Review: 2015 through the Lens of Football

The year comes to an end in few hours, and for many there have been different chapters to an eventful year, but in football circles, there were moments of Houdini, others of exult as well as despair. They were near misses, and copious moments that left fans drooling for the beauty and ecstasy football can bring to the sub conscious. To cap up the year Away Fans takes a look at how the year panned out from the lens of football.

* Nigeria

The year started with the realisation that the Super Eagles will not be at the Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, a tournament that passed on successfully after Morocco pulled out of hosting it due to the Ebola epidemic that ravaged Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

But in spite of the Super Eagles failure to qualify, Stephen Keshi still managed to hold on to his job, even if initially he was on a last chance saloon. Eventually, the Amaju Pinnick led Football House gave him a two year contract. But it was one he barely saw out. After the 2-0 win over Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna in a 2017 Afcon qualifier in March, the NFF dismissed Keshi just less than two months into his new contract after facts emerged that he applied for the Ivorian coaching job despite being in the books of the NFF. The football house saw it as a lack of commitment and he was shown the door.

Sunday Oliseh came into the saddle with mixed results. His baptism of fire in Dar's Salaam where he played Lukman Haruna after his years in the wilderness against Tanzania, before realising after 30 minutes that the 2007 Golden Eaglet captain was a shadow of the player he once was. That the Super Eagles escaped with a goalless draw hold much to the display of Carl Ikeme who made his debut between the sticks.

Subsequent goalless draw with Swaziland in a World Cup qualifier spiced up with wins over the same opponent and wins in friendly matches over Cameroon (3-0) and Niger (2-0) and defeat to Congo DRC (2-0) was the highlight of the Super Eagles on the field. However, the retirement of Vincent Enyeama after 102 caps and Emmanuel Emenike was also a key highlight.

They ended the year in 65th position in the FIFA rankings.

Other significant moments included the Golden Eaglet retaining the World Cup in Chile, and the U23 team winning the African Championships to qualify for the Rio Olympics. The Flying Eagles had their wings clipped in New Zealand as the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success could not replicate their form at that level.

On the club scene, Enyimba FC of Aba clinched their 7th league title under Kadiri Ikhana, while Akwa United won its first ever trophy with the Federation Cup.

However, Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins all failed to make the groups stages of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively.

 * European Leagues

English Premier League

The year started with Chelsea and Manchester City tied on the same points and goal differential. But that was the closest both teams got to each other for the 2014/2015 season as the West London outfit rode to their fourth Premier League title with three games to spare. It was Jose Mourinho's third league title with Chelsea. And his team also won the League Cup in February. Arsenal ended that season with their second consecutive FA Cup after a 4-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley in May.

The gunners became the most successful side in English FA Cup history with their 12th triumph.

However, the second part of 2015 has seen mixed fortunes for both clubs.

First Petr Cech joined Arsenal for £10 million after eleven successful seasons with Chelsea. The Czech international helped Arsenal to a 1-0 win in the Community Shield in August. And that defeat set the tune for a disappointing first half of the 2015/2016 season for Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's side lost nine Premier League matches from their first 16 matches.

The last straw was the defeat to Leicester City. After which he was sacked. It was a strange year for Chelsea. With players such as Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Branisav Ivanovic, Oscar and others suddenly turn to chumps after being champions few months earlier.

Guus Hiddink came into the frame. But the league champions remain close to the relegation zone than the top four.

The surprise package of the year has been Leicester City. Bottom of the table last Christmas, they were top of the table on Christmas day 2015. Despite playing Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City in December, they remain joined top going into the New Year.

It has been a topsy-turvy first half of the season in the English Premier League. With no team so far laying claim to a consistent title push. However, Arsenal ends the year on top on goal difference.

La Liga

It was the MSN show in Spain. With Messi, Suarez and Neymar shooting Barcelona to five trophies in the 2015 calendar year. The Catalans won their second treble in six years after a 3-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final in Berlin in June. Luis Enrique's side ended 2015 top of La Liga, and they won the World Club title for a record third time in December.

Real Madrid started 2015 at the top of La Liga, but defeat to Valencia in their first league match in January derailed their momentum and they failed to win a major trophy. The trigger happy Florentino Perez fired Carlo Ancelotti, just a year after he won the la decimal, despite the Italian's huge support amongst fans and players. His replacement, Rafael Benitez has not been a popular choice with the Madrid faithful, with the Spaniard repeatedly booed by the fans.

* Bundesliga

The major highlight in Germany was Pep Guardolia announcing in December that he would be leaving Bavaria when his contract expires. He will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti .The Catalan has built Bayern Munich into a possession juggernaut in the German league. Their dominance have seen the team record back-to-back bundesliga titles, and a third could be on the way.

Wolfsburg did win the German Cup in May, their first ever triumph, and the Volkswagen outfit had the best player in the bundesliga last season in Kevin De Bruyne. Who joined Manchester City last summer.

However, consecutive disappointments in the semi finals of the Champions League against Spanish giants Real Madrid (5-0) on aggregate and Barcelona (5-3) on aggregate have been a stain in Pep's books. It remains to be seen whether he can go one better in his last season in Bavaria. And yet again they sit top of the league as winter champion’s seven points ahead of closest rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Seria A

The Old Lady Juventus won their fourth straight league title without breaking much sweat. Despite the departure of Antonio Conte, they went one better by winning the domestic double in Italy with inspiring performances from Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. They could have won an historic treble, but for Lionel Messi's inspired Barcelona. Massimilliano Allegri had a wonderful first season as manager at the Juventus Stadium.

Although they started the 2015/2016 season slowly following the departures of Vidal, Tevez and Pirlo, but as new signings have settled in, they have shot up the table, with just three points from the top.

Champions League

Barcelona won their fourth title in nine years and their fifth in total after a 3-1 win over Juventus in Berlin in the 2014/2015 season.

The return of Manchester United to the Champions League this season after a year's absence was well received. But this was short lived after a disappointing group stage campaign where they lost 3-2 in match day six to Wolfsburg to crash out. They will now play in the Europa League.

Arsenal however showed an unlikely escape when they overcame Olympiacos 3-0 in Athens to qualify for the last 16 after being bottom of the group after four matches.

Real Madrid's 8-0 victory over Malmo equaled the biggest score line in the group stages.

 * FIFA

The year 2015 will not be complete in football terms without referring to what transpired in the world football governing body. The revelations of corrupt practices, and the subsequent arrest and detention of FIFA Executives in their hotel in Zurich during the FIFA congress in June was something nobody envisaged.

The United States Justice department and FBI took the lead in these revelations that led to these arrests, and since then FIFA's Ethics Committee have banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for seven years from football. The first quarter of the coming year will see a new FIFA president elected.

