Premier League Preview Week 27 by Premier League Preview

Week 27

Contents The Weekly Round Up Headlines

What happed this week? We’ll take a look at the main stories of the week and the latest gossip

Results The weeks results and the current Premier League standings

Fantasy Football How did this weeks performance effect your Fantasy Football Team? Have a look at this weeks Team of the Week and see if you got your managerial selections right

The Week Ahead Match Previews We take an in depth look at this week’s Premier League fixtures

Betting Preview Our recommended bets for this weeks games, along with our weekly big odds goalscorer bets and our PLP acca.

Features Campaign against CFC? Jose claims there is a campaign of hatred against his Blues. Is he being over-dramatic?

Foul-Cao Mis-firing Falcao is yet to prove himself in the world’s toughest league. Was he a bad gamble?

The £28mil Man Lukaku is yet to live up to his reputation before his big money move. Was he an impulse buy?

2014/15 Season

Miguel Vasconcelos

Video REplays: Do or Die?

Although there is an apparent consensus over the poor refereeing standards this season and its consequences to the game, “the See parts” on how to tackle it. Some believe we have to accept the human element involved in the game that leads to mistakes and try to José Mourinho’s surprise appearance on Sky Sports Goals on Sunday where he minimize it by giving them better conditions and protection and others believe that referees criticised the referees and recent decisions against his club, Chelsea, sparked an should be able to access all possible forms of technological help to protect the integrity of old debate about some sort of instant replay or video refereeing being introduced the game and minimize the impact of such mistakes in the reputation of the Premier League. The argument put forward by Mourinho seems very obvious, acknowledging that in the Premier League. According to the Chelsea manager, “if we want to protect the integrity of the referee and believe that the mistakes are a consequence of bad officials are human and “if the referee cannot see, some official in front of as screen cannot miss it”. Supporters of instant replay or video technology point to sports like American foot- interpretation or positioning, then technology would help”. ball, basketball and tennis where video replay is used by referees to analyse plays they might be unsure about and reverse decisions.

Should Referee Technology be introduced?

These comments came after the referee Martin Atkinson was heavily criticised by Chelsea for his performance in their 1-1 draw with Burnley, on Saturday. Mourinho believes his team was penalised on at least four major decisions, including two clear penalties not given in the first half. The most controversial and discussed decision has been the incident involving Nemanja Matic and Burnley striker Ashley Barnes. The Serbian was the recipient of a nasty challenge to his chin that could have effectively ended his career. After no punishment was given by Martin Atkin- son, the Chelsea midfielder decided to take justice into his own hads and charge against Barnes, pushing him and earning himself a red card. Shortly after and playing against ten men Burnley would equalize. Mourinho labelled Barnes’ challenge as “criminal” and understood why Matic “lost his emotions”, since that sort of tackle could signify “the end of a career”. Martin Atkinson’s performance was followed by a Kevin Friend’s poor refereeing display at the St.Mary’s on Sunday, that led to a 2-0 Liverpool win over Southamp- ton and left the Saints feeling penalised. These two performances are just the latest in a Premier League season where glaring refereeing mistakes have been a major topic. According to the former referees’ head, Keith Hacket, the refereeing standards and performances this season in the Premier League, have been “the worst we have seen”. He added that “over the Christmas period it reached standards that were bordering on appalling”.

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The FA Chairman, Greg Dyke, has said recently that video reviews would “inevitably” find their way into the game, especially after the goal-line technology experiment. The FA Chairman believes that the goal line cameras that are being used in the Premier League to assist referees since the beginning of the 2013-14 season “are only the beginning”. The experiment has been a success so far but there are obvious differences recognised by the FA Chairman. Goal-line technology can be used without stopping the game. If the ball crosses the line, the referee receives the information immediately and rules on it. This dif- ference is what seems to still be holding the introduction of video-replays back. Many make the argument that new technologies such as video replay would undermine the free-flowing nature of the game. Football is not American football, tennis or basketball and to introduce video-replay technology, some sort of middle ground would have to be found or major rules would need changing. Referees stopping the game to wait for an assistant to analyse controversial replays could cause the game to slow-down too much and take too much time out of a clock that doesn’t stop with interruptions. It seems obvious that to introduce video-replays, the game would need other changes to accommodate it or we would be risking undermining the flow of the game and probably hurting its reputation and popularity more than refereeing mistakes. This dilemma has been reiterated by the governing bodies of football and it’s a real problem. Although the introduction of new technologies seems inevitable and referees clearly need the help, it will probably still take a while to figure out exactly how to accommodate these new technologies into the game, without undermining its greatest appeals.

