Last week, I alluded to the growing problem of player power increasingly taking over the game, with several notable examples occurring during the World Cup, and just two weeks into the new season (or one week if you, like much of the media, believe football only exists in the Premier League), we have seen several further examples of petulant and quite frankly puerile behaviour from some players who really should know better. The retirements from international football of Paul Robinson and Wes Brown were almost laughable as they were hardly likely to be key figures in their country’s future anyway, and were obviously timed simply to cause Fabio Capello maximum embarrassment, and now Charles N’Zogbia has decided that he does not want to play for his club for reasons that include the fact that Wigan did not sign his friend Sekou Baradji, who had been on trial at the club. Quite honestly on current form, if Wigan turned him down, then you can imagine how capable a player he must be. Unfortunately, fining N’Zogbia two weeks’ wages, as Wigan have apparently done, is not likely to make the slightest difference to the situation to a multi-millionaire who doesn’t exactly have the leading lights of European football beating his door down for his signature, so I suppose we are going to have get used to more and more of these unwelcome stories as the season progresses.

Incidentally, I have informed Fabio Capello that if he was to select me for international duty, I will have to check with my mum first, and if she is unwilling to let me out on a Wednesday night, I will be retiring from international football.

As Chelsea, Blackpool and Man.United attempt to consolidate their title challenges, the second round of Premier League fixtures starts with a real David and Goliath battle at the Emirates:

1) Arsenal v Blackpool: The next few weeks will be most informative as to whether Blackpool’s opening day trouncing of Wigan said more about their own team spirit and desire or Wigan’s abject defending, but this fixture should be a thoroughly enjoyable one whatever the outcome. Anybody thinking of taking the odds of 1/5 against an Arsenal victory would be well advised to remember Hull’s first visit to the Emirates, when they came from a goal down to beat The Gunners 2-1, and as Ian Holloway is not the sort of manager to pack his defence and hope for the best, this match could either go the same way or end up 6-0 to Arsenal. Either way, at the odds available, I certainly won’t be including this match on my coupon.

2) Birmingham v Blackburn: Had they not found themselves up against ten men for most of last week’s opener at Sunderland, City would almost certainly have suffered a defeat, and I am yet to be convinced that they are capable of repeating last season’s admirable ninth place finish. Blackburn were only one place further behind by the season’s end, and subjected Everton’s fans, who were expecting a challenge on the top six this season, to an uncomfortable afternoon at Ewood Park last week. For two relatively evenly matched sides, this fixture has been something of a gimme for Birmingham over recent years, with five consecutive victories in League and Cup. The loan signing of Matt Derbyshire may in time prove to be a masterstroke by Alex McLeish, but with neither side showing many other significant changes in personnel from last season, it may pay to follow the statistics, including the facts that City only lost twice at home last season while Rovers only won three times away. Narrow home win.

3) Everton v Wolves: Many previews of the season had Everton challenging for the top six and Wolves already consigned to relegation, but these sides’ opening results put paid to such talk, and David Moyes will be looking for a vastly improved performance from his players here. Wolves haven’t won at Goodison Park since 1979, and as Everton were another side who only lost twice at home during last season, they may struggle to end that sorry record on Saturday. I’m sure that we won’t see a second such toothless display from Everton in front of their own fans, and they can get their season back on track with three points here.

4) Stoke v Tottenham: Stoke will be anxiously awaiting news on how long Kenwyne Jones’s early injury will force him to be out of the side, but he looks set to miss this match anyway, and as far as I am concerned, his side’s chances of winning this match have disappeared with him. Tottenham gave Man.City a right battering at times last weekend even thought they were unable to make the decisive breakthrough, and they have players in every department who are capable of taking Stoke’s defence to the cleaners if they suffer from the same lack of concentration they displayed at Molineux last weekend. Three players have seen red in the last two renewals of this fixture, so I’m sure we can expect another hard-fought encounter, but I think another narrow Tottenham victory to follow up their 2-1 win from last season may be on the cards.

