Movement and Light: Round 23 in the BPL

photo by pingnews.com	via PhotoRee

o While everyone's talking about Clint Dempsey's late late show against the League leaders, we prefer to focus on the goal that handed United an early advantage at White Hart Lane on Sunday -- and not just for the obvious reasons. What we saw was stupendous movement by Robin Van Persie, the kind you don't see from any other player in the League at the moment. One minute the Red Devil striker is carefully marked by Spurs' defensive pairing of Walker and Vertonghen, and the next -- don't blink or you'll miss it -- he's standing in acres of space, lit up all by himself. The striker is in imperious form right now and this week's goal demonstrates it clearly -- he's playing an utterly different game than the many mere mortals who surround him, and the timing of his runs is pure magic.

o And while a bunch of people were only too happy to criticize young David De Gea for his weak punch on Sunday, check out the replay before you make the accusation: the Spaniard was completely taken out of the play by his own Captain. Nemanja Vidic rushed straight into De Gea and basically submarined him - and not many players in the world are capable of surviving a collision with the big Serb.

o We're not big fans of whining Frenchmen here at farlieonfootie, but we have to admit that Arsenal bossman Arsene Wenger had a point on Sunday. Not a point from the game -- it was a toothless Arsenal side he sent out to meet the Blues at Stamford Bridge, after all -- but instead a point about Referee Martin Atkinson missing a clear foul by Ramires on Francis Coquelin (the former a dirty player if ever there was one) immediately preceding Juan Mata's opening goal. Compounding matters that involved the same parties, Atkinson doubled his gifts to the home side by awarding Ramires a penalty -- when the Brazilian clearly tripped untouched over Arsenal 'keeper Sczcesny's outstretched leg. We've harped on it time and time again on this blog -- Atkinson is a poor and obviously biased referee who is either not up to the task or on Roman Abramovich's payroll.


o Player of the Week David Silva showed a couple of sweet bursts of pace to match his two goals in City's Saturday's fixture against Fulham. It's the type of performance the diminutive midfield maestro turned in seemingly every week in last season's first half -- before he burned out from overuse. Could the Spanish import be getting ready to make an impact on the run in?  Only time will tell.

o Reading's starting to make a habit of second half comebacks, and a team once given up for dead may live to fight another day -- the Royals are only one point out of the safety zone as of today. It certainly doesn't hurt when your center forward is allowed to use his arms as well as his legs to find the goal, as Adam Le Fondre did to equalize against Newcastle, but at this point we're fairly sure Royals' Manager Brian McDermott will take his goals -- and his wins -- however he can find them.

o PS -- Anyone still thinking Alan Pardew's eight year contract extension last year was a mistake?

o Congratulations to on-loan Manchester United man Angelo Henriquez. The 18 year old Chilean scored on his League debut for Wigan on Saturday, and his movement and nose for the net may leave the rest of the League scratching their heads and wondering one thing: Do Manchester United really need another striker?!

This is farlieonfootie for January 23.