We’re now into that period of the season Sir Alex is fond of calling “squeaky bum time”. Forgetting that the phrase sounds like a chilling announcement one might hear in the prison shower rooms, I intend to examine the prospects of those whose bums are to be the squeakiest for the next couple of months.
We start with the title race.
As I mentioned in one of my few posts this season, the title race has been a bit of a farce in terms of media coverage. Arsenal have been in and out of it three times now, and who’s to say a fourth is out of the question? The bottom line is that papers need to be sold and web pages need to be hit, so an article detailing the demise of Arsenal followed by an article lauding Wenger for building a team from nothing and raising a title challenge from the dead (or, as can be recently seen on The Guardian's Website, an article talking about the death of Italian football followed by an article talking about the imminent death of most of Chelsea's aging players) sells more papers than something measured but necessarily inconclusive. We want instant gratification like “out of the race” and “back in the race” and “best player in the world”. We want clean propositional truths, not the messiness of narrative, but the way this season has gone, only a messy narrative can do justice to the events that have unfolded.
All three teams at the top are far from complete. Manchester United have often looked vulnerable in defense (especially away from home) and unimaginative in midfield, yet they lead the way and are my favourites to win the league title. They are quite boring to watch -- unless you like watching people whip crosses into the box ad nauseum -- but they are extremely effective. As with all of Ferguson’s teams, this one has a belief that defies their ability. They do not know their own limitations, therefore they continue to punch above their weight with tremendous success. These may sound like back-handed compliments, but I genuinely admire what this team is able to achieve with its current resources.
There is an ad campaign for the Irish rugby team with the slogan “Belief or nothing”. While belief may not be everything, it is fundamental to success; it is the starting point of any victory. This season’s potential triumph will be one of Ferguson’s greatest achievements as a manager, because it will have been born of the Scotsman’s unrelenting belief in players like Park, Fletcher, Valencia, and even old timers like Scholes and Giggs. Hats off, I say.
I still hate them, though.
Next in line are Chelsea. I have had serious reservations about this Chelsea team all season, starting with my prediction of them finishing outside the top 4 (you can stop laughing now). I then inexplicably predicted them to win the Champions league a third of the way through the season, only to suggest that they will win absolutely nothing shortly after. (I even foretold of their loss to Inter in the Champions League, which perhaps balances out my more outlandish prediction of a fifth place finish.) So what now?
My reservations have not waned, and I make Chelsea favourites for third place. Not because of some knock-on effect thanks to the Champions League; in fact their exit might actually help their chances in the league. They simply have too many passengers on the team. Anelka, Ballack, Mikel, and even Lampard have been carried through large spells of this season. Then there is the "flair" of the team, absent due to the pitiful form of Joe Cole and Deco, and the erratic nature of Florent Malouda.
In short, this is not a team. Their captain is a pseudo-leader, a man so determined to lead that he is unfit for the role. There have been rays of light, of course. Ashley Cole, despite himself, has been imperious all season. Drogba is a constant threat, and his goals (and assists) have kept Chelsea where they are. Ivanovic has been nothing if not consistent, and a surprising attacking force on Chelsea’s otherwise barren right wing. But their problems run deep, as suggested by the apparent overhaul about to take place this summer. The question now is whether Ancelotti is the man to rebuild the squad. For one reason or another he never did this at A.C. Milan, with the Italians now reaping the whirlwind of this negligence. Can the left-eyebrow-raising manager suddenly engineer a renovation of Chelsea? And can he do so with instant success? I remain sceptical.
Arsenal and Wenger on the other hand have been renovating for four years, with nothing tangible to show for it in terms of silverware but with plenty to commend it in terms of business savvy and aesthetics. Could this be the season when that all-important component is added - on-field success? In a word, yes. Their destiny is not in their own hands, but this will actually better suit the Gunners . They are not very good leaders, but they have proven this season that they are capable of capitalising on the slip-ups made by those ahead of them. The longer Arsenal remain within a one (or two) result swing of top spot the better for them, but of course at some point United and Chelsea will have to drop points and Arsenal will have to move into first place. The game between the current top two might be one such point. A draw in that tie would be the ideal result for Arsenal at this moment in time.
