World Football's Monday Morning Hangover: A Tale of Two Strikers
Welcome to world football's Monday Morning Hangover, an homage to the NFL section's own Monday Morning Hangover, where we round up the key stories and important points from the last weekend in world football.
With an inevitable (almost exclusive) focus on the Premier League, let's get started.
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Mauricio Pochettino tried to kill him with kindness—or at least, blunt his threat with a couple of well-placed compliments—but in the end, Sergio Aguero still put his compatriot’s side to the sword.
Only Pochettino will know the true intent of his pre-match comments, ones that saw him brand Aguero “the best striker in the word...like Mozart—Beethoven is too crazy.” Was this honest praise with no hidden agenda, or was it a Football Manager-esque attempt to heighten the pressure and scrutiny on the striker and put him off his stride?
Whatever the case, the ploy did not have a positive effect for Spurs; the Argentine Mozart casting a spell on his beleaguered opponents and scoring all four goals (even missing a penalty) in a 4-1 victory for his team at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Tottenham have now conceded 15 goals in their last three matches against City—Aguero with seven of them. The Argentine currently averages a goal every 108 minutes in his Premier League career—the best ratio in the history of the competition.
On Saturday, two of his goals came from the penalty spot, but his other two—and his all-round display—highlighted why he is such a handful for defenders, as he worked one off his right foot and the other off his left.
His movement is like David Silva’s; Aguero is able to move between the lines and find the space to attack while simultaneously creating openings for his team-mates. When he gets the ball, he is almost impossible to dispossess—keeping the ball stuck to his feet while dribbling and using his low centre of gravity to his advantage when a defender gets too tight. He is predominantly right-footed, but he is more than capable of sliding home with his left (as he showed against Spurs), making him a lethal No. 9. He is also good in the air for a small player.
Afterwards, City boss Manuel Pellegrini said (per the Mirror):
"I have said before this game that Aguero can be one of the best in the world—today we’ve seen what he can do when he is 100 per cent fit.
I have known Kun for a long time. I have seen him in Argentina and Spain and now in England, and he has all the qualities.
Last year he was unlucky with injuries, but he has had a good pre-season. We also rested him in the first few games and now we are seeing him at his best.
"
Can there be any question now that Aguero is the best striker in the Premier League? Since Luis Suarez left, that particular title has been up for grabs, although there are those who might say that the Uruguayan never truly wrestled that accolade away from City’s No. 16.
Diego Costa has been brilliant since arriving at Chelsea—like Aguero, his biggest weakness is perhaps his injury record—but he has fewer strings to his bow than his fellow ex-Atletico Madrid man.
Costa is much more of an out-and-out No. 9, to a great extent he relies on the delivery he receives; Aguero would surely have settled into the Spain team far quicker than Costa has.
Robin van Persie has not been at his best for the last 18 months, while Radamel Falcao is still to fully find his feet at Old Trafford. Beyond that, who can even be considered a contender? Daniel Sturridge is similarly talented—able to drop deep or run in behind defences, dangerous with either foot and in the air—but he is still to prove his ability to carry the load in a post-Suarez Liverpool side, while both Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck (who has plenty of time to improve) lack a certain something.
If anything, it's better to wonder if Aguero the best striker in the world at the moment. It is certainly worth wondering how much more successful Argentina might have been in the summer if Aguero had been fully fit during the World Cup.
On Saturday’s evidence, the 26-year-old is over the long-running injury problem that ravaged the end of his last Premier League campaign and ran on into the World Cup, in which he looked a shadow of himself. In the second half of last season, Aguero only played the full 90 minutes of a Premier League game once—on the final day against West Ham. Before that, there was a seemingly never-ending cycle of injuries that prevented him from regaining full match fitness.
Pellegrini has clearly always seen Aguero as the best striker available to him (despite the quality of Edin Dzeko and, to a lesser extent, Alvaro Negredo), so the fact City were able to win the league without having the best of his services should not be overlooked.
This season, the consensus is that Chelsea, who finished last season four points behind City, have improved considerably in the summer and are the side to beat. City did not strengthen to the same extent—but maybe that won’t be a problem if Aguero is fully fit this time around. At 100 per cent, he will improve the side considerably from what they had last term. That might be enough to fend off the Blues in the final reckoning.
It’s a lot of pressure to put on Aguero, but ask Pochettino: Pressure does not seem to faze him much.
Balotelli Keeps Firing Blanks
One striker not mentioned in that list of potential candidates for the title of the best striker in England? Mario Balotelli, who endured another goalless afternoon in a horror performance against QPR on Sunday.
Only Aguero (36) and Graziano Pelle (32) have taken more shots than Mario Balotelli (30) so far this season, yet they have nine and six goals respectively. Balotelli has none.
