As the window slammed shut at near midnight on Friday there was a genuine sense
of confusion and comedy at what had happened for several clubs over the past
couple of months. On the plus side, there have been some big marquee signings
for the first time in three years. Not only did Van Persie, the world’s top out
and out striker, commit his future to the league; but new talent like Hazard,
Michu, Kagawa & Oscar took their place amongst more experienced talent like
Santi, Podolski and Garcia. On the flip side, it appears that several of the
bigger clubs have actually weakened their squads over the summer. There were
few more surreal dealings than Man City paying 6.5m for Scott Sinclar and
seeing Swansea instantly replace him with the cheaper, better Hernandez .
Meanwhile, Spurs transfer dealings can only be considered a success when
compared to Liverpool. They have let a myriad of players leave this summer and
have replaced them with quality, but nothing like the sort of quantity you need
to compete on several fronts. Surely the lengthy pursuit of Loris could have
been spent on a striker or a winger? Or anyone at all to suggest that Ekottu
& Bale won’t have to play 50 games back to back? Friedel was outstanding
again at the weekend and the decision to drop him, if it comes, will not sit
well with the already disillusioned White Hart Lane faithful. Still, whilst
Swansea, West Ham, Stoke and um, Blackburn, can be happy with their deadline
day deals… the greatest failure was that of Liverpool football club to buy…
well anyone. Since Rodgers has come in he has completely dismantled King
Kenny’s squad with all the subtly of a 1920’s war medic. That’s not a bad thing
per se, but as a club what sort of statement does it make to spend £100m one
season only to completely lose faith in those players the next. Surely Adams
& Carroll could have done a job for Pool? Especially the latter who leaves
to bolster West Ham’s aerial threat and severely weaken Pool’s depth of attacking
talent. Pool have let 13 players leave this summer and brought in 5. Whichever
way you do the math, their squad is now badly weakened and there is no real
sense they have bought anyone who will make them better than last season. They
look a team not so much in decline, but one who have accepted mid table
mediocrity for the foreseeable future. Christ, they look like fucking Aston
Villa.
The Champions League Rankings need a serious rethink.
This week’s draw sprung up some exciting match ups, predictable dead rubbers and a genuine group of death… but it also sprung up some serious questions about a system that allows Arsenal to continue being drawn in Pot One of a tournament they have never won, whilst also managing to not win a single domestic trophy for the past eight seasons. By contrast how can Dortmund, a team which have European pedigree over the past 20 years and have won back to back domestic titles, be placed in the middle of Pot Four? Below Celtic? What system are UEFA using for these rankings? Man City were in pot four last year, which seemed fair given it was their first ever entry into the competition and they had only scraped into the tournament at the last minute. But they were at the top of pot two this year despite being knocked out at the group stage? Ok they won their domestic title, but then so did Dortmund? Twice. Regardless of the system, winning a title should be the most important thing each season. Pot one should be the reigning champions of Spain, Germany, England, Italy, Holland, Portugal, France & Russia. Pot two the next eight clubs with the best record in the tournament over the past three-five years. Pot three the champions of the lesser leagues and moving down to pot four which is everyone else (i.e. those who come 3rd and 4th in the bigger leagues). This absurd bias towards teams from England & Spain has to stop. Crucially, a system which throws up genuine group stage drama will only serve to make the tournament more competitive and more exciting from day one. And don’t even get me started on the 3rd place Noropa League farce…
This week’s draw sprung up some exciting match ups, predictable dead rubbers and a genuine group of death… but it also sprung up some serious questions about a system that allows Arsenal to continue being drawn in Pot One of a tournament they have never won, whilst also managing to not win a single domestic trophy for the past eight seasons. By contrast how can Dortmund, a team which have European pedigree over the past 20 years and have won back to back domestic titles, be placed in the middle of Pot Four? Below Celtic? What system are UEFA using for these rankings? Man City were in pot four last year, which seemed fair given it was their first ever entry into the competition and they had only scraped into the tournament at the last minute. But they were at the top of pot two this year despite being knocked out at the group stage? Ok they won their domestic title, but then so did Dortmund? Twice. Regardless of the system, winning a title should be the most important thing each season. Pot one should be the reigning champions of Spain, Germany, England, Italy, Holland, Portugal, France & Russia. Pot two the next eight clubs with the best record in the tournament over the past three-five years. Pot three the champions of the lesser leagues and moving down to pot four which is everyone else (i.e. those who come 3rd and 4th in the bigger leagues). This absurd bias towards teams from England & Spain has to stop. Crucially, a system which throws up genuine group stage drama will only serve to make the tournament more competitive and more exciting from day one. And don’t even get me started on the 3rd place Noropa League farce…
Utd don’t need a replacement for Paul Scholes, they need one for
Roy Keane.
The most heard line that Alex Ferguson has heard over the past five years has been “when are you going to replace Paul Scholes?” In that period Utd have been linked with a host of attacking midfielders such as Ozil and Sneijder and brought none. Until Kagawa this year that is. However, over the past few years Utd have hardly lacked for goals. They scored a hatful last season and despite Fergie’s belief otherwise, they didn’t lose the title by not scoring enough, they lost it by conceding ten goals at home to City & Everton. Already this season Utd look if not a slicker prospect going forward, then certainly one more capable of unlocking stubborn defences with a more varied passing style and the ball over the top to Van Persie. What they don’t look like though, is a team capable of going ten games without conceding a goal. Hell right now they don’t look like being able to go one game without conceding a goal. Rafael is a sham of a fullback and Evra is now a sham of player full stop. The centre backs look strong at least, just about making up for an erratic duo of keepers. But the real problem, as was proved yet again by Southampton this weekend, is the lack of any sort of shielding player to stop opponents attacking at will through the centre. Cleverly, Anderson and Carrick are all fine players when the possession stats are in their favour, but against teams who attack them at pace they are essentially passengers. Where was the bid for Check Tiote? For Diarra? For Tom Huddlestone (joke). Utd are lacking in several positions, but a genuine, ball winning holding player would free up the attacking talent to create and dazzle knowing that they have a player in reserve to do the donkey work. Utd look as entertaining as ever, but come the big matches it’s hard to look beyond the likes of Toure, Khedira, Xavi et all making boys once more of Fergusons balsa midfield.
