Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Still Favorites
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Big Wayne, Everton, and the title race
This is not meant to be a scolding of Rooney, who has graduated from Best Supporting to Best remarkably, nor a scathing review of United, who have performed admirably this year when most said they wouldn't. But to make history, to win a fourth successive Premier League title for the first time, to win the title without Ronaldo, its going to take a superhuman effort from England's wonderkid. Go on, Wayne.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Can Tottenham Win the World Cup?
Wayne Rooney's role as England's leading striker is undisputed. Fabio Capello rests assured that he has at his disposal one of the world's premier match turners. But every Starsky needs a Hutch.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Redemption, Retribution, and Reunions: Just Another Champions League Draw
Just hours ago the match ups for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round were announced. As usual, there are the stinkers, the dazzlers, and of course, the reunions. In the order in which they were drawn, I will briefly dissect each match-up, and predict a winner. Predicting scorelines of course, is impossible. (see below)BARCELONA Vs. STUTTGART
CSKA MOSCOW Vs. SEVILLA
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Quarterly Reports
ARSENAL
Until Sunday, it was a realistic prospect that the title may have been returning to London. To Arsenal. It seemed all their promise and potential was finally coming to fruition. Goalfests against Everton, Blackburn, Wigan, and a convincing drubbing of rivals Tottenham put Arsenal into the category of "serious contenders," at one point just three points off Chelsea's pace.
Arsenal were flying. But Chelsea were steamrolling.
Sunday's battering at the hands of Didier Drogba and company, combined with the halting of Robin Van Persie's stream of goals by a serious injury have put Arsenal's chances at a Prem title in the locker for another year.
GRADE:
B-
COMMENTS:
Arsenal may have the speed and precision to befuddle most of the Premiership, but they've failed the quarter's two tests against the blue and red halves of Manchester, and bombed their Midterm against Chelsea. They're still boys, and too often their pretty patterns and exsquisite play are muscled off the field by the men of the league.
LIVERPOOL
After the Fernando Torres show helped Liverpool to wipe the pitch with early lesser opponents, their season has fallen apart following his and Gerrard's injuries. To everyone's bemusement but their own, Liverpool have been playing the EPL class clown, and find themselves hopelessly behind in the title race and out of the Champions League.
Without Xabi Alonso pulling their already loose strings, and an injury list that has prevented Liverpool from fielding their best XI all year, Liverpool are at sea. Wins in the big games against Manchester United and Everton are all that keep Rafa Benitez tied to his job, and just a few more dropped points will serve as the severance.
From the management to the field, this club has reached a crossroads, and it is time for a shakedown.Three successive wins against United remind us all of their potential, but seven wins in fourteen games this season is unacceptable for a team with a legacy like Liverpool, and soon even the most loyal Liverpool supporters will be calling for Rafa's head.
GRADE:
A-COMMENTS:
Chelsea's record is near impeccable so far this campaign. Only two losses blot their otherwise extraordinary campaign. They have beaten all three of their biggest challengers, but only one of these wins has been away from Stamford Bridge, and they face the reality of losing Didier Drogba and Michael Essien to the African Cup Of Nations for four weeks in January. If they withstand their big away games in the second term, and escape the Drogba-less January with their lead intact, it is unlikely they can be touched. However, there is a certain triple champion who will not go quietly...
MANCHESTER UNITED
United still show the resilience and profesionalism required to be a champion, but they may be missing some of that big game ability they were once renowned for. In fairness, they've beaten Arsenal and City at home and proved their famous resilience through several injury time winners and equalizers. But on the road against Chelsea and Liverpool they were outplayed and outmatched. Torres highlighted United's defensive frailty -- they've allowed twelve goals in fourteen games. This is not the same United backline who went sixteen games straight las campaign without conceding.
On the other side of the coin, they've still been able to produce offensively sans Ronaldo and Tevez. They've even put together some masterful performances, but it is the get-out-of-jail-free card Ronaldo provided so many times before that they've missed in the darker moments. While they've certainly proved they can cope weekend to weekend without his services, his prowess for finding the net on the big occasions, at times from nothing, have seen them drop points where last seasons United wouldn't have.
But this is Manchester United. Clive Tyldesly famously said "They ALWAYS score," in 1999. Only Scholes, Giggs, and Neville remain from that treble-winning team a decade ago, but the magic Sir Alex Ferguson can conjure seems never to die. This is the team never to count out, and Chelsea will do well not to feel comfortable at any point, not when United chases you.
GRADE:
B
COMMENTS:
United have remedied the Ronaldo hangover better than many would have guessed. Their football is still beautiful, and they still win. Chelsea have set the bar incredibly high thus far this season, but the second half of the season is where United always kick it into higher gear. The evergreen Ryan Giggs can still dictate games, Rooney has indeed done the best job possible in filling Ronaldo's boots, and Berbatov has finally come good. Sir Alex refuses to fail -- nothing but excellence will do for United, and they still have plenty of time.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ruud Van Nistelrooy: Forgotten Man
Monday, September 21, 2009
Best Manchester Derby Ever: Where to start?
Look at the picture of the incident. It is clear the stewards have the renegade fan under control. Perhaps Bellamy felt he needed to assist the stewards in further neutralizing the invader? What a good guy. Sympathy lost, and for Mark Hughes, there goes another striker to the FA review board.
Something is awry at Man City. Despite some great results thus far this season, Mark Hughes has already lost two players to violent outbursts. City beat Arsenal and narrowly missed out on taking a point from Old Trafford - results suggesting they are worthy of a top four place. What should be a glowing moment for City is instead overshadowed by the petulance of their stars.
Onto the game's other double goal scorer: Darren Fletcher?!? Yes, that's right, the lanky Scot has turned himself into a player capable of truly earning a spot on Manchester United's starting XI. He used to be a hard tackling, hard working utility man, but through playing with and against the best for so long, Darren Fletcher has blossomed into a fine player. He will never have the explosiveness of Rooney, the finesse of Giggs, or the vision of Scholes, but he does bring the same consistency that those three have brought throughout their careers. His selection used to make me cringe when I saw the team sheets, when he was a below-par replacement on a less than adequate United squad. But as the team grew and improved, so did he. Sir Alex gave him his chances, played him amongst quality players, and the quality rubbed off. Congratulations, and thank you, to Darren Fletcher.
Other players Sir Alex Ferguson gave a chance to? I'm almost hesitant to mention Michael Owen's contribution to Sunday's goalfest. I almost feel too smug saying that Sir Alex's genius has again prevailed, and that Owen played the part Sir Alex knew he would perfectly. And it's almost too ironic that for the 100 million euros City spent this summer, it was the cheapest man on the field who nabbed the winner. Almost. Who writes these scripts?
As for the extra time that allowed Owen to his dramatic winner, I did some math. There was a substitution of Anderson for Michael Carrick, as well as the minute long celebration of Craig Bellamy and the City players. His celebration stretched 56 seconds past the 90 minute park, and the substitution took 30 more. Four minutes were added on by the referee, plus that extra minute and a half, which all adds up to five and half minutes. Owen scored 5 minutes and 27 seconds past the 90. Cue City silence.
With United pressing for the winner late on, perhaps the official felt it inappropriate to blow the whistle in the midst of a final attack. And if Man City feel they can challenge for greater honors this season, wouldn't they feel that those extra minutes offered them equal opportunity to score a winner of their own?
Only one team wished to keep playing Sunday, and that's the mark of an experienced champion. Between the trademark late winner, the incredible performances of Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher, and the omnipotent power of Manchester United in the second half against a team supposedly ready to contend with them, one thing is still certain: Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson simply will not go away.