Expectations

I’ve been thinking about writing since before the season began—about expectations and how everyone (myself included) was ready to jump on Arsenal at their first misstep. The opening day loss against Villa provided the chance to air those frustrations, but the result was so unsurprising that I couldn’t bring myself to write anything. Once Arsenal righted the ship a bit against Fenerbache I started thinking of writing about expectations again. But, as so often happens when following the BPL and especially Arsenal, expectations are ever shifting.

At the start of the season, I thought I was being realistic. “Arsenal are crap,” “I only like two of the players,” “everyone else can go,” etc... However, I think my “realism” was cynical—a deliberate attempt to not feel any hope about the upcoming campaign. Hope about the season has come back to haunt me for years now. Yet despite my best efforts, hope has engulfed me again and it happened because of two moments. My emotional reactions to two events totally changed my expectations for the season. While I know that logic will eventually counterbalance my emotions—and I am sure a few months from now I will look back on this post in disgust—for now I am riding the wave of hope and have a really good feeling about this team.

                                                                                                     

The two moments that changed my outlook won’t be a surprise to anyone who follows the premier league:

1. Wilshire carrying the ball across the midway line, drawing the holding midfielder in before turning out of trouble to play the ball wide to Rosicky. Rosicky, being direct, angles his run toward the Spurs back line before laying off for Walcott and sprinting into the box. Walcott picking his head up and playing a difficult ball to Giroud’s feet just as Giroud runs past the near post.

The goal was brilliant, but more surprising than the tidy play was Arsenal’s ability to not give up a goal before half time. My awkward high fives all around the table said a lot about my nerves.

2. Mesut Özil- Giddy, jersey already purchased, there is no way I can write about this objectively. I know that Arsenal have other positions that need addressing, but Özil is special and I still can’t believe Real Madrid gave him up (or that he signed for Arsenal—even if Wenger’s Alsatian German is as seductive as I imagine). My prayer right now is that Özil‘s signing will give his teammates as much hope as I have and that this newfound confidence will bring out the best in the squad.

All I know for sure is that Arsenal signed one of the best players in the world, a personal favorite of mine and I cannot wait to watch him play.

Predictions:

1. Chelsea (1^st through 3^rd will be close)

2. MCFC

3. Man Utd.

4. Arsenal (4^th through 6^th will be extremely close and probably not decided until the last day)

5. Liverpool

6. Tottenham

GUEST POST from Garrett Salzman on the Upcoming USMNT WC Qualifiers v. Costa Rica and Mexico

The following is a guest post by my brother, Garrett, on the USMNT's upcoming qualifying matches:

As we sit atop the Hex and hear the American Outlaws endlessly chanting “We are going to Brazil!” I can’t help but look forward to next year’s FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. With that being said, the Yanks have unfinished business, as we have not yet punched our ticket to the big dance. After the previous WCQ international break, the roster chosen for the Costa Rica and Mexico matches should really come as no surprise – though I would be perfectly content if Eddie Johnson and his bleached mini-fro stayed home and watched on television, leaving room for a younger player who might actually see time next year (Cough! Joe Corona. Cough!).

I am optimistic the boys in red, white, and blue can secure at least four points in these matches, however, neither will be easy. Let’s take a jaunt down memory lane to snow filled Colorado on March 22, where the US defeated Costa Rica. Controversy ensued, an appeal was filed, but the result was upheld. Costa Rica will vow for revenge at home in a must win situation. As for the fixture against El Tri…. need I say more? It’s Mexico…our archrival…We drew against them in the last qualifying match at the Estadio Azteca (the most dangerous place on Earth if you are an American soccer fan).

With our typical cast and crew available, minus Brad Evans of Sounders FC (withdrew due to injury), I predict a 1-0 US win over Costa Rica on Friday, with Jozy Altidore continuing his ridiculous scoring record. The Costa Ricans will use their archetypal (and rather boring, might I add) tactic of parking the bus and trying to strike on the counter attack. I suspect the US starting lineup will look something like this:

Jozy Altidore

Fabian Johnson         Clint Dempsey         Donovan/Zusi

Michael Bradley         Jermaine Jones

DaMarcus Beasley         Matt Besler          Omar Gonzalez     Michael Parkhurst

Timmy Howard

It will be interesting to see who Klinsmann chooses to play on the right side, as Zusi was magnificent during the last set of WCQ matches, while Donovan was equally brilliant throughout the Gold Cup (albeit against much lesser opponents). John Anthony Brooks may start in place of Gonzalez. If we begin to struggle, look for Klinsmann to switch from this 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2.

