Man City v Chelsea - Talking Points

In an intriguing game at the Etihad stadium, Manchester City failed to record a win for the third league game in a row, but did manage to take a point off title favourites Chelsea. However, that was not the main story behind the game, which brought up a lot of talking points, which I will look at.

First off, Frank Lampard's equaliser for Manchester City. That in itself is a bizarre sentence, but for it to come against Chelsea is Hollywood-esque. A player scoring his first goal against the team who he became a legend at after scoring 211 goals in a 12 year spell at is something that the writers of Rocky might scoff at for being a little bit far-fetched. Lampard himself looked devastated to have scored, despite it being the equaliser in a huge game. This brought up the tiresome discussion of players celebrating against their old teams, which, frankly, is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

 

Many believed that Lampard's contribution at Man City wouldn't be particularly big and I was in that bracket, but now even if he does nothing else this spell will be remembered for that goal. It was a classic Lampard goal, arriving late in the box to latch onto a cut back before sliding a volley home, cancelling out André Schürrle's 71st minute opener.

 

What surprised me most from this game was Chelsea's inability to see out a game that it appeared they had won in predictable fashion and indeed this seems to be their only weakness at the moment - they are leaking a lot more goals than is typical of a Mourinho side. After the controversy surrounding his defensive tactics last season, Mourinho's men have leaked silly goals so far this season. However, with Diego Costa's undeniable quality up front, they have a ruthless edge that they have lacked since Didier Drogba's prime, which makes them capable of winning any game. It is still likely that Mourinho will bemoan the lack of defensive solidity that would have won them this game comfortably.

 

Pablo Zabaleta received what could be perceived as a harsh red card with less than half an hour to go, after receiving two soft bookings, however he must take a large portion of the blame, as referee Mike Dean set the tone early on with a plethora of cards which it must be said he was mostly consistent with. Zabaleta rushed in to tackle Costa, whom he had had a battle with all day, tripping him up and got his marching orders. Shortly after, Chelsea made that extra man pay and Zabaleta must be held at least partially responsible as with him on the pitch, City had a much better chance of winning it.

 

Finally, I'd like to talk about a few notable players that didn't make the headlines. James Milner's performance was absolutely superb and though he is often a much maligned player (who I have to admit has only recently won me over) he shows why he is a player at a top 4 team in the big games. Often his work rate is mentioned but little is said of his technical ability, which is on par with many top players. He is an intelligent player who creates space and uses it well with his incisive passing, accurate crossing and decent finishing. He was outstanding in every position he played, which included the very unnatural position of left-back, but he did what was asked of him. On the other side of the spectrum, Yaya Toure has so far struggled to impact games this season, despite being City's top scorer last season. He again failed to impose himself on Chelsea's midfield, but this may have been down to the impervious Nemanja Matic, who again impressed at the base of the midfield. Matic broke down innumerous City attacks and used the ball intelligently which helped Chelsea to nullify the midfield threat which City possess, except for one notable time.

 

Making his debut for City was Eliaquim Mangala, who looked like a top-drawer centre-half. Mangala is a towering defender with pace and strength in abundance, but reads the game well and aims to defend on the front foot, much like his partner Kompany. He helped to nullify the threat of Diego Costa who didn't get much of a sniff until he hit the post late on with a snapshot from the edge of the box. Despite not scoring, Costa was a constant thorn in the side of City, pulling out wide and battling with Zabaleta, eventually culminating in a red card which could have won Chelsea the game. Down the middle, however, he had little joy due to the performance of Mangala and Kompany.

 

All in all, Chelsea will be disappointed not to have held out for three points which would have put them five points clear at this early stage, but they are still clear favourites at this point. Man City will take heart from a good performance but need to get their creative players in better positions or they may struggle to create chances against bigger teams. Defensively they look solid, so they now need to refind their scoring form of early last season.

Blind Faith - The Importance of Daley Blind

Though you're probably tired now of hearing about Manchester United's transfer dealings this summer, I'd like to speak about the signing who seemed to be ignored - Daley Blind. Clearly the big name signings of Di Maria and Falcao are huge and show the pull of Manchester United still exists, but you have to have a base to allow the quality they have up front to shine, and Blind provides that.

Whilst it's too early to draw conclusions from the 4-0 home victory against a, let's face it, lacklustre QPR side, there were some hugely positive signs. Where previously this and last season United had struggled to control the midfield, they dominated large portions of the game, and most of this was down to Blind's impressive performance. Dutch experts had suggested for a while now that Blind was a perfect fit for a top team in England and it appears they were right.

