2019/2020 SO FAR: THE RECKONING

2019/2020 SO FAR: THE RECKONING


We're back and so is Football!
We dive into the top 10 story lines of the campaign so far:
who's already started off with a bang?
who pulled off the best transfer business?
and which manager is essentially screwed already?
We tell all below!
Welcome back and don't forget to subscribe if you dig.



9.
MANCHESTER UNITED EAT CHELSEA'S FACE

           With Paul Pogba dishing 2 assists and looking in command of the Chelsea midfield, Manchester United looked an altogether new team. 
           Marcus Rashford helped out as well, bashing in 2 goals and earning his own penalty, while Frenchman Anthony Martial blasted home a goal himself to cap off a fantastic performance from Solskjaer's men that condemns debutante manager Lampard to a good ol' bit of the English media ultra-violence 
           The United dressing room and front office were under siege after letting Romelu Lukaku leave for near pennies, and without an attacking re-investment in sight, it seemed an obvious conclusion that United may be toothless in attack this term.
            But sometimes fans forget that this is a team game and one superb signing in the back can affect (and open up) the front:
           Thanks to the swift passing and killer through balls out of defense from new signings Harry Maguire and reliable right back outlet / future superstar Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United can pass out of the back for once. 
          Chelsea are going to struggle without Hazard, yet still can't be called pushovers, especially in the press (Pedro, Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic are all high-pressure players) and we saw them hounding United countless times at the back on Sunday, only for one of the new signings to flip the ball over the top or around the side of the charging opposition feet.
          The Maguire and Wan-Bissaka signings were paramount to United's success, however it seems the average fan doesn't realize what an impact deeper-lying players have on an overall match. Maguire was constantly finding Pogba in space on the left side of midfield, the pair of players being especially close to each other in the formation used vs Chelsea (Maguire at LCB, Pogba at LCM). 
           With this astute signing knowing both would positionally benefit from each other, Solskjaer has brought back the panache and finesse to the United passing game, something we haven't seen since Fergie retired. 
            Yes, Chelsea should've taken the lead early: Mateo Kovacic played well and set up Tammy Abraham, only for the young Brit to clip the post with a fine enough effort. After this, United made the London club pay in bristling fashion, scoring 3 second-half goals in a 16 minute period.
            This United team isn't anywhere close to frightening, in fact they allowed a stunning amount of chances to Chelsea, even whilst 4-0 up, though what a fantastic blueprint to start the season on and setting a fantastic bar...though is Chelsea just that bad? Or just unlucky? 
            We think both clubs will surprise, though that doesn't guarantee a spot in the top four.

