As if we've never been away...

Man On, your number one source for football comment, debate and probably some conjecture, is back. Inspired by the glorious football on display at the World Cup (Ha!), the opening weekend of the Football Leagues and at long last the Premier League, it has been deemed time to resume hostilities, and re-focus efforts back on to all that is holy with a bumper season-opening edition. Football - its like you’ve never been away…

Today will be dedicated to England’s number one league, and what better place to start than the contrasting fortunes of the gang’s newest members. Blackpool surprised everyone with a 4-0 thrashing of an extremely lacklustre Wigan, who, it is fair to say, surprised no-one. Last season the Latics were far from good enough, and were perhaps saved by the virtue of the unusually low quality of the teams at the bottom of the league. The same could be said of West Ham, Wolves and Bolton, all of whom stayed up despite failing to reach the supposedly ‘magic’ 40 points mark. The Hammers struggled on Saturday, away at ’crisis club’ Aston Villa, but should stay up with the managerial prowess of Avram Grant and importantly the retention of midfield dynamo Scott Parker. Wolves, in contrast, started impressively, with a 2-1 home win over Stoke, a team admittedly prone to homesickness. Bolton managed to shut out Fulham on Mark Hughes’ debut, and, similarly to the Hammers, seem to have made a shrewd enough managerial appointment last term to guarantee safety in this.

The other newly promoted sides, West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle, suffered more predictable fates. Both faced extremely tough away trips, and both, unsurprisingly, capitulated, 6-0 to Chelsea and 3-0 to Manchester United respectively. The first weekend of the season is the worst time to make predictions, and I wouldn’t dream of writing anyone’s (even chronic relegation fodder WBA‘s) chances off yet, but both of these sides look like they will at least be in and around the relegation dogfight come the end of May, and don‘t be surprised if any number of West Ham, Wolves, Wigan, Bolton and Blackpool are down there with them. Looks like a good relegation battle at least!

Other results this weekend included Allardyce’s Blackburn continuing their impressive form at Ewood Park with a 1-0 win over perennial slow starters Everton and Birmingham’s comeback from 2-0 down away at Sunderland. Steve Bruce got the traditional managerial criticism of officials off to an impressively early start, with some misguided and misinformed comments about rookie referee Anthony Taylor:

“The referee put himself under pressure. We’re a team from a tough working class area, the fans want a team which mirrors that but I believe Lee is victimised… the referee was totally inadequate, absolutely awful, and its cost us.”

Cattermole is a persistent offender, albeit a very gifted player, and his manager will be asked to explain his comments, a good thing as Bruce’s excuses ring a hollow tone. Furthermore, his suggestion that Taylor was taking charge of his first top flight game are simply incorrect, and he spectacularly failed to acknowledge the ridiculous penalty decision that put his side 1-0 up in the first place.

Finally, a quick mention of the final two games this weekend. Spurs versus City was a wonderful opening tie, a truly fascinating 0-0. Tottenham’s failure to capitalise on their periods of dominance might have cost them on another day, but City were disastrously blunt. Three holding players is not a tactic that can win the title, and Mancini needs to learn this, presuming the money men at the Middle-Eastlands are as ambitious as their chequebook suggests. Tottenham, for their part, looked exciting, dynamic and altogether reminiscent of last season (unsurprisingly!). Last, but by no means least, Roy Hodgson’s first league outing as Liverpool supremo. Reina’s last minute howler aside, the Reds looked organised, dedicated and as a result tough to break down. Exactly what the Anfield faithful will want and expect from a Hodgson side. Arsenal, so often cited as the archetype of free-flowing, attacking football, saw a glimpse of what life would be without Fabregas. The conclusion? No Cesc and Arsenal appeared impotent.

The loss of Song

    Happy new year one and all! I hope this finds you well, and not too hungover, especially as we have to wait until tomorrow for another dose of football. Anyway, let’s get straight to business. This morning I was reading an interview with Arsenal’s Alexandre Song. The Cameroonian midfielder has started to become an imposing presence for the Gunners this season. Wenger has been criticised in the past for failing to sign a ball-winning midfielder to counterweight the creative brilliance of Cesc Fabregas, and for selling Gilberto Silva and Lassana Diarra. However, it seems that in Song he has found the man ideally suited to protect his expansive back-four, exemplified by the Cameroonians man of the match performance at Fratton Park.

    However, Wenger is now faced with a dilemma. After their potentially tricky away trip to the Boleyn Ground on Sunday, Song will fly to Angola to join the  Cameroon squad for the taxing African Cup of Nations. With the Indomitable Lions one of the bookie’s favourites to reach the final, Song could potentially miss 5 crucial Premier League games, including away trips to the Reebok and Villa Park, and the visit of Manchester United to the Emirates. This, combined with injuries to Fabregas and Denilson, predictably leaves the Gunners somewhat short in the centre of the park. However, as the old cliché goes, as one door closes, so another opens.

    The door I am referring to opens for a young Welsh centre-midfielder. Aaron Ramsey has shown with his 3 League goals this season that he is more than capable of contributing to the Arsenal cause both going forward and in defence, and the 2009 Welsh young player of the year is perhaps the most promising player to wear that particular shirt since Ryan Giggs. Like the Manchester United stalwart, Ramsey is predominantly left-footed, but capable of wonderful control on either side. And where better for him to be learning his trade than at Arsenal? In fact, it is unlikely that he would have been given the chance to impress under any manager other than Wenger, but this policy of the Frenchman’s, to put his faith in youth, has paid dividends time and again. And I would bet that the next 5 games without Song will be just the chance that Ramsey needs, and that we may see him further showing off these sort of talents, as seen at Portsmouth last Wednesday. He is, in fact, somewhat reminiscent of Fabregas when he burst onto the scene in 2003 - slight of frame, but talented on either foot and with an exceptional eye for a pass. Ramsey is slightly older than Cesc was when he arrived, but this will undoubtedly work in his favour, as the Arsenal captain was unique in his ability to adapt to first-team football so early in his life. I predict that Aaron Ramsey will not only emulate Fabregas’ achievements, but has the potential to surpass even his hero, Ryan Giggs.