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If Milner Were Rooney/Brazilian He'd Be Praised A Lot This Week
31st January 2007
Watford found out it was to be a long road for them at Old Trafford. Gifting a bad penalty and an OG to set Man U on their way. As he showed with his 2nd against Portsmouth once United chances of winning a game get up to 90+% Rooney is now back in the form to add the cream on top. For me United have so many players doing well and trying every week the kid does not deserve the huge praise his every and not frequent enough good things get him - give him some crictics to prove wrong, he is English after all. In the end he has been marginal and still needs more than 5 shots a goal to quote Glenn Hoddle on a former actually maligned United striker. United seem the real deal as they continue to put 3 or 4 past teams. It will be interesting in Europe if they stay 442 to pander to Rooney or play to Ronaldo's strengths in a 451 - the 1 is surely Larsson or Saha?
James Milner must wish his name was Rooney as he opened up Villa with a brute of a shot for 3 straight games and 4 in 6 games also. If Rooney did that we'd be talking about it for weeks. Except of course Rooney does not do that at 0-0 very often. Sure Roon will score but most United strikers tend to score - the reasons are called Ronaldo, Giggs and the Ginger Prince.... Villa gifted a 2 nil lead to Newcastle with Milner giving a perfect cross for Dyer to show his head actually has some use for the 2nd. Newcastle then relied on the quantity theory of defending as seemingly 8 players threw themselves in the way of every shot. Young at least got an opener after his ludicrous 9 million transfer. 2 teams fooling no one.
Chelsea fooled no one as well as Blackburn having lost to Watford seem to have slowed a little as even Hughes cannot perform miracles every week on the motivation front. Nonetheless for all the BBC highlighting Balls "efforts" on highlights every time Lampard got the ball Chelsea came alive and his partner in carrying this shower, The Drog, came to the party as well to open the scoring. At least Chelsea will have a more effective attacking left back for a few weeks now Bridgey is in for the perversely considered marketing good thing C'Ashley. Indeed whilst not a conventional assist Bridge was involved in a goal as he hit Ballack who headed for Kalou. Bridge has done that once a game (and scored at Wycombe as a left winger). Indeed it really is not a loss for Chelsea for me a defensive down grade possibly but an offensive upgrade. Some positive Sheva signs but I am not sure Blackburn had this game pencilled in as one to make a huge effort in.
Big Sam will be scratching his head how Bolton gifted Charlton a point. They gifted them a goal and then failed to break them down. For Charlton it is game on they have equal points with West Ham and need 2 to eclipse Wigan. the goal difference moderately favours Wigan but it could be interesting down there.
West Ham Defense Loses 2 Giraffes
30th January 2007
Amazing as it may sound but West Ham's defensive midfield and centre halves managed to frequently lose Kuyt and Crouch. How! Did they hide behind Reo Coker and pop out and score? As it is Liverpool continue to make ground in their quest to win another major honour without being in front or under any pressure at any point. I'd almost like to see Man U let them pass them with 5 games to go to see if Little Stevie and the boys could handle it..... West Ham are in trouble official a consolation goal hardly adds any gloss they looked well beaten by Rafa's 343 that he reserves for shite opponents.
Portsmouth and Boro fought out a draw that showed Portsmouth are maybe slipping and Boro are on easy street with no pressure and rising to somewhere near where their spending and youth talent should be already.
The Blades and the surprisingly likeable Neil Warnock put themselves 7 points from relegation and whilst one of those below them may catch them you wonder if the Blades are as likely to catch Fulham or Villa as get caught by enough teams to relegate them. They are on for 40 points and the manager swapping London pair 30 at present...
Reading continued to show they have lots of young athletic players and frankly given Wigan opened the scoring this was one way traffic and a late consolation should be fooling no one about Wigan. Wigan are in deep doo doo.... However what would most concern me after watching Paul 'Clown' Robinson is that Kirkland had a shocker - could have done better with all of Reading's goals. Piss poor punches, coming and not getting and getting caught in no man's land being 3 of his crimes - indeed had Sidwell, the one disappointing Reading player this year based on reputation, scored after he just dropped the ball he could have claimed the match ball for 3 assists and maybe deserved all 3 anyway.
23rd January 2007
Watford notwithstanding yesterday's win if you take the view they need 36 points from then the 21 from 15 is required which is a mid table pace over the season and they have 15 from 21 so far - unlikely. Normally in would be lamenting a player getting a broken leg but after Savage's horrific cheating against a fair player like Gilberto Silva I am not.
