Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]


Add Reply
. Hinshaw had a 3.72 ERA in 14 relief outings for
Topic Started: Dec 12 2012, 07:19 AM (39 Views)
lingzi

We finally have a new front-runner after ten weeks of the Barclays Premier League season. Stephen Nicholas Jersey . Chelsea had firm control atop the Power Rankings before their recent slip-ups at home to Manchester United and at Swansea City last weekend. The Blues may very well be the most talented side in the Premier League, but certainly not the deepest. Meanwhile, the rest of the table remains as tight as ever, with just three points separating fourth from tenth place. And there is clear separation from teams in the relegation zone and the rest of the table. The early season deficit will not be easy to dig out of for Reading, Queens Park Rangers and Southampton. Managerial changes are on the horizon pending a dramatic change in form. Here are your latest TSN Premier League Power Rankings: 1) Manchester United (8W-0D-2L, last week: 2) – Back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Arsenal is no small feat. Four wins in a row since a home loss to Spurs, and United has weathered the early season storm. Defender Chris Smalling made his return in the Champions League, and Phil Jones has returned to training, giving an over-worked and under performing back four proper reinforcements. Incredibly, United has scored two goals or more in every game but their opener in a loss to Everton. This team is scary as they come in attack. Wayne Rooney in a deeper midfield role has proven to be the right decision. And with wide players Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young back in the team, United has proper balance and spacing across the park. Uniteds next five matches are against soft opponents before a visit to the Etihad December 9th. 2) Chelsea (7-2-1, last week: 1) – Roberto Di Matteo rolled the dice playing his regulars mid-week in League Cup action against Manchester United ahead of their trip to Swansea. The move backfired with Chelsea conceding late in a 1-1 draw. Fatigue looks to be setting in on a team with a busy schedule and limited squad rotation. The players in Di Matteos regular starting XI are top quality. But with Lampard injured and Terry suspended, Di Matteo has very few proven options to turn to. He needs to trust his younger players going forward. A good start would be more Victor Moses. Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday will be another tough test. 3) Manchester City (6-4-0, last week: 3) – Another sluggish display in a draw at Upton Park, followed by a home draw with Ajax in the Champions League, seemingly ending Citys chances of advancing. It has been anything but a strong start for the defending Champions. Yet, City is still undefeated in the Premier League. City may not be on top form, but they have a wealth of riches and top players who when not at their best are still good enough to pick up points. A home win against Spurs on Sunday would go a long way to stopping the bleeding. No goals from Mario Balotelli are a problem. The conversation has to be had at some point whether the headaches that come along with the player are worth his erratic performances. 4) Everton (4-5-1, last week: 6) – Few have played as high quality football as Everton. But over the last month, the results havent followed. Lapses in defensive coverage and responsibilities, combined with a lack of precision in front of goal have turned wins into draws. Everton havent won since September. David Moyes is a defender and attacking midfielder away of having the kind of depth needed to take this team to the next level. 5) Tottenham Hotspur (5-2-3, last week: 4) – Andre Villas-Boas was flying after a win at Old Trafford and a strong start to the season. Losses in two of their last three in the BPL and questions again have started to mount. The home crowd showed their displeasure seeing top scorer Jermain Defoe substituted off in the 58th minute a goal down against Wigan. Defoe responded in the Europa League with a hat trick. AVB needs to keep it simple and not fuel any unnecessary fires. Consistency at the back would go a log way to stabilizing the side. 6) Arsenal (4-3-3, last week: 5) – It wasnt that Arsenal lost at Old Trafford. It was how the Gunners went down; without much fight and very little urgency. Complicating matters, Arsenal doesnt have a prototypical centre forward, rather a bunch of attack-minded players lost in their own system. There are also missing a true positionally sound defensive midfield to pull the strings in the middle. Strangely enough, they sold those two exact players in the summer. Wonder why so many are questioning Arsene Wenger? 7) West Bromwich Albion (5-2-3, last week: 7) – No dip in form in a 2-0 win over Southampton at The Hawthorns. The win was much needed after back-to-back heartbreaking losses against Man City and Newcastle. There is good balance in the squad: a big and physical back four, the emergence of Claudio Yacob as a rock in the centre-midfield, and Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long on top form in attack. Steve Clarke has competition for places in his side; an absolute bonus for any mid-table club. Superb at home, West Brom will be tested away at Wigan on Saturday. 8) Fulham (4-3-3, last week: 9) – It was a rarity seeing Fulham second best throughout their 2-2 draw at home to Everton a week ago. Steve Sidwell played hero with a late minute equalizer. Goals havent been a problem for Fulham, with 21 on the season. Keeping them out has been an issue. Although Fulham are unbeaten in their last three away, they have conceded six in the process. Fulham have players who prefer to keep hold of the ball. That will be a challenge at the Emirates and Arsenal ahead on Saturday. 