Sunday morning ball to the face

I'm not sure who will have more of a red face.

Should it be the guy 'shooting'? That's lucky if it goes out for a throw-in.

Or the fat man in the middle who is going to have cauliflower ear in the morning?

And that's ball in the face, not balls in the face for all of you who googled something different!

Allardyce and Jol don't want the draw

We're only 12 games into the Premier League season, but West Ham v Fulham is huge for both teams already. West Ham have only won twice this season in the league, and their defense - which was keeping them in games - is now suffering key injuries and a loss of confidence. They also can't score goals. Kevin Nolan needs to play off a front man. He has never had pace, but feeds of scraps from a center forward or crosses into the box. West Ham are just not creating chances like that with Andy Carroll, but Sam Allardyce needs to change the formation and personal to deal with it. He claimed a lot of credit for playing 6 in midfield away at Spurs when the Hammers won 3-0, but hasn't adapted again since then. Lose again at home and you can bet the boos will be ringing around Upton Park.

Martin Jol won't just get booed if he loses, he'll probably get fired. Rene Meulensteen has already been brought in as a coach, and he'll get the job if they lose to West Ham on Saturday, or maybe after the Spurs game on Wednesday. Fulham just haven't really progressed as a team this season. Scott Parker was a good addition, but he's getting on, as is Darren Bent. Unfortunately for Fulham, they seem to be aging as a team, and not in a good way. Instead of using the experience of Berbatov, Hangeland and Parker, they are just showing that they are older, slower and less able to produce what they did a couple of years ago. Fulham are very dependent on the Bulgarian and he's a match-winner at his best - but maybe he doesn't have much of his best left.

It's a huge game for both teams, but you have to feel Fulham would be much happier with a point away from home. West Ham need to win - and win again at Palace on Tuesday. Otherwise they'll be facing a very difficult Christmas period with nowhere near enough points on the board.

Spurs also need something against Manchester United this weekend. After getting beaten by 6 by Manchester City last weekend, they need not only a result, but a performance. It would be stupid to sack Villas-Boas after allowing him to spend a boat load of money, but they need something. Goals would be a good start.

The league is starting to take shape, and the top 4 look like they could be the top 4 (with one other wildcard or Manchester United) at the end of the season.

***

Too many good American traditions have meant the Geezer has taken his eye off the ball in Europe this weekend. I'll be watching, but the turkey and red wine mean that any attempt at analysis or observation has gone out of the window. 

Beer, wine and food take precedence sometimes. Deal with it.

Ballack forgets that it's holiday season

It's the holidays Michael - calm down.

There's plenty of football to look forward to this weekend, no need to complain.

You'd think he missed out on the last bit of Thanksgiving turkey!

Where are we with the Champions League?

Qualification for the Champions League knockout stages is almost done. There are a few loose ends to tie up, but that's about it - and the rich are about to get richer as almost all the big teams are through to set up some fantastic ties in the last 16.

But it's all about winning the Group. Qualifying for the knockout stage is a success for some, but should be the minimal requirement for those who spend unthinkable money every year. Not just the English teams, but all the big boys have splashed out, and if you can't beat teams like Viktoria Plzen, Austria Vienna and Anderlecht, then you have bought the wrong players.

So here's the breakdown....

PSG and Atletico Madrid bossed their Groups - and that's the price teams will pay for not topping the Group. Nobody wants to play them, Barca, Real or Bayern.

Bayern have won 5 from 5, and it's hard to imagine them not beating Manchester City at home in two weeks. City are through too, which counts as a success, but they may need an easier tie to progress past the last 16 - and there are no easy ties in the knockout stages of the Champions League. City can, and will, score against any team - but they look shaky at the back. I don't agree with Kolo Toure that they will rue selling him, but they do need a quality defender - someone like Vincent Kompany, not Kolo Toure.

Manchester United are through again. Their Group wasn't easy, but they made hard work of some pretty average teams. David Moyes will be happy to advance, but I can't help thinking that United are going to get spanked by someone. Rooney is playing well, but there is nobody in the midfield that other top teams would want. In fact there's nobody in the United midfield that any other team wants on their bench.

Juventus are going to have to get something in Turkey against Galatasaray - a draw will probably do it, but Drogba and Sneider may have something to say about that. Juve look so good in Serie A, but very inconsistent in Europe. Anything but qualification will be a huge failure for them.

