Is Manchester United Really Bad Or Simply Unlucky?

This is the question one can ask himself after watching Manchester United lose yet again this season. The Red Devils lost on their home field to Sunderland (0-1) on Saturday, May 3. 

This was the 11th loss for Manchester United, making it the worst season in the history of the club. The club will not qualify for any European Cup: A first in 20 years! 

So is Manchester United simply terrible this season or very unlucky? If you watched their games this season you could ask yourself the same question. It seems that the team does everything it can to win, especially at home, but just can't score. The team averages a possession of 60 percent, shots on goal at least 10 times in a game, and has a 1.44 goal for average, which means the team scores at least one goal every game. 

Against Sunderland, Manchester United players tried and tried, over and over, but never found the net.  The full-backs played many balls in front of the goal, but no one was there to finish. The Red Devils only had one clear opportunity to score when Van Persie deflected a cross coming from the right side and missed the net for a few inches. This is surely not enough to win a game. 

The main issue with the Red Devils this season is their defense. Sunderland could have won the game 3-0 if they hadn't hit the post two times in the second half. Manchester concedes an average of one goal per game, and lost seven games on a one goal margin this season. As a comparison, the team only lost five games last season. However, they still allowed 43 goals (for 40 this season), which shows that the defense was already terrible last year. 

The injuries of Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney could explain the bad showing this season. Van Persie had 30 goals last season for 17 this year. Without them, Manchester struggled to score goals. 

On top of that, Manchester had some really unlucky days, sometimes hitting the post two or three days in a game, or getting strange refereeing decisions. Many games should have gone their way, but slipped away from their grasp. That's also the beauty of football! 

United is having the worst season in the history of the club. A season that led to their brand-new manager, David Moyes, getting fired. Manchester will have to start over again next season with yet another manager. 

It seems that the departure of the legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson has dried out United's thirst for victory...         

Everton Stops Gunners In Thrilling Draw

Arsenal FC missed the opportunity to get a seven-point lead at the top of the BArclays Premier League after a 1-1 draw with Everton FC, today at the Emirates Stadium.

Everton offered a very good opposition to the Gunners, surfing on the wave after their great win at Old Trafford against Manchester United early this week. The Toffees played like they were at home, even having more possession than Arsenal! A great achievement for Robert Martinez' team.

The game was incredibly even and the final result is logical as both teams played great football and offered a good show to the fans. Especially in the final 10 minutes of the game!

As both teams were tied, 0-0, Arsenal was pushing higher to score, but was struggling to control the ball and the tempo of the game. We rarely saw the Gunners having so much difficulty to put their style in place. Everton pressured the Gunners and forced them to play long balls most of the time. However, in one of the few good build-ups, Rosicky had time to play a good ball over the defense for Walcott. The international English headed back the ball toward the penalty spot. Olivier Giroud missed his volley, but Mesut Ozil, who had a great game today, was there to score. Arsenal took the lead with even minutes left in the game!

But the beauty of English football makes it that a game is never over until the final whistle is blown and Everton knows that.

After Arsenal's goal, the Gunners left the ball to the Toffees, like they were waiting for them to score and tie the game. And that's exactly what Everton did!

The young and promising Spanish player Gerard Deulofeu made a decisive apparition on the field, after being subbed in with 15 minutes left in the game. Deulofeu quickly showed his skills and created opportunities for Everton and, at the 84th minute, he tied the game with a powerful shot from inside the box. Despite the power of the shot, Scezcny could probably have saved it as the ball just past over his head. 

The intensity of the game kept increasing as the end got nearer. Arsenal could even have clutched the win with an unbelievable volley from 25 yards out by Giroud which hit the woodwork! Tim Howard was beaten and Everton was lucky on that one.

Overall, the draw is logical as both teams had opportunities to score. Both sides deserved a point and it would have been almost unfair to see one of them lose today. Arsenal (35) is still on top of the league with five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea (30). Everton (28) is in the top five, only one point behind Manchester City (29). 

Should Yellow Cards Become "Temporary" Red Cards?

This is the wish of UEFA President Michel Platini who said that it was a proposal to explore.

"I would like to make it like rugby, punishing the offender with 10 or 15 minutes out of the game," Platini said Spanish newspaper AS. "It is an idea. Now, it needs to mature and see if it really is good for the game."

