1. The title race
looks over.
Bigger leads have been clawed back than 9 points over the past 20 years, especially with 39 still to play for… but not often. And not with one of the teams in contention struggling as much as Manchester City have been. It is a damning reflection on the league that the Champions can play as poorly as they have done for most of the season and still be certain of finishing at least second. The league is made to look ever poorer upon closer examination of Utd’s squad. Ferguson has built many great teams over the years, but only the most deluded Red Devil would claim this was one of them. A forward trio of Rooney, Van Persie and Hernandez certainly deserves a debate against the likes of Cantona, Yorke, Cole, Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy et all… but the rest of the team? A midfield of Valencia, Nani, Carrick and Cleverly simply bares no comparison at all to Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham in their peak. The defence meanwhile, including Evra, Rio and Vidic was great four years ago… but all of that trio are inferior players now and the new additions, not least the keeper, are nothing on the greats that have filtrated the Utd ranks over Fergie’s reign. The main reason why Utd remain on course to break a Premier League point’s record, let alone snare another title, is Ferguson himself. After what happened last season, when Utd threw away victory at the death having fought so hard to regain the initiative, it seems barely plausible their manager will allow the same to happen again. Utd’s gain is the league’s loss, the title race simply looks over, whichever way you look at it.
Bigger leads have been clawed back than 9 points over the past 20 years, especially with 39 still to play for… but not often. And not with one of the teams in contention struggling as much as Manchester City have been. It is a damning reflection on the league that the Champions can play as poorly as they have done for most of the season and still be certain of finishing at least second. The league is made to look ever poorer upon closer examination of Utd’s squad. Ferguson has built many great teams over the years, but only the most deluded Red Devil would claim this was one of them. A forward trio of Rooney, Van Persie and Hernandez certainly deserves a debate against the likes of Cantona, Yorke, Cole, Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy et all… but the rest of the team? A midfield of Valencia, Nani, Carrick and Cleverly simply bares no comparison at all to Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham in their peak. The defence meanwhile, including Evra, Rio and Vidic was great four years ago… but all of that trio are inferior players now and the new additions, not least the keeper, are nothing on the greats that have filtrated the Utd ranks over Fergie’s reign. The main reason why Utd remain on course to break a Premier League point’s record, let alone snare another title, is Ferguson himself. After what happened last season, when Utd threw away victory at the death having fought so hard to regain the initiative, it seems barely plausible their manager will allow the same to happen again. Utd’s gain is the league’s loss, the title race simply looks over, whichever way you look at it.
2. Liverpool are
improving.
Two draws away at Arsenal and City is not to be sniffed at in any teams book, but in truth Liverpool deserved to win both games and are slowly, but surely, improving under Brendan Rodgers. The defence remain prone to pace and Pepe Reina is not the keeper her once was, but Liverpool pass the ball well and Sturridge has already formed an impressive looking partnership with the detestably brilliant Suarez. Key to all of this though, has been the form of Steven Gerrard. I’m far from the Liverpool skippers biggest fan and would agree with those who claim he has been a hindrance rather than a help over the past three years, but he has grown into Rodgers system and is regaining the form that made him the player he was 5 years ago. The maths always help, Gerrard has scored five and bagged nine assists in the last ten games, but it is not just the maths in this case. Gerrard has found his role in Rodgers team, he is a far better player with Lucas alongside him and he is finding space between the number ten role and the number eight role. Space that never used to exist, but with the invention of 4-2-3-1 is now amongst the most pivotal on the football pitch. Liverpool are playing the system brilliantly, because Suarez peels off and drags men with him, so Gerrard can make runs unmarked into the last third. Time and time again he is playing a telling final ball or rifling them in from distance. Liverpool still have a long way to go, but their fans are starting to believe that they might just have a team again.
Two draws away at Arsenal and City is not to be sniffed at in any teams book, but in truth Liverpool deserved to win both games and are slowly, but surely, improving under Brendan Rodgers. The defence remain prone to pace and Pepe Reina is not the keeper her once was, but Liverpool pass the ball well and Sturridge has already formed an impressive looking partnership with the detestably brilliant Suarez. Key to all of this though, has been the form of Steven Gerrard. I’m far from the Liverpool skippers biggest fan and would agree with those who claim he has been a hindrance rather than a help over the past three years, but he has grown into Rodgers system and is regaining the form that made him the player he was 5 years ago. The maths always help, Gerrard has scored five and bagged nine assists in the last ten games, but it is not just the maths in this case. Gerrard has found his role in Rodgers team, he is a far better player with Lucas alongside him and he is finding space between the number ten role and the number eight role. Space that never used to exist, but with the invention of 4-2-3-1 is now amongst the most pivotal on the football pitch. Liverpool are playing the system brilliantly, because Suarez peels off and drags men with him, so Gerrard can make runs unmarked into the last third. Time and time again he is playing a telling final ball or rifling them in from distance. Liverpool still have a long way to go, but their fans are starting to believe that they might just have a team again.
3. Geordies don’t
speak French, but they let the funky football to the talking.
Firstly, I cannot apologise enough for referencing a Girls Aloud song in the title of this entry. Secondly, after recording back to back league victories for the first time this season, Newcastle fans are coming back round to Alan Pardew’s unique French Revolution. Utd moved quickly this transfer window to tie up the services of six new players, five of them French; and none of them have settled in so quickly as Moussa Sissoko. The former Toulouse man looked impressive away to Villa, but at home to Chelsea he was dominant. Granted Chelsea’s attacking midfield leave wide open spaces for the opposition to exploit, but Sissoko grew into the game and was the best player on the park during the pivotal last half hour. Scoring two and creating two further clear chances, Chelsea couldn’t handle him. Coupled with the return to fitness of Yohan Cabaye, who was very much in his “velvet boot” mould on Saturday, Newcastle suddenly have reason to hope again after a pretty desperate season. Whether French is now the main language in the dressing room remains unclear, but Geordies won’t care as long as the players keep on letting the football do the talking.