Almost as important as points won and lost will be goal difference. Arsenal are currently 8 goals behind Man Utd and 4 behind Chelsea. Given their favourable run in this is not an insurmountable deficit, and to overcome it will be worth a point, or .000000000001 of a point. Scraping out narrow wins might not be enough for Arsenal, even if they get 8 more of them. But as a plus, they may well be reunited with Robin van Persie for about half of those 8 games, so the goals might come easier as well as the wins. And with Arshavin looking more like the player of last season and Fabregas back to fitness, the unlikely is still very much possible.
I predicted Arsenal to win the league in my first post this season. Far be it from me to repent of that prophecy in the midst of squeaky bum time.
Next Up: The Champions League
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
John Terry
Should John Terry remain England captain?
This is the question discussed over breakfast on the Sunday Supplement, and I couldn’t disagree more with some of the answers given.
According to Rob Beasley, there is no argument whatsoever. “Absolutely” is his one word answer to the question, as if there’s not even an issue to be discussed. He draws a distinction between John Terry the man and John Terry the football player, as if the two can be separated. They can’t, Mr Beasley. John Terry the man is John Terry the football player. You can’t talk about one person as if they are two different people. What next? Gary Glitter the man and Gary Glitter the musician? Shun the man, embrace the musician? It is this kind of thinking that leads people to say things like “Well, it wasn’t rape rape”.
Now I’m not out to condemn Terry. But it is unhelpful to all involved if we start drawing lines down the middle of a person that don’t exist in real life. To simply say that John Terry is the best English defender and therefore case closed is naïve to the extreme. It trumps the individual over the collective. How do the rest of the Chelsea players really feel about the whole thing? One wonders if they would have been quite so congratulatory had Wayne Bridge been playing left-back against Burnley yesterday evening. Their attitude resembled a “football at all costs” mentality, which is dangerous for player and fan alike. Now I’m not saying the Chelsea players should have turned their backs on Terry, but show some decency to a former teammate. Terry did so by shrugging away the embracing arms. What possessed Cech to apparently run 40 yards to jump on Terry’s back? Three points? Superficial support of a teammate? We all lauded van der Saar for staring down the United fans who threw objects at Craig Bellamy. Would the proper footballing conduct actually have been to show support to the fan who threw the coin by, I dunno, jumping on his back after the game screaming "We won! We won!"? Beasley seems to think Cech’s behaviour a good sign. I think Wayne Bridge wishes Terry hit him with a coin instead. I know I would.
Beasley mentions the Terry-Bridge ultimatum, and he’s quite right to point out that there’s only going to be one winner. But that’s all a bit irrelevant when it comes to England captain. The captain is more than the best player; he’s more than the guy who would put his head where others wouldn’t put their foot. We can all agree on that, otherwise we’d be left scratching our heads as to why Paul McGrath wasn’t Ireland’s captain.
But what more should a captain be? A pillar of morality? One who fights for truth, justice and the American way? Someone who doesn’t cheat on his wife with the mother of his friend’s child?
As Pete Gill points out, the Burnley crowd seem to think so. They booed Terry during yesterday’s game, and probably represented much of the football watching public who would have done the same. Then again, if a Burnley player was in the same position as Terry, would they have booed him? Not likely. Football fans, like football players, are fickle. The disapproving noises would surely cease if England were to rampage through the World Cup under the captaincy of John Terry.
The question is, Is Terry the man to lead them? Has his position become untenable? I’m sorry to say, but there are no easy answers to this question. One thing we can be sure of though:
“JT’s not a quitter”.
It’s sentences like that that make me want to hurt somebody.
This is the question discussed over breakfast on the Sunday Supplement, and I couldn’t disagree more with some of the answers given.
According to Rob Beasley, there is no argument whatsoever. “Absolutely” is his one word answer to the question, as if there’s not even an issue to be discussed. He draws a distinction between John Terry the man and John Terry the football player, as if the two can be separated. They can’t, Mr Beasley. John Terry the man is John Terry the football player. You can’t talk about one person as if they are two different people. What next? Gary Glitter the man and Gary Glitter the musician? Shun the man, embrace the musician? It is this kind of thinking that leads people to say things like “Well, it wasn’t rape rape”.
