"Default? The two sweetest words in the English language." -- Homer Simpson, "Deep Space Homer."
Right now that how it looks about the 2008-09 Premier League title race. Manchester United are going to win it by default, because right now it appears to be the only club that really wants it.
Perhaps making this declaration after a weekend where United won 1-0 vs. Everton on a pretty suspect penalty call and Liverpool rallied late to a 2-0 win over Chelsea, but hear me out. (More on Liverpool from a guest panelist.)
United have raced up the table, having not lost since Nov. 8 to Arsenal. Sure the gap is only two over Liverpool (with a G-I-H), but it might as well be 20 because do you have any faith in Rafa's men starting down SAF's crew?
The rise of Manchester United is pretty simple -- they haven't let in a league goal since that loss to Arsenal.
The reason for such a sterling defensive record, to me, seems pretty simple. Almost every team in the PL likes to attack by getting its fullbacks forward. Against United opponents defenders can't get ahead since they're spending so much time tracking Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Red Devil wide players. This generally leaves the only attacking option going up the middle, which means running into the brick wall formed by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
As Rafa would tell you, United might be playing with 12 men, vis-a-vis the ref. It's probably not 100 percent true, but remains something that can't be overlooked.
What another reason why United might end up running away with the title, assuming Chelsea can't get its act together -- this schedule is softer than a Twinkie. Here's United in the league in February -- at West Ham; v. Fulham (G-I-H); v. Blackburn; v. Portsmouth. After that it's v. Tottenham; at Newcastle, which could possibly render March 14 game against Liverpool at Old Trafford a moot point. Even with the injuries how many points with SAF's men drop before that match? And based on what we've seen from Liverpool they'll sprinkle in a few draws and lose two points on the weekend.
So in my harebrained opinion, unless Ronaldo decides to channel his inner Vin Diesel on the English roadways between now and May, United are in the driver's seat.
As for Liverpool's title aspirations, let's hand it over to the one-and-only Ace Cowboy. Take it away Ace...
My thoughts exactly, except I would have made a crack about Yossi Benayoun's ass being sore after Bosingwa's blatant stomp.
Karma is a fickle bitch -- Remember when James Milner scored that ridiculous, deflected goal against West Ham a couple weeks ago? The evened out Saturday against Wigan. In the 70th minute I don't know how the ball didn't end up in the Wigan net after pin-balling around the penalty area. A little later, after a rare indirect free kick, Paul Scharner twice blocked rockets off the foot of John Carew and Ashley Young. At least, for Martin O'Neill's men, Arsenal grabbed a 0-0 draw as well.
Arsenal, a modest proposal -- Dear Arsene, consider this -- you're 'champagne football' isn't working. Trying to string together 45 passes to get a goal ain't happening with teams packing the defensive area. Why not just try humping balls up to Emmanuel Adebayor, who can knock them down to Robin van Persie in the box. One not try it for a game and see what happens?
Strangely weird joke of the week-- West Ham's new German signing Savio might be the tiniest Teuton since Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider. (This is a bit of a stretch because Savio was born in Uganda and Udo never represented Germany past the U-17 Metal level.)
Around the league -- Middlesbrough 0, Blackburn 0...could it be any other way? Those two, along with Portsmouth, Newcastle, etc. are playing their own version of that old site, ratemypoo.com. ... So right, Shay Given is that big an upgrade for Manchester City over Joe Hart? According to what I've read, City was a joke against 10-man Stoke. Wouldn't it be cruelly hilarious if City were relegated? Can you imagine the pitch -- come to City and you can see lovely Doncaster. ... Where did this Puygrenier dude come from at Bolton? ... Is there a bigger North London Derby than next Sunday's at White Hart Lane?
Fantasy team o' the week --Andrew Smock's Harkes Haircaire takes top honors with 58 points, thanks to Fro Torres. My mistake, top honors to John Terry's PK managed by Rob Candrian.
One note -- If you read the site on a feed reader, double check you're still connected because my service (Feed Burner) got incorporated into Google. Just a heads up.
Enjoy the final day of the transfer window.
Right now that how it looks about the 2008-09 Premier League title race. Manchester United are going to win it by default, because right now it appears to be the only club that really wants it.
Perhaps making this declaration after a weekend where United won 1-0 vs. Everton on a pretty suspect penalty call and Liverpool rallied late to a 2-0 win over Chelsea, but hear me out. (More on Liverpool from a guest panelist.)
United have raced up the table, having not lost since Nov. 8 to Arsenal. Sure the gap is only two over Liverpool (with a G-I-H), but it might as well be 20 because do you have any faith in Rafa's men starting down SAF's crew?
The rise of Manchester United is pretty simple -- they haven't let in a league goal since that loss to Arsenal.
The reason for such a sterling defensive record, to me, seems pretty simple. Almost every team in the PL likes to attack by getting its fullbacks forward. Against United opponents defenders can't get ahead since they're spending so much time tracking Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Red Devil wide players. This generally leaves the only attacking option going up the middle, which means running into the brick wall formed by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
As Rafa would tell you, United might be playing with 12 men, vis-a-vis the ref. It's probably not 100 percent true, but remains something that can't be overlooked.
What another reason why United might end up running away with the title, assuming Chelsea can't get its act together -- this schedule is softer than a Twinkie. Here's United in the league in February -- at West Ham; v. Fulham (G-I-H); v. Blackburn; v. Portsmouth. After that it's v. Tottenham; at Newcastle, which could possibly render March 14 game against Liverpool at Old Trafford a moot point. Even with the injuries how many points with SAF's men drop before that match? And based on what we've seen from Liverpool they'll sprinkle in a few draws and lose two points on the weekend.
