The curse of second season syndrome for Everton’s strikers

Everton have always been seen as a team with a lot of potential but never enough funds to go to the next level. They have always had to make do and credit to David Moyes he has always done that finding bargain players to improve his squad. However one problem that Everton have had in recent years is scoring goals, this season is no different … the problem they always seem to have are their strikers consistently bagging goals.

In the January transfer window of last year Everton signed Nikica Jelavic from Rangers for a fee of £5 million pounds, the Croatian was an instant hit with the Goodison faithful as he made finishing look easy, often only taking one touch to put the ball in the net. By the end of the season Jelavic had netted 9 times in the league and twice in the FA cup firing him to the top of Everton’s goal scorer chart and all in only the final four months of the season.

With such a good start to his Everton career fans were drooling at the thought of the amount of goals he could score in a full season. However as we move in to March Everton are wondering what has happened to the formerly clinical Croat. Jelavic has only managed a disappointing seven goals this season and has suffered a major crisis of confidence as he has continuously fluffed chances and squandered opportunities which many would of expected him to put away if they were given to him in the form he was in last year.

This is not unusual at Everton though it is not the first time the club has watched a striker who was prolific seemingly lose all of their goal scoring prowess in the space of a summer break.  Nigerian striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni arrived at Everton in 2007 and he like Jelavic was an instant hit at the club with 15 league goals in his first season. He became Everton’s talisman and hopes were pinned on his goal scoring to fire the side towards European football in the following season however the Nigerian failed to deliver and only managed 4 league goals for the team in the 08/09 season before being loaned out to Leicester City.

Yakubu is not the only other frustrating case the Goodison crowds have seen there was Andy Johnson before him scoring 11 goals in his first season but then only managing 6 in the next, and even further back James Beattie who fired 10 goals in his first season but then only followed up with 2 in the next season.

So it would seem it’s not just Jelavic who has suffered to fulfil his goal scoring potential in a second season in the blue colours of Everton. There has been an air of uncertainty surrounding the club lately as fans wonder if Moyes will still be in charge next season, whether Fellaini will still be playing for them and even wondering whether the club is for sale, which was confirmed yesterday.

The one thing that Everton fans must be wishing for is that between now and the end of the season David Moyes can find a way to inspire confidence back in Nikica Jelavic and hope that he can find his scoring boots. Everton have stuttered in the league as of late and also suffered an emphatic defeat as Wigan knocked them out of the FA cup and this is in no mainly due to them failing to find goals.  

If Jelavic can turn his season around, find some confidence and break the second season curse Everton fans must be hoping that they can steal in ahead of their rivals to secure European football.





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What are you getting at Jose

You have just watched your team beat Manchester United at Old Trafford to go through to the quarter finals of the Champions league in a tough game in a very hostile environment. Most managers would have been ecstatic in the post match conference heaping praise on the team for winning in such a tough encounter, not Jose Mourinho though.

"The best team lost but ... that's football" those were the words selected by Mourinho for his opening statement in a very conservative and reserved conference. It's also a sentence which has raised a lot of eye brows as people scratch their heads trying to work out whether Mourinho honestly felt United were the better team and he is the definition of sporting or is there an underlying agenda in his words.

'The Special one'
photo attributed to apasciuto
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apasciuto/4862849741/

The game was what everyone expected with excitement at both ends and also goals for both sides, the big talking point was Nani's dubious sending off. He was told to leave the field after an aerial clash with Madrid right-back Alvaro Arbeloa, a decision which ultimately changed the game as United struggled to cope with the overwhelming attack of Madrid with ten men.

The key here and the catalyst for the Spanish teams brilliant period of play was the introduction of Luka Modric for Arbeloa an attacking choice made by Mourinho but one that made a difference as the Croat found space in between the lines and created numerous opportunities. The English giants struggled to pin down Modric as he continuously found space and the former Spurs midfielder fired Madrid level with a stunning strike.

In the next ten minutes after the equaliser the crowd at Old Trafford were treated to some breath-taking build up play as the Spanish team played by far their best spell of the game which not only saw them go ahead through Cristiano Ronaldo but also offered chances for them to further extend their lead, if not for some very good United defending.

But in a game which was very even in the first half and to be fair to United very even in the second until Nani's sending off it seems odd that Mourinho would claim that United were the better team in the game as it could be argued that Real were just as good.

Not only did Mourinho praise United as the best team in the game he also went on to speak about Sir Alex Ferguson and how he is the best manager in the world and how Old Trafford is one of the best grounds in the world to play at.

