Arsenal and United teach their rivals a lesson

Game management is something that mangers talk about a lot in the premiership. It's all about how their players 'managed' the game after going down a man, or a goal, or scoring a goal. This weekend saw Liverpool and Tottenham outperform their opposition but fail to capitalize on their superiority and collect the much needed 3 points. This is the business end of the season (which is stupid really as all games during the season carry equal point value - but every result in the run in is scrutinized and can create positive runs of form which can see a team over the finish line or dips which can drag them down in the doldrums), this weekend, Arsenal and then Manchester did the business by staying alive in games they were for large parts dominated in, but managed to come away with great away results.

At Anfield on Saturday morning, Kenny Dalglish will again be than happy with this overall team performance as they outplayed, out-passed and out-shot Arsene Wengers men. The difference in the game was the quality in front of goal. Liverpool have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net all season. Luis Suarez is undoubtedly dangerous, slippery and skillful and can work magic out of nothing, but he has come up short with this final product more often than not this season. 6 league goals so far in his stop start season (missing 9 games mid season for his FA bans) is no where near his form in the Eredivisie where like Dirk Kuyt he found goals a lot easier to come by. Andy Carroll, never prolific at Newcastle, hasn't found his scoring touch either. That leaves the midfield with a huge responsibility to chip in with their fair share, which they have failed to do. Stuart Downing has hit the woodwork a few times, but other than that has rarely threatened this season, his last Premiership goal came against Liverpool for Aston Villa in the penultimate game of last season. Charlie Adam looks monotonously slow and seems to only score deflected efforts from outside the box and doesn't assist like he did for Blackpool last year. Jordan Henderson may yet become a top player, but at the moment it's way too much too soon for a lad that would have been better suited to developing for 2 more seasons at Sunderland before a move to a bigger club. Jay Spearing, clearly nothing more than a squad player cannot fill Lucas' boots and looks like he's put his own pair on the wrong feet at times with his wayward passing and awkward lunges. What happened to Maxi Rodriguez? Who knows? With Bellamy and Gerrard (Liverpool's only real midfield forces) injured or too old to consistently perform you can see why they won't finish in the top 4 this year.

Liverpool's penalty taking this season show's just how inefficient in front of goal they are. 6 from 10 penalties missed in the league this season with 5 different takers, and that doesn't include the near horror show of last weekends Carling Cup shoot out. Dirk Kuyt after having his initial effort well saved should have buried the rebound but seemed more focused on Jordan Henderson coming in behind him than smashing the ball home. How long till they give Pepe Reina the responsibility? Surely he can take a decent spot kick. While on the subject of Reina, I don't remember him having a 'good' game in goal for Liverpool all season. Wojciech Szczesny his opposite number was in fine form on Saturday and kept his side in it. Reina on the other hand was only called into action 3 times, he saved once and failed to react to the other 2. The second Robin Van Persie strike was a side foot volley from 12 yards to his near post, something a goal keeper of his caliber is expected to save, and on the day something that his opposite number would have made look routine.

Arsenal other than their striker and goalkeeper were poor again. Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny flatter to deceive. Vermaelen has a big reputation, but like Chelsea's David Luiz I think it's more to do with his skill at scoring goals rather than preventing them. Koscielny's own goal on Saturday gets worse every time you see it, and you wonder how much better Arsenal would be with a half-cut Tony Adams playing at the back with knackered Steve Bould! Their midfield was over-run and Arteta was out of sorts giving the ball away easier than I'd ever seen him even before he got knocked out after an accidental collision with Henderson. But for all their shortfalls this season they have one shining light of outstanding quality, Robin Van Persie. RVP, fitter, stronger, hungrier and more deadly than ever is simple having a career defining year. The Arsenal faithful sing 'He scores when he wants, he scores when he wants' and he obviously want's to score a lot as his record in front of goal is frightening. 25 goals in 27 league games. Without him Arsenal could be anywhere in the league, but certainly no where near as high as they are now. RVP loves London, and the club, that's no secret, but without Champions League football next season you can see him leaving with a host of top European clubs willing to part with mega cash for his services. Arsenal may well make it into the Champions League next season, but without strengthening this summer they will struggle to get through the group stages and then face being humbled in the first knock out round like this season, something that RVP will be mindful of when making his decision this summer. He is too good for Arsenal at the moment, and on a different level to the rest of the team in terms of ability and aptitude. Wenger might finally have to dip into their record profits to sign some world class support for their world class striker. If he was in red on Saturday he would have had at least 4, but instead in blue, settled for 2.

