PL Gameweek 5 🎮⚽

Who’s worse: Man Utd or Chelsea? 👎😬⚔️

Listen while reading? 🎧🎵

I’ve set it to play on loop ♾️

1. WOL 1-3 LIV
2. TOT 2-1 SHU
3. MUN 1-3 BHA
4. BOU 0-0 CHE
5. Others
6. Naughty Nunes 🐺🟠
7. Testing Arteta’s Mettle
8. The Ronaldo Headache 🇵🇹
9. Fantasy 🔮
   • Other Thoughts
10. AI Summary

WOL 1-3 LIV

• Liverpool’s first half lacked both solidity and creativity. That first half was almost a relegation performance.
  
  
• MacAllister had a shocker. Could be due to the intensity of the South American international break, which is notoriously tougher than Europe’s.
  
  
• Still yet to see Endo for Liverpool, in a proper game with 10 men. Europa League, maybe. We still have not been able to assess Endo in the Premier League. Will he play against West Ham next week? Even though he’s the only CDM, he would need to compete with Jones, Gravenberch and Elliot for a spot. Klopp has been trying to work around with not having a traditional no. 6, which is very unorthodox. I’m not sold on this practice, though results so far have been fine.
  
  
• I don’t think that long-term, Liverpool can get away with not having a proper right-back in the first team. I don’t consider TAA a proper right-back, as he is a worse defender than most midfielders and has been inverting in possession recently. Gomez filling in at right-back can only be a stopgap measure. The way TAA has been playing and defending, it feels like right-back is not his natural position, and that he has been shoehorned there and wants to escape that position when he can. I don’t think he enjoys playing the traditional full-back role.
  
  
• Jota, playing at left-wing, was poor. He may only get starts in the Europa League in the near future. He just doesn’t cut it as a winger. For Wolves he played as a more narrow forward in a 3-4-3 system, and he did not get much G/A anyway. Jota played left-wing at times for Portugal, and his performances were not stellar. Unless chasing a goal, I wouldn’t put Jota at the wing. There are no ‘Luxembourg’s in the Premier League. Jota chips in with a good goal now and then, but his all-round game is not good enough to hold his own. I think Neto is better than Jota. He already has 4 assists in 5 games this season.
  
  
• Salah has lost a lot of his goalscoring edge and explosiveness, and he’s changing his game to be more of a creator. That is a good change, as it dovetails Nunez better.
  
  
• Liverpool, 5 games in, have already won 3 from losing positions. I’m not sure if this is a good sign, but we definitely need to stop conceding first.

TOT 2-1 SHU

• Optimism was high among the Spurs faithful, as their manager and talisman picked up Manager and Player Of The Month awards, the firsts of the season (so did Nuno Espírito Santo 🤭).
  
  
• So buoyant Spurs are, that little did we expect Son, Maddison and Spurs to struggle, and even concede first at home, against the run of play. Even more extraordinary was the man who won the game. Richarlison had been heavily criticised for poor performances, getting dropped in the previous gameweek. In the international break, he too failed to score, and was seen crying in Brazil’s dugout after being substituted. He even publicly announced his desire to see a psychologist. But he turned up with a goal and assist to inspire the latest turnaround, and latest winning goal, in Premier League history. (The record for the latest winning goal was previously held by Bruno Fernandes’ infamous penalty after the full-time whistle, against Brighton. Not a fair comparison, as injury time computation has since been updated.)
  
  
• Another less noticed, but to me quite insane occurrence, was Perisic’s assist for Richarlison. Who uses their weak foot to take a set piece in the 98th minute, down a goal? I at least have never seen it before (Santi Cazorla has done it before). And Maddison was on the pitch!
  
  
• Man of the Match: Richarlison’s therapist
  
  
• It was a close shave which could scarcely been any closer, but Spurs remain unbeaten. The results have been good so far, but the real test is next week, during Postecoglou’s first North London Derby at the Emirates. Will he get his first loss, or sink Spurs’ bitter rivals? Arsenal are a stronger team, but they play an extra game before the derby.
  
  
• In midweek Perisic was reported to be out for almost the whole season. It’s so severe his aim is to be back for Euro 2024. He’s a great professional, but sadly the implications of ageing are ineluctable. Can expect to see more of the young Solomon.

