1. The stardust is back.
Last season had its moments, but in the most part it was a war of attrition and mediocrity that saw the lowest ever points total to be Champions, a relegation scrap that started at 8th and the player of the year coming from the team that finished bottom. This season, for better or worse, the top teams (Utd, City, Stoke) have come out all guns blazing with performances that have bordered on the ridiculously good. Already Aguero and Rooney are going toe to toe in an early top scorer shoot out, whilst behind them Anderson has been reborn as the creative hub of Utd’s midfield. Meanwhile, David Silva’s performances have been so sublime it makes grown men weep to think that he can’t even get in Spain’s first eleven. It’s still far too early to write off a stuttering Chelsea from the title, especially given the signing of the superb Mata and finally realising the way to score is simply not playing Fernando Torres… but whatever happens between now and May, this season looks set to give the league some truly world class performances again. For now, the Prem doesn’t have to look enviously over to Spain & Germany to see where all the talent is…
Last season had its moments, but in the most part it was a war of attrition and mediocrity that saw the lowest ever points total to be Champions, a relegation scrap that started at 8th and the player of the year coming from the team that finished bottom. This season, for better or worse, the top teams (Utd, City, Stoke) have come out all guns blazing with performances that have bordered on the ridiculously good. Already Aguero and Rooney are going toe to toe in an early top scorer shoot out, whilst behind them Anderson has been reborn as the creative hub of Utd’s midfield. Meanwhile, David Silva’s performances have been so sublime it makes grown men weep to think that he can’t even get in Spain’s first eleven. It’s still far too early to write off a stuttering Chelsea from the title, especially given the signing of the superb Mata and finally realising the way to score is simply not playing Fernando Torres… but whatever happens between now and May, this season looks set to give the league some truly world class performances again. For now, the Prem doesn’t have to look enviously over to Spain & Germany to see where all the talent is…
2. Asmir Begovic is really, really good.
Stoke City remain unbeaten in all competitions this season and for all the talk about reconstructing Land of the Giants, it is in goal where they have unearthed the most polished diamond of them all. Begovic had an unassuming start to his career at Portsmouth, mainly being loaned to every team in the country. When Pulis picked him up 18 months ago and paid £3.25m for someone he described as “the best young keeper in the country,” people laughed. Shifting an established international from the team in but a few months, Begovic has gone from strength to strength and has been in stunning form so far, conceding but a single goal in four league matches. Indeed, having kept out both Chelsea and Liverpool in displays of aerial and acrobatic brilliance, it’s safe to say that nobody is laughing anymore.
Stoke City remain unbeaten in all competitions this season and for all the talk about reconstructing Land of the Giants, it is in goal where they have unearthed the most polished diamond of them all. Begovic had an unassuming start to his career at Portsmouth, mainly being loaned to every team in the country. When Pulis picked him up 18 months ago and paid £3.25m for someone he described as “the best young keeper in the country,” people laughed. Shifting an established international from the team in but a few months, Begovic has gone from strength to strength and has been in stunning form so far, conceding but a single goal in four league matches. Indeed, having kept out both Chelsea and Liverpool in displays of aerial and acrobatic brilliance, it’s safe to say that nobody is laughing anymore.
3. Asamoah Gyan, what the fuck?
Having painted a picture of himself as just about the most likeable bloke in football, Asamoah Gyan completed a somewhat strange few months on Saturday by leaving Sunderland to go and play his football in the UAE. Whichever way you flower it up, the decision to go and play in a total non-entity of a league when you’re not even at your peak and could play in any major league in the world for very, very good money… has to be called out for what it is. A total disgrace. Making Cashleigh Cole look like “not caring about money” by comparison, Gyan’s move is sadly systematic of the current state of football. Fifa have to get a hold of the situation now, with wage caps and proper financial structures, before it just all gets out of hand. For Gyan, all is not lost, even if nobody will now remember who he is in three years, he will at least have his music career to fall back on. No… really - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjOb6OA3SVo
Having painted a picture of himself as just about the most likeable bloke in football, Asamoah Gyan completed a somewhat strange few months on Saturday by leaving Sunderland to go and play his football in the UAE. Whichever way you flower it up, the decision to go and play in a total non-entity of a league when you’re not even at your peak and could play in any major league in the world for very, very good money… has to be called out for what it is. A total disgrace. Making Cashleigh Cole look like “not caring about money” by comparison, Gyan’s move is sadly systematic of the current state of football. Fifa have to get a hold of the situation now, with wage caps and proper financial structures, before it just all gets out of hand. For Gyan, all is not lost, even if nobody will now remember who he is in three years, he will at least have his music career to fall back on. No… really - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjOb6OA3SVo
4. Wayne Bridge – all sympathy is now gone.
Amidst all the madness of deadline day it shouldn’t be forgotten that one man was quite content to be exactly that. Five clubs offered Wayne Bridge a contract this summer; several more had bids or loans accepted by Man City. Bridge wasn’t interested in any of them. He has a nice pad, an attractive “celebrity” girlfriend (I’m way too old to actually know who the Saturday’s are) and currently trains by himself at his clubs multi-million pound complex. He, in all likelihood, will probably not play for Man City all year and pick up £4.5m for the privilege. As of the close of last season, Wayne Bridge was actually amongst the top 50 best paid football players in Europe. He may be less of a cunt than John Terry, but when the dust settles, he’s still a fucking cunt.
Amidst all the madness of deadline day it shouldn’t be forgotten that one man was quite content to be exactly that. Five clubs offered Wayne Bridge a contract this summer; several more had bids or loans accepted by Man City. Bridge wasn’t interested in any of them. He has a nice pad, an attractive “celebrity” girlfriend (I’m way too old to actually know who the Saturday’s are) and currently trains by himself at his clubs multi-million pound complex. He, in all likelihood, will probably not play for Man City all year and pick up £4.5m for the privilege. As of the close of last season, Wayne Bridge was actually amongst the top 50 best paid football players in Europe. He may be less of a cunt than John Terry, but when the dust settles, he’s still a fucking cunt.
5. Swansea are gonna struggle.
Four games in and yet to find a goal, Swansea looked about as likely to score as an eunuch this weekend against a badly misfiring Arsenal team that still contains the calamitous figure of Laurent Koscielny marshalling their defence. Whether scything down strikers, being caught out of position or just passing straight to the opposition, Koscielny was indebted to his new centre back and keeper this weekend for somehow keeping a clean sheet. He was also indebted though to a side that looked about as penetrative as a marshmallow. Swansea pass the ball well and have some decent players, but if you don’t score at least 40-50 goals a season in this league the simple facts are you’ll go down. So far their fans can at least cling to the fact that Norwich haven’t started any better and Blackburn look appalling, but it’s still a struggle wondering how any of the other 17 teams will finish below them. Overall, not a good weekend for the Welsh…
Four games in and yet to find a goal, Swansea looked about as likely to score as an eunuch this weekend against a badly misfiring Arsenal team that still contains the calamitous figure of Laurent Koscielny marshalling their defence. Whether scything down strikers, being caught out of position or just passing straight to the opposition, Koscielny was indebted to his new centre back and keeper this weekend for somehow keeping a clean sheet. He was also indebted though to a side that looked about as penetrative as a marshmallow. Swansea pass the ball well and have some decent players, but if you don’t score at least 40-50 goals a season in this league the simple facts are you’ll go down. So far their fans can at least cling to the fact that Norwich haven’t started any better and Blackburn look appalling, but it’s still a struggle wondering how any of the other 17 teams will finish below them. Overall, not a good weekend for the Welsh…
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