With the recent international games the Premier League has been on a bit of a hiatus though returns this weekend as Norwich host West Ham in the early kick off. Whilst it's not a headline game it will likely be seen as a huge 6 pointer with both teams expected to be battling relegation and one that is almost certainly worth some interest from football fans.
Whilst expectation at Norwich was low, following the loss of manager Paul Lambert (who went to Villa) it's fair to say that the Canaries haven't actually done that badly. Whilst they were slaughtered on the opening day (losing 5-0 at Fulham) they have held their own with both QPR and most recently Tottenham (drawing both of those games 1-1) as they have earned both their first home and away points of the season.
Despite having conceded 7 goals so far this season Norwich's big problem seems to be up front where they lack a true goal scorer, instead having an attack built up of various threats as opposed to an out and out threat. The likes of Grant Holt will bag goals but will struggle to find the target on a regular basis however Robert Snodgrass (who looked sensational in his last match for the club) will create chances for the attacking line.
With Chris Hughton looking to hit the ground running following the internationals Norwich could pose a threat here, but only if they can get in the goals against a West Ham team that look unwilling to give many away (with only Swansea having scored against West Ham this season). This is the problem, Norwich can't score and West Ham don't really concede, in Norwich win it'll only be by a single goal.
Last year Norwich were very average at home, but they were an average team. Their Premier League position of 12th overall was a solid mid-table finish and their home form was reflective of that with 27 home points from their 19 home games (surprisingly the same as Liverpool).
Last time out (a fortnight ago!) West Ham looked excellent in defeating Fulham 3-0 with the Fulham defensive lining looking completely unable to cope with the West Ham attack. Sadly however the forefront of that attack was Andy Carroll who will be absent (due to injury) from this game leaving the West Ham attack looking like a bit of a rag-tag collection. Whilst Kevin Nolan will get goals he's not a pure goal scorer, Ricardo Vaz Te has goals in him but seems to lack Premier League class and Carlton Cole is a joke even amongst West Ham fans. The loss of Carroll (after just 1 game) is genuinely huge.
At the back West Ham have been solid conceding just 3 goals so far this season (in 3 Premier League games) though notably all 3 goals came in their only previous away fixture. This is a stark contract to their form last season where defensively they were rock solid away from home (conceding just 22 away goals in 23 games) and slightly less secure at home (29 goals conceded). If we were to look at last season's numbers however we'd have to favour West Ham here on the back of 13 away wins however was that in the championship, not in the Premier League.
Whilst there is Premier League quality running through the West Ham squad there are questions about the depth of the squad and the absence of Carroll really does bring that issue up. Players like Nolan, Matt Jarvis and Yossi Benayoun can all grab goals and show sparks of something extra but the squad looks like it's only ever going to be 2 injuries away from a crisis.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 1-1
Expected Line Ups:
Norwich-Ruddy, Bassong, Garrido, R.Martin, Barnett, Johnson, Howson, Snodgrass, Holt, Morrison (4-4-2)
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, Tomkins, Diamé, Benayoun, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Notes:Norwich have the same amount of points (2) as they had after the same amount of games (3) last season.
West Ham have only lost 2 of their last 24 competitive fixtures (one of those being their 3-0 loss to Swansea)
Players to watch out for-
Norwich:
Robert Snodgrass-Talented Scot Robert Snodgrass looked very out of sorts on the opening day of the season though has looked like the key to everything Norwich have done in their most recent Premier League matches. He looks like he's going to be the driving force going forward for the Canaries and whilst he may not be an out and out goalscorer himself he will create chances for others as well as bagging a fair few himself. He really is the key to the attack.
John Ruddy-Goalkeeper John Rudd started the season with a nightmare at Fulham however he has been very good since then. Whilst he hasn't kept a clean sheet this season he's a very under-rated keeper and is doing a fine job behind a weak defense. He may not have a lot to do here, but he will need to keep his concentration.
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The
West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes
through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Norwich
defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on
the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat
in front of goal and has already bagged himself some goals this season and will be high on confidence going into this match.
Matt Jarvis-The former Wolves Winger Matt Jarvis has that level of of class that sees him not only able to open up the defense but also create a shed load of chances. Whilst Andy Carroll will be missing Jarvis will be able to look up and find either Carlton Cole or Kevin Nolan in the penalty area giving him some solid targets to aim for in attack.
Showing posts with label Matt Jarvis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Jarvis. Show all posts
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Friday, 24 August 2012
Premier League Week 2-Preview and prediction (Swansea v West Ham)
Our first game of Week 2 is the early kick off on Saturday which sees Swansea hosting the Hammers as both teams put their 100% winning records on the line in what looks to be a really interesting match up. A win for either team could take them to the top of the table for an hour and this is likely to active as an incentive with both teams wanting to get the season off to a start.
