No Premier League action this weekend
The FA cup came along this weekend to entice us with its magic, the games filled with controversy and underdogs giving the giants a real run for their money. However my blog is not about reviewing the FA cup, unless that's something you'd like to see?
Therefore this edition of my blog will be containing information about what I personally think has been interesting and exciting from this Premier League season so far.
For this edition i will discuss and comment on:
- Under-performing teams.
- Leicester City.
- My top 5 players this season.
- January Transfers.
- A little section on myself.
I hope you enjoy and i am fully greatful for all the support on my blog, i love to interact with all my viewers, i will leave my social media links! I appreciate everything and can thank you enough, anyway lets get started...
1. Under-performing teams!
Chelsea
The Premier League has recently just passed its half way checkpoint, and who'd have thought it, Leicester are leading the pack! But that's something I want to come onto later, the point is the teams who aren't where we'd have predicted them to be at this stage.
The first team that i'd consider struggling, along with many other football fans, are Chelsea. Having started the season unconvincing, only managing a 2-2 draw away at Swansea, I admit its not an terrible result but one Chelsea would have expected to walk away with 3 points. A week later, they came up against a title challenger looking to take Chelsea's crown, in Manchester City, but Chelsea fell apart against them, loosing the game 3-0 away at the Etihad. Things started to rapidly collapse from under Chelsea's feet where loses were more common than wins for the reigning premier league champions. Top 4 was so early running away from them.
Chelsea would struggle for goals with Diego Costa not on as fine form as he had been in the early stages of the previous season. Eden Hazard, usually an exhilarating player to watch and a pain to play against, was hardly noticed on the pitch. After a super season, the Belgium winger had hit a poor run of form where he couldn't muster any goals or assist neither. Matic and Cesc Fabregas, who had both been a huge part of the title winning side of the previous season, had lost the commanding, solid performances they were achieving week in, week out. And as for the defence, Mourinho had decided to start the season boasting youngster Kurt Zouma over the experience of John Terry, also coming off the back of a fantastic season, likewise was Branislav Ivanovic, who was assisting and attacking with pace but had barely been involved coming into the new season. The players for Chelsea FC, had something not going quite as swimmingly as what was happening the claim the title.
By mid-December, Chelsea's slump was still ongoing and the board of Chelsea had become inpatient, and the shock announcement was made the Chelsea had sacked The Special One, Jose Mourinho. After just 4 Premier League wins from 17 games it was hard to argue against the sacking, especially because of the high expectations set at Chelsea. Like many Chelsea fans who stood by Mourinho, I agree its harsh to fire a manager, practically one that just 7 months prior to the dismissing had secured the most sort after trophy in England. However, if I personally had been head of the Chelsea board, at the time, I would have issued the sacking also. The main reason being the poor results being produced. I don't think that guiding a team to winning the league and then flopping to far down the bottom end in the next is acceptable or normal. Yes, pressure is on them, its up to them to set out right and retain their title but if its gotten so bad that relegation is more likely than the title by continuing in the same form, things need a switch up.
Of course all the blame cant go to Mourinho because he can only do so much, its down to the players to get out on the field and preform for the manager, for the fans and for one another. But it seemed as though the players had just stopped playing for their Portuguese manager, there wasn't that mentality that had allowed them to achieve the same amount of success as the season before.
So out went Mourinho, Chelsea had a game against Sunderland in which they comfortably won, 3-1. And after the game, it was announced that another ex-Chelsea boss would take the reins until the end of the season, that man being Guus Hiddink. In his previous run at Chelsea, he had done well, managing the secure the FA cup in 2009 beating Everton in the final. Back to 2015, and things had taken a turn for Chelsea with a slight revival under the new man, but from the day he's taken over until now I don't think Chelsea had been significantly better. They have managed to slightly climb the table but are yet to be in the top half and actually look like they are going to make a comeback. I cant see this happening.
