Simple Math: £200m + No Trophies = The Sack

Mark Hughes’ dismissal was the least surprising news of the weekend, the managerial mayhem of the Premier League almost guaranteeing it, the media confirming it before Manchester City’s encounter with Sunderland. Hughes may well be upset, believing that his team were on the verge of something big but a divergence of defining that between himself and the club is at the root of the matter.

According to Hughes, his target for this season was agreed as a top six finish and 70 or more points. For an investor, this is not a good return on £200m especially since the top six finish does not guarantee European football next season. For the owners of Manchester City to have agreed that, many would believe them to be the perfect shareholders.

It became apparent that the board of the club did not share this view and in light of the team’s performances this season, there is some merit in their argument that the signs of improvement were not tangible. Indeed, it would be true to say that City has been the definition of a ‘big game team‘, winning at home to Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League, drawing at Anfield and narrowly defeated in their local derby.

However, seven other drawn games suggests that either incompetence or indifference has taken hold at Eastlands. Failure to beat Burnley, Hull or Bolton is not the form of a team that is confident of challenging the existing top four. Even if they win their game in hand, City will still be sixth. The recent capitulation at White Hart Lane did not indicate that Hughes was capable of halting the rut into which the team had dropped.

The Welshman is understandably upset at the board for talking to Roberto Mancini yet to believe those negotiations had not commenced some time ago is equally naive. Steve Gibson of Middlesbrough is widely regarded as a tolerant chairman, repeatedly as an almost the perfect boss. Even he admitted at the weekend that he had contacted Gordon Strachan before relieving Gareth Southgate of his duties.

The League Managers Association has opposed such moves but it is standard business practice to have a successor for key personnel in position ready for their employment being terminated. Hughes can have little complaint; he has squandered a good position. The squad was his own and if his purchases do not perform, then the axe is inevitable

American Dream Is A Liverpudlian Nightmare

Optimism is a pre-requisite for football supporters. It takes different forms; winning a trophy for one club is the equivalent of avoiding relegation at another. The supporter, before and during a season, will invariably swing between belief and the less palatable outcome. As the Premier League avalanche sweeps all before it, the downward trajectory is being ignored. Until yesterday when the true extent of the Promised Land became evident for Liverpool supporters.

The optimism of Hicks and Gillett’s takeover was hardly unbridled but new owners wasted little time in raising the stakes, lifting the belief that they had new investment to build a new Anfield, give Rafa Benitez funds to spend on new players and deliver the Premier League title, the obsession for a club that became used to being champions of England but had not heard those words precede their club name for 20 years.

Having finished closer in 2008/09 to winning the title, the new season was approached with a guarded optimism. The plans for a new stadium had been put on the backburner as it was apparent that the American owners failed to borrow the money required, refusing or unable to invest their personal wealth into the club’s future. The length of commitment required for personal intervention was probably a driving force behind this. Neither makes any attempt to disguise their disdain for the other, quite probably regretting their dual involvement.

Their summer transfer dealings were disastrous. 2008 saw a distasteful public courtship of Gareth Barry, a signing which never materialised, and the attempted offloading of Xabi Alonso to Arsenal, reportedly falling through over £200k. Fast forward to 2009 and one of those transfers happened, Alonso returning to Spain. Barry upped sticks to Manchester City whilst Aquilani was brought in from Roma. The Italian though came with a proviso: he was injured, unavailable until autumn.

Having spent the majority of his funds on this transfer and Glen Johnson from Portsmouth, Benitez was unable to invest in forwards, a situation which haunted him as the Champions League was exited and the Premier League slipped from his grasp as Fernando Torres was sidelined. Europa League football is not much of a prospect to look forward to but this is the reality facing Liverpool for 2009/10 and quite possibly the following season as well.

Prior to the home fixture with Arsenal, Benitez gave a frank assessment of his situation. There was no money to spend nor would the coming seasons bring any immediate improvement. £60m of debt had to be repaid and with no-one willing to match the £100m sought by the owners for a mere 25% stake in the club, spending would be drastically reigned in. Media supposition that Gerrard and Torres may be sold to fund this was dismissed by the Spaniard yet the nagging doubt cannot be so easily shaken.

The club’s financial state is a warning for those clubs looking at foreign takeovers or already subjected to huge debt burdens on their parent company balance sheets. Unless you are delivering trophies – major ones at that – your business is unsustainable. Asset stripping is too strong a term but realisation of valuable assets is around the corner unless the American nightmare turns to a dream.

For many the Liverpool scenario is one that was destined to happen at Arsenal. Funding a new stadium restricted activity in the transfer market. Arsene Wenger and the board had thought ahead, bringing through young talent over a number of seasons, building an Academy and scouting system that created a sustained turnover of players. Liverpool is some way behind as the Carling Cup encounters over recent seasons have shown. It is a path that they are now treading, a path which will show how good a manager Benitez really is. If it comes to fruition, Hicks and Gillett may be consigned to the history books with not many good words accompanying them. If not, they may be remembered as the men who broke the bank of Anfield.

