1.Bale is a worthy
winner.
In a season peppered with standout striking performances and little else, Gareth Bale is a worthy winner of both player of the year awards. Bale has been sensational for much of the season and has developed a Ronaldo esque ability to play badly and still deliver a match winning goal, the hallmark of any true game changing talent. 20 goals and a further 9 assists in the league is a better return than anyone bar Suarez and Van Persie, both of who play at the top of the pitch. Bale has played on both flanks and as a roving number 10 and scored and created key goals in all of those positions. Indeed, the biggest take home stat of the season is what the league table would look like if each team was shorn of their key player. Spurs would be 7th, some 19 points worse off than what they are without Bale. Only Van Persie has won more points for his team this season and Utd would still be top without him such is their margin of error. Spurs have no so margin, they have become the ultimate one man team and they head into a midweek battle with Chelsea which they simply have to win in order to qualify for the Champions League. That feat would be unthinkable without their Welsh Simian. So remember this Spurs fans, if you do fall short of 4th and your star player decides to jump ship – without him you would be just a bunch of average, overpaid players at a so called big club who, whilst occasionally hitting the heights of old, have to settle for mediocrity season after season. Yep, you’d be Liverpool. And if Bale does leave you should cherish him making you believe you had a chance at all.
In a season peppered with standout striking performances and little else, Gareth Bale is a worthy winner of both player of the year awards. Bale has been sensational for much of the season and has developed a Ronaldo esque ability to play badly and still deliver a match winning goal, the hallmark of any true game changing talent. 20 goals and a further 9 assists in the league is a better return than anyone bar Suarez and Van Persie, both of who play at the top of the pitch. Bale has played on both flanks and as a roving number 10 and scored and created key goals in all of those positions. Indeed, the biggest take home stat of the season is what the league table would look like if each team was shorn of their key player. Spurs would be 7th, some 19 points worse off than what they are without Bale. Only Van Persie has won more points for his team this season and Utd would still be top without him such is their margin of error. Spurs have no so margin, they have become the ultimate one man team and they head into a midweek battle with Chelsea which they simply have to win in order to qualify for the Champions League. That feat would be unthinkable without their Welsh Simian. So remember this Spurs fans, if you do fall short of 4th and your star player decides to jump ship – without him you would be just a bunch of average, overpaid players at a so called big club who, whilst occasionally hitting the heights of old, have to settle for mediocrity season after season. Yep, you’d be Liverpool. And if Bale does leave you should cherish him making you believe you had a chance at all.
2. What on earth has
happened to Fulham?
Let’s not labour this point, the fact that Fulham are suddenly in danger of being relegated is both farcical and a lesson to any player who thinks his team is safe until the maths have all been done. Compare for a moment how much criticism has been thrown in Paul Lambert’s direction this season… and how much praise has been handed to Berbatov and Jol’s “free flowing” yet inconsistent Cottagers. Then consider that somehow these two teams are now level on points with two games left to play. Fulham have picked up just a single point in six matches and have only scored in two of those games. One of those was this weekend, when despite scoring twice they inexplicably conceded four to the already relegated Reading. Fulham have Liverpool next before finishing the season away to Swansea. The Swans have nothing left to play for but will want to send their home supporters off with a win and held their own against City this Saturday. Fulham’s fate may well rest in other’s hands and if Wigan and Sunderland both win this week, Martin Jol could be responsible for quite possibly the most ridiculous relegation in league history.
Let’s not labour this point, the fact that Fulham are suddenly in danger of being relegated is both farcical and a lesson to any player who thinks his team is safe until the maths have all been done. Compare for a moment how much criticism has been thrown in Paul Lambert’s direction this season… and how much praise has been handed to Berbatov and Jol’s “free flowing” yet inconsistent Cottagers. Then consider that somehow these two teams are now level on points with two games left to play. Fulham have picked up just a single point in six matches and have only scored in two of those games. One of those was this weekend, when despite scoring twice they inexplicably conceded four to the already relegated Reading. Fulham have Liverpool next before finishing the season away to Swansea. The Swans have nothing left to play for but will want to send their home supporters off with a win and held their own against City this Saturday. Fulham’s fate may well rest in other’s hands and if Wigan and Sunderland both win this week, Martin Jol could be responsible for quite possibly the most ridiculous relegation in league history.
3. Worst. Super.
Sunday. Ever.
Liverpool, Everton, Man Utd & Chelsea treated us to 175 minutes of abject, nothing football this weekend on a day which will hopefully be expunged from memory as quickly as my ill-advised decision to watch Lake Placid 4. The worst Mersyside derby in years was memorable only for a perfectly good Everton goal being ruled out. It was a measure of the feebleness of the occasion that there was apathy rather than anger from Everton fans at the final whistle. Utd v Chelsea was even worse until a final 10 minutes when everything suddenly decided to happen. A Phil Jones own goal from a Juan Mata strike awoke a Utd team giving the impression they would have settled for a nil nil if the game was 90 hours not 90 minutes. The adage nobody likes to lose still rings true and Utd tore into Chelsea for a huge 5 minutes before realising there was no time left and so just kicked them instead. Rafael’s senseless red card gave Fergie something to talk about other than quite how bad his team were, although he at least had the grace to mention the latter. Chelsea were the only team to benefit from a terrible afternoon of football and even they had to rely on somebody else scoring for them. No, the real fun was to be had further down the table… and all the way into the Championship.
