I just pray wenger wont eventually have to pay the price for all this, because despite all this his really a good manager who on a tight budget and spent less than the other top 3 teams is still able to qualify for the champions league every season, even last year when i thought that they would not qualify as van persie had gone they proved many critics wrong and finish the premier league season in a fantastic form with 10 games unbeaten and they were also impressive in the champions league beating bayern 2-0 at home something the other teams in the competition failed to achieve so kudos to them for that, wenger and clubs staff in my opinion some what lead the fans on, giving them false hope that a big money transfer was soon to arrive and that they had money to challenge against bigger clubs i think that's what all the riot is for, its like why tell us there is money if you know aren't going to spend a dime of it. Arsenal are quite funny though, offering 10 million pounds for cabaye, thats shameful almost as embarrassing as united 28 million pounds offer for felliani and baines, baines at least should be worth 10 millions pounds and everton already rejected that offer from united as they value the player in the region of 15 million pounds add that with fellian 23 million pounds buy out clause which martinez claimed to have expired that's thats 38 million pounds so unless united are willing to cough up more cash for the duo i dont see the deal materializing, yeah i will also go for cavani i think he is underestimated because he plays in the italian league a league where racism, and match fixing rules the day, unlike the premier league which has all the glamour and hype about it, lool balotelli better than suarez? I assume you are reffering to the milan balotteli not the one of Manchester city lol he has been good but most of his goals were penalties unlike suarez who i feel is misjudged and his behavior often makes his skill and great work ethic as a player to be over looked, i think suarez would have won that golden boot had it not been for that ban, but meh its done its down, it seems mourinho also remains steadfast in his attempt to lure rooney to the bridge and has already prepared a plan b or c i the place of samuel eto and burak yilmaz respectively should rooney end up staying at united.
General Football Debates!
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Ivanovic is way better than Azpilicueta. Azpi is promising but he's still raw. Ivanovic's tackling, crossing, heading are all better than Azpi. Not to mention that Ivanovic can play as CB too, and got more experience. And how can you have a Starting 11 without Oscar?oh,...Ivanovic, i don't like him lol, Azpilicueta is imo better RB as he is more of an offensive type + i don't like Ivanovicand from that little i have seen by Azpilicueta he is pretty good, this is how i see Starting 11 of Chelsea (how i would do it, but most likely Ivanovic is gonna be in instead of Azpi
---------------Čech
-----Azpi--Cahill---David Luiz---Cole
-----Ramires----------Lampard
Hazard---------Mata-----------Schurle
--------------Torres
Mostly agree. Though, indeed Soldado could be that player. Defoe, Lennon, Dembele, Verthonghen are all players that win matches from time to time. But if I were to name the second most-important player after Bale, that'll be Lloris. Again saved Spurs from conceding in the last match. Don't know if GKs count as strong characters that win games, but for me, it does. And Bale/Lloris are both equally crucial to Spurs according to me.
I think Chadli did good but was way too solist. At many times, he had random shots without reason. Need to gain more experience.
I'm sorry but Robin, along with, Carrick, Rafael and De Gea were all complete championship-winners-material last season.
It's still Lennon who created the penalty for Soldado. Not to mention that the 4 great chances that Spurs got in that match, all came from the right flank of Lennon. He may not have scored or dribbled much. But still, it's Lennon who created Spurs' best chances and attacks in that match.
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On the match analysis:
The match had lots of possession play from both teams; especially Swansea in the first half. But this came as no surprise. Laudrup's team made a name for themselves with their style of play since long. And playing at Liberty Stadium has always been delicate. Be it the highly-contested match last year when United conceded their first draw, or even their last fixture where Rio nailed a last-minute winner for SAF's last Old Trafford's game. Somehow, such a large score came as a surprise. Both RVP's goals are absolute stunners, and so was Welbeck's last-minute lobbed sitter.
I'd like to get on Moyes' changes in formations, game play and tactics this season, compared to SAF. First of all, the 4-3-3 (which is more of a 4-5-1) if based on this match and the Charity Shield match. To be honest, I'm not a fan of it. Maybe it's because I've been used to another Man.Utd approach and it feels weird to see some newness. But the main reason I'm skeptical of this 4-5-1, is because it leaves RVP alone up front, and it's a system that resolves around RVP. Well, our Flying Dutchman is in scintillating form and is flying right now...so, this system is working. But it could crumble badly whenever RVP is on a bad day. I prefer a 2 strikers system - in that way, we are not overtly dependent on RVP all the time. But tactically, the 4-5-1 makes sense and is clever. It uses 3 central midfielders - given the lack of defensive destroying mid in our squad, reinforcing that sector with 3 mids (instead of SAF's usual 2 mid) is wise from Moyes. Also, Valencia/Welbeck got high defensive work-rate on the wing - they defend well together with high work-rate; that compensates for our lack of defensive intensity in midfield. Basically, this is my view on this new formation; with one main disadvantage (dependance on RVP) and one wise advantage (reinforcement of midfield through quantity).
When Rooney replaced Giggs though, it switched back to a more classic 4-4-2 that we were used with SAF. So, there's doubts if Moyes will use this 4-5-1 often. Maybe it's the lack of recruits and the number of injuries in offensive sector that's encouraging him to use this 4-5-1. Maybe, with some recruits, the formation will change as season moves on... Tactically, there's not much evident changes. Moyes, like SAF, is an adept of the usage of full-backs and wings. And it's mostly counter-attacking football like SAF. Though, I noticed that there's more short passing in Moyes' style. Well, Scholes is gone and Rooney isn't in full-form, so there isn't many players who'll play long passes right now, except Carrick. Thereby, whether it's a style imposed by choice or force, remains to be seen. I do like the composed short passing though - and I know many will agree with me on that, given that there's few fans of kick-and-rush football in today's times.