5) West Brom v Sunderland: This fixture has alternated between a Championship and Premier League match in recent years, and Sunderland have certainly enjoyed by far the better of it, with just one defeat in the last nine renewals. Having suffered easily the heaviest defeat of his West Brom career last week, Roberto Di Matteo will have his work cut out to avoid their 6-0 gubbing at Chelsea preying on his players’ minds, and as somebody who is yet to be convinced that he will turn out to be any more successful in management than some of his other Chelsea contemporaries such as Gianfranco Zola and Ginaluca Vialli, I would be most surprised if he proved himself capable of steering his side to safety this season. Having said that, this is the sort of fixture that the Baggies really need to get straight back on track, especially as Sunderland will be missing their captain, Lee Cattermole, following his idiotic challenge on Lee Bowyer that led to his dismissal last Saturday. This really is a most unpredictable fixture with so little recent form to go on, but if pushed, I would have to narrowly favour the away side.

6) West Ham v Bolton: The opening day of the season can provide such a cruel slap in the face for fans hoping that their club’s new signings will instantly provide a better showing for their side, and West Ham’s fans must already be resigning themselves to a long season of disappointment ahead following the shambles on display at Villa Park, particularly during the opening exchanges last weekend. The opening round of matches did little to convince me that we will witness too many different results from last season this time around, and if that is the case, then Bolton could be in for a rewarding afternoon here, as they have won their last two visits to Upton Park, and had numerous chances to put Fulham away in their opening fixture before settling for a 0-0 draw that has become so common in Fulham’s away results column recently. Both sides have scored in each of the last eight renewals of this fixture in League and Cup, so we should have plenty of goalmouth action, and most of it could well be just in front of Robert Green (or perhaps behind him).

7) Wigan v Chelsea: If only gambling was as simple as successfully backing a team that has just won 6-0 to beat a team that has just lost 4-0, we would all be millionaires. There is no logical reason why Chelsea shouldn’t win this match, but will they actually manage it? I should point out that Wigan lost 4-0 to Arsenal early last season and then beat Chelsea 3-1 in their following match bringing accumulators around the country crashing down, and no doubt resulting in several bloodbaths in Far East gambling dens. Furthermore, straight after their 9-1 battering at Spurs, they won their next match, and after taking a 5-0 pasting at Old Trafford, they won their next two League games. So, while all common sense points to an away victory, will you be taking 2/7 against it occurring? 

8) Newcastle v Aston Villa: Newcastle’s attempt to get off the mark for the season moves back to Tyneside with a visit from the side that confirmed United’s relegation at the end of their last Premier League campaign. The uncertainty over James Milner’s future didn’t seem to affect Villa’s performance at all in their opening match, but I’m sure they will face a rather sterner defence here than West Ham could muster last weekend. Villa also haven’t really enjoyed trips to St.James’s Park in recent years, with just one win in their last ten visits in League and Cup, and I think they may find it difficult improving that record on Sunday.

9) Fulham v Man.United: Fulham may have a new manager in place, but early evidence shows that their results may not differ significantly as a result. If that is proved to be the case, then United could face further embarrassment here, as they have been well beaten on their last two visits to Craven Cottage. While we wait for Wayne Rooney to start showing anything like his best form again, the time may be right for another upset.

10) Man.City v Liverpool: I don’t think too many people were surprised at Man.City’s unconvincing display in their opening match at Spurs last week, and I still think that Roberto Mancini will prove to be the latest casualty in the hire ‘em and fire ‘em game played by owners with more money than sense who are coming into the game in increasing numbers. Having been reduced to ten men in the first half last week, it is difficult to draw too many conclusions from Liverpool’s opening result, but they do boast a more than decent recent record away to City, having lost just one of their last eleven visits in League and Cup. As this fixture isn’t due to be played until Monday night, Liverpool’s midweek European encounter shouldn’t cause Roy Hodgson too many problems, barring serious injuries of course, and I can see them extending their proud record at City to one defeat in twelve. 

I’ve got a couple of potentially lucrative suggestions for you this week, but please bear in mind that with very little form to go on, I wouldn’t go re-mortgaging your house for your stake money just yet. A successful £10 treble including QPR, Gillingham and Shrewsbury this weekend would return £49.50 at bet365.com, but if you really want to go for the “retirement special”, try adding East Stirling and Arbroath to create a £10 five-timer which would return a whopping £190.96 with skybet if all won their matches.

Good luck!