9) Newcastle United (3-5-2, last week: 8) – Alan Pardews side has been rather sub-par and is lucky to pick up points, second best at Anfield last week. Newcastle have only one win in their last five league matches; not good enough for a team with a goal of a top-4 finish. A -2 goal differential is evidence of the shaky play. Injuries have played a role. But so has discipline. Midfield Cheick Tiote and defender Fabricio Coloccini are both serving suspensions. Back-to-back home matches against West Ham and Swansea are crucial to securing their place in the top half of the table. 10) West Ham United (4-3-3, last week: 10) – The Hammers were ecstatic after a home draw with City last week, and were actually unlucky to have a goal called incorrectly offside. And the team is brimming with confidence. Aside from Matthew Jarvis, the side plays very narrow, keeping things compact, relying on hard work and physical play. West Ham gets in trouble when the back four are stretched, making discipline in the midfield positions all-important. A result at St. Jamess Park on the weekend isnt out of the question. 11) Swansea City (3-3-4, last week: 12) – Canadian-born Jonathan de Guzman starred in a 1-1 home draw against Chelsea. And the draw was well earned. Swansea show discipline on the ball, patience in attack and are creative in their movement. Theres no question Michael Laudrup is a Premier League quality manager. But its up for debate whether hes found the proper mix and best starting XI for his squad. It seems a natural target-man like Danny Graham is a better choice from the get-go, giving proper balance to Laudrups formation. 12) Liverpool (2-5-3, last week: 11) – Luis Suarez scored a candidate for goal of the season, but thats all Liverpool could muster in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle at Anfield. Brendan Rogers has nothing in terms of a reliable goal-scorer after the Argentine striker. The squad is as thin as it ever has been at the historic club. A weakened side lost 1-0 to Anzhi in the Europe League. The good news: Liverpool is unbeaten in their last five in the league and the back-line and midfield is starting to take shape. A true test to Rogers tactical prowess comes at Chelsea on Sunday. There is very little to suggest he has an answer to Chelseas dynamic attack. 13) Wigan Athletic (3-2-5, last week: 13) – Back-to-back wins for the Latics, and a significant on at that; 1-0 over Spurs last time out. Wigan could have had multiple first half goals if it wasnt for the top play of goalkeeper Brad Friedel. For the team to continue to progress, similar link-up play to the weekend is required. Wigan isnt blessed with the most talented roster. Getting players in support and proper positions comes from hard work and the tactical superiority of their manager, Roberto Martinez. If Wigan can find a reliable scorer in front of goal, a top 10 finish isnt out of the question. 14) Norwich City (2-4-4, last week: 16) – Last month, Chris Hughton ranked among the most likely managers to be sacked. Unbeaten in their last four in all competitions, Hughtons job is safe and the Canaries are on a decent run. Key to the turn-around has been tightening things up at the back. Norwich has conceded just once in their last three league matches after conceding nine goals in two games prior to the international break. Norwich has also improved up the middle with some standout play from Alexander Tettey and Wes Hoolahan. 15) Aston Villa (2-3-5, last week: 17) – A struggling Villa side kept their composure and played their best match of the season in a 1-0 away win at Sunderland. Gabriel Agbonlahors first goal of the season paced Villa, and Paul Lambert will hope the oft-injured winger is returning to form. Hes such an important player for a team lacking influential attacking players from wide positions. Agbonlahor is a constant threat cutting in from the left into central positions. Belgian International Christian Benteke continues to impress in attack. And Darren Bent still struggles to get into the squad. Rumours swirl around Bents future at the club. It wouldnt be a shock if Villa tries to cash in on another clubs desperation in finding a proven goal-scorer. Bent could be gone. 16) Stoke City (1-6-3, last week: 15) – Stoke City has just tasted victory once in league play. In fact, theyve just won once in their last 16 matches in league play. Tony Pulis side relies on home form, and theyve only played four matches at the Britannia. They are now in a soft spot in their schedule, where draws are not enough. The challenge over the next few matches will be to open up enough to create more in attack. Its all far too narrow, and more width is needed to find positive areas for attack across the field. 17) Sunderland (1-6-2, last week: 14) – Who is going to score goals for the Black Cats? Better yet, who is going to create goal-scoring opportunities? Only one player has scored for Sunderland in the Premier League. And six goals in nine matches is about right considering how few chances they create. A Martin ONeill managed side will never be short on effort. But the side needs to be unleashed from the stale game plan that has the side playing a basic, easy to match formation. The players are there. And current form is simply nowhere near good enough. The next two matches on the road will be a true test what this team is made of. 18) Reading (0-5-4, last week: 18) – Reading is still winless after a 1-1 draw with QPR. Most discouraging for manager Brian McDermott, it marked the fifth time in nine matches his side had blown a lead. And its not for a lack of effort. Reading is one of the hardest working teams in the BPL. Last week, Reading may have tried to sit on their lead a little too much. And amidst a frantic finish, they could have certainly stolen a home win. With a little luck, as well as tidying up things defensively, a win is surely on the horizon. It seems Alex McCarthy is a much better option in goal than Adam Federici. 