How City have adapted to once again dominate the Premier League

Following their victory over Everton tonight, City moved 10 points clear after 17 straight wins in all competitions, with bookies ready to pay out on a league win such is their dominance. This is quite the incredible turnaround from a team struggling to score while detached from the leaders at the end of November.

What followed that barren run has been a spectacular upturn with just 3 goals conceded in their last 15 Games previous, compounded by a return to their free scoring best. Ruben Dias, a £61m summer signing from Benfica has been imperious forging a partnership at centre back with the reinvigorated John Stones. An embarrassment of riches in this position leaving the returning Aymeric Laporte on the bench or at full back.

But while the defence has been outstanding, it is the tactical change, focussed on full back Joao Cancelo, that is most fascinating. Early in the season City set up with two holding midfielders often including Rhodri and Fernandinho, which in relative terms led to a slower tempo and the attack looking more predictable than ever before. Cancelo has been used as a full back on both sides and regardless of the side he plays, he has lately been tasked with a dual position. While out of possession, he plays at full back creating a bank of four with Rhodri protecting in front. What is remarkable is that when City gain possession, he drifts straight into a central midfield position alongside Rhodri, with the closest centre back spreading wider to create a back 3 and the other central midfielder pushing forwards.

In the Above Image you can see the transition in Manchester City’s shape from out of possession to in possession. In the above image Cancelo is the number 2, his moving into a central area allows Gundogan (Number 7) to join the attack providing 5 attacking players in the attacking third with the two pivot midfielders an option to bounce the ball off.

This causes the opposition all types of issues. The man asked to mark Cancelo would be the wide midfielder. He must either follow Cancelo centrally, exposing his flank and in turn encouraging an overload on the defending full back, or must leave him to drift centrally unattended. By leaving him, City then have an instant free pass to Cancelo into the centre of the pitch where they can outnumber the opposition and always have an extra man as an option. The central midfielder that starts alongside Rodri is usually Ikay Gundogan. The movement of Cancelo into the central position, while in possession, unleashes him to push forward and make late runs into the box unmarked supporting the 4 other attacking players. Ikay Gundogan has scored 8 goals in his past 7 games, having scored less than 20 in his previous 100 City appearances. This stat illustrates the freedom this tactical adjustment has allowed him, and how much more effective he has become as a result. The front 5 players in the City team can then maraud forwards knowing there are 2 centre midfielders to sit and bounce the ball off using this extra man. This enables a City team who almost always enjoy a huge advantage in possession, even more control of the game making it difficult for the opposition to regain possession and relieve pressure.

The increase in quality at centre back coupled with Cancelo adding numbers centrally has created more trust in the structure, so that the in form attacking midfielders including Gundogen and Phil Foden have more licence to attack. With their two best attacking players Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero returning imminently to fitness, the flexibility and defensive resilience of this City team suggests that in this form they should win the league at a canter.

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Dina Asher Smith: Britain’s Great New hope

On Saturday 4^th August 2012 Britain rejoiced at one of the nation’s greatest ever sporting evenings, ‘Super Saturday’ was born as the hosts secured 3 track and field gold medals within an hour. The poster girl for the Olympics was Dame Jessica Ennis. Carrying the hopes of an entire nation on her shoulders she thrived under the pressure, leaving all of her opponents in her wake to power to the gold to contribute to the historic night. A bright eyed 16 year old was left astounded by the emotion in the crowd that night, as she volunteered as a kit carrier for the event. Little did this young aspiring athlete Dina Asher Smith know, she one day would hold the hopes of a nation.

This week in Doha, British track and field’s brightest star looks to carry those same hopes that Ennis once did and to start to write her own legacy.

Back in 2012 Asher Smith was already an outstanding young athlete, going on to win junior gold at the 2014 World Championships. As she transitioned to a senior athlete, she continued to succeed becoming the fastest British woman of all time and treble European champion, this together with the 3 world level relay medals she has achieved, illustrates her journey to compete at the top level.

In the last 2 seasons as an individual athlete, Asher Smith has become a household name on the circuit at the world level. With her beautiful natural running style combined with a determination unrivalled in the sport, and illustrated by her dual onslaught on athletics and a history degree, she continues to improve every month. Just last month she won the overall Diamond League title in the 100m to display her consistency over the course of the season. The women’s 100m is littered with global stars, and there is a plethora of athletes capable of victory, this said Dina Asher Smith certainly finds herself one of the favourites.

The favourite for the 100m will be the Jamaican superstar Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce. The two time Olympic and 3 time World 100m champion is simply a legend of the sport and were in not for time off to have to have a child in the last few years, she surely would be even more decorated. A 10.73 clocking in the 100m this season has proved that she is back to her best and if she is able to repeat such a performance in the final it is unlikely many will be able to live with her.

One athlete capable of challenging Fraser Pryce is her international teammate Elaine Thompson. Reigning Olympic champion Thompson has also clocked 10.73 this season, and if the time needed to win the final approaches 10.70 Thompson is the only other athlete to have achieved such a performance in the field.

While the two Jamaican athletes have fantastic pedigree and have run times which Asher Smith has yet to achieve, the Briton has started to stamp her authority on the world stage. She achieved the fastest time in the world in 2018 and this season has beat both Thompson and more recently Fraser Pryce in high level competition. Asher Smith has been very consistent and in 100m competition has run under 11 seconds on 7 of 8 occasions this season. Her triumph in the grand final of the Diamond League in a world class field which included Fraser Pryce will have her full of confidence that she is peaking just in time for the World Championships.

The other main threats to the trio above include two talented Ivory Coast athletes, Marie-Josie Ta-Lou and Murielle Ahoure. These two athletes have been in the mix for medals at global championships for a number of years. While Ahoure is capable at her best of achieving a medal, in recent times it is Ta Lou who has been performing as a major challenger to the gold. The fast starter is certainly one to watch and together with Asher Smith will represent the main challengers to the Jamaicans.

The final line up should also include reigning American World champion Tori Bowie, the Dutch past 200m champion Daphne Schippers and a selection of other American athletes which include English Gardner, Teahna Daniels and Morolake Akinosun. While all talented athletes, none are in the kind of form which would encourage one to think they are likely challenge for medals.

All eyes will be on the young British athlete Asher Smith to begin to realise her potential in Doha this week, with the 100m final on Sunday being her first chance to do so. Since watching the young Asher Smith break the British 100m record in 2015, British athletics fans have been waiting for her moment to arrive. Come Sunday evening we will find out whether she can become the first British female 100m global champion.

 

Sprint Kings: Who will replace Bolt in athletics blue ribbon events?

