Premier League Gameweek 14 | Overreaction Monday ft the Humble One, Watford and Fernandinho

Premier League Gameweek 14 | Overreaction Monday ft the Humble One, Watford and Fernandinho

no photo

|

Getty

As the saying goes hindsight is 20/20 but when it comes to football rarely does an opinion last more than a weekend unless it genuinely has some point to make. That being said after an action-packed weekend of overzealous fans in the Premier League, there were bound to be a few nonsensical debates.

The Invincible Foxes

Leicester City pulled off an incredible comeback against Everton and that has seen the world claim that the Foxes are invincible and title contenders.

Verdict: This is a damn impressive Leicester City side. They look beyond brilliant and the cojones that Brendan Rodgers showed to bring off a defender for a striker shows that the Foxes are not willing to settle for anything. That alone proves their need to be a Champions but they’re not even close to what Liverpool and, yes, even this Manchester City side are.

The Cityzens may have unearthed their inner Manchester United side but with the return of Aymeric Laporte and maybe Pep Guardiola swallowing his pride and spending a bit in January, things will change. It’s then that Leicester need to show their so-called invincibility. Doing it against a struggling Arsenal and Everton, doesn’t count.

Watford are heading back to the Championship

One win in their 14 games, two managers sacked and Watford sit rock bottom in the Premier League with them six points from safety.

Verdict: And we though Fulham and Huddersfield were bad. But this Watford side have already followed Fulham through the sack-race with two managers sacked. Javi Garcia lasted four games and Quique Sanchez Flores lasted 10 before he was dumped out. Their top scorer is Gerard Deulofeu and Andre Gray with two goals apiece but there are positives.

They’ve conceded only 28 goals so far, with Norwich City and Southampton both conceding more but if there is one thing that changes football games, it’s goals. And Watford seem to be scared of the goal, netting just nine this season, which means if they keep this pace then Derby County’s record of 20 goals, the fewest in a Premier League season, is theirs for the taking. It also means that they return back to the Championship and maybe Troy Deeney can still claim that his side are good.

Jose Mourinho has found his sanity

Jose Mourinho is back and the Portuguese manager is now the humble one, which has effectively destroyed his reputation or so the interweb claims.

Verdict: London and maybe even the Premier League, beware. Jose Mourinho may have found his sanity and that makes him a dangerous manager. The Portuguese superstar, cause that’s what he is, is a serial winner but he never really emanated hope or anything to do with love. Instead, it’s been mind-games, calling opposition managers “a specialist in failure” and a laundry list of other adjectives.

But this side of Jose, is something never seen before, at least publicly, and that’s more than just scary, it’s terrifying. Because if the man, the myth and the legend, has solved this issue after less than a year out of a job and realised that he cannot keep alienating the entire world around him, then England are in real trouble. Yet with a clash against his former side coming up, it might show us just how sane Jose has really become.

Fernandinho is now a center-back

Fernandinho’s performances have seen the Brazilian lauded for his transformation into a center-back from a defensive midfielder with many claiming that the transformation is now officially complete.

Verdict: Pep Guardiola’s final stage at any club has been moving players from their original playing positions to something he thinks might suit them. Philip Lahm is a prime example and one of his only success alongside Javi Martinez with Alex Song a massive failure. But Fernandinho might just be the latter and not the former despite his performances.

Yes, the Brazilian is a brilliant player. Yes, he has the skill and talent to play across the midfield. But he’s not a defender, no matter what the super-manager wants to believe. Fernandinho’s rashness and his aggression have hurt Manchester City because as the great Paolo Maldini once said, “If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake.” That’s Fernandinho and for a defensive midfielder, it’s the perfect skill.

But for a center-back, it’s like putting a prime Lionel Messi at left-back just because he can cross the ball well.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all