Joey Barton is anything but uncomplicated, but whilst this should make him interesting he is actually an incredible bore.
Yet again Barton has found himself at the centre of controversy after his sending off against Norwich City which as usual he has decided is everyone else's fault but his own.
Since the inception of Twitter, Barton has attempted to reinvent himself into some kind of post modern sage for the masses, a cross between Tracy Emin and Eric Cantona whereas the reality is he is nothing more than a street urchin who has suddenly found himself with way too much money due to sporting talent - step forward Mike Tyson, John Terry and John Daly.
Barton's behaviour is volatile to say the least and whilst he claims to be vastly misunderstood his behaviour when his back is to the wall belies his true nature.
Players at Wolves would question his claims to be the voice of the common man. Earlier this season during his running feud with the Molineux men he felt it necessary to remind Karl Henry that 'he earned eighty grand a week' and enquired as to how much he took home every week. He is hardly a man of modesty nor a poster child for the working class after all. He then went on to abuse his fellow professional on Twitter calling him a 'Sunday League Player' and more eloquently a 'Mug'.
Barton is always quick to use the term 'hypocrite' at any given juncture but it is he who is the true one. Barton has accused the Norwich player Johnson of acting to get him sent off stating the 'best thespian wins'. How true that statement is, after all didn't he act impeccably to have Gervinho sent off in exactly the same manner (after provoking him by hauling him to his feet) at the beginning of the season?
Barton then of course blamed this incident for his 'move' to Arsenal falling through even though Wenger barely knew who he was until this point.
When pushed on the matter, Barton stated "My job is to do the best for my team, not to keep Gervinho on the pitch. There's more to football than kicking a ball....” Despite this Barton claims that it is everyone else but he that is the hypocrite.
Barton's latest tirade has even included talk of suing the referee with regard to his dismissal, these are simple distraction tactics which will only work on people with a similar level of IQ to he.
Barton claims to be treated unfairly by comparison to other footballers targeting the likes of Lampard and Gerrard whilst at the height of his clamour for an England place. Yet despite this he occupies an extreme minority in having a conviction for assault, having served a custodial sentence for that conviction and having stubbed out a cigar in the eye of a junior colleague.
The vast majority of professionals have also not been sent home from tours of Thailand for kicking children and nor have they been arrested and convicted (a separate conviction to the one above) of assaulting their team mates at training.
Barton claims to possess outstanding ability and but for his lack of pace we would not argue too much with that. The reality however is that his petulant, childish and violent manner provides a disruption to his team that far outweighs the benefits. Newcastle United have certainly flourished without him this season and QPR will be without him for the coming games due this petulance and maybe it is no bad thing - No Nonsense.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Premiership - Mid Season Report Card
The New Year has brought up the half way stage in proceedings and it is time to take stock of how the teams have performed so far versus their expectations and ability.
Manchester City 'A'
Superb first half of the season from the men in light blue. A couple of recent defeats have been offset by poor results from their neighbours and nearest challengers. The real test is still to come in the spring and it will be key to see how Mancini controls a combustible dressing room when the pressure starts to tell. Yaya Toure will be a big loss during the African Nations Cup.
ManYoo 'B+'
As usual, Ferguson has confounded his critics with an excellent points tally so far. Doubts remain about De Gea and they look woefully short in central midfield. Despite this they remain many people's pick for the title with many feeling that having Sir Alex at the helm rather than Mancini might be the tipping point.
Spurs 'A'
Tremendous first half of the season from 'Arry's men impressing all with their attacking verve. In Van Der Vaart, Bale, Modric and Adebayor they have genuine quality but it remains to be seen whether they can last the distance for the Champions League spots. Full marks so far however.
Chelsea 'D'
A truly awful start to AVB's reign as he wrestles with an ageing dressing room full of powerful characters that don't wish to be ousted. The manager must find a way to assert himself definitively with the players and he must resolve his issue regarding his lack of trust in a Torres who had just started to look more like his old self. The transfer window will be key as it would rejuvenate the club as well as possibly showing that Abramovich retains faith in his young coach. A big improvement is required.
Arsenal 'C-'
More accurately the first ten games would be classed as an 'E' with a 'B' thereafter. Arsenal's shortcomings have been well documented and whilst the defence seems to be taking on a more robust look the same problems remain. An over reliance on Van Persie is also highly dangerous given his injury record. January reinforcements would be welcome but probably unlikely.
Liverpool 'C'
Dalglish's mastery of the media is unquestionable but his team is still mediocre. Despite appalling seasons from Chelsea and Arsenal so far they remain sixth with little hope of a title challenge in the coming seasons. The Suarez issue has stopped the media from focusing on the lack of ability in the side and the fact that the other new recruits, Adam, Carroll, Downing and Henderson are not of sufficient calibre for a team with Champions League aspirations. With the resources of the clubs above them, it looks hard to see where Liverpool go from here.
Newcastle 'B+'
Excellent start to the season which has since tailed off as injuries have bitten through a paper thin squad. Pardew and his French speaking cohorts have confounded expectations of a relegation battle however and they should be congratulated on some fine results. The only way is down from here however.
Stoke City 'B'
It might sound odd to have Stoke in eighth place yet only award them a 'B' yet such is the excellence of the side that Pulis has built and the consistency of results they have achieved that this is where they should expect to be. They will remain a handful for most teams that they play this season.
Norwich City 'A'
Points are the name of the game and so far a return of 25 is a superb one for the Carrow Road men. Paul Lambert looks to be a coach of genuine quality and 15 points only should be required to ensure another year's stay in the top flight.
Sunderland 'D'
Fortunately for Sunderland, the Dunce that 'D' stood for has been removed with the motivator supreme Martin O'Neill now instilled at the helm. Their recent results have been superb and there is reason for optimism going forwards for the fans on Wearside.