So just what does Blind add that United lacked before? The main one is defensive awareness, the ability to break up play and shield the defence that Cleverley, Fellaini and Carrick lacked, which will help the young defenders like Jones and Blackett to develop their own game and gain confidence. Whilst Blind may lack the size and build of the colossal Marouane Fellaini, he is still a very strong midfielder. He makes up for the size difference with tenacity and athleticism that had been missing from a pedestrian United midfield before.

Daley Blind's passing is as good as any other midfielder at the club, too. Michael Carrick was lauded for his ability to control games through his vision and range of passing, but Blind can easily match him in that, but with a more complete defensive and also attacking awareness. He has a Busquets-esque quality to him, in that he quietly goes about his job, making intelligent decisions that can easily go unnoticed. Like Busquets, he is a wonderful player with and without the ball at his feet and will be invaluable to a side aiming to control games, as United should. 

At under £20m, United may have pulled off a real coup and Blind could be the most important of all the summer signings they have made. However, time will tell whether Blind can perform as well against better teams or whether the power of teams like Chelsea and Man City will be too much for United's midfield.

Value on Deadline Day - How Hull Broke the Rules

People will tell you that there's no value on deadline day, that you have to overpay if you panic buy, that leaving it late is dangerous, but Steve Bruce has dispelled these myths. Hull pulled off no less than four last minute signings, all of which improve the depth and quality of the squad; for a combined fee of less than the price of Danny Welbeck.

Hull signed Abel Hernandez, an extremely fast and highly rated striker with a record that isn't that impressive, but it's not dissimilar to Shane Long's who was slightly more expensive despite being 3 years older. Hernandez does have a good International record, scoring 7 in 14 appearances, as well as an impressive season last season, so it appears that he is still improving and should be a good replacement for Long. He is extremely quick and willing to run in behind the defence, which should be a great combination with fellow Uruguayan Gaston Ramirez, who joined on a season long loan after failing to lock down a starting place at Southampton. Ramirez is an extremely talented player who had been chased for a while by top European teams before signing for Southampton, but he's not quite settled in. He could be an absolute steal for Hull should he display the talent that was so clear 2 years ago. He's still young and this could be a huge season for the attacking midfielder who will add flair and creativity to a team which sometimes struggle to break down the more organised sides in the league.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Hatem Ben Arfa turned down the offer of joining relegation threatened Birmingham City in the Championship. To the surprise of a few people, however, he accepted the chance to prove himself under Steve Bruce at Hull. Newcastle fans bemoan the decision to let go the enigmatic winger go, blaming Pardew for not getting the best out of him and I have to say it is a bizarre decision, as Ben Arfa is a wonderfully talented if mercurial player capable of carving open even the best of defences on his day. Touted as a player who could not only somebody who could be a target for PSG or Liverpool but someone who could be a potential Ballon D'or winner, Hull have an amazing talent on their hands that if they can control, can propel them onto the next level.

Finally on deadline day, Hull signed the talented Mo Diame from West Ham for £3.5 million pounds. Diame is another talent who is plagued with inconsistency, but Bruce will fancy himself as a good man manager who can get the best out of the players who previously were inconsistent. Diame is a player who doesn't fit the archetype of an African defensive midfielder - he is strong and powerful, but his game is based on his ball-carrying skills and attacking skills, rather than pure physicality and defensive strength. On his day he controls games in a way that Yaya Toure does, but on a smaller scale and not as consistently, but he could excel alongside the talented Huddlestone and the energetic and tenacious Livermore who will provide him with support.

In summary, Hull have signed some unbelievably talented players who may have not quite shown their skill quite yet, but they will be hoping that they can get the best out of them. Diame, Ben Arfa and Ramirez could all unbelievable coups for Hull if they work, whereas Hernandez could be a superb addition to an otherwise threadbare front line. Hull appeared to have contradicted the cliché that there's no value on deadline day and broken all the rules.

Who will be Signing of the Season?

Yesterday, just before Man United's unceremonious dumping out of the Capital One Cup by a superb MK Dons side, Angel Di Maria became the most expensive signing for an English club of all time. As Fernando Torres will attest to, money doesn't always equal success, but Di Maria could well be the best signing of the season if he can reproduce his form from last season and if Man United can fit him into their side, but enough has been said and written about Di Maria's role. This is about players who could be the Signing of the Season for less than Mario Balotelli, another big name signing, as I look at the slightly lower profile signings that could shine this season.