A postscript to Sunday was Everton continued to climb at the expense of Wigan who are less than a result from relegation. Anichebe and Arteta combined to send Wigan within 2 points of the moderately improving, maybe, Charlton and West Ham. Game on down the bottom.
21st January 2007
I don't know whether Arsenal think it a sign of progress or what might have been that they have done the double over runaway leaders United. One fears a reality check for all our clubs in the Champion's League except of course poor league teams from here have reached the final the last two years. Indeed had Rosicky and Hleb had their shooting boots on this game might not have even been close. Allowing Larsson the freedom of the box once showed Arsenal's real problem is consistently defending set pieces and why they still drop points against physical teams. They need also to go back to consistently putting teams away early so they can use their breaking pace more.
Rooney looked dangerous first half and came to a big game, finally, only to fade out. I know his advocates will say play him in a 4411 but no team with Ronaldo on a flank is going to do that against good opposition. On form he is lucky to be ahead of Saha in the pecking order. Still he took his goal well and we may have to accept he will not become what we hoped and his talent threatened once. I don't know why he cannot consistently be in a game but it seems so. His problems are not necessarily quality, except his shooting in some games, but often quantity of work.
Another player with pretensions at world stardom Henry showed the benefit of his break by lasting 90 minutes fresh as a daisy. Whether Arsenal can play without him will determine if they can threaten a league title with this team. With Chelsea at present not just short of players but a rabble on the pitch Arsenal and Liverpool should start to target 2nd. He's back?
Downing Comes Out and Boro Bounce
20th January 2007
Boro welcomed hopefully the real Stewart Downing out and he took full advantage of a Bolton off day. Boro, like Spurs, Man City, Newcastle United and other home birds, I cannot help feel a lot of the 2nd tier clubs with money could do better if their players wanted to all season. Bolton have been exposed occasionally and a midfield 3 of the over sized gurner Nolan and the admirable but ageing Campo and Speed may not be that great from here on in. A goal difference of +2 is hardly indicative of Bolton being more than top half and it is hard to see them staying 5th ish but then again they are well managed and only have the odd down game unlike better equipped clubs. Diouf did another Bolton favourite getting sent off for stupidity when the game was lost via that weapon of the gurning idiot, the mouth. Bolton got ripped by Man U earlier in the year and were lucky it was only 4 then as United could have been 3 up before Rooney opened his hat trick. Thus I would suggest teams use width to outflank Bolton. Downing was the star showing all the skills crossing, dead balls, shooting, beating a man... bar heading...
In a twist to expectations this season the otherwise admirable Coppell's Reading's behaviour again contrasted unexpectedly with previously supposed serial whinger Neil Warnock. However Coppell is manager of the season so far (SAF?) admittedly with a bitter after taste. Gillespie gets the rocks for brains award that Diouf must have already been mentally polishing after getting sent off without the ball in play for a ludicrous assault on the then innocent Berskhire Based Hunt.
Particularly un-pleasing was after Halsey had let Sidwell off a jumping lunge, Hunt impersonated the two footed lunge on the corner flag in celebration of the goal - maybe Mourinho was being truthful about something last year after all. An action really designed to engender warm damp feelings. However Reading again showed they are classy mobile team, in a ball playing sense, who have untold players who run all day and can score goals as the left back De La Cruz showed by running the length of the field for the 2nd...
Added to Hunt and Sidwell casual attitude to opponents legs and heads they had a "cone layer" with an enhanced sense of his purpose try to start a fight, the moronic Wally "by Name and Nature" Downes. His ilk should not be seen and not heard and he should be banned from the sidelines for as long as possible - ball boys who start rucks are not required.
Newcastle having got behind to a team in a half empty stadia in the week gave their fans what they wanted in front of a packed house. A glorious come back to further their mid table under achievement. At 2-2 this game was end to end and maybe the St James' faithful are purists who hate defensive systems and just love handing money to spivs. After the 5-1 uber drubbing by Birmingham Roeder said there would be no change in the game plan and thankfully for him the players backed him to a man. Indeed the only surprise was that their comeback relied on interventions from Mr Rennie and Luis Boa Morte - showing West Ham fans he is a gamble who can go both ways with a laughable hand ball. Newcastle fans might like to contemplate that game plan of Roeder's to keep picking a team whilst the chairman buys and sells players with a reputation for being crocks until the results get bad enough to sack the manager. Newcastle should be a top 5 club but are not and the reasons are clear. The loss of Given may be big as Harper is unconvincing and the Newcastle defense is poor anyway.