Its being a great year in footballing terms, as the saying goes, more and better of the same in the coming year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Nomadic Stadium Movement makes for inconsistent Eagles

Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna ( Photo:panoramio.com)

There are many factors that have affected Nigerian football in respect of how the national team has fared in recent times. While the obvious maladministration has been talked about more times than many can remember as well as the inconsistency in player selections. No doubt the quality on offer in terms of the players available to the national team selectors leaves much to be desired. little wonder Sunday Oliseh has struggled in his bizarre experiments in the three competitive matches he has superintended over as the team's coach.

However there has been a particular side that few have dwelled on as to why the country's national team has remained like a wave of the sea that goes up and down.

This issue lies in the way the venue of matches is chosen. The lack of a particular venue that is known to all has made for some measure of inconsistent displays by the Super Eagles. What is prevalent now is that there have been different stadia that Nigeria have had to play on, which most times denies the players the familiarity they would have enjoyed in playing in just one stadium that would serve as really a 'home stadium' for the players.

During the great years of Clement Westerhof as coach of the Super Eagles, virtually all the competitive matches during his five year stint at the helm were played at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The country's qualification for it first World Cup in the USA was built on a solid home performance in Lagos when consecutive 4-1 victories over Algeria and Ivory Coast went a long way in qualifying Nigeria for that tournament. The spectators in Lagos had a way of driving a team home to victory.

The same was replicated for much of the qualifiers for France 98 as Philippe Troussie successfully guided Nigeria to qualification while matches remained in Lagos.

The qualifiers for the Olympics in 1996 were also played in Lagos. The 0-0 draw and 3-2 victories over Kenya and Egypt came at the National Stadium.

The last time the Super Eagles enjoyed a sustained run in front of Lagos fans was during the 2000 African Cup of Nations when they played all their matches there, but lost the finals to Cameroon under the guidance of Bonfere Jo.

After the inconsistent start to qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup following losses to Sierra Leone in Freetown, Shiabu Amodu came into the saddle, but of more significance, the country's last round of matches were played at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt, thereby setting a trend of moving matches out of Nigeria's traditional home of Lagos. The Super Eagles recorded victories over Ghana, Liberia and Sudan to qualify, and Port Harcourt served as a change of tonic for the team.

The construction of the Abuja National Stadium for the All Africa Games in 2003 led to the National Stadium, Lagos to be abandoned, and it inevitably fell into disrepair. The National Stadium in Abuja has never really attracted a full house because of it location, which is very far from the suburbs where football fans live.

The advantage of the newly built Abuja National Stadium was that the Super Eagles and other teams had the chance of playing on a good pitch.

It was now the new home of the Super Eagles. It qualified for the 2008 Cup of Nations from there. But the heartache of losing out on qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany remains notable. Ironically, the key match in Nigeria's group was played at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano. A decision that ultimately backfired, with the team drawing 1-1 against Angola. It was the match that cost Nigeria that ticket.

And such irrational decision of changing venues has in itself cost Nigeria on several occasions. There was the usual hue and cry after that result, with many lamenting the decision to play that match in Kano instead of Abuja.

The qualification for the Cup of Nations and World Cup in 2010 was secured playing in Abuja. It was now the home of the team, but it seldom attracted a full house in the 60,000 capacity National Stadium.

Following Samson Siasia's failure to qualify Nigeria for the Cup of Nations in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea in 2012 after a nervy 2-2 draw with Guinea at the Abuja National Stadium, the unwritten rule to start moving matches across the country became enshrined in the way the football house takes decisions. As it seems a bad result was always a recipe to seek another venue.

One thing the Super Eagles never lacked while playing in Abuja was the complement of playing on a good pitch.

The UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar subsequently became Nigeria's new home. And like the National Stadium in Lagos, it became something akin to a home for the Eagles. It qualified for the Cup of Nations in 2013 playing all its matches there, and also the 2014 World Cup qualifiers were all played there too.

It seems the certainty that matches would be played in Calabar aided the consistent performance of the Super Eagles as they went unbeaten while their stint lasted in Calabar. However, that all changed after the 3-2 loss to Congo Brazzaville. Since that loss in September 2014, Nigeria has not played any match in Calabar.

Strangely the remaining home matches were played in different venues with contrasting results. The match against Sudan which ended in a 3-1 victory was played in Abuja marking a return to the Stadium. But the key match against South Africa where victory was needed was played in Uyo at the Akwa Ibom Stadium. The team never felt at home in a 2-2 draw against Bafana Bafana a year ago. I doubt if any National team has played three homes matches at different venues for a qualifying campaign of the Cup of Nations.

In March, 2015 Stephen Keshi's last match as Super Eagles coach was played against Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, in what was largely a bumpy pitch. Since then another venue has been used for Super Eagles matches which was the World Cup qualifiers against Swaziland played at the Adoke Amesiemeka Stadium in Port Harcourt in November.

The lack of a particular stadium where the Super Eagles can actually call home as resulted in several inconsistent home performances and this trend might not change.

However, when the situation in Nigeria is compared to what obtains in other African countries, there is clearly a pattern that is different. As most of the power houses of African football restrict their matches to a particular stadium, and where there is a shift in venue it never more than one city. The Black Stars of Ghana alternate between the Accra Sport Stadium, Accra or the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi. The Elephants of Ivory Coast are at home at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. Tunisia plays their matches at the Stade 7 November, Rades, Zambia’s matches now takes place at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. Cameroun’s Indomitable Lions ply their trade at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé or the State de la Reunification in Douala, while the Desert Foxes of Algeria have settled for the Mustapha Tchaker in Bilda, which has served them well in their recent resurgence in the African football scene.

While the venue of matches is determined most times in Nigeria by financial consideration, it will serve Nigeria football well if the football house would stick to prosecuting matches involving the National team in a particular venue so that the players and coaching staff can enjoy the benefit of truly playing in a home stadium. 

What Coquelin’s Injury means to Arsenal

What Coquelin’s Injury means to Arsenal

Every season at Arsenal has always been synonymous with injuries; there is no season that goes by without some form of injury to a major player or players as the case maybe. This season has not been different, and it is only November, why the squad has coped with the long term injuries to Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky as well as the recent additions of Aaron Ramsey, Oxlade Chamberlain and Theo Walcott, it is the injury to Francis Coquelin that has brought so much gnashing of teeth with the gunner nation.

He was one of the players that many penciled down as one the club could not afford to lose for a considerable number of time because of his importance to the side in terms of what he brings to Arsenal’s midfield, his tenacity in the tackle, ability to cover a lot of ground because of his pace, interception ability, and to an extent his passing range as a defensive midfielder is something no other player in that position can offer to Arsenal. The discipline he brings to the middle of the park has allowed Santi Cazorla to flourish in his deep lying midfield role, the partnership that was built by both players since Coquelin rose from the ashes in January has been the catalyst that has driven Arsenal for much for this calendar year.