The most heard line that Alex Ferguson has heard over the past five years has been “when are you going to replace Paul Scholes?” In that period Utd have been linked with a host of attacking midfielders such as Ozil and Sneijder and brought none. Until Kagawa this year that is. However, over the past few years Utd have hardly lacked for goals. They scored a hatful last season and despite Fergie’s belief otherwise, they didn’t lose the title by not scoring enough, they lost it by conceding ten goals at home to City & Everton. Already this season Utd look if not a slicker prospect going forward, then certainly one more capable of unlocking stubborn defences with a more varied passing style and the ball over the top to Van Persie. What they don’t look like though, is a team capable of going ten games without conceding a goal. Hell right now they don’t look like being able to go one game without conceding a goal. Rafael is a sham of a fullback and Evra is now a sham of player full stop. The centre backs look strong at least, just about making up for an erratic duo of keepers. But the real problem, as was proved yet again by Southampton this weekend, is the lack of any sort of shielding player to stop opponents attacking at will through the centre. Cleverly, Anderson and Carrick are all fine players when the possession stats are in their favour, but against teams who attack them at pace they are essentially passengers. Where was the bid for Check Tiote? For Diarra? For Tom Huddlestone (joke). Utd are lacking in several positions, but a genuine, ball winning holding player would free up the attacking talent to create and dazzle knowing that they have a player in reserve to do the donkey work. Utd look as entertaining as ever, but come the big matches it’s hard to look beyond the likes of Toure, Khedira, Xavi et all making boys once more of Fergusons balsa midfield.
West Brom have crept under the radar.
There has already been good talk this year of the strong starts made by Everton, Swansea and Chelsea; but sitting in 3rd in the table, still unbeaten and having conceded just one goal are West Bromwich Albion. Relatively quiet in the transfer window, the Baggies main activity was replacing the departing Hodgson by bringing in Steve Clarke for his first managerial role. So far it’s a role he looks tailor made for. West Brom are a disciplined, well organised team in all the right ways (i.e. not managed by Sam Allardyce). They play with genuine width and now have a great collection of bustling centre forwards who can all get goals. Ben Foster remains easily the second best English keeper around and they have a great set of fans. Few would begrudge them a prolonged stay in the top flight and on the evidence so far, it looks like their days of being a yo-yo club may be about to end.
There has already been good talk this year of the strong starts made by Everton, Swansea and Chelsea; but sitting in 3rd in the table, still unbeaten and having conceded just one goal are West Bromwich Albion. Relatively quiet in the transfer window, the Baggies main activity was replacing the departing Hodgson by bringing in Steve Clarke for his first managerial role. So far it’s a role he looks tailor made for. West Brom are a disciplined, well organised team in all the right ways (i.e. not managed by Sam Allardyce). They play with genuine width and now have a great collection of bustling centre forwards who can all get goals. Ben Foster remains easily the second best English keeper around and they have a great set of fans. Few would begrudge them a prolonged stay in the top flight and on the evidence so far, it looks like their days of being a yo-yo club may be about to end.
Just when you think MOTD can’t get worse, it does.
For no reason whatsoever, this year the BBC has decided to use our licence money to pay Harry Redknapp to provide “analysis” on a Saturday night. This was bad enough anyway, but when paired with Alan Shearer it was like watching two invalids trying to learn to speak. Shearers first job this week was to get Michu’s name wrong (twice), his transfer fee wrong (three times) and then talk us through the action of the first game by essentially repeating word for word the commentary. Harry meanwhile providing no analysis whatsoever. Seemingly still thinking he was in “the game”, Redknapps comments consisted of him saying “Yeah I like him, I like him a lot, I’ve looked at signing him” over and over again? Lineker at one point asked him a question twice having not received anything by way of an answer first time around. When he was once again greeted with a cockney ad lib he tried Shearer, who was staring into space. At one point Redknapp just interrupted him and announced “Spurs are a top side and they’ll come top four no worries.” Harry you’re not their manager anymore you wanker. That said, if it gets you off my screen in this capacity, I’ll call Levy myself right now.
For no reason whatsoever, this year the BBC has decided to use our licence money to pay Harry Redknapp to provide “analysis” on a Saturday night. This was bad enough anyway, but when paired with Alan Shearer it was like watching two invalids trying to learn to speak. Shearers first job this week was to get Michu’s name wrong (twice), his transfer fee wrong (three times) and then talk us through the action of the first game by essentially repeating word for word the commentary. Harry meanwhile providing no analysis whatsoever. Seemingly still thinking he was in “the game”, Redknapps comments consisted of him saying “Yeah I like him, I like him a lot, I’ve looked at signing him” over and over again? Lineker at one point asked him a question twice having not received anything by way of an answer first time around. When he was once again greeted with a cockney ad lib he tried Shearer, who was staring into space. At one point Redknapp just interrupted him and announced “Spurs are a top side and they’ll come top four no worries.” Harry you’re not their manager anymore you wanker. That said, if it gets you off my screen in this capacity, I’ll call Levy myself right now.
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