Premier League 2015/2016 – My thoughts after ten rounds

PL 2015-16

There is now a new campaign and new matches. New stars and new clubs and promoted teams adding spice to the Premiership. The Premier League has now had ten rounds of the 38 rounds. It is an indication though still early, I will say that it shows how this might unfold. Though at a certain level shows how this campaign might be. There will be changes on the table and far from sure that those under the relegation mark. Three teams will go down to Championship. Who that might be is hard to see now, especially with how it has unfolded in recent seasons. Who wins the title isn’t easy choice either? Manchester clubs are on the top four together with West Ham. Tottenham and Crystal Palace, off the top three either Manchester club for the moment, though the strongest team right now is Manchester City.

Bournemouth is having its first ever season in the Premiership. It’s a small club with the smallest stadium in the league. But the stagnation of tactics is straining the team together with the collective damage of injuries in the team. Eddie Howe is a young and modern manager. What he already has done with club is amazing.

Watford is also a promoted team, but not new to the league, they have been here before. But the expensive and buying 13 players from coming up from the Championship has acutally worked together with getting a tactical manager in Quique Sanchez Flores. Igahlo and Deeney have showed the quality and that they are fit for the league!

Norwich went straight back after their last turn down into Championship. They have mostly the same team that went down in the last go-around. Alex Neil the Scot has done well in the club, though the recent results is frightening and looking as bad as under the last months under Chris Hughton.

Now I will take the clubs that is actually under the line at this time!

Aston Villa, one of the royalties that has been in a down-falling-spiral since the last two years of Paul Lambert’s tenure. The freshness Tim Sherwood brought saved the club for the third season in a row. Now they gone with only one victory all season, but before starting the season they lost Benteke, Delph and Weimann. Buying young talent, but not finish products. Then after 10 rounds firing Tim Sherwood! There is surely not being built squads anymore in the club, but quick fixing to save the place in the league! Will they make it this year? They might, but want be easy!

Newcastle has a new manager that has turned down the club three times, twice as Derby manager before fired there. Steve McClaren has surely a big boat to turn. Newcastle hasn’t been sparking in a long time. This is for the first season in a while there been bought players with great potential from the low-countries. One victory and 19th Place and losing in the tenth match to Sunderland. Is surely not looking like an easy way out for the Tyne-side team!

The 18th place team is Sunderland yet another team that has struggled in recent campaigns. They fire a manager in the beginning of the season, then saving the place, then running it into the ground in the second campaign of his reign! Paulo Di Canio, Gus Poyet and Dick Advocaat had all the same faith, though Advocaat resigned; it ended before Christmas in second campaign like with the two former managers. Sunderland needs a boast and gotten Sam Allardyce who has history of securing teams and playing safe. Yet another experienced manager, but the team lacks continuity and defensive structure that can builds into using the striking force of Defoe. Time will tell if they will save themselves yet another time.

The Surprise of the season and the giant fall of the league is CHELSEA. Losing five times already and the CHELSEA team need something new. Jose Mourinho has been on a strike and been more paranoid then certain dictators are against everybody else then himself. First the doctor Eva Carneiro was banished. Everybody has target Diego Costa! Every referee has been against CHELSEA!  Like this quotes after losing on Ethiad Stadium to Manchester City:

“A Ramires goal incorrectly ruled out for offside with Man City a goal ahead changed the complexion of this early-season Premier League fixture” (…)”We dominated after the interval and after Ramires’s goal was disallowed, Hazard drew a fine stop from Joe Hart. Two late City goals, from Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho, added some gloss to a final scoreline which did not accurately reflect the bigger picture.” (…)”The Chelsea pressure was mounting and the royal-blue momentum nearly paid off with 20 minutes to go. Hazard lead a rapid break and picked out Diego Costa approaching the left-hand side of the box. He carried the ball, cut inside before squaring for last year’s Player of the Year. Hazard dropped a shoulder and fired for goal, but met his match in Hart” (Chelsea, 2015).

