What do Steve McClaren and Santa have in common? I have no idea, but at least the poll going into this weekend is a little more clear (and how bout them reindeer?!?!):
1. Manchester United (How SAF hates no more Roon int’ls)
2. Arsenal (Blame the Gunners, the Communists!)
3. Chelsea (Derby beckons, alert Steve Sidwell)
4. Portsmouth (Kranjcar another bass on Redknapp’s wall)
5. Manchester City (Low table should eye Samaras, Vassell)
6. Liverpool (Benitez Island either Three Mile or paradise)
7. Blackburn (Holiday gifts in order for surge to continue)
8. Everton (Moyes, fittingly, nowhere on Brit fallout radar)
9. Aston Villa (Carson gasp only a morale win for Sorensen)
10. West Ham (Continue to get goals from random places)
MAYBE NEXT WEEK
*Tottenham (Defoe no anti-McClaren votary)
*Newcastle (Owen is all theirs – for good maybe even)
*Fulham (Blackburn, Man U, Everton, Newcastle next four)
I notice you had Liverpool down in 7th PK, and it was very interesting to me to see an American Premiership owner step out and criticize his coach. Tom Hicks lashed out at Rafa Benitez today, telling him to basically shut up and coach the team instead of asking for more money for the transfer window.
The fact is that Benitez spent more money on a single player (Fernando Torres) than any other team in the world did. When a manager is given a summer spending spree like Benitez was, he should just shut his mouth.
While Hicks is a long way from becoming the next Roman Abramovich, he could have done this behind closed doors. If Benitez crashes out of the CL and does not finish in the Top 4 this year, I would not be surprised to see him forced out and taking over the Spanish national team. Luis Aragones has already said he’ll step down after EURO 2008. We’ll keep you posted on that one…