What a good weekend for the neutral watching the Premier League.
Top of my list was Chelsea loosing 3-0 to Sunderland, at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea started the season by scoring 17 goals in the first four games (and conceding one).
OK, less neutral I admit, more happy to see the champions come a cropper to a side with a fraction of the payroll. In the last three Chelsea have struggled, scored one, conceded five and dropped six points out of a possible 9.
Even less neutral are my thoughts on Man U (the team that finally consigned CCFC to relegation). They know how to get results, this belief is in the DNA of the club and Saturday against Villa was another example. They did not play well for most of the game, but then stepped up in the last 15 minutes and once that happened I just felt they were coming away from Villa Park with something.
Of the top teams Arsenal are playing some very pretty football, coming away with results and the three of four games of theirs I’ve seen this year were entertaining affairs. Man city have a lot left to prove and the club is doing all it can to play down the more extreme talk of titles and sweeping all before them.
But getting away from the big three of four clubs and there are some surprises. Bolton, Sunderland and Stoke are all having good years so far and taking points off top four sides. I was looking at the stats (warning, about to get my geek on) and the stats show that one or two players on each of these sides are making a difference.
The clearest example, I think, they spent a significant amount of money on a player, in this case it’s Kenwyn Jones. Stoke paid 8 million pounds for him, a club record by some distance. That sort of money does not cover the matchday hospitality bill at some clubs.
What did Stoke get for their money?
So far Jones in 2010 has scored five times and had a hand in 7 or 8 other goals. Stoke manager Peter Coates has made Jones the go-to striker. The attack is built around his speed and vision, which when you spent comparatively huge amounts of money on a single player makes sense. This produces a more attacking style of football and for some sides is playing dividends and producing some fun football to watch.
Sunderland have gone the same route with signing Asamoah Gyan for 13 million pounds from France in the off season. He has fulfilled much the same role as Jones at Stoke with similar success.
I think the move to smaller 25 man squads has helped establish a little more parity, but teams that are going out from the start to attack the top sides are regularly coming away with points. Again looking at the Villa-Man U game, the top clubs have the ability to score late and don’t panic when they are down with 10 minutes left to play. They know if they press opportunities will come to them.
What we’d traditionally call a “smaller club” does not have the same ability to step up and control a game like that. They have to create the opportunities to get ahead and take them. They can’t afford to sit back because the big four are too good and will score, they need to take the game to the other side and signing a solid striker makes that style of play more effective.
It’s making for a more interesting year, it does feel some of the inevitability of the big clubs winning has gone. I don’t think it’s going to make much of a difference to who wins the league; it’s still going to be from the usual suspects.
As a Coventry City supporter, I have a feeling I’ll be a Premier League neutral for a few years yet.