Jose Mourinho has started getting his excuses in early; it’s the referee that caused them victory in their champions’ league game with Manchester United yesterday. Inter Milan were so ordinary in the first 45 minutes I actually thought they were playing at Old Trafford. Fergie’s men were so dominant, they could easily have been 3 -0 up by half time; it was just a pity that Ryan Giggs didn’t have his scoring boots on.
The ex-special one had earlier boasted that he was not going to change for Manchester United but did just that at the beginning of the 2nd half to curtail the dominance of Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher in the midfield. He eventually played with 3 strikers but all that supposed fire power remained toothless and barely bothered Edwin van Der Saar.
But more importantly, is the fact that once again, Mourinho has accused another referee of impropriety. How exactly the referee made the Inter team play as poorly as they did in the first half is still a mystery. He tried this same ploy when he coached at Chelsea, accusing the Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard of joining the referee in their room during the half time of a champion’s league game. The UEFA honchos and more especially Michel Platini will ignore this gamesmanship obviously because it wasn’t an English team coach who made the accusations.
Arsenal played yesterday too and I was getting ready TO watch this game when I heard Arsenals line up included a midfield trio of Emmanuel Eboue, Abou Diaby and Denilson. I switched over to Man U – Inter instead. And true to type Arsenal were as wasteful as they’ve been all season. Nicholas “I should play more” Bendtner unleashed a glorious miss from 8 yards out and Emmanuel Eboue had the goal at his mercy but still found the side netting when it could have been easier to tap in. At least they scored this time and prevented a fourth consecutive 0-0 draw.
Will Arsenal rue all the chances they missed when they needed to build up a big lead with the return game at the Stadio Olympico looming with Roma’s talisman expected back? Have they missed the chance to guarantee passage to the quarter finals?
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
NEW SEASON STARTS HERE AND NOW
Now that the race for the premiership has been finalised by the cowardly display of Liverpool against Manchester City, we at Football Is Simple have decided to ignore the 2008.09 season as the outcome is already certain but turn our minds to what the other teams need to do to prevent Manchester United winning the premiership four times in a row.
I can confidently say now that Manchester United will win the league next year. This assessment is based on what the other teams in the chasing pack are doing today; will normally do or can’t help but do repeating the same old things that keep them from being winners.
Now Alex Ferguson is not a magician; he is a red nosed man who just knows how to win. Unlike what the Man United fans will tell you, he has owned the premiership for 17 years . He has been able to marry the old players like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville (to a lesser extent) with the new kids on the block. Something no other manager has been able to do, no matter what the Wenger and Arsenal fans tell you. They are a well oiled machine of a team with a winning mentality. The manager knows when or who to add to complement the players he already has and keeps on winning. This year they might repeat as Champions league winners no matter what the former special one thinks.
Next year, Liverpool will make another stupendous attempt at challenging for the league but will falter again. For them to win the league, they will need to either sack Rafa Benitez or give him overall control of everything in Liverpool football club. Sacking him will be a better option because keeping and handing him overall control of buying players like Robbie keane and Jermaine Pennant will not improve this team. Rafa needs to improve his squad around Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres; he needs better quality players with special need for a creative midfielder who can add some flair and guile to a basic footballing side. Every game played without Gerard shows how much this team depends on him and Rafa’s belligerent attitude with the purchase of players has given Liverpool a very predictable style of play which will not win him or Liverpool any points for positive play.
The ultra conservative play of two holding midfielders is a reflection of Rafa’s philosophy – we better not lose as against going out to beat anyone. Yesterday, he has decided to pin his mast to beating Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Man Utd away from home because he couldn’t beat Man city at home. The man has the cheek but I don’t see how beating united at home helps you when you have drawn games at home to Stoke, Boro and Man City amongst others. Beating Man Utd is not a deal breaker anymore; it is beating the lesser lights that matter. I expect the lovers George Gillett and Tom Hicks to sack Benitez and a summer sales of every one except Carragher, Gerard and Torres.
