-
On Andre Villas-Boas Letting it Rip On Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail
It’s hard to say Andre Villas-Boas is safe after the 2-2 draw between Tottenham and Manchester United. However, not losing is always a source of relief when you’re under immense pressure, and scoring two goals is certainly a change for the better. Instead of somewhat taking it easy after the draw, the Portuguese manager decided to vent some pressure in the press conference after the match, directing his angel at Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail.
-
Romelu Lukaku – The Best Scorer Per Minute in the Premier League
A title that usually belongs to Javier Hernandez who isn’t getting too many chances this season has been taken over by Romelu Lukaku, who through his short time in the Premier League has taken over the best scorer per minute. Not just for this season with Everton, but in Premier League history for players with at least 20 goals.
-
FC Barcelona – Gerardo Martino Needs Neymar to be Like Lionel Messi
People are so used to see Barcelona win every match, that every loss, not to mention consecutive defeats, is a source for talks about crisis and falling apart. Like it or not, the Lionel Messi injury is something extremely difficult to deal with, even for a team filled with game changers like Barcelona. Neymar isn’t the kind of player who does things on his own, and that means Gerardo Martino needs to find real tactical answers before the situation gets out of hand.
-
Chelsea FC – Jose Mourinho Is Still Their Biggest Asset
Is making a switch into a 4-4-2 formation, playing that way for an entire half, that much of a stroke of genius? Yes, or at least it seems like it when you win. Chelsea took advantage of conceding a goal after only 14 seconds to fire back in an unexpected way during the second half, as Jose Mourinho made a change that his usually quite resourceful opponents couldn’t handle. Demba Ba being the spark of change might have been even more surprising.
-
Juventus FC – Fernando Llorente With a Championship Goal
It might be a bit too soon to crown the next Serie A champions, but there was something special about Fernando Llorente scoring a 90th minute goal for Juventus to give them the dramatic win in another lackluster display, which fit quite perfectly with the results around them, making it seem like it might once again be a Bianconeri season.
-
Liverpool FC – Luis Suarez Abandoned By Brendan Rodgers
Every once in a while Brendan Rodgers makes such a huge tactical blunder you can’t help but wonder if this Liverpool gig is a bit too much for him. Luis Suarez is talented, but even he can’t do it on his own against three central defenders.
-
BCS National Championship Game – Ohio State Deserve it More Than Auburn or Missouri
Even if the BCS isn’t a fair system, you at least expect it to be consistent. However, the mayhem of rivalry week suddenly means that Ohio State, who have gone 12-0 for a second consecutive season might be hurt by the prejudice against the Big Ten and the infatuation with the SEC, which will allow Missouri or Auburn, the surprising division champions in the conference, a ticket to the BCS national championship game, probably against Florida State.
-
Manchester United – David Moyes Has Only Wayne Rooney to Count On
It wasn’t luck that got Manchester United their draw at White Hart Lane, but it had something to do with it. Wayne Rooney continues the cycle of interchanging seasons, with this one being one of the best of his career through the first three months, although it’s not enough to make David Moyes look like a genius, which he isn’t.
-
Missouri Tigers – Biggest Surprise of The SEC
While the rise of Auburn in the SEC West is quite stunning, it’s even more surprising to see Missouri coming out with only one loss from the SEC East, a year after joining the conference and looking like a team that’s going to need a lot more time before they adjust to realignment. Their 28-21 win over Texas A&M puts them in the conference championship game, something no one would have imagined when this season began.
-
Houston Rockets – James Harden Finally Plays Like He’s Supposed To
At a very early stage last season, the Houston Rockets decided that Jeremy Lin isn’t going to be the team’s point guard, James Harden will be. The problem? Despite his impressive scoring performances, he time and time again played too selfishly for his designated role. After sitting out a few games and watching Lin from the sidelines, maybe Harden finally understood what it takes to lead the Rockets to the next level.