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The surprise that Guus Hiddink offered came in the form of the team sheet, which looked far too strong to be believable. With a second leg tie against Barcelona looming in the mid-week, it was widely accepted that many fringe players would be seen but the Dutchman chose to field almost the same leven that you would expect to see against Barcelona. Ballack did not start and Obi did and for me that represented the strongest midfield trio that Chelsea can play. After half-time Essien made way for Ballack, but that was the extent of rest and relaxation that Hiddink has provided the Blues with.
As a spectacle it helped matters significantly and the Chelsea that turned up were so different in character and attitude than the team that played Barcelona, that it was hard to believe that almost the same eleven had been repeated. For people who debate that strategy in football is overrated and it all depends on the players eventually, here’s proof that the world is grey.
Anyway, a brilliant move involving one touch play between many players was set for conclusion by Drogba with a simple finish for Anelka. This happened in the first minute. By the third minute Fulham had tested Cech for the first time. By the fifth, they equalized – through Nevland, who latched on to a long ball, found himself an angle to shoot under challenge from two defenders (and with no support) and beat Cech with the only shot he could have made.
Stung, Chelsea troubled Fulham again immediately after and Malouda reclaimed Chelsea’s league by finishing off a move that again involved the attacking trio.
The rest of the game did not quite carry the same momentum, but Chelsea did play some nice attacking football and Fulham provided enough of a fight to keep their fans hoping. The second half was topped off by a brilliant through ball played by Anelka to Drogba who made it 3-1, which is how the game ended.
Malouda continues to impress in his new life, Drogba keeps making a case for his continued greatness while Essien continues to show baffling loss of form. The other thing that hits you about Chelsea is there absolute inability to get any youngster to make the grade. Di Santo has made more appearances this season than season ticket holders but has never done anything that will catch the eye. Mancienne may be a possibility but Hiddink fails to show confidence in his ability to start or feature significantly for Chelsea. How come money has no role to play in the development of talent? Surely, the best talent pool, facilities and coaching can be assembled? What makes the economics of having an academy that consistently produces great players different from the economics of producing a winning team?
Fulham for their part will finish the season happy even if they have a bit of a stutter from now on. There are of course no obvious reasons to suspect a blip, but maybe the thought and talk of European action may cause the anxiety of anticipated overachievement. Hopefully not. Well done Fulham and hope Nevland recovers soon from his injury. He was on fire till he had to be substituted in the 35th minute.
Showing posts with label England '08-'09. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England '08-'09. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Middlesbrough v Manchester United, 2 May, Premier League
Middlesbrough have consistently taken points off and even beaten top four opposition in the last few seasons so you could be forgiven for setting a degree of expectation from this game. The completely real threat of relegation demands heroic and desperate play and the stage was perfect for an underdog story to be scripted. Only the brutal bully was in no mood to oblige and Manchester United sealed a two goal victory with very little trouble and legs to spare.
The only thing worth remembering from the game is the mood of complete disinterest that it had propagated before the sixtieth minute was played. It was evident that Boro were not going to get anywhere near scoring a goal and the difference in league table positions was clearly reflected in the quality of play.
Giggs scored the opener for United and Park added a second in the second half. Macheda got his first premiership start. As expected United rested players. All this game means is that United are a game closer to winning it three in a row. If there is some late drama in the title-race, it certainly did not start on Saturday.
The only thing worth remembering from the game is the mood of complete disinterest that it had propagated before the sixtieth minute was played. It was evident that Boro were not going to get anywhere near scoring a goal and the difference in league table positions was clearly reflected in the quality of play.
Giggs scored the opener for United and Park added a second in the second half. Macheda got his first premiership start. As expected United rested players. All this game means is that United are a game closer to winning it three in a row. If there is some late drama in the title-race, it certainly did not start on Saturday.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Liverpool v Arsenal, Premier League, April 21
When Liverpool played out that 4-4 draw against Chelsea in the memorable semi-final second leg, many who saw the game hailed it as the best game they had seen in their lives. A few days later, this match presented the same score line and received the same accolades. Personally I found both of the games terribly exciting though I would stop well short of calling either of them classics.
Some memories from the game:
Some memories from the game:
- Once again Arsenal took the lead against a clearly superior team (and once again failed to defend it till the end).
- At least six out of eight goals were scored because defensive mistakes were made. This should not take anything away from the strikers as in most cases a lot of work had to be done even after the mistakes were made. Arshavin’s second was special!
- Apart from scoring the four goals and maybe one more threatening moment, Arsenal were completely outplayed.
- Benayoun is a much improved player this latter half of the season.
- Liverpool created many great chances but were either cut off by the Arsenal defense or wasted the chance. They could have won this 7-4.
- Kuyt was the man of the match for me even though Arshavin scored four goals.
- I was not at all surprised to see Arshavin’s class. However, before he scored his first, he had been invisible.
Manchester United v Everton, FA Cup Semi-Final, April 19
- Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson had probably more justification than Arsenal for fielding a weakened team, but even under those circumstances they could have done better than start with Foster, Rafael, Fabio, Welbeck, Macheda and Gibson all at the same time. Surely Nani, Scholes and possibly Berbatov could have been in the mix even with the packed schedule. It’s a Cup semi-final for God’s sake!
- Everton refused to take the opportunity to dominate and played with fear. In the end they were lucky to get away with a penalty win.
Chelsea v Arsenal, FA Cup Semi-Final, April 18
It’s been sometime since the game and a lot has been written about it, so the plan is to keep this short and bulleted:
- Wenger didn’t really want to win this. On the bench were Arshavin, Nasri and Song. He does have an abundance of attacking talent but any selection of Diaby over Arshavin or Nasri has to be questioned. In a cup semi-final against Chelsea, one is tempted to start looking for ulterior motives. Not questioning integrity or stuff like that, but WHY???
- Malouda has started looking a better player under Hiddink. Not spectacular yet but better.
- Arsenal are the one team that I most expect to be leading a game even when they are getting completely outplayed. That they were better than Chelsea when they scored the first goal is not the point. Soon Chelsea were dominant and Arsenal were completely inferior. That Arsenal are often unable to hold on to the lead till the end is also not the point. Not this point at least.
- Obi Mikel is quite unlucky not to be starting every game for Chelsea. He was quite good at the job he did. There is a case for putting Mikel in for Ballack and letting Lampard and Essien look after matters up front.
- After a bright comeback from injury, Essien looked out-of-form for two straight games. It’s quite a first!
- Why is Fabianski taking all the blame for Drogba’s winner? He may not have made the best decisions but Drogba would have been one-on-one with him anyway and would be 95% favorite to score. How about some more focus on Silvestre’s surrender?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Arsenal v Blackburn, March 14, Premier League
The Gunners took the lead in the second minute with almost the only piece of beautiful football they played in the entire first half. Bendtner kept possession and then played a great pass which was lacthed on by the speedy Walcott near the by-line and was played in for Arshavin who would have scored had it not been put in by a defender (at least that’s what I think happened and I haven’t bothered to check the facts).
After that it was a horribly boring first half and by half time I was having imaginary conversations in my head where I was arguing with Arsenal fans and telling them that this whole thing about Arsenal playing beautiful free flowing football has been a myth for most of the last season and a half. I still believe in that, though in the second half they did enough to shut me up even in imaginary conversations for the moment.
The big change that Wenger made at half time was to move Nasri to the centre behind the strikers and ask Arshavin to push to the left. With the Russian still very much a threat down the middle as well, Blackburn could not prevent a string of effective passes from the centre of the pitch and Nasri played the Central Advanced Midfielder role to perfection.
It is a joy to see Arshavin on a regular basis and the sight of him cutting in from the left brought a massive smile to my face. In the end it finished four nil to the Gunners and they truly played in the manner that they are reputed for, in that second half.
Causes for concern for them – the fact that Sagna and Clichy are both clearly not at their best. They have been overworked like a dial-up connection streaming porn and it shows in their performances. Also Walcott has failed to improve this season to the level that was expected off him and he is still a bit of a one trick pony. The injury must have made an impact but a large part of what is lacking in his game is in the head and how well he reads the game and I think over the next couple of seasons, it will be clear if he is eventually going to be world class or not.
One big plus for Arsenal that is not being spoken about much is the performance of Almunia in goal. I think he is now amongst the best in the EPL and his decision making is very impressive, especially when it involves anticipating when he needs to step out of the box. I think he is a better central defender away from receiving rave reviews every week.
Now to Blackburn. They didn’t play like a Sam Allardyce team at all and that was stunning. They seemed to have no steel and the most stunning aspect of their game was that they didn’t look to take charge of the midfield. Very often this season, one strong midfielder has been able to dominate Arsenal’s two, but Blackburn never tried to impose themselves in that area. Especially after Nasri moved to the centre they did not know how to react and failed to close down Nasri or Denilson after that.
They have had the reputation of being a dirty team and it was very evident why. Diouf, an Allardyce favorite made a flying tackle on Almunia which could have been very dangerous and deserved a red but got a yellow. It was very ugly and thoroughly unnecessary. Then Pederson, who I have a lot of respect for, took a dive in the Arsenal box which has to rank as one of the worst I have ever seen. Absolutley shocking!
