Moyes Out? He's barely in.

Blogger: #14

When the final whistle blew at the Etihad stadium, the scoreline read "Manchester City 4 Manchester United 1". A lanky, ginger haired man stood pensive on the touchline. His future was thrown into doubt when his present had barely begun. "Moyes Out" (you thought I was talking about Ron Weasley, didn't you?) was trending on the glorious site we call Twitter. It was almost as if people felt sorry for Paolo Di Canio and wanted to afford him company wherever sacked managers go to. But really, Moyes should be given time, and no, it isn't because that will bring the United kingdom to ruin (See what I did there?).

At the end of last season, when the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the rest of the Premier League rejoiced. *fancy voice ON* He who had ruthlessly slain all who stood before him finally gave in to the entreaties of time.*fancy voice OFF* While there undoubtedly was relief, as United look certain to enter a rebuilding phase, there was also a poignant note struck with the fans of one of United's greatest rivals: Arsenal. The great man at the helm at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger, is no spring chicken, and the North London giants are likely to face a similar situation when Wenger finally hangs up his boots. The situation at United is of great interest to me as an Arsenal fan, and the knee jerk reaction from sections of the United fanbase is not wholly unfamiliar to one who's accustomed to hearing the jeers emanate from the stands from Arsenal's own faithful. This is my take on the whole scenario that United currently face, and Arsenal are likely to face in the near future.

Now, let me make it clear. I do not like Manchester United. I don't. I hate their talismanic no.20. I hate their left back, I hate their fans posting 'GGMU' whenever they're let anywhere near a keyboard. I hate their fans, I mark them all down as snobby, ignorant, fairweather blockheads whose only defense against any argument put forth is that they have 20 league titles, concluded with a (you guessed it) 'GGMU'. I do a disservice to fine, upstanding United supporters such as #18 and #7 in the previous statements, but they can stuff themselves for all I care (sorry guys). BUT, as much as I hate to admit it, United are the club Arsenal must become. Sure, as far as the playing field is concerned, the rivalry has mellowed. (Largely down to us dropping away, but I'll gloss over that). But off it, the clubs are very similar. We're not run by sugar daddies. We rely on our commercial deals, on matchday revenue, and are established worldwide brands. But United are bigger. Ivan Gazidis, CEO of Arsenal, said during the summer that he'd like us to reach the level Bayern Munich was at, he could have easily said United instead. Yes, Manchester United are the club whose level Arsenal want to reach. Another common link the clubs had till last season was that two outstanding, long serving managers were at the helm, and had revolutionized each club. Fergie's gone, Moyes is in. Sure, he's not the most glamorous candidate, but he's a solid manager who has every chance of making the step up to be counted amongst the elite. Though if the fans lose patience, things could turn ugly.

Here's where being a United fan can be strange for most people. 20 odd years of success has whipped patience out of most of you lot, hasn't it? That, there is likely to be a two or three year cycle during which Moyes implements his own blueprint and you fall behind your rivals is something you might find a little hard to digest. If you have a Gooner buddy, I would recommend you go up to that fine citizen and get your shoulder patted and be informed that the said citizen has been in the same predicament that you are currently facing. We know cycles, we know patience, us Arsenal fans. The move to the Emirates hamstrung us. The cash flow became a trickle. We're finally out of the wilderness and honestly, I can now see why Wenger said this. We've emerged as true contenders. Okay, sure it's too early to tell, but we're now a force to reckon with on the transfer market, and things can only get better from here. But there were moments when the fans were seething and wanted him (Wenger) out. The impatience has been growing, boos have become frequent, and there's a real danger that United will go off the tracks if they give in to what I hope is a very vocal minority. Remember 8-2? Everyone wanted him (Wenger) out that season. The club stood by him. The opening day defeat against Villa was poisonous. "Wenger Out" became the motto again. The club stood by him. United stood by Ferguson and it would do the club well if its fans stood by David Moyes. Five games and the jury's out. Hell, the jury ought to be getting out of bed right now, groggily wondering if last's night revelries were perhaps a little too excessive. Not bloody examining Moyes' credentials. Yes, that is a shit way of putting it.

A couple of seasons is what Moyes will need to make it out of Ferguson's shadow. Granted, it will be a frustrating period. But that's what makes success sweeter. The hard times. You've had it lucky with Fergie, make Moyes feel lucky to have you. Back the manager. Correction, back YOUR manager. I'm off to place a large bet on United winning the league now that I've made my thoughts public. #Jinx.

I know hashtags don't work on blogs. Tell me that in the comments section.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
#14

P.S. Don't ask me why I do that.

The Battle of Manchester: A Posthumous Report

 Blogger #18

When you’re the manager of Manchester United, it’s always your fault.

David Moyes faced an uphill task to win over us Manchester United fans even before the season started. It’s what happens when you succeed someone who has swept all before him and for a long time during his rule, had City pinned down as an after-thought, ‘the other team’, whenever you thought of football in Manchester.

He might go on to prove his critics wrong, but Sunday was every United fan’s worst nightmare. While it wasn’t as bad as losing the FA cup final to Wigan (yeah that was embarrassing, City) it was still one of those afternoons that leaves you depressed for the rest of the week, confounding parents and non-football friends alike as to how a team in Manchester, Britain could dictate your mood, 9000km away.

