Mid-Season thoughts on United

Manchester United have clinched another trophy this week to make 2008 as amazing a year if not more as 1999 which witnessed vintage United. Surely the year of the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster will go down in the history books of football as Manchester United’s year and a feat which pundits across the world will use as a benchmark to compare any team’s achievements.
Manchester United are currently 7 points behind the Liverpool, the league leaders, with two games in hand and all their remaining fixtures against the top teams are at Old Trafford. That certainly is a situation which will not worry a United fan unduly and it is something that Sir Alex and United fans would have accepted before the start of the season. However, that is not to be so. There is something missing which is distinctly highlighting the gulf in the ruthlessness of this team to the one that won the double. On paper, this team looks even more menacing than the previous one with the addition of Berbatov and the Da Siva twins. United have earned the tag of being slow starters over the years but they have never taken so long to hit top gear and neither have they been this inconsistent. Many a times this season fans and Sir Alex himself have predicted that United had actually top gear only to be let down by their performance in the next game. To be fair to the players, they have been handed out a really cruel fixture list pitting them against all the top teams, in their respective backyards, very early in the season. They missed players and lost players through injuries at crucial times of the season but with the squad strength that United possesses that can no longer be used as a valid excuse for the lack of momentum. To put it plainly, United have been slow on the pitch this year and the interchanging of positions and the lightning counter attacks are not coming to the fore.

Let me list down the things that United need to address in the winter break :
Berbatov: Untied have an embarrassment of riches in the striking department but they haven’t been able to get the best out of the various strike partnerships. Berbatov has taken time to adjust to United’s style of play and the fans are still waiting to see vintage Berba’s displays. Nevertheless, he already has around 6 assists to his name and his magical flicks and touches always leave the crowd enchanted. Sir Alex needs to find a way to get the best out of the Bulgarian without sacrificing the talents of the other players because right now Berbatov has not done much to become an automatic first starter.
Tevez and the formation: Though the Rooney- Berbatov partnership is being preferred to the rest, Tevez still plays a huge role if United are to win anything. A terrier by nature, the skillful Argentine has the uncanny knack of getting important goals. Will Fergie devise a system to accommodate all the big four players of Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez and Ronaldo?
Rooney and Ronaldo : Sir Alex was just not ready to sell Ronaldo , his most prized asset , not just because of his influence on the pitch but also because United were not equipped to deal with the sale of Ronaldo as Fergie built this great team revolving around Ronaldo’s talents. Any football fan who has been watching United for the 3-4 years would have realized by now that the team has been built to get the best out of Ronny. Two strikers who work their socks off, who move to the middle to collect the ball and who keep drifting off to the wings to provide space to Ronaldo to cut in, two deep lying centre mid fields who got themselves into positions to put forward a ball to Ronaldo running behind the defenders, all these tactics have been well documented over the years. Ronaldo is not being given this kind of freedom this season as Fergie wants the attack to revolve around Berbatov as the focal point. This system invariably gets the best out of Rooney and has been adopted to do just so. Rooney has been outstanding in some of the games so far and every United fan right now just wish he stays healthy for the rest of the season because when on song there is no better player in United who can influence a match as much as he can. The plain truth is Fergie needs to get the best out of Ronaldo without sacrifing Rooney in the centre of the pitch. The solution to this problem will probably go a long way in deciding where United end up this season.
Centre Mid-field: The injury to Hargreaves has been a big blow to United and with Scholes showing signs of his age, suddenly United look a little light weight in the centre of the mid field. Carrick has picked up from where he left off last season and he has been superb in the centre of the mid-field for the last ten games or so bagging four consecutive man of the match performances. Fletcher has complimented him well in the mid-field so far and it remains to be seen if Anderson is beginning to find his touch again after an indifferent start to the season. What Fergie needs to address here is he needs to come out with his best and most balanced mid-field combination and the most capable mid-field to battle it out against teams which play through the centre such as Inter. The plain truth is this has to be done without Scholes in the mix of the things. As much as a world class technician he is and he is still arguably the best passer in the league , he sadly does not have the legs anymore to last for 90 minutes of a tight game.
Right-Back: The only problem or the possible debate has revolved around this position; the rest of the defense picks itself up. I, for one, believe that Fergie has to give Rafael an extended run and should start with him in the big games as well. Clearly the boy is not just the future but also the present.

