Manchester United’s defence will face tougher tests, Hatem Ben Arfa
heads for the exit and Southampton now sorely miss Jay Rodriguez
1) De Gea brilliance masks United’s defensive frailties
The record books will say a win for Manchester United that was just as convincing as Liverpool’s by the same scoreline in the same fixture last season. What is harder to work out is how David de Gea ended up man of the match for most people when United were so demonstrably on top. De Gea is certainly on form at the moment, he was presented with a second successive player of the month award before kick-off at Old Trafford, bringing Liverpool’s present goalkeeping problems into sharp focus, but when a goalkeeper is regularly outstanding it usually says something about the protection he is getting from the rest of the team. United did make defensive mistakes against Liverpool – Jonny Evans’s sloppy backpass should have been punished for a start –but Evans was one of only two regular defenders in the home lineup. Once Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo return United should be more solid at the back, or at least that is the theory. Louis van Gaal still seems to have more attacking-minded players than reliable defenders, though maybe that is the way he likes it.
Goalkeeper
David De Gea
- Appearances
- 15
- Saves
- 47
- Clearances
- 4
• Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool
• Van Gaal says United are fighting their way into the title race
• Michael Cox: Sterling lacks finishing touch
• Jamie Jackson: five talking points from Old Trafford
2) Ben Arfa will not be seen in a Hull City shirt again
Back in August the arrival of Hatem Ben Arfa from Newcastle United had appeared a potential coup for Hull City. Here was a player capable of extravagant skill, a creative force who, when on form, could illuminate a team and add fizz to Steve Bruce’s attacking options.Yet his impact was dependent upon the 27-year-old’s willingness to buy into the collective’s work ethic given Hull always anticipated a tricky second season in the top flight, and therein lies the reason why his spell at the KC stadium will amount to no more than eight appearances, no assists and no goals. The winger is apparently in Paris working on his fitness in the hope that he can rip up his agreement with Hull next month and move elsewhere, maybe back to France or even South America, as a free agent. English football appears to have had enough of Ben Arfa.
“Sometimes transfers work out and sometimes they don’t,” said Bruce. “And it’s fair to say that, with Ben Arfa, I can’t see there being a future. It’s a team game. You have to reform and come into the team and, unfortunately, he wants to do his things his way, which is fair enough. So unless he changes, then I treat him like every other player. But there has been no fall out, he’s been omitted from the squad because when you are up against it, then I believe you need to show a bit of resilience. Unfortunately, Hatem sees it differently.
“He has not gone awol, even if I have no idea where he is. He could be in Hull for all I know, or in Paris. But I don’t really want to comment more. This happens. It is a shame. Listen, we were excited to get him on deadline day and, over three or four months, it hasn’t quite happened for him. These things happen.” From now on in, they will happen somewhere else for Ben Arfa. Dominic Fifield
• Bruce angry after Gary Cahill escapes card
• Match report: Chelsea 2-0 Hull City
3) Life without a target man will test depleted City
Leaving aside the issue of how they’ve let themselves get into the position in the first place – notably why the season-long loan of Álvaro Negredo to Valencia didn’t have some sort of emergency recall clause, even if it was set up purely as a precursor to a permanent deal – it is going to be very interesting to see whether Manchester City can fiddle their way through the next few games without a recognised target man, and whether, as manager Manuel Pellegrini says they must, the champions can play “a different way”.Their performance on Saturday, when the teenager José Ángel Pozo found himself leading the line alone – “not his position”, Pellegrini subsequently admitted – suggests they can, but only up to a point. Pozo’s limited success in holding on to the ball and bringing others into play forced the likes of Fernando and Yaya Touré to be more positive in support of Frank Lampard, David Silva and Samir Nasri, especially towards the end of the first half. Once ahead, City reverted to type, probably rightly, but their next few opponents will surely be wondering how the game might develop if they can keep City out into the second half. Richard Rae
