A Great Advertisement: Week 9 in the BPL

photo by Kate Raynes-Goldie	via PhotoRee

o We saw a great advertisement for the Championship this weekend. Unfortunately, it involved Aston Villa playing Norwich City in the Premier League.

o Can it be a coincidence that Mark Hughes' teams keep hitting the self destruct button with late game  red cards?  It's relatively easy to blame the ill-tempered players who commit the rash acts, but when it happens repeatedly it's a sign of poor discipline -- and that problem deserves to be laid squarely at the doorstep of the Manager.  Sorry, Sparky, but your time is up.

o Telling scene of the day: While Micah Richards was being attended to by a number of medical staff, given oxygen and being placed on a stretcher, teammates Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko felt the situation called for...a few quick jokes over on the sideline. Nice job, guys. I'm sure Micah your concern.

o Call him a diving cheat, and you'd be only half right. Luis Suarez' purposeful stamp on Sylvain Distin's Achilles heel shows exactly what type of player the Uruguayan is: a dirty, diving cheat.  Regardless, David Moyes is probably glad he's seen the last of the ugly Uruguayan for some time, and it's only reluctantly that we name Suarez our Player of the Week.

o What a wild ending for Fulham and Reading on Saturday; three goals in the final eight minutes will do that to you....  While he must have thought for certain that he scored a late winner, it was still great to see a smile back on Dimitar Berbatov's face as he handed his team the lead, an advantage they soon coughed back up. 

If Berba and Chicharito are smiling, it's a great week in English football.  This is a smiling farlieonfootie for October 31, wishing a Happy Halloween to all our friends.

More Questions Than Answers, Part II: Round 25 in the BPL

Sunderland look a completely different side under Martin O'Neil, who is playing with roughly the same squad as his predecessor had....  Is Steve Bruce really that poor a manager?  The Black Cats were extremely unfortunate to lose 2-1 to the Arsenal on Saturday, although only a true Gooner-hater could begrudge Thierry Henry his late game winner in his last game in his beloved Arsenal kit....

o And where did this kid James McLean come from? This is more a rhetorical question, as I actually know where he came from (Derry City, brought in by Brucie to Sunderland), but what a difference that guy is making to a dangerous Sunderland side....

o I wonder what Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner thinks of his decision to dump O'Neil now...?  Is Alex McLeish really filling O'Neil's boots?

o And speaking of clueless American owners in the EPL, what is one to make of the curious case of John W. Henry? The owner of Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox was conspicuously silent in his reaction to Luis Suarez' despicable racist behavior until the club finally issued a statement yesterday.  There's no way in the world that Henry would have allow this type of behavior -- condoned by the club and manager, no less -- to happen with the Boston Red Sox. Did he think Americans aren't paying attention because this was all happening overseas?

o And speaking of despicable racist behavior, Micha Richards chose to leave Twitter this week after being barraged by racist tweets.  What in the hell is happening in England?

o Did anyone else enjoy seeing the pair of American flags behind Tim Howard's goal as Everton took on Chelsea at Goodison Park on Saturday? There was one flag for each American in the Toffees' starting lineup. And with a shutout and an assist on the afternoon, the Yanks proved they're more than just a couple of pretty faces, too.

o What in the world is wrong with Petr Cech, and how has he escaped the type of criticism solely reserved for David De Gea?  On at least three separate occasions on Saturday, Cech kicked the ball straight to an Everton player. As if trying to deflect attention away from his poor performance, Cech even tried the latest publicity stunt, Bradying, after he was beaten for the second time on the afternoon.

Petr Cech Tries the Newest U.S. Fad: Bradying