Five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend
Nani shows again why he deserves to be on PFA shortlist, Sunderland are the new Charlton and Jens Lehmann – still got it
Five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend | Football | guardian.co.uk
Nani unjustly neglected by his peers
It's called a shortlist, so maybe Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha wouldn't fit. But surely there should have been room for Nani amongst the candidates for the PFA Players' Player of the Year. Another couple of assists against Fulham took the Manchester United winger's tally to 18, to go with nine Premier League goals, and there is a good case that he is the season's standout performer, let alone just one of the frontrunners.
Nani had previously seemed too flaky to make it at United, with a capacity for calamity of the kind that saw him ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury suffered whilst attempting an overhead kick. And there's a feeling that he's not yet the man Sir Alex Ferguson will turn to on the biggest occasions – his benching for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea last week was for tactical reasons but wouldn't have been considered with a certain other prancing Portuguese winger (now departed).
This, however, has been an outstanding campaign for the 24-year-old, with his sparky contributions frequently invigorating workaday performances from the league's leaders. Gareth Bale may be the bookies favourite for the award but Nani has been far more consistent. Yes, Nani, consistent. It sounds wrong but it's most certainly right.
Speaking of absentees from the much-discussed PFA list (which we should remember is voted for by the players) Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric both again demonstrated their ample abilities at the weekend. "You don't know what you're doing" is a chant usually reserved for managers or referees but in this case it seems sort of apt.
Torres: not dead yet
Fernando Torres's case of the yips continues, though at least he managed an assist, of sorts, against Wigan. His efforts to impress Ali Al Habsi with his choice of underarm deodoriser were Torres's most effective contribution in half an hour on the pitch but there were signs, however germinal, that we might see some of the old magic again soon. Or at least a goal, which would be a start.
The Spaniard has now laboured through 10 non-scoring appearances in a blue shirt, a run which is by far his worst in English football. His touch, in particular, has been abysmal, scuffing away shooting chances like a drunk kicking a tin can on his way home from a night on the razz – and that glitch was again in evidence when Torres failed to take down a long ball when clean through on goal on Saturday.
But, but … On another day, his stabbed effort in the dying minutes would have beaten the excellent Al Habsi. His movement was also better and those looking for further auspicious signs would note that the player who put Torres in for that late chance was none other than his old Liverpool mucker, the fit-again Yossi Benayoun.
Carlo Ancelotti faces an intractable problem in accommodating both Torres and Didier Drogba in the central role they are both best suited for but Chelsea's £50m man – with 131 club goals to his name – is clearly worth persevering with. It's been a long, sleepless night for Fernando but dawn may not be far off.
Sunderland are the new Charlton
This season has thrown up enough random happenings to be reminiscent of the South Park 'idea balls' parody of the scriptwriting on Family Guy but few would have predicted at the turn of the year that Sunderland, coasting in sixth, would be sucked into the relegation mire. Yet with one point in eight games following defeat to Roy Hodgson's resurgent West Brom, they are certainly in relegation form.
West Ham were relegated with 42 points in 2003 but this season could see that mark broken, such is the ferocity of the fight to survive. Sunderland, currently on 38 points, play four of the teams below them during the run-in, so you would fancy them to turn it around but Steve Bruce must be wondering why the gears have slipped for the second year running.
Their woes roughly coincide with the sale of Darren Bent – though Jonathan Wilson has argued against this being a major factor – while a previously reliable defence has shipped 25 goals in 13 games since the midway point of the season (20 in 19 before). Bruce's teams have begun to suffer from the Alan Curbishley effect, tailing off after promising starts; a continued slump could be catastrophic.
United don't need their siege mentality to win the league
The plot is as clear as that of a Dan Brown novel, with United's manager using the recently swirling controversies to galvanise his side in their quest for silverware. Ferguson even resorted to launching a trademark broadside at a pipsqueak copper who happened to offer some unsolicited comment on Wayne Rooney's public display of potty-mouth at Upton Park. "These things come our way now and again at Manchester United and we deal with it," muttered Mike Phelan after the victory over Fulham.
That simmering sense of injustice will come in useful over the coming week, as United's treble prospects are tested against Chelsea and Manchester City, but they haven't really needed it domestically, such has been their rivals' bumbling. They've led since November – a run of 18 games – and since the start of the Premier League, only four times has the side on top with six matches to play not gone on to win the title (Aston Villa 92-93, United 97-98, Arsenal 02-03, United 09-10). None of them had anything like United's seven-point advantage, even with the extra game played.
This has been a competitive season but it's starting to follow a familiar narrative arc. United's defence mechanisms are in full working order – they're just barely under seige.
Jens Lehmann – still got it
Jens Lehmann was named Arsenal's man of the match at Bloomfield Road and the 41-year-old German put in a tidy display between the sticks, making one notable stop with his legs and providing what Arsène Wenger referred to as "the determination and experience that you need". Lehmann was ever capable of the odd Light Brigade moment, though, and the old battle fever was reminiscent when he sprinted off his line to bring down the onrushing DJ Campbell in the 52nd minute. Now, where have we seen that before? Luckily for his side, the referee was Lee Mason rather than Terje Hauge, otherwise Lehmann would have been off, Blackpool would have had a penalty and Arsenal would have had to throw on the injured Manuel Almunia. Jens, it's good to have you back.
