A Catalogue of Misses

The latest edition of the Manchester United – Chelsea contention has left us with innumerable talking points. An end to end, a thrill a minute spectacle involved some good football, but rather than the class that was on display from time to time, it is the comedy of errors by which this encounter will be remembered.

Both teams started on the front foot and the Reds made the breakthrough from an Ashley Young free kick that was expertly met by Smalling. The young defender was probably half a foot offside but the alarming space he found himself in points towards the lacklustre marking. Chelsea responded with wave after wave of attack, amassing several attempts but none proving fruitful. One of the best chances fell to Torres when Anderson clumsily gave away possession in range of his own penalty box but the below par Spaniard dragged his effort wide and prolonged his goal draught. The striker found space in a forward position once more and smartly squared for Ramires who produced a point blank save from De Gea who seems to be improving with every game. It must be said though that it was more of a miss by Ramires than a save by De Gea.

Defensive frailties continued at both ends of the pitch and in the 37^th minute Nani finally discovered the spectacular that this game was begging for. Drifting in from the right he darted past Mata far too easily and unleashed a thunderbolt to which Cech had no answer. Lack of closing down perhaps, but take nothing away from the strike. After his marauding run last week at the Reebok stadium, Phil Jones went on a similar expedition on the stroke of half time and reaped the same reward as his efforts lead to the ball dropping perfectly for Rooney who converted comfortably. 3-0 at half time was harsh on Chelsea but the difference was that United were clinical while the Blues were wasteful at best.

The introduction of Anelka in place of the jaded Frank Lampard brought immediate results as United’s defence were slow out of the blocks and failed to deal with Torres’ superbly timed run to get himself on the end of Anelka’s through ball. With United’s number one isolated, the “El nino” of old chipped the ball into the vacant net. The finish oozed class and he worked the keeper again later on before blasting the rebound over the crossbar. Nani was having a great game and shimmied past a couple of players before his powerful shot took a slight deflection and rattled the bar. He won a penalty as he raced for the rebound and was brought down by Bosingwa who struggled throughout. On the back of consecutive hat tricks, you would have put your house on Rooney converting from twelve yards but this was a strange game and the number ten lost his footing just prior to his strike and sent his effort looping harmlessly away from goal. Perhaps only John Terry looked on with sympathy when everyone else donned bewildered expressions. Miss of the game surely, but Wayne challenged it with another scuffed effort from a cross that trickled onto the post before Ashley Cole nearly took off the left leg of the on rushing Hernandez. The referee punished the full back with a caution but did not point to the spot. The strange decision was probably befitting of the game.

For all the comical errors on display, Fernando Torres once again decided to steal the headlines. He timed his run to perfection, rounded De Gea with aplomb and then with the goal at his mercy his effort pathetically flew wide. The roar from the Stretford end matched that of when Nani scored in the first half. Berbatov should have scored when Rooney broke free and unselfishly rolled it into his path only for the Bulgarian to see his tame effort intercepted on the line. The miss proved unimportant and along with the rest of the errors was eclipsed by Torres’ epic failure to score his second. His blunder came at a time when his team were on the up and with time remaining could have rallied to rescue a point.

The score line certainly does not tell the whole story. Rooney and Torres should both have scored hat tricks. United’s defence looked in desperate need of an old guard to anchor it while Chelsea’s maintained the question marks surrounding it. The bottom line is United’s finishing just wasn’t as bad as Chesea’s and the Reds deserved the win in the end. They had the lion share of possession and were more effective with it. Having scored 21 goals from their opening 5 games, the Mancunians have made their best start to the season for over 25 years and are playing quick attacking football. Chelsea will feel aggrieved and have some work to do while the Reds, as ever, go marching on. 

No moneybags? No sexy football? No problem.

