WEST BROMWICH ALBION GREAT START TO LEAGUE SEASON

Barclays Premier League manager of the month is West Bromwich Albion's Roberto Di Matteo and the player's award went to his stunning new striker Peter Odemwingie.The Baggies have been yo-yoing between the Premier and Championship in recent seasons but this time it looks different.Di Matteo is getting the best out of talented wingers Chris Brunt and Chris Brunt while tightening up the defence.Albion's recent 3-2 win at Arsenal followed up by the weekend's 1-1 home draw with Bolton leaves them sixth in the league with 11 points from 7 games,five clear of the drop zone.Long way to go but what a fine start.

KARL HENRY HORROR TACKLE CONDEMNED BY HIS BOSS

Well done Wolves manager Mick McCarthy for stating that Karl Henry deserved to be sent off for an ill-timed,reckless tackle on Wigan's Jordi Gomez.McCarthy has defended Wolves reputation of being a dirty team but that tackle,two sent off in the last four Premier League games and an average of 3 yellows per game(7 PL matches to date) is not exactly helpful!

GERARD HOULLIER GETS HESKEY TO PLAY

Emile Heskey has most things going for him...size,speed and the skill to score.Too often he has been found wanting in other areas.Even Martin O'Neill did not resurrect the Leicester Heskey into the Aston Villa Heskey..and then along came Gerard Houllier and the Liverpool at his best Heskey suddenly gets it all back!Pity he did not do it for England but at least its happening again now for Villa.The question now is for how long?
Meanwhile Houllier moans about the referee in Saturday's 2-1 deat at Spurs,playing a little bit more added time than indicated in the first half.Maybe he should have highlighted his team's failure to capitalise in that first half.Ah well,always the ref never the players who cop it from managers in public.Bring back Brian Clough-types.

TECHNOLOGY WORKS FOR FANS BUT NOT UEFA OR FIFA!

Baseball spectators in Philadelphia can now use their machines to order food to be delievered to their seats while watching play.They can tap in their order and credit card details and wait for their food to arrive!Here in Europe UEFA have refused to use technology for major decisions in their European competitions.Instead they have added actual goal-line area officials one of whom some how missed Twente goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov rushing metres off his line to save Rafael van der Vaart's penalty for Spurs at White Hart Lane.The penalty itself was disputed.The referee would not say whether it was the extra official or him.Very helpful! This is not the first instance of it not working.The video replay is to overcome human error!Football is stupid not to use it.Rugby League is a non-stop action game but I watched video used well in the weekend Grand Challenge final at Old Trafford.But it will not be used there for football.Barmy!In the end by the way Spurs won their European Champions League match 4-1 but that's not the point.It might have been a match decider............

DIMITAR BERBATOV ANSWERS CRITICS

Dimitar Berbatov is a high talented footballer.That was never in doubt but his attitude and performances were severely questioned after hius £30 million pounds move from Spurs to Manchester United two years ago.I recall Sir Alex Ferguson telling me that Berbatov can look deceptive and that it does take time to settle as a United new boy.The 3-2 win over Liverpool which United needed to win as Chelsea continue to defend their title with maximum points was down to Berbatov.His hat-trick,the first for United v Liverpool since Stan Pearson in 1946,was his 6th in 5 Premier League games.His application,work rate,and above all efforts to be in the box makes him a real match-winner this season.It was just Wayne Rooney;now its Berbatov and I am sure before long Rooney again!~United and Arsenal are both four points behind Chelsea but there is a long,long way to go.Berbatov? He may be Footballer of the Year if he keeps this up!

HOW QUICKLY FORTUNES CHANGE!

How quickly fortunes change.One year ago Irish goalie Shay Given was Manchester City's big buy from Newcastle.He looked as good as most.His understudy Joe Hart was on loan with Birmingham,went to South Africa with England after playing brilliantly for the Blues,and is now England and Manchester City's regular goalkeeper.Given,on the other hand,had a bad injury and now cannot get into the team.

WEST BROM AND BIRMINGHAM SURPRISE

I did not expect West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City to make such good starts.Early days but early promise.Roberto di Matteo has spent the limited budget well and has a winnner in Nigeria's striker Peter Odemwingie signed for £1.5 million only from Lokomotiv Moscow.Chairman Jeremy Peace runs Albion on strict budgets but they do have a chance with the current squad of staying up.Albion are currently 10th with 7 points.I did not expect that good start....nor Birmingham whose 3-1 defeat at Albion was their first of the season.Manager Alex McLeish has finally got his new contract and has done a very good job at Birminghbam who are very difficult to beat at home.But he has lost striker James McFadden with a damaged cruciate ligament.Both should stay up this season which would make a nice change for the Baggies!