Emirites || Arsnl-Pool || Ref

The Emirites would’ve produced a definite result yesterday but for the intervention of the Ref Howard Webb. The game started off well, with both sides settling down well. Liverpool settled down faster than Arsenal. But, Gunners were the first to get the break through at 24" with a splendid finish by Van Persie. A perfect pass from Nasri and a great first touch and control by VanPersie. He’s sometimes criticized for hitting the ball too hard when not really necessary. But yesterday, he shot the ball so hard that it was virtually impossible for Reina to react so fast. Any football fan would standup and clap for that finish.

Then came the complacency in Arsenal. They started sitting back when they should’ve gone for it and looked to extend the lead. Anyways, thanks to the inexperience of Djourou and clinical finish by Robbie Keane, Pool managed to get the equalizer.

Until then, Howard Webb was doing OK…making some bad decisions once in a while. By now, he should’ve realized that it wasn’t his day and he should’ve atleast tried to stay put and do his best. The first yellow card of Adebayor was a total crap. And the second one was surely a yellow card. But it could never be a second yellow that could lead to a red. But yet, Webb chose to make a difference. He didn’t want the match to take it’s shape in due course of time. Probably he was bored…so, he wanted to add a twist in the tale. Like the reality shows that bring in the wild card entries when the show is getting boring.

But it didn’t go any good either. Atleast, he didn’t make it a point to maintain consistency in whatever he doing. When there was a heavy tackle on Gerrard just outside the penalty box, it wasn’t given. Anyone with a pair of eyes (and glasses if required :-P) would’ve agreed that it was a foul. But, Webb chose to be different yet again !

Arsenal lost its front guns and Liverpool were sitting back and planning to settle for a draw. Right from the beginning, Andy Gray has been telling that Rafa would go for a draw. He would be defensive and stick to a draw and would try to stay in Top2 of the table and look for some luck from Gods at the end of the season. Interestingly, the cup eludes anyone who don’t GO for it. At times, too much strategy kills the spirit of the game.

As a Gooner, I would’ve been happier if Arsenal had managed to win the game. I was pretty happy that they atleast managed to get a point out of it. But, as a football fan, I was very disappointed that the game didn’t give us a true result. The game was never going for a draw….there was a definite result all over it…could be on anyone’s favour. But, Ref intervened and spoiled the game. Infact, I would’ve been happier if the game produced a result (even if it was against Arsenal). I’m a football fan first and then a Gooner.(thnx kuyil)

Btw, Arsenal are going nowhere this season. I think they would settle down for a 4th position. I don’t think Aston Villa has the consistency to hold on to the 4th place. Arsenal has a great team only when (Sagna-Toure-Gallas-Clichy) do the defending, (Walcott-Febregas-Denilson-Nasri) play in the midfield and (Adebayor/Eduardo-VanPersie) play up front. Anything other than this would spoil the rhythm of the game. A passing game needs rhythm. Without that, there’s no meaning to that kind of game. Rest of the players like Song, Eboue and Diaby are not natural passers of the ball. Song and Eboue are not footballers in my point of view. Diaby would fit into more attacking positions, similar to Babel. So, Wenger should look to expand his team in proper direction rather than getting dummies like Eboue and Song. He should get true replacements. I hope he doesn’t some Christmas shopping this time.

League ON or GONE for Arsenal

At least third time in season, its on or gone aka do or die situation for Arsenal. First up against ManU, we stood up to challenge and got the result in style. Second time, away against chelsea wasn't very comfortable but persie's brace within 6 minutes got us the result.
But we are arsenal and we never learn and if we will, i don't know when. After drawing with Boro, when we should have castrated ourselves for dropping ponts against second half of table, we are in a desperate position to make a come back again, otherwise it will be surely too late for
this season.

The result of this match is going to be important for all the top four (or top five?). Currently, the top 5 standings are as follows:

Teams Played Points
Liverpool 17 38
Chelsea 17 37
Aston Villa 18 34
Man United 16 32
Arsenal 17 30


The Chelsea (and fans) would be surely watching this one. If its a win for Arsenal today, gooners cant even rest after that. Given the fact, chelsea is playing on monday, the lead could still stretch to 7 points. But if they draw with toffees, 5 teams within 6 points!
It could potentially be a nail-biting rest of the season for all the top 4 teams fans. Isn't it? I believe Villa would hang around but would surely drop enough points to stay at fifth.


Liverpool is missing Torres. So, Rafa would surely start with keane. And Arsenal is without Walcott. Nasri is back and Eboue is there too. Who Arsene will go for on right flank - Denilson or Eboue ? I guess Arsene will stick to Denilson.

