Talking Tactics Column: Where Liverpool vs. Manchester United Could be Won and Lost |
One of the Premier League’s biggest games of any season takes place this weekend as Manchester United visit Liverpool at Anfield; a headline game with many sub-plots of its own.
The pre-game and build-up is no doubt certain to revolve around the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra handshake—if the Frenchman, desperately out of form, even gets picked to play—as well as the hope that both sets of supporters show at least a level of respect to each other in avoiding possible confrontational chanting, especially regarding Hillsborough. Nemanja Vidic and Steven Gerrard are set to release 96 balloons before kick off in honour of those who died in the stadium disaster, and the hope must be that this sends the signal to supporters to act in a proper way for the duration of the game and beyond. On-pitch, the tussle should be as fierce and titanic as ever; Liverpool as the home side will be expected to try and dominate the match as they seek to gain their first Premier League win under Brendan Rodgers—but there are few teams more effective at the counter-attack in Europe than Manchester United. Liverpool will, with Joe Allen again as the base of their operations, look to control possession of the game as much as possible. United’s midfield and front line will be hard working but, for the first part of the game at least, may not press too highly up the field, instead preferring to stop the home team playing in the United half of the pitch.  A big part of Liverpool’s ability to break teams down by continually recycling the ball the width of the field comes from the full-backs’ ability to push high up the field; with Jose Enrique enduring his worst spell of form since signing for the club over a year ago it is likely that Glen Johnson (left) and Martin Kelly (right) will continue in the starting XI for Brendan Rodgers’ team.Those two players will have a big responsibility to open up play, thrust forward at pace with and without the ball, and look to link up quickly with the wide forwards, creating short crossing opportunities from the channels on either side of the pitch. In that strength for Liverpool though comes vulnerability; though Kelly and Johnson are both technically good enough to perform that attacking role, they naturally therefore leave a lot of space behind themselves for opponents to attack on the break. Eventually Rodgers’ plan is for, after a turnover of possession, the Reds to press aggressively enough to either win the ball back or force the opposition to go backwards before they go forwards, giving the Liverpool defence enough time to get set in positions again. At present they haven’t quite gotten that far down the line, tactically speaking, with how the manager wants them to function—and thus, United will have a big opportunity to get their notoriously pacey wide midfielders into those areas behind Liverpool’s full-backs. United’s other big strength comes in the clinical ability of new signing Robin van Persie. If Ferguson decides it best to sit back for large stretches of the game, waiting to pick off the spaces that Liverpool leave, van Persie will spend many minutes chasing the deep passing of Liverpool and see few chances to score—but when he does get those few chances, the Dutchman is absolutely good enough to be a big threat. Liverpool’s main goal threat will come from the movement and running off the ball from deeper central players; Luis Suarez dropping off into the area in front of the Manchester United centre backs and one of either Steven Gerrard or Jonjo Shelvey making breaks from midfield. The Reds’ finishing has been a point of notable disappointment again this season so far, converting just 5% of their chances created until now—going by that statistic, they will need to fashion 20 shots against United just to register a single time on the scoresheet. Even so, in Suarez, Sterling and Borini they have very good movement and excellent technical ability in the final third, something which may cause the less-mobile defensive partnership of Manchester United some real trouble. It should be an excellent game for the neutral and a fascinating duel tactically; which team deals better with the spaces and uses the ball well in wide areas could certainly be pivotal to the outcome of the match. Key comparisons: Chance conversion rate: Luis Suarez (11%) vs Robin van Persie (33%) Minutes per goal: Luis Suarez (180) vs Robin van Persie (55) Open play pass completion: Joe Allen (93%) vs Michael Carrick (91%) Successful dribbles per game: Raheem Sterling (2.67) vs Antonio Valencia (0.67) Minutes per tackle: Daniel Agger (60) vs Nemanja Vidic (116) Goals conceded per game: Liverpool (2) vs Manchester United (1.25) Total pass completion: Liverpool (2139) vs Manchester United (2271) Crossing accuracy: Liverpool (20%) vs Manchester United (18%) Minutes per chance created: Liverpool (7.41) vs Manchester United (7.35) Minutes per goal: Liverpool (126) vs Manchester United (38) Liverpool News Manchester United News Follow @karlmatchett statistics from EPLindex.com |
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Posted: 22 Sep 2012 06:14 AM PDT
SWOL takes a quick look at how some of Chelsea’s fans and biggest influencers across the world are preparing for today’s big English Premier League clash against Stoke City at Stamford Bridge in London.
