By Matty Lawrence

That accusation can be leveled at sides such as West Ham Utd and Southampton who flirted with relegation, but couldn’t quite seal the deal, and Stoke and Swansea who had the trap door opened and a Huddersfield FC size 10 boot firmly implanted upon their behind on their way out of the EPL. Could one of those two teams “do a Sunderland?

”Sunderland, a massive, former, power house from the North East of England, who have had back-to-back relegations and find themselves mired in the rigours of League One when the season trots back around again in a few months. There have been prior warnings in the last couple of decades: Manchester City, our record-breaking champions of the 2017-18 season, was in third tier hell just a couple of decades ago. Add to City, European Cup winners Nottingham Forest and top tier winning Leeds United and you have quite a triumvirate of clubs who languished in League One not so long ago.

So, why did Sunderland think they would be any different? Bad ownership, bad management and a whole host of bad players led Sunderland Football Club down the garden path of relegation and into the quagmire of ties against the likes of Fleetwood Town and Accrington Stanley.

Coleman

Sunderland have parted company with numerous managers in the last few seasons and Chris Coleman was the most recent to go when he failed to stave off relegation. Ellis Short, the American owner, has engineered a massive downturn in fortunes for the football club since taking over in 2008 and the incoming consortium have a massive task on their hands. Loyal indigenous fans demand EPL football as a bare minimum and that is at least two seasons away. The best they can hope for is Premier League football in the 2020-21 season, way off on the footballing horizon.

Short’s neglect of Sunderland AFC mirrors the country’s neglect of the North-East. The economic plight of the North-East of England is a fitting metaphor for the downward spiral of SAFC and it’s going to take more than a person at the helm with a weak underbelly and a lack of a discernible plan to drag either out of the clutches of the repo man. Let’s dial it back a notch and at least make a football comparison with the club: Sunderland AFC is Jack Rodwell and, boy, have we heard a lot about Rodwell, but rarely in relation to the sport itself.

A Rod (well) For Their Own Back

For those that don’t know, Rodwell was a precocious talent when he made his debut in the top flight with Everton just over a decade ago â€?doesn’t time fly when clubs are continually airlifting cash into your bank account? Jack Rodwell had only just begun his professional career at Everton when his (and his agents) head got turned by the newly-monied Manchester City FC in August 2012.

City paid a whopping £12m to Everton for the young prodigy and the rest should have been history. Unfortunately, the only thing that was history up to this point was Rodwell’s career. Pretty much two years after their purchase and just a handful of EPL starts later and Rodwell had been flogged (in all senses of the word) on to Sunderland for £2m, plus exorbitant wages, less than they paid to Sunderland.

And here is where the problem begins for Sunderland AFC and ends for Rodwell and his bank manager. Rodwell signed a lucrative £70,000.00, five-year contract, so reports go. Sunderland, in their haste to get their man, forgot to insert any relegation clauses into Rodwell’s contract. Last season, Rodwell was still receiving that tidy sum while playing Championship football. More to the point, I guess, was Rodwell was receiving that sum to NOT play Championship football.

Stand Off

The afore-mentioned Coleman and Rodwell were at loggerheads for the final few months of the season: Rodwell wanted to leave because he wasn’t playing, so Sunderland agreed to rip up his contract, but no club in their right mind would take over Rodwell’s vastly inflated £70K a week wages. There was a stand-off. In this situation, there is only one winner, the player. (We have seen it previously with Winston Bogarde at Chelsea who sat on a reported four-year, £45K a week salary while rarely kicking a ball in anger).

There is nothing that Sunderland could do to crowbar THEIR player out of the door. Pay up his full contract, or the player is, 99% of the time, going to hunker down. You can make the player train with “the kids,â€?or treat him deplorably, but, ultimately, the player is the one laughing all the way to the bank.

Let’s be honest, who can blame him, or any other player in a similar situation. I have read and heard numerous fans and staff at Sunderland AFC bemoaning the player and his lack of respect for the club. Well, where is the respect of the club towards the contract that I’m pretty sure Rodwell didn’t force them to draw up.

Contract

They instigated the contract and he dutifully signed it. Jack Rodwell didn’t force Ellis Short to run the club on a shoestring in the last few seasons. Rodwell didn’t force Short to employ the plethora of dreadful managers, or hold a gun to his head while the club brought in numerous overpaid prima-donnas at a whim. And Rodwell certainly didn’t force Short to pull his finances in the latter stages of his reign and bring the club into the depths of the third tier of the English football pyramid.

Fans too moan and shout (rightfully so) at escalating ticket prices and merchandise, but want Rodwell to give up his money. If they won’t, why should he? All of their ire should be directed at the fool who placed the contract in front of Rodwell. Jack Rodwell should be applauded for standing his ground and not giving in to the alleged bullying and mistreatment from staff and the club as a whole. You reap what you sow, and it will be a good number of years before Sunderland AFC get a bumper crop again.