1. Remy Cabella

Despite being touted as a star attacking midfielder in France with many French journalists and fans endorsing him for some of the biggest European teams (no disrespect to Newcastle, but they're not quite Dortmund or Atletico), it seemed that teams were reluctant to take a risk on the creative midfielder. Cabella is a very quick, skilful midfielder who loves to take a man on and is a very good goalscorer from midfield. He creates chances for those around him and though Newcastle are yet to score, he has been the brightest spark in the team and their season's hopes could rest on him.

2. Bojan Krkic

8 years ago, if you'd have told the coaching staff at Barcelona, and any scouts who'd seen him play, that Bojan would end up at Stoke at 24, they'd have laughed in your face. Having been touted as the biggest young talent in the world with comparisons made to Lionel Messi, those comparisons seem a long way away now. However, there was a reason that he was rated so highly by Barcelona, so if Bojan can showcase his talent that he clearly possesses, then £6.5 million could be an absolute steal for Stoke. Bojan is a wonderfully gifted player with a similar style to the aforementioned little Argentinian, who could be an absolutely amazing signing if, if, he can flourish in England.

3. Cheikhou Kouyate

West Ham have recruited extremely impressively; Mauro Zarate is similarly talented to Bojan, but Cheikhou Kouyate could be the real coup for West Ham. A powerful midfielder who is adept at playing at centre-back too, Kouyate joins national team mate Mohamed Diame at West Ham and after two impressive performances for West Ham, he looks like he could be an improvement. Diame is extremely talented but inconsistent so Hammers fans will be hoping he can continue his form which has some people comparing him to Patrick Vieira. Maybe a touch too far, but Kouyate could be a extremely impressive signing who goes under the radar.

4. Gylfi Sigurdsson

After a mixed spell at Tottenham, Sigurdsson is back at Swansea, where he appears to be more comfortable, which is wonderful for Swansea fans to see, but also the neutrals. Sigurdsson is a yard of pace away from being an elite player, making him a perfect fit for a team aiming to break into the top half of the table. He is a wonderful striker of the ball, capable of scoring goals from almost any distance, with impeccable technique and passing range. Surrounded by the pace and skill of players like Nathan Dyer and Wilfried Bony, he could really show his talents this year and really grow into the player that he looked like he would be as a young player.

5. Dusan Tadic

The most expensive buy in this article, Tadic comes with a big reputation in the Netherlands, despite not too many people knowing who he is in this country. Tadic is a direct replacement to Adam Lallana at Southampton, at half the price they sold him for. He's a similar player - capable of beating a man and creating chances for the players around him - but time will tell whether he can be as successful. If he is, then he has to be considered a bargain, due to the price of Lallana. Tadic has a lot of ability and could be one of the best creators in the league if he hits form.

So who will be the lower profile Signing of the Season? I personally fancy Cabella to shine this season, but it could easily be any of the mentioned players. Let me know who you think will blossom in the Premier League this season, on Twitter at @ElliottBCFC.

The Resurgence of 3/5 at the Back

Systems and formations go in and out of fashion, almost cyclically. 3, or 5 depending on how you play it, at the back used to be a mainstay in English football until 4-4-2 became commonplace. Elsewhere in Europe, they were moving on from 4-4-2, discovering 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, which we in England then adopted. We're often behind on these fashions, but we seem to be a bit quicker this time. Though Italian clubs have been playing 3 centre-backs for years, we seem to be trying to adopt to the dominant styles of the Spanish and German teams - or at least some teams are.

The most high profile change to a 3 centre-back system is the much discussed change from Manchester United under Louis Van Gaal. Playing 3-5-2 allows them to play their three most dangerous players - Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie - at the same time. Last season, Man U tried to play a 4-2-3-1 system, which didn't allow them to play all three in their positions. This may also get the best out of Shinji Kagawa too, as he will have room to playmake in his standard position. Not only this, but Man U had trouble controlling games last season, and having more 5 in midfield should help them control the game. Defensively, there have been many a concern expressed about the quality of their defenders, so playing 3 centre-backs should help them defensively.