But you know United were bad. It’s everywhere. So bad City didn’t break a sweat dismantling them. What I'm going to do is try and explain why it turned out so. I’m going to try and explain how Pellegrini out-thought Moyes and yeah, why Kagawa should start over Young.

Line-Ups and Shape:

Both teams started in rough variations of the 4-4-2, or as it’s more popularly called now, the 4-2-3-1.

The starting line-ups

City dominate the opening stages:

While the formations were similar, the interpretations and movement by the players couldn’t have been more different. While Navas mostly mirrored Valencia’s movements in sticking to the touchlines, it was Nasri who wreaked havoc by repeatedly moving in-field hence creating space for Kolarov to overlap.

In a way, it was quite strange because these two might have never started had Clichy and Silva been fit. But it worked out quite brilliantly and a more popular player than Nasri would’ve had songs written on that performance. He drifted in and played almost like a no.10. He kept the ball moving and combined with Toure and Aguero to outnumber and overload United’s midfield duo. Nasri was the most active player on the pitch for City and touched the ball 46 times, which was the most of any man on either side in the first half. He exchanged passes with Toure more frequently than any other pair of players in the match (16), and by the time the first 16 minutes had passed City were ahead and United had barely seen the ball. Possession read 70.6% to 29.4% in City’s favour and City produced 13 shots in the opening half of the game. United managed one.

Nasri moving in-field. Almost a CAM.

Moyes seems to prefer the safer players for the big games. Players like Valencia and Young who will work hard, track back and put in a defensive shift, although they don’t possess a single creative cell in their body. The likes of Nani and Kagawa, players who take risks and try to make something happen, have been benched. Hopefully, it’s just a temporary precaution.

But Valencia and Young did nothing to repay this faith shown in them by their manager. Young was abject and completed just 8 passes in the first half. But this could also be attributed to the fact he was facing Zabaleta, who made 10 tackles overall, which was more than double any other player on the pitch justifying his reputation as the best right-back in the division.

Valencia was surprisingly poor and showed none of the defensive awareness that often led to him being played as a right back. While it has been analysed in several places about how Valencia’s lack of concentration led to Nasri and Kolarov creating 2v1 situations on the left wing, I think it’s quite crucial to consider how clumsy Ferdinand and Vidic looked at centre back throughout the game. Both were slow in their lateral movements and Ferdinand in particular, after playing three times in a week, looked lost.

Aguero and Negredo didn’t make it any easier with their excellent movement upfront. While Aguero often dropped between the lines to keep the ball moving, Negredo moved into that position whenever City countered. This allowed Aguero to use his pace in behind and Moyes might have to re-consider whether it’s worth playing two slow albeit excellent center backs whose lack of pace can be so easily exploited.

Toure's dynamic passing compared to Fellaini playing simple passes to the wings.

City looked excellent in possession and their movement had fluidity to it. They dominated the midfield numerically with Nasri moving in, Aguero dropping deep and Fernandinho and Toure in the middle. Carrick and Fellaini covered more ground than any other City midfielder during the match, and that shows how ragged they were run. Fellaini made a paltry 1 tackle and failed to make a single interception. City could play in tight spaces or create space by moving wide. They had the pace and mobility to play on the counter with Navas, Aguero and Nasri and the option to lump it forward to Negredo.

United’s attack (or the lack of it):

United seemed to be too intent on focussing and creating chances through the wings, when they could have so easily exploited the center.  Pellegrini had given Toure and Fernandinho license to push forward and there were numerous occasions where Rooney had time and space to run at City’s defence. But United were so focussed on building through the wings with crosses that they failed to take advantage of this. Pellegrini seemed to have realised this even before the match and there was a clear preference from the City wide players to crowd the wings rather than cover the gaps in the middle.

Space for Rooney to run into.

Again, this leads us to the question of why Kagawa didn’t start. Admitted, there was some logic behind the decision. He wasn’t fully fit and in the absence of RVP, it made sense to use Welbeck upfront because of his pace. But Kagawa could have made better use of the space between City’s lines, both behind and beside Toure and Fernandinho, in tandem with Rooney

With neither Young nor Valencia cutting infield to help United’s build-up, Rooney was often left isolated as he ran into space in front of City’s defence with just Welbeck to play off. It’s no wonder that Rooney was considered United’s best player on the pitch, with such space to operate in.

Kompany v. Rooney

But Pellegrini soon fixed that and Kompany could be seen straight after challenging Rooney really high up the pitch. This prevented Rooney from turning. But United could have exploited Kompany’s high position by exploiting the space behind with runners from midfield. These are uncomfortable areas for center backs, 20 yards out of their defence where they might be forced to turn and sprint. But United failed to exploit this situation and City easily outnumbered their opponents and were first to every second ball. This was a prevalent feature of the first half and led to City’s dominance.

By the time Moyes made his first change, City were already 4-0 up. While United dominated possession from then on (227 passes to City’s 63), the game had ended as a contest. Nevertheless United showed a glimpse of what might have been and Cleverley was key to this resurgence. He replaced Young with Welbeck moving to the left with Fellaini behind Rooney. Cleverley kept the ball moving and when the 90 minutes were up, he had completed more passes in 40 minutes than any City player had managed in ninety. He also out passed every other player on the pitch in the attacking third. United passed the ball around better and created a couple of decent chances which Rooney spurned.  