Pompey Chimes Lose Their Hart

Len Shackleton included a chapter in his autobiography that was blank, save for the title “The Average Director’s Knowledge of Football“. Fifty-three years on from publication, this week has seen more evidence that little has changed.

During the summer months of 2009, Portsmouth Football Club was subjected to a protracted and comical takeover reminiscent of that which Spencer Trethewy inflicted upon Aldershot in 1990. The outcome has not yet been as devastating to the club but there were considerable fears reported in the media that the club would be unable to survive financially, evidenced by a failure to pay players wages recently.

Throughout the summer, Paul Hart sat and watched helplessly as the best players were sold for fees in excess of £35m without funds being made available for recruiting replacements. Sulaiman Al Fahim concluded his ill-fated purchase of the club late in August, photographed in his personalised replica away top, seemingly feted as a saviour for the club. The protracted nature of the negotiations, and the emergence of a rival consortia no doubt exacerbated the takeover, left Hart with little time to pull together a squad for the 2009-10 season.

The club’s start to the season was unsurprisingly poor given the circumstances. Seven straight defeats in the Premier League came to an abrupt and startling end with consecutive four goal victories. From seemingly being cut adrift at the bottom of the division, the gap to safety had been cut. That cut no ice with the owners of the club; Paul Hart was relieved of his managerial duties this week.

Having survived the crisis this summer, Portsmouth needed stability. If that had meant the club rebuilding with a season in The Championship, it should have been a price worth paying. Instead, an instant remedy is being sought although the club is rudderless in the interim between Hart’s departure and a new appointment. The players though remain the same; whether the January transfer window will be an effective saviour for the next manager remains to be seen.

Premier League survival is the only thing that matters when faced with relegation, particularly if players contracts take no account of any diminished status bestowed upon the club through failure. Yet would the club have been better served by retaining Hart, especially in light of improved form which even with recent defeats, was vastly better than the opening seven games.

That Portsmouth have reacted quickly may yet turn out to be a masterstroke if they pull clear of the relegation zone. Such is the closeness in points totals at this stage of the season that three wins can elevate their position one place in the table if everyone else continues to take points off each other. It appears that consecutive away defeats have brought about Hart’s dismissal. However, victories at Blackburn and Stoke seemed highly unlikely on paper, let alone on the pitch.

In such circumstances, new owners often seek to bring in a ‘name’ manager. Avram Grant may well be a likeable man but is he the man to save them? Perhaps and time will tell. Yet with the paucity of talent within the squad, January wheeling and dealing is going to be crucial to their season. The sacking leaves an uneasy taste in the mouth. Hart worked hard throughout the summer in circumstances that may have forced others to consider their options and leave the club. His loyalty was rewarded with unemployment.

Should sentiment have come into the equation? The business side of the game probably dictates that it should not. The ego of a new owner automatically means it will not. Yet this will be the same owner who at points in the future will berate want-away players for their lack of loyalty “to a club that has treated them well“. The days of owners wanting their cake and eating it have yet to change. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW – MATCHDAY TEN

Liverpool maintained their advantage with a slender 1 – 0 victory over Portsmouth. Tony Adams in his first game in charge after being confirmed as Harry Redknapp’s replacement looked as though his charges would suffocate their hosts before Diop handled in the area with fourteen minutes remaining, L’il Stevie Gerrard despatched the resultant penalty. Robbie Keane Watch: Well, he looked dapper in the stands and looked more likely to score with blondes around him than he does in the Premier League when he is on the pitch.

Chelsea acted tough before their defeat to Liverpool and were back to their party spoiling ways as they crushed Hull City 3 – 0 at the KC Stadium. Frank Lampard set them on their way with a third minute strike, the rout being completed by the French duo of Anelka and Malouda in the second half.

Arsenal stumbled into third place, recovering from an audacious David Bentley strike to subsequently drop a two-goal lead in their 4 – 4 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at The Emirates Stadium. A Mikael Silvestre header nine minutes before the interval cancelled out Bentley’s thirteenth minute opener, the former Gunner hammering a volley past the hapless Manuel Almunia from forty yards. William Gallas scored another header a minute into the second half before Emmanuel Adebayor added a third capitalising on Alan Hutton’s slow recovery to force the ball home. It set about a mad five minutes as Bent made it 3 – 2, scoring from Almunia’s fumble before Hutton gifted the ball to Adebayor who set Robin van Persie up for 4 – 2. It seemed that the match would fizzle out before Jermaine Jenas punished Gael Clichy’s slip to score from twenty yards. Harry Redknapp’s passionate affair with Lady Luck paid off as Aaron Lennon reacted first to Luca Modric’s shot that came back off the post in the 94th minute.