I guess Big Sam will have noticed a number of things and will know that the relegation fight is on. Based on the weekend’s performance, Blackburn are no better than the other teams around them and a lot will depend on how much they are willing to fight to stay in the league because the difference in class is hardly too much when you compare the teams at the bottom.
After that it was a horribly boring first half and by half time I was having imaginary conversations in my head where I was arguing with Arsenal fans and telling them that this whole thing about Arsenal playing beautiful free flowing football has been a myth for most of the last season and a half. I still believe in that, though in the second half they did enough to shut me up even in imaginary conversations for the moment.
The big change that Wenger made at half time was to move Nasri to the centre behind the strikers and ask Arshavin to push to the left. With the Russian still very much a threat down the middle as well, Blackburn could not prevent a string of effective passes from the centre of the pitch and Nasri played the Central Advanced Midfielder role to perfection.
It is a joy to see Arshavin on a regular basis and the sight of him cutting in from the left brought a massive smile to my face. In the end it finished four nil to the Gunners and they truly played in the manner that they are reputed for, in that second half.
Causes for concern for them – the fact that Sagna and Clichy are both clearly not at their best. They have been overworked like a dial-up connection streaming porn and it shows in their performances. Also Walcott has failed to improve this season to the level that was expected off him and he is still a bit of a one trick pony. The injury must have made an impact but a large part of what is lacking in his game is in the head and how well he reads the game and I think over the next couple of seasons, it will be clear if he is eventually going to be world class or not.
One big plus for Arsenal that is not being spoken about much is the performance of Almunia in goal. I think he is now amongst the best in the EPL and his decision making is very impressive, especially when it involves anticipating when he needs to step out of the box. I think he is a better central defender away from receiving rave reviews every week.
Now to Blackburn. They didn’t play like a Sam Allardyce team at all and that was stunning. They seemed to have no steel and the most stunning aspect of their game was that they didn’t look to take charge of the midfield. Very often this season, one strong midfielder has been able to dominate Arsenal’s two, but Blackburn never tried to impose themselves in that area. Especially after Nasri moved to the centre they did not know how to react and failed to close down Nasri or Denilson after that.
They have had the reputation of being a dirty team and it was very evident why. Diouf, an Allardyce favorite made a flying tackle on Almunia which could have been very dangerous and deserved a red but got a yellow. It was very ugly and thoroughly unnecessary. Then Pederson, who I have a lot of respect for, took a dive in the Arsenal box which has to rank as one of the worst I have ever seen. Absolutley shocking!
I guess Big Sam will have noticed a number of things and will know that the relegation fight is on. Based on the weekend’s performance, Blackburn are no better than the other teams around them and a lot will depend on how much they are willing to fight to stay in the league because the difference in class is hardly too much when you compare the teams at the bottom.
Chelsea v Manchester City, March 15, Premier League
Mark Hughes was so good with Blackburn that he was often touted as the natural successor to Sir Alex at United. With Manchester City he’s looked so lost so consistently that I would be not be surprised if he is eased out at the end of the season. Unless he can do something in the UEFA Cup, but more on that later in this post.
This was Chelsea’s game from the beginning till the end. Some of the football they played matched the heights they had reached in the early days of the Scolari reign. Barring Deco, who limped out injured in the first half, every player looked sharp and the team gelled superbly. That they only scored one is from one point of view a mere statistic, but from another a major cause for concern. Which point of view is more justified will be evident in the coming weeks, depending on their ability to start converting more of their chances.
Which calls for a minor correction to the earlier statement where I claimed that all players looked sharp. The strikers did not and while there positional play was great and they were often at the right places at the right time, they didn’t look threatening enough. To be fair, both have them have seen some sort of a revival of form, but I still feel that Anelka needs to show some more leadership while Drogba is a long long way away from his best. For one, his ability to win every ball played to him has waned significantly and the speed with which he used to execute his finishes is at a fraction of what we have seen in the past. What this means is that defenders often find enough time to put themselves in place for a block or get a tackle in.
What I truly enjoyed was Essien’s goal. Nobody raves about Lampard now as they did three seasons ago but the fact is that he has been the heart beat of the Chelsea side this season. He usually tends to disappear a bit between the start of the second half till the sixtieth minute or so and invariably that is when other teams have their best spells against Chelsea. But when he is in the thick of action he is just great with linking up play and creating chances for the wingers as well as his strikers.
Man City’s defense went to sleep for a moment when they left Essien unmarked as Lampard was taking a free kick near the centre circle and Fat Frank saw the opportunity and played a perfect pass to Essien who swung cleverly at the ball to divert the ball into the corner of the net to leave Given stranded. What joy! First Eduardo has made a stunning comeback from injury and now Essien seems to have settled down on the pitch like he was never away. His impact and influence was awesome apart from the goal itself and while I felt sorry to see the very effective Mikel on the bench, he obviously cannot match Essien in terms of sheer ability to control a game.
Michael Ballack has settled down to playing a supporting role in this Chelsea squad and he keeps things simple and focuses on protecting his defense and linking up play. While his contribution is significant, it has taken a little bit of an edge off his game and he looks unlikely to produce moments of brilliance like we used to expect from him in the past. His heading abilities, though not completely vanished, seem a bit blunted but I guess it may be part of the package of his greatness that he goes about doing his job without too many complaints.
It seems futile to comment on City, though the only excuse you can make for them is that they lack quality strikers when Bellamy is missing. Yet they could easily have got one more if they had planned well in January and the fact is that they did indeed significantly bolster their squad. The biggest problem I see with them is that they play ever so often without any determination or motivation and Robinho sort of personifies this attitude. When he’s been brilliant, he’s looked by far the best footballer in this league but those instances have been far too few in recent months. They deserved a spanking but got away with a gentle pull of the ear. Whatever, Hughes must realize internally that the returns he is getting are far from what should be expected from the lineup of players at his disposal and the onus is on him to fix it.
This was Chelsea’s game from the beginning till the end. Some of the football they played matched the heights they had reached in the early days of the Scolari reign. Barring Deco, who limped out injured in the first half, every player looked sharp and the team gelled superbly. That they only scored one is from one point of view a mere statistic, but from another a major cause for concern. Which point of view is more justified will be evident in the coming weeks, depending on their ability to start converting more of their chances.
Which calls for a minor correction to the earlier statement where I claimed that all players looked sharp. The strikers did not and while there positional play was great and they were often at the right places at the right time, they didn’t look threatening enough. To be fair, both have them have seen some sort of a revival of form, but I still feel that Anelka needs to show some more leadership while Drogba is a long long way away from his best. For one, his ability to win every ball played to him has waned significantly and the speed with which he used to execute his finishes is at a fraction of what we have seen in the past. What this means is that defenders often find enough time to put themselves in place for a block or get a tackle in.
What I truly enjoyed was Essien’s goal. Nobody raves about Lampard now as they did three seasons ago but the fact is that he has been the heart beat of the Chelsea side this season. He usually tends to disappear a bit between the start of the second half till the sixtieth minute or so and invariably that is when other teams have their best spells against Chelsea. But when he is in the thick of action he is just great with linking up play and creating chances for the wingers as well as his strikers.
Man City’s defense went to sleep for a moment when they left Essien unmarked as Lampard was taking a free kick near the centre circle and Fat Frank saw the opportunity and played a perfect pass to Essien who swung cleverly at the ball to divert the ball into the corner of the net to leave Given stranded. What joy! First Eduardo has made a stunning comeback from injury and now Essien seems to have settled down on the pitch like he was never away. His impact and influence was awesome apart from the goal itself and while I felt sorry to see the very effective Mikel on the bench, he obviously cannot match Essien in terms of sheer ability to control a game.
Michael Ballack has settled down to playing a supporting role in this Chelsea squad and he keeps things simple and focuses on protecting his defense and linking up play. While his contribution is significant, it has taken a little bit of an edge off his game and he looks unlikely to produce moments of brilliance like we used to expect from him in the past. His heading abilities, though not completely vanished, seem a bit blunted but I guess it may be part of the package of his greatness that he goes about doing his job without too many complaints.
It seems futile to comment on City, though the only excuse you can make for them is that they lack quality strikers when Bellamy is missing. Yet they could easily have got one more if they had planned well in January and the fact is that they did indeed significantly bolster their squad. The biggest problem I see with them is that they play ever so often without any determination or motivation and Robinho sort of personifies this attitude. When he’s been brilliant, he’s looked by far the best footballer in this league but those instances have been far too few in recent months. They deserved a spanking but got away with a gentle pull of the ear. Whatever, Hughes must realize internally that the returns he is getting are far from what should be expected from the lineup of players at his disposal and the onus is on him to fix it.
Manchester United v Liverpool, March 14, Premier League
The final score was 1-4 and Liverpool thrashed Manchester United at Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson claimed after the game that Man U were the better team but that has to be a part of some weird media and mind game that he keeps playing. The truth of the matter is that Liverpool were clearly superior on the day and deserved not just the win, but the scoreline as well.
After a Christiano Ronaldo penalty gave them the lead, Man U struggled to create any further chances and Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez struggled to trouble the Liverpool defense throughout. Even after Berba’s introduction late in the game, things didn’t really change for them while Liverpool did exactly what you expect them to. Rafa’s team defended well and took their chances as and when they got them.
