Man Utd Showing Consistency As Chelsea Hit A Blip

Chelsea fans may know more than me about recent events at the club. However, one thing is for certain; Chelsea are faltering at at time when Man Utd are demonstrating all of the attributes needed to win a Premier League Title. The question is, what is going wrong at Stamford Bridge? Should we put Chelsea's current form down to injuries? Changes in back-room staff? or lack of squad depth?

I intend to focus on the possible reasons for Chelsea's 'uncharacteristic' form, as well as focusing on why Man Utd's resilient and commanding style of play could land them a 12th Premier League Title.

Carlo Ancelotti appears frustrated at Chelsea's recent form, but insists all is OK at the London Club. Photo: BBC Sport.

Liverpool - How Will The Team Cope In Steven Gerrard's Absence?

Gerrard's Hamstring injury could have big repercussions for Liverpool's season. Photo:PA. 

Any Liverpool fans' blood will have been boiling in the 84th minute of England dyer and meaningless loss to France on 17th November. In my opinion one of the world greatest players sustained an injury playing in a hapless, woeful and simply pointless Friendly exercise that we as England fans have become so accustomed to. How will Liverpool be affected by Steven Gerrard's absence in the coming weeks? Can the club brave the storm? or will it be a very cold December at Anfield? I'd like your thoughts.

Firstly, my opinion about England Friendly matches during a hectic domestic schedule is that they simply should not happen. Whilst I do not support Liverpool myself, I can sympathise with Liverpool fans who might now see a torrid start to the season continue into 2011. Gerrard's inclusion and subsequent injury that arose from the Friendly raises various debates, which I intend to focus on briefly. 

Man City - Can Money Buy You A Premier League Title?

It was August 2008 and Man City fans were beaming with excitement following the clubs' takeover by Abu Dhabi United Group. City fans might have been forgiven for thinking that the club might endure some real success in times to come. Some questions are still to be answered, with one particular question coming to mind...Can you buy a Premier League Title?

Teves is proving his Premier League credentials, but can it lead Man City to the Premier League title? Photo: Eurosport.

To set the tone for the radical change that Man City have seen in just over two years, I consider it noteworthy to focus on what the club have spent on personnel in an attempt to bring happier times to the club; and to assess the degree to which such spending has succeeded. 

Aston Villa - What Does An Experienced Free Transfer Add To A Young Premier League Team?

When news broke that Aston Villa had signed Robert Pires at the ripe age of 37 it got me thinking...why has such a signing been made? and who stands to benefit from it? I hope to look at the value of such a signing and whether experience is the key in the ever-changing modern game. Can a Premier League team benefit from signing an experienced player whose career will soon be drawing to a close? Can you think of any past success stories or catastrophes at your cub? If so I would really like to hear from you!

Does Robert Pires offer more on the training ground than he does on the pitch? Photo: AVFC.

When Robert Pires spoke of his six month contract at the club, he said: "I hope to bring my experience to the team and help the younger players". This statement suggests that perhaps his role as a player at the club may precede his role as a mentor.

Who Will Pay The Price For Inconsistency In This Seasons Premier League?

The Premier League is deemed the highest quality and most competitive football league the world has to offer. Recent results and events in the league are starting to strongly support this theory; so is this potentially going to be the best Premier League season we as football fans have the pleasure of seeing? I hope to get close to an answer in the following article and look at why so many teams this season are falling victim to gross inconsistency (with the exception of a few).

Are Spurs contenders for the title, or is it a step too far? Photo: BBC Football.

I am revelling in the fact that week by week I am not sure what is going to happen. Cast your mind back over the last five or six Premier League seasons and you will be reminded of the dominance of Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal in the top four spots in the league. This trend was broken last season only by Tottenham achieving fourth place in what was a slightly different season to what is deemed 'the norm'.

Have Man Utd Conceded Too Many Goals By Their Standards?

Footballing Fans of the World...  what do you think? Something has changed since the days when Man Utd were accustomed to not conceding goals. I recall in the 1990's when I was becoming acquainted with the beautiful game; the presence of players like Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce and Denis Irwin would lure opposition Strikers into thinking they would be in for a quiet day...and with good reason!

Is pace the way to break through United's normally solid back line? Photo: AP Photo.  