Chelsea News |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 09:30 PM PDT
 PREVIEWEverton heads to the Liberty Stadium licking its wounds after a devastating Monday night draw with Newcastle. The match, which Everton dominated (18/11 SOG; 58%/42% possession), ended 2-2 after referee Michael Jones and his crew failed to award Victor Anichebe for a header that crossed the goal-line before wrongfully calling Marouane Fellaini’s goal offsides. The draw followed Everton’s lackluster 2-0 loss to West Brom in Week 3 after starting the season in blistering form with wins against Manchester United (1-0) and Aston Villa (3-1). Adding insult to injury (or rather, injury to injury), striker Nikica Jelavic is not likely make the trip to Wales after bruising his knee against the Magpies. Darron Gibson is also on the injury table and is likely out of commission until October 21st with a thigh problem. Expect the hard-working Anichebe to slide in for Jelavic while Phil Neville will continue to occupy Gibson’s role in the middle of the park. Speaking of starting the season in blistering form, Swansea were the toast of the Prem after blanking QPR 5-0 and shelling West Ham 3-0. Like Everton, the Swans have hit a bit of a roadblock in the last two weeks, drawing 2-2 with Sunderland and falling to Aston Villa last week, 2-0. The Swans’ troubles began against Sunderland when Spanish center-back Chico was sent-off and given a three match ban and cheeky left-back, Neil Taylor, fractured bones in his ankle. Against Aston Villa Kyle Bartley and Gary Monk were also shelved, leaving the left side of Michael Laudrup’s defense exposed to the Villain attack. This week, expect Ben Davies and Alan Tate to again spell Taylor and Chico, while Laudrup may look to introduce former Celtic Ki Sung-Yueng as either a holding or attacking center-mid. Might we see a little Ki-Sung-Yueng-to-Michu-hookup? That’d be ill. When Everton and Swansea met last year it was the Toffees who snatched a 1-0 victory on Merseyside (Leon Osmon 60′) before heading to the Liberty in the spring and dominating the Swans 2-0 (Leighton Baines 59′, Jelavic 76′). MATCH ODDS Swansea Money Line (Must Win In 90 Mins): +190 Swansea Pick Line (Win = Win; Draw = Push): +115 Everton Money Line (Must Win In 90 Mins): +145 Everton Pick Line (Win = Win; Draw = Push): -150 Draw: +230 Over/Under 2.5 Goals: EVEN/-130 First Goalscorer: Danny Graham 7/1, Luke Moore 9/1, Nathan Dyer 11/1; Kevin Mirallas 13/2, Marouane Fellaini 7/1, Steven Pienaar 12/1 PREDICTION Now, if you’ve decided to read this far, you can only be thinking one thing - ‘Wow, that was the most absurdly biased preview I’ve ever read.’ And I agree. I’m a massive Everton supporter, definitely biased. But I’m also honest and I know my squad. When we’re poor, I’m the first to admit it. When we’re decent, I say we’re decent. And when we consistently start to look dangerous, I start to nudge people and pop a little bit of smack and say things like - ‘You see Everton today? Dude, we’re looking consistently dangerous.’ It’s fair to say that these days, I’m a bit cocky about my club. While I am admittedly nervous about Jelavic potentially not playing, this kid Mirallas is easily the hungriest player I’ve seen since Cristiano Ronaldo came to Manchester United. That’s right, I said it. If you disagree, you can feel free to wake up at 7:30am EST Saturday morning and watch it live with me (@thesecondball). Study Mirallas for 15 minutes and then honestly tell me he isn’t going to score BAGS of goals for Everton. (Against Swansea, I’ve got him scoring the first goal and bagging a brace.) And it’s not just Mirallas. Fellaini, Baines, Howard and Pienaar – all of them - are looking very comfortable on the ball and some appear to be peaking as players. As if I needed to continue this article any longer, let me switch sides here and say something cliche: Despite being an Everton supporter, I, like other soulful football people, really enjoy watching Swansea play. I know, shocker. So let’s just go ahead and add Swansea to the hipster football club list, joining other Bushwick-loved clubs like Napoli, Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao (shout out to Mark Booth (@markbooth85)). But I have managed to watch a good deal of Swansea and have written more than a few articles devoted to their ridiculousness. They’re awesome to watch. The problem is that this weekend they’ve got a hole the size of Mars on one half of the defense. And that’s exactly where I see Mirallas setting up shop. The final reason I’m so big on Everton this week comes from the fact that when we won 2-0 at the Liberty last spring, that match kicked off our nine game unbeaten streak to close out the league. Nothing like feeling comfortable when playing away from home. The Evertonian vibration is POSITIVE! Final Score: Everton 3, Swansea 1. |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 09:05 PM PDT
Three time FIFA World Footballer of the year, Ronaldo is going to appear on Medid Certa, a Brazilian version of Celebrity Fit Club.
