Full of determination, I had a cup of coffee, crashed at 11, hopeful that I would be able to wake up for the 'big one'. Unfortunately, that dream never materialise and I was left to feed on the scraps, so to speak. Watching the replay was not as bad as I first thought, though I would've still preferred to watch it while it was 'still in the oven'.
Absolutely electrifying game, produced by unarguably, the two best footballing teams in the world at the moment. (United fans may have something to say about that, they always do). Much was expected of the game and it more than lived up to the pre-match hype.
Arsenal were quick off the blocks with Theo Walcott running at the Barca defense, leaving Abidal and Maxwell chasing shadows. Barcelona grew into it quickly though, and managed to get a hold on the game, possession wise.
Before the half hour mark, they were ahead and deservedly so. Messi collected the ball and threaded an absolutely scrumptious pass for David Villa who unduly gobbled it up and slotted it pass the Arsenal keeper. Arsenal were more than rattled and the crowd were beginning to have a sense of de-ja-vu and feared for the worse.
That did not happen though as Arsenal managed to carve out a chance or two of their own, but failed to take advantage of either. Second half was a different story, as the Gunners manager to stifle the exquisite play of the Spaniards, always finding themselves surrounded by the Red & White shirts. Messi left his lucky boots at home, and was not able to influence the game as much as he would've hoped. The substitution of David Villa meant that the 'Little Pea' had no outlet to play his favourite one-two-three-fours. Keita's arrival somewhat disrupted the crisp passing of the Catalonians, as Pep Guardiola looked to hold on to the single goal advantage. Arsene Wenger on the other hand, decided to play his cards, and on came the duo of Arshavin and Bendtner. With twelve minutes to go, the much-awaited goal came. Arshavin found himself on the left, supported by Clichy. He passed to the Frenchman and the left-back then stabbed a through-ball over the top of the defense to Van Persie. The angle was very tight, but as everyone found out, not impossible. The Dutchman powered a shot at the near post and scored from an improbable angle. Valdes was more than disappointed as he was expecting a cross to Bendtner.
Barcelona were rattled, and the crowd knew it. Watching the game, it felt like the Emirates was vibrating. It was 'one of those nights', European Cup tie where it has a certain aura. This is the first time I think it was at the Emirates. I remember one Thierry Henry, saying that the only stadiums in the world which had the 'shiver down your spine' feeling was Highbury and Anfield.
The Catalans, for the first time in a while, were not able to zip the ball around as they would've wished. After that, Djourou gave the ball away needlessly and Barca were on the counter. Eboue managed to mop it up but stroked the ball to no one. Arsenal barely survived. Another Barca attack came, Arsenal weathered it and launched a devastating counter-punch. A counter attack that words cannot explain, and soon, Nasri was with the ball on the right hand side of the Barcelona box. He spotted the little Russian and the magician delicately passed the ball into the net. 2-1 to the Arsenal. As the commentator said, Arsenal scored a Barcelona goal. A combination of Arselona perhaps?
"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions". (Robin Hood perhaps?) This is exactly what Arsenal were last night. The transition was not easy, but well worth the wait. On the night, they did who things superbly, with elegance and a sense of robustness. First, they stopped Barcelona playing their usual game, and followed it up with a game of their own.
That being said, it is only half done, and a mammoth of a task awaits at the Nou Camp. They will have to play better than they did last night if they want to stand a chance o knocking out the Catalans. Mark you calendars to three weeks from now, and all one can do is wait.
Till next time,
Goodbye.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Fernando WHO? What went wrong?
Everyone catched it at the weekend, unmissable really, the tie between Chelsea and Liverpool and it was made more interesting with all the hype surrounding the Fernando Torres transfer. Going in to the game, both contestants had identical records of having won their last three games. Chelsea, having got through probably their worst patch of form in more than 5 years, were looking to put one over a Fernando Torres-less Liverpool. On the other side of the fence, The Merseysiders were probably distraught at losing their hitman, and were filled with anger maybe, which fueled them going into the game.