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2014/15 Â Season

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2014/15 Season

Adrian: The Hammers’ goalkeeper played an influential role in the fierce 2-2 draw with rivals Tottenham, putting in a performance that can only be described as “Jekyll and Hyde”. When the Spaniard was on top, he made some wonderful saves, including keeping out a fantastic long- range effort from Nabil Bentaleb, before denying Roberto Soldado from close range with time running out. The temperamental keeper was, however, to blame for Spurs’ first goal from Danny Rose, and also denied Harry Kane from the spot late-on before inadvertently pushing the re- bound back to the English forward. Danny Rose: The Spurs left-back put in a somewhat average performance in defence, particularly in the first half of the match. The White Hart Lane outfit were in dire need of three points in order to keep up their Champions League challenge, but they will feel that their poor early defensive efforts enabled the Hammers to storm into a commanding lead. Nevertheless, Rose’s strike ten minutes from time initiated a rous- ing Spurs comeback, even if the strike wasn’t the cleanest. Ben Mee: Burnley travelled to Chelsea and, despite the controversial events between Ashley Barnes and Nemanja Matic, there was a wonderful story as Burnley managed to rescue a point against Mourinho’s ram- pant Blues. A solid defence performance from the Clarets was in no small part thanks to Mee, and he rounded off his wonderful match by scoring a late equaliser to give the relegation-threatened side an abun- dance of hope going into the final stages of the season. Vergini: In what proved to be another relegation six-pointer, Santiago Vergini – once the laughing stock of the Premier League (see his own goal against Southampton in an 8-0 drubbing) – stood up to be counted for and helped his side to what could prove a crucial clean sheet at the Stadium of Light. Silva: The little magician was at the heart of City’s wonderful perfor Silva: The little magician was at the heart of City’s wonderful performance on Saturday, and City made a serious declaration of intent to their title challengers – and even Barcelona who they face on Tuesday night. Silva set up Dzeko for his third before the break, and really ham- mered the final nails in the Newcastle coffin by scoring a three minute brace moments after half time. Undoubtedly the performance of the weekend, City will be hoping Silva can wave his wand against the likes of Messi and co. tomorrow night.

Coutinho: The Brazilian scored a cracking goal early on at St Mary’s to ensure that the Merseysiders took the spoils in what is proving to be an ever-more-intense battle for a Champions League spot this season. The win has moved Liverpool to within a point of Southampton in fifth, and two points of fierce rivals Manchester United in fourth, in what promises to be an intense end to the season at both ends of the Premier League table. Moses – Victor Moses’ injury time penalty saw Stoke to a wonderful 2-1 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park. The strike from Moses condemned Tim Sherwood’s side to his first defeat in charge, and propelled Stoke to 10th place as they have already comfortably avoided the mires of the relegation battle. Herrera – The Manchester United midfielder scored for United against Swansea in Wales, but unfortunately couldn’t secure the win as goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Bafetimbi Gomis overturned the lead which the Spaniard had given to the away side. Dzeko: The big Bosnian forward played a fundamental role in the 5-0 unfolding of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Satur- day evening, playing a huge part in the first two goals, before scoring a lovely third to effectively wrap up the match. Dzeko’s sensational chest control and volley, almost in one movement, to hammer the Magpies was a wonderfully worked goal which highlighted the delightful talent which City have amongst their team. Naismith: Steven Naismith’s second half opener looked set to have Everton on their way to three points until Leicester’s late intervention. The Toffees were at risk of becoming unstuck until the Scottish forward opened the scoring, and even then they might have comfortably taken all three points if Romelu Lukaku had been at the races – the Belgian forward missing a plethora of chances throughout the game.

Dimitri Kondonis

Nasri: The Frenchman scored a wonderful goal against an insecure New- castle defence, and he left Fabricio Coloccini and Vernon Anita in his wake, ensuring the former looked like a fool with a clever dummy-shot before firing into the roof of the Magpies net. A goal reminiscent of his best days at Arsenal, Nasri could be coming into form at a crucial time for City.