By Matty Lawrence

The way it works is that every member of the PFA is balloted and those players who can read and write fill out their forms like dutiful souls, picking a 4-3-3 team to represent the best XI players in the EPL. Now, as I’ve alluded to, us footballers (past and present) aren’t the sharpest tacks in the drawer. I’ve seen the squiggles and crosses on ballot papers up and down the land that allegedly represented words and names on the page. Half the time the player sat next to you copies your form, like a slightly dim pupil in the maths test. Quite often players will vote for their mates, or players in the same agents stable as them.

But this year, goddammit, I think the players have cracked it. In fact I find it quite difficult to argue with any of their selections, but of course I will have a little nibble My only real gripe is that the team couldn’t possibly go out and play an actual game of football, as there are only three players in that line up with a defensive bone in their body. So if we had to put that team out on the field we would probably have to remove Christian Eriksen to make way for a defensive midfielder. And, this season, the stand out player in that role has been Fernandinho by a country mile.

Saying that, the PFA team is not really about formations but more  about the XI best players. Let’s be honest, the forward thinking players tend to catch our eye and get all the plaudits, so on this topic, the players, for once, cannot be blamed. When push comes to shove there are possibly four selections I could argue with.

The PFA Team Of The Year

Goalkeeper David de Gea has once again been in scintillating form for Manchester United and he has been included in the PFA team four times in the previous five seasons. Yes, de Gea really is that dominant in the No.1 position. This season, for instance, he has the highest save percentage at 80% of the shots he faced.

This season, though, the boy from the blue half of Manchester has rightfully made a claim for the goalkeeper of the year. Granted, Ederson is not as accomplished an all round goalkeeper as de Gea (I am talking solely in the hands area here), but boy does his distribution make up for it. Whether it is off the floor with his feet, or attacks instigated with a swift, incisive throw, Ederson has really taken the EPL by storm. We can’t forget that it took de Gea well over a season to acclimatise to the EPL where as Ederson has slipped right into the Manchester City starting line-up and been sensational.

At right back Kyle Walker got the nod from his peers and while it is tough to debate that selection, Trent Alexander Arnold must get an honourable mention. Not only has he taken the EPL by storm, but he has fared equally well in the pressure cooker situation of the Champions League. This kid has a fantastic future ahead of him, and it is great to see that his appearances this season have already triggered a new contract: richly deserved that it is.

Vertonghen A Must

Jan Vertonghen is an absolute must at the heart of the defence, but I would make a solid case for Virgil van Dijk being included instead of Nicolas Otamendi.

Yes, Otamendi has flourished this season under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola while completing 2665 passes to date. That’s 300 more than any other player, but VVD has had such a positive, calming influence on the previously jittery Liverpool backline that his presence shouldn’t be ignored. Unfortunately his protracted move from Southampton has rightly had a negative effect on his chances at the ballot box.

Marcus Alonso has slotted into the left back berth, and here I have a little bit of a problem. Technically, Alonso plays left wing back for Chelsea, but I think it is much easier to consider him a left midfielder in their 3-4-3 formation. Alonso has chipped in with six goals this season and been a real positive for Chelsea, but a left back he ain’t.

With 20 appearances to date (possibly too few for consideration) Andrew Robertson had to have been in with a shout. The ÂŁ8m signing from Hull City has been an absolute bargain and settled into the massive football club that Liverpool is with consummate ease. Poor old Alberto Moreno has hardly had a sniff after the first few games of the season.

The rest of the PFA XI is fine by me:

David Silva has an 89% pass completion and 11 assists to date.

Christian Eriksen has made Spurs tick and stepped up to the plate with Dele Alli’s slight dip in form. 10 goals and nine assists speak volumes about the quality of the little, Danish playmaker this season.

Kevin De Bruyne has hands down been the best player in the EPL this season. Not only is his talent unmatched, but he has produced 11 goals and 15 assists and becomes the first player to deliver 15+ assists in consecutive seasons.

As we progress to the forward line we just have to tip our caps in respect. Sergio Aguero has 21 goals and counting. Harry Kane has 26 goals and at last glance was trying to claim he was the driving force behind the Berlin Wall falling.

Let’s save the best forward until last and just admire the majesty that has been Mo Salah in the 2017/18 EPL season: 30 EPL goals and nine assists. Add to that the 40 goals in all competitions (a feat last completed by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2007/08 season) and LFC find themselves with a world-class talent. For once, the members of the PFA have come up with a starting XI to be proud of, so it really doesn’t matter how many “homework’sâ€?were copied, or how many spelling mistakes occurred, I think that this is a team the EPL can be proud of.

The Matty Lawrence Column: Who Is The EPL Player Of The Year 2017-18?

So, let’s get cracking and work out who has been the best player in the EPL this season. I mean what else are we going to discuss, the England squad for the forthcoming, meaningless friendlies against Holland and Italy?

Please don’t make me discuss the cons and cons of recalling Joe ‘Teflonâ€?Hart to the squad: pass me a fork and I’ll have a crack at my retinas. So before I tumble into a pit of despair thinking of the limited nature of the afore-mentioned squad, and the car crash that is going to be Russia 2018, let’s get those candidates.

