This is the last chance to experience Euro 2012 in a whole new way.  Head over to ESPN and play Euro Manager.  A group named Fans of EPLTalk.com has been created and can be accessed here:

All that is required to play is a free ESPN username.  Create your team and play against fans from around the world.

There are a few changes to this game compare to years past:

• All managers must submit one 11-man team for each round of games in the group stage within a 4-4-2 formation. This is the same for everyone, you won’t be able to opt for three strikers or five defenders; it’s a level playing field. Every nation will play three games in the group stage in rotation, starting on June 8, and you submit a team for each one of the three rounds.

• Managers then have the chance to submit a new team for the quarterfinals, and another for a combined semifinals and final round of fixtures.

• The Promotion will be broken down in to five (5) “Rounds”:

Round 1: Group Stage 1 (June 8-10)

Round 2: Group Stage 2 (June 12-14)

Round 3: Group Stage 3 (June 16-18)

Round 4: Quarter-finals (June 21-24)

Round 5: Semi-finals + Final (June 27-July 1)

• Complete game rules can be found here http://games.espn.go.com/euro-manager/en/story?pageName=euromanagerrules

So compile your best squad with the likes of Casillas, Sneijder, and Ronaldo and compete against your friends at EPLTalk.com.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

Looking for another way to enjoy Euro 2012? Then head over to ESPN and play Euro Manager. A group named Fans of EPLTalk.com has been created and can be accessed here.

All that is required to play is a free ESPN username. Create your team, then click on the ‘Join Group’ button, and play against fans from around the world.

There are a few changes to this game compare to years past:

• All managers must submit one 11-man team for each round of games in the group stage within a 4-4-2 formation. This is the same for everyone, you won’t be able to opt for three strikers or five defenders; it’s a level playing field. Every nation will play three games in the group stage in rotation, starting on June 8, and you submit a team for each one of the three rounds.
• Managers then have the chance to submit a new team for the quarterfinals, and another for a combined semifinals and final round of fixtures.
• The Promotion will be broken down in to five (5) “Rounds”:

Round 1: Group Stage 1 (June 8-10)
Round 2: Group Stage 2 (June 12-14)
Round 3: Group Stage 3 (June 16-18)
Round 4: Quarter-finals (June 21-24)
Round 5: Semi-finals + Final (June 27-July 1)

Complete game rules can be found here.

So compile your best squad with the likes of Casillas, Sneijder, and Ronaldo and compete against your friends and EPLTalk.com.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

The last month of the Premier League season has been one of disappointment for Manchester United supporters.  An eight point lead in the title race dwindled into a second place spot based on point differential.  As rivals Manchester City ascended up the table by playing proficient and convincing football, Manchester United, on the other hand, has looked unorganized and uninterested.  Even though these problems have magnified themselves during the recent weeks, United has not played their attacking style of football in months.  The lack of quality has manifested itself in different areas of the club.  Not only has there been a drop in talent on the roster, but United has exhibited a lackadaisical attitude all season long.

Because of their storied past, Manchester United bring a certain aura when they step onto the pitch.  Being one of the most successful clubs in Europe for the better part of a century gives United a psychological advantage against other clubs.  In recent years, names like Beckham, Ronaldo, and Keane would give other clubs concerns in pre-match preparations.  The current version of the Red Devils, however, does not inspire that same fear.  Outside of Wayne Rooney, whose role has been altered in an attempt to aid a weak central midfield, United do not have those big names that opposing managers rue having to face.  The attacking force of Antonio Valencia, Nani, Danny Welbeck, and Javier Hernandez have missed time with injuries and when fit they have shown their limitations.  These players have the look of being quality supporting players, but not stars.

Even with this lack of star power, Manchester United has played down to its competition for most of the year.  The idea that United could just go through the motions against smaller clubs and then flick a switch and play with more intensity in the bigger matches is a strategy that cost them a chance at the league title.  This disinterested mindset lead to their inability to get out of the group stage of the Champions League as United struggled against smaller clubs like Basel and Benfica.  It is also what caused the Red Devils to drop matches to Blackburn and Wigan during the second half of the season.  Many in the media have proclaimed that United lost the title when they were defeated at Manchester City earlier this month.  That was a devastating defeat that brought the clubs level on points.  But in the grand scheme of things, United lost out on the title when they missed out on six points against two clubs fighting relegation and allowing Everton score two late goals at Old Trafford in April.  Along with their apathetic approach for most of the season this current version of the club’s unearned arrogance has gotten in the way of a twentieth league title.

Some of the blame can be put at the feet of Sir Alex Ferguson.  During the last summer transfer window, he chose to buy younger players instead of spending money on veteran talent.  Although Phil Jones and Ashley Young have shown moments of ability and keeper David De Gea has improved after a shaky start, none of them have done much to bolster Manchester United’s title chances this season.  Bringing in these young players to an already youthful United squad lead to inconsistent performances throughout the fixture lists.  It takes some time for young players to mature and adjust to the rigors of Premier League football.  Many of the Manchester United players are not to that point yet.  Comparing United’s roster to its counterparts on the continent, clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich have far superior talent and depth than the Red Devils at this point.

Manchester United will most likely finish second in the table to Manchester City.  This will be a very humbling experience for most supporters.  The lessons to be taken away from this disappointing campaign are the importance of each match that appears on the fixture list and that no opponent should be looked upon lightly.  Over the summer months, Manchester United will have to find that killer edge that made them one of the most feared clubs in Europe. The United coaching staff will have to use this season as an example of the work and determination that is required to compete at the highest level.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport.

For those that get sent down, it means a season in the Championship while the clubs that avoid the drop zone, it means another season of riches and the limelight of the Premier League.

Here is a quick look at what these clubs will have to deal with over the last two matches of the season.

Blackburn Rovers: (May 7 vs Wigan, May 13 vs Chelsea)

Despite having victories against Arsenal and Manchester United this season, Blackburn finds itself second from the bottom of the table.  Even though they possess two of the better attacking players in Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Junior Hoilett, Blackburn has played some very dour football the season. They have been particularly porous on the road as they have allowed the most away goals this season.  The match against Wigan will go a long way in determining whether Blackburn stays above the drop zone as a trip to Stamford Bridge looms on the last fixture day. Blackburn’s lone hope that day is that Chelsea rests some of their starters with the Champions League final being played six days later.

Bolton Wanderers: (May 6 vs West Brom, May 13 vs Stoke City)

Bolton has been towards the bottom of the table for much of the season.  Many fans feel that manager Owen Coyle’s refusal to change his tactics is the reason that the Wanderers find themselves in the relegation battle this season.  To his credit, Bolton lost two key players, Lee-Chung Yong and Stuart Holden before the first match was even played.  The loss of those two players greatly hampered Bolton’s attack.  Even with the possibility of relegation, Bolton has played better of late.  They have earned five points in their last four matches.  Wanderers squandered an opportunity to pick up a result at home against Tottenham last week, however.  Bolton pulled even at the fifty-first minute only to see Spurs score three more for an easy victory.  That point could have been huge as Bolton faces difficult match ups down the stretch.  In particular, the trip to Stoke’s “Fortress of Solitude” (Britannia Stadium), where Stoke City doesn’t make it a habit of dropping points could be a season definer for the Wanderers.

Queens Park Rangers: (May 6 vs Stoke, May 13 vs Manchester City)

Rangers have been a difficult club to figure out this season.  They brought in some big names during the transfer window, but few of them have turned out to have a positive impact.  QPR’s chances have picked up over the last few weeks with victories over Liverpool and Tottenham to keep them just outside of relegation based on points differential.  The last Sunday of the season could provide the best of both worlds.  Manchester City is a fight for the title while QPR will being trying to avoid being sent back to the Championship.  Because of this, it is almost assured that both clubs will be on the attack giving fans some entertaining football to watch.

Wigan Athletic: (May 7 vs Blackburn, May 13 vs Wolves)

Wigan has been a bit of an enigma this season.  They were unorganized and inept to start, but now lethal at the end.  Going back to March, Wigan have recorded victories over Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Newcastle.  They also played Chelsea tough at Stamford Bridge which was a match that was overshadowed by some poor officiating.   At this point, Wigan find themselves three points clear with two winnable matches remaining. Even if they can somehow play for draws, it is easy to believe Wigan will stay in the Premier League for another season.  It appears as if manager Roberto Martinez has pulled a rabbit out his hat again.

Aston Villa: (May 6 vs Spurs, May 13 vs Norwich)

The fourth most successful club in English football faded quickly this season.  A season ending injury to striker Darren Bent has left the club without a true goal scorer.  The loss of skipper Stiliyan Petrov, who is fighting leukemia, was a devastating blow to the club’s moral. Injuries and ineffectiveness forced Villa into employing many young players who may not have been ready for the rigors of a Premier League Season.  Manager Alex McLeish’s defensive tactics have left a lot to be desired as a club thought as “too big to fail” face the possibility of playing next season in the Championship.  Fans have turned out in numbers to protest the manager and ownership in hopes that the season can somehow be saved.  Earning one point out the final two fixtures could do just that.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: (May 6 vs Everton, May 13 vs Wigan)

Wolves was the first club to find out that they wouldn’t be back in the Premier League next season.  Because of this, Wolverhampton could have packed it in for the rest of the season, but last week’s come back result against Swansea proved that this club still playing with pride.  Manager Terry Conner was able to inspire a comeback at a time when most clubs would’ve folded.  The match on the last Sunday at Wigan holds some intrigue as it will be interesting to see if Wolves will try and get three last points in the Premier League.

The league schedule makers have been kind to the fans as there are multiple match ups involving possible relegated clubs over the next two weeks.  As mentioned earlier, Wolverhampton is the only club that knows it will be out of the top league next year.  That leaves two spots for five clubs.  Although Villa has a proud history, it faces the toughest schedule down the stretch.  They could be the second club going down.  Wigan and Blackburn square off in what is essentially an elimination match this week.  If Wigan is victorious, they will most likely stay up while Blackburn will have a difficult task of avoiding relegation.  Whatever the case, football fans should be treated to some intense and fascinating matches as clubs battle it out hoping to avoid relegation and remain in the Premier League.

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You can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

The most recent Manchester Derby gave fans an intense, action packed match. The derby provided even more importance and both clubs are competing for the Premier League title. In the end, Manchester City showed its championship mettle as the noisy neighbors pulled even with Manchester United in points and ahead of them in the table based on goal difference. Going forward, it looks as if it is City’s title to lose.  After taking some time to digest all of the action from Monday’s match, there are a few interesting topics that became quite evident.

1. Even the great ones make mistakes. Sir Alex Ferguson decided to employ a defensive 4-5-1 formation that left out in form players like Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck. Instead Ferguson subbed in veterans Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung, both of whom looked out of rhythm the entire match.
2. The spine of Manchester City. For all the money that Manchester City spent on players during the transfer window, their most important players remain to be Vincent Kompany, Gareth Barry, and Yaya Toure.  Those three players used their strength and speed to dominate United.
3. Manchester United’s youngsters may not be ready for prime time. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling were inserted into the starting eleven after being out injured for weeks. Smalling was beaten on the decisive goal while Jones added little to United’s attack down the right side. Both players have shown promise at times this season, but this match might have been too big for them.
4. All those people who think that Manchester City winning the Premier League title would be a bad thing for football need to rethink their stance.  It would have been easy for City to fold their tents three weeks ago when United went past them in the table. But City regrouped and came charging back. They dominated in their wins at Norwich and against United. City deserves to be where they are at.
5. Ferguson stayed with his defensive tactics too long. Manchester United’s attack stalled all match long, but Sir Alex hesitated until the sixtieth minute and by that time it was almost too late. It sounds sacrilegious, but Ferguson got out managed in the derby.

The Premier League title race isn’t over yet. With two matches left in the season, there is still a lot undecided. From the title race, Champions League spots, to the relegation battle there are many exciting moments left to come.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

“Fact Or Fiction” is an infrequent series on EPL Talk. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: The upcoming Manchester Derby is the biggest match in the Premier League era.

Matt: Fiction. It’s great that people live in the moment, but that often means that the past is forgotten. Yes, the match up of the two Manchester clubs is huge in terms of deciding this season’s title. However, even if Manchester City wins on Monday, the two clubs will still be even at the top of the table. Plus, City faces a difficult trip to Newcastle in May, while United has a fairly easy schedule to close the season. So the title race is far from over. Even though the Manchester Derby is a significant match for this season, just about anytime that any of the Sky Six take the pitch against one another, it is an important match up. Because of this, I think there have been quite a few matches in the past that have had more magnitude than the one that with take place at Etihad Stadium on Monday.