Now I’m not out to condemn Terry. But it is unhelpful to all involved if we start drawing lines down the middle of a person that don’t exist in real life. To simply say that John Terry is the best English defender and therefore case closed is naïve to the extreme. It trumps the individual over the collective. How do the rest of the Chelsea players really feel about the whole thing? One wonders if they would have been quite so congratulatory had Wayne Bridge been playing left-back against Burnley yesterday evening. Their attitude resembled a “football at all costs” mentality, which is dangerous for player and fan alike. Now I’m not saying the Chelsea players should have turned their backs on Terry, but show some decency to a former teammate. Terry did so by shrugging away the embracing arms. What possessed Cech to apparently run 40 yards to jump on Terry’s back? Three points? Superficial support of a teammate? We all lauded van der Saar for staring down the United fans who threw objects at Craig Bellamy. Would the proper footballing conduct actually have been to show support to the fan who threw the coin by, I dunno, jumping on his back after the game screaming "We won! We won!"? Beasley seems to think Cech’s behaviour a good sign. I think Wayne Bridge wishes Terry hit him with a coin instead. I know I would.
Beasley mentions the Terry-Bridge ultimatum, and he’s quite right to point out that there’s only going to be one winner. But that’s all a bit irrelevant when it comes to England captain. The captain is more than the best player; he’s more than the guy who would put his head where others wouldn’t put their foot. We can all agree on that, otherwise we’d be left scratching our heads as to why Paul McGrath wasn’t Ireland’s captain.
But what more should a captain be? A pillar of morality? One who fights for truth, justice and the American way? Someone who doesn’t cheat on his wife with the mother of his friend’s child?
As Pete Gill points out, the Burnley crowd seem to think so. They booed Terry during yesterday’s game, and probably represented much of the football watching public who would have done the same. Then again, if a Burnley player was in the same position as Terry, would they have booed him? Not likely. Football fans, like football players, are fickle. The disapproving noises would surely cease if England were to rampage through the World Cup under the captaincy of John Terry.
The question is, Is Terry the man to lead them? Has his position become untenable? I’m sorry to say, but there are no easy answers to this question. One thing we can be sure of though:
“JT’s not a quitter”.
It’s sentences like that that make me want to hurt somebody.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Title Race
It can be hard keeping up with who is and isn’t in the title race. At the start of the season, the tired line “whoever finishes above [insert either Manchester United or Chelsea] will win the league” was repeated by various pundits. Then suddenly Arsenal were in the picture after a promising start, only for them to be firmly out of the picture after succumbing to a rather unflattering 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. At that stage, many in the media were ready to hand the rather large Premier League trophy over to the Blues, whilst some went just short of petitioning for Chelsea Football Club to be the new leaders of a one world government which stands for truth, peace and justice.
Two months on -- two months which contained something of a blip for Chelsea and resurgence for the Gunners --, some were proclaiming that this was a four, a five, or even a six horse race. The untrained eye could be forgiven for thinking that you could be desperately seeking to avoid relegation while at the same time making a stab for the title.
So where are we know? Well, were back to square two, where apparently we now have a three-horse race on our hands once more. They may be three deficient horses in a comically slow race, but a three-horse race it is nonetheless, so were supposed to get excited about it.
One website is telling us to back Arsenal at 7/2 while we can, seemingly unaware that in roughly 4 weeks Arsenal will most likely be considered “out of the race” for the third time this season. They play the other members of the soon-to-be-dissembled Big 4 three gameweeks in a row, and if previous form is anything to go by then Arsenal will be doing well not to lose all three fixtures.
Therefore the time to back Arsenal will be right after the inevitable collapse, when they will once again begin to eke their way back into the title race due to the ailments of the two horses above them.
Two months on -- two months which contained something of a blip for Chelsea and resurgence for the Gunners --, some were proclaiming that this was a four, a five, or even a six horse race. The untrained eye could be forgiven for thinking that you could be desperately seeking to avoid relegation while at the same time making a stab for the title.
So where are we know? Well, were back to square two, where apparently we now have a three-horse race on our hands once more. They may be three deficient horses in a comically slow race, but a three-horse race it is nonetheless, so were supposed to get excited about it.
One website is telling us to back Arsenal at 7/2 while we can, seemingly unaware that in roughly 4 weeks Arsenal will most likely be considered “out of the race” for the third time this season. They play the other members of the soon-to-be-dissembled Big 4 three gameweeks in a row, and if previous form is anything to go by then Arsenal will be doing well not to lose all three fixtures.
Therefore the time to back Arsenal will be right after the inevitable collapse, when they will once again begin to eke their way back into the title race due to the ailments of the two horses above them.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Rooney To Barca?
