Round Five: Leicester, Palace, Hammers Rise

1. Chelsea (1): Perhaps unhappy to have not capitalized on the sending off of Pablo Zabaleta, Jose Mourinho will still be satisfied with one point at the Etihad Stadium.  Diego Costa's goal output is impressive but his temperament could cost Chelsea if it doesn't subside.  

2. Southampton (3): Ronald Koeman is manager of the year so far without a doubt.  This week, it was Victor Wanyama’s turn to play the hero, as the Nigerian came off the bench to sink Swansea on the road.  Roll on you Saints.  

3. Manchester City (2): Frank Lampard has proved his worth in each of his two appearances.  The former Stamford Bridge man looked embarrassed and apologetic after equalizing for the Citizens, but his last farewell to the Chelsea traveling fans would put a smile on even Fabio Capello’s face.  

4. Arsenal (4): On a weekend where Liverpool, City, United, Everton, and Tottenham all dropped points, Mesut Ozil stamped his influence on a three-goal outburst in the same amount of minutes.  The North London Derby beckons on Saturday. 

5. Leicester City (11): Enough cannot be said about Leicester’s resurgence in the top flight.  Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa led a stellar line of direct football against Manchester United.  Nigel Pearson’s unorthodox positioning up above during matches looks to be paying off for the Foxes.  

6. Aston Villa (6): There were plenty of positives to take from Aston Villa’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday.  Had a nasty bug not taken hold of several players slated to play, this one could have been closer.  Paul Lambert cannot let his club slip into obscurity after just one bad day at the office.  

7. Swansea (6): On a weekend which saw Chelsea and Manchester City duke it out, England boss Roy Hodson’s attention was on this fixture.  Players like Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge, and Fraser Forster were unjustly denied a better opportunity to impress the England boss by Wilfried Bony’s overzealous pair of fouls on Maya Yoshida which resulted in a rightful sending off.  

8. Hull City (13): The purchase of Mohamed Diame is looking like one of the bargains of the summer, while the rest of Steve Bruce’s vast crop of recruits are settling in nicely at the KC stadium. 

9. Crystal Palace (16): A major, major result for Neil Warnock, who earned his first win as the Golden Eagles’ new boss.  Mile Jedinak’s leadership and the uncharacteristic errors of Tim Howard aided Palace to a much-needed victory at Goodison Park.  

10. West Ham (17): A fantastic atmosphere and an even better win will cool the critics regarding Sam Allardyce’s future.  Enner Valencia is looking to be an excellent signing, while former top-club players Stewart Downing and Alex Song impressed.  

11. Liverpool (7): Another spineless performance from Steven Gerrard allowed West Ham to snatch victory from the Reds at Upton Park.  Daniel Sturridge’s return could not come any sooner on Merseyside.  

12. Stoke City (14): Mark Hughes was denied a chance to exact total revenge on his former club Queens Park Rangers in a 2-2 draw.  Peter Crouch, who played for QPR as a youngster, scored for both teams in a game which twice saw Stoke surrender the lead.  

13. Everton (9): Tim Howard was strangely vulnerable in the home loss to Crystal Palace, misjudging a punch and failing to communicate with young Jon Stones on the second Palace goal.  The Toffees showed flashes of brilliance, but unforgivable errors at the back ultimately cost them.  

14. Tottenham (10): Since their two wins to start the season Tottenham have struggled.  A home loss to bottom feeders West Brom won’t do Spurs any favors, but shouts for the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino are ridiculous.  

15. Manchester United (8): Another plummet in the rankings for a disorganized and undisciplined United squad.  They showed how capable they are going forward but must do something about their gaping exposure at the increasingly unfit back line.  

16. Burnley (12): Sean Dyche missed a terrific opportunity to notch his first premier league win against Sunderland at Turf Moor.

17. West Brom (20): West Brom rebounded from a day at the Hawthorns with Everton which ended with the home fans booing their team off the pitch.  The Baggies were unlucky not to have won a first-half penalty, but a 74th minute James Morrison strike was the only goal in an uplifting win for a struggling club.  

18. Sunderland (15): Ashley Barnes’ late drive off the crossbar was the difference in what could have been another disappointing result for Gus Poyet.  Emmanuelle Giacherrini was a threat in an otherwise lethargic Black Cats team.  

19. Newcastle United (18): Alan Pardew avoided all-out anarchy on Tyneside when he saw his Magpies come back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a point.  His job is safe for now, but his leash must be running very thin.  

20. Queens Park Rangers (19): QPR’s start to the season, although not as terminally awful, is mirroring that of 2012/2013.  Harry Redknapp’s side dropped more points at home, not the best rebound to the 4-0 thrashing they endured at Old Trafford.  

Blind, Welbeck, Alderweireld, and Falcao Join on Deadline Day

Daley Blind, Manchester United

This one just had to happen.  It made too much sense for it to not happen.  Daley Blind bid farewell to his boyhood club Ajax and arrived for a fee in the region of 16 million pounds.  Pound for pound, Blind is United’s best value signing of the summer.  He plays two positions excellently, and playing under Louis Van Gaal will undoubtedly see him integrate smoothly with the system.  

Danny Welbeck, Arsenal

One of those deals that benefits all parties, but for Welbeck this is an enormous chance to prove himself.  Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last week or so, you’ve probably heard about Olivier Giroud’s issues.  Welback arrives with one job, and one only; play center forward.  Supporters will applaud his work rate, and aged only 23, the Englishman has a chance to re-vamp a sputtering career on the bench at Old Trafford.  

