Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (December 12-14)

The busy Christmas period is fast approaching for the sides in England with this being one last quiet week ahead of that time. Teams have a chance to prepare this week, but next week will see them open a stretch of three games in an eight day period and that recovery time and squad depth will be tested to the full.

Another weekend is in the books and this one also came with two big draws for the Euro 2016 Finals and the Knock Out Stages of the Champions League and Europa League which will commence in February.

Pressure Continues to Build on Louis Van Gaal

I have never been a fan of Louis Van Gaal and don't buy his previous 'successes' outside of his time at Ajax. When he first was expected to be the next manager of Manchester United I made a note of saying his best experiences as a manager came in the last century, but that we had to give him time to right what had been a disastrous time under David Moyes.

Any Manchester United fan had to know it would take time and Van Gaal had to be supported even if my personal opinion was that this was a manager who greatly overestimated his own achievements over the last fifteen years.

Van Gaal has had eighteen months and has spent a lot of money to mould the squad to his liking, but the football remains as uninspiring as ever and now the results are also beginning to suffer.

Being knocked out of the Champions League in a weak Group was a disaster, even if the money men at Old Trafford achieved their goals, and a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth has increased the pressure on a man that simply doesn't look like he knows the answers.

His substitutions are baffling and Van Gaal has killed any creativity that might have been in the squad. The team play like robots and to a set system, but the blood and thunder of the Premier League has exposed those limitations while Van Gaal has never quite understood that this is a unique League.

Not for quality, but the sheer fact that any team in this League is capable of beating any other on their day. And 'smaller' clubs are not financially constrained as they are in La Liga or the Bundesliga so they are more than capable of coming out and giving the 'big' clubs big problems.

Yes Manchester United are generally defensively sound even if the last week has been poor. But as an attacking threat they are very easy to negate at times and the lack of urgency or tempo, even when drawing or losing a game, is inexcusable and a poor reflection on the manager.

Van Gaal has continued to ignore the obvious problems- every interview bar one at Arsenal and one at Crystal Palace has spoken about the dominance Manchester United have had and the chances that most fans simply don't see.

And if David Moyes had spoken about United not being able to compete at the top level of the Champions League after he had spent a quarter of a billion pounds I honestly think he would have been lynched.

Outside of the fancy sounding foreign name, too many similarities with Moyes are beginning to worry me. The training is being criticised now, the conclusion that dominance of the ball is a good indication that a game is in control, and the outward expression that Manchester United are not able to compete and perhaps looking at other teams with envy are mistakes both managers have made.

Do I think it's time for Van Gaal to go? No, I think a snap judgement at this stage of the season would be a mistake as Manchester United are still in the top four. The idea that another banner will be flown over Old Trafford this Saturday is beyond a joke and highlights why some United fans are complete idiots.

However, failure to beat Norwich City followed by defeats at Stoke City and at home to Chelsea might start changing the opinion of not just myself, but the board at Manchester United too. Even if United do finish top four, I do think there has to be some evaluation of Van Gaal's position at the end of the season if the 'progress' and the 'philosophy' continue to show no sign of being a hit.

United can't afford to back this manager with another huge outlay of spending if that progress is not there and there are big options out there. Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti are the obvious names that might be available and I think there are some big decisions ahead for Ed Woodward and Manchester United.

Aston Villa Need the Greatest of Great Escapes

Appointing a manager who has had no experience of doing that in the Premier League looks to have blown up in Aston Villa's faces and I think it is going to take some miracle for this club to avoid the drop. After flirting with relegation for the last few years, Aston Villa might not have the time to be saved by the January transfer window as it is hard to see how they can entice anyone good enough to help them when in the position they are in.

Six points from sixteen Premier League games is an embarrassment to be frank and there is little to suggest that improves. Aston Villa have a huge game at Newcastle United on Saturday, a team that has won two in a row, and a defeat there effectively puts them down before Christmas Day as far as I am concerned.

This is a poor squad.

One that I would seriously worry about when going into the Championship and definitely not one I see challenging for an immediate return to the Premier League. In fact I would be more worried about the team 'doing a Wolves' and suffering back to back relegations down to League One!!

Defensively Aston Villa are a mess and they don't have enough goals in the side, while missing out on the huge increase of money being put into the Premier League next season is huge for this club.