There is a rumour floating around this morning that Barcelona and/or Madrid are looking to make a massive £70m bid for Wayne Rooney. Forgetting about Real Madrid, Rooney to Barcelona is up there with Riquelme to Galway United and Valeron to our Tuesday night indoor footy in terms of moves I’d love to see happen.
From Manchester United’s point of view, selling Rooney would be the beginning of the end, that is if the end hasn’t already begun. Without him they lack anyone resembling a world-class player from midfield onwards. In short, it would signal immediate disaster for the club if they sold him.
But if United are in as much financial trouble as reported, it might just be the best thing for them to do in the long run. The Premier League is dying, its best players are heading off to Spain two-by-two. The best clubs are getting weaker by the year, and so now is the time for United to take the hit and retain a chance of still being in the mix in terms of on-field success. Selling Rooney at a time when Arsenal are selling Fabregas, Liverpool are selling Torres and Chelsea are getting older and slower would be like telling everyone you’re married to a goat at the same time others around you are professing their love for sheep. It’s never a nice thing to do, but there is a good time to do it and a bad time to do it.
Of course the “Premier” League will be all the worse for this mass exodus, but it has had it coming for a while. The flashiness of the League should not be United’s concern. Instead, they should be looking to rebuild for the future by sorting out financial woes and aiming to do business in a way that doesn’t lead you to spending £65m on Berbatov, Nani and Anderson.
From Rooney’s point of view, the move makes perfect sense. He has won everything in England bar the F.A. Cup. The quality of opposition (and teammates) is dwindling, and so new challenges will only be encountered on foreign soil. England has ceased to be the country where football is played at the highest level.
Moving to Barcelona means a chance to play with the world’s best players, and a chance to play against the world’s best players. It also means a chance to go head-to-head with one Cristiano Ronaldo. Don’t you just assume that an angry man like Wayne Rooney would love nothing more than to give his former team-mate a good kicking, metaphorically and literraly?
Footballistically, to use a Wengerism, the move makes eminent sense. He would slot right in to a position on the left of Barcelona’s front three in place of the aging Henry, where he would have both freedom of movement but also much closing down responsibility which he revels in.
Of course it would be a step up. He would go from being clearly the best player in his team to being just about in the top 5. which is never an easy pill to swallow. But given his raw talent, he would not look out of place, and would only improve.
The rumour linking him to the Catalans is probably a complete fabrication, but it is a fabrication that makes sense, and one which if it materialised would leave Manchester United and the Premier League firmly in transition, but would leave Barcelona and La Liga in its prime.
From Manchester United’s point of view, selling Rooney would be the beginning of the end, that is if the end hasn’t already begun. Without him they lack anyone resembling a world-class player from midfield onwards. In short, it would signal immediate disaster for the club if they sold him.
But if United are in as much financial trouble as reported, it might just be the best thing for them to do in the long run. The Premier League is dying, its best players are heading off to Spain two-by-two. The best clubs are getting weaker by the year, and so now is the time for United to take the hit and retain a chance of still being in the mix in terms of on-field success. Selling Rooney at a time when Arsenal are selling Fabregas, Liverpool are selling Torres and Chelsea are getting older and slower would be like telling everyone you’re married to a goat at the same time others around you are professing their love for sheep. It’s never a nice thing to do, but there is a good time to do it and a bad time to do it.
Of course the “Premier” League will be all the worse for this mass exodus, but it has had it coming for a while. The flashiness of the League should not be United’s concern. Instead, they should be looking to rebuild for the future by sorting out financial woes and aiming to do business in a way that doesn’t lead you to spending £65m on Berbatov, Nani and Anderson.
From Rooney’s point of view, the move makes perfect sense. He has won everything in England bar the F.A. Cup. The quality of opposition (and teammates) is dwindling, and so new challenges will only be encountered on foreign soil. England has ceased to be the country where football is played at the highest level.
Moving to Barcelona means a chance to play with the world’s best players, and a chance to play against the world’s best players. It also means a chance to go head-to-head with one Cristiano Ronaldo. Don’t you just assume that an angry man like Wayne Rooney would love nothing more than to give his former team-mate a good kicking, metaphorically and literraly?
Footballistically, to use a Wengerism, the move makes eminent sense. He would slot right in to a position on the left of Barcelona’s front three in place of the aging Henry, where he would have both freedom of movement but also much closing down responsibility which he revels in.
