Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Weekend - Week Thirty Two

1. Saints are all marching to Brazil
With ten goals in their last three games, the Southampton bandwagon has shown no signs of slowing despite nothing of note to play for. The World Cup is probably responsible for part of that, but another key factor is that Saints play in such a fluent, handsome way that they give off an impression of being utterly relaxed on the football field. Beyond Rooney, the precocious talent of Ross Barkley and the curiously underrated Danny Welbeck, there is little argument that England could do worse than pick an entire Saints/Pool front six for Brazil. Gerrard, Henderson, Lallana, Sterling, Rodriguez and Sturridge would form a youthful, pacey attack that would all be on the same wavelength. With Lambert an option off the bench, not to mention the three names mentioned above, there is plenty to be optimistic about for England fans. Of course, the flipside is that should any of the above be omitted in favour of the likes of Milner, Townsend, Lampard, Cleverely and Defoe we may as well give up now. Beyond cheering their boys onto and off the plane though, it will be a nervous summer for Southampton fans with their prized assets being coveted by clubs with deeper pockets than them. Given their superb youth policy (certainly when compared to, say, Chelsea) it is a cruel fate, and it will be little consolation that they are probably used to it by now.

2. Arrogance, not ability, is Chelsea’s undoing
The title race is certainly not over, despite what Jose and seemingly the bookies would have you believe, but if Chelsea do fall short it won’t just be because they possess inferior players. Jose is the master of the big game but his team have gone away to Villa, Palace, West Brom and Newcastle and scored just a single goal. Indeed, when you add in Everton, Man Utd and Arsenal, Chelsea have been terrible away this season, that superb result at the Etihad aside. Whilst the latter three were all understandable in different contexts, the first four are unforgiveable for a team as talented as this. Jose can chirp all he wants about City having more money, but given Chelsea remain the second most financially backed team in the league it’s unsure how much sympathy he is really expecting. You’d expect a Jose team to have the best defence, but a midfield containing the likes of Ramires, Matic, Hazard, Lampard, Oscar, Schurlle, Willian and Mata (until Jan) stands up with anyone… and is certainly stronger on paper than Liverpool who now lead the table above them. There is no denying that Chelsea have lacked a centre forward for a couple of years now, but they had two transfer windows to arrest that, let Lukaku go on loan, have refused to ever play Ba and still have Fernando Torres on their books. Who is shit. No, you get the impression that the reason Chelsea have lost such games this season is because the players have turned up merely expecting to win. Jose was correct when he pointed this out post match, but he stopped short of blaming himself when pre-match motivation is surely a massive issue? The title was there for the taking this season, as proved by Liverpool’s ascent. Chelsea only have themselves to blame for not being in a better position to have made it their own.

3. Spurs inferiority complex is really quite inferior
Played 8, Won 1, Lost 7, Scored 2, Conceded 27. That is Spurs record against the top 4 this season. And they can’t even blame David Moyes. What they can blame though, is their transfer policy and the complete and utter lack of continuity in the dugout. Spurs seem to only sign two types of players. One, the supremely average, who tend to last a couple of seasons and then get farmed out to a less aspirational team further down the league (far too many to list here). And two, the brilliant, who also last a couple of seasons and then get sold to a more aspirational team higher up the league (Berbatov, Carrick, Bale, Modric). Levy is praised for getting such good fees for the latter, but what use is it when it is continuously invested in the same manner? Spurs aren’t going to get better by playing the transfer market, so surely then it would make sense to employ a manager and stick with him for a decent period. That’s what Levy said he was doing with AVB of course, before sacking him for returning the best points per game for the club in the modern era. Spurs were truly awful at Anfield as they were at home to the same opposition. There was no fight, no belief, no energy. It is a manager’s job to instil those things, but given the players don’t know who that’s going to be from one transfer window to the next, is it little wonder they keep falling short when it matters?

4. Wenger could do worse than making Flamini captain
Arsenal won’t win the title, but they at least restored some pride this weekend with a second half performance of real gusto. It’s a cliché to praise managers for mid game team talks, a cliché which often forgets how useless their initial brief probably was. But given his second half performance, it’s tempting to believe that Mathieu Flamini gave the talk himself. The Frenchman was strangely benched for the key games against both Munich and Chelsea, despite being pivotal to Arsenal’s form earlier in the season. He was magnificent here and led from the front, the back and the middle. Given Vermaelen will surely be stripped of the captaincy in the summer, Wenger could do a lot worse than hand the armband to the one player in his team who consistently shows the fight and the spirit that is missing in so many of his troops.

