1. It’s time to stop jumping in with both feet.
Following Vincent Kompany’s seemingly harsh red card last week, the key words at the centre of the “two footed debate” are once again “clarity” and “consistency.” Referees seems to be getting less protection from the FA rather than the opposite and despite cries from fans, players and managers for referees to explain their decisions, we are met with a wall of silence that would make the KGB proud. It cannot go on. Refereeing has slipped to new lows this season; and it’s now got to the stage where a trained chimp who spins a random wheel each time there is an incident may as well be the monkey in the middle. With regards the Kompany issue, it was harsh and probably not a red. There are always worse tackles which get yellows to lazily fall back on in defence (not least Alan Hutton’s assault on Shane Long earlier in the season) – but the issue with Kompany is further muddied as he only connected with one foot (despite two being off the ground... by about 2mm) and the tackle certainly didn’t use “excessive force.” This weekend alone, we easily saw ten tackles that were of equivalent danger levels go unpunished. Much as I don’t like quoting Alan Hansen, he is right when he continues to bang on about refs needing to be “absolutely sure” before handing out red cards and penalties. Or as we saw on Saturday, the simply ridiculous decision to give Fernando Torres a yellow card for a stonewall spot kick. A decision, of course, made all the more ridiculous because of the FA’s pathetic and petty rule that you can’t appeal yellow cards. It probably is time to stop jumping in with both feet (if you don’t do it, you don’t get sent off after all)... but it’s certainly time for the FA to start bucking up their ideas and working out what the fuck they’re doing with the laws of the game first.
Following Vincent Kompany’s seemingly harsh red card last week, the key words at the centre of the “two footed debate” are once again “clarity” and “consistency.” Referees seems to be getting less protection from the FA rather than the opposite and despite cries from fans, players and managers for referees to explain their decisions, we are met with a wall of silence that would make the KGB proud. It cannot go on. Refereeing has slipped to new lows this season; and it’s now got to the stage where a trained chimp who spins a random wheel each time there is an incident may as well be the monkey in the middle. With regards the Kompany issue, it was harsh and probably not a red. There are always worse tackles which get yellows to lazily fall back on in defence (not least Alan Hutton’s assault on Shane Long earlier in the season) – but the issue with Kompany is further muddied as he only connected with one foot (despite two being off the ground... by about 2mm) and the tackle certainly didn’t use “excessive force.” This weekend alone, we easily saw ten tackles that were of equivalent danger levels go unpunished. Much as I don’t like quoting Alan Hansen, he is right when he continues to bang on about refs needing to be “absolutely sure” before handing out red cards and penalties. Or as we saw on Saturday, the simply ridiculous decision to give Fernando Torres a yellow card for a stonewall spot kick. A decision, of course, made all the more ridiculous because of the FA’s pathetic and petty rule that you can’t appeal yellow cards. It probably is time to stop jumping in with both feet (if you don’t do it, you don’t get sent off after all)... but it’s certainly time for the FA to start bucking up their ideas and working out what the fuck they’re doing with the laws of the game first.
2. Swansea are the new Arsenal.
Sunday’s teatime match up was billed as one for the purist. Here were two teams who like to keep the ball on the floor, play one touch, passing football and hit teams on the break. In short, it delivered, with Swansea edging a pulsating match 3-2. The worry for Arsenal fans though, is not just that they lost the game and more ground on Chelsea for 4th, but that a team newly promoted through the Championship play offs took them on at their own game and won... easily. That Arsenal scored twice was largely due to two great passes and clinical finishes. The rest of the match was controlled by Swansea who played around Arsenals static midfield and ran poor Aaron Ramsey into the ground. Indeed, the Welsh Captain was given such a lesson in touch and control by supposedly lesser players that this performance will haunt him for weeks. The good news for Swansea keeps coming, they are in the top half of the table completely on merit and don’t look like a team likely to suffer a collapse. They are organised, solid and have some really good players. They are a welcome addition to the Premier League and on this evidence, won’t be leaving it anytime soon. Although could somebody please teach Brendan Rogers to smile... a bit. It can’t be that bad living in Swansea. No... wait.