Passes - 2nd Half

Final Conclusions:

Another day, another team will surely exploit City’s weakness through the middle. But they gambled to protect the wings, and it paid off well.

United were poor throughout and this performance is a serious cause for worry. While the 1-6 debacle had a number of fair reasons to excuse it, this was an outright drubbing. They need to show some more nerve and creativity when attacking and that surely means the likes of Kagawa and Nani starting.

Moyes has already taken most of the blame for United’s worst start to a season in 9 years, despite some piss poor performances from the likes of Young. But it’s something he’ll have to learn to live with. They’ll claim he’s not good enough if results don’t shine through. But if he does manage to take them on an unbeaten run, they’ll claim “it’s still Fergie’s team”.

What I’m trying to say is, support Moyes. Cause a wise man once said –

‘I’d also like to remind you, that when we had bad times here, the club stood by me, all my staff stood by me, the players stood by me. Your job now, is to stand by your new manager!’

Guys who look better than me XI vs Guys who look much better than me XI

Blogger: #14

Ahoy there! So like any self respecting football blog we decided to make a list of hot footballers and a list of ugly footballers. One of us (#25) got a brainwave and said, "Hey! Let's make a Hot Footballers XI vs an Ugly Footballers XI, and then try to determine who wins!". So this is the first in a series of such posts. Our aim is to make the teams as evenly matched as possible. So an uglier, shit player may not make the team, as the slightly more handsome, not-so-shit player makes it a more even contest. So guys like Peter Crouch and Ryan Shawcross, who are often considered frontrunners for roles such as that of the troll in Harry Potter do not make the cut. ALSO, in the hot guy XI, we've not put in the usual Ronaldos, Kakas, Beckhams. Hopefully, we garner some female attention with this little venture of ours. I was assigned the task of writing this up because I look worse than anyone else mentioned here and hence my objectivity can be trusted.

"What do you mean I'm not in the hot team?!"

So we start off with the Guys Who Look Better Than Me XI (GWLBTM-XI) then.

Goalkeeper: Brad Friedel.
Club: Tottenham Hotspurs
Nationality: American.

When you look like a friendly version of Kane, you're bound to not make the front of magazine covers. He's a fine 'keeper is Brad, and is playing to get funds for this football soccer school he's starting. But methinks nobody will let their kids be coached by a face only a Spurs fan could love.

"I'm going to chokeslam you......onto a pillow"

Left Back: Giorgio Chiellini

Club: Juventus

Nationality: Italian

Now, I know he's not a left back but he can and has played there. Not to mention he's a pretty good defender. However, his favourite childhood pastime of squashing his face against a wall has somewhat ruined his once handsome features.

"Giorgio see wall....Giorgio smash wall"

Centre Back: Dante Bonfirm Costa

Club: Bayern Munich

Nationality: Brazilian

Okay, he's one of the best centre backs in the world right now. He also looks like....um....well...like...

LIKE THIS!!!

Centre Back: Pepe

Club: Real Madrid

Nationality: Portuguese

Not only is Pepe offensive looking, he is also err...offensive. Not a nice guy. Pretty good defender, but a big meanie on the football pitch. Years of being laughed at for that face of his probably scarred him so I really shouldn't be judging.

"Yes, I am very happy to have broken his leg, it was a soft challenge, but he was weak."

Right Back: Dani Alves

Club: Barcelona

Nationality: Brazilian

Okay, to me Dani Alves looks like one of them truck drivers who transport illegal goods across the border from the USA to Mexico. #18 disagrees. He says he clearly resembles the ones going from Mexico to USA. Either way, we agree that's not a compliment.

"Necessito enviar los referees a Barcelona, hombre"

Centre Midfield: Cheick Tiote

Club: Newcastle United

Nationality: Ivorian

Tiote is one of those players you can go to war with. A real midfield battler. Unfortunately, he looks like he's just been to a war. Or two. Or ten.

After war #6

Centre Midfield: Luka Modric

Club: Real Madrid

Nationality: Croatian

Luka Modric is a fantastic player, a real beast of a footballer. He also looks almost exactly like Johan Cruyff. Unfortunately, that is NOT how you'd want to resemble the great man. He doesn't do himself any favours with that shit haircut either, does Luka.

Luka's face when he realised he was leaving Tottenham and going to Madrid

Left Wing: Franck Ribery

Club: Bayern Munich

Nationality: French

Now, we know that Ribery's scars are because of a massive accident he suffered when he was just two years old. However, it is pretty obvious that it didn't seriously damage his looks. He is still pretty ugly. Yes, I am mean......

....but I am correct.

Right Wing: Gervinho

Club: Roma

Nationality: Ivorian

His face isn't actually too bad. However, that weird wig he wears ensures that nobody will ever look at his face. That is a Forehead for the ages. That is an Eighthead.

Not photoshopped

Attacking Midfielder: Wayne Rooney

Club: Manchester United

Nationality: English

Wayne Rooney is the talisman of Manchester United. He's a great player and all that. But if you look like an animated green ogre, you will be walking into most people's list of ugly footballers.

Shrek Rooney playing for Manchester United

Forward: Carlos Tevez

Club: Juventus

Nationality: Argentine

Another one who's been scarred for life. Another one who's been scarring us for life. Pity he left United, Rooney and he could have made a deadly duo.