Furthermore, in recent times, like 2008/09, United achieved an exceptional 14 games without conceding a goal; a statistic that at the moment stands in United's history as their longest streak without conceding. However, something has changed this season, but what is it?...Is it down to injuries? lack of squad depth? attacking quality in the Premier League or the general pace of the modern game? One thing is for sure, teams in the league do not worry as much about not scoring against United as they used to. As well all know, the quality they possess going forward means they always have goals in them. 26 goals scored this season is a statistic second only to Chelsea (28), which when you consider the margin of some of Chelsea's victories is an impressive one.

Chelsea - Ancelotti Defeated By Sunderland's Tactical Prowess

Any football fan could have been forgiven for thinking that Sunderland's trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday would be a forgone conclusion. I myself would be the first to admit that I expected a Chelsea victory; that is until I saw the team sheets roughly an hour before kick off, at which point my thoughts began to alter. 

Ramires has yet to show what he is undoubtedly capable of. Photo: Zimbio

For a start, Chelsea's bench screamed inexperience, with the exception of Salomon Kalou of course. The likes of Van Aanholt, Kakuta, Bruma, McEachran and Sala suggested that if this game wasn't going Chelsea's way it might be very difficult to spark a comeback using the substitutes that were available on the day. 

England - Capello's Selection Is Simply Bemusing

Here we are again, three days away from what will undoubtedly be a low-key, poor, inept and quite frankly pointless Friendly match against France at Wembley. I was however looking forward to seeing some of England's fringe players being given a chance to shine amongst England's finest players. However, by Saturday night it was evident that that simply was not going to be the case!

Kevin Davies' excellent form has gone unnoticed by Capello, but how? Photo: EPA

Lets first start with Fabio Capello; the worlds highest earning football manager, who earns £6m a year to watch Premier League matches and manage the side in the occasional unentertaining encounter. One of the primary duties he has to fill is to identify those players showing outstanding form in the Premier League and provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate such form wearing an England shirt. However, Saturday's squad announcement demonstrates plain and simply that he is not able to fulfill this duty effectively. 

Seasiders Doing Things The Holloway

When Ian Holloway took over as Blackpool manager in the May of 2009 the club were still dreaming of the chance to ply their trade in the Barclays Premier League. Holloway's managerial career had started with Bristol Rovers, where a 5-year stint consisted of 3 years as a Player-Manager. Relative success in this time saw him him take over at Queens Park Rangers (2001-2006), Plymouth Argyle (2006-2007) and Leicester City (6 months between 2007/2008). 

Holloway's appointment as Blackpool manager was greeted with great optimism by the Seasider's faithful. The fans began to see potential stability in a side that had suffered some turbulent times in terms of management. Only two months into the job and Ian Holloway had broken Blackpool's previous transfer record with the signing of a Charlie Adam for £500,000; a player we all know has had almost as much success at Blackpool as Mr Holloway himself. Holloway inherited the club as a Championship side, the ambitions of which were perhaps to stay in the league for another season. In actual fact, what happened in Holloway's first 366 days at the club was nothing short of a miracle! 

Hughton Contract Surely Not Toon Far Away?

Chris Hughton could be forgiven for feeling smug recently, given the recent form of a rejuvenated and spirited Newcastle side. If we turn back the clocks by one month things were certainly very different. Hughton was subject to a torrent of abuse from some fans, as well as the media circulating rumors of a return for Joe Kinnear! 

The 5-1 win against Sunderland prompted incredible scenes at St James' Park. Picture: Action Images.

Before we focus on recent events however, lets look back to the beginning of last season, where a depleted Newcastle side were still licking the wounds left by such a turbulent a torrid time in the Premier League. August 2009 brought change for Newcastle. Chris Hughton began his reign as Caretaker Manager in sparkling form. A string of successive wins rejuvenated the Magpies fans, who started to believe in a quick return to the Premier League. Hughton was rightly given the job on a permanent basis and the rest is history!

Hodgson Finding Life At The Kop Tough

Having spent 3 years studying in the City of Liverpool, it quickly became apparent that Football is not simply a form of entertainment in Merseyside, but rather a religion amongst many and an integral part of the City's culture. This observation applies to the Blue and Red halves of the city alike, but considering the focus of the article I intend to focus on all things Liverpool.

Poulsen is one of Hodgson's Questionable Signings

Roy Hodgson's arrival back in July was greeted by many of the Liverpool faithful as a wise move. I for one believed that Rafael Benitez took Liverpool as far as he could. Liverpool fans will cherish Champions League Final Memories and famous FA Cup Wins for a long time to come, but what does the future hold under Roy Hodgson?