Of course it would be a step up. He would go from being clearly the best player in his team to being just about in the top 5. which is never an easy pill to swallow. But given his raw talent, he would not look out of place, and would only improve.
The rumour linking him to the Catalans is probably a complete fabrication, but it is a fabrication that makes sense, and one which if it materialised would leave Manchester United and the Premier League firmly in transition, but would leave Barcelona and La Liga in its prime.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Wilshere
Wilshere Watch
I’ve heard and read a lot about Jack Wilshere, but I’ve never had a good look at him. I’ll keep one eye on him during the West Ham--Arsenal cup tie, and document my observations briefly. It will hardly make for riveting reading, but it might be nice to look back on in years to come when little Jack Wilshere is (or isn’t) "the best player in the world".
1 - Little interchange with Sagna. Quite composed, no sign of nerves.
2 - Misplaced pass forward, but nothing silly.
4 - Taken out after a nice touch around the fullback.
7 - Nice close control followed by some slight miscontrol.
8 - Sends a lofted cross into Robert Green’s domain. Something more van Persie-like was the order of the day from that position.
11. Looks to have lost the ball with a slightly heavy touch, but nicks it away from the defender to maintain possession, a la Hleb.
11. Picks up a great position in the box, but the cut-back heading straight to him is cut out.
13. Plays a ball for Sagna down the line, but the pass was never going to bear much fruit even though it was successful.
15. Keeps the ball excellently in a tight space occupied by several West Ham players, and wins a corner for his troubles. Good play, that.
21. Dribbles past a player with ease but his through ball gets blocked.
23. Gets the right side of Behrami and wins a free kick just outside the box after he is tripped.
24. Puts in a clean tackle (complete with backheel) on Diamanti, and eventually comes away with the ball.
26. Loses the ball in midfield through a combination of miscontrol and bad passing.
30. Works an effective short corner with Merida with a nicely weighted return pass.
32. Puts in a good sliding tackle on Behrami in his own half, and then gets muscled off the ball by the Swiss midfielder 10 seconds later in the other half.
37. A terrible 30 seconds for Wilshere. Hits a woeful pass straight to West Ham’s front man who could have scored. Arsenal recover, but Wilshere dwells on the ball and is dispossessed just outside his own box, leading to another West Ham chance.
42. Chance to shoot after striding onto a backheel in the box, but elects to dummy the ball onto his weaker right foot. The defender doesn’t buy it and the move ends with a corner. A left-footed curler into the far corner of the net was the order of the day. Terribly surprised he decided on anything else.
43. Receives a throw-in but volley’s the ball right into touch. Sloppy.
45. Spins the full-back well, who gets booked for a foul.
48. Lovely piece of control near the middle of the park, and maintains possession with a neat pass. That oozed class.
Half-time Report
I get the feeling he’s playing within himself, content not to give the ball away but rather unwilling to try anything game-breaking. I suppose I don’t blame him given what happened in the 37th minute when he looked quite the fool. The quality is there though. His touch is assured, he plays with his head up, rarely concedes possession and has the ever-decreasing ability to go by a player. A little more attacking urgency wouldn’t go astray though. Let’s see what the second half brings.
Second Half
50. Curls a pass straight to a West Ham player.
51. Links up well with, er, someone, and curls a precise pass wide to Vela. That was probing.
55. Tries to thread a pass into the box, but it’s straight at a West Ham defender.
57. Step-over! Which leads to a Ramsey shot from just outside the box.
59. Steps inside the full-back and slips a lovely 20 yard pass along the turf into Merida’s feet which opens up the West Ham defense.
61. Spins away from Behrami on a sixpence, but underhits the ensuing pass.
65. Subbed off.
Full-time Report
The boy does indeed have talent. There’s hints of Hleb, Iniesta and Rooney to his play, with that low centre of gravity and wonderful habit of keeping the ball at all costs. I don’t think he has the freakish ability of Fabregas or Messi, in that I don’t foresee him making a huge impact in the game in his teens. But like my beloved Andres Iniesta, I think he will be a player who grows into his role in a team over time. But time, of course, will tell.
I’ve heard and read a lot about Jack Wilshere, but I’ve never had a good look at him. I’ll keep one eye on him during the West Ham--Arsenal cup tie, and document my observations briefly. It will hardly make for riveting reading, but it might be nice to look back on in years to come when little Jack Wilshere is (or isn’t) "the best player in the world".
