Feathers fly in Welsh
bird shit battle
Usually a 5-4 scoreline suggest a fluent game of pulsating, end to end attacking football. You can normally take defensive errors as read, but this weekend’s match up between the Swans and the Eagles contained 7 of the scruffiest goals you’re ever likely to see. Even the two before that featured a miskick, a defender falling over and a keeper just stepping to one side to allow a free kick to go past him. No, this was a rubbish game of football featuring two teams who cannot defend and who are both highly likely to go down unless they can arrest that fact. Swansea will at least be buoyed by actually winning a match for the first time since the opening day, and the fact that a striker of theirs scored twice in a match for the first time since Wilfried Bony left. Palace meanwhile, led by “the best header of the ball in Europe” Christian Benteke (no Phil Neville… just no) need to find a way to win matches again and fast. Continuing with a back four who haven’t kept a clean sheet in 8 matches isn’t really working for starters. And allowing Yohan Cabaye to keep that haircut and get booked every single match isn’t helping either.
Usually a 5-4 scoreline suggest a fluent game of pulsating, end to end attacking football. You can normally take defensive errors as read, but this weekend’s match up between the Swans and the Eagles contained 7 of the scruffiest goals you’re ever likely to see. Even the two before that featured a miskick, a defender falling over and a keeper just stepping to one side to allow a free kick to go past him. No, this was a rubbish game of football featuring two teams who cannot defend and who are both highly likely to go down unless they can arrest that fact. Swansea will at least be buoyed by actually winning a match for the first time since the opening day, and the fact that a striker of theirs scored twice in a match for the first time since Wilfried Bony left. Palace meanwhile, led by “the best header of the ball in Europe” Christian Benteke (no Phil Neville… just no) need to find a way to win matches again and fast. Continuing with a back four who haven’t kept a clean sheet in 8 matches isn’t really working for starters. And allowing Yohan Cabaye to keep that haircut and get booked every single match isn’t helping either.
Strikers will
determine this season’s title
The common consensus is that Liverpool won’t have enough to get over the line. Their merry band of midfield maestros will eventually come unstuck, get injured and realise that the defence they have behind them is made up of balsa and James Milner… who along with Gareth Barry, possibly remains the best worst (not a typo) player ever to play in the league. That leaves City, Chelsea and Arsenal – all of which have their main man playing in the number 9 role and currently leading by example. However, should Aguero, Costa or Sanchez get seriously injured, it becomes very difficult to make a case for any of those teams to sustain a title push. City and Chelsea have young, talented but largely unproven strikers in reserve and Arsenal have Oliver Giroud. Actually he might be the best worst player ever to play in the league. Or the worst best. It’s hard to say. Either way, if Sanchez gets fucked, so does Wenger. Bring on the winter break Arsene…
The common consensus is that Liverpool won’t have enough to get over the line. Their merry band of midfield maestros will eventually come unstuck, get injured and realise that the defence they have behind them is made up of balsa and James Milner… who along with Gareth Barry, possibly remains the best worst (not a typo) player ever to play in the league. That leaves City, Chelsea and Arsenal – all of which have their main man playing in the number 9 role and currently leading by example. However, should Aguero, Costa or Sanchez get seriously injured, it becomes very difficult to make a case for any of those teams to sustain a title push. City and Chelsea have young, talented but largely unproven strikers in reserve and Arsenal have Oliver Giroud. Actually he might be the best worst player ever to play in the league. Or the worst best. It’s hard to say. Either way, if Sanchez gets fucked, so does Wenger. Bring on the winter break Arsene…
The Saints Academy
keeps on going
Keeping the likes of Shane Long out of the starting line up, Josh Sims stepped into the limelight this Sunday and made short work of a tired and ailing looking Everton team. The Southampton Youth Academy has produced too many great players over the years to list here, but as managers come, go and move on to apparently better things, the work behind the scenes keeps going and Saints make a mockery out of the lack of first team youth players at Manchester City and Chelsea, to name but two clubs at random. Full marks then to Les Reed, once dubbed the worst manager in Premier League history, who has been the Head of Football Development on the south coast for the past six years and has been instrumental in the revival and continued stability of the club. As for Everton, Koeman cut a frustrated manager post-match. He looked like many before him, who have struggled for consistency in a team that blows hot and cold with alarming regularity. It’s not all bad news for the Blues mind, they have Manchester United up next. Who need 58 chances per goal…
