High Fives: Things We Learnt This Gameweek

Abhinav’s Note: Now that he’s done with watching all the Shannon Tweed movies (erm… you know which ones) there ever existed, the Cynical Jerk is back to doing what he does best – weekly round-ups. So here he is, with the ‘High Fives’ section this time around.

Okay, let’s not dwell much on the age-old discussion of why I always write a note in my own posts. Being the distant cousin of a medical man, I suspect an alter-ego disorder. Anyway, here go the five things I feel we learned this weekend -

1. The Kids Are Alright

Believe it or not Monsieur Wenger, the average age of the Manchester United starting lineup versus Spurs was just 23. Yes, twenty three. So next time you tell the world as to what your team’s average age is & how young they are, what a great future they have blah blah blah, think of all the crazy ticket prices the Arsenal supporters pay to watch your bunch of kids. Against Tottenham Hotspur, the likes of Welbeck, Cleverley & Evans held their own & never looked out of place. Jones & Smalling seem a real bargain at a combined outlay of £26m. De Gea too gained some much-needed confidence, apart from 9 FPL points to keep my confidence in his ability. Rooney is back to his former self, and Anderson seems to be coming good on the promise he showed in the past seasons. With Chicharito & Ferdinand set to be back for the Arsenal game, Sir Alex Ferguson has a pleasant headache in terms of team selection. In all, the bright future of the Red Devils looks all set, whether Ferguson will still be around Old Trafford or not.

2. City Need To Come Out Of The Closet

Bolton Wanderers & Manchester City played out an exciting match at the Reebok, in which the Citizens induced adventure into their gameplan. They scored 3 goals (and conceded 2), which showed that they were just following it up from the earlier week’s demolition of Swansea City. Maybe it’s high time that Roberto Mancini shuns the defensive shell his teams usually play within & instead try entertaining the crowds a bit, given the attacking talents they possess in their squad. Edin Dzeko, the £27m signing from Wolfsburg in January, seems to have finally settled into English football. His 3 goals in 3 games (including the Community Shield) bear testament to that. David Silva, who was arguably their best player last season, has only raised the bar for himself. Sergio Aguero is a brilliant footballer – and we all know that. Adam Johnson & Mario Balotelli, if they can stay fit & put their head in the game, can be vital too. If these players can do their job satisfactorily, I presume soon people on the blue half of Manchester might ask – Carlos Who?

3. Arsenal Need To Do Some Serious Answering

Two red cards in two games. Add to that a list of injuries that never seems to end, and you’d know I’m talking about whom. Against Liverpool, the inexperience of Emmanuel Frimpong was exposed when he lunged into a clumsy tackle for a second yellow card & subsequent dismissal. At this crucial juncture when they face Manchester United & Udinese away in the next 10 days, Arsenal look woefully short of quality options in every department. Fabregas’s gone, Wilshere’s injured, the Nasri saga is still unresolved, Song’s been suspended – the problems just don’t seem to get over for the Gunners. The disappointment to a 2-0 loss to Liverpool at home was summed up as supporters booed their team off the pitch at full time. If Arsenal fail to buy adequate replacements to offset the loss of Fabregas & possibly Nasri, viewers be prepared to witness more empty seats at the Emirates. Fans are not crazy enough to pay the highest ticket prices in the country just to watch a bunch of losers playing pretty football.

4. Chelsea’s Squad Still Looks Suspect

After Shane Long drew first blood early for West Brom, Chelsea came back through goals from Nicolas Anelka & Florent Malouda to register their first win under new boss Andre Villas-Boas. However, the team hasn’t been massively overhauled this summer yet, as riches were promised to be spent after the January big-money purchases of Torres & David Luiz. The old guard still remains, and most of them look past their prime. Can they challenge for all trophies, given the kind of depth they currently have in their squad? I have my doubts, like most observers. However, if the double swoop of Mata & Modric does happen & the youth like McEachran, Kakuta, Romeu & Lukaku get enough exposure, Chelsea can be a force to reckon with.

5. Bruce In Dire Straits After Derby Loss

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce seemed to have spent the cash obtained from the sale of striker Darren Bent & promising youngster Jordan Henderson well, after he bought as many as 9 players alongwith signing on-loan Egyptian winger Al-Mohamady on a permanent deal. This signalled ambition on part of the club to make that step up from mid-table mediocrity to challenging for the Europa League spots. However in the Tyne-Wear derby match at the Stadium of Light, only 2 of the new signings were in the starting lineup & the 3 who came on as second-half substitutes were ineffective to say the least. Bruce now has a gigantic task on hand to prove it to the club management & supporters that they were indeed right to have faith in his managerial abilities. If he fails, it is most likely one will see a new manager for the Black Cats around this time next season.

Think Abhinav CJ has the calibre to become the next Daniel Taylor? Let him know your thoughts by leaving your comments below or drop him a line on Twitter @AbhinavCJ. If you’d like to read more of Abhinav’s writings, check out his blog ‘Traffordshire County‘. You can download the app from the Ovi Store here.

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