1. The Premiership, time to tear up the weekly prediction slip.
Whilst the overall predictions of many pundits tends to eventually come to pass, trying to guess what will happen in each weekend of the Premier League continues to prove a genuine challenge. The odds on Fulham coming back to draw with Man City were over 50/1 – yet that is what happened as elsewhere every promoted team cruised to victory in seemingly tricky fixtures. 38 goals were rattled in during easily the most entertaining weekend yet. High flying Stoke were brought down to earth with a bump by a free scoring Sunderland and Liverpool were crushed by Spurs in the worst display yet of the Dalglish era. Roll on next weekend for more thrills, spills and never easy to call match ups...
Whilst the overall predictions of many pundits tends to eventually come to pass, trying to guess what will happen in each weekend of the Premier League continues to prove a genuine challenge. The odds on Fulham coming back to draw with Man City were over 50/1 – yet that is what happened as elsewhere every promoted team cruised to victory in seemingly tricky fixtures. 38 goals were rattled in during easily the most entertaining weekend yet. High flying Stoke were brought down to earth with a bump by a free scoring Sunderland and Liverpool were crushed by Spurs in the worst display yet of the Dalglish era. Roll on next weekend for more thrills, spills and never easy to call match ups...
2. Is it time to blame the coaching, not the players?
As I was sat watching the most entertaining game of the season so far at Blackburn, I was struck by whether it’s time to stop blaming Wenger’s signings and start pointing the finger at his defensive coaches (and indeed him). It doesn’t seem to happen these days, if someone plays poorly they’re called a poor signing not a poorly coached player. Wenger blamed confidence for his defence once again resembling papier-mâché, but surely it is his job to build that confidence back up. Most of his defenders over the past 5 years have got worse rather than better under his tutorage and surely he needs to rethink his methods. The same, it has be said, is true of AVB. Already Chelsea look a more fluent attacking unit than they did under Ancoletti, but their defence is being carved open in ways that never would have happened under Jose. Have Terry, Cole and co just got worse? Or are they not being coached to the same level? The truth, as ever, probably lies somewhere in between...
As I was sat watching the most entertaining game of the season so far at Blackburn, I was struck by whether it’s time to stop blaming Wenger’s signings and start pointing the finger at his defensive coaches (and indeed him). It doesn’t seem to happen these days, if someone plays poorly they’re called a poor signing not a poorly coached player. Wenger blamed confidence for his defence once again resembling papier-mâché, but surely it is his job to build that confidence back up. Most of his defenders over the past 5 years have got worse rather than better under his tutorage and surely he needs to rethink his methods. The same, it has be said, is true of AVB. Already Chelsea look a more fluent attacking unit than they did under Ancoletti, but their defence is being carved open in ways that never would have happened under Jose. Have Terry, Cole and co just got worse? Or are they not being coached to the same level? The truth, as ever, probably lies somewhere in between...
3. Bolton look fragile.
The opening weekend and a 4 nil away win looks a long time ago for Bolton. Since then they’ve shipped 13 goals in four matches and this Saturday were well beaten at home... by Norwich. Granted they’ve had some tough fixtures, but Owen Coyle will be concerned at how easily his players are being taken apart. Paul Robinson is a solid player, but he is all too easily undone by anyone who can actually run. Elsewhere Gary Cahill appears to be playing so far forward he may as well be in midfield and Zat Knight has morphed into Titus Bramble at his peak of ineptitude. Given their next games are Arsenal and Chelsea, they need to get themselves organised and fast. Although at least they’ll probably score against the former...
The opening weekend and a 4 nil away win looks a long time ago for Bolton. Since then they’ve shipped 13 goals in four matches and this Saturday were well beaten at home... by Norwich. Granted they’ve had some tough fixtures, but Owen Coyle will be concerned at how easily his players are being taken apart. Paul Robinson is a solid player, but he is all too easily undone by anyone who can actually run. Elsewhere Gary Cahill appears to be playing so far forward he may as well be in midfield and Zat Knight has morphed into Titus Bramble at his peak of ineptitude. Given their next games are Arsenal and Chelsea, they need to get themselves organised and fast. Although at least they’ll probably score against the former...
4. Retrospective punishment for dives? Please... pretty please.
For all the arguments about video and goal line technology one of the things that tends to get overlooked is how easy it would be for players to be retrospectively punished for shameless simulation. I’m not asking for miracles here, but why can’t the ref look through the match after it’s finished (as they do anyway) and include anything they may have missed in their report? The FA says doing such will take away from a ref’s power but I’d argue the exact opposite. Refs are ultimately fallible and it’s almost impossible with the speed of today’s game to determine what contact there is in real-time. Give them the power to slow things down and stamp out this cheating that has infected the game across the world. This weekend featured at least three stone wall, no contact dives that would be stopped if the refs handed out yellow or red cards post match. And not just that, but why should only Klasnic be given a red card for resting his head against the opposition defender? Yes it was stupid, but why is the defender who went down like he’d been butted by a rhino not being punished? It’s cheating and pathetic and if he hadn’t done it Klasnic wouldn’t have been sent off and, more importantly, I wouldn’t have got minus 2 fantasy football points...
For all the arguments about video and goal line technology one of the things that tends to get overlooked is how easy it would be for players to be retrospectively punished for shameless simulation. I’m not asking for miracles here, but why can’t the ref look through the match after it’s finished (as they do anyway) and include anything they may have missed in their report? The FA says doing such will take away from a ref’s power but I’d argue the exact opposite. Refs are ultimately fallible and it’s almost impossible with the speed of today’s game to determine what contact there is in real-time. Give them the power to slow things down and stamp out this cheating that has infected the game across the world. This weekend featured at least three stone wall, no contact dives that would be stopped if the refs handed out yellow or red cards post match. And not just that, but why should only Klasnic be given a red card for resting his head against the opposition defender? Yes it was stupid, but why is the defender who went down like he’d been butted by a rhino not being punished? It’s cheating and pathetic and if he hadn’t done it Klasnic wouldn’t have been sent off and, more importantly, I wouldn’t have got minus 2 fantasy football points...
Sunday’s form book wasn’t ripped up with this result, but the manner of which it was achieved with two teams who normally play out a cagey affair was simply crazy. An end to end basketball match with almost zero regard for defending gave anyone watching a royal treat and both managers a near heart attack. Phil Jones is a fine player, but a stay at home, marshal of the defence ala Vidic he is not. Himself, along with Ivanovic, Boswinger & Evra were often the furthest forward players in a match that saw over 30 chances, a missed penalty and FOUR all but open goals go begging. On top of them all of course, a miss that will live in infamy. Move over Ronnie Rosenthal, there’s a new kid in town... - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sportvideo/footballvideo/8772864/Chelseas-Fernando-Torres-misses-open-goal-against-Manchester-United.html
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