It's a bit of a later one for the weekly blog this time around. A trip to Carlisle races on Sunday and the chance to learn how to play Curling on Monday were just opportunities which were too good to turn down so, here it is at a later date.
The usual Premier League round-up is in and the feature team this week can be none other than Tottenham who have sacked their manager already.
Fylde picked up a win over Blaydon and I put forward some smart performers from the horse racing scene for you to put in your notebooks again so, the same as usual really!
Premier League round-up
Saturday was a bust day in the Premier League, we saw Manchester United pick up a vital three points against Tottenham in the match deemed 'El Sackico'.
This was later proved true on Monday morning, when Tottenham sacked Nuno Espirito Santo from his job as manager, and brought in original target in the summer Antonio Conte.
Southampton beat Watford 1 - 0, while Chelsea continued their dominance with a 3 - 0 away win over struggling Newcastle, who need their new manager to make an impact when he comes in.
Crystal Palace shocked Manchester City with a 2 - 0 win at the Etihad, Burnley beat Brentford 3 - 0, and Arsenal continued their recent good run of form with a 2 - 0 victory over Leicester.
Liverpool were also held to a 2 - 2 draw with high flyers Brighton before on Sunday Leeds recorded a vital three points away at Norwich, and West Ham handed Aston Villa a 4 - 1 battering to put the pressure on Dean Smith.
Wolves rounded off the weekend's fixtures on Monday night with a 2 - 1 win over Everton, but the main stories were Chelsea extending their lead at the top to three points, and Nuno being sacked at Tottenham after a poor run of form.
Troubled Tottenham
The fact is with Tottenham is that they have never recovered from the Mauricio Pochettino era, and it's been reflecting on the club in the past few seasons.
A summer of turmoil and trying to find a manager who wanted the job was a difficult one in itself, and when they finally appointed Nuno, there was still plenty of doubt about it.
All that was soon brushed under the carpet though, with Tottenham starting the season well with three wins from three in August landing the new boss Manager of the Month.
It went downhill from there though, and with Harry Kane also still looking as though it would've been better for both parties if he did depart in the summer transfer window, Nuno was fighting a losing battle.
Conte is a good appointment for the club, and he might be able to rejuvenate a side which hasn't looked nowhere near it's usual self this season.
His tactics could suit the players more than Nuno's, and I think it'll be worth revisiting them in a few weeks and analyse them more then under a coach who can surely get them back playing.
Fylde too sharp for Blaydon
They are the top scorers in the division now and sit six points off league leaders Sedgley, in what was a vital away win for Fylde last Saturday against Blaydon.
The scores were close at one point with the game looking it could go either way, but in the end they were just too strong for the opposition, and ran out 40 - 20 winners.
A week off for them now follows, before an away trip to Sheffield on the 13th November awaits where they'll be hoping to try and keep the momentum going now through to the new year.
Of course that is easier said than done, but what this week off allows the side to do is to get some of those injured players back involved, and I'm sure Chris Briers and Alex Loney will be hoping that too.
David Fairbrother returned against Bournville in the last home game they played, and he showed that day why he is so vital to the team, because the experience and calmness he brings to all the forwards is clear for everyone to see.
We'll just have to wait and see though if anyone's back for the Sheffield game, and all being well they'll be making it back-to-back away wins.
Fiddlerontheroof wins big at Carlisle
It was nice to be on a racecourse again on Sunday, and I've been really impressed with the job Brendan Powell is doing at the Tizzard yard at the minute.
Not only did the pair take the listed race at Carlisle on Sunday with Fiddlerontheroof but they also took the Haldon Cup at Exeter on Tuesday with a strong staying performance from Eldorado Allen to beat the very talented Hitman.
I reckon Hitman will shape better for the run though and his effort was still one worth noting, and where he goes next could be very interesting.
Fusil Raffles won the Charlie Hall after Shan Blue crashed out three fences from home in what surely looked to be a demolition job.
In those situations it's all about horse and jockey getting up safe and sound, and Skelton's decision to give the horse time off until the spring is a wise one, because he's clearly a horse who is full of potential and needs wrapping up in cotton wool for the festival and the bigger meetings in 2022.
Molly Ollys Wishes won the listed Mares' Hurdle well at Wetherby, but I liked how Marie's Rock shaped back in third and she's one to watch out for next time, as she looked as though she was starting to return to her best.
This week it's Wincanton and Aintree which head the big meetings, and you can read all about some of their standout performers in next week's blog, because that's all we've got time for in this one!
Comments