There are only three names, so please don’t debate me on that. Yes, football generally tends to be subjective, but this can’t even be considered an argument: Kevin de Bruyne, Harry Kane and Mo Salah are the only three players who can be considered in the running for English Premier League player of the season. I listed them in alphabetical order, before anyone accuses me of bias.

Mohammed Salah

We’ll work from latter to former to negate that criticism and begin our little discussion with the incredible form of Mohammed Salah. You couldn’t put this guy out with a thousand gallons of water: he’s incendiary.

With 28 goals in 30 appearances and a decidedly tasty nine assists to his name, Salah is almost single-handedly keeping Liverpool FC in the hunt for second place. His four goals with four shots against Watford last weekend was undeniably a feat of sheer class. Salah has opposition players and managers running for the hills.

Blimey, Javi Gracia the Watford manager decided to play without any full backs to spare the blushes of whoever grabbed the No.3 slot. Salah has had so many left backs spinning into the ground this season, that giving him the freedom of the Anfield pitch unopposed seemed like a good idea�even if just to prolong the career of one poor soul dressed in yellow.

Salah has scored a whopping 0.93 goals per game and is surely on target for at least 30 goals in his debut season. He’s breaking more records along the way than even The Rolling Stones have made.

Torres has been left in the rear-view: Salah has surpassed the 33 goals that Fernando notched in his debut LFC season in 2007/08. Give Salah another game, or two, and he will have switched gear and overtaken Robbie Fowler’s 36 goals (53 games) in a Liverpool shirt in the Premier League era. We can only sit back and admire the grace and panache of Salah and herald him an absolute bargain at a fee of just over £35m.

Harry Kane

You have to feel for Harry Kane who will struggle to reach the heady heights of Mo Salah’s 28 goals, and counting, now that he has injured his glass, right ankle. Kane is, without doubt, absolutely world class and let’s hope that right ankle of his doesn’t stifle his ability to jettison his career into the stratosphere: three injuries on the same ankle before the age of 25 does have me slightly concerned, though.

24 goals in 29 games would normally have any self-respecting football fan salivating over their plasma screen, but Salah’s 0.93 goals per game has thoroughly eclipsed Kane’s 0.83 goals per game.

This doesn’t mean that Kane isn’t having a great season, or that he can’t be considered for EPL player of the season, it just means that he won’t be winning any personal awards at this juncture…a bit like his team, Tottenham Hotspur. A low blow, I know, but come on, Spurs fans, you’re totally used to it by now.

The last time you won anything of any note (don’t tell me you include the bloody League Cup?), the bloke with the fishing rod and the fella promoting crisps lifted the trophy. And that was before football was even invented on 20 February, 1992.

Kevin de Bruyne

Lastly, we need to move onto a player that the rest of the EPL is looking up to: Kevin de Bruyne. Without getting all mushy and doe-eyed, this guy has been a sight to behold this season. De Bruyne’s game has just gone from strength-to-strength. In 30 appearances he’s hit 7 goals and 14 assists, but that’s really just the icing on the cake.

Add to that production his range of passing: short to long, left or right, inside/outside of the foot and the odd laces pass, here or there. That doesn’t even begin to cover the full repertoire, but I think you catch my drift.

De Bruyne averages 74 of these delightful passes per game and has a very solid 45% shooting accuracy. Surprisingly, as he doesn’t really strike you as such a player, he also has a tackle success of 73%.

Enough of these bloody stats, because what I am really trying to say is that KDB is the all-round player: dictating games from start to finish, the ultimate professional on and off the pitch and with rarely a yellow card to his name.

To be considered anywhere near the level of Messi and Ronaldo he has to produce in the latter stages of the Champions League and on the world stage with Belgium. There also, of course, has to be a longevity that proves consistency isn’t an issue.

I have no doubt in my mind that KDB has the mental strength and aptitude to replicate this season’s quality over a number of years. His single-minded approach is one that all young players should strive for.

My Pick For EPL Player Of The Year 2017..Drum Roll, Please

For me, the title of EPL player of the season is a no contest. Yes, Harry Kane has been at his usual consistent best. Yes, Mo Salah has surprised us all (I assume) with his stunning debut season for Liverpool and his magnificent 28 goals haul so far. But, neither of them has dictated a game as consistently as Kevin De Bruyne.

Ultimately, he is the only player of the three that sits atop the EPL by 16 points with a massive goal difference, better than any other club by a massive 26 goals. KDB has had a majestic season so far and I’m sure he’ll be adding some team honours to the inevitable personal haul that he will rake in at the end of the season.

By Matty Lawrence

City’s dominance in the EPL is a sight to behold regardless of the naysayers bemoaning the amount of money they’ve shelled out.  Let’s make no bones about it, most of us are just a tad jealous and wish our teams played the attractive, forward thinking footy that City do.

Owner Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, or Sheikh Mansour to his buddies, may have a few dubious skeletons in his closet (and heaven forbid you fool around in that closet in Abu Dhabi, the country ruled by Mansour’s family) but despite the human rights issues surrounding the owner of Manchester City Football Club, how contemptible is it for Pep Guardiola to accept one of the greatest challenges in his managerial career?