West Ham will be glad to finally be scoring goals as Zamora, Cole and Harewood have struck in the last 2 games. If they get Ashton back they have a shot as Wigan and Sheffield have stalled. They will of course feel the manner of the two goals, ref not allowing off side and a handball, makes this 2 points lost. What West Ham can do without is brainless players getting booked for complaining to the referee.
Charlton more than the 3 points can take comfort, for on highlights and stats, being competitive away from home against a good team like Portsmouth. Wigan and Sheffield, as with West Ham, will not want to see a resurgent Charlton with their best striker coming back. The come backs of Darren Bent and Dean Ashton could be vital down there. BTW Thatcher is not a 'pantomime villian' he is a 'villian'.
Villa got 3 more points and Watford managed to keep them out for 85 minutes and maybe can consider themselves unlucky. However being largely tough to beat without goals makes it very difficult. No way can they turn down the thick end of 10 million for a player and I am sure their fans understand the sale. For Villa Baros is not the answer.
Blackburn surely the hardest club to motivate players at showed up Man City's casual attitude to doing much more than stay up by stuffing them in Manchester. I cannot argue Hughes is more deserving than Coppell, and hate his personality on the sidelines, but he IS doing a good job. Even on losing runs you rarely see a poor Blackburn performances and players seem to improve under Hughes, like Bentley for instance.
Martin Jol was opining to Kamara apparently that Berbatov was a nobody away from home in England. Given his European performances don't say that it says at this stage of his career he is still a bit soft, opponents take note. Here is a thing the ref gave Dawson a yellow for denying a goal scoring opportunity with a deliberate handball and gave Brown one for the same offense, deliberate handball, 40 yards from goal. Both 'efforts' were punished with a goal as well. Dawson should have gone for cheating. Has Montella ever had an easier keeper to beat from the spot than Paul Robinson?
Chelsea Wow Is That All You Have?
I'd love to say that this win marks something new and positive about Liverpool. Whereas one wondered at the end how they left it 2-0 when against smaller teams they run it up. They almost let an awful Chelsea team back into it. To be consistently successful Liverpool need not new players but to win as favourites and better still to want to be favourites. In the end you almost feel Mourinho was happy not to get thumped - which they deserved.
Mourinho may have given up judged on the way he selected the team and reacted at the end. Given no Makelele it surely made more sense to have Essien in midfield. Indeed given his height, notwithstanding his 2 assists for Fulham, maybe Balls should have been deployed there. Mikel needs time and surely more support than the admirable Lampard and the awful Balls could provide. To compensate for a weak defense the wingers could also have been more conservative forward. Albeit I had no idea where Kalou and SWP were playing at times. As it was Chelsea were weak at the back and in midfield where Liverpool had all the time in the world to cross into to two effectively unmarked lamp posts. Indeed what I loved about Mourinho teams was the organisation but this team was a rabble. It was grossly flattered by Liverpool's mental weaknesses and luck that 17 shots, many of them free pops, only led to 2 goals.
One player that needs showing up is the supposedly only real defender in his position at Chelsea. C'Ashley who stood off Pennant and let the man/boy who went to prison for crashing his car strike a long'un in - the world's best left back does not stand off all his opponents. Maybe he assumed Pennant would hit the stands but even a poor player like that can have his day when it is not competitive and he has time and a 1 goal lead on the board. This game was over early.
Half a Billion quid for that? 'Fraid so Chelsea fans and fans of not too much money ending up in spivs and the undeservings back pocket.
14th January 2007
I hate Everton and their whinging and despite the antics of Hunt and Sonko v Chelsea admire the gutsy mobile team that Coppell has put together. However Andrew Johnson surely should get some respect from refs? They indulge the constant whinging and unassisted falling of Wayne Rooney but striker Andrew Johnson gets nothing. Indeed here Sonko commited a one and half yellow card followed by bringing him down on the edge of the box. You realised when Berkshire Based Sonko did not get a 2nd yellow that Life Of Riley did not get to be a top ref by taking decisions that Andy Gray and co would not like. He panders to the ex-pro faction who think we would rather watch stop start games with 10 minutes of free kicks than quality players like Johnson strut their stuff. Johnson does not get penalties as 2nd rate managers create a reputation for him. Frankly we should encourage our best players especially ones whose pace might liven up England's pedestrian attacks.
