Premier League talking points: Declan Rice is two players in one; United embarrass themselves - again

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo stands dejected following the Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA

Dean Smith: Yesterday’s hero, today’s zero

It’s not long since Dean Smith, a local lad and fan of Aston Villa, was being hailed by fans as a hero for a mid-table finish last season. Here was a man who really cared about the club, who had the club’s best interests at heart. But now? Get him out. There is no patience or tolerance for failure. All those fine words about being proud to be managed by such a man are dumped. They were shallow and meaningless.

But Smith’s contract was worth an incredible £9m, so we shouldn’t feel too sorry for him. Becoming a multi-millionaire without having to go to work is the very definition of Easy Street to most of us.

United embarrass themselves. Again

They’re a joke, aren’t they? Laughable. Beyond the occasional acts of brilliance with which the Red Devils have rescued games this season, they’re a lazy, tactically confused, poorly organised, poorly motivated, mid-table side.

They began again with a back three and two up front, which had been hailed against Spurs as though it was tactical genius. It wasn’t. They were overrun like amateurs in the first half and comprehensively schooled by vastly superior opponents. At one point the Stretford End cheered because United took a long goal kick rather than trying to play it out, so bad had they been at doing so. The gulf in class was embarrassing.

There cannot be anyone who does not know the fault lies with their inadequate manager. With the last international break coming up, now is the time to flush him out of the system. That they have already passed on Antonio Conte to stick with the Norwegian just utterly beggars belief.

United v City — the stats of a 2-0 annihilation

Being beaten 2-0 does not sound like a disaster or a heavy loss, but that is the only statistic which flatters Manchester United. They had 32% possession and only had that much because City just let them have the ball in the second half, as they ran the clock down. But one shot on target shows how little they did with it. And they had just one corner all game. City had 32 touches in the opposition’s box, United had just four, with only one in the second half. Their previous low was nine. They have not kept a clean sheet at home since April.

They have conceded more at Old Trafford than Norwich have at Carrow Road this season. Their players are drifting, shapeless and disorganised. They are being let down by the club persisting with a manager and coaching staff which is a void where a manager and coaching staff should be. Rumours of Brendan Rodgers coming in are gathering weight. It needs to happen now.

The Bees lose their buzz

Brentford’s decline continues with their fourth straight defeat and gives Norwich their first win. With their next game against Newcastle United, who presumably will want to impress their new manager, they are slipping down the table. It isn’t that they lacked effort against the Canaries, though they were off the pace in the first half.

It is more that they have lost some of the cohesiveness that they initially had. It is almost as though they began to believe their own publicity after some great wins. In relaxing a little they have lost their shape and cutting edge.

They revived in the second half, pulled a goal back and Norwich’s Tim Krul made some good saves. But a league season is very much a marathon and you get nothing for being near the front early on. It isn’t an unrecoverable situation. However, with nearly a third of the season gone, they already need a bit of a reboot. A couple of significant signings in January would help put some lead back in the Brentford pencil.

Norwich need their head examined

To sack Daniel Farke even after he’s just achieved their first win of the season is a bizarre decision and one clearly made before the game. Farke has achieved two promotions out of the Championship, winning the league both times.

This is a huge achievement and not one worth binning off in a desperate attempt to stay in the dysfunctional and increasingly discredited Premier League. I suspect sporting director Stuart Webber was stung by media blowhards who have alleged they were somehow letting the Premier League down by not spending heavily to try and stay up. Norwich City belong in the Championship and to the Championship they will return, almost certainly this season but if not, then next, because they cannot compete financially. Farke was their best hope to be a yo-yo club — the snowiest peak they can climb and one worth a lot of money. To get rid of the man who delivered that is a lunacy they will regret indulging.

Crystal Palace excite and entertain for 45 minutes

The first half of their game with Wolves was the sort that happens a lot in the Premier League; absolutely dreadful. The sort of game which effortlessly punctures the hyperventilating propaganda machine which sends pundits out to portray it as the best league in the world. The second half however, was more like it with Patrick Vieira’s young side coming to life and taking the game to Wolves with a 45-minute display of energetic attacking football. Yes they benefited from VAR decisions, but Wolves, who had taken 13 points from the last 15, had no reply to the attacking dynamism of Wilf Zaha and Conor Gallagher. Roared on by the always noisy Selhurst Park crowd, they move up to ninth in the league and look well worth their top half status.

However, with six draws and only three wins, it could be even better. If they’d turned just three of those draws into wins, they’d be in the top five now. Draws are football’s silent killer of ambition.

Newcastle end a mad week with a point

To emerge from the long trip to the south coast with a point was probably as much as anyone could expect from the usually useless Newcastle United, after a rollercoaster week during which their hapless new owners royally messed up appointing Unai Emery as manager. Stories from people who have contacts on the inside of the club suggest it is being run without any football knowledge, structure or plan.. Football has made fools of smarter people than these before now. Howe’s great advantage is standards on and off the pitch are so low that he has a chance to rebuild the smouldering ruins into something which looks like a moderately successful modern organisation, albeit one with a repressive autocracy staining his reputation with its money.

Another game, another VAR nonsense

At Goodison Park the referee gave a penalty to Everton. The VAR told the referee to go and look at the screen. This is where the mistake lies. If the on-pitch referee gives it, VAR can only overturn the decision if it is a “clear and obvious error”. The fact they instructed the referee to take a look at it says they didn’t feel it was a clear and obvious error, but then what was it? An unclear and not obvious mistake? Why are we trying to correct those?

That wasn’t the task given to the VAR. Of course sending the ref to the monitor says to the referee, ‘you got this wrong’. So the referee goes and looks at it, even though it was a 50/50 call, and changes his mind to align himself with the VAR’s point of view. Why wouldn’t you trust the eye in the sky over your own eyes? This wasn’t a mistake put right, it was merely calling the challenge differently. It did not feel more fair. No justice was served.

Spurs will be Conte’s biggest challenge

I wonder if Antonio Conte knew how disjointed Spurs were before agreeing to be their manager? If not, his first Premier League game would have been a rude awakening. At times he looked bewildered at the positions his players were taking up, constantly shouting at them, pointing to where they should be and directing them in as granular detail as possible from the touchline.

At times he looked like a conductor who was puzzled as to why the orchestra were all playing a different tune and in a different key. If he can turn their form around and make them into a cohesive and effective unit capable of competing for a top four position, it will be one of, if not his greatest, achievements to date, simply because they are miles off that at the moment.

His first purchases in January will be fascinating.

Declan Rice leads the Hammers into the top three

Liverpool were unbeaten since last April and nearly pulled this game back for a draw.

But West Ham’s win moved them up to an impressive third in the table. They have benefited from having a settled squad, David Moyes having made only four changes in the league all season long. How long he can maintain that policy is doubtful as injuries and suspensions inevitably take their toll. Everything is working right now and it feels like they are going full throttle with nothing left in reserve.

The worry must be that they are reliant on this settled line-up and anything that disrupts it will disrupt the team and the results.

Without doubt, they have one of the best defensive midfielders in Declan Rice. As captain, he is indispensable, capable of being a tackling and harrying disruptor and a creative forward passer: Two players in one. Should he miss games in the winter months it will severely impact West Ham United’s results.