1. Implosion or explosion?
Arsene Wenger quipped before kick off on Saturday that people had been “writing them off since August,” so it was no surprise that people were already talking up the game as pivotal to his sides chances of claiming the Premier League title. To say he was less tongue in cheek after this match was an understatement. Arsenal were ripped apart by a performance of such pace and power by Liverpool, that in just 30 minutes it had persuaded people to believe that it was the team in red that were now the genuine title contenders. That is perhaps overstating the matter given their continued frailties at the back, not to mention the ability to switch off in the “lesser fixtures” – but both Manchester City and Chelsea have to visit Anfield and neither will be relishing that task. So off the back of this, will we get the implosion that many have said was always likely to come from Wenger’s team? The typical Easter collapse and being out of everything but the race for 4th come April? Wednesday’s visit of Manchester United is now a must win and certainly a dare not lose. Arsenal were abject at best against Liverpool, lethargic without the ball and wasteful with it. Mesut Ozil has been average of late and this was a game that was tailor made for his talents to shine once more. In 60 minutes he sailed way, way past average and into the dear god he was fucking terrible zone. For a player who cost £42m, this was quite simply as poor a performance as it gets. As for Liverpool, the title remains in their hands by way of the fixture calculator. Man City have been lavished praise for their 68 Premier League goals this season but Liverpool now stand on 63. A remarkable number for a squad that thin and testament to the wonderful job being done by Brendon Rodgers. Even if you take out Suarez they have scored more goals than Spurs, Everton and Newcastle. If they win all their home games (a huge if) they will certainly have a say in where the title ends up, with the added knowledge that too many slips ups will see them fall down below the Champions League places. Such is the tightness of what is shaping up to be a truly fantastic season. What happens next? Who cares, but make it be as entertaining as this.
Arsene Wenger quipped before kick off on Saturday that people had been “writing them off since August,” so it was no surprise that people were already talking up the game as pivotal to his sides chances of claiming the Premier League title. To say he was less tongue in cheek after this match was an understatement. Arsenal were ripped apart by a performance of such pace and power by Liverpool, that in just 30 minutes it had persuaded people to believe that it was the team in red that were now the genuine title contenders. That is perhaps overstating the matter given their continued frailties at the back, not to mention the ability to switch off in the “lesser fixtures” – but both Manchester City and Chelsea have to visit Anfield and neither will be relishing that task. So off the back of this, will we get the implosion that many have said was always likely to come from Wenger’s team? The typical Easter collapse and being out of everything but the race for 4th come April? Wednesday’s visit of Manchester United is now a must win and certainly a dare not lose. Arsenal were abject at best against Liverpool, lethargic without the ball and wasteful with it. Mesut Ozil has been average of late and this was a game that was tailor made for his talents to shine once more. In 60 minutes he sailed way, way past average and into the dear god he was fucking terrible zone. For a player who cost £42m, this was quite simply as poor a performance as it gets. As for Liverpool, the title remains in their hands by way of the fixture calculator. Man City have been lavished praise for their 68 Premier League goals this season but Liverpool now stand on 63. A remarkable number for a squad that thin and testament to the wonderful job being done by Brendon Rodgers. Even if you take out Suarez they have scored more goals than Spurs, Everton and Newcastle. If they win all their home games (a huge if) they will certainly have a say in where the title ends up, with the added knowledge that too many slips ups will see them fall down below the Champions League places. Such is the tightness of what is shaping up to be a truly fantastic season. What happens next? Who cares, but make it be as entertaining as this.
2. How good can Hazard be?
The Belgian wing wonder said this week, that his aim was to get to the level set by Ronaldo and Messi. The highest compliment you can currently pay him is that nobody laughed. Hazard has a good claim to being the best out and out winger in the world. Two men at Munich would certainly dispute that, but given Hazard has only just turned 23 where they sit over 30, they can’t contest the potential. Hazard has started 56 league games for Chelsea and scored 21 goals, complemented by 24 assists. Given, 18 months ago, he was a 21 one year old who’d never played in the Premier League before, those are highly impressive stats. Beyond that though, Hazard has evolved under Mourinho into a truly phenomenal player. He works hard, he finds space and his reading of the game is superb. He was already a terrific shooter and passer but his runs now are often so penetrating that teams are finding no answer to his talent. He didn’t get on the scoresheet on Monday night despite being the best player on the park, so presumably he was making up for lost time by smashing in a hat trick against an outclassed Newcastle. If the Belgian really is a mere “little horse,” I can’t wait to be there once he’s all grown up.
