1. Relegation could be full of justice this year.
We all have our favourites for relegation, but this year there have been some truly haunting decisions that look set to bite one or two clubs squarely in the backside. Two months ago I’d have pretty much bet everything I had on Blackburn, Bolton & Wigan all getting relegated. Whilst that might still happen, it’s looking increasingly more likely that at least one of Wolves & QPR will join them. Given the likeability of all the managers at the first three clubs, I’m hopeful that both will drop into the Championship and be left to rue the wisdom of sacking their managers when they were in better positions than they are now. If QPR’s decision to sack Warnock was harsh, Wolves sacking of McCarthy, only to employ his inexperienced assistant smacks of genuine madness. Few people will now mourn both being relegated, more so given how far Mark Hughes’ stock in the game has dropped since his time at Manchester City. Elsewhere, much as a part of me really wants Blackburn to stay up solely because of Steve Kean, it’s hard to cheer for a team whose supporters club released this statement following the win at the weekend. “If Steve Kean keeps us up, it will be nothing to do with any good work that he has done. It will solely be down to there being three teams who have been worse than us. We want Kean out. We want Venkys out. We want our club back.” You can have it back chap(s), but ideally in the Championship with Keano moving to take the helm of Spurs...
We all have our favourites for relegation, but this year there have been some truly haunting decisions that look set to bite one or two clubs squarely in the backside. Two months ago I’d have pretty much bet everything I had on Blackburn, Bolton & Wigan all getting relegated. Whilst that might still happen, it’s looking increasingly more likely that at least one of Wolves & QPR will join them. Given the likeability of all the managers at the first three clubs, I’m hopeful that both will drop into the Championship and be left to rue the wisdom of sacking their managers when they were in better positions than they are now. If QPR’s decision to sack Warnock was harsh, Wolves sacking of McCarthy, only to employ his inexperienced assistant smacks of genuine madness. Few people will now mourn both being relegated, more so given how far Mark Hughes’ stock in the game has dropped since his time at Manchester City. Elsewhere, much as a part of me really wants Blackburn to stay up solely because of Steve Kean, it’s hard to cheer for a team whose supporters club released this statement following the win at the weekend. “If Steve Kean keeps us up, it will be nothing to do with any good work that he has done. It will solely be down to there being three teams who have been worse than us. We want Kean out. We want Venkys out. We want our club back.” You can have it back chap(
2. Can Moyes dethrone the King?
A pivotal week beckons for Liverpool and their leader after yet another non-performance from their expensive flops this weekend. Moyes doesn’t have a great record in derby’s but his Everton team are playing as they always seem to do this time of year, full of strength, heart and energy. Lord knows what they’d be capable of if they could just start a season. For Liverpool the chances of getting 4th are not just disappearing but becoming virtually invisible. Whilst cup success will probably ensure the doubters don’t start harassing King Kenny just yet, he has never been under more pressure since returning. Liverpool just look a spectacularly average team, solid at the back and well organised but lacking any coherency, creativity or guile. Only Enrique can be considered a successful signing since Kenny returned, with Suarez’s reputation now firmly on the rocks following Evragate and a strike conversion rate of 0.03%. With Everton at home and QPR away this is a monster week for Liverpool. Win both and they remain in the hunt for the top six and at least a Europa spot. Win neither and by the time I write this blog next week they could conceivably be 12th. And that is not a typo...
A pivotal week beckons for Liverpool and their leader after yet another non-performance from their expensive flops this weekend. Moyes doesn’t have a great record in derby’s but his Everton team are playing as they always seem to do this time of year, full of strength, heart and energy. Lord knows what they’d be capable of if they could just start a season. For Liverpool the chances of getting 4th are not just disappearing but becoming virtually invisible. Whilst cup success will probably ensure the doubters don’t start harassing King Kenny just yet, he has never been under more pressure since returning. Liverpool just look a spectacularly average team, solid at the back and well organised but lacking any coherency, creativity or guile. Only Enrique can be considered a successful signing since Kenny returned, with Suarez’s reputation now firmly on the rocks following Evragate and a strike conversion rate of 0.03%. With Everton at home and QPR away this is a monster week for Liverpool. Win both and they remain in the hunt for the top six and at least a Europa spot. Win neither and by the time I write this blog next week they could conceivably be 12th. And that is not a typo...
3. Is it time to start praising Jonny Evans?
I’ve given Evans my fair share of stick in the past, mainly because he looks like a Sunday league player and doesn’t seem able to shut his mouth when he runs. But since Vidic got injured Evans has got better each and every game and has formed a defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand that is exactly that. In the 20 games he’s started in the Premier League this season Evans has lost just once. That game was against Man City, where he got sent off and Utd utterly collapsed. He has kept 10 clean sheets in that time, which is a pretty amazing record whichever way you look at it. More pleasingly though is the way that Evans has grown in confidence enough to start bringing the ball out of defence and leading the line at set pieces. It’s not uncommon for defenders to take a couple more years to fully mature than attackers and Evans, whilst still a fair distance away from the finished article, is finally starting to look a player. If Utd do win the league, he will almost certainly have been the clubs most consistent defender over the course of the season. He still looks likely to fall over twice a game, but for now he deserves some praise. After all, it’s not his fault he isn’t as good as Gerard Pique...
