Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

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Premier League title winning is something Jose Mourinho knows all about. It is also something Sir Alex Ferguson knows all about. The common denominator between the two is Manchester United. So how come one of the most expensive squads in the world is struggling to get into the top four?

The answer to the question is very simple even if the solution to the problem isn’t quite so straightforward. They are struggling due to an inability to score goals.

This inability has resulted in too many drawn games which should have been comfortable victories. (more…)

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Back in 1974 the Conservative government of the day was brought down by the miners. They went on a three day week and brought the country to it’s knees. It was the last time we saw Ted Heath, dubbed by Mike Yarwood as “that pompous Popeye with the performing shoulders“, as Prime Minister.

The Labour government who were returned at the following election were not popular among the majority of the rich. Then again a Labour government is never popular among the majority of the rich, who see their sole purpose in life as hanging on to their money, making even more of it and not caring who suffers in the process. As long as there are enough poor people to fund the national health and pay taxes through smoking Woodbines and drinking beer, then it’s a case of “I’m alright Jack, stuff you“! (more…)

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The top six were all in FA Cup action this weekend. They all fielded “weakened” teams which, however it is viewed, means that the FA Cup is now regarded as being on a par with the EFL Cup. They are both competitions clubs would like to win but, if they don’t, then it’s no big deal and some of the fringe players and youngsters have had a run-out.

One manager was quoted as saying that, “we don’t have a weakened team we have an alternative team“. This should be true, especially when you consider the size and quality of the squads belonging to the top six, but it was said tongue-in-cheek. (more…)

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Bastian Schweinsteiger has managed to work his way back as far as the bench. Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay also reached that lofty height and Matteo Darmian has had a reasonable run in the first team, just not in his favoured position. That his best role has been filled by a winger who can’t defend says a lot about Darmian’s future in Mourinho’s team.

Marcos Rojo is almost a regular and Daley Blind flits in and out depending upon the opposition. Luke Shaw is yet to fully recover mentally from his injury and only time will tell if he is going to fulfill his potential and whether or not that will be at United. (more…)

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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Well, almost. Mourinho is certainly more like Ferguson than Moyes or van Gaal were. Even taking into account that Moyes is from Glasgow he had little else in common with Ferguson.

Some of the press have been reporting an interview given by Lord Ferg to BBC Sport during which he mentioned how Mourinho has now calmed down on the touchline, pointing out that it was his Latin temperament which was to blame for the occasional outbursts. (more…)

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Mountains and molehills, sow’s ears and silk purses. A couple of adages the meaning of which Sky Sports is desperately trying to demonstrate. They are doing their level best to make mountains out of ever-decreasing molehills and they have several sow’s ears out of which, as yet, they have been unable to produce anything even remotely resembling a silk purse.

The prevailing problem at the Sky Sports Transfer Centre is that there have been no real transfers of any note and it doesn’t appear there will be any in the foreseeable future. (more…)

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(Sir Bobby is horrified to see his goalscoring record broken by Wayne Rooney, of all people!)

So it’s finally gone. One of the longest standing records in football has been broken. At least it was a decent goal which did the dastardly deed.

Wayne Rooney, thanks to longevity rather than anything else, is now Manchester United’s record goalscorer. This fact will always divide opinion amongst genuine United fans never mind the hangers-on who only discovered the club after they became successful. (more…)

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Manchester City and Manchester United are probably the two richest clubs in the Premier League. They have the two most successful and, arguably, best managers. They have the best squads and some of the world’s most expensive players.

The only club which comes anywhere near them in these respects is Chelsea, also with great wealth, a big squad and expensive players. Their manager, however, is an unknown quantity at this level. I suppose it could be argued that Pep Guardiola is in the same situation, but he has won far more domestic honours than Antonio Conte. (more…)

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Despite Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all doing well in the Premier League this season the spotlight remains firmly on the Northwest, helped most certainly by the arrival of both José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola in Manchester.

The area provides the most interesting football and, generally speaking over the last forty years or so, the best and most successful football.

Last weekend a collective groan was to be heard at WSA when the live games were advertised as being all-London affairs. This was not because there would be no decent football on display, although that was a possibility, no it was because the feeling of boredom when no Northern team is involved is overwhelming. (more…)

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So that’s it. It’s all over until the next time. We did warn you that it was over-hyped. We did try to explain that it may not live up to the publicity. The day turned out to be very much like an advert for…..well…..anything, in that so much was promised and so little delivered.

As was also predicted the results have changed very little in the makeup of the Premier League table. Chelsea are still top. The wins by Arsenal and Spurs kept them where they were and a little soft shoe shuffling by the rest has made little or no difference as to how the final table of the season will look. The major event was Manchester City losing points as opposed to the three London clubs above them who all gained three. (more…)