Every week, Sportsnet.ca will chat with Sportsnet 590 The FAN commentator Greg Brady about the big stories and issues in the Premier League, and preview the weekend’s games.
Swansea City made a major move this week when they fired manager Michael Laudrup. Did the Swans make the right decision?
I hated this move as much as any other managerial sacking in the BPL over the last few seasons. Considering it seems like we have five or six a season, that’s saying something! Swansea’s January had some remarkably bright moments. They ended Manchester United’s FA Cup hopes, then played them equally hard in a 2-0 defeat five days later. The endured a bump against Spurs in a 3-1 loss, but came back by advancing in the FA Cup at Birmingham City, before dominating Fulham 2-0 to kill any doubts about Swansea getting drawn into a relegation battle.
Not a bad month at all. So is this really all about that 2-0 loss to West Ham? Given Laudrup being so public in his criticism of his dismissal—even threatening legal action—and the fact he’s been banned from the grounds so he can’t even thank or say farewell to his former players, I’d suggest there’s more to this story. But from here Laudrup looks a man unfairly removed from his post.
That said, I don’t think it has too drastic an effect on the squad. They’re not that far behind last year’s pace, which saw them finish ninth. The one place it hurts: Their difficult home-and-home with Napoli that will determine a Europa League quarterfinal spot. The big clubs dismiss the Europa League, but to Swansea’s fanbase, to the players it’s great competition and for the club it’s solid income—and all three groups want the run to continue. Unfortunately I think they have less of a chance, not more of one, without Laudrup.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Liverpool vs. Arsenal (on Sportsnet 360, 7:30 am ET), Chelsea vs. Newcastle United (on Sportsnet 360, 9:30 am ET), Southampton vs. Stoke City (on Sportsnet World, 9:30 am ET) and Swansea City vs. Cardiff City (Sportsnet 360, noon ET). Also, watch Crystal Palace vs. West Bromwich Albion at 9:30 am ET exclusively on Sportsnet World Online | TV schedule
Is Newcastle United the same team without Yohan Cabaye? Is there anybody on the Magpies’ roster that can fill that creative void?
This is becoming an annual thing for Newcastle after Demba Ba went to Chelsea in the middle of the previous season, and it can’t sit well with a loyal fan base that’s already experienced a drop to the Championship in recent years. Those who cover Newcastle in the media also infer, and admittedly this can be so overstated sometimes, that Cabaye was as important in the dressing room as he was on the pitch. Newcastle has to be worse off losing the best midfielder they’ve had for the better part of a decade, and especially while flirting with getting back into the Europa League, or at least remaining in the Top 10 by the end of the season.
Alan Pardew’s got a tough decision: Does he replace Cabaye from outside Newcastle, or does he have a player on his squad that can fill the gap in for what’s already a strong, fast, and actually “big” team. Outside of the shock win over Manchester United in December, the Magpies haven’t surprised too much with their results, one way or the other. They’re in very tough at Stamford Bridge this weekend, and then a mid-week match with Nottingham. Getting no points in either fixture likely leaves them outside the Top 10 and wondering if their season will be viewed as a disappointment.
Andy Carroll is coming off a strong performance for West Ham, but picked up a three-match ban in the process. The Hammers sit in 18th place, so how much will the absence of Carroll hurt their survival chances?
It may not be saying much, but West Ham’s best run of their season (seven points in four matches) suggests they may not be doomed to their second relegation in five years. Carroll’s not going quietly, tweeting out “disgraceful” on his Twitter account—and he was hardly referring to his own behavior. That said, with West Ham 18th in the Premier League, it’s difficult to suggest Carroll has been an “unstoppable force” this season. The results have been few and far between, and inconsistency is a huge reason Carroll’s bounced from club to club so much.
It would be easy to say that because the matches Carroll will miss are against middling teams like Aston Villa, Norwich City, and Southampton, that it’s not the worst time to be missing him. But if anything, I’d rather he miss the all but forgone games against either Manchester club or Arsenal. The points against Villa, say, are there for the taking, and Carroll being out puts the pressure on Carlton Cole and Kevin Nolan to do Carroll’s job.
Arsenal visits Liverpool on Saturday. The Gunners are sitting on a slim two-point advantage over Chelsea and Manchester City. Can Wenger’s men see this out and win the title?
I’ve never believed Arsenal was going to hang in and win the title and yet I have to admit they’ve hung in longer than I’d thought. I’ve figured from the start of the season it’s either Man City or Chelsea. While pegging Arsenal to barely hold a Top 5 position looks a little harsh in retrospect, not many folks had Everton being so consistent, or had Manchester United being as banged up with injury and struggling so badly.
As for Arsenal, it’s all gone their way—and that’s both a credit to their perseverance, and to the work of Ozil, Ramsey, and Giroud and the very encouraging and, at times, electric play of Jack Wilshere. Walcott’s injury is obviously unfortunate, but for the most part, Arsenal has handled it and adapted with Wenger quieting many of his critics with a “plug-and-play” mentality.
The Gunners have a very tricky next few weeks, though, with potential emotional pitfalls everywhere. Bayern Munich looms in the Champions League then hosting Man United middle of next week, followed by Liverpool in what will be a great FA Cup battle. Wenger has to manage both expectations and energy reservese for his star players. They have huge games in the calendar’s shortest month. If Arsenal is even within two points off 1st place come the beginning of March, then maybe I have indeed undersold them.
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Manchester United hosts Fulham on Saturday. David Moyes drew headlines after last week’s 2-1 loss to Stoke City, claiming United were the better side and suggesting his team have been unlucky this season. Your thoughts?
There’s a crazy amount of “grey area” with David Moyes and Manchester United. You can argue he’s the right hire to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, while simultaneously noting that injuries Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney would have made life difficult for any manager with hopes for success in the Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League. You can note the players who have thrived this year like Danny Welbeck, and the gem that it seems Adnan Januzaj is. But then a stalwart Red Devil Nemanja Vidic decides he’d rather be at any number of other clubs next season and will depart this summer.
It’s tough for Moyes, because most people feel Vidic was destined to leave anyway after nearly a decade of battle after battle for Man United, but because it’s Moyes’ first year and because things aren’t going as well as United is used to, the optics suggest Vidic is abandoning a sinking ship. That’s hardly the case. I still expect United to finish no worse than fourth this season. That won’t mean he doesn’t deserve scrutiny or second-guessing—that absolutely comes with the territory—but Moyes is due a run of good fortune, and as many a sacked Chelsea manager can tell you over the last decade, even with the richest, most powerful clubs, you don’t always receive it.