Strikers

One notable trait of this season so far is the proficiency of several of the league's strikers. Seven of them have already scored seven or more goals with Sergio Aguero leading the way, hitting his tenth against Spurs on Sunday. At the current rate it seems as if as many as ten players (including Aaron Ramsey and maybe Oscar) look like they could theoretically break the twenty goal mark this season. Only two strikers (RVP and Suarez) hit 20+ goals in the league in 2012/13.

The 4-2-3-1 formation has become more and more popular over the past decade. This year has seen a shift back to the old fashioned striker partnerships. Three Premier League strike-pairings account for 60% of this list which would suggest that playing two up front is the way to go, in England at least.

Here are the ten best strikers in the Premier League so far this season.

10 - Rickie Lambert, Southampton

12 games, 4 goals.

Rickie Lambert.. he's going to Brazil

Not exactly the most proficient in terms of individual goal tally, Lambert also has three assists to his name. Southampton are much less reliant on him for goals than other teams are on their front man, they seem to be able to source them from just about anywhere. Lambert's form last season led to an England call up in August. He's held his place in the squad ever since and now looks a good bet to be in Roy Hodgson's final 23 man squad for Brazil next summer. Barring a miraculous and unlikely return to form for Andy Carroll over the next six months.

9 - Robin van Persie, Manchester United

11 games, 7 goals

Robin will have a tough time retaining his Golden Boot

Golden Boot winner for the past two seasons running, the flying Dutchman has seemingly had  a quiet year by comparison. Injury has disrupted his season slightly, he's already missed two games through injury which he'll be disappointed with having played the full 38 for the past two seasons. Nevertheless he's managed seven league goals already, just one less than he had managed at this stage last season.

With all the furore around Rooney this autumn, van Persie's contribution has gone largely unnoticed at some quarters. With United's lack of anything like a goalscoring threat from midfield, van Persie is much more important to his side than Rickie Lambert is to Southampton for instance as he spearheads the attack. Keeping him and Rooney fit and firing is their only hope of avoiding serious mediocrity this season.

8 - Alvaro Negredo, Manchester City

12 games, 5 goals

Negredo has settled in quickly at City

'The Beast of Vallecas' is rapidly becoming a bit of a cult hero at the Etihad having firmly ousted Edin Dzeko from the side with some impressive substitute performances at the beginning of the season and kept the highly rated Stevan Jovetic on the sidelines for the time being.

Negredo, signed for £20m from Sevilla is a monster in the air. That said, City are not using him as a target man as such. They don't play a long ball game. Crosses are City's main entre and he's a menace in the box when it comes to that. His understanding with former Sevilla team-mate Jesus Navas has been obvious. A wonderful header of the ball and brilliant on the ground too. His turn away from Dawson for his goal on Sunday was brilliant. He's formed a partnership with Aguero now which makes City's attack among the most menacing in the world. The way the team is set up suits both of them and the partnership is mutually beneficial. Negredo is a target man, dominant in the air. Aguero uses his electric pace and awareness to thrive off flick ons.

7 - Romelu Lukaku, Everton

8 games, 7 goals

Lukaku gave Agger a torrid time in the derby

Chelsea's strange decision to let Lukaku go on loan again is looking more and more ridiculous with every goal he scores for Everton. While Chelsea struggle to get the best out of an ageing Eto'o and a beyond-redemption Torres, Lukaku is averaging almost a goal a game, his impressive brace in the Merseyside derby nearly  securing immortality amongst Everton fans.

Lukaku's game is constantly maturing. He's not just a target man nor just a physical presence to worry defenders. His link-up play on Saturday was impressive, combining well with Mirallas, Barkley and Deulofeu at times to open up the Liverpool defence and create many chances. His movement provided Daniel Agger with constant worry throughout the games and he although he finished with two goals, it probably should have been more. It's very predictable to compare him to Drogba but this performance was one the Ivorian would have been proud of. It's difficult to see how Mourinho couldn't find a role for him at Chelsea.

6 - Loic Remy, Newcastle

10 games, 8 goals

Remy, still technically a QPR player

Having got their man at the second attempt (albeit only on loan), Loic Remy is busy making up for six months lost off his St James Park career by scoring at an impressive rate. He's played both on the left wing and as the main striker this season. The wing is where he usually plays for France and he's done a good job out the but up top is where he's hit his best form at Newcastle.

His form has been impressive recently with vital goals against Chelsea and Spurs contributing to Newcastle's wonderful run of results. Some of his finishing this season has been amazing, showing just how important confidence is for a striker. Look at his team-mate Papis Cisse who has yet to score in his eleven games this season. Cisse averages only one shot less than Remy per game, but the Frenchman is much more clinical with his and that's why he's first choice for Alan Pardew.

5 - Olivier Giroud, Arsenal
12 games, 7 goals

Giroud has proven himself a fine player, worthy of a place in this Arsenal side

Ask Arsenal fan's who's the player they'd least like to lose to injury. Granted a lot would say Ramsey, Ozil or Flamini, I think Giroud would probably be the most chosen answer. A large part of this is the fact that Niklas Bendtner is his only established deputy for the moment but his game has improved this year and he's now a quality Premier League striker.

To fit into this Arsenal team, you have to be more than just a regular centre forward, a goal poacher. Giroud's link up play with the likes of Ozil and Ramsey has come a long way this season. He's contributed four assists this year, already more than he managed in the whole of the last season. He's more than just a spearheading battering ram of a striker driven by a wealth of attacking talent, he's a part of what is a very fluid Arsenal attack.

Could they find a better fit? Absolutely. But they have Giroud for now and he's doing a fine job. He's not as good technically as they names above him on the list but he does have something Arsenal need in his size. Where his size does come into play is in the air. He's head and shoulders, literally, above his team-mates in terms of aerial prowess. Their only genuine attacking threat in the air.

4 - Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
11 games, 6 goals

Wayne Rooney - MVP

Looking back now it seems unthinkable that many United fans were prepared to lose Rooney during the summer, deeming his latest strop to be the final straw. Only three months after his staying was confirmed, he's now by far the club's most important player and firmly back in the fans good books after a string of impressive and passionate performances.

His season really started in August against then potential suitors Chelsea with a captivating performance. Since then he hasn't dwindled, even when his side went down 4-1 at the Etihad, Rooney still had a good game. Under David Moyes he's gone back to playing in his preferred second striker role rather than the box-to-box central midfield position he was playing around about this time last season. It always has been his best position. I don't think it matters too much who the main striker is. Hernandez, van Persie or van Nistelrooy back in the early days of his United career, Rooney has always worked well playing off a leading striker.

He is yet to commit his long term future to the club, which will be a worry for United fans. If Chelsea had got him this summer, with him in the form he's in, they'd be walking this league right now.

