1. What the hell has Darren Bent done to Paul Lambert…
In one of the more intriguing subplots of the season, Darren Bent was once again left out of the Aston Villa squad on Tuesday to play Reading. At a cost of £24 million and having scored 52 goals in his last 100 Premier League games, this is beginning to look strange. Add in the fact that Villa were the joint lowers scorers in the division before Benteke’s crucial late strike and it begins to look stranger still. Not just that, but since going two nil up at home to Man Utd, Villa had gone 300 minutes without scoring at all. Finally consider the bench in the last two games. Darren Bent hasn’t been on it. Jordan Bowery, a 21 year old from Chesterfield who cost the club £400,000 has. Suddenly this isn’t strange anymore, it’s perverse. If Bent has done something behind the scenes he needs to be named and shamed. Villa may think that by doing so other clubs might turn away from him, but by not playing him at all Lambert is sending out a much more damning assessment that he isn’t good enough to get in the squad of one the worst teams in the league. He’ll surely go in January, but at this rate Villa will be lucky to get £10m for him when he effectively won’t have played for 3 months. Proven goal scorers are arguably the greatest asset in the league, and keeping one from playing who is as talented as Bent is beginning to look like an ill-advised practical joke. That said, it’s just about the only thing of interest that’s happening at the most boring football club in the land. So we should at least be grateful for that.
In one of the more intriguing subplots of the season, Darren Bent was once again left out of the Aston Villa squad on Tuesday to play Reading. At a cost of £24 million and having scored 52 goals in his last 100 Premier League games, this is beginning to look strange. Add in the fact that Villa were the joint lowers scorers in the division before Benteke’s crucial late strike and it begins to look stranger still. Not just that, but since going two nil up at home to Man Utd, Villa had gone 300 minutes without scoring at all. Finally consider the bench in the last two games. Darren Bent hasn’t been on it. Jordan Bowery, a 21 year old from Chesterfield who cost the club £400,000 has. Suddenly this isn’t strange anymore, it’s perverse. If Bent has done something behind the scenes he needs to be named and shamed. Villa may think that by doing so other clubs might turn away from him, but by not playing him at all Lambert is sending out a much more damning assessment that he isn’t good enough to get in the squad of one the worst teams in the league. He’ll surely go in January, but at this rate Villa will be lucky to get £10m for him when he effectively won’t have played for 3 months. Proven goal scorers are arguably the greatest asset in the league, and keeping one from playing who is as talented as Bent is beginning to look like an ill-advised practical joke. That said, it’s just about the only thing of interest that’s happening at the most boring football club in the land. So we should at least be grateful for that.
2. Michel Platini is an idiot.
Following on from his flawed idea to extend the European Championships to 32 teams, and the genuinely insane one to have it played across the whole of Europe, Michel Platini plumbed new depths this week by suggesting scrapping the Europa League and having a 64 club strong Champions League. This, put bluntly, is a simply terrible idea. The problem with the Champions League is that is not a Champions League, it is fast becoming a collection of the richest clubs in Europe all competing for the Holy Grail. I’ve spoken before about the seeding system, which should be dramatically weighted towards champions of all the major leagues rather than merely getting through the group stages each year (Arsenal). Dortmund for example, could win it this season along with their third consecutive title and would still not be a top seeded club. The Europa league is a bloated and flawed tournament, but combining the two solves the problems of neither. You would have even more dead rubbers than before and all the teams competing would play even more games, meaning that you would need an even bigger squad to be successful. It’s the squad issue that irks the most. Take as an example West Brom, who are a small club currently punching above their weight in the Premier League. If they finish 4th and make it to Europe, the chances of them going on a “Cinderella story” are massively reduced by a tournament which would ask them to play against teams who can rotate their entire first XI for group matches and still be good enough to beat them. They would also have to play 17 games to win it (including qualifiers) – a figure that would likely rise above 20 with the new format. When Nottingham Forest won back to back European Cups they played just 9 matches. A figure that was doable with a small squad. 17 isn’t… 21 even less so. All this will mean is that the richest, most successful clubs will continue to pool into the later stages, arguably not even maintaining a proper interest until that moment. Platini has pitched this idea to combat a breakaway league from the big clubs, but this move will make that even more likely than before. A 64 club Champions League could have 28 teams from the four main leagues in it! When you consider that countries from the same club can’t be drawn against each other until the last 8, that gives the smaller teams even less chance of getting to the knockout rounds knowing they’re almost certain to face teams from La Liga, Serie A, The Premier League or the Bundesliga. This move cannot be allowed to happen and needs to be vetoed before it gets off the ground. The return to a properly seeded, stripped down tournament which incentivises teams to actually win their own league has to be the priority. This should be supported by a straight knockout tournament that rewards the cup winners of all the leagues, along with those finishing a decent position (not 6th or 7th). This won’t happen, because Platini doesn’t ultimately care about anything other than getting as much money as possible. Whether this move comes to fruition will depend on that one thing alone. Sadly, that is everything that is wrong with football right now in a nutshell.
