The Weekly Take, Issue 141: Are the Wheels Coming Off?

The latest match in English football's most iconic rivalry saw Manchester United and Liverpool play to a 0-0 draw. In a vital clash which will have significant ramifications on this season's Premier League title race, neither side would have left satisfied with the result. While United remained top of the league, cross-town rivals Manchester City recorded a victory which saw them close to within one point of United. It must also be noted that City have played one match fewer than have United.

As for Liverpool, the result kept them three points behind United. They also saw Leicester City overtake them after Leicester won their match during this matchday, leaving Liverpool fourth in the league.

It must now be noted that Liverpool's recent dip in form has now turned into a full-blown slump. The Reds are now winless over their last four league matches, picking up just three points in the process. They have also failed to score in each of their last three. What makes this an even greater cause for concern for Liverpool is the fact that this season's league title race is perhaps the tightest and most wide-open of all time.

Much of the blame for Liverpool's recent run of poor form has to go to their underperforming front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Roberto Firmino. Over the last four league matches, the trio have combined for just one goal and have been well below their best. This is a group of players who combined for 46 league goals last season, propelling Liverpool to a first league title since 1990 and striking fear into the hearts of defenders all over England and beyond. However, over the past month, they have collectively seemed to have entirely lost their touch in front of goal. It's one thing for this to happen to just one player - for all three to have simultaneous slumps is absolutely devastating for Liverpool.

Another underperformer in recent weeks has been right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. When he is in top form, the man who was born in the shadow of Anfield is the best full-back on the planet. Unfortunately, he was perhaps the worst player on the field against United. His normally excellent crosses were way off the mark and struggled to contain United's attack - if not for Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, Liverpool would likely have lost this match. Alexander-Arnold also made several glaring defensive errors which could easily have resulted in United goals. This dismal performance follows an equally awful one against Southampton - a match in which he played so poorly that head coach Jürgen Klopp substituted him in the 77th minute. For a player whose stock just six months ago had been at an all-time high, his slump sticks out like a sore thumb.

That being said, Liverpool do have one key trump card in their corner. Very few coaches in the world can steer a team out of a predicament like this. Fortunately for Liverpool, theirs is such a coach. Klopp has proven time and again that he is perhaps the world's best coach. Certainly, four points is not an insurmountable gap; however, with how tight this season's title race has been, it could very well prove to be just that when all is said and done. Nevertheless, there are very few, if any, coaches that you'd pick over Klopp to take Liverpool from their current position to back-to-back league titles for the first time since 1984.

However, even Klopp has begun to grow skeptical about his own team's diminishing title hopes. Following the match against United, the German spoke about how his side's main goal would now be to qualify for next season's Champions League by finishing in the top four in the league. In contrast to his usual confidence (some might even say brashness), Klopp did not sound anything like a coach who expects to be embroiled in a league title race at the season's end.

Though there's still half a season to be played, the unique character of this season's title race means that even one short slump like what Liverpool are going through could prove fatal to a Premier League title bid.

Liverpool have enjoyed a remarkable past three years including a Premier League and Champions League title apiece as well as runner-up finishes in both. They have clearly been England's best club over this span. However, they now face one of their toughest challenges to date; it could be one which they might not be able to overcome.

The Weekly Take, Issue 140: A Team Built for the Future

Juventus' 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders AC Milan saw the Bianconeri close the gap to their opponents to seven points. Federico Chiesa scored Juve's first two goals either side of a Davide Calabria equalizer. Substitute Weston McKennie went on to make all three points safe with a 78th-minute goal.

Although Juve still face many obstacles in their attempt to claim yet another Serie A title, there is definite cause for optimism in Turin, and not just because of this victory. Despite the fact that they might realistically finish this season empty-handed, Juve are positioned very well with regard to their future.

It will soon be time for Juve to begin the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. The Portuguese legend will turn 36 next month; as the cliché goes, "Father Time is undefeated". Inevitably, he will soon suffer from a terminal decline in form. That being said, his supporting cast is good enough to take over once he is no longer at his best.

Juve have perhaps the most underrated midfield in world football today. Although they might not be able to boast of a genuinely world-class player in midfield right now, they can choose from a formidable selection including Chiesa, McKennie, Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusevski. What's more, every one of these players except for Ramsey is aged 25 or younger. Add to that the fact that Juve are one of the few teams with enough clout to keep this young core intact for the foreseeable future, and it becomes obvious - this could serve as the foundation of a team which could really go places in the future, especially if they can turn Chiesa's loan deal from Fiorentina into a permanent one.