Coming to player-performance, RVP is pure class and sheer brilliance - can't add much. Rooney isn't fit enough physically in my eyes - but oh well, he got 2 assists. He'll be beast, once he regains his fitness. I do hope he stays, with all my heart. Welbeck did excellent today - way better than his usual level of performance. Kagawa should start instead of Giggs - but the season is still lengthy. Credits to Giggs, his lobbed pass for first goal requires amazing vision. Valencia is better in #25. Cleverley did his job - but as I said, Cleverley is a young player who can't play as starter week-in-week-out yet. He gets burn quickly and doesn't remain at top level with accumulation of matches. He needs to be a squad rotation player. Carrick has been restricted in a more defensive role in this 4-5-1. Remains to be seen if that'll change as season moves on. As I said above, it's highly possible that the 4-5-1 will turn into 4-4-1-1, once there's arrivals from transfer market and once our injured players return. The defence has been good in both matches, and De Gea has really grown in confidence.
Well, we aren't favorites at all for our own title defence. But consider this - for a team supposedly weakened with a new manager, in the middle of a Rooney media storm, a squad with multiplies injuries (Chicharito/Young/Nani/Evans/Fletcher), a suspended Rafael and a lack of recruits - United has been pretty impressive. My point is, if this is what a sub-level United can do, a full-potential United may definitely be crowned champions again in my eyes. Not to be forgotten, we weren't at perfect form last year either; mainly with terrible form of wingers but yet, we won the league with such a margin. Then again, it's with the upcoming big matches that we'll truly be tested. But I do feel we are being way too underrated right now.
Okay, City crushed N'Castle, but also highly impressed me. In fact, of all 6 teams, City impressed me the most. I kinda envisioned that they'll be damn good but still I never saw Negredo/Jovetic as an update to Tevez/Balotelli - plus like many, I do felt that they overspent for overpriced players. Still, my doubts were unfortunately mostly wrong. More than finding replacements to Tevez, Pellegrini actually did a better thing - he revitalized Dzeko. Plus, Navas and Fernandinho were both highly impressive; especially Navas.
There's clearly a Pellegrini touch on this team's style of play. One touch passing and quick rapid-fire counter-attacking football. I don't have much to say on the match, given how one-sided it was. Both wings were well-animated by Silva/Navas, where most City chances came from. And they break through the center in most counter-attacks. Could have been way more than 4-0 without Tim Krul's saves. Newcastle were really poor though, especially a catastrophic defence. Ben Arfa was the sole Magpies who tried something in first half, but that was meager effort and his soloist attempts died soon in second half. The red card of Newcastle didn't help matters. I kinda adored
Coming to the players, I'll start with Dzeko who impressed me mightily. This was a great performance from him; following his pre-season. And as Dzeko said himself, Pellegrini gave him confidence once again, and that showed. Excellent as sole striker, very good in his passing and movement - he was a constant nuisance to defenders. His finishing can be more clinical, but still, that's a much better performance that most of his City matches previously in other 2 seasons. His linking with Aguero was also fabulous - nearly reminiscent of Dzeko's telepathic connection with Grafite, back in his Hoffenheim's days. Aguero was supposedly not 100% fit but his goal remained world-class finishing. Navas seemed like a complete natural - like he was playing for seasons with City. He's gonna be instrumental in this season for City, and perhaps one of the best wingers in EPL. Silva and Toure remain the midfield bosses of City, while Fernandinho impressed with his tackling and intensity. Nasri also had a highly encouraging entry in second half, perhaps like Dzeko, boosted by Pellegrini.
I'm kinda afraid of City but it remains to be seen, how they perform in CL. And how the squad rotation will be done by Pellegrini.
"Welcome Home, Mourinho!" Well, this almost felt like a theme football match. The pressure of Mou's return was emphasized so much, that it overshadowed the match. And to be speak the truth, this felt like a Mourinho tactical match from start to finish. Impressive roller-coasting offensive start, a more defensive composed second-half as victory was sealed. Measured & efficient in all Mou's style. Chelsea had countless chances in opening stages. A penalty in first 5 minutes that was saved, woodwork struck, many saves by goalkeeper of Hull, many off-target shots, a quick goal by Oscar after a sweet combination & a cracker freekick by Lampard, who more than atoned for his penalty and ended the match there and then.
The intensity dipped in 2nd half but that was mostly tactical according to me. They got a match on Wednesday, and knowing Mou, he didn't plan to exhaust his players with high-intensity throughout the match. Especially against Hull, who didn't do much. Hull, though, played better passing game in second half. They kinda used Chelsea's change of stance and with Huddlestone/Livermore's entry, they tried better things. but in vain. Brady also showed certain spark in Hull City. Hull will depend a lot on these 3 players to avoid relegation.
Chelsea is presented as EPL favorites - so did they impress? Well, their youth squad showed tremendous promise; as De Bryune, Hazard & Oscar gel amazingly well. But I didn't see much changes from previous Chelsea sides. Chelsea always started their seasons in amazing fashion, showing great teamwork...But they often crumble at quarter of the season. That's a bit the challenge of Mou. Last year, it was mainly due to lack of squad depth that caused their fall in EPL. The excellent Starting 11 with the trio Oscar-Mata-Hazard, not delivering on constant basis...This year, Mou brought Shurle and Van Ginkel and Lukaku/De Bryune returned. Plus, they are still searching for a top-notch striker. Something of a higher level than Torres/Ba/Lukaku and that'll give them 4 strikers like City/United.
Basically, that's my take on Chelsea. From this match, nothing much can be said yet; given their constant strong debuts in nearly all EPL seasons of Abramovitch era.
I'm not commenting on the match proceedings; as it was just another story of one team dominating in chances, then self-dooming themselves with stupid fouls and ultimately lost miserably. What needs to be analysed is Arsenal - have they progressed or regressed from last season, are they at stand-still or are they in complete crisis?
