An Exeter-Norwich-Exeter Sandwich
Snow and cold have decimated today’s fixtures in England, not to mention the pall cast by the shooting of the Togolese national team in Africa, but for every cloud there is a silver lining as today is the day that Norfolk Ned and myself have had circled on our calendars since the start of the League One season.
Yes, it’s Exeter City visiting the mighty mighty Canaries at Carrow Road.
It looks as though Norwich have avoided having their gaffer poached (for now) and are sitting pretty in second place in League One. Meanwhile, my beloved Exeter City are exactly where I expected them to be: just safe above the relegation zone. So Norwich are the heavy favorites but don’t look past my Grecians to pull off an upset!
There’s only a handful of Premiership games today, but we might see the debut of Landycakes for Everton today. Assuming you can find somewhere to watch it. Otherwise, not a whole lot to watch today except for a couple EPL games on the FSC. (Even Ligue 1 is on hold for the Coupe de France!)
But we must soldier on…. Fixture list after the jump, along with your comments.
(All times EST)
League One
———-
10:00 Norwich City vs Exeter City
10:00 Leeds United vs Wycombe Wanderers
EPL
———-
10:00 Arsenal vs Everton
10:00 Wigan vs Aston Villa (FSC)
12:30 Birmingham vs Manchester United (FSC)
Rest of the World
———–
12:00 Valladolid vs Atlético Madrid (ESPN360.com)
12:00 Roma vs Chievo Verona
2:00 Sevilla vs Racing Santander (Gol)
2:45 Internazionale vs Siena (FSC)
4:00 Villarreal vs Almeria
The home of football just an hour or so ago. It’s on! Camon City!!!
CITY: Forster, Drury, Nelson, R.Martin, Holt (c), Doherty, Hoolahan, C.Martin, Lappin, Russell, Smith. Subs: Rudd (GK), Otsemobor, Gill, Adeyemi, McNamee, McDonald, Johnson.
Exeter: Jones, Tully, Duffy, Russell, Seaborne, Taylor (c), Harley, Stansfield, Goldbourne, Cozic, Fleetwood. Subs: Marriott (GK), Edwards, Stewart, Saunders, Logan, Dunne, Sercombe.
New American defender, Zak Whitbread, doesn’t make the bench but Oli Johnson who signed from Stockport yesterday does.Ex Exeter captain Matty Gill on the Norwich bench.
No Arsenal/Everton team news yet.
At the Emirates?
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Denilson, Diaby, Ramsey, Nasri, Eduardo, Arshavin. Subs: Fabianski, Rosicky, Vela, Silvestre, Merida, Eastmond, Emmanuel-Thomas.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Neill, Heitinga, Baines, Osman, Cahill, Fellaini, Pienaar, Donovan, Saha. Subs: Nash, Bilyaletdinov, Vaughan, Coleman, Duffy, Baxter, Mustafi.
Landy cakes!
'The Holy Trinity' celebrate Holt's header v Exeter.
OH FFS…. Almunia is USELESS…. no goal given up, but he just ran 20 yds out of the box and smashed into Traore
@Anon: It has been since Seaman retired.
F**k me Vela was about to hit that ball into the corner of the net when the whistle blew! OK probably not but still.
Arsenal 2-2 Everton FT
FT 2 – 2
Better than we deserved. Everton probably deserved 3 pts. They defended well and scored when given the opportunity.
Given the circumstances and the injuries, I’ll take this draw.
Shit, given how Everton simply pressing us as we kicked the ball along the back line turned the Gunners into a U16 ‘tard girls side, I’ll take the point.
Still, given the weather and the Everton pushing up the pressure into our back third, why the f**k didn’t Arsene have them go Route 1 and just try to pelt the box with balls. Got two deflections as it was without even really trying. Poor in-game management.
Hopefully playing this and avoiding future fixture congestion will pay off down the road. I’ll take the point and pray the injuries are not too bad.
