Barclay's Premier League Best XI and Review 2014

Man City lifted the trophy for the second time in three seasons.

It may be hard to believe, but another season of the Barclay's Premier League has come and gone.  There was no shortage of story lines this season between manager antics, the resurgence of a traditional power, and the title race again coming down to the last day.    If those stories don't suit you, how about the fall of a league giant or perhaps one the greatest relegation escapes in recent memory?  It was all there this year.

First off, congratulations are in order for Manchester City, who clinched their second title in three years by virtue of a 2-0 win over West Ham at the Etihad yesterday.  No disrespect to Liverpool, but City was the class of the league this season.  The biggest reason for this is defense.  City only yielded 37 goals this season, while Liverpool gave up 50.  Crystal Palace gave up 2 fewer goals than the Reds, and Hull City only gave up three more.  You can't say enough for Manuel Pellegrini and the job he did for City this season.

Of course the best defense in the league this year went to Chelsea.  They only gave up 27, ten fewer than City, who were in second place.  Unfortunately for Jose Mourinho's squad, they once again lacked the fire power to score with the likes of City and Liverpool.  Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres both scored some big goals along the way for the Blues, but neither proved able to score consistently and make themselves a constant threat up top.  Still, 3rd place and a run to the Champion's League semifinal is a decent year for Chelsea, and they'll certainly be looking to spend big this summer, with both Diego Costa and Edinson Cavani's names being bantered around the rumor mill.  It will also be interesting to see if Mourinho brings Romelu Lukaku into the fold after he had another great year on loan.

Back to Liverpool though.  What a tremendous season they had.  If not for a stinging home defeat to Chelsea and last week's huge stumble at Crystal Palace, they might have really pushed City to the limits.  However, the defense issue reared it's head at Selhurst Park, as Palace scored three goals in the last 11 minutes to tie Liverpool and all but end their title hopes.  Brendan Rodgers has brought Liverpool back into the Champions League and back into title relevance, but look for them to try to fix some of their issues at the back this summer.

But now, let's get to some awards, highs, and lows.   Let's start with a refresher on the Champions League Spots and teams that were relegated.

BPL Champions League Qualification Spots--
Manchester City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal.  (Playoff Qualification Round).

Teams Relegated From the BPL--
Cardiff City
Fulham
Norwich

As for the relegated folks, I seriously feel for Cardiff supporters.  I loved watching their matches and the passion they bring, despite having some flake of an owner try to alter their club identity to fit his National promotion agenda.  To that I say good riddance, Vincent Tan.  Fulham was just bad this year, and they were all over the place both in the transfer market and in the manager scene.  Hopefully they can find some stability in the Championship and bounce back up next year.  Norwich?  Meh.  They had a good run, but just couldn't sustain it.  Even the firing of Chris Hughton late in the season couldn't help them as they became the victim in Sunderland's great escape.

Surprise Team of the Year: CRYSTAL PALACE
Palace looked to be in serious trouble at midseason, bleeding goals and scoring none themselves.  They were mired in the bottom three and looked to be a good bet for relegation.  Then they did something incredibly smart, they hired Tony Pulis.  Pulis had been instrumental in Stoke's BPL rise, but was let go after last season as the Potters wanted to go in a different direction from Pulis's defensive style.  As it turns out, that defensive style was just what the doctor ordered for Palace.  They found themselves not only propelled out of the bottom three, but all the way to an 11th place finish.  I'll be looking forward to seeing them in the league again next season.

Disappointment of the Year: MANCHESTER UNITED
Is there any way that this can go to any other club?  The appointment of David Moyes turned out to be a complete disaster as United fell from champions to seventh, behind Moyes' old club Everton.  The defense was a complete screw up for most of the season and United suffered with injuries in the attack with Wayne Rooney and RvP missing significant time.  Moyes bought Juan Mata in January, but that seemed nothing more than a booby prize in the end as the former Chelsea man failed to be a game changer in the midfield and was often a defensive liability.  In the end, Moyes was sacked and Ryan Giggs guided United to an unremarkable finish, but at least he wasn't Moyes.  That brings us to our....

Story of the Year: David Moyes, damaged goods.
Moyes was the hand picked successor to Sir Alex, and hey, he won the Community Shield, but it was all down hill from there for United.  A decent run in the Champions League wasn't enough to save Moyes, as he often looked like he was in way over his head with the pressure on, something he didn't have to deal with much at Everton.  Is he really damaged goods now?  It will be interesting to see where he ends up.  Somebody will give him a shot.

And now finally here is the Puddle's Best XI for the Barclay's Premier League, 2014.  I'm sure all the players mentioned will value this extremely high honor.....ahem.

GK--David De Gea: Manchester United

Defenders--Branislav Ivanovic: Chelsea.  Gary Cahill: Chelsea.   Vincent Kompany: Manchester City. Leighton Baines: Everton.

Midfielders--Adam Lallana: Southampton.  Steven Gerrard: Liverpool.  Yaya Toure: Manchester City.  Eden Hazard: Chelsea.

Forwards--Luis Suarez: Liverpool.  Daniel Sturridge--Liverpool.

Player of the Year--Luis Suarez: Liverpool

Manger of the Year--Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool.

One last note, I want to thank NBC Sports for the tremendous job they did in their first year with the BPL broadcast rights.  It was so awesome to be able to watch any match I wanted to, live or on demand.  Now we just need to get Rebecca Lowe on twitter.

I hope you all enjoyed the BPL season as much as I did.  With the World Cup and the summer transfer window coming up, there will be plenty to talk about this summer, but I can't wait for August.

Moyes Gets the Axe. What's Next For Him and United?

Presented without comment, Lord David Moyes

 

The long nightmare for the Red half of Manchester is over.  One year to the day after United won their last title, David Moyes, the former "chosen one" has been sacked by Manchester United.  The last straw for Sir Alex's hand-picked successor was a disappointing 2-0 loss to his former club Everton on Easter Weekend.  This morning United released a very short statement on their website that simply read: "Manchester United has announced that David Moyes has left the club.  The club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role.”

