What the Manchester derby told us about the state of the game in Manchester

It was derby time in Manchester last night. I have spent the week in the city looking at the state of the game here and how the future looks for the two clubs. It could be looked at as a game in the middle of a crisis in the footballing city.Going into the game there has been much criticism-

• Manchester United lost 4-0 to Chelsea on Sunday after a poor showing at Liverpool the week before
• Jose Mourinho has spoken about his unhappiness living in the city
• Pep Guardiola's City went into the match on a streak of 5 games without a win
• The old guard of Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero seem to be out of favour

But in and around the city of Manchester you couldn't sense any panic or even much frustration towards the clubs or the players.These are generally proper football fans that love their club, are happy with the success that they have had but don't feel as though they are entitled to it. Contrast that to the glory-hunting Manchester United fan from other parts of the country and the globe. The fact that the United fans were still out-singing the Chelsea home support while being 4-0 down in Sunday shows that these are people who know their football and love their club.

Near the Old Trafford stadium I spoke to Mike, a United fan that sees a future that doesn't look as rosy as the recent past but will still support the club all the same.

"I can see us going down the same route as Liverpool did after their domination. Football goes in cycles and they have not really been near to winning the title again in over 25 years. I'd like to see them up there challenging for titles with us, but losing out to us every time! We have a future where we could go down the same road. I see Mourinho as a manager that could go one way or another. He could stay for 15 years and we could go on a run of winning trophies every year again or he could end up braking the club. It is a bit of a crossroads," said Mike.

The game does move on and it would be difficult to reliably predict what the future holds for the club. The longer they are out of the Champions League then the more they have to spend in wages to attract the big starts and the less likely it is that they will get another Cristiano Ronaldo or even another David De Gea.Mourinho is a gamble that the Glazers thought they just had to make after the failures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Where the club goes from here is in his hands.

On the other side of the divide is the light blue half of Manchester. The game last night ended in defeat so Pep Guardiola is facing probably his worst managerial crisis - six games without a win. After the amazing start to the season not many would have predicted this but it is happening. In the club shop on Market Street they are selling those detested half-and-half scarves and training tops with the Champions League logo alongside merchandise from their sister clubs in New York, Yokohama and Melbourne. This is big business.

But without the players to enact his tactical game, and in possible the wrong league and conditions to do it, Pep is fining managerial life tough for probably the first time. It is not a full-blown crisis and it won't cost him his job but clearly there is work to do.

I spoke to Peter who lives and works in the city. He didn't buy into the Guardiola project but backs the club to get it right, "It will take time. He can't turn all of these Premier League players into La Liga players overnight. It looks like tactically he knows what he wants but the players aren't quite there yet. Maybe in a few months we will look back on this as part of the transition. I certainly hope so."

That was before the match. That was before the defeat in the derby. Although it was 'only' the EFL Cup and there were run outs for some players that were not in the usual first team it will still hurt. Manchester City's owners have bankrolled the club to deliver success and this current run of form and a tame loss to their neighbours isn't part of the blueprint.

What happens next really is down to Pep.

The league title race hots up - will we have a new Premier League winner this season?

Has the league title fight now come down to two teams? With another disappointing two round of fixtures for Arsenal and Manchester City - one on the league and one in the Champions League - there is a growing feeling that only Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur can win the Barclays Premier League now this season.

Manchester City have progressed in Europe but the loss of Vincent Kompany to injury again raises fears that their title push is over. Without their captain they have struggled at the back and they are now relying on defenders that haven't cut the mustard in their time in the country. It looks like the clubs hierarchy are looking at next season and the arrival of Pep Guardiola for their next set of glory. A Champions League quarter final for the first time is nothing to be sniffed at but City don't look like potential winners of that tournament. Only a major collapse by both the top two will let them back into the Premier League title race.

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Arsenal have some big problems of their own. The calls for the head of the manager Arsene Wenger grow louder every day and their exit from the Champions League, the FA Cup and their recent failures in the league are not going to make any of this go away. The recent falling away of Manchester United after the long reign of Sir Alex Ferguson may persuade the board to keep hold of him for a little while longer but the results on the pitch are not what the fans want to see.