As for Chelsea, whatever happens they will be without a manager at the end of the season. So before they start replacing the old and aging team in place they will need to find a manager. Roman Abramovich has proven he doesn’t know his football that well because he has made muddling mistakes in the past including the purchase of Adrian Mutu, Andrei Shevchenko, sacking Jose Mourinho, appointing and then sacking Avram Grant and the sacking of Felipe Scolari. So where will Roman turn to next. Is he going for an Italian? Someone else who will need an interpreter just to get to the car park; how will he explain what he wants done on the pitch? Is he going back to Mourinho; a good move but will need ponying up some serious dosh because Jose doesn’t do rebuilding scenarios; he likes his money already in place to pick the best players greedy enough to want to play for two contesting egomaniacs. Of course this will not happen because he was not sacked for any footballing reason but because the owner and manager clashed on who was the real “special one”. Or will he go dutch and try Frank Rijkaard, another good move but will need time to blend a team that he will try and build. Is Chelsea ready to wait for that to happen?
They will also need a full overhaul of players to make a team; today Chelsea has a strong set of players who can fit into most teams but have proved not to make a team yet. Michael Ballack, Deco, Didier Drogba are taking massive salaries and producing nothing; they will be older and not any better next year so should be shown the door. The other striker is a bully who scores easily against the lesser lights but can go scoreless for months. A creative midfielder and wingers are a must. Without them, the logjam created by Lampard and Ballack in the midfield will continue.
Defensively, they are good but they need a second unit of defenders and not the mishmash of Essien or any other midfielder playing out of position or the atrocity that is Ivanovic.
Besides playing in the UEFA cup next year, Arsenal has the most to do to regain any relevance in the premiership race. This season has shown the professor that youth is good but is not a substitute for experience. Arsenal also has a lot of players who are either past it or have not even got there yet. It will be easier to name the players who have potential and can stay. Besides Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Andrei Arshavin, Robin Van Persie and William Gallas; the others can be given away. No team will win anything with a midfield of Denilson and Alex Song or Abou Diaby or Emmanuel Eboue. A strike force of Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicholas Bendtner is poor no matter the team they are against. Nicholas Bendtner believes he should play more or he will leave. I know Arsenal fans who will find the taxi fare.
Arsene Wenger’s belief in kids can only be justified when he wins something, but the rate they are moving they will not be doing so soon. Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Edu, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto and Mathieu Flamini are still playing top level football in other teams so you wonder why Wenger disposed of their services. Wenger then makes the most ridiculous transfer moves by chasing another offensive midfielder when he actually needed a defensive midfielder. Manuel Almunia is not a goalkeeper who inspires confidence in his team mates, fans or any one else who has any feelings for this once great team.
So Arsenal needs a new goalkeeper, at least one centre back who is at least above 6’ 2. They need a battling midfielder in Gilberto’s mode. They also need two strikers who can score that are not called Bendtner or Adebayor. They just concluded the 4th 0-0 draw in 7 games. They also need a healthy season that doesn’t rob them of their best players – Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal also needs a radical rethink of their transfer policies and playing tactics. He doesn’t have Pires or Freddie or Bergkamp any more. He should understand that and teach his boys how to be more direct and stop this nonsense of trying to pass/bore the opponents to death. Depriving the opponents the ball is not a score line yet; make something of the final ball and the old Arsenal might be back.
If the board say they have the money to spend, why doesn’t Wenger want to spend it? The Arsenal youth team were taught a good lesson by Burnley in the Carling cup so it is obvious they are not good enough yet or ever will be.
Why can’t Arsene Wenger be sacked?
I can confidently say now that Manchester United will win the league next year. This assessment is based on what the other teams in the chasing pack are doing today; will normally do or can’t help but do repeating the same old things that keep them from being winners.
Now Alex Ferguson is not a magician; he is a red nosed man who just knows how to win. Unlike what the Man United fans will tell you, he has owned the premiership for 17 years . He has been able to marry the old players like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville (to a lesser extent) with the new kids on the block. Something no other manager has been able to do, no matter what the Wenger and Arsenal fans tell you. They are a well oiled machine of a team with a winning mentality. The manager knows when or who to add to complement the players he already has and keeps on winning. This year they might repeat as Champions league winners no matter what the former special one thinks.
Next year, Liverpool will make another stupendous attempt at challenging for the league but will falter again. For them to win the league, they will need to either sack Rafa Benitez or give him overall control of everything in Liverpool football club. Sacking him will be a better option because keeping and handing him overall control of buying players like Robbie keane and Jermaine Pennant will not improve this team. Rafa needs to improve his squad around Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres; he needs better quality players with special need for a creative midfielder who can add some flair and guile to a basic footballing side. Every game played without Gerard shows how much this team depends on him and Rafa’s belligerent attitude with the purchase of players has given Liverpool a very predictable style of play which will not win him or Liverpool any points for positive play.
