1. Can Louis van Gaal buy himself some time?
LOUIS VAN GAAL is similar to legendary Man United manager Alex Ferguson in one respect.
As is the case with Van Gaal now, Ferguson was struggling during his early days as Man United manager, with the club hovering near the relegation zone. The speculation that Fergie would be sacked was strong to the extent that Mark Robbins, who scored the only goal in Man United’s FA Cup third round win in January 1990 against Nottingham Forest, is now often referred to as the man who allegedly ‘saved the Scottish manager’s job’.
Van Gaal is now in a similar postion, after the club’s dismal 2-1 loss at home to Norwich last week saw them drop down to fifth in the Premier League table.
The Mirror this week looked in to Van Gaal’s first 55 games in charge and found he has a win ratio of 51% — better than the equivalent period for Arsene Wenger (49%), but inferior to Fergie (64%) and Jose Mourinho (80%).
Nonetheless, primarily on account of a dull style of football as well as a six-game winless run (failure to succeed today would make it their worst form since 1998), Van Gaal has come under immense pressure as evidenced by Wednesday’s tense, abrasive press conference.
And it doesn’t get much easier for the beleaguered Dutchman, as his side face a tricky test at Stoke, who outclassed United’s rivals Man City at the Britannia Stadium earlier this month.
2. Will teams suffer under winter break pressure?
There has been much grumbling about the lack of a Premier League winter break of late, with foreign managers new to English football seeming particularly perplexed by this unique phenomenon.
“You have too many games, that’s for sure,” Jurgen Klopp told Football Focus. “You have no break, too many tournaments.
“I think everybody knows that’s not the way (to be successful).”
Similarly, Southampton boss Ronald Koeman told reporters: “It’s too much and we have to travel (to West Ham). The rest between the two matches should be at least 48 hours.
“In our case it’s not 48 hours because we play at 7.45 pm on Boxing Day and then on Monday at 5.30 pm.
“Impossible. But okay, we accept it and play.”
Love it or loathe it though, the winter break often plays a crucial role in determining how the season pans out.
Often teams have looked on the brink of challenging for the title or top four, only to see their hopes crushed by a disastrous winter period, whereby players’ games are not managed properly and fatigue affects key stars.
Consequently, the next couple of weeks should separate the men from the boys in terms of those aiming for a top-four finish, and others who will end up having to be content with their status as also-rans at best.
3. Can Leicester convince doubters?
Despite Leicester going on a 10-game unbeaten run, many people still doubt whether they are serious title contenders.
Five of the last six teams who have been top of the Premier League at Christmas have gone on to win the title, yet on the most recent edition of Monday Night Football, both Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher portrayed the title race as being between Arsenal and Man City.
One of the remaining doubts about the Foxes, who Claudio Ranieri this week compared to Forrest Gump, is whether they have the squad to cope with the rigorous demands of Premier League football at the highest level.
A win at Anfield on St Stephen’s Day, however, and many people might finally start taking them seriously as candidates for a top-four place at the very least.
4. Will Chelsea fans forgive Fabregas and co?
There were unusual scenes at Stamford Bridge last week, as significant sections of a firmly pro-Jose Mourinho home crowd booed underperforming players, including Branislav Ivanovic, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa.
Chelsea responded in positive fashion, winning 3-1, though in many ways, such a passive side as Sunderland were the perfect opposition for the struggling Blues.
This week, they are likely to face a tougher test against Watford, who are fresh from pulling off a stunning 3-0 win over Liverpool.
In his previous tenure as Chelsea boss, 69-year-old Guus Hiddink lost just one of his 22 games in charge in all competitions, and the veteran Dutch coach will be aiming to ensure that fine record stays intact today.
5. Arsenal aim to complete perfect December
Arsenal have become many people’s new favourites for the Premier League title after last Monday’s 2-1 win over rivals Man City.
Despite a substantial injury list that includes Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck, the Gunners looked the better side for large parts of Monday’s game with Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
However, it has become a trend in recent years for Arsenal’s form to drop as soon as people start tipping them for the title, and Arsene Wenger will be keen to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, in what looks like the London club’s best chance of a league triumph since the ‘Invincibles’ last claimed silverware in the 2003-04 campaign.
And, in the late kick-off today, against a struggling Southampton side that have lost four of their previous five Premier League games, anything other than a victory will be deemed unacceptable.
Meanwhile, two more wins against the Saints and then Bournemouth on the 28th would cap a perfect December for Arsene Wenger and leave his side with a 100% record that has seen them qualify for the Champions League last-16 and keep pace with high-flying Leicester at the top.
This piece was originally published at 1030 on 25 December