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Leicester City did on Monday night what all the big clubs have always managed to do - win even when not playing well. It is a sign of champions but the last few weeks of the season will see them becoming more and more nervous as they near the impossible dream. They still have away games to Manchester United and Chelsea so the season is far from over.

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Tottenham Hotspur have been also-rans for a long time. They play football which is tough on their players because of the amount of running they are required to do. This may come back to haunt them later in the season as the players tire. Is the squad big enough? DO they have strength in depth? What about cover for injuries?

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Is this now Leicester's title? See the three matches that will decide it.

Could this have been the weekend that changed the title chance in favour of Leicester City. I blogged previously to say that I didn't think Leicester could even finish in the tip four. Those doubts have gone and they have been installed as favourites for the title with some bookmakers. This is a remarkable turnaround for a team that was fighting against relegation at the end of last season.


Much has been written about their star players such as Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. The manager Claudio Ranieri has also been in the spotlight.







In my blog today I am going to look at the three key games that they gave between now and the end of the season. There are thirteen games left as we stand. All will be "cup finals" for them, but three stand out-


Sunday 14th February - away to Arsenal
In the week after Leicester have notched wins against Liverpool and Manchester City, they face a third massive challenge in three games. If they beat Arsenal and Spurs draw with Man City in the other massive game this weekend then Leicester could finish the week 7 points clear at the top. If Leicester lose and Spurs win then the gap will be only 2 points. Without looking at the opposition you can see what a big game this is. I would say that Leicester have to make sure they don't lose. But they don't seem to play the game that way. I think that Mahrez and Vardy will be going all out to beat the Gunners.


Saturday 30th April - away to Manchester United
It's not that there won;'t be any crucial games in between Arsenal and Man United, it's just that this game could be when Leicester are looking to tie up the league title. If results go as expected then Leicester could be needing a win at Old Trafford to win the league with 2 games to spare. I suspect that by this time we will already know whether United are in the Champions League foe next season ans whether Louis Van Gaal will be be the manager.









After destroying Man U 5-3- last season I would expect that this is another game when Leicester attempt to set Vardy free to torture the opposition.


Sunday 15th May - away to Chelsea
Yes, I've picked 3 away games as those that will decide the fate of Leicester because this will be where they possibly drop some points. To be crowned as champions at the home of the outgoing champions would be a fantastic achievement. The home form of Chelsea this season has been really patchy, so if Leicester come here needing to win I wouldn't back against them. It could be the last game for Guus Hiddink and for John Terry though, so it may not be as easy as they would like.

Where will Guardiola go? My conclusion may surprise you!

Now that Pep Guardiola has confirmed that his next management assignment will be in England, it's time to look at the contenders for his signature. You might be surprised at my conclusion.

Manchester City have long been the front runners, if the press is to be believed. The fact that two of his ex-Barcelona cohorts are in powerful positions at the club is more of a sign that City want to emulate Barça than a sign that the deal is done. I'm sure that City don't see Pellegrini as their long-term manager but this also doesn't automatically mean that Pep is a shoo-in. 

Manchester United are looking seriously at the future direction of the club. The style and results of Louis can Gaal are not what they want from a manager. The points and goals tallies are more akin to David Moyes than Sir Alex Ferguson. There's no doubt that, like City with Pellegrini, they will look elsewhere in the long term. But I believe that Ryan Giggs is pencilled-in as a young manager that knows the club - not unlike what Guardiola himself was to Barcelona. And Zidane to Real Madrid, as has happened this week.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is a long-time admirer of Pep. But I can't help feeling that the admiration is one-way only. The repeated impatience with managers and the seemingly all-powerful dressing room is enough to send Guardiola running in the opposite direction. I'm sure that Chelsea would break the bank to secure his service and provide him with transfer riches, but that won't be enough.

