1. Arsenal remain so very, very predictable.
Over the course of the last five seasons the most predictable side in England has been, by some distance, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. I’ve moaned about Wenger’s tactics before (or lack of them) and he, more than any other manager, has expertly managed to craft a team who you could pretty much bet on every week and win. You see, Arsenal have one way of playing and it’s a way that is very effective if the opposition aren’t as good... and downright useless if they are. Arsenal consistently beat the teams from the bottom half of the table with ease. Labour to narrow victories or get draws with those from middle to top and lose to those teams above them. It’s not a domestic thing either. Arsenal have, in many ways, as good a record in anyone in the Champions League over the past decade. They always make it through the group, because there will tend to be two teams at least who they are superior to. But as soon as they come up against a Munich or a Barca (unluckily early it has to be said of late) they just lose. Arsene Wenger is a wonderful manager in many ways but he is curiously deluded. When faced with a better team, he doesn’t attempt to work out a way to beat them, he just puts his team on the pitch and says “go play.” Seemingly hoping that the planets will align and they will play out of their skin whilst the oppositions better players will have off days. It does happen from time to time of course, as does the other end of spectrum and Arsenal lose to an inferior team. But these are exceptions not rules, and the reason Arsenal finish 4th in the league each and every year is because, when the dust settles, they have the 4th best squad and Wenger is physically incapable of getting the extra mile out of them. Arsenal have played well this season, and unsurprisingly followed up defeat by Munich with a thrashing of Sunderland, but they have the worst record against their rivals of any team over the past 5 years. Wenger has shown no ability to be able to change that, and so until they manage to go away at City or Chelsea and grind out a win, the trophies will continue to elude them as they have for the past near decade. Oh and if people mention the fact that they keep beating Spurs? Well... you don’t need me to spell it out about a team who can’t beat Norwich do you.
2. Roy Hodgson has a very easy job picking this squad.
It’s simply Roy, you pick on form. And right now any ticket to Merseyside is going to show the England manager how many inform, talented players are available to go to Brazil and lose in the group stage. If Everton have stumbled of late, still playing well but shorn of Lukaku to actually put the ball in the net, the same can certainly not be said about Liverpool. The leagues top scorers have Sturridge, Sterling, Gerrard and Henderson all playing to a level that many deemed impossible 12 months ago. Four points off the top and with the most favourable fixture list remaining, let’s not hide from the fact that Liverpool are very real title contenders. They had to score four times this Sunday to beat Swansea but score four times they did and they sit on the shoulder of City and Chelsea with both having to visit Anfield. It’s hard to know which of the players mentioned above deserves the most credit, so I’m going to go ahead and give it to Rodgers, who must be nailed on for manager of the year barring a late and dramatic collapse. Sterling has 5 goals and 5 assists in his last 14 games, Henderson bagged a brace today and is playing just as well as Aaron Ramsey was before injury curtailed his season. And as for Sturridge? 18 goals at a rate of one every 82 minutes this season? That’s better than Van Persie, Rooney, Giroud, Negrado. Oh and the player of the year, Luis Suarez. The race for 4th may now be over, but the race for the title is anything but. Liverpool remain very much 3rd or 4th favourites and rightfully so, but games are running out for people to keep saying they can’t do it despite all the evidence to the contrary. You can be sure that when City and Chelsea roll into Liverpool, they won’t be making the same tactical errors as Arsene Wenger. They will know exactly how seriously to take this team.
3. Cardiff are, let’s be fair, fucked.
Three points adrift of safety and with a manager new to the Premier League hotseat, Cardiff managed to lose 4-0 this weekend to one of their nearest rivals in a performance so naive it could have appeared on Jeremy Kyle. Whereas Hull have bought proven Premier League goalscorers this January, Cardiff have bought from the Norwegian League. The Welsh side have eleven games left to save themselves and realistically need to win five of those. Spurs away? No. Fulham at home? Maybe. Everton away? No chance. Liverpool home? Nope. I could go on but take it from me that a betting man would wager them getting seven points at best from their final eleven games. Either Ole is going to have to get them playing at a level which hasn’t been produced all season, or he’ll be managing a Championship club before too long. Still, I’m sure neutrals everywhere will be feeling for them after the respectful and fair way they got rid of Malky Mackay...