Should the players themselves be worried about who is signing their pay checks? How about the fans passing through the turnstiles at the Etihad Stadium every other weekend? At what point should our love of the beautiful game be tempered by the behavior of the owners and regimes that have been swarming into football in the past decade? If the EPL give them the go ahead after doing their due diligence on applicants, should we just coalesce?

As with any conundrum in life, we must look inward before we point fingers.  I’ll unhappily admit that I have sometimes taken pay checks from treacherous bastards. In another lifetime I would probably cross the road if they were on fire, or at best relieve myself in the pursuit of dousing the flames, but sometimes needs must. For now I’m going to focus on the football being played on the green stuff on the pitch and try to forget where the green stuff off it is coming from.

Superior Team

Ultimately, there is no denying the fact that Guardiola has created a team far superior to any in the EPL. They are currently 16 points clear of city rivals (pun intended) United and a colossal 33 points ahead of perennial Champions League chasers Arsenal FC.

If this campaign were a boxing match it would have been stopped around Christmas time. Come April, you can be sure the  PFA selected ‘Team of the yearâ€?will be awash with sky blue. The fast, free-flowing football of this Man City team is a joy to watch. Yes, Liverpool FC may have a slightly more dynamic, counter-attacking trio at the helm, but they still have a propensity to leak goals like the Titanic just after the iceberg struck.

Spurs are awash with style and grace, but even they lag an astonishing 20 points behind City and have yet to dispel the theory that when the going gets tough they turn to jigsaws: doubly so in their case as they fall apart in both boxes. City’s experience reigns over Spursâ€?sweet, naĂŻve innocence.

As for the red half of Manchester, they are literally the polar opposite of their neighbors. Jose Mourinho’s willingness to suck the joy out of the game like the new Dyson cordless cleaner on a dust-addled floor is exactly why the word contrasting was invented. For all Mourinho’s bemoaning the lack of cash, Romelu Lukaku has come in at £75m and Paul Pogba at a whopping £90m, or so.

Pogba

There are other players in the United side with large price tags on their head, but very few seem to be enjoying what is supposedly one of the best jobs in the world. Right now,  poor old Pogba looks like he’d rather be anywhere else on the planet than pulling on the previously cherished red shirt of United. Yes, Manchester United are second in the league – but points, style and enjoyment wise the gulf is Grand Canyon-esque.

A glance at the Premier League goalscorers chart reveals that no less than four City players grace the top twenty. Aguero (21), Sterling (15), Jesus (8) and Sane (8). Gabriel Jesus hardly gets a sniff of the starting line-up yet he’s managed to bang in a hatful.

Kevin De Bruyne, City’s best player by a country mile, has racked up 11 goals and 19 assists in all competitions. De Bruyne has the vision of an owl and the passing ability of Glenn Hoddle in his pomp. If he gets any better, opposition managers are going to have to consider tying one leg behind his back in the tunnel before the game, or sticking a fantasy midfield trio of Hurlock, Souness and Bremner in the middle of the park to contribute a few scything challenges to the cause.

Champions League

Domestically, the title is sewn up, but can City go on and win the Champions League? Of course they can and it isn’t all about the green stuff Guardiola has at his disposal. Unai Emery has an equally obscene amount of money to spend and look at the shambles that was PSG’s latest quest for the Champions League trophy – beaten 5-2 on aggregate by a Real Madrid side languishing third in La Liga and a whopping 15 points behind Barcelona.

PSG spent the GDP of a mid-sized Scandinavian country on Neymar…and that was just on his entourage. Neymar, the footballer, came at an extra price.  Fellow strike partner Kylian Mbappe cost another £150m, or so, and let’s not even get started on Cavani, Di Maria, Drexler et al.

If it were solely about the money we would be seeing a PSG vs Man City Champions League final. As it is, PSG blew the transfer record out of the water this summer and still progressed no further than they did last season. By contrast, Manchester City have spent wisely, and in Pep Guardiola have found a manager who can guide them to the promised land.

Matty Lawrence describes his ‘flying start’ to the MLS 2018 season that kicks off next week. Our intrepid reporter is preparing for another season commentating for Sporting KC.

The Matty Lawrence Column: MLS 2018 Pre-Season Is Here

Fasten Your Seat Belts!

With MLS 2018 rapidly approaching it is time for us color commentators to begin our own pre-season preparations and look forward to another season of cancelled flights, lost luggage and early morning wake up calls.

Unbeknown to me, I would be cramming a year’s worth of drama into one cross country trip this week from my home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Tucson, Arizona to meet up with Sporting Kansas City. It was a trip that would also include an unplanned and most unwelcome amusement park ride experienced at just over thirty thousand feet.

What started with the usual fumbling for the snooze button at 3.30am, followed by a brief, uneventful cab ride to La Guardia Airport and a deft little body swerve through security, my journey slowly turned into a nightmare of epic proportions as it begrudgingly progressed.

