1. Arsenal fans are
starting to believe.
Top of the league, a fantastic start in Europe, Aaron Ramsey playing like he’s Mesut Ozil and well… signing Mesut Ozil. If you offered that to Arsenal fans after the season started with them being beaten at home by Villa they wouldn’t just have bitten your hand off, they would have checked you into a mental asylum to boot. Football is a funny old game and you should never underestimate how important one player can truly be to a team. Arsenal were on a good run before Ozil joined their ranks, but his very presence seems to have given them that extra bit of belief that they have lacked for so long. The German was simply mesmeric on Sunday afternoon, not so much passing the ball but making gentle love to it with his boot. Questions remain about Arsenal’s defence and concentration levels, not least under pressure; but if they can get to Christmas with this sort of momentum anything remains possible. It already looks like one of four teams could win the title this year. The biggest surprise so far, isn’t that Man Utd aren’t one of those four… but that Arsenal are.
Top of the league, a fantastic start in Europe, Aaron Ramsey playing like he’s Mesut Ozil and well… signing Mesut Ozil. If you offered that to Arsenal fans after the season started with them being beaten at home by Villa they wouldn’t just have bitten your hand off, they would have checked you into a mental asylum to boot. Football is a funny old game and you should never underestimate how important one player can truly be to a team. Arsenal were on a good run before Ozil joined their ranks, but his very presence seems to have given them that extra bit of belief that they have lacked for so long. The German was simply mesmeric on Sunday afternoon, not so much passing the ball but making gentle love to it with his boot. Questions remain about Arsenal’s defence and concentration levels, not least under pressure; but if they can get to Christmas with this sort of momentum anything remains possible. It already looks like one of four teams could win the title this year. The biggest surprise so far, isn’t that Man Utd aren’t one of those four… but that Arsenal are.
2. Norwich are all
kids of boring.
Last season only Stoke and QPR scored less goals than Norwich City. The former sacked their manager and the latter sacked one and finished bottom with the other. Indeed, Norwich’s paltry haul of 41 goals was swelled by two final dead rubbers, without which they had scored 34 goals in 36 matches. It was clear then where Chris Hughton needed to strengthen and strengthen he did this summer, bringing in three new strikers and a couple of attacking midfielders at significant cost. The result? Norwich have scored 3 times in 5 games and once in the last 400 minutes. There’s no way to flower that up so I’ll just cut to the chase, Norwich are fucking boring. They don’t create enough chances and they don’t take enough chances, a combination to make nobody but opposition managers happy. They have only had 2 shots on target in over 3 hours of football. Whatever is going on down at the training ground, it just isn’t working. Norwich are away at Stoke next and then have Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in their next four games. Paulo Di Canio did everything he can to win the first manager sacked race, but if Norwich win none of those games and are bottom in November, it will be hard to make a case for the Hughton to carry on either.
Last season only Stoke and QPR scored less goals than Norwich City. The former sacked their manager and the latter sacked one and finished bottom with the other. Indeed, Norwich’s paltry haul of 41 goals was swelled by two final dead rubbers, without which they had scored 34 goals in 36 matches. It was clear then where Chris Hughton needed to strengthen and strengthen he did this summer, bringing in three new strikers and a couple of attacking midfielders at significant cost. The result? Norwich have scored 3 times in 5 games and once in the last 400 minutes. There’s no way to flower that up so I’ll just cut to the chase, Norwich are fucking boring. They don’t create enough chances and they don’t take enough chances, a combination to make nobody but opposition managers happy. They have only had 2 shots on target in over 3 hours of football. Whatever is going on down at the training ground, it just isn’t working. Norwich are away at Stoke next and then have Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in their next four games. Paulo Di Canio did everything he can to win the first manager sacked race, but if Norwich win none of those games and are bottom in November, it will be hard to make a case for the Hughton to carry on either.
3. Chelsea have a lot
of unanswered questions still.
