The UEFA Champions League returns this week, as Real Madrid aim to become the first team to retain the title in the Champions League era, and the first in the competition as a whole since AC Milan in 1990. Carlo Ancelotti's men will face competition from the usual suspects in the shape of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, PSG, and in the group stage they will face another potential contender in Liverpool, back in the competition for the first time in five years.
As well as the elite, there are teams simply happy to take their place in the tournament. Malmo are in the group stage for the first time, as they dream of emulating their 1979 side, who reached the European Cup final before losing to Nottingham Forest. The Bulgarian champions Ludogorets didn't even exist then, and their fairytale rise to Europe's top table was completed by a sensational play-off victory over Steaua Bucharest, where defender Cosmin Moti became their penalty-saving hero. Progression to the knockout stage from either club would represent a huge shock, but their participation can only be a good thing to appease those who believe the Champions League is a closed shop for anyone but the very biggest clubs.
Here is Behind The Goal's predictions of how the groups will finish. Admittedly, some are easier than others to predict, but while first place in the group is so important, no games can be taken lightly.
Group A:
1. Atletico Madrid
2. Juventus
3. Olympiakos
4. Malmo
Group B:
1. Real Madrid
2. Liverpool
3. FC Basel
4. Ludogorets
Group C:
1. Benfica
2. Bayer Leverkusen
3. Zenit St Petersburg
4. Monaco
Group D:
1. Arsenal
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Galatasaray
4. Anderlecht
Group E:
1. Bayern Munich
2. Manchester City
3. AS Roma
4. CSKA Moscow
Group F:
1. Barcelona
2. Paris Saint-Germain
3. Ajax
4. Apoel Nicosia
Group G:
1. Chelsea
2. Schalke 04
3. Sporting
4. Maribor
Group H:
1. FC Porto
2. Athletic Bilbao
3. Shakhtar Donetsk
4. BATE Borisov
English clubs:
I expect all four Premier League teams to reach the round of 16 at the very least, although that could be where Liverpool and Manchester City find out the hard way just how important winning the group is. Facing a group winner in the first knockout round may be a step too far for Liverpool, whereas City may need a lucky draw. Arsenal are well placed to reach the quarter finals, but probably no further.
The last English team left will in my opinion be Chelsea. The semi finals is the very least I expect them to reach, maybe even further. Jose Mourinho's squad is twice that of Roberto Di Matteo's which won the European Cup in 2012, but as that season proved, anything can happen in cup football.
Dark horses:
This is surely the year that Juventus pose a bigger threat in the competition. Massimiliano Allegri's Serie A champions have flattered to decieve in Europe of late. Their group could have been a lot worse, and with perhaps a bit of luck in the draw, the bianconeri could reach the later stages. If - and it's a big if - Roma can get out of their group, maybe they could progress to the last eight, but in Manchester City and Bayern, their first hurdle couldn't have been more difficult.
Winners:
Last season I told friends I thought Real Madrid would win the title, and they did. This year I will tell all of you the same. My prediction is for Carlo Ancelotti's side to make Champions League history and retain the European Cup in Berlin in June.
Showing posts with label Manchester City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester City. Show all posts
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Barclays Premier League Preview 2014-15 Part 1: The Title
The new Barclays Premier League season begins this weekend, and in this post I will take a look at the title contenders.
Last season's title race was one of the most exciting for years. Liverpool looked like certainties to win their first championship for 24 years until their (well, Steven Gerrard's) late slip allowed Manchester City to take home the trophy, Manuel Pellegrini's first domestic title in a European league. Arsenal led the table for longer than anyone else, yet suffered damaging defeats to all of their title rivals. Chelsea beat both Manchester City and Liverpool home and away, but dropped points to so-called lesser opposition to end up only 3rd, and Manchester United suffered an unthinakble decline as their worst ever Premier League finish of 7th place followed. It's impossible to believe that the title will go anywhere else but to one of these five teams again, and here, I will look at their credentials.
