Immediate Reaction: Right Clatter at the Bridge

It was billed as Match of the Day, and quite rightly so. Top drawer, box office superstars of football's elite from two of the top three best footballing sides in England locked horns last night. High octane, attacking verve and dizzying skills were written all over it. 

And the players did not disappoint. It was a cracker of a match. This morning's papers ought to have been awash with praises and superlatives for RVP's superb marksmanship or Mata's beautiful curler of a freekick or the sheer roller-coaster of dominance shown by United and Chelsea in turns. 

Sadly, that was not the case. Instead, all the papers, blogs, tweets, online editorials and articles were talking about one man only. 

Him:

United started the game flying, racing to a 2-0 lead through an own goal by David Luiz and then a superbly taken first-time shot from RVP after some fine work by Valencia down the right flank. Chelsea slowly awoke from their slumber and made amends. Firstly, a freekick awarded after Rooney had hacked down a mazy Hazard run was promptly rewarded through Juan Mata, who showcased how to exquisitely bend a classy freekick around the United wall and just out of De Gea's reach. 2-1 to United going into halftime. 

After the break, Chelsea came out stronger, building up play with intricate passes by the sumptuous trio of Hazard-Mata-Oscar and were promptly rewarded with a forceful Ramires header from a Mata to Oscar to back to the six yard box cross. 

With the game delicately balanced at 2-2, it was anything goes. United stepped up their gear and begun their customary deadly counter-attacks whilst Chelsea ebbed and flowed their way towards a winner. It was nervy, it was exciting. Both sets of fans was poised for a nail-biting finish. For the neutrals, it was great entertainment. Good football, lots of goals and now a possible race to a winning goal had beckoned.

Enter Mark Clattenburg. First, he gave a straight red to Ivanovic for a clumsy trip on Ashley Young. 

As a Chelsea fan, it would have been easy to claim that Ivanovic was clumsily trying to avoid Young whilst the wily United winger had (as usual) made a meal out of any minimal contact. However, in all objectivity, it was perhaps a cruel but justified red. As the last defender, any contact to your opponent and the goal is deemed as a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. So whilst it may have been a tad harsh, it was probably a decision most other referees would have taken as well. 

However, Mark's 2nd big contribution to United came at the expense of El Nino, who had been having a busy yet non-prolific afternoon thus far. Admittedly, Torres does come with a reputation for being a diver (plus he's Spanish), but when Johnny Evans left a leg trailing against Nando in full flight, majority (including Evans himself) thought that a foul (and perhaps a caution) would be given in Chelsea's favour. Horror turned to shock turned to disgust when he proceeded to give Torres a second yellow for play-acting, which meant Torres was off.

With 10 men against 11, Chelsea still may have been able to pull off a draw or perhaps even snatch a late winner. But once reduced to 9 men, the game was essentially over. No team stands a chance when they're outnumbered by 2 whole players. Especially more so against United. 

From then on, the football match ended and the farce began. Players from both sides began losing control with Obi Mikel, Ramires, Ashley Cole and David Luiz fortunate to still be playing after getting into questionable scraps with United players. Rooney too had looked to be boiling and had to be taken off after getting cautioned for a meaty challenge. 

Clattenburg's man-of-the-match performance was capped with a brilliant award of a goal to United when substitute Chicarito poked at a loose ball at close range when he was clearly in an offside position. 

Missiles and abuses were hurled from the terraces and scenes at the Bridge descended into chaos as the game entered its final stretch. The night ended with a controversial 3-2 win for United and everyone felt robbed of watching how a great contest of footballing skills would have ended in its natural course.

In all honesty, it was still anybody's game at 2-2. I wouldn't have been surprised if United would have mustered up yet another thrilling-yet-customary United late winner and took all 3 points back to Manchester with great pride and dignity. 

But we will never be able to answer that question now, thanks to Mark. The question has become moot. Instead, thanks to the bumbling ineptitude of one of the game's most card-happy refs, this game will always be remembered as "The One Which United Won against 9 Men and an Offside Goal". 

