Extra Time

Surprises have been the theme of the season so far, a bit more so than in earlier years, enough for me to acknowledge and praise it.  While the Premiership seemed Chelsea’s to lose, it now seems anyone’s title after the Blues dropped back to back games, for the first time in four years, in losses to Sunderland and at Birmingham.  To be fair, the latter have something resembling a fortress at St. Andrews; but Sunderland’s demolition of the defending champions, in a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, was sublime.  Suddenly, the team from West London that seemed invincible at home and imperious everywhere else, had been cut down to size in the most emphatic of fashions.

With Manchester United building a quiet head of steam, despite never quite looking convincing, and Arsenal still in with a shout; this season in England’s top flight seems the most open in years.  Casting one’s gaze further, one sees Manchester City and Tottenham still at large, with Spurs defeat of rivals Arsenal, at the latter’s own patch, one of the signal shifts of power this season, in both league and in North London.  Not one club has been able to maintain the consistency required for a prolonged tilt at first place and the 2011 Premiership campaign may be the one that no one seemed to want to win.  The season is far from over so expect plenty of more twists and turns.  Come to think of it, even Liverpool appear to be on their way back to the top eight.

 

Speaking of the Merseyside club, the recent, last minute acquisition by John Henry and NESV served as the double tonic of easing financial woes and injecting some fresh optimism into the ranks.  After a season of inept, stop-start football by the Kopites, Fernando Torres returned to display why he can be Europe’s most destructive striker, with a double salvo that saw off Chelsea at Anfield.  With no one, but mental gamblers and the most hardcore of Liverpool fans, giving the Reds any chance against the runaway leaders of the Premiership, Liverpool produced an efficient and composed performance to see off the Blues and earn some respite for beleaguered manager Roy Hodgson.

Although woefully out of his depth and lacking the charisma or stubborn bloody-mindedness required to drag Liverpool out of its misery, the affable Englishman has stuck to his guns admirably and gone about his work with an honest, quiet dignity rarely seen in top flight football.  Liverpool, post Henry, are still far from the finished article, but with a returning Torres, a restored Dirk Kuyt and a reassured Maxi Rodriquez, seem capable of taking points from most games as they begin a quiet ascent back up the table.

At the other end of the spectrum, time is surely up for professional football’s biggest hoax, Avram Grant.  Parachuted, due to his ethnic ties, into the Chelsea hot seat in 2008, after Jose Mourinho’s sacking, he rode on the latter’s system to almost nick a Champions’ League win.  Despite his quiet demeanour and Chelsea’s continued form, one knew that he was merely a front office mascot for an efficient team put in place by his predecessor and operated by coaches Steve Clarke and Ray Wilkins, both of whom have now left the club.  Witness and remember his shell shocked appearance before extra time during the Carling Cup defeat by Tottenham in 2009 as Clarke drummed up the troops and held a tactics brainstorming session.

A failed season at Portsmouth in 2009-2010 followed, another appointment based on connections rather than ability.  Relegation was a certainty, especially with a points deduction almost certainly dooming the club, but Grant’s touch was equal parts invisible and superfluous.  Football’s luckiest manager then got another chance, this season, with West Ham.  Once again, has ensured that the club mirrors his position, at the foot of the table.  Despite a decent playing corps, the club have been mired in the recesses of the Premiership all season.  At time of writing Avram Grant has spent almost an entire year in the relegation zone, first with Portsmouth and now West Ham.

One manager who has been incapable of riding in Mourinho’s slipstream, has been Inter manager Rafa Benitez.  Taking over the defending treble winners, despite the presence of money and post triumph euphoria, was never going to be easy.  However Rafa has managed to slowly destroy Inter’s confidence, dominance and general ability, as the team, nine points off the summit of Serie A and in danger of missing out on top spot in their Champions’ League group stage, are a pale shadow of Mourinho’s all conquering side.  There is little joy in Inter’s football, even less attacking verve or poise and the stale morbidity that had so characterized Benite’z unedifying final season at Liverpool, has returned with renewed passion on the blue side of Milan.

Mourinho himself, is quite enjoying his stint at Real Madrid.  There is renewed confidence, a sense of common purpose and omnipresent team spirit at the Bernebeu.  Whisper it quietly, but Real are now outside bets for both La Liga and the Champions’ League.

How refreshing it was to see tiny Brest sit atop the Ligue 1 standings.  Another coup for parity in France’s top division, fans must still be rubbing their eyes in shock, having seen St. Etienne, Stade Rennes and Toulouse all occupy the top spot so far.  Puerile synonyms aside, the newly promoted club have been a handy outfit, welding the talents of local French players with a smattering of foreign imports as they slowly built momentum and headed up the table.  Coach Alex Dupont has performed miracles with the small club from the North Western corner of France and will surely be snapped up by one of the bigger clubs, if Stade Brestois continue their fine form.  Montpellier and then Lille may well become the latest clubs to assume the summit, as the top of the table rotation continues.  This set of musical chairs may well bemuse followers of most leagues, but is a welcome change to most neutrals, as they hope Ligue 1 can prove that parity is not just the preserve of the German Bundesliga.