I'm tempted to say the latter, but perhaps "crisis" would be an overstatement after one sole match. However, things definitely don't look good right now for Arsenal. A simple explanation of that, would be that they repeated the same mistake from their 2 previous summer transfer windows. Allow me to explain further here: Last season (2012/13), they bought players early on and this was a great thing, but I always said that Cazorla/Podolski/Giroud are good players but neither got the coating of a leader on the pitch. But thing is, Arsenal is a team that needs a leader - there needs to be someone who inspires their play on the field. They managed miraculously to end up 4th, due to many lucky factors. Also, because a player like Walcott had the guts to be that leader on certain matches when no one expected him. A bit because Cazorla had an amazing start to its season and managed to carry Arsenal, whenever his form didn't dip. And also, because luckily, Wilshere managed to be a leader as injuries seemingly didn't ravage his career prospect too much. So, last season, Arsenal had 3 vice-leaders, where one often stepped up as true leader in certain matches as compensation. But I still think that they need that special leader; especially if they wanna aim higher than Top 4.
But instead of bettering their previous summer window this season, they have worsen it. Instead of bringing that A-List game-changer as their game leader along with decent early recruits, they have stagnated. In fact, they repeated their transfer summer window of 2011/12, where they didn't buy and had to buy lots of rejects as panic buys, post a calamitous 8-2 hammering at Old Trafford. And Arsenal had just entered the same dark space once again. No early recruits, a wake-up defeat on opening day, lots of injuries & young inexperienced players brought in as replacements - they are way closer to another 8-2 demolition than a title contender position, as it stands. It's perhaps worse than 2011/12. Then they had a leader in RVP, which they don't even have right now. So yes, it's very close to a crisis.
And what's infuriating for Arsenal fans, is the false promise of spending big money supposedly, in the ambition of aiming higher than 4th place. Quite frankly, with the fans paying the most expensive ticket in EPL, having false vows made to them, is really a cruel thing (if I take it from their point of view). How can you be 100 steps backwards, when you decide to move 10 steps forward? That's beyond my understanding.
Anyways, Arsenal is in a bad fix right now. They needs recruits - the least would be decent back-up players for squad depth in many positions where they have aging/injury-prone players. And the best would be to, also buy that world-class players that can deliver them dreams. Given Arsene's stingy nature, would be almost a miracle if he did the minimum requires.
Well, a boring match overall. Despite having brought more interesting prospects this summer in Paulinho, Soldado, Chadli & Capoue, the lack of Gareth Bale felt thoroughly on the match. But this shouldn't come as a surprise. Tottenham, like Arsenal, needs that leader on the pitch - and apart Bale, no one has taken that mantle at Spurs yet. Maybe Lloris but it depends on your perspective - is a goalkeeper a match-winner or a match-saver in today's modern play? That'll be a nice debate.
That being said, I see promising things in this Tottenham squad. Even the loss of Bale could not be as detrimental to Spurs imo. Sure, they'll lose a leader but they can surely find a new one in half-price of Bale's sale along with great other players. Plus, Bale isn't gone yet. But I do see Spurs' future as bright. Mainly because they bought an array of great players over the years. Tottenham nearly always fought with good English players (Lennon, Defoe, Carrick, Walker, Caulker, Parker ect...). Seeing players like Lloris, Paulinho, Soldado, Verthonghen, Dembele, Chadli ect... over 2 years, is a great thing. Plus, there's more to come.
Sure, there remains skepticism on their ability to clinch that Top 4 finish. Yet, it's undeniable that Tottenham has always been moving forward in right direction in past seasons. And I see, this one as no different. They may have struggled on this match against a weak Crystal Palace but I can foresee them to top Arsenal this year - Bale or no Bale! To be fair, they deserved to clinch 4th place more deservingly than Arsenal last season, but their usual weak starts in seasons, cost them ultimately despite Bale's heroics.
They may have scrapped a sketchy victory but it's still a victory and something more positive than previous seasons. I think, they'll find their true form once the Bale saga is done. AVB needs to see whether his play will rotate around Bale or not. He used Chadli in similar tactical piece as Bale in that match; where Chadli had lots of shots but his finishing was nothing like Bale. And his soloist efforts needs more refinement. Overall, I truly think that we can judge Tottenham's true level and potential, once Bale saga is done - and whether he leaves or not!
Crystal Palace won't survive in PL according to me. A way too direct plays, lacking of individual brilliance. And for a team that was carried by Zaha from championship to top-flight, this isn't a surprise.
Well, a typical Stoke match. Lots of defence from their sides where Liverpool had tough luck to break the lock, with a Begovic in aspiring form. And as usual, Stoke created some good chances on either counters and mainly set-pieces. In fact, without a decisive Mignolet on a penalty save, Liverpool would have paid their price for not scoring that 2nd goal.
But Liverpool has shown promising things in play. Stturidge has tried to step-up in Suarez's absence for 'sinking his teeth where not recommended'. And he scored a nice solo-goal with a neat powerful low-shot. Good thing for Liverpool is that Suarez transfer saga seemed to have been stopped. Thereby, there's no cloud of speculation like with Rooney/Bale. Gerrard has been switched to a more deep-lying playmaker role like Pirlo, that takes all set-pieces and leads the team. But the revelation has been Coutinho, who has finally adapted perfectly to Liverpool's style with this summer break. He's now the offensive orchestrator of L'Pool. With Gerrard, his duo is reminiscent of Xabi-Gerrard combo that won CL in 2005.
In any case, I don't have high expectations for L'Pool. Don't really see them in Top 4. But there seems to be improvement on their gameplay. So, whether they can tickle the homogeneity of the other 5 teams remain to be seen. Atleast, Brendan Rodgers can be said to have improve that team over seasons, instead of dooming it further.