So Why is Jose Mourinho announcing to the media that the he felt his team were not as good as their opponents just minutes after securing a victory and continually heaping praise on the club he has just beaten ... I think the only person that could offer a definitive answer is the man himself. Is he just a true sportsman with the utmost respect for his opponents or his he after something else.

One idea why he could be so ready to give Manchester United such great praise could be that he has already spoken to someone at United and he believes that he is being lined up to take over the reigns from the great Scotsman. Could the Portuguese 'special one' really be waiting in the wings for the call to take over at the most decorated English football club in the modern era, if he his that may go some way to explaining why he has tried to keep his interviews so sweet.

Maybe we will find out in a year or two's time when Sir Alex finally decides enough is enough but until then Mourinho must enjoy his sides success and he will strive to provide Real Madrid with their first champions league trophy in ten years, whilst United continue their siege of the Premier League crown.

Manchester City star in Mission impossible 2 the sequel

The 2011-2012 Premier league season had one of the most thrilling climaxes to a league campaign in the 20 year history of the Premiership as Manchester City snatched the title out of their neighbours and fierce rivals Manchester United’s grasp with virtually the last kick of the season.

                As Aguero buried his last minute strike against QPR in injury time on the 13^th May last year one half of Manchester erupted in jubilation and  elation whilst the other half sulked and looked back on a campaign full of what ifs.

                Last year at this point Manchester United began a run of 6 wins in a row which saw them take a commanding 8 point lead over their ‘noisy neighbours’ City who faltered throughout March with a loss and two draws. This left them with a mountain to climb to win the title but somehow they managed it and were crowned league champions for the first time in 44 years.

                This year however as City look to go for back-to-back titles they are already way out of the race at this point giving away a massive 12 point deficit to United. Manchester United have looked imperious grinding out results despite not playing well and looking every bit the nailed on champions whilst Manchester City have looked a bit shaky coming into the new year drawing twice to QPR and Liverpool respectively and suffering a shock loss to Southampton on the 9^th February.

                Following a lengthy break from the league for international fixtures and their FA cup victory over Leeds, City looked to be back to their best with a very impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea. Now at this point it may be crazy to be saying City could do it again as they lie 12 points behind United, this time round it’s going to take a monumental effort for them to close the gap.

                Manchester United look to have the confidence and a determination to keep the title firmly in their grips this year but with the distraction of a potential Champions League run ahead of them if they can get past Real Madrid all it would take would be a couple of stuttering results from them and they would be feeling the pressure.

                In terms of the run in to the end of the season neither team has a particularly easy run but the key dates are the Manchester derby on the 6^th April which was the fixture where City evened up the race last year, as well as that though United play Arsenal away and Chelsea at home consecutively at the end of April which could be potential banana skins. City’s most difficult game other than the derby is in the form of Tottenham away on the 21^st April.

                This year the title race looks a formality but if last year taught us anything it’s never write Manchester City off in the most exciting league in the world as anything could happen between now and May the 19^th. ^.Last Year City completed what seemed like the impossible on the final day of the season but I’m not sure how many people could cope if history repeated itself this time round.

                Come the end of the season who knows what will happen but the question is will the sun set red on the title for the 20th time or will the blue moon be able to rise once again. 

                Let me know what you think below in the comments box! 

The United Philosophy: Win whatever it takes

I read an interesting fact today on-line that got me thinking about this year’s United team , the fact read ‘Manchester United have earned more points this season than they have ever done in Premier League history after 25 games (62).’

'Sir Alex knows how to win games'
Photo courtesy of Andrea Sartorati
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomjoad/5481682698/

Now this fact seems quite remarkable when you look at some of the squads Sir Alex Ferguson has had under his command since the inception of the Premier League in comparison to this season’s squad of players.

Yes they still have mega stars in the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie but on paper their overall squad doesn’t boast the huge well known talents of yesteryear. Player’s like Beckham, Cantona, Ince, Bruce, Yorke, Cole, Ronaldo the list is endless all very talented players and key components of the teams they played in. They were also often seen in headlines for both football and off-the-pitch reasons something that enhanced their profiles and gave them more publicity.

When you look at the squad this season Manchester United don’t really have many players in the side that are headline material other than for footballing reasons. Most of their players are very much unsung and go under the radar, Carrick, Kagawa, Vidic, Rafael all players that go about their business quietly but effectively. The blend of young talent bolstered by the experienced talent in the form of Ferdinand, Evra, Giggs and Scholes is the perfect mix for the champions elect.  They are not a side full of egos they are collectively a unit of talented players who have had it instilled in them what it takes to win.