Liverpool, Everton, Man Utd & Chelsea treated us to 175 minutes of abject, nothing football this weekend on a day which will hopefully be expunged from memory as quickly as my ill-advised decision to watch Lake Placid 4. The worst Mersyside derby in years was memorable only for a perfectly good Everton goal being ruled out. It was a measure of the feebleness of the occasion that there was apathy rather than anger from Everton fans at the final whistle. Utd v Chelsea was even worse until a final 10 minutes when everything suddenly decided to happen. A Phil Jones own goal from a Juan Mata strike awoke a Utd team giving the impression they would have settled for a nil nil if the game was 90 hours not 90 minutes. The adage nobody likes to lose still rings true and Utd tore into Chelsea for a huge 5 minutes before realising there was no time left and so just kicked them instead. Rafael’s senseless red card gave Fergie something to talk about other than quite how bad his team were, although he at least had the grace to mention the latter. Chelsea were the only team to benefit from a terrible afternoon of football and even they had to rely on somebody else scoring for them. No, the real fun was to be had further down the table… and all the way into the Championship.
4. Wigan may have left
it too late.
Roberto Martinez team completed another famous late season victory on Saturday and many were talking after the game about how this would be another in a long line of Wigan great escapes. Let’s be clear though, despite the abject feebleness of the likes of Stoke, Norwich, Newcastle & Fulham of late… Wigan are still very much the favourites to go down. Put simply, Wigan need to win at least 2 of their final 3 games. If they do that, they’ll have 41 points which will surely be enough. Not all of the 7 other teams still involved in the best bum fight since Brokeback Mountain are going to win their last two games and logic dictates that 41 points will make you safe. The problem is twofold. Football doesn’t work by logic, it works by maths (citation needed)… and Wigan could actually win all three of their last games and go down. The second and more pressing concern… is that Wigan really do have to win 2 of their last 3 games. The first of which is on Tuesday against Swansea, who despite having nothing left to play for find themselves a key figure in events at both ends of the table. If Wigan don’t win that they have to beat Arsenal away. That’s an Arsenal team who’ve been beaten once in a dozen matches and are fighting for a Champions League place. A huge ask, and even if they do win one of those games they then have to beat Villa at home in a final throw of the dice. I’m not saying Wigan can’t stay up, they can… but if you had to put your money on anyone joining QPR and Reading in the Championship next season, the smart bet remains the Lactics.
Roberto Martinez team completed another famous late season victory on Saturday and many were talking after the game about how this would be another in a long line of Wigan great escapes. Let’s be clear though, despite the abject feebleness of the likes of Stoke, Norwich, Newcastle & Fulham of late… Wigan are still very much the favourites to go down. Put simply, Wigan need to win at least 2 of their final 3 games. If they do that, they’ll have 41 points which will surely be enough. Not all of the 7 other teams still involved in the best bum fight since Brokeback Mountain are going to win their last two games and logic dictates that 41 points will make you safe. The problem is twofold. Football doesn’t work by logic, it works by maths (citation needed)… and Wigan could actually win all three of their last games and go down. The second and more pressing concern… is that Wigan really do have to win 2 of their last 3 games. The first of which is on Tuesday against Swansea, who despite having nothing left to play for find themselves a key figure in events at both ends of the table. If Wigan don’t win that they have to beat Arsenal away. That’s an Arsenal team who’ve been beaten once in a dozen matches and are fighting for a Champions League place. A huge ask, and even if they do win one of those games they then have to beat Villa at home in a final throw of the dice. I’m not saying Wigan can’t stay up, they can… but if you had to put your money on anyone joining QPR and Reading in the Championship next season, the smart bet remains the Lactics.
5. Bruce has done it the
right way.
When Steve Bruce was dismissed by Sunderland 18 months ago I was not alone in questioning whether he would get another shot at the Premier League. Credit then where credit is due. Bruce did not hang around waiting for another big offer. He didn’t moan. He didn’t claim any club was too small. He waited for a Championship position to become available and proved he was capable of getting back to basics. Hull were a laughing stock when they were last in the Premier League, but Bruce has brought back the pride and passion to the club and deservedly won them promotion back to the big time this Saturday. His stock has risen not only from taking a step back to go two forward, but also because of the failings of Martin O’Neil in the job that he left. His return to the Premier League is good news for him, good news for Hull… and good news for the Manchester United team that he will roll over twice for next season.
When Steve Bruce was dismissed by Sunderland 18 months ago I was not alone in questioning whether he would get another shot at the Premier League. Credit then where credit is due. Bruce did not hang around waiting for another big offer. He didn’t moan. He didn’t claim any club was too small. He waited for a Championship position to become available and proved he was capable of getting back to basics. Hull were a laughing stock when they were last in the Premier League, but Bruce has brought back the pride and passion to the club and deservedly won them promotion back to the big time this Saturday. His stock has risen not only from taking a step back to go two forward, but also because of the failings of Martin O’Neil in the job that he left. His return to the Premier League is good news for him, good news for Hull… and good news for the Manchester United team that he will roll over twice for next season.
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