Swansea v/s Man.Utd - 1-4
The match had lots of possession play from both teams; especially Swansea in the first half. But this came as no surprise. Laudrup's team made a name for themselves with their style of play since long. And playing at Liberty Stadium has always been delicate. Be it the highly-contested match last year when United conceded their first draw, or even their last fixture where Rio nailed a last-minute winner for SAF's last Old Trafford's game. Somehow, such a large score came as a surprise. Both RVP's goals are absolute stunners, and so was Welbeck's last-minute lobbed sitter.
I'd like to get on Moyes' changes in formations, game play and tactics this season, compared to SAF. First of all, the 4-3-3 (which is more of a 4-5-1) if based on this match and the Charity Shield match. To be honest, I'm not a fan of it. Maybe it's because I've been used to another Man.Utd approach and it feels weird to see some newness. But the main reason I'm skeptical of this 4-5-1, is because it leaves RVP alone up front, and it's a system that resolves around RVP. Well, our Flying Dutchman is in scintillating form and is flying right now...so, this system is working. But it could crumble badly whenever RVP is on a bad day. I prefer a 2 strikers system - in that way, we are not overtly dependent on RVP all the time. But tactically, the 4-5-1 makes sense and is clever. It uses 3 central midfielders - given the lack of defensive destroying mid in our squad, reinforcing that sector with 3 mids (instead of SAF's usual 2 mid) is wise from Moyes. Also, Valencia/Welbeck got high defensive work-rate on the wing - they defend well together with high work-rate; that compensates for our lack of defensive intensity in midfield. Basically, this is my view on this new formation; with one main disadvantage (dependance on RVP) and one wise advantage (reinforcement of midfield through quantity).
When Rooney replaced Giggs though, it switched back to a more classic 4-4-2 that we were used with SAF. So, there's doubts if Moyes will use this 4-5-1 often. Maybe it's the lack of recruits and the number of injuries in offensive sector that's encouraging him to use this 4-5-1. Maybe, with some recruits, the formation will change as season moves on... Tactically, there's not much evident changes. Moyes, like SAF, is an adept of the usage of full-backs and wings. And it's mostly counter-attacking football like SAF. Though, I noticed that there's more short passing in Moyes' style. Well, Scholes is gone and Rooney isn't in full-form, so there isn't many players who'll play long passes right now, except Carrick. Thereby, whether it's a style imposed by choice or force, remains to be seen. I do like the composed short passing though - and I know many will agree with me on that, given that there's few fans of kick-and-rush football in today's times.
Coming to player-performance, RVP is pure class and sheer brilliance - can't add much. Rooney isn't fit enough physically in my eyes - but oh well, he got 2 assists. He'll be beast, once he regains his fitness. I do hope he stays, with all my heart. Welbeck did excellent today - way better than his usual level of performance. Kagawa should start instead of Giggs - but the season is still lengthy. Credits to Giggs, his lobbed pass for first goal requires amazing vision. Valencia is better in #25. Cleverley did his job - but as I said, Cleverley is a young player who can't play as starter week-in-week-out yet. He gets burn quickly and doesn't remain at top level with accumulation of matches. He needs to be a squad rotation player. Carrick has been restricted in a more defensive role in this 4-5-1. Remains to be seen if that'll change as season moves on. As I said above, it's highly possible that the 4-5-1 will turn into 4-4-1-1, once there's arrivals from transfer market and once our injured players return. The defence has been good in both matches, and De Gea has really grown in confidence.
Well, we aren't favorites at all for our own title defence. But consider this - for a team supposedly weakened with a new manager, in the middle of a Rooney media storm, a squad with multiplies injuries (Chicharito/Young/Nani/Evans/Fletcher), a suspended Rafael and a lack of recruits - United has been pretty impressive. My point is, if this is what a sub-level United can do, a full-potential United may definitely be crowned champions again in my eyes. Not to be forgotten, we weren't at perfect form last year either; mainly with terrible form of wingers but yet, we won the league with such a margin. Then again, it's with the upcoming big matches that we'll truly be tested. But I do feel we are being way too underrated right now.
Man.City v/s Newcastle - 4-0
Okay, City crushed N'Castle, but also highly impressed me. In fact, of all 6 teams, City impressed me the most. I kinda envisioned that they'll be damn good but still I never saw Negredo/Jovetic as an update to Tevez/Balotelli - plus like many, I do felt that they overspent for overpriced players. Still, my doubts were unfortunately mostly wrong. More than finding replacements to Tevez, Pellegrini actually did a better thing - he revitalized Dzeko. Plus, Navas and Fernandinho were both highly impressive; especially Navas.
There's clearly a Pellegrini touch on this team's style of play. One touch passing and quick rapid-fire counter-attacking football. I don't have much to say on the match, given how one-sided it was. Both wings were well-animated by Silva/Navas, where most City chances came from. And they break through the center in most counter-attacks. Could have been way more than 4-0 without Tim Krul's saves. Newcastle were really poor though, especially a catastrophic defence. Ben Arfa was the sole Magpies who tried something in first half, but that was meager effort and his soloist attempts died soon in second half. The red card of Newcastle didn't help matters. I kinda adored
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mindset.Coming to the players, I'll start with Dzeko who impressed me mightily. This was a great performance from him; following his pre-season. And as Dzeko said himself, Pellegrini gave him confidence once again, and that showed. Excellent as sole striker, very good in his passing and movement - he was a constant nuisance to defenders. His finishing can be more clinical, but still, that's a much better performance that most of his City matches previously in other 2 seasons. His linking with Aguero was also fabulous - nearly reminiscent of Dzeko's telepathic connection with Grafite, back in his Hoffenheim's days. Aguero was supposedly not 100% fit but his goal remained world-class finishing. Navas seemed like a complete natural - like he was playing for seasons with City. He's gonna be instrumental in this season for City, and perhaps one of the best wingers in EPL. Silva and Toure remain the midfield bosses of City, while Fernandinho impressed with his tackling and intensity. Nasri also had a highly encouraging entry in second half, perhaps like Dzeko, boosted by Pellegrini.