Berbatov and Chimbonda's Gamesmanship
Inspires Butt and Newcastle
Spurs looked comfortable and like they would ease away from Newcastle until Berbatov decided to, basically, be a cunt and kick Given. This enraged everyone ending in Chimbonda trying to enrage Butt with a slap round the face that in the pub would have cost him his testicles, here it cost Spurs the game. Now Butt who has barely played a game worthy of the name since 2003 and had come off his sick bed got up for the game and complimented Martins massive equaliser with the kind of finish many strikers would be jealous of. So well done Spurs you brought it on yourself. Defoe looked a better player than I credit but he literally for all his skill and tricks is clueless when it comes to running to make yourself available - Ian Wright he ain't. Also given their paper resistance how do 3 of Spurs back 5 make the England squad? Dawson is not good enough, surely.
13th January 2007
Savage Cheat Takes Gloss Off Arsenal Win
Arsenal got a big win at Blackburn and saw those great Arsenal moments return: the red card: and the 10 men out doing the 11. Ah how misty eyed gooners must have been as Gilberto walked and Arsenal had little trouble polishing off Blackburn. They will now face a more severe test of their confidence and improvement against Man U. Then again my judgement of United has been coloured by the 1-0 one sided on all but the scoreline stuffing Arsenal gave them earlier. One to savour.
I normally do not know what all the fuss with Robbie Savage is about. However here he twice kicked a man on the floor and took a sniper shot or else was acting Silva touched him. Styles being a moron was taken in and failed to send off Savage for kicking someone on the floor but bought the phantom kick. Blackburn also returned to their bad old ways with some 1 and half yellows and a leg breaker from Tuguy.
Wigan's miserable performance against Chelsea and Villa's equally soft give away goals to United shows teams just above relegation at this time of year are going to pick away games to try in. Chelsea showed nothing and Liverpool will play them confident although don't make them favourites as Gerrard will have the squirts all week in fear. Indeed even Watford who had given up less goals than their fellow strugglers looked weak against Liverpool a fact acknowledged by their manager.
Fulham may not travel like Vintage port but have snatched late equalisers to help stop Chelsea, Charlton and now West Ham. West Ham gave the surest indication of relegation by signing the black spot of relegation that is Nigel Quashie. Why sign a player whose level is clearly at the level of bottom of the premiership? At 28 he is not improving. Luis Boa Morte if he can avoid the red cards that litter his career could help as would scoring some goals which they finally did albeit like many teams this week with help from the opposition.
Charlton became Boro's first away victory from 1 in front and Southgate appears to be continuing McClaren's teams just do enough and play when there is no pressure like yet another mini Liverpool. Viduka at least looks up for it now and more mobile than I generally recall him so Boro should have some late season fun.
Sheffield got another point closer and Portsmouth got another away point not sure who will be happier or sadder but great credit to both managers so far at least. City and Bolton have similar sentiments although I have a jury out on Pearce as more than honest and admirablely unfazed as a manager.
Chelsea They Huffed and They Puffed
2nd January 2007
The new Jose Mourinho continued the building work on his Cold Comfort Farm with a positive appraisal of the reaction of his troops to his motivational singling out of several as shit. As the best football writer around Kevin Pullein noted, on early season Liverpool, teams that are not scoring build up nice stats like shots, corners, possession and other things that imply effort over inspiration. Having beaten Everton and Wigan with only inspiration, none came. Another thing that the journalist KP has pointed out is that Chelsea foul like an average team and they out fouled Villa whilst having a whopping 59% of the ball - what a lovely heart warming team they must be to support.
The shape was better it was just that players like SWP and Kalou are not good enough. Chelsea fans can at least comfort themselves that Terry is back soon and Mourinho will no longer feel obligated to pretend Boulahrouz is worthy of selection after his injury. Ashley Cole showed he cannot cope with the pace and size of a novice like Agbonlahor C'Ash even had an effort on goal on target... is that his first? Bridge Lite? Best left back named Cole in the world? Although Joe is probably better if he wanted to play there. Chelsea at least looked organised again in a 433 and the full backs got greater cover as they held the ball better and had width - Cold Comfort Farm again.
