The Premiership Weekend Winners & Losers

[Sonatine 10144]

Shamelessly thieved from football365.com again.....

 

The Premiership Weekend Winners & Losers

Monday September 26 2005

 

By Pete Gill

 

 

Winners

 

Chelski

But every time they win the Premiership loses out.

 

Roman Abramovich’s money has killed the top-flight as a competition. Although there is more to the Premiership than just a title battle, there is also a severe limitation on the interest which can be generated by a relegation dogfight and a squabble over the remaining Champions League places.

 

Players do not compete to finish second; nor do fans follow their teams in the hope they can finish second.

 

Although Arsene Wenger continues to talk a good fight, Chelski's title is all-but secured already.

 

"Is the title over or not? I don't believe so," he maintained on Saturday night. "If everyone is right about the championship, then let's stop, give them the trophy and then start again. If you think it is over, that is all we can do because it will be really boring until the end of May."

 

Unfortunately, it almost certainly will be.

 

As for Chelski, there is much to admire. Yet there is also a growing sense of disappointment at what they are not.

 

As The Sunday Times noted, victory over Aston Villa was achieved 'by organisation, tenacity, fitness and hunger'. But having spent £300m in two years, are fans not entitled to ask 'is that all?'. Supplied with a bottomless budget that overwhelms their rivals' on an unprecedented scale, do Chelski not have an obligation to aim for more than simply 'winning football'? To strive to be entertainers as well as winners? A superstar team full of superstars rather than 'just' a well-oiled machine?

 

Jose Mourinho says not, but given their unique finances Chelski could and perhaps should have aimed at being a unique team.

 

 

Arsenal

A point at the home of a London rival third in the league is, in ordinary circumstances, a reasonable day's work. But with Chelski rampant, these are no ordinary times in the Premiership.

 

 

Newcastle

And their next three opponents are Wigan, Sunderland and WBA.

 

 

Michael Owen

If Sir Alex didn't have enough problems, little Mickey is making a mockery of his refusal to consider bringing the England striker to Old Trafford.

 

 

Sunderland

Even more unlikely weekend victors than Wigan and Blackburn.

 

 

Danny Murphy

Goalscoring feats can be illusory - just because a player scores a penalty and a two-yard tap-in doesn't necessarily mean that he played well, although The Sun has never seemed to grasp this point - but Murphy has been excellent this season. Quite how Jermaine Jenas continues to be named in England squads ahead of him (and Scott Parker) is a mystery that the occupants of F365 Towers can't be alone in pondering.

 

 

Blackburn Rovers

Be careful what you wish for.

 

Sir Alex has a habit of bemoaning the lack of ambition shown by visitors to Old Trafford, complaining regularly last season about packed defences and non-existent attacks.

 

Blackburn duly arrived in Manchester with two out-and-out strikers and brimming with intent. Admittedly, they rode their luck, but theirs was a deserved victory nevertheless.

 

 

Losers

 

Sir Alex Ferguson & ManYoo

Not since the mid-eighties has Sir Alex suffered the ignominy of being heckled by his own supporters.

 

Chants of 'attack, attack, attack' are understandable given the team's position. But the calls for '4-4-2' indicate that the Red Army foot soldiers have lost faith in the judgement of their general. Perhaps it's just as well that he has stopped talking to MUTV.

 

Pre-season, I opined that, to challenge Chelski, ManYoo had to double the number of goals they scored last season.  Doubling the number of strikers deployed - i.e.. reverting back to the tried-and-successful 4-4-2 - was the obvious method to achieve that target.

 

Instead, Ferguson has continued to persist with an austere 4-3-2-1, and the result has been two goals in four games.

 

Even more baffling was the omission of Wayne Rooney. Although his forthcoming midweek suspension was cited as an explanation for his absence, it was surely a convincing reason for him to play on Saturday.

 

No wonder the ManYoo fans are revolting.

 

 

Ruud van Nistelrooy

It's now not a question of when he will rediscover his 2002-03 form but if.

 

Last week at Anfield he spurned the only clear-cut chance of the afternoon with an optimistic chip. Ferguson later disclosed that he had demanded an explanation from his striker at half-time why he hadn’t taken a more conventional shot.

 

Was this a sign that Ferguson has begun to lose faith in his number one striker?

 

If so, events on Saturday may have been the final straw with ManYoo failing to convert any of their eight goalscoring opportunities into a shot on target and Ruud the culprit-in-chief. The sight of the Dutchman slapping the ball ten yards over the bar when unmarked by the penalty spot almost defied belief.