 

In the space of a year, United has gone from Premier League champions under Sir Alex to 7th place in the league, and eliminated from Champions League Qualification  for next season.  This in itself is going to cost the club big time for it's war chest.  With Moyes' transfer policy showing itself as an abject failure, United will be happy to place it's cash in someone else's perhaps more capable hands over the summer.  As far as Moyes' mark on the club, Fellaini has been a huge bust, and Juan Mata, who couldn't even play for United in the Champions League due to being cup tied to Chelsea, faliled to really lift the team.   To be fair to Moyes, many of United's vets are long past their prime, think Rio and Giggs, and both Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie have missed significant time with injuries.  However, in the end, Moyes was never able to really push United into great form no matter who was on the pitch.

According to the club Ryan Giggs, who had been occupying a player/coach role, will take over as manager for the remainder of the season.  I actually like this move for United.  Giggs has perhaps the deepest ties of anyone to the club and can probably connect to the fans more than Moyes ever could.  He should also benefit from the pressure being totally off, as it appears that United aren't at all interested in giving him the role permanently.

Most of the early speculation is focusing on managers who have experience in big matches, which Moyes certainly lacked.  A lot of the current talk centers on Dutch national team manager Louis van Gaal, who is leaving the Netherlands after the World Cup this summer.  Van Gaal had been previously tapped to join Spurs , but ESPNFC is reporting the his talks with United are pretty serious in nature.  Another name that seems to be popping up is Borussia Dortmund's Jurgen Klopp, but the German side have said that he will not be leaving.  Whichever way they go, it has to get better than it was Moyes, especially in the transfer market.

It will be interesting to see where Moyes himself ends up.  He has proven that he can be a successful manager, but perhaps the big club, pressure-packed role was too much for him.  It's more than likely that Spurs will be in for a new boss, but I can't imagine any of my Spurs friends being really excited if that move were to happen.  Norwich could be an interesting situation for him, whether or not they manage to stay in the Premier League.  Aston Villa might undergo a change in ownership, which could spell the end of Paul Lambert there.  A manager who has proven himself at a medium sized club in the Premier League might be right up their alley.

At any rate, most United fans that I've heard from are more than happy to see Moyes go on his way.  It'll be interesting to see what changes await the club in the offseason.  It should be one of the story lines of the summer.

Moyes: Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?

Without a win in 2014, the pressure mounts on David Moyes at United.

Coming into the Premier League's Christmas fixture period, it looked like David Moyes had finally gotten some things tuned up at Manchester United.  They had finally found a decent bit of form in the league, they had advanced relatively easily to the group stage of the Champions League, and they had hit the semifinals of the League Cup, where a seemingly favorable tie with Sunderland awaited them.  Not bad after the way they started the season.

Then the clock chimed in 2014, and things have gone south again in a hurry.

The first three matches of the new year have not gone well for Moyes and United.  They have lost each one by a 2-1 scoreline including a league loss at home to Spurs, a loss in the FA Cup third round to Swansea, and today they dropped the first leg of the league cup semifinal tie away to Sunderland.  Oops.

I suppose that wouldn't be so bad for many clubs in the league.  After all, it's been a few years since United has had a great deal of success in the FA Cup, and they had won their previous four in the Premier League before the loss to Spurs.  Also, a 2-1 away to Sunderland isn't the worst result in the world, especially since Sunderland's second came off of a rather soft penalty in the second half.  They still have the second leg at home.  Is all of this "Moyes out" talk a bit of an overreaction?  

Actually, I think it is.  First off, the domestic cups are hardly the crown jewels in the eyes of the EPL's big clubs.  Yes a trophy is a trophy. but these clubs, especially United at this point, have bigger fish to fry.  They were impressive in Champions League group play, albeit in a group that wasn't the most challenging.  Still, Europe is still Europe, and they played pretty well.  Let's also stop and realize that RvP has spent most a good portion of the season injured, and Wayne Rooney has been out some as well.

Still, that does sound like papering over the cracks a little bit.  The midfield has not been good.  Tom Cleverley is exhibit A, as he had another horrible match against Sunderland, including conceding the penalty that cost United the match.  Giggs is still Giggs, but he's another year older and can hardly be the answer at this point.  Where is Kagawa?  The former Dortmund man seems to have been lost in the shuffle and Carrick has been injured as well.

Defense?  Vidic is forever suffering injury after injury and Ferdinand is on the downhill slope of his career at United as well.  Smalling does some good things, but continues to underwhelm, especially when he's made to play at outside back.

That discussion points back to the last summer transfer window and what an abject failure it was for United.  As metro.co.uk points out, United were all over the map, and a lot of their bids weren't really considered seriously at the prices that they were tossing out.  30 million for Fabregas?  Really?  Pity, because he could help them out.  Lets also not forget that Wesley Sneijder is perpetually linked with Old Trafford as well, but to what end?

I think you can do good business in the January window, though it might cost you more money to do so.  If I were United, I'd loosen the purse strings a bit and let Moyes seriously go after some talent, especially in the midfield.  If you can strengthen that facet and get Rooney and RvP healthy, this club can still do some damage.  Honestly, I'm not sure Sir Alex could get much blood out of this turnip right now, but this is all pretty easy for me to sit back and say, because I'm not a United fan.

So do you agree with me that Moyes should get more time, or should be sacked immediately?  Feel free to leave a comment or hit up the poll out of the pull out menu on the right side of the blog front page.

Puddle's Barclay's Premier League Preview 2013-2014

This man represents my biggest question going into the EPL season. (Manchester United Press)

The new Barlcay's Premier League season gets underway this weekend, and there's a lot of new aspects to be digested, especially for us fans here in United States.  This season the coverage shifts from Fox Soccer to the NBC Sports Network, which should mean more viewers for the league here in the states.  Plus NBC will be offering all matches on TV via their "Premier League Extra Time" and online via their streaming service.  It's quite exciting!

