1. Wigan ride their
luck
It’s almost become a cliché to say that Wigan come alive in the last quarter of the season, certainly as much as one as saying that Spurs will fall apart; but the Lactics didn’t play well against Newcastle and were indebted to a truly woeful refereeing performance to claim the three points. Mark Halsey was culpable throughout the game, regularly deeming “advantage” to be one person on the halfway line vs four opposition players. He let cynical tackles go unpunished, gave at least three wrong goal kick/corner decisions and failed to spot a clear hand ball in the build up to Wigan’s winning goal. But those errors paled into comparison to his refusal to even give a free kick for the foul of the season by Callum McManaman on Haidara. In the defence of McManaman, it looked accidental rather than malicious and he was so distraught by the incident he was almost in tears when taken off as a substitute. But that can’t take away from what was a true “leg breaker” in every sense of the word. Halsey deemed the tackle a “coming together” which can only mean he didn’t actually see it. The assistant however was just a few yards away, looking directly at it and surely able to see a tackle that was wild, high and ludicrously dangerous. It was worth two red cards, that it wasn’t even deemed a free kick is genuinely offensive. A run in the Championship should beckon for Halsey, whilst Newcastle fans will be hoping their player returns from hospital sooner…
It’s almost become a cliché to say that Wigan come alive in the last quarter of the season, certainly as much as one as saying that Spurs will fall apart; but the Lactics didn’t play well against Newcastle and were indebted to a truly woeful refereeing performance to claim the three points. Mark Halsey was culpable throughout the game, regularly deeming “advantage” to be one person on the halfway line vs four opposition players. He let cynical tackles go unpunished, gave at least three wrong goal kick/corner decisions and failed to spot a clear hand ball in the build up to Wigan’s winning goal. But those errors paled into comparison to his refusal to even give a free kick for the foul of the season by Callum McManaman on Haidara. In the defence of McManaman, it looked accidental rather than malicious and he was so distraught by the incident he was almost in tears when taken off as a substitute. But that can’t take away from what was a true “leg breaker” in every sense of the word. Halsey deemed the tackle a “coming together” which can only mean he didn’t actually see it. The assistant however was just a few yards away, looking directly at it and surely able to see a tackle that was wild, high and ludicrously dangerous. It was worth two red cards, that it wasn’t even deemed a free kick is genuinely offensive. A run in the Championship should beckon for Halsey, whilst Newcastle fans will be hoping their player returns from hospital sooner…
2. Thriller at the
Villa
Earlier on in the season neither of these teams could score and their games were only worth watching if they were being comically thrashed. As the relegation dogfight heats up however, these two served up the match of the weekend in an end to end “six point” thriller. If Villa do stay up, it will be no thanks whatsoever to their defence. Guzan is a very decent keeper, but he has had to marshal schoolboys all season and the return of Vlaar has not arrested a run of 14 games without a clean sheet. Thankfully for Villa fans, they have Christian Benteke. The Belgium has been awesome since the turn of the year, firing in 8 goals which have accounted for 12 points, a match winning effort not bettered by anyone in the league. The game looks to be up for QPR and “Harry Houdini,” whose numerous loyalists were chirping as if his team were safe just last week. QPR have the worst record of any of the bottom six against the bottom six; and that is something which is going to have to change over the next two months for them to have even a sniff of a recovery. The real story of the weekend though is that with Villa, Wigan and Saints all winning, not only do QPR and Reading look doomed, but suddenly other teams are looking nervously over their shoulders. If Wigan win their game in hand there will be just four points separating Stoke in 11th to the relegation zone. For teams like Sunderland & West Ham, who have been awful for much of the season, 40 points suddenly looks a long way off.
Earlier on in the season neither of these teams could score and their games were only worth watching if they were being comically thrashed. As the relegation dogfight heats up however, these two served up the match of the weekend in an end to end “six point” thriller. If Villa do stay up, it will be no thanks whatsoever to their defence. Guzan is a very decent keeper, but he has had to marshal schoolboys all season and the return of Vlaar has not arrested a run of 14 games without a clean sheet. Thankfully for Villa fans, they have Christian Benteke. The Belgium has been awesome since the turn of the year, firing in 8 goals which have accounted for 12 points, a match winning effort not bettered by anyone in the league. The game looks to be up for QPR and “Harry Houdini,” whose numerous loyalists were chirping as if his team were safe just last week. QPR have the worst record of any of the bottom six against the bottom six; and that is something which is going to have to change over the next two months for them to have even a sniff of a recovery. The real story of the weekend though is that with Villa, Wigan and Saints all winning, not only do QPR and Reading look doomed, but suddenly other teams are looking nervously over their shoulders. If Wigan win their game in hand there will be just four points separating Stoke in 11th to the relegation zone. For teams like Sunderland & West Ham, who have been awful for much of the season, 40 points suddenly looks a long way off.