Of course, if Juve are to truly make a challenge for a Champions League title, they need a Ballon d'Or-level superstar who will make all the difference when the stakes are at their highest. Though they might not have such a player other than Ronaldo at the moment, they do have one who I believe will ascend to someday become a Ballon d'Or contender himself: Matthijs de Ligt. Ever since his breakout season for Ajax in 2017-18, the Dutch centre-back has quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in Serie A. At just 21, although de Ligt is still years from reaching his absolute ceiling, he has already been named to the FIFPro World11, won the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy awards, and placed in the top 10 in FIFA's The Best award rankings. Though it's still very early in his career, we could very well be witnessing the rise of one of the greatest defenders of all time.

If they keep their key players together for two to three more years while also perhaps adding another big signing next year, Juve will be an absolute force when their younger players reach their prime. Though this is probably not their year in Europe (and perhaps even domestically as well), they could be in prime position to break their quarter-century Champions League drought within the next few years.

All of that being said, however, there is one other key point which must be addressed: the man in the dugout. Since taking over as head coach at the start of the season, Andrea Pirlo has had mixed results. While Juve did finish in first place in their Champions League group, the Turin club are also in fourth place in the league even after their victory over the Rossoneri. Pirlo's tactics have not always been on point; furthermore, his reliance on the somewhat obsolete 4-4-2 formation may also be a cause for concern. As Pirlo is still in his first season in charge of Juve, there is still time for him to refine his tactical approach and further familiarize himself with the weapons he has at his disposal. However, it could easily turn out that he is simply not good enough to lead Juve to ultimate glory - only time will tell.

It may sound strange, but in this season which might see Juve miss out on the league title for the first time in a decade, the club's fans have perhaps more reason than ever before to look forward to what could be an extremely bright future.

The Weekly Take, Issue 139: The Catalyst for Their Revival

Manchester United took a major step towards claiming their first Premier League title since 2013 by beating Aston Villa 2-1. This victory was of particular importance for the Red Devils because arch-rivals and league leaders Liverpool only managed to register a 0-0 draw against Newcastle. These results mean that United now only trail Liverpool on goal difference. Ole Gunnar Solskjær's team now have a legitimate chance to claim a title they have not even approached in recent years.

United's current form represents a remarkable turnaround from that of just one year ago. This time last year, United were in the midst of a horrendous slump which saw them pick up just 10 points over eight league matches. They fell as low as eighth in the league; as a result, Solskjær was almost fired. This begs the question: how have United bounced back so well and so rapidly?

The answer is very simple - it is only four words long: Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes.

Fernandes further underscored his status as the driving force behind United's revival by scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot against Villa. This was just the latest instance of the Portuguese midfielder once again saving United when they needed him most. To put how important he has been for United, consider this fact: thus far this season, United have scored 33 league goals. Fernandes has either scored or assisted 18 of them. It isn't just his scoring and passing, though - his off-ball movement, pressing skills, and ability to dictate the rhythm and pace of play have set the tone for United throughout their current campaign.

Fernandes' intangibles have also been lauded by United fans. His leadership qualities and willingness to hold teammates accountable have caused many to believe that he should be named United's permanent captain - a belief that has seen its traction grow recently after Fernandes' impressive debut with the armband. This came against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

When United signed Fernandes last year, they were still in the slump which was previously mentioned. He was a major reason behind not only their return to form, but an eventual charge up the league table to finish third and seal a spot in this season's Champions League - something which had seemed unlikely before he arrived at Old Trafford.

Almost no one could have expected or predicted Fernandes' sudden ascension after he signed for United. Somewhat of a late bloomer, Fernandes did not emerge on most fans' radars until being named as the Primeira Liga's Player of Year for the second time in 2019. He was already 24 years old at the time and prior to playing for Sporting CP, he had been through uneventful stints at Serie A clubs Udinese and Sampdoria. As a result, when he joined United last January, the prevailing thought was that he would be a solid addition to a team still awaiting its centrepiece. Of course, as it turned out, he would be the centrepiece himself.

So impressive was Fernandes that despite playing less than half of United's 2019-20 season, he was named the club's Player of the Year. Never before in the history of Manchester United had this happened.

Fernandes' rise has been as meteoric as it has been unexpected. A year ago, if you'd been asked to rank Fernandes among all players in the world, he'd have barely made the top 50, if even that at all. Today, he is clearly among the top 20 players on the planet with a possible (though admittedly unlikely) argument for top 10. Clearly, if United do indeed go on to clinch the league title, Fernandes will  be the primary reason for their success.