Carlo Anxious-lotti was probably just that, as he was eager to give Torres as start after less than a week at the club. It was made even more surprising after the exclusion of Florent Malouda. The Frenchman does bring some needed width to the Chelsea team and he would be sorely missed on the night. That mean that Chelsea had a three-pronged attack, the last being Anelka. The midfield and defense remained the same with David Luiz on the bench. Kenny Dalglish played his cards right by going with a five man defense with three in the centre, (Carragher, Skrtel, Agger) and Johnson resumed his role on the left with Kelly on the opposite wing. Kuyt was the lone man upfront for the Reds and the midfield was pretty much the same.
I won't waste time going through what went on the game as millions watched it. Liverpool won it, deservedly so and Chelsea were made fools really, after splashing out vast amounts of money, yet never threatening much. I'll leave it at that I think.
The surprising thing (which proved to be a masterstroke) was Luis Suarez was left on the bench. Ancelotti, the master tactician he is, failed miserably on the night. He bizarrely, couldn't come up with ideas to break into the Liverpool defense. At the start, Dalglish got one over on him by deploying three men at the back. Ancelotti knew it was not working after half an hour, yet still remained quiet. In the first half, he should've moved Essien to the right and Anelka out left. That would've at least dragged out the Liverpool centre backs. In turn, it would have enabled Torres to get in-behind the defense which did not happen all afternoon.
At half time, he didn't do anything either. He should've brought Malouda and Kalou on for Anelka and Mikel. He was missing from the game really. Defenders love having to defend players in front of them rather than behind and Sunday was a clear evidence.
An interesting statistic was that when Torres was at Atletico, they did not win any trophies. Then, he moved to Liverpool and became their best player, but again no trophies to show for it. Now, he's at Chelsea. Will history repeat itself?
Jay Jay
Carlo Anxious-lotti was probably just that, as he was eager to give Torres as start after less than a week at the club. It was made even more surprising after the exclusion of Florent Malouda. The Frenchman does bring some needed width to the Chelsea team and he would be sorely missed on the night. That mean that Chelsea had a three-pronged attack, the last being Anelka. The midfield and defense remained the same with David Luiz on the bench. Kenny Dalglish played his cards right by going with a five man defense with three in the centre, (Carragher, Skrtel, Agger) and Johnson resumed his role on the left with Kelly on the opposite wing. Kuyt was the lone man upfront for the Reds and the midfield was pretty much the same.
I won't waste time going through what went on the game as millions watched it. Liverpool won it, deservedly so and Chelsea were made fools really, after splashing out vast amounts of money, yet never threatening much. I'll leave it at that I think.
The surprising thing (which proved to be a masterstroke) was Luis Suarez was left on the bench. Ancelotti, the master tactician he is, failed miserably on the night. He bizarrely, couldn't come up with ideas to break into the Liverpool defense. At the start, Dalglish got one over on him by deploying three men at the back. Ancelotti knew it was not working after half an hour, yet still remained quiet. In the first half, he should've moved Essien to the right and Anelka out left. That would've at least dragged out the Liverpool centre backs. In turn, it would have enabled Torres to get in-behind the defense which did not happen all afternoon.
At half time, he didn't do anything either. He should've brought Malouda and Kalou on for Anelka and Mikel. He was missing from the game really. Defenders love having to defend players in front of them rather than behind and Sunday was a clear evidence.
An interesting statistic was that when Torres was at Atletico, they did not win any trophies. Then, he moved to Liverpool and became their best player, but again no trophies to show for it. Now, he's at Chelsea. Will history repeat itself?
Jay Jay
Monday, January 31, 2011
January Transfer Round-up
Its the 1st of February and that means that the January transfer window has been shut. No worries though, as the activity on the last day was frantic. The protracted saga of Fernando Torres' transfer from Liverpool to Chelsea came through, at last. In doing so, Chelsea not only broke, but shattered the British transfer record previously held by Manchester United when they signed Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for 30 million pounds (although Robinho was signed for more by Man City from Real Madrid).
Chelsea also added Brazilian defender, David Luiz, to their ranks, signing him from Benfica for around 25 million pounds. This has been a real on-off issue as an earlier bid was rejected by the Portuguese club. Luiz, 23, is a very skillful defender who has impressive physical attributes and has been likened by some to Inter Milan defender Lucio. Chelsea has been hot on the heels of the Brazilian for some time now and their perseverance has paid off.