To clarify, this post is in no way trying to steal any glory from a United win. A win is still a win.  This post is also not a bumbling justification for Chelsea's first loss of the season. They had played badly in the first half and did not seem cohesive between attack and defence. A loss would have been deserved.

This post, however, is interested in pointing out a blindingly obvious observation only: that bad refereeing decisions cost the fans and players more than just the mere 3 points. Too much attention nowadays is given to stopping racism, play-acting, disrespect, dirty tackles, etc., that we sometimes forget that for the players to respect the game, perhaps the governing bodies should first keep its house in order by ridding itself of refereeing buffoons such as Clatternburg. It would be a shame (and indeed an embarrassment) to the FA if Mark Clattenburg is allowed to officiate another match again. It is time for the FA to show it means business by throwing the rule book at Clatternburg. 

Usually when Chelsea take on United, one can always be guaranteed of an explosive match of deafening proportions. Last night, the only sounds to be heard at the Bridge were the clatterings of a bumbling match official. Let's hope this will be last of squeaks that can be heard on any footballing pitch from now on. 

Hopes of Defending Euro Trophy Shakhtared

In what was to be their first real major loss of the season, Chelsea's hopes of defending the Champions League trophy this season took a battering with a 2-1 defeat to Shaktar Donetsk last night. 

A quickfire Alex Texeira goal in the 4th minute barely before the game settled gave Shaktar the lead, followed by another through Fernandinho in the 2nd half ensured that Oscar's consolation meant nought as our boys face the reality of having to win at least 2 of their last 3 games in order to advance past the group stages. 

Admittedly, we didn't play too badly. However, we didn't actually click or get into rhythm throughout the entire game. It was one of those nights where the intense battle on the park was to be decided by taking all your chances well and converting them. Chelsea did not.

No alarm bells to be rung yet, though. Chelsea's season is still pretty much going on track despite this little speed bump in the Donbass Arena. I personally feel we have enough quality to pull through at least to the knockout phase. By then, the nucleus and shape of this team should have settled and we'd see how the new-look Chelsea fares amongst Europe's elite.

On the domestic front, what can I say? 22 points out of a possible 24 means we are currently sitting pretty on top of the pile with the 2 Manchester clubs chasing. We have played 2 testing derby fixtures against Arsenal and Spurs, and walked away with 3 points each in the bag. 

This weekend, however, sees a true test of our mettle and will be a good indicator as to how genuine is Chelsea's chase for the Premier League title going to be as Man Utd beckons.

Fortunately, we're catching United at a time when they are facing injury problems and a leaking backline but they're still Man Utd. At their worst, they are already highly competitive and never know when they're beaten. When they're on form, they can tear any team apart with ease.  

At this point in time, with Rooney regaining his form and relishing life a little deeper in midfield, RvP showing why Sir Alex forked out so much dosh to lure him over from the Emirates, it does look like the Chelsea backline will be in for a real test of character and pressure.

I expect it to be a very tight affair, with perhaps very little separating the two. I am plumping for a Chelsea win though. And this time, I predict Hazard putting in an inspiring performance to show why he was the brightest star to have left Ligue 1 in recent times.

So bring on the Devils.

Papering Over Cracks

No, the title above is not slang for a type of hobby usually done in men's prisons (that's for another type of blog). 

It is instead an English idiom meaning "hastily covering up some fault or weakness with makeshift solutions", a situation Chelsea currently find themselves in danger of doing. 

2 wins in 2 matches, one against a top-4 contender in the BPL and one more against a Danish side in the Champions League, what the hell are you talking about, I hear you say.

Well, that is exactly what may happen if Chelsea get carried away with the scoreline (and 3 points each) rather than taking a cold, hard and objective look at those games (and the underlying problems present in both).

Whilst a 2-1 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates and a 4-0 trashing of Nordsjaelland away at their home turf sounds great on paper, only a fan watching those games with Blue-tinted specs would not notice that they did not play well.

