The mystery
of David Luiz
Some transfers make minimal sense,
not least that of David Luiz, the veteran
Brazilian international bought from
Chelsea presumably to settle Arsenal’s
defence with his experience.
But sheer lack of pace has found him
floundering as, embarrassingly, he failed
recently to keep up with Liverpool’s Mo
Salah. He conceded an embarrassing
penalty when clutching the attacker’s
shirt, then later allowed the quicksilver
Egyptian to speed past him to score.
“We have to look forward,” said the
hapless defender. Quite why Gunners’
coach Unai Emery even wanted him at
all must remain a mystery. Experience
can be invaluable, but not if it is nullified
by sheer lack of pace.
It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good
and the transfer ban placed on Chelsea
already looks as if it could be a blessing
in disguise. This is a club notorious for
acquiring talented young players who
far too seldom get a first-team chance.
But now Frank Lampard finds himself
obliged to give younger players their fling,
with pleasing results.
Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount
were well known to Lampard from his
time playing at Chelsea and they began
this season with encouraging brio.
Last season Mount impressed on loan
at Derby County and Lampard says he
is not surprised the player has hit the
ground running “because I’ve got real
belief in him, but it has made me sit up
and take more notice of when he can
get to in the game”.
There is also the highly promising
Callum Hudson-Odoi, the
teenaged right-winger who
impressed when given his
chance last season and
should soon be recovering
from the injury which had
sidelined him for some while.
Abraham, meanwhile, has
won the approval of Mateo
Kovacic, the veteran Croatian
who came to Stamford
Bridge from Real Madrid.
As a central midfielder, Kovacic is given
general licence in central midfield where
his passing is impressive and he can
break up opposing attacks.
Lampard says he gives him more
freedom and the player, who speaks
five languages and is nicknamed “The
Professor”, says: “I can come and take
the ball and go forward.”Now 72 years old, Roy Hodgson shows
no sign of faltering in charge of a Crystal
Palace team which he shrewdly enables
to punch above its apparent weight.
So it emphatically was at Manchester
United, where he became the first Palace
manager to beat United in the league at
Old Trafford since 1989. And you had to
go back to May 1991 to find Palace’s last
victory in the league versus United.
Victory came after an uneasy start to
the season which resulted in a draw and
a defeat as Palace failed to score in their
first two games.
But this is a team notably capable of
beating supposedly elite opponents and
away from home they remain formidable.
At the Etihad last season they were the
only team to beat Manchester City.
One of the veterans in a resilient team
at Old Trafford was Gary Cahill, who had
come from Chelsea after a humiliating
season in which the Italian manager
Maurizio Sarri had cast him wholly out of
first-team favour.
Now 33, Cahill was more than up
for his defensive task at Old Trafford.
Hodgson had used him regularly when
manager of England.James Maddison, now 22, has been
making strong claims for a place in
England’s midfield. Having made his
mark with Norwich City, he moved on
to Leicester City where his form has
been consistently impressive. His passing
shines from long distance with the
outside of his right foot, he plays with
ebullient confidence and he would surely
show it were he picked regularly.Lampard giving youngsters their fling at Chelsea There’s still life
in Hodgson...
and Cahill
Maddison deserves his England chance
Blues...Mason Mount
(left) and Tammy
AbrahamToo quick...Liverpool’s Mo Salah (left) and David Luiz of ArsenalORead Brian Glanville’s weekly
online column at worldsoccer.comImpressive...
James MaddisonSome transfers make
minimal sense, not
least that of David Luiz
from Chelsea