1. Alan Pardew for Manager of the Year?
I know, even writing it down is like punching myself in the face with a knuckle duster; but whatever your personal opinions on Pardew the man (he’s a cunt) – the case for Pardew the manger is growing by the week. Put simply, his Newcastle team, assembled entirely from the cash of Andy Carroll’s sale (with more to spare) are positive, tenacious and entertaining. They defend well, attack well and have lashes of flare to boot. They are everything that Liverpool are not. Indeed, yesterday’s bizarre comments from the Liverpool squad that they remain “a better team” only served to highlight the truth being quite the opposite. Newcastle have a solid defence with a world class keeper in Tim Krul. The midfield due of Tiote and Cabaye combines creativity with combativeness and is as good as any in the league. Jonas is a fine winger, full of energy and power and with a wonderful delivery to match. Ben Arfa is one of the most talented players in the division, now more so having finally fully recovered from his injury and up front Ba and Cisse are proven goal scorers. The former one of the signings of the season and the latter having scored 7 goals in his first 7 games with his new club. But beyond the players it is Pardew who must take the credit. His scouting network has proved first class and his man management is now beyond dispute. He has made good players better and average players good. He may well be the sort of man who creates his own fake nude pictures, but in a year where most of the top clubs have failed he is Brendan Rodgers only credible challenger for manager of the season. There are now just 5 points separating 4 clubs for the two remaining Champions League spots and all bets are off again. As for Liverpool, now as close to the relegation zone then they are to the promised land of 4th, a mid-table finish not only beckons, but is fully justified. Unless they win the FA cup in sumptuous style, King Kenny will be picking up my anti-manager of the year award come May…
I know, even writing it down is like punching myself in the face with a knuckle duster; but whatever your personal opinions on Pardew the man (he’s a cunt) – the case for Pardew the manger is growing by the week. Put simply, his Newcastle team, assembled entirely from the cash of Andy Carroll’s sale (with more to spare) are positive, tenacious and entertaining. They defend well, attack well and have lashes of flare to boot. They are everything that Liverpool are not. Indeed, yesterday’s bizarre comments from the Liverpool squad that they remain “a better team” only served to highlight the truth being quite the opposite. Newcastle have a solid defence with a world class keeper in Tim Krul. The midfield due of Tiote and Cabaye combines creativity with combativeness and is as good as any in the league. Jonas is a fine winger, full of energy and power and with a wonderful delivery to match. Ben Arfa is one of the most talented players in the division, now more so having finally fully recovered from his injury and up front Ba and Cisse are proven goal scorers. The former one of the signings of the season and the latter having scored 7 goals in his first 7 games with his new club. But beyond the players it is Pardew who must take the credit. His scouting network has proved first class and his man management is now beyond dispute. He has made good players better and average players good. He may well be the sort of man who creates his own fake nude pictures, but in a year where most of the top clubs have failed he is Brendan Rodgers only credible challenger for manager of the season. There are now just 5 points separating 4 clubs for the two remaining Champions League spots and all bets are off again. As for Liverpool, now as close to the relegation zone then they are to the promised land of 4th, a mid-table finish not only beckons, but is fully justified. Unless they win the FA cup in sumptuous style, King Kenny will be picking up my anti-manager of the year award come May…
2. Sunderland will do well to hold onto Sessegnon.
Sunderland fully deserved their draw against City this weekend and on another day could easily have won. Key to their success this season, certainly since Martin O’Neill took over, has been the brilliance of Stephane Sessegnon. The Beninese international is still just 27 and in his peak as a player. He is quick, skilful and has the sort of eye for a pass that better teams than Sunderland are crying out for. He has scored or assisted 18 goals in his last 21 games and Sunderland fans must be wondering if they can retain his services beyond the summer. With Luca Modric overpriced, Sessegnon would represent a serious improvement on the midfields of both Chelsea and Man Utd. Indeed, the thought of him linking up with Rooney is a serious option. After all, if the guy can make Nicklas Bendtner look good, lord knows what he could do with a real centre forward.
Sunderland fully deserved their draw against City this weekend and on another day could easily have won. Key to their success this season, certainly since Martin O’Neill took over, has been the brilliance of Stephane Sessegnon. The Beninese international is still just 27 and in his peak as a player. He is quick, skilful and has the sort of eye for a pass that better teams than Sunderland are crying out for. He has scored or assisted 18 goals in his last 21 games and Sunderland fans must be wondering if they can retain his services beyond the summer. With Luca Modric overpriced, Sessegnon would represent a serious improvement on the midfields of both Chelsea and Man Utd. Indeed, the thought of him linking up with Rooney is a serious option. After all, if the guy can make Nicklas Bendtner look good, lord knows what he could do with a real centre forward.
3. Villa are in real danger.
Alex Mcleish was always a strange appointment. Aside from him being the manager of Villa’s local rivals, his unique ability to make attacking players worse and creative players boring was always going to leave him open to abuse should things go wrong. Well, with 7 games left to play go wrong they have. Villa have just 33 points and have been spared a brush with relegation so far owing to the collective ineptitude of the teams below them. Indeed if you take away the first 6 games of the season only Wolves have been worse since. Villa still look relatively safe sat 5 points above the drop zone. However the teams below them (not Wolves) are now all playing better. QPR have some momentum, Wigan are putting together an impressive run of results, Blackburn are rejuvenated and Bolton are being spurred on by the whole Muamba incident. Mcleish has to start his team scoring again and ideally not when they’re 2 nil down first. Without Darren Bent and the next four games reading Liverpool, Stoke, Man Utd, Sunderland - it’s squeaky bum time in all the wrong ways for Villa fans.