Against QPR, the Italian blazed a first-time volley over the crossbar with the goal gaping and antagonised his team-mates with numerous selfish shot attempts from acute and distant angles. He was the intended recipient for two crosses that ended up being turned in as own goals, but by the second half, it seemed the other Liverpool players had grown so tired of his antics they would not pass to him if there was another option on offer.
The £16 million signing cut a disillusioned figure (some would say that is his default setting); a striker clearly affected by his goal drought, but one seemingly oblivious to the fact simple things like an improved work rate and better link-up play would still enable him to contribute to the cause. Perhaps when he understands those aspects, the goals will finally start to come.
The problem for manager Brendan Rodgers, and indeed the problem for almost any manager who has ever worked with Balotelli, is that it is not hard to see the potential Balotelli has. He has the strength and power to play as a lone striker and, when his mind is on the job, the touch and technique to drop deep and release runners in behind.
He is that rare attacking talent who can be a threat in almost any area, like Aguero but with a greater physical presence.
However, his attitude, not his physical skills, have always been his undoing.
“It’ll drop for the boy," Rodgers said after the QPR game (per Goal.com). "The most important thing to me is his work rate. He’s working really hard. It’ll drop for him.
“He's seen as a direct replacement to Luis [Suarez]. I’ve said before, Luis is irreplaceable, a real world-class talent. That’s not what’s being asked of Mario.”
This is how Rodgers seems to have decided to manage the striker, a pinch of support with a dash of implied criticism—the implication that he is not a "real world-class talent" will irk the striker. But the effect on the rest of the squad is harder to discern.
Balotelli played the full 90 minutes on Sunday, as Rickie Lambert watched from the bench. The ex-Southampton man—who has never been criticised for his attitude—must be wondering what he has to do to get a chance as Balotelli continues to squander his, infuriating the likes of Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard in the process.
The return of Daniel Sturridge cannot come soon enough for Liverpool; Balotelli should be embarrassed at his inability to adequately cover the Englishman’s absence.
Goal of the Weekend
It has to be Santiago Vergini's strike, which opened the scoring in Southampton's 8-0 win over Sunderland. It is barely fathomable that a Premier League defender in this day and age would not feel confident using his left foot—for that, Sunderland's on-loan Argentine deserves everything he got.
Goal of the Weekend: Runner-up Edition
"GOLAZO de Maxwell (PSG) vs Lens (2-1): https://t.co/xQqSV0TV5O
— Superchip (@SuperChip_) October 17, 2014"
Random Asides
- It was interesting to see Harry Redknapp launch a tirade against Adel Taarabt in the aftermath of QPR's defeat to Liverpool. Is Taarabt really “three stone overweight," or did Redknapp use an innocuous question as the chance to distract focus from his job security and the performance of his side and direct it toward a player who has yet to be involved this season?
- With his sixth goal of the season, Diafra Sakho is already making a strong case to be the signing of the season in a field with a fair few candidates. (Transfermarkt reports that he cost less than £4m.) Alongside Enner Valencia, the Hammers have a quick, powerful strike force with a clear eye for goal. That is bad news for injured Andy Carroll and even worse news for Premier League defenders.
- You could see the relief etched on Alan Pardew’s face as Newcastle picked up their first win of the season against Leicester City on Saturday. The game was delayed by an hour over safety concerns surrounding a wobbly scoreboard at St James’ Park, but the wait was worth it, as the unlikely figure of Gabriel Obertan secured the points for the Magpies. Pardew lives to fight another day—only Burnley have yet to win a league game this season.
- Cesc Fabregas was once again imperious for Chelsea on Saturday, scoring the winner against Crystal Palace in the absence of his partner in crime, Diego Costa. However, Oscar, who scored the first goal, should not be overlooked. Much has been made of the threat of Fabregas, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard this season, but 23-year-old Oscar looks stronger, fitter and better prepared for the challenge of the Premier League this season. His free-kick was a thing of beauty—the Brazilian might well be primed for a big campaign following the disappointment of the World Cup.
- With 15 goals conceded in their last three games against Man City, Tottenham seem to have as much of a problem against "top" sides as archrivals Arsenal. There appears to have been some moderate progress made under Pochettino, but he surely needs to settle on his first-choice line-up (especially in defence) sooner rather than later if the side is to build the sort of stability it needs.
- Congratulations to Richard Dunne, who became the first player in Premier League history to score 10 own goals with his close-range finish against Liverpool. We can't think of a more fitting man to become the first to reach that remarkable milestone.
Good Week, Bad Week
Good Week
Bobby Zamora: Eduardo Vargas got the goals, but Bobby Zamora looked unplayable at times against the Liverpool.
Alan Pardew: A win that surely eases the pressure on Alan Pardew for another few matches.