I'm kinda afraid of City but it remains to be seen, how they perform in CL. And how the squad rotation will be done by Pellegrini.
Chelsea v/s Hull City - 2-0
"Welcome Home, Mourinho!" Well, this almost felt like a theme football match. The pressure of Mou's return was emphasized so much, that it overshadowed the match. And to be speak the truth, this felt like a Mourinho tactical match from start to finish. Impressive roller-coasting offensive start, a more defensive composed second-half as victory was sealed. Measured & efficient in all Mou's style. Chelsea had countless chances in opening stages. A penalty in first 5 minutes that was saved, woodwork struck, many saves by goalkeeper of Hull, many off-target shots, a quick goal by Oscar after a sweet combination & a cracker freekick by Lampard, who more than atoned for his penalty and ended the match there and then.
The intensity dipped in 2nd half but that was mostly tactical according to me. They got a match on Wednesday, and knowing Mou, he didn't plan to exhaust his players with high-intensity throughout the match. Especially against Hull, who didn't do much. Hull, though, played better passing game in second half. They kinda used Chelsea's change of stance and with Huddlestone/Livermore's entry, they tried better things. but in vain. Brady also showed certain spark in Hull City. Hull will depend a lot on these 3 players to avoid relegation.
Chelsea is presented as EPL favorites - so did they impress? Well, their youth squad showed tremendous promise; as De Bryune, Hazard & Oscar gel amazingly well. But I didn't see much changes from previous Chelsea sides. Chelsea always started their seasons in amazing fashion, showing great teamwork...But they often crumble at quarter of the season. That's a bit the challenge of Mou. Last year, it was mainly due to lack of squad depth that caused their fall in EPL. The excellent Starting 11 with the trio Oscar-Mata-Hazard, not delivering on constant basis...This year, Mou brought Shurle and Van Ginkel and Lukaku/De Bryune returned. Plus, they are still searching for a top-notch striker. Something of a higher level than Torres/Ba/Lukaku and that'll give them 4 strikers like City/United.
Basically, that's my take on Chelsea. From this match, nothing much can be said yet; given their constant strong debuts in nearly all EPL seasons of Abramovitch era.
Arsenal v/s Aston Villa - 1-3
I'm not commenting on the match proceedings; as it was just another story of one team dominating in chances, then self-dooming themselves with stupid fouls and ultimately lost miserably. What needs to be analysed is Arsenal - have they progressed or regressed from last season, are they at stand-still or are they in complete crisis?
I'm tempted to say the latter, but perhaps "crisis" would be an overstatement after one sole match. However, things definitely don't look good right now for Arsenal. A simple explanation of that, would be that they repeated the same mistake from their 2 previous summer transfer windows. Allow me to explain further here: Last season (2012/13), they bought players early on and this was a great thing, but I always said that Cazorla/Podolski/Giroud are good players but neither got the coating of a leader on the pitch. But thing is, Arsenal is a team that needs a leader - there needs to be someone who inspires their play on the field. They managed miraculously to end up 4th, due to many lucky factors. Also, because a player like Walcott had the guts to be that leader on certain matches when no one expected him. A bit because Cazorla had an amazing start to its season and managed to carry Arsenal, whenever his form didn't dip. And also, because luckily, Wilshere managed to be a leader as injuries seemingly didn't ravage his career prospect too much. So, last season, Arsenal had 3 vice-leaders, where one often stepped up as true leader in certain matches as compensation. But I still think that they need that special leader; especially if they wanna aim higher than Top 4.
But instead of bettering their previous summer window this season, they have worsen it. Instead of bringing that A-List game-changer as their game leader along with decent early recruits, they have stagnated. In fact, they repeated their transfer summer window of 2011/12, where they didn't buy and had to buy lots of rejects as panic buys, post a calamitous 8-2 hammering at Old Trafford. And Arsenal had just entered the same dark space once again. No early recruits, a wake-up defeat on opening day, lots of injuries & young inexperienced players brought in as replacements - they are way closer to another 8-2 demolition than a title contender position, as it stands. It's perhaps worse than 2011/12. Then they had a leader in RVP, which they don't even have right now. So yes, it's very close to a crisis.
And what's infuriating for Arsenal fans, is the false promise of spending big money supposedly, in the ambition of aiming higher than 4th place. Quite frankly, with the fans paying the most expensive ticket in EPL, having false vows made to them, is really a cruel thing (if I take it from their point of view). How can you be 100 steps backwards, when you decide to move 10 steps forward? That's beyond my understanding.
Anyways, Arsenal is in a bad fix right now. They needs recruits - the least would be decent back-up players for squad depth in many positions where they have aging/injury-prone players. And the best would be to, also buy that world-class players that can deliver them dreams. Given Arsene's stingy nature, would be almost a miracle if he did the minimum requires.
Crystal Palace v/s Tottenham - 0-1
Well, a boring match overall. Despite having brought more interesting prospects this summer in Paulinho, Soldado, Chadli & Capoue, the lack of Gareth Bale felt thoroughly on the match. But this shouldn't come as a surprise. Tottenham, like Arsenal, needs that leader on the pitch - and apart Bale, no one has taken that mantle at Spurs yet. Maybe Lloris but it depends on your perspective - is a goalkeeper a match-winner or a match-saver in today's modern play? That'll be a nice debate.
That being said, I see promising things in this Tottenham squad. Even the loss of Bale could not be as detrimental to Spurs imo. Sure, they'll lose a leader but they can surely find a new one in half-price of Bale's sale along with great other players. Plus, Bale isn't gone yet. But I do see Spurs' future as bright. Mainly because they bought an array of great players over the years. Tottenham nearly always fought with good English players (Lennon, Defoe, Carrick, Walker, Caulker, Parker ect...). Seeing players like Lloris, Paulinho, Soldado, Verthonghen, Dembele, Chadli ect... over 2 years, is a great thing. Plus, there's more to come.