I think Chelsea should have been more wise with this season. They wouldn't have been relegated, as much as I would have enjoyed, Chelsea will have survived the drop regardless. It was simply an off season. Personally, I think Chelsea should've kept hold of Mourinho, and attempted to flood in younger players with high potential. It would have been a good time to trail players like Patrick Bamford, who wasn't having the best time on his loan spell. Lewis Baker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could all have great futures in the game given the chance, but its the same at every top team, its too risky to give these types of youngsters a chance but with how Chelsea's season was going it was a great opportunity. The players would be in a squad filled with superstars, have training at state of the art facilities and all this could give the players both confidence and the chances they were looking for to flourish and become the player that is expected of them.
If you look at Tottenham in recent seasons they've brought players like Harry Kane and Eric Deir into the side and they have really shone, even this season with Spurs, Dele Alli has come into the side and made a real difference, as well as scoring a worldie. Chelsea had a great opportunity to do this and maybe uncover a beautiful talent but it was wasted, much like how they've treated this season up until this point.
Manchester United
'Louis Van Gaal's red army.' My beloved Manchester United. Why are we not top.
No, realistically, I don't believe we should be top, we've not got the team to be up there. On paper, the Manchester United team looks relatively solid, with the exciting youngsters Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial coming into the team, our captain Wayne Rooney leading the line and by miraculously holding onto David De Gea to stand between the sticks, the team looks decent. However, its been clear from the start of the 2015/16 campaign that something is missing from the side. A piece of brilliance, a player with the vision in the final third or maybe a striker who just always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Manchester United haven't looked threatening enough or as intimidating as we have in previous years. With scraping a 1-0 win the kick off the season due to an own goal at home to Tottenham, there hasn't been too many games this season that i've actually wanted to sit down and watch.
Van Gaal hasn't been playing the type of football the fans want to be seeing, the philosophy hasn't quite been working as planned. The sideways and backwards passing accompanied by slow build up doesn't suit fans expectations of their side. I like Van Gaal, I think he knows what he wants but its all a bit confusing. The boss knows we haven't got a solid defence, there is not a sturdy, knucklehead at the back who is going to take charge like we had with Vidic and Ferdinand. I take nothing away from Smalling and Jones however, as I think they have been exceptional this season, making clinical challenges and ensuring we concede as little as possible. Often though, this results in difficult games for the fans to watch as frustration and boredom drives the Manchester United fan away from the TV, or tempts them not to go to the game to endure the dismal 0-0 which fans are expecting to see. I know this from being a fan, i see the fixture and just don't expect a win this season. Games that i would have usually thought to have been a comfortable 3-0, id have to predict to be 0-0's or even worse losses. And it all comes from the philosophy Van Gaal is trying to implement on the United players.
I've witnessed 2 games this season from being sat under the roof of the Sir Alex Ferguson stand, both in the cup. The first being Ipswich, a game that i saw up close from pitchside seats. A day that will live long in my memory as it was the first game in which i was actually there to see my idol Wayne Rooney score in. I've had bad luck in the other games ive been to Old Trafford for, with not living too close to Manchester, seeing a game at the stadium is a rarity, but ive loved Rooney since being very young. However every time i do visit the Theatre Of Dreams, Rooney seems to have some controversial reason for not playing whether it be injury or wanting to leave. The Ipswich game, had a different view for me however, giving me the chance to see Wayne score, a cool goal where he controlled the ball nicely under the keeper.
