FIRST UP, a postscript to Saturday’s dramatic victory over Wigan; though if drama implies the unexpected, then perhaps we could call this win mundane, so common are such comebacks becoming.
I’m used to managers blaming referees for every shortcoming in their own performance, deflecting attention from their own inadequacies and presenting the press with easy headlines which will ease the pressure on their own positions; although on Saturday Steve Bruce’s post-match diatribe can at least be said to be borne of genuine frustration at the lack of any reward for a display which undoubtedly deserved more.
While he was correct to identify the sending-off of Valencia as the turning-point of the match, his ire would have been better directed at the Ecuadorian winger rather than referee Alan Wiley. Although the TV pictures seemed to support Bruce’s claim that Valencia had moved only after Alonso had tapped the ball to Gerrard, this ignored the fact that he and others in the Wigan ‘wall’ had spent about two minutes stubbornly refusing to retreat the full 10 yards, which was clearly indicated by the position of the free-kick on the ‘D’ of the penalty area. If Wiley was to blame, it was for not booking Valencia and others as they held their ground in the first place. Hard therefore to claim an injustice when he was subsequently cautioned for encroaching.
And the tackle which felled Alonso minutes later, who might consider an alternative career as a clay pigeon so often is he targeted these days, was worthy of a red card in itself, if only for ‘stupid behaviour’. So no great injustice perpetrated by the referee; just another dopey footballer losing his head in the heat of battle.
The focus on Bruce’s outburst also denied Rafa Benitez his rightful acclaim for the effective manner in which he responded to the depletion of Wigan’s numbers. By sacrificing both full-backs and sending on Benayoun and El Zhar to stretch the Wigan defence to breaking point, he effectively exploited the gaps which opened up much as he had done against Man City a fortnight earlier, when Benayoun targeted the right-back area vacated by the departing Zabaleta. Such positive moves are perhaps an indication that Rafa has finally realised that gambling one point against three is a no-brainer given the consistency of Chelsea and Man United; it’s no secret that draws cost us a title challenge last season, and we must take risks to improve our position.
Rafa also appears to have applied the brakes to the rotation roundabout for the time being at least; and his selection for tonight’s game at Atletico will be a good indicator of his relative priorities ahead of Sunday’s game at Chelsea. The game in Madrid is undoubtedly important; yet a draw would suffice, and even a defeat would be retrievable. The visit to Stamford Bridge, however, offers a real opportunity not just to announce our arrival as a serious contender for the Premier League, but to dent Chelsea’s confidence borne of their excellent start to the season and their impressive home record.
Wouldn’t it be great to end our sequence of poor results at Stamford Bridge by breaking their unbeaten home run? Despite their undoubted proficiency, runs like theirs are usually put together in intimidating surroundings, not the soulless salad bowl on the Fulham Road, and as such I’m afraid it cannot be allowed to continue.
If the FA won’t act, then we must take it upon ourselves to curtail this most-quoted statistic, and replace it with our own as the team with the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League. But we’ll need to score first this time.
I’m used to managers blaming referees for every shortcoming in their own performance, deflecting attention from their own inadequacies and presenting the press with easy headlines which will ease the pressure on their own positions; although on Saturday Steve Bruce’s post-match diatribe can at least be said to be borne of genuine frustration at the lack of any reward for a display which undoubtedly deserved more.
While he was correct to identify the sending-off of Valencia as the turning-point of the match, his ire would have been better directed at the Ecuadorian winger rather than referee Alan Wiley. Although the TV pictures seemed to support Bruce’s claim that Valencia had moved only after Alonso had tapped the ball to Gerrard, this ignored the fact that he and others in the Wigan ‘wall’ had spent about two minutes stubbornly refusing to retreat the full 10 yards, which was clearly indicated by the position of the free-kick on the ‘D’ of the penalty area. If Wiley was to blame, it was for not booking Valencia and others as they held their ground in the first place. Hard therefore to claim an injustice when he was subsequently cautioned for encroaching.
And the tackle which felled Alonso minutes later, who might consider an alternative career as a clay pigeon so often is he targeted these days, was worthy of a red card in itself, if only for ‘stupid behaviour’. So no great injustice perpetrated by the referee; just another dopey footballer losing his head in the heat of battle.
The focus on Bruce’s outburst also denied Rafa Benitez his rightful acclaim for the effective manner in which he responded to the depletion of Wigan’s numbers. By sacrificing both full-backs and sending on Benayoun and El Zhar to stretch the Wigan defence to breaking point, he effectively exploited the gaps which opened up much as he had done against Man City a fortnight earlier, when Benayoun targeted the right-back area vacated by the departing Zabaleta. Such positive moves are perhaps an indication that Rafa has finally realised that gambling one point against three is a no-brainer given the consistency of Chelsea and Man United; it’s no secret that draws cost us a title challenge last season, and we must take risks to improve our position.
Rafa also appears to have applied the brakes to the rotation roundabout for the time being at least; and his selection for tonight’s game at Atletico will be a good indicator of his relative priorities ahead of Sunday’s game at Chelsea. The game in Madrid is undoubtedly important; yet a draw would suffice, and even a defeat would be retrievable. The visit to Stamford Bridge, however, offers a real opportunity not just to announce our arrival as a serious contender for the Premier League, but to dent Chelsea’s confidence borne of their excellent start to the season and their impressive home record.
Wouldn’t it be great to end our sequence of poor results at Stamford Bridge by breaking their unbeaten home run? Despite their undoubted proficiency, runs like theirs are usually put together in intimidating surroundings, not the soulless salad bowl on the Fulham Road, and as such I’m afraid it cannot be allowed to continue.
If the FA won’t act, then we must take it upon ourselves to curtail this most-quoted statistic, and replace it with our own as the team with the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League. But we’ll need to score first this time.
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