Usain Bolt was without question the greatest sprinter in the history of track and field, having run a full tenth of a second faster than anyone else in both the 100 and 200 meters. It wasn’t only his on track efforts that made him special as he transcended his sport in a time that doping had cast a shadow over athletics, bringing it back into spotlight while becoming one of the world most famous and popular athletes.

The World Championships in Doha this week marks the first global event since Bolt retired and an opportunity for a new superstar to take the reigns and the king of sprinting. Since the Jamaican hung up his spikes, the Jamaican dominance has ended and an influx of young American athletes look set to dominate.

Christian Coleman burst onto the scene in 2017 and transferred his incredible collegiate form to the professional circuit; he ran a personal best 9.82 to win in Eugene to announce himself on the world stage in the lead up to the World Championships in London. At the championships he collected the silver medal behind veteran Justin Gatlin, notably defeating the great Usain Bolt in what would be the legend’s last ever individual race.

Though he didn’t capture the gold that night, the passing of the torch from one era to the next metaphorically took place as Coleman had the world at his feet at the tender age of just 21 years old.

The 9.82 that Coleman ran earlier that year proved to be the fastest time run of the season, an accolade he has held every year since the 2016 Olympics and including this year, improving his personal best to an impressive 9.79 in the process.

In addition to his impressive performance on the Diamond League circuit, Coleman broke a historic World Record, running 6.34 seconds in the 60m on route to World Championship indoor gold, early in 2018. This record had been held by multiple World and Olympic Champion Maurice Green for 20 years, and was recognised as one of the best in all of track and field further proving the young athlete’s incredible pedigree.

This season Coleman has encountered problems off the track as it is alleged that he missed 3 drug tests within 12 months, which under doping rules, if the athlete is found guilty would result in a 2 year ban. The young athlete has successfully appealed the decision on a technicality over the dates of the tests, and defiantly pleads his innocence pointing out that never has he tested positive for any performance enhancing substance, nor does he take supplements of any kind be them legal or illegal.

On the track this season Coleman has been impressive clocking 9.82 and performing well in the Diamond League circuit, he will enter the 100m as hot favourite to claim his first world outdoor title. Coleman has been defeated just once over the distance in the last 15 months, this by new American sprint sensation Noah Lyles. Lyles has chosen not to run the 100m in Doha and instead will focus on his specialist 200m discipline, further cementing Coleman’s role as favourite.

It could be argued that Noah Lyles is the most similar athlete to Usain Bolt in recent memory. He is not 6 foot 7, nor Jamaican, however what he does share is the larger than life personality to radiate his enjoyment while racing, and gain popularity without even having to run. He is an exceptional talent and in just his first professional season is already a world class athlete, and heavy favourite to become 200m World champion. While his early performances had already caught many an eye in the field of athletics, Lyles stormed into the forefront of all sports fan’s minds with a blistering 19.50 in Lausanne in July, becoming the 4^th fastest man in history at the age of just 21 years old at the time. It is clear that there is more to come from the young superstar who has also run 9.86 in the 100m putting him 2^nd only to Coleman in his less favoured event.

Much Like Usain Bolt, the 200m is Lyles’ preferred event, however while avoiding participation in both events at these championships, it seems only a matter of time before he attempts to recreate the achievements of Bolt by winning the double in the future. While Coleman will be favourite to win the 100m this year, Lyles has shown glimpses that he has the charisma and athletic ability to take on the mantle of being Bolt’s successor, carrying the sport forward and attracting new fans while also challenging his predecessor’s World Records.

In the past 4 years, US collegiate athletes such as Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman and before that former World bronze medallist Troy Bromell, have illuminated the USA back into the limelight after a decade or more of Jamaican sprinting dominance. In addition to Lyles, there has been another global superstar unearthed this year from the US collegiate system, that being 21 year old Michael Norman of the USA.

Norman announced himself to the world by running a breath taking 43.45 seconds 400m in April, the 4^th fastest time ever. He is a specialist 400m runner but has also dazzled in the shorter distance of the 200m, becoming the 2^nd fastest in the world this year only to Lyles when running 19.70 in a race in which he former was defeated. Like Lyles he has decided to run in only his specialist distance robbing us of an exciting clash of the two young Americans this year, however it is likely we will see them compete on the big stage in the none too distant future. Like Lyles he has the potential to become a household name not only in track and field but in all of sport.

Norman will battle for the gold in the 400m with 24 year old American teammate Fred Kearley and the Bahamian Kevin Gardiner, also 24, in what promises to be one of the races of the Championships, the two Americans having already run under 43.65 this season to take their place in the top 7 of all time.

The 400m sprint has been one of the most exciting events in recent years as Wayde Van Niekerk did the seemingly impossible, breaking the legendary Michael Johnson’s 400m World Record from lane 8, at the Rio 2016 Olympic Final. Following such a feat, huge things were expected of the young South African and many felt he would become the face of athletics, having also run great times in the 200m. At the 2017 World Championships Van Niekerk won gold in the 400m making him reigning World and Olympic champion, he did however look a tired shadow of his best when coming up short to only medal in the 200m final at the same event. A career threatening injury has since robbed us of the opportunity to see him on track, and a further setback this year ended his chance to defend his crown in Doha. While he had the talent to be the long term successor to Bolt, and has already written his name in the history books as a World and Olympic Champion and World record holder, time will tell whether he will ever be able to return to the athlete he once was and fulfil his unlimited potential.

To further demonstrate the dominance in modern sprinting of the US Collegiate system, to become this year’s NCAA double champion Nigerian Divine Oduduru set blistering marks of 9.86 and 19.73 to put him 3^rd fastest in the world in both events. The 22 year old has struggled to match such performances so far on the professional circuit as yet so while unlikely to medal this year is a potential star of the future.

Outside of the sprinting newcomers, Adrian De Grasse of Canada was tipped by Bolt to be the long term heir to his throne following his achievements of a Silver and a Bronze in the 200m and 100m at the Rio Olympics 2016. De Grasse was injured just days before the 2017 World Championships having been expected to challenge for honours and has struggled with injuries ever since. In recent months the sprinter, still just 24 years of age has shown some encouraging form setting seasons best in both events and will be hoping to peak at the perfect time for the championships.

De Grasse at his best is capable of reaching the podium or even winning and will need to start well to challenge Coleman. The speed of Coleman’s start which is illustrated in his superb 60m performances usually gives him an early lead in races, with those athletes also specialising in 200m, with greater strength endurance challenging him late on. The South African Akani Simbine, Chinese athletes Su and Xie together with the British pair Zarnell Hughes and Adam Gemili could all challenge form the podium places if Coleman struggles late on.