Tevez's reaction when Fergie retired

Right, so that's over (Phew).

Now we move on to the Guys Who Look Much Better Than Me XI (GWLMBTM-XI). Ladies/Lady/Guy who looks kinda like a girl/Gay guys brace yourselves.

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas

Club: Real Madrid

Nationality: Spanish

He's a Real Madrid legend. He's a Spain legend. He has a hot girlfriend (so hot). He's called 'The Saint'. He's treated like a God in Spain. He also happens to be a Greek one.

Hubba Hubba

Left Back: Vedran Corluka

Club: Lokomotiv Moscow

Nationality: Croatian

Okay, so he's not the biggest name out there. But look at him, I mean, look at him. Just.....

...look at him *drool*

Centre Back: Mats Hummels

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Nationality: German

In my opinion, he is the hottest footballer in the world. Before anyone calls me gay, here's why

If looks could kill.......or stop strikers

Centre Back: Neven Subotic

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Nationality: Serbian

While not quite as dashing as his partner, Subotic certainly does turn heads. That natty French beard doesn't hurt one bit. Unless you're a striker (not quite sure how it would hurt then either, but let's just ignore that).

The hottest puppy dog face in the world.

Right Back: Sergio Ramos

Club: Real Madrid

Nationality: Spanish

He can't take penalties, sure. But he certainly can take your girlfriend's heart *weeps into pillow at this point for not having one*. He can also take your girlfriend *weeps into pillow for not having one again*.

*weeps into pillow for not being his girlfriend*

Centre Midfield: Mikel Arteta

Club: Arsenal

Nationality: Spanish

We Arsenal fans say he's got perfect hair. It hardly ever looks out of place. Well, he's got the perfect face, the perfect eyes, the perfect nose, the perfect wife, the perfect everything. A tad old, but his looks will still knock you cold (KILL ME NOW).

"I'm not even trying to look intense."

Centre Midfield: Cesc Fabregas

Club: Barcelona

Nationality: Spanish

Think boyishly handsome Spanish guy who can play a bit of football and who comes to your mind? Cesc Fabregas. Some people (not me this time, I swear), would describe him as quite cescy. Others (okay, this time I'm guilty), refer to him as......

SEX FABREGAS!!!

Left Wing: Marco Reus

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Nationality: German

He's got this lady killer look about him, doesn't he? That blond hair crafted in that funky hairdo (I swear, I am not gay), that perfectly chiseled face. They call him the Rolls-Reus because of his silky moves on the pitch. Pretty sure he can be as smooth off the pitch too

The other half of Donald Duck melted

Right Wing: Jesus Navas

Club: Manchester City

Nationality: Spanish

He's named after the Son of God, and well, his looks certainly fit the bill. Those eyes look like they've been cut out of glaciers. His homesickness is just...well, cute *cringes*.

He wants to go home. With you. Swoon you mere mortal.

Attacking Midfielder: Francesco Totti

Club: Roma

Nationality: Italian

Totti is a god in Rome. He's a Roman God. I'm tempted to use the "looks like a Greek God" line again, but I shall refrain from doing so. If loyalty had to be a person, it'd be Totti. Also, you'd start calling loyalty sexy.

The King of Rome

Forward: Olivier Giroud

Club: Arsenal

Nationality: French

Arsenal fans call him the HFB (Handsome French Bloke). He's started to score a lot more on the pitch, I'm pretty sure he always scored a lot off it. Just look at him, imagine him talking to you in that droolworthy French accent of his. Sorry, mancrush here. And well....

Can you blame me?

Just to recap..

Guys Who Look Better Than Me XI :

--------------------------------------------------Friedel-----------------------------------------------------------

----------Dani Alves---------Dante---------------------------Pepe-----------Chiellini---------------------------

-------------------------------Tiote--------------------------Modric----------------------------------------------

-----------Gervinho-----------------------------Rooney----------------------Ribery-----------------------------

--------------------------------------------------Tevez------------------------------------------------------------

Guys Who Look Much Better Than Me XI:

------------------------------------------------Casillas-------------------------------------------------------------

-----Sergio Ramos---------Subotic----------------------Hummels---------Corluka----------------------------

----------------------------Arteta-------------------------Fabregas-----------------------------------------------

---------Navas-------------------------------Totti---------------------------Reus--------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------Giroud--------------------------------------------------------------

Which team do you think will prevail? I vote hot team 2-1.
#25: Hot team 2-1
#7: Draw 1-1
#18: Draw 2-2

Drop a comment. Or your pants for some of them. Fun fact: I actually think I'm funny. See? You laughed now.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

#14

The Four Man Wall FPL Tips Column - 2

Well done guys. Give yourself a pat on the back. You survived the international break. Now let’s not ever speak of that again.

GW3 did not go too well for me. It was the kind of week where your captain plays at home against a newly promoted side, doesn’t do too well and is taken off at half time. With 8 players from my starting 11 contributing with 3 points or less, you get the picture. My team was wildly in need of a re-shuffle, and I’ve activated the wildcard. But let’s put my woes aside and take a look at GW4.

