Premier League Gameweek 22: Overreaction Monday
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As the saying goes, thinking too much is a disease but when it comes to football rarely does a thought last more than a weekend unless it has some basis to it. That being said after an action-packed weekend of overzealous fans in the Premier League, there were bound to be a few nonsensical debates.
Bournemouth will be relegated and Eddie Howe will be sacked
A career-defining losing run for Bournemouth and Eddie Howe combined with them sitting pretty in the relegation zone has seen everyone making the claim that this is the end.
SC Take: It certainly looks like that, doesnât it? Just the one win and four points in their last eleven games, Watford have surged past them and now with 16 games left, things might just be over. But take one peak at their injuries list and it tells you everything. At no stage of the season have the Cherries had their entire squad at Eddie Howeâs disposal. David Brooks was ruled out of the season, Callum Wilson and Josh King have been in and out and Ryan Fraser has his own problems.
As for Eddie Howe, the man has earned more than enough credit in the bank to decide when he leaves Bournemouth. After all, itâs not everyday you see a financially improvised club rise from the depths of the League 2 to survive and fight above their weight class in the Premier League.
Steve Bruce is actually not that bad
Newcastle were the prime candidates to get relegated and yet 22 games into the season theyâre sitting 13th in the league table doing better than anyone expected.
SC Take: The sheer fact that many considered Steve Bruce to be a below-average manager is shocking and yet it shouldnât really come as a shock. The 59-year-old doesnât have the greatest managerial record but his average points tally is rather impressive, even if he has predominantly coached in the Premier League with a couple of spells in the Championship.
Yet the Magpies hated what Mike Ashley did to Rafa Benitez that nobody wanted Bruce at the club and a few still refuse to accept him as their manager. That needs to change because what Bruce has done with the Magpies is nothing short of stunning especially given the team he was handed.
Kevin De Bruyne and Sadio Mane are the only two contenders for POTY
Two magnificent players at their very best and Lord Owen Hargreaves has taken to claiming that they are the only two in contention for the Player of the Year award.
SC Take: A stupider take has never existed on this planet. Now granted most of what the former Manchester United man says has to be taken with a bag of salt but this is ridiculous. Yes, Kevin De Bruyne is magnificent beyond a reason of doubt and Sadio Mane, who on current form, is one of the best in the world but what of the rest? What of that Leicester City striker who scores goals like no other player in the league has?
What of that Manchester United man who has almost singlehandedly at times kept his side within a stoneâs throw of relevance? What about Danny Ings? The man whose story is so sensational that it deserves a place on the nominations list based on that factor alone. In the end, it just might be Kevin De Bruyne or whoever decides to have a late-season blast to the top but right now, saying something like that is almost Souness-esque. Also known as nonsensical.
Jack Grealish would fit in any midfield in the Premier League
Aston Villaâs captain, their man Friday and their version of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jack Grealish has been great but Andy Gray believes heâs so good that heâd walk into even this Liverpool and Manchester City sides.
SC Take: First of saying heâs better than Naby Keita with an air that Keita is crap is nonsensical and exactly what we expect from Andy Gray. Because Keita is class even to anyone whoâs watched him play albeit sparingly for Liverpool with injuries his major issue. Jack Grealish, on the other hand, in his current form and if he keeps up this consistency is at the same level. And yes, heâs grown and improved tremendously since he first played in the top tier.
But he will not walk into any top-six sides in the near future and that includes the current Big Four based on positions with Leicester City in consideration. Manchester City and Liverpool do not need him, Leicester City have their own versions of him, while Chelsea may be the only side that might actually take him. Even thatâs pushing it though.