The Belgian wing wonder said this week, that his aim was to get to the level set by Ronaldo and Messi. The highest compliment you can currently pay him is that nobody laughed. Hazard has a good claim to being the best out and out winger in the world. Two men at Munich would certainly dispute that, but given Hazard has only just turned 23 where they sit over 30, they can’t contest the potential. Hazard has started 56 league games for Chelsea and scored 21 goals, complemented by 24 assists. Given, 18 months ago, he was a 21 one year old who’d never played in the Premier League before, those are highly impressive stats. Beyond that though, Hazard has evolved under Mourinho into a truly phenomenal player. He works hard, he finds space and his reading of the game is superb. He was already a terrific shooter and passer but his runs now are often so penetrating that teams are finding no answer to his talent. He didn’t get on the scoresheet on Monday night despite being the best player on the park, so presumably he was making up for lost time by smashing in a hat trick against an outclassed Newcastle. If the Belgian really is a mere “little horse,” I can’t wait to be there once he’s all grown up.
3. Villa’s home form is an increasing worry.
Paul Lambert has to find a plan B to his counter attacking style of football. It works great away from home or when teams push on to Villa, but it is flat out useless against anybody who sits back. Surely Lambert must have known that was exactly what West Ham were going to do? More so given the (farcical) absence of Andy Carroll. Only Fulham have a worse home record this season than Villa, who have won just 3 of their 13 home games and scored just 12 goals. 7 of which came in two games against City and West Brom. 5 goals in 11 matches at home!? Those are hopeless stats for a team like Villa and they are deep in the relegation mixture again unless they can find a way to pick up points consistently in front of their own fans. Getting Benteke actually involved in games would help, as would some sort of shift to playing with anybody capable of actually crossing a football.
Paul Lambert has to find a plan B to his counter attacking style of football. It works great away from home or when teams push on to Villa, but it is flat out useless against anybody who sits back. Surely Lambert must have known that was exactly what West Ham were going to do? More so given the (farcical) absence of Andy Carroll. Only Fulham have a worse home record this season than Villa, who have won just 3 of their 13 home games and scored just 12 goals. 7 of which came in two games against City and West Brom. 5 goals in 11 matches at home!? Those are hopeless stats for a team like Villa and they are deep in the relegation mixture again unless they can find a way to pick up points consistently in front of their own fans. Getting Benteke actually involved in games would help, as would some sort of shift to playing with anybody capable of actually crossing a football.
4. And so the madness continues…
It is becoming increasingly impossible not to write about Manchester United such is the soap opera that is unfolding each week. In one of the most ridiculous games you’ll ever likely to witness, Utd were held 2 all by the bottom club Fulham despite having over 80% possession and EIGHTY crosses. A league record that can surely never be beaten. If that sounds like Utd were unlucky, they weren’t. They rarely troubled Fulham and the final ball delivery, in particular from Rafael, was as bad as I’ve witnessed. As it was, there were huge slices of luck for both goals, but at least Utd had got the job done and somehow come away with the three points. That was before they conceded a last minute equaliser, seemingly just because the script writers of football really… really hate David Moyes. Fulham deserved enormous credit, despite redefining the term parking the bus. Their tactics ultimately worked and they will go into their crucial home game with Liverpool in good spirits. The only positive for Utd fans is that they go into Wednesday’s game with Arsenal finding their opponents just about the only team in a worse mood than they are. Judging by both teams woeful efforts this weekend, this will either be a dour nil nil or a 6 all laugh a minute thrill fest of errors. I’ve written too much about Moyes already for one season, so I won’t waste more print on him than necessary. Let me just close with the simple, but honest assessment that every… single… minute the man continues to be employed by the club is doing more harm than good. With Utd guaranteed to finish 7th, only lifting the Champions League will prevent his position from being untenable.
