Toyota Football Fever - SHOW 3
Phil Neal (above), former England International
and Liverpool captain was a guest on the Toyota Football
Fever show with the Soccergurus on Red104.9FM.
Phil, who paid us a visit interacted and
with the listeners about his playing days experience,
plus also previewing the weekends’s EPL games with
the Soccergurus.
Name: Phil Neal
Years at Liverpool: 1974 to 1985
Position: Full-back
Date-of-birth: 20/2/1951
Birthplace: Irchester
Signed from: Northampton Town (October 1974)
Games: 650
Goals: 60
Honours: First Division Championship (1975/76, 1976/77,
1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86),
European Cup (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984), UEFA Cup (1976),
League Cup (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984), Charity Shield (1976,
1977, 1979, 1980, 1982), Super Cup (1977)
Everything else you need to know about Phil
Neal go here.
Last weeks discussion on Toyota
Football Fever …
1) Selfish, Lazy Youngsters cost
Arsenal
Ashley Cole has revealed that he feels
that bad attitude from the younger players at Arsenal
last season cost them any chance of Premiership title
success.
"The brutal truth is that too many
people played for themselves," he said. "I saw
too much rubbish, lazy players who didn't pull their weight
and schoolboy errors”.
He also went on to say that Thierry Henry
was worshipped by the fans, but he never got any respect
– complaining that fans sung the name of the Arsenal
legend, but left him feeling like the “invisible
man”.
2) Lampard and Ballack in Chelsea
penalty struggle
After Jose Mourinho had previously stormed
out of a press conference over the issue, it seems that
Frank Lampard will continue to take the penalties for
Chelsea.
The Blues ace handed over the duty to Michael
Ballack who scored from the spot against Werder Bremen.
But boss Jose Mourinho has backed Lamps
to continue in the job and made it clear to Ballack that
Tuesday was a one-off.
3) Kuyt claims The Reds play like
Liverpool of old
Dirk Kuyt insists Liverpool are well on
the road to becoming the Anfield giants of old.
The Dutch strike ace made the boast even
though they only kicked off their Champions League bid
with a 0-0 draw at PSV Eindhoven.
“Defensive organisation was always
their great strength, and for us It’s all about
giving nothing away at the back and then hitting teams
on the break.”
“That was more like the Liverpool I remember from
old”
4) Alan learns lingo to help Argies
WOULD you Adam ’n’ Eve it? Spanish
is replacing Cockney rhyming slang at Upton Park.
West Ham boss Alan Pardew is taking a crash
course in the lingo to help Argentinian signings Carlos
Tevez and Javier Mascherano settle in.
He said: “I spoke Spanish to the
new boys this morning. They came in and I explained ‘Esta
manana, dos toques, los rojos contra los blancos contra
los naranjas.’ “It means, ‘This morning,
we have two-touch, reds v whites v oranges.’ I don’t
know the Spanish for ‘On me ’ed, son’
yet but I’m working on it!
5) Drunken Gazza in 7 hour gambling
binge
BOOZY soccer legend Paul Gascoigne went
on an incredible SEVEN-HOUR gambling binge.
Troubled Gazza, 39, downed glass after glass
of £200-a-bottle Cristal champagne and chain-smoked
around 100 cigarettes as he bet up to £4,000 on
the turn of a card at the plush Rendezvous Casino in London’s
Mayfair.
However his spokeswoman insisted yesterday:
“Paul does not have a gambling problem”. “He
was out on a previous night as well and won a considerable
amount that time. He’s up overall.”
Quotes of the Week
“I am happy to give him the address
of my house in Chieti where we can meet. I can give him
my shirt and we can shake hands.” Marco Materazzi,
(not) trying very hard to patch things up with his pal
Zinedine Zidane…
“The English players speak fast and
they talk with an accent. When I'm walking around the
streets of London, people speak so fast that I don't know
what they are saying." Michael Ballack, who is probably
grateful that at least most Chelsea fans don’t use
any long words.
“The new signings are the cream on
the cake - but the cake has to taste nice in the first
place."
West Ham's Alan Pardew whose West Ham ‘cake’
is not exactly a double chocolate gateaux.
"Well I was never a great player."
Roy Keane is not fooling anyone with his response to the
great players don’t make great managers question.
“My dad used to referee me when I
was a kid. I remember him booking me - and asking my name."
Coventry City Striker Kevin Kyle who has some unsolved
family issues.