Manchester United closed in on the top four, comfortably beating West Ham United 2 – 0 at Old Trafford. Two Cristiano Ronaldo goals did the damage in the opening half-hour but it goes to fuel more flames in the fire that supports the theory he is a bit of a Johnny-Come-Lately who struggles to score away from home. Having won the FIFPro Player of the Year award, he needs to improve that aspect of his game if he is to be considered a true great of the world game.

As it was, Aston Villa came back from Stephen Warnock’s 30th minute opener to overcome Blackburn Rovers 3 – 2 at Villa Park. Luke Young equalised on the stroke of half-time, bundling the ball home with his knee after a bout of pinball in the Rovers area. The turn around came as Gareth Barry got his third in three games before Gabriel Agbonlahor scored Villa’s third from Ashley Young’s pass. A last minute Brett Emerton freekick for all its majesty was little more than a consolation.

At the other end of the table, Stoke City recorded a rare win, beating Sunderland 1 – 0 at The Britannia Stadium, Ricardo Fuller getting the games only goal. It meant that Bolton Wanderers dropped into the bottom two as they succumbed to a 90th minute Fellaini goal in their 0 – 1 defeat at home to Everton. The relegation places are completed with Wigan Athletic, their 0 – 2 reverse at Craven Cottage gave Fulham three much needed points. Andy Johnson got both, his first for the club since his move from Everton.

The North East had a ray rare of sunshine this week with both Newcastle United and Middlesbrough winning at home. The Magpies defeated West Bromwich Albion 2 – 1 at St James Park, Thug In Chief, Joey Barton gave a sickening display of chest thumping following his tenth minute penalty conversion, a lead doubled by Shola Ameobi just before the break. Although Albion pulled one back through Miller midway through the second half, the victory led Joe Kinnear to demand an end to the uncertainty and a more permanent contract. Not bad for the manager of a team who are fourth bottom.

At The Cellnet Riverside Stadium, Manchester City and their money pitched up, leading to a comprehensive mugging at the hands of Middlesbrough. Robinho’s stated aim of thirty goals in a season took a battering as did the City defence with Afonso Alves with a penalty and Gary O’Neill in the last minute did the damage.

Blatter’s Quotas Still In The Air

Sepp Blatter has given an interview in The Times regarding his pet subject of the moment, quotas. Despite meeting a brick wall in the face of the European Union, Blatter is ploughing ahead with the project. There is little doubt that he sees this as an ideal solution to protect the status of international football, an aspect of the game that is becoming marginalised by the continued commercial success of the UEFA Champions League and the wealth of the upper echelons of club football.

Specifically in the interview, Blatter focuses on English football which is hardly surprising given the newspaper involved. He says,

Club football at the beginning had a local identity, later a regional and now some of the leagues – I am speaking here about the big clubs of the Premier League – there is no more national identity

It seems to be the contradiction that FIFA has not come to terms with fully. The governing body of football globally is does not grasp the international appeal of the Premier League. Blatter is right to a degree though. The international flavour of the players on show each week ensures that the broadcasting rights dwarf revenues that FIFA can generate from its quadrennial World Cup tournament. The fear that the clubs are taking over the game is not misplaced yet FIFA has enabled this through transfer regulations that make purchasing players from different continents only subject to national and pan-continental laws.

Blatter’s desire to see strong international football co-existing with its club partner is a laudable one yet the two have been on a collision course for decades. Satellite broadcasters transmitting matches around the world learned their trade at successive World Cups. The nature of that tournament is its strength; a tournament every four years gives it a prestige that it deserves. The more junior continental competitions are slowly catching up but will never have the global appeal of the elder sibling.

However, the timescales have meant that international friendlies take place with more frequency and are irrelevant to the modern game. Permitting African, Asian and American countries to play matches in Europe ensures that the clubs hold the whip hand. FIFA has to accept some of the blame for pandering to the clubs needs to have their best players available the weekend after a designated international fixture. Players return injured or later in the season become tired due to the number of fixtures in which they participate.

Blatter wants to limit the number of games players are involved in yet shows no inclination to reduce the international calendar. His demands are incompatible with FIFA’s aims. The principle of the quotas, that half of a team must be eligible for the national team of the country in which their club is based is theoretically sound for improving the standard of those countries. Yet it is also fundamentally flawed. The talent in each country is there already but so his theory goes, it is suppressed by foreign players taking their places.

Blatter claimed in the interview,

If you go to the Premier League – which is a wonderful competition – something is wrong if only four or five teams are fighting for the title and all the others are happy not to be relegated because something is wrong in the essence of football

The ‘six plus five’ rule is designed to make domestic football more competitive. The reality is that it will emphasise the gap between the top four and the rest. Consider the scenario that Blatter alludes to. If the top four have to ensure that they have six native players, their squads are likely to include double that number. This means that they will require forty-eight players between them who are eligible for England. The international squad requires twenty-four players, meaning the likely outcome is that the entire squad will come from four clubs because they have the financial muscle to buy the best English players either at a young age or from other clubs.