Who’s in:

Liverpool will look to continue their brilliant start to the season, with their next 6 fixtures reading Swansea (A), Southampton (H), Sunderland (A), Palace (H), Newcastle (A) and West Brom (H). Sturridge (9.2m) owners will be delighted with his performances so far (3 in 3) and although there’s a slight injury scare, he’s certainly BUY for me.  Coutinho (9m) has been a disappointment so far, but I’d urge you to hold on to him. The fixtures have never been easier and with Moses (6.2m) coming in, Countinho could feature more prominently in the centre. At the back, it looks really rosy for Liverpool. You don’t spend £15m on a defender only to bench him. With Toure (5m) conveniently injured (sell if you already haven’t), this should push Sakho (5.5m) straight into the limelight. They could also switch to a 3 at the back system, something they tested out last year, pushing Enrique further up the wing. Both are possibilities, and both should include Sakho firmly in Liverpool’s plans. If you still have any lingering doubts, I’d point you to Mignolet (5.7m) as the easiest way into Liverpool’s defence. On the back of a goalkeeping bandwagon, his price has steadily increased. Also the player with the highest score so far in FPL. Get in.

When Cristiano Ronaldo moans about his main supplier of chances and goals being sold, you just have to think that Arsenal may have pulled off the coup of the summer. Mesut Ozil’s (10m) arrival has had every Arsenal fan drooling (Ozgasm was the term coined by #14) and rightly so. I’ll just point you to his nickname at Madrid – the “assist king”. With 69 assists over 3 seasons, 26 of them coming in the last, he can safely take his place among the best playmakers in the world right now. Arsenal’s next 6 fixtures of Sunderland (A), Stoke (H), Swansea (A), West Brom (A), Norwich (H) and Palace (A) can’t get any easier, so I’ll leave the rest up to you. However I’ll also point out that the current FPL bonus system doesn’t favour those making the assists. Personally I would still go for Giroud or (and) Walcott. But Ozil will massively improve Arsenal’s attacking prospects and considering Arsenal’s next few fixtures that can only be a good thing. Koscielny’s (5.4m) opening weekend horror has resulted in a price drop and I’d look to take advantage of that, considering there’s a slight rotation risk for Gibbs and Sagna (Both attractively priced at 5.5m).

A toothless performance at Anfield followed by their transfer shenanigans has seen Man United take some heavy fire from fans and journalists alike but their luck, on the field at least, maybe about to turn. They play Palace (H), Man City (A), West Brom (H), Sunderland (A), Southampton (H) and Stoke (H) in their next 6. De Gea (6m) is fairly rotation proof, but considering his price, I’d avoid him. As for their defenders, they’re either too expensive or aren’t assured of a place in the main 11. There are far better options. Rooney’s (10.5m) return to form might have made it a difficult choice for owners of RVP (14m) to choose between the two, especially considering the price difference, but Phil Jones has ensured that he remains out until GW5. So if you can spare the cash, go for RVP. Their midfield makes for sad reading, with none of them in form or assured of a place in the main team. Stay away.  

Spurs meant just one thing to FPL managers last season. Gareth Bale. But his departure has bought in around 6 new faces and while AVB will be delighted at the numerous options he has, it’s a bit of a pain for us FPL managers. Wait and watch. If you’re the gambling types, now would be the time to go for Eriksen (8m) or Lamela (9m). But while we wait for them to gel, one man will be the focal point of it all. Soldado (9.7m) has scored 2 from 2 and considering both have been from the penalty spot, we haven’t seen the best of him yet. Their next few fixtures go Norwich (H), Cardiff (A), Chelsea (H), West Ham (H), Villa (A) and Hull (H). Apart from the Chelsea game, they should be winning the rest. . If you don’t have Dawson (5m) yet, buy him. He’s cheaper than Vertonghen (7m) and Walker (6m) though these two seem to have bettered him when it comes to the bonus system. Worth the extra 1 or 2m? Your call.

Fulham play West Brom (H), Chelsea (A), Cardiff (H) and Stoke (H) over the next 4 weeks. It looks really promising and they should definitely improve on their current standing in the league table (1 place above the relegation zone. That too on GD). Hold on to Bent (6.5m) or Berbatov (7.4m) if you have them.

Who’s out:

West Brom are bottom of the table and their next 6 fixtures looks like this - Fulham (A), Sunderland (H), Man United (A), Arsenal (H), Stoke (A) and Liverpool (A). Run away. Sessegnon (6.8m) could be a great buy if he can replicate some of his past form that made him a FPL darling.

The Tyne – Wear derby should be an interesting one this year. While Newcastle’s transfer dealings or, well, the lack of it, has drawn heavy criticism from their fans, Sunderland have completely overhauled their squad over the summer. It’s a risk and Di Canio will be hoping that they come out of their next few fixtures (Arsenal (H), West Brom (A), Liverpool (H), Man United (H), Swansea (A) and Newcastle (H)) not too far from the rest of the pack.