4. Where has this West Ham been all season?
It’s almost as if Big Sam was playing with us. Luring us all in under the false hope that he would take West Ham down and we might be rid of him for good. What fools us. West Ham have now won four games on the spin, drawing at Chelsea before that, with an aggregate score of 9-1. Not only are they now all but safe, they are playing with pace, width and freedom again and in Kevin Nolan, have got the biggest contender for zero to hero this year. Sent off away at Liverpool and then again to Fulham, the Captain has been blowing nothing but bubbles since then and has bagged six goals in his last six games. All of this sadly means that West Ham will still be with us next year. But then, what power would Hell hold if those living there cannot dream of Heaven?
5. What does Gary Cahill have to do to get some credit?
The best Premier League defender this season has been John Terry, so the Match of the Day punditry team keep telling me. So his manager keeps telling me. So most of the press keeps telling me. Yet when I watch Chelsea play I come away with the belief almost each and every time that their best player is Gary Cahill. This Saturday the boys at the Beeb did a feature on John Terry vs Phil Jagielka to seemingly show how the former should go to the World Cup instead of the latter. Putting aside that Terry is retired and Hodgson has been resolute about that remaining, the “evidence” was based around a couple of woeful examples in a single match, of which Chelsea were at home and have the better attackers. At one point Hansen tried to make a case that Terry was two footed and Jags wasn’t. I’m sorry, but to suggest JT is some sort of Ronaldo like figure who’s comfortable sweeping it around the park with both pegs is so much of a stretch it could have been pitched by Michael Gove. No, John Terry has had a good season but he’s done so because he’s had a consistent partner alongside him who has played with class and verve in almost every game. All but one clean sheet that Terry has kept this season he’s done so with Cahill alongside him, failing when the Englishman has been removed. Cahill has a better goals per minute conceded record than anyone playing in the league, keeping a remarkable 11 clean sheets in just 20 matches. He can carry the ball out of defence, he makes last ditch tackles, headers and clearances and averages the same amount of goals per season from the back as Terry does. He has also, crucially, actually won a Champions League as opposed to tipped up at the end with his kitbag and claimed it was “the proudest moment” of his life. Cahill will be on the plane to Brazil this summer and rightfully so. He is currently the best centre half that England possess and is probably second only to Kompany in the league as a whole. The press and even his own manager are doing him an enormous disservice and it is time he was given the respect he has earned.
I’d like to thank the academy...
https://twitter.com/HinduMonkey
Sunday 23 February 2014
Sunday 9 February 2014
Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Weekend - Week Twenty Five
1. Implosion or explosion?
Arsene Wenger quipped before kick off on Saturday that people had been “writing them off since August,” so it was no surprise that people were already talking up the game as pivotal to his sides chances of claiming the Premier League title. To say he was less tongue in cheek after this match was an understatement. Arsenal were ripped apart by a performance of such pace and power by Liverpool, that in just 30 minutes it had persuaded people to believe that it was the team in red that were now the genuine title contenders. That is perhaps overstating the matter given their continued frailties at the back, not to mention the ability to switch off in the “lesser fixtures” – but both Manchester City and Chelsea have to visit Anfield and neither will be relishing that task. So off the back of this, will we get the implosion that many have said was always likely to come from Wenger’s team? The typical Easter collapse and being out of everything but the race for 4th come April? Wednesday’s visit of Manchester United is now a must win and certainly a dare not lose. Arsenal were abject at best against Liverpool, lethargic without the ball and wasteful with it. Mesut Ozil has been average of late and this was a game that was tailor made for his talents to shine once more. In 60 minutes he sailed way, way past average and into the dear god he was fucking terrible zone. For a player who cost £42m, this was quite simply as poor a performance as it gets. As for Liverpool, the title remains in their hands by way of the fixture calculator. Man City have been lavished praise for their 68 Premier League goals this season but Liverpool now stand on 63. A remarkable number for a squad that thin and testament to the wonderful job being done by Brendon Rodgers. Even if you take out Suarez they have scored more goals than Spurs, Everton and Newcastle. If they win all their home games (a huge if) they will certainly have a say in where the title ends up, with the added knowledge that too many slips ups will see them fall down below the Champions League places. Such is the tightness of what is shaping up to be a truly fantastic season. What happens next? Who cares, but make it be as entertaining as this.