3 - Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool
12 games, 9 goals

Sturridge flew the flag well without Suarez for the first 5 games

It's taken him quite a while, and the right club but the younger half of SAS is finally showing the world just how good he is. His form at the start of the season suggested Rodgers may have been wiser to cash in on Suarez. Since the Uruguayan's return, Sturridge has been pushed out of the spotlight slightly but his contribution to Liverpool's cause has not diminished.

Unlike the Negredo and Aguero which is a 'big man/little man' partnership, Suarez and Sturridge are merely two very skillfull and intelligent footballer who naturally have a very good understanding. Sturridge is not a particularly strong player, he's not going to win a lot of aerial match ups with defenders but he's energetic with a good footballing brain so he suits Liverpool's style of play very well. This is the right club for him and his breakout since he joined in January is testimony to that.

The fact that he seemingly isn't guaranteed a place in the England side next summer is utterly ridiculous. I think him and Rooney would be an amazing partnership.

2 - Sergio Aguero, Manchester City
11 games, 10 goals

Aguero is flourishing in a much healthier atmosphere than before

Amazing to think that this is his third season at Manchester City. Aside from his famous goal against QPR, Aguero has never really been a headline-grabber, having spent most of the previous two years in the shade of the mercurial Carlos Tevez and the unpredictable Mario Balotelli. Both of them left for Italy in 2013 and now Aguero is the most talked-about striker at Manchester City. 

He has the kind of technical ability that just isn't seen in English players. I think it was Alan Shearer who coined the phrase 'a great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals'. Aguero fits this bill. Adding to his seemingly infinite amount of tap ins from the six yards box this season he also scored an amazing goal out of nothing against Chelsea and one of the best volleys I've ever seen in the derby against United.

Playing off Negredo suits him down to the ground. He likes to run onto flick ons from a big man. I don't think we see the best of him playing up front on his own, certainly not from a goalscoring point of view. He's got six in five games in the Champions League too, a competition where City have really struggled so far in his time at the club, they now look poised to make a real impact on the later stages of this seasons competition.

1 - Luis Suarez, Liverpool
7 games, 9 goals

The King of the Kop once again, Suarez has been immense

It feels strange to be making a list for this blog and not end it by drooling over how good Arsenal are. Instead it's time to marvel at how Luis Suarez has been the best player in the country since his return to the Liverpool side in September.

His first league game back was at Sunderland where he and Sturridge combined brilliantly at times to cut the defence open and score. He wasn't man of the match that day, Sturridge was. Aside from that game, the loss to Arsenal and the recent Merseyside derby, Suarez has been man of the match in every league game he's played this year. He got a hat-trick against West Brom. He should have got another against Fulham and potentially against Crystal Palace. Even in the only games he's failed to score since his return, Newcastle and Arsenal away, he's been a constant menace to defenders and threat in front of goal.

Suarez is an amazing technical footballer. His dribbling at speed and close control is a joy to watch at times. He's probably the best finisher in the league and what impresses me the most is how he can unleash such a powerful shot from virtually standing still at times. It's a cliche, but he's about as unplayable as Premier League strikers come.

Premier League Power Rankings November 26th (Week 12)

20 - Crystal Palace

Looks like the best week Palace have had in a while. They finally have a new manager after over a month, and they picked up their first win since the end of August, an away win with 10 men no less as they beat Hull at the KC Stadium and they are no longer bottom of the Premier League table. Well done Palace.

 Taking a realistic look however, it's still a pretty bleak situation. The new manager is Tony Pulis so not only do they have the weakest team in the league, they will soon have the most boring to watch too. Pulis has never been relegated as a manager. If he can steady this ship and ensure survival for Palace over the next 26 games it will surely rank as a far greater achievement than establishing Stoke in the division. It's the manner in which he goes about this that will likely cause ire amongst fans who crave good football. But if the ends justify the means then so be it. A lot less hopeless than it was a few weeks ago. But still hopeless.



19 - Fulham

Rene Meulensteen has come in to work under Martin Jol for the time being and his changes were obvious if not effective against Swansea on Saturday. The formation they used was bizarre. A lopsided 4-3-3 with Berbatov and Ruiz seemingly playing behind the main striker Darren Bent. This didn't work. Berbatov playing anywhere other than a striker is generally a bad idea due to his detesting of defensive work. Ruiz is not much different. It seemed a strange tactic. Good to see Derek Boateng back in midfield though. Three man central midfield is definitely the way forward for them. When Meulensteen is inevitably in sole control in a few weeks it will be interesting to see how he fares. He was very well though of at United. Martin Jol's days are most certainly numbered.



18 - Sunderland

Still waiting for their luck to turn. They can't seem to get a break right now. The Wes Brown red card was among the harshest I've ever seen. Gus Poyet's livid reaction was 100% justified. The two red cards against Hull were fair, this one was an awful decision and seriously impacted Sunderland's chances of getting back into the game.

Harsh decision or not, it doesn't change the fact that Sunderland can't defend very well. The attack of Johnson, Fletcher and Giachherini will produce goals if all can stay fit but the real problems lie further back. Without Lee Cattermole there to snap at people's heels and break up play the defence looked very vulnerable. And Stoke are hardly the most menacing attack in the league.



17 - West Ham

This summer Sam Allardyce spent £15m on Andy Carroll and nothing on any other strikers. Carroll can't play till the new year, Allardyce has since signed free agents Mladen Petric and Carlton Cole but clearly deems playing with no strikers preferable to either of these. The result is by far the stupidest formation currently in the league. Four attacking midfielders and no striker. Not even a false-nine.

4-6-0

Despite having six midfielders, West Ham were drastically out-matched in the middle by Chelsea on Saturday and slumped to a 0-3 defeat. Once they get Carroll back fit and playing in this team, I think they'll improve but they're going absolutely nowhere right now.



16 - Norwich

Beating West Ham two weeks ago may have saved Chris Hughton's job. Despite losing to Newcastle on Saturday there were more positive signs for Norwich. They were the better side in the second half of the game and despite looking fragile on the counter attack, might well have gotten a point had circumstances swung their way. One thing to do have in their favour is Leroy Fer who continues to impress. His pace, power and general athleticism make him the near perfect central midfield player in the modern game. Other than Fer, there isn't much exciting things happening at Norwich right now.



15 - Stoke

Stoke picked up their first league win since August on Saturday. Given that, it seems amazing to think Mark Hughes hasn't been under more pressure. They've looked better to watch recently, less emphasis on long balls towards Crouch (though there is still some of that) but generally they like to play more passes through the middle. Charlie Adam, Glenn Whelan and Steven N'Zonzi formed a three-man central midfield on Saturday and outplayed Sunderland, with both goals coming as a result of them playing through the defence rather than hoofing it over them. Crouch was impressive on Saturday, leading the line very well and proving a handful for the Sunderland defenders. N'Zonzi was excellent too finishing with a goal and an assist.



