Week 1 Results

Blyth Spartans 2-1 SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden

Goals (Assist)
Blyth – R. Ferdinand (Insigne - Corner)
Cambuur – Icardi (Gomes)
Blyth – Alonso (Free Kick)

MOTM: Andre Gomes (Cambuur)

The first match of the season and one that has wet the appetite of the matches to come

Both of these lads sell their teams and tactics well in my opinion, and I couldn’t find much reason to swing too far either way.

At the back; whilst Rio may be ticking on a bit, I actually liked Tino’s use of him at sweeper and there can be few better defensive partnerships in the league than Reyes & Doria

I do think Blyth may lack a little width without leaving their rear-guard a tad exposed (but on the other side of the coin they are a tough nut to crack through the middle), and Cambuur are certainly a team who can exploit this to their advantage with their wide attackers, and thus in general I felt a draw would have been the fairest but this is football and congratulations to Blyth, commiserations to Cambuur.

Blyth Spartans
Neto, Maggio, Rugani, R. Ferdinand, Vlaar, Contento, Alonso, Cristante (Ambrosini), Rosicky (Neilton), Destro, Insigne
Subs: Rubinho(GK), Maldini, Ambrosini,Neilton, Zigic

Maggio, Ambrosini. R. Ferdinand

SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden
Oblak, Fabinho, Reyes, Dória, Dodô, Rômulo, Gomes (Raúl Jiménez), Galvão (Horta), Rafinha, Baldé Diao, Icardi
Subs : Ederson, Lucas Silva, Goretzka, Horta, Raúl Jiménez

Gomes, Baldé Diao, Dória
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Manchester United 1-1 Basingstoke Town

Goals (Assist)
United – Pirlo (Free Kick)
Basingstoke – Berbatov (Vilhena)

MOTM – Pirlo (Manchester United)

Some key injuries affecting these two teams, however to their credit and team building expertise both managers were able to field teams with a good mixture of youth and experience.

Certainly for the first half of the game, Basingstoke’s pressing style of play looked to have an advantage over United’s ‘old legs’, but as the game wore on so the likes of Pirlo, Alex and Klose showed that ‘old legs’ can still have very good footballing brains and they frustrated Basingstoke with their calmness under pressure.

Both teams had chances, and it was perhaps typical that two vastly experienced forwards in Klose and Berbatov made it on to the score sheet.

Manchester United
Howard, Bacuna, Alex, Bartley, Maxwell, Pirlo, Casemiro, Hoffman, Tevez, Miyaichi, Klose (Lampard)
Subs: Friedel, Paez, Lampard, Kehl, Kane

Bacuna, Casemiro, Howard

Basingstoke Town
Cropper, Corchia (Bellerin), Zouma, Rekik, Kurwaza, Carvalho, Gnabry (Grimaldo), Vilhena, Kallstrom, Deulofeu, Berbatov (Robinson)
Subs: Mersin, Bellerin, Grimaldo, Kiwomya, Robinson

Corchia, Bellerin, Carvalho,
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Stockport County 2-1 Notts County

Goals (Assist)
Stockport County – Rakitic (Free kick)
Stockport County – Kongolo (own goal)
Notts County – Depay (Aranguiz)

MOTM – Depay (Notts County)

Two more teams quite affected by injuries here, but still both managers can field good starting 11’s.
I’ve already seen two similar tactics by other managers, and it bodes well that this league will be very competitive.

As with Blyth Spartans earlier today, I feel that width can be an issue for Stockport County, and when those wingbacks get forward Notts County do certainly have the weaponry to do some damage.
However, having said that Stockport despite their lack of obvious wingers have given a very tidy solution but Depay in particular a real threat for Notts County.

My concern with the Nott’s County defence was that it was quite ‘left footed’ and 2 left footed centre backs do not always work. Perhaps Christensen would have been a better option than Kongolo on this occasion. By unfortunate coincidence there was a Kongolo own goal, but he is a talent just perhaps better used at LCB or LB

Both quite dynamic teams and I think there were always going to be potential for goal making opportunities.

Stockport County
Forster, Burn, Veltman, Fonte, Clyne, Hughes, Rakitic, Durm, Quintero, Gallagher (Reed), Ings
Subs: Van Der Sar, Lascelles, Reed, Grealish, Watmore

Rakitic, Hughes, Burn, Ings

Notts County
Horn, Stones, Kongolo, Romagnoli, Bernat, Besic (Alcacer), Thiago, Aranguiz, Promes (Mastour), Depay, Totti
Subs: Christensen, Ledson, Lopes, Mastour, Alcacer

Stones, Totti, Kongolo
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Sekhukhune Lions 0-0 Taiwan

MOTM – Laporte (Taiwan)

Difficult to call was not the term for this match two managers who have very similar mindsets and just like a game of chess one wrong move was probably going to give us a result.

