Mourinho Needs to Change, Milan derby, Madrid, Newcastle.

Spoils shared at the Bridge

You could walk up to any football loving fan at all and they could guess the system Mourinho was going to employ versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Only this time, it seemed a necessary option. With everything going on around United, the last thing they needed was a humiliating defeat at the hands of a bitter rival.

To be fair, United didn’t entirely ‘park the bus’, but rather set up in a 4-5-1 (man marking key players in Chelsea’s set-up , Hazard and Jorginho) to catch Chelsea on the break. Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who were expected to lead the counter attacks spent a lot of time in full back positions and when they did break through, the lack of support from a laid back United meant they had all to do up front. Also, whereas Chelsea’s 63%- 37% possession, portrayed a message of complete dominance, their low return of clear cut chances created -and their only shot on target in the first half being Antonio Rudiger’s 21st minute header- show a game that was more even than the statistics make it to look.

United switched things up in the second half and played without the handbrake on. The reward for their more attacking approach was the equaliser from Anthony Martial ten minutes into the second half. The goal seemed to have brought United out of their shell and for an 18-minute period, they attacked with intent and purpose. They got the lead in the 73rd minute and it was the least they deserved from a good period of play.

The positives for Jose Mourinho and his men is their reaction to going behind in the first half as seen in their last two games.

However, all indications point to the fact that majority of the players in this team are more comfortable with playing on the front foot and without the handbrake on. Anthony Martial, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba are players who have benefited more from a more relaxed and expressive system as seen in the second halves of their last two games. It is time Jose Mourinho takes a cue from this and adopts a more proactive approach.

Chelsea needs their strikers to start firing

With Eden Hazard man marked and almost totally shut down for most periods of the game, Chelsea’s centre forwards needed to step up but they didn’t. For all their large amount of possession Chelsea had, Alvaro Morata managed only two shots, one off target and the other, a feeble effort from inside the area, that wouldn’t trouble David De Gea. Olivier Giroud came on later and couldn’t manage a single shot. They have a combined tally of two league goals this season with both coming from Morata. Whereas both strikers’ aerial abilities and link up play are very important to Maurizio Sarri’s system, they need to start getting the goals should Chelsea challenge for the title.

Icardi decides derby again

Mauro Icardi’s 92nd minute header was enough for Inter to clinch an all important derby win at the Guissepe Meazza on Sunday. A very tensed derby saw both sides go for it from the first minute. Both Milan and Inter had the ball in the net in the first half. Both times, they were ruled out, correctly, for offside. Inter saw most of the ball but were unable to create any meaningful clear cut chances with Milan captain Allessio Romagnoli keeping a close eye on Mauro Icardi. That battle was as keenly contested as the one between Gonzalo Higuain and Milan Skriniar at the other end. It took until the 92nd minute when a rare lapse in concentration from Mussachio and Donnarunma resulted in a failure to properly deal with a cross and Icardi was on hand to punish them. Much was expected from Milan’s number one of the last 3 seasons but it’s easy to cut him some slack, considering the young goalkeeper is just 19 with a lot more to learn. On the other hand, Icardi’s importance to Inter couldn’t be more emphasized. The Inter captain has proven to be as clinical as ever and feeds off relatively fewer chances as compared to other strikers. In Inter’s biggest games yet, against Tottenham and Milan, he has proven to be the difference with a goal in each game, where he saw very little of the ball. It will take a whole lot for Inter to keep him but you would be wrong to think it’s going to be easy to price their biggest asset from them.