Sure, there remains skepticism on their ability to clinch that Top 4 finish. Yet, it's undeniable that Tottenham has always been moving forward in right direction in past seasons. And I see, this one as no different. They may have struggled on this match against a weak Crystal Palace but I can foresee them to top Arsenal this year - Bale or no Bale! To be fair, they deserved to clinch 4th place more deservingly than Arsenal last season, but their usual weak starts in seasons, cost them ultimately despite Bale's heroics.
They may have scrapped a sketchy victory but it's still a victory and something more positive than previous seasons. I think, they'll find their true form once the Bale saga is done. AVB needs to see whether his play will rotate around Bale or not. He used Chadli in similar tactical piece as Bale in that match; where Chadli had lots of shots but his finishing was nothing like Bale. And his soloist efforts needs more refinement. Overall, I truly think that we can judge Tottenham's true level and potential, once Bale saga is done - and whether he leaves or not!
Crystal Palace won't survive in PL according to me. A way too direct plays, lacking of individual brilliance. And for a team that was carried by Zaha from championship to top-flight, this isn't a surprise.
Liverpool v/s Stoke- 1-0
Well, a typical Stoke match. Lots of defence from their sides where Liverpool had tough luck to break the lock, with a Begovic in aspiring form. And as usual, Stoke created some good chances on either counters and mainly set-pieces. In fact, without a decisive Mignolet on a penalty save, Liverpool would have paid their price for not scoring that 2nd goal.
But Liverpool has shown promising things in play. Stturidge has tried to step-up in Suarez's absence for 'sinking his teeth where not recommended'. And he scored a nice solo-goal with a neat powerful low-shot. Good thing for Liverpool is that Suarez transfer saga seemed to have been stopped. Thereby, there's no cloud of speculation like with Rooney/Bale. Gerrard has been switched to a more deep-lying playmaker role like Pirlo, that takes all set-pieces and leads the team. But the revelation has been Coutinho, who has finally adapted perfectly to Liverpool's style with this summer break. He's now the offensive orchestrator of L'Pool. With Gerrard, his duo is reminiscent of Xabi-Gerrard combo that won CL in 2005.
In any case, I don't have high expectations for L'Pool. Don't really see them in Top 4. But there seems to be improvement on their gameplay. So, whether they can tickle the homogeneity of the other 5 teams remain to be seen. Atleast, Brendan Rodgers can be said to have improve that team over seasons, instead of dooming it further.
Escorpiius
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The technology is perfect. A great move and that header was not a goal.
The ball must cross the goaline ENTIRELY. As long as the ball doesn't cross it completely; that is part of it is level with on the line or crosses it partially, it's NOT a goal.
Grasp the football rules better. This technology should be implemented in all competitions. In fact, it should implemented for offside line too. Platini's view can be flushed, for all I care.
No the ball wasn't completely over the line and I think the goal line technology is long overdue. Goals like Lampards when England played Germany at the World Cup won't ever be disallowed again. Football needs to move on and use technology, there have been far too many false and match deciding decission by referees in the past. Hopefully Blatter will retire from FIFA soon and a young person takes over who is more open minded about technology.
Escorpiius
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Blatter accepted the technology. He's the first one who green-lighted the usage of it, and thanks to him, it'll be used in the next World Cup. The FA also followed suite, and thereby EPL became the first league to use this technology.
It's Platini who doesn't want to use it and is against technology. Considering the no. of controversies in Champions League every year, I find that scandalous to refuse it. Overall, FIFA accepted. UEFA didn't. Blatter is much more open-minded than Platini; though Blatter's decision to have a WC in Qatar remains startling till date.
Well, the debate for goal-line technology goes way back and Blatter and Platini both played a major part that football never had goal-line technology til now.
I would love to see video evidence in Football aswell (because of diving, hand balls, fouls in the penalty area) but those two artifacts will never allow such thing.
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The dead weight just scored quite the beauty
Anyway, probably Arsene will probably pay the price. He is an amazing coach that has kept Arsenal in top 4 without any big transfers while having to sell his top players,but many Gooners fail to see that and usually blame it all on him. Balotelli has been quite good in Milan from what I've heard, haven't seen much of him. But he is young and very talented, with the right coach he would flourish.
Suarez is a pain in the ass, and sometimes he fails to understand what team sport means. But I have to admit if it wasn't for him Liverpool wouldn't have reached top 10 with the game they had.
I read that if Eto'o wants to leave Anzhi he has to pay his pre-paid wages, which was close to 20m euro, and I doubt that he is ready to pay that. Maybe Yilmaz will be the better choice.
Lennon is a player who doesn't exactly put a lot of thought on his game. He did get the penalty, but he could have made much more and better chances if he did. He was lucky that the defender put his had up needlessly( Something I think he did once again later in the game). Don't get me wrong, he has great assets, but he doesn't think when he gets the ball.
And have in mind that the whole team seemed to use the right wing as both Lennon and Walker are faster and used to playing together. As a matter of fact they seemed to understand each other very well. So it's normal that most of the attacks came from Lennon.
As for Chadli, some of his shots seemed more like failed crosses
And yes, I failed to mention Lloris, but he really is probably one of the most important players and one of the best goalies in the world.
That will be too much, we are watching football, not tennis. I see why they put the goal technology, but use it for everything, then there should be stops every 5 minutes to check the cams.
