With the amount of scrutiny projected onto football these days, it is hardly surprising that managers seem to be sacked more frequently that Jordan appears on the front page of the Daily Star.
But do clubs really think things through?
Are they really so influenced by the numerous online fanzines, radio phone in’s and blogs that are so freely available both to the football fan and the board room members.
Nobody can tell me that some club executives don’t read or tune into these media outlets ? I’m sure some of them do.
There are numerous examples of sets of fans probably regretfully thinking ‘we should be careful what we wish for next time’. And for me, two examples in particular, spring to mind.
Firstly, there is Alan Curbishley at Charlton. He originally took the London club up to the Premiership in 1998, but they went straight back down again in 1999 after a season which saw them lose twelve successive league matches.
However, the former West Ham and Birmingham midfielder had learned his lesson and was up to the challenge.
Curbishley took the Addicks back up as champions in 2000 and there they stayed until 2006.
The club not only escaped relegation with ease throughout those six years, they were more often that not in ‘nose bleed’ territory for a club with such a small fan base.
In 2001 and 2004, Charlton finished in the top ten. In 2003-2004 they only finished three points off a European place, completing a league double over Liverpool in the process. It was their highest top flight finish since the 1950s.
In the other four seasons the club were positioned comfortably in mid-table come the season’s end, and were rarely under any serious threat of going down. But fans’ expectation had been lifted. The near miss of glory in 2004 meant that various fans dialled into various radio shows calling for Curbishley to go after the club had finished a mere 11th in 2005.
The boss, rightly so, felt hugely hurt by this and he quit the following year.
A short lived Iain Dowie stint followed, but his reign was a disaster and the club were relegated to the Championship in 2007.
This year Charlton were relegated again and now languish in League One.
From being a mid-table Premiership team as recent as May 2006, the Addicks are now lumbering in the same league as Yeovil Town and Hartlepool United. Sometimes fans really should be careful what they wish for.
The other club that springs to mind are Newcastle United. A club, who in my view, perceive themselves to be a little bit higher than their natural station suggests.
After two seasons of Champions League football in the early part of this decade, the Toon reached the UEFA Cup semi finals in 2004, as well as finishing fifth in the Premiership. It proved to be Sir Bobby Robson's last year at the helm, as the boardroom's thirst for success and an unrealistic expectation that the club could topple all of the big four, took fruition.
Following a poor opening three games of the 2004-2005 season, the former England manager was shipped out. Despite being 71 years young at the time, there was no obvious candidate who could be talked about in the same breath as the football legend.
In the five years he was there, Robson had led Newcastle from the bottom of the table to a third place finish in 2003.
Graeme Souness took over. Hardly a man with a terrific track record at big clubs, he was a disaster from the moment he began, finishing well down the table in his first season and being ousted half way through his second.
Glen Roeder then took over and started off brightly, steadying the ship. But in 2007 ‘big’ Sam Allardyce, who’s outstanding record at Bolton almost got him the England job, landed the Newcastle hot seat.
The club started off with some excellent results, but by December, they had slipped into mid table and once again the impatient Toon faithful grew restless.
While, still being a big improvement on Sounesss, the football he played was deemed un-attractive by the supporters. The board once again bowed to fan power and 'Big Sam' was sacked at the end of 2007.
The return of 'King Kevin' Keegan steered the club away from relegation by the end of the season, and being the fans choice, the former boss was a popular appointment.
Again though, the boardroom squabbles proved to be too much for Keegan and he walked out at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season.
Despite having a squad worthy of a mid-table position in the Premiership, the club now find themselves in the Championship.
Alan Shearer, the expected ‘saviour’ didn’t deliver at the end of the last campaign, despite having eight games to get just four points. He was once again paraded as the club legend and local boy who would turn around the fortunes through his passion for the club. It backfired terribly.
The power of the supporters at St James’ Park has left the club in ruins. They wanted Keegan, they wanted Shearer, but they didn't want Allardyce and were given what they wanted. Has it paid dividends? No.
When the fans called for Alladyce to be sacked two years ago, they probably never envisaged being in the Championship eighteen months later. If the former Bolton boss had stayed, and I doubt many fans disagree with me, Newcastle would certainly still be in the Premiership, and probably in the top half. This is not unrealistic, when you consider Big Sam’s track record.
There are other examples of fans over-reacting to a few bad results and then later, looking like fools. It is, thankfully, because the boardrooms involved, sensibly didn’t react to their supporters' over-exaggeration.
Steve McClaren is another manager who deserved far more respect than what he got from a minority of supporters when he was manager at the Riverside.
The Yorkshire man won the League Cup in 2004, Middlesbrough's first major silverware. He then took the club to seventh place in the league and European spot in 2005. To cap it all of, he took the team (and the fans) on a roller coaster ride to the UEFA Cup final in 2006.
What do supporters really desire? Following a heavy home defeat to Aston Villa in February 2006, McClaren had a Boro shirt thrown at him in the dug out by a ‘fan’. Two weeks later the club beat Chelsea 3-0 and all was forgotten as he took them on that unforgettable run. I'm sure McClaren, himself, didn't forget though.
Every club has periods of poor results. Sir Alex Ferguson is the most famous example of a manager who was under-achieving and probably even deserved the sack, but didn’t get it. The rest as they say, is history.
The Scot was on the verge of being given the boot in January 1990. The club had been First Division runners-up in 1988, but had finished a lowly 12th in 1989 after an appalling run of results. They were again languishing in mid table in the middle of the 1989-90 season and had crashed out of the League Cup at home to Tottenham at the third round stage.
The Scot's team went to Nottingham Forest (then a superior side under Brian Clough) with an injury-ravaged team. Media knives were sharpening, knowing that a defeat would almost certainly spell the end of Ferguson's three year reign. They won the tie courtesy of a Mark Robins header, went on to win the FA Cup (primarily down to Robins’s goals) and we all know what happened in the subsequent two decades that followed.
Eleven league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two European Cups and one Cup Winners’ Cup later, only us old enough to remember know just how close he was to leaving that cold January day in Nottingham.
The 'big' clubs tend to stay big clubs over a long period because they are loyal to their managers and don’t panic when things go a little awol. There have however, been occasions when loyalty has stretched too far.
Liverpool, for example, stuck with Graeme Souness far too long. The former midfield legend led the club to two sixth place finishes in his two full seasons in charge. He also managed to watch his team crash out of the FA Cup third round in successive seasons to lower league clubs at Anfield.
It was a far cry from the Daglish, Fagan and Paisley years that preceded him.
The Scottish boss managed to destroy the club, by trying to change the old guard too quickly and really should have been fired a year earlier when the club were in 17th position in March 1993.
The Merseysiders also stuck with Gerard Houllier too long. At the beginning of November 2002 the club were top of the league with 30 points from 12 matches, but were seventh by mid January and had only taken six points from a possible 33. He somehow kept his job for another 17 months.
However badly a manager is performing though, sticking by him for as long as possible keeps the club stable and the players settled. This is why Liverpool will always be somewhere near the top most of the time, and the same rule applies for clubs such as Aston Villa, Everton and Arsenal.
Chelsea are a very recent example of not being particularly objective with their managers and actually bowing to another modern day phenomonen, player power.
The West London club can attract the biggest names, but the only one of their recent managers not to be a big name was the one who was an inch away from being the greatest.
When Jose Mourinho left the post in September 2007, the club had 15 points from nine games and were already ten points off the pace in the league. Avram Grant, known little outside his native Israel, turned their fortunes round quite spectacularly. Whether this was by luck or judgment, his record as Chelsea boss is astonishing.
They reached the League Cup final (losing to Tottenham) and reached the FA Cup quarter finals. But most remarkably, they took the title race down to the last day after being six points behind at the end of March, and finally defeated Liverpool in the Champion’s League semi final, something the ‘great’ Mourinho never managed to do.
The Blues were one John Terry penalty kick away from European glory and also twice hit the woodwork during the 120 minutes played in Moscow.
The Israeli was therefore, a fraction away from immortality, but was sacked and replaced by a bigger name, Phil Scolari.
The Brazillian was nowhere near as successful in his time there, but once again was only given six months at the helm. Who knows what he might have achieved given time, however, he was once again, as with Grant, forced out of the exit door by player power.
Carlo Ancelotti has made a similar start to that of Scolari, but it wouldn’t surprise me if a bad sequence of results gets the spoilt Chelsea players and fans in a pickle once again
Martin Jol led Tottenham to two fifth place finishes in the middle part of this decade, but had a poor start to the 2007-2008 season and was fired.
His replacement Juande Ramos, won only four league games in charge, and despite winning the League Cup with Jol’s team, he was a complete flop.
After taking only two points from his first eight games as boss in 2008-09, the Spaniard was un-surprisingly given his marching orders.
People now talk up Harry Redknapp’s team as Champions League contenders and top six material, but they also were under Martin Jol. In fact in the 2005-2006 season, they were fourth until the last day.
It’s taken an expensive dismissal and appointment to take the club back to where they were two years ago. Was it really all worth it?
Back to the current day, and the speculation regarding Phil Brown’s departure is, in my opinion, disconcerting.
Hull City’s fans must remember where the club was three years ago and where it is now. Who would be his obvious replacement?
In his two seasons at the club he has achieved both of his aims – promotion and staving off relegation. However, he just happened to beat a few big teams along way to provide the Hull fans with some novel excitement. That’s all it should be.
Instead it has raised expectations to a much higher level than they should be.
Hull are not at breaking point, they have a few points in the bag this season. Granted, the manager's record in 2009 is woeful, but the club are still in dreamland and the fans should remember that. I have a feeling they may 'do a Charlton' if Brown is forced out.
The eccentric boss has earned the right to take the club through another full season in the top flight. He did, after-all, get them there in the first place.
Middlesbrough’s recent dismissal of Gareth Southgate is puzzling. They were only one point off the top of the Championship at the time, but Steve Gibson – who can never be criticised for being disloyal – has a lot to answer for on this occasion.
Make no bones about it, Boro were awful last year. But why wasn’t Southgate fired in the summer, and not when the team lies in fourth place in their league?
I personally think Southgate will go on to become an excellent manager, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that he led the club to mid-table finishes in 2007 and 2008, so he can manage competently at the highest level.
It also has to be remembered that his transfer budget was slashed and he was forced to sell key players. Any manager would struggle when placed in the same boat.
Rafael Benitez, Fabio Capello and Marcello Lippi are a just a few big names who have been fired more than once in their managerial careers. Clubs and fans should be more patient with their managers' and ignore some of the ridiculous media tirades that occur in this day and age.
The examples of Charlton, Newcastle and other clubs like Norwich City (who sacked Nigel Worthington) and Southampton (Gordon Strachan) should be assessed and taken note of by other clubs looking to make what could be make or break decisions.
The decision makers involved only have to look at where those clubs are now, and look at where they were when the fore-mentioned managers were dismissed.
This is one of the more frustrating aspects of our wonderful modern game. Everyone just needs to step back and take a deep breath.