MUN 1-3 BHA

• Man Utd looked listless and unmotivated towards the end of the game.
  
  
• Reguilon looked good. He was virtually the only positive for Man Utd. He attacks better than Luke Shaw. He’s not the inverting type though, which is so in vogue among top Premier League teams.
  
  
• A team that sold their best goalkeeper and 2 best midfielders schooled the biggest spenders in sports history in their backyard. Surely this must be a crime? Ten Hag’s post-match comments were scandalous! He accused Brighton of spending a lot, though their starting XI was signed for a combined 18M! Ten Hag has spent almost 400M (net) since his arrival. Ten Hag has had a big say over transfers—many of the incomings during his time are his protégés. Eriksen, Onana, Lisandro Martinez and Antony have Ajax links. And it’s not as if Ten Hag inherited a weak squad.
  
  
• Man Utd started the game without a right-winger. Pellistri came on with only a few minutes left. Well, Man Utd’s right wingers are better at attacking off the field (a reference to domestic abuse🥊).

BOU 0-0 CHE

• First 0-0 of the season.
  
  
• If Chelsea had a good striker, I can easily see them having at least 4 wins by now. They need to pick themselves up in the next 3, before a nightmare run of fixtures. Broja and Nkunku still injured. Otherwise Jackson has to be dropped!
  
  
• Hard to fathom that Bournemouth had a better bench than Chelsea. Even without a net spend of 600-700 million in the past year, Chelsea’s bench is appalling. They won the Champions League just 2 years ago!
  
  
• Deploying Colwill at LB instead of Chilwell was very questionable. Chelsea have two 50M left-backs. Use one of them!

Others

• Man City have adapted to life without De Bruyne so quickly. It feels like the team doesn’t need him at all. Pep Guardiola has even been injured and undergone surgery in Spain during this period. Doku has fit like a glove and is more incisive than Grealish. Rodri still involved in attack despite the absence of Kovacic. He created 2 big chances. Rodri has somehow managed to improve his game, which didn’t seem possible because of how good he already had been.
  
  
• Interesting quote from Kyle Walker: “Bernardo Silva has such a good relationship with the manager that when we want days off, we ask him to go and talk to Pep.”
  
  
• Aston Villa under Emery is really good against weaker sides. They always seem to win convincingly against mid to lower table opposition. They left it late against Crystal Palace, but the ultimate scoreline reflected the xG. But they’ve also been trounced by Newcastle and Liverpool. They need to find a way to offer better resistance against top teams. Though this may not be a priority, as they eye the UECL title.
  
  
• Arsenal dominated Everton, but struggled for chances. A midfield block of Onana, Doucoure and Gueye sounds like a stubborn midfield to break down. Fortunately for Arsenal, they have a great finisher in Trossard. Trossard has showed up for Arsenal ever since he was signed.
  
  
• Arteta gave Raya his first start. It seems like he’s the preferred option now. I think he’ll start the North London derby. Ramsdale faces an uphill task to reclaim the No. 1 spot, and to put himself in contention for the England starting keeper. The Euros are at the end of this season. Looks like there will be fierce competition between Raya and Ramsdale.

Naughty Nunes 🐺🟠

With De Bruyne injured and ageing, and the Paqueta deal falling through, Man City turned their attention to Nunes. Nunes got his desired move, but it took a bit of foul play on his part in the process. Nunes stopped showing up for training. He effectively went on strike and committed AWOL.

Predictably, his actions were denounced by people and the media.

He should not have done that. It was unprofessional. He has a contract and is getting paid by Wolves. What a bastard. I hate players like this. Players nowadays…

These sentiments are perfectly valid. So are Nunes’ actions, if we take a moment to consider his position.

Football is a fickle sport, volatile and impermanent. Very unpredictable, on and off the field. Throughout the year, new targets emerge for clubs’ transfer departments. Additionally, the transfer process is not straightforward. There are many elements at play. Things can, and do go wrong. Recall De Gea’s move to Real Madrid, foiled by a faulty fax machine. The Fekir to Liverpool saga lasted forever, and the process almost went to completion, until it collapsed supposedly because Liverpool’s medical team were not satisfied with the state of Fekir’s knee. Fekir later opened up on the failed transfer, and attributed it instead to problems with his agent and adviser. More recently, Palhinha’s transfer to Bavaria was done. He had even completed his media duties for Bayern Munich in their kit. But Fulham called off the deal because the replacements they targeted rejected the London club. Transfers can be a mess, and that’s if a club you desire covets you in the first place.