In summary: Torres could have had a hatful of goals over those games but only scored 1. Both goals against Arsenal came on a gift-plate when the Gunners momentarily forgotten how defending against set-pieces work. Despite playing against a team from a relatively weaker league, Chelsea could only muster 1 goal and made to sweat 79 minutes before getting their 3 more in the last 10 minutes of proceedings. 

Admittedly too, they seem to be still enjoying their slice of last season's good fortune, as Lady Luck appeared in both games wearing a Samsung kit. But as history has shown, Lady Luck is a committment-phobe and a serial polygamist. One minute cavorting in your bed, the next she could be frolicking happily with your neighbour. 

When that happens, the fear is that Chelsea's inability to close down a game and dominate it may prove to be their undoing. 8 games into a season with fresh faces brought in is still considered the "adjusting" period. However, RDM must seriously work at getting over this period as fast as he can and weave the Blues into a dominating, fluid unit capable of winning games with or without Lady Luck. 

Let us hope they find that rhythm and click sooner than their luck runs out. Only then can we look back and sigh with relief that the damn piece of paper has covered the crack quite well. 

After the 5 Game Mark

So Gameweek 5 of the BPL had just been done and over with. 

Not too bad a start to the season, I would say. 5 games in and we're sitting at the top of the pile. Of course this has to be tampered with the fact that save for Newcastle, we've been facing relatively easier opponents (no offence to the like of Stoke's, QPRs, Wigan's or Readings). And, we all know that the season ends only next May. 

Nonetheless, a good headstart bodes well for a good campaign. We just need to sustain the momentum and ensure the squad is kept fresh and hungry for the long road ahead. So after 5 games, here are some thoughts to chew on:

The Positives

We seem to have shored up defensively, keeping a tight backline and eliminating the calamitous defending that became the hallmark of our rearguard last season. Whilst still not vintage Mourinho-style shutouts, the couple of gritty 1-0 wins have shown that we are ready to bunker up and put up a solid wall when the need arises.

Encouraging signs also from some of the new signings. Eden Hazard had a flying start and has shown that he can be the next Zola. True, he has slowed down a bit in the last couple of games but that's because he is being compared to his 11 out of 10 performance in the first 2-3 games. 

Oscar has also shown that his flair and creative verve may be the added dimension to Chelsea's play this season. 

Victor Moses offers pace, skill and width to the game. Lucas Piazon, Ryan Bertrand and Oriol Romeu are slowly coming of age and when Marko Marin fully becomes match-fit, our options in attack are abound. 

In terms of defence, David Luiz has been showing a little bit more restraint and maturity, whilst Cahill is growing in stature to be a bona fide replacement for Terry when Captain Marvel's retirement comes (which may be very soon).  

Also, despite not playing well or dictating play in a couple of matches, we have managed to grind out the results and get maximum points. Some have said before that this is a trait of champions and by the look of things, these are encouraging signs. 

The Negatives

There is this feeling that something special is still lacking. Call it a slow start or call it "gelling period", but there is this gut feeling that the team has yet to truly click. The plays and attacks does not ebb and flow organically like a cohesive unit yet, rather they resemble a patchwork of individual contributors stringing together their skills. It may work, sometimes, but there's still this sneaky suspicion that once opponents find a way to mark out certain players or block out certain routes, there may be no Plan B. Fluidity is the key here, and we don't seem to have it yet.

I also don't think we the old Fernando Torres is truly back. Yet. I know I have been his biggest advocate and I've earmarked this season as one where he will finally deliver the goods but based on these 5 games, it appears very touch-and-go. He's been scoring but not regularly enough. He's scored 1 or 2 really good ones but missed complete sitters also. At the moment, he infuriates as much as he excites. 

It's frustrating because you know he has genuine quality, poacher's instinct and skills to make things happen yet seeing him fumble his lines or run into a dead-wall situation time and again because of nerves, lack of confidence or a combo of both. His problems may emanate more from a psychological reason rather than form or playing opportunity. Whatever it is, RDM had better come up with a solution soon. Or alternatively, bring in another striker who can provide competition and replace Nando when he hits a bad patch. 