The signing of these two players definitely brought some confidence to the team and also raised the mood of the fans. Torres will certainly bring some much-needed firepower to the Chelsea front-line. That begs the question as to who will make way for the Spaniard. At the moment, it looks like Nicholas Anelka will warm the bench because Chelsea tend to play better with Drogba on the field. It is very unlikely that Carlo Ancelotti will deploy the three together as they are in a similar mould. It remains to be seen whether Torres and Drogba can gel in time. They are without a doubt world-class players but the same was said when Anelka arrived from Bolton and it took a couple of managers a few years to make them gel.
Another problem is that whether 'Le Sulk' will be happy to be on the bench and if things are not going his way come the summer, he could be heading for the exit. The bottom line is that Fernando Torres will certainly complement the Chelsea attack and he will also bring more pace into the Blues game. The signing of David Luiz also gives Carlo Ancelotti a headache, albeit a good one. Now, he will most probably play Luiz alongside Terry but the Captain has not been at his best this season. That would mean that Ivanovic would make way for the Brazilian.
At Merseyside, the departure of Torres immediately brought Andy Carroll to the club. Hours before that, Liverpool completed the signing of Luis Suarez from Ajax for a club record fee of 26.5 million, which lasted for all of two hours. According to reports, Carroll was brought in from St. James for a whopping 35 million. That makes him the 7th most expensive player in football!. It does raise questions as to why Liverpool paid vast amounts of the for the former Toon hitman, but I think that he is a fantastic signing. He has already proved himself at Newcastle, being their talisman and has scored a number of goals this season. He will also add strength to the Liverpool game which was missing since the departure of Peter Crouch. His finishing skills is also impressive and he is arguably the best header of the ball in the Premier League (Drogba will has something to say about that).
On the other hand, the Kop have Luis Suarez to complement Carroll. He is an excellent finisher and played very well at the World Cup, though he is a temperamental player to say the least. He was recently banned for seven games by the Dutch FA for biting an opposing player (Premier League defenders, BEWARE!). All said, he is a very good striker and will be able to finish the chances that come his way. On the downside, players who have come in from the Eredivisie have not impressed bar Dirk Kuyt.
After all that has happened, we must not forget that there is a huge game coming up this weekend. Fernando Torres could make his Blues debut against, wait for it,...........Liverpool. Fantastic timing by Chelsea to grab him as he has been scoring goals for fun against Liverpool. It will be a mouth-watering game this weekend with up to four new players on display. Will Chelsea be able to handle the front two of Carroll and Suarez? Will Liverpool be able to keep 'El Nino' quiet? It all remains to be seen. I'm predicting a 1-2 scoreline in favour of Liverpool.
Cheers...
Chelsea also added Brazilian defender, David Luiz, to their ranks, signing him from Benfica for around 25 million pounds. This has been a real on-off issue as an earlier bid was rejected by the Portuguese club. Luiz, 23, is a very skillful defender who has impressive physical attributes and has been likened by some to Inter Milan defender Lucio. Chelsea has been hot on the heels of the Brazilian for some time now and their perseverance has paid off.
The signing of these two players definitely brought some confidence to the team and also raised the mood of the fans. Torres will certainly bring some much-needed firepower to the Chelsea front-line. That begs the question as to who will make way for the Spaniard. At the moment, it looks like Nicholas Anelka will warm the bench because Chelsea tend to play better with Drogba on the field. It is very unlikely that Carlo Ancelotti will deploy the three together as they are in a similar mould. It remains to be seen whether Torres and Drogba can gel in time. They are without a doubt world-class players but the same was said when Anelka arrived from Bolton and it took a couple of managers a few years to make them gel.
Another problem is that whether 'Le Sulk' will be happy to be on the bench and if things are not going his way come the summer, he could be heading for the exit. The bottom line is that Fernando Torres will certainly complement the Chelsea attack and he will also bring more pace into the Blues game. The signing of David Luiz also gives Carlo Ancelotti a headache, albeit a good one. Now, he will most probably play Luiz alongside Terry but the Captain has not been at his best this season. That would mean that Ivanovic would make way for the Brazilian.
