Posts Tagged ‘Chasers’
Gulls ready to fly again
There was no better side in League Two at the end of last season than Torquay United, who staved off fears of relegation straight back to the Blue Square Premier with a run of eight games unbeaten.
Those performances were all the more creditable considering the pressure Paul Buckle’s team was under and the opponents they faced, defying the nPower League Two betting odds by going the last seven of those matches without even conceding a goal.
Champions Notts County ended a five-game winning streak with a goalless draw on the final day of the season, after Rochdale had been thrashed 5-0, and playoff chasers Bury and Aldershot both went down to heavy home defeats.
It wouldn’t be too far off the mark to expect similar levels of performance to open the 2010-11 season, since the personnel at Plainmoor has not changed a lot, and if anything has been improved since the end of last season.
Gone from Buckle’s squad are loan goalkeeper Michael Poke, winger Mustapha Carayol who is now with Lincoln City and striker Scott Rendell, who has joined Wycombe after a successful loan spell with the Gulls.
But Torquay have been active in the transfer market themselves, signing former Cambridge keeper Danny Potter to compete with Scott Bevan for the No 1 shirt, adding striker Billy Kee from Leicester and midfielder Damon Lathrope, who had been captaining Norwich City’s reserve team.
However the biggest addition might just have come this week when veteran centre-back Guy Branston returned to the club on a permanent deal after being a huge success on loan from Burton Albion last season.
Although having problems with his temper in the past, Branston brought Torquay just what they needed last season – experience and determination – and it is no coincidence that their improvement came after his arrival.
Branston’s know-how improved centre-back colleague Mark Ellis no end, and the no- nonsense youngster looks like having a very good career ahead of him, and the man known as ‘Pickler’ will again be a key man.
Talking of key, remember the name Billy Kee as well. Fifteen goals on loan in League Two for Accrington last season marked him out as a player to watch and he has been in sensational pre-season form with nine goals at time of writing as the Gulls have beaten the likes of Plymouth – who are involved in League one betting this season - and Bristol City and given QPR a good game.
Tags: Betting Odds, Bevan, Burton Albion, Chasers, Eight Games, Game Winning Streak, Goalkeeper, Lincoln City, Mark Ellis, Midfielder, Mustapha, Norwich City, Notts County, Npower, Rendell, Rochdale, Straight Back, Torquay United, Winger, Youngster
Are Arsenal the real deal?
I’m sure most people expected Arsenal to beat Porto in the Champions League - the Portuguese side have an awful record in England after all. However, the manner of the 5-0 victory, achieved without talisman Cesc Fabregas, should force people to sit up and take notice.
Arsenal put in a sparkling performance against the 2004 European Champions, dominating pretty much from start to finish. Nicklas Bendtner will no doubt take most of the headlines with a face-saving hat-trick going some way towards making up for his horror show against Burnley at the weekend.
But credit also has to go to the two chief architects, Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin, whose probing midfield runs were instrumental in the victory and eased the pain of being without captain Fabregas.
The win caps off a satisfying few weeks for Arsene Wenger, whose side are visibly growing in confidence. Following last Saturday’s win over Burnley they will firmly believe they can take advantage of their favourable fixture list and win their first Premier league title since 2004.
After the Porto result what is stopping them going all the way in the Champions League as well?
Wenger himself has admitted he would relish the chance to avenge their heavy league defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United should they be drawn together in the next round.
Personally I feel the Champions League is a step too far. The Gunners have shown already they struggle against the top sides in the Premier league and I feel that when up against a similar side in the Europe they will fall just short. The Champions League football betting certainly suggests this will be the case.
The momentum is definitely with them in the league, however. Their win at Stoke the weekend before last was celebrated with extra vigour, not just because it was in response to Aaron Ramsey’s shocking injury but because it was seen as a rare banana skin in what is a dream of a run-in fixture list.
Local rivals Spurs and fellow fourth place chasers Man City are the only other major hiccups remaining for the Gunners and if the past few games are to go by, they shouldn’t present a problem. If this proves to be the case, then the title could be heading to Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium for the very first time.
Meanwhile, hat-trick hero Bendtner will be hoping he can hit form in time for the World Cup.
He will be representing Denmark and while the side are unlikely to be many people’s World Cup 2010 tips they could still cause an upset.
Tags: Andrey Arshavin, Banana Skin, Burnley, Cesc Fabregas, Champions League Football, Chasers, Chief Architects, European Champions, First Premier, Fixture List, Going All The Way, Gunners, Hat Trick, Horror Show, Last Saturday, Man City, Midfield, Nasri, Vigour, Wenger