Even allowing for the odd one or two who may play for Spurs or Aston Villa or their ilk, Blatter’s aims will be diluted. Add into the scenario that the top four will continue to purchase the cream of the international crop, the situation becomes more polarised and the top four more impregnable.

The only way that the naturalisation rule can achieve the outcome of a more competitive league is if football becomes more altruistic, more communist in its wealth distribution. The clubs who compete in the Champions League would have to share their revenues amongst the rest of the game to facilitate more competition. Private ownership of clubs dictates that this will never happen, killing off investment in one fell swoop were it ever to do so. Failing that, the implementation of a draft system akin to that operated by the NFL would have to take place. The weak get the strongest choices upon which to build a base. Except that the smaller clubs would opt out of this to a certain extent by choosing to transfer their draft choices to the highest bigger in order to survive financially.

The more that Blatter tries to regulate football, the more danger he poses to FIFA’s authority. Even in the egalitarian example above, there are further challenges to overcome such as the Bosman ruling or Article 17. Whichever way FIFA’s President turns, he is hamstrung by the law. Yet ever the optimist or blinkered autocrat depending on your view, Blatter believes the legal challenges are there to be negotiated away,

The law is one thing but it can be adapted, amended, if there is general consensus

Problematically for Blatter, general consensus between the clubs and national associations has been in short supply over the last decade. Despite the subsuming of the G14 into UEFA, consensus on this issue is far away and likely to cost FIFA dear.

Quota’s Likely To Find Support In England

The plans for Sepp Blatter to impose a quota system on football have long been derided. Indeed, there was some cause for opponents of such a scheme to celebrate when an EU spokesman stopped long enough to wipe the gravy from his mouth to espouse that any system that prevented the free movement of labour was contrary to the principles of a common market and against European law.

Which means absolutely nothing whatsoever in the great scheme of things. European football politics and those at a governmental level are built of a tradition of horse-trading. On this subject, there is much to be done. The first point of contact for Blatter as far as English football is concerned will be his meetings with Richard Scudamore and Lord Trieseman. Having being voluble in their opposition to such plans, both men have much to gain by turning into Blatter’s most vociferous supporters.

The Premier League clubs may not have been surprised by the opposition to their ludicrous proposal for a thirty-ninth game. Blatter treated the idea as if it were worse than stepping in a pile of dogs you-know-what when the plans accidentally on purpose became public knowledge. Yet the league which has much to lose by capping the number of foreign players has more to gain financially through acceptance of their idea to play matches on foreign soil. Similarly, the Football Association want his blessing for their 2018 World Cup bid; what better way to achieve that aim by becoming an ardent supporter of a quota system?

Whilst the quota system is designed to protect national sides, it is a questionable methodology to apply to achieving that aim. Simply increasing the number players indigenous to these shores does not guarantee a successful England team. Indeed allowing sub-standard players to rise to the top could be a short term folly – even a long term one. The logic applied by the Governing Body appears to be that quality will show through in greater numbers if they have more spaces to fill in each team on the pitch. It is illogical to assume that this holds true for there is no evidence of such a convergence taking place. Simply increasing vacancies means that more ‘average-ness’ surfaces, certainly in the short term.

The clubs are trying to develop more local talent; they make no bones about this. However, if it is not there in the indigenous population, it is not there; it cannot be developed out of nothing or magically appear from thin air. On this aspect, Blatter cares not one jot. He wants to protect the national games. Yet he misjudges the detrimental effect that his plans will have worldwide.

There is no condescension intended in the following but the national teams of Africa have benefited from their players plying their trades in the French, Spanish, Italian and English leagues. It has opened up these individuals to a world of improved technique and different tactical ideas, benefiting the national sides. Those players possessed ability and technique in abundance beforehand; pastures new improve any player of any standing or nationality, foreign lands ensure education on a personal and professional level.

Yet Blatter seeks to shut doors to a large number of these individuals. If a club has to field a minimum of six ‘indigenous’ players, the opportunities for players to move abroad diminishes. In turn, the national teams reach a plateau far quicker than they might otherwise have done through lack of exposure to higher professional levels. It seems that Blatter has not made this element of his plans as vocally as the ‘protecting your interests’ angle.

Simply put, the big clubs will benefit from this plan more than the average. They will become more ‘choosy’ about individuals whom they train in their Academy; the best will be enticed to the top clubs, the average will find their choice of clubs wider but to whose benefit? And what of UEFA’s quaint classification for youngsters poached from abroad? Presumably this ruling will still be allowed by Blatter – he has yet to put the detail behind his sweeping plans – and it begs the question, exactly what changes? Perhaps a shift towards more dominance by the financially strong leagues? Already there, Sepp old bean. Indeed, with the lax nationality rules applied by European nations, there is a strong suspicion that Blatter could make the situation worse.

