1. The Title is Over.
Going for the title does strange things to people. In the history of the premier league just four clubs have won the championship, managed by just five managers. Five managers... in 20 seasons. That is a remarkable statistic, more so when you consider one man has won it 12 times. Ferguson is now all but certain to pick up number 13 next month, barring a double reversal in form that would be the biggest shock this season of shocks has yet delivered. It is unclear why City have imploded as they have. It’s hard to believe that they can have been looking over their shoulder with such terror at the oncoming Red Devils when they were playing with such wild abandonment earlier in the season. Defensively, losing Kompany for almost half of the games since January has been key. He is even more vital to City than Vidic to Utd because they do not have anyone who is fit to lick his boots in the rest of their defence. He was immense again on Sunday, the one player in the City ranks to emerge with plaudits in another lifeless performance. He is a warrior, a bison, an absolutely brilliant defender. He is the anti-Balotelli. Indeed, had City been on course to win the league he would still get my vote over RVP for player of the year. The latter has been magnificent, but Kompany is by a good 20% the best defender in the league. Injuries always play their part, but like last season the difference between this title race has once again been the managers. Ferguson may have mucked up the cups this year and his team remain a work in progress, but he knows how to win games 1 or 2-0 better than any manager in the business. City are barely midtable on form the past 3 months. Utd have won 8 on the spin and have not conceded a goal in 8 hours. They have fused experience with youth, toughness with pace and in Wayne Rooney have a player in his peak who is dictating the attacks of every game he plays in. His absence for the start of the Euro’s will be more keenly felt than ever. Mancini may keep his job and be given another crack and if there’s any justice he should do. Were it not for Jose Mourinho’s availability he probably wouldn’t even be worried. But Jose looks like he may well be out of Real and is eying the Prem. Balotelli will surely now leave whoever takes over, he may be box office entertainment but his form has been scandalous the last five games. Devoid of heart, effort and team play... he has been a complete disgrace to his club. As for Utd, they keep marching on. But Fergie still must heed the warnings, it may be over stretching it slightly to say this is the weakest Utd team ever to win the league (it’s narrowly better than last year for a start) – but Utd are still a long way short of the top 3 European teams and if City do get Jose, it would probably be in Fergie’s best interests to retire on a high.
Going for the title does strange things to people. In the history of the premier league just four clubs have won the championship, managed by just five managers. Five managers... in 20 seasons. That is a remarkable statistic, more so when you consider one man has won it 12 times. Ferguson is now all but certain to pick up number 13 next month, barring a double reversal in form that would be the biggest shock this season of shocks has yet delivered. It is unclear why City have imploded as they have. It’s hard to believe that they can have been looking over their shoulder with such terror at the oncoming Red Devils when they were playing with such wild abandonment earlier in the season. Defensively, losing Kompany for almost half of the games since January has been key. He is even more vital to City than Vidic to Utd because they do not have anyone who is fit to lick his boots in the rest of their defence. He was immense again on Sunday, the one player in the City ranks to emerge with plaudits in another lifeless performance. He is a warrior, a bison, an absolutely brilliant defender. He is the anti-Balotelli. Indeed, had City been on course to win the league he would still get my vote over RVP for player of the year. The latter has been magnificent, but Kompany is by a good 20% the best defender in the league. Injuries always play their part, but like last season the difference between this title race has once again been the managers. Ferguson may have mucked up the cups this year and his team remain a work in progress, but he knows how to win games 1 or 2-0 better than any manager in the business. City are barely midtable on form the past 3 months. Utd have won 8 on the spin and have not conceded a goal in 8 hours. They have fused experience with youth, toughness with pace and in Wayne Rooney have a player in his peak who is dictating the attacks of every game he plays in. His absence for the start of the Euro’s will be more keenly felt than ever. Mancini may keep his job and be given another crack and if there’s any justice he should do. Were it not for Jose Mourinho’s availability he probably wouldn’t even be worried. But Jose looks like he may well be out of Real and is eying the Prem. Balotelli will surely now leave whoever takes over, he may be box office entertainment but his form has been scandalous the last five games. Devoid of heart, effort and team play... he has been a complete disgrace to his club. As for Utd, they keep marching on. But Fergie still must heed the warnings, it may be over stretching it slightly to say this is the weakest Utd team ever to win the league (it’s narrowly better than last year for a start) – but Utd are still a long way short of the top 3 European teams and if City do get Jose, it would probably be in Fergie’s best interests to retire on a high.