While the above athletes may prove to be the future of sprinting, there are experienced world class athletes who have the chance to challenge them to be its present.

Experienced reigning World champion Justin Gatlin has even at 37 managed to run 9.87 this season and brings a wealth of success and experience in championship finals. If in the 100m the younger stars feel the pressure, Gatlin is very capable of defending his crown. To a lesser degree the second fastest man in history both in the 100m and 200m Yohan Blake can also be considered, however injuries seem to have robbed him of the ability to compete at the very pinnacle. In the 200m reigning World Champion Ramil Guliyev and Colombian Alex Quinonez in addition to those mentioned will also look to challenge after establishing themselves as strong championship performers.

As we search for a successor to Usain Bolt, Doha should be the platform to finally create new superstars as sprinting attempts to escape the great man’s shadow. Young stars such as Coleman, Lyles and Norman should thrive, with warm conditions good times should be run and as always, a few surprises may occur. One thing is for sure however and that is the new era of sprinting starts in Doha.

 

Has the FA Cup lost it’s magic?

On Saturday, Manchester City secured their place in the FA Cup Final, defeating Brighton in a game watched by a disappointing 71,521 in a stadium that seats 90,000. While a low attendance in this game would hardly be seen as the end of the world, it has epitomised the drop in interest in the competition in recent seasons. In this seasons competition two of the top four clubs currently in the Premier League, Tottenham and Liverpool played considerably weakened teams against other Premier League opposition, and crashed out subsequently in the early rounds. Both of these sides have a rich history in the competition and would be aiming for silverware each season, more notably both sides are also still competing in the latter rounds of the prestigious UEFA Champions League.

The FA Cup is written in Football folklore, it was once the most watched domestic competition in the world and was truly a competition for fairytale storylines. In modern times it is often stated that the “magic” of the cup has disappeared but what does this mean?

The FA cup was formed in the 1871-72 season, and since its emergence, cup final day was always a special day in the English calendar. When fictional stories were written about football, winning the FA cup was often the pinnacle; the star power and interest that its exuded even led to cup final songs being recorded, and these managing to top the music charts.

The Premier League was formed in 1992 in association with Sky Sports in a deal which changed football forever. This deal separated the Premier League from the football league and the FA Cup has suffered ever since. Football being shown on pay tv meant that football was suddenly more accessible at home to the masses, and live league games were shown at a frequency never seen before.

The greatest impact on the game was obviously the extra commercial rewards for the Premier League clubs. In the 26 years since the Premiership began, the disparity between the money earned in the top division in England, in comparison to those in the divisions below, has continued to grow. To illustrate the worth of being in the Premiership at present you need only to consider how much Premier League clubs were paid last season for television rights alone. Each club earned over £38million from domestic television rights and over £40million from the overseas television rights and this is in addition to any facilities fees and prize money for a clubs final league position. The Premier League is financially far bigger pull than merely winning a cup filled with nostalgia, those clubs lucky enough to be in the Premier League are desperate to stay in it while the extra funds it generates have made the disparity between the clubs greater not only in commercial terms, but also in the quality of their players. With games between the clubs best XI’s less competitive than ever their are less shock results which reduces the FA Cup’s appeal.

Players have always talked of glory and having medals to remember their careers by when the time comes to hang up their boots. Outside of sentimentality however, football is now big business and with the huge sums of money involved in the modern game, clubs can’t afford to get relegated from the Premier League. In the past we have seen huge great clubs disappear from relevance notably Leeds United but also Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Norwich. These were all quite recently established top sides in the Premier League who once relegated initially, failed to ever establish themselves as a mainstay in the top division again. The drop out of the league can bankrupt teams. The risk for a bottom half of the league club, having their chances of remaining in the Premier League even slightly hindered by the effect of the FA cup on their players, can often be too big to take. For this reason we often see teams littered with reserve or younger players blooded in the FA cup, as while they still would love to strive for the fairy-tale by playing their strongest team in each tie, the low odds of winning the cup combined with the effect on the squad emotionally and physically is logically enough to prioritise league survival.

Both Portsmouth in 2010, and Wigan Athletic in 2013, upset the odds to reach the final of the FA Cup despite their struggles in the Premier League in the respective year. Wigan won the FA Cup in 2013 in a shocking victory over Manchester City, they were also relegated from the Premier League that same season, highlighting suggestions that the exertion of winning the cup affected their league form and led to relegation. While Portsmouth finished 8th in the league the season they were crowned champions in 2008, two years later they lost in the 2010 final to Chelsea and were also relegated that season. While the teams have secured their place in history and the players and fans alike, were able to celebrate the best days in many of their sporting lives, the reality is that both clubs have since been as low as the third tier of English football with neither any where near a return to the Premier League. This once again led to suggestions that their fight to remain in the Premier League was heavily hindered by their participation to the final of the FA Cup. These two examples in recent times illustrate the predicament for bottom half teams choosing to fully commit to the FA Cup.

In much he same way, any Championship sides who are involved in a promotion race may see the FA Cup as a distraction which will only hinder their chances of reaching the promised land of the Premier League. While they may take a few scalps in earlier rounds, these clubs may see their chances of winning the cup as very low, due to the level of the top Premier League clubs involved, and therefore choose to prioritise the league. The financial rewards for reaching the Premier League in comparison to winning the cup are too great to ignore.

Tottenham announced a world record profit last week for the past calendar year, a large portion of this revenue was due to the success they have enjoyed in the Champions League. Liverpool also made huge profit which again owed much to their appearance in and run to the Champions League Final. While clubs are able to receive huge sums from Champions League revenue, television rights and sponsorship, they are most certainly going to prioritize this competition over the FA Cup.

With the competitive and commercial reasons that I have listed as to why the FA Cup is not prioritised by many clubs in English football any longer, what can be done to change this?

One suggestion that is widely touted is to reward the winner of the FA Cup win with a Champions league qualification. While this would certainly lead to a more positive outlook from the top clubs that are desperate to qualify for the prestigious and financially rewarding competition, one must also realise that the standard of this competition could lead to embarrassment and the countries coefficient. Poor performance by lesser English clubs would subsequently decreasing the co-efficient, damaging the English leagues by reducing our amount of potential qualifiers in European competition.

An example of this was when a Europa League qualification was given to recently relegated Wigan following them winning the FA Cup. The club pulled off a fairy tale victory but were relegated after their poor performance all season. They were not equipped to play in a high standard Europa League and registered a single victory in the competition crashing out bottom of a poor group. The Champions League is a level above the Europa league which suggests that were a place in this competition to be given to the winner, teams may struggle to do themselves or their country’s league justice.