It is an ill-conceived plan, where the vested interests of a ruling body are acting against the interests of the game as a whole.

EPL May Just Have Killed Off Loan Deals

In the jet stream of the recent furore surrounding the proposed thirty-ninth game, the English Premier League may well have set in motion a train of events more harmful to the game than any money can inflict.

The same Board meeting that proposed the ill-conceived additional game to be added to the domestic season, it was accepted that seven substitutes will be allowed on the bench with effect from the 2008-09 season. On the face of it, the proposal allows more flexibility for managers to utilise the strengths within their squads. The scope for tactical switches is widened with the potential for each bench to be filled with two defenders, midfielders and attackers. The variety available allows the managers to react more aggressively to the situations that each match poses.

From the players’ point of view, it enhances the likelihood of them participating in more matches. A fundamental reason for seeking a transfer at any point has always been the lack of opportunities; additional places on the bench suggest that more playing time may ensue.

There is a downside to this that has yet to be fully considered, the implications of which are seriously harmful for the lower division clubs. Recovering slowly from the ashes of the ITV Digital debacle, the clubs have been less active in the permanent transfer market; the volume of money transacting may be increasing but the number of players moving for fees is decreasing. To compensate for this, Football League clubs have been utilising the loan system with more frequency than before. Increasing the number of substitutes reduces the number of players available for loan by a minimum of two per Premier League club, forty less players to be precise.

By having more bench space available, the Premier League clubs have to draw on their existing resources even more. This means that they have ensure that the cover available within their squads increases in addition to the two extra spaces on the bench. With more and more wear and tear injuries being suffered, managers who are already under pressure to achieve more than before with limited resources, will be reluctant to allow players to move on loan with as much frequency as is currently enjoyed.

Take Arsenal as an example. In the January window, two players, Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs moved to Burnley and Norwich City on loan. Around the same time, the squad found itself depleted by injuries and international duty. Unquestionably, Arsene Wenger would not have sent the two players on loan had the requirement for seven players on the bench been in place; quite simply there were times when he did not have that number of players to choose from.

The players lose out as much as the clubs. Youngsters such as Randall and Gibbs only hope of first team football would be in dire emergency or the Carling Cup. It is not a total football education that Wenger wants them to have or the one that they are getting by gaining experience on loan at lower division clubs. The standard of play may be lower but in understanding the rigours of regular first team action, loan spells are invaluable.

Expecting the Premier League Board to understand the negative impact they will have is beyond hope, as is expecting them to care.

Mid Term Report

The halfway point of the Premier League season has been reached and overall few surprises have arisen. Manchester United lead the field by a point and Derby County are cast adrift at the bottom. How they are actually performing is another matter.

Manchester United Grade: A

An impressive run has recovered their poor start. Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo have been their source of goals and with the seeming return of Louis Saha from injury, their forward line should continue to overpower lesser opponents. The defence has been the most impressive and the only question mark concerns a loss of form or injury to Vidic or Ferdinand. Will be in the top two at the end of the season. Comfortably through to the Champions League second round with Lyon awaiting them.

Arsenal Grade: A +

Post Henry, Arsenal were widely tipped to be the members of the top four cartel to be most under pressure. It has not happened that way at all with Arsene Wenger’s men playing the most sublime football so far. A blip in away form recently has asked questions which need answering but likely to be the other team in the top two with United. A tough draw in the Champions League with Milan their next opponents and a London derby with Tottenham in the Carling Cup semi-final mean an interesting January and February lies in wait.

Chelsea Grade: C

Turbulent times at Stamford Bridge. They might be the richest but this season has proven money cannot buy the title every year. Injuries have disrupted the back four and front line, goals being in short supply which will cause Avram Grant concern. Take out the ten goals scored in the two home matches against Manchester City and Aston Villa and Chelsea are barely averaging a goal a game. The off the pitch shenanigans have severely disrupted them and they need to recover quickly, not an easy task with Terry and Drogba injured and Carvalho and Cole suspended for upcoming games.

Liverpool Grade: C –

Big spenders pre-season and a good start gave false hope of a title tilt. Dropping silly points at home has been rescued by excellent away form, the best in the top flight. With trips to Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford and The Emirates still to come, their only hope of a title is for a collective collapse in form by their rivals. Even delivering the Champions League may not save Rafa Benitez’s skin at the end of the season.

Manchester City Grade: A +

Without a doubt, the season’s over-achievers so far and come the end of the season, they may yet sneak into a Champions League place if they keep up the pressure on those immediately above them. The only unblemished home record in the division, nine wins out of nine – including a derby win over United – is a huge improvement on anything seen at City in the last forty years. Top marks for Eriksson in his ability to blend a large number of newcomers into a cohesive team. Only their away form might cause them to squander the good start, one win out of nine shows the huge improvement required there.