Arsenal's Community Shield win this week over a suprisingly poor Man City side has given their supporters the right to believe that they can live with the big boys this time around. Last season's defeats against their fellow contenders weren't just notable for their frequency, but for their comprehensiveness. Chelsea, City and Liverpool scored a combined 17 goals against them in three infamous early kick-offs. Their challenge wasn't helped by a familiar problem, that of an injury list far too long for their liking. Aaron Ramsey's early season form could have brought more to the Emirates trophy cabinet than the FA Cup had he not missed almost the entire second half of the season. He, a fully fit Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil, as well as the big money addition of Alexis Sanchez may give them the sort of midfield dominance needed to get over the line, but once again, they may just fall agonisingly short over 38 games, especially if they don't ease the workload on Olivier Giroud with another forward signing. (Behind The Goal Prediction: 3rd)
Manchester City's title win should have come as no surprise given that on paper, they had the best squad, but even great groups take time to gel. Their poor away form in the first two months of the season could have cost them, but once they got going they didn't really look back. Their transfer activity has been relatively quiet, as their hands are tied by the Financial Fair Play regulation slapped on them by UEFA. Despite that, Pellegrini has brought in Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala both from Porto, as well as Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna and surprisingly Frank Lampard for a bit of squad depth. Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko will continue to provide plenty of goals, and Stevan Jovetic will be like a new signing this year, after his debut campaign was blighted by injury and poor form. Holding on to Yaya Toure is a huge boost too, after the controversy surrounding what did or didn't happen around his birthday. Whoever finishes above them will probably win the title. (BTG Prediction: 2nd)
Manchester United and their fans expected a transitional season under David Moyes last year. But by Manchester United's standards, that still means a title challenge and maybe a Cup run. It certainly didn't mean 7th place and your Chosen One out of a job by April, but that's exactly what they got. In Louis van Gaal, they have the manager with the sort of credentials that warrants one of the biggest jobs in world football. Whereas Moyes looked delighted to be there in his opening press conference, van Gaal was telling United that they should be delighted to have him. Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw have been brought to Old Trafford, but they still look short defensively following the exits of Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand and captain Nemanja Vidic. At the other end of the pitch, van Gaal is the right man to inject new life into Robin van Persie, who captained his Netherlands side at the World Cup. If they can get themselves back into the Champions League, United's fans will be happy. 4th place would never have been considered success under Sir Alex Ferguson, but it will be after last year's debacle. The trouble is, they have very quickly fallen too far behind the top three to get any higher this year. (BTG Prediction: 4th)
Liverpool snatched Premier League defeat from the jaws of victory last season. Brendan Rodgers' side may have won 12 of their last 14 games, but that's no good when the other two cost you everything. The 2-0 Anfield reverse by a Chelsea team who found a way to win with resolute defending, canny counter attacking and that slip, was followed by the catastrophe that was the last quarter of an hour at Crystal Palace which led to a 3-3 draw. They let Manchester City in to take the title that looked Liverpool bound after their win against the Citizens in April. Even that 3-2 victory though illustrated the ultimate reason why it went wrong. Despite scoring for fun, they simply conceded too many sloppy goals at the other end. Dejan Lovren's arrival should help arrest that trend, but how on earth do they go about replacing Luis Suarez and his incredible haul of goals? The £75million will hopefully from their point of view be spent better than Tottenham's Gareth Bale money was, but the jury is out on whether Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert can make the step up. Lazar Markovic should be good when fit, but Liverpool need another outlet in midfield, but if anyone can, Emre Can. Liverpool haven't turned into a bad side overnight, far from it, but despite being linked with a few, they remain a top-class striker away from getting as close as last season. even finishing in the top four should be considered progress. (BTG Prediction: 5th)
Chelsea came only four points behind Man City last season even with the high number of dropped points against the likes of Sunderland and Norwich City. A new, improved Blues starting eleven should be far more comfortable of avoiding any such mistakes this time around. Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard have moved on, although the old guard is still represented in the form of John Terry and the returning Didier Drogba from Galatasaray. The Ivorian legend may not play as many games as he used to, but as any Chelsea fan will tell you, the higher the stakes, the more likely it is he'll score. Of course they also still have Fernando Torres, who gets more goals than people think, but the main man will no doubt be Diego Costa. The Brazilian-born Spaniard bagged 36 goals for Atletico Madrid last season, helping them to the La Liga title and very nearly the Champions League. Anywhere near that return and Chelsea will take some stopping. That's even before I mention the arrival of Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal didn't want him and Manchester United didn't think they needed him, but I bet they'll soon regret he's a Blue. The addition of Filipe Luis to what was already the league's best defence make Jose Mourinho's side my favourites. Like City, whoever finishes above them will win the title. (BTG Prediction: 1st)
Who are your tips for the title? Tweet @adamgray50 or leave a comment.