Chelsea stuttered past a miserable looking Fulham on Saturday evening to record a well overdue first victory since the opening week. 2 points off the top doesn’t sound so bad but the truth is everyone has stumbled to some extent so far and Chelsea were many peoples favourites for the title. Woeful in midweek against Basel, Chelsea look like a collection of overrated individuals rather than a fully functioning team. It’s early into the second reign of Jose, but given his history it’s a shock to see Chelsea playing as badly as this. Unanswered questions you say? Well here are five for starters. One: Why praise Mata all summer, fail to sell him and then make a speech how he was never going to fit into your plans anyway? Nobody is denying the ability of Oscar, Jose, but to treat the club player of the season for two years like this is perverse. Two: Why try and fix the one part of the team that isn’t broken? The central attacking trident of Oscar, Mata and Hazard sung in unison last year, tearing teams apart and driving Chelsea to Europa League glory. Where Chelsea needed a change was defensive midfield, full back and up front. Instead Jose has added an absurd three players to his strongest area (Willian being the most shamelessly unnecessary) and none to his weaker ones. Three: Why allow your best striker to go on loan and then buy someone who’s 32 on four times the wages? Lukaku took what, twenty minutes to score on Saturday? Eto has been indescribably bad to date. Four: Why turn down a £35m bid for David Luiz from a club not even in your league and then make him your 4th choice centre back and admit you’ll never play him in midfield? This one is just stupid. Five: Why talk about trying to play attacking, open and fluent football when the evidence on the pitch could not point further in the opposite direction? Nobody likes a liar Jose. But a boring liar… hell that’s really bad. And boring.
Chelsea stuttered past a miserable looking Fulham on Saturday evening to record a well overdue first victory since the opening week. 2 points off the top doesn’t sound so bad but the truth is everyone has stumbled to some extent so far and Chelsea were many peoples favourites for the title. Woeful in midweek against Basel, Chelsea look like a collection of overrated individuals rather than a fully functioning team. It’s early into the second reign of Jose, but given his history it’s a shock to see Chelsea playing as badly as this. Unanswered questions you say? Well here are five for starters. One: Why praise Mata all summer, fail to sell him and then make a speech how he was never going to fit into your plans anyway? Nobody is denying the ability of Oscar, Jose, but to treat the club player of the season for two years like this is perverse. Two: Why try and fix the one part of the team that isn’t broken? The central attacking trident of Oscar, Mata and Hazard sung in unison last year, tearing teams apart and driving Chelsea to Europa League glory. Where Chelsea needed a change was defensive midfield, full back and up front. Instead Jose has added an absurd three players to his strongest area (Willian being the most shamelessly unnecessary) and none to his weaker ones. Three: Why allow your best striker to go on loan and then buy someone who’s 32 on four times the wages? Lukaku took what, twenty minutes to score on Saturday? Eto has been indescribably bad to date. Four: Why turn down a £35m bid for David Luiz from a club not even in your league and then make him your 4th choice centre back and admit you’ll never play him in midfield? This one is just stupid. Five: Why talk about trying to play attacking, open and fluent football when the evidence on the pitch could not point further in the opposite direction? Nobody likes a liar Jose. But a boring liar… hell that’s really bad. And boring.
4. Swansea are the best run club in the league.
I try and remain impartial on this blog (coughs) but I’m not afraid to admit that I fucking love Swansea City. The way they play, their ethos, their manager, their fans… everything. Swansea have gathered a preposterous amount of steam since they regained their place in the Championship back in 2009. Since their promotion to the Premier League they have managed themselves and their finances in the best possible way without once compromising their commitment to passing, attractive football. They are perhaps helped by the fact that their supporters own 20% of the club. The most high profile example of any such involvement from fans in this country. After a slow start to this season not helped by a vindictive fixture list, Swansea have gone from strength to strength and are unbeaten in their last four games. After stopping Liverpool’s run they completed a comfortable win today, but it was the midweek destruction of Valencia that really stood out. For a little team from Wales to go away to a La Liga superpower and receive a standing ovation from the home fans takes some doing. Swansea won’t keep hold of Laudrup forever, but the best thing you can say about the club is that when he does leave, almost every ambitious, unsettled or unemployed manager across Europe will be sending their CV to the Liberty Stadium.
5. David Moyes is not
good enough to manage Manchester Utd.