What makes his importance so understated in the Arsenal team is that the options available as possible replacement are poor at best. Mikel Arteta’s struggles as a player was depicted in his cameo against West Brom last weekend, where his time on the pitch after he replaced the aforementioned Francis Coquelin coincided with Arsenal conceding two goals, the second of which was an own goal scored by the Spaniard. The Arsenal captain later succumbed to a calf injury, something he has become synonymous with. His place as a footballer who can cope with the rigours of the Premiership needs to be seriously questioned, as his pace, and most importantly his ability to stay fit has disappeared, he was out for six months last season with a calf injury and the surgery he had has not done much to address it, and the incessant injuries he has had this season shows he is a player who cannot be relied on. When your ability as a player has diminished as a result of age and injuries, that inevitably should spell the end, and this should be his last season at Arsenal as a player.

Mathieu Flamini is the other player that can come in to do a job in that position, his tenacity has dropped off has he has entered his thirties, but his recent appetite to go searching for goals at the expense of protecting the back four could be an issue. At 31, the same issues Arteta has struggled with are not absent from his game as age sets in. over the years, he has developed a propensity to play out of his skin in the last year of his contract. Whether his body can provide him with the platform to do that once again is another thing. This is because in September when he scored two goals against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup, he was rewarded with a starting berth in midfield in the short absence of Coquelin against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium; he only lasted for twenty minutes, before he succumbed to a hamstring injury. His performance against West Brom when he came on, was not a disaster by any means, if the players in front of him had found their shooting boot, it could have ended happily for the French midfielder.

With Arsene Wenger confirming in his press conference on Monday that Coquelin will be out for at least two months, it means Mathieu Flamini will have that position to himself until his compatriot returns from injury. However, another option available to the manager would be the stationing of Aaron Ramsey in that position. The Welsh midfielder has been deployed there when Arsene Wenger has tweaked his tactics when searching for a goal, but Aaron Ramsey is not known for his discipline, as one of the strong points of his game is in attack, but his boundless energy could be important in that position if he is deployed there when he returns from injury.

Yet, it clear that no player in the Arsenal squad offers what Coquelin does, it is the balance he brings to the team that has made it flourish, and that balance is possible because he sticks only to the duty of protecting the back four while leaving the attacking side to other players.

Obviously, few would point to the failure of Arsene Wenger to sign an adequate back up in defensive midfield in the summer, but in hindsight, that cannot change anything at the moment. Although others would pin their hopes that the club would dip into the transfer market in January to address that problem.

For now, it is left to Arsene Wenger to fashion out a way that his squad can overcome the absence of the most important midfielder in the team for the next two months. With the squad already down to the bare bones after the current state of injuries, it will be down to how he manages the fit players that would determine whether they too do not breakdown.

Enyeama’s Retirement: Echoes of Oliseh From 2002

The premature retirement of Vincent Enyeama last week after he fell out with Sunday Oliseh brings back echoes of the premature way the present Super Eagles coach’s international career ended with the senior national team.

Although the situation in respect of Vincent Enyeama is different from what obtained 13 years ago, the underlining theme here is that both ended their time with the Eagles prematurely.

Sunday Oliseh was the captain of the team in 2002, a position he had held for a number of years at the time. That Super Eagles team was overflowing with talented players had struggled to qualify for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea in a group that contained Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan. The struggles of the team led to the sacking of Jo Bonfere who was the team's coach at the time.

As it’s usually the case, there was an upturn in this team's result when Shiabu Amodu took over as the chief coach, he eventually led the team to the World Cup after they pulled off an escapist act to turn the qualification process around. A result that typified the team's turn around was the 4-0 win over Sudan in Omdurman.

The team's resurgence saw it as one of the favourites to win the African Cup of Nations in Mali at the beginning of 2002. The team had agonizingly lost the finals against Cameroon in Lagos two years earlier. However, the team’s participation in the AFCON was plagued by disorganisation stemming from unpaid bonuses and lack of sync between the football house and the sports ministry. It was Sunday Oliseh who as captian stood up to challenge the authorities during the competition when he challenged the sports minister at the time, the late Ishaya Mark Aku.

After the heart breaking defeat to Senegal in the semi finals in which Wilson Oruma missed a penalty in extra time which hit the post. He would have tied the match at 2-2 if he had scored. Some key players had refused to take responsibility for taking that spot kick.

That match turned out to be the last that Sunday Oliseh played for Nigeria, as the Sports minister through the football house dismissed Shiabu Amodu and disbanded the Super Eagles. It meant that Nigerians were denied the opportunity of seeing a formidable team at the World Cup in Asia that year as Adegoye Onigbinde took an experimental team to the World Cup. And incidentally, it was through his experiment, that Vincent Enyeama came into team as he was plucked from Aba side, Enyimba into national limelight.

Sunday Oliseh knew what he went through in the hands of footballing authorities that ended his international career prematurely after he was denied the opportunity of playing in a third consecutive world cup. It was no surprise that a fall out with one of his players have also led to a premature retirement.

The present Super Eagles coach was used to falling out with the authorities as captain of the team over a decade ago, but for good causes it must the said, so the fall out with Vincent Enyeama brought back echoes of what happened in the early part of the new millennium when Nigeria had talented players that stood out every where.

With Vincent Enyeama gone after 103 caps to his name, he can boost of similar achievements to the present Super Eagles coach, both won the African Cup of Nations, and between them, they participated in five FIFA World Cups. Sunday Oliseh in USA 94 and France 98, while Vincent Enyeama was at Japan/Korea 2002, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.

There have been different things said about the premature departure of Vincent Enyeama from the Super Eagles, although he still had one international tournament in him, no doubt he was already winding down his international career with the team, a point he had reiterated several times. It is only a shame that he had to depart the way he did as the team could still have done with his experience especially in this embryonic stage of Sunday Oliseh's time as chief coach.

With the Lille shot stopper gone, the time is now for Carl Ikeme to take the reigns as the new first choice and judging by his stellar performance against  Tanzania in September in Dar re Salaam, he has enhanced his reputation. And with four caps already to his name, there is certainly more to come as he seems to have earn the confidence of Sunday Oliseh as the team's first choice goalie.

Will that be the Standard? Or it was a Stand Out?

The talk of response and lessons learnt has always been synonymous with everything Arsenal. Such talk of responses often comes after a bad result. So it came as no surprise that old clichés were copiously repeated after the win over Manchester United in the last round of Premier League matches. That win came after the defensive debacle that plagued the team in the 3-2 defeat to Olympiacos a few days earlier in the Champions League. The players led by Theo Walcott took turns to mention how the team needed to respond to an earlier defeat, while Per Mertesacker emphasised a renewed defensive focus from the team as a result of the defeat to the Greek champions.