At Merseyside, the departure of Torres immediately brought Andy Carroll to the club. Hours before that, Liverpool completed the signing of Luis Suarez from Ajax for a club record fee of 26.5 million, which lasted for all of two hours. According to reports, Carroll was brought in from St. James for a whopping 35 million. That makes him the 7th most expensive player in football!. It does raise questions as to why Liverpool paid vast amounts of the for the former Toon hitman, but I think that he is a fantastic signing. He has already proved himself at Newcastle, being their talisman and has scored a number of goals this season. He will also add strength to the Liverpool game which was missing since the departure of Peter Crouch. His finishing skills is also impressive and he is arguably the best header of the ball in the Premier League (Drogba will has something to say about that).
On the other hand, the Kop have Luis Suarez to complement Carroll. He is an excellent finisher and played very well at the World Cup, though he is a temperamental player to say the least. He was recently banned for seven games by the Dutch FA for biting an opposing player (Premier League defenders, BEWARE!). All said, he is a very good striker and will be able to finish the chances that come his way. On the downside, players who have come in from the Eredivisie have not impressed bar Dirk Kuyt.
After all that has happened, we must not forget that there is a huge game coming up this weekend. Fernando Torres could make his Blues debut against, wait for it,...........Liverpool. Fantastic timing by Chelsea to grab him as he has been scoring goals for fun against Liverpool. It will be a mouth-watering game this weekend with up to four new players on display. Will Chelsea be able to handle the front two of Carroll and Suarez? Will Liverpool be able to keep 'El Nino' quiet? It all remains to be seen. I'm predicting a 1-2 scoreline in favour of Liverpool.
Cheers...
Can They Cope?
The game we witnessed last night was a real interesting one, had almost everything and Arsenal came out as winners, albeit lucky. They scored early on, off a deflected Bendtner shot but couldn't double their advantage. Samir Nasri pulled a hamstring and went off immediately, so did Sebastian Squillaci, for very different reasons (red card, albeit debatable). Once again, they needed Captain Fab. to come of the bench to win the game. The last two rounds have got Arsenal two penalties which saved them, the first against Leeds which kept them in the Cup, and last night to win the game. The defence again, wasn't great, allowing Huddersfield to score form a corner. Abou Diaby also wasn't at his best, though he just returned from injury.
Arsene really didn't want a replay, as he knows that we might possibly play 2 games a week till the end of the seaon. As such, we were very lucky to get away with a win. The biggest result of the game was the injury to Nasri, arguably our best player this season. The Frenchman has been immense, filling in for Fabregas when needed and complementing the attack with incisive passes and marvellous ball-control which allows him to get into threatening positions to score or provide for his teammates.
His presence will be missed, but unlike other seasons, now we do have the depth to replace him. It is surprising to say this, but Arshavin is a ready-made replacement. A player of his quality has been playing second fiddle to Nasri. All is not fantastic though as Andrey has struggled to replicate his form of last season though. He has the highest assists but at times looks disinterested. Should he return to his impressive best, then Nasri's injury will hardly be felt.
Once thing's for certain though, he will most probably miss the first leg against Barcelona in the Champions League. The Boss has said that he will be out for three weeks but he is hoping it is a Grade One hamstring injury which will keep him out for a week less.
I really hoped that Wenger would've signed a centre back, even though on loan, because we do look slightly short at the moment. I just hope that his decision does not come back to haunt us in the latter stages of the season. A really big game coming up against Everton and then Newcastle. If we get maximum points from this two, then we will be the main challengers to Man Utd for the title, though they are still clear favourites for it.
Till next time, goodbye.
Cheers
Jay Jay
Arsene really didn't want a replay, as he knows that we might possibly play 2 games a week till the end of the seaon. As such, we were very lucky to get away with a win. The biggest result of the game was the injury to Nasri, arguably our best player this season. The Frenchman has been immense, filling in for Fabregas when needed and complementing the attack with incisive passes and marvellous ball-control which allows him to get into threatening positions to score or provide for his teammates.