Things take time, just ask the Old Trafford faithful. What were you thinking back in September 1989 when you lost 5-1 at Maine Road to your biggest rivals? They probably don't even remember.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BENITEZ REALLY DOES DESERVE MORE RESPECT
Following the defeat to Lyon on Tuesday, I listened in despair to ‘so called’ Liverpool fans dialing into various radio phone-in’s calling for Rafael Benitez’s head.
This scenario would be sheer madness, and really could spell the beginning of the end for the eighteen times league champions.
It’s easy, when things are going badly, to blame the manager. And, while Liverpool have had money to spend during his tenor, Benitez has often had to sign his second or third choice player, rather than his desired choice.
There are numerous examples of this actually happening, but the media endlessly criticise his bad judgement in the transfer market. Sometimes there even appears to be a witch-hunt against the Madrid born coach.
Two seasons ago the Spaniard was keen to sign Florent Malouda instead of Ryan Babel, but ended up buying the Dutchman due to Malouda's wage demands. Back in 2006 the Spanish boss wanted to sign Simao, but ended up purchasing the enigmatic Jermaine Pennant. That same season Benitez wanted to purchase Daniel Alves (then a Seville player), but instead signed the much cheaper, although vastly underrated Alvaro Arbeloa.
More recent examples are the farce of the board choosing to sign Robbie Keane and not Gareth Barry, and, in August, the acquisition of Sotirios Kyrgiakos. Benitez would have preferred Michael Turner or Matthew Upson as more powerful options in central defence.
One welcome piece of news for Red's fans is that Alberto Aquilani, an expensive Benitez signing, played fifteen minutes for the reserves last night.
A judgment can be made on him in the very near future and the Italian certainly does have the ability to influence games with his neat passing and powerful shooting. And despite the undoubted pressure being placed on his shoulders the former Roma star should prove a hit with the Anfield faithful.
It must also be remembered that Daniel Agger is back in the side and building up his match fitness. Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson will all be back sooner rather than later and none of their injuries are long term. The fortunes of the Anfield giants could well look very different in a month’s time.
While it is disappointing for Liverpool that they have lost four games in succession, it’s still very early in the campaign.
In the league, so many teams have been dropping points to each other and it seems the Premiership has finally become the unpredictable circus we have all craved.
Many are already predicting that Liverpool will be out of the top four by the end of the season, but haven’t we heard this all before concerning the big four?
I vividly recall the 2001-2002 season. Manchester United had lost six games by the end of November, and were being written off by endless ‘experts’ and by the bookies (they were as much as 12-1 for the title at that stage). Inspired by Ruud Van Nistelroy, United then won eight league games in a row, and by the beginning of January were top.
It only takes a run of wins (which Liverpool are more than capable of) and a decent run of fixtures for everything to change.
No one can say that the five times European champions are playing well, but having a bad run in October does not automatically mean the end of the season.Liverpool supporters bemoaning Benitez’s decision making need to be more objective.
I heard a fan call Five Live on Tuesday night suggesting that Benitez was still living off the Istanbul drama of 2005. The caller also said that Liverpool won the FA Cup in 2006, but were lucky. Most annoyingly, he suggested that they had done "nothing" since. This observation is totally unfounded. Has this 'fan' forgotten that the team got to the European Cup final in 2007? Yes, the European Champions League final, is that really "nothing"?
Two years later, Liverpool nearly won the title, completing the double over Manchester United and Chelsea, and only lost two games in the entire campaign. No supporters, however frustrated, can say that during the three trophy-less years at Anfield, the club have not been in contention for the major trophies some way or another.
At this juncture I want to point out an obvious, but often discarded fact. Only one team can win each competition, something fans seem to forget in all the aftermath of disappointing defeat.
The 'big' clubs such as Liverpool or Arsenal should always be challenging on all fronts, and that's what the fans should expect. Liverpool have certainly done that, home and abroad in recent seasons.
Unhappy fans need to imagine the possible follow-on effects of sacking Benitez. If he left, would his Spanish or Spanish speaking players follow him out of the Anfield exit door? Quite possibly. Reina, Mascherano, and most unthinkable of all, Fernando Torres would probably all depart to pastures new.
Rafael Benitez is a top manager. As I have mentioned previously, in Gerard Houllier’s last season, Liverpool were eliminated in the UEFA Cup fourth round and scraped fourth place in the league with a megre 60 points. Last season Benitez’s team finished second with 86 points. There is no comparison.
If some people reading this are thinking that one season is too little a time to make a judgement, it must also be added that Houllier’s team were fifth the previous season with 64 points. The Frenchman’s team had been going backwards for a while. Benitez’s team have just had a few bad results in the last month or so.
Twice a La liga winner winner with Valencia, Benitez has taken his Liverpool team to two European Cup finals, a semi final and a quarter final. He has led the club to three comfortable top three finishes, an FA Cup win, and a League Cup final in his five years as boss. Anyone comparing his record to Houllier's is a fool.
In fact, if you compare the former Valencia manager’s record with that of Arsene Wenger’s over the same period, it is far superior.
The Gunner’s exciting start to this season has meant that Wenger is now a media darling once again. But football fans and pundits’ alike have short memories.
Arsenal are being praised to high heaven for their performances this season, but this time last year the Londoners had lost five league games. There were plenty of fan's calling for Wenger's dismissal then, but now the Gunners are being held in a positive spotlight once again.
People are so fickle and contradictory concerning their football analysis. We constantly hear how teams like Holland are technically superior and how all their players are comfortable on the ball, when England play badly. However, we also regularly hear how Liverpool's two Dutchman, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel are not good enough to play for Liverpool.
Meanwhile, last night, Real Madrid were beaten 3-2 at home to AC Milan (a poorer team than Lyon), but Xavi Alonso was in the team. Where was his protective midfield play there I wander? Is he really so special now?
There is hope for Liverpool. Two seasons ago they only had one point from their first three Champions League group games. Subsequently, the team won their last three group games and qualified in style.
They then went on to beat Inter Milan and Arsenal in the knockout stages, and only lost in an incredibly tight two legged semi final to Chelsea, that went to extra time.
When all the players’, particularly Aquilani, are fully fit, Benitez can be judged more thoroughly. For now, it’s too early in the season.
In my view, the most important statistic Liverpool fans must look at is that the Merseysiders finished 29 points behind the champions Arsenal in 2004, when Benitez took over. Since then, Benitez’s Liverpool teams have finished above Arsenal in three out of the last four seasons and finished 14 points ahead of them in the last campaign.
Just five months ago they finished four points behind the current champions and 14 points ahead of Arsenal (a 43 point swing over five years). Have Liverpool made progress under Benitez’s stewardship? Of course they have.
Finally, if you believe in coincidences, the last time Liverpool lost four games in a row was late in the 1986-1987season. A mere four months later they were playing the most exquisite football with a team being heralded by many as the greatest side they ever had. The team went 29 games unbeaten and won the League at a canter the following year.
Things can change so quickly in football, just ask Sir Alex Ferguson. Mark Robins, the City Ground anyone? Watch this space.
This scenario would be sheer madness, and really could spell the beginning of the end for the eighteen times league champions.
It’s easy, when things are going badly, to blame the manager. And, while Liverpool have had money to spend during his tenor, Benitez has often had to sign his second or third choice player, rather than his desired choice.
There are numerous examples of this actually happening, but the media endlessly criticise his bad judgement in the transfer market. Sometimes there even appears to be a witch-hunt against the Madrid born coach.
Two seasons ago the Spaniard was keen to sign Florent Malouda instead of Ryan Babel, but ended up buying the Dutchman due to Malouda's wage demands. Back in 2006 the Spanish boss wanted to sign Simao, but ended up purchasing the enigmatic Jermaine Pennant. That same season Benitez wanted to purchase Daniel Alves (then a Seville player), but instead signed the much cheaper, although vastly underrated Alvaro Arbeloa.
More recent examples are the farce of the board choosing to sign Robbie Keane and not Gareth Barry, and, in August, the acquisition of Sotirios Kyrgiakos. Benitez would have preferred Michael Turner or Matthew Upson as more powerful options in central defence.
One welcome piece of news for Red's fans is that Alberto Aquilani, an expensive Benitez signing, played fifteen minutes for the reserves last night.
A judgment can be made on him in the very near future and the Italian certainly does have the ability to influence games with his neat passing and powerful shooting. And despite the undoubted pressure being placed on his shoulders the former Roma star should prove a hit with the Anfield faithful.
It must also be remembered that Daniel Agger is back in the side and building up his match fitness. Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson will all be back sooner rather than later and none of their injuries are long term. The fortunes of the Anfield giants could well look very different in a month’s time.
While it is disappointing for Liverpool that they have lost four games in succession, it’s still very early in the campaign.
In the league, so many teams have been dropping points to each other and it seems the Premiership has finally become the unpredictable circus we have all craved.
Many are already predicting that Liverpool will be out of the top four by the end of the season, but haven’t we heard this all before concerning the big four?
I vividly recall the 2001-2002 season. Manchester United had lost six games by the end of November, and were being written off by endless ‘experts’ and by the bookies (they were as much as 12-1 for the title at that stage). Inspired by Ruud Van Nistelroy, United then won eight league games in a row, and by the beginning of January were top.
It only takes a run of wins (which Liverpool are more than capable of) and a decent run of fixtures for everything to change.
No one can say that the five times European champions are playing well, but having a bad run in October does not automatically mean the end of the season.Liverpool supporters bemoaning Benitez’s decision making need to be more objective.
I heard a fan call Five Live on Tuesday night suggesting that Benitez was still living off the Istanbul drama of 2005. The caller also said that Liverpool won the FA Cup in 2006, but were lucky. Most annoyingly, he suggested that they had done "nothing" since. This observation is totally unfounded. Has this 'fan' forgotten that the team got to the European Cup final in 2007? Yes, the European Champions League final, is that really "nothing"?
Two years later, Liverpool nearly won the title, completing the double over Manchester United and Chelsea, and only lost two games in the entire campaign. No supporters, however frustrated, can say that during the three trophy-less years at Anfield, the club have not been in contention for the major trophies some way or another.
At this juncture I want to point out an obvious, but often discarded fact. Only one team can win each competition, something fans seem to forget in all the aftermath of disappointing defeat.
The 'big' clubs such as Liverpool or Arsenal should always be challenging on all fronts, and that's what the fans should expect. Liverpool have certainly done that, home and abroad in recent seasons.
Unhappy fans need to imagine the possible follow-on effects of sacking Benitez. If he left, would his Spanish or Spanish speaking players follow him out of the Anfield exit door? Quite possibly. Reina, Mascherano, and most unthinkable of all, Fernando Torres would probably all depart to pastures new.
Rafael Benitez is a top manager. As I have mentioned previously, in Gerard Houllier’s last season, Liverpool were eliminated in the UEFA Cup fourth round and scraped fourth place in the league with a megre 60 points. Last season Benitez’s team finished second with 86 points. There is no comparison.
If some people reading this are thinking that one season is too little a time to make a judgement, it must also be added that Houllier’s team were fifth the previous season with 64 points. The Frenchman’s team had been going backwards for a while. Benitez’s team have just had a few bad results in the last month or so.
