Three derbies and a clásico…
Three or four times a season you get a weekend when the schedules throw out a handful fixtures that have fans, partisan and neutral, salivating in anticipation. This is one of these weekends.
Everton vs. Liverpool
The latest edition of the Merseyside derby finds both clubs in difficult and trying circumstances. Liverpool will not be present when the draw for the knock out stages of the Champions League is made and with five losses in their opening thirteen league games a dogfight for a top four spot seems to be in prospect.
Perhaps Liverpool’s troubles that have sheltered Everton from a storm of criticism given they are also off to a less than stellar start. Both clubs can point to extensive injury problems but the statistic that stands out above all others is how many goals both teams have conceded.
Both Benitez and Moyes know that when their defenses perform the respective teams generally gets results. But defense has become a questionable area this season for both Liverpool and Everton. Liverpool have already conceded 20 goals in 13 games this season while the comparative figures in prior seasons have been 8, 6, 15, 8 and 16. Or to look at it another way Liverpool only allowed 27 goals throughout the entire 08/09 Premier League season.
Everton goals against has not been as miserly as Liverpool over the last number of years but even so they still kept the goals against below a goal a game last season. They have already conceded 23 goals (and six in the last two matches) which is their highest total after 13 matches since the 1994-95 season.
Fantasy football enthusiasts will know this already but Pepe Reina and Tim Howard are not providing anything close to the value of last season. In the 2008/09 season they kept 20 and 17 clean sheets respectively while this season the numbers are 3 and 2 with over a third of the games already played.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
It is still early in the season but if there is one club at the moment capable of running away with the Premier League it is Chelsea. Although they lost to Aston Villa and Wigan many of the other wins have been emphatic with opponents steamrollered rather than dissected.
It is the power and strength (mental as well as physical) that have been the defining differences between these two teams over the last five seasons. In that time Arsenal’s overall fragility has surfaced repeatedly. The FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and the Premier League match at the Emirates late last season were excellent examples.
No player more epitomizes the power and strength of Chelsea than Didier Drogba – especially against Arsenal. Since the start of the 2005/06 season these two London clubs have played each other 11 times. Drogba has played in 8 of the 11 matches and Chelsea have won 7 and drawn the other. In the three games Drogba has missed Arsenal won two and drew the other.
Genoa vs. Sampdoria
The early season luster has faded from both these teams after they made impressive starts in Serie A.
Genoa won each of their opening three matches while city-rivals Sampdoria went one better. After slipping to a midweek defeat to Fiorentina Sampdoria rebounded to beat Serie champs Inter in what has been the high point - so far. As often is the case a big win leads to lesser feats rather than greater ones and Sampdoria have only won two of the last seven Serie A games since the defeat of Inter.
Their game against Inter was also of significance for Genoa but for a very different reason – they lost 5-0 at home and were shredded. Since the opening three matches Genoa have failed to win consecutive games and based on their performances over the last few rounds it is difficult to see them challenging for a top four place like we saw last season.
Player to watch – Samp striker Giampaolo Pazzini has scored six times in his last eight Serie A appearances.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
There has already been so much written about this game that it seems quite pointless to add much more. We have two of the great names in world football playing in front of a packed house at one of soccer’s cathedrals with talent worth well in excess of a billion dollars on display – you just can’t miss it.
Holiday Reading….
The following books come recommended if you are looking to catch up on some reading over the upcoming season.
“Spartak Moscow – A History of the People’s Team in the Workers’ State” – Robert Edelman is Professor of History at the University of California and first went to see Spartak Moscow in 1965. That first game has now turned into a book that traces the club history from its formative years through the glory years of the mid-fifties to today’s embodiment. This is not a run-of-the-mill club history that recounts great players and great victories. These are certainly covered but the story is told through the constantly changing lens of the Russian reality which makes it a much more substantial and satisfying read.
“The Global Game” – edited by John Turnbull, Thom Satterlee and Alon Raab. A series of essays from a myriad of writers reflect how the power of the game can shape individuals, communities and nations.
“Soccernomics” – Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski systematically tackle much of the received wisdom that is often passed off as insight. They look at what the data tells us and it isn’t always what we expect.
“The Manager – The Absurd Ascent of the Most Important Man In Football” - Barney Ronay traces the evolution of the football manager from the most humble of beginnings to today where the best generate as many column inches and discussions as the best players in the world.
“Elephants, lions & eagles” – Italian journalist Filippo Ricci takes us on a journey through African football.
“Playing for Uncle Sam" – The Brits story of the North American Soccer League” – David Tossell recounts the rise and collapse of the NASL through interviews with some of British players who made the trip across the Atlantic many summers ago.
Who is hot and who is not…a look at the form teams over the last 5 games…..
Premier League
Chelsea – 12 points
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 3 points
Ligue Une
Auxerre – 15 points
Le Mans – 1 point
Bundesliga
Werder Bremen – 11 points
Hertha Berlin – 2 points
Serie A
Milan and Inter – 12 points
Siena – 1 point
La Liga
Real Madrid and Valencia – 13 points
Atletico Madrid – 1 point
SPL
Rangers – 13 points
Kilmarnock and Hearts – 3 points
Sign-Off……..
After five years and one thousand columns and blogs for FoxSoccer.com it is time to bid farewell. Over the last year or so I have found it increasingly difficult to fit commitments into available time. It has reached the point where a change is needed and my blog is the casualty.
Thanks to all the regular readers and in particular heartfelt thanks to the regular posters to the blog over the last forty-two months. Some of you have been with the blog every step of the way since it was born during the World Cup of 2006 and have always been willing to offer your opinions in a respectful (mostly!!) way.
Thank you.
Veteran