Last season's title race was one of the most exciting for years. Liverpool looked like certainties to win their first championship for 24 years until their (well, Steven Gerrard's) late slip allowed Manchester City to take home the trophy, Manuel Pellegrini's first domestic title in a European league. Arsenal led the table for longer than anyone else, yet suffered damaging defeats to all of their title rivals. Chelsea beat both Manchester City and Liverpool home and away, but dropped points to so-called lesser opposition to end up only 3rd, and Manchester United suffered an unthinakble decline as their worst ever Premier League finish of 7th place followed. It's impossible to believe that the title will go anywhere else but to one of these five teams again, and here, I will look at their credentials.
Arsenal's Community Shield win this week over a suprisingly poor Man City side has given their supporters the right to believe that they can live with the big boys this time around. Last season's defeats against their fellow contenders weren't just notable for their frequency, but for their comprehensiveness. Chelsea, City and Liverpool scored a combined 17 goals against them in three infamous early kick-offs. Their challenge wasn't helped by a familiar problem, that of an injury list far too long for their liking. Aaron Ramsey's early season form could have brought more to the Emirates trophy cabinet than the FA Cup had he not missed almost the entire second half of the season. He, a fully fit Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil, as well as the big money addition of Alexis Sanchez may give them the sort of midfield dominance needed to get over the line, but once again, they may just fall agonisingly short over 38 games, especially if they don't ease the workload on Olivier Giroud with another forward signing. (Behind The Goal Prediction: 3rd)
Manchester City's title win should have come as no surprise given that on paper, they had the best squad, but even great groups take time to gel. Their poor away form in the first two months of the season could have cost them, but once they got going they didn't really look back. Their transfer activity has been relatively quiet, as their hands are tied by the Financial Fair Play regulation slapped on them by UEFA. Despite that, Pellegrini has brought in Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala both from Porto, as well as Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna and surprisingly Frank Lampard for a bit of squad depth. Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko will continue to provide plenty of goals, and Stevan Jovetic will be like a new signing this year, after his debut campaign was blighted by injury and poor form. Holding on to Yaya Toure is a huge boost too, after the controversy surrounding what did or didn't happen around his birthday. Whoever finishes above them will probably win the title. (BTG Prediction: 2nd)
Manchester United and their fans expected a transitional season under David Moyes last year. But by Manchester United's standards, that still means a title challenge and maybe a Cup run. It certainly didn't mean 7th place and your Chosen One out of a job by April, but that's exactly what they got. In Louis van Gaal, they have the manager with the sort of credentials that warrants one of the biggest jobs in world football. Whereas Moyes looked delighted to be there in his opening press conference, van Gaal was telling United that they should be delighted to have him. Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw have been brought to Old Trafford, but they still look short defensively following the exits of Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand and captain Nemanja Vidic. At the other end of the pitch, van Gaal is the right man to inject new life into Robin van Persie, who captained his Netherlands side at the World Cup. If they can get themselves back into the Champions League, United's fans will be happy. 4th place would never have been considered success under Sir Alex Ferguson, but it will be after last year's debacle. The trouble is, they have very quickly fallen too far behind the top three to get any higher this year. (BTG Prediction: 4th)
Liverpool snatched Premier League defeat from the jaws of victory last season. Brendan Rodgers' side may have won 12 of their last 14 games, but that's no good when the other two cost you everything. The 2-0 Anfield reverse by a Chelsea team who found a way to win with resolute defending, canny counter attacking and that slip, was followed by the catastrophe that was the last quarter of an hour at Crystal Palace which led to a 3-3 draw. They let Manchester City in to take the title that looked Liverpool bound after their win against the Citizens in April. Even that 3-2 victory though illustrated the ultimate reason why it went wrong. Despite scoring for fun, they simply conceded too many sloppy goals at the other end. Dejan Lovren's arrival should help arrest that trend, but how on earth do they go about replacing Luis Suarez and his incredible haul of goals? The £75million will hopefully from their point of view be spent better than Tottenham's Gareth Bale money was, but the jury is out on whether Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert can make the step up. Lazar Markovic should be good when fit, but Liverpool need another outlet in midfield, but if anyone can, Emre Can. Liverpool haven't turned into a bad side overnight, far from it, but despite being linked with a few, they remain a top-class striker away from getting as close as last season. even finishing in the top four should be considered progress. (BTG Prediction: 5th)
Chelsea came only four points behind Man City last season even with the high number of dropped points against the likes of Sunderland and Norwich City. A new, improved Blues starting eleven should be far more comfortable of avoiding any such mistakes this time around. Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard have moved on, although the old guard is still represented in the form of John Terry and the returning Didier Drogba from Galatasaray. The Ivorian legend may not play as many games as he used to, but as any Chelsea fan will tell you, the higher the stakes, the more likely it is he'll score. Of course they also still have Fernando Torres, who gets more goals than people think, but the main man will no doubt be Diego Costa. The Brazilian-born Spaniard bagged 36 goals for Atletico Madrid last season, helping them to the La Liga title and very nearly the Champions League. Anywhere near that return and Chelsea will take some stopping. That's even before I mention the arrival of Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal didn't want him and Manchester United didn't think they needed him, but I bet they'll soon regret he's a Blue. The addition of Filipe Luis to what was already the league's best defence make Jose Mourinho's side my favourites. Like City, whoever finishes above them will win the title. (BTG Prediction: 1st)
Who are your tips for the title? Tweet @adamgray50 or leave a comment.
