The Premier League is often billed as the most exciting league in the world but you’d be hard pushed to justify that tag going by what’s happening on the pitch.
The rumbles of discontent amongst Chelsea’s supporters continue in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure last week, with the team now having gone three league games without scoring. See this from Tony Glover at Chelseablog, for example:
“Whilst we are hurting as fans, the rest of football sees us as a laughing stock. Whereas before everybody hated us, but we didn’t care, it now feels like everyone is laughing at us and I do bloody well care about that.”
But if goals and entertainment were the standard of success and failure this season then many other managers could be standing in Jose Mourinho’s shoes.
The six goals they scored against Derby aside, Liverpool have managed just five in their five other games and supporters are getting very frustrated. As they say at Have You Ever Been to Liverpool?
“Benitez was unable to keep his tinkering hands firmly in his pockets (against Portsmouth and Birmingham) and made switches, some would say needless ones, for both games. The results were unimpressive, two points from a possible six. Truly a case of premature rotation?”
Third-placed Manchester City have scored only eight times in seven games, while, incredibly, Manchester United have an even worse record, with just six in their seven matches.
That’s a particularly poor goals-per-game ratio considering they scored 83 times in 38 matches en route to the title last season, and they have added Argentine Carlos Tevez to their attack. At least at Red Rants they saw signs in the win over Chelsea that United might be getting their swagger back. “Really, it’s about time we started doing that,” they say.
Thank goodness for Arsenal and Derby, then. Otherwise it’s been pretty disappointing on the goal front for a league that spent half a billion pounds over the summer. Or are you enjoying the league’s new accent on defence?
Patrick Johnston, London
Photo: Fernando Torres in training back in August. Liverpool’s strikers are struggling again this season. Phil Noble / Reuters
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5 comments so far
Don’t worry about United. They will score bags of goals when they get going and retain the title easily. It’s just not going to happen for Liverpool, though. All that money spent and same old same old.
- Posted by Jonny Twinkleunited are the best attacking team in the world.it is just a matter of time before they return to full swing.they will retain their title easily.
- Posted by pavanI’m confident Liverpool will finish top 3.
- Posted by Five TimesBut Five Times, wouldn’t it be a massive disappointment if Liverpool only finished third again this year? Isn’t this the year they should be winning the title, or at least challenging all the way?
- Posted by KevMassive? nah… Just a normal disappointment, of course.
Anyway I didn’t say where in top 3
- Posted by Five TimesFor the record, I have this feeling that Liverpool will win it. And for the first time ever, I actually put 100 quid on Pool to win it