14 - Cardiff

Fully deserving of at least a point from their game with Man United, something most newly promoted clubs have only been able to dream of over the past two decades. Gary Medel continues to impress and the £11m they spent on him during the summer is starting to look value for money. He and Jordon Mutch cut United apart with two incisive passes, Frazier Campbell finished the job. In general they over-ran a very weak United midfield.

Campbell took his goal very well, his third against Manchester clubs this season

It had been suggested that Malkie Mackay would be gone should he fail to get anything from Cardiff's home double header against United and Arsenal which seems incredibly harsh. Unfortunately, despite Mackay performing to the board's ridiculously high expectation, I fear the writing may be on the wall for him. Such a shame.



13 - Hull

Hull have enjoyed a solid start to life back in the Premier League and have been quietly going about their business without causing too much headlines but a home defeat to Crystal Palace should set alarm bells ringing. They've hit a bit of a rough patch lately having been torn apart by Southampton just before the international break. A worrying stat for them is that they've only managed four goals at home all season. Joint worst in the league. They are going to have to find goals from somewhere to avoid being dragged into the relegation scrap.



12 - Aston Villa

Villa had the best away defence in the league going into this round of games. Seems strange considering they went 20+ games without keeping a clean sheet up until the start of this season. This was undone by Shane Long in about ten minutes at the Hawthorns on Monday night. Nonetheless they fought back, a resurgence which began once they brought Agbonlahor on and switched to 4-3-3. Benteke's lack of goals is a big worry for them as they don't really have another consistent source. Second season syndrome may have claimed yet another victim.



11 - West Brom

It should have been Steve Clarke and West Brom who ended Mourinho's phenomenal unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge but they were denied in farcical circumstances. Aside from collapsing at home to Liverpool, West Brom have been very impressive the last six games or so. They should have four more points to their name, being on the wrong end of ridiculous decisions in two of these games.

Long is back amongst the goals big time

Shane Long struck against Chelsea and followed this up with two against Villa on Monday. I feared for his future once his move to Hull fell through given the amount of new strikers at West Brom this season but he's worked his way back into the team and is proving to Steve Clarke that he was wrong to consider him dispensable. Holding down a place in this side will be some achievement for him.



10 - Spurs

Oh dear. The one thing Spurs had done better than anyone else in the league this season was defend. Six goals conceded in eleven games, they managed to match that tally in just ninety minutes on Sunday at the Etihad. Despite having more of the ball, they typically failed to do anything with it and whilst their opponents ran amok. Becoming a theme at Spurs this year.

Where to start? Lloris mistake in the first minute set the tone. City 1-0 and the game-plan undone within 14 seconds. Paulinho was one of the standout poor performers for me. Even without trying for the first half Yaya Toure managed to have a much bigger impact on the game. Paulinho is a fine passer of the ball but his laziness and lack of defensive effort contributed in a big way to Spurs being totally overran at times.

Lloris saw six fly by him on Sunday

Only Crystal Palace and Sunderland, 19th and 20th in the table have scored fewer goals than Spurs in the Premier League. Robert Soldado was bought from Valencia for £26m in the summer and his impact seems to have been minimal. He doesn't look to be in sync with the other players, the supply isn't great and I don't think either party is fully responsible, they could just do with a developing a better understanding which should have happened by now. Negredo, who also arrived from La Liga this summer looks on a different level to Soldado right now.

I don't understand AVB's team selection sometimes. At times at Chelsea it was bizarre to say the least and some of the decisions he made on Sunday were just baffling.

• The line-up in general was just very attack minded. Far too attack minded for an away game against the best home side in the division.
• They were dominated in the final third. Paulinho and Holtby both don't like defending which often left Sandro up against the marauding Toure and Nasri whilst trying to aid the centre backs who were unable to deal with Negredo and the red-hot Aguero. Not to mention Vertonghen being given a torrid time by Navas. A bit more defensive muscle in midfield might not have gone amiss.
• This seemed to me, the worst possible fixture to give Lamela his first Premier League start. Better to play him from the off against weaker opposition.
• Bringing on Adebayor at half time. Bizarre. Utterly bizarre. Particularly when you consider Jermaine Defoe was left on the bench for the whole game.

9 - Swansea

Injury to Michu will have been a blow but a much-changed Swansea side had enough to overcome Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday thanks to a brilliant strike from Jonjo Shelvey late on. Swansea have had a bit of a mixed bad lately, defeat to Cardiff and struggling at home to Stoke would have been worrying. They might be in for a bit of a boring year in the league this season. It doesn't look like they'll challenge for the Europa League spots or flirt with relegation. The FA Cup might be the best source of excitement the fans will get domestically.

Thursday will be a big night for the club as they welcome Valencia to the Liberty Stadium, the first big European name to arrive there and a sign of the massive progress the club has made since promotion in 2011. They've come a long way and they've done it the right way. Living within their means and playing some wonderful football.



 8 - Newcastle

Three wins in a row with Chelsea and Spurs among the scalps taken has seen Newcastle rise to a very strong position, just two points off 4th place, in a very open Premier League table. They have Tim Krul to thank for his goalkeeping heroics during the upset win at White Hart Lane but it was Loic Remy who got the goal that day and he was on the score-sheet again on Saturday as Norwich were seen off. Remy, who actually turned down Newcastle for QPR in January is still only on loan from Loftus Road, has got eight goals in nine starts. He's part of the very strong French spine at Newcastle with Cabaye and Debuchy being the other outstanding players this season.

Remy has scored half of Newcastle's goals this season

They weren't at their best against Norwich on Saturday, particularly in the second half and you just get the feeling that last season, the relegation threatened Newcastle would have let this one slip. They didn't however and held on. Signing Remy permanently should be made priority in January to ensure long-term stability.



7 - Everton

In a World Cup year, Ross Barkley will no doubt earn the praise of the English media after his return to form in the Merseyside derby but Gerard Deulofeu is twice the player his team mate is. Deulofeu got a good 40 minutes of game time on Saturday due to the injury to Leighton Baines and he lit up Goodison with his pace, technique and amazingly quick feet. There were times when his lack of experience showed however, several occasions were a pass rather than a shot/dribble would have been the better option. That will come with time. He's a very exciting prospect.

Just another off the Barcelona conveyor belt of talent

Lukaku was another player right back in form on Sunday. A constant menace to the Liverpool defence, he finished with two but probably should have had four. Everton had the better chances to win the game and may look back on this as two points dropped. The first two goals they conceded were there own doing. The third equalising goal was as a result of them switching off and being unable to see a game out. The lack of a winning mentality was probably to blame for this. You can't imagine a team like Chelsea, accustomed to winning, conceding a goal in that manner.