I’d like to clarify from the off that this heading is not calling for David Moyes head. I don’t think he is a manager currently capable of the biggest job in English football, but that is not to say he won’t become capable given adequate time and resources. Whether he will get that time remains to be seen following a start to the season that can politely be described as “disappointing.” Moyes has not inherited the strongest squad Utd have ever had, which made the decision to not strengthen it this summer even more baffling. Releasing feeble statements that the manager had only been in place for a short space of time just don’t cut it. The board and even Ferguson himself should have ensured there was adequate provision to ensure summer targets were sought and secured. But even that aside, Utd have been woeful for all but two half’s of football this season (the second against first Swansea and then Leverkusen). They have played three of their rivals in Chelsea, Liverpool and City and have scored one consolation goal, which was direct from a free kick. They have created next to nothing in all of those games, won none of them and have just been humiliated (again) by their noisy, local neighbours. City have flattered to deceive so far this season but they blew Utd away on Sunday simply by possessing the ability to pass the ball and actually make tackles. Moyes has to take some responsibility. His tactics have been negative in all of the games to date and he doesn’t appear to know how to set his team up to win a match. He has never been a good reactive manager and that simply has to change at Manchester Utd. Ferdinand and Vidic haven’t played three games in a week for half a decade so I have no idea what Moyes was thinking when he selected them for each of the past few fixtures. Both were visibly jaded against City and it’s not even open to debate that Ferguson would have rotated both in and out of the team ready for the bigger games. Did either need to play against Crystal Palace at home when Jonny Evans was fit, unused and the best centre back at the club for two years? No is the simple answer David. There have been several rumours of tough, draconian training measure leaked to the press and it’s worrying that Van Persie has already picked up a couple of niggling injuries again. Add to this the miserable form of any winger associated with the club, whilst the best player in preseason (Zaha) doesn’t get in the squad. The golden chance overlooked to actually play Kagawa in his favoured position against City once Van Persie got injured. The pathetic undervaluing of Leighton Baines whilst he hammers in two match winning free kicks for Everton. I could go on, but I’m depressing myself. As a measured critic I find myself a bit baffled that Utd have started the season so flat footed and are already playing catch up. I’d have thought at least the desire to impress a new manager would be there and carry them over the first few games. As a bias, heartbroken and prone to massive exaggerations fan… I am witnessing the top to bottom destruction of the greatest football team this country has known for the past twenty years.
I’d like to clarify from the off that this heading is not calling for David Moyes head. I don’t think he is a manager currently capable of the biggest job in English football, but that is not to say he won’t become capable given adequate time and resources. Whether he will get that time remains to be seen following a start to the season that can politely be described as “disappointing.” Moyes has not inherited the strongest squad Utd have ever had, which made the decision to not strengthen it this summer even more baffling. Releasing feeble statements that the manager had only been in place for a short space of time just don’t cut it. The board and even Ferguson himself should have ensured there was adequate provision to ensure summer targets were sought and secured. But even that aside, Utd have been woeful for all but two half’s of football this season (the second against first Swansea and then Leverkusen). They have played three of their rivals in Chelsea, Liverpool and City and have scored one consolation goal, which was direct from a free kick. They have created next to nothing in all of those games, won none of them and have just been humiliated (again) by their noisy, local neighbours. City have flattered to deceive so far this season but they blew Utd away on Sunday simply by possessing the ability to pass the ball and actually make tackles. Moyes has to take some responsibility. His tactics have been negative in all of the games to date and he doesn’t appear to know how to set his team up to win a match. He has never been a good reactive manager and that simply has to change at Manchester Utd. Ferdinand and Vidic haven’t played three games in a week for half a decade so I have no idea what Moyes was thinking when he selected them for each of the past few fixtures. Both were visibly jaded against City and it’s not even open to debate that Ferguson would have rotated both in and out of the team ready for the bigger games. Did either need to play against Crystal Palace at home when Jonny Evans was fit, unused and the best centre back at the club for two years? No is the simple answer David. There have been several rumours of tough, draconian training measure leaked to the press and it’s worrying that Van Persie has already picked up a couple of niggling injuries again. Add to this the miserable form of any winger associated with the club, whilst the best player in preseason (Zaha) doesn’t get in the squad. The golden chance overlooked to actually play Kagawa in his favoured position against City once Van Persie got injured. The pathetic undervaluing of Leighton Baines whilst he hammers in two match winning free kicks for Everton. I could go on, but I’m depressing myself. As a measured critic I find myself a bit baffled that Utd have started the season so flat footed and are already playing catch up. I’d have thought at least the desire to impress a new manager would be there and carry them over the first few games. As a bias, heartbroken and prone to massive exaggerations fan… I am witnessing the top to bottom destruction of the greatest football team this country has known for the past twenty years.
I’m a Swansea City fan now.
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