An England team containing several players labelled as the ‘Golden generation’ failed miserably this week to qualify for Euro 2008 from a distinctly average group. Fans from the game’s formative nation will be forced to sit through meaningless internationals next summer. We will have to settle to be entertained by insipid sides such as Poland, Greece, Austria and Switzerland with England absent from international competition for the first time since 1994.
In the taught, era-defining few days before the culmination of England’s disastrous qualifying attempt, mumblings over the quality of the national side and the apparent limited pool of English talent have rumbled on. It seems everyone has an opinion on the issue, including former FA Technical Director Howard Wilkinson, UEFA President Michel Platini. The issue has even reignited the feud between Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson - although this doesn’t take much. The blame for the current dearth in English talent (which can also be attributed to a failure by national scouts and coaching staff to be brave enough to take gambles with new players) has been placed on the increasing number of foreign players earning their trade in the Premier League. Is this right though? Or are we just looking for new scapegoats?
Familiar Story
This debate is not a new area of contention and has been evident ever since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, when the substantial economical boost in English football made it an attractive option for overseas players. Not for the first time too, there have this week been renewed calls for installing a ‘cap’ on the number of foreign players within each club and starting eleven. Back in the early 90s, restrictions on non-English players within starting 11s severely weakened English clubs in Europe. Man Utd in particular were torn apart by teams like Barcelona because occasionally they had to sacrifice players like Peter Schmeichel and Eric Cantona to stay within quotas. This experience should provide for a better structured cap this time around but is a warning as to the negative effects that could accompany it.
The whole idea of a ‘cap’ is to protect the national game and provide young English talent the opportunity of regular first team football to assist their development. Last week, after naming his latest squad Steve McClaren complained about the lack of English players competing regularly in the Premier League when only 38 players were involved in the previous weekend’s action. There are either two ways of viewing the impact of a proposed foreign player cap.
The Two Views
First, there is the Alex Ferguson and Howard Wilkinson camp, who feel that Premier League club’s preference to sign players from abroad, both established and young talent alike, limits chances for home-grown talent to develop and damages youth academies. Ferguson believes an increase in home-based players at the top clubs in England would be ‘good for the game’. The national side would benefit from English players playing regularly at the highest standard. At present several members of the current England squad, such as Shawn Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge, Jermaine Defoe and Joe Cole are not guaranteed starting places with their club sides. From the top four, Liverpool and Arsenal in particular field very few English players in their first choice 11. Ferguson supports the idea but admits it would be difficult to pass legislation, ‘I totally agree but it would be a problem for a club like Arsenal. That’s why they’ll protest the loudest.’ Man Utd’s team’s best players are pre-dominantly foreign (Ronaldo, Tevez, Vidic, Van der Sar) and he has bought mostly overseas players of late (Nani, Anderson). Ferguson’s latest comments must be tempered then with the possibility that he may simply be providing the kindling to stoke the fires in his nemesis at Arsenal.
With increased financial value afforded in the Premier League’s current climate to every point won and lost, managers are also less willing to take gambles on youngsters and give them the playing time needed to progress at the top level. Wilkinson says, ‘Because of the massive money coming into the game clubs are able to recruit from all over the world…youth development is no longer seen as a priority and it will impact on the national team if we don’t have players coming through from the academies.’
In contrast, there is the Arsene Wenger camp, who believes the English game has benefited greatly from the introduction of foreign players because they educated and increased the quality at club level. Before the advent of overseas players, English defences, at club level and internationally, were often bamboozled and bewildered by pieces of trickery and skill, and failed to cope with continental formations. Youngsters at English clubs have undoubtedly benefited from world class players coming to England. Towards the late 90s, as the Premier League became rapidly lucrative, initially it became a retirement home for ageing foreign stars looking for their last big pay-day. The likes of Gianfranco Zola and Fabrizio Ravanelli may have enjoyed the financial package on offer, but they also acted as great mentors for young English players. As an example, John Terry at Chelsea was taken under the wing of Marcel Desailly to great effect, while Dennis Bergkamp at Arsenal mentored David Bentley – both players are now England internationals, Terry the captain. Wenger says, ‘If you are in a better class you improve quicker and you shouldn’t put the criteria just down to producing local players.’ It seems that if you are good enough, the likes of John Terry and Steven Gerrard will come through regardless. What Wenger’s theory does not account for is players from the next tier of quality that, as a result from competition from abroad, will be pushed down to lower league clubs and not fulfil their potential.
Hierarchy Eroded
The media and FA are desperately searching for whom and what to blame after England’s poor showing in Euro 2008 qualifying. Ultimately it was the manager’s fault for not getting the best out of players with world-class reputations and also the players’ responsibility for taking the group for granted. Worldwide attention received by the Premier League has massaged the egos within the squad to the point where several personnel are considered by fans and also players themselves, as being better than they actually are. Quality of back-up players when England was hit with injuries to defenders Terry and Rio Ferdinand and strikers Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney was evidently poor. Coming, as they did, from supposedly the greatest league in the world, we are entitled to ask why?
The Premier League may have been improved by foreign skill, technique and movement but, when it reaches the level where there are more overseas players in the top flight than home-grown, the benefits no longer exist and the production line of English talent judders to a halt. It should come as no surprise when nations like Croatia beat England home and away. They have a squad who play football in the best leagues in Europe, several in England (Niko Kranjcar, Vedran Corluka, Eduardo) and because of this, in terms of quality they have caught up with traditionally dominant nations like England.
A Solution?
Much as it pains me, both as an Arsenal fan, and what may also be a knee-jerk reaction to England’s recent elimination, I would have to agree with the proposal of introducing the ‘cap’. The idea could be trialled in cup competition initially, perhaps the Carling or FA Cup, to see if it is workable. A stipulation of playing at least 4 English players in a starting 11 would be fair, and feasible to most clubs. From hear it could then be introduced into the Premier League and although it would provide a major shake up, with many foreign players having to leave the league as a result, the England side would be strengthened significantly. The pool of players involved in regular top flight competition would be much wider, academies would see a vast upturn in success, and we could go back to blaming the England manager when we screw up against the rest of the world.
Friday 23 November 2007
Tuesday 20 November 2007
It’s Do or Die time for McClaren
On Saturday evening a little-known Israeli called Omer Golan became the darling of England when he provided Steve McClaren with a potential reprieve from Euro 2008 elimination. Golan struck the decisive goal for Israel in the final minute against Russia to give his side a 2-1 win in Group E and keep England’s hopes alive. Israel’s result not only re-opened the door for England but may afford McClaren the luxury of remaining coach for the tournament proper. With many twists and turns already seen in the group, qualification is certainly not yet a full gone conclusion. England must get at least a point from their last game against leaders Croatia and are without several key players. The tension is palpable and Wednesday night cannot come soon enough.
Lacking Respect
England will need to respect their opponents on Wednesday night. Ex-Scotland manager Craig Brown believes the so-called ‘golden generation’ have on occasions showed a lack of respect to other nations borne from the differences of wealth, fame and praise received through the media by the players. Goalless draws with Israel and Macedonia may support his point. Croatia will be no formality and are in fact currently ranked above England in FIFA’s rankings. Indeed, before their defeat to Macedonia on Saturday (during which they became aware of their own qualification) the Croats had not lost in qualification, scoring 25 and conceding just 4 along the way. We saw at the weekend from Israel that nothing should be taken for granted simply because there is less at stake for the opposition. Playmaker Niko Kranjcar wants to use the occasion to prove a point, ‘This is our opportunity to take on a big nation like England at a great arena like Wembley and let the world see they can count on us to play well at the Euros. We want to send a message. We will get respect if we do that.’
Steve McClaren must face the most important game of his career so far without several key players. Captain John Terry and defensive partner Rio Ferdinand are unlikely to play through injury, while his first choice strike pairing of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney are also crocked. As if losing these four did not make the task difficult enough, he has a big decision to make over who plays goal too. Reports came out of the England training camp this week that current number 1 Paul Robinson has been making a series of errors in practice. Robinson has performed erratically on both international and club scene over the past 12 months, causing a real problem for McClaren, who is without an established replacement. David James has shown improved consistency with Portsmouth over the last 2 seasons but has rarely got any playing time for England of late. The likely replacement for Robinson is Scott Carson, who kept goal in England’s 1-0 friendly defeat of Austria last Friday. The game was Carson’s first cap and although he has shown good form club-side Aston Villa, he was hardly tested by the Austrians. McClaren must decide which is the biggest gamble; play an inexperienced Scott Carson or the psychologist’s nightmare Paul Robinson. If either choice backfires McClaren will have to face the blame.
Tough at the Top
Many people say that to manage the England football team is the toughest job in Britain, not withstanding the post at Number 10, and it is hard not to feel some sympathy for the plight of Steve McClaren. His initial appointment was never received in full confidence by the fans and FA chief Brain Barwick’s extended stalking of ‘Big’ Phil Scolari did not reassure him of his support from upstairs. Fans and media called for his head even before the Russia defeat and some (including Inside Sport’s Steve Bunce) believe he should go regardless of whether England secures a passage to Euro 2008. Bunce’s view is that he was a bad appointment, a mistake and carried over un-wanted baggage from England’s disappointing World Cup into the Euro 2008 campaign. He should be given a longer chance to prove himself though, simply because he is a dull, uninspiring character is not reason enough to sack him. Fair enough, if England lost on Wednesday he should go, but to sack him regardless would be a major disruption to the squad. The implementation of a new manager’s regime takes times to bed in and Euro 2008 would probably be too soon. McClaren has been in the job only for a year, and his own regime is only now starting to be represented on the pitch. Before the Russia game England had 5 successive 3-0 wins. Provided with time to compete at Euro 2008 McClaren can still prove that the current crop of players and his tactics are good enough.
Fate of a Nation
Ultimately England must take the opportunity to qualify now that they have been given the rarest of lifelines. Defeat would be, as has been often said of late ‘unthinkable’. To quote Oscar Wilde ‘once may be considered misfortune, to do so twice is just carelessness’. Failure draws a bleak picture of the future, as Euro 2008 would be rendered a non-event in England and the UK, the end of yet another anguished era would be up, and the toughest job in Britain would be vacant once more...
Still, Beckham’s back, Crouch is scoring goals for fun, Lampard’s in form and McClaren will be backed by 80,000 England fans at Wembley willing the ball home come Wednesday night. We could be heroes!
Lacking Respect
England will need to respect their opponents on Wednesday night. Ex-Scotland manager Craig Brown believes the so-called ‘golden generation’ have on occasions showed a lack of respect to other nations borne from the differences of wealth, fame and praise received through the media by the players. Goalless draws with Israel and Macedonia may support his point. Croatia will be no formality and are in fact currently ranked above England in FIFA’s rankings. Indeed, before their defeat to Macedonia on Saturday (during which they became aware of their own qualification) the Croats had not lost in qualification, scoring 25 and conceding just 4 along the way. We saw at the weekend from Israel that nothing should be taken for granted simply because there is less at stake for the opposition. Playmaker Niko Kranjcar wants to use the occasion to prove a point, ‘This is our opportunity to take on a big nation like England at a great arena like Wembley and let the world see they can count on us to play well at the Euros. We want to send a message. We will get respect if we do that.’
Steve McClaren must face the most important game of his career so far without several key players. Captain John Terry and defensive partner Rio Ferdinand are unlikely to play through injury, while his first choice strike pairing of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney are also crocked. As if losing these four did not make the task difficult enough, he has a big decision to make over who plays goal too. Reports came out of the England training camp this week that current number 1 Paul Robinson has been making a series of errors in practice. Robinson has performed erratically on both international and club scene over the past 12 months, causing a real problem for McClaren, who is without an established replacement. David James has shown improved consistency with Portsmouth over the last 2 seasons but has rarely got any playing time for England of late. The likely replacement for Robinson is Scott Carson, who kept goal in England’s 1-0 friendly defeat of Austria last Friday. The game was Carson’s first cap and although he has shown good form club-side Aston Villa, he was hardly tested by the Austrians. McClaren must decide which is the biggest gamble; play an inexperienced Scott Carson or the psychologist’s nightmare Paul Robinson. If either choice backfires McClaren will have to face the blame.
Tough at the Top
Many people say that to manage the England football team is the toughest job in Britain, not withstanding the post at Number 10, and it is hard not to feel some sympathy for the plight of Steve McClaren. His initial appointment was never received in full confidence by the fans and FA chief Brain Barwick’s extended stalking of ‘Big’ Phil Scolari did not reassure him of his support from upstairs. Fans and media called for his head even before the Russia defeat and some (including Inside Sport’s Steve Bunce) believe he should go regardless of whether England secures a passage to Euro 2008. Bunce’s view is that he was a bad appointment, a mistake and carried over un-wanted baggage from England’s disappointing World Cup into the Euro 2008 campaign. He should be given a longer chance to prove himself though, simply because he is a dull, uninspiring character is not reason enough to sack him. Fair enough, if England lost on Wednesday he should go, but to sack him regardless would be a major disruption to the squad. The implementation of a new manager’s regime takes times to bed in and Euro 2008 would probably be too soon. McClaren has been in the job only for a year, and his own regime is only now starting to be represented on the pitch. Before the Russia game England had 5 successive 3-0 wins. Provided with time to compete at Euro 2008 McClaren can still prove that the current crop of players and his tactics are good enough.
Fate of a Nation
Ultimately England must take the opportunity to qualify now that they have been given the rarest of lifelines. Defeat would be, as has been often said of late ‘unthinkable’. To quote Oscar Wilde ‘once may be considered misfortune, to do so twice is just carelessness’. Failure draws a bleak picture of the future, as Euro 2008 would be rendered a non-event in England and the UK, the end of yet another anguished era would be up, and the toughest job in Britain would be vacant once more...
Still, Beckham’s back, Crouch is scoring goals for fun, Lampard’s in form and McClaren will be backed by 80,000 England fans at Wembley willing the ball home come Wednesday night. We could be heroes!
Tuesday 13 November 2007
Ramos Regime Shows Early Promise
Spurs on the rise
Juande Ramos is already making a good impression at Tottenham after just a handful of games in charge of the North London side. A convincing 4-0 win over struggling Wigan Athletic on Saturday may yet provide the vital confidence boost that their season requires to turn things around. Off the pitch there is talk of an NBA star wanting to buy the club and pump in his Yankee dollar, and on the pitch Paul Robinson has kept 3 clean sheets in his last 4 games. Things are looking decidedly rosier these days at White Hart Lane and the supporters will be mightily relieved that the unexpected early season crisis is finally subsiding.
Only last week, faced with the task of dispatching a woeful Hapoel Tel Aviv side in the UEFA Cup, Spurs, despite leading for most of the game, had the look of a depressed and miserable team, with some players (namely Dimitar Berbatov) looking totally fed up. Such was the fragility of their confidence and the extent of damage done in and around the club in previous weeks they could not enjoy their football, despite dominating over weak opponents. At the weekend Tottenham’s confidence grew immeasurably as their game wore on against Wigan and ‘hallelujah’, Berbatov decided he wanted to play. When he is on his game there are few better at link-up play and close control. His performance was reminiscent of the kind that made him fans favourite last season, and which had brought him 23 goals in a season.
Consistency has been a problem for Spurs, with the exception of the excellent Robbie Keane. Jermaine Jenas turned a performance of the highest quality against Wigan, the like of which unfortunately he produces once in a blue moon. On the day there was no answer to his powerful, direct running and ability to take passes into his path at speed. If he could replicate this form more regularly, Tottenham and indeed England’s fortunes could be improved.
Faith Healer
New boss Ramos has steadied the ship well and the acquisition of Gus Poyet from Leeds Utd was a clever move. Poyet was a popular figure during his Spurs days and will still know many of the staff at the club. Allegedly he is also translating for Ramos, while the Spaniard improves his English. It will be interesting to see who Ramos brings in during the January transfer window, if he does spend then others may be forced out. Spurs accumulated a large squad under Martin Jol. At this stage Ramos is getting to know his players and has first concentrated on restoring battered confidence. After the Wigan victory he praised Robinson as ‘irreplaceable’, ‘I think he’s one of the best keepers in the Premier League and he’s the No1 in England. I have no doubt that if he carries on the way he has recently he’s irreplaceable for us. I count on him 100%.’ This was heartfelt praise for Robinson who will have appreciated the manager’s public backing. A nice bonus too for Ramos was the scoring return of Darren Bent. Bent’s form so far has been woeful and it has affected his confidence badly - his goal proved not only to Ramos but to himself that he is good enough.
While Martin Jol has not been forgotten by the White Hart Lane faithful, the club are now moving into a new era. Leaving behind the stigma attached to the tail-end of Jol’s reign has proved a difficult transition. Chairman Daniel Levy admitted making mistakes in his courtship of Ramos but asked fans to support the manager, ‘We have made the changes, popular or unpopular, as we felt they were necessary or right. Please lend us your support as we move forward together.’ Realistically, Spurs fans should now be delighted with the appointment and looking forward to developments under the Spaniard, who had a great record in Spain and is regarded as one of the most sought after managers in Europe. He will be provided with funds to build the squad further and his reputation is of a standing which will attract players of high quality. Current rumours surrounding the return of Freddi Kanoute however, seem unlikely and are more likely excitable tabloid-talk.
3 Point Specialist on Horizon
Finally, a brief glimpse into the future for Spurs offers further optimism. NBA star Steve Nash, a lifelong fan, revealed recently that he would like to buy the club when he finishes his playing career, ‘I’d like to be an owner, Its something I could do for the rest of my life after my little window of popularity dies.’ Nash’s appointment would be a great PR move and inevitably generate interest from the US. Last year he was named in Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world and Nash has also twice been awarded the prestigious NBA Most Valuable Player prize. However, any approach from Nash would be in the form of a consortium, as he says he cannot finance it alone, ‘Of course I would like to own Spurs, but I haven’t got a spare £300million.’ He is far from hard up though, while the media and commercial attention he receives would provide the main benefits of any association. Nash is reported to have earned over £50 million in his career and the NBA icon made friends with several in the football community on the way, including Damien Comolli, Alessandro Del Piero and Thierry Henry.
Juande Ramos is already making a good impression at Tottenham after just a handful of games in charge of the North London side. A convincing 4-0 win over struggling Wigan Athletic on Saturday may yet provide the vital confidence boost that their season requires to turn things around. Off the pitch there is talk of an NBA star wanting to buy the club and pump in his Yankee dollar, and on the pitch Paul Robinson has kept 3 clean sheets in his last 4 games. Things are looking decidedly rosier these days at White Hart Lane and the supporters will be mightily relieved that the unexpected early season crisis is finally subsiding.
