tebow and the Broncos proved me wrong. They were brilliant throughout, and that final play was just the icing on the proverbial cake (Did anyone else start Tebowing after it happened?)
On a stats note, Tebow completed 10 of 21 passes for 316 yards. 31.6 yards per completion. And Demaryius Thomas had 4 receptions for 204 yards, 51 yards per reception. Incredible.
I promise I won't rule out Tebow for a win ever again. Ever.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Win or go home
After 17 weeks of the regular season, the post-season has finally dawned on us. Of the 12 teams who qualified, probably only 3 from NFC could do it and maybe 3 from AFC could go all the way and win Superbowl XLVI (46). From NFC, I would say Packers, Saints or Giants could do it, and from NFC Patriots, maybe Ravens or Steelers could win. So I reckon, anyway.
Patriots, Ravens, Packers and 49ers all have bye weeks to prepare for the Divisional playoffs, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
In the AFC, we've got Texans (3) vs Bengals (6) and Broncos (4) vs Steelers (5).
Texans should win based on their superior record, but also they have probably the best Running Back in the league in Arian Foster. Despite their QB issues, they should still do it.
Broncos don't stand a chance in their game, even though they are at home. Sorry Tim and co. Steelers will dominate from start to finish. Tebow won't be ready for the playoffs mentally, and even if he does mount a 4th quarter comeback for a change, Steelers will be too far ahead by then.
These winners would present Patriots (1) vs Steelers (5) and Ravens (2) vs Texans (3) in the divisional playoffs
As for the NFC, there's Saints (3) vs Lions (6) and Giants (4) vs Falcons (5).
Saints should win as they are 8-0 at home this season, and Brees is playing insanely well, as illustrated by the new passing record he set (5,476 yards this season).
The other game could go either way. I would suggest Giants have the upper hand based on home advantage, but Falcons did finish with a better W-L record. I'm going to say Giants, but it'll be close.
If this happened, we'd have Packers (1) vs Giants (4) and 49ers (2) vs Saints (3)
Next NFL post will come before the Superbowl, hopefully. Then one after.
Patriots, Ravens, Packers and 49ers all have bye weeks to prepare for the Divisional playoffs, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
In the AFC, we've got Texans (3) vs Bengals (6) and Broncos (4) vs Steelers (5).
Texans should win based on their superior record, but also they have probably the best Running Back in the league in Arian Foster. Despite their QB issues, they should still do it.
Broncos don't stand a chance in their game, even though they are at home. Sorry Tim and co. Steelers will dominate from start to finish. Tebow won't be ready for the playoffs mentally, and even if he does mount a 4th quarter comeback for a change, Steelers will be too far ahead by then.
These winners would present Patriots (1) vs Steelers (5) and Ravens (2) vs Texans (3) in the divisional playoffs
As for the NFC, there's Saints (3) vs Lions (6) and Giants (4) vs Falcons (5).
Saints should win as they are 8-0 at home this season, and Brees is playing insanely well, as illustrated by the new passing record he set (5,476 yards this season).
The other game could go either way. I would suggest Giants have the upper hand based on home advantage, but Falcons did finish with a better W-L record. I'm going to say Giants, but it'll be close.
If this happened, we'd have Packers (1) vs Giants (4) and 49ers (2) vs Saints (3)
Next NFL post will come before the Superbowl, hopefully. Then one after.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
What time is it?
It's 1:53pm in the UK. 8:53am in New York. 5:53am in Los Angeles. 2:53pm in Madrid. The time in Denver? Tebow Time.
Tim Tebow has swept the nation with his outstanding clutch performances as Denver Broncos quarterback, leading his performances to be dubbed "Tebow Time". Denver started the season 1-4 without him, and since he was selected as starting QB over Kyle Orton, they haven't lost a game. He has lead Denver to 6 wins in 7 games, with the majority of the wins coming in the final quarter or in OT.
His success has also led people to start "Tebowing", where people kneel down and hold a fist to their heads. Epic stuff.
Imagine if Denver went all the way. That would be epic. However he will start getting real tests against the top teams like New England this weekend, and if they get to the playoffs, which is likely. There they could play teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, who will provide a better test than Oakland and Miami
Tim Tebow has swept the nation with his outstanding clutch performances as Denver Broncos quarterback, leading his performances to be dubbed "Tebow Time". Denver started the season 1-4 without him, and since he was selected as starting QB over Kyle Orton, they haven't lost a game. He has lead Denver to 6 wins in 7 games, with the majority of the wins coming in the final quarter or in OT.
His success has also led people to start "Tebowing", where people kneel down and hold a fist to their heads. Epic stuff.
Imagine if Denver went all the way. That would be epic. However he will start getting real tests against the top teams like New England this weekend, and if they get to the playoffs, which is likely. There they could play teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, who will provide a better test than Oakland and Miami
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Swansea City
They may seem like a bizarre team to do a post about, but it's worth a shot.
