Ahead of this weekend’s Premier League action, we discuss the contrasting goalscoring form of two top strikers and hope that Villa get better, if only for Shay Given’s and Richard Dunne’s sake.
5. Can anyone stop the Flying Dutchman?
The usual suspects were announced as the nominees for the Ballon d’Or earlier this week, but if the award was based on the calendar year as opposed to last season, then Robin van Persie would surely be in with a shout.
14 league goals this season, 32 league goals in the calendar year, 38 goals in 41 matches – his stats make for phenomenal reading, especially for a man in an Arsenal side that has struggled at times. Everton are better equipped than most to put a stop to Van Persie this weekend, but we still don’t think they will.
4. Luis Suarez – All style but precious little substance
On the surface, there have been few players that have been as impressive to watch as Luis Suarez so far this season. His skill, dexterity and ability to beat players (particularly with a nutmeg) have caught the eye, but the lack of an end product for his performances must be a worry for Liverpool fans, and that’s even before any concerns about his regrettable habit of getting himself into trouble on the pitch.
Four league goals is a paltry return for a player of his calibre while a statistic that reads no goals from 39 shots in his last seven games tells its own story. Consolation can be taken from the fact that he is having the shots in the first place, but a more productive ratio is required if Liverpool are going to mount a serious challenge this season.
3. Why isn’t Roberto Martinez feeling the heat?
Steve Bruce may have been deservedly sacked last weekend and we can certainly understand why Blackburn fans are so keen to replace Steve Kean through fair means or fowl (Venky’s pun absolutely intended), but how come there is no pressure on Wigan’s Roberto Martinez?
See you in the dole queue, Brucey
Wigan have been awful this season and last weekend’s 4-0 reverse at the hands of Arsenal was the latest in a long line of feeble capitulations so far this campaign. As managers go, Martinez seems like a nice chap and he tries to play nice football, but his approach patently isn’t working.
At the moment, he seems to be surviving solely on the fact that Villa wanted him to replace Houllier in the summer and he stayed loyal That and his close relationship with owner Dave Whelan. If something isn’t done soon, Wigan are relegation certainties. Whether that something involves replacing Martinez remains to be seen.
2. Let’s hope Villa get better, for Shay and Richie’s sake
Maybe it’s because it’s still so fresh in the memory, but as far as this author is concerned, Aston Villa’s excuse for a performance against Manchester United was one of the worst seen in the Premier League for quite some time and if United weren’t going through some troubles of their own at present, Villa would have been beaten out the gate.
Villa fans who thought that they would become a slightly better version of what Birmingham were like under Alex McLeish have had their worst fears realised – they really are terrible to watch at the moment.
There is precious little international football to occupy Trap’s Army between now and the Euros so the least we can hope for is that they are playing reasonably decent stuff at club level, especially two of our most trusted lieutenants.
1. Red Alert
This time last week we were wondering how angry Fergie would be after watching his side bounced out of the Carling Cup by Crystal Palace. Another week, another cup exit, this time at the hands of Basel, and we imagine he is hitting new heights of fury. The Manchester United boss has already put the boot in to criticism from former captain Roy Keane and the players will be feeling the same harsh tongue this week.
Luckily they face Wolves at home this week and even with Nemanja Vidic joining a lengthy list of injured Red Devils, surely United will conjure up a win on Saturday. Another sloppy showing like the one in Switzerland will not be tolerated by Fergie.