This talk of responses has become a common trend after a defeat. The situation begs the question as to why the players cannot sustain a long period of consistency by building a momentum of results, instead of waiting for a defeat before they would play well in the next game.

There has been an uncanny knack of inconsistency and complacency from the Arsenal players. And it seems that the team's focus is determined by the calibre of opponents they are facing. If an opponent is a lesser team, there seems to be an unconscious complacency that creeps into the players that they only need to turn up to win such a match. The pattern of result this season has reflected this. This situation was reflected by the defeat to West Ham in the opening match of the season when the players simply did not turn up. Many would point to the fact that West Ham have gone on to beat both Manchester City and Liverpool away from home. Yet it did not cover for the insipid display that was that performance on the day.

The defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos owe much to a bout of complacency than the rotation that was blamed for those defeats.

With the key matches coming up after the international break, the question is whether the performance against Manchester United would be the standard for the rest of the season or it was just a stand out display that this Arsenal team is capable of once in a season? For all intent and purpose, the team can follow up that win against Louis van Gaal's side with a dire display against Watford this weekend. And the same team that has gone on to lose two of its opening group matches in the champions league can also go on to beat Bayern Munich a week on Tuesday. That is essentially the world of Arsenal, one littered with inconsistency.

Alot would ride on the ability of the team to stay switched on defensively for the reminder of the season especially in matches where they are expected to win on paper. Arsene Wenger's teams have seldom lacked the capacity to create chances; rather it is the capacity to stop leaking goals that has been an albatross for most of this team's life span.

Will an Arsenal team attach the same level of focus in a match against Manchester United, to a match against Watford?

The answer obviously lies in between which is where the manager comes in. It is Arsene Wenger who has to denounce the culture of complacency that has become a recurrent theme every season, where the nature of opponents determines the level of focus the team decides to accord a fixture. Wins against any opponents in the Premier League brings the three points irrespective of the opponent, so the level of focus should not be different, rather the same effort that should be geared towards winning against a lesser team should be given to a bigger team.

It would take detour from this maliase that has hunted Arsenal for seasons for this issue not to be revisited, because it has happened on more than one occasion this season, where the team needed a defeat to jolt them into action in the next couple of matches. Yet for a team that aspire to achieve great things this season, it must cultivate a culture of consistency and not wait for a defeat to a lesser team before coming out to mention a respond and renewed focus.

It was something Petr Cech harped on in an interview in his homeland last week when he mentioned that the team has to learn how to cut out emotional moments which causes a lack of focus, According to him, it was what caused the defeat to Olympiacos in the Champions League. Such emotional moments stem from losing focus or wanting to hurriedly get a match won which could lead to ball been given away that could cause an opposition goal.

The buck will never stop ending with the manager which is Arsene Wenger, it would take more than just repeated talks in the media about how his team needs to respond and focus for it to really attain anything near that. Talk has to consisten

Is Martial a Fruit or a Fluke?

Many have continue to revel over the performance of young striker Anthony Martial, the 19 year old French striker who assumed the position of the most expensive teenager in world football when he was signed on transfer deadline day, got his fourth goal in as many games for Manchester United in the 3-0 win over Ipswich in the League Cup on Wednesday. He had earlier scored a solo goal against Liverpool and a brace against Southampton in the Premier League.

The composure he has showed in front of goal is certainly something that belies his age. For a player that have only played just seven ninety minutes in his career before his arrival at Manchester United, he is certainly not showing it.

While it is still too early to pass a definitive judgment on how his long term prospect would be in the English game, the early signs are certainly positive, with the likelihood that he could reach double figures for the season before the turn of the year if he continues the current ratio of scoring.

There are certain things that academy coaches cannot teach young players, one of them is that natural instinct to be composed in front of goal. These are qualities that mark out players from their young age with those in the same age group. He has been compared to Thierry Henry in his homeland of France, because of his raw pace, and his composure in front of goal.

The consternation that followed the £36 million Manchester United paid for his services which could still rise, has gradually died down because of his performance so far. But it remains to be seen whether he can continue at the pace he has started with.

Many have been quick to point out other players that came on the scene and took everybody by surprise by their initial display, but later failed to live up to expectation. Federico Macheda has been mentioned in some quarters. The young Italian scored some key goals which was instrumental in Manchester United winning the title a couple of seasons ago, although he has since been fanned out of the club after failing to live up to expectation.

Yet it misses the point to compare both scenarios as many have done. Firstly, the two came from a different footballing background. Anthony Martial is already at a stage in his football development that many advanced players have not reached. He benefited from Monaco's policy of bedding in young players after they abandoned their short lived policy of signing big name players for big fees. With this, it means Martial has a measure of experience few young players can dream of. He already has several Champions League appearances under his belt, having been part of the Monaco side that got to the quarter finals last season.

No doubt the footballing education he received in his early age in France must have stood him in good stead in the early performance he has put up with since his arrival at Old Trafford.

Little wonder the vastly experience Louis van Gaal, who has worked with several young players in his career has already asserted that Martial is ready to play a major role in Manchester United's season.

The player is currently striving on the crest of what is essentially a low expectation because of his age. With Wayne Rooney the first choice striker at Old Trafford, he will not be an automatic first choice, but he provides a huge option from the bench against defences that are tiring, and he has already shown that he has the pace to anticipate certain situation as he did when he incepted a pass against Southampton to score.

While his signing was a huge gamble on the part of Manchester United because of the fee he commanded, few would be talking of that amount if he continues his scoring form. The fact that he would not be first choice, gives him the opportunity to develop under the radar and with the guidance of the experience Wayne Rooney. Besides, he still has time on his side to develop due to his age.

While Manchester United relied on the failed experiment of experience last season with Radamel Falcao, it is the fearlessness of youth that is currently reaping reward with Anthony Martial at the moment. It remains to be seen whether it remains a fruit that bears consistently.

Experience paved the way for Arsenal, but concerns persist

"We rotate a little bit but for me these decisions are the same because all the players have the same qualities." -Arsene Wenger before Wednesday's match.

Arsenal returned to winning ways after a gritty performance against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday at White Hart Lane. The unlikely hero on the day was the forgotten Mathieu Flamini, who got a brace to send the gunners to the fourth round where they will play Sheffield Wednesday in late October.

While Arsenal relied on moments such as Mathieu Flamini's quick reaction to score the first goal after Micheal Vorm spilled a shot from Oxlade Chamberlain, and the 20 yard shot in the bottom corner that settled the tie with 13 minutes to go, notable concerns still persist with the Arsenal team.

Arsene Wenger claimed that the qualities of his players are the same, but it has been obvious that on the evidence of certain display, some players are not at par with those that feature regularly.

