Sunday, 30 March 2014

Saturday Analysis: Moyes buys himself time, Arsenal rally, Chelsea crumble

14:03

By: TBMU Admin On: 14:03   In:   No comments

Saturday Analysis: Moyes buys himself time, Arsenal rally, Chelsea crumble

Saturday Analysis: Moyes buys himself time, Arsenal rally, Chelsea crumble

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT

Manchester United 4-1 Aston Villa Planes, Waynes and more flaws concealed. Manchester United came from one goal down to beat Aston Villa 4-1, but ultimately it was a result that slightly flattered the Red Devils, as Paul Lambert mumbled defiantly post-match. Slow starts have been one of the major hallmarks of David Moyes' new United, and it was no different here. Moyes confidently strode from the tunnel long before his team to absorb whatever reception would await him following the 3-0 thrashing against Manchester City in midweek. Contrary to the reports of supporter outrage and planned protests, however, the Scot was received warmly - dubious aeroplane stunt aside. Villa took advantage of United's sluggish start and went a goal up when Ashley Westwood curled in a beautiful free-kick after a careless foul by Rafael. Though Juan Mata and Shinji Kagawa offered promising glimpses, United's tempo was slow and they laboured. Kagawa's first assist of the season provided for Wayne Rooney, and Rooney scored the second from the spot to move to fourth on the all-time Premier League top scorers list, above Frank Lampard. Mata added a third, his first in the red shirt, but the game's pendulum truly swung United's way with the introduction of Adnan Januzaj. The teenager completed as many passes in 22 minutes as Rooney did in 75 and was a constant thorn in Villa's side in an impressive cameo. Januzaj created as many chances as any United player besides Mata and was successful with 3 of 5 take-ons - more than anyone on the day. His assist for Javier Hernandez's goal was brilliant, a crafty run and cross full of speed, ingenuity and quality - three things Moyes's side have often lacked this season. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser Southampton 4-0 Newcastle Alan Pardew's touchline purgatory continues. Southampton were the better team pretty much from start to finish at St. Mary's, as Mauricio Pochettion's side clobbered the Magpies like Pardew does anyone who dares darken his technical area. Newcastle didn't muster a single shot on or off target until the 50th minute, by which time they were 2-0 down. It only got worse for the visitors, as Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez added two more goals to leave the Geordies soundly beaten. In the end the Saints peppered Newcastle's goal with 23 shots, and were better in almost every area measurable - more passes, more shots, more possession, more corners, tackles and take-ons. Jay Rodriguez alone had 11 shots on Rob Elliot's goal, five of them on target, while James Ward-Prowse dominated midfield with a game high 63 passes completed and Lambert created 5 chances. Four goals, four Englishmen - Roy Hodgson will be enjoying the work currently taking place in Hampshire. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser Crystal Palace 1-0 Chelsea "Now I feel it is impossible to win the title," groaned Jose Mourinho after Chelsea's surprise 1-0 defeat at relegation-scrappers Crystal Palace. "We depend too much on other results." This seems a strange stance, given his side remain the top with six games left. Granted, Manchester City have two games in hand, and Liverpool one, but "impossible"? Some might argue the lady doth protest too much. Nevertheless, this was a massive win for the Eagles - and a huge defeat for Chelsea at this late stage of the season. The Blues saw far more of the ball - 67% to be precise - but Tony Pulis' side were dogged in their defensive resilience, racking up a remarkable 26 interceptions and 21 successful tackles as John Terry's own goal gave them the points. Palace had been unlucky at Stamford Bridge in their 2-1 defeat last November, playing an open style that was unfortunate not to yield at least a draw. Here they held on - and it wasn't just about mucking in at the back and hoping for the best. Palace had 14 attempts on goal and had chances to wrap up the game far earlier than they managed. Fernando Torres was guilty of missing some big chances - 6 shots on goal with not one on target, while Mile Jedinak was his usual sponge-like self, making 11 ball recoveries, 4 interceptions, 3 blocks and 9 clearances to keep the Blues at bay. Five points above the dropzone with a game in hand, this was a potentially season-defining result for the Eagles. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser Stoke City 1-0 Hull City Stoke consolidated their place in the top 10 thanks to Peter Odemwingie's 62nd minute strike, in a game between two sides with increasingly less to play for in the league. Stoke's fine form has gone unnoticed in recent weeks, but this was the Potters' fourth win in five games, leaving Mark Hughes' side with only one defeat in their last nine league games. And that was at the Etihad Stadium. Steve Bruce was unhappy post-match, stating that his side "didn't deserve to get beaten". "We played the better football and created the two best chances of the game," he moaned, but the stats don't necessarily support his argument. Hull managed nearly 100 fewer passes than Stoke, 43% possession and only 5 attempts on goal to Stoke's 15 - though both managed 3 on target. Stoke's new passing style is beginning to reap rewards, and Hughes has been satisfied with the way his side is redeveloping under his command. But he reserved special praise for the goalscorer Odemwingie. "He's come in and seamlessly picked up some outstanding form," Hughes raved. "I think that comes in being happy in his environment and happy in the players that surround him. We're reaping the benefits because he's a major factor in us winning today." Odemwingie managed four shots on goal, only bested by Marko Arnautovic's five (though the Austrian failed to trouble Steve Harper). Ahmed Elmohamady's error was costly but Stoke's 413 successful passes demonstrated their evolving style. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser West Brom 3-3 Cardiff Well, this was eventful. The trend of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting his starting eleven wrong before rectifying it through the power of the substitution continued, as Cardiff went two goals behind, got back to 2-2, went 3-2 down in the 94th minute and then rescued a draw a minute later. The visitors were 2-0 down after 10 minutes, and though Jordon Mutch halved the deficit, Solskjaer didn't wait, replacing the hapless Fabio with Wilfried Zaha after just 36 minutes, then throwing on Mats Daehli at half time. Cardiff hit back. Having only mustered 3 shots in the first half they recovered to hit more than double that in the second, and Daehli's late strike could have major repercussions when the totals are tallied at season end. Solskjaer, predictably, talked up the point. "It's fantastic, of course. I'm so happy for the players and the fans that we got the goal we deserved as we never deserved to lose that game – no chance." But West Brom are fighting for their lives too and this, clearly, was an opportunity lost. Gary Medel helped keep WBA's midfield at bay, distributing passes and setting up Steven Caulker's equaliser at 2-1 down as Cardiff clocked up 59% possession. The Chilean also made more ball recoveries than anyone else. It was needed, as Morgan Amalfitano, Graham Dorrans and Thievy each thought they had done enough to give Pepe Mel a second win in three league outings. But in vain. Mel's side remain 17th, three points above their opponents with a game in hand. Cardiff may go down, but on this evidence no-one can say they've been boring to watch. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser Swansea 3-0 Norwich The win that keeps Swansea in the Premier League? Quite possibly, as Garry Monk's side win their first game since February and leapfrog Norwich in the table. A 2-2 draw at the Emirates in midweek was creditable enough but this was just the tonic for the Swans, a convincing result that will lift the air of doom and gloom surrounding the Liberty Stadium for some time. Jonathan De Guzman twisted the knife with two goals from his three shots on target, and in the end Chris Hughton's team were comfortably beaten. The Swans mustered double the number of shots, significantly more passes - 463 to the Canaries' 293 - and more possession. Put simply, Monk's side had too much class for Norwich. Michu's return to the side undoubtedly adds to Swansea's game. Sitting in behind Wilfried Bony, the Spaniard created three chances for his team-mates and linked up well with those around him. Jonjo Shelvey created a game high four chances. "Apart from a spell early in the second half we were second best," bemoaned Hughton. Norwich are 15th and not out of the woods yet, just two wins from their last 10 games a poor return. Again their strikers failed to fire, with Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and Johan Elmander only mustering two shots between them all game - two less than Bony alone. A bleak day for the Canaries, who were well beaten. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City Manchester City smelt blood early at the Emirates, the news that fellow title rivals Chelsea had lost just a few miles across town perhaps providing them with early impetus. David Silva in particular was class, weaving passes together - a 100% completion rate in the opening 20 minutes - before opening the scoring with a tap-in. It was all going swimmingly for Manuel Pellegrini's men and groans from the home end of the terraces grew ever louder. Arsenal, however, rallied in the second half and found their way back into it. Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky were the Gunners' top two passers in the final third, but it was Lukas Podolski who helped set up the equaliser with the only chance he created. Mathieu Flamini the welcome recipient, and he gestured to the fans in celebration, a plea for more support as Arsene Wenger's side pressed for the win. In the end the points were shared. City saw more of the ball but Arsenal offered marginally more dominance in the final third. City have two games in hand with which to reach the top of the league, but with two points dropped Liverpool will be feeling encouraged. Everton too, as they chase the Gunners for fourth. Analyse it using StatsZone in your browser

