Death by Interlull

Blogger: #14

It's a weekend. But it's not a weekend. The scourge of club football, international football, is upon us. Players are whisked away to play for their countries and all that guff. If you're anything like me, you're probably spending the weekend praying to the footballing gods (Zidane, Bergkamp et al) to deliver your players back to your respective clubs in one piece. And if, again, you're anything like me, you'll be hoping your rivals' ranks are depleted by the call of duty. If, for the third time, you're anything like me, you'll be wondering if the previous sentence was grammatically incorrect and shittily phrased.

Now, all you patriots out there will tell me it's playing for the national team that is the ultimate source of pride for a player and you may very well be correct. But, let's face it, as a fan, you just shrug your shoulders and go 'meh'. Olivier Giroud has scored a brace against Australia? Cool. Nicklas Bendtner did the same against Italy? Okay. Mesut Ozil scored for Germany? Again, great stuff. Koscielny hurt his knee in training? THIS IS GHASTLY! APPALLING! CATASTROPHIC! IS HE ALIVE, IS HE OKAY?! You get the picture right? Not too easy to work up emotions for one of them national teams, try as I might. It's how most of us are tuned right? RIGHT? So, yeah, while #18 and #25 have gone/will go about posting articles to liven up the international break or Interlull as Arseblog so brilliantly calls it, I have decided, like all rays of sunshine do, to illuminate the dark side. Namely, that emptiness in your life, that soul sucking abyss, that the Interlull brings.

If to this point you've been rolling your eyeballs and been expecting a point, let me inform you that this is a rant by a raving lunatic who thinks a huge dump is akin to childbirth (No jokes, deadly serious here). So don't roll your eyeballs and expect a point. There is none. Just like all these international breaks. It's just one of those snippets from my twisted mind that I hope will kill some of your time. Time that stands between you and your club. I know, I know, I'm too good to be true. I can imagine how it's been for you, this past weekend. The waking up just in time for lunch. The stalking of random girls on Facebook (speaking of Facebook, like us here). Those seconds ticking by ever so slowly, you waiting anxiously for the league to awaken from its weekly slumber to give your life meaning. And then it hits you with a dull, sickening thud. Like when #7 punches my shoulder to greet me. There is no league tonight. What do you do? What do you do? Simulating Norwich City v Crystal Palace on your console doesn't have nearly the same thrill as the real thing does it? You figure you'll go out and hang with your friends, but you realize they're all just as depressed as you, right? The tears start creeping out from the corners of your eyes now, you spend the evening in a daze. Those two evenings seem like two years. And then it's back to work/school/college/the couch. What have you left to ponder about or talk about with your peers? Your career? Your life? Your family? Yeah, right. Sometimes it feels like you're on the brink of losing it all. Your friend Billy has a shotgun, you've heard. He's not loath to lend it out you've heard. But I promise you in the name of all things that are holy and not Interlullian that it gets better. That all this suffering shall cease. That you must experience this vacuum only intermittently, and salvation is just around the corner. The fixtures that you love and cherish will welcome you like my family welcomes me after I take a bath; with open arms and a sense of relief. You have faced hell, and now there is nothing worse left. Nothing.

Unless your club loses. Trust me, there is nothing worse than having your team lose after a long drawn out Interlull. NOTHING. I'm a sadistic, malevolent little life form that resembles something you'd find if you dig up the earth, but even I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I sincerely apologize to any sadistic, malevolent life form residing under the earth that takes offence to what I just said. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings, never thought you had any, or that you read shit blogs. Anyway, here's to hoping for ten draws nine draws and an Arsenal win to mark the closing of this particular Interlull. To those of you who made it to the other side of this 'weekend', I ask for a minute of silence for our brethren who were not so fortunate. You will be missed. The dead guys I mean, not you living ones.

I know I need help. Drop in contact information of reputed loony bins in the comment section below.
Thanking You,
Yours sincerely,
#14

Who Should be Left Back and Who Should be Left Back? - A Look at the England Left Back Situation

Blogger #18:

"I've been brought up over the last few years believing this was the golden generation. If this is the golden generation, the sooner we move away from the gold standard the better." - Lord Mawhinney, Football League Chairman in 2007.