Of course there's plenty of new in the league itself, and none of the stories are bigger than the new managers at three of the league's top four clubs.  With Sir Alex retiring, Manchester United handed the reigns to Everton boss David Moyes.  Chelsea washed their hands of Rafa Benitez and brought Jose Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge for another go 'round.  Meanwhile, another Champions League failure and the loss of the EPL title cost Roberto Mancini his job at City, where he was replaced by Manuel Pellegrini, lately of Malaga fame.  In my opinion, these three men will largely shape the title race, and here's how I think it will shake out:

UEFA Champions League Places:

1. Chelsea FC--Last year I bet against Manchester United in the title race, and I got shown up.  Alas, I'm going to do it again.  I think having Mourinho back in the fold is going to make a huge difference for the Blues, and they've all seemed pretty positive.    The Blues have also gotten quite a bit younger, and I think they have a good mix of old guard and new.  The preseason buzz has largely surrounded the Blues pursuit of Wayne Rooney.  Ultimately, I don't see United selling him to a title rival, but we'll see.  Samuel Eto'o has also emerged as a dark horse possibility.  However, I'm looking for this guy to have a BIG impact this year:

When the Blues first signed Romelu Lukaku, he was hailed as "the next Drogba."  To my mind, he hasn't done anything to lose that reputation as he torched the league on loan with West Brom last year.  He should do even better under the Special One.

2. Manchester City--Pellegrini is a solid manager with tried and true experience in Europe.  Honestly, I look for City to have an improved Champions League campaign this year and to push Chelsea for the title all season long.  Edin Dzeko could be key for city, with Tevez and Balotelli both finally out of the way.  He's certainly a shoe-in for my fantasy squad.  Hopefully a lot of City's off the pitch issues exited with Tevez, Balotelli, and Mancini, giving Pellegrini a clean and quiet slate to work with.  Expectations will be high though, and he best meet some of them.

3. Manchester United--Do not adjust your screens.  I'm putting United in third.  Now, to give a little perspective, the title could come down to just a few points.  I expect United to contend all season long.  As for Moyes, it's time to see what happens.  For years people have been wondering what he could do if he had a big payroll and a big budget.  That day is here.  Unfortunately, Cesc Fabregas is not here, and as of yet United haven't seemed to be able to bolster that midfield.  Last year Van Persie was the man for United, and it's safe to say that he will be again, but does Moyes have the Sir Alex gusto that will take to push through to the title?  We'll see.

4. Arsenal.--It seems like fourth place has been a trophy in and of itself for Arsenal lately, and honestly, I don't see them getting much higher this year.  The summer transfer window has once again been devoid of significant action while Chelsea, City, and United have been more active.  If they can add another piece or two, they'll be outside contenders for the title, but I look for them to have another solid season and hit the Champions League spots for next year.  The question is, when is that going to stop being good enough?

THE BEST OF THE REST

5. Swansea City--The scary thing is, not only did Swans hold on to what was theirs in the off season.  They got better.  Micheal Laudrup not only has Michu at his disposal, but also newly acquired Ivory Coast International Wilfried Bony, who scored 32 goals last year in the Dutch league.  Swans will be a threat for the domestic cups, and if somebody in the top 4 slips up, they could have an outside chance for a Champions League spot.

6. Everton--No Moyes?  No problem.  That's been the attitude for Everton so far in the preseason, where they have looked really fresh and up for the competition.  New manager Roberto Martinez has the Toffees playing really attractive football, and they've just gotten deeper during the summer. (I'm looking at you Gerard Deulofeu.)  It could be an exciting year for the Toffees, with Europe not out of the question.

Now to finish out the top 10:

7--Tottenham
8--Liverpool
9--West Ham
10--West Brom

Who is going to relegated?  Sorry for fans of:

Southampton
Hull "Tigers"
Crystal Palace (I wish it were going to be otherwise.)

So there's my take on the EPL this season.  Good luck to everyone, the first fixtures are almost here!

Gone Are the Tablecloths: New Manchester United Kits for '13-'14

Wayne Rooney in a promo photo for United's new kit. (Nike)

United fans and kit nerds rejoice!  The tablecloth/tea towel kits of yesteryear are now officially history!  Nike has unveiled the new kit for the Barclay's Premier League Champions, and the picnic checkerboard is nowhere to be found.  Of course, United won the title last year, so talk smack about the kit all you want, I guess.  They got the last laugh.  Here's the new offering:

I like it, personally.  It's more of a classy look.  I'm also a fan of collars on kits, though the collar on this one is of the small variety.  It also features the buttons in front, which I like as well.  Nike will also continue it's commitment to using environmentally friendly kits with this shirt, as it will again be made from recycled polyester and plastic bottle material.  According to Nike, the kit is also 23% lighter than previous editions.

So what do you guys think?  I like it.  Of course, they'll have the EPL champion patches on the sleeves. As I said, I like the more classic kit look with collar, so it's a plus for me.  If you really dig it, you can order up at World Soccer Shop.

49 Trophies, 1 Icon: Sir Alex Ferguson

Guardian.co.uk

This is not really news at this point.  If you're a football fan and you haven't known that Sir Alex is retiring for some hours, you've probably been comfortably living under a rock.  Rumors started to circulate overnight in the UK, and Manchester United confirmed it on the club's website this morning.  For the first time since 1986, the Red Devils will be looking for a new manager.

The internet, blogs, and social media have experienced an outpouring of gratitude for Ferguson from United fans and non United fans.  I am of the latter group, but honestly, there's not much more to be said that hasn't been said in the 47575858437854836758474 articles and blog entries that have hit in the last few hours.

Let me approach it this way.  Sir Alex Ferguson took over Manchester United when I was 8 years old.  My knowledge of English football was confined to the stories that my grandfather would tell of Chelsea and the London clubs from his days in Europe after the war.  Since I have been aware of professional football, Sir Alex HAS BEEN Manchester United.  There aren't too many managers in pro football that can say that their identity is so wrapped up in their club.  Perhaps Arsene Wenger is halfway there at Arsenal.  Stateside, Jason Kreis MIGHT BE in the infancy of such a time at RSL, but I don't think there will ever be another manager/club relationship like Sir Alex and Manchester United.