Eaerl: Fact. Right now, there is a potential changing of the guard in the Premier League. Being an American, I’m used to seeing the dominant sports teams fluctuate in a league, primarily because there are certain restrictions put on spending in many of our sports leagues. In the Premier League, the “Big 4” dominated the play in the last decade. Over the last two seasons, that centralization of power has degraded. While nobody can say that Manchester City is a dwarf, they do represent an outsider trying to crack their seemingly impenetrable neighbors, Manchester United.  It could also represent the last time an outsider could do this as the Blues have – by spending large. With FIFA Financial Fair Play coming into effect, teams without solid revenue streams may not be able to sink large chunks of cash towards acquisitions.

What do you think? Is it fact or fiction that the upcoming Manchester derby is the biggest match in the Premier League era?

After spending some time going through the remaining fixture list, I have begun the process of projecting the final standings for the 2011-12 season of the Premier League. Now, obviously, with any type of projections, injuries and dips in form are difficult to foresee.  However, based on these projections, there are a few things that stick out:

• The large point difference between the top two clubs is largely due to the fact that Manchester United finishes the season playing the likes of QPR, Wigan, and Aston Villa while Manchester City has to play at Arsenal, at a surprisingly tough Norwich, and at Newcastle.
• Everton’s recent run of positive form could be coming to an end with a trying stretch of matches as they are projected to only gain four more points.
• Sadly, the projections say that fans of the Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan will be cheering for their clubs in the Championship next season.

What do you think? Are these projections accurate or did I underestimate any club?

At this point of the season, Tottenham Hotspur sit firmly entrenched in the third spot of the Premier League.  They boast one of the best attacking squads led by Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon while their defense has been buoyed by the addition of Brad Friedel at keeper.  Spurs rise up the table, in some sense, has served as a redemption tale after last season in which after much promise, they failed to qualify for the Champions League.  But for all of the positive vibes going around White Hart Lane, Tottenham hasn’t ensured themselves a top four finish. It is more likely that they are set for an epic collapse over the last few months of the season.

Tottenham began the 2011-2012 campaign on shaky ground.  Their first match of the season against Everton was postponed because of the riots in London.  This was followed by being outscored 8 to 1 by the two Manchester clubs.  It took some time, but Harry Redknapp was able to steady the ship and saw his club go on a tear and slowly move up the table.  Bale and Lennon were full of pace down the flanks while Modric was a maestro in the center of the pitch.  The club was also able to secure on loan a deal for Emmanuel Adebayor to shore up the forward position.

From the outside, the club’s fortunes have been in ascension, but there appear to be some cracks in the Spurs’ armor.  In the league matches since the beginning of December, Tottenham has a very impressive record of seven wins, four draws, and only three losses.  Going by those results, it would seem like the Spurs would finish the season threatening for the league title.  But taking a closer look at the opponents played during the run, we see there were several of matches against the likes of Bolton, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton, and Sunderland.  Basically, Tottenham’s record was inflated by beating up on the weaker teams in the league.  Also during this sequence of matches, Spurs outscored their opponents 25-14.  Take out the five goals conceded against Arsenal last weekend and this total is even more remarkable.

Some will point out that Tottenham did what they had to do.  Harry Redknapp can only play against the clubs that are on the fixture list.  With that said, however, the upcoming month of March appears particularly daunting for Spurs.  They start off with a match against second place Manchester United followed up with a difficult trip to Goodison Park.  Next is a home match against Stoke City and as if March couldn’t get anymore difficult, the month is concluded with a journey to Stamford Bridge.  Those four clubs are a combined 50-23-30 (W-D-L) in league play this season.  So it is quite possible that with one bad month, Tottenham could drop quickly in the table, as they are only seven points ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Even after twenty-six matches played, it is difficult to know what to make of Tottenham.  Yes, they have the flashy names that at times can produce miraculous goals. But the fact remains that against the other members of the Sky Six, Spurs has a very pedestrian record of 2-2-4.  A certain amount of blame can be pointed at the lack of quality in the backline.  Though Kyle Walker looks like he is a star in the making, he is still lacking experience.  Tottenham’s central defense, outside of Michael Dawson, has struggled for much of the season.  This was quite evident in the last match against Arsenal as Ledley King looked slow to react against the Gunners’ attack.  It is quite possible that Spurs will go as far as the defense will take them.

To this point, Tottenham have been aided by the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea not playing like their normal selves that has lead to those two historic clubs having mediocre seasons.  When Tottenham fans look back at the 2011-2012 season, it may be the month of March that was the Spurs undoing.  Failing to secure the sufficient amount of points in the next four weeks could be what keeps Tottenham on the outside looking in on the Champions League for a second consecutive season.

1. Arsenal fans can exhale and begin chanting, “All is well”. Yes, the Gunners played much better Sunday, but this is still the same club that was routed at the San Siro recently so it is difficult to get a firm grasp on just how good Arsene Wenger’s men are.  It will be interesting to see what Arsenal squad shows up next week when they travel to Anfield.

2. Manchester United continues to play down to its competition. Norwich City is a plucky club, but United should have won by a couple of goals at a minimum.  After United went up early in the match, they shut down and lost focus for about sixty minutes.  It took a late miraculous goal from the ageless Ryan Giggs to save them.  This indifferent approach already cost them three points in an earlier match against Blackburn and it is a troubling trend for a squad vying for the league title.

3. The Carling Cup final was everything that is great about English football. I am sure that Cardiff fans are disappointed with the final outcome.  But they should be proud in the way that their club pushed one of the giants of English football for well over a hundred minutes.  The final touch to the match was the sportsmanship displayed by Steven Gerrard consoling his cousin Anthony after his missed penalty kick ensured a Liverpool victory.

4. March may become the make or break month for Tottenham. Coming off a loss at Arsenal, Spurs play against Manchester United, at Everton, and at Chelsea in the upcoming month. The next four weeks could decide whether Totten entrench themselves in the third spot in the league or if they will be forced to try and stay within a Champions League place once that calendar turns to April.

5. Up 2-0 heading into halftime, it was almost assured that Newcastle would come away with the full three points against Wolves. But under the stewardship of new manager Terry Connor, Wolverhampton continued to attack and came away with a 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park.  A disappointing result for Newcastle as they still have hopes for a Champions League spot, but it was a breath of fresh air for Wolves fans.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

For the past few season, Aston Villa has been a club on the fringes of crashing the “Sky Six” party. Coming into the 2011-2012 season, despite the appointment of Alex McLeish as manager, many supporters had hopes that Villa could challenge for a Champions League spot.  To this point of the season, however, Villa have found themselves in the middle of the table with no real sense of direction of what the club will do during the rest of the season.

The current Villa roster includes an array of promising players and some solid veterans. The likes of Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor provide many of the scoring opportunities while Stephen Ireland and Charles N’Zogbia patrol the midfield. Plus, the summer transfer signing of Shay Given has helped to give consistency at the keeper position.

So with these talent players taking the pitch for the claret and blue, why do they find themselves sitting in twelfth place? First, I feel that much of the blame has to be put at the feet of McLeish whose tactics are often questionable. The former Birmingham City manager often deploys some of the most dour strategies in the Premier League. He tends to have his squads pack it in and try to play strong defensive football. Villa ranks towards the top of the league in tackles and interceptions per game. But this defensive style often leaves no offensive attack as they rank near the bottom in possession percentage, successful pass percentage, and shots per game.

This style has led to inconsistency in the Villa’s results this season. One week Villa plays Manchester United in tough match, then the next week they lose to Bolton.  Recently, in a home match against a struggling QPR club, McLeish’s men found themselves down two goals at half time.  As the second half resumed, Villa began to attack more and eventually came away with a 2-2 draw.  To many fans, that is a fixture that Villa should have definitely come away with the full three points.  Instead, with a draw, Aston Villa remains a drift in the middle of the table.

There is also the possibility that the talent at Aston Villa is not at the level that many in the media make it out to be.  The Lerner ownership group has spent some large transfer sums on a variety of players that have failed to live up to their contracts.  For example, while Bent can be a fine goal poacher, he does very little on the pitch to make his teammates better.  This might not seem like such a horrible thing, but ownership paid over twenty million in transfer fees to acquire Bent.  At this point, it’s safe to say Villa have not received a return on their investment.

What Villa really lacks is a creative midfielder to orchestrate the offense in those rare moments when they possess the ball. There is optimism that N’Zogbia could eventually turn into that player that is able to unlock opposing defenses and generate more scoring chances Bent.  This sounds simple enough; however, most of the clubs in England are looking for players that can be inventive with the ball at their feet so the cost of these footballers will continue to rise making it difficult for Villa to secure a talented midfielder at the right cost.

So while there is some talent at Aston Villa Football Club, it is not of the same depth and quality as there is at the Sky Six clubs.  Maybe if McLeish alters his strict defensive tactics and gives the players more offensive freedom on the pitch, Villa can make a charge up the table and settle into a Europa spot which would give their fans optimism for next season.

Note: Follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

“Fact Or Fiction” is a weekly segment on EPL Talk. In today’s column, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed (and sometimes The Gaffer) each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: With Manchester City’s recent dip in form, it is time for their fans to get nervous.

Matt Hackenmiller (MH): Fiction. With the torrid pace that Manchester City started the season with, it was somewhat realistic to believe that they would continue to play that way until the spring. But City has a few things going in its favor. First, they still employ a very talent and deep squad. The likes of Joe Hart, Micah Richards, David Silva and Sergio Aguero have been recognize as some of the best players in England so far this season. Along with that, ownership has always been willing to spend and with the January transfer window market opening soon, the City squad could become even deeper. Secondly, despite Manchester United’s recent run of positive results, they are a team with some major problems; the biggest of which is the loss of Nemanja Vidic along the backline. Lastly, with City being knocked out of European competition they will be able to focus more on league play results and won’t feel the need to rest players in order to participate in the continent clashes. While it is easy for fans to overact to a few poor matches, in the end, City is still in a great position to win the Premier League title this season.

The Gaffer (TG): Fact. Manchester United, despite their recent form, are better positioned to win the 2011-12 Premier League title not only because of where they’re at in the table, but more so because of their experience in knowing what it takes to lift a Premiership title. Manchester City, no matter how spectacular they are to watch at times, is a team that is yet to hit a patch of bad form and is yet to show us how they can battle out of it. City fans should be extremely nervous. To me, the big match which could have a dramatic impact on the rest of City’s season will be played this Sunday between Manchester City and Manchester United in the FA Cup. If United can win that game, they’ll have the psychological advantage against City for the remainder of the Premier League season. Whether City will win the league this year will depend on Manchester United more than it will on the Citizens.

What do you think? Is it fact or fiction that with Manchester City’s recent dip in form, it is time for their fans to get nervous?

Here is what the Premier League clubs are wishing for in 2012:

Arsenal: Gunner fans are wishing that scoring machine Robin van Persie continues his torrid streak.

Aston Villa: That Alex McLeish has a method to his “managerial tactic” madness.

Blackburn: Steve Kean is renting and not buying.

Bolton: Club officials are wishing the F.A. will bring in two more clubs into the Premier League in hopes that Bolton won’t be relegated.

Chelsea: Andre Villas-Boas decides on the correct starting eleven for his club so that they can make another run at the title.

Everton: That Landon Donovan can breathe some fresh air into the Toffees offensive attack.

Fulham: Hopefully Martin Jol can unite his squad to make another run at a Europa spot next season.

Liverpool: Luis Suarez starts to be known for his play and not for his antics.

Manchester City: That the club continues their blistering pace.

Manchester United: Alex Ferguson uses his genius to figure out the midfield problems.

Newcastle: Demba Ba decides to stay with the club through the January transfer window.

Norwich City: That the club can continue their steady pace and enjoy a second season in the first division.

QPR: The Rangers magically figure out how to score more goals at Loftus Road.

Stoke City: To make sure that an away trip to Britannia Stadium remains a difficult test for opposing clubs.

Sunderland:  That the likes of Sebastian Larsson and Nicklas Bendtner give the Black Cats an offensive identity.

Swansea City: The Super Swans wish that Michel Vorm continues his ridiculous form at goalie.

Tottenham: That the Spurs finish in the top four and qualify for next year’s Champions League.

West Brom: The Baggies wish that Shane Long and Chris Brunt can continue to inspire their teammates in hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.

Wigan: That Victor Moses keeps playing with flair and goalie Ali Al Habsi remains one of the best keepers in the league.

Wolverhampton: Wolves wish that Bolton, Blackburn, and Wigan remain below them in the Premier League table.

Note: Readers can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week seventeen of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Russell Martin: Norwich’s center back was all over the pitch against Wolverhampton.  He had three interceptions and twenty clearances to quell the Wolves’ offense.

2.  Wolves/Norwich:  These two squads don’t usually scream exciting football, but their match Tuesday was one of their most exciting matches so far this season.

3. Nigel Reo-Coker: He scored a wonderful goal in a rare Bolton victory.

4. Marc Albrighton: Twenty years from now, Albrighton will always be remembered for scoring the Premier League’s 20,000^th goal.

