Stuck in Second Gear???

I'll be honest,it was a total disaster at Stamford Bridge on Sunday!! First home defeat since March,3 goals conceded after not conceding a single one for 9 games at home,and it could've been much worse! What does this do to Chelsea's title challenge?? Huge damage,if you ask me...

When the season began,with the 6-0 thumping of Wigan and West Brom (For all those Man Utd fans dancing with delight,same WestBrom that came to OldTrafford and drew 2-2!!) ,it all looked so good,there didn't seem to be anyone even close to challenging the Champions,another title just seemed a formality,and so even when they were not so dazzling versus Man City and Villa,people always said they still had the upper gears in reserve,to up the ante against the big guns.But apart from versus Arsenal,that doesn't seem to be happening,does it??

Points dropped against Villa and City were ok,but the defeats versus Liverpool and Sunderland were bad,for they were so convincing,even die hard Chelsea fans couldn't say they didn't deserve to lose!! They were plain mediocre ,it never looked like they were coming back,and thoroughly deserved the defeats.

Having said that,picture is not so dark as it's made out to be,ManUtd are still struggling (They were plain lucky to win vs Wolves,and even though draw at Villa Park was good,don't forget they have won only once on the road this season!) ,City don't look good enough,Arsenal can be threatening,but don't forget Chelsea had Lmapard, Terry, Alex and Essien missing on Sunday,yes that can't be an excuse against someone like Sunderland,but you won't say they wouldn't make a difference once they're back!!!

We're heading for an exciting Winter now,with many big games coming up,it starts this weekend itself with the London Derby of the Gunners and the Spurs,so I really hope the Reigning Champions finally switch to the Higher gears!!!

"You-know Who" of Liverpool

Five-time European Champions,18-time English Champions,and yet again finding themselves embarrassingly 0-1 down versus not AC Milan or Juve,but Napoli...rest all, as they say,is History! Steven Gerrard,the charismatic captain,coming off the bench,to score a stunning hattrick,to save Liverpool yet again.How many times more,are we going to say that???

For the last few days,we have been singing about the greatness of Gareth Bale,comparing him already to Ryan Giggs,just after 2 classy performances,against the Defending European champions (But,please don't forget, champions who committed tactical suicide by replacing Jose Mourinho,with "Great" Rafa Benitez!!!)

2 more performances like that,and people may start to say he's better than Messi,possible! Yes,it's great to watch him tear apart World's best fullback to pieces,but let's not forget we have got a man who carries his team on his back week in-week out,He's called Steven Gerrard!

Many friends of mine will be surprised to read this,as they know how die hard Chelsea fan I am,but yes,after watching his heroics yet again in midweek,it's difficult not to praise that guy.Yes,it was only against Napoli,but in the current plight of his team,even that was a mammoth task!

Liverpool have been shambolic this season,no two ways about that,there is no desire to win,even Fernando Torres looks a lost man,but Gerrard is the only reason the Kops still have faith,he has always been there when they have needed him,just as he was on Thursday.Remember,when Liverpool needed a winner versus Olympiakos in stoppage time to avoid humiliation,it was HIM.When they needed a hero in Istanbul for the second half,or in the FA Cup final vs West Ham,he rose to the occasion,I still haven't forgotten his thunderbolt in the 91st min in that final!!

Yes,of course he has flaws,the drunken fight in a bar,and even diving at the smallest touch of a defender for a freekick,but he's only human,and he's one of the few who come closest to be Role models for young footballers.

Gerrard would have been a World-Champion,had he gone to Chelsea or Real Madrid,he even had the opportunities,no one would blame him for being ambitious ,but he chose not to.He chose to stay at the Club,he had dreamed of since his birth,even today,in the mediocrity surrounding Liverpool,still he shines like a beacon.And thats why,although I really hope he flops against Chelsea on Sunday, He is a real Hero in this world of "Ambitious" Rooneys and Ronaldos!!!

City fired by "Gunners"...

World's richest Club,one of the Strongest physical teams in the League,the only team to have beaten the Champions Chelsea this season,Manchester City suddenly crashed down to earth on Sunday,Arsenal thumping them 3-0 in their own backyard! Title contenders???