Raheem Sterling: Raheem Sterling completed 90 minutes. He must not be tired any more!
Roberto Martinez: Slightly under the radar, Roberto Martinez's Everton team got back to winning ways against Villa.
Ronald Koeman: Saints boss Ronald Koeman, Manager of the Month for September, must be enjoying life right now.
Bad Week
Liverpool's defence: It's not a good sign if you struggle to deal with Bobby Zamora.
Harry Redknapp: We think under-pressure coach Harry Redknapp doth protest too much.
Victor Moses: Garry Monk went over the top with his criticism, but it was still a poor dive from Victor Moses.
Sean Dyche: Eight games in and still no win for Burnley. It is starting to get slightly desperate for the Clarets.
Vito Mannone: Vito Mannone was a crucial reason why Sunderland lost 8-0, rather than 4-0 or 5-0.
Other Points of Note
Luck of the [Northern] Irish
Fate was at its cruellest on Sunday, when Liverpool claimed a 3-2 win over QPR in the dying moments of their game at Loftus Road. The Hoops desperately needed a result—and deserved one based on their overall performance—but they were denied at the death, as Steven Caulker turned Sterling’s pass into his own net deep into injury time.
The goal was especially unfortunate considering what had transpired moments before. Having won a free-kick in the Liverpool half, Caulker wanted to go into the box to help challenge for a winner before being hauled back by the more cautious Dunne to cover in the case of a Liverpool counter-attack.
It was a sensible decision, arguably the right one—except for the fact the two centre-backs failed to organise themselves properly after making that decision. The counter-attack came just as they predicted, but the QPR defence was so all over the place that Philippe Coutinho and Sterling were still able to romp forward almost untouched. The latter’s pass to Balotelli was deflected into the net before the Italian could get on the end of it.
Bad luck played a role, but so too did incompetence. The two seem to go hand-in-hand so often that you wonder if bad luck actually exists, or whether it’s always incompetence of one form or another. Not that Harry Redknapp would put it that way.
A Calamity Wrapped Up in a Farce
Southampton entered the annals of the biggest Premier League victories with an 8-0 evisceration of Sunderland on Saturday, a result that was kicked off by Santiago Vergini’s truly bizarre own goal.
Liam Bridcutt later tucked another shot into his own net (one he really should have avoided), with Southampton players getting the other six goals—although they were given more than a few helping hands along the way.
Vito Mannone produced some shocking goalkeeping to gift at least two goals to the home side, while the Sunderland defence also seemed to have no answer for the quality of Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pelle's eye for goal.
This was an emphatic result and an embarrassment for Gus Poyet, who thought that his side should have had a penalty at 2-0—one that would apparently have changed the game completely. But it should not be overlooked that Sunderland were as shambolic as Southampton were good; this was a case of an in-form side catching another on one of its worst off days.
If Sunderland respond the right way, this result itself should not prove too significant come the end of the season. Southampton, however, may find they get greater respect from the sides they face over the coming week.
Gunners Shoot Themselves in the Foot
After drawing against Hull City on Saturday—and it could easily have been a defeat—Arsenal are now 11 points adrift of Chelsea. After eight games, the Blues have amassed double the points of their London rivals.
For Arsene Wenger, that will be a deep concern, and you have to wonder if whatever pre-season hopes the club might have had of a title challenge have already been extinguished. It is not that overcoming an 11-point deficit is impossible, just that it is impossible to overcome such a deficit if you are unable to beat the likes of Hull at home.
That is no disrespect to the Tigers, who have strengthened astutely and extensively in the summer. On Saturday, the Tigers benefited, as two of those new signings, Mohamed Diame and Abel Hernandez, gave Steve Bruce’s side a great platform to go on and grab all three points.
For Arsenal, their own comparative lack of reinvestment haunted them—even if two new signings, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck, scored their goals. At the back, however, the absence of Laurent Koscielny forced full-back Nacho Monreal to play centre-back, and Hull exploited that instability to the full.
Wenger may well sign a new centre-back in January. By then, however, the club might be in the familiar position of fighting to finish fourth in the league—and nothing more.
Monday Night Football
Monday night’s game sees Manchester United travel to the Hawthorns to face West Brom knowing a win will lift them into the top four of the fledgling Premier League table.
More importantly, Louis van Gaal’s side know that they need a win to avoid dropping more than eight points behind Chelsea—the title might have always been an unlikely dream, but the club certainly does not want to be out of the running before December.
United face the Blues and Manchester City over the course of their next two league games, so getting the three points would seem especially important. The Baggies will not just roll over, however, as they look to continue a reasonable start to the season against a side they have had plenty of joy against in recent seasons.
Prediction: West Brom 1-2 Manchester United
