Sport

7 DAYS IN 7 POINTS

7 DAYS IN 7 POINTS

 

Newcastle, despite their spending, could be in big trouble
Steve McClaren has got a hell of a job on his hands. Newcastle spent heavily during the summer, bringing in high profile reinforcements in the shape of Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba, but they need to start clicking soon or Magpies will be forced to brace themselves for another season of abject disappointment. I still believe that Newcastle’s squad is capable of very good things – Siem de Jong, for example, is an outstanding player – but they need to start scoring goals and picking up points very soon. I predict a big home win next time out against Watford.

Missing out on Saido Berahino was a lucky escape for Spurs
It doesn’t matter how good a player is – if his attitude is off, if he’s unwilling to work for the good of the team, he isn’t going to be a benefit. Berahino, who is as petulant as they come, missed out on a deadline day move to Spurs and subsequently announced that he would never play for West Brom again. Two weeks later, however, and there he was, coming on as a substitute for Tony Pulis’ side. He’s young, granted, but he’s arrogant, and has a nasty little superiority complex. He’s undoubtedly a talent, but I never want to see him in Tottenham white.

Anthony Martial’s introduction to the Premier League was perfect
Much was made of the 19-year-old’s move to Manchester United, particularly with regard to his huge price tag. £36m for a player that most people would readily admit to not having heard of is, quite frankly, ludicrous. So, how did Martial decide to answer his many critics? By coming on as a sub and scoring a sublime solo goal against arch-rivals Liverpool, that’s how. One goal doesn’t make a career – former United starlet Federico Macheda is a great example of that – but Martial has already gone some way to showing that he could well be a success at Old Trafford.

Adebayor is poison
The fact that Adebayor is bad news is not a recent revelation, but it has certainly come to the fore again this week following his release from Tottenham. He has a poor work ethic, is unwilling to follow orders, seemingly makes a point of falling out with managers, and is generally a shockingly poor example of what a footballer should be. He is Mario Balotelli with a smile. As a Tottenham fan the most frustrating thing is that, on his day, Adebayor can be unplayable. He can terrorise defences and score vital goals, but he just doesn’t care enough to do it on a weekly basis. I expect that we will never see him in the Premier League again, and his departure from these shores cannot come quickly enough.

Liverpool fans are growing increasingly impatient with Rodgers
Liverpool’s supporters are widely mocked for still living in the past and, while to a certain extent I agree with this, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for Reds fans. The club spends big money every summer and, every August, a wave of optimism sweeps around Anfield. Could this be their year? Will they upset the odds and clamber to the top of the league as they did so frequently in the 80s? Well, no. Usually that hope is extinguished by September, to be replaced by a sense of annoyance and the need to blame someone. Brendan Rodgers, who was won nothing in his spell as Liverpool boss, is the obvious scapegoat this time around. Some fans have even gone so far as to create a fundraising campaign to buy out his contract, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was gone by the end of the season (though I doubt the fundraising campaign will have anything to do with it).

The league is Manchester City’s to lose
It’s a little presumptuous to say that the title is in City’s hands at this early stage of the season, but I’m willing to stick my neck on the line. For one reason or another Pellegrini’s men were tipped for glory by a mere few but, just five weeks into the campaign, they are now most people’s outright favourite for league. A lot can change in football in a very short space of time – we’ve seen major collapses by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City themselves in recent years – but I think it could be plain sailing for the Citizens come May.

Something’s not quite right at Chelsea
While Chelsea fans cry into their caviar, the rest of the country is chuckling. Chelsea, seen by many as the outright favourites for the title before the season started, appear to be crumbling. How can a team that dominated the opposition with such regularity only a few months now be in such turmoil? Mourinho has declared that, despite the poor run of form, he is the right man for the job, and I’d say he’s right – if he can keep from throwing his toys out of the pram, moaning to the cameras and blaming other people for his misfortunes, that is. Chelsea will come good this season, of that there is no doubt, but I think retaining their title is already beyond them.