Thursday, 10 April 2014
Two cup finals in the Premier League
This weekend sees the semi-finals of the FA Cup with Budweiser. Arsenal face holders Wigan Athletic and Hull City play Sheffield United, but in the Barclays Premier League, there are two cup finals too. One will probably decide a relegation place; the other will almost certainly hand the league title to the winners.
Norwich City travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday to play Fulham with the losers facing a near-impossible task to avoid going down, almost certainly alongside Cardiff City and Sunderland, who look doomed already. With five games to go, the Canaries hit the panic button and parted company with boss Chris Hughton. Despite being five points clear of Fulham, who occupy the third relegation place, the board have acted now, given the team's last four games are against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. It is not inconceivable that Norwich will lose all four. Defeat at the Cottage will leave Fulham two points behind Norwich, and assuming that Norwich do lose all four against the league's big guns, Felix Magath's charges will only need one more win from fixtures against Tottenham, Hull City, Stoke City and Crystal Palace to move above the side from Carrow Road. Magath has a proven track record for pulling teams out of trouble, and no doubt will smell blood coming from a Canaries team who look short of confidence, are out of form and who have just appointed a manager - Neil Adams - with no Premier League experience. Norwich went to Craven Cottage on the final day in 2005 needing a win to stay up. They lost 6-0 and were relegated. The omens are not good, and I think Fulham will add to their growing belief with another win to follow up their success at Villa Park last week.
On Sunday afternoon Liverpool play host to Manchester City in what looks for all the world like a title decider. The Reds are on a run of nine consecutive victories, and five more will earn them their first ever Premier League title, and their 19th in English top flight football. Standing in their way is a City side who have stuttered of late, just weeks after seemingly beginning to run away with the league. Despite this, Manuel Pellegrini still has the bookies' favourites in a strong position; as well as Liverpool, they also know that maximum points from their remaining matches will win them their second championship in three years. Brendan Rodgers has already ramped up the pressure, claiming that the visitors will go into Sunday lunchtime's game as favourites. The Kop boss has said all along that Liverpool aren't in this title race. He may as well keep saying it, because it isn't doing his players much harm at the moment. The timing feels right for the home side to take the bull by the horns and go and win this title. This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and Anfield will be an emotional setting for a game which will kick off seven minutes late as part of the league-wide commemorations of the tragedy. What better way to remember the 96 who lost their lives that day than to win the one piece of silverware that has eluded them since 1990. Mind you, Manchester City will have something to say about that. Who do I think will win the game? I don't know, but I'll have a lot of fun finding out!
Norwich City travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday to play Fulham with the losers facing a near-impossible task to avoid going down, almost certainly alongside Cardiff City and Sunderland, who look doomed already. With five games to go, the Canaries hit the panic button and parted company with boss Chris Hughton. Despite being five points clear of Fulham, who occupy the third relegation place, the board have acted now, given the team's last four games are against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. It is not inconceivable that Norwich will lose all four. Defeat at the Cottage will leave Fulham two points behind Norwich, and assuming that Norwich do lose all four against the league's big guns, Felix Magath's charges will only need one more win from fixtures against Tottenham, Hull City, Stoke City and Crystal Palace to move above the side from Carrow Road. Magath has a proven track record for pulling teams out of trouble, and no doubt will smell blood coming from a Canaries team who look short of confidence, are out of form and who have just appointed a manager - Neil Adams - with no Premier League experience. Norwich went to Craven Cottage on the final day in 2005 needing a win to stay up. They lost 6-0 and were relegated. The omens are not good, and I think Fulham will add to their growing belief with another win to follow up their success at Villa Park last week.