Swansea came up through the playoffs last season, and were expected to go straight back down (which could easily still happen, despite their league position). They have some good players in Danny Graham, Leroy Lita, Scott Sinclair, Ashley Williams and Michel Vorm, and they have shown that they are worthy of a place in England's top league.
Their season didn't start very well; a 4-0 hammering away to Man City, and then a 0-0 draw at home to lowly Wigan. They then lost to Shrewsbury Town, of League 2, 3-1 in the League Cup, and another 0-0 draw at home, this time against Sunderland, meant they still hadn't won.
Their next game was a 1-0 loss away to a reformed Arsenal squad, who were about to start their charge back to the top half, and in Swansea's next game they finally scored in a comfortable 3-0 home win against West Brom. Despite Torres being sent-off in the first half when they played Chelsea away, they couldn't take advantage of the extra man and lost 4-1. However another victory soon followed, a 2-0 home victory against Stoke. It was during this match that new signing Danny Graham scored his first competitive Swansea goal.
Graham also scored in the next game at fellow promotees Norwich City, but The Swans fell 3-1. Graham bagged his 3rd in a row against Wolves the week after, and Swansea were cruising to a 2-0 victory but Wolves scored twice in 2 minutes late on to rescue a point.
Another home victory followed, this time a 3-1 triumph against Bolton. Graham scored for the 4th match on the bounce, but also scored an own goal, which ultimately did not matter. They then faced Liverpool at Anfield, where they impressively came away with a 0-0 draw in a match that The Reds should have walked. But walk they did not, meaning Swansea secured their 13th point of the season.
Swansea are currently 4 points above the relegation zone in 10th places, and are one of only 4 teams yet to lose at home (Man City, Newcastle and Liverpool are the others). They have also conceded the least goals at home in the league, having kept 4 clean sheets and conceding just the 1. Their away form needs somewhat improving, having scored just 4 goals in 6 games and claimed just 2 away points, but the draw against Liverpool could pave the way for a good run away from Wales.
They could quite easily still go down, being just 4 points away from the relegation zone, but they will probably finish lower-mid table, around 13th position. I don't think they'll keep up this outstanding home form when the big boys come to visit, but they'll gain enough points to finish in a respectable position. They won't finish higher than 9th, and even then they will need to vastly improve their away form.
Swansea came up through the playoffs last season, and were expected to go straight back down (which could easily still happen, despite their league position). They have some good players in Danny Graham, Leroy Lita, Scott Sinclair, Ashley Williams and Michel Vorm, and they have shown that they are worthy of a place in England's top league.
Their season didn't start very well; a 4-0 hammering away to Man City, and then a 0-0 draw at home to lowly Wigan. They then lost to Shrewsbury Town, of League 2, 3-1 in the League Cup, and another 0-0 draw at home, this time against Sunderland, meant they still hadn't won.
Their next game was a 1-0 loss away to a reformed Arsenal squad, who were about to start their charge back to the top half, and in Swansea's next game they finally scored in a comfortable 3-0 home win against West Brom. Despite Torres being sent-off in the first half when they played Chelsea away, they couldn't take advantage of the extra man and lost 4-1. However another victory soon followed, a 2-0 home victory against Stoke. It was during this match that new signing Danny Graham scored his first competitive Swansea goal.
Graham also scored in the next game at fellow promotees Norwich City, but The Swans fell 3-1. Graham bagged his 3rd in a row against Wolves the week after, and Swansea were cruising to a 2-0 victory but Wolves scored twice in 2 minutes late on to rescue a point.
Another home victory followed, this time a 3-1 triumph against Bolton. Graham scored for the 4th match on the bounce, but also scored an own goal, which ultimately did not matter. They then faced Liverpool at Anfield, where they impressively came away with a 0-0 draw in a match that The Reds should have walked. But walk they did not, meaning Swansea secured their 13th point of the season.
Swansea are currently 4 points above the relegation zone in 10th places, and are one of only 4 teams yet to lose at home (Man City, Newcastle and Liverpool are the others). They have also conceded the least goals at home in the league, having kept 4 clean sheets and conceding just the 1. Their away form needs somewhat improving, having scored just 4 goals in 6 games and claimed just 2 away points, but the draw against Liverpool could pave the way for a good run away from Wales.
They could quite easily still go down, being just 4 points away from the relegation zone, but they will probably finish lower-mid table, around 13th position. I don't think they'll keep up this outstanding home form when the big boys come to visit, but they'll gain enough points to finish in a respectable position. They won't finish higher than 9th, and even then they will need to vastly improve their away form.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Newcastle United
Newcastle United are one of the Premier League's 2 unbeaten clubs. Somehow.
They don't have the 3rd best squad in the league on paper; The 4 clubs directly below them in the league (Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs) maybe 5 including Aston Villa, have superior squads. But paper never won a football match.