5. Poyet is not doing himself any favours
For the third match in four games, Gus Poyet set his team up in a 5-3-2 formation and dropped his best player in Adam Johnson. It didn’t work in the first two games so to try it again in a match as must win as this defied belief. Johnson came on against Liverpool and turned the game in Sunderland’s favour and he did exactly the same again tonight. Not only scoring, but injecting urgency and purpose into a side who looked hopelessly bereft of both.  In both cases however, it turned out to be too little too late and Sunderland are now heading for the Championship. West Ham are now safe to see out the season in their own, curiously uninspiring way and put together a list of average wingers that other clubs don’t want. Poyet meanwhile is long past the point where he can blame his predecessor. His team have collapsed since the League Cup final and they have the worst home form in the league. I suppose their away form could keep them up. I mean they only have Man City, Spurs, Man Utd & Chelsea. Ok maybe not…

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Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Weekend - Week Thirty to Thirty One

1. Crash, bang, what a weekend.

42 goals were scored this weekend, the second highest achieved since the birth of the 20 team Premier League era. Of the 10 games played, 7 were superb, 2 were entertaining and one involved a side managed by Tony Pulis. There were deserved red cards (Alonso), there were undeserved red cards (Amorebieta) and there were really undeserved red cards (Gibbs). We saw some good goals, we some very good goals and we saw some absolute humdingers. Let’s not stretch the point, but this was a weekend which made you remember why the Premier League is the most marketable in the world. Hell, thanks to Russell Brand, even Match of the Day was watchable for a change. Although the smugness in which Shearer signed off with “I went with Chelsea at the start, I’m not changing my mind now” did make you want to vomit. All over him.


2. Are Arsenal happy being also-rans for another decade?

1000 games are up for Arsene Wenger and whilst such longevity and loyalty is to be applauded, it’s tempting to break that down into two very clear halves. Wenger spent 500 games making a case for himself to be the finest domestic manager the English League had ever seen. And 500 games since making an absolute mockery of anyone who believed that. Wenger is right to a point that Arsenal took the decision to finance the new stadium and not go into debt at a time where Chelsea and City came along from nowhere to overtake them. But he is wrong to assume that if Arsenal had access to the same limitless funds over the past decade the situation would have been different. Having won the title by going an entire season unbeaten, something changed in Arsene Wenger. With the exception of winning the Champions League, where could he go from there? The answer appeared to be winning in a style and way that hadn’t been done before. A long term admirer of Barcelona, Wenger changed his formation from a solid 4-4-1-1 to a 4-3-3, making Fabregas his midfield general at the peak of the triangle and trying to get Robin Van Persie fit enough to play up front for a full season. Over the course of the next seven years he bought 4,745 players who could operate in the attacking midfield positions; and financed £10,000,000 worth of medical bills in the belief that getting Abou Diaby on the pitch for 10 games in a row would be the difference. Arsenal haven’t lost titles because they don’t have any money. They have lost titles because they have either bottled it when the pressure was on (The William Gallas years) or failed to find anyway whatsoever to win away at the big clubs. The way they were blown away by Chelsea on Saturday was not a freak result. This is a team who have now been slaughtered away to Utd, City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the past two years. It isn’t because they are bad defenders. Arsenal have conceded 17 goals in three away games to the teams above them. They have conceded 17 goals in their other 27 league games combined. The problem is entirely mental. And it is entirely the fault of Arsene Wenger. And so, once again, the decision comes whether to offer Wenger a new contract. In which I ask the Arsenal board this. Are you happy finishing 3rd or 4th season in season out? Many teams would kill for that level of consistency, even if it meant sacrificing the odd trophy along the way, but surely Arsenal are now well set up enough that another top manager (Klopp, Simone) could come along and take them the extra mile? I don’t make the decisions. But I do know this, Arsenal might not be better off without Arsene. But they would certainly be less predictable.


