After Man City thrashed their illustrious rivals at Old Trafford, much of the talk switched from who are favorites to win the title to whether City could match Arsenal’s 2003/2004 unbeaten season. Having spent just under £450 million on player transfers since Sheikh Mansour’s September 2008 investment and a manager who won three consecutive Italian titles, Manchester City are undoubtedly equipped to break records.
The first challenge facing Mancini is how to keep the egos of his overpaid stars in check and create a team spirit in his dressing room to win titles. Much like Steve Kean at Blackburn, Mancini’s appointment left a sour taste of unfairness as his predecessor was arguably doing a great job. Having won the club’s first trophy in 34 years, Mancini can now command a “top-dog” authority, casting the shadow of last season’s talisman, Tevez, in his wake.
The next possible obstacle would be balancing the rigors European football with the domestic season. However, with a squad so deep their reserves could win the league, surely City’s rivals are only clinging onto branches that City’s squad could be stretched so thin. Take into account the experience of their manager as well as that of most of their squad, and again one cannot help but feel that City have all the tools to break records.
The tougher test is probably how the team will cope with the pressure of being title favorites and their response to a loss in other competitions. On the back of City’s loss to Napoli, and their Champions League campaign hanging on a thread, the game against a rested Liverpool team that boasts a great head-to-head record against City, could in the eyes of antagonists not be timed any better. Even with ten men for the last 10 minutes of the game, City managed to record only their second draw of the campaign and with their five-point lead still intact, should still feel comfortable in the title race.
The real test for Mancini will be how to keep his troops grounded even against the league’s bottom teams that sometimes play with a bold “nothing to lose” attitude that could catch City out. After all, last season it took a dogged Wolves performance to end Man United’s long unbeaten run. There will be games against teams like Arsenal and Man United that should get better as the season progresses, and are marshaled by seasoned generals who will be extra motivated to deny City such a prestigious coup. Tottenham as well have continued to improve and have a great record against City while Chelsea is bound to end their miserable run against City at some point.
Like United’s 1999 treble, I believe the Gunners 2003/2004 run is a one off that will not be repeated, at least not in the near future. Luck has to align with ability and hunger, but luck is especially not an aspect that is easy to sustain through a season. If City can survive the December 7th – 18th period, where they have a tough run of games against Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Arsenal, they just may be in line to make lightning strike again!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Defense or attack for Premier League Success?
Winning titles is what traditionally separates great teams from “also runs”. The count of World Cups won, League titles and Champions League trophies are what make Brazil and Real Madrid the most successful teams in international soccer. A desire to join the elite group of successful teams has seen a new crop of money loaded club-owners relentlessly splash out on stars in their quest for titles.
Like Roman Abramovich, many soccer sugar daddies soon realize that like wealth, thirst for success is not easily quenched. Mourinho may have won Chelsea’s first English League title in 50 years and followed it up with another, but failure to deliver a Champions League title and style led to his unceremonious departure from Stamford Bridge. Mourinho’s fellow professionals are quickly realizing the paradox of money for success. Money may allow them to assemble a fantasy team but it forces upon them unbearable weight of expectation and impatience from owners and fans. Word has it that Big Sam at Blackburn joined the Venky’s slaughtered chicken because he did not buy into the belief that they could earn Champions League football by investing £5 million in player purchases!
Unfortunately the source of pressure on managers is not all in-house, and past success does not always result in trust. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger may be the most successful managers currently in the English game but last season they were united by contrasting forces. Alright, it may have actually been the same force, “criticism”, but they were criticized for totally opposite reasons. Wenger presented a stylish Arsenal that delivered a sixth consecutive trophy-less season while Ferguson’s United had no flair in its delivery of a forth trophy in five seasons.
Arsene reacted with an out of character nine signings, most of them experienced or at least older than the kids that have been used as an excuse for the recent trophy drought. Sir Alex returned with youth as replacement for his older heads to deliver more speed and flair that earned plaudits until United received a reality check from their noisy neighbors. United have since responded with a more conservative approach that has seen them keep four consecutive clean sheets with less adventurous style. So is attack or defense more essential for success in the EPL?
Attack will undoubtedly earn your team the praise of neutrals and envy by opposition that Barcelona enjoys. Unless it is followed up by similar success on the field, players and fans soon cease to buy into the manager’s philosophy and a restlessness that only benefits the likes of endless-spending Man City soon develops.