8.
GRIEZMANN GRABS 1ST BARCA GOAL, DEMBELE & DE JONG LOOK FILTHY 
& IS SUAREZ BACK?


           If Barcelona's 19/20 season will be dictated by how the club performed over two legs against Napoli, then we may see a team that isn't above shocking errors or sloppy play, yet it's definitely a group that shows tremendous verve, pace all over the pitch, depth in all areas, a frightening midfield if Valverde can get the combination right, and a tremendous attacking unit who may prove impossible to stop.
          ....and that's without Lionel Messi....
          Despite Ernesto Valverde's madcap insanity as the hapless manager of Barcelona (now in his 3rd season somehow), this squad has shown a tremendous chemistry in certain areas so far in pre-season. 
          Suarez & Griezmann have combined for more than a few chances (including Suarez teeing up the new Barca #17 with a flip over the defense, only for the Frenchman's shot to be saved and fall straight to the Uruguyan to bury on the rebound...the duo have already been causing havoc).
          Elsewhere, Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie De Jong have shown a near preternatural telepathy, combining for 5 chances in 5 half-matches this preseason (including a Dembele shot off of the post and yesterday, Frenkie's first ever Barcelona assist for a superb goal from the Frenchman). 
           Meanwhile Carles Alena (served up a brilliant ball out to Alba on the Griezmann goal), Riqui Puig (1 assist vs Napoli) have staked their claim for serious playing time this season. Both of these frenetic young La Masia mids engineered efficient and all-action displays that should see them playing 35+ matches each this campaign for the Catalans. 
           Yet the startling thing has been the form of Luis Suarez.
           Due to a renewed work ethic and disciplined physical fitness, Luis has been gliding past defenders in pre-season, twisting and turning with some fantastic play on the ball (Suarez set up some chances with filthy passing to both Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele) and doing his favorite thing: scoring goals, with 3 now in preseason. 
           Suarez hasn't been perfect and we'll never see him back to his 2015/2016 greatest, but what we will witness is a player who still holds an intense desire to prove people wrong, has always stayed hungry for goals and can always be ready to contribute.
         There are some rough spots in the magical squad of Barcelona though: Senegalese international right back Moussa Wague continues to produce as many yellow cards as he does chances (though if he can get rid of his undisciplined defensive record, Wague will be a future superstar); new left back (and the first ever Barca player born in the Dominican Republic) Junior Firpo will try to put the horror debut vs Napoli out of his mind.
         Though slow to react on one of the goals vs Napoli in the 1st half and being anonymous for most of the 2nd, he did rebound to produce a few important chances on goal as he played the full 90 minutes.
        Barca won't be a perfect team, in reality, they'll have to out-flank their awful, conservative manager just to get through some matches (you know...the guy who's at his worst with a 3 goal lead), however the fact they possess a telepathic surgery in their newly solidified nucleus in each phase of the game gives them a new advantage over opponents that they didn't enjoy last year.       
          In attack: Messi and Suarez will combine as always, Dembele and Griezmann have played well together, though we know all will become well acquainted; in midfield: Busquets will become Zeus alongside Arthur & Frenkie De Jong; in defense: Pique & Umtiti / Lenglet (both have played full seasons with Pique) and the incredible Jean-Claire Todibo waits for his chance.
           There is incredible promise, however there is also mandatory pressure: if Barcelona fail to win the Champions League, let alone a treble with this expanded squad, it will only be down to the player's and the board's insistence to keep Ernesto Valverde at the helm.

        
7.
ARSENAL'S CRUMBLING DEFENSE 
ALLOWS NEWCASTLE NOTHING


           For all the talk of Arsenal's dire defensive options coming into the campaign, they started off strong in the Premier League opener, allowing a toothless Newcastle next to nothing, but it was hardly mountain-moving from the Gunners.
          Both sides only produced 4 shots on target combined all match in the empty, lukewarm affair...though Arsenal weren't really focusing on scoring 15 goals today. 
         They were focused in defense and a back four of Ainsley Maitland-Niles (MOTM with a seething assist), Calum Chambers, Sokratis and Monreal denied Newcastle any chances whatsoever. 
          Leno had to pull off 2 comfortable saves and he did so with ease, while Aubameyang scored a fire-breather with a nasty first touch, pinging it off his feet on the bounce and through Newcastle's goalkeeper Dubravka, continuing where he left off after his brutal strike at Camp Nou.
      Arsenal  fans would've hoped for an intense performance with more goals, shots on target and chances created, yet given their attacking quality that didn't even appear on the day (Lacazette wasn't on for a single second, Nicolas Pepe played for 19 minutes at the end, Ceballos came on and was efficient in the middle of the park for 26 minutes) it's more important for this Arsenal team to come home with 3 points and a clean sheet on the road, another goal for their main man Auba, a match where newbs like the mercurial Reiss Nelson (who was electric on loan at Hoffenheim last year), Joe Willock (2 key passes on the day) and Matteo Guendouzi all looked assured and confident. 
 
          The injection of youth players could've hampered the competition's entertainment value, although Gooners (Arsenal fans) shouldn't give a damn about that: the goals, the entertainment, the outrageous attacking flair will come, but the defensive solidity they so crave has to be first and foremost at the forefront of this season's necessities. 
          Usually this is where Arsenal are starting the season already 3 points behind...but now Unai Emery's side have started well.
         I think they're one to pay attention to. 