Van Gaal obviously has previous with 3 centre-backs, having played it with Netherlands at the World Cup. This obviously worked well for Netherlands against very good teams, like Spain, but they struggled to break down the more defensive teams such as Costa Rica. That can be an issue with the formation, which depends mostly on the wing-backs, who are the possibly the most important players in the system. Netherlands had fairly defensive wing-backs in their system. Daley Blind is a superb player but won't stretch a game and fire crosses in, and neither will Dirk Kuyt. In this system, the wide players are needed to add an extra dimension to the attack, otherwise they risk becoming predictable and easy to defend.

They mustn't forget their defensive duties however, as this can be another main weakness of the formation. The flanks can be left open for exploitation if wing-backs either aren't good enough defensively, or push too high up, so teams must be careful against top wingers. This could be an issue for Man U when they play against Eden Hazard for example. Rafael, if he plays, struggles to deal with top class wide men and if doubled up on would really struggle. If they sign Cuadrado, for example, he may be required to go forward to add more going forwards, leaving gaps that can be exploited.

One of the best wing-backs in English football at the moment is Ahmed Elmohamady, for Hull. Steve Bruce implemented a very successful system at Hull that allowed him to bomb on from wing-back, which he did with aplomb last season. Hull played a deeper trio in midfield, allowing Huddlestone to control games whilst Livermore and Meyler protect him and break forwards. Having the 3 at the back system meant that Huddlestone could play in a 3, which is where he excels, whilst Hull can play 2 up top, which meant they threatened teams instead of being toothless up front, which they may well have been playing 4-5-1.

Hull played with 3 'standard' centre-backs, whose jobs were defending almost exclusively, whereas many teams prefer to have a sweeper, who is more liberal. Defensively, he cleans up behind the defence, but on the ball he controls the game with his passing and leadership. Mexico did this particularly well in the World Cup, with Rafael Marquez pulling the strings, strolling around the pitch and spraying the ball around. Harry Redknapp appears to be trying to recreate this with Rio Ferdinand at QPR. QPR are trying to play 3-5-2 or maybe even the lesser seen 3-4-3, presumably with Isla and Traore as wing-backs, which should suit them down to the ground.

With Hull, QPR and Man United all playing 3 at the back in the Premier League, and many other teams using it at times (Everton have been known too, for example) it seems that 3 at the back systems are coming back into fashion. With attacking full-backs being the norm nowadays, the transition into wing-backs could be a very simple one, meaning we could see more and more teams switching over. 3 at the back is making a comeback, so jump on the bandwagon.

Team Previews - Southampton

Predicted Line-Up:

Strengths:

Flexibility - With the incoming signing of Shane Long sure to be completed very soon, Southampton have 2 very different forwards, which allows them to change style and formation whenever they want. They can change to 2 up front, or they can move Long up top in the current 4-2-3-1 formation. This allows them to counter different types of defences - a high line will struggle with Long, whereas deep lines will struggle with Pellè.

Midfield - Despite the sales of Lallana and possibly Schneiderlin, Southampton actually have a very strong midfield. Cork is a fantastic player who is very underrated, Wanyama is a strong ball winning midfielder who contrasts well with Cork and Ward-Prowse is an extremely talented young playmaker with fantastic delivery from set-pieces. 

Creation - Dusan Tadic is a wonderfully talented player and will be a creative force for the Saints. With players like Ward-Prowse, Sean Davis and Jay Rodriguez all supplying the forwards, there should be no problem with scoring goals.

Weaknesses:

Central Defence - Jose Fonte is a good centre-back, however Yoshida is not really good enough for a mid-table Premier League team. Dejan Lovren was a key part of Saints' success last season and will be sorely missed. However, Saints do have two solid full-backs, but they may be weak in the heart of the defence.

Signings: 

Dusan Tadic - The Eredivisie is full of talent and Tadic was one of the top players in the Eredivisie last year. There have been plenty of success stories in recent years of players signed from the Dutch league - look at Suarez and Bony - so Southampton will be hoping Tadic can excel. He is a skilful playmaker who can beat a man and is a wonderful passer. 

Graziano Pellè - A strong centre-forward who is great in the air but decent with his feet too. He should be a more than capable replacement for Lambert. Another Eredivisie star, Pellè could be Saints' main goalscorer next season if he can reproduce his form.

Ryan Bertrand - Very good loan signing for Saints, Bertrand is a very capable defender who is decent going forward. Luke Shaw he is not, but Bertrand is a good left-back in his own right. I wouldn't be surprised to see him move in a permanent deal at the end of the season.