Everton 'C'
It is easy to be too harsh on Moyes given the size of his squad but the deja vu at Goodison is tangible with yet another mediocre first half to the season. There must be something in Moyes' methods, be it pre season or something else that sees such Jekyll and Hyde form every season from Everton. Should their usual post Christmas form kick in they should enjoy a decent finish, if it does not they may be looking over their shoulders.
Swansea City 'B'
The Welsh side have won many friends so far with their brave showings in the Premiership. Whilst twelfth place looks excellent on paper they are only two wins above the drop zone so they must build on what they have achieved so far. They should be able to confound pre season predictions and stay up however.
Aston Villa 'C'
It was always going to be a tough job for Alex McLeish and so it is proving with a mediocre side and much false expectation. Mid table is their lot in life.
Fulham 'C'
Martin Jol has had a topsy turvy time at the Cottage and he badly needs to fix his relationship with Bobby Zamora if the West London side are not to get sucked into relegation trouble.
West Brom 'C'
Expectation probably became way too elevated given their excellent end to last season. The Baggies are in their usual place in the lower half of the table and they will have to work hard again to stay up. Should have enough quality to do so however.
Wolves 'D'
Some good transfer activity in the Summer and with a good goalscoring threat, there was much reason for optimism at Molineux but they have had a truly awful run of form after a promising start. Mick McCarthy's ability at the highest level is again in question and one must wonder how much patience the fans will continue to have.
QPR 'C-'
There was much optimism around Loftus Road after Tony Fernandes' takeover and the arrival of some good players on deadline day. There is however one simple problem with QPR and that is their manager. Warnock, for all his bluster cannot hide the fact that he is simply not good enough to manage at the top level. Will be touch and go whether they can stay up if he remains in charge.
Wigan 'C'
Like with Moyes, it is tough to be too harsh on Martinez and with no money invested it was always going to be an uphill battle. Martinez remains likeable but his tactics for instance in the game with Arsenal were naive at best. Hard to see them surviving this time around.
Blackburn Rovers 'D'
Rovers have the players to stay in this division and if somehow the crowd at Ewood could back off from the open hatred towards the manager and owners, the team has a good chance of staying up as they are capable of some excellent results. Steve Kean's position seems untenable long term and with owners with no apparent idea how to fix things one must worry for the clubs's future. They are able to get out of his position however.
Bolton Wanderers 'E'
Where has it all gone wrong for the men from the Reebok? Reliant on loan players previously, they have not been able to replicate their form from last season and they have been in a free fall since their hammering in the FA Cup Semi Final. Cahill should have been sold in the Summer for double what they will get now with the money reinvested. Doomed to be playing in the Championship next season where Coyle will have to rebuild his reputation.
Manchester City 'A'
Superb first half of the season from the men in light blue. A couple of recent defeats have been offset by poor results from their neighbours and nearest challengers. The real test is still to come in the spring and it will be key to see how Mancini controls a combustible dressing room when the pressure starts to tell. Yaya Toure will be a big loss during the African Nations Cup.
ManYoo 'B+'
As usual, Ferguson has confounded his critics with an excellent points tally so far. Doubts remain about De Gea and they look woefully short in central midfield. Despite this they remain many people's pick for the title with many feeling that having Sir Alex at the helm rather than Mancini might be the tipping point.
Spurs 'A'
Tremendous first half of the season from 'Arry's men impressing all with their attacking verve. In Van Der Vaart, Bale, Modric and Adebayor they have genuine quality but it remains to be seen whether they can last the distance for the Champions League spots. Full marks so far however.
Chelsea 'D'
A truly awful start to AVB's reign as he wrestles with an ageing dressing room full of powerful characters that don't wish to be ousted. The manager must find a way to assert himself definitively with the players and he must resolve his issue regarding his lack of trust in a Torres who had just started to look more like his old self. The transfer window will be key as it would rejuvenate the club as well as possibly showing that Abramovich retains faith in his young coach. A big improvement is required.
Arsenal 'C-'
More accurately the first ten games would be classed as an 'E' with a 'B' thereafter. Arsenal's shortcomings have been well documented and whilst the defence seems to be taking on a more robust look the same problems remain. An over reliance on Van Persie is also highly dangerous given his injury record. January reinforcements would be welcome but probably unlikely.
Liverpool 'C'
Dalglish's mastery of the media is unquestionable but his team is still mediocre. Despite appalling seasons from Chelsea and Arsenal so far they remain sixth with little hope of a title challenge in the coming seasons. The Suarez issue has stopped the media from focusing on the lack of ability in the side and the fact that the other new recruits, Adam, Carroll, Downing and Henderson are not of sufficient calibre for a team with Champions League aspirations. With the resources of the clubs above them, it looks hard to see where Liverpool go from here.
Newcastle 'B+'
Excellent start to the season which has since tailed off as injuries have bitten through a paper thin squad. Pardew and his French speaking cohorts have confounded expectations of a relegation battle however and they should be congratulated on some fine results. The only way is down from here however.
Stoke City 'B'
It might sound odd to have Stoke in eighth place yet only award them a 'B' yet such is the excellence of the side that Pulis has built and the consistency of results they have achieved that this is where they should expect to be. They will remain a handful for most teams that they play this season.
Norwich City 'A'
Points are the name of the game and so far a return of 25 is a superb one for the Carrow Road men. Paul Lambert looks to be a coach of genuine quality and 15 points only should be required to ensure another year's stay in the top flight.
Sunderland 'D'
Fortunately for Sunderland, the Dunce that 'D' stood for has been removed with the motivator supreme Martin O'Neill now instilled at the helm. Their recent results have been superb and there is reason for optimism going forwards for the fans on Wearside.
