Five Things we've learnt from the Premier League - Week Twelve

Lady luck allows Wenger to silence critics
Arsenal deserved to win on Saturday. They were the better team for much of the 90 minutes, created more clear chances and, for once, out fought their opponents in every area. But big games are too often decided by key moments and it was a shame that this one at least started off that way. Arsenal’s opener should have been disallowed twice, firstly for an invisible foul and secondly for an offside. Spurs were right to be annoyed but their response was limp and “Spursy” even for them. They looked like a team bereft of ideas and they continue to strike a curious mix this year of looking unbeatable one minute and very easily beatable the next. 

For Wenger there was a degree of karma here. Most punters assumed Spurs would win convincingly and the Arsenal manager was finally rewarded by both a solid defensive display and a match winning performance by Ozil in a big match. The German was everywhere, pressing, tracking and creating. How frustrating it must be to see what he remains capable of, when so often he takes annual leave on key match days.

Arsenal have a very winnable run of fixtures between now and Christmas, with only the ghost of Mourinho looming over a 6 game run. If they can take this form forward and continue to strike a balance between defence and attack they remain a side capable of anything.

And by anything I mean finishing 4^th.

Pogback
A goal, an assist, a match winning performance. The return of Paul Pogba was so impressive it managed to condemn Zlatan to a mere foot note. The sign of a truly great player is how much a team struggles without them in it, and after a slow return to the Premier League it’s becoming increasingly clear that Pogba may well be that player after all. The Frenchman controlled the tempo of the match throughout, and displayed a range of passing that would have made Paul Scholes blush. United look a different side with him in it, which is a good job for their fans as they’ve been largely toilet of late. A front four of Lukaku, Rashford, Martial and the continually underrated Mata combine enough pace, power and guile to threaten any defence when on song. Newcastle started the match well but were blown away second half and could have ended up losing by more.

United remain the only team with even a modicum of hope of stopping Man City this season, and to do so it’s clear they need to keep their main man fit and firing for the rest of the campaign. 

That and, you know… actually beating Man City. Twice.

Good luck with that.

Wilson helps himself as Terriers wilt
It’s been a long journey back to full fitness for Calum Wilson, but he was fully rewarded for his patience here with a terrific striker’s hat-trick. Wilson was superb and he and Josh King dovetailed to such effect that it made the wages currently being paid to the returning Jermain Defoe look farcically wasteful. Huddersfield meanwhile were woeful in the second half, so much so you had to keep checking that it was not them down to 10 men rather than the home team. Not only could they not take advantage of the extra man, they seemed to retreat into their shells and watch, statuesque as a superior, hungrier team consumed them.

Huddersfield look toothless away from home. Only Crystal Palace (literally, toothless) have scored less away from their own fans and they now have Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea in their next five fixtures. The Terriers remain in mid table, 2 points ahead of Bournemouth, but the momentum was only with one team here. Huddersfield need to regroup and fast before being dragged into the relegation battle many expected them to be contesting. 

Pulis finally pays the price for pessimism
2 wins in 21 matches saw Tony Pulis become the latest Premier League manager to bite the dust this weekend, following a spectacularly inept showing against a resurgent Chelsea. West Brom haven’t kept a clean sheet in 7 matches and when you lose your single, compelling selling point as a manager… you’re basically fucked.

West Brom have averaged less than a goal a game under Pulis, taking in over 100 league games. He is a manager who regards attacking with casual disregard and that sort of pragmatism is usually only acceptable when results are the trade-off.

Solomon Rondon, their main striker, has more bookings that goals this season and has now scored just twice in over 1000 minutes. Summer signing Jay Rodriguez has just two himself, despite playing almost every minute of the season. Shorn of last season’s 20 goal star forward, Gareth McAuley, West Brom have tumbled into the Abyss.

Quite literally given they seem to have appointed Gary Megson as their new manager. A man who I’m pretty sure died several years ago and has merely been reanimated. Still, if he can do a similar job on this West Brom side, he may well be remembered a hero after all.