I'll even say this: Edinson Cavani should not have been given United's iconic #7 jersey upon his arrival during the pre-season. Cavani should have been given Fernandes' current #18, leaving Fernandes to deservedly don perhaps the most iconic football jersey of all time.

It's extremely rare that just one signing can inspire an uptick in form quite like that of Fernandes, but that is exactly what has happened at United. What makes this even better for United fans is the fact that all signs point to Fernandes remaining at Old Trafford for many years to come. If he does and his supporting cast continues to deliver him the help he needs, expect regular silverware to start coming back to Manchester United.

The Weekly Take, Issue 138: So Much for All of That

Over the opening weeks of the current La Liga season, it seemed as though Real Sociedad might have been mounting a genuine challenge to win their first league title since 1982. The Basque club started the season in red-hot form and even led the league at one stage. However, the Txuri-urdinak's form has declined dramatically in recent weeks, so much so that they now face an uphill battle to even finish in the top four and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Real Sociedad's woes continued with a 2-0 loss to Atlético Madrid. Goals scored by Mario Hermoso and Marcus Llorente handed Real Sociedad (yes, convention dictates that they do not have a "short" name) their third consecutive loss in the league. Real Sociedad are also now winless over their last six league matches, picking up just three points out of a possible 18 over that span.

Even more alarmingly, they have already played more matches than each of the clubs directly trailing them. Villarreal, Sevilla, Granada, and most worryingly of all, Barcelona are poised to overtake Real Sociedad and knock them out of the top four in the process.

It's not as though this is a team without much talent. Real Sociedad have several solid players on their roster including Nacho Monreal, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Mikel Merino. What's more, they have a youngster who has been tipped to have a breakout year soon in Swedish striker Alexander Isak. On top of all of this, they landed perhaps the biggest signing in club history by bringing in legendary midfielder David Silva from Manchester City during the past offseason.

Real Sociedad came into this season with higher expectations than in most previous years. They were building on a season in which they finished sixth in the league, qualifying for the Europa League by doing so. They also reached the final of the Copa del Rey. As was mentioned, the acquisition of Silva only served to boost the mood around the club when the season started.

It looked good at first. After a slow start, Real Sociedad reeled off six consecutive league victories to take possession of first place in the league. However, in spite of all this success, one key fact was overlooked: during this winning streak, the club from San Sebastián did not defeat even one club in contention for either the league title or a Champions League spot except for Granada. From their five matches to date against clubs in the top seven of the league, they have won one, drawn two, and lost two.

In the upcoming January transfer window, it would be in Real Sociedad's best interest to sign another striker. Right now, their attacking line is simply not cutting it. Their strikers have combined for just nine of their 25 league goals to date. To put this figure into perspective, the player who currently leads La Liga in goals scored is Villarreal's Gerard Moreno; he alone has scored eight goals.

Willian José has been especially disappointing in this area. Over the past four seasons, the Brazilian has averaged 12 league goals per campaign. However, with the halfway point of this season approaching, he is on pace for just seven league goals. This would be the lowest haul of his career since becoming a regular La Liga starter for Las Palmas in the 2015-16 season.

That isn't all. If Real Sociedad don't make next season's Champions League, they might very well have to say goodbye to Oyarzabal soon. Clearly their best player right now, the Eibar-born winger has courted interest from several leading European clubs. At just 23, his best years have likely not yet come. Oyarzabal will probably leave soon; however, Real Sociedad can delay his departure by landing their first top-four league finish since 2013.

It may be true that Real Sociedad's hot start to the season was not sustainable. That being said, their recent slump has seen them drop points where they shouldn't have. Dropping points against Alavés, Eibar, and Levante is simply unacceptable for a club with Champions League aspirations. They can't afford many more slip-ups like those.

Though making the top four is still a realistic goal, it doesn't look good at the Anoeta right now.

The Weekly Take, Issue 137: Lads, It's Tottenham

First of all, my apologies to Tottenham fans for the title of the post; however, the opportunity was too obvious not to be taken. I just had to, you know?

Anyway, on to the main point of the post.

The latest set of Premier League features included a showdown between the league's first- and second-placed teams. In a pulsating match which saw much action from opening kickoff to the final whistle, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield. Roberto Firmino's header just before stoppage time ensured that the Reds left the match with all three points. The victory also ensured that Liverpool overtook Spurs in the league standings, becoming the new league leaders as they pursue back-to-back Premier League titles.

Despite a valiant effort, Tottenham were once again left to lick their wounds. Even though this season has gone better than most fans of the North London club could have expected at its beginning, their strong league form hit a wall in this most crucial of matches.