Manchester City had a great run of fixtures to start the season with, but it had to end sometime. Constant rotation and a fixture list that reads Stoke (A), Man United (H), Villa (A), Everton (H), West Ham (A) and Chelsea (A) makes Man City a potential banana skin for FPL managers. Dzeko (7.8m) was woeful against Hull and his place in the team looks nothing close to assured as his replacement Negredo (9.3m) played excellently and got onto the score sheet in the process. If you have Dzeko, sell. It’s a toss-up between Negredo and Aguero (11.1m) and with Negredo playing higher up and costing lesser, I’d choose him over Aguero. Silva (9.4m) is yet to shake off an injury and will return to a tough run of fixtures. I’m inclined to sell. Definitely not the time to bring him in. 2 goals from 2 brilliant free-kicks has resulted in people flocking to add Y.Toure (8.8m) to their teams. Much as I’m a great fan of the guy, that is no reason to add a player to your fantasy team and the goals will soon dry up. He will continue to play really deep alongside Fernandinho and although they do take turns to go forward, it’s nowhere near enough to justify putting them in your teams. Ignore.

Norwich’s next 6 fixtures are quite testing. Spurs (A), Villa (H), Stoke (A), Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A) and Cardiff (H). Taking into consideration their patchy and wildly inconsistent form, drop Snodgrass (6.4m) if you have him.

The Best of the Rest:

Everton’s Coleman (5.4m) and Barkley (5m) have led the early season bandwagons and deservedly so. They’ve been excellent. But, Gibson (4.8m) is to return soon and deadline day saw them add Barry (5.3m) and McCarthy (5.5m) to their roster. Although they’re never going to play a part in our fantasy teams, it might result in Barkley being dropped. If not, Coleman and Barkley are a very cheap and useful pair to populate your bench. Buy. Mirallas’ (7.4m) good performances haven’t been matched by appropriate returns in 3 games against relatively easy opposition. The next 2 fixtures (Chelsea (H), West Ham (A)) are difficult and if I were you, I’d sell. Lukaku (7.4m) is a fantastic addition to Everton’s squad and although he’s ineligible for the next game, expect him to lead the line at Goodison soon after.

Lambert (7.6m) has started this season with a fairly quiet game where he scored, a game in which he did everything but score, and then completely vanished in the next. The purchase of Osvaldo (8m) seems to have reduced his role as the focal point of Southampton’s attacks. While it isn’t concrete yet, I’d monitor the situation. They face West Ham at home next, so I wouldn’t sell him yet. Ward-Prowse (4.5m) has held his place and considering he’s in charge of set-pieces, it’s a buy for me.

Chelsea have a mixed bag of fixtures coming up which reads Everton (A), Fulham (H), Tottenham (A), Norwich (A), Cardiff (H), Man City (H). Add to that the risk of rotation and you have a huge headache. I’m thinking Jose will go with Eto’o (9m) over Ba (7.9m) and Torres (8.6m), but I think we’ll get a clearer picture over the next two weeks. Hazard (9.3m) has notched up some impressive shooting and passing stats and him along with Lampard (8.1m), should be free from rotation but don’t hold me to my word. Ivanovic (6.5m) has always been a FPL favourite but is more likely to be rotated for Azpilicueta (5.6m) than A.Cole (6.5m) on the other wing.

As far as cheap players from promoted teams go, have a look at Hull’s Chester (4m). Hull have a decent run of fixtures coming up and Chester, along with Brady (5.1m), who’s in charge of set pieces and penalties, could be useful additions.

The new bonus system also seems to favour central defenders over their wide playing counterparts with points for clearances and tackles won, which they’ll clearly dominate over the full backs. It also seems to be best suited for players that play for clubs who like to play possession football.  Arsenal, Swansea, Southampton and Liverpool should do well. More on that in the coming weeks.

Each season, the FPL administrators get the position of one or two players wrong. Spotting such players early could make or break your season. Michu (9m) was listed as a midfielder last season and spent the entire season delighting FPL managers by playing upfront. Although why that listing has continued this season is anyone’s guess. One of the players wrongly listed this season is Danny Rose (5m). Listed as a midfielder, he plays primarily in defence. Although he could net the odd assist or goal over the season, it’s definitely not worth playing him in midfield. Another wrongly listed player is Stoke’s Wilson (4.5m). Listed as a defender, Hughes has had him playing as the deepest of their midfield 3. While he may not set the league alight like Michu did, his prospects of scoring or assisting are definitely better as a midfielder. At his price, he could be a very useful addition to your team.

So, until next time, best of luck!

#18

The Jack Wilshere Conundrum

Blogger: #14

Here's the thing with most young players, especially the British ones; they're hyped up to be the next big thing before they've really done anything of note, and before you know it, they fizzle out into oblivion. Don't get me wrong, these guys probably had the tools to make it big, but you need a certain level of mental maturity to really make the step up and that's something that you can never really gauge quite right now, can you? Now Arsenal have had their fair share of hyped up youngsters, but no one has had that tag bestowed upon them with as much as gusto as Jack Wilshere.

Say What?!

You can see why Arsenal fans warm to him. He's English, wears his heart on his sleeve, and he seems to be one of the lads. That apart, he brings terrier-like qualities to the middle of the park, along with the silky ability to beat a man. He's got tremendous potential, and put on one of the finest displays you'll see from a midfielder against Barcelona in that famous win. You see, the reason Wilshere is rated so highly is because of what he can become, but not what he is. Well, that's my opinion anyway. Now in this article I'll initially gloss over what I believe Wilshere's current state is, and then try to use stats to buttress my argument. They'll probably undermine everything I say, but I shall be brave.