Everton 'C'
It is easy to be too harsh on Moyes given the size of his squad but the deja vu at Goodison is tangible with yet another mediocre first half to the season. There must be something in Moyes' methods, be it pre season or something else that sees such Jekyll and Hyde form every season from Everton. Should their usual post Christmas form kick in they should enjoy a decent finish, if it does not they may be looking over their shoulders.
Swansea City 'B'
The Welsh side have won many friends so far with their brave showings in the Premiership. Whilst twelfth place looks excellent on paper they are only two wins above the drop zone so they must build on what they have achieved so far. They should be able to confound pre season predictions and stay up however.
Aston Villa 'C'
It was always going to be a tough job for Alex McLeish and so it is proving with a mediocre side and much false expectation. Mid table is their lot in life.
Fulham 'C'
Martin Jol has had a topsy turvy time at the Cottage and he badly needs to fix his relationship with Bobby Zamora if the West London side are not to get sucked into relegation trouble.
West Brom 'C'
Expectation probably became way too elevated given their excellent end to last season. The Baggies are in their usual place in the lower half of the table and they will have to work hard again to stay up. Should have enough quality to do so however.
Wolves 'D'
Some good transfer activity in the Summer and with a good goalscoring threat, there was much reason for optimism at Molineux but they have had a truly awful run of form after a promising start. Mick McCarthy's ability at the highest level is again in question and one must wonder how much patience the fans will continue to have.
QPR 'C-'
There was much optimism around Loftus Road after Tony Fernandes' takeover and the arrival of some good players on deadline day. There is however one simple problem with QPR and that is their manager. Warnock, for all his bluster cannot hide the fact that he is simply not good enough to manage at the top level. Will be touch and go whether they can stay up if he remains in charge.
Wigan 'C'
Like with Moyes, it is tough to be too harsh on Martinez and with no money invested it was always going to be an uphill battle. Martinez remains likeable but his tactics for instance in the game with Arsenal were naive at best. Hard to see them surviving this time around.
Blackburn Rovers 'D'
Rovers have the players to stay in this division and if somehow the crowd at Ewood could back off from the open hatred towards the manager and owners, the team has a good chance of staying up as they are capable of some excellent results. Steve Kean's position seems untenable long term and with owners with no apparent idea how to fix things one must worry for the clubs's future. They are able to get out of his position however.
Bolton Wanderers 'E'
Where has it all gone wrong for the men from the Reebok? Reliant on loan players previously, they have not been able to replicate their form from last season and they have been in a free fall since their hammering in the FA Cup Semi Final. Cahill should have been sold in the Summer for double what they will get now with the money reinvested. Doomed to be playing in the Championship next season where Coyle will have to rebuild his reputation.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
2012 Soccer Predictions
Having looked back at this blog's 2011 predictions we would say we had an 'ok' hit rate with notable successess' such as Blackpool's relegation, Roy Hodgson's sacking and Fernando Torres' move to Chelsea alongside the ending of the Cesc Fabregas saga.
There were however some howlers such as picking Fulham to be relegated and whilst Mark Hughes and Alex McLeish did party company with their employers, it was for reasons that were not predicted. Roberto Mancini did indeed keep his job but Carlo Ancelotti duly lost his.
AC Milan, Dortmund and Rangers duly collected their titles although several others didn't. Picking Real to pip Barca in Spain proved foolish but we recovered the situation slightly by picking Barca to win the Champions League again.
So to this year and firstly the Premiership, Manchester City have been sweeping all before them before coming unstuck twice in recent weeks. ManYoo have been coming in for a lot of flak recently and have lost captain Vidic for the remainder of the season. That being said we still feel they have the know how and whilst it will be a close run thing come May we take United's experience to carry the day. With City's financial firepower it is only a matter of time however and they will reign the following season.
The remaining Champions League spots will be taken up by Chelsea and Spurs leaving Arsenal and Liverpool disappointed but ultimately in their rightful place. Chelsea's recovery however will be dependant on much needed January transfer action or they could swap places with Arsenal. At the lower end of the table, Wigan will be joined in the Championship by Bolton and Wolves who have confounded this blogs' prediction of a decent season. Blackburn have the capacity to win games and despite the fans ire with their manager, a little more luck will see them stay up.
We pick West Ham to win the Championship and be joined in the elite next season by Southampton and Middlesborough.
Barcelona will retain their title in Spain although Real Madrid will push them close, the remaining El Classico at the Camp Nou will provide the decisive result.
Italy is providing the most fascinating Scuddeto race in years with four genuine contenders and a wounded Internazionale currently in the bottom half of the table. We pick Juventus to win their first title since the bribery scandal which will vex AC greatly due to the moving of Andrea Pirlo.
Bayern will take the the Bundesliga title yet again and moneybags PSG will win Ligue 1 for the first time in some years.
The Champions League looks to have a wide open door for Barcelona to simply walk through. Neither of the two remaining English teams are good enough and there is nothing from Italy to concern them. The threats come from Real and from a Bayern team that is much improved. We will pick Barca to win the competition again unless Bayern avoid them en route to the final in which case we pick Bayern to win on penalties - because that's what Germans do.
The coming Summer sees the European Championships being held in Poland and Ukraine and it should be a festival of football. Invariably however these days these tournaments are a parade of shattered and disinterested footballers other than those harking for a move to a big club - anyone remember seeing Andre Arshavin run around as much for Arsenal as he did for Russia four years ago?
As with Barca in the Champions League, Spain remain a class apart with a team that would compare to any of the great sides in European Championship history such as Holland in 1988 and the France teams of 1984 and 2000. The midfield of Busquets, the two Xavis and the peerless Andres Iniesta has a balance and craft that is unparalleled in football today. It says much that the best player in the Premiership David Silva and the previous best midfielder in the Premiership, Cesc Fabregas cannot even get in the starting eleven.
David Villa currently has a broken leg but Spain still have options a plenty up front and the only gripe the Spanish will have is that Lionel Messi carries an Argentinian passport.