De Bruyne return not doom for Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva was substituted in the 58th minute for the returning Kevin De Bruyne. City’s best player from last season endured an 8-week spell on the sidelines and returned on Saturday afternoon in a 5-0 win against Burnley for the champions. City have been comfortable within that time, recording 6 wins and 1 draw, scoring 22 goals and conceding 3. Pep employed a flat midfield in a 4-3-3 during his absence with Bernardo Silva, the most outstanding player in the system. The return of Kevin De Bruyne might not be the best for Bernardo but with a player of his versitality; his ability to play out wide, in a central midfield of 3 and in a box to box role, he should be able to survive, Also with Pep moulding him as a long term replacement to his namesake David, it isn’t all lost for him. On the other hand, one player that will be very much excited at the return of KDB is Sergio Aguero. The Argentine forward has been made to pick up deeper positions in a system where the central players directly behind him are farther behind. De Bruyne’s return provides an option in the hole behind Aguero, meaning he stays in the box more and has more opportunities to get in on goal. All the same, Pep will be very happy to have this kind of selection headache.

Lopetogui, a dead man walking?

Sergio Ramos issued out a rallying cry to get behind the manager after Madrid yet again lost 1-2 to Levante. Madrid are now winless in 5 games, their worst run of winless games since 2009,while Marcelo’s goal in the 73rd minute after a run of 481 minutes without a goal was Madrid’s worst run ever in their history. The return of Isco was supposed to be a breath of fresh air in this squad but the injury to Bale meant he was without yet another fully fit key player. Whether Sergio Ramos’ public display of support is enough to buy Lopetogui more time lives to be seen but the issues in Madrid continue to rear it’s ugly heads. This time, it might even just be beyond the manager.

Newcastle

Newcastle have recorded just 2 points from a possible 27. They are yet to win a game and Saturday’s loss to Brighton threatens to pile more pressure on coach Rafa Benitez and owner Mike Ashley. Rafa has the backing of the fans to his advantage having been given no significant backing in the transfer window. There seems to be no cutting edge in this team with Kennedy, the closest to a reliable goal threat. The decision to let go of Mitrovic and Gayle, seems to be a bad decision now with Joselu and Ayoze Perez struggling in front of goal. Also, new signing Muto, just recently got off the mark. In conclusion, Newcastle’s record transfer fee is the £16m paid for Michael Owen as far back as 2005 and that tells the entire story of how poorly Mike Ashley has led the club. Worrying times in the north east for all Geordies and as early as the season is, it seems they are in for a relegation battle.

Bonus.

After Ross Barkley’s leveler late on against United, the Chelsea bench went into a frenzy and one man strayed away from the Chelsea bench with joy and ecstacy and then seemed to have transferred that frenzy to the United bench; only that it was a negative one. Marco Ianni seemed to have taken the celebrations too far as he seemed to have either made a derogatory remark or gesture towards the United boss. Mourinho didnt take it lightly atall and threatened to confront Ianni amidst a crowd of technical coaches and players from both sides restraining the Portugese. It remains to be seen if Marco Ianni ( one of Sarri’s backroom staff working as an analyst) would be punished after referee Mike Dean included the incident in his post game report. Maurizio Sarri in his post match press conference said that Mourinho deserved a little bit more respect from the Chelsea fans and said that both he (Sarri ) and Ianni have apologized to the Portugese. Mourinho on his part confirmed that both Sarri and Ianni rendered their apologies after the match in the dressing room and accepted the apology during his press conference.

Avot.

The Unai Emery Evolution.

Unai Emery touring the Emirates for the first time with Ivan Gazidis after he was announced as Arsenal manager.

Unai Emery was selected to take the Arsenal ship this season after former Captain of the ship; Arsene Wenger, decided to relinquish his position of leading the team after more than 20 years of service to the Arsenal family. The big question was ‘will Arsenal survive the change?’. How will the players react to the change in tactics and how fast would that change be after playing virtually most of their Arsenal careers under Wenger.

Unai Emery took charge of his first training session.