On Sunday afternoon Liverpool play host to Manchester City in what looks for all the world like a title decider. The Reds are on a run of nine consecutive victories, and five more will earn them their first ever Premier League title, and their 19th in English top flight football. Standing in their way is a City side who have stuttered of late, just weeks after seemingly beginning to run away with the league. Despite this, Manuel Pellegrini still has the bookies' favourites in a strong position; as well as Liverpool, they also know that maximum points from their remaining matches will win them their second championship in three years. Brendan Rodgers has already ramped up the pressure, claiming that the visitors will go into Sunday lunchtime's game as favourites. The Kop boss has said all along that Liverpool aren't in this title race. He may as well keep saying it, because it isn't doing his players much harm at the moment. The timing feels right for the home side to take the bull by the horns and go and win this title. This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and Anfield will be an emotional setting for a game which will kick off seven minutes late as part of the league-wide commemorations of the tragedy. What better way to remember the 96 who lost their lives that day than to win the one piece of silverware that has eluded them since 1990. Mind you, Manchester City will have something to say about that. Who do I think will win the game? I don't know, but I'll have a lot of fun finding out!
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
TWIF 2.01: Shelvey stuns, Sturridge scores, Champions League returns
Welcome to a second season of This Week In Football.
A night to remember for Shelvey:
Monday night's game between Swansea City and Liverpool was a timely reminder that the Barclays Premier League can still provide us with exciting games, after what has been a tough start to the season from a neutral fan's perspective. One player who certainly won't forget it is Jonjo Shelvey. Before the game he spoke about facing his former club and the challenges that brings, but few would have thought that the task for Shelvey would be to remember for which team he was playing. To provide a goal and an assist for one team and two assists for another is enough to confuse even the greatest of players. To be fair, apart from the mistakes, Shelvey had a good night. He must have heard that Swansea were trying to sign him!
Goals galore for Sturridge:
Another topic from Monday Night Football was the form of Daniel Sturridge, who scored in his fourth successive Premier League game for Liverpool with a typical poacher's goal. When Luis Suarez was handed his ten-game suspension, I had doubts as to whether Sturridge could step up and be the talisman that Liverpool needed, but he's doing it, and Brendan Rodgers will have a dilemma once Suarez comes back over who to select, or how to accomodate both of them. It's just a shame that he didn't do it for England last week. Mind you, it's far more important to be fit for club commitments these days. Sigh.
Champions League returns:
The UEFA Champions League is back this week, and the group stage has brought a mixed bag for the Premier League's representatives. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, Sunday's upcoming Manchester derby affects the two sides' team selections this week. United (v Bayer Leverkusen) and City (at Viktoria Plzen) both have winnable games, so I expect a few changes from each side. Maybe it's finally an opportunity for Shinji Kagawa to remind David Moyes of his abilities, following his recent omissions from the side. Chelsea should find Wednesday night's game against FC Basel, indeed their whole group, fairly straightforward, but after last year, they can't afford to take it lightly. At the time of the draw, I worried for Arsenal that they could fail to qualify from the group, but right now confidence couldn't be higher. A win in Marseille sets them up perfectly, but with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli - whose game on Wednesday I'll be watching - also awaiting, it may be essential that the Gunners hit the ground running.
A night to remember for Shelvey:
Monday night's game between Swansea City and Liverpool was a timely reminder that the Barclays Premier League can still provide us with exciting games, after what has been a tough start to the season from a neutral fan's perspective. One player who certainly won't forget it is Jonjo Shelvey. Before the game he spoke about facing his former club and the challenges that brings, but few would have thought that the task for Shelvey would be to remember for which team he was playing. To provide a goal and an assist for one team and two assists for another is enough to confuse even the greatest of players. To be fair, apart from the mistakes, Shelvey had a good night. He must have heard that Swansea were trying to sign him!
Goals galore for Sturridge:
Another topic from Monday Night Football was the form of Daniel Sturridge, who scored in his fourth successive Premier League game for Liverpool with a typical poacher's goal. When Luis Suarez was handed his ten-game suspension, I had doubts as to whether Sturridge could step up and be the talisman that Liverpool needed, but he's doing it, and Brendan Rodgers will have a dilemma once Suarez comes back over who to select, or how to accomodate both of them. It's just a shame that he didn't do it for England last week. Mind you, it's far more important to be fit for club commitments these days. Sigh.