If I took the space to list all of Ferguson's accomplishments, we'd be here all day.  Suffice it say between 1976 and 2013 Sir Alex has won 49 trophies between St. Mirren, Aberdeen, and Manchester United.  These titles include the Scottish Premier Division, the Scottish Cup, The Scottish League Cup, The Barclay's Premier League, The FA Cup, the League Cup. The UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

His awards as manager as numerous, including a couple of different "Manager of the Decade" awards.  He received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1983.  In 1995 he was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).  He was also made Knight Bachelor in 1999.

Sir Alex will give way at the end of the season, his last match in charge being against West Brom.  He will stay on at United, stepping into the board room where he hopes to still shape the future of the club.  Speculation on his replacement is revolving around David Moyes, who is out of contract at Everton, and Jose Mourinho, who is leaving Real Madrid this summer.

The Puddle congratulates Sir Alex on a wonderful career and sends best wishes for his future endeavors.

Congratulations to Manchester United, 2013 Premier League Champions

Manchester United clinched it's 20th top flight title yesterday with a win over Aston Villa

Last summer I made a critical error when I penned my EPL season preview, I didn't really want to do it, but hey, I thought I was a pretty smart guy here on the blog.  What was that error?  I counted out Manchester United.  I don't usually do that, and well, we now see what happens when the Red Devils are counted out.

Yesterday United claimed their record 20th title in the English top flight by virtue of a 3-0 mauling of Aston Villa.  Robin Van Persie scored a hat trick on the day, putting all three in the back of the net in the first 35 minutes as United destroyed Villa's poor excuse for a defense and pretty much started the festivities early at Old Trafford.  One can imagine that it was pretty special for Van Persie, who suffered through his years at Arsenal without a title, landing his first at United in his very first season.  I don't think that it's an exaggeration to say that that was THE transfer of the year last year.

So even as a Chelsea fan I pass on my congratulations to United.  They've put together a truly dominant campaign this year, and just might finish with a league record point share at the end.  Right now, it's tough to see who is going to catch them next year, though one is almost certain that Chelsea and Manchester City will be doing some spending during the summer to try.

So congrats to United and their fans.  Enjoy what's left of the season as United will truly have some time to play some "champagne football."

United vs Real Madrid: Was it? Wasn't it? What of it?

Nani saw a controversial red card in the second half. (AP Photo)

Ok.  Let's cut right to it, no match review.  If you're a soccer fan, you've probably already seen the play multiple times.  If you haven't, you will.  I can't imagine anything happening in the rest of the soccer week that is going to dislodge this as the number one talking point or banter topic.  Indeed, should Real Madrid go on to win the Champions League, this could go down as the defining moment of the European season.

So, Nani saw red.  Was it justified?  If you really haven't seen it yet, he went in with a high boot while challenging Madrid's Alvaro Arbeola.  Now, I don't think even most Madrid fans would honestly think that was a red card, but I could be wrong.  I didn't think it was.  I'm not a referee, so I'm not going to get into the detail and argue the laws of the game.  There was quite the twitter conversation about Law 12, but in the end, I was hard pressed to see any player or prominent media personality that agreed with the call.  You see that play most often called as a yellow, hardly ever a red.

Now, I do say "hardly ever" because I've seen it.  Last year RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman saw red for a very similar challenge against a Tauro FC player.  Of course, astute supporters will point out that for Beckerman, the issue was intent.  Even as an RSL fan, I believe that Kyle wanted to kick the Tauro player, and I don't think Nani had that intent, so there's that.  I think it was a yellow on Nani.

So what happened after that?  Jose Mourinho out-managed Sir Alex, that's what.  The substitutions were key.  Luka Modric was the right man at exactly the right time.  His equalizer goal was outstanding, and Ronaldo's finish of Higuain's low cross was absolute class.  Diego Lopez also came up huge in goal for Madrid at the end.

What of United though?  Where was Chicharito?  Why did Rooney start the game on the bench?  United might just need RVP to subdue the Premier League, but the Champion's League is a different story.  Keep in mind, no United player scored in this one.  Their goal was an own goal by Sergio "I drop trophies and miss PKs" Ramos.  I really didn't see United catch fire until they went behind.  They were somewhat relying on that road goal as their trump, and they got burned for it.  Still, in the final analysis, it's too bad that we're talking about the ref and not the players.

Again: My take: Yellow Card, not red.  Do I feel for United?  Hell no.  Wanna see why?

So United, enjoy your turn on the wrong end of the decision for once.  Karma's a bitch, huh?  Not so funny now.

De Gea Sparkles as United Draw Real Madrid

United's David De Gea makes a kick save during the second half (telegraph.co.uk)

The Champions League tie between Real Madrid and Manchester United, two of the most high profile sports clubs in the world, definitely lived up to the hype, at least in my opinion.  The match, held in Madrid on Wednesday, produced a number of great chances for both sides, two outstanding goals, and the intense brand of soccer that the UEFA Champions League is becoming known for.  It's like a tournament where every game is a Super Bowl, especially in the final knockout stages.

A lot of the pre-match punditry seemed to really think that United was going to take the wood to Real.  After all, this has hardly been a typically successful year for the Spanish giants, being out of the La Liga race by the new year and facing the imminent departure of their manager, Jose Mourinho, at the end of the year.  He's had public spats with the Spanish media and team captain Iker Casillas, to name a just a couple.

Madrid came out well though, determined to protect their turf. It was obvious from the early going that United 'keeper David De Gea was going to face a firing squad for most of the day.  Sami Khedira ripped a shot wide in just the third minute, followed by another off target effort from Angel Di Maria in the fifth.  In the sixth minute, De Gea made the first of a couple of spectacular saves on the day.  Fabio Coentrao slammed a shot that looked certain to nestle into the corner of the net at the far post, but De Gea, a Madrid native, got a finger to it, tipping it onto the post, where it bounced back across the goal and away from danger.  It really was a superb effort.

Despite Real's hot start, it was United that got on the board first, very much against the run of play.  In the 20th minute the Red Devils sent a corner kick into the six where Danny Welbeck met the ball with a fine header, driving it toward the far post.  Madrid was out of position on the play, with the defender meant to be guarding the far post standing behind 'keeper Diego Lopez instead.  The ball rippled the back of the net to give United a 0-1 lead.