Saphir Taider - A dynamic midfielder who keeps hold of the ball well and works very hard to win it back. He's not a goalscoring midfielder, but he should be a reasonable replacement for Schneiderlin, given his reputation as a hardworking and physical player.

Shane Long - Not particularly prolific, but Long is a hardworking forward who creates space for the players around him with his pace and work rate. I think he'll be far more prolific in a Southampton shirt, but £12m is a lot of money for him and I'm not sure he's that good.

Fraser Forster - Top class 'keeper who will be a wonderful signing, in my opinion. He is commanding but still a brilliant shot stopper and should be a mainstay in the England squad in the next few years.

Who They Should Sign:

A Central Defender - Saints need another centre-back quickly, and a very good one. The problem for them is that top class centre-backs are in short supply at the moment, so they will have to pay a lot to find one.

A Winger - Saints need some cover for Rodriguez and Tadic, as one injury would leave them short out wide. I have a feeling that Long may be used out wide too and think he'll do a great job in the Rodriguez role, but another winger would not go amiss.

Final Thoughts:

People saying that Saints' squad is not good enough after being ravaged by 'bigger' teams are overreacting, in my opinion. Their squad is good enough for a mid-table finish and they've made a lot of money this summer. Whilst their squad is weaker than it was, it's not that big a difference.

Southampton will hope that Pellè and Tadic bed in quickly, as this will greatly improve their chances of a top 10 finish. They'll need Rodriguez to recapture his pre-injury form from last season, then they will be a dangerous outfit. 

I genuinely believe that there is no chance of Southampton going down and they should be in line for another mid-table finish.

Team Previews - QPR

Predicted Line-Up:

Strengths:

Hard-working Midfield - Mutch, Henry and Barton are all combative and tenacious midfielders who can and will pressure the opposition and win the ball back. Having said that, they can play as well - Barton is a fantastic midfield dictator whilst Mutch has a lovely range of passing and an eye for goal. 

Pace out Wide - Hoilett, Phillips and Wright-Phillips are pacey wide men who will be dangerous on the counter-attack for any team. QPR have capable full backs who can overlap too, especially Isla, which will 

allow their wingers to cut inside as well.

Experience - Of all the promoted sides, QPR comfortably have the most internationals and Premier League appearances underneath their belt, which should really help them.

Weaknesses:

Age - Age is a double-edged sword; whilst experience is very useful, there comes a time when older players struggle for pace and fitness. Players such as Ferdinand, Dunne, Hill and Zamora are maybe past their prime, and may struggle with the rigours of the Premier League.

Possible Lack of Depth - Though QPR have a decent sized squad, the replacements for their starters really aren't to the same level and this could be their downfall.

Signings:

Steven Caulker - Could be a very good signing. Caulker is an athletic centre-half who is extremely good in the air and a goalscoring threat. However, Caulker isn't the most reliable defender and does make the odd mistake. If QPR get the best out of him, he'll be a top signing. 

Rio Ferdinand - No longer good enough, in my opinion. Obviously he was a superb defender in his day, but age and injuries have not been kind to Rio. This is a typical QPR signing that could backfire.

Mauricio Isla - Very good player, capable of playing at right-back or right wing. Isla had a good World Cup and is a fantastically talented player who will do well at QPR.

Jordon Mutch - A very talented young player, though injury prone. If Mutch can avoid injuries he will be a fantastic signing for the R's. He's dynamic, intelligent and can pick a pass, as well as being able to score the odd goal.

Who They Should Sign:

A young centre-half - A long term replacement to Richard Dunne should be on Redknapp's shopping list. Dunne is and was a very good player but how long that will last is arguable. Caulker was a good step towards that, but they need another defender would be a good idea.

A right-winger - Shaun Wright-Phillips is no longer good enough for the Premier League, so finding someone else to play there either as back up to, or preferably ahead of, Junior Hoilett, would be a good signing.

Final Thoughts: 

QPR should just about have enough about them to stay up. They have a combative midfield who will control games against teams around them in the league, a good goalscorer in Charlie Austin and some fast wingers to hit teams on the counter. Defensively, they may struggle a little bit, but they should be ok. 

The experience in the team should help QPR against the other teams in the lower half of the division. They won't aim to beat the top half teams in the league and any points against them will be a bonus. QPR should beat teams around them which should make them certainties to stay up.

QPR will just aim to stay up this season, and then establish themselves as a Premier League club next year. With the substantial investment that will surely come next year, that should be of no issue.