Luis Suarez - Trouble Maker or Mistaken Genius?

Recently, a string of world-class performances have put Luis Suarez's name on everyone's lips for the right reason. Having previously been the target of media attacks following a number of high-profile episodes of misconduct on his part, Suarez has answered his critics this season. Although he missed the first five games through suspension, he burst back onto the Premier League scene, currently sitting on 15 goals and topping the goalscoring table. As a football fan, it's refreshing to see someone who has been badly behaved in the past get their head down and play some good quality football (e.g. Mario Balotelli in Milan).

Born on the 24th January 1987 in Salto, Uruguay, Suarez was the fourth of seven brothers. His family moved to Montevideo when he was seven and his parents split when he was nine years old. He then lived with his mother and brothers (but still maintains contact with his father) and learnt to play football on the streets of the city. He joined Nacional's youth team at the age of 14, but he made it to the world stage when he joined Ajax in 2007 - where he would go on to make 110 league appearances, scoring 81 goals. He was signed by Liverpool in 2011 and he hasn't looked back since. 

Throughout his footballing career, Suarez hasn't been far from controversy. At the age of 15 - when playing for Nacional - he was sent off for head butting a referee. He also had a shaky disciplinary record at his second club, Groningen, receiving three yellow cards and one red card in the space of just five games. Excessive amounts of yellow cards, a tunnel altercation with a team mate and a biting incident worsened his reputation as a behavioural liability. And then came the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. During a quarter final game against Ghana, Suarez blocked a shot off the line with his hand and gave away a penalty which was missed by Asamoah Gyan. Suarez was sent off and was not able to take part in the penalty shoot out which saw his country progress in the competition. He was, however, slated as a villain and a cheat.

His disciplinary record extended when he came to the Premier League with Liverpool. The first incident was the high-profile racial abuse inquiry he faced after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in October 2011. Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra and handed an eight match ban along with a £40,000 fine. However, he didn't stop there. Nearly two years later, in April 2013, Suarez appeared to have bitten Chelsea player Branislav Ivanovic in a 2-2 draw. Suarez received a ten match ban, which took him into the current season of Premier League football. 

The cameras got a good view of Suarez's bite.

However, it seems Suarez has burst - albeit late - out of the blocks this season. Despite having missed the first five games, he has the most impressive attacking record of any player in the league, currently on 15 goals. Suarez has averaged 1.36 goals per game this season, scoring three braces, one hat-trick and one four goal master-class against Norwich. He has even managed to calm down his temper, receiving only one yellow card in the ten games he's played so far.

So this poses the question, are Suarez's behavioural problems a thing of the past? Has he finally matured and focused on his football more than anything else? Personally, I'd like the Uruguayan fulfil his potential this season and prove himself to be one of the best in the world. If not for himself then for the worldwide reputation of the Premier League and its players.   

     

What's Happening at Manchester United?

From champions of England to mid-table battlers in six months, Manchester United are currently going through one of the roughest patches in their Premier League history. Last season, United finished top of the league comfortably, looking like true champions for the duration of the season. However, they have seemed and entirely different team this season - with many results below what has come to be expected of them - and alarm bells are certainly ringing for the fans at Old Trafford. But what has caused this sudden dip in form for the red half of Manchester? Besides the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and his backroom staff - and the subsequent introduction of David Moyes and his own backroom staff - in the summer, not much has changed since the end of last season, but performances are still below par and unrest is becoming apparent among the fans...

A key feature during the matches in which United have underperformed - like the draw against Southampton, and the losses to West Brom, Everton and Newcastle - has been a distinct lack of creativity and effort from the players. Players such as Cleverley, Nani and Fellaini have been agonisingly inconsistent so far this season, often falling short of requirements in games where they should be dominating (i.e. against the likes of Cardiff). Also, the style of play currently being exhibited at Old Trafford has been a major complaint from the stands. Fans aren't enjoying seeing midfielders and defenders passing sideways - and sometimes backwards (unnecessarily) - to no avail, which often results in them losing the ball and putting David De Gea in danger. 

