Moyes probably won't have the answers for Arsenal

Arsenal against Manchester United on Sunday - any interest? No, didn't think so!

People keep expecting Arsene Wenger's team to fail, but we're now over a quarter of the way through the season and they are top of the league and have the most in-form player in the Premier League, if not Europe right now.

David Moyes on the other hand spent 27.5 million pounds on Marouane Fellaini. He wasn't that good at Everton, and looks completely out of his depth at Manchester United. He deserves time to find his feet, but maybe he can't see them through all that hair - i know, the tumbleweed is rolling right now, and I'm ok with it.

United have to hope they can outscore Arsenal, as it's unlikely they will dominate the ball, even at Old Trafford.

A defeat for Arsenal isn't the end of the world, and while it's another reason to question what is going on with Moyes's team, it's not the end for them either. They are more than capable of going on a streak, but a defeat here would create a lot of questions that the Scotsman doesn't appear to have the answer for.

I can't see Palace or Sunderland picking up points against Everton or Manchester City, and you have to fear for both of them already. West Ham against Norwich isn't quite a 6-pointer yet, but if the Hammers fail to score again, the decision to put all the eggs in the Andy Carroll basket will look even worse.

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It seems we just wait for El Clasico in Spain now, or for one of them to face Atletico. Really not much to say about La Liga except that we hope for a shock result rather than another record to be broken by Messi or Ronaldo.... German and French football don't have any huge games this weekend, but I do appreciate that they start the weekend fixtures on a Friday night - really helps me through the day!

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And then there's Juventus v Napoli. Roma have made a great start in Serie A, but these two are teh pre-season favorites and have both started really well. Hopefully the midweek European ties won't have turned this into a defensive game, but then it's Serie A, so expect some of that anyway! Tevez has been running riot in Italy, with Higuain, Hamsik and co. likely to play their own brand of counter-attacking football.

Rafa Benitez deserves a lot of credit, but Antonio Conte has built a formidable team, with Paul Pogba developing into a top-class player. Juventus have the home advantage and that puts them in poll position, but who cares who wins?* It's just another great game in another fantastic weekend of football.

*I care who wins, and I hope it's Juve - but not sure why. Oh that's right, I have money on it! 

Chelsea look to exploit missing Kompany

With our La Liga preview here (ok, so it's an El Clasico preview), we're going to focus on the Premier League matchups, while I continue to ask Tio Pelotas for his MLS preview - he's doing it apparently, but is hungover and needs something greasy in his stomach.

Arsenal and Liverpool will be looking to pick up 3 more points against Crystal Palace and West Brom respectively, and if either are to seriously challenge for the title, then they have to win games like these. I think both have good chances of making the top 4, but that's not good enough for Arsenal, although it may be for Liverpool this year.

The huge game of the weekend is Chelsea against Manchester City. Both are coming off good wins in the Champions League, but City may be a little more fatigues after a trip to Russia, and playing on a pitch that looked like it was from the 1980s.

City are a different team without Vincent Kompany, and I'd expect Chelsea to try and expose Javi Garcia or Joleon Lescott. Pace is huge, and Samuel Eto'o still has plenty of that, even if he is trying to steal the ball off the goalkeeper just to open his account. Fernando Torres may start after his two goals in the week, but reports of him being back are stupid - yes, he's judged on how many goals he scores, but he (and Eto'o) needs a run in the team as the main man. Strikers need confidence, and neither has it in abundance at the moment - maybe they should stand next to Sergio Aguero at the kick-off in teh hope of catching some.

The teams returning from European action need wins too. Spurs will be hoping not to repeat what happened to them last time they played after some Thursday night action, while West Ham will hope Swansea are as generous as Tottenham were.

If Sunderland lose to Newcastle, Poyet will be out. I'm just kidding, but Gus needs a win (or at least not to lose), and a local derby changes everything. Form goes out of the window and passion comes through - I don't care how many 'johnny foreigners' are playing, the crowd will inspire whoever is out there.

Pirlo's back, Zlatan the 3rd, Moyes on watch - the Weekend preview

Italy is where the action is this weekend. Inter v Roma and Juventus v AC Milan. Roma have won 6 of 6 in Serie A, with Inter unbeaten in 4th after a surprisingly strong start to the season. Gervinho is scoring goals (which can't be true), but he is playing with Totti, who could lay chances on that even Emile Heskey couldn't miss.

Inter are a bit of a team of no-names, but it's working for them. Gone are the big stars of the Mourinho era, but Walter Mazzari is building a strong team, and Diego Milito is back to prove that he can score from more than 6 yards out - I've never seen it, but it has to happen soon.