5. Robin van Persie: The Arsenal scoring machine equaled Thierry Henry’s record with 34 goals scored in a calendar year.

6. Ali Al-Habsi:  The Wigan keeper was marvelous against Liverpool with nine saves including stopping another penalty kick.

7. Wigan:  This is a good run of results for a team facing relegation after picking up points against Chelsea and Liverpool.

8. Yaya Toure: Moved the ball around the pitch with 93% accuracy.

9. Samir Nasri: He is slowly turning into the player that all City fans thought he could be.

10. Ryan Giggs:  The Manchester United legend has now scored in every season of the Premier League.  He also added two assists to complete his day.

11. Demba Ba: Quite possibly the best summer transfer signing in the league.

12. West Bromwich: Very quietly the likes of Shane Long, Chris Brunt, and Peter Odemwingie have the Baggies in the top half of the table.

13.  Kieran Richards: The Sunderland midfielder supplied six key passes to ignite the Black Cat’s attack.

14. John Terry: Despite all of the off field distractions, Terry was a solid force for the Chelsea backline.

Jeers

1.  Roger Johnson: The Wolves defender provided little resistance against the Norwich attack.

2.  Grant Holt: After a tremendous performance over the weekend, Holt did not have much of an impact against the Wolves.

3. Jason Lowe:  He had trouble with the pace of Bolton’s wingers all match long.

4. Alan Hutton:  The Villa defender picked up two yellow cards in the span of a couple of minutes leaving his side down a man against a quality Arsenal side.

5. Thomas Vermaelen: This is not totally his fault since Vermaelen is playing out of position.  Nonetheless, the Arsenal defender does not look comfortable at fullback.

6. Maxi Rodriguez: The usually steady Rodriguez failed to leave his mark on the match against Wigan.

7.  Jonathan Walters: The Stoke winger rarely had the ball and did not influence his side’s attack against Manchester City.

8. Chris Baird: Offered little challenge against Nani and the other United wingers.

9. Fulham: It was a pretty apathetic performance against the defending champions.

10. Ciaran Clark: After Theo Walcott made a fantastic move against him, Clark could only manage to pull him down and be booked for a penalty.

11. Fabricio Coloccini: The Newcastle defender did not have his best match.  First, he let Odemwingle get by him for West Brom’s first goal, and then he had problems not getting back deep enough on the second goal.

12. Ashley Williams: He had trouble dealing with the pace of Royston Drenthe all match.

13.  Joey Barton: The QPR captain delivered plenty of passes, but very few of them were accurate.

14. Roman Pavlyuchenko:  Came on at halftime for Tottenham, but he could not add any offensive presence for the Spurs.

Fact or Fiction: At this point in the season, Tottenham is the second best team in the Premier League.

MH: Fact. After a slow start, Tottenham has been on a tear over the past two months. In fact, over their last ten matches Spurs have a record of 8-1-1. Along the way, Tottenham has solid victories over the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. This season the attack of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and Rafael van der Vaart has been aided by the inclusion of striker Emmanuel Adebayor. The improvement has been on display at White Hart Lane where Spurs have been averaging 2.29 goals per match. While Tottenham has been ascending, the club directly ahead of them in the table, Manchester United, has been in a holding pattern. Although the Red Devils have been solid defensively, they have lacked a killer instinct since the devastating loss to Manchester City. Because of this, it’s quite possible that over the holiday fixture stretch, Tottenham could catch United and take over the second slot in the Premier League table.

ER: Both Fact and Fiction. At the moment Spurs are playing the 2nd best football in the Premier League, that’s the fact. The fiction points to the January transfer window, where I see Sir Alex Ferguson rejuvenating a broken-down squad that has been decimated by injuries early. Manchester United will also need to address the lack of creativity from midfield; whether they choose to do that in January or summer remains to be seen. In any regard, I think the Red Devils will regain their fitness, add a couple of pieces for depth in the open window, and focus intently on making the April 28, 2012 Manchester Derby a title deciding battle at the Etihad Stadium.

What do you think? Is it fact or fiction that at this point in the season, Tottenham is the second best team in the Premier League?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week sixteen of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Michael Carrick: Perhaps his best match in a United uniform.

2.  Radek Cerny:  The QPR keeper made several key saves to prevent a blowout at Loftus Road.

3. Joe Hart: He is often overlooked because of Manchester City’s star-studded quad, but Hart remains one of the better keepers in the league.

4. David Silva: In the right spot at the right time.

5. James McCarthy: Provided a strong presence in midfield for Wigan with three tackles and four interceptions.

6. Wigan:  For a club facing relegation, getting a point against Chelsea was huge.

7. Rafael van der Vaart:  Sprayed the ball around the pitch and set up the game-winning goal.

8. Michel Vorm: It seems like this is a weekly occurrence as the Swansea keeper makes numerous saves to preserve the clean sheet.

9. Leon Osman: The Everton winger was involved in the build up all match long.  He sent in several crosses and scored the single goal for the home side.

10. John Ruddy:  Norwich’s man between the sticks turned away six shots against the Toffees.

11. James Morrison: A wonderful strike gave West Brom an early lead against Blackburn.

12. Clint Dempsey:  Along with Bryan Ruiz, the two Fulham wingers were the standouts against Bolton.

13.  Craig Bellamy: Back in the top flight, Bellamy was dazzling this weekend with a goal and an assist in Liverpool’s victory against Villa.

Jeers

1.  QBR goalscoring: Rangers are tied for the fewest league goals scored this year.  Home fans have to be particularly upset that they have only seen six shots find the back of the net at Loftus Road.

2.  Shaun Wright-Phillips: The summer transfer signing was very quiet against Manchester United.

3. Alex Song:  A rare off day for the usually steady midfielder.

4. Petr Cech:  He can’t be blamed totally for the outcome this weekend, but he mishandled a ball that lead to the game-tying goal.

5. Chelsea: The Wigan match was a major let down performance after ending Manchester City’s unbeaten run earlier in the week.

6. Connor Wickham:  The Sunderland forward showed little promise against Tottenham and was removed at halftime.

7.  Gabriel Obertan: He struggled to get anything going against the strong Swansea defense.

8. Everton: They did avoid a third consecutive defeat, but this is a match that most fans were sure three points would be the result.

9. Jonathan Woodgate: He was forced to play out of position and it showed.

10. Wolverhampton: After taking an early lead against Stoke, Wolves fell apart in the second half.

11. Steve Kean: The fan’s protests keep getting louder and louder.

12. Darren Pratley: Fulham ran through Bolton’s defense all match long.  Pratley’s lackluster display was part of the reason for this.

13.  Darren Bent: Apparently, Bent wanted to get his holiday shopping done early this year.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.” This week, The Gaffer is sitting in for Earl.

Fact or Fiction: The introduction of video replay would solve the refereeing problems in the Premier League.

MH: Fact. I have two thoughts about using video replay or any form of technology in sports.  First, if a bum like me sitting on my couch can watch several replays of a controversial play, why are the important decision makers like referees afforded the same luxury?  Secondly, I don’t know of any major sport that has initiated video replay and that sport became worse or lost integrity.  In most cases, the sport has gotten better.  With the amount of money that is involved in the Premier League now, the use of video replay is essential to ensure that all vital rulings are accurate. I realize that there is no sure fire cure all, but when the F.A. steps up and finally brings in video replay, they will not only be doing referees a favor, but football fans as well.

TG: Fiction. While incorporating video replays into the game of soccer would solve a lot of the issues we see in the game, it’s not going to be a cure-all. There will still be times when video replays, no matter how many different camera angles there are, are not going to definitively tell the person operating the video equipment whether an incident was a foul or not. Just imagine how much controversy there would be based on a crucial decision that couldn’t be decided by a video referee. The referee would then have to make the decision based on what? Based on his reading of what he saw from the videos, or what he thought he saw when it first happened?

What do you think? Is it fact or fiction that the introduction of video replay would solve the refereeing problems in the Premier League?

Like most soccer fans, I have enjoyed playing the FIFA game franchise for the past several years. The game has made many improvements over the years in hopes to bring fans a real life game experience. There has been much debate on this site about which game is better, FIFA 12 or its main rival, PES 12. There are countless gamers who think each of these games is better than the other.  But I think another game should be added to this discussion and that is the long running Football Manager series.

This article is not meant as a review of Football Manager as I have never played any of the FM games; instead, this is a request for help. I read many of the reviews on Football Manager 2012 and the majority appears positive. They all hail Football Manager 2012 as one of the best football games on the market. Numerous of the reviews point to the extreme depth and detail of the gameplay features.

Rather than rely on anonymous reviews, I am turning to the readers of EPL Talk. Those that have played FM, sell me on it. What are the main differences between FM and FIFA? Which game do you think is better?  Should I include Football Manager 2012  in my gaming arsenal?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week fifteen of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Nani: The Manchester United winger netted two goals and an assist in the win over the Wolves.

2. Antonio Valencia:  United’s other winger played a vital role in the defending champion’s attack as he assisted on three goals.

3. Robin van Persie: It’s almost ridiculous at this point.  Is the goal scoring record going to be bested this season?

4. Matthew Etherington: He burned his former club by scoring two goals in Stoke’s upset win over the Spurs.

5. Charlie Adam: By attempting seventy-two passes, the Liverpool midfielder constantly distributed the ball around the pitch and set up several scoring opportunities.

6. Demba Ba:  Ba showed some exquisite skills in scoring two goals in a loss to Norwich.

7. Grant Holt:  The Norwich captain came through with two goals to help the Canaries stay above the drop zone.

8. Michel Vorm: The Swansea keeper continues to be a dominant force between the sticks.

9. Victor Moses: West Brom’s backline struggled the whole match while trying to contain the Wigan forward.

10. Wigan:  They came from behind to win on the road, proving that Wigan will avoid relegation this season.

11. Marc Albrighton: The Aston Villa forward attacked the Bolton defense all afternoon.

12. David Vaughan:  He was a force in the midfield for Sunderland.  Not only did Vaughan record seven tackles, he also scored the initial goal for the Black Cats.

13.  Daniel Sturridge: The young English starlet is quickly becoming a very important player in the Chelsea attack.

Jeers

1.  Ronald Zubar:  The Wolverhampton full-back had no answer for the pace of Nani.

2.  Tim Cahill: He had little impact in a match that Everton needed him to step up.

3. Younes Kaboul:  Two silly fouls lead to a red card as he left his club short handed.

4. Chris Foy:  The referee in the Stoke/Tottenham match had several questionable calls this weekend.  Spurs fans are still wondering how there wasn’t at least one handball call.

5. Glenn Whelan: Not only did his foul lead to Tottenham’s only goal, but during the second half of the match he struggled to keep the wraps on Luka Modric.

6. Shaun Wright-Phillips:  He provided almost no offensive support for QPR in the match against Liverpool.

7.  Dan Gosling: He followed up a pretty bad miss with a sending off against Norwich.

8. Clint Dempsey: The American international had a forgettable day.  Dempsey deflected in an own goal and later missed his penalty attempt.

9. Fulham:  Swansea played well at Liberty Stadium, but Fulham displayed little offensive cohesiveness in defeat.

10. Tuncay: The Bolton forward produced very little with his thirty-two touches.

11. The Bolton kits: I tried to let them grow on me, but the Bolton kits have to be the worst in the league.

12. Darren Bent: Although his side ended up with the victory, Bent did very little to aid the cause.

13.  Gael Clichy: He had trouble with the movement of Daniel Sturridge and Clichy’s day ended early after a well deserved red card.

Fact or Fiction: With the loss of Lucas for the season, Liverpool’s chances of European football are finished.

MH: Fact. Lucas was just coming into his own as the best holding midfielder in England when he suffered a season ending knee injury. But the loss of Lucas won’t be the only reason that Liverpool will miss out on Europe. The summer transfer signings of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson have struggled to find a foothold in the starting eleven. With an inconsistent line up, the club has had a difficult time finding the back of the net so far this season. Liverpool has also been very inconsistent this season. They played well in a victory at Stamford Bridge, and then the Reds struggled against Norwich and Swansea. Because of this, even with a healthy Lucas, Europe still probably would be out of reach for Liverpool.

ER: Fiction. The Brazilian has come into his own in the last two years for Liverpool, and his boots will be tough ones to fill for Kenny Dalglish for sure. But I don’t think the quality from 3-7 is all that great in the Premier League this season. After watching the crisis of confidence (and attrition) strike Manchester United yesterday in Basel, you could even argue that the Red Devils are not a cinch for the Top 4. I think Liverpool will certainly finish in a Europa League position, if not win a domestic Cup. Do I expect the Reds to climb into 4th place? No, but while my friend Matt points out Liverpool’s inconsistency, many other clubs have dealt with that same burden. I think that will continue. I think Liverpool will definitely earn qualification for the Europa League next season, and it would not surprise me if Dalglish dials up the right formula to get them Top 4, even without a player of Lucas’ caliber protecting the back 4.

