Posts Tagged ‘Pep Guardiola’

Manchester City And Manchester United Both Have Defences Which, Under Different Circumstances, Would Be Exposed As Very Average!

Posted: February 27, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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A strange statement, you may think, considering the two Manchester teams sit first and second in the Premier League and have conceded the least number of goals in the division.

They have both had 20 scored against them and the big difference between the two is really at the other end of the pitch and the number of goals scored whereby City have 79 and United a mere 53.

This of course, as everybody knows, has contributed greatly to City now having an almost unassailable lead of 13 points whilst still having a game in hand.

So how good are the two defences which are, according to statistics, the best in the top flight? (more…)

It’s Manchester 2 London 0, While Tottenham & Chelsea Trade Places In The Top Four

Posted: February 26, 2018 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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So another big day in the footballing calendar came and went as Manchester took on London yet again. Yes folks, two teams from England’s premier city lined up to play, in the first game which was a Premier League fixture, Chelsea, and in the second game which was the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal.

Prior to this starter and main course, however, there was an aperitif, which was a second-city derby between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park.

This was a game which could have gone either way or straight down the middle and the only safe bet before kick-off was to sit on the metaphorical fence, a position which this esteemed publication has no difficulty in assuming. (more…)

Bits & Pieces: What Can Happen In This Weekend’s Premier League Games? + First Trophy For Pep Guardiola?

Posted: February 25, 2018 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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The Premier League doesn’t really get underway for the top six until Sunday this weekend and even then Manchester City and Arsenal will be missing from the fixture list.

Saturday’s sole representatives of England’s elite were Liverpool who played West Ham United at Anfield.

It turned out to be a fairly routine outing for Jürgen Klopp’s men. West Ham United didn’t even bother to flatter, they just deceived.

A first half goal from Emre Can was followed, in the second half, by further goals from Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané and that, essentially, was that.

West Ham did manage to grab a consolation goal when 3-1 down through Mikail Antonio but the damage, by this time, had already been done. (more…)

City Aim To Add The Carabao Cup To Their Soon-To-Be-Delivered Premier League While United Need To Hold On To Second Place

Posted: February 24, 2018 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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BG

Carabao Cup

The first trophy of the season is officially up for grabs on Sunday. Well, it is if you are Arsenal or Manchester City.

In City’s case, it could be the first one of three and, in the case of Stubborn Old Man, it is a measure of how the mighty have fallen.

He is now not only competing in, but trying to win, the Europa League and so has gone, in the last two seasons, from serial Champion’s League participant and FA Cup winner, to a ‘B’ grade struggler needing to win Big Vase to regain entry to Big Cup. As we said, how the mighty have fallen. (more…)

Did José Mourinho Underestimate The Size Of The Rebuilding Job At Manchester United?

Posted: February 22, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Jose Mourinho, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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BG

Louis van Gaal – The only United manager as boring as Dave Sexton and Frank O’Farrell, although Moyes came close!

When José Mourinho breezed into Manchester it was, for all but the most cynical of United fans, like a breath of fresh air.

The days of David Moyes promising that the team would try to be as good as City and making Liverpool favourites to win a league game at Old Trafford were a distant memory.

The days of Louis van Gaal sitting rigidly in his seat rather than encouraging his team from the sidelines while they sent the crowd to sleep with mind-numbingly boring football were also consigned to the history books.

Mourinho was here! The “Special One” was now the Manchester United manager having been anything but special in his final season at Stamford Bridge, from where he had been sacked with Chelsea in 16th position in the league. (more…)

What Manchester United Need To Do To Compete With Manchester City

Posted: February 15, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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José Mourinho is a winner. He hates losing almost as much as Pep Guardiola likes winning. His big problem is that, this season, it would appear that Guardiola is going to win more than his Portuguese counterpart.

There is a very slight chance that United will win the Champion’s League and the FA Cup but it is highly unlikely and there is a far greater chance that City will win the Carabao Cup and the Premier League, particularly as they are so far ahead in one that they have disappeared from view of the chasing pack, and they are in the final of the other with only Stubborn Old Man’s Arsenal standing between them and the first trophy of Pep’s City career.

City are among the favourites for the Champion’s League and the FA Cup as well so the season could be spectacular! (more…)

This Weekend’s Games Bring Different Challenges For The Top Six

Posted: February 10, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Saturday’s early game…..

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Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Hoping for his first Arsenal goal

Spurs against Arsenal at White Hart Wembley should be interesting if only because Chelsea’s recent disintegration has opened the door to a top four place again.

Having won 2-0 at The Emirates in November, Stubborn Old Man will be hoping for a repeat and with new signings Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the side he may well get one.

His only problem is that it was the defence which needed strengthening not the attack and it is the defence which will be tested as Spurs have a pretty decent forward line themselves.

It remains to be seen if Lucas Moura makes his Spurs debut but, irrespective of this and as is the case with most derby matches, the most likely outcome is a draw. (more…)

Bits & Pieces: Klopp The Ref, Courtois The Ref, Pep Explains Himself And We Remember A Past United Team

Posted: February 7, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Jürgen begs to differ…..

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Jürgen Klopp – He knows a penalty when he sees one!

Question: When is a penalty not a penalty? Answer: When the referee gives it but Jürgen Klopp disagrees with the decision.

Actually, the more astute of you will have noticed that the answer given is not quite true.

Just because Klopp disagrees with the decision doesn’t mean the penalty is unawarded, much as he thinks it should be.

No, he really is quite a reasonable person, just ask Simon Mignolet. As soon as the offside rule was explained to him he realised that Harry Kane was onside when he was brought down making the awarding of a penalty the correct decision. (more…)

Manchester United Manager José Mourinho Is Happy With His Forwards, City Give Kevin De Bruyne A Rest And Klopp Nears Combustion

Posted: February 6, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Manchester United won’t be buying any attacking players in the next transfer window. How do we know that? Because José Mourinho told us so, that’s how. Well, he didn’t exactly tell just us, he told anybody who was listening at the time so there can be no misunderstanding. Up front he is happy with his lot!

He has Romelu Lukaku who isn’t very good in the air, doesn’t hold up the play very well, as he frequently loses the ball, and only has one foot. He is quite good at doing goals, as long as he isn’t too far from the goal and the ball is close to his left foot. (more…)

Manchester City And Manchester United See Raheem Sterling And Jesse Lingard Punching Above Their Weight, Whilst Liverpool And Spurs Can Only Draw

Posted: February 5, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard are doing well. Their standard of play is nothing more than OK but they are managing to come up with important goals. Because of this, they are selected for more games than not.

Raheem Sterling, right from the beginning of the season, against Bournemouth, has found the knack of scoring important goals and has done so consistently since then. Consequently he has been selected for the majority of City’s games and has been widely praised for his contribution to the team.

The fact that he scores a few goals is not in doubt. What we would question is his overall quality when compared with others in the side. (more…)

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