Sure,going down to 10 men in 5 th minute doesn't help,but it was City's own fault! It's always tough to beat Arsenal at their passing game,but City were supposed to be tailor made for that.Arsenal have always struggled against physically imposing teams,and City have been ruthless in their tackling this season( Newcastle's Ben Arfa can surely testify!) But,in the manner they were taken apart by Arsenal,it wasn't a title-challenging team,some of the members just looked resigned to the defeat,in front of their own fans! Even in bad times,can you imagine Manchester Utd or Chelsea doing that??? Never.

That's a big problem for City,they have bought good players with the money,very good players.,but not the Champions!! Players like Milner and Silva,they can be mesmerizing at times,but they aren't used to winning trophies!

Besides, City are almost designed to defend the leads,with 3 men defensive midfield (an interesting fact in Sunday's game was City conceded 3 despite that 3 man defensive shield,while Arsenal's only specialist in that role,Alex Song got a goal in the game!!!) When fallen behind,they don't look that threatening,and title challengers can't do that!

Speaking of title challengers,Chelsea broke another of their own record on Saturday.They have now gone 8 full games at Home without conceding a single goal!! Last man to score at Stamford Bridge was Aston Villa's John Carew,way back in April.Do you remember Chelsea's response to that goal??

Chelsea went on to win 7-1!!!

A Tale of two Manchesters...

As the seventh weekend of the Premier League passed,with Manchester City leapfrogging past their city neighbours ManUtd in the League table,there is a buzz that City are now the main threat to Chelsea's title,and a shaking Man United will struggle to mount a serious challenge for the championship.I beg to differ.

Yes,City are 2nd in the standings,ahead of united,having already played Chelsea and Liverpool,and its clear that their bench-strength is way better than United's.But anyone who saw their edgy win over Newcastle will know they were far fro convincing.Newcastle haven't got the best away record and they sill almost escaped with a draw.But the worst part for me was Nigel De Jong! a completely reckless tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa,that broke his leg in 2 places,and yet the "kind" referee didn't even give a foul!!! For anyone who understands football one bit,that was a straight Red Card for De Jong.That tackle deprived Newcastle of their most talented player for the entire season.Now,is there anyone still convinced that had there been the dismissal of De Jong in 4th minute,would ManCity,forget the win,would they even have managed to avoid the defeat,playing with 10 men for the entire game??? I certainly don't think so.

In a way,the attitude of De Jong almost represents the attitude of ManCity...they just want to leave their mark on your face.Its unbelievable that De Jong has escaped a lengthy ban after so many horror tackles.Does anyone remember the Kungfu kick in the Chest of Xabi Alonso in World Cup Final???Just watch this horrific tackle on Ben Arfa that broke his leg:

After wins over Chelsea and Liverpool,De Jong was hailed as the best City player.That shows where City really are compared to United....De Jong is not a great Defensive Midfielder,not even a decent one,Claude Makelele never broke people's legs ,not at Real Madrid,nor at Chelsea.We recognise him as the Best Defensive Midfielder of this era.Same for Owen Hargreaves,or Yaya Toure....That's why people love to hate ManCity!!! City might fool themselves that people are just jealous of their newfound wealth,but its not true....You know what,I would love to see United thrashing City in a title-deciding match,even if it means handing out the title to Red Devils,simply because there is no bigger humiliation for City than being tormented by their most hated neighbours!!!!

Talking of United,yes,they are having their problems.But,I have no doubt they will be fighting tooth and nail for that title in the end.Fergie has been in enough of these situations,and he knows how to get out of them.So,let the entire world think what they want to,for me,its not the battle between the Blues and the Sky Blues,but the Battle between the Blues and the Devils!!!

Blue Moon Rising???

There is already talk of Manchester City being the new force in the EPL after their win over Chelsea.All of a sudden,people say Chelsea can't now compete with City's money,ManUtd have got either too old veterans or too young Rafaels and Evans,and Arsenal aren't a threat anyways...But is it really true??? Are ManCity really good enough to challenge for title?? I don't think so.