What do you think? Is it fact or fiction that, with the loss of Lucas for the season, Liverpool’s chances of European football are finished?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week fourteen of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Tim Krul: Yes, Krul let three goals in, but he made several critical saves and kept Newcastle in the match.  Goalie of the month?

2.  Daniel Sturridge:  Playing more of an outside position, Sturridge was a force to be reckoned with against Chelsea.

3. Yakubu: His four goals helped Steve Kean keep his job for another week.

4.  Micah Richards: He didn’t have much defending to do this weekend, so he was able to work his way up the pitch and get involved in City’s attack.

5. Samir Nasri: The transition into the City squad hasn’t always been easy for Nasri, but the midfielder scored a goal and showed the passing and movement that fans have been waiting to see all season.

6. Steve Morison:  Morison was left as the single striker to go up against Manchester City’s defense.  He worked tirelessly with little service from his teammates.

7. Gareth Bale:  Tottenham’s main man turned in quite possibly the best all around individual performance of the weekend.

8. Phil Jones: Starting the match as midfielder, Jones scored his first Premier League goal for United.  Then later in the match, he was moved to his more natural center back position, excelling yet again.

9. Jussi Jaaskelainen: With Bolton down to ten men, Spurs were able to play pepper the Wanderers’ goal.  The superb play of Jaaskelainen kept the score from getting out of control.

10. Steven Fletcher: The Wolves’ striker netted two goals to help Wolverhampton secure a victory.

11. Gervinho: Supplied a goal and an endless amount of energy for the Gunners as they put away Wigan.

12. Theo Walcott:  The Arsenal speedster has been in good form of late as he has been a force down the right side.

13.  Gary Speed Tributes: In matches all around England this weekend, there were several tributes for the legend from Wales.  This was an excellent way to honor his legacy.

Jeers

1.  David Luiz:  He was lucky not to be sent off early in the match against Newcastle, which might have been better for Chelsea because he played out of control for the rest of the ninety minutes.

2. Swansea City: While the “Super Swans” have played super when playing at home, it’s when they have been away that this squad has looked like a newly promoted side.

3. Anthony Pilkington:  Norwich desperately needed their midfielders to get involved in the offense against Manchester City.  But for the sixty minutes Pilkington played, he was unheard from.

4. Alex McLeish:  Just like his clubs at Birmingham, Villa seems unorganized for long stretches during most of their matches.

5. Manchester United scoring: Another match with scoring only one goal.  The high scoring United results from early in the season seem like a distant memory.

6. Gary Cahill:  It was a foul he had to give and he was probably unlucky to get a straight red, but all this was due to his heavy first touch that gave the ball away at midfield.

7.  Everton: These are the types of matches that the Toffees need to get three points from if they want to make the move to the upper half of the table.

8. Lee Mason: He missed a certain foul when Thomas Sorensen took out Tim Cahill on the edge of the box.

9. QPR:  They had a bit of bad luck with the offside call on Shaun Wright-Phillips’ goal.  But the facts remain that the Rangers still only have one win at Loftus Road this season.

10. Sebastian Larsson: He failed to impress the new boss with an unsuccessful penalty kick that could have most assuredly put the game out of reach for Sunderland.

11. Ali Al-Habsi: The Wigan keeper struggled all match long against Arsenal.

12. Kevin Friend: The referee for the Fulham/Liverpool contest had several questionable calls including going straight red on the tackle by Jay Spearing.

13.  Andy Carroll: The striker has not been in form as of late and there is still some question as to why he was started ahead of Dirk Kuyt.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.” Stepping in for Earl Reed this week is The Gaffer.

Fact or Fiction: The winner of the summer transfer window has been Tottenham.

MH (Matt Hackenmiller): Fact. Going into the season, Tottenham’s two biggest needs were goalie and striker.  Because of this, they signed the ageless Brad Friedel to patrol the goal and to improve their scoring clout, Spurs brought in Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City.  Friedel has provided stability at the back of the defense while Adebayor leads the club in goals and assists.  Along with these two acquisitions, Tottenham also obtained the current Footballer of the Year, Scott Parker, to add depth to the midfield.  All three of these summer transfer signings have helped Tottenham climb towards the top of the table and within shouting distance of first place.

TG (The Gaffer): Fiction. While Tottenham Hotspur has had an incredible start to the season and is well positioned to make a run for the title over the coming weeks, I disagree that they’ve been the winner of the summer transfer window. Scott Parker was an exceptional buy by Tottenham, while Friedel was a very smart purchase to add steel to Tottenham’s confidence. Adebayor is on a loan deal, and while he has been a breath of fresh air, it appears unlikely that Spurs is willing to pay his expensive wages if they want a permanent deal. But if any club has been the winner of the summer transfer window, I believe it has to be Newcastle United.

Both Parker and Friedel are aging (31 and 40). Newcastle, meanwhile, have better buys for the short-term and long-term. Demba Ba came to Newcastle on a free transfer (aged 26). Newcastle United also bought Yohan Cabaye (25 years-old). Newcastle picked up Davide Santon (20 years-old) from Inter Milan, in addition to Gabriel Obertan (aged 22) for a bargain 3.4 million pounds.

While Tottenham Hotspur is playing brilliantly, Newcastle United have made the better purchases for the long-term future success of the club (as long as owner Mike Ashley doesn’t find a way to mess things up).

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that the winner of the summer transfer window has been Tottenham?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week thirteen of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Tim Krul: The Newcastle keeper’s five saves helped the Toon Army take a point away from the defending champions.

2.  Joe Hart:  Hart single handedly kept City in the match with some miraculous saves against Liverpool.

3. Lucas Leiva: Quietly turning into one of the best holding midfielders in England.  Lucas was all over the pitch as he was able to help slow down City’s dynamic attack.

4.  Juan Mata: A goal and two assists that aided in getting Chelsea back on the winning track.

5. Ashley Cole: Inserted back into the starting eleven, Cole helped stifle the Wolves offense while picking up an assist on Mata’s goal.

6. Fulham:  This struggling side did well enough to go to the Emirates and come away with a point.

7. Steve Morison:  Proved to be quite a handful for the QPR defense.

8. Swansea defense: Their effort at Liberty Stadium is utterly amazing, as Swansea has only allowed two goals in seven matches.

9. Seamus Coleman: The Toffees’ midfielder provided constant movement that opened up space in the Bolton defense.

10. Peter Crouch: Provided a superb work rate for a side that desperately needed three points.

11. Victor Moses: This marks two weeks in a row that Moses finds himself in the cheer section.  He kept attacking and won the penalty that brought his side to level.

12. Wigan:  A hard fought victory at the Stadium of Light for this besieged club.

13.  Tottenham’s strikers: Adebayor and Defoe terrorized West Brom all match as it looks like both Spurs’ forwards are in top-notch form.

14.  Stoke City’s mustaches: Robert Huth has encouraged many of his teammates (as have other clubs) to grow mustaches to help raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity and The Institute of Cancer Research.

Jeers

1.  John Flynn:  This linesman made a rather dubious penalty call that was very unpopular at Old Trafford.

2. Jonas Gutierrez: He made a couple of reckless tackles that lead to his sending off against United.

3. Jordan Henderson:  This big summer signing was a mere myth on the pitch this weekend.

4. Mario Balotelli:  Super Mario didn’t start the match, but he still found a way to get himself sent off.

5. Wolverhampton: Matched up against a squad that has struggled in defense, Wolves could not command an attack against Chelsea.

6. Arsenal’s own goal:  The Gunners recorded their fourth own goal of the season against Fulham.  How much higher up the table would Arsenal be if they stopped scoring against themselves?

7.  The Welsh Football Association: I realize the announcement of Gary Speed’s passing was shortly before the Swansea kickoff, but I see no reason to make the club from Wales play a match this weekend.  The news of the international manager’s death not only affected the players, but the crowd as well.  Plus, a postponement would have been a poignant tribute to a player that represented all that’s right about football.

8. David Wheater: He compounded his sloppy giveaway with a studs up challenge that lead to a straight red card.

9. Steven N’Zonzi:  The Blackburn midfielder should have been dismissed after his right elbow swing connected to the jaw of Ryan Shawcross.

10. Steve Kean: Six wins in thirty-four league matches.

11. Wes Brown: The Sunderland defender’s careless pass back to the goalie allowed Wigan’s Franco Di Santo to score the game winner in extra time.

12. Bolton: Owen Coyle’s side suffered their tenth defeat this season and stay in the relegation zone.

13.  Clint Dempsey: The American international labored to pick out the correct pass during the first half and ultimately was reduced to playing a more defensive role against Theo Walcott.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: Robin Van Persie will win the Golden Boot award this season.

MH: Fiction. It would be easy to respond fact with the way that Van Persie is performing to this point. The Dutch International has been on a tremendous run the past few weeks, but goals tend to come in bunches. This could be one of his hot streaks that could be followed by a long drought of goals. Also, there will be competition for the award from talented forwards like Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, and Demba Ba. With that said, there is still a lot of football left to be played and the Gunner striker doesn’t exactly have the best record of staying healthy. An injury could always derail Van Persie’s season and any hopes of winning the award will be lost.

ER: Fact. It’s no secret: if Arsenal wants to score goals, they have to get the ball to Robin van Persie at this point. He’s the only player in any kind of finishing form for the Gunners, and honestly he’s morphed into a machine. He’s doing it in both the Premier League as well as European competition. He looks extremely confident right now. Injuries are the biggest concern for the Dutch international, but maybe he has finally put those problems behind him. With guys like Gervinho and Theo Walcott being so unpredictable, he’s going to be relied upon heavily. And it’s not like teams don’t expect it; he’s really the only guy scoring, and teams still can’t handle him right now. 2011 has been the year of Robin van Persie, and he’s done a lot of this with either an injured or nonexistent playmaker.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Robin Van Persie will win the Golden Boot award this season?

Here is what Premier League clubs should be thankful for this year:

Arsenal: First and foremost, Robin van Persie. Not to mention the resurrection of the Gunners campaign after such a slow start.

Aston Villa: The emergence of Gabriel Agbonlahor as an all around striker.

Blackburn: Fans should enjoy their time in the top flight.

Bolton: That Blackburn and Wigan are still in the Premier League, so Bolton has a better chance of not finishing last this season.

Chelsea: The play of Juan Mata has been a breath of fresh air to this club. Also, that King Roman will not sit idly by during the January transfer window.

Everton: No matter how disappointing the first few months have been, David Moyes always seems to find a way to turn the club around, helping the Toffees climb up the table.

Fulham: Craven Cottage remains one of the best home grounds in football.

Liverpool: Andy Carroll can’t get much worse. Even with that said, Liverpool has a talented squad heading towards a Champions League spot.

Manchester City: The growing maturity of Mario Balotelli as he ceases all the antics and shows everyone what a talent he is.

Manchester United: Another season with Sir Alex Ferguson in charge as he continues to instill a winning belief in the players and fans alike.

Newcastle: For a tremendous start to league play and the return to health of Hatem Ben Arfa.

Norwich City: For being one of the early surprises in football this season.

QPR: It appears that Neil Warnock will keep the Rangers out of relegation and a part of the top flight for another spell.

Stoke City: The Europa League group stage will soon be over and Stoke can return to being one of the toughest defensive teams in England.

Sunderland: Fans should be thankful that Steve Bruce couldn’t possibly mess up this squad much more.

Swansea City: For holding their own against the bigger clubs as Michel Vorm establishes himself as one of the goalies in the league to be reckoned with.

Tottenham: The managerial style of Harry Redknapp makes the Spurs one of the most entertaining clubs in Europe.

West Brom: The inspiring play of Shane Long.

Wigan: That Roberto Martinez will do everything in his power to keep this squad competitive all season.

Wolverhampton: Thankfully Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan are in the league, which may keep the Wolves from being relegated.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week twelve of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Micah Richards: Richards continued his season long campaign to be called the best right back in the league.

2.  Rio Ferdinand:  The veteran defender put in a resurgent performance for United.

3. Glen Johnson: He provided the game winner against Chelsea in a strong return to Stamford Bridge.

4.  Maxi Rodriguez: A surprise starter for this fixture, Rodriguez opened the scoring for Liverpool and provided excellent width for the majority of the match.

5. Robin van Persie: There’s not really that much more that can be said about him.  Van Persie is simply the best player in the Premier League at the moment.

6. Arsenal:  The Gunner’s revival continues.

7. Leighton Baines:  The left back provided an outstanding free kick cross that lead to the first goal, and then completed a penalty for Everton’s second.

8. Heidar Helguson: His brace helped put Queens Park Rangers back on the winning track.

9. Shane Long: The West Brom striker was reinserted into the line up and produced a goal and gave Bolton trouble all day with his tempo.

10. Aiyegbeni Yakubu: His goal in the opening minutes gave Blackburn an early lead.  He also sent home a penalty late in the match that secured a point for his side.

