tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30830626678701155712024-03-05T16:50:03.541+00:00Deep-Lying PlaymakersPlay like Fergie's boys... Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-33767636765184386482015-04-08T23:23:00.001+01:002015-04-08T23:23:29.530+01:00Ronaldo And Mourinho: A Decade of Domination<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"Once Upon A Time in Portugal..."</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Outside of the eight World Cup winning nations, it could be
argued that Portugal possesses the richest football history of all. This is the
country that gave us the world-conquering Benfica sides of the 1960s, the
country that gave us the great Eusebio, one of the very best of all time. This
is also the country that gave us the golden generation of the late 90s/early
2000s. Led by Luis Figo, this was arguably one of the most talented groups of
players never to win a major international trophy, coming so close in 2000, 2004 and 2006. <o:p></o:p></div>
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More recently however Portugal has given us two men who have
dominated the landscape of European football for the past ten years. Two
giants. Icons. Legends of the modern game. Both can stake a valid claim for
being the best of all time at what they do. They are Jose Mourinho and
Cristiano Ronaldo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mourinho first came into the public eye with his memorable
sprint down the Old Trafford touchline to celebrate a late goal that send his
Porto side into the Champions League quarter finals and knocked United out.
Porto would go on to win the title that year, a massive achievement for a squad
built on very little money. Jose himself would move onto a new challenge at
Chelsea and bring several of his players with him. He took to English football
management by storm, declaring himself ‘The Special One’ at his unveiling which
made him an instant hit with the media and ensured the limelight would never
stray from his presence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Manchester United in the summer
of 2003, immediately inheriting the iconic number seven shirt vacated that very summer by one
David Beckham. A skinny, shy, long-haired 18 year old, his early performances
at Old Trafford were certainly eye-catching but frustrating for the most part for fans.
His game revolved around far too many failed tricks and stepovers, a far cry
from the ruthlessly effective monster he would develop into in the years that
followed. His first few seasons at Old Trafford were rather underwhelming given
what was to come, the highlight being his FA Cup final goal in 2004.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ronaldo joined a Manchester United team very much in
transition, in a time in English football that would come to be dominated by
Mourinho and Chelsea. Jose changed the face of English football from a tactical
point of view. The 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation he used at Chelsea had been a rare
sight in a league strictly devoted to 4-4-2 it seems. His use of Claude
Makelele, a midfielder as a pure defensive outlet was alien to teams who found
Chelsea impossible to break down and irresistible on the counter attack,
spearheaded by the pace of Arjen Robben, the seemingly unlimited energy of
Michael Essien, the power of Dider Drogba and the quality(?) (<i>I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what
he was good at, he seemed to score all the time and just generally play very
well</i>) of Frank Lampard. When it comes to any discussions about the greatest
Premier League side of all time, anyone who can name a side better than the
Chelsea outfit of 2004-2006 has pretty much nailed it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>"Growing up is a heavy leaf to turn"</i></div>
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Back to back titles came Mourinho's way in his first two seasons. But as all great champions rise, so must they fall. And
Chelsea’s dethroning in the 2006/07 season was brought about in no small part
by a 21 year-old kid from Maderia who had finally added the end product his
game had been lacking in his first three years at Manchester United. It was in
late 2006 that Cristiano Ronaldo shot to superstardom and became the Premier
League’s finest footballer as his quest to wrest the title from his compatriot’s
stranglehold gathered steam. Having returned to England that summer with
pantomime-villain status following the World Cup, Ronaldo seemed to feed off
the energy and he grew stronger and stronger both physically and mentally. The
skinny boy seen crying by a worldwide audience after the Euro 2004 final was long gone. In his place
was a heavily muscled yet lighting quick athlete, a man just saturated with
self-belief to the point where it often blurs the line between confidence and
arrogance. As the saying goes; “It’s not arrogance if you can back it up.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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And boy could Ronaldo back it up. Behind his efforts, United
reclaimed the title from Chelsea in 2007 but he wasn’t done yet. Not satisfied
with simply being England’s best player, Ronaldo went and became King of the
World, both individually and collectively. He scored in United’s Champions
League win over a now Mourinho-less Chelsea in 2008, wrapping up a 40+ goal
season in which he had won both the Premier League and Champions League top
scorer and best player awards. The big one came his way for the first time that
winter as he was named the world’s best player for 2008, being awarded the
prestigious Ballon d’Or.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was during this time that we saw Mourinho and Ronaldo
interact directly in public for the first time. It got extremely personal at
one stage towards the climax of the 2006/07 title race when the United-Chelsea
rivalry was perhaps at its most heated. Mourinho, in anticipation of having to
concede the title, claimed that Ronaldo and United had been on the end of some
rather fortunate penalty decisions that season (not an unfair assessment).
Ronaldo responded, accusing Mourinho of not being able to admit to his own
failings (again, not an unfair assessment). Mourinho came out swinging as he
usually does when his side are not on top in the pitch, branding Ronaldo a liar
and blaming his ‘difficult childhood’ and ‘lack of education’ for his obviously
mis-guided quotes. Ronaldo comes from a fairly poor background in Madeira.
Mourinho himself came from a more privileged upbringing. His comments did lack
class and reeked of a man attempting to divert scrutiny on his side’s
shortcomings that season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“No matter what you
want, somebody else wants it just as bad”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or success was to be his only
triumph for the time being. His United side were trounced in the 2009 Champions
League final by Barcelona, led by the man who would emerge as Ronaldo’s great
rival in the years that followed, a diminutive Argentinian by the name of
Lionel Messi. Losing to Messi, in that manner, on that stage, is no doubt
something that spurred Ronaldo on to become even better. He now had a
yardstick, a competitor who wanted everything he wanted. Cristiano Ronaldo
would not be the player he is today without that night in Rome and without
Lionel Messi. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That final turned out to be Ronaldo’s last appearance for
United. That summer he finally sealed his dream move to Real Madrid for a
world-record fee of £80m. Ronaldo picked up right where he left off at his new
club. Despite a couple of injuries in his first season he averaged a goal a
game. Madrid did however end the season trophyless under coach Manuel Pellegrini.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>"And all of a sudden I'm leaving"</i></div>
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And Ronaldo wasn’t the only Portugese superstar in new
surroundings. Mourinho’s reign at Chelsea was cut short in late 2007 following
a long-standing feud with owner Roman Abramovich. Many things conspired, a lack
of funding being made available in the summer of 2007, a failure to deliver a
Champions League triumph despite investing a solid £500m over the first three
summers and a poor start to the 2007/08 season but the end result was a parting
of the ways. <o:p></o:p></div>
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He began the next season at Inter Milan and again charmed
the press at his unveiling, speaking in fluent Italian he claimed to have
learned in three weeks, taking a sly dig at his predecessor at Chelsea Claudio
Ranieri, who took several years in England before having proficient enough
levels of the language to be able to talk to the media. Nonetheless Mourinho took Italy
by storm, winning titles in his only two seasons there and capturing the
Champions League in 2010, defeating Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona along the way and
creating another sub-plot to the explosive rivalry that was about to begin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is at this point in the story that the two main
characters, opponents for the most part, become unlikely allies for the first
time. Jose Mourinho announced immediately after the 2010 Champions League final
in Madrid that the stadium would soon become his permanent home. It was here
that the unlikely Ronaldo-Mourinho alliance was formed and two of the most
driven men in football history were tasked with toppling the Messi-Guardiola
axis at Barcelona, a side acclaimed as being the greatest of all time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It took them two years together, a herculean effort, a record number of La Liga goals and points
but The Portuguese double act managed to beat Barcelona to the 2011/12 La Liga
title. The defining moment of the season came at the Camp Nou in April, Ronaldo’s
counter attack goal late on gave Real Madrid a crucial 2-1 win and a seven
point lead they would not squander. This
was one of Ronaldo’s mind-blowing 60 in all competitions that season, a figure bested by Lionel Messi's 73 en route to his fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or award. This no-doubt irked Cristiano beyond belief. Team success does matter to him of course, but he comes first in his mind. The idea of there being someone better than him would make his blood boil. No doubt he ended 2013 happier than 2012 where he ended as Ballon d'Or winner and Messi as La Liga champion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The big one eluded them however. Madrid lost at the
Champions League semi-final stage in 2011, 2012 (on penalties) and 2013. La
Decima, Madrid’s tenth European crown which the club had become obsessed with,
dangled tantalisingly out of their reach. But things did not end well. Mourinho and Madrid went through
a very ugly divorce in the summer of 2013. Fans were unhappy at the style of play
he brought. Details of dressing room bust ups with senior players became public
knowledge with club stalworth Iker Casillas being Mourinho’s prime enemy
within. He and Ronaldo's relationship also was far from harmonious, with Mourinho claiming Ronaldo's biggest problem was his reluctance to listen to criticism. They've both since blamed each other publicly for their collective failure to win a Champions League together. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ronaldo’s relentless quest to outshine Messi and be king of the mountain again
bore fruit in the spring of 2014. Having been crowned World Player of the Year
again for his 2013 efforts, Ronaldo and co, in the first year of the
post-Mourinho era, finally landed <i>La Decima</i>. What could have been the duos
crowning glory, the final in Lisbon, turned out to be Ronaldo’s spotlight
alone. Mourinho was sat at home, licking his wounds on the back of his second
consecutive trophyless season, his Chelsea side having tumbled at the
semi-final stage to Atletico. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ronaldo has since gone from strength to strength and only
now in early 2015 has the baton of the world’s greatest footballer appeared to pass back
to Lionel Messi. Ronaldo has now just one World Player of the Year title less than Messi, and the same amount as Zidane and 'Fat Ronaldo', neither of whom shared an era with a player as utterly dominant as Messi.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>"Even by yourself, you can carry with you anyone else"</i></div>
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He is a phenomenon. His dedication to improving on his game is simply remarkable. Sure he has the talent but without the insane drive and commitment he has shown, Ronaldo would be held in no higher regard than Ashley Young today. Messi's talent is god-given, you can tell he hasn't had to do half as much work on his game. He was born to be the best player in the world, Ronaldo decided he want to be and made it happen. He put United on his back in many ways during their European runs in 2008 and 2009, spearheading the team's charge, similar to what he did for Madrid in 2014. When he decides he wants to accomplish something, it will take a phenomenal effort to stop him. He's just turned 30 and shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down. Even with the much younger Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez in the side now, Ronaldo remains the top dog.</div>
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Mourinho meanwhile has also rediscovered his mojo as of late. His
imminent return to Chelsea was common knowledge even before the ink was dry on
his ‘mutual termination’ at Madrid. It’s taken a year but he’s built what looks
a fairly handy side. Albeit not quite a
patch on his first juggernaut, they should easily capture a first Premier
League title in five years this May. His status as the best manager in the
world has only been enhanced by how he systematically improved the side from
what he had been given. Matic, Fabregas and Costa. Three purchases Mourinho
made within his first twelve months, exactly what Chelsea needed to turn them
into a ruthless winning machine again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>"Even on your own, you are not alone"</i></div>
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Mourinho's speciality, that the media haven't or either choose not to cop on to yet, is the <i>Cult of Personality</i>. Mourinho even criticised the Chelsea fans earlier on in the season for their lack of atmosphere at the Bridge and yet they remain fiercely loyal to him.He can do no wrong, his status in their eyes is beyond God-like. It's the main reason he wanted to come back to 'where he feels loved'.<br />
<br />
What he does, in his various press conferences and post-match interviews, is choose every single phrase carefully in order to create an 'Us Against The World' mentality. Football fans are extremely tribal, no more so when they feel it is them against everyone. Mourinho's comments, whether they be about referee's, opposition players or managers, are always constructed in order to paint his side's as the victims. The underdogs. It is brilliant. Like I said, I'm amazed he's not been pulled up on the act so far. Not for one second does Mourinho believe there's actually a campaign against Chelsea. It's all an act. And it works a treat.</div>
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The paths of these two colossal figures are bound to cross
again at some point, most likely in the later stages of the Champions League in
the not too distant future. I think it highly unlikely we shall ever see them
on the same side of the trenches again however. Mourinho has stated his desire
to coach his national team before he retires but I can’t see that happening for
at least ten years. For the time being, he’ll stay at Chelsea. Ronaldo too,
despite endless rumours of a return to England, will see out his playing career
in Madrid, save perhaps a swansong year at Sporting Lisbon in his late 30s.</div>
<br />
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Interaction between the pair may be limited in years to come
as their careers take different paths but these two giants of twenty-first
century football will forever be remembered as men who changed the game.
Mourinho with his scientific methodological approach to management and Ronaldo
with his insane physical conditioning and unyielding levels of drive. Portugal
has given the sport two of it’s biggest icons of all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2_G9mfd2zY"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Walk The Moon - Portugal</b></span></a></div>
Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-22629510751841043192015-02-22T16:11:00.000+00:002015-02-22T16:11:23.319+00:00Shapeshifters, Long-Balls and Diamonds: Van Gaal's United<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There can be no questioning Louis van Gaal’s reputation or
what he’s achieved in the game. League and cup doubles with Bayern Munich and
Barcelona, a Champions League win with Ajax in 1995, a Dutch league title with relative minnows AZ in 2009 and most recently a run to 3<sup>rd</sup> place at the World Cup
with Holland, missing out on a final spot in a penalty shoot-out to Argentina. The man is a winner in the same way that David Moyes was simply an achiever, a man capable of delivering results on a budget but not exactly the man to lead a title-winning charge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Thus far, the Dutchman's career at the helm of Manchester United has
not exactly reached dizzying heights or even threatened to do so. United are
worse off in terms of points than this stage last year under Moyes and
only boast a higher league position due to the significant drop off in
performance from both Merseyside clubs. Van Gaal brought with him to Manchester the 3-5-2 formation
that had carried Holland to moderate success in Brazil during the
summer. The formation has never brought about much success in Premier League
history, champions and just about every successful teams down the years have <i>always</i> played four defenders. The
popularity of the formation at the 2014 World Cup led to several English clubs
beginning the season with it. Along with Manchester United, Hull City and QPR
both began the season playing formation with Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool
embracing it mid-season, by which stage QPR and United had ditched it in favour
of the more traditional four at the back.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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3-5-2 didn’t work at United because they neither had the players to suit the system and the players they did use looked generally confused as to their roles, particularly the back three. On the opening day at home to Swansea, United played Jesse
Lingard, a central attacking midfielder, at right wing back and Ashley Young,
not normally renowned for his defensive abilities at left wing back. Added to
that, the players looked uncomfortable in the system, unsure of exactly what
their roles, particularly among the back three, and Swansea ran out deserved
winners at Old Trafford.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Six months later and United have just lost to Swansea again.
Van Gaal looks nowhere nearer to having a title winning team. Results have been
average, performances have been poor and unrest amongst the fans is beginning
to grow, not just with the toiling efforts against the likes of West Ham and
QPR week after week but with the style of footballing they are seeing and particularly the new prehistoric tactic of launching the ball at Marouane
Fellaini and hoping something good comes of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>The Diamond</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Having gone winless in the opening three games (Swansea,
Sunderland and Burnley) and with a wealth of fresh talent at his disposal, Van Gaal
abandoned his 3-5-2 formation in favour of a diamond in midfield. The diamond
is an interesting and one I’m a fan of when used correctly. There are two such
cases in recent Premier League history of successful diamond midfields. Chelsea
in 2009/10 and Liverpool last season. Chelsea’s quadrant of Mikel, Ballack,
Lampard and Deco/Malouda/Joe Cole was employed to great effect, particularly in
the first half of the season. Last season
Liverpool’s diamond structure of Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho and
Sterling helped them on the march to an impressive second place finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The common theme to both these successful diamonds is that
both quartet’s consisted of three central midfielders and a number 10, aided by attacking full backs. United’s
recent diamonds have consisted of Daley Blind (played left back for Holland at
the World Cup but defensive midfield suits him just fine) two wingers in Di Maria and Januzaj and a striker in Wayne
Rooney. The key in a diamond formation is that the width is supplied by the full
backs. The guys in the diamond should run the show from the middle of the park. Trying to employ wingers will leave you over-run in there. Even asking Di Maria
and/or Januzaj to play a more central role is ill-advised as both are natural
pacey wingers and do have a tendency to drift wide and try run at players. Neither are particularly disciplined defensively either. United don’t exactly have a wealth of central midfielders at the moment. If Van
Gaal does want to persist with the diamond, the best option would be to employ:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">An anchor man – Blind or Carrick could do this.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Two box-to-box central midfielders – Herrera is
the best United have at this, Blind probably the other but Di Maria did play on
the left side of a diamond for Madrid last season but that was against teams so
preoccupied with stopping Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema up front that the attention
the Argentinian received was almost minimal. Spanish football is different to English and that role doesn't suit Di Maria here.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">An attacking point – Mata or Rooney. Probably
Mata with Rooney up front.</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n70saAgf7etAzW882X7IsH0xf3LfOuwR7hyR8b5kQ4d_RTNJ8lFatOKonyzD-mI7svyor6ef0kOtzpV30IP5PwvjfdCdeY9spHycSdOnKO3J0cmdmBK5MwtP3WHWcyUc3s5SvZ7Sv9U/s1600/Diamond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n70saAgf7etAzW882X7IsH0xf3LfOuwR7hyR8b5kQ4d_RTNJ8lFatOKonyzD-mI7svyor6ef0kOtzpV30IP5PwvjfdCdeY9spHycSdOnKO3J0cmdmBK5MwtP3WHWcyUc3s5SvZ7Sv9U/s1600/Diamond.jpg" height="320" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>United's best diamond using the current squad<br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course this means £56m man Angel Di Maria is confined to the sidelines, begging the question as to why his transfer was approved by Van Gaal during the summer if he had this formation in mind. Toni Kroos and Cesc Fabregas, both ideal fits for the central roles were both vetoed by LVG.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>4-3-3</i></b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Van Gaal has always prided himself on being a ‘4-3-3’ coach
but that formation has not seen much action at United this season. He did
employ it during Rooney’s suspension in October and persisted with it for the
big games against Chelsea and Man City, neither of which times United disgraced
themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
4-3-3 would probably involve playing Rooney out wide or in
midfield. The alternative is dropping Robin van Persie which is not an
unthinkable option right now given his recent form. Rooney is a brilliant number 9, something he often doesn’t get credit for. I would like to see
him lead the line a bit more. This formation would allow United to operate with
wingers, as the club traditionally has. Di Maria on the right and Young on the
left as inverted wingers would be an option. The much-maligned Young has come
in for his share of criticism in the past but has been very impressive this
season, particularly considering he’s often been played out of position as a
LWB. Alternatively Januzaj could be used here as he was during the brief tenure
of this formation in the late Autumn.<o:p></o:p><br />
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4-3-3 is a popular formation but I don't think United have the options in central midfield to quite pull this off. Fellaini is not mobile enough to be anything other than a giant battering ram or target man up front. Rooney could do a solid job in a central midfield role but this leaves the shockingly out-of-form van Persie up front on his own. His diminishing speed and dynamism makes him not quite the menace to centre halves he was a few years ago. I don't know if he can play up front on his own anymore. Falcao? No. Just no.</div>
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<b><i>Van Gaal’s System</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s somewhat of a buzzword the manager has mentioned over
and over again this year, referencing his ‘system’ and how players must buy
into it in order for it to work. Thus far this season United have used three
different formations and not demonstrated a particular style of play. On
occasions they’ve spent games trying to pass the ball through, other games
attacking down the flanks and lately employing the tactic of playing long balls
and hoping the attackers feed of Fellaini’s knock downs.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Sam Allardyce’s labelling of United as a ‘long-ball team’
after the 1-1 draw at Upton Park, whilst hypocritical and very tongue-in-cheek,
was on the money. United have played more long passes than anyone this season.
The only teams with similar statistics are Burnley and QPR, two newly promoted
teams. So little is the confidence in the midfield’s creativity than the preferred
option is often just to bypass them entirely and launch the ball straight to
the forwards.<o:p></o:p><br />
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For all the talk of a system, their does not seem to be one.
United seem to be mixing it up from one game to the next and switching between
formations like it’s nobody’s business. United haven't played with a particular style or any sort of flair. I've seen fans comment that they preferred watching the team "lose with style" under Ferguson than labour to wins under Van Gaal. This reflects poorly on a manager who has spent almost £100m on attacking talent in the summer. The defense has stopped leaking goals, the 5-3 collapse against Leicester in September has not since been repeated so that's one thing he's accomplished. Van Gaal's team lately have been hard to break down but find it equally hard to break other teams down, the result are a series of rather dull matches. That's his next challenge. Make them team as irresistible going forward as they were under Sir Alex.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Obviously, new signings are needed to do this, the right signings for
the team rather than throwing money at expensive players that are simply
available (Di Maria, Mata). The key is to identify exactly what type of players United need and go after them. Obviously not everyone will be available for purchase but there will always be options if the net is cast wide enough. There isn't a need to throw massive amounts of money at players. Who and what do United need?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">A dominating centre back is a priority. United
have been incredibly lightweight at the back this season. Smalling and Jones
are qualified flops. The defence has shored up a bit lately but it needs more of a dominating presence about it. Think a Nemanja Vidic esque figure. Rojo is a suitable deputy, but not quite the leader they need.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">A right back. Dani Alves is going on a free so I’d
be shocked if there isn’t at least an attempt to bring him in. Van Gaal is clearly not a fan of Rafael who himself is injury prone and erratic. Antonio Valencia is not a natural full-back.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Similarly lightweight is the central midfield
area. Here United need a destroyer. Nigel de Jong has been strongly linked.
However I don’t think he’s of sufficient calibre to be the marquee central
midfield signing United need. Sami Khedira would be ideal but looks set for
Bayern Munich. Kevin Strootman has been injured for the best part of a year
now, the club should learn from the Falcao chapter.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Another striker. Falcao will not be made
permanent. Van Persie’s recent decline may be permanent and he’s entering the
final year of his contract. James Wilson is probably not ready to be a 20+ goal
a season striker, the time might be right to splash out on a big name. Karim
Benzema may be available. Madrid haven’t moved for a striker in a while so may
bring in a big name and ship him out this year. That’s what they tend to do.</span></li>
</ul>
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It's not been an easy start for van Gaal and things have not progressed as much as United fans had hoped. The team have been solid and haven't lost as many silly games as they did last season (West Brom, Stoke, Newcastle) but are struggling to break teams down. Draws away to Aston Villa, West Brom and West Ham are testament to that. </div>
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For this season, United have to finish in the top four. Failure to do so is unthinkable. The club will struggle to attract big names during the summer whilst facing the prospect of a second consecutive season of no Champions League football. The concept is very real now. Liverpool have looked impressive since Daniel Sturridge returned and Arsenal look a lot better going forward than United. Even Spurs look in better shape than United at the moment, as do Southampton who won at Old Trafford six weeks ago. The FA Cup is still a possibility but right now I don't see United getting past Arsenal in the last eight. Priority though, should be a Champions League spot. The squad once again needs massive investment in the summer and the calibre of players they would be able to attract would be much higher were they playing in Madrid on Wednesday nights rather than Giurgiu on Thursdays.<br />
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-8207485293588218592014-11-08T10:58:00.001+00:002014-11-08T10:58:15.825+00:00How Arsenal Have Never Recovered from 49 And Out: 10 Years OnOctober 24th 2004 proved to be quite the watershed day for Arsenal. The Gunners, boasting perhaps the most dominant Premier League side of all time, came to Old Trafford, the home of their biggest rivals at the time, on an incredible 49-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.<br />
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For the defending champions, coming off an unprecedented unbeaten season, this would be their crowning glory, a chance to really rub United's nose in it. Clinching the title at Old Trafford two years ago was one thing, but this would really be a chance to assert their superiority over their fierce rivals. United were a team in transition. Ferguson's once dominant gladiators were on their knees, ready to fall. This was Arsenal's moment.<br />
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It's the last few minutes of the game and Arsenal chasing a late equaliser to keep the game alive. Alan Smith breaks down the left and squares it across the Arsenal box. Wayne Rooney, on his 19th birthday, is there to tap in, put United 2-0 up and send the Old Trafford crowd into raptures. The Invincibles had fallen. 49 and out. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOXewJatNFTf0duMwtXSwooy8RFlHRbadC6uukXpVpe7WEKL_kiA3R5ShUkamoupne1gMsG1reydHYj7DIlAhH1uUtMK6YosLUcev_Sw1vf6cTbt_t5lXcnOrzYeibdqHFo8CptePT5o/s1600/Ruud+and+Rooney.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOXewJatNFTf0duMwtXSwooy8RFlHRbadC6uukXpVpe7WEKL_kiA3R5ShUkamoupne1gMsG1reydHYj7DIlAhH1uUtMK6YosLUcev_Sw1vf6cTbt_t5lXcnOrzYeibdqHFo8CptePT5o/s1600/Ruud+and+Rooney.png" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>van Nistelrooy and Rooney break the streak</i></td></tr>
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The brawl in the tunnel that followed, known since as pizza-gate, and Arsenal's reaction to the defeat showed just what bad losers this side had become. And I mean that as a massive compliment. No great team should take a defeat well. And this was a great team. One with heart, passion and, crucially, balls.</div>
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What is curious is that now, just over 10 years on from that infamous day, Arsenal have never been the same since.</div>
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Immediately after the defeat, Arsenal went into a tailspin in the league. One win from the next five including another defeat, this time at Anfield. They lost again to United at Highbury later on in the season in another ill-tempered encounter, memorable for another tunnel clash, this time pre-game between Vieira and Keane. They lost further games at Bolton and Birmingham and ended up 2nd in the table, 12 points adrift of runaway champions Chelsea</div>
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They did end that season with a rather fortunate FA Cup win, Patrick Vieira scoring the winning penalty with what proved to be his last kick for the football club. The following season they were completely unrecognisable from the all-conquering team of 03/04. Two years removed from an unbeaten season, Arsenal had lost six times in the league before Christmas. They lost eleven overall that season and finished the season 4th in the league, scraping by Spurs on the final day, thanks in no small part to some dodgy lasagne. Wenger's worst season by far. Having blown the competition away in 2004 to win the Premier League title, 2006 saw Wenger's Arsenal only win the 'North-London title' on the final day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>05/06. A different jersey and a very different Arsenal</i></td></tr>
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2006/07 they moved to the Emirates but on this pitch, Arsenal's fortunes remained much the same. Pires had left after falling off badly the previous year, Ljungberg was on his last legs and would be shown the door soon. Bergkamp had retired. Wiltord had left. Campbell left. This would be the final season of Thierry Henry's great Arsenal career. A new team was taking shape but this year can most definitely be chalked up to 'transition'. </div>
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In place of the departing big names came the likes of 19 year-old Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. Promising, if not quite the finished articles just yet. It was bound to be a year of transition and so it proved. The following year, 2007/08 was their best season since the title winning campaign of 03/04. Arsenal led the way for most of the year, only a meltdown in spring kept them from the title. It was these meltdowns that have become typical Arsenal over the years. United always seemed to get better as the season went on, their hunger for the title driving them on. Arsenal have never shown any such drive or determination. </div>
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2008/09 saw a match, again with United, that came to define what Arsenal have been all about the past ten years. The Champions League semi-final second leg. At home to Man United, trailing 0-1 from the away leg, a wonderful opportunity. The game was over in ten minutes. Two quickfire United goals and they dominated the game. Patrice Evra summed up the game exceptionally well: men against boys. United had a team stacked with winners. Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rooney, Ronaldo. A solid foundation, complemented brilliantly by proven match-winners. Arsenal had nothing. No more Vieira, Henry, Pires et al. Like a once mighty lion who'd had his claws removed and was now no more dangerous and fearful than a common house cat.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixTlrHtLGBe-Tbt0FvthZwhozSCv7awC0YAzNZBcZheYTzpdf1RuY-yhPe8K_S38_h9VQyto4TOBIMB8tfGSUnt-aroclvLyh4Oryv6drX4yClvkUuwBvr2ase1iH3FCedGkj1-NR66E/s1600/46426_heroa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixTlrHtLGBe-Tbt0FvthZwhozSCv7awC0YAzNZBcZheYTzpdf1RuY-yhPe8K_S38_h9VQyto4TOBIMB8tfGSUnt-aroclvLyh4Oryv6drX4yClvkUuwBvr2ase1iH3FCedGkj1-NR66E/s1600/46426_heroa.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reliance on young talent has cost Arsenal in the big games</i></td></tr>
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The years have gone by and Arsenal have failed to rediscover the swagger they showed during the Henry/Vieira era. It's been setback after setback, highlighted by key players leaving the club seemingly every summer. Adebayor and Toure jumped ship to Man City in 2009. Samir Nasri, at the time their best player, decided to chase the dollar in 2011. Fabregas chased his boyhood dream and finally went back to Barcelona that same summer. Alex Song also went to Barcelona in 2012. Robin van Persie left for Manchester United, 'to win trophies' the same year on the back of winning the PFA Player of the Year award. Can you imagine Henry, the division's best striker, jumping ship to join Ferguson's side in 2004?<br />
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Look at the Arsenal of today and they look as soft as they have done for the best part of ten years now. Eight months ago they suffered humiliating defeats at Liverpool and Chelsea within weeks of each other. In 2001, Arsenal collapsed at Old Trafford and lost 6-1 in a fairly meaningless game, the title already virtually decided. They responded by coming out the following season and blowing United out of the water, clinching the title at Old Trafford for good measure. Last year's Arsenal side, on the back of a tonking from a title rival, played the exact same way a couple of weeks later and got a similar result. Madness. This was a team supposedly on the cusp of a title win who had led the league for most of the season, falling to pieces when it was put up to them by a rival.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>As the years go by it's the same old Arsenal. No fight about them.</i></td></tr>
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This past week they were at it again. Squandering a 3-0 lead in the second half against Anderlecht. Reminiscent of the 4-0 lead they famously managed to throw away at St James Park a couple of season's ago. Alexis Sanchez has been a brilliant addition to the side and he will win many games on his own for them this season, but they need more that that if they want to seriously compete for honours. Players like Sanchez and Ozil are excellent for games against the likes of Burnley when the defence is not likely to be tested to much and they just need match-winners to do what they do. When they do come up against good sides, they need to, for want of a less simple description, stand their ground and fight for their cause. For this they don't have the players willing or able to do it. Where is their enforcer? Their Nemanja Matic? The Patrick Vieira type figure of old who you could always rely on in a fight. A player who didn't mind getting his hands dirty.<br />
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Wenger is one manager who refuses to compromise his beliefs about the way that football should be played and he deserves respect for that. But it's not going to win Arsenal trophies. Strong teams win trophies and Arsenal, a good team, are not a particularly strong one. The recent defeat to Chelsea highlighted that there is quite a gulf between the two sides, one that Wenger won't be able to bridge through sheer footballing talent, Arsenal need some balls.</div>
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-62265977208605632842014-10-07T22:44:00.000+01:002014-10-07T22:44:11.554+01:00Man City: The Brilliant UnderachieversSeptember 1st 2008 was a day the very landscape of English football changed forever. Manchester City, forever the forgotten club in their own city, had been taken over by an Arabian Consortium, the Abu Dhabi United Group with riches that dwarfed those of the Premier League's incumbent 'chief billionaire' Roman Abramovich. The owners made no secret of their ambition. To sign the best players in the world and to blow neighbours United and everyone else, totally out of the water.<br />
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Sheik Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family was the man behind the take over. The new owners plans revolved around recruiting the very best talent available, offering them ludicrous sums of money to drop down from the prestige of the Champions League to the Premier League relegation zone, where City found themselves four months after the buyout. The owners, in light of Cristiano Ronaldo's unrest at United at the time as he ached for a move to Madrid, claimed that should Ronaldo wish to play for the biggest club in the world, he wouldn't even have to move house. Ambitious with more than a touch of ridiculousness were their claims. And even more so were the immediate goals set for Manchester City, crafted by people clearly with no genuine football knowledge. A top four finish in year one. Premier League title in year two. Champions League winners in year 3. Needless to say they failed on all three fronts. Year three was when they finally achieved Champions League qualification. The league title followed the year after. A Champions League triumph has eluded them and is still a very long way away for this club who seem to have stagnated at their current level.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mansour: The man who changed Manchester </i></td></tr>
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The injection of a seemingly endless flow of cash was meant to form a dynasty that would take on and crush the Red empire that had ruled the city for the past two decades. City have certainly become a major force in the English game, two league titles are testament to that, but they haven't hit the heights they should have. Not by a long way.<br />
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City have played three seasons in the Champions League so far and progressed beyond the group stage only once. That year they were drawn against Barcelona in the round of sixteen and given a lesson, losing home and away. This year they've secured just one point from their opening two games in the competition, being dominated in Munich by Bayern and being held to a 1-1 draw by Roma in front of a half-full, severely subdued Etihad stadium.<br />
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'Lacking European experience' is an excuse that gets bandied about a lot. It doesn't wash at all. In their starting XI vs Roma City had a Champions League winner in Yaya Toure, a runner-up in Martin Demichelis. Edin Dzeko who's been playing in the competition since 2009. Likewise Sergio Aguero. Gael Clichy has over 50 Champions League appearances to his name. Fernandinho something similar. David Silva is a World Cup winner and twice European Champion with Spain. Another former Champions League winner Frank Lampard came off the bench. This team is loaded with experience at the highest level. They aren't still 'finding their feet' in Europe's premier competition.<br />
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For the amount of money that's they've spent on building this squad, Manchester City should be winning the competition by now but they aren't even close. Players like Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart know this. They are the only players who look like they yearn to see City's name on the giant trophy. These, along with Pablo Zabaleta are guys that got in on the ground level. Hart has been a Man City player since 2006 and first choice keeper since 2010. Kompany was one of the first arrivals under the new owners. These are about as genuine City players as you can get in what is essentially a team full of mercenaries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCipPj7N2EXoMNmrdKXRyg4ZOuD5HPE76i7o7FJ5PtSFm9SqOpQfxli5S97vAWTu3wsIDY4leQnky4hw2ArcTbTt9eMtNs5JoaEDaTcIv7xBZoFBre1S5X_r8ppZ_FJwDyoW6-CL4isM/s1600/article-1199351-05B1DA33000005DC-190_468x347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCipPj7N2EXoMNmrdKXRyg4ZOuD5HPE76i7o7FJ5PtSFm9SqOpQfxli5S97vAWTu3wsIDY4leQnky4hw2ArcTbTt9eMtNs5JoaEDaTcIv7xBZoFBre1S5X_r8ppZ_FJwDyoW6-CL4isM/s1600/article-1199351-05B1DA33000005DC-190_468x347.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kompany is a stalwart by City standards. Here he is in 2009 against Stoke.</i></td></tr>
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There are players, like Yaya Toure, who are payed millions and millions of pounds every year to go out and play with other fantastic players in this team. No doubt they enjoy their football and are good enough to win most league and cup games without having to dig deep. But when it comes to the crunch, to games like Bayern Munich or knockout ties with Barcelona, do Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and the likes really care about the fortunes of Manchester City? A club they don't identify with. Can they truly find the motivation to pull out all the stops, to give their heart and soul for the jersey, to leave everything they have out on the pitch in the pursuit of victory? No. Clearly not. Yaya was seen laughing and joking with Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, seconds after City lost a crucial game in the final moments, seemingly unmoved by his team's failure. He may as well have been playing 5-a-side with his mates for all it was worth to him.<br />
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Overall, the Champions League doesn't seem to carry the same appeal to a club like Manchester City as it does to a club with a rich history in the competition like Liverpool, who returned this year. Two weeks prior to City's clash with Roma, Liverpool played their first Champions League game since 2009 against lowly Ludogorets of Bulgaria. Anfield was packed to the rafters and the atmosphere was electric. City's first home game in the competition against Roma left almost 10,000 empty seats in the Etihad. For a club that claims to be the best supported in the city of Manchester, they aren't exactly backing it up. Their rivals drew in 75,000 on a Tuesday night last December for a dead rubber game against Shaktar Donetsk.<br />
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Big European nights are always special for the big teams. They come to define dynasties in many ways. Think of the great Liverpool teams of the 1970s and 80s, defined by so many memorable nights at Anfield. Manchester United under Ferguson were a similar story. The atmosphere at Old Trafford on European nights was infinitely louder and better than a typical Saturday afternoon routine disposal of West Ham. City do not enjoy such fervent support on midweek evenings.<br />