3. City are going out
with a whimper
Contrary to many people’s belief, there is little pleasure to be had from winning a title with five or six games to spare. Those games become total dead rubbers, effecting results throughout the league and it’s a nightmare for fantasy football fans trying to predict who will play on any given week. The real way to win a league is how it was won last season, with the last kick of the last game. If that was the pinnacle of Premiership drama so far, this season has been the complete reverse. Man Utd are going to win the title despite having a pretty terrible defence and an invisible midfield. It’s hard to think of anyone defending their crown so limply as Manchester City, unless you’re counting Chelsea’s attempt in the Champions League this year as well. 15 points looks more likely to be 20 come May and Utd remain on course to win the league in record time on a record number of points. City have never really got going all season, riding their luck early on with some late comebacks but since going out of the Champions League they have appeared sorry for themselves and have fallen away without so much of a fight. Everton played superbly on Saturday, making the boo’s the weekend before more pathetic than ever, but City never took the game to them even when they had the man advantage. They have looked like a team playing more in hope than expectation and when compared to the mind-set of the Utd players, they have been found badly wanting. Whether Mancini is given another chance, especially with Jose lurking around, remains to be seen. But whoever is in charge next season needs to get a highly talented squad back on track again. Only Ferguson and Mourinho have won back to back titles since the Premier League began… money can buy you immediate success, but it takes a manager of supreme talent with every player on board to build a dynasty. For all those people who said City would dominate for “ten years” following their win last May… where are you now? Nowhere to be seen it would appear, much like the career of Scott Sinclair…
Contrary to many people’s belief, there is little pleasure to be had from winning a title with five or six games to spare. Those games become total dead rubbers, effecting results throughout the league and it’s a nightmare for fantasy football fans trying to predict who will play on any given week. The real way to win a league is how it was won last season, with the last kick of the last game. If that was the pinnacle of Premiership drama so far, this season has been the complete reverse. Man Utd are going to win the title despite having a pretty terrible defence and an invisible midfield. It’s hard to think of anyone defending their crown so limply as Manchester City, unless you’re counting Chelsea’s attempt in the Champions League this year as well. 15 points looks more likely to be 20 come May and Utd remain on course to win the league in record time on a record number of points. City have never really got going all season, riding their luck early on with some late comebacks but since going out of the Champions League they have appeared sorry for themselves and have fallen away without so much of a fight. Everton played superbly on Saturday, making the boo’s the weekend before more pathetic than ever, but City never took the game to them even when they had the man advantage. They have looked like a team playing more in hope than expectation and when compared to the mind-set of the Utd players, they have been found badly wanting. Whether Mancini is given another chance, especially with Jose lurking around, remains to be seen. But whoever is in charge next season needs to get a highly talented squad back on track again. Only Ferguson and Mourinho have won back to back titles since the Premier League began… money can buy you immediate success, but it takes a manager of supreme talent with every player on board to build a dynasty. For all those people who said City would dominate for “ten years” following their win last May… where are you now? Nowhere to be seen it would appear, much like the career of Scott Sinclair…
4. RVP needs a break…
and not an international one
Van Persie was probably due a bad spell. After two years of averaging almost a goal a game for Arsenal and Utd he has finally hit the wall which veers up toward every player, the freakish Messi or Ronaldo aside. After bagging a dozen goals in a dozen games over the festive period, Van Persie has scored once in his last ten appearances, and that was deflected. He hasn’t been especially unlucky during this period, he has missed chances in almost every match, not least against Real Madrid. He looks off the pace, out of form and nowhere near as sharp as he did two months ago. In short, he looks fucking knackered. With the title all but sewn up then it will be interesting how Fergie uses him over the next two months. Having been injury prone for much of his career, the Dutchman has never played with the regularity he has over the past two seasons. It’s hard to ever “drop” your best player, but resting them is entirely different. Hernandez has been brilliant this season and must consider himself incredibly unlucky to still be benched almost every game. The Mexican tops the goals per minute league table for the second time in his three seasons with the club and one does wonder how many he might score if he was playing at a club like Spurs or Arsenal where he would play 50 matches. Van Persie is a superb player and the last two months don’t suddenly make him Fernando Torres, but ending his season early (certainly if Utd go out of the FA Cup) and giving him a long summer in the sun, may well see him back to his blistering best come August.