11. Victor Moses: He supplied impressive speed down the flanks for Wigan.

12. Gareth Bale:  The Welsh international was threat the entire match against Aston Villa.  The visitors had no answer for his pace and his ability to cross the ball into the box.

13.  Emmanuel Adebayor: The Spurs striker came through with two goals and almost had a third in Totten’s victory against Villa.

Jeers

1.  Ryan Taylor: Struggled all match against Manchester City and had a pretty obvious hand ball which lead to the first goal.

2. Angel Rangel: His mix up on the ball lead to United’s goal.

3. Scott Sinclair: The Swansea winger had a wide-open opportunity in the first half, but completely whiffed on the shot.

4. John Obi Mikel: Senselessly dispossessed by Charlie Adam, which led to him being subbed at half time.

5. Andre Villas-Boas: His defensive tactics do not seem applicable to the players that are currently on the squad.  Will this eventually cost him his job?

6. Per Mertesacker:  The Arsenal defender’s lack of awareness lead directly to Norwich’s first goal.

7.  Wolverhampton: They built an early lead on the road, but in the end, the final result was similar to many that the Wolves have suffered through this season.

8. Tony Pulis: Stoke continued its disappointing run as their skipper can’t find the right combination of players to turn things around.

9. Fulham/Sunderland:  Two of the most goal challenged clubs hooked up in what turned into, not shockingly, a monotonous scoreless affair.

10. David Wheater: Should have been given a penalty after his sloppy defending when he brought down Shane Long in the box.

11. David Dunn: The swiftness of Wigan gave him trouble all match. Dunn’s day ended in the forty-eighth minute after a foolish challenge and he received his second yellow.

12. Andre Mariner: The referee for the Blackburn/Wigan fixture struggled all match.  There were controversial cards and penalties handed out and he completely missed the illegal corner that resulted in a goal.

13.  Carlos Cuellar:  He could not handle Bale and was replaced an hour into the match.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: John Terry should remain a starting defender for Chelsea.

MH: Fiction. There comes a time, no matter what sport, when a team must replace a star veteran player. Chelsea is now at that point with there acclaimed defender. Terry has had a distinguished career and will go down as one of the best defenders of the Premier League era, but as age has set in, JT has lost a step, which is part of the reason that Chelsea’s backline has struggled this season. It has become quite clear that he is no longer an elite defender that can anchor a championship club. Terry can still contribute to the Chelsea cause, but he should no longer be considered a first choice center back at Stamford Bridge.

ER: Fact. Has Terry lost some of the abilities of his younger days? Certainly. He made a clear blunder in the match against cross-London rivals Arsenal. With all that said, the guy has been the leader on defense.  He’s had his distractions in recent weeks, which has probably caused a lack of focus at times. Maybe in the short-term Andre Villas-Boas could do Terry a favor and sit him in order to help him take care of these issues. He also has a way of scoring big goals at big moments. I think once the dust settles, Terry can still be an important part of the Blues squad, and shouldn’t be dropped permanently for the big matches.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that John Terry should remain a starting defender for Chelsea?

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.” Stepping in for Earl this week is EPL Talk’s very own jefe, The Gaffer.

MH: Fact. While forwards like Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer, and big transfer signing Danny Graham garner a lot of the attention, goalie Michel Vorm is the one player that is vital to Swansea’s continued success.  The “Super Swans” have gained a reputation for being one of the better passing teams in the league, but it is still the man between the sticks that allows the rest of the squad to play with more confidence up the pitch.  To this point in the season, Vorm has forty-one saves with a save rate of 73%, which is second in the league.  Ultimately, there are many reasons why Swansea City have played well to begin this season. However, the shot stopping ability of Michel Vorm is chief among them.

TG: Fiction. While Michel Vorm has been brilliant in front of goal except for his own mistake against Arsenal, the Dutch number two goalkeeper is not Swansea’s most important player. That honor goes to Leon Britton, the 5ft 5in Swansea midfielder who is the engine of this side. Most attacks go through Britton, and he also acts as the defensive barrier to prevent the opposition from mounting an attack. While Vorm has been a key player at the back for the Swans, he has been known to exaggerate his dives just a little, to make a simple save look extraordinary. With Britton, there is no exaggeration. What you see is what you get, which is one of the hardest working midfielders in the business with a fantastic pass rate and a calm under pressure that is refreshing to watch for someone who has played in all four divisions for Swansea.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Michel Vorm is Swansea City’s most important player?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from gameweek eleven of the Premier League.

Note: Readers can follow Matt @thehackreport

Cheers

1.  Jay Bothroyd: The QPR striker was pesky all day as he netted an early goal and provided an assist on another.

2.  James Milner:  He was all over the pitch for City. Milner’s constant movement and passing opened the match up for the league leaders.

3. Wayne Rooney: Deployed as a central midfielder, Rooney displayed an array of football skill. The question remains: Is he the answer to the Red Devils’ midfield problems?

4.  Frank Lampard: The much-maligned Chelsea man provided the game winner to keep the Blues in the title race.

5. Ryan Taylor: His unbelievable strike helped give Newcastle another victory.

6. Robin van Persie: The Arsenal forward continued his amazing streak with another goal and an assist.

7. Gabriel Agbonlahor: Villa’s striker dominated Norwich’s backline as he tallied a goal and two assists on the day.

8. Swansea City: The “Super Swans” continue to carry their weight against the bigger clubs in the league (with thanks to Michel Vorm).

9. Wolverhampton: They picked up a nice victory against Wigan and ended a long losing streak.

10. Ali Al-Habsi: The Wigan goalie was not helped out by his defense, but he made several outstanding saves to keep his side in the match.

11. Ivan Klasnic: His brace helped Bolton to a surprising victory against Stoke City.

12. Brad Friedel:  The ageless goalie put in a man of the match performance with eleven saves.

13.  Sir Alex Ferguson: Twenty-five years at one job is an accomplishment within itself.  The fact that Sir Alex has been so successful makes him truly unique.

Jeers

1.  Luke Young:  He did not provide much of a presence for QPR’s backline.

2. Wes Brown: An own goal against his former club was not the way Brown imagined his return to Old Trafford.

3. Everton: Another slow start to the season for the Toffees.

4. John Heitinga: His own goal put Everton in the hole early and the defender looked cautious the entire match.

5. Zoltan Gera: The Baggies’ midfielder was invisible for most of the match against Arsenal.

6. Andy Carroll: He wasn’t the only Liverpool player to have a poor performance. But he missed a first-half sitter in a scoreless draw against Swansea and he was invisible for large portions of the match.

7.  Stoke City: Another dreary performance by the Potters.

8. Roberto Martinez: This was a fixture that Wigan needed to collect three points in hopes of avoiding relegation. Unfortunately, Martinez’s squad did not do him any favors after a poor display against Wolves.

9. Asmir Begovic: Too many miscues by the Stoke keeper to give his side any chance of winning the match.

10. Antolin Alcaraz: During the match against Wolves, the Wigan defender was caught on video spitting on an opposing player. Much like the racism allegations of previous weeks, there is no place in football for actions like this.

11. Leon Barnett: His lazy back pass directly lead to Aston Villa’s second goal.

12. Chelsea: Another bland performance by AVB’s men.

13. Another international break:  Just when it seems that there is a rhythm and narrative to the season, another international break comes up to interrupt the proceedings.

Fact or Fiction: None of the newly promoted clubs will face relegation this season.

MH: Fact. There are two parts to this answer. First of all, all three promoted clubs- QPR, Norwich, and Swansea-all have played well to begin the season. Norwich and Swansea in particular have shown tremendous form and already have taken points from some of the bigger clubs in the Premier League. While the other, Queens Park Rangers, have had an uneven start, they are still trying to work in a bevy of transfer signings like Joey Barton and Shaun Wright-Phillips into to the flow of the team. Secondly, while the three new clubs have played fairly well, established clubs like Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton, and Wolverhampton have performed so poorly that it appears that they will all battle each other for the three relegation spots.

ER: Fiction. We went through this last season, too. We were all thrilled to see Blackpool start out in a strong fashion, play a team like Manchester United extremely tough, and ride that underdog swell of support. Then they started losing, and as quickly as they looked safe, they were gone. I know this will probably knock me off the Gaffer’s Christmas Card List, but I think Swansea City will not escape the bottom three when it all shakes out. If there is anything that could save the Swans, it would be that there are some consistent teams that have looked utterly awful thus far. Bolton have lost some key players due to long-term injury, Blackburn have been mismanaged from above, and Wigan Athletic lacks the fan support and money to flourish long-term in the Premier League. But it seems every season these types of teams find a way to shake out of their malaise and get the results. Come May, I expect one of those three teams to right the ship, and the team that will catch the downdraft will be Swansea (sorry Gaffer!).

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that none of the newly promoted clubs will face relegation this season?

Fact or Fiction: Everton will beat Manchester United this weekend.

MH: Fact. This answer isn’t based solely on the thrashing that United took last weekend at the hands of Manchester City. The Red Devils are sure to come out with a different looking squad and I am sure that Ferguson hasn’t let his players forget about the 6-1 score. Even with that said, Goodison Park has been a difficult venue for United to play at the past few seasons. United’s last outright win at Everton was during the 2007/2008 season. Plus, this is a Everton team that is starting to round into shape after a quality win last weekend against Fulham. Now consider that this is a United side whose confidence is shaken against a game Everton squad who will
be looking to continue the Red Devil’s woes.

ER: Fiction. As a guy who tends to have a dislike for the big clubs, of course I’ll be rooting for Everton to make it two in a row for Manchester United this weekend. But as a fan of multiple sports throughout my life, I have seen over and over that true champions respond to adversity. Victory this weekend will not escape Manchester United. It’s one thing to lose in a UEFA Champions League Final to an F.C. Barcelona team that should beat you on paper. It’s another to have your crosstown rivals open a wound nearly bone-deep in your bread-and-butter competition. But it was much worse than that; Manchester City then took rock salt and mercilessly plied it deep into the throbbing laceration. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I have this feeling that Sir Alex relishes these opportunities to trot out his motivational gifts (even if it means spending a little of the Glazer’s fortune on replacing clubhouse furniture). If Tim Howard isn’t forced to drag the ball out of his net at least four times in this match, I’ll be astonished.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Everton will beat Manchester United this weekend?

With three of the Sky Six involved in big match ups this weekend, is it time to wonder which of those clubs need the win more?

Manchester United are coming off their worst defeat in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. This week they head to Everton, a place where United have struggled of late. If they lose another match, the Red Devils face the prospects of falling even farther behind Manchester City.

Chelsea are another top club coming off a dubious result. Last year’s runners-up had a difficult time at Loftus Road. Chelsea played well in stretches in that match, but those were outnumbered by suspect fouls and cards handed out to several players. Chelsea need a positive result to get back on the winning track heading into matches against Tottenham and Manchester City in the coming weeks.

Chelsea’s opponent this weekend is Arsenal. After a very slow start, the Gunners have begun a turnaround and have climbed up the table. The match against Chelsea is important to continue the streak that Gunners are on and to prove to everyone that they can defeat other top clubs. If they can come away with the three points, it will show that Arsenal is ready to compete for a championship.

So what do you think?  Which club is in more of a need of a win this weekend?

[polldaddy poll=5621475]

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week nine of the Premier League.

Cheers

1. David Silva: The Manchester City midfielder has been one of the best players in the league so for this season.
2. Queens Park Rangers:  They did enough to hang on against Chelsea and came away with three points.
3. Mario Balotelli: The enigmatic Italian has worked his way into the City starting line-up and has become a constant threat on the pitch.
4. Rafael van der Vaart: The Tottenham forward’s brace was all the scoring that the Spurs needed this weekend.
5. Blackburn’s set pieces: One positive for Rovers was that they looked very organized and deadly when they lined up for a set piece.
6. Arsenal: The Gunners continue their ascendancy up the table.
7. Norwich: The Canaries have now played at Chelsea, at Manchester United, and at Liverpool and they have given a good account of themselves in each fixture.
8. John Ruddy: The Norwich keeper delivered eight crucial saves in the draw at Anfield.
9. Sunderland: A fine road performance for Steve Bruce’s side.
10. Royston Drenthe: His long distance smash might have been the goal of the weekend.
11. Bryan Ruiz: Not to be outdone by Drenthe, Ruiz put home a left footed chip shot to score one for Fulham.
12. Wolverhampton: Down early, Wolves fought back to earn a point against Swansea. By doing so, it gave their fans a reason to cheer for the first time in a long time.
13. Newcastle United: Very quietly, the Magpies are still undefeated.
14. Scott Sinclair: The Swansea winger terrorized the Wolves’ defense and provided service for his striker Danny Graham all match long. 

