Weekend Premiership Review
Well the weekend, as usual, offered a lot of promise and as Bob Dylan might say "Nothing was delivered". Manchester United have once again let me down. It was derby weekend in Manchester and a newly invogorrated Manchester City team under new manager Stuart Pearce, it has to be said, done a sterling job of containing a United team that looked, at their best, lacklustre. United were without their portugese winged wizard Cristiano Ronaldo due to the death of his father in Portugal and they badly missed the creative spark he provides. Alex Ferguson's bewildering team selections are still including Darren Fletcher. Why? I wouldn't let him play with the kids on the street. He bears as much resemblance to a premiership player as George Bush does to a competent leader. But the real problem with United was leadership on the pitch.
After a tough game midweek on International duty with the Irish, Ferguson decided to 'rest' his 33 year old midfield general. Another disastrous decision from the Scot. United went one up on the stroke of halftime with the only real consolation the Saturday afternoon derby offered United fans. Ruud Van Nistlerooy is scoring for fun, and clinically as he notched his fourth in four games. Then United decided to sit back and invited the inevitable scrappy goal to level the proceedings with 15 minutes to go. Ferguson then brings Keane on when it's too late. If he wants to rest his aging midfielder. Play him at the start and when we go two up, then take him off. A one all draw was probably, like Ireland and France in midweek a fair result, but with the premiership going to be so tight this year, we can't afford to be throwing away leads at home.
Elsewhere (you've probably guessed by now where my premiership allegiances lie!), Chelsea proved worthy of their starting price of 1/8 against Sunderland as they comfortable despatched Mick McCarthy's team 2-0, leaving both teams with their 100% records intact. Chelsea's 5th win on the bounce is starkly mirrored by Sunderland's 5th consecutive defeat after gaining promotion to the premiership last year. Just desserts for the manager responsible for sending Roy Keane home from the last world cup! Chelsea look like champions once again, their Rusiian billions may well be the difference again this year, their bench of Cole, Drogba and Duff could have beaten Sunderland on Saturday such was the dismal display of the northerners.
The best day of the premiership weekend was kept till Sunday when a Thierry Henry less Arsenal went down to a deserved 2-1 defeat to, wait for it, Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough! Without Henry they looked verry, very, blunt. The French goal machine picked up a groin strain against Ireland in midweek. (The Ireland v France game is certainly taking it's toll on the league this week) and is unavailable for up to a month! This couplewd with the inexperience of Senderos at the heart of defense must be a very alarming wake up call, for what is beginning to look like a very understrength Arsenal. Why oh why did they let Patrick Vieira go to Italy during the summer!
News wise this weekend, all focus was up at Saint james' park in Newcastle where Michael Owen made his much trumpetted return to the Premiership from Real Madrid. He still couldn't inspire an insipid display from his team mates who don't seem to relish playing at all these days. Manager Graham Souness, responsible for the devastation of Blackburn Rovers, when he was there as manager must take the blame for the disastrous start to the season. The players look listless and are playing without purpose and direction and even the introduction of a proven goalscorer failed to earn them nothing more than a one all draw with hapless Fulham. Their first point of the season was no consolation for the football mad Geordie fans up north.
Tomorrow we'll tackle the Champions league first round of group stage matches with Diego Forlan's return to Old Trafford with Villareal. Until then....
After a tough game midweek on International duty with the Irish, Ferguson decided to 'rest' his 33 year old midfield general. Another disastrous decision from the Scot. United went one up on the stroke of halftime with the only real consolation the Saturday afternoon derby offered United fans. Ruud Van Nistlerooy is scoring for fun, and clinically as he notched his fourth in four games. Then United decided to sit back and invited the inevitable scrappy goal to level the proceedings with 15 minutes to go. Ferguson then brings Keane on when it's too late. If he wants to rest his aging midfielder. Play him at the start and when we go two up, then take him off. A one all draw was probably, like Ireland and France in midweek a fair result, but with the premiership going to be so tight this year, we can't afford to be throwing away leads at home.
Elsewhere (you've probably guessed by now where my premiership allegiances lie!), Chelsea proved worthy of their starting price of 1/8 against Sunderland as they comfortable despatched Mick McCarthy's team 2-0, leaving both teams with their 100% records intact. Chelsea's 5th win on the bounce is starkly mirrored by Sunderland's 5th consecutive defeat after gaining promotion to the premiership last year. Just desserts for the manager responsible for sending Roy Keane home from the last world cup! Chelsea look like champions once again, their Rusiian billions may well be the difference again this year, their bench of Cole, Drogba and Duff could have beaten Sunderland on Saturday such was the dismal display of the northerners.
The best day of the premiership weekend was kept till Sunday when a Thierry Henry less Arsenal went down to a deserved 2-1 defeat to, wait for it, Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough! Without Henry they looked verry, very, blunt. The French goal machine picked up a groin strain against Ireland in midweek. (The Ireland v France game is certainly taking it's toll on the league this week) and is unavailable for up to a month! This couplewd with the inexperience of Senderos at the heart of defense must be a very alarming wake up call, for what is beginning to look like a very understrength Arsenal. Why oh why did they let Patrick Vieira go to Italy during the summer!
News wise this weekend, all focus was up at Saint james' park in Newcastle where Michael Owen made his much trumpetted return to the Premiership from Real Madrid. He still couldn't inspire an insipid display from his team mates who don't seem to relish playing at all these days. Manager Graham Souness, responsible for the devastation of Blackburn Rovers, when he was there as manager must take the blame for the disastrous start to the season. The players look listless and are playing without purpose and direction and even the introduction of a proven goalscorer failed to earn them nothing more than a one all draw with hapless Fulham. Their first point of the season was no consolation for the football mad Geordie fans up north.
Tomorrow we'll tackle the Champions league first round of group stage matches with Diego Forlan's return to Old Trafford with Villareal. Until then....
posted by Derek Keogh | 11:43 AM
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