Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (August 22-24)

This is out a little later than I wanted to this week simply because I was out at a wedding on Sunday evening and that needed some recuperation time on Monday evening.

I do have a few thoughts from the third round of Premier League fixtures which were played last weekend as pre-season begins to be shaken out of the players and quality begins to make a difference in matches.

Louis Van Gaal's tactical issues

Any time a team begins a Premier League season with three consecutive clean sheets and seven points from a possible nine has to be applauded, but I can't help feel that Louis Van Gaal missed a trick in Manchester United's game against Newcastle United.

First things first, on another day Manchester United win that game with the chances created, but the goalless draw does raise some questions which need to be answered.

The chances created suggests Van Gaal got most things right on Saturday and needed perhaps a little more luck, although the final ball from some of the attacking players had to be better too. So I can't criticise that at all.

However, I am not convinced by the two deep-lying centre midfielders that Van Gaal relies upon in some of the games against teams Manchester United should be beating at Old Trafford. Bastian Schweinsteiger at least gets up and down the pitch, but bringing on Michael Carrick rather than Ander Herrera was a poor decision as Manchester United began to take control and push Newcastle backwards.

Herrera is a goalscorer who wants to get the side ticking forward, whereas both Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin were not effective doing that. Neither is a goalscoring midfielder and I do feel Louis Van Gaal missed a trick by not employing the Spaniard in the second half to give Manchester United another attacking threat from midfield.

We can't always look back at the Sir Alex Ferguson years, but the gambles he took in tight games helped Manchester United become the force they are today and I just think Louis Van Gaal can take some of that element on board. It will be a big test for Manchester United at Swansea City next Sunday to show how much progression has been made at Old Trafford although I'd be happy to have the two shielding midfielders in an away game that is going to be very difficult to negotiate.

Slaven Bilic is under big pressure at Upton Park

I wonder how happy all those West Ham United fans that didn't like Sam Allardyce for not playing the 'West Ham way' are feeling at the moment? Slaven Bilic came in with a lot of positive sounds being made from the fans, but his opening weeks in charge have not been so good.

There were boos in the Europa League Qualifying Rounds, but Bilic had made it clear that competition was not his priority so I think some fans might have given their former player the benefit of the doubt.

A win at Arsenal seemed to justify Bilic's decision making in the Europa League, but back to back home losses to Leicester City and Bournemouth had the fans extremely upset. Those are bad losses for West Ham United who can't afford to be relegated before they move into their new Olympic Stadium and lose the huge financial rewards of the new television deal in the Premier League.

The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the West Ham United performances won't have helped how the fans perceive the team and I think Slaven Bilic is under big pressure already. The board can be a little nervy and they won't allow West Ham United to be sucked into a relegation battle while the next set of games are not exactly appealing with trips to Liverpool and Manchester City as well as a home game against Newcastle United to come.

Before he knows it, Slaven Bilic could be under immense pressure and perhaps fast hitting favouritism for next manager to leave his post.

Tottenham Hotspur need more attacking options to aid Harry Kane

I don't understand those clubs who wait until the final week of the transfer window to make a really serious move to address problem areas of their team, but that is where Tottenham Hotspur find themselves.

It is a particular concern when there is a particular weakness in the squad that everyone can see- with Spurs it was clearly finding goals outside of Harry Kane with both Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado either in the doghouse or leaving the club.

There is a lot of pressure on Kane to repeat his success of the 2014/15 season and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with both Saido Berahino and Yannick Bolasie to give them speed and another player that can score goals for them. Berahino is the player that seems to be most sought after, but Tottenham Hotspur should really have gotten him brought in already instead of fighting for every penny against a stubborn club like West Brom.

Both Jeremy Peace and Daniel Levy are unlikely to back down and it has just left Mauricio Pochettino in an awkward position to try and help Spurs get into the top four this season. They have only earned 2 points from a possible 9 in the Premier League when the signings they wish to make could have trebled that number of points and those points could easily haunt them at the end of the season when you think Spurs were leading in their last two games.

I'd be surprised if new faces are not brought in before the window closes on Tuesday, but Tottenham Hotspur are desperate for more attacking options and should have had players in place before the season started.

Will Southampton have a season that many expected they would have last season?