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2014/15 Season

How would a winter break affect english football? With the heads of Europe’s leading clubs and leagues meeting this week to try to prevent the 2022 Qatar World Cup being switched to November and December, we look at how a winter break might affect English football. After a summer tournament was ruled out due to the searing 40-degree heat, the European Club Association and European Professional Football Leagues, which includes Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, have argued that a winter World Cup would have a huge negative impact on the global calendar. Coming off the back of a record £5bn Premier League rights deal, it has also been argued that a seven-week break would throw negotiations for future TV deals across Europe into turmoil. Add to that the confusion on whether low-paid staff at clubs would earn a wage for those weeks without club games, then it is understandable why league bosses are pushing for a May 5-June 4 tournament. Despite Scudamore’s complaints that the 2022 World Cup was awarded as a summer tourna Despite Scudamore’s complaints that the 2022 World Cup was awarded as a summer tournament and the prospect of a winter competition is not workable for European domestic football, where the majority of the competition’s players will be based, a November-December World Cup is virtually a certainty because it avoids a potential clash with the Winter Olympics and is backed by Fifa president Sepp Blatter and his Uefa counterpart Michel Platini. This is likely to mean the Premier League season will kick off in July with a finish date in the following June. There could also be an increase in midweek fixtures and possibly a scrapping of the festive matches. While the Champions League may be unaffected, FA Cup replays are sure to be sacrificed too. The Premier League has claimed there will be three seasons of this disruption to allow the time to adjust between calendars. Top flight leagues in Spain, Italy and France all have a fortnight’s break over the festive period, with the Bundesliga out of action for a month. So would a winter break be such a di- saster for English football? The main arguments against a gap in fixtures are centred on tradition and the reduction in the number of matches. Many people believe that banishing the Christmas schedule would go against the history of our league and rob us of a unique tradition. It is hard not to enjoy the test of character and de- termination this period brings and the feeling of family that is becoming harder to find these days within football.

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But maybe we can place a winter break after the festive period. This season the FA Cup third round was on January 3. If replays were scrapped, Premier League matches pushed back a week and the season finished a week later – or started a week earlier – it would create a fortnight’s break. The Football League would also have to agree that the semi- finals of the League Cup are one-off, rather than two-legged, affairs to free up enough time but neither the FA nor the Premier League seems to be opposed to all of this. The benefits of a winter break, backed by the majority of players and managers, are plain for all to see. There is no doubt the quality of football drops during the Christmas period as the level of fatigue hits players hard. After five games in two weeks, smaller teams start to struggle and fall away from the clubs with bigger squads, creating the usual split in the league after Christmas. This tiredness makes it harder for English clubs to progress in the Champions League, demonstrated by the lack of success in recent years, as they have to compete against players fresh from a two-week rest period. Perhaps a bigger issue for fans of the national game is England’s depressingly poor showings in major tournaments. For the last five major international competitions, Spain have won three, Italy have reached the final in two and Germany have won one and made the last four in each. By contrast, England’s players have looked hopelessly off the pace. A coincidence that the top league in those successful countries has a winter break? Un- likely. A recent survey showed 75% of football fans believe the FA should bring in a period of rest. For the others who may scoff at the thought of two weeks without Premier League football, may I suggest a trip to support their local club – they have a far greater need for bigger attendances. With the future of the English game and the development of young players high on the agenda following another disappointing World Cup campaign, this may be the time for change. As it appears a winter break will be enforced for 2022 anyway, why not let everyone accli- As it appears a winter break will be enforced for 2022 anyway, why not let everyone accli matise to the situation as soon as possible?

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Grant Yardley

2014/15 Season

What lies ahead for the hammers?

Speculation is rife over the future of West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce. With many fans calling for the head of their coach, the owners may be inclined to listen to the majority who fill Upton Park and part ways with Allardyce. With his contract up at the end of the season many expect both parties to part ways with a list of potential replacements having already been drawn up. Former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, former Hammers defender Slaven Bilic, ex Swansea City manager Michael Laudrop and even Real Sociedad’s David Moyes have all been linked with replacing Big Sam. On current form you can understand the frustration of the fans. West Ham can only boast of three wins in their last 10 league games with five draws and three loses. That’s relegation form. His style of play isn’t the most attractive either as many fans especially last season were key to point out. Many fans were surprised to see him still in the dugout for the first game of this season. With fans not happy with the manager’s style of play it could turn fans away from going to games. That isn’t something the owners want or need with the club moving to the Olympic Stadium in 2017. If the club struggles to fill 35,000 seats how will they fill 54,000? With all this speculation hanging over the head of the manager he is acting extremely calm as he told the press in a recent interview. ‘We’ve managed to put in an infrastructure that has grown the club from where it was when I came in until, at this moment in time, a top-half Premier League club in my fourth season.’ He has done a remarkable job since he took over at the club. Guiding them to promotion in their first season in the Championship. Keeping them up in their first season back in the Premier League, with a squad that was rav Keeping them up in their first season back in the Premier League, with a squad that was rav- aged by injuries throughout the whole season. Andy Carroll, his recording signing, being out through injury didn’t help the situation either. Having been in charge for 169 games Allardyce has a winning percentage of 39% having won 66 games.