Arsene Wenger quipped before kick off on Saturday that people had been “writing them off since August,” so it was no surprise that people were already talking up the game as pivotal to his sides chances of claiming the Premier League title. To say he was less tongue in cheek after this match was an understatement. Arsenal were ripped apart by a performance of such pace and power by Liverpool, that in just 30 minutes it had persuaded people to believe that it was the team in red that were now the genuine title contenders. That is perhaps overstating the matter given their continued frailties at the back, not to mention the ability to switch off in the “lesser fixtures” – but both Manchester City and Chelsea have to visit Anfield and neither will be relishing that task. So off the back of this, will we get the implosion that many have said was always likely to come from Wenger’s team? The typical Easter collapse and being out of everything but the race for 4th come April? Wednesday’s visit of Manchester United is now a must win and certainly a dare not lose. Arsenal were abject at best against Liverpool, lethargic without the ball and wasteful with it. Mesut Ozil has been average of late and this was a game that was tailor made for his talents to shine once more. In 60 minutes he sailed way, way past average and into the dear god he was fucking terrible zone. For a player who cost £42m, this was quite simply as poor a performance as it gets. As for Liverpool, the title remains in their hands by way of the fixture calculator. Man City have been lavished praise for their 68 Premier League goals this season but Liverpool now stand on 63. A remarkable number for a squad that thin and testament to the wonderful job being done by Brendon Rodgers. Even if you take out Suarez they have scored more goals than Spurs, Everton and Newcastle. If they win all their home games (a huge if) they will certainly have a say in where the title ends up, with the added knowledge that too many slips ups will see them fall down below the Champions League places. Such is the tightness of what is shaping up to be a truly fantastic season. What happens next? Who cares, but make it be as entertaining as this.
2. How good can Hazard be?
The Belgian wing wonder said this week, that his aim was to get to the level set by Ronaldo and Messi. The highest compliment you can currently pay him is that nobody laughed. Hazard has a good claim to being the best out and out winger in the world. Two men at Munich would certainly dispute that, but given Hazard has only just turned 23 where they sit over 30, they can’t contest the potential. Hazard has started 56 league games for Chelsea and scored 21 goals, complemented by 24 assists. Given, 18 months ago, he was a 21 one year old who’d never played in the Premier League before, those are highly impressive stats. Beyond that though, Hazard has evolved under Mourinho into a truly phenomenal player. He works hard, he finds space and his reading of the game is superb. He was already a terrific shooter and passer but his runs now are often so penetrating that teams are finding no answer to his talent. He didn’t get on the scoresheet on Monday night despite being the best player on the park, so presumably he was making up for lost time by smashing in a hat trick against an outclassed Newcastle. If the Belgian really is a mere “little horse,” I can’t wait to be there once he’s all grown up.
The Belgian wing wonder said this week, that his aim was to get to the level set by Ronaldo and Messi. The highest compliment you can currently pay him is that nobody laughed. Hazard has a good claim to being the best out and out winger in the world. Two men at Munich would certainly dispute that, but given Hazard has only just turned 23 where they sit over 30, they can’t contest the potential. Hazard has started 56 league games for Chelsea and scored 21 goals, complemented by 24 assists. Given, 18 months ago, he was a 21 one year old who’d never played in the Premier League before, those are highly impressive stats. Beyond that though, Hazard has evolved under Mourinho into a truly phenomenal player. He works hard, he finds space and his reading of the game is superb. He was already a terrific shooter and passer but his runs now are often so penetrating that teams are finding no answer to his talent. He didn’t get on the scoresheet on Monday night despite being the best player on the park, so presumably he was making up for lost time by smashing in a hat trick against an outclassed Newcastle. If the Belgian really is a mere “little horse,” I can’t wait to be there once he’s all grown up.