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Moyes bullish after fan protests

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 10:03 AM PDT

Build-up to the game was dominated by a planned protest against Moyes management of the struggling champions, with a plane trailing the message Wrong One - Moyes Out flown above Old Trafford during the contest. Despite that, the overwhelming majority of the crowd remained firmly behind the manager, jeering the overhead display and cheering the Scots name throughout much of the fixture. After a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in midweek, Moyes expressed his belief that predecessor Alex Ferguson would have likely also strugled to maintain Uniteds run of success and reaffirmed his commitment to Old Trafford long-term. He said: I just wanted everyone to know Im the manager of the club and I want you to know where I am. Ill be standing at the side of the pitch every week and thats my job. I found the support inside old Trafford has been terrific. I think today, if ever there was a show of support for the football club and the team it was today, the support inside of Old Trafford it really was. The truth was I was focused on the game today, that was my be-all and end-all to make sure the team won the game, nothing else. I speak to people outside and I have the same feeling everywhere I go of the support for this football club and the majority inside the ground and I thought they got right behind the club and our team today.

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Moyes: Players keen to join United

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:03 AM PDT

United ended a frustrating week, which saw them beaten 3-0 by neighbours Manchester City on Tuesday, in fine fashion by beating Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday. The champions hopes of securing a top-four spot are all-but gone, though the win over Paul Lamberts side was a timely boost ahead of Tuesdays UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich. And, despite a place at European footballs top table looking beyond them next season, Moyes insists players are still desperate to move to Old Trafford When I came in I knew what the task was going to be, he told BT Sport. Weve got to build a team. Ive already got a great team, they were the champions under Sir Alex, were looking to add to it. All the players I talk to are keen to join Manchester United so hopefully that comes to fruition in the summer. Much of the games build-up had been dominated by a planned protest against Moyes management of the struggling champions, with a plane trailing the message Wrong One - Moyes Out flown above Old Trafford during the contest. But the former Everton boss was given great backing in the stadium and he has now turned his attention to facing the European and Bundesliga champions. He added: Im really looking forward to it. Its the quarter-final of the Champions League. We said at the start if we get there, great. We want to be in the semi-final and final. Weve got probably the best team in Europe at the moment but bring it on, its not easy to come to Old Trafford.

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Premier League: Manchester United 4 Aston Villa 1

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 07:39 AM PDT

Much of the games build-up had been dominated by a planned protest against David Moyes management of the struggling champions, with a plane trailing the message Wrong One - Moyes Out flown above Old Trafford during the contest. A midweek defeat to local rivals Manchester City was the latest of Uniteds setbacks in a tough season, tipping some fans over the edge. And the turbulent atmosphere around the champions was heightened further as Ashley Westwoods second goal of the season gave Paul Lamberts side a shock lead. However, Wayne Rooney - so often the bright light in Uniteds faltering campaign - dragged the hosts in front with a double before half-time, taking his tally to six goals from his last six league games. Any home jitters were put to rest 12 minutes into the second half as Juan Mata scored his first United goal, with the home fans responding with rousing renditions of pro-Moyes chants, before substitute Javier Hernandez rounded matters off late on with a typical poachers finish after good work from Adnan Januzaj. The win keeps United within reach of the top six and also serves as a perfect tonic ahead of Tuesdays UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against holders Bayern Munich. Moyes was warmly applauded onto the pitch by the Old Trafford faithful, as those inside the stadium aired their backing of the manager, and the planned fly-over passed with little incident two minutes into the game. However, the home fans patience was put under strain 12 minutes in as Westwood curled a superb free-kick home and past David de Geas despairing dive. Villa kept the pressure on as Ciaran Clark sent a free header over the crossbar. But United equalised on the counter-attack, a totally unmarked Rooney nodding Shinji Kagawas cross past Brad Guzan. That goal kicked United into gear, and they went ahead just before the interval as Leandro Bacunas clumsy lunge on Mata resulted in a penalty that Rooney lashed past Guzan. Christian Benteke wasted two big chances to equalise for Villa in the opening minutes of the second half and those misses came back to haunt the Belgian as Mata gave United breathing space. Marouane Fellainis presence in the penalty area played havoc for the Villa defence, and Mata stole in to open his United account with a low right-footed effort. Rooney went close to a hat-trick, working space with a sensational first touch from a long ball only for Guzan to deny him, with the striker withdrawn soon after as Moyes turned focus to Tuesdays clash with Bayern. Hernandez then got on the end of Januzajs excellent cross in stoppage time to seal the impressive win and give Moyes renewed vigour ahead of arguably his toughest test since taking over from Alex Ferguson.