Champions League returns:
The UEFA Champions League is back this week, and the group stage has brought a mixed bag for the Premier League's representatives. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, Sunday's upcoming Manchester derby affects the two sides' team selections this week. United (v Bayer Leverkusen) and City (at Viktoria Plzen) both have winnable games, so I expect a few changes from each side. Maybe it's finally an opportunity for Shinji Kagawa to remind David Moyes of his abilities, following his recent omissions from the side. Chelsea should find Wednesday night's game against FC Basel, indeed their whole group, fairly straightforward, but after last year, they can't afford to take it lightly. At the time of the draw, I worried for Arsenal that they could fail to qualify from the group, but right now confidence couldn't be higher. A win in Marseille sets them up perfectly, but with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli - whose game on Wednesday I'll be watching - also awaiting, it may be essential that the Gunners hit the ground running.
Monday, 12 August 2013
Barclays Premier League Preview 2013-14 Part 1: Race for the title
For the first time in many years there is a genuine three-horse race for the Barclays Premier League title, made all the more fascinating by the fact that all of the three clubs are being led by new managers. We all know what we're going to get with Jose Mourinho, as he begins his second spell in charge of Chelsea, and Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City brings his obvious talent. The biggest job however is obviously that of David Moyes, who takes on the unenviable task of picking up where Sir Alex Ferguson left off.
Moyes has already found himself under pressure following a less than impressive set of pre-season results, and of course having to deal with the Wayne Rooney transfer saga. It sounds silly, but this past Sunday's Community Shield was close to must-win for the former Everton boss. Talk amongst the Old Trafford fans has been about a lack of new signings, but it was Robin van Persie's double at Wembley against Wigan which proved that the champions aren't too bad a team without newcomers. I feel though that without another midfielder, possibly a replacement for Rooney, and of course Sir Alex in the dugout, United may fall short of title no.21.
Few were surprised when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent couple of years at Real Madrid. If he has the same effect as his first season the last time, Chelsea are going to be very tough to beat. For me, that Blues team of 2004-05 is the best in Premier League history - and I include the Arsenal invincibles in that, for the record - but I'm not too sure the spine of this team is as strong. John Terry and Frank Lampard, loyal servants of the club and the manager, aren't the players they were, and there are doubts as to how much he fancies David Luiz and Juan Mata. The personnel at the Bridge are more used to playing with more attacking prowess than Mourinho's teams are known for. Mourinho has the same problem as a long list of predecessors in the job, which is to get the best out of Fernando Torres, who must know that time is running out unless he can finally produce a 20+ goal season.
For all the talk about Moyes, Mourinho and the other transfer sagas, Manchester City have gone about their business very quietly, amazingly quietly really. They have no doubt been the busiest of the big three in the transfer market, and not only have they added in quantity, they have added in unquestionable quality in the shape of Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho. Too many of their key names underperformed last season - in fact only Pablo Zabaleta had a better season than in their championship year of 2011-12 - but if the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, and maybe most crucially Joe Hart, get back to their best, they are going to be a force. As well as those, Pellegrini will likely use Edin Dzeko in a more leading role, which I am excited about. For me, he is possibly the most under-rated striker in the league. I may be in the minority, but I am predicting City to win the league back from their neighbours come May.
Come back later this week for Part 2 when I look at who will be in the relegation battle.
Moyes has already found himself under pressure following a less than impressive set of pre-season results, and of course having to deal with the Wayne Rooney transfer saga. It sounds silly, but this past Sunday's Community Shield was close to must-win for the former Everton boss. Talk amongst the Old Trafford fans has been about a lack of new signings, but it was Robin van Persie's double at Wembley against Wigan which proved that the champions aren't too bad a team without newcomers. I feel though that without another midfielder, possibly a replacement for Rooney, and of course Sir Alex in the dugout, United may fall short of title no.21.
Few were surprised when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent couple of years at Real Madrid. If he has the same effect as his first season the last time, Chelsea are going to be very tough to beat. For me, that Blues team of 2004-05 is the best in Premier League history - and I include the Arsenal invincibles in that, for the record - but I'm not too sure the spine of this team is as strong. John Terry and Frank Lampard, loyal servants of the club and the manager, aren't the players they were, and there are doubts as to how much he fancies David Luiz and Juan Mata. The personnel at the Bridge are more used to playing with more attacking prowess than Mourinho's teams are known for. Mourinho has the same problem as a long list of predecessors in the job, which is to get the best out of Fernando Torres, who must know that time is running out unless he can finally produce a 20+ goal season.