3. Is there any way back for the bottom three?

Fulham, Cardiff and Sunderland all lost at the weekend and despite the latter having two games in hand, they are away at City and Liverpool. There remains just six points separating the next seven clubs currently drifting in a sea of mediocrity above the drop zone; but realistically are any now going to get three to six less points than Sunderland between now and the final game? It’s notable that all three of the bottom clubs have changed their manager, with Fulham going for a new record for most in a season. A complete lack of stability and woeful transfer dealings have undermined them all this year and in truth, only West Brom above them deserve to be amongst such collective incompetence. Poyet is doing all he can at Sunderland, even if they go down he can hold his head high following two great cup runs and having to work with the complete wreckage caused by Paolo Di Canio. But, put simply, they just don’t score goals. Only Palace have managed less all season and if you took out Adam Johnson they’d be rock bottom. I’ve mentioned before the ineptitude of Jozy Altidore but it’s worth highlighting again the record of a man who has scored once in 27 games. Once? In 27 games? How is that being allowed to continue from a club who have EIGHT senior strikers on their books? How? I want answers...


4. What would constitute a success for Everton fans this season?

Let’s be clear, most Everton fans would have taken 6th at the start of August with open arms. Having lost their long serving manager to Manchester Utd, Roberto Martinez very much fell into the “calculated gamble” category. But with two months of the season left it’s hard to know what would constitute a success from here. Everton started the season in fine form, moving the ball around as good as anyone and had only lost a single game (away at City) before Christmas. Since then they haven’t been as good, they have got over the line with a couple of late winners and the clean sheets have dried up as fast as Lukaku’s goals. Their achievements have been overshadowed in part by that of Brendon Rodgers’s Liverpool and having gone out of both cups, their season was in danger of drifting towards the end with people forgetting quite how good they’d been. Everton now very much have their fate in their own hands. They have 9 games left and here are two scenarios for you. One: They win in mid week and again at the weekend (away to Fulham) and have Arsenal in their next fixture. The Gunners, having been spanked by Chelsea also lose at home to City and Everton find themselves just two points behind them prior to that game kicking off. Win it, and they’re 4th with just six games left to play. Two: Everton stumble away to Newcastle and a fighting for their lives Fulham, they face an Arsenal who tend to always do enough to at least finish 4th and return just one point from their next 3 matches. With six games left, they are 7th. Well below Liverpool. Below Spurs. Below Manchester United. Given the way football is, a combination of both of these scenarios is more likely than either extreme, but it highlights the point about how delicate poised the season is as we head into the business end. Everton have been superb at times this year, but now is the time when they can either stand up and be remembered for generations. Or fade away and leave people forgetting what the fuss was about all along.

5. El Clasico? Yes. Yes it was.

Rarely do Sky Sports get the sort of football match that their ridiculous hyperbole deserves. So following on from an extremely successful Super Sunday, they were on dangerous ground by announcing this years Clasico as THE BIGGEST MATCH IN THE WORLD. For once though, the match deserved the hype. Two teams who have amassed 163 major trophies between them served up a feast for the senses in a game that had everything but a Gareth Bale heart. Seven goals, three penalties and an obligatory sending off for Sergio Ramos. The match blew wide open the Spanish title race which now sees just one point separating Atletico, Real and Barcelona. And we thought our league was tight...





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Five Things We Didn’t Learn from Watching Football this Weekend

Meanwhile, in an alternate universe…

 

1. Moyes continues march to immortality.
Captained by Tom “Marvel” Cleverley, David Moyes’ Manchester United stormed to the top of the Premier League this week by swatting aside Liverpool like a disease carrying mosquito. Moyes’ team have gone from strength to strength since taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson last summer and this performance raised the bar yet further. Liverpool, managed by Kenny Dalglish for the 28^th returning time, saw Steven Gerrard sent off for conceding three penalties in a row. Many questioned Moyes appointment at the start of the season, but his revolutionary tactics and canny transfer dealings have meant Utd have carried on where they left off after Sir Alex. His decision to sign 18 number 10’s appeared flawed, yet he looks to have had the last laugh as he again set his team up in a 2-1-7-0 formation which saw all his best players occupy the same square foot of Old Trafford grass. Liverpool just couldn’t cope with such a method, and despite the acres of grassland available for them to run into, were drawn to the “10 Zone” like wasps to a jam jar. It was left for Utd to tiki-taka their way through before breaking free and raining shots on Liverpool’s goal in a blaze of creativity. The final score of 3 nil did not flatter a team who have silenced all their critics this season with pace, nous and passion. Moyes post-match interview was as assured and as confident as his team’s display. “I knew this job would be easy,” he casually quipped… “but not this fucking easy.”