Vidic had a horrible afternoon and it was his mistake in defending the long ball that allowed Torres to score Pool’s equalizer. Nine times out of ten, you would expect Vidic to deal with those balls but if there is a striker who would make complete use of any mistakes then it is Torres and he did just that. Gerrard and Torres combined brilliantly for the second goal. Gerrard flicked on a long ball to Torres and made a run into the box. Torres played an inch perfect pass to Gerrard which was just enough for him to reach and just enough to tempt Evra to go in for the tackle which resulted in a penalty that Gerrard duly scored. Then in the second half, when United already looked beaten at 2-1, Vidic made another mistake to lose the ball to Gerrard who would have had a free run on goal had not Vidic then grounded him. Hence a red to Vidic, a free kick to Pool and a great strike from Aurelio to make it 3-1. The 4th again came from a long ball which no Man U player wanted to defend and Dossena chipped it over a stranded Van der Saar to get his second goal in two games (the last being against Real Madrid).
So Man U dropped points, but to say that the title race is now back on again is a little premature. They will need to do so at least a couple more times before mid April while Chelsea and Pool pick up maximum, for there to be any real excitement as we near the finish.
After a Christiano Ronaldo penalty gave them the lead, Man U struggled to create any further chances and Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez struggled to trouble the Liverpool defense throughout. Even after Berba’s introduction late in the game, things didn’t really change for them while Liverpool did exactly what you expect them to. Rafa’s team defended well and took their chances as and when they got them.
Vidic had a horrible afternoon and it was his mistake in defending the long ball that allowed Torres to score Pool’s equalizer. Nine times out of ten, you would expect Vidic to deal with those balls but if there is a striker who would make complete use of any mistakes then it is Torres and he did just that. Gerrard and Torres combined brilliantly for the second goal. Gerrard flicked on a long ball to Torres and made a run into the box. Torres played an inch perfect pass to Gerrard which was just enough for him to reach and just enough to tempt Evra to go in for the tackle which resulted in a penalty that Gerrard duly scored. Then in the second half, when United already looked beaten at 2-1, Vidic made another mistake to lose the ball to Gerrard who would have had a free run on goal had not Vidic then grounded him. Hence a red to Vidic, a free kick to Pool and a great strike from Aurelio to make it 3-1. The 4th again came from a long ball which no Man U player wanted to defend and Dossena chipped it over a stranded Van der Saar to get his second goal in two games (the last being against Real Madrid).
So Man U dropped points, but to say that the title race is now back on again is a little premature. They will need to do so at least a couple more times before mid April while Chelsea and Pool pick up maximum, for there to be any real excitement as we near the finish.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sevilla v Almeria, La Liga, March 8
Way below the suddenly engrossing battle for top spot in Spain, sit Sevilla in third signaling they are again ready to aspire to match the glory days they attained under Juande Ramos’ reign. Surprisingly Manolo Jimenez finds himself under intense pressure to keep his job but that for me is more a reflection of the times than his own or his team’s performance on the pitch.
Sevilla dominated the first half completely and tenth placed Almeria never once threatened the home side’s goal. Sevilla had the lead in the fifth minute, after Kanoute trapped a cross from the left from Romaric and finished efficiently. Later on replays showed that Kanoue had handled the ball but it was too late to change the score by then.
Almeria had a better second half and they threatened a lot more. They fell two behind however, when Kanoute trapped a pass from Capel and set up Renato who managed to steer the ball into the net even though he completely misconnected. He had already missed a sitter before and was fortunate to score on a day when his performance was distinctly average. Fortune though was smiling gently on the entire Sevilla team as it turned out that Kanoute was well offside when the ball was played to him and the second goal should not have been either. Almeria kept pushing on and at least they got a consolation goal through a penalty which was the least they deserved for their second half showing as well as the crushing impact of bad decisions.
Now I come to the part, which had made me eager to write this post since I saw the game.
First, the performance of Romaric, the Ivory Coast strongman. Midfielder with a preference for the left foot who can be found everywhere on the pitch. Tough tacking, hard working and creative. It’s not funny the number of quality midfielders who are out there, and it is stunning to note that none of them is at Arsenal.
Second, Crusat the little known Spaniard playing attacking midfield for Almeria. Made major impact and has the ability to pull his team up. If he ever moves to a bigger club, he could make a name for himself.
Third, Diego Perotti. Twenty year old Argentine forward who switched from left wing to right with ease on debut and seemed very very gifted. Watch out for this guy!
Been a long time since I saw either Barca or Real play ninety minutes but any dose of La Liga is good for the mood and add to that the joy of discovering players you didn’t know about and the weekend seems to have been very productive indeed. One final word, Kanoute plays very much like Anelka and looks a little similar too.
Sevilla dominated the first half completely and tenth placed Almeria never once threatened the home side’s goal. Sevilla had the lead in the fifth minute, after Kanoute trapped a cross from the left from Romaric and finished efficiently. Later on replays showed that Kanoue had handled the ball but it was too late to change the score by then.
Almeria had a better second half and they threatened a lot more. They fell two behind however, when Kanoute trapped a pass from Capel and set up Renato who managed to steer the ball into the net even though he completely misconnected. He had already missed a sitter before and was fortunate to score on a day when his performance was distinctly average. Fortune though was smiling gently on the entire Sevilla team as it turned out that Kanoute was well offside when the ball was played to him and the second goal should not have been either. Almeria kept pushing on and at least they got a consolation goal through a penalty which was the least they deserved for their second half showing as well as the crushing impact of bad decisions.
Now I come to the part, which had made me eager to write this post since I saw the game.
First, the performance of Romaric, the Ivory Coast strongman. Midfielder with a preference for the left foot who can be found everywhere on the pitch. Tough tacking, hard working and creative. It’s not funny the number of quality midfielders who are out there, and it is stunning to note that none of them is at Arsenal.
Second, Crusat the little known Spaniard playing attacking midfield for Almeria. Made major impact and has the ability to pull his team up. If he ever moves to a bigger club, he could make a name for himself.
Third, Diego Perotti. Twenty year old Argentine forward who switched from left wing to right with ease on debut and seemed very very gifted. Watch out for this guy!
Been a long time since I saw either Barca or Real play ninety minutes but any dose of La Liga is good for the mood and add to that the joy of discovering players you didn’t know about and the weekend seems to have been very productive indeed. One final word, Kanoute plays very much like Anelka and looks a little similar too.
Everton v Middlesbrough, FA Cup, March 8
If football was like tennis or something then maybe this one would have been a tie. Boro clearly won the first half and Everton the second and no one would have complained. Sadly, no one appointed any judges to score football games and Boro lost this one by the odd goal in three.
There’s not too much to add to that. It was a fun-filled cup game with lots of attacking play.
There were moments of goalkeeping madness at both ends though Boro paid a heavier price as Everton equalized through a goalkeeping blunder and completely took charge of the game after that. And to rub salt into Boro wounds, they scored twice in their period of domination where the visitors managed only one in their supremely commanding first half performace.
The usual suspects looked good for both the teams: Tuncay and Downing for Boro, Fellaini, Cahill, Pienaar for Everton. I think Pienaar is slightly underrated and could be very useful in a top four side, though there does seem to be an obvious lack of vacany in these positions at any of the really big clubs. Maybe that’s why Moyes has managed to keep him and that’s good for him and Everton.
Everton will take on Sir Alex and his boys in the semi-final and I will be rooting for them to win this one. Two non big four winners in two years will be a delightful occurrence in these times. It won’t be easy but you were never going to win this thing without defeating Man U anyway and if Everton do pull that off, they will have put some fear in their opponent hearts come Cup final day in 2009.
There’s not too much to add to that. It was a fun-filled cup game with lots of attacking play.
There were moments of goalkeeping madness at both ends though Boro paid a heavier price as Everton equalized through a goalkeeping blunder and completely took charge of the game after that. And to rub salt into Boro wounds, they scored twice in their period of domination where the visitors managed only one in their supremely commanding first half performace.
The usual suspects looked good for both the teams: Tuncay and Downing for Boro, Fellaini, Cahill, Pienaar for Everton. I think Pienaar is slightly underrated and could be very useful in a top four side, though there does seem to be an obvious lack of vacany in these positions at any of the really big clubs. Maybe that’s why Moyes has managed to keep him and that’s good for him and Everton.
Everton will take on Sir Alex and his boys in the semi-final and I will be rooting for them to win this one. Two non big four winners in two years will be a delightful occurrence in these times. It won’t be easy but you were never going to win this thing without defeating Man U anyway and if Everton do pull that off, they will have put some fear in their opponent hearts come Cup final day in 2009.
Arsenal v Burnely, FA Cup, March 8
I missed Eduardo’s wonder strike and only saw about the last forty minutes of the game but it was enough to be entertained. I know Eduardo has all the headlines (and deservingly so) but it was hardly the only high point of the game and while I’m disappointed to have missed the first fifty minutes, I was equally thankful for having caught the next forty.