Toby Alderweireld, Southampton

Ronald Koeman was a deciding factor in the 25 year old’s decision to join Southampton.  Alderweireld can play center back or right back, and has won trophies at Athletico Madrid most recently.  After losing Dejan Lovren, Calum Chambers, and Luke Shaw in the summer, Koeman needed a proven versatile defender at the right price.  He got exactly what he wanted in Alderweireld.  

Falcao, Manchester United

The summer of 2014 has seen Nani, Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck, and Chicharito leave Old Trafford among others.  A bizarre deal to me, Falcao earns roughly 350,000 pounds per week, 200,000 of which will be paid by United.  I would have thought Van Gaal needed a hard man at the back more than a striker, but Falcao is undoubtedly world-class.  Falcao and Rooney? Falcao and Robin Van Persie? Or boring old Van Persie and Rooney?  Ed Woodward may have gotten this idea from playstation, but it definitely makes United more dangerous in the final third.  

Five More Excellent Signings

Marcos Rojo, Manchester United (20m euros)

After a drawn-out transfer saga involving rumors, finger pointing, and apologizing, Manchester United finally have their man.  Marcos Rojo arrives as a much-needed reinforcement, and although he cannot feature this weekend against Sunderland, his impact will be very positive for the Red Devils as the season progresses.  

Mario Balotelli, Liverpool (undisclosed)

A terrific signing for Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool.  Balotelli will contribute to some of Luis Suarez’ missing goal output and the Anfield crowd will adopt him unconditionally as they did with the Uruguayan.  It is this reason that I believe Balotelli will flourish at Liverpool, because rarely has the misunderstood 24 year old striker felt the love from the crowd.  

Giorgios Samaras, West Brom (free)

West Brom snapped up the Greek on a free transfer this week, adding a player with a bevy of Champions League, Europa League, and international experience under his belt.  Samaras is accustomed to playing in sides who hunker down defensively, and is effective roaming the pitch for the odd scoring chance.  

Leroy Fer, Queens Park Rangers (undisclosed)

Queens Park Rangers made an excellent signing in Leroy Fer, who joins from relegated Norwich City.  Fer featured at the World Cup and scored a goal for the Netherlands, and impressed with the Canaries last season.  He will be an excellent midfield engine from box to box and has room to grow at the age of just 24.  

Victor Moses, Stoke City (loan)

Stoke City looked slow offensively at home last weekend against Aston Villa in a 1-0 defeat.  Surplus to requirements at Chelsea, Moses will join Stoke City on a season-long loan and will definitely upgrade the Potters’ attacking options.  The Nigerian pitched in with some impressive performances at Liverpool last season and should see his opportunities increased at Stoke.  

Van Gaal to Splash the Cash?

The feeling going into Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford was one of optimism and excitement.  Set to forget last seasons disappointments and led by a new manager fresh off an outstanding World Cup for the Netherlands, the attitude was positive.  That all changed after 90 minutes of inconsistent football against a well-organized Swansea squad.

First and foremost, Louis Van Gaal must re-think his tactical outlook, unless the players he has now make drastic improvements or he dips into the transfer market.  The 5-3-2 proved to be ineffective with struggling center backs, and the four-back formation he switched to at halftime was only so much better.  

Most importantly, Van Gaal needs to add depth to his team by bringing in at least two top players before the window closes.  There is a sense right now that United are on the cusp of making such deals.  Marcos Rojo unofficially declared he is heading to Old Trafford, a signing I thought was a must.  

Meanwhile in Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly said Angel Di Maria is free to leave, the caveat being he can leave for the right price.  United could be willing to part ways with a lot of cash this summer, and they may have to in order to reach the Champions League.  Di Maria would be a fantastic signing, but it remains to be seen if he can play in a more physical league, while United could ultimately be priced out of a deal for the Argentine.  

In the wake of ‘Vidal to United,’ a phrase we’ve heard too much this summer and one I believed to never be legitimate, Van Gaal has supposedly switched his focus to Alex Song.  Since joining Barcelona, Song has failed to impose himself as he did in the premier league, and is often played out of position.  Song would be a terrific signing for United, unless he does anymore of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTYGF2XAJNc 

Even with the signing of Rojo, Daley Blind should still be a target, the reason being he would complement Ander Herrera extremely well in the central midfield.  Both players are flexible position-wise; Blind can also play wing back while Rojo plays left center back primarily for his club.  Depth on the left side would allow Ashley Young to play a more familiar role and not endure days like Saturday anymore on the left.

Van Gaal should be considering other targets too, ones that the tabloids and media don’t know about.  Ron Vlaar could quietly be a target for the Dutchman, who saw his countryman flourish in Brazil at center back.  Hector Herrera, another standout in Brazil, would be a perfect addition, as Rio Ferdinand said on twitter during the group stage.  Christoph Kramer, whose World Cup was cut short by a concussion in the final, would be a fantastic signing too.

Whoever Van Gaal signs, United fans should rest easy that they will improve the squad, which is all they can ask for right now.  Another important thing to point out is that often times for athletes, starting such a long competition in poor fashion can ease expectations, although given the Moyes effect I’m not sure that’s the case here.  

Regardless, United must improve, and they must improve with haste.  It may not be as difficult as people are making it out to be, but Van Gaal certainly has his work cut out for him.  United enter a seven day stretch in which they play five matches starting on Sunday against Sunderland, thus the Dutch manager may need reinforcements sooner than he thinks.