3. Villa’s home form is an increasing worry.
Paul Lambert has to find a plan B to his counter attacking style of football. It works great away from home or when teams push on to Villa, but it is flat out useless against anybody who sits back. Surely Lambert must have known that was exactly what West Ham were going to do? More so given the (farcical) absence of Andy Carroll. Only Fulham have a worse home record this season than Villa, who have won just 3 of their 13 home games and scored just 12 goals. 7 of which came in two games against City and West Brom. 5 goals in 11 matches at home!? Those are hopeless stats for a team like Villa and they are deep in the relegation mixture again unless they can find a way to pick up points consistently in front of their own fans. Getting Benteke actually involved in games would help, as would some sort of shift to playing with anybody capable of actually crossing a football.
Paul Lambert has to find a plan B to his counter attacking style of football. It works great away from home or when teams push on to Villa, but it is flat out useless against anybody who sits back. Surely Lambert must have known that was exactly what West Ham were going to do? More so given the (farcical) absence of Andy Carroll. Only Fulham have a worse home record this season than Villa, who have won just 3 of their 13 home games and scored just 12 goals. 7 of which came in two games against City and West Brom. 5 goals in 11 matches at home!? Those are hopeless stats for a team like Villa and they are deep in the relegation mixture again unless they can find a way to pick up points consistently in front of their own fans. Getting Benteke actually involved in games would help, as would some sort of shift to playing with anybody capable of actually crossing a football.
4. And so the madness continues…
It is becoming increasingly impossible not to write about Manchester United such is the soap opera that is unfolding each week. In one of the most ridiculous games you’ll ever likely to witness, Utd were held 2 all by the bottom club Fulham despite having over 80% possession and EIGHTY crosses. A league record that can surely never be beaten. If that sounds like Utd were unlucky, they weren’t. They rarely troubled Fulham and the final ball delivery, in particular from Rafael, was as bad as I’ve witnessed. As it was, there were huge slices of luck for both goals, but at least Utd had got the job done and somehow come away with the three points. That was before they conceded a last minute equaliser, seemingly just because the script writers of football really… really hate David Moyes. Fulham deserved enormous credit, despite redefining the term parking the bus. Their tactics ultimately worked and they will go into their crucial home game with Liverpool in good spirits. The only positive for Utd fans is that they go into Wednesday’s game with Arsenal finding their opponents just about the only team in a worse mood than they are. Judging by both teams woeful efforts this weekend, this will either be a dour nil nil or a 6 all laugh a minute thrill fest of errors. I’ve written too much about Moyes already for one season, so I won’t waste more print on him than necessary. Let me just close with the simple, but honest assessment that every… single… minute the man continues to be employed by the club is doing more harm than good. With Utd guaranteed to finish 7th, only lifting the Champions League will prevent his position from being untenable.
It is becoming increasingly impossible not to write about Manchester United such is the soap opera that is unfolding each week. In one of the most ridiculous games you’ll ever likely to witness, Utd were held 2 all by the bottom club Fulham despite having over 80% possession and EIGHTY crosses. A league record that can surely never be beaten. If that sounds like Utd were unlucky, they weren’t. They rarely troubled Fulham and the final ball delivery, in particular from Rafael, was as bad as I’ve witnessed. As it was, there were huge slices of luck for both goals, but at least Utd had got the job done and somehow come away with the three points. That was before they conceded a last minute equaliser, seemingly just because the script writers of football really… really hate David Moyes. Fulham deserved enormous credit, despite redefining the term parking the bus. Their tactics ultimately worked and they will go into their crucial home game with Liverpool in good spirits. The only positive for Utd fans is that they go into Wednesday’s game with Arsenal finding their opponents just about the only team in a worse mood than they are. Judging by both teams woeful efforts this weekend, this will either be a dour nil nil or a 6 all laugh a minute thrill fest of errors. I’ve written too much about Moyes already for one season, so I won’t waste more print on him than necessary. Let me just close with the simple, but honest assessment that every… single… minute the man continues to be employed by the club is doing more harm than good. With Utd guaranteed to finish 7th, only lifting the Champions League will prevent his position from being untenable.
But according to Fosu Gharban… that will happen.