I’ve sometimes gotten irritated listening to people who rave about the ‘beautiful’ game that Arsenal play because frankly over the last eighteen months, glimpses of that beauty have been as rare as a bouncer in the Gunners’ starting line-up. I’m no pundit, but while it is great to pass the ball around slickly between a few players up front, I feel the absence of a sturdy midfield has basically meant a lot lesser of the ball with Arsenal in areas from where you engineer beautiful play. Hence a rare good one two or a smart back heel over a game has been touted of as beautiful play while they have been bull dozed off the centre of the park. Especially after the Cesc injury they have not had anyone capable of consistently making the beautiful passes that really count by freeing up strikers and setting them on their way to goal.
Burnley probably did not pose a similar threat to Arsenal and they prospered. While the front men kept doing the usual things, it was the influence that Diaby and Song and Eboue (after he moved to the middle) had, that made even skeptic me acknowledge that this side was more about fun than frustration. I would love to say that with Walcott and Eduardo already back and Cesc on his way back soon as well, we will see more such performances by Wenger’s boys. However, I am not convinced of that. I think the absence of a muscle man in the centre will continue to hurt them this season, and unlike Burnley, the challenges they face from premier league and Champion’s League season, will not allow them to replicate this fluency week in and week out.
Burnley did their bit to make the game exciting as well. The really cool aspect of Burnley’s play was their confidence with the ball and it was just amazing to see players in England take on the opposition and dribble past obstructions rather than look to hoof a direct ball somewhere. Absolutely delightful! They lacked the final pass and the finish but till Arsenal scored a third through Eboue, they had kept threatening to bring the deficit down to one goal and push their illustrious hosts till the very end.
I’ve sometimes gotten irritated listening to people who rave about the ‘beautiful’ game that Arsenal play because frankly over the last eighteen months, glimpses of that beauty have been as rare as a bouncer in the Gunners’ starting line-up. I’m no pundit, but while it is great to pass the ball around slickly between a few players up front, I feel the absence of a sturdy midfield has basically meant a lot lesser of the ball with Arsenal in areas from where you engineer beautiful play. Hence a rare good one two or a smart back heel over a game has been touted of as beautiful play while they have been bull dozed off the centre of the park. Especially after the Cesc injury they have not had anyone capable of consistently making the beautiful passes that really count by freeing up strikers and setting them on their way to goal.
Burnley probably did not pose a similar threat to Arsenal and they prospered. While the front men kept doing the usual things, it was the influence that Diaby and Song and Eboue (after he moved to the middle) had, that made even skeptic me acknowledge that this side was more about fun than frustration. I would love to say that with Walcott and Eduardo already back and Cesc on his way back soon as well, we will see more such performances by Wenger’s boys. However, I am not convinced of that. I think the absence of a muscle man in the centre will continue to hurt them this season, and unlike Burnley, the challenges they face from premier league and Champion’s League season, will not allow them to replicate this fluency week in and week out.
Burnley did their bit to make the game exciting as well. The really cool aspect of Burnley’s play was their confidence with the ball and it was just amazing to see players in England take on the opposition and dribble past obstructions rather than look to hoof a direct ball somewhere. Absolutely delightful! They lacked the final pass and the finish but till Arsenal scored a third through Eboue, they had kept threatening to bring the deficit down to one goal and push their illustrious hosts till the very end.
Fulham v Manchester United, FA Cup, March 7
Two goals from Tevez and one each from Rooney and Park ji Sung saw United reach the FA Cup semi-final yet again, but 4-0 just does not say it well enough.
Tevez and Rooney started up front and the midfield had Park and Fletcher as the wide players with Anderson supporting Carrick in the middle. Not standard personnel but definitely not unimpressive. However, the performance they put in would put many a great team to shame, including their very own first choice starting eleven (or whatever comes closest to that description).
I’ve been thinking of how to describe the way the Red Devils played and the only word I that comes close to describing it is ‘harmony’. It wasn’t just dominant, attractive and attacking but there was something more. It was as if each team member (in attack) read and understood what the other guy was looking to do and sometimes their passing and movement looked choreographed rather than instinctive and their play was truly a performance rather than a contest.
I have not often been convinced this season that United are anywhere near their peak, but if they keep reproducing this form, all opposition, leave alone Fulham will be swept aside.
Fulham for their part played almost as well as they could. Before the first United goal around the twentieth minute, they had in fact looked the better side. The United defense was often threatened and had multiple shaky moments which with some fortune did not cost them. And yet, it finished 4-0. I think all the Cottagers would have to say about this game is “Wow”.
Tevez and Rooney started up front and the midfield had Park and Fletcher as the wide players with Anderson supporting Carrick in the middle. Not standard personnel but definitely not unimpressive. However, the performance they put in would put many a great team to shame, including their very own first choice starting eleven (or whatever comes closest to that description).
I’ve been thinking of how to describe the way the Red Devils played and the only word I that comes close to describing it is ‘harmony’. It wasn’t just dominant, attractive and attacking but there was something more. It was as if each team member (in attack) read and understood what the other guy was looking to do and sometimes their passing and movement looked choreographed rather than instinctive and their play was truly a performance rather than a contest.
I have not often been convinced this season that United are anywhere near their peak, but if they keep reproducing this form, all opposition, leave alone Fulham will be swept aside.
Fulham for their part played almost as well as they could. Before the first United goal around the twentieth minute, they had in fact looked the better side. The United defense was often threatened and had multiple shaky moments which with some fortune did not cost them. And yet, it finished 4-0. I think all the Cottagers would have to say about this game is “Wow”.
Monday, February 9, 2009
West Ham v Manchester United, February 8, Premier League
It’s getting very repetitive writing about Manchester United. Not so about West Ham who have truly struck it rich with an ex-player Manager, which Blackburn and Pompey have so spectacularly not done, but as far as the Red Devils are concerned, every match report seems just like the other.
So first a bit about West Ham. A team with no real stars punching above their weight because they are playing so well as a team. In fact had Carlton Cole taken the one chance that was there for the taking, it would have meant a lot of sweat for United and it would have confirmed the rise and rise of the only under-achieving English Cole. For most of the game they matched Manchester United step for step and had it not been for the mandatory United moment of brilliance, they would have come out of this one with at least a point and many spoonfuls of added confidence.
Noble, Parker and Upson really caught the eye, though there was no player who looked out of depth and that should ensure that this slight hiccup doesn’t really derail West Ham’s impressive run. For a large part of the first half they made it really difficult for Manchester United to keep the ball. If there was one aspect of their game that I felt could prove dangerous, it was their willingness to allow United players space till they got very close to the box.
Sure enough they paid for it and United did indeed get their goal. That they let a very talented player run unchecked into the box was their folly. That no amount of stopping may have prevented this guy from scoring is another matter altogether. Ryan Giggs! Every time you say the name, the sound of it will delight you and to see the veteran get his first goal of the season for yet another season, surely ranked up with one of the magic moments of this campaign.
So I will resist going into the repetitive stories of winning ugly, of another clean sheet, of having the mentality, of not firing on all cylinders and sign off reliving fondly those few seconds after Scholes sent the ball out wide to Giggs.
So first a bit about West Ham. A team with no real stars punching above their weight because they are playing so well as a team. In fact had Carlton Cole taken the one chance that was there for the taking, it would have meant a lot of sweat for United and it would have confirmed the rise and rise of the only under-achieving English Cole. For most of the game they matched Manchester United step for step and had it not been for the mandatory United moment of brilliance, they would have come out of this one with at least a point and many spoonfuls of added confidence.
Noble, Parker and Upson really caught the eye, though there was no player who looked out of depth and that should ensure that this slight hiccup doesn’t really derail West Ham’s impressive run. For a large part of the first half they made it really difficult for Manchester United to keep the ball. If there was one aspect of their game that I felt could prove dangerous, it was their willingness to allow United players space till they got very close to the box.
Sure enough they paid for it and United did indeed get their goal. That they let a very talented player run unchecked into the box was their folly. That no amount of stopping may have prevented this guy from scoring is another matter altogether. Ryan Giggs! Every time you say the name, the sound of it will delight you and to see the veteran get his first goal of the season for yet another season, surely ranked up with one of the magic moments of this campaign.
So I will resist going into the repetitive stories of winning ugly, of another clean sheet, of having the mentality, of not firing on all cylinders and sign off reliving fondly those few seconds after Scholes sent the ball out wide to Giggs.
Tottenham v Arsenal, February 8, Premier League
Harry Redknapp and Spurs should want to shoot themselves for not ending their winless run in the league against the Gunners in this one and Arsene Wenger and the Gunners should accept that not only are they not playing winning football, they are also not playing beautiful football at the moment.
Spurs not winning was really all about not being able to find the net because for most of the game they were clearly superior – both in terms of their display as well as in numbers. They also had a decent dose of luck when Eboue’s goal was not given, though to be fair to them the whistle was heard before the ball went in and one could always argue about the goal being prevented had the ref’s call not been heard.
The Spurs line-up looked a little centre-heavy to me with no natural left-sided player. That job was given to Modric, who while not always providing lots of width, did benefit from this change because it allowed him to get into play more up-field and make contributions where they are really useful. His impact was clear and he had some great moments, especially one where he found SWP on the edge of the box with a perfect ball only for the speedy winger to let the chance go by. On another occasion, Modric found himself clear and had it not been for a heavy first touch, he may have had a good shot on goal. His worst moment though came towards the end when he shot wide in an almost three-against-one situation. Yet, it was encouraging to see him so involved and he is the sort of player who will be a threat anywhere close to the opposition box, so I would be delighted if Harry continues with this ploy.