This blog however is in line with the Eurozone taking on a decidedly Germanic feel. Germany impressed everyone at the last World Cup with not just the quality of their play but the style of of their fast breaking team. Players such as Mueller and Ozil will be better than last time around, Mario Gomez fills the David Villa role and in Bastian Schweinsteiger they have a genuine midfield general. Three tournament wins in a row is unheralded and for that reason we will take Germany to beat Spain to the title in the Summer, probably on penalties again.
As ever, 2012 will see much managerial upheavel. One of the big questions will again be the timing of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. In delaying it so much - probably in the quest for one last Champions League title - Fergie has run up against a very inconvenient problem in the shape of Manchester City. Ferguson would surely hate to bow out with City on top and therefore should ManYoo win the title this season we think he will finally call it a day but only then. There is no change in our stance that the quietly groomed Paul Scholes will take over the reigns.
Spain will provide much intrigue also with both Guardiola and Mourinho in interesting positions. Should Guardiola sweep all before him again this season there would seem little reason for a man holding openly no long term ambitions to carry on, his legend in Catalonia already assured.
Mourinho has established a position of power in Madrid greater than any manager has in many years at the Bernabeu. That being said he will have to either win either of the Champions League or La Liga or at the very least prove that he is closing the gap to Barca. There does seem to be a level of understanding from the Madrid hierarchy that this is a truly exceptional Catalan side but that being said, a team boasting Kaka, Ozil, Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema, Xavi and Casillas is hardly a team of paupers and success is a prerequisite in the capital.
Mourinho will also have one eye on proceedings in Manchester and Ferguson's comments in a book that he sees much of himself in his younger days in Mourinho will do little to quash the Portuguezer's Mancunian ambition. The irony of course is that should Mancini fail to beat ManYoo to the title, that vacancy could also be available this Summer although it would be sad if it were so as Mancini seems to be steadily building a fantastic side.
In addition to this there is also the possibility that Wenger may retire his boots at Arsenal and that Chelsea may lose patience with AVB should Chelsea's season implode further. The top Italian clubs shuffle regularly and with the likes of Ancelotti newly placed at PSG, there is plenty of room for the merrygoround to turn.
We suspect that the ManYoo vacancy would only arise should they win the league and then it will be internally filled. Mourinho may be available should he fail to win the league yet again but unless Mancini is fired (we think this unlikely) he should also remain where he is. The Barcelona job may become available should Guardiola be successful and walk away and with their current team of geniuses that simply needs a conductor, that job could be tailor made for Wenger.
Of the second tier jobs, Redknapp could well fill the unwanted England role which could lead to a Spurs side that craves Europa League football looking for a new steward - No Nonsense.
There were however some howlers such as picking Fulham to be relegated and whilst Mark Hughes and Alex McLeish did party company with their employers, it was for reasons that were not predicted. Roberto Mancini did indeed keep his job but Carlo Ancelotti duly lost his.
AC Milan, Dortmund and Rangers duly collected their titles although several others didn't. Picking Real to pip Barca in Spain proved foolish but we recovered the situation slightly by picking Barca to win the Champions League again.
So to this year and firstly the Premiership, Manchester City have been sweeping all before them before coming unstuck twice in recent weeks. ManYoo have been coming in for a lot of flak recently and have lost captain Vidic for the remainder of the season. That being said we still feel they have the know how and whilst it will be a close run thing come May we take United's experience to carry the day. With City's financial firepower it is only a matter of time however and they will reign the following season.
The remaining Champions League spots will be taken up by Chelsea and Spurs leaving Arsenal and Liverpool disappointed but ultimately in their rightful place. Chelsea's recovery however will be dependant on much needed January transfer action or they could swap places with Arsenal. At the lower end of the table, Wigan will be joined in the Championship by Bolton and Wolves who have confounded this blogs' prediction of a decent season. Blackburn have the capacity to win games and despite the fans ire with their manager, a little more luck will see them stay up.
We pick West Ham to win the Championship and be joined in the elite next season by Southampton and Middlesborough.
Barcelona will retain their title in Spain although Real Madrid will push them close, the remaining El Classico at the Camp Nou will provide the decisive result.
Italy is providing the most fascinating Scuddeto race in years with four genuine contenders and a wounded Internazionale currently in the bottom half of the table. We pick Juventus to win their first title since the bribery scandal which will vex AC greatly due to the moving of Andrea Pirlo.
Bayern will take the the Bundesliga title yet again and moneybags PSG will win Ligue 1 for the first time in some years.
The Champions League looks to have a wide open door for Barcelona to simply walk through. Neither of the two remaining English teams are good enough and there is nothing from Italy to concern them. The threats come from Real and from a Bayern team that is much improved. We will pick Barca to win the competition again unless Bayern avoid them en route to the final in which case we pick Bayern to win on penalties - because that's what Germans do.
The coming Summer sees the European Championships being held in Poland and Ukraine and it should be a festival of football. Invariably however these days these tournaments are a parade of shattered and disinterested footballers other than those harking for a move to a big club - anyone remember seeing Andre Arshavin run around as much for Arsenal as he did for Russia four years ago?
As with Barca in the Champions League, Spain remain a class apart with a team that would compare to any of the great sides in European Championship history such as Holland in 1988 and the France teams of 1984 and 2000. The midfield of Busquets, the two Xavis and the peerless Andres Iniesta has a balance and craft that is unparalleled in football today. It says much that the best player in the Premiership David Silva and the previous best midfielder in the Premiership, Cesc Fabregas cannot even get in the starting eleven.
David Villa currently has a broken leg but Spain still have options a plenty up front and the only gripe the Spanish will have is that Lionel Messi carries an Argentinian passport.
