UK Football

Mike Ashley has slashed Newcastle’s selling price by £150million due to lack of interest in the club.  In fact the only even rumored buyer has been Chris Nathaniel, who was planning to buy out the club with help from a Nigerian Consortium, but likely was coming up a bit short.  What I don’t understand though, is why have Newcastle fans pushed for Mike Ashley to sell the club?

Mike Ashley wanted to make Newcastle better, but bitter fans that have no right to say what the club should be doing have forced him to have no other option than to leave.  I just don’t get it, as supporters why would you shoot yourselves in the foot and start your club on the downward spiral it’s currently riding. 

Bolton manager Gary Megson is understandably enraged at the referee Rob Styles decision over the weekend, to award Cristiano Ronaldo a penalty over a fair challenge from Jlloyd Samuel.  Anyone watching the match would clearly witness Samuel winning the ball well before making contact with Ronaldo, as well as Ronaldo’s unique ability to throw himself to the ground when any contact is made by the defender.

How Rob Styles was possessed to award a penalty for a fair tackle, that was timed to perfection by Samuel, I will never understand.  Not even Ferguson appeared in any way happy about the decision, as it took away all life from the match by deflating a good Bolton side into eventually succumbing to the United attack, all off a penalty that never should have been given.

And apparently upon viewing the replay himself, Rob Styles agrees, as the official has publicly apologized to Bolton and Gary Megson for blowing the call, and awarding a false penalty.  But where’s the accountability?

What incentive does Rob Styles have to make the correct calls if there is no punishment for failing to do so?  Clearly something needs to change, before more officials begin to decide the outcome of matches, instead of the players involved.

As I’m still shocked by Hull City’s victory over Arsenal, I also can’t fathom the talents of Wigan Athletic’s loaned striker Zaki.  The Egyptian wonder as he’s become, and perfectly suited to Premiership life as evidenced by Wigan’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City.  I mean, it’s guaranteed that anybody playing beside Emile Heskey is going to look incredible, because Heskey is brilliant at playing the silent role and making his strike partner look like the most talented footballer in the world.

But Wigan has taken themselves to a completely different level, as evidenced this week, in general as they  Steve Bruce’s side completely outclassed the new Manchester City.  Showing that the effect of the Abu Dhabi United Group’s billions have yet to take hold in Manchester.  Evidently Shaun Wright-Phillips, Robinho, Jo and a rejuvenated Stephen Ireland just aren’t enough to buy a victory.  

photo: Oldelpaso

But if one thing is evident from Wigan’s performance, and the bravery of newfound wonder striker Zaki.  It’s that Wigan are a club to watch this season, because they have the beginnings of Steven Bruce’s greatest glory in their midst.

photo: Paul Blank

Wow Arsene Wenger must be pissed.  After a typically dominating performance by Arsenal, one in which the Gunners should have been able to see themselves through for the three points with no problems at all, the London side are instead handed only their second loss at home in 40 matches in all competitions.  Arsenal dominated in every way possible statistically, leading 25 shots to Hull’s 9, 63% possession to Hull’s 37%.  Even on corner kicks the game was heavily in Arsenal’s favor, with 15 to Hull’s 4.  So what happened?

The genius of Phil Brown is the reason.  The way he has set up Hull City is such that they can give any team a fight for the match, as proven today.  Hull is brilliant because each player on the pitch is incredibly disciplined to play out the match on their terms, and through their system, and not get drawn into the traps a big club like Arsenal can set up for you.  The most amazing thing about the match was how many bodies Hull were always able to commit to defense during Arsenal’s attacks, despite Hull never abandoning the attack themselves.

Normally in that sort of scenario, most clubs would put out a 4-5-1 knowing that they’re going to be up against it for the ninety minutes of Arsenal at home.  But Hull went in doing what they’ve done so far this season, they played a 4-4-2, and they never swayed from the Hull format.  Done to such brilliance, as Phil Brown knows he doesn’t have the best players in the league, and so doesn’t try to force them into situations beyond their strengths.  Each player has such fine tuned fundamentals that they can stick together as a team, and defend more than capably, and flow into an attack that they’re comfortable with.

photo:  George Rispin

Phil Brown has done a brilliant thing with this club, by training his players to stick together as such that when they’re down 1-0 to Arsenal, they turn 5 shots on goal into a 2-1 lead for three well earned points.  Most people would say that Arsenal didn’t look their best during the contest, but that would be a misjudgment.  The brave defending of McShane, Dawson, Turner, and Zayatte put them off with their never ending spirits.  And a brilliant performance by Boaz Myhill kept any would be attempts from Arsenal to level the scoreline, well away.