• Fernandinho: ‘We will have to answer questions about that 7-1 game for the rest of our lives’
• Leicester City 0-1 Manchester City
4) Southampton need Rodriguez back as soon as possible
When Jay Rodriguez suffered his cruciate ligament injury at Manchester City in April, only Luis Suárez, Daniel Sturridge and Yaya Touré had scored more Premier League goals. It is a measure of Southampton’s superb start that they have not missed a player who struck 15 times from a starting position on the left flank. Now they are beginning to and a trip to Burnley, Rodriguez’s former club, was a reminder of the qualities of a man Ronald Koeman has still not been able to select. With the goals drying up for Graziano Pellè, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mané, a player of his potency would have provided a small squad with welcome reinforcements. Instead, Southampton are still to set a date for Rodriguez’s comeback. Richard Jolly• Burnley 1-0 Southampton
5) Oxlade-Chamberlain’s new-found freedom must be not be curtailed
Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla grabbed the headlines after Arsenal’s victory over Newcastle, with Alexis Sánchez once again praised for his creativity and dynamism, but the match was also notable for the way Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moved seamlessly back into the Gunners’ midfield three. Since signing for the Gunners three years ago, the 21-year-old has played all across the midfield but this season he has benefited from being given a consistent run on the right of Arsenal’s front three in the absence of Theo Walcott. Sánchez aside, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been Arsenal’s most impressive player, driving at full-backs at lightning pace and displaying impressive close control to boot. Injuries to Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta dictated that he switch to the centre against Alan Pardew’s side and he performed admirably, but there is no doubt his ability to isolate defenders and take them on one-on-one is curtailed in that role. The England international’s ability to turn off either foot, spray crossfield passes and use his strength as well as skill to shrug off defenders make him well-equipped to thrive in a deeper role, and Arsène Wenger has gone on record in the past to suggest his future may lie in the centre. But for now it would be a shame if the new-found freedom in his game were to be restricted by him being asked to track runners back towards his own goal. Rob Bleaney• Wenger praises Giroud after Arsenal ease past Newcastle
• Wenger praying for luck in Champions League draw
6) Albion should persevere with Irvine until at least the summer
Thankfully for Alan Irvine and, it can cogently be argued, West Bromwich Albion, The Hawthorns hosted a home victory on Saturday and the prospect of a further managerial change receded. But if West Brom had lost for a fourth successive home game, would that have made Irvine a bad coach?Sure you’ve got to win enough games to stay up, basically. But stick Romelu Lukaku or Christian Benteke on top of this team and West Brom could compete for a top-half finish. On the back of Roy Hodgson’s consolidation at the club, Steve Clarke gave Lukaku his head in his only full season in charge and a 17-goal haul from the marauding on-loan striker enabled West Brom to finish eighth, their best top-flight placing in three decades.
Yet such is the double-edged sword of the Albion hierarchy, a coach at The Hawthorns is judged on the players he is granted to work with on the training ground. Although Saido Berahino may develop into a top-class forward, he is not the focal point of an attack, and, anyway, he is struggling at the moment with form and off-field issues.
Clarke was given only four months at the start of last season and, with identical results to those achieved by Irvine this term, was jettisoned at this stage. But, after the ill-fated reign of Pepe Mel, Irvine came into a club where Terry Burton was also new to his position of technical director as an entire team of players departed. The recruitment process was subsequently a mess and now Irvine is working with a group of players he basically inherited.