England’s 89th choice central defender Wes Brown gets the start for United. F**k.
@Hock: Agreed. Wins are what we need, but when we play like that and still manage to capture points, it helps our confidence and maintains pressure on United and Spartak.
WSR: Correction 94th choice.
No offense to U16 ‘tard girls sides, eh, PR? :P
Well done, Norwich. A deserved home win.
I actually thought about adding such a disclaimer Anonster, only I don’t think there are a full XI of U16 ‘tard girls, so it’s irrelevant.
PR: Funny, I’m watching a full-XI Atletico Madrid right now….
So, was Donovan worth a s**t?
I think we are in for a rough patch without Song defending in front of the back 4 – he has taken a lot of pressure of those guys this year.
PR, I wasn’t counting the obviously superior Zombie Bobby Moore. Apparently Capello does, though.
@MRD – I thought Landon acquitted himself very well out there. Good pace, good touch, some nice passing – and got an assist on the first goal with his corner.
@Red Devil:
Actually, yes. His pace troubled Traore all the time he was in there and his corner set up the first goal. I thought he did well.
@MrRedDevil: Yep, he actually looked good. Made Traore look silly at several points along the way, was definitely dangerous going forward. They maybe should have gotten him the ball on 1 or 2 occasions where he was all alone out on the right wing. But overall, yeah, he wain’t bad.
@Jape: Yeah, but the question is does Song’s month-long absence warrant Wenger buying another holding mid? I say yes, because we need a back-up for Song as it is. Personally, I’d like to see Matuidi brought in.
Arsene your team seemed to struggle at times out there today.
Well, uh, yes… but ze conditions dictated ze overall pace and I zink we did very well at times and it showed ze team’s, uh, tenacitee.
I agree with all the points about Donovan. Also, I think he is comfortable with Moyes’ approach, which can only help his confidence.
I am just making that s*** up, btw.
hock: Obviously. The real Arsene has a terrible case of the French “r,” too.
BTW, Tommy the Onion Bag thought an Atleti player should’ve gotten, and I quote, “more wood on the ball.”
…WTF?
@EF – I think that Blaise Matuidi would be a fantastic signing. Saint-Etienne is definitely in danger of relegation, so I’m sure he wants out and they could use the money. And he is a graduate of Clairefontaine Academy, which makes Arsene tingle.
@EF – especially with Denilson in who knows what kindve shape. We really do look much better when we can boss the midfield (of course). Fabregas back should help but some DM coverage is a plus. Diaby does not strike me as the guy and I have heard him mentioned as the next guy for that spot.
@Jape, NYK: I don’t like joining the Buy!Buy!Buy! crowd; however, given that out attack flows directly from our midfield play, having another trusted holding mid allows Diaby and Ramsay (and our other middies, when they are back from injury) to go forward. The squad needs some depth right now, and Matuidi provides the needed depth and more; Awho is to say that Matuidi wouldn’t become an integral part of the first team?
This is what I’d like to see over the next two transfer windows:
January: a holding mid (Matuidi) and a striker
Summer: New keeper, center-half
@EF – that seems like a reasonable shopping list. As always, the question is will Arsene spend the $$.
There we are, Mr. Cameron Jerome. There we are!
SEND IT IN JEROME!
Wait s**t Birmingham are right behind us in the table. I’m so conflicted.
A+ for the new avatar, Georger.
Thanks. Jack Burton has been put out to pasture, time to see if Crow T. Robot can spurn a revival.
HA HA!!!
Wait. Why was that not called off?
Huh, I still see the old avatar, MG. Not sure why…
CTRL+F5 should do it, jjf3.
Hey, Aberdeen won. I’m surprised and a little perturbed by having to go to that 4 year old’s birthday party instead of following that. Damn friend’s kids.
your friend’s kids are the worst, since you can’t beat them or put them to work like you would your own
Inter just pulled their asses out of the fire. From down 3-2 with 88 minutes gone, to winning 4-3 over Sienna after extra time.