With many teams choosing not to prioritise the FA Cup over the other competitions that they are involved each season, for a plethora of different reasons as suggested above, it was only a matter of time before the fans would follow suit. One may point to Saturdays low attendance as being an isolated incident which is influenced by Manchester City being involved in, or having won, all 4 competitions they entered this season. When investigated on a larger scale however the fact is that attendances are dropping in terms of how full stadiums are for FA Cup games each season. This can be attributed to a lack of interest in the competition, but also the increase in live televised games has led to many fans preferring to watch from home when taking into account the cost difference in attending such games. For all the reasons listed it must be suggested that something needs to be done to change the outlook of this historic competition if it is to return to it’s former place at the pinnacle of domestic competition. With the growth of the European game and escalating commercial opportunities of the Premier league however, the chance of its comeback appear bleak.

Is a lack of leadership costing Tottenham when it matters most?

On Sunday afternoon, Tottenham continued to plummet in their race to achieve Champions League qualification, losing 2-1 to a late winner from league leaders Liverpool.  While there is no disgrace in losing away to a team as talented as Liverpool, Tottenham were once again their own worst enemy, gifting Liverpool a winner after a superb second half fightback in which they had the chances to have won the game. Spurs captain Hugo Lloris made a terrible mistake in the final minute to hand Liverpool victory in scenes which are becoming all too familiar from the French captain.

The individual errors and late implosion in big games is not a new trait for Tottenham sides. Tottenham have become renowned for ‘bottling it’, following multiple poor results in semi-finals and poor end of season form leading to them failing to achieve when it matters. Just what is it that makes Tottenham lose their cool on the biggest stage, and in the most pressurised games?

People may point fingers at the manager, the lack of depth, player quality or the lack of spending but when investigating a team’s ability to win big games and succeed in a title race, many experts would tell you that a team needs leaders. The leader of this Spurs team under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino is Hugo Lloris. The mild-mannered Frenchman is not your stereotypical vocal leader on the pitch, he falls under the bracket of captains who like to lead by example.

An interesting graphic appeared as the BBC Match of the Day team analysed Sunday’s game; the graphic displayed that since August 2016 the Tottenham goalkeeper has been directly at fault for 8 goals. Goalkeepers are often likened to cats in that they have sharp reflexes, but one begins to wonder whether Lloris is perhaps more like a cat in that he has enjoyed a proverbial 9 lives as Spurs captain, and even perhaps in keeping his place in the team. For a goalkeeper of Lloris reputation the amount of errors is staggering, worse still 6 of these goals have been against top 6 clubs. With the loyalty that Pochettino has shown to his players, it may be that Lloris will be given his final life until the end of the season, but questions must be asked as to how long Tottenham should persevere with the French captain as they continually fail to make the last step in truly challenging for major honours.

Pochettino often refers to mentality in his interviews and focusses on the lack of winning mentality in his young team as a major reason as to why they are not title contenders. With Hugo Lloris making mistakes against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City on more than one occasion and also PSV in the Champions League in recent times alone, should questions not be asked as to whether the team is actually reflecting the mentality of their captain in failing in the pressurised games? For a captain that relies on his performance to lead by example, rather than a warrior spirit, to be performing so poorly on the big stage and directly causing his team to fail often begs the question as to whether his leadership hinders the team. They will not be fully trusting in their captain in the key moments which is when a captain is relied upon to step up and lead.

The use of a goalkeeper as a captain is a debate which has split opinion for many years but to have a relatively quiet goalkeeper as a captain is certainly unusual. The great figures of Peter Schmeichel and Oliver Kahn enjoyed spells as captain of their respective clubs; what they lacked by not being in the thick of the action in the centre of the pitch they more than made up for with their vocal instructions and passion. Both were imposing figures who demanded respect and exuded confidence into their troops, Lloris on the other hand relies on his experience and calm exterior to keep his players not panic and leads by example with his performance. Hugo Lloris has certainly shown himself to be a successful captain lifting the World Cup with France, and performances such as that recently away to Borussia Dortmund and in the last gasp penalty save against Arsenal illustrate that when at the peak of his powers, Lloris is outstanding.

In recent years however, Lloris has struggled with consistency. Thought to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world in the not too distant past, it must be said that he has dropped below the level needed to be a part of such company in the current game. More alarmingly, the Spurs captain has made big mistakes in many of the most important games in recent seasons, suggesting that his example as a captain is becoming a negative one and that the team may struggle to break the bottling label under his lead

Tottenham possess the England captain Harry Kane in their ranks. This is a player who is consistently at the top of his game and performs fantastically on the biggest stages. He exudes confidence and is becoming more vocal as he gains experience in addition to being a player who has a huge affinity for the club having progressed through the youth ranks. If Tottenham are to begin to win trophies and live up to their undoubted potential, something needs to change in their mentality. It may be time that Tottenham let Lloris focus on his own performance and begin a fresh journey under the leadership of their talisman Harry Kane.

After the battle at the Etihad, what does this mean for the War for the title?

The contest between Manchester City and Liverpool was everything we expected it to be, two aggressive high pressing teams playing high tempo sumptuous football. The best two sides in the premiership did battle in an exhilarating game which could have gone either way but was probably won by the superior team on the night. Neither team emerges from the fixture showing weakness which further illustrates the outstanding level of competition we can look forward to until the end of the season.

Liverpool came up short on the evening but if anything, only further cemented their place, so close to the summit of English football. The defence limited City to a handful of chances exemplifying the growth since last seasons 5-0 demolition at the Etihad. Klopp’s side pressed high up the pitch and were penetrative and incisive in their attacking play, upon scoring the equaliser they looked the more likely victors only for a moment of magic from Leroy Sane to take the tie away from them. Left out of the starting line-up, questionably in some cases, were new signings Fabinho, Keita and Shaqiri with Gomez also missing and the quality of Sturridge and Lallana still journeying back to their best after injury. The options available to Klopp this season are worlds apart from that which secured 4th place and a Champions League runner up medal last season and the backing from the board must be commended.
Even in defeat there were a few contentious decisions which on another day could have resulted in a positive result for Liverpool. A questionable tackle from Vincent Kompany on another day could have resulted in City playing over an hour with 10 men while John Stones managed to clear the ball off the line with just 11mm of the ball not over the line when the game was still goalless. It is these tiny margins which can be the difference between champions and runners up. While they may have felt unlucky to be on the receiving end of these decisions on this occasion, they should have lost their unbeaten record back in October when City’s Riyad Mahrez blazed his penalty over the bar in injury time to leave the scores 0-0, while a Pickford blunder and clear penalty not given against Liverpool in injury time against Spurs both resulted in wins, they could of on another day failed to register.
Liverpool have everything that is required to become champions of England and were it not for possibly the best team ever to grace the Premier League in Manchester City challenging them, backed up by Tottenham’s best ever Premiership start, it is likely the league title would be sown up already such bas been the level of their performance. For a team not to have lost a game before the first week of January yet there be only 6 points between the top three clubs, demonstrates the level of consistency now required to become champions.
While nobody is questioning the quality of Liverpool’s squad and their capacity to finally register their inaugural Premier League trophy, it is of paramount importance that Liverpool return to winning ways next week against Brighton if they are to end the league title drought. Liverpool have operated with an air of invincibility this season which has now disappeared following their first defeat. Manchester City lost for the first time last season just a week later than Liverpool have this season. While the challengers were not as close as Liverpool find their opponents, and subsequently it could be argued that there was less pressure on City, it was their reaction to their first loss in winning 7 of their next 8 games which cemented them as champions. Klopp has improved the team’s mentality unquestionably this season, but following their first defeat the next month will be their toughest test and will go a long way to determining whether they have what it takes to wrestle the title away from City.