The ultra conservative play of two holding midfielders is a reflection of Rafa’s philosophy – we better not lose as against going out to beat anyone. Yesterday, he has decided to pin his mast to beating Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Man Utd away from home because he couldn’t beat Man city at home. The man has the cheek but I don’t see how beating united at home helps you when you have drawn games at home to Stoke, Boro and Man City amongst others. Beating Man Utd is not a deal breaker anymore; it is beating the lesser lights that matter. I expect the lovers George Gillett and Tom Hicks to sack Benitez and a summer sales of every one except Carragher, Gerard and Torres.
As for Chelsea, whatever happens they will be without a manager at the end of the season. So before they start replacing the old and aging team in place they will need to find a manager. Roman Abramovich has proven he doesn’t know his football that well because he has made muddling mistakes in the past including the purchase of Adrian Mutu, Andrei Shevchenko, sacking Jose Mourinho, appointing and then sacking Avram Grant and the sacking of Felipe Scolari. So where will Roman turn to next. Is he going for an Italian? Someone else who will need an interpreter just to get to the car park; how will he explain what he wants done on the pitch? Is he going back to Mourinho; a good move but will need ponying up some serious dosh because Jose doesn’t do rebuilding scenarios; he likes his money already in place to pick the best players greedy enough to want to play for two contesting egomaniacs. Of course this will not happen because he was not sacked for any footballing reason but because the owner and manager clashed on who was the real “special one”. Or will he go dutch and try Frank Rijkaard, another good move but will need time to blend a team that he will try and build. Is Chelsea ready to wait for that to happen?
They will also need a full overhaul of players to make a team; today Chelsea has a strong set of players who can fit into most teams but have proved not to make a team yet. Michael Ballack, Deco, Didier Drogba are taking massive salaries and producing nothing; they will be older and not any better next year so should be shown the door. The other striker is a bully who scores easily against the lesser lights but can go scoreless for months. A creative midfielder and wingers are a must. Without them, the logjam created by Lampard and Ballack in the midfield will continue.
Defensively, they are good but they need a second unit of defenders and not the mishmash of Essien or any other midfielder playing out of position or the atrocity that is Ivanovic.
Besides playing in the UEFA cup next year, Arsenal has the most to do to regain any relevance in the premiership race. This season has shown the professor that youth is good but is not a substitute for experience. Arsenal also has a lot of players who are either past it or have not even got there yet. It will be easier to name the players who have potential and can stay. Besides Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Andrei Arshavin, Robin Van Persie and William Gallas; the others can be given away. No team will win anything with a midfield of Denilson and Alex Song or Abou Diaby or Emmanuel Eboue. A strike force of Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicholas Bendtner is poor no matter the team they are against. Nicholas Bendtner believes he should play more or he will leave. I know Arsenal fans who will find the taxi fare.
Arsene Wenger’s belief in kids can only be justified when he wins something, but the rate they are moving they will not be doing so soon. Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Edu, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto and Mathieu Flamini are still playing top level football in other teams so you wonder why Wenger disposed of their services. Wenger then makes the most ridiculous transfer moves by chasing another offensive midfielder when he actually needed a defensive midfielder. Manuel Almunia is not a goalkeeper who inspires confidence in his team mates, fans or any one else who has any feelings for this once great team.
So Arsenal needs a new goalkeeper, at least one centre back who is at least above 6’ 2. They need a battling midfielder in Gilberto’s mode. They also need two strikers who can score that are not called Bendtner or Adebayor. They just concluded the 4th 0-0 draw in 7 games. They also need a healthy season that doesn’t rob them of their best players – Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal also needs a radical rethink of their transfer policies and playing tactics. He doesn’t have Pires or Freddie or Bergkamp any more. He should understand that and teach his boys how to be more direct and stop this nonsense of trying to pass/bore the opponents to death. Depriving the opponents the ball is not a score line yet; make something of the final ball and the old Arsenal might be back.
If the board say they have the money to spend, why doesn’t Wenger want to spend it? The Arsenal youth team were taught a good lesson by Burnley in the Carling cup so it is obvious they are not good enough yet or ever will be.