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Domestically, City have enjoyed some success. Two league titles and an FA Cup are the honours they have to show for their success so far. The first league title, won on goal difference was very much deserved despite them seemingly doing their very best to throw it away in the spring. The second was rather more fortunate. City took advantage of the power lapse between the death of Ferguson's United and the second coming of Mourinho's Chelsea to win the 2014 title, almost by default. Now, with Chelsea on the march again, City are looking rather ordinary.<br />
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Their performance against Villa on Saturday for me really summed up what this team is about. Classy and great to watch going forward. Exposed at times defensively and relying on Kompany to bail them out a lot. The two full backs like to press forward into the open space created by City's lack of wingers. This, combined with the fact that Yaya Toure does next to nothing defensively makes City really not that difficult at all to play against on the counter attack. If quick wingers can get into the space behind the full backs forcing Kompany or Mangala/Demichelis to cover, it creates a lot of space in the middle for a striker and a late-arriving midfielder in the box matched up with the other centre half and defensive midfielder Fernandinho.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0Mx5vFOqdpTFt0qqmVaGMrnkGGlehAlsNAmikQooFvimKrlb8S9jbW3Lmm3txOU0lLG_T_ahFY44Xe96xd4nXulTyjAw5BKkwzvKP2Sx-c8IYTLq7BUzKDqsLSIqG_-Y8gTk5FacNow/s1600/City+tactics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0Mx5vFOqdpTFt0qqmVaGMrnkGGlehAlsNAmikQooFvimKrlb8S9jbW3Lmm3txOU0lLG_T_ahFY44Xe96xd4nXulTyjAw5BKkwzvKP2Sx-c8IYTLq7BUzKDqsLSIqG_-Y8gTk5FacNow/s1600/City+tactics.jpg" height="305" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>How City are vulnerable on the counter and can be stretched</i></td></tr>
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Easier said than done. Much easier said than done. All of this of course provided you've managed to keep out what is probably the best attack in the league. David Silva is just a fantastic footballer. An absolute genius who always seems to find the right past and can unlock a defence out of nothing. Sergio Aguero has been consistently in the Premier League's top two strikers for the past four years. Edin Dzeko is under-rated and not too far off those standards. James Milner is coming into some really good form. And not even playing on Saturday they have Nasri, Jesus Navas, Jovetic and Lampard. A menacing attack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY4_GDT2BJNX2H9nFIS2PakBnpstkuJWwv0lIFcoZdTswft4lxVifBRUBy2I_3uOeB_gfN0-JAU048pT4bUnlWS9CAsKnTb81zUKZ5iOScg2w2Y9Lpa88mlTv6_4WegCjrIPh3Idp4o8/s1600/Sergio-Aguero-David-Silva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY4_GDT2BJNX2H9nFIS2PakBnpstkuJWwv0lIFcoZdTswft4lxVifBRUBy2I_3uOeB_gfN0-JAU048pT4bUnlWS9CAsKnTb81zUKZ5iOScg2w2Y9Lpa88mlTv6_4WegCjrIPh3Idp4o8/s1600/Sergio-Aguero-David-Silva.jpg" height="212" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Two of the best attacking players in Europe. And a lovely bromance.</i></td></tr>
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And then there's Yaya Toure. In many ways, Yaya symbolises everything that Man City are about. He's immensely talented and so much better than all of the players he plays against but he doesn't have that drive to go on and be the best in the world, the same way that this City are lacking the drive to really go on and really dominate at home and in Europe. His goal on Saturday was brilliant but he just didn't seem interested in the game until that point, particularly in the defensive aspect. 4-4-2 is a dying formation. When a team plays with two central midfielders these days, both have to do a lot of defensive work. Against Villa City were able to handle them but against tougher opposition, Yaya's negligence will be exposed. Villa's best spell of the game came in the eight minutes between Fernandinho leaving the pitch and Fernando coming on for Dzeko. During this time, Yaya was meant to be playing the holding role. Whether he was aware of this or not is unclear.<br />
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I get the impression that for Yaya Toure especially, Manchester City is a job rather than a passion. Central midfielders are so pivotal to a team's fortunes and can have such a massive influence on games. Remember Roy Keane in Turin in 1999, Steven Gerrard in Istanbul 05, it's impossible to see Yaya emulating these performances. No doubt he has the technical ability, he's a wonderfully talented footballer, and the physical attributes, just look at the size of him, but he is totally lacking the drive and determination to propel this side to new heights.<br />
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They have so much talent in the side that they are good enough to dispatch the likes of Aston Villa with relative ease week in and week out. But when they come up against a real challenge, City will be found out. They lost twice to Chelsea in the league last year and almost did so again two weeks ago. Defeat at Anfield last season nearly cost them the title. Is it a motivation problem? Or defensive weaknesses? A combination of the two I think. City can't seem to find the motivation to raise their game when they need to (evident by their abysmal European record) and are quite susceptible to quick counter attacks.<br />
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Make no mistake about it, this City squad has been, pound-for-pound, probably the best in the league for the past four years now. Their brilliance is such that the don't boast a particular style of play in the way that Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool all have over the years. It's simply show up, be a lot better than the opposition, win. 8/10 times that is the case.<br />
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Perhaps this Chelsea revival will be the wake-up call City need. The potential is there, if the pieces are put together correctly. What they seem to lack above all are mental qualities. Hunger, team spirit, togetherness and a drive to win that Ferguson's United and Mourinho's Chelsea displayed so often in big games. It's something that with all their billions and billions of petro-dollars, they can't seem to buy.<br />
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<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-72496032852548448692014-09-29T22:46:00.001+01:002014-09-29T22:46:40.403+01:00Premier League Week 6<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Spurs do a job on Arsenal</b></span><br />
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Saturday's derby made me miss Harry Redknapp a bit. North London derbies when Redknapp was in charge were always entertaining affairs. He didn't really bother with gameplans at the Emirates, and just sent the players out to try and out-score Arsenal. It worked.. once. Most of the time it didn't. They were often on the ends of big defeats or involved in high scoring draws. Saturday's affair was dull by comparison.<br />
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Pochettino came out with a gameplan and sent his team out not to lose. Fair enough when you think about it. Spurs' record against last season's top four was awful. The summation of their results amounted to a single point at home to Chelsea. Seven defeats. Twenty seven goals conceded in eight games. This is clearly one area that Pochettino has identified a need to improve and did so by adopting a more defensive approach against Arsenal on Saturday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Poch's first task is to shed Spurs's 'laughing stock' tag</i></td></tr>
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Spurs were set up to sit back and hit Arsenal on the counter when they got the chance. They executed the gameplan pretty well and nearly emerged with what would have been a highly unlikely victory. They still look shaky defensively and had Hugo Lloris to thank for a string of excellent saves to keep them in the game. In the end they couldn't hang on. A A period of sustained Arsenal pressure resulted in a deserved equaliser, crafted brilliantly by Danny Welbeck and finished off neatly by Kieran Gibbs. Spurs won't be too disappointed with the draw. They've already matched their points haul against the top four sides last season and face Man City at home next week. Given they regularly ship 5/6 goals to City, I think we can expect another defensive display from Pochettino. Slow progress but progress all the same.<br />
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Arsenal did not have a great day. Aside from dropping two points and falling to six points behind Chelsea, they lost three more players to injury. Arteta and Ramsey both fell foul to muscular strains whilst Wilshire suffered a nasty looking ankle injury. Nothing you can do about impact injuries, luck of the draw really but Arsenal do seem to pick up an awful lot of muscular injuries throughout every season. So much so that it is hard to believe it is purely coincidental. Ramsey missing another six weeks is a massive blow to them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gerrard gives critics the wrong answer</span></b><br />
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Up until Phil Jagielka's stunning late equalizer, the Merseyside derby looked set to be, as so many occasions have been at Anfield down the years, the Steven Gerrard show. He's come in for a lot of criticism in the media lately but Steven Gerrard answered his critics with a stunning free-kick to break Everton's resistance. Except he didn't. Not at all.<br />
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No one is doubting Gerrard's ability to shoot, or the quality of his set-piece deliveries. What he is lacking is any sort of defensive contribution to this Liverpool side. Try telling this to him though, as he ran to the crowd cupping his ears with the look of a man who seems to think he's shut everyone up. Obviously in his mind, being able to bend a ball in from thirty yards makes up for not showing up defensively this season. Age has restricted him from bombing forward to join attacks these days so he needs to make some sort of defensive effort to warrant inclusion in this side and he's just not doing that right now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gerrard scores but the criticism of his defensive game will not be quelled</i></td></tr>
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Gerrard does not do enough work as a defensive midfielder. What he generally does do is take the ball off the defence and pick out a pass to try set up attacks. He does this very well. He doesn't press and doesn't put enough tackles in and this hinders his team defensively as they are forced to carry him. Liverpool would surely have won the title last season were it not for the amount of goals they conceded. They've brought in Dejan Lovren among others to shore up the defence but the real problem lies slightly further forward. Like Arsenal, they lack a destroyer in midfield. Some one who'll press and press and break up opposition moves before they get into the Liverpool box. The zone between the Liverpool area and the halfway line should be his house. Nothing gets through there. Opposition rarely find resistance in this area and when they do it's usually from the far more energetic Jordan Henderson.<br />
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Nemanja Matic is perhaps the best holding midfielder in the division at the moment. He shields the Chelsea defence well and when he gets the ball lays it off to Fabregas or one of the more creative players, leaving it to them to do the attacking. Gerrard's passing game is fine, he has a longer range than Matic but the primary function of a holding midfielder is first and foremost to win the ball back. Matic has averaged 3.5 tackles per game in the league this season. United's holder, Daley Blind has averaged 2.7. Steven Gerrard just 1.8. Also less than Fernandinho at City, Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and his opposite number at Everton, Gareth Barry.<br />
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It's a similar case when it comes to interceptions. He averages 0.5 per game while his counterparts at the other elite teams are all up around the 1.8 to 2 mark. A notable difference and once Liverpool cannot ignore any longer if they are to shore up this defence. Suarez isn't around to bail them out anymore in games where they leak 2/3 goals.<br />
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Liverpool plundered Southampton for players during the summer and got a fair haul in Lallana, Lovren and Lambert. Perhaps they might have been better off taking a run at Wanyama or Schneiderlin. Both of these have been excellent for Southampton in the last couple of years in defensive midfield roles. Even playing one of them alongside Gerrard would relieve him of some defensive duties and allow him to be more of a playmaker. His range and accuracy of passing, combined with the quality of his set-pieces do make him a valuable asset to Liverpool, but he's just not doing enough in his current role and no amount of wonder-goals will change that.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Edin Dzeko deserves more credit or at least more playing time</b></span><br />
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It seems strange that Edin Dzeko is never considered worthy of placement in Europe's top bracket of number 9s. You know the bracket, Robert Lewandowski, Diego Costa, Falcao, van Persie. It's a little unfair, his goals per game ratio is among the very best and the fact that he's found himself used as a substitute more often than not<br />
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Dzeko scored another two goals at Hull and Saturday to ensure a City victory, the first an absolute screamer to put them 2-0 ahead and his second a good finish to put them back in front after Hull had pegged them back. Dzeko has a good goal rate at City, he's averaging 15 league goals a year, impressive considering he's never really been first choice at the club. Last year he spent much of the first half of the season sitting on the bench as Alvaro Negredo was preferred up top as a partner to Sergio Aguero.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopD7kwy_1tngy2NPhyphenhyphen6oDXUwi8JojqHPat8ntugtoazp3DMKmVjFEolkw7Rh_eSs4OwtTQrjEX2aZTKskZoqJ8xLMXnlwCs1dAMU8QTk0ZfsnBpWZGEyF5tO0qEHjavt8uNxAYAsNmT0/s1600/Dzeko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopD7kwy_1tngy2NPhyphenhyphen6oDXUwi8JojqHPat8ntugtoazp3DMKmVjFEolkw7Rh_eSs4OwtTQrjEX2aZTKskZoqJ8xLMXnlwCs1dAMU8QTk0ZfsnBpWZGEyF5tO0qEHjavt8uNxAYAsNmT0/s1600/Dzeko.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dzeko came to City's rescue yet again</i></td></tr>
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This is the first season that Dzeko has a chance to establish himself as a first choice starter at the Etihad. Last season, mostly due to injuries to Aguero, Negredo and Jovetic, was the first time Dzeko started more than 16 league games in a season. He hit exceptionally form towards the end of the season and was perhaps the most pivotal figure in City's winning streak and march to the title.<br />
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It does seem strange that Dzeko is not held in as high regards as Europe's elite strikers. He's powerful, skillful, reasonably quick and a brilliant finisher. So much more than the target man it is easy for someone of his size to be cast as. Perhaps he has spent too long living in the shadow of Sergio Aguero. Aguero's lack of fitness towards the end of last season paved the way for Dzeko to shine. Now that the Argentinian is approaching full form and fitness again, you'd imagine he'd be favoured ahead of Dzeko in the eyes of the manager. Some strikers are just more equal than others.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rooney not leading by example</b></span><br />
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The role of the captain is considered by many to be of diminishing importance in football. There are very few Roy Keane/Patrick Vieira figures in the Premier League today. This summer Wayne Rooney was handed the honour of both Manchester United and England captaincy. At club level at least, he seems to be shirking this.<br />
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He's now United's second longest serving player after Darren Fletcher, passing the ten year mark this weekend, and by far the most capped player in the England squad so he was the obvious choice in that regard for both titles but is he captain material? On the face of it, he very much isn't. Saturday's indiscretion wasn't the first and probably won't be the last. He was sent off for England in Montenegro a couple of years ago for a similar attack of mindless violence, kicking out at a player, seemingly just for the sake of it. Not the kind of antics you'd expect from a captain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The walk of shame for Rooney on his 10th anniversary at United</i></td></tr>
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In terms of top Premier League captains, Vincent Kompany is probably the best around. No-nonsense, fearless, leads by example, rarely lets his side down. It's rare to see attacking players as captains, generally it's defenders and central midfielders who make the best leaders. Putting in a last-ditch tackle or making a lung-busting run to get back and win the ball tends to inspire confidence in your team-mates rather than scoring goals does.<br />
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Rooney has a chequered past with United. Despite being the club's record goalscorer in waiting, his relationship with the club has twice deteriorated to the point where he's asked to leave. Surprisingly, this was his first red card in five years and only his third for the club. His performances throughout the years have ranged from sublime some days to largely inconsistent for months on end. It seems questionable that he was handed the armband this summer, not solely base on his acrimonious past, but also on the fact that on recent form, he's not a guaranteed starter.<br />
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Rooney is the best of a small pool of candidates when it comes to potential United captains. Jonny Evans and Darren Fletcher are the only two other viable options and neither are guaranteed a spot in the first eleven. Rooney needs to adapt to this role, stop going missing in matches, assert his authority in the dressing room as the senior player at the club and lead by example when it comes to discipline and performance. He's not off to a great start.<br />
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<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-78440738378371608062014-09-24T23:10:00.000+01:002014-09-24T23:10:17.800+01:00Premier League Power Rankings: 5 Games <b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">20. Burnley</span></b><br />
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Goals are what will keep you in this division and right now Burnley are not getting enough. Not getting any in fact. They haven't scored since 14 minutes into their opener against Chelsea, a massive 436 barren minutes in front of goal.<br />
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This probably has a lot to do with the fact that their main sources of goals from last season Danny Ings and Sam Vokes are both sidelined with injury, Vokes a more long term absentee, but even with one or both of these fit, Burnley will need some contribution from other areas of the pitch in terms of goalscoring. Scott Arfield on the right wing was their 3rd leading scorer last year with 9 in all competitions and he's the only man off the mark so far this season. They've drawn their last three games 0-0 which shows they aren't an easy side to break down, but no one stays up without winning their fair share of games and that's what Burnley need to do.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">19. West Brom</span></b><br />
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West Brom may now have kickstarted their season with a deserved win over Spurs at White Hart Lane at the weekend, before that they had looked rather poor. This game saw the debut of their marquee summer signing, Joleon Lescott, a free transfer from Manchester City. The inclusion of Lescott and the shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Morrison and Gardner playing very well in the centre of the park, served them very well and they looked a different side from the earlier games this season, much more competitive. Spurs are probably the toughest opposition they've faced so far, Alan Irvine will be disappointed not to have more points on the board from the fixtures they've had. They still could struggle.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. Newcastle</b></span><br />
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The atmosphere at the club is absolutely poisonous right now. The situation is beyond salvation and it seems as if the only solution is a change of manager. Pardew has been on borrowed time for a while now and despite some impressive signings this summer, he really has to go. They haven't been particularly bad this season, the mauling by Southampton aside, but they aren't going to get any better while the fans are in open rebellion against the boss. Saturday's game with Hull should have been a massive show of support for Jonas Gutierez, just diagnosed with cancer, but turned into nothing more than a hate-fest for Pardew. Slightly classless from the fans. Defeat to Stoke this weekend and they will surely get their wish. The ends justify the means.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. QPR</b></span><br />
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To be fair to Harry Redknapp, it did only take two games to realise that playing Richard Dunne and Rio Ferdinand together as part of a three man back-line was one of the worst ideas anyone has ever had. Players age. Richard Dunne is not half the player who was so heroic for Ireland in Moscow that night. Rio Ferdinand is not the defender he was at United five years ago. Big names yes, but both very much past it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niko bailed QPR out against Stoke</td></tr>
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3-5-2 has been put on the shelf for now and QPR actually have a half-decent looking side. Jordan Mutch and Leroy Fer both impressed for relegated sides last season and will be hoping their efforts this season will not be met with similar rewards. Niko Kranjcar in his sixteenth spell under Harry Redknapp was their brightest spark against United and again at the weekend against Stoke. He's probably their best attacking threat to be honest, strikers Austin and Zamora have yet to prove themselves beyond the Championship.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. Sunderland</b></span><br />
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Not really a whole lot of exciting things going on at Sunderland. They look like they'll be a tough side to beat. They've a strong core in midfield with Jack Rodwell, Lee Cattermole and Seb Larsson. Rodwell is recovering from his nightmare, ill-advised move to Man City and enjoying some first-team football again. Patrick van Aanholt likewise, getting a chance to shine in the Premier League for the first time. One problem they do have is going forward, it's not easy to see goals in what is a side pretty devoid of any creativity or flair. Adam Johnson and Conor Wickham both hit purple patches last season but Sunderland could do with them being a tad more consistent over the course of this year.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. Stoke</b></span><br />
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Interestingly, Stoke's only win so far came at the Etihad Stadium, a ground only two teams avoided defeat at last year. Yeah that's all I've got. I'm really not that interested in Stoke to be honest.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. Crystal Palace</b></span><br />
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They are a much different side to last season that's for sure. Under Pulis, Palace were solid, disciplined, tough to break down and a nightmare to play against. Already this season they've conceded 11 goals in 5 games, the same amount as they conceded in the final 12 games of last season during their impressive surge up the table. On the plus side, they put three past Newcastle and Everton and got something from both games so they are capable of getting goals when they need them.<br />
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McArthur and Jedinak are a solid combination in midfield. Frazier Campbell is a good addition up front and will chip in with a fair few goals/ At the moment they don't look like one of the three worst sides in the division but that could change. For a start they've a Championship standard manager in Neil Warnock who's only Premier League season so far ended in relegation whereas last season they had Pulis, who's never been relegated. Losing him so close to the start of the season may come back to haunt them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. Everton</b></span><br />
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The Europa League is a curse! Everton were so impressive against Wolfsburg on Thursday and followed it up with a home defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, and both these were home games. It will get even worse when they go away from home in midweek. Next time out they go to Krasnodar in Russia before returning to play at Old Trafford on the Sunday.<br />
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Their ageing defence is leaking goals like there's no tomorrow, 13 conceded in the league already. Jagielka (32 with a history of injuries) and Distin (36) surely cannot be relied on for a full season, especially if Everton have designs on a Champions League place. The other teams with similar aims have all strengthened over the summer whilst Everton's line-up looks pretty similar to last season's, albeit now Lukaku is actually their player. It's similar to last year at West Ham when they spent their entire budget to make Andy Carroll a permanent signing. A good idea but it doesn't feel like they've improved at all.<br />
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Also, for Everton and Spurs, it will be worth keeping an eye on their post Europa League record for the group stages this season. Everton 0-0-1, Spurs 0-1-0.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. Man United</b></span><br />
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What was meant to be the great resurgence of the fallen giants has turned into an even worse start than they enjoyed last season under Moyes. In their first five games last season they played Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea and emerged with 7 points. This season they've played the three newly promoted sides and two who were close to being relegated last season and come out with just 5. Relegation form.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs98dzD1r-cZtQmefhqDsofA3wC6uyap2pImTxtXS31cc-beP9Zcu9I_mHPh1XVjYVYcUkT_ixzLk9QGpEwWxkGHGMaAUgXJKuPN-C4PtxipJ4QaIAxJ0V_gv9MZGJTtMZY1xXNJi5G_0/s1600/ADM3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs98dzD1r-cZtQmefhqDsofA3wC6uyap2pImTxtXS31cc-beP9Zcu9I_mHPh1XVjYVYcUkT_ixzLk9QGpEwWxkGHGMaAUgXJKuPN-C4PtxipJ4QaIAxJ0V_gv9MZGJTtMZY1xXNJi5G_0/s1600/ADM3.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A dejected Di Maria wondering what Cristiano is up to?</i></td></tr>
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Is it even worth pointing out the obvious flaws in this side? They've no defence. Why Ferdinand and Vidic were not replaced is baffling. Whilst Rojo is stuck out at full back at least, Jonny Evans is currently Manchester United's first choice centre back. The sooner van Gaal deems Luke Shaw fit enough the better. A settled back four is key to any teams ambitions and United don't have that right now. Further forward, Herrera and Di Maria are too negligent defensively to justify playing both of them in a three man midfield. Leicester exposed this. Just imagine what Chelsea or City would do to this defensive structure.<br />
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Throwing money at problems doesn't fix them. Van Gaal knows this. It won't be quick but it needs to be. United can't afford to finish outside the top four spots this year. Figuratively and also literally with the amount of cash they've spent. In Di Maria they have an absolute gem and the most exciting player at the club since Ronaldo, who is never coming back by the way, and once Falcao hits form United should brush teams aside. In any normal season, this is 10 easy points dropped already. Given the games they have ahead of them they can't afford much more slips.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. Spurs</b></span><br />
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They made an impressive start, a win in the derby at West Ham was followed by a thumping of QPR at the Lane. They followed this up by collapsing 0-3 at home to Liverpool and since then have yet to re-discover their swagger. 2-2 at Sunderland and a very poor 0-1 reverse to West Brom.<br />
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They have, essentially, the same squad as last season with a better manager. At the back they've an abundance of mediocre centre halves, Younes Kaboul who is arguably the best, has just been made club captain. There's very little about this Spurs side to get excited about. A million miles away from competing for the top four. The short trip to Arsenal on Saturday could not be coming at a worse time. Pochettino is already under a pressure a club not shy about sacking bosses.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Liverpool</span></b><br />
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They look like a shadow of the team that bulldozed their way through the Premier League in the spring with Raheem Sterling the only player showing anywhere near the form he demonstrated last season. The new signings, while they give the squad some much needed depth, don't actually make the best XI any stronger and maybe that's the pill Liverpool will have to swallow this year. A drop-off in league performance being the price they pay for re-entry into the Champions League.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nRitMvHlWigOzl1eQ6Qh2vPfFRfKM1_IUqrNMpfmYUOvDtiJlIZKnzqHJlqVLLssOzaGpsx2UG8kYKT78BcI89ssKXwYS4CmMhhyphenhyphenOtc5o6QShMDpaKHDu4uuTfLNYpS6nffFUm7zkIc/s1600/PROP140920-030-West_Ham_Liverpool-600x348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nRitMvHlWigOzl1eQ6Qh2vPfFRfKM1_IUqrNMpfmYUOvDtiJlIZKnzqHJlqVLLssOzaGpsx2UG8kYKT78BcI89ssKXwYS4CmMhhyphenhyphenOtc5o6QShMDpaKHDu4uuTfLNYpS6nffFUm7zkIc/s1600/PROP140920-030-West_Ham_Liverpool-600x348.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Didn't we used to have a lad who scored all the time?</i></td></tr>
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They miss Suarez a lot more than I thought they would. In terms of goals and overall contribution. Sturridge too has been big loss the last couple of weeks, Balotelli doesn't fit into this team half as well as him. On top of that, Steven Gerrard is not playing well enough to warrant inclusion anymore. He's got an undroppable status of course but how badly does he have to play for Rodgers to pull the trigger on his captain. His resolve will surely be tested, and would be more so if they had some stronger alternatives than Lucas and Joe Allen.<br />
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They'll improve of course and more than likely be right in the mix for the Champions League spots come the end of the year, massive progress given where they were two years ago. But it's unlikely they'll get anywhere near as good a chance of ending the drought as they did last season.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. Hull</b></span><br />
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In case you didn't know by now, I think the Europa League is stupid. Hull's biggest victory of the season will turn out to be their away goals defeat to Lokeren which saw them eliminated from Europe's most pointless competition.<br />
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Mohammed Diame has been a fantastic signing, playing well in his both games and scoring two excellent goals. New club record signing Abel Hernandez, who also scored on his debut, will be one to keep an eye on. Impressive last year in Italy but very few players have successfully made the transition to England from Serie A. There are far more examples of expensive flops than success stories.<br />
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Hull's defence is leaking an average of two goals every game. Not ideal as this puts extra pressure on the attack to deliver in spades every game. From a stability point of view, especially for a team like Hull, winning games 1-0, 2-0 is far better than having to win 3-2. They've a solid triangle at the back of Michael Dawson, Curtis Davies and Alan McGregor so I suspect they'll tighten up as the season goes on.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Leicester</b></span><br />
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So many inches of so many articles dedicated to how United fell apart last Sunday. Not enough has been said about how brilliant Leicester were. Dean Vardy in particular was a menace. Aside from an overly-theatrical flop that a higher profile player would surely have been ridiculed for to win the first penalty, (why spoil a non-league boy done good story with the truth), he was excellent and caused United's shaky defence all kinds of problems. This was his first start of the season. He can expect plenty more with David Nugent the most likely casualty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZk2KSRNNDm0k2KBJ-Q3TJJNQ6F5BlWZxZBh0LzbtyBRWS7gBBywgiV8Zja-oYPv4B_ADNPYiv8vbsc847LiQEc7NKX26LhvSf_CdqYNPKgd7ab8hSAtI14oqDMP5Lw8hKhHTvONFXlc/s1600/LCFC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZk2KSRNNDm0k2KBJ-Q3TJJNQ6F5BlWZxZBh0LzbtyBRWS7gBBywgiV8Zja-oYPv4B_ADNPYiv8vbsc847LiQEc7NKX26LhvSf_CdqYNPKgd7ab8hSAtI14oqDMP5Lw8hKhHTvONFXlc/s1600/LCFC.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leicester are loving life back in the PL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Leicester's star man so far this season has been Leonardo Ulloa with five goals in five games to kick off his maiden Premier League season. He'll be the focal point of Leicester's attack this season. A powerhouse of a striker, good in the air but also a decent technical footballer too. Their most high-profile player, Esteban Cambiasso, had a quiet enough debut against United. He scored, but looked a bit sluggish and unfit. It will perhaps take him time to adjust to the demands of English football.<br />
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Overall though, Leicester look like they'll be more than just a tough side to play against this year. They will be fun to watch too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Swansea</b></span><br />
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Another surprise package. Swansea couldn't buy a win towards the end of last season but began this campaign with three on the bounce. They gave Chelsea a fright too and probably would have got something from the Southampton game had it not been for a couple of bizarre moments of madness from Wilfred Bony that saw him red carded. They responded by thumping Everton in midweek, hinting that the run of three wins at the start of the year was no fluke, Swansea are the real deal.<br />
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Gylfi Sigurdsson has recaptured the form he showed on his loan spell in Wales two years ago which prompted Spurs to buy him. He never really hit the same heights at White Hart Lane but since his return this summer, he's been excellent, four assists and a goal making him popular choice in fantasy teams everywhere. The midfield in general looks a lot stronger than last season and Swansea should be targeting mid-table security and a push into the top half rather than looking over their shoulders like lasts year.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. West Ham</b></span><br />
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Sam Allardyce came under intense pressure from the fans (and, rumour has it, the board) for his ugly style of play last season. Injury to Andy Carroll has forced his hand somewhat. West Ham have veered away from the long-ball game and are now much more enjoyable to watch. The addition of Alex Song to the midfield is a brilliant capture and should aid their progress from 'hoof-it-long' to 'tika-taka'. He's a fine passer of the ball.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpnXCqT0yCIu4-oRopm1sYqy7IT_7eO-2muYXL4GfAfc1367_13nQ98DyKiXD4bL4-uD6tBSXbevHLlQ8x65heYCtZIX0SamGfovX7heFDwrXsS5-HvqKWZ4R9GcS_as-rnhUMwl08hM/s1600/Morgan_Amalfitano_3045798b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpnXCqT0yCIu4-oRopm1sYqy7IT_7eO-2muYXL4GfAfc1367_13nQ98DyKiXD4bL4-uD6tBSXbevHLlQ8x65heYCtZIX0SamGfovX7heFDwrXsS5-HvqKWZ4R9GcS_as-rnhUMwl08hM/s1600/Morgan_Amalfitano_3045798b.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Amalfitano completed the rout against Liverpool</i></td></tr>
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Even Stewart Downing is looking decent. The last couple of games he's played through the middle as the front point of a diamond. Here he's getting more chances for himself and proving quite the playmaker, fashioning out chances for Sakho, Amalfitano, Zarate or Valencia. West Ham now spoilt for choice when it comes to attacking options. Quite a contrast to last year when it was Carroll, Nolan or Carlton Cole.<br />
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Much, much improved, the fans are happy and the club seems like a healthier place. High hopes for them this year.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Aston Villa</b></span><br />
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They young players have a years more experience. Fabian Delph is a very under-rated player and worthy of a place in the (current) England squad at least. Tom Cleverley has a chance to reinvent himself at a new club. Andreas Weimann has impressed. So too has Ashley Westwood when he's played. Add to that the return of some more senior players, Hutton and N'Zogbia, and Villa are looking in fairly decent shape for the rest of the season. Agbonlahor has been good too.<br />
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One problem remains. Despite taking 10 points from the first 15 on offer, Villa have only scored four goals in the opening month, two each for Agbonlahor and Weimann. None of the central midfielders can really be counted on for goals so it will fall to the likes of Kieran Richardson, N'Zogbia, Joe Cole, any mildly creative player that finds themselves in the line-up on that given day, the squad is bigger now than it's been in years. Still have Benteke to return too. Defensively sound. Need more goals.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Southampton</b></span><br />
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It wasn't supposed to be like this. Having lost their influential manager and the core of their team during the summer, Southampton were supposed to struggle massively and plummet down the table. Actually they're doing even better than last year's impressive season.<br />
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Lovren, Shaw, Lallana and Lambert all left. Graziano Pelle from Feyenoord was the only big signing they made and yet Southampton don't seem to have suffered at all. Morgan Schneiderlin, despite being a very unhappy bunny, has been their star player so far alongside Jack Cork and Victor Wanyama in midfield. James Ward-Prowse is one young player who perhaps didn't get enough credit whilst Lallana and Rodriguez were stealing the headlines last year, but he too has been excellent this year. New boy Dusan Tadic has been very good on the left side of the attack. From an Irish point of view, it's disappointing that Shane Long will struggle to hold down a place in this team.<br />
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Ronald Koeman had a horrible job on his hands this summer but not once did we hear him complain about players leaving, players wanting to leave, or anything really. He knuckled down and got on with his job with the resources he had. And now Southampton are reaping the benefits. A consummate professional and looking like a very good manager too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Arsenal</b></span><br />
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Arsenal are the only side other than the league leaders to still be unbeaten after five league games. Impressive considering they've had a tricky enough start. They showed great spirit to fight back against Everton from 0-2 down but really should have hung on to claim an important win against City. Their humbling in Dortmund three days later was another stark reminder that this team is still not at the level they aspire to. A 'gillion' miles from it, according to Paul Merson.<br />
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I foresee quite a big problem arising for Arsenal in the coming months, it's quite obvious really, in that they have just two recognised centre halves in the first team squad. If injury befalls either Per Mertesacker or Laurent Koscielny, as it tends to do to Arsenal players, what are they going to do for cover? Play one of their thirty-seven attacking midfielders in there probably. Debuchy's injury means Chambers will be required at right back, leaving cover for the centre even thinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDQg41_HZos1QACEZt2jICVeCrlOxtRR7A6RPuTTu9-CnGR2MrivfAg17gEkjzLD5LvhsXqDFuG09_4xvRUPY-YLu34EoqdnVWrW456lrqx8xOinze4tg-LLlANP7edeE98Xoy94HePM/s1600/Bx_U3NRIQAA1ib-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDQg41_HZos1QACEZt2jICVeCrlOxtRR7A6RPuTTu9-CnGR2MrivfAg17gEkjzLD5LvhsXqDFuG09_4xvRUPY-YLu34EoqdnVWrW456lrqx8xOinze4tg-LLlANP7edeE98Xoy94HePM/s1600/Bx_U3NRIQAA1ib-.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ozil and Welbeck took Villa apart, but more consistency is needed</i></td></tr>
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Danny Welbeck is a decent striker but in squandering all those chances against Dortmund, showed exactly why van Gaal thought he wasn't good enough for United. If a player isn't deemed good enough for United, should Arsenal fans be happy with him leading their line? I don't think so. He'll get 10+ league goals this season, purely on the amount of chances that will be put on a plate for him, but he's not the man that's going to fire Arsenal to glory. Mesut Ozil has his critics but is a fantastic player, even if he does tend to go missing quite often. Arsenal need him to show up a lot more often than he did lasts season.<br />
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They've a tough spell of fixtures coming up. Two London derbies with Spurs and Chelsea sandwiched by a vital Champions League tie with Galatasaray. I think we'll find out a lot more about this Arsenal side's mettle in the coming weeks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Man City</b></span><br />
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In contrast to their neighbours, City seem to have bought exactly what they needed this summer. Eliaquim Mangala is an absolute monster and will give strikers around the league nightmares this season. He's the partner Vincent Kompany has been crying out for for years now and will tighten up a City defence that looked very breachable at times last year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwVzXQhyphenhyphenATFluXvefOz5jTD1sTyn1iUbMs-UFPCxHRN6hDpK1RJ6lQoji9s1g8ZIT5MtQEPO6ekVsW5KEMSjRL6wlfZz2LCan3R_qOW8IpS2jfOjmSALy9wLVvBH-9373naF5wVdMgFw/s1600/hC5d7GX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwVzXQhyphenhyphenATFluXvefOz5jTD1sTyn1iUbMs-UFPCxHRN6hDpK1RJ6lQoji9s1g8ZIT5MtQEPO6ekVsW5KEMSjRL6wlfZz2LCan3R_qOW8IpS2jfOjmSALy9wLVvBH-9373naF5wVdMgFw/s1600/hC5d7GX.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mangala had a very impressive debut</i></td></tr>
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<br />
City haven't had the start they would have wanted and losing to Stoke will seem like three priceless points lost. Late equalizers against Arsenal and Chelsea leaves them lucky to be only five points back instead of nine. The main difference between this season and last is Yaya Toure, who's yet to re-capture the magnificent form he showed last campaign. Blame it on Cake-Gate if you want, the man did lose his brother during the summer and that would take a toll on any professional in any walk of life in the months that followed.<br />
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City probably shaded it against Chelsea on Sunday in the first super-heavyweight clash of the season. They did an excellent job of nullifying the threat of both Costa and Fabregas who've undone just about everyone else so far this year. City had the better players, but Chelsea the better manager who got his tactics right again. Perfectly entitled to sit back, defend and try to hit City on the break. It's probably the only way to win at the Etihad. City aren't far off Chelsea in terms of standard, but five points already is a significant gap and over the course of the season I can see them slipping up more often than Chelsea.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Chelsea</b></span><br />
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What a strange moment it was for Frank Lampard. The permanent fixture in the Chelsea revolution in the 2000s, the man who won everything with them, the man who ended their 100% record in 2014/15. One of the very few occasions I've seen where it was totally acceptable for the player not to celebrate.<br />
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But Chelsea are doing just fine without him. Unbeaten so far this season and five points clear of any real title rival, Mourinho seems to be <a href="http://deeplyingplaymakers.blogspot.ie/2014/09/mourinhos-simple-blueprint-is-working.html">working his magic again</a> and we may well see 04/05 and 05/06 levels of dominance again this season for the Blues. Thanks in no small part to their shrewd summer business. Cesc Fabregas was a steal at £30m. Likewise Costa at roughly the same price. Together they will destroy the tight defences Chelsea struggled to break down last year. And if they are nullified, that leaves Eden Hazard, one of the best players in the league who's been largely forgotten in the hype around the Spaniards, free to do his thing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcShrMsDojTaA4T4dgY2sNP5PxwBgSin3_NOv83O9n7EtSxVFwcGqPcXpn_4tTsHGLo4PAtdTicQiwhCPEH08YUnEdKv7F_p29tFtyfDTK_wd0Dn9v7K8b5g951B76IpFFcIrGpFES_w/s1600/diego-costa-1407557498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcShrMsDojTaA4T4dgY2sNP5PxwBgSin3_NOv83O9n7EtSxVFwcGqPcXpn_4tTsHGLo4PAtdTicQiwhCPEH08YUnEdKv7F_p29tFtyfDTK_wd0Dn9v7K8b5g951B76IpFFcIrGpFES_w/s1600/diego-costa-1407557498.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The best start by any new PL striker ever. Costa.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Defensively they are even better than last year. Terry and Cahill look to have picked up exactly where they left off last year as the tightest centre half pairing in the country. This time they've a full season of Nemanja Matic to enjoy. And we haven't even seen Felipe Luis yet. Oh and one of the best keepers in the world Thibaut Courtois is now in goal having ousted Petr Cech.<br />
