Johnny Nicholson: Ronaldo is a pain-killing injection but United's injury remains untreated
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo gives a thumbs up after the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Saturday March 12, 2022.
What could’ve been a tricky game turned out to be an easy win for Liverpool. Brighton’s players may have concluded that their season is all but done and they’re going to finish mid-table so what’s the point in putting their shoulder to the wheel. They made little headway against Liverpool and when chances came, they never looked like taking them. In the second half, Graham Potter tried to open the game up and played three at the back, but that just let Liverpool dominate them to a greater extent. The Seagulls have played good football all season but they look toothless and limp in attack. They’ve made the mistake of trying to craft goals as though they’re an art form and over-playing as a result. Some more direct, aggressive play amongst the good football would be welcome. That’s five losses in a row and a finish in the bottom third now looks likely after being in the top half for most of the season. It raises a greater problem. When you reach early March and you know you won’t be relegated but won’t make the Europa League places either, what is there to play for? Effectively, the last 25% of Brighton’s season will be dead rubbers. It’s no wonder players get demotivated.
Brentford got their first back to back wins of the season, once again thanks to Ivan Toney. The first, a header from a delicious Christian Eriksen cross, the second from the spot which he dispatched with his usual efficiency, despite taking the sort of short run that always makes you think he’s going to miss. He almost never does. He has taken 24 in his career to date and missed just one, when playing for Peterborough. He has a mightily impressive 100% record for Brentford. Another three points puts them on 30, within touching distance of safety.
While Cristiano Ronaldo's 805th, 806th and 807th goals, his 59th hat-trick, but only his second United triple, were fine examples of the forward’s artform, they were also illustrative of Manchester United’s core problems; they rely on such spectacular skill. On the surface that might seem like a good thing, but it’s not when it is a substitute for proper organisation and recruitment.
You’ll never win anything by just hoping a player like CR7 pulls something brilliant out of the bag every game, because he won’t. Manchester Utd had not lost a home game when leading at half-time for 301 matches. The last time was in May 1984 against Ipswich. But despite maintaining this remarkable record against Spurs, winning 3 -2, they did not play well and were saved by Ronaldo’s individual brilliance with a trademark header to win it, a skill he performs in an absolutely unique way. No-one jumps and hangs and can still power the ball home quite like Ronaldo. Of all his talents, it is one of the most remarkable.
It is a conundrum. He’s keeping the team alive and in the top four with his goals, but the team is so poorly put together and defensively inept at the moment, that all those goals are doing is keeping their head above water. On this form, Ronaldo is a pain-killing injection, but underneath, the injury remains untreated.
Big own goals and penalty numbers for Spurs.
Top of Tottenham’s goal scorers is Harry Kane, then Son, then OG. Harry Maguire’s own goal was the ninth that Spurs had ‘scored’ this season. Harry Kane’s penalty was the 19th consecutively he’s scored for the club. That’s two impressive records. Pity they can’t string two wins together.
Ukraine international Andriy Yarmolenko scoring the Hammers opener was an emotional moment for everyone who has half of their mind on the events in his native country right now. The lad was in tears and who can blame him? Imagine having to play football while your home country and its citizens are getting blown apart in an appalling war. Imagine what that must be like. No wonder his emotions were so close to the surface.
Their two-one win over Aston Villa keeps West Ham in the European places for now. Villa know they can’t realistically finish higher than the ninth position they currently occupy, so their last 10 games are, like Brighton's and Southampton's, effectively dead rubbers. This is an issue which needs addressing.