2. Crouch should go to the Euro’s.
Now 31, Peter Crouch is currently playing for his 11th club in as many years. Wherever he is gone he has scored goals, created goals and been a consummate professional. For England his record of 22 strikes from 42 matches is up there with anyone in the game, yet he remains a curiously underappreciated player. Following on from his wonder goal against Manchester City, Crouch struck again this weekend and must be considered the first striker on the plane in June. The first striker you gulp? Well yeah, Rooney aside who can’t play from the start, who can you possibly make a case to be in the squad ahead of him? Daniel Sturridge has been awful since the turn of the year, hardly scoring and lacking the discipline to play down the middle. Danny Welbeck has talent but doesn’t score enough and is still a work in progress. Grant Holt probably deserves a shout but given Bent has been injured, Zamora simply pathetic and Defoe not playing the one man who is coming into the championships in form is Crouch. Indeed, he is the one man available who has a proven international record of scoring goals. In short, it’s a no brainer. Even if you don’t start him, having him on the bench with that record remains the best plan B England have. If in doubt... get the robot out.
Now 31, Peter Crouch is currently playing for his 11th club in as many years. Wherever he is gone he has scored goals, created goals and been a consummate professional. For England his record of 22 strikes from 42 matches is up there with anyone in the game, yet he remains a curiously underappreciated player. Following on from his wonder goal against Manchester City, Crouch struck again this weekend and must be considered the first striker on the plane in June. The first striker you gulp? Well yeah, Rooney aside who can’t play from the start, who can you possibly make a case to be in the squad ahead of him? Daniel Sturridge has been awful since the turn of the year, hardly scoring and lacking the discipline to play down the middle. Danny Welbeck has talent but doesn’t score enough and is still a work in progress. Grant Holt probably deserves a shout but given Bent has been injured, Zamora simply pathetic and Defoe not playing the one man who is coming into the championships in form is Crouch. Indeed, he is the one man available who has a proven international record of scoring goals. In short, it’s a no brainer. Even if you don’t start him, having him on the bench with that record remains the best plan B England have. If in doubt... get the robot out.
3. Why didn’t Harry Redknapp play Pienaar?
The loan system is a curious thing, not just in that it unfairly allows bigger clubs to farm out players in the same division to help take points off their rivals, but in that so many seem to perform better in a different environment. There has been a certain irony to the last two months that the best Manchester City striker has been Adeboyer. But whilst benefiting from that move, Redknapp has also stood there and complained about the availability of Aaaron Lennon. All very well, but he had Steven Pienaar on the bench for most of that time and elected to never play him. Sent back to Everton in January, the South African has returned to his best and was the man of the match in an otherwise ordinary game yesterday. He can play on both flanks and in the hole, two roles which Gareth Bale for starters can’t do. What did Redknapp not see which David Moyes does? We may never know... but Everton fans are certainly smiling again. Four points ahead of their rivals with the cup tie to come. Win that and not only will it make their season, but break Liverpool’s as well. There can be no higher incentive.
The loan system is a curious thing, not just in that it unfairly allows bigger clubs to farm out players in the same division to help take points off their rivals, but in that so many seem to perform better in a different environment. There has been a certain irony to the last two months that the best Manchester City striker has been Adeboyer. But whilst benefiting from that move, Redknapp has also stood there and complained about the availability of Aaaron Lennon. All very well, but he had Steven Pienaar on the bench for most of that time and elected to never play him. Sent back to Everton in January, the South African has returned to his best and was the man of the match in an otherwise ordinary game yesterday. He can play on both flanks and in the hole, two roles which Gareth Bale for starters can’t do. What did Redknapp not see which David Moyes does? We may never know... but Everton fans are certainly smiling again. Four points ahead of their rivals with the cup tie to come. Win that and not only will it make their season, but break Liverpool’s as well. There can be no higher incentive.
4. Were the real officials all away on Easter break?
As refereeing standards slip to even lower depths, this weekend saw a collective pool of ineptitude bubble over to flood the grounds with calls my gran could have got right. Wrong penalty decisions, missed red cards, woeful disallowed strikes and a simply criminal five goals that were allowed to stand despite being over a yard offside. Chelsea for example, scored three goals in two games and not one of them should legally have stood. That isn’t just poor, it’s unforgivable. The time has come for video replies to be used to help referees out with penalty box incidents. Can we at least trial it for god’s sake? Is there any argument to be made against it? I’ve only ever heard “it will slow the game down” (it won’t, it wastes more time seeing people argue for two minutes) or “it has to be the same from the top to the bottom of the game” (so stupid it doesn’t even deserve a reply). Give each manager the option to appeal say two penalty box decisions a match either for penalty calls, off sides or disallowed goals. It would create more tension and drama and crucially stop the wrong teams winning crucial matches. It would end the “big clubs get the big calls” debate and level the playing field. I for one am sick and tired of 90% of post match analysis being about wrong decisions. Our once beautiful game is being lost in a mire of poor officiating and players cheating. It’s time for FIFA and the FA to stop the rot. Now.
