1. Seamus Coleman lucky to avoid red card
EVERTON WERE FORTUNATE against Man City at the Etihad on Saturday for a number of reasons.
City dominated the match, enjoying 72% possession and missing two penalties, yet they had to settle for a 1-1 draw ultimately, and it could have been worse had substitute Nolito not managed to cancel out Romelu Lukaku’s superb finish on the counter attack.
The Toffees also should not have finished the game with 11 men, after Ireland captain Seamus Coleman committed an awful challenge on City winger Raheem Sterling. But somehow, the Everton defender escaped a booking.
Watching the game for BT Sport, meanwhile, former referee Howard Webb labelled the challenge an “ankle breaker” and expressed amazement that Coleman was not issued a red card.
The Donegal native has enjoyed an encouraging start to the season for both Ireland and Everton — to the extent that he is being linked with a January move to Man United — but he could certainly do with avoiding such dangerous tackles in future and clearly owes Sterling an apology for the challenge.
2. Hull and Sunderland look in serious trouble
You know it’s bad when people are calling for your head after eight games in charge, but then David Moyes is well used to such pressure.
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore led the calls for former boss Sam Allardyce’s return to the Stadium of Light, after an uninspired 2-0 loss to fellow strugglers Stoke on Saturday.
The Black Cats consequently remain rooted to the bottom of the table on just two points, and given that Sunderland are renowned for firing managers at a prodigious rate, the embattled Moyes must be fearing for his future already.
Mike Phelan will be similarly concerned after seeing Hull get thrashed 6-1 at Bournemouth.
Perhaps the club’s owners are now wishing they waited one more game before deciding if the former Man United assistant should be made the Tigers’ permanent boss.
3. Is Theo Walcott finally fulfilling his potential?
When Theo Walcott was named in England’s 2006 World Cup squad at the age of 17, many people felt he was destined to become a footballing superstar.
However, since then, the Arsenal player has rarely threatened to live up to such status.
Just once, in the 2012-13 campaign, has he managed to break into goalscoring double figures (14 goals in 32 appearances) during his career, but otherwise, there has been far too much inconsistency for Gunners’ fans liking.
Since that impressive showing in 2013, the following three campaigns saw an injury-hampered Walcott score five goals in each respective season. Last year was particularly underwhelming, with five goals in 28 games, given that he could no longer use injuries as an excuse.
A brace against Swansea on Saturday afternoon, however, means he has already matched last season’s tally in just eight appearances.
Recent form consequently suggests the ex-Southampton attacker may be finally be set to fulfill his potential, with a belated acceptance that he is destined to always be an out-and-out winger rather than the next Thierry Henry reportedly behind the star’s improvement.
There were also signs of the old Walcott on Saturday as well though, as he missed two gilt-edged chances to put a gloss on Arsenal’s hard-fought win.
So, as Roy Keane recently warned, let’s not get too excited yet — Walcott and the Gunners have let themselves down before when pressure comes on them.
4. Conte shows Costa who’s boss
Antonio Conte came to England with a reputation as a very authoritarian figure and amid Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Leicester at Stamford Bridge, the Italian showed there is substance to match the hype.
Goalscorer Diego Costa appeared to regularly call to be substituted with Chelsea coasting, but the ex-Juventus boss refused to grant the player his wish.
“He is in good physical shape,” Conte said at his post-match media conference.
“It is always my decision to take a substitution — I decide, me. I take the responsibility in every situation – whether it is positive or negative — and Costa always obeys the decision.
“I kept Costa on until the end of the game because he is an important player for us.
“I know I took a risk but we need his passion in every moment of the game.
“I want him to stay on because you must understand that for this team he is a player with a great personality and — if I can — I maintain him on the pitch until the end in every game.
“I risked it because if Diego took another yellow card he would miss the game against Manchester United but for me today the game was more important than the other game.
“Now we can begin thinking about the next one.”
5. Janssen still struggling to adapt to life at Tottenham
During the week, AZ Alkmaar technical director Max Huiberts dismissed suggestions the £17m that Tottenham paid his side in the summer for Vincent Janssen was over the odds.
Yet in 11 appearances for the Londoners so far this season, the 22-year-old hitman has managed just one goal — in the League Cup during a 5-0 win against Gillingham.
Nevertheless, with Harry Kane injured, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino picked the Holland international ahead of in-form Son Heung-min, who was possibly being rested ahead of their midweek Champions League clash, for the trip to West Brom.
And while Janssen contributed to some nice play in the build-up during Saturday’s clash with West Brom, he rarely looked like scoring, as Tottenham failed to turn their dominance into goals.
It was only when Son Heung-min belatedly entered the action from the bench that they made a breakthrough, as the South Korean set up Dele Alli to rescue a point for a below-par Spurs.
Therefore once again, the faith in Janssen failed to pay dividends. And if he doesn’t start scoring soon, the mischievous recent comparisons with previous goal-shy flop Roberto Soldado will start to seem legitimate.
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Fantastic!
Ireland’s plans won’t be unduly interrupted and Ulster are FINALLY getting a world class coach/ DOR to lead them.
Good news for Ireland, Ulster and Les Kiss!
Let’s just hope we can guide our way through this season without imploding due to the power vacuum at the top!
And there it is, a power vaccum!
Hope Les and Neil can bring home some silverware. Having attended the European cup at Lansdowne in 1999, ulster fans really need success of that magnitude.
Hopefully Les can give the team the Kiss of life if you’ll pardon the pun
No. It will not be pardoned. What were you thinking? Did you not think of the children? The children!
Does this mean that Ireland will be getting a new defence coach after the World Cup?
I assume that means Kiss is leaving the national set up, which would be a shame as he’s been a quality coach for the team. Ulster fans will be very happy with this appointment, I’d imagine.
On the other hand, if he stays part of the Irish set up next season, I’d be a little uncomfortable. The problem would remain that he would have direct access to key performance indicators and player data from his provincial rivals, which may lead to a certain level of distrust between the teams. The temptation would be there for Foley, Lam and O’Connor to draw the curtains, something that could be harmful to the Irish set up.
You’re presuming Kiss would be dishonest enough to poach information. Sound.
Okay. Reading over the comment it sounds rather accusatory. I don’t think there is anything malicious in his appointment or anything.
When I say Ulster fans will be happy it is solely because Kiss is a great coach.
I’m saying that if he is part of the Irish set up in the 2014-15 season I would expect him to be seeing these stats while making game plans with Schmidt, not stealing them or anything. I also expect Simon Easterby and others to see this kind of thing.