2. Stoke’s flair sets fans passion alight again.
After vowing to never manage a team who flirted with relegation again, Mark Hughes has been true to his word since taking over from Stoke and their impressive 8-3 demolition of West Ham this week saw them rise to 7^th in the table. Hughes has built a team filled with expressive, attacking players and said he “never considered” the idea of playing Peter Crouch up front by himself. The England number 9 has been in imperious form since being paired once again by Jermain Defoe. The two have scored over 50 goals already between them and England’s World Cup rivals are looking on with real fear at how they will explode in Brazil. For the similarly expansive West Ham, it was another lesson as to how playing 3-3-4 will often leave you exposed against a team as good as Stoke. Both managers praised a wonderful game of football in their post-match interviews, with Mark Hughes adding “all things considered, I am probably the best manager in the world.”

3. Jose takes defeat in his stride.
After watching his Chelsea team lose for the 10^th time this season, Jose Mourinho once again took the result in his stride and spent his post-match press conference praising both the officials and the opposition players. “We are a young set of pups who need nurturing,” said the once successful manager “I thought we played with real spirit and purpose, but we lacked milk when it mattered most. I shall have to take some of the players back on to the boob before they are ready again.” Chelsea ended up losing the game 4-3, a product of their new commitment to attacking football, coupled with general uselessness at the back. With David Luiz continuing as a make shift centre forward, the Brazilian was impressive but could not do it all on his own. Aston Villa tortured John Terry all afternoon and the Chelsea captain was eventually sent off for the 4^th time this season for sleeping with the referee’s wife at half time. Chelsea play Arsenal next and with them lying in 8^th and their season in pieces, Jose said he planned to “enjoy” the fixture and treat his “best friend” Arsene Wenger to a slap up steak and chips following their inevitable defeat. 

4. Nobody is joking on Tyneside anymore.
When Alan Pardew left the club in January, citing personal reasons and a desire to become a Hollywood heart throb, many people in football feared the worst. This was less to do with the belief that Pardew was irreplaceable, and more to do with the questionable decision to once again install Joe Kinnear as first team boss. However, with a direct line to Ferguson, Wenger, Busby and Sir Alf Ramsey, Kinnear has proved an instant success and Newcastle have won eight games in a row. Adding English steel to French flair, Kinnear’s Newcastle are now a consistent, well-oiled machine. Certainly not a club who’s performance from one week to the next couldn’t possibly be predicted by the most skilled sage in the known Universe (Paul the Octopus). Kinnear, humble and speaking in the Queen’s English, praised both his players and the fans before thanking “every journalist in the room for rolling out the red carpet and welcoming me back into the bosom of football management with open arms.” 

5. Tim huffs and puffs but cannot blow the house down.
Tim Sherwood has done all he can since taking over from AVB at Tottenham Hotspurs. The return and resurgence of Adeboyer has been lauded, but this has been coupled with an emphasis on starting every match incredibly slowly and playing with a defensive line so high it’s been renamed the half way line. Still, Sherwood has had little to no training for the job and was apparently given the role following an unsuccessful poker game between Daniel Levy, Alan Sugar and the winner of the last series of the Apprentice. The way he threw his gilet to the ground yesterday suggested a man who has been unable to get his simple message of “put the ball in the fecking net” across to his players. Spurs largely battered Arsenal in a match which continued to see them miss chances and be repelled by Tony Adams and Martin Keown. But it mattered little following an early goal by Legolas that allowed Wenger and his troops to sit back and laugh at Spurs as they tried, feebly, to actually win a derby match. The result leaves Spurs marooned in 5^th, where be it in this universe or the next, they are destined to remain for the next 100 years.