And what exactly will happen if the 4th ref decides that the ref had made the wrong decision? For example if one team constantly attack, but the other snatches the ball and make a fast counter attack, and ends up scoring. Usually the replays take time to edit, so the 4th, might see the replay after the goal and realize that when the 2nd team won the ball, there has been a fault. So should the game be restarted from the place where the fault was and thus not accepting the goal? Isn't that first stopping the game, and also wasting time? If the 4th ref has to restart the game from every wrong decision of the 1st ref, then there will be quite some restarts. If not, then what use of the replay?
Yeah, dont cut my head off lol, i was wrong but lets see how long villa can keep up this performance, i also agree with you on lennon and the over dependence on goal line technology kills the game, and yeah you might be right escorps on van persie and carrick and rafael all been championship winners though van persie was the most instrumental in my opinion and rafael? lol And yeah its confirmed william is in london undergoing a medical at spurs and reports originating from spain claims bale is very close to a signing with madrid.The dead weight just scored quite the beauty
Anyway, probably Arsene will probably pay the price. He is an amazing coach that has kept Arsenal in top 4 without any big transfers while having to sell his top players,but many Gooners fail to see that and usually blame it all on him. Balotelli has been quite good in Milan from what I've heard, haven't seen much of him. But he is young and very talented, with the right coach he would flourish.
Suarez is a pain in the ass, and sometimes he fails to understand what team sport means. But I have to admit if it wasn't for him Liverpool wouldn't have reached top 10 with the game they had.
I read that if Eto'o wants to leave Anzhi he has to pay his pre-paid wages, which was close to 20m euro, and I doubt that he is ready to pay that. Maybe Yilmaz will be the better choice.
Lennon is a player who doesn't exactly put a lot of thought on his game. He did get the penalty, but he could have made much more and better chances if he did. He was lucky that the defender put his had up needlessly( Something I think he did once again later in the game). Don't get me wrong, he has great assets, but he doesn't think when he gets the ball.
And have in mind that the whole team seemed to use the right wing as both Lennon and Walker are faster and used to playing together. As a matter of fact they seemed to understand each other very well. So it's normal that most of the attacks came from Lennon.
As for Chadli, some of his shots seemed more like failed crosses
And yes, I failed to mention Lloris, but he really is probably one of the most important players and one of the best goalies in the world.
That will be too much, we are watching football, not tennis. I see why they put the goal technology, but use it for everything, then there should be stops every 5 minutes to check the cams.
Migualon J.J.
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since you're talking about goalkeepers, can you give me your lists?
TOP 5 Goalkeepers imo:
1) Neuer (just incredible keeper imo)
2) Buffon (the guy is old but freakin beast)
3) Lloris (BEAST)
4) Casillas (i don't know what to think about him, last season he didn't play much cause of injury and after injury Lopez was in form, but i still place him in TOP 5)
5) Čech/Hart (imo, Hart is keeper who just sucks or is godly on Neuer level, on the other hand Čech keeps his form imo)
Just to mention them:
De Gea (has great potential imo and is doing pretty well in ManU imo)
Júlio César (i just like him lol)
oh, i heard AW wants Benzema and Di Maria, he offered 40 mil for Benzema, but i doubt Real will accept as they would then have only Morata for striker, on the other hand i think Di Maria is quite a good possibility U_U
TOP 5 Goalkeepers imo:
1) Neuer (just incredible keeper imo)
2) Buffon (the guy is old but freakin beast)
3) Lloris (BEAST)
4) Casillas (i don't know what to think about him, last season he didn't play much cause of injury and after injury Lopez was in form, but i still place him in TOP 5)
5) Čech/Hart (imo, Hart is keeper who just sucks or is godly on Neuer level, on the other hand Čech keeps his form imo)
Just to mention them:
De Gea (has great potential imo and is doing pretty well in ManU imo)
Júlio César (i just like him lol
)oh, i heard AW wants Benzema and Di Maria, he offered 40 mil for Benzema, but i doubt Real will accept as they would then have only Morata for striker, on the other hand i think Di Maria is quite a good possibility U_U
That top 5!since you're talking about goalkeepers, can you give me your lists?
TOP 5 Goalkeepers imo:
1) Neuer (just incredible keeper imo)
2) Buffon (the guy is old but freakin beast)
3) Lloris (BEAST)
4) Casillas (i don't know what to think about him, last season he didn't play much cause of injury and after injury Lopez was in form, but i still place him in TOP 5)
5) Čech/Hart (imo, Hart is keeper who just sucks or is godly on Neuer level, on the other hand Čech keeps his form imo)
Just to mention them:
De Gea (has great potential imo and is doing pretty well in ManU imo)
Júlio César (i just like him lol
oh, i heard AW wants Benzema and Di Maria, he offered 40 mil for Benzema, but i doubt Real will accept as they would then have only Morata for striker, on the other hand i think Di Maria is quite a good possibility U_U
But I'd put Cortois instead of Julio Cesar. He is so young and quite skillful, and not to mention that he is HUGE. He'd be a great replacement for Cech. From what I heard, they are going to make a bid for Suarez, so the money that comes from Benzema would be added to the Suarez fond
I'd actually like to see both Benzema and Di Maria in Arsenal. Di Maria would do far better on the left wing than Podolski, his speed is much greater and he passes quite well when he wants (Yes, yes, I know that sometimes he refuses to do that). As for Benzema, I think he'd do well behind Giroud as he is a player who both finishes and passes well, while Giroud is more of a finisher. Thus Benzema could either give the final pass or score himself.
Migualon J.J.
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WOAH now, you think Benzema would replace Santi Cazorla in that spot? O_0 i would imagine Benzema playing instead of Giroud tbh, but who knows, and i really doubt Arsenal is gonna get Benzema as well as i do not believe that Liverpool would sell Suarez this close to the end of transfer windowThat top 5!
