So, when Manchester United lost to Tottenham and Man City Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was going to be stepping aside for the Mauricio Pochettino, wasn’t he?
It’s amazing what seven days in football can do. City fans have probably seen Peppy G tearing his hair out in a Manchester Derby at the Etihad for the last time and will probably be hoping that Angelino doesn’t play in too many more either.
What is it with City and left-backs? It’s a worry when the only United player that could probably get a regular game for Pep Guardiola’s lot is Ashley Young.
Isn’t it about time Solskjaer started getting some proper credit?
He’s out tacticed Pep, Jose Mourinho, Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Jurgen Klopp this season. OK, he’s also got it very wrong a few times but there’s only so many different colours you can paint a bad bathroom before you find yourself in B&Q buying a whole new one.
United had a plan and it worked over 90 minutes. Sure, it was fairly basic – get it into the quick lads up top as quickly as possible, but it worked.
For much of the match, Daniel James and Marcus Rashford made it almost a credible argument that they have had better starts to their United careers than Cristiano Ronaldo – hey, I said almost credible.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka won his duel with Raheem Sterling, James made Angelino wish that City hadn’t used that buy-back clause from PSV and it looks like Gareth Southgate might be on to something where Kyle Walker is concerned.
And, finally, VAR did good in awarding a penalty that should have been given in the first place. City will be wondering if they are Aston Villa in disguise.
Now 14 points is the gap between City and Liverpool. 14 points. If Liverpool lose the next five and City win the next five, then City would be top of the table and, honestly, can you see that happening?
That said, Leicester aren’t slowing down either. The last time Jamie Vardy scored eight games in a row something pretty special happened (although nobody else seemed to want to win the title that season).
Tyrone Mings thought it would be a good idea to try and defend against Vardy with a done hamstring, and it didn’t end well as Leicester’s number nine scored the kind of goal that tells you things are going his way.
Leicester are now six points ahead of City and are even getting a tune out of Keleachi Iheanacho – not many have done that. Plus Brentan has a new deal, could it be better for the Foxes?
Well done, Big Dunc. Now it’s time to step aside. It’s not going to get better than that, mate. Not that I am one to tell Duncan Ferguson what to do, he is slightly bigger and slighter harder than me. But he really should call it a day now, hero cult status fully intact.
Arsene Wenger called it ‘emotional doping’ way back when Newcastle appointed Alan Shearer to save them from relegation – it didn’t work and Arsene was right, appointing a manager purely based on some kind of weird emotional thinking due to a connection with a club is crazy thinking.
But, for those couple of games where Ferguson can get away with a 90s style, dogs of war, 4-4-2 up and at ‘em approach – fill your boots, Toffees.
CAS might be tempted to overturn their decision to reduce Chelsea’s transfer ban after their performance at Goodison Park – after all, they clearly felt Frank Lampard’s team had benefitted from not being allowed to spend any money and wanting to really punish them by allowing them to potentially ruin a good thing in January.
Everton were expectedly up for it – and you can’t be too far from the truth if you think Big Dunc’s team-talk was something like, ‘you’d better put on a performance or it’s David Moyes next!’
The first goal of the interim reign could have been scored by the big man himself – the perfect cross met by Richarlison who, once again, showed he can play a bit if he isn’t pretending to be injured. Despite the Toffee’s scoring three, easily the best moment was Craig Pawson saying Christian Pulisic’s foul throw late on was ‘the worst throw-in I’ve ever seen’ – one for the lipreaders amongst us.
Eddie Howe really, really doesn’t want the Everton job, clearly.
Losing 3-0 at home to Liverpool isn’t going to endear the Bournemouth manager to the club he has supported as a boy, even if the three-goal margin suggests he’d fit in just fine. Another weekend, another Liverpool win.
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Mauricio Pochettino turned Moussa Sissoko into a defensive midfielder. Jose Mourinho, just because he can, is turning him into a goal-scoring one as the Frenchman scored for the second Premier League game at home in a row.
It was a sensible plan for Spurs to score as many as they could as quickly as possible before they started to let in the elementary goals that would spark confidence in the opposition – it turns out that five is enough for the other lot to down tools and not score twice.
And what a five they were – Harry Kane setting the tone before Sonny started running from his own half and only stopped because he scored.
Brighton and Watford treated us to all their good stuff in a short space of time in the first-half. Two managers who should be in demand, given the state of some clubs right now. But why would they leave when they both seem to be on a good thing where they are?
We’ve already said that Solskjaer has had a good week, but what about Steve Bruce? Newcastle left the City match unscathed, beat Sheffield United in the week and saw off Southampton yesterday – Bruce is 10th in the league. That’s better than Rafa, no? Is it too soon to start suggesting that Mike Ashley does know what he is doing?
It says here Andy Carroll floated one in for Jonjo Shelvey to head home – are we sure they’ve got that the right way round?
Someone else who knows what they are up to is Chris Wilder.
Sheffield United are now 17 matches unbeaten away from home, stretching back to last season. They won 2-1 on the road at Norwich having been behind – both Arsenal and Everton need a new manager don’t forget.
Watford have opted for Nigel Pearson as the man to keep them in the Premier League. I think that means that if he keeps them up we should all go big on Leicester City winning the league next season – that’s how it works, isn’t it?
Pearson was in the stands as his new side held Crystal Palace to a 0-0 draw at Vicarage Road. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your opinion of Pearson, the contract was signed before he was subjected to one of the worst matches of the season.
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