5. Swansea show there is life after Laudrup.
If there has been anything more consistent than their passing over the past 5 years, it has been Swansea’s almost effortless transition between managers. Following the departures of Martinez and Rodgers for brighter lights, it was expected that Laudrup would be leaving in similar fashion. With the likes of Spurs, Utd and even Real Madrid linked with him. This being the impossible to predict world of football however, the Dane was sacked this week following a run that could politely be described as average. It seemed harsh. Laudrup had won the League Cup in his first season, beating Liverpool and Chelsea (over two legs) en route. He had guided his side to the knockout stages of the Europa League and a lucrative tie with Napoli. Sure their league form has been ropey, winning just two of their last ten matches, but they had been without their star player for the entirety of that run. Surely nobody at the club really thought Laudrup would take them down? There must be more to this sacking than that? Perhaps we’ll find out; especially if Laudrup goes through with a legal claim for unlawful dismissal. Still, life, as they say, goes on and that was certainly the case for Swansea who kicked off the reign of Gary Monk by… playing exactly like Swansea. They swept aside their struggling neighbours with panache on Saturday evening and now sit in the dizzy heights of 10th in the table. They play Stoke, Liverpool and Palace next. Win all three of those games… and they’ll still be 10th. This is very much a table of two halves, the great thing being that other than Man Utd, Newcastle and Southampton, who seem marooned to play out the season in 7th, 8th and 9th – it’s impossible to know which end to keep a closer eye on.
If there has been anything more consistent than their passing over the past 5 years, it has been Swansea’s almost effortless transition between managers. Following the departures of Martinez and Rodgers for brighter lights, it was expected that Laudrup would be leaving in similar fashion. With the likes of Spurs, Utd and even Real Madrid linked with him. This being the impossible to predict world of football however, the Dane was sacked this week following a run that could politely be described as average. It seemed harsh. Laudrup had won the League Cup in his first season, beating Liverpool and Chelsea (over two legs) en route. He had guided his side to the knockout stages of the Europa League and a lucrative tie with Napoli. Sure their league form has been ropey, winning just two of their last ten matches, but they had been without their star player for the entirety of that run. Surely nobody at the club really thought Laudrup would take them down? There must be more to this sacking than that? Perhaps we’ll find out; especially if Laudrup goes through with a legal claim for unlawful dismissal. Still, life, as they say, goes on and that was certainly the case for Swansea who kicked off the reign of Gary Monk by… playing exactly like Swansea. They swept aside their struggling neighbours with panache on Saturday evening and now sit in the dizzy heights of 10th in the table. They play Stoke, Liverpool and Palace next. Win all three of those games… and they’ll still be 10th. This is very much a table of two halves, the great thing being that other than Man Utd, Newcastle and Southampton, who seem marooned to play out the season in 7th, 8th and 9th – it’s impossible to know which end to keep a closer eye on.
Until next time.
Monday 3 February 2014
Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Weekend - Week Twenty Four
1. West Ham need their double act to stay afloat
West Ham remain in the relegation zone despite taking 4 points from two, on paper, difficult looking fixtures. But if they have any chance at all of escaping it come May, they need to keep Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan fit and firing together. One of the great enigma partnerships of the Premier League, both players appear lost and confused without the other to feed off. Nolan has done nothing of note for four months (apart from getting sent off, twice) but clearly the sight of his big Geordie buddy did wonders to his confidence. The Carroll knock down, Nolan strike is the trademark Big Sam move and it worked twice here to bury an ailing Swansea. Andy Carroll remains a curious player, injuries have robbed him of some of his best years and he has paid for having the misfortune of being bought for a hugely inflated, Fernando Torres induced, fee. In reality he is a much better player than people give him credit for. He is superb in the air at both ends of the pitch and gets vital assists in the same way that, say Oliver Giroud has been doing for Arsenal this season. In the last four seasons he has scored 27 goals and added a further 18 assists. That doesn’t sound amazing, but when you consider the time he has actually been on the pitch that works out as a goal/assist every 150 minutes. For teams that have struggled during that period, that remains a strong record. Especially when it includes a barren 10 game stretch at Liverpool when he contributed precisely nothing. Take that out and it’s more than a goal a game. Carroll actually got sent off on Saturday, but given the decision bordered on the offensive even the parsimonious FA will surely overturn it. West Ham have a run of winnable fixtures up next and with Carroll, Nolan and the worst celebration now left in the league back together again… the way is surely up.