The last month will have been a chastening experience for Manchester City having lost 3 times in December, more times than in the entire season last year. Before these defeats City were mirroring their form from their record-breaking points tally last season and were huge favourites to be the champions. The victory against Liverpool will have reignited the confidence that was somewhat lacking during that period and a return to fitness of star man Kevin De Bruyne, key tactical enforcer Fernandinho and the leadership of club captain Vincent Kompany will stand them in good stead moving forward.
Many will speculate that City have now endured their rocky spell and key men have enjoyed a rest, albeit through injury following a tumultuous schedule since the beginning of last season in which most of their players had very little rest after reaching the latter stages of the World Cup. Pep Guardiola’s side illustrated their unmatchable quality by defeating Liverpool without both first-choice full backs and their star man Kevin De Bruyne while boasting a huge squad full of proven matchwinners. They proved last season that they have the quality to go on a run of straight victories that could secure them the title, they also have proven that they have the mentality to complete the job and win the Championship and enjoy a squad full of players that now boast multiple honours.

The fact that City have a squad full of players who have experienced a successful title race could be pivotal; In contrast Liverpool do not have a player in their starting XI who has won one of the five major leagues (other than Milner who was a fringe player at Manchester City in a title winning season). If the title race is competitive in the final stages of the season it would have to be considered that Manchester City will hold an advantage in knowing what it takes to win titles whereas Liverpool have perennially come up short, most recently in the Europa League Final 2016 and the Champions League Final 2018. In addition to this Liverpool have often drifted off the pace late in the season, albeit sometimes while placing higher importance on European competition, to such an extent that Klopp has failed to achieve above 4th place in a Premier League season yet.
While City hold an advantage in experience, Liverpool certainly hold an advantage over City, and also Spurs the next nearest challenger, in player fatigue and the number of games their players have played since the beginning of last season. Both Spurs and Manchester City had at least 10 players that reached the final week of the world cup and in doing so hadn’t returned to preseason training before the week on the season starting. In essence these teams had no preseason and have not had adequate rest, this would suggest a burn out in these players could be possible and performances may suffer. In contrast to this Liverpool had no first team players outside of the sparingly used Jordan Henderson that reached the later stages of the world cup and as a result had a full pre-season to work on shape and mistakes from the preceding season. All of their players have had a full preseason and this could count in the latter stages of the season.
The season is far from over and there is much football to be played but what is clear is that this years Premier League has the potential to be a mouth-watering contest which may be decided by the smallest of margins. Outside factors such as injuries to key players and progress in other competitions are sure to have a huge influence on proceedings especially while both squads are among the top 5 in world football. With the gap reduced to 4 points I would slightly favour a Manchester City side who have experienced title winning seasons and possess a narrowly more talented first eleven, however Liverpool have exceeded all expectations thus far and if they manage to keep Virgil Van Dijk fit, they could easily finally break their Premier League duck.

Life after Bolt? Who will emerge to carry men’s athletics?

  

The greatest athlete ever to lace up a pair of spikes Usain Bolt, will bring down the curtain on a stunning career when he bows out at the Olympic Stadium at the World Championships this summer. His competitive farewell to his Homeland Jamaica took place recently at the Racers GP; the event awoke a sense of realisation that the great man is really retiring this year and begs the question what happens after Bolt?

The pressure to secure a fitting end and to bow out on top will be immense for the 9 time Olympic champion, but one thing the great man is used to is pressure. Bolt has carried athletics through a dark age riddled with drug scandals and has emerged as the one true global superstar athlete, ever to represent athletics.

Athletics as a sport will obviously miss the presence of it’s supreme athlete on the track, but it is off the track where it could be argued that his absence will be most sorely felt. The incredible athletic ability, the temperament that enabled Bolt to always deliver while the entire world watched, and the larger than life loveable showman that he was throughout his successes, are all acts that must be replaced or replicated for athletics to continue to draw. The biggest question is: who is able to replace this once in a generation sprinting phenomenon?
 

Coleman has ran 9.82 this year, the fastest time of any athlete

  

The Future

Christian Coleman, 21 from the USA has burst on to the scene this winter, making a mockery of his young years while running times seasoned professionals dream of, albeit on the American collegiate circuit. For a collegiate athlete to show such promise at such an age has the world taking note; it is impossible not to see the potential for the next global superstar in an athlete tearing the US collegiate records books to shreds. Coleman has run a world leading 9.82 in the 100m this year and supplemented that with an outstanding 19.85 in the 200m. Off the track Coleman is being recognised too with Nike rewarding him with a 7 digit sponsorship deal to become their Athletics poster boy. While it’s likely that this summer will be too early for him to triumph on the world level in the 100m against Bolt,  it is certainly not a ridiculous claim that the passing of the torch could happen as early as the World Championships; a scene reminiscent of the great Jamaican’s at the Beijing Olympics 2008 is not beyond the young man.

Of course the future is certainly not only about Coleman, many recent breakthrough athletes have impressed early only to never quite reach their potential. Terrance Bromell burst on to the scene two years ago much like Coleman and enjoyed early success running 9.84. He followed this up with a world championship bronze and was highly fancied to push on from there as a major threat to Bolt. An indifferent year followed in which while cementing his place as an elite world sprinter, Brommell fell further away from the front pack in the Rio Olympics 2016 to finish 8th and has continued to fall short of his peak this year. He certainly could have a bright future and at just 22 years of age has plenty of potential.

Two further young athletes Christopher Belcher and Cameron Burrell have also tossed their hats into the mix tho be Bolt’s long term successor this year, both running sub 10 seconds in the 100m and are worth keeping an eye on in the years to come.