I saw that match; the whole report was like hogwash from certain dictatorships and not a proper match-report. Then the last match kind of confirmed the troubles inside the club. With the cards which has unfolded this season with weak defense of Matic, Ivanovic and Terry. Hazard has been a shadow and only Willian has delivered in the midfield. Falaco came in as a third option, but is still not striking and Loic Remy doesn’t get the time to hit and Costa is just making a lot of fuzz, but not really hitting the goals in the box. Chelsea has issues with Jose Mourinho and his strives to be what he is – a winner and now constantly losing. And his last reaction to losing at a better playing West Ham. Has proven that the Drama of CHELSEA is far from over this campaign!

Stoke has been magnificent under Mark Hughes though this campaign haven’t been either fish or bird. They have not delivered back to back victories yet. They got Shaqiri to the team as they got Bojan last go around. They play more technical and less of Pulis 1-0 counter-strike football. But the results this campaign hasn’t been anything to talk about.

Swansea is in the middle of the league. Third campaign with Gary Monk! The team has evolved and gotten a new favorite in the team. He is Andrew Ayew they got as a bosman player before the campaign, he and Gomis has hit it off. They beat Manchester United in the third match in a row! If they play like that they can still end up over 10th position! Swansea is steady building and proving that yet another campaign.

Everton with Roberto Martinez had a weak campaign after striving in his first as Everton manager. This season is supposed to pick it up. Still the matches I have seen, it’s too unstable. At this stage the defense that was the strong point of David Moyes is totally gone. The team is filled with young talent, but Gareth Barry is showing that he is starting to be to slow and makes more cards, then doing well. Joss Stones and Ross Barkley has skills and proves viability and not forget Lukaku is a force in him. Coleman and Naismith deserve more credit. Leighton Baines is the hero of the team, though too much injured for the moment. The team can be magical and play fantastic, but it’s not consistent which this club deserves!

West Bromwich has Tony Pulis. That means the dream result is 1-0 or 2-1. They won over Aston Villa and Rondon is scoring. Where did Saido Berahino go? Not Tottenham, but he is around in Birmingham right? Wonder when the fans of West Bromwich are going to be bored with the destructive defensive counterstriking teams of Pulis?

Liverpool has been strictly average after using a fortune in the summer and giving Brendan Rodgers another chance to succeed. FSG the owner’s lost their patience the result and getting a draw with Everton before a week of internationals. The players that the Transfer Committee got and structures of the club has given Rodgers a hard time with losing the best players two campaigns in a row. FSG has later gotten Jurgen Klopp as the savior of the club. Benteke, Clyne, Firmino and Origi haven’t done magic either this campaign. Sturridge has been injured. Coutinho and Allen hasn’t been stabile so it’s not all Rodgers, though he was a working scapegoat and now we can see if the German can get this Merseyside club firing!

Southampton is still up high even after losing Schneiderlin who was important in the last seasons also my favorite player in the team last year Clyne. Ronald Koeman is in the second campaign. With the losing of essential players they still have the capacity to get new ones to fills the slot, also show the quality of Fonte, Mane and Pelle one of them will surely be bought by Liverpool if they follow the procedure of their summer shoppings.. Southampton is still over mid-table and stay there. It wants be a team in one of the Champions League spots, but surely be close to get into the Euro League this year as well! If the 10 first matches is telling the truth of the quality of the team.

Crystal Palace first starting campaign with Alan Pardew he was a shadow of himself in the end of his tenure in Newcastle. He got back into the collaboration as a manager with Cabaye. Bolasie, Puncheon, Sako, Zaha, Chamakh, Jedinak, Wickham, Souare, Campell, Mutch, McArthur, Ledley and Bamford! Is all the mid-fielder and attackers that the EAGLES have this campaign and their attacking forces are amazing. Bolasie is truly a player I would have on any of my dream team! Hopefully Crystal Place will continue to play as amazing as they have done!

Tottenham has actually kept their manager Pochettino and Denis Levy must surely be drinking since he usually fires managers quickly. They have Adebayor, but only official striker is Harry Kane and he has scored in the last of the tenth match in this campaign. Eriksen has been not so visible this campaign. Lamela and Dele Ali can bring fire to the mid-field. Still feels the team is to unstable and still young. And wonder how long Levy can see the team as Euro-League team and with the team they have for now, they don’t have the last spark to get into the Champions League. Harry Redknapp will be somewhere smiling at the movement since he was fired…

Another Surprise then CHELSEA and their fall is the team of Leicester City. Pearson was fired in the summer and Tinkerman was hired. Claudio Ranieri. Who has on his CV the ability to lose as Greece manager to Faroe Islands that must be a special for any modern manager? But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good coach and manager. He has had the ability to continue the striving team of Pearson and the striker Vardy is the top scorer for the moment with 10 in 10! Mahrez also has been sparkling together with Vardy. Leicester continues to be a shiny light in the Premiership!