The second game i had the opportunity to see was Middlesbrough, again in the Capital One Cup. What a nightmare. I was bouncing up and down, as red as the Old Trafford seats, at how frustrating the 120 minutes of gameplay had been for The Red Devils. We couldn't get shots on target, our passing was reckless and we seemed to be playing the long ball up to Fellaini tactic for he entirety. And so, with extra time coming to an end at 0-0, penalties was calling. I admit i was pretty excited to be witnessing the famous penalty shootout with my own eyes. That excitement soon went away when we lost. The most shocking part of the loss was that the 3 penalties missed by United players were experienced talents who I would have expected more than anyone to keep their cool and slot it away. But you cant be too harsh on them, i understand how difficult penalties are, which was also backed up by the fact the Middlesbrough supports were directly behind the goal in which the penalties were being shot at. I did manage to get a video of Andreas Pereira converting a penalty and some photos of the players which i will attempt to include, apologies if not, i haven't quite sussed out how to do it.
Back on topic, Manchester United are not doing massively terrible, sitting in 5th position in the league, a relatively comfortable draw in both the next round of the FA cup and the Europa League, it could be worse; we could be Chelsea. The most disappointing thing is the style of play, being compact and defensive is good but its got to be accompanied with some kind of attacking intent or else how do we expect to earn 3 points every game.
2. Leicester City!
Who'd have thought it? Nobody would have even thought Leicester would be where they are at this stage before the season began. Leicester deserve credit for there massive underdog achievement and have proved a lot, especially that anything is possible.
Nobody can deny that Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have contributed more than there worth to the side currently leading in the table. But credit has to be given to the entire squad who have been solid in every position. Kante has been an excellent signing and players like Marc Albrighton and Kacsper Schmicheal have really been instrumental for Leicester in this campaign.
Jamie Vardy, chat shit, get banged as this record breaker would say. What an achievement from a player who not long ago was playing in non-league. I find it amazing how a player who isn't even at a side expected to be high in the league has managed to give England boss Roy Hodgson something to think about with the Euro's coming up. The striker broke a goal scoring record by scoring 11 consecutive goals in the premier league. An achievement which is truly inspirational especially because of Vardy not being at one of the top Premier League sides like the Manchester clubs or Arsenal. As a striker myself, the poacher instinct of Vardy is a joy to watch and i think every football fan cheers for Vardy and Leicester as a whole.
I think coming towards the end of the season Leicester should be taken as serious contenders for the title because as they've shown they can exploit teams with their 4-4-2 formation and genius tactics from Claudio Ranieri, who also deserves tons of credit.
3. Inform Players!
The season has been filled with lots of inspiration and fantastic moments from the players who make up the best league in the world. The best thing about the Premier League in my opinion is that you don't have to be at one of the top teams to make a difference. As i will discuss in my top 5 players so far, some of the players aren't at the highest level but make a huge contribution to their team and are fantastic to watch.
In no particular order, here are my favourite players so far this season...
1 - Jamie Vardy + Riyad Mahrez
I thought putting these 2 players together would better suit my prediction. They have added so much excitement to this season because of being players who you wouldn't expect to be as amazing as they have been. They have been great together as a duo, assisting each other fantastically well and each game they play together, they just seem to have a connection which allows their play to be fluid and fast paced which reflects how great they are as individuals. The Leicester City players are best reflected by their positions on the top scoring leader boards, with Jamie Vardy being top on 16 goals and Mahrez not far behind claiming 5th position with 13 goals, to this stage. I think if these 2 astonishing players and the way the rest of the Leicester squad continue performing as they have been for a few more game weeks, Leicester have a chance of claiming the title which would not only be a fantastic achievement but something i think many football fans secretly want to see, including myself.
2 - Petr Cech
I am still unable to comprehend the decision from Jose Mourinho at Chelsea to allow Petr Cech to leave Chelsea, let alone to a bitter rival in Arsenal. There must be more than meets the eye with this transfer because the goalkeeper has boosted the Arsenal squad dramatically. Along with being a world-class goalkeeper, he brought confidence, experience and quality into the Arsenal ranks, which has had a tremendous impact on Arsenal, ultimately contributing to their promising season where they are pushing to both the Premier League title and the FA Cup. He did had a shaky start against West Ham being blamed for the 2 goals conceded but i think this just gave him that bit extra to prove himself at Arsenal and its been completely turned around by him winning Arsenal so many points which is always promising as a goalkeeper.