A temporary ban like the one already used in rugby could change the game forever.  One yellow card slightly affects a defender's behavior, but really does not change the whole game. However, 10 minutes out of the field has an impact on the entire team, making it more vulnerable and changing the tactical aspect of the game, even for a short time. 

It'll force defenders to be more careful, giving forwards more space to express themselves. This would bring more skills to the game, more liberty, more fun even. It would become a real game where you could see which player is technically better, faster, quicker over the actual power and strength, not allowing a player to stop his opponent by grabbing his shirt every time he is beaten and getting away with it with a useless yellow card. This is one of Platini's concerns and reasons why he believes this rule should be put in place. 

In the current rules, if the same player gets multiple yellow cards in multiple games, he is suspended for the next game and that only benefits the upcoming opponent. With a temporary ban, the player, as well as his team, would be sanctioned during the actual game.

"That way, the benefit goes to the team he is playing against instead of a sanction by cards which is carried out against a third team, the next on the calendar," Platini said.

Obviously, a few players adept of challenges, tackles, or shirt-pulling would disagree with that rule, probably arguing that being given a yellow card is already enough that it is unnecessary to add a 10 minute ban! 

Surely, the Barclays Premier League would be a totally different league if the rule was applied when there is an average of three yellow cards per games! Players such as Wayne Rooney (Five yellow cards this season), Matthieu Flamini (5), or Branislav Ivanovic (4) would surely change the way they play or think twice before arguing with the referee.  

We should not forget that the yellow card serves to show that the player infringed the rules of the game and was disrespectful of the game. It is a way to make sure the game flows without disruptive interruptions that go against the spirit of the game. 

Many people already disagree with the idea, saying that, with the huge number of yellow cards shown every game, it would be a nightmare to keep track of what's going on. 

I believe the rule will see the light one day and it'll change the game; change it in a good way.

What is your opinion?

    

Suarez: Dr Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

He is one of those players whose attitude detracts from his phenomenal talent as a football player! He is one of those that most football fans hate, but still admit that he is one of the greatest, among Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Mario Balotelli. A player that we want to dislike, but simply can't because he is so good.

Today, Luis Suarez showed, once again, that he was, before anything else, one of the best strikers in the world as Liverpool defeated Norwich City, 5-1, at Anfield Road! 

Any Liverpool FC fan would agree that after a game like that they would pardon Suarez for any misconduct on or off the field. The Uruguayan striker scored four goals against Norwich City, three of which were absolutely incredible. This was his first hat trick with the Reds.

The first one came from a 40-yard volley that finished under the crossbar of a helpless Norwich goalie. A wonderful strike that would certainly be one of the best goals of the season. The second goal came of a corner kick by Steven Gerrard. Coutinho missed the ball played toward the first post, but Suarez, right behind him, buried it in the net with a great left foot volley after getting the best position in his duel with the defender. The third one was a showcase of Suarez' foot skills and his ability to keep the ball under control at full speed, with defenders on him, and his great precision as he finished with a right foot half volley to find the net. Simply stunning and unstoppable. Liverpool was leading 3-0 at half time.

After the break, Suarez seemed to try to make his teammates score, probably feeling that he had his half and that was enough. Not quite though...

At the 75th minute, Liverpool obtained a free kick 25 yards away from goal. As Suarez stepped toward the ball, the crowd was ready to erupt...And surely it came! Suarez did it again! An powerful shot over the wall that finished into the net despite Norwich's goalie efforts. 

Finally, Suarez gave the Liverpool fifth and final goal to Raheem Sterling after a few dribbles and foot skills on the left side. 

"He has own this pitch; he has own this match," said the commentator when Suarez was subbed out. It was an incredible performance by Liverpool's #7, but would that performance be enough to erase his past? Can four goals be enough to forget his racial comments toward Manchester United's defender Patrice Evra or his bout of cannibalism against Chelsea's defender Ivanovic? 

Hopefully not. Suarez has to remember that the respect of the game and his actors are most important than scoring goals, especially when he is an icon and children all round the world watch him play every weekend. Maybe he took a lesson from the multiple-games ban that kept him away from the field at the beginning of the season as his behavior seemed to have evolved the right way.             