Manchester United has not under Van Gaal been playing wonderful attacking football. They have used a tiny fortune on players. Angel Di Maria is still gone even if he was record buying. Is Luke Shaw still there? Martial has been great gamble and maybe saved a lot of points. De Gea staying has been a great thing for the club and a loss for Real Madrid. Because with Romero you could see he was weaker. Still not feeling that the club has an edge in the game or should I say trying to prove a stable attacking or defensive play. Wonder when they find their way and will be the Champions League team who wins more with a force, not “rare luck”.

Slaven Billic has taken over for Sam Allerdyce in West Ham before the start of the campaign. West Ham expects attacking fun play and Allerdyce isn’t that type, though Allerdyce is not like Pulis, still more stable defense play! Billic has proven to be fresh air and giving the players free speed. Kouyate, Obiang, Lanzini, Payet, Sakho, Moses, Valencia and Zarate is proving that this team can play wonderful football. Payet and Kouyate can play around with great defenses. West Ham has already won over Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal this campaign. They are in the top four and if they stay here it will be a giant surprise and guilt trip for many of the smaller clubs compared to the usual suspects. If they survive the hard December program will tell!

Arsene Wenger and Arsenal can be often in a great state and play Playstation football. They have been amazing and been played with more caution, even gotten a stable goalkeeper in Peter Cech. That even Mourinho wouldn’t want to sell before the campaign. The weakness is still in the defense, though Monreal, Bellerin and Coquelin has grown in their defensive rolls. I have faith that Arsenal can be a title chaser until the end, but hope that it doesn’t fall apart as it has done around Christmas and then picking up just in time to reach Champions League spot. Arsenal has a magnificent mid-field with Ozil, Sanchez, Ramsey. Carzola, Flamini, Wilshere, Rosicky and Arteta! So they should have enough good choices in the mid-field, at strikers it’s usually either Giroud or Walcott, and the Costa Rican Campell. Arsenal can bring it in, just not lose it.

Manchester City is leading the league for the moment after having a draw with their arch rival United in the last league match. The team has played well with the new mid-fielders like De Bruyne, Sterling and Delph. Delph has though not been pivotal at all, Sterling and De Bruyne has giving the team pace. Together with Silva and Navas has giving the edge to strikers of Bony and Aguero. It seems like a good thing by the club to keep Pellegini as the manager. Keeping the staff and adding to already solid team with Kompany, Zabaleta and Yaya Toure. City has enough if they are all firing to become the title winners this campaign. Though the stability and winning over “lesser-teams” away like losing to Stoke is not good enough if they want to achieve the title again, depending on how they keep it steady, if they are steady even without Aguero who might be the best striker in the league, then they have the ability to win it!

Well, what will really happen? Will Pardew get Crystal Palace into the top six this year? Will Mark Hughes get his mid-field firing? Swansea will continue to thriving as last season? Slaven Billic will he manage to keep West Ham winning over the Christmas season, because Allerdyce did not manage that! Allerdyce will he be able like his predecessors to save Sunderland yet another campaign? Has Steve McClaren the quality of the team and the mentality to save Newcastle? Aston Villa has been falling of grace long before Tim Sherwood entering the club; will the new man of the club have the capacity to save it?

Will Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich keep it up, even if Norwich is starting to look like they did in the last season in the Premier League when they had 7-8 matches without victories, remember last time they  they went down? What will happen to Southampton, mid table or actually able to crack into Europe again?

Has Klopp the aura to get the Liverpool club back into Europe or will that be a longer run? Will Pochettino get fired for not getting the club high enough this campaign? How long can Mourinho keep his calm and how long will Abramovich tolerate the negative campaign and results before firing him for the second time?

I could go and on. But there been an interesting start of the season and hope it will continue. The best of luck and hope you also will enjoy the Premier League as much as I do. Peace.

