Premier League fans’ half-term reports, part two: Liverpool to Wolves | Premier League

Liverpool

It’s going pretty much how most Liverpool fans expected: we’re up at the top and we cruised through the Champions League group stage to the knockouts. We’re playing some brilliant football and we’re a joy to watch. We’ve had our big names back from injury, which has boosted confidence, and, when we do go behind, the belief is there that we’ll score and score again, and usually go on to win. 9/10

Stars/flops Mo Salah is the obvious standout performer and remains on another level to anyone else in the league. It’s a thrill and privilege to watch him play every week. We’re finally seeing how brilliant Thiago is and new signing Konaté is already proving he’ll go on to be a major player. A word, too, for young Tyler Morton who has been eased into the team and really shown his potential. As for flops? I seem to have been saying this for some time but we really don’t have any.

Happy with the manager? He has elevated us to Europe’s most revered and feared team. He makes us smile in our play and his actions. We could have no better boss. 10/10

We will finish … 1st.

Funniest moment in 2021? During the games against Atlético Madrid, seeing Diego Simeone reduced from touchline hard case to panto villain. Oh, and Fred lunging at a laughing Konaté at Old Trafford, sending himself viral.

Steph Jones

Manchester City

I don’t think it could have gone much better. We’re top of the tree at Christmas, three points clear of Liverpool, topped our Champions League group (ahead of PSG) and have managed our squad really well. The only real disappointment so far was getting knocked out of our beloved Carabao. 9.5/10

Stars/flops Plenty of stars. But the standout, without doubt, has been Bernardo Silva. He and Salah are comfortably the best players in the league this season. He’s always been a one-man pressing machine, a mesmeric dribbler, and capable of dictating the pace of a game on his own, but this season he’s added goals and assists. He can literally do everything. Cancelo and Rodri definitely deserve mentions too. Both have taken their games to another level.

Happy with the manager? Of course. Pep has proven yet again that he’s the best in the business. Klopp is a close second and Liverpool’s resurgence is mightily impressive, but Pep’s consistency and relentlessness is unrivalled. I thought the lack of a striker would hamper us – Pep really wanted a No 9 and I thought he’d struggle to keep the striker-less system fresh – but he’s done it. He has us perfectly positioned going into 2022. 10/10.

We will finish … 1st.

Funniest moment in 2021? Ole being at the wheel. I think I speak on behalf of all City fans when I say I’m gutted that era is over. It was a great laugh. Oh, and people seriously tipping United for the title in August.

Lloyd Scragg ninetythreetwenty.com; @lloyd_scragg

Manchester United

It’s been awful. Many of us expected to be legitimate title challengers after finishing second last season and adding Varane, Sancho and Ronaldo. Going top after Ronaldo’s second debut against Newcastle added to that sense. So what followed beggared belief. The 5-0 defeat to Liverpool was the worst, most humiliating loss in living memory. It was clear for a while that the players had stopped playing for the manager: Ole should have walked then rather than wait for further defeats to City and, embarrassingly, Watford. 2/10

Stars/flops We’ve become over-reliant on Ronaldo but Greenwood and a rejuvenated De Gea have been the best out of a poor bunch. Varane’s injury was a blow: he steadied a flapping defence bereft of any confidence. Flops? Bruno has been way below his usual standard but his mediocre performances are nothing compared with the pathetic fare served up by Wan Bissaka and captain Maguire. Both consistently woeful.

Happy with the manager? It’s too early to rate him but he talks a good game. I admired his comments about players not wanting to be at the club, and him saying: “I don’t communicate with agents via the media and press.” I hope he clears the decks of the wage thieves and will address the lack of quality in the midfield.

We will finish … 4th.

Funniest moment in 2021? The reaction of rivals when we re-signed Ronaldo on that Friday afternoon in August. It really lifted our spirits in what seems otherwise like a really drab 12 months of football.

Shaun O’Donnell

Newcastle

One win in 18, calamitous defending, rotten luck and some troubling refereeing … it’s been a nightmare, even by our standards. But Ashley’s departure and Eddie Howe’s appointment lifted the mood. Home matches no longer reek of toxicity and, at times, the atmosphere has been electric. Yes, the short-term prognosis is dire and it’ll take a long time to emerge from Ashley’s shadow, but the future looks brighter than it has in years – whether we are relegated or not. There is hope. 2/10

Stars/flops Callum Wilson is a true Newcastle No 9: vital to the cause. But our error-prone defenders – especially Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark – are threatening our Premier League status and, sadly, Joe Willock hasn’t lived up to his promise. In truth, after years of neglect, we’re lacking in real quality all over the pitch. There are too many Championship level players in the current squad.