First thing,they weren't too great in their win over the Champions.Yes,they deserved the win and all that,but when it was 0-0, they weren't really ready to go all out and win the game.For a team talking about Title dreams,you can't afford to play for a draw in home games,let anybody be the opponent.And while they have now beaten Liverpool and Chelsea already,they have also lost to Sunderland and drawn at home to Blackburn.That's City's problem,they can beat the big boys,but what about the minnows??? For 3 consecutive years,Man Utd won the title,by not destroying Chelseas and Arsenals,but by being efficient versus the lesser opponents.Even Last year,although Chelsea beat Manutd ,Arsenal home and away,the real reason for title,was their responses to defeats by City and Tottenham.They just went on long unbeaten runs,that really put the title away from other contenders.

Man City have now got Newcastle and Blackpool to play next,and a lot will depend on whether they can take 6 points from these 2,otherwise the "Blue Moon Rising" might turn out to be a daydream!!!

10 Best Deals in Summer Transfers-2010

The Transfer Window closed a couple of days ago,with there being a late dramatic transfer happening as usual.Its amazing how clubs drag the deals till the last few minutes,when they have the entire summer to make their moves.The transfer budgets decreased significantly this year,Man City being the clear exception.A staggering 130 million pounds were spent on a squad that had been assembled by just that much money in last 2 years only.Although it doesn't mean they got the best deals though,there were some amazing free agents to grab as well,with loan deals also being the latest trend in the market.Here are the the 10 best deals I thought happened in this summer.

10. Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux to Arsenal) (Free) :

Just what Arsenal have been lacking for last few years,an outright goal-poacher.Chamakh may not be as skilled as Torres and Drogba,but he provides the cutting-edge Arsenal so sourly lack.And a huge plus is he comes for Free.Quality strikers don't come cheap.Just ask Liverpool,they have been trying to get one to support Torres for ages !!!

9. Yaya Toure (Barcelona to Man City) (29m Euros) :

Of all the players Man City signed,Yaya Toure may prove to be the most crucial.Man City hugely overpaid for him,but fact is they do need a big midfield enforcer.Nigel De Jong is untidy,violent at times,and Toure provides a more powerful approached,sometimes launching into threatening runs in the opponent's area,initiating many attacks.Barca may rue the move to replace him with short-tempered Mascherano.

8. Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege to Liverpool) (Free) :

One of the best signings Liverpool have made this season,and there aren't many of them.Jovanovic is an excellent attacking player,capable of playing through centre or on wings.His Physically imposing frame ,might come handy for Liverpool in Set-Pieces.

7.Rafael Van der Vaart(Real Madrid to Tottenham) (8.3m pounds) :

Rafael Van der Vaart was a player touted for greatness,when he arrived at Real.But after injuries plaguing his debut season,followed by arrivals of Kaka and Ozil,Vaart was forced to move elsewhere.Still,he's a brilliant player,with typical dutch class and style (not what they exhibited in WC final),and he may work out great for Harry Redknapp's Spurs,although he faces tough fight for a spot with Modric and Kranjcar.

6. Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla to Arsenal) (8m pounds) :

One of the better signings Arsene Wenger may have made this season.Squillaci,a seasoned defender,with plenty of experience,might add some much wanted steel to Gunner's defence.His arrival may be decisive in Arsenal's hunt for silverware this season.

5. Ramires (Benfica to Chelsea ) (18.3m pounds) :

Ramires was a virtually unknown player till this summer's World Cup.But,a highly impressive showing,and he's suddenly found himself moving to the English Champions.He will face tough fight for a starting place,with Essien and Mikel around,and may need a couple of years to establish himself.But, Carlo Ancelotti believes he's got a world-class player who may turn out to be the "Future of Chelsea and Brazil".

4.Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona to AC Milan) (24m euros) :

Ibra may have been a flop for Barca,but he knows too well how to score in Serie A.An outstanding striker,he has been one of the best forwards in Serie A,for Juve and Inter.And,with the price Milan got him at,24m euros (that's 40 millions less than what Barca paid for him less than a year ago.)he might be the man to take Milan back to the Elite standing in Europe.