At the mention of Stoke City, what immediately comes to mind is their direct style of play. Blessed with height and physique all over the pitch, they are renowned for being strong in defence and determined in attack. Widely criticized for their ‘route one’ football, several have deemed them unworthy of the top flight. But considering the clubs historic significance of being the second oldest football club in the world it is perhaps fitting that they take their place among England’s elite. However, their history alone is not the sole reason for which I see “The Potters” as worthy attendants in the premier league.

In 2006 Tony Pulis was reappointed as manager and since then the club has steadily moved forward and achieved promotion to the premier league in 2008. This triumph is regarded as the manager’s most impressive accomplishment till date. When Harry Redknapp left Bournemouth for West Ham United in 1992, Pulis was promoted from assistant manager and took charge of the club. From then on he has built a remarkable reputation of achieving consistent results on a small budget.

History proves that a manger’s attitude and mentality is often implemented by his team and in that respect Stoke City is no different. Pulis has been tagged as something of a “survival specialist” and rightly so following his stints at Gillingham, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle. On each occasion he inherited a team destined for relegation but introduced a determination and fight in their play to stay afloat. Stoke City now have a similar stubbornness about them and any opposing team visiting the Brittania Stadium are quick to acknowledge that. Added to their home form is the fact that their fans are undisputedly the loudest in the premier league hence providing an intimidating atmosphere for visitors and an inspirational one for their cherished team.

Following last season’s incredible cup run, the potters find themselves injected into European football. The free transfers of Woodgate and Upson have brought experience and class into an already solid defence. In last season’s acquisition of Asmir Begovic from Portsmouth, the club have an outstanding shot stopper between the sticks who also commands his territory with aplomb.  Jones has impressed since his arrival, feeding off the service of Etheringthon and Pennant, two wingers with good pace and more importantly, delivery. But it was the club’s deadline day signings that turned heads and made the rest of the league sit up and take notice. Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome are the very late and very impressive signings. Now they look like they have a squad that can cope with the demands of European football which they are looking to take seriously and they have every right to. Too often in the past clubs have not given the European competition the attention it deserves. This baffles me, considering the uphill task they faced to get there in the first place. The club’s summer purchases points towards their ambition to establish themselves whilst steadily progressing towards bettering their achievements. They haven’t broken the bank by any stretch of the imagination. They spent wisely, thus ensuring the financial safety of the club, a refreshing approach at a time when most football clubs are tempted to bite off more than they can chew.

Often termed ‘boring’, Stoke’s style of play is still a far cry from that of Wibledon’s in the eighties and nineties. They may never be swashbuckling in attack but they still have a certain level of football about them despite being identified by their heavy reliance on Rory Delap’s effective long throws. After adding some goal scoring prowess to their ranks, I’m confident that the fans will enjoy a respectable position in the league table and may well be treated to a decent run in Europe. I think the club is moving in the right direction at the moment and can see them eventually breaking free of their shackles and playing more attractive football.  I don’t predict that they will shed their sturdy qualities but rather that they may include more fluid ones to accompany those already in place, much like Bolton have done in the recent past. I believe this squad is about three or four players shy of transforming into a team that neutrals would enjoy watching.

In the meantime one must pay tribute to the current and admirable traits of this great club. True to the basics, the club has operated with the highest demeanour.  They boast a set of extremely passionate fans who’s voices are presently unopposed by any other in the land. Their players perform with fire in their bellies, fighting for every ball and facing up to every challenge. Their manager is as inspirational as ever and tactically pragmatic. The club has mastered the art of maintaining its stability without hindering its progress ultimately steering itself clear of the risk of stagnation. Stoke City have a lot more to offer and I wouldn’t think for one moment that their existence in the premier league is in any sort of danger. But if at all, in the most unlikely of circumstances, they are involved in a dogfight come the end of the season, I am certain that they will approach it in the only way they know how – with relish!

Season Opener

Ok so i composed this the day before the season kicked off and posted it on facebook because I didn't have a blog back then. Some of it is irrelevant now since things have changed since but I think it may still be worth a few laughs. So here it is -

At last the new season is set to begin,

Waiting not for Tevez, who still struggles to settle in.