Twice a La liga winner winner with Valencia, Benitez has taken his Liverpool team to two European Cup finals, a semi final and a quarter final. He has led the club to three comfortable top three finishes, an FA Cup win, and a League Cup final in his five years as boss. Anyone comparing his record to Houllier's is a fool.
In fact, if you compare the former Valencia manager’s record with that of Arsene Wenger’s over the same period, it is far superior.
The Gunner’s exciting start to this season has meant that Wenger is now a media darling once again. But football fans and pundits’ alike have short memories.
Arsenal are being praised to high heaven for their performances this season, but this time last year the Londoners had lost five league games. There were plenty of fan's calling for Wenger's dismissal then, but now the Gunners are being held in a positive spotlight once again.
People are so fickle and contradictory concerning their football analysis. We constantly hear how teams like Holland are technically superior and how all their players are comfortable on the ball, when England play badly. However, we also regularly hear how Liverpool's two Dutchman, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel are not good enough to play for Liverpool.
Meanwhile, last night, Real Madrid were beaten 3-2 at home to AC Milan (a poorer team than Lyon), but Xavi Alonso was in the team. Where was his protective midfield play there I wander? Is he really so special now?
There is hope for Liverpool. Two seasons ago they only had one point from their first three Champions League group games. Subsequently, the team won their last three group games and qualified in style.
They then went on to beat Inter Milan and Arsenal in the knockout stages, and only lost in an incredibly tight two legged semi final to Chelsea, that went to extra time.
When all the players’, particularly Aquilani, are fully fit, Benitez can be judged more thoroughly. For now, it’s too early in the season.
In my view, the most important statistic Liverpool fans must look at is that the Merseysiders finished 29 points behind the champions Arsenal in 2004, when Benitez took over. Since then, Benitez’s Liverpool teams have finished above Arsenal in three out of the last four seasons and finished 14 points ahead of them in the last campaign.
Just five months ago they finished four points behind the current champions and 14 points ahead of Arsenal (a 43 point swing over five years). Have Liverpool made progress under Benitez’s stewardship? Of course they have.
Finally, if you believe in coincidences, the last time Liverpool lost four games in a row was late in the 1986-1987season. A mere four months later they were playing the most exquisite football with a team being heralded by many as the greatest side they ever had. The team went 29 games unbeaten and won the League at a canter the following year.
Things can change so quickly in football, just ask Sir Alex Ferguson. Mark Robins, the City Ground anyone? Watch this space.
Friday, October 16, 2009
THRILLING END OF SEASON FINALE BREWING OVER IN THE FAR EAST..
Although the standard of football here in China is not the best, there can surely not be a more compelling title race in world football.
Beijing Guo an (my adopted team) are currently leading the table on goal difference from Henan Jianye. But there are only two points separating the top six teams, with three matches left of the campaign.
In a mildly exciting statistic, there is a similar scenario concerning Guo an than that of Liverpool. The seven times champions have not won the 'lian cai' since 1990, however, unlike the Merseysiders they have had several near misses in recent times.
I have become quite a passionate 'qui mi' (fan) of the Peking side over the last six months (glory hunter that I am) and have, on a few occasions headed to Gong ti (The Workers stadium) to watch their games.
What's especially amusing during the games is when the stadium blasts out rock music at the point when supporters begin to chant out abusive words. This is done to prevent the people watching on television from having these vulgar obscenities transmitted into their living rooms.
It certainly brings a smile to the faces of visiting expats such as myself.
There are currently six teams involved in the title race. In addition to Beijing and Jian ye, Tianjin Teda, Shanghai Shenhua, Shandong Luneng and Changchun Yantai are also in contention.
Shandong and Changchun are arguably the two most fluid teams, but Guo an are the team with the least defeats and by far the best goal difference. They also appear to be the team acquiring the most luck as every time they slip up, all the other challengers manage to drop points as well.
With a superior goal difference to Jianye, three wins will almost certainly clinch the title for the team from the capital. Their final league game happens to be on the evening of Halloween, so hopefully there will be no ghosts to exercise next season.
As always, the state of Chinese football is an emotive topic in the People’s Republic.
As I have stated previously, there are many skilful players, but unfortunately, they have a tendency to panic when in possession of the ball.
The goalkeepers are excellent, and the technique of the midfielders and wide players are sound enough. But the finishing of some of the strikers frequently leaves a lot to be desired.
I do to some extent, think that many Chinese coaches under-rate the Chinese players too much and select some of the foreign players in their squad just for the sake of it.
There is such a lack of confidence in the ability of Chinese footballers at the moment, that many coaches just automatically think that any foreigners they have available will be better.
For instance, there are three Australian players in Beijing’s team who I believe are no better than the Chinese players who play in the same position. In fact they are technically far inferior, but seem to play virtually every week.
Several months ago I wrote an article on Chinese football suggesting possible reasons why it is at such a low ebb.
After further research I believe there are several other reasons for it's downfall, including one particularly important factor.
China first entered the World Cup during the qualification stages for the 1982 tournament and were agonisingly close to qualifying.
It took a freak 5-0 victory for New Zealand over Saudi Arabia to eliminate them, when the Kiwi’s needed to win by four goals. It left the nation pulling their hair out in disbelief at such an astonishing turn of events.
In 1986, a victory at home to Hong Kong in Beijing was all that was required, but a surprise 2-1 defeat ensued, resulting in the worst scenes of football violence ever witnessed in China. There has not been in an international match played in the city since.
China have only qualified once for the finals, in 2002. However, that was more down to the fact that Japan and South Korea - the traditional powerhouses of Asian football - qualified automatically as hosts.
China were therefore able to breeze through what would usually be an extremely difficult qualifying process.
The fans were not fooled though. They were fully aware this achievement was not down to their team showing any signs of prowess on the international stage.
The national team has gone even further down the world pecking order since then, and these days, is not even competitive in Asia. It is an eternity way from the heady days of the 1980s.
So what is the main reason for this decline? It's simple – the one child policy (and quite possibly the two child policy that preceded it).
Now let's get something straight here, I'm not giving a view on whether this policy is correct or not in a social sense, but it is certainly a major reason why the football team has had such poor results.
Before 1975, families could have more than two children, and many couples had half a dozen children or more.
But in the last two decades the single offspring (girl or boy) has been expected to study hard at school, go to university (often studying subjects that their parents want them to study) and earn a good salary so they are able to take care of their parents when they get older.
Before the mid 1970s, it was a totally different scenario and this generation of children included the Chinese footballers who helped the national team peak in the 1980s.
Players born in the late 1950s and early 1960s were largely from big families and were able to take a risk and exercise their talents on the football field. And it would be left to the other siblings to study attentively and, if possible, achieve on an academic level.
Nowadays with only one child there is hardly any chance of this happening at all. Study and security is the number one priority. The risk involved in becoming a footballer is something frowned upon in Chinese society.
In a recent change of policy it is now possible for two children from the one child generation to marry and have two offspring. This is a welcome social change, but whether or not it can improve the fortunes of the Chinese football team is yet to be seen.
Perhaps though, it just offers that little ray of sunshine that the Chinese public need. After all, they are not asking for world beaters, they just want a team that is not down right embarrassing.
Beijing Guo an (my adopted team) are currently leading the table on goal difference from Henan Jianye. But there are only two points separating the top six teams, with three matches left of the campaign.
In a mildly exciting statistic, there is a similar scenario concerning Guo an than that of Liverpool. The seven times champions have not won the 'lian cai' since 1990, however, unlike the Merseysiders they have had several near misses in recent times.
I have become quite a passionate 'qui mi' (fan) of the Peking side over the last six months (glory hunter that I am) and have, on a few occasions headed to Gong ti (The Workers stadium) to watch their games.
What's especially amusing during the games is when the stadium blasts out rock music at the point when supporters begin to chant out abusive words. This is done to prevent the people watching on television from having these vulgar obscenities transmitted into their living rooms.
It certainly brings a smile to the faces of visiting expats such as myself.
There are currently six teams involved in the title race. In addition to Beijing and Jian ye, Tianjin Teda, Shanghai Shenhua, Shandong Luneng and Changchun Yantai are also in contention.
Shandong and Changchun are arguably the two most fluid teams, but Guo an are the team with the least defeats and by far the best goal difference. They also appear to be the team acquiring the most luck as every time they slip up, all the other challengers manage to drop points as well.
With a superior goal difference to Jianye, three wins will almost certainly clinch the title for the team from the capital. Their final league game happens to be on the evening of Halloween, so hopefully there will be no ghosts to exercise next season.
As always, the state of Chinese football is an emotive topic in the People’s Republic.
As I have stated previously, there are many skilful players, but unfortunately, they have a tendency to panic when in possession of the ball.
The goalkeepers are excellent, and the technique of the midfielders and wide players are sound enough. But the finishing of some of the strikers frequently leaves a lot to be desired.
I do to some extent, think that many Chinese coaches under-rate the Chinese players too much and select some of the foreign players in their squad just for the sake of it.
There is such a lack of confidence in the ability of Chinese footballers at the moment, that many coaches just automatically think that any foreigners they have available will be better.
For instance, there are three Australian players in Beijing’s team who I believe are no better than the Chinese players who play in the same position. In fact they are technically far inferior, but seem to play virtually every week.
Several months ago I wrote an article on Chinese football suggesting possible reasons why it is at such a low ebb.
After further research I believe there are several other reasons for it's downfall, including one particularly important factor.
China first entered the World Cup during the qualification stages for the 1982 tournament and were agonisingly close to qualifying.
It took a freak 5-0 victory for New Zealand over Saudi Arabia to eliminate them, when the Kiwi’s needed to win by four goals. It left the nation pulling their hair out in disbelief at such an astonishing turn of events.
In 1986, a victory at home to Hong Kong in Beijing was all that was required, but a surprise 2-1 defeat ensued, resulting in the worst scenes of football violence ever witnessed in China. There has not been in an international match played in the city since.
China have only qualified once for the finals, in 2002. However, that was more down to the fact that Japan and South Korea - the traditional powerhouses of Asian football - qualified automatically as hosts.
China were therefore able to breeze through what would usually be an extremely difficult qualifying process.
The fans were not fooled though. They were fully aware this achievement was not down to their team showing any signs of prowess on the international stage.
The national team has gone even further down the world pecking order since then, and these days, is not even competitive in Asia. It is an eternity way from the heady days of the 1980s.
So what is the main reason for this decline? It's simple – the one child policy (and quite possibly the two child policy that preceded it).
Now let's get something straight here, I'm not giving a view on whether this policy is correct or not in a social sense, but it is certainly a major reason why the football team has had such poor results.
Before 1975, families could have more than two children, and many couples had half a dozen children or more.
But in the last two decades the single offspring (girl or boy) has been expected to study hard at school, go to university (often studying subjects that their parents want them to study) and earn a good salary so they are able to take care of their parents when they get older.
Before the mid 1970s, it was a totally different scenario and this generation of children included the Chinese footballers who helped the national team peak in the 1980s.
Players born in the late 1950s and early 1960s were largely from big families and were able to take a risk and exercise their talents on the football field. And it would be left to the other siblings to study attentively and, if possible, achieve on an academic level.
Nowadays with only one child there is hardly any chance of this happening at all. Study and security is the number one priority. The risk involved in becoming a footballer is something frowned upon in Chinese society.