Only last week, faced with the task of dispatching a woeful Hapoel Tel Aviv side in the UEFA Cup, Spurs, despite leading for most of the game, had the look of a depressed and miserable team, with some players (namely Dimitar Berbatov) looking totally fed up. Such was the fragility of their confidence and the extent of damage done in and around the club in previous weeks they could not enjoy their football, despite dominating over weak opponents. At the weekend Tottenham’s confidence grew immeasurably as their game wore on against Wigan and ‘hallelujah’, Berbatov decided he wanted to play. When he is on his game there are few better at link-up play and close control. His performance was reminiscent of the kind that made him fans favourite last season, and which had brought him 23 goals in a season.
Consistency has been a problem for Spurs, with the exception of the excellent Robbie Keane. Jermaine Jenas turned a performance of the highest quality against Wigan, the like of which unfortunately he produces once in a blue moon. On the day there was no answer to his powerful, direct running and ability to take passes into his path at speed. If he could replicate this form more regularly, Tottenham and indeed England’s fortunes could be improved.
Faith Healer
New boss Ramos has steadied the ship well and the acquisition of Gus Poyet from Leeds Utd was a clever move. Poyet was a popular figure during his Spurs days and will still know many of the staff at the club. Allegedly he is also translating for Ramos, while the Spaniard improves his English. It will be interesting to see who Ramos brings in during the January transfer window, if he does spend then others may be forced out. Spurs accumulated a large squad under Martin Jol. At this stage Ramos is getting to know his players and has first concentrated on restoring battered confidence. After the Wigan victory he praised Robinson as ‘irreplaceable’, ‘I think he’s one of the best keepers in the Premier League and he’s the No1 in England. I have no doubt that if he carries on the way he has recently he’s irreplaceable for us. I count on him 100%.’ This was heartfelt praise for Robinson who will have appreciated the manager’s public backing. A nice bonus too for Ramos was the scoring return of Darren Bent. Bent’s form so far has been woeful and it has affected his confidence badly - his goal proved not only to Ramos but to himself that he is good enough.
While Martin Jol has not been forgotten by the White Hart Lane faithful, the club are now moving into a new era. Leaving behind the stigma attached to the tail-end of Jol’s reign has proved a difficult transition. Chairman Daniel Levy admitted making mistakes in his courtship of Ramos but asked fans to support the manager, ‘We have made the changes, popular or unpopular, as we felt they were necessary or right. Please lend us your support as we move forward together.’ Realistically, Spurs fans should now be delighted with the appointment and looking forward to developments under the Spaniard, who had a great record in Spain and is regarded as one of the most sought after managers in Europe. He will be provided with funds to build the squad further and his reputation is of a standing which will attract players of high quality. Current rumours surrounding the return of Freddi Kanoute however, seem unlikely and are more likely excitable tabloid-talk.
3 Point Specialist on Horizon
Finally, a brief glimpse into the future for Spurs offers further optimism. NBA star Steve Nash, a lifelong fan, revealed recently that he would like to buy the club when he finishes his playing career, ‘I’d like to be an owner, Its something I could do for the rest of my life after my little window of popularity dies.’ Nash’s appointment would be a great PR move and inevitably generate interest from the US. Last year he was named in Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world and Nash has also twice been awarded the prestigious NBA Most Valuable Player prize. However, any approach from Nash would be in the form of a consortium, as he says he cannot finance it alone, ‘Of course I would like to own Spurs, but I haven’t got a spare £300million.’ He is far from hard up though, while the media and commercial attention he receives would provide the main benefits of any association. Nash is reported to have earned over £50 million in his career and the NBA icon made friends with several in the football community on the way, including Damien Comolli, Alessandro Del Piero and Thierry Henry.
Monday 12 November 2007
The Kids Are Alright
England last week launched a bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which was backed by Gordon Brown’s government. With the current England team enduring difficult circumstances, a coach devoid of imagination and the possibility of an embarrassing omission form Euro 2008, what can we expect from our nation in 10 years time?
The current crop from a golden generation, including Frank Lampard, Steve Gerrard, Joe Cole and Michael Owen are in their prime right now but they have not won a trophy in their England careers to date. By the time 2018 comes around they will all be nearing 40 and, with the probable exception of the un-droppable Sir David Beckham (250 caps), will be considered too old to keep the home fires burning. There may be light breaking onto the horizon though, in the shape of several effervescent young footballers who are lighting up the faces of academy bosses and senior managers up and down the country.
Here then is a possible England line-up for World Cup 2018, charged with the task of finally recapturing a trophy which, by then, could be 52 years in the waiting.
GK: Alex Smithies (Huddersfield Town) d.o.b. 5/3/90
Narrowly edges fellow contender Jason Steele for the number 1 spot largely due to his performances during the U17 World Cup, which included a penalty save against Brazil. At club level Smithies opportunities have so far been limited by the simultaneous rise of another decent goalkeeping prospect at Huddersfield, Simon Eastwood - the Terriers suddenly emerging at the ‘go-to’ club for young keepers. Smithies main strengths are shot-stopping and commanding of his area, but like most keepers, attributes such as dealing with crosses, positional sense and anticipation will improve with age. In this department though, we can’t do much worse than the current calamity.
DEF: Krystian Pearce (Birmingham City) 5/1/90
A powerful centre-half in the Micah Richards mould, Pearce has been impressive for England U17s and has now made the step up to U19 level. The gentle giant nicknamed by his team mates ‘Chief’ is strong in the air, but like many modern footballers he is a good ball player too. Many critics considered him England’s best player at the U17 World Cup in Korea, where he also scored, selling the keeper a dummy before slotting home. He is yet to break into the Birmingham side but has recently joined Notts County on a short-term loan. He is still only 17 but we might start hearing a lot more about Pearce in the next year or two.
DEF: Joe Mattock (Leicester City) 15/5/90
Seventeen year old Mattock is a left back who has shown potential for several years, recognised by England through regular selections at U15, U16 and U17 level. This season he has forced himself to the fringes of the first team and has already played 8 times so far. Mattock likes to get forward and can also play left midfield. He is still error prone though and some supporters have got on his back during games. The fact City have had the confidence to blood him at such a young age can only be a good thing for young Joe’s career and he is predicted to have a bright future.
DEF: Jordan Spence (West Ham Utd) 24/5/90
Captained England in the U17s World Cup in Korea, and scored against Brazil along the way in an impressive campaign. He has already proved himself a great leader who inspires others. The Hammers have a great youth setup and a terrific recent record of producing talent at Upton Park, with the likes of Michael Carrick, Jermaine Defoe, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand all coming through the ranks to become England regulars over the past few years. Spence is considered to be the best of the bunch from the club’s latest batch of promising youngsters. He will most likely soon gain experience of senior football with a loan move, with no shortage of lower league admirers looking to take him on.
DEF: Sam Hutchinson (Chelsea) 3/8/89
Eighteen year old right back Sam has impressed many of the coaching staff at Chelsea and captains the reserve side. While Jose Mourinho was at the club he spoke of Hutchinson as being a future member of the first team. He was handed his debut in the last game of last season against Everton and is currently a regular with England U19s. Plymouth Argyle attempted to loan him at the start of the season but were denied as Chelsea wanted the player to benefit from being around the first team squad. Now, with new management at Stamford Bridge, Hutchinson may be allowed to seek experience of senior football elsewhere and develop into the player Mourinho spotted last year.
MID: John Bostock (Crystal Palace) 15/1/92
A future England captain in the making, Bostock has made great strides in a very short spell of time. Despite being just 15 years old, he broke into the Crystal Palace first team last month and immediately looked comfortable at Championship level, ‘He didn’t look out of place did he’ beamed Neil Warnock. It is reported that Barcelona and Man Utd are keen to sign him but his development will be quicker at Palace for now, with vital match experience on offer. Bostock is a highly technical player, quick and is a good passer. He also likes to shoot from distance which speaks volumes for his confidence. He has already shown glimmers of his creativity when, in his first appearance as a substitute, he executed the famed Ronaldinho trick of looking one way and playing the ball the other.
MID: Henri Lansbury (Arsenal) 12/10/90
Arsene Wenger is apparently very excited about right winger Lansbury, who has been at the Gunners since he was 9 years old. This means Lansbury has known nothing but the Wenger way ever since and should be moulded into the Frenchman’s ideal type of player. Looks-wise there are shades of Rosicki or Hleb to Lansbury and his play is also similar - all one-touch pass and movement, accompanied by great ball control and vision. He made his debut in the Carling Cup last month for the last few minutes against Sheffield Utd after impressing in a key role for England U17s in Korea. He looked a little lightweight and wanted too much time on the ball in the Carling Cup, but Wenger is not one often known to get carried away, which means this boy must have something.
MID: Danny Welbeck (Man Utd) 26/11/90
Alex Ferguson has likened the tricky England U17 winger/forward Welbeck to Nwankwo Kanu for his ‘smooth and languid style’. But he is also strong, quick and hard working which is often disguised by his appearance. Welbeck possesses a box of tricks to accompany his technique and it will do him no harm to be training everyday alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Ryan Giggs. There is rumoured to be a new crop of talented youngsters about to emerge all at once, as seems to be the trend at Old Trafford. First it was Giggs, Scholes, Beckham and the Nevilles. Now Welbeck leads the new generation, from Lee Martin, Frazer Richardson and Febian Brandy. Welbeck is destined for the top.
MID: David Amoo (Liverpool) 23/4/91
Amoo has been lighting up LiverpoolTV with his forceful performances for the academy sides, scoring some spectacular long range goals and running opposition defences ragged. A first year scholar signed from Millwall, Amoo is powerfully built for his age and has the ability to run at pace with the ball. Academy director John Owens describes him, ‘David is a tall, fast striker who’s always looking to use his pace to get behind defenders. He’s always willing to have a crack at goal.’ Amoo can play on the wing or upfront and at 16 years of age, there is plenty of time for him to improve on his raw ability. From what I personally have seen of him, he should turn into a seriously good player.
STR: Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 16/3/89
By 2018 Theo will be 29, which is a strange thought. To make it as world class much will depend on how he develops the physical side to his game, that aside he has all the attributes required to step into role model Thierry Henry’s shoes; blistering pace, good touch and a calm finish (which he showed twice against Slavia Prague recently).Theo is the boy Arsenal fans so desperately want to succeed, he hints in fits and bursts at his immense ability and potential and they are desperate for Arsene Wenger’s expensive outlay to be proved another example of excellent talent spotting. He should become the natural replacement for the similarly-styled Michael Owen in the England team.
STR: James Vaughan (Everton) 14/7/88
Vaughan will hope his ‘fox-in-the-box’ tag will lead to a distinctly better career than fate had in stall for former Toffees striker Francis Jeffers. And the early indications are good. A natural predator, with sudden acceleration and great awareness of his position from goal, he is the type of player Everton fans have been waiting to see since the days of Gary Linekar. Injury has restricted him this season in a campaign where, if he is to progress, he will hope to play more regularly. He regained fitness of late, making a scoring return to the first team against Birmingham at the start of November (his 6th in 20 games for the club). Vaughan became the clubs youngest ever goal scorer in April 2005 at 16 and 271 days and he has not looked back since. However he is far from the finished article at present, his passing and protection of possession could be better. With Yakubu around he has the chance to learn from real quality and develop to a higher level.
Subs:
Jason Steele (Middlesbrough)
Scott Sinclair (Chelsea)
Victor Moses (Crystal Palace)
Marc Randall (Arsenal)
Daniel Gosling (Plymouth Argyle)
- A player caught your eye who you think could be a future England star? Not in this selection? Maybe you disagree with the line-up? Leave a comment, & your views
The current crop from a golden generation, including Frank Lampard, Steve Gerrard, Joe Cole and Michael Owen are in their prime right now but they have not won a trophy in their England careers to date. By the time 2018 comes around they will all be nearing 40 and, with the probable exception of the un-droppable Sir David Beckham (250 caps), will be considered too old to keep the home fires burning. There may be light breaking onto the horizon though, in the shape of several effervescent young footballers who are lighting up the faces of academy bosses and senior managers up and down the country.
Here then is a possible England line-up for World Cup 2018, charged with the task of finally recapturing a trophy which, by then, could be 52 years in the waiting.
GK: Alex Smithies (Huddersfield Town) d.o.b. 5/3/90
Narrowly edges fellow contender Jason Steele for the number 1 spot largely due to his performances during the U17 World Cup, which included a penalty save against Brazil. At club level Smithies opportunities have so far been limited by the simultaneous rise of another decent goalkeeping prospect at Huddersfield, Simon Eastwood - the Terriers suddenly emerging at the ‘go-to’ club for young keepers. Smithies main strengths are shot-stopping and commanding of his area, but like most keepers, attributes such as dealing with crosses, positional sense and anticipation will improve with age. In this department though, we can’t do much worse than the current calamity.
DEF: Krystian Pearce (Birmingham City) 5/1/90
A powerful centre-half in the Micah Richards mould, Pearce has been impressive for England U17s and has now made the step up to U19 level. The gentle giant nicknamed by his team mates ‘Chief’ is strong in the air, but like many modern footballers he is a good ball player too. Many critics considered him England’s best player at the U17 World Cup in Korea, where he also scored, selling the keeper a dummy before slotting home. He is yet to break into the Birmingham side but has recently joined Notts County on a short-term loan. He is still only 17 but we might start hearing a lot more about Pearce in the next year or two.
DEF: Joe Mattock (Leicester City) 15/5/90
Seventeen year old Mattock is a left back who has shown potential for several years, recognised by England through regular selections at U15, U16 and U17 level. This season he has forced himself to the fringes of the first team and has already played 8 times so far. Mattock likes to get forward and can also play left midfield. He is still error prone though and some supporters have got on his back during games. The fact City have had the confidence to blood him at such a young age can only be a good thing for young Joe’s career and he is predicted to have a bright future.
DEF: Jordan Spence (West Ham Utd) 24/5/90
Captained England in the U17s World Cup in Korea, and scored against Brazil along the way in an impressive campaign. He has already proved himself a great leader who inspires others. The Hammers have a great youth setup and a terrific recent record of producing talent at Upton Park, with the likes of Michael Carrick, Jermaine Defoe, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand all coming through the ranks to become England regulars over the past few years. Spence is considered to be the best of the bunch from the club’s latest batch of promising youngsters. He will most likely soon gain experience of senior football with a loan move, with no shortage of lower league admirers looking to take him on.
DEF: Sam Hutchinson (Chelsea) 3/8/89
Eighteen year old right back Sam has impressed many of the coaching staff at Chelsea and captains the reserve side. While Jose Mourinho was at the club he spoke of Hutchinson as being a future member of the first team. He was handed his debut in the last game of last season against Everton and is currently a regular with England U19s. Plymouth Argyle attempted to loan him at the start of the season but were denied as Chelsea wanted the player to benefit from being around the first team squad. Now, with new management at Stamford Bridge, Hutchinson may be allowed to seek experience of senior football elsewhere and develop into the player Mourinho spotted last year.
MID: John Bostock (Crystal Palace) 15/1/92
A future England captain in the making, Bostock has made great strides in a very short spell of time. Despite being just 15 years old, he broke into the Crystal Palace first team last month and immediately looked comfortable at Championship level, ‘He didn’t look out of place did he’ beamed Neil Warnock. It is reported that Barcelona and Man Utd are keen to sign him but his development will be quicker at Palace for now, with vital match experience on offer. Bostock is a highly technical player, quick and is a good passer. He also likes to shoot from distance which speaks volumes for his confidence. He has already shown glimmers of his creativity when, in his first appearance as a substitute, he executed the famed Ronaldinho trick of looking one way and playing the ball the other.
MID: Henri Lansbury (Arsenal) 12/10/90
Arsene Wenger is apparently very excited about right winger Lansbury, who has been at the Gunners since he was 9 years old. This means Lansbury has known nothing but the Wenger way ever since and should be moulded into the Frenchman’s ideal type of player. Looks-wise there are shades of Rosicki or Hleb to Lansbury and his play is also similar - all one-touch pass and movement, accompanied by great ball control and vision. He made his debut in the Carling Cup last month for the last few minutes against Sheffield Utd after impressing in a key role for England U17s in Korea. He looked a little lightweight and wanted too much time on the ball in the Carling Cup, but Wenger is not one often known to get carried away, which means this boy must have something.
MID: Danny Welbeck (Man Utd) 26/11/90
Alex Ferguson has likened the tricky England U17 winger/forward Welbeck to Nwankwo Kanu for his ‘smooth and languid style’. But he is also strong, quick and hard working which is often disguised by his appearance. Welbeck possesses a box of tricks to accompany his technique and it will do him no harm to be training everyday alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Ryan Giggs. There is rumoured to be a new crop of talented youngsters about to emerge all at once, as seems to be the trend at Old Trafford. First it was Giggs, Scholes, Beckham and the Nevilles. Now Welbeck leads the new generation, from Lee Martin, Frazer Richardson and Febian Brandy. Welbeck is destined for the top.
MID: David Amoo (Liverpool) 23/4/91
Amoo has been lighting up LiverpoolTV with his forceful performances for the academy sides, scoring some spectacular long range goals and running opposition defences ragged. A first year scholar signed from Millwall, Amoo is powerfully built for his age and has the ability to run at pace with the ball. Academy director John Owens describes him, ‘David is a tall, fast striker who’s always looking to use his pace to get behind defenders. He’s always willing to have a crack at goal.’ Amoo can play on the wing or upfront and at 16 years of age, there is plenty of time for him to improve on his raw ability. From what I personally have seen of him, he should turn into a seriously good player.
STR: Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 16/3/89
By 2018 Theo will be 29, which is a strange thought. To make it as world class much will depend on how he develops the physical side to his game, that aside he has all the attributes required to step into role model Thierry Henry’s shoes; blistering pace, good touch and a calm finish (which he showed twice against Slavia Prague recently).Theo is the boy Arsenal fans so desperately want to succeed, he hints in fits and bursts at his immense ability and potential and they are desperate for Arsene Wenger’s expensive outlay to be proved another example of excellent talent spotting. He should become the natural replacement for the similarly-styled Michael Owen in the England team.
