Premier League Talking Points – Time to go for Rodgers?
By Kevin Kelly
Premier League game week seven is nearly upon us, and many talking points have arisen ahead of the weekend’s action. Can Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers save his job, or is it too late?
Can Anthony Martial break (yet another) record? What about Chelsea – are they really back? All that and more, in this week’s Premier League Talking Points column by Kevin Kelly.
Is it too late for Rodgers?
On burning question ahead of the Premier League action is whether Brendan Rodgers’ job as Liverpool manager is retrievable, or is it simply a matter of time before he gets the sack.
Liverpool currently lay in 13th place in the table after six games, and only got past League 2 outfit Carlisle by way of penalties in the midweek League Cup tie.
Rodgers job has come under increased scrutiny this week, with Jurgen Klopp indicating he could cut his sabbatical short to work in England. Meanwhile rumours of Liverpool looking to appoint Carlo Ancelotti persist.
Rodgers arrived at Liverpool in the summer 2012 amidst a wave of optimism, but following a rollercoaster three seasons his methods have become increasingly stale at the Merseyside club, with the Reds looking as ineffectual up top as they have defensively since his arrival at the club.
In the meantime Liverpool host Aston Villa tomorrow at 3pm; a tea they have struggled against at home in recent years. Aston Villa of course knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup last season in Wembley at the semi-final stages.
Rodgers would surely have wished for a different opponents this weekend, with his job on the line.
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Martial the Record Breaker
Anthony Martial is on the verge of breaking Manchester United goalscoring records after his sensational start at the club.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed his first few weeks as a United player, netting three times in the Premier League and once in the Capital One Cup since his £36m move from Monaco.
And with struggling Sunderland visiting Old Trafford this Saturday, Martial could have the opportunity to add to his tally further and set a club record.
Martial is on the brink of becoming the first United player to score in his first three Premier League matches and given Sunderland are the next opposition, this is a record that appears well within the Frenchman’s reach.
Not only do the Black Cats prop up the Premier League table but they also have the leakiest defence in the league and shipped four goals to Manchester City in midweek.
After scoring against Liverpool and Southampton, Martial has joined Louis Saha and Federico Macheda as the only United players to score in their first two appearances in the Premier League.
But whether Martial starts or comes on as a sub against Sunderland it would be no surprise to see him stretch his goal scoring streak and set a new club record.
The Frenchman could also be the quickest to score five Premier League goals for United.
Are Chelsea Actually Back
Chelsea finally seem to have turned the fortunes in their favour winning three consecutive wins, including a London Derby against Arsenal. They have conceded only one goal in the last three, illustrating solidity is coming back to the Chelsea defense.
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Meanwhile Newcastle seems to be in a deep deep trouble fighting for survival in the relegation zone just above the Black Cats. Steve McLaren’s men are on the back of three consecutive Premier league losses followed by getting knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Sheffield Wednesday. It can’t get worse, surely.
Jose Mourinho will certainly hope his Blues can continue to improve – the Eva Caneiro wrangle doesn’t seem to be settling down anytime soon which will undoubtedly weigh heavily on his mind.