Real Madrid was not to be outdone though.  Ten minutes later, they converted on a corner kick of their own, and it was so well done that De Gea had no shot, even as well as he had been playing.  Cristiano Ronaldo rose on the corner, and exhibited hang time that Michael Jordan would be proud of, heading the ball just inside the far post to make the match 1-1 at the half hour mark.

Both sides continued to manufacture quality chances, but Manchester United really seemed to find their feet in the last 15 of the first half.  Their best chance to take the lead came in the 33rd minute and was again off the head of Welbeck.  This time it was Madrid's Diego Lopez's turn to make a fine save, as he tipped the ball wide of goal to preserve the tied score, which held to halftime.

The English side came out with substantial pressure on the Madrid goal to start the second half as Real's defense seemed incapable of stopping United from putting balls in the box.  The efforts culminated in a 47th minute header from Phil Jones, which drifted wide of the mark following a corner kick.

Di Maria was a danger man for most of the night for Real Madrid, and he forced a couple of quality saves out of De Gea early on in the second half.  The first came in the 52nd minute when De Gea grabbed a low driven shot by Di Maria and held it, preventing a rebound that might have been exploited by an onrushing Madrid attacker.  It wasn't just Di Maria that caused the United 'keeper trouble though.  In the 61st minute Coentrao sent a close range blast toward the near post, but once again De Gea was up to the task, making an acrobatic kick save right at the post to knock the ball out of danger.  It was a great reaction from the United shot-stopper.

United would have one more good chance at a winner as well.  In the 72nd minute, Lopez parried an effort from Robin Van Persie off the crossbar, but the ball bounced back down into the area.  Van Persie got there, and didn't hit it quite right, but managed to chip it over Lopez and send it rolling toward the unprotected goal line.  Xabi Alonso came rushing in to save the day for Real, sliding in and just clearing the ball away from the line to keep the draw.

In the end, the match slowed as United was obviously fatigued from their Sunday match, and Mourinho seemed to be content to keep the draw, trusting in his squad's ability to score at Old Trafford.  United will probably be more content with the result though, leaving Spain with the away goal in their pocket.  It really was quite the match.

Anti-United Bias? Sir Alex Escapes FA Sanction After Ref Clash

Sir Alex Ferguson clashed with match officials on Boxing Day (Guardian.co.uk)

The English FA confirmed that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not face disciplinary action following a halftime clash with match officials during United's 4-3 win over Newcastle on Boxing Day.  In the 28th minute Newcastle appeared to have tallied their second goal of the match on a Jonny Evans own goal.  Newcastle forward Papiss Cisse was in the area, and in an offside position.  The assistant referee ruled the goal out by raising the offside flag, but head referee Mike Dean overruled his assistant, allowing the own goal to stand on the interpretation that Cisse, while he was in an offside position, did not interfere with play.

Sir Alex was furious and animatedly approached Dean as the sides headed to the locker rooms for halftime.  Not getting what he wanted from Dean, Ferguson then rounded on the fourth official and confronted the linesman as well.

In their statement on the matter, the FA said that they were declining to pursue action against the United manager because referee Dean did not mention the incident in his match report.  The Premier League did, however, backup Dean's interpretation of the rules and events by stating: "as Cisse did not play the ball, then he was not interfering with play. It is also the case that Cisse didn't interfere with the opponent."

United ended up winning the match 4-3 after a 90th minute goal from Javier Hernandez.  The win, coupled with Manchester City's 1-0 loss to Sunderland, increased their lead at the top of the EPL to 7 points.  However, perhaps Sir Alex should be more concerned with his poor goal-keeping prospects and Swiss cheese defense than referee's decisions. 

Chelsea vs United Fallout: Complaint Lodged Against Referee

Referee Mark Clattenburg shows Fernando Torres the red card.

CORRECTION: According to Sky Sports, the referee audio is not recorded.  I had read on another article that it was. (--BrandonLBC)

Let me say a couple of things in the interest of full disclosure.  First, I am a Chelsea fan.  My grandfather spent time in London throughout his life, and for whatever reason, came home loving Chelsea, though unfortunately he passed away before what we shall term as the "Abramovich Era."  So Blue was in my blood when I kicked my first ball in AYSO in the early 80s.  Of course, I sucked at soccer, and went to play baseball instead, but I digress.  Let me just say, I try not to be a homer on this blog, but it's damn hard right now.

Second, while I am guilty of highlighting various high profile officiating debacles, especially in Major League Soccer, I really try to shy away from jumping on the "referee cost us the game" bandwagon.  Referees don't put the ball in the back of the net.  They don't make saves in front of goal.  Again, it's hard to take that tact after watching this game today.

Here's my take: On the first red card to Ivanovic, I don't know if it was a great call, but Ivanovic certainly put Clattenburg in position to have to decide, so I can't really blame him there.  The second yellow to Torres was a complete and utter farce in my view.  Now I understand that diving is largely a subjective call by the referee, so it isn't technically an incorrect call.  However, when you choose to effect that match in that manner, issuing a second yellow or red card for something that's not even a foul, like dissent or diving, I think that's just incompetent.  My views are my own.  The same thing happened to Freddy Adu earlier this year in MLS, and the decision was just as shaky.  It looked to me, from the replay, that Evans did make just a little contact with Torres.  Not to mention you can just fall over when you're playing a sport, like, say soccer.  It's not always a dive.  That's why I'm totally against the "red card for diving" crowd.

Javier Hernandez's goal was offside.  Period, end of story.  Arteta's goal for Arsenal was offside.  The EPL is starting to have some MLS sized credibility issues with their refs and linesmen, though it's hard to fault the center official for a blown offside call.

Chelsea does deserve some of the blame.  The own goal by David Luiz certainly didn't help, and they were down 0-2 at home within 13 minutes.  They deserve some credit too.   They did an amazing job fighting back, and probably would have gotten the point if it weren't for that offside goal.