<br />
Weaknesses? Costa is permanently a red-card waiting to happen. That lad does not like being touched. Kick lumps out of Fabregas? Hope Hazard has an off day? Pray? At the moment it doesn't look like there's any stopping this Chelsea side. The gauntlet has been thrown down and it's up to the chasing pack to answer. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-62358742062563951352014-09-18T21:46:00.000+01:002014-09-18T21:46:01.923+01:00Mourinho's Simple Blueprint Is Working Again<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Jose Mourinho talked with a hint of sarcasm about his transfer policy during his post match interview on Sunday. He broke it down into three stages:</div>
</div>
<ol>
<li>Identifying the type of player they need.</li>
<li>Identifying an individual.</li>
<li>Getting them.</li>
</ol>
<div>
This incredibly simple philosophy of figuring out what your team needs then going out and getting it is basically what he's been doing his whole career and it is what he's doing again now in his second spell at Chelsea.</div>
<br />
Even at this very early stage of the season, the infant Premier League table makes delightful reading for Chelsea fans, and spreads worry and fear among supporters of the other teams with designs on the crown. Chelsea have taken maximum points so far and find themselves 5 clear of champions City, 6 clear of last season's other two top four sides Liverpool and Arsenal and 7 clear of rank very much outsiders Man United.<br />
<br />
The trio of Liverpool, Arsenal and City have all had to face one of each other in the opening four games and so naturally they can't have all taken maximum points. Chelsea have had a fairly handy start, the trip to Everton aside, but this comes to an abrupt end when they travel to Man City on Sunday. Is this a chance for City to make up ground and the chasing pack to start reeling Chelsea in? Probably not if recent history is anything to go by. Chelsea won both league games against City last year. They doubled Liverpool too and took 4 points from a possible 6 against Arsenal.<br />
<br />
Their record against the top teams was incredible and often is. It was against the league's minnows that they came unstuck so many times last season. Their failure to pick a lock in stubborn resilient defences was what cost them the title and is where they are aiming to improve upon this year.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3trIiyKEff76XE_UOdYeSubajcpTAHBEiiZrQhI811eyX-rSwNfYHweSdxlv2y0Bd-NtXjL_Xvh3IvQvsyEnKledXMECmT6cAPQVfzw1AjPon3FRF0ZMPgefFij41kia8h6RvQxeq_Q/s1600/terry_3110569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3trIiyKEff76XE_UOdYeSubajcpTAHBEiiZrQhI811eyX-rSwNfYHweSdxlv2y0Bd-NtXjL_Xvh3IvQvsyEnKledXMECmT6cAPQVfzw1AjPon3FRF0ZMPgefFij41kia8h6RvQxeq_Q/s1600/terry_3110569.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Losing at Palace was the blow that killed Chelsea hopes last year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And for this there is no better manager than Jose Mourinho. The best manager in the world has a particular talent for pinpointing exactly what a team needs in order to make them complete. It's difficult to achieve success right away, and although he has done this at most places, Mourinho's genius is emphasized by the remarkable record he has in 'second seasons' of his tenure at clubs throughout his career.<br />
<br />
He revolutionized Porto in general, taking over towards the end of the 01/02 season, steadying the ship before making his mark in his first full season in charge. He made the most of quite a deep pool of Portuguese talent at the time. Among his signings were Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Helder Postiga, Maniche and Paulo Ferreira, players that would form the core of this team and the Portuguese national team for years to come. Plenty would follow him to Chelsea a couple of years later. He won the Portuguese title in every full season he spent there, a UEFA Cup in 2003 and the biggest prize of all one year later, getting the better of the great Sir Alex Ferguson in their first ever meeting that year.<br />
<br />
<b>Second season Porto:</b> Champions League win to accompany the Portuguese League title with a 100% home record.<br />
<br />
Having won all he could at Porto, Mourinho moved to Chelsea where he was given significant financial muscle to build a super squad at Chelsea. He signed Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole to add significant muscle to what was already a very strong Chelsea backbone. He constructed a perfectly balanced team from back to front and they swept to league titles in both 2004 and 2005. This team was based on a strong defence and quick counter attack football, exploiting the pace of Duff and Robben on the flanks.<br />
<br />
Didier Drogba up front was the spearhead of the attack, Frank Lampard chipped in with an average of 20 goals a season from an attacking midfield role. Behind him, Michael Essien used his power and stamina to play the box-to-box role to perfection. Claude Makelele's role earned him the honour of having the position named after him. Mourinho's Chelsea were like nothing the country had ever seen before and left everyone standing for two whole seasons.<br />
<br />
<b>Second season Chelsea: </b>Chelsea won a second consecutive Premier League title. By a mile.<br />
<br />
Mourinho's next project took him to Italy and the task of taking dominant champions Inter Milan to the next level in Europe. Using the blueprint he had created at Chelsea, Mourinho's first signings were Mancini, Ricardo Quaresma and Sulley Muntari. Two quick wingers and a midfield powerhouse. Duff, Robben and Essien again. Inter won Serie A again in 08/09 but fell short in the Champions League, failing to score over two legs against United. Inter was solid defensively but lacked an attacking edge. Mourinho learned his lesson and plotted for next season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho81RuuyG_5hOEbc2jqXHJvVnbIdeFKy9r9kfrWtI2XrGmH_XdWWmgmBimupJYgRns2G9quD9wA5aLuilfR0LVRqJLlTUDnpJH40_MmuUbmoIHLWj60YSr99ibp-IHsre8KcbHkavmCXY/s1600/Jose-Mourinho-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho81RuuyG_5hOEbc2jqXHJvVnbIdeFKy9r9kfrWtI2XrGmH_XdWWmgmBimupJYgRns2G9quD9wA5aLuilfR0LVRqJLlTUDnpJH40_MmuUbmoIHLWj60YSr99ibp-IHsre8KcbHkavmCXY/s1600/Jose-Mourinho-004.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Came, saw and conquered. Jose in Milan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
His solution was to sign striker Gabriel Milito and Wesley Sneijder. Samuel Eto'o also arrived from Barcelona in a deal which saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic (the most un-Mourinho type player imaginable) go the other way. Sneijder would be the key to unlocking defences in Europe in the number ten role. Eto'o brought Champions League winning experience and was a striker who was more than willing to put in a defensive shift. Milito was as potent a finisher as anyone. Nine months later, Milito was scoring twice in the Champions League final as Mourinho achieved his goal in his second season. Remarkable.<br />
<br />
<b>Second season Inter:</b> The Treble. Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League. First ever by an Italian side.<br />
<br />
As he tends to do after winning a Champions League, Mourinho moved on to a new challenge. Real Madrid. Despite having recently broken the world record to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, Madrid were in a bit of a slump. The last two years had seen Barcelona make a meteoric rise led by Lionel Messi, dominating La Liga and winning a couple of Champions League titles for good measure. With Xavi and Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield, 2008-12 Barcelona had become recognised as one of the greatest of all time.<br />
<br />
To put the gulf into perspective, Mourinho lost his first Classico 5-0 at Camp Nou. Barcelona were simply irresistible and played their rivals off the park. By the end of the season he was getting the better of them in the Copa Del Rey final.<br />
<br />
Mourinho brought in Sami Khedira, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Powerhouse, winger, playmaker. He also signed old favourite Ricardo Carvalho for a third time. 2010/11 was an improvement but they fell short in the league and Champions League to Barcelona. The following year however they were not to be denied a title. He didn't actually make many major signings ahead of the second season, it was more a case of Ronaldo (46 goals) and his signings Ozil and Di Maria (32 assists between them) hitting excellent form. Madrid won 32 out of 38 games, and broke the 100 goal and point barriers en route to a first La Liga title in four seasons.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNooI1_BGB48FOsB0qG99SBIeBh9odGSQacUGJH18z1IxWl328EHlsI3a_b7-51ec_IlckSdmos1tthxBuOw5gbU47XoW_uRv55hay6IOhD_K6nHs_Kz8KxKOY59x1TqHBSAkPv_5o6o/s1600/article-0-12E941B7000005DC-566_634x383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNooI1_BGB48FOsB0qG99SBIeBh9odGSQacUGJH18z1IxWl328EHlsI3a_b7-51ec_IlckSdmos1tthxBuOw5gbU47XoW_uRv55hay6IOhD_K6nHs_Kz8KxKOY59x1TqHBSAkPv_5o6o/s1600/article-0-12E941B7000005DC-566_634x383.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jose wrested the Spanish crown from Pep in Year 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ultimately Mourinho fell short of his goal of bringing the Champions League trophy 'home' to Madrid. Nevertheless, dislodging Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi and that great Barcelona side from the top of the table was a fine achievement. His spell at Madrid was no failure.<br />
<br />
<b>Second season Madrid:</b> Broke the dominance of Guardiola's Barcelona, securing a record number of La Liga goals and points as Madrid wrested the title from one of the greatest sides of all time.<br />
<br />
His time at Madrid ended in acrimony and in the summer of 2013. Having failed to win a trophy in a season where he fell out with many senior players at the club, the two parties agreed a mutual separation at the end of the season. Not fancying the dole queue, a couple of weeks later 'The Special One' found himself back in charge of Chelsea.<br />
<br />
In their first season, as if to dampen expectations he seemed to constantly complain about the squad he had inherited, laying the blame for this barren campaign firmly at the feet of Rafael Benitez and others who had gone before him. Midway through the season he had identified the problems and set about coming up with solutions. He sold Juan Mata, like Ibrahimovic before, simply not a Mourinho player, for £37m and reinvested it in Nemanja Matic, a midfielder enforcer from Benfica who would take the place of the much maligned John Obi Mikel. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC6E-soUbDG5qVH4SZNgG63TSOKB7Hff_QHlU-R_7xL7iJ1SIpIqiHWQ4kEG0imANhXREKG9Z2_L-rHtkkvXFF4Vkkx006V9uVLud8pUMwnJxb82hy8djbEptfd88BeiemoXTousApic/s1600/hi-res-464064019-nemanja-matic-of-chelsea-makes-a-late-appearance-as-a_crop_north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC6E-soUbDG5qVH4SZNgG63TSOKB7Hff_QHlU-R_7xL7iJ1SIpIqiHWQ4kEG0imANhXREKG9Z2_L-rHtkkvXFF4Vkkx006V9uVLud8pUMwnJxb82hy8djbEptfd88BeiemoXTousApic/s1600/hi-res-464064019-nemanja-matic-of-chelsea-makes-a-late-appearance-as-a_crop_north.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matic: The rock upon which Mourinho began to build</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Matic was exceptional in the second half of the season and it is no coincidence that Chelsea's defensive record with him in the side was considerably better than it had been without him in the first half of the season. Still, some unexpected slip ups towards the end of the season saw them fall behind Man City and Liverpool, finishing in 3rd place.<br />
<br />
As mentioned before, Chelsea's downfall last season was their record against the lesser sides in the divisions. Their two biggest wins came away to City and Liverpool where they played deep and on the counter attack where they had plenty of space in the final third to attack in. When things were a bit more congested, they really struggled to create openings. Mourinho's men looked out of ideas when faced with a blanket defence. Chelsea created the same number of chances last season as Fulham, who finished 19th.<br />
<br />
That and their strikers. Mourinho had Torres, Ba and Eto'o to choose from. An expensive flop who has been devoid of any sort of confidence for about four years, a mid-table quality striker with no knees and an old sluggish legend. Between them they managed just 19 Premier League goals. Liverpool's strikers pitched in 52 and City's contributed 45. Easy to see where Chelsea fell short.<br />
<br />
To address this, Chelsea did the bulk of their business in the first weeks of the transfer window paying the guts of £30m each for Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Fabregas, played out of position for virtually his whole time at Barcelona, is still the playmaking genius that left Arsenal three years ago, capable of picking holes in any defence through his vision and passing. What he is not is a false nine or a number ten which is where he played for a decent chunk of his spell at Camp Nou. Diego Costa is the powerhouse, spearheading, goal machine that Chelsea's title challenge lacked last season. Seven goals in his first four league games is a frighteningly good start, the best ever by a Premier League newcomer.<br />
<br />
The way they've set up in most games so far this season is pretty much what you would expect. Hazard on the left with Willian/Schurrle on the other side and Oscar through the middle as the advanced playmaker, with Fabregas in the deeper role. Matic holds and rarely looks to support attacks. Costa leads the line, exploiting the flanks as he loves to do.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbhJX5rQt3adPM6GJ4aAjWRv-GgXdzvWiLbmX3eJKwAe75ve-T8EipWA1IctjpjF7ld0PdzhQ9uaPRcZ29AwwLw83oGVROI8cTg_3uvGzwzIHKzgPYL8QK7OlFND8iFRUd4DbycDgvmE/s1600/Chelsea+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbhJX5rQt3adPM6GJ4aAjWRv-GgXdzvWiLbmX3eJKwAe75ve-T8EipWA1IctjpjF7ld0PdzhQ9uaPRcZ29AwwLw83oGVROI8cTg_3uvGzwzIHKzgPYL8QK7OlFND8iFRUd4DbycDgvmE/s1600/Chelsea+1.jpg" height="278" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For the big games, starting this weekend at City, I think Mourinho will adopt a more defensive approach, as he usually does, and play an extra centre midfielder in Ramires. Cesc's role won't change much. The only difference in this set up is the lack of a luxury player, Oscar, in attack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5spNo_bKXSsmntVh3wSZGa7IyjzDug0HOl7sQBFJbpHliIVN8juhFlUBugR3cQIQxIPRueeQ7mOtWolJ7Y5VRD97dT7llb6cOOWpimoBB2OuVOP7-VsUx1kB0mh3tFEJSRiOHupMSG0/s1600/Chelsea+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5spNo_bKXSsmntVh3wSZGa7IyjzDug0HOl7sQBFJbpHliIVN8juhFlUBugR3cQIQxIPRueeQ7mOtWolJ7Y5VRD97dT7llb6cOOWpimoBB2OuVOP7-VsUx1kB0mh3tFEJSRiOHupMSG0/s1600/Chelsea+2.jpg" height="282" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Having sorted out the defence towards the end of last term, Jose has now fixed his attack and brought in the players he wants. Last year if Hazard didn't show up, Chelsea would struggle to score. Now they've another excellent option in Costa and Fabregas will create bagfuls of chances for the other attacking players. They've responded by averaging nearly four goals a game over the first month of the Premier League season. They've a 100% record and are already more than a win clear of all of their genuine challengers for the title. It is a throwback to 05/06 where they won all their first nine league games, being out of sight by October.<br />
<br />
Chelsea are on the march again. A genuine <i>Mourinho </i>Chelsea side has only been stopped once in the Premier League before. This was in 2006/07 by the combined brilliance of the old master Sir Alex Ferguson and his new team led by an emerging Cristiano Ronaldo at Man United. It will take the emergence of a force of equal magnitude to this legendary axis in order to prevent Chelsea from storming to the Premier League title this season.<br />
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<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-24440545564758738382014-09-10T22:43:00.000+01:002014-09-10T22:43:15.535+01:00What Gives Ireland Fans Such Unrealistic Expectations?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5up8kJoCsJM">"Kill me if you dare. Hold my head up everywhere"</a></span></i></div>
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The Irish players may not be too familiar with the enormous level of expectation at the big English clubs. Of the current squad only John O'Shea, Robbie Keane (briefly) and to a lesser extent Darron Gibson have experienced life at one of England's grandeur teams. The fans are a different story. The geographical proximity of England, combined with the lower standard of the Irish Premier League leads to the vast majority of fans in this country choosing to support the bigger Premier League teams, rather than their local, much lesser-funded, less-glamorous and far less-successful local Irish League club.<br />
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Week in and week out the majority of Irish football fans are fortunate that they get to watch their supported team winning. The team you support, you normally get to choose yourself or you simply follow whoever your Dad or the rest of your family supports. This is usually governed by who is successful at the time. Leeds had a decent following here back in the 1970s, today the most supported clubs in Ireland are Manchester United (the team of the 1990s and 2000s), Liverpool (1980s) and Arsenal (generally pretty solid in every decade). I'll bet anything that in 20-30 years Chelsea and Manchester City will have amassed a considerably greater following than they had at the start of the century as children, developing an interest in football, flock to them.<br />
<br />
In comparison to the English Premier League, very few Irish fans bother to keep up to date with it's Irish counterpart. I wouldn't say much could name the current champions (St. Pats), league leaders (Dundalk), player of the season (Killian Brennan, I had to look it up) or are even aware that the league is run during the summer months as opposed to the more traditional winter season. Were Irish fans heavily invested in their local league and oblivious to the goings on across the Irish Sea, Ireland international games would be a step-up in terms of quality, rather than a come-down for most of us used to cheering on United and Liverpool every week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56KEzaAq8CvKx24KU22UOtDgnhCwzm7ydITHAhUYVrsy-PRiiq_dk4zkMEGAk0zccEnH1Qce1o4Otk6hUuoiiBA3TQXHWoMGNUFNeR9sIIK041V_VSrlPxKiT4lWf7ryUDdOcHnNPGdc/s1600/Airtricity-1st-Division-Group-Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56KEzaAq8CvKx24KU22UOtDgnhCwzm7ydITHAhUYVrsy-PRiiq_dk4zkMEGAk0zccEnH1Qce1o4Otk6hUuoiiBA3TQXHWoMGNUFNeR9sIIK041V_VSrlPxKiT4lWf7ryUDdOcHnNPGdc/s1600/Airtricity-1st-Division-Group-Shot.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local game is unappealing when you have the major leagues next door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ireland is a country with a population of 4.6 million people. New World Champions Germany have over 80 million residents. In the vast majority of our country, athletes are drawn more to Gaelic football and hurling than they are to 'soccer'. Most schools don't even bother to play the sport, focusing instead on the national past-times. How on earth some observers expect us to be able to field a team even in the same league as some of Europe's top nations is beyond me. Looking at our population and the resources available to the sport as a whole here, Ireland aren't under-achieving at all. This, battling for a win away to Georgia, is simply our level. We've had golden periods in the past, 2002 was our most recent high point but on average, battling to qualify for the tournaments is where we belong. Being in them is a huge achievement and reason to celebrate when it happens.<br />
<br />
The infamous RTE analysis panel are amongst the biggest, or certainly most public, culprits of this over-expectancy. RTE covers two football competitions regularly. Ireland's World Cup or Euro qualifiers and the Champions League. The gulf in class between these two levels cannot be put emphasized enough. Imagine watching Chelsea vs Man City one day and the next being forced to sit through Walsall vs Leyton Orient. Obviously, having enjoyed the quality on display in the first game, you would be naturally disappointed by the drop in standard for the second game. That's what it's like. Do Dunphy and co. expect to see Barcelona-esque passing football from Glenn Whelan and Stephen Quinn on international week? Do they expect Ireland to run riot against Georgia and rack up a rugby score? Robbie Keane to beat six players with Messi-like skills before slotting home. Unrealistic expectations created by what they are used to seeing.<br /><br />
Having said that they got a glimpse of it with that second goal from McGeady. Quality worthy of the Champions League.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YD52lbwG51QeFIGPxOXjpOyc613rVfoGbmcXSt7A_e3pKc0qeGJ6R_FvkOAyM4BWWbXvvVfMqLccR6p7PqkfN6ChYK2dkS23m9shBMMR55XqDPjkOqp-lyeidPdFz1C7lpbVihWllzA/s1600/MCGEADY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YD52lbwG51QeFIGPxOXjpOyc613rVfoGbmcXSt7A_e3pKc0qeGJ6R_FvkOAyM4BWWbXvvVfMqLccR6p7PqkfN6ChYK2dkS23m9shBMMR55XqDPjkOqp-lyeidPdFz1C7lpbVihWllzA/s1600/MCGEADY.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McGeady hit a wondergoal to give Ireland a huge win</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
The quality of the football we've played over the past few years has drawn criticism from a lot of quarters and understandably so. In an era of tiki-taka and fluid dynamic, beautiful football, Ireland's style of play lately has been anything but. But why should we expect it to be? We've never produced skillful players. Liam Brady is one of the candidates for most talented player this island has ever produced and he was schooled in England from the age of 16. In recent times, Damien Duff is probably about as good as it gets. You can argue Wes Hoolohan, a product of the Irish league and a player who's never really cut it outside the Championship but our two best footballers right now are both Scottish, James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady. We have traditionally relied on 'The Granny Rule', never more so than 1990 when our team that reached the last 8 of the World Cup was dominated by strongly English accented <i>'plastic Paddys'</i> like Aldridge and Cascarino.<br />
<br />
We will never produce a Cristiano Ronaldo. Probably not even a Nani and certainly not anytime soon. The game in Ireland is not appropriately funded or supported enough to do so. Competing with the GAA and rugby for the best athletes would stifle the growth of any sport. It is amazing when you think about it's popularity and how much media coverage the sport gets here that the domestic game isn't funded better.<br />
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Part of the reason Ireland were so successful around 1990 was due to the fact that England were also on the crest of a wave then. The competition for a place in the England squad was so fierce that many hopefuls suddenly found themselves discovering Irish ancestry and, in-turn, making a surprise appearance in the knockout stages of a World Cup. If that is any sort of indicator, we can't expect to pick-up any decent hand-offs any time soon. Jack Colback made the most recent England squad. Fabian Delph is a starter now apparently. English football is in the doldrums and there it will remain for the next decade at least. Ireland will have to fend for themselves.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKXwCqLBwyXqH34tvakzGVQce-0uLm3LUWt0m_lglsl0tARhl0pxK52CYO5khJADfJdQsqlOu3BGZmywGWKja_goRoyzoLqQ2lRHLET9E3AnoK5Zg-QMMlYdsg7E7V3aJvLAVTHhWHNc/s1600/tony-cascarino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKXwCqLBwyXqH34tvakzGVQce-0uLm3LUWt0m_lglsl0tARhl0pxK52CYO5khJADfJdQsqlOu3BGZmywGWKja_goRoyzoLqQ2lRHLET9E3AnoK5Zg-QMMlYdsg7E7V3aJvLAVTHhWHNc/s1600/tony-cascarino.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 14px;">We won't see another Cascarino for a while</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On the international stage, Ireland are a dwarf among men, not the superpower some fans expect us to be. What makes it a given that we are going to beat Georgia? They aren't ranked too far below us in the world standings and are probably our most evenly matched opponent in the group. This should have been, and was a close game. And we did very well to win. Scotland have a richer footballing tradition than us and a better squad right now. Poland is a country with a population of 40 million people and a team that boasts one of the best strikers in the world. They will expect to beat us, certainly over there, and rightly so. It's time to embrace our status as underdogs, rather than expect the team to qualify for every major tournament by right, simply because in our day-to-day football supporting, we are all used to success.<br />
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We can certainly qualify for Euro 2016, the extra spots available in the tournament make it more likely as we can even finish 3rd and still go through. But fans should not assume that because they see their club sides at the business end of the table every week, that the same should be expected of the national side.<br />
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<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-25581251271066714552014-09-03T21:06:00.000+01:002014-09-04T10:03:35.873+01:00Have United Sold Their Soul?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSwFsxwb2w8">"I won't jump the tracks.. I'll run right back to her"</a></span></i></div>
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Manchester United can take a peculiar sense of pride in knowing that every team that beat them in the league between 2004 and 2013 had to spend and exorberant amount of money to do so. Chelsea were bankrolled to three titles in 2004, 2005 and 2010 by Abramovich's Russian millions. Likewise City's triumph in 2012 would not have happened without the funds being pumped into the club by their Abu Dhabi owners. United fans could bank on the fact that they'd either win the league or be able to say their rivals went out and 'bought' the title. This is most definitely not the case anymore. United have embraced the culture of the enemy in order to compete.<br>
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If any other club replaced a player like Welbeck with a player like Falcao in the same night, the only emotion experienced would be one of sheer joy and excitement. For United fans, and ex-players and staff alike, there's a twinge of sadness involved too. September 1st 2014 will be remembered as the day United finally abandoned their traditional values and embraced the 'dark-side' of modern day football.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtE3GC4t7vK-Fu5e8EP_K2J29QbA-VZCPpgPZRPUPpHpWl0Qkye5f2J0P5zcWm6Q06ITHGB4lVSbxpVolId85Ojl5aMYp_Eb7ePE0r6xq_vQ1mEUuwny6YQOOhMHOL-JhFIuY92zelkI/s1600/Falcao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtE3GC4t7vK-Fu5e8EP_K2J29QbA-VZCPpgPZRPUPpHpWl0Qkye5f2J0P5zcWm6Q06ITHGB4lVSbxpVolId85Ojl5aMYp_Eb7ePE0r6xq_vQ1mEUuwny6YQOOhMHOL-JhFIuY92zelkI/s1600/Falcao.jpg" height="236" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Di Maria and Falcao represent the new face of United</i></td></tr>
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I say dark-side and that might be a little misleading as I don't have a problem with it and after all there's nothing strictly wrong with going out and buying the best available players but it's an aspect that some football purists hate. Old-fashioned football fans would rather see a team full of home-grown talent beat their rivals side full of expensively recruited mercenaries from every corner of the globe. Think of the Barcelona team built almost entirely of academy players like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Puyol, Pique going up against Real Madrid's <i>Galacticos. </i>Barca are definitely the good guys here, regardless of what picture Mourinho tried to paint of them during their wars.<br>
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Danny Welbeck had been at Manchester United since he was eight years old. The picture of him aged thirteen training with Ryan Giggs has done the rounds a lot during his career. Everybody knows he wasn't the best striker but he was adored by the Old Trafford faithful because of his work rate and simply, because he was one of their own. An academy product. A local lad. Dat guy.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsPeOHhYsajdJnFpD1ekVSheH6HxNTo23NB2lhz_doIci6SGop523PhAhEFlEIHMxJdbJmFWnkZW93BW4GImhLU3HR9iUWaqPNA0Pfpq31vX6TK-NSN9vutOphTqFGNRv_CkRdbCoioU/s1600/Welbz+Giggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsPeOHhYsajdJnFpD1ekVSheH6HxNTo23NB2lhz_doIci6SGop523PhAhEFlEIHMxJdbJmFWnkZW93BW4GImhLU3HR9iUWaqPNA0Pfpq31vX6TK-NSN9vutOphTqFGNRv_CkRdbCoioU/s1600/Welbz+Giggs.jpg" height="250" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even then, Welbeck though Giggs was old</td></tr>
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Welbeck was also the last Mancunian in the United first-team squad. A first-team squad now laced with expensive foreigners that now contains only six Englishmen. Their starting line-up in the 2008 Champions League final contained six Englishmen.<br>
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Falcao in for Welbeck in many ways symbolises, at last, the dawning of the new Manchester United. For the last twenty years the culture of the club had been defined by Sir Alex Ferguson. Yes there were some big-name arrivals, Juan Veron, Robin van Persie.. but the philosophy of the club was always to bring players through and the focus on youth. The best example of this is obviously the famous 'Class of 92', the batch of young players that contained the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and the iconic figures of Beckham, Giggs and Scholes.<br>
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Even the team Fergie left behind contained mostly talented he had nurtured. Cleverley, Evans, Welbeck were all academy products whilst Rooney, Anderson, Smalling, Rafael, Fabio and Phil Jones had all been at United since their teenage years. Without Fergie there, a lot of them have been found out. How would the likes of Beckham and Scholes fared had Fergie jacked it in in 1997? We'll never know.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XTjWp_CMPPSKg8QjitYsM6X7_JxEOW3lEiXZDpsw0GI8_XMHHGWG9Obv2aaoSwBSV7QsBQcauI6jpfVi0ZEH6HPtZJRK3R2ogb3gPtij6zr8TZJb-jknqB8Xees3izzTRXs8M5XdwxY/s1600/Class+of+92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XTjWp_CMPPSKg8QjitYsM6X7_JxEOW3lEiXZDpsw0GI8_XMHHGWG9Obv2aaoSwBSV7QsBQcauI6jpfVi0ZEH6HPtZJRK3R2ogb3gPtij6zr8TZJb-jknqB8Xees3izzTRXs8M5XdwxY/s1600/Class+of+92.jpg" height="300" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's unlikely we will see something like this for a while in England</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Transfer deadline day saw the departure of several club products. Welbeck sold to Arsenal. Tom Cleverley, significantly less revered by fans than Welbeck, was loaned to Aston Villa and will not likely play for the club again. Tom Lawrence who started for United against Hull under Ryan Giggs in May has moved to Leicester permanently.<br>
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Rather than trust in the club's legendary youth structure which is not delivering the goods, Woodward and van Gaal have gone out and broken the British transfer record to sign Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid and recruited Radamel Falcao, one of the best strikers in the world. This is in addition to Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind who've all arrived for a combined fee of about £90m. This represents a huge break from the norm at United. They are almost mirroring what Chelsea did in 2003 and City in 2009. Having recognised their current squad is nowhere near the required standard, they've gone out and bought a new one. And it doesn't look like the spending is over. Already Kevin Strootman and Arturo Vidal are being lined-up for January moves. If the team you have isn't good enough, simply buy a new one.<br>
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'More than a club' is the motto of FC Barcelona, a giant of world football. I think this more applicable to Manchester United. They are a brand. A business. A commercial juggernaut turning out a massive profit through sponsorship deals and merchandise sales just about everywhere in the world. This club can't afford a rebuilding phase in modern day football and these purchases are purely short-to-medium term, aimed at getting the club back in the Champions League and back at the summit of the Premier League ASAP. It is where they need to be.<br>
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United are on the way back up but they are not doing it 'the United way' simply because they don't have the time an England just isn't producing the players right now. They have accepted the only way they are going to compete with Chelsea and Man City on the pitch is to compete with them off it for all the best signings and that's exactly what they are going to do.<br>
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<br>Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-79825459330547074162014-09-03T21:04:00.002+01:002014-09-04T10:03:15.510+01:00Thoughts On The Transfer Window<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0g16_LQaQ">"A day late, a buck short"</a></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">1. Chelsea Won It</span></i></b><br>
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Chelsea had a net spend of just £8m this summer and yet somehow their squad looks considerably stronger than last season. How on earth PSG justified paying £50m for David Luiz is beyond me. Everton's £28m was a great deal for all parties. Chelsea got a sizeable fee for a player they didn't want and Everton paid a fair price for a player they did.<br>
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With regards to transfers in, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas together for the same price that United got Shaw and Herrera seems like an exceptional piece of business. Costa is one of the best strikers in the world and only reaching his prime now. Being played out of position at Barcelona seems to have made everyone forget just how good a playmaker Cesc Fabregas is. He's going to be a huge asset to Chelsea. Felipe Luis is a great replacement for the outgoing Ashley Cole. The only area where they look slightly short is in the centre of defence, where they will be slightly stretched in the event of any injury to Terry or Cahill. Everywhere else they have at least two players for every position, a luxury every manager would want.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn64J4toaQnfDPH6NN4l-BDTfEtu7DYkHh5y5r_ncDoBijEqFSCwIKTTiRGqESjXT_BcWiJBMs5oLbDSx2PqLphsvMUHKvnlDoFVGK81c11h0F77fJQgrIfPsepx4_exs8LT0-jjJHe6k/s1600/Costa+Fortune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn64J4toaQnfDPH6NN4l-BDTfEtu7DYkHh5y5r_ncDoBijEqFSCwIKTTiRGqESjXT_BcWiJBMs5oLbDSx2PqLphsvMUHKvnlDoFVGK81c11h0F77fJQgrIfPsepx4_exs8LT0-jjJHe6k/s1600/Costa+Fortune.jpg" height="236" width="400"></a></div>
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Didier Drogba's return to the club gives them the option of using him as an impact sub. He can still do a job for them in the big games, was always a good man for them. Loic Remy, despite failing a medical at Liverpool, was brought in for a bargain £8m considering his ability. He'll provide some extra cover as Demba Ba did last year, another striker prone to failing the odd medical in his time.<br>
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Chelsea's financial shrewdness in this window goes some way towards making up for the umptienth transfer windows they would pay £100m at the drop of a hat and recoup nothing. The fact they've let £50m Fernando Torres go on a free after three and a half years is a throwback to the old, pre-FFP days.<br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>2. Newcastle Show Signs of Life</i></b></span><br>
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I think Newcastle have quietly done very well out of this window. In the previous three, with Joe Kinnear overseeing recruitment, they failed to sign a single player on a permanent deal. Unsurprisingly, Kinnear got the axe just hours after the January window ended without a single arrival.<br>
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This summer they have brought in eight permanent signings and one on loan. Jack Colback, now an England squad member was a fantastic capture on a free from rivals Sunderland. The likes of Emmanuel Riviere and Remy Cabella both look like quality players while Ayoze Perez looks like a real star in the making. All of these are a testament to Newcastle's European scouting network which has now unearthed quite a bit of talent, particularly in France. Other clubs take note.<br>
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The new signings give the squad a fresher look and the attack a much sharper edge than last season. They are more than capable of finishing 8th this season however even a host of new signings and a much improved team is likely to endear Ashely or Pardew to the Toon anytime soon.<br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>3. Wenger Negligent Again</i></b></span><br>
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Arsenal now head into the season with two first-team centre halves. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny. That, for a club competing in four competitions this season, is absolutely ridiculous. That, and the centre of midfield is still a bit heavy on creativity but light on steel.<br>
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Arsenal sold Vermaelen to Barcelona and didn't but a replacement. Callum Chambers can play there but isn't a natural by any means. Surely, some extra back-up for the main two or even competition to keep them on their toes would have been a priority for any normal-thinking manager this summer, particularly given the 20 odd goals they shipped in big games last season. Instead Wenger opted to spend the bulk of his transfer budget on another attacking midfielder in Alexis and a replacement for the injured Giroud in Danny Welbeck.<br>
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Arsene Wenger has this obsession with flair players that shows no signs of relenting. Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta, all right up his street. Since Vieira has left he has not had a 'governor' in central midfield. Of the current crop, Flamini comes by far the closest to fitting this bill. Aaron Ramsey is a box-to-box and can't be counted on all the time for defensive duties. Mikel Arteta is not dynamic enough to be the enforcer they need and Jack Wilshire's bark is significantly worse than his bite.<br>
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Wenger has left holes at the back again and as we've seen countless times in the past, the quality of the Arsenal attack will not be enough to win them the title over the course of the season.<br>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">4. Tom Cleverley's Chance to Reinvent Himself</span></i></b><br>
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Much ridiculed at United, Tom Cleverley actually did quite well on loan at Wigan in 2011. Roberto Martinez, his manager then, was keen to bring him to Everton this summer but the deal could not happen and, despite missing the deadline, Tom Cleverley will play for Aston Villa this season.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdZH0hT3rC6fS8DiQdKSRvo8SDILajfOivCuxD5PxDhuog_D5mt9xhZvINd4iJ9orJvkOiL4hNXgF6WxXjTUnKQhrSreBYTEUxvSwIVpCwkSA0aosvaRLT23kbAD3bdXUEQRt327lbFg/s1600/Topcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdZH0hT3rC6fS8DiQdKSRvo8SDILajfOivCuxD5PxDhuog_D5mt9xhZvINd4iJ9orJvkOiL4hNXgF6WxXjTUnKQhrSreBYTEUxvSwIVpCwkSA0aosvaRLT23kbAD3bdXUEQRt327lbFg/s1600/Topcat.jpg" height="223" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We may see a new Cleverley at Villa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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He showed plenty of promise early on at United. His performances at the start of the 2011/12 season has fans drooling over the next Scholes. However he missed most of that season due to injury and never ended up playing anywhere near the same level again. Man United fans can be pretty brutal towards their own players at times and Cleverley has come in for more flak than most over the past two years. Playing in a two man midfield, you have to be as outstanding as Yaya Toure or Fernandinho for City last season and Cleverley was miles from that level. It's not that he does a lot particularly wrong, he just should have much more of an impact on games for the position he's playing.<br>
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He may do so at Villa, in the middle of the park or perhaps even out wide. I think playing in a three man midfield would suit him. He's not good enough to play as one of two. Alongside Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood he could do well. Getting away from the scrutineering pressure of millions of United fans may do him the world of good too. Best of luck to him. He's not a bad lad.<br>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">5. The Premier League's Star Power</span></i></b><br>
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Plenty of big names have left the Premier League over the years. Last year it was Gareth Bale and this year it was Luis Suarez who departed these shores for warmer climate. This year however, a rake of big name arrivals means Suarez won't be missed too much.<br>
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Cesc Fabregas and Mario Balotelli have returned to England after spells back in their homeland. Didier Drogba is another returnee after two seasons away. Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao will all play in the Premier League for the first time this year. There was a time not so long ago players were hesitant to move to England from warmer climates but those days seem to be at an end. The weather hasn't changed so the deciding factor must be the higher wages on offer now in the Premier League.<br>
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While the Ronaldo's and Messi's of this world will always be drawn to Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Premier League has no several clubs who can attract stars out of the next bracket. Players will be drawn by the history and soul of Liverpool, or by the big money on offer at Chelsea and City. Or by United, who can offer both but no Champions League football until next season at least. It is good for the league to have so many stars in it. It will improve the overall quality, right across the board.<br>
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Of course the influx of massive foreign talent is dreadful for the England team but great for everyone else so who cares?<br>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">6. The Sky Sports News Circus Hits Town</span></i></b><br>
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One image we will all take away from Deadline Day was Sky reporter Darmesh Sheth's 'Talk to the hand' moment when referring to how far ahead this year's spending was ahead of last year. Absolute cringe-worthy television. Watch it <a href="http://www.khmerload.com/videos/play/10152612871298762?ref=play">here</a>!<br>
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Transfer Deadline Day is basically Christmas for Sky Sports News, the absolute highlight of their year. They have taken it ridiculously over the top and it's now blown totally out of proportion. This does put added pressure on clubs to do business on the day. With Sky reporters camped outside their training ground, and everyone else rumoured to be doing something, it must be a nightmare for managers and chief executives alike. I'd almost sympathize with Wenger for taking the day off to go to a charity match in Rome, if his team didn't need more reinforcements.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G42mi0-2UNBPppz-TQPvCXj1Enl_XD06jV2_bv5qtexDD0p2OcNP0926PUPYUqFze7FtD6nEinArHCPibUvqOFzXROis1Sm3oqhQC-QAdIJyV1ewQZHIB7fzS25Lrfyv3r2yLREFuAw/s1600/whitesawyer1024takeover_2997440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G42mi0-2UNBPppz-TQPvCXj1Enl_XD06jV2_bv5qtexDD0p2OcNP0926PUPYUqFze7FtD6nEinArHCPibUvqOFzXROis1Sm3oqhQC-QAdIJyV1ewQZHIB7fzS25Lrfyv3r2yLREFuAw/s1600/whitesawyer1024takeover_2997440.jpg" height="211" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yellow on deadline day is apparently now a tradition</i></td></tr>
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Forget the actual football for a day. What really matters on September 1st is sightings of players at airports, rumours circulating wildly, club's rushing to get medical's done and paperwork submitted to the Premier League before the window "SLAMS SHUT" at 11pm.<br>
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I like transfer deadline day but it's fast becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure. Part of me feels as if football fans should care more about actual football than mindless gossip about which football was seen where, wearing what and looking like whatever. The same part of me cringes watching Jim White get ridiculously over-animated over a loan transfer between Southampton and Hull going through with just minutes to the deadline. It's unlikely to be a life-changing event for anyone, save the player.<br>
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But the other side of me totally loves the unpredictability of it all. It's here to stay, Can't fight it, might as well embrace it.<br>
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<br>Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-72947010697782083652014-08-28T19:13:00.000+01:002014-08-28T19:13:36.068+01:00Signing Of The Week: Balotelli or Di Maria?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Cornered the boy kicked out at the world. The world kicked back. A lot fucking harder."</span></i></div>
