Nil all - What a Game!

Recovering from my Christmas and Boxing Day excesses on the couch today I watched the best part of 5 Premiership games on the trot - something akin to what heaven will no doubt be like.

To my surprise the outstanding game of the day was the one I least expected to enjoy - West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City. The reason being on one side you have the Premiership's Nouveau Riche over laden with talent (some 300 million pounds worth in the game day squad - most signed in the last 2 seasons), and on the other the Boing Boing Baggies, regular relegation scrappers with a propensity for "bouncing" between divisions - hence the nickname. Given the state of the two protangonists I thought I'd be watching a one sided goal fest that involved an ultimately futile rear guard action on one hand and a barrage of shots from men worth more than some countries GDP on the other.

Instead what I saw was a game of the sort that brings a smile to the face of football fans while leaving the egg chasers completely bemused. Nil all? Must have been a crap game! Is a common quip but it just goes to show the lack of understanding of the game.

West Brom's manager Roy Hodgson was faced with trying to tame a side who had scored 53 goals in 17 in the league thus far. They could field names like Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and Ya Ya Toure, West Brom on the other hand have a squad largely made up of Premiership journeymen and "finds" from the lower leagues of England.

The first 45 minutes was a battle of wills and patience, West Brom sat deep content to let City have the ball to within 30 yards of goal, two banks of four fronted by a couple of terriers in Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie who chased anything knocked forward and attempted to pull the City back four around the field to make room for the likes of Jerome Thomas and Chris Brunt on the break. The discipline to not go chasing the ball when lost up field allowed West Brom to always have players behind the ball but this was not a kick-fest with the home side only conceding eight fouls (three less than City) and no bookings. This was intelligent skilful defending under pressure.

Manchester City on the other hand played their part in the game too. David Silva was a constant threat finding space between the two banks of four and attempt to weave either himself or the ball through the backline to link with Balotelli and Aguero. He did in truth have one excellent chance the first half when the ball was cut back to him on the edge of the area but he uncharacteristically lifted the shot over the bar.

So scoreless at half time and it was the half to come that really made the game. Buoyed by the success they'd had in keeping the league leaders scoreless in the first half West Brom played with a confidence and pace that showed they believed the game was there for the taking. Equally City - while still attacking - were starting to get both frustrated and and anxious at what may happen at the other end of the field should they lose the ball. The game opened up and really was at times end to end with the plucky under dogs looking to steal their piece of glory at any given opportunity while the men from Manchester attempted to boss the game and quell the unexpected fight.

City's best chance fell to Aguero who beat the offside trap to latch onto James Milner's header but one on one with Ben Foster (for a brief moment) he took an extra touch and allowed the excellent Gareth McAuley to get back and knock the ball off of his toe and out for a corner. At the other end Jerome Thomas' excellent wing play opened City up down the left on several occasions with the best opening seeing a blinding Thomas drive beat Joe Hart in the City goal only to hit the far post and deflect away.

While both teams contributed to an outstanding game the plaudits really should go to West Brom - especially Billy Jones (Man of the Match and only making his 5th appearance after transferring in the summer from Preston North End) the previously mentioned McAuley, Paul Sharner, Nickey Shorey, Youssuf Mulumbu, Jerome Thomas and the tactically astute man in the dugout Roy Hodgson who, so maligned at Liverpool, showed the rest of the league how to play without the ball against City and still compete.

Phoenix Fire power issues

With Pavlovic getting sent off v the Glory for a pretty brainless challenge and the lack of other options up front I was looking at the squad for a solution that could give the Phoenix some presence up front, provide support for Greenacre and potentially add some goals.

I think the Ifill is better suited in space and Sanchez's strengths are more in playing balls in than recieving them so Herbert is left with few options.

Tim Brown could prove useful in a forward role similar to that of Tim Cahill at Everton. Cahill too is a converted midfielder who is strong on the ball and in the air and frequently lines up just behind a main striker as a target man. Not only that but he knows where the net is and it would allow the Phoenix to defend from the front more effectively when they do lose the ball.

Herbert could then use Lia as the ball winning midfielder screening the back four with Ifill, Sanchez and Bertos in front of him.

Given the size of the squad at his disposal and lack of realistic options this could ease the burden on Greenacre and increase the pressure on opposition back lines.

Disenfranchised United

I was watching the Wolves v Sunderland game this morning and got to thinking about how many players there are in the Premiership that have played at United and are still playing in the Premiership with other clubs.

So getting my anorak out here's what I came up with:
GK - Tim Howard (EVERTON)
RB - Phil Bardsley (SUNDERLAND)
CB - Ryan Shawcross (STOKE CITY)
CB - Wes Brown (SUNDERLAND)
LB - Phil Neville (EVERTON)
RM - Chis Eagles (BOLTON WANDERERS)
CM - Owen Hargreaves (MANCHESTER CITY)
CM - John O'Shea (SUNDERLAND)
LM - Gabriel Obertan (NEWCASTLE UNITED)
CF - Sylvan Ebanks- Blake (WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS)
ST - Louis Saha (EVERTON)

Bench
Ben Foster (WEST BROMWICH ALBION)
Danny Pugh (STOKE CITY)
Danny Higginbotham (STOKE CITY)
David Jones (WIGAN ATHLETIC)
Kieran Richardson (SUNDERLAND)
Carlos Tevez (MANCHESTER CITY) - FOR NOW!
Jon Obi-Mikel (CHELSEA) - Granted he never played for United but was signed to United before the Russian Mafia changed his mind.

I can't think of another Premiership club that would be able to put together a similar side but feel free to prove me wrong - oh and the impressive thing about the above squad of 17 is that 12 came from United Academy - a lot of home grown talent.

Truly the season defining game.