As the dust cleared after the match, word came out that Chelsea FC had filed a complaint with the Football Association against referee Clattenburg.  However, the complaint, lodged with the FA match delegate, is not about the calls, but alleges that he used inappropriate language toward two different Chelsea players during the match.  The FA had no immediate comment.

Is this just Chelsea's way of lashing out at Clattenburg, or is there something to this?  Referees wear microphones and the audio is recorded, so we'll see I guess.  However, it is interesting to note that Clattenburg has already been appointed to officiate at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Dempsey Scores as Spurs Top United

Clint Dempsey tallied the match winner for Spurs (Action Images)

It's safe to say that things did not go according to script for Manchester United today as they lost at Old Trafford for the first time in the calendar year.  Ultimately a lackluster defensive effort in the first half led to their downfall to a surging Tottenham side.

In the opening minute it looked the like the match would be off to a tentative to start with both sides probing around the edges of the midfield.  However in the second minute Spurs conjured a goal seemingly out of nothing.  Jan Vertonghen took a ball from Gareth Bale and charged into the United penalty area almost totally unchallenged.  In the end he fired off a low shot that took a slight deflection off a United player and nestled in the bottom corner for a 0-1 lead.

One might think that conceding a goal so early at home might prod United into action.  That didn't happen though.  The Red Devils sniped around the edge of the Spurs area a couple times, and had a couple of half hearted shouts for penalties, but that was about it.  They continued in a lull and it cost them.  In the 32nd minute Bale took a ball from midfield and ran into the United box, drifting a lazy right footed shot toward the far post.  The 'keeper had no chance at the angle and the ball dribbled over the line to give Spurs the 0-2 advantage going into halftime.

The second half started in an absolute flurry as Sir Alex had likely given his team the blow dryer treatment at halftime.  Truth be told, he probably came across more like an army of blow dryers.  He also inserted Wayne Rooney into the match, which paid off almost immediately.  In the 51st minute Rooney sent a gorgeous cross into the six where Nani was waiting to knock it home from close range and cut the lead to 1-2.

But before United could even think about trying to pull level, Tottenham restored their 2 goal lead.  In the 52nd minute Gareth Bale once again torched the United defense getting free and sending a low blast in on Anders Lindegaard.  The United keeper saved the shot, but gave up a rebound that fell right to an onrushing Clint Dempsey who banged the shot into the open net to make it 1-3.  It was the American's first goal for Spurs.

United weren't about to lay down though, and they fought right back. In the 53rd minute Robin Van Persie slipped a through ball to Shinji Kagawa, and the former Dortmund man put it just into the lower right corner of the goal to make it 2-3.

United were never able to get the equalizer though.  Their best chance came in the 61st minute when Wayne Rooney stepped over a free kick in a dangerous situation.  He seemed to have Brad Friedel beaten on the shot, but it clanged off the post and out of danger as Spurs held on to the 2-3 win.

The win is Spurs first at Old Trafford since 1989, and was their first win over United since 2001.

League Cup: Young United Squad Hold Off Newcastle

Tom Cleverly gives United a 2-0 lead (mirror.co.uk)

This hasn't been the best week for Manchester United on the injury front, particularly on defense.  Earlier this week captain Nemanja Vidic was ruled out for 8 weeks with a knee injury, and Phil Jones was already ruled out for 8 weeks.  Couple that news with the fact that Chris Smalling is not yet fit and Jonny Evans took a knock over the weekend, and Sir Alex has some worries about his back line.

Nonetheless, the Red Devils rolled out their 2012 Capital One Cup campaign against Newcastle United Wednesday at Old Trafford.  Here were the four men in their back line: Alexander Buttner, Scott Wooton, Marnick Vermijl, and Michael Keane.  Not exactly household names.  This lineup was going up against the Newcastle attack with a combined 2 senior squad appearances.  Was Sir Alex ever worried?  Probably not really.

The good news for United was that they did have depth and experience in their midfield and front line.  Wayne Rooney returned to the XI for the first time since he suffered an nasty gash injury on his leg early in the season.  He was complimented by Javier Hernandez and a midfield featuring the likes of Anderson and English international Tom Cleverly.  It was this duo that would provide United with the fire power that they needed on this night.

The home side controlled the possession for most of the night and their young defense put in a very good shift.  It was Anderson who put United on top in the 44th minute.  Darren Fletcher, who also returned after a long absence, dished the ball to the Brazilian midfielder, who smacked the ball just off the post and in the top corner to give United the 1-0 lead going into the break.

Anderson nearly doubled his tally and the United advantage early on in the second half.  In the 47th minute Danny Welbeck played him into the area, but he put the shot over the bar, allowing Newcastle to breath a little bit.  They finally did get a second goal in the 58th minute when Tom Cleverly took a centering pass from Welbeck and knocked it into the bottom corner.  The all English International connection gave United the 2-1 lead.

After the second goal Newcastle subbed in star striker Papiss Cisse, and he looked to certain to put the young United defense to the test.  It didn't take long for him to show his quality either.  In the 62nd minute he rose and headed in a cross from fellow substitute Shane Ferguson to make it 2-1.  However, United held up to the threat of a comeback, even after Cisse clanked an overhead kick off the wood late on.  The Red Devils held on to win the match, and the League Cup draw set up a tasty matchup with Chelsea in the next round.  Chelsea bounced Wolves 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in the their third round match.

United's Vidic Out Eight Weeks

Just as one Manchester United star is set to return to the pitch, another important player has suffered an injury setback.  Striker Wayne Rooney is due to make his return to the line up tomorrow in League Cup action, but defender and team captain Nemanja Vidic has now been ruled out for eight weeks.

The 31 year old Serbian international sat out United's match this last weekend after complaining about tightness in his right knee.  It's the same knee he injured last year in Champion's League competition that caused him to miss the final 5 months of the season.  United have said that medical evaluation after Vidic complained about the knee revealed more issues, and he has now undergone surgery.  He'll miss at least 3 Champions League games and 7 Barclay's Premier League games if this time line holds.