Everton Grade: B

Rated as a top six team beforehand, Everton have been quietly going about meeting expectations, exceeding them with their 7 – 1 demolition of Sunderland. Useful performances on the road have put David Moyes men into a good position to push on and grab a UEFA Cup place at the end of the season. An alternative route may come about in the Carling Cup where they face Chelsea in the semi-final

Portsmouth Grade: B –

Some scintillating away performances disguise the poverty at Fratton Park. Only two wins and eleven goals, seven of which came in their win over Reading; Portsmouth would be comfortably in the top four had they converted half of their six draws into wins. Nineteen points on the road suggest that this might be their salvation; their only defeats on their travels came at Anfield, The Emirates and Stamford Bridge.

Aston Villa Grade: B

Martin O’Neill has galvanised Aston Villa this season, making Villa a difficult proposition to beat. Having received a drubbing from Manchester United, they have taken four points from Chelsea and pushed Arsenal and Liverpool close at home. One defeat on the road suggests Villa might sneak a UEFA Cup place if they continue to produce at Villa Park.

West Ham United Grade: B –

Putting the turbulence of 2006-07 seemed a distant dream after Manchester City dismantled them on the opening day of the season. Home form remains patchy with only Middlesbrough and Sunderland vanquished. Reading, Bolton, Tottenham and Wigan have all departed with a share of the points which suggest that if the so far impressive away form falters, a bottom six finish may not be out of the question.

Blackburn Rovers Grade: C

Europe might have been distracting had Rovers not made an early exit from the UEFA Cup. Recent weeks have seen them concede too readily to consider a European place a possibility although the form of Roque Santa Cruz suggests that if they get things right at the back, a push upwards would not be beyond them.

Newcastle United Grade: D

Sam Allardyce’s debut season as Newcastle manager may be his last if media reports are anywhere near true. An opening day victory at Bolton flattered to deceive; their home form has gone from the ridiculous to the decent with heavy defeats against Liverpool and Portsmouth turning into a well-deserved point against Arsenal. Continued rumours of a sell-out by new owner Mike Ashley persist; a mundane mid-table position seems the best that they can hope for.

Reading Grade: C

Struck by Second Season Syndrome, an impressive away point at Old Trafford on the opening day soon sank into mediocrity, flirting with the relegation dogfight before pulling away to relative safety. Three points on their travels suggests that lower reaches of the table beckon, trouble definitely staring them in the face if teams below start to put a run together.

Tottenham Hotspur Grade: E

Shamefully mismanaged off the pitch with Martin Jol’s dismissal being handled with characteristic incompetence. Juande Ramos has stabilised the team affairs although Jermaine Defoe may be the highest profile departure. Fanciful dreams link them with David Villa, Tottenham are unlikely to rise to a UEFA Cup place, twelve points adrift of Everton already. For a club who boasted before the season that they would break into the top four, their performance has been little short of embarrassing.

Birmingham City Grade: C

Alex McLeish’s arrival has been a catalyst for a mini-revival to offset the continuing dramas off the pitch with Carsten Yeung’s takeover seemingly set to stall. On the pitch, City are threatening to pick up enough points on the road to suggest that Premier League safety may not be a pipedream.

Bolton Wanderers Grade: D

Doing well in the UEFA Cup, domestic form has been shambolic, improving slightly under Gary Megson. A good win over Manchester United may be the kick-start they need but right now the Reebok faithful might settle for mid-table mediocrity come next May.

Middlesbrough Grade: D

Could do much better. Home wins over Arsenal and Blackburn suggest that ‘Boro have been short-changing their supporters, attendances suggest that this is no surprise to the denizens of Teesside. Luckily others below them are worse on the road otherwise Championship football next season might already be a foregone conclusion. Other clubs could do well to note Steve Gibson’s loyalty to Gareth Southgate, continuity in the manager’s chair may save them ahead of others.

Wigan Athletic Grade: C –

Having stayed up by the skin of their teeth last season, there was no reason to believe this would be any better. Steve Bruce’s return to the JJB may be a crucial catalyst to their survival fight, something that is indicated by a mini-run of good results recently. Whether or not they can sustain these remains to be seen but two points out of thirty on the road may yet be their downfall.

Fulham Grade: D –

How different things might have been but for the two late goals conceded at The Emirates on the opening day. Had a win been carved out then, the side’s confidence may well have been unshakable. As it is, the self-destruct button has been pushed and cost Lawrie Sanchez his job. Thirty four goals conceded shows their problem although a new manager may be able to bring in more firepower, relegation seems to be the most likely outcome at the moment.

Sunderland Grade: D

Big signing goalkeeper Craig Gordon has not been able to bring good fortune to Sunderland’s road trips; the second worst away record in the division highlights their problem. Fancied by many to stay up, unless Roy Keane can bring more points in on their travels, a swift return beckons as their home form is no better nor worse than those above them.

