Battle of the Bosses: More woe for Klopp, as Wenger silences critics
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Published 29/08/2016 at 14:20 GMT
Graham Ruthven casts his eye over the winners and losers from the world of management this week.
Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp
Image credit: AFP
Getting Out-Tacticked
Liverpool clearly didn’t learn their lesson at Turf Moor. Against Burnley the Reds didn’t just suffer a smash ‘n’ grab but a slap to the face and a punch in the groin for good measure, losing 2-0 despite dominating. Spurs didn’t quite do the same, but the toothy grin was still wiped from Jurgen Klopp’s loveably fuzzy face on Saturday.
Once again, Liverpool controlled much of the contest yet failed to come away with all three points. At a time when football seems to be swinging away from tiki-taka, Kloppology seems to be somewhat outdated. Possession is no longer king and the Reds are finding that out the hard way early on this season.
It used to be said that Arsenal would attempt to walk it in the net, but if the IT Crowd were to film that scene again Moss and Roy might talk about Liverpool’s propensity for over-playing. Klopp could use a proven Premier League striker, maybe one who has a record of scoring a goal every 2.5 games? Maybe one whose name sounds a bit like ‘Daniel Porridge’?
The Gaffer Tapes
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Claudio Ranieri tries to shelter from a thunderstorm
Image credit: Reuters
"It was tough. The rain was unbelievable. It was water polo,” Claudio Ranieri said after Leicester City’s 2-1 win over Swansea City, pulling the swimming goggles from his face. Maybe that explains why the Foxes have endured a difficult start to the 2016/17 Premier League season - they’ve been playing the wrong sport.
Of course, Ranieri was referring to the torrential rain that turned the King Power Stadium pitch into a swimming pool almost as green as the one at the Rio Olympics. But he could have used a more graceful water-sport to describe how his team played against the Swans, as graceful as Swans are. Perhaps synchronised swimming would have been more apt? Or diving? Jamie Vardy is good at that.
Mind Games Corner
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola greets West Ham manager Slaven Bilic before the match
Image credit: Reuters
Not many profound conclusions were drawn from the summer’s largely dull European Championship, but we did learn that Slaven Bilic is a bit of a character. Even by his table-climbing, hand-waving standards, though, the Croatian’s decision to play Michail Antonio as a right-back early on this season was widely eccentric.
Maybe it was all a play. By turning Antonio into the Alberto Moreno of the right-back world Bilic lulled the Premier League into a false sense of security. Now he’s playing further up the field, in his more natural position, and Antonio has all of a sudden scored against Pep Guardiola’s title favourites and is in the England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Perhaps Klopp is doing the same with Moreno?
Feud of the Week
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Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola (R) greets Manchester City's Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero
Image credit: AFP
Up, down, in, out, shake it all about… watching Guardiola on the touchline during a Manchester City game is a spectator sport in itself. His feud with Joe Hart might have cooled slightly, but football’s greatest thinker spends much of the time in a feud with his own mind.
Take his reaction to Raheem Sterling’s late clincher. Head in hands, he let out the kind of scream Edvard Munch would have been proud of painting. A release of relief? Or frustration? Or had he simply forgotten to record Sunday night’s X Factor? As a reflex response, it was hard to decipher. Guardiola’s mind is like the brain from Inside Out.
Horrible Bosses
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West Brom manager Tony Pulis greets Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka before the match
Image credit: Reuters
The Premier League has renewed rules and regulations for dissent this season, punishing anyone who brings the game into disrepute. Under such guidance both Tony Pulis and Aitor Karanka should receive some form of sanction for what they put us all through on Sunday.
‘Super’ Sunday it most certainly wasn’t as West Brom and Middlesbrough played out a real channel-switcher of a goalless draw, even by the standard of goalless draws. Both sides are among those tipped for relegation this season and on this showing that can only be a good thing. If the Premier League is sport’s greatest product this was definitely one of the unwanted offcuts that ends up in a bargain bin at an outlet store.
The Chief
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Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger steps from the coach
Image credit: AFP
Arsene Wenger probably won’t remember August 2016 fondly. The Arsenal boss is an easy target at the best of time, but he’s had more bother over the past few weeks than any trench-coat zip could have given him. Saturday provided a moment of escapism for Wenger, though.
Not only did he have two new signings to confirm, the Gunners turned in their most complete performance of the season so far. Arsenal were everything they should be, seeing off Watford with a display of dynamic, free-flowing, attacking football, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead into half-time. Not even Arsenal could spurn that.
Wenger might have walked into Vicarage Road using Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi as human shields, protesting ‘look, I spent some f****** money as you asked,’ but he walked out with his head held high. That fourth-place finish is as good as his.
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