When Southampton sold the likes of Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert last summer, a lot of people thought the side might have been in for a fight against relegation.

Instead Ronald Koeman came into the club as the new manager to replace Tottenham Hotspur bound Mauricio Pochettino and guided them to an incredible 7th placed finish in the Premier League. It was a really surprising season that ended with a place in the Europa League.

So when Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin moved on this summer, not many were concerned for Southampton after seeing how they dealt with things last season. However, the start to the season has been poor for The Saints who are trying to balance the Premier League with the Europa League and so have earned just 2 points from a possible 9 in the League.

There has been a lack of ideas in the final third and even some of the defensive strength looks to have taken a backwards move after Southampton conceded 5 goals in their first two Premier League games. Southampton are in danger of also being knocked out of the Europa League and need to turn things around quickly if they want to avoid having a season that many tipped for them twelve months ago.

Pedro is not a guaranteed success in the Premier League after one game

When Manchester United were linked with Pedro, I was excited about the move because I think he would improve the club. So when he signed for Chelsea there was disappointment and the 'meltdown' some Manchester United fans had following his one goal, one assist debut for The Blues was not really a surprise to me.

Once again, I would have signed Pedro because I think he would have given Manchester United a different type of threat in the final third and has decent pace and creativity that Louis Van Gaal has spoken about.

So why would I urge caution about his 'guaranteed' success in the Premier League? Because I have seen it happen to many others before him and only time will really tell what Pedro is going to achieve here.

Players like Angel Di Maria and Juan Sebastien Veron had such impressive starts before faltering, while even Mesut Ozil looked a world beater before slowing down. All of these players came in as 'world class' stars that would have been 'guaranteed' to end up as top Premier League players, but they were worn down by the physical nature of English football and perhaps lost some confidence.

Of course there are others that settle in quickly and just get better and better, for example Alexis Sanchez, but I would just urge the rush to make Pedro the next superstar in the League until I see the kind of form he is producing in three/four months and whether a 'hot start' is replaced by inconsistency or whether he has kicked on and embraced the League like Sanchez did following a move from Barcelona.

Manchester City might have a chance to turn the screw on title rivals

Three wins, three clean sheets and the only team with a 100% record in the Premier League coupled with the five dropped points that Arsenal and Chelsea have had already and you can understand why Manchester City are favourites to win the Premier League title.

Some Manchester United and Liverpool fans might feel they can challenge for the Premier League title, but I am sure Manchester City looked at Chelsea and Arsenal as their closest challengers before the season began.

The wins over Chelsea and Everton have been particularly impressive, while the 0-3 win at West Brom can't be underestimated even if Tony Pulis admitted he had made tactical errors.

Now Manchester City can turn the screw on their title rivals with games against Watford, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Bournemouth to come in the Premier League before a trip to Old Trafford in late October.

On current form I wouldn't pick any of those teams to surprise Manchester City by even taking a point, but of course the Champions League fixtures will be played between some of those games which can cause difficulty. However, this is a real chance for Manchester City to put themselves in a very strong position in the Premier League after just nine games, especially as their rivals have tougher matches to play in that time.

Manchester United play Swansea City, Liverpool, Southampton, Arsenal and Everton during that time; Liverpool play Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur; Chelsea play Everton, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Southampton; Arsenal play Newcastle United, Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United.

With those sides looking like they might take points off one another, Manchester City could find themselves in a very healthy position as they head into the Manchester derby on October 25th. This is the time for them to prove they are not going to wilt like they did last season and the way Manchester City have come out this season suggests they are going to show that on the field too which is a big issue for their rivals.

Weekend Review (August 17-19)

The first weekend of the Premier League is always too soon to make snap judgements for what is going to happen for the next nine months- I mean the top three contenders for the Premier League title all won, the three promoted sides from last season all lost.

That doesn't mean anything in the long run, but there were still a few things that caught my eye from a long weekend of football and these are below.


Sergio Aguero staying fit could bridge the gap to Manchester United: As a Manchester United fan, I would be the first to tell you that Robin Van Persie's decision to move to Old Trafford rather than Manchester City was a major reason for the title coming back to Manchester United last season.

Van Persie's goals were critical and United managed to score 20 goals more than City over the course of the Premier League season and that definitely made the difference between the teams and is a real reason for such a gap at the end of the season between the two top sides.

Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez have both left Manchester City over the last year, while they have signed Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo have been brought in to help the team get back to scoring ways, but it may be most critical for them to keep Sergio Aguero fit.

Aguero started 22 games last season and was a substitute for a further 8 games, while scoring 12 goals for City, but he had been suffering with a knock during the course of the year and he has the goalscoring knack that could make a big difference in the title race this time around.

I also think City will be boosted by the more attacking mentality that Manuel Pellegrini will employ compared with Roberto Mancini- with the talent they have in forward positions, I think they will score a fair few more than the 66 goals they managed last season and may just make the difference in bridging the 11 point gap between themselves and United.


Arsenal fans booing ridiculous: It is very much a feature of the new world that instance success is all that fans want to see and social networking makes it easier for everyone to voice their opinions.

While reading Twitter is down to each individual, Arsenal fans have a tendency to bring their negative vibes to the Emirates Stadium. It isn't the first time the team have been booed off at home, but that isn't the only reason I find it quite ridiculous.

They boo their OWN players when they may be under-performing... Did anyone else find it quite ironic the cheers and claps Emmanuel Eboue got during a pre-season friendly against Galatasaray, yet this was the same player they would ridicule and boo while he played FOR Arsenal.

Theo Walcott has received the same 'adulation' during his poor runs of form, and it just feels ridiculous that one game into a season they are already on the players backs. Granted there are frustrations in what has been a quiet summer on the transfer front, and the result against Villa was a poor one, but it seems to be a far quicker negative reaction in this stadium than any other.

I don't know whether that is simply down to the fact that the new stadium has only been built in the last few years and the increased attendance from the Highbury days has allowed more 'Soccer Am' watching fans turn up, but the booing comes far too quickly at that stadium.


Promoted sides all lose but some positive signs: I said above that it is too quick to make snap judgements after one game of the season, but I do think all three promoted sides will take some positives from their opening Premier League game.

Cardiff City struggled at West Ham United, but Upton Park is one of the tougher places to play in the Premier League and I think the team will be looking to their home form to provide the real foundation for survival. They will certainly feel better now that the tension of the first game is out of the way, although the next game against Manchester City may give them another rude awakening of the challenges that lie ahead.

While Cardiff have fewer positives, both Crystal Palace and Hull City will feel they showed enough to think they can snare some points this season. Hull were outclassed for the first half at Chelsea, but the second half performance suggests they have made some astute signings, particularly Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore from Tottenham Hotspur.

Steve Bruce has experience and I think Hull City will surprise some if they take their second half performance on. Crystal Palace also played well in their game against Spurs, although I do wonder if they have enough goals in the side to survive in the top flight.

Over the last twenty years, all three promoted sides being immediately relegated is almost unheard of and even two of the sides going down would be a surprise. With that in mind, and with the performances on the opening weekend, all three promoted clubs will still have a real belief in what they are trying to achieve this season.


Wigan and the two relegated clubs won't have an easy ride in the Championship: When all three relegated clubs from the Premier League made winning starts in their opening game in the Championship, the general feeling was that all three would have a strong shout for promotion.

The one that most were excited about were Wigan after they won 0-4 at Barnsley, but one point from their next two games shows how tough the Championship is- I wasn't convinced by the appointment of Owen Coyle who had to be sacked by Bolton Wanderers last season as he struggled to make the adjustment to the Championship.

All 3 of the relegated sides are no longer the 'underdog', but a team with a target on their back as others will raise their game against opponents that were Premier League clubs up until May. Wigan have the additional pressure of playing in Europe and being the FA Cup holders which makes them a bigger scalp, although Queens Park Rangers financial clout puts a huge target on them too.

Being immediately promoted following relegation is not an easy task in a competitive Division like this one and all three will have a long, tough season ahead with a lots of ups and downs to reach their goal.


Spurs without Bale could still be a top four club: I have been impressed with the way Tottenham Hotspur have invested in the squad with the imminent departure of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid- they are getting a lot of money for their Welsh winger, but there does seem to be more of a feel of a team being put together and a good one at that.

The latest news that Willian may not be moving to White Hart Lane is a blow to what had looked a very strong summer of business, but I like the signings they have made and there is every chance they could be a top four club even in the absence of his talisman.