LGA to Dallas Fort-Worth was an absolute dream: 30 minutes early to touch down and easily enough time to traverse my way through the gargantuan monolith that is DFW. Feisty, little devil that it is, the Skylink monorail whisked me headlong into Terminal C for the second leg of my airborne journey: DFW into Tucson.

TGI Friday

I currently possess a massive penchant for mozzarella sticks, so with time to spare, there was only one destination for my desired pre-flight indulgence: TGI Friday’s. I ordered the sticks, tacked on a few chicken strips and prayed to the old chap above that my arteries wouldn’t clog for at least another couple of years. It quickly became apparent I was in Texas by observing the size of everything, from meal portions to frozen margaritas, to the airport itself and, of course, the people.

So far so good, until someone at the bar pulled out a bloody harmonica just as most of us patrons were tucking in to our high calorie breakfast! Oh, how I wish I was making this up. Chance would be a fine thing. I inhaled my food, threw down my money and rushed off in search of peace and Tums.

Worse was to follow when I received word that my poor, beleaguered colleagues had boarded their plane in Kansas City in an ill-advised attempt to beat an on rushing ice-storm. The sorry devils ended up plane bound on the runway for a good (bad) couple of hours.

So, what does yours truly decide to do? Yep, you guessed it, I ribbed them mercilessly through text messages  with little sympathy or forethought for my own personal travails ahead. No sooner had my petty bout of schadenfreude subsided, when my phone sprang into life and informed me of a 70 minute delay to my own flight!

“Karma, you are one sorry son-of-a-bitch,â€?I repeated to myself approximately a thousand times as I sat on the Dallas runway.

Six Flags

Thank goodness for my early start and heavy meal that morning, as I was able to promptly fall asleep. Unfortunately I awoke an hour later in the same position (bodily and on the same piece of tarmac), but with added drool. The captain calmly informed us that we had at least another hour to wait due to the volume of traffic and the deluge of thunderstorms in the area. Eventually, he announced that we were ready to take off. I almost instantly regretted his decision, however.

Let’s just say it was lucky that I packed extra underpants in my carry on, or I’d be the subject of one of those viral videos, like the one doing the rounds of the lady drying her briefs underneath the vents of the plane.

Never one for roller coasters myself,  this trip proved to be Six Flags at its very worst – times six. At one stage we plunged what felt like a few thousand feet, causing me to grab instinctively  for the two things closest: one arm rest and one bicep of the unfortunate  woman sat next to me. Luckily, she did virtually the same thing as we both looked at each other, exclaiming, “oh, shit!â€?/p>

Laundry

The rest of the flight was a mixture of heart palpitations, sweat, fear and white knuckles. Sometime in the next century we landed in Tucson. At last, I had made it to pre-season camp, and for once I was weighing in at slightly under my fighting weight due to a variety of weight loss procedures that occurred on the afore-mentioned flight.

As I write, I’m a couple of days in and one game broadcast down, and I’m sorry to report that my first commentary of the pre-season ended in a 2-1 defeat for Sporting KC. I would hasten to add, however, that the average age of the team on the field facing the New England Revolution was just under 22 years old including seven of the starting XI with no MLS experience.

The objective was obviously to give younger players some match experience. With the average age of the starting midfield triumvirate not even hitting 18, the future of Sporting KC is certainly bright. More training sessions and minutes on the park lie ahead for the Sporting KC squad before the season opener on March 4 against NYCFC.

Before then, I need to find the laundry room.

By Matty Lawrence

This isn’t a joke, no scam to call off all bets (in fact I’d like nothing more than all bookies to be gutted from the stomach up), but a pure and simple fact. Don’t believe me; well just try me. Let’s start with the easy one:

The EPL 

Manchester City had this one sewn up the minute they appointed Pep Guardiola. Sure, it has taken him a few more months than I thought, but he has accumulated such a strong squad that they are nigh on untouchable: domestically at least. No-one can even doubt this fact. C’mon, City are eight points clear with only two dropped points in the best start to an EPL season ever. They have a +31 GD and that will only multiply by at least three fold.

And if that isn’t enough for you, the chasing pack is compromised of a severely faltering Manchester United with an increasingly tense undercurrent at the club. If the stories are to be believed, Jose Mourinho is causing issues behind the scenes and that never transfers well onto the pitch. Well, that and the fact that they got rolled over by Huddersfield.

Spurs are probably the only other title contenders and we all know that the minute the pressure really piles on at the back end of the season they crumble and go all Spursy. Also, their EPL season will be wildly sidetracked by the Champions League and their squad is not strong enough to fight on bo  th fronts..heaven forbid Harry Kane gets injured and it is all over, red rover, regardless.

Over to France

and things get a little closer in Ligue 1, but it’s hardly the Countdown Conundrum (one for the US readership). PSG may only be four points clear of Monaco, but there is absolutely no way AS Monaco can cling onto the coattails of their moneybags, rivals. I’m not sure that even Neymar’s giant ego can weigh down the freighter tanker that is the good ship PSG.

Having only dropped four points from 12 games and scored a whopping 39 goals, I’m quietly confident that PSG can traverse the rivers of the Champions League and domestic glory with their boughs intact.