There is arguably nothing more difficult in the sporting world than overcoming both history and a mental block. Often, as is true with Tottenham, the two are intertwined. Consider the fact that this is a club which have not won the league since 1961. What's more, Tottenham have not won a trophy of any sort since the 2008 League Cup, and if you restrict the criteria to just major trophies (i.e., the league, main domestic cup, and main European competition), the drought dates all the way back to the 1991 FA Cup.

Unfortunately, there is a reason why "lads, it's Tottenham" has become an inside joke among football fans the world over. Time and again, Tottenham have folded when the stakes have been at their highest. The most striking recent example has to be the 2015-16 Premier League season. For most of that season, Tottenham were embroiled in a tight battle for the league title with Leicester City. However, in the final stretch of the season, Tottenham's form declined so dramatically that they not only surrendered the league title to the Foxes; much to the chagrin of their fans, they even lost second place in the league to North London arch-rivals Arsenal.

The very next season, while they did not implode as they had a year before, they again lost the Premier League title in a way that detractors would say "only Tottenham could". In 2016-17, they scored the most league goals while conceding the fewest at the other end. Their points tally of 86 was the highest in the club's history, and by finishing second in the league, they obtained their highest final league position in 54 years. Harry Kane also claimed his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.

In spite of all these factors working in their favour, Tottenham somehow managed to lose the Premier League title to London rivals Chelsea. They finished seven points behind the Blues, missing out on yet another golden opportunity to snap their league title drought. On top of this, they were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, then were subsequently upset by Belgian club Gent in the Europa League's round of 32.

At this point, it's clear that many of the issues plaguing Tottenham right now are mental. On paper, they seem to have it all - perhaps the greatest coach of all time in José Mourinho, a superstar duo leading the line in Kane and Son Heung-min, and a solid supporting cast featuring players such as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele, Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, and Toby Alderweireld. Yet, as always seems to be the case with this club, it just feels as though a cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This is exactly why I believe that the hiring of Mourinho to take over from Pochettino was an absolute masterstroke. There is perhaps no coach in world football today who is better at playing the mental game than the Portuguese legend. That being said, he faces a challenge in this area unlike any other he's ever faced. Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United are all clubs with glittering histories full of titles upon titles. While Chelsea's history hadn't been as trophy-laden as those three clubs, they had won an FA Cup in 2000, just four years before Mourinho's arrival. Even Porto had a European Cup title to their name in 1988. None of these clubs were battling the burden of history to the extent that Tottenham are.

It's still early in the season; however, Tottenham's loss to Liverpool is definitely a worrying sign. It seems as though they're not quite over their mental block.

The Weekly Take, Issue 136: They Surely Can't Fire Him Now

The standout fixture of the latest La Liga matchday was the latest edition of the Madrid derby. Real Madrid emerged with an impressive 2-0 victory over city rivals Atlético Madrid. Casemiro opened the scoring in the 15th minute. In the second half, an own goal scored by Jan Oblak off Dani Carvajal's shot that struck the post ensured Real's victory.

Real's win put Los Merengues within three points of Atlético, who currently lead the league. It also eased the pressure on head coach Zinedine Zidane. Rumours that Zidane might soon be fired have been circulating for some time now. They only intensified after a recent slump in form.

However, the events of the derby showed that not only would it be a colossal mistake on Real's part if they were to fire the Frenchman; the club's top brass ought to pull out all the stops to make sure that Zidane remains in the Santiago Bernabéu dugout for the foreseeable future.

Consider the fact that although Zidane was going up against one of the top five overall coaches and perhaps the best pure strategist in the world in his Atlético counterpart Diego Simeone, it was in large part thanks to Zidane that Real Madrid came away victorious. His tactical setup was on point, his substitutions were timely and effective, and he ably adjusted to everything Simeone threw at him. It's not often that a great coach like Simeone is so decisively countered. Yet, that's exactly what happened against Real.

I'd actually say that "Zizou" is the most underrated coach in world football at the moment. After all, no one else has ever led a team to three consecutive Champions League titles - that fact alone speaks for itself. While his detractors may claim that his Real Madrid team of 2016 to 2018 was carried to those titles by Cristiano Ronaldo, consider this: to win those three straight European crowns, Real beat Simeone's Atlético in 2016, Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus in 2017, and Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in 2018. For those counting, that would be two all-time great coaches and one excellent one.

Last season was Zidane's first full season in his second stint at the helm of Real. Notably, it was also his first full season as Real head coach since Ronaldo's departure for Juve in the 2018 off-season. Despite having a squad which was clearly weaker to that of his first go-around, Zidane led Real to the league title, finishing ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona by five points. This league triumph came despite key players such as Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale missing large portions of the season through injury.