Van Persie was probably due a bad spell. After two years of averaging almost a goal a game for Arsenal and Utd he has finally hit the wall which veers up toward every player, the freakish Messi or Ronaldo aside. After bagging a dozen goals in a dozen games over the festive period, Van Persie has scored once in his last ten appearances, and that was deflected. He hasn’t been especially unlucky during this period, he has missed chances in almost every match, not least against Real Madrid. He looks off the pace, out of form and nowhere near as sharp as he did two months ago. In short, he looks fucking knackered. With the title all but sewn up then it will be interesting how Fergie uses him over the next two months. Having been injury prone for much of his career, the Dutchman has never played with the regularity he has over the past two seasons. It’s hard to ever “drop” your best player, but resting them is entirely different. Hernandez has been brilliant this season and must consider himself incredibly unlucky to still be benched almost every game. The Mexican tops the goals per minute league table for the second time in his three seasons with the club and one does wonder how many he might score if he was playing at a club like Spurs or Arsenal where he would play 50 matches. Van Persie is a superb player and the last two months don’t suddenly make him Fernando Torres, but ending his season early (certainly if Utd go out of the FA Cup) and giving him a long summer in the sun, may well see him back to his blistering best come August.
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/02/premier-league-goal-per-minute-ratio/#
5. It’s time to get
behind the Europa League
I’ve not been a huge admirer of the Europa League for some time, mainly due to its bloated format, bizarre double group stage and the ridiculous rule that allows Champions League teams to join it half way through. But with three English teams into the last eight and none left in Europe’s premier competition, it’s probably time to stop mocking it and cheer everyone on. Ok probably not Chelsea, but certainly Spurs, who went through thanks to the now barely functional away goals rule despite being hammered in the San Siro. And indeed Newcastle, who many people seem to have forgotten were still in the tournament yet are just a Benfica result away from being in a major semi-final. None of the eight teams left stand out as being considerably better than the others and one hopes that the final set of fixtures play out in a Carling Cup style hotpot of thrills, spills and goals a plenty. I spoke last week about judging teams and managers before a season is finished and the Europa League highlights that stronger than ever. Newcastle have struggled badly this season but winning the Europa League would elevate Pardew’s status to beyond his current one of competent man manager and the Prince of Darkness. Likewise Villas Boas, a manager who people appear to change their opinion of every week. For Spurs to finish 5th and devoid of Silverware would be a major step back after so much good work. But come 3rd/4th and win the Europa League? Suddenly you’ve had a good a season as anyone. Whatever happens, it will be worth watching. Even if that means tuning into Channel 5…
I’ve not been a huge admirer of the Europa League for some time, mainly due to its bloated format, bizarre double group stage and the ridiculous rule that allows Champions League teams to join it half way through. But with three English teams into the last eight and none left in Europe’s premier competition, it’s probably time to stop mocking it and cheer everyone on. Ok probably not Chelsea, but certainly Spurs, who went through thanks to the now barely functional away goals rule despite being hammered in the San Siro. And indeed Newcastle, who many people seem to have forgotten were still in the tournament yet are just a Benfica result away from being in a major semi-final. None of the eight teams left stand out as being considerably better than the others and one hopes that the final set of fixtures play out in a Carling Cup style hotpot of thrills, spills and goals a plenty. I spoke last week about judging teams and managers before a season is finished and the Europa League highlights that stronger than ever. Newcastle have struggled badly this season but winning the Europa League would elevate Pardew’s status to beyond his current one of competent man manager and the Prince of Darkness. Likewise Villas Boas, a manager who people appear to change their opinion of every week. For Spurs to finish 5th and devoid of Silverware would be a major step back after so much good work. But come 3rd/4th and win the Europa League? Suddenly you’ve had a good a season as anyone. Whatever happens, it will be worth watching. Even if that means tuning into Channel 5…
You really haven't been watching the Uefa cup have you? it's on one of the ITV Channels apparently. Keep up the good work. Love from down under. Olly
ReplyDeleteI notice it's only Spurs fans who keep pointing this out to me...
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