So far this season the Hammers are 8th in the table just eight points of the top four. Why the fans aren’t signing Sam Allardyce’s name from the roof tops I have no idea. You just have to look at the players he has brought in this season and the impact they have made. Diafra Sakho became the first player since Mickey Quinn in 1992 to score in six goals in as many games. He has scored against Liverpool, Manchester United and the winning goal and Manchester City so far this season. Alexander Song. What a signing that is. A player with the vast experience he has and to bring him to Upton Park is one of the signings of the season. Having signed Stewart Downing last season it looked as if he wasn’t going to fit in, but Allar- dyce has rejuvenated Downing playing him in the number 10 role which has even gotten him a recall into the England side. Looking at the plight of the teams that Allardyce has left the West Ham hierarchy need to be 100% sure they are making the right decision if they are going to replace him. When he resigned as Bolton manager in 2007 after securing a League Cup final appearance and four consecutive top eight finishes Bolton just managed to stay in the league by a single point. When Newcastle United controversially sacked him after a run of three defeats they were rel- egated in the same season. After being sacked at Newcastle he went to Blackburn who were at the time five points astray in the relegation zone. Allardyce saved them from relegation then secured a top 10 finish in his first full season at the club. Hammers fans need to be careful in what they wish for. If Big Sam is not to be offered a new contract they may struggle to reach the heights they have with him at the helm. Although his methods aren’t exactly ‘modern’ or ‘attractive’ but they get results. So the board must decide if they want to play attractive football that pleases the fans or win football matches.

It doesn’t look too good having a winning percentage of 39% but West Ham aren’t a side that should be challenging for the league or top four. They are a mid table side.

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Arif Ahmed

2014/15 Season

ll Spe e W l i m b 8

It has been a lack lustre 2014/15 season by anyone standards who are associated with Everton players and fans alike especially com- pared to the dizzy heights of last season when they Merseyside team finished 5th in the Premier League table but are now currently slumped in 12th. There could be many things that can and has been eluded to explain this poor form but one that does stick out has been the form of striker Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku has recently come under fire in recent weeks when he stated in an interview that he would like a return to a top club and also saying that the club record £28million that Everton paid for his services in the summer was justified and that he would one day be worth even more. With this recent scrutiny the Belgian has come under the question in my mind and possibly on the mind of others is Romelu Lukaku actu- ally worth £28million. It was well known that Lukaku would be something special since his humble beginnings back in his native land of Belgium where he made his debut for Anderlecht at the tender age of 16 back in 2009. Fast forward to the end of the 2009-10 season and he was the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League with 15 goals and a title winner. Another 20 goals the next season caught the interest of Chelsea who signed a player who was considered one of the great young talents on the con- tinent for a fee of £17million in 2011. After a season of mainly cameo and reserve games Lukaku was loaned out to West Brom at the beginning of the 2012/13 season and this is where English fans were introduced to Lukaku’s talent. He finished the season with 17 goals out- scoring all of his Chelsea teammates and seemed inevitable that he would be the main man up top at Stamford Bridge come the next campaign. He was given his opportunity in 2013/14 by a returning Jose Mourinho starting the first two games of the Premier league season, however a penalty miss in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich cut his Chelsea career short with a loan move to Everton on transfer deadline day. He very much proved Mourinho wrong for his lack of faith in him with another spectacular season 15 goals in 31 league games.

