Tuesday 16 August 2011

Match analysis week 1: Dmitri Kharine says ...





Now that the first round of games are over, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with ex-Chelsea and Celtic goalkeeper Dmitri Kharine (more commonly known to some of you as my dad) and discuss the top 5’s performances, key players and issues to consider for future debate. We both hope you enjoy our exchange of words.

Game 1: Liverpool 1 - 1 Sunderland

GK: Reina
RB: Flanagan CB: Carragher CB: Agger LB: Jose Enrique
RM: Henderson CM: Adam CM: Lucas LM: Downing
FW: Suarez ST: Carroll

Igor: Liverpool began the first half with real fire in their bellies – it was clear that the side was chosen for their offensive capabilities and the opening 30 minutes really showed Liverpool’s prowess in front of goal with plenty of action in the final third for the Reds. Suarez’s opener came after a disappointing missed penalty, something no one would have put their money on the Uruguayan doing.

Sebastian Larsson’s wonder-volley certainly turned the tide of momentum and effectively shut Liverpool down. This was especially prevalent in the second half where Liverpool seemed a shadow of their former selves, resorting to scrappy long-ball football attempting to hit target man Andy Carroll who was still suspect in my eyes. The introduction of Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles came too late in my opinion and perhaps opening with all four new signings was a mistake from Kenny, but it was only really Jordan Henderson who didn’t have a quality performance with Adam key in the middle of the park, Downing attacking the wing effectively and hitting the crossbar with a magnificent effort and Jose Enrique putting in a strong defensive performance. Sunderland deserved a draw without question for a strong defensive stance and a piece of individual magic from Sebastian Larsson.

Dmitri: Yes the key issue to consider here was over-populating the starting line up with new signings. From experience I can tell you that pre-season sometimes isn’t enough time to allow a set of new players to adjust into a team properly and considering Jose Enrique moved only a day before the game, there was certainly too many fresh faces in their for my liking. I was confused as to why Dirk Kuyt, a man who started in every game for Kenny last season, was warming the bench – his hard work rate and ability to score would have been a much greater benefit on the right wing than Jordan Henderson, who is not naturally a right sided winger.

Another problem I see is a huge contradiction in Liverpool’s style of football – some of the world’s most technically talented players reside in the Red’s dressing room, Suarez, Adam, Meireles, Kuyt, etc, yet when the game started to break down in the second half Liverpool brought on the latter two players but still proceeded to play the long-ball game in an attempt to get Carroll involved. This for me is not correct, Carroll can be used as a target man in running play, but a team with clear passing talent and pace should exploit those abilities, something I feel Liverpool did not do in the second half resulting in a stalemate.

Star man: 

Igor: Luis Suarez will clearly be Liverpool’s top man this season. A poor penalty miss aside, he still got on the score sheet and was an absolute menace to hold onto in the final third.

Dmitri: I think Stuart Downing showed real promise and what a left foot that boy has. He was incredibly unlucky to not score after his blinding run with the resulting shot hitting the crossbar. I look forward to seeing more of the winger.

Game 2: Newcastle 0 – 0 Arsenal

GK: Szczesny
RB: Sagna CB: Koscielny CB: Vermaelen LB: Gibbs
CM: Ramsey CM: Song CM: Rosicky
RW: Gervinho ST: Van Persie LW: Arshavin

Igor: Arsenal began their season without Fabregas who has now moved to Barcelona and Nasri who is more than ever likely to move after abusive chanting from his own fans. The lack of their two star men resulted in Arshavin starting who after twenty minutes was nowhere to be seen, confirming my view that the little Russian seems past the top forms we have expected from him.

New signing Gervinho put in a decent performance but no final delivery or dangerous attempts didn’t do the Ivorian any justice in terms of showing what he is capable of. Of course he did himself absolutely no favours in the second half by slapping Joey Barton and receiving a straight red, making him ineligible for key upcoming games, which is a huge loss for Arsenal.

Gibbs put in a very good performance as left back, stepping up to fill Clichy’s shoes adequately while Ramsey also had a good game while Wilshire was sidelined with injury.

The red card controversy certainly overshadowed the game but the final score seemed justified, as Arsenal simply did not create any clear-cut chances that I felt justified the win.

Dmitri: First of all I’d like to say that it is fantastic to see Vermaelen back in the Premiership. Arsenal certainly missed the Belgian centre back last season and providing he stays fit, Vermaelen will play a crucial role in Arsenal’s season.

Addressing the Joey Barton issue, Arsenal fans should not forget that Alex Song clearly stamped on Joey Barton earlier in the game before the incident involving Gervinho. It just so happened that the confrontation between Barton and Gervinho escalated and the referee only saw the Ivoirian’s raised hand. Both teams were to blame for foul play.

For me the same issues remain as last season – Arsenal do not have a clear striker that their fast-paced wingers and full backs can aim for. Gibbs, Sagna, Arshavin and Gervinho found it difficult to find Van Persie in the box who does not latch onto the end of balls, rather in stereotypical Arsenal fashion, enjoys having the ball at his feet and working for a clear opening. I agree with your pre-season analysis suggesting that Chamakh (or perhaps purchase another player like him) should play a central role as he has the technical ability Arsenal demand while at the same time showing clear signs of a traditional striker’s ability to poach goals and latch onto the end of the deliveries.