As refereeing standards slip to even lower depths, this weekend saw a collective pool of ineptitude bubble over to flood the grounds with calls my gran could have got right. Wrong penalty decisions, missed red cards, woeful disallowed strikes and a simply criminal five goals that were allowed to stand despite being over a yard offside. Chelsea for example, scored three goals in two games and not one of them should legally have stood. That isn’t just poor, it’s unforgivable. The time has come for video replies to be used to help referees out with penalty box incidents. Can we at least trial it for god’s sake? Is there any argument to be made against it? I’ve only ever heard “it will slow the game down” (it won’t, it wastes more time seeing people argue for two minutes) or “it has to be the same from the top to the bottom of the game” (so stupid it doesn’t even deserve a reply). Give each manager the option to appeal say two penalty box decisions a match either for penalty calls, off sides or disallowed goals. It would create more tension and drama and crucially stop the wrong teams winning crucial matches. It would end the “big clubs get the big calls” debate and level the playing field. I for one am sick and tired of 90% of post match analysis being about wrong decisions. Our once beautiful game is being lost in a mire of poor officiating and players cheating. It’s time for FIFA and the FA to stop the rot. Now.
5. John Motson has to stop commentating on Chelsea games.
It would probably be easier for everyone if we did the humane thing and put Motty down, but if he must insist on working at the age of 128, then can we at least stop him doing Chelsea games. It’s bad enough that Motty can’t speak or keep up with any game not played at a pedestrian tempo, but he seems to think he’s on personal terms with the Chelsea squad. In addition to that, his comments rarely make sense and are always followed by an inaccurate and dramatic statement. “Oh that’s a stray pass from Frank Lampard, that’s most unusual for him!” – says Motty as Frank’s needless 85 yard cross pitch long bomb is intercepted. Only in reality even that is giving him too much credit, because in reality what Motty says is “Oh my that’s stra... that’s a stray pass from F... Frank Lampard. That is... THAT’S MOST usual UNSUAL for him. Oh my, yes.” Indeed, is there any other commentator in the game whose speech is more readily followed by the single word... what? Finally though, if for no other reason at all, Motty has to stop being sent to Stamford Bridge because he still cannot pronounce the name of Didier Drogba. Not only does he insist upon always using his full name like he’s a lost lord, but crucially his surname is not pronounced either DrogBAR or DrogBAH. Where have those extra letters come from Motty? Why has nobody had a word with him and said “mate, that’s not how you say his name?” He has to be stopped. I’m begging someone, anyone. Every night after I’ve switched the TV off it’s still there, ringing through my ears the same way Gareth Bales fucking heart celebration actually succeeds in ripping yours out. Goodnight world I think... AND HERE COMES DIDIER DROGBAR!!!!!!!!
It would probably be easier for everyone if we did the humane thing and put Motty down, but if he must insist on working at the age of 128, then can we at least stop him doing Chelsea games. It’s bad enough that Motty can’t speak or keep up with any game not played at a pedestrian tempo, but he seems to think he’s on personal terms with the Chelsea squad. In addition to that, his comments rarely make sense and are always followed by an inaccurate and dramatic statement. “Oh that’s a stray pass from Frank Lampard, that’s most unusual for him!” – says Motty as Frank’s needless 85 yard cross pitch long bomb is intercepted. Only in reality even that is giving him too much credit, because in reality what Motty says is “Oh my that’s stra... that’s a stray pass from F... Frank Lampard. That is... THAT’S MOST usual UNSUAL for him. Oh my, yes.” Indeed, is there any other commentator in the game whose speech is more readily followed by the single word... what? Finally though, if for no other reason at all, Motty has to stop being sent to Stamford Bridge because he still cannot pronounce the name of Didier Drogba. Not only does he insist upon always using his full name like he’s a lost lord, but crucially his surname is not pronounced either DrogBAR or DrogBAH. Where have those extra letters come from Motty? Why has nobody had a word with him and said “mate, that’s not how you say his name?” He has to be stopped. I’m begging someone, anyone. Every night after I’ve switched the TV off it’s still there, ringing through my ears the same way Gareth Bales fucking heart celebration actually succeeds in ripping yours out. Goodnight world I think... AND HERE COMES DIDIER DROGBAR!!!!!!!!
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