Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (Nani)

20

Manchester United

Darren Fletcher may have been the unlikely double goal scorer this week but he has one Nani to thank for some excellent build up play. In a team without Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez it was up to the young players to put their hands up.

Nani has had limited playing time this season and against Arsenal he showed his capabilities. His silky skills allowed him to create space for himself at crucial times. His crossing was also spot on. He took the corner that lead to Manchester’s first of four. He supplied both crosses with pinpoint accuracy to Fletcher and slotted home clinically to score in a great all round performance.

It has to be said that even Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to produce this kind of performance at the age of 20. Accommodating Nani and the equally Impressive Anderson must be high on the agenda of Sir Alex after the weekend. A positive is that Nani was deployed as a forward rather than his usual wing position, which is an area Ferguson has been looking to bolster and now might not need to!

Portugal seem to be brimming with young attacking talent and Performances like Nani displayed against Arsenal will have scouts flocking to the country in numbers.

There was also a fair bit of showboating to offer from the youngster which has been viewed a bit controversially as Arsenal felt disrespected, A trait that could earn the youngster a fair amount of kicking in matches to come. I say if the boot fits, wear it.

So if you have been paying attention, the big story is that the premiership have struck an “agreement in principle” with all 20 league teams to make the exciting league a global spectacle.

The matches would be played at five venues around the world over a single weekend in January 2011. Each city would host one game on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Johannesburg is currently being touted as an option to be a host city. Something I had to silently repeat to myself when I heard it for the first time. The opportunity to watch my team, my team in my hometown as an actual league fixture!! Phenominal!

The proposal will take at least a year to finalise but Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is already excited by the globalisation of the British game, which could give armchair fans the chance to watch 10 league games back-to-back from Saturday morning to Sunday night.

The prospect is amazing and the more I thought about the more it started to seem like a really tricky task. While this was happening the whole prospect started to seem a little bit of a sacrifcice, Global exposure for the age old formula if you will. Please dont get me wrong, I am in love with my country and football is my life but this is going to be a very very tricky task indeed.

Scuddamore said “This proposal has captured the imagination of the 20 clubs. There is a difference between symmetry and integrity. What we currently have is a perfectly symmetrical league. That is not the same thing as integrity.”

“What this proposition does, I admit, it alters by one 39th the perfect symmetry that currently exists.”

Snag number one: how do you find symmetry in the number 39? The extra game means that switching from the formula of everone playing eachother twice, there will now be a third game against a single team. this will ultimately effect the Champion/Relegation battle in a major way.

Snag number two: As much as their will be a crazy amount of support at the big games, how many people will pay to watch the low placing teams? How many South Africans out there that can name the Derby County starting line up?

The cities would be spread geographically in different time zones to allow British television viewers the possibility of watching all 10 games from Saturday morning onwards. “There will be no club influence that will determine which host city they go to,” said Scudamore, who recognised that there would be major issues to address with an already crowded calendar and sanctioning bodies.

Snag number three: The league has been setup so that all teams play each other at the same time on the last day. This is to avoid any shady teams taking advantage of knowing the result of a key game. This means that games will be played at different times worldwide to accommodate the British viewers.

So after these snags one hopes that their is a team of very clever gentleman out there devising a plan to make this format work out in a way that can eliminate the obstacles because I am still uncertain as to whether this could possibly one the great moves of world football!

Going into the home lap of the premiership season which hardened football fan would have predicted the events that precede us this year?

After a bumper boxing day schedule things are shaping for an outstanding home lap in the gripping story of twists and turns that is the premier league, Chelsea and Aston Villa playing to an absolutely thrilling draw yesterday with two great turn a rounds in the game that had everything except a win.

Elsewhere Arsenal surrendered their amazing run at the summit for the first time this season following their goalless draw to Portsmouth at Fratton Park. After falling to only one defeat in the league all season Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had the following to say “If we go six months again by just losing none then we will be champions.”

Liverpool came away with the three points overcoming a very spirited Derby side. In a game that Liverpool should have made easier work of, Fernando Torres scored a delightful goal. The youngster is putting up his hand for signing of the season, but in a season full of extremely bright talents.

Totenham Hotspur demolished Fulham with a great display of their so far dormant potential. Robbie Keen scoring 2 as didTom Huddleston defoe poked away their fifth to complete a good 5-1 win for the London side.

Manchester United made very light work of Sunderland with former former captain and current Sunderland coach Roy Keane stating where he believes the title is going this year

He said: “I have been asked this question for the last month or two and I have said before my money is still on United and today has not changed that, it has not wavered it one bit.”

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring at the Stadium of light. He then turned provider for Louis Saha. Crisitiano Ronaldo added another goal to extend his lead as top scorer in the premiership. Saha capped the day off with a penalty as united strolled to a 4-0 win

With The January transfer window opening up it will be interesting to see what business is done as teams fight to reach their perspective targets.

Liverpool and Chelsea will have to fight hard to make up on lost ground. Arsenal and Manchester United will both be pleased with their current points tally. They will also go into the new year knowing that they have kept fans happy with their great brands of football the entire season. Both sets of Managers will be licking their lips in between the sleepless nights as to what is set up to be an extremely great premiership story.

(Image Credit : showtimearabia)