Man United Can't Always Recover From Going Behind
United have conceded the first goal in ten of their games in all competitions this season. They have gone on to win eight out of the ten but came unstuck again this weekend at Carrow Road. In a completely toothless performance, United lacked any real drive or direction. From front to back they were completely devoid of any real purpose. Credit to Norwich, they were fully deserving winners but the underlying problems of this current United squad were again plain as day. Wayne Rooney's absence was crucial as you felt he was the one player who would have grabbed that came by the scruff of the neck and rallied those around him. Not for the first time this season, the central midfield partnership of Carrick and Giggs failed miserably with Norwich more than holding their own. There still seems to be an over reliance on the likes of Giggs and Scholes (who came off the bench) to rescue United but the fact is, that they cannot do it every week. United's defence continues to be their downfall but without any real leader in the side, it was difficult to see where the spark was going to come from. As it was, United again went behind and justifiably so, found it a step too far over to overturn the deficit against a resolute Norwich City side.
Mark Hughes' Time at QPR is Hanging By a Thread
As I sit here writing it, I am conscious that by the time I publish the article, my point will have become irrelevant as Hughes' bags will well and truly have been packed. QPR remain without a win all season and are rooted to the foot of the Premiership table. With all the players that Hughes has brought in, he was failed to find a balance among them. It is clear that he himself still doesn't know what his first choice XI is as he continues to chop and change. The fans are becoming increasingly restless at Loftus Road with one supporter even bringing a banner to the game that simply said; 'Harry come and save us' - Mark Hughes again looked completely lost on the touchline on Saturday. With an away trip to Old Trafford coming up for the Rs next weekend, it is difficult to see their run of not having won an away league game in eighteen attempts ending. Hughes continues to receive the backing of QPR chairman Tony Fernandes but in reality there is only so long this can continue. It will be interesting to see how long more Hughes lasts in the job with the bookies currently offering odds as short as 1/4 for him to the next manager sacked.
Chelsea Can't Afford to Rotate Their First Choice XI
Roberto Di Matteo went into Saturday's game with the likes of Ivanovic, Cole, Oscar and Mata all rested ahead of their Champions League clash with Juventus. Whether it was a case of the manager underestimating a decent West Brom side or naivety for resting so many key players, the fact is that Di Matteo's decision completely backfired. The central defence partnership of Cahill and Luiz again looked less than comfortable. Shane Long tore both of them apart time after time. Cahill particularly looks uncomfortable beside Luiz who is never too far away from a calamity. The most obvious decision seems to be to shift Ivanovic to central defence alongside Cahill but Di Matteo refuses to do so. Chelsea broke up their formidable attacking trio and instead went with Hazard, Moses and Sturridge who in truth were very poor. Moses still looks to be finding his feet at Stamford Bridge, whether he will ever find them, remains to be seen. Sturridge continues to be one of the most selfish and frustrating players in world football at the moment. He's single-mindedness is painful to watch, let alone play with. Torres' woes continued as he was hauled off on the hour mark after yet another dismal performance. It is looking increasingly likely that Falcao will join Chelsea in January but at the moment that month and a half seems like a life time away.
The Underdogs Had Their Day... Again
There was a turn up for the odds in plenty of Premiership games this weekend with six out of the nine games coming up with a winner for the less fancied (according to the bookies) team. The likes of West Brom, Reading and Norwich all recorded vital victories. But what does this tell us about the Premiership? Is it a case for the argument that it is the best league in the world? Or does it show that the stronger teams aren't as powerful as they once were? One thing for sure is that it is one of the most competitive leagues in world football. We continuously see so called 'lesser' sides take points from the big guns in what is becoming an increasingly difficult league to predict.
Newcastle Are a Shadow of Their Former Selves
Newcastle have endured a mixed start to the season having won just three (all of which have come at home) out of their twelve league games. It again raises the issue of the value of competing in the Europa league. We have seen in the last few seasons how many teams struggle domestically when competing in it. Newcastle's defence has been leaking goals left, right and centre. Their decent season last campaign was based on a solid foundation starting from the back. First choice keeper Tim Krul did miss a run of games but their back four has been less than convincing. The likes of Ben Arfa and Cisse have failed to hit the heights of last season with Demba Ba again being their shining light. Ba has eight goals already to his name and it is worth considering where The Magpies would be without his contributions. Newcastle have already lost as many games as they did in the entire of last season. Alan Pardew has plenty of work to do but is sitting pretty, happy in the knowledge that he has a nice eight year contract to fall back on.