His presence will be missed, but unlike other seasons, now we do have the depth to replace him. It is surprising to say this, but Arshavin is a ready-made replacement. A player of his quality has been playing second fiddle to Nasri. All is not fantastic though as Andrey has struggled to replicate his form of last season though. He has the highest assists but at times looks disinterested. Should he return to his impressive best, then Nasri's injury will hardly be felt.
Once thing's for certain though, he will most probably miss the first leg against Barcelona in the Champions League. The Boss has said that he will be out for three weeks but he is hoping it is a Grade One hamstring injury which will keep him out for a week less.
I really hoped that Wenger would've signed a centre back, even though on loan, because we do look slightly short at the moment. I just hope that his decision does not come back to haunt us in the latter stages of the season. A really big game coming up against Everton and then Newcastle. If we get maximum points from this two, then we will be the main challengers to Man Utd for the title, though they are still clear favourites for it.
Till next time, goodbye.
Cheers
Jay Jay
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Fight for EL NINO!!...
Most of us who are up-to-date with the football news will probably know that Abramovich's millions are after Liverpool and Fernando Torres. A bid of 35 million or so was initially rejected by Dalglish & Co. but Chelsea are intent on getting their man.
All of this has resulted in Torres handing in a transfer request which has been firmly rejected by Liverpool.
Chelsea really need Torres because of their aging squad. Both Drogba & Anelka are on the wrong side of 30 and there is no back-up. Of course, they do have Daniel Sturridge as reserve but he is not proven at the top level, yet. The latest is that Chelsea have offered 46.5 million plus Sturridge. It does sound tempting but whether Liverpool will accept losing their best player is a different matter altogether.
Torres will certainly bring much needed pace to Chelsea's attack which has been lacking this season. Anelka has lost a lot of pace which was the main weapon he had. Drogba does have impressive pace but, being 30, has also lost some of it, but his physical prowess is still his main threat. So, if Torres arrives, it will certainly be 'au revoir' for Nicholas Anelka. With Drogba & Torres up front, Chelsea will be dangerous team to play against. (Keep in mind, the same was said when Anelka arrived from Bolton, and they took two years to really perform together).
On paper though, they look deadly, but football is not played on paper as we know. For Liverpool, they have to keep Torres although they've just signed Luis Suarez, if reports are to be believed. On this side of the fence, the combination of Torres & Suarez will also be fantastic. Suarez will definitely be able to add goals to the Liverpool team. Some of the pressure will also be taken off Torres and Gerrard as well. Suarez will also bring energy to the Liverpool front-line and he is also a deadly finisher. The only thing is, he's unproven. The players who've arrived from the Dutch league have not been great bar Dirk Kuyt. Ryan Babel would've been good, but he was hardly given a chance. Huntelaar failed to impress at Madrid as well. Judging by the way Suarez played at the World Cup, he will certainly be good. He doesn't have blinding pace but makes it up for his positioning and anticipation.
The game he played against Real Madrid this season wasn't great though. He was marshaled well by the Madrid defence, but that could be a one-off.
Whatever the outcome, it will certainly be interesting to see because he would certainly complement both clubs.
All of this has resulted in Torres handing in a transfer request which has been firmly rejected by Liverpool.
Chelsea really need Torres because of their aging squad. Both Drogba & Anelka are on the wrong side of 30 and there is no back-up. Of course, they do have Daniel Sturridge as reserve but he is not proven at the top level, yet. The latest is that Chelsea have offered 46.5 million plus Sturridge. It does sound tempting but whether Liverpool will accept losing their best player is a different matter altogether.
Torres will certainly bring much needed pace to Chelsea's attack which has been lacking this season. Anelka has lost a lot of pace which was the main weapon he had. Drogba does have impressive pace but, being 30, has also lost some of it, but his physical prowess is still his main threat. So, if Torres arrives, it will certainly be 'au revoir' for Nicholas Anelka. With Drogba & Torres up front, Chelsea will be dangerous team to play against. (Keep in mind, the same was said when Anelka arrived from Bolton, and they took two years to really perform together).