In a recent change of policy it is now possible for two children from the one child generation to marry and have two offspring. This is a welcome social change, but whether or not it can improve the fortunes of the Chinese football team is yet to be seen.
Perhaps though, it just offers that little ray of sunshine that the Chinese public need. After all, they are not asking for world beaters, they just want a team that is not down right embarrassing.
Friday, October 9, 2009
IS THERE A MYTH ON MERSEYSIDE?
I’m probably not the only football fan fed up with the lack of insight that so many football pundits seem to have these days.
The two words ‘Xabi’ and ‘Alonso’ are predictably mentioned every time Liverpool lose a game, but are predictably, barely used when they win.
It is the nature of the game's media to jump on certain bandwagons, but this also appears to be yet another media tirade against poor Rafa Benitez.
Firstly, I want to get one thing straight here. Xabi Alonso is a terrific player who is capable of scoring spectacular goals (occasionally). He also has the ability to control the pace and direction of a game and protect his defence, due his sound positioning and desire to receive the ball.
He is not, however, irreplaceable.
Pundits harp on about Alonso in the same way that they harp on about Ronaldo, but the Portuguese star won three league titles in his six years at Old Trafford.
The Spanish midfielder won no league titles in five years at Anfield.
Liverpool crave the league title, so why shouldn’t Alonso be sold for three times the amount he was bought for.
I don’t recall any people saying Liverpool missed the Spaniard when they took ten points from their first eight games in 2005-2006. I don’t remember pundits suggesting Liverpool needed Alonso when they lost three out of their first seven league games in 2006-2007.
I also don’t recall people suggesting Liverpool missed Alonso when they only collected 16 points from their opening eight matches two seasons ago (only one more point than they have now).
The reason - because he was actually there and contributing to these 'poor' results.
I am not suggesting Xabi Alonso will not be missed by the five times European Cup winners, he may well be. But now is way too early to judge.
Alberto Aquilani, his replacement, is set to make his debut before the end of the month, but even he needs a little time to adjust to the pace of the Premiership.
If Liverpool fail to finish in the top four (or finish 5th and win the Champions League), a scenario which never occurred while Alonso was at the club, then it would be right for pundits to say the 27 year old has been missed.
I would personally like to know on what basis he has been missed so far. As usual I don’t believe people are looking at the bigger picture.
In Europe (against continental sides) I think there may be an argument to be made. Against Fiorentina, Liverpool lacked somebody to control and dictate play. Steven Gerrard was forced to retreat backwards to collect possession and was therefore not so effective further up the pitch.
In the Premiership however, there is substantial evidence to suggest that Alonso’s influence is a ‘Merseyside myth’.
I can point out plenty of impressive recent Liverpool performances of note which did not include the former Real Sociedad star in the starting line up.
While I admit one off games are not always an effective tool of judgment, the emphatic 4-1 victory over Manchester United last season was achieved with a midfield two of Javier Mascherano and Lucas. Yes Lucas Leiva everybody. Are any pundits actually aware of this fact?
Did anyone mention Alonso’s absence after that game last March? No of course not, but they would have had Liverpool lost (but they didn't).
What about the 2007 Champions League semi final at Anfield against Chelsea? This was a game which Liverpool won and progressed to the final in Athens. Alonso was surprisingly left on the bench by his fellow countryman, Benitez. Any mention of this after the game? No.
How about the superb 1-0 win against Inter Milan in the San Siro two seasons ago?
While Alonso was in Merseyside attending the birth of his first child, the much maligned Lucas produced a very solid performance resulting in an excellent win against the Champions of Italy. Again, there was no mention of the Spaniard (concerning on-field matters anyway).
Nobody is suggesting Lucas is a superior player, but he is still young. He is also a Brazillian international who does really deserve more respect.
Alonso was terrific for Liverpool in the first half of his first season (2004-05), and the first half of last season.
But, for three years in the middle of that period he did not produce the same form on a consistent basis. This is why Benitez wanted to sell him in the summer of 2008 and sign Gareth Barry.
Of course in hindsight, Alonso had a very good campaign last year, so people highlight his loss more.
At this juncture, it is important for me to point out Alonso's weaknesses and suggest that thirty million pounds is an incredibly good piece of business from Benitez.
His passing, could at times, be so good that the amount of times he gave away possession (which was in fact relatively frequently) was actually forgotten.
I actually believe if I had a pound for the amount of times a commentator said "Ooo Alonso has given the ball away, that’s so unlike him" I think I would be approaching millionaire status by now. Again the word 'myth' springs to mind.
Xabi Alonso's absence is not the reason for Liverpool’s defensive problems so far this season.
I think Javier Mascherano has been distracted by both the summer interest of Barcelona and Argentina’s qualification problems. As captain of the national side he is taking much of the burden. The former West Ham star’s performances have been so below his normal standard that the defence has suffered and Lucas has been left to conduct the job of almost two players. Hence, the Brazillian's mistakes have been highlighted so much more.
In addition to being caught in possession a lot more than people think, Alonso didn’t score enough goals. The Euro 2008 winner also frequently slowed down Liverpool’s tempo, especially at home, when more urgency was needed. This certainly, contributed to Liverpool's inability to break down the so called 'weaker times in the last campaign.
If anyone saw the game at home to Hull City last year, they will know what I am talking about. And as long as Aquilani manages to stay clear of injury (and it's a big if), he should provide more going forward than Alonso ever could.
2-2 and 0-0 draws at home to Hull and Stoke City last year have been upgraded to 4-0 and 6-1 victories respectively this campaign. But of course, all that is forgotten in the media hype that surrounds a defeat.
Liverpool did lose to Chelsea last week, and yes they did win there last season with Alonso in the side.
However, the Spaniard also played in four Liverpool sides that lost at Stanford Bridge and was involved in three further defeats at to the Blues at Anfield during his five seasons.
Any arguments that he was severely missed last week are actually floored when all the evidience is analysed.
As I stated before, this article is not a vendetta against the Real Madrid star. He is a gifted player who will be remembered as a fine servant to the club.
But the press and punditry medium really need to hold fire and look at the facts before releasing such rubbish.
Xabi Alonso wanted to leave Liverpool and return to his native homeland.
Alberto Aquilani, a slightly different, more attacking player, is a new chapter in the history of Liverpool Football Club. With eleven caps for Italy and at only 25, he may just be the final part of the jigsaw for Rafa Benitez's team (although we have heard that one before).
If he is not, and Liverpool are not in club football’s biggest competition next season, then I will be content to eat my words.
I do though, somehow doubt, that this will happen.
The two words ‘Xabi’ and ‘Alonso’ are predictably mentioned every time Liverpool lose a game, but are predictably, barely used when they win.
It is the nature of the game's media to jump on certain bandwagons, but this also appears to be yet another media tirade against poor Rafa Benitez.
Firstly, I want to get one thing straight here. Xabi Alonso is a terrific player who is capable of scoring spectacular goals (occasionally). He also has the ability to control the pace and direction of a game and protect his defence, due his sound positioning and desire to receive the ball.
He is not, however, irreplaceable.
Pundits harp on about Alonso in the same way that they harp on about Ronaldo, but the Portuguese star won three league titles in his six years at Old Trafford.
The Spanish midfielder won no league titles in five years at Anfield.
Liverpool crave the league title, so why shouldn’t Alonso be sold for three times the amount he was bought for.
I don’t recall any people saying Liverpool missed the Spaniard when they took ten points from their first eight games in 2005-2006. I don’t remember pundits suggesting Liverpool needed Alonso when they lost three out of their first seven league games in 2006-2007.
I also don’t recall people suggesting Liverpool missed Alonso when they only collected 16 points from their opening eight matches two seasons ago (only one more point than they have now).
The reason - because he was actually there and contributing to these 'poor' results.
I am not suggesting Xabi Alonso will not be missed by the five times European Cup winners, he may well be. But now is way too early to judge.
Alberto Aquilani, his replacement, is set to make his debut before the end of the month, but even he needs a little time to adjust to the pace of the Premiership.
If Liverpool fail to finish in the top four (or finish 5th and win the Champions League), a scenario which never occurred while Alonso was at the club, then it would be right for pundits to say the 27 year old has been missed.
I would personally like to know on what basis he has been missed so far. As usual I don’t believe people are looking at the bigger picture.
In Europe (against continental sides) I think there may be an argument to be made. Against Fiorentina, Liverpool lacked somebody to control and dictate play. Steven Gerrard was forced to retreat backwards to collect possession and was therefore not so effective further up the pitch.
In the Premiership however, there is substantial evidence to suggest that Alonso’s influence is a ‘Merseyside myth’.
I can point out plenty of impressive recent Liverpool performances of note which did not include the former Real Sociedad star in the starting line up.
While I admit one off games are not always an effective tool of judgment, the emphatic 4-1 victory over Manchester United last season was achieved with a midfield two of Javier Mascherano and Lucas. Yes Lucas Leiva everybody. Are any pundits actually aware of this fact?
Did anyone mention Alonso’s absence after that game last March? No of course not, but they would have had Liverpool lost (but they didn't).
What about the 2007 Champions League semi final at Anfield against Chelsea? This was a game which Liverpool won and progressed to the final in Athens. Alonso was surprisingly left on the bench by his fellow countryman, Benitez. Any mention of this after the game? No.
How about the superb 1-0 win against Inter Milan in the San Siro two seasons ago?
While Alonso was in Merseyside attending the birth of his first child, the much maligned Lucas produced a very solid performance resulting in an excellent win against the Champions of Italy. Again, there was no mention of the Spaniard (concerning on-field matters anyway).
Nobody is suggesting Lucas is a superior player, but he is still young. He is also a Brazillian international who does really deserve more respect.
Alonso was terrific for Liverpool in the first half of his first season (2004-05), and the first half of last season.
But, for three years in the middle of that period he did not produce the same form on a consistent basis. This is why Benitez wanted to sell him in the summer of 2008 and sign Gareth Barry.
Of course in hindsight, Alonso had a very good campaign last year, so people highlight his loss more.
At this juncture, it is important for me to point out Alonso's weaknesses and suggest that thirty million pounds is an incredibly good piece of business from Benitez.
His passing, could at times, be so good that the amount of times he gave away possession (which was in fact relatively frequently) was actually forgotten.
I actually believe if I had a pound for the amount of times a commentator said "Ooo Alonso has given the ball away, that’s so unlike him" I think I would be approaching millionaire status by now. Again the word 'myth' springs to mind.
Xabi Alonso's absence is not the reason for Liverpool’s defensive problems so far this season.
I think Javier Mascherano has been distracted by both the summer interest of Barcelona and Argentina’s qualification problems. As captain of the national side he is taking much of the burden. The former West Ham star’s performances have been so below his normal standard that the defence has suffered and Lucas has been left to conduct the job of almost two players. Hence, the Brazillian's mistakes have been highlighted so much more.
In addition to being caught in possession a lot more than people think, Alonso didn’t score enough goals. The Euro 2008 winner also frequently slowed down Liverpool’s tempo, especially at home, when more urgency was needed. This certainly, contributed to Liverpool's inability to break down the so called 'weaker times in the last campaign.