Arsenal are my tip as his surprise destination in England. I think that Arsene Wenger will move upstairs at the end of the season and this is more likely if they win the league. London would surely prove a bigger draw than Manchester - especially if he's looking for new restaurants! His style of football is most suited to Arsenal's squad, above the other potential destinations.

He's currently 8/1 at the bookmakers for this, so it may be worth getting on it now!

See my take on whether Leicester City will make the top 4 this season

After most of the matches have been played this weekend, there's a question that everyone has been asking.

Will Leicester make the top four at the end of the season?

I heard Paul Merson ask it on Gillette Soccer Saturday, Jermain Jenas ask it on Match Of The Day and Martin Keown on MOTD2.

My answer really differs to most of what I've  heard recently. I don't think that they can keep this up. Just watching the intensity of their game against Everton and the amount of fight they had to put in, means for me that they will run out of steam.

An injury or two, a suspension or a player needing a test will put a bigger dent in their squad than any of their rivals. They don't have proven internationals on the bench or young starlets coming through the under-21 league. This means that they will struggle for quality if they hit a bad patch. It currently looks like Leicester will be competing with Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United for a Champions League spot and all their squads run deeper.

Leicester could have some aces up their sleeves in the January transfer window, though and new signings will be easier to come by than last January when they were bottom of the league. But the pressure will be on Claudio Ranieri to make improvements without breaking the team spirit they have developed.

Whatever happens, it will be an interesting season. Keep watching and keep reading!

See the lowdown on why the Premier League is wide open this season

It feels as though nobody really wants to win the league this year. There's no stand out team that is taking it by the scruff of the neck like Chelsea did last season. With Manchester City losing at the weekend, Chelsea continuing their poor form and Manchester United struggling for goals it came to Leicester City and Arsenal to pick up wins and make their move.

So why are the big teams not firing so far?

Let's have a look-

Man City have suffered more injuries than usual this season. Losing Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero for long spells would harm any team in the world. They've list their captain, their midfield driving force and a large percentage of their goals. Kevin De Bruyne in his first proper Premier League season and a still-young Raheem Sterling can't seem to turn the tide on their own.

Louis Van Gaal has changed the philosophy at Man United. After a season in the doldrums under David Moyes, he probably felt he needed to turn the tide in some way. This way has been to spend (really, really) big and produce a team that keeps clean sheets as their main aim. From there, they hope that Rooney's will, Martial's pace or Mata's guile gets them a goal. It's quite dour to watch but the board thinks it's a great alternative to the Moyes reign.

What can I possible say about Chelsea? They have been awful and Jose Mourinho has not been the great manager we have been led to believe he is. Man management has never looked his strong point and it feels like he has lost the dressing room. A Champions eague exit this week will all but seal his fate. I suspect that Abramovic wants to keep him on but time is definitely running out.

The last of the traditional big four is Arsenal and they have suffered injuries on a similar scale to Man City. They have lost key players at key times but still keep up second place at the moment. The magic of Ozil will have to make do on it's own as Sanchez what looks like a hamstring injury which could keep him out of the side for a while.

The revelation so far have been Leicester City and they currently top the table. Nobody expects them to keep it up but if the other teams mentioned above continue with their problems then Leicester have a chance. In the January transfer window will be much easier to attract players than this time last year when they were in real trouble. With a couple of quality acquisitions they could have a chance of lasting the distance and from there who knows?

My tip for the title as it stands now is Manchester City. I just think that they can't continue to be this unlucky with injuries and they could go out and buy a £50 million player in January if they felt it necessary.

El Clasico clashes with Manchester City v Liverpool - who will win out?

As El Classico clashes with the Man City v Liverpool match on Sky Sports tonight, I think it's time to ask whether the global game has taken over the Premier League.

What will you watch?

Real Madrid v Barcelona?

Man City v Liverpool?

Or take the option with Sky to watch it split screen? Is like to see a breakdown on the viewing figures.

When I was young, teams from outside of England, Scotland and Wales seemed a million miles away. Players with exotic-sounding names from different pockets of the globe has their own thing going on.