Derby County Grade: U

Woeful. Conceding one hundred goals is a distinct possibility. Quite possibly the worst side to ever grace the Premier League. Relegation may well be assured by the end of February.

Don’t Believe The Hype

As is always the case, the matches failed to meet up to the expectations of the build-up. Not that either of Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger will care, their respective charges ending the weekend five and six points clear at the top of the Premier League following single goal victories over their nearest rivals.

Manchester United kicked off Sunday with a Carlos Tevez goal being the difference between themselves and Liverpool. There were few clear opportunities for either side in the match; Rooney spurned a glorious opportunity to finish the game off as United hit an ever-desperate Liverpool on the break. The goal came from a corner on the United right; Giggs picked out Rooney on the edge of his area whose shot was going wide until it reached the right boot of Tevez who diverted it into the roof of the net. Reina should have done better in his attempt to reach the ball, his dive laborious in trying to cut out the ball before it got to Tevez. Liverpool can have little complaint about the result. Had van der Sar not been so fortunate, they might have capitalised on his errors but the United defenders invariably got to the ball first and the hosts restricted to long-range efforts.

At The Emirates, a typical London derby emerged. Almost chess-like in the first half, open and frenetic in the second as Chelsea tried to claw their way back into the match leaving gaps for Arsenal to exploit. It might have been four; van Persie and Adebayor had goals chalked off for fouls and offside; Fabregas and van Persie both missed good opportunities to increase the lead. The only goal of the game came from a goalkeeping error. Cech missed a routine catch from a seemingly harmless Fabregas corner and William Gallas rose unchallenged to head home. Both sides came away with injury concerns, John Terry and Emmanuel Eboue may be out for a few weeks with ligament damage but Arsenal deserved the points.

Those two matches overshadowed the rest of the fixtures. On Saturday, Manchester City reclaimed their spot in the top four with a 4 – 2 win over Bolton, Michael Johnson’s man of the match performance springing hope that there may yet be talent in the English gene pool. City took the lead through Johnson before Diouf and Nolan gave the visitors the advantage at the interval. Cue the re-emergence of Darius Vassell, re-invigorating the hosts. Surprisingly galvanised by an Eriksson team talk at half-time – something that he palpably failed to do for England – City struck back with a Michalik own goal, Vassell and substitute Etuhu scoring in the final minute, earning himself a yellow card in the process for his celebrations. Bolton wilted and remain in the relegation dogfight.

Their plight is considerably lighter than that of Derby County. If they had ambitions to remain in the top flight, Paul Jewell is going to need to work a bigger miracle than he did in keeping Wigan up last season. A home fixture against Middlesbrough is a game you have to win in these situations; Derby failed succumbing to Tuncay Sanli’s first half winner. Fulham are equally struggling, Joey Barton’s injury time penalty separating the two teams at Craven Cottage. Lawrie Sanchez’s team have started to slip into the same rut as last season and with teams around them picking up points, they may find that the bottom three is their home by Christmas if they do not up the ante on the pitch.

Tottenham took full advantage of the slips by those around them with Dimitar Berbatov scoring the only goal in their surprise victory at Portsmouth. ‘Appy ‘Arry’s men blow hot and cold at Fratton Park; free-scoring on their recent travels, they struggle to find the net at home although when they do, visitors tend to be on the receiving end as Reading recently found out to their cost. The Berkshire team are suffering second-season syndrome but picked up a useful point at St Andrews, Stephen Hunt’s penalty just after the interval cancelling out Mikkel Forsell’s fourth minute strike.

The two-footed lunge is becoming a common feature of many matches but Dwight Yorke was on the receiving end of studs to the chest at the Stadium of Light, Villa’s Gardner only booked when the requisite punishment of a red card for serious foul play should have been meted out. Villa are blowing hot and cold at the moment and their rise to the upper echelons of the table may be halted unless they pick up more points following home defeats to Arsenal and Portsmouth. Shaun Maloney’s seventy-first minute equaliser robbed Sunderland of all three points following Danny Higginbotham’s tenth minute opener. Roy Keane’s men seem to be picking up enough points at the moment to indicate they will avoid the dogfight at the end of the season.

Everton completed a win double at Upton Park, with late goals in either half. Having won in the Carling Cup Quarter-Final, Yakubu scored on the stroke of half-time, adding to his goals earlier in the week. West Ham had no answer and the points were sealed when Andy Johnson scored in injury time at the end of the match.

When your team scores a treble on the road, it is generally a good sign for a victory. Blackburn Rovers proved that to be wrong with Roque Santa Cruz’s hat trick counting for nothing as they slumped to a 5 – 3 reverse at the JJB. Wigan stormed into a three goal lead through Landzaat, Bent and Scharner before Santa Cruz’s first reduced the deficit at the interval. Within fifteen minutes of the restart, he had levelled the scores and seen team mate Brett Emerton take an early plunge in the team bath for a second yellow card. Numerical advantage and comedy Blackburn defending allowed Marcus Bent to complete his hat trick in fifteen second half minutes.

