BPL talking points: Was last season a one-off on Merseyside?

Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and shaky Spurs are the talking points ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

The focus of much of the sporting world this weekend falls upon the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Even Sky Sports are obliging viewers to watch the Sunday singles by putting West Brom versus Burnley as their only TV offering on that day. But it does mean that we have a bumper Saturday programme, consisting of two derbies and all of last year’s top eight in action. Here are some of the talking points.

Can Spurs shake off that feeling of dj vu?

There was a depressing sense of dj vu about Tottenham’s defeat to West Brom last Sunday. Coming three days after a lacklustre goalless draw to Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League, it felt like something we had seen before. It was the sort of result that got Andre Villas-Boas the sack last year and cost Spurs a Champions League place in 2012/13. It means the mood around White Hart Lane is one of grim reality about their team again falling short of the big prizes. It’s the North London derby this Saturday at the Emirates, a venue where they have lost in each of the last three seasons, and all depressing in their own way. Mauricio Pochettino badly needs a show of character and some kind of positive result. It’s far too early to judge what sort of impact the Argentine will have as manager, but Spurs’ players must simply demonstrate pride in the shirt and restore hope in the eyes of the supporters.

Is Lampard a pleasant surprise for City?

Saying his goodbyes to Chelsea, signing for an MLS team and announcing his international retirement were three signs that Frank Lampard was heading into football’s sunset this summer. As the leaves start to turn and the nights draw in, Lampard is back amongst the goals in English football. His signing on loan for Manchester City looked convenient for both parties City got a player on loan from sister club New York City and stocked up their quota of English players, while the midfielder could tide himself over until the start of the 2015 MLS season. Last Sunday, he scored an unlikely and dramatic equaliser against his former club that could yet have a significant say in the final destination of the title. For City fans of a certain vintage, it was the modern equivalent of Denis Law’s back heel that relegated Manchester United in 1974 a player so upset about scoring against his old club and the consequences it had. Lampard grabbed two more goals in the 7-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup, emphasising that his stay in Manchester could be very profitable indeed. With only three strikers in City’s squad, Lampard’s ability to arrive late and score goals from midfield could be even more useful than was originally imagined. That might even be needed for this Saturday’s trip to Hull.

Was last season a one-off on Merseyside?

Liverpool and Everton were two of the shining lights of 2013/14. Under the guidance of exciting, positive, young managers in Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez, they both finished in the top five for the first time for five years. Merseyside looked to be ready for a new era, perhaps one to equal the glory days of the mid-1980s. Just six weeks into the new campaign, those memories already seem a little distant. With three defeats in five, Liverpool are threatening to fall out of the title race before it has even got going. Everton have just one win in five and have shipped an alarming 13 goals. They also crashed out of the League Cup at Swansea on Tuesday night, as Martinez faces a few questions for the first time in his reign. Defeat will leave the loser floundering in the bottom half, and worrying about what lies ahead for the rest of the season. Both look vulnerable at the moment, but who can grab the glory on derby day?

Will Rooney have to learn the art of defending?

Wayne Rooney has spent large parts of his Manchester United career being shunted around to help gel with his team-mates. Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin Van Persie have been the big beneficiaries of Rooney’s selflessness for the team. Watching Jamie Vardy score Leicester’s fourth goal last Sunday in that crazy 5-3 win for the Foxes, my eye was drawn to the United player haring back towards his own goal in a desperate run. Who was it? None other than Captain Wayne. As captain, he obviously felt that shock loss more keenly than others as mentioned previously in this blog, as he doesn’t want to be skip of a sinking ship at Old Trafford (PL Blog 3). The arrival of Radamel Falcao means Rooney is likely to be pressed into service just behind the Colombian and Van Persie or even back into an orthodox central midfield role. That means getting forward and back like any player used to that role all their career. Once again, Wayne may have to curb his tendencies and dig Louis Van Gaal out of a hole, as he tries to become a box-to-box midfelder, starting against West Ham at Old Trafford.

Can Clyne deliver another rocket in Roy’s direction?

It has been a terrific week for Southampton. Victory at Swansea took them second in the Premier League, while they earned a notable Capital One Cup scalp with a win at Arsenal in midweek. The winning goal that night was an absolute thunderbolt from right-back Nathaniel Clyne. He was one of the Saints’ few English players who wasn’t picked off this summer by a supposed bigger club. But his consistent good form over the last two years means he should be under consideration for international honours. There are few, if any, better Englishmen in his position and he plays week-in week-out for an upwardly mobile team. What more does Hodgson need to know? Perhaps another cracker or a strong performance against QPR this Saturday might help to persuade him.