None of the gooners have forgotten the Champions League Q/F exit against Liverpool. Its still as livid in every gooner's memory as sun is in the sky. The match is also an occasion to celebrate 20th year anniversary of 1989 famous night at Anfield. So we would be seeing a lot of yellow gooners.
Moreover, God who was a Gunner, would be glued to TV. His name is Thierry Henry !

My prediction: 2-1 to Arsenal (with Nasri and Persie on scoresheet)

So, its do-or-die, chance to rake revenge, anniversary and God's blessings - WHAT ELSE YOU NEED GUNNERS ?

A Statician's View on the race

 

 

With United trailing behind Chelsea and Liverpool this season, there is the argument that United have played much more difficult fixtures this season. This is not a whiny excuse, rather a pretty reasonable explanation. United’s performances haven’t been anything special, but then, neither have Chelsea’s nor Liverpool’s. When you look at the fixtures a bit more logically, you can see our position in relation to Chelsea is pretty decent.

Well, comparison of the stats of one season to the previous season might not be helpful in determining the course of the title race but they might give a fan a rough idea as to what to expect from one’s team for the rest of the season.

This season’s results against the some of the teams looks like this:
Portsmouth: 1-0 win
Liverpool: 2-1 loss.
Chelsea: 1-1 draw
Blackburn: 2-0 win.
Everton: 1-1 draw.
Arsenal: 2-1 loss.
Aston Villa: 0-0 draw
City: 1-0 win

That’s 3 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses, giving United 12 points of a possible 24. Last season they also picked up 12 of the possible 24:
Portsmouth: 1-1 draw
Liverpool: 1-0 win
Chelsea: 2-1 loss.
Blackburn: 1-1 draw.
Everton: 1-0 win.
Arsenal: 2-2 draw.
Aston Villa: 4-1 win.
City: 1-0 loss.

If we were to compare this to their main title rivals, Chelsea, it is more difficult to do so. Last season they continued their brilliant unbeaten record at home, but only won 12 games out of 19 (in contrast to the 17 United won at home). This season, their home form is not at all desirable, yet they are doing the business away from home.

Instead, I will compare like for like, their results this season compared to last, showing first their result this season, then their result last. (There obviously will be some fixtures missing, allowing for the teams that have been promoted/relegated since last season).

Chelsea
Portsmouth (home) won WON
Wigan (away) won WON
Tottenham (home) draw WON - worse
City (away) won WON
United (home) draw WON - worse
Villa (home) won DRAW - better
Boro away won WON
Liverpool (home) lost DRAW - worse
Sunderland (home) won WON
Blackburn (away) won WON
Newcastle (home) draw WON - worse
Arsenal (home) lost WON - worse
Bolton (away) won WON
West Ham (home) draw WON - worse

When comparing their results this season against those same games last season, Chelsea are 10 points worse off. They collected 38 points from these fixtures last season, yet just 28 from the same games this season. On just one occasion they’ve bettered their result from last season and on five occasions they have done worse.

United
Newcastle (home) draw WON - worse
Portsmouth (away) won DRAW - better
Liverpool (away) lost WON - worse
Chelsea (away) draw LOSS - better
Bolton (home) won WON
Blackburn (away) won DRAW - better
Everton (away) draw WON - worse
West Ham (home) won WON
Arsenal (away) lost DRAW - worse
Villa (away) draw WON - worse
City (away) won LOST - better
Sunderland (home) won WON
Spurs (away) draw DRAW

Last season United picked up 25 points from the games we have played so far this season, meaning this year we are worse off by 2 points. We have bettered last season’s result on four occasions and have done worse on five occasions.

In Chelsea’s past seven games in all competitions, they have won two (Sunderland and Cluj), drawn two (West Ham and Newcastle) and lost three (Liverpool, Arsenal and Burnley).

Consistency has been a problem for both the sides so far this season. Neither seem to have hit the top gear as of yet. However, despite United’s position in the table, istics are anything to go by then they are in the strongest position given the games they’ve yet to play and those they’ve got out of the way already. It’s a mixed bag for United, improving on some of last year’s results, whilst doing worse in others. For Chelsea though, they are worse off, in terms of results, in plenty of games in comparison to last season.

No wonder people expect this to be the tightest of title races, Who would eventually go onto win the title? It’s a guess as good as anyone’s

What happened and what next for Arsenal??

After a long break, owing to my professional and educational demands, I am back. I thought I would summarize the feelings going on in an arsenal fan’s mind(at least mine), given the roller coaster ride that arsenal is going through and how confused and irritated we are with the recent results and incidents . Also I will try to come up with solution(s) from a fan’s perspective and leave the door open for more discussion.