He is duly followed though by Mario Balotelli,

Whose preseason back heel was at best rather silly.

But enough talk about City and their moneys,

How we were shocked by Giggs and his honeys!

The Sneijder saga seems to carry on forever,

But at least Fergie has Tom whose football is pretty clever.

While Young has been signed for his pace and his flair,

He’ll find it hard to distract us from Wazza’s so called hair.

United are title favourites even at this early stage,

This squad is tipped for great things despite their young age.

Signings galore for the Merseyside reds,

But Hull and Galatasaray still ripped them to shreds.

Perhaps Kenny can’t count for in midfield he has eight.

Who is to partner Gerrard will be up for much debate.

Everton have granted no funds to David Moyes,

He will have to make do and this time keep fit his boys.

However Wenger is King when it comes to money not spent,

Although he splashed twelve million on a kid he thinks is God sent.

Fabregas and Nasri each have a foot out the door,

At this rate gunner fans can forget the top four.

They need a keeper and defender it has been discussed at length.

But Arsene bothers not with quality, only with ‘mental strength’.

Harry has done well to retain modric and bale,

But if spurs don’t finish fourth, next summer he may fail.

The Black Cats have been on quite a shopping spree,

While stoke have been shrewd, signing Upson and Woodgate for free.

The Baggies have offered Hargreaves a generous lifeline.

If he stays fit for half the season, he’ll have done just fine.

Jol takes charge at the cottage and we wonder what their future holds,

Quickly enough he’s brought in John Arne Riise, remember those thunderbolts?

The Magpies think it best to let Barton go for free,

Naturally that alerted Stoke to this inexpensive opportunity.

The bottom is as always unpredictable, one will have to wait and see,

In the mix are Wigan, Norwich and Wolves along with Swansea.

All in all it promises to be a thrilling campaign,

This league we so dearly love, for it persists to entertain.

Controversies, upsets and genius we shall witness,

Qualities of this league which repeatedly leaves us breathless.

The mind games begin and the banter shall grow,

So sit back, relax and enjoy it once more.

The Master Trumps the Professor

In an age of billionaire owners and football clubs going through more managers in fewer years, there are but two men of the managerial species who have stood the test of time. Sworn enemies in years gone by, they now share a mutual respect between them and each has acknowledged the achievements of the other. Both have inculcated their personalities into their respective teams. One with a trademark ‘never say die’ winning mentality and the other with a philosophical view centred by attacking flair. Each has been famous for putting faith in youth when others thought it unwise. But for all their similarities, there is a glaring gap between the methods of Sir Alex Ferguson and Monsieur Arsene Wenger.

 Sir Alex watched from the side lines as his team was trounced 3-1 at the hands of mighty Barcelona. In hindsight, not many of the United faithful were confident of beating the Spanish champions. They were probably hoping for a piece of tactical genius from Ferguson or a miraculous performance from their star players on show. But apart from Rooney’s well worked goal, the red devils failed to impress in the most lucrative match in club football. A midfield duo comprising of the aging Ryan Giggs and a rather sluggish Michael Carrick were no match for the excellence of Iniesta and Xavi as Busquets guarded behind them.  Messi, Villa and Pedro equalled pace, pace and more pace. It was evident that United were miles behind Barcelona and Sir Alex was well aware of it.

Ferguson offloaded aging squad members, deciding it was time to inject freshness into the side and in the second half of the Community Shield against rivals City he saw his vision come to life. Since then Anderson and Cleverly in midfield have been outstanding, Young looks like he’s been playing on the left side of United’s midfield all his life and the lively Danny Welbeck made an inspiring start to the season before his untimely hamstring injury. In defence, Evans, Jones and Smalling have been phenomenal following injuries to Ferdinand and club captain Vidic. Wayne Rooney is back to his unplayable best and all in all Sir Alex seems to have found that vital team chemistry once again and they look set for another successful season.