The real star for Spurs, especially in the first half was Palacios. The number of times he took the ball off Arsenal was amazing and he also had the energy to get forward and even threaten Almunia. It is clear why he came to Harry so heavily recommended and if Steve Bruce can find a replacement as good, then he too will be snapped up in the summer.
Other thoughts for Spurs, Pavyluchenko is tuning out to be a little bit of a waste because I really liked his look in Austria-Switzerland and though I would have expected him to miss many, his strength seemed to be in getting into scoring positions often enough to finally make them count. Right now, he seems to be just missing the odd chances he gets. And very honestly, I would prefer if someone like Bentley or Bale played left, Modric played in the hole behind Keane or Bent. While both the strikers are different, I think both could work with Modric, who could be amazing on the edge of the area.
Then to Arsenal. True to form, Wenger has gone on to complain about the goal that wasn’t given but he would also do well to see why his team is not banging more of them in. Palacios alone was worth twice more than Denilson and Song put together and one wonders why the Red side of London didn’t look at him as a transfer option. Even Clichy and Sagna are increasingly finding it difficult to keep possession and Adebayor has made friends with Drogba and Anelka. Take away Van Persie and to some extent Nasri and there was very little positive for a large part of that Gunner performance.
What about Eboue? I had expected big things from him this season and finding a settled spot, he seemed to be on the road to gradual improvement. Till his ejection for a second stupid yellow card, he looked sensational. He was involved wide right, wide left, centrally, was found defending and attacking and got the goal that wasn’t. But what use in the end? Such stupidity on your best day is laughable and it is evident why he does not endear himself even to his own fans.
Spurs not winning was really all about not being able to find the net because for most of the game they were clearly superior – both in terms of their display as well as in numbers. They also had a decent dose of luck when Eboue’s goal was not given, though to be fair to them the whistle was heard before the ball went in and one could always argue about the goal being prevented had the ref’s call not been heard.
The Spurs line-up looked a little centre-heavy to me with no natural left-sided player. That job was given to Modric, who while not always providing lots of width, did benefit from this change because it allowed him to get into play more up-field and make contributions where they are really useful. His impact was clear and he had some great moments, especially one where he found SWP on the edge of the box with a perfect ball only for the speedy winger to let the chance go by. On another occasion, Modric found himself clear and had it not been for a heavy first touch, he may have had a good shot on goal. His worst moment though came towards the end when he shot wide in an almost three-against-one situation. Yet, it was encouraging to see him so involved and he is the sort of player who will be a threat anywhere close to the opposition box, so I would be delighted if Harry continues with this ploy.
The real star for Spurs, especially in the first half was Palacios. The number of times he took the ball off Arsenal was amazing and he also had the energy to get forward and even threaten Almunia. It is clear why he came to Harry so heavily recommended and if Steve Bruce can find a replacement as good, then he too will be snapped up in the summer.
Other thoughts for Spurs, Pavyluchenko is tuning out to be a little bit of a waste because I really liked his look in Austria-Switzerland and though I would have expected him to miss many, his strength seemed to be in getting into scoring positions often enough to finally make them count. Right now, he seems to be just missing the odd chances he gets. And very honestly, I would prefer if someone like Bentley or Bale played left, Modric played in the hole behind Keane or Bent. While both the strikers are different, I think both could work with Modric, who could be amazing on the edge of the area.
Then to Arsenal. True to form, Wenger has gone on to complain about the goal that wasn’t given but he would also do well to see why his team is not banging more of them in. Palacios alone was worth twice more than Denilson and Song put together and one wonders why the Red side of London didn’t look at him as a transfer option. Even Clichy and Sagna are increasingly finding it difficult to keep possession and Adebayor has made friends with Drogba and Anelka. Take away Van Persie and to some extent Nasri and there was very little positive for a large part of that Gunner performance.
What about Eboue? I had expected big things from him this season and finding a settled spot, he seemed to be on the road to gradual improvement. Till his ejection for a second stupid yellow card, he looked sensational. He was involved wide right, wide left, centrally, was found defending and attacking and got the goal that wasn’t. But what use in the end? Such stupidity on your best day is laughable and it is evident why he does not endear himself even to his own fans.
Portsmouth v Liverpool, February 7, Premier League
Vilified over the Robbie Keane saga and troubled more by the injury to Gerrard than his own gall bladder stones, Rafa Benitez responded in the manner which only he can. Even God dares not predict what Rafa will do with a team sheet and definitely the long list of defenders was not really the expected response to a shortage of strike force situation. But that’s what he did and out came a 3-5-2-1 which was also a 5-2-3 and a 3-4-3 and many other combinations as the game progressed. But the real puzzler was seeing the pubescent Ngog lead the line with not only the fitness question-marked Torres, but even the ever favorite Kuyt only making the bench.
I will not go into analyzing the formation and how it suited the team but what I will get into is the genius of unleashing Torres for the business end of the game. I read somewhere that this is the safest way to keep Torres fit for the rest of the season and if fifteen minutes is all El Nino needs to score, then what a masterstroke it turns out to be.
The drama had started unfolding much before Torres’ winner though. With so many defenders on the pitch, Pool still managed to go behind and though they were soon level, when Portsmouth made it 2-1, Tony Adams would have believed that this time their luck was changing. But every minute has been a minute too many on the pitch for Adam’s Pompey and sure enough they gifted the equalizer on a platter.
Will Sylvian Distin have a telling impact on which side are crowned Champions? Only time will tell, but it was a blunder that stank of ill fate (apart from the usual confidence mumbo) and when Durk “not the greatest finisher” Kuyt took the chance from a very difficult angle, a Pool victory felt a more likely outcome than a draw, even with only some kick-about time remaining.
And then stepped up Torres, again. Like he did against Chelsea. Manchester United have been the masters in getting ‘THAT’ goal throughout this season and that has seen them go to the very top, but Liverpool are now showing refreshing doses of that ability. For after great discussions have been done about a team’s technique, style, depth and all surrounding factors, it is the ability to get those winners that makes Champions.
Quite often I have felt that this particular trait resides with teams as a whole and not individuals in particular, though some individuals manifest the trait more than others in the team. In other words, on the odd days when a Gerrard or a Ronaldo does not turn up a hero, a Vidic or a Kuyt or a Milner steps up and does the job. And till Pool can match United step for step on this one team-trait, they will be in with a chance, no matter how deficient their squad is, how constrained their game is or how puzzling their team sheet is.
I will not go into analyzing the formation and how it suited the team but what I will get into is the genius of unleashing Torres for the business end of the game. I read somewhere that this is the safest way to keep Torres fit for the rest of the season and if fifteen minutes is all El Nino needs to score, then what a masterstroke it turns out to be.
The drama had started unfolding much before Torres’ winner though. With so many defenders on the pitch, Pool still managed to go behind and though they were soon level, when Portsmouth made it 2-1, Tony Adams would have believed that this time their luck was changing. But every minute has been a minute too many on the pitch for Adam’s Pompey and sure enough they gifted the equalizer on a platter.
Will Sylvian Distin have a telling impact on which side are crowned Champions? Only time will tell, but it was a blunder that stank of ill fate (apart from the usual confidence mumbo) and when Durk “not the greatest finisher” Kuyt took the chance from a very difficult angle, a Pool victory felt a more likely outcome than a draw, even with only some kick-about time remaining.
And then stepped up Torres, again. Like he did against Chelsea. Manchester United have been the masters in getting ‘THAT’ goal throughout this season and that has seen them go to the very top, but Liverpool are now showing refreshing doses of that ability. For after great discussions have been done about a team’s technique, style, depth and all surrounding factors, it is the ability to get those winners that makes Champions.
Quite often I have felt that this particular trait resides with teams as a whole and not individuals in particular, though some individuals manifest the trait more than others in the team. In other words, on the odd days when a Gerrard or a Ronaldo does not turn up a hero, a Vidic or a Kuyt or a Milner steps up and does the job. And till Pool can match United step for step on this one team-trait, they will be in with a chance, no matter how deficient their squad is, how constrained their game is or how puzzling their team sheet is.
Chelsea v Hull City, February 7, Premier League
The first twenty five minutes or so were Chelsea at their best. Free flowing, attacking, getting into good positions and looking like they’d score any minute. Which was expected because statistics showed us that it was the best attack against the worst defence. Other statistics also showed us however, that Chelsea are on a bit of a struggle and are finding goals difficult to score. Of course, numbers didn’t paint Hull in the best of lights on recent form either, but who said they tell us everything.
This was in essence a clash between a lack of confidence against a lack of confidence. True Hull had a mini-turnaround against the Baggies but their season starting swagger is a distant memory and even on an off day and burdened with their recent history Chelsea would have been expected to win.
And so it began. Frank Lampard was the chief orchestrator, bringing Kalou and the debutante Queresma into play and making some unbelievable passes in the process. Queresma looked lively and was seeing a lot of the ball but eventually very little reached Anelka or troubled the man in the post. And then it petered out. Lampard went off the boil a bit and then the shortcomings became painfully obvious all over again.