 

 

Paul Scholes

Do you remember when he was a good player? Do you remember when he justified a place in the ManYoo team? Do you remember when he used to score goals and was hailed as Ferguson as the best finisher in England?

 

Or do you choose to remember Scholes' interview on MUTV last week in which he announced, "If we can't beat Blackburn and Fulham we have no hope of winning the league" - words made all the more memorable by Scholes' errant pass setting up Morten Gamst Pedersen's winner?

 

 

Everton

Having won so many matches last year by the odd-goal, there’s a suspicion that Everton's luck has simply evened itself up so far this season. But the failure to score a single goal at Goodison in 270 minutes of football cannot be dismissed so easily. Against Wigan, they barely created a meaningful chance.

 

How long before we view Everton as genuine relegation candidates? In all probability, less than a month - Everton's next fixtures are away to Man Citeh and Tottenham before Chelski travel to Merseyside on October 23.

 

A crisis is mounting.

 

 

Peter Crouch

For a big man, he's not very good in the air, is he?

 

 

The Armchair Supporter

For all the talk of prohibitive ticket prices, it's television which is, in the words of Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, the "rocket fuel" of the Premiership.

 

Viewed cynically, fans at matches are little more than a studio audience, their sole function to supply the atmosphere and noise required to give the television audience a sense of theatre. For Formula One, packed grandstands are actually anathema to the overall product.  The sport's money is generated from advertising and sponsorship - aspects of the sport which are only fully appreciated by the armchair fans and certainly not by those watching in the flesh.

 

The case is not as extreme with football, but, given that the Premier League is essentially funded by TV, rather than by fans going through the turnstiles, it was no surprise to hear Scudamore to insist that he was unconcerned by the sight of empty seats.

 

But Scudamore will be concerned if armchair fans begin switching off - or, to be more accurate in all probability, continue to turn off.

 

While Match of the Day continues to depict the Premiership in a flattering light - as Gary Lineker noted, "It's amazing how good you can make matches look in five minutes" - the big money comes from Sky and their exasperation with the bored-down Prem is becoming plain. Having paid so much for TV rights, they're entitled to expect rather more than the odd goal in their flagship matches. So too are their subscribers.

 

For Sky and the armchair fans, the last three 'Super Sundays' have plumbed new depths, with the tedium of Bolton v Blackburn followed by the dreadfully disappointing Liverpool v ManYoo. But even the attraction of that fixture compared favourably with Middlesbrough v Sunderland, the only live match available on Sunday. 'Super' it most definitely wasn't.

 

It's not just the 'real' fans who aren't receiving value for money this season. And unless the trend is reversed, and the armchair fans/Sky are kept on side, even Richard Scudamore may have to admit that the Premier League has a serious problem.

[Guest Sima]

Everytime I see the word "ManYoo" I cringe.

[luckyluke 1]

That seems much longer and serious than the usual jovial comments. They are spot on with the stuff about Chelsea though, it's just a shame that most people didn't realise how bad Abramovich would be for English football when he bought them.

[Renton 18070]

That seems much longer and serious than the usual jovial comments. They are spot on with the stuff about Chelsea though, it's just a shame that most people didn't realise how bad Abramovich would be for English football when he bought them.

39067[/snapback]

 

He was obviously going to be a bad thing, but what can anyone do? I don't think it is an over exaggeration to say he is ruining the premiership.

[spongebob toonpants 3643]

That seems much longer and serious than the usual jovial comments. They are spot on with the stuff about Chelsea though, it's just a shame that most people didn't realise how bad Abramovich would be for English football when he bought them.

39067[/snapback]

 

He was obviously going to be a bad thing, but what can anyone do? I don't think it is an over exaggeration to say he is ruining the premiership.

39075[/snapback]

 

Its not just down to Chelsea though is it. Its more down to Arsenal and Man Utd imploding than Chelsea so far. If Arsenal had started like they started last year everybody would be saying we were in for the greatest title race ever.

[Shearergol 0]

So it's now Chelsea's fault that Man United are playing a 4-5-1 formation which doesn't work? It's Chelsea's fault that Arsenal sold Vieira, and lost Henry to injury?

 

It's Chelsea's fault that Liverpool bought Crouch rather than someone like Owen?

 

 

Riiiiiight, ok then. Chelsea are ruining the Premiership. You sure it's not Souness?