After a decade of hype, expectations and hopes going down the drain, it’s at last common knowledge. England’s so-called ‘golden generation’ has passed its prime. Players like Gerrard, Rooney, and Lampard have repeatedly raised hopes with their excellent performances for their clubs only to disappoint in an England shirt. But amidst all the doom and gloom and shootout heartbreaks, Ashley Cole has always stood tall.

Only the seventh player to win 100 caps for England, he has been a consistent and reliable performer, is still considered as one of the best left backs in the world, and arguably the only member of the ‘golden generation’ to truly live up to his potential in an England shirt. When you consider the fact that next to nobody likes him (well, John Terry maybe) you have to admit it’s for his prowess and ability on the field alone. His performance against Ronaldo at Euro 2004 was probably one of the best defensive displays from an Englishman. 

But his injury for Friday’s qualifier against Montenegro has thrown up an interesting debate. Baines will, no doubt, replace Cole at left back, and will be looking to impress and press his claims for a spot on the first team. But in all honesty, Cole will slot back straight away once he recovers from his injury. An immensely likeable player, Baines has excelled over the past two seasons for Everton but has hardly featured for England. Much like Carragher before him, competing with Terry and Ferdinand for the center back spot, Baines has been terribly unlucky to have Cole to compete with.

Like we all believe, Baines is the more likable guy, but Cole’s different class. Right?

Maybe not.

Let alone the world, Cole might not even be the best left back in the England squad. And that is exactly what we’re going to try and investigate. And we’re not going to stop with comparing just Baines and Cole. We’re going to throw in a member of England’s future, Gibbs, and see whether he lives up to #14’s hype or if he’s another Cleverley in the making. (Who needs Wesley, when we’ve got Cleverley. Remember?)

Defending:

	Baines	Gibbs	Cole
Time/Mistake	171	123.6	111.6
Time/Dribbled Past	155.5	95.5	126.8
Time/Tackle	37.2	27.7	43.6
Time/Clearance	45	26.6	33.2
Time/Interception	60	32.8	73.4
% of Aerial Duels Won	39.2	44.44	52.5
% of Tackles won	79	74	73

Cole has built his reputation on hassling and dominating anyone in his zone and his ability in the air shines through winning more than 50% of his aerial duels. While Gibbs does a decent job too, winning almost 45% of his battle in the air, Baines’ ability in the air shows a lot to be desired.

But the most striking revelation is in the ‘dribbled past’ category. Baines is the more reliable when taking on opposing wingers, being dribbled past every 155 minutes compared to Cole’s 126. Baines also wins a mammoth 79% of his tackles. While Gibbs stands his ground in the tackling department (winning 74%of his tackles to Cole’s 73%), opposition wingers leave him standing every 95 minutes, way behind his peers.

Time For a Change of Guard?

Surprisingly, Cole is least active in the tackling department, with Gibbs way ahead. While you could be excused for thinking that this could be attributed to Chelsea’s possession play meaning Cole had less defensive work to do, that’s rendered useless when you consider who Gibbs plays for. Also, Everton match Chelsea as far as average possession is concerned (52%), so no excuses there. Another popular and fair notion is that tackles are not the best way to measure a defender’s skills because it means that the defender wasn’t in the right position in the first place. An interception, on the other hand, shows one’s ability to read the game. Again, Gibbs gives good reason for our very own Arsenal fan (#14) to cry with joy making an interception every 33 minutes while Cole is again made to looks like a bystander with one every 73 minutes. Baines quietly slots between them in both tackles and interceptions with a tackle every 37 and interception every 60 minutes.

Although these stats have made Cole looks quite ordinary, one can also assume they point out to Chelsea’s midfield prowess. A strong and impregnable midfield doing much of the defensive work for the team leaving Cole with little to do. But when you consider that Arsenal (who aren’t exactly famed for the defensive qualities of their midfield) Everton and Chelsea almost match each other in the number of goals conceded (40, 39 and 37) our assumption starts posing a huge question mark over Chelsea’s defence. Cole’s inactivity might also mean a porous backline whose vulnerability is exposed quite frequently whenever an attack bypasses their midfield wall.