Firstly I am not that optimistic as I was at the start of the season regarding the chances of arsenal winning any silverware. Inconsistency brought out of lack of motivation and failing to learn from mistakes, contributed to the recent lackluster performances, and has seriously undermined Arsenal in becoming a serious title contender. I still don’t write them off, as we are still in the first half of the season and there is ample time to make amendments (if at all Wenger wishes to make any).

Now coming to my musings, though many pundits are of the opinion that the defense is the major culprit (came across explanations like fragile, leaky, clueless, feeble defense) for the current disappointing situation. I would like to differ. The midfield and the striking departments also should share the blame equally. I have never seen Arsenal with such a weak midfield in the recent past. Even at the start of last season I had the same feeling, but the formidable combination of Fabregas and Flamini proved me wrong. Hleb, Rosicky (for whatever less time he played), Gilberto played their supporting roles well and Arsenal was never found short in creating ample opportunities for the strikers. The midfield was always energetic and was fighting till the last minute of the game. And thanks to that, Arsenal was the team which scored the highest number of goals in the final 15 minutes. They were out of steam in the last quarter of the season but that is another issue. Now, this year, they already look tired and lack the sharpness to compete in the toughest league. I think part of it is because of lack of motivation and part due to inexperience.

Players like Song, Diaby and Bendtner will be strolling around the ground leisurely as if they were invited to witness the match from close quarters on the pitch, rather than being involved in it. Talented they are, but I feel that they are far less committed to the cause than others. There is no energy in their play and their nonchalant nature pisses me to the max. Denilson is one of the most talented among the Arsenal’s youngsters. He plays his heart out and tries to contribute as much as he can. Though very good his intentions and determination are, he is not ready for the biggest stage and it is evident in the innumerable errors he commits and such an inconsistent form he enjoys. He could not carry his early season form and has been quiet mediocre (forget about him replacing Flamini).

Coming to the striking department Persie has been good(though I don’t know for how long he will stay injury free), Adebayor has been in and out of the team and can’t really find any fault with his performances. That leaves us with Bendtner who has played most number of matches as a striker, either by starting or by being substituted. But he had done less than vela or Wilshere or Ramsey who were far better in creating some impact. I am not being harsh on him just because he didn’t score many goals, but because he is so inept at creating chances or taking them and doesn’t show any signs of improvement, and as I mentioned before his lack of commitment.

Defense, lot of people had spoken about it and I don’t want to dwell on that for long. Toure has been out of form ever since the African nations cup, Gallas inconsistent, Silvestre by no means great but has been doing a decent job, Djourou chipping in well when required. The thing is that the two of the best defenders we have had indifferent form and that affected us the most. And nothing has been sorted out regarding the long ball threat and the set pieces. The full backs have been great till now, but this year they are frequently getting injured than in last year, which is a bit of concern.

So What should Wenger do now. Though I agree with him about the fact that this team has enough talent to beat any other top flight team, the question is how consistently they can do that. As we have witnessed they are not able to do that on a regular basis. And there is not enough bench strength to give rest to some players and make them regain their sharpness. The only solution i can think of is to buy one experienced person in the defense and mid field departments. If not both, then at the least in the midfield. I feel that with one experienced, energetic CDM, Fabregas will get the necessary freedom to go forward and create more chances. And the defense will also feel more secure.

I think with the return of Eduardo, which will be like a new signing according to wenger, we will have enough fire power in the striking department. Also his finishing prowess should reduce the wastefulness in front of the goal. So no need of any additional purchases here.

The lack of motivation is still a big worry. The captaincy change surely should have great impact on that, given that Gallas has never been a natural leader. But there is a need for some more experienced players in dressing room for the younger ones to look up to. Keeping all the responsibility on Fabregas is unfair.

Sometimes I feel Wenger is expecting that most of his youngsters can do a ‘Fabregas’ (break into the first team at very young age and become a consistent and key member of the team). Fabregas is one in a million and Wenger is completely wrong if he is thinking so. Also the club should show enough ambition, so that players like Fabregas will be motivated and in turn bring out the best among the rest. And right now I can’t see a better solution than bringing in a fresh face and give an impetus to this beleaguered team. But given that the toughest part of the season happens to be in December, I am a bit worried if the signing would be too late. Nevertheless it will improve our chances in the Cup competitions.

It's a crazy game!

So what was Ronaldo thinking back there? We all know the chap is on a high with all the awards and the cups that he won last season. He was always, and still is the cocky son of a gun that everyone loves to hate. He knows that everyone grudgingly acknowledges that he might be the best player on the planet right now- there is, after all, nothing he cannot do with a ball. Right leg, left leg, header, freekick... you name it, and he's got it.