So many mistakes have been made since Martin O'Neill left the club and it looks like the chickens are coming home to roost for Aston Villa.

Leicester City and Chelsea, What a Difference a Year Makes!

Go back to December 13th 2014.

Here is one club leading the Premier League table having earned 39/48 points and three points clear of the second placed team.

The other is bottom of the table with just 10 points earned and five adrift of safety.

The tables have really turned for Chelsea and Leicester City since with the roles reversed in one calendar year.

Ok, Chelsea are not bottom of the table, but how many would have predicted the reigning Champions would have lost nine times by this stage of the season and be down in 16th place with a point separating them from the bottom three? And how many would have doubled that up with Leicester City leading the Premier League heading towards Christmas?

Leicester City beat Chelsea on Monday Night Football to retake their place at the top of the pile and not many would argue they didn't deserve that. Even Jose Mourinho admitted his team didn't deserve anything less than what they got and the pressure has built on the Portuguese manager.

In fact there has been a board discussion about Mourinho's future in the wake of that defeat and his criticism of his squad and the feeling of 'betrayal' he has. There is even some suggestion that Mourinho won't make it to Christmas as manager of Chelsea and this is a club that looks like it is being ripped at the seams.

On the other hand Leicester City couldn't be closer together as Claudio Ranieri has continued what was a very good job to end the last campaign by Nigel Pearson. Ranieri hasn't changed too much, but he has given his players a new level of belief and Leicester City have to begin thinking about the top four now and a Champions League place.

Keeping hold of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy through January is key and Leicester City might even add a couple of players to increase squad depth. Some have suggested that might rock the boat a little with new characters being brought into the squad, but I think Ranieri has the personality to integrate new members for his squad and Leicester City might just be ready to have the best season in the club's history.

Euro 2016 Finals Draw

I don't think I have ever been truly convinced about the increase of the European Championships to twenty-four teams, but you can't help but be excited about a major international tournament to fill in the summer void we have every other season.

Maybe the Group Stages will be less exciting than in previous years with only eight of the twenty-four nations involved being knocked out at that Stage.

However, there are enough games to look forward to even that early in the tournament which will get the fans up for the event, mainly those involving the Home Nations.

England were inevitably going to be paired with one of the other Home Nations considering Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were in Pot 4. It was Wales who came out and I think both England and the Welsh have to be confident of getting out of their Group.

That isn't the case for Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland who both received daunting tasks. Even the additional four places offered to the best third placed sides might be beyond them, although I would give Northern Ireland half a chance to be able to get the results needed.

Martin O'Neill admitted he didn't enjoy the draw as the Republic of Ireland were placed in the 'Group of Death' alongside Italy, Belgium and Sweden, and they will do well to get anything out of that. At least Northern Ireland can look at Poland and Ukraine and perhaps think they are good enough to earn some kind of win from those games which could be enough to move into the Last 16.

I did also go through a quick breakdown of the draw and ended with Spain, Portugal, France and Germany as the final four with England going out at the Quarter Finals Stage. However, the tournament is still months away and will be re-evaluated closer to the time once injuries, form and other factors are considered.

Champions League and Europa League Knock Out Draws

It still grates that Manchester United are out of the Champions League, but it won't be a big surprise if two more English clubs exit at the Last 16 Stage after the draw was made on Monday.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea had their 'worst case' scenario come true as they were paired with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. It is hard to see either improving on their Last 16 showing from last season in those ties if everyone is fit going into those games in February and March.

Barcelona look the team to beat and PSG are earning more and more experience at this level while they looked superior to an in-form Chelsea last season, let alone a Chelsea team that is out of sync this time around.

Manchester City should be the most pleased as they drew Dynamo Kiev, a team Chelsea took four points off in the Group Stage, and I think City will progress fairly comfortably over two legs. This could be a huge moment in their European development getting into the Champions League Quarter Finals for the first time and Manchester City could be a dangerous team to face as the competition goes on.

Oh, and just to really rub in Manchester United's defeat, Wolfsburg managed to draw the weakest team in the Last 16 when they face Gent in the next Round.