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Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Weekend - Week Twenty Nine

1. Had Manuel Pellegrini lost a bet when he signed Demichellis?

It seems almost part of the job now that a new manager is, at some stage, contractually obliged to return to his former club and prize a player from their midst. Sometimes, as with Paddy Kenny and Neil Warnock, it is the same player from club to club... and in other cases, like with Harry Redknapp, it is trying to re-sign your entire previous side. And so it was this January, that Pellegrini returned to his old club Malaga and signed his former defender to add to a perceived lack of credible centre backs within his new squad. In a season of dramatic ups and downs, it is proving to be a horrible misstep. The move was strange even before Demichellis had kicked a ball. The Argentine had not played for over six months following a bizarre contract dispute with Atletico Madrid. Add to that City already had Lescott, part of a parsimonious title defence just 18 months ago and Nastasic, one of the most promising young centre backs in the league and who had formed an impressive looking partnership already with Kompany. Granted Kompany was, at the time, nursing an injury, but the deal took so long to go through he was fit again by the time Demichellis took to the field. Despite a perfectly decent set of options, not to mention Richards and Boyata in reserve, the decision to bring in a new centre back wasn’t the worst idea in the world... but it appears that bringing in Demichellis as opposed to an actual high quality centre back... probably was the worst idea in the world. Demichellis has looked every day of his 33 years so far and has already conspired to get City knocked out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League (barring the miracle of all miracles on Wednesday). He even did his best to make them lose the League Cup before his blushes were spared by Toure and Nasri. All of this is after he was embarrassed by Chelsea in the pivotal league meeting. Pellegrini clearly likes his South American compatriot and is trusting him in the big games. Trust that frankly, needs to end right now. Every game that Demichellis is playing for Manchester City is currently costing them dearly. Talk of the quadruple now looks laughable and, somehow, City actually look odds on to finish the season with less in their cabinet than this next lot...



2. I mean... surely, even Arsenal can’t mess this up?

Firstly fair play to Wigan, who have delivered back to back performances of the highest level against the most expensively assembled team in Britain. They deserve to be in the semi-finals more than anybody and nobody will be treating them as “plucky underdogs” anymore. Indeed, over the past twenty years only Chelsea and Manchester United have gone on a longer winning run in this competition. But after dismantling Everton in a ruthless and clinical fashion that made a mockery of the recent criticisms of Ozil and Giroud, Arsenal really do want shooting if they can’t come out on top of a four-ball involving themselves, Wigan, Hull and Sheffield United. The Gunners needed a performance at the weekend and Wenger saw his men finally stand up and be counted in a big fixture, all be it at home. Given it will matter little if they lose again to Munich, this was a result that set them up nicely going into a run of fixtures that could politely be described as “tricky.” Wigan. Hull. Sheffield United. Arsenal. Given Hull’s new strike force can’t even play in the cup, Ozil on his own cost as much as virtually the entire other three teams put together. Frankly Arsene, if you don’t end your trophy drought come May, you should tender your resignation immediately in complete and utter shame.



3. Spurs defending was back to its best.

This was what we’d all missed. Sure Spurs got stuffed a couple of times under AVB, but not in such a calamitously comical way as this? This was the Spurs defending of yesteryear that we’d all grown up laughing at. This... was just fucking awful. Even taking into account the harsh award of a penalty for Chelsea’s second (it was clumsy and he was out of position, but a red card was certainly over the top) there was just nothing positive to say about the way that Spurs capitulated for around the 28th time in the last ten years. The first goal saw Jan Vertonghen fall over, flail around on the floor and then poke the ball backwards straight to Eto. Who had lost Kaboul by virtue of the centre back tying up his boots whilst the ball was in play and amongst his own back four. He then nutmegged Lloris. The third goal saw Sandro casually give the ball to Ba before Kyle Walker presented it to him again minutes later with a weak header that left his goalkeeper stranded. It was risible, wonderful stuff and with the derby up next is was the last thing that Tim Sherwood needed. The Spurs boss certainly picked the wrong game to announce before that he deserved more credit as to how his team were playing...



4. What on earth has happened to Scott Sinclair?

In August  2012, less than two years ago Scott Sinclair signed for Manchester City for £6m and was given the famous number 11 shirt. He had just represented Great Britain at the Olympics and had two successful seasons at up and coming Swansea where he had scored 35 goals in his 90 appearances. Whilst it was clear his game time would be reduced following the move, I’m not sure anyone predicted that by March 2014 he would have played just 500 minutes of Premier League football. A lot of people have assumed Sinclair has been mostly injured but, simply, that hasn’t been the case. He suffered a blood clot towards the end of the 2012/13 season and a minor injury following his loan move to West Brom, but he has been available for selection in over 80% of his teams fixtures since leaving Swansea. He is currently playing reserve football for a club 17th in the table and struggling to score goals. What, on earth, is happening? There are obvious examples of players moving clubs and it all going wrong for them, but usually that has been evident by on the pitch failings rather than simply not getting into a match day squad? This was a player called up for England whilst at Swansea, the first name on the team sheet of a side that ultimately got Brendan Rodgers the Liverpool job? Of course, I don’t know what’s happened to Scott Sinclair. I can only assume that, like another Ralph Allen footballing legend Nick Harris, he peaked too early.