Defender
Joleon Lescott
- Appearances
- 12
- Shots blocked
- 7
- Clearances
- 87
January is not traditionally a good transfer window for a troubled club anyway. But let Irvine, whose reputation as a coach is renowned, work with Burton through a summer’s transfer market and then judge how suited he is to a top-flight dugout. Peter Lansley
• West Brom 1-0 Aston Villa
7) Gómez’s stock rises in Poyet’s Sunderland meritocracy
Most Sunderland fans are agreed Lee Cattermole is Sunderland’s best defensive midfielder and, on current form, Sebastian Larsson deserves one of the two central slots in front of Cattermole. The other berth has turned into a straight fight between Jordi Gómez, a free transfer from Wigan Athletic, and Jack Rodwell, a £10m buy from Manchester City. Both arrived in the summer and, right now, Gómez is winning hands down. With Rodwell struggling to live up to his expensive price tag the Spaniard – a product of Barcelona’s youth system – has started seven of Sunderland’s last 10 Premier League games and featured in all their three victories (two in the League, one in the Capital One Cup) this season. Which just goes to prove you don’t always get what you pay for – and that Gus Poyet’s team is a meritocracy. The hope with Rodwell is that he will prove a slow burner who eventually blossoms into a special midfielder but, with Adam Johnson also having endured a few ups and downs since swapping City for Sunderland, the Wearsiders have been reminded of the dangers inherent in paying top dollar for players who have spent far too long warming the bench at leading clubs. In contrast, snapping up Gómez – arguably Wigan’s best player last season – on a free was an extremely smart piece of business. Louise Taylor• Sunderland 1-1 West Ham
8) Warnock seems over-reliant on January transfer dealings to lift Palace
Midfielder
Yannick Bolasie
- Appearances
- 16
- Goals
- 1
- Shots
- 36
- Shots on target
- 25%
- Offsides
- 6
• Crystal Palace 1-1 Stoke City
9) Spurs strive for consistency
Tottenham have put consecutive league victories together just twice so far this season: wins over West Ham and QPR at the beginning of the campaign and the 2-1 victories over Hull and Everton last month. But after Sunday’s smash and grab at Swansea (by that now familiar 2-1 scoreline) and Burnley and Leicester to come next, this must surely be the point where they attain some consistency – even if Manchester United and Chelsea follow after. The manager, Mauricio Pochettino, praised his younger players – Harry Kane (21) and Christian Eriksen (22) scored the goals, while five other members of the starting XI were 24 or under – after the win in Wales but until they can put a run of results and indeed good performances together, the jury will remain out on both the manager and his bright young things. Alan Smith• Swansea City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
10) Leicester’s bold move means they must now act fast
Leicester’s defeat to Manchester City on Saturday was predictable enough on the face of it but, with the champions considerably weakened and arriving on the back of their midweek’s exertions in Rome, it was hard to shake off the feeling that Nigel Pearson’s side would have produced something slightly more barnstorming three months ago. Things have gone badly wrong since the heady early-season days that were crystallised in that 5-3 win over Manchester United, and 11 games without a win is usually more than enough to set heads rolling in the Premier League. Sure enough, one has – but not that of the ever-belligerent Pearson. Terry Robinson, the club’s director of football, has bitten the dust and this presumably sets the stage for a proactive winter of player recruitment. Much of Robinson’s remit appears to have been transfer-related but Leicester, while priding themselves on adding sparingly and carefully to a squad that has succeeded to a large extent by virtue of minimal disruption, were not able to add sufficient depth in the summer and there remains a sense that £8m for Leonardo Ulloa, even if he has scored six goals, was not the canniest of deals. While it is refreshing to see a club stand by its first-team manager in such situations, this is a clear indication of where Leicester see many of their current problems: adding someone with outstanding contacts, knowledge of the market and a willingness not to rip Pearson’s painstaking work to shreds does not seem an easy task at short notice but it is something that will need to be effected before January if any real difference is to be made. Nick Ames• Leicester City 0-1 Manchester City
• Pearson’s job safe but director of football departs
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 16 | 23 | 39 |
| 2 | Man City | 16 | 19 | 36 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 16 | 12 | 31 |
| 4 | West Ham | 16 | 8 | 28 |
| 5 | Southampton | 16 | 12 | 26 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 16 | 9 | 26 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 16 | -2 | 24 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 16 | -4 | 23 |
| 9 | Swansea | 16 | 2 | 22 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 16 | -3 | 21 |
| 11 | Stoke | 16 | -3 | 19 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 16 | -10 | 19 |
| 13 | Everton | 15 | 1 | 18 |
| 14 | West Brom | 16 | -5 | 17 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 16 | -10 | 16 |
| 16 | Crystal Palace | 16 | -5 | 15 |
| 17 | Burnley | 16 | -13 | 15 |
| 18 | QPR | 15 | -11 | 14 |
| 19 | Hull | 16 | -8 | 13 |
| 20 | Leicester | 16 | -12 | 10 |
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0 1The Albion set-up is a mess despite Dr Evil's love assault on the supporters and invitations to press and supporters to his underground lair beneath the volcano off Halfords Lane. However, AFI (Alan expletive Irvine) had most of the summer/pre-season with the club and had a say about several transfers following his shocking and inexplicable appointment. It's not true that he has had no time and is working solely with other mens' tools. F'naar.