However, some performances this season have been more exciting and solid. The 1-0 defeat of Arsenal and the 4-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen spring to mind when looking for examples of the type of football that United played under Ferguson.

Nani is one player who has been slated for his
inconsistency.

Another possible explanation for the demise of the United team is the change of manager. David Moyes arrived in the summer with a new backroom staff, shaking up the system that so many of the players had become used to under Sir Alex. Whereas Ferguson is an iconic managerial figure who demanded respect from his players, Moyes seems a less imposing figure on the sideline, perhaps the players don't give him the same respect as his predecessor? That is certainly the case in the stands, as you can get the sense from a visit to Old Trafford that the fans are beginning to get sick of the poor performances. Many pundits predicted that Moyes would need a transition period at the start of the season, which is expected. But how long can a transition period last? Moyes had the summer to acquaint himself with his squad, and he only brought in Marouane Fellaini in the transfer window - a player who he already knows from his time at Everton. Surely by December a manager should have a strong grip of his squad and know his strongest starting eleven, something which it appears Moyes does not. An example of someone who has done this is Moyes' replacement, Roberto Martinez, whose Everton side currently sit at 5th. 

Whatever it is that's happening at Manchester United at the moment, it will take a colossal effort to turn it around. A huge January signing? Drastic tactic changes? Personally, I don't think it's time for 'Moyes out' signs just yet, but I do question how much longer the Old Trafford faithful will put up with mediocre performances when they're used to world class results.

Just a Quick One

Apologies for the stoppage in posting recently - which came about as a result of a combination of things - but I intend to get back into the blog soon. The 'What to Expect From... This Season' series of blogs is obviously no longer relevant, so that will be stopped. From now on I'll be doing topical subjects and possibly the odd focus on an individual player or manager etc. and I'll be writing at least one piece a month. Here's hoping it all goes well. 

What To Expect From Everton This Season

Under new boss Roberto Martinez, after David Moyes took up the role at Old Trafford, Everton should be confident of a decent season this year. The Toffees finished in 6th place last season, however they came nine points behind 5th place Tottenham so there is room for improvement to reach a Europa League place - which is an ambition that a club of Everton's talent should have. The key to Everton's success last season was the tactic of going out not to lose the game. They only lost seven last season, which is third least along with Arsenal and Chelsea, only the two Manchester clubs lost less. However, it is clear that the manager at the time - David Moyes - tried only not to lose games, rather than going out to score lots of goals and win with style (a worrying point for any United fans). We can see from last season's Premier League table that Everton had the worst goal difference out of any team that finished in the top seven, managing a +15 by May. They also scored the least goals out of any team in the top seven, netting 55 times over the season. The second lowest figure was 66, achieved by Tottenham and Manchester City.

From those stats it is clear that Everton needed some more power up front. Evidently, Roberto Martinez thought so too, so when he came in he swiftly signed Arouna Kone from his former club Wigan, and took youngster Gerard Delofeu on loan from Barcelona. However, he wasn't finished there. He managed to fashion a deal with Chelsea for their young striker Romelu Lukaku on transfer deadline day. The 20 year-old forward had a fantastic time at West Brom last season, proving himself to be among the very best that the Premier League has to offer by way of young talent and getting plenty of goals along the way. He will no doubt help Everton to score goals aplenty if that is the style of play that Martinez wants to utilise this season. In other areas of the pitch, Everton have improved by signing 22 year-old midfielder James McCarthy and ex-Aston Villa star and forgotten Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry. These two will help to secure the midfield position following the biggest event of Everton's transfer window - the departure of Marouane Fellaini. Fellaini completed his 'dream move' to Manchester United late on in the window to leave Everton without their star player for the season ahead. 

