EPL 2016/17 - Game Week 14

The Singapore Soccer Story remains a sad one. From the rich history of those halcyon days where we have succeeded but was never truly built on. Remember the passion of a certain late Mr. N. Ganesan who brought back Uncle Choo Seng Quee who built his team with players like Eric Paine, Hasli Ibrahim, S. Rajagopal, Robert Sim, Samad Allipitchay, Lim Teng Sai, Zainal Abideen, V. Khanisen, M. Kumar, Dollah Kassim, Mohamed Noh, Quah Kim Song, etc. and brought back the Malaysia Cup. Those days Selangor was almost the Malaysia team and Malaysia at the time were a team capable of beating South Korea and you get the picture.

The FAS introduced the Merlion Cup and started the Under-16 and Under-18 soccer tournaments that would one day taken over by FIFA and became the age group World Cup. There was soccer fever and many were playing weekday and weekend soccer. There was such passion! Even for the old NFL, I would watch every home game of Toa Payoh United where I was domiciled. Travel to other stadiums including Jalan Besar if my team played there. When Geylang International played Tampines Rovers at the National Stadium in a Cup Final, 15,000 fans attended. Even I was there.

Today, few organisation could afford to use the National Stadium even for our National Day! How ridiculous. We have Farrer Park which was where many players came from with the soccer pitches there. We have Singapore Malays playing in the Sultan's Gold Cup, Singapore Indians playing in the Bhardan Cup and Singapore Chinese playing in the version like the Malaysia Cup and the Ho Ho Cup. There was nothing racist about it and there was wonderment about it. The national players were together in it like brothers and they communicated in both English and Malay on the pitch. 

Almost 75% of our population are made of Chinese so the Chinese population is under represented. Even Fandi Ahmad himself said this. Already we have denied ourselves a certain pool of talent here. What can we do to convince people that there is a future? Regardless of race, soccer players do have a short career span. What if they are hampered by injuries? What careers are available after their playing days are over? At school soccer level, we have intense and great rivalry, there were drum-beating and flag waving, there was singing and even a few rascals fighting. Maybe we are just too small a country so Geylang to Tampines do not feel any different. If only we could recreate that school rivalry to each club. That can only happen if the community feels a sense of belonging with each club. How many people would go buy and wear a club's kit, cap or scarf? If we could do all these and more, then and only then will we see streams of talents coming on board. Get all the computer gamers, internet trollers and iPhone generation out to play.

Why was it that when the FAS awards a contract to a foreign coach they were given one for a few years and for our very own in this recent case - V. Sundramoorthy only for a year? Was this not effectively telling him that he has one year to prove himself with the given KPI? This put him under pressure even before he began. Everything starts from the top and I see a systemic failure of sorts and decay. Like our working population, the Lions are without cubs. We are not giving birth. Sundram did well in the Malaysia Cup with a largely defensive set up and scoring on the counter. Not unlike Jose Mourinho. You know how Sundram's team will play so you must know how you want your team to play before deciding on the coach. Don't just blame him. 

If we are playing Japan then I can understand we need to call in the SBS to provide a few buses to park as the gap can be too big but then again we have held Japan before right? When we are playing Thailand or Vietnam or the Philippines do we need to have the defeatist mindset? Let's go play with them even if we were so bad as to loose by 2-0 or 3-0 rather than play a terrible game and get a 0-0 result and be pleased with ourselves. Look at the passion of the Indonesians. Even the FIFA ban could not hurt them. Football received the largest public funding despite the malaise. If our leaders are not good enough then they should be and deserved to be replaced so that real and passionate leaders can lead us. I find it hard to believe that tiny Singapore can achieved so much in so many fields and yet when it comes to sports especially in soccer, we have been taking a step forward and two steps back. We need to be bold. Forget about results and think of the process. When the process is right the results will eventually come. Things will then feed on one another. But do not wait too long for by then all the good and passionate people still around may have left and then we are left with those who have no ideas, no passionate but they are still clinging around. My pleas is if you can't do it, let someone better do it. As for now, I am going back to EPL soccer.

Manchester City v Chelsea - What a Match of the Week this must be! To call it a mouth-watering clash is to put it too mildly. One point currently separates number one and number two and host City is number three by virtue of goal difference. As of now, Chelsea is the more consistent and ruthless as their table topping suggests. City have the psychological advantage of having won both ties last season both home and away at 3-0 impressively but this is a very different Chelsea. In their last four face-to-face league games, Chelsea have collected only two points. How will these two square up this time? It will have a big impact on the rest as to who sits where after the weekend. The winner will be emboldened and the loser will be left in doubt. 

City have won two away matches against less fancied teams and won 2-1 suggesting they now know how to grind out a result. It will also be an intriguing match featuring the league's two top scorers - Sergio Aguero for City and Diego Costa for Chelsea. It is a good bet that both could score. Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard will also have a say. It should showcase an excellent match which I think shall end in a draw. 2-2.