Reference:

Chelsea FC – ‘Match report: Manchester City 3 Chelsea 0’ (16.08.2015) link: http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/08/match-report–manchester-city-v-chelsea-.html

 

Leadership and Premier League: The examples of Sunderland and Liverpool

liverpool-sunderland-premier-league-soccer-clubs

Leaders, managers or coaches deals with issues every day and follows the goals of the clubs that employ them. The different structures depend on the owners and how they perceive the handling of the club. Structures are either set for more power for the owner or more of a coach that has little authority in a club. That goes from Transfers Committee that together with owner picks their targets and aims to build the clubs. Secondly you have the managers who decide the targets on his own.

There is also the difference that shows how much the actual manager will do. Not only picking the tactics and fresh players on match day. They have issues with the contracts and the basic running and progression of the club in general. Because the Manager has a genuine role as the person who is known figure for the club as a president is the leader of a country. Though the powers have a reach for a Manager, but has more pivotal role in a club then a coach or trainer. Like Carver was in Newcastle in the end of the season last year he had less of a reach, then say Mourinho in Chelsea who has put his stamp on the team. I know Carver was a temporary fix before hiring the new manager who has gotten certain freedoms though for many it doesn’t look like it has done the trick for the Northern Club.

I will not talk about Newcastle today, though their spirals of negatives are running high. It’s been like that ever since they sold Cabaye to PSG. The owner Ashley hasn’t run the club well for other things then earning money for the coffers of him the owner and not building a powerful squad. Therefore they are in the role of Aston Villa and are yet another year of fighting relegation and will be amazing if they ever in this campaign get-a-back-to-back VICTORY! We all know that. But I will talk about the club who has showed loosen and digging deeper and deeper on the bottom of the Premier League, that is Sunderland and the ‘Stadium of Lights’.

dick-advocaat-sunderland-2015

Sunderland and the sad tale of Dick Advocaat:

Yesterday the experienced and well-founded manager Dick Advocaat resigned his position in Sunderland after short stint at the club, like so many other of his peers. He was the third savoir in three seasons for the club. First it was Paolo Di Canio who took over and was sacked in second campaign. Then came Gus Poyet in and did an amazing save of the club with big scalps, before continuing another campaign which all the power and flow of the team was in shambles and then they hired Dick Advocaat. Advocaat saved them by a thread last campaign and took on another campaign with promise of getting fresh players to strengthen the squad, because it was needed. There been over time picked cheap options and certain quick fixes instead of building a strong team at ‘Stadium of Lights’.

Ellis Short the owner can defend himself with saying that he hasn’t earned a penny from the club because of the wage paradigm that is in the club. The way the big signing this season was in some way Borini who was one of the first players brought into Liverpool by Brendan Rogders and never fitted the bill. Had one good campaign in Sunderland even if has a loose shot and misses on golden opportunities often. Kaboul went from Tottenham who was to unstable in the defense for them and the same with Coates also from Liverpool. Because the older Brown and O’Shea has not the standard and speed for the league anymore, even if they back in the day was futures under Ferguson in Manchester United. They have gotten this season on loan the striker Lens who showed a magnificent goal that made 2-0 and got Advocaat in tears of joy. This shows for me maybe the best moment of the 8th Round for the simple reason to show how great of a heart as a leader Advocaat has!

Even if Sunderland has Lens, Defoe the misfiring Borini and Fletcher can’t cut it in the long-run. The management from Short and transfers prove that there hasn’t been getting the quality and fitting players to a certain style of play. It has been more patching up and quick-fixes the same as leadership. Under Di Canio the club signed 14 players before he got sacked. Under Poyet he got certain players that had been under his leadership as Buckley and others, but did the significant signing in Jermaine Defoe. Even this stars return from Toronto didn’t spark his team and save his position. Therefore Advocaat had to save them as he did. The signings and ways of progression after Poyet and Di Canio haven’t led to anywhere good. Recent matches has been looking as sad at it has done. The loyalty and continuity doesn’t exist right now. Only thing that is static in the teams play is Lee Cattermole who gets a card both now and then.