Why can’t Arsene Wenger be sacked?
Thursday, 19 February 2009
MANCHESTER UNITED ARE CHAMPIONS
CONGRATULATIONS TO MANCHESTER UNITED. ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2008/2009 SEASON
All betting shops should start paying out on Manchester United winning the league. No one is catching them. Arsene Wenger, the eternal optimist, has already dubbed them the ‘untouchables’, conceding the title for the season. Of course, Liverpool will make some noise of being in the race but which sane person believes they can sustain a serious title challenge now.
Man Utd have now gone 14 games without conceding a goal so the target for the other 19 teams in the league is now scoring against ManU and not actually beating them. Every player is now playing well; even the old ones Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are winding back the years and producing champagne soccer. The goal scored yesterday by Scholes was of a vintage equal to the best of the ginger nut. He used to score or attempts to score from this position when Beckham was in his prime and yesterday it clicked and what a goal.
Liverpool can only look on and escort Man Utd to the title and take solace as described by Jamie Carragher, that they have overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea in the final league positions. Whether Liverpool fans will be satisfied with second position is another story. The bragging rights of top dog with 18 championships is out though so they have to look for something else - 5 European cups looks nice place to start.
PS
Paddy Power, the irish bookie is paying out on Manchester United winning the league, Carling league cup and FA cup. - Now this is a man who has steel cojones.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
WELCOME BACK
Eduardo Da Silva is back, after a one year hiatus to recover from his double leg break the Arsenal striker returned to competitive football with two goals against Cardiff City in the FA cup 4th round replay yesterday. Arsenal won 4-0 and face Burnley in the 5th round.
We welcome Eduardo back and pray that he stays injury free, strong and invigorates the Arsenal strike force. Arsenal needs more than Eduardo to get their season back on track but it is a good start.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
WHY?
WHY would a journalist ask a player what he thought of the new coach newly employed by his team? The unimaginative journos who have seen any Chelsea player in the last 3 days has asked that question and they all a prepared script which involves saying it is a great choice. The same thing they said when Felipe Scolari replaced Avram Grant and exactly what they will say when Guus Hiddink is replaced by some other money grabbing manager in 5 months.
NEXT player approached should say that he won't play for Hiddink, and proceed on strike till Roman Abramovich takes over coaching too.
WHY will England expect to beat Spain in a football game? Spain has Fernando Torres, while England has Carlton Cole. For Xavi and Iniesta England have Steward Downing and Gareth Barry. The match up is unfair; Spain holds on to the ball and passes it around with exceptional skill. England hoofs it up to bean pole Peter Crouch and expect a knock down to an on rushing player. What kind of tactics is that?
NEXT game England should choose Wales, against them they stand a chance, but not any of the big teams. And they should stop listening to the oddmakers at Coral who make then 8-1 second favorites to win the world cup. It will not happen in my lifetime.
WHY does Brazil seem so good playing football? How can one country produce such good players with an understanding of how the game of football is played? Against the world champions, Italy they were imperious and I was clapping throughout the game. Every player is comfortable with the ball and is never in a hurry, the overlapping full backs are attacking players in disguise and even their goalkeeper is good. Italy are not a bad side but were easily outclassed by Brazil.
THEIR NEXT game should be against the Harlem Globetrotters
WHY does France continue to look for a replacement for Zinedine Zidane? Since 2006 when he retired Zizzou has been missed at every French game. The team lacks cohesion and collective responsibility and the mix of old and new players has been a bad experiment. Zidane was the greatest player ever but the French need a new identity and losing 2-0 to Argentina only deepens the desperation they are in.
NEXT game should be against England; an easy win can help their confidence.
NEXT player approached should say that he won't play for Hiddink, and proceed on strike till Roman Abramovich takes over coaching too.
WHY will England expect to beat Spain in a football game? Spain has Fernando Torres, while England has Carlton Cole. For Xavi and Iniesta England have Steward Downing and Gareth Barry. The match up is unfair; Spain holds on to the ball and passes it around with exceptional skill. England hoofs it up to bean pole Peter Crouch and expect a knock down to an on rushing player. What kind of tactics is that?