After West Ham at Reading, Charlton having lost Darren Bent for a month and a man sent off, were probably happy to merely ship 4 in a predictable drubbing at the Emirates. Curbs and Pards have the same problem - they cannot stay up just keep scoring 0 but dare they open up? Where will the goals come from that might keep them up? Now I like Dean Ashton but seriously his reputation is now in British style of almost Rooneyesque proportions by not playing. Villa will be grateful to be another point clear of this morass and the accumulation of 40 points and next year cannot come quick enough.
1st January 2007
Then there were 5 in the relegation stakes for me. I think the table has shaken out and the bottom 5 looks like the dogfight. What seperates the Blades, Hammers, Charlton and Watford. Well those 4 with 17, 17, 12 and 12 score less goals than anyone else. Wigan are probably in a false position, 23 goals and best goal difference, and are probably too good to go down. The bottom 3 have the worst goal difference and so under any measure have been the worst sides of the year. OK West Ham will regret their thumping but it was only 1 game and only affects the goal difference worse than a 1 goal defeat. Watford are the toughest to beat and have the best defensive record but they are a long way back of the Blades. Anyone gets hot they can make up the ground but the 5 points Warnock's boys have looks like doom for the London 3. Villa might be interesting if their run continues but with O'Neill I do not see them falling into the kind of slump a Dowie, Reid or Pardew team can fall into.
1st January 2007
Man U dropped points in a game where all 4 goals were long shots. I just wonder if teams are routinely dropping too deep and not marking up there. Certainly with their bloated centre Chelsea do not concede many shots from outside the box. Maybe United wanting Hargreaves is not such a bad idea even at a premium price but like Abramovich they can afford it....
United's forwards and Ronaldo certainly wasted good work by the Ginger Prince who scored two stonking goals. Rooney unusually was not good or bad just not that great more that old curate's egg, good in parts. I hate to rattle on about it but our 'see no evil' with a young player like Rooney is hardly challenging him to become world class - whereas older players get slated after every bad game (then they enter the glory stage past 33ish when they go back to nothing but praise! - Beckham is hanging on to become a heart warmer like Teddy!).
Probably more worrying for United is the potential loss of Louis Saha who has been for the most part this year top class - certainly compared to his partner. However with Larsson likely to be at least savvy and a physical option as well as Ole Gunnar doing better than I expected that is not such a worry for me. Not to mention playing the Ginger Prince off them or 433 with Ronaldo and Park off Larsson or Ole Gunnar - Rooney does not try when 4321 is tried so I assume he would not play then (OK OK but he shouldn't, on form). Whereas Chelsea are playing 442 with only 1 good standard centre forward in the squad.
Newcastle showed they are Liverpool lite playing only when things get desperate or they are big under dogs. Their fans if they still expect anything should expect that spirit more often especially against the likes of the Blades.
Liverpool: The Best Team In The World At 1-0
1st January 2007
Do you recall the great Gerrard moments? The Olympiakos goal when they were going out: The screamer as West Ham were about to win the cup: Milan 3-0 up what a player. What was his comment after the world cup? Don't ever make us favourites for anything ever again (FACT England and Gerrard folded as 3rd favourites).
I suspect this is why Rafa tries not to build his team around mental weakling Gerrard, best when there is considerably more upside than downside, explains why he is often ineffective for England who start almost every game as a favourite. Benitez can see the last few years the league is not won by Xmas but can now be lost by then - and they may well have lost it save for considerable largesse from Chelsea and Man United. Whereas Arsenal and United could take less then 2 points a game and then charge to 77->79 to win late 90s, last year 3 teams got more points and indeed Chelsea had 91 from 36. United are on track for 95 points this year - Liverpool win every game they can get 88....
Liverpool finally broke Bolton after 23 shots over the thick end of 2 games and then like buses 3 came along at once. In recent weeks formally goal shy Liverpool have added the cream on top once ahead consistently. The only logical conclusion for me is that like their captain Liverpool just don't like expectation and favouritism, and they are bullies once they get on top. The problem is you cannot win consistently that way - relies on miracles happening. Seriously is there a better team statistically than Liverpool at 1-0? The win 3 or 4 at present everytime at present. Of course real teams play at 0-0 and 1-0 down to everyone, sorry Scousers.
Bolton resisted well but really I am not sure they really yet know how to deploy Anelka. The played him up front and then tried to just have Kevin Davies win set pieces with no other threat as Anelka stands there. I'd like to have seen them vary their tactics and try Anelka off Davies more. However they are an admirable team compared to bloated star laden Spurs and Newcastle - even Chelsea and Liverpool some might say.
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