If anyone saw the game at home to Hull City last year, they will know what I am talking about. And as long as Aquilani manages to stay clear of injury (and it's a big if), he should provide more going forward than Alonso ever could.
2-2 and 0-0 draws at home to Hull and Stoke City last year have been upgraded to 4-0 and 6-1 victories respectively this campaign. But of course, all that is forgotten in the media hype that surrounds a defeat.
Liverpool did lose to Chelsea last week, and yes they did win there last season with Alonso in the side.
However, the Spaniard also played in four Liverpool sides that lost at Stanford Bridge and was involved in three further defeats at to the Blues at Anfield during his five seasons.
Any arguments that he was severely missed last week are actually floored when all the evidience is analysed.
As I stated before, this article is not a vendetta against the Real Madrid star. He is a gifted player who will be remembered as a fine servant to the club.
But the press and punditry medium really need to hold fire and look at the facts before releasing such rubbish.
Xabi Alonso wanted to leave Liverpool and return to his native homeland.
Alberto Aquilani, a slightly different, more attacking player, is a new chapter in the history of Liverpool Football Club. With eleven caps for Italy and at only 25, he may just be the final part of the jigsaw for Rafa Benitez's team (although we have heard that one before).
If he is not, and Liverpool are not in club football’s biggest competition next season, then I will be content to eat my words.
I do though, somehow doubt, that this will happen.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
MATCH OF THE DECADE???
The Manchester derby was certainly one of the best games of the Premier League era.
It had everything from goals and controversy, not to mention outrageous errors. It included players rolling back the years, other players wishing they could roll back the years, and helpless fans getting whacked by star players.
Firstly, I want to give my view on the stoppage time saga. According to Fifa's directives, referee Martin Atkinson got it right. He added on the right amount of time for Craig Bellamy’s goal celebration and for Michael Carrick’s substitution (a very canny move by Sir Alex).
The reason the whole affair is such an issue is that these directives do not always appear to be carried out correctly. Even with a goal in stoppage time, referees never seem to add on so much time.
For example, if three minutes stoppage time is allotted, usually, give or take a few seconds, three minutes is allowed.
I think many of us are blinded by the fact that the game was at Old Trafford and therefore it is a bigger issue than it should be.
It is, after all, so rare for two goals to be scored after 89 minutes 47 seconds, as was the case on Sunday. This is the reason why added on time lasted so long, and why it’s grabbed everyone’s attention.
Many people have correctly pointed out that in the seven minutes added on, Manchester City could also have scored, so why are they so unhappy?
What also has to be said is that the momentum is always with Manchester United when they are the home side, and, it was always going to favour the Champions to have the extra ‘extra’ minutes.
Manchester City though, only have themselves to blame. I don’t know if it’s the effects of having swine flu in the summer, but Michar Richards’ positioning for Michael Owen’s winning goal was unforgivable.
However, it was a super finish and once again the former Liverpool star has proved many doubters wrong just at the right time.
That goal was typical Owen. There are few strikers in world football who are better equipped in such a high pressure situation. That’s why he’s so special, and that’s why he was bought.
It’s moments like this which illustrate why Owen should be in the England squad. Even as a substitute he can change a game in an instant. Be honest, who would you rather have in that position at that time? Michael Owen or Jemaine Defoe?
Another thing which struck me about Sunday was an unexpected, but welcome statistic.
Of the 22 players who started the Manchester derby on Saturday, 14 were British or Irish born. In addition, Michael Carrick and Michael Owen also made substitute appearances.
In the modern English game, where so much is said and written about the lack of players from the British Isles playing at the very highest level, both teams had plenty of players from these shores. Better still, all seven goals were scored by British players.
Manchester United, Manchester City, plus Tottenham and Aston Villa (both of whom also have a large pool of English first team regulars) will probably all finish in the Premiership top eight this season. This is encouraging and keeps a respectable amount of authenticity that many people thought has disappeared from our game.
Two of those seven goals were scored by the enigma, better known as Craig Bellamy. Is he finally living up to his undoubted talent at the age of 30?
It’s just amazing how something always happens to Bellamy which makes us forget how well he played in the game.
Both of the Welshman’s goals were terrific. One goal was engineered due to superb technique, while the other goal was glittered with frightening pace and awareness.
However, at the end of the match in true Bellamy style, he appeared to slap a helpless fan (who, granted, shouldn’t be on the pitch) while the stewards are holding him back. It was like something out of a Godfather film.
The FA have said they will take no further action, but is this incident not worse than Adebayor’s goal celebration last weekend? Surely it is.
Equally as bad as Adebayor’s antics, in my view, were those of Gary Neville’s. A player with 85 England caps he may be, and that may be the reason he got away with it.
The way in which the Manchester United skipper celebrated towards the Manchester City fans was quite comical, but under the FA’s guidelines should definitely be classed as incitement.
No action will be taken against Neville either. But why does he escape any punishment?
Again there is no consistency from the FA, and they appear to be just as incompetent as UEFA.
There were endless talking points during Sunday’s contest, and it does have to be said that the best team won the game. However, the victors have issues that need addressing.
As an England fan I am particularly concerned about Rio Ferdinand.
It’s not just the individual errors that are worrying. The former Leeds captain is prone to those on rare occasions. It is the fact that he was outpaced so emphatically by Bellamy, a player also injury prone and approximately the same age.
At his best, Ferdinand is one of the world’s top defenders and very rarely gets beaten for pace. But it is alarming how frequently he gets injured these days.
The veteran of three World Cups has had both back trouble and calf trouble in recent years, but also seems to pick up injuries that crop up in different areas of the body. These types of injuries are, to some extent, of more concern than a one-off long term injury, because they suggest the body is breaking down.
I just hope that two of Ferdinand's poor performances this season (one on Sunday and one for England in Amsterdam last month) were down to lack of match practice and not the rapid decline of a great player.
Talking of great players, it would be churlish to sign off without once again heaping praise on Ryan Giggs.
Like many, I questioned his PFA award last year and placed it down as a sentimental gesture.
However, in the last three games the veteran has been nothing short of sensational.
One slalom style run he had on Sunday was vintage Giggs and it was almost like the clock had been turned back to 1994.
Despite the poor performance of Michar Richards at right back, Giggs showed that if you keep yourself in good shape, you can play at the very highest level well into your thirties. His pass to Michael Owen for the winning goal was wonderful awareness.
It must be remembered that the 35 year old has had many injury problems throughout his career. But now, maybe the long, frustrating lay off’s have actually helped keep him fresh and prolonged his career.
The former Welsh captain is one of the few United players of the last fifteen years who seems to be respected by everyone, fans and players alike, whatever team they support. He fully deserves his Indian summer, and we will all miss him when he finally retires, if he ever does.....
Even Liverpool and Manchester City fans should take a bow to this true legend of the game.
It had everything from goals and controversy, not to mention outrageous errors. It included players rolling back the years, other players wishing they could roll back the years, and helpless fans getting whacked by star players.
Firstly, I want to give my view on the stoppage time saga. According to Fifa's directives, referee Martin Atkinson got it right. He added on the right amount of time for Craig Bellamy’s goal celebration and for Michael Carrick’s substitution (a very canny move by Sir Alex).
The reason the whole affair is such an issue is that these directives do not always appear to be carried out correctly. Even with a goal in stoppage time, referees never seem to add on so much time.
For example, if three minutes stoppage time is allotted, usually, give or take a few seconds, three minutes is allowed.
I think many of us are blinded by the fact that the game was at Old Trafford and therefore it is a bigger issue than it should be.
It is, after all, so rare for two goals to be scored after 89 minutes 47 seconds, as was the case on Sunday. This is the reason why added on time lasted so long, and why it’s grabbed everyone’s attention.
Many people have correctly pointed out that in the seven minutes added on, Manchester City could also have scored, so why are they so unhappy?
What also has to be said is that the momentum is always with Manchester United when they are the home side, and, it was always going to favour the Champions to have the extra ‘extra’ minutes.
Manchester City though, only have themselves to blame. I don’t know if it’s the effects of having swine flu in the summer, but Michar Richards’ positioning for Michael Owen’s winning goal was unforgivable.
However, it was a super finish and once again the former Liverpool star has proved many doubters wrong just at the right time.
That goal was typical Owen. There are few strikers in world football who are better equipped in such a high pressure situation. That’s why he’s so special, and that’s why he was bought.
It’s moments like this which illustrate why Owen should be in the England squad. Even as a substitute he can change a game in an instant. Be honest, who would you rather have in that position at that time? Michael Owen or Jemaine Defoe?
Another thing which struck me about Sunday was an unexpected, but welcome statistic.
Of the 22 players who started the Manchester derby on Saturday, 14 were British or Irish born. In addition, Michael Carrick and Michael Owen also made substitute appearances.
In the modern English game, where so much is said and written about the lack of players from the British Isles playing at the very highest level, both teams had plenty of players from these shores. Better still, all seven goals were scored by British players.
Manchester United, Manchester City, plus Tottenham and Aston Villa (both of whom also have a large pool of English first team regulars) will probably all finish in the Premiership top eight this season. This is encouraging and keeps a respectable amount of authenticity that many people thought has disappeared from our game.
Two of those seven goals were scored by the enigma, better known as Craig Bellamy. Is he finally living up to his undoubted talent at the age of 30?
It’s just amazing how something always happens to Bellamy which makes us forget how well he played in the game.
Both of the Welshman’s goals were terrific. One goal was engineered due to superb technique, while the other goal was glittered with frightening pace and awareness.
However, at the end of the match in true Bellamy style, he appeared to slap a helpless fan (who, granted, shouldn’t be on the pitch) while the stewards are holding him back. It was like something out of a Godfather film.
The FA have said they will take no further action, but is this incident not worse than Adebayor’s goal celebration last weekend? Surely it is.
Equally as bad as Adebayor’s antics, in my view, were those of Gary Neville’s. A player with 85 England caps he may be, and that may be the reason he got away with it.
The way in which the Manchester United skipper celebrated towards the Manchester City fans was quite comical, but under the FA’s guidelines should definitely be classed as incitement.
No action will be taken against Neville either. But why does he escape any punishment?
Again there is no consistency from the FA, and they appear to be just as incompetent as UEFA.
There were endless talking points during Sunday’s contest, and it does have to be said that the best team won the game. However, the victors have issues that need addressing.
As an England fan I am particularly concerned about Rio Ferdinand.
It’s not just the individual errors that are worrying. The former Leeds captain is prone to those on rare occasions. It is the fact that he was outpaced so emphatically by Bellamy, a player also injury prone and approximately the same age.
At his best, Ferdinand is one of the world’s top defenders and very rarely gets beaten for pace. But it is alarming how frequently he gets injured these days.
The veteran of three World Cups has had both back trouble and calf trouble in recent years, but also seems to pick up injuries that crop up in different areas of the body. These types of injuries are, to some extent, of more concern than a one-off long term injury, because they suggest the body is breaking down.
I just hope that two of Ferdinand's poor performances this season (one on Sunday and one for England in Amsterdam last month) were down to lack of match practice and not the rapid decline of a great player.