On paper though, they look deadly, but football is not played on paper as we know. For Liverpool, they have to keep Torres although they've just signed Luis Suarez, if reports are to be believed. On this side of the fence, the combination of Torres & Suarez will also be fantastic. Suarez will definitely be able to add goals to the Liverpool team. Some of the pressure will also be taken off Torres and Gerrard as well. Suarez will also bring energy to the Liverpool front-line and he is also a deadly finisher. The only thing is, he's unproven. The players who've arrived from the Dutch league have not been great bar Dirk Kuyt. Ryan Babel would've been good, but he was hardly given a chance. Huntelaar failed to impress at Madrid as well. Judging by the way Suarez played at the World Cup, he will certainly be good. He doesn't have blinding pace but makes it up for his positioning and anticipation.
The game he played against Real Madrid this season wasn't great though. He was marshaled well by the Madrid defence, but that could be a one-off.
Whatever the outcome, it will certainly be interesting to see because he would certainly complement both clubs.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Lowdown on Title Contenders
This season, more than any other I can remember, is indeed very exciting. In previous seasons, it has mainly been a two-horse or at most three teams competing for the League Title. This time around, as many as five teams have a chance to be truimphant. In this article, I will be evaluating the teams and predicting where they'll finish.
Manchester City
They've spent tonnes of money to get their current bunch of players together. Their latest signing, Bosnian Edin Dzeko has just joined to add firepower into the frontline. Due to their coach, Roberto Mancini, having the Italian philosophy, has made them a very defensive team. They have conceded the least amount of goals in the country but their attack is suffering due to this. In the past couple of games though, they've not kept clean sheets but scored 4 in each game. Their captain Carlos Tevez has been in impressive form as well. At the moment, the have the squad to challenge for the title, and one player who has proved to be a revelation this year is Yaya Toure. He was signed to be a defensive midfielder but he's now playing behind Tevez and is doing very well under Mancini.
Position : 4th
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have been playing very good football and one signing who has made all the difference is Rafael van der Vaart. Previously, Luka Modric was the only attacking midfielder in the team and he was good but was mostly bullied by other defensive midfielders. The arrival of van der Vaart has taken some of the attention off him and it has helped Spurs. Modric now has more time on the ball and everyone knows he has an eye for a pass or goal. I was disappointed that Harry Redknapp picked Peter Crouch to start the game against Man Unites because he was 'handled' easily by Ferdinand and Vidic. Pavlyuchenko was left on the bench and so was Defoe. The only worrying thing for Spurs is that their inability to keep a clean sheet when required. That might deter them from staying in the hunt for the title.
Position: 5th
Chelsea
The Blues had a terrific start, had a mediocre run in between and now the question is how they'll finish. Signs point to a good finish though it's hard to see why at the moment. This Chelsea squad does not have the depth the used to have. The departure of Ballack and Deco has not been replaced (though Ramires has been signed but he's more of a defensive midfielder compared to Ballack and Deco). The injury to Lampard and Terry really hurt them and they're even short at the back. Ivanovic hasn't looked comfortable playing in the centre and they're now waiting for Alex to return. In my opinion, they're too far behind to challenge for the title now. In the summer, they really need fresh faces because Drogba and Anelka are on the wrong side of 30 and they've become predictable.
Position: 3rd
Arsenal
The Gunners have the best away form in the league but silly defeats against Newcatle, West Brom and Spurs have proved costly. If they'd won those games, they would have been top of the pile. Consistency is a real issue with Wenger's boys and his selection at times has not helped. He picks one team for the league and another for the FA and League Cup. The front line of Bendtner, Chamack and Arshavin has just not gelled enough and that's why they're paying the price for it. Robin Van Persie's return to fitness will surely help them but the worry is how long will he be able to maintain it. They might need a back-up centre back to cover for the injuries of Vermaelen and Squillaci but knowing Wenger, he'll wait till the last minute before making a decision. They will be there challenging at the top and it will be a close run.
Position: 2nd
Manchester United
The Red Devils are top of the League, undefeated but not playing like world-beaters, yet. I have a feeling that they will go unbeaten in the League this season because the defense has been superb this season. Ferdinand and Vidic are rocks at the back and so are Evra and Rafael. The only problem has been consistent goalscoring which previous Man United teams were very good at. Wayne Rooney has been under-par to say the least. Hernandez has looked good at times but the only partner for Berbatov is Rooney. When he's on form he is definitely unplayable. The question is when?. Considering all this, they all still top of the goalscoring charts. And as I said, they've not played brilliant football, but are still unbeaten. The title is United's to lose.