When Steve Archibald went to Barcelona, my world changed a little. He was the first top player in my memory that had made such a switch. It looked like a massive adventure that bordered on madness. Likewise for overseas players coming to the English league. Ossie Ardiles was my first memory of a player coming in the opposite direction.

Now the Premier League is awash with great players from as far and wide as Senegal, New Zealand, USA, Chile and a plethora of Spaniards, French and Dutch. There has been much lament of how this affects the England national team. But it's not the relative lack of success of the England team that worries me in this blog. It's a problem that is typified by the matches I mentioned at the top of the blog. The Premier League bills itself at different times as-

"The best league in the world"

"The most competitive league in the world"

"The most exciting league in the world"

And these have always been selling points as the league sells itself over the world for TV money. And as the Premier League loses it's standing against the big matches from other leagues and potentially losing their 4th Champions League place-

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10005194/premier-leagues-fourth-champions-league-spot-under-threat-from-serie-a

The Premier League has grown on the back of the massive TV deal after massive TV deal and they don't expect it to stop anytime soon. But if Sky find that more people tune in for El Clasico than a top Premier League clash then they may not pay quite so much in their next deal. Broadcasters from other countries could follow suit and this will mean that the power of the Premier League wanes.

I can see this being more of a big deal for the Premier League power brokers than any loss of status for the England team.

After 12 games of the season it's my part-season progress report

When Arsenal v Tottenham and Liverpool v Crystal Palace finish their games today, we will be at the 12-game mark in this season's Premier League. The international break is next so it's a good time to look at where things are and what might transpire between now and the end of the current campaign. The league table looks like this-

Premier League

Pos.	Team	P	GD	Pts.
1No movement	Man City	12	17	26
2No movement	Arsenal	11	13	25
3No movement	Leicester	12	5	25
4No movement	Man Utd	12	9	24
5No movement	West Ham	12	7	21
6No movement	Tottenham	11	10	20
7No movement	Southampton	12	6	20
8No movement	Everton	12	4	17
9No movement	Liverpool	11	0	17
10No movement	Crystal Palace	11	1	16
11No movement	Watford	12	-1	16
12No movement	Stoke	12	-2	16
13No movement	West Brom	12	-6	14
14No movement	Swansea	12	-4	13
15No movement	Norwich	12	-7	12
16No movement	Chelsea	12	-7	11
17No movement	Newcastle	12	-9	10
18No movement	Bournemouth	12	-13	8
19No movement	Sunderland	12	-13	6
20No movement	Aston Villa	12	-10	5

I'll start here with my awards for so far this season and my predictions for the end of the season.

Over achievers 

This is a close-run thing but I think that by virtue of having four more points, I'll give this to Leicester City over West Ham United. Mahrez and Vardy in particular have been great going forward but the thing that has put Leicester in their lofty position is their spirit. They just don't know when they are beaten.

Under achievers

This isn't a close-run thing at all. To go from comfortable champions to 16th place is terrible. It's never happened before. I put the blame squarely at the manager's feet. He has undermined the staff, upset the players, blamed everyone except for himself and disrupted a team that looked so unified last season.

Player of the (part) season

The exploits of Jamie Vardy have been remarkable but the stand-out player in the matches I've watched has been Dimitri Payet. His skill, running and vision have been a delight to watch and have transformed West Ham from average to very good.

Relegation candidates

I said at the start of the season that I thought Sunderland, Newcastle and Aston Villa would be relegated. I stand by two of these but I think that Newcastle United have shown enough progress under Steve McClaren to survive. Bournemouth have has a rotten run of injuries and I think that losing Callum Wilson is a blow they can't recover from.

Champions (and Champuons League)

I think that there many be a new face in next season's Champions League as I think Spurs can make the top four this year. In my opinion they will be joined by the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal. I think that Chelsea have left themselves too much to do, even at this relatively early stage. My tip for champions is Manchester City again, but I think that Arsenal and Manchester United will run them close and make it a fight right up until the last couple of fixtures. Sergio Aguero remaining fit will be the deciding factor as neither of the other clubs have a goalscorer that can compete with him.

Let's see how things go!