6 - Man United

The term transitional period is normally just a cop out for a bad run of form, but I think it's what I'll use to describe United right now. Fergie never needed that excuse. 2003-06 aside, United have always been challenging for every Premier League title. Ever.

Its boring at this stage but the biggest problem is still central midfield. Fellaini improved slightly but is still nowhere near justifying his price tag and the length to which the club pursued him. Tom Cleverley, who impressed in his last game against Fulham, failed to win a single tackle during Sunday's game and made no key passes. You've got to do at least one of those things well in central midfield and if he can't do this against Cardiff, he's just not good enough for Man United. Moyes desperately needs to address this issue in January. When you play with two in the middle, they have to be good and energetic. Fernandinho and Yaya Toure fit the bill perfectly. Fellaini and Cleverley do not. They were bossed by Cardiff, a side who played at Barnsley this weekend last year. Pitting this United side up against Barcelona tomorrow would make the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals look like closely matched affairs by comparison.

Cleverley's time as a starter may be ending

Robin van Persie missed out again this weekend. This marks his third separate injury since Moyes took over in the summer. I don't remember him missing a game at all due to injury last season. I don't know what's going on there but it's worrying. Without him, and Rooney, United are nothing more than a mid-table side and I fear for them. Not home and dry in Europe yet either.



5 - Southampton

I find it really admirable that Southampton's game-plan does not change, regardless of the opposition. They treat a trip to Arsenal the same way they treated the home game with Hull two weeks before. Go out, press the opposition, get the ball back and control the game from there. It's always effective. They matched Arsenal both in terms of possession and completed passes, something no one should ever be able to do at The Emirates. The turnaround is even more remarkable when you consider that they were beaten 6-1 in the same fixture just thirteen months ago.

They were undone by two mistakes. A bit of absent-mindedness from Artur Boruc to hand Giroud his opener on a silver platter and a needless tug by Fonte on Mertesacker to give Arsenal a penalty. The last goal they conceded that wasn't from a defensive error was to Robin van Persie at Old Trafford over a month ago. They're a hard side to break down and a hard one to keep out when England new-boy Adam Lallana is on song. He wasn't fully fit on Saturday but still quite effective.



4 - Liverpool

Everton are probably a better team in more areas of the park than Liverpool but as long as they have Luis Suarez in the team they always have a chance. He's so so good, can create a chance out of absolutely nothing. Gerrard's delivery from set pieces also produced two of their three goals. Star quality won't be enough to make up for the mediocrity of other players in the long run however.

Suarez is on top of his game right now

Despite having Daniel Agger back fit in the centre of defence, Liverpool shipped three goals to a team that hadn't scored in three games and that's not a good sign. Their high defensive line was caught on the break several times and were it not for Mignolet in goal, they would have lost this game. Coutinho was not in the game enough after his goal early on, I believe he's wasted out on the left side and would bring a lot more were he to play a more central role. Joe Allen on his return went pretty unnoticed until he blasted wide from six yards with the goal gaping. They still have a lot of average players in the team. Suarez won't be able to make up for them every single week.



3 - Man City

Utterly dominant going forward against Spurs on Sunday, every attacked looked threatening because there are so many players who will do damage if left unattended to. Even Fernandinho who's primarily a ball-winning midfielder, looked like he might get in on the act as City swarmed Tottenham and scored six times.

How City overwhelmed Tottenham

Defensively they look shaky whenever Kompany isn't playing, which seems to be all the time now, but going forward, particularly at home, City look absolutely irresistable. However their mediocre away form can't be ignored and it's the only thing stopping them from topping the table right now. It's hard to believe the team that's put 4 past United, 7 past Norwich and 6 past Spurs at the Etihad have lost at Sunderland, Chelsea, Cardiff and Villa already this season.

Sergio Aguero is vying with Luis Suarez for the title of best player in the country right now. He's scored 15 in 15 this season. Beside him Negredo is looking every bit the player Soldado should at Spurs. Jesus Navas is running riot down the right wing and Samir Nasri played really well on Sunday. Yaya Toure didn't need to start playing until the second half, Fernandinho was doing so much in midfield that it didn't really matter.

Negredo's goal was wonderful

Averaging 6 goals per game at the Etihad the past month, if they start playing as well away as they are at home, there simply won't be any stopping them. In the Premier League or in Europe.

2 - Chelsea

Shading it ahead of City based on marginally less inconsistent recent results, the Mourinho machine is taking its time getting into top gear. The demolition of West Ham this weekend was another indication that they are threatening to hit their stride.

Lampard returned to haunt West Ham again

Saturday's 3-0 win at Upton Park falls under the heading 'routine'. Chelsea scored early on through Frank Lampard and were never threatened from there on. Next up its a trip to Basle and the chance to wrap up qualification for the knock-out stages with a game to spare. A scenario that looked highly unlikely after their opening night loss. Like City, it's hard to estimate just how good this team is as they look entirely different from week to week. The side that trounced West Ham looked unrecognisable from the one that needed a gift of a penalty to salvage a point at home to West Brom. Ultimately if they can stamp out their inconsistency before City do, they'll win the league.

Interesting fact, Di Matteo was sacked after 12 league games last year when Chelsea had 24 points. They have the exact same amount this time around. Get your coat Jose!



1 - Arsenal

Even though they lost, in a way the game at Old Trafford two weeks ago showed how far Arsenal have come. Two years ago they went there and lost 8-2. Last year they were dominated and lucky to only lose 2-1. This season, despite losing again they looked the better side for about 70 minutes and United were the ones defending almost constantly which is unusual for them at Old Trafford. In the past, this fixture has been described as men against boys. Arsenal have definitely grown up now.

This week they were back to winning ways, albeit with a huge helping hand from Southampton who shot themselves in the foot. Twice. Despite that Arsenal created enough chances to win the game and defended well to keep the Saints attack at bay. No mean feat.

Arsenal have been very solid at the back this season

On the European front, the win against Dortmund was massive. Qualification from the group of death is now in their own hands and they should start by securing a routine win against the whipping boys Marseille on Tuesday. They've a tough enough fixture list over December. Currently five points clear, if they're still top by that much on January 1st then they have a very good chance of staying there.

Die Classic: The Imbalance of power in German football

Recently, Germany has usurped Spain as the dominant force in European football, with their two grandeur clubs contesting the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley. They did this having overcome Spain's finest by an aggregate score of 11-3 over four semi-finals, cementing the Bundesliga's place at the top of the European food chain. There are stark differences however between the Barcelona/Real Madrid rivalry and the Bayern Munich/Borussia Dortmund one.

Spain's Clasico boasts two enormous football conglomerates, two cities, two cultures battling it out for the title more often than not. German football is different. It's more David vs Goliath than God vs Satan. Dortmund are the plucky little guys, the hipster's club. The rebel alliance to Bayern's galactic empire. Mario Gotze last summer, gave into the temptation Luke Skywalker was able to resist and turned to the 'dark side' of German football.