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This week has seen two massive moves in the Premier League involving the country's two biggest clubs. Liverpool paid a relatively small fee of £16m for the famously enigmatic Mario Balotelli while Man United have gone and broken the British transfer record, paying £59.7m for Real Madrid's 'unsung hero' Angel Di Maria.<br />
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Two transfers that will no doubt have a monumental impact on the Premier League landscape this season. Just what effect can we expect them to have at their new clubs? And who has got the better deal?<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mario Balotelli, Liverpool</span></b><br />
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Just nineteen months after he left English football, Mario Balotelli is back with his tail between his legs, admitting he never should have left. Balotelli's first spell in England at Man City was defined by moments of controversy, intertwined with some of complete madness, sprinkled with a small bit of footballing genius. He's not just box-office entertainment value, when he wants to be, the lad is world-class.<br />
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Brendan Rodgers is an extremely sensible manager, so much so that he's the last boss I'd expect to sanction a move for someone like Balotelli. I do believe he would have vetoed the transfer, had the fee not been so cheap. He admits it is a calculated risk. Balotelli has fallen out with basically every manager he's ever had in senior football. From Jose Mourinho at Inter to his friend and mentor Roberto Mancini at City, Cesare Prandelli at Italy for years and Massimo Allegri at Milan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8jmGTcJAXXW4Rev6lDmYTd-slFRdnLrs1iAEmCeYVgS0S2f355w2Vb7PzNh2vyNSBqzMPnaxAAML1cRzhlR3QikL0rkVWk7UB7wSnP64sf0Emfh9aUfjiIOjYbHd3Jpy8SQHRP-jsKk/s1600/Mou+Balotelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8jmGTcJAXXW4Rev6lDmYTd-slFRdnLrs1iAEmCeYVgS0S2f355w2Vb7PzNh2vyNSBqzMPnaxAAML1cRzhlR3QikL0rkVWk7UB7wSnP64sf0Emfh9aUfjiIOjYbHd3Jpy8SQHRP-jsKk/s1600/Mou+Balotelli.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Even the great Mourinho could not solve Balotelli</i></td></tr>
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The Liverpool squad at the moment seems to enjoy a great sense of harmony, understanding and general belief in themselves. Two years ago the idea of Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen holding their own against Manchester City's Yaya Toure enforced engine seemed ludicrous but that's exactly what they did for quite a while on Monday evening. Rodgers has instilled the belief in his players that they are quality players, that they do belong here and that has led to them reaching their max potential.<br />
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Balotelli has the potential to be the proverbial 'Cat Amongst the Pigeons'. With Suarez gone, this Liverpool side has no standout personality. Anfield hero, Steven Gerrard has relinquished his role somewhat to the Uruguayan in recent season. He is simply too far gone in his career to become the all-action talismanic midfielder he once was and has settled for a more supporting role. The likes of Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge and Lallana aren't massive egos. They know it's a team game. Liverpool winning football matches comes before any sort of personal glory. I would credit Brendan Rodgers a lot for this mentality that the players seem to share.<br />
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Mario Balotelli has a massive ego, to the point where I really don't think team sports suit him. Manchester City, for two and a half years, were the Mario Balotelli show. He had a training ground scrap with just about every member of the squad (new team-mate Kolo Toure was one of his favourite sparring partners) and when that wasn't enough, he even had a knock with his boss Roberto Mancini. He's been described as the most frustrating player to play with by former team-mates. Jose Mourinho once said that if Balotelli even gave 50% in training he'd be the best player in the world. He is essentially an ADHD child with phenomenal talent who has never reached his potential. Think Matt Damon from Good Will Hunting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32_pIP067mJUTd7O9LpKc95a3u1FigeCKbs7N17JCobQm1fahkvb68WVS6_TEdY86Nbt0_Ze9bWiXHbCTWGTbSRWN6lMQS0s6yKvnptIol5bcKHDkn8_F3hcpF4joUJWtedCGF2l4rfQ/s1600/Balotelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32_pIP067mJUTd7O9LpKc95a3u1FigeCKbs7N17JCobQm1fahkvb68WVS6_TEdY86Nbt0_Ze9bWiXHbCTWGTbSRWN6lMQS0s6yKvnptIol5bcKHDkn8_F3hcpF4joUJWtedCGF2l4rfQ/s1600/Balotelli.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Balotelli draws attention to himself like a magnet</i></td></tr>
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On the plus side, Liverpool are getting one of the most naturally talented footballers in the world, who has just turned 24, for a mere £16m. If Balotelli can knuckle down, try to be a team-player, try to keep the controversy to a minimum, Rodgers will have just done an exceptional bit of business. Time will tell if Rodgers has the patience that the late Robin Williams showed towards his pet project Will Hunting. I can't imagine he does.<br />
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I'm not even sure Balotelli will be guaranteed first choice at Anfield. Rodgers' system worked very well last year because every player, right up to Luis Suarez, was willing to contribute to the defensive aspect of the game. Balotelli is not a tackler, not a presser and not one to track back to help win the ball back. If he is a starter, it will likely be in a central role with Sturridge pushed out wide. Sterling and Coutinho's roles in this are interchangeable.<br />
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What Liverpool now have is impressive strength in depth, enough to make them credible competitors in the Champions League this season. The line-up shown above does not contain £25m Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Emre Can or Lazar Markovic. None of whom (except maybe Lambert) will be interested in settling for a spot on the bench. I wouldn't be surprised to see another new face arriving before Monday's deadline.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Angel Di Maria, Man United</span></b><br />
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Poor Fernando Torres no longer has to shoulder the burden of being the most expensive player in British football history. For almost four years now he has trudged lethargically around the pitch at Stamford Bridge as if weighed down by his heavy £50m price tag. The honour now belongs to Angel Di Maria who this week moved from Real Madrid to Manchester United for £59.7m.<br />
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It's a bit of deja vu in terms of player's leaving Madrid. The club has a policy of buying the best available players every summer and totally disregarding the current talent in the squad. For Di Maria this year, ousted by James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, read Mesut Ozil last year, dismissed as yesterday's news and ditched in favour of that season's 'must haves' who in this case were Isco and Gareth Bale.<br />
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I made an analogy last year when Ozil left Real Madrid for Arsenal that the Gunners signing an attacking midfielder when their defence was leaking goals was like buying a plasma screen TV for your bathroom when the toilet flush doesn't work. I think this metaphor is even more applicable in this case. United have lost three pieces of an already threadbare defence over the summer. Having spent £37m on Juan Mata barely six months ago, the acquisition of Di Maria does not seem the most logical purchase, but then again very little this club has done in the past fourteen months has made any sense whatsoever.<br />
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Di Maria is good. Really good. And in the form of his life too. Last year at Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti converted him from a pacy winger into more of a central player, using his electrifying pace to run at players from midfield. It was the second Clasico of last season, the 4-3 game in March where he really grabbed everyone's attention. He looked considerably more of a threat to Barcelona that day than Ronaldo or Bale, creating two goals for Karim Benzema. He continued to impress in his new central role as Madrid stormed towards <i>La Decima</i>, putting in a Man of the Match performance in the Champions League final.<br />
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Following that he was off to the World Cup in Brazil where he put in some more impressive performances for Argentina. His injury in the first half of the quarter-final saw his competition ended and Argentina's hopes suffer a fatal blow. They made it to the final but following Di Maria's injury, they didn't manage a single goal for the rest of the tournament, a full 300 minutes of football. It's worth noting that Lionel Messi's performance levels dropped considerably once Di Maria was absent from the side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYKTF09GFkNHQ3Bmog9Fmtb9XYXOhdGtv24K6JVcKbtgZC-4eTqhmsj_6GAPZHnVmSk2ydTABNRNLSJ4J1gUqoniXjkMsiMOTrQyiNk6zRDre5Fvjnz05GccdnT-gX5DPWBPPR1KaclE/s1600/ADM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYKTF09GFkNHQ3Bmog9Fmtb9XYXOhdGtv24K6JVcKbtgZC-4eTqhmsj_6GAPZHnVmSk2ydTABNRNLSJ4J1gUqoniXjkMsiMOTrQyiNk6zRDre5Fvjnz05GccdnT-gX5DPWBPPR1KaclE/s1600/ADM2.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>For £60m United are getting a CL winner and a genuine star</i></td></tr>
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So where will he fit it? Will United be able to wedge all the attacking talent they have into the same line-up? No they won't. But very few top sides can start all their best players all of the time. What United do have now is impressive strength in depth (at the front end of the pitch) so that should Rooney and van Persie suffer lengthy injuries as they did last winter, the attack will not be significantly blunted this time.<br />
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I don't think Di Maria will play the same role he did at Madrid, that was a very unique role which suited that team and those players. Modric and Alonso were content to sit deep and let him bomb forward from the middle. He had limited defensive duties in a team that dominated most games they played. I don't imagine that kind of role would work in the Premier League.<br />
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If Van Gaal persists with playing his current formation then you would think the only logical place for Di Maria is the attacking midfield spot currently held by Juan Mata. The Argentinian would bring more dynamism to this role which is something United have lacked in the opening games but I don't think dropping Mata is the answer and I don't believe Van Gaal does either. He's more likely to cram Di Maria in at wing-back or as one of his central midfielders than anything.<br />
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For me, the most appealing choice for United would be to drop this 3-4-1-2 formation before it does irreversible damage to this season. Van Gaal will likely revert to the formation he's used throughout his career, a 4-3-3 with two inside forwards. This position suits Di Maria infinitely more than the left-wing back he's likely to be assigned in the other formation. This formation would also require either Rooney or van Persie to play a slightly wider role on the other side. Rooney is the obvious choice for this as he's the more dynamic player and more likely to put in a defensive shift. I'm not talking about playing as a left midfielder, but more the type of role Hazard plays for Chelsea or Ronaldo for Madrid.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvWSqTKG0EupvyMMashqdhQ3SMtsRpSdtAmH9pdqCgANIzoze3AqDY8KWt6GYgqqoNgE9wys2EsXKHNSqwuixmmJTnWFnKwooHwPnS5-IvRuTJxxC_XN9O2nmvifKXNkYoiIRKJ2pIjc/s1600/UnitedADM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvWSqTKG0EupvyMMashqdhQ3SMtsRpSdtAmH9pdqCgANIzoze3AqDY8KWt6GYgqqoNgE9wys2EsXKHNSqwuixmmJTnWFnKwooHwPnS5-IvRuTJxxC_XN9O2nmvifKXNkYoiIRKJ2pIjc/s1600/UnitedADM.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't look half bad.. except for Other</td></tr>
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This does leave out Adnan Januzaj and Shinji Kagawa. Januzaj is a very exciting talent who will needs to be playing regularly in order to continue his development. It will be interesting to see how the boss manages his game-time over the coming year and in what role he plays him. Kagawa is fast running out of time to leave his mark on English football and can't have too many complaints about finding himself on the fringes of this side.<br />
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If Van Gaal does cut his losses and revert to this formation, I think it could work out very well. Provided of course United do manage to recruit another centre half and central midfield player before Monday's deadline. United's defence has looked so shaky this season. Relying on Jonny Evans as the lead centre-half is not even a position I'd expect a club like Sunderland to find themselves in. Nor would I expect Tom Cleverley to be in contention for a starting berth there. The problem areas need to be fixed before we can even begin to talk about United as contenders again. This plasma screen should give as clear a definition as any in the world but if the toilet doesn't flush, the bathroom is utterly redundant.<br />
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So who has done the better deal? For the amount of money they've paid and the potential of the player they've got, the answer is Liverpool. Di Maria is one of the best players in the world right now and United have a real gem of a player who will give them a more incisive edge than last season. But if Brendan Rodgers can curb Balotelli's wild side and exploit the great footballer within, there is no telling what they can achieve.</div>
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-69526529965254810632014-08-21T18:45:00.000+01:002014-08-21T18:45:32.523+01:00Why Can't United Do Anything Right?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"The horizon tries but it's just not as kind on the eye"</i></span></div>
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Let's face it, pretty much every football fan gets excited about big name signings. The buzz generated by a £40m superstar arriving at your club greatly exceeds the sense of anticipation of a few promising young local lads breaking into the side.<br />
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Some United fans were, in a way, looking forward to the post-Ferguson era at the club. It would represent a break from the norm, a venture into the 21st century of football and, a galaxy of big-name stars arriving at Old Trafford and lorry-load of trophies to follow. Plenty of envious eyes had been cast at every star Chelsea and City had acquired over the past number of years. A little over a year after the great man left and the Premier League's first (and only) superclub are devoid of any sort of high-level leadership and direction, and are heading for a prolonged spell in the doldrums.<br />
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Nobody would have thought it, but it looks like United have missed the services of a mere chartered accountant as much as they have missed the services of the most successful football manager of all time when both departed in the summer of 2013. Ed Woodward has made an absolute mess of the club's transfer dealings since taking over leadership of the club from David Gill last summer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGfsFPMpheP-wwHGKuV-v3N2tardu6mIzjBzuWhwefiFsQdr-ptzQmMJI5cW3qqtppSKV5xmglLIaadhLwyt1eWJiz9etwHQ7C6ej0hK49kc9VL8vfrOwZ_Si3dQ4XXk3Ca-yNpjLnKs/s1600/DavidGill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGfsFPMpheP-wwHGKuV-v3N2tardu6mIzjBzuWhwefiFsQdr-ptzQmMJI5cW3qqtppSKV5xmglLIaadhLwyt1eWJiz9etwHQ7C6ej0hK49kc9VL8vfrOwZ_Si3dQ4XXk3Ca-yNpjLnKs/s1600/DavidGill.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Woodward has made Gill look like a master negotiator</i></td></tr>
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With the addition of Marcos Rojo on Wednesday, United have now signed five players since Woodward took over from Gill in July 2013. Compare that to the 7 that have been signed by Arsenal, 11 by City, 12 by Liverpool and a massive 18 by Chelsea. All this considering United have definitely needed to invest heavily in players since the departure of Ferguson. This summer they have signed fewer players than any other team in the Premier League despite, clearly, needing the biggest rebuilding job.<br />
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And of the player's Woodward has managed to sign:</div>
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<li><b><i>Marouane Fellaini</i></b> - managed to not sign him before his release clause expired, for some reason thinking Everton would sell him for cheaper than this (that is fundamentally<i> not</i> what release clauses are for) and ending up paying extra for him, twenty minutes before the deadline.</li>
<li><i><b>Juan Mata</b></i> - £37m from Chelsea in January. He is a quality player but this does reek a bit of a panic buy, designed to appease fans (which it did). No other club was willing to pay such a high fee for a player who was clearly not wanted at a club who clearly needed an injection of cash to comply with Financial Fair Play. Not exactly ground-breaking stuff.</li>
<li><b><i>Luke Shaw</i></b> - "I want to have my future sorted before the World Cup". The competition came and went without Woodward managing to tie down the player. When he did it was a £30m fee and £100,000 a week wages for a 19 year-old. Seems like a very naive move to me. I don't think Ferguson/Gill would have agreed to that much.</li>
<li><b><i>Ander Herrera</i></b> - The transfer that Woodward should have completed last summer, he managed to wrap up this year by meeting Herrera's release clause, a concept he finally seems to have grasped. Considering he cost more than Kroos and as much as Fabregas, is it really a great deal?</li>
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A fifth player, Marcos Rojo has signed this week. This player had to essentially go on strike for a couple of days at Sporting Lisbon to force the transfer through. Woodward and United would unlikely have been able to seal the deal had the player not been so desperate to come to United. Either that or they wouldn't have noticed. Even after all that, United had to agree to pay Nani's wages at Lisbon for a year to secure the deal.</div>
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During Woodward's three transfer windows at the helm there have been a variety of mistakes and mishaps which ultimately he has to take responsibility for. Unless you've been living in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, far away from civilisation for the past year, you'll know that Manchester United desperately need a world-class central midfielder or two. Why then have Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos, both heavily linked with United, both been allowed to move to other clubs without United doing their all to attract them. And it's not as if either of them turned down United. Fabregas, for sure, would have joined United this summer if they had quickly renewed last summer's interest.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl60SABdIIpx3BrUzN0wEllgyAEDseI-X5e2aiUOyXk4x0AqR1HvxcnOkvTjVoLLbPnbCp1EHgnsraTa5Ke04ZGgQjmSJp1W_QdHV-1FxNMP56eIwU0s9jn3zxL7FX3FIzpohou1UlUEg/s1600/FAb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl60SABdIIpx3BrUzN0wEllgyAEDseI-X5e2aiUOyXk4x0AqR1HvxcnOkvTjVoLLbPnbCp1EHgnsraTa5Ke04ZGgQjmSJp1W_QdHV-1FxNMP56eIwU0s9jn3zxL7FX3FIzpohou1UlUEg/s1600/FAb.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at what you could have won: Cesc shows United what they are missing</i></td></tr>
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Very recently there is the curious case of Tomas Vermaelen. A player who Louis van Gaal identified as one he wanted and one who himself expected to be playing at Old Trafford this season has sat idly by and waited for United to come knocking. They simply never did and ended up going into the first game of the season with two fit defenders in the first team as Vermaelen decided he couldn't wait any longer and moved to Barcelona.<br />
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Real Madrid, fresh off their best season in years, winning the Champions League and Copa Del Rey, spent £75m on World Cup stars James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos. Barcelona looking to bounce back from a trophyless campaign went out and spent £75m on Luis Suarez plus another £50m on the likes of Vermaelen, Rakitic and Matheiu. Bayern Munich won 'only the domestic double' last season and have brought in their biggest rivals best player (again), Robert Lewandowski to try and put that right next season. Man United finished 7th in the Premier League last season and have responded by buying Spain's 14th choice midfielder and a teenage left back from Southampton. Herrera and Shaw, not Fabregas and Bale.<br />
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Woodward came out during the summer and said United would not hesitate to break the world transfer record this summer. I can only assume at this stage he doesn't know how. United have been constantly linked with stellar names since he took on this rebuilding job. Last season it was the likes of Ozil and Thiago (both moved clubs). This year it is Vidal and Di Maria (at least one of them will). Why doesn't Woodward go out and sign one of them? Or at least try. For one it would be a massive statement of ambition and a warning shot to all the rivals that Manchester United are still alive and kicking. The papers keep linking United with these players and the club just simply don't take action. It's as if a culture of lethargy set in when they could bank on Fergie to get them out of any hole.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBdzkNvxHdDBalZ85zUgk8B-OEroTY-AzoCgy8LPNoRHHcXbK4US15OVlPsVt6Nh2zg3B4BDv-9OZ1Db1dBSpgcfzZPJ8zTsqvoXoW7Tc-BQhns98juNKft1HsyI0TcaclSY7IRDWwe8/s1600/FDF671365A3F7FD0954BE9669CB68D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBdzkNvxHdDBalZ85zUgk8B-OEroTY-AzoCgy8LPNoRHHcXbK4US15OVlPsVt6Nh2zg3B4BDv-9OZ1Db1dBSpgcfzZPJ8zTsqvoXoW7Tc-BQhns98juNKft1HsyI0TcaclSY7IRDWwe8/s1600/FDF671365A3F7FD0954BE9669CB68D.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I have no idea what I'm doing..</i></td></tr>
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It just baffles me how a club, a business even, this size can allow itself to be run so poorly. The Glazer's aren't football people but surely they realize that the reputation of the great Manchester United brand is taking a serious hit right now. Imagine McDonalds being sued for selling raw burgers in some branches. People would go to Burger King instead and profits would nose-dive. If Apple launched a new sub-standard iPhone, everyone would flock to Sony and HTC instead. The brand Manchester United is being damaged right now and if they continue the way they are going, sooner or later, new football fans are going to choose to support City and pile their hard-earned cash into going to see them and buying their jersey instead.<br />
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The Director of Football is an often vilified position in football but that might be exactly what United need going forward. I'm sure Ed Woodward is a highly intelligent man but running a football club is best left to football people. Woodward has actually proved himself very capable at securing sponsorship deals for the club around the globe over the past number of years but he only has his current job because of the role he played in helping the Glazer's secure their takeover in 2005. Negotiating with business and football clubs/players are totally different and here he finds himself out of his depth.<br />
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-6315629441290866232014-08-14T22:14:00.001+01:002014-08-14T22:42:59.315+01:002014/15 Grand Spectacular Season Preview<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Fever got me guilty. Just go ahead and kill me."</span></i></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Arsenal</u></span></b><br />
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The trophy drought is finally at an end, Aaron Ramsey's dramatic late winner at Wembley to cap a remarkable season made sure of that. This summer did however mark a decade since Arsenal last won the Premier League, a trophy Arsene Wenger managed to win three times in his first seven full seasons in England, a trophy they are now over-due.<br />
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Alexis Sanchez has come in from Barcelona, a fantastic player who will no doubt shine in the Premier League but Arsenal's failure to address their obvious weaknesses will prevent them from winning the title again this year. All they have done is add more flair.<br />
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We need only look at the hidings they took at Liverpool and Chelsea, the 3-0 thumping at Goodison Park, all occasions where Wenger got it horribly wrong and churned out the line he's been using to explain every big Arsenal defeat since about 2008 "lack of mental strength".<br />
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While a lack of mental strength is true to some extent, Wenger's lack of tactical nous is what cost them. His failure to deploy a defensive midfielder cost them 11 goals against two title rivals and his refusal to adapt his gameplan against Everton saw Roberto Martinez make a fool of him. Wenger's a fan of flair players and attacking football. Nothing wrong with that. But if he continues to neglect the nitty gritty tactical and defensive aspects of the game, Arsenal's title drought will continue indefinitely.<br />
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The Community Shield victory over Man City may yet prove a watershed moment for them. Here they came up against a top side and danced all over them. It may prove a different story however when there are more meaningful prizes at stake.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> I can't see them competing for the title in the long-run but they definitely have the edge over all the Champions League hopefuls right now. Wenger still won't beat Mourinho though. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>3rd</i></b></span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Aston Villa</span></u></b><br />
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They don't get as much media attention as some of the others, but Aston Villa are a club in pretty dire straits right now. Randy Lerner has spent the summer trying to sell the club but to no avail. History tells us that when all is not right behind the scenes, the show never lives up to potential on-stage. Villa are in trouble.<br />
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Villa's arrivals this summer have been limited mostly to players who were going for free. Kieran Richardson, Phillipe Senderos and Joe Cole have all arrived at the club, adding some much needed experience to what is a very young side.<br />
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Roy Keane has also arrived as Paul Lambert's assistant manager, surely with a view to taking the job permanently once Lambert is inevitable sacked in November. Villa are a big club, with a rich history and a passionate, loyal fanbase but I fear for them this year, I really do.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> I'll be very surprised if they are not in the relegation dogfight come the final games of the season. The only saving grace for them is that there are worse sides in the division. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>17th</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Burnley</u></b></span><br />
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They very well might become this season's plucky underdogs that capture the hearts of many fans but that won't save them. An very middling squad that was fired to promotion by Danny Ings and Sam Vokes, the later of whom will miss the first half o.f the season, will likely struggle to mount much of a survival challenge this season.<br />
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One thing they do have is a very likeable, headstrong boss in Sean Dyche who will relish the chance to implement his style of play in the Premier League. Even if Burnley crash and burn this season, I hope he makes it to the end with his job.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> I do love an underdog but I see absolutely nothing about Burnley that makes me think they can survive. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>20th.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Chelsea</u></b></span><br />
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The best manager in the league, the best defence in the league, all Chelsea lacked last season was a potent striker and a playmaker capable of unpicking the tightest defences. They went straight out and spent £60m on Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. Chelsea are now, quite deservedly, bookies favourites for the Premier League title.<br />
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They've also added Felipe Luis from Atletico and Didier Drogba has returned to the club where he is loved by all. Plus a full season of Nemanja Matic, one of the outstanding players of the second half of last season, makes Chelsea's first XI the most complete in the Premier League. It's so good, I haven't even had to mention player of the year candidate Eden Hazard, Oscar or captain John Terry who looked a new man last season, revitalised under his new/old boss.<br />
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Failure to put away the smaller teams is what killed them last year. Diego Costa, a bully of a striker, will surely thrive against the likes of Leicester and West Brom this year, ensuring slip-ups are kept to a minimum. In Mourinho they have arguably the best tactician to ever coach a football side. Doubles against Liverpool and City last year were his doing. His battles with his old friend and mentor Louis van Gaal will be fascinating. Probably both boring 0-0s, but tactically fascinating.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u> </b>Mourinho has no excuses this time around. He can't blame Benitez anymore. This is his team now and their failings will be his own. Luckily for him, I don't think there will be any. Domestically at least.<b> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>1st</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Crystal Palace</u></b></span><br />
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Palace will just be hoping for more of the same from boss Tony Pulis. They looked destined for a straight slide back down to the Championship last season before Pulis took over in November and basically turned them into the new Stoke; difficult to break, the team no one wants to face on a cold Tuesday night, the ultimate banana-skin, as Chelsea and Liverpool both discovered in the closing games.<br />
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I'd be surprised if they can keep up the amazing form they showed over the final months of last season, producing the kind of results that would have put them in European contention had they not had such a dreadful start to the season. However they are a solid enough side to avoid losing enough games to put them in trouble.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Solid side under Pulis. Just as Stoke were Mid-table mediocrity beckons. Never any further though, but any fan will snap your hand off for this. <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">13th</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Everton</u></b></span><br />
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The honeymoon period is over and Roberto Martinez now has to ensure his side can continue the excellent progress they made last season, their best ever in the Premier League.<br />
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Splashing out £28m on Lukaku is a signal of intent. As is his willingness to join Everton permanently, a sign of the esteem the club and the manager are now held in. I can't imagine a striker of that calibre wanting to join them under David Moyes, they are most definitely a club on the rise.<br />
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The challenge this year will be juggling European football with domestic commitments, a challenge they haven't had in quite a while. Martinez has a good first-team but a rather thin squad. If he hasn't bolstered it by the end of the window (may not be able to given the significant outlay on Lukaku), Everton could struggle towards the end of the year, particularly if they have extended cup runs.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> They won't be significantly worse than last season, it's just United and Spurs will both be better. For their sake, I hope they haven't hit a glass ceiling. Very classy club. <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">7th.</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Hull</u></b></span><br />
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Coming off the back of a very impressive first season back in the top-flight, Hull have not been afraid the splash the cash, the owner's ongoing dispute with the fans clearly not stopping him from opening the chequebook. Jake Livermore and Rob Snodgrass being the two most expensive arrivals, Tom Ince has arrived on a free.<br />
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Whilst they did reach the FA Cup final last year, their league form suffered drastically as a result. They ended the season in 16th place. This year brings the added distraction of European competition, something a lot of club's of Hull's stature have suffered to manage in recent years. If they make it through to the Europa League group stages, Hull could be in for a very difficult first half of the season consisting of a series of Sunday afternoon struggles after drawing 0-0 in Bratislava the previous Thursday.<br />
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They've lost Shane Long to Southampton this week for a rather hefty £12m. If this money is reinvested in the right way, Bruce could have himself a very nice squad come the end of the window.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> All depends on Europe. If they go out early, which I'm banking on them doing, they'll be mid-table. If they have a good run in Europe, their league form will struggle. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>11th</i></b></span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Leicester</span></u></b><br />
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Leicester broke the 100 point barrier in the Championship last season. Only two other sides have ever done that, Reading in 2006 and Newcastle in 2010. Both survived comfortably, Reading even finished 8th with a team with virtually no Premier League experience and that's who Leicester will be looking to for inspiration this season.<br />
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What they will need is goals and I don't think that David Nugent, top scorer last season, is the man to fire them to Premier League safety. Nugent is another Rob Earnshaw. A good goalscorer in the Championship who has just never been able to cut it in the Premier League. He's 29 now so is running out of time to prove himself as a capable top-flight striker, this year is surely career-defining for him. He won't get another change at the big time.<br />
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As for the rest of the side, they are a young bunch with a winning mentally instilled in them due to their success last season. This naivety and consequential fearlessness may well work in their favour this year as they embark on what is a maiden Premier League voyage for most of them.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Every year there is one surprise package from the Championship and it could well be Leicester this season. Reading in 06/07 and Stoke 07/08 being the best examples. However I can't justify putting them above proven Premier League teams with no proof to back it up. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>19th</i></b></span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Liverpool</span></u></b><br />
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They would have been deserving champions last season but it wasn't to be and I feel their best shot at ending a mammoth championship drought may have come and gone.<br />
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Suarez, 31 league goals last year, has left in disgrace. Rodgers has wasted no time in spending the warchest this departure gave him, choosing to strengthen the defence and give the squad increased depth rather than opting to spend £50m + on a like-for-like replacement such as Falcao (he may still do). I think this was a wise choice from Rodgers. Their leaky defence cost them the title last season and the lack of depth in the squad would have been horrifically exposed in Europe this season.<br />
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As it stands, I think they are in good shape to compete on both fronts. I don't think they'll be as good as they were at the end of last season but Liverpool are back among the challengers now. It's a big season for the likes of Sterling, Sturridge and Coutinho who must step up to fill the massive void left by Suarez.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict: </u></b>Liverpool took advantage of a year in which the Premier League had no stand out champion to come within a whisker of stealing the crown themselves. They won't be able to go one better this year. They'll most likely be competing with Arsenal and United for the final two Champions League spots. United have no European football to distract them. Arsenal have the experience of having managed it for years. <b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>5th </i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Manchester City</u></b></span><br />
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Last time they won the league they took it easy all summer and signed only Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair. Bizzare. They surrendered the title meekly the following year. This summer they've added a monster of a centre half in Mangala and another central midfielder in Fernando to compete for a place with Fernandinho, a transfer surely borne purely out of irony.<br />
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Stevan Jovetic should be like a new signing this year, if of course he can stay fit. His debut season in England was drastically hampered by injury. Alvaro Negredo was very impressive too over the first couple of months until his form dropped off. Sergio Aguero hasn't been fit since December and Edin Dzeko is criminally underrated. It's a good thing for these guys that Pellegrini likes to play with two forwards which means most of them should see sufficient game time. What a menacing front-line they have.<br />
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At the back is where City were vulnerable, particularly on their travels where opponents got at them and refused to be bossed around. Thier high defensive line was exposed at times, particularly when Demichelis was involved. Mangala should provide an excellent partner for Kompany and some much needed steel at the back. I think they'll be different to last season, more consistent and more controlled. It seemed last season they were either hammering teams 6-0 or losing games.<br />
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The owners want a Champions League so Pellegrini may shift his focus to that objective this season. May be a tall order considering the limitations that have been put on them following their breach of FFP.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Ultimately I think they'll fall short in both Europe and in the Premier League and Pellegrini could find himself sacked. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>2nd</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Manchester United</u></b></span><br />
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The much-anticipated summer splurge on a revamped squad hasn't happened and Louis van Gaal has to make do with two players who were signed before he even took the reigns. United have actually signed fewer players than any other club heading into the new season, strange considering they were probably the squad in need of the biggest overhaul. What the new boss has done is instilled a new formation and attitude at the club and provided a massive morale boost after the knockout blow that was last season.<br />
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Last year the team lacked cohesion both defensively and in attack. The games in January against Fulham and Stoke where they cluelessly piled in countless crosses to no one in particular were testament to that. This year they will have a game-plan, particularly in games against the stronger teams. Don't expect them to go 0-6 against the North-West again.<br />
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The 3-5-2 formation that looks set to define Manchester United this season will require more and possibly better players to work. The club really should have signed at least one more centre half by now. At the back the squad is looking very thin but up top they have plentiful options, spearheaded by new captain Wayne Rooney.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> They haven't strengthened enough to be genuine title challengers. But there is a decent squad there and van Gaal will get the best out of players as sure as Moyes got the worst out of them. A finish outside the top four is simply not an option and they know this. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>4th</i></b></span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Newcastle</span></u></b><br />
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This club just doesn't seem like a happy place. Joe Kinnear, the most useless human being ever, is gone but fan unrest remains with Alan Pardew and Mike Ashley the target of a torrential downpour of abuse towards the end of last season.<br />
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To be fair to the fans, they had every right to be disgruntled. Their best player, Yohan Cabaye, was sold in January and not replaced. Performances deteriorated towards relegation form in the spring, and culminated in them losing six games on the spin at the end of the season, somehow they still ended up 10th.<br />
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They've made their first permanent signings since before Kinnear arrived, with an impressive nine new signings arriving, only two of them are French and one is Jack Colback, poached from fierce rivals Sunderland.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> I think the best thing for them to do would be to get rid of Pardew. If they do that they could push for the 'best of the rest' position of 8th. I think Ashley will keep faith in him, unless things go horribly wrong. Fans will almost be hoping they do. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>10th</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Queens Park Rangers</u></b></span><br />
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Watching the play-off final last May it was hard not to feel sorry for Derby. Having dominated the game and looked by far and away the side destined for the promised land of the Premier League, Bobby Zamora capitalised on a defensive error and struck a last-minute winner to send QPR back to the Premier League at the first attempt.<br />
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Their last Premier League experience was defined by over-paying average players gross sums of money to perform mediocrely. The likes of Jose Bosingwa springs to mind and refuses to leave. This time however I think the ship will be a bit more steady. Harry will likely keep the bones of his promoted side together. It already has quite a Premier League feel to it with the likes of Joey Barton, Loic Remy and Jermaine Jenas in their ranks. The addition of Rio Ferdinand will add some extra personality to the dressing room. If he can contribute 25 league games this year he'll be doing well.<br />
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I think they'll be fine. They look way more Premier League-savy than the other promoted sides and a couple of others too.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> I think they'll survive this time around. Hopefully, for their sake, they have learned from the mistakes of two years ago. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>14th</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Southampton</u></b></span><br />
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Eh, it will be a 'new look' Southampton to say the least this year. Lallana, Shaw, Lambert, Chambers and Lovren are all gone. I can't see Schneiderlin staying. Jay Rodriguez may stay but ultimately Southampton will be unrecognisable from the entertainers who won the hearts of many last year.<br />
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Ronald Koeman, the only Premier League manager with a Twitter account, has taken over from Pochettino. He's quite an experienced manager having coached all over Europe since 2000 and will be aiming to bring the same stability to Southampton that be brought to Dutch crisis club Feyenoord upon his arrival there in 2011. Koeman has also managed PSV and Ajax, winning titles at both as well as relative minnows Vitesse whom he took into Europe. He's also won trophies in Spain and Portugal. More than qualified for this job.<br />
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On the pitch, they've added the latest man to score a million goals in the Dutch league but considerably fewer anywhere else, Graziano Pelle, to the ranks. Time will tell if he's an Afonso Alves or a van Nistelrooy. The departures this season will give the likes of James Ward-Prowse the chance to play a starring role in the team. He and whatever talent that amazing factory of an academy produces this year.<br />
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They must surely have plenty of cash to spend so expect the squad to be strengthened significantly before the end of the window. I don't think we've seen the last of Southampton in the top half of the Premier League.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> They won't match the heights of last season but won't be troubled by relegation either. Upper mid table. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>9th</i></b></span><br />