Following on from his flawed idea to extend the European Championships to 32 teams, and the genuinely insane one to have it played across the whole of Europe, Michel Platini plumbed new depths this week by suggesting scrapping the Europa League and having a 64 club strong Champions League. This, put bluntly, is a simply terrible idea. The problem with the Champions League is that is not a Champions League, it is fast becoming a collection of the richest clubs in Europe all competing for the Holy Grail. I’ve spoken before about the seeding system, which should be dramatically weighted towards champions of all the major leagues rather than merely getting through the group stages each year (Arsenal). Dortmund for example, could win it this season along with their third consecutive title and would still not be a top seeded club. The Europa league is a bloated and flawed tournament, but combining the two solves the problems of neither. You would have even more dead rubbers than before and all the teams competing would play even more games, meaning that you would need an even bigger squad to be successful. It’s the squad issue that irks the most. Take as an example West Brom, who are a small club currently punching above their weight in the Premier League. If they finish 4th and make it to Europe, the chances of them going on a “Cinderella story” are massively reduced by a tournament which would ask them to play against teams who can rotate their entire first XI for group matches and still be good enough to beat them. They would also have to play 17 games to win it (including qualifiers) – a figure that would likely rise above 20 with the new format. When Nottingham Forest won back to back European Cups they played just 9 matches. A figure that was doable with a small squad. 17 isn’t… 21 even less so. All this will mean is that the richest, most successful clubs will continue to pool into the later stages, arguably not even maintaining a proper interest until that moment. Platini has pitched this idea to combat a breakaway league from the big clubs, but this move will make that even more likely than before. A 64 club Champions League could have 28 teams from the four main leagues in it! When you consider that countries from the same club can’t be drawn against each other until the last 8, that gives the smaller teams even less chance of getting to the knockout rounds knowing they’re almost certain to face teams from La Liga, Serie A, The Premier League or the Bundesliga. This move cannot be allowed to happen and needs to be vetoed before it gets off the ground. The return to a properly seeded, stripped down tournament which incentivises teams to actually win their own league has to be the priority. This should be supported by a straight knockout tournament that rewards the cup winners of all the leagues, along with those finishing a decent position (not 6th or 7th). This won’t happen, because Platini doesn’t ultimately care about anything other than getting as much money as possible. Whether this move comes to fruition will depend on that one thing alone. Sadly, that is everything that is wrong with football right now in a nutshell.
3. In Rafa we truzzzzzzzt.
Two games, two nil nils, it’s clearly far too early to make any judgements on Rafa’s time at Chelsea, but the former Liverpool boss has done nothing to appease the angered Chelsea fans who have vowed to celebrate Di Matteo’s name every 16th minute until the Spaniard leaves the club. We always knew Rafa would bring defensive solidarity, but benching your most talented creative player for a third defensive midfielder was possibly overkill. Away at Man Utd maybe, but at home to Fulham? No. Chelsea have two away games next before they depart for the World Club Cup, an achievement that is nice to have on your CV (to quote Fergie) but doesn’t really amount to anything in the broad scheme of things. West Ham & Sunderland loom and with both those teams being far, far better at the back than going forward what price now for Rafa to start with four consecutive nil nils? That surely won’t happen, but yesterday’s game was an even worse affair than the one against City. Fulham actually should have won the game near the end, squandering two good chances whilst Chelsea were restricted to shooting from range. In fairness to Benitez, Chelsea’s creative hub has failed to spark for a while now. In the last five games the Blues have managed just 14 shots on target. That’s one every 32 minutes, which is pretty terrible for a title chasing team who played three of those fixtures at home. It gets even worse when you compare those stats. In the same last five games Man City have managed 32 shots on target, one every 14 minutes and Man Utd have got away 28 efforts, one every 17 minutes. Comparing Chelsea’s current rivals for 3rd West Brom also makes worrying reading, the Baggies having offed 24 efforts in that time. The final test? Aston Villa. In the last five games Villa have managed… wait for it… 35 shots on target!!! Aim for the corners boys...