Tottenham did their best impersonation of Liverpool on Sunday against United. They hustled and out-worked United in midfield, created some good opportunities in front of goal but lacked the killer instinct and then went to sleep at the back leaving their most dangerous strikers free to head home easy goals. It was classic United in north London. They played poorly, didn't produce much, but ended up comfortable 3-1 victors. Like Arsenal they have one outstanding goal threat, Wayne Rooney. Rooney marked (or not marked in this case) by Kyle Walker at a corner powered a header past a static Brad Friedel to snatch the lead before half time. One chance, one goal, RVP style. In the second half, the provider of the first goal, Ashley Young topped of a great week for him personally when he added to his International goal at Wembley with a technically beautiful brace at White Hart Lane. The first a smart right foot volley after a sharp counter attack, the second a trademark curling effort from the edge of the box when the Spurs defenders continually backed off. It was daylight robbery. The Manchester club did what they have done so well in the past, not played well but got a result. That is the epitome of top class game management. Don't give up any silly goals, ride your luck at times, but then make quality decisions and execute excellence when the chance presents itself, something United and Arsenal did superbly, and Liverpool and Tottenham need to learn to do.

It's an all Manchester affair for the title race, with a possible title decider between United and City in late April and with Chelski sacking AVB to no great surprise, Arsenal could even catch Spurs to get into the automatic CL place of 3rd as Chelsea seem certain to slip up and out of contention.

Suarez vs Cantona

Luis Suarez should have shook Patrice Evra's hand before the game this past Saturday at Old Trafford.  No excuse.  Even if the Uruguayan felt hard done by with his 8 match ban after being found  guilty in a hear say trial he should have shaken his hand. He had to to put the issue to bed.  Evra was ready, even offered his hand, but the man they call 'El Pistolero' declined, instead going to David De Gea and then Rio Ferdinand who didn't shake Suarez's hand in return.


He told the club he would, he told the manager he would, but crucially at the last moment he didn't.  Suarez, with this small but significant non action, has created a firestorm surrounding a fairly average match where United came up winners after a defensive lapse from Glen Johnson at a corner and an awful giveaway on the edge of his box from Jay Spearing (don't get me started).  The man in all the headlines actually scored late on after Johnny Evans made his huge usual mistake and Rio Ferdinand showed everyone why he's half the player he used to be with his snail like reactions and poor body shape.


Sir Alex Ferguson came out after the game and made some pretty huge statements.  Labeling Suarez a "disgrace" and declaring he should never be allowed to play for Liverpool again.  I'm not sure if Kenny Dalglish had heard these sentiments before he was interviewed, but King Kenny, clearly riled, didn't paint himself or the club in the best light by saying the interviewer was "bang out of order" and Luis Suarez was not to blame for anything.  Kenny has since apologised for his comments after the match, but I think they're more understandable than what they may have first seemed.  Sir Alex, the greatest Manager the game has ever seen in my opinion, jumped up on the high horse (which he is entitled to have after his years of success in the game and the vast experience he had) but commenting on another clubs player like that is not only out of character for him, but also as Kenny said "bang out of order".  Fergie defends his players just as Dalglish does.


Suarez was found guilty and served his ban. He still believes his innocence and feels harshly done by.  Claiming a player should never play again for a club because he didn't shake someone's hand is a little much, especially when you consider Ferguson's players previous behavior on and off the pitch.  Eric Cantona kung fu kicked a fan and I don't remember Fergie declaring that behaviour as the last he should ever make on the pitch.  Sometimes the great players have an edge.  Suarez, the player of the tournament at the last Copa America, is an amazing talent.  Like Cantona, he has made mistakes, but like Cantona, is supported by his own fans through thick and thin with a type of blind love only the greatest players can muster from the public.  Many football fans were horrified by what Cantona did, and while Suarez racially abusing and then not shaking Evra's hand is horrific enough it is not as in your face and dramatic as what Cantona did.  Kids watching at home will not have been able to lip read "negrito" and probably won't have seen the non hand shake from Suarez, but if they did, they will have also seen Ferdinand not shake, and if there's one thing we tell kids - 'two wrongs don't make a right.'  Suarez like Cantona was wrong and paid the price, apologised and now has to let his football do the talking.  Rio Ferdinand should try and do the same thing, as I can remember not too long ago him being out for 9 months for failing a drug test.  (Failing to show up counts as failing of course.)  One thing that is beyond question, just like Cantona, Suarez was wrong - but maybe that wrong is what helps make them so 'right' on the football pitch...