Forgotten Chelsea stars continue to light up league

England’s new 100m superstar in waiting Ruben Loftus-Cheek tore apart. In a game week littered with standout turns, the two front runners for Player or the Season (no, really) once again delivered man of the match performances for their respective clubs. If De Bruyne’s brilliance has been apparent for some time, he is now making journalists everywhere reach for the thesaurus each week to find new ways to describe his luminescence. In a much more inconsistent team, Mo Salah has been anything but. The Egyptian’s arrival on Merseyside was greeted by more jeers than cheers but he has got better every game and now seems to have added finishing to his list of talents. Salah isn’t just quick, he is skilful and unusually adept at finding space. Indeed, the main key to him currently sitting on top the league’s scoring charts is because nobody has quite worked out how to mark him. If City’s attack is the best with the ball, Liverpool’s is still the best without out it. Say what you want about Klopp, but his ability to coach space management in to his forward players (yes, I just wrote that) is second to none. 

Team of the Weak

Lossl – one save, four conceded. Yes he was unprotected but none of the goals conceded were unstoppable.
Keane – allegedly a player Everton paid £25m for.
Hegazi – terrible performance from start to finish, the nadir of which was arguing with the referee for rugby tackling Hazard to the floor.
Cresswell – shot of confidence and bereft of quality.
Fernandez – symbolising Swansea’s lot at the moment and bang out of form.
Sissoko – absolutely bollocks, not worth the price of the shirt he’s in, let alone £30m.
Krychowiak – like Hegazi, has only served to make West Brom a worst side than last year.
Arnautovic – at this point, I almost half expect him to just sit down during a match.
Eriksen – was completely outshone by Ozill; Spurs need him to find his international form and fast.
Carroll – booed off by his own fans and was lucky to last that long.
Ibramimovic – returned to the team at the age of 36, some 2 months ahead of schedule and didn’t score with his one, incredibly difficult chance. Pathetic. 

Happy Hunting

https://twitter.com/HinduMonkey

Five Things we've learnt from the Premier League - Week Eleven

Lukaku and Jose fluff their lines again
It has now been 13 away games against “top six” opposition since Jose Mourinho won. And in that time his teams have scored a solitary goal. A derisory record that would make Arsene Wenger blush. United at least tried to attack Chelsea on Sunday, but they did so with very little threat and the complete lack of a centre forward who can lead his team from the front when the chips are down. Whereas Morata was a menace throughout, Lukaku looked like exactly the sort of player who we’ve seen so many times now in these type of matches. The common thinking was we couldn’t judge Lukaku properly as a “top, top” striker until we saw him in the bigger matches for United. Everton, after all, have largely been a collective embarrassment in the bigger fixtures for over a decade now. Well so far, so exactly the same then. No goals against Liverpool, Spurs or Chelsea in recent weeks have blotted his copy book once more and it’s in these type of games that United need a £70m striker to earn his wage. Lukaku is not missing easy chances, but he’s also not grabbing games by the scruff of the neck and he’s making it far too easy for centre backs to mark him out of the game. Against Spurs this was maybe acceptable, but judging by the way that Liverpool and Chelsea have defended this season… it certainly isn’t.

United now sit adrift of City as the final international break looms; and anyone who still doesn’t rate Paul Pogba only needs to look at how one note the team has been since he got injured. For Lukaku, he now has Newcastle, Brighton and Watford up next. The Belgian finds himself in the curious situation of if he finds his form and the net again in those matches… it will merely serve to prove his doubters right, rather than wrong.

Hammers Hammered again as Bilic departs
Another weekend, another woeful performance in front of their own fans by West Ham. It’s becoming increasingly hard to pick out individuals such is the collective incompetence, which is probably why the owners finally had enough this morning and gave Slaven Bilic the sack. Liverpool had to do little beyond bide their time and wait for West Ham to shoot themselves in the foot. Nobody profited more than Mohamed Salah, who now has an impressive 11 goals (more than anyone bar Kane in English football) in his second stint in the “greatest league on earth.” The Egyptian is in fine form and whilst his first was a gift, his second goal was a wonderful hit worthy of winning any game.