While it is hard to be too critical after securing a hard fought win over what is Arsenal's local rivals, you cannot help but wonder what has happened to the likes of Mathieu Debuchy. The French international has been a complete shadow of the player Arsenal signed a year ago, as the ligament and shoulder injuries he picked up last season seem to have made him to lose every sense of positional ability he once possessed. He had complained during the last international break that he considered his future in the summer after Arsene Wenger opted for Hector Bellerin over him in the Community Shield win over Chelsea in August. But on the evidence of his three starts this season against West Ham, Dinamo Zagreb and Tottenham Hotspur, he has a long way to go to displace Bellerin as Arsenal's first choice right back. It is no surprise that Tottenham's first goal came after he failed to stay tight to Nacer Chadli, while in the Champions League against Dinamo Zagreb, he was too infield, thereby leaving huge space on the right. With the games coming thick and fast, he would have to rediscover his form for Wenger’s rotation not to diminish the quality of what his players can offer.

It was also evident that the game passed by Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman was played in the playmaker's role behind Oliver Giroud, but he was largely anonymous on the day. And it clearly shows that when Arsenal have had to deal with a side that press high up the field, the ability to retain possession is key, and players such as Aaron Ramsey have shown that he does not have the nous to retain possession, which is why Mesut Ozil is important to Arsenal's ability to retain possession in any match. Arsenal's inability to keep the ball was reflected in the possession stats which stood at 47% after the game. That the team had no outlet when they were pressed back only shows where the team is lacking. That ability to relieve the pressure from a high press is solely lacking from the Arsenal team.

The performance of Oliver Giroud did little to reassure the Arsenal faithful that he would regain his mojo soonest. If anything he continues to under whelm. Even though he was unlucky not to score after Vorm made a save.

While Arsenal has only played eight games this season, six in the league, one each in the Champions League, League Cup and Community Shield, what is obvious is that they have still not found their feet in the early weeks of the season. Alexis Sanchez could really do with a goal, as he has spurned some chances he would have put away last season, and concerns whether Mikel Arteta can cope with the high tempo game of certain opponents when Arsenal play without a double pivot in midfield remains. This is especially so, with the current injury to Francis Coquelin.

Yet, for all of the games Arsenal have played this season, there have been at least one chance or two to score. And the issue of scoring persists. There have been nine goals scored by Arsenal this season two each for Theo Walcott, Oliver Giroud and Mathieu Flamini, while Oxlade Chamberlain accounts for the other, with two own goals. But when the ratio of conversion of chances is considered, therein lies the problem. With a trip to the free scoring Leicester City coming up this weekend, one of Walcott and Giroud will have to discover their scoring boot one way or the other.

Beyond Diego Costa Was Arsenal good enough on the day?

The fallout of the tempestuous match between Chelsea and Arsenal at the weekend continued on Tuesday when the English FA revised the ban handed down to Arsenal’s Gabriel following the red card he got from Mike Dean. Instead, Diego Costa who was charged for violent conduct will now serve a three match ban. The former still has an improper conduct charge hanging over his head for which he has up still Thursday 6pm to response. Chelsea released a statement on its official site yesterday criticising the verdict of the English FA. But in hindsight, Diego Costa brought it all upon himself by his behaviour. However, the decision by the FA misses the point in respect of the abject performance of Mike Dean on Saturday. The referee admitted in his report that he did not see the incidence between Diego Costa and Laurent Koscielny for which Costa has now been censored.  Instead, Mike Dean’s performance has been rewarded as he would be in charge of the match between West Ham and Norwich this weekend. Since his decision was reversed, shouldn’t he have been censored for his performance?

While Mike Dean took centre stage at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, his refereeing distracted from the main theme on the day which was the performance of both Chelsea and Arsenal. the later play Warsall on Wednesday as they start the defence of the Capital One Cup they won last season, while Arsenal face a stern test in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

However, few column inches have been given to the performance of Arsenal on Saturday; instead the other sideshow took centre stage. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have not been convincing this season as the team as struggled for form especially in front of goal. Although many would claim that with the red card, a clear appraisal of what would have happened on Saturday after ninety minutes cannot be arrived at, yet Chelsea’s first goal came from a set piece which could have been defended better, the number of players on the pitch should not have stop the players from preventing Kurt Zouma from having a free header to give his side the lead. Defending set piece used to be Arsenal’s Achilles Heel in time past, and the goal on Saturday was the second time in three days that they had let in a goal from a set piece. Dinamo Zagreb’s second goal in the Champions League came from a corner kick.

With the injuries racking up for Arsenal, Arsene Wenger’s reticence to sign an outfield player is beginning to hurt his side, Francis Coquelin could be missing for a month. And the debacle that is the striker’s situation at the club is becoming more apparent, with Oliver Giroud and Theo Walcott still finding their feet as far as this season is concerned. The former has been particularly disappointing in front of goal with his knack for missing sitters, while Theo Walcott has not fared any better. It leaves Arsenal terribly short in the early months of the season. With Danny Welbeck, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere are long term injury absentees, the chance to change the dynamics of the team through the existing personnel is not there, while any long term absence for the tigerish Francis Coquelin would leave Arsenal in deep trouble in midfield as Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini cannot offer what Coquelin brings to the side in the middle of the park.

The performance of Mike Dean at Stamford Bridge was one thing, but the performance of Arsenal was another, the shocking display of the referee should not hide the fact that Arsenal were equally as poor as him on the day.

The team would have to find a way to reinvent itself in the coming matches starting with the North London derby on Wednesday, because Arsene Wenger and his team will not have a second chance of hiding under the performance of a referee. The players have to starting doing the talking on the pitch with their performance.

Arsenal: curious case of an opening day accident

When Arsenal lost 1-3 to Aston Villa in the opening match of the 2013/2014 Premier League season at the Emirates despite the fact that Arsenal scored first through Oxlade-Chamberlain, there was mass hysteria from sections of the fan base as the fans called on Arsene Wenger to dip into the transfer market to strengthen the squad with just Yaya Sanogo on a fee transfer as the only signing Arsenal had made at that moment.

But for all the outburst and reaction that followed that defeat three years ago, a situation that was heightened by the club’s lack of transfer activity at the time, that performance was still better than what Arsenal served up on Sunday August 9, 2015. The defeat against Aston Villa three years ago was littered with midfield and defensive issues as an axis of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey could not provide adequate defensive cover for the back four, and the sending off of Laurent Koscielny exacerbated the situation on the day. Yet that team showed some fighting spirit, and they had moments in that match. They took the lead on the day before they lost their way.

However, what happened on Sunday was a complete contrast of what transpired three years ago, there was absolutely no moment to speak off in the entire match, as unforced errors littered most of the match, players went about giving the ball away throughout the match. The performance was lethargic and at times even the basic act of passing to a teammate became an issue.

