1. Fullbacks are crucial to the modern game.
As 4-4-2 has been slowly phased out to accommodate either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, fullbacks have become more important than ever when it comes to teams attacking. Top teams will tend to dominate the possession and such their fullbacks will push forward to such an extent that, at home, the formations of the likes of Arsenal, Utd and Barcelona will now resemble 2-2-5-1. Indeed, the likes of Danny Alves & Patrice Evra, often spend over half their time in the opponents third of the pitch. There is a flipside to all this though, in that top teams will tend to have full backs picked on their attacking merit rather than their defensive ones. When those teams do get attacked, especially at pace, the fullbacks are often exposed as both of Utd’s were yesterday afternoon. As you go lower down the league, fullbacks have to do a lot more defending and less attacking. Indeed, you could make a case that the fullbacks of teams like Aston Villa, Sunderland and Everton are much more adept defensively because their games tend to invite the opposition on much more. Another case to consider is centre backs playing wide. This season Arsenal had their best run of form when they played with four centre halves spread across the defence. Whilst they didn’t create as many chances from wide positions as when Sagna and Santos returned, they kept clean sheets, were excellent at dealing with set pieces and didn’t get caught on the counter. The same is true of Manchester Utd, who have always looked more defensively solid with a centre back playing in Gary Neville’s old role. From Jones or Smalling this year right the way back to Wes Brown’s remarkable season where they eventually lifted the Champions League. All of which brings us to the most important question of all. What has happened to the fullbacks that are good going forward and sound defensively? Right now, only Ashley Cole and Philip Lahm seem to tick both boxes. Perhaps there is an argument for converting centre halves to play out wide, Phil Jones for example looks a much better right back right now then he does playing in the centre. Either way, fullbacks remain so crucial because with such congested midfields they are often the only players who can attack at pace with room to move into. Yesterday’s extraordinary match at Old Trafford saw 6 of the 8 goals come from direct involvement through attacking fullbacks, with a staggering 7 seeing errors from the opposition fullbacks en route. Whatever the answer, I can pretty much guarantee the solution isn’t either of the Da Silva twins...
As 4-4-2 has been slowly phased out to accommodate either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, fullbacks have become more important than ever when it comes to teams attacking. Top teams will tend to dominate the possession and such their fullbacks will push forward to such an extent that, at home, the formations of the likes of Arsenal, Utd and Barcelona will now resemble 2-2-5-1. Indeed, the likes of Danny Alves & Patrice Evra, often spend over half their time in the opponents third of the pitch. There is a flipside to all this though, in that top teams will tend to have full backs picked on their attacking merit rather than their defensive ones. When those teams do get attacked, especially at pace, the fullbacks are often exposed as both of Utd’s were yesterday afternoon. As you go lower down the league, fullbacks have to do a lot more defending and less attacking. Indeed, you could make a case that the fullbacks of teams like Aston Villa, Sunderland and Everton are much more adept defensively because their games tend to invite the opposition on much more. Another case to consider is centre backs playing wide. This season Arsenal had their best run of form when they played with four centre halves spread across the defence. Whilst they didn’t create as many chances from wide positions as when Sagna and Santos returned, they kept clean sheets, were excellent at dealing with set pieces and didn’t get caught on the counter. The same is true of Manchester Utd, who have always looked more defensively solid with a centre back playing in Gary Neville’s old role. From Jones or Smalling this year right the way back to Wes Brown’s remarkable season where they eventually lifted the Champions League. All of which brings us to the most important question of all. What has happened to the fullbacks that are good going forward and sound defensively? Right now, only Ashley Cole and Philip Lahm seem to tick both boxes. Perhaps there is an argument for converting centre halves to play out wide, Phil Jones for example looks a much better right back right now then he does playing in the centre. Either way, fullbacks remain so crucial because with such congested midfields they are often the only players who can attack at pace with room to move into. Yesterday’s extraordinary match at Old Trafford saw 6 of the 8 goals come from direct involvement through attacking fullbacks, with a staggering 7 seeing errors from the opposition fullbacks en route. Whatever the answer, I can pretty much guarantee the solution isn’t either of the Da Silva twins...