3 - Odion Ighalo
Bagging 14 Premier League goals is certainly a good way to prove yourself but the fact he's done it at Watford, a side not many people expect much from is even more amazing. (Its definitely the season of the underdog) Like Vardy + Mahrez i could've included Troy Deeney with Ighalo but that wouldn't give enough justice to the fantastic form of Ighalo this season. His goals have not only pulled the newly promoted side up to a comfortable 10th position in the Premier League, but the consistent goal scorer is banging them in the FA cup too, continuing the dream of their cup run.
4 - Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling, or Mike Smalling to some, has been exceptional in the heart of the Manchester United defence this season. The England defender has shown leadership and tough tackling to help Manchester United this season. The centre back has wonderful passion for both football and Manchester United and this is evident in every game he plays. He is eager to do the best he can and is has shown his capability to defend confidently when the pressure has been on, and when he has the ball at his feet he has been very calm, often running the ball away from the Manchester United back line and finding a nice pass. If i was the England manager Chris Smalling would be one of the first names on my Euro 2016 team sheet.
5 - Mesut Ozil
This man is simply put, a genius. The craftsman has been inspirational for The Gunners, which is shown through both his passing and assisting stats. Ozil is a joy to watch, as he can pick out passes which no other player even has the vision to see. With Olivier Giroud, a player i could've included on this list, up front in fine form, Ozil only has to create the pass and its a goal for Arsenal. The German is gifted and expertly used in the Arsenal line up. Plus his gumtrick talent is hilarious and a fantastic trick.
There are many more players i could've included on this list from Yannick Bolasie, to Harry Kane, to Romelu Lukaku, however they just don't cut it into my top 5 so far.
I could do a full review of a team of the season so far if that is something you'd like to see, just let me know via email or my other social media sites.
5. An insight into me!
So, i thought id end this blog post by letting you know more about me.
In my first blog i let you know about my football career, a topic im looking to cover in more detail in a separate blog, telling of my time at Bradford City, my personal favourite goals and moments, as well as other exciting things that have happened to me.
But i wanted to talk to you about me in general for this insight, as i would like to connect with you, readers of my blog.
Basically, im a 16 year old, Keighley born human. Keighley, for many of you who probably won't know, and im kind of hoping you don't, is a small town in England, not far from Leeds. But to be honest its not the best place to be living. I don't mean it in a nasty way because i do also love this town, its where ive been all my life but i aspire to move away, travel the world. That is one reason for my blog! i am hoping to travel away, see some of the interesting places, hopefully visit a few football stadiums and witness the atmosphere of games in leagues around the world. Borrusia Dortmund is particularly appealing as they have some of the best fans in the world, I'd also love to go and be part of the fans in the Russian League as the fans are a whole different calibre to those of English clubs.
I've been lucky enough to visit the Nou Camp, home of giants Barcelona, and i am hoping, quite like many football fans to be able to see a game. Neymar, Messi and Suarez are obviously some of the greatest players to step on the field and it would be absolutely amazing if one day im writing my blog about the game id watched live.
Apart from having to attend school, at Holy Family, and writing this blog, i do have a life, one that consists of playing computer games, my favouites being FIFA of course and the highly addictive Football Manager, a topic i have been contemplating writing about, so not much of a life but what can you do?
I think that's going to be my conclusion, i honestly am so thankful to every reader. Hopefully ill get a much tighter schedule for updating and posting blogs in the near future. Please do get in touch with me, it makes writing the blog worthwhile to interact with the readers. If there's any topic other than Premier League reviews you'd like to see, just let me know.
Anyway, bye for now, thank you as always,
Lee Harwood.
Social Media-
Twitter - https://twitter.com/kingleeroy67
I must give credit to Wikipedia for the photos because of copyright laws, i will try to get my own pictures soon.
(I think i give credit)
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