The United Conundrum

Obviously United's season hasn't been as great as it should have been so far, but a win over Arsenal on Sunday provided some relief to a shaky start going into the international break. Rooney and van Persie look like they're starting to hit the form that won them the title last year, and talented players such as Adnan Januzaj are being given game time. But why was United's start to the season so poor?

For me, it is because of the transition from Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes, and as always with a new manager at a new club, especially when the previous manager has been there for 26 years, it will take time to implement their ideologies on the team. Moyes, for me, still doesn't know his first choice XI. The acquisition of Fellaini didn't really help him with that; bringing in a player that he knows well to a squad with talent in abundance, and the fact that he brings a different style of play and approach to United's game. Moyes seems to have deployed Fellaini in a much more defensive position in contrast to where he played under him at Everton, almost being a second striker.I feel that Moyes when he first came to the club was rubbing his hands with glee with the players at his disposal, before realising that a) he actually has to manage them - there are more likely to be players with egos at a bigger club like Manchester United, purely because they're at a big club and b) he has to select an XI - this will only lead to disappointment and unhappiness from the players that are deemed not good enough to start a game for Manchester United by their own manager, something which Moyes has already received criticism for (think Kagawa, Hernandez) and tried to rectify, without sufficient success.

They are currently fifth in the league. Five points off leaders Arsenal, something which, at this stage of the season, isn't too bad for United. Obviously they would have hoped for better, but David Moyes was a notoriously slow starter during his years at Everton. They have managed to string together an unbeaten run of 8 games in all competitions, even if they didn't quite get the performances to match. It's what won them the title last year, being able to get a result without playing at 100%. It's slowly but surely coming together for United, fans just have to be patient.

What would really get fans on side would be a big arrival in January. This may have implications with trying to fit them into the eleven, and then the knock-on effect of unhappy players because they aren't getting game time, but if Moyes is really feeling the pressure of the Old Trafford hot seat, then a big name, big game player arriving in January can only aid him, surely? Just don't buy a tall man with an afro for £27.5 million on the final day David, yeah?

Arsenal's Title Credentials

After becoming the first English side to win in the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday night, Arsenal are certainly impressing the majority of pundits, but not enough that they believe they can win the league. The north London side have a five point cushion at the top of the table after Saturday's 2-0 win over Liverpool. So why CAN'T they win the league?

It's been a while since they've won anything - bordering on nine years. It's been tough for their fans; trust me, I am one. But Wayne Rooney's comments earlier in the week were spot on. They've been in the top two in March in the past and faded away when it reaqlly mattered. I worry that this could happen again, especially if injuries start to mount up like they have done in previous years. Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mathieu Flamini and Lukas Podolski are all currently sidelined as it is, and if Olivier Giroud were to join them on the treatment table, it would leave them with Nicklas Bendtner and Ju Young Park as their only fit recognised strikers, a worrying thought for Arsenal fans.

But if we look positively, the signing of Mesut Ozil seems to have given Arsenal impetus in the opening weeks of the season, and the fact that they've splashed out £42.5 million to capture him shows that they are ready to compete in the transfer market, as well as on the pitch. The fact that they are performing week in week out on the field fills the players with confidence too, and the recent victory against Norwich, espcially Jack Wilshere's exquisite finish emphasises the confidence flowing through them at present. Add to that the fact that they are the only team to score in every Premier League game so far this season, then you've got a recipe for success, surely?

We move back to the question, can they feasibly win the league? They don't have the best squad, that's for certain, but they do currently have the best form. The real question is can they maintain it? We'll find out at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Martin Jol ft. Chris Hughton - Under Pressure

Martin Jol and Chris Hughton are the Premier League's version of Queen and David Bowie - they're under pressure. After Norwich's 7-0 mauling by Manchester City and Fulham's 3-1 home defeat by the other half of Manchester, the two bosses must be fearing for their jobs after the results left Norwich 18th and Fulham 15th in the table. I examine who is under the most pressure and what needs to be done to help both clubs climb the standings.

Firstly, Norwich City and Chris Hughton, who find themselves in the relegation zone as it stands. Two wins from ten games, both by a goal to nil, isn't the response anybody connected with the club wanted after the outlay of money in the summer on players like Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper to try and spearhead the side to a top half finish. This big spending is what has put Hughton under pressure, and in my opinion, rightly so. I know that Hooper isn't at 100% fitness and van Wolfswinkel is currently injured, but that shouldn't be any excuse. Norwich won 3-2 at the Etihad last season, and there were only five changes to the side that lost 7-0 today - Turner, Bassong, Olsson, Fer and Hooper in for Bennett, Snodgrass, Garrido, Hoolahan and the departed Grant Holt. So what has changed? A lack of confidence? Are there differences? For me, it's bemusing, and the fact that it's unclear what it is causing this downturn in form is the reason why Hughton has to go. It's time for change at Norwich, signalled with the intake of new players, and now a change of manager is due. What Chris Hughton will do is keep looking at the positives - they are the only side that has beaten Southampton in the league this season - but that cannot last for long. 

Martin Jol at Fulham for me is under even more pressure. 3 wins from 10 games - all against teams below them in the table - isn't good enough for a team like Fulham, especially with the squad they've got. It's indisputable that they've got some top quality players, Dimitar Berbatov, Maarten Stekelenburg, Scott Parker to name a few; it's not like they've bought poorly in the summer, because they haven't. Whether it's a question of the players not gelling together yet is a talking point, but in some cases it could be due to the work rate of some of their players, most notably Berbatov and Adel Taarabt, who can both do incredible things when they've got the ball, but without it, their commitment is not good enough for a Premier League side. Their defence has also been questioned by some people in the media, suggesting that they simply haven't been good enough so far this season. It's not like they lack a leader, because they have that in Brede Hangeland, and plenty of Premier League experience with the presence of Phillipe Senderos and Keiran Richardson in the back four, as well as Sascha Riether, who impressed so many last season. Add to that Fernando Amorebieta, a rock at the heart of the Athletic Bilbao defence for 8 years prior to his summer move, the back line is solid. The only thing it can be is a lack of resilience, a lack of strength being shown, and it's being reflected on the rest of the team. This is the first real test of Shahid Khan's tenure as Fulham's owner - does he stick with Jol, or twist and adopt a fresh approach? Personally, I think it has to be the latter of those.

But who can replace Hughton and Jol? Well, there is Tony Pulis, or, as always, Alan Curbishley. Maybe they pluck a Pochettino from somewhere, or someone pulling up trees in a lower league - maybe Sean Dyche or Eddie Howe? Who knows, only time will tell.