Alex Mcleish was always a strange appointment. Aside from him being the manager of Villa’s local rivals, his unique ability to make attacking players worse and creative players boring was always going to leave him open to abuse should things go wrong. Well, with 7 games left to play go wrong they have. Villa have just 33 points and have been spared a brush with relegation so far owing to the collective ineptitude of the teams below them. Indeed if you take away the first 6 games of the season only Wolves have been worse since. Villa still look relatively safe sat 5 points above the drop zone. However the teams below them (not Wolves) are now all playing better. QPR have some momentum, Wigan are putting together an impressive run of results, Blackburn are rejuvenated and Bolton are being spurred on by the whole Muamba incident. Mcleish has to start his team scoring again and ideally not when they’re 2 nil down first. Without Darren Bent and the next four games reading Liverpool, Stoke, Man Utd, Sunderland - it’s squeaky bum time in all the wrong ways for Villa fans.
4. Gareth Bale needs to play on the left wing and nowhere else. Ever. Period.
Man of the match this Sunday, Gareth Bale can only do two things. Run. Hit it. He doesn’t even have a variation on his crosses, he beats his man and pings it across the area. The reason he’s rated so highly though is that when he’s on song he does this better than anyone and is virtually unplayable. This season Redknapp has experimented with playing him through the middle and, more inexplicably, on the right hand side. He has been useless in both roles. Bale has no class or real finesse to his game, other than a penchant for sweetly hit left foot volleys. He cannot see “a killer pass” nor he can really use his wrong foot. What he can do is knock it past a defender, beat him in a race and cross the ball into the box. Bale remains a weapon when he’s on his game. His pace is scary and his ball control is very good. His delivery may not be that varied but it’s unerringly accurate. He HAS to play wide left each and every game and to deploy him anywhere else from now on should see Harry automatically forfeit the England job.
Man of the match this Sunday, Gareth Bale can only do two things. Run. Hit it. He doesn’t even have a variation on his crosses, he beats his man and pings it across the area. The reason he’s rated so highly though is that when he’s on song he does this better than anyone and is virtually unplayable. This season Redknapp has experimented with playing him through the middle and, more inexplicably, on the right hand side. He has been useless in both roles. Bale has no class or real finesse to his game, other than a penchant for sweetly hit left foot volleys. He cannot see “a killer pass” nor he can really use his wrong foot. What he can do is knock it past a defender, beat him in a race and cross the ball into the box. Bale remains a weapon when he’s on his game. His pace is scary and his ball control is very good. His delivery may not be that varied but it’s unerringly accurate. He HAS to play wide left each and every game and to deploy him anywhere else from now on should see Harry automatically forfeit the England job.
5. We learnt 5 things from Bolton v Wolves alone.
1. Wolves are doomed. Totally and utterly doomed. If they get to 30 points I’ll be shocked. Also has anyone noticed that Terry Connor speaks like a retired Boxer?
2. Penalty challenges/replays/technology would improve the game. Bolton’s pen was a stonewall dive, as was Dseko’s earlier in the day. For fucks sake Fifa/FA at least fine the players afterwards.
3. Bolton can get out of trouble if they keep playing with this much belief and spirit.
4. David Wheater could be the ugliest man ever to play football. Is he just Frankenstein’s Monster combined with Quentin Tarantino? He is 25 and looks like a dying 60 year old.
5. Petrov’s tribute to Petrov was deeply moving. There has been too much false sentiment and back slapping in football these past few weeks. Whilst the support for Muamba and others has been superb, it remains a strange sensation to watch so many people stand up to eulogise over people that ultimately they don’t know. Petrov’s tribute to his friend and namesake on Saturday hit all the right notes. Crucially, it really meant something. One hopes for all his friends and families’ sake, as well as his own, the Bulgarian wins the battle to come.
1. Wolves are doomed. Totally and utterly doomed. If they get to 30 points I’ll be shocked. Also has anyone noticed that Terry Connor speaks like a retired Boxer?
2. Penalty challenges/replays/technology would improve the game. Bolton’s pen was a stonewall dive, as was Dseko’s earlier in the day. For fucks sake Fifa/FA at least fine the players afterwards.
3. Bolton can get out of trouble if they keep playing with this much belief and spirit.
4. David Wheater could be the ugliest man ever to play football. Is he just Frankenstein’s Monster combined with Quentin Tarantino? He is 25 and looks like a dying 60 year old.
5. Petrov’s tribute to Petrov was deeply moving. There has been too much false sentiment and back slapping in football these past few weeks. Whilst the support for Muamba and others has been superb, it remains a strange sensation to watch so many people stand up to eulogise over people that ultimately they don’t know. Petrov’s tribute to his friend and namesake on Saturday hit all the right notes. Crucially, it really meant something. One hopes for all his friends and families’ sake, as well as his own, the Bulgarian wins the battle to come.
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