Sunday’s teatime match up was billed as one for the purist. Here were two teams who like to keep the ball on the floor, play one touch, passing football and hit teams on the break. In short, it delivered, with Swansea edging a pulsating match 3-2. The worry for Arsenal fans though, is not just that they lost the game and more ground on Chelsea for 4th, but that a team newly promoted through the Championship play offs took them on at their own game and won... easily. That Arsenal scored twice was largely due to two great passes and clinical finishes. The rest of the match was controlled by Swansea who played around Arsenals static midfield and ran poor Aaron Ramsey into the ground. Indeed, the Welsh Captain was given such a lesson in touch and control by supposedly lesser players that this performance will haunt him for weeks. The good news for Swansea keeps coming, they are in the top half of the table completely on merit and don’t look like a team likely to suffer a collapse. They are organised, solid and have some really good players. They are a welcome addition to the Premier League and on this evidence, won’t be leaving it anytime soon. Although could somebody please teach Brendan Rogers to smile... a bit. It can’t be that bad living in Swansea. No... wait.
3. Wayne Rooney must stop taking penalties.
United swept aside Bolton like a wounded Tiger stumbling upon roadkill on Saturday, so much so that Rooney’s latest penalty miss was largely forgotten. Rooney has now missed four of his last eight spot kicks and has an overall success rate of barely 65% since taken over from Ronaldo as Utd’s deadball specialist. He has missed high profile kicks and he has missed by miles. He has slipped on his run up an unforgivable three times. He now has to stop taking penalties. The key to a good penalty taker is, above anything, composure under pressure. Rooney is a man who loses his head about once every four games and regularly plays largely on adrenalin. He strikes the ball well enough but his kicks smack of a player who is thinking too much about what to do rather than just doing it. He could do worse than watch the countless penalties taken by Le Tissier and Cantona, who missed just three spot kicks between them in their careers (oddly, both missing to Mark Crossley). Both of them didn’t think about anything but scoring, they scored casual chips, top corner rockets but more often than not just sent the keeper the wrong way time and time again. They were in control of the situation and they made a mockery of the stats that this season has seen a third of all penalties missed. Rooney’s errant 12 yard form will cost United before too long and with the likes of Carrick, Giggs & Young in the squad, there really is no reason why Rooney shouldn’t be politely asked to get to the back of the line.
United swept aside Bolton like a wounded Tiger stumbling upon roadkill on Saturday, so much so that Rooney’s latest penalty miss was largely forgotten. Rooney has now missed four of his last eight spot kicks and has an overall success rate of barely 65% since taken over from Ronaldo as Utd’s deadball specialist. He has missed high profile kicks and he has missed by miles. He has slipped on his run up an unforgivable three times. He now has to stop taking penalties. The key to a good penalty taker is, above anything, composure under pressure. Rooney is a man who loses his head about once every four games and regularly plays largely on adrenalin. He strikes the ball well enough but his kicks smack of a player who is thinking too much about what to do rather than just doing it. He could do worse than watch the countless penalties taken by Le Tissier and Cantona, who missed just three spot kicks between them in their careers (oddly, both missing to Mark Crossley). Both of them didn’t think about anything but scoring, they scored casual chips, top corner rockets but more often than not just sent the keeper the wrong way time and time again. They were in control of the situation and they made a mockery of the stats that this season has seen a third of all penalties missed. Rooney’s errant 12 yard form will cost United before too long and with the likes of Carrick, Giggs & Young in the squad, there really is no reason why Rooney shouldn’t be politely asked to get to the back of the line.
4. Blackburn have a chance... and plenty of spirit.
Somehow, someway, Blackburn moved out of the bottom three this weekend after overcoming the shock of seeing their leading scorer given an early bath and sending Fantasy Football managers up and down the country into seething tyrants. Blackburn were fortunate to be playing Fulham of course, a team about as good on the road as a 30 year old reliant robin, but even taking that into account they played with pace and passion and achieved the three points without their two best players on the pitch. Nobody is really sure how Steve Kean still has a job, but after the horror show at home to Bolton, Blackburn have only lost just once and are now out of the relegation zone for the first time this season. It’s still very much 3 from 5 as I said last time. Wolves need to start winning at home rather than grinding out impressive but not all that important draws to big clubs. Bolton look a certainty to go down and Wigan are in deep trouble but at least are behind their manager and play for their places. Indeed, with Mark Hughes watching the wreckage that Neil Warnock had left behind yesterday with a face that simply said “dear god,” Blackburn and Steve Kean have a genuine chance of escaping. Certainly after this performance, nobody can accuse them of being chicken...