Summary

September is still too early in the campaign to suggest ringing in any drastic moves or making any wholesale changes yet. 

However, if RDM wants to fine-tune the Blues machinery, at this juncture he needs to:

(1) solve the Torres-confidence/form issue through either psychological / hypnotic help.

(2) alternatively, get a cheaper, 2nd grade but prolific, bread-and-butter striker in by January. Someone in the mould of Steven Fletcher or Demba Ba or Rickie Lambert type. Someone who wouldn't mind playing second fiddle to El Nino but who can be relied upon to find the net in those gritty, tough-tackling games against the likes of West Ham or Stoke. 

(3) slowly ease Terry and Lamps out of the squad (though I think this is what he is already doing) without making the drop too drastic / disrespectful / hurtful to their big egos. Instead, move them more towards the Ryan Giggs / Paul Scholes role of the experienced old head in the squad whose contributions come more in training and the dressing room.

(4) imbue the team with a new 'style' of play. RDM has got to quickly figure out the best shape / type of play most suitable to the new batch of skillful players he has. He must then quickly fashion a system of play which optimizes their abilities and get them used to it. He must also find a Plan B and C for that system and get them used to switching systems at ease depending on the situation. 

Well, let's see how things pan out also now that the Champions League group stages are in full swing together with League Cup (now called Capital One Cup if I'm not mistaken), FA Cup and Club World Cup. 

On another note, farewell and thanks for the memories to Captain John Terry from the international football scene. He has given blood, sweat and tears (all 3 literally) for the 3 Lions and he has never shirked from a single tackle, elbow or wild kick when donning both the Chelsea blue or the England kit. To see a man-lion call time on his illustrious (and controversial) career amidst (or rather because of) the whole racism inquiry seems a tad ungrateful for this lad from Barking who epitomises the English spirit far better than any of his current colleagues have. 

John Terry, whatever the outcome of the enquiry, you are still and always will be a Chelsea and England leader amongst men. 

 

He's Back!

If there was ever any doubt as to whether the once Golden Boy of both Atletico and Liverpool would be back to his rip-roaring best, last night's game against the Geordies affirmed the answer. 

Flicks, backheels, speedy darts in and out of the box and a powerfully precise toe-poke gave us a glimpse of why the Big Boss Man felt it worthy to shell out 50 million quid for the Spaniard's services.

After more than a year of languishing in the shadows of Drogba with a hefty price tag, loss of form, disappearance of confidence and the general cloud of misfortune that seemed to have followed him to every ground in England, the Torres of old is finally emerging like a phoenix from the ashes.

He's Torres and he knows it (sung to the tune of 'Sexy And I Know It')

But before we get our panties in a twist, let's not overlook the cracks too. His once searing pace has not quite fully returned, his touch is still a micro-second heavier than previously and he still makes the odd stray pass or wayward shot. Cumulatively, I would say his game is still 25% short of his Kop heydays. But compared to last year, he has probably upped his game by about 60%. And the goals and assists don't lie. 

If the last few games, beginning from the end of last season, are any indicators to go by, it would appear that we shall soon bear witness to the return of my personal favourite striker of this generation.

So cmon Nando, ride on this form and go on a red-hot scoring streak to show RVP, Tevez & Co. what it takes to be the best gunslinger in the league.

  

2012 / 2013 Predictions

Ahhh, the beginning of the season. Always my favourite time of the year. After being away for quite some time, I've rejuvenated my senses and raring to go with some bold predictions which (I hope) will hold some water come May 2013.

So without further ado, here we go:

Breakout Performer of the Season: Oscar

To most people, it appears to be a toss-up between either Santi Carzola of Arsenal, Kagawa of United or Hazard of Chelsea. I'm going to put my money on Oscar of Chelsea. Many are saying the Brazilian wonderkid may wilt in the pressure of the EPL but I think he has enough skills and pedigree to set the Premier League alight.