Juve against Milan is always a good game, or at least has a great history. Van Basten, Gullit, Vialli, Baggio etc. Who can't love names like that? The memory of Baresi, Maldini, Zoff and Del Piero makes it so easy to watch - and it's always great to see Pirlo show Milan why they were fools to let him go.

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I'll be looking at how the Premier League teams deal with post-European fixtures this week. Spurs have a (relatively) tough derby with West Ham, Swansea may struggle at Southampton after playing Thursday, and 3 of the 4 Champions League entrants have tough away games. City are at home against Everton after being schlapped by Bayern Munich in the week. Bayern are the best team in Europe right now, but Everton are unbeaten in the league, scoring lots of goals and have a red-hot Romelu Lukaku.

David Moyes will be in more hot water if United lose away at Sunderland. The Black Cats are a shambles, but they played well against Liverpool for large periods of the game, and are due a result. Arsenal are the form team, with people treating Mesut Ozil like he's the second coming of Diego Maradona. They've been good, but a loss away at West Brom and Arsene Wenger will have those fickle fans on his case again. Samuel Eto'o is going to score soon. Sorry Norwich fans, but he is.

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7 from 7 for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid - who's going to buckle first. Probably Atletico, but if Barca lose when Messi is out injured, some idiot is going to say they're a one-man team. Probably Jamie Redknapp or Alexi Lalas.

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The pick of the other European games for me is Marseille against PSG. Mainly because of this quote from Zlatan on Wayne Rooney... "if he did join, he would have to get used to the fact that Zlatan scores even better goals than he does." Zlatan, in the third person, telling it how it is. Love him.

Will Bale play in the Madrid derby? Does Jose miss Fergie?

Will Gareth Bale play in the Madrid derby this weekend? With help from referees, Real probably don't need him as they'll get another 95th minute penalty if the result isn't going their way anyway. Someone should let the officials know that General Franco died in 1975, so they don't need to fear being sent to a forced labor camp if they don't give Real all the decisions. Oh wait, there is money involved? Bribery and match fixing? Or you just want to be loved by millions of fans rather than the 50,000 that the smaller clubs have?

Anyway, getting off topic. Bale has already earned close to $1.5 million in his brief time with Real Madrid, and I'm sure he'll want to start showing he's worth the money. He's not fit, but he'll have to be on his game if Real are to beat Atletico. Diego Costa, Raul Garcia and David Villa have led Atletico to a perfect 6 wins form 6 to start La Liga, keeping them tied with Barcelona and 2 points ahead of their city rivals.

Should be a great game on Saturday night.

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The early game on Saturday in England pits Porto's best two managers of recent times against each other. Jose Mourinho takes his Chelsea team to White Hart Lane to face Andre Villas-Boas' much improved Spurs team. The two managers have been having a little spat ahead of the game, but most of that is probably due to the face Jose misses Alex Ferguson. He's got no-one to really duel with anymore, and he's tired of calling Arsene Wenger a 'voyeur'. 

Spurs seem to know their best XI, although Jermain Defoe must be pushing for a start as he keeps scoring whenever he gets a chance. Mourinho on the other hand has a lot of options, but can't seem to get his strikers to find their form yet. I'd go with Torres, but Eto'o is likely to play (and he's due a goal)/

Steer clear of the Sunday games, there's nothing to see there. Not too much else on the Saturday either, although it will be interesting to see if Manchester City can maintain some of their recent form, and wether United can win against West Brom without van Persie or any other creative players (as Kagawa still can't get a start).

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The pick of the other games in Europe for me is the Turin derby. Juventus against Torino should be a good game, and I'm interested to see Alessio Cerci who is the top scorer with 5 in Serie A so far.

Manchester derby, Rome derby and PSG V Monaco - a great weekend ahead

I wasn't sure I'd ever type this again, but Liverpool can extend their lead at the top of the table when they play Southampton at home on Saturday. And they still have Luis Suarez to come back. I think Liverpool will contend this year (maybe not for the title, but for the top 4). I'm predicting lots of home wins in the Premier League this weekend, and  yes, that does include City winning the Manchester derby on Sunday.

Yaya Toure is in beast mode at the moment, with Sergio Aguero starting to find some form. United weren't that convincing in Europe in midweek despite their 4-2 win. Rio Ferdinand is off the pace a little, Fellaini is still finding his feet (they could be lost in that afro) and, although I think they'll score, they just don't look solid at the back.