This blog however is in line with the Eurozone taking on a decidedly Germanic feel. Germany impressed everyone at the last World Cup with not just the quality of their play but the style of of their fast breaking team. Players such as Mueller and Ozil will be better than last time around, Mario Gomez fills the David Villa role and in Bastian Schweinsteiger they have a genuine midfield general. Three tournament wins in a row is unheralded and for that reason we will take Germany to beat Spain to the title in the Summer, probably on penalties again.
As ever, 2012 will see much managerial upheavel. One of the big questions will again be the timing of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. In delaying it so much - probably in the quest for one last Champions League title - Fergie has run up against a very inconvenient problem in the shape of Manchester City. Ferguson would surely hate to bow out with City on top and therefore should ManYoo win the title this season we think he will finally call it a day but only then. There is no change in our stance that the quietly groomed Paul Scholes will take over the reigns.
Spain will provide much intrigue also with both Guardiola and Mourinho in interesting positions. Should Guardiola sweep all before him again this season there would seem little reason for a man holding openly no long term ambitions to carry on, his legend in Catalonia already assured.
Mourinho has established a position of power in Madrid greater than any manager has in many years at the Bernabeu. That being said he will have to either win either of the Champions League or La Liga or at the very least prove that he is closing the gap to Barca. There does seem to be a level of understanding from the Madrid hierarchy that this is a truly exceptional Catalan side but that being said, a team boasting Kaka, Ozil, Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema, Xavi and Casillas is hardly a team of paupers and success is a prerequisite in the capital.
Mourinho will also have one eye on proceedings in Manchester and Ferguson's comments in a book that he sees much of himself in his younger days in Mourinho will do little to quash the Portuguezer's Mancunian ambition. The irony of course is that should Mancini fail to beat ManYoo to the title, that vacancy could also be available this Summer although it would be sad if it were so as Mancini seems to be steadily building a fantastic side.
In addition to this there is also the possibility that Wenger may retire his boots at Arsenal and that Chelsea may lose patience with AVB should Chelsea's season implode further. The top Italian clubs shuffle regularly and with the likes of Ancelotti newly placed at PSG, there is plenty of room for the merrygoround to turn.
We suspect that the ManYoo vacancy would only arise should they win the league and then it will be internally filled. Mourinho may be available should he fail to win the league yet again but unless Mancini is fired (we think this unlikely) he should also remain where he is. The Barcelona job may become available should Guardiola be successful and walk away and with their current team of geniuses that simply needs a conductor, that job could be tailor made for Wenger.
Of the second tier jobs, Redknapp could well fill the unwanted England role which could lead to a Spurs side that craves Europa League football looking for a new steward - No Nonsense.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Nouvea Riche on a Monday Night
After a relatively uneventful Premiership weekend, Sky in their infinite wisdom have chosen to move the biggest game of the round to Monday night.
One suspects it is a bigger game for Chelsea than it is for Manchester City and the onus will certainly be on them to win the game in front of their home fans. Whether they are capable of doing so however is far from certain.
City's form in the league this season has been irresistible whilst Chelsea's has simply been erratic or possibly even just plain poor. City will go into this match full of confidence knowing they have the attacking tools to dismantle most sides in Europe. The likes of Aguero and David Silva are players of the very highest calibre whom could both step into the Barca side and the supporting cast is not bad either. If Mancini decides to be positive - he isn't always in away fixtures - then Chelsea could have serious problems on their hands.
AVB is enduring a tough start to his reign with a team that is neither here nor there. The established old guard isn't quite what it was and the new arrivals are seemingly not ready to take their place either. Despite a seeming resurgence in his form during previous months, AVB has lost faith with Torres and with David Luiz having hand grenades strapped to his ankles (not literally Jamie Redknapp) there are many selection dilemmas for the Portuguese to ponder.
Terry and Cole will certainly start but Frank Lampard it appears is being eased out gradually so there can be no surety of his presence. Drogba that reliable battering ram who is also so much more seems be the player currently in favour up front and one would expect him to start. Chelsea will want a forward with whom the ball will stick as they could face large spells of possession from City's midfield.
Despite their contrasting fortunes in the Champions League, one would expect City to have the edge in confidence going into the game and for that reason they have to be favourites for the match. Stamford Bridge is far from the fortress it used to be and one suspects that AVB would take a point ahead of the match, the writer of this blog certainly would - No Nonsense.
One suspects it is a bigger game for Chelsea than it is for Manchester City and the onus will certainly be on them to win the game in front of their home fans. Whether they are capable of doing so however is far from certain.
City's form in the league this season has been irresistible whilst Chelsea's has simply been erratic or possibly even just plain poor. City will go into this match full of confidence knowing they have the attacking tools to dismantle most sides in Europe. The likes of Aguero and David Silva are players of the very highest calibre whom could both step into the Barca side and the supporting cast is not bad either. If Mancini decides to be positive - he isn't always in away fixtures - then Chelsea could have serious problems on their hands.
AVB is enduring a tough start to his reign with a team that is neither here nor there. The established old guard isn't quite what it was and the new arrivals are seemingly not ready to take their place either. Despite a seeming resurgence in his form during previous months, AVB has lost faith with Torres and with David Luiz having hand grenades strapped to his ankles (not literally Jamie Redknapp) there are many selection dilemmas for the Portuguese to ponder.
Terry and Cole will certainly start but Frank Lampard it appears is being eased out gradually so there can be no surety of his presence. Drogba that reliable battering ram who is also so much more seems be the player currently in favour up front and one would expect him to start. Chelsea will want a forward with whom the ball will stick as they could face large spells of possession from City's midfield.
Despite their contrasting fortunes in the Champions League, one would expect City to have the edge in confidence going into the game and for that reason they have to be favourites for the match. Stamford Bridge is far from the fortress it used to be and one suspects that AVB would take a point ahead of the match, the writer of this blog certainly would - No Nonsense.