19) Queens Park Rangers (0-4-6, last week: 20) – The locals are restless as QPR are still winless. Individual quality in the team cannot make up for the complete lack of cohesion and inconsistent effort. Mark Hughes continues to have the faith of the board. But it cant last much longer. At the very least, they have to start scoring goals. The proven scorers at the club have only eight goals through ten matches. Southampton at home is a match both managers are coaching for their jobs. 20) Southampton (1-1-8, last week: 19) – Its become a broken record for the Saints; porous defending is killing the side. 28 goals conceded in ten matches are unacceptable. Thats nine more goals conceded than any other team in the BPL. And it may cost Nigel Adkins his just. Adkins is said to be safe, but another ugly loss this weekend, and he very likely will be shown the door. Its too bad, because he has capable players going forward in attack. Swansea and QPR in the next two will ultimately determine Adkins fate. -Arsenal v Fulham from Emirates Stadium airs across the TSN and TEAM Radio Networks Saturday November 10th, with coverage kicking off at 930am ET/630am PT. Matt Bryant Jersey . -- As the Miami Dolphins took the field for practice Sunday, Chad Johnson was getting out of jail. Dunta Robinson Jersey .C. -- Donald Ross -- or, more specifically, his course at Sedgefield -- got the better of Sergio Garcia down the stretch once before. http://www.atlantafalconsfansprostore.com/tony-gonzalez-jerseys . Toronto ace Ricky Romero continued to round into form Friday, but the Blue Jays bats fell silent for a second consecutive start with their star pitcher on the mound as the Cleveland Indians posted a 1-0 shutout victory. Tony Gonzalez Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Julio Jones Jersey . The Sochaux defenders header from a cross by Lukasz Piszczek found the net after half an hour, earning Poland a second straight 1-0 victory after its win over Latvia on Tuesday. Poland coach Franciszek Smuda made seven changes to the side, most notably to include Dortmund trio Lukas Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowski.SAN DIEGO -- After spending the entire 2011 season in Triple-A, Jeff Suppan has won both of his starts for the San Diego Padres. Will Venable tripled and scored in the first, then doubled in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning to back the 37-year-old Suppan and help the Padres to a 3-1 win against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. San Diego won its second series of the season. The Rockies lost their fifth straight game. Suppan (2-0) settled in after the first inning, when he allowed two hits and two walks but gave up only one run. He has won both of his starts since being called up from Triple-A Tucson after lefty Cory Luebke went on the disabled list with a strained elbow. "I learned a lot from last year and I learned a lot from this year," said Suppan, who was signed as a minor league free agent in the off-season. "What Ive learned is to always be ready." Suppan contributed to the go-ahead run when he sacrificed Jason Bartlett, who drew a leadoff walk in the fifth. Venable then followed with a double to left to give the Padres a 2-1 lead against Alex White, (0-1), who was making his season debut. Orlando Hudson added an RBI triple in the eighth. Suppan held Colorado to one run and four hits in five innings, walked two and struck out one. Pacheco doubled to centre with one out in the first. Gonzalez walked before Troy Tulowitzki forced Pacheco at third. Todd Helton singled in Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer walked to load the bases. Suppan got Ramon Hernandez to fly out to right to end the threat. "I had some command issues but I just kind of kept battling," Suppan said. "Basically, from that point on, I took every at-bat like it was its own game and did the best I could. From there, it was the bullpen. The bullpen did a fantastic job making up some innings there." Dale Thayer pitched the ninth for his second save in as many nights. He allowed two singles, giving the Rockies runners on first and third with one out, before Jordan Paachecos single hit Marco Scutaro for the second out. Brett Favre Falcons Jersey. Thayer struck out Carlos Gonzalez to end it. Venable tripled to left to open the first and scored on Yonder Alonsos two-out single. With two starters on the disabled list, the Rockies called up White and left-hander Christian Friedrich to get them through this three-game series. White was one of four pitchers acquired from Cleveland for Ubaldo Jimenez on July 31. White allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out five and walked two. "I felt good," White said. "I was confident with all my pitches and throwing them where I wanted to. That was very good tonight, to get deep in the game. I know the bullpens thrown a lot of innings. I just wanted to eat some innings and give us a chance late in the game." White stayed in after being hit on the right ankle by Cameron Maybins liner in the fifth. "It was a little numb for a few seconds," he said. "But it felt fine. Then, my two-seamer got better later in the game than it was early." NOTES: A foul ball hit by Venable in the seventh inning bounced into a fans beer along the third-base line. Undaunted, the fan chugged the beer with the ball still in the cup. ... The Padres selected LHP Alex Hinshaw from Triple-A Tucson and optioned OF Blake Tekotte to the same club. They also transferred RHP Micah Owings from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Hinshaw had a 3.72 ERA in 14 relief outings for Tucson. ... Owings was placed on the DL on April 26 with a strained right forearm. He has a 2.79 ERA in six relief appearances. ... The series concludes Wednesday when Rockies LHP Christian Friedrich makes his big league debut. He went 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was Colorados first-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft. ... The Padres counter with Anthony Bass (1-3, 3.51). ... Padres C John Baker had his first career stolen base in the seventh and had another one in the eighth. ' ' '
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Forum Number One · Next Topic »
Add Reply




Skin orginally created by Tariq | Converted by Lewis of the ZetaBoard Theme Zone