05-22-2019, 02:57 AM
Around the Wheel: Five Thoughts from the Weekend 1. Paul Arriola Jersey . European Hangover: Six Premier League teams played in European competition mid-week. Only one of the six teams won on the weekend, while the group earned a combined five points. Everton lost to Palace, Liverpool to West Ham and Spurs fell to West Brom. Its a storyline to monitor as the season progresses. Fitness and squad rotations are looking to be key, especially coming off a World Cup summer. Advantage to deeper squads and those without midweek commitments. Some criticism of last years top teams is warranted, but credit to greater parity across the league. The approach, commitment and execution of lesser clubs have been altogether impressive. Five of the teams currently in the top half of the table were in the bottom half or not even in the top flight a season ago. There is no such thing as a soft week in the Premier League. 2. Rodgers Critique: Two straight league losses and midweek struggles against a European minnow have Brendan Rodgers facing adversity for the first time in his Liverpool tenure. The dip in form is striking from a 4-0 win at White Hart Lane before the international break to where we are today. Rodgers is taking some heat, which seems out of place. The gaffer isnt a passenger in any match. Few are more active, changing tactics and formation to get the most out of his team. Down 2-0 and nothing going their way, Rodgers took off Javier Manquillo after 22 minutes and changed tactics from four at the back to a 3-5-2. Raheem Sterling and Alberto Moreno as wing players paid immediate dividends, as the former scored to bring Liverpool into the match. Rodgerss side ran out of steam, struggled to on the counter and was altogether sloppy in a 3-1 loss. Rodgers showed similar tactical flexibility early last season before settling with a consistent approach. Look for him to do the same. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge saved Liverpool on multiple occasions last season. Rodgers will have to find an alternative approach to compliment the slew of new players in his squad. There are few better managers who play better to his players strengths. Patience, not panic, is required. And better individual performances are a necessity. 3. Clattenburg Strikes Again: Controversy has swirled around referee Mark Clattenburg in recent seasons. He was again a central figure Saturday for all the wrong reasons. Manchester United led Leicester City 3-1 when Jamie Vardy shouldered Rafael off the ball, a clear foul, before diving moments later to earn a penalty through less contact made by the United defender. Clattenburg obliged, pointing to the spot, getting it all wrong in what became the turning point of the game. Choosing to ignore the first foul, Clattenburg had to turn a blind eye to a lesser offence. He did not. The lack of consistency in call is unacceptable. And just as bad, he rewarded simulation. Vardy later knocked Tyler Blackett off the ball in an aerial challenge. No call was made, leading to Blackett being sent off after a desperate challenge in recovery leading to another penalty and the fifth Leicester goal. Uniteds schoolboy defending was plain to see. As were Clattenburgs inexcusable mistakes leading to the improbable 5-3 scoreline. 4. Mourinhos Method: Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini was critical of his counterpart Jose Mourinhos tactics in the 1-1 draw at the Etihad. Pellegrini called Chelsea a€?a small team trying to defend,a€? after Mourinho predictably put 10 players behind the ball, relying on superior defensive organization and forcing the home side to break them down in the all-important tie. This is how Mourinho operates and shouldnt come as a surprise. Mourinho looks at these negative tactics as the best way to pick up away points against top competition. Chelsea has players as dangerous as any on the counter. So frustrate and sucker-punch proves effective, as witnessed in last seasons 1-0 win at the Etihad. We saw it from Chelsea at Old Trafford last season. And well see it on travels to the Emirates, Anfield and at United this year, as well. Dominate at home and dont lose away, no matter how boring it may be: its Mourinhos recipe for league success. 5. Surging Saints: Onlookers would have been willing to give head coach Ronald Koeman time to bring his new-look Southampton side together. Its all come together remarkably quickly for the second-place Saints. The only loss on the season came opening day at Anfield in a match they deserved something out of. Few teams look more fluid than Southampton, which has seven new key players in the team. Ever more positives, newcomer Sadio Mane has yet to debut and the impressive Jay Rodriguez continues his battle to return to fitness. With over ?