S4M21: Je Suis Charlie

A sombre title this week, and one that has little to do with the last week's football. Just wanted to register my support.

It's always difficult to come back after a break and talk about the football from yore. My memory rarely permits details from more than a few minutes ago to remain, so New Year's Day is a bit of a stretch. Man City, Southampton and Spurs probably the big winners - and Liverpool who profited from some (more) shocking officiating to get a draw that they didn't deserve 'cos of the decisions and the throwing away of a 2-0 lead.

That lets me segue into Stevie G's big move. It's an interesting one, and as a neutral ( 36 games a season), I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. We'd all love to have a Gerrard - a one-club man (not one-man club as Stewart Robson kept saying on Talksport - that's something different, although arguably also relevant to Liverpool) who supported the club as a boy, came up through the youth to captain a pretty successful side, and being one of the best players in the league for around a decade (allowing for incline and decline either end). We'd all love our club to have a reliable set piece taker, a guy with the ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck, with a versatility to his game that allows him to reinvent himself every few years.

On the other side, he's clearly on the slide. His great strength - his physicality - is only going to worsen. If he can't be trusted to shield, and he isn't mobile enough to play up top, then where does that leave him? The obvious comparison is Lampard at Chelsea (and now City), or even Giggs/Scholes...to come on and retain possession, and provide dressing room/training pitch leadership and experience. I don't know why Rodgers doesn't trust him to do that - he's certainly an intelligent enough player to adapt, even if it's not his natural game. Maybe it's a wages thing?

Regardless, it's a shame to lose a good player, and seemingly nice guy, even if it weakens Liverpool.

The other big issue this week has been Ched Evans and Oldham. My take on it is roughly alligned with this piece - http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/ched-evans-has-served-his-time--and-other-misconceptions-about-the-convicted-rapist-footballer-9957849.html I know he's released a half-arsed apology today, but that should have been offered up years ago. I have a major bugbear with the line 'he's served his time' - he has not. I also have an issue with the comparisons to other jailed footballers - especially those relating to death by dangerous driving - a totally different type of offence and one for which the individuals concerned seem to have shown remorse. Evans, for all his blather, clearly does not understand the law of consent, as he is applying to have his case reviewed - he still feels himself to be innocent. This is the crux for me - he has not completed his punishment, is obviously not rehabilitated and, the privilege argument aside (as I don't think it's relevant), those 2 factors should make him presently unemployable. He has a right to work - but he doesn't have the right to expect someone to employ him.

Had he admitted his crime, apologised and then spent his time since release trying to atone for it - I don't know how given the limitations on working with children or vulnerable people - I think people would have much less an issue with him trying to find a club. Maybe a good start would be a donation of a year's wages to a shelter for abused women? I dunno. Happy to entertain debate (on anything) below.

This week's blog got very serious. Dunno where that came from!

Let's get statty:

Last week, 19 people played
Most popular predicted results: Liverpool, Man City & Chelsea WINS
Most disputed results: Southampton vs Arsenal (3-8-8 split)

Highest odds: Josh Daniels, 6445/1
Lowest odds: Steven Daniels 2117/1
Average odds: 3871/1

One can only guess what AFM would have got!

Best predictors: Me, David Silverman & Tarek Najm (4/10)
Worst predictors: Lots of you (2/10)
Average score: 2.79/10. Congrats guys - not just the lowest score this season, but the lowest average ever!!!

Best predicted result: Man City WIN (19/19)
Worst predicted results: Spurs WIN, Liverpool vs Leicester DRAW (0/19)

Everyone's scores:

To the leaderboard, for those who have played >2/3 of matchdays (14/20)

No comments - to next week's predos...

Sunderland vs Liverpool - DRAW

Burnley vs QPR - BURNLEY

Chelsea vs Newcastle - CHELSEA

Everton vs Man City - MAN CITY

Leicester vs Aston Villa - LEICESTER

Swansea vs West Ham - SWANSEA

WBA vs Hull - WBA

Crystal Palace vs Spurs - SPURS

Arsenal vs Stoke - ARSENAL

Man Utd vs Southampton - MAN UTD

Total odds: 1021/1 (PaddyPower)

Good luck folks!