Barring Lampard, there is very little creativity in the team and Ballack looks less influential than lowest paid staff in a government office. Kalou alternates good moments with bad (and adds some atrocious moments to the mix once in a while) and the bench is more like a lottery than an assured Plan B. Mikel is good to do a decent job but he is not one to change matches. How Chelsea could have done with a fit Michael Essien and to a lesser extent Joe Cole just now. Bosingwa is not landing his crosses anymore and Ashley Cole is better than before but hardly world class as an attacking fullback on current form.
The biggest loss is up front though. How two strikers capable of scoring fifty goals a season between them can look so benign and threatless is a mystery for which Scolari and the coaching cum support staff have to answer.
And we have been waiting for it to be answered more or less from the day when Drogba made his comeback from injury. Obviously we are still waiting and in the meantime with every passing game, it becomes a game too late for Chelsea. A few weeks ago, Chelsea could have been champions by turning their own form around. Now they have to do that and hope for the others to slip up. Soon even a combination of the two may not be sufficient. Will Scolari have to win in Europe to get another season?
This was in essence a clash between a lack of confidence against a lack of confidence. True Hull had a mini-turnaround against the Baggies but their season starting swagger is a distant memory and even on an off day and burdened with their recent history Chelsea would have been expected to win.
And so it began. Frank Lampard was the chief orchestrator, bringing Kalou and the debutante Queresma into play and making some unbelievable passes in the process. Queresma looked lively and was seeing a lot of the ball but eventually very little reached Anelka or troubled the man in the post. And then it petered out. Lampard went off the boil a bit and then the shortcomings became painfully obvious all over again.
Barring Lampard, there is very little creativity in the team and Ballack looks less influential than lowest paid staff in a government office. Kalou alternates good moments with bad (and adds some atrocious moments to the mix once in a while) and the bench is more like a lottery than an assured Plan B. Mikel is good to do a decent job but he is not one to change matches. How Chelsea could have done with a fit Michael Essien and to a lesser extent Joe Cole just now. Bosingwa is not landing his crosses anymore and Ashley Cole is better than before but hardly world class as an attacking fullback on current form.
The biggest loss is up front though. How two strikers capable of scoring fifty goals a season between them can look so benign and threatless is a mystery for which Scolari and the coaching cum support staff have to answer.
And we have been waiting for it to be answered more or less from the day when Drogba made his comeback from injury. Obviously we are still waiting and in the meantime with every passing game, it becomes a game too late for Chelsea. A few weeks ago, Chelsea could have been champions by turning their own form around. Now they have to do that and hope for the others to slip up. Soon even a combination of the two may not be sufficient. Will Scolari have to win in Europe to get another season?
Manchester City v Middlesbrough, February 7, Premier League
Mark Hughes made his name as manager by making his erstwhile Blackburn Rovers team the best in the business at snapping and snarling accompanied by a constant supply of over-performing or under-appreciated strikers. Such was his impact with Rovers that not long ago he was touted as the man who would step into the shoes of Sir Alex Ferguson whenever the time comes.
To that end Man City is the perfect challenge for Mark Hughes. Responsibility to build a team challenging for the crown in a couple of seasons with the resources to get the best of players. While it is too early to pass judgment on his tenure at Man City, it can be fair to classify it as a non-fairytale baptism into the really big league for Sparky. With one super star and some battlers to make an impact in the first half of the season, Hughes and City fell short of expectations and showed no consistency and very often little steel.
But now that the transfer window is done and dusted and City have come out of it with flying colors, the circus surrounding the failed bid for Kaka notwithstanding, the pressure is truly on to make a surge up the tale and make it to one of the UEFA cup spots. A home game against struggling Boro was the perfect occasion to parade his new boys and to my mind, it turned out to be a little bit of a letdown.
Shay Given and Craig Bellamy had a direct impact on the result and Bridge and de Jong made involved contributions as the new foursome did their thing all together for the first time. And a one-nil result, though not scintillating would be fairly acceptable for all involved with City. But if this performance is going to be repeated, City will find it difficult to put any winning or undefeated streak together. It was uninspiring, unambitious and rather fortunate.
For starters, they seemed to be playing three men in deep midfield – Ireland, de Jong and Zabaleta. Ireland did get forward frequently, but he was often enough way too deep than was really needed against a Boro side that only got dangerous in sudden flashes. For that matter even two deep lying midfielders would have seemed cautious. Hughes could easily have had Zabaleta on the bench and an Elano or a Benjani or a Caicedo lying behind Bellamy. So that left a usually understaffed attacking unit who frequently ran out of ideas when they neared the box and were reduced to looking cute and passing pretty till they lost possession. Credit to Bellamy though, for getting the goal and his form is going to be critical for City.
Near their own flag, the dropping of Dunne had little impact, because they made as many mistakes as they have in any of their recent games. With de Jong in, Kompany will have to re-learn being a central defender soon enough or Hughes will soon start having to answer for not buying someone in that position as well. It was only a great debut performance by Shay Given and some second grade finishing attempts by Alfonso Alves that helped them keep a clean sheet.
Gareth Southgate on the other hand has a completely different set of problems. Every point is a point earned for his team and they did the job 99% of the time. Their goalkeeper was brilliant and had their striker shown anywhere near that form, Boro could have at least drawn this one.
Then again, the point would have come if almost the only momentary lapse of concentration in defence, not been so severely punished. It will not be easy for Boro, but I think they will have to start seeking the points more aggressively rather than chasing them in desperate situations. Getting Tuncay at his best and starting is going to be critical and apart from discipline and courage, they are soon going to need inspiration and finishing.
To that end Man City is the perfect challenge for Mark Hughes. Responsibility to build a team challenging for the crown in a couple of seasons with the resources to get the best of players. While it is too early to pass judgment on his tenure at Man City, it can be fair to classify it as a non-fairytale baptism into the really big league for Sparky. With one super star and some battlers to make an impact in the first half of the season, Hughes and City fell short of expectations and showed no consistency and very often little steel.
But now that the transfer window is done and dusted and City have come out of it with flying colors, the circus surrounding the failed bid for Kaka notwithstanding, the pressure is truly on to make a surge up the tale and make it to one of the UEFA cup spots. A home game against struggling Boro was the perfect occasion to parade his new boys and to my mind, it turned out to be a little bit of a letdown.
Shay Given and Craig Bellamy had a direct impact on the result and Bridge and de Jong made involved contributions as the new foursome did their thing all together for the first time. And a one-nil result, though not scintillating would be fairly acceptable for all involved with City. But if this performance is going to be repeated, City will find it difficult to put any winning or undefeated streak together. It was uninspiring, unambitious and rather fortunate.
For starters, they seemed to be playing three men in deep midfield – Ireland, de Jong and Zabaleta. Ireland did get forward frequently, but he was often enough way too deep than was really needed against a Boro side that only got dangerous in sudden flashes. For that matter even two deep lying midfielders would have seemed cautious. Hughes could easily have had Zabaleta on the bench and an Elano or a Benjani or a Caicedo lying behind Bellamy. So that left a usually understaffed attacking unit who frequently ran out of ideas when they neared the box and were reduced to looking cute and passing pretty till they lost possession. Credit to Bellamy though, for getting the goal and his form is going to be critical for City.
Near their own flag, the dropping of Dunne had little impact, because they made as many mistakes as they have in any of their recent games. With de Jong in, Kompany will have to re-learn being a central defender soon enough or Hughes will soon start having to answer for not buying someone in that position as well. It was only a great debut performance by Shay Given and some second grade finishing attempts by Alfonso Alves that helped them keep a clean sheet.
Gareth Southgate on the other hand has a completely different set of problems. Every point is a point earned for his team and they did the job 99% of the time. Their goalkeeper was brilliant and had their striker shown anywhere near that form, Boro could have at least drawn this one.
Then again, the point would have come if almost the only momentary lapse of concentration in defence, not been so severely punished. It will not be easy for Boro, but I think they will have to start seeking the points more aggressively rather than chasing them in desperate situations. Getting Tuncay at his best and starting is going to be critical and apart from discipline and courage, they are soon going to need inspiration and finishing.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tottenham v Portsmouth, January 18, Premier League
This should be titled “Why Tottenham are not too good to be relegated”. Playing at home with two strikers against a currently struggling Portsmouth side in what was described by commentators repeatedly as a thrilling end-to-end game, they had as much attacking instinct in them as monks in meditation.
But to begin with, balls to all those football experts who called this thrilling end-to-end stuff. Just because the ball travels from one end to the other every forty seconds, never once threatening to cross below the bar, does not make the game thrilling. Poor quality football can be thrilling but only when all the shoddiness leads to chances and excitement. Here it was bad football with little end product with maybe five moments of going “ooh” over the ninety minutes.
Just to dwell on the game for a bit. There was not much happening when Sean Davis mis-passed to Defoe who had only the goalkeeper to beat when he shot wide. Some time later Lennon made probably the only inspired Tottenham run to reach the by-line and cross the ball for Defoe to head a ball which was well saved by James. David Nugent found himself one-on-one against Gomes as Ledley King limped behind him but he shot too close to the keeper who on his worse days would have conceded in this situation but did well to get down and save. Another James save led to a counter where Traore carried the ball across the length of the pitch (the best individual effort throughout the game) and saw Corluka tackle the ball into the oncoming Nugent who fired in his first Premier League goal thanks to a deflection from Bale. Tottenham equalized from a well taken shot from Defoe after he was set up by Modric on almost the only occasion the Croat got to the edge of the box. And then Spurs could have won if Bent would have scored the easiest of headers from a Bentley cross, but that didn’t happen so it ended one-one.