Jeers

1. The foul on Shane Long:  Alan Hutton’s tackle on Long was uncalled for and Long eventually had to be removed from the match with a knee injury (he’ll now be out for six weeks).
2. Jonny Evans: I don’t know Evans can remain in the starting eleven for United as his sending off summed up his season.
3. Manchester United: Not normally in the jeer column, but United has not played quality football in over a month.  During Sunday’s match, the Red Devils gave up during the second half of the match.
4. Chelsea discipline: The foul that lead to the penalty kick was suspect.  But then they continued on with nineteen fouls, seven yellows, and two red cards.
5. Steve Kean: The protesters are out in numbers. It seems that Kean should be renting not buying at the moment.
6. Liverpool:  Norwich is playing better than most have expected, but this is the type of fixture is one that the Reds need to win if they want to compete for a Champions League spot.  A club with so many highly regarded scorers needs to find a way to put the ball in the net.
7. Phil Dowd:  The referee made several dubious calls, as it seemed the match got away from him.
8. The John Terry racism allegations: Another week, another claim of racism against a Premier League player. Much like the Suarez accusations, there is no room for any of this in football.
9. Bolton: Statistically, it can be said that Bolton outplayed Sunderland, but it is still about results and a home loss to the Black Cats is not a good result.
10. Bobby Zamora: The Fulham star could have given his side the lead in the match against Everton, but he missed a gaping-wide open goal.
11. Swansea’s second half performance: Over the first thirty minutes, Swansea played outstanding football, but they let up and allowed the Wolves to come back and score two goals to tie the match.
12. Barry Bannan: Luckily, no one else was injured because of Bannan’s drunk driving crash.  Hopefully, this is a wake-up call for the Villa midfielder to make sure his name is in the paper for his play on the pitch and not for his indiscretions off it.

Fact or Fiction: Juan Mata is now Chelsea’s most important player.

MH: Fact.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, his tempo and pace has caused havoc for opposing backlines.  Chelsea currently has no other player that offers these skills.  Secondly, Mata has provided width to an attack that has run centrally through Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba for so long.  Lastly, and probably most importantly for Chelsea fans, Mata’s creativity has rejuvenated fellow Spaniard, Fernando Torres.  Ever since Mata has joined the club, Torres has looked like he has regained his Athletic Madrid form.  It will be interesting to see how Mata holds up over the course of his first season in England.  But if he continues to find himself in the starting eleven for Chelsea, there could be more hardware heading to Stamford Bridge.

ER: Fiction. At this point, Chelsea has a pretty formidable attack, and it can come from many talented players. In my mind, the one area that can be overlooked is their defending. So for me, I think Petr Cech is as important as any player on their squad. You look at the early fixtures of this season, and the two matches where Cech was injured, there was a lot of unease for Chelsea supporters. Hilario was not particularly effective in matches against West Bromwich and Norwich City, and allowed those two teams to hang around until the latter portions of the match. The offense ended up bailing him out in those matches, but the great thing is that Cech is a stabilizing force who allows the team to be more aggressive, knowing that they have a top-class keeper to hold the fort. While Mata may be a strong catalyst for the attack, Cech’s presence is even more important to Chelsea’s success.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Juan Mata is now Chelsea’s most important player?

There was a report Monday that some of the foreign Premier League owners would start to push for the elimination of the relegation and promotion system. Any change in the in the way the Premier League handles its rules would require the support of 14 out of 20 owners. As it stands now, half the first division teams are under foreign ownership.

The League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan is quoted as saying, “Obviously if I was an American owner and I owned a football club or I was an Indian owner I might be thinking I would like to see no promotion or relegation. My investment is going to be safer and my shares are going to go up in value.”  There may be some truth to this on the financial end, but yet, these foreign owners know what the rules are before they invest in a club. They know that there is a possibility that a Blackburn or a Queens Park Rangers could be dropped from the top division if they have a poor season. So why complain about it after the fact?

Obviously, these statements have sent shockwaves through football. For all of the talk, however, I can’t see much coming of these plans. Isn’t the relegation and promotion aspect part of the magic of English football in that any club, no matter the size, can work its way up to the top league? Getting rid of this would be a disservice to those who support smaller clubs.

As an American sports fan, I have found the relegation and promotion system quite unique and very interesting. The threat of being relegated keeps clubs playing hard throughout the entire season and typically the race to see who gets sent down is almost as fascinating as the race for the Champions League. There have been many times when I have wished that Major League Baseball would incorporate some sort of relegation and promotions system so that those greedy owners wouldn’t just pocket the revenue share money without trying to put a competitive team on the field.

The blanket proclamations that Bevan’s makes opens up more questions than answers. How would it be determined what clubs would stay in the Premier League?  What if a foreign owner sells his club to an English owner?  Could those teams be promoted?  In the end, I think this will be much to do about nothing, as the owners must realize that the majority of the fans would be against this, which would lead to supporters purchasing few tickets and less merchandise. That, I would suspect, would hit the owners where it hurts.

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week eight of the Premier League.

Cheers

1. The International break is over: While there were some intriguing international matches, it’s good to see clubs take the pitch again.
2. Anthony Pilkington: The Norwich man netted two goals in another victory for the surprising Canaries.
3. Mario Balotelli: His wonderful overhead kick sparked City to a win versus Villa.
4. Blackburn: Rovers have found themselves in the jeer column quite a few times this season, but they put in a good performance against QPR and came away with a point.
5. Heidar Helguson: His deft chip shot gave QPR an early lead at Loftus Road.
6. David De Gea: The United keeper made several key saves that kept his club in the match against Liverpool.
7. Matthew Etherington: He had a hand in both Stoke goals as the Potters rebounded from their defeat at the hands of Swansea last time out.
8. Bolton: With a victory, the criticism of Owen Coyle can be silenced for one week.
9. Juan Mata: His movement and distribution were vital in the Chelsea build-up as the Blues dominated Everton.
10. Ben Foster: The West Brom keeper was able to deny the Wolves attack and came away with a clean sheet.
11. Shane Long: The Baggies forward was a constant threat in the West Brom offensive game plan.
12. Robin Van Persie: Arsenal moved up the table as Van Persie resumed his torrid goal-scoring streak.
13. Newcastle: The Magpies continued their undefeated start with a strong showing against Tottenham.

Jeers

1. The schedule makers: Why would the Premier League schedule makers have Manchester United and Liverpool play the early match after an international break?
2. Alex Ferguson: Not normally in the jeer column, the United skipper made an unusual decision to keep Wayne Rooney, Nani, and Chicharito on the bench for most of the Liverpool match.
3. Swansea defense: Swansea did not look ready to play against Norwich as they conceded an early goal only to let in another one after some sloppy marking on a free kick.
4. Stephen Warnock: The Villa defender could not handle nor clear the long ball that set up City’s second goal.
5. Fulham: Another game with zero goals for Martin Jol’s men.
6. Wolverhampton: Wolves did well keeping possession and getting shots on goal, but they were unable to find the back of the net as their slide down the table continues.
7. Wigan: If this squad continues to play this way defensively, Wigan will remain in the relegation zone all season.
8. The Luis Suarez racism allegations: Hopefully these are proven false. But for being a top-notch footballer, Suarez sure finds himself in the press for the wrong reasons quite frequently.
9. Steven Taylor: His challenge in the box resulted in a penalty kick for Tottenham.
10. Sunderland: Another dreary display for Steve Bruce’s side.
11. Aston Villa: They started off well, but Villa couldn’t handle the pressure put on by Manchester City.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.” 

Fact or Fiction: Arsenal will battle its way up and finish the season in a European spot.

MH: Fact.  For all of the talk of Arsenal’s demise, it’s still very early in the Premier League season.  There is still plenty of time for the Gunners to make up the points that were dropped during the first few weeks of the season.  That means Arsenal has more than enough fixtures for their transfer signings to come in and mesh with the rest of the squad.  Plus, Arsenal is only six points out of a Europa spot at this moment with the likes of the three newly promoted sides and Wolverhampton all ahead of the Gunners.  It is quite possible that all four of those clubs will falter throughout all of the league fixtures and cup-ties that lay ahead of them.  In the end, I still think that Arsenal has enough talent to make some noise and move up the table.

ER: Fact. It’s tough to disagree with history. While Arsenal has been one of the more disappointing clubs over the last calendar year, to finish outside the top 7  in this campaign would take the cake. I think the only way they don’t climb the table is if ownership does something rash, like dismiss Arsene Wenger. Yes, they’ve lost a lot of quality in the form of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas. While Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta aren’t nearly as dynamic as the footballers whose shoes they’ll be filling, their experience has come with successful clubs. Wenger has seemed out of answers at times in this recent spell, but I think the only things lacking from the Gunners are confidence and luck. Once they start finishing more of their chances, I think they’ll gain that confidence and get the results they need to get into the Europa League..

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Arsenal will battle its way up and finish the season in a European spot?

This week, EPL Talk is conducting a trivia contest in conjunction with the John Doyle interview from earlier this week.  If you are interested in winning a copy of the book The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer answer the question below:

• Question: Name the title of Part One of The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer.

Hint: The answer can be found on several sites online.

We have two copies of the book to give away, so send in your entries by Sunday night, October 16, 2011 to thegaffer[at]epltalk[dot]com with a subject line of: The World Is A Ball contest

In addition to including your answer to the above question, please include your name and mailing address.

Two lucky winners will be picked at random on Monday, October 17. You must be a US resident to win. Best of luck!

John Doyle’s book The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness, and the Meaning of Soccer is an account of one man’s travels around the world following soccer.  The journey begins in 2002 and takes readers through European qualifying and World Cup matches.  Doyle not only gives a recap of the contests, but he also puts the reader in the stadium to experience the emotion and pageantry that goes along with international soccer. In this interview, Doyle, who also writes for The Globe and Mail, discusses the book, his travels around the world, and soccer.

Matt Hackenmiller (MH): First off, how did you come up with the idea to write a book like this?

John Doyle (JD): Well, I wanted to be interviewed and talked about on EPL Talk, for a start. Seriously now, my first book, A Great Feast of Light, was very well received in Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. (It is less well known in the U.S. because the U.S. publisher was bought out by another company a few weeks after publication, and the book kind of got lost in the takeover.) When it came time to think of a second book, writing a book about soccer was the obvious decision – I’d been writing about the game for years. I’d covered two World Cups and one Euro tournament then and I’d become addicted and even more passionate, I guess. I wanted to explore it further, travel more to see more games in more countries. I also wanted to write a book about soccer both for the fans and for the non-addict, for people who are curious about the tournaments and what they mean.

MH: In your book, The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness, and the Meaning of Soccer, you do a wonderful job of putting the reader in the stadiums you visited.  What is your most memorable moment amongst your soccer travels?

JD: Thanks for the compliment, Matt. I worked long and hard to try for the you-are-there descriptions. It’s impossible to pick a single moment, there are so many remarkable sights and astonishing games described in the book, I hope. A major and unforgettable highlight, though, was being in Korea during the 2002 World Cup, when South Korea had an astonishing and well-deserved run to the semi-finals. The whole country – every man, woman and child – was living, breathing soccer every hour of every day. In the book I describe Korean fans weeping after a game. Korea had won, so it wasn’t weeping in anguish. They were just so exhausted, traumatized by the tension, exhilarated by the win that they were weeping with joy, their bodies shaking. It was a sort of mass lunacy, and it was fabulous. A game I will never forget is Portugal defeating England at Euro 2004 in Lisbon. It was a tense dramatic game and Portugal won on penalties when the keeper Ricardo saved from Darius Vassell and then scored the winner himself. Fairytale stuff. It was one of those times when the game was terrific but the atmosphere afterwards was utterly amazing. In Portugal there had been great unease about the massive English army of supporters. Nothing bad happened but there was this great relief that England and the fans were going home. In the book I describe seeing an elderly Portuguese lady on a balcony, banging a cooking pot with her hand and shouting at the English fans, “Goodbye, goodbye. See you next time.” Soon, Lisbon just went crazy – the host country was fully expecting to win the tournament after beating England. That didn’t happen and me, I was sorry to see England leave.

MH: Was there a particular instance when you found yourself saying to yourself, “I can’t believe I am getting paid to do this?”

JD: Watching Spain play at Euro 2008 was like that. All tournaments are a lot of work and the pressure to write constantly and keep moving from game to game is exhausting. But seeing Spain play at that tournament was pure pleasure, it was watching a truly magnificent soccer team reaching the highest level of skill, and then do it with panache. There was a breathtaking beauty to it and every time they took the field it felt like an honor to be present.

MH: You describe in the book that children in Brazil are taught that the soccer ball represents the earth.  Can you explain that philosophy in a little more detail?

JD: There are many so myths and legends about the approach to the game in Brazil. Perhaps what I’ve been told is another myth. I only know that a writer from Brazil gave me a long lecture one night in Berlin, during World Cup 2006. He said that young players in Brazil are told that the ball is the world – it is mother earth spinning around in the cosmos. Because the ball represents humanity’s home and life itself, it should be treated with respect. It should be loved, caressed and adored. This, he said, is why Brazilians play the ball with love. They don’t kick it, they celebrate it. That’s what was explained to me. And there is a kind intuitive logic to this, obviously. The way Brazil plays is a sort of magic realism of the soccer world and, even if the story isn’t true, it is very beautiful.