On the opening day Swansea were the surprise package as they secure an unexpected 5-0 away win against QPR, the influence of new manager Michael Laudrup and Spanish attacker Michu were immediately felt by the fans. Whilst that was an unexpected victory for the Swans it will have raised expectation for a team that lost not only it's manager (Brendon Rodger) but also it's talisman (Joe Allen) over summer. Many had expected Swansea to take a while to settle under the new manager in Laudrup but he needed little time to introduce himself to the Premier League with his team looking sensational.
Finishing 11th in the Premier League last season, Swansea were a solid team enough team to not get dragged into the relegation battle though their home form did leave something to be desired with the club securing just 31 points in 19 games at home. Whilst they were hard to beat at home the Swans didn't win at home regularly enough with 8 wins, 7 draws and 4 losses however defensively they were incredibly with just 18 goals conceded at the Liberty Stadium (the 8th best home defense, just 1 goal behind tied 4th) and an amazing 8 home clean sheets. Defensively they were brilliant. Offensively however Swansea struggled a bit scoring just 27 home goals (11th most) and with Scott Sinclair wanting away, Gylfi Sigurdsson gone and Joe Allen sold to Liverpool it may be fair to say that goals weren't expected this season. Despite they the club seem to have signed an out and out goal scorer in Michu and Nathan Dyer and Danny Graham have plenty of goals in them too, so goals shouldn't be too much of a problem this year.
Despite making a number of signings, many of which are available, Laudrup will not have Ki Sung-Yueng available due to the lateness of his signing and he will also not have Itay Shechter who who has been signed on loan. He will however have Michu and Jonathan de Guzman both available with Chico Flores doubtful, however Flores is likely to be replaced by fellow new boy Kyle Bartley. They should, even with one or two players missing, still have an enterprising line up.
On the other side of the pitch we have the newly promoted West Ham may not have been hugely exciting in securing a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa last week but they did pick up the all important 3 points. With Sam Allardyce in charge and a team full of proven Premier League players it was surprising to me that so many folk were tipping the Hammers for relegation because on paper they are probably a solid "lower mid table" team that should survive even if they don't really do anything great. With the likes of Jussi Jääskeläinen, Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Jack Collison and recent signing Matt Jarvis they have very well known Premier League quality and with Ricardo Vaz Te they have an exceptionally hard working attacker.
Last season West Ham finished 3rd in the Championship before gaining promotion via the play-offs. It was away from home that West Ham were at their best with some West Ham fans wishing they could play away every week. In 23 away matches West Ham secured 45 points, winning 13 away matches and drawing 6 to give them the best away record in the league. Their quality away from home was just in results but their overall performance having the tied best away defensive record (22 goals against)and the second best attacking record (40 goals for). If they can keep this sort of away form in the Premier League they could be a real threat though it's unlikely they can prove to be this effective away in the top flight.
Sam Allardyce has brought in some notable Premier League level names including Jääskeläinen, Collinson and Jarvis however his squad still appears thin on the ground. The players Allardyce has got are talented and are mostly proven at this level however the question is "has he got enough of them?" Whilst it might not be a huge problem this early in the season it's almost certainly going to be a problem unless Allardyce can bring in some more signings just to shore up the squad. With a near full team available "Big Sam" may view this as a chance to pick up at least a point.
With Swansea playing at home in the Premier League for the first time under Laudrup I expect the Swans to pick up the 3 points. This is unlikely to be as impressive as the performance against QPR but another excellent showing for the Swans.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 2-0
Expected Line Ups:
Swansea-
Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Tate, Taylor, Michu, Guzman, Britton, Dyer, Routledge, Graham (4-4-2)
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, McCartney, Diamé, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Notes:As mentioned above Swansea's new signing Ki Sung-yeung is unavailable due to completing his move too late for the game
West Ham new signing Matt Jarvis is expected to start on the bench after completing his move from Wolves
West Ham's away record was mentioned above but amazingly they are on a 10 game unbeaten run, however they have lose their last 4 Away Premier League fixtures.
Players to watch out for-
Swansea:
Michu-The attack minded Midfielder made a quick start to his Premier League career by scoring inside 10 minutes and adding another in the same game as he made his mark on the league. Expect him to again be a goal threat and whether he bags another one or not he'll be a threat. Expect West Ham to try and keep him out of the game and if they do it's likely he'll tie up two players.
Nathan Dyer-Like Michu, Dyer started the Premier League season in style bagging himself a brace against QPR, expect him to once again be a threat as he tries to out perform what he managed last season (5 league goals and 6 in total). With pace and real threat towards goal, Dyer will keep the Hammers defense on their toes with or with the ball.
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Swansea defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat in front of goal and acts not only as a poacher but also as a solid threat in the air meaning that he will need to be marked well at set pieces.
Ricardo Vaz Te-The Portuguese forward was one of, if not the, Player of the Season for West Ham after signing from Barnsley mid way through the season. His goal record for the club is tremendous and his work rate is through the roof, he will always pose a threat to defenses and he will be looking to open his scoring sooner rather than later for the season. If Swansea let him have the ball he could well net one here.
