November Assessment.. Whose Standing Out?

greetings roaders. We are now three months into the new season. I did a relegation piece a few weeks back and its curious how things are turning out. Some quite surprising. Instead of doing a team by team appraisal (which frankly would bore both you, and I) I am going to highlight the teams that are really raising collective eyebrows, across the board, for both the good and bad reasons.


EVERTON



Everton's excellent start to the season has caught some unaware. But I am not surprised. I have fancied them to do very well this season. They have a team with an excellent manager, a real togetherness with players that have played together for a few seasons now and their telephatic-like understanding of one another is really now showing. You combine that with a couple of inclusions that David Moyes has made, and the Toffees are now a force to be reckoned with; Home and away.

The purchase of Kevin Mirallas from Olympiakos in the Summer, could be one of the Glaswegian's best acquisitions to date and at only 6m to boot. Mirallas has a roaming role for Everton, primarily out on the left wing, but his industry allows him to cover the central role also, in the hole behind Nikica Jelavic. The belgian has scored 2 goals and has 3 assists to date. His open playing style has also alowed Jelavic to increase his contribution - thought not in goal tally - via his hard work and strength up top. Mirallas playing wide has also allowed Marouane Fellaini to play in a new position behind the striker and use his height and formidable strength. This new freedom has allowed Fellaini (and his hair) to notch up 6 goals already. For those of you that don't have a degree in rocket science, thats a goal every two games....

For me though, the key difference to Everton this season is the link up play between Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar. last season Baines' attacking commodities came to the fore. Now he can defend more than adequately, frequently being the Toffees' last line of defence but now also has a telepathy with his South African team mate that allows Baines to bomb forward whilst Pienaar can simultaneously cover his run but also to provide a real width in the attack. Baines is also the designated penalty taker and he has not missed a single league penalty to date.

They may indeed sit fifth now, but if they are to challenge for a top four spot, they really need to convert more of the plethora of chances they create. As was in evidence at the weekend.

that leads me very nicely on to....


NORWICH

After tipping the Canaries to struggle - which they initially did - Norwich have turned into a solid outfit. They have played nearly a third of games in the season already and yes they have lost a third of those games, but that doesn't really tell the story. The Arsenal game seemed to prove pivotal - Certainly to Arsenal - But also Norwich City.

That was the game that signaled the beginning of the current malaise of Arsenal. Conversely, Norwich have gone six games unbeaten. That includes that against Arsenal, but also Man Utd at Carrow Road, where they have not conceded a single goal, also beating Stoke City. Norwich also recorded draws at Reading, Villa and most impressively against the aforementioned Everton, this past weekend. In six games then they have scored five but only conceded two. That's impressive in anyones book. They may not be prolific, but boy can these budgies defend ;)....


I think a lot of their progress can be apportioned to two players; Sebastian Bassong and Javi Garrido. Garrido, lets not forget is a former Man City left back and is not shoddy. He's not what you would call world-class but sometimes, especially in the EPL, teams don't need that; just that one player who threads things together nicely, or rather two in this case. Bassong Ive always liked as a player. He wasn't given a fair crack at Newcastle, less so at Spurs, but was still out of favour much of the time. But that is kind of the point; He's not an amazing player, but he is a perfect fit for a mid table Premier League side that doesn't score many goals.



I still think Norwich will go through a rough spell, but having beaten two of the top four sides, they have to fancy their chances of staying out of trouble. As I predicted, Chris Hughton has got the Canaries playing well.


SWANSEA


In my pre season article, I didn't really focus on the Welsh outfit, as I knew they would be fine. They have a great manager and a great footballing ethos, that Brendan Rodgers installed and that now Michael Laudrup has continued. Swansea deserve huge praise. When a new manager comes in, much uncertainly awaits. Laudrup however has bought very shrewdly, much like a young Arsene Wenger would have done at the beginning of his Arsenal tenure.


Case and point being Miguel Cuesta, or 'Michu'. Signed from Rayo for just 2 million pounds in the Summer, after scoring 15 goals in La Liga in his first season there. Michu perhaps is not your classic Premier League striker, which may be the reason why so few teams went in for him as well as the fact Rayo weren't exactly setting the world alight with their style of football. Nevertheless, in 12 games, he has scored 7 goals already. In the same league, Fernando Torres has scored just 4 more, despite his 59 appearances. Huge credit has to go to Michael Laudrup for that, but perhaps more moreso with Pablo Hernandez.

Another Spaniard at Swansea. Together with Chico Flores, Angel Rangel and Michu, not forgetting Jonathan de Guzman's La Liga experience with Villarreal, Pablo has settled in very nicely in the first third of the season. How Swansea managed to sign Hernandez from Valencia for the measly sum of 5million pounds, I still haven't quite worked out. It was a total coup in my eyes. Hernandez has played with the likes of Mata, Villa, Joaquin, Albelda and Soldado and it is evident he has learnt well from them. Very well.

Deployed on the right winger, often drifting inside, he gets plentiful service from De Guzman, Leon Britton but also Wayne Routledge, who likes to switch wings often during periods of play. Pablo scored 16 goals for Valencia during 4 seasons and is not prolific, certainly, but his hold up play is strong and allows Swansea to flood forward in numbers on the counter attack. He has already scored 2 goals in 9 appearances for the Swans; that is sure to increase.

Swansea will meander in terms of form throughout the season and they will draw more games than they win, but the Welsh outfit, under the great Dane, will be absolutely fine. 


I will be reviewing teams throughout the season..


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