Now on to the match against Mexico, which could potentially book our tip to Rio. I suspect the lineup will be similar to the one used vs. Costa Rica. However, the boys will need to play smart against Costa Rica – in other words, Jermaine Jones will have to abstain from the pointless hard tackle he is usually good for per game. Altidore, Bradley, Besler, Cameron, Dempsey, Howard, Jones, and Fabian Johnson are all sitting on yellows and would face a one game suspension if they enter the book against Costa Rica.

As the match is being played in Columbus, I do not see any reason that the US should not prevail (barring a monster match by Javier ‘Chi-Chi-Chicharito’ Hernandez). I see the US winning 3-1 with goals from Altidore, Donovan, and Dempsey, while Chicharito will net one for El Tri. The US midfield is too strong and the team is on a stretch like we’ve never seen before.

In the end, I think we qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup next week with a victory over Mexico. While we have reasons to be optimistic heading into the big dance, we still have vacancies to fill. Our back line still has some (gaping) holes, though I am interested to see the progression of our newest German-American, John Anthony Brooks. Parkhurst, Evans, Gonzalez and Beasley are all sketchy defenders in my opinion. Matt Besler, reigning MLS Defender of the Year, seems to be settling comfortably in front of Timmy, but other than that, your guess is as good as mine as to who will defend for the US in the World Cup.

Man United- Liverpool, Sept 1st '13

It pains me to write this and admit that the Addidas Track Suit King of the world, the city of Liverpool, outplayed, outhustled, outdefended, and outright won this important rivalry game. Granted, it’s early in the season, both teams were missing star players (Rooney’s hairplugs for United, Suarez’s teeth and Carragher’s insane accent for ‘Pool). Kidding, everyone’s favorite complete nonsense spewing clumsy defender retired at the end of last season.

I’ll admit that I missed the early stages of the game as the doctor I was going to watch the match with was taking a nap. Eventually I found the match was available in the canteen (the kitchen at the hospital). My thoughts on the match begin around the 30th minute with United down 1-0 to a very well taken goal from the ShassMaster (if that doesn’t make sense, you need to start listening to the Men In Blazers podcast), Daniel Sturridge. He did well to stay onside after the initial header on target from Agger and to deflect ever so slightly the ball beyond United’s goal line corner defense. Ferdinand, who was marking (more like “marking”) Agger, was guilty of some pretty bush league defending. Instead of playing shoulder to shoulder and going to the ball Ferdinand stopped running as Agger went towards the near post to make contact with the corner. The result was an Agger header on target, leaving Ferdinand flailing with his leg in the air looking silly.

Towards the end of the 1st half United seemed to lose their collective cool. Perhaps the possession (United definitely won the competition of “Best at maintaining possession from half-field to 15 yards into your own half”) and lack of chances was getting to the team. Cynical tackles from RVP, Carrick, and Cleverly all received yellows (rightly so). Hopefully this doesn’t mean that United will adopt some of Moyes’ previous clubs’ penchant for the overly physical approach to football. Time will tell. With Jones injuring himself after landing awkwardly I was hoping for an Alex Buttner cameo; however, Valencia was introduced and his pace and willingness to get forward definitely changed the match in the 2nd half.

I hate to again bemoan the touch of Giggs, a man who has scored in every season of the Premier League, but his sharpness and focus seemed a off. His normal collection of flicks and clever through balls with the wingers (remember Ashley Young?) and Welbeck was off, leading to several poor passes and bad touches in promising positions. Perhaps it is unfair to single Giggsy out as most of the team lacked the touch and drive in the final third also.

The second half started with a lot of good United pressure. Valencia looking dangerous in combination with Welbeck in the attacking third and getting in a few crosses that narrowly missed Welbeck’s head. Early in the half Welbeck had a penalty shout denied by the ref. Replays showed there was definitely contact and that Welbeck went over pretty easily. One of those bang bang 50/50 calls that maybe United get at Old Trafford. Don’t envy the referee on that one, very hard call, and can’t dwell on that.

In a surprising substitution Nani, who seemed to be on the fast track out of the squad last year, replaced Ashley Young in the second. Nani then demonstrated the supreme talent he possesses and the lack of football awareness and touch that have frustrated many United and Portugal fans. In quick succession he sky-rocketed a free kick on the right side from a dangerous position over all the attackers in the box (not to mention a few awful corners thrown in for good measure). A few moments after, he shook a defender on the right side, cut inside, and drove a swerving Cristiano Ronaldo-esque knuckle ball that Mignolet did well to parry way. What an enigma. Late on Chicharito, one of my favorite players, was put on to try and push for an equalizer. The energetic and intelligent Mexican smartly played in RVP on the right channel and, to my surprise, RVP failed to hit the target from a decent angle as Mignolet closed him down. Even with 5 minutes of ‘Fergie time’ United weren’t able to close the gap and ‘Pool saw the match out well.