MH: You write about your upbringing in Ireland, when soccer wasn’t all that popular.  How difficult was it to follow the game as a child and how did you remain interested in it?

JD: That’s a part of the book that astonishes some people. And it makes The World is a Ball a kind of love story, according to some of the reviews. When I was a child in Ireland in the 1960’s and into the 1970’s, soccer was English and foreign. It had a big following in some areas and was despised in a lot of rural areas. The Gaelic games mattered more than soccer. In some towns it was heresy to play or support soccer. The priests and the schoolteachers would denounce you. But the fact that it was forbidden made it delicious. I loved the game and because it was it almost a subversive act to play it, the passion for it became even more intense. It wasn’t difficult to follow it – I was a boy on a mission.

MH: Do you feel that you look at the game of soccer differently now than before, covering so many live events?

MH: In one of my favorite lines in the book you write, “The soccer field is a liminal space and the ninety minutes of the game form a twilight time in which limits can be transcended.” At what point did you make this realization?

JD: Well, “liminal” might seem an obscure word to describe a game, but I think it’s accurate. It comes from anthropology and essentially means that strange, hazy state of being in-between. Like when a child is on the cusp of being an adolescent but isn’t quite yet. Or a country is on the brink of throwing out the government and transforming itself. At the opening game of World Cup 2002 in Seoul, South Korea, Senegal beat France 1-0. I was there and it was both shocking and glorious. France was World Cup and Euro champions. Senegal was a team from Africa that nobody knew much about. I had this feeling that Senegal became a truly independent country that night. It grew up. Something transformed those players and the field, the venue and the twilight enabled them to seize the moment and dominate France with ease. That, in a nutshell, is when I made that realization. You could call it a dark night of the Seoul for France and the arrival of Senegal as a soccer power.

MH: You include in the book several comical travel experiences, from adventurous cab rides to unhelpful hotel staff.  Are there instances that stand out to you or make you think twice about traveling again?

JD: No Matt, I’m not giving up. I will travel again. For all the difficulties, international tournaments are unique. Mind you, there is one Best Western hotel in Berlin I’m going back to…details are in the book.

MH: In the last paragraph of the book, you write about what you consider the meaning of soccer to be: “The game brings joy, breaks your heart, brings joy, breaks your heart…”  I agree and if this is true, why do fans continue to love this game?

JD: Fans continue to follow the game because it is still a sport in which a big player can be outclassed by a small player. And a small county can beat a bigger, more powerful country. The game offers hope. It is simultaneously a ruthless game and a game that inspires endless optimism. Things can turn around, just as the ball spins and turns in the air.

MH: In the book you also cover the 2010 World Cup. In the book, you describe that even with any problems or controversies that might have occurred during the tournament that “It matters more that the world outside North America was again completely transfixed by the World Cup.” Do you see this as the biggest difference between international football versus club football?

JD: Well, I decided to stay at home in 2010 and cover the World Cup in Toronto, the most multi-cultural city in the world. After years of travel, it made sense to me to go back to watching every game on TV and writing about the reaction of fans who were not in South Africa. The World Cup unfolded when the whole G20 summit was in Toronto. There were riots on the streets and a huge police presence. That proved to be a perfect background to write about why soccer mattered – acting as a unifying force in a crazy, angry world. About the difference between club and international football–the way that fans of competing clubs come together to support a national team fascinates me. The big tournaments mean people get nationalistic, but there is also a shared appreciation of skills that doesn’t happen in club soccer.

MH: Is there a match you consider to be the best you ever witnessed?

MH: Also, you write about the city of Toronto and the support for soccer that is there. Do you feel that popularity of the MLS and in particular Toronto FC has grown?

JD: Toronto FC is doing very well, off the field mainly. The FC arrived here at the perfect time – the children of immigrants from soccer countries were hungry to see live soccer. Right now I think the popularity of TFC has stalled, because the team is rebuilding. But the popularity of soccer, always strong, has exploded.

MH: Recently, one of your countrymen, Robbie Keane, has joined MLS and created a small buzz in Los Angeles.  Do you foresee more European stars coming to play in the MLS?

JD: Robbie Keane has brought me joy and broke my heart. I do think LA is a good fit for him – as long as he gets support on the field and the system allows balls to get to him. Personally I’d rather see younger European players come to MLS. Not those at the end of their careers. I hope it happens but it will take a few more years. There is a snobbery in Europe about MLS.

MH: Are you planning on covering Euro 2012?  What are your expectations for that tournament?

JD: Yes. I hope to be at Euro 2012. The Euro is often a better tournament than the World Cup. It’s shorter, more intense and there are fewer no-hope countries playing. With Spain and Germany looking superb, it could be a brilliant tournament.

MH: Finally, do you still believe that “this sports-reporting racket is exhausting”?

JD: Yes, but the best kind of exhaustion. When I was first asked to write about soccer for the Globe and Mail, and to go off to cover World Cup 2002 in Korea and Japan, my bosses told me to write about soccer, “as a writer.” I was told not to do traditional sports reporting– that is, do game reports and just summarize the results. I was asked to write about everything – the fans, the travel, the atmosphere. To try to explain to non-addicts why the Word Cup is the biggest, best event in the world. I’ve always tried to do that. It means not following one team, but going from place to place, from game to game, to capture everything. In The World is a Ball, I talk about the lack of sleep, the late trains and early planes. But often in a funny way, I hope. Because yes it’s exhausting, but the exhaustion comes from pleasure.

The World Is A Ball is available in paperback.

Fact or Fiction: Wayne Rooney will lead the Premier League in goals scored this season.

MH: Fact. Although Wayne Rooney has been slowed the past few weeks with an injury, he is still the odds on favorite to lead the league in scoring. By the way that Rooney has began the season, the goal-scoring drought of last season seems to be in the rearview mirror. He will continue to be the focus of the Manchester United attack as he remains one of the best players in Europe. Also, some of Rooney’s biggest competition, Carlos Tevez and Didier Drogba, either have personal issues or have fallen out of favor for their perspective clubs. The only other player to match Rooney’s start to the season is Sergio Aguero and he has not been tested over a full season in England. So as long as Rooney can stay relatively healthy, there is a pretty good chance that he will lead the league in scoring.

ER: Fiction. This is a tough one. While Aguero and Dzeko are both in the early running behind Rooney, I’m going to take a long-shot at another Manchester City-owned player: Emmanuel Adebayor. He’s had a tough ride over the last couple of years, with City continually burying him in the depth chart with forward after forward. After a loan stint at Real Madrid last season, I think he’s ready to return to prominence on the Premier League stage on loan with Tottenham. He has 3 goals thus far, and that’s considering he missed a couple of early fixtures before his loan move. He’s starting to bed in with the club, and Spurs have already gotten both City and United out of the way in their first half fixtures. With easier fixture list to close the first half, a club looking to return to the Champions League, and a player who needs to prove he is still a top-class striker, I think Adebayor has a great shot at the Golden Boot.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Wayne Rooney will lead the Premier League in goals scored this season?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week seven of the Premier League.

Cheers

1. Norwich: The scoreboard doesn’t reflect how well this newly promoted side played at Old Trafford.
2. Jonas Gutierrez: He evaded three defenders with a wonderful weaving run through the Wolves defense, finishing with a goal.
3. Tim Howard: His penalty save brought back the life to a side that was playing a man down.
4. Andy Carroll: The much-maligned striker picked a good time to send home a left-footed smash.
5. Newcastle: A solid victory for a club that is making its way towards European football.
6. Tim Krul: The Magpies’ keeper delivered several significant stops in the match against Wolverhampton.
7. Gabriel Agbonlahor:  The Aston Villa striker not only scored a goal, but also made a tremendous run to set up a second.
8. Mario Balotelli: Very quietly, Super Mario’s play is starting to round into form.
9. Frank Lampard: The midfielder showed his critics that he still has a role in Chelsea’s starting squad.
10. Fulham: The Cottagers have endured many jeers so far this season, but they exploded for a total of six goals on Sunday.  Hopefully, this leads to a turning point in their campaign.
11. Andy Johnson: His three goals helped Fulham secure their first win in league play.
12. Kyle Walker: The hero of the north London derby sent home a thirty-yard screamer to break the tie against Arsenal.
13. Adam Johnson: Getting a rare start, the Manchester City man curled home a splendid shot to open the goal scoring against Blackburn.

Jeers

1. Martin Atkinson: The red card on Jack Rodwell was disgraceful in a match that was pretty even throughout.
2. QPR: Just when it looked like the Rangers were going to be a dangerous team, they allow six goals to a squad that had scored a total of four goals all season.
3. Bolton: Chelsea is a strong side, but the Wanderers’ defense was lacking all day.
4. Adam Bogdan: It was a day to forget for the rookie Bolton keeper.
5. Stoke City: Swansea City is starting to make a name for themselves, however this was a fixture that Stoke should have gotten some points out of if they want to stay in the upper half of the division.
6. Ryan Shawcross: The Potter’s captain made an unneeded challenge that lead to a penalty kick for Swansea.
7. The Everton fans: A terrible red card was called against their player, but it still is not an excuse for throwing objects at the opposing team. Luckily no one was injured.
8. Wigan: Four straight losses in the league as they continue to struggle to produce anything offensively.
9. Arsenal: The Gunners played better against Spurs, but it’s still about results. The fact is that Arsenal has only won four of their last fourteen league matches.
10. Steve Kean: Speaking about Blackburn’s loss to Manchester City, “It is certainly not something I am enjoying but I can take it on the chin.” Talk about stating the obvious.
11. Luis Suarez: Yes, he scored a goal. But his dramatics during the Rodwell challenge were uncalled for as he certainly did not win any fans at Goodison Park.
12. The International Break: I know that these breaks are necessary for Euro and qualifying, but they become more of a nuisance at times as they interrupt the flow of league fixtures.

Fact or Fiction: David Silva is Manchester City’s most important player.

MH: Fact. Although the forwards get most of the attention, Silva is the player that makes the City attack dangerous. The way that he is able to distribute the ball and find Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko in space is what makes this club go. Silva has created more goal scoring chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League this season. With the Carlos Tevez news this week, it seems that Silva will start to move into more of a leadership role for the club. Of all of the big name transfer signings over the past few seasons for City, it appears that the signing of David Silva has been the most significant.

ER: Fact. For one thing, I believe if David Moyes goes out of his way to man-mark you out of a match, I think it says something about your role. Silva was pestered in City’s recent victory over Everton by Jack Rodwell, and it was only after Everton had to chase an equalizer that Silva broke free to set up James Milner’s goal. The Blues still won, but with Silva clamped it put a damper on the attack. I think you will see Samir Nasri grow in importance as he beds in with the club, but for now Silva is the primary creative force in the front four for City. You take last season’s primary scorer: Tevez. This season: Dzeko and Aguero. David Silva is the common denominator in making these top quality forwards even better.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that David Silva is Manchester City’s most important player?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week six of the Premier League.

Cheers

1. Chelsea: The Blues have played much better the past few weeks alerting fans that it could be a three-team race for the title.
2. Didier Drogba: Drogba marked his return from injury with a goal in the Chelsea win.
3. Arsenal: The Gunners get another one in the win column, which gives their supporters hope that the club has turned a corner.
4. Robin Van Persie: The Arsenal striker scored his one-hundredth goal for the club, the second of which showcased his excellent skill.
5. Juan Mata: His creativity and width has been vital in increasing Chelsea’s scoring opportunities.
6. Stoke City: They were able to get a point from the defending champions without the injured Kenwyne Jones.
7. Nani: A new week, another wonderful run and goal.
8. Demba Ba: The Newcastle striker had quite a day as he went for a hat trick against Blackburn.
9. Ben Foster: The West Brom keeper had several fine saves to maintain a clean sheet.
10. Tottenham: The brace he notched this weekend is evidence that Adebayor will provide the scoring punch that Tottenham has lacked in the past.
11. David Silva: The City midfielder was the triggerman for the offense as he ran relentlessly through Everton’s defense.
12. Peter Crouch: Throughout the entire match, the United back four had trouble dealing with the newly signed striker.

