1. Newcastle aren’t going away.
As we head into the final third of the season Newcastle sit deservedly in 5th place and find themselves playing with more consistency than any of the teams around them. They have defended well all season and could give both Arsenal and Chelsea a lesson in organisation, as well as a guide to defending as a unit. Their midfield has been strong, especially in the centre where even with injuries they have dictated matches. Up front, the signing of the season has just been added to by what looks like a clone of himself. Indeed, there is little evidence that Newcastle will collapse and right now they have to considered a genuine contender for the 4th Champions League place. Despite a proper, all be it two horse title race and a five way relegation scrap, the battle for 4th is shaping up to be the most intriguing contest of the season. Not just in who claims it, but what the aftermath will be for at least two of Chelsea, Liverpool & Arsenal. It would be somewhat ironic and heavily amusing, if all three found themselves in that boat. There is little love lost between myself and the delusional and irritable Geordie fans, but truth be told I would love it... love it... if Newcastle finished 4th.
2. Fortress Bridge is a distant memory.
Jose’s ghost may live on at Stamford Bridge, but the team he left behind are now shadows of their former selves. Chelsea have conceded 19 goals at home and you have to go all the way down the table to QPR in 16th before you find a worse record. It’s too easy to blame the personal in these situations, Terry, Cole & Luiz have all come in for serious stick already, but the buck must stop with the manager. AVB is a fine attacking coach, deserved of more than the woeful Fernando Torres to spearhead his fluent system, with Mata & Sturridge causing havoc in front of a quick passing centre. Defensively though, he continues to look clueless. His fullbacks bomb on aimlessly and he is currently playing without any real holding player. Both centre backs yesterday often found themselves way too far forward and Luiz continues to look genuinely disinterested in defending altogether. Utd’s third and crucial goal was the definition of schoolboy defending as Chelsea allowed not one, not two, but three players time and space to pick out first a shot, then a cross and finally a free header. AVB can defend his team to the hilt all he wants in his increasingly deluded post match interviews, but until he can learn how to make his team... actually defend, his tenure at Chelsea still looks fragile.
As we head into the final third of the season Newcastle sit deservedly in 5th place and find themselves playing with more consistency than any of the teams around them. They have defended well all season and could give both Arsenal and Chelsea a lesson in organisation, as well as a guide to defending as a unit. Their midfield has been strong, especially in the centre where even with injuries they have dictated matches. Up front, the signing of the season has just been added to by what looks like a clone of himself. Indeed, there is little evidence that Newcastle will collapse and right now they have to considered a genuine contender for the 4th Champions League place. Despite a proper, all be it two horse title race and a five way relegation scrap, the battle for 4th is shaping up to be the most intriguing contest of the season. Not just in who claims it, but what the aftermath will be for at least two of Chelsea, Liverpool & Arsenal. It would be somewhat ironic and heavily amusing, if all three found themselves in that boat. There is little love lost between myself and the delusional and irritable Geordie fans, but truth be told I would love it... love it... if Newcastle finished 4th.
2. Fortress Bridge is a distant memory.
Jose’s ghost may live on at Stamford Bridge, but the team he left behind are now shadows of their former selves. Chelsea have conceded 19 goals at home and you have to go all the way down the table to QPR in 16th before you find a worse record. It’s too easy to blame the personal in these situations, Terry, Cole & Luiz have all come in for serious stick already, but the buck must stop with the manager. AVB is a fine attacking coach, deserved of more than the woeful Fernando Torres to spearhead his fluent system, with Mata & Sturridge causing havoc in front of a quick passing centre. Defensively though, he continues to look clueless. His fullbacks bomb on aimlessly and he is currently playing without any real holding player. Both centre backs yesterday often found themselves way too far forward and Luiz continues to look genuinely disinterested in defending altogether. Utd’s third and crucial goal was the definition of schoolboy defending as Chelsea allowed not one, not two, but three players time and space to pick out first a shot, then a cross and finally a free header. AVB can defend his team to the hilt all he wants in his increasingly deluded post match interviews, but until he can learn how to make his team... actually defend, his tenure at Chelsea still looks fragile.
3. Give the Ox chance to graze before sending him to new pastures.
Oxlaide-Chamberlain had started a grand total of one Premier League game for Arsenal before Fabio “I’m only interested in people who play in the top six” Capello was sniffing around. This Saturday would have done nothing for the poor lad’s prospect of bedding into Premiership life before making his bow at International level. There are the odd freak cases every now and again (Rooney, Gazza, Joe Cole) but by and large I’ve never seen the logic of calling any young player up to the International scene unless they are playing regular club football first. Oxlaide-Chamberlain looks a fine prospect, fearless, pacey and direct... he could well become everything Theo Walcott wishes he was... but please can we give him a season or two to develop properly before throwing him to the Lions of the England National team. After all, right now, that is no place for someone wanting to learn how to play football to be...
4. The sideshow of comedy that is Steve Kean rolls on.
After a good run of away results and performances, Blackburn came down to earth with a crashing bump on Saturday as they were swept aside by an Arsenal side on song. However, decent as Arsenal were, this was very much a case of Blackburn being so, so bad that several of their players would be better served up via the Venkey’s deep fat fryer than on a football pitch. The problem with Steve Kean, as I’ve said all along, is that fundamentally he has no idea what he is doing. Yes Blackburn have had the odd good result, but you suspect that’s more to do with the law of averages rather than any carefully plotted tactical triumph. His recent decision to not select Chris Samba after the transfer window has closed is baffling. He is, after all, their only decent defender. Blackburn may yet escape, such is the ineptitude of at least three other teams around them, but frankly they don’t deserve to. It may be harsh on their fan, but this team needs to be put out of their misery, disbanded in the lower leagues and hopefully not be seen again for a very, very long time.
5. England & Capello have serious problems.
At the risk of poking Sage with a stick, the FA’s blunder over John Terry’s 29th scandal has now gained enough momentum to seriously derail what little chance England had of not embarrassing themselves in the summer. Capello’s reaction says everything we need to know about his relationship with the FA and indeed why he is personally so ill suited to managing our national team. Saying you disagree is one thing, saying that JT “will always be my captain” is quite another. Seemingly ignoring the continuing evidence that John Terry can’t actually defend these days anyway, Capello has nailed his colours to the mast and essentially admitted that JT will be going to the Euro’s as his unofficial leader. He may as well not even select another captain; such will his leadership be undermined. The England set up has been in disarray since before the last world cup and after a small rescue job during the qualifiers, it has now turned full circle again as another major tournament looms. When Joey Barton starts talking sense, you know you’re in serious trouble. Is there anything to be done? Probably not. All the major parties have dropped a bomb over this situation and nobody has come out looking good. The FA & Capello need to sit down and plan some sort of a united way forward to stop our team sinking even further into international waters. In reality, it’s probably best if we just go, get spanked, get rid of Capello, appoint someone else and start again with a new, younger team and captain (Hart, Richards, Jones, Rooney – whoever). I’ll stop now because I’m depressing myself. It could have been worse though, I could have written about Aston Villa. But frankly nobody deserves that punishment...
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