West Ham remain in the relegation zone despite taking 4 points from two, on paper, difficult looking fixtures. But if they have any chance at all of escaping it come May, they need to keep Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan fit and firing together. One of the great enigma partnerships of the Premier League, both players appear lost and confused without the other to feed off. Nolan has done nothing of note for four months (apart from getting sent off, twice) but clearly the sight of his big Geordie buddy did wonders to his confidence. The Carroll knock down, Nolan strike is the trademark Big Sam move and it worked twice here to bury an ailing Swansea. Andy Carroll remains a curious player, injuries have robbed him of some of his best years and he has paid for having the misfortune of being bought for a hugely inflated, Fernando Torres induced, fee. In reality he is a much better player than people give him credit for. He is superb in the air at both ends of the pitch and gets vital assists in the same way that, say Oliver Giroud has been doing for Arsenal this season. In the last four seasons he has scored 27 goals and added a further 18 assists. That doesn’t sound amazing, but when you consider the time he has actually been on the pitch that works out as a goal/assist every 150 minutes. For teams that have struggled during that period, that remains a strong record. Especially when it includes a barren 10 game stretch at Liverpool when he contributed precisely nothing. Take that out and it’s more than a goal a game. Carroll actually got sent off on Saturday, but given the decision bordered on the offensive even the parsimonious FA will surely overturn it. West Ham have a run of winnable fixtures up next and with Carroll, Nolan and the worst celebration now left in the league back together again… the way is surely up.
2. Surely, surely Zaha was worth a few games David?
It took around ten minutes for Wilfried Zaha to inspire Cardiff to their first league victory under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The last signing of the Ferguson era lit up the Championship last year and after a promising pre-season, was expected to push Valencia and Nani for regular starts at Old Trafford. That never happened for reasons that aren’t fully clear. Moyes clearly did not trust Zaha, a decision which is impossible to reconcile with the continued trust placed in the likes of Ashley Young and Tom Cleverly, and the genuinely insane decision to reward Nani with a new 5 year contract. It’s becoming too regular to even bother making a point out of a Man Utd loss anymore, but if there’s one thing the team lacks it’s out and out pace. Rooney is niggled by injuries, Van Persie needs the ball to feet and the mercurial Juan Mata couldn’t out run Giggsy. A Zaha in full flight, coming on for the last twenty minutes say, would have least provided Utd with a bit of unpredictably in the final third this season. As it is, Moyes saw him worthy of getting on the pitch twice all season before loaning him to a grateful Cardiff. If he continues to play as well as he did on Saturday it will just be another in a long line of reasons why the current manager of Manchester United looks increasingly ill-suited for the job. The last time somebody uttered the line “I just don’t know what else we can do” after a match his name was Tony fucking Adams. Moyes isn’t just fighting for Man Utd’s future, he is fighting for his own.
It took around ten minutes for Wilfried Zaha to inspire Cardiff to their first league victory under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The last signing of the Ferguson era lit up the Championship last year and after a promising pre-season, was expected to push Valencia and Nani for regular starts at Old Trafford. That never happened for reasons that aren’t fully clear. Moyes clearly did not trust Zaha, a decision which is impossible to reconcile with the continued trust placed in the likes of Ashley Young and Tom Cleverly, and the genuinely insane decision to reward Nani with a new 5 year contract. It’s becoming too regular to even bother making a point out of a Man Utd loss anymore, but if there’s one thing the team lacks it’s out and out pace. Rooney is niggled by injuries, Van Persie needs the ball to feet and the mercurial Juan Mata couldn’t out run Giggsy. A Zaha in full flight, coming on for the last twenty minutes say, would have least provided Utd with a bit of unpredictably in the final third this season. As it is, Moyes saw him worthy of getting on the pitch twice all season before loaning him to a grateful Cardiff. If he continues to play as well as he did on Saturday it will just be another in a long line of reasons why the current manager of Manchester United looks increasingly ill-suited for the job. The last time somebody uttered the line “I just don’t know what else we can do” after a match his name was Tony fucking Adams. Moyes isn’t just fighting for Man Utd’s future, he is fighting for his own.