Jeers

1. Fernando Torres: He ruined a somewhat successful day with a pretty reckless two-footed challenge, resulting in a straight red card.
2. Blackburn: Their stay in the top division appears to be coming to an end.
3. Ashley Williams: The Swansea defender’s lack of effort on Ramires’ second goal was pretty disgraceful.
4. Sandro: Not for his play, but for his hair. The midfielder went with a mowhawk look that was dyed blue?
5. Wigan: The back four was shaky all day as they had several giveaways that put Tottenham on the offensive from the start of the match.
6. Michael Oliver: The referee struggled all day during the QPR/Aston Villa match. He awarded a non-existent penalty kick while calling thirty-five fouls.
7. Fulham: The club is still winless in the league and has lacked creativity offensively.
8. Bryan Ruiz: The Fulham substitute could have given his club the lead late in the match, but his shot on goal went wide and the Cottagers settled for a draw.
9. Roger Johnson: His own goal was the difference between Wolverhampton getting points and a loss to Liverpool.
10. Bolton: Things have gone downhill for the club as the Wanderers find themselves at the bottom of the table.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: Outside of the Big Two from Manchester, Newcastle United has been the third best team in the Premier League so far this season.

MH: Fact by default. Newcastle has not lost yet this season and they have played fine football for the most part. They have also showed an ability to get points away from St. James’s Park. But picking the third best team to this point is a very tricky endeavor. Liverpool looked to that team early, but they have struggled of late. Chelsea has been uninspiring in their victories. Arsenal? I won’t go there. It could be Tottenham if they continue to play the way they did last weekend. At this point, I would say Newcastle United are the third best team in the league, although they could be knocked from that pedestal quite soon.

ER: Fiction. The Magpies have been a good team thus far, a surprise given the losses of Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton over the last 9 months. The players who remain, with a few key additions, have coalesced and found some solid early results this season. But for me, their fixture list has been somewhat kind to start the season. As Matt has said, no team has stood out to clearly be considered third-best. Chelsea hasn’t always looked at ease, which might be expected with a new manager and a haunted forward. Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been draw-happy. Stoke would be a choice, but their dismantling against a reeling Sunderland is a stain on their season thus far. Compared to those teams, Chelsea has been better on a more consistent basis: three wins and their only loss at Old Trafford.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Newcastle United has been the third best team in the Premier League so far this season?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week five of the Premier League.

Cheers

1. Swansea City: They ended their 374-minute goalless drought to pick up a solid win.
2. Tony Hibbert: His pinpoint cross gave Everton the lead late in the match against Wigan.
3. QPR transfer signings: The veterans who were brought in to stabilize this young club lead Rangers to an easy victory against Wolves. The latest football odds rate QPR as the most likely promoted team to stay up this season.
4. Shay Given: The Villa keeper made several fine saves to keep them in the match and earned a point against Newcastle.
5. Norwich City: On this weekend, all three of the newly promoted clubs – including Norwich – played like they belong in the Premier League.
6. Nani: His wonderful twenty-yard smash helped United defeat Chelsea.
7. Luka Modric: Hopefully Modric’s goal is a sign that all of the transfer drama is over.
8. Sunderland: A dominating 4-0 victory for the Black Cats. Steve Bruce saves his job for another week.
9. Emmanuel Adebayor: The brace he notched this weekend is evidence that Adebayor will provide the scoring punch that Tottenham has lacked in the past.
10. Martin Jol: Fulham displayed a much better style of football during the second half of their match against Manchester City as Jol’s side received a well-deserved point.
11. Sebastian Larsson: The Swedish international put in a solid performance in Sunderland’s impressive victory.

Jeers

1. Wolverhampton: After an encouraging start to the season, it looks like this club has come back down to earth.
2. Fernando Torres: Yes, he scored a goal, but his wide-open miss against United was almost comical.
3. Arsenal: It was already a difficult beginning to the season for the Gunners and now they have to deal with the backlash of scoring two goals on themselves?
4. Stoke City: Normally, Stoke is one of the best defensive clubs in the league, but that wasn’t the case this weekend.
5. Liverpool: They did not look into the match from the beginning as Tottenham completely outclassed the Reds.
6. Darren Bent: Bent wasted two golden opportunities to put his side in the lead.
7. Charlie Adam: Two bookings, which included a high studs-up tackle within twenty minutes of each other ended Adam’s day early.
8. Ashley Cole: His cheap tackle injured Javier Hernandez and somehow did not result in a red card or a penalty.
9. Fox Soccer: A rebranding campaign did not fix the lack of quality in Fox’s pre and halftime presentations, as they provide little to no insight into the matches. How does that old saying go, “You can put lipstick on a pig…”?

Fact or Fiction: It is time for Chelsea to leave Fernando Torres on the bench permanently.

MH: Fact. I know that owner Roman Abramovich wants Torres to start because he is a big name and to prove the transfer fee was worth it. But over the last two seasons, Torres has not been in form. He has looked lost at times on the pitch and has lacked the confidence to be a top-notch striker. Chelsea have plenty of other options at forward – Nicolas Anelka, Daniel Sturridge, Saloman Kalou and the soon to be healthy Didier Drogba – that look to be more viable starters than Torres at the moment. I think it would be a wise move by Andre Villas-Boas to make Torres work hard to prove to the team that he is ready to move back into the first team. Maybe then “El Nino” will show he is worth the fifty million.

ER: Fiction. Undoubtedly Fernando Torres has been embroiled in one of the worst slumps of his career. As he appeared to emerge from the abyss at Liverpool (scoring 8 goals between October and January for the Reds), Roman Abramovich came a knockin’ and draped a £50 million albatross around his neck. Fast forward to now: Torres has scored one goal since his move to London, and at times he has looked horrible. But lately his play has improved; he set up both goals in Tuesday’s victory over Bayer Leverkusen, and was unfortunate not to have one himself. As long as Torres continues to show solid effort on the pitch and in training, I’d let him work this out just as Manchester United did with Wayne Rooney – by playing. My belief is that Villas-Boas brought in Juan Mata and Raul Meireles specifically to supplement Torres, and showing the Spaniard that you have confidence in his abilities will settle his psyche. You get the feeling that if they can will the floodgates open with Torres (especially if it were to happen against the reigning champions), the talk might turn to a three-team race for the title.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Chelsea should leave Fernando Torres on the bench?

Cheers

1. Phil Jones: Jones moved outside to right back and showed that he is a force to be reckoned with, at that position as well.
2. Stoke City:  They played determined defense throughout the match and took three points against Liverpool.
3. Arsenal: It wasn’t convincing, but Arsenal gets one in the win column.
4. Sergio Aguero: He is making it look easy to come and play in the Premier League.
5. Tottenham:  It’s possible that the Luka Modric hangover is over.
6. Stiliyan Petrov:  His right footed smash from outside the area is on the short list for goal of the year.
7. Daniel Sturridge: Hopefully, Torres was taking notes on how it is supposed to be done.
8. Wayne Rooney: Back to back hat tricks, eight goals in four games. Has he wrapped up the player of the year award already?
9. Foxsoccer.tv: I have given this product many jeers so far this season, but this weekend fans finally got what they paid for.
10. The international break is over: With all the European Leagues open for play and the Champions League kicking off, it’s a good time to be a football fan.

Jeers

1. Danny Graham: Swansea’s loss can’t be blamed solely on his shoulders, but the Swansea fans wished he would have knocked home one into the wide-open goal late against Arsenal.
2. Luis Suarez: Strikers go through good streaks and bad streaks. Right now he just can’t seem to find the back of the net.
3. Kevin Davies: He was lucky to escape a red card after his harsh tackle injured Tom Cleverley.
4. Ritchie de Laet:  His defensive miscue led to West Brom’s only goal in a win over Norwich.
5. Michel Vorm: Swansea needs to play perfect football against teams like Arsenal. But the goalie’s error gave the Gunners a gift goal.
6. Bolton:  They picked a bad week to stop playing defense.
7. Carlos Tevez:  His penalty miss summed up his performance on Saturday.
8. Wigan:  It appears that Wigan is coming back to earth.
9. Queens Park Rangers: Four matches, one goal.  They will need to learn how to finish to avoid relegation.

“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.”

Fact or Fiction: With the way the Wolverhampton Wanderers have played to begin the season, they will finish in the top half of the Premier League.

Matt Hackenmiller: Fact. Although it’s very early in the season, Wanderers have displayed an organized unit that is willing to play defensive football. It hasn’t always been a beautiful brand of football, but Wolves have found ways to get points this season. With the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal looking at the prospects of having down seasons, it’s quite conceivable that Mick McCarthy’s side will have an opportunity to qualify for the Europa League. Once the Carling and F.A. Cup come around though, it will be interesting to see how McCarthy manages his squad. Will he try and make deep runs in the Cups or will he play to ensure a higher finish in the Premier League? With that said, I still expect the Wolves to shock some fans and finish in the top half of the table.

Earl Reed: Fiction. Yes, I love underdog, feel-good stories like Wolves. While a few of the perennial successes have started slowly, recall that Liverpool was in a similar position last season and finished sixth. I think there’s little doubt that Arsenal and Spurs will rise as things settle down. Wolves have been opportunistic out of the gate. Snatching three points at Ewood Park, taking care of business at home against Fulham, and stifling Villa to a nil-nil is a great beginning against a slightly weak schedule. As the fixtures increase in difficulty, I expect McCarthy to return to his pragmatic roots, and that will result in Wolverhampton stabilizing somewhere just out of the top half. Even though I believe the statement to be false, I won’t be surprised if they sneak into 10th, given the extra Europa League workload for Stoke City and Fulham.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that the Wolves are heading for a spot in the top half of the Premier League? Share your opinions in the comments section below.

Fact or Fiction: With the recent signings of Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri, Manchester City are on the verge of overtaking the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United as the preeminent club on the continent.

Fiction. Although Manchester City is a very talented club, we are still talking about Barcelona here.  City does have depth, but Barcelona and United can match them player for player. Plus, Barcelona has the experience of playing together in the biggest of matches.  We are still unsure on how City will adapt when the fixture list becomes crowded and they are forced to play talented clubs on a consistent basis.  City fans should expect that the Citzens will make a deep run in the Champions League, but to think they will overtake Barcelona or United is a bit premature…. for now.

What do you think, is it fact or fiction that Manchester City is on the brink of surpassing Barcelona and Manchester United as the top club in Europe?

Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from week three of the Premier League.

Cheers

1. Michel Vorm: The Swansea keeper had several top-notch saves that kept the Welsh side in the match, with Swansea earning another point.
2. Edin Dzeko: With his four goals against Spurs, Dzeko continues his blistering start.
3. Juan Mata: Welcome to the Premier League.
4. Wigan: A solid start to the season that keeps the relegation zone safely away.
5. Leon Best: A solid two-goal performance gives Newcastle hope for the post-Barton squad.
6. Ashley Young: Wayne Rooney will receive most of the headlines after his hat trick.  But Young’s two goals were just as scintillating.
7. Tim Krul: The keeper had three superb second half saves to secure the three points for the Magpies.
8. Liverpool: The offseason signings look like they are starting to gel.
9. Wolverhampton Wanderers: Is European football in the future for this plucky club?
10. Samir Nasri: An impressive first match for the newly signed City man. The combination of Nasri with David Silva makes the Blues attack that much more explosive.

Jeers

1. FOXSoccer.tv: Another week, another jeer. Normally, I don’t make it a habit of mocking those that know more about technology than I do, since I barely know how to turn on a computer. However, at this point, the situation has become laughable. Those who tried to log on and watch live matches on Saturday endured more of the same problems. Luckily Sunday’s matches went off without a hitch, so hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on out.
2. Luis Suarez: He would have made a bunch of fantasy owners very happy if he had slammed home his breakaway instead of lobbing it over the net.
3. Steve Bruce: The clock on his dismissal is ticking.
4. Swansea in the final third: Swansea looks like a top division club on the build up in all of their matches, but they still need work finishing if they want to avoid relegation.
5. Arsenal backline: I don’t want to pile on the Gunners, but that was an embarrassing display against Manchester United.
6. Ben Foster: The mix up between Foster and defender Gabriel Tamas gave Stoke a gift goal and continued West Brom’s tough start to the season.
7. Fulham: Can somebody call Craven Cottage and let them know the Premier League season has started?
8. Blackburn penalties: For a team that struggles to score points, it’s vital to convert penalty kicks. The fact that they missed two in a 0-1 loss is heartbreaking.
9. The international break: Just as the Premier League kicks off with some intense and exciting matches, fans are now forced to go without club football for an almost unbearable two weeks.

Fact: The Spurs signing of Emmanuel Adebayor will lead Tottenham back to Champions League football.

Adebayor provides a goal scoring presence in the middle that the Spurs have lacked the past two seasons. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon will have another option too look for when Totten are on the counter attack. Also, Adebayor has the ability to link up with Rafael Van der Vaart and Luka Modric (provided he stays put) and use their creativeness to break down opposing backlines.

Most importantly, not only did Adebayor play well last season at Real Madrid; he has plenty of experience playing against the strong defenses in the Premier League and won’t wilt in the face of them.  He can use his strong frame to create space in the box, which lets him use his deft touch to score goals.

There is also the theory that after being sent out on loan two consecutive seasons, Adebayor will be playing with a chip on shoulder this season to prove to Manchester City that he should still be one of the forwards for the Blues.

Tell us what you think. Is this fact or fiction?