Somehow, someway, Blackburn moved out of the bottom three this weekend after overcoming the shock of seeing their leading scorer given an early bath and sending Fantasy Football managers up and down the country into seething tyrants. Blackburn were fortunate to be playing Fulham of course, a team about as good on the road as a 30 year old reliant robin, but even taking that into account they played with pace and passion and achieved the three points without their two best players on the pitch. Nobody is really sure how Steve Kean still has a job, but after the horror show at home to Bolton, Blackburn have only lost just once and are now out of the relegation zone for the first time this season. It’s still very much 3 from 5 as I said last time. Wolves need to start winning at home rather than grinding out impressive but not all that important draws to big clubs. Bolton look a certainty to go down and Wigan are in deep trouble but at least are behind their manager and play for their places. Indeed, with Mark Hughes watching the wreckage that Neil Warnock had left behind yesterday with a face that simply said “dear god,” Blackburn and Steve Kean have a genuine chance of escaping. Certainly after this performance, nobody can accuse them of being chicken...
5. Money aint everything... but it helps.
http://www.transferleague.co.uk/league-tables/2006-2011.html
As I “researched” my blog yesterday I stumbled upon this little gem of a table showing the total transfer spends (gross and net) over the past 5 seasons in the Premier League. It makes for interesting reason. There’s no real surprise to see the top two places taken by City and Chelsea (although it is mildly interesting to see quite how much City have spent), but Liverpool in 3rd? £83m net spend to go backwards? Other surprises come in Man Utd having the same net spend in the transfer market over the past 5 years as... Stoke. A stat which gives further weight to the Glazer’s influence over the purse strings. The big laughs of course go to West Ham, who have splurged over £100m in transfer fees only to be in the Championship... and to Arsenal, rock bottom of the table having made £31m for the football club over the same period. If Wenger was in control of our banks we probably wouldn’t be in a recession. Although he still has knack all to show for it of course. Finally, a big shout out must go to Everton fans and David Moyes. Everton are not a big selling or buying club and Moyes has had to make do with what he has pretty much his entire managerial career. That he has guided Everton to consistent top 8 finishes despite spending less than Ya Ya Toure’s weekly wage each year... is a fine effort indeed.
http://www.transferleague.co.uk/league-tables/2006-2011.html
As I “researched” my blog yesterday I stumbled upon this little gem of a table showing the total transfer spends (gross and net) over the past 5 seasons in the Premier League. It makes for interesting reason. There’s no real surprise to see the top two places taken by City and Chelsea (although it is mildly interesting to see quite how much City have spent), but Liverpool in 3rd? £83m net spend to go backwards? Other surprises come in Man Utd having the same net spend in the transfer market over the past 5 years as... Stoke. A stat which gives further weight to the Glazer’s influence over the purse strings. The big laughs of course go to West Ham, who have splurged over £100m in transfer fees only to be in the Championship... and to Arsenal, rock bottom of the table having made £31m for the football club over the same period. If Wenger was in control of our banks we probably wouldn’t be in a recession. Although he still has knack all to show for it of course. Finally, a big shout out must go to Everton fans and David Moyes. Everton are not a big selling or buying club and Moyes has had to make do with what he has pretty much his entire managerial career. That he has guided Everton to consistent top 8 finishes despite spending less than Ya Ya Toure’s weekly wage each year... is a fine effort indeed.
no 5 is interesting, and raises some very interesting points (not least re: Arsenal and Everton managers) but i think this kind of reductionism can be a bit crude.
ReplyDeleteI think Bent was a stroke of genius for Villa, proper difference between West Brom and Everton finishing position, put your money where your mouth is, not Bobby Zamora, genius.
A lot of people said he cost a few million less than Suarez and that he was over priced but villa will never get a Luis Suarez to sign, so need to pay over the odds for lesser players.
Man Utd, by comparison, can hoover up young talent to either keep (reducing the need to spend), sell for loads of money if they're good, or sell for a lot of money to Sunderland if they're not.
In essence it's cheaper to maintain a standard than it is to chase it.
Also I think this almost vindicates spurs' transfer policy. if we hadn't bought Bentley then we'd be between Man Utd and Sunderland in that table.