Nunes is 25 years old. Players’ appeal drop rapidly as they approach 30. Players like Modric and Thiago Silva are rare. Furthermore, Nunes and his team of advisors are aware that Nunes is not even Man City’s primary target. They wanted Paqueta, only going for Nunes after that deal fell through.

Loyalty may be valuable, but in football, it’s not very rewarding. The big clubs have too impermeable an oligopoly over trophies, stardom and big contracts.

Kane conducted himself in practically the most professional way possible, and is yet still so often mocked for not having trophies, even though he’s an MBE, England captain, and a very good player. Kane is constantly taunted for his enunciation too. Gerrard was one of the world’s best midfielders. But even now, as a manager, he endures mockery over his lack of Premier League titles during one of Liverpool’s worst eras. If Modric had stayed at Spurs, people may talk about “a wasted career”, no matter how good he may have performed. He’s the only player to have won a Ballon d’Or during the Messi-Ronaldo hegemony. And he plays for Croatia, and is not even an attacking midfielder! Zaha was linked to big clubs every season, until he grew old, then went to Galatasaray, as Crystal Palace introduces a new generation of players.

Similar to this, players are averse to the risk of spending the rest of their lives after their short playing careers regretting lost opportunities, when they believe they are of the quality to fight for a place, or at least raise their own stock, in the XI of their prospector. A big club may only come knocking on your door once in your whole life.

Joining Man City has an added bonus. You get to work with Pep Guardiola. Players work with coaching staff every day. They know the impact a good manager has on their development. They would have heard of, and can discern what managers like Guardiola have done for their charges. Playing and training with better players tend to enhance players’ improvements too.

Working with a top manager, and playing with a top team increases Nunes’ stock. His chance of being wanted by Real Madrid or Barcelona, or being given a huge offer by Saudi Arabia in his later years increase. He gets a higher chance of being a key member of the Portugal team. He acquires more Instagram followers and likes. This last motive may sound relatively frivolous, but I’m sure that many of these 20+ year old players care.

Nunes (and his personal advisers) undoubtedly knows he’ll be lambasted by popular opinion, and can probably estimate the extent of the backlash quite closely. It’s a cost he’s willing to bear, as he thinks it worthwhile.

Testing Arteta’s Mettle

Arsenal have 7 games in 21 days. While making a very realistic push for the league title last season, Arsenal neglected their cup competitions and finished their breakout campaign trophyless, to the ridicule of many rival fans. With Man City still as likely as ever to win the Premier League, and Arsenal strengthened and matured, surely the Londoners will adjust how their focus is distributed. The mark of a truly strong team is their ability to go far in multiple competitions.

How will Arteta rotate his players? Interestingly, Arteta criticised himself for not having the courage in the past to substitute his goalkeepers during a game. But this practice is completely unheard of. Arteta is probably aspiring to invent a novel, radical approach to football tactics and management. The next few weeks could reveal how Arteta has developed as a manager. Will Arsenal be able to manage? They have been accustomed to playing mid-week Europa League matches, and are favourites in their Champions League group. But Timber, Partey and Martinelli’s injuries don’t help.

The Ronaldo Headache 🇵🇹

Almost 2 years since his sacking, Solskjær opened up about the issues he faced during his managerial stint.

Solskjær: “Bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back was a decision that was difficult to turn down and I felt we had to take it, but it turned out wrong”.
“It felt so right when he signed and the fans felt that at Newcastle game, when Old Trafford was… rocking!”, via The Athletic.

(See what I wrote about Premier League clubs signing superstars here.)

Ronaldo’s signing was a failure. It’s not due to his declining ability. Based on footballing prowess alone, he certainly can make a case for his inclusion in the squad. He still has something to offer at the top level.

But it’s poor management to re-sign an old superstar for a team that has been struggling to rebuild for years. Did Man Utd consider the player’s personality and effect on the dressing room? They definitely did, but probably miscalculated. Maybe the management thought it was outweighed by the commercial impact and feel-good effect at the club.