STR: James Vaughan (Everton) 14/7/88
Vaughan will hope his ‘fox-in-the-box’ tag will lead to a distinctly better career than fate had in stall for former Toffees striker Francis Jeffers. And the early indications are good. A natural predator, with sudden acceleration and great awareness of his position from goal, he is the type of player Everton fans have been waiting to see since the days of Gary Linekar. Injury has restricted him this season in a campaign where, if he is to progress, he will hope to play more regularly. He regained fitness of late, making a scoring return to the first team against Birmingham at the start of November (his 6th in 20 games for the club). Vaughan became the clubs youngest ever goal scorer in April 2005 at 16 and 271 days and he has not looked back since. However he is far from the finished article at present, his passing and protection of possession could be better. With Yakubu around he has the chance to learn from real quality and develop to a higher level.
Subs:
Jason Steele (Middlesbrough)
Scott Sinclair (Chelsea)
Victor Moses (Crystal Palace)
Marc Randall (Arsenal)
Daniel Gosling (Plymouth Argyle)
- A player caught your eye who you think could be a future England star? Not in this selection? Maybe you disagree with the line-up? Leave a comment, & your views
Tuesday 6 November 2007
The Sack Race
Chris Hutchings yesterday became the latest in a rapidly growing list of Premiership managers to lose his job, as Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan sacked him after 6 successive defeats in the league. After a tentative start the managerial merry-go-round is now up to breakneck speed. So far 4 have gone, Jose Mourinho, Martin Jol, Sammy Lee and now Hutchings. This figure could soon rise to 5 or 6 though if the disgruntled murmurings are to be believed at Newcastle Utd and Middlesbrough. Graeme Souness has been touted as the current front runner to succeed Hutchings at Wigan, followed by Stuart Pearce and surprisingly ex-Wigan boss Paul Jewell.
Wigan started the season well but the frailty of the squad was exposed when Emile Heskey got injured and Hutchings could not replace the firepower of the resurgent forward. Influential midfielder Antonio Valencia has also been unavailable for much of the season and the club’s failure to score goals probably sealed his fate. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan deemed 6 losses in a row unacceptable. Even at this stage of the season relegation worries were beginning to emerge and fresh impetus was needed. It is difficult not to feel sorry for Hutchings. Never the most glamorous choice of manager, he was a hard worker and installed this ethic into his team, although he never enjoyed the reassurance of the fans full affection. Most people in Wigan were disappointed about Paul Jewell’s departure and their appreciation for what he did at the club is still present and he is the fans choice for a return to the JJB. It would be a strange turn around though for Jewell to take up the reigns again after not long ago citing that he had become disillusioned with life and wanted a break.
The Suitors
The Guardian believes Graeme Souness leads the candidates for the Wigan job but, like Bolton last month, the fact he is a well known personality and has been out of the game for several months, seemingly defaults his presence in managerial shortlists. Some believe Souness is holding out for the Republic of Ireland job. Stuart Pearce is also a perennial contender in these lists. The media believe the England U21 job is not enough for him and that he is using it as a stepping stone as he waits for a good offer. This is despite there being no indication, verbally or otherwise from Pearce that he is not content with his current role.
More heads will roll
If Pearce is waiting for the right job to appear there may be a few options available to him in the near future. Following Newcastle Utd’s 4-1 thrashing at home by Portsmouth there are rumours Sam Allardyce’s position has become precarious. This is a job Pearce, a former Newcastle player, would surely relish although his managerial record would not make him favourite. Newcastle have rubbished the speculation, Magpie’s chairman Chris Mort said, ‘This kind of story does not merit a response; it is ludicrous’. For now this is the board’s standing but they and the fans will not tolerate too many defensive performances like Saturday’s from the hapless Cacapa and co.
Meanwhile Gareth Southgate is walking a proverbial tightrope at Middlesbrough. A creditable draw against Juande Ramos’ Spurs, thanks to a Luke Young wonder goal may have kept him his job for a little while longer. Before that game Boro had lost 5 on the spin and they are struggling this season just a point above the relegation zone. Boro look lightweight upfront following the summer sales of Yakubu and Mark Viduka. Sanli Tuncay has taken a while to settle and Jeremie Aliadiere and Mido have lacked the quality of their predecessors. Boro are enduring the dangerous situation of playing good, attractive football but not getting results. Southgate will not change his tactics though, ‘the beliefs I have mean that the manner on which we play has to stay.’ William Hill has Southgate at 7-2 to go.
Whoever gets the Wigan job will face a difficult task this season, both in keeping the club in the division and holding onto their job. But who will go next? Derby’s Billy Davies, the hide-away Steve Bruce at Birmingham? Now that the sack race has really got going, expect more casualties to fall as Premiership chairmen become increasingly nervous about maintaining league status and meeting fan expectations. For many it will be merely a case of when and who.
Wigan started the season well but the frailty of the squad was exposed when Emile Heskey got injured and Hutchings could not replace the firepower of the resurgent forward. Influential midfielder Antonio Valencia has also been unavailable for much of the season and the club’s failure to score goals probably sealed his fate. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan deemed 6 losses in a row unacceptable. Even at this stage of the season relegation worries were beginning to emerge and fresh impetus was needed. It is difficult not to feel sorry for Hutchings. Never the most glamorous choice of manager, he was a hard worker and installed this ethic into his team, although he never enjoyed the reassurance of the fans full affection. Most people in Wigan were disappointed about Paul Jewell’s departure and their appreciation for what he did at the club is still present and he is the fans choice for a return to the JJB. It would be a strange turn around though for Jewell to take up the reigns again after not long ago citing that he had become disillusioned with life and wanted a break.
The Suitors
The Guardian believes Graeme Souness leads the candidates for the Wigan job but, like Bolton last month, the fact he is a well known personality and has been out of the game for several months, seemingly defaults his presence in managerial shortlists. Some believe Souness is holding out for the Republic of Ireland job. Stuart Pearce is also a perennial contender in these lists. The media believe the England U21 job is not enough for him and that he is using it as a stepping stone as he waits for a good offer. This is despite there being no indication, verbally or otherwise from Pearce that he is not content with his current role.
More heads will roll
If Pearce is waiting for the right job to appear there may be a few options available to him in the near future. Following Newcastle Utd’s 4-1 thrashing at home by Portsmouth there are rumours Sam Allardyce’s position has become precarious. This is a job Pearce, a former Newcastle player, would surely relish although his managerial record would not make him favourite. Newcastle have rubbished the speculation, Magpie’s chairman Chris Mort said, ‘This kind of story does not merit a response; it is ludicrous’. For now this is the board’s standing but they and the fans will not tolerate too many defensive performances like Saturday’s from the hapless Cacapa and co.
Meanwhile Gareth Southgate is walking a proverbial tightrope at Middlesbrough. A creditable draw against Juande Ramos’ Spurs, thanks to a Luke Young wonder goal may have kept him his job for a little while longer. Before that game Boro had lost 5 on the spin and they are struggling this season just a point above the relegation zone. Boro look lightweight upfront following the summer sales of Yakubu and Mark Viduka. Sanli Tuncay has taken a while to settle and Jeremie Aliadiere and Mido have lacked the quality of their predecessors. Boro are enduring the dangerous situation of playing good, attractive football but not getting results. Southgate will not change his tactics though, ‘the beliefs I have mean that the manner on which we play has to stay.’ William Hill has Southgate at 7-2 to go.
Whoever gets the Wigan job will face a difficult task this season, both in keeping the club in the division and holding onto their job. But who will go next? Derby’s Billy Davies, the hide-away Steve Bruce at Birmingham? Now that the sack race has really got going, expect more casualties to fall as Premiership chairmen become increasingly nervous about maintaining league status and meeting fan expectations. For many it will be merely a case of when and who.
Monday 5 November 2007
Platini Pesters the Pack
Michel Platini, FIFA’s golden boy is fast becoming a dislikeable chap since landing the role of top dog at UEFA. First his plans to give Champions League places to domestic cup winners instead of the next highest league-placed teams was strongly opposed by Europe’s leading clubs and then he angered his French counterpart Arsene Wenger when he criticised the Arsenal manager’s policy of buying young players. Not long in the job and Platini is already ruffling more than a few feathers of the football world.
Champions League re-jig
Platini plans to increase the number of league champions from mid-size countries in the group stage of the Champions League, which would mean that the number of clubs qualifying from the ‘big 6’ European leagues would have to be reduced. The new UEFA President feels this is the best and fairest way of improving the standard of football across Europe. In the short term the introduction of weaker nation teams would produce a competition of a lesser spectacle for the viewing public as quality is reduced, viewing figures would go down, along with revenue and prize money. Also many teams that rely on qualifying via 2nd, 3rd or 4th place would suddenly be faced with radically diminished budgets for transfers and wages. In the long term, Platini hopes that these weaker teams would soon become stronger from the benefit of the financial gains of the Champions League. Teams from nations like Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland etc. could then be fully competitive and also draw in more viewers from the respective countries.
In Platini’s vision for the Champions League there would be a play-off between 16 winners of the domestic cups, with 4 progressing the group stage. The re-design will mean more effort and respect will be afforded to domestic cups and give chanced for smaller clubs to catch up financially with the annual league winners and European campaigners. This is something that has often been called for in England, where tradition was that the FA Cup was the greatest prize, but has now lost some of its value because there is less financial incentive. Man Utd summed up its diminishing value when they decided not to take part in 2000 in order to participate in the World Club Championship. The plans will be discussed further on November 12th but G14 chief executive Thomas Kurth spoke for the leading European clubs, ‘We are not in favour of a boycott or breakaway, but the clubs are not happy with the changes put forward and we want to be listened to.’
Leave those kids alone
Having managed to turn many of Europe’s biggest sides against him, Platini warmed to his antagonising theme and decided to pick out another aspect of the modern game he felt should change. Despite having a reputation as being one of Europe’s greatest developer’s of young talent, Platini strongly criticised Arsene Wenger’s policy of buying young players. Throughout his career Wenger’s strongest managerial policy has been his ability to turn raw talent into world class performers. Platini though believes it is bad for the future of the game and will only swell the divide between the successful clubs and the rest. ‘I do not like the system of Arsene Wenger. I don’t like that. If the best clubs but the best 15 or 16 players, then it is finished for all the clubs in Europe. If my son is playing at Millwall and at 16 Manchester Utd come in for this player, then when will Millwall have a good team?’ What Platini does not account for is that many players desperately want to sign for the top clubs, big clubs have the best facilities to help fulfil potential, and also Wenger is not the first and won’t be the last to do such a thing.
Major clubs have always had people scouring the land for the best young talent and often sign them from the smaller clubs. It only comes to Platini’s attention now because Arsenal are playing very well in England and Europe with a young team plucked from around Europe at a young age. You can see Platini’s point but ultimately it is an individual player’s choice as to where he wants to develop his career. If, like he says, his son played for Millwall, then he may never progress into the quality of player which a bigger club’s facilities and coaching could provide for. Also players all develop at varying levels, especially when they are young and still growing. It is just as conceivable that an average player develops into a good player by the time he is in his early 20s as it is for a player with immense potential not to live up to his promise. Gabriel Agbonlahor at Aston Villa was not talked about as being a future England star until this season, and he is now 20. Similarly, when Jermaine Pennant was signed by Arsenal in 1999, carrying a price tag of £2million for a 15year old, people said he would be a massive star in the future. However his career has stalled, now aged 24, he has not become the player many expected him to.
Protection
It is obviously harsh and somewhat unfair on the clubs that occasionally lose the stars of their academy, but they can protect themselves against such swoops. It may be an idea for Platini to install some compulsive stipulations in the contracts of youth players around Europe, such as future sell-on fees, as well as appearance and trophy related payments and compensation. There could also be obligations to send that player, or others on loan between the transferring clubs involved. The fact Arsenal’s current squad comprises several players developed at the club and also have a burgeoning youth team is a credit to Wenger’s scouting team for finding players with both the mental and technical qualities required to become good players. Next time he feels like commenting on something topical he would be well advised to choose a subject that got a few friends on board first.
Play nice Platini!
Champions League re-jig
Platini plans to increase the number of league champions from mid-size countries in the group stage of the Champions League, which would mean that the number of clubs qualifying from the ‘big 6’ European leagues would have to be reduced. The new UEFA President feels this is the best and fairest way of improving the standard of football across Europe. In the short term the introduction of weaker nation teams would produce a competition of a lesser spectacle for the viewing public as quality is reduced, viewing figures would go down, along with revenue and prize money. Also many teams that rely on qualifying via 2nd, 3rd or 4th place would suddenly be faced with radically diminished budgets for transfers and wages. In the long term, Platini hopes that these weaker teams would soon become stronger from the benefit of the financial gains of the Champions League. Teams from nations like Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland etc. could then be fully competitive and also draw in more viewers from the respective countries.
In Platini’s vision for the Champions League there would be a play-off between 16 winners of the domestic cups, with 4 progressing the group stage. The re-design will mean more effort and respect will be afforded to domestic cups and give chanced for smaller clubs to catch up financially with the annual league winners and European campaigners. This is something that has often been called for in England, where tradition was that the FA Cup was the greatest prize, but has now lost some of its value because there is less financial incentive. Man Utd summed up its diminishing value when they decided not to take part in 2000 in order to participate in the World Club Championship. The plans will be discussed further on November 12th but G14 chief executive Thomas Kurth spoke for the leading European clubs, ‘We are not in favour of a boycott or breakaway, but the clubs are not happy with the changes put forward and we want to be listened to.’
Leave those kids alone
Having managed to turn many of Europe’s biggest sides against him, Platini warmed to his antagonising theme and decided to pick out another aspect of the modern game he felt should change. Despite having a reputation as being one of Europe’s greatest developer’s of young talent, Platini strongly criticised Arsene Wenger’s policy of buying young players. Throughout his career Wenger’s strongest managerial policy has been his ability to turn raw talent into world class performers. Platini though believes it is bad for the future of the game and will only swell the divide between the successful clubs and the rest. ‘I do not like the system of Arsene Wenger. I don’t like that. If the best clubs but the best 15 or 16 players, then it is finished for all the clubs in Europe. If my son is playing at Millwall and at 16 Manchester Utd come in for this player, then when will Millwall have a good team?’ What Platini does not account for is that many players desperately want to sign for the top clubs, big clubs have the best facilities to help fulfil potential, and also Wenger is not the first and won’t be the last to do such a thing.
Major clubs have always had people scouring the land for the best young talent and often sign them from the smaller clubs. It only comes to Platini’s attention now because Arsenal are playing very well in England and Europe with a young team plucked from around Europe at a young age. You can see Platini’s point but ultimately it is an individual player’s choice as to where he wants to develop his career. If, like he says, his son played for Millwall, then he may never progress into the quality of player which a bigger club’s facilities and coaching could provide for. Also players all develop at varying levels, especially when they are young and still growing. It is just as conceivable that an average player develops into a good player by the time he is in his early 20s as it is for a player with immense potential not to live up to his promise. Gabriel Agbonlahor at Aston Villa was not talked about as being a future England star until this season, and he is now 20. Similarly, when Jermaine Pennant was signed by Arsenal in 1999, carrying a price tag of £2million for a 15year old, people said he would be a massive star in the future. However his career has stalled, now aged 24, he has not become the player many expected him to.
Protection
It is obviously harsh and somewhat unfair on the clubs that occasionally lose the stars of their academy, but they can protect themselves against such swoops. It may be an idea for Platini to install some compulsive stipulations in the contracts of youth players around Europe, such as future sell-on fees, as well as appearance and trophy related payments and compensation. There could also be obligations to send that player, or others on loan between the transferring clubs involved. The fact Arsenal’s current squad comprises several players developed at the club and also have a burgeoning youth team is a credit to Wenger’s scouting team for finding players with both the mental and technical qualities required to become good players. Next time he feels like commenting on something topical he would be well advised to choose a subject that got a few friends on board first.
Play nice Platini!
The Wage Debate
The debate over footballer’s wages reared its ugly head again this week after Liverpool player John Arne Riise’s payslip ended up on the internet, revealing his substantial pay packet plus numerous bonuses. Confidentiality is such that we rarely find out exactly how much Premier league stars are paid, although experts and insiders give us a rough idea as to ballpark figures. Riise’s carelessness then, sparked great excitement, surprise and also anger from some following this one-off peak into the real world of footballer wages. By the end of the week, John Terry had been lambasted by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe for taking home ‘obscene’ wages and even PM Gordon Brown had had a word to say on the matter. So, are modern footballer’s being paid too much? Not enough maybe? And should we introduce a salary cap?
A False Economy
This is not the first time wages have caused controversy within the British game, and one presumes the FA and many of those inside football will hope the interest in a tricky matter dies away, as quickly as it surfaced. Roman Abramovich’s arrival at Chelsea in 2003 spawned the dawn of a new era of lavish spending in the Premiership. At the time many were aghast, at the unrealistic fees for players and wages being paid and frustrated by the unfair advantage it gave the London club. Since then other clubs have deemed the only way to compete at this new level of finance is to sell to wealthy foreign investors, but the voices of disquiet about this new era have rumbled on. Fans and several club directors are irritated by the farcical operating costs which mean clubs like Chelsea are making substantial losses each year (last year £80 million) but are bailed out by the owners. In reality clubs like Chelsea, West Ham and Man City would go bankrupt quickly and there is no safety net to protect from the likes of Abramovich, Magnusson or Shinawatra becoming bored and the vital funds being suddenly withdrawn. Just look what happened to Leeds Utd. Flying high and enjoying European success, Leeds owners miscalculated, or rather, took a gamble on future earnings, which failed to materialise. The club’s fall from grace was sizeable and they are now penniless after spending more than they could afford. Today they are still paying the price as they play their football down in League One.
Riise Slips Up
Riise’s payslip showed that he was paid £139,634, including a £4,000 appearance bonus and Champions League-related salary increase. Riise himself was at a loss as to how the payslip had been discovered, a bewildered spokesman for his club said ‘I can assure you that John Arne Riise is not in the habit of throwing payslips out, it’s clearly been stolen and taken without his permission.’ Now, as far as I’m concerned the amount paid is not an astronomical wage for a player of Riise’s talents. According to the payslip he receives a £30,000 a week basic wage and probably £1,000 per appearance bonus. For a player who is first choice, a regular international and has won the Champions League I think this is fair enough. It is also relatively peanuts compared with what many of Chelsea’s players are paid though and this provided the key point in the Sports Minister’s recent attack on football in the UK. Sutcliffe riled both Chelsea and Man Utd when he accused them of pricing out supporters, running unsustainable businesses and he singled out John Terry among others as being paid ‘obscene’ amounts in wages. Terry is believed to take home £135,000 a week, while Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard also take well over £100,000. Several Man Utd players earn around the same mark, including Wayne Rooney (£110,000) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£119,000). Is this justifiable for what they do?