So in my harebrained opinion, unless Ronaldo decides to channel his inner Vin Diesel on the English roadways between now and May, United are in the driver's seat.
As for Liverpool's title aspirations, let's hand it over to the one-and-only Ace Cowboy. Take it away Ace...
"Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in." We know how you feel, Michael, we know just how you feel. Fresh off last week's devastating Anfield Double Draw against loathed rival Everton, Liverpool supporters can actually have, ya know, some hope from watching their frustrating yet beloved Reds do the season double against loathed quasi-rival Chelsea (for the first time, coincidentally?, since winning the league almost two decades ago). It's still an uphill climb to topple Sir Punchnuts' peaking machine, but Super Bowl Sunday's 2-0 better-late win against a lackluster 10-man Chelsea squad certainly stokes Liverpool's dwindling title-hunt flames. The hope that was so lost in the form of two points last Monday is back already this Monday.
Before the match I predicted Obi Mikel would pick up a straight red at 64 minutes, just because that's what Obi Mikel does. Little did I expect Lampard to see straight red, and that call will most definitely be at the heart of every reporter's recap of the action. It was a dreadful call, even from this partisan it's woefully incorrect, and it will certainly fuel Chelsea's "Mike Reilly is a Cunt" at the Bridge next go-round. But let's make one thing clear: Chelsea looked awful up to that point, and they looked about as bad after it. From this match they deserved no points, and may God have mercy on their souls. Ballack was laughably bad, Boswinga was so lost that he felt compelled to just kick people in the back, Cech looks like he's lost about five steps, and they didn't have a single reliable player outside of Alex, who may still have been Man of the Match (despite getting beat for Torres' first).
Torres' brace, however late, was absolutely necessary -- necessary for his confidence, necessary for the team's confidence, necessary for Rafa's survival. His first may have come against 10 men, and his second was Chelsea was pushing for an equalizer, but nothing makes a striker more dangerous than the feeling that he can score in every match. And given what's inexplicably going on between Rafa, Keane, Parry and Rafa's goatee, Torres scoring at every opportunity cannot be understated. Also, Yossi needs more playing time, Riera needs both a right foot and a first touch, Babel needs to remember how to play football, and Kuyt needs some Rocky Road. Sloth love Chunk!
(By the way, there's talk that Torres did the above Siddhartha-type pose after his first goal in support of Rafa, considering the gaffer did the same pose some years ago. My theory is since he's been out of form lately, he wanted to show off his thighs in order to change the story back to his inherent handsomeness.)
But just as we did with Chelsea, let's make one thing sure for Liverpool: This club has significant problems. Outside of these two late goals they've had immense problems scoring. Their creativity in the final third of the pitch is insulting, and the one guy who could possibly help them -- legitimate and proven scorer Robbie Keane -- has no place in the squad. The front office is still as fucked up as ever, uglier than Yossi and Kuyt combined. But both Liverpool and Manchester United have four winnable matches ahead of them before meeting on March 14th, and if Liverpool can somehow come through unscathed and nip one at the Theatre of Dreams, this season ain't over yet. Even after it was pronounced dead last Monday.
My thoughts exactly, except I would have made a crack about Yossi Benayoun's ass being sore after Bosingwa's blatant stomp.
Karma is a fickle bitch -- Remember when James Milner scored that ridiculous, deflected goal against West Ham a couple weeks ago? The evened out Saturday against Wigan. In the 70th minute I don't know how the ball didn't end up in the Wigan net after pin-balling around the penalty area. A little later, after a rare indirect free kick, Paul Scharner twice blocked rockets off the foot of John Carew and Ashley Young. At least, for Martin O'Neill's men, Arsenal grabbed a 0-0 draw as well.
Arsenal, a modest proposal -- Dear Arsene, consider this -- you're 'champagne football' isn't working. Trying to string together 45 passes to get a goal ain't happening with teams packing the defensive area. Why not just try humping balls up to Emmanuel Adebayor, who can knock them down to Robin van Persie in the box. One not try it for a game and see what happens?
Strangely weird joke of the week-- West Ham's new German signing Savio might be the tiniest Teuton since Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider. (This is a bit of a stretch because Savio was born in Uganda and Udo never represented Germany past the U-17 Metal level.)
Around the league -- Middlesbrough 0, Blackburn 0...could it be any other way? Those two, along with Portsmouth, Newcastle, etc. are playing their own version of that old site, ratemypoo.com. ... So right, Shay Given is that big an upgrade for Manchester City over Joe Hart? According to what I've read, City was a joke against 10-man Stoke. Wouldn't it be cruelly hilarious if City were relegated? Can you imagine the pitch -- come to City and you can see lovely Doncaster. ... Where did this Puygrenier dude come from at Bolton? ... Is there a bigger North London Derby than next Sunday's at White Hart Lane?
Fantasy team o' the week --
One note -- If you read the site on a feed reader, double check you're still connected because my service (Feed Burner) got incorporated into Google. Just a heads up.
Enjoy the final day of the transfer window.
Labels: Chelsea, Liverpool, Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
Actually, John Terry's PK had 64 points, thanks to Fro.
That was Luke Young's rocket that Scharner blocked. Ashley was serving the third of a three game suspension for an idiotic tackle against the Mackem