For West Ham, they head into the break in the relegation zone and with the haunting spectre of David Moyes looming on the horizon (I mean seriously guys – he’s not even like the best of the worst option out there, let alone the best). Still, it’s always darkest before the dawn lads, chin up*.

*it’s not – this is a ridiculous phrase, I don't care how cool a movie The Dark Knight is

City cantering to the title as Arsenal exposed again
The most obvious result of the weekend saw Manchester City never even bothering to get out of third gear to despatch a pathetic Arsenal side. Like a Lion playing with a wounded mouse, City teased and tortured Arsenal by refusing to do anything but sit back and wait for the mistakes to happen. Arsenal fans will cling to such positives as… well… actually scoring… but in truth this was yet another embarrassment for their side. Manchester City had ten, man over counter attacks during the match. Ten. Just think about that for a moment. Ten times City broke at pace from an Arsenal attack and had a 3 on 2, 4 on 3… or on one occasion, an astonishing 5 on 1. They scored from none of these opportunities. Their final ball, particularly from the otherwise superb Kevin De Bruyne, was chronically lacking and they let Arsenal off the hook time and time again. 3-1 flattered Wenger, who is now the most clueless manager in a decade of Premier League management. The season might be only 11 games old, but it’s hard to see how any team can catch this City side. Realistically they are going to have to stop them scoring at some stage. If they don’t, it won’t just be the title City claim, it will be every scoring record in league history along with it.

Swans capsize at home again
Swansea City lie in 19^th position and have the worst home record in the top flight. They have lost 5 of their 6 home games this season, conceding 10 goals and scoring just 4. No other side has lost more than 3 times in front of their own fans and three of those teams have already sacked their managers.

With only one player who looks capable of scoring and a midfield almost uniquely devoid of any creativity, pace or dynamism, it’s hard to see how Swansea can improve quickly without grinding out 1 nils. All of this is a far cry from last season, when a Sigurdsson inspired team took an improbable 13 points from their last 15 available to steer themselves to safety. 

Swansea look in real trouble with as many games again (11) before they can bring in any new faces to freshen things up. Swans don’t usually make the menu at Christmas time, but if things don’t improve soon those better off than them will be having a festive feast at their expense.

Yeah.

I’m not sure that worked either. It was the Swansea City of tenuous analogies.

That’s better. Onwards…

Dyche delights on a shoestring… again
Burnley are 7^th having lost as few matches (two) as any team in the league bar City. They don’t score a lot (10 in 11) but have the best defensive record outside of the top 3 and it’s obviously something to do with the management rather than the individual. A team currently missing 3 of their key 5 men from last season have actually improved their backline statistics and one wonders how much longer Sean Dyche can continue to defy his suitors and remain loyal to his club.

It is staggering, for example, that West Ham haven’t at least sounded him out regarding their position. Dyche is a hugely likeable manager and the work he has done at Burnley deserves huge recognition. Their home ground is a fortress, but this season they have defended well on their travels as well. If they could just add a genuine goal scorer, or a midfielder say with the vision of a Christian Gross over at Brighton, they could make a compelling case for being the best of the rest in a league that is increasingly looking two tiers.

Or three. With City in a league of their own.

Team of the Weak:

The West Ham back line, the Arsenal midfield and the Manchester United attack.

All three completely missing in action.

Police are still searching for Granit Xhaka with little hope of recovery.

See you all after the international break as the festive fixture fest finally starts to kick in.

https://twitter.com/HinduMonkey

Five Things we've learnt from the Premier League - Week Nine

Chelsea find magic at the bottom of the barrel

For most of the match on Saturday lunchtime, Chelsea looked like a team who had no answers to the questions they were being asked. Watford were more creative, more organised and had the better individuals. 4-1 after an hour would not have flattered them. As it was, the lead was just a single goal and two inspired substitutions won Chelsea a victory that seemed almost impossible barely minutes before. Batshuayi and Willian replaced the frustrated looked Morata and the increasingly more peripheral Marcus Alonso; and Chelsea instantly looked more like a team with a purpose. Whilst it’s easy to see why Batshuayi normally fulfils the understudy role for his team, it is becoming more of a mystery why Conte uses his hugely talented Brazilian so sparsely. Willian, more than anything else, actually possesses the ability to pass a ball that many of his team mates lack (step forward the risible Bakayoko – rarely has any player deserved to be on a winning side less). He played a part in both the late goals and could well have transformed the direction of Chelsea’s season in just a few minutes.