The tone for the match was set in the make up of the midfield where Aaron Ramsey started alongside Francis Coquelin in central midfield. And Arsenal struggled throughout to keep possession on that side of the pitch. It is difficult to decipher why Arsene Wenger decided to ditch a tried and trusted central midfield formation of Santi-Coquelin which was the foundation on which Arsenal’s renaissance was built on in the second half of last season? With the Spaniard absent alongside Coquelin before he was substituted, he struggled in possession as his simplicity of passing it short to Cazorla was absent as the decision to go long on several occasions led to passes going astray.  It was not a surprise that the midfield was largely dysfunctional for most of the match, as it was essentially a new partnership, as Cazorla was deployed on the left side of midfield.

The same situation played out last season when Arsene Wenger tried to play a 4-1-4-1 formation with Jack Wilshere in the middle, and Mesut Ozil shifted to the left side of midfield, it was a formation Arsenal struggled with in the opening part of last season.

The opponent on the day West Ham could not have been accused of parking the bus, as they played an expansive game as much they could. Arsenal gave the East Londoners a free reign to transit from their half of the pitch with the freedom of the Emirates without putting pressure on the ball or pressing their opponent. Whether the players thought they only needed to turn up to win on the day nobody knows as the performance was lacking in conviction and zest on all grounds without an ounce of urgency on the day.

Yet for all the lethargy that was on display on the day. It still does not legislate for why the defensive performance that was put up by the back four to be error strewn as if the players were trying to outdo Senderos in the act of how not to defend. The marking for the free-kick was poor to say the least, as Kouyate had virtually no player close to him as he had what was practically a free header,

Arsenal’s right side of defence was never convincing on the day. Mathieu Debuchy was still rusty and he showed why Hector Bellerin has kept him out of the side. The French international was largely off the pace and his crosses were not better either, He also gave the ball away on several occasions. And Per Mertesacker seem to struggle with Debuchy by his side as they have not played together in a competitive fixture for months, the last being the FA cup semi final against Reading. The former Magpie showed he was still not match fit with his poor display on the day.

While the last man of the defence, Petr Cech had a debut to forget as he was at fault for the first goal. He could have caught that ball if he had stayed on the line or at least punched it to safety, but rushing out meant there was no chance once he missed it.

Arsene Wenger described the result as an accident and stated his players were nervous. For all the talk of it being an accident, that was not an excuse for the team to lack creativity on the day, as the West Ham goalkeeper was practically on holiday for most of the match. The team could not build up any pressure as they were just disjointed.

The display of the team was typified by a passage of play that happened before the 85 minute mark after a West Ham attack had come to an end. Per Mertesacker brought the ball forward, and there was no midfielder that made himself available to pick the ball, and the groans from the crowd was audible as a result, Mesut Ozil eventually came to take the ball off Mertesacker, as just like the theme of the entire match, the long pass ended up with a West Ham player.

There has been talk of the team’s ability to bounce back from the opening day defeat, with reference made to what happened in 2013 after the opening day defeat to Aston Villa was followed with a succession of wins which eventually saw Arsenal at the summit for months. Yet the Premier league is different from three seasons ago, as there is little room for error as last season showed. The defeat was term as an accident by Arsene Wenger, who is to legislate that such an accident will not occur again?

The squad now have one week to interface and study the horror show that was the match against West Ham, before the visit to Selhurst Park where Crystal Palace is expected to give Arsenal a stern examination. The team has thrown its fan base back to cautious optimism after Sunday’s performance, and the oscillating blade of unpredictability and not knowing what to expect seem to have descended on the horizon once again as the clouds are now hazy, it would only become clear after what Selhurst Park will serve up this weekend.

Premier League Preview: Who can dethrone Chelsea?

                        

The English top flight returns on Saturday after a two months break. It seems like the time just flew by as the last game of the domestic season in England was the FA final between Arsenal and Aston
Villa in a sun bath Wembley in May. But the season begins again in earnest after a short break. A preview of the new season from the angle of the top five clubs in the Premier League.

CHELSEA

This time last season many tipped Chelsea to win the Premier League title because of the business they conducted in the transfer market. A piece of business that involved the capture of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Both players eventually played key roles as Chelsea rode to the title almost unchallenged on the strength of their strong start to the campaign. Although this summer, they have done little business in the transfer market, they still stand as overwhelming favourite to retain their title. The core of the side still remains, although it remains to be seen whether John Terry can retain is imperious form from last season which saw him play in Chelsea's 38 league matches. Jose Mourinho is still expected to bring in some signings before the transfer window shuts. The Stamford Bridge outfit had a missed pre-season campaign which saw them lost their last two matches to Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday and to Fiorentina on Wednesday. The departure of Petr Cech to Arsenal would reveal whether Courtois can maintain his impeccable standard without pressure with the Czech international no longer at the club.
The most important thing would be for Chelsea to keep Diego Costa fit as the 26 year old continues to struggle with recurring hamstring injuries. Its is doubtful whether Loic Remy or Radamel Falcao can offer what the Spaniard does. Yet, Jose Mourinho's side remain overwhelming favourite as they kick off their campaign against Swansea on Saturday.

MANCHESTER CITY

The citizens put up a limp title defence last season, the second time they have done so in four seasons. The future of Manuel Pellegrini was in doubt with just a year left on his current deal, but with a contract extension signed until 2017 on Friday, it quells any rumours of Pep Guardiola coming in next season at least for now. The Etihad outfit had a pre-season frost with defensive frailties, a situation that was the reason they struggled last season as Vincent Kompany was a shadow of his best form. They have cut lose certain attacking players with Stefan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko leaving for pastures new in Italy. Although, Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph were brought in to refreshen the squad. They are still expected to reinforce their attack with Sergio Aguero the only key striker left. Manchester City finished last season strongly with five wins in a row,
whether they can translate that to this season remains to be seen. West Brom are the opponents on Monday. And the two times they started their league campaign on a Monday they won the Premier League title.

ARSENAL

Arsenal have been installed as the team with the closest chance to challenge Chelsea for the title this season. Arsene Wenger's side finished last season strongly winning a second FA Cup in a row, they defeated Chelsea last week in Community Shield in a back to the walls performance. Yet despite the addition of Petr Cech which is a huge upgrade on the goalkeeping department at the club, there is still that niggling doubt whether the current expectation of a sustained title challenge can be translated into reality. They would expecting to avoid the pitfalls of last season where won just two of their opening eight matches, and ended up being out of
reckoning for the title in October. With West Ham the visitors on Saturday, a fast start is imperative if a title challenge will materialise. Wenger has opted for squad stability over signings, it remains to be seen how far squad solidarity can go this season with a renewed expectation around the Emirates.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Louis van Gaal starts his second season as manager at Old Trafford with the expectation this time that there should be a title tilt. The Red Devils have brought in exciting players in Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Memphis Depay. The departures of Robin van Persie and Angel di Maria seem to have put a damper on the business conducted so far. Although armed with £45million from the Di Maria sale, a
dip into the transfer market is inevitable especially defensive reinforcement. The Dutchman confirmed that David de Gea will sit out the opening match against Tottenham Hotspur. The Spaniard not being in the right frame of mind to play after continuous transfer speculation linking him to Real Madrid. With a Champions League play-off to negotiate against Club Brugge latter this month, Manchester United would be keen to build on last season where they finally returned to the summit of European football after a year's absence.