￡30 million in summer profit and genuine talent on the field, there is much to like at Southampton. Team of the Week Mannone (SUN) Reid (WHU) a€“ Mertesacker (ARS) a€“ Lescott (WBA) a€“ van Aanholt (SUN) Downing (WHU) - Morrison (WBA) a€“ Ozil (ARS) a€“ Moses (STK) Vardy (LCFC) a€“ Cisse (NEW) Player of the Week: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) a€“ Seventy-nine seconds of magic by the World Cup-winner. A goal and an assist to silence the critics - the same number of goals hes been involved in as he had in his last 11 Premier League games. Ozil showed composure and elite passing ability throughout the 3-0 win at Villa Park. A shift inside to play a more traditional number 10 role was instrumental. Goal of the Week: Angel Di Maria (Manchester United) a€“ The three Manchester United goals in the 5-3 loss were all of the highest quality. The best of the bunch was Di Marias. The Argentine picked up the ball past the halfway line before going on a trademark powerful run with the ball. A give-and-go with Wayne Rooney gave him space to advance inside the 18-yard box before lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for the highlight-reel goal. A thing of beauty: power to precision and creative flair on top of it all. Feel Good Moment a€“ Amidst protest and Sack Pardew signs around St. James Park, Newcastle support showed unity in backing Jonas Gutierrez. The Newcastle player announced last week he is undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. The stadium joined together in standing ovation in the 18th-minute (Gutierrez number is 18,) putting aside tensions at the club to send a message of togetherness. After all, some things matter more than the future of a manger. Goat of the Week a€“ Wilfried Bony (Swansea City) a€“ Swansea was the better side against Southampton before Bony saw yellow for a second time just six minutes before the break. Both cautions were senseless; the first aimlessly running into Jose Fonte and the clincher a completely unnecessary sliding challenge from behind on Maya Yoshida. It was a boneheaded, needless tackle by Bony. Ten-man Swansea lost their way, lost the game, and the English contingent in the team was unable to impress Roy Hodgson, who was in attendance at the Liberty for the first time in two years and four months. Stat of the Week a€“ Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse scored as many goals (two) in 21+ minutes as he did in 24 games last season. Quote of the Week a€“ I woke up this morning and didnt know what I wanted today.- Frank Lampard after scoring the equalizer against his former team. Table Talk 1) Chelsea (13pts) a€“ Mourinhos team can beat you many ways, but no better way than on the counter. As long as they remain atop the table, they can dictate proceedings. Its in chasing games that Chelsea struggles. Can Remy and Drogba provide enough cover to avoid over-reliance on Diego Costa to score goals? 2) Southampton (10) a€“ Saints are rolling. Eliminated a decent Arsenal team in the Capital One Cup, as well. Morgan Schneiderlin has been immense. Victor Wanyama became the first Kenyan player to score in the Premier League. 3) Aston Villa (10) a€“ Should have taken an early lead against Arsenal with Ciaran Clark robbed by Wojciech Szczesny. Were up against it with centre-backs Vlaar and Baker out of the starting XI. Team has been hit by sickness and injury. 4) Arsenal (9) a€“ Three goals in 3:12 and 71 per cent possession speaks to how dangerous the Gunners can be. Wenger has serious questions at the back with Mathieu Debouchy out three months after ankle surgery. 5) Swansea City (9) a€“ Were the better side before Bonys sending off. Strength remains down the wings. Fernandez play at centre-back will be key. Rebounded nicely sending Everton out of the Capital One Cup. 6) Manchester City (8) a€“ Had a difficult time breaking down Chelsea. Promising play by James Milner and Eliaquim Mangala speaks to team depth. Red card to Pablo Zabeleta will bring Bacary Sagna into the team. 7) Leicester City (8) a€“ Only Diego Costa (seven) has more goals than Leonardo Ulloa (five). Physical team play suited for Premier League. Drinkwater and Cambiasso make for a nice central partnership. 8) West Ham United (7) a€“ Hats off to Mark Noble. Showed leadership giving it to goalkeeper Adrian after he nonsensically kicked out at Mario Balotelli while up 2-0. Noble kept the team together. The Hammers have turned into a passing team. They have also scored three goals off set pieces. 9) Tottenham Hotspur (7) a€“ Three sub-par performances in a row. Team not using speed and athleticism. Put only one shot on target in home loss to West Brom. 10) Hull City (6) a€“ Stephen Quinn missed a sitter in the 61st that should have put the game out of reach. Didnt do a good enough job commanding the midfield. Second consecutive 2-2 draw was fair result. Nikica Jelavic has found his scoring touch. 11) Liverpool (6) a€“ Liverpool losses with Daniel Sturridge playing: six in 46. Without Sturridge: six losses in 14. Team relies far too much on Raheem Sterling without Sturridge. Neither Fabio Borini nor Adam Lallana possesses the same kind of speed or quality in attack. 12) Manchester United (5) a€“ Defensive mistakes and shape to blame, not personnel. The group should be good enough. Blackett suspended, and Jones/Evans injured leaves defence thin at the back for visit to West Ham. Luke Shaw will get into the team. United is a team of all new players. Cohesion and development takes time. No panic. 13) Stoke City (5) a€“ Unbeaten in last five away matches stemming back to last season. Peter Crouch hadnt notched a goal or assist in his last 10 games: had one of each in 2-2 draw at Loftus Road. Victor Moses was standout. 14) Everton (5) a€“ Predictable let-down game between emphatic 4-1 Europa League victory over Wolfsburg while looking ahead to the Merseyside derby. Leighton Baines remains perfect from the penalty spot (14/14). Have conceded league worst 13 goals. 