Keeping the likes of Shane Long out of the starting line up, Josh Sims stepped into the limelight this Sunday and made short work of a tired and ailing looking Everton team. The Southampton Youth Academy has produced too many great players over the years to list here, but as managers come, go and move on to apparently better things, the work behind the scenes keeps going and Saints make a mockery out of the lack of first team youth players at Manchester City and Chelsea, to name but two clubs at random. Full marks then to Les Reed, once dubbed the worst manager in Premier League history, who has been the Head of Football Development on the south coast for the past six years and has been instrumental in the revival and continued stability of the club. As for Everton, Koeman cut a frustrated manager post-match. He looked like many before him, who have struggled for consistency in a team that blows hot and cold with alarming regularity. It’s not all bad news for the Blues mind, they have Manchester United up next. Who need 58 chances per goal…
Spurs need to find their
rhythm
That pulsating demolition of Manchester City aside, Spurs have often looked lethargic this season. Their poor form masked by drawing most of their games rather than actually losing. Having finally ended that streak on Saturday, in a funny way that might be the best thing to wake them from their slumber. Alli, Eriksen and Kane have all flickered rather than flared so far… and Moussa Sissoko has been flat out appalling. Although it’s hard to see how one of the laziest people ever to play professional football was likely to be a good signing for a high pressing side like Spurs. Tottenham have three hugely winnable home games in a row, with a trip to Old Trafford sandwiched in between. 10 points from that and everything looks a lot better, but much less and it will be hard to make a case for how they can improve on last season and not find themselves back in the Europa league once more. Not allowing Kevin Wimmer anywhere near a football pitch until he’s gone back to defensive school might also be a good move.
That pulsating demolition of Manchester City aside, Spurs have often looked lethargic this season. Their poor form masked by drawing most of their games rather than actually losing. Having finally ended that streak on Saturday, in a funny way that might be the best thing to wake them from their slumber. Alli, Eriksen and Kane have all flickered rather than flared so far… and Moussa Sissoko has been flat out appalling. Although it’s hard to see how one of the laziest people ever to play professional football was likely to be a good signing for a high pressing side like Spurs. Tottenham have three hugely winnable home games in a row, with a trip to Old Trafford sandwiched in between. 10 points from that and everything looks a lot better, but much less and it will be hard to make a case for how they can improve on last season and not find themselves back in the Europa league once more. Not allowing Kevin Wimmer anywhere near a football pitch until he’s gone back to defensive school might also be a good move.
Deeney and Ighalo
need a time machine to this point in 2015
It was about this time last year when Deeney and Ighalo hit their stride and propelled Watford to early safety with a terrific goal scoring run. The pair ended up with 29 goals to their name last season, but currently sit on just 4 this time around. Indeed, the two have them scored just 3 times in open play in over 2,000 minutes of football. A goal every 675 minutes between them. Which is garbage. Watford are a good team. Well organised, creative and fit. If their two strikers can just find anything resembling last season’s form, they’ll be very difficult to beat indeed. I said this a month ago… and they’ve not scored since. Come on lads, at least try and prove me wrong.
It was about this time last year when Deeney and Ighalo hit their stride and propelled Watford to early safety with a terrific goal scoring run. The pair ended up with 29 goals to their name last season, but currently sit on just 4 this time around. Indeed, the two have them scored just 3 times in open play in over 2,000 minutes of football. A goal every 675 minutes between them. Which is garbage. Watford are a good team. Well organised, creative and fit. If their two strikers can just find anything resembling last season’s form, they’ll be very difficult to beat indeed. I said this a month ago… and they’ve not scored since. Come on lads, at least try and prove me wrong.
Team of the Weak
The entire back lines of Swansea and Crystal Palace
And Lukaku
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