6.
WHERE WILL AJAX STARS 
HAKIM ZIYECH & 
DONNY VAN DE BEEK ACTUALLY PLAY THIS SEASON?
                   

 
                 Another week goes by and Donny Van De Beek and Hakim Ziyech are still playing for Ajax.
         The pair are still scoring goals and dishing assists at the Dutch club, tearing the Eredivisie up as if it were the right side of Franck Ribery's face.
        While much-in-demand-but-somehow-still-not-sold midfielder Donny Van De Beek continues to capture our imaginations with the lungs and perseverance of Bernardo Silva, the finishing of a young Lampard and the vision of a young Sneijder, Real Madrid have been rumored to be bidding for his services.
          Van De Beek still has a lot of room to grow before his name can feature next to any of those stars or legends of the game, that was for mere profile comparison...don't get carried away folks 😎.
         Also, much-discussed-much-loved-but-still-not-at-a-big-club attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech keeps on pushing the envelope of how aggressive an attacking player should be (in 18/19 for both club and country, he took on 5+ shots a match, committed 6 tackle attempts per 90 with his tackle attempts rising higher in the Champions League and Ziyech dished an astounding 4-5 key passes per 90, posting 9 key passes on 4 occasions). 
         How Bayern Munich or Arsenal haven't gone in and secured Hakim Ziyech, with his meager €25 million release clause, is embarrassing. 
        Both clubs need an attacking player who's versatile in both final third artistry and engine room combat.... not to mention, he's perfect for Bayern or Arsenal: he's the cheapest Grade A world class player that was left on the market for the two biggest cheap skate clubs to come and grab....somehow both fell asleep at the wheel.
         Whoever does grab Hakim Ziyech will have improved their club markedly, while if Real Madrid somehow snag Van De Beek, it would complete one of the most emphatic, perfected and frightening transfer windows from a club...and perhaps Van De Beek is a signing Real Madrid have to make to match Donny's Ajax twin Frenkie De Jong's dramatic improvement upon Barcelona already.

5.
MAN CITY RUN RIOT...
EVEN WHEN "STRUGGLING"
         West Ham started the match perfectly: they stripped City of possession, gave them little to no chances, nearly forced new-boy Rodri into a stupid penalty (had the former Atletico CDM touched Lanzini one more time, Mike Dean would've had no choice but to give the pen) and West Ham were shackling Raheem Sterling's movement. 
         They even created a few great openings themselves, pinning City deep into their own half and ruined the tempo and pace of the EPL champions' passing.

        Suddenly, without any warning, under-fire City right back Kyle Walker (hot off the heels of his club signing Portugal and Juve's starting right back Joao Cancelo and coming off of a couple error-spotted matches for England) went surging up the right wing after a millimeter perfect through ball from Riyad Mahrez. 
           Walker, eager to impress Guardiola and retain his starting spot, cut the ball back through the sprawling feet of West Ham players and the ball ended up at the tip of Gabriel Jesus's toe and into the roof of the net after an instinctual run from the Brazilian.
          That goal was absolute art and it finally wore down a West Ham side after a resolute 24 minutes, though what followed was an incredible sight and warning to the entirety of European football.
           West Ham had hung on until the 50th minute, but it only took a Kevin De Bruyne run into space through the opposition half and a searing, blistering burst from Raheem Sterling to punish West Ham thoroughly, after an exquisite De Bruyne lay off and tidy Raheem finish. 
           Quick to follow, Algerian African Nations Cup winner Riyad Mahrez set up the final 3 goals (directly involved in 4), earning a penalty when his run into the box wasn't  some devastating moves (Sergio Aguero duly buried the pen) and set up 2 delicious assists for Raheem Sterling. 
         The first was an audacious teardrop chip over the top of the West Ham defense, standing befuddled on the cusp of the box when the Algerian identified a smooth Sterling run. The England man chested down the filthy chip by Mahrez and clapped the ball over the top of the bewildered Fabianski. 
        Earlier, the England winger was denied an assist himself following a square ball to Jesus. This became the first ever Premier League goal  disallowed by VAR when Mike Dean reversed the goal due to a Sterling offside (by an armpit hair).               
        Sterling still responded with yet another hat trick.
         This is Raheem Sterling's third hat trick for City in the last year and his movement has unlocked the extra level in Manchester City.                Raheem Sterling's mobility in the final third (and across the entirety of midfield) has opened up a litany of prospective angles of attack for Guardiola to map out on the training ground, usually beginning or ending with Sterling's deceptive turns or his passing in the final third opening up avenues for Aguero, Bernardo and David Silva, Gabriel Jesus, the unrepentant Kevin De Bruyne and a revitalized Riyad Mahrez to dissect.
            Sterling will be horrified to see Sane go, not to Bayern Munich, but to the surgical table and the rehab facilities, a development that could force City out of a tight competition such as the Champions League once again.