Two out of two.

The Bundesliga

is hardly worth the couple of brain cells I’m using typing these words. Bayern Munich are careering towards their sixth title on the trot and I don’t see Borussia Dortmund, or RB Leipzig, putting up a sufficient road block. When Bayern suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Hoffenheim on September 9 many believed that Bayern’s reign was drawing to a close.

Fast forward a couple of months and the removal of Carlo Ancelotti and implementation of Jupp Heynckes at the helm and all problems Bayern have been resolved. The Hoffenheim loss was Bayern’s only defeat this season and after the demolition of Borussia Dortmund last weekend, nobody is doubting their credentials. RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund have both lost three games and those numbers will only escalate throughout the season.

And please don’t get me started on La Liga

The Ronaldo suspension at the beginning of the season pretty much saw that title race decided. Madrid (either team) won’t be getting a sniff this season. Roll on Barcelona’s seventh La Liga title in a decadeâ€?.and that is after losing one of their best players over the summer. Neymar may have left for pastures new, but Ernesto Valverde has brought the squad together and seen them only drop two points from 11 games. Add to the fact that Barca have only conceded four goals and we may as well hang another medal around Messi’s already greatly weighted neck.

Granted, Valencia are only four points behind Barca, but there is no way they will be able to keep pace all season long and Real Madrid are a massive eight points behind and hardly playing well. A draw to Spurs at home and a huge 3-1 loss at Wembley in the Champions League only accentuate those issues.

And then there was one:

Serie A

There is no way that I thought the Italian league would be the one to be glued to this season. Let’s be honest, Juventus have won the title for the last six seasons and I saw no reason why they wouldn’t be run away leaders and winners again this season.

This isn’t to say that Juve won’t win the league in the 2017/18 season, but boy it’s going to be one hell of a spectacle.With 12 games played two of the top three teams in Serie A are unbeaten…â€?and one of them isn’t Juve: Napoli and Inter are. Only two points separate those top three teams.

SERIE A STANDINGS 

1 Napoli 32
2 Juventus 31
3 Internazionale 30
4 Lazio 28
5 Roma  27
6 Sampdoria 23

Add to that Lazio and Roma in 4th and 5th place respectively, with a game in hand each, and the title race is absolutely wide open. If those games in hand are won we could see one team on 32pts, two on 31pts and two on 30pts. This could go down to the wire.I guess that what I’m trying to say is, feast yourself on the remaining games in Serie A this season.

Napoli last won Serie A in 1989/90.
Inter Milan last won in 2009/10.
Lazio last won in 1999/2000.
AS Roma last won the title in 2000/01.

Don’t stop watching football all around the globe, but the hierarchy in Italy may be changing and you’d be foolish to miss it.

By Matty Lawrence

Yes. Torres, a journeyman defender at best, who usually struggles to score in training. To add insult to injury; before Torres even closed his eyes, struck the ball and prayed, the US had their destiny in their own hands. All that was required was a point away at Trinidad & Tobago (pop. 1 million), a team who had lost eight of their previous nine CONCACAF games and scored a measly five goals. What could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything, I’m afraid.

From the moment Omar Gonzalez slashed wildly at a routine clearance and lobbed Tim Howard with aplomb, the writing appeared to be on the wall.

“Get a broad surface on the ball and the pace of the cross will clear the ball from danger. No need to madly swing at the ball,â€?said every one of Omar’s coaches since he was seven years old.

Embarrassment

The embarrassment grew further in the 37th minute when Alvin Jones sent the home crowd into a stupor. By crowd, I mean the amount of people that could fit inside a red telephone box. The people of T & T had hardly embraced the game and stayed away, as the assumption was surely another routine loss for their boys in red. How wrong they were.

Even after the boy wonder (and he truly is……the one glimmer of hope), Christian Pulisic had struck early on in the second half, I never really believed. I wanted to, but didn’t believe a comeback was fully on the cards. At the time, my assumption was that even a loss would see the US qualify.

There was no way that Panama could beat Costa Rica and Honduras beat Mexico. That was until the football Gods rose up and spoke: a modicum of luck and a touch of Mexico and Costa Rica having nothing to play for, saw the disastrous 2-1 loss to T & T end all hopes of a Russian adventure next summer.

What Went Wrong?

Some people may say it’s too early for a post mortem, but I thoroughly disagree. Now is the time to sit up, take stock of what went wrong, and address why this Bruce Arena led team is the first USMNT since 1986 to not qualify for a World Cup. The game in the US is supposed to be growing and evolving, and to a large extent it is: just not in terms of the USMNT. And that is a huge problem.

The World Cup amplifies the beauty of the game to new audiences and draws in more fans. For the game to reach it’s full potential there has to be a successful USMNT playing in the pinnacle tournament that, after all, only comes around every four years. It is going to be a long and painful wait until Qatar 2022. And for a large number of the US squad, their time has run out: five years is a seeming lifetime in the relatively brief career of a professional athlete.

