Jose needs to evolve, fast.
Since Ferguson retired United have been like an aging, punch drunk heavy weight boxer who keeps putting down the millions to have another shot at the belt. If Moyes was the wrong personality for a club of such stature, both Van Gaal and now Mourinho smack of right manager, wrong time. Football has evolved greatly in the past few years and the Premier League has become an even fiercer and faster battle ground. Jose looked lost at his old stomping ground this Sunday. Like an award winning director who no longer knew how to make a film that was relevant. His players didn’t carry out his tactics well enough, and he was not clever enough to change them to affect the game for the better. United have had too many “wake up calls” over the past four years for this to be classed as another. This was simply one, well managed, expensively assembled team showing another how to play football. The penny needs to drop at Old Trafford. None of this is working. The big signings, the big managers, the big money, the big egos. The fans deserve better than somebody who cost £90m; enough to pay for our NHS to have another 2,500 doctors, or home the entire homeless population of Manchester overnight; wandering aimlessly about the pitch like it doesn’t give a flying fuck what the result is. You see, the trouble with punch drunk boxers, is that sooner or later, they’re going to come back fighting, or stay down on the canvass for good.
And so does Guardiola
In a different way, these are suddenly not easy times on the other side of Manchester either. Winless in five after storming out of the blocks with ten wins on the bounce, Manchester City seem to have been worked out alarmingly early in Guardiola’s reign. Whilst Barcelona away is no benchmark for any side, City have failed to beat both Everton and Southampton at home off the back of that away defeat to Spurs. After scoring with reckless abandon they have managed just two goals in four matches. They have looked bereft of ideas and are making silly mistakes too often at the back. The Premier League is unlike other leagues in it’s harshness... and the expression that was etched across Pep’s face this weekend has been seen many times before. This was a face of man who couldn’t believe that a team expected to finish mid-table were coming away to his Galacticos and playing with this much verve and menace. Why weren’t they rolling over? Why were they fighting tooth and nail for every ball? Welcome Sir Pep... now you truly have arrived...
Your move.
Fire in the Hull
After a strong start to the season, Hull have fallen away with alarming pace to the relegation zone to which many predicted they would be in from the off. Indeed, they have lost their last 5 matches by a collective scoreline of 19-4. Conceding the last 8 of that figure to sides who were, at the time, in the bottom two scorers in the league. Hull need to rally and fast before open season is declared by anybody rolling up to play them next. They play none of the current top 7 in the next 6 fixtures and they don’t get points from that run, they may as well give up now and start planning for life in the Championship.
After a strong start to the season, Hull have fallen away with alarming pace to the relegation zone to which many predicted they would be in from the off. Indeed, they have lost their last 5 matches by a collective scoreline of 19-4. Conceding the last 8 of that figure to sides who were, at the time, in the bottom two scorers in the league. Hull need to rally and fast before open season is declared by anybody rolling up to play them next. They play none of the current top 7 in the next 6 fixtures and they don’t get points from that run, they may as well give up now and start planning for life in the Championship.
Burnley deserved their win
If Burnley are going to stay in the Premier League this season it will be because of their form at Turf Moor. Desperately unlucky to come away with nothing at home to Arsenal, it was they who snatched three points this time around by catching Everton with a late sucker punch. The Clarets are a genuine force on their home patch, where players leap into tackles, passes are snapped around quickly and Tom Heaton turns into a sort of Gordon Banks reincarnate near every home match. They simply wanted the victory more than a leggy Everton, who took far too long to get going and played for long patches as if the game against Man City had been an hour before kick off, not a week. Burnley have a tricky run up of fixtures in the run up to Christmas, so these three points were exactly what their fans would want as an early present.
If Burnley are going to stay in the Premier League this season it will be because of their form at Turf Moor. Desperately unlucky to come away with nothing at home to Arsenal, it was they who snatched three points this time around by catching Everton with a late sucker punch. The Clarets are a genuine force on their home patch, where players leap into tackles, passes are snapped around quickly and Tom Heaton turns into a sort of Gordon Banks reincarnate near every home match. They simply wanted the victory more than a leggy Everton, who took far too long to get going and played for long patches as if the game against Man City had been an hour before kick off, not a week. Burnley have a tricky run up of fixtures in the run up to Christmas, so these three points were exactly what their fans would want as an early present.
When your luck is out... it’s out
Sunderland remain rooted to the bottom of the league with two points and no wins after nine matches. Even by their tragicomic standings of how to start seasons... this is awful. How cruel it was then that West Ham scored with their 95th attempt this weekend to break their hearts in the final minute of the match. It’s tempting to say that Sunderland didn’t deserve this... but really, they did. West Ham were the better team, created more chances and only looked vulnerable when it got to the I can’t quite believe we haven’t scored yet zone. With Payet ready to serve up assists like bacon at a breakfast buffet, it’s never over till it’s over. Except for David Moyes, who surely can’t carry on much longer and has Arsenal up next. Chin up David... it could be worse.
Sunderland remain rooted to the bottom of the league with two points and no wins after nine matches. Even by their tragicomic standings of how to start seasons... this is awful. How cruel it was then that West Ham scored with their 95th attempt this weekend to break their hearts in the final minute of the match. It’s tempting to say that Sunderland didn’t deserve this... but really, they did. West Ham were the better team, created more chances and only looked vulnerable when it got to the I can’t quite believe we haven’t scored yet zone. With Payet ready to serve up assists like bacon at a breakfast buffet, it’s never over till it’s over. Except for David Moyes, who surely can’t carry on much longer and has Arsenal up next. Chin up David... it could be worse.
Actually it couldn’t. Fuck me to think the greatest manager who has ever lived thought this clown was the man to carry on his legacy. Whatever next? A hard Brexit.
No, wait.
Team of the Weak:
De Gea - Quite possibly a team of the weak debut for the greatest football team on earth’s player of the year for the past three seasons. But this was a bad day at the office for him and it’s not often he will have to pick the ball out of the net that many times in one match.
Smalling - Not a debut however, for some of the garbage that was selected ahead of him. Oh Chris... you were so shit. So, so shit.
Stones - English centre backs rejoice!
Delaney - ran ragged by the pace and movement of an on song Leicester.
Blind - Appeared genuinely blind for most of the match.
Fellaini - An embarrassment to his parents.
Huddlestone & Livermore - Used to play for Spurs. I know, right...
Pogba - Could not pass water if his life depended on it.
Zlatan - Looked every day of his 46 years.
Aguero - Has there every been a more prestige front 3 in the team of the weak? Two of the best strikers in world football this past decade... right now both looking like they couldn’t score in a a Baltimore high rise.
Stones - English centre backs rejoice!
Delaney - ran ragged by the pace and movement of an on song Leicester.
Blind - Appeared genuinely blind for most of the match.
Fellaini - An embarrassment to his parents.
Huddlestone & Livermore - Used to play for Spurs. I know, right...
Pogba - Could not pass water if his life depended on it.
Zlatan - Looked every day of his 46 years.
Aguero - Has there every been a more prestige front 3 in the team of the weak? Two of the best strikers in world football this past decade... right now both looking like they couldn’t score in a a Baltimore high rise.
Goodnight
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