Battered, Bruised And No Longer Undefeated

Unbeaten records were not only surrendered in the glamorous locations this weekend. Ricky Hatton may have taken scant comfort from his battering by Floyd Mayweather Jr on the blackjack tables but Liverpool and Arsenal fans went home with nothing but their tails between their legs.

On Teesside, Middlesbrough deservedly took the points with goals from Stewart Downing and Tuncay; Tomas Rosicky’s effort being too little too late from a side that never reached the foothills of the mountainous heights that they have scaled so far. Emmanuel Eboue may yet have time to contemplate his own performance with two possible counts of violent conduct, the second incident scraping his studs on the thighs on Stewart Downing being a particularly cowardly assault.

At the Madejski, Reading beat Liverpool 3 – 1 although no-one is quite sure how. The hosts took the lead through a dubious penalty, Jamie Carragher’s foul on Gunnarsson seemed to be outside of the area but referee, Andre Marriner thought otherwise. Whilst Liverpool had the right to feel aggrieved, Carragher has ridden his luck this season at Goodison Park and their home match against Arsenal, getting away with cast-iron penalty decisions going in his favour rather than to the opponents. Stephen Hunt slotted his penalty home to give Reading a seventeenth minute lead.

It last just ten minutes before Steven Gerrard burst into the area to finish, coolly levelling the scores. Two goals in seven second half minutes gave Reading a valuable three points and their first win against a ‘big four’ club. Kevin Doyle got the faintest of touches on Nicky Shorey’s freekick before James Harper strode through the Liverpool defence, rounded Reina and calmly slotted home.

Manchester United romped past Derby although Steve Howard had the dubious pleasure of scoring their first goal on their travels this season in a 4 – 1 defeat. Ryan Giggs celebrated receiving his OBE by scoring his one hundredth league goal with the rout being completed by a Tevez brace and a last minute Ronaldo penalty. Chelsea continued their excellent recent form with a comfortable 2 – 0 win over Sunderland. Andrei Shevchenko and a Frank Lampard penalty doing the business for The Blues who consolidated third place ahead of their visit to The Emirates this Sunday, the same afternoon that Liverpool entertain Manchester United.

Portsmouth moved into fifth place, joining Liverpool on thirty points, with a 3 – 1 win at Villa Park. Sulley Muntari scored an outstanding double, the first from twenty five yards, the second beating two defenders to beat Carson. Craig Gardner followed up his goal against Arsenal to show he knew where the net was; unfortunately for him, his own goal gave Portsmouth the lead after ten minutes. Sylvain Distin needlessly fouled Ashley Young to allow Gareth Barry to score a consolation goal from the penalty spot.

Liverpool’s position in fourth place looked under considerable pressure as Manchester City fought back from Pascal Chimbonda’s deflected effort on the stroke of half time, the ball entering the net via his arm or so it appeared. Rolando Bianchi equalised three minutes after coming on as a sub and it seemed that the point required to put City into the top four again was on its way to the visitors before Stephen Ireland’s crude foul on Lee earned him a deserved red card with eight minutes to go. It was to prove a crucial intervention as within a minute Jermaine Defoe popped up to score the rebound after Steed Malbranque’s shot hit the post.

Everton gave Fulham short shrift at Goodison with a Yakubu hat-trick sending the visitors to fourth bottom in the table, level on points with Sunderland. Trailing those two by four points are Wigan who crashed to a 4 – 1 defeat at The Reebok. Bolton took the lead through a Paul Scharner own goal on three minutes only for Danny Landzaat to equalise ten minutes later. The size of Steve Bruce’s task was shown by the capitulation that followed. Nicolas Anelka had fired a penalty over the bar before setting up Kevin Nolan to give Bolton a one goal advantage at the interval. Kevin Davies increased that lead with twenty minutes to go before Anelka finished off the rout with a minute on the clock. For Wigan, a return to the Championship beckons, very possibly before Easter if their results continue like this.

Newcastle had picked up a point in midweek against Arsenal but needed a last minute winner from Beye to see off Birmingham, his near post header sending The Toon Army into raptures. Not that it was all plain sailing. Cameron Jerome found a hole big enough in the Newcastle defence to drive a tank through, rounding Shay Given to let Alex McLeish dream of consecutive away wins. Obefami Martins had given Newcastle hope with his equaliser from the penalty spot. However, a sign of the changing times that beset the Geordies is the manner in which they celebrated their point against Arsenal; it seems that winning a point is now as good as winning a trophy.

West Ham’s recent run of good form on their travels saw them win the day at Ewood Park, a Dean Ashton goal being enough to beat Blackburn.

And so onto this coming weekend. The top four all play each other and Derby entertain Middlesbrough, a defeat in which whilst not sealing their fate, will go a long way towards deciding it, especially if teams above them are victorious.