Chelsea are in. Basel or Shalke will join them. Who wins that Group is still to play for - but it won't be Steaua Bucharest who are now 22 games without a win in the Champions League. Basel have got 6 of their 8 points against Chelsea - what seemed an easy Group has turned vaguely interesting. Chelsea need to win it, or they will face a tough task in the knockout stages against other Group winners.

Arsenal have won 4 of their 5, yet sit just 3 points ahead of Dortmund and Napoli. Should they lose to the Italians in Naples by 3 or more, they could go out - with 12 points! Marseille have lost to everyone, so that Group of Death thing didn't quite work out. All 3 teams will still be in Europe, and I'd say the team who finishes 3rd would be favorites to win the Europa League.

Ajax stayed alive by beating Barcelona, but they will have to beat AC Milan in Italy to advance. I can't see either topping the Group as the Catalans play the already eliminated Celtic on the last Group match day.

Stay out of the Championship - it's all a bit weird!

Reading v QPR - should have been a decent game between two teams relegated from the Premier League last year.

I don't know how I wrote that sentence. Was trying to justify this clip. 

The quality of writing on this site is just getting worse!

What's the rush? Let me get a cuppa first

Jack Wilshire didn't even give me a chance to get a tea (beer) or settle in for the afternoon.

Here's that goal after 33 seconds for those of you who missed it.

Not a bad finish - especially as he's the saviour of English football, or did his week with that label pass already?

The divide in European soccer is growing

I'd like to write about other European leagues and how great they were to watch this weekend, and there sre great teams in Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue Un, but they are only getting competition in the Champions League.

Barcelona are unbeaten in the first 14 games of the season and have scored 42 goals in that time, conceding just 9 goals. Bayern beat Dortmund this weekend to extend their run to 13 unbeaten to start this season, and they have won 11 of those, letting in just 7 goals. Juve are top again in Serie A, starting 11-1-1, with Roma close, but only because they started at an unbelievable rate and have an amazing defense. PSG are also unbeaten, topping Ligue Un on 34 points from 14. Lille are second, rivaling Roma for tightest defense, conceding just 4 in 14.

So there is somewhat of a story there, but it's no surprise really. The top teams just get stronger and the competition gets weaker. Every major league in Europe, apart from England, still has at least one unbeaten team with about a third of the season gone. That may be great for stats and records, but there is a real gulf in class among the teams now, and it's not great to watch - teams are seeing a 2-0 loss as an acceptable result, because Barca, Real, Bayern and PSG are putting 4,5, 6 or 7 past teams. And that leads me into the Premier League - Man City have put 7 past Norwich and now 6 past Spurs, and Tottenham spent about $150 million this off-season. What hope do other teams have of competing if City can smash 6 past a team who were tipped for the top 4?

The gulf is growing, and not in a good way people. That European Super League we all dread may actually make the domestic season better - but that's another discussion.

***

So City, Chelsea and Arsenal all had pretty easy wins this weekend. Games that had the potential to trip them up. They look like the strongest three teams in the division. Liverpool are close, but they're pretty evenly matched up with Manchester United this season. Spurs don't look like they are going to make the top 4 again, but they still have a chance to crack it - they just need to learn to defend, and to get some supply to a striker that cost a huge chunk of that Gareth Bale money.

The Merseyside derby was fantastic. Lead changes, great goals, a yellow that should have been a red, and that man again....Romelu Lukaku. Yes, I could have said Luis Suarez, and he deserve s a mention, but the young Belgian is an absolute beast. He is the ultimate lone striker. Big, strong, good in the air, quick, can finish and is just 20! But lest we forget, Chelsea own him. So Everton's shot a the top 4 is realistic, but they won't find another Lukaku next year, and Chelsea won't loan him out again.

West Ham and Fulham are in trouble. Both teams look weak, and their game next week is a real 6-pointer. Neither team is playing well, and the excuses given by Martin Jol and Sam Allardyce are not enough anymore. West Ham need Carroll back, but to expect him to come in and score 15+ in the second half of the season is unrealistic. Fulham can't defend right now, and as good as he is when they win, Berbatov becomes a liability when they're behind.

Some rich league football to keep us entertained this week - so we don't need to worry about the little teams too much.