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However it does seem Mourinho’s lack of faith in the Belgian’s ability has proven reasonable so far this season and decided to cash in after Lukaku’s poor showing in Brazil with just the one goal throughout the tournament. Lukaku’s permanent to Everton was completed on the July 30 2014 for what is a club record fee of £28million, a fee like that from a club whose financial struggles have been very much documented over the years the pressure was on the striker to per- form from the off. It hasn’t been great for the striker scoring just 13 goals in 32 appearances with just seven of those coming in the league. It hasn’t been like that his opportunities have been lacking missing some great chances in games with one in the recent game against Chelsea which, even though it was a great save from Petr Cech Lukaku should be burying those chances. This lack of desire especially in league was not more evident than in the 2-2 draw with a struggling Leicester City. Lukaku had two clear chances in the second half but he put one over and sliced the other wide of the mark, the Lukaku of two or even a year ago would have buried both of those opportunities. He did grab a hat-trick midweek against Young Boys but it well known that he could have had many more than three, those recent comments haven’t helped his cause with many fans beginning to turn on their prized asset. On the other hand it is unfair to blame Everton’s shoddy form this year completely on the striker, yes he has been poor but players that shone last season haven’t shown similar form. It also has to been taken into account that Lukaku is still 21 years of age and he will have bad patches and the pressure of that price tag on such young shoulders won’t help even his captain Phil Jagielka stated that his permanent transfer from London has had an effect on his form this season. Lukaku can only get better with age and maturity and who knows he might one day be worth more than what he claims he is.

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Danial Kennedy

2014/15 Season

is Falcao Failing to Fire? Rob Howard It was billed as one of the biggest coups of the summer transfer window, but Radamel Falcao’s deadline day loan move to Manchester United hasn’t worked out. Louis Van Gaal signed Radamel Falcao in hope that he would fire Man- chester United back into the top four. And, although United are well in the mix, the Colombian has failed to find his finishing touch and it seems highly unlikely that his loan move will be made permanent. His parent club AS Monaco have recently claimed that it doesn’t matter if United decide against paying the £43.6 million fee to sign Falcao on a permanent basis as there are ‘plenty of top clubs’ who are interested. Includ- ing his massive salary (believed to be £300,000 a week) the loan move will cost United around £20 million in total. Initially, Manchester United fans were understandably excited about the prospect of Falcao playing alongside the likes of Rooney, Van Persie and Di Maria at Old Trafford but sadly the ‘Gaalacticos’ have failed to fire. Van Gaal admitted that signing Falcao was ‘a gamble’ following the Colombian’s lengthy lay off after suffering damage to his anterior cruciate ligament at the beginning of 2014 which forced him to miss the World Cup in Brazil. And despite featuring regularly for the Red Devils this season, the predatory striker still doesn’t look to be 100% fit. It is fair to say that the Falcao we’ve seen in the famous red shirt isn’t the same player whose prolific goal scoring prowess for Porto and Atletico Madrid made him the most sought after striker in world football. His dis- plays for United have not been without effort but he seems to lack the elu- sive movement and sharpness in front of goal that earned him his stellar reputation.

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Falcao’s career goal stats are frighteningly good, but will make depressing reading for Manchester United fans. At River Plate he scored 45 goals in 105 games which earned him his moved to Porto in 2009. In two years at Porto, he scored 72 goals in 87 games including a record breaking 17 goals in the Europa League in the 2010-11 season. His phenomenal form for Porto led to a €40 million move to Atletico Madrid where he picked up where he left off, scoring 36 goals in 50 games in his first season including two great goals in the Europa League final victory over Athletic Bilbao. More goals followed in his second season in Madrid, he scored a stunning hat trick against Chelsea in the Uefa Super Cup and ended the season with 34 goals in 41 games and as arguably the best striker in the world. In the summer of 2013, Falcao was being linked with all of Europe’s biggest names but surprised and disappointed many by signing for newly promoted Monaco in a mega money move. The goals continued to come in France, scoring 11 times in 19 games before his terrible injury. And sadly for United fans, the goals have not followed ‘El Tigre’ to Manchester, he’s netted just four times in 19 appearances so far this season. Van Gaal has persisted with the Colombian, regularly starting him alongside Robin Van Persie in attack but the pair have failed to click and form any sort of partnership. He has looked increasingly forlorn and frustrated as the season has progressed and it was never more evident than in the recent FA Cup tie against Preston. The striker struggled against the League One side and failed to register a single shot on target before being substituted. Since that game he has been left out of the starting line-up by Louis Van Gaal, who has preferred using Maruoane Fellaini in an advanced role and the young- has preferred using Maruoane Fellaini in an advanced role and the young ster James Wilson ahead of the Colombian. In defence of Falcao, none of Louis Van Gaal’s big money summer signings have shone particularly brightly and despite being in the mix for a place in the top four, they have struggled as team and have produced some very below par performances. Van Gaal’s constant tinkering of players and for- mations has also not helped in getting the best out of Falcao. Unless he can somehow rediscover his midas touch in front of goal before the end of the season, it seems increasingly unlikely that United will make the deal permanent. But sadly, ‘El Tigre’ hasn’t shown any real sign that he is ready to roar again.