While it is of paramount importance to make crucial tackles and interceptions to cut out an attack, defenders are also being increasingly judged on their ability to stay calm under pressure and avoid mistakes. Looking at the number of mistakes done by each player (loss of possession due to a mistake/poor control), Baines again emerges as the most reliable. The numbers tell us that Cole makes errors more often than Baines does, and while Gibbs can take comfort from the fact that he isn’t the worst offender, he is a lot closer to Cole than he is to Baines.

The picture we’ve painted so far shows Baines to be a reliable, if not spectacular, defender. His forays forward often deflect attention from his defensive abilities and while these numbers don’t exactly shout out for his inclusion in the main team, they certainly show us that England won’t be weakened with him. Gibbs is perfectly shown as a young, talented and possibly rash defender, his energy clearly there for all to see, but he seems to be susceptible one-on-one, something he’ll have to work on.

But going forward? Just one winner.

Passing and Attacking:

	Baines	Gibbs	Cole
Goals	5	0	1
Assists	5	3	2
Time/Keypass	29.5	67.8	155
Pass Accuracy (%)	83	84	89
Cross Accuracy (%)	30	17.7	9.6
Time/Dribble	114	191.1	214.6
Time/Dispossesed	101	162	116.25
Time/Fouled	59	191	126.8

All three are full-backs who love going forward, although permitted to do so at different levels by their respective clubs. England largely rely on overlaps, and in the absence of a world-class left winger in Hodgson’s 4-4-2, all three would do well.

But this is where Baines is in a class of his own. His attacking stats are something akin to that of a winger and his value to this Everton team is evident for all to see with him playing a key pass (a pass that leads to a shot on goal) every 29 minutes. Compared to that, Gibbs’ contribution at a key pass every 68 minutes looks laughable, and yet looks impressive when you bring Cole’s contribution (155 min/key pass) into perspective. Of course, Baines was the focal point of a majority of Everton’s attacks last season, but even then, 3 chances created every game looks mighty impressive when you see that Cole creates one every game and three quarters.

Interesting snippet - Last season, Baines created the most chances in not just England, but Europe. That includes midfielders, strikers ET al. That’s more chances created than  the likes of Ozil, Cazorla, Sniejder and Iniesta. And he’s a left back.

But Cole shows his reliability completing 89% of his passes. While it’s not a huge jump over Baines’ 83% and Gibbs’ 84%, for an England side that regularly struggles to keep hold of the ball it could prove crucial. Baines is also dispossessed (being tackled by an opponent) more often than the other two. Gibbs’ ability on the ball, honed in his days as a winger, shines through with opponents struggling to get the ball off him (once every 166 minutes).

But, Baines plays a much more important role for his side in the attacking third. This could explain his reduced accuracies as he would be closed down more often, attempting intricate passes in a much more crowded zone of the pitch aimed towards areas with a higher number of opposition players.

Baines also shows why he could be included in the side even when Cole returns. As a left winger.

At home when attacking down the flanks, he dribbles successfully almost twice as often as Cole. His crossing skills are also obviously superior to the other two, more so to Cole, Baines being thrice as accurate as Cole. Of course, much of Baines’ crosses will have been aimed at the likes of Fellaini, while Cole had to deal with Fernando Torres. Again, Gibbs makes a case for his own inclusion over Cole, bettering him in both dribbling and crossing abilities.

Interestingly, Baines also draws the most number of fouls from opponents (once every 59 minutes). Ironically, it is for his ability on the ball that they hack him down but inevitably provide him with an opportunity to flex his set-piece abilities, leading us to his most famed talent.

Not since Beckham’s retirement have England possessed a more potent crosser and free kick taker. In games where they struggle to break down the opposition, which quite frankly happens a lot, Baines could make the difference. 10-3 over both Gibbs and Cole on the goals and assist tally is a telling statistic.

Final Thoughts:

By no means am I trying to doubt Cole’s abilities as a footballer. The numbers may not paint him in favourable light, but as it’s often said, stats hide a lot more than they reveal. His contributions cannot be ignored and he will probably be the only English player in the last 5 years to make it into a World XI. His experience and guile when defending against top opposition who will take the game to England will surely prove crucial if and when England qualify for Brazil 2014.