5. There is still plenty to play for in a World Cup Year.

As the final quarter of the season comes into view, this is normally the time when clubs (cough... Charlton - the Alan Curbishley years) wind down a little if they are free from the pitfalls of relegation and away from the glory seeking upper echelons. This year however, just two teams currently exist in that zone and they still have everything to play for. Both Newcastle and Southampton are filled with World Cup hopefuls for both the French and English final 23. Crystal Palace fans may have looked kindly on a home date with a team marooned in 9th but Saints have Shaw, Lambert, Lallana and Rodriguez all playing for the right to be part of Roy Hodgson’s final calling card to Brazil. All played well in their narrow victory and of those four it is Lallana who surely has the best claim to be on the plane. Indeed, he is playing so well that on form he should be starting the opening fixture rather than warming the bench. Rodriguez added another notch to his increasing goal tally this season, although it is likely that Lambert will still be ahed of him in the queue owing to his superior arial prowess, not to the mention the fact he can actually take a penalty. All of which leaves Shaw, of which much has been written about this week. The full back remains young and I would be looking to judge him this time next season when he has another year under his belt. With Baines being the first choice it makes little sense to take an unproven teenager over one of the finest left backs of the past decade, even if Cole hasn’t been playing very much. Still, given nobody knows the exact thoughts of any international manager in a World Cup year, not to mention the surprises that have snuck in in the past... there is still everything to prove for all these players between now and May.




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Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Weekend - Week Twenty Eight

1. Is there anybody left who respects Alan Pardew?

You’ve got to hand it to Pardew, he may be the most dislikable manager in the league, but he is certainly unique. His headbutt this weekend was a storyline straight out of the Observers Said & Done; the sort of thing that supposedly happens in the South American little leagues and we laugh about from afar. The fact the headbutt was pretty tame is almost completely irrelevant, there is enough footage to show that it clearly was... a headbutt... and for any manager of a major football team to even consider doing that is extraordinary. Pardew looked genuinely embarrassed post match and after promising to “punish himself” last time he stepped out of line, the mind boggles at what’s in store for him once he gets some alone time. Oddly, the craziest thing about the incident wasn’t the headbutt itself, but the almost complete lack of provocation for doing so. Meyler merely brushed past Pardew trying to get the ball back in a game his team were comfortably losing. The Newcastle managers reaction was akin to me butting somebody who accidentally bumped into me in the street. In that instance, I would probably end up with an assault charge. Clearly Pardew’s act of comedy doesn’t warrant that, Newcastle have already fined him £100,000 and he can expect a similar figure coming from the FA along with a 6 or 7 match ban. His actions of course, took away from what was a superb away performance from his team. Now they will have to cope without him for much of the remainder of the season as they go head to head with Southampton in the battle for 8th that literally nobody cares about.


2. Nasri & City bury their demons

It wasn’t all plain sailing, but come the end of the match Manchester City had won out and banished the memory of their last Wembley visit. For Samir Nasri, who scored the crucial goal, the feeling was particularly pleasing having lost to relegated clubs in his last two cup finals here. City were not at their best but when they possess players who can create something out of nothing almost every match, all is never lost. It’s hard to know where this Ya Ya Toure has been for the past decade. Sure he was asked to play a more defensive role at Barca, but he wasn’t knocking in 30 yard curlers two years ago let alone when he was playing for the best team in Europe. The Ivorian still wanders around like an African Berbatov at times, but it matters little when he can come up with the sort of strike that got his team back in this match and on their way to victory. Many managers have come to these shores and started the trophy cabinet with the League Cup. It is a curiously maligned trophy that now offers far better entertainment than its drawn out (Friday to Monday) FA cousin. Manuel Pellegrini is a likeable manager, when he’s not racially abusing Swedish referees, and this was a strong start to a season which may yet deliver an unlikely treble.