Things did not really get off to a good start as Arsenal lost their first two games against Manchester City and Chelsea and most Arsenal fans would agree with me that they actually did not think they will get something out of that. The City game was Emery’s first game as manager of the team and you could see the blueprints of his style of play beginning to seep into the Arsenal team but City were too strong on the day and ran away 2 nil winners. Against Chelsea, the improvements were massive and the players were responding nicely to Emery’s instructions, they narrowly missed out on a point( which they truthfully did deserve) after coming back from two goals down only to lose the game in the dire minutes of the game. The positives however, were glaring for all to see and we could all begin to nod our heads in response to the fact that Emery was making headway with this Arsenal team. Since then its been the incisive, sharp and on point Arsenal winning 9 games on the bounce in all competitions. Some might argue that they have not met tough opponents since the opening two games, but we are so familiar with the Arsenal story in connection with games like Watford, West Ham and Everton.

What Has Changed?

An animated Unai Emery on the touchline.

Unai Emery seems to be a man who pays attention to detail and it was no surprise that his first tasks were to solve the defensive problems that rocked the club under Wenger. Purchasing three defensive minded players in Sokratis, Guendouzi and Torreira and clearly Arsenal have got better. Young midfielder Guendouzi started the first three matches and put in great performances before Emery decided to go for a more cool headed Torreira who has also been improving game after game. Arsenal have become more stable in the midfield and have cut short the majority of the errors that lead to goal.

Lucas Torreira was signed by Emery to fill the defensive midfield void at the club.

Emery is a good reader of the game and is daring enough to change tactics and formation during and in-between matches. And seems to make the good substitutions at the right time; a typical example is the Fulham game where his two subs (Aubameyang and Ramsey) both scored and assisted after coming into the game from the bench. Within two weeks Unai Emery tested three different formations of which Arsenal played well in those matches; 4-2-3-1 for the premier league matches and then 4-3-3 against Vorskla in the Europa League and the game against Brentford and then three at the back against Qarabag in Azerbaijan. The players responded well and won all those games.

Arsenal have returned to their hay days when they can decide to be too good for any opposition and this season the high press style of play has seen the Emirates side be very sharp on the attack and strife hard to win the ball high up the pitch. The match against Chelsea (with the exception of the 5-1 mauling of Fulham) was probably their best performance. Arsenal could have easily won the game by as many as 8 goals if they took their chances well in a spell that drew them level after going down by two goals in the first half. Arsenal usually coil up into their shells when they face the big boys. But the match against Chelsea showed that Unai Emery’s team is ready to match the big guns boot for boot.

Unai Emery maintains a good relationship with his players (not to say that he is better than Arsene in this regard) but unlike Arsene who maintains a father-son relationship with his players, Emery is more of a sibling to these players and they are more comfortable seeing the boss for a tête-a-tête. Emery’s management of the Ramsey situation is brilliant; deciding to still play the player amidst the uncertainties surrounding his future. Emery has also managed the Aubameyang-Lacazzette situation very well. Even though Arsene Wenger adopted the same solution(opting to play Aubameyang on the wings) Emery has decided to use the same formula for the two after seemingly preferring Aubameyang upfront at the start of the season.Both players have registered 4 goals each in the premier league and created 9 chances for others. Danny Welbeck(a player who many thought would be on the fringes this season) too even is in hot form after scoring 4 in all competitions. Another testament to Unai’s impressive player management.

Emery has found a way to fit both strikers in the team

Issues Still to Be Addressed

The Defense.

The Defense is a major issue still for the gunners. High press is wonderful on the attack but its in defense that the problem usually arises. The link between playing from the back, defending from the front and proper defending needs to be strengthened. Because they have most usually lost the ball playing from the back and most often opened up too much by trying to win the ball high up the pitch and that is a big worry for the team going forward into the season. With only two clean sheets this season, the defense have a real task on their hand in terms of conceding goals. With Koscielny gradually coming back to fitness, Emery will need to decide what his first choice CB pairing is in order to bring some stability to the back.

First Half Performances and Slow Starts.

Most of Arsenal’s games have been won in the second half. The only strong performances have been in the Europa league and the League cup matches. In all other matches Arsenal have either gone in at half time losing or drawing. Emery needs to address the issue because in matches against tough opposition and other opposition who look to exploit their first half weakness, they could be blown away without any chance of recovery. Proper title contenders need to be up for the game from start to finish and Arsenal need to get to that point.