Happy with the manager? Howe “gets” Newcastle and has the respect of our fans. The team look fitter and more positive going forward … and he seems to have turned the much-maligned Joelinton into a world beater… At 4-0 down against Man City, we were singing “Eddie Howe’s black and white army”, which says it all. 7/10. As for Steve Bruce, we’re surprised he didn’t get the Manchester United job, given the esteem the football intelligentsia seem to hold him in… 2/10

We will finish … 17th. That’s with huge investment in January, and a miraculous turnaround.

Funniest moment in 2021? Local lad Sam Fender’s hungover appearance on BBC Breakfast the morning after the takeover was completed. Fair play, he did well to get through it.

David and Richard Holmes

Norwich

We’re bottom, we’ve been there for most of the season, we’ve scored eight goals and have been ridiculed by everyone from the MotD crew to that bloke on Twitter who reckons we should declare and hand back our Premier League cash. It’s been grim, basically. As is invariably the case when we breathe in this refined air, we’ve struggled to compete. It seems our “self-funding” model, however worthy, is incompatible with being competitive at this level. 3/10

Stars/flops Mathias Normann – a summer loan signing from Rostov – has been the pick of the bunch but in typical Norwich fashion managed to pick up a pelvic injury just when he’d really started to make a difference. Ditto Milot Rashica who, after a slow start, found a rich vein of form before, you guessed it, picking up an injury that ruled him out for all of December.

Happy with the manager? Dean Smith has an unenviable task but, armed with a squad that is simply not good enough, has made a decent enough start. 6/10. Daniel Farke was brilliant at getting us promoted but unable to work his magic in the Premier League.

We will finish … 20th.

Funniest moment in 2021? Laughs have been limited in Norfolk, so my thanks to Leeds fans who, while watching their team getting pumped by Arsenal, found it in their hearts to speak for the nation with a song about Boris Johnson. Not repeatable but it was both amusing and spot-on.

Gary Gowers myfootballwriter.com; @Gary_Gowers; @MFW_NCFC

Southampton

Performances have largely been fine but instinctively it feels that results haven’t quite matched them – despite taking seven more points compared with the corresponding games last season. That’s probably a result of the ever-growing but ever-tedious “points dropped from winning positions” statistic. If we could hold on to a lead we’d be comfortably in the top half and very happy with life. 6/10

Stars/flops Mohammed Salisu and Tino Livramento have stood out in a defence that has often struggled as a collective. Armando Broja has scored some important goals at the other end in a relatively unproductive attack, while Che Adams’ displays have been better than his goal return would suggest. On the flipside, Jan Bednarek has regressed and captain James Ward-Prowse – following a bumper new contract in September – hasn’t been up to his usual high standards.

Happy with the manager? Reasonably. He still makes some baffling selections and can still be too slow to react to opposition changes, but we are pretty well-drilled. He’s also now the longest-serving Saints manager since Chris Nichol in the 80s, which says quite a lot – not much of it positive – about the club over the last 30 years or so. 6.5/10

We will finish … 12th.

Funniest moment in 2021? I was a big fan of the whole England setup winding up the Conservative party during the Euros, and the government flailing desperately to row back on the criticism as we progressed further in the tournament. Funny in many aspects but also a sad indictment on modern life and governance, I guess.

Steve Grant SaintsWeb.co.uk; @SteveGrant1983

Tottenham

The Tottenham rollercoaster. You have no choice but to get on it and no way of getting off it. From Kane in Disneyland to the misguided appointment of “nice guy” Nuno to then finally getting our man. No, not Mauricio; Antonio. Conte is the jolt Spurs have been desperate for. With games in hand we’re in contention for the top four – even in crisis, we still find a way to potentially gatecrash. Conte will fix us but it will take time. 8/10 for Spursyness, 6/10 for the mess we’ve allowed Antonio to inherit.

Stars/flops Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Oliver Skipp have excelled: proof that Conte can reboot players. Tanguy Ndombele continues to be benched, not because he lacks talent, but because, like Dele Alli, he doesn’t quite fit. Unless they too are rebooted. Future acquisitions need to blend into the blueprint.

Happy with the manager? Nuno was a cursed placeholder. 4/10 is the most diplomatic score I can offer him. Conte? We are blessed. His obsessive mentality is what we need: a culture-defining appointment. 9/10 for simply getting him in our colours.

We will finish … 4th, because I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m a romantic fool. Covid, postponements and the impact on training make it improbable that we’ll find the momentum, but … well, this is THFC. We often do the opposite of what everyone expects.