After they sold Andy Carroll in January and Jose Enrique in the Summer, both to Liverpool, fans and neutrals alike thought they would struggle massively. After all, Carroll had been their main source of goals for the past 3 seasons (or however long) and Enrique was probably their best defender and has since matured into one of the top left backs in the league, with only Ashley Cole and Patrice Evra considered better than Enrique. They also sold Kevin Nolan, who also scored plenty of goals.
But Newcastle have clearly spent their money wisely. They brought in Demba Ba from West Ham, Yoann Cabaye from Lille and Davide Santon from Inter, but these players were never really expected to take the Toon Army back to the big time.
The season opened with a 0-0 draw at home to Arsenal, which they followed up with a 1-0 win away to rivals Sunderland. They then beat Scunthorpe 2-1 in the League Cup in Extra Time, and a Leon Best brace secured a 2-1 victory for them at home to Fulham. A couple of draws away to new-look QPR and Aston Villa kept the team unbeaten, and then they went on to beat Nott'm Forest 4-3 in the League Cup in their 3rd away game in 8 days.
Enter Demba Ba. The Senegalese international had not scored so far this season, which could be put down to a lack of form coupled with him celebrating the Muslim festival of Ramadan, which meant he was fasting during daylight hours in August.
Ba scored his first Newcastle goal 27 minutes into the game vs Blackburn, and 27 minutes later he had 3. Ba scored again the week after in the Toon's 2-1 win away to Wolves, and then scored against Spurs in a 2-2 home draw the week after that. Yoann Cabaye scored the only goal in their 1-0 victory over Wigan in their next game, and he also scored again the week after as Newcastle slumped to their first loss of the season, losing 4-3 away in the League Cup vs Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
Ba was soon back in the goals when he hit his second hat trick of the season away to Stoke as NUFC won 3-1, and then they won the week after, beating Everton 2-1 at home.
So despite not having the greatest squad in the Permier League, they've still beaten the odds and currently lie in the 3rd after 11 games. The only thing that could take a gloss off of their fantastic start is that they have only played 2 'big' teams. They faced Arsenal on opening day, when they were playing poor football and on the verge of selling Fabregas and Nasri, and they have also played Spurs, against whom they did very well to claim a draw.
Their next 3 games are away to Man City and then Man United, and then they host Chelsea in the first game at their newly-named Sports Direct Arena. It'll be very impressive if they stay unbeaten and/or claim more than 3 points during these 3 games, and only then will I consider them to be real contenders for the Champions League and maybe the title.
They don't have the 3rd best squad in the league on paper; The 4 clubs directly below them in the league (Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs) maybe 5 including Aston Villa, have superior squads. But paper never won a football match.
After they sold Andy Carroll in January and Jose Enrique in the Summer, both to Liverpool, fans and neutrals alike thought they would struggle massively. After all, Carroll had been their main source of goals for the past 3 seasons (or however long) and Enrique was probably their best defender and has since matured into one of the top left backs in the league, with only Ashley Cole and Patrice Evra considered better than Enrique. They also sold Kevin Nolan, who also scored plenty of goals.
But Newcastle have clearly spent their money wisely. They brought in Demba Ba from West Ham, Yoann Cabaye from Lille and Davide Santon from Inter, but these players were never really expected to take the Toon Army back to the big time.
The season opened with a 0-0 draw at home to Arsenal, which they followed up with a 1-0 win away to rivals Sunderland. They then beat Scunthorpe 2-1 in the League Cup in Extra Time, and a Leon Best brace secured a 2-1 victory for them at home to Fulham. A couple of draws away to new-look QPR and Aston Villa kept the team unbeaten, and then they went on to beat Nott'm Forest 4-3 in the League Cup in their 3rd away game in 8 days.
Enter Demba Ba. The Senegalese international had not scored so far this season, which could be put down to a lack of form coupled with him celebrating the Muslim festival of Ramadan, which meant he was fasting during daylight hours in August.
Ba scored his first Newcastle goal 27 minutes into the game vs Blackburn, and 27 minutes later he had 3. Ba scored again the week after in the Toon's 2-1 win away to Wolves, and then scored against Spurs in a 2-2 home draw the week after that. Yoann Cabaye scored the only goal in their 1-0 victory over Wigan in their next game, and he also scored again the week after as Newcastle slumped to their first loss of the season, losing 4-3 away in the League Cup vs Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
Ba was soon back in the goals when he hit his second hat trick of the season away to Stoke as NUFC won 3-1, and then they won the week after, beating Everton 2-1 at home.
So despite not having the greatest squad in the Permier League, they've still beaten the odds and currently lie in the 3rd after 11 games. The only thing that could take a gloss off of their fantastic start is that they have only played 2 'big' teams. They faced Arsenal on opening day, when they were playing poor football and on the verge of selling Fabregas and Nasri, and they have also played Spurs, against whom they did very well to claim a draw.
Their next 3 games are away to Man City and then Man United, and then they host Chelsea in the first game at their newly-named Sports Direct Arena. It'll be very impressive if they stay unbeaten and/or claim more than 3 points during these 3 games, and only then will I consider them to be real contenders for the Champions League and maybe the title.
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