No end in sight to the reign in Spain
Another El Classico and yet another victory for this imperious Barcelona side for whom another European and League double this season would back up the calls for their crowning as the greatest club side ever.
For Barca, it was business as usual despite falling behind to an astonishingly quick Karim Benzema goal. Composed and confident they simply went about their usual domination of possession and carved out three goals in response.
These games are also marked for comparison between Messi and Ronaldo and yet again there was little to compare as Messi again produced magic and Ronaldo remained a largely peripheral figure, it is a constant theme in these matches.
There were always whispers during his time at ManYoo that Ronaldo was simply a flat track bully, too quick, strong and powerful against lesser mortals but rendered more impotent against top class players. Certainly his goal scoring record when playing against Ashley Cole (CR9 being employed as a right winger back then) would back up those stats. Since joining Real he has incredibly nearly averaged a goal a game but against Barcelona that number drops to around one in five. Against the best, you need your best players to stand up and be counted, last night instead Ronaldo was again profligate. If there is a weakness to this Barca side it is defensively and Ronaldo has done nothing to exploit it.
Messi enjoys similar goal scoring stats to Ronaldo and whilst that may be the case, the thing that is setting him apart currently rather than the aesthetics is his performances in the big games. Right now there should be no debate as to whom the best player in the world is.
For Mourinho, the next couple of months will be key. He appears to have hit a brick wall against Pep Guardiola since overcoming him during Internazionale's Champions League winning heroics. It appears a similar situation to the one he endured at Chelsea with Rafa Betinez who seemed to have a way of second guessing the supposed tactical master. It may just be that Barcelona are simply too good for anyone right now but there does seem to be a psychological problem currently with playing the Catalans.
What Mourinho must cling on to is that to win La Liga he doesn't necessarily need to beat Barca. Even after this defeat, victory in their game in hand would see Madrid go three points clear at the top. They still have to visit the Nou Camp where it would appear they should expect to be beaten, but even then the Spanish league is short on quality and Real have the team to beat everyone else in that league comfortably.
Guardiola will continue to do what he is doing and let his players and their football do the talking. They have had the odd wobble this season but their home form has been astonishing and they will certainly drop few points for the remainder of this season. It will probably be a fight all the way to the finishing line but Guardiola will be sweating little by the time he gets there we suspect - No Nonsense.
For Barca, it was business as usual despite falling behind to an astonishingly quick Karim Benzema goal. Composed and confident they simply went about their usual domination of possession and carved out three goals in response.
These games are also marked for comparison between Messi and Ronaldo and yet again there was little to compare as Messi again produced magic and Ronaldo remained a largely peripheral figure, it is a constant theme in these matches.
There were always whispers during his time at ManYoo that Ronaldo was simply a flat track bully, too quick, strong and powerful against lesser mortals but rendered more impotent against top class players. Certainly his goal scoring record when playing against Ashley Cole (CR9 being employed as a right winger back then) would back up those stats. Since joining Real he has incredibly nearly averaged a goal a game but against Barcelona that number drops to around one in five. Against the best, you need your best players to stand up and be counted, last night instead Ronaldo was again profligate. If there is a weakness to this Barca side it is defensively and Ronaldo has done nothing to exploit it.
Messi enjoys similar goal scoring stats to Ronaldo and whilst that may be the case, the thing that is setting him apart currently rather than the aesthetics is his performances in the big games. Right now there should be no debate as to whom the best player in the world is.
For Mourinho, the next couple of months will be key. He appears to have hit a brick wall against Pep Guardiola since overcoming him during Internazionale's Champions League winning heroics. It appears a similar situation to the one he endured at Chelsea with Rafa Betinez who seemed to have a way of second guessing the supposed tactical master. It may just be that Barcelona are simply too good for anyone right now but there does seem to be a psychological problem currently with playing the Catalans.
What Mourinho must cling on to is that to win La Liga he doesn't necessarily need to beat Barca. Even after this defeat, victory in their game in hand would see Madrid go three points clear at the top. They still have to visit the Nou Camp where it would appear they should expect to be beaten, but even then the Spanish league is short on quality and Real have the team to beat everyone else in that league comfortably.
Guardiola will continue to do what he is doing and let his players and their football do the talking. They have had the odd wobble this season but their home form has been astonishing and they will certainly drop few points for the remainder of this season. It will probably be a fight all the way to the finishing line but Guardiola will be sweating little by the time he gets there we suspect - No Nonsense.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
It's Grim Up North
So the saying goes and so it was with a double Mancunian disaster in the Champions League last night as the Premiership's top two crashed out in the group stages.
For City, it is not an unmitigated disaster as their priority this year is almost certainly securing the Premiership title for the first time since the wheel was invented. The biggest annoyance for them will be falling into the Europa League and the Thursday nights followed by Sunday fixtures that it brings which is less than ideal when chasing the title. They will however draw comfort from the fact that the red half of the city will be enduring Thursdays in Bucharest also.
For United however it is a huge blow. They are a club that associate themselves (overly so we would add) hugely with the Champions League and there has always been the suspicion that this is done so to paper over their inferior record in the competition to the true legends such as Real, Milan and Liverpool.
Writing off Manchester United under Ferguson has always been an entirely silly thing to do and there will surely be a response from the players. The question however with Manchester United at the moment is regarding the true quality of their personnel.
After their chastening defeat to Barca in last year's final, Ferguson embarked on a summer spending spree and there is no doubt that the squad has been enhanced and looks far fresher. The reality is however that not one of the players purchased in the Summer would get into the Barcelona first team and in that respect they are no closer to them.
Ferguson has proved a master of ushering out one great team and bringing in another, he for instance would not have allowed the likes of Terry, Lampard, Drogba and Ashley Cole to all grow old together without first class replacements being weaned in to the team gradually. He has however failed to replace the central midfield axis of Scholes and Keane in any remotely adequate way and it is the lack of quality in the centre of the park that is the problem for United.