Manchester United fans might not want to be in the Europa League, but this looks a competition that might produce some big games as the teams are whittled down. The draw to face Midtjylland over two legs in the Last 32 looks like one Manchester United should be able to progress from, although no one will take anything for granted after the failures in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur might be disappointed they didn't pick up an 'easier' tie than Augsburg and Fiorentina respectively after winning their Groups, but I would expect Jurgen Klopp's knowledge to help the former through.

Tottenham Hotspur might have been beaten by Fiorentina last season at the same Stage, but having the home fixture second is important and they might be able to reverse that result. However, that looks a tough tie for a Spurs team that is also battling in the Premier League for a top four spot.

There are other big ties to look forward to in this Round: Borussia Dortmund v Porto; Villarreal v Napoli; Shakhtar Donetsk v Schalke; Galatasaray v Lazio; Sporting Lisbon v Bayer Leverkusen; Marseille v Athletic Bilbao.

Those show the strength left in the Europa League and the potential for some huge matches later in the tournament.

Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (October 17-19)

It was an another interesting week in the Premier League as domestic football returned following a two week break. Time has been of the essence this week and so I will get on with my few thoughts following the action this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp Takes Charge for the First Time for Liverpool

I was a little surprised by some of the reactions to Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge as if Liverpool had played so much better than they had in previous weeks under Brendan Rodgers.

I am not ragging on Klopp here, but I also think people are super-high on the German at the moment and that means he can do no wrong in the early stages of his time as manager. That is certainly good news for Klopp who will be given the time to establish his philosophy (listening to too many Louis Van Gaal press conferences) at the club, but I think the same problems that existed for Rodgers will apply in the coming months.

Namely Klopp will need some luck with injuries which have again reared their head at Liverpool- Daniel Sturridge missed out, while Danny Ings is a potential long-term casualty which leaves Liverpool short up front.

The return of Sturridge and Jordan Henderson for a prolonged period make Liverpool a much different team than the one that took the field at White Hart Lane and that will be key to how well the side do this season, regardless of who was going to be in charge.

The goalless draw at White Hart Lane was an impressive result on paper, but the key for Klopp will be to turn a few of these draws into wins and get Liverpool moving up the table.

My opening grade for Klopp has to be a 'B -' because I wasn't expecting Liverpool to win at Tottenham and it was a good result. In saying that, the performance was average so he gets a slightly above average grade because of the injuries Liverpool have to deal with too.

How Long Will Aston Villa Give Tim Sherwood?

A managerial change has been made at Sunderland, a team in the bottom three alongside Aston Villa, and that might have a few of the board members at Villa Park considering their own manager's position.

Another defeat in the Premier League has heaped the pressure on Tim Sherwood and I do think the game against Swansea City next weekend is a huge one for him.

It hasn't been that long since I said I have warmed to Sherwood and I do think he needs to be given time, but Aston Villa's League position isn't helping his cause and the fear of being cut off in the bottom three has to be playing a big part in the rumours.

You can't blame Randy Lerner considering the money that is going to be pumped into the Premier League next season and relegation could be very difficult for Aston Villa to recover from. They've been flirting with relegation for a few years, but there was a real hope that Aston Villa would be much higher in the League table this time around after it had looked like Sherwood had sparked some form.

Losing Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph has been tough, while the replacements still need time to gel, but I am not sure Sherwood will be given the time to oversee that. It is a big weekend for the manager and anything other than a victory might mean Sherwood is moved on and the likes of David Moyes, Garry Monk and Brendan Rodgers are targeted to get the club out of trouble.

Leicester City's Character Cannot be Questioned

On the one hand you might be worried as a Leicester City fan that your side keeps falling 2-0 behind in games, but on the other you'd be proud of the character that they have displayed to come back and recover points in those games.

The Foxes were at it again this weekend as Jamie Vardy scored twice to help them come from 2-0 down to earn a draw at Southampton and I have been very impressed with the character they have displayed through the season.

There has been no drop off from the form that carried Leicester City to safety at the end of last season even though Nigel Pearson was removed as manager and I think the players need to be given a whole load of credit for that. Claudio Ranieri has been smart enough to keep the 'Tinkerman' from interfering too much and Leicester City have responded.

How far can that character take them? I am not sure they can keep falling 2-0 down and think the fitness and belief will help them come back on a consistent basis. It would be a disappointment if Leicester City failed to finish in the top half of the table, although pushing on for a European spot through their League form is going to be difficult.