NEXT game England should choose Wales, against them they stand a chance, but not any of the big teams. And they should stop listening to the oddmakers at Coral who make then 8-1 second favorites to win the world cup. It will not happen in my lifetime.
WHY does Brazil seem so good playing football? How can one country produce such good players with an understanding of how the game of football is played? Against the world champions, Italy they were imperious and I was clapping throughout the game. Every player is comfortable with the ball and is never in a hurry, the overlapping full backs are attacking players in disguise and even their goalkeeper is good. Italy are not a bad side but were easily outclassed by Brazil.
THEIR NEXT game should be against the Harlem Globetrotters
WHY does France continue to look for a replacement for Zinedine Zidane? Since 2006 when he retired Zizzou has been missed at every French game. The team lacks cohesion and collective responsibility and the mix of old and new players has been a bad experiment. Zidane was the greatest player ever but the French need a new identity and losing 2-0 to Argentina only deepens the desperation they are in.
NEXT game should be against England; an easy win can help their confidence.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
CHELSEA APPOINT NEW MANAGER
One of the reasons Chelsea were losing with Felipe Scolari was because it was believed that he was not used to the premiership league and coming from the international management which is basically a part time job; he was not up to it.
So Chelsea sack Scolari and replace him with Guus Hiddink who will be doing the job on a part time basis. If there is a more boneheaded response to a crisis, I haven’t seen it yet. A part time manager, with a full time job of managing Russia who has never coached in the premiership cannot be the best person to improve the formerly rouble laden team.
Long may the circus continue down the Kings road.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
CHELSEA - THE SIDESHOW AND DISTRACTIONS...
The team that wants to be dominant in England and Europe is off to a good start. The most dominant team domestically and in Europe is Real Madrid. They have no patience for managers who win the liga without champions league or vice versa, ask Vincent Del Bosque and Jupp Heynckes. They disposed of Fabio Capello for winning the liga playing defensively. And copying that nonsensical mode of ownership is CHELSEA.
This is the same Chelsea who disposed of their most successful manager ever, Jose Mourinho after winning 6 trophies in 3 years including back to back premiership titles. Many reasons for this action include poor results and the utterances of Mourinho who besides being a brilliant coach couldn’t keep his gob shut. He had a remark for everything football or not. After getting shot of Mourinho, they decided that Avram Grant was the man to take Abramovich’s toy to greater heights. That Grant was as dull as dishwater and couldn’t generate excitement at a stag do with 48 page 3 girls was lost on the Russian tycoon. So after taking Chelsea to second in the league and within an inch of the champions league title, Avram Grant was shown the door and things then got exciting.
And then the galatico collection, Andrei Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Deco were purchases Chelsea didn’t need but were made to prove a point that they were big. John Mikel Obi, the petulant runt was torn away from Man Utd also to prove a point. Basing their transfer targets on other teams identifying players and then making a much larger bid was also a weird way for a team to buy players. And they let them go some months down the line. Arjen Robben came and left, Damien Duff cost £17m and moved on for £3m, Arsenal wanted Shaun Wright Philips and were quoted £6-7m, Chelsea bought him for £21m. The list includes Scott Parker, Adrian Mutu, Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, and Steve Sidwell. That high turnover of players could never have been good of the team but Chelsea just didn’t care. Oil prices were high and daddy Roman was flush
Peter Kenyon who couldn’t sign a naked lady in a strip bar (Fergie wanted Ronaldinho, this man got Kleberson) then embarked on a whirlwind search for a new manager. Being Chelsea with all that dosh, decided on a world cup winner who was in charge of Portugal at the time. With a total lack of tact reeking of arrogance and borderline psychosis, in the middle of Felipe Scolari’s Portugal encounter in the European championship they announced that he will be leaving to join the biggest team in the world. His capture by Chelsea was heralded as the coup of the decade and every news report from here to Burkina Faso concluded that he will be winning everything in sight. Only one person mentioned what every one at Chelsea should have seen; Chelsea was an aging side and couldn’t sustain a challenge for the premiership with the team. Fergie saw it said so. Of course, it was written off as sour grapes and forgotten by sport writers who should have done their job and investigated the claim seriously.