Having a Ronaldo in the squad poses all sorts of headaches due to his unparalleled stature in the sport. At his age and level, he wasn’t going to start every game. But not starting him places added scrutiny on the manager, and reduces tactical flexibility. It affects other players’ games. Teammates like his compatriot Fernandes will be pressured to give in to his demands for the ball, or more generally, adapt to his play style. Maybe the management did not manage Ronaldo’s expectations well while negotiating the transfer and easing him back into the club.

There may have been some soft-heartedness on Man Utd’s part. Ronaldo wanted to leave Juventus and, after being relatively out of the limelight in Italy, saw a return to the Premier League as an opportunity to reach greater stardom and attention. Alex Ferguson was allegedly involved in the transfer dealings. Surely they cannot refuse their most successful home-grown legend and most celebrated manager? This could result in negative PR. But sometimes the difficult decision is the right one.

Ronaldo hampered the rebuild of the Man Utd team. After Ronaldo’s unpleasant departure from the club that nurtured him as a boy, he was a free agent for several months. No European team felt they could deal with him. The risk of PR scandals and media controversies was too much. On hindsight it was undoubtedly the wrong choice for both club and player. Both parties will not look back at their time together in a positive light.

Fantasy 🔮

The FPL gods had a laugh this week.

• Son, Maddison and Udogie blanking against Sheffield United at home.
  
  
• Haaland missing 5 big chances.
  
  
• Sterling, Jackson and Chilwell (got picked over a centre-back) blanking and picking up yellow cards at Bournemouth.
  
  
• Rashford and Fernandes blanking at home, against one of the statistically worst defences in the league so far this season.
  
  
• Brighton scoring 3 and Mitoma getting nothing, Estupinan benched for Lamptey (who’s not even a left-back) who got 2 assists. Joao Pedro benched again, but scored.
  

This was a horrible week of FPL for me.

Other Thoughts

• Chilwell got benched, but I will still hold him. I believe he’s still first-choice LB (even after the Colwill LB experiment). I always prefer attacking full-backs to centre-backs.
  
  
• Will look to get Salah and Alvarez in. Both of them are scorers and creators. Guardiola said Alvarez is “undroppable”. Hope he means it this time. After the mid-week Champions League game, Guardiola said Grealish and Bernardo Silva are injured. Surely this means Alvarez starts during the weekend.
  
  
• From a certain perspective it might have made sense to transfer the captaincy from Haaland to Maddison. Man City have a tricky trip to the London Stadium; Spurs play Sheffield Utd at home. But West Ham have conceded a lot of xG, even to Chelsea whom they won 3-1. Sheffield Utd did not do a bad job of keeping Man City out in GW3. Haaland captainers could have pulled away with a devastating gap from non-Haaland captainers.
  
  
• Kulusevski notched the 2nd-highest xFPL this GW. A viable route into the Spurs attack? Much cheaper than Son, and he has hit it off when in form. Rotation with Johnson is a worry.
  
  
• Jackson is an FPL fraud. He has been outscored by 4.5M Archer and Semenyo. He’s the main reason why Chelsea are massively underperforming their xG, and Sterling his xFPL. He gets a lot of BPS deducted from missing big chances, and keeps racking up yellow cards.
  
  
• Also: How is Ward-Prowse still getting returns? Regression to the mean hasn’t kicked in?! Or will he tick along throughout the season? What story does his underlyings suggest? Are his perennial returns sustainable?

AI Summary

Prompt:
Summarise this post

Response:
In this post, the author discusses various topics related to recent Premier League matches and fantasy football. They analyse individual games, including Liverpool’s performance, Tottenham’s comeback win, Manchester United’s disappointing loss, and Chelsea’s goalless draw. The author also dives into a story about Naughty Nunes, a player who went on strike to secure a move to Manchester City. They touch on the challenges faced by players in navigating the transfer process and the pressure to join top clubs. Additionally, the post explores Arsenal’s upcoming fixture congestion and the test it poses for manager Mikel Arteta. The author concludes with their frustrations in fantasy football, highlighting unexpected player performances and discussing their future transfer plans.

The AI knew Arteta’s first name but not Matheus Nunes’. Another reason to leave Wolves 😉