Ultimately you could tell Arsenal wanted to pass the ball into the back of the net – no matter how fancy you are if you do not score goals, you will not win football games. Let’s hope Wenger reinvests the money he has received from Fabregas and the potential money coming in from a Nasri transfer.

Star man: 

Igor: I honestly cannot see a star man in the Arsenal team. Obviously Robin Van Persie is a phenomenal player but he did nothing to stand out in this fixture. I think that Vermaelen deserves praise for a stellar defensive performance.

Dmitri: Although Gervinho couldn’t find that final product both in terms of delivery or a shot, the former is difficult considering how few players he had to aim for. His ability to get into dangerous crossing areas showed that he has potential to be a threat and I think the red card overshadowed a good debut Premier League performance.

Game 3: Stoke 0 - 0 Chelsea

GK: Cech
RB: Bosingwa CB: Alex CB: Terry LB: Cole
CM: Ramires CM: Mikel CM: Lampard
RW: Kalou ST: Torres LW: Malouda

Igor: Chelsea’s opening game was arguably the most difficult of the top 5 with Stoke being such a physical threat. The Blues played very well defensively but it was the lack of creativity, movement and a clinical eye for goal in the final third that hindered their performance. Fernando Torres had a fantastic game using his strength to hold up the ball well while at the same time linking his teammates into the action. It’s a shame that everyone else didn’t play at the same level as the Spaniard.

In terms of the starting line up I felt that Andres Villas-Boas made two mistakes – Didier Drogba should have been on the pitch instead of Kalou, even though we didn’t concede, against a team of Stoke’s physical ability, Drogba is the perfect defensive and offensive player to tackle the situation. Normally Ivanovic would play at right back in a game like this but he was injured so Bosingwa had to step up and to his credit, he played quite well, using his pace to get the ball up the right flank quickly.

Chelsea were just too narrow for me, the three front men Malouda, Torres and Kalou kept going into areas flooded with Stoke defenders – taking a page out of Manchester United’s book you can see how wide Young and Nani stray in order to deliver a ball into the box and this is perhaps what Chelsea should have been doing.

Numerous penalty decisions from both teams were waved away by the referee but at least one should have been given to Chelsea, which was unfortunate but with such talent in their ranks an open play goal was not a lot to ask for.

I believe that the result was good for Chelsea, but the way the Blues played or the lack of crucial offensive movement there was is a concern and must be addressed with the signing of a creative midfielder and a ring winger. 

Dmitri: Chelsea find it difficult to transition from defence to offense quickly and that is a sign of an aging squad. Their movement in the centre of the park is what needs to be addressed and a signing like Luka Modric or playing Yossi Benayoun could solve this problem.

As you said I believe one point is fine, a draw at the Britannia is a fantastic result and Chelsea showed that defensively they are a force – but on the offensive side Fernando Torres needs to start scoring goals and prove that he is a reliable centre forward. If he doesn’t start putting them in soon then AVB could be forced to start rotating the centre man once again and Chelsea will be back to where they left off last season.

I was surprised to see Nicolas Anelka grace the field as I thought they were going to try and phase him out – nevertheless when he wants to play I don’t think there are many players who are technically better than him, so it’s nice to see a player of such quality still being considered for at least the remainder of his contract.

I watched a press conference where AVB suggested he might be interested in Samir Nasri – purchasing the Frenchman along with Luka Modric could be exactly what Chelsea need to revitalize the team, bring some pace into their game and once again find that deadly form they once had.

I would like to conclude by offering my thoughts to Jon Obi Mikel whose father is missing and presumed kidnapped. He actually played in this game knowing of the situation back at home, I can’t even imagine the mental strength needed to do so.

Star man: 

Igor: It has to be Fernando Torres who looked the sharpest he has ever been, perhaps this will be his season after all?

Dmitri: I agree, Fernando has stepped his game up after time out over the summer. He has to come to life, surely?

Game 4: West Brom 1 – 2 Manchester United

GK: De Gea
RB: Smalling CB: Ferdinand CB: Vidic LB: Fabio
RM: Nani CM: Cleverly CM: Anderson LM: Young
ST: Rooney ST: Welbeck

Igor: Manchester United began their campaign with a win coming from a double deflection after an Ashley Young cross found the net. Nevertheless, a strong showing from the Red Devils showed their lightning pace and ability to move the ball up the park and attack those wings.

Indeed the key for United this year will be their terrific wing players – Ashley Young had a terrific game and while Nani wasn’t quite as prevalent, we all know what he is capable of if given the ball. Both players spread defences apart with their naturally wide starting positions and were able to isolate defenders and beat them using their own individual skill or coupling with their overlapping full-backs.

Things on field seemed find for Manchester United, but between the sticks is a whole different story. David De Gea’s shaky start continues as he let in a simple shot roll underneath him. I will leave the goalkeeper analysis to Dmitri.