LIVERPOOL

Brendan Rodgers starts his fourth season as Liverpool's manager with a new pressure. This time the pressure is to finally deliver. The club has done huge business in the transfer market by bringing in players
that are of a different quality to the players that were signed in previous seasons. Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, Nathanel Cylne and James Milner should be key players for the Merseyside outfit in the new season. It remains to be seen whether the Anfield outfit can build on the signings they have made by starting the season on a good footing. the departure of Steven Gerard changes the dynamics at Anfield as their talisman carried them for so long during his time. While Raheem Sterling's move to Manchester City should add some spice to the ties between both clubs.
A lot would depend on how Brendan Rodgers' signing fare this time around, as the signings from last season did not inspire much confidence.
They return to the Britannia Stadium to play Stoke in their opening match, the scene of their 6-1 defeat on the final day of last season.

Arsene Wenger confirms Jack Wilshere's leg break

The reports which emerged on Wednesday that left many in the Arsenal stables lamenting not again that Jack Wilshere was facing a long time out after he suffered a hairline fracture of his fibula in training has finally been confirmed by the club.

Arsene Wenger confirmed the report swirling around when he spoke to the official club site ahead of the season opener against West Ham on Sunday.

"The information you have heard about Jack Wilshere is right," he said
"I had a bad surprise because it is a hairline crack in his fibula
that makes him a few weeks out.
"There is minimal damage apart from the bone damage – there is no
damage at all apart from that. It was a collision in training and it
was all completely accidental."

The injury comes at time the player himself was looking ahead to a new season with renewed vigour after he spent much of last season on the sidelines. It means his last two seasons have been puctuated by long term injuries, when this season is added, it becomes three seasons in a row that he has had to sit out a number of months, unfortunately for the 23 year old all these injuries have stem from a tackle.

Going by the fact that he does not need a surgery to fix the fracture, he is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks of the first months of the season, with two months the minimum.
It is indeed a setback for a player who has unfairly been labelled as injury prone, and after this latest incidence, which is purely down to bad luck, he would hope to again begin the difficult road of working his way back to fitness.

Jack Wilshere facing months out according to reports

 

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has suffered a hairline fracture to his left fibula reports English daily, The Mirror. If confirmed the injury is expected to keep him out for months.

Arsene Wenger had confirmed after Sunday's match against Chelsea that he was expected to be out for days, after he missed the match through injury. With this report of a long term absence for the 23 year old England international, it will come as another blow for a player who has been plagued by series of injuries since he broke into the Arsenal first team in 2009.

Last season he missed over four months after he injured his ankle following a tackle from Paddy Mcnair in the match against Manchester United in November. The previous season he was also injured on England duty in a friendly match against Denmark after a collision with Daniel Agger.

He has had an interrupted injury career so far at Arsenal. With another injury to his ankle following a tackle from teammate Gabriel in training, it again raises the question whether those ankles can take certain contacts through tackles as most of his injuries have stem from bad tackles to his ankles.

For a player who was looking to work his way into first team reckoning this season after injuries meant he is no longer first choice in central midfield, it would be a disappointment, particularly for a player who has spent more time injured in the last one year than playing actual football.

Arsene Wenger's first pre match conference will take place later this week when he is expected to give an update of the situation when he addresses the press.

Chelsea lose again

English Premier League champions Chelsea suffered their second defeat in three days after they fell 0-1 to Seria A side Fiorentina at Stamford Bridge in their final pre-season friendly before the start of the new season. The EPL champions were not at their fluent best as Jose Mourinho made wholesale changes to the team that started in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

Amongst those that came in from the start were Asmir Begovic, Radamel Falcao, two youngsters at full back, academy product Ola Aina at right back, Betrand Traore at left back, which is not his natural position. Both Mikel Obi and Victor Moses started the match, while Oscar and Rueben Loftus-Cheek, John Terry and Kurt Zouma were in the first eleven on the night.

Fiorentina got the only goal of the night in the 34th minute through captian Rodriguez, after putting in a rebound from a lose ball in the penalty area.

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have had an indifferent pre-season, losing to New-York Red Bulls, drawing with Barcelona, losing to Arsenal, before tonight’s defeat to the team that finished fourth in the Italian top flight last season.

While this piece explained the likely weaknesses in the Chelsea team and by extension its squad, this was obvious on Wednesday by the players Mourinho used to start in the full back positions. And the nature of the squad creates a picture where the first eleven represents a position of strength rather than the entire squad.

If the first 45 minutes belonged to Chelsea's second string, the second half saw the introduction of the players that will start in the Premier League opener against Swansea on Saturday, although they could do little to turn the tie around on the night.

Nothing can be read into results in friendly matches, as Chelsea will likely turn it around when the season starts in earnest. Though, with the season starting in three days time, the players seem to be feeling the effects of their long pre-season trips in America.

With Swansea the visitors this weekend at the Bridge, all will be forgotten as Jose Mourinho will look to begin the journey to retain the Premier League title his team won last season.

While the season opens, it is clear that the West London outfit would be looking to bring in some reinforcements in defence before the transfer window shuts on September 1st.

Chelsea line up against Fiorentina

Asmir Begovic; Ola Aina (Ivanovic 46mins), Kurt Zouma, John Terry (Cahill 46), Betrand Traore (Azpilicueta 46); Obi Mikel (Matic 46), Rueben Loftus-Cheek (Ramires 58); Victor Moses (Willian 58), Oscar (Fabregas 58), Juan Cuadrado (Hazard 58); Radamel Falcao (Remy 58)

Does Mourinho’s Chelsea have a weakness?

Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Arsenal was a rarity for Chelsea. The Premier League champions do not suffer lots of defeat, least of all to an Arsenal team managed by Arsene Wenger whom they were unbeaten against in 13 previous matches, before Sunday's match.

With the 2015/2016 season kicking off this weekend, Chelsea have again been installed by the bookies and football pundit as the favourite to retain their title. Prior to their triumph last season, the team already had an existing core of players, and their strength was a settled defence. The additions of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas was the principal reason they won the title as it increased their attacking efficiency, together with the displays of Eden Hazard, who won both players’ of  the year award for his performance.

However, with Chelsea's inability to put the ball in the back of the net against Arsenal, and the fact that they are a different team without Diego Costa, the question then is whether they could be said to have a weakness any opposition can exploit?

