The top 5 look fairly secure.
The only surprise is Spurs at the top. With the wind in their sails and no European footy to distract them, they may be there for a while yet. There is a 5 point gap from 5th to 6th, with Villa 5 points clear of Newcastle and Brighton. With a possible 5 teams getting into the Champions League due to a reform of the competition, I think the current top 7 will compete for the UCL and Europa League spots.
At the other end a 4 point gap has opened up between Forest in 16th and Bournemouth in 17th. I expect that gap to grow and Bournemouth and the 3 promoted sides will battle it out to survive the drop.
One thing that I have noticed is the depth of quality in the teams.
Take for example the game last Saturday between Wolves and Newcastle.
It ended 2-2 but was a joy to watch. The previous Monday on Sky's MNF Gary O'Neil gave a master class on the tactics he employs at Wolves.
It was fascinating. What was evident from the game is that both teams are so well drilled. The pace, fitness and tactics were on point. It was a great advert for English footy. As was the West Ham v Everton game on Sunday. I feared that Everton may go down this season, but it will take a miracle for that to happen now. While Everton may not rip up many trees this season, Dyche certainly has them well drilled, given the limited quality in the squad. West Ham were excellent too, but couldn't cut through a solid Toffee defence.
So I watched 4 excellent well drilled "mid table" sides, who were fit, sharp and knew what they were about. I suppose it is to be expected.
The EPL has been the best league in the world for a number of years now. The bar has been raised by Klopp and Pep and now De Zerbi, Emery and the rest have brought high standards to "lesser" clubs. The biggest loser in all this is Man U. For so long the outstanding side in the UK, the trail blazer for English football, they are now a shadow of their former selves. Their home form will see them stay in mid-table, but it is quite remarkable given the size of the club and the money they have spent that so many smaller teams look so much better than them. The cyclical nature of football dictates that they will rise again, but for now they are stumbling around in mediocrity.
They were an embarrassment against City on Sunday. Their club captain spent the last 10 minutes frantically trying to kick City players.
Their fans will be hoping that the Ineos Group ride to their rescue.
And finally, the only feeling I have for the Rugby World Cup is one of immense disappointment that Ireland were not in that final having beaten the Springboks earlier in the competition.
The only surprise is Spurs at the top. With the wind in their sails and no European footy to distract them, they may be there for a while yet. There is a 5 point gap from 5th to 6th, with Villa 5 points clear of Newcastle and Brighton. With a possible 5 teams getting into the Champions League due to a reform of the competition, I think the current top 7 will compete for the UCL and Europa League spots.
At the other end a 4 point gap has opened up between Forest in 16th and Bournemouth in 17th. I expect that gap to grow and Bournemouth and the 3 promoted sides will battle it out to survive the drop.
One thing that I have noticed is the depth of quality in the teams.
Take for example the game last Saturday between Wolves and Newcastle.
It ended 2-2 but was a joy to watch. The previous Monday on Sky's MNF Gary O'Neil gave a master class on the tactics he employs at Wolves.
It was fascinating. What was evident from the game is that both teams are so well drilled. The pace, fitness and tactics were on point. It was a great advert for English footy. As was the West Ham v Everton game on Sunday. I feared that Everton may go down this season, but it will take a miracle for that to happen now. While Everton may not rip up many trees this season, Dyche certainly has them well drilled, given the limited quality in the squad. West Ham were excellent too, but couldn't cut through a solid Toffee defence.
So I watched 4 excellent well drilled "mid table" sides, who were fit, sharp and knew what they were about. I suppose it is to be expected.
The EPL has been the best league in the world for a number of years now. The bar has been raised by Klopp and Pep and now De Zerbi, Emery and the rest have brought high standards to "lesser" clubs. The biggest loser in all this is Man U. For so long the outstanding side in the UK, the trail blazer for English football, they are now a shadow of their former selves. Their home form will see them stay in mid-table, but it is quite remarkable given the size of the club and the money they have spent that so many smaller teams look so much better than them. The cyclical nature of football dictates that they will rise again, but for now they are stumbling around in mediocrity.
They were an embarrassment against City on Sunday. Their club captain spent the last 10 minutes frantically trying to kick City players.
Their fans will be hoping that the Ineos Group ride to their rescue.
And finally, the only feeling I have for the Rugby World Cup is one of immense disappointment that Ireland were not in that final having beaten the Springboks earlier in the competition.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
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