Defense on the other hand is the foundation upon which Mourinho ended Chelsea’s trophy famine and Pardew has established Newcastle’s surprise elevation in league standing this season. For all the talk of attack that has been said as a tribute to Sir Alex’s 25 great years at United, it was a defense of steel that delivered United’s last competitive match victory against a Barcelona side that has deprived him of the European dominance his genius deserves.
Teams like Wolves, Stoke and Blackburn have recently endured criticism for their defensive tactics, but it is these are tactics that have probably kept them in the premier league. Stoke have particularly been able to use defense as a foundation upon which they have added some attacking flair, allowing them to punch their way into top- half- of- the- table finishes.
United the new undisputed most successful team in English League soccer, deposed leaders Liverpool, former champions Chelsea and current league leaders Manchester City have all recently placed plenty of focus on attack. Unless they have a foundation of defense, these teams will unfortunately fall short of their aspirations for this season. Success in this league calls for plenty of organization in defense, covered by a steel-silk midfield combo to also link offense and an unpredictable attack. They may have started the season as outsiders for even a top four finish, but one team that is currently effectively displaying the desired mix is Spurs. A healthy Ledley King and the inspirational signings of Scott Parker and Adebayor have provided the perfect ingredients for an improved Spurs that may soon prove to be the true challengers to a league that threatened to be Manchester dominated.
Like Roman Abramovich, many soccer sugar daddies soon realize that like wealth, thirst for success is not easily quenched. Mourinho may have won Chelsea’s first English League title in 50 years and followed it up with another, but failure to deliver a Champions League title and style led to his unceremonious departure from Stamford Bridge. Mourinho’s fellow professionals are quickly realizing the paradox of money for success. Money may allow them to assemble a fantasy team but it forces upon them unbearable weight of expectation and impatience from owners and fans. Word has it that Big Sam at Blackburn joined the Venky’s slaughtered chicken because he did not buy into the belief that they could earn Champions League football by investing £5 million in player purchases!
Unfortunately the source of pressure on managers is not all in-house, and past success does not always result in trust. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger may be the most successful managers currently in the English game but last season they were united by contrasting forces. Alright, it may have actually been the same force, “criticism”, but they were criticized for totally opposite reasons. Wenger presented a stylish Arsenal that delivered a sixth consecutive trophy-less season while Ferguson’s United had no flair in its delivery of a forth trophy in five seasons.
Arsene reacted with an out of character nine signings, most of them experienced or at least older than the kids that have been used as an excuse for the recent trophy drought. Sir Alex returned with youth as replacement for his older heads to deliver more speed and flair that earned plaudits until United received a reality check from their noisy neighbors. United have since responded with a more conservative approach that has seen them keep four consecutive clean sheets with less adventurous style. So is attack or defense more essential for success in the EPL?
Attack will undoubtedly earn your team the praise of neutrals and envy by opposition that Barcelona enjoys. Unless it is followed up by similar success on the field, players and fans soon cease to buy into the manager’s philosophy and a restlessness that only benefits the likes of endless-spending Man City soon develops.
Defense on the other hand is the foundation upon which Mourinho ended Chelsea’s trophy famine and Pardew has established Newcastle’s surprise elevation in league standing this season. For all the talk of attack that has been said as a tribute to Sir Alex’s 25 great years at United, it was a defense of steel that delivered United’s last competitive match victory against a Barcelona side that has deprived him of the European dominance his genius deserves.
Teams like Wolves, Stoke and Blackburn have recently endured criticism for their defensive tactics, but it is these are tactics that have probably kept them in the premier league. Stoke have particularly been able to use defense as a foundation upon which they have added some attacking flair, allowing them to punch their way into top- half- of- the- table finishes.
United the new undisputed most successful team in English League soccer, deposed leaders Liverpool, former champions Chelsea and current league leaders Manchester City have all recently placed plenty of focus on attack. Unless they have a foundation of defense, these teams will unfortunately fall short of their aspirations for this season. Success in this league calls for plenty of organization in defense, covered by a steel-silk midfield combo to also link offense and an unpredictable attack. They may have started the season as outsiders for even a top four finish, but one team that is currently effectively displaying the desired mix is Spurs. A healthy Ledley King and the inspirational signings of Scott Parker and Adebayor have provided the perfect ingredients for an improved Spurs that may soon prove to be the true challengers to a league that threatened to be Manchester dominated.
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