In summary, United had enough pressure to feel like they deserved an equalizer but credit to ‘Pool. They defended well as a team, clogged the midfield, tracked down United’s wide men (although Valencia had a TON of space to roam in the second half down the right side), cleared set pieces well, and Mignolet made a few solid saves (what a great signing he’s looking to be) when he was called on. Good win for ‘Pool, a frustrating loss for United. Again, the lack of midfield prowess was demonstrated, as was Ferdinand’s penchant for bizarre defending tactics. Hopefully reinforcements come today, although I’m not getting my hopes up. The early season schedule is tough for United, and after a draw with Chelsea and a loss to Liverpool maybe Moyes and United’s front office staff will be motivated to bring in some fresh faces. Moyes will have the rest of the season to fix his reputation as United manager, although this was not the start he would’ve wanted. A league cup match with Liverpool coming up will be a good place to start the mending process.
Over and out.

Shuva din (have a good day).

Matt

Brief Thoughts on the Start to the Season

Well, as a Liverpool fan, the season if off to a bright start. Three Liverpool victories (albeit one was a bit gut wrenching) to start a campaign is not something to complain about... I cannot, however, help but worry about what is to come.

The first two victories of the EPL season were certainly hard fought, and from my perspective well deserved. Both were 1-0 victories against Stoke City, and Aston Villa, respectively.  Liverpool kept great possession in both matches, but failed to capitalize on chances to put each of the contests out of reach. The Reds were fortunate enough to have their January transfer from Chelsea, English international striker Daniel Sturridge, score in each match. In the Stoke match, Sturridge managed to put away a low strike past Asmir Begovic in the 37th minute for the victory. This match easily could have resulted in a draw if it not were for Liverpool's summer keeper signing, Simon Mignolet, saving an 89th minute penalty. Mignolet managed not only to guess correctly on the initial penalty strike, but also managed a crucial hip save on the rebound to ensure the Reds three points to start the season. This performance was followed up with another solid effort against Aston Villa. In the Villa match, Liverpool was again propelled by an early Sturridge goal. After a magnificent through ball, Sturridge managed to dance inside the box (for the FIFA players out there, this is read: opposing keeper charges, player flicks stick to get the ball around the keeper), and then finished on his favorite left foot to put the ball into the top netting for a gaol. As a fan watching I would have preferred that Sturridge had taken one (three) less touches inside the box, but it all worked out. Pool did not look great in the second half, as Home side Villa, with Christian Benteke and Gabi Agbonlahor, very easily could have leveled the match. Three points are three points, though, I suppose. I also had the opportunity to watch the match with a couple of my best friends from high school in a San Francisco pub, and was fortunate to see a fan wearing a Daniel Agger jersey that he made his own.

Liverpool's third match was a Capital One Cup match against Notts County, home at Anfield. This match saw Liverpool go up 2-0 early, only to have the match slip out of their hands late and go to extra time. The Reds managed to put away two in extra time to win the match 4-2, however, this victory came at a cost. Kolo Toure, Liverpool's free summer transfer from Manchester City, suffered a serious groin injury in extra time, leaving the Reds with only 10 men. Although they managed the win, Toure's injury will certainly affect the team in the weeks to come. The club is already lacking depth at center-back, so with Toure's injury, the club must either rely on youth at CB, or Martin Skrtel. I'd obviosuly prefer Skrtel, however he has fallen out of Brendan Rodgers' favor, and is also just on the return from injury (For those who don't know Skrtel, ESPN/Grantland's Men In Blazers once referred to Skrtel by saying, "It looks like he should be wearing a shirt that reads 'I'd rather be ethnic cleansing...' which I think speaks for itself...). Skrtel is the Slovak captain and a fantastic defender, however, it seems as though he has recently been out of form. Let's hope that he's fit and somewhere close to his best for this weekend's clash with last year's champions, Manchester United. The two United matches each season are far and away the most important of the season (Sorry Everton fans), as the Red Devils have recently eclipsed Liverpool's reign as the most successful club in England. I'm going to leave the breakdown of the Liverpool-United match for Matt (time permitting) and will check in after with my thoughts after the match. I hope that Liverpool will be able to grind to a result at home at Anfield, but if Tuesday's match was an indication of what might be on the horizon, they're going to have to improve to play all 90 minutes of a match to manage a result against United. Here's to hoping and, still, being blissfully optimistic.