Luke chose death rather than joining the evil Empire. Unlike so many others

In Spain, players at 'non-Clasico' clubs dream of playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona. In Germany, players at 'non-Bayern Munich' clubs dream of playing for Bayern. Dortmund may be a stepping stone on the way but that's all they are. Like Schalke, Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, just another Bundesliga club that isn't Bayern.

Dortmund's rise from financial meltdown to the 2013 Champions League final is remarkable and wouldn't have been possible without the club that would ultimately conquer them that night in Wembley. In crisis and unable to pay their players, Dortmund received a €2m loan from the Bavarian club to help relieve some of the troubles at the club. The loan interest-free, paid back within six months and not mentioned again until early 2013, by which time Dortmund had won two Bundesliga titles on the trot. The club survived its dark days and Jurgen Klopp arrived in May 2008, turning them into German champions within three years and into the nearest thing Bayern have to a genuine rival.

Klopp has worked miracles at Dortmund on a limited budger

It hasn't all been roses for Bayern. Currently in the midst of a golden age, the biggest club in Germany didn't have it all their own way in the mid 2000s, certainly not on the European front, failing to advance beyond the quarter-finals between their win in 2001 and their return to the final in 2010. Bayern's sluggishness was most likely brought about by a lack of competition in the Bundesliga. Werder Bremen, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg all won intermittent titles but none posed a long term threat to Bayern. They had no one to push them. Since Dortmund emerged as a force in 2009/10, Bayern have reached three out of four European finals. Every successful person or team in history needed a rival to bring out the best in them. Bayern needed Dortmund in order to become what they are now. The best club side in the world.

Seems unthinkable now given the strength of the side but Bayern actually failed to qualify for the Champions League as recently as 2007. In response they went out and bought Franck Ribery, a purchase which in many ways heralded the beginning of the current era. Arjen Robben, another marquee player in the current team arrived in 2009. Nationwide investment in youth ( a reaction to the national teams flounderings) began to reap huge rewards, Toni Kroos, David Alaba and Tomas Muller all came through to the first team during this period. The likes of Neur, Gomez (sorry, can't resist) van Buyten and Mandzukic all arrived from Bundesliga rivals. The Bayern effect. The same lure that attracted them also persuaded Mario Gotze to switch camps and leave Dortmund behind in last summer. Lewandowski has openly declared his willingness to follow suit in 2014.

Robbery (no?) have been Bayern's driving force

Saturday night's game was an extremely stern and painful reminder for Jurgen Klopp that unlike Spain's Clasico, there is a clear pecking order in Germany. Bayern are in charge. Not only that but Dortmund have helped them get there. Dortmund were the better side for most of the game and really should have been the side to open the scoring either late in the first half or early in the second. Lewandowski, Reus, Blaszczykowski and Mkhitaryan all squandering good chances to tilt the game the way of the hosts. Bayern created very little clear cut chances before they took the lead. Javi Martinez playing in an advanced role was not one of Guardiola's better ideas and Dortmund should have punished them.

 It's hard to believe this Bayern defence has only conceded 7 goals all season. They were caught out several times and but for better finishing, could well have lost this game. David Alaba was left exposed too many times to Dortmund's potent right flank. Blaszczykowski and Grosskreutz combined excellently as they usually do. Alaba's a fantastic player. Wasted at left back.

Typically, it was the player Bayern prised from them during the summer. Mario Gotze prolonged his inevitable hostile reception by hiding in the tunnel prior to making his entrance as a substitute. He was roundly booed by the fans he'd left behind but still refused to celebrate his goal, appearing almost apologetic. Gotze's brilliant finish sent a below-par Bayern on their way to a rather flattering 3-0 win. A stunning chip from Robben and a Tomas Muller goal a minute later put some extra gloss on the scoreline and emphasised just how frightening the prospect of a Bayern side in top gear really is.

Jeered like hell but Gotze still refused to celebrate his opener

The result puts Bayern, now unbeaten in 38 Bundesliga games, 7 points ahead of Dortmund after just 13 games. Given how few points the champions are likely to drop to teams in the Bundesliga, the title race can effectively be considered over for this year. Pep Guardiola had an exceptional record in El Clasico and has began his Die Classic (not going to stick) with an emphatic, message-sending win. Bayern will walk to the title probably with as much ease as they did last year and come spring time, can shift their focus towards the historically much more difficult task of retaining the Champions League.

For Klopp and Dortmund this defeat must mean a whole lot more than just three points. They've done everything right. Bought wisely again this summer, filled the gap left by Gotze's defection and it seems no matter how hard they try, Bayern will always have the better of them. How they pick the pieces up and recover from this humbling experience will be a true test of the character of this Dortmund side. I really don't know where they go from here but they sure won't settle for being the second best team in the Bundesliga.

Why England are going nowhere

Hopefully there won't be a media frenzy this time around. England are not going to win the World Cup in Brazil next summer. England are not even close to being able to compete for the World Cup and in all honesty, without the privilege of being top seeds, getting out of the group would be a respectable achievement for them.

England lost to Chile last Friday night and the result being described as an upset really emphasized the sheer arrogance of the British media. Chile are a better side than England, boasting players such as Alexis Sanchez, Sociedad keeper Claudio Bravo and Juventus pair Isla and Vidal who was missing on the night. Their biggest strength is that they manage to form a collective unit equal to more than the sum of its individual parts. They are a brilliant side. They still play the high-tempo pressing game, instilled by former coach Marcelo Bielsa and play some lovely quick passing when they do have the ball, something England looked unable to deal with at times.

Alexis Sanchez and Chile showed their superiority over England.

English football is in the doldrums. Qualification for the World Cup from a relatively simple group may have masked these issues but they are sure to be highlighted over the coming months and in Brazil next summer. So how has it gotten this bad? There are two fundamental things hindering the progress of the English national side.

1. The quantity of foreign players in the Premier League, leaving the national side with a much smaller pool of English talent to choose from.
2. The reluctance of English players to go abroad.

A shockingly high 70% of the players currently in the English Premier League are not English. This is a greater figure than any other league in Europe at any level of the game. Compared to the other 'big leagues' in Europe, Serie A has the next highest percentage of foreigners with 53% of the players being from abroad. Ligue 1 in France consists of 46% foreign players, the Bundesliga has 45% and La Liga has 40%.

Ironically, the growth of the Premier League has contributed in a big way to England's decline. Not only do Italy, France, Germany and Spain, the countries England should aim to be competing with, have a bigger pool of talent in their domestic leagues to choose from, they also have an abundance of foreign based players to choose from, a great deal of whom are based in England. Roy Hodgson does not enjoy this privilege. Every player he's ever picked for England has been playing in the country with the exception of recently capped Frazer Forster, the Celtic goalkeeper.

