How Have the Mighty Fallen

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

There is the cliché that in the English Premier League any team can beat any team at anytime. On Saturday, September 28, 2013 that was a truism. The top teams who spend the most money found themselves among the vanquished. Money can’t buy love. In the past, it has bought a lot of trophies. But on Saturday, it bought more than its fair share of grief.

Real Madrid had traditionally used Atletico Madrid as a beating stick. For decades especially playing at home, the score was a foregone conclusion. But not this Saturday, maybe not this year. Atletico Madrid gave Real Madrid a rare spanking.

The Real Madrid coach, Ancelotti, down at half time, opted to bring in his new golden boy, Gareth Bale. But Bale who had a few runs at the opposition but in the end, there was no cigar.

Manchester United divested of Sir Alex Ferguson, has made the worst start in recent years. They are bunched up with teams that traditionally excel in mediocrity. David Moyes lost to a rejuvenated West Brom. Manchester United’s defense has been porous under Moyes. Their central defender, Ferdinand, now chases younger strikers like a man past his prime.

Managing is not just putting players on the field but it is what is said to individual players and the team before taking the field and at half time. The season is still in its infancy and it is only fair to give David Moyes the opportunity to put his stamp at Old Trafford. Nonetheless, one wonders if he is the man to replace Sir Alex Ferguson.

Pellegrini, the Manchester City coach who had a field day beating up Manchester United last week, got beaten this week by an Aston Villa team that barely escaped relegation last season. Manchester City scored first just before half-time but Aston Villa came out in the second half a more aggressive team and shocked the free spending Manchester City winning 3-2.

Manchester City’s defense is not as impregnable as it was in yesteryear. They coughed up three goals at Cardiff City and three more to Aston Villa. Under Mancini, there was always disorder off the field. Under Pelligrini, there seems to be disorder on the field.

Mourinho in the Chelsea game against Tottenham, trotted out the wrong team. David Luiz partnered with John Terry as the two central defenders. Mourinho’s starting mid-field of Mikel, Lampard and Oscar was run over by Tottenham’s Paulinho, Erikson and Dembele. At the end of the half, the pupil had his teacher in punishment, leading 1-0.

The “know-it-all” Mourinho went to the blackboard in the dressing room and changed his line-up. Ramires, rather than playing on the right flank, came into the middle and replaced Mikel and Juan Mata was brought in to add creativity to philistine-like Chelsea.

Mata and Ramires changed the dynamic of the game and scored shortly after being introduced but the referee ruled off side. On a deft taken free kick by Juan Mata, John Terry’s header gave Chelsea the equalizer. The pupil and the teacher ended up with a draw.

Oscar is still a young player with a great potential. He brings great energy to the park but as a playmaker, he is not as magical as Juan Mata. Hopefully, Mounrinho saw the class of Juan Mata on Saturday and will now make him a fixture in Chelsea’s starting eleven.

2013-2014: The Year of the Managers

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

This season, 2013-2014, has seen quite a movement of managers at some of the top clubs in this global sport. Owners are not shy to show managers the door and managers are not reluctant to confine players to the bench or not including them on the eligible roster.

The Chelsea manager, Mourinho, has won titles in La Liga, Serie A and the English Premier League. He cut his teeth as a manager in the Portuguese League. His managerial strategy has evolved in recent years as he is no longer defensiveminded but he remains a player provocateur and his criticism of players are not done in the office but in the glare of press conferences.

Juan Mata had an outstanding season last year as Chelsea’s playmaker and as a goal scorer. With the second coming of Mourinho to Chelsea, Mata has lost his starting place and has been told he will have to change his game or he will be a “tit-bit” player for the duration of the season. Oscar is the new playmaker with the newly acquired Willian as his understudy.

Against Fulham, David Luiz was also placed in Mourinho’s dog house and was confined to being a spectator. Mourinho punished him for the loss in the Championship League against Basel. Mata and Luiz are set to have ongoing confrontations with the combative Mourinho.

David Moyes is finding that Sir Alex Ferguson’s big shoes are not easy to fill. He received quite a spanking from Pellegrini’s Manchester City.

Yaya Toure was the towering figure in mid-field and turned the giant figure of Fellani into a dwarf. Pellegrini seemed to have figured out his starting eleven while David Moyes is busy criticizing his players like Ashley Young in the tabloids.

Arsene Wenger has silenced his critics. Without any great midnight shuffler, just the acquisition of Ozil, Arsenal is playing the best football in many a season. The obstinate yet visionary Wenger stuck with his young prospects like Ramsey and Wilshire who have emerged as big league impact players.

Managerial changes have taken place at Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Roma and Bayern Munich. Next year is the World Cup in Brazil and players’ fortunes in Brazil will be impacted by the decision of managers. In this era of coliseum spectacles, gladiators can be chewed up by the managers who are the Kings of the Jungle.

Managers to the Fore

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

The English Premier League 2012-2013 is now history. Sir Alex Ferguson has passed on the baton to David Moyes who will be second guessed to death if Manchester United in 2013-2014 is not off to a roaring start. This summer, football enthusiasts will monitor closely the perennial movement of coaches/managers. Rafael Benitez ended with a bang as Chelsea won the Europa Cup and edged Everton to close out the season. Benitez has indicated that he would like to land a coaching position in the EPL. If Abramovic had any sense, he would keep Benitez but the Chelsea owner is renown for his love of discontinuity.

The rumour is that Mourinho will make his second coming to Chelsea. Mourinho has a history of success but he does not wear well as after a couple of seasons, he becomes a divisive figure.

Wenger is safe as Arsenal by the skin of their teeth made it into the Champion’s League. As an ESPN commentator pointed out recently, in the five years that he has observed Arsene Wenger from the sidelines, he has not seen him issue instructions to his players but has been preoccupied with excoriating the referee and the fourth official.

Brendan Rogers made progress with the Liverpool experiment. The acquisition of Sturridge and Coutinho has added to Liverpool’s offensive potency. With the retirement of Carragher, they must now acquire an outstanding central defender. Liverpool should be a contender in 2013-2014.

Mancini slipped after winning the previous year and has been shown the exit door. The Malaga coach is set to replace Mancini who will pop up somewhere in Serie A.

The role of the manager/coach has become deterministic to a team’s success or failure. The management of highly paid stars requires a special tact. This summer we will not only pay attention to the movement of players but also the movement of managers.