Gibbs has shown that he has the ability to ply his trade amongst the English elite. Reliable and ever-active in defense, he seems to be a younger version of A.Cole himself. While he may not possess the attacking abilities of Baines, he has shown that he can more than take care of himself in the final third. He’s got age on his side, and if he could work on his defensive abilities one v one, it might not be long before he permanently features in the England line-up.

But, given his truly inspired play over the last two years, leaving Baines on the bench would be a colossal waste of talent. With leading attacking stats in not just England, but Europe, his attacking abilities are unparalleled amongst English defenders. Hugely underrated defensively, Baines is the way to go if England are to move forward as a team.

The Four Man Wall FPL Tips Column - 3

The Premier League this year hasn't been kind to the Fantasy Premier League managers. The usual suspects have not been firing but most managers still seem to be keeping their faith in these players and their prices aren't dipping. Or maybe most of you have gotten really frustrated and have decided that it's not worth it. But for those of us who are looking to soldier on, these are our tips to help you guys turn things around.

I'll start from the back of the pitch. If you still own a keeper who costs more than 6 then you're probably not spending wisely because it's the dirt cheap keepers who are actually racking up the points. Vorm at 5.0 and also Artur Boruc at 4.6, both of whom seem to have a good run of fixtures coming his way. Swansea (H), Man Utd (A), Fulham (H), Stoke (A), Hull (H) and Arsenal (A) are Southampton's next six games. Although they seem to have some daunting games on the road, they are one of those teams who can nick it against the big sides. Players from Soton other than the aforementioned Boruc who may be a decent bet are Fonte and Lovren at 4.9 and 5.1 respectively. Both players have been rewarded fairly well via the bonus points system with each of them getting 7 points each in 6 games which is a fantastic return for players of that price. Further up the pitch, Pochettino seems to prefer Osvaldo playing behind Lambert who are slowly starting to get accustomed to playing with each other. They're priced at the late 7s and although they could get a good number of goals against sides that are in and around them, they tend to be quiet in the games against the bigger sides. Also with someone like Lukaku of the same price region, is it worth investing on these two fire or fail forwards? So if you're looking to get onto the Soton bandwagon, then I suggest the defenders and Boruc.

Swansea on the other hand have Soton (A), Sunderland (H), West Ham (H), Cardiff (A), Stoke (H) and Fulham (A). Unlike Soton, Swansea seem to have a safe run of fixtures and you'd put your faith in them if you were a betting man. Ben Davies has been racking up the points over the past two gameweeks and in all probability looks like he will continue to do so over the coming gameweeks. But the lack of demand for him sees his price remain at 5.0. If you're looking for options from the Swans' midfield, then Lord Jonjomort (Jonjo Shelvey) seems to be a good investment to make at 5.6. Seems to be a fixture in that midfield and seems to be an assured and steady flow of 2 points a gameweek at least. Michu is and always has been a favourite for us fantasy managers and while there are chances that he could bag you a hatful of points, he's too popular for those among us who believe in frugality (9.0), but in a season like this where uncertainty is ripe, quality deserves to be paid for and Michu seems to have come good in his last 3 games barring the one against Arsenal. That being said, Michu is the reason that you should all stay away from Swansea's forwards. Bony(7.6) was a big signing but six games into the season and he's yet to get a decent run in the side. Wait a game or two before taking a risk with him because the upcoming run of fixtures could maybe make Laudrup  a bit more generous with the game time that he will afford Bony but until then invest at your own risk.