The Mesut Ozil Situation

Amidst all the excitement Mesut Ozil looks to be back to the days where he will have to settle for a spot on the wings for most matches. Unai Emery seems to favour Ramsey and Mkhitaryan in Mesut Ozil’s preferred no. 10 role. One might argue that, Mesut’s had a really bad couple of months after the situation regarding racism during the world cup that led to his eventual resignation from German national team duty. However, watching Arsenal play, Mesut looks less involved during gameplay and impacts the game lesser these days because he is probably not happy on the wings and would need to be put in his preferred position in the fulcrum of the attacking midfield. Three goals in eight appearances in all competitions is probably acceptable for Mesut because he doesn’t really score goals but its his failure to register a single assist that is leaving most Arsenal fans scratching their heads and stroking their beards. Mesut is arguably Arsenal’s most intelligent player and Unai needs to get the best out of him someway or somehow.

Unai Emery has done such a good job and Arsenal have already climbed back up into their favourite 4th spot. However, these are early days yet and the fixtures against the big opposition would test their mettle greatly and Arsenal must be ready to justify their inclusion into the Champions league places after a brief absence.

Gogoe.

Liverpool hold City,Madrid struggling, Juve 8/8, United comeback, Mbappe

Mahrez wastes glorious opportunity

The Algerian’s 85th minute penalty miss cost City 2 valuable points against Liverpool and an opportunity to get their first win at Anfield in 15 years. Mahrez elected himself after a short debate with Gabriel Jesus (who was next in line in the absence of Sergio Aguero) and blazed his spot kick well over the bar. After the game, Guardiola admitted that he wasn’t aware of his £60m record signing’s poor record from 12 yards out but was adamant he would have made anyone else take it. Both sides threaded cautiously throughout the game, with opportunities and clear cut opportunities very difficult to come by. The focus was on keeping team shape and defensive organisation as both teams were very wary of each other’s capabilities going forward. In the end, Liverpool blinked first and Virgil Van Dijk’s late mistimed tackle on Leroy Sane was correctly awarded as a penalty. Mahrez stepped up and missed. Both sides had to settle for a draw in the end and miss an opportunity to gain a bit of advantage in the title race. This result leaves three teams(City, Chelsea and Liverpool) at the top of the table on 20 points. 2 points separate 1st from 5th as the Premier League enters the second International break of the season.

Salah form a big worry for Liverpool

8 games in, 3 goals scored. The PFA player of the year has found goals a hard thing to come buy as he struggles to keep up his consistency this season. Playing as a CF in a more advanced role, like he has been since the turn of the year, the pressure has increased on Liverpool’s most priced asset to deliver similar figures like he did last season. With an improved defence and a strong midfield, Liverpool will require their deadly front three to start firing as they aim to end the 29-year wait for the coveted league title.

Juventus 8/8

You could call it as 10/10 if we include the Champions League wins but either way, Juventus have been outstanding. Clear favorites coming into the season -for obvious reasons- ,Juve have not dissapointed. The football hasn’t been breathtaking or as exciting as would have been imagined but they have mastered the art of getting the job done and Saturday was no different as Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristiano Ronaldo were on hand to give Juve a well deserved 2-0 victory. Ronaldo, coming off the back of some serious issues off the pitch, looked unfazed and at his clinical best to hand Juventus the win. It’s been a joyous start to Serie A for the former World Best Player, and his 8 goal contributions in 8 games, along with 6 MOTM awards in 8 games will attest to the fact that this is a player who is really styling into the league. An 8th Serie A title looks set on the cards but success in Europe is the target this term and it will be interesting to see if Ronaldo can duly deliver for his new club.

Madrid lose again.