Media commentators and journo's tend to over use the "biggest game of season" term when refering to to games that while they're against a rival fo a spot or come during a lean spell for a side are generally just another game. Today against the Perth Glory I think the term "biggest game of season" can rightfully be rolled out however.

Our main rivals for the  5th and 6th spots in the ladder and the playoffs have been stumbling with Newcastle down on manpower getting turned over 5 - 1 by Gold Coast and the two Melbourne sides slugging out a draw. We also have games in hand over all three - here's how the table currently stands.

5th - Melbourne Victory Pl 26 Pts 34
6th - Melbourne Heart Pl 27 Pts 33
7th - Newcastle Jets Pl 25 Pts 31
8th - Wellington Phoenix Pl 24 Pts 29

So the game this aftenoon against an under-strength Perth side really is a must win. Robbie Fowler and Chris Coyne are out injured, Jamie Harnwell and Adriano Pelligrino are suspended and Andy Todd has been released so you'd expect the defence to be vulnerable and at the sharp end the abscense of the creativity and guile of Fowler will have Durante and Siggy breathing a bit easier. A win today takes us above Newcastle and only 2 points off of 5th with games in hand - if the Phoenix are to make the finals fo a second successive season taking 3points from Perthh is essential.

Phoenix v Sydney

The result was not what we were looking for but I think we played some pretty good football, dominated long periods and created chances. 3 - 1 sounds a lot worse than it was and the game could have been a lot different if decisions had gone our way. Thought it was interesting that Ricki had a crack at the officiating given he normally blames the team rather than the officials. They missed a lot or let a lot go - we could have had a couple of pens (against Muscat and Ifill) and the hand ball goal by Ryall shouldn't have stood.

Still pretty confident we'll make the play offs but Adelaide this weekend in Chch will be tough - be good to see Rojas get a decent run - good for Bertos to have some competition for his spot.

Enigma or Genius?

A lot seems to have been made of Dimitar Berbatov's 5 goals against Blackburn Rovers and the fact that these were his first since the hat trick vs Liverpool earlier in the season.

I've had friends and colleagues tell me how good he is in one instance and yet a few days ago were saying how rubbish he was, doesn't fit the United system, is too lazy ... all sorts of things.

 There are, as I see it, several reasons for his lack of goals in that period.

Berbatov likes to lead the line and he feeds on decent service and while Nani is having a very good season his crossing ability is variable, he does seem to cut in from either flank quite a lot.

Thee are a couple of things that coincide with Berbatov's lack of goals.
1. Ryan Giggs injured and out of the side
2. Antonio Valencia horribly injured and out for possibly the season
3. Rooney's absence - injury or not decide as you like.

The way that Fergie played Berbatov while these three were out meant that he wasn't getting the service he needs, to make up for the missing striker in Rooney he had to drop off and let the more inexperienced Hernandez lead the line with his pace and he had to become the creator rather than the finisher.

So he was basically being asked to play a game that didn't come naturally to him but he played that role because the boss asked him too. Fair play to him - here's hoping he keeps the ratio up, wins the Golden Boot and silences the critics.

Phoenix v Mariners

Two losses on the trott now at the stadium previously known as a "fortress" and the onus will be on us to go to an improving Newcastle Jets (more on them shortly) side and get at least a point.

Ricki Herbert is obviously happy with the formation he's been playing this season (well for the majority of it) with three workers in midfield in front of the back four and Leo and Paul Ifill interchanging flanks either side of Chris Greenacre. So where is it going wrong?

A couple of things I believe are attributing to it.

First - fullbacks. As much as Tony Lochead wasn't performing to the same levels we saw in the Phoenix's first season he's still the only out and out fullback in the squad and with the formation we play screening the centre of our defensive third the obvious place for teams to attack is our flanks.
Manny Muscat is a solid player who is far more effective at right back than left and after last season must be regarded more as a midfield enforcer than a fullback.
Troy Hearfield is a converted attacking player who posseses good pace but still doesn't read the game as well as fullbacks need to at this level.
Jade North/Ben Sigmund - both far more comfortable in the middle of a back four than exposed wide.

Ricki has dabbled with a back three only once this season and the one half we played that way didn't really work but neither was it given a decent chance - perhaps something we'll see more of next season with a pre-season playing the system under our belts.

Secondly - adaptability and flexibility.

The game against the Mariners was on our home patch and yet Ricki seemed reluctant to change his system when it appeared we were going to struggle to get something from the game. As mentioned above three screening midfielders when you're chasing a game at home seems over cautious, add to that a small in stature (harding working for sure no argument there) front man in Chris Greenacre toiling against a large, physical defense and we're relying on either a moment of magic (and Ifill isn't producing those as regularly as he did in his first season) or a Mariners mistake to give us a chance.

The question for me is why, when we're a goal down at home with 20 to go aren't we sacrificing one of our midfield three for a big physical target man like MacAllister? Leo and Iffill then have a target to hit and the Marniers need to committ more men back plus Greenacre is still there the harrass defenders and feed off knock downs from his bigger strike partner.

Instead we swap like for like all over the park with a less solid defensive option in Troy for Jade North (the same side both late goals came through), Daniel for Brown - a more creative player true but when big Dylan Mac comes on and Greenacre goes off the next  most obvious player to make late runs and feed off knockdowns is Brown and he's no longer there.

So while changes are being made the system stays the same and opposition coaches are finding us out - Ricki needs a Plan B because Plan A isn't working as well as it did last season.
Ifill is being targetted and his play isn't the elusive mystery opposition defenders found it last season, we're short of genuine fullbacks and as our next opposition, Newcastle, have found to their benefit sometimes changing the way you do things works as testified by their peformance vs Adelaide with the side changing style to suit new signing Francis Jeffers.