Anyone's Game Episode 10

Anyone's Game is into double figures! This week's podcast was produced by yours truly, and featured James Pearson, Jonny Williams, Matt Tyzack and Will Roe.

Plenty to discuss this week, including AVB's sacking, this week's European football action, plus the latest on the Six Nations and the Olympics and the race for promotion to the Premier League.

Hope you enjoy it, and as ever, feel free to post any comments below.

Anyone's Game Episode 10

Tough ties ahead for England's remaining Champions League contenders

So, the theatre (or pantomime) is over. The draws have been made, and the last 16 clubs in the Champions League have found out their fate. And the two remaining English clubs certainly haven’t had it easy.

Chelsea and Arsenal have both landed Italian opposition. Judging from what managers and media had to say on the subject before the draw, the consensus seems to be that this is just about the worst possible outcome. Chelsea will face Napoli, who qualified second in their group at the expense of Manchester City. The Blues seem to have found some good form in recent weeks, but question marks remain over their defence.

Napoli, meanwhile, have looked impressive in their maiden Champions League campaign. They’ll be looking to exploit any defensive lapses with their pacey attacking play, just as they found out group rivals and fellow debutants Manchester City. The Italian club’s own defence has looked solid so far, meaning Chelsea will need to find more creativity if they’re to break them down. Chelsea’s greater Champions League experience may work to their advantage, but it would be dangerous to rely on this to see them through what will be a stern examination.

Lack of experience certainly won’t be a problem for Arsenal’s opponents. AC Milan have long been a fixture in the later stages of the competition, and the seven-time champions will be in no mood for an early exit this time around. Their group form may not have been stellar, with away draws against both BATE and Plzen. But a 2-2 away draw against Barcelona suggests there’s plenty more to come from the Italian champions.

Arsenal qualified comfortably from Group F, going through as group winners with a game to spare, and their domestic form has improved dramatically after a terrible start. And with Robin van Persie scoring goals for fun, they certainly present an attacking threat. But injuries have left them short of full backs, and with van Persie’s injury record there has to be a nagging doubt about where the goals will come from if he is struck down again. The San Siro is a hugely intimidating place to play, so a clean sheet at home will be vital for Arsenal’s chances. It’s certainly a tough ask for what is a relatively inexperienced squad.

Plenty, then, for Messrs Villas-Boas and Wenger to ponder. Meanwhile, for fans, there’s the promise of some great European clashes, and a chance for English football to rebuild its reputation on the toughest stage of all.

Big kickoff leaves plenty to ponder for season ahead

After all the hysterical headlines during the week, the start of the Premiership season actually went remarkably smoothly, with only Spurs’ match against Everton being postponed. It’s always entertaining to check the Premiership table after the first weekend (any bets on how long Bolton will last at the top?), but the opening fixtures can tell us a lot about how the season’s shaping up.

First, it looks like the newly promoted sides are going to struggle. For QPR and Swansea it was a baptism of fire, with both going down 4-0 and QPR having a man sent off into the bargain. Norwich City bucked the trend, though, managing a 1-1 draw away at Wigan. Last season the struggle for survival was at least as exciting as the race for the title – let’s hope it’s another closely-fought contest, and that at least one of the Premier League’s new boys can make the top flight their permanent home.

Second, the eclipse of London by Manchester continues apace. After United’s triumph in the Community Shield, it was the blue half of the city that was celebrating after they thrashed Swansea on Monday night. Combine that with the Reds producing an assured, if less spectacular, win over West Brom, this should be a rivalry to savour.

The London clubs, meanwhile, have found the start of proceedings considerably tougher. While Spurs’ opener has been put on hold, Chelsea could only manage a draw away at Stoke and Arsenal played out a bad-tempered goalless draw at Newcastle. With the loss of Cesc Fabregas now confirmed and the departure of Samir Nasri rumoured to be imminent, it looks like there are tough times ahead for the Gunners. Combine this with an unconvincing display against Udinese in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier last night and it’s not surprising that some have suggested Arsene Wenger’s position may be under threat.

Finally, it looks like there’ll be a few new household names by the end of this season. In terms of new signings, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero made an instant impact, announcing his arrival with two goals in a standout individual performance. Meanwhile, Manchester United are setting the early pace in terms of developing young players. The inclusion of Tom Cleverley in the England squad for last week’s cancelled friendly was fully deserved after his efforts in the Community Shield. How easily new players, whether new signings or products of academies, adjust to life in the Premier League will have a major impact on how their teams fare.

So, the Premier League circus has rolled into town once again. Its opening weekend eventually faced far less disruption than had been feared, and as ever it supplied us with plenty of talking points. Of course, it’s too early to say much consequence about the season ahead, but a few general trends are discernible. Above all, it looks set to be a season full of twists, turns and a few surprises. Just what we’d expect from the best and most exciting league in the world.