Chelsea are in limbo, awaiting being sold, because of their owner’s relationship to bloody dictator Vladimir Putin who is responsible for murdering 1000s of Ukrainians. Saudi Arabia has just executed 81 people in one day and is also conducting a protracted and bloody seven-year war against Yemen which has killed over 250,000 people. An estimated 10,000 children have been killed or maimed. The same man is at the head of PIF, Newcastle United’s owners, and the Saudi state. Mohammed bin Salman is soaked in the blood of innocents and should have no right to own a football club. If Roman Abramovitch is judged worthy of sanctions, this man certainly is. He’s not just associated with someone who has committed human rights crimes, he is responsible for the violations. No Newcastle fan should find this acceptable, let alone waive a Saudi flag. Eddie Howe’s refusal to talk about any of it is cowardly. The questions will not and should not stop. This is an extreme and immoral situation, one that Howe has, unlike the majority of the players, willingly bought into. Thomas Tuchel has at least answered questions about Chelsea’s ownership, as equally awkward as they are. NUFC should also be frozen, taken off the owners and sold by the government to decent people. That this will not happen once again shows the Premier League to be a moral cesspit and the government to be hypocritical cowards for not daring to upset a nation we sell arms to, even though those arms kill thousands.
A one-nil home defeat to Wolves puts Everton teetering on the verge of a relegation place after a fourth consecutive league defeat. It gets worse and worse for Frank Lampard. Will he be sacked before their next game? Surely he cannot be trusted to get the Toffees out of this. He has zero experience of fighting at the dirty end of the table. Everton were, once again, a shapeless mess. They have just one win in 11 and are now only ahead of Watford on goal difference, a Watford that won away at Southampton and may be showing some signs of life, late in the season. The saving grace for Everton is they have three games in hand on the Hornets but only one on Burnley who are just a point behind them and have a better goal difference. Would you back Sean Dyche to get that point over Frank Lampard? I think most would.
At last Leeds United had a win, but nearly blew the three points by letting Norwich back into it late in the game and nearly once again, even after they had taken the lead for a second time. However, they have been due a lucky break after having so many problems with injuries all season. Fitting that Joe Geldhart slotted home after Raphinha had rounded the keeper. He is a young talent that the club has great hope for and who we can be certain to see more of in the future. Patrick Bamford only lasted 45 minutes and was hooked at half-time. Jesse Marsch rightly celebrated this important win. They’re going to be OK. Just.
Wily old Roy Hodgson. With survival possible this season on under 30 points for the first time, Watford’s win at St Mary’s was crucial and moves them up to 22 points. It was a superb win against a side whose good run of form has come to a clunking stop. Two Cucho Hernandez goals took the points. Watford were not afraid to put 10 men behind the ball once they had the lead. They ended the game having had only 38% possession but it was enough to hold the Saints who, like Brighton and Aston Villa are effectively playing dead rubbers for 10 games.
Quietly Wolves have cemented their position in the top seven, now unlikely to finish any lower than eighth. Bruno Lage has achieved this without big egos or big stars but by defensively strong performances. Their 23 goals conceded is the fourth best in the league. The win against Everton came from a Conor Coady goal, a Liverpool fan who will have enjoyed sending Everton fans home with another L against their name.
The first Arsenal goal was, surprise surprise, scored from a set-piece, Leicester’s weak spot all season long, the 20th time they have done so this season. Surely they work on this in training. If they do, it isn’t working. It isn’t possible to discern what they’re trying to do, even now, even after letting in 20 goals this way. Thomas Partey’s free header was an absolute gift. He had four Leicester players around him, but none close enough.
In the first half-hour, Arsenal played some brilliant, smooth, flowing football with Gabriel Martinelli exceptional and Martin Ødegaard striding forward with confidence, making incisive passes. They dominated most of the second half. The Gunners are currently playing the best football below the top two. This has been achieved by a remarkable degree of cohesion, especially in the front two-thirds of the pitch. The players all fit together like a jigsaw and this gives their play a front-foot quality that is hard to resist. In defence they still need some work, but goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is growing into one hell of a keeper who must be pushing for England honours now. He kept Arsenal in front with a brilliant reflex save from a Harvey Barnes header.
There was the usual VAR farce for a penalty but this was Arsenal’s fifth win in a row and it took the Gunners back into fourth. It’s a position they richly deserve and, given the games they have in hand, seem unlikely to surrender before the end of the season. Their next game is at home to Liverpool on Wednesday. A win in that game would really make a big statement. Are Arsenal back? If they’re not, they can definitely see a way back from where they are.
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