This is the genius that Alex Ferguson possesses he has created a team of players, not just a squad of egos. I think on paper this Manchester United team is nowhere near as good as some of their past teams but that’s not the point. Yes they have looked vulnerable this year, they have not beaten teams with the ease they are expected to, they have often gone behind in games but somehow they always manage to come back to win.

Surely that is a clear sign of a team that is stronger than ever as a unit and it’s a well known cliché, that champions always find a way to win even when not playing at their best, and this cliché is one that epitomises this season for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

Now nine points clear of Man City and consistently winning games at all costs, United are the clear favourites to regain their crown but look what happened last year. It’s not impossible for City but this season it just seems like Man United just have something about them that say’s determinedly that they are not going to let it slip this year.   

The anti climax that was January transfer windows deadline day 2013

Deadline day the day that every football fan looks forward to at the end of both the summer and winter windows. Ruining productivity all over the country as people sit in front of Twitter or Sky Sports all day in the hope they see their team can pull off a coup on the last day of the window. The final day of the windows have become one of the biggest events in the footballing calendar over the last few seasons.     

The January transfer window always gives optimism to fans of clubs that their side may be making a key signing at the midway stage of season that could really make a difference to their standing at the end of the season.

In total in the last five winter windows between 2008 and 2012 £702 million has been spent by Premier league clubs with the £200 million in 2009 and £225 million in 2011 particular highlights.

This shows that teams aren't afraid to splash out money as long as they think the player is right, this year however although there were no huge money transfers Premier league sides still spent double last year’s total.

2013 may have been a disappointing year for many optimistic fans as the usual early window excitement of rumours came to nothing on the last day of the window with only QPR really spending big money on Chris Samba. Arsenal’s signing of Nacho Monreal from Malaga was the only transfer that nobody saw coming most other deals were done early on in the window.

Although there were rumours flying about Everton, Spurs and Norwich being in pursuit of strikers in the form of Alvaro Negredo, Leandro and Gary Hooper respectively, none of these came to fruition though and the window closed with more of a whimper than a slam. The usual big spenders such as Man City and Chelsea were nowhere to be seen with neither team making any significant signings.

The biggest move on deadline day was one that cost nothing, David Beckham arrived at PSG then told the press he was donating his entire wage to a children’s charity a class gesture may I add, but whether Beckham will play many games at PSG remains to be seen but the move has surely done what it was meant to and that’s gain maximum publicity for both PSG and brand Beckham.

One of the most fascinating stories of the last day of transfers was Peter Odemwingie who burnt all bridges with West Brom by turning up at QPR and giving interviews as if he was a QPR player without even having a fee agreed between the clubs. The move didn’t go through and now Odemwingie must return to West Brom to face his boss’s and his team mates that he previously said goodbye to yesterday.

Overall I think deadline day will be seen as a bit of an anti-climax for the neutral this year as there were no real surprises out of left field as most business was completed rather sensibly earlier in the window.

We've come to expect crazy moves on deadline day ever since 2011 but maybe these expectations are just unfeasible as clubs just aren't prepared to spend huge money on players who may be more of a let-down than a season changer, see Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres for example.

The truth is it’s difficult for a signing to come in to the team in January and make an immediate impact they need time to settle into the club there are exceptions to this of course such as Papiss Cisse last year at Newcastle but I think that the summer window is the right place for all the big money moves. The main thing this January window has taught me is that fans shouldn't be expecting massive moves on deadline day because it only sets up for disappointment.    

Common Sense prevails Hazard to only serve 3 match ban

Amidst all the deadline day transfer madness and expectations there was a bit of news that filtered through that shows that English Football hasn't gone completely mad.

Eden Hazard was sent off in unforgettable circumstances in the capital one cup semi-final against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium for kicking a ball boy who tried to prevent him getting the ball. As most people already know the incident was crazy, 17 year old ball boy and son of one of Swansea’s board members worth £42 million, Charlie Morgan lay on the ball to try to stop Hazard getting the ball in doing so wasting time. Hazard tried to kick the ball from underneath Morgan and in doing so caught the ballboy in the side with his kick. This left the ball boy looking like he was in a lot more pain than you’d expect and also Hazard with a red card.

Immediate discussions rumoured a police charge for Hazard and a lengthy ban from the game, thankfully the news came that there would be no police charges and both parties had apologised to each other.

Despite there being no police interaction the FA still wanted to investigate the incident to decide whether Hazard deserved a lengthier punishment than the compulsory three match ban for violent conduct.