3. Soldado does it the hard way

It had been a long time since Roberto Soldado had scored for Spurs. 8 games to be exact and a whopping 15 since his last league goal from open play. His match winner on Sunday oozed with the class that you’d expect from somebody who cost over £25m. The shame for Spurs fans is that they had seen precious little evidence of that fee to date, beyond an ability to take a cool penalty. Credit then, to the White Hart Lane faithful who sang their strikers name to the rafters both before and after his strike. Soldado received a standing ovation when he left the pitch, an action that was barely deserved on his overall play. But in a time where fans turn on players, managers and owners quicker than ever... this was a welcome and refreshing change to such negativity.


4. You’re only ever as good as your last game...

In contrast to the above of course, this weekend also saw its fair share of outrageous hyperbole and world collapsing pessimism based on a single match. Indeed Manchester City weren’t even afforded that privilege, with pundits and fans alike tearing into them before they came from behind to win the cup. “Completely Leaderless” quipped Mick McCarthy (who would know) moments before their central midfield “leader” bent in a 30 yard wonder strike. This weekend it was the turn of first Wenger and then Chris Hughton to get slammed for having the nerve to lose away from home in the most competitive top flight league in Europe. Arsenal were poor, if unlucky, and Wenger’s serial failure at this stage of the season is probably fair enough to use as the stick to beat him with. But this time last week Norwich were beating Spurs and Hughton was being lauded as the man to turn it around. That claim was just as absurd as any calls to sack him now. The truth, as ever, lying somewhere in between. Norwich have been thumped a couple of times this season but it’s scoring goals not conceding them that has been their undoing and prior to the weekend they had kept four clean sheets in their last six matches. Sacking Hughton now will achieve precisely nothing and despite West Brom seemingly prepared to depart with their manager for the second time this season, the relegation fight is increasingly looking like one team from five to join Fulham and Cardiff.

5. Unless you’re David Moyes

Poor David Moyes. Manchester United didn’t even play this weekend and he still managed to get more articles written about him than Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. In his defence, replacing Ferguson was always going to a minefield and regardless of how he or anyone else performed, the scrutiny and interest in replacing a manager of such longevity and standing was always going to be hanging over Old Trafford like the Sword of Damocles. But that is pretty much where the defence for him stops. Continued talk of “he inherited a poor squad” and “Ferguson didn’t start his reign well” is both woefully out of context and increasingly more ignorant. Moyes only inherited a poor squad in comparison to Manchester City or the great Utd teams of the last ten years, and was given essentially limitless funds to add to it at will. Which he did, to the tune of over £60m spent on two players who, whilst talented, cannot run. The argument that he “wanted to see what he was working with” before making any decision is ludicrous. He had managed in the same league for ten years? An 8 year old watching match of the day could have told him that Nani & Anderson were shit and that Valencia, Evra, Young & Cleverly clearly needed to be replaced. Ferguson was supremely talented at making players perform beyond their capabilities, but then so are lots of managers. Could anyone have predicted 12 months ago that the best English midfielder in the league would be Adam Lallana? There are lots of damning things you could throw at Moyes but the one that sticks is that he has not improved a single player this season. He’s taken a bit of credit for Wayne Rooney, but all he did was get him on the pitch and play him. Rooney has always been an up and down player and that’s been the case this season as well. His effort and work rate have never been questioned, so crediting Moyes with “turning him around” is a bit like saying well done to an engineer for getting a car with a flat battery started again. Manchester United now have arguably an even bigger decision facing them than they did when Ferguson retired. For the team to be finishing 7th and limping out of all cups in woeful circumstances is simply unforgivable. Huge surgery is required and does anybody now seriously believe that David Moyes is the man to oversee a complete squad overhaul? This is a man who simply cannot instruct the Champions of England to play a pressing game... a passing game... a counter attacking game... a high tempo game... a fast game... or, right now, a fucking winning game. Moyes has failed every single test without fail that has been put in front of him. From the backroom staff, to the transfers, to the style of play, to the media, to the man management, to the results. Utd have West Brom away before a run of home fixtures that takes in Liverpool, Olympiakos and Manchester City. If Moyes loses all three of those matches and still keeps his job, it’s time for us all to pack up and go home.



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