So wave goodbye to those icons of US soccer: Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and a number of their lesser known teammates. Thanks for all your hard work and endeavor, but this I’m afraid may be your defining moment; the final words chiseled onto the epitaph.  I would expect a few international retirement statements before this column even hits the presses

Bruce Bounced

I also imagine that Bruce Arena may be ushered out of the back door with a haunting lack of fanfare: he was supposed to be the safe pair of hands after all. Arena was supposed to clean up the mess that Jurgen Klinnsman had left behind and sail a steady ship into Russian ports. Instead, Arena left many across the US with heavy hearts and an empty calendar come the summer of 2018. With the calamity that flickered across TV screens in homes and bars across the US; surely a new dawn has been heralded?

Goodbye, Bruce Arena, goodbye Clint, Tim et al, and goodbye Sunil Gulati, the man at the helm and therefore responsible for this terrible qualifying campaign. This huge failure must be the springboard for future success. The clean up operation has to begin immediately. That starts with a thorough discussion about the abject nature of this World Cup qualifying campaign.

What went wrong? How was it allowed to go so wrong; I guess is more to the point? Of course, the focus has to be solely on the US, but let’s not forget, that in kind the MLS and US soccer has aided the growth of other nations.

Upset By Panama

Panama, first time qualifiers for the World Cup and grateful recipients of MLS: a league that funds and grows many of their players careers. For Panama, see Costa Rica and Honduras too. But, now these nations have bitten the hand that feeds and there needs to be repercussions. Not in a negative manner, but US soccer has to react to the growth of other nations and counter this fact.

An obvious outsider looking in I don’t have all the answers. Far from it. I’m sure the usual suspects of former players and coaches will rise once again above the parapet and cast damning words and monologues towards anyone who cares to listen. Most of it the usual reactionary jibberish that doesn’t care to offer answers, just negativity and waffle. For me, the future of US soccer is as bright as it has ever been.

Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic is playing on the biggest club stage there is in the Champions League and looks as though he will go on to be the first truly World class player the USMNT has seen. Multiple players under 23 years of age are plying and learning their trade in Europe.  Weston McKennie and Haji Wright are making good impressions with Schalke in Germany.

Ethan Horvath

Ethan Horvath, plays in Belgium and could be the man to replace Tim Howard in the future. (And with Alex Bono and Jesse Gonzalez both starting for Toronto and FC Dallas in the MLS; the goalkeeping future looks bright).

Rubio Rubin

Rubio Rubin plays for Stabaek in Norway and Emerson Hyndman is trying to break into the EPL with Bournemouth. DeAndre Yedlin is a touch older at 24-years old, but is performing valiantly for Newcastle in the EPL, too. Erik Palmer-Brown, captain, and stand-out player for the US U20s looks like he is Europe bound at the conclusion of Sporting KCs MLS season. Academies throughout MLS are ever growing and starting to bear fruit. I won’t patronize you all by listing them, but Justin Glad for one at RSL is a kid with a bright future.

Delve ever deeper into academies at FC Dallas, SKC and NYCFC, for instance, and a plethora of talent is breaking through, or waiting to break through.

As a much smarter man than me said, “while this is a devastating loss for the USMNT and will have an impact short-term, the foundation of US soccer is incredibly strong and in the end this will likely create change that propels the program to new heights. The trajectory of US soccer from just a simple math point-of-view is a juggernaut.â€?/p>

The Future

If words are not enough for you, then look at the German model we all view with such envy today. The German national team is pure precision engineering and a successful monolith at that: the foundations were laid in the dismal aftermath of an early WC exit in 1998 and catastrophic first round exit at Euro 2000. Failure brings rejuvenation and a greater desire to succeed. Let the failure hurt for now, but tomorrow is the time for the rebuilding process to begin.

By Matty Lawrence

Before the season started I plumped for the ReDevils and I haven’t had a great deal of time to reassess my judgement. Arsenal were dismissed as contenders the minute that Arsene Wenger chose to remain at the helm.

Liverpool have about as much chance of winning the league as their porous defence does of keeping a clean sheet despite beating an anaemic Crystal Palace, (who have already lost their manager), and a Wenger lead Arsenal.

Spurs would be in with a shot of the title if they had any cojones and weren’t forced to play all of their games away from home. 19 away games and 19 other teams personal Wembley finals – Good thinking, Mr. Levy. And while we’re speculating, let’s put Chelsea under the microscope for a couple of sentences. Can they win the league? Of course they could if they hadn’t lost Matic and Costa. As it stands right now, they don’t have a chance.

I certainly don’t want to be accused of any bias, so if I haven’t mentioned your team it isn’t because I don’t appreciate their participation, it’s just because most of them will just be happy to NOT be relegated – an achievement equivalent of the 25 yard swimming certificate you were awarded as a kid – but more lucrative.

Runners

Now that I have managed to dismiss 90% of the EPL in a few paragraphs let’s focus on the real runners and riders in this two horse race. As much as it pains me to say, the Premier League may as well deliver the trophy to Manchester Town Hall now with a red and blue ribbon attached to each handle. Why stop there? Let’s get the engraver started on the first 10 letters: I see no reason in wasting time.