Now, one of the major issues I currently have with Wilshere is that he hasn't discovered his best position yet. I'll compare him with another rising young British Arsenal star in Aaron Ramsey, who I have a lot of time for, as well as my favourite Arsenal player, Tomas Rosicky. Now, in his breakout 2010-2011 season, Wilshere was a steady presence for Arsenal in a deep role. He seldom shone (barring Barcelona), and his quiet consistency reeked of a maturity far beyond his years. But you really need to look at the people he was playing with. This was one of the finest starting XIs in Europe and Wilshere was put into the team at the best possible time. In contrast, in the post Cesc-and-Nasri era, Ramsey had to take on the mantle of creator-in-chief, right off the back of a horrific leg break, prior to which he was quickly becoming one of my favourite players. Now, he did okay, did good ol' Aaron, but since he was in a far more exposed environment, he ended up being made a scapegoat for the Arsenal faithful. But he's put his head down, worked hard and is now a vital cog of this setup. He wasn't really cut out for the AM role in my opinion, though he did quite well. But now, in the deeper runner role, Ramsey is thriving. In the few games Wilshere played in the hole last season, he disappointed me. His best role was the deep one he occupied in the '10-'11 season. However, he doesn't have Ramsey's engine or discipline and that is where Arsenal's lack of a DM comes into play. With a player like Wilshere, whose bursts forward often leave gaps behind, a defensive minded midfielder with the ability to cover ground quickly (Sorry, Arteta) is imperative. So while both of these youngsters enjoy their little forays forward, Ramsey times them better and has got the engine to get back. Now, the comparison with Rosicky is where it gets interesting. The AM role is what most people have earmarked for Wilshere, but he was poor there last season. Our worst run coincided with Wilshere being played as the AM. Both Rosicky and Wilshere have this precious ability to beat a man, and they have a tendency to really put in a few crunching tackles. However, Rosicky is one of the quickest passers of a ball you'll ever see. The man's vision is astounding. Wilshere, on the other hand, has this ponderous quality about him that I feel would be better suited to a deeper role. So to sum it up, while Wilshere has qualities that both Ramsey and Rosicky possess, he's more suited to a deeper role with a DM next to him than as an out-and-out AM. It is my belief that over time, a Ramsey-Wilshere double pivot can be formed provided Wilshere improves tactically. However, the glamorous no.10 role is something I can't see Jack occupying with much success. Now with Ozil on board (drool), I am of the opinion that Wilshere will settle into the deeper role anyway.

Future Double Pivot?

	2010-2011 Wilshere	Ramsey 11-12	Rosicky 11-12	Ramsey 12-13	Rosicky 12-13	Wilshere 12-13	11-12 p90 Ramsey	11-12 p90 Rosicky	12-13 p90 Ramsey	12-13 p90 Rosicky	10-11 p90 Wilshere	12-13 p90 Wilshere
Accurate Crosses	12	9	13	7	0	13	0.329	0.664	0.301	0	0.409	0.689
Accurate Long Balls	107	105	36	103	19	64	3.835	1.839	4.425	2.803	3.648	3.394
Accurate Passes	1639	1681	1087	1705	409	1028	61.4	55.522	73.246	60.344	55.875	54.52
Accurate ThroughBalls	11	6	11	11	5	9	0.219	0.562	0.473	0.738	0.375	0.477
Aerial Lost	12	19	12	23	4	8	0.694	0.613	0.988	0.59	0.409	0.424
Aerial Won	11	9	12	14	5	9	0.328	0.613	0.601	0.738	0.375	0.477
Assists	3	4	4	2	1	3	0.146	0.2043	0.086	0.148	0.102	0.159
Dispossesed	50	88	31	43	3	31	3.214	1.583	1.847	0.443	1.705	1.644
Dribbles	61	34	33	34	7	56	1.242	1.686	1.461	1.033	2.08	2.97
Fouls	35	32	24	48	13	23	1.169	1.226	2.062	1.918	1.193	1.22
Games Started	31	27	19	21	7	20
Goals	1	2	1	1	2	0
Interceptions	51	27	25	44	12	24	0.986	1.277	1.89	1.77	1.739	1.273
Key Passes	60	55	41	45	9	47	2.009	2.094	1.933	1.328	2.045	2.493
MOTM	0	1	1	1	2	0
Minutes Played	2640	2464	1762	2095	610	1697
Offsides	0	1	0	0	0	4
Red	1	0	0	0	0	1
Second Yellow	0	0	0	0	0	1
Shots Blocked	6	3	0	6	2	4	0.11	0	0.258	0.295	0.205	0.212
Shots On Target	9	18	10	12	4	4	0.657	0.51	0.516	0.59	0.307	0.212
Sub Off	15	10	6	5	5	6
Sub On	4	7	9	15	3	5
Total Clearances	21	11	4	26	1	2	0.402	0.204	1.117	0.148	0.716	0.106
Total Crosses	53	38	43	44	5	71	1.388	2.196	1.89	0.738	1.807	3.765
Total Long Balls	152	136	57	139	20	83	4.968	2.911	5.971	2.951	5.181	4.402
Total Passes	1903	1925	1275	1934	472	1192	70.313	65.125	83.084	69.639	64.875	63.217
Total Shots	27	62	38	46	10	12	2.265	1.941	1.976	1.475	0.92	0.636
Total Tackles	58	59	40	71	12	33	2.155	2.043	3.05	1.77	1.977	1.75
Total Through Balls	43	30	31	21	9	36	1.096	1.583	0.902	1.328	1.466	1.909
Turnovers	44	55	17	23	8	24	2.009	0.868	0.988	1.18	1.5	1.273
WasDribbled	34	32	11	32	7	20	1.169	0.562	1.375	1.033	1.159	1.06
WasFouled	48	27	23	32	10	52	0.986	1.175	1.375	1.475	1.636	2.758
Yellow	7	3	4	5	2	3

Well, that was my two cents, time to see how the numbers back me up. All the data I'm using is compiled and provided by #7, our tech guy. The retarded formatting is by yours truly.