The reality of the focus for ManYoo this season has in any case been stopping City's apparent march to the domestic title. Ferguson would hate to see his reign come to an end with either City or Liverpool on top of the pile and there is a very real possibility of that happening in Citys' case as they have the financial muscle to dominate almost at will if they so wish - financial fair play aside.
Another huge problem for United earlier this season had been their defence with De Gea coming in for all sorts of bombardments without an adequate defensive shield in front of him. The superb Nemanda Vidic had done much to remedy that since his return to the side. His injury last night looks to be a serious one and if so could have serious ramifications for his team's title challenge.
Going out of the CL is a major blow to United and not least in financial terms as there are huge monetary benefits in remaining in the competition until the latter stages. Whatever Mancini and Ferguson might both have to say about the Europa League, the reality is either manager would be happy to get knocked out at the first possible opportunity. Suddenly the FA Cup third round tie has taken on new meaning and importance - No Nonsense.
For City, it is not an unmitigated disaster as their priority this year is almost certainly securing the Premiership title for the first time since the wheel was invented. The biggest annoyance for them will be falling into the Europa League and the Thursday nights followed by Sunday fixtures that it brings which is less than ideal when chasing the title. They will however draw comfort from the fact that the red half of the city will be enduring Thursdays in Bucharest also.
For United however it is a huge blow. They are a club that associate themselves (overly so we would add) hugely with the Champions League and there has always been the suspicion that this is done so to paper over their inferior record in the competition to the true legends such as Real, Milan and Liverpool.
Writing off Manchester United under Ferguson has always been an entirely silly thing to do and there will surely be a response from the players. The question however with Manchester United at the moment is regarding the true quality of their personnel.
After their chastening defeat to Barca in last year's final, Ferguson embarked on a summer spending spree and there is no doubt that the squad has been enhanced and looks far fresher. The reality is however that not one of the players purchased in the Summer would get into the Barcelona first team and in that respect they are no closer to them.
Ferguson has proved a master of ushering out one great team and bringing in another, he for instance would not have allowed the likes of Terry, Lampard, Drogba and Ashley Cole to all grow old together without first class replacements being weaned in to the team gradually. He has however failed to replace the central midfield axis of Scholes and Keane in any remotely adequate way and it is the lack of quality in the centre of the park that is the problem for United.
The reality of the focus for ManYoo this season has in any case been stopping City's apparent march to the domestic title. Ferguson would hate to see his reign come to an end with either City or Liverpool on top of the pile and there is a very real possibility of that happening in Citys' case as they have the financial muscle to dominate almost at will if they so wish - financial fair play aside.
Another huge problem for United earlier this season had been their defence with De Gea coming in for all sorts of bombardments without an adequate defensive shield in front of him. The superb Nemanda Vidic had done much to remedy that since his return to the side. His injury last night looks to be a serious one and if so could have serious ramifications for his team's title challenge.
Going out of the CL is a major blow to United and not least in financial terms as there are huge monetary benefits in remaining in the competition until the latter stages. Whatever Mancini and Ferguson might both have to say about the Europa League, the reality is either manager would be happy to get knocked out at the first possible opportunity. Suddenly the FA Cup third round tie has taken on new meaning and importance - No Nonsense.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Premiership Axe Has Swung
December is upon us and so is the traditional start of the culling of Premiership managers. As the ownership structure has changed so has the short termism of thinking throughout football as a whole with few managers on average lasting more than two seasons.
One has gone and two other Premiership managers in particular have reason to feel threatened in Steve Kean and Andre Villas Boas with probably only Sir Alex, Kenny Dalglish, Harry Redknapp, Arsene Wenger, David Moyes and Tony Pulis feeling genuinely secure. The likes of Owen Coyle and Martin Jol will also be feeling a distinct lack of seasonal cheer unless results improve.
For Steve Bruce, his position had become untenable as the fans had turned badly against him with Saturday's latest debacle against Wigan (who he ironically left in the lurch) a bridge too far. Whilst chairman all too easily turn to pressing the eject button, it cannot really be said that Bruce hasn't had the support in either terms of time nor money and the way he has handled the bizarre situation with Asamoah Gyan left much to be desired.
One major issue that has perennially vexed this blog about Bruce is his obsession with fawning to Sir Alex Ferguson in the lead up to matches against ManYoo. Other ex ManYoo players such as Keane or Hughes have been respectful without doing a disservice to their own clubs. In the lead up to any ManYoo fixture it is the norm to hear Bruce foaming at the mouth about Fergie's greatness and putting your mortgage on ManYoo to win the fixture is a no brainer. He has also been ready to pick up their cast offs such as O'Shea and Wes Orange. It's almost as if he felt that by assimilating himself with Ferguson he could gain similar stature.
Whilst it is never nice to see someone lose their job, it seems that few will shed a tear for Bruce's leaving and especially not the faithful on Wearside.
Steve Kean has it seemed been a dead man walking since he first got the job. Venkys made a gross error sacking Sam Allardyce and they have compounded it with little investment and seemingly learning nothing about running a football club. Kean has been the vessel for the fans' ire and with Blackburn rooted in the relegation mire it seems simply a matter of time.
Chelsea face yet another quandary of their own making. The premature sacking of Ancelotti was followed up with a huge compensation payment for the initially very successful but very young Andre Villas Boas.
Several months on and Chelsea are struggling and the knives are already out for AVB in the press. It is hard to pin down what the true problem is at Chelsea and the truth is that there are many issues that need to be resolved.
Chelsea do not possess either a first team nor a squad to truly compete with the two Manchester clubs. That being said they should be good enough to comfortably finish third. Looking at their form and the table it is far from clear that they will do so.