Last Weeks Premiership Results
| Everton 3 |
Liverpool 0 |
Cahill (24)
Johnson (36, 90) |
|
Report: Everton inflicted
utter humiliation on their closest neighbours in the 204th
Merseyside derby, with Andrew Johnson grabbing two goals
in his first appearance in the fixture. David Moyes' men
were ahead early on through Tim Cahill and Johnson's first,
and by the time he grabbed the second, in injury time,
Liverpool were in near disarray.
| Arsenal 1 |
Middlesbrough 1 |
| Henry (pen 67) |
Morrison 22 |
Report: Arsenal's quest
for a first Barclays Premiership win of the season continued
as 10-man Middlesbrough earned a point at the Emirates
Stadium. James Morrison had put the visitors ahead in
the first half with a neat finish.
| Bolton 1 |
Watford 0 |
| Speed (pen 90) |
|
Report: New signing Nicolas
Anelka made his Bolton debut, but it needed veteran midfielder
Gary Speed to come to Wanderers' rescue with an injury-time
penalty in the 1-0 win over Watford at the Reebok Stadium.
| Chelsea 2 |
Charlton 1 |
Drogba (6)
Hasselbaink (54)
Lampard (pen miss 84) |
Carvalho (63) |
Report: Ashley Cole made
his Chelsea debut but fellow defender Ricardo Carvalho
grabbed the glory. Cole started his Chelsea career on
the bench and had been on the pitch for only a few seconds
when Carvalho grabbed the winner with a thumping header.
| Newcastle 1 |
Fulham 2 |
| Parker (54) |
McBride (82)
Bocanegra (89) |
Report: Newcastle snatched
defeat from the jaws of victory as they lost 2-1 at home
to Fulham. Leading 1-0 with eight minutes remaining, the
Magpies capitulated woefully as first Brian McBride and
then substitute Carlos Bocanegra beat Shay Given to claim
an unlikely victory.
| Portsmouth 1 |
Wigan 0 |
| Mwaruwari (38) |
|
Report: Benjani Mwaruwari's
second goal of the season shot Portsmouth to the top of
the Premiership with a 1-0 win over Wigan. It was Pompey's
third win in four games and they have yet to concede a
goal.
| Sheff Utd. 0 |
Blackburn 0 |
Unsworth (pen miss 79)
Hulse (pen miss 88) |
Neill (pen miss 71) |
Report: Goalkeepers Brad
Friedel and Paddy Kenny emerged as heroes as Blackburn
and Sheffield United slugged out a goalless draw on a
day of three missed penalties at Bramall Lane. The Blades`
Kenny stepped into the spotlight first, saving a penalty
from Lucas Neill, before Friedel denied both David Unsworth
and Rob Hulse from the spot
| Manchester Utd 1 |
Tottenham 0 |
| Giggs (9) |
|
Report: Ryan Giggs' instinctive
header preserved Manchester United's 100% start to the
season, but the Red Devils were forced to survive some
nervy moments before claiming their 1-0 win over Tottenham.
| West Ham 1 |
Aston Villa 1 |
| Zamora (52) |
Ridgewell (4) |
Report: Argentina striker
Carlos Tevez came off the bench for his West Ham debut
as his new club fought back to earn a point against Aston
Villa at Upton Park. Liam Ridgewell's fourth-minute strike
had earned Villa the lead and the Hammers were fortunate
not to be further behind at half-time after two Juan Pablo
Angel headers hit the crossbar.
| Reading 1 |
Man City 0 |
| Ingimarsson (23) |
|
Report: Reading claimed
their second Premiership win following Icelandic defender
Ivar Ingimarsson's first half goal as Manchester City
had another player sent off for a forearm smash in the
1-0 result.
Team of the Week - Everton
Following on from their excellent 2-0 win
away to Tottenham two weeks ago, David Moyes men went
one better against their rivals from across Stanley Park,
registering their biggest derby win since 1964. Liverpool
did play poorly and Rafael Benitez questionably rested
Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, but Everton fought hard and
with Andy Johnson’s two goals, ran out deserved
3-0 winners.
Player of the Week - Brad Friedel
When Brad Friedel saw his counterpart for
Sheffield United, Paddy Kenny, save a penalty in the 71st
minute, he wouldn’t have thought that he would get
a chance to better him. Two penalty saves in the space
of 10 minutes guaranteed winless Blackburn a share of
the points at Bramall Lane, and probably Mr. Friedel a
celebratory drink or two from manager Mark Hughes.
