Premier League Gameweek 13: Overreaction Monday ft the Special One, Manchester City and Everton's conundrum
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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.
Tottenham are on their way back
The international break saw Mauricio Pochettino sacked, Jose Mourinho replacing him and then subsequently winning the club’s first away game in over 300 days. That has brought about a hit of optimism for Spurs fans around the world and by appointing a winner, they believe they’re on their way to end their drought.
Verdict: Jose Mourinho is back and the Premier League is better for it and not just because of the sheer drama that the Portuguese brings to the league. His no-nonsense, pragmatic, serial winner style of football will see him go down as one of the greatest managers ever but after just one single game as Tottenham manager, are Spurs back? It’s an overreaction because it’s simply one game.
Yes, Spurs played better and looked more effective and played more penetrative football in that opening half than they did under Pochettino all of this season. Yes, they walked away with their first away win in over 300 days and yes, Dele Alli looks like he might thrive under Mourinho. But then again this was against West Ham, a team that have been the definition of terrible, so maybe wait until the battle of Old Trafford to lay claim to Jose’s at the wheel?
Manchester City are in crisis
After a series of injuries, lack of replacements and Manchester City sitting in third place has seen the interweb flooded with comments about the Cityzens in crisis.
Verdict: This is Pep Guardiola’s billion-pound Manchester City. The same side that won the league title with 100 points, the same one that made a one point lead look like a hundred last season. Yet, it does make some sort of sense because for the first time since their centurion season, Pep and co have spent 11 Gameweeks without being number 1.
It’s the longest stretch, since the start of the 2017/18 season, and one that has a few fans concerned over their performances. Combine that with various rumours of Guardiola leaving, Liverpool’s invincible-esque start to the season and Leicester City in second place and it all adds to their point. But just 13 game-weeks in and Manchester City most definitely doesn’t look like a team in crisis. Moreover, they look like nothing more than an above average Big Six side suffering with injuries.
Manchester United have no midfield
Paul Pogba injured, Scott McTominay injured and it forced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to field a midfield of Andreas Pereira and Fred against Sheffield United. This has seen optimism go down the drain, has seen many complain that the Red Devils are over and long for the glory days where Kieran Richardson, Eric Djemba-Djemba, John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher ran their midfield.
Verdict: Manchester United have no midfield. It’s not an opinion or even a chant but instead a fact. Their midfield is no-existent especially when Scott McTominay finds himself on the bench for some reason, or injured in this case, because he is their lynch-pin. But he is their lynch-pin because he does the basics so consistently well and that, for some absurd reason, is something nobody else can do right now. Paul Pogba adds the flair and a magical moment, Andreas Pereira runs about like an overexcited teenager, Juan Mata is well past his prime and Fred is a shadow of his £52 million self.
Remove McTominay and the entire squad collapses or can only manage nothing more than seven minutes of brilliance or pass the ball sideways and hope for the best. It’s a problem area and one that the club should have really solved with either a loan move or a permanent transfer in the summer. That’s because if the top four is their aim, then the Red Devils’ best chance of making it there lies in them pulling off a Jose Mourinho and winning the Europa League. Anything else would be an overachievement or so it would seem right now.
The end of Everton and Marco Silva
After yet another loss to Norwich City, Everton fans are hoping or rather expecting their manager to get sacked and many believe that it has been a long-time coming.
Verdict: There’s a reason why Arsenal and Everton haven’t sacked their managers less than four months into the season and that’s for reasons we may never know. But if the Toffees ever want to find their way forward and get things back on track, then yes sacking Marco Silva is the right option especially with a week before their next game.
They are playing awful football, the team looked terrified against a Norwich City side without an away win and Silva had no back-up plan. Nothing changed as the season has moved on and with December coming around the corner, sacking their manager now makes more sense than ever. But the question Everton have to ask themselves is does sacking Marco Silva without a replacement make sense?? Or does sacking him change the course of their season?
