What we have learned in the season so far....
Just over four months since the inception of the European leagues we have managed to understand a few things:
Messi's brief moment in the lights was after the Argentine captain saw his hat trick against Sevilla take him to the top of the all-time top goal scorer as he overtook Telmo Zarra. The feat was one of few highlights as the headlines have belonged to Leo Messi's rival and current La liga top goal-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Out of curiosity, I went to look up how far off he is from Messi. Call it what you will but Ronaldo is a better la liga star as the Madrid man is 56 goals behind his adversary despite having played 113 less games. A superior strike rate of 1.12 compared to 0.9. Call it what you will but Ronaldo is a more lethal finisher in Spain than the league's own goal scoring king! Hail the Argentine who has set broken the Spanish leagues' record and sets his sight on the European record held by a Spanish legend! Be warned the Portuguese has peaked, as the the Messi GPS has been wandering.
Chelsea have been special, Jose Mourinho has rubbed off on his team as they continue their unbeaten start to not just the Premier league season but to their entire season. "Bus?" The blues are combining all forms of transport as you know them. Parking a bus when there is need to but also having the stylish Ferrari when needed. Cesc Fabregas has been the key to the stylish, panache, mercurial football that the side has shown. The Spaniard has been the key while combining with compatriot Diego Costa and Belgian Costa. The real star of Jose's army is none of the above stated stars, not even Oscar who has been a shining light but the giant of a man in the defensive midfield role who has quietly gone about his business anchoring and watching what tries to derail their crusade. It is inevitable the Blues will lose, but the question is; what will this group of players achieve?
The Bundesliga is a lovely league and has recently been dominated by two forces, Bayern Munich and Dortmund. The men in blue and yellow have struggled lately as they find themselves in the unknown, sitting two places above the relegation zone. This leaves only one real competitor for the title in Bayern Munich who continue to blossom. It seems the title is wrapped up there. Only one man can halt that challenge, some call him Lord Bendtner others Nicklas Bendtner. The Dane's international pedigree is impressive but can Wolfsburg finally get the best of the striker? Kevin has been the star of the show, and fans would hope that he would finally come of age, consistently producing the goals. I call it the Bendtner effect. Without playing well at all, we have seen him scoop the Serie A title, FA Cup and who know maybe the myth is true... A Bundesliga league title!
Arsene Wenger's legacy of an unbeaten season will long live in the memory of not just Gunners' fans but that of football fans, a feat rarely ever seen. The manager however has not lived up to those expectations in a football sense. Arsenal have moved to a new stadium, nurtured some talented youngsters but have failed on the pitch. Settling for fourth every season, even a nine years barren trophy run which ended last year. The French man may have overstayed his tenure as that magical touch he once possessed has left. Its time Mr. Wenger found another challenge before arsenal slip into a new low. Losing to the weakest Manchester United in this era and then glowing about dominance in defeat show a massive drop in standards. Would a Jose Mourinho or a Pep Guardiola revel in such circumstances? The Spaniard was clearly not happy after a 4-0 Hoffenheim win. Wenger's time is up.
Credit to Southampton who have been fantastic. They face a tricky four, five weeks as they face Manchester United, City and Arsenal among the elite sides. This will test their mantle. The acid test, will they manage to come through it? David Moyes is n the road to redemption as he opened his la liga account with a 0-0 draw away at Deportivo la Coruna. This is a pivotal job for the former United manager as it will either redeem him or further alienate his coaching prowess from the world, who have seen him fail at Old Trafford. Luis Suarez has now settled in at Barca but the Premier League is glowing with the quality of two South American born forwards Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa. Who will grab the golden boot? Could Alexis Sanchez sneak in and claim it? A lot is left to be desired in what will be another great football season!
Article contributed by: Benedict Chanakira
Twitter: @bchanakira2
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| UEFA Champions League Trophy [Image from Flickr by: Daniel] |
Messi's brief moment in the lights was after the Argentine captain saw his hat trick against Sevilla take him to the top of the all-time top goal scorer as he overtook Telmo Zarra. The feat was one of few highlights as the headlines have belonged to Leo Messi's rival and current La liga top goal-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Out of curiosity, I went to look up how far off he is from Messi. Call it what you will but Ronaldo is a better la liga star as the Madrid man is 56 goals behind his adversary despite having played 113 less games. A superior strike rate of 1.12 compared to 0.9. Call it what you will but Ronaldo is a more lethal finisher in Spain than the league's own goal scoring king! Hail the Argentine who has set broken the Spanish leagues' record and sets his sight on the European record held by a Spanish legend! Be warned the Portuguese has peaked, as the the Messi GPS has been wandering.
 |
| Jose Mourinho [Image from Flickr by: Ronnie Macdonald] |
The Bundesliga is a lovely league and has recently been dominated by two forces, Bayern Munich and Dortmund. The men in blue and yellow have struggled lately as they find themselves in the unknown, sitting two places above the relegation zone. This leaves only one real competitor for the title in Bayern Munich who continue to blossom. It seems the title is wrapped up there. Only one man can halt that challenge, some call him Lord Bendtner others Nicklas Bendtner. The Dane's international pedigree is impressive but can Wolfsburg finally get the best of the striker? Kevin has been the star of the show, and fans would hope that he would finally come of age, consistently producing the goals. I call it the Bendtner effect. Without playing well at all, we have seen him scoop the Serie A title, FA Cup and who know maybe the myth is true... A Bundesliga league title!
Arsene Wenger's legacy of an unbeaten season will long live in the memory of not just Gunners' fans but that of football fans, a feat rarely ever seen. The manager however has not lived up to those expectations in a football sense. Arsenal have moved to a new stadium, nurtured some talented youngsters but have failed on the pitch. Settling for fourth every season, even a nine years barren trophy run which ended last year. The French man may have overstayed his tenure as that magical touch he once possessed has left. Its time Mr. Wenger found another challenge before arsenal slip into a new low. Losing to the weakest Manchester United in this era and then glowing about dominance in defeat show a massive drop in standards. Would a Jose Mourinho or a Pep Guardiola revel in such circumstances? The Spaniard was clearly not happy after a 4-0 Hoffenheim win. Wenger's time is up.
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| Southampton FC [Image from Flickr by: Ronnie Macdonald] |
Article contributed by: Benedict Chanakira
Twitter: @bchanakira2
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