Donkey of the Week - Danny Shittu
With your team one minute away from earning
a well-deserved and vital point away from home, and the
opposition winger running down a blind alley with no hope
of scoring, do you A) decide to stay on your feet and
let his attack come to nothing, thus gaining your team
the valuable point, or B) try a wild hack at the winger’s
legs in an attempt to clear the ball, concede a last minute
penalty, and then have your team mates ignore you for
the next few days. Danny Shittu chose B, thus he is the
donkey.
Upcoming Premiership Games
Bolton v Middlesbrough
Suspensions
Injuries BOL - Stubbs
MID - Riise, Kewell
Prediction 2-0 (Actual 0-0)
Reason: Middlesbrough
have looked competitive this season so far under new boss
Gareth Southgate, but the Reebok is a tough place for
teams to come – and with Bolton beating Watford
last week, morale will be high, so should take maximum
points here.
Charlton v Portsmouth
Suspensions
Injuries CHA - Clichy, Senderos, Diaby, Lauren
POR - Arca
Prediction 2-1 (Actual 0-1)
Reason: Portsmouth have
yet to concede a goal in the Premier League this season,
but I think The Valley is where their run is going to
come to an end. Iain Dowie seems like a good replacement
for Alan Curbishley at Charlton, and this will be a match
he will have identified for three points. It will be close,
but Charlton should come out on top.
Everton v Wigan
Suspensions
Injuries EVE - Gardner
WIG - NONE
Prediction 2-0 (Actual 2-2)
Reason: After their result
against Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby, this will be
a different kind of test for Everton. Wigan have completely
restructured their team this summer, with many new signings,
and seem yet to find their rhythm, so it seems likely
that the Toffees will continue their good run with three
points.
Sheff Utd. v Reading
Suspensions CHA Hreidarsson
Injuries SHE - Geremi
REA - Sorondo, Thomas, Gibbs
Prediction 1-0 (Actual 1-2)
Reason: The corresponding
match last year in the Championship finished in a 1-1
draw, so I expect this to be a close game. Sheffield United
have the home advantage though, and despite Reading’s
better form, I think Neil Warnock’s boys will register
their first win of the season.
Watford v Aston Villa
Suspensions WAT Kilbane
Injuries WAT - Ameobi, Owen
AST - NONE
Prediction 1-1 (Actual 0-0)
Reason: Watford have been
unlucky so far this season, and their manager Ady Boothroyd
will be hoping that it does not continue. This will be
a tough game for Aston Villa, but they should keep their
good form going with a draw at Vicarage Road.
Blackburn v Man City
Suspensions
Injuries BLA - Johnson, Mendes
MAC - Taylor, Teale
Prediction 1-0 (Actual 4-2)
Reason: Mark Hughes will
be desperate to record Blackburn’s first win of
the season in this game against an unsettled Man City
side. City come into this game on the back of a loss to
Reading, and Stuart Pearce needs to get his players going
again after that poor result. Blackburn should have too
much for them here though.
Chelsea v Liverpool
Suspensions
Injuries CHE - Davis
LIV - NONE
Prediction 3-1 (Actual 1-0)
Reason: Both Chelsea and
Liverpool haven’t found their consistency yet this
season, but the sheer quality of Chelsea’s squad
means that they should be able to ride out their poor
form – and with success in the Champions League
midweek, they will look to avenge their Community Shield
loss in Cardiff.
Man Utd v Arsenal
Suspensions MAN Rooney, Scholes
Injuries MAN - NONE
ARS - Malbranque, King
Prediction 2-1 (Actual 0-1)
Reason: Arsenal will be
pleased this match is coming away from home, as they still
seem to have problems at the Emirates Stadium, but Man
Utd. are looking irresistible at the moment, and with
Rooney and Scholes coming back into the team, expect Arsenal’s
poor start to the season to get even worse.
Tottenham v Fulham
Suspensions
Injuries TOT - McCartney, Ashton
FUL - Berger, Cahill
Prediction 3-0 (Actual 0-0)
Reason: Fulham are a poor
team away from Craven Cottage, and were lucky to win against
Newcastle last time out. But Tottenham don’t have
Titus Bramble in their defence, so won’t be as accommodating
to the Fulham strikers, and I expect this London derby
to finish with the Spurs fans happy.
West Ham v Newcastle
Suspensions
Injuries WHM - Little, Kitson
NEW - Isaksson
Prediction 2-1 (Actual 0-2)
Reason: Newcastle manager
Glenn Roeder is returning to the club he helped to relegate
from the Premier League, and with the comedy defensive
performance the Toon are putting in at the moment, it
shouldn’t be a happy homecoming for him. West Ham
may start with new signing Tevez, who I expect to bang
in a couple of goals in a two-one win.