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Stoke</u></b></span><br />
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They have reinvented themselves within the space of a year. Gone are the long ball brutes and here is a team with a decent bit of attacking flair, ex-Barcelona striker and Football Manager 2007 legend Bojan and eh... Charlie Adam I suppose.<br />
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Stoke belong to Mark Hughes now, not Tony Pulis and the team reflect his image now in the same way they reflected their previous manager's. Hughes teams are tough to beat but solid going forward, particularly on the counter attack. They've added Premier League experience in Steve Sidwell and Phil Bardsley to the squad which is now looking rather strong.<br />
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Seriously though, if Bojan had played Football Manager 2007, he'd be so disappointed that he doesn't have at least three Ballon d'Ors by now.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> The top seven will be the same as last year, there's a bit of a gulf there. 8th place means best of the rest and that's exactly what Stoke will be aiming for. They have the squad to get it. <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">8th</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Sunderland</u></b></span><br />
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There were two sides to Sunderland last year. We saw the good side of them in two stretches, one around the Christmas period and one in the final month where they picked up 75% of their points in less than one third of their games. For the rest of the season we saw an extremely average side who's defining trait was their ill discipline, seeing more red cards than anyone in the division.<br />
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Their season was effectively summed up by Adam Johnson. He was unplayable during the purple patches but totally anonymous at other times. It's this inconsistency which gave Sunderland fans a massive scare last season.<br />
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Connor Wickham looks promising but needs to avoid becoming the next Andy Carroll. Spending all of their cash on Fabio Borini won't improve the squad much as he was there already on loan last season. The first eleven isn't very strong and there's virtually no strength in depth. They need a few good signings before the close of the window<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Could be a tough year for them I reckon. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>16th</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Swansea</u></b></span><br />
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In three Premier League seasons they've yet to finish lower than 12, they also have a League Cup and European experience to show for it. However I think the bubble may be about to burst.<br />
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Garry Monk seems like a decent guy but no way was he ready to be given this job full time. He has basically been appointed on the back of a 3-0 win over Cardiff in his first match at the helm. While that was no doubt very enjoyable for fans and players alike, I think he's a step down from the previous bosses they've had and Swansea may be in for a year of struggle.<br />
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Michu is gone so they will rely on the dependable Wilfred Bony for goals. Not really a problem unless he gets injured. They have Ki back in the team now who impressed last season at Sunderland and Gylfi Sigurdssonn who impressed during a loan spell at the Swans in 2012. These additions, and the overall quality of the squad, will be enough to keep them in the Premier League for another year but I don't see them moving forward this year.<br />
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<b>Verdict:</b> The train is slowing down. A worst Premier League finish to-date awaits the Swans. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>15th</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Tottenham</u></b></span><br />
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They are going to be one of the most interesting sides this season. Pochettino has got to work some magic. Funds are limited because they blew all their Gareth Bale money last season so the talented young Argentine coach has to turn this squad of flops and underachievers into a top four side again without spending on the player's he'd actually want.<br />
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There might be a few arrivals come September 1st but nothing like the outlay they had last season. Poch now has to get the best out of the likes of Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and Erik Lamela on whom the short-term hopes of this football club currently rest. If his Southampton side are anything to go by, Poch will have his Spurs team playing a high octane pressing game and knocking it around nicely once they have the ball. In other words, totally different from last season and not really suited to the players they have right now. Like I said it will be very interesting.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Might be another struggle for them as players and manager get used to one another. Hopefully Levy doesn't swing the axe if things don't get off to a great start. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>6th</i></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>West Brom</u></span></b><br />
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They certainly aren't the yo-yo club they were ten years ago, West Brom have now enjoyed four straight seasons in the Premier League, racking up very credible 8th, 10th and 11th place finishes along the way. Then came last season and a near miss with relegation. This time around they may not be so lucky.<br />
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They have a manager in Alan Irvine with no Premier League experience, a thin, ageing squad devoid of any standout flair player of goalscorer. Their only notable addition so far is Joleon Lescott who's spent the last five years counting his cash on the Etihad bench. He can't be the player he was before at Everton. Going forward there's not much to shout about. Berahino looks a decent prospect.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Their last five games are Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and United. If they aren't safe in mid-table by then, The Baggies will be departing the Premier League scene. I'd be amazed if Irvine lasts the year. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>18th</i></b></span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">West Ham</span></u></b><br />
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They survived last season and have made some interesting signings but fans still aren't happy, bemoaning the fact that whilst managed by Sam Allardyce, they will be limited to a long ball game and ugly direct football.<br />
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The fans want attractive, attacking football. Kevin Nolan, top scorer last season, finds himself somewhat out of favour with them purely because he's an Allardyce man. The Hammers fans are fiercely passionate. I don't think even breaking into the top 7 would make them warm to Big Sam if he continues to inflict his style of play on them. These things rarely have a happy ending. Expect him not to last the season.<br />
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Andy Carroll has cost them £7.5m per goal since his move, he's proved even worse value than the £6m per strike he cost Liverpool.<br />
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<b><u>Verdict:</u></b> Just like at Newcastle, unrest in the stands could have a negative effect on the pitch. They've made some key signings though so there is the makings of a good squad there. It remains to be seen if they have the right manager to get the best out of it. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>12th</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Full table</b></span><br />
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<i>1. Chelsea </i><br />
<i>2. Man City</i><br />
<i>3. Arsenal</i><br />
<i>4. Man United</i><br />
<i>5. Liverpool</i><br />
<i>6. Spurs</i><br />
<i>7. Everton</i><br />
<i>8. Stoke</i><br />
<i>9. Southampton</i><br />
<i>10. Newcastle</i><br />
<i>11. Hull</i><br />
<i>12. West Ham</i><br />
<i>13. Crystal Palace</i><br />
<i>14. QPR</i><br />
<i>15. Swansea</i><br />
<i>16. Sunderland</i><br />
<i>17. Aston Villa</i><br />
<i>18. West Brom</i><br />
<i>19. Leicester</i><br />
<i>20. Burnley</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Player of the Season</b></span><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Yaya Toure</i></b> - I suppose he has to win it sometime. Yaya has been dominating Premier League midfield's for a couple of years and has two Premier League medals but has never won the player of the year award. With Bale and Suarez both now playing in Spain, Yaya's time for individual recognition may have come at last.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Young Player of the Season</span></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Raheem Sterling</i></b> - It will be a breakout year for the 19 year old father of ten. He came on a lot as a player during the second half of last season, developing his game into that of the complete attacking midfielder rather than the mere pacy winger than Aaron Lennon became. High hopes for him.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>FA Cup</u></b><br />
It's a strange thing prediciting cup competitions. By logic of course the best team should win the cup and by that reasoning I'm going to go with<b> Chelsea</b> to complete the League and Cup double. Obviously there are surprises every year and it is very rare that the best team actually wins the cup but that's as good a pick as any.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>League Cup</u></b><br />
This cup is a little different in that nobody takes it all that seriously. I'll back <b>Man United</b> to win this one, pick up the first trophy of the post-Fergie era and hail King Louis as a genius.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Champions League</u></b><br />
Of the English teams I think Chelsea have by far the best chance but the winners won't come from the Premier League this year so we have to look abroad. Champions Real Madrid have the strongest squad, boosted by the additions of Kroos, James Rodriguez and possibly Falcao. However the drive that was their to win <i>La Decima</i> won't be the same this year. Plus no one has ever retained the trophy. I'll go with <b>Barcelona</b>, spearheaded by the Suarez-Messi-Neymar attack, to secure <i>El Quinto</i> this year and get the trophy for keeps.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Europa League</u></b><br />
Who the hell cares? Well more people than usually do because starting this season, the Europa League winners go into next season's Champions League. So there you go. <b>Inter Milan </b>maybe. Or any one of the eight teams that gets dumped in from the Champions League in spring.<br />
<br />
<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-67450347930061881482014-08-07T21:12:00.000+01:002014-08-07T21:12:31.237+01:00Boots To Fill: How To Survive Without Your SuperstarAs Liverpool face into 2014/2015 without their best player for the past three years in Luis Suarez, we take a look at how other Premier League teams have coped with losing their talisman in recent years:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Arsenal 2007/08</b></span><br />
<i>- Sold Thierry Henry to Barcelona for £19m in 2007</i><br />
<br />
For a period between 2003 and 2006, Thierry Henry was undoubtedly the best player in England, arguably the best in the world. He lead Arsenal to titles in 2002 and 2004 followed by a Champions League final appearance in 2006. He was PFA Player of the Year twice and Football Writers player of the year three times. Add to this four Premier League Golden Boots and two European Golden Boots and it's not hard to see how good this guy really was.<br />
<br />
Unlike the other names on this list, Henry was not coming off a particularly majestic season when he moved. His 06/07 campaign was plagued by injury to the point where his last goal for the club (in that spell at least) came in mid-January. This made his departure somewhat less impactful on Arsenal than it would have been had he left in 2004 for instance.<br />
<br />
And, impressively, Arsenal did do better the following season without him. Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas among others really stepped up to the plate for them in 2007/08. The supporting act consisted of the likes of Robin van Persie, Eduardo, even Niklas Bendtner made a solid contribution to the cause as Arsenal mounted their first title challenge in four years.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1CfRSrXfxa00tIREdcNBrQeYIW8t1cf8nk9Rr1WLi-CdjnVxh-cXJi-QakPgG4kd-OffJxlhv11opkG8GmTD7Xxp7kvfCzmXblmBX5tz1dqneU8uNcRhJKz2f6eQcDMuW0PiEV7glxY/s1600/cesc8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1CfRSrXfxa00tIREdcNBrQeYIW8t1cf8nk9Rr1WLi-CdjnVxh-cXJi-QakPgG4kd-OffJxlhv11opkG8GmTD7Xxp7kvfCzmXblmBX5tz1dqneU8uNcRhJKz2f6eQcDMuW0PiEV7glxY/s1600/cesc8.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cesc and Adebayor shone in Henry's absence</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ultimately, they fell short. Having lead the league for most of the season, Arsenal's title challenge was derailed on a February afternoon at Birmingham. This game saw Eduardo suffer a horrific leg break and James McFadden equalise for Birmingham in the 96th minute. Having suffered only one defeat to this point, the Gunners won one of their next seven league games, a spell which included defeats to title rivals Chelsea and Man United. This period also saw them exit the Champions League to Liverpool and the FA Cup to United and became the first of what now seems to be the annual 'Arsenal Collapse'.<br />
<br />
How badly did they miss Henry? Actually pretty badly I would say. His goals and contributions were accounted for mostly by the likes of Adebayor but above all else Arsenal missed leadership that year. The sight of William Gallas, club captain, sitting down sulking on the pitch at St Andrews after Arsenal had thrown away the points is one that will live long in the memory. Would Henry (captain the season before) have behaved the same way? Not in a million years.<br />
<br />
It is the leadership qualities that Henry brought, that Bergkamp brought, that Vieira brought, that Arsenal have not had since the mass exodus of the Invincibles team between 2005 and 2007.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Man United 2009/10</b></span><br />
<div>
<i>- Sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80m in 2009</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Henry won countless individual awards at Arsenal but the biggest one in the sport eluded him. Cristiano Ronaldo on the other hand was the reigning World Player of the Year when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ronaldo was, and still is, an utter phenomenon. He spearheaded United's drive towards a hat-trick of titles from 2007 to 2009 and found the net in Moscow as United were crowned Kings of Europe in 2008. He was PFA Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, also bagging Young Player of the Year in 2007 and won the Golden Boot in 2008 with a record 31 league goals. Without question, the finest footballer on the planet at this time.</div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrL1wKahcuoes2lJywsKrTUgb4gDOGLF1UITDHmXwid_jH8_5ckxbHq5fdoUVRdUWhmv9NULjs1J5XZflgDDP5Vwct9ZexSeOBR5Gk4U-NwWimFh1n7FZD0ivzTqGytcsSmjaYY4Du-c/s1600/CR7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrL1wKahcuoes2lJywsKrTUgb4gDOGLF1UITDHmXwid_jH8_5ckxbHq5fdoUVRdUWhmv9NULjs1J5XZflgDDP5Vwct9ZexSeOBR5Gk4U-NwWimFh1n7FZD0ivzTqGytcsSmjaYY4Du-c/s1600/CR7.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"It's because I'm so good"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
Having asked to leave in 2008 amid prolonged interest from Madrid, Ronaldo was persuaded to stay by Sir Alex Ferguson, presumably with a guarantee that he would be allowed to leave at a future date. Ronaldo once again pleaded to be allowed to follow his boyhood dream in 2009 after United were humbled by Barcelona in Rome. Real Madrid, embarking on a second Galactico project, smashed the world transfer record and brought Ronaldo to Spain for a monstrous £80m, just days after they had set the record of £56m to take Kaka from AC Milan.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Aiming for a fourth consecutive title, United were linked with many big names and the fans got excited. But Fergie chose to replace Ronaldo with Antonio Valencia from Wigan. Ronaldo's compatriot Nani was the man many touted to step up and and fill the massive void in the attack. Nani was good in patches during the year, Valencia settled in very well and Wayne Rooney had by far the best year of his life. Despite all this, United took a step back that year. Their stranglehold on the league title was broken by Chelsea and they failed to reclaim the Champions League, losing to Bayern on away goals in the quarter-finals.<br />
<br />
They missed Ronaldo. Anyone would. However Wayne Rooney really stepped up to the plate and became the team's leader. He set a personal best goal tally of 34 in all competitions. Unfortunately for United he picked up an injury in April. The fortnight he spent on the sidelines saw them drop 5 points in the league (lost the title by just one) and go out of Europe.<br />
<br />
A lack of goals from midfield was a problem. One that still exists to this day. Another inverted winger Ashley Young arrived at the club shortly after but United had no one of anywhere near Ronaldo's calibre providing such flair and attacking prowess for the next couple of seasons. His goal contribution was not replaced until Robin van Persie arrived from Arsenal in 2012. Speaking of which...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Arsenal 2012/13</b></span><br />
<i>- Sold Robin van Persie to Man United for £24m in 2012</i><br />
<br />
Having lost key players in Fabregas and Nasri the previous summer, Arsenal fans were forced to endure more misery as Robin van Persie decamped to one of their biggest rivals in August 2012.<br />
<br />
2011/12 was the first season that van Persie had managed to play more than 25 Premier League games for Arsenal. In fact he played in all 38. He scored 30 goals (37 in all competitions), securing the Golden Boot. He was also unanimously acclaimed as the best player in the country, winning the Players, Writers and Fans Player of the Year awards.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmDIdziEnrYijZdAkwQfr4G8bYGLZgzx9rLAc55kr3Ezd3GjIKkEMEjfH2RSr9CCsE-ye_O81QW7fiyEqhrSK_lY3xM6krZp0J5y9Mciseytuyysw8vwdP5TrY7c6m0CYeFnxiScCV6k/s1600/RVP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmDIdziEnrYijZdAkwQfr4G8bYGLZgzx9rLAc55kr3Ezd3GjIKkEMEjfH2RSr9CCsE-ye_O81QW7fiyEqhrSK_lY3xM6krZp0J5y9Mciseytuyysw8vwdP5TrY7c6m0CYeFnxiScCV6k/s1600/RVP.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Van Persie left 'to win trophies'</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With his contract expiring in 2013 he had a big decision to make. If he did not sign an extension at Arsenal that summer they would have to sell him and in early July he broke the news. If Arsenal did not sell him that summer, he would simply leave for free at the end of the following season. Wenger cashed in and infuriated many fans by selling him to long-time bitter rival Alex Ferguson and Manchester United.<br />
<br />
Arsene Wenger did his business early that summer, splashing the cash on Lukas Podolski before the season had ended and adding Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla to his attacking line, all prior to van Persie's departure. Wenger insisted the Dutchman would not be sold and that these players were signed to play with him rather than replace him but no one was buying a word of that. Van Persie's Arsenal career was over and the replacements were already in.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
RVP repeated his Golden Boot heroics in a different red shirt the following season and Arsenal, on the whole, performed at pretty much the same level in 2012/13 as they had the previous season, amassing similar amounts of points and goals scored and finishing one place lower in 4th.<br />
<br />
Having been very much a one man team the previous season, Arsenal's overall spread of goals in the post-RVP era was much greater. In 11/12 only Theo Walcott had managed to join van Persie in double figures for all competitions. He managed to achieve this again the following year but was joined by, strangely enough, the Arsenal's three new arrivals that summer; Cazorla, Giroud and Podolski.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Spurs 2013/13</b></span><br />
<i>- Sold Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £86m</i></div>
<div>
<br />
The most recent and worst example of how to cope with life after a talisman occured last season when the Gareth Bale shaped hole in the Tottenham side was their most defining feature at times.<br />
<br />
The Bale revolution began in the spring of 2010 when he was moved from left-back to left midfield. He duly won PFA Player of the Year in 2011, excelling on the Champions League stage also. He continued to be Spurs' talisman and scooped the big prize again in 2013 as part of a clean sweep. This couldn't help Spurs back into the Champions League however and once Real Madrid came knocking that summer, Bale was always going to move. Spurs did well in forcing Real to break their own world transfer record for him.<br />
<br />
Erik Lamela arrived from Roma for £27m, the man tasked with the responsibility of making Spurs fans forget all about Gareth Bale. He made a total of three league starts all season under both Villas-Boas and Sherwood. Roberto Soldado, £26m from Valencia, was the man they would look to in terms of goals. 24 in his final season in Spain, 6 in his first in England. By the end of the year he found himself on the bench.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDienlZufLMqLBvNoGclD6mv0cCldAH8TuTDJonrzYblsQ5m3FgK1W2qJMjmTDuMy19tVzWahz8BA9DLYGyJSCqGnVdZPQBz1yHsZSFS2ReYvlpx8xTdjBREXwVnX4RZFO_ze18Xb7VKE/s1600/3554301868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDienlZufLMqLBvNoGclD6mv0cCldAH8TuTDJonrzYblsQ5m3FgK1W2qJMjmTDuMy19tVzWahz8BA9DLYGyJSCqGnVdZPQBz1yHsZSFS2ReYvlpx8xTdjBREXwVnX4RZFO_ze18Xb7VKE/s1600/3554301868.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bobby Soldado had a mare of a season</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Replacing someone like Bale is near impossible but Spurs were so far off the mark it was ridiculous. Villas-Boas signed seven players that summer, all foreign and not one with Premier League experience. Usually it takes time for players from overseas to settle in so hoping seven new players would gel in a side so quickly was a massive ask. Of them, only Christian Eriksen has really proved himself in England.<br />
<br />
Spurs endured a horrible year post-Bale. They suffered five heavy losses to City, Liverpool and Chelsea over the course of the season and found themselves well out of the Champions League race for the first time since 2009. Villas-Boas lost his job in December and was replaced with the equally incompetent Tim Sherwood. Things didn't improve much under Sherwood who was equally tactically naive and generally inconsistent in terms of selection, favouring the youth team players he knew rather than the expensive talent that he did not.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Liverpool 2014/15</b></span><br />
<i>- Sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona for £75m</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The best example above is probably Arsenal in 2008, certainly in terms of immediate results. They improved sans-Henry due to the emergence of new talent, primarily Fabregas and Adebayor. Do Liverpool have some hidden gems in their squad? Absolutely. Raheem Sterling looked unplayable at times towards the end of last season and Phillipe Coutinho, now that he's adjusted to the English game, is another quality player in the making.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwwH5TGrJP1dE3PgXqxakTYOAcqpHNpecXKB6x76Llyl7258LrGYmFpGxcSndcNcE-ys38WtjGuLERVleSalxkrmsa4cH0XZ3uCtqDa77SVrYqJpMS98cyYTMZb6lCiCagatYCQBtYsM/s1600/Sterling+Coutinho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwwH5TGrJP1dE3PgXqxakTYOAcqpHNpecXKB6x76Llyl7258LrGYmFpGxcSndcNcE-ys38WtjGuLERVleSalxkrmsa4cH0XZ3uCtqDa77SVrYqJpMS98cyYTMZb6lCiCagatYCQBtYsM/s1600/Sterling+Coutinho.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Could be a big year for these two...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ronaldo's departure from United in 2009 paved the way for Rooney to step up and become the team's star. Perhaps this year Daniel Sturridge will build on the superb breakout year he had last season and propel himself to the Suarez echelons of strikers. If Rodgers doesn't buy another top striker between now and the end of the window then he will be banking on this happening.<br />
<br />
What it looks like he is doing is spending the cash windfall received on a number of slightly less glamorous attacking names, like what Arsenal did in 2012. Together, Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla scored 34 league goals, marginally eclipsing van Persie's individual tally from the previous season. Not ideal, but an effective substitute. Goals count the same whether they all come from the one player or are spread throughout the team. Replacing one superstar with two or three quality players can work. Suarez got 31 in the league last season. Imagine this season Lallana contributes 12, Lambert 10 and Markovic 10, might be asking a lot considering they can't all play every game but this is how Arsenal maintained performance following van Persie's departure.<br />
<br />
What Liverpool desperately need to avoid is falling into the Spurs trap of last season. Spurs relied so heavily on Bale, far heavier than Liverpool relied on Suarez mind you, and once he left they had no one to turn to. The new signings flopped. Soldado the biggest of the bunch, Lamela not far behind (although he will come good I'm positive). Lallana and Lambert were smart bits of business as they won't have much adapting to do having spent their whole careers in England. Markovic is an exciting talent but a little raw. I think they need to spend again and spend big. Falcao looks like he's off to Real Madrid, Benzema has just signed a new deal there. Balotelli wants out of Milan. Di Maria is surely very available and PSG could surely be persuaded to part company with Cavani or Lavezzi to balance their books...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-80771698276727126492014-07-30T22:31:00.000+01:002014-07-30T22:33:06.539+01:00One Month To Go: What The Top Sides Need to be ContendersJust over two weeks until the start of the season and one month until the transfer window slams shut. There are probably five teams with realistic enough ambitions of winning the league this season and seven with very real Champions League hopes. City are the champions having stolen the title from Liverpool in the closing weeks of last season. Chelsea have strengthened significantly already. Arsenal have splashed out again on proven talent. Everton were pretty close to them last season and Spurs were not much further back. The former champions Man United are under new (proper) management again and looking to reclaim their place at the top table.<br />
<br />
Regardless of what happens, this season is shaping up nicely. Here's a run-down of what additions the contenders could do with making to their squads in the coming months.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Man City</b></span><br />
<br />
The champions won the league last year by simply being a lot better than their opposition quite often. They were great and there's not much areas for them to strengthen going into Pellegrini's sophomore year and the defence of their crown. In previous summer's City would spend lavish amounts of money on whoever they wanted. Recently they've fallen foul on Financial Fair Play regulations so I'd imagine the days of dropping £200m a summer are gone. I think this summer will be a rather quiet one for City and their major business is probably already done.<br />
<br />
The centre of the defence is the most obvious area they need to improve in. Too often last season did they have to rely on Martin Demichelis and too often did he let them down. Eliaquim Managla, a monster of a centre half should shore up the defence which, despite it's frailties, conceded less than all but Chelsea last season.<br />
<br />
Another option in central midfield was one thing they needed and Fernando has arrived, like Mangala, from Porto to provide this. He'll provide competition for Fernandinho alongside Yaya Toure in City's two-man midfield and, again, prevent them from relying on Martin Demichelis playing football for them.<br />
<br />
Further forward, City have plenty of strikers to choose from, the problem is getting them all fit. Aguero hasn't looked himself since getting injured last December. Jovetic spent most of last season on the sidelines, only managing two league starts, and Alvargo Negredo is set to miss the opening months of the season through injury. This left the bulk of the goalscoring at the end of last season to Edin Dzeko. Jovetic has looked sharp in pre-season so this will allay some of their fears and if they have Aguero back to his best they will take some stopping as it is, regardless of who they might bring in during August.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Liverpool</b></span><br />
<br />
What they need is not to become this season's Spurs.<br />
<br />
Last summer, Spurs cashed in on their biggest asset, Gareth Bale, for a hefty £86m. This year, Liverpool have done the same, selling the volatile Luis Suarez to Barcelona for a rumoured £75m. Spurs spent virtually the whole amount on new players without strengthening the side at all. Liverpool simply cannot afford to do the same.<br />
<br />
And it doesn't look like they will. Lallana, Lambert, Markovic and Can are already on board, Lovren has followed them this week. The Croatian's arrival should shore up a defence whose porosity arguably cost Liverpool the title last season. Lallana and Lambert are both coming off the back of excellent seasons with Southampton but it remains to be seen if they can make the step up. Markovic and Can are both very exciting young talents.<br />
<br />
The deal for Loic Remy has fallen through which I think is a bit of a blessing in disguise for Liverpool. I don't think that was the right move for either party. He wouldn't have been the main man and Liverpool would be better off using this cash windfall on a top quality striker. I think they should go for Falcao, Cavani or the slightly cheaper option in Lukaku. Balotelli is not happy at Milan and Benzema is surely on borrowed time in that Madrid side. One of the biggest clubs in England, with Champions League football and a talented, ambitious young manager. Why should Liverpool settle for anything but the best?<br />
<br />
One other thing they have to look at is a succession plan for Steven Gerrard. The captain is 34 now and can't play every game next season surely. With him out of the team the centre of midfield looks weak. Can can (lol) play there but he's unproven in England and 20 years old with just one season of football under his belt. Rodgers may look to use some of his cash windfall to strengthen this area too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chelsea</b></span><br />
<br />
They needed a replacement for whatever of the senior players they were letting go as well as a new top quality striker. Lampard and Cole moved on. Cesc Fabregas and Felipe Luis have moved in. Diego Costa has also arrived from Atletico Madrid where he will again link up with Luis and Courtouis, all of whom were part of Atletico's title winning side last season. Oh and in terms of replacing the dressing room leaders who have left, Didier Drogba has returned to the club, two years after leaving on the back of a Champions League triumph. Job pretty much done there for Jose.<br />
<br />
These additions make Chelsea the pre-season favourites for the title in my eyes and I don't expect them to do much more serious business in the next thirty days. In terms of FFP they are in much better shape than fellow splurgers City having brought in over £100m in player sales.<br />
<br />
They do, however, need a centre back. David Luiz has gone to PSG for a ridiculously inflated fee of £50m which leaves Terry and Cahill as the only two senior centre backs at the club with Ivanovic providing cover if needs be. John Terry will be 34 this December and a 38 game season combined with European and cup commitments is surely beyond him. Kurt Zouma has returned from loan with St. Ettiene but may find himself farmed out again to gain some more first team experience. Chances are Mourinho will dip into the market again for a moderately priced (£10 - £15m) central defender.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Arsenal</b></span><br />
<br />
Before last September, Arsenal had never paid more than £16m for a player. Now they've broken the £30m mark twice in the space of a year. Alexis Sanchez becoming the second superstar arrival at the Emirates in the past twelve months.<br />
<br />
Mathieu Debuchy has arrived from Newcastle as a direct replacement for Bacary Sagna who's decided to follow the lead of countless other Arsenal and take Man City's dollar. Priority for them now is a new striker. Giroud is not as bad as many make him out to be but he's not the attacking spearhead that Arsenal need.<br />
<br />
If the money is there, Wenger should go ahead and spend it on a top quality striker. Mario Balotelli is one of the names being banded about but I can't see Wenger taking that risk. Mourinho wouldn't sell Lukaku to him for anything close to a reasonable price. Benzema won't want to leave Madrid. Cavani would cost £50+, Falcao something similar. I don't think Wenger would part with that sort of money for anyone, particularly after shelling out almost £100m in the past twelve months.<br />
<br />
If Arsenal can add a striker who'll contribute 30 goals in all competitions to this attacking midfield oozing creativity, they will be a serious force to be reckoned with next season. The amount of flair they have is ridiculous but it's not going to be half as effective without a focal point.<br />
<br />
Another centre half is next on the agenda. Both Koscielny and Mertesacker had fine seasons last year but they're thin on the ground when it comes to cover for them, particularly if Vermaelen leaves.<br />
<br />
Douglas Costa is a perfect example of exactly what Arsenal don't need. In midfield, competition for Flamini in the defensive midfield role would be desirable. Sami Khedira has been strongly linked for a while now. They need someone to sit in front of the back four who'll let Aaron Ramsey bomb forward at will. Their weakness in this position was exposed horrifically at Anfield and Stamford Bridge last season.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Everton</b></span><br />
<br />
They have to replace Lukaku if he isn't coming back. The monstrous Belgian scored double what any other Everton player got last season. To be fair, the spread of goals in the team was quite good with most players getting at least one or two throughout the year, but if Everton have serious Champions League ambitions this year, and they will, then they will need a 20-per-season striker.<br />
<br />
They were pretty solid last season and there's not one single area they need to improve. Holding onto Ross Barkley would be a great piece of business. The defence is sound and the midfield of Barry and McCarthy was one of the better pairings last season. If the money is available of course, they could always do with better players and more strength in depth, who couldn't?<br />
<br />
They have to look at replenishing the defence. Jagielka and Distin aren't getting any younger. Further up the pitch, a few extra attacking options wouldn't go amiss. Steven Naismith was a good 'utility' attacking player last season, particularly towards the end, filling in at several different positions. Everton's resources are bound to be stretched this year with the added demands of European football so some extra bodies will definitely be required.<br />
<br />
Now, Wednesday evening, it does in fact look like Lukaku will be arriving at the club for good. One problem solved but the need for added firepower still remains.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Spurs</b></span><br />
<br />
Spurs need a lot. They were really dreadful at times last year.<br />
<br />
Michel Vorm is a strange one. They have a top class keeper in Lloris and a reliable understudy in Friedel so I can't say I fully understand that one. Pochetiino will be disappointed that the majority of his Southampton old-boys seem to be favouring Anfield and Champions League football over White Hart Lane and the slog of the Europa League.<br />
<br />
Last summer, Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela cost Spurs over £50m between them without contributing anything significant to the cause at all throughout the year. I suspect Lamela might have a more prominent role to play this year under Pochettino than he did last season under Tim Sherwood.<br />
<br />
Spurs need to strengthen just about everywhere if they are to mount a challenge for the top four this year. Their defence was horribly exposed by the top sides last season. Liverpool put 9 past them over the two games, City topped that with 11. Chelsea too managed to stick 4 past them at Stamford Bridge. I'm surprised Pochettino didn't push harder to sign Lovren to be honest. That defence needs some serious leadership and organisation.<br />
<br />
I would also say they need two new central midfielders. Paulinho can't play there. Not for Brazil and not for Spurs. Sandro and Capoue are decent squad players. Neither of them managed over 20 games last season and probably can't be counted on as first choice players. Nabir Bentaleb was one of the players who impressed during the brief Sherwood reign. It remains to see if Pochettino will favour him.<br />
<br />
Finally they need to bolster the forward line. Roberto Soldado has been a flop and the enigma that is Emmanuel Adebayor is not the type of player you want to be resting your hopes on. Romelu Lukaku would have been a much more 'stable' option. As would Wilfried Bony or Loic Remy if he is capable of passing a medical. Alternatively if they want to look abroad (slightly more risky given Soldado's failure to adapt), Klass Jan-Huntelaar. Memphis Depay or another versatile attacker would be a good signing for them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Man United</b></span><br />
<br />
Two players in by the end of July, last year they had zero in at the end of August and only the flop that was Marouane Fellaini arrived that summer. Of course United have already addressed their biggest shortcoming last season and hired a manager who's up to the job of managing the biggest club in the world.<br />
<br />
Now for the rebuilding of the squad...<br />
<br />
United definitely need to be busier in the next month than any of the other six teams on this list. The old defence is basically gone. Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra have all moved to pastures new this summer, leaving behind an absolute chasm in a defence that was fragile enough as it was last season. Tomas Vermaelen has been a long rumoured arrival. Matts Hummels would be perfect but that looks unlikely. Long term target Ezekiel Garay has just signed for Benfica. United can't afford to leave this until the last minute and end up panic buying. They need two new centre halves before the season starts.<br />
<br />
Smalling, Evans and Jones are the only three centre halves in the first team right now. None have established themselves as top drawer so far.<br />
<br />
The midfield problem is beginning to be addressed. Twelve months later Herrera has arrived. They will still need a ball-winner though. Fellaini isn't good enough at that and Fletcher can't be counted upon either for consistency, or to play a full season of games. Vidal is close to the perfect central midfielder but has ruled out the possibility of a move so far. A holding midfielder would be ideal as Herrera does like to venture forward. Ironic that exactly the type of player they need right now is one they let slip on a free to Juventus a couple of years ago.<br />
<br />
Up front I think United will be ok. It depends on who van Gaal wants to keep. The likes of Nani, Young and Zaha have never really delivered for United and now must be sweating on their futures. Young may have to find a new home at wing-back if he wants a future at the club. If two or all of these are sold, van Gaal will surely look for a replacement attacker, probably someone Dutch although the Di Maria rumours will refuse to go away until he's signed for someone else.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-60613076587577027462014-04-27T18:08:00.000+01:002014-04-27T18:08:59.212+01:00What Is Still To Play For In The Premier League<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Title</b></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuWz7tlqY0FK4tKILQIHbfIiiyuRac6sFVy_jqUbIx4B4KZLRlGjuMJ61vzZt3jiIEm0vcNflWWkFWJYsPhUqVAG4ylCNt1-sO_Azb56q72DXcdbCrbQ-ldRL3ypxQ2Apq_64JUPmFa8/s1600/RodPel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuWz7tlqY0FK4tKILQIHbfIiiyuRac6sFVy_jqUbIx4B4KZLRlGjuMJ61vzZt3jiIEm0vcNflWWkFWJYsPhUqVAG4ylCNt1-sO_Azb56q72DXcdbCrbQ-ldRL3ypxQ2Apq_64JUPmFa8/s1600/RodPel.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's probably going to the final day for City and Liverpool</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Chelsea's amazing win at Anfield on Sunday ensured Liverpool will not have it all their own way for the rest of the season. A Liverpool win, even a draw, would have been a massive step towards ending the 24 year drought. Now, they will be made to sweat as the fate of the title is now in Manchester City's hands. In all seriousness, Liverpool are probably still favourites, but only just.<br />
<br />
City are three points behind <b>Liverpool</b> with one game more to play. If both teams win all their remaining fixtures, Man City will win the title on goal difference (assuming Liverpool can't outscore them by eight goals in two games). Liverpool have just two games left to play. Away to Crystal Palace who have nothing left to play for and at home to Newcastle, who have a terrible record at Anfield and who also have absolutely zilch to play for. All Brendan Rodgers's side can do is secure maximum points and ensure that if they are going to be beaten to the title, it will be by the narrowest of margins.<br />
<br />
<b>Manchester City</b>, who won at Palace on Sunday, travel to Goodison Park next week to face 5th place Everton. A few weeks ago this would have seemed a much more daunting task than it does today. While it will be by no means an easy ride, Everton's form has dropped off badly and their big push for the top four has faded badly. Still they've beaten Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United at Goodison this season as well as drawing 3-3 with Liverpool. This game for City brings back memories of their trip to Newcastle two years ago on the penultimate day. A win moved them to within touching distance of the trophy. Anything else handed the initiative back to United. They won that and went on to win the title. If they win at Goodison I think they'll win the league.<br />
<br />
Following on from that they have home games with Aston Villa and West Ham in the final week of the season. Anything other than six points would mean 2nd place at best for Pellegrini in his first Premier League season.<br />
<br />
<b>Chelsea</b> are major outsiders having lost 3 out of 6 league games before they won at Anfield. Defeat at home to Sunderland last week was a fatal wound to their title challenge. Had they won that game, they'd be top by now. A 4-0 record against the other two contenders shows how much they love the big games, but their record away to the lower sides in the division is what has cost them. Still though, all it takes is Liverpool and City to both lose next week and Chelsea will surge back into the driving seat. They've got Norwich away and Cardiff at home to come. Arguably the division's worst two teams. Expect two wins.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Relegation</b></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9wpXPx42RyqydrTr2y0heZtLthq8f9fcQm6hG9IfLRpToeQid_r9JJBEXsNtLMtni51cTJZpwMN-73gEsfz2HVrYSf1lnR4gsSAU2PsGnxoTFQl7y77ggZullJwgGm4Vu7mKI7D0TZE/s1600/Ole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9wpXPx42RyqydrTr2y0heZtLthq8f9fcQm6hG9IfLRpToeQid_r9JJBEXsNtLMtni51cTJZpwMN-73gEsfz2HVrYSf1lnR4gsSAU2PsGnxoTFQl7y77ggZullJwgGm4Vu7mKI7D0TZE/s1600/Ole.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Survival is now near impossible for Cardiff City</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Nothing is set it stone yet. Any 3 from 8 teams could go down. Bottom of the pile are <b>Cardiff </b>on 30 points. With a trip to Newcastle and a home tie with Chelsea left, I wouldn't fancy them to get the 6 points they realistically need to stay up. <b>Fulham</b> are next on 31 points but have much more favourable fixtures remaining. They are away to Stoke next week and at home to London rivals Crystal Palace on the final day where the atmosphere at Craven Cottage will no doubt play a part in helping the team. Crucially, neither of Fulham's two remaining opponents will have anything other than pride to play for when they face them.<br />
<br />
<b>Norwich</b> slipped into the relegation zone this weekend and now stand very little chance of survival. Having sacked Chris Hughton with five games remaining, Neil Adams has managed to lose every one of his three games in charge. They face a trip to Chelsea and a home tie with Arsenal, both of which will be difficult for them to get anything from, particularly the way they are playing.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunderland</b>, having looked doomed just a few weeks ago, have put together a fine run of form and moved out of the relegation zone with a win over Cardiff on Sunday. The manner of this 4-0 victory will have done wonders for Gus Poyet and the club. They've a couple of winnable games coming up too so it looks likely that Sunderland will be around next year.<b> Aston Villa</b>'s form has taken a serious drop in recent weeks and has seen them slide down the table to the outskirts of the relegation battle. A couple of wins for Sunderland and Fulham over the next few weeks will pile the pressure on Villa to get results. Their final home game next week is against Hull who'll have one eye on the FA Cup final no doubt, and they've trips to City and Spurs to follow. Just 3 points above 18th spot, Villa are definitely not safe yet.<br />