Talking of great players, it would be churlish to sign off without once again heaping praise on Ryan Giggs.
Like many, I questioned his PFA award last year and placed it down as a sentimental gesture.
However, in the last three games the veteran has been nothing short of sensational.
One slalom style run he had on Sunday was vintage Giggs and it was almost like the clock had been turned back to 1994.
Despite the poor performance of Michar Richards at right back, Giggs showed that if you keep yourself in good shape, you can play at the very highest level well into your thirties. His pass to Michael Owen for the winning goal was wonderful awareness.
It must be remembered that the 35 year old has had many injury problems throughout his career. But now, maybe the long, frustrating lay off’s have actually helped keep him fresh and prolonged his career.
The former Welsh captain is one of the few United players of the last fifteen years who seems to be respected by everyone, fans and players alike, whatever team they support. He fully deserves his Indian summer, and we will all miss him when he finally retires, if he ever does.....
Even Liverpool and Manchester City fans should take a bow to this true legend of the game.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
EVERYTHING SEEMS TO REVOLVE AROUND ARSENAL THESE DAYS..
Two main issues this week have been Emmanuel Adebayors’s antics at Eastlands and the overturning of Eduardo’s two match European ban.
The former topic is something I have mixed feelings about. But the latter is a ludicrous decision and yet again sends out the wrong message.
The Togo international’s goal celebration on Saturday was predictable, but it could have been worse. He ran up to the Arsenal fans, celebrated and let off steam. Football is about scoring goals and milking it.
So many fans and critics often comment on how boring goal celebrations are these days (Alan Shearer springs to mind)and that there are no characters in the game stirring things up anymore.
Well, the Manchester City striker is certainly a volatile character, and was it really so bad to celebrate so wildly?
I recall Thierry Henry running the length of the field after scoring a wonderful individual goal. This was against Tottenham at Highbury in 2002. I don’t remember the Arsenal fans complaining too much about that at the time.
Football fans have short memories. And that particular celebration was incitement of the highest level.
I can understand the Gunners fans being disappointed with Adebayor last season. His performances when it really mattered were despicable.
Against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi final, he laboured around the field like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Against Manchester United in the Champions League semi final second leg, he actually gave up after United took the lead. Anyone watching the game that night could visibly see that.
Behaviour like this is not what you expect from a top class forward. It is moments like that when fans are justified to complain about the outrageous salaries that footballers receive.
Looking from a different angle, I fully agree with the view of the Times writer, Gabriele Marcotti. He stated that Robin Van Persie also has a lot to answer for concerning Saturday’s brutal encounter.
Adebayor has received a three match ban for his stamp, but I’ve looked at this incident many times on television and I don’t think anyone can prove if he meant it.
He possibly did mean it, but what seems even more viable is that Van Persie deliberately set out to injure Adebayor with his awful tackle.
Following the match, the Dutch international immediately went onto the Arsenal website and complained about Adebayor’s conduct. Sour grapes anyone??
Van Persie, magnificent player that he is, can hardly talk about other players' conduct. His disciplinary record is awful.
Considering the atrocious injury record the forward has you would think that he would try his best not to get suspended, considering the amount of games he misses.
If Adebayor intended to stamp on Van Persie then he deserves a three match ban, but it’s not entirely transparent unless he admits it, which isn’t going to happen.
What is far more clear cut is that Eduardo dived against Celtic.
As I’ve stated before, I was happy to see the Arsenal striker banned, and two matches seemed a fair punishment.
But now it’s been overturned, where do we go from here?
UEFA does this so often. They make a decision, then on appeal they decide to overturn it. Why?
The Croatian international clearly went to ground before he was touched. The Celtic keeper, Artur Boruc, was rash, but it was a completely different scenario to Wayne Rooney against Arsenal or Glen Johnson against Tottenham.
Both of these players were clearly brought down by poor challenges from the prospective goalkeepers.
Two matches is not a harsh ban. Arsenal will qualify from their group quite comfortably and Eduardo should have missed two fairly uninspiring group games.
However, the striker's presence may now affect the outcome of the Champions League group in terms of the position of the other three teams, and that's not right.
I wonder how Standard Liege felt about his winning goal last night. He should not have even been on the pitch.
Remember, Didier Drogba’s ban was also reduced on appeal. Again I ask, why?
Initily, missing four matches meant that Chelsea’s fortunes in Group D could have been substantially affected by losing one of their key players.
This to me is a fair punishment as Drogba misses the majority of their group games.
Reducing the ban by one match now means that he only misses half of the qualification matches.
The Ivory Coast international is such a vital player for the Blues, far more vital than Eduardo is for the Gunnets. He can now inspire them for one more match, and that could yet prove crucial. Qualification can so often depend on one or two points here and there.
I actually believe Drogba deserved a greater ban. He has had that sort of punishment coming for a while.
While he is a supremely giftted player, he does attempt to bend the rules more than any other player I've seen in recent times.
Drogba spends more time on the ground than Emile Heskey, he just get's away with it more because he's so good.
If the Chelsea marksmen scores the goal that decides whether they go through as group winners or whether they finish second in their group, then UEFA have once again made a mockery of the fair play system.
The governing body of European football really needs to take a long hard look at themselves. In my view we are undoubtedly back to square one.
The former topic is something I have mixed feelings about. But the latter is a ludicrous decision and yet again sends out the wrong message.
The Togo international’s goal celebration on Saturday was predictable, but it could have been worse. He ran up to the Arsenal fans, celebrated and let off steam. Football is about scoring goals and milking it.
So many fans and critics often comment on how boring goal celebrations are these days (Alan Shearer springs to mind)and that there are no characters in the game stirring things up anymore.
Well, the Manchester City striker is certainly a volatile character, and was it really so bad to celebrate so wildly?
I recall Thierry Henry running the length of the field after scoring a wonderful individual goal. This was against Tottenham at Highbury in 2002. I don’t remember the Arsenal fans complaining too much about that at the time.
Football fans have short memories. And that particular celebration was incitement of the highest level.
I can understand the Gunners fans being disappointed with Adebayor last season. His performances when it really mattered were despicable.
Against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi final, he laboured around the field like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Against Manchester United in the Champions League semi final second leg, he actually gave up after United took the lead. Anyone watching the game that night could visibly see that.
Behaviour like this is not what you expect from a top class forward. It is moments like that when fans are justified to complain about the outrageous salaries that footballers receive.
Looking from a different angle, I fully agree with the view of the Times writer, Gabriele Marcotti. He stated that Robin Van Persie also has a lot to answer for concerning Saturday’s brutal encounter.
Adebayor has received a three match ban for his stamp, but I’ve looked at this incident many times on television and I don’t think anyone can prove if he meant it.
He possibly did mean it, but what seems even more viable is that Van Persie deliberately set out to injure Adebayor with his awful tackle.
Following the match, the Dutch international immediately went onto the Arsenal website and complained about Adebayor’s conduct. Sour grapes anyone??
Van Persie, magnificent player that he is, can hardly talk about other players' conduct. His disciplinary record is awful.
Considering the atrocious injury record the forward has you would think that he would try his best not to get suspended, considering the amount of games he misses.
If Adebayor intended to stamp on Van Persie then he deserves a three match ban, but it’s not entirely transparent unless he admits it, which isn’t going to happen.
What is far more clear cut is that Eduardo dived against Celtic.
As I’ve stated before, I was happy to see the Arsenal striker banned, and two matches seemed a fair punishment.
But now it’s been overturned, where do we go from here?
UEFA does this so often. They make a decision, then on appeal they decide to overturn it. Why?
The Croatian international clearly went to ground before he was touched. The Celtic keeper, Artur Boruc, was rash, but it was a completely different scenario to Wayne Rooney against Arsenal or Glen Johnson against Tottenham.
Both of these players were clearly brought down by poor challenges from the prospective goalkeepers.
Two matches is not a harsh ban. Arsenal will qualify from their group quite comfortably and Eduardo should have missed two fairly uninspiring group games.
However, the striker's presence may now affect the outcome of the Champions League group in terms of the position of the other three teams, and that's not right.
I wonder how Standard Liege felt about his winning goal last night. He should not have even been on the pitch.
Remember, Didier Drogba’s ban was also reduced on appeal. Again I ask, why?
Initily, missing four matches meant that Chelsea’s fortunes in Group D could have been substantially affected by losing one of their key players.
This to me is a fair punishment as Drogba misses the majority of their group games.
Reducing the ban by one match now means that he only misses half of the qualification matches.
The Ivory Coast international is such a vital player for the Blues, far more vital than Eduardo is for the Gunnets. He can now inspire them for one more match, and that could yet prove crucial. Qualification can so often depend on one or two points here and there.
I actually believe Drogba deserved a greater ban. He has had that sort of punishment coming for a while.
While he is a supremely giftted player, he does attempt to bend the rules more than any other player I've seen in recent times.
Drogba spends more time on the ground than Emile Heskey, he just get's away with it more because he's so good.
If the Chelsea marksmen scores the goal that decides whether they go through as group winners or whether they finish second in their group, then UEFA have once again made a mockery of the fair play system.
The governing body of European football really needs to take a long hard look at themselves. In my view we are undoubtedly back to square one.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
NOW IMAGINE A DAY IN THE LIFE WITHOUT LENNON?
John Lennon become a staunch left wing activist during his post Beatles days.
His namesake was doing the opposite to Croatia last night as he left the Croatian left back, Pranjic, feeling like a ‘Nowhere Man’ at times.
The challenge, by Josip Simunic made him look more like a night tripper than a “Day Tripper’.
Fabio Capello will not stretch further than saying ‘I Feel Fine’ after last night’s performance, but the England fans certainly need a ‘Ticket to Ride’ to South Africa now.
The second England goal was a delicious ‘From Me to You’ between Lennon and Steven Gerrard, and for England fans ‘Across the Universe’ it was time to celebrate.
Croatia were shouting ‘Help’ after only nine minutes. Slaven Bilic’s pre match comments about knowing England’s weaknesses were soon “Instant Khama’ in what can only be described as a ‘Hard Day’s Night’ for the team from the Adriatic.
Steve McLlaren can take note that ‘All You Need is Love’ in the England camp and it really can all ‘Come Together’.
Fabio Capello’s ‘Revolution’ is definetly in full swing and for the first time ‘In My Life’ I can see really see the ‘Wheels Go Round and Round’.
OK so that last one was pretty weak.
I could go on all night, but I won’t…
There are so many positives to come from last night’s performance at Wembley.
The media will always find negative aspects, but that will not bother Fabio Capello.
People will point out that the teams in England’s group are weak, but as I stated in a recent blog, this was the only qualifying group to features three teams ranked in the world’s top twenty at the start of play.
England’s goal difference of plus twenty six is astonishing in any one’s book.
I heard some critics saying Croatia were a poor side, but only 14 months ago, people were building this team up as potential European Champions.
Last night, England played in a ‘very English way’ obviously just to annoy Slaven Bilic, who seems to think he is a bit more special than he is.
The former West Ham defender is quite popular with the press, but I personally still remember his outrageous play acting to get Laurent Blanc sent off in the 1998 World Cup semi final. I still find it difficult to warm to him.