The big question may be who Arsenal sign to strengthen their squad to decide which of the North London teams finish in the final coveted Champions League place, but at the moment, players like Roberto Soldado and Paulinho can make a difference for Spurs.

Spurs do look a little short in defensive areas, so staying healthy will be key to their chances of negotiating what is a tough nine months of football, but there are some really positive signs. Andre Villas-Boas has to find the right blend at White Hart Lane where Spurs dropped too many points against teams they would be expecting to beat as they certainly look capable of picking up plenty on their travels and I like the business being done in this part of North London.

Final Thoughts on Weekend Football (August 25-26)

This is I write my final thoughts from the football that took place over the last weekend.

You can read my take on a week at Manchester United here

You can see my Midweek Football Picks here


Will Arsenal be able to replace Robin Van Persie's goals?: Arsenal have failed to score in their first two Premier League games this season, but that is not the reason for the fans to be concerned. The performances of the replacements for the Dutchman may be more cause for worry.

Arsenal actually started last season by failing to score in their first two League games and they actually only had 1 point from those two games compared to 2 points this season. At least they could point to some of the uncertainty surrounding Samir Nasri's future and the late sale of Cesc Fabregas while they hadn't brought in any players as replacements by that stage.

This Summer was different as Arsene Wenger signed Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, pre-empting Van Persie's exit, but he is still not happy with the squad and his anger at some of his forwards has been evident in their first two games.

There just seems to be lacking in the Arsenal side, while Van Persie's ability to score goals out of  tough situations was evident again at Old Trafford with his first for his new club and that is something that can be impossible to replace.

I believe Arsenal create enough chances to get by without RVP, but the front players are going to be feeling more and more pressure until they get off the mark.


Maybe it wasn't wise to write off Swansea so quickly: I hate making judgements on a couple of games as things change awfully quickly in football, but Swansea have looked so far from the side that I expected would be in a relegation fight this season.

They hammered Queens Park Rangers on the opening day and then backed that up with an impressive, and very easy, win over West Ham United at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

The football has been of the same style that Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa and Brendan Rodgers advocated before Michael Laudrup was given the reigns, but there has definitely been a more distinct cutting edge to their play.

For all the possession Swansea played last season, sometimes it did seem a little meaningless and the players didn't know how best to make it productive possession, keeping it going back and sideways rather than penetrating defences. The first two games this season have been different and the passing game is being rewarded with shots on goal at the end of the possession and that does bode well for them.

That has been the impressive aspect of their performances so far and 8 goals in 2 games tells its own tale. Now the question is how long they can keep it up and whether they can virtually assure themselves a place in the top flight before the bubble bursts, if indeed it does burst.


Andre Villa-Boas needs time at Tottenham Hotspur, but only has one week to shape his squad: Anyone who has read my thoughts over the last year will know that I wasn't the biggest Harry Redknapp fan, but Andre Villa-Boas' early results at Tottenham Hotspur are making 'Dead Crap' look a genius.

The Luka Modric saga hasn't helped the former Chelsea boss, but he now has a big week ahead of him before the close of the transfer window as he looks to shape the squad to something of his liking.

On the way back from Old Trafford, you already had the fans phoning in to the radio shows and turning on AVB- he has to get a result and at least keep Spurs in contention for a top four finish, but that isn't looking easy with Chelsea playing as they are early this season and the two Manchester clubs expected to take the top three places.

Villa-Boas still has some top players at his disposal and if he can spend the fee gained from the Modric deal, he may have a chance to get the fans back on board or it will be a long Winter at White Hart Lane.


(On another note, what was the point of Tottenham demanding a 'working relationship' with Real Madrid? It seems strange that it was Spurs wanting this kind of link-up and I am not entirely sure what they will be gaining... At least Gareth Bale will be happy after long being linked with a move to Real previously).


Has the Championship become the most attacking League in England?: I don't know whether I am just imagining things, but there seems to have been a load of high-scoring games in the Championship so far this season as teams play attacking formations looking to outscore their opponents.

15 of the last 24 games in the League has seen at least 3 goals scored and I am not sure if that is because the defences are getting tired towards the end of the games after the Summer break and thus struggling to contain the opposition attack.

Whether this is just early season stats or whether teams are going to continue to be involved in high-scoring games is something interesting to keep an eye on.