Mourinho's Muddle
Jose Mourinho came out with a fantastic quote after the 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
"They chose to sweat in some matches and not others - those sorts of teams win nothing," the Chelsea supremo grunted as he pondered how on earth a side that lost to Sheffield Wednesday three days previous had taken a point off his champions.
Newcastle, who for much of the season have resembled a rabble, had played with determination, desire and passion in front of the Sky cameras and top opposition.
That their other reasonable performance, because let's not go too far with the praise, was at Old Trafford gives us an insight into the mentality of the players.
They want to to be seen, they want to be noticed and they know when the eyes of the world are twinkling in their direction.
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Maybe it would be advisable for someone to plant a flea in an ear or two, reminding these fair-weather Magpies that the odd good performance doesn't earn you passage to the big time.
I felt sorry for Steve McClaren after the game. We had been given a glimpse of the potential that some of his charges possess, but winning plaudits for a good first half against Chelsea, a bit of luck and a dash of fight towards the end won't save them. Only consistency will.
Saturday could be the start of something or a flash in the pan. Whether they get a decent return from games at Manchester City, against Norwich City and at Sunderland will determine which one it is.
Chelsea have their own problems. They do not have enough of a goal threat, they are sloppy in possession and too many are running around like headless chickens. Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro were particularly guilty. I've outlined the issues before in this column so I won't repeat myself, but with just 16 training sessions before the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea are still in pre-season.
One added problem that might perplex Mourinho is that Chelsea turned up against Arsenal, but not against Newcastle, and as we know you can't chose to sweat in some matches and not others. Those sorts of teams win nothing.
Cech out David? Why?
When Petr Cech went to Arsenal it was to play in big games and feature more regularly than he did at Chelsea.
He has certainly achieved playing more often but why is Arsene Wenger threatening to play David Ospina in the Champions League?
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Cech doesn't need a rest and we all know that Ospina is a competent replacement if and when necessary, but it should only be when necessary.
Too much chopping and changing of the defensive positions creates uncertainty and in Arsenal's predicament, having lost their first game, it isn't wise to risk it - just ask Manuel Pellegrini!
Kane finds his crutch
Harry Kane is a workaholic. That's just one reason why Tim Sherwood was a fan.
Last week I mentioned he needed to clear his head and keep going because the goal would come and duly one arrived this Saturday against Manchester City.
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You need a little bit of good fortune every now and again and certainly Kane was afforded that. He was offside, and it went nervously high, but he acted on instinct and got his reward.
Don't be surprised if this is the start of another good run.
Much Vaunted Vardy
Another goal for Jamie Vardy, who is fast becoming a cult hero in the East Midlands.
His energy is unfathomable and his eye for goal has improved significantly from last season.
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In his first campaign in the Premier League he managed five goals all season. This year he has already got six and is top of the Premier League goalscoring charts. Let's not forget that two have come against Arsenal and one away at Stoke - not easy opposition to get goals against.
All this has been achieved with a broken wrist. Last season he played with a foot injury in order to help Leicester survive. No wonder he's on the road to becoming a Foxes hero.
Sam Matterface will be commentating for ITV's new Champions League highlights programme this Wednesday night at 10pm where you can see all the Champions League action for free. On Thursday he will be commentating on Liverpool against FC Sion for the UEFA Europa League highlights programme which is on ITV1 at 10.35pm.
