Comments on: Champions of the World http://www.thedevilinme.co.uk/2008/12/22/champions-of-the-world/ Football analysis by Mark Payne Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:56:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jono http://www.thedevilinme.co.uk/2008/12/22/champions-of-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-468 Jono Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:59:10 +0000 http://www.thedevilinme.co.uk/2008/12/22/champions-of-the-world/#comment-468 If - still a big if - we win our games in hand we will be just a point behind the Pool and level with Chelski. If we win them both 6-0 we actually overtake Chelski ... And they are home games, against Wigan and Fulham, neither of whom travel well. But back to reality. We are not actually playing at all badly but we do need to up the goals-to-shots ratio very soon indeed. It's quite 'nice', to use a footballer's favourite word, to win the Champions of the World title but let's face it, nobody gives a stuff really. Like that Super-Cup nonsense in Monaco. The Roonster is indeed a fearsome competitor but he gets booked far too often and Tevez can only score against woeful teams. And Berbatov's form is such that he looks a shadow of the £30mn we paid, class though he definitely is. And Ronnie is out of sorts, quite clearly. I didn't want to be gloomy but I am not yet convinced by our efforts this season. Maybe the break in Japan will do them a power of good, maybe not. But as you rightly observe, nobody else is running away with it in our brief absence and it was interesting to observe what Wenger said - that Liverpool were too scared to go all out for victory against 10 dispirited opponents - for fear of letting a soft one in. All is not lost! I could even talk myself out of the gloom with a decent win or two. If – still a big if – we win our games in hand we will be just a point behind the Pool and level with Chelski. If we win them both 6-0 we actually overtake Chelski … And they are home games, against Wigan and Fulham, neither of whom travel well.

But back to reality. We are not actually playing at all badly but we do need to up the goals-to-shots ratio very soon indeed.

It’s quite ‘nice’, to use a footballer’s favourite word, to win the Champions of the World title but let’s face it, nobody gives a stuff really. Like that Super-Cup nonsense in Monaco.

The Roonster is indeed a fearsome competitor but he gets booked far too often and Tevez can only score against woeful teams. And Berbatov’s form is such that he looks a shadow of the £30mn we paid, class though he definitely is. And Ronnie is out of sorts, quite clearly. I didn’t want to be gloomy but I am not yet convinced by our efforts this season. Maybe the break in Japan will do them a power of good, maybe not.

But as you rightly observe, nobody else is running away with it in our brief absence and it was interesting to observe what Wenger said – that Liverpool were too scared to go all out for victory against 10 dispirited opponents – for fear of letting a soft one in. All is not lost! I could even talk myself out of the gloom with a decent win or two.

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