The injury comes at a bad time for United as defender Phil Jones is also out for a similar amount of time with a similar injury.  Also, Chris Smalling has yet to return from injury and Jonny Evans picked up an injury last weekend against Liverpool.  Things could be interesting in the next few weeks for the Red Devils.

Wayne Rooney Out 4 Weeks With Leg Injury

Wayne Rooney suffered an injury late against Fulham (BBC)

Yesterday was a day of both good news and bad news for Manchester United fans.  The good news was that Robin Van Persie picked up his first goal for the Red Devils and they held on to beat Fulham 3-2 at Old Trafford.  The bad news is that Wayne Rooney suffered an absolutely NASTY gash in his right leg and is set to miss significant time.

The incident happened in stoppage time of United's win.  Rooney headed in to face the shot of Fulham's Hugo Rodallega and the Fulham man caught him on the inside of his leg with his studs.  The TV shots picked up the deep wound, which appeared to be bleeding quite badly.  Rooney was stretchered off and taken to hospital in Manchester, where he was still being treated as of Saturday night.

Sir Alex is quoted as saying he believes Rooney will be out at least four weeks,  If this proves to be the case, he will miss some important matches for club and country.  He looks to miss not only United's match at Liverpool in late September, but also the start of United's Champion's League run.  He will also likely miss England's International double header against Moldova and the Ukraine.

I'm not a United fan, but one always wants to see the best players play.  The Puddle wishes Mr. Rooney a full and speedy recovery free from complication and infection.

RVP Signs With United, and Wayne Rooney Trolls Piers Morgan

At this point we all have all pretty much heard that Arsenal Captain Robin Van Persie has been sold to Manchester United.  You also probably know that Piers Morgan threatened to end his own life should RvP leave the Gunners.  Well, unless you follow Wayne Rooney on twitter, which I recommend you do, you might have missed this little masterpiece of Twitter Trolling:

Yes, Wayne posted a pic of RvP in his new United training duds, directed right at the CNN host.  United fan or not, Wayne Rooney is always good for a laugh.  One of my favorite footballers on twitter.

Puddle's 2012-2013 Barclay's Premier League Preview

While I love my home domestic league, Major League Soccer, my first footballing love is England, specifically the Barclay's Premier League.  I'm very excited about the prospects for the upcoming season, and here are my non-expert thoughts and predictions on the new year.

The TOP FOUR: UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who Are Ya designs has a shirt that's emblazoned with the Barclay's Lion and reads "Fourth is the new first."  In this era of the Premier League, this is really true.  For most clubs, you can fail to win the title, but still be viewed as having a successful campaign if you land in one of the top four spots that qualify for the big money of the UEFA Champions League.  Here's who I bet on seeing there next spring, in no particular order:

We'll start with the defending champs.  Manchester City has not been active at all in the offseason, but they've retained the services of key men and I can't really say as I've seen another team pass them up in the transfer market.  I fully expect City's stingy defense, top 'keeper in Joe Hart, and potent attack to have them at least back in the Champions League spots at the end of the season.

How about their cross-town rivals, Manchester United?  They'll be looking for redemption this season.  Not only did they lose the Premiership title to the "noisy neighbors" at City, but they exited the Champions League after the group stage and finished without a trophy.  They've upgraded some, acquiring Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund.  At the time of this writing, they're still in the mix to land Robin Van Persie as well.  My question about United is at the back though.  Can they stay healthy, and can David De Gea round into form as top EPL 'keeper?  Whether they push for the title or not, I can't see them not being in the top four.

Next up is Chelsea FC.  After winning the Champions League and FA Cup in underdog fashion last year, I look for the Blues to be a lot better in league form.  Yes, they lost Didier Drogba, and that's a huge blow.  Fernando Torres will need to step big time.  Daniel Sturridge will need to regain some of his form as well.  The Blues are still in the running to acquire Hulk from Porto, which I think would be a great pickup.  The midfield is stacked with guys like Lampard, Mata, Ramires, and new arrivals Eden Hazard and Marko Marin, who can play on the wing as well.  The question is, can they hold together at the back after some less than impressive defensive performances in the preseason.  David Luiz will have to show some maturity for sure.  There's no reason why the Blues should not compete for the title and the Champions League spots, and the pressure will be on if they stumble out of the gate.

I really have questions about who will get the other spot.  I believe Arsenal will have issues without Van Persie, but I don't think Andre Villas-Boas is a good fit at Spurs, who also look likely to be losing Modric in the next 48 hours.  I'm going to go with Newcastle United here.  The Magpies were a force to be reckoned with last season, and if they can stay healthy, they have a good shot at making a run for the top of the table.  If Demba Ba can stay healthy and team up with Papiss Cisse, Alan Pardew could have a top attack on his hands.  Cisse was unstoppable toward the end of last year.  Pardew will get the most out of them, and I expect them to land in the Champions League Spots.

Movin On Up--EVERTON
Speaking of managers who get the most out of their sides, don't be surprised to see David Moyes and Everton hanging out in the upper part of the table, maybe even with an outside shot at a top 4 spot.  Losing Tim Cahill is blow, but despite his enormous work rate, had a real tough time figuring prominently at Everton last season.  While the Toffees have not been able to secure the services of Landon Donovan, they did bring Steven Pienaar back from Tottenham, and finally were able to sign former Ranger Steven Naismith, who can play either in the midfield or at forward.  Pair him up with Nikica Jelavic (above) and the Toffees, who were formidable during the second half last season, could see a rise up the table.  I'd put them just outside the top four, with a chance to take one of the domestic cups.

Might Be a long year for--LIVERPOOL
Last year I picked Liverpool to regain their form and finish in the top four.  Well, we saw how that worked out.  King Kenny is gone.  Craig Bellamy is gone.  Dirk Kuyt is gone. Andy Carroll may be gone, but Liverpool seem to have too high of an asking price.  Brendan Rodgers is set to bring a new  philosophy to Anfield, but I'm not sold on it.  He's brought in Italian attacker Fabio Borini and a Swansea holdover in Joe Allen, but the Reds will need more than that.  They've been linked with Clint Dempsey, but apparently have not met either Fulham or maybe Dempsey's price.  In the end, I just don't see them improving much.  If Liverpool supporters want back in the top four, they'll need more patience than Hodgson or King Kenny were given.