From what I heard, they are going to make a bid for Suarez, so the money that comes from Benzema would be added to the Suarez fond
I'd actually like to see both Benzema and Di Maria in Arsenal. Di Maria would do far better on the left wing than Podolski, his speed is much greater and he passes quite well when he wants (Yes, yes, I know that sometimes he refuses to do that). As for Benzema, I think he'd do well behind Giroud as he is a player who both finishes and passes well, while Giroud is more of a finisher. Thus Benzema could either give the final pass or score himself.
Santi was irregular so it could help the team, Benzema could be a replacement for either Giroud or Santi, which means he'll be first team player almost all the time. And if you want to play all of them at the same time, you can put Santi on the wing.
And well, their first bid for Benzema is higher than the real price, at least IMO, so they might get him. I think it's time they made a proper signing this TW.
As for Suarez, it only depends on the bid, he is ready to leave and if he has a chance to go to Madrid, he won't doubt for a moment.
The game is stopped after a goal anyway, enough time for the 4th to analyze the goal and nowadays it doesn't take long to get a replay. Also most of the time if something "fishy" happens before a goal the players are going to complain anyway and halt the game. Time thats wasted in the progess would add to the injurytime of course. The 4th referee also should only interfere in critical situations (like penalties or goals) or if asked by the 1st ref.
A other idea would be that each manager of each team has 1 or 2 vetos against referee decisions. (which would be the best solution imho)
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To me its:since you're talking about goalkeepers, can you give me your lists?
TOP 5 Goalkeepers imo:
1) Neuer (just incredible keeper imo)
2) Buffon (the guy is old but freakin beast)
3) Lloris (BEAST)
4) Casillas (i don't know what to think about him, last season he didn't play much cause of injury and after injury Lopez was in form, but i still place him in TOP 5)
5) Čech/Hart (imo, Hart is keeper who just sucks or is godly on Neuer level, on the other hand Čech keeps his form imo)
Just to mention them:
De Gea (has great potential imo and is doing pretty well in ManU imo)
Júlio César (i just like him lol
oh, i heard AW wants Benzema and Di Maria, he offered 40 mil for Benzema, but i doubt Real will accept as they would then have only Morata for striker, on the other hand i think Di Maria is quite a good possibility U_U
1) Buffon (pure class)
2/3) Neuer (He can be sloppy at times)
3/2) Cech (Same as Neuer)
4) Casillias
5) Hart
guys please, hart was a one season wonder, he's massive overrated (though his performance against dortmund was incredible)
Btw have you seen ochoa of ajaccio, he had 34 shots on goal (vs psg) and only 1 got past him....
Btw have you seen ochoa of ajaccio, he had 34 shots on goal (vs psg) and only 1 got past him....
Migualon J.J.
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Čech as 2/3? O_0 ok, i am from the same country as him, but there is no way he is that good lol, i would say he used to be around 5 years back, but not now
and poor Lloris, not even being in Top 5 O_0
i disagree about Hart, he is pretty good in his club, yes in national team it is meh, but i think that Hart is pretty good
lol, ok, you say Hart was 1 season, but this Ochoa guy had 1 match?
Escorpiius
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Honestly, I don't think there's someone that actually distinguishes itself as the Top Goalkeeper actually. You may make a Top 5 or Top 10; but imo, the first place is up for grabs by many.since you're talking about goalkeepers, can you give me your lists?
TOP 5 Goalkeepers imo:
1) Neuer (just incredible keeper imo)
2) Buffon (the guy is old but freakin beast)
3) Lloris (BEAST)
4) Casillas (i don't know what to think about him, last season he didn't play much cause of injury and after injury Lopez was in form, but i still place him in TOP 5)
5) Čech/Hart (imo, Hart is keeper who just sucks or is godly on Neuer level, on the other hand Čech keeps his form imo)
Just to mention them:
De Gea (has great potential imo and is doing pretty well in ManU imo)
Júlio César (i just like him lol
In 2012, I'd probably have Casillas as No.1; after a stunning season and Euro's win. And I would have Cech as No.2; given his heroics in Chelsea's CL win.
But right now, in 2013, I can't say who's Number 1. Neuer is great but he got too little job at Bayern, to be tested in extremes like many goalkeepers do. Weindenfeiller got an awesome season in early 2013; probably the best till now. De Gea, Muslera & Courtois have made tremendous progress. Diego Lopez & Lloris impressed for most part of the season. Cech has been mostly stable, though a few mistakes. Hart & Casillas have had a declining season; while Buffon is on a decline due to age.
Neuer is young, and with Pep's tactics, maybe he'll now be more of a keyman for Bayern. With his talent, poise and skills, this guy got everything to be the Best Goalkeeper undoubtedly. I can easily see De Gea/Courtois/Muslera fight for that spot, in near-coming years. I love Cech personally - he got all attributes of a world-class goalkeeper and actually is good-great in 90% of Chelsea, and he's maintained that consistency for years. And Lloris is great. If Dortmund remain a top dog in European echelon in coming years, expect Weindenfeiller. Tim Krul, Begovic & Diego Lopez impressed me in many matches too. Perhaps, they'll be in Top 10 someday; certainly got the potential. Buffon/Casillas are hanging with their experience; for how many years, I can't say.
Hart is best English goalkeeper over more than a decade, but he's still overrated. it's not about his skills - it's about his perception and intellect skill. Goalkeeping requires lots of thinking, studying, research, focus, concentration skills; along with technical abilities. In short, Hart doesn't make full use of his talent. You can easily see a different commanding body posture in Cech/Casillas/Neuer or a different imposing personality in Buffon/Lloris/Weindenfeiller - this is actually highly important factor for a goalkeeper. Hart doesn't have that, yet. And it isn't only Hart, Abbiati/Sczeny/Handanovic/Stekeelenburg ect... can all be among the best, if they were more consistent and make better use of their gained experience. It's not that they lack skills or talent. De Gea/Courtois/Muslera's learning graph rate is better than Hart - in fact, I'd rate most of them ahead of Hart already.