           Sane and Sterling were a dynamic duo that combined for 12 goals last campaign across all competitions, with the two of them equally assisting each other's goals.
          Though their enterprising  partnership will be a big miss for Manchester City, they more than have enough in their squad currently on hand to make up for Leroy Sane's absence...though his graft and quality on the left wing will presently be a missing secret weapon Pep won't have to call upon...he won't have Leroy Sane to win the Premier League for him again this time out...at least not until February or March, hopefully. 
            Really, it comes down to how well Pep rotates the squad that will dictate City's fortunes. He's already drilled his tactical disciplines into most of these players, so now City's success hinges more about how he takes care of them (Kevin De Bruyne, Benjamin Mendy especially, but also the older players Aguero and Fernandinho).
            The way City play is so devastating, yet so simple...because the purist form of greatness in every sport, every creative outlet, every artistic form: the mastering, perverting and evolving of the fundamentals. 
            ...Not to mention a knack for blasting in a blitzkriegbop of goals at the drop of a hat on any team at any time, enough to be dubbed "Wham Bam Thank You Man".
           The deadly accuracy of the Man City machine is only going to improve upon Rodri's arrival and don't expect the Spaniard to give up that starting place in midfield any time soon with his 72 passes completed (90% accuracy), to go along with his 3 dribbles (tied with Lanzini for most on the pitch) vs the Hammers on his EPL debut. 
           He looked calm and assured after his momentary lapse of reason that nearly gave West Ham a penalty to take the early lead and a shocker of a start to his City career.
            Had Rodri been overzealous and gripped on to Manuel Lanzini's shirt in the box one more time before the Argentine finally lost his feet in the box, referee Mike Dean may have felt obligated to hand the Hammers a penalty. 
            Instead, the Spaniard made the opening mistake of pointlessly challenging and making initial contact with Lanzini, then he recovers, calms down and retreats while also moving to his right to block off any area for the Argentine to pass or cross to, forcing Lanzini to dive a mere inch in front of the touchline to get a penalty from the earlier contact.

          Luckily for Rodri and Man City, referee Mike Dean saw it all and wasn't giving Lanzini a penalty for that.   
             What a mature showing of Rodri's innate footballing IQ in the gutty, pressurized moments that require 100% will, commitment, but also intelligence, calm and knowing when to make the right decisions. 
          It is a fine line Rodri dances on and under Pep Guardiola's leadership it's no doubting in my mind that playing for Pep (like a young Busquets) will push the young, bullishly cultured Rodri.            
          And Rodri himself will take City to new heights. 

4.
MOST UNDER THE RADAR PLAYERS?

-FEKIR @ BETIS

       Nabil Fekir may prove the bargain buy of the season as he moved from Lyon to Real Betis (of all clubs) for a paltry 20-25 million dollar fee (his superbly talented brother Yassin also transferred from Lyon to Betis as part of the deal).
       He scored 69 goals and dished 43 assists in 193 appearances for Lyon and featured in 6 out of 7 matches for France as they won the World Cup. It must be mentioned, though Fekir was coming from the bench in Russia 2018, he still made an immediate impact, nearly scoring vs Australia, Denmark and against Croatia in the final. 
       While he has had injury woes, including his career threatening broken leg against Portugal while on international duty with France in 2015, he has an incredible ratio scoring and assisting whenever he does appear. 
        The main concern is if Fekir can stay fit or if he'll stay on the sidelines for a prolonged spell as he endured for lengths of time last year. 