Avram Grant thinks so and launched a vigorous defence of his captain upon reading the comments by Sutcliffe, ‘He did not choose the right person and he did not choose the right issue.’ Grant fumed. ‘I don’t know why these people talk about footballers, why not tennis or NBA players? They earn a lot of money too. And what about singers, nobody talks about them. They get more money for one hour than footballers get for one year.’ His comments were also supported by Sven Goran Eriksson, who felt footballers were artists and should be paid similarly, ‘You have to see a footballer today like an artist, someone who can move you with their performance…I think it is only fair that players earn god money as they are finished by the time they are 35.’ This sounds, as you’d expect, as though Grant and Eriksson are protecting football and themselves as much as they are John Terry. Particularly as Eriksson received such a generous wage when in charge of England and Grant may be planning fresh investments come January. Those within the game are enjoying the fruits of their labour at present, as football has become the most popular and therefore wealthy sport in the world. Compared with other wealthy sports, the wages would not seem so ‘obscene’.
Impressive though it was, Sutcliffe was forced to revise several of his claims made against Chelsea and Man Utd in his report. Coming, as they did, only hours after the government had leant its support to England’s 2018 World Cup bid, Sutcliffe’s findings irritated Gordon Brown. A spokesman for the PM said, ‘With hindsight, Gerry Sutcliffe might have put things differently.’ Contrary to Sutcliffe’s statement, Man Utd cannot be accused of running an unsustainable business, as their mass worldwide appeal guarantees them the required income. However, simply because Man Utd can afford the wages, does it make it right? On the one had if Alex Ferguson does not pay Rooney and Ronaldo what they want, then someone else will do and why should he risk losing them. However, Man Utd’s attempts to stay on top of a mounting wage bill may explain why season tickets at Man Utd are continuing to rise. Sutcliffe’s findings stated, ‘Manchester Utd increased their season ticket prices by 13% and said fans have automatically to buy European and Carling Cup games as well, and that costs an extra £200. That’s taking the game away from the ordinary grass-roots supporter’. For his efforts Sutcliffe appears not to have much support, accrued possibly to an error in the timing of his outburst. His comments though, if slightly muddled, are designed with the interests of the supporter and the future of the game at heart.
The Cap Crusade
Football is a huge industry these days, Sky Sports and Setanta has dramatically increased commercial opportunities, but has also driven a rise in the quality of player performance and pressure on individuals to succeed - this deserves financial recognition. If player wages did not increase in conjunction with the growth of the sport excess money would go elsewhere, probably to directors and businessmen behind the scenes. This is where the often-mentioned salary cap idea would have to be carefully constructed to protect against the potential for particular parties to either significantly gain, or lose out more than others under such a stipulation. For me a salary cap negotiated with the chairmen of the league clubs and the FA would provide a structure to guard against over-the-top payments, keep order and discipline and distribute players and finances more evenly across the game. Some will feel that it is a retrospective step, especially considering that Jimmy Hill and co fought to get rid of the wage ceiling nearly 40 years ago. If fairly managed though, and allowed room to fluctuate and deviate in accordance with inflation then it could be a viable option. Mandatory investments could be made from clubs’ available excess cash-flow, going into youth developments, training and stadium facilities and club-led community schemes. An excess of funds freed up from salary capping may also drive down the need for such high ticket and season ticket prices, highlighted in Sutcliffe’s report. The Sports Minister, after checking his facts, found that Man Utd had driven up season ticket prices by 10.87% from last year.
Could it be time for the Premiership to win its first cap?
A False Economy
This is not the first time wages have caused controversy within the British game, and one presumes the FA and many of those inside football will hope the interest in a tricky matter dies away, as quickly as it surfaced. Roman Abramovich’s arrival at Chelsea in 2003 spawned the dawn of a new era of lavish spending in the Premiership. At the time many were aghast, at the unrealistic fees for players and wages being paid and frustrated by the unfair advantage it gave the London club. Since then other clubs have deemed the only way to compete at this new level of finance is to sell to wealthy foreign investors, but the voices of disquiet about this new era have rumbled on. Fans and several club directors are irritated by the farcical operating costs which mean clubs like Chelsea are making substantial losses each year (last year £80 million) but are bailed out by the owners. In reality clubs like Chelsea, West Ham and Man City would go bankrupt quickly and there is no safety net to protect from the likes of Abramovich, Magnusson or Shinawatra becoming bored and the vital funds being suddenly withdrawn. Just look what happened to Leeds Utd. Flying high and enjoying European success, Leeds owners miscalculated, or rather, took a gamble on future earnings, which failed to materialise. The club’s fall from grace was sizeable and they are now penniless after spending more than they could afford. Today they are still paying the price as they play their football down in League One.
Riise Slips Up
Riise’s payslip showed that he was paid £139,634, including a £4,000 appearance bonus and Champions League-related salary increase. Riise himself was at a loss as to how the payslip had been discovered, a bewildered spokesman for his club said ‘I can assure you that John Arne Riise is not in the habit of throwing payslips out, it’s clearly been stolen and taken without his permission.’ Now, as far as I’m concerned the amount paid is not an astronomical wage for a player of Riise’s talents. According to the payslip he receives a £30,000 a week basic wage and probably £1,000 per appearance bonus. For a player who is first choice, a regular international and has won the Champions League I think this is fair enough. It is also relatively peanuts compared with what many of Chelsea’s players are paid though and this provided the key point in the Sports Minister’s recent attack on football in the UK. Sutcliffe riled both Chelsea and Man Utd when he accused them of pricing out supporters, running unsustainable businesses and he singled out John Terry among others as being paid ‘obscene’ amounts in wages. Terry is believed to take home £135,000 a week, while Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard also take well over £100,000. Several Man Utd players earn around the same mark, including Wayne Rooney (£110,000) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£119,000). Is this justifiable for what they do?
Avram Grant thinks so and launched a vigorous defence of his captain upon reading the comments by Sutcliffe, ‘He did not choose the right person and he did not choose the right issue.’ Grant fumed. ‘I don’t know why these people talk about footballers, why not tennis or NBA players? They earn a lot of money too. And what about singers, nobody talks about them. They get more money for one hour than footballers get for one year.’ His comments were also supported by Sven Goran Eriksson, who felt footballers were artists and should be paid similarly, ‘You have to see a footballer today like an artist, someone who can move you with their performance…I think it is only fair that players earn god money as they are finished by the time they are 35.’ This sounds, as you’d expect, as though Grant and Eriksson are protecting football and themselves as much as they are John Terry. Particularly as Eriksson received such a generous wage when in charge of England and Grant may be planning fresh investments come January. Those within the game are enjoying the fruits of their labour at present, as football has become the most popular and therefore wealthy sport in the world. Compared with other wealthy sports, the wages would not seem so ‘obscene’.
Impressive though it was, Sutcliffe was forced to revise several of his claims made against Chelsea and Man Utd in his report. Coming, as they did, only hours after the government had leant its support to England’s 2018 World Cup bid, Sutcliffe’s findings irritated Gordon Brown. A spokesman for the PM said, ‘With hindsight, Gerry Sutcliffe might have put things differently.’ Contrary to Sutcliffe’s statement, Man Utd cannot be accused of running an unsustainable business, as their mass worldwide appeal guarantees them the required income. However, simply because Man Utd can afford the wages, does it make it right? On the one had if Alex Ferguson does not pay Rooney and Ronaldo what they want, then someone else will do and why should he risk losing them. However, Man Utd’s attempts to stay on top of a mounting wage bill may explain why season tickets at Man Utd are continuing to rise. Sutcliffe’s findings stated, ‘Manchester Utd increased their season ticket prices by 13% and said fans have automatically to buy European and Carling Cup games as well, and that costs an extra £200. That’s taking the game away from the ordinary grass-roots supporter’. For his efforts Sutcliffe appears not to have much support, accrued possibly to an error in the timing of his outburst. His comments though, if slightly muddled, are designed with the interests of the supporter and the future of the game at heart.
The Cap Crusade
Football is a huge industry these days, Sky Sports and Setanta has dramatically increased commercial opportunities, but has also driven a rise in the quality of player performance and pressure on individuals to succeed - this deserves financial recognition. If player wages did not increase in conjunction with the growth of the sport excess money would go elsewhere, probably to directors and businessmen behind the scenes. This is where the often-mentioned salary cap idea would have to be carefully constructed to protect against the potential for particular parties to either significantly gain, or lose out more than others under such a stipulation. For me a salary cap negotiated with the chairmen of the league clubs and the FA would provide a structure to guard against over-the-top payments, keep order and discipline and distribute players and finances more evenly across the game. Some will feel that it is a retrospective step, especially considering that Jimmy Hill and co fought to get rid of the wage ceiling nearly 40 years ago. If fairly managed though, and allowed room to fluctuate and deviate in accordance with inflation then it could be a viable option. Mandatory investments could be made from clubs’ available excess cash-flow, going into youth developments, training and stadium facilities and club-led community schemes. An excess of funds freed up from salary capping may also drive down the need for such high ticket and season ticket prices, highlighted in Sutcliffe’s report. The Sports Minister, after checking his facts, found that Man Utd had driven up season ticket prices by 10.87% from last year.
Could it be time for the Premiership to win its first cap?
Monday 29 October 2007
Hughes has the Midas Touch
Blackburn Rovers have been quietly going about business this season, with Mark Hughes making the most from unremarkable resources. Now they are beginning to receive the attention and credit that there play has been deserving of. Currently they lie 5th in the table, level on 21 points with Chelsea but with a game in hand over the Londoners and 3rd place Man City. Indeed a win in their home game against Liverpool in next Saturday’s 5.15pm kick off could lift Rovers to 3rd.
Transfer Guile
They have lost just once this season, 1-0 to Portsmouth, and a few wise signings have given Mark Hughes real optimism for the season ahead. It is a shame that their European campaign went so disastrously awry against minnows Larissa of Greece, or they would have fancied their chances of making decent headway in the competition. With players such as Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz, Rovers have an attack to rival any in the Premiership and further a field for that matter. Stephen Warnock has proved a surprise bargain buy. A fringe player at Liverpool and rarely talked of, he has come to Ewood Park and performed very well, both going forward and in defence.
Another defensive signing, surely Hughes’ most satisfying of the lot has to be Christopher Samba, who has emerged from almost nowhere and been excellent so far this season. The six foot 3 Congolese arrived from Hertha Berlin and has settled well alongside Ryan Nelson at the back. Samba is an immense presence - tall, stocky and very strong he has taken to the Premiership like a duck to water. He is a Mark Hughes type of player through and through, and showed great bravery going in where it hurts against Chelsea, receiving a concussing kick to the head for his trouble. Great ability in the air because of his height, it makes Samba a useful asset for set pieces as well as in defence. The fans love him too, and he endeared himself no end when he scored a splendid 90th minute winner at White hart Lane for a 2-1 win.
Mehodical Approach
Hughes has built his team gradually at Rovers and he has been given the time to do so by his board and the patience is now being rewarded. When Hughes took over from Graeme Souness there was some dead wood in the squad and several ageing players past their prime (Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, etc). He saw that first he needed to tighten up the defence and made it his primary task to turn Blackburn into a tough team who were hard to beat. Robbie Savage, Andy Todd, and Ryan Nelson were the heart of this consensus and it soon began to work. When Hughes used his Welsh connections to sign Craig Bellamy they also found a regular source of goals. Rovers were inevitably tagged as a ‘rough-house’ team that bullied opponents and played little football on the deck although this was something that Hughes was prepared to put up with for the time being. Hughes appears to have a very methodical approach to management; he sets himself disciplined targets and solely focuses on them until they are achieved. With Premiership attackers cowering away from their rugged defence and midfield, he began to develop Blackburn’s creative game and focused on utilising the potential of his talented wide players.
Morten Gamst Pedersen arrived in 2004 and has now played well for a number of seasons, becoming a solid and reliable Premiership player, also occasionally providing the odd wonder goal from his left foot. But it is what Hughes has done with David Bentley that is most impressive though. Given a first team berth at Rovers that he desperately wanted at Arsenal but was never going to be permitted with the likes of Robert Pires around, Bentley’s confidence has soared. He has the capacity to bewitch the very best of players as he showed with a hat-trick against Man Utd in his first season at Ewood Park. And this season he has shown the consistency that was lacking in previous years and has finally broken into the full England squad. Bentley has such an array of tricks that he nearly always succeeds in creating the half a yard of space needed to get his crosses in, which are usually excellent. With a trustworthy and reliable target such as Santa Cruz in the box, Bentley knows just where and when to deliver the ball in. Hughes revitalised the self-belief in the winger and Bentley now often takes the opportunity to strike at goal from distance, with some success. The only slight concern with Bentley is his temperament and he is still booed by opposing fans for snubbing an England U21 call up in the summer.
Lucky Strike
It may be down to having a successful career as an attacking player that Hughes has a knack of identifying and attracting very high quality strikers to the club. In any case he has a great track record. Benni McCarthy, looking stale at Porto, proved a revelation when he arrived, much the same as Roque Santa Cruz has done so far this term. He is also carefully nurturing the development of Matt Derbyshire, using him to great effect as a substitute on many occasions but importantly keeping him hungry and not disillusioned. Derbyshire has also played very well for the England U21’s where he has a good scoring record and looks to be a natural finisher.
Blackburn Rovers now have three games which will test just how far this team have progressed and may determine the fate of their season. On Wednesday they have chance to avenge their defeat to Portsmouth when the two meet o nth e Carling Cup, before Saturday’s visit of Liverpool. After this they play Hughes’ old team Man Utd at Old Trafford where the manager will really want to impress his managerial development.
Transfer Guile
They have lost just once this season, 1-0 to Portsmouth, and a few wise signings have given Mark Hughes real optimism for the season ahead. It is a shame that their European campaign went so disastrously awry against minnows Larissa of Greece, or they would have fancied their chances of making decent headway in the competition. With players such as Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz, Rovers have an attack to rival any in the Premiership and further a field for that matter. Stephen Warnock has proved a surprise bargain buy. A fringe player at Liverpool and rarely talked of, he has come to Ewood Park and performed very well, both going forward and in defence.
Another defensive signing, surely Hughes’ most satisfying of the lot has to be Christopher Samba, who has emerged from almost nowhere and been excellent so far this season. The six foot 3 Congolese arrived from Hertha Berlin and has settled well alongside Ryan Nelson at the back. Samba is an immense presence - tall, stocky and very strong he has taken to the Premiership like a duck to water. He is a Mark Hughes type of player through and through, and showed great bravery going in where it hurts against Chelsea, receiving a concussing kick to the head for his trouble. Great ability in the air because of his height, it makes Samba a useful asset for set pieces as well as in defence. The fans love him too, and he endeared himself no end when he scored a splendid 90th minute winner at White hart Lane for a 2-1 win.
Mehodical Approach
Hughes has built his team gradually at Rovers and he has been given the time to do so by his board and the patience is now being rewarded. When Hughes took over from Graeme Souness there was some dead wood in the squad and several ageing players past their prime (Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, etc). He saw that first he needed to tighten up the defence and made it his primary task to turn Blackburn into a tough team who were hard to beat. Robbie Savage, Andy Todd, and Ryan Nelson were the heart of this consensus and it soon began to work. When Hughes used his Welsh connections to sign Craig Bellamy they also found a regular source of goals. Rovers were inevitably tagged as a ‘rough-house’ team that bullied opponents and played little football on the deck although this was something that Hughes was prepared to put up with for the time being. Hughes appears to have a very methodical approach to management; he sets himself disciplined targets and solely focuses on them until they are achieved. With Premiership attackers cowering away from their rugged defence and midfield, he began to develop Blackburn’s creative game and focused on utilising the potential of his talented wide players.
Morten Gamst Pedersen arrived in 2004 and has now played well for a number of seasons, becoming a solid and reliable Premiership player, also occasionally providing the odd wonder goal from his left foot. But it is what Hughes has done with David Bentley that is most impressive though. Given a first team berth at Rovers that he desperately wanted at Arsenal but was never going to be permitted with the likes of Robert Pires around, Bentley’s confidence has soared. He has the capacity to bewitch the very best of players as he showed with a hat-trick against Man Utd in his first season at Ewood Park. And this season he has shown the consistency that was lacking in previous years and has finally broken into the full England squad. Bentley has such an array of tricks that he nearly always succeeds in creating the half a yard of space needed to get his crosses in, which are usually excellent. With a trustworthy and reliable target such as Santa Cruz in the box, Bentley knows just where and when to deliver the ball in. Hughes revitalised the self-belief in the winger and Bentley now often takes the opportunity to strike at goal from distance, with some success. The only slight concern with Bentley is his temperament and he is still booed by opposing fans for snubbing an England U21 call up in the summer.
Lucky Strike
It may be down to having a successful career as an attacking player that Hughes has a knack of identifying and attracting very high quality strikers to the club. In any case he has a great track record. Benni McCarthy, looking stale at Porto, proved a revelation when he arrived, much the same as Roque Santa Cruz has done so far this term. He is also carefully nurturing the development of Matt Derbyshire, using him to great effect as a substitute on many occasions but importantly keeping him hungry and not disillusioned. Derbyshire has also played very well for the England U21’s where he has a good scoring record and looks to be a natural finisher.
Blackburn Rovers now have three games which will test just how far this team have progressed and may determine the fate of their season. On Wednesday they have chance to avenge their defeat to Portsmouth when the two meet o nth e Carling Cup, before Saturday’s visit of Liverpool. After this they play Hughes’ old team Man Utd at Old Trafford where the manager will really want to impress his managerial development.
Weekly Round Up
The Big Four
A busy weekend of Premiership action saw a smattering of goals and some good results for all of the big four. Chelsea suddenly sprung to life, the newly installed attacking impetus under Avram Grant’s regime appearing to take shape as they destroyed a bewildered Man City 6-0 at Stamford Bridge. Man Utd continued their habit of plundering 4 goals past opponents when, for the fourth time in successive matches they reached this target, comfortably dispatching Middlesbrough 4-1 at Old Trafford. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney’s partnership looks ever more devastating each time they play and they again both scored. Liverpool and Arsenal shared the spoils at Anfield in an entertaining 1-1 draw. Cesc Fabregas finally equalised Steven Gerrard’s 7th minute opener for Arsenal in the 80th after spurning several chances. The draw halted a run of 12 straight wins for Arsenal and also keeps Liverpool in the title race.