Ferdinand embarrassed by Uniteds struggles

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 03:09 AM PDT

Premier League champions United have endured a torrid first campaign under the stewardship of David Moyes, and sit some 18 points adrift of table-topping Chelsea in seventh place. United look set to miss out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1993, with chastening 3-0 defeats at home to fierce rivals Liverpool and Manchester City this month leading to mounting speculation that Moyes could be on his way out of the club. A plane carrying a banner calling for Moyes dismissal, which has been funded by a group of disgruntled supporters, is expected to fly over Old Trafford during Uniteds home clash with Aston Villa on Saturday. Moyes claimed on Friday that even Alex Ferguson would struggle to compete with Uniteds current squad - even though his legendary predecessor won the Premier League by 11 points last term - and Ferdinand has admitted that their fall from grace is humiliating. Its embarrassing - it becomes a personal insult, the 35-year-old told BT Sport. I dont want to go out when the game has finished and you even stop watching TV. I dont want to take my kids to school. I dont want to walk on the school path and think Im hearing things or seeing people look at me because we lost a game. I dont want to fill my car up with petrol or go to the shops. It gets personal with everyone looking at you and talking about the form and stuff. You dont want to live like that, you want to live freely and comfortably. You dont want to see other people lifting titles - thats what were used to, thats what we want, thats what we train and work for. Weve got no divine right, dont get me wrong, youve got to earn that right and this season we simply havent done that. Following the visit of Villa, United face the daunting prospect of meeting all-conquering European champions Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

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Footballs oldest empire strikes back: Why fans are still key to futures of Moyes Co