1 - Little interchange with Sagna. Quite composed, no sign of nerves.
2 - Misplaced pass forward, but nothing silly.
4 - Taken out after a nice touch around the fullback.
7 - Nice close control followed by some slight miscontrol.
8 - Sends a lofted cross into Robert Green’s domain. Something more van Persie-like was the order of the day from that position.
11. Looks to have lost the ball with a slightly heavy touch, but nicks it away from the defender to maintain possession, a la Hleb.
11. Picks up a great position in the box, but the cut-back heading straight to him is cut out.
13. Plays a ball for Sagna down the line, but the pass was never going to bear much fruit even though it was successful.
15. Keeps the ball excellently in a tight space occupied by several West Ham players, and wins a corner for his troubles. Good play, that.
21. Dribbles past a player with ease but his through ball gets blocked.
23. Gets the right side of Behrami and wins a free kick just outside the box after he is tripped.
24. Puts in a clean tackle (complete with backheel) on Diamanti, and eventually comes away with the ball.
26. Loses the ball in midfield through a combination of miscontrol and bad passing.
30. Works an effective short corner with Merida with a nicely weighted return pass.
32. Puts in a good sliding tackle on Behrami in his own half, and then gets muscled off the ball by the Swiss midfielder 10 seconds later in the other half.
37. A terrible 30 seconds for Wilshere. Hits a woeful pass straight to West Ham’s front man who could have scored. Arsenal recover, but Wilshere dwells on the ball and is dispossessed just outside his own box, leading to another West Ham chance.
42. Chance to shoot after striding onto a backheel in the box, but elects to dummy the ball onto his weaker right foot. The defender doesn’t buy it and the move ends with a corner. A left-footed curler into the far corner of the net was the order of the day. Terribly surprised he decided on anything else.
43. Receives a throw-in but volley’s the ball right into touch. Sloppy.
45. Spins the full-back well, who gets booked for a foul.
48. Lovely piece of control near the middle of the park, and maintains possession with a neat pass. That oozed class.
Half-time Report
I get the feeling he’s playing within himself, content not to give the ball away but rather unwilling to try anything game-breaking. I suppose I don’t blame him given what happened in the 37th minute when he looked quite the fool. The quality is there though. His touch is assured, he plays with his head up, rarely concedes possession and has the ever-decreasing ability to go by a player. A little more attacking urgency wouldn’t go astray though. Let’s see what the second half brings.
Second Half
50. Curls a pass straight to a West Ham player.
51. Links up well with, er, someone, and curls a precise pass wide to Vela. That was probing.
55. Tries to thread a pass into the box, but it’s straight at a West Ham defender.
57. Step-over! Which leads to a Ramsey shot from just outside the box.
59. Steps inside the full-back and slips a lovely 20 yard pass along the turf into Merida’s feet which opens up the West Ham defense.
61. Spins away from Behrami on a sixpence, but underhits the ensuing pass.
65. Subbed off.
Full-time Report
The boy does indeed have talent. There’s hints of Hleb, Iniesta and Rooney to his play, with that low centre of gravity and wonderful habit of keeping the ball at all costs. I don’t think he has the freakish ability of Fabregas or Messi, in that I don’t foresee him making a huge impact in the game in his teens. But like my beloved Andres Iniesta, I think he will be a player who grows into his role in a team over time. But time, of course, will tell.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Do Not Be Fooled
At the start of the season I predicted a few things, some of which seem to be coming to pass, others of which look a tad silly. One of the latter might be my prediction that Chelsea would miss out on the top 4.
While I will of course admit that I was more than slightly off with that piece of foresight, I will state for the record that I don’t think Chelsea will win anything this season.
Do not be fooled by their lofty league position, their 3-0 win at the Emirates, or their huddle at the end of their most recent wretched performance.
Cast your mind back to last season, when Frank Lampard secured a late, late win for Chelsea at home to a resilient Stoke. Scenes of jubilation erupted as the team made a song and dance around Scolari. The smell of unity appeared to be in the air, and that favourite adage of Football 365 -- it is the Chelsea way to find a way -- looked never truer.
But behind the hullabaloo was a team void of a genuine collective identity, and a team void of genuine attacking talent. One man carried the show last season - Frank Lampard. This year that burden has fallen on Didier Drogba. Aside from this change, I’m not too sure what is different about this Chelsea than last season’s.