The resigning proves the dire situation in the club of Sunderland. And the manager that comes to Sunderland will be in rat-hole even if it’s a club with massive potential. It has 40-50.000 on the stadium on match day. Have high potential pay and possibility to pay for players wages to reach for bigger players. But the leadership and the structure is insufficient. The reigns of such amount of managers at the same time as quick decline after grace periods tells of systematic decline in the team-building and also in man-management. The strength that has been defense has lost it. Because it’s been a while since the attack and mid-field has been exciting, even when Jack Colback was running like crazy for the team, and Rodwell haven’t taken over his presence in the squad. That is very visible!

The way that the managers has gone in and out: First saviors and then sacked in the start or into the next campaign. It doesn’t give the club any stability and quality. The club starts to lack vision and tactical plan to prove what they want. That is also visible in the squad that is fragmented by the buys of different managers who went on the faith of the former ones and their plans. Together with the direct patch-ups and quick-fixes that has become the norm. The manager that comes in has a mountain to climb and has to rebuild the trust with the fans that cover the ‘Stadium of Lights’. Not only with steady results, but get the players to play with their hearts out of their Jersey. Give their blood and sweet and tears into any match. As a neutral it’s been a sad sight to see the steady decline and weakness of Sunderland. Do they want to play in the Championship or still be a proud club in the North who has a place in the Premier League? There is time that Ellis Short tries to build continuity on the leadership side of the club and the strategy they have. Not quick fixes in the end that will hurt the club and the players who try to follow every new idea the new manager has. Something that will be hard to implement and make sufficient to sustain a honorable place in the league.

brendan-rodgers-_-liverpool

Brendan Rodgers slowly falling apart at Merseyside:

Now let me go on another manager who didn’t resign, but got sacked. I have mentioned him in a by-the-way earlier today. Brendan Rodgers the man who has made himself a giant name over the past years. A prospect for managerial roles and future trophy hunter; Brendan Rodgers made a name by getting Swansea up from Championship and then playing high intensity football while delivering results there. From there without any big caps or trophies got hired after FSG sacked club-legend Kenny Daglish.

He started and has been in the way of looking after Character and progress in his teams. For those who has followed him. It’s been his mantra. Looking for the characters and building up players from prospects to finish products or stars to be specific. During the spell of Rodgers they has sold and lost their biggest stars like Gerrard, Sterling and Suarez. The last one to go now is Sturridge and then you would soon see flies come from the pockets.

There was the year that Rodgers leading them to the second position in the league. The campaign that always will be remembered because of the dynamic play and fascinating attacking played of the trio of Sturridge, Sterling and Suarez. They were magnificent even if they got dozen goals the other way as well. Some of us even called it Playstation football by the way it going back and forth with the intensity and flair. Something that Rodgers always wished to see in his players to have a certain quality, character and flair. If you find a after-match interview under the Rodgers in Liverpool where he isn’t using those words and describing the match outcome usually boils down to that.

Brendan Rodgers has now had three campaigns. First was what people call mediocre, but showed some progress. Second season was a magnificent run and was close. Because of that he couldn’t continue to build. Fenway Sports Group (FSG) let the gold go away after that and the trades done after weren’t of the same quality. When the spiral went lower and lowers, so low that after the third campaign in charge on Merseyside, FSG changed leadership and under-coaches under Rodgers! That was in general to disfranchise his power at the club. Brendan Rodgers must have felt that already before his fourth campaign for the club. With departing his own coaches and being alone from the original crew that he with from Swansea.

FSG has also put into the system a Transfer Committee so the Manager is not sole-responsible for the trades done by the club. Even though the manager will be responsible for the results delivered by the squad all season. Even with a seat on the committee he has still not the powers that the ones who can pick and choose over set budget. There will always be a Sports Director or Owner who might shut down wishes for certain players, and even likes of Roman Abramovich who just wanted Shevchenko and then Chelsea bought him, even when they didn’t even need his services.

FSG has then in recent choices partly crossed the powers of Rodgers with the Transfer Committee and also with clipping out his colleagues and his team apart hiring new coaches under him. So then still giving him the “second” chance of success with the club by buying Benteke, Ings, Milner and so on during the summer.

Rodgers wasn’t taken early out of his job and had time to do what he needed. But after the first taste the FSG choices made his tenure worse by the minute. The selling of the starts and losing of pivotal players also hurt him. The choices of buying certain kind of players like Aspas and Balotelli didn’t help his impression, though he wanted to prove that he could turn any player into stars again or bring it out of them.