               

Photo courtesy of Ben Sutherland -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland/8066832174/ 

The news was broke yesterday though that even with the FA originally claiming the three match ban was ‘clearly insufficient’ Chelsea have successfully managed to put forward a case to an independent panel and argue that the three games is punishment enough.

Not only is this good for Chelsea as they will have their star Belgian winger back on the 9^th February to face Wigan but it’s also good for the game. The last thing anyone involved in this incident needed was for the affair to be continuously dragged on for no good reason other than to make a point.

Hazard’s actions were wrong but so too were those of the ball boy, and I think the fact that both apologies were accepted showed that everyone involved was prepared to forget it and move on.

It appeared momentarily that the FA were not prepared to do the same but the sentencing of a three match ban remaining just at that is a victory for common sense in modern day football.
 

Is Olivier Giroud really a £12 million 'flop'

Arsenal are having an indifferent season this year with very inconsistent form in the league, at times they look like world beaters whilst at other times they look like a mediocre team heading for a relegation scrap.

Long gone are the glory days of Arsenal seven years since they last won a trophy and it's been a while since they even challenged. Wenger is trying to rebuild a team that can challenge for the league and he has some good young players with potential however they have become a club that has had to sell their best players to buy new players in recent times. This frustrating process has led to some very discontent Arsenal fans who are becoming impatient with the lack of success at the club. Many fans are still scorned by the transfer of their captain and talismanic striker Robin Van Persie to rivals Manchester United who this season has carried on where he left off with the Gunners scoring for fun at United.



Giroud leading the line against Sunderland
Image:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronmacphotos/7810895894/

This brings me on to the man who has had to carry the weight of being Van Persie's replacement on his shoulders, Olivier Giroud signed from last years Ligue 1 winning side Montpellier for a fee believed to be around 12 million pounds. He looked like a good prospect and a welcome addition at the club previously scoring 21 goals as he led his side to the league title in France. Of course at this point Van Persie was still at the club and everything looked rosy for the Gunners, that was until the Dutchman departed for United.

Giroud was immediately lumbered with the expectation of being in the same class as Van Persie and fans expected him to bag the same amount of goals as RVP as well as creating chances for those around him in the same way his predecessor did. However coming to play in a more physical league like the Premiership Giroud was always going to need time to adapt and learn the English game.

He struggled for the first couple of months with very inconsistent performances missing some easy chances but at the same time he also showed some ability in flashes, in particular against West Ham in October where he scored his first premiership goal and also set up Theo Walcott to score in the teams 3-1 win. He was constantly being compared to Van Persie in his first two months at the club though and despite showing some talent fans bemoaned his inconsistency and a minority of Arsenal fans and fans of other teams in the league rather unfairly labelled the Frenchman 'a flop' without giving him time to prove himself.

Following a good run in the side over the Christmas period Giroud has started to improve dramatically on his early season form and his first touch, passing, movement and finishing have all improved as he has learnt more about the English game. He is slowly starting to show Arsenal fans what he can produce scoring a brace in their 7-3 win over Newcastle at the end of December he scored another two goals against West Ham in a 5-1 victory on the 23rd January and most recently scoring another brace in a man of the match performance against Brighton in the FA cup 4th round.

I think that Giroud is obviously a very talented striker who has just taken time to adapt to Arsenal's playing style as well as having to learn to deal with the physicality of the Premiership. He was just unfortunate that he arrived at the club as one of Arsenals greatest strikers of the modern era departed. The comparisons and expectations of him were unfair and I think that fans that labelled him a flop are actually more upset with the club for the lack of success and allowing their biggest asset RVP to go and they took those frustrations out on the Frenchman.

It is understandable that fans are sick of being told to be patient as Wenger tries to build a team as every time he seems to be getting somewhere he loses one of his key players like Fabregas, Nasri or Van Persie and he has to try and find replacements and start again.

Fans can't expect immediate success that the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea have experienced as they simply don't have the funds to keep up with them and that is the harsh reality of the Premier league. The club obviously backs Wenger though who is trying to create something on a stable base without putting the club at financial risk which is admirable in this modern era.

Arsene Wenger has highlighted Olivier Giroud to have some quality's that Arsenal legend Alan Smith also possessed, he may be some way off that standard, but in my opinion Arsenal have good a striker who is very good technically and he can finish chances well. He proved this with his stunning first goal against Brighton over the weekend. Arsenal fans can surely take comfort in the fact that he is beginning to improve and they will be hoping that this upward curve can continue for the striker and with patience they will hope to be rewarded with 20+ goals a season from Giroud as he leads the Gunners line.