Forster: First non-English based player capped under Hodgson

Italy are the next worst major league to England in terms of number of home-grown players but they are streets ahead in the next two measures. The feeder league, Serie B consists of only 26% foreign players. The English Championship has 47% and rising. Further to that, the Italian national side does not rely solely on the domestic league for players. Granted Italy is not the best example of this, they still have Motta and Sirigu at PSG, Cristico at Zenit and even Giaccherini and Osvaldo at Sunderland and Southampton respectively, all named in their latest squad and all in contention for Brazil next summer.

Beyond Italy, England just looks abysmal by comparison. France, with a domestic league consisting of 54% French players, can look abroad and see the likes of Ballon d'Or candidate Franck Ribery, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, Nasri, Pogba, Mexes, Evra, Sagna, Lloris and many many more options for the national side. Similarly with Germany, England's opponents  at Wembley on Tuesday, 55% of what is currently a very strong Bundesliga is German. Add to this they have the trio at Arsenal of Ozil, Podolski and Mertesacker who between them have amassed over 250 caps, Schurrle at Chelsea, Khedira at Madrid and the incomparable Mario Gomez. Oh yes. Mario Gomez.

I'm fairly confident Spain could field a side based entirely outside the country and still reach the semi-finals of the World Cup next summer. In fact they could field an entirely Premier League based squad and still probably do quite well. La Liga is made up from 60% Spaniards, thanks in no small part to the restrictions in place limiting clubs to three non-EU players. Abroad they have Thiago and Martinez at European Champions Bayern. In England they have Mata, Torres, Negredo, Silva, Jesus Navas, Arteta, De Gea, Michu et al. Llorente, Pepe Reina and a rejuvenated Jose Callejon all currently play in Italy.

Guys like these would probably be England's best players

The cream of the crop by these measures is of course the world's capital of football and the country that will host the biggest tournament in the world next summer. An astonishing 94% of players in the Brazilian Serie A are home grown players. The sheer enormousness of their national pool is evident by the fact that only two members of the current Brazilian squad actually play in Brazil: Victor, the second choice keeper and Jo, formerly of Manchester City. It is unfair to compare England to Brazil however. A much bigger country with double the population which also happens to be totally football obsessed. 

So, what can be done to give England a chance of competing at the top level of international football again? 

A start would be to limit the number of foreigners playing in the Premier League. From 2010 clubs were required to submit a squad list of 25 players over 21, of which 8 must be 'home-grown'. There were so many flaws to this plan. Firstly the regulations stated, that it would limit clubs to 17 foreign imports rather than ensuring they name 8 home-grown players. This allowed clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal to fill their allocated foreign slots, name their 3 English players and leave 5 slots empty without breaching the rules.

'Home-grown' Cesc who has almost 100 Spain caps

A 'home-grown' player is a defined as anyone who has experienced three years training at any club in England prior to their 21st birthday. Clubs can pluck players from abroad before they turn 18 and train them up as home grown players. Then every international break, they go off and play for their home country. Serge Gnabry and Adnan Januzaj, two of the most promising youngsters in the Premier League will count as home-grown players in the eyes of the Premier League once they turn 21. Neither will play for England. The rule has so many loopholes in it, it might as well not be there. 

Possible alternatives include limiting the number of foreign purchases or transfers from abroad per season by a team to stop the ever-increasing flow of foreign players into the country. This would be a slow process and unlikely to accomplish much in the short term. La Liga clubs are permitted a maximum of three non-EU players in every squad. Such a stance in England would leave clubs looking to European talent instead and would probably not change a great deal either.

English players not going abroad is unlikely to ever change. With English being such a popular language across the world, English people tend to be rather reluctant to learn another one and embrace other cultures. The only time English players regularly went abroad was during the European ban for clubs in the 1980s and into the 1990s. Interestingly, England got to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1990, losing to the eventual champions, West Germany, on penalties. This team consisted of Gary Lineker, Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne, Des Walker and David Platt. All of whom dared to venture abroad during the pomp of their playing days.

Chris Waddle and his mullet are two of many who prospered abroad in the late 80s

It just doesn't happen anymore. Frazer Forster playing for Celtic is the only English player to be called up in the past three years who plays outside of England. Currently, the most high profile English player playing abroad in continental Europe is none other than Michael Mancienne, formerly of Chelsea who's a reserve player at Hamburg in Germany. Compare that to the list of Spaniards, French and German's plying their trade outside their homeland and its very easy to see that England are going to continue to lack star quality in comparison to their rivals for the foreseeable future. 

In short, nothing is going to change in the Premier League without radical overhaul. Which the big clubs will never agree to as it will hurt their revenue massively. English players are never going to want to go abroad to play, that's just in their nature. So basically nothing is going to change.

Spain's Premier League based World Cup Squad: Probably on a par with England's current squad:

1. De Gea - Man United (GK)

2. Azpilicueta - Chelsea

3. Monreal - Arsenal

4. Javi Garcia - Man City

5. Angel Rangel - Swansea

6. Chico Flores - Swansea

7. Jesus Navas - Man City

8. Cazorla - Arsenal

9. Michu - Swansea

10. Mata - Chelsea

11. Negredo - Man City

12. Jose Enrique - Liverpool

13. Robles - Everton (GK)

14. Soldado - Spurs

15. Hernandez - Swansea

16. Iago Aspas - Liverpool

17. Garrido - Norwich

18. Luna - Aston Villa

19. Torres - Chelsea

20. Romeu - Chelsea

21. Canas - Swansea

22. Duelofeu - Everton

23. Luis Alberto - Liverpool

O'Neill and Keane: Dream Team or Car Crash?

The announcement of Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane taking over management of the Republic of Ireland was made on the evening of the 5th of November. Guy Fawkes night in the UK. The film, V For Vendetta, based on this particular date features a particularly poignant line from Natalie Portman: "This country needs more than a building right now. It needs hope".

Thankfully, Delaney stopped short of trying to blow up Leinster House

Given recent developments surrounding the national football team, Ireland needed more than a managerial appointment this November 5th, it needed hope and for once the FAI have delivered.

The appointment of Martin O'Neill as manager had been mooted and expected since before Trapattoni had left the job. Had they merely announced him as manager it would not have grabbed half as much attention and instead raised questions about why it took them two months to secure his signature (questions that are still valid but unlikely to be asked). However the appointment of Roy Keane as assistant manager provides a smokescreen for more of their inadequacies and takes some of the spotlight off Martin O'Neill.