But not on this occasion as we had a stalemate

Very high tempo game from both teams, lots of closing down players quickly, both teams well organised and I guess in the end they neutralized each other.

For all the gifted attacking players on the pitch, the defensive side of the tactics held steady for both teams and there were very few clear cut chances, and thus it’s a decent point on the board apiece, and the first of we hope not many goalless draws this season.

Sekhukhune Lions
Ospina, Jonny, Khacheridi, Iñiguez, Ghoulam, Krychowiak, Sertic (Stark), Calhanoglu (Ziyech), Sterling, Basacikoglu, Lacazette
Subs: Mitryushkin, Stark, Ziyech, Traore, Cigerci

Iñiguez, Ziyech

Taiwan
Scuffet, Pleguezuelo, Musacchio, Laporte, Shaw, Can, Tielemans, Drmic, J. Rodriguez, Brandt, Di Natale
Subs: De Santis, Hendrix, J. Teixeira, Dembele, Toni

Musacchio, Brandt
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Colchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Goals (Assist)
Arsenal – Drogba (Joaquin)
Colchester United – Origi (Gerrard)

MOTM: Ochoa

Firstly, I found both sets of tactics an easy read on the eye. Lubo’s tactics have improved from the last time he was in our league however, I still think that they can be improved further. I found myself feeling a tad frustrated that whilst I was getting great information on how his attacking midfielder and wide attackers were playing, but when it came to Ramos is was “Ramos will lead the line and score goals". I’m not sure if Lubo ran out of time as he’s had exams, but you need to sell your whole team fella and that was missing with Ramos – but general improvements are very noticeable – well done

Kamran’s tactics are what I would call ‘tactics by numbers’. Its good solid stuff can’t really pick too many holes in it.

Close first half, Arsenal though nearly won this at the death but Ochoa pulled off a terrific save to ensure points were shared.

Colchester United
Ochoa, Janmaat, Kalas, Morgan, Balanta, Gerrard, Aguilar, Nathan, Origi, Volland, Ramos
Subs: Ikeme, Kitsiou, Maguire, Silva, McDaid

Origi, Balanta, Morgan, Ramos

Arsenal
Aranzubia, Arias, Fernandez, De Vrij, Cole, F.Silva, Susic, Joaquin, Xavi, Perisic, Drogba (El Haddadi)
Subs: Raeder, Jara, Naldo, Van Anken, El Haddadi

Perisic, De Vrij, Drogba, Cole
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FC Pride 3-4 Southend United

Goals (Assist)
Sturridge (Berahino)
Mustafi (Okazaki)
Immobile (Halilovic)
Immobile (Pen)
Sturridge (Pen)
Hazard (Free kick)
Sturridge (Berahino)

MOTM – Sturridge (Southend United)

The truth of the matter is that the fruity really doesn’t like Pride HOW CAN ANYONE NOT LIKE PRIDE!!

Nah this was a close game, and a good game. The two teams were closely matched, and very much like the Liverpool v Newcastle Premier League games in the 90’s this was a cracker to salivate over. Tippy will be the happier, but Pride shouldn’t be too disconsolate.

FC Pride
Enyeama, Perrey, Kouyate, Omeruo, Oczipka, Samper, Britton, Halilovic (Lawrence), Lingard (Wilson), Immobile, Hazard
Subs: Aréola, Baker, Lawrence, Schöpf, Wilson

Wilson, Immobile,

Southend United
Marshall, Tripper, Mustafi, Lucarelli, Ward, Geis (Rabiot), Pjanic, Onazi, Okazaki, Sturridge, Berahino
Subs: Thorne, Assombalonga, Bijker, Rabiot, Fagundez

Tripper, Sturridge
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Salisbury City 1-1 Barcelona

Goals (Assist)
Yaya Toure (Taarabt)
Cuenca (Gabi)

MOTM – Yaya Toure (Salisbury City)

A point shared here in the final match of week 1.
Salisbury’s dynamic midfield certainly stomped their authority for good parts of this game with Yaya Toure as one would expect at the heart of things. Barcelona have a gifted team also though so remained competitive throughout.

Salisbury City
Buffon, Garay, Demichelis, Oboabona, Flanagan, Ali Adnan, Drinkwater, Yaya Toure, Taarabt (Adbulrahman), Campbell, Austin
Subs: Blackman, Yepes, Huws, Alli, Abdulrahman

Austin, Oboabona, Ali Adnan, Taarabt

Barcelona
Iralzoz, Hibbert, Distin, Martinez, Arbeloa, Gabi, Tiago, Tello, Jonathan, Affelay, Cuenca
Subs: Kent, Kischa, De Sa, Gurpegi, Speroni

Jonathan, Affelay, Martinez, Iralzoz