Premier League half-term report

The elite clubs will claim the prize but the Premier League outsiders deserve the plaudits for some fascinating cameos

Manchester United's Portuguese midfielder Nani is not in the Ronaldo class but he possesses flair feared by opponents. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

Most of the Premier League was subjected to a cryogenic experiment at the weekend. Some might now be wondering if there is any immediate need to thaw out the mastodons so they can again go crashing through the leisure time of the public at large. The truth, of course, is that for those who care about the sport it is much too late to develop an indifference to it. Had yesterday's match between Chelsea and Manchester United gone ahead, millions would have watched closely if only to see who won.

With the schedule moving towards its mid-point (weather permitting) people will be absorbed in speculating how the Premier League as a whole will turn out. The strength of the tournament these days lies in its weakness. Nobody looks unassailable. Manchester United are unbeaten, but Sir Alex Ferguson must feel that the title would be in the bag by now if they had contrived to give the single away win, at Stoke, a couple of companions.

A well-equipped Manchester City are pledged to diligence, but, with Dedryck Boyata sent off after five minutes, they were dealt a 3-0 home defeat by Arsenal on the record and are just gradually learning to be authoritative. As Arsenal themselves are concerned, disgruntlement at the Emirates has spread so far that harsh reviews are being given even by the participants.

Cesc Fábregas spoke frankly about last week's defeat at Old Trafford, possibly because a lack of fitness excused him from much blame when he merely came off the bench. "I think the difference on the night was that we were scared of losing but they were not scared of winning," he said. "Sometimes we seem scared of losing these big games." With a few words, the captain had given the seal of approval to what he would once have treated as a cliché. At least, he has caught the trend because self-doubt is on the loose.

It is nearly six weeks since Double-winning Chelsea last took full points from a Premier League match. There was an inevitability to their deceleration and not merely because such a pace was set at the start. The idea that their good players are too old and the younger ones (Josh McEachran aside) not good enough might be damned as a caricature, but we always recognise the truth of a cartoonist's work and Chelsea's difficulties are as obvious as they look.

Carlo Ancelotti has a real challenge ahead of him to disprove that the sole season to which his side were suited was the early autumn. There is good news in all this castigation of the usual eminences of English football. They may have less chance of winning the Champions League than they did last year, when none of our clubs got beyond the quarter-finals, but the dip will encourage challengers on the domestic front. Total collapse is not likely and Ferguson continues to deploy his squad smartly. Nani may be no Cristiano Ronaldo since he is, among many other things, too wasteful, but at least he represents the flair that visitors to Old Trafford have traditionally dreaded. The good news about the comparative dimming of United and some others in the customary elite comes in the appreciation that can be spared for others.

Tottenham Hotspur should be saluted for the excitement that Gareth Bale brings and the combination of vision and technique that typifies Rafael van der Vaart, who was bought for a paltry £8m. For all the plaudits due Harry Redknapp, however, the managerial talent to have gleamed most has been Owen Coyle's. The approach at Bolton has been so transformed that they were short on Saturday of even a dash of the pragmatism that was once abundant. Sunderland, another side adding to the breadth of interest outside the top four, clung on for a 1-0 win, but Bolton's sole failure lay in missed chances. That was atypical for a team that, with 30 League goals, have easily outscored Tottenham. There is a note of liberation about Kevin Davies, who made his England debut as a 33-year-old against Montenegro in the autumn. He may not have been released entirely from the stereotype of a target man, but with six goals to date he ought to exceed comfortably last season's total of nine.

There has been much to appreciate, too, about Blackpool. The manager Ian Holloway speaks as if he is on a mission to entertain, but he is failing to distract people from the efficiency in the side. It takes more than innocence or good intentions to extract 14 of their 22 points from away games. To put that in context, the reigning champions Chelsea have taken a dozen points on the road.

These are changed days. Roy Hodgson is hard-pressed to get Liverpool as high up the table as anticipated by owners who spent so much to buy the club and, at the moment, it looks as if it will take a determined effort to see them in the Europa League once more next season. However, the American proprietors have not had enough time and transfer windows yet to show exactly how they mean to conduct themselves.

The title may well end up at one of its usual haunts, but interest lies elsewhere and it is Newcastle United that offer a really fascinating England centre-forward in Andy Carroll. This season may not reach historic heights, but it supplies a breadth of interest far beyond anyone's anticipation.

Source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/dec/20/premier-league-half-term-report