FOX Soccer's lead analyst reflects on the Premier League weekend.
We had some spectacular games and a lot of excitement in Manchester this morning, and I can tell you that these are the kind of days that really make you thrilled to be a part of this sport. We learned a lot about both Manchester teams; we saw what happens in a game when a referee loses discipline; and on a personal note, it was super to see Newcastle get an important win.
1. City silenced everyone.
Let’s start with City. This really was a magnificent day for them. People had questioned their credentials and I think today they shut everyone up. This wasn’t just a case of beating United but humiliating them. That is something that United and Sir Alex will neither enjoy nor accept.
Mancini deserves a nod, and I’ll get to him in a moment, but for me this was about the players. I say that because I’ve been there: there’s a sense you get in a game when all of a sudden you look at your mates and you just feel it is going to happen. Remember, United looked good for about 20 minutes, and then all of a sudden, you could tell that confidence and that personality just came right up from City. United didn’t have that steel, and it started with the English guys down the spine — James Milner, Gareth Barry, Micah Richards and Joe Hart — sensing the kill.
David Silva is the most influential player in the game right now, and you can see why. Even when it was 2-0, 3-0, he’s still tracking back, still making the tackles and showing that he is a real team player. He was just magnificent today, working so well with Milner and projecting that aura of confidence. Yaya Toure: phenomenal. His movement is superb, he’s making the runs and just right through there City was better in every way.
But the man who I think really turned a corner today was Mario Balotelli. Now, we all know about the antics with the fireworks in the bathroom this weekend, but what he did with the goals — and then his celebration — I think that made a statement. He turned himself from a player who seemed troubled, with this bad-boy image, into a hero. I think that shirt showed he has a sense of humor, and I really think that endeared himself not just to City fans but to soccer fans. Look, we like character and personality in this game, and we like a player who can take a joke. That spoke volumes about how he’s changed and matured.
And Mancini saw that, and did the right thing. He kept three in the middle, and just told Balotelli to go right at Jonny Evans, who was simply no match. Balotelli bullied Evans, played him all game long.
2. United have to face up to facts.
Now, I think United have shown themselves to be among the best in the world under Ferguson when it comes to bouncing back quickly, and they have a fixture list coming up that will give them that chance. But long-term, this has to raise questions that the team must address: Against the higher-level teams, United are giving away cheap goals.
Look at the Champions League, where they give away three to Basel; look at Stoke where they gave a goal away cheaply; and then look at today. It speaks for itself. I don’t want to pick on individuals, but the fact is the players know what’s going on, and they have to step up.
Not having Vidic was massive. I think he comforts everyone with his presence, and you can just tell that when he is not there, it unsettles Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra a bit. There’s a lot of responsibility on Vidic’s shoulders — so when he isn’t there, you see the misunderstanding and the lack of chemistry. You can say what you like, but the fact is, there’s something missing there and they have to come together as a team, be honest, and sort it out.
3. Refs can lose the plot, too.
We started out with a great early game, and the Queen’s Park Rangers-Chelsea game was very good, a tough London derby, but I have to be honest and say Chris Foy didn’t have a good day. He simply lost his composure in the game and he has to take blame for that — but having said that, he was put under pressure early by some mistakes by Chelsea, and when you pressurize an official like that, this can happen.
As a player, you just want the calls to go the same way. If a man on one team gets booked for talking back or for a particular tackle, all you want is the same to happen to the other. The most frustrating thing is when a ref either won’t explain why he made a call to you, or seems to make one call for one team and not for the other. I think Andre Villas-Boas was right to call attention to that after the game, and I think some of the decisions were wrong.
But Chelsea made mistakes and set some of that up. David Luiz has to be smarter that he was. After nine minutes, he lets the ball bounce and then pushes the man in the back in the box. The ref has to make a decision. Was Drogba a red? Yes. But sending off Bosingwa was harsh – was it an obvious goal-scoring chance? No. Should Lampard and some of the other players have gotten cards? No. Foy lost belief in his control of the game, and it got away.
4. Teams have to protect their managers if they want to win.
Want to point out one other thing that happened today and talk about how one team pointed the way. Adel Taarabt wasn’t happy about being subbed out and instead of celebrating his win, he’s having a go at his manager, Neil Warnock.
Temperamental players are a part of the game. In my day, it was David Ginola. But the players on good teams, winning teams, came and dealt with that. The same thing happened with City and Carlos Tevez: Kompany and the other men came and took a distraction and defused it. You saw Joey Barton come out and stand his ground against Taarabt this week, and in doing so, he showed he and the players had respect for the manager’s decisions. When teams do that, they succeed. City showed that and QPR can do the same here.
I’ll have more for you next week, but you can follow me every day on Twitter at @warrenbarton2. Thanks for reading and tune next weekend for more from the Premier League, only on FOX Soccer.