Every week is a big week, but you feel West Brom and Sunderland both need to win to get their season's started. It's still September, but this already feels like a 6-pointer. Palace also need a win - a game against Swansea isn't an easy one, but after a away trip in the Europa League, now may be as good time as any for the Eagles.

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More than a couple of huge games in France and Italy this weekend. PSG v Monaco on Sunday night at the Parc de Princes is huge. Cavani, Ibra and Falcao all on show. Probably the best 3 forwards in the world once you take Ronaldo and Messi out of the equation. This already seems like a title game, and Zlatan tends to step up when he's needed. A relatively slow and incident-free start to the season for the big man isn't really his style. He'll either notch or get sent off. Take your pick.

Then there's the Rome derby (with Totti just signing a new deal, he's bound to score) and Milan v Napoli. Rafa Benitez has had a perfect start to his career in Naples, but Balotelli & Co will be a real test, although Hamsik and Higuain are going to score a lot of goals this year. 

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Nothing too interesting in La Liga this weekend, although I'm sure Messi will get 4 if Cristiano gets another hat-trick. It's just the way they compete. Shalke 04 v Bayern is the big one in the Bundesliga. I have a feeling Pep may drop some points there. Not sure why, just have that Friday feeling. And don't forget Ajax v PSV too - the DVR is getting punished this weekend!

The most excited football fan ever?

Maybe it's the new signings, or the fact that it's not boring International week anymore, but this fan is really excited about this weekend's action.

It could be from Gareth Bale's unveiling, Mesut Ozil's first shirt signing or maybe even at Hull's Friday training session - who knows, but this fan is ready to go.

Weekend preview - A few new signings, and the Derby d'Italia

Can Arsenal forge a German connection like the Inter team of the 90s?

There are plenty of new signings that I'm looking forward to seeing this weekend - Mesut Ozil, Cristian Eriksen, Samuel Eto'o and potentially Gareth Bale. Most of them are injured or lacking match fitness, which makes you wonder what they were doing during the International break. (I didn't want to mention it, but there you go - and that's all you're getting).

The Geezer can be match fit in 14 minutes, and most of that is because I can't tie the laces on my boots and drink a can of Stella at the same time.

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In Serie A this weekend is the Derby of Italy - Inter and Juventus have both won their opening two games, but this should be a real test for Inter. Juventus have spent all the money and brought in some quality players, but Inter have a chance and may even see the return of Diego Milito - maybe not a huge fan favorite, but he knows how to notch, and that's all you can ask.

The always attack-minded Rafael Benitez has started with 2 wins as well, and keep and eye out for Marek Hamsik at Napoli. He's by no means a new signing, but he's got 4 in 2 and Benitez said he's "priceless" is Bale is worth 100 million - can't really disagree as the Welshman is never worth the fee paid for him.

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In England, Mesut Ozil should destroy Paulo Di Canio's Sunderland team. Put your money on an Arsenal win. Sunderland lost to their own under 21s team, so can't see them beating Arsenal. Looking forward to seeing how Spurs gel, and whether Jose Mourinho can somehow fit Willian and Eto'o into the starting lineup. Typical bad luck for Romelu Lukaku too - can't get a game at Chelsea, so goes on loan to Everton, only to be unavailable as the Toffees play Chelsea this week! 

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Not too much that really jumps out in the Bundesliga, France, Portugal or Spain this week. Bale may play for Real Madrid, but I doubt it. He's not fit, with speculation he may get the last 15-20 if they are 4-0 against Villareal. But all in all, I'm glad European club football is back - as I need to enjoy a beer, not cry into one.

Please Sir, just one more goal

What was it, 80 mins on Saturday without a goal in the Premier League?

Sure, Super Sundays are great (the north London derby was fantastic), but I was almost too depressed to watch those games. 

Some awful football, played by some very average teams. 

Vacation is calling, so not too depressed. Especially as I won't have to watch any of that rubbish again on replays this week. NBC in America must be thrilled with how much they paid to show the Premier League. 

Lessons for the weekend

As all geezers should know, there are various steps you take to get ready for the weekend.

Shower. Clean clothes. Enough beer and kebab money. No chat-up lines. And brush your teeth.

Seems like someone forgot one of the rules.

Or he had the kebab and chili sauce too early - and can't fault him for that.

Mourinho to learn new names in Super Cup...West Ham to sign Kaka?

It seems like the Premier League is all about Sunday again – not too many great games on Saturday (Palace v Sunderland seems the low point), but then Liverpool v Man United and Arsenal v Tottenham on September 1.