<br />
<b>West Brom</b> scored a big victory over West Ham on Saturday. Just three points can make a huge difference in a team's outlook, a defeat would have seen the Hammers mathematically safe at West Brom stuck on 33 points, just above the drop-zone. West Brom still have to play Sunderland in a game where a draw might suit both teams with regards to securing survival. Other than that, their home game with Stoke on the final day will be looked at as a chance to secure their top-flight status although it should be a certainty by then.<br />
<br />
<b>West Ham</b> and <b>Hull</b> are not mathematically safe yet. 5 points above the drop with a maximum 6 left to play for, they won't have any troubles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Top Four</span></b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlMSh2bruVO9Sw27lE9DTi3V96SABYXzr2nqLUyao3rkmZBiNWnH5cOz-coWzxueAdHy5mdB0zrtcdiCiDxGeXbDiQSJakCxd6MGzza6_W84b82qPjK5lPZ4Qy9CRy5f77PF38S8_9Ow/s1600/Ramsey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlMSh2bruVO9Sw27lE9DTi3V96SABYXzr2nqLUyao3rkmZBiNWnH5cOz-coWzxueAdHy5mdB0zrtcdiCiDxGeXbDiQSJakCxd6MGzza6_W84b82qPjK5lPZ4Qy9CRy5f77PF38S8_9Ow/s1600/Ramsey.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ramsey's return should help Arsenal over the line</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Liverpool</b>, <b>Chelsea</b> and <b>Manchester City</b> are all guaranteed to be playing Champions League football next season. Everton still have a chance to join them but <b>Arsenal </b>are firmly in command of their own destiny when it comes to the final spot. The Gunners are a point ahead with a game in hand and face two home games against Newcastle and West Brom before a trip to Norwich as they attempt to secure a record-equalling 17th consecutive Champions League appearance.<br />
<br />
<b>Everton</b> have to play Manchester City so the chances of them picking up the maximum points they will probably need just to stand a chance are already at a disadvantage. City will be hungry and have the title in their sights so I don't like Everton's chances of winning the game, though they could very well secure a draw. In the long-run they will be hoping Arsenal have one eye on the FA Cup final over the coming weeks and that sees them slip-up, allowing Everton to secure a huge bonus for the club.<br />
<br />
Strictly speaking,<b> Spurs</b> are also still mathematically in the hunt. A win for Arsenal on Monday against Newcastle ends that dream.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Europe</b></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWFzWUPP8vqMOObZjyphpk5cpLpEgQbHXj7X85Qqbny19ZaPV6dxeXsycmIOLI1t-fPAY7qICuQNeQzPMmjKKHi-AY9mMRyuBcmvy7-T1X9VECsh4Nugeemnduc3d9kB2NMY-U0xG8MA/s1600/Tim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWFzWUPP8vqMOObZjyphpk5cpLpEgQbHXj7X85Qqbny19ZaPV6dxeXsycmIOLI1t-fPAY7qICuQNeQzPMmjKKHi-AY9mMRyuBcmvy7-T1X9VECsh4Nugeemnduc3d9kB2NMY-U0xG8MA/s1600/Tim.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'Finished ahead of United in the Premier League' would go straight on Tim's CV</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The loser of the <b>Everton/Arsenal</b> race for 4th will have the consolation prize, if you can call it a prize, of playing Europa League football next season. Hull are also guaranteed a spot as either FA Cup winners or runners-up as their opponents will qualify for Europe through the league.<br />
<br />
As Manchester City won the other domestic trophy, the League Cup, England's final Europa League spot will go to the team that finishes in 6th place which will be either <b>Spurs</b> or <b>Manchester United</b>. I don't think either side particularly wants the extra burden of playing in the Europa League next season but one of them will get it. As it stands, Spurs are 6 points ahead with a game more played.<br />
<br />
Neither sides have any games against the top four left. Spurs go to fierce rivals West Ham next week before hosting Aston Villa on the final day. They're playing well at the moment so I'd expect them to pick up the four points they need to 'secure' the Europa League spot. United have two home games against Sunderland and Hull before finishing up at Southampton on the last day. Two winnable games and a tricky one at St.Mary's for Ryan Giggs's side, they could take maximum points but it probably won't be enough. I'm sure they'll be gutted.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And Everyone Else...</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Southampton</b>, <b>Newcastle</b>, <b>Stoke</b> and <b>Crystal Palace</b> fans, your teams have absolutely nothing left to play for. Congratulations/Commiserations based on your respective early-season expectations.<br />
<br />
<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-13092013836039519472014-04-23T12:47:00.001+01:002014-04-23T12:47:55.025+01:00The Poorly Chosen One: The Disaster That Was The David Moyes Era<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIDQIZikDazUmOSUpmT4q3SXh_E0MU7L-lXjOK6vflDUrn6VmgACMEAFHPY8Npx4dI8cNy5by2hvD6Eirf9p9CQY3FPO5zzDhQVMmpz9gi944jd-copZvaXeYwwo6cri18OAvJ2wVepA/s1600/Moyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIDQIZikDazUmOSUpmT4q3SXh_E0MU7L-lXjOK6vflDUrn6VmgACMEAFHPY8Npx4dI8cNy5by2hvD6Eirf9p9CQY3FPO5zzDhQVMmpz9gi944jd-copZvaXeYwwo6cri18OAvJ2wVepA/s1600/Moyes.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Poorly Chosen One, Moyes has lasted less than one season</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It's over. 295 days that are captured perfectly by this incredibly useful <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Q7QHPcsv0">three second video clip</a>.<br />
<br />
The ill-fated reign of David Moyes as Manchester United manager early in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Despite calls for his head from as early as October time, I think the general consensus was that he would be given till at least the end of this season and perhaps the start of next before his future came under threat. Ed Woodward and The Glazers however have decided with just four league games remaining and United doomed to their worst ever Premier League season, the axe could not wait any longer, it had to fall and it did.<br />
<br />
Whatever about the way the sacking was handled by the club (poorly and without much class), there can be no denying that this was 100% justified. If anything, it says a lot about the attitude of the club towards managers that they gave him virtually a whole year to turn things around. Hodgson at Liverpool went in January of his first year. Scolari and Villas-Boas both only lasted till February at Stamford Bridge. However when a manager takes over a team that won the title by 12 point last season and within one year has them 23 points off the pace, it's quite obvious that there is something fundamentally wrong with how he is doing his job. Yes the players didn't perform but the manager always must take the fall for this. There's no way the notoriously 'ageing' squad Ferguson had left Moyes with could have naturally deteriorated this much. A manager's job is to get the best out of his players, it seems Moyes got just about the worst.<br />
<br />
David Moyes recalls the day in May 2013 when he was told he would be the next Manchester United manager saying "The blood drained from my face" as he realised the enormity of the role he was suddenly being thrust into. With the fear he showed then, it should have been clear that the job was too big for him, as the last ten months have proved. He would have been mad to refuse of course but it never have been offered to him in the first place. The idea of simply telling someone they are getting a job they haven't applied for seems strange to me. I agree that Ferguson deserved some input into choosing his successor but the hiring process seemed a bit bizarre.<br />
<br />
The alarm bells began ringing in the summer when it became evident the transition into the post-Ferguson era at the club was not going to be a smooth one. The club made a mess of several transfer dealings in the summer and ended up with panic-buy Marouane Fellaini from Moyes's former club as the sole new face at the club. Fellaini's failure as a Manchester United player really nullifies the argument that Moyes needed time to bring in his own players and build his own team. He was appointed on May 9th and began work July 1st. He had two months to try and bring in the players he wanted and all he managed was Fellaini who signed at 11:40pm on September 1st.<br />
<br />
The Old Trafford faithful are a loyal bunch and they were willing to give the manager time during a difficult bedding-in period in the hope that things would improve. The 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in September proved to be the first of many humiliating defeats they would have to endure throughout season. West Brom became the first of many sides to end a winless streak against United when they triumphed at Old Trafford the following week but following this set-back things did actually seem to improve and United went on a decent unbeaten run that included an impressive 5-0 win in Leverkusen and a 'plucky' victory at home to league leaders Arsenal, Moyes's only victory over a top 8 side as United boss.<br />
<br />
It was over the winter that things began to take a downward spiral from which they would never recover. December opened with back to back home defeats to Everton and Newcastle. The Newcastle game being the one in which Moyes declared in his program notes that United would "make life difficult for Newcastle today". Making life difficult for clubs was what his Everton side did when they were scrapping around the lower echelons of the top half, what his Preston side did as they punched well above their weight in the Football League. It's what Stoke have done for years, what Crystal Palace do so well now. It's not what Manchester United do. Not ever. Imagine a Real Madrid or Barcelona manager saying before kick-off that they were going to 'make life difficult' for Real Sociedad when they come to the Bernabeau or the Camp Nou. I don't think he'd still be in charge by kick-off.<br />
<br />
Having proved incapable of making his mark in the transfer market and completely out of his depth mentally, Tottenham's trip to Old Trafford on New Years Day exposed Moyes as a complete tactical dunce. His gameplan was simple and comically uneffective. Get the ball wide, cross the ball at no-one in particular, see ball cleared by centre halves, try again, lose the game. Painful to watch. The pattern was repeated against Stoke whose centre-halves have an average height of about 8 foot with similarly poor results. A week later at home to Fulham, United managed to set a record for most attempted crosses as they struggled to draw 2-2 with the league's whipping boys. It seemed that getting the ball wide and crossing, even in the absence of a target-man, was the only way he knew how to play. Flair players like Mata and Kagawa would never flourish under Moyes.<br />
<br />
"We have to make sure we win 1-0" was Moyes's pre-match soundbite before United headed into a League Cup semi-final second leg against Sunderland in January, trailing 2-1 following a dismal first leg performance. United took the 1-0 and sat back, apparently content to soak up pressure at Old Trafford against a side in the Premier League relegation zone. Under Ferguson, I'm sure United would have gone out and won 4-0. Moyes had been Everton manager for eleven years. 1-0 and 2-1 are the only way he really knows how to win. Scraping it. These players were used to being sent out to dominate games. Needless to say, Sunderland ended up progressing to the final, via the worst penalty shoot-out in history.<br />
<br />
January also saw Swansea enjoy what used to be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for players, a win at Old Trafford, as they dumped United out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle. The arrival of Juan Mata for a club record £37m created a brief feeling of optimism among fans. Hope evaporated within weeks however. Mata, a fantastic player, was not the kind of midfielder United were lacking. They needed an enforcer but got anything but. He was shoehorned in as a right winger. Moyes being given Mata was likened to a grandmother being given an iPhone. He didn't know how to use him and this state of the art piece of kit was being put to waste.<br />
<br />
An embarrassing 0-2 defeat to Champions League minnows Olympiakos and further Old Trafford humblings by Liverpool and Manchester City, sealing league doubles for both of them, brought Moyes past the point of no return in the eyes of many fans and, apparently, the directors at the club too. It wasn't just the performances on the field, it was the manager's approach and attitude off it. The manager at any club is their main media outlet, it's face if you will. Moyes was proving to be a poor ambassador for Man United. Describing Liverpool as favourites before they came to Old Trafford portrays the club as weak. Saying that they should aspire to be like City did exactly the same thing. This was gross naivety on the part of Moyes. His job may have changed but he had kept his old Everton mentality. He saw United as plucky underdogs rather than the colossal superpower he had been assigned to lead. Being a good mayor of a small town does not mean you're fit to be the President of America.<br />
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A 'brave' defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League was not good enough. If anything, the story of this tie highlighted just how far United had fallen under the new regime. Twelve months ago the same group of players had Mourinho's Real Madrid on the ropes before a controversial red card changed the game. This year, when Bayern came to Old Trafford, it was obvious the only way they would get anything other than a hammering would be to sit back and park the bus. That they did. A 1-1 draw at home was looked upon like a massive victory. Moyes's grin after the game could be seen from space. The second leg was much the same but Bayern's class eventually told and they progressed, winning 3-1 in Munich.<br />
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Ironically, Moyes's United reign ended at the home of his former club Everton where he suffered yet another chastening dose of reality. At no stage on Sunday did it look like United were going to beat Everton or even score against them. In the past, a Ferguson team would have gone to David Moyes's Everton expecting to win, anything else was simply unthinkable. David Moyes's Man United went there as hopeless outsiders who never seemed to believe they had a chance. Everton were the better side and deserved to win. It was truly amazing how the two clubs had virtually swapped mentalities in the space of a year. The result mathematically consigned United to the unfamiliar position of having no Champions League football to look forward to next season, surely the bare minimum expected of Moyes in his first season, and he lost his job within two days.<br />
<br />
He had to go. There's no doubt about it. If there had been at least some signs that things would improve then I would say give him time but things were only getting worse and worse. Given the rebuilding job that needs to be done over the summer and the investment required, it didn't make sense to have him there. A manager who can turn a team from runaway champions to a mid-table side is clearly doing something wrong. Yes the players let him down but the buck stops with the manager. It always has and always will.<br />
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The perilous task of walking in Fergie's footsteps is over and done with now and to just about no-one's surprise, 'The Chosen One' has failed. The next manager will not have such an enormous shadow hanging over him as he succeeds David Moyes, it would take someone very incompetent to do a worse job than this.<br />
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Ancelotti, van Gaal, Blanc.. or Ryan Giggs leading a <i>Class of 92</i> coaching team? Whoever gets the job faces an easier task than Moyes but a monster one nonetheless.<br />
<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-86893461719893177612014-04-11T11:00:00.000+01:002014-04-11T11:00:08.360+01:00Time For A Change At Arsenal?<br />
I wrote here back in August that a lack of willingness to evolve was killing Arsenal. One week later they seemingly proved me wrong, paying £42m for Mesut Ozil and surging to the top of the Premier League table by mid-September. Now, almost the whole season later I find myself singing a familiar tune. Arsenal's failure to evolve and make themselves better has seen them blow their lead at the top and become engulfed in a familiar battle for 4th spot.<br />
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It seems unthinkable that a club would sack the most successful manager in their history and out of respect for what he's done for the club, I don't expect Arsenal to merely dispense with Wenger's services in such a cold manner. However I do believe it is the right time to change and it would serve the club better going forward.<br />
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It's a situation similar to Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest in the 1980s and early 1990s. Clough took Forest to their first ever title in 1978 and followed it up with European Cup wins the following two seasons. Thirteen years elapsed between their triumph in Madrid in 1980 and Clough's departure from the club in 1993. During that time they achieved only two 3rd place finishes and two League Cups. Clough's immortal status at the club made him pretty much immune to firing. It took relegation in the inaugural Premier League season in 1993 for them to part ways. Clough never managed again, his style had long-since passed it's sell-by-date.<br />
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The changes that have occurred at Arsenal in the intervening two decades since Wenger's arrival are a testament to the fantastic work he's done at the club. He arrived at the club as a relatively unknown manager having previously won Ligue Un with Monaco. His tenure at the club has changed the culture entirely. There's no bigger tribute to his impact on the club than the majestic Emirates Stadium where Arsenal have played since 2006. It might as well be a monument to the work done by Wenger in his first decade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QYFNteuUk8hIcpi8ZjRd1ioSua_JyPA-kjJlKQAlUmLmw8U8So9ZMKCc5Y-DhRFAlw-fbrJBma8sU0sMyjNgud6oeNedKobZc9rnTIpf7itHxWv4QXE1C1yqPqlViRCwMbJjGUbqFY4/s1600/Emirates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QYFNteuUk8hIcpi8ZjRd1ioSua_JyPA-kjJlKQAlUmLmw8U8So9ZMKCc5Y-DhRFAlw-fbrJBma8sU0sMyjNgud6oeNedKobZc9rnTIpf7itHxWv4QXE1C1yqPqlViRCwMbJjGUbqFY4/s1600/Emirates.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A giant monument to Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium</i></td></tr>
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His first full season ended in the Premier League title and FA Cup double. He phased out an Arsenal legend in Ian Wright and decided to build the attacking outlet around Denis Bergkamp. His new signings Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars in particular where vital in Arsenal's success that year as they put together an amazing run towards the end of the season to clinch the title with games to spare.<br />
<br />
A lull followed for the following seasons as Wenger struggled with an ageing defence that needed replacing and the challenge of perhaps the greatest Man United side of all time who won the next three titles. With Sol Campbell acquired controversially from neighbours Spurs, Arsenal stormed to another double in 2001/02.<br />
<br />
Wenger had, by this stage put together one of the most complete Premier League sides of all time. The defence had been replenished with the arrivals of Campbell, Kolo Toure and Lauren as well as the emergence of Ashley Cole. Vieira was still running the midfield alongside World-Cup winner Gilberto Silva. Robert Pires and Freddy Ljungberg, two of Wenger's best ever signings played on the wings with Denis Bergkamp up front, playing off arguably Arsenal's greatest ever player, the best in the world at the time and talisman of the team, Thierry Henry.<br />
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This side famously went the entire 2003/04 Premier League season unbeaten. The run continued into 2004/05 but was stopped at 49. A defeat that in many ways marked the turning point for Wenger. Arsenal relinquished the title to Chelsea that season, never to regain it. The <i>Invincibles</i> broke up over the next two years. Vieira was sold to Juventus, Henry to Barcelona, Cole to Chelsea. Bergkamp retired. Pires and Ljungberg faded away and then left.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7WpRu5bzglTkMbw5NRVWY_tabr188xuKYcKwVwUQnux4Dv9Jzpc2n5omUx8gEA6m-uEdX422bJ-XXXQXyouz2TikDSzhHIAq6ppk1PCVLggwXu08Y7lbekqOgdQa7GLQBo7lmD-JB9I/s1600/Invincibles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7WpRu5bzglTkMbw5NRVWY_tabr188xuKYcKwVwUQnux4Dv9Jzpc2n5omUx8gEA6m-uEdX422bJ-XXXQXyouz2TikDSzhHIAq6ppk1PCVLggwXu08Y7lbekqOgdQa7GLQBo7lmD-JB9I/s1600/Invincibles.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Invincibles were Wenger's second and last great side</i></td></tr>
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Wenger's great rival Sir Alex Ferguson built several teams at Old Trafford, always ensuring the trophies continued to flow in. After Wenger added a bit of attacking flair the to solid defensive unit that was the mid-90s Arsenal side to make them champions, he built the Invincibles. They disbanded within two seasons. Gunners fans are still patiently waiting on his third team.<br />
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Arsenal didn't finish outside the top two of the Premier League in any of of Wenger's first eight full seasons at the club. Since they slumped to 4th place in 2005/06, they haven't managed to get back in. Wenger brought us the Invincibles, the team who went an entire Premier League season unbeaten, but since that era ended in around 2005, he's failed to build on the success from his first<br />
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The early part of this decade has seen Arsenal become the subject of many jokes regarding them being a selling club. In the space of a few years they sold a considerable amount of players to teams they were supposedly trying to beat. Clichy, Toure, Adebayor and Nasri went to Manchester City. Fabregas, Hleb and Alex Song went to Barcelona. Perhaps the most unforgivable from the fans point of view was the sale of the reigning PFA Player of the Year, Robin van Persie, to old rivals Manchester United in 2012. All these players have gone on to win trophies at their new clubs. Arsenal haven't won a thing without them.<br />
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Truth is, they were a selling club long before then. They sold Overmars and Petit to Barcelona in 2000. Henry followed in 2007. Patrick Vieira went to Juventus in 2005. All of these players still had something to offer to Arsenal.<br />
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The sad truth for Arsenal fans is that they've failed to win the Premier League since 2004 and failed to win a single trophy since a fortunate FA Cup Final triumph over Man United in 2005. These days, instead of being the team to beat in the Premier League as they were in the early 2000s, Arsenal's main aim every year is simply to remain in the top four and continue to play in the Champions League. The club has fallen a long way in terms of ambition.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpTmkX01e4D16lJYpcvXlpRSYp63mUiRYYtUyMuBhsb5MovMqfDJfaxFywgM2tcht3ciWfVJzdirFeeq2ubQN89GSJLV8ctxHRlf7diWLD5mkPO1mphF7vOxmW98-MOUW25ieBfWLRNA/s1600/AFC+4th+place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpTmkX01e4D16lJYpcvXlpRSYp63mUiRYYtUyMuBhsb5MovMqfDJfaxFywgM2tcht3ciWfVJzdirFeeq2ubQN89GSJLV8ctxHRlf7diWLD5mkPO1mphF7vOxmW98-MOUW25ieBfWLRNA/s1600/AFC+4th+place.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Arsenal players celebrate 'finishing 4th' last season</i></td></tr>
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The reasons for Arsenal's decline? Chelsea and Man City are two big ones yes but even if they weren't a factor, Arsenal haven't finished above Manchester United in the league since 2005 which suggests they wouldn't have won a title even without the billions of petro-dollars they have flowed into the Premier League in the past decade.<br />
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Paying the £600m required to build the Emirates Stadium is another factor that must be taken into account. However, Man United were also saddled with a similarly huge debt around about the same time and have won six league titles and the Champions League since then so I'm not sure how much that excuse can wash.<br />
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The trophy drought should end this year and Arsenal should have enough to secure 4th spot and a 17th successive year of Champions League football but is this enough to satisfy fans, particularly in a year that promised so much with the signing of a world superstar in Ozil and the runaway league lead over the winter? I think not.<br />
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Arsenal's capitulation this season began at Anfield on February 8th. They came to Liverpool as league leaders and found themselves lucky to be only 4-0 down after twenty minutes and lucky to escape with just a 5-1 defeat. This game was an easy tactical victory for Brendan Rodgers over Arsene Wenger. Arsenal always play with a high defensive line and Wenger continued this approach at Anfield. A massive mistake. All Rodgers had to do was instruct Coutinho to drop back and help win the ball in Liverpool's half, put Suarez on Sterling on the wings against Arsenal's advanced full backs and trust his attackers to punish Wenger for his refusal to adapt his tactics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvqyeE-VhImKcIvryyn8_4NwaoSzpiTZQYqzSlXecLlg87S262aMt4IDwmfOZBnweHyLCyCNeoiZ2IUPf2V2xO2XL5nfHVk-OvEvVEV4OsvN69mauLFzctzRXqt-neQtjQ3_qVCwY5Mo/s1600/Arsenal+loss+to+Chelsea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvqyeE-VhImKcIvryyn8_4NwaoSzpiTZQYqzSlXecLlg87S262aMt4IDwmfOZBnweHyLCyCNeoiZ2IUPf2V2xO2XL5nfHVk-OvEvVEV4OsvN69mauLFzctzRXqt-neQtjQ3_qVCwY5Mo/s1600/Arsenal+loss+to+Chelsea.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The defeats to Liverpool and Chelsea were amazingly similar</i></td></tr>
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I found myself in disbelief when almost the exact same thing happened six weeks later at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal played against the division's other great counter attacking side with a similarly high line, clearly having learned nothing from their Anfield humiliation. This time they were 3-0 down in twenty minutes, 4-0 by half time and 6-0 by full time. It is genuinely baffling how a manager with Wenger's experience is so unwilling/unable to adapt his tactics based on the oppostion. It seems he'd rather lose playing <i>his</i> way than change his tactics from the system that everyone has figured out by now.<br />
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Last weekend, it was the turn of Roberto Martinez to make Wenger look like a fool. Wenger tends to play the same players in the same system every week. Against the weaker teams this will normally be enough. Against the big sides, as they've found out time and time again, you have to 'play the other team' and not just your own game. It sounds elementary but it's remarkable how often Arsenal seem to get caught out.<br />
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Everton don't have quick enough attacking players to destroy Arsenal on the counter the way Liverpool and Chelsea do. Martinez instead relied on the defensive negligence of Arsenal's 3/4 line (Podolski, Cazorla and Rosicky), put his two quickest attackers up against Arsenal's full backs and played Naismith as a false nine to drag the centre backs up and create more space in behind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4LW2nyUGj5KFsW1DQn3zt_u8yXAv1-gAnh2NuGulzhZvUM-gFI6UWufOFIpyOweOWTTF9xzPweD6oLL4L5tz2DU4gDoleL_SBGFXarX-tFSWl24v0G50jkqJpaagxQEB675bnNOvjvg/s1600/Martinez+Wenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4LW2nyUGj5KFsW1DQn3zt_u8yXAv1-gAnh2NuGulzhZvUM-gFI6UWufOFIpyOweOWTTF9xzPweD6oLL4L5tz2DU4gDoleL_SBGFXarX-tFSWl24v0G50jkqJpaagxQEB675bnNOvjvg/s1600/Martinez+Wenger.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Martinez beat Wenger last week. He's seen as a possible replacement by many.</i></td></tr>
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Arsene Wenger changed the face of English football. There can be no disputing that. He brought a new scientific and economic look at the game when he arrived in the mid-90s. But his failure to evolve with the times has seen the game over-take him. Young managers like Martinez and Rodgers have made him look like an old fool in the past few months while his old nemesis Jose Mourinho continues to get the better of him at every turn. Wenger attributes his side's failings since about 2007 to a 'lack of mental toughness'. That excuse held up when he had a young set of players but it doesn't anymore. Arsenal's youngest outfield player against Everton on Sunday was Olivier Giroud. He's 27. Wenger needs to stop relying on his trusty excuse and face up to the fact he's been out-thought time and time again by his opposing managers.<br />
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Times have changed and Wenger doesn't seem willing or able to move with them, certainly not way in the same way Ferguson did at Man United. His sides play lovely attacking football when they come up against the likes of Norwich or Sunderland. But their default gameplan, their plan A, is only effective against these type of sides. Against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and City, Arsenal don't change anything and get torn to shreds again and again.<br />
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You can't sack someone like Arsene Wenger, with all he's done for the club, but I can't see them winning another title, or even improving significantly with him at the helm. Looking to the future, the time may be right for both sides of this marriage to part ways, mutually and amicably.<br />
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<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-22102774155240799752014-04-04T13:35:00.000+01:002014-04-04T13:35:35.091+01:00How Brendan Rodgers Has Revolutionized Liverpool<br />
Hired in June 2012, armed with a 'five-year plan' that would take Liverpool back to the top of the English game, Brendan Rodgers has exceeded all expectations and brought them within sight of that elusive Premier League title within just two seasons.<br />
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Rodgers, who's just 41, worked as part of Jose Mourinho's coaching team during his first spell at Chelsea. He worked as youth team manager and reserve team manager before leaving to make the step into senior management in 2008. He had spells at both Watford and Reading in the Championship but it was at Swansea where he really began to make a name for himself in football management. In his first season at the club he led the Swans to promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs and followed this up by consolidating their top flight status the following season with an impressive 11th place finish. Rodgers had probably taken this team as far as he could given their resources and the summer of 2012 would prove to be the right time to move on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXt3z_AwPQZACegzHDUBCW3ltUSwoKS_h5qgRuZpsfLO4UKO0DDU90CkmF0YJJN0VYj_QsBwzGiLneV3fjZIsnHNsKah1BC6ryGtNZFoIRPU-llSD1zgj4IU2X_amGpyzS0QqH1JykcY/s1600/Swansea+Rod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXt3z_AwPQZACegzHDUBCW3ltUSwoKS_h5qgRuZpsfLO4UKO0DDU90CkmF0YJJN0VYj_QsBwzGiLneV3fjZIsnHNsKah1BC6ryGtNZFoIRPU-llSD1zgj4IU2X_amGpyzS0QqH1JykcY/s1600/Swansea+Rod.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swansea's playoff triumph at Wembley in 2011</i></td></tr>
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Under Rodgers, Swansea played some of the best passing football in the division. In the 2011/12 season they averaged more passes per game than anyone but United and Arsenal, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, and had a higher success rate than everyone besides City, who finished the season as champions. Such was the growth of Rodgers reputation that at the end of the season he was offered the biggest job available in the country at that time, the chance to follow in the shoes of some of the best managers of all time and take charge of Liverpool.<br />
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Liverpool at this time were in a period of decline and had been for about three years since Rafa Benitez led them to a credible 2nd place finish in 08/09. Rodgers primary task was to stop the decline. His first season represented an improvement on any since Benitez left the club. They won more games, more points and finished one place higher than they had under Dalglish. Notably, they almost doubled their goal tally from the previous season, highlighting the new emphasis Rodgers had placed on attacking football.<br />
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There were some other notable statistics that emphasized the change in philosophy Brendan Rodgers was bringing to the club. He was making his mark on this team, inspired by Barcelona's famous <i>tiki-taka</i> brand of football of which he is an avid fan.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Liverpool enjoyed a higher average share of possession in 12/13 compared to 11/12, an increase of roughly 3%, not enormous.</li>
<li>Liverpool's pass completion rate increased from 80% under Dalglish to 85% under Rodgers in 12/13. It's stayed at roughly that level this season.</li>
<li>The average amount of passes played per game has increased under Rodgers, starting out at 390 under the old regime it has since jumped significantly to 475 per game. </li>
<li>In tandem with this, the amount of long passes attempted per game has reduced from 67 per game under Dalglish down to around 50 under Rodgers, showing his preference for a shorter passing style over Dalglish's more direct approach.</li>
</ul>
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One of the first things Rodgers did upon his arrival at Anfield was make it perfectly clear that Liverpool's record signing, £35m striker Andy Carroll would not be part of his plans for the club. Carroll was allowed to leave on loan for the season in August and permanently twelve months later. This was seen by a bold move in some quarters and Rodgers received a lot of criticism as it left him going into the 2012/13 with Luis Suarez as the club's only recognised striker. In hindsight, it was a smart move. Carroll is about as direct a player as they come and Rodgers style of play is anything but direct.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22nC-pql97LVA72XS4cMHzH0czXAqTCmR_LwMs0SsPUIDQ0igUayW4jc_fQa0HRA5LdqQONLvef55dEk_z8dcxeeD_kzf1oAsmZfM4Y3gtul6R7LXOFL-3iK98XHvaWzM-aoZozphRsg/s1600/Jordan+Henderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22nC-pql97LVA72XS4cMHzH0czXAqTCmR_LwMs0SsPUIDQ0igUayW4jc_fQa0HRA5LdqQONLvef55dEk_z8dcxeeD_kzf1oAsmZfM4Y3gtul6R7LXOFL-3iK98XHvaWzM-aoZozphRsg/s1600/Jordan+Henderson.jpg" height="243" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Henderson is one player Rodgers has got the best out of</i></td></tr>
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This has in turn allowed Luis Suarez to thrive as the club's lead striker, unleashed, the Uruguayan duly looks set to not only secure the golden boot this year but also to break the Premier League records for goals in a season. Under Dalglish he was often being wasted, used in tandem with Carroll as part of an old fashioned big-man/little-man, Niall Quinn/Kevin Phillips type duo, the quicker nimbler forward feeding off flick-ons from the taller man. Under Rodgers he's become an unplayable tenacious, ruthless, complete striker more like Didier Drogba than Kevin Phillips.</div>
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This season, the good work Rodgers did in his first season and the foundations he laid down are reaping massive rewards. Liverpool have been undoubtedly the most exciting team to watch in the division and now head the table with just seven games remaining. Rodgers has made minor tweaks to his strategy game by game. They still play with an adventurous high-line against most opponents which have exposed defensive frailities but going forward, particularly on the fast counter attack which wasn't used so much last season, they look irresistible and should break the 100 goal mark before the season is out. This year they've scored eight times from counter attacks, double the amount of any other team in the league.</div>
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<div>
Having experimented with a 3-5-2 formation among others earlier in the season, Rodgers now seems settled on one of two main formations with only one minor difference between them. His preferred formation is a 4-3-3 but at times, such as the recent wins over Southampton and Man United, he has reverted to a 4-4-2 with a diamond structure in midfield.</div>
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<div>
The preferred 4-3-3 formation shown below consists of:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Two centre backs. These are more than mere defensive pieces, they have an art in recycling possession for the more attacking players and playing the ball out of defence when they win it, not just hoofing it long. Skrtel and Sakho average more passes per game than any member of the squad aside from Gerrard and Henderson.</li>
<li>Two wing backs: Rodgers has dispensed with out-and-out wingers, appointing the task of providing attacking width to his full-backs. This has left them exposed at times particularly on the right where Glen Johnson loves to get forward and can be negligent defensively. The absence of wingers gives them more bodies inside, closer to the goal and more chance to dominate that area. </li>
<li>Anchor-man: Steven Gerrard, who's been a revelation in this new position for him. He chases down the opposition, wins the ball back and plays it off to a team-mate as they look to set-up an attack. He'd be a contender for Player of the Year if it wasn't already certain to go to his Uruguayan mate further up the pitch.</li>
<li>Box-to-box midfielders: Henderson and Allen recently although Coutinho has found himself there. These players need to be energetic, with good engines and levels of stamina. Their main role is to win the ball back by means of tireless pressing and tackling. Once Liverpool have the ball back, these two look to get forward to provide extra attacking options, particularly to the flanks.</li>
<li>Forwards: The front-line is pretty flexible and versatile. Lately Rodger's has used Suarez and Sterling as inside forwards, not wingers, and Sturridge as the main outlet up front. The system is fairly fluid however and can be altered depending on the opposition's defence. The pace of all three make Liverpool exceptionally dangerous on the counter attack.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh8wJxs4u0MNlYAXFO3Uwm0EvKiSmZgI96tugjR4nWicm3pHYGQc_FSG9H3KDwgHU8shaAdGK8Vrt_8QpRw3EdWNfD24nOeNlFLWK2-IbVknaNnt8ALdad_ZUBazOxV_b1Cg1jF4wQu8/s1600/LIV+4-3-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh8wJxs4u0MNlYAXFO3Uwm0EvKiSmZgI96tugjR4nWicm3pHYGQc_FSG9H3KDwgHU8shaAdGK8Vrt_8QpRw3EdWNfD24nOeNlFLWK2-IbVknaNnt8ALdad_ZUBazOxV_b1Cg1jF4wQu8/s1600/LIV+4-3-3.png" height="400" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liverpool's 4-3-3 used of late</td></tr>
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Alternatively, as he did against Man United, Rodgers could use Sterling or Coutinho in a more central role. Coutinho would be the better natural fit for this position but Sterling has come on in leaps and bounds technically over the past year, he's no longer just a pacy winger (Rodgers must take some credit for this, whatever way he is being coached is obviously proving effective) and has looked pretty solid when used in that role.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LIverpool's diamond formation</td></tr>
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On the pitch, Rodgers has proved himself tactically. He's an excellent motivator, handles the media very well and get's the best out of players who weren't reaching their potential before working for him, Jordan Henderson being the prime example of a player who has improved drastically this season.</div>
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The way he handled the Luis Suarez affair last summer was admirable. Rodgers navigated a potentially disastrous situation of a superstar in open revolt and came out of it the other side with his reputation very much intact, perhaps even stronger. He refused to yield to Suarez demands to leave and instead of begging or pleading with him to stay he calmly told him 'You're staying. Oh and by the way, go apologize to your team-mates or you'll be training with the youth team'. Suarez had no option but to give in, relationships were repaired and the rest is (very recent) history.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWHo10Yn1BbOTnT60p3XsCICBDoC4hJbpMqOqCWLbuDwnGIjq677Nucnn2KfSUpe78KCAxSm7UsFULHz-IrZ73-7AP3vRFo6zg0GwigcYOcAGCAYXbN0Iw6jveu8wbdSZ3YY6iLkqYG0/s1600/RodgersSuarez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWHo10Yn1BbOTnT60p3XsCICBDoC4hJbpMqOqCWLbuDwnGIjq677Nucnn2KfSUpe78KCAxSm7UsFULHz-IrZ73-7AP3vRFo6zg0GwigcYOcAGCAYXbN0Iw6jveu8wbdSZ3YY6iLkqYG0/s1600/RodgersSuarez.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Suarez/Rodger relationship seems to be repaired</i></td></tr>
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One area he still remains a little suspect in is the transfer market. Since his arrival, Rodgers has overseeen four transfer windows at Liverpool and spent roughly £100m, yet of the twelve players shown in the diagrams above, eight were already at the club before his arrival. Joe Allen followed him from Swansea, Sturridge and Coutinho arrived for a combined fee of £20m in January 2013, two deals that look like absolute bargains now and by far the best bit of business Liverpool have done under Rodgers. Simon Mignolet arrived in the summer to replace keeper Pepe Reina who left for Napoli on loan.</div>
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He's spent big on other players. Sakho cost £17m from PSG which looks a tad expensive for what they got. Other than that the likes of Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and Tiago Illori have all arrived, not for huge fees individually but it all adds up, and not really contributed towards making the side better. Rodgers will need to spend his money more wisely this summer as they look to establish some real strength in depth.</div>
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Speaking of which, that really is the main issue for Liverpool going forward. Beefing up the squad. At the moment they've got a very good first XI but not a whole lot of muscle in reserve. Next year they return to the Champions League for the first time since 2009. This year, without the distraction of European football altogether, they have got away without having to rotate the squad too much and their depth has not been tested. This will change next year with a guaranteed six extra midweek games at least to navigate. There will be extra rotation remove the luxury being able to name virtually the same side every week and the continuity this provides.</div>
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All in all, Brendan Rodgers has brought about drastic changes to the style of play at Liverpool. The results have come a lot quicker than perhaps he expected and now club stands within touching distance of a first ever Premier League title.</div>
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-8370181187113338152014-03-31T13:51:00.000+01:002014-03-31T22:22:08.742+01:00Supporting Your Club vs Supporting Your Manager: The David Moyes Divide<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i>Note: I have, whilst writing this blog, always tried to keep my views fairly neutral. This article however is an exception. This is written strictly from the point of view of a Manchester United fan which is what I am so apologies for any bias I may display. If it's any consolation my next piece is a tribute to the fantastic work Brendan Rodgers has done at Liverpool which will no doubt put me right back in my place! Thanks for reading - Mitch</i></div>
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There’s a hint of a civil war among Manchester United fans
at the moment. The fans are certainly divided into two camps. There are those
that find themselves still behind under-fire boss David Moyes and those that
would favour a change in management ASAP.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s an issue that has really come to ahead this week with
the first signs of open revolt among the supporters. Fans at the stadium were
visibly upset following the home defeat by City last week and the manner in
which the side went down so feebly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing I think both sets of fans can agree on is that the
plane stunt on Saturday for the game against Aston Villa was an altogether
pointless exercise and generally did the club more harm than good. Fans are
100% free to express their opinion but that stunt was just foolish. I’m a
passionate member of ‘Team Moyes Out’ and even I think there was no need for
that. Thankfully it received mostly negative attention in the stadium and in
the media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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David Moyes however received an overwhelmingly positive
reaction when he emerged on the pitch on Saturday. I must say I was a bit surprised
by this, I thought the majority of fans, like myself, would have taken issue
with both the performance on Tuesday and his remarks after that we should
aspire to be like City. Following the reception he got, I’m of the opinion that
he could have been waving his middle fingers at them as he walked out and it
wouldn’t matter, they’d still stand and applaud for any Manchester United manager,
an admirable quality in many regards.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However there is a difference between supporting your team
and supporting your manager. Every single die-hard United fan calling for Moyes’s
head is doing so because they believe it will benefit the team. They are
refusing to stand for the mediocrity he’s brought and have grown sick of the
embarrassment this proud football club has had to endure over the past months.