What’s that? You’re reminding me of the 3-0 win against Arsenal again? There are a couple of things I would say in response to that. First, Man City beat Arsenal 4-2, but that result had everything to do with Arsenal’s frailties and almost nothing to do with City being particularly good. Chelsea’s win told is a lot about Arsenal. It told is quite a bit about Drogba. But it told us very little about Chelsea. Their woeful displays in the subsequent games prove my point. Many put Chelsea on a pedestal after their victory over the Gunners, but it is clear that this Chelsea team are not nearly as good as the mythic Chelsea team that steamrolled Arsenal and will do so to all who stand in their way.
Those who wrote as much were simply fooling themselves into thinking that the Premier League still has a really good team, perhaps even the “best team in the world”. It doesn’t. Of course on their day, a top Premier League team can beat a Barcelona. But on their day, Stoke can beat Manchester United. Does this mean that Stoke now set the bar for others?
Chelsea are good, but they’re a long way from being great. That they sit 5 points ahead of second place only serves to tells us how much lower the standard is at the top of the league.
Jose Mourinho was watching yesterday’s game against Fulham. Based on what he saw, he will fancy his side’s chances of finally progressing beyond the last 16. Based on what I’ve seen of Chelsea over the last 4 months, I fancy Inter’s chances too.
While I will of course admit that I was more than slightly off with that piece of foresight, I will state for the record that I don’t think Chelsea will win anything this season.
Do not be fooled by their lofty league position, their 3-0 win at the Emirates, or their huddle at the end of their most recent wretched performance.
Cast your mind back to last season, when Frank Lampard secured a late, late win for Chelsea at home to a resilient Stoke. Scenes of jubilation erupted as the team made a song and dance around Scolari. The smell of unity appeared to be in the air, and that favourite adage of Football 365 -- it is the Chelsea way to find a way -- looked never truer.
But behind the hullabaloo was a team void of a genuine collective identity, and a team void of genuine attacking talent. One man carried the show last season - Frank Lampard. This year that burden has fallen on Didier Drogba. Aside from this change, I’m not too sure what is different about this Chelsea than last season’s.
What’s that? You’re reminding me of the 3-0 win against Arsenal again? There are a couple of things I would say in response to that. First, Man City beat Arsenal 4-2, but that result had everything to do with Arsenal’s frailties and almost nothing to do with City being particularly good. Chelsea’s win told is a lot about Arsenal. It told is quite a bit about Drogba. But it told us very little about Chelsea. Their woeful displays in the subsequent games prove my point. Many put Chelsea on a pedestal after their victory over the Gunners, but it is clear that this Chelsea team are not nearly as good as the mythic Chelsea team that steamrolled Arsenal and will do so to all who stand in their way.
Those who wrote as much were simply fooling themselves into thinking that the Premier League still has a really good team, perhaps even the “best team in the world”. It doesn’t. Of course on their day, a top Premier League team can beat a Barcelona. But on their day, Stoke can beat Manchester United. Does this mean that Stoke now set the bar for others?
Chelsea are good, but they’re a long way from being great. That they sit 5 points ahead of second place only serves to tells us how much lower the standard is at the top of the league.
Jose Mourinho was watching yesterday’s game against Fulham. Based on what he saw, he will fancy his side’s chances of finally progressing beyond the last 16. Based on what I’ve seen of Chelsea over the last 4 months, I fancy Inter’s chances too.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
What To Watch
In case you’re wondering what to watch in the Champions League tonight, here is a quick guide to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.
Group A
Look no further than this group for the most intriguing match of the final round. It’s quite simple really - Bayern Munich must win to go through. If they don’t, Juve go through. The game is being played in Turin so you would fancy the home club to do enough, but unlike some around these parts, I’m not about to break football’s oldest commandment and write off the Germans. Expect a tense game, where at least one managers job hinges entirely on the result.