So what the hell was he thinking when he decided to play in goal for Manchester City last week?! Even hard core Man Utd fans like myself cannot think of a way to defend him from this incident! The ridiculous post match explanations- he was pushed.. he heard a whistle.. he wanted to protect his beautiful face!! -nonetheless, it did provide for some entertainment to the Man Utd fans, especially when Citeh could muster hardly a chance even with a man advantage. Especially heartwarming was the fact that Robinho (more about him, later) was totally shackled by his 18 year old counterpart.

A fine moment of madness, is what I say. I tried to put myself into Ronaldo's position as he went up to perform this act, and this is what I was thinking:

"I'm the best in the world, I've got everything and a beautiful face. But damn that Kaka, being voted the most handsome! That prick, I'll show him at the Ballon D'Or whose better! Now, wait, I think I can get this ball if I jump high enough... here I go!! CR7, up, up and away!! Oh no, wait! I got that award to win tomorrow!! I can't break my nose now!!! Quick, avert! Oops, no time for that... do something!! Damn, not that thing!! I'm so stupid! Hope the ref won't give me a card! No, I'm sure he will! Wait, is it Graham Poll there? Maybe I'll be lucky... nah, I'm done for :( I think I'll just wait here on the pitch a couple of minutes though, millions around the world are watching me right now. This is probably the best chance to show them I'm more beautiful than Kaka! Well, time to go, hope the old geezer doesn't fry me!"

Coming to Robinho, is it just me or is he the biggest moron on the planet? Okay, so Citeh have got all the money, but who in their right mind can imagine that Kaka, Messi, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Maradona, Pele and every other great on this planet will take up lodgings in Manchester in January! Mark Hughes hopefully is more sensible than that (he did play for United, and before you mention it, Ronaldo is an aberration, he is after all the second most beautiful player on the planet.. as the adage goes, beauty and brains don't go together!). Anyways, Hughes better tell Robinho to shut his fat mouth and get on with the stepovers that he is better at, and find ways to go past his younger Brazilian teammates!

If you think there's not enough craziness to go around in football, check this out (Hat tip to Rahul for the link)

Another matter that I do not entirely attribute to craziness is Drogba's throws. I mean, if the lad thinks he's got enough money, and is not a beggar to receive coins on his head from the crowd, he has all the right to chuck it back at the crowd. Of course, next time he might have to consider the matter that it is very difficult to hit the guy who throw the coin at you in the first place. He would do much better following the example of Eric Cantona, or for that matter, Inzamam Ul Haq. 

That's all for now, have a crazy week!

The Mighty Blues?

No, not about Chelsea! There wouldn't be a question mark there in that case. But Manchester City!

Browsing through SkySports, I came across this funny bit....Man City fail in a massive bid for Casillas. There were talks of buying out his contract which stands at a staggering 128M and paying 230K per week in wages to the Real keeper. Its funny, part because of all these figures quoted, but mostly because you still cannot imagine Casillas or Kaka going to Manchester City, can you? True that most footballers today are mercenaries with all the Matt le Tissiers and Maldinis of the world either extinct or on the verge but what these players still have in them is some amount of pride. Ambitions of the club still count at least on equal footing to their weekly wages.

'Money can't buy success' is a cliche floating around in footballing world like mist on Himalayas. But in City's case, money will not be enough to buy the first step towards success - big players. (Robinho is not a big player!) We often compare them to the Blues from west London and say that City can emulate what Chelsea did five years back. There are marked differences between the two and here I am to point all of those out...

Chelsea were already there or thereabouts the top when Roman took over. They were already a Champions league team which is a big factor for top players to join. It was easier to lure good players than it would be for City for foreseeable future. Also being in London helped Chelsea's cause.

One thing Hughes should refrain from at this moment is talking about the biggest players right away. Kaka, Casillas, Buffon, Torres will not come to City for whatever money you offer them. Period. What they can look for in the market are very good, but still not star, players. Much like Ranieri and Mourinho did. They bought the best from Porto, Renne, Lyon, Marsielle, PSV et al rather than trying from Real, Milan or Juventus. What this does is, at least, it doesn't make you a laughing stock in the market. Make a brand quite like Chelsea did, perform on the pitch, and become a top club before trying to sign galacticos.

I am quite sure success will eventually come to Man City if their owners are serious. It will, however, be a question of when. Is Sparky the right man for the job? I would like to think so, but I have my doubts.