By description a standard premier league game between two typical English sides but I guess that’s why I don’t rate English football too highly. But not too much point discussing a very ordinary game. Which brings me back to my original point about Spurs not being too good to go down and here’s why I think so.
I think that for the players they have they have the formation and system all wrong. Then again for the formation and system they do have, they have the approach all wrong. After experimenting with a 3-5-2 which seemed like a 1-1-1-1-1-1-1…(11 times over) they switched back to a 4-4-2 but did it so pathetically. Playing at home against a team which is also in some shit, they chose to never let their fullbacks move forward and had their wide men bombing poor crosses as soon as they touched the ball without a thought of what the cross would do for them.
The central midfielders didn’t know what to do and for long periods, the strikers were hardly involved. That Pavlyuchenko still managed to pick up an injury would be maddening for Harry Redknapp, but given the intent his team has been showing recently I don’t think it should matter too much if it is Pav or Bent or the Queen up front, because there is very little for that guy to do.
The central defenders are ok, even though King got injured again and maybe out again for a few weeks. But between Dawson, Woodgate and King, if they can keep two fit, it should work. Bale and Corluka are also not bad individually (Corluka in fact has been known to be impressive) but unless they go out and support the attacks, their role is very limited and they will always struggle to create good chances, especially as their right and left midfield is so lacking in tooth.
Lennon has pace and can beat defenders but his crossing needs to improve and O Hara works very hard but does not have a clue about what he needs to do when he gets the ball. His solution is to cross it into the box no matter where he is and invariably all crosses are met by defenders because they float into the least lethal of areas.
But the biggest joke is the central midfield. Anyone who has seen Modric play at the Euros knows that he is capable of carrying a team on his own and is very very skilful. He is the sort of player who defenders find difficult to stop and when he gets into the box, he is bound to cause some confusion. For Spurs against Pompey, Modric hardly ever got close to the box until the moment when he finally was there to lay the ball up sweetly for Defoe. For Spurs, Modric seems like a show pony in the midfield who knows some tricks but adds little value. But I’ll blame that on Zokora. Zokora has strength, pace and on occasions works his balls off but he won’t get any life time awards for being a team player. There is no coordination between the two midfielders and it seems that there is no proper role definition done for either. Which is why you see Modric always stuck somewhere playing dribble against opposition counter parts when he should be in and around the box creating chances for his strikers.
What I would love to see Spurs do is move to a 4-2-3-1 making Modric the focal point of their attacks. Jenas or Huddlestone when fit, could partner Zokora with Modric playing behind Defoe. Two of Lennon, Bentley, O’ Hara, Bent, Pavyluchenko or dos Santos could play on either side of Modric and of course, with two men protecting the defense, Bale and Corluka would have complete license to join in attack. It is unlikely though that this will happen. In which case, here’s how they should prioritize:
1. Sell one of Jenas/Zokora and get a top-of-the-line holding midfielder
2. If Bentley is not good enough, sell him and get a better left sided midfielder
3. Sell Bent and get Peter Crouch. At least we know that Crouch and Defoe work well together
But Spurs hardly do what’s logical and though they are out of the relegation zone for the moment, only 10 points separate the bottom fourteen clubs! And on evidence of what I have seen of Spurs this season, I am afraid that when the Men get separated from the Boys, we are more likely to see Tottenham go to boarding school than the army.
But to begin with, balls to all those football experts who called this thrilling end-to-end stuff. Just because the ball travels from one end to the other every forty seconds, never once threatening to cross below the bar, does not make the game thrilling. Poor quality football can be thrilling but only when all the shoddiness leads to chances and excitement. Here it was bad football with little end product with maybe five moments of going “ooh” over the ninety minutes.
Just to dwell on the game for a bit. There was not much happening when Sean Davis mis-passed to Defoe who had only the goalkeeper to beat when he shot wide. Some time later Lennon made probably the only inspired Tottenham run to reach the by-line and cross the ball for Defoe to head a ball which was well saved by James. David Nugent found himself one-on-one against Gomes as Ledley King limped behind him but he shot too close to the keeper who on his worse days would have conceded in this situation but did well to get down and save. Another James save led to a counter where Traore carried the ball across the length of the pitch (the best individual effort throughout the game) and saw Corluka tackle the ball into the oncoming Nugent who fired in his first Premier League goal thanks to a deflection from Bale. Tottenham equalized from a well taken shot from Defoe after he was set up by Modric on almost the only occasion the Croat got to the edge of the box. And then Spurs could have won if Bent would have scored the easiest of headers from a Bentley cross, but that didn’t happen so it ended one-one.
By description a standard premier league game between two typical English sides but I guess that’s why I don’t rate English football too highly. But not too much point discussing a very ordinary game. Which brings me back to my original point about Spurs not being too good to go down and here’s why I think so.
I think that for the players they have they have the formation and system all wrong. Then again for the formation and system they do have, they have the approach all wrong. After experimenting with a 3-5-2 which seemed like a 1-1-1-1-1-1-1…(11 times over) they switched back to a 4-4-2 but did it so pathetically. Playing at home against a team which is also in some shit, they chose to never let their fullbacks move forward and had their wide men bombing poor crosses as soon as they touched the ball without a thought of what the cross would do for them.
The central midfielders didn’t know what to do and for long periods, the strikers were hardly involved. That Pavlyuchenko still managed to pick up an injury would be maddening for Harry Redknapp, but given the intent his team has been showing recently I don’t think it should matter too much if it is Pav or Bent or the Queen up front, because there is very little for that guy to do.
The central defenders are ok, even though King got injured again and maybe out again for a few weeks. But between Dawson, Woodgate and King, if they can keep two fit, it should work. Bale and Corluka are also not bad individually (Corluka in fact has been known to be impressive) but unless they go out and support the attacks, their role is very limited and they will always struggle to create good chances, especially as their right and left midfield is so lacking in tooth.
Lennon has pace and can beat defenders but his crossing needs to improve and O Hara works very hard but does not have a clue about what he needs to do when he gets the ball. His solution is to cross it into the box no matter where he is and invariably all crosses are met by defenders because they float into the least lethal of areas.
But the biggest joke is the central midfield. Anyone who has seen Modric play at the Euros knows that he is capable of carrying a team on his own and is very very skilful. He is the sort of player who defenders find difficult to stop and when he gets into the box, he is bound to cause some confusion. For Spurs against Pompey, Modric hardly ever got close to the box until the moment when he finally was there to lay the ball up sweetly for Defoe. For Spurs, Modric seems like a show pony in the midfield who knows some tricks but adds little value. But I’ll blame that on Zokora. Zokora has strength, pace and on occasions works his balls off but he won’t get any life time awards for being a team player. There is no coordination between the two midfielders and it seems that there is no proper role definition done for either. Which is why you see Modric always stuck somewhere playing dribble against opposition counter parts when he should be in and around the box creating chances for his strikers.
What I would love to see Spurs do is move to a 4-2-3-1 making Modric the focal point of their attacks. Jenas or Huddlestone when fit, could partner Zokora with Modric playing behind Defoe. Two of Lennon, Bentley, O’ Hara, Bent, Pavyluchenko or dos Santos could play on either side of Modric and of course, with two men protecting the defense, Bale and Corluka would have complete license to join in attack. It is unlikely though that this will happen. In which case, here’s how they should prioritize:
1. Sell one of Jenas/Zokora and get a top-of-the-line holding midfielder
2. If Bentley is not good enough, sell him and get a better left sided midfielder
3. Sell Bent and get Peter Crouch. At least we know that Crouch and Defoe work well together
But Spurs hardly do what’s logical and though they are out of the relegation zone for the moment, only 10 points separate the bottom fourteen clubs! And on evidence of what I have seen of Spurs this season, I am afraid that when the Men get separated from the Boys, we are more likely to see Tottenham go to boarding school than the army.
Bolton v Manchester United and Chelsea v Stoke, January 17, Premier League
Stoke, Sunderland, Middlesborough, Wigan and Bolton. These are 5 games which Manchester United have won one-nil since December and three of them have been through injury time winners (one of them was a first minute winner – Wigan and the fifth was a seventieth minute winner – Boro). Also they have made a mockery of my assertion that games in hand would not translate to points on board and they now sit on top of the table and I sit facing cheap thrill smirks from Man U fans from FC NGV.
So am I now willing to concede that Man U are the favorites for the title? I will say yes. But only just. Their game is still miles away from where it was last year and if they are to win playing at the same level, they will have to depend big time on everyone else continuing to suck as well. Also, if one (or more) of the big four get eliminated early in the CL this year, it could actually help them in the title race by allowing them to be more focused and less stretched and could tilt the balance in their favor. Fact is that the lead is still not big for the top two and unless teams drop nine points or more below the pace come April, I will still be saying that they could win the league. Even if it is just to keep my options open for a ‘told-you-so’ moment in case the improbable becomes real – i.e. Villa or Arsenal nick it at the post.