The old chestnut of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard not being able to play together was well and truly put to bed last night.
Special credit should go the Chelsea midfield star. He has adjusted his attacking instinct to become more of a defensive midfielder who occasionally motors into the opposition box.
The system is working, because Gerrard can drift and link up with Rooney. The scouse pair are England’s two most gifted players. It makes sense that they should be utilised in more free roles.
Much has been said about England’s right side, but it was outstanding last night.
Glen Johnson has been in for some unfair criticism in recent weeks, but Capello obviously trusts him. He was terrific last night and defended well too.
Johnson's wide play for Lampard’s second goal shows just what the Liverpool man can offer.
Emile Heskey’s contribution to the team needs to be analysed objectively. He is not in the team for his goals.
It is frustrating when he misses easy chances, but England have won eight out of eight
qualifiers with the Aston Villa man leading the line in six of those wins.
The 31 year old is there to drag defenders away and create space for Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard. I am sick and tired of people saying Crouch or Defoe should play. Remember that Wayne Rooney has been the top scorer in qualifying, so Heskey seems to be the perfect foil.
If it is not fixed it should be broken.
The stand out performer on the night was Aaron Lennon. But he is one of the few players in the team who not assured of their starting place.
The winger has been playing very well for Tottenham in the early stages of the season, and last night he showed how much he has improved.
His crossing and his running off the ball were terrific. And if this season’s evidence is anything to go by, his finishing has improved too.
The former Leeds player will be 23 come South Africa and is a real threat, but England have an embarrassment of riches on the right side of midfield.
Other options include Sean Wright-Phillips, David Beckham, of course, and the very similar Theo Walcott.
I believe that Walcott or Lennon will start the opening game in South Africa. It just depends on who is in the best form at that time. There is not a lot to choose between them.
I was listening to BBC Five Live on Monday night, and Ian McGarra of the Sun said he believed England have six world class players.
Robbie Savage, a proud Welshman said ‘Who are they then?’ McGarra replied by listing Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney. Savage reluctantly agreed.
I agree too. If you picked a world squad of 23 comprising of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four strikers, then I certainly think five of those players would get in. Rio Ferdinand may be the exception as he seems to be becoming very injury prone.
The Italian coach certainly has a very talented pool of players. It’s just important that key players stay fit.
Before the 2002 World Cup, both Beckham and Gerrard got injured.
During Euro 2004, Rooney limped off in the quarter finals after being the player of the tournament.
In 2006, the Manchester United star was injured before the tournament and was not fit, while Michael Owen hobbled out in the group stages.
If all the key players do stay fit, then I believe England have a great chance.
Roll on South Africa…
His namesake was doing the opposite to Croatia last night as he left the Croatian left back, Pranjic, feeling like a ‘Nowhere Man’ at times.
The challenge, by Josip Simunic made him look more like a night tripper than a “Day Tripper’.
Fabio Capello will not stretch further than saying ‘I Feel Fine’ after last night’s performance, but the England fans certainly need a ‘Ticket to Ride’ to South Africa now.
The second England goal was a delicious ‘From Me to You’ between Lennon and Steven Gerrard, and for England fans ‘Across the Universe’ it was time to celebrate.
Croatia were shouting ‘Help’ after only nine minutes. Slaven Bilic’s pre match comments about knowing England’s weaknesses were soon “Instant Khama’ in what can only be described as a ‘Hard Day’s Night’ for the team from the Adriatic.
Steve McLlaren can take note that ‘All You Need is Love’ in the England camp and it really can all ‘Come Together’.
Fabio Capello’s ‘Revolution’ is definetly in full swing and for the first time ‘In My Life’ I can see really see the ‘Wheels Go Round and Round’.
OK so that last one was pretty weak.
I could go on all night, but I won’t…
There are so many positives to come from last night’s performance at Wembley.
The media will always find negative aspects, but that will not bother Fabio Capello.
People will point out that the teams in England’s group are weak, but as I stated in a recent blog, this was the only qualifying group to features three teams ranked in the world’s top twenty at the start of play.
England’s goal difference of plus twenty six is astonishing in any one’s book.
I heard some critics saying Croatia were a poor side, but only 14 months ago, people were building this team up as potential European Champions.
Last night, England played in a ‘very English way’ obviously just to annoy Slaven Bilic, who seems to think he is a bit more special than he is.
The former West Ham defender is quite popular with the press, but I personally still remember his outrageous play acting to get Laurent Blanc sent off in the 1998 World Cup semi final. I still find it difficult to warm to him.
The old chestnut of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard not being able to play together was well and truly put to bed last night.
Special credit should go the Chelsea midfield star. He has adjusted his attacking instinct to become more of a defensive midfielder who occasionally motors into the opposition box.
The system is working, because Gerrard can drift and link up with Rooney. The scouse pair are England’s two most gifted players. It makes sense that they should be utilised in more free roles.
Much has been said about England’s right side, but it was outstanding last night.
Glen Johnson has been in for some unfair criticism in recent weeks, but Capello obviously trusts him. He was terrific last night and defended well too.
Johnson's wide play for Lampard’s second goal shows just what the Liverpool man can offer.
Emile Heskey’s contribution to the team needs to be analysed objectively. He is not in the team for his goals.
It is frustrating when he misses easy chances, but England have won eight out of eight
qualifiers with the Aston Villa man leading the line in six of those wins.
The 31 year old is there to drag defenders away and create space for Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard. I am sick and tired of people saying Crouch or Defoe should play. Remember that Wayne Rooney has been the top scorer in qualifying, so Heskey seems to be the perfect foil.
If it is not fixed it should be broken.
The stand out performer on the night was Aaron Lennon. But he is one of the few players in the team who not assured of their starting place.
The winger has been playing very well for Tottenham in the early stages of the season, and last night he showed how much he has improved.
His crossing and his running off the ball were terrific. And if this season’s evidence is anything to go by, his finishing has improved too.
The former Leeds player will be 23 come South Africa and is a real threat, but England have an embarrassment of riches on the right side of midfield.
Other options include Sean Wright-Phillips, David Beckham, of course, and the very similar Theo Walcott.
I believe that Walcott or Lennon will start the opening game in South Africa. It just depends on who is in the best form at that time. There is not a lot to choose between them.
I was listening to BBC Five Live on Monday night, and Ian McGarra of the Sun said he believed England have six world class players.
Robbie Savage, a proud Welshman said ‘Who are they then?’ McGarra replied by listing Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney. Savage reluctantly agreed.
I agree too. If you picked a world squad of 23 comprising of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four strikers, then I certainly think five of those players would get in. Rio Ferdinand may be the exception as he seems to be becoming very injury prone.
The Italian coach certainly has a very talented pool of players. It’s just important that key players stay fit.
Before the 2002 World Cup, both Beckham and Gerrard got injured.
During Euro 2004, Rooney limped off in the quarter finals after being the player of the tournament.
In 2006, the Manchester United star was injured before the tournament and was not fit, while Michael Owen hobbled out in the group stages.
If all the key players do stay fit, then I believe England have a great chance.
Roll on South Africa…
Thursday, September 3, 2009
VIDEO EVIDENCE IS NEEDED TO SAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL GAME
The time has come for use of television replays on ambiguous decisions.
Recent events have made this scenario a must, otherwise the game will become more and more farcical, not to mention un-watchable.
All of the old concerns about video evidence can be discussed until we are blue in the face. But nobody can tell me it will destroy football more than it has been already.
So what are the arguments against video evidence?
The most frequent argument used is that it will slow down the game. This is nonsense.
Video replays can be shown twice at two different angles to determine the right decision. This process should take been 30 and 45 seconds.
This is much quicker than the time it takes for a player to get up after play acting or how long it takes for a referee to usher away angry players. Even goalkeepers sometimes take up to 45 seconds to take a goal kick.
The other argument the old fashioned fan will put across, is that bad decisions are what the game is all about. Without them, what would we discuss down the pub?
Well, down the Rose and Lion, we can discuss how video evidence has improved the game, and how many matches a player should be banned for, for diving.
Diving has been a major topic discussion in recent weeks. The main headlines have concerned Eduardo’s antics against Celtic.
Firstly, lets get this straight. It was a dive and the Brazilian born Croat deserves to be banned. But he is not the first to do this. What about Carlos Tevez versus Tottenham at Old Trafford last season.
The Argentine forward went down in the area but was clearly not touched. This crucial decision cost Howard Webb his reputation, but was Tevez reprimanded? No.
It’s good that the Arsenal striker has been punished, but if we had had video evidence at the game it would have been quicker to make a correct decision than it took the Celtic players to complain about the decision. Eduardo would have been sent off and presented with a two or three game ban immediately.
Instead we had endless discussion and the usual bureaucracy trail coming out of UEFA, while they were trying to decide the best course of action.
I have my own solutions to diving.
Video evidence should be used on every penalty decision if the referee is in any doubt. Ninety per cent of the time, players spend 20 seconds appealing anyway. But there should only be one replay in my view, as not to waste too much time.
If it’s a clear penalty, then an easy decision can be made.
If the referee thinks the player was barely touched but fell over, the referee should book the player for diving.
If the player fell over and was not touched at all, that should be a straight red card for simulation and a three match ban. No questions asked, it is usually always clear.
There are other ways of stamping diving out of the game.
I was listening to a phone in on Talk sport radio on Tuesday and a caller made an excellent suggestion.
The fan, an Arsenal fan ironically, said that the other team should be awarded a penalty if a player dives in the opposition area and is not touched. This is an excellent suggestion, but again only after use of one video replay.
These ideas may come across as radical, but there are too many rash decisions given these days.
I remember when I first began to like football in the late 1980s. A penalty was an exciting event as they were given so rarely.
Now, due to players fundamentally cheating, but also changes in the rules, three or four seem to be given every weekend. Many of the spot kick’s given are not clear cut.
Two recent events have also made me believe video replays are the future of the game.
The first is the Freddie Sears’ goal for Crystal Palace against Bristol City that was not seen by the officials (although this rarely happens in football). The second, was an incident which happened in the Bolton v Liverpool match on Saturday which reinforced the use of video evidence.
Fernando Torres cut into the Bolton penalty area and was cleanly tackled by Zat Knight, the Bolton centre back. The Spaniard went down under the challenge, but did not look for a penalty and did not dive.
Both Knight and Gary Cahill preceded to shout aggressively at Torres accusing him of cheating. This would not have happened if the recent media frenzy on diving had not occurred.
If players are now going to accuse players of diving when they haven’t, we have moved full circle and they too deserved to be punished.
If video evidence is used, decisions on diving and any other debatable action in the game can be dealt with more quickly and efficiently
Of course there are grey areas. Referees are given less responsibility, but it also makes their job easier. To some extent, it also adds to the drama of the game, like it does in Rugby.
I do believe the evidence should only be used when a decision is within the penalty area and not outside. This would, of course, mean that Emmanuel Eboue’s disgraceful dive at Old Trafford last weekend would not be punished. But it can be punished at a later date.
The important factor is that if the offence is outside the area it leads to a goal far less frequently.
Nothing is perfect in football and that’s why we love it.