Cesc Fabregas had been eager for a return home to Barcelona for almost two years. Wenger probably spent that time living in denial. Surely he should have had someone in mind to replace the Spaniard? Apparently, not. His problems were compounded when Nasri expressed his desire for a move away from the Emirates. Clichy was snapped up by City fairly early in the window so the Frenchman had plenty of time to chase down potential replacements and put deals in place. Maybe it was his reluctance to spend that held him back although he had no trouble coughing up the twelve million it took to acquire the services of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, a talented winger no doubt, but only a teenager and one from a team newly promoted to the championship. The player’s naivety was evident when he declared himself worthy of top flight football. The fact that Wenger opted for the Southampton winger whilst he retracted his interest in a much more astute option in Gary Cahill left me perplexed.

Arsenal fans were screaming for a big name signing all summer but Wenger, was stubborn as ever, seemingly motionless. It came down to the decisive final two weeks of the window during which the London side lost Fabregas and Nasri, were dealt a major blow with Wilshere’s injury setback and had to contend with the suspensions of Song, Frimpong and Gervinho. The Dismal side that stepped out at Old Trafford were annihilated 8 – 2 and suddenly Arsene experienced what could only be described as “a rude awakening”. United’s superiority was undeniable and the Londoners will use their team’s sorry state of affairs as an excuse but were they really unforeseeable? Fingers must be pointed at the Gunners boss for his lackadaisical approach to the market and his failure to realise the severity of the damage the departures inflicted on his side. If he doesn’t pick up the pieces soon, these departures could well mature into a mass exodus. 

Time and again Sir Alex has reassembled teams during his 25 year tenure at Manchester and no one has done it better. He has the uncanny ability to stay in touch with his roots and the basics while adapting to the modern world of football. Flexible with his style of play, he’s prepared to dig in deep or play uninhibited attacking football and it is this versatility that has led him to triumph over his London counterpart.

Prior to Arsenal’s humiliation at the Theatre of Dreams, I predicted a 3-0 home win when some suggested a 0-0 or 1-1 score line maybe possible. But the reason why I simply could not see that happen is because I have never known this Arsenal side to dig deep and fight and kick people to survive over the past six years. I would have given Stoke or Wolves more of a chance to come away with a point than Arsenal. The most disturbing thing is Wenger sent his boys out there without an inkling of a game plan .It was a tactical disaster (if there were any sort of tactics involved in the first place). It’s almost as if he said, “ok lads, the goal is that way. Give it your best shot.” No one was telling young Jenkinson to hold his position. The advice was finally dished out by Theo Walcott who had to clean up after him. All the while Wenger sat in his seat cringing. At the very least he should have been down in his technical area spurring his team on, encouraging, criticizing, abusing, having a go at the referee or throwing his water bottle around. Something! But he just sat there like there was no point to it. And it seemed to transcend on to his players. When Rooney dispatched his first free kick, Rosicky was the least bothered while the balled soared over him en route to goal. It was the most bewildering thing to watch in the replay, he never turned back, like it was expected and he just wanted to get the rest of the hammering over with. I can’t imagine Ferguson’s reserves even performing so dispassionately and certainly can’t see the fiery Scot sitting idle while his team gets humiliated.

On the final day of the transfer window Wenger finally set out and made some panic signings. Per Mertesacker is a very useful addition and so is Arteta but he seems more temporary than a permanent fix. Still, with the new faces in the squad, suspensions out of the way and the return of Wilshere, Arsenal have a decent enough squad. Liverpool are presently favourites for that all important fourth spot but I wouldn’t be surprised if Wenger comes up with the goods and continues Arsenal’s presence in Europe. I have no doubt in my mind that this Arsenal team will begin to impress and fans will be optimistic once again. But the reality is that they are back to square one, six years ago. Back to the transitional phase, back to rebuilding, back to only the promise for the future and most significantly, still no trophy.