On the opening day Swansea were the surprise package as they secure an unexpected 5-0 away win against QPR, the influence of new manager Michael Laudrup and Spanish attacker Michu were immediately felt by the fans. Whilst that was an unexpected victory for the Swans it will have raised expectation for a team that lost not only it's manager (Brendon Rodger) but also it's talisman (Joe Allen) over summer. Many had expected Swansea to take a while to settle under the new manager in Laudrup but he needed little time to introduce himself to the Premier League with his team looking sensational.
Finishing 11th in the Premier League last season, Swansea were a solid team enough team to not get dragged into the relegation battle though their home form did leave something to be desired with the club securing just 31 points in 19 games at home. Whilst they were hard to beat at home the Swans didn't win at home regularly enough with 8 wins, 7 draws and 4 losses however defensively they were incredibly with just 18 goals conceded at the Liberty Stadium (the 8th best home defense, just 1 goal behind tied 4th) and an amazing 8 home clean sheets. Defensively they were brilliant. Offensively however Swansea struggled a bit scoring just 27 home goals (11th most) and with Scott Sinclair wanting away, Gylfi Sigurdsson gone and Joe Allen sold to Liverpool it may be fair to say that goals weren't expected this season. Despite they the club seem to have signed an out and out goal scorer in Michu and Nathan Dyer and Danny Graham have plenty of goals in them too, so goals shouldn't be too much of a problem this year.
Despite making a number of signings, many of which are available, Laudrup will not have Ki Sung-Yueng available due to the lateness of his signing and he will also not have Itay Shechter who who has been signed on loan. He will however have Michu and Jonathan de Guzman both available with Chico Flores doubtful, however Flores is likely to be replaced by fellow new boy Kyle Bartley. They should, even with one or two players missing, still have an enterprising line up.
On the other side of the pitch we have the newly promoted West Ham may not have been hugely exciting in securing a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa last week but they did pick up the all important 3 points. With Sam Allardyce in charge and a team full of proven Premier League players it was surprising to me that so many folk were tipping the Hammers for relegation because on paper they are probably a solid "lower mid table" team that should survive even if they don't really do anything great. With the likes of Jussi Jääskeläinen, Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Jack Collison and recent signing Matt Jarvis they have very well known Premier League quality and with Ricardo Vaz Te they have an exceptionally hard working attacker.
Last season West Ham finished 3rd in the Championship before gaining promotion via the play-offs. It was away from home that West Ham were at their best with some West Ham fans wishing they could play away every week. In 23 away matches West Ham secured 45 points, winning 13 away matches and drawing 6 to give them the best away record in the league. Their quality away from home was just in results but their overall performance having the tied best away defensive record (22 goals against)and the second best attacking record (40 goals for). If they can keep this sort of away form in the Premier League they could be a real threat though it's unlikely they can prove to be this effective away in the top flight.
Sam Allardyce has brought in some notable Premier League level names including Jääskeläinen, Collinson and Jarvis however his squad still appears thin on the ground. The players Allardyce has got are talented and are mostly proven at this level however the question is "has he got enough of them?" Whilst it might not be a huge problem this early in the season it's almost certainly going to be a problem unless Allardyce can bring in some more signings just to shore up the squad. With a near full team available "Big Sam" may view this as a chance to pick up at least a point.
With Swansea playing at home in the Premier League for the first time under Laudrup I expect the Swans to pick up the 3 points. This is unlikely to be as impressive as the performance against QPR but another excellent showing for the Swans.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 2-0
Expected Line Ups:
Swansea-
Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Tate, Taylor, Michu, Guzman, Britton, Dyer, Routledge, Graham (4-4-2)
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, McCartney, Diamé, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Notes:As mentioned above Swansea's new signing Ki Sung-yeung is unavailable due to completing his move too late for the game
West Ham new signing Matt Jarvis is expected to start on the bench after completing his move from Wolves
West Ham's away record was mentioned above but amazingly they are on a 10 game unbeaten run, however they have lose their last 4 Away Premier League fixtures.
Players to watch out for-
Swansea:
Michu-The attack minded Midfielder made a quick start to his Premier League career by scoring inside 10 minutes and adding another in the same game as he made his mark on the league. Expect him to again be a goal threat and whether he bags another one or not he'll be a threat. Expect West Ham to try and keep him out of the game and if they do it's likely he'll tie up two players.
Nathan Dyer-Like Michu, Dyer started the Premier League season in style bagging himself a brace against QPR, expect him to once again be a threat as he tries to out perform what he managed last season (5 league goals and 6 in total). With pace and real threat towards goal, Dyer will keep the Hammers defense on their toes with or with the ball.
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Swansea defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat in front of goal and acts not only as a poacher but also as a solid threat in the air meaning that he will need to be marked well at set pieces.
Ricardo Vaz Te-The Portuguese forward was one of, if not the, Player of the Season for West Ham after signing from Barnsley mid way through the season. His goal record for the club is tremendous and his work rate is through the roof, he will always pose a threat to defenses and he will be looking to open his scoring sooner rather than later for the season. If Swansea let him have the ball he could well net one here.
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