Having said that, you have to be impressed by their ability to get those injury-time goals. This week against Bolton, it was a lucky roll of the ball that let Tevez keep possession, run with it to the by-line and cross it low for Berbatov to head in. But you can’t credit luck for this happening over and over again and you can’t credit luck for every Man U player having the composure to score when they know it’s the last opportunity even though they may have been shit for the rest of the game).
Chelsea also had a happy ending to their weekend but even though their come-from-behind last-gasp victory may make you think that they are getting back to their best, if you saw the game, you would not be so convinced. From win-machines of a few seasons ago, Chelsea have now turned into slick midfield passers. Though there is always a chance that the two can co-exist as we saw in the beginning of the season, too many stars in the same positions and a complete lack of confidence up front and at the back have meant that Chelsea rarely look like scoring and always look like conceding.
While Man U’s ability to conjure up winners in struggling games inspires awe for their determination and resilience, Chelsea’s comeback against Stoke felt more like a drug that would keep a dying man alive for a few moments more. Yes, for a change they showed some fight which was strangely lacking from their 3-0 capitulation against the Red Devils, but the confidence seems so drained from Chelsea that any long ball played into their area means wet underpants for their defenders and any chance to score for their forwards makes them as shiver like a school kid facing a stern class teacher without his homework done. For evidence, see how easily Beattie was allowed to chest the ball into Delap’s path for Stoke’s goal with none other than Ricky Carvalho standing and watching three feet behind. See also the header that Ballack glanced wide when he should have scored saying hello to a Japanese tourist.
While Man U as I said earlier, can still harbor hopes of retaining the title by continuing with their current form, Chelsea will need to improve dramatically to stay in the hunt. For starters, they will have to last a few matches without conceding silly goals to any ball played in the air and that needs to be addressed in training. Secondly, they will have to make some tough decisions and one of these may mean playing only one of Ballack, Lampard and Deco in the starting eleven and pairing Drogba (after some good motivation sessions) and Anelka up front. If they intend to stick to a lone striker formation, they will need better players out wide. Whatever it is, they need to address it over the next couple of games and get a run of six to seven games going where they pick up all the points or else….
So am I now willing to concede that Man U are the favorites for the title? I will say yes. But only just. Their game is still miles away from where it was last year and if they are to win playing at the same level, they will have to depend big time on everyone else continuing to suck as well. Also, if one (or more) of the big four get eliminated early in the CL this year, it could actually help them in the title race by allowing them to be more focused and less stretched and could tilt the balance in their favor. Fact is that the lead is still not big for the top two and unless teams drop nine points or more below the pace come April, I will still be saying that they could win the league. Even if it is just to keep my options open for a ‘told-you-so’ moment in case the improbable becomes real – i.e. Villa or Arsenal nick it at the post.
Having said that, you have to be impressed by their ability to get those injury-time goals. This week against Bolton, it was a lucky roll of the ball that let Tevez keep possession, run with it to the by-line and cross it low for Berbatov to head in. But you can’t credit luck for this happening over and over again and you can’t credit luck for every Man U player having the composure to score when they know it’s the last opportunity even though they may have been shit for the rest of the game).
Chelsea also had a happy ending to their weekend but even though their come-from-behind last-gasp victory may make you think that they are getting back to their best, if you saw the game, you would not be so convinced. From win-machines of a few seasons ago, Chelsea have now turned into slick midfield passers. Though there is always a chance that the two can co-exist as we saw in the beginning of the season, too many stars in the same positions and a complete lack of confidence up front and at the back have meant that Chelsea rarely look like scoring and always look like conceding.
While Man U’s ability to conjure up winners in struggling games inspires awe for their determination and resilience, Chelsea’s comeback against Stoke felt more like a drug that would keep a dying man alive for a few moments more. Yes, for a change they showed some fight which was strangely lacking from their 3-0 capitulation against the Red Devils, but the confidence seems so drained from Chelsea that any long ball played into their area means wet underpants for their defenders and any chance to score for their forwards makes them as shiver like a school kid facing a stern class teacher without his homework done. For evidence, see how easily Beattie was allowed to chest the ball into Delap’s path for Stoke’s goal with none other than Ricky Carvalho standing and watching three feet behind. See also the header that Ballack glanced wide when he should have scored saying hello to a Japanese tourist.
While Man U as I said earlier, can still harbor hopes of retaining the title by continuing with their current form, Chelsea will need to improve dramatically to stay in the hunt. For starters, they will have to last a few matches without conceding silly goals to any ball played in the air and that needs to be addressed in training. Secondly, they will have to make some tough decisions and one of these may mean playing only one of Ballack, Lampard and Deco in the starting eleven and pairing Drogba (after some good motivation sessions) and Anelka up front. If they intend to stick to a lone striker formation, they will need better players out wide. Whatever it is, they need to address it over the next couple of games and get a run of six to seven games going where they pick up all the points or else….
Monday, January 12, 2009
Manchester United v Chelsea, January 11, Premier League
Jose Mourinho, Fabio Capello and Diego Maradona were some of the people supposedly at the venue for this one and Alex Ferguson thumped Scolari to let everyone know that big as the manager legends on the stand (as indeed in the opposing camp) were, the knight from Scotland is probably the first among equals in this elite group.
The final score was three nil with goals from Vidic, Rooney and Berbatov humiliating a Chelsea team, whose ex-Manager must have not recognized the same players that he made almost unbeatable a few seasons ago.
There are of course two parts to the story: Man U were better than they have been recently and Chelsea were appalling.
A midfield of Giggs, Fletcher, Park and Ronaldo was being considered a bit lightweight by the TV pundits but it more than did its job in holding as well as attacking. The Red Devils were not really vastly superior over the ninety minutes, but they were definitely more clinical and less error prone than their opponents. They used the wide areas well and Giggs-Fletcher brought to the central-midfield pairing something that Fletcher-Carrick does not – creativity. Finishing off the opportunities was something that has been lacking for Manchester United but not this Sunday night as they found the net four times of which three goals were given.
We know what we get from Rooney and today was no different, though good plus points to him for scoring in such a critical game. Ronaldo and Berbatov in spite of this thumping are far from their best, but today they had more good moments than they have been having on a per game basis recently. Berba in fact seems to be just one good game away from hitting top form while Ronaldo may be just a little humility away, though I think last year’s heights may be too unattainable even for him.
Chelsea though have lost it. It’s a crisis of confidence in the defense which has now spread up the field. Add to that a problem of one striker too many to choose from and Scolari is not sure of the formation to use or who to start and who to leave on the bench. It’s no use analyzing their performance too much because it was clearly a case of players not being able to do their jobs rather than some tactical deficiency. The only plus in their performance was some neat mid-field passing, but even Arsenal have never looked so unsure of what to do with such skills. Drogba had a nightmare and the easiest way to score against Chelsea now is to float balls into the box. How times change!
So can Chelsea, keep their challenge alive? Yes, they can but they don’t have too many games to do it. More than the points lost in this game, it is the confidence that has drained out, that may be a bigger issue and they don’t need new players to solve it. What they need is great work behind the scenes to fix their defense, strong decision making by the manager which could begin with a clear preferred formation and starting eleven with players kept on merit and no other criteria and the strikers finding form.
The final score was three nil with goals from Vidic, Rooney and Berbatov humiliating a Chelsea team, whose ex-Manager must have not recognized the same players that he made almost unbeatable a few seasons ago.
There are of course two parts to the story: Man U were better than they have been recently and Chelsea were appalling.
A midfield of Giggs, Fletcher, Park and Ronaldo was being considered a bit lightweight by the TV pundits but it more than did its job in holding as well as attacking. The Red Devils were not really vastly superior over the ninety minutes, but they were definitely more clinical and less error prone than their opponents. They used the wide areas well and Giggs-Fletcher brought to the central-midfield pairing something that Fletcher-Carrick does not – creativity. Finishing off the opportunities was something that has been lacking for Manchester United but not this Sunday night as they found the net four times of which three goals were given.
We know what we get from Rooney and today was no different, though good plus points to him for scoring in such a critical game. Ronaldo and Berbatov in spite of this thumping are far from their best, but today they had more good moments than they have been having on a per game basis recently. Berba in fact seems to be just one good game away from hitting top form while Ronaldo may be just a little humility away, though I think last year’s heights may be too unattainable even for him.
Chelsea though have lost it. It’s a crisis of confidence in the defense which has now spread up the field. Add to that a problem of one striker too many to choose from and Scolari is not sure of the formation to use or who to start and who to leave on the bench. It’s no use analyzing their performance too much because it was clearly a case of players not being able to do their jobs rather than some tactical deficiency. The only plus in their performance was some neat mid-field passing, but even Arsenal have never looked so unsure of what to do with such skills. Drogba had a nightmare and the easiest way to score against Chelsea now is to float balls into the box. How times change!
So can Chelsea, keep their challenge alive? Yes, they can but they don’t have too many games to do it. More than the points lost in this game, it is the confidence that has drained out, that may be a bigger issue and they don’t need new players to solve it. What they need is great work behind the scenes to fix their defense, strong decision making by the manager which could begin with a clear preferred formation and starting eleven with players kept on merit and no other criteria and the strikers finding form.
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