A brilliant exercise in why the Premiership is the most competitive league in the world.  As most wouldn’t consider Hull City much of a strong squad yet, as this is the first time the club has ever walked the paces of the Premiership before, and their first year of promotion.  But Phil Brown is out to prove a point, and that is you don’t need the most talented players in the world, you just need enough well disciplined players to do the job well.

I will be watching Hull with much more interest for the rest of the season now.  Especially to see how Phil Brown handles the increased pressure of becoming a squad that needs to be on the map as a challenge for England’s “big four”.

 Mike Ashley has named Joe Kinnear as the temporary manager for the Magpies, likely until the proposed takeover removes Mike Ashley’s involvement with the club.  61 year old Kinnear known for his roles managing Luton and Wimbledon, has said that he has no illusions about his role at the club, and that he only expects to be managing for six to eight weeks until Chris Nathaniel and his Nigerian consortium can complete their  £350million takeover.  At which point Kinnear admits the return of Kevin Keegan as manager is much more likely that the Irishman staying in power at the club.

But Newcastle will still be in trouble, despite the steady hand of Kinnear to guide them, Obafemi Martins will be out for another six weeks at least after reinjuring his knee.  A huge blow to the club as Martin’s basically carries the attacking power of the club.  Watching Newcastle play without Martin’s pace and scoring ability is like watching Manchester United without Rooney, Ronaldo, and Tevez, i.e. he’s Newcastle’s entire scoring contingent.  

Sure Michael Owen can still net a decent few, but Owen is unreliable as a scorer, and has moved more into just being a captain of the squad.  Sure he can lead the team, but he can’t score often enough to keep Newcastle afloat, and his age means all the speed of his past is long gone.  Martins is the key to Newcastle becoming a semi-successful squad again, without him they are sinking fast.

Not even having a solid manager like Kinnear can save them if they can’t keep their best players healthy.

 Harry Redknapp wants you to know that David James is not as awful as you think.  Despite giving up 10 goals in two games, He’s just having a bad run of play.  If you buy into what Redknapp is saying.  But to me, 4-0 against Chelsea, and then 6-0 to Manchester City means there’s a real problem with Portsmouth’s defense.  

When you are honestly trying to challenge the Premiership’s elite, and you’re losing matches that badly, you’re basically hemorrhaging.  I mean, you’re sitting in 13th on the table, and your goal differential is -7, Portsmouth are shooting themselves in the foot early.  You never want the goal differential to be a negative number, but -7 in the first five games of the season?

Redknapp is in serious denial if he thinks Portsmouth are fine, and only had a few bad performances.  

And David James?  When has he ever been a good goalkeeper.  James is a solid keeper if you can get him to stay around the net, the problem is he has a penchant for running after an attacker, leaving the net wide open for even the worst of strikers to put the ball in.  I can’t believe David James is still the England keeper over Paul Robinson at this point.  I’ve never seen a keeper make more idiotic decisions, and Redknapp is defending him for letting 10 goals into the net in two games.  

photo: Paul Blank

Arsene Wenger has called his young Arsenal squad this year, his best ever.  All this on the eve of the club’s 6-0 victory over Sheffield United in the Carling Cup.  My question is, why are you patting yourself on the back for beating a lackluster Championship club like Sheffield?  

Sheffield is the sort of club that is still so bitter about their elimination from the Premier League that they’re still trying to persecute West Ham for their early use of Carlos Tevez.  After their protest over to be reinstated to the Premiership, Sheffield have fallen so far from the grace of Premiership football, that I doubt they’ll every rise again.

But congratulations Arsene Wenger, That’s a great acheivment.  Slaughtering a Championship side that looks fit to implode and drop to League 1 or even 2.  That’s like beating Manchester United in one of their first three games of ever season, before they stop playing awful and start winning.  It doesn’t really even count as a victory, Wenger should be angry that with all that scoring power the club only netted 6 when they should have done double.

