More Big Names Fall: ManU and Barca Lose On Saturday

It was a not a good day for the big names in the sport...

Stoke City beat Manchester United for the first time in the history of the Premier League with a 2-1 win for the Potters...and their first win against the Devils since 1984...

Charlie Adam had a big day for former ManU star Mark Hughes' squad including a little luck on a free kick...


It's already the 8th loss for Manchester United this season...

Barcelona's 25-game home match win streak was also thrown away in La Liga when Valencia beat the title holders 3-2...

The visitors became the first La Liga side not named Real Madrid to leave Camp Nou with three points since Hercules won 2-0 in September 2010.

Here's your look at the back and forth

OSG Prem: Hughes And Rodgers Answering The Piper Soon...

((HT: BBC Sport/BPL))

If you haven't seen why these two managers are currently in trouble...

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers after his loss to ManCity when he went off on the officials...
((HT: BT Sport))


The Football Association has asked Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to explain his post-match comments:

When asked about it at his press conference today, he said:

"I think they know that when I come out and make a statement like I did yesterday, it was obviously emotional after the game of course, but it was something that I will speak honestly on. As I said, whatever action they will take, they will decide.

"I have to speak on behalf of the supporters of the club, a club that has an emotional investment for many, many millions of people throughout the world. As the manager I represent them, and I'm sure where they were throughout the world yesterday they would have been asking the questions on the decision-making, which I repeat I didn't think was so good, after the game.

"In terms of geography, it wasn't the case at all, I certainly wasn't questioning the integrity of the referees. As I said before, I fully understand the job, it was more the logic of it, in terms of having a referee from that particular part of the world refereeing a game in Manchester, I wouldn't suspect that Mike Dean from the Wirral has refereed many games for Liverpool over the years."

Here's Stoke's Mark Hughes after being sent to the stands in their game Boxing Day, in the process of losing 5-1 to Newscastle...


And his post-match questions-and-answers


Hughes has been officially charged by the FA after jettisoning his coat:

"Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has been charged by The FA following his side's game at Newcastle United yesterday [Thursday 26 December].

"It is alleged that his behaviour in or around the 40th minute of the fixture amounted to improper conduct."

Hughes has until the 2nd of January to respond... which will be an interesting answer to the FA charge...

Looks like a reprimand and a suspension are coming...

OSG Prem: Boxing Day Recap Borders On The Wacky

((HT: BPL on NBCSN))

Let's start with the less eventful...

An own goal saved Manchester United's hind-quarters at Hull City FC, 3-2...

Chelsea scored once and beat an offensively-crippled (at the moment) Swansea, 1-0...

Tottenham and West Brom tied at ones...

Arsenal took care of a tiring West Ham squad in the second half, 3-1, but are concerned over an Aaron Ramsey injury as the weekend continues...

Tony Pulis' turnaround with Crystal Palace continues with a stoppage time goal win over Aston Villa...

Fulham needed a win over Norwich to start a climb out of the bottom of the table and got one, 2-1...

And now for the final four matches of the day...

We'll start with Cardiff and Southampton since the HQ is under the impression that the porous defensive showing in the first half in a 3-0 loss may have buried manager Malky Mackay in the eyes of joke of an owner Vincent Tan. Protests by Cardiff City fans outside the stadium before the match numbered in the hundreds, and there were a lot of fans wearing the team's original color, blue, in the stands...

Here's Mackay's post-match interview...
((HT: BBC Sport))


Everton keeper Tim Howard was sent off for the first time in ten years after getting a red against Sunderland- the team at the bottom of the table. And one goal was all that the Black Cats needed as Gus Poyet continues the team's climb from the basement...


Stoke was leading 1-0 until all hell broke loose, The Potters went two men down on red cards, manager Mark Hughes exploded and was sent to the stands and Newcastle scored 5 in a row to win 5-1.

Here's Hughes eviscerating everyone in ref's colors...
((HT: BBC Sport))


And the finale was Liverpool and Man City...

After Liverpool got the early lead, the rest of the game was Man City's with goals from Kompany and Negredo for the three points and a 2-1 win...

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers was less than pleased...
((HT: BBC Sport))


And that's the beginning of the weekend...

OSG Prem: Hughes Put Out Of Misery At QPR

This move really isn't a shock- considering the gawd-awful start Queen's Park Rangers have had at the bottom of the Premier League table this year- dead last, 8 losses in 12 games, no wins, 9 goals total and a goal-differential of Minus-14...

Oh, and five points from being clear from relegation...

Owner Tony Fernandes thought that bringing in 11 new guys would shake things up, and the names sounded good- Ji-sung Park from Manchester United, Jose Bosingwa from Chelsea and Julio Cesar from Inter Milan.

But nothing has gelled at all...

Sir Alex believes that QPR should be better than they are...
((HT: FoxSports))


It all came to a head with a 3-1 loss to Southampton last week and it now looks like former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will be taking over as caretaker manger...

But will it be enough to get them ahead of the likes of Villa, Southampton, and Reading to stay alive...