-THORGAN HAZARD @ DORTMUND 

          Monchengladbach had no business selling Thorgan Hazard for such a small figure to a league rival, for a manager who loves to play youth products to toy around with alongside Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho, Paco Alcacer and fellow Bundesliga newcomer Julian Brandt.
          Thorgan has already combined well with his teammates at Dortmund, setting  up 6 chances in a DFB Pokal match before his late substitution.
       Dortmund were the smoothest operators of the transfer window, ripping off Julian Brandt, Nico Schulz and Hazard (all three entrenched internationals) from Leverkeusen, Hoffenheim and Monchengladbach for under 40 million each. This was an astounding piece of business from Joachim Watke's crew. 
       We've already come to expect magnificent quality from Julian Brandt on most occasions, though Thorgan Hazard may be the more infinitely explosive attacker if unleashed and given a chance to come out from under his famous older brother's shadow.
       When given these opportunities with the Belgian national team, Thorgan has excelled, snatching goals, assists and creating chances at will.
        We know Lucien Favre will give him those moments to shine, it's merely up to the streaky, inconsistent Thorgan to take advantage of them and show the scary good ability he has in his DNA. 

-POGBA @ UNITED 

         The much-maligned, highly rumoured, usually arrogant midfielder dropped a deuce of assists on Chelsea to start match day 1 in the Premier League, setting up Rashford with a world class long ball (reminiscent of his off the ground through ball to Mbappe in the World Cup final), the English teen poking home and strapping Franky Lampard to the table for a good ol' fashioned throttling from the rabid English media.
         Despite all the vitriol and rumors sent his way, Paul Pogba still sets himself apart from all other midfielders in the overall qualities he possesses. But with the rise of Tanguay Ndombele and the always steely and reliable N'golo Kante both pushing him for the French national team midfield positions, Pogba is going to need to be at his highest level.
          With 2 assists and a commanding performance in midfield vs London rivals Chelsea, Paul is well on his way.

-MASON MOUNT @ CHELSEA


          This young man shows much potential and promise under the guidance of his new manager, Frank Lampard, another once young English midfielder brimming with confidence.
          Mount hasn't caught fire just yet, although his willingness to take on all-comers from Gerard Pique to Harry Maguire or Pogba proves his recall from loan back to Chelsea under Lampard was an astute choice. 
          I have a sincere feeling Mount, as well as Ross Barkley, will enjoy stellar campaigns for the Blues under Lampard's expertise and competitive spirit.

-KIERNAN TIERNEY @ ARSENAL


          Who knows how fit the Scottish left back can stay, however if he can remain healthy for his debut campaign outside of Celtic, Arsenal will have a remarkable signing on their hands.
           Tierney's versatility, skill on the ball and deadly accurate crossing will benefit Arsenal's towering Aubameyang, Lacazette and Pepe and his defensive solidity will buoy the scattered Arsenal defense.

3.
NDOMBELE @ TOTTENHAM:
THE FUTURE ROCKSTAR OF THE EPL?

         After the Frenchman chose Tottenham Hotspur in a somewhat shadowy bidding war with London rivals Arsenal (PSG too) many have only predicted great things for both Pochettino's Champions League finalists and the young former Lyon midfielder. 
          And it only took one match day to re-pay the faith they have in the young man's overall match winning, match-influencing potential when he blasted home a scorching equalizing goal in the 73rd minute against newly promoted (and a big welcome back to) Aston Villa. This blast from Ndombele sent Spurs on to the charge in the 3-1 come from behind victory.
          It appears Tanguay's arrival has also reached in and turned on the afterburners for fellow French midfielder Moussa Sissoko. The often inconsistent Sissoko demonstrated a masterclass: assisting Spurs' 3rd and final goal (Kane's 2nd) with a delicate pass after a battering ram run through midfield. 
           Ndombele still has much to learn and a lot of room (and time) to grow as a player and if Tottenham can hold on to this absolutely freaky talent, who knows what this underdog club can continue to achieve.

2. 
HAS VAR ALREADY RUINED THE GAME?


         Many pundits could be seen rejecting the goal reversals and penalty checks of the Premier League's opening day, especially the City v West Ham match.
         Really, I don't know what the old farts are crying about. The calls were correct, they made sure they got it right and moved on.
         Did it actually slow the pace of play down? Yes if the referee administering the VAR is slow, then yes it can affect the game.
         Has it markedly slowed the game down?
         No. 
         For all the moaning about missed calls, the same people find something new to groan about.
         Ah, the beautiful game.