Firstly, I cannot apologise enough for referencing a Girls Aloud song in the title of this entry. Secondly, after recording back to back league victories for the first time this season, Newcastle fans are coming back round to Alan Pardew’s unique French Revolution. Utd moved quickly this transfer window to tie up the services of six new players, five of them French; and none of them have settled in so quickly as Moussa Sissoko. The former Toulouse man looked impressive away to Villa, but at home to Chelsea he was dominant. Granted Chelsea’s attacking midfield leave wide open spaces for the opposition to exploit, but Sissoko grew into the game and was the best player on the park during the pivotal last half hour. Scoring two and creating two further clear chances, Chelsea couldn’t handle him. Coupled with the return to fitness of Yohan Cabaye, who was very much in his “velvet boot” mould on Saturday, Newcastle suddenly have reason to hope again after a pretty desperate season. Whether French is now the main language in the dressing room remains unclear, but Geordies won’t care as long as the players keep on letting the football do the talking.
4. Stoke are all
kinds of dull.
Stoke aren’t without their merits, but it is very hard to like a team who seem to suggest they would take the starting scoreline within a second of kick off. This weekend was in no way an anomaly, Stoke set up to contain if they’re home to Reading or away at Manchester Utd. They are a negative, boring and agricultural team who are very, very hard to like. Pulis has spent a lot of money at Stoke, more than most people would think, and his signings have been a very mixed bag. Some (Huth, Shawcross, Delap, Crouch, Walters) have been a success, but others (Pennant, Adam, Jerome, Upson, Owen) haven’t. It would be too simplistic to say those who have been successful are those who can adapt to an overtly physical long ball game… but those who have been successful are those who can adapt to an overtly physical long ball game. Nobody has seen less goals than Stoke fans this season. A paltry 54 have flown in over their 25 games, even West Ham have seen 64, Sunderland 65 and Man Utd a bountiful 91. Their top scorer is Walters with 5 and it will be to nobody’s surprise that they sit at the bottom of the Premier League’s fair play table, averaging three times more fouls and cards than Southampton. There remains a strange charm to Stoke, in that you can make a lot of money by betting on nils nils when they play, but on times like Saturday it’s very hard to not come and away and say anything but “fuck me they’re dull.”
Stoke aren’t without their merits, but it is very hard to like a team who seem to suggest they would take the starting scoreline within a second of kick off. This weekend was in no way an anomaly, Stoke set up to contain if they’re home to Reading or away at Manchester Utd. They are a negative, boring and agricultural team who are very, very hard to like. Pulis has spent a lot of money at Stoke, more than most people would think, and his signings have been a very mixed bag. Some (Huth, Shawcross, Delap, Crouch, Walters) have been a success, but others (Pennant, Adam, Jerome, Upson, Owen) haven’t. It would be too simplistic to say those who have been successful are those who can adapt to an overtly physical long ball game… but those who have been successful are those who can adapt to an overtly physical long ball game. Nobody has seen less goals than Stoke fans this season. A paltry 54 have flown in over their 25 games, even West Ham have seen 64, Sunderland 65 and Man Utd a bountiful 91. Their top scorer is Walters with 5 and it will be to nobody’s surprise that they sit at the bottom of the Premier League’s fair play table, averaging three times more fouls and cards than Southampton. There remains a strange charm to Stoke, in that you can make a lot of money by betting on nils nils when they play, but on times like Saturday it’s very hard to not come and away and say anything but “fuck me they’re dull.”
5. Does anyone give a flying fuck about the
international break?
It is a measure of how far International football has fallen that friendly games are now being played midweek between Premier League fixtures. This Wednesday sees England take on Brazil and despite half-hearted attempts by some to claim that the match conjures up the old whiff of magic and mystery… it doesn’t. England fans have seen the same players fail for their country too many times; the revolution hasn’t yet happened and it is likely that Cole, Johnson, Lampard, Gerrard & Rooney will all line up again alongside some other players who will fail to turn consistent club performances into anything recognising genuine international pedigree. There used to be a debate, even anger about the performances of England over the past ten years, but that has long since turned to apathy. The dependable and deathly dull appointment of Hodgson put an end to any whimsical notion that England would change their ways and anyone who watches them now does so in a vaguely interested slumber. England could well beat Brazil this week and more people will likely watch it than Man Utd v Everton or Spurs v Newcastle this weekend… but when all the chanting and drumming has died away, will anyone really, actually care?
It is a measure of how far International football has fallen that friendly games are now being played midweek between Premier League fixtures. This Wednesday sees England take on Brazil and despite half-hearted attempts by some to claim that the match conjures up the old whiff of magic and mystery… it doesn’t. England fans have seen the same players fail for their country too many times; the revolution hasn’t yet happened and it is likely that Cole, Johnson, Lampard, Gerrard & Rooney will all line up again alongside some other players who will fail to turn consistent club performances into anything recognising genuine international pedigree. There used to be a debate, even anger about the performances of England over the past ten years, but that has long since turned to apathy. The dependable and deathly dull appointment of Hodgson put an end to any whimsical notion that England would change their ways and anyone who watches them now does so in a vaguely interested slumber. England could well beat Brazil this week and more people will likely watch it than Man Utd v Everton or Spurs v Newcastle this weekend… but when all the chanting and drumming has died away, will anyone really, actually care?
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