Midtable Mini League
Blackburn’s season continues to go from strength to strength after they snatched a 2-1 away win at struggling Tottenham. New Spurs boss Juande Ramos watched from the stand as Christopher Samba struck an unstoppable shot in the last minute to give Rovers a win that lifts them to 5th in the league. Should they win their game in hand they could go 3rd in front of Man City and Chelsea. Portsmouth might have gone 4th had they not missed a last minute penalty at home against West Ham. The final score of 0-0 was a fair reflection on the match, where Nobby Solano missed the two best chances of the match, twice fluffing headers with the goal gaping. Harry Redknapp was left fuming at the final whistle though as designated penalty taker Sulley Muntari had the ball wrestled from him by team mate Benjani. The inform striker promptly scuffed his shot tamely to the welcome arms of Robert Green and Pompey lie 7th. ‘I gave him a bollocking. Even if Benjani scored I would have given him a bollocking, he’s not meant to take the penalties. I called him a silly boy and he’s upset now.’ said Redknapp.
Gary Megson got off to a satisfying start to management at Bolton Wanderers with a creditable draw against Aston Villa. In a mini-league of mid-table clubs below the top 6 Villa have become a strong asset and Megson will be pleased with the commitment and desire shown by his new team. Nicholas Anelka opened the scoring on 22 minutes with a delightfully curled free kick, nestling just outside Stuart Taylor’s grasp in the top left corner. Megson was quick to praise his star player after the match, ‘Nicholas is a fantastic footballer. He’s a great boy and a really determined model professional.’ He will hope these kind words will help Anelka, who thrives on and constantly covets praise, to continue his great form and remain at the club until at least the end of the season. Villa got level through somewhat fortuitous circumstances when referee and linesman contradicted each other over a throw-in decision. It left Bolton out of position and Agbonlahor took full advantage, scorching down the right before cutting inside and blasting a left foot drive towards goal. The ball hit team mate Luke Moore and flew into the net more by luck than judgement.
The Six Pointers
Towards the bottom of the table two hard-fought home wins for Birmingham City 3-2 over Wigan Athletic and Reading 2-1 over Newcastle Utd helped give the clubs some much needed breathing space, and notably for Bruce, ease the tension surrounding his future. So tense and uncomfortable was Bruce, that when his side were awarded a penalty he went back into the dressing room unable to watch. Olivier Kapo converted and Bruce came straight back out in what was a bizarre display, with prospective new owner Carson Yeung looking on. His nerves were tested until the very end before Kapo scored his second of the game in the closing stages to secure the win. Wigan will feel aggrieved to have left St. Andrews with nothing after twice leading through Marcus Bent strikes. Reading recorded a decent victory over a more organized and disciplined looking Newcastle side. Dave Kitson opened the scoring with a sweet left foot effort from outside the box which gave Shay Given no chance. As the ball came into him from the left he used the direction of the ball’s roll to side foot a sweeping shot that curled away into the far top corner. For all Newcastle’s composed play and slight edge in possession they did not create many chances, with Owen again quiet for the Magpies. It took an own goal for them to draw level, Michael Duberry inadvertently flicking home a cross from the right. A piece of either tactical mastery, or strategic gambling won the day, as Steve Coppell threw on striker Shane Long for Leroy Lita, who had missed some gilt edged chances. Long jogged up field, controlled Nicky Shorey’s long free kick and lashed the ball in the roof of the net, scoring within 10 seconds of coming on.
Sunderland and Fulham shared a point each at the Stadium of Light, a result which neither would have wanted but didn’t dare lose. Kenwyne Jones equalised for Roy Keane’s men with a clever back header in the final few minutes to salvage a point for the ten men. Full back Greg Halford was sent off for the 2nd time this season early in the second half and Sunderland showed great spirit to come back, as they had trailed 1-0 to Simon Davies’ 32nd minute opener. Shaping up to deliver a cross into the box, Davies, 35 yards out, cheekily bent a shot towards the near post of the unsuspecting Craig Gordon. Gordon will not be happy to let the Welshman score from so far out and his form has been erratic of late, but Davies’ free kick was cleverly disguised. Derby County are now rock bottom of the league after succumbing to a 2-0 home defeat to Everton. The Toffees had too much quality and strength for Derby and there was only ever going to be one winner. Mikel Arteta and Yakubu scored the goals, one in each half.
A busy weekend of Premiership action saw a smattering of goals and some good results for all of the big four. Chelsea suddenly sprung to life, the newly installed attacking impetus under Avram Grant’s regime appearing to take shape as they destroyed a bewildered Man City 6-0 at Stamford Bridge. Man Utd continued their habit of plundering 4 goals past opponents when, for the fourth time in successive matches they reached this target, comfortably dispatching Middlesbrough 4-1 at Old Trafford. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney’s partnership looks ever more devastating each time they play and they again both scored. Liverpool and Arsenal shared the spoils at Anfield in an entertaining 1-1 draw. Cesc Fabregas finally equalised Steven Gerrard’s 7th minute opener for Arsenal in the 80th after spurning several chances. The draw halted a run of 12 straight wins for Arsenal and also keeps Liverpool in the title race.
Midtable Mini League
Blackburn’s season continues to go from strength to strength after they snatched a 2-1 away win at struggling Tottenham. New Spurs boss Juande Ramos watched from the stand as Christopher Samba struck an unstoppable shot in the last minute to give Rovers a win that lifts them to 5th in the league. Should they win their game in hand they could go 3rd in front of Man City and Chelsea. Portsmouth might have gone 4th had they not missed a last minute penalty at home against West Ham. The final score of 0-0 was a fair reflection on the match, where Nobby Solano missed the two best chances of the match, twice fluffing headers with the goal gaping. Harry Redknapp was left fuming at the final whistle though as designated penalty taker Sulley Muntari had the ball wrestled from him by team mate Benjani. The inform striker promptly scuffed his shot tamely to the welcome arms of Robert Green and Pompey lie 7th. ‘I gave him a bollocking. Even if Benjani scored I would have given him a bollocking, he’s not meant to take the penalties. I called him a silly boy and he’s upset now.’ said Redknapp.
Gary Megson got off to a satisfying start to management at Bolton Wanderers with a creditable draw against Aston Villa. In a mini-league of mid-table clubs below the top 6 Villa have become a strong asset and Megson will be pleased with the commitment and desire shown by his new team. Nicholas Anelka opened the scoring on 22 minutes with a delightfully curled free kick, nestling just outside Stuart Taylor’s grasp in the top left corner. Megson was quick to praise his star player after the match, ‘Nicholas is a fantastic footballer. He’s a great boy and a really determined model professional.’ He will hope these kind words will help Anelka, who thrives on and constantly covets praise, to continue his great form and remain at the club until at least the end of the season. Villa got level through somewhat fortuitous circumstances when referee and linesman contradicted each other over a throw-in decision. It left Bolton out of position and Agbonlahor took full advantage, scorching down the right before cutting inside and blasting a left foot drive towards goal. The ball hit team mate Luke Moore and flew into the net more by luck than judgement.
The Six Pointers
Towards the bottom of the table two hard-fought home wins for Birmingham City 3-2 over Wigan Athletic and Reading 2-1 over Newcastle Utd helped give the clubs some much needed breathing space, and notably for Bruce, ease the tension surrounding his future. So tense and uncomfortable was Bruce, that when his side were awarded a penalty he went back into the dressing room unable to watch. Olivier Kapo converted and Bruce came straight back out in what was a bizarre display, with prospective new owner Carson Yeung looking on. His nerves were tested until the very end before Kapo scored his second of the game in the closing stages to secure the win. Wigan will feel aggrieved to have left St. Andrews with nothing after twice leading through Marcus Bent strikes. Reading recorded a decent victory over a more organized and disciplined looking Newcastle side. Dave Kitson opened the scoring with a sweet left foot effort from outside the box which gave Shay Given no chance. As the ball came into him from the left he used the direction of the ball’s roll to side foot a sweeping shot that curled away into the far top corner. For all Newcastle’s composed play and slight edge in possession they did not create many chances, with Owen again quiet for the Magpies. It took an own goal for them to draw level, Michael Duberry inadvertently flicking home a cross from the right. A piece of either tactical mastery, or strategic gambling won the day, as Steve Coppell threw on striker Shane Long for Leroy Lita, who had missed some gilt edged chances. Long jogged up field, controlled Nicky Shorey’s long free kick and lashed the ball in the roof of the net, scoring within 10 seconds of coming on.
Sunderland and Fulham shared a point each at the Stadium of Light, a result which neither would have wanted but didn’t dare lose. Kenwyne Jones equalised for Roy Keane’s men with a clever back header in the final few minutes to salvage a point for the ten men. Full back Greg Halford was sent off for the 2nd time this season early in the second half and Sunderland showed great spirit to come back, as they had trailed 1-0 to Simon Davies’ 32nd minute opener. Shaping up to deliver a cross into the box, Davies, 35 yards out, cheekily bent a shot towards the near post of the unsuspecting Craig Gordon. Gordon will not be happy to let the Welshman score from so far out and his form has been erratic of late, but Davies’ free kick was cleverly disguised. Derby County are now rock bottom of the league after succumbing to a 2-0 home defeat to Everton. The Toffees had too much quality and strength for Derby and there was only ever going to be one winner. Mikel Arteta and Yakubu scored the goals, one in each half.
Tuesday 23 October 2007
Souness for Bolton?
Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside has drawn up a shortlist of managerial candidates to succeed the hapless Sammy Lee, including Steve Bruce, Gary Megson and Chris Coleman. The Trotters job was once a highly coveted post in England, made so by the spirited Sam Allardyce however, Gartside has struggled to bring in a successor quickly. And now a surprise leader has emerged for the role – Graeme Souness!
The Scottish aggressor, known mostly for a fiery attitude and tendency to fall out with high profile players has this week had meetings with the club. Souness has been out of management since his sacking from Newcastle Utd and not shown a desire himself, or been considered desirable, for a return to football in the intervening period. There may be sound reasoning behind Gartside’s unexpected new first choice though.
Following blocks from Real Sociedad for Chris Coleman, from Leicester City for Gary Megson and a personal rejection to the job from the sun-soaked Paul Jewell in Dubai, Souness’ potential appointment makes economical sense, as he is not under contract, requiring compensation. With a fearsome reputation, preference for dogged tenacity over stylish play and an infamous intolerance for lack of player discipline, Gartisde has a manager much in the mould of ex-boss Allardyce. With rumours of the player power struggles that ended Lee's reign, Souness would be an unstoppable force in dictating to the players exactly what role they should be inhabiting at the club - those unwilling to conform would likely pay the price and be cast aside. Souness is not credited with being the greatest tactician but he gets players fighting for the cause, engenders belief and his character is such that he visibly cannot accept defeat. These qualities have become associated with Bolton in recent years but seemed to be fading this season along with the squad’s lack of belief in Sammy Lee.
It might not be the most popular choice of manager and it represents a bit of gamble on the chairman’s behalf. Souness has proved in the past that he takes no reputation into account if he feels someone steps out of line and Phil Gartside would rather keep the influential senior players that fell out with Lee (Speed, Nolan and Campo) at the club. These three in particular are held in high regard by the rest of the squad and viewed as role models by the youngsters. To be ruthless with them could create a heavier divide, although if change is to happen and the club move forward to a new chapter then perhaps it should be done – short term pain but long term gain.
In any case an appointment is yet to be made and with Steve Bruce’s future in the balance at Birmingham City amid takeover speculation, a new favourite might emerge as easily as Souness has done. Bolton, who lie 20th in the table, will want the situation to be resolved quickly though.
The Scottish aggressor, known mostly for a fiery attitude and tendency to fall out with high profile players has this week had meetings with the club. Souness has been out of management since his sacking from Newcastle Utd and not shown a desire himself, or been considered desirable, for a return to football in the intervening period. There may be sound reasoning behind Gartside’s unexpected new first choice though.
Following blocks from Real Sociedad for Chris Coleman, from Leicester City for Gary Megson and a personal rejection to the job from the sun-soaked Paul Jewell in Dubai, Souness’ potential appointment makes economical sense, as he is not under contract, requiring compensation. With a fearsome reputation, preference for dogged tenacity over stylish play and an infamous intolerance for lack of player discipline, Gartisde has a manager much in the mould of ex-boss Allardyce. With rumours of the player power struggles that ended Lee's reign, Souness would be an unstoppable force in dictating to the players exactly what role they should be inhabiting at the club - those unwilling to conform would likely pay the price and be cast aside. Souness is not credited with being the greatest tactician but he gets players fighting for the cause, engenders belief and his character is such that he visibly cannot accept defeat. These qualities have become associated with Bolton in recent years but seemed to be fading this season along with the squad’s lack of belief in Sammy Lee.
It might not be the most popular choice of manager and it represents a bit of gamble on the chairman’s behalf. Souness has proved in the past that he takes no reputation into account if he feels someone steps out of line and Phil Gartside would rather keep the influential senior players that fell out with Lee (Speed, Nolan and Campo) at the club. These three in particular are held in high regard by the rest of the squad and viewed as role models by the youngsters. To be ruthless with them could create a heavier divide, although if change is to happen and the club move forward to a new chapter then perhaps it should be done – short term pain but long term gain.
In any case an appointment is yet to be made and with Steve Bruce’s future in the balance at Birmingham City amid takeover speculation, a new favourite might emerge as easily as Souness has done. Bolton, who lie 20th in the table, will want the situation to be resolved quickly though.
Monday 22 October 2007
New Videos!!
Check out the new videos of the week on the left side of this page!
Look out for the hilarious Man Utd song and the equally bias pro-Arsenal video balancing out the favourtisim.
Also have a look at Blackburn Rover's in form David Bentley as he features in the bottom left video.
Look out for the hilarious Man Utd song and the equally bias pro-Arsenal video balancing out the favourtisim.
Also have a look at Blackburn Rover's in form David Bentley as he features in the bottom left video.
Premiership Round Up
The Premiership campaign resumed once again this weekend, greeted with welcome relief one would expect from most players, after another forgettable international break for the home nations. And it was business as usual for the top 4 clubs who all won, although at present Man Utd and Arsenal look to be steadily and ruthlessly setting up a two horse charge for the title. Arsenal have now won 11 on the spin in all competitions, while Utd have won 10 from their last 11, the Carling Cup blip against Coventry seems merely to have stoked the fires at Old Trafford. Man City kept pace with a hard fought 1-0 win over Birmingham with that man Elano again proving the match winner. City will be tested more sternly however when they meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next weekend. Liverpool remain just within striking distance as they narrowly and controversially turned a draw into a much needed win over rivals Everton at Goodison Park. With passion, panic and perspiration aplenty at Goodison, Everton were eventually reduced to 10 men. Tony Hibbert committing a professional foul on Steven Gerrard leading to a penalty, before Phil Neville stopped a goal-bound effort with his hand to give Liverpool the match winning spot-kick. The final score was 2-1, following Sami Hyypia’s opening own-goal disaster.
Everton fury as Reds steal points
Although still unbeaten in the league this season, early signs are that Liverpool may struggle to stand the rip-roaring pace set at the top of the table. The Reds got 3 points on Saturday but only just, and from a game they were expected to win, especially after the Everton dismissals. In fact things could have been very different had Everton been given a penalty for a blatant foul in stoppage time. Jamie Carragher wrenched Joleon Lescott down from behind, seen by all inside Goodison Park but with the referee Mark Clattenberg standing only 10 yards away, he waved play on. Clattenberg did not have a good game, failing to give a penalty for an earlier foul on Lescott as well as preparing a yellow card for Hibbert’s foul, before Gerrard had a persuasive word and the card changed to red. Crucial decisions were going Liverpool’s way, much to the animated fury of David Moyes on the touchline. Benitez though could yet have salvaged something for Everton with a momentous gamble which horrified the fans and commentators alike. Perhaps all those strawberry sweets were going to his head, as well as his ridiculous looking tongue, when he decided to hauled his captain off after 70 minutes. He later justified the sub, ‘We had a player with passion when we needed to pass and control the ball.’ Benitez was lucky it came off, Gerrard’s passion had recently seen him run the length of the field to earn a penalty and is surely a more accomplished passer of the ball than Mo Sissoko.
The Underrated Underdogs
Lastly, praise must go to 5th placed Portsmouth and 6th Blackburn. Relatively unnoticed, despite some spectacular results, uncluding 7 goals pundered against Reading, Pompey have been getting on with business collecting 5 straight wins in all competitions. Through a little injection of funds Harry Redknapp has constructed a strong, tough and energetic side at Fratton Park that are hard to beat. Summer imports have gelled quickly and their is an immese sense of strength and power throughout the side; from Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin at the back, Sulley Muntari and Papa Diop in midfied and John Utaka and Bnejani in attack. In a word -awesome. They are a very hard working team, with pace and guile to compliment the evident brute force and are fully deserving of their high placing in the league table.
Blackburn are another club who have built from the foundations of being an uncompromising, tough team who fought hard, into a strong Premiership side. It is a reputaion the club was keen to get rid of and this season Rovers have showed they can play very attractive football indeed. Mark Hughes has proved in his short time at Blackburn that he has a nack for finding and attracting real quality strikers to the club. Benni McCarthy, and particularly Roque Santa Cruz, would walk into any team in the Premiership in my opinion and have already formed a good understanding. The midfield possesses a good deal of flair too, which is often overlooked as far as Blackburn are concerned and David Bentley's form has been excellent. Bentley was mentored at Arsenal by Dennis Bergkamp, who had high praise for the youngster. After a few glimpses of his ability, this season is proving to be the curtain raiser for a stage on which Bentley has long been set to shine. He has all the attributes required to be a fan favourite; a box of tricks, long range capabilities and excellent crossing. A regular England chance can't be too far away either.
Everton fury as Reds steal points
Although still unbeaten in the league this season, early signs are that Liverpool may struggle to stand the rip-roaring pace set at the top of the table. The Reds got 3 points on Saturday but only just, and from a game they were expected to win, especially after the Everton dismissals. In fact things could have been very different had Everton been given a penalty for a blatant foul in stoppage time. Jamie Carragher wrenched Joleon Lescott down from behind, seen by all inside Goodison Park but with the referee Mark Clattenberg standing only 10 yards away, he waved play on. Clattenberg did not have a good game, failing to give a penalty for an earlier foul on Lescott as well as preparing a yellow card for Hibbert’s foul, before Gerrard had a persuasive word and the card changed to red. Crucial decisions were going Liverpool’s way, much to the animated fury of David Moyes on the touchline. Benitez though could yet have salvaged something for Everton with a momentous gamble which horrified the fans and commentators alike. Perhaps all those strawberry sweets were going to his head, as well as his ridiculous looking tongue, when he decided to hauled his captain off after 70 minutes. He later justified the sub, ‘We had a player with passion when we needed to pass and control the ball.’ Benitez was lucky it came off, Gerrard’s passion had recently seen him run the length of the field to earn a penalty and is surely a more accomplished passer of the ball than Mo Sissoko.