I wouldn't be surprised if they go deep in one of the Cup competitions though as this is a team that will be a pain in the backside for any in the country, especially knowing their focus can be completely on those Cup games. Later in the season the top teams need to balance Europe with their domestic schedule and that is where Leicester City, and the next team I talk about, potentially take advantage to give their fans a memorable 2015/16 season.

Potential for West Ham to Finish in the Top Six

West Ham United have had five away games in the Premier League and four of those have been at sides that currently occupy places in the top ten in the League table. Stunningly, West Ham have won all four of those games on their travels and they might be moving into the Olympic Stadium next season having secured their best League finish of the century.

The Hammers finished 5th in the 1999 Premier League season and while that still looks a big ask to match that final position, I really do think this is a team that can potentially do that.

It all will depend on whether they can find the right balance at Upton Park where they have won just one of their four home games in the Premier League.

West Ham are up to 4th in the Premier League despite their home record and improving at Upton Park while maintaining these ridiculously high standards away from home might potentially see them as a dark horse for a Champions League place.

However, I think they will have a hard time to do that and improving the home form could instead lead to a top six finish. The problem for Slaven Bilic is he has found the perfect counter attacking tactics away from home which are much harder to employ at home where the space is restricted.

The 2-2 away draw at Sunderland, when West Ham were 2-0 down and fortunate to be in the game at half time, might suggest The Hammers will struggle with 'expectation'. These are the kind of issues that Bilic will have to fix if they are going to finish in the top six and remains the big questions to be answered around a West Ham United team that have had a magnificent start to the season.

Things we Learned from the Weekend Football (September 17-18)

A little later than usual, but these are a few things I have taken away from the results over the weekend in England.

1) Aston Villa struggling for goals: It is not always a good decision to make rash judgements on a team, but Alex McLeish is making Villa into another version of his Birmingham side that could defend well, but not score enough goals.


It is not all the new manager's fault considering Villa have only scored more than 1 goal in 2 of their last 10 home games... In fact they have only scored more than 1 goal in 33% of their last 12 games so they have to be a team I avoid for the next couple of weeks and take a watching interest instead.


2) Titles are won in May, not September: Unbelievably, United have moved to odds on to win the Premier League in many places now, but I am not ready to buy their dominance just yet- anyone who watched the game on Sunday will surely accept United got the breaks and were fortunate to escape with a win.


Patrice Evra agreed that United need to play a lot better and the next month will tell us a lot more about the side after they play League games at Liverpool and Everton and also host Manchester City.


History will also show that titles are not won at this time of the season, with only a look at last season showing that off- at this time last season, Chelsea were 4 points clear having won all 5 opening League games and they had a +20 goal difference, yet ended the season with no trophies and sacking their manager.


While the latter part of that will not happen to Sir Alex Ferguson, it is far too early to be handing out medals just yet.


3) Arsenal will not make the top 4 with THAT defence: I did warn people in my preview of the Arsenal game that they are not a good price at odds on away from home with a defence that had been lucky not to concede more goals in recent weeks, yet other sites had tipped them 'to win to nil'... Win to nil? Did no one else watch them against Swansea and Borussia Dortmund?


Arsenal should have lost in Germany and they were very lucky to beat Swansea at home, yet you would have thought it was the 2nd coming of George Graham's famous defence when reading reports from those games.


There is not enough 'proper' defenders in the Arsenal team, the ones who will happily have their nose broken if it meant keeping a clean sheet, and I am really not convinced with their new signings.


Per Mertesacker supporters keep telling me about the number of caps he has picked up for Germany, but he was criticised in his home country for a 'lack of pace and immobility', 2 elements that will be exploited in the Premier League.


I agree the team will take time to find their defensive shape, but I am not convinced they will be good enough to make the top 4 with the personnel they have.


4) Leicester may have got over the home 'heebie jeebies': Leicester had a very strong home record last season, but, as I have mentioned before, I felt they were struggling a little bit this season because of the expectations that this team will win promotion to the Premier League.


After losing their first 2 League games at the King Power Stadium, they have won back to back games there against Southampton and Brighton, 2 unbeaten teams that were flying high in the League.