For all the talk about Moyes, Mourinho and the other transfer sagas, Manchester City have gone about their business very quietly, amazingly quietly really. They have no doubt been the busiest of the big three in the transfer market, and not only have they added in quantity, they have added in unquestionable quality in the shape of Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho. Too many of their key names underperformed last season - in fact only Pablo Zabaleta had a better season than in their championship year of 2011-12 - but if the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, and maybe most crucially Joe Hart, get back to their best, they are going to be a force. As well as those, Pellegrini will likely use Edin Dzeko in a more leading role, which I am excited about. For me, he is possibly the most under-rated striker in the league. I may be in the minority, but I am predicting City to win the league back from their neighbours come May.
Come back later this week for Part 2 when I look at who will be in the relegation battle.
Monday, 11 March 2013
No showpiece Cup final. Good or bad?
That noise you could hear at 6.40pm on Sunday evening was the collective sigh from neutrals across the country, as Manchester City were paired with Manchester United or Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals. That means that either Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers or Millwall will appear in this season's final. A fantastic achievement for one of those teams, but we're not going to get the showpiece game we all wanted and the competition arguably needs.
The same thing happened two years ago when Manchester United played Manchester City and Stoke City took on Bolton Wanderers in the last four. We were left with a second-rate final which in all honesty stank the place out and was overshadowed by United wrapping up the Barclays Premier League title anyway. At least it shuts up those people who think the draw is fixed by using hot and cold balls. Believe me, I have heard more than one person tell me their opinion on it!
There are previous examples of 'showpiece' finals and 'underdog' finals in recent history which came about following the two remaining favourites avoiding or not avoiding each other, and often they produce games very different from what we expect. Chelsea beat Manchester United after extra time in the first final at the new Wembley in 2007, in one of the most forgettable finals of living memory after avoiding each other in the semi-finals which also featured Blackburn - then still a Premier League side - and Watford. The previous season's semi-final draw put Liverpool together with Chelsea when most neutrals wanted that as the final. The final we did get - Liverpool v West Ham - was one of the best FA Cup finals in many years, and arguably the best I have ever seen in my lifetime, so maybe I shouldn't be so disappointed I won't get a Manchester derby final after all!
One problem the FA now has is to determine when United and Chelsea will play their 6th round replay. Millwall face Blackburn on Wednesday following their goalless draw on Sunday, but Chelsea's Europa League tie at home to Steaua Bucharest means that it isn't a possibility for the United replay to also take place this week. Next week is the International break, and the following week sees the quarter-finals of the Europa League, a competition which Chelsea still have every chance of being involved in. This sort of fixture congestion is great evidence for those who want done with Cup replays. For me, it could have been avoided, and I don't see any problem with both teams agreeing before the tie whether or not to play extra time and penalties on the original day. A compromise I could live with in future years is to only have a replay after extra time, rather than after 90 minutes.
The same thing happened two years ago when Manchester United played Manchester City and Stoke City took on Bolton Wanderers in the last four. We were left with a second-rate final which in all honesty stank the place out and was overshadowed by United wrapping up the Barclays Premier League title anyway. At least it shuts up those people who think the draw is fixed by using hot and cold balls. Believe me, I have heard more than one person tell me their opinion on it!
There are previous examples of 'showpiece' finals and 'underdog' finals in recent history which came about following the two remaining favourites avoiding or not avoiding each other, and often they produce games very different from what we expect. Chelsea beat Manchester United after extra time in the first final at the new Wembley in 2007, in one of the most forgettable finals of living memory after avoiding each other in the semi-finals which also featured Blackburn - then still a Premier League side - and Watford. The previous season's semi-final draw put Liverpool together with Chelsea when most neutrals wanted that as the final. The final we did get - Liverpool v West Ham - was one of the best FA Cup finals in many years, and arguably the best I have ever seen in my lifetime, so maybe I shouldn't be so disappointed I won't get a Manchester derby final after all!
