Well, it’s several days since Liverpool noticed a slight weakness down the left hand side of the Spurs team.
On that note, has anyone pulled Ben Davies out of the creek yet because the poor lad looked like he was drowning last time I saw him. I haven’t seen a left-back so adrift from the rest of his side since the famous Ashley Cole photo at Roma.
I do have one question, though. If Pochettino is such a fine manager, one so good that he might get called in to sort out the “crisis” at Barcelona, why didn’t he see what was so obvious to the rest of us? Mane had the kind of right wing fun only a Tory student burning £20 notes in front of a homeless guy could have had at Anfield, going past Davies every time the Spurs left-back was actually there.
And when Mane got a little tired, well Clyne was more than happy to carry the baton. If the Premier League was judged on performances against the top six then Liverpool might be in with a shout of actually winning it. Sadly, it’s not and their inability to beat teams like Burnley will come back and haunt them this season.
Not that beating Burnley is a prerequisite to winning the title, you understand. Chelsea were as content as Antonio Conte can ever be when his team haven’t won with their point up at Turf Moor. Burnley pegged the champions elect back for 90 minutes and it was Robbie Brady’s free-kick that meant that 29 out of Burnley’s 30 points have been gleaned in Lancashire. Well, Burnley actually. No scrub that, they got a point at Old Trafford so all 30 points have been secured in Lancashire. Oh, you know what I mean.
That 7am meeting Big Sam called last week did the job, didn’t it? What an instant improvement! No 4-0 beating this week, just the 1-0 against Stoke.
“This is not the Big Sam we know,” crowed former chairman Simon Jordan. But, does he have a serious point? This does not look like the Allardyce that was beaming at his first England press conference. Alright, he has to work in Croydon now, which is nobody’s idea of fun but still – did losing the England job make some of the Sam Sauce go off? Quite possibly.
Does anyone believe Leicester WON’T get relegated this season? It is almost like last season’s run-in in reverse right now. Whereas last time round we were looking at each game expecting them to lose and for the dream to end, we are looking at each game expecting them to lose because, well, frankly they are rubbish. I still believe they will lift the jug eared beauty and Wembley though, and no, I don’t mean Gary.
Arsenal have been in the press for conning their fans. Really, you don’t say? Oh, hang on. They don’t mean for the way the football club has been run for the last few years, sorry. Apparently it is when reporting the true number of fans at matches. As you were.
Anyway, Clattenburg felt the need to apologise to Hull at half-time, having allowed the goal scored by Sanchez, which hit him on the hand from a yard away. Forget the goal or whether it should have been allowed – the best part was Thierry Henry trying to talk about a dubious handball goal whilst the rest of the Sky panel did their best not to smirk.
Arsenal were poor and Hull are constantly improving, which means Merson could well be eating a slice of Humber pie come the end of the season. That said, it would be so Arsenal to go and batter Munich in Munich on Wednesday night.
I can imagine David Moyes’ final words before the team ran out on to the pitch to play Southampton. “Boys, beating Palace 4-0 will count for nothing if we don’t win today. They won’t be up for it, their minds are at Wembley!”
Oh David. I too predicted that Southampton would not be interested in playing a game between Anfield and Wembley, but even when they were just doing their best not to get hurt they still managed to beat a hapless Sunderland 4-0. Mind you, the motivation for Manalo Gabbiadini to put goals past his old man’s former club must have been pretty significant.
You guys know I am not one for proper, statistical analysis whatsoever – but here is an interesting fact: Manchester United have not lost since the switch to the “winter” football. Well there you go. I’m surprised this has come up in a positive light as it is the kind of thing Mourinho would normally have lined up by way of an excuse.
United are unbeaten in 16 and briefly reached nosebleed territory by sitting in 5th for all of a couple of hours. The way they are starting to play, they will have their sights on much higher than fifth and, putting the complete kiss of death on them. I am tipping them to be the team that makes like a little uncomfortable for Chelsea at the backend of the season.
You can thank yoga for Andy Carroll being fit, well and in form. What’s that? He’s injured again? Typical. West Ham were terrible, then brilliant, then terrible again as they drew 2-2 with West Bromwich Albion. Who are you calling a loser now, hey Tony? Oh, nobody? Fair enough, crack on.
Slaven Bilic took his frustration out on a BBC microphone which was, simply put, very amusing.
It looks like Jesus is cracking on with lent a little early this year, but according to reports he won’t be back in time for Easter Sunday as he has broken his metatarsal or something. Gabriel has, in four matches, packed more action in than most players manage in an entire season.
Everton scored six against Bournemouth last week, and none against Middlesbrough this weekend. That, my friends, is the difference between Boro and Bournemouth, and I know which one I would rather watch.
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