Some things just don’t look right.
Sol Campbell in an Arsenal shirt, Frank Lampard in Man City blue.
And now Jose Mourinho holding up the white of Spurs.
What will be next? Sir Alex Ferguson holding up the red livery of Liverpool as he turns up as their new Director of Football?
These are uncertain times…but equally you can be pretty certain what the Portuguese’s arrival at White Hart Lane will signify.
Energetic, rugged midfielders, old-fashioned number nines and tall, aggressive defenders.
So step forward Moussa Sissoko, Harry Kane and Davinson Sanchez.
And Nemanja Matic, check your phone.
On the other side, does this mean a demotion for the likes of Harry Winks and Christian Eriksen?
It is, of course, your calls on who you keep and who you ditch, but it may be that Mou’s arrival necessitates some surgery on your squad ahead of gameweek 12.
As if by some scheduling magic, his first game is also the first of the weekend.
Well done, PL chiefs.
It promises to be a crucial one for the manager in the other dugout too.
Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham have not won in seven matches, and sit precariously close to the drop zone.
Not what Messrs Sullivan and Gold would’ve expected when they saw £72 million go out the door on summer signings.
They also face Chelsea and Arsenal as part of their next four fixtures. Eek, Manuel.
The late kick-off on Saturday is another cracker – Man City take on Chelsea at the Etihad – and it will no doubt shape whether it’s a good week for your picks or not.
The sensible move would be to max out your quota of Citizens on players in their front six, given Chelsea’s defence has conceded more goals than Bournemouth and Crystal Palace this term.
Similarly with Chelsea, it’s likely they’ll have joy at the other end too – so consider the likes of Willian alongside the more obvious credentials of Tammy Abraham.
Lastly, hands up who thought – at the start of the season – Sheffield Utd vs Man Utd on the 24th November would be 5th vs 7th?
Chris Wilder’s men haven’t lost since late September – and even that was a decidedly unlucky single goal reverse against Liverpool – and have only conceded a miserly nine goals in 12 games.
Gauntlet laid down then for Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who may find it easier taking on the Blades away from home, and will no doubt be eyeing up the channels vacated by Wilder’s marauding centre-halves.
As ever – and as this week has shown – the beautiful game will unravel itself in ways we could not have predicted.
But we all like to give it a go anyway 🙂