[Renton 18070]

So it's now Chelsea's fault that Man United are playing a 4-5-1 formation which doesn't work? It's Chelsea's fault that Arsenal sold Vieira, and lost Henry to injury?

 

It's Chelsea's fault that Liverpool bought Crouch rather than someone like Owen?

 

 

Riiiiiight, ok then. Chelsea are ruining the Premiership. You sure it's not Souness?

39104[/snapback]

 

 

It's not anyones's fault, but surely you concede that a foreign multibillionaire buying an EPL club essentially as a plaything is not good for football. Not only have they literally made it impossible to compete for the premiership, they have completely fucked up the transfer market at a time when thransfer fees were stabilising.

 

People talk about the dominance of Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, or ManU in the 90s, but this is different. Chelsea can buy anyone they want, money no object. They don't have to make a profit or even balance the books. As long as Abromovich is there they will win the premiership every year for 10 years. Now that is boring.

 

And yes, it is partly Souness's fault. Apparently he turned them down, or so he says. Pity, it would have been a great leveller.

[Greg 6]

Shamelessly thieved from football365.com again.....

 

The Premiership Weekend Winners & Losers

Monday September 26 2005

 

By Pete Gill

 

 

Winners

 

Chelski

But every time they win the Premiership loses out.

 

Roman Abramovich’s money has killed the top-flight as a competition. Although there is more to the Premiership than just a title battle, there is also a severe limitation on the interest which can be generated by a relegation dogfight and a squabble over the remaining Champions League places.

 

Players do not compete to finish second; nor do fans follow their teams in the hope they can finish second.

 

Although Arsene Wenger continues to talk a good fight, Chelski's title is all-but secured already.

 

"Is the title over or not? I don't believe so," he maintained on Saturday night. "If everyone is right about the championship, then let's stop, give them the trophy and then start again. If you think it is over, that is all we can do because it will be really boring until the end of May."

 

Unfortunately, it almost certainly will be.

 

As for Chelski, there is much to admire. Yet there is also a growing sense of disappointment at what they are not.

 

As The Sunday Times noted, victory over Aston Villa was achieved 'by organisation, tenacity, fitness and hunger'. But having spent £300m in two years, are fans not entitled to ask 'is that all?'. Supplied with a bottomless budget that overwhelms their rivals' on an unprecedented scale, do Chelski not have an obligation to aim for more than simply 'winning football'? To strive to be entertainers as well as winners? A superstar team full of superstars rather than 'just' a well-oiled machine?

 

Jose Mourinho says not, but given their unique finances Chelski could and perhaps should have aimed at being a unique team.

 

 

Arsenal

A point at the home of a London rival third in the league is, in ordinary circumstances, a reasonable day's work. But with Chelski rampant, these are no ordinary times in the Premiership.

 

 

Newcastle

And their next three opponents are Wigan, Sunderland and WBA.

 

 

Michael Owen

If Sir Alex didn't have enough problems, little Mickey is making a mockery of his refusal to consider bringing the England striker to Old Trafford.

 

 

Sunderland

Even more unlikely weekend victors than Wigan and Blackburn.

 

 

Danny Murphy

Goalscoring feats can be illusory - just because a player scores a penalty and a two-yard tap-in doesn't necessarily mean that he played well, although The Sun has never seemed to grasp this point - but Murphy has been excellent this season. Quite how Jermaine Jenas continues to be named in England squads ahead of him (and Scott Parker) is a mystery that the occupants of F365 Towers can't be alone in pondering.

 

 

Blackburn Rovers

Be careful what you wish for.

 

Sir Alex has a habit of bemoaning the lack of ambition shown by visitors to Old Trafford, complaining regularly last season about packed defences and non-existent attacks.

 

Blackburn duly arrived in Manchester with two out-and-out strikers and brimming with intent. Admittedly, they rode their luck, but theirs was a deserved victory nevertheless.

 

 

Losers

 

Sir Alex Ferguson & ManYoo

Not since the mid-eighties has Sir Alex suffered the ignominy of being heckled by his own supporters.

 

Chants of 'attack, attack, attack' are understandable given the team's position. But the calls for '4-4-2' indicate that the Red Army foot soldiers have lost faith in the judgement of their general. Perhaps it's just as well that he has stopped talking to MUTV.