-Ryan

Also, on a side note, the NBC broadcast team has been doing a great job. I managed to catch Monday's match between United and Chelsea. Although the match ended in a 0-0 draw, NBC's team managed to keep the match interesting. Besides commentating candidly, the team also managed to sneak in a Harry Potter reference... Say what you will, however referring to a player who uses his full body and is physical (throws elbows) in his style of play, as "practicing the dark art of defending," will always garner a point in my book. I hope (and suspect) that they will keep up the good work.

Opening Day Review- Arsenal v Aston Villa & Manchester United v Swansea

Opening Day Review- Arsenal v Aston Villa & Man U vs Swansea aka Swancelona

I will preface this piece by saying I watched these games in Kathmandu, Nepal, in a Mexican Cocktail bar, on an Indian TV channel that alternated between English commentary and Hindi Commentary. Oddly enough, ‘penalty’ and ‘decisive passing’ are the same in English as Hindi. Now, on to the matches.

Arsenal vs Aston Villa: The beginning of the match proved a bit sloppy and rugged on both sides- tough tackles, Wilshere receiving and dishing out some Paul Scholes-esque challenges, and both goalies looking unsure. Surely Arsene Wenger was feeling the pressure of not having had ‘a big name signing’ (maybe still to come) this summer. The commentators did reflect on the sign that said “You can’t buy class,” and after watching Giroud’s very calm finish from a neat outside of the foot cross from The Ox (Oxlade- Chamberlain) the supporters’ faith seemed to be restored in their French manager- for the moment.

Aston Villa on the other hand were perhaps lucky to escape last season still in the Premier League. They have some definite quality in key positions- Benteke proved to be a reliable goal scorer, Agbonlahor was rejuvenated in his wing/forward position showing pace and technical ability, and Guzan in the back seems to be developing in to a reliable, sometimes spectacular, goalkeeper. In the middle of the first half Agbonlahor’s run straight through the middle of the Gunner’s defense was a burst of speed that somehow caught Mertesacker and Koscielny off guard. Clearly a penalty after Scczczczczczczceny took down Agbonlahor. Benteke was lucky the rebound went straight off the keeper and directly on to his head to tie the score line 1-1.

In the second half Arsenal played a more aggressive game with Rosicky looking dangerous at times. Two chances (one blasted wide and high from about 16 yards out, and one saved well by on rushing Guzan from close range (AMRKA)) that he will surely lament missing. It must be said the second penalty was not a penalty- it appears the central defender Koscielny and Agbhonlahor made contact with the ball simultaneously. A no call would have been perfect but instead penalty for Villa. Arsenal fans immediately started chanting against Wenger (assuming I understood the Hindi commentators correctly). Benteke slammed the penalty home to the bottom left. Once Villa took the lead it wasn’t long before Koscielny was given a second yellow, again rather harshly, for a challenge (was there even contact?) near the half way line as Villa were breaking. The defender was late in arriving, but it appeared on replays there was little to no contact in the challenge. Strange decisions indeed, Arsene will not be inviting this referee over for Christmas Day Lunch. The final goal, a counter attack after an Arsenal corner kick, was calmly finished by Villa’s left back, Luna. Yes, the left back outraced all of Arsenal. After blocking a shot after the initial corner was cleared, Luna raced up the middle of the park, was released into open space just passed midfield, and calmly slotted into the bottom right corner- a strike any forward would be proud of.

I’ll leave it for Scottie to get philosophical on this match so I’ll end this section with a few questions.
1. Are all American goalkeepers bald (aside from Tony Meola)? Is this a prerequisite to become an American Goalie?
2. Why does Laurent Koscielny remind me of a hedgehog? It’s distracting.
3. What would Brad Guzan look like in Rooney’s hairplugs? Kickstarter anyone?
4. Shouldn’t Arsenal Wenger have to wear his down jacket (a full length puffy winter coat for those unaware) for all games during the season regardless of the weather?


Manchester United vs. Swansea
Prematch interview with Danny Welbeck: “how will the rain affect your game today, Danny?” “We’re from Manchester, so we are used to this. It will be a fast game.” “Thanks Danny, good luck out there today.” Really smashing interview stuff there. Prior to this the interviewer, whose face was never shown on the camera, asked something like (I’ll paraphrase since my memory is terrible) “You had some good goals during preseason and a goal midweek. Considering your goal scoring struggles last season does that give you confidence going in to the season?” “Yea it was nice to get a full pre-season in with the lads and it’s always nice to get a few goals for confidence. Scoring midweek with the national team gives me a boost. I’m looking forward to the season.” Again, really smashing investigative journalism asking the hard hitting questions.

