Reflecting on the EPL Week That Was

photo by Andréia	via PhotoRee

Before we begin this week's EPL action, let's take a look back at some of the events from the season's opening weekend:

o Is there anyone out there who still thinks Kun Aguero isn't going to cut it in the EPL? I've been dreading his signing ever since it was first announced. I heard some doubters say that El Kun liked to linger on the ball too long, or take too many touches, and would never adapt to the "speed" of the EPL. I think that particular critique has been exposed as faulty, given his perofmance last Monday. Granted, this was Swansea who he and City were facing, but let's give credit where credit is due: El Kun is no Edin Dzeko. And there are now two words I'm sure were being bantered around Eastlands this week: Carlos Who?

o So, has AVB decided in favor of El Niño over El Drogbo at Chelsea? It certainly seems that way based on week one.... While Torres did look slightly better than last season, how could he not? That isn't a very high bar by which to judge.... But in the one area on which you can judge, it's easy to count the number of goals scored by the Spanish striker last weekend: none. Meanwhile, I have to say that John Terry looked very creaky indeed at the back for the Blues.  Couldn't happen to a nicer guy....

o I laughed my @ss off when I heard Gervinho's hairdo referred to as an "updated street version of a comb-over," or the comb-over "re-booted," on the Guardian EPL podcast this past week. Great description, guys.


o Do you think Martin Jol could have stepped it up -- just a bit -- in the fashion department for his debut at the Cottage in London on Saturday?  A black warmup / track suit? Really? 

Martin: you may not be the height of fashion, but you looked rather lowbrow compared to the nattily attired Alex Macleish as the two of you strolled onto the pitch for the season opener. Maybe Jol's choice of attire can be blamed on the fact that Mohammed Al Fayed, having sold off Harrod's, no loger offers an employee's discount to Fulham staff.  In any event, Jol's poor sartorial form definitely bears watching; one can only imagine what Roberto Mancini was thinking....

o Is anyone at Villa slightly worried about their lack of goals on Saturday? The Villans looked almost Brum-ish in their offensive dullery.  Meanwhile, I'm sure it's a total coincidence that Alex Macleish coached both sides.

o Perhaps it's just me, but QPR looked like a bunch of French sailors in their pretty boy blue and white kits.....

o Seeing Kevin Davies on the pitch for Bolton made me wonder whatever happened to his donkeys. Oh, the things you learn about people via Twitter... And Davies also closed his Twitter account suddenly last season, and under some curious circumstances. I don't know whatever happened there, either, so I may have some investigating to do....

o Wow! Sunderland went with a very different look for their away uniforms this season..... I was half expecting to see a beachball patch on their sleeves for the Liverpool game last weekend.

o And finally, call me crazy, 'cause I know there are a lot of United fans who don't rate him at all, but I still think Charlie Adam is pretty damn good. Yes, he suffers from elephantitis of the head, but he's very useful on the ball, and can hit an inch perfect, cross-pitch pass with the best of them. I think Liverpool's got themselves a player.

This is a farlieonfootie who's ready for week two action.