 

Pre-season, I opined that, to challenge Chelski, ManYoo had to double the number of goals they scored last season.  Doubling the number of strikers deployed - i.e.. reverting back to the tried-and-successful 4-4-2 - was the obvious method to achieve that target.

 

Instead, Ferguson has continued to persist with an austere 4-3-2-1, and the result has been two goals in four games.

 

Even more baffling was the omission of Wayne Rooney. Although his forthcoming midweek suspension was cited as an explanation for his absence, it was surely a convincing reason for him to play on Saturday.

 

No wonder the ManYoo fans are revolting.

 

 

Ruud van Nistelrooy

It's now not a question of when he will rediscover his 2002-03 form but if.

 

Last week at Anfield he spurned the only clear-cut chance of the afternoon with an optimistic chip. Ferguson later disclosed that he had demanded an explanation from his striker at half-time why he hadn’t taken a more conventional shot.

 

Was this a sign that Ferguson has begun to lose faith in his number one striker?

 

If so, events on Saturday may have been the final straw with ManYoo failing to convert any of their eight goalscoring opportunities into a shot on target and Ruud the culprit-in-chief. The sight of the Dutchman slapping the ball ten yards over the bar when unmarked by the penalty spot almost defied belief.

 

 

Paul Scholes

Do you remember when he was a good player? Do you remember when he justified a place in the ManYoo team? Do you remember when he used to score goals and was hailed as Ferguson as the best finisher in England?

 

Or do you choose to remember Scholes' interview on MUTV last week in which he announced, "If we can't beat Blackburn and Fulham we have no hope of winning the league" - words made all the more memorable by Scholes' errant pass setting up Morten Gamst Pedersen's winner?

 

 

Everton

Having won so many matches last year by the odd-goal, there’s a suspicion that Everton's luck has simply evened itself up so far this season. But the failure to score a single goal at Goodison in 270 minutes of football cannot be dismissed so easily. Against Wigan, they barely created a meaningful chance.

 

How long before we view Everton as genuine relegation candidates? In all probability, less than a month - Everton's next fixtures are away to Man Citeh and Tottenham before Chelski travel to Merseyside on October 23.

 

A crisis is mounting.

 

 

Peter Crouch

For a big man, he's not very good in the air, is he?

 

 

The Armchair Supporter

For all the talk of prohibitive ticket prices, it's television which is, in the words of Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, the "rocket fuel" of the Premiership.

 

Viewed cynically, fans at matches are little more than a studio audience, their sole function to supply the atmosphere and noise required to give the television audience a sense of theatre. For Formula One, packed grandstands are actually anathema to the overall product.  The sport's money is generated from advertising and sponsorship - aspects of the sport which are only fully appreciated by the armchair fans and certainly not by those watching in the flesh.

 

The case is not as extreme with football, but, given that the Premier League is essentially funded by TV, rather than by fans going through the turnstiles, it was no surprise to hear Scudamore to insist that he was unconcerned by the sight of empty seats.

 

But Scudamore will be concerned if armchair fans begin switching off - or, to be more accurate in all probability, continue to turn off.

 

While Match of the Day continues to depict the Premiership in a flattering light - as Gary Lineker noted, "It's amazing how good you can make matches look in five minutes" - the big money comes from Sky and their exasperation with the bored-down Prem is becoming plain. Having paid so much for TV rights, they're entitled to expect rather more than the odd goal in their flagship matches. So too are their subscribers.

 

For Sky and the armchair fans, the last three 'Super Sundays' have plumbed new depths, with the tedium of Bolton v Blackburn followed by the dreadfully disappointing Liverpool v ManYoo. But even the attraction of that fixture compared favourably with Middlesbrough v Sunderland, the only live match available on Sunday. 'Super' it most definitely wasn't.

 

It's not just the 'real' fans who aren't receiving value for money this season. And unless the trend is reversed, and the armchair fans/Sky are kept on side, even Richard Scudamore may have to admit that the Premier League has a serious problem.

39054[/snapback]

 

We play Pompey next.

[Guest Sima]

Clueless Boro fan.

[Shearergol 0]

So it's now Chelsea's fault that Man United are playing a 4-5-1 formation which doesn't work? It's Chelsea's fault that Arsenal sold Vieira, and lost Henry to injury?

 

It's Chelsea's fault that Liverpool bought Crouch rather than someone like Owen?

 

 

Riiiiiight, ok then. Chelsea are ruining the Premiership. You sure it's not Souness?