Group B
Herein lies the battle for top spot. Wolfsburg need to not only beat Manchester United, but to beat them either 1-0, 2-1, or by two goals. A 3-2 victory, for example, won’t be good enough, because it will give United a better head-to-head record. It is within Man Utd’s interests to finish top, because should they not, then as things stand they will have to face one of Bordeaux, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, Barelona or Sevilla - that’s almost a 50-50 chance of drawing one of Spain’s big two. However, the other three teams on that list would probably prove to be quite favourable, so finishing second might just be a blessing in disguise should the draw be kind to United, which it invariably is. That said, the list of second place teams is made up almost entirely of outfits not unlike Fiorentina, Sevilla and Bordeaux, so after some back and forth, here is the conclusion: forget about what may happen in the draw for the last 16 - the best thing is the finish top and avoid the large possibility of facing one of Spain’s big two. Given the defensive crisis at Man Utd currently, this might actually be a game worth watching if you can’t source the one above.
Group C
Things are much more complicated here. Real Madrid need to beat Marseille away from home to guarantee top spot. If they draw and Milan don’t win, then they will also finish first. However, if they draw and Milan win then the Italians’ better head-to-head record will see them snatch first prize.
But -- and this is a pretty big but -- if Marseille not only beat Madrid, but beat them 3-0 (or 4-0, or 5-1 etc), then the French club go through in second place instead of the Spaniards, provided Milan also win (who will thus finish top). If Milan don’t win and Marseille triumph 3-0, then it is first place to Marseille and second place to Madrid.
The only way Milan can go out is if they fail to beat Zurich away from home and if Marseille beat Madrid by any score at all. If Milan lose and Marseille draw, the Italians still go through thanks to a superior record against the French.
Given that Milan lost to Zurich at home, and Madrid lost to a team in the Second Division B 4-0, anything is possible. Marseille--Madrid might just be worth watching if the French manage to get an early goal or two.
Group D
The big question from this group is can Atletico Madrid make the Europa League? That tells you just about everything you need to know. Avoid group D like the plague.
In sum, there are actually some good matches to be found in the final set of group games. Who’d have thought? My order of preference would be Juve v Bayern, Marseille v Madrid, and Wolfsburg v Manchester United.
Group A
Look no further than this group for the most intriguing match of the final round. It’s quite simple really - Bayern Munich must win to go through. If they don’t, Juve go through. The game is being played in Turin so you would fancy the home club to do enough, but unlike some around these parts, I’m not about to break football’s oldest commandment and write off the Germans. Expect a tense game, where at least one managers job hinges entirely on the result.
Group B
Herein lies the battle for top spot. Wolfsburg need to not only beat Manchester United, but to beat them either 1-0, 2-1, or by two goals. A 3-2 victory, for example, won’t be good enough, because it will give United a better head-to-head record. It is within Man Utd’s interests to finish top, because should they not, then as things stand they will have to face one of Bordeaux, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, Barelona or Sevilla - that’s almost a 50-50 chance of drawing one of Spain’s big two. However, the other three teams on that list would probably prove to be quite favourable, so finishing second might just be a blessing in disguise should the draw be kind to United, which it invariably is. That said, the list of second place teams is made up almost entirely of outfits not unlike Fiorentina, Sevilla and Bordeaux, so after some back and forth, here is the conclusion: forget about what may happen in the draw for the last 16 - the best thing is the finish top and avoid the large possibility of facing one of Spain’s big two. Given the defensive crisis at Man Utd currently, this might actually be a game worth watching if you can’t source the one above.
Group C
Things are much more complicated here. Real Madrid need to beat Marseille away from home to guarantee top spot. If they draw and Milan don’t win, then they will also finish first. However, if they draw and Milan win then the Italians’ better head-to-head record will see them snatch first prize.
But -- and this is a pretty big but -- if Marseille not only beat Madrid, but beat them 3-0 (or 4-0, or 5-1 etc), then the French club go through in second place instead of the Spaniards, provided Milan also win (who will thus finish top). If Milan don’t win and Marseille triumph 3-0, then it is first place to Marseille and second place to Madrid.
The only way Milan can go out is if they fail to beat Zurich away from home and if Marseille beat Madrid by any score at all. If Milan lose and Marseille draw, the Italians still go through thanks to a superior record against the French.
Given that Milan lost to Zurich at home, and Madrid lost to a team in the Second Division B 4-0, anything is possible. Marseille--Madrid might just be worth watching if the French manage to get an early goal or two.
Group D
The big question from this group is can Atletico Madrid make the Europa League? That tells you just about everything you need to know. Avoid group D like the plague.
In sum, there are actually some good matches to be found in the final set of group games. Who’d have thought? My order of preference would be Juve v Bayern, Marseille v Madrid, and Wolfsburg v Manchester United.
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