United are capable of making results happen and this is another clear sign of that – West Brom would have perhaps felt they deserved a point but it’s difficult to earn against the reigning champions.

Dmitri: I guess I should talk in depth about David De Gea then yes? I think it was certainly a gamble purchasing the young Spaniard when Stekelenburg was on the market, but you have already discussed that in a previous article so I’m going to concentrate on the game.

From this fixture we learned that David De Gea is certainly a fragile goalkeeper. Aside from the obvious mistake he made with the goal conceded, he was bombarded in an aerial assault where numerous times he simply bounced off opposing players. Let’s not forget as well that this was just West Brom, what will happen against teams like Stoke? Any manager watching this game will know that at the moment, Manchester United’s main weakness is their goalkeeper. Keep launching balls into the box and he won’t be able to contend physically with the threats – consequentially lowering his confidence with each blow. I predict troubling times ahead for the Spanish youngster especially considering both Vidic and Ferdinand are now out and unable to protect him.

Talking from past experience I can also say that being that young, he will be subjected to plenty of pointed fingers from a lot of his fellow teammates. Did anyone notice that in a small mix up during the game between Evans and De Gea, Evans had an opportunity to clear the ball, didn’t and then proceeded to kick it into touch and then have a go at De Gea? Since when did Evans have the authority to have a go at anybody in the United team? Being young is difficult, being a young goalkeeper is one of the most difficult challenges in football – I am very interested to see how things pan out.

Star man:



Igor: Ashley Young had a fantastic debut coupled by a somewhat lucky goal. Nevertheless, he was the most influential player on the United team.



Dmitri: Yes most of United’s threat was coming from the left wing where Young could cut in or hog the flank, he was certainly their best player.
 

Game 5: Manchester City 4 – 0  Swansea

GK: Hart
RB: Richards CB: Kompany CB: Lescott LB: Clichy
CM: De Jong CM: Yaya Toure CM: Barry
RW: Adams ST: Dzeko LW: Silva

Igor: Manchester City’s dominance was inevitable in this game, although the beginning was certainly shaky for the Sky Blues. In fact in the opening twenty minutes Swansea actually had more of the ball than their opponents.

I was happy to see that all of my Manchester City predictions came true – Mancini decided to play Adam Johnson and continually he proves how much of a threat he is. Every time Johnson gets the ball you feel like an opportunity is moments away, what a fantastic talent. Yaya Toure was pushed back to allow Silva a free roll behind the striker. Although on paper he was playing Left Wing, he was so deep that it allowed Clichy (who had a fantastic debut) plenty of space along the left flank as Silva sucked in defenders into the centre. This allowed Yaya Toure to continue making his steam train runs from the centre of the park and numerous times he was so close to scoring.

When the eventual opener came after two shots hitting the crossbar in the first half, it was all down hill for Swansea. The turning point however, really was the introduction of Sergio Kun Aguero. 2 goals and 1 assist in the space of 30 minutes made him an instant hit at the Etihad Stadium. Mancini was quoted saying Aguero wasn’t yet match fit, but boy did he look on fire when he came on. Imagine what he will be capable of when he is at 100%?

Nevertheless, this was a sure victory for Manchester City, one that sealed my safety accumulator and opened Mancini’s season with a comfortable win with plenty of pluses.

Dmitri: Manchester City looked awful in the first thirty minutes didn’t they? It was inevitable that newly promoted Swansea were going to run out of steam after their half an hour of adrenaline playing in the Premier League, but still, City hardly had the ball!

When the pace of the game settled down and Silva was allowed more time on the ball, Swansea really had no chance. The Spaniard’s vision, pace and passing ability make him one of the most dangerous playmakers in the Premier League and as you suggested, his best position is certainly behind the striker. In that position Silva hit the cross bar, which should have been a goal and also had another fine effort saved as he came in onto his left foot and forced a terrific save from Vorm (who actually had a very impressive game may I add, despite the 4 conceded goals).

Sergio Aguero didn’t look too bad for an unfit player did he? The commentator highlighted that Silva and the Argentine are going to make an incredible partnership and judging by last night he is probably right. We must remember however, Sergio Aguero played in the Spanish league and here in England we have a much more physical and long season. It will be interesting to see what happens when fatigue begins to set in during the winter period, but for the neutral fan it will be fantastic to see Aguero play at this kind of level throughout the entire campaign.

Star man: 

Igor: Silva for me. No question about it, he dictated the entire game from the word go and was easily City’s most influential player.

Dmitri: Silva without a doubt – he is the man City need to get the ball to at all times. From his feet City’s plays will unfold and goals will come.

We hope you enjoyed reading and stay tuned for more content on this blog! If you want to ask myself or Dmitri any questions, feel free to hit up my Twitter @ss4Igor and we will be happy to reply! 

Editor's note: If you're wondering why our names are spelt differently, if you look at the Russian spelling of the name it is 'Дмитрий Харин' and it is spelt Harin, not Kharine -- when Dmitri joined Chelsea, for pronounciation purposes a K was added at the front and an E at the back. Consequentially my passport naturally got muddled in the process and I was left with the K, but no E! I feel robbed...

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