A Game of Two Halves » Podcast

Rafa Benitez's return to the English Premier League has been tough to say the least and it shows no sign of letting up; will he make it to Christmas? The post 2012/13 Show 16::Rafa an English Premier League gaffer at Christmas? appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

The timing of Mark Hughes’ departure was curious to say the least – why sack a manager on a Friday with an away game against English Premier League leaders on Saturday? What could have delayed Fernandes from letting Hughes’ go on Monday and Tuesday? Was it simply a case of making sure Harry was ready [...] The post 2012/13 Show 15::Fernandes gets in a Harry for rescue appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

The English Premier League Managerial Hunting Season is open and it no doubt surprised many and delighted bookies that the first casualty was Chelsea’s Roberto Di Matteo rather than red hot favourite Mark Hughes. Whether Rafa Benitez, who often seemed too mentally fragile for the hurly burly of the English Premier League and who hasn’t [...] The post 2012/3 Show 14::Roberto’s sacking misses the Mark appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

For the second time in a week, Arsenal give up a 2-0 lead and draw a game. Away to Schalke is perhaps understandable but at home to Fulham and with a last-gasp penalty to win it? Was this simply down to a horror game for the normally reliable Mikel Arteta or is something more fundamental [...] The post 2012/13 Show 13::Mikel freezes over appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

With all but Sunderland and Reading have played 10 games in the English Premier League, it seems an appropriate time to take stock of just how each team is travelling. So we’ve put the teams into 5 categories and discuss their highs and lows, their successes and failures and what the future might hold: The [...] The post 2012/13 Show 12::English Premier League 10-game Report Card appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

You wouldn’t have thought that a first loss after eight games undefeated in the English Premier League would cause a team so much angst but what else could explain what’s going on at Chelsea: formal complaints about referees and bizarre claims by RDM that the crazy 5-4 League Cup win over Utd just proves they [...] The post 2012/13 Show 11::Decisions put Di Matteo and co offside appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

If actions truly do speak louder than words then Kevin Nolan’s big smacker of a kiss for teammate Modibo Maiga after the Malian striker scored his first goal for West Ham was the best anti-racism advert in the English Premier League over the weekend. Of course whether Maiga will be motivated to ever score another [...] The post 2012/13 Show 10::Kev’s Kiss Kicks It Out Better appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

No games in the English Premier League last weekend as qualifying games for various international competitions took centre-stage. Not that this made it a dull few days. There was rioting in Senegal, ugly scenes in Serbia and miraculous comeback by Sweden against Germany, a famous draw for Northern Ireland in Portugal and high farce in [...] The post 2012/13 Show 9::Spurs wingers to undo English Premier League leaders appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

That Brad Friedel has kept his thoughts mainly to himself about the ending of his record run of 310 consecutive games in the English Premier League is testament to the Spurs’ goalkeeper. It is also in stark contrast to the childish Twitter outbursts of one Ashley Cole. The fact that Friedel’s run ended not because [...] The post 2012/3 Show 8::Friedel run out for 310 by AVB appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

Five away wins this week in the English Premier League and two of them by teams that attempted 700 plus passes in a game: Liverpool and Man City. West Ham and QPR didn’t manage 700 passes between them but this was another away win and fourth loss for QPR, who’ve yet to win this season [...] The post 2012/13 Show 7::Hughes’ views confuse appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

Another week in the English Premier League, another set of refereeing controversies and another Liverpool loss. This week in the podcast we go over the controversial decisions in the game at Anfield and find just one that we think Brendon Rodgers can be upset with although we don’t think this is why Liverpool lost. We [...] The post 2012/13 Show 6::Lucky Devils leave Rodgers seeing Red appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

In this week’s podcast, we all return to the English Premier League from the international break and straight into refereeing controversies with at least 5 decisions that were worse than the Anichebe “goal” and Fellaini offside. Perhaps attention was on these two as Everton were the only home team to feel aggrieved unlike Man City, [...] The post 2012/13 Show 5::Toffees left with plenty to chew on appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

Ten teams in this weekend’s English Premier League fixtures conceded two or more goals, of which only one, Man Utd, won which suggests that the defences are taking more time to get up to speed this season than the attacks. Which makes Arsenal’s 3rd clean sheet on the trot, an exclusively remarkable achievement. And Liverpool’s [...] The post 2012/3 Show 4::Low 5 for Red’s start appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

It may only be week two in the English Premier League but already the weather claimed its first victim as a waterlogged pitch lead to the postponement of Reading’s game at Sunderland. The pitch was not to blame as James Collins and Mrtin Skrtel both made a complete hash of back-passes, the latter possibly costing [...] The post 2012/13 Show 3::Hash, gash and cash appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.

There’s the first opening weekend out of the way and whilst Messrs Laudrup, Jol and Clarke had a ball more than one manager was no doubt wishing they could do it all again. One such manager was Mark Hughes, and our Mark does a bit of role play to work out just what Sparky would [...] The post 2012/13 Show 2::QPR go one worse appeared first on A Game of Two Halves - Talking English football since 2005.