haha. . . kidding.

Like CFC Fan, I dont know much about the Wolves, except that their main GK is American. But the fact they have done such a surprising upset to the Spurs has made me pay a bit more attention, a bit more wary (I thank God that we beat them 3-0 yesterday, so we dont have a face any more humiliation!).
As for Everton. . . at first, in the early 2000s, I didnt think highly of them (sorry David), but then David Moyes came around, and helped the Toffees to a pretty good postion in the table. Not only that, but there was one certain striker that caught my attention, especially after his goal against Arsenal, which helped the Toffees win 2-1. You guessed it: Wayne Rooney. Ever since, I have kept a close eye on Everton, and I like to think of them as very formideable rivals. I am surprised to see them struggle, but then again every team struggles every now and then, so it shouldnt be long before they recover.

Don Cherry is Canada’s face of Hockey…he was a former player and coach for Boston…very flambuoyant hard-nose kind of guy that always has an opinion – let me emphasize ALWAYS…pretty entertaining guy to watch and listen to.

That’s a good link between Arsenal and the Red Wings Gooner and i’m not sure how they manage to succeed, but they do…the Red Wings have implemented an incredible system of scouting and development for some time now and it is often raved about and proven in their results…the Gunners use youth more than any other team i’ve seen, and they have that same philosophy of good sportsmanship, youth, speed and finesse, which counters the physical aspect of the game…both teams are using similar opposing strategies from their opponents and have managed to be a dominant team in their respective leagues without really going after domestic talent. Maybe it’s not the players, but the system that is the problem…Liverpool seem to have no identity at the moment and are searching.

And yes – I completely agree with you on the fact that players who do adapt to the EPL become even better players…case in point >>> Cristiano Ronaldo…who some might say is an exception to all the rules, but i’m a firm believer that the EPL moulded his skills and abilities fantastically in to what it is today.

I feel like I know exactly what your saying about not enough Englishmen & adapting etc… but I also think players who do adapt can (<- italics) become even greater than the English players because they will end up be more rounded.
Also, what about Arsenal? Their top starting VI might not have 1 Englishmen in it and the invincibles from 03/04 had 3 steady players who were English…

So I guess as an Arsenal fan it would probably make sense that I would also be a Detroit Red Wings fan, hey? Both are teams that a) tend to try to bring in young players who can mold into certain players rather than buy in the great players and b) prefer talent over braun.

Hey hey, David, easy now… did you out pick Dutch players on purpose? haha, joking, actually, I think Liverpool just picks duds!

You have to be mentally and physically strong to play in the Premier League. You also have to be an extremely talented player. Liverpool’s problem is they currently don’t have the financial muscle to sign players good enough to compete with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United or even moneybags Manchester City.

Every league around the world has its advantages and disadvantages. One pool i’m concerned about is the talent coming out of North America – specifically, Landon Donovan and his recruitment by Everton. He was able to make a huge impact with The Galaxy – i’m suspecting this has to do with the fact that he’s had experience abroad with one of the best teams in the world, international experience and of course, his gifted abilities. Bringing an ounce of knowledge from the best in the world translates in to a fountain of knowledge in lower level leagues. But, when you go the other way, from little league to big league, it’s difficult to bring something to offer. But, Landon is an exception and I hope he does well. He has the leadership and heart…he seems technically sound, but the EPL is very demanding…hopefully he proves me wrong.

ok ok, it took a few hours, but i’m over it…couldn’t believe it – Chelsea couldn’t get it going in their own backyard!

‘That is why I love the Premier League, you just never know what your going to get!’

I think it is a great sign of your league when your bottom teams can scrap it out and come out level, or on top, of the top teams…and forgive me – I don’t mean to say Everton and the Wolves are bottom teams in the sense that they have no quality – they are bottom teams in terms of where they currently stand in the points system, which any team can fall victim to when faced with such a depletion of the squad.

I virtually knew nothing of the Wolves before they entered the EPL – I still know virtually nothing about them now that they are in the EPL…I expected them to struggle a bit with the transition as they are up against a mountain of talent and payrolls, but this can change instantly -I have no doubts.

I like Burnley and Birmingham too…these two teams have been highlights in my fantasy squad this season…on the keeper’s end, the defensive end, and in the midfield…on the road, yes, they struggle, but at home, they are different…keep in mind that their team payroll is as big as the Chelsea back-line, so it’s no surprise where the expectations are, but I wouldn’t put it past either of these two teams to upset any of the big four…they have heart and that’s a difficult thing to contend with…same goes to Everton – watching them this weekend, they didn’t want to give Chelsea an inch to breathe and they sure looked like they weren’t going to fall for any intimidations.

I had a discussion this weekend about the Anfield woes…I heard a surprising comment, and I hope this is not offensive to anyone, but it kind of makes sense and kind of doesn’t…he was telling me that there simply aren’t enough Englishmen on that team…there aren’t enough players groomed in to that system of play – they come from other leagues that are not up to par with the EPL, in terms of aggressiveness and physicalities. Sure, these players look great from where they are recruited from, but can they adapt to the rough-and-tough English football?…i’m sounding like a hockey fan aren’t I? Let me clarify, seeing anyone get hit until they are motionless is not a sport – it’s a crime.

When I first saw the outcome of the Wolves vs. Spurs game, I thought that ESPN had done a missprint somehow. How on earth could one of the best teams this season be upset (of course I also thought that after MU’s disaster at Turf Moor in Fixture 2)?

As for the Toffees getting a draw at Stamford Bridge, good job Everton. CFC Fan wont be happy about that. . . haha, kidding man, jes so you know.