French Touch Gives Newcastle Fifth Straight Win

Both Yoan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko scored to give Newcastle a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the Barclays Premier League. Newcastle United is now in fifth place, while WBA  drops to the 12th.

It is starting to become a habit to see French players shine at St James Park. With five French players on the pitch at kick-off, Newcastle resembles more and more the Arsenal FC of the 2000's. Three of the five Frenchies where involved in the offense with Gouffran and Sissoko flanking Loic Remy on top, with Ameobi. Yohann Cabaye played in midfield while Matthieu Debuchy was positioned as a right-back as usual.

Newcastle did not have an easy game against a good WBA's side. Newcastle had the control of the ball at home, but had to wait the 34th minute to find the net by Gouffran. The Frenchie scored his fifth goal of the season.

It seemed that the break woke up WBA! Indeed, shortly after the second half kicked-off, Brunt equalized for the visitors (53rd minute). However, Newcastle fans did not have time to worry as their team took the lead once more only four minutes later.

At the 57th minute, Sissoko launched a missile in the upper-ninety of WBA's goal! An unbelievable goal by the French midfielder. Simply unstoppable. It was Sissoko's second goal this season.

The last 30 minutes of the game were mostly dominated by WBA which tried to tie the game. Newcastle built a wall in front of their goal and waited for the visitors to crash into it. The famous Bristish kick and rush was in display as WBA was kicking the ball high in the air into Newcastle's box hoping to get a shot on goal.

However, Newcastle held tight and almost scored a third goal on a counter attack, led by Sissoko and Cabaye, whose shot was deflected by a defender's hand. The referee did not award a penalty and whistled the end of the game instead.

Newcastle got there its fourth win in a row in the league and proved that this group has what it takes to play a major role in the Barclays.

      

Impressive City Scores Six Past Spurs

Manchester City winger Jesus Navas celebrates after his goal.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

It did not take long for Manchester City to take the lead over Tottenham Hotspurs in the big game of the week in the Barclays Premier League this Sunday. The Citizens scored after only 14 seconds in the game and ended putting five more goals in the net, earning an easy 6-0 win.

The Spanish winger found the net after a save by Hugo Lloris on a 25-yard attempt by Aguero. Before this goal, the Spurs were the best defense of the league, conceding only six goals in 11 games. Unfortunately for them, that goal was just the first of a long list on Sunday afternoon as the Citizens were simply on fire.

Even though Tottenham reacted and created a few opportunity, especially by Erik Lamela, City took control of the game with an impressive Sergio Aguero and a good Samir Nasri, involved in many offensive opportunities. Indeed, at the 35th minute both players were involved in the second goal. With the ball on the right side, Nasri found Aguero who lost his face to face with Lloris. Negredo got the rebound and his shot, deflected by Sandro, found the net. This was an own goal by the Spurs midfielder.

Only two minutes later, Aguero found the net, giving a three goal lead to City. The Spurs were happy to get to the half with only a three-goal difference. City perfectly played in the back of the Spurs' defense with their fast and technical players like Aguero, Nasri and Navas.

It seemed that Andre Villas-Boas' speech at the break did not wake up the Spurs! After five minutes in the second half, Aguero scored again after a brilliant rush by Yaya Toure. The Spurs almost conceded a fourth goal two minutes later, but Nasri found the crossbar on a great shot that let Lloris on his feet.

But the Citizens were unstoppable and at the 55th minute, striker Alvaro Negredo, who played a great game, found the net with a great shot after beating his defender. Unstoppable for Lloris!

The Spurs did try to react with Adebayor, who entered the game at halftime and played there his first minutes this season, and with Lamela who kept dribbling on his right side and creating opportunities. But it was not enough as Tottenham was poor defensively today, and conceded a sixth goal of the foot of Jesus Navas in added time (92').

The Spurs, best defense of the Barclays before this game, gave up six goals in 90 minutes when they had only conceded six in the 11 previous games.

City showed once again its finishing power. The Citizens scored 13 goals in the past two games. They might keep this scoring spree as they will face Vitoria Pizen during the match day 5 of the Champions League.

The Spurs are still stuck in ninth place and Manchester City gets back in the top four (4th).