It wouldn’t happen at Barcelona, Madrid or Bayern Munich. Those are the clubs
we should be comparing ourselves with, the very best in the world, not Spurs or
Everton, no disrespect intended to those two fine English clubs but they are
not at the same level.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The ‘Moyes In’ side of the debate lean heavily on the fact
that Manchester United are ‘not a sacking club’ and never have been. This, it
must be said, is not true and a quick glance at any Manchester United history
book will reveal as much. The club have just not had an under-performing
manager in a very long time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Look back to the years after the great Sir Matt Busby
retired. His place was taken by Wilf McGuinness who lasted a little over a year
before being dumped. Frank O’Farrell was next to try and fill the great man’s
shoes and lasted a similar amount of time despite being given a hefty contract.
Bear in mind that we are talking about the late 60s early 70s now, when the
average tenure of a top-flight manger was over three times what it is today. Sacking
a manager after just one season then seems hasty, it’s not so much these days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These fans seem to think that because Ferguson was given
time to build a team at Old Trafford that Moyes should be given a similar
length of time but the differences between the two regimes are enormous.
Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford with a mission (knock Liverpool off their
f***ing perch) and a means by which to do so (focus on youth development but
invest in experienced players when needed). He accomplished this and more
during his fruitful 27 year spell at the helm.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Moyes on the other hand lacks even a shred of Ferguson’s
ambition. I don’t know how many times he’s reeled out his trusty ‘We’ll try our
best’ rallying call this year but it does nothing to inspire confidence among
the fans. His biggest singular offences include saying that United were going
to “make life difficult” for Newcastle at Old Trafford, heralding
Liverpool as favourites when they came
to visit and openly saying that “we need to aspire to be like City” after their
turn to run riot at Old Trafford nine days later. There’s absolutely nothing
about Moyes, his attitude, personality or anything he’s done since taking over
that offers any hope whatsoever he’s going to be a success at Manchester
United.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For me, as a United fan, hearing his comments following the
City defeat was like a dagger through the heart. The strong, winning mentality
instilled by Ferguson in the 1990s, carried out by club legends such as Keane,
Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo over the years has become utterly non-existent now less
than a year later. I had sympathy for Moyes up until that point but to me his
comments were basically spitting in the face of the club I’ve grown up loving. <o:p></o:p></div>
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‘Team Moyes In’ stand for the belief that Manchester United
are not a sacking club (not wholly true) and that David Moyes, like Ferguson
before him, should be given time to make his mark. They seem willing to settle
for a couple of seasons in the doldrums in the belief that given time, David
Moyes can somehow turn the club back into the winners they were under Ferguson.
I would love nothing better than to be proved wrong but I just don’t see that happening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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‘Team Moyes Out’ have lost all faith that David Moyes is the
right man for this job and see no point in settling for what they believe would
be another season of embarrassing mediocrity under the current regime. Better
to stop the rot now before Moyes is allowed another season to sully the club’s
good name any further. He inherited the team that won the league at a canter
last season and made turned them into Europa League hopefuls. The only player
missing this season is Paul Scholes. Next year both Evra and Vidic will be gone,
Ferdinand too and a few others presumably. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This summer is huge for United. Considerable investment is
required to replace the final remnants of Ferguson’s 2008 Champions League
winning side (Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Carrick, Giggs) and replace them with
new, younger talent with the ultimate aim of reaching that goal once again. It
seems a long way off now but this is Manchester United and that simply has to
be the goal. The board must now decide whether or not the current manager who’s
fumbled his way through the last two transfer windows, ended up paying over the
odds for the uninspiring Fellaini from his old and buying a superstar he doesn’t
know how to use, is really the right man to trust with such a huge amount of
money. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-74279597834053056182014-03-27T12:26:00.000+00:002014-03-27T12:26:06.861+00:00Crumbling Dynasties: Liverpool 1992 and Man United 2014<br />
Liverpool and Manchester United. The rivalry extends to much more than the football clubs, the two cities have long since held a bitter grudge against one another It's a rivalry that can be dated back to 1894, Liverpool FC had only existed for two years and Man United were still Newton Heath. The city of Liverpool had thrived during the industrial revolution and was booming due to its location as a port. The construction of the Manchester ship canal allowed ships to bypass Liverpool entirely en route to Manchester which ultimately brought more business there and took it away from Liverpool. The two cities have held a general disdain for each other ever since, one that has carried over massively into the game of football.<br />
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The two clubs have a lot more in common than their fans would care to admit. Both come from chiefly industrial cities in the north of England, both clubs have been struck by horrific tragedy and loss of life to their own (Munich and Hillsborough), both are multiple times champions of England and Europe, both are famous for bringing through young talent rather than buying world superstars, both clubs take an enormous sense of pride in doing things <i>their way</i>, both hate the other one with an unyielding passion, both enjoyed roughly two decades of dominance in which the bulk of their great haul of trophies were won and both have now had to deal with the sudden sharp period of decline that follows.<br />
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Liverpool's boom period occurred from about 1973 (when they won title number 8) until about 1991 (when they were denied number 19 by a famous Michael Thomas goal for Arsenal in the final seconds of the season), but the foundations were layed down long before that. Bill Shankly, manager from 1959 until 1974, was the driving force behind their rise to prominence and his legacy continued throughout the boom era. He introduced the famous 'boot room' tradition where the members of the coaching staff would meet in the boot room to discuss tactics in the week prior to a game. Shankly and his coaching staff created a family atmosphere among themselves which served the team extremely well in decades to come. The original boot-room of five members produced three further full time Liverpool managers from Shankly's backroom staff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFwOGqjHJ-FA67te2WjODzecuAvd5lvtLzWR21keCb-ofANDa_2cARkcP2fkd69dl_QQIfzHaTvfTv2rRJK8gZZa2df63wEcVCNg6YEzQf6fkb3VM8RiORikHyOCSheh38W7jpsdcnBo/s1600/Bill+Shankly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFwOGqjHJ-FA67te2WjODzecuAvd5lvtLzWR21keCb-ofANDa_2cARkcP2fkd69dl_QQIfzHaTvfTv2rRJK8gZZa2df63wEcVCNg6YEzQf6fkb3VM8RiORikHyOCSheh38W7jpsdcnBo/s1600/Bill+Shankly.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bill Shankly: The Godfather of Liverpool FC</span></i></td></tr>
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Managerial appointments were always made internally during this period of success and this helped keep the spirit of Shankly alive at the club. His assistant Bob Paisley succeeded him in 1974 and won three European Cups. Paisely was then succeeded by his own assistant Joe Fagan in 1983. Fagan lasted just two years before retiring in the wake of the awful Heysel Stadium disaster. Fagan appointed his captain Kenny Dalglish to the role of manager where he remained until departing in 1991. Although he was never privy to the boot room meetings, Dalglish recognised the value of it and kept the tradition alive during his tenure as manager. From the appointment of Shankly in 1959 to the resignation of Dalglish in 1991, Liverpool won 13 League titles, 4 European Cups, 4 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and a UEFA Cup. It was undoubtedly the richest period in the club's history.<br />
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It was always going to end someday and that day came in 1991 when Graeme Souness, former Liverpool player was appointed manager. Souness had been managing Glasgow Rangers and had been hugely successful there but he failed to bring success to Anfield and the Scot ultimately ended up shriveling in the enormous shadow of those that had gone before him. Sound familiar?<br />
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Souness, like David Moyes, was the first outside appointment the club had to make in about thirty years. He had managed Rangers for five years and whilst here he had no doubt formed his own ideas with regards to coaching ideas and philosophy. Having been a player and captain at Anfield he probably should have been better prepared for the magnitude of the job at hand. Taking over an ageing group of players who had been extremely successful under the old regime, Souness found himself struggling to win the players respect, despite the fact he had captained some of them not so long ago. He lost the dressing room in his first season but salvaged it somewhat by winning the FA Cup. His bizarre decision to give an interview with the Sun (not deemed worthy of being used as toilet paper on Merseyside after Hillsborough) infuriated the fans, ensuring he was facing an uphill battle from there on.<br />
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Also, the famous boot room was demolished in 1993 to make space for a press room, thus ending one of the hallmarks of the golden era for Liverpool football club.<br />
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Having finished outside the top two only once in almost twenty years, Souness took Liverpool down to 6th place in his first season. Souness was given money to spend during the summer, almost £5m, a reasonable bit of money in that era. This proved in vain as in 1993 Liverpool once again finished 6th, having been 15th in March. He was again given money to spend the following summer splashing out another £5m on Nigel Clough, Neil Ruddock and Julian Dicks. Finally, after the abysmal performances showed no signs of letting up, Souness left his post in January 1994 in the wake of an FA Cup 3rd round defeat at home to second-tier Bristol City.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Souness is widely recognised as the man who destroyed Liverpool</i></td></tr>
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One thing Souness did manage was to leave behind a talented group of young players. Fowler, Redknapp, McManaman all came through during his time. Unfortunately for Liverpool, these players (Redknapp in particular) never fulfilled their considerable potential and never grazed the heights that Manchester United's famous 'Class of 92' lived at for many years.<br />
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Roy Evans, who had been a coach since Shankly was in charge and a member of the original boot room, took over the first team for four years and guided back to somewhere near the summit. They finished 3rd, 4th, 3rd and 4th during his tenure. He should have been given the top job in 1991. Gerard Houlier, Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson have tried since but none have been able to restore glory to Liverpool. Benitez did famously bring them to European glory again but they league title eluded him. Only recently, under the stewardship of the young visionary Brendan Rodgers, do they look like emerging from the doldrums, 23 years after the 'Shankly Dynasty' ended.<br />
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Manchester United became<i> the</i> team in England in the 1990s following Liverpool's decline.Their rise, coincided almost exactly with the slump of their biggest rivals. Liverpool last won the league in 1990. United ended their twenty-six year barren spell in 1993. Since then they've gone on to eclipse Liverpool's record of eighteen titles, winning number twenty in May before the mastermind behind it all, Sir Alex Ferguson, decided to retire. Ferguson had overseen the most successful period in Manchester United's history. Having taken four years to win his first trophy, the FA Cup in 1990, he followed it up with thirty-seven more over the next twenty-three years. United surpassed Liverpool's record number of league title's and added another two European Cups to the now bulging trophy cabinet. He announced his decision to retire in 2013, embedded in history as the most successful manager in the history of the English game with a record on his own that rivals that of the entire Shankly dynasty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyExj54pAw-bplmDf6PxYubdZDIeyzsASTdLDWwdfSKZu2VtGbFoIoRtcfFDZ86IFq7VIEL0sUjXeAsH2ojKasAts3QYnJyEfM14XS2Hfkj058IVObbYv8hiVYq397PsNqTPHt6YnuNE/s1600/Ferguson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyExj54pAw-bplmDf6PxYubdZDIeyzsASTdLDWwdfSKZu2VtGbFoIoRtcfFDZ86IFq7VIEL0sUjXeAsH2ojKasAts3QYnJyEfM14XS2Hfkj058IVObbYv8hiVYq397PsNqTPHt6YnuNE/s1600/Ferguson.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ferguson matched the boot room on his own for league titles. 13.</i></td></tr>
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The retirement of their 'Godfather', presented United with a series of new challenges. Ferguson, like Shankly, was given the freedom to choose his successor. He looked externally and picked fellow Scot David Moyes. United should have looked at the mistakes made at the end of the Liverpool dynasty for guidance as to how best to handle this transition. It was never going to be easy, and there was bound to be a drop in performance, but it's gone far worse than anyone could have expected.<br />
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United, like Liverpool in 1991, fell into the trap of appointing someone based on his success at a lower level. Souness had won the Scottish League four times in his five years with Rangers. Moyes had taken Everton from the fringes of the relegation zone to a solid 5th/6th place on a regular basis. One of the first things Moyes did upon arriving at Old Trafford was clear out Ferguson's backroom staff with Mike Phelan and Rene Meulensteen both axed. Moyes brought in his own staff in Steve Round and Phil Neville. Although they didn't carry the same importance as Liverpool's old boot room, Ferguson had recommended that Phelan and Meulensteen be kept on to provide a degree of continuity and ease the transition. Moyes thought otherwise and so the downfall began.<br />
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Moyes has inherited a dressing room that has won considerably more honours than him and, like Souness, has failed to gain their respect as a manager. He seems over-awed by the task appointed to him by his predecessor. Moyes was a fantastic manager at Everton, same as Souness was at Rangers, but the pressures of making the step up seem to be beyond his skills. Everything about him from his tactics to his media handling scream out the blatantly obvious fact that he was the wrong choice and Ferguson's final decision was a poor one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEcEQeR4LRlcXmUUnNajRDVr-z2KZ7Qk-yle6JBS_ZuiRz9z-FD4Vo_ZAqKb2JmKGn_m5piYKKWJUR-0Ij-hRtoGF2n1tR6uRpdA7Xw0MIR2MMkM13ha0SonZCiThvQzHAN9Xd4Etm1E/s1600/Moyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEcEQeR4LRlcXmUUnNajRDVr-z2KZ7Qk-yle6JBS_ZuiRz9z-FD4Vo_ZAqKb2JmKGn_m5piYKKWJUR-0Ij-hRtoGF2n1tR6uRpdA7Xw0MIR2MMkM13ha0SonZCiThvQzHAN9Xd4Etm1E/s1600/Moyes.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>How to destroy a dynasty, part two.</i></td></tr>
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So, are United set for a 22-year stay in the wilderness? Ultimately I think not and here's why.<br />
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Liverpool slumped at the worst possible time. Back in 1991, they like everyone else, were simply a football club. The dawn of the Premier League era the following year changed everything for good. Vast amounts of money have been invested in the game year after year. Had Liverpool's success lasted a few more years into the Premier League era, they would have become what Manchester United became. The franchise. The superclub. They'd probably be close to a thirtieth title and eclipsing Real Madrid's European Cup record rather than still chasing down the elusive title number 19.<br />
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Manchester United peaked at the perfect time. With Sky and the Premier League throwing huge amounts of money and worldwide exposure at teams, United became England's first, and so far only, superclub. They are more than just a mere football club these days. Manchester United are a brand, a commercial juggernaut worth an estimated $3bn according to Forbes. It is a business that is simply too large not to be successful. They can't afford it. The owners can't afford it. The shareholders won't allow it. Sponsors like Chevrolet, Nike and DHL will provide the investment necessary to ensure the team remain competing for honours next season and beyond.<br />
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But just because they have the means to avoid a Liverpool-esqe decline is by no means a guarantee that they will.<br />
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This season is a write off. The absolute worst thing Manchester United could do now is stand by David Moyes and give him money to waste in the summer. There is literally zero case to be made for him remaining in the job beyond the end of the season. The man doesn't know what he's doing and has to be taken out of the equation ASAP. Liverpool gave Souness three years in the early nineties (average by the standards of the time but the game has changed a lot since) and by the time he left, irreversible damage had been done and Liverpool did not have the cash available to remedy it. United do have the resources to correct this slide before it gets out of hand but it won't happen automatically and it won't happen without the right people doing the right jobs. David Moyes is not the right man. Nor, it could be argued, is Ed Woodward, the new chief executive. United are a business now as well as a football club. Businesses need to be successful straight away. Sponsors demand success and they need it now. There can be no rebuilding phase. No six year plan.<br />
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United were champions in 2013 and now find themselves being beaten comfortably at home by their rivals each week. Moyes, through his sheer incompetence has done a lot of damage in only nine months. It's horrifying to think of what he could do in another twelve. Liverpool's faith in Souness beyond his ill-fated first season arguably cost them for years to come. United keeping faith in Moyes would have similar consequences.<br />
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Dynasties take generations to build but can be brought to their knees in a matter of months courtesy of mis-management by an inadequate Scot. </div>
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-38510100826931664122014-03-24T11:24:00.003+00:002014-03-24T12:41:24.035+00:00Premier League Power Rankings March 24th<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>20: Fulham</i></b></span><br />
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Ask any Premier League fan which sides will be relegated this season and most will give you two without pausing. Fulham are the first ones. The club has had such a turbulent season off the pitch with multiple managerial and backroom changes. History tells us that off the field problems usually carry over onto the pitch and so it has proved this season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNcMrx3b4eaTzfj0RY898iapf8mWBZqQ3nIBK_B1HLmcOKrnHs0fBm8iRglEV_jBD68-bC9KIOP4B8ScJf1CT-K9z_JNzTQW7Q3rjwATGyehf8JTc1gImB-LBtJY1rz6OvXCotgGmLYM/s1600/Fulham+FC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNcMrx3b4eaTzfj0RY898iapf8mWBZqQ3nIBK_B1HLmcOKrnHs0fBm8iRglEV_jBD68-bC9KIOP4B8ScJf1CT-K9z_JNzTQW7Q3rjwATGyehf8JTc1gImB-LBtJY1rz6OvXCotgGmLYM/s1600/Fulham+FC.jpg" height="235" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fulham have the look of a beaten side this season</i></td></tr>
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They weren't that bad against Manchester City, certainly not as bad as the 0-5 scoreline suggests. They came with a gameplan to sit deep and frustrate the hosts, about all they could do against such a strong side and it was going well until they gave away a spot kick before half time. Then another one after. A 'parking the bus' job against a top side requires perfect discipline and penalties are a cheap way to go down. They are only four points adrift but it's difficult to see them picking up the points necessary to survive now.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>19: Cardiff</i></b></span><br />
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Cardiff are the second name that most avid followers of the league would tip to go down. They've lost 8 from 11 since Solskjaer took over in January and for all the money Vincent Tan has poured into the club since they achieved promotion last May, Cardiff don't seem to have the look of a Premier League side right now. Granted they've have some tough fixtures recently but they've also been beaten at home by the likes of West Ham and Hull in the past month, not something you can keep doing if you want to survive. Home points are vital to any survival hopes they may have.<br />
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One thing in Cardiff's favour is that they do have a run of winnable games coming up. Four of the next six are against teams in the bottom half with the other two against Southampton and Newcastle, neither of whom have anything left to play for. Ten points from the four games would give Cardiff a huge chance of survival. Six or less means they are doomed. Crunch time.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>18: West Brom</i></b></span><br />
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West Brom made two strange decisions over the winter which have condemned them to a relegation battle rather than the comfort of mid-table currently being enjoyed by Midlands rivals Aston Villa. First they sacked Steve Clarke who had brought a degree of stability to the biggest yo-yo club in recent times. Clarke was replaced with Pepe Mel whom had just been sacked by Real Betis with the side bottom of La Liga. I don't see how they expected that to be an improvement. Mel has won once since his appointment and picked up just six points from eight games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDUJ5vyuD9rRfwVH3oaIotFZlJPkMBhs822jJkYrhuj_WWfcq7ZW8kVgdUSindcyRHeNM3eal-gINhCEdB13kEhdR45LnmMlHB5befdipZlY4M-oC9uwUP1hgS_xO8-AdwpkblMOenBA/s1600/Pepe+Mel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDUJ5vyuD9rRfwVH3oaIotFZlJPkMBhs822jJkYrhuj_WWfcq7ZW8kVgdUSindcyRHeNM3eal-gINhCEdB13kEhdR45LnmMlHB5befdipZlY4M-oC9uwUP1hgS_xO8-AdwpkblMOenBA/s1600/Pepe+Mel.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pepe Mel has not had the desired Pochettino effect</i></td></tr>
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Second they sold Shane Long to Hull City. Long came back to haunt them on Saturday, winning a penalty and scoring the second goal as Hull won 2-0. Long has been excellent since he joined Hull having been left out more often than not at The Hawthorns. He's scored three goals already for Hull since joining in January. No West Brom player has more than four in the league this season. With their strikers struggling for any sort of form recently, it's hard to see where they are going to get the goals to stay up.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>17: Sunderland</i></b></span><br />
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Sunderland's cup exploits seem to have had a seriously negative effect on their league form. They haven't won a game or even scored a goal since the League Cup final defeat to Man City and since the win at St. James's Park on February 1st, they have managed just one solitary Premier League point from four games.<br />
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The mid-season revival seems to be over. As does Adam Johnson's push for a place in the England squad. Sunderland were pretty hopeless against Norwich on Saturday and the defeat was made worse by yet another red card, seven now for the season, which highlights the obvious lack of discipline at the club. In all the games in which they've had red cards this season, six of them, they've managed just one point in total.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>16: Norwich</i></b></span><br />
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Saturday was a great day for Norwich. The club made a real effort to generate a monster atmosphere inside Carrow Road and it paid off as they beat Sunderland easily, helped by an absolute thunderbastard of a strike from Alexander Tettey, his first ever Premier League goal. The importance of picking up points at home in a relegation fight cannot be underestimated and Norwich, as a club, recognised this and obviously did something about it. The only thing Saturday was missing was a goal for Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, who still hasn't scored since the opening day of the season.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>15: Swansea</i></b></span><br />
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Swansea are a lot better than the teams around them. They were very unlucky not to get a point from the game at Goodison Park having played very well and created multiple chances. They've had a lot of bad luck recently. Shouldn't have dropped points against Crystal Palace and were unlucky not to get anything from either of their two trips to Merseyside recently having given a good account of themselves both times. Their current league position is not a true reflection of the quality of this side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E1C51VLV8ho19fMW-D7GgTE99pA-T7w_Ka4SrT8c5-mGzWogMYwDafbOT1EDQLdopUVst2wTfJGKbjUFPPOIXqy6jpWPw4OXsgUmC4zATWKJwT6Ktx5EzdUJPiw9Z0yt_SNiQ-Y4F7Q/s1600/Michu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E1C51VLV8ho19fMW-D7GgTE99pA-T7w_Ka4SrT8c5-mGzWogMYwDafbOT1EDQLdopUVst2wTfJGKbjUFPPOIXqy6jpWPw4OXsgUmC4zATWKJwT6Ktx5EzdUJPiw9Z0yt_SNiQ-Y4F7Q/s1600/Michu.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Michu's return should be good news for the Swans</i></td></tr>
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The bottom line however is that they have not won since the memorable victory over Cardiff at the beginning of February, Gary Monk's only victory as Swansea manager. I think they'll be alright however thanks to two things. Firstly, Michu is back and once he rediscovers his form and fitness, the goalscoring burden on Bony will be eased. Secondly they are now out of the Europa League which was really more of a distraction than it was worth.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>14: Crystal Palace</i></b></span><br />
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The honeymoon period is well and truly over for Tony Pulis and Palace have now failed to win in any of their last five games, none of which have been against top six sides. Their impressive run of results over December and January has propelled them away from the foot of the table and out of the drop zone but they remain in trouble. They are three points clear of Sunderland in 18th but have played two games more. On Saturday there were outclassed by a Newcastle side which couldn't score for love nor money and yet Palace couldn't hold on for what would have been a valuable point. They haven't been as bad as the other teams at the bottom recently and have been losing most games by a single goal, but they need to start winning again and soon.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>13: West Ham</i></b></span><br />
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They didn't play too badly on Saturday against Man United yet still clocked up their third defeat in a row. Sam Allardyce has been brought back down to earth in March after a storming February which brought him the Manager of the Month award. Despite their perfect February, they are still only six points clear of the drop and will need to get some wins from somewhere soon. Hull at home next week to stop the rot is the perfect place to start.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>12: Stoke</i></b></span><br />
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Stoke are staying up. 3-1 winners against West Ham last week, this week they went to Villa Park were Chelsea came unstuck last week and hammered the home side 4-1. The Brittania Stadium was somewhat of a fortress in Stoke's early Premier League seasons and that looks to be the case again. Mark Hughes's men have lost only once (3-5 to Liverpool) in their last twelve home league games and have beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United on this run. They are currently 6th in the Premier League home table, with the top five sides being the divisions top five sides. Stoke are awesome at home once again and on course for 10th place, their best ever Premier League finish.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>11: Aston Villa</i></b></span><br />
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What are Aston Villa? Last week they produced a fantastic performance to shut out Chelsea and earn a deserved 1-0 win, this week they lost 1-4 at home to Stoke. They are safe from any threat of relegation, 11 points clear, and all they have left to play for now is the novelty of finishing in the top half, the 10th place spot currently occupied by their conquerors on Sunday, Stoke City. Christian Benteke's second season syndrome seems to have worn off and he's been back amongst the goals in 2014. Fabian Delph has impressed all year round, unnoticed by many he actually been fantastic but unlikely to have his form rewarded with a national call up any time before the World Cup. Other than that, not a lot of excitement at Villa, which is better than a relegation fight.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>10: Hull City</i></b></span><br />
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Hull claimed two big victories this week. One in the courthouses to keep their name and avoid being re-branded as the Hull Tigers. Secondly, they comfortably beat West Brom on Saturday to move one step closer to Premier League survival. It would now take a pretty seismic collapse for Hull to fall back into the Championship next season. Hull are in a unique situation in that they've been on a cup run and now have at least one, perhaps two, Wembly dates to look forward to and yet their league form hasn't suffered at all. Part of the reason behind this is the fact that both Shane Long and Nikita Jelavic are cup tied, leaving them fresh and ready to score every week in the league. With their league status for next season all but secured, Hull can look forward to their semi-final date with third tier Sheffield United in a few weeks with real relish.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>9: Newcastle</i></b></span><br />
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The storm of controversy surrounding that moronic Alan Pardew incident in recent weeks has covered up the fact that Newcastle returned to somewhat decent form having seemingly given up on life in January. They knocked and knocked on the door for the whole game against Palace on Sunday and finally scored in the fourth of three additional minutes at the end of the game. Papiss Cisse and Vernon Anita's goals recently mean Newcaslte now have 4 goals from non-Frenchmen this season. Compared to 34 from their French imports. Ridiculous.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>8: Southampton</i></b></span><br />
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Such is the way that the Premier League table has developed this season, Southampton are one of a number of sides with virtually nothing left to play for in these final two months of the campaign. Their season, having started so well, took a major nosedive around December time when they won once and lost six in nine games. Since the New Year however they've looked back to their old self and have won more games than they've lost. They'll look back on Sunday's game with Spurs as three points thrown away but in the grand scheme of things it won't matter too much to them. They are going to finish 8th/9th anyway.<br />
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Pochettino may leave at the end of the season, Southampton will need to find a suitable replacement to continue his fine work. Hanging onto Shaw and Lallana too would be a massive boost.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>7: Spurs</i></b></span><br />
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'Tactics Tim' has endured a rough couple of weeks that have seen Spurs knocked out of Europe, lose two London derbies and have their slim Champions League hopes totally obliterated. They recovered somewhat against Southampton, coming from 2-0 down to secure a remarkable 3-2 win on Sunday but still find themselves six points off fourth spot with a game more played than Arsenal.<br />
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With all of their tough games (bar Liverpool at home) Spurs now have the opportunity to finish the season very strongly and lay down a marker for next season. They are probably destined to be in the Europa League again so they may as well try and finish 5th. It would put them in good stead for next season. If Louis van Gaal takes over as is rumored and Spurs invest well in the summer, they can push once again for Champions League football next year.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>6: Manchester United</i></b></span><br />
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David Moyes has a tendency to rotate players at random with no real logic or reasoning behind it. He did it on Wednesday to great effect against Olympiacos and again on Saturday against West Ham. It worked again. I can't think of a reason he picked Ashley Young ahead of Welbeck or Januzaj on Saturday but the winger had a fine game as part of what was probably, in the first half anyway, United's best performance of the season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfolBKqS2KIPnbrxUqHToF85otK1yNCogmA0qhK93zjE5jCZ96Uk1e09-QvuXyqWlq75_E5kQ7-cVxj6ILjrVh8Q2G0j8Wg61stokndYmVfklpnydID1Cmz5FpwDkM8SXpPlOVMoSMlE/s1600/Rooney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfolBKqS2KIPnbrxUqHToF85otK1yNCogmA0qhK93zjE5jCZ96Uk1e09-QvuXyqWlq75_E5kQ7-cVxj6ILjrVh8Q2G0j8Wg61stokndYmVfklpnydID1Cmz5FpwDkM8SXpPlOVMoSMlE/s1600/Rooney.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The game will be remembered for Rooney's long range strike</i></td></tr>
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With van Persie injured, Rooney was deployed as the main striker with Mata playing off him in the advanced playmaker role. Rooney is much better as a central striker and he showed this on Saturday with an excellent performance, capped with a memorable goal from near halfway. Injury to Robin van Persie may yet prove to be a blessing in disguise.<br />
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The direct style of both Kagawa and especially Young in the side meant that United were able to play on the counter attack quite often, a strategy which is absolutely deadly when a fast attack meets a slow defence (see Liverpool v Arsenal, Chelsea v Arsenal). Fellaini and Fletcher both got stuck-in well to ensure United were not so lightweight in midfield this time around. Next up is the Manchester derby which United face with only one fit centre back in Phil Jones.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>5: Everton</i></b></span><br />
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Everton secured a good win over a battling Swansea side on Saturday with Ross Bakley playing reasonably well, which, given the fact that he's young and English, will grab most of the attention in the media. Barkley is a fine player on his day but Gareth Barry is the most important player in that team. He's the linchpin, the one that keeps them ticking over. Reading the game and making key interceptions to break up opposition attacks, then turning defence into attack with forward passes. Signing him permanently must be high on Roberto Martinez's summer to-do list.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUs67gHxja-n8X_ZNMckZ9Upnq6sphUpvCGJo6OLlw9RiafvAptlMA4MRd7O8K74XQVPc_4R101ymufKxl4GaGKTvPoMRP2pYT-zmjCKHaXA9QISx5JrEdRRUUPuCeQSs4KG3nYCcd2U/s1600/Gareth+Barry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUs67gHxja-n8X_ZNMckZ9Upnq6sphUpvCGJo6OLlw9RiafvAptlMA4MRd7O8K74XQVPc_4R101ymufKxl4GaGKTvPoMRP2pYT-zmjCKHaXA9QISx5JrEdRRUUPuCeQSs4KG3nYCcd2U/s1600/Gareth+Barry.png" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Perhaps Everton's player of the season isn't even their own player</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Everton are a very solid steady outfit lately. All their dropped points bar two since the turn of the year have come against fellow top six sides against whom their 2014 record reads: P3 W0 D0 L3. Obviously this will have to change if they are to make the step up to the next level but one positive they can take is that they have won six and drawn one of their other seven games against the weaker sides in 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>4: Arsenal</i></b></span><br />
<br />
Arsene Wenger's momentous 1000th game in charge at Arsenal will go down in the history books as one of the worst of his entire reign in North London. I thought they had learned their lessons from recent chastening experiences at the hands of their rivals. Game 980 was a 6-3 mauling at Manchester City and in game 991 they found themselves 4-0 down in twenty minutes to Liverpool. Saturday at Chelsea must have felt like deja vu from their experience at Anfield, even the goals were remarkably similar. Press forward, give the ball away, exposed against lightning-quick attackers on the counter, concede, repeat.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMVWUKo60YeQVpRPRhbRNkTWc-BIyaIc6e-F1qJfamAd9OiGvMF1krzkTdwyJOTKl9B0tdrwZ_mxoS3Nq1CUtD8_s74YI9_LKGFSnh7sbWy4o1X0qUJp52TiL9ZcPhzjPbMcD0w8O6m0/s1600/Arsene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMVWUKo60YeQVpRPRhbRNkTWc-BIyaIc6e-F1qJfamAd9OiGvMF1krzkTdwyJOTKl9B0tdrwZ_mxoS3Nq1CUtD8_s74YI9_LKGFSnh7sbWy4o1X0qUJp52TiL9ZcPhzjPbMcD0w8O6m0/s1600/Arsene.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Game 1000 was one to forget for Arsene Wenger</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Even the shambles of the referee sending off the wrong player doesn't offer any sort of an excuse. Arsenal were dreadful. Just dreadful. The time at the start of the season were they were runaway leaders seems a long time ago. Now it looks as though they were merely taking advantage of a power vacuum, an interim period between United's sharp decline and City, Chelsea and Liverpool finding their feet.<br />
<br />
The one saving grace is that this season should see them land their first trophy in nine years but they look resigned to fourth place yet again I'm afraid.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>3: Manchester City</i></b></span><br />
<br />
Teams who come to play football at Eastlands often get torn apart. But once you park the bus and just aim to defend for 90 mins, City aren't that great at picking a way through and I think that's a glaring weakness. We've seen it a couple of times now. Stoke and Crystal Palace have both escaped with narrow defeats. It won't be long before one of the lesser sides nick a valuable point, a result that would seriously derail City's title charge.<br />
<br />
Against Fulham, despite winning 5-0, they failed to unlock the Fulham defence for a considerable amount of time. The first goal came from the spot. The foul for the second penalty which left Fulham two down and a man down killed the game off. Goals three, four and five all came indirectly from set-pieces, none from open play.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQGZIj7BTUxkmzhyphenhypheng4EeqEvAOv4QADSGkSDQxwOKlLiz-nXhWE7JZyTmUFNisUrUW0Bb335sHsWxMT9gIYBrYGLAQ2IWDsw6ugE4HXcs_bxn-X6tr7xOcJrUAnCpWNmASrW1buY29nuc/s1600/Yaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQGZIj7BTUxkmzhyphenhypheng4EeqEvAOv4QADSGkSDQxwOKlLiz-nXhWE7JZyTmUFNisUrUW0Bb335sHsWxMT9gIYBrYGLAQ2IWDsw6ugE4HXcs_bxn-X6tr7xOcJrUAnCpWNmASrW1buY29nuc/s1600/Yaya.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yaya's hat-trick goal was perfectly placed</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The derby at Old Trafford is a good chance for them to secure a big win and some much needed momentum in the title race. United will come at them rather than parking the bus and City have more than enough about them to exploit a defence that may contain Michael Carrick at centre half.<br />
<br />
Interestingly they are the only side of the three realistic title challengers with the destiny of the crown in their own hands. They can lose at Anfield, win all the other games and still win the league.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>2: Liverpool</i></b></span><br />
<br />
I don't think there's a more exciting team to watch in the Premier League than Liverpool at the moment. Fast, fluid, relentless and excellently efficient going forward and so diabolically bad defensively, it always makes for entertaining viewing.<br />
<br />