Two games, two nil nils, it’s clearly far too early to make any judgements on Rafa’s time at Chelsea, but the former Liverpool boss has done nothing to appease the angered Chelsea fans who have vowed to celebrate Di Matteo’s name every 16th minute until the Spaniard leaves the club. We always knew Rafa would bring defensive solidarity, but benching your most talented creative player for a third defensive midfielder was possibly overkill. Away at Man Utd maybe, but at home to Fulham? No. Chelsea have two away games next before they depart for the World Club Cup, an achievement that is nice to have on your CV (to quote Fergie) but doesn’t really amount to anything in the broad scheme of things. West Ham & Sunderland loom and with both those teams being far, far better at the back than going forward what price now for Rafa to start with four consecutive nil nils? That surely won’t happen, but yesterday’s game was an even worse affair than the one against City. Fulham actually should have won the game near the end, squandering two good chances whilst Chelsea were restricted to shooting from range. In fairness to Benitez, Chelsea’s creative hub has failed to spark for a while now. In the last five games the Blues have managed just 14 shots on target. That’s one every 32 minutes, which is pretty terrible for a title chasing team who played three of those fixtures at home. It gets even worse when you compare those stats. In the same last five games Man City have managed 32 shots on target, one every 14 minutes and Man Utd have got away 28 efforts, one every 17 minutes. Comparing Chelsea’s current rivals for 3rd West Brom also makes worrying reading, the Baggies having offed 24 efforts in that time. The final test? Aston Villa. In the last five games Villa have managed… wait for it… 35 shots on target!!! Aim for the corners boys...
4. When will Swansea’s attacking English
players start getting some recognition?
Swansea swept aside high flying West Brom last night in 30 minutes of pass and move football that wouldn’t have been out of place in the upper echelons of La Liga. 20 points after 14 matches is a pretty decent return for a team tipped by many to go down, indeed, they are just one point behind Arsenal, who once again find themselves closer to the relegation zone than the title (Wenger Out) – but I digress. In Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge, Swansea have two English players in rich form who deserve a place in the England squad well, well before anyone currently playing at Liverpool (to name a club at random). Routledge has scored four and made four already this season, whilst Dyer has three goals with a further two assists. They haven’t played every game owing to the rotation with the excellent Hernandez and in total the pair have scored or created a goal every 130 minutes. Let’s compare that, again at random, to the much vaunted Raheem Sterling, who has scored or created a goal every 227 minutes and got an England call up before he had done even that. Swansea are an entertaining, easy on the eye, football team and after a slight dip, Laudrup has got them flying again. You could do a lot worse than get a season ticket to the Liberty Stadium. It’s just a shame that it’s in Swansea…
Swansea swept aside high flying West Brom last night in 30 minutes of pass and move football that wouldn’t have been out of place in the upper echelons of La Liga. 20 points after 14 matches is a pretty decent return for a team tipped by many to go down, indeed, they are just one point behind Arsenal, who once again find themselves closer to the relegation zone than the title (Wenger Out) – but I digress. In Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge, Swansea have two English players in rich form who deserve a place in the England squad well, well before anyone currently playing at Liverpool (to name a club at random). Routledge has scored four and made four already this season, whilst Dyer has three goals with a further two assists. They haven’t played every game owing to the rotation with the excellent Hernandez and in total the pair have scored or created a goal every 130 minutes. Let’s compare that, again at random, to the much vaunted Raheem Sterling, who has scored or created a goal every 227 minutes and got an England call up before he had done even that. Swansea are an entertaining, easy on the eye, football team and after a slight dip, Laudrup has got them flying again. You could do a lot worse than get a season ticket to the Liberty Stadium. It’s just a shame that it’s in Swansea…
5. Obligatory and token once a season post on Stoke City.
There is only one good thing about Stoke City football club, their fans. Aside from being amongst the loudest and welcoming in the league, they have the two best chants about Luis Suarez. Whilst the first has been copied by every other club up and down the land, the second is all theirs… and makes so little sense you just have to love it. Unlike the way Stoke play football… which is turgid, negative, predictable, dull, desperate and arguably illegal. But, as I’ve said before, I’d still like them to play Real Madrid. £100 says Ramos would get sent off first…
There is only one good thing about Stoke City football club, their fans. Aside from being amongst the loudest and welcoming in the league, they have the two best chants about Luis Suarez. Whilst the first has been copied by every other club up and down the land, the second is all theirs… and makes so little sense you just have to love it. Unlike the way Stoke play football… which is turgid, negative, predictable, dull, desperate and arguably illegal. But, as I’ve said before, I’d still like them to play Real Madrid. £100 says Ramos would get sent off first…
He cheats, he dives, he hates the Jackson Five!
Suaaarezzzzz, Suareeezzzzz.
Suaaarezzzzz, Suareeezzzzz.
eyes of blue
Robert huth is after you
with a nick nack paddywack
give a dog a bone
luis suarez
fuck off home
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