2. This has been the best title race in years.
For all the failings in Europe (twice) from the Manchester superpowers, there is little doubt now that between them they have concocted one of the great title races of the Premier League era. From the explosive, free scoring start to bizarre, left field defeats. Both teams have looked uncatchable one minute and ready to throw it all away the next. It has also been an advert, above all, for how much harder it is to lead than it is to catch. Once the first ten games were out of the way, when nobody really looks at the league table (certainly not Everton fans) the team who has been in second has almost always been consistently playing the better football. Indeed, when Man City looked to have almost wrapped it up in January, at one stage having a chance to go 11 points clear, they crumbled. Just about the only thing more surprising than that collapse was how well they have played over the last three games when suddenly the pressure has been off again. Utd meanwhile, seem duty bound to never do things the easy way. The title was in their grasp with seven minutes to play yesterday and they threw it away to sheer carelessness. Suddenly, we have what every neutral must have hoped for when they saw the fixture list in August. A proper, juicy title decider next Monday night. City are at home and playing better again, but writing Utd off in any match is madness, especially when Rooney is scoring with such careless abandon. The fact that City have to play for the win makes the match even more tantalising. Of course, if City do triumph they may well still stumble the week after against a Newcastle team playing as good as anyone in the land. But for my money, it's winner takes all again.
For all the failings in Europe (twice) from the Manchester superpowers, there is little doubt now that between them they have concocted one of the great title races of the Premier League era. From the explosive, free scoring start to bizarre, left field defeats. Both teams have looked uncatchable one minute and ready to throw it all away the next. It has also been an advert, above all, for how much harder it is to lead than it is to catch. Once the first ten games were out of the way, when nobody really looks at the league table (certainly not Everton fans) the team who has been in second has almost always been consistently playing the better football. Indeed, when Man City looked to have almost wrapped it up in January, at one stage having a chance to go 11 points clear, they crumbled. Just about the only thing more surprising than that collapse was how well they have played over the last three games when suddenly the pressure has been off again. Utd meanwhile, seem duty bound to never do things the easy way. The title was in their grasp with seven minutes to play yesterday and they threw it away to sheer carelessness. Suddenly, we have what every neutral must have hoped for when they saw the fixture list in August. A proper, juicy title decider next Monday night. City are at home and playing better again, but writing Utd off in any match is madness, especially when Rooney is scoring with such careless abandon. The fact that City have to play for the win makes the match even more tantalising. Of course, if City do triumph they may well still stumble the week after against a Newcastle team playing as good as anyone in the land. But for my money, it's winner takes all again.
3. Liverpool should sign the post.
After splashing £75m on the combined non-ability of Carroll, Downing and Henderson, it’s becoming increasingly clear who Dalglish should make his next marquee signing. Liverpool have hit the post 32 times this season and just cutting off the woodwork from the Anfield goal and placing it around the edge of the box would present more of a worry to the opposition than Jamie Carragher now does. There is a thin line between bad luck and god awful finishing and Liverpool have to hold their hands up and say they just haven’t been good enough with their chances. Norwich, Blackburn, West Brom, Sunderland and Everton have all scored more goals than Liverpool this season. Their goal difference of 3 is desperate and their league position an embarrassment to the club. The only answer left to them is securing the post on a long term contract. Not only would it provide them with a better defensive base from which to build from, but it won’t be there when they come to try and finish teams off. It’s also white, which will keep Suarez happy.
After splashing £75m on the combined non-ability of Carroll, Downing and Henderson, it’s becoming increasingly clear who Dalglish should make his next marquee signing. Liverpool have hit the post 32 times this season and just cutting off the woodwork from the Anfield goal and placing it around the edge of the box would present more of a worry to the opposition than Jamie Carragher now does. There is a thin line between bad luck and god awful finishing and Liverpool have to hold their hands up and say they just haven’t been good enough with their chances. Norwich, Blackburn, West Brom, Sunderland and Everton have all scored more goals than Liverpool this season. Their goal difference of 3 is desperate and their league position an embarrassment to the club. The only answer left to them is securing the post on a long term contract. Not only would it provide them with a better defensive base from which to build from, but it won’t be there when they come to try and finish teams off. It’s also white, which will keep Suarez happy.
4. Arsenal still need RVP firing.
The recently crowned PFA player of the year has not scored a goal from open play in almost 700 minutes. Had he kept up anything like his strike rate from before that period, Van Persie would not only have had 30 goals by now but have been well on target to smash Alan Shearer’s record. More worrying for Arsenal however, is that they’re struggling to score again. The Gunners have scored more than a single goal only once in their last five matches and, despite creating numerous chances, couldn’t put any of them away against a Chelsea side clearly thinking of Barcelona. Arsenal have 3 games left and need to win two of them to be sure of a Champions League spot. With Newcastle breathing down their necks and Spurs with a game in hand and a seemingly straight forward run in, Arsenal need their talisman to bag a few more before the seasons out. They then need to lock him up for the entire summer and not let any team in the world talk to him. Oh and buy somebody to support him who isn’t Marouane Chamakh. A striker who looks and plays like a fox who’s just gone ten miles with the hounds.