3. Fulham are in all sorts of trouble
For every club who change a manager mid-season and watch the team’s form and spirit radically improve (Sunderland/Palace) – there is a club who gambles and fails miserably as they slowly, but surely realise it may not have been the manager who was doing a bad job after all. Martin Jol was trying to put together an expansive, attacking team from a squad historically used to steady, passing football. The problem was he bought players who played pretty football but didn’t know how to run back and tackle. Like, ever. The decision to sack him then was surely taken with a view to bringing in a manager who get the most out of such players, or revert back to the way they’d played in the past under the likes of Mark Hughes and Roy Hodgson. Seemingly not. Fulham brought in Rene Meulensteen who, whilst respected hugely for his work at Man Utd, had never managed in the Premier League and only previous experience involved a largely unsuccessful spell at Brondby. Meulensteen has lost 8 of his 14 matches to date and hasn’t been able to stop the defensive errors that have cost Fulham all season. The Cottagers have conceded 53 goals thus far, a full 12 worse than Cardiff who are next on the list. Their goal difference of minus 31 looks insurmountable and counts for an extra point (or lack of) in a bunched bottom half. There are positives for Fulham in the form of new signing Mitroglou, a prolific striker with Champions League experience and the fact that their next game is a 2014 banker. Manchester United.
For every club who change a manager mid-season and watch the team’s form and spirit radically improve (Sunderland/Palace) – there is a club who gambles and fails miserably as they slowly, but surely realise it may not have been the manager who was doing a bad job after all. Martin Jol was trying to put together an expansive, attacking team from a squad historically used to steady, passing football. The problem was he bought players who played pretty football but didn’t know how to run back and tackle. Like, ever. The decision to sack him then was surely taken with a view to bringing in a manager who get the most out of such players, or revert back to the way they’d played in the past under the likes of Mark Hughes and Roy Hodgson. Seemingly not. Fulham brought in Rene Meulensteen who, whilst respected hugely for his work at Man Utd, had never managed in the Premier League and only previous experience involved a largely unsuccessful spell at Brondby. Meulensteen has lost 8 of his 14 matches to date and hasn’t been able to stop the defensive errors that have cost Fulham all season. The Cottagers have conceded 53 goals thus far, a full 12 worse than Cardiff who are next on the list. Their goal difference of minus 31 looks insurmountable and counts for an extra point (or lack of) in a bunched bottom half. There are positives for Fulham in the form of new signing Mitroglou, a prolific striker with Champions League experience and the fact that their next game is a 2014 banker. Manchester United.
4. Finger waving needs to be outlawed
It is a common bugbear of many armchair supporters to see players calling for cards for their fellow professionals. The act should come with an automatic yellow card and I’m not entirely sure why the policing of the offence by referees appears to be on a random basis. More frustrating to me though, is the tired and often completely inaccurate single finger put up by almost every player having committed a bookable foul. I watched West Brom v Liverpool on Sunday and witnessed four players in a row claim to the referee it was their “first foul” upon receiving a booking. For starters, it wasn’t, but secondly and more importantly, it doesn’t make a difference when the punishment quite clearly fits the crime. The referee got all four of the decisions spot on, one was a badly late tackle and the other three were so cynical they are exactly the sort of offence that “amber” sin bin cards should be introduced for. Liam Ridgewell’s could arguably have been red given Sterling’s pace would almost certainly have carried him to goal, even if he was in his own half when he made the tackle. Yet in that instance his captain felt the need to tell the referee that not only was it his first offence (again, it wasn’t) but to then point out at least six recent examples of fouls that weren’t even remotely comparable by Liverpool players. I’m all for communication between referee and players on the pitch, but you just don’t see every single decision questioned in this way in any other sport. The RESPECT campaign is a joke and the level of dissent filters itself down to every level of football. There is no point changing the rules for referees on the pitch, they have an impossible job. The only way to stop players cheating and trying to con the referee is by retrospective action. It’s just not that hard a concept people.