I’ve given Evans my fair share of stick in the past, mainly because he looks like a Sunday league player and doesn’t seem able to shut his mouth when he runs. But since Vidic got injured Evans has got better each and every game and has formed a defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand that is exactly that. In the 20 games he’s started in the Premier League this season Evans has lost just once. That game was against Man City, where he got sent off and Utd utterly collapsed. He has kept 10 clean sheets in that time, which is a pretty amazing record whichever way you look at it. More pleasingly though is the way that Evans has grown in confidence enough to start bringing the ball out of defence and leading the line at set pieces. It’s not uncommon for defenders to take a couple more years to fully mature than attackers and Evans, whilst still a fair distance away from the finished article, is finally starting to look a player. If Utd do win the league, he will almost certainly have been the clubs most consistent defender over the course of the season. He still looks likely to fall over twice a game, but for now he deserves some praise. After all, it’s not his fault he isn’t as good as Gerard Pique...
4. Swansea are no ugly ducklings.
Man City not scoring at Swansea yesterday shouldn’t have been a shock. The Welsh side have lost just two games at home all season and have only conceded in three matches. Rodgers team play lovely passing football but unlike other Premiership newcomers they really know how to defend. They have also been helped by the signing of Michel Vorm, who tends to save the shots that do get through with such regularity that he must be a massive shout for signing of the season. Second syndrome season is the fear for Swansea but for my money, providing they keep hold of Rodgers, they look here to stay. Previous victims of dramatic falls from grace like Hull, Ipswich, Reading & Blackpool all looked like they were punching above their weight, often relying on goals to win matches rather than solid defending. Swansea have played the top 6 at home this season and won 6-5 on aggregate whilst dominating possession. They are organised and resilient as well as pleasing to watch. Brendan Rodgers is a fine manager, warming himself to me yet further this week with his comments about the Chelsea job (“I’m interested in improving my career, not ruining it”). The only negative thing about the club right now is how little recognition some of their English players have been getting. Whilst the likes of Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Cleverly only have to sneeze to get an international cap, surely the likes of Dyer, Sinclair, Graham and the superb Leon Britton deserve at least a mention? No? Maybe people think they’re all Welsh...
Man City not scoring at Swansea yesterday shouldn’t have been a shock. The Welsh side have lost just two games at home all season and have only conceded in three matches. Rodgers team play lovely passing football but unlike other Premiership newcomers they really know how to defend. They have also been helped by the signing of Michel Vorm, who tends to save the shots that do get through with such regularity that he must be a massive shout for signing of the season. Second syndrome season is the fear for Swansea but for my money, providing they keep hold of Rodgers, they look here to stay. Previous victims of dramatic falls from grace like Hull, Ipswich, Reading & Blackpool all looked like they were punching above their weight, often relying on goals to win matches rather than solid defending. Swansea have played the top 6 at home this season and won 6-5 on aggregate whilst dominating possession. They are organised and resilient as well as pleasing to watch. Brendan Rodgers is a fine manager, warming himself to me yet further this week with his comments about the Chelsea job (“I’m interested in improving my career, not ruining it”). The only negative thing about the club right now is how little recognition some of their English players have been getting. Whilst the likes of Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Cleverly only have to sneeze to get an international cap, surely the likes of Dyer, Sinclair, Graham and the superb Leon Britton deserve at least a mention? No? Maybe people think they’re all Welsh...
5. City are in danger of imploding.
For my money Manchester City haven’t played well for three months. In that time they have limped out of every cup competition, won barely a single away game and have kept just about on track thanks to an imperious home record and a run of kind fixtures. On Sunday they finally lost the lead in the title race, which looked inconceivable as little as a month ago. Utd have had a far, far tougher last six fixtures but have outscored and outfought City over that period to arrive at the summit looking downwards once more. The problem for City has been very simple, they have stopped scoring. Balotelli may be hilariously entertaining off the pitch, but he owes his manager some big performances on it. Dseko seems to have been discarded, Tevez isn’t fit and surely can’t be relied on and Aguero has hit a sticky patch. City need to play their best team and find their early season fluency again before the inevitable infighting comes back to haunt them. Whether Mancini will survive coming 2nd is a mystery which could probably do with being clarified. Even if they do fail this season City need stability and consistency to go again next year. Getting rid of the Italian makes no sense whatsoever and a statement that he will be there next season regardless would probably help City’s cause. Seeing one of their fans weeping as Swansea scored yesterday says it all about how City are always expected to fail at the final hurdle. Mancini is in an impossible situation whereby even if they win the league they will have done it with all the money in the world against the most average Utd team in recent memory. Still, money can’t buy you Alex Ferguson... and thankfully it didn’t buy them Wayne “one man team” Rooney either.
For my money Manchester City haven’t played well for three months. In that time they have limped out of every cup competition, won barely a single away game and have kept just about on track thanks to an imperious home record and a run of kind fixtures. On Sunday they finally lost the lead in the title race, which looked inconceivable as little as a month ago. Utd have had a far, far tougher last six fixtures but have outscored and outfought City over that period to arrive at the summit looking downwards once more. The problem for City has been very simple, they have stopped scoring. Balotelli may be hilariously entertaining off the pitch, but he owes his manager some big performances on it. Dseko seems to have been discarded, Tevez isn’t fit and surely can’t be relied on and Aguero has hit a sticky patch. City need to play their best team and find their early season fluency again before the inevitable infighting comes back to haunt them. Whether Mancini will survive coming 2nd is a mystery which could probably do with being clarified. Even if they do fail this season City need stability and consistency to go again next year. Getting rid of the Italian makes no sense whatsoever and a statement that he will be there next season regardless would probably help City’s cause. Seeing one of their fans weeping as Swansea scored yesterday says it all about how City are always expected to fail at the final hurdle. Mancini is in an impossible situation whereby even if they win the league they will have done it with all the money in the world against the most average Utd team in recent memory. Still, money can’t buy you Alex Ferguson... and thankfully it didn’t buy them Wayne “one man team” Rooney either.
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