Everton's start to the season will have been disappointing for many Toffees fans. Three draws out of three - having scored only two goals - is not what has come to be expected of the Merseyside club. A 2-2 draw away at Norwich and two 0-0 draws - West Brom (H) and Cardiff (A) - have left many fans frustrated at Roberto Martinez's style of play, and his team have already been described as too defensive. Everton's next six games - Chelsea (H), West Ham (A), Newcastle (H), Man City (A), Hull (H) and Aston Villa (A) - should, on paper, be plain sailing for them. With the obvious exception of the Chelsea and Man City games, Everton will be expected to win most of those fixtures. 

Maybe if I was writing this at the beginning of last season, I would have been more optimistic. But with the losses of both David Moyes and Fellaini to Manchester United, and the lack of attacking flair that Martinez employs, I just can't see them causing a stir this year. Hopefully the new signings like Lukaku and McCarthy prove me wrong, but for now I'm not so sure. As for a prediction, I'm certain they'll get in the top ten, but they won't surpass last year's achievements. If not because of the loss they've suffered, it will be because of how most of the other teams at the top have improved themselves. So I'm going to say that Everton will finish in 7th or 8th place come May.       

What To Expect From Crystal Palace This Season

Having been promoted through the play-off system rather than achieving automatic promotion, Crystal Palace are a team that will - despite their winning mentality and fresh enthusiasm - have a hard time in the Premier League this season. The Eagles finished 5th in the Championship last season, four points in front of 6th placed Leicester. They then went on to beat Brighton 2-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final and they managed to sneak a 1-0 win over Watford at Wembley to send them into one of the biggest and most watched leagues in the world. Crystal Palace's strong point last season was their goalscoring - as they scored 73 goals, the most of any team except Watford. However, their weak point also concerns goals, namely the amount of goals they let in. They conceded 62 goals last season, the most of any team to reach the play-off places or above. If Ian Holloway's men let in so many goals in England's second tier of football, who knows how many they will concede in the top division?  

Palace have done a LOT of business this summer, with many players coming in and out of the club. Their three biggest signings - judging by the fame of the players - are arguably Jimmy Kebe, Marouane Chamakh and Jason Puncheon (who has come in on a season-long loan deal). However, the player who has had the largest effect on the London club following his departure after a loan spell at Palace from his current club, is Wilfried Zaha. The Englishman - born in the Ivory Coast - was signed by Manchester United in January and was sent immediately on loan back to his long-time club. He was a pivotal player for Palace during their promotion charge, and will leave a gaping hole in the squad this season. 

Crystal Palace's start to the season is an average one, but not unexpected. Two losses - Tottenham at home (0-1) and Stoke away (2-1) - and one win - Sunderland at home (3-1) - puts them in 14th place at the time of writing. Their next six games - Manchester United (A), Swansea (H), Southampton (A), Liverpool (A), Fulham (H) and Arsenal (H) - will prove to be an enormous challenge for Holloway's side. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will be games that the fans will probably expect to lose, but games like Southampton and Swansea may prove to be entertaining games in which Palace could produce a shock win - providing their underdog mentality drives them.

However, though they may be able to claim the odd Premier League scalp between now and the end of the season, I can't see Crystal Palace achieving anything more than one season at the highest level. Realistically, they are not well rounded enough to beat enough of the best teams in the country to stay in this league. And with the loss of their talisman, Zaha, Palace don't even have a household name to turn to when the going gets tough. That is why, regretfully, I have to predict that they will be relegated at the end of this season, either an 18th or 19th place finish. 

What To Expect From Chelsea This Season

With Mourinho back at the helm after six years away in Europe, Chelsea will be looking at silverware this season. Of course, they are a team that looks for silverware every season, but the fans might feel that this is their year. Under Mourinho's management in the past, Chelsea were arguably the strongest domestic force in the game - winning two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, two League Cups and one Community Shield all in the space of three years. The one thing they lacked under Mourinho (the first time) was European success, something they have found in his absence. In 2012, under the management of Roberto Di Matteo, The Blues managed to win the Champions' League, beating Bayern Munich in a dramatic penalty shoot out. Also, last season they won the Europa League under the management of Rafa Benitez. However, Mourinho has tasted Champions' League glory - once with Porto in 2004 and again with Inter Milan in 2010 - and so Chelsea will be hopeful he can lead them to more European trophies. 