One problem the FA now has is to determine when United and Chelsea will play their 6th round replay. Millwall face Blackburn on Wednesday following their goalless draw on Sunday, but Chelsea's Europa League tie at home to Steaua Bucharest means that it isn't a possibility for the United replay to also take place this week. Next week is the International break, and the following week sees the quarter-finals of the Europa League, a competition which Chelsea still have every chance of being involved in. This sort of fixture congestion is great evidence for those who want done with Cup replays. For me, it could have been avoided, and I don't see any problem with both teams agreeing before the tie whether or not to play extra time and penalties on the original day. A compromise I could live with in future years is to only have a replay after extra time, rather than after 90 minutes.
Monday, 14 January 2013
Two red cards and a priceless City win
Manchester City's trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal was a key test of their Barclays Premier League title credentials, and it was a game they couldn't afford to lose, given Manchester United's 2-1 win at home to Liverpool earlier in the afternoon. It was a test they passed with relative ease, running out comfortable 2-0 winners to reduce their deficit to seven points, but the key talking points of the afternoon came away from the result.
The game was changed significantly inside ten minutes with the sending off of Laurent Koscielny for his last-man foul on Edin Dzeko. While referee Mike Dean was criticised for the decision to issue a red card so early, the call was entirely correct, and for me a red card offence is the same in the 1st minute or the 91st. It wasn't Dean's fault that Koscielny was as silly as he was to commit the foul. Wojciech Szczesny produced an excellent save from Dzeko's ensuing kick to limit the punishment, but from that point Arsenal were facing damage limitation.
Speaking of correct decisions, Vincent Kompany was also right - in the letter of the law at least - to be sent off for his two footed lunge on Jack Wilshere. Kompany did play the ball, but the nature of his lunge, where both feet left the ground, and where he did make contact with Wilshere, did for me mean that Dean was right to issue his second red card of the afternoon. The problem lies in that he got the ball. Years ago it wouldn't have even been a foul, but the game has moved on. Maybe the law does protect players too much from what look like good, honest challenges, but at least it means that studs-up lunges half way up players' legs are slowly but surely being eradicated from the game. City have appealed against the decision, but in all honesty the red card is very likely to be upheld.
The travelling supporters from Manchester faced an expensive day, with the much-publicised cost of their Emirates ticket being £62. Everyone knows that City are amongst the richest clubs in the world, and of course they possess a championship-winning team worth the entrance fee alone, according to the cliche. But Arsenal - and other clubs, it must be said - have forgotten that doesn't mean that their fans are the richest, and for nearly 1000 fans, it was too much. No wonder Joleon Lescott was politley reminded to thank them after the game by none other than the assistant referee! The problem is this, however. For as long as there are fans willing to pay the hefty price, despite their protests, teams will think it's ok to charge it. Maybe more fans should vote with their feet, but football is too priceless for many to miss.
The game was changed significantly inside ten minutes with the sending off of Laurent Koscielny for his last-man foul on Edin Dzeko. While referee Mike Dean was criticised for the decision to issue a red card so early, the call was entirely correct, and for me a red card offence is the same in the 1st minute or the 91st. It wasn't Dean's fault that Koscielny was as silly as he was to commit the foul. Wojciech Szczesny produced an excellent save from Dzeko's ensuing kick to limit the punishment, but from that point Arsenal were facing damage limitation.
Speaking of correct decisions, Vincent Kompany was also right - in the letter of the law at least - to be sent off for his two footed lunge on Jack Wilshere. Kompany did play the ball, but the nature of his lunge, where both feet left the ground, and where he did make contact with Wilshere, did for me mean that Dean was right to issue his second red card of the afternoon. The problem lies in that he got the ball. Years ago it wouldn't have even been a foul, but the game has moved on. Maybe the law does protect players too much from what look like good, honest challenges, but at least it means that studs-up lunges half way up players' legs are slowly but surely being eradicated from the game. City have appealed against the decision, but in all honesty the red card is very likely to be upheld.
The travelling supporters from Manchester faced an expensive day, with the much-publicised cost of their Emirates ticket being £62. Everyone knows that City are amongst the richest clubs in the world, and of course they possess a championship-winning team worth the entrance fee alone, according to the cliche. But Arsenal - and other clubs, it must be said - have forgotten that doesn't mean that their fans are the richest, and for nearly 1000 fans, it was too much. No wonder Joleon Lescott was politley reminded to thank them after the game by none other than the assistant referee! The problem is this, however. For as long as there are fans willing to pay the hefty price, despite their protests, teams will think it's ok to charge it. Maybe more fans should vote with their feet, but football is too priceless for many to miss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)