The Underrated Underdogs
Lastly, praise must go to 5th placed Portsmouth and 6th Blackburn. Relatively unnoticed, despite some spectacular results, uncluding 7 goals pundered against Reading, Pompey have been getting on with business collecting 5 straight wins in all competitions. Through a little injection of funds Harry Redknapp has constructed a strong, tough and energetic side at Fratton Park that are hard to beat. Summer imports have gelled quickly and their is an immese sense of strength and power throughout the side; from Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin at the back, Sulley Muntari and Papa Diop in midfied and John Utaka and Bnejani in attack. In a word -awesome. They are a very hard working team, with pace and guile to compliment the evident brute force and are fully deserving of their high placing in the league table.
Blackburn are another club who have built from the foundations of being an uncompromising, tough team who fought hard, into a strong Premiership side. It is a reputaion the club was keen to get rid of and this season Rovers have showed they can play very attractive football indeed. Mark Hughes has proved in his short time at Blackburn that he has a nack for finding and attracting real quality strikers to the club. Benni McCarthy, and particularly Roque Santa Cruz, would walk into any team in the Premiership in my opinion and have already formed a good understanding. The midfield possesses a good deal of flair too, which is often overlooked as far as Blackburn are concerned and David Bentley's form has been excellent. Bentley was mentored at Arsenal by Dennis Bergkamp, who had high praise for the youngster. After a few glimpses of his ability, this season is proving to be the curtain raiser for a stage on which Bentley has long been set to shine. He has all the attributes required to be a fan favourite; a box of tricks, long range capabilities and excellent crossing. A regular England chance can't be too far away either.
Arsenal v Man Utd Preview
Much of the early season plaudits have been going to Arsenal, and rightly so after taking 25 points from 27. However, for me the most dangerous team of the moment is Man Utd who are tearing side’s apart of late; the partnership of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez is becoming lethal and is mesmerizing for both defenders and fans. Utd have now found the way to regular goals after a few low scoring games early on, combine this with a defence that has leaked just 3 all season and everything is in place for Alex Fergsuon to launch his title challenge. Arsenal have added resilience and grit to their easy on the eye approach play, showing at times the skills needed to grind out results when their aesthetically pleasing intentions fail to come off. Both sides showing this kind of form bodes well for a fantastic earlier season clash at the Emirates Stadium on November 3rd.
Utd
For Utd, and worryingly for Arsenal and the rest of the Premiership, Wayne Rooney has returned to the exquisite form that led many to view him as one of the world’s best. Confidence always plays a significant part in a footballer’s life and Rooney has had a much-needed injection of it. Buoyed on by his stunning volley against Croatia, Rooney tore into Villa with little restraint, taking two neatly finished goals and setting up another. He could have had a hat-trick too were it not for a great penalty save from Stuart Taylor. When he is on the top of his game there is no stopping Rooney, he possesses great pace and power, which he used to create his penalty chance - Wilfred Bouma out-muscled and out-paced with ease. His best attributes though are the finesse and subtlety he shows around the edge of the box and it is these qualities that mark him out as a cut above your everyday player. He and Tevez now look to be on the same wavelength. On Saturday time and again they played one-twos, dummies and feints, wreaking havoc in Villa’s defence, both players constantly first looking for their strike partner in front of other team mates. Consistency has been a problem for Rooney and he has endured spells where he finds goals difficult to come by and this has meant he hasn’t been given the recognition by the wider world as to how good a player we in England know he is capable of being.
Indeed before Estonia Rooney conceded, 'If Emile was fit the manager would have had a difficult choice to make, I'm sure of that.' Another reason for his occasional shortage of goals is a preference to drop deep into midfield to help build attacks. For Rooney there is equal pleasure in creating a goal as there is scoring it himself. When he does find the net it usually brings about a flurry of goals in the following games, in October for example, he has bagged 6 in 5 games. There is a similarity in all this to the way Carlos Tevez operates, dropping off, slight inconsistency mixed with electrifying displays. However when they are both firing then you put up the barricades and hope for the best, as Villa found to their cost.
Gunners
Arsenal’s barricades refused to be breached by Bolton on Saturday as the Gunners notched up their 10th clean sheet in all competitions this season. They will need similar sturdiness when the top two sides meet in a fortnight’s time and will be pleased by the successful return of captain William Gallas. For all Arsenal’s early season dominance, they have yet to be sufficiently tested and have not met with any of the big sides this season. Tottenham away was Arsenal’s most impressive result (3-1) but their rivals have been far from their best this season. Importantly Arsenal have showed ruthlessness in gaining maximum points from weaker sides in the division that was missing over the last season or two though, and this may become more notable towards the end of the campaign. Arsene Wenger’s side can only beat teams laid before him and they have carried domestic form into Europe with efficient wins over Steaua Bucharest and Sevilla. The real value of Arsenal’s challenge on the Premier League title will be become clearer from the results of their next few games. After Sparta Prague on Tuesday they travel to Liverpool next weekend while Man Utd are at home to Middlesbrough and these results could set the mood for their clash the following week, 'If we get over these two hurdles we'll be very confidenta bout dealing with Man Utd.' Wenger said.
Arsenal have slight injury concerns too, striker Robin van Persie returned from international duty with a jarred knee and will be out for 3-4 weeks. Van Persie has been in scintillating form this season and he more than any, has sought about claiming Thierry Henry’s elevated place in the eyes of the manager and the fans. Emanuelle Adebayor will no doubt lead the line in van Persie’s absence and he has had a fine start to the season. Adebayor looks every bit like a younger, rawer Didier Drogba. He needs only to work on his composure in front of goal before he could become a great player. Wenger will expect more from new signing Eduardo who has taken a while to settle at The Emirates, despite some polished displays in Europe.
Prediction
I predict a close run battle, highly contested with many fouls breaking up the play. It promises to be a fascinating match, with inevitable talking points. I expect Adebayor to cause Rio Ferdinand many problems with his strength and power, the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Alex Hleb looking to feed off any knock downs and hold up play. Paul Scholes and Cesc Fabregas’ duel promises to be a great match up - the old pass master versus the new prodigy. Arsenal may adopt a 4-5-1 system leaving Gilberto Silva or Mathieu Flamini to sit in front of the back four to counter the deep lying Tevez or Rooney, who could be the match winner. Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy will have to be at their best to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo. Final prediction: Draw.
Utd
For Utd, and worryingly for Arsenal and the rest of the Premiership, Wayne Rooney has returned to the exquisite form that led many to view him as one of the world’s best. Confidence always plays a significant part in a footballer’s life and Rooney has had a much-needed injection of it. Buoyed on by his stunning volley against Croatia, Rooney tore into Villa with little restraint, taking two neatly finished goals and setting up another. He could have had a hat-trick too were it not for a great penalty save from Stuart Taylor. When he is on the top of his game there is no stopping Rooney, he possesses great pace and power, which he used to create his penalty chance - Wilfred Bouma out-muscled and out-paced with ease. His best attributes though are the finesse and subtlety he shows around the edge of the box and it is these qualities that mark him out as a cut above your everyday player. He and Tevez now look to be on the same wavelength. On Saturday time and again they played one-twos, dummies and feints, wreaking havoc in Villa’s defence, both players constantly first looking for their strike partner in front of other team mates. Consistency has been a problem for Rooney and he has endured spells where he finds goals difficult to come by and this has meant he hasn’t been given the recognition by the wider world as to how good a player we in England know he is capable of being.
Indeed before Estonia Rooney conceded, 'If Emile was fit the manager would have had a difficult choice to make, I'm sure of that.' Another reason for his occasional shortage of goals is a preference to drop deep into midfield to help build attacks. For Rooney there is equal pleasure in creating a goal as there is scoring it himself. When he does find the net it usually brings about a flurry of goals in the following games, in October for example, he has bagged 6 in 5 games. There is a similarity in all this to the way Carlos Tevez operates, dropping off, slight inconsistency mixed with electrifying displays. However when they are both firing then you put up the barricades and hope for the best, as Villa found to their cost.
Gunners
Arsenal’s barricades refused to be breached by Bolton on Saturday as the Gunners notched up their 10th clean sheet in all competitions this season. They will need similar sturdiness when the top two sides meet in a fortnight’s time and will be pleased by the successful return of captain William Gallas. For all Arsenal’s early season dominance, they have yet to be sufficiently tested and have not met with any of the big sides this season. Tottenham away was Arsenal’s most impressive result (3-1) but their rivals have been far from their best this season. Importantly Arsenal have showed ruthlessness in gaining maximum points from weaker sides in the division that was missing over the last season or two though, and this may become more notable towards the end of the campaign. Arsene Wenger’s side can only beat teams laid before him and they have carried domestic form into Europe with efficient wins over Steaua Bucharest and Sevilla. The real value of Arsenal’s challenge on the Premier League title will be become clearer from the results of their next few games. After Sparta Prague on Tuesday they travel to Liverpool next weekend while Man Utd are at home to Middlesbrough and these results could set the mood for their clash the following week, 'If we get over these two hurdles we'll be very confidenta bout dealing with Man Utd.' Wenger said.
Arsenal have slight injury concerns too, striker Robin van Persie returned from international duty with a jarred knee and will be out for 3-4 weeks. Van Persie has been in scintillating form this season and he more than any, has sought about claiming Thierry Henry’s elevated place in the eyes of the manager and the fans. Emanuelle Adebayor will no doubt lead the line in van Persie’s absence and he has had a fine start to the season. Adebayor looks every bit like a younger, rawer Didier Drogba. He needs only to work on his composure in front of goal before he could become a great player. Wenger will expect more from new signing Eduardo who has taken a while to settle at The Emirates, despite some polished displays in Europe.
Prediction
I predict a close run battle, highly contested with many fouls breaking up the play. It promises to be a fascinating match, with inevitable talking points. I expect Adebayor to cause Rio Ferdinand many problems with his strength and power, the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Alex Hleb looking to feed off any knock downs and hold up play. Paul Scholes and Cesc Fabregas’ duel promises to be a great match up - the old pass master versus the new prodigy. Arsenal may adopt a 4-5-1 system leaving Gilberto Silva or Mathieu Flamini to sit in front of the back four to counter the deep lying Tevez or Rooney, who could be the match winner. Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy will have to be at their best to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo. Final prediction: Draw.
Thursday 18 October 2007
England face ‘unthinkable’ Euro exit
England succumbed to a defeat this week which may end the nation’s hopes of reaching Euro 2008 after being stunned by a second half Russian comeback in Luzhniki. The 2-1 reverse leaves England second in the group on 23 points behind Croatia on 26. England will now have to hope other results go their way if they are to qualify as Croatia and third place Russia (on 21 points) have a game in hand over England. The team played well on an unfamiliar synthetic surface, particularly the restored Sol Campbell and the tireless Joe Cole as England stifled attacks, defended manfully and even took the lead with a wonderfully taken goal by Wayne Rooney thirty minutes in. For an hour England were rarely troubled and it looked as though Russia would be left struggling to qualify. However, after increased pressure on the hour mark, the panic button was hit hard and for 10 minutes England lost their composure and the ability to manage the tempo of proceedings. Substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko, who has a prolific record at the stadium, took full advantage stunning England with 2 goals in 5 minutes. England had good chances before and after Russia’s onslaught but ultimately, after the brief frantic period, the damage had been done.
In the immediate aftermath the blame was put squarely on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney and Paul Robinson. Football experts deemed that the result hinged on two errors, leading to Pavlyuchenko’s two goals, although in hindsight this represents a failure to credit Russia and their manager Guus Hiddink with the tactical praise they deserved. Russia’s first goal was a dubious penalty following a tumble from Konstantin Zyryanov. Rooney, covering for Joe Cole on the left, lost concentration for a vital few seconds and Zyryanov sped onto a pass behind the England striker. He was hauled down in a desperate attempt from Rooney to claw back the yards his mental lapse had cost. It was a legitimate foul from a forward player out of position and was foolishly committed, although replays showed the offence clearly happened outside the penalty area. It had looked a questionable decision in real-time too but there were few complaints by Rooney or the other England players even though the linesman did not flag. Instead it was the referee, some distance away, who instantly pointed to the spot, much to McClaren’s fury, ‘It’s an absolute disgrace. It’s outside the box. The linesman didn’t give it. It was the referee from quite some distance. Things like that turn games.’ Worse was to follow for McLaren and England after Pavlyuchenko dispatched his first of the night past the crisis-strewn Robinson from the spot.
With England backs against the wall clearances were now being hoofed and sliced anywhere, while the Russians kept supplying their number 10 Andrey Arshavin with possession and he tried a number of keys to unlock England’s back door. As the shots continued to rain in, finally one wasn’t blocked by the impressive Ferdinand or Campbell as Vasily Berezutsky poked a shot goal wards. There was average power in the strike and it came at a comfortable height and reach to Paul Robinson, although there was a fair amount of spin on the wet ball. While a more composed and settled keeper may have attempted to catch or at least parry the ball to safety, the ‘England number 1’ (which sounds more and more like a cruel joke these days) could only fumble the ball into the six yard box. Pavlyuchenko showed the sharpest reflexes, beating the lunging Joleon Lescott to stab home the all-important second goal. McClaren’s faith in an underperforming keeper has cost England and many will feel it was an accident waiting to happen given the Spurs man’s prolonged series of errors. Unfortunately no proven alternative has shone to wrest the position from Robinson, with the only genuine contender David James infamous for going from the sublime to the ridiculous (think Portsmouth 7 Reading 4).
There are now serious repercussions for Steve McLaren and if England fails to qualify for a major tournament for the first time since 1994 he will surely be asked to leave his post. It may point to his failings at the very highest level when you contrast the post-match comments from McLaren and Russia’s Guus Hiddink. Hiddink the master tactician, has had great success with getting the best from inferior footballing nations in the past, such as South Korea and Australia, and he revealed his specific approach to maximise his side’s effect against England, ‘in the first half we had two strikers and they were playing with Lescott rather inside as a central defender with Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell. So in the first half we had a lot of space on the right side and so we could penetrate there…That was why I changed it at half-time; they were vulnerable that side. And I like making Joe Cole a left full-back: you get rid of one of their attackers. That is why we damaged them.’
The Dutchman’s comments demonstrated how he carefully constructed Russia’s setup in response to the way England lined up, adapting it as the game developed so that his side forced England back. McLaren on the other hand, in what has become a typically bland response said, ‘I can’t reflect in the detail right now. I have not seen the flow of the game. That decision cost us. We went from that to losing the game.’ Rather, than analyse tactical failings or plans that did or did not materialise in the game, he simply looked for an excuse or a scapegoat. McClaren holds a UEFA A licence coaching badge, and I am far from saying he is inept but he has never shown publicly his application and knowledge of specific technical insight in the same way that someone like Hiddink has. Sometimes though, luck too has a cruel role to play and McClaren has not had much of that – Robinson’s freak miss-kick against Croatia (which was the catalyst for his ruined confidence), injuries to key players (Owen, Terry, Neville) and referee mistakes (Rooney’s trip outside the box) have disrupted the campaign.
It has been a harsh tenure in charge of England for McLaren. The team did not deserve to lose against Russia and in recent times the players have found a balance and cohesion, playing good football and the fans have been won over after a post-World Cup depression. However, after a poor start to qualification England needed to have a faultless campaign thereafter and those early results are now the ones which may lose McLaren his job. Captain Steven Gerrard was left pondering what might have been had his volley 8 yards out at 1-0 gone in and spoke for us all when he said, ‘It’s unthinkable that we could have a European Championship without England being there…’. Unthinkable yes, but now also quite probable too. Come on Israel!
In the immediate aftermath the blame was put squarely on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney and Paul Robinson. Football experts deemed that the result hinged on two errors, leading to Pavlyuchenko’s two goals, although in hindsight this represents a failure to credit Russia and their manager Guus Hiddink with the tactical praise they deserved. Russia’s first goal was a dubious penalty following a tumble from Konstantin Zyryanov. Rooney, covering for Joe Cole on the left, lost concentration for a vital few seconds and Zyryanov sped onto a pass behind the England striker. He was hauled down in a desperate attempt from Rooney to claw back the yards his mental lapse had cost. It was a legitimate foul from a forward player out of position and was foolishly committed, although replays showed the offence clearly happened outside the penalty area. It had looked a questionable decision in real-time too but there were few complaints by Rooney or the other England players even though the linesman did not flag. Instead it was the referee, some distance away, who instantly pointed to the spot, much to McClaren’s fury, ‘It’s an absolute disgrace. It’s outside the box. The linesman didn’t give it. It was the referee from quite some distance. Things like that turn games.’ Worse was to follow for McLaren and England after Pavlyuchenko dispatched his first of the night past the crisis-strewn Robinson from the spot.
With England backs against the wall clearances were now being hoofed and sliced anywhere, while the Russians kept supplying their number 10 Andrey Arshavin with possession and he tried a number of keys to unlock England’s back door. As the shots continued to rain in, finally one wasn’t blocked by the impressive Ferdinand or Campbell as Vasily Berezutsky poked a shot goal wards. There was average power in the strike and it came at a comfortable height and reach to Paul Robinson, although there was a fair amount of spin on the wet ball. While a more composed and settled keeper may have attempted to catch or at least parry the ball to safety, the ‘England number 1’ (which sounds more and more like a cruel joke these days) could only fumble the ball into the six yard box. Pavlyuchenko showed the sharpest reflexes, beating the lunging Joleon Lescott to stab home the all-important second goal. McClaren’s faith in an underperforming keeper has cost England and many will feel it was an accident waiting to happen given the Spurs man’s prolonged series of errors. Unfortunately no proven alternative has shone to wrest the position from Robinson, with the only genuine contender David James infamous for going from the sublime to the ridiculous (think Portsmouth 7 Reading 4).
There are now serious repercussions for Steve McLaren and if England fails to qualify for a major tournament for the first time since 1994 he will surely be asked to leave his post. It may point to his failings at the very highest level when you contrast the post-match comments from McLaren and Russia’s Guus Hiddink. Hiddink the master tactician, has had great success with getting the best from inferior footballing nations in the past, such as South Korea and Australia, and he revealed his specific approach to maximise his side’s effect against England, ‘in the first half we had two strikers and they were playing with Lescott rather inside as a central defender with Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell. So in the first half we had a lot of space on the right side and so we could penetrate there…That was why I changed it at half-time; they were vulnerable that side. And I like making Joe Cole a left full-back: you get rid of one of their attackers. That is why we damaged them.’