And the winners will be:  MANCHESTER CITY
Last year my creed during the season was that I wouldn't bet against United.  This year, I won't be betting against City.  The key here is what I mentioned earlier:  City have not been big spenders, but I don't see anyone as quite catching up to them.  Both Chelsea and United have improved significantly (especially with United on the verge of signing Van Persie) but I think both of those squads have questions at the back, where City does not.  I look for the Citizens to repeat their Barclay's Premier League winning campaign.

New Man United kits for 2012/2013 by Nike

Rio Ferdinand in the new Manchester United home kit. (Nike)

Today Nike and Manchester United unveiled their new home kit for the 2012/2013 season.  As you can see above the kit features a tartan pattern and a black collar.  Also, Nike is using recycled materials from Plastic bottles to make the kits.  Apparently an average of 13 bottles for each kit.

I'm not a United fan, but the new kit looks pretty sweet.

Manchester Derby: For MOST of the Marbles.

City Captain Vincent Kompany after scoring the day's only goal. (Getty Images)

A few weeks back Vincent Kompany let his club down at home against Manchester United.  On that day, he received a red card early in a derby match in the FA Cup against City's heated rivals, ultimately leading to the demise of the dream of repeating their FA Cup success.  Today, the City captain erased that memory, notching a goal that will most likely be long remembered as one of the most important in history of his club.

Today was the "unmissable" game, as Sky Sports dubbed it.  United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called it "The derby to end all derbies." Manchester City hosted Manchester United.  The winner would not quite claim the Premier League title, but would have an advantage nearly impossible to be overcome.

In reality, only one team really showed up.  Manchester City came out confident on their home ground, knowing they needed three points.  A draw would have suited United just fine, and they definitely came out not trying to win, but to avoid losing.  That can spell disaster against a club that's as good as City.

The best chance that United had pretty much all day came in just the second minute.  They won a corner, and sent the ball in.  After a bit of ping pong in front of the City goal, the ball fell to Michael Carrick.  He volleyed the ball toward the goal, but his shot was blocked.  United screamed for handball, but it fell on deaf ears.

After that, Manchester City took control of the first half, and really took control of the match.  United slid back into an almost park the bus mentality, knowing all they really needed to do was keep City out of the back of the net.  In the end, they never really even looked threatening on the counter attack.  The men in sky blue had some issues though, United is never easy to break down.  Sergio Aguero had some half looks, and Carlos Tevez worked hard, but never really got a look.

In end, City would land the only blow of the day right before halftime.  In the first of two minutes of stoppage, City set up for a corner that was taken by David Silva.  As the kick came in Kompany shook his marker, Chris Smalling, and rose for a free header, putting it easily by David De Gea to make it 1-0 to City at halftime.

United tried to come out differently in the second half, but it just wasn't to be.  Honestly the most interesting thing that happened in the last 45 minutes was the 4th official having to break up a sparring match between Ferguson and Roberto Mancini. 

Late in the match Samir Nasri had a chance to ice it, looking at a shooting opportunity right in front of goal.  Instead of shooting to either post for an easy score, he got cute and tried to walk it in.  The United defense regrouped and stuffed him without even a shot.  In the end though, it didn't matter.  United didn't register a single shot on goal for the entire game, as City easily held onto the 1-0 win.

The result puts the two sides level on points, but City have a superior goal difference.  If they win their last two (at Newcastle and vs QPR) United doesn't really have much of a chance.  They have Swansea at home and finish on the road to Sunderland.  It's possible that United could put up a big number against Swansea, but likely not at Sunderland.

United will need City to slip up.  If they don't, the red half of Manchester might be facing a season void of trophies.

EPL: Manchester United vs. QPR

United's Danny Welbeck tries a shot (AP Images)

This match featured two teams at opposite ends of the Premier League table, but each needing the points as bad as the other.  For Manchester United, a win would move them eight points clear of City at the top.  QPR is in a bit of a different position.  Despite bringing in Mark Hughes and going on a bit of a spending spree during the January transfer window.  They sit at the bottom of the table, just outside the bottom three.

Well if you're a QPR fan, there really wasn't much to be excited about.  They barely got a chance to get their feet underneath them.  United came out with some searing pressure in the opening minutes that resulted in a couple of good free kick looks for Wayne Rooney.  In the fourth minute his effort went into the QPR wall, but in the seventh he got it on frame and forced a big save out of Paddy Kenny to keep the score level at zero.

Then in the 14th minute it went awry for QPR, though not totally of their own making.  Ashley Young seemed to dance in behind the defense and QPR's Shaun Derry brought him down for a penalty.  Derry was also shown the red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.  There were a couple of problem with this.  First, replays showed that Young was clearly offside, the linesman totally missed it, though it really should have been quite obvious.  Second, Derry barely laid a hand on Young, and it was a clearly a dive by the United player.  At any rate, Wayne Rooney nailed the spot kick to make it 1-0 to United.

As for QPR, they finally settled in a little bit, but they couldn't create any chances on the ball.  The best they got was two shots from Adel Taarabt, both of which were blocked.  As the halftime whistle blew, United still held the 1-0 lead and Mark Hughes sought out the referee for a chat.

QPR did come out solid in the second half, and managed to make things a bit nervy for United as they grabbed a bigger share of possession.  Still, they managed no shots on goal and would not record one for the entire match.

Paul Scholes came to the rescue of United in the 68th minute and killed the game off.  He sent a screamer in from distance that Paddy Kenny had no shot to save at all, and the score became 2-0 to United.  Michael Carrick would hit the post in the 77th minute, but the match ended 2-0.  Coupling this result with the later loss at Arsenal for Manchester City, and the Red Devils stood 8 points clear at the summit by the end of Easter Sunday.

Note:  QPR did appeal Derry's sending off to the FA.  On Tuesday, they denied that appeal, basically saying the denial of the goal scoring chance still occurred as Young was not flagged offside.  Derry will serve a one game ban.  The red card was QPR's seventh sending off of the season.