Position: Champions
Cheers,
Jay Jay
Manchester City
They've spent tonnes of money to get their current bunch of players together. Their latest signing, Bosnian Edin Dzeko has just joined to add firepower into the frontline. Due to their coach, Roberto Mancini, having the Italian philosophy, has made them a very defensive team. They have conceded the least amount of goals in the country but their attack is suffering due to this. In the past couple of games though, they've not kept clean sheets but scored 4 in each game. Their captain Carlos Tevez has been in impressive form as well. At the moment, the have the squad to challenge for the title, and one player who has proved to be a revelation this year is Yaya Toure. He was signed to be a defensive midfielder but he's now playing behind Tevez and is doing very well under Mancini.
Position : 4th
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have been playing very good football and one signing who has made all the difference is Rafael van der Vaart. Previously, Luka Modric was the only attacking midfielder in the team and he was good but was mostly bullied by other defensive midfielders. The arrival of van der Vaart has taken some of the attention off him and it has helped Spurs. Modric now has more time on the ball and everyone knows he has an eye for a pass or goal. I was disappointed that Harry Redknapp picked Peter Crouch to start the game against Man Unites because he was 'handled' easily by Ferdinand and Vidic. Pavlyuchenko was left on the bench and so was Defoe. The only worrying thing for Spurs is that their inability to keep a clean sheet when required. That might deter them from staying in the hunt for the title.
Position: 5th
Chelsea
The Blues had a terrific start, had a mediocre run in between and now the question is how they'll finish. Signs point to a good finish though it's hard to see why at the moment. This Chelsea squad does not have the depth the used to have. The departure of Ballack and Deco has not been replaced (though Ramires has been signed but he's more of a defensive midfielder compared to Ballack and Deco). The injury to Lampard and Terry really hurt them and they're even short at the back. Ivanovic hasn't looked comfortable playing in the centre and they're now waiting for Alex to return. In my opinion, they're too far behind to challenge for the title now. In the summer, they really need fresh faces because Drogba and Anelka are on the wrong side of 30 and they've become predictable.
Position: 3rd
Arsenal
The Gunners have the best away form in the league but silly defeats against Newcatle, West Brom and Spurs have proved costly. If they'd won those games, they would have been top of the pile. Consistency is a real issue with Wenger's boys and his selection at times has not helped. He picks one team for the league and another for the FA and League Cup. The front line of Bendtner, Chamack and Arshavin has just not gelled enough and that's why they're paying the price for it. Robin Van Persie's return to fitness will surely help them but the worry is how long will he be able to maintain it. They might need a back-up centre back to cover for the injuries of Vermaelen and Squillaci but knowing Wenger, he'll wait till the last minute before making a decision. They will be there challenging at the top and it will be a close run.
Position: 2nd
Manchester United
The Red Devils are top of the League, undefeated but not playing like world-beaters, yet. I have a feeling that they will go unbeaten in the League this season because the defense has been superb this season. Ferdinand and Vidic are rocks at the back and so are Evra and Rafael. The only problem has been consistent goalscoring which previous Man United teams were very good at. Wayne Rooney has been under-par to say the least. Hernandez has looked good at times but the only partner for Berbatov is Rooney. When he's on form he is definitely unplayable. The question is when?. Considering all this, they all still top of the goalscoring charts. And as I said, they've not played brilliant football, but are still unbeaten. The title is United's to lose.
Position: Champions
Cheers,
Jay Jay
Monday, January 17, 2011
Aftermath of " We will win the derby because of me"
Many Liverpudlians watched the derby last night, mostly filled with hope rather than outright confidence. They went into the game with two defeats under their new manager. The starting line-ups did not bring any surprise with the exception of Jay Spearing in the middle partnering Brazilian Lucas. During the match, Raul Meireles and Dutchman, Kuyt, were switching roles to support Fernando Torres. Maxi Rodrigues was on the left. For the blue-half of Merseyside, the starters were expected bar Steven Pienaar. The South-African has been under intense speculation of swapping the Everton jersey with that of either Chelsea or Spurs. The latest reports suggest that David Moyes has indeed accepted an offer from Carlo Ancelotti's side, which only leaves personal terms to be agreed.
