Musings of a Curious Mind

Today was supposed to be the fifth day of the 2 nd test match and the exact halfway point of the series. But it does not come as a major surprise that Australia won at the Gabba within 4 days. Gabba is to Australia what Karachi was to Pakistan. They never lose here. But, it will surely raise a few eyebrows if it were to be told that Australia won in 4 days despite being 247/6 in reply to India’s 408 after the 1 st hour of play on day 3. Or for that matter, that Australia had also won the first test from a point where India required 120 odd runs from around 30 overs with 8 wickets in hand in the final session at Adelaide. Reverse a couple of sessions from Australia to India’s favor, and Australia could have faced the biggest ever crisis in their recent past going into the Boxing day Test 0-2 down. Instead, it is business as usual, and Dhoni and India are staring at another 4-0 drubbing. First things first, there has been a massive improvement from the 2011-12 series. The batting

A 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace was followed by a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the Emirates. The trend was reversed against a struggling Hull City at home with a 3-0 defeat. But, it had turned out to be another false dawn as Stoke City drew 2-2 at Old Trafford, and few days later United were embarrassed 2-0 at the St Mary’s. And today, an under pressure and underperforming Liverpool came to Old Trafford and took all 3 points in a thrilling 3-2 win. Yes, in a parallel universe, where United did not have the luck they are having this season, and where their goalkeeper is not named David De Gea, this could have been United’s story for the past month. Instead, it is 6 wins on the trot and 26 out of possible 33 points in a run that included home matches against Chelsea and Liverpool, and away trips to Man City, Arsenal and Southampton. 5 points clear of the 5 th place team as I write this, Van Gaal is well and truly moving towards achieving his bare minimum objective. Luck is a

“If you are not the number 1 team in the city, how can you even aspire to be the number 1 team in the country”, is a common quote during any derby. And although Chelsea are light years ahead of both the Manchester clubs in the race for the number 1 team in England, this can be a season defining match for both teams. In this corresponding match last season, all the deficiencies in Moyes’ team became apparent for the first time. That day, United got battered in the midfield. But 1 year is a long time. David Silva is out injured. Yaya Toure hasn’t yet hit first gear. And with every game, Mangala is getting a feel of how difficult the English league can be.  Dzeko has also looked a shadow of his former self. In the last 1 week, City has lost to both West Ham and Newscastle. Down on form and confidence, this will be United’s best chance of getting a big result at the Etihad and getting their season back on track. City have heavily relied on 4 players to win the league(both in 2011

Around 17 years back when he took charge of Barcelona, Louis Van Gaal had a “special” assistant. The assistant who joined Barcelona as a translator under Bobby Robson, made rapid progress and was soon giving match day team talks. Fast forward 17 years, and the assistant is one of the best managers of the modern era. And on Sunday, in a classic master vs apprentice match up, Van Gaal will be up against his most famous pupil, Jose Mourinho. Van Gaal with Mourinho in their Barcelona Days On paper, the result is a foregone conclusion. Old Trafford is no longer the fortress it used to be under Sir Alex. Having had a stuttering start to the season despite being one of the biggest spenders in Europe, United are under immense pressure. The defence looks schoolboyish at its worst. At best, amateurish. Worse still, Chelsea are in the form of their life. Only 8 matches into the season, the premier league title looks like a stroll in the park for Chelsea. But, there is one silver lin

From Sir Alex Ferguson to Jose Mourinho, the premier league has seen quite a few top class managers in the last 20 years. But, if there is one manager who changed the way the game is understood and played, it has to be Arsene Wenger. Be it transforming a misfiring winger to one of the most feared strikers of the world, or creating the “Invincibles”, the professor has done it all. They say that in today’s game, every manager comes with a shelf life. But Wenger has built all conquering sides, seen the stars leave, and rebuilt teams all over again. And all this while, Arsenal have never finished outside the top 4. And by any chance if you think that finishing in the top 4 is an easy task, you need to have a conversation with a guy named Mr David Moyes. The evolution of Wenger’s teams can be illustrated by the fact that during the “invincible” era, Wenger was accused by the British press of not having enough English players. Today, with players like Wilshere, Walcott, Welbeck and the Ox,

This week once again highlighted the depth of the English Premier League. United, Everton, Tottenham and Liverpool all lost to teams who are expected to finish in the lower half of the table. After last week’s euphoria, United got a reality check at the King Power Stadium, where as Liverpool continued to struggle against a superb West Ham side. Elsewhere, Mesut Ozil finally showed that he is still a force to reckon with, provided the plays through the centre. And at the Etihad, it was the stuff of legends, as Frank Lampard equalized late as 10 man City earned a well deserved draw. The nightmare continues for Van Gaal Van Gaal tactically exposed at Leicester The 4-0 win against QPR was a false dawn. The humiliation that Nigel Pearson’s boys inflicted on the Reds will not be forgotten in a hurry. Goals from Van Perise, Herrera as well as another piece of magic by Angel Di Maria meant that United were 3-1 up after 60 minutes. Everything seemed hunky dory and with the attack

With the transfer market distractions behind us, the premier league was up and running again after the international break. As I write this, another manager( Alan Pardew) finds himself on the brink of getting fired after yet another hapless Newcastle performance. And if Liverpool needed a reminder of how difficult life is going to be without their talismanic striker, Aston Villa provided that. Elsewhere, while Manchester United recovered from their false start to the season, Chelsea continued their superb run. Arsenal and Manchester City were involved in a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates. Diamond does the trick The injuries to both Smalling and Jones came as a blessing in disguise for Manchester United and Louis Van Gaal. It forced him to go back to playing 4 defenders. And with Rafael and Rojo playing as full backs, United looked much better as a defensive unit. And the diamond in the midfield suited Di Maria and Mata perfectly. When Juan Mata has players in the team who

With time, people have to change and adapt. And footballers are no different. Ever since that stunning goal against Arsenal that left David Seaman clueless, Wayne Rooney has been one of the most destructive forwards in modern football.   Over the last 10 years, he has terrorized defenders all over the world. Within the next few years, barring injury or a Torres like fall from grace, Wayne Rooney will end up as the highest goal scorer for both Manchester United as well as England. But statistics have never been a good substitute for judgement.   In spite of his goalscoring prowess, I think Wayne Rooney, at this stage of his career, would be a better footballer for both club and country if he plays in central midfield. First things first, Wayne Rooney is still a great goalscorer. Although he is nowhere compared to Ronaldo or Messi as a goalscorer, but if he plays as a forward for the entire season, he will end up with a reasonable return. And the fact that a forward of his calibe