Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
So after the latest week of the Premier League season, here’s what we learnt this weekend:
Firstly we’ve learnt that there are more important things than football after the death of Gary Speed shocked the football world. The Welsh midfielder had been a great player in his days and was seemingly on his way to a successful career in the game as a manager.
His death hit the hearts of every football fan across the country and one thing that the PFA/FA must do is make sure that they try to do as much as they can to help/protect players who are suffering from depression and let them know that there is help for them if they want it.
We’ve learnt that Danny Sturridge is doing all that can be asked of him by Andre Villas-Boas. The in-form forward took his goal nicely this weekend against Wolves and Chelsea may well have a star on their hands. His confidence is sky-high and he deserves to be playing.
With Didier Drobga not quite looking at the races this season and Nicolas Anelka looking disinterested, Sturridge’s form has certainly come in handy for Villas-Boas whose Chelsea team are certainly benefiting from the youngster’s all-round work ethic and play up top.
We’ve learnt that just when a team looks doomed at the bottom of the table, they’re more than likely to go and win their next game. That’s exactly what Wigan did at the weekend much to the shock of their old manager Steve Bruce whose tenure at Sunderland must be close to ending.
Sunderland in the summer were backed by bookies and pundits to do well and be one of the ‘surprise teams’ of the season. However they have struggled and a defeat at home to Wigan may prove to be the final straw for Sunderland’s chairman Ellis Short.
We’ve learnt that the Spurs band-wagon just keeps rolling on and on. Despite the best efforts of West Brom’s Youssuf Mulumbu, Harry Redknapp’s side look to be unbeatable given their current run. Up front they look dangerous and this season defensively Spurs look strong.
West Brom put up a good fight in the game but Spurs showed character to retake the lead through Jermain Defoe before Emmaneul Adebayour’s strike in injury-time sealed the win. On current form Champions League football should be coming back to White Hart Lane in 2012.
We’ve learnt that Robin van Persie, who seems to be scoring goals for fun this year, cannot score for Arsenal every weekend as the Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham who ripped up the form-book. Martin Jol’s side looked bright and seem to be turning the corner.
It was though somewhat predictable that Thomas Vermalen whose own-goal had put Arsenal behind would go up the other end and head in a late equaliser for Arsene Wenger’s side who look now to have firmly put their horrendous start to the season well and firmly behind them.
Lastly we’ve also learnt this weekend that that Rory Delap can actually score goals instead of just creating them via his long throw’s, that Joe Hart after his stunning save from Andy Carroll is the best keeper in the league and that Javier Hernandez can still score ‘ugly’ goals.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