It is not only America who have emerging young sprinters ready to take over from the great Usain Bolt though. The production line of champions from Jamaica looks to have no plans on slowing as emerging athletes such as Lemar Bailey Cole, Odean Skeen and Julian Forte continue to show promise in the race to fill their hero’s size 13 shoes!

A sprinter who was sure to challenge for medals in London was the exciting young challenger Adrian De Grasse of Canada. Though for the purpose of the piece he is labelled part of sprintings future, De Grasse has already enjoyed success powering to a bronze medal last year at the Rio Olympics. Of the upcoming sprinters the Canadian is sure to be near the top of the sport in the near future, quite whether he’s capable of world record times or has the charisma to be the face of the sport is doubtful but he’s certainly a fantastic talent. Unfortunately any chance De Grasse had this year were ended as he has failed to recover from injury in time for the World championships in London.

The fact that Bolt has decided to retire doesnt necessarily mean that the other dominant sprinters of his era are finished however, far from it in fact.

  

Blake and Gatlin complete the podium at the London Olympics

 

The Present

Justin Gatlin is a name which divides opinion, most are unforgiving of his drug cheat laden past. He has for the past few years been Bolt’s greatest threat and has consistently proved the best sprinter on the circuit throughout the season. When arriving on the worlds largest stage he has always come up short when trying to topple the great Jamaican. Gatlin proved his credentials once more this summer storming to victory in the US trials and now shifts his focus to finally overcoming his nemesis in London in their last competitive showdown. At the age of 35 this should prove to be Gatlin’s last hurrah, he certainly wont be the man to carry the sport moving forwards but would love to finally triumph over Bolt.

Since 2011 most followers of thesport believed that a ready made heir to Usain Bolt’s throne was already racing, this being his great friend and training partner Yohan Blake. Blake is the second fastest man of all time in both the 100m and 200m disciplines. In the years since Usain Bolt exploded onto the scene at the Beijing Olympics 2008, Blake is the only man other than Bolt to win a global championship in either the 100m or 200m. Bolt was disqualified at the 2011 World Championships for a fault start allowing Blake to power to his first global championship. In the build up to the 2012 London Olympic Games Blake was widely fancied having beaten Bolt at the Jamaican trials in both the 100m and 200m disciplines, only for the great champion to once again rise to the occasion consigning Blake to two Silver medals.

Blake is likeable and charismatic and definitely has the pedigree to follow Bolt. He has  shown in the times that he has run that he is a sprinter of the very highest caliber, however injuries have plagued the young Jamaican in recent years leading to him being a shadow of his former self on the track. In an encouraging return to form Blake won the sprint double at the Jamaican trials (Bolt was absent), doing so by running the fastest time in the 100m that he has managed in two years. If Blake has finally managed to put his injury nightmare behind him look to him to begin to rediscover his form and be a force for years to come.

While the above are great on track athletes there is one great young sprinter who has the ability to match Bolt’s achievements and take over the mantle of  carrying athletics forward.

 

Van Niekerk stuns Kirani James and Leshawn Merritt to smash the world record in 43.03

  

The Superstar and the South African revolution

The great South African hope Wade Van Niekerk has already cemented his legacy as a great of the sport regardless of his young years. He shocked the world to smash the great Michael Johnson’s 17 year old 400m record running 43.03 at the Rio Olympics from lane 8! What makes this man even more special however is that he is superb at the shorter distances too; he is of an elite group having run sub 10 Seconds in the 100m and sub 20 seconds in 200m, also having broke 44 seconds (and almost breaking 43!!) in the 400m.

It is difficult not to get excited about Van Neikerk’s achievements thus far, though I suspect these will be far surpassed with the raw talent and rate of progression that he continues to show. There will never be another Usain Bolt but the young South African has all the tools needed to create his own legacy that matches that of the great man. In fact if conditions were perfect and he was not too tired from also running the 400m in London, I suspect he could challenge Bolt’s 200m World record. What he may lack in top speed in comparison to Bolt, he makes up with superior speed endurance and it is a crying shame that the two athletes era’s did not coincide in a rivalry which could have pushed sprinting boundaries into a different stratosphere. Van Niekerk has chiselled good looks and a humble, likeable persona personified by his attachment to his 74 year old coach Ana Botha to which he dedicates much of his success. He would be a great face of Athletics as the sport tries to escape the dark cloud that emanates from the drug scandals of the past.

Van Niekerk heads a new revolution of South African sprinters including World under 18 champions Retshidisitswe Mlenga and Tshenolo Lemao in addition to Thando Roto and Akani Simbine who have run sub 10 seconds this season. Simbine in particular has been impressive clocking multiple sub 10 clockings, however when outside his home country he has failed to really deliver in the bigger races thus far. Look for South Africa to be a major sprinting powerhouse for years to come both individually and in the relay events.

It will truly be the end of an era when one of the greatest sportsmen ever to compete , Usain Bolt, pulls down the curtain on his mesmerising career next week. In terms of a global superstar Wade Van Niekerk will hope to fulfil his potential to become the star that transcends the sport as Bolt has. On the track the South African will likely be challenged in the 200m by Coleman, De Grasse and Blake, leaving them to fight for supremacy in the 100m and in doing so, creating new rivalries to ignite a new cycle in athletics history. There is most certainly life after Bolt and his records will one day be broken of that there is no doubt. Time will tell if we will ever see a superstar on the scale of Usain Bolt in athletics again  and while those he leaves behind have the talent to keep athletics moving forwards, the man, the athlete, the entertainer… the Legend .. will be sorely missed.

 

 

A New System for a New Era: encouraging decisions made early by Southgate

Though Gareth Southgate has been in temporary charge since Sam Alladyce’s ill fated bungs meeting , tonight signalled the  beginning of his era as permanent boss.

  
England travelled to Germany in a friendly which in all honesty felt like a testimonial due to the focus on the outgoing German legend Lucas Podolski, illustrated by a comically long presentation pregame and more importantly his fantastic long range winner in a 1-0 victory.

In addition to a much changed German side, Southgate was also robbed of various key men including Kane, Henderson and Rose so the 1-0 result could only give us certain indications as where the team is in the grand scale of things.

An England side boasting in form debutant Michael Keane and Jake Livermore exuded confidence from the off. Alli, Walker and Lallana managed to constantly get in space behind German lines and cause problems, while England looked impressively comfortable positionally. It was extremely encouraging and will only improve in time.