Crystal Palace v Southampton - Palace have launched themselves into relegation zone and Alan Pardew has serious works ahead and it had better work soon. It is not easy to be a Premier League manager. But some people have all the luck - big clubs with endless money to spent and if you do not perform, you get a big pay cheque to fxxx off. Even I want to be a soccer manager. Palace have not won in even matches including six straight losses, the last one being a 4-5 defeat away to Swansea. In this match, Palace led first and then conceded three then fouhgt back from 1-3 to 4-3 and with 6 minutes left went on to concede two goals to lose 4-5. Incredible! Palace lost to the second worst team in the league that have not won in twelve matches until they met Palace. Now they host a Saints' side that held Liverpool, had just beaten Everton and went on to beat Arsenal in the League Cup at the Emirates. What chance? Southampton's defence is impregnable and so well led 1.93m Dutchman Virgil van Dijk that there are rumours that Liverpool is targetting but Saints will only sell at 50 million pounds. Palace can score but cannot win. 1-2.

Stoke City v Burnley - Stoke could take heart from their away win last week at Watford but have been winless against Burnley in their last three face-to-face. At the same time, though the Clarets fought bravely and took the lead against City last week, they lost narrowly. Bad result but good performance but in their last seven meetings with Stoke they won just once. Based on their play and form, it shall be a closely fought draw. 1-1. 

Sunderland v Leicester City - The Black Cats two straight wins came to an end at Anfield last week but gave a good account of themselves defensively. However, they parked more than a bus but a few trucks to stop Liverpool. Historically, the Foxes have a superior record against Sunderland. However, it continued to be worrisome for Leicester who twice went down at home before fighting back to a 2-2 draw with Middlesborough last week. This trip is tricky because Sunderland have found a momentum while Leicester have been in poor form especially away from home. Was their fight back last week meant a return to focus on the league after making it the the best 16 in Europe? It has been two strange and different seasons for Leicester. They must stop conceding goals first and then start to chase the game. Vardy must show up with goals as Sunderland has been his favourite team to score against. It will also make his rejection of Arsenal less painful. 1-2.

Tottenham v Swansea - Tottenham lost for the first time this season in 13 matches at Chelsea having the most draws (6) among the top teams and scoring only 19 goals, the least among the top teams. Meanwhile, Swansea won for only the second time this season when they overcame visiting Crystal Palace in a pulsating match last week. Though Tottenham have a superior historical record against Swansea, the margin of victory have always been slim - by a goal. The record in favour of the home side is W9 D2 L0. But Tottenham have lost their last two matches one in Europe and then to Chelsea. Already in 5th place and just 4 points ahead of poor Manchester United they seemed lacking in conviction and something must stir up in them to get their campaign back in place before it all reels off. Swansea can score in almost every match and Tottenham concede in almost every match but at White Hart Lane, they should achieve that win. 3-1.

WBA v Watford - The Baggies are in 9th position, not bad sat all. The Hornets record at this venue the last 8 times were W1, D3 L4 which is not very encouraging. Their last match, a 0-1 loss at home to Stoke did not make things better. The fact that Watford are in 8th position meant the could fight for something here. A tight game which should end in a draw. 1-1.

West Ham v Arsenal - The Hammers were unbeaten against the Gunners in last season's London Derby but that was so last season. Arsenal have not lost in the last 8 visits there. West Ham are still in 16th place but after they lost narrowly away to Tottenham (2-3), they held the Red Devils 1-1 at Old Trafford and now hosting Arsenal that put Bournemouth to the sword in a good win. Something is still not right at West Ham who are no where near their ability and results of last season but there is nothing to guarantee Arsenal full points easily. West Ham must be desperate for points now rather than leave it way too late. Arsenal have gone down a bit but showed resilience last week to overcome Bournemouth. This can be a banana skin for them but they must win to keep pace with the top three. 1-2.

Bournemouth v Liverpool - Bournemouth is a good team and their young English manager will one day be a big star manager. You will agree if you had watch them play. They did not fear and took on Arsenal and did not park the bus. However, they have never won against Liverpool dating back to 1927. It will not be easy for Liverpool as Coutinho has been confirmed out due to injury. So is Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and possibly even Roberto Firmino. That is as good as taking out the most creative players they have. Only things is Divork Origi has been on fire. That wonderful goal against Sunderland and another against Leeds in the League Cup showed a player on form and fire and it is his time to stake a claim to the first XI. Liverpool have to keep up the momentum and not loose ground to Chelsea as a win here and any other result than a win for Chelsea shall propel them back as no. 1. Liverpool have now kept three clean sheets in a row. If they could stop Bournemouth from scoring, they should score one or two for a win as Bournemouth do not play 6 or 9 men in their own half. This is the kind of match they must win if they hope and aspire to be champions. It is important for Firmino and Lallana to be back. 1-2.

Everton v Manchester United - Ronald Koeman was left scratching his head. The good start eneded and last week his old team Southampton gave him a losing sent off. Their form is LWLDL. Their visitors are in a LWDWD mode. Everton have a poor record against the Red Devils and Manchester United have not won more in any other venues than Goodison Park in competition history. However, United are having as much of their own troubles to worry about and are becoming a draw specialist with 5 draws now. Everton must seize the initiatives and Lukaku must score again. United look capable of getting a result here but have been inconsistent so I shall pick Everton to come up with something to salvage a draw as mid-week European exertions may not be good. 1-1. 

Middlesborough v Hull - Middlesborough are hard to beat and are playing well. Their last few games were very tough but they came of very well. 0-0 away to Arsenal,  2-0 at home to Bournemouth, 1-1 away to City, -1 away t Chelsea and 2-2 away to Leicester. Except for the 2-1 home win against the Saints, Hull have been so so. Surely Boro should now pick up a win here. 2-0.