Chelsea's domestic form last season was sound, as they achieved - on the whole - what was expected of them. A 3rd place finish, three points ahead of 4th place Arsenal and three points behind 2nd place Manchester City, is what Chelsea fans have come to terms with as being plain sailing for the London side. However, Chelsea's stats probably warranted a better finish than they got, as they scored more goals than anyone except Manchester United and ended up with the best goal difference of anyone other than Manchester United. So if the stats put them second best behind the 20 time champions, why did they finish 3rd? There was only one game in it between them and Manchester City. Could Jose Mourinho be the man to come in and get them that one game? Could he even achieve more than that? 

His transfer activity certainly suggests that, with Chelsea bringing in several quality players so far this summer. Some of those signings include Andre Schurrle, Willian, Kevin De Bruyne and veteran of the game Samuel Eto'o. It is clear from these types of signings that Mourinho wants to bolster Chelsea's attack and that he feels the way to win the title is to score more goals than everyone else in the league. To an extent he is correct, however a good defence is vital in the Premier League. 

Chelsea's start to this season has been a good one, with wins over Hull (2-0) and Aston Villa (2-1) and an away draw at Manchester United (0-0) - which is a good result for anyone - they currently sit at the top of the table. Their next six fixtures - Everton (A), Fulham (H), Tottenham (A), Norwich (A), Cardiff (H) and Manchester City (H) - shouldn't provide too much of a challenge (on the whole) for the Europa League champions. Games like Tottenham away, however, may be tricky as Spurs have been one of the league's highest spenders this season and are starting to look like a quality side. Manchester City at home will be another hard game, but home advantage should prevail.

So in conclusion, Chelsea look like challenging for the title this season under Mourinho, as he tries to implement his European style of football into The Blues. Their new signings should go a long way to helping them climb up the table and I think that in May we'll be seeing Chelsea in either the Champions' place or second place. 

  

What To Expect From Cardiff City This Season

The new boys of the Premier League - playing in the top flight for the first time since 1962 - Cardiff City look like a team who may be able to hold their own in England's best league. Malky Mackay's men managed to win the championship last season, totalling 87 points and winning 25 matches along the way. They finished eight points ahead of second place Hull City and lost only nine games, joint with Brighton as the team who lost the least games. 

Cardiff's most recognisable players are Craig Bellamy and Fraizer Campbell, two strikers who have experience in the Premier League. Added to that, Cardiff have spent a total of £20,500,000 in the summer, bringing in players that include Gary Medel, Steven Caulker and Andreas Cornelius. So there is quality all over the Cardiff City squad for Mackay to select for each match.

Cardiff's start to the season has been a mixed bag of joy and despair, with their first match - away at West Ham - ending in a 2-0 loss. However, their first home game - against 2011-2012 champions Manchester City - ended spectacularly with a late double from Campbell that handed them a 3-2 victory against the highest spending team of recent years. 

Cardiff City's next six games - Everton (H), Hull (A), Tottenham (H), Fulham (A), Newcastle (H), Chelsea (A) - should provide quite a challenge (on the whole) for the newly promoted side. Games like Everton, Tottenham and Chelsea will be especially difficult considering the quality of the three teams. However, games like Hull and Newcastle should provide entertaining scenes as both teams will be similarly matched as far as skill goes.  

In a longer-term time frame, if The Bluebirds continue to use the underdog mentality to their advantage in the big games and use their experienced squad against the more evenly matched teams, Cardiff should be able to finish in a decent position come May. Almost like Norwich did a few years ago, if their fresh style of play can continue to be a shock to the systems of the more established Premier league sides, they may finish around 14th or 15th this year.