What Zidane had to deal with upon his return to Real cannot be overlooked either. When he replaced Santiago Solari in March 2019, Real were a club in disarray. They were nowhere near either Barça or Atlético in the league. They had also been knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 after an upset loss against Ajax. Fast forward almost two years later and Real, despite currently trailing Atlético in La Liga, are likely to claim back-to-back league titles for the first time since 2008. They also topped a tough Champions League group containing Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Real's front office is notorious for being trigger-happy with regard to coaches. However, if they break with their history and retain Zidane's services for an extended time period, the club will be likely to experience much current and future success. Given Zidane's track record to date, there is no reason why he shouldn't remain at Real for at least a decade, racking up titles along the way while establishing himself as perhaps the greatest coach in Real's history - and maybe, just maybe, of all time.

It is beyond crucial that Real do not act in their usual knee-jerk manner, especially if results start going against them later in the season. Zidane has clearly built up a body of work which clearly proves that he is an outstanding coach. Firing him would be an epic mistake of almost unparalleled proportions.

The decision should be obvious. Only one question remains: will Real finally "get it", or will they revert to type?

The Weekly Take, Issue 135: The Newest One-Man Team?

The most recent Champions League matchday saw Borussia Dortmund and Lazio play to a 1-1 draw. Raphaël Guerreiro opened the scoring just before halftime to put Dortmund a goal ahead. Ciro Immobile would later secure Lazio a share of the points against his former club by converting his 67th-minute spot-kick.

However, probably the biggest talking point of the match was not about who was on the field, but rather, who was not: none other than Dortmund's young ace Erling Håland. The Norwegian centre-forward missed the match with a hamstring injury. He will be out of action until January.

The difference between Dortmund with Håland and Dortmund without him was glaringly obvious against Lazio. Die Schwarzgelbe lacked that final touch up front which Håland would normally have provided. In place of the Yorkshire-born number 9, Marco Reus started up front. While Reus is a solid player in his own right, he does not even come close to approaching Håland's level. Moreover, Reus is neither a natural centre-forward nor a false nine. He was well out of position against Lazio, and it showed.

Dortmund's performance against Lazio also raises a pertinent question: has the team from the Rhine region become too dependent on their young star? Consider the fact that Håland alone is responsible for almost half of Dortmund's Bundesliga goals thus far this season.

The gap between Håland and the rest of Dortmund's players is not only larger than many might think: as Håland is still just 20 years old, this gap will continue to grow until he hits his prime or (and it pains me as a Dortmund fan to say this) inevitably leaves the club.

Any team overly dependent on just one player is playing with fire. We've seen this story before with many other clubs. Think of the following examples: Luis Suárez at Liverpool, Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and Gareth Bale during his first stint at Tottenham, just to name a few. What happened when the superstar couldn't play? And in the cases of Suárez and Bale, what happened to the team after they left? That's right - the team ended up playing nowhere near its full potential.

For Dortmund, it would be especially disappointing if they have, in fact, become too reliant on Håland. Dortmund have an intriguing group of youngsters including Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham, and Gio Reyna. While these players' potential is obvious and they will likely go on to successful careers in their own right, it is somewhat concerning that already, in many situations their modus operandi appears to be "let Håland take care of it". This mentality certainly won't be to their benefit as they go forward in their careers.

This is a Dortmund team which on paper, you'd have expected to easily handle Lazio even in Håland's absence. The fact that they were unable to do so is not a good sign for the coming weeks as Håland goes through an extended spell on the sidelines.

Although it's never been the "Dortmund way", if Dortmund are to make a serious push for a first Bundesliga title since 2012, make a deep Champions League run, or both, they might need to take out the big bucks and make a splashy signing in the January transfer window. They need a player who, while not necessarily on Håland's level, is one who will be the clear-cut second-best player on the team. Such a player will not only benefit the team in general; he would also give Håland the help he needs. If Håland were to miss a match or have a below-par performance, this other guy could step in, take charge, and lead Dortmund to the win.

Considering the fact that Dortmund is a small-market, relatively unglamorous team, Håland will probably leave Signal Iduna Park at some point. Thus, time is of the essence with regard to finding his sidekick. With the right running mate for Håland, once Dortmund's youngsters develop more, this team could potentially contend for titles.

It's not as though this is a Dortmund team without any hope. After all, the draw against Lazio did seal their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. However, if they are to come close to the glory days of the Jürgen Klopp years any time soon, they need to get Håland some help, pronto.