Quick Hits from the Barclay's Premier League

photo by Claudio Gennari ..."Cogli l'attimo ferma il tempo"	via PhotoRee

From Correspondent Ed:

• Bam!  Pow!  Smack!  I think Chelsea just hit the crossbar three more times.  Impressive display from the Blues, whether you like them or hate them.  They took on Manchester City and at times made City's back four look like a tired recreational team.

 

• Jose Mourinho is the worst thing that could ever happen to David Moyes.  Each took over an ageing team, but the Special One has Chelsea revived and looking like contenders while Moyes has United looking the equivalent of Stoke.  Is it tactics?  Is it motivation?  Is it personnel?  I recall Moyes opting for Felaini over players like Willian, and recently paying top dollar for Chelsea castaways.  United believes that patience is required for new managers; however, this run will certainly put the Board and Sir Alex to the test.  Especially if Moyes starts losing the players, which may already be the case.

 

• Roberto Martinez may be the second worst thing that could happen to David Moyes.  He also took an ageing team, arguably lost his best player to Moyes (another castaway?) in Fellaini and had his other top player on the bench most of the year (Baines), but Everton seems firmly in 5th place and looks a much better squad than United.  So who exactly won when United took Moyes from Everton and Everton had to move onto Martinez?

 

• Spurs looked positively okay against that annoying pre-2013 Spurs team known as Hull City.  The beef in the middle of Hull makes them tough to score against with Huddleston and Livermore.  New signing Long at the top gives them some speed that burned Spurs.  Still, Spurs dominated possession but just couldn't get that second goal.  Unlucky?  Maybe, but Roberto Soldado also seems to blame as he seems to get worse from week to week rather than better.  Clearly the pressure he is putting on himself is doing damage.  But do the Spurs have the time or the patience to wait for him to come good.

 

• Still surprised that the Spurs are so willing to dump Holtby.  I get Capoue -- the position is overstocked.  I would also get Chadli, as I'm not sure what he adds.  But Holtby seemed to be coming on as the season went on even if Erikson was his equal.  $100MM pounds and what do Spurs have to show for it?  Paulinho is pretty much the only player that seemed worth the price at this point.
• Not long ago Michael Laudrup was considered a top contender for the Spurs' vacancy.  Now he's out at Swansea, and for good reason.  The Swans have been terrible this year, barely an echo of what they were not long ago.  Laudrup got them some silverware, but was his ability to do that just a hangover from the Brendan Rodgers days?  With Rodgers' success at Liverpool, that argument is gaining merit.

 

• The BPL table is a mess.  Half the teams could be relegated, and Aston Villa may be one of the worst 10th place teams in BPL history.  Only when you get to Southampton do the teams start having class.

 

• Fulham in last place?  What a sad state.  I cannot imagine the Cottagers going down, but their current form is so bad it's looking very likely.  Their hope:  even 12th place Swansea is only 4 points ahead of them in the table.

This is farlieonfootie for February 5.