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Mixed Fortunes in Absence of Egyptians

Date: 2-4-2007
Wrote: EP's editor Islam Issa

None of our three representatives in England featured this weekend. Tottenham Hotspur's game on Sunday against Reading saw them emerge 1-0 victors, while on the other hand, Sheffield United fell to a late Bolton Wanderers goal on Saturday. Ahmed Fathi's side are beginning to feel relegation crawling from behind them.

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For the second game running, Ahmed Fathi was not selected in the match squad for Sheffield United. Keith Gillespie returned from suspension into the right side of the midfield, and plenty of choice meant that the Egyptian was not needed at this stage. Though this may be disappointing, it should be remembered that he wasn't expected to feature much this season anyway, and his selection into games such as Liverpool's are big achievements.

The Blades played at Bolton, where they provided a decent performance. This was especially considering the injury of Rub Hulse, perhaps their most influential player, who will be out for the rest of the season after an injury inflicted by Petr Cech. With 10 minutes left however, Kevin Davies guided a shot past Paddy Kenny to deny United of any points.

Good results for Charlton Athletic and West Ham United mean the Blades are in a difficult situation and will have to fight to the very end in order to avoid relegation. Maybe even worse are the two wins that Manchester City have managed, meaning that Neil Warnock's men are the most team outside the relegation zone really fearing of the drop. The manager himself had claimed that Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate let his friend Stuart Pearce win in the game against Man City, resting his three most important players. He then predicted that the same may happen against West Ham, who incidentally, did also beat Middlesbrough. Warnock dubbed it all "disgusting" but all other managers denied his allegations.

Pos) Club Played Points

13) Man City 30 36

14) Fulham 31 35

15) Aston Villa 30 34

16) Wigan 31 33

17) Sheff Utd 31 31

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18) Charlton 31 30

19) West Ham 31 26

20) Watford 31 20

With seven matches left for United, it's going to be a tough and dramatic ride. Warnock had warned that they weren't safe when everyone thought they looked so.

Most worrying is that the Blades have the worst form in the league: just 4 points from the last 6 games. Only Newcastle have the same form, and this weekend's game at Brammal Lane against Newcastle will be a must-win considering the situation. The match after it is even more important: home to West Ham, followed two weeks later by Charlton Athletic. And it's vital they pick up points in the games they can, because travelling to Manchester United isn't a game to rely on.

Fixtures:

07/4: Home to Newcastle

14/4: Home to West Ham

17/4: Away to Manchester United

21/4: Away to Charlton

28/4: Home to Watford

05/5: Away to Aston Villa

13/5: Home to Wigan

 


On the other hand, Spurs jumped into the UEFA Cup spots after a 1-0 win at home to Reading. Neither Egyptian was in the match squad, as both had their injuries as EP had reported. The win was vital, as Reading were just a point behind Tottenham.

And talking of form, Tottenham's is second to nobody but Man United and Chelsea (1st and 2nd). Spurs have won a maximum 15 points in their last 5 encounters; that's 5 wins in a row! Man United and Chelsea have won their last 6, but no other club in the league apart from those three, is on more than a mere two-match winning streak.

Pos) Club Played Points

4) Arsenal 30 55

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5) Bolton 31 50

6) Tottenham 31 48

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7) Everton 30 46

8) Reading 31 44

9) Portsmouth 31 43

The Reading game saw numerous chances at either end, and the woodwork was rattled more than once in the first half. The lucky break for Spurs, however, was just minutes before the interval when Greg Halford was judged to have handled the ball inside the area. The debatable spot kick was given and finished by Robbie Keane, giving Tottenham an all-important three points to keep their campaign on the road. Some eyes will be on Everton's game at Villa tomorrow (Monday), which will determine Spurs' position at the end of the match-day.

Tottenham will very likely end their season on a high, with two home games which will undoubtedly help. Last season's finale at Upton Park was a disaster. But before then, they must play at Chelsea (this coming weekend) and host Arsenal later this month.

They must also focus some concentration on UEFA Cup champions Sevilla, whom they face in Spain on Thursday. A good result, or an away goal, would surely put Spurs in the driving seat when they play at the Lane in the second leg. Both Egyptians are set to be ready for the game.

Come to EgyptianPlayers.com for all the latest on the Egyptians in England...