The first official photo of the 'Dream Team'

The Keane part of the O'Neill-Keane duo is undoubtedly the major talking point for the general public. In a sense, it buries the final hatchet from Saipan 2002, more than 11 years later. Keane made his peace with Niall Quinn in 2006, going to work for him as Sunderland manager. It was in this role that he also reconciled with Mick McCarthy, publicly shaking his hand after his Sunderland side faced Wolves and admitting the matter between them was closed. FAI chief John Delaney had incurred Keane's wrath has recently as 2009 following you-know-what when he had the audacity to "preach about honesty and integrity", something Keane, then Ipswich manager, found this rather amusing given Delaney's role in the Saipan incident and the lack of loyalty he felt he was shown.

That's now been put to bed too and Roy Keane finds himself in the employ of the FAI. A scenario which I found totally unimaginable as recently as a week ago. I am reliably informed that temperatures recorded in Hell this week were among the lowest since records began.

As player and manager, Keane has never been fond of the FAI

It's unusual for a manager to be overshadowed by his assistant but it's certainly the case here. Keane is the bigger name on this managerial ticket despite being the far less proven manager. I don't think O'Neill will mind too much, he'll be focusing on getting down to work as quietly and efficiently as possible whilst letting Roy take the media focus. Perhaps this was his intention when he approached the media volatile Corkman to be his no.2. I don't think for one minute that O'Neill needs Keane as his assistant. It was both a clever ploy to focus the media's glare elsewhere and perhaps a two year learning program with a view to Roy taking the top job in 2016.

Keane will get all the attention but make no mistake, O'Neill is "the boss, the gaffer, what he says goes and at the end of the day, the buck stops with him". Hopefully he proves himself much more capable than the man who delivered that quote.

O'Neill has been out of football since his sacking as Sunderland manager in March 2013. The general consensus seems to be that he failed at Sunderland but inspecting his record there and comparing him with those who came before and after him tells a different story. He took over with the club just above the relegation zone and took them to the fringes of the top half in his first few months. Once survival was assured however the team seemed to take their foot of the gas and slumped to a poor run of no wins in their final eight league games, nevertheless finishing a respectable 13th.

His second season at the helm also went a lot better than people give him credit for. He signed Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson and the club were 11th in the table following a win over Man City. However they embarked on yet another run of eight winless games which this time resulted in his sacking.

O'Neill's touchline enthusiasm has been a defining feature for him

O'Neill's Sunderland were predominantly a counter attack team. He knew they lacked the players to play creative expressive football and instead his team tended to sit back before hitting opponents on the counter attack. Even against teams of a similar level to themselves they generally enjoyed less possession but were much more efficient when they had the ball.

James McClean is one player who really flourished under O'Neill and will be thrilled at the prospect of working with the man who gave him his big break. There's nothing a natural winger loves more than space to run into. A winger playing in a counter attacking side should get this in abundance. Adam Johnson on the right flank enjoyed the best spell of his career under O'Neill, rejuvenated following his ill-advised move to Man City the previous season.

What to expect from O'Neill's Ireland:

• A defence orientated side as it was under Trapattoni but with considerably less emphasis on the hideous long ball game, more focused on counter attacks down the flanks to cut teams open.
• Expect a huge defensive work rate in most games. Ciaran Clark in particular now has the opportunity to step up and make a name for himself.
• 4-4-2, with the two central midfielders looking to play a predominantly supporting game for the attackers. The Everton pair of Gibson and McCarthy being the most obvious choices for these slots.
• Two out-and-out wingers. Wingers that will also have to do their share of defensive  duties but be alert and fit enough to punish teams on the counter. McClean and Brady or Walters. Perhaps Pilkington.
• A strike partnership. O'Neill is very old-fashioned and a firm believer in the dying breed that is strike partnerships. Keane and Long. 
• A generally organised and well-knit team with a real sense of unity and togetherness.
• Significantly fewer ostracised players. O'Neill's primary focus may be defensive organisation but he sure knows how to use his best attacking players.

How O'Neill's Ireland might look.

Let's not kid ourselves, this Irish team is nothing special. There's a few decent Premier League players in there but not a great deal to get excited about. Anthony Stokes is the only current squad member playing in the Champions League. Of the starting XI shown above, two are currently playing at second tier level. This is precisely why I think O'Neill is perfect for this group of players. He's proven, not as a manager who you'd back bring trophies upon trophies with the big English clubs, but as a manager who can help an average side reach their full potential.

At Leicester he won two League Cups with a mid to lower table Premier League side. He turned Villa from relegation candidates to legitimate Champions League contenders. Even at Celtic, he brought and SPL side to the final of the UEFA Cup, losing out in extra time to Mourinho's Porto (who'd win the Champions League a year later). None of these sides have enjoyed nearly as much success since he left. Villa are back to where they were before he came along, Leicester have long since been relegated and Celtic sank to the doldrums of European football for the best part of a decade.

The ultimate question is will the "dream team" work? There are a lot of sub-questions to this. How will Roy Keane cope with being a number 2? How will the both of them find international management? Is this squad actually any better than we've seen in the past few years? How 

There are two possible ends I see to this. One involves everything working just fine with O'Neill successfully guiding the team to Euro 2016 before handing over the reigns to Keane. The alternate scenario ends with a spectacular fall out involving Roy Keane and the FAI or the manager or several players or just about anyone who annoyed him on that particular morning.

Keane's fierce and uncompromising attitude has always brought him either glorious success (the majority of his playing career) or catastrophic failure (the end of his playing career, Ipswich Town). There doesn't seem to be a middle ground for him so the FAI have taken a big risk in sanctioning his appointment as no.2. Should he fail to comply, the sense of hope and excitement that grips the nation now will be shattered. Should he not cause any trouble, and Martin O'Neill can do his thing as a manager I actually think the team will benefit. Enormously. 

Where United Are Going Wrong

Tuesday night will not live long in the memory of Manchester United fans who watched the game, either in San Sebastian or at home on the TV. United faced Real Sociedad in the Champions League, a winnable tie, albeit against a good team, but one in poor European form and expected to finish bottom of the group. The game was awful, full of wasteful football from both sides but we'll focus on the issues at United.

Before beginning, it's probably worth pointing out that had Chicharito not blazed over embarrassingly from three yards or had van Persie's penalty not struck the post, United would now have ten points and require only one more from the final two games to ensure qualification. As it is, they should still qualify. But the manner of the performance on Tuesday raised more than a few questions.



1. Long Balls

United attempted over 40 long passes throughout the game with less than half of them coming off, the one's aimed at the flanks in particular had an alarmingly poor success rate. There seems to be a tendency to play lazy impatient football among some of these players. Hoof a long ball over the top for the winger to chase in vain rather than be patient work the ball on the ground through the midfield.

Long Ball Attempts - United

Sure it looks good when it comes off and your team creates a chance out of nothing but it isn't working. It rarely does. It makes much more sense to keep the ball, play short passes in midfield and wait for an opening rather than trying to force one just because you lack the patience. Long balls work best with counter attack football. And United aren't a counter attack side at the moment.