The recently crowned PFA player of the year has not scored a goal from open play in almost 700 minutes. Had he kept up anything like his strike rate from before that period, Van Persie would not only have had 30 goals by now but have been well on target to smash Alan Shearer’s record. More worrying for Arsenal however, is that they’re struggling to score again. The Gunners have scored more than a single goal only once in their last five matches and, despite creating numerous chances, couldn’t put any of them away against a Chelsea side clearly thinking of Barcelona. Arsenal have 3 games left and need to win two of them to be sure of a Champions League spot. With Newcastle breathing down their necks and Spurs with a game in hand and a seemingly straight forward run in, Arsenal need their talisman to bag a few more before the seasons out. They then need to lock him up for the entire summer and not let any team in the world talk to him. Oh and buy somebody to support him who isn’t Marouane Chamakh. A striker who looks and plays like a fox who’s just gone ten miles with the hounds.
5. Barcelona are cracking.
Two defeats in a row, one of which was fatal and Barcelona are in serious danger of finishing a season empty handed for the first time in Pep Guardiola’s ridiculously impressive era. La Liga has gone, Barcelona were tactically out manoeuvred by Madrid on Saturday night in a game that was thankfully short on scandal and histrionics. Real pressed them and out fought them and when it came to the crunch, out finished them. They kept Messi quiet and responded brilliantly to Barcelona’s equaliser. This is their year and Jose will now have won 7 titles in 4 countries in 10 years. A simply staggering statistic for a manager still in his 40’s. Thoughts now turn to the Chelsea game and whilst Barca remain favourites to progress, if Chelsea can score you wonder if Barcelona still have enough left in the tank to finish them off. This has been the greatest team I’ve seen in my lifetime but this season has been difficult for the Catalan’s. Messi has carried them more than before and defensively they seem to have lost their shape. They have failed to score in several matches (notably when Messi has been kept quiet) and in Victor Valdes have a loyal, but error prone shot stopper. Fabregas and Sanchez have, on paper, made them even better but key injuries (most notably in defence and up front) have derailed them. Of course, they remain an amazing team but the sign of a great one is how they respond to adversity. Win La Liga again next year and they will say it was just a blip. But if Guardiola leaves, Jose stays and they bow out to Chelsea on Tuesday then Cesc Fabregas can probably consider himself well and truly cursed. Ah who am I kidding, they’re going to sign Gareth Bale over the summer and in 12 months time Messi will be handing over his title of best player in the world with a humble bow...
Two defeats in a row, one of which was fatal and Barcelona are in serious danger of finishing a season empty handed for the first time in Pep Guardiola’s ridiculously impressive era. La Liga has gone, Barcelona were tactically out manoeuvred by Madrid on Saturday night in a game that was thankfully short on scandal and histrionics. Real pressed them and out fought them and when it came to the crunch, out finished them. They kept Messi quiet and responded brilliantly to Barcelona’s equaliser. This is their year and Jose will now have won 7 titles in 4 countries in 10 years. A simply staggering statistic for a manager still in his 40’s. Thoughts now turn to the Chelsea game and whilst Barca remain favourites to progress, if Chelsea can score you wonder if Barcelona still have enough left in the tank to finish them off. This has been the greatest team I’ve seen in my lifetime but this season has been difficult for the Catalan’s. Messi has carried them more than before and defensively they seem to have lost their shape. They have failed to score in several matches (notably when Messi has been kept quiet) and in Victor Valdes have a loyal, but error prone shot stopper. Fabregas and Sanchez have, on paper, made them even better but key injuries (most notably in defence and up front) have derailed them. Of course, they remain an amazing team but the sign of a great one is how they respond to adversity. Win La Liga again next year and they will say it was just a blip. But if Guardiola leaves, Jose stays and they bow out to Chelsea on Tuesday then Cesc Fabregas can probably consider himself well and truly cursed. Ah who am I kidding, they’re going to sign Gareth Bale over the summer and in 12 months time Messi will be handing over his title of best player in the world with a humble bow...
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