He is out of his depth and should never have been approached for the job as head coach. I'd get rid now (as, probably, would most Baggies) and rip up the rigid blueprint about managers. -
0 1A Speaky Alternative 10 Talking points:
1/
LFC are in trouble, they are not scoring enough or keeping them out at the other end. It seems even more curious for the manager to find such a game as yesterdays, to decide to try something different in goal. Brad Jones is willing enough, but you surely need more than that, which begs the question; Why let Reina go in the first place.
2/
Steven Gerrard is in sharp decline. Much of this has been evident through this season and even last. Most honest kopites have voiced this clearly enough as much as it may pain them to be seen to take a dump on their hero. Nonetheless, the sight of a hitherto anonymous Gerard grappling and holding onto RVP shorts in an effort to stay with a player who himself can hardly described as explosive was something the LFC management should spare such a local legend. Its time they saved Gerard from himself and phased him out quietly and with dignity.
3/
Man City with all those riches and spending clout still find themselves needing a 57 year old midfielder who they acquired from a Chelsea car boot sale to win them a game against the leagues bottom club. Hardly going to inspire the locals. Perhaps its time their shinny academy actually produce at least one homegrown product for us to hype for a while.
4
With Man Utd injury crisis, allied to wholesale changes in defences in each game, isnt it about time the team and the management were given some credit for being 3rd in the table as we approach xmas? Even more astonishing amidst all the defensive gnashing of teeth and wailing is the fact that somehow they appear to have the 3rd best defensive record in the league after you know who's. Sure they have Jesus in goal but that surely cant account for all this upturn in fortune and confidence? Somebody somewhere at Old Trafford must be doing something right. And that's before the team have even begun to call on its A-listers
5
The art of goalkeeping is alive and well in the hands of David De Gea. Once maligned and derided for not have the bulk to keep out the premiership heavyweights, DDG is now having the game of his life, literally every week. His form has been such that he is now an internet sensation with all manner of lists of occasions that DDG could save: Your Marriage, the Titani, the price of oil, men from going bald. to name a few. There is clearly nothing this young man can't do. Still needs to bulk up though, they whined.
6
Why do English clubs buy a classic No10 schemer, then ask him to track back. Yesterday's game between Man Utd v LFC had the tactical masterstroke of Coutinho marking Rooney throughout the game. So its the least player capable in defensive positions, marking one of the oppositions most potent players. Prizes for guessing how that panned out.
7
Is it still Wenger Out? or is it In?
Or shake it all about and hope for 4th place?
8
Are Southampton in free fall? I simply cant remember when last they won a game. I extend an invitation to Consortium11 and StGeorges to both provide a thesis on where Southampton's next win is coming from.
9
We all know about the solidity of a flat back 4. So what is it about a flakey back 3 or 5 that makes it so desirable? There was that moment before RVP scored the third Utd goal when LFC back 3 almost morphed into a back 111 as all 3 defender merged together leaving a gap the size of Watford to stand around in waiting for the ball to come to him to tap in which it did and he did. In a flat 4 the full back is coming in and clearly that nonesense. Unless of course its Glen Johnson in which case it could be any other outcome.
10
Somewhere in Stamford Bridge bunker, General Mourinho is getting worried, but he is not sure why. It all seems quiet and in order. His troops are stationed exactly where he needs em to be. All the buses are parked properly, but there is something going on out there and he is not entirely sure what it is. it of course remains his to lose. Maybe thats the problem.
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