The Dutchman’s comments demonstrated how he carefully constructed Russia’s setup in response to the way England lined up, adapting it as the game developed so that his side forced England back. McLaren on the other hand, in what has become a typically bland response said, ‘I can’t reflect in the detail right now. I have not seen the flow of the game. That decision cost us. We went from that to losing the game.’ Rather, than analyse tactical failings or plans that did or did not materialise in the game, he simply looked for an excuse or a scapegoat. McClaren holds a UEFA A licence coaching badge, and I am far from saying he is inept but he has never shown publicly his application and knowledge of specific technical insight in the same way that someone like Hiddink has. Sometimes though, luck too has a cruel role to play and McClaren has not had much of that – Robinson’s freak miss-kick against Croatia (which was the catalyst for his ruined confidence), injuries to key players (Owen, Terry, Neville) and referee mistakes (Rooney’s trip outside the box) have disrupted the campaign.
It has been a harsh tenure in charge of England for McLaren. The team did not deserve to lose against Russia and in recent times the players have found a balance and cohesion, playing good football and the fans have been won over after a post-World Cup depression. However, after a poor start to qualification England needed to have a faultless campaign thereafter and those early results are now the ones which may lose McLaren his job. Captain Steven Gerrard was left pondering what might have been had his volley 8 yards out at 1-0 gone in and spoke for us all when he said, ‘It’s unthinkable that we could have a European Championship without England being there…’. Unthinkable yes, but now also quite probable too. Come on Israel!
Monday 15 October 2007
Bolton Bothered, Ten Cate joins Chelsea, Dida in the Dock and Mascherano's magic
Brief News
A proverbial mole hill may be turning into a mountain for underperforming Bolton Wanderers, as their beleaguered boss Sammy Lee comes under increasing pressure to maintain control and respect towards his position within the club. Since the resignation of Sam Allardyce many supporters have not been overenthusiastic about the credentials of the new boss, and it now appears that certain players in the club have feelings along the same lines. Gary Speed, who was appointed first-team coach at the start of the season appears to hold the greatest respect and trust with those in and around the club and this is seriously undermining Lee’s position as top dog. Bolton’s awful start to the season has done little to help this either. Speed clearly has his eyes on becoming the Bolton boss when his playing days draw to a close – of which there are not many left. And when Lee publicly called for a backing of loyalty from Speed (the senior playing representative at the club) it was followed by a less than rousing response. Then this week, following a series of arguments with Lee over new training regimes that many players, including Kevin Nolan and Ivan Campo, were not happy or impressed with, Speed quit his job as coach. Bolton now go to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal next weekend where defeat may prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Sammy Lee. Chairman Phil Gartside is reportedly very disappointed that Lee has alienated an influential figure within the club and caused a divide. In a plea for mercy which had the feeling of one man against the world, Lee battled ‘I hear things about my methods but I’ve been with these lads for two years and I’ve been at the FA and with Liverpool. All I’m trying to do is make sure we can compete on all fronts. People are trying to undermine what we are trying to do.’ Looks like mutiny on the Bolton bounty!
As was mentioned as a possibility last week, Henk Ten Cate has indeed joined the coaching staff at Chelsea. Avram Grant, under oil-baron instruction, will aim to inject some of the flair of Europe’s more fanciful team’s like Barcelona by employing their ex-coaches. It makes you wonder though, why didn’t Mr Abramovich just go out and buy Barcelona in the first place? And be done with it. It would have saved him a lot of bother trying to impose an easy-on-the-eye style to Chelsea’s play when the culture of the club’s recent history is anything but. With Ten Cate involved there will be an evident increase in flair and creative license from the team, in terms of formations (Ten Cate favours the typically Dutch attacking 4-3-3) and skill on the ball. ‘Nearly everybody played 4-3-3 when I started out so I was pretty much raised in that offensive system and thinking. I have always played at clubs that played attractive football and did not depend on brute force.’ Ten Cate said in his arrival at Stamford Bridge. This will be great news for players such as Joe Cole and Shawn Wright-Phillips who possess a trick or two but were told to keep them for the training ground by Mourinho. It will be disappointing too for both Ten Cate and Chelsea fans that Arjen Robben was hastily sold off under a cloud in the summer as he would have surely been given the opportunity to shine at full capacity under the new management. Robben’s creativity was criminally under-used at Chelsea and he is proving now at Real Madrid, how good he really is when in full flight.
Ten Cate is bound to bring some excitement to the Premier League but ass yet he is fairly unknown entity. Despite glorious success with Barcelona as assistant to Frank Rijkaard, winning the league and Champions League in 2005, he has endured a disastrous spell since as manager of Ajax. Already slightly off the pace at the top of the Eredivisie under Ten Cate, the once formidable side of European football were knocked out of the Champions League and the booby prized UEFA Cup at the first hurdle. Chelsea will hope that Ten Cate’s best role lies with him as a number two, where he made a name for himself at Sparta Rotterdam and NAC Breda before joining Barcelona. Finally, one thing Chelsea might not know about Ten Cate is his explosive temper, Jan Luijkx fired by the Dutchman while at NAC Breda explains, ‘Ten Cate manages to kick up a row every day, and not only with me. He treats people with contempt and always blames someone else.’ After the glamour of Mourinho and ‘the special one’ it looks like Chelsea under Grant and Ten Cate has ‘the grumpy ones’.
Meanwhile, back at the Performing Arts School of Excellence for beginners, Dida the delayed reaction anti-hero, has been hit with a ban by UEFA for his involvement in the fan versus goalie clash at Hampden Park last week. The Brazilian was tapped on the chest by a fan who had invaded the pitch in a worryingly easily breach of security, however Dida became the real villain, albeit comedic and desperate, when he decided to feign a life threatening injury as a result. UEFA have given him a 2 match ban from the Champions League, stating to player and club AC Milan that, ‘member associations, clubs, as well as their players, officials and members, shall conduct themselves according to the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship.’ Dida had first attempted to chase the fan before deciding that faking injury would be the most sensible approach to diffusing the situation. Celtic, for their failure to control the crowd were handed a £25,000 fine and the supporter in question Robert McHendry has been banned by the club for life and charged by the police for a breach of the peace. Back at school Performing Arts Head Rivaldo was delighted with his pupil’s progress if not for the outcome.
Javier Mascherano, who has performed like a different being since his West Ham days, has urged Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez to sign him on a permanent deal. Currently Mascherano is on an 18 month loan at Anfield from Kia Joorabchian’s Media Sports Investments Group which runs out late next year. The loan move cost Liverpool £1.5million but if they want to sign the Argentine midfield enforcer full-time they will need to cough up in the region of £17million! Mascherano said ‘I love playing for Liverpool and if the manager wants to keep me then I’d definitely stay for a long time. I’m very happy here. I feel settled and would like to play in the new stadium when it opens.’ This season he has become the player West Ham thought they were getting in 2006, showing a tough, uncompromising aspect to compliment his South American technique. This form does much to explain why on his arrival at West Ham he was being touted as one of the most promising defensive midfielders around. Although not an imposing figure, standing at just 5 foot 8, he is ferocious in the tackle, constantly biting away to get the ball, breaking up play and playing easy short passes. He also has bags of energy which means he will chase down opponents all day for his team. Regardless of the fee, Rafa would do well to sign the player, in Mascherano Benitez even has a fellow advocate of his much-maligned rotation system, ‘In South America, rotation isn’t such a problem…he’s always used rotation. Why would he stop working that way when it has brought him so much success here and at Valencia?’ At present, surely that is reason enough alone for Rafa to get his wallet out.
A proverbial mole hill may be turning into a mountain for underperforming Bolton Wanderers, as their beleaguered boss Sammy Lee comes under increasing pressure to maintain control and respect towards his position within the club. Since the resignation of Sam Allardyce many supporters have not been overenthusiastic about the credentials of the new boss, and it now appears that certain players in the club have feelings along the same lines. Gary Speed, who was appointed first-team coach at the start of the season appears to hold the greatest respect and trust with those in and around the club and this is seriously undermining Lee’s position as top dog. Bolton’s awful start to the season has done little to help this either. Speed clearly has his eyes on becoming the Bolton boss when his playing days draw to a close – of which there are not many left. And when Lee publicly called for a backing of loyalty from Speed (the senior playing representative at the club) it was followed by a less than rousing response. Then this week, following a series of arguments with Lee over new training regimes that many players, including Kevin Nolan and Ivan Campo, were not happy or impressed with, Speed quit his job as coach. Bolton now go to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal next weekend where defeat may prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Sammy Lee. Chairman Phil Gartside is reportedly very disappointed that Lee has alienated an influential figure within the club and caused a divide. In a plea for mercy which had the feeling of one man against the world, Lee battled ‘I hear things about my methods but I’ve been with these lads for two years and I’ve been at the FA and with Liverpool. All I’m trying to do is make sure we can compete on all fronts. People are trying to undermine what we are trying to do.’ Looks like mutiny on the Bolton bounty!
As was mentioned as a possibility last week, Henk Ten Cate has indeed joined the coaching staff at Chelsea. Avram Grant, under oil-baron instruction, will aim to inject some of the flair of Europe’s more fanciful team’s like Barcelona by employing their ex-coaches. It makes you wonder though, why didn’t Mr Abramovich just go out and buy Barcelona in the first place? And be done with it. It would have saved him a lot of bother trying to impose an easy-on-the-eye style to Chelsea’s play when the culture of the club’s recent history is anything but. With Ten Cate involved there will be an evident increase in flair and creative license from the team, in terms of formations (Ten Cate favours the typically Dutch attacking 4-3-3) and skill on the ball. ‘Nearly everybody played 4-3-3 when I started out so I was pretty much raised in that offensive system and thinking. I have always played at clubs that played attractive football and did not depend on brute force.’ Ten Cate said in his arrival at Stamford Bridge. This will be great news for players such as Joe Cole and Shawn Wright-Phillips who possess a trick or two but were told to keep them for the training ground by Mourinho. It will be disappointing too for both Ten Cate and Chelsea fans that Arjen Robben was hastily sold off under a cloud in the summer as he would have surely been given the opportunity to shine at full capacity under the new management. Robben’s creativity was criminally under-used at Chelsea and he is proving now at Real Madrid, how good he really is when in full flight.
Ten Cate is bound to bring some excitement to the Premier League but ass yet he is fairly unknown entity. Despite glorious success with Barcelona as assistant to Frank Rijkaard, winning the league and Champions League in 2005, he has endured a disastrous spell since as manager of Ajax. Already slightly off the pace at the top of the Eredivisie under Ten Cate, the once formidable side of European football were knocked out of the Champions League and the booby prized UEFA Cup at the first hurdle. Chelsea will hope that Ten Cate’s best role lies with him as a number two, where he made a name for himself at Sparta Rotterdam and NAC Breda before joining Barcelona. Finally, one thing Chelsea might not know about Ten Cate is his explosive temper, Jan Luijkx fired by the Dutchman while at NAC Breda explains, ‘Ten Cate manages to kick up a row every day, and not only with me. He treats people with contempt and always blames someone else.’ After the glamour of Mourinho and ‘the special one’ it looks like Chelsea under Grant and Ten Cate has ‘the grumpy ones’.
Meanwhile, back at the Performing Arts School of Excellence for beginners, Dida the delayed reaction anti-hero, has been hit with a ban by UEFA for his involvement in the fan versus goalie clash at Hampden Park last week. The Brazilian was tapped on the chest by a fan who had invaded the pitch in a worryingly easily breach of security, however Dida became the real villain, albeit comedic and desperate, when he decided to feign a life threatening injury as a result. UEFA have given him a 2 match ban from the Champions League, stating to player and club AC Milan that, ‘member associations, clubs, as well as their players, officials and members, shall conduct themselves according to the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship.’ Dida had first attempted to chase the fan before deciding that faking injury would be the most sensible approach to diffusing the situation. Celtic, for their failure to control the crowd were handed a £25,000 fine and the supporter in question Robert McHendry has been banned by the club for life and charged by the police for a breach of the peace. Back at school Performing Arts Head Rivaldo was delighted with his pupil’s progress if not for the outcome.
Javier Mascherano, who has performed like a different being since his West Ham days, has urged Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez to sign him on a permanent deal. Currently Mascherano is on an 18 month loan at Anfield from Kia Joorabchian’s Media Sports Investments Group which runs out late next year. The loan move cost Liverpool £1.5million but if they want to sign the Argentine midfield enforcer full-time they will need to cough up in the region of £17million! Mascherano said ‘I love playing for Liverpool and if the manager wants to keep me then I’d definitely stay for a long time. I’m very happy here. I feel settled and would like to play in the new stadium when it opens.’ This season he has become the player West Ham thought they were getting in 2006, showing a tough, uncompromising aspect to compliment his South American technique. This form does much to explain why on his arrival at West Ham he was being touted as one of the most promising defensive midfielders around. Although not an imposing figure, standing at just 5 foot 8, he is ferocious in the tackle, constantly biting away to get the ball, breaking up play and playing easy short passes. He also has bags of energy which means he will chase down opponents all day for his team. Regardless of the fee, Rafa would do well to sign the player, in Mascherano Benitez even has a fellow advocate of his much-maligned rotation system, ‘In South America, rotation isn’t such a problem…he’s always used rotation. Why would he stop working that way when it has brought him so much success here and at Valencia?’ At present, surely that is reason enough alone for Rafa to get his wallet out.
Euro 2008 Round-Up
This week saw a break from the Premier League campaign as Euro 2008 qualifying reached the business end, providing satisfying results for both England and the Scots. Republic of Ireland’s chances now looked doomed though as they only managed to draw with Germany 0-0 at Croke Park, while Wales were less than majestic, slumping to a 3-1 defeat to Cyprus.
So, after much debate and over-inflated media attention, Michael Owen did in fact play on Saturday in England’s 3-0 victory over Estonia. As a precaution Steve McClaren took the injury-prone striker off after 70 minutes and I’m sure Owen will have been gutted not to have scored against Mart Poom and his merry men. There is more than a sneaking suspicion that Owen, with the not too distant scent of glory and the all-time England scoring record in the offing, insisted he play in the expectation that he would be closer to owning this record by full-time. He played well enough though, stitches and all, and looked a sharp threat, which he will have to be on Wednesday against Russia. England’s next game in Russia has shaped up to be the most important game for the side in recent times and qualification hinges on their success in Moscow. Matters have not been helped by the confirmation that the game will be played on an artificial, plastic pitch. Although meeting UEFA standards, these plastic pitches are notorious for aggravating injuries (the ever constant thorn in England’s efforts); the bounce of the ball is also very different and unnatural and if fallen on produces nasty cuts. In particular there are fears for Paul Robinson, who describes the fixtures as, ‘a learning experience for us all’. The goalkeeper is short of confidence and has not been put under pressure in England’s last few games which would have helped get it back. Club form has been erratic and the skidding, bouncing surface is a real cause for concern for the English defence, while it will greatly encourage speculative efforts from the Russians. It felt to the wise mind of Joe Cole to put the worries of the artificial pitch into perspective, ‘For me, the ball is going to be round and it’s leather, so there’s no excuses really.’ Quite right Joe, well said.
There is a current renaissance in Scottish football right now, with James McFadden as the poster boy to the nations long lost appetite for international qualification. Following Saturday’s impressive 3-1 win over Ukraine Scotland lead a group containing the two World Cup 2006 finalists Italy and France, and need just 4 points to secure their passage to Euro 2008. McFadden scored his 13th goal for Scotland on Saturday, which manager Alex McLeish called ‘a belter’ and has produced a string of match-winning performances in the qualifiers so far. Allied to McFadden’s input it has been, in typically Scottish style, the ingredients of dogged tenacity and a ‘never say die’ attitude that have combined to grind out unexpected results and garner renewed optimism for an appearance in a first international competition since World Cup 1998. However, despite an impressive points haul Scotland must win in Tbilisi, Georgia on Wednesday and also need to get something out of a home tie with Italy, or rely on France not gaining maximum points from their last two fixtures (Lithuania & Ukraine). It has been a valiant effort nonetheless and Scottish fans will take heart from their team’s efforts in a very tough group.
A resilient attempt to qualify fell flat for Republic of Ireland in Group D as they could only draw 0-0 with Germany, all but ending their chances of going through from the group. And there were chances on offer too in this game, notably Robbie Keane spurning the best of them as, when one-on-one with Jens Lehmann he gave up on converting the goal as he thought he was offside. The result was little more than a chipped shot into the German’s hands, when he could easily have won the match for the Republic. A draw was good enough to seal qualification for the Germans, although Lehmann’s club and country future is less certain after national coach Joachim Low insisted he start for Arsenal or switch clubs if he wanted to retain his place. For Jens Lehmann, he can no longer hide behind the excuse that he is not playing club football because of injury and sent out a message to the Arsenal manager, ‘I am fully fit and I expect to be back against Bolton. Wenger has not told me anything but I am here now and I expect him to play me, so no worries.’ It will be interesting to see how such unabashed arrogance goes down with the Arsenal manager, especially following several high-profile Lehmann errors in the Premiership and the consistent good form of understudy Manuel Almunia.
Still suffering from the repercussions of ‘Grannygate’, reported to you on these pages some weeks ago, Manchester City and Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland withdrew from the squad to play Germany and Cyprus citing a psychological battle. During the last round of international fixtures Ireland had first withdrawn from the squad because of the death of his grandmother, however this was found to be untrue as she was alive and well. Ireland proceeded to change his story several times, falsely proclaiming the deaths of his other grandmother and an ex-partner of his granddads - eventually Ireland revealed he had wanted to travel home to be with his girlfriend. The Republic also lost the game Ireland missed 1-0, seriously damaging their hopes of going through from the group. He was granted permission to be omitted this time though, and his reasoning was this time considered as genuine by the national manager Steve Staunton, ‘We know that Stephen has got problems and at this moment in time he’s not mentally ready or prepared to play for his country.’ A word of warning to Mr. Ireland though, is careful what you wish for as you may soon end up with more time off than you’d like.
Home nations’ results and fixtures…
Cyprus 3-1 Wales
Okkas 59, 68 Collins 21
Charalampidis 79
England 3-0 Estonia
Wright-Phillips 11
Rooney 32
Rahn 33 o.g.