Other contenders in this category would be Ben Arfa of Newcastle, Sigurdsson of Spurs and Junior Hoillet of QPR.

Big Name Flop of the Season a.k.a. the Torres of 2010/2011 Award : Robin Van Persie

Yes, it's a controversial choice but I'm going with my gut feeling to say that RVP will find it extremely normal and unsettling being a regular fish in a big pond as opposed to his former role of big fish in the small pond at the Emirates. Factor in his injury proneness (which is bound to happen big time this season considering he was fit all of last season) and the fact that Rooney is younger, more dynamic and has something to prove after a lukewarm last season, I think RVP may be in danger of becoming another Berbatov. He will (as he always does) find the net once in a while, and maybe pop in the occasional important goal, but his effectiveness will be nowhere near his heady Arsenal days of yore. 

Highest Position Out of the Newly Promoted Teams: West Ham

Never write off Big Sam's teams. They may be harder to watch than Stoke City away, but they are always solid, hard to break down and difficult to play against on a cold rainy day (i.e. every other day in England). Couple that to the fact that among the 3 promoted teams, the Hammers have been the one who most recently was mixing it up with the big boys (as recent as 10 years ago), I would put my money on West Ham achieving mid-table safety. 

Most Exciting Team to Watch: Newcastle

Last season they were the breakout team of the league. This season, Pardew has not only (at the time of writing) retained the core of his swashbucklers, but strengthened them with exciting, dynamic acquisitions (including, as of today, Anita and possibly Debuchy). Combining the solid backline marshalled by Coloccini, with a steady Krul between the sticks, with midfield solidity of Tiote, classy playmaking of Cabaye and unpredictable wizardry of Ben Arfa and with the firepower of Ba and Cisse, I tip Newcastle to play good football and maybe even push for Champions League spot this season. 

Top Assist: David Silva 

Despite the contingent of stars at the Etihad, it's hard to see past this diminutive Spaniard as the fulcrum of City's attack. With a deft touch and brilliant vision, I tip Silva to edge out Mata, Hazard and Kagawa in terms of racking up assists.

Golden Boot: Sergio Aguero

With Rooney and RVP both in the same team, it is unlikely either of them will land the coveted top scorer's prize (unless, very highly unlikely, United outperforms everyone with each bagging 30 a season). 

This leaves Aguero as the only genuine week-in, week-out favourite to land this prize. Though close in second place, I would place Fernando Torres (yes, the one they called flop up to few months ago) because of reasons set out in the category below.

The Jesus Christ Back From The Dead Award: Fernando Torres

This could possibly be the season that makes or breaks El Nino. With Drogba gone, and by spending more than 1 season already at the Bridge, there is no reason for Torres not to perform. Score anything less than 15 goals and he would be deemed an expensive flop. Judging by the way he seems to be slowly regaining his touch and magic that once made him a Kop legend, I think this may be the season we see the resurrection of Torres in the colour blue. With him, one gets the feeling that he always needs to feel loved and needed in order to perform. He was the Golden Boy of Atletico and thereafter somewhat the Golden Boy of Liverpool. So to come to Chelsea amidst a hefty price tag to find that he is just a normal Boy must have sapped his confidence and ability to find the net. But he seems to have put his troubles behind him (hopefully) and this may be his season. I won't be surprised if Torres becomes a front runner for Golden Boot if he can put together a run of good games and get his form on fire.

EPL Winner: Chelsea

Wow, big surprise, someone on a Chelsea blog predicting Chelsea to win the title, I hear you say. Going by conventional logic, it's either United or City as everyone's picks. City are undoubtedly rock-solid, going into the season with pretty much every single one who played a part in their title-winning season of last. United seems to have beefed up their attacking potential by landing gifted playmaker Shinji Kagawa and landing the red-hot top scorer of last season Van Persie. 