Yes, Manchester United was my early tip for the top. That was a bitter pill to swallow for a Liverpool fan and I’m just glad I didn’t have the arsenic tipped one within reach. Marouane Fellaini  has been the most popular player to ridicule at Manchester United since his big money move from Everton. In truth it was a double act, the Moyes and Fellaini show that saw United regress about three decades and nearly destroy all of Sir Alex Ferguson’s diligent work.

Jose Mourinho has since come into Old Trafford and injected Fellaini with confidence, belief and the recollection that the right boot goes on the right foot and the left boot on the left. Mourinho stated that the squad “feels weakerâ€?without Fellaini and, give the Belgian his due, he is repaying that faith as he showed Tuesday when he replaced Paul Pogba in the Champions League match, delivering a solid performance and a goal.

Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku is another player thriving on the support of his manager, but this time the support is represented by the near $100m outlay. Lukaku is a beast and with six goals in six games is proving that he deserved the move to a Champions League club.

I am almost of the belief that Nemanja Matic was a more important signing than Lukaku. The way he patrols in front of the (at times) shaky United back four is a sight to behold and a sight for all Chelsea fans to view from behind the sofa. Matic has brains and stability and appears to provide the final piece of the Manchester United jigsaw.

For now (until at least January) Mourinho and Ed Woodward have done a wonderful job of creating a team that can compete for all three major trophies they are vying for this season. Meanwhile, the blue side of Manchester has been equally adept under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola who signed some top players this summer and is moulding a squad that is more than capable of fighting on domestic and European fronts.

Guardiola

When Guardiola came into City he was faced with an aging squad going nowhere fast, but has managed to transform them. Yes, he has been aided by a lorry load of oil money, but the players acquired are long term investments who could easily go on to raise their price tag. And these summer signings are welcome additions to the young talent in the shape of Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and the two English boys in Stones and Sterling.

Place these alongside Ederson, Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Danilo and Walker and you see a younger, more dramatic squad emerging in a relatively short space of time. Pep should also be lauded for some of the players he offloaded for decent money while reducing the wage bill: Iheanacho (buy back included), Bony, Nasri, Clichy, Jesus Navas and the old heads of Kolarov and Zabaleta have all left the building.

Guardiola also now has the ability to play a number of different formations and a squad depth to rival most, if not all, teams throughout Europe. The proof will be in the pudding as the season progresses and we conclude the Mickey Mouse stages of the Champions League and move into the knockout phase, but, I for one am starting to worry about my premature United prediction.There’s nowt as fickle as a football fan, but I can’t be swayed: I’m sticking with Manchester United for the EPL title and Real Madrid for the hat-trick.

By Matty Lawrence

Here goes nothing:

Lloris

The best goalkeeper in the EPL this season and part of the Spurs back-line that only conceded 24 goals. Cool, calm and collected and a decent distributor with his feet.

Moses

The most improved player in the EPL, bar none. I defy anyone (except Antonio Conte) to say they saw his level of consistency and defensive nous reach the heady heights it has all season long.

Alderweireld

Big, strong, covers ground quickly and another brick in that Spurs defensive wall. A man mountain at the back and a defender who actually knows how to defend: something of a novelty in the modern game.

Keane

A player who has not let being released by Manchester United phase him. Keane has used it to his advantage and has channeled all his energies into becoming a first-class player and defender. Looks like he will be rewarded this summer with a move back to United.

Rose

Didn’t play masses of games this season, but I love his energy up and down the flanks and his desire to improve the defensive side of the game. Completes a trio of Spurs players in my back line and for good reason.

Wanyama

A holding midfield player of top quality. Loved him at Celtic, saw him grow at Southampton and now he is part of a top two side in the EPL. Covers ground, never loses a tackle and can chip in with the odd goal.

Kante

What can we say about this guy. An engine of a Ferrari in the body of a Mini. This boy covers ground like no other and has just won his second EPL title with two clubs in as many years. On top of that, Joey Barton doesn’t rate him: Kante has everything going for him.

Alli

Another Spurs player to add to the list: just to cheer up the Arsenal fans reading this. Young, English and by all accounts pretty level headed. 17 goals and five assists in a wonderful season for this young man and I honestly think there is more in the locker to come.

Hazard

The archetypal tip of the diamond player. Hazard plays with such grace and youthful exuberance now he has managed to free himself of the shackles of Jose Mourinho. 15 goals and five assists and the love of the game back. A player who glides past opponents like no other and improving all the time.

Mane 

Look, it’s my ball, my back garden and I’m picking the team. I had to get a Liverpool player in there somehow. 13 goals and five assists in only 27 EPL appearances shows you what a threat this guy is. A huge miss to Liverpool when injured.

Kane 

Bloody hell, another Spurs player! 22 goals and six assists in a season that saw Kane continue his growth. Love this kid and his attitude. Long may his rich vein of scoring continue for club and country.

All that’s left for me to do is get this game underway in my back garden and wish you all a happy and healthy summer.Enjoy the MLS that carries on throughout the summer and see you at the far post in August.

Until then,
Matty.