It’s been 4 games in all competitions and Madrid have failed to score. A run that began with a hammering at Sevilla, then a drab 0-0 draw in the derby, followed by successive 1-0 losses to CSKA Moscow and Alaves in the UCL and La Liga respectively. Karim Benzema started the season in some fine form but has looked out of sorts in the last few games. Gareth Bale has struggled for fitness and Marco Asensio is not as reliable to get you the goals. Madrid need goalscorers and are beginning to suffer from poor recruitment over the last 3 years. The decision to not replace Ronaldo, being the worst of them all. You don’t lose 40+ goals and not try to replace him properly. The warning signs were there and have been glaring for some time now but they were ignored. They find themselves in 4th place, 2 points behind Sevilla and 1 behind Barcelona and Atleti. Madrid will need their attackers to start firing if they are to challenge for honours this season.

Kylian Mbappe

The 19-year old produced a 5-star performance as he netted 4 goals in the space of 13 minutes to steal the show and take the game far away from Lyon. Neymar gave PSG the lead through a 9th minute penalty after Mbappe got fouled in the box. PSG then had a minor setback as Presnel Kimpembe got a red card in the 32nd minute. Lucas Tousart also got sent off for Lyon in the 45th minute. With the game a bit more balanced with 10 men each, Neymar and Mbappe combined very well in attack and the latter got on the scoresheet. He scored 3 more with Neymar being involved in all three as well. This makes it hattrick number 3 for Mbappe in the French ligue 1 with this being his first for PSG. The best Young player at the World cup and 2017 golden boy is enjoying a brilliant start to the season, topping the ligue 1 goal king chart with 8 goals in just 5 games. He has been brilliant and continues to prove why he is considered as being amongst the best in the world.

United Comeback

United pulled one out of the very top drawer to complete a remarkable comeback against Newcastle at Old Trafford. After a dreadful first 10 minutes, and first half in general, Jose Mourinho’s men came back from the interval a different side and put up the kind of performance reminiscent of the glory days. He spoke of the perceived ‘Manhunt’ in his post game press conference, in relation to the rumors of his sacking less than 24 hours before the game. His side responded well on the pitch and if anything at all, he might have bought himself some more time with that performance. Old Trafford was rocking for that last 20 minutes and it gave the fans a reminder of how good the team can be, how good the players are. The only questions left in their minds will be why they can’t play the way they did in every game. The answer still is to be seen.

Where do United go from here?

The problems still rear it’s ugly heads at United and roots go deeper than the manager. What this win does is to relieve the club of some negative media attention and pressure off the players. It also buys the manager more time to save his job. Personally, I doubt if he can turn this around but if he is to turn it around, the signs from that second half give so much hope.

Bonus : JT retirement

On Sunday evening, Former Chelsea and England captain, John Terry announced his retirement from football. He brought to an end a 23 year career decorated with 15 major honours and lots of memorable achievements. He might have lost admirers for his controversies off the pitch but on it, he is certainly up there amongst the best and greatest Centre backs ever to grace the Premier league. Happy retirement to the one known as the Captain, Leader ,Legend.

The Sanchez Conundrum; Where Has It Gone Wrong and The Way Forward.

The camera zoomed in on the fingers pressing the piano keys to the ‘Glory Glory Man United’ tune and then switched to the silhouette of the figure playing the piano in United red with the number 7 at the back with the tune still playing in the background; Alexis Sanchez reveals himself in the centre of the Old Trafford pitch as a United player for the first time to complete one of the most exciting announcement videos in recent times. Such was the fanfare that accompanied Manchester United’s transfer of Alexis Sanchez from premier league rivals Arsenal to Manchester in a bossman deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way. The deal, which was completed in the January transfer window, is for a period of four and a half years with the 29 year old set to pocket a whooping 14 million euros after tax.