However, without video replays, many of us are in danger of falling out of love with the game completely.
Recent events have made this scenario a must, otherwise the game will become more and more farcical, not to mention un-watchable.
All of the old concerns about video evidence can be discussed until we are blue in the face. But nobody can tell me it will destroy football more than it has been already.
So what are the arguments against video evidence?
The most frequent argument used is that it will slow down the game. This is nonsense.
Video replays can be shown twice at two different angles to determine the right decision. This process should take been 30 and 45 seconds.
This is much quicker than the time it takes for a player to get up after play acting or how long it takes for a referee to usher away angry players. Even goalkeepers sometimes take up to 45 seconds to take a goal kick.
The other argument the old fashioned fan will put across, is that bad decisions are what the game is all about. Without them, what would we discuss down the pub?
Well, down the Rose and Lion, we can discuss how video evidence has improved the game, and how many matches a player should be banned for, for diving.
Diving has been a major topic discussion in recent weeks. The main headlines have concerned Eduardo’s antics against Celtic.
Firstly, lets get this straight. It was a dive and the Brazilian born Croat deserves to be banned. But he is not the first to do this. What about Carlos Tevez versus Tottenham at Old Trafford last season.
The Argentine forward went down in the area but was clearly not touched. This crucial decision cost Howard Webb his reputation, but was Tevez reprimanded? No.
It’s good that the Arsenal striker has been punished, but if we had had video evidence at the game it would have been quicker to make a correct decision than it took the Celtic players to complain about the decision. Eduardo would have been sent off and presented with a two or three game ban immediately.
Instead we had endless discussion and the usual bureaucracy trail coming out of UEFA, while they were trying to decide the best course of action.
I have my own solutions to diving.
Video evidence should be used on every penalty decision if the referee is in any doubt. Ninety per cent of the time, players spend 20 seconds appealing anyway. But there should only be one replay in my view, as not to waste too much time.
If it’s a clear penalty, then an easy decision can be made.
If the referee thinks the player was barely touched but fell over, the referee should book the player for diving.
If the player fell over and was not touched at all, that should be a straight red card for simulation and a three match ban. No questions asked, it is usually always clear.
There are other ways of stamping diving out of the game.
I was listening to a phone in on Talk sport radio on Tuesday and a caller made an excellent suggestion.
The fan, an Arsenal fan ironically, said that the other team should be awarded a penalty if a player dives in the opposition area and is not touched. This is an excellent suggestion, but again only after use of one video replay.
These ideas may come across as radical, but there are too many rash decisions given these days.
I remember when I first began to like football in the late 1980s. A penalty was an exciting event as they were given so rarely.
Now, due to players fundamentally cheating, but also changes in the rules, three or four seem to be given every weekend. Many of the spot kick’s given are not clear cut.
Two recent events have also made me believe video replays are the future of the game.
The first is the Freddie Sears’ goal for Crystal Palace against Bristol City that was not seen by the officials (although this rarely happens in football). The second, was an incident which happened in the Bolton v Liverpool match on Saturday which reinforced the use of video evidence.
Fernando Torres cut into the Bolton penalty area and was cleanly tackled by Zat Knight, the Bolton centre back. The Spaniard went down under the challenge, but did not look for a penalty and did not dive.
Both Knight and Gary Cahill preceded to shout aggressively at Torres accusing him of cheating. This would not have happened if the recent media frenzy on diving had not occurred.
If players are now going to accuse players of diving when they haven’t, we have moved full circle and they too deserved to be punished.
If video evidence is used, decisions on diving and any other debatable action in the game can be dealt with more quickly and efficiently
Of course there are grey areas. Referees are given less responsibility, but it also makes their job easier. To some extent, it also adds to the drama of the game, like it does in Rugby.
I do believe the evidence should only be used when a decision is within the penalty area and not outside. This would, of course, mean that Emmanuel Eboue’s disgraceful dive at Old Trafford last weekend would not be punished. But it can be punished at a later date.
The important factor is that if the offence is outside the area it leads to a goal far less frequently.
Nothing is perfect in football and that’s why we love it.
However, without video replays, many of us are in danger of falling out of love with the game completely.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
LOOKING THROUGH A CRYSTAL BALL
Next week is crunch time for many countries hoping to be at next year’s World Cup finals.
With nine months to go before the tournament kicks off in South Africa, who are the real contenders for the crown?
Will it be the same old names? Or will a dark horse sneak through the pack and surprise everyone?
Some major names are unlikely to be in Africa. Portugal are struggling to qualify, while Sweden also face early elimination.
It is therefore, a distinct possibility that we may not get to see either Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic at next year’s showpiece event.
Spain appear to be most people’s favourites at this point, and rightly so.
The Liberians have the best pool of players and have won every one of their qualifying matches. This sequence included a victory in Turkey, a notoriously tough place to go and win.
They have a dazzling array of talent including Iker Casillas, the goalkeeper and a defence including two Champions league winners and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid.
The midfielders are small but wonderful at keeping possession. Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso, Fabregas, Silva and Senna are all world class players.
Coach Vincent Del Bosque can afford to leave two of those players out. He really has an embarrassment of riches in that area.
The Spaniards also have decent options out wide. Liverpool’s Albert Riera has a terrific left foot and a fine turn of pace. He has really improved over the last year. His presence offers them another dimension.
David Villa and Fernando Torres are a duo of strikers unrivalled in world football. But, what would happen if one of them got injured?
Are the substitute strikers even approaching the same level? I would say no.
I believe here are question marks over the defence as well. Carles Puyol is not the player he was three years ago and does get caught for pace on many occasions. Gerard Pique, meanwhile, still lacks experience on the international stage.
The midfield is supreme when in possession, but what about when the team faces a physical outfit, like for example, the USA? They can be rattled, as we saw in the summer.
The Spaniards are the bookies favourites, but are beatable in my view.. They haven’t got that invincible feel that say, France had, at the turn of the century.
England have been superb in qualifying and have an excellent coach in Fabio Capello. He seems to be getting the best out of Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and has moulded them into a tough outfit.
The 1966 winners concede more goals than they did under Sven Goran Eriksson, but they also score more.
Question marks still remain over the goalkeeper and the right back position. Although Glen Johnson offers so much going forward, it does enable Capello to play Lampard, Gerrard and Barry in a narrow formation if needs be.
Much has been said about Jermaine Defoe’s form. But he will not be a starter.
Emile Heskey or Carlton Cole will partner Rooney.
These players provide the Manchester United forward with the space he requires because they are prepared to do his dirty work. Defoe is not selfless enough for that role and he can only really be an impact substitute.
England should certainly get to the last four. It will be winter in South Africa, so the heat cannot be an excuse like it has been in previous World Cups.
I just worry what Capello’s frame of mind will be like if England meet Italy. That would be a fascinating scenario if it happened.
Italy and Germany can never be written off when it comes to major championships, and will qualify.
Both teams lack the superstars of years gone by, but both have experienced coaches and terrific team work.
Danielle De Rossi of AS Roma is a quality player for Italy, and has the ability to be a real star of the tournament. However the Italians are an ageing side and I believe this will be their downfall.
Michael Ballack remains Germany’s key man. It may well be his swan song, so he will want to go out on a real high.
One of those two giants will probably get to the semi finals, but I would be very surprised if both teams made it that far.
Of the South Americans, Brazil will always be a threat. But do they have the players this time around?
The five times winners currently lack any truly world class strikers.
In recent World Cups they have had Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Adriano to call on. But now they have no one even close to that standard.
Robinho and Kaka are the players on whom their hopes rest. But they are both inconsistent. Can they perform at their best for seven games in 30 days?
Gilberto Silva, Ze Roberto and Lucio are all veterans now, but Danny Alves is a fantastic option at wing back if Dunga decides to use him. I believe the Barcelona star could also be a star of the tournament.
Brazil will always be dangerous, mainly due to the fact that are ‘Brazil’.
I personally don’t think Argentina are contenders for the crown.
I don’t believe Diego Maradona is an astute enough manager, and like England, Argentina always go into the World Cup as one of the favourites and so often fail to deliver.
Since the two time winners lost the 1990 final, they have not gone beyond the quarter finals. In fact they even went out in the group stages in 2002.
Lionel Messi is obviously their main star, but I don’t think he can win the tournament on his own.
The Argentines have hardly set the world alight in the qualifiers, and their record playing at high altitude, as they may do in South Africa, is appalling.
I do not see the Netherlands as contenders either. They are terrific going forward, but have a particularly weak defence, which will get exposed at the highest level.
Dirk Kuyt is a decent player, but if he is Holland’s first choice central striker, I think this demonstrates their lack of strength in depth.
Russia have been a sleeping giant way too long, but they have continued where they left off in Euro 2008, when I thought they were the next best team after Spain.
Guus Hiddink’s side have a terrific balance of technique and pace, and seem to have a good team spirit. They are also frightening quick on the counter attack.
Hiddink has to take a lot of credit for this, and with players such as Andrei Arshavin, Yuri Zhirkov and Roman Pavlyuchenko (chronically under-used at Tottenham last season), they are a good bet to get to the last eight at least.
However, a word of advice for the gambler’s among you. Please note Hiddink’s losing record in semi finals. I predict the Russians will not go beyond that stage.
My dark horses for 2010 are Serbia.
They have an excellent defence marshaled by Nemanja Vidic, and have quality in midfield, led by the outstanding Inter playmaker Dejan Stankovic.
As with all former Yugoslav teams, they are supremely gifted technically. Many of the team have also grown up together and the spirit is excellent.
If the Serbs can win at home to France next week, and I think they will, they have all but assured qualification. Watch out for them next year!
Of the African teams, the Ivory Coast have the experience of the last World Cup to draw on. I think if the draw favours them, they are a good bet for the last eight.
The West Africans are a strong and technically gifted team and they also possess world class players in Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
Whether the Ivory Coast, like all the African teams, have the discipline to go all the way is still debatable. But no one will look forward to playing such a powerful outfit.
As things stand, I would make Spain slight favourites, closely followed by Brazil, England and Russia.
Injuries to key players can make all the difference so it’s difficult to make solid predictions at this stage.
But it should be an exciting end to the qualifying stages and I predict a few twists and turns to come..
The countdown continues. 285 days to go.
With nine months to go before the tournament kicks off in South Africa, who are the real contenders for the crown?
Will it be the same old names? Or will a dark horse sneak through the pack and surprise everyone?
Some major names are unlikely to be in Africa. Portugal are struggling to qualify, while Sweden also face early elimination.
It is therefore, a distinct possibility that we may not get to see either Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic at next year’s showpiece event.
Spain appear to be most people’s favourites at this point, and rightly so.
The Liberians have the best pool of players and have won every one of their qualifying matches. This sequence included a victory in Turkey, a notoriously tough place to go and win.
They have a dazzling array of talent including Iker Casillas, the goalkeeper and a defence including two Champions league winners and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid.
The midfielders are small but wonderful at keeping possession. Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso, Fabregas, Silva and Senna are all world class players.
Coach Vincent Del Bosque can afford to leave two of those players out. He really has an embarrassment of riches in that area.
The Spaniards also have decent options out wide. Liverpool’s Albert Riera has a terrific left foot and