My guess is that Arsenal will suffer the same fate with that sort of Wenger optimism, as they did last year.  A great run for a few months, until eventually Chelsea or United take them off the top spot, and Wenger finishes another season without a trophy of any kind.

Nov. 30th is shaping up to be a great day, as it will mark the first edition of this years Premier League Manchester derby day.  United have finally hit their stride, as evidenced in their Carling Cup victory over Middlesbrough 3-1.  With Ronaldo scoring a goal in his first start of the season, showing that when Ronaldo starts United become that much better on the pitch.  Of course both sides essentially played ghost squads, as the Carling Cup isn’t as serious as England’s other titles, namely the FA Cup and the Premiership.  But still this return to form means something to the Premier League champs, it marks the first time this season they’ve beaten a team fairly easily.

While the takeover of Manchester City ensures they will only be growing stronger each day.  Abu Dhabi United Group officially became the new City owners today, and marked the occasion with the appointment of new club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak has also made his first order of business to announce that current manager Mark Hughes will be allowed to make all decisions regarding football at the club, i.e. transfers.  With the resounding echoes of Kevin Keegan’s displacement still very evident in the Premiership, City fans I’m sure as well as Hughes himself, are glad to have the reassurance.  

With Abu Dhabi United Group’s money, and the January transfer window not all that far away, the second Manchester derby at Old Trafford May 9th will be the real match to look forward to.  Manchester City no doubt will have a much stronger team by that point, and United will have hit their stride to the fullest extent possible.

John Terry is going to have to step up his defending to a new standard, as Ricardo Carvalho will be out for at least a month after damaging a knee ligament during Sunday’s fixture against Manchester United.  Carvalho having stepped up into the place of Chelsea’s best defender, at least in my mind, will prove to be a huge loss to the club.  Especially with Manchester United’s disappointing form of late in the League.  A defensive weakness is not what you want to leave for opposing teams when you’re hoping to increase the distance between yourselves and the current champs.

Also out for no less that two weeks is Deco, who didn’t even make it into Sunday’s match.  The Portoguese international tore a muscle in his thigh during prematch training at Stamford Bridge.  Already Chelsea felt the absence of Deco, as Ballack looked a little rusty winning most of those mid-field battles.  Something Deco has excelled at in recent weeks.

Chelsea is loaded with talent, and this should only prove to be a minor setback.  But you have to wonder if any points will be dropped before Carvalho and Deco are match fit once again.  

Portsmouth have been completely and utterly destroyed today, as Manchester City have delivered the truest representation of what their attacking combo can do.  Mark Hughes absolutely could not be more happy, as City destroyed Pompey 6-0 featuring 6 different goalscorers.  Jo at ‘13th minute, Richard Dunne ‘20, Robinho ‘57, Shaun Wright-Phillips ‘68, Ched Evans ‘78, and Fernandes Gelson in the ‘83rd minute.  

I find it extraordinarily hilarious that Chelsea keep throwing comments at Robinho, like some jilted lover trying to sting the person who just isn’t interested.  And Robinho responds by netting two Premier League goals in as many games.  City had three major purchases and all have paid off.  Shaun Wright-Phillips, the perfect injection of pace and passing as well as superb positioning.  Jo the talented Brazilian who seems born to start at the front with Robinho.  

The weekend also saw Manchester United finally hit their stride to take a point away from Stamford Bridge, in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.  Berbatov finally looked to click with Rooney in most respects, and Ronaldo looks healthy enough to start from now on, with the youngster Johnny Evans showing that he can give Vidic one hell of a fight for the starting fullback position.   

Malouda’s equaliser was brilliant, and badly defended by United.  When the big club’s play it takes a moment of pure brilliance, or on mistake and a game is won or lost.  Never has that been more evident, than by the way both Ji-Sung Park and Malouda’s goals were scored.  

But I think Manchester United take away more from the match, as United leave with a much needed point, and more importantly a good performance on the ‘90 minutes.  And Chelsea hold on to their accursed undefeated record at home that’s been stretching for 4 1/2 years now.  The problem with that record though, is the reason Chelsea have lost the Premiership title the last two years, is due to the fact that they draw so much at home.  What good is your home record if you’re dropping almost the same amount of points anyway by drawing all the time?  

Summary, Scolari shows a bit of rust, while the champions have hit form finally.  And it only took until their fourth league match.