They are title contenders, no question about that now. Games against Manchester City and Chelsea will be make or break. They've only got three away matches left at Norwich, Crystal Palace and West Ham. Maximum points from them and there's absolutely no reason they won't win the title. Fans are starting to, quite justifiably, believe that this might just be the year they've waited so long for. Right now they look irresistible, led by the majestic Luis Suarez.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpUBIkcUEFsZZAqHTzG7aNcg5blFvwQELn4Y9tWfhaaRIB7lJ4mN7mSL6GHVUm0Zl7bSso78VGCeCwFdws9B3kNrAOXrXjVd80mSsgpm5LzC5_lDnfMXI_dIc2wRwGZBpEWUPEczxKbI/s1600/Luis+Suarez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpUBIkcUEFsZZAqHTzG7aNcg5blFvwQELn4Y9tWfhaaRIB7lJ4mN7mSL6GHVUm0Zl7bSso78VGCeCwFdws9B3kNrAOXrXjVd80mSsgpm5LzC5_lDnfMXI_dIc2wRwGZBpEWUPEczxKbI/s1600/Luis+Suarez.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Luis Suarez at it again with yet another hat-trick</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This weekend Luis Suarez equalled Robbie Fowler's eighteen year old club record for 28 Premier League goals in a season. He's done this with eight games to spare. And he missed the first five. He's also got eleven assists. He's quite good this lad.<br />
<br />
In fact Daniel Sturridge, now on 19 league goals, may yet reach Fowler's tally too before the season is over. And the team need 2.5 per game for the rest of the year to better Chelsea's 2009/10 tally of 103. On their current six match winning streak, they have averaged 4 goals per game.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>1: Chelsea</i></b></span><br />
<br />
Saturday afternoon's clash at Stamford Bridge saw the world's best counter attacking team at their very best. They blitzed Arsenal over and over again in the first half, creating two on two situations and exploiting the Gunners defence for a huge win. Pacey attackers against slow defenders only ends one way. Andre Schurrle, Oscar, Eden Hazard were all magnificent. They didn't even miss the suspended duo of Willian and Ramires. Fernando Torres ran a lot and tried very hard but a Falcao or a Cavani in this team would make a huge difference. Nemanja Matic might just be the signing of the season. Gary Cahill needs to be in the PFA team of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTSG18beqy6IfbyZjHuC0uyX4nJWd6ooxxVD7BENKNLyAUy_HF7vxWCFSLfJBqnn6jK8nxPDyKE6ccgZ47MnegOPy6ymHUOjAi_NlRf4RKowwqtU4gue-pIoSfW_l41ZgZjvZfA6MYuU/s1600/Oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTSG18beqy6IfbyZjHuC0uyX4nJWd6ooxxVD7BENKNLyAUy_HF7vxWCFSLfJBqnn6jK8nxPDyKE6ccgZ47MnegOPy6ymHUOjAi_NlRf4RKowwqtU4gue-pIoSfW_l41ZgZjvZfA6MYuU/s1600/Oscar.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Oscar was back in the line-up and back among the goals</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Chelsea don't quite have the firepower of Liverpool or Manchester City (ironically that said after they put six past another top side), but they've the best defence in the league by a country mile and that may be where the title is won and lost.<br />
<br />
So at the moment it looks like its coming down to the irresistible force of Liverpool's attack meeting the immovable object in Chelsea's defence at Anfield on April 27th in a game that may well decide the destiny of the Premier League title.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-50310635366824122232014-03-11T11:33:00.000+00:002014-03-11T11:33:05.574+00:00Avoiding The Europa League: The Battle To Finish 7thThere's currently a very close race taking place in the world of basketball as some of the most famous names in the NBA battle to finish the season with a worse win-loss record than each other.<br />
<br />
Currently the race is led by the Milwaukee Bucks (okay not exactly a stellar name) with a record of 12 wins and 50 losses but following them up are the famous Los Angeles Lakers (16 times NBA champions), the Boston Celtic (17 times) and the New York Knicks, one of the most famous sporting franchises in the world. These three juggernauts of the sport have all managed to lose over 40 games each this season so far, each with a with a loss record of close to 70%. None of them seem that bothered about it. The Lakers and Celtics in particular put very little effort into assembling their squads for this year with the intention of writing off the season before it began and finishing as low in the standings as possible.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8-CuQekxUTLjjIAnZ2AVuYShiYOJyUoTRvk9e1DzzwPUA7AbzGHpeL8ojSqy-Ltkqv-iRiQ2n3CiuHf-0kSFAEE_MxCovHf0qAr9SkuttCX0gfYFU24INPbU5pmIZ47P8nOtvsKM-28/s1600/Kobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8-CuQekxUTLjjIAnZ2AVuYShiYOJyUoTRvk9e1DzzwPUA7AbzGHpeL8ojSqy-Ltkqv-iRiQ2n3CiuHf-0kSFAEE_MxCovHf0qAr9SkuttCX0gfYFU24INPbU5pmIZ47P8nOtvsKM-28/s1600/Kobe.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kobe Byrant's Lakers are 15th and last in the Western Conference</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There is method to this madness. The teams with the worst record each NBA season are rewarded in the annual NBA draft where the professional teams choose from the most promising college players to sign. The teams with the worse record will get a better pick and therefore a better young player for next season. The draft class of 2014 looks to be producing something of a golden generation so having a high pick this year may serve to benefit the team greatly over the next several years.<br />
<br />
Basketball clubs are doing what is necessary to protect their interests. They are sacrificing this season with the long-term picture in mind. From a sporting point of view, it's terrible to see a team not give it 100% effort on purpose. The same thing may soon happen in the Premier League as clubs look to avoid finishing 5th or 6th place and being forced to play in the dreaded Europa League next season.<br />
<br />
The last ten days have seen significant developments in this area. I'll explain why. The Premier League gets three Europa League spots every season. One for 5th place in the league, one for the League Cup winners and one for the FA Cup winners or runners-up. Manchester City's League Cup victory a week ago, combined with the certainty that they will qualify for Europe via league position anyway, means the League Cup spot for the Europa League will go instead to the team that finishes 6th in the league. However their elimination from the FA Cup and the semi-final draw which pits Hull against Sheffield United guarantees at least one team from outside the Champions League spots will be in the FA Cup final and therefore rewarded with a Europa League spot, ruling out the possibility of the 7th place team going into the Europa League.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsKIq6h7OGYjGkE5GlzSLeZTEs3dlDYHEfzvOXGkW0rGIMbyr8MSqNa23JOv_WCENPjbeDT69dee6uoWcmvtQiHv2n6ritk186XZ22FbsYyuE05jDbkzbHkyW9WpSjzlBUr6bmIexazY/s1600/Rodgers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsKIq6h7OGYjGkE5GlzSLeZTEs3dlDYHEfzvOXGkW0rGIMbyr8MSqNa23JOv_WCENPjbeDT69dee6uoWcmvtQiHv2n6ritk186XZ22FbsYyuE05jDbkzbHkyW9WpSjzlBUr6bmIexazY/s1600/Rodgers.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rodgers said last year he didn't want to be in the Europa League</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We've seen with Liverpool this season that not having to play extra games in far-off places on Thursday nights can have a hugely positive affect on a team's domestic form. Judging by this, the team finishing in 7th place this season should theoretically be at a huge advantage when it comes to challenging for the top four next season. Spurs, Manchester United and Everton are currently in the running for Europa spots. Spurs are currently ahead in 5th spot on 53 points from 29 games. United are 5 points back with a game less played. Everton are level with United on 48 points but with a further game more to play.<br />
<br />
Spurs are now in the middle of their third consecutive Europa League campaign, one which is taking a toll on their efforts to break into the top four. The Thursday-Sunday effect has seen them lose Sunday games at home to West Ham, Newcastle and Liverpool in the first half of the season following Europa League exploits on the Thursday. As a result, they sit six points behind Champions League favorites Liverpool and Arsenal, with a game more played. The last time Spurs weren't in the Europa League (2009/10), they qualified for the Champions League. A break from this competition might be exactly what they need in order to make that big push to crack the top 4. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06KDYr9MZghNGSd_N9aH1ef_-TGya_aDmxIfXXg4CxABX3D8LFKGb9urY6N7Jdt9c9prD4p-oirww2Lv3oQSWXbbY2T-UXtGZvANbNP4jALFAFRxjtXeByXw8CxUwHan1Jc3ihvockcQ/s1600/anzhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06KDYr9MZghNGSd_N9aH1ef_-TGya_aDmxIfXXg4CxABX3D8LFKGb9urY6N7Jdt9c9prD4p-oirww2Lv3oQSWXbbY2T-UXtGZvANbNP4jALFAFRxjtXeByXw8CxUwHan1Jc3ihvockcQ/s1600/anzhi.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Spurs fans are used to Thursday night games in Eastern Europe</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Manchester United are not familiar with this sort of predicament. Having finished in the top 3 of the Premier League every year since it's inception in 1992, battling for 5th and 6th place is completely alien to the champions. No one will publicly say it of course but given the choice I think just about everyone at the club would rather sit Europe out altogether next season and focus on breaking back into the Champions League, rather than playing on Thursday nights somewhere in Eastern Bulgaria before facing an away game with Chelsea on Sunday morning.<br />
<br />
Everton, like their Merseyside rivals Liverpool, have benefited from having midweeks off this season and are exceeding everyone's expectations in terms of performance this campaign. Given that they haven't had European football at Goodison since 2010, Everton probably wouldn't mind qualifying for the Europa League. The extra fixtures would bring in cash that Martinez could use to boost the squad in the long-term but a Champions League challenge whilst navigating the travails of the Europa League would be extremely difficult, save for the very deepest of squads.<br />
<br />
Spurs aren't the only side to see their domestic form suffer as a result of Europa League games midweek:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This season both Swansea and Wigan, as cup winners, have played in the Europa League. Swansea's league form took a nose-dive compared to the previous two seasons and Michael Laudrup lost his job. Newly relegated Wigan struggled in the Championship but their form has taken a notable upturn since being eliminated from Europe in December.</li>
<li>Last year Newcastle, off the back of a 5th place finish in 2012, narrowly missing out on the Champions League on the final day, sunk to a 16th place finish with essentially the same squad of players. The only difference? Europa League football.</li>
<li>Fulham finished 7th in the Premier League in 2008/09 and qualified for the Europa League the following season where they did brilliantly to reach the final. Their league form suffered however as they slumped to a 12th place finish (finished 8th the following season with no Europa League).</li>
<li>Stoke City's worst Premier League finish to date (14th) came during their sole season in the Europa League, 2011/12.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykYIWfRetygum2JTbw4sEwDIdGBHd0Q95hTy1hjbEu5NXgXSnGgCTQ95AWnyI6NpRB131m1fLzbN6UZNSApUXVDXTLYoFGSuFvsRLqSikqOsYRgwZ5so30A9QTel7mSwnskULi_Clyq4/s1600/Newcastle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykYIWfRetygum2JTbw4sEwDIdGBHd0Q95hTy1hjbEu5NXgXSnGgCTQ95AWnyI6NpRB131m1fLzbN6UZNSApUXVDXTLYoFGSuFvsRLqSikqOsYRgwZ5so30A9QTel7mSwnskULi_Clyq4/s1600/Newcastle.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Newcastle were among the biggest Europa victims recently</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
More<a href="http://eplindex.com/40756/effect-europa-league-premier-league-teams.html"> in depth study </a>has been done on the results of individual Sunday afternoon games following a Thursday night escapade. All evidence points to the Europa League having a detrimental effect on a team's fortunes. It does not seem that the competition will be revamped anytime soon and will retain its status as UEFA's unloved child, living in the shadow of the illustrious Champions League. The competition's status has sunk so low that it even the likes of Swansea, who rotated their side for some group games, now see it as beneath them, preferring instead to focus on their own domestic campaign.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
As for this season, I don't think we will see Premier League club's losing games 'on purpose' but the focus and desire at Manchester United and Tottenham at least will certainly not be the same as it was if they were competing for 1st and 2nd or even 3rd and 4th places. Two will qualify for the Europa League because someone has to. I'm sure they would both give it a miss if participation was optional. There can be no denying it, playing in the Europa League next season will hinder their chances of challenging for the title.<br />
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-71353583240552160862014-03-04T12:42:00.002+00:002014-03-04T12:42:34.873+00:00Why the Premier League IS The Best in Europe<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last few weeks of European football have seen the top Premier
League sides humbled on the continental stage. It was Manchester United’s lame defeat to Champions League minnows Olympiacos that prompted Roy Keane, former
United captain and ITV pundit to proclaim that we, the viewers, had been brainwashed into
believing the Premier League was the best in Europe. It may not have the best
teams, but is there a better league? I don’t think so.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can define best by two different aspects:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The quality of all the teams, not just the best ones.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The competitiveness of the league.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the two aspects are considered together, the Premier League surely
comes out on top. It does not have the best teams in Europe and cannot boast
any in the elite class that is Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal do however belong in the next tier of
teams alongside the likes of Juventus, PSG and Atletico Madrid.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZZwVSE0ctnrSAZkwxSh_MCzgqyRn4Gn-xQiHq62YSJpQekq57P3yTKOjQE42ysBTPR8wGcguGu_14kyZMWzN9DsBFv-MDLBw3qsJMqYoCGtBoCLOi1MQgmN7DZTYlHwCp92wdh1Onsk/s1600/Keane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZZwVSE0ctnrSAZkwxSh_MCzgqyRn4Gn-xQiHq62YSJpQekq57P3yTKOjQE42ysBTPR8wGcguGu_14kyZMWzN9DsBFv-MDLBw3qsJMqYoCGtBoCLOi1MQgmN7DZTYlHwCp92wdh1Onsk/s1600/Keane.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Keane was highly critical of the Premier League</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So who has the best teams? The Bundesliga has <i>the best</i> team in Bayern Munich but La
Liga boasts two of the top three in Barcelona and Real Madrid (arguably three of the top four). The top ten (in my view) are listed below. La Liga can also indisputably claim to boast the best players with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo currently plying their trade here. They've won the last six Ballon d'Ors between them.</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Top Ten Teams in Europe</span></u></b></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Bayern
Munich – GER</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Barcelona
– SPN</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Real
Madrid – SPN</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Atletico
Madrid – SPN</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Manchester
City – ENG</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Paris
Saint Germain – FRA</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Juventus
– ITA</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Chelsea
– ENG</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Arsenal
– ENG</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Dortmund
–GER</span></li>
</ol>
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As you can see, the Premier League boasts as many teams as
any in this list, more in fact, than the league boasting the leading team, The Bundesliga.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Bundesliga, which is home to current European and World Champions
Bayern Munich is no doubt the most well run league in Europe. The 50+1 rule
dictates that 51% (and thus a controlling share) of each club must be owned by
the fans. This prevents nasty, evil tyrants like Malcom Glazer and Venkys from destroying clubs and would probably have saved Portsmouth. Attendances are higher and ticket prices are lower than at any other
of the major leagues. In terms of fan-friendliness, the German division has no
rival, it’s just not very competitive. Bayern’s dominance is stronger now than
it ever has been. Bayern have not lost in 48 games, stretching back to last
October and have a 20 point lead at the summit. They have dominated the last two
seasons and now that they are signing probably the best player in the league
outside their squad in Robert Lewandowski, it’s hard to envisage this dominion
ending any time soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaub4TOIgfA865FW5HMqp7yuCq2Ad8dwvVtzzSbBNHUL112u57KOVrG9ugEI_TXGcLShyphenhyphenKVYa0zpa_fHaYYRu0YneRXqgayAfVN2hMP5fUzOOFhwDxHrxIL5uaw3JQrynkQK5NHfmG0k/s1600/Lewandowski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaub4TOIgfA865FW5HMqp7yuCq2Ad8dwvVtzzSbBNHUL112u57KOVrG9ugEI_TXGcLShyphenhyphenKVYa0zpa_fHaYYRu0YneRXqgayAfVN2hMP5fUzOOFhwDxHrxIL5uaw3JQrynkQK5NHfmG0k/s1600/Lewandowski.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lewandowski at Bayen is ominous for the Bundesliga</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Schalke lost 1-6 at home to Real Madrid in their last 16
first-leg. Bayer Leverkusen lost 0-4 at home to PSG. Dortmund are promising but, given that they are now selling their best player to Bayern every summer,
they are unlikely to wrest the crown from Bavaria in the near future. The Bundesliga boasts one elite team and is not competitive this season<o:p></o:p></div>
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La Liga suffers more from a duopoly rather than a monopoly
but it’s been threatened this season by the excellent Atletico Madrid. Only once
in the past nine seasons has a team other than Real or Barca finished in the
top 2 (Villarreal in 2007/08) but Atletico stand a real chance of breaking that
this season. The problem lies with the rest of the league which is fairly poor.
The Clasico clubs are free to negotiate their own TV rights in Spain, allowing
them to sell their matches for millions, creating a huge financial imbalance.
Last year Barcelona won 32 out of 38 games on their way to the title. In 2012,
Madrid did the exact same. One or both of them frequently break the 100 goal
barrier due to the number of hidings they give to the smaller teams week after
week. The league consists of two absolute superpowers, one plucky underdog
whose rise may not last beyond this season as they may have to sell their best
players, and seventeen mediocre teams just there to make up the numbers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYWpciBGOHE9FM2b_gckiQjamSxvota4P35O5UjqjcQXTCvUp4RNSXA8Ghqn9r2tfLVLwnv8lqn152j_cjaDJD63qHk31sqA4S2F5R-Dr0LsAFM6bNvJYHS5K8eNnspesXq0kFMDApuI/s1600/ATL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYWpciBGOHE9FM2b_gckiQjamSxvota4P35O5UjqjcQXTCvUp4RNSXA8Ghqn9r2tfLVLwnv8lqn152j_cjaDJD63qHk31sqA4S2F5R-Dr0LsAFM6bNvJYHS5K8eNnspesXq0kFMDApuI/s1600/ATL.JPG" height="320" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sundays Madrid derby was one of LL's 5/6 top clashes each year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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La Liga has three absolutely quality teams but the competitiveness of the league overall is a joke. Real Sociedad managed just one point in the Champions League group stage this season, in a favourable enough group.</div>
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Serie A has been glorious in the past but right now it is in
a bit of a lull, reflected in the fact that it only receives three Champions
League places each year, the same amount as the Portuguese League. The league
has seen better days in terms of quality and will again in the future no doubt.
The least it could be now is competitive which sadly it is not. Roma made an
excellent start to the season winning ten on the bounce but they have slipped up
since and now trail champions and runaway leaders Juventus by eleven points.
Juve, by rights, should be aiming to compete at the business end of the Champions League. They underperformed in the group however and find themselves in the Europa this spring.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It is dominated, this season, by one excellent team but there are a number of capable challengers which will make the league more competitive next year hopefully. Compared to the rest of Europe however the Italian league is sub-standard and their poor showing in Europe back this up. One example to look at is Adel Taarabt. He excelled in the Championship with QPR but couldn't make it in the Premier League. He's moved to Milan on loan and is tearing it up in Serie A. So few players who do well in Italy can hack the pace of the Premier League, Dani Osvaldo and Erik Lamela being the best recent examples.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCa2Zh9IrBvb_SRtjWUKPlZWakt3dxhytk9cjoRuJXTisEr-iE-m0iqgpFuqOtm-HhH2GyOjIl-zgrVYDW1yXsKVHFCab05-6bgE6jOHrI_W4Ia2rvARAz4JJyXxTpiugcq31Q2WWxME/s1600/taraabt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCa2Zh9IrBvb_SRtjWUKPlZWakt3dxhytk9cjoRuJXTisEr-iE-m0iqgpFuqOtm-HhH2GyOjIl-zgrVYDW1yXsKVHFCab05-6bgE6jOHrI_W4Ia2rvARAz4JJyXxTpiugcq31Q2WWxME/s1600/taraabt.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taarabt failed in the PL at Spurs, QPR and Fulham. Not at Milan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ligue Un is the only other league with a team in the
European top ten listed above. Again, this league isn’t competitive at all and
is dominated by the super-rich PSG. The only foreseeable threat they have will
be from Monaco, once their lavish investment reaches similarly ridiculous
levels. Marseille are currently 3<sup>rd</sup> place in this league. Luckily,
for our comparison, they were drawn in a Champions League group with an English,
German and Italian team this season. They lost all six games. They have one excellent team in PSG who will win every title for the foreseeable future. The league is not up to much.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This leaves the Premier League. The end of the Sir Alex Ferguson dynasty has instilled a new competitiveness in the Premier League this season. With just over ten games to go, four teams are now in with a genuine chance of title contention. Spurs would be joining them if they had a decent manager for the season, as would Man United. Both will surely be in the hunt next year. Recently Swansea (14th in PL) held Napoli (3rd in SA) to a draw in Wales before running them close back in Naples. The best teams are not as good as the top teams in Europe but the strength in depth of the Premier League is better than anywhere else in Europe which is what makes it the best. There are seven teams in the Premier League who could compete in the Champions League and probably five or six more who would do well in the Europa.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCoGgagiCjd2eM1leQtsafQFYR5Qf4We3lsVBWOknGdQRNoAyzFWu_Ku5mNHZ-fSQcANOjceuaukUnGNUBTKVIKdcaqMfrRiKayU0Ggu3Xdb-VwBaBfqIhxTK2igMy2_A27GQ_D9pO7c/s1600/Everton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCoGgagiCjd2eM1leQtsafQFYR5Qf4We3lsVBWOknGdQRNoAyzFWu_Ku5mNHZ-fSQcANOjceuaukUnGNUBTKVIKdcaqMfrRiKayU0Ggu3Xdb-VwBaBfqIhxTK2igMy2_A27GQ_D9pO7c/s1600/Everton.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Everton would make the Champions League in Spain or Germany. 7th place in EPL.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In Europe, Man City and Arsenal both finished as runners up in their Champions League groups (both by virtue of away goals in the head-to-head match-ups) and as a result were paired with the two favourites Bayern and Barca. Both gave credible shows, both gave away red-cards and penalties, both lost 0-2 at home and both are facing elimination. The parallels between the two teams are amazing.</div>
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Manchester United were beaten in Athens by minnows Olympiakos and also face elimination. This was a bizzare result from a side desperately out of form and out of their depth in the later stages. Liverpool, Everton and Spurs would probably give a much better account of the league were they in the competition than this current United side. Chelsea are the only Premier League side who look like they will progress to the last eight this season.</div>
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While this season, the likes of Barcelona, Real and Bayern are likely to contest the European Cup, next season looks brighter for the top English clubs as they aim to bridge the gap. City's seeding will be higher and Chelsea will have improved under Mourinho. Both these sides can target next season as a feasible time to overthrow the likes of Bayern and bring the title back to England. Liverpool are likely to be involved too although their attempts to win a sixth European title will not likely bear instant fruit.</div>
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To sum up:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>The Bundesliga hosts the best <i>team</i> in Europe in Bayern Munich. The league might as well not be a competition.</li>
<li>La Liga hosts the best <i>teams </i>in Barcelona and Real Madrid. The league is slightly more competitive than in Germany but the gulf in class between top and even 5th/6th place is phenomenal. This league also hosts the best players in Europe</li>
<li>Serie A and Ligue Un are not of the same quality and really don't belong in this discussion.</li>
<li>The Premier League has a selection of teams whom, despite not being as good as the likes of Bayern and the Clasico clubs, are among the best in Europe. The competitiveness and strength in depth of the league exceeds that of its rivals and for that reason it can be considered the best in Europe.</li>
</ul>
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Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083062667870115571.post-77944723309638136982014-02-28T11:49:00.000+00:002014-02-28T15:29:47.058+00:00Heads Will Roll: United Careers Coming To An End"If we go out in Munich, heads will roll" - These were the infamous words uttered by one Roy Keane on the eve of Manchester United's Champions League quarter-final second-leg against Bayern Munich. The team that had won the title less than two years ago had put up a meek defence the following year and failed to set the world alight again the following year.<br />
<br />
Heads did roll. Within twelve months the likes of Jaap Stam, Dennis Irwin, Ronny Johnson Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, all parts of the treble winning side had all moved on. The new era began with the likes of Juan Veron, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rio Ferdinand arriving, charged with bringing further European success.<br />
<br />
Munich 2001 was a watershed moment for the club. The official end of the era of the treble winning side, the best in the club's history. Tuesday's defeat to Olympiakos and the possible embarrassing elimination that may follow in three weeks time may not carry the same sentiment, but is still a reminder that the club is once again in need of rebuilding, this time on a grander stage than before.<br />
<br />
Heads will no doubt roll again this summer, but whose heads?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tom Cleverley</b></span><br />
<br />
His standing has sunk so low that the recent <i>#AskCarrick</i> fan interaction program run by United allowing fans to put questions to their former favourite scapegoat Michael Carrick was actually hijacked with abuse for Tom 'TopCat' Cleverley.<br />
<br />
What does he do? Seriously what does Tom Cleverley contribute. Carrick has his amazing passing and even he's frustrating at times. Fletcher has his tenacity and work-rate, Fellaini, despite not really showing it yet, does have his physicality and is a decent footballer. Tom Cleverley does nothing particularly well and you simply can't get away with that at this level.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkSQ3khQ2idHLqZ2KpoIo7XLj_eUVZNIft4GEE54z20o8xvUzahC8sAudVZGNWGx5GGcEkbGY_d8BDMCnlXiyvIcZAriMHndius3KklwES_CjU6X5P11lBiC_tfNeRY6gS6vyVFby25I/s1600/TopCat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkSQ3khQ2idHLqZ2KpoIo7XLj_eUVZNIft4GEE54z20o8xvUzahC8sAudVZGNWGx5GGcEkbGY_d8BDMCnlXiyvIcZAriMHndius3KklwES_CjU6X5P11lBiC_tfNeRY6gS6vyVFby25I/s1600/TopCat.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Found out, possibly for the last time. The end of TopCat</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
He admitted it himself in a recent interview, saying he doesn't understand why fans don't appreciate his negligible contribution to the team. "I watch Spanish football a lot and when the players play a short pass sideways the fans applaud because they appreciate the players keeping possession".<br />
<br />
Fantastic Tom. Let me know how you get on in Spain. I'm sure Iniesta, Cesc and the likes are quaking in their boots at the prospect of Cleverley's radical style of football hitting their shores in 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Chris Smalling</b></span><br />
<br />
Smalling has enjoyed some fine performances as a United player since his arrival four years ago, but these bright moments have been outnumbered by several of mediocrity.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnnfhITwrXlT8QGyQEcoO52F1bMye_8spnNnw0qssh0c4MZ-wk9-vCxdv3systHIhTXKqWfwCBs9-YUlsfkl_-6TatEGsySfgBz_eVbY_qyFVP2W2aV5EhOvlVNpw6bk29J-ZBZFUImo/s1600/Smalling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnnfhITwrXlT8QGyQEcoO52F1bMye_8spnNnw0qssh0c4MZ-wk9-vCxdv3systHIhTXKqWfwCBs9-YUlsfkl_-6TatEGsySfgBz_eVbY_qyFVP2W2aV5EhOvlVNpw6bk29J-ZBZFUImo/s1600/Smalling.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Smalling has failed to justify his high transfer fee</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
He looks awkward and clumsy as a centre half and offers absolutely nothing going forward as a right-back. Players like John O'Shea and Phil Neville never really held down a starting spot at United because they didn't specialise in one position. They had long careers as squad players and that is a role Smalling may have to accept if he wants to prolong his Old Trafford career. He's not good enough to be first choice in any position.<br />
<br />
Smalling cost over £10m after playing only a handful of professional games for Fulham, a transfer that looks stranger and stranger as time goes by. Like Cleverley, he's another English talent that has failed to live up to the hype. But he wasn't the worst on Tuesday night. Another member of the back four scooped that very un-illustrious honour.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rio Ferdinand</b></span><br />
<br />
It was Rio. Rio was the worst of a very bad bunch on Tuesday night in Athens.<br />
<br />
New Years Day 2011. United came from behind to beat West Brom 2-1 at the Hawthorns in a game this is remembered for being Gary Neville's final professional football match. Neville was awful that day, exposed multiple times as a complete and utter liability. Wednesday night should be Ferdinand's 'West Brom moment'. He was awful. Off the pace. Too slow and too sloppy to play at this level anymore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z3-pnGMnMo8Sh8FC9g1OBEvxVkZvaTZhmGZTjSXBaI-rMxYqESUEqLN10o-smNZARx1N3tdTgC8yMu8C4xFmhILNt41dKQIo2v6dh8YNWwHs-0XXr9ZIXtI-vM9Lc031AbrF0XHpTOc/s1600/Rio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z3-pnGMnMo8Sh8FC9g1OBEvxVkZvaTZhmGZTjSXBaI-rMxYqESUEqLN10o-smNZARx1N3tdTgC8yMu8C4xFmhILNt41dKQIo2v6dh8YNWwHs-0XXr9ZIXtI-vM9Lc031AbrF0XHpTOc/s1600/Rio.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>RIo's great and storied career effectively ended on Tuesday</i></span></td></tr>
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The writing has been on the wall for some time and Tuesday night was the death-nail in the coffin for Rio Ferdinand's Manchester United career. He's gone at the end of the season anyway. Either to retirement, or to a lucrative pay-day in the middle east or the MLS for a season. Rio has had a wonderful career but it's over now.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ashley Young</b></span><br />
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One of a host of Aston Villa midfielders towards the end of the 2000s, all of whom signed for bigger clubs but none of whom rediscovered the form they had in the Midlands. Milner and Barry went to City, Downing to Liverpool. Ashley Young went to United and now finds his reputation in tatters.<br />
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It's not just been his lacklustre performances that have provoked the ire of many fans but his attitude. He walks with a swagger, a very undeserved swagger as if he, as a Manchester United player, has made it now and doesn't have to work hard anymore, he's untouchable. A superstar. He's not.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVs765J_lHibAgceLclmK3X_Bx54i8917IGBNevmJ2al_Rr7U1eqUf48GAJvm7TxrgCHEk_2agn6HWl8-2rJp1z39pty6Cf39ZCXgXMGqnX5BOjrNQ7sSPhzsaR0MAzvowjh8Z1dNGiA/s1600/DIve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVs765J_lHibAgceLclmK3X_Bx54i8917IGBNevmJ2al_Rr7U1eqUf48GAJvm7TxrgCHEk_2agn6HWl8-2rJp1z39pty6Cf39ZCXgXMGqnX5BOjrNQ7sSPhzsaR0MAzvowjh8Z1dNGiA/s1600/DIve.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Young's United career will be remembered for all the wrong reasons</i></td></tr>
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As if his petulance and under-performance haven't been enough, there's also his diving. When you hear the name Ashley Young I guarantee that 'dive' is among the first words that come into your head. Too often has he brought the club and the sport into disrepute with his theatrical falls to the ground whenever a defender brushes against him. He will not be missed.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Nani</b></span><br />
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Nani is 28 later this year. We've been waiting seven years now for him to live up to his billing as the next Cristiano Ronaldo but he's yet to achieve anything in the same stratosphere as his Portuguese team-mate. Similar to Ashley Young, for defensive effort coupled with a lack of talent to back it up has made him an increasingly unpopular figure at Old Trafford.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgid8v95PjztN_llteQLm9n8HlizaQ8IsYrFt3zmLtQC0-EU7PnbYsd5BnevxqZj2jtxw9dX9XG_DPM1fSeWZfYWgJo9MII-VXi5XyWmrJwru75_LblS_odrLidg1iY3znk-9Dt0ejxkEU/s1600/Nani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgid8v95PjztN_llteQLm9n8HlizaQ8IsYrFt3zmLtQC0-EU7PnbYsd5BnevxqZj2jtxw9dX9XG_DPM1fSeWZfYWgJo9MII-VXi5XyWmrJwru75_LblS_odrLidg1iY3znk-9Dt0ejxkEU/s1600/Nani.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Nani being replaced by Januzaj, his season summed up in one photo</i></span></td></tr>
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He was United's player of the year in the title-winning season of 2010/11 during which he either scored or assisted a total of 23 goals. Despite this he lost his place in the team for the end of the season and for the Champions League final with Barcelona. Nani hasn't looked the same since and despite being handed a five-year contract just six months ago, he looks to be on his way out.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Antonio Valencia</b></span><br />
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Perhaps a little harsh. He doesn't carry the same attitude about his as Young and Nani, who believe defensive work is beneath players of their quality, Valencia just simply isn't good enough.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu-j-R5v8U5EZfTNVk5BbO4w0GbLDiNFswlLsDrMQDurmKBW4pPVUQ1bT1U6uFH87xB7yXEBoYYvzk0Fgjd_lR-Vrx5k_vin_rCsQTJg2LMYy_uBaTTYUoLuF4Id3BpFVmSO8DEYCeIY/s1600/Tony+V.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu-j-R5v8U5EZfTNVk5BbO4w0GbLDiNFswlLsDrMQDurmKBW4pPVUQ1bT1U6uFH87xB7yXEBoYYvzk0Fgjd_lR-Vrx5k_vin_rCsQTJg2LMYy_uBaTTYUoLuF4Id3BpFVmSO8DEYCeIY/s1600/Tony+V.jpg" height="400" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The weight of the famous 7 jersey proved too much for 'Tony V'</span></i></td></tr>
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Signed from Wigan in 2009 for a slightly inflated fee of £16m, Valencia enjoyed a good first season at Old Trafford, proving effective but nowhere near a big enough player or personality to fill the chasm left by Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing. He broke his leg in September 2010 and hasn't quite recaptured his best form since. Although he was excellent in the 2011/12 season, he's been frustratingly inconsistent for the most part since.<br />
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Also he's probably the most one-footed right-footer you'll ever see.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Javier Hernandez</b></span><br />
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He's got away with being a sub-standard footballer for long enough. Under Ferguson he was most effective as a substitute, coming on as an impact player he was often able to pinpoint a weakness in the defence by virtue of his watching the game as a spectator.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YP5th8iCcC3_Rh2x7bjUEvfg_MyTooyOwlwYsAOFVj_iXTYasekNiz-3JzEpY9Y6U7KgTiloyKbox7nCEmdCS_yaAXE0T0orxeo9pcxQ8OhRI3pst0uF6-Se3BLhnV6L7NO-bUnW2sA/s1600/Chico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YP5th8iCcC3_Rh2x7bjUEvfg_MyTooyOwlwYsAOFVj_iXTYasekNiz-3JzEpY9Y6U7KgTiloyKbox7nCEmdCS_yaAXE0T0orxeo9pcxQ8OhRI3pst0uF6-Se3BLhnV6L7NO-bUnW2sA/s1600/Chico.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chicharito has not stepped up when needed this season</i></span></td></tr>
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In the absence of van Persie and Rooney, Chicharito was the man to lead the line over the Christmas and New Year period. It was a task he failed at miserably and left him horribly exposed as a pretty poor technical footballer. As a lone striker you have to be complete, or as close to possible as the complete forward. Javier Hernandez couldn't be further from this. He's a poacher. He offers very little in terms of link up play, or anything outside the six yard box really.<br />
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He's been one of the more mutinous characters in the dressing room this season. Retweeting a story from Sky about his potential departure and recently posting a cryptic message that 'soon the whole truth will be known'. I'd be shocked if he's still a United player next season.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>And the rest...</b></span><br />
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He's not quite dead wood, he's actually been United's best player over the last three games but <b>Nemanja Vidic</b> is most definitely leaving the club this summer. The Serbian captain has elected to leave of his own accord in order to seek a new challenge abroad. This may be a good thing for United as it may produce a settled back four. Vidic has been unable to play more than once a week since his season-ending knee injury in 2011.<br />
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<b>Patrice Evra</b> is likely to follow him. He doesn't really look happy anymore. <b>Ryan Giggs</b> has seen his playing time drastically decreased under Moyes and is likely to retire at the end of the year. The talents of <b>Shinji Kagawa</b> have been pitifully wasted since he arrived from Dortmund in 2012. He's the kind of player who'd look like a star in a quality team with some smart, quick attacking players. He does not fit into the crossing machine United seem determined to remain.<br />
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<b>Robin van Persie</b> gave a particularly revealing interview to Dutch TV on Tuesday which would strongly suggest he has no future at the club. Hearing him speak so rebelliously against the club, it's hard to believe it's just nineteen months since he signed from Arsenal and less than a year since he volleyed United to their 20th league title. His fall from happiness has alarming this season. It's accepted that the principal reason he came to United was to work under Sir Alex Ferguson so finding him gone less than a year later seems to have left Robin feeling a little cheated and longing for an escape.<br />
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And of course there's <b>David Moyes</b> who surely at this stage cannot expect to remain as Manchester United manager next season. He's taken a side that won the title by eleven points, added almost £70m worth of talent and a Belgian wonderkid, and turned them into one that may not finish in the top 6, and is on the verge being knocked out of the Champions League by a Greek side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD2MZ9GjvpEJth_BwVff1-16VEFC46GGp0RSFatHf_MMiSIzrfHG0e4m2Z4weaWwKdWBX0g9fCP9zQgHx-NEbtXzlXlTsZf8N-8NwFVatgAVvBDDYA6yUCQPSx9CtDAKpN8Ino1_3ciI/s1600/Moyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD2MZ9GjvpEJth_BwVff1-16VEFC46GGp0RSFatHf_MMiSIzrfHG0e4m2Z4weaWwKdWBX0g9fCP9zQgHx-NEbtXzlXlTsZf8N-8NwFVatgAVvBDDYA6yUCQPSx9CtDAKpN8Ino1_3ciI/s1600/Moyes.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Manchester United cannot justify giving Moyes a second season</i></span></td></tr>
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The players don't show the same desire to play for Moyes as they did for Ferguson. A manager that can't inspire passion and drive in his players will simply never manage a successful side. Moyes's shortcomings as a manger have been horribly exposed time and time again this season and I really don't need to donate any more inches to call for his head. The question of 'Should David Moyes be sacked?' now belongs in the same sarcastic category as 'Is The Pope Catholic?' or 'Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?'<br />
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PS: It's worth checking out<u> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj2xSQU1Avw">this video</a></u> which highlights:<br />
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<ol>
<li>How completely oblivious other players are to the presence of Shinji Kagawa.</li>
<li>Ashley Young does not look when crossing the ball, relying on the trusty hit and hope method.</li>
<li>Long balls out wide are still this team's main entre.</li>
</ol>
Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12140021945741255251noreply@blogger.com0