In his first selection as manager Southgate chose a wing backs formation not deployed regularly by England since a similar system seen under Hoddle’s tenure in the late 1990s.  This was a bold decision by Southgate and one that indicates that he is willing to learn from mistakes made by recent managers. Football is evolving and it is a criticism often aimed at England that they have failed to move with the times, and suffer in international football due to an incompetence while trying to keep possession of the ball. 

In addition there are those who critisise the national team using a reverse arguement. There are pockets of fans who believe that England struggle by trying to mimic successful European nations and don’t play like a typical England team, in turn failing to play to the strengths of the English Premier League in which all of the squad other than Joe Hart ply their trade. 

The Premier League is recognised for its unmatched pace and intensity and what it lacks in comparison to the technical brilliance of the Spanish league or the well drilled efficiency of German teams, it makes up for with passion and excitement. 

 

Young Spurs players Rose, Dier and Alli try to recreate their club form for England

 

It is about time that an England manager decided to play to the strengths of the league and the teams from which the bulk of its players regularly work. Their was a brief glimpse of this theory in the European Championships when England chose to start 5 of the Spurs team that were used to playing alongside each other in a successful campaign last year. This didn’t bring the rewards short term England had hoped but there were plenty of positives to encourage its continuation.

What Southgate has studied when choosing his system is that in the Premier league the top two teams, Chelsea and Spurs, play a high pressing wing back system. This is a system which puts intense pressure on the opposition while they are in possession drawing mistakes and creating the chance to win the ball high up the field. The wing backs supply the width and attacking thrust in turn creating space in which England’s creative players, tonight Alli and Lallana, can thrive. This game illustrated how this system can be successful and it was at times a joy to watch with England much the better side.

With the players that England currently have at their disposal, the system plays very much to their strengths. Gary Cahill is the senior centre back in the squad and captained the team. He currently is a keg cog in the 3 centre back system deployed by Champions elect Chelsea. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose play fantastically as wing backs in the same system at Spurs, while Lallana and Alli excel in central roles behind the striker at their clubs, just as they did tonight.

In all likelihood the top sides in England are going to deploy this system or one similar for the foreseeable future and especially while this is the case, the familiarity the top English players have with the system will only strengthen England’s cause moving forward, especially with key figures such as Harry Kane and Henderson to be reintegrated.

It was very interesting hearing Southgate talk of how England need to make short term sacrifice to achieve long term success; while early days, the decision and the subsequent performance by England promise much as we enter a new era in the build up to the World Cup. A clear project has been set out to peak at a Championship as lessons looked to have been learnt, time will tell but the initial signs are good.

Haye vs Bellew: Haye perfects the promotion, now needs to finish the job


David Haye versus Tony Bellew is the hottest ticket in town, drawing the attention of British fans everywhere. The box office grudge match has captured the imagination of the fans and is the talk of the boxing world. 

The build up has been littered with abusive exchanges and oneupmanship, and at times the threats have been distasteful. Regardless of the method, what cannot be disputed is that the buzz that has been created is incredible.

This fight when boxed purely on paper is a humongous miss match. While Haye has played David from the well know tale earlier in his career, he certainly plays Goliath on this occasion. While Tony Bellew is a world champion cruiserweight with a solid career behind him; he has never reached the heights of Haye and certainly not fought anyone of his power. 

David Haye was once the undisputed champion of the world at cruiserweight level, the first boxer since Evander Holyfield 20 years his previous. After he had achieved all that there was to achieve at cruiserweight level Haye chose to try his worth in the heavyweight game, regardless of the fact that he was a very small heavyweight. 

He capitalised on the fact that his lightning speed together with blistering power translates to heavyweight, as a result even at heavyweight he was one of the most fearsome and dangerous boxers in the world, soon becoming IBF world champion.

Both Haye and Bellew have played their part in contributing to the promotion of this fight. Huge credit must be given to the fighters and their teams for their ability to turn what any educated boxing fan would estimate to be a one-sided victory, into a grudge match that boxing fans worldwide will invest their interest on Saturday night. 

Whilst some will criticise Haye’s approach, and his arrogance in the pure dismissal of his opponents ability, You could argue that his approach is actually genius. 

In almost five years, Haye has been involved in only two fights lasting a total of less than seven minutes, these against what Bellew has described as ‘glorified bouncers’. On the flip side in this period Bellew has racked up 13 fights.

Even so, since this fight was agreed no educated pundit gave his opponent a chance; due to outstanding promotion work this is no longer the case.

In order to even the playing field as much as possible, Haye has swamped his social media with videos constantly partying with Celebrities while training on a yacht; he portrayed himself as a playboy rather than a boxer preparing for a huge fight. 

He wanted the world to know that even though he’d taken this fight, he feels on another level to Bellew. If you look deeper though you will appreciate Haye the promoter. The aim of this was to create a seed of doubt in fight fans minds all over the country, that maybe David Haye isn’t taking cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew seriously enough to win what will be all out war on Saturday night. 

Both Haye and his trainer have dismissed his opponent as nothing; they refuse to give him any credit or to accept that and upset is at all possible. The promotion of this fight would not find itself out of place in a Rocky movie. The resilient working class Bellew versus the handsome, hard-hitting Playboy in David Haye. The fact that Haye has been content to play the bad guy in this pantomime illustrates his knowledge of the box office market regardless of the fact it might make him lose fans.

Haye has previous in the role of playing the pantomime villain in order to get more buys for his paper view event, previously donning a shirt in which Haye stood tall grasping his opponents head above it’s beheaded body to create conflict.

 He has never been shy in admitting that he boxes for financial gain. He is a master at accelerating the buy rate of a paper view event; if he needs to play the bad guy he will do all that is needed in order to make the event to succeed. 

He portrays a brash cocky exterior alienating him to many, but if you search beneath the surface you will see that what he’s actually doing is looking after his brand. He has elevated interest in this event to a level that many didn’t deem possible. While in my opinion he will have been training much harder than his videos envisage, and will actually be in amazing shape due to the opportunities that a win in this fight could grant him; he has the general public questioning whether he will win this fight at all. 

Not many people would like to buy a paper view event in which the winner is already determined, this piece of propaganda and promotion by Haye has in short-term views guaranteed big pay day for him and his opponent.

In terms of the fight, Bellew is a good fighter. He is resilient and full of heart, and if Haye has cut any corners he will be there to pick up the pieces. The fact of the matter is that if Haye is anywhere near his mercurial best, his pure power and precision should be enough to win this fight within 3 rounds in showstopping fashion. 

The real question is whether Haye is truly hungry enough to have worked hard to make the Hayemaker 2.0 an improvement; hard enough to set himself up for one last shot at being heavyweight king. Alternatively, has his ego truly left him unprepared for the war Bellew has trained for.