It is becoming increasingly impossible not to write about Manchester United such is the soap opera that is unfolding each week. In one of the most ridiculous games you’ll ever likely to witness, Utd were held 2 all by the bottom club Fulham despite having over 80% possession and EIGHTY crosses. A league record that can surely never be beaten. If that sounds like Utd were unlucky, they weren’t. They rarely troubled Fulham and the final ball delivery, in particular from Rafael, was as bad as I’ve witnessed. As it was, there were huge slices of luck for both goals, but at least Utd had got the job done and somehow come away with the three points. That was before they conceded a last minute equaliser, seemingly just because the script writers of football really… really hate David Moyes. Fulham deserved enormous credit, despite redefining the term parking the bus. Their tactics ultimately worked and they will go into their crucial home game with Liverpool in good spirits. The only positive for Utd fans is that they go into Wednesday’s game with Arsenal finding their opponents just about the only team in a worse mood than they are. Judging by both teams woeful efforts this weekend, this will either be a dour nil nil or a 6 all laugh a minute thrill fest of errors. I’ve written too much about Moyes already for one season, so I won’t waste more print on him than necessary. Let me just close with the simple, but honest assessment that every… single… minute the man continues to be employed by the club is doing more harm than good. With Utd guaranteed to finish 7th, only lifting the Champions League will prevent his position from being untenable.
But according to Fosu Gharban… that will happen.
5. Swansea show there is life after Laudrup.
If there has been anything more consistent than their passing over the past 5 years, it has been Swansea’s almost effortless transition between managers. Following the departures of Martinez and Rodgers for brighter lights, it was expected that Laudrup would be leaving in similar fashion. With the likes of Spurs, Utd and even Real Madrid linked with him. This being the impossible to predict world of football however, the Dane was sacked this week following a run that could politely be described as average. It seemed harsh. Laudrup had won the League Cup in his first season, beating Liverpool and Chelsea (over two legs) en route. He had guided his side to the knockout stages of the Europa League and a lucrative tie with Napoli. Sure their league form has been ropey, winning just two of their last ten matches, but they had been without their star player for the entirety of that run. Surely nobody at the club really thought Laudrup would take them down? There must be more to this sacking than that? Perhaps we’ll find out; especially if Laudrup goes through with a legal claim for unlawful dismissal. Still, life, as they say, goes on and that was certainly the case for Swansea who kicked off the reign of Gary Monk by… playing exactly like Swansea. They swept aside their struggling neighbours with panache on Saturday evening and now sit in the dizzy heights of 10th in the table. They play Stoke, Liverpool and Palace next. Win all three of those games… and they’ll still be 10th. This is very much a table of two halves, the great thing being that other than Man Utd, Newcastle and Southampton, who seem marooned to play out the season in 7th, 8th and 9th – it’s impossible to know which end to keep a closer eye on.
If there has been anything more consistent than their passing over the past 5 years, it has been Swansea’s almost effortless transition between managers. Following the departures of Martinez and Rodgers for brighter lights, it was expected that Laudrup would be leaving in similar fashion. With the likes of Spurs, Utd and even Real Madrid linked with him. This being the impossible to predict world of football however, the Dane was sacked this week following a run that could politely be described as average. It seemed harsh. Laudrup had won the League Cup in his first season, beating Liverpool and Chelsea (over two legs) en route. He had guided his side to the knockout stages of the Europa League and a lucrative tie with Napoli. Sure their league form has been ropey, winning just two of their last ten matches, but they had been without their star player for the entirety of that run. Surely nobody at the club really thought Laudrup would take them down? There must be more to this sacking than that? Perhaps we’ll find out; especially if Laudrup goes through with a legal claim for unlawful dismissal. Still, life, as they say, goes on and that was certainly the case for Swansea who kicked off the reign of Gary Monk by… playing exactly like Swansea. They swept aside their struggling neighbours with panache on Saturday evening and now sit in the dizzy heights of 10th in the table. They play Stoke, Liverpool and Palace next. Win all three of those games… and they’ll still be 10th. This is very much a table of two halves, the great thing being that other than Man Utd, Newcastle and Southampton, who seem marooned to play out the season in 7th, 8th and 9th – it’s impossible to know which end to keep a closer eye on.
Until next time.
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