So after the “second” chance after the success would be hard. Sterling left for Manchester City. The former Southampton players should kick off this season in Liverpool. They are Clyne, Lovren and Lallana. But none of them has played as they did in Southampton. Emre Can hasn’t been up to speed. Courthino has been a spark, but alone in it. Firmino who was bought this summer has talent and skills, but hasn’t bloomed yet. Henderson has taken over for Gerrard, but hasn’t had the same flair or capacity. Ibe has showed progress, but is not a finished “product” yet. What happen to Kolo Toure? What happen to the presence of Skrtel in the defense? Even if he is local boy who deserves credit for catching up with quality of the league, why haven’t we seen Joe Flanagan this campaign?

With all of that and others we can see that there are many issues with the Liverpool squad and the reactions to the team. The progress stopped and the shopping of additions this summer didn’t change the results or drive for the team. Rodgers are right! There need rebuilding in Liverpool. With or without him, and certainly with the decision of sacking him it’s with somebody else.

And for me personally the man, who comes in Liverpool, will have a hard task. The locals and fans expect the team to be a top four team and be in the Champions League (CL). Even though it’s been while since last time the club was there. You have to go back to 2008/09 campaign. So that was a three year hiatus between being a part of the European Competition. The Euro League is the sad stepchild that is a misfit for most teams if they’re not Sevilla or Napoli. Tottenham has struggled with juggling Euro League matches and Premier League in the weekends. The same has been seen by Liverpool. And I am sure whichever team who comes from Premier League to the Euro League will struggle as it seems in league.

The leadership that FSG has proven with Brendan Rodgers isn’t a strong token and longevity in the club. It’s easy to give a new long-time contract after some piece of success. That they did because they wanted to show faith. Just like Newcastle did with Alan Pardew back in the day.  Carver was put into temp when Pardew went to Crystal Palace. The same even Aston Villa did with Paul Lambert after back-to-back victories in start of last campaign. That led to hiring of Tim Sherwood to save the club in the Premier League. That is different from the leadership that puts trust into their managers like Bournemouth with Eddie Howe, Burnley with Sean Dyche, and Hull City with Steve Bruce and so on. There are leaderships that prove loyalty and longevity can bring certainty to teams and squads. Not that all leaders should stay for-ever that is not my point.

My point with Todays topic is clear: the way Sunderland and Liverpool has dealt with the managers has not been well. It has been charades and weak. Liverpool done short-cuts and sold their giants; While expecting dead-wood to turn gold before starting to dig after it, and the cost of it all gets the head of Rodgers instead of those who has done their homework. Suarez, Sterling and Gerrard don’t pop-up like Daisies. It is strange seeing that FSG had the same faith that Lallana and Milner be the same as Suarez and Sterling. And also changing the backroom staff and giving strong signals that it wasn’t that well with Rodgers leadership.

We can all understand Advocaat’s situation in Sunderland. He must have been torn especially seeing the trials of doom returning and not much joy insight. Also with the issues of how weak the strategy of the club has been its easy to see why he decided now to leave. The next man will be in tussle like all three former managers we’re with men coming in that was there in stints for others or because the club needed a fix. Not for a strategic long plan and vision of one leader and his tactical ways. So that the next man has to use what is there and prove his capabilities in the club. Sunderland and Liverpool got massive work in front of them. Sunderland got to fight for their place in the league and build stability in the leadership structure. Not only patch it up and quick fixes. Get a man to actually build a team and also build something with the fans that keeps the club alive. Liverpool has a squad and a backroom staff, that has been built by Rodgers who is now gone. The talent and faith in these players will be left to the next manager. Even the transfer committee has decided on certain players, it’s been three season with Rodgers and that leaves certainly some of his vision and characters there. And the staff that FSG has now put in place, since Rodgers lost his team before this campaign. Peace.

Ødeleggende for fotballen

Luis Suarez Liverpools og Uruguys stjerne spiss. Dette kunne ha vært en dag med glede for spissen og laget. Hvor de klarte uavgjort 6 minutter på overtid. Ikke minst kunne Sturridge vise krefter mot tidligere lagkamerater. Fotball søndagen har allerede vært action-fylt med Tottenham snur 0-1 mot Manchester City til 3-1. Etter at de byttet inn Defoe ble kampen helt forandret.

