Battle of the Bosses: Claudio Ranieri's Leicester succumb to meme machine, Manchester City show Pep

 

 

Claudio Ranieri and his team are compared to a Game of Thrones favourite, City are showing some Pep, and why Jose Mourinho should watch his back...

Getting out-tacticked

The aim of any football manager in the social media age should be to prevent you or your team from becoming a meme. Arsene Wenger has failed woefully in this regard, with his fidgety zip and perennial fourth-place finishes, but on Sunday it was Claudio Ranieri on the end of the internet’s meme machine.

‘Leicester last season versus Leicester this season,’ was the trending topic. They showed a picture of young Melisandre next to old Melisandre, a bright-eyed a busy-tailed fox next to roadkill and a picture featuring N’Golo Kante next to a picture with no N’Golo Kante. That last one really skewered the point.

Indeed, Leicester City are a completely different team this season, with Ranieri’s side looking every bit the team going down in defeat to Swansea City. Now the Italian has vowed to ditch his title-winning stars, admitting he has given them too many chances. Don’t suppose Arsenal still want Jamie Vardy?

The gaffer tapes

Maybe they [the pundits] know better than me,” Mauricio Pochettino huffed after Spurs’ defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, responding to accusations his side are crumbling for the second successive season.

"Sometimes it is about coping with the level and the competition. Today we were poor and feel very disappointed but be careful, it is only our third defeat in the Premier League and we are one point above Liverpool still.”

But consider that Spurs under Pochettino have only won one of their last 15 games against top-six opposition, and it becomes clear criticism of the Argentine is valid. There is a glass ceiling above Spurs and for all their progress over the past two seasons, they are yet to burst through it.

Mind games corner

Anthony Martial was already on his way out of Old Trafford, according to some, having been left out of Manchester United’s squad altogether for their last two matches before facing Watford. He was done. Finished.

Then he appeared in the starting line-up on Saturday, scored and turned in a Man of the Match performance. Jose Mourinho knew what he was doing. He did the same thing to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, pulling him out of the spotlight only to drop him back in like Lady Gaga at a Super Bowl half-time show.

Manchester United's Anthony Martial celebrates scoring their second goal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan MataReuters

Maybe it was his way of making it seem like United made a new January signing to introduce. Martial made quite the impact when he signed first time around, and he did it again at the weekend.

Feud of the week

Antonio Conte v Jose Mourinho - who would you back? Mourinho looks like he might be a hair-puller, but Conte knows better than to get into physical combat. The Chelsea boss looks like the kind of person who would be able to pull off a hit without anyone being able to trace it back to him. Mourinho should probably be worried.

Antonio Conte at BurnleyAFP

"I don't like this joking,” Conte replied when asked about Mourinho’s jibe over Chelsea only playing on the counter attack. He’s playing. I have the experience to understand this.”

So watch your back, Jose. Or don’t. It doesn’t really matter either way, Conte will get you in typical passive aggressive fashion.

Horrible bosses

Sam Allardyce has never been relegated before. But then, he insisted he had never done any dodgy dealings as a manager before he was sacked as England boss for advising businessmen how to circumvent FA rules, so some things come to an end.

 

Under Big Sam Palace have yet to win a single Premier League game. Saturday’s match against Stoke City was their eighth attempt, but there are still no signs of recovery, no signs of hope, they are joint-bottom with Sunderland. That in itself, being level with Sunderland, is perhaps even worse than being joint-bottom. It’s like standing next to Rob Schneider at the Razzies.

The chief

Three straight Manchester City wins and all of a sudden the Premier League title race may not be the foregone conclusion we thought it was a week ago. Sure, Chelsea still hold an eight point lead, but Pep Guardiola’s side have at least raised the possibility that they could be caught, stringing together their best performances of the season.

They didn’t even need divine intervention against Bournemouth. Gabriel Jesus only lasted 14 minutes at the Vitality Stadium, suffering a foot injury. On in his place came plucky substitute Sergio Aguero - you might remember him, didn’t something notable once before. With Aguero leading the line City recorded a routine 2-0 win, moving them into second place. Guardiola’s team have finally picked up where they left off…. in September.