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 03:00 AM PDT

The reports of the football fan's death might be greatly exaggerated. He's alive and well, and threatening to tear down David Moyes' "Chosen One" banner at any moment. To be honest, that banner should've come down months ago. In modern pop culture terms, The Chosen One doesn't hint at a colossal changing of the guard, dipped in gravitas. The Chosen One is a cherubic Anakin Skywalker shouting "yippee" at Jar Jar Binks. But football's oldest empire is striking back. And it's the real empire too, not the fabricated, inflated foreign folks desperately buying up globally-revered trinkets before their assets are seized or their wells run dry. They are the Oliver Cromwells of the English Premier League; egotistical and occasionally vindictive owner-occupiers blissfully unaware of their lack of permanency. They are temporary protectors lording over their representative manors. But the restless local populace are mobbing up, tooling up and shuffling towards the gates safeguarding the unstable seat of power. They're heading towards that "chosen one" banner with car keys clenched between their fingers. OK, the dissent at the end of the Manchester derby massacre wasn't quite the Glorious Revolution, but it was a start. Poisonous invective filled the air. For the first time at Old Trafford in recent memory, anger on one side and apprehension on the other made for a potentially potent mix. Such an unsightly spectacle threatened to be a less than positive endorsement for the world's biggest sporting brand. Irate fans hurt both the brand and the bottom line. Sometimes, the revolution is just a thrown T-shirt away. Extraordinarily, the fans challenged the emperor himself. Mouthing off at Sir Alex Ferguson in his cushioned director's seat is rebellion beyond compare at United; the Old Trafford equivalent of a persecuted Iraqi labourer pulling off his tatty sandals and giving a fallen Saddam Hussein statue a damn good thrashing. It was a wonderfully pivotal moment in the Premier League's history of butchering the local supporter's unwavering loyalty and rolling roughshod over kick-off times and fixture dates as the money machines continued their blitzkrieg advance towards global domination and economic nirvana. But United fans questioning the biggest tyrannical leader of them all refused to buckle. Like Tank Man in Tiananmen Square, they stood their ground, risking everything (OK, Tank Man risked his life. But United supporters risked losing their season tickets, which at the moment doesn't really seem like a punishment.) Perhaps appealing to one's anarchic streak, there was something deeply satisfying about United's billion-dollar corporation fearing a bunch of ragtag protestors possibly tearing down the Chosen One banner. So they sent out their army – half a dozen obese Mancunian stewards in luminous vests, local men who possibly support the local protest they have sworn to suppress for 10 quid an hour. The Glazers can float and sink the club on obliging stock exchanges more times than a demented submarine commander. They can turn the world's richest sports club into one of the most debt-ridden. They can even allow the omnipresent emperor to pick an ill-equipped manager to replace him without a murmur. But the club can't be humiliated by Liverpool and Manchester City in consecutive weekends. That's a piss-take too far. And the worms are turning in spectacular displays of defiance across the Premier League. Like Leonardo DiCaprio's abhorrent capitalist in Django Unchained, club owners must be sipping something expensive from the finest crystal and muttering: "But what have they got to be unhappy about? They only pay £60 to get in. It's pocket charge. Pass the Dom Perignon." In awe of Ferguson's achievements and indebted to him for riding out the anti-Glazer protests, United endorsed his endorsement, no matter how ghastly the performances – until the fans revolted. Only now do they recognise the problem. And supporters are realising the solution. When they walk, foundations crumble. United can survive Ferguson leaving the club, but not the fans. Poor results, ineffective signings, tactical naivety, Ed Woodward and the Glazers will not push Moyes through the exit before the end of the season. But the fans might. Despite their economic might, the absentee American owners cannot ignore the little people. Nor can Sam Allardyce. And nor can Hull owners Assem and Ehab Allam. At Upton Park, Big Sam committed the cardinal sin. He mocked his own supporters. He took a step beyond the conventional norms of the standard agreement between manager and fan. He may not recover. When West Ham defeated 10-man Hull 2-1 at home, they trudged off to a distinct chorus of boos. The players were bemused; their manager apoplectic. The anger was directed at Allardyce. So he cupped his ear towards the crowd, ridiculing their protests, dismissing their frustrations and seemingly saying: "You've just won and you won't be relegated. What have you got to complain about?" But West Ham's football contains neither foreplay nor climax. They will stay up, which is an empty achievement for some supporters, like being impregnated without having sex. Allardyce can mock in rare moments of victory, but his indifference to a growing band of rebels could prove his undoing. Owners David Gold and David Sullivan are taking notes. The Hull owners are not. Assem Allam remains perplexed that community protests over his intention of rebranding the club "Hull Tigers" will not go away with one wave of his magic wad of cash. He's a popular local businessman who has revitalised the club's fortunes with regular cash injections, but he won't back down over the name change. The club's traditional support base won't either, repeatedly rejecting his marketing overtures. And when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, you end up with empty seats. Allam claims to have calculated the economic benefits of renaming the club "Hull Tigers", but he has no idea what price he will eventually pay. But he will learn, as will Allardyce. Just as the gorging Glazers are learning now at Manchester United. The fans are fighting back and not before time. At some clubs it's barely perceptible (Tottenham) or perhaps unwarranted (Everton), but the days when cashed-up megalomaniacs or misguided managers could get away with murder are coming to an end (except at Chelsea, where Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho probably could get away with an actual murder.) Clubs can lose matches, managers, money and still endure. They cannot lose the fans. The Chosen One banner at Old Trafford has become a fluttering, fragile symbol of authority. Even the Glazers are beholden to its fortunes. If supporters pull the banner down, Moyes goes. And football's true power will reveal itself once more. Neil Humphreys is the best-selling author of football novels Match Fixer and Premier Leech, which was the FourFourTwo Football Novel of the Year. You can find his website righthere.

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