So after the opening-weekend of the Premier League season, here’s what we learnt this weekend:
Well for starters, the media and fickle fans will continue to claim that David De Gea is not the man to replace Edwin Van der Sar after he makes a mistake. Yes David should have saved Shane Long’s easy-looking shot but everyone is forgetting that having to adjust to the Premier League is not easy at first for foreign players and it will take time for him to settle.
David will learn more and yes whilst it’s disappointing that he has made mistakes early on, he has had his ‘welcome’ to English football and he’ll come out a better goalkeeper for it just like Pepe Reina did when he first joined Liverpool.
It’s hard looking back at it now to remember that there were doubts about how Reina would be able to handle the physicality of the league and he’s probably been the best goalkeeper in the league over the last 2-3 seasons. So doubters of De Gea should really bear that in mind and remember that he’s only 20 and will improve.
We’ve learnt that after an off-season where Joey Barton was in the news for what he did off the pitch, that somehow and someway when the season does start that his name gets in the tabloids for what he does on the pitch.
Arguably one of the biggest talking points over the weekend was Gervinho’s sending-off for Arsenal up at Newcastle United in the first televised game of the season. Gervinho has all the talents to be a star in England, but he will not be a popular one if he repeats his actions over the weekend when he was sent off after clashing with football’s Mr Marmite (Barton), who people either hate/love.
Of course we don’t like to see players playact to get opponents sent off and Barton himself has admitted to doing that over the weekend, but the fact of the matter is Gervinho was wrong to dive to try and win a penalty and was wrong to slap the Newcastle man even if it was because he was caught up in the moment. I hope for his sake he learns from his mistake quickly and becomes the kind of player that Arsenal desperately need.
We’ve learnt this week that Robbie Keane grew up wanting to play for the LA Galaxy and that after two years of trying to leave Spurs on a permanent deal, lo and behold he’s got his ‘dream move’ away from London. Jokes aside it’s not a bad move for Ireland’s recorder goalscorer who will have a nice pay-day in the states, but at 31 there are still some who think that he can still be a good option for someone in England.
We’ve learnt that Steve Kean probably right now has reaffirmed in everybody’s mind that he is going to be the first manager sacked this season (alongside a manager of a newly promoted side who I’ll get onto shortly), especially after Blackburn’s surprising defeat at home to Wolves.
You may recall Kean’s remarks about Rovers challenging for a Champions League place in the near future – not that he’s going to be there of course as he’ll be lucky to see the season out. Regardless of whether he was ordered to say that by the clubs owners Venkey’s or not the facts remain that if Blackburn start the season poorly he will be out before Rovers’ frustrated fans have time to arrange a protest against the Scot.
We’ve learnt that QPR despite romping to win the Npower Championship last season, are going to have as many problems on the pitch this season than they’re currently having at board level. Their 4-0 home defeat to Bolton was (and this is with all due respect to Owen Coyle’s side) probably the stand-out surprising result of the weekend capping of a woeful return for Rangers to the Premier League after a 15 year absence.
Neil Warnock who to neutrals is probably as popular as Barton at the moment; has a tough job on his hands and sadly along with Kean will be most of the bookies favourite managers to get sacked this season. Hopefully if Tony Fernandes’ take over can go through, Warnock will be given the funds to improve his squad which vastly needs changes. You may not like him, but at the very least that’s what he deserves.
Lastly we’ve learnt that Andre Villas-Boas is going to be true to his word and give Fernando Torres the chance to start the season as Chelsea’s first choice striker and that Jonathan Woodgate (at least for one game only) can last a full game without getting injured. Hopefully for his sake after all his injury problems he can have a good season, the same goes for Kieron Dyer as well.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