Chelsea face Man City at the end of the month, but the two games before that one and the run of fixtures post that game up until when they face Arsenal just before Christmas seems to be a fantastic run of matches. Unfortunately, Chelsea's attacking lineup has been very unreliable up until this point. Hazard, Oscar and Ramires seem to be playing quite often in that midfield but the none of the others seem to be assured a spot in the starting lineup but it looks like Eto'o(8.9) will be starting this weekend and a little while after this weekend too with Torres picking up a knock in the week. That's a high price to be paying for someone who hasn't really impressed up until now but the run of fixtures looks like it could finally help Chelsea's strikers find some form, but you would be taking a bit of a risk if you're going to be picking him this week. Meanwhile, Jose seems to have finally warmed to Juan Mata so there's a chance that he could start, but you never can predict with someone like Jose, so I'd suggest you wait before you decide to pounce to get him. However, it's a big risk to pick any of the Chelsea attackers as none of them seem to be doing anything worthwhile from an FPL point of view and given their prices, it's seems to be too much of a risk to have any of them in your team. The defenders are a different prospect though. Ashley Cole and Ivanovic seem to be the untouchables at the back but they all cost more than 6.0 but I think it's a safe bet to rely on them to get a clean sheet. But if you're looking to invest in a defender of that cost, then I'd go with someone who's dangerous from set pieces and I don't really think there are many who are as good as Ivanovic(6.5).

Spurs have a half decent run of fixtures but despite all the mouthwatering signings, they too aren't looking too sharp in front of goal. Their last two games against Cardiff and Chelsea had tons of chances for them, but they only managed to get a goal in each of those games so once again, I'm afraid I must suggest you go for the defenders and once again, I'm going to have to suggest someone cheap in Michael Dawson(5.2) because well if Spurs get a clean sheet then he'll get you the corresponding number of points. Dawson and Vertonghen are equally likely to score and Jan may get a bonus point or two but if you're willing to spend 2mil more for a possible bonus point then you probably just have too much cash lying around. But further up the pitch, Sigurdsson(7.2) seems to be getting Spurs their goals and he and Paulinho(7.0), who has given a decent return to managers who've put their faith in him look like potential point scorers this weekend. Both of them are not shy of going beyond the man on the ball so they'll get their chances and will score goals and set some up too, so at a similar price range both of them seem to be decent buys but Sigurdsson playing a bit higher up the pitch may prompt you to go for him. Finally coming to the highly praised Christian Eriksen. I saw the game against Chelsea and in the first half he was phenomenal. In the short term he looks like he's going to get a good amount of points with games against West Ham, Villa and Hull. So if you can afford him at 8.2 he would be my first pick from that Spurs midfield.

None of the other teams seem to have a decent enough run of games so the rest of the players that I've picked out as potentially fruitful investments are scattered across the remaining teams. Allan McGregor(4.5) of Hull is not only one of the cheapest keepers in the league but is also a regular starter. Hull off late have been on the rise and have been getting some decent results and when Hull keep a clean sheet, a large part of it goes to McGregor so you could get some more points off saves and possibly even bonuses from him. With Brady getting injured, Curtis Davies(4.5) and Sone Aluko(5.0) are probably the only two other players from Hull who look like they'd give you good returns. However Hull's next 6 fixtures include away trips to Everton, Spurs and Soton. But they'd still make good alternatives by sitting on the bench for you.

Amalfitano(5.0) seems to be on a hot run of form but a lot of people think that it'll come to a grinding halt this weekend against Arsenal. I thought that would be the case last weekend with Albion visiting Old Trafford, but he repaid those who had faith in him and how! He's got a tough run of fixtures coming his way, but the link up play between Sessegnon, Berahino and him was incredible and not a lot of defences can keep up to that tempo of passing, so despite the tough fixture list, he's got every chance of pulling off something that spectacular. Peter Whittingham(5.1) is another option for those of you who have financial constraints. He's an assured starter and is on set piece duty and possibly even penalty duty (don't think Cardiff have been awarded a penalty this year yet and I don't see why he wouldn't be allowed to take penalties).