Haye looked trim, mean and focussed at the weigh in and I predict a brutal knockout in rounds 3-5.

The Premier League Title race: an intriguing tactical contest

After what will be remembered by most as a freak season in Premier League history, not least following Leicester City’s dramatic and poor turn of form; the traditional big hitters have made a rampant return to the summit this season.

This season finds the top six in incredulous form creating  a clear division between themselves and the rest of the Premier League. All six have had spells of utter brilliance in which fans and pundits alike were waxing lyrical and proclaiming them as the champions elect; on the flip side each has had a spell in which their opponents have been able to frustrate them, forcing them to lose ground to their illustrious rivals.

Earliest to encounter such a slump were last seasons perennial underachievers Chelsea. Under new manager Antonio Conte many expected Chelsea to adopt his trusted 3 5 2 system that served him so well on the way to being crowned triple Serie A champions at Juventus.

Conte chose to slowly integrate his system however, beginning the season with a similar 4 2 3 1 used in previous campaigns. After starting strongly Chelsea proceeded to drop points at Swansea but before suffering humbling defeats to close rivals Liverpool and Arsenal. This acted as the catalyst for Conte to revert to his trusted formation, displaying tactical flexibility and variety. Since then Chelsea have lost just once and sit handsomely atop the league, with a 10 point lead deeming the race as good as over.

Football evolves continuously and different systems go through cycles of effectiveness. In past seasons the Premier League has been won by teams adopting a successful 4 2 3 1 system in which a central striker is supported by three narrow interchangeable creative attacking midfielders. Manchester City and Chelsea most notably enjoying success with outstanding individuals such as David Silva and Eden Hazard supplementing world class strikers in Diego Costa and Kun Aguero.

Last season Leicester City defied the odds and adopted a 4 4 2 style in which they defended solidly as two banks of four before breaking at pace on the counter attack, relying on the effective Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy to secure victory..

Opposition teams have begun to develop a plan which has eradicated the effectiveness of the said system, sitting back and encouraging the more talented teams playing 4 2 3 1 to play in front of their defensive line. This leads to the attacking team becoming frustrated and in some cases being caught on the break.

The system implemented by Conte creates space stretching teams with width from rampaging wing backs, while still allowing creative midfielders to flourish behind a central striker. It is a system in which the deployment of three central defenders offer outlets to maintain possession while also enabling a strength in numbers solidity.

Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United make up the chasing pack and are currently separated by just two points. All of these five teams began the season with a version of the 4 2 3 1 system to which was earlier referred.

Manchester City started the season fantastically winning 6 straight games before themselves going on a slump in fortunes at the back end of the year. Since then, manager Pep Guardiola has implemented an adapted system in which his players switch freely between a 4 1 4 1 and a 4 3 3. The front 5 players in this side are all exceptional attacking footballers which makes knowing how to defend against this team incredibly difficult.

In conjunction with a high press Manchester City have created their own antidote to teams sitting back against them and together with Tottenham and Chelsea have shown themselves to have great adaptability to a different sutuations they may face

Tottenham currently sit third and before Saturday had enjoyed a spell in which they won 7 of their last 10 games. After starting the season in promising fashion they endured a spell in which they dropped points drawing to inferior opponents due to low profligacy and teams sitting back frustrating them in games they had dominated.

With a squad suited to the style so successfully employed by Chelsea, boasting superb wing backs, strong central midfielders and centre backs very comfortable with the ball at their feet; Tottenham went on a fantastic run scoring freely while also taking the scalp of leaders Chelsea.

While they lost to a resurgent Liverpool side this week it should be noted that injuries had forced them to revert to a 4 2 3 1 suggesting that they could return to form should their notable absentees, and adapted system, return soon.

Manchester United, having adopted  various adaptations of systems with Ibrahimovic at its peak, have hit form and are unbeaten since a 4-0 dismantling by Chelsea in late October. Mourinho has always been credited with the ability to adapt his system to his opposition but also to the players at his disposal; with the current form being enjoyed by Manchester United there appears no reason they will not enjoy a strong run in.

Arsenal and Liverpool complete the top six and are renowned as two teams that in full flow are incredibly easy on the eye. Both outstanding teams in their own right, these teams while still heavily in the race have both suffered indifferent recent form against lesser teams. Both enjoyed important wins this weekend but it is their pursuit of perfection and managerial stubbornness which links the two.

Jurgen Klopp manages Liverpool in charismatic fashion and is very loyal to his high intensity pressing style in which his teams start like a house on fire and look to strike early and leave their opponents no time to settle, blowing them away in the process. While when all of the cogs of this system are functioning well they are a joy to behold. Recent weeks have shown that when part of the team is not at its best, examples being Liverpool in the absence of Mane as an attacking force, or liverpools leaky defence; Liverpool struggle to grind out results. They are either utterly brilliant or find themselves failing to secure a victory. Liverpool were exceptional against a strong Tottenham team this weekend and while this will give Klopp confidence it must be said that it is not this type of game that Liverpool’s shortcomings have cost them.

An almost refusal to change his game plan in pursuit of the points when his philosophy has not resulted in a lead displays a lack of adaptability , and is perhaps the main reason Liverpool will come up short in a race to be champions.

This is a critique which has regularly been aimed at Arsene Wenger and Arsenal in the 12 years since they last won a premier league title. Wenger has always produced teams that portray fantastic technical football that is almost unplayable to any opposition on their day. Has as been the case for a number of seasons, Arsenal when not at their best refuse to revert to any other style of play other than to ‘out football’ the opposition. In games in which they have come up against a team of equal or superior ability they have refused to adapt and find new ways in which to become more effective, especially away from home. There was a spell in recent seasons in which much attention was placed on the fact that arsenal played a more solid counter attacking style away to the better teams which generally resulted in an upturn in fortunes. This hasn’t continued however and Arsenal while clearly one of the best teams in the division have struggled to maintain a serious title challenge.

With the premier league now boasting 6 sides capable of competing at the forefront of the league for honours, small margins will separate them in the pursuit of success. Chelsea stole a march on their competition by adapting their approach early in the season and as a result becoming well oiled in their new system; commencing on a historic run which in all probability has won them the title.

Chelsea’s title rivals Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United have all used their own failings as a means to encourage their own system adaptations,  resulting in a confidence that they have the tools required to combat all opponents.

Liverpool and Arsenal are just as strong at the rivals they are competing with.  The clear refusal to change their manager’s philosophy in order to win as many points as possible suggests that with the game evolving and levels of tactical awareness increasing amongst all premier league teams, Klopp and Wenger’s pursuit of football perfection, while supplying incredible highs and barnstorming runs, will ultimately always come up short over the length of a league season.