After retiring last year, the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan player is ready to get back into shape. Marcio Atalla is the guy training and helping Ronaldo get fit and ripped again. He knows that Ronaldo will be a great inspiration to many who were fans of the famous footballer. Many may wonder how a footballer can fall out of shape; Marcio Atalla explains that: You may have had a physically active job but if you stop and adopt a new lifestyle then your body will feel it and react to it. The exercises that keep you in shape need to be part of your routine forever.The show hopes that Ronaldo will inspire more people to stay active. Even those who are already physically fit need to maintain some sort of exercise regimen throughout life, Ronaldo is a prime example. And how does Ronaldo feel about being on the show and facing his struggle in the public eye? He feels that the extra pressure of a television show will keep him motivated. He recently told iG Gente: I'm enjoying participating in the program, because it is an incentive for me to lose weight… Maybe if I didn’t have the pressure of everybody watching me trying to lose weight then I wouldn’t be able to do it… All I can say is that I will work hard, be persistent and not give up until I reach my recommended weight…I want people to be inspired by me.Ronaldo has begun filming the program already and will continue his weight loss journey for three months. The first episode airs this weekend in Brazil. It is a change to see that even famous footballers struggle with real-world problems. Hopefully Ronaldo continues to work hard and meet all his goals, while inspiring his fans to maintain a healthy lifestyle. |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 08:15 PM PDT
This Saturday, PSG will travel to take on Bastia in the sixth round of fixtures in the 2012-13 Ligue 1 campaign. PSG enter the game in 4th place after a run of form that saw them win their past two games after surprisingly drawing their first three. Bastia are in 13th place as their early season success has recently faltered and the club has lost its last three consecutive matches. Bastia will be looking to bounce back against Les Parisiens however, given the quality of PSG and Bastia’s poor run of form, this game has the makings of the latter losing their fourth consecutive match.
Expect the home side Bastia to line up in a highly attacking 4-2-1-3. The newly promoted side will field Magno Novaes in goal and have a back-line featuring Gael Angoula at right back, Sylvain Marchal and Maka Mary as the center backs, and Fethi Harek as the left back. The two more withdrawn midfielders are Yannick Cahuzac and last year’s Serie B Player of the Year Jerome Rothen. The attacking midfield spot will be occupied by Julian Palmieri, who will play slightly behind the attacking trio of Florian Thauvin, Toifilou Maoulida, and Anthony Modeste. The most recognizable name on Bastia’s team sheet is Jerome Rothen who has fashioned a great career for himself but has seen his best days pass him by. Unlike their opponents, PSG is able to field seasoned internationals all over the pitch and start out with Ligue 1′s preeminent goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. Captain Christophe Jallet will be marshaling the right flank while the other defensive spots will be occupied by three Brazilians- Alex and Thiago Silva as the central defensive pairing and Maxwell as the left back. Their midfield will consist of the man dubbed as the “next Andrea Pirlo” Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi, and Clement Chantome. Slightly in front of the aforementioned midfielders will be last year’s Ligue 1 joint top scorer Nene, after Javier Pastore and Ezequiel Lavezzi are listed as doubtful because of injuries. The strike duo will consist of Jeremy Menez and superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Expect Menez to play slightly behind Ibrahimovic, alongside Nene, where they both will be tasked with getting the Swedish dynamo into goalscoring opportunities. Even with a depleted roster, I fully expect PSG to beat the newly promoted side handily. On paper, the Paris side is the class of the league and it will be very difficult for Bastia to overcome such a disadvantage when it’s compounded with their poor run of form. One should see plenty of chances created by PSG and it’s fair to say that they will convert a fair number of them as I predict a final scoreline of 4-0 to the visitors. Bastia will likely have to look for fixtures not involving Ligue 1′s best on-paper team in order to come away with points that they will need ifthey are to ensure their survival in France’s top flight. |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 08:05 PM PDT