However, I predict City's focus will be geared more towards Europe this season. This may prove a distraction to their squad who, despite having several solid big names, appears somewhat lightweight in terms of their 2nd team. As for United, they may have all the firepower in the world, but a non-consistent back four, with an unpredictable keeper, injury-prone and ageing centrebacks and no real midfield enforcer makes me think that there could be the odd upsets when faced against teams who put them on the back pedal.

Amidst all that, it may come to no surprise if a dark horse like Chelsea mount a strong challenge against the Mancunian superpowers. The pertinent task facing Di Matteo now would be getting his alchemy right in blending the attacking threat of Hazard, Oscar, Mata and Marin to dovetail with Torres into an effective, fluid, goal-getting machine. He then needs to stabilize and build a back four consisting of Cole-Luiz-Cahill-Ivanovic. Yes, you read that right. No place for JT there. He's been a great servant to the club, a man mountain and a real inspirational leader, no doubt. But it's equally undoubtable that he has neither the pace nor the legs to carry him that extra yard when it becomes necessary to do so. Terry should be slowly phased into coaching or more managerial role whilst being used sparingly as a cover, when Luiz sits out an inevitable suspension period or as a 3rd defender when protecting an important lead. If RDM can convince his Captain to willingly accept this role, then the backline should be able to cope with the rigours of a title-bid. 

The squad looks to have some strength in depth, with players such as Essien, Sturridge, Mikel, Bertrand, Hutchinson, Lucas Piazon and Oriol Romeu looking all set to play supporting roles. However, if RDM really wants to push for honours, he needs maybe 2-3 more utility-type players to freshen up the squad when the fixtures start getting congested. 

Curtain's Up

Ladies and gents, buckle up your seatbelts. That moment you've all been salivating over and anticipating like giddy schoolgirls since 13 May 2012, is right at our doorstep. And, given the amount of transfer drama that has unfolded over the summer, it looks likely to be a smashing season.

Come tomorrow, the English Premier League season 2012 / 2013 kicks-off in all its hype and glory. Men everywhere in the world, rejoice and reclaim that weekend spot in front of your television sets. Women everywhere, it's time to catch up on all your Korean dramas or rom-coms on your laptops. 

How will this season deliver then? Whilst I doubt that anything can quite beat the sheer climax of season 2011 / 2012's heart-stopping injury time equaliser by Dzeko followed quickly by Kun's winning goal that snatched the title away from the jaws of United at literally the last minute of the season, this coming season has all the ingredients for the making of a vintage.

The arrival of big names with bigger reputations to fill like Hazard, Oscar, Santi Cazorla, Kagawa and Podolksi offers the opportunity for the big boys to shake up the order of dominance in the league. So too would the big money transfers like RVP to United should whet our appetite in anticipation of whether him and Rooney could form the most fearsome strikeforce in the land. 

Managers too have a thing or two to prove, especially in the case of Brendan Rodgers and whether he can turn Liverpool into a fashionable, fluid, tiki-taka unit, whether AVB can shake off the tag of overrated prodigy who failed at the big time with Spurs, whether Paul Lambert can imbue Villa with a new sense of attacking nous and whether Pardew can keep Newcastle ticking as surprise dark horse and everyone's favourite second team. 

Amidst all the hoopla surrounding the big boys, there is also the added drama of seeing whether the 3 new boys of Reading, Southampton and West Ham can replicate the success of their predecessors of season 2011 / 2012 in staying up and punching above their weight. Or how about predicting which 3 teams will find themselves in a relegation mudscrap come the end of the season.

Wherever your allegiances lie and whichever drama tickles your fancy, this season's EPL has the genuine capacity to sizzle like never before. It's been an interesting summer of sporting spectacle; beginning with the nerve-wrecking final day of last season, to Chelsea's underdog-overcoming-all-odds to being crowned champions of Europe, to the exciting Euro 2012 competition and finally ending with a bang in the form of a great Olympics that has just ended. 

The kick-off of the season represents a new dawn. A new beginning to what should be a great season of football. 

So sit back, hold tight, quickly put in all your last minute bets and predictions in ... and open your arms to the beginning of the greatest league in the world tomorrow.

Let the games begin.