AVB has inherited a powerful dressing room that is physically in decline. Terry, Drogba and Lampard are way past their best and Cech has never been the same since his dreadful head injury. All four are sucking huge wages from Chelsea however and hampering the finances team building for the future whilst at the same time contributing less and less to the cause on the pitch.
AVB has also inherited two expensive purchases in David Luiz and Fernando Torres who were both bought in January. Both are hugely talented players yet AVB seems neither to trust them nor know how to obtain the best from either player.
The likes of Mikel, Malouda, Bosingwa, Alex and Kalou are simply not good enough for a club aspiring to win Championships and Champions Leagues and whilst the likes of Mata and Sturridge have made excellent fresh contributions, there is not enough consistent support from those around them.
Chelsea's squad has been allowed to decline because of the short term merry-go-round (no manager has been around long enough to focus on re-building due to the short term need for results). Manchester City would have paid nigh on 40M for John Terry three seasons ago and there have been several opportunities to sell Drogba.
This blog is not suggesting that either has been anything but a magnificent servant to the club but over 50M in transfer fees received and probably another 10-20M in wages saved would have allowed significant rebuilding and possibly allowed Chelsea to compete for the likes of Ashley Young and Phil Jones. To do that a manager needs to be in place for several years and for that reason AVB should be persevered with - Chelsea's problems are of the board's doing and not his, it is time to plan for the future and not for the now.
Only one team can win the league, only three more can reach the holy ground of the Champions League and of the remaining sixteen sides, only a lucky thirteen can stay up. It is mathematically impossible for all the clubs to achieve their minimum targets for a season especially given the unrealistic ambitions of many chairmen. The likes of Bolton and Blackburn are nowadays small clubs, clubs such as Sunderland are big only in their own mind and Chelsea have been the architects of their own downfall - No Nonsense.
One has gone and two other Premiership managers in particular have reason to feel threatened in Steve Kean and Andre Villas Boas with probably only Sir Alex, Kenny Dalglish, Harry Redknapp, Arsene Wenger, David Moyes and Tony Pulis feeling genuinely secure. The likes of Owen Coyle and Martin Jol will also be feeling a distinct lack of seasonal cheer unless results improve.
For Steve Bruce, his position had become untenable as the fans had turned badly against him with Saturday's latest debacle against Wigan (who he ironically left in the lurch) a bridge too far. Whilst chairman all too easily turn to pressing the eject button, it cannot really be said that Bruce hasn't had the support in either terms of time nor money and the way he has handled the bizarre situation with Asamoah Gyan left much to be desired.
One major issue that has perennially vexed this blog about Bruce is his obsession with fawning to Sir Alex Ferguson in the lead up to matches against ManYoo. Other ex ManYoo players such as Keane or Hughes have been respectful without doing a disservice to their own clubs. In the lead up to any ManYoo fixture it is the norm to hear Bruce foaming at the mouth about Fergie's greatness and putting your mortgage on ManYoo to win the fixture is a no brainer. He has also been ready to pick up their cast offs such as O'Shea and Wes Orange. It's almost as if he felt that by assimilating himself with Ferguson he could gain similar stature.
Whilst it is never nice to see someone lose their job, it seems that few will shed a tear for Bruce's leaving and especially not the faithful on Wearside.
Steve Kean has it seemed been a dead man walking since he first got the job. Venkys made a gross error sacking Sam Allardyce and they have compounded it with little investment and seemingly learning nothing about running a football club. Kean has been the vessel for the fans' ire and with Blackburn rooted in the relegation mire it seems simply a matter of time.
Chelsea face yet another quandary of their own making. The premature sacking of Ancelotti was followed up with a huge compensation payment for the initially very successful but very young Andre Villas Boas.
Several months on and Chelsea are struggling and the knives are already out for AVB in the press. It is hard to pin down what the true problem is at Chelsea and the truth is that there are many issues that need to be resolved.
Chelsea do not possess either a first team nor a squad to truly compete with the two Manchester clubs. That being said they should be good enough to comfortably finish third. Looking at their form and the table it is far from clear that they will do so.
AVB has inherited a powerful dressing room that is physically in decline. Terry, Drogba and Lampard are way past their best and Cech has never been the same since his dreadful head injury. All four are sucking huge wages from Chelsea however and hampering the finances team building for the future whilst at the same time contributing less and less to the cause on the pitch.
AVB has also inherited two expensive purchases in David Luiz and Fernando Torres who were both bought in January. Both are hugely talented players yet AVB seems neither to trust them nor know how to obtain the best from either player.
The likes of Mikel, Malouda, Bosingwa, Alex and Kalou are simply not good enough for a club aspiring to win Championships and Champions Leagues and whilst the likes of Mata and Sturridge have made excellent fresh contributions, there is not enough consistent support from those around them.
Chelsea's squad has been allowed to decline because of the short term merry-go-round (no manager has been around long enough to focus on re-building due to the short term need for results). Manchester City would have paid nigh on 40M for John Terry three seasons ago and there have been several opportunities to sell Drogba.
This blog is not suggesting that either has been anything but a magnificent servant to the club but over 50M in transfer fees received and probably another 10-20M in wages saved would have allowed significant rebuilding and possibly allowed Chelsea to compete for the likes of Ashley Young and Phil Jones. To do that a manager needs to be in place for several years and for that reason AVB should be persevered with - Chelsea's problems are of the board's doing and not his, it is time to plan for the future and not for the now.
Only one team can win the league, only three more can reach the holy ground of the Champions League and of the remaining sixteen sides, only a lucky thirteen can stay up. It is mathematically impossible for all the clubs to achieve their minimum targets for a season especially given the unrealistic ambitions of many chairmen. The likes of Bolton and Blackburn are nowadays small clubs, clubs such as Sunderland are big only in their own mind and Chelsea have been the architects of their own downfall - No Nonsense.
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