This week, the Barclays Premier League news is awash with the fact that all teams were on the score sheet in their fixtures for the first time since 1992/3 season and a record 41 goals were scored equaling other 2 seasons gone by. Thanks to a classic top drawer Dimitr Berbetov's fine 5 against disinterested Blackburn Rovers. As an attack minded individual, I appreciate the statistics, but then, someone was not defending well for this to happen. Probably, everyone defended badly. I can not stand bad defensive behaviour at all.
At the beginning of the season, we saw half a dozen goals being scored by traditionally bigger teams against emerging teams with ever so much ease. I raised the question of whether the gap between the top teams was getting bigger. I realised it had nothing to do with big or small. Many teams had players coming from the FIFA World Cup being rested and the replacements having a point to prove. Those who played straight from South Africa were in peak form, but are they on the decline after a burn out?
There has been surprises by big teams of late and prizes for smaller ones. Defending champions, Chelsea are suddenly struggling after hitting a double dozen in the opening 5 matches or so. Manchester United are very far off their best and are at the top of the League. Arsenal have the weakest defence in the league after Tottenham Hotspur, but no one is scoring much against them to match the porosity of the central defence as seen by the 17 goals they conceded so far.
Spurs had been making it a good habit of missing penalty kicks without even consequently losing those matches. There is no pedigree to punish any sloppiness. The league is down, down, down. All coaching concepts of either punishing or being punished for mistakes is history. These teams have the weakest defence technically and tactically but statistics do not necessarily support that. Any movement towards the middle causes them more discomfort than does the cross to the vampire. It is so easy penetrating their defenses they wonder how teams do not bypass Alex Song and then walk through the nets.
With all their talent and cash, Manchester City are nowhere near where they should be. They huffed and puffed against Stoke City who could have taken them to the cleaners, with 5 or even 6 goals, had Fuller taken full advantage of their jitters and taken responsibility in the box. With a little composure and accuracy, Stoke would be sitting pretty.
The state of the league is shocking to say the least. The match Chelsea played against Newcastle left a bitter taste in the mouth for both sides' fans. The Magpies were so sloppy and care-free that the Zimbabwe Asiagate came to mind. Many can claim that The Blues have boardroom instability, but then, are Newcastle playing is solidarity with the enemy. Remember that the St James Park side just hit some big team for a good number but at the weekend, the looked deliberately lost.
Would bringing in Rangers and Celtic strengthen the Premiership? Is it a case of good teams playing whichever way they want and get the result? Judge yee!
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