I think that could represent a turning point at home for a team that has plenty of Premier League experience and quality to count on and I think the Foxes could start pushing their way up the table, especially if they keep their away form up too.

Things Learned from the Weekend Football (August 20-22)

So another weekend of football has passed us by and this is a few things I have taken from the weekend:

1) Are only Manchester United players behaviour brought up for the FA to discuss?; Now I am not one to think the FA are biased against all things United, but surely someone has to explain how Raul Meireles of Liverpool has got away with clearly flipping the bird after Liverpool scored their 2nd goal at Arsenal.


It was clearly caught by the Sky TV cameras and even Luis Suarez decided to slap down the offending Meireles hand- however, there was no mention in the media of the act and no witch hunt that this player is setting a bad example to any youngsters watching.


When Wayne Rooney was swearing at the camera last season at West Ham, the FA came down hard while 'Match of the Day' and 'Sky' analysed the incident to death and earned Rooney a 3 match ban.


Now where are these same moral guardians after the Meireles incident? Why isn't the minimum question of WHO was Meireles swearing at being asked?


I wonder if there would be a difference if the next time Wayne Rooney scores he randomly throws out the 'wanker' gesture at any direction, although something tells me a 10 month ban would soon follow.




2) The good old topic of referee inconsistencies shows itself again: So is the one week policy of booking players for diving (ie Gervinho last week at Newcastle) over, or is it English players will not be given cards for the same act as Johnny Foreigner?


The first Chelsea goal against West Brom showed the inconsistency as Frank Lampard's attempted dive in the box was not punished and Nicolas Anelka scored from the move- have a look at the West Brom defenders all demanding something be done for the blatent Lampard dive and forget about defending for a split second that allowed Anelka to get his shot off and equalise.


The issue of diving is so subjective, but the bottom line should be a policy across the board- either decide to book any player the referee thinks is attempting to con them, or don't do it at all... But don't decide one week you will book players, yet the next you will just allow it to happen.




3) Juan Mata is the perfect signing for this Chelsea team: While watching the Chelsea-West Brom game last week, I could not help wondering that they did not have a spark in the midfield which will provide enough goals for a very good forward line. The inability of the likes of Lampard and Mikel to beat players and the inconsistency of Salomon Kalou meant they looked devoid of ideas.


However, when it was announced that Juan Mata will be coming in, I could not be anything but impressed- he has pace, can beat a man, can score goals from midfield and can create for others. His position in the wide areas will also give him more time to adjust to the Premier League as he is not in the hustle and bustle of centre midfielder, the hardest place for a creative talent to make an immediate impact when not playing in the League before in my opinion.


If Chelsea can also persuade Tottenham to part with Luka Modric, they will be a real threat in the Premier League and Champions League.




4) Swansea may struggle for the goals to keep them in the top flight: Swansea have not scored in their first 2 Premier League games and were fortunate to pick up a point against Wigan on Saturday at home, and I have this feeling a lack of goals will cost them their place in the top flight.


They have signed Danny Graham from Watford, but his inexperience at this level may be too much to overcome, and there is a distinct lack of goals in the side.


Defensively they will give the opposition chances, and that is not a good combination for survival.




5) The pressure of playing at home for the Championship favourites could be a problem early in the season: The two Championship favourites at the start of the season were West Ham and Leicester City, yet they are combined 0-1-3 in their home games so far.


It seems the expectation levels are making it harder for the players to perform, particularly as the squads were revamped over the Summer and it may take a little bit of time for them to make an impact in front of their own fans.


It is telling that both of those sides are 3-1-0 away from home, with Leicester conceding a goal in injury time on Saturday to prevent a clean sweep.


With teams travelling to Leicester and West Ham with nothing to lose, they are able to take advantage of any nervousness in the home teams. That could be something to keep an eye on as we move into September and October.

Saturday Football Picks and Preview

I have 3 picks from the Saturday coupon, so let us hope for a good start to the new season:

http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11265-Coventry-City-v-Leicester-City.htm

http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11267-Burnley-v-Watford.htm

http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11276-Southampton-v-Leeds-United.htm

All of the above links will give you full previews of the games and my reasoning behind the picks.


MY PICKS: Leicester City @ 2.15 William Hill (1 Unit)
Burnley-Watford Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.75 Victor Chandler (2 Units)
Southampton @ 2.25 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)