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2014/15 Season

” n g i a p m a C a e s l e h C -‐ i t The “an Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, one of the most talented and respected managers in world football, seems convinced that the Football Association has “a campaign” against his side following a string of decisions that have gone against the London club. The Portuguese managers most recent television appearance, on Sky Sports Goals On Sunday, displayed the extent of Mourinho’s frustration with not only the Football Association, but also the English media. The Chelsea boss was particularly unhappy with Sky Sports journalist’s usage of the word “criminal”, to describe the actions of striker Diego Costa since his arrival to the Premier League from Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in the summer. Tempers boiled over during Chelsea’s recent 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge, which saw The Blues finish the game with ten men after Nemanja Matic was dismissed following a tussle with Burnley forward Ashley Barnes. Television replays showed that Barnes was lucky to escape a red card himself, as the players studs col- lided viciously with Matic’s leg, the latter being very lucky to escape serious injury. It is likely Jose Mourinho will be further enraged that Ashley Barnes escaped further punishment when the Football Association announced they will take no further action over the incident. English football’s governing body gave their reasons for this in a statement saying, “The FA confirm no further action in relation to Ashley Barnes as the incident was seen by the officials.” This contradicts what Mourinho said on Goals On Sunday, when the Chelsea boss claimed he spoke to Martin Atkinson after the game and he told the Portuguese manager he “did not see it”. It is not the first time this season that Jose Mourinho’s men have been in the headlines. The Blues boss claimed on the Sky Sports programme that “only one decision,” has gone Chelsea’s way this season, referring to a Gary Cahill handball not being picked up by officials against Liverpool. Examining the various incidents involving his team throughout the current campaign however, it appears Mourinho may be wide of the mark in his analysis.

There have of course been other incidents were Chelsea have not had ‘the rub’, most notably when Cesc Fabergas was wrongly booked for diving against Southampton. When Diego Costa recently received a 3-match ban for a stamp on Liverpool player Emre Can, Jose Mourinho was quick to point out that another player went unpunished for a similar incident (in reference to Yaya Toure’s alleged stamp on Norwich’s Ricky Van Wolfswinkel last season). The latest incident involving Ashley Barnes, and the decision by the Football Association to take no further action, will only go to add further fuel to Mourinho’s claims of a “campaign against Chelsea”, however there may be a more underlying reason for Jose’s actions. The Chelsea boss is renowned for taking the pressure of his players and focusing it upon himself. The Portuguese is a fierce competitor, much in the way Sir Alex Fergu- son was. He revels in the spotlight and it can even be argued he loves the contro- versy. Mourinho has a natural charisma and he is better equipped to handle the at- tention than many of his players. Jose is a smart man, he knows this too. In the end, there is no campaign against Chelsea, nor any other team in the Premier League. Referees are human beings, and human begins make mistakes. Jose Mourinho’s claims will inspire his players, creating an ‘us against them attitude’. You cannot argue with his tactics as Chelsea currently sit top of the Premier League and are looking good to add another league title. It would be the eight-league title of Mourinho’s career and that is one of the greatest campaigns of all. After all, a campaign is something that is worked in an organized and active way toward a particular goal…

Philip Mcclennan

In the 1-0 victory against Everton at Stamford Bridge on February 11th, Branislav Iva- novic received no punishment for grabbing James McCarthy around the neck. Iva- novic went on to play a crucial part in The Blues winning goal, something he could not have done if he had been dismissed for the incident. Then, in a 2-0 victory against Hull City in December, Gary Cahill enraged Tigers’ boss Steve Bruce for an erratic dive in the penalty box for which he went unpunished. Bruce even went as far to say that Cahill’s dive was “like something out of Swan Lake”, in reference to the ballet writ ten by Russian composer Pyotr Iiyich Tchaikovsky. Gary Cahill was involved in another incident during the 5-3 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in January, failing to be punished after the defender appeared to stamp on Spurs Harry Kane as the striker lay on the ground.

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2014/15 Season

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