It is a common bugbear of many armchair supporters to see players calling for cards for their fellow professionals. The act should come with an automatic yellow card and I’m not entirely sure why the policing of the offence by referees appears to be on a random basis. More frustrating to me though, is the tired and often completely inaccurate single finger put up by almost every player having committed a bookable foul. I watched West Brom v Liverpool on Sunday and witnessed four players in a row claim to the referee it was their “first foul” upon receiving a booking. For starters, it wasn’t, but secondly and more importantly, it doesn’t make a difference when the punishment quite clearly fits the crime. The referee got all four of the decisions spot on, one was a badly late tackle and the other three were so cynical they are exactly the sort of offence that “amber” sin bin cards should be introduced for. Liam Ridgewell’s could arguably have been red given Sterling’s pace would almost certainly have carried him to goal, even if he was in his own half when he made the tackle. Yet in that instance his captain felt the need to tell the referee that not only was it his first offence (again, it wasn’t) but to then point out at least six recent examples of fouls that weren’t even remotely comparable by Liverpool players. I’m all for communication between referee and players on the pitch, but you just don’t see every single decision questioned in this way in any other sport. The RESPECT campaign is a joke and the level of dissent filters itself down to every level of football. There is no point changing the rules for referees on the pitch, they have an impossible job. The only way to stop players cheating and trying to con the referee is by retrospective action. It’s just not that hard a concept people.
5. Manchester City are not the best team in the world.
When Cockney Wideboy Tim Sherwood uttered the words “they’re the best team in the world” last weekend, I expected nobody to take him seriously. Inexplicably, people did. This Monday night, Chelsea came, saw and conquered in a way that was not even remotely justified by a scoreline that simply stated 0:1. Manchester City are the best attacking team in England. That is a statement backed up for actual evidence and statistics. To suggest that they are the best team in the world requires a total ignorance to the fact that they possess just one world class defender. They have a fine central midfield, but absolutely no back up to it whatsoever. And from there one has to consider Barca and Madrid, who just do not suffer concentration lapses with anywhere near the regularity that City do. There is also a little team called Bayern Munich. Who have not lost a meaningful fixture… in… two… years. Giving credit to Chelsea is hard work, but fuck me did they deserve it tonight. This was the sort of performance which you wonder if any manager bar Jose could have coaxed from these players. John Terry and Gary Cahill were so good you forgot they were English. Matic was magnificent in a returning role and Hazard’s every touch, every movement oozed class. 5 or 6 1 would not have flattered Chelsea and this was a performance that shouted title winning from the rafters. There is still a long way to go, not least because Arsenal remain top, but anybody who thinks City are the best team in the world after being taken apart like this needs their head examined. Hell, Ya Ya Toure had to resort to diving by the second half. With three teams competing for the title, three more in the race for fourth and around ten in the battle for relegation… a slow starting season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years. Long may it continue.
When Cockney Wideboy Tim Sherwood uttered the words “they’re the best team in the world” last weekend, I expected nobody to take him seriously. Inexplicably, people did. This Monday night, Chelsea came, saw and conquered in a way that was not even remotely justified by a scoreline that simply stated 0:1. Manchester City are the best attacking team in England. That is a statement backed up for actual evidence and statistics. To suggest that they are the best team in the world requires a total ignorance to the fact that they possess just one world class defender. They have a fine central midfield, but absolutely no back up to it whatsoever. And from there one has to consider Barca and Madrid, who just do not suffer concentration lapses with anywhere near the regularity that City do. There is also a little team called Bayern Munich. Who have not lost a meaningful fixture… in… two… years. Giving credit to Chelsea is hard work, but fuck me did they deserve it tonight. This was the sort of performance which you wonder if any manager bar Jose could have coaxed from these players. John Terry and Gary Cahill were so good you forgot they were English. Matic was magnificent in a returning role and Hazard’s every touch, every movement oozed class. 5 or 6 1 would not have flattered Chelsea and this was a performance that shouted title winning from the rafters. There is still a long way to go, not least because Arsenal remain top, but anybody who thinks City are the best team in the world after being taken apart like this needs their head examined. Hell, Ya Ya Toure had to resort to diving by the second half. With three teams competing for the title, three more in the race for fourth and around ten in the battle for relegation… a slow starting season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years. Long may it continue.
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