United’s line up- De Gea in Goal, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, and Evra across the back, Welbeck, Cleverly, Carrick, Giggs, and Valencia across the middle (Valencia and Giggs wide right and left respectively, Welbeck sort of a pseudo forward interchanging with the wingers), and RVP up top- was the same lineup SAF (Sir Alex Ferguson) used for the end of last season’s title winning run in. The first few minutes of the match Swansea dominated possession with United failing to link passes together and the Swans growing in confidence. Swansea had a few excellent crosses whipped in from the wings and wing backs that Michu nearly turned on goal. Michu, although he didn’t score, looks to start this season in the same form he ended last.

Slowly, United seemed to get hold of the midfield with Carrick and Cleverly possessing well and feeding Evra and Jones on the wings who were looking for chances to get crosses in to the box. It was a shock when RVP turned in the first goal of the game after a lovely chip over the defenders, chesting down, and finishing with a sort of half bicycle kick volley over Vorm’s shoulder for the first goal of the season. Much the same way as RVP did last year, he created offensive magic from little creativity elsewhere in the United team (to be fair, the chip was pure class from midfield). Hopefully this will change with the addition of a creative force in midfield (similar to Arsenal, United have failed miserably in all bids for any players this summer. . . hopefully this will change for both clubs, as their ability to withstand 3 competitions relies heavily on squad depth).

Minutes later a cross from Evra on the left flank produced a deflected header that landed somewhat fortuitously at the feet of Valencia who smartly crossed for Welbeck to tap in from short range. The first half was notable for the fact that Wayne Rooney, rumored to want a transfer to Chelsea (the likely subject of another blog post), was sitting directly behind David Moyes, the new manager of United. Every time Moyes reacted to a goal or scoring chance, the background was taken up by Rooney’s square face scowling impressively. Wish there was a “Rooney Face Cam” for this game. In fact, it seemed that when United scored his scowl increased a few notches, surely cementing several wrinkles in his face a few years too early.

The second half proceeded with some good pressure from the impressive Swans, again holding good possession against United and not letting them put the game away nor dominate the midfield. Rooney was introduced, much to his annoyance, for Giggs who received a deserved ovation. Shortly after, Rooney made a sprinting run from midfield, dragging a defender towards the right that opened a split second of space for the on-rushing RVP to smash a left footed shot in to the top left corner from about 20 yards out. Rooney smartly started the play with a good outlet show to midfield and then a quick 1 touch pass to RVP before his eventual run. There is likely some smart sports metaphor within the details of this play, but I’ll pass on attempting to dissect that for now. At this point, the Gorhka and late night got to me and I must admit that I fell asleep for the consolation goal and Welbeck’s (supposedly) smartly taken chip goal. A score of 4-1 perhaps overstated United’s dominance; however, the gap in class in the final third was evident. Vidic and Ferdinand looked strong in back for United, while Carrick had a characteristically boring and efficient game. Cleverly had some smart passing moves and provided a lot of energy and tackles in midfield. Valencia struggled a lot with his outlet passes and his first touch, appearing to have less confidence than he did when he arrived at United a few years ago (that was also before a terrible leg injury which kept him out about a year). Overall, United’s performance was ruthless in its efficiency (a clean sheet would have been great, but 3 points will do) and exemplified the class the team demonstrated throughout last year. Hopefully they will be able to continue this form with the introduction of exciting new players like Zaha, a quick and technically savvy winger, and a new signing or two from the transfer market. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SIGN A MIDFIELDER, SERIOUSLY ANYONE, I’LL EVEN SETTLE FOR CLINT MATHIS OR PABLO MASTROENI OUT OF THEIR SOCCER GRAVES.

Some funny side notes from the match and random questions:
1. Will Michu and RVP score more goals combined this season than Messi or Ronaldo? What’s the under/over on that bet?
2. Is Michu the next Ballon d’Or Winner? I’m not a betting man, but the answer is yes. Best bet for runner up: new Seattle Sounder Clint Dempsey aka Clintinho (please see deuceface).
3. What Quentin Tarantino movie was Jonjo Shelvey in?
4. Did Michu really pick a fight with Vidic- seriously bro? Who are your top 5 players in the premier league you would not want to fight in a dark alley? I’d say: Carragher, Vidic, Ivanovic, Martin Skrtel, Jose Boswinga (I know he plays in like Turkey now, but seriously those eye brows have some crazy kung foo moves that I don’t even want to get to know), and Roy Keane (yea he’s retired but he’d still throw down). Yea that’s 6 people, whatever.
5. If Madrid offered United Kaka for free (former world cup winner, former Ballon d’Or winner, religious psychopath), would they accept it? I say no, I’d rather have Clint Dempsey, or the San Diego (please watch Anchorman for reference) of American Footy, Landon “Landycakes” Donovan.