3. David Villa ( Valencia to Barcelona) (40m euros) :

Whatever may be the price,Barca have managed to pull off one heck of a signing here.Villa is at least one of the best 3 forwards in the world,if not the best.I also think Villa's perfectly matching to Barca,he is one of the deadliest finishers on the planet,and with the creativity of the Messis,Xavis and Iniestas backing him up,we can expect an explosion of goals from the Spanish hitman.

2. Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea to Real Madrid) (6.6m pounds) :

If Jose Mourinho leads Real Madrid to much wanted Silverware this season,he will have to thank not Ronaldo or Ozil,but Ricardo Carvalho,such is the importance of his signing at Real.Madrid have had world's best attackers at their disposal for last few years,but they have lacked a Strong Centre-back,Cannavaro unfortunately failed to shine at Bernebau,but Carvalho is one of the best Central defenders in Europe,and if he manages to stay fit throughout the campaign,teams will find breaking Real's defence much more difficult.

1. Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen to Real Madrid ) (12m euros) :

People are already comparing him to Lionel Messi after a dazzling World Cup,and if you can get a player of that calibre for such paltry price,you just don't miss the chance.Ozil is young,stylish.skillful and if given proper opportunities,he might develop into one of the World's best players.Real have already got Ronaldo and Kaka,they might just have got their own Messi !!!

Guys,I have left some good players out of this like Javier Hernandes and Joe Cole and Yossi Benayoun.I agree they are good players,and may prove cunning signings,but I feel Hernandes will need time to develop,and Cole and Benayoun might have to wait and adapt.I know you'll surely disagree with me in some case.So,please DO express your opinions here.

At the First Hurdle...

The Premier League has begun in an enthralling fashion,with Champions Chelsea setting the bench-mark for others with 3 straight wins,while the biggest upset was Wigan's win over Tottenham.So,with 3 weeks gone,who's standing where,and who are the favourites for those elusive Champions League spots,here's a quick look :

Chelsea :

The Champions looked formidable in first 3 games,without conceding a single goal,while netting 14 themselves.There were huge doubts about Carlo Ancelotti's men after a heavy defeat from Man Utd in the Community Shield,but the Blues have quickly moved to remove them,following 6-0 demolitions of West Brom and Wigan by dismantling a hard-working Stoke.Drogba looks in ominous mood,Anelka is playing some heavenly stuff,and the Defence looks rock-solid.Warning to all the title contenders,The Champions do not plan to give away their crown without a fight !!!

Manchester Utd :

Apart from a disappointing show at Craven Cottage,United have looked at ease vs Newcastle and West Ham,winning comfortably. The main issue is Rooney not being upto the mark,while Hernandes is too young at the moment,but I think Dimitar Berbatov is looking superb at the moment.3 goals in last 4 matches,and his play has been stylish,the Devils might see the real "King Berba" this season.....

Arsenal :

Arsenal are another team looking brilliant from the start.Apart from a draw at Anfield,they have been pretty fluent.Arsene Wenger has done pretty shrwed business this year,getting Sebastien Squillaci and Konscieny to add strength to his defence.Walcott is looking great on the right,but the goalkeeping may still be an area to worry for the Gunners.

Liverpool :

There were high hopes from Roy Hodgeson's Liverpool this year,but Reds hav looked plain ordinary in 3 weeks.Unconvincing vs Arsenal,shambolic vs City,and just about winning against a weak West Brom.The new signings have been ordinary,with only the likes of Konchesky and Poulsen willing to join.Joe Cole was supposed to be a "marquee signing".But,he really made his mark on his debut with a red card,he may still be a success there,but Liverpool will hav to improve to finish respectably,and they need to do it Fast.......

Manchester City :

For all the huge money spent,City haven't been upto the mark at the start.Yes,the big win over Liverpool was great,but they were lucky not to get beaten by Spurs,and not so Lucky to get beaten at Sunderland.From Now on,each dropped point is going to increase pressure on Mancini,with a sword always hanging on his head.City have paid massively,but they haven't necessarily got best players,James Milner and Kolarov aren't the players who can guarantee you the titles.Yaya Toure is a Barcelona-flop,while a talented player like like Stephen Ireland had to leave to make space for the big names.Have we got another Richard Dunne in the making???