Regardless of this win though, Chelsea cannot continue to defend like this and expect to get away with it. Alonso is having a terrible season, likewise David Luiz. With Kante out of action this looks a side that can be easily got at and with Bournemouth away next… the forecast looks set for more goals at both ends of the pitch.

Bilic on the brink after summer of fantasy football

With the exception of a 20-minute spell, West Ham were dreadful on Friday evening and thoroughly deserved to be beaten by a team that were… well… exactly that. West Ham spent millions of pounds in the summer without managing to improve a single area of their team. Joe Hart is not as good a goalkeeper as Adrian – it was a terrible transfer in every sense of the definition. Out wide they smashed their transfer record for Marco Arnautovic – despite him playing in arguably the one position on the pitch they didn’t need an upgrade for. Antonio and Lanzini remain the club’s best players, and it’s baffling why Andre Ayew, who was the previous record transfer signing, is never given the opportunity to bring his energy and graft for more than 20 minutes at a time. Finally, West Ham bought Chicharito; a signing which looked okay on paper, but so obviously doesn’t fit into West Ham’s style of play to essentially render him pointless. At least the Mexican is trying, which is more than can be said of several others – notably Arnautovic, who turned in the sort of performance after which he should be asked to personally refund every ticket in the ground.

West Ham need a spine back and fast. How Noble and Cresswell aren’t getting in this team is mystifying. Masuaku is a worse left back than Alberto Moreno and if somebody could let me know what Obiang does, I’m all ears. It looks bleak for Bilic from here, but the board have to take responsibility for sanctioning such ridiculous transfers. This is not the first time West Ham have played fantasy football in the market rather than bought sensible players for the positions that needed strengthening. Last time it happened they got relegated. Over to you boys..

Pulis punished for negativity

Do any West Brom fans actually enjoy watching their club play football? Do any West Brom players actually enjoy playing under Tony Pulis? At what point does the board say, look safety is all well and good Tony, but if you could not set us up as if we’re playing Barca away every match it would be nice. This was a truly desperate football match and West Brom got what they deserved for refusing to attack a low on confidence Southampton. You know… at like any point in the match. The game was won by the substitute Boufal, a player who has regularly flattered to deceive since moving to the club last year. Fuck me what a goal though. Picking the loose ball up well within his own half, he skipped past three players before placing it in the bottom corner of Foster’s goal. It was a world class moment in a match that deserved anything but.

As for West Brom? To be honest I’ve already lost interest…

Huddersfield savour their moment

And so in the last 5 months the only teams who have beaten Manchester United are Real Madrid… and Huddersfield Town. This was one of those collective performances of ineptitude which happens every now and again, but the worry for United is that it’s been coming. Since Paul Pogba got injured they have got gradually worse week on week and can no longer paper over the cracks of a midfield that was utterly inept here. In defence, without Bailly and Jones they look weak and Lukaku needs to find his form again and fast. Mkhitaryan meanwhile appears to have completely forgotten how to play football all together.

But take nothing away from Huddersfield – they were more organised, disciplined and had the better players on the day. Jose is rarely effusive about the opposition, but he filled his post-match rant with praise towards the attitude and skill shown by the Huddersfield players. Both teams will now dust themselves off and go again, with for United – all eyes on Old Trafford next Saturday lunchtime and the arrival of Spurs.

Defences sink to the bottom of the Mersey

Two games, a ridiculous 12 goals and 9 of them conceded by teams earning their trade on Merseyside. We’ve been here before with Liverpool. Even Gary Neville can no longer take comic pride in commentating on them, so despairing is he in such collective and individual defensive ineptitude. Spurs were the better side, but Liverpool gave them all four goals on a silver platter with the words “help yourself” on it. Harry Kane finally broke his Wembley curse on what he must have thought was his birthday.