Fast foward 10 months later, the question on most United fans’ lips is ‘What happened to Alexis Sanchez?’. Sanchez has been underwhelming after making the switch from the red of London to the red of Manchester and it has left most football and Manchester United fans in particular restless and gutted. Since joining Arsenal in the summer of 2014, Sanchez scored 60 goals and was involved in 85, more than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League. Only Romelu Lukaku, Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane scored more in that period. Only Mesut Ozil (378) created more goalscoring opportunities for the Gunners in the Premier League since August 2014 than Sanchez (272). In all competitions, Sanchez scored 80 goals and was involved in 121, more than any other Arsenal player since August 2014.

Where It Has Gone Wrong?

It is however worrying that Alexis Sanchez has scored only two premier league goals since his debut and has had to wait for an average of 638 minutes for each of his two goals and has gone an overwhelming 831 minutes without a goal this season and clearly the player that enjoyed his football and was happy to take on defenders and shots has lost his confidence. Sanchez (even though one of his negative attribute because of his willingness to be on the ball always) has lost the ball more times in a United shirt and has lost the presence he used to have everywhere the ball seems to be on the pitch. Sanchez seems to look dejected and a pale shadow of his former self when on the pitch. The player that once used to confidently ignore his team mates when there is a clear-cut opportunity and hit a shot now seems to always look for options and that is a very worrying situation for the Chilean Star.

The Way Forward

There is no point in overly laying bare Sanchez’s woes on the pitch. The right thing is what should Mourinho do to help return Sanchez back to his glory days. No argument, Sanchez is a professional and in as much as he is also to try to pull his weight as a player, he needs an approach that would tailor a path to the return of good form; and that is where Mourinho comes into the picture. Manchester United fans shouldn’t object to this idea since for the past two seasons they have been calling for United to bring in other players in an attempt to help bring the best out of Pogba (that in all truth has not been successful so far).

Play Sanchez as a CF.

Alexis Sanchez best goal tally in an Arsenal shirt came in the 2016/17 season when Arsene Wenger decided to play Sanchez as his first choice Centre forward ahead of Olivier Giroud. Arsenal fans were thrilled by the Chilean’s output of 24 goals in the 38 matches he played. Arsene Wenger described Sanchez as a willing runner and intelligent finisher hence his decision to play the Chilean upfront. There were games where Sanchez grabbed by the scruff of the neck and shone brilliantly, there were other games that he popped up as a match winner when the game was screaming for one and there were games that he popped up out of nothing to grab valuable points for Arsenal. At United, Sanchez seems to be hugging the flank and has no desire to even actually cut in like he most skillfully used to and that has affected the flow of play most times. The fact that Lukaku has also been poor this season means that Mourinho can afford to bench the big Belgian to make way for a change in the mould of Alexis Sanchez or could even afford to pair the two upfront.

Play Sanchez In a Free Role.

Alexis Sanchez is a ball chaser, a willing adventurer on the pitch and a tireless worker with and without the ball when he wants to be. As such, Sanchez just loves to follow the ball all over the pitch. One moment he could be on the right wing pestering the opponent’s defense and another moment he will be hassling to get the ball back in the left back position. Even though because of this attribute, he loses the ball most times, the argument is that, he gets on the ball more often and the more often Sanchez is on the ball, the more likely the team is to create a goal scoring opportunity. At United ( apart from an occassional stray into the midfield and defense), Sanchez seems to be confined and his freedom is limited and needs to freed a little bit more.

It is true Sanchez has been a pale shadow of himself. And United’s general form has not helped matters but Alexis is a player of high quality and deserves whatever he is earning because he worked his socks off to get to this stage. Sanchez, as i said earlier is partly to blame for his poor form because we have seen a Sanchez that produces the best out of nothing even when he is struggling in a game. However, Manchester United and Jose Mourinho need to twitch a few details that will play to his advantage. And to those who might say Sanchez is not the only United player and should not be given such preferential treatment, all i will say is, firstly, the Chilean us United’s highest paid player and so the best should be brought and demanded out of him with a little help from the manager and secondly, if United fans have been okay with the idea that Paul Pogba be helped in terms of personnel and positional twitches on the pitch in order to help bring the best out of him, why can’t we allow the same to be done for Alexis Sanchez.