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
A visit to the training ground by Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, has had the rumor mill running at full steam, with many saying that Di Matteo could be near his end at the helm for the Blues. In response, the Italian boss insists that it was nothing and that this was no more than a routine visit from the Russian. Either way, a win for the London-based side couldn’t hurt his odds. In recent fixtures, it has been a mixed bag of results between the two sides, with a hard-fought draw at the Britannica last year for the curtain raiser. However, Chelsea answered at home with Didier Drogba sealing a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture. The Blues have history on their side at home though, having only lost one of their last 11 results in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge. The Blue-side of London is looking to recover from their mid-week Champions League match, which resulted in a 2-2 draw. But, what a 2-2 draw it was, with their new Brazilian star, Oscar, scoring two absolute screamers in two minutes for his debut in front of the Chelsea faithful. All was not rosy for the Brazilian though, as we went off with an ankle injury in the 75th minute, after being stepped on after a tackle. It will be touch-and-go approaching the fixture for Oscar, but, if he is fit for the match, it could be a huge boost for Chelsea. Daniel Sturridge will most likely miss the match, however, after being ruled out of the squad from their mid-week match against Juventus. Chelsea will also be looking to overcome a nervy 0-0 draw with QPR from last weekend, a match overshadowed by controversy and conflict from their previous meeting, last season. They will be looking to Fernando Torres to continue his slight revival in form to lead the attack, with a potential Hazard-Mata duo behind the Spaniard to control the tempo and the attacking push. Chelsea fans will be hoping that Ivanovic can continue his blistering form for the Blues and continue his dual-threat capabilities, both scoring and keeping the leaky back-line shored up from counterattacks. Stoke City have started the season with 4 draws in a row. There is something astounding about a team that is so physically intimidating not being able to muster up a win. Let’s be fair though, two of those draws came against Arsenal and title-defenders, Manchester City. That’s not exactly an easy schedule, especially with Chelsea on the near horizon, so a point from any of those matches has to be much appreciated from the Potters’ followers. Stoke will be without defender Andy Wilkinson, due to a sending off against Manchester City, so expect him to be replaced by Ryan Shotton. Mamady Sidibe and Jamie Ness are both strongly in doubt for the game, as they both are recovering from groin injuries. The Blues will be looking to recount from their slip-ups at QPR and losing their two-goal lead over Juventus, so look for them to come out of the gates, storming. Chelsea News |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 12:48 PM PDT
The match between Bayern Munich and FC Schalke 04 highlights this week’s Bundesliga fixtures. The two traditional powers meet this Saturday at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, a venue where Schalke can defeat almost anyone, where England lost to Portugal in penalties in the quarterfinals of Germany 2006 and where the industrious Ruhr Valley crowd doesn’t care much for Robben, Ribery, and their former goalkeeper Neuer.