15) Crystal Palace (5) a€“ A shock 3-2 away win at Goodison gives Neil Warnock his first Palace victory. Campbell and McArthur have settled nicely. Passing percentages need to improve. 16) West Bromwich Albion (5) a€“ Much better from West Brom. James Morrison, the best player on the pitch at White Hart Lane, got the deserved winner. Jonas Olsson was dropped after making crucial mistakes over the opening weeks. 17) Sunderland (4) a€“ Patrick van Aanholt is the real deal. Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton just got a piece of the defenders incredible strike in time added on, denying Sunderland first win of the season. 18) Queens Park Rangers (4) a€“ Pains me to say, but doesnt look like Rio Ferdinand has anything left. Pace is gone and gives far too much room in defending. Mauricio Isla is struggling as well, making for a shaky back-line. 19) Burnley (3) a€“ Still havent scored since the teams first shot on target of the season. Remain well organized and difficult to break down. 20) Newcastle United (3) a€“ Pardew survives another week. Barely. Newcomers Janmaat, Riviere, and Cabella have been slow to adjust. Bill Hamid Jersey .Y. -- The "for sale" sign is up at the Buffalo Bills with the hiring of financial and legal advisers who may begin talking with prospective buyers within the next month. Sacha Kljestan Jersey . Nowitzki scored 28 points, Harris had a season-high 14 for the second straight game and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Sunday night. http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/jesse-...sa-jersey/ . As the schedule flipped from November to December, they would go on to drop five straight, falling six games below the .500 mark before a franchise-altering trade turned them into an unrecognizable team.TORSHAVN -- Germany edged another step closer to almost certain World Cup qualification with a 3-0 win over a 10-man Faeroe Islands on Tuesday. Per Mertesacker put the visitors ahead in the 22nd minute but Germany had to wait until Mesut Ozils 74th-minute penalty before being sure of the points, despite dominating the game. Faeroe Islands defender Atli Gregersen was sent off for conceding the spot kick, although TV replays showed Thomas Mueller made the most of a faint touch. "He touched me. Its a clear penalty," said Mueller, who wrapped up the scoring with a deflected shot in the 84th. "We knew it wouldnt be easy, playing on the artificial pitch, but we managed it," Mertesacker said. "We can all do better. We showed good periods and dominated possession." With two games remaining in Group C, Germany has 22 points, five ahead of Sweden which won 1-0 in Kazakhstan thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovics first-minute strike. Ibrahimovic beat Kazakh goalkeeper Andrei Sidelnikov with a crisp low shot inside the far post. Austria defeated Ireland 1-0 in Vienna to stay three points behind Sweden and all but rule out Irish participation in Brazil next year. "Sweden won so its not possible for us anymore to think about the possibility of qualifying," Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said. David Alaba scored in the 83rd minute when he hammered home from short distance after several Ireland defenders failed to clear the ball. "Ireland defended well but thank God we won the game," said Alaba, who scored the equalizer in injury time in the sides first meeting, a 2-2 draw, last March. "We are all dreaming of Brazil and will do everything it takes to make this dream come true." The game was in the balance until Marko Arnautovic came on for the final half hour. Matt Hedges Jersey. The Austria forward saw his header cleared off the line before Ireland keeper David Forde denied the unmarked Andreas Weimann. Defenders John OShea and Richard Dunne picked up yellow cards and will miss Irelands next game in Germany, where the hosts will aim to wrap up qualification. The Faeroe Islands attacked from the start at the Torsvolli Stadium, but Germany quickly assumed control and Sami Khedira fired narrowly wide in the third minute. Suni Olsen almost conceded an own goal only for the ball to rebound off the crossbar, before Germany keeper Manuel Neuer blocked Pol Johannus Justinussens effort at the other end. Miroslav Kloses first shot was saved by Gunnar Nielsen in the 10th, and the Germany strikers quest for a record 69th international goal was thwarted by the post in the 22nd. Mertesacker scored his third when he came in at the far post to meet Jerome Boatengs header from Ozils corner with his left boot. The second half failed to yield as many scoring chances. Khedira came close again in the 67th, when Rogvi Baldvinsson cleared his header off the line, before Mueller went down and Ozil put the result beyond doubt. "We were under obligation to win the three points. They made it difficult until they were down to 10 men," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "We had six or seven good opportunities in the first half but there wasnt as much movement in the second." Loew, whose side had been criticized for its shaky defence in recent friendlies, said the offence was not as good as it should have been. "We have to improve our game in the final third," Loew said. 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