Their results starting this season were no less than spectacular; they started off winning 8 successive games on the road, although they found it hard to repeat the feat at home. They also never lost at home in 4 years but found a way to lose to both Liverpool and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Everything just crumbled at the bridge, Nicholas Anelka has been stuck on 14 goals since October; and most of those goals came against the lower lights of the league. Didier Drogba has been woeful and his only shot of the game against Man Utd ended up a throw-in. Michael Ballack has been all talk and seems to want to be somewhere else, Why Scolari bought Deco is still a mystery but after one good game in august has disappeared up his own arse and just helps crowd the Chelsea midfield when he is picked. After the display against Hull this last weekend they have disposed off Big Phil and the search for a new man starts.
The names mentioned to replace Scolari include all the usual suspects whenever a big job becomes available – Roberto Mancini, Carlo Ancelloti, Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink – and those the sports writers only generate when they are too lazy to do their job – Avram Grant, Gianfranco Zola, Glenn Hoddle, Sarah Palin and Paris Hilton. Whoever takes over has a big squad that needs trimming; some overpaid players that need shifting out and more importantly some new players – wingers, skilful central midfielders
The theatre continues…
This is the same Chelsea who disposed of their most successful manager ever, Jose Mourinho after winning 6 trophies in 3 years including back to back premiership titles. Many reasons for this action include poor results and the utterances of Mourinho who besides being a brilliant coach couldn’t keep his gob shut. He had a remark for everything football or not. After getting shot of Mourinho, they decided that Avram Grant was the man to take Abramovich’s toy to greater heights. That Grant was as dull as dishwater and couldn’t generate excitement at a stag do with 48 page 3 girls was lost on the Russian tycoon. So after taking Chelsea to second in the league and within an inch of the champions league title, Avram Grant was shown the door and things then got exciting.
And then the galatico collection, Andrei Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Deco were purchases Chelsea didn’t need but were made to prove a point that they were big. John Mikel Obi, the petulant runt was torn away from Man Utd also to prove a point. Basing their transfer targets on other teams identifying players and then making a much larger bid was also a weird way for a team to buy players. And they let them go some months down the line. Arjen Robben came and left, Damien Duff cost £17m and moved on for £3m, Arsenal wanted Shaun Wright Philips and were quoted £6-7m, Chelsea bought him for £21m. The list includes Scott Parker, Adrian Mutu, Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, and Steve Sidwell. That high turnover of players could never have been good of the team but Chelsea just didn’t care. Oil prices were high and daddy Roman was flush
Peter Kenyon who couldn’t sign a naked lady in a strip bar (Fergie wanted Ronaldinho, this man got Kleberson) then embarked on a whirlwind search for a new manager. Being Chelsea with all that dosh, decided on a world cup winner who was in charge of Portugal at the time. With a total lack of tact reeking of arrogance and borderline psychosis, in the middle of Felipe Scolari’s Portugal encounter in the European championship they announced that he will be leaving to join the biggest team in the world. His capture by Chelsea was heralded as the coup of the decade and every news report from here to Burkina Faso concluded that he will be winning everything in sight. Only one person mentioned what every one at Chelsea should have seen; Chelsea was an aging side and couldn’t sustain a challenge for the premiership with the team. Fergie saw it said so. Of course, it was written off as sour grapes and forgotten by sport writers who should have done their job and investigated the claim seriously.
Their results starting this season were no less than spectacular; they started off winning 8 successive games on the road, although they found it hard to repeat the feat at home. They also never lost at home in 4 years but found a way to lose to both Liverpool and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Everything just crumbled at the bridge, Nicholas Anelka has been stuck on 14 goals since October; and most of those goals came against the lower lights of the league. Didier Drogba has been woeful and his only shot of the game against Man Utd ended up a throw-in. Michael Ballack has been all talk and seems to want to be somewhere else, Why Scolari bought Deco is still a mystery but after one good game in august has disappeared up his own arse and just helps crowd the Chelsea midfield when he is picked. After the display against Hull this last weekend they have disposed off Big Phil and the search for a new man starts.
The names mentioned to replace Scolari include all the usual suspects whenever a big job becomes available – Roberto Mancini, Carlo Ancelloti, Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink – and those the sports writers only generate when they are too lazy to do their job – Avram Grant, Gianfranco Zola, Glenn Hoddle, Sarah Palin and Paris Hilton. Whoever takes over has a big squad that needs trimming; some overpaid players that need shifting out and more importantly some new players – wingers, skilful central midfielders
The theatre continues…
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