The transfer window remains open until Monday, so don’t be surprised if Mark Hughes or Sam Allardyce makes a panic buy depending on who wins the West Ham v Stoke game. Big Sam to pick up Kaka after he requested a transfer from Real Madrid – could he be the next Okocha, Hierro or Djorkaeff?!

I’m hoping the Bale deal will be done by the time you read this. He’s going to Chelsea, we’ve known it all along. They are woefully short of midfielders, and he could play with some of the best strikers from 2008 if he went there. I don’t really understand the financial fair play rules, but Chelsea have a squad of 53 and pay them all a fortune – I wouldn’t be surprised if they are still paying Winston Bogarde!

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We have to wait until Sunday for Marseille v Monaco in Ligue Un – should be a good one, with a proper crowd seeing as Marseille are at home. Juventus v Lazio and Valencia v Barcelona are the two other standout games for me this weekend. Should be interesting to see how Tevez and Co are blending into a team, and how Valencia do now that they have sold Soldado to Spurs.

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And then there’s the Super Cup between Bayern Munich (the Champions League winners) and Chelsea (the Europe League winners). It’s being played in Prague – which is in the Czech Republic for those of you who failed geography (near Russia for Americans) – and is the first time in 15 years this game has been played anywhere but Monaco. Falcao bagged a great hat-trick for Atletico Madrid v Chelsea last year, and Jose Mourinho’s team may struggle again this year.

Bayern are a very strong team that have been playing together for a few years. Mourinho would have to be a genius just to remember the names of all the players in his squad – it might mean games for Victor Moses, Ryan Bertrand and Marco van Ginkel, and surely Paulo Ferrera will play in another big game (he must still be there, surely). 2-1 to Bayern for me, but I lose so much money gambling, that it’s best to bet against me.

The weekend is here - don't celebrate like this

So we're just about there. The Geezer is about to crack a beer and watch some previews of the games coming up this weekend - or just read this again for all the typos and blatant errors I made.

I'l be watching all the games just for you, and celebrating every goal, red card and stupid moment (as it gives me something to write about next week). But I won't be doing this - mainly as I can't, but also because if I could, I won't remember it as I'd have to be really drunk (and things that happen when you're drunk don't count!).

Weekend Geezer

Who would have thought this guy could have been a professional footballer. He scored 228 goals in 515 games for a variety of teams, but he's this weekend's geezer because he loved a goal on the opening day of the season.

Mickey Quinn scored 4 for Newcastle against Leeds back in 1989-90, but is probably more memorable for his hat-trick for Coventry against Arsenal at Highbury on the opening day of the 1993-94 season.

Fat Mickey (as he was affectionately known) never looked like a footballer, and is now a horse racing commentator, which seems far more fitting.

Weekend feeling

It's Friday, we're all ready for the weekend, but don't you get that feeling that something's not quite right?

Somehow I feel like I've had my pants pulled down - I think it's the realization that there are only 48 hours to go and enjoy yourself before Monday rolls around.

So here's a bad joke, and a image of having your pants pulled down! Enjoy.

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I've written a book about a man who exposes his penis on a particular day of the week.

It's out Monday.

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Looking for the weekend? It's coming Sergio, it's coming

I always wondered what Sergio Busquets was up to, but I think I've figured it out. He's looking for the weekend. It's just around the corner Sergio. The Bundesliga is starting, the Championship rumbles on, and the Charity Shield is on Sunday. Manchester United face Wigan at Wembley, with United playing the game for the first time since 1985 without Alex Ferguson - old red nose will be at the bar somewhere with Sean Connery no doubt.

So keep an eye out for the weekend. Sergio knows it's coming. He's got an eye on it. Making sure it gets a yellow. But if you don't get a yellow on the weekend, you're doing it wrong.

Weekend Geezer

Maybe because people love Curb Your Enthusiasm on the weekend, or that the Argentine league has just got underway, but the weekend Geezer is Larry David, sorry I mean Carlos Bianchi.

Bianchi is in his third spell as manager of Boca Juniors, and is the only manager to have won the Copa Libertadores 4 times.

He was also top scorer in the Argentinian League 3 times (1970, '71 and '81) - in between those titles, other names such as Mario Kempes and a certain Diego Maradona (5 times) won the top scorer award.  Bianchi was also the highest league scorer in France for 5 of the 6 years he was there with Reims and PSG.

The weekend is here

It's Friday, kick back, relax, and then get on it

Everyone needs a little football in their life

Bob Marley loved a bit of keepy-uppy/kick-ups/game of donkey in the dressing room before a concert. Am sure there are other things he loved to do too, but trying to keep this a family site. Keep Jammin' with the Buffalo Soldiers and all your geezers this weekend.