At least Liverpool can take solace that they will likely bounce back from this, and can still attack with threat and verve with the best of them. Even if they continue to regard the art of defending away from home as an inconvenience they frankly don’t have the time for. Everton meanwhile, despite scoring two goals (one great, one just there to remind Arsenal fans not to get too excited) have almost nothing left to cling to. This is a truly terrible Everton team with only Pickford of the summer signings doing anything to justify the fees paid thus far. Indeed, the poor lad probably can’t believe his luck, having seemingly swapped one relegation battle for another.

I never like to see managers sacked (despite being ready to openly cheer the moment Wenger finally… fucking… leaves) but this was the sort of performance from which there is usually no coming back from. Everton weren’t just bad, they were absolutely hopeless. Arsenal had over 30 chances away from home and could have won 20-0 such was their total and utter dominance. The last half hour in particular was the sort of display that makes you want to stand every player involved up against a wall and hurl rotten fruit at them.

Everton and Liverpool currently have only a point more than Manchester United combined. As for City… well… we can all cling to the fact that if anyone can fuck it up from here… City can.

And Spurs.

Team of the Weak:

Hart – Just please stop playing him. Everyone. In the world.
Alonso – A model pro last season. Now just looks like a model who has wandered onto the field of play.
Lindelof – May as well be playing for Liverpool.
Lovren – Error, error, subbed.
Williams – What. Has. Happened. To. Him.
Keane – Everyone said Burnley would struggle without him. They’re currently above both Liverpool and Everton in the table…
Mata – Seemingly giving out charity both on and off the field now.
Arnautovic – Get your wallet out and go for a long walk around the East End matey. No wait actually… better not. Use BACS.
Bakayoko – The worst pass completion rate ever recorded in Premier League History. Just a guess. I don’t know. But it must have been close.
Rondon – I mean, he might be good at another club I suppose…

My god I’ve only got one more spot left. But there were SO many bad players this week. Ah what the hell… let’s just give it to…

Jesus – the most captained player in Fantasy Football. Rested. Played last 15. Missed an absolute sitter. 1 point. Thanks for coming.

#teamkane

https://twitter.com/HinduMonkey

Five Things we've learnt from the Premier League - Week Eight

City stop purring and simply feast
7 goals – a staggering 17 in their last 3 home games – and City sit proudly aloft as the clear leaders in this season’s title race. They were here last season of course, before falling away as the usual pungent sense of uncertainty seeped into the stadium. This feels different though. City were superb against Chelsea, the 1-0 score line making a mockery of their absolute dominance from start to finish. But this was something else. This was a performance for which the word “incredible” was written for. Forget the fortune two goals conceded, forget the stats (80% possession, 20 shots) - City attacked with such pace, movement and verve that it genuinely took the breath away. Kevin De Bruyne played the pass of the season after 20 minutes; and then beat it five times over by the end. City didn’t just score 7 goals – they scored great goals, they scored team goals. This wasn’t Manchester City as we know it. This was Barca in their absolute pomp. Everyone else should be very, very afraid.

Don’t believe me? This is just one of the goals. It’s the goal that Arsenal have been trying to score for 12 years. And City scored three of them on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/GuardiolaTweets/status/919546289313996800

The double pivot is not being used correctly
This is fast becoming a bug bear of mind. I don’t have anything against the 4-2-3-1 formation per se; but surely the point of the two midfielders is to have one “destroyer” and one “creator” – so Kante tackles/intercepts – and then passes it to Fabregas – who picks the best ball into the attack. Okay if you’re away at City, I can understand the need to “double up” with two defensive players in that role to stop attacks through the middle. But this system is fast preventing teams from attacking quickly enough, making number 10’s increasingly more isolated and over marked and creating more and more negative football.

So this weekend I give you Everton away to Brighton, a team just promoted, who started the game with two holding midfielders. Saints, at home, to newly promoted Newcastle, who started the game with two holding midfielders. And most inexplicably of all… Arsenal, playing Watford and surely needing to be on the front foot – starting with Granit Xhaka and Elneny. The latter a player who wouldn’t get in my pub team and is about as creative as a ferret in a stone walled cell. None of these teams needed those players there. Manchester United used to play with Paul Scholes and Roy Keane in a flat 4-4-2 for heaven’s sake. You can’t tell me they didn’t have enough in the middle of the park.