Now the first thing that surprises me is the accurate crosses Wilshere puts in every 90 minutes. At 0.689 every 90 minutes last season, it's matched only by Rosicky's 0.664 in his stellar 11-12 season (albeit Rosicky is far more accurate with a 30% success rate. Wilshere clocks in at about 20%). My impression was that Wilshere did a lot less in the wider areas, however, the stats suggest otherwise. Ramsey, who's spent a fair bit of time on the wing, has the least number of accurate crosses every 90 minutes, which quite unsurprisingly indicates his preference for the middle of the pitch. Another stat which could prove a decent indicator of the average position each of the 3 occupies is the number of accurate long balls per 90 minutes. Wilshere clocks in at 3.648 and 3.394 accurate long balls every 90 minutes in his 2 full seasons, while Ramsey is closer to the 4 mark. Rosicky, on the other hand, hovers around the 2 mark, indicating his position higher up the pitch. Ramsey and Wilshere have a healthy 70-odd % success rate with their long balls. Rosicky oscillates from 63% in 2011-2012 to 95% in 2012-2013. However, his limited playing time in the latter season doesn't really lend substance to the increased accuracy.

Jack the Carrier, the Rise of Aaron Ramsey and the Year of the Mozart

Now, so far, we've come to the conclusion that on average, Wilshere has played a lot deeper than Rosicky. But unlike Ramsey, Wilshere plays far fewer passes. In both his full seasons, Wilshere played just 55 accurate passes every 90 minutes. This is comparable to Rosicky, who played 55 accurate passes every 90 minutes in the 2011-2012 season. Ramsey played 61 accurate passes in the 11-12 season, and this figure rose to 73 the following season. All 3 players had a healthy 85%-plus passing accuracy. However, in one aspect, Wilshere stands out. While Rosicky and Ramsey dribble once per 90 minutes, Wilshere does so atleast twice every 90 minutes (this figure rising to 3 last season). Wilshere also has more key passes to his credit than the other two. The clearest indicators of Wilshere's reduced involvement in deeper areas in his second season compared to his first, are the clearances per 90 minutes (down to 0.1 from 0.7), and number of long balls per 90 minutes (from 5 to 4). Despite producing more key passes than the other two, Wilshere lags behind Rosicky when it comes to the number of accurate through-balls per 90 minutes. In addition, Rosicky had a through-ball accuracy of 35% and 55% in his last two seasons, which dwarfs Wilshere's 25%. Thus, to state that Wilshere is the perfect fit for the number 10 role would be doing a disservice to Rosicky. The Czech's vision, propensity to speed up play and ability to press are all key to Arsenal's success. The fact that he plays far more through-balls than the young Britishers with far greater accuracy, and is dispossessed far less frequently is testament to his quality. Ramsey and Wilshere would do well to learn from the Mozart. 2012 was certainly a watershed year for him, and it's a shame that the arrival of Ozil would probably cut down his playing time.

Really cool photo of Tomas Rosicky. The Mozart of Metal.

Ramsey, to his credit, shows huge improvement from 2011-12 to 2012-13. Not only does he increase the frequency of his long and short passing, he more than doubles both, the accuracy and frequency of his through-balls. As if to drive home the point that he's turned the corner, he's doubled the number of interceptions he makes per 90 minutes and gets dispossessed far less frequently. All these combined have contributed to the resurgence of Aaron Ramsey, who at one point, appeared to be floundering.

Gettin' back in the groove

What of Wilshere, you ask? Well, as the numbers suggest, he's clearly not good enough to replace Rosicky. With the arrival of Ozil, the dream many harbour of seeing Jack playing in the hole would most certainly have to wait a few years to come to fruition. Central midfield beckons, and the numbers indeed suggest that is a good thing for him. Jack's a carrier, someone who can win the ball in midfield (high rate of interceptions), beat a man (highest number of dribbles of the 3, most fouled player as well), and thus open up space for teammates (higher rate of through-balls, key passes, and least rate of shots per 90 minutes indicate the space he opens up is of benefit to the others more often). That, in all this time, he's never won a Man-of-the-Match award backs my claim that he's never really dominated a game. Rosicky has won 3 with far less playing time. However, the signs are promising. Jack Wilshere can become a crucial pivot on which the Arsenal attack can support itself. However, it is unlikely that he'll ever be as successful in the hole as people claim he would be.

I hope this article has offered you some perspective. I understand stats can be looked at in a million ways and a million conclusions can be drawn. This is mine. I run this blog. So yeah, this is what gets published, sorry. However, do feel free to post your views in the comments section. They're most welcome. Like the red carpet and the garland sort of welcome. I'll throw in a few dancing girls as well. Pretty please?

Till next time,
Yours sincerely,
#14