Exciting EPL

What a great weekend of football. It was one of those weekends where staying in and watching football was the best possible thing I could have done. 

 

Team of the Weekend: Liverpool. Granted they played a Norwich that inexplicably sat Grant Holt, 5-2 is a 5-2. All the talk of a new style and revamped philosophy is starting to show some substance, and at the heart of it, are some very exciting, energetic youngsters. Melwood can be proud of its sons today. 

 

Shitty Team of the Weekend: Manchester united. Possibly one of the most embarrassing first halves I’ve ever seen in my life. To play Scholes and Carrick in a traditional 4-4-2, against a three man midfield flanked by Bale and Lennon…I could see doom before kickoff. I don’t know what Sir Alex thinks sometimes, but surely, he won’t try that one again. Defenders who are scared of the opposition’s pace will back off. Ferdinand and Evans are two examples of such defenders, and it hurt us very badly. It’s about time that we quit this Kagawa Van Persie partnership, because it is awful. It is clear that Kagawa is having a difficult time adjusting to the physicality of the english game. In Germany, the defenders will put pressure on you. In England, they jump on your back. Hit the weights son. 

Forward of the Weekend: Luis Suarez. Nikica Jelavic gives him a run for his money, but on an overall gameplay level, Suarez was tough to top this weekend. Of course, a mixed bag as always. A brilliant hat trick. Yet some inexplicable missed chances. Constant hassling of defenders. Typical playacting. A sublime second goal. Needless yelling at Norwich supporters. A mixed bag, but an atomic bomb of attacking prowess for Liverpool. Matter of fact, he could have and should have had more. I love how Liverpool supporters are whining about how his reputation precedes him on penalty calls. Today was a fine example of that, but who is to blame for his awful reputation? Scousers: so much whining, no responsibility taken. If only he had the slightest semblance of a decent human being. I suppose all-around class is hard to expect. An incredibly entertaining and exciting performance from the Uruguayan.

Midfielder of the Weekend: Ki Sung Yueng. This was a hard one. After Sir Alex decided to reshape the team after a garbage first half, Paul Scholes was like an artillery sergeant, bombing 40-50 yard balls left and right, though the forwards didn’t do his service justice. But like the rest of the team, his first half was unexciting, though he was the best of us. Then, there is Joe Allen. Another man who hardly put a foot wrong. But Joe Allen, like Xavi on most weekends, didn’t really accomplish anything outside of a 5 yard passing radius. But he was an outstanding metronome, and kept Liverpool’s play balanced and safe. The final vote goes to Ki. Amidst the difficult battle against Stoke, Ki Sung Yueng was class personified. Never put a foot wrong, two outstanding shots, countless hollywood through passes with a defensive solidarity to boot. The finest box-to-box performance I have seen from the EPL this season. Swansea’s midfield trio has to yield points on their own at some point even if their forwards are as erratic as they are.

Defender of the weekend: Shockingly, it goes to the much maligned Titus Bramble. The perennial sack of defending garbage actually looked like Titus Bramble of his Wigan days. Strong in the tackle, impregnable in the air, he was largely flawless. Jan Vertonghen is close, but is marking led to our equaliser, and for that he loses some credibility in an otherwise impressive performance. Already one of Tottenham’s stalwarts.

Goalkeeper of the Weekend: Petr Cech. What more can you say about the European Champion. A fine performance to keep Arsenal at bay, who had opportunities in abundance to equalize.