On the face of it, it could easily be said that the team lacks a weakness in his first eleven when everybody is fit. Although, the continuous use of Caesar Azpilicueta as a left back when he is a natural right back, despite his solid performance in his unnatural position could count as a weakness especially as he could find it difficult to cut out certain balls that is diverted to his weaker left foot. This was evident by the way Oxlade-Chamberlain moved the ball to his left before letting fly to score on Sunday. Being a right footer, his ability to adjust his body quickly enough could have affected his reaction.

That aside, the quality of the backups at Chelsea calls into question whether indeed there is no weakness in the squad. It was clear on Sunday that the dynamism and nonchalance that Diego Costa brings to the front line was missing. Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao had 45 minutes to show what they could offer in the absence of the big Spaniard, but both did little to suggest that they could be adequate replacement for him in the event that he was sidelined for a long period. It was evident that there were few crosses from Chelsea in the absence of Diego Costa, apparently, oblivious of the fact that those on the field do not thrive on crosses. The few crosses that came in were instead met by Ramires whose runs from midfield were not picked up.

In the absence of Diego Costa, Chelsea lacks a striker who can sufficiently offer what he would, and opposition defences are bound to breath easy in his absence.

During Chelsea's post season tour of Thailand and Australia in early June, Jose Mourinho claimed that few players were better than Ivanovic, Matic and Diego Costa in their position. And he went further to assert that his Chelsea side was the best.

When the players he mentioned while the team was away in Asia are taken out of the equation, it becomes a different side entirely.

For all of Chelsea's solidity as a unit and a well drilled and organised team that comes from the manager, the team still relies heavily on the individual brilliance of Eden Hazard to unlock certain teams. When the Belgian is not on song, Chelsea usually struggles. While the addition of Cesc Fabregas last season offered more opportunity for that burden to be shared, Jose Mourinho's pragmatism means he has had to sacrifice some flair to bring defensive stability to his team. With Cesc Fabregas struggling at times to have an impact when he is played in the No 10 role, it means Mourinho would have to deploy him more in a deeper role alongside Matic, where he would be more influential, and that has its own negative effect, as the team would not be solid defensively as he Jose Mourinho would want.

Little wonder that Oscar has gradually become more of an impact sub, rather than a first team player, as the manager has opted for the energy and defensive qualities of the tireless Ramires and Willian. Both might not offer the goal threat that Oscar offers, but they are definitely sure starters in Mourinho's team.

It does not come as a surprise that Ramires has often played on the right wing when another attacking midfielder is brought in because of the protection he offers defensively.

While those of Chelsea persuasion would prefer for the team to bring in a natural right winger, it is unlikely to happen, as Jose Mourinho has displayed a penchant for selling players who he feels offers little defensively while bringing in players that he thinks can do that just like Mo Salah and Andre Schurrle were sacrificed for Juan Cuadrado.

Chelsea have one of the smallest squad amongst the top teams, and the fact that they had the fewest injuries amongst the top six last season meant the size of the squad was not an issue.

However, it remains to be seen whether there would be another safety neat of a largely injury free season in the new campaign.

With the transfer window still open, Chelsea's reinforcement might likely be in defence, a position they are already solid in. The pursuit of John Stones from Everton is still on, as well as a left back to replace the departed Felipe Luiz.

As it stands, it is difficult to identify any clear weakness in Chelsea's armoury, except when Diego Costa is absent. The weakness is more in the squad than in the team (first eleven) itself, where there might not be adequate replacement for some key first team players in the event of injury.

Van Gaal gradually erasing Ferguson’s relics

With Rafael da Silva the latest Manchester United player to leave for pastures new following his move to ligue un side Lyon, his departure continues a theme of a high turnover of players signed during the Ferguson era who have left the club in the last 18 months.

This summer alone, Nani and Robin van Persie have since left for Turkish side Fernerbache. Last season, Danny Welbeck left Old Trafford for the Emirates. Darren Fletcher joined West Brom in January, Patrice Evra left for Juventus last summer, Javier Hernandez was sent out on loan last season; the injury he suffered few months ago means no club has come to sign him permanently.

Louis van Gaal has been ruthless since he assumed the manager’s position at Old Trafford. The way he dealt with the Robin van Persie was a case in point. He stated during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States that he told his fellow Dutch national during a golf game that he was not part of his plans. Little wonder the former Feyenoord striker is now out of Old Trafford.

In spite of the fact that some players that were key furniture of the Ferguson era have now left the building because they are clearly not rated by Van Gaal, some other important players signed by the Scotsman still remain part of the manager’s plans, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Micheal Carrick remains key components of the Dutchman’s team. The latter was offered a one year extension of his contract before last season ended after the existing one was due to run out this summer, while there are reports that Ashley Young is on the verge of signing a new contract.

Other players that Alex Ferguson signed that still remain part of Van Gaal’s plans are Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Antonio Valencia. The fact that the latter featured prominently last season came as something of a surprise to many, but with the signing of Italian right back Matteo Darmian he might suffer from limited game time this season.

Two other signings of the Scots era whose futures still remain up the air by contrasting fortunes are David de Gea and Jonny Evans. For De Gea, the club wants to keep him, but with one year left on his contract, and the fact that the lure of Real Madrid still lurks around, it is one that is expected to run between now and the end of the transfer window.

Jonny Evans’ case is different with unconfirmed reports that the club is open to sell him. He was reported to have been close to a move to Everton last month, but Roberto Martinez dismissed it as untrue.

As Louis van Gaal continuous to build his own team with several signings this summer, the departure of Angel di Maria will leave a measure of disappointment for the Dutchman, for his inability to get the best out of the Argentine winger, who is now expected to sign for Paris Saint Germain after just a season at Manchester United. With Barcelona winger, Pedro expected to arrive at Old Trafford, it could mitigate for the departure of Di Maria.

The temperament of United’s manager is clearly different from that of Alex Ferguson, he has shown that he has little patience to keep players who does not fit into his plans, irrespective of whether there is a chance that they could improve or not.

Though the Ferguson era is now history, that he was able to get the best out of players like Rafael da Silva, showed the Scots qualities. Since his departure, the young Brazilian who spent eight years at Old Trafford was not the same right back he was under Ferguson. Although there was some measure of technical ability lacking in most Ferguson’s teams, however, what they lacked in technical ability, they more than made up for it with a combined will to win all the time. Something the Scotsman instilled in his players during his time as manager.

With the relics of the Ferguson era gradually giving way in terms of signings as more technically gifted players are now being brought in, it remains to be seen whether the new signings would bring the same level of success the signings made by Ferguson brought to the club.

With more players of the Ferguson era expected to leave, the question of how the Scotsman was able to get players who many agreed where not the best technically, but performed consistently would continue to remain unanswered particularly as other managers have not been able to get the same level of performance out of the same players.