Comparing United's stats to City for the same night, City attempted ten fewer long balls with the same amount of successes. The majority of there long passes took place amongst their defenders and defensive midfielder, and were not 'through balls'. City only had two long passes into the final third which failed to meet their intended target. United, it seems, had at least ten.



2. The Crossing. Stop it. Or Get Better.

Manchester United have always been a crossing team. This dates back to the days of when Beckham and Giggs were running the flanks. Today's crop of wingers are a poor substitute by comparison by Moyes seems reluctant to change from the methodology used by his predecessor. United attempted 32 crosses during Tuesday's game. This is an extraordinary amount. To put this into perspective, Manchester City, who on the same night scored 5 goals against CSKA Moscow, attempted only 16 crosses throughout their game. Both had the same number of successes with 5.

It should come as no surprise that United are averaging the highest amount of crosses per game in the Premier League.

Of course, the fault is not entirely with the under-performing wingers delivering the crosses but also with those in the middle aiming to get on the end of them. Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney are both decent in the air but not exactly target men. Marouane Fellaini seems afraid to make runs into the box where he would no doubt be a huge threat.

Play to your strengths team's, don't just do something because its always been done when it clearly isn't working.



3. Kagawa in the middle

When Ashley Young came on after 63 minutes, it meant we'd finally be given the chance to see what United fans have been craving for months. Shinji Kagawa playing in his preferred no.10 role, behind the main striker. Unfortunately, Kagawa didn't have the obvious game changing effect that would be the only thing that could persuade Moyes to pick him there regularly but there were some interesting observations to make.

Kagawa had a fine game on Tuesday, one of the few United players to do so along with his partner in crime on the left side, Patrice Evra. The two of them linked up superbly while Kagawa was on the left side. Shinji tucked inside and allowed the French full-back to overlap and get a cross in which was nearly always blocked.

When Kagawa was moved into the centre he played a different role, namely looking to bring the wide players into the game by means of through balls. Compare Shinji on the left to Shinji in the hole.

Kagawa on the left. 0 - 63 mins.

Kagawa in the hole. 64 - 90 mins

His activity as a left winger consists mostly of link ups with Evra and drifting into the middle to get more involved in the play, something that is natural to him. When moved into the hole, he tended to look for through balls often, picking out the wingers and stretching the game. Of course as it was ultimately fruitless, it will go largely unnoticed but it was worth pointing out. Only two of his completed passes here are backwards. Had he been given a whole game at his favoured number ten slot, I think his potential would be a lot more obvious.

Kagawa had a pass accuracy of 87% against Sociedad. Rooney laboured with 62% on what was a frustrating night for him.



4: Central Midfield

Yep. It's still an issue.

David Moyes paired Marouane Fellaini and his coach Ryan Giggs in the centre of midfield tonight. Fellaini looks different at United to the player he was at Everton, a bit like a turtle retreating into its shell a bit because its uncomfortable with its surroundings. Not once during the game did Fellaini recieve the ball in the attacking third. He's 6'5 and a fantastic header of the ball, he's playing in a team that on this night put 32 crosses into the box. Where was he?

Fellaini hasn't had the desired effect during his first few months at United. Fans thought they were finally getting a rampant box-to-box midfielder, exactly what they've been crying out for for years. Instead he seems to be playing a cautious defensive role, focusing on trying to make no mistakes rather than stepping up and dominating games like he did at Everton. It says a lot this this was probably his best performance in a United shirt. Oh, and he was sent off too.

Ryan Giggs turns 40 in 3 weeks and he had a good game on Tuesday but the stark reality is United should have stopped depending on him so much at least five years ago. It really goes to show the low regard Anderson is held in now. The truth of the matter is if Paul Scholes decided to suit up next week he'd probably make the bench ahead of the Brazilian.



5: David Moyes

Tuesday night was the 16th time David Moyes had taken charge of a Manchester United game. I think he's settled in as well as can be expected, it was never going to be a garden of roses, but there are a few gripes I have with him.

His ruthless dismissal of the backroom staff was my first cause for concern. People like Rene Meulensteen, Eric Steele and Mike Phelan, all of whom learned under the Fergie tree and all of whom had advice and knowledge to offer, were dismissed in favour of his Everton backroom staff. Seemed a strange decision at the time not to keep at least one of the people who knew how the club was run. A link to the past to ease the transition. But Moyes wanted to be his own man and I suppose that's admirable in itself.

His tactical naivety is probably my biggest concern. Going into this weekend's tie with Arsenal, I don't think Moyes has any  specific plan whatsoever to deal with Ozil, Ramsey and co and will just send out eleven players to play their own game. He went into the Manchester derby that way and look what happened. City tore United apart down the flanks time and time again, running out 4-0 winners. Moyes had no answer. I can see a similar outcome on Sunday. In the Champions League last 16 at Old Trafford last year, within seconds of Nani being sent off, Mourinho had changed his formation to take advantage of the extra space in midfield. Madrid inevitably scored two quick goals and knocked United out. All the great managers can think on their feet like this.


As with most managers in the modern era, his success in the transfer market will define him. He showed a criminal lack of imagination in the summer when he made Baines and Fellaini his two main targets. Hopefully, by January, he has had the time to assess all available options and not just those at his former club.



6: Ashley Young

I'm pretty OK with Ashley Young never playing for Manchester United again. Aside from the continuous shameful and embarrassing diving which drags the club's good name through the mud, he's no more than an average footballer and doesn't belong at a top club.

Young came on for Rooney in the 63rd minute and started brightly creating a chance for van Persie who struck the post. Following his appalling and disgraceful dive to win a penalty his game deteriorated. He was 0/3 for crosses and 0/3 for attempted dribbles. For a winger that's not good reading. Players like Bale and Suarez get somewhat forgiven for there occasional theatrics because they are wonderful players. Ashley Young does not have this luxury. Plus he's not even a good diver. So unconvincing. Same technique, arms always out in front to protect himself from any actual injury. Personally I hope he's sent off next time. Skip the yellow card.


Conclusions

Summing it all up:

• United need to play a more short passing game. Long balls when you're controlling possession are just a cheap gift of the ball back to your opponents.
• United need to stop crossing the ball so much or at least use better crossers or target men. Step forward Fellaini. 
• Playing Kagawa in the hole behind the striker offers considerable creative options. Particularly when it comes to stretching defences and bringing the wingers into play. He's doing a fine job on the left as it is however.
• United need two or three new central midfield players. Preferably someone who doesn't mind venturing into the opponents territory sometimes.
• Moyes has started OK. He seems very tactically narrow minded however and this could prove his undoing in some of the bigger games.
• Everybody hates Ashley Young. Everybody.