Funniest moment in 2021? Getting beaten by Zagreb, whose manager was in prison, was a glorious moment of dark comedy. A very special moment indeed, would you agree, José?

Spooky dearmrlevy.com; thefightingcock.co.uk; @spooky23

Watford

Some things haven’t gone well, some things haven’t worked and perspective is always shaped by the most recent events … So, overall “could have been a lot better, could have been worse” sums it up. 5/10

Stars/flops Emmanuel Dennis has grown from being an occasionally effective irritant to consistently top class. Also Moussa Sissoko, more captainy with every game, is dominant in a reworked midfield. Less successful have been Danny Rose, who has been very decent sometimes but less than decent too often, and William Troost-Ekong, who has suffered a crisis of confidence in our volatile defence.

Happy with the manager? Results haven’t really improved but that disguises the stark contrast between the relatively gentle opening to the season and a daunting run more recently, at just the point when a rejuvenated side under Ranieri might have picked up some momentum.

We recorded our first win at Everton, thrashed United, scared Chelsea and limited a rampant Man City to 3-1. We now have a presentable, credible side with a couple of things that aren’t quite working. Progress. 7/10

We will finish … 14th.

Funniest moment in 2021? Bournemouth’s collapse was enjoyed and celebrated far and wide. And Tyrone Mings’ own goal on the opening day – via a perversely unlucky deflection – also had a touch of karma about it. Two years ago he somehow escaped a red card against us at Villa Park before unwittingly scoring a last-minute winner when Ezri Konsa’s shot deflected in off his backside.

Matt Rowson bhappy.wordpress.com; @mattrowson

West Ham

There’s been a slight slump recently but we’ve progressed with surprising ease in the Europa League and been challenging for the top four. With fans back, the London Stadium has finally started to feel more like home and West Ham have at times been massive (everywhere we go), beating Spurs, Man United, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea, which is unprecedented. The only downside is that the squad is now looking stretched. 8/10

Stars/flops Declan Rice has looked the league’s best defensive midfielder, gliding through matches and adding a great turn of pace. He’s also had a social media hit with Rice Baby. Credit also to Jarrod Bowen, who’s on fire and, erm, dating Dani Dyer, Antonio, Fornals, Benrahma, Johnson and the unsung Craig Dawson. Relative flops have been Soucek, who looks very tired, and new signings Vlasic and Kral, though it’s early days.

Happy with the manager? He has transformed the club, taking us from relegation fodder to contenders for a Champions League place. We very rarely have two good seasons in a row, but so far Moyes has bucked that trend. Should he get us to a cup final the party could rival one of Boris’s. But as he says, having set high standards, the players have to keep them up. The only gripe is Moyes’ failure to secure a back-up striker in the summer. 8/10

We will finish … 7th. The pressure on our small squad is likely to tell with Zouma and Ogbonna out, and having Antonio as our only striker.

Funniest moment in 2021? Arthur Masuaku proving that he really is better than Lukaku with that late winner against Chelsea. Don’t be fooled by Arthur’s false modesty – he definitely saw Mendy off his line and scored with a sublime Messi-like chip.

Pete May Author, Goodbye to Boleyn; hammersintheheart.blogspot.co.uk

Wolves

Better than expected. I was worried about Nuno being replaced by a new coach with little reputation, and by only minor surgery to a squad that limped home last season. But Lage has proved an astute tactician, the new players have done well and we’ve been a highly competitive outfit. Not too shabby at all. 8/10

Stars/flops Max Kilman has graduated from squad filler to first-team regular and looks like a top Premier League defender. Behind him José Sá had big boots to fill replacing Rui Patrício but has been an upgrade in almost every respect. It’s harsh to call them flops but Traoré, Trincão and Podence haven’t managed a single league goal between them and our attacking output has been poor.

Happy with the manager? 9/10. You just have to look at the group of players he’s working with and the level of competition. He’s done about as well as anyone could expect. He wants to be progressive in possession but is also wise enough to know he has to play to the team’s strengths.

We will finish … 9th. I’ve seen enough to believe we can hold our own in the mid-table scrap but Europe will probably be out of reach unless we make some decent additions in January. Historically, we don’t do much so I’m not holding my breath.

Funniest moment in 2021? Raúl’s viral failed Rabona gave me a chuckle. His comeback has been one of football’s feelgood stories this year and he’s looked like he’s really enjoying his football – maybe a bit too much on that occasion…

Thomas Baugh wolvesblog.com; @wolvesblog