Stop the madness. There are lots of central midfielders across the land suddenly not getting games because of this desire to play two sitting players in straight forward fixtures.

And for fucks sake Wenger just give Jack Wilshire a game already. You literally have nothing else to lose at this point.

Jose wasn’t right to park the bus, but he was right about Liverpool’s tactics
Everybody knew what was going to happen – so nobody should be surprised. A compelling case should certainly be made for Mourinho to have attacked Liverpool’s fragile defence from the start – but there was also logic to his tactics of hoping to win on the counter in the last twenty. The thing was though, is that for all the criticisms aimed at him since, he was absolutely right on one thing. Liverpool never truly went for it. Klopp didn’t want to lose this game just as much as Jose and he knew that any attempt to go gung-ho might backfire. Liverpool never changed their formation or structure. They started with a false 9 and never took off one of their two more defensive midfielders for a more offensive player. They kept players back at all times and probed rather than pressed towards United’s goal. Yes they should have scored, and would have won the game but for yet another entry in the ludicrous David De Gea scrap book… but this was not a siege and both teams deserved what they both ultimately got.

Saints finally end home hoodoo, but still can’t win
Heading to yet another home blank, Southampton finally roused themselves on Sunday as, led by Gabbiadini, they reminded their fans where the goal was. If the first half of this match was everything you expected and more (so… many… defensive… players) – the second could be accused of anything but. This was end to end football of the highest entertainment with a share of the spoils just about right in the end.

Saints fans will hope the result kick starts their season going forward, and that their talented Italian can continue to plunder more goals such as these. He will certainly need to when the rest of the team remain so toothless in front of goal, and Charlie Austin continues to be benched for no logical reason whatsoever. I mean, Shane Long hasn't scored in 25 games? Who the fuck does he think he is? Jozy Altidore?

They could do with giving Fraser Forster a hug as well, as English keepers continue to take it in turns for who’s the worst each week. Poor lad… I mean, Joe Hart even got an assist this weekend.

Foxes lack bite again
The first half of this match was so dull, that at one point a plastic bag blew on to the pitch and I found myself watching that rather than the ball. As if playing walking football, the whistle blew on the sort of rancid 45 minutes that has long been the hallmark of playing a Tony Pulis team at home. 

The first minute of the second half was more exciting than the entire of the first. Vardy narrowly failing to win a penalty by jumping in to Myhill (watch the reply from behind... you knew exactly what you were doing Jamie lad) - and thankfully after that, things continued in a more positive light. Mahrez sporting one of the misses of the season before Chadli stroked in a free kick and Mahrez, eventually, found his way to goal. Despite late pressure though, the Foxes couldn't find a winner.

I tipped Leicester at the start of the season to be dark horses this year. I also tipped Everton to sneak a Champions League place.

I don't know anything about football.

Team of the Weak:

Forster – Fell over for the first goal, was at fault for the second and ran away from several crosses.
Kolasanic – Looks lost at wing back – sits back too far and watches everything go through Bellerin. Is yet to get his head on anything since the Charity Shield.
Edwards – I think this is what is known as a baptism of fire…
Luiz – Thus far unrecognisable to his colossal presence last season. Conte needs all his defenders to step up… and fast.
Zanka – Out manoeuvred by a vibrant, pacy Abraham. His team look in a rut.
Elneny – The worst player in Arsenal’s squad. That’s a squad which includes Alex Iwobi. Just think about that for a moment.
Gueye – Too. Many. Defensive. Players. Ronald.
Tadic – Total bobbins. Didn’t he use to like create stuff? Now he just wanders around looking annoyed.
Mkhitaryan – Was so anonymous I thought he has Shinji Kagawa.
Carroll – When your own team mate calls you an animal… well… you know.
Kane – It’s no good being the best away striker in Europe when you can’t score at home Harry.

Goodnight fine people... sleep tight and don't let the City attack bite.

https://twitter.com/HinduMonkey