Gogoe.

United’s woes continue, Chelsea end Liverpool’s streak, Juve defeat Napoli, Neymar,more.

United Struggling

7 games played, 3 wins, one draw and 3 defeats. United lie in 10th place with 10 points and a -2 goal difference. We will have to roll back 30 years to find a worse start to the season by United. United had lost 4 of their first 7 games of the season, the last of which was a 5-1 humiliation in the Manchester derby. The manager at that time, Sir Alex Ferguson was able to turn it around and win his first of 38 trophies. But that was a different time and a different team all together.

After less than 6 months of taking them the closest to bringing back the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho has taken Manchester United backwards and away from that target. Yesterday produced a new low in a season that has been nothing short of disappointing thus far. His strongest defence so far is not getting enough support from the board financially like his rivals. Can you blame the board for hesitating to give you more money when you are at loggerheads with a player who you convinced them to pay a world record fee for? Can you blame the board for refusing to spend £60m on a centre back when you play a central defensive midfielder at CB while having two fit CBs, with one being a player you signed for £32m? And finally, how are you going to convince the board to give you more money, when a player you convinced them was worth being the highest paid player in the league isn’t good enough to be in an 18-man squad just 9 months after his signing?

The problems at Manchester United aren’t entirely down to Jose Mourinho. However, the main problem is the team not improving two years after he took over and that’s completely down to him.

Pogba vs Mourinho

When a player continuously questions his manager’s tactics publicly, the manager is bound to react. Three times, Paul Pogba with his mini outbursts and comments has given the media reason to think and dig into the supposed ‘rift’ between himself and his manager. The straw that finally broke the camel’s back was Pogba coming out after the disappointing draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. In his comments, he called for United to “attack, attack, attack” when playing at Home. Jose subsequently demoted him as vice Captain in a reaction to that. It’s very clear there is a breakdown in relationship between manager and player and it’s certainly not good for the club. It’s either a higher official comes in to solve the problem or one of the two parties is shown the door.

Liverpool endure tough week

It was a brilliant game at Stamford Bridge and in the end, a stunner from Daniel Sturridge was well worth the game it was scored in. For the best part of 70 minutes, Liverpool huffed and puffed for an equaliser and in the end, it was worth the wait. Having lost their league cup encounter 3 days later, it was important for Liverpool to get back on track in the premier league as they sought to maintain their lead at the top. In the end, they had to fight for a point through Daniel Sturridge’s late wonder strike. Next is a trip to Naples in the Champions League before the welcome the champions to Anfield. The tough fixtures comes as quick as you see them and after these run of games, Liverpool will have a better idea of how serious they are about challenging for the title.

Ronaldo leads Juve to victory.

He didn’t score but this was arguably Ronaldo’s best performance in a Juventus shirt. He had a hand in all three goals and he was unlucky himself to not get in the scoresheet. His shot of the post 4 minutes into the second half was tapped in by Mario Mandzukic on the rebound for Juve’s second. Napoli began well, breaking the deadlock after Mertens finished from close range to cap off a fine team move but Juve responded, took control of the game and in the end, the quality of Ronaldo in particular was the difference on the day.

Neymar

A brace from Neymar helped PSG to a 3-0 win at Nice. The 26-year-old Bazilian who has come under so much criticism for his performance at the World cup has been ligue one’s standout performer and also leads the top scorer’s chart with 7 goals. Only Kryzysztof Piatek of Genoa has more. The Brazilian looks to have put the past few months behind him and is ready to be the main man for Paris St. Germain asked they challenge for top honours both domestically and in Europe.

Bonus : Ghana premier league fans woke on Sunday morning to the sad news of the demise of Karela FC owner Senator David Brigidi. On behalf of everyone at The Green Turf publications, I express my heart felt condolences to the family of the deceased and the entire Karela family. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

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