Bayern have followed a trophyless campaign by raiding Europe’s, and particularly the Bundesliga’s, second tier clubs for talent with a mind toward shoring up concerns over functional depth. The Bavarians are making a habit of following a disappointing season full of near-misses with a massive summer spending spree and an absolutely dominant League and Cup double. Then the cycle begins anew: Bayern finish second to one of Dortmund, Stuttgart or Bremen (curiously never Schalke), Uli Hoeness and company rake the team over the coals publicly, buy top talent from other Bundesliga teams who can't afford to get into a bidding war with Bayern and then demolish all German opposition the next season. The 2012/2013 campaign is of the redemption variety, and judging by their early performances Bayern are out for blood. The Bavarians have won their first three Bundesliga fixtures, including a 6-1 thrashing of a decent Stuttgart side, and looked comfortable in their opening game of the Champions League, a 2-1 victory over a defensive Valencia side. New signings Mandzukic, Dante, Shaqiri and Martinez have been impressive and although the squad doesn’t stack up with that of Manchester City and Real Madrid, depth shouldn’t be nearly the concern it has been recently. Bayern head to coal country (Gelsenkirchen is the Pittsburgh of Germany) looking for three points, and if they show up, I’d expect them to leave with all three. Fortunately for Schalke, they’ve strengthened, as well. The Royal Blues have managed to hold onto their core group of players amid interest from bigger clubs, and have added some exciting attacking talent. Ibrahim Afellay joined from Barcelona just before the window closed, and the Netherlands international gives Huub Stevens a world-class option on the wing. Midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta, a Swiss international who’s been quietly plying his trade at Leverkusen for nearly a decade, joined in June on a Bosman. Those two, along with 2011 Bundesliga top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, pacey Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan. Twice-capped German international Julian Draxler and box-to-box center midfielder Lewis Holtby give Schalke one of the top duos in Germany. German-American Jermaine Jones is a solid midfielder, and Papadapoulos and Fuchs are stable defenders, although Fuchs has a tendency to spend much of his time in the attacking third. Stevens must be pleased with his team's start to the season, having taken seven of nine points from their first three Bundesliga fixtures, and his men should be feeling confident following a 2-1 win at Olympiakos in the Champions League. Schalke has the horses to bother Bayern's defense, but a shootout is the last thing they should be looking for, and I expect them to start conservatively and try to snag a goal for a 1-0 win. I predict Bayern to win, but not definitively. An early goal from Schalke wouldn't surprise me, but Bayern should have the ball most of the night and it's extremely difficult to keep them off the scoresheet for 90 minutes. I'm a big believer in Schalke at home, where they enjoy a very tangible home-field advantage, but the Reds are all healthy and still angry. Prediction: Bayern 3-1, Robben scoring a brace. |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Sometimes referred to as the North West derby, long standing Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs once called the match, "probably the most famous fixture in English football." This year the rivalry takes on more interesting storylines than it perhaps has held onto in the past. The controversy between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra from last season is still at large in the minds of many that will be involved. After the refusal of a handshake in last season's match at Old Trafford, things are hoped to have calmed down in time for this season's opening battle. However, one thing that is thought to be more important than the match itself is the significance of what has happened this week for the history of both the English game and the Liverpool fans. 
Names and ages of some of the victims are inscribed on the Hillsborough memorial at Anfield Stadium (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Since then the focus of a match that was expected to see at least an end to controversy between the players of the club is now thought to be an embodiment of what the game is all about. 
The scoreboard pays tribute to the Hillsbrough 96 before the Premier League match between Everton and Newcastle United (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic in 2007 (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson showed his respect for the club with a statement surrounding the events of the coming weekend as he confirmed that his club would do everything they could to assist in the memorial: It is a chance for everybody to show their respects. As a club, we are totally supportive of Liverpool in this situation.Following the memorial the match to come has a host of additional meaning. Liverpool is without a win in their opening four games of the EPL season for the first time 101 years. Meanwhile Manchester United is in second place with nine points from three wins and a loss. 
Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Manchester United has not won a match at Anfield since 2007 and has equally seen a rough go of results at home against the Merseysiders as well in the past five years. Rodgers has a huge weight on his shoulders, but Ferguson backs him to be successful in time according to comments to ESPN: He is a young manager, and any young manager needs time.Despite the pleasantries going back and forth, there is no mistake that this is a tense rivalry, and the fans from both sides are sure to make it such as always. However, there is warning over offensive fans for the match as those that get out of line during the memorial or the match in general are risking an Anfield ban for life if Anti-racism campaigner Lord Herman Ousely gets his wish. Whatever the case, the game is going to be decided by a group of 22 players come Sunday afternoon. Liverpool will hope that their thrilling youngster propelled victory in the UEFA Europa League Thursday will see a boost of confidence throughout the entire club and not just the youngsters. Manchester United are also hoping to have Wayne Rooney back early despite the injury to his leg, and things continue to shape up as potentially the most explosive match between the two in several seasons. Liverpool has to win as defeat is not an option for the Merseysiders this weekend. After a strong performance against Manchester City in their last game against the top clubs, it is time for everything to finally come together for Brendan Rodgers, and it would be not a moment too soon. Liverpool News Manchester United News |
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