Signing off for now. Here’s to hoping I can find Star Sports somewhere in rural Far Western Nepal. Please enjoy the dark pictures of the Maya Cocktail Bar in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Matt

The Beginning of a New Season, and All that Comes with It.

Ah, it's mid-August once again, and with it comes the blissful excitement of a new Premier League season.  Matt, Scottie, and myself are hoping to more actively blog this season, primarily as a means to stay in touch, since Matt, I mean Dr. Fleming, is halfway around the world on a medical adventure in Nepal (actually Nepal is 12 hours 45 minutes ahead of Pacific Time to be precise... Who knew?).  Onward and upward.

The outlook for the 2013-2014 BPL season is probably best described by way of an offseason primer, meaning that which happened, that which didn't happen, and that which was supposed to happen and didn't but still might. But first, let's talk for a second about Jozy Altidore's magnificent effort in last night's US Men's National Team friendly victory over Bosnia in Sarajevo.  Trailing 2-0 to begin the second half, the boys managed to pull off a stunning 4-3 defeat with a hat trick and an assist credited to Jozy Altidore. See the goals (with Spanish commentary) here.  The left footed finish for his first goal was all class, and that free kick... What the what? When's the last time we saw Jozy take a free kick?  When there's a free kick in scoring distance in three weeks, move over Clint and Landycakes, because Jozy's got it going on. He's scored in five straight matches (a USMNT record), and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.  He has certainly stepped up to Jurgen Kilnsmann's challenge, however with his move to the larger English stage from the Eredivisie, only time will tell if he can stay in form with the glitz and glamor of playing in the BPL (Ok, maybe that's a little bit of a stretch seeing that he's playing for Sunderland, but baby steps, right?).

The biggest story of the summer has, certainly, been the Luis Suarez saga.  Suarez has been suspended for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic towards the end of last season.  Although Suarez is arguably in the world's top 5 as far as soccer players are concerned, he's had his share of on and off the pitch troubles.  The off the pitch troubles are undoubtedly a result of Suarez's actions on the pitch.  Suarez claims to have been unfairly targeted by the British press.  Although the press can certainly be hard on certain individuals at times, and might embellish some, or even fabricate rumors for a headline, as a Liverpool fan, I think Suarez deserves much of what he has recently encountered.  No matter how much pushing or grabbing there might be in the box, there's no reason at all to bite an opposing team's player.  Suarez's reasoning for wanting a move away from Anfield centers around this, in his mind, undeserved criticism from the British media.  Although I understand his concern of constantly being in the spotlight, it seems as though this proffered reason for wanting out has recently had holes poked in it.  Scottie's Arsenal have been testing the waters of Suarez's ₤40,000,000 release clause by bidding ₤40,000,001.  Liverpool claims that this simply means that they have to inform Suarez and listen in good faith to the offers, while Suarez and Arsenal have stated this could mean that Liverpool must accept the offer.  Given that this bid happened about a month ago, it seems more likely that the former is true, rather than the latter.  Regardless, with Suarez now stating that he wants Champion's League soccer which Arsenal can offer, his claim of wanting out because of the English press holds little weight.  As a Liverpool fan, I would prefer he stay, however the fact of the matter is that the Liverpool fans have given him nothing but support and admiration, and he now repays the fans by making excuses for why he wishes to leave.  I believe in this case, honesty is the best policy, and Suarez should be upfront with the club and its fans.  It does seem now, though, that Suarez is staying with the club.  Only time will tell however, as there are rumors floating around today that Arsenal are willing to offer ₤50,000,000 plus for the striker.  The end of the month cannot come soon enough, so there will be an end to all of this.

Past the Suarez saga, Liverpool have spent most of the summer loading up on young talent.  They have brought in young spanish starlets Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas to bolster the attack, and have loaned out veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina to Napoli to make room for the young Belgian keeper Simon Mignolet who arrived from Sunderland.  There is much upside to having Mignolet between the sticks, as he has shown great poise and ability. It is sad, however, to see Pepe Reina leave Anfield as he has been a great player and personality for the club.  I wish him great success in Serie A.  Liverpool has also added Kolo Toure on a free transfer from Manchester City.  Although Toure is aging quickly, he should add some depth to the Liverpool back line, which has not (yet) lost any pieces from last year, besides the retirement of Jamie Carragher and his nearly impossible to understand Scouse accent.  Leaving Anfield this summer on a ₤6,000,000 transfer to West Ham (COME ON YOU HAMMERS) was Stewart Downing.  This is a paltry amount in comparison the the ₤19,000,000 paid for him a few seasons ago.  Some say good riddance to bad trash, however Downing's form did improve towards the end of the season, and it seemed as though he was dedicated to showing his worth.  Too little, too late, I suppose.  With a few weeks left with the transfer window open, manager Brendan Rodgers claims there are no imminent transfers for the Reds.  This could change very quickly though should the club sell Suarez and have a pretty serious chunk of change which would undoubtedly be burning a hole in Rodgers pocket. We'll have to wait and see.

