Football News: 10 Things I Learnt From The Weekend's Football

Image from: trophy.co.uk

This weekend I learnt a few things in the world of football:

1. Aston Villa need a miracle.
They have brought in a much better manager, but they still have too many hopeless players, from Kieran Richardson to Joleon Lescott, their players simply are not good enough. They can cling to the fact that there are a number of other teams in the Premier League that are also not good enough, but that is all that can save them from the drop.

2. Rafa Benitez is just a fall guy.
Real Madrid are struggling under Benitez, partly because of him, but mostly because of the reason he was brought in. To take the flak away from Florentino Perez and turn the fans on the players so a clear out becomes possible. Perez found it difficult to make the signing he really wanted to make, David de Gea, in the summer, due to fans' pressure, this summer will be different now.

3. Klopp really deserves his reputation.
It is not just the result, it is the way Liverpool are playing that shows the difference between Jurgen Klopp and his predecessor. No longer do the Reds look bereft of confidence and lacking in ideas, now they look full of desire and will to win.

4. Barcelona no longer really need Messi.
Yes he is still probably the best player in the world by a margin, but Barca are the best team in the world with or without Lionel Messi. Right now, the final trio on the world player of the year shortlist should be Barcelona players. Messi, Neymar Jr, Luis Suarez.

5. Yaya Toure needs a kick up the backside.
At one time he was being proclaimed as the best midfielder in the world, since then Yaya has looked like a bored teenager forced to be there each week. He just really can not be bothered to make an effort any more. Yaya was totally lost against Liverpool, not because of a lack of quality but a complete lack of effort from him.

6. Arsenal are still a couple of players short.
It is the same story every season, Arsenal start off looking great, playing great football, then injuries hit and they drop out of the title race. This season, despite Petr Cech filling the main gap in the team, Arsene Wenger yet again failed to fill the gaps in the squad. The injury to Francis Coquelin has shown the huge gaping hole in their squad at the defensive midfield position.

7. Manchester United can do more than bore their way to victory.
They may have spent most of the season being so incredibly boring it has literally put me to sleep watching them, on more than one occasion, but they have the capability to do more. For most of the game, Man Utd were once again boring to watch, but the final flurry against Watford, after the Hornets equalised, showed they still have that never say die attitude of the Ferguson era in their DNA. Whether we will see it again this season or not is a different matter, but at least we know that attacking football is something they have in their locker, even if they are not allowed off the leash again.

8. Chelsea's fall down the league is still inexplicable.
For most of this season, their players have been so far short of the level they are capable of that it is almost like watching a different team altogether. It is not just a late return to training, there is clearly more to it than that. Now though, watching Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard suddenly look like the players they were last season, it is even more bizarre that they have struggled for so long. It is only a matter of time before they climb back up the table, but have they left it too late to return to the top 4? Only time will tell.

9. The Premier League is not as strong as it has been in the past.
There are some good teams in it, but there are a lot of truly awful teams there too. The money is going up, but the quality is not moving with it. If anything, the level is dropping in direct correlation with the money. It is not just the Premier League, the Football League in general is lacking any real quality. The English game, like its Scottish equivalent in recent years, is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Yes you still get freak results, but they are not because the teams are so close in quality terms, like they used to be. It is little wonder England are awful and English results in Europe are struggling in recent years.

10. Tottenham Hotspur are genuine contenders.
Not just for the top four, but for the title as well. Despite the young age of their squad, they can genuinely challenge for the top of the table, so long as they manage to keep Harry Kane fit and firing. January is the chance to change that, if Daniel Levy will just loosen the purse strings and get the striker they need. A top four finish no longer needs to be the extent of their ambitions.

Written by Tris Burke November 25 2015 11:18:05