The game started brightly with Torres having a shot on goal after just ten seconds. Liverpool started the better, pressing the ball high up the park. The pressing game caused Everton some problems but Liverpool were not able to find the breakthrough. Their attitude though, was appllaudable. On the half hour mark, the goal arrived. Glen Johnson, deployed at left-back, strolled down the left and cut inside to deliver a cross. The ball later fell to Kuyt who forced a save out of Tim Howard, who only managed to parry the ball into Raul Meireles' direction. The Portuguese then controlled the ball immediately and drilled the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box. Liverpool pressed on but couldn't double their advantage and that was it for the half. A couple of the Everton players were noticeably nervous as it was their first time facing the Anfield atmosphere.
Second half was a different story. After 45 seconds, Slyvain Distin put Everton level with a powerful header after a corner kick. Everton seemed to play with more endeavour after the break. Within seven minutes, Jermaine Beckford, who also scored against Manchester United last season, put Everton in front. The ball was knocked long up to Victor Anichebe who had Martin Kelly for company. There was an elbow to Kelly's head but play went on. Leon Osman did brilliantly to escape to defenders and passed the ball to Beckford. He shielded it and shot into the bottom corner. Immediately, Liverpool's players' heads dropped. They didn't give up though, and managed to get an equaliser through a Dirk Kuyt penalty.
The surprising thing was that Dalglish did not make immediate attacking changes to rescue the game after going behind. Ryan Babel and Joe Cole were left on the bench, but Jonjo Shelvy was brought on. For some reason, Dalglish seems to fancy him.
A couple of positives from the game can be taken from the game. First, the attitude of the Liverpool players was good, showing desire and heart to really have a go for the game. 'El Nino' was also playing well and could've scored.
At the end of the day though, points is what matters and they only got one out of two games. The next game coming up is against Wolverhampton. If they don't win, then Kenny Dalglish will be under tremendous pressure. That's all for today.
The game started brightly with Torres having a shot on goal after just ten seconds. Liverpool started the better, pressing the ball high up the park. The pressing game caused Everton some problems but Liverpool were not able to find the breakthrough. Their attitude though, was appllaudable. On the half hour mark, the goal arrived. Glen Johnson, deployed at left-back, strolled down the left and cut inside to deliver a cross. The ball later fell to Kuyt who forced a save out of Tim Howard, who only managed to parry the ball into Raul Meireles' direction. The Portuguese then controlled the ball immediately and drilled the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box. Liverpool pressed on but couldn't double their advantage and that was it for the half. A couple of the Everton players were noticeably nervous as it was their first time facing the Anfield atmosphere.
Second half was a different story. After 45 seconds, Slyvain Distin put Everton level with a powerful header after a corner kick. Everton seemed to play with more endeavour after the break. Within seven minutes, Jermaine Beckford, who also scored against Manchester United last season, put Everton in front. The ball was knocked long up to Victor Anichebe who had Martin Kelly for company. There was an elbow to Kelly's head but play went on. Leon Osman did brilliantly to escape to defenders and passed the ball to Beckford. He shielded it and shot into the bottom corner. Immediately, Liverpool's players' heads dropped. They didn't give up though, and managed to get an equaliser through a Dirk Kuyt penalty.
The surprising thing was that Dalglish did not make immediate attacking changes to rescue the game after going behind. Ryan Babel and Joe Cole were left on the bench, but Jonjo Shelvy was brought on. For some reason, Dalglish seems to fancy him.
A couple of positives from the game can be taken from the game. First, the attitude of the Liverpool players was good, showing desire and heart to really have a go for the game. 'El Nino' was also playing well and could've scored.
At the end of the day though, points is what matters and they only got one out of two games. The next game coming up is against Wolverhampton. If they don't win, then Kenny Dalglish will be under tremendous pressure. That's all for today.
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