As noted in the beginning of this post, the new season brings along with it blissful ignorance.  Although Liverpool have averaged finishing 7th in the Premier League over the past 4 seasons, this year brings with it much excitement.  For one, the club does not have the additional matches from European competition to play (nor do they have the additional revenue coming in from these matches either).  This means they can focus their efforts on domestic matches and cups instead.  Although I was not able to catch much of the preseason action, I read great things about the club's form.  I suspect Rodgers will play some combination of a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, with the forward players interchanging roles, and an attacking midfielder (presumably Jordan Henderson or Joe Allen) behind them, with Captain Steven Gerrard sitting between this midfielder and Lucas Leiva holding up the rear.  It seems as though Rodgers' experiment is finally coming to fruition, however one still has their doubts (for me these doubts stem from Rodgers' portrait of himself hanging on the wall of his Merseyside home), but we'll see how the club fares this season.

I am excited not only to watch the Reds play, but because NBC has purchased the American broadcast rights to the BPL this year. I will, however, undoubtedly miss Warren Barton and the Fox Soccer crew (and their slow progression to the bottom throughout the course of the weekend i.e. wearing ties Saturday, but turning the following day into "casual Sunday" without a tie). The first match for Liverpool is this Saturday morning at Anfield against Stoke at 4:45AM PDT on the NBC Sports Network. I'd definitely prefer Liverpool's first match to be against a team other than bone-crushing Stoke, however this will be a good physical test for the team.  Here's to hoping for a victory to open the season.  Until then, YNWA.

Thoughts on Being: Liverpool, and a Suarez-Evra Handshake

With the weekend soon set to begin, I sit here writing in anxious anticipation of what this upcoming Sunday's TV programming has to offer.  Liverpool v. Manchester United, Arsenal v. Man City, AND Being: Liverpool? Yes please.

We'll go in reverse order here.  Last Sunday, the world was introduced to Being: Liverpool.  I was under the impression that this was going to be the soccer equivalent of "24/7" or "Hard Knocks", and having had five days to collect my thoughts on the premiere, I have to say that I was not impressed. Why you ask? As our friends from the Men In Blazers podcast so eloquently put it, "It was the best fictional piece of reality television we've ever seen."  Although I did once have a dream where Lucas Leiva, Sebastian Coates, and Luis Suarez all got together to celebrate their South American roots and embrace them by playing the culturally rich game of monopoly, I didn't actually think this happened in real life... probably because (despite what Fox Soccer wants us to believe) NO PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE GETS TOGETHER WITH HIS/HER FRIENDS TO PLAY MONOPOLY WITH WHAT LITTLE FREE TIME THEY HAVE. Past that, I thought the segment of the show in which we were given a window into the life of BR was pretty fantastic(ally awkward). Do you know anyone who has a (presumably self-commissioned) portrait of themselves hanging on the wall of their homing, facing you, just waiting to greet you, right when you enter? Yeah, I don't either. Also, if any girl I was dating's parents referred to me as a "special friend", I certainly would not be thrilled to say the least. This is what BR did when speaking of his 16 year old daughter's boyfriend (who also, coincidentally, is the son of one of his assistant coaches). Maybe the kid will get the point, and starting dating someone else... for the sake of his father's job?

I was hoping to gain some insight as to why Liverpool are off to their worst start in nearly 100 years from the documentary. I basically took away that BR is a decent man, but as far as it comes to motivating the team to play well, I'm not sure that telling the players to play with "integrity" or "honesty" is going to give them what they need to eek out a W week in and week out. Anyhow let's hope that this Sunday's episode is better (and less scripted) than last Sunday's episode.

As far as analysis and a prediction goes for the Liverpool v. Manchester United match on Sunday morning, I'm going to leave the analysis to Matt... As for the prediction, I'll go on record and predict a Suarez-Evra handshake...

Here's to hoping for an enormous win Sunday.