Player (Position)	Team	Cost
Artur Boruc (GK)	Southampton	4.6
Michel Vorm (GK)	Swansea	5.0
Curtis Davies (DF)	Hull	4.5
Jose Fonte (DF)	Southampton	4.9
Ben Davies (DF)	Swansea	5.0
Dejan Lovren (DF)	Southampton	5.1
Michael Dawson (DF)	Tottenham	5.2
Branislav Ivanovic (DF)	Chelsea	6.5
Roman Amalfitano (MF)	West Brom	5.0
Peter Whittingham (MF)	Cardiff	5.1
Ross Barkley (MF)	Everton	5.4
Jonjo Shelvey (MF)	Swansea	5.6
Aaron Ramsey (MF)	Arsenal	6.5
Paulinho (MF)	Tottenham	7.0
Gylfi Sigurdsson (MF)	Tottenham	7.2
Christian Eriksen (MF)	Tottenham	8.2
Michu (MF)	Swansea	9.0
Sone Aluko (FW)	Hull	5.0
Romelu Lukaku (FW)	Everton	7.7
Daniel Sturridge (FW)	Liverpool	9.7
Luis Suarez (FW)	Liverpool	11.1

A consolidation of all my suggestions for the upcoming weekend

Now for the seemingly obvious players to pick. I've been suggesting very cheap players up until now so that you have enough money lying around for you to be able to pick the players who seem to be scooping up the points. Suarez is back and not only have some niggling fears about Sturridge's spot in the team been put to rest, but Suarez's return has just given managers who have Sturridge in their team more reason to celebrate because their link up play is fantastic and both of them rewarded their owners generously. With Liverpool's next 3 games involving sides that Liverpool should dispatch with ease, Sturridge(9.7) and Suarez(11.1) could be worth the big bucks. Moving onto their Merseyside rivals, it was only a matter of time before us managers caught the Lukaku(7.7) fever. Everton may not have a nice long run of easy fixtures, but if anything is going to happen for them in an attacking sense, you'd wager that Lukaku would be involved. Even if not right away, Lukaku will eventually give you a great return over a long period of time so if you've got the cash, then do splash. Also, as already mentioned in one of our previous columns, Ross Barkley(5.4) is a very good option at that price. Arsenal's next three games are with sides who should be beaten, so those who have Giroud or Ozil can relax. With Arteta's return, there's a chance that Ramsey may be pushed back into a deeper role as Flamini could be the one to make way for Arteta's return. With Flamini gone, Ramsey may not have as much license to go forward (a brilliant observation by our very own #14). But at 6.5 he's not the worst transfer that you may end up making because he was still incredible in the Champions League game against Napoli but do watch out for signs of him playing a more restricted role going forward.

Finally, I'm going to address a tricky one. Yaya Toure has been playing significantly deeper than he did in seasons past, but for a holding midfielder, 43 points in 6 games is an incredible return. The goals that he's been getting off late have been some predatory strikes from corners, but he's on direct free kick duty and he's got quite a right foot on him, but at 9.3, he's too much of a gamble for me, unless you made a brilliant move early on in the season by getting him for a relatively cheaper price and you still have him in your team. I wouldn't go out and get him because someone like Michu is a much safer bet.

Well that's it from me ahead of a crucial gameweek before the international break. Hopefully my "expert" advice will be enough to save you from a couple of weeks of international break frustration coupled with the FPL blues.

Disclaimer - All prices mentioned are as on the day this article was published and are subject to change. Also, if football, the Premier League, FPL, life, etc. decides to be a bitch, then we at The Four Man Wall are not to blame.

But if you still feel like blaming me, throw a tomato, or even better, a comment

'Til later,
Blogger #25

Spurs v Chelsea: The London Derby.

Blogger: #14

Bob finally decided he'd give it up. After years and years of pointless attempts, he was now convinced flinging shit at the sun was as fruitful as...well, err....flinging shit at the sun. Bob decides to tell Mary, his wife about his decision.
Bob: "Mary, I can't do it anymore, I'm not going to fling shit at the sun anymore."
Mary: "Oh Bob, I'm so glad, now we can finally flush it down the drain like normal people! I always told you you can't throw shit that far, you finally listened!".
Bob: "Well, no, that's not it. I realised all the shit that got there jsut got burnt away. 10 years of effort down the drain."
Mary shot herself, her loss is felt by all of us to this day.

The point I'm trying to make here is that when analyzing a situation, you have to take distance from the result. Arsene Wenger (you just knew I'd bring in an Arsenal reference, didn't you?) agrees with me here. For the guardians of the loony bin, Bob still remains the one that got away, despite him reaching the sane conclusion. Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea might evoke images of an evenly fought contest, but honestly, Spurs would be looking back wondering how they didn't win.