39104[/snapback]

 

 

It's not anyones's fault, but surely you concede that a foreign multibillionaire buying an EPL club essentially as a plaything is not good for football. Not only have they literally made it impossible to compete for the premiership, they have completely fucked up the transfer market at a time when thransfer fees were stabilising.

 

People talk about the dominance of Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, or ManU in the 90s, but this is different. Chelsea can buy anyone they want, money no object. They don't have to make a profit or even balance the books. As long as Abromovich is there they will win the premiership every year for 10 years. Now that is boring.

 

And yes, it is partly Souness's fault. Apparently he turned them down, or so he says. Pity, it would have been a great leveller.

39111[/snapback]

 

 

Agreed, I don't think it's necessarily good for the Premiership, but to say he's ruining it is a little bit strong. I personally thought it was ruined when Man United used to win it all the time.

[Guest alex]

So it's now Chelsea's fault that Man United are playing a 4-5-1 formation which doesn't work? It's Chelsea's fault that Arsenal sold Vieira, and lost Henry to injury?

 

It's Chelsea's fault that Liverpool bought Crouch rather than someone like Owen?

 

 

Riiiiiight, ok then. Chelsea are ruining the Premiership. You sure it's not Souness?

39104[/snapback]

 

 

It's not anyones's fault, but surely you concede that a foreign multibillionaire buying an EPL club essentially as a plaything is not good for football. Not only have they literally made it impossible to compete for the premiership, they have completely fucked up the transfer market at a time when thransfer fees were stabilising.

 

People talk about the dominance of Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, or ManU in the 90s, but this is different. Chelsea can buy anyone they want, money no object. They don't have to make a profit or even balance the books. As long as Abromovich is there they will win the premiership every year for 10 years. Now that is boring.

 

And yes, it is partly Souness's fault. Apparently he turned them down, or so he says. Pity, it would have been a great leveller.

39111[/snapback]

 

 

Agreed, I don't think it's necessarily good for the Premiership, but to say he's ruining it is a little bit strong. I personally thought it was ruined when Man United used to win it all the time.

39154[/snapback]

They fucking well ruined the 95/96 season like

[Renton 18070]

So it's now Chelsea's fault that Man United are playing a 4-5-1 formation which doesn't work? It's Chelsea's fault that Arsenal sold Vieira, and lost Henry to injury?

 

It's Chelsea's fault that Liverpool bought Crouch rather than someone like Owen?

 

 

Riiiiiight, ok then. Chelsea are ruining the Premiership. You sure it's not Souness?

39104[/snapback]

 

 

It's not anyones's fault, but surely you concede that a foreign multibillionaire buying an EPL club essentially as a plaything is not good for football. Not only have they literally made it impossible to compete for the premiership, they have completely fucked up the transfer market at a time when thransfer fees were stabilising.

 

People talk about the dominance of Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, or ManU in the 90s, but this is different. Chelsea can buy anyone they want, money no object. They don't have to make a profit or even balance the books. As long as Abromovich is there they will win the premiership every year for 10 years. Now that is boring.

 

And yes, it is partly Souness's fault. Apparently he turned them down, or so he says. Pity, it would have been a great leveller.

39111[/snapback]

 

 

Agreed, I don't think it's necessarily good for the Premiership, but to say he's ruining it is a little bit strong. I personally thought it was ruined when Man United used to win it all the time.

39154[/snapback]

They fucking well ruined the 95/96 season like

39156[/snapback]

 

True!

[Guest Sima]

It's not anyones's fault, but surely you concede that a foreign multibillionaire buying an EPL club essentially as a plaything is not good for football. Not only have they literally made it impossible to compete for the premiership, they have completely fucked up the transfer market at a time when thransfer fees were stabilising.

 

People talk about the dominance of Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, or ManU in the 90s, but this is different. Chelsea can buy anyone they want, money no object. They don't have to make a profit or even balance the books. As long as Abromovich is there they will win the premiership every year for 10 years. Now that is boring.

 

And yes, it is partly Souness's fault. Apparently he turned them down, or so he says. Pity, it would have been a great leveller.

39111[/snapback]

 

Just like they did in 2003/04

[TheInspiration 1]

The subtle insult about Jenas popping up again...

 

Very true though.

[Guest Sima]

Jenas has been getting a right pasting since he moved down to Spurs

[Guest alex]

Jenas has been getting a right pasting since he moved down to Spurs

39224[/snapback]

Aye, so much for his goldfish bowl comments.