-Ryan

Good vs. Evil

One of my favorite, but most emotionally taxing fixtures of the year is Stoke vs. Arsenal. My sensitive, cosmopolitan artists vs. a bunch of southie dockworkers. The long throw vs. short, shifting triangles. This article! http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/aug/24/stoke-city-arsenal-tactics

This game is a prism that displays many of the facets of why we watch the premier league. It is a philosophical and usually dramatic battle for one goal. Tony Pulis wears a baseball cap and allegedly attacked one of his former players while naked, Arsene Wenger wears a fat tie and allegedly shares french existential poetry with Abou Diaby.

Aaron Ramsey vs. Ryan Shawcross.

 I respect both of these teams and absolutely hate one of them.

I hate Stoke City. I'm pretty sure they're going to beat arsenal or at least severely injure one the gunners.  This game typically makes for good watching so I am going to wake up at 5:30 pacific to watch it. The early wake up is probably the biggest downside to my LA move.

This is going to hurt.

Prepping for today's match... more to come later.

Man U Preview and other musings:

I have to start by saying that I feel extremely. . . weird about the whole RVP to United thing. I haven't paid much attention to the whole saga throughout the summer as I assumed he would be headed, like so many of his previous teammates, to the other Manchester club. He will have only had a few days of full training so I don't expect him to play much of a role in the game tomorrow (or will he start, SAF? Who knows what that man is thinking!). Undoubtedly, his passing, vision, and creativity will lessen the pressure on Berbatov, I mean Rooney, and open up more space on the wings for Nani, Valencia (heretofore referred to as TONY V), and Welbeck to attack defenses from wide. I look forward to watching Rooney and RVP playing together, their respective hairstyles battling for the title of 'oldest looking EPL striker'. (If this is confusing, please see: http://www.funkyhead.co.uk/trends/hair-transplants/ and this one: http://www.trulyreds.com/20120818/in-fergie-we-will-always-trust/).

United's problem this season will be in the midfield (assuming Rio can coax another year of running out of his creaky back and assuming Vidic comes back healthy and somewhat close to his 100% best). United has lacked a focal central midfielder for a few years now- someone who played like Cesc Fabregas for Arsenal or like Xavi continues to do so for Barcelona. Paul Scholes, a legend no doubt, has an amazing ability to deliver 60+ yard balls to the feet of players unlike any other player in today's game. Yet he doesn't strike fear into opponents defenders because his game is about speed of play and switching the ball- it's easy to keep these plays in front of defenses and much easier to predict where the ball will go. Scholes, that beautiful gingy with a penchant for terribly timed slide tackles, will never conform (nor should he) to the tiki-taka style of Barcelona and the Spanish National Team. I predict 9 goals in all competitions, 7 yellow cards, 1 straight red, and consistently red hair for Scholesy this season.

United's other central midfielders- Anderson, Cleverly, Carrick, Fletcher, Phil Jones (don't even get me started on his hair), and I'll toss in Ryan Giggs for good measure- have been inconsistent to say the least over the last 3 years. Anderson has all the athletic attributes you want in a hounding midfielder- he's fast, can run the whole game, tracks back on defense well, and distracts people with his dreadlocks while running. Unfortunately his poor first touch and penchant for lengthy stays on the injured list have limited his contribution the last few years. Cleverly, one of the few young English players in the United team, showed great vision and maturity at the start of last season. He's got the quality, the only question is whether he can stay fit and stand up to the pressure of performing at a club like United weak in and weak out. Michael Carrick is consistently inconsistent. His passing is great when he's on. When he's misfiring he appears to be in an almost catatonic face- expressionless and stiff bodied. Phil Jones is a defender who had bleached tips at one point last year so I will not discuss his midfield pedigree further. That brings us to my favorite adulterer, Ryan Giggs. I'm taking the over on 38.5 times a commentator will call Giggsy "evergreen" this season. The man seems to want to play footy until he dies- and I can't blame him. Hopefully one of the young guns (Anderson and Cleverly, I'm staring directly at YOU) can step up and take some of the pressure (and minutes) off of Giggs. His playing time will be significantly decreased this year but he is a benefit to the team for his experience and amazingly trimmed permanent 5 o'clock shadow. I would love to have a beer with him one day.

Now, predictions:

Champion: United- SAF will refuse to lose this year after squandering the title last year.
Player of the Year: Aguero (if healthy). Could also see Rooney, Silva, or Hazard (assuming he plays enough at Chelsea).
Better Season- Post vs Crossbar: I'm taking post over crossbar in a narrow decision. Post started off strong last year but crossbar made a great comeback during the second half of the season.
Craziest thing Balotelli will do this year: Demand a transfer to the New York Red Bulls of An MLS


IN SAF WE TRUST.