Derfor kunne vi ha skrevet om magiene i kampene. Om hvordan Defoe og Bale gjorde det magiske idag. Kunne ha skrevet dette om Louis Suarez, men jeg klarer ikke dette. Det Sturrigde gjorde var nobelt, kampen ble satt i flammer når Brendan Rodgers byttet ham inn etter pausen. Louis Suarez la kanskje en perfekt passning til Sturridge som var første reduseringsmålet mot Chelsea. Noe etter klarte han å være hovedpersonen på corneren til Chelsea. Da Suarez tok handen og lagde straffe. Der det ble 2-1 etter kongelagt straffe av Hazard. Deretter kommer det idiotiske bittet av Ivanovic.. Senere viser han igjen hvorfor man kan anse ham som en god spiller, han stanger ballen inn på overtid av overtiden. Det er dette vi burde ha diskutert. Dermed, blir fotball søndagen ødelagt av en mann. Her er ett klipp fra tiden da Ajax Vs PSV: da han beit Ajaxs Otman Bakkal. 

Når man trodde var nok galskap så gjør Suarez det igjen. For man husker øyeblikk som dette. Sky Sport analyse av denne hendelsen. Graeme Souness og Jamie Redknapp sier sannheten.  

Man husker slike øyeblikk. Dette er et velkjent øyeblikk med Vinnie Jones(Wimbeldon) og Paul Gascoigne(Newcastle). Vinnie Jones var med klubben og de ble jo kjent som «the Crazy gang». Cantona banket jo til en fan i løpet av kamp. Ble hardt straffet av FA. Dette må også Suarez bli, han ble i Nederland gitt 7 kampers karantene. Liverpool som en klubb som ønsker god anselse. Klubb-legende Kenny Daglish og manager Brendan Rodgers har begge de siste dagene snakket om «the Liverpool way». Om ære og hederlig vei i fotballen, ikke minst å også husker vi Suarez røde kort og straffe bommen til Ghana. Som ødelagde for mange av oss.

Idag viste han både sin geniale side og sin galne side. Som side om side desverre går i sammen. Fotballen trenger sunne eksempler. Slik som Juan Mata(Chelsea), Grant Holt(Norwich), Steven Gerrard(Liverpool), Neil Lennon(Tottenham), Brede Hangeland(Fulham) og Matthew Etherington(Stoke). Kunne ha nevnt flere, men disse er eksempler i sine klubber og Premier League. Kunne ha nevnt stjerner i Frankrike, Spania og Italia.

Derfor er det trist når en spiller som Suarez gjør slikt som idag. Det er bare ett par sekunder i løpet av 96 minutter. Disse er så essensielle, ikke nok at Brendan Rodgers viser taktisk kløkt med Sturridge. Dette blir satt i skyggen når Liverpool FC skal være en klubb med historisk sus og ære. Nå viser en av deres største stjerner lite æreful atferd. Atferden er ikke til å legge skjul feil. I ingen sport blir dette sett på som akseptabelt. Dette kommer til å bli husket slik som Roy Keans(Manchester United) takling av Alf Inge Haaland(Manchester City).

Jeg skulle ønske at dette blogg-innlegget kunne ha handlet om kampen om toppscorer tittelen i Premier leauge mot Bale(Tottenham) som har et mål mer enn Suarez. At Suarez biter Ivanvoic viser for andre gang hva han gjør. Noe som ikker er korrekt og håper han straffes både av klubb og FA. Dette er ødeleggende for fotballen. Jeg er faktisk lei av skrive navnet hans ned. Dette bør – bli en sak som viser hvor dumskap blir satt i system. Helt edruelig, og i rolig stemme si: Suarez bør gjemme seg og legge seg flat for media. Liverpool har en person med image problem som ikke passer det manger Brendan Rodgers og anstendige klubben vil stå for: Med «The Liverpool Way», hva nå enn det egentlig er for noe. Uansett. Rosenborg tapte idag og Strømsgodset vant. Alt i alt god fotball-søndag bare med en idiotisk hendelse!