Rep. of Ireland 0-0 Germany
Scotland 3-1 Ukraine
Miller 4 Shevchenko 24
McCulloch 10
McFadden 68
Wednesday 17th October
Georgia vs. Scotland
Rep. of Ireland vs. Cyprus
Russia vs. England
San Marino vs. Wales
Sweden vs. Northern Ireland
So, after much debate and over-inflated media attention, Michael Owen did in fact play on Saturday in England’s 3-0 victory over Estonia. As a precaution Steve McClaren took the injury-prone striker off after 70 minutes and I’m sure Owen will have been gutted not to have scored against Mart Poom and his merry men. There is more than a sneaking suspicion that Owen, with the not too distant scent of glory and the all-time England scoring record in the offing, insisted he play in the expectation that he would be closer to owning this record by full-time. He played well enough though, stitches and all, and looked a sharp threat, which he will have to be on Wednesday against Russia. England’s next game in Russia has shaped up to be the most important game for the side in recent times and qualification hinges on their success in Moscow. Matters have not been helped by the confirmation that the game will be played on an artificial, plastic pitch. Although meeting UEFA standards, these plastic pitches are notorious for aggravating injuries (the ever constant thorn in England’s efforts); the bounce of the ball is also very different and unnatural and if fallen on produces nasty cuts. In particular there are fears for Paul Robinson, who describes the fixtures as, ‘a learning experience for us all’. The goalkeeper is short of confidence and has not been put under pressure in England’s last few games which would have helped get it back. Club form has been erratic and the skidding, bouncing surface is a real cause for concern for the English defence, while it will greatly encourage speculative efforts from the Russians. It felt to the wise mind of Joe Cole to put the worries of the artificial pitch into perspective, ‘For me, the ball is going to be round and it’s leather, so there’s no excuses really.’ Quite right Joe, well said.
There is a current renaissance in Scottish football right now, with James McFadden as the poster boy to the nations long lost appetite for international qualification. Following Saturday’s impressive 3-1 win over Ukraine Scotland lead a group containing the two World Cup 2006 finalists Italy and France, and need just 4 points to secure their passage to Euro 2008. McFadden scored his 13th goal for Scotland on Saturday, which manager Alex McLeish called ‘a belter’ and has produced a string of match-winning performances in the qualifiers so far. Allied to McFadden’s input it has been, in typically Scottish style, the ingredients of dogged tenacity and a ‘never say die’ attitude that have combined to grind out unexpected results and garner renewed optimism for an appearance in a first international competition since World Cup 1998. However, despite an impressive points haul Scotland must win in Tbilisi, Georgia on Wednesday and also need to get something out of a home tie with Italy, or rely on France not gaining maximum points from their last two fixtures (Lithuania & Ukraine). It has been a valiant effort nonetheless and Scottish fans will take heart from their team’s efforts in a very tough group.
A resilient attempt to qualify fell flat for Republic of Ireland in Group D as they could only draw 0-0 with Germany, all but ending their chances of going through from the group. And there were chances on offer too in this game, notably Robbie Keane spurning the best of them as, when one-on-one with Jens Lehmann he gave up on converting the goal as he thought he was offside. The result was little more than a chipped shot into the German’s hands, when he could easily have won the match for the Republic. A draw was good enough to seal qualification for the Germans, although Lehmann’s club and country future is less certain after national coach Joachim Low insisted he start for Arsenal or switch clubs if he wanted to retain his place. For Jens Lehmann, he can no longer hide behind the excuse that he is not playing club football because of injury and sent out a message to the Arsenal manager, ‘I am fully fit and I expect to be back against Bolton. Wenger has not told me anything but I am here now and I expect him to play me, so no worries.’ It will be interesting to see how such unabashed arrogance goes down with the Arsenal manager, especially following several high-profile Lehmann errors in the Premiership and the consistent good form of understudy Manuel Almunia.
Still suffering from the repercussions of ‘Grannygate’, reported to you on these pages some weeks ago, Manchester City and Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland withdrew from the squad to play Germany and Cyprus citing a psychological battle. During the last round of international fixtures Ireland had first withdrawn from the squad because of the death of his grandmother, however this was found to be untrue as she was alive and well. Ireland proceeded to change his story several times, falsely proclaiming the deaths of his other grandmother and an ex-partner of his granddads - eventually Ireland revealed he had wanted to travel home to be with his girlfriend. The Republic also lost the game Ireland missed 1-0, seriously damaging their hopes of going through from the group. He was granted permission to be omitted this time though, and his reasoning was this time considered as genuine by the national manager Steve Staunton, ‘We know that Stephen has got problems and at this moment in time he’s not mentally ready or prepared to play for his country.’ A word of warning to Mr. Ireland though, is careful what you wish for as you may soon end up with more time off than you’d like.
Home nations’ results and fixtures…
Cyprus 3-1 Wales
Okkas 59, 68 Collins 21
Charalampidis 79
England 3-0 Estonia
Wright-Phillips 11
Rooney 32
Rahn 33 o.g.
Rep. of Ireland 0-0 Germany
Scotland 3-1 Ukraine
Miller 4 Shevchenko 24
McCulloch 10
McFadden 68
Wednesday 17th October
Georgia vs. Scotland
Rep. of Ireland vs. Cyprus
Russia vs. England
San Marino vs. Wales
Sweden vs. Northern Ireland
Tuesday 9 October 2007
UEFA Cup Groups Draw
This morning at 11 o'clock this year's UEFA Cup groups were drawn with some interesting placings for the British clubs involved. No doubt the most exciting match up for an English team will be Bolton having drawn the same group as German giants Bayern Munich. They may stuggle to qualify as will Aberdeen. Tottenham and Everton will expect to qualify from average groups, although Alkmaar may pose a few probelms to the Toffees.
UEFA Cup Groups 2007/08
Group A
AZ Alkmaar
Zenit St. Petersburg
Everton
Nuremburg
Larissa
Group B
Panathinaikos
Atletico Madrid
Copenhagen
Aberdeen
Lokomotiv Moscow
Group C
Villareal
AEK Athens
Fiorentina
Mlada Boleslav
Elfsborg
Group D
Basle
Hamburg
Sade Rennais
Dinamo Zagreb
Brann
Group E
Byer Leverkusen
Sparta Prague
Spartak Moscow
Toulouse
FC Zurich
Group F
Bayern Munich
Bolton
Braga
Red Star Belgrade
Ars Thessaloniki
Group G
Anderlecht
Tottenham
Getafe
Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Aalborg
Group H
Bordeaux
Autria Vienna
Galatasaray
Panionios
Helsingborgs
UEFA Cup Groups 2007/08
Group A
AZ Alkmaar
Zenit St. Petersburg
Everton
Nuremburg
Larissa
Group B
Panathinaikos
Atletico Madrid
Copenhagen
Aberdeen
Lokomotiv Moscow
Group C
Villareal
AEK Athens
Fiorentina
Mlada Boleslav
Elfsborg
Group D
Basle
Hamburg
Sade Rennais
Dinamo Zagreb
Brann
Group E
Byer Leverkusen
Sparta Prague
Spartak Moscow
Toulouse
FC Zurich
Group F
Bayern Munich
Bolton
Braga
Red Star Belgrade
Ars Thessaloniki
Group G
Anderlecht
Tottenham
Getafe
Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Aalborg
Group H
Bordeaux
Autria Vienna
Galatasaray
Panionios
Helsingborgs
Monday 8 October 2007
The Week's Other Stories
Other news that got my attention in a busy week of football were...
Chelsea striving for stability, Joey Barton playing the hero, Ronaldo gets in the wars, Owen can't say no and Dida disgraces himself
Two valuable wins for Chelsea this week loosened the noose around Avram Grant’s neck, although the player’s and fans are yet to convince of their support for their new manager. The ever-smiling Israeli has promised to bring an added flair to Chelsea’s play under his stewardship (or should that be Mr Abramovich’s) and Ajax boss Henk ten Cate may soon join him at Stamford Bridge to work alongside as assistant. ‘We want to finish one way and want to play a new way of football that will be very good for the club.’ said Grant, in a clear statement that a new era was about to begin at Chelsea. Didier Drogba, who reportedly broke down in tears upon the news of Mourinho’s departure has committed himself until at least the end of the season, but at present key members of the team remain unhappy, notably the aforementioned Drogba, Lampard, and Shevchenko still. You’d have thought Andriy Shevchenko would be a man reborn, after almost single-handedly being the catalyst for the change of managers. However, he may have already caused irreparable friction with Grant. After reacting angrily to being an unused sub against Valencia, Grant responded by again leaving him out against Bolton at the weekend even though Drogba was suspended - when he did come on he played the last 15 minutes at left wing. There are whispers though that this may have been a public ploy by Grant to prove to Chelsea fans he is more than just a ‘yes’ man but Sheva should still be worried, as his reputation will not last forever.
Joey Barton, the swaggering cigar-clad thug who left Man City at exactly the wrong time has had the temerity to attempt to claim the credit for the club’s recent revival. Barton joined Newcastle Utd in the summer after helping City escape a relegation battle last season. He is yet to feature this season after breaking a metatarsal bone in pre-season although is now nearing match fitness. Never one to shy away from controversy or say exactly what he’s thinking, Barton blurted out, ‘Were it not for myself, Micah Richards and Richard Dunne the club wouldn’t have had Shiniwatra, the Premier League and Sven.’ It is unlikely Barton left many friends at the City of Manchester stadium, or if he did, he lost them with his follow-up remark, ‘I think Newcastle can be as big as they want to be. No disrespect to City but in Manchester, United will always be top dog.’ He can be rest-assured that he won’t be getting any appreciative applause for his relegation-saving efforts after comments like this, although he might bump into old foes Richards and Dunne in the future, bump quite hard in fact.
Poor Cristiano Ronaldo bumped his head this week while playing against Roma, causing a small bump on his eye. Aah. He says not to worry to his fans though, ‘It’s not a problem. In four or five days I will be beautiful once again.’ Well done Cristiano for being a brave little soldier, as he admitted, ‘I don’t like to look like this but his kind of thing can happen in football.’ On a serious note, Ronaldo was talking at the launch of his first autobiography, entitled Moments and he paid tribute to Alex Ferguson for his attempts to protect the tricksy winger from the types of tackle his skill entices. Ferguson called for referees to take note of persistent fouls after Ronaldo retaliated against Portsmouth and was sent-off at the start of the season, enduring a 3 match ban, an experience which made him, ‘suffer more than at any time in the last 3 years’. He didn’t enjoy his sex romp with 3 prostitutes and team mates Nani and Anderson then?
Michael Owen looks likely to play for England against Estonia and Russia even though he has just had hernia operations. The injury plagued forward is England’s only recognised source of goals and it is vital that he is able to play in the crucial qualifiers. Owen came off the bench at the weekend to score what proved to be the winner against Everton in a 3-2 win, only 8 days after a double hernia operation. The player himself wants to play as much as possible but there are risks of further complications and long term damage if he plays too much, too soon after injury, ‘In my opinion Michael wasn’t fit to start, but in his opinion he was’, said Sam Allardyce. The Newcastle boss does not want Owen to return injured but must reluctantly release him for international duty, while Steve McClaren is reliant on Owen as a proven goal scorer upfront for England. Owen’s determination to play is understandable as his career has been stop-start with injuries for the past 18 months, however there is a sense that he is being slightly naive, letting his heart rule his head, when he’d be better off protecting his long-term future, ‘No doubt the manager from here will say that and maybe the fans will say that but if I had to look after myself I wouldn’t have made myself available for today. The surgeon’s advice is what I’ll look at more than anything else and she said that I can push it as hard as I want.’ said Owen.
Following the tragi-comedy farce involving a Celtic hooligan and AC Milan goalkeeper Dida, UEFA have launched an official investigation. Immediately following the incident there were fears at Celtic that the club may be forced to forfeit their victory as the invasion was their responsibility, however sense prevailed and to their credit AC Milan upheld their, if not Dida’s, credibility, ‘It had nothing to do with the final result anyway.’, said Carlo Ancelotti. The club will have to be careful as any future discrepancy will result in them playing European fixtures behind closed doors. The problems started when a 27 year old fan appeared to tap the keeper on the face and then run off after he broke onto the pitch amidst the celebrations of Celtic’s last gasp winner. His actions were a total disgrace, unacceptable and he was rightly arrested and subsequently banned from Parkhead for life. However the incident gained much more notoriety for the way in which Dida responded to the situation. The Brazilian was obviously furious, having also just conceded a soft goal to seal his side’s defeat and chased several steps after the fan to get revenge. However, he then thought up a better way to get back, or even, with the fan – Eureka! He’d feign injury! And so he went down clutching his face and lying lifeless on the floor. It was a totally shameless display of play acting, reminiscent of his compatriot Rivaldo, who infamously writhed around as though he had been shot in the face when a player kicked the ball at his shins during the 2002 World Cup. Dida embarrassed himself, his team mates and his club, and was also the laughing stock of the 50,000 strong supporters. He surely deserves to be punished himself for his part in the pathetic affair, just what did he expect would happen if his injury were to be believed? That the referee might book the hooligan?
Chelsea striving for stability, Joey Barton playing the hero, Ronaldo gets in the wars, Owen can't say no and Dida disgraces himself
Two valuable wins for Chelsea this week loosened the noose around Avram Grant’s neck, although the player’s and fans are yet to convince of their support for their new manager. The ever-smiling Israeli has promised to bring an added flair to Chelsea’s play under his stewardship (or should that be Mr Abramovich’s) and Ajax boss Henk ten Cate may soon join him at Stamford Bridge to work alongside as assistant. ‘We want to finish one way and want to play a new way of football that will be very good for the club.’ said Grant, in a clear statement that a new era was about to begin at Chelsea. Didier Drogba, who reportedly broke down in tears upon the news of Mourinho’s departure has committed himself until at least the end of the season, but at present key members of the team remain unhappy, notably the aforementioned Drogba, Lampard, and Shevchenko still. You’d have thought Andriy Shevchenko would be a man reborn, after almost single-handedly being the catalyst for the change of managers. However, he may have already caused irreparable friction with Grant. After reacting angrily to being an unused sub against Valencia, Grant responded by again leaving him out against Bolton at the weekend even though Drogba was suspended - when he did come on he played the last 15 minutes at left wing. There are whispers though that this may have been a public ploy by Grant to prove to Chelsea fans he is more than just a ‘yes’ man but Sheva should still be worried, as his reputation will not last forever.
Joey Barton, the swaggering cigar-clad thug who left Man City at exactly the wrong time has had the temerity to attempt to claim the credit for the club’s recent revival. Barton joined Newcastle Utd in the summer after helping City escape a relegation battle last season. He is yet to feature this season after breaking a metatarsal bone in pre-season although is now nearing match fitness. Never one to shy away from controversy or say exactly what he’s thinking, Barton blurted out, ‘Were it not for myself, Micah Richards and Richard Dunne the club wouldn’t have had Shiniwatra, the Premier League and Sven.’ It is unlikely Barton left many friends at the City of Manchester stadium, or if he did, he lost them with his follow-up remark, ‘I think Newcastle can be as big as they want to be. No disrespect to City but in Manchester, United will always be top dog.’ He can be rest-assured that he won’t be getting any appreciative applause for his relegation-saving efforts after comments like this, although he might bump into old foes Richards and Dunne in the future, bump quite hard in fact.
Poor Cristiano Ronaldo bumped his head this week while playing against Roma, causing a small bump on his eye. Aah. He says not to worry to his fans though, ‘It’s not a problem. In four or five days I will be beautiful once again.’ Well done Cristiano for being a brave little soldier, as he admitted, ‘I don’t like to look like this but his kind of thing can happen in football.’ On a serious note, Ronaldo was talking at the launch of his first autobiography, entitled Moments and he paid tribute to Alex Ferguson for his attempts to protect the tricksy winger from the types of tackle his skill entices. Ferguson called for referees to take note of persistent fouls after Ronaldo retaliated against Portsmouth and was sent-off at the start of the season, enduring a 3 match ban, an experience which made him, ‘suffer more than at any time in the last 3 years’. He didn’t enjoy his sex romp with 3 prostitutes and team mates Nani and Anderson then?
Michael Owen looks likely to play for England against Estonia and Russia even though he has just had hernia operations. The injury plagued forward is England’s only recognised source of goals and it is vital that he is able to play in the crucial qualifiers. Owen came off the bench at the weekend to score what proved to be the winner against Everton in a 3-2 win, only 8 days after a double hernia operation. The player himself wants to play as much as possible but there are risks of further complications and long term damage if he plays too much, too soon after injury, ‘In my opinion Michael wasn’t fit to start, but in his opinion he was’, said Sam Allardyce. The Newcastle boss does not want Owen to return injured but must reluctantly release him for international duty, while Steve McClaren is reliant on Owen as a proven goal scorer upfront for England. Owen’s determination to play is understandable as his career has been stop-start with injuries for the past 18 months, however there is a sense that he is being slightly naive, letting his heart rule his head, when he’d be better off protecting his long-term future, ‘No doubt the manager from here will say that and maybe the fans will say that but if I had to look after myself I wouldn’t have made myself available for today. The surgeon’s advice is what I’ll look at more than anything else and she said that I can push it as hard as I want.’ said Owen.
Following the tragi-comedy farce involving a Celtic hooligan and AC Milan goalkeeper Dida, UEFA have launched an official investigation. Immediately following the incident there were fears at Celtic that the club may be forced to forfeit their victory as the invasion was their responsibility, however sense prevailed and to their credit AC Milan upheld their, if not Dida’s, credibility, ‘It had nothing to do with the final result anyway.’, said Carlo Ancelotti. The club will have to be careful as any future discrepancy will result in them playing European fixtures behind closed doors. The problems started when a 27 year old fan appeared to tap the keeper on the face and then run off after he broke onto the pitch amidst the celebrations of Celtic’s last gasp winner. His actions were a total disgrace, unacceptable and he was rightly arrested and subsequently banned from Parkhead for life. However the incident gained much more notoriety for the way in which Dida responded to the situation. The Brazilian was obviously furious, having also just conceded a soft goal to seal his side’s defeat and chased several steps after the fan to get revenge. However, he then thought up a better way to get back, or even, with the fan – Eureka! He’d feign injury! And so he went down clutching his face and lying lifeless on the floor. It was a totally shameless display of play acting, reminiscent of his compatriot Rivaldo, who infamously writhed around as though he had been shot in the face when a player kicked the ball at his shins during the 2002 World Cup. Dida embarrassed himself, his team mates and his club, and was also the laughing stock of the 50,000 strong supporters. He surely deserves to be punished himself for his part in the pathetic affair, just what did he expect would happen if his injury were to be believed? That the referee might book the hooligan?
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