Nani shows again why he deserves to be on PFA shortlist, Sunderland are the new Charlton and Jens Lehmann – still got it
Five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend | Football | guardian.co.uk
Nani unjustly neglected by his peers
It's called a shortlist, so maybe Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha wouldn't fit. But surely there should have been room for Nani amongst the candidates for the PFA Players' Player of the Year. Another couple of assists against Fulham took the Manchester United winger's tally to 18, to go with nine Premier League goals, and there is a good case that he is the season's standout performer, let alone just one of the frontrunners.
Nani had previously seemed too flaky to make it at United, with a capacity for calamity of the kind that saw him ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury suffered whilst attempting an overhead kick. And there's a feeling that he's not yet the man Sir Alex Ferguson will turn to on the biggest occasions – his benching for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea last week was for tactical reasons but wouldn't have been considered with a certain other prancing Portuguese winger (now departed).
This, however, has been an outstanding campaign for the 24-year-old, with his sparky contributions frequently invigorating workaday performances from the league's leaders. Gareth Bale may be the bookies favourite for the award but Nani has been far more consistent. Yes, Nani, consistent. It sounds wrong but it's most certainly right.
Speaking of absentees from the much-discussed PFA list (which we should remember is voted for by the players) Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric both again demonstrated their ample abilities at the weekend. "You don't know what you're doing" is a chant usually reserved for managers or referees but in this case it seems sort of apt.
Torres: not dead yet
Fernando Torres's case of the yips continues, though at least he managed an assist, of sorts, against Wigan. His efforts to impress Ali Al Habsi with his choice of underarm deodoriser were Torres's most effective contribution in half an hour on the pitch but there were signs, however germinal, that we might see some of the old magic again soon. Or at least a goal, which would be a start.
The Spaniard has now laboured through 10 non-scoring appearances in a blue shirt, a run which is by far his worst in English football. His touch, in particular, has been abysmal, scuffing away shooting chances like a drunk kicking a tin can on his way home from a night on the razz – and that glitch was again in evidence when Torres failed to take down a long ball when clean through on goal on Saturday.
But, but … On another day, his stabbed effort in the dying minutes would have beaten the excellent Al Habsi. His movement was also better and those looking for further auspicious signs would note that the player who put Torres in for that late chance was none other than his old Liverpool mucker, the fit-again Yossi Benayoun.
Carlo Ancelotti faces an intractable problem in accommodating both Torres and Didier Drogba in the central role they are both best suited for but Chelsea's £50m man – with 131 club goals to his name – is clearly worth persevering with. It's been a long, sleepless night for Fernando but dawn may not be far off.
Sunderland are the new Charlton
This season has thrown up enough random happenings to be reminiscent of the South Park 'idea balls' parody of the scriptwriting on Family Guy but few would have predicted at the turn of the year that Sunderland, coasting in sixth, would be sucked into the relegation mire. Yet with one point in eight games following defeat to Roy Hodgson's resurgent West Brom, they are certainly in relegation form.
West Ham were relegated with 42 points in 2003 but this season could see that mark broken, such is the ferocity of the fight to survive. Sunderland, currently on 38 points, play four of the teams below them during the run-in, so you would fancy them to turn it around but Steve Bruce must be wondering why the gears have slipped for the second year running.
Their woes roughly coincide with the sale of Darren Bent – though Jonathan Wilson has argued against this being a major factor – while a previously reliable defence has shipped 25 goals in 13 games since the midway point of the season (20 in 19 before). Bruce's teams have begun to suffer from the Alan Curbishley effect, tailing off after promising starts; a continued slump could be catastrophic.
United don't need their siege mentality to win the league
The plot is as clear as that of a Dan Brown novel, with United's manager using the recently swirling controversies to galvanise his side in their quest for silverware. Ferguson even resorted to launching a trademark broadside at a pipsqueak copper who happened to offer some unsolicited comment on Wayne Rooney's public display of potty-mouth at Upton Park. "These things come our way now and again at Manchester United and we deal with it," muttered Mike Phelan after the victory over Fulham.
That simmering sense of injustice will come in useful over the coming week, as United's treble prospects are tested against Chelsea and Manchester City, but they haven't really needed it domestically, such has been their rivals' bumbling. They've led since November – a run of 18 games – and since the start of the Premier League, only four times has the side on top with six matches to play not gone on to win the title (Aston Villa 92-93, United 97-98, Arsenal 02-03, United 09-10). None of them had anything like United's seven-point advantage, even with the extra game played.
This has been a competitive season but it's starting to follow a familiar narrative arc. United's defence mechanisms are in full working order – they're just barely under seige.
Jens Lehmann – still got it
Jens Lehmann was named Arsenal's man of the match at Bloomfield Road and the 41-year-old German put in a tidy display between the sticks, making one notable stop with his legs and providing what Arsène Wenger referred to as "the determination and experience that you need". Lehmann was ever capable of the odd Light Brigade moment, though, and the old battle fever was reminiscent when he sprinted off his line to bring down the onrushing DJ Campbell in the 52nd minute. Now, where have we seen that before? Luckily for his side, the referee was Lee Mason rather than Terje Hauge, otherwise Lehmann would have been off, Blackpool would have had a penalty and Arsenal would have had to throw on the injured Manuel Almunia. Jens, it's good to have you back.