1.
WHAT IS NEYMAR DOING? 
& WHY SHOULD WE GIVE A DAMN?

           It appears PSG fans have taken to chanting "Neymar is a son of a bitch" during matches, as they did during Sunday's 3-0 victory over Nimes, a fantastic team from last year's Ligue 1 featuring one of the best players in the league, midfielder Teji Savanier. 
           Instead, PSG swept them aside with Cavani and Kylian Mbappe scoring goals and Mbappe dishing assists as Angel Di Maria got in on the party. Sure it's only Ligue 1 opposition, but it goes a looooong way to securing the confidence of players with pretty low ambition. 
           Which is who and what PSG are.
           Neymar went to PSG because he was more ambitious than

three Lebron James' put together.
          He wanted to be the second coming of Christ in a football kit...he wanted to be bigger than Messi, that was the entire reason he went to PSG. They were supposedly building a culture and a status of something better and more elite than Barca, a club of "weird political / language barriers" that clashed with Neymar's corporate image.

            PSG are trying to prove they can do this without Neymar and that they don't care if the Brazilian wants to be a part of it. For the first time, Neymar isn't having his feet washed and kissed by his teammates. They're saying, "if you wanna play, great...if you don't, see ya and fuck off!" 
          The message has been strong...as banners saying the aforementioned "fuck off" to Neymar were openly displayed at the PSG vs Nimes home opener. 
            And why would he be doing this to PSG when Barcelona haven't made a bid for him yet? 
           Why would Neymar burn down these bridges

when it's only players speaking to media members and embellishing their relationship with Neymar, hoping he'll come back...even Carles Alena, a player who barely would've known Neymar, is talking about why Neymar should pick Barcelona over Real Madrid.

            This is what it always comes down to with Neymar. Is it 
A. the club you're with 
B. the club you just left 
or 
C. this random club that is the bitterly hated rival of one of those clubs.
            Hmmm...tough question, let's do the typical Neymar thing and piss everyone off. 
            Has Barcelona's president Josep Bartomeu even made a bid for Neymar as of late? 

Bartomeu and Neymar famously hated one another bitterly, so how could this just be forgotten due to the prospects of a blockbuster deal full of a maniacal media circus, loads of fan attention but a move that would pay extremely low dividends to the game the club is trying to play on the pitch right now.
            Neymar is a winger from another dimension. He just waits, holds on to the ball, doesn't look up or hold any sway to the movement of his teammates and then dances around a defender and another, or another, flips the ball around another guy, he's moving towards the box,

then goes around another then dances again, shifts outwards and then smacks the ball off the inside hip of the defender and out for a corner kick.
            ....Neymar has become easy to shackle in the final third, a blueprint Brazilian teammate Dani Alves showed the world when he hampered him (with midfield help) while playing for Juventus in Neymar's final season at Barcelona. Alves contained him to the predictable left wing base of Neymar's operations and showed the world how to stop the trickster. 

            Though Neymar finished the 2018 World Cup with 2 goals and 2 assists, averaged a litany of dribbles and fouls suffered, Brazil were knocked out in the quarterfinals to Belgium due to their talisman's propensity to get locked down on the periphery in the final third, unable to be on the finishing end for one or two of these chances at least. 
           He also displayed a petulant rejection of sportsmanship, rolling around the ground while pretending injury or contact and kept perpetually pointing his finger in a threatening manner as if he were ordering a hit on his opponents.
            Sure, he had some pretty cool highlights from last season's 20 something goals and 12 or so assists,

but Neymar was anonymous...
nowhere to be found...MIA...
persona non grata...and that's the figure he is beginning to cut for all of us football fans: one of a shadow.
           We are becoming more comfortable seeing Neymar adorned in baseball cap and jewelry while lounging in a luxury box seat, than seeing him perform his arrogant tricks on the pitch. 
            So why, after buying Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho for a combined 400 million...

why would you then go grab Neymar for 3/4 of that combined fee before either of those three players has had a full, real chance to start and excel at Barcelona?
           Barcelona should be saying "you're too much, no way" and maybe they have, but our club's Real Madrid-wanna be post-Guardiola fans have not, jeering Bartomeu with chants of "Neymar" instead of chants of "resign"...
           And so the question remains:

          Does football really need Neymar anymore? 

By Lonn Phillips Sullivan