The game started off on a slightly turgid note. Both teams were wary, sizing each other up. The contest slowly tilted in Tottenham's favour and Gylfi Sigurdsson capped off a fine move, slotting it past Petr Cech to give Spurs the lead in the 19th minute. It was a fine example of a midfielder getting himself into the box. Apart from Frank Lampard, who's getting on in years (also, provided a sublime through ball for Hazard who couldn't control it), Chelsea don't really have that sort of player. Mata, Oscar, Hazard and the rest all prefer being the creator.

Sigurdsson plays the ball to Dembele before embarking on the run that led to the goal. He's out wide on the left, near the halfway line.

Dembele lays it off to Eriksen, who surges forward before crossing it to Soldado who lays it off. Sigurdsson has now made his way to the edge of the box. He evades Terry's challenge (he really shoud have done better), before scoring.

As easy as that. The pressure didn't let up. Chelsea's midfield duo of Lampard and Mikel were simply not mobile enough and were being pegged back by the Spurs pairing of Paulinho and Dembele. The Belgian is, in my opinion, the best central midfielder in London, and he effortlessly glided past the Chelsea players opening up space for his teammates time and again. Paulinho, like Sigurdsson, isn't shy of getting himself to the box, and struck the post at the stroke of half time after a lovely back heel by Walker to Townsend, who set up the shot. Speaking of Townsend, he really was quite impressive, though that dive didn't fool anybody. Knitting all this together was the excellent Christian Eriksen. The Dane looks a steal at around 11 million pounds, and was central to all of Tottenham's impetus (Bale who?). Around the half hour mark, Chelsea slowly started to get a bit of a footing in the game. It wasn't so much a fightback as a stemming of the flow. Halftime couldn't come soon enough for the Blues, and they were lucky to be only a goal down (to be fair Spurs didn't have too many clear cut chances).

Heat maps of Paulinho, Dembele, Lampard, Mikel after the first half.

At half time, Chelsea brought off Mikel and moved Ramires to the middle, bringing Mata on. This had a noticeable impact on proceedings. Ramires looks like one of those famished blokes who plays the protagonist on those "Each Share Will Result in One of these Guys getting Fed" pictures on Facebook, but he has got bundles of energy. His drive in the middle of the pitch helped Chelsea combat the Paulinho-Dembele axis.

Mikel's 1st half  defensive performance vs Ramires' 2nd half performance.

Another key factor was Chelsea's two time player of the season, Juan Mata. He came on and ticked things over nicely. This was in stark contrast to his rival for the coveted no.10 spot, Oscar. Mata completed 17 of his 20 passes including 7 of 10 in the final third. Oscar, despite playing for a longer period, only completed 15 of 22 passes, with a paltry 2 completed out of 7 in the final third. The third factor for Chelsea making the 2nd half more even was the Fernando Torres show (yes, him). His contribution included, but was not limited to
1. Ghosting past a Spurs defender (don't remember who) before fizzing in a cross that Oscar almost got on the end of.
2. Turning Dawson like a pencil in a sharpener (sorry), before having his shot saved by Lloris.
3. Clawing Vertonghen's face for which he arguably should have received his marching orders.
4. Getting shoved by Vertonghen for which he most certainly ought to have been booked. (He Vertonghen, not Torres).
5. Playing Schurrle in with a perfectly weighted pass.
6. Getting sent off for no reason whatsoever.
Despite all this, Chelsea conceded some dangerous chances to Spurs in the 2nd half. In fact, Spurs played more passes in the 2nd half in the attacking third (61 successful out of 79), than in the first (30 out of 50 successful). There was only a 20 minute spell between the 45th and 65th minutes that Chelsea pegged Tottenham back (Only 5 successful passes of 14 in the attacking third). This coincided with points 1,2,3 and 4 of Torres' highlight  reel. In short, though the second half was a more even contest, Tottenham still retained the edge and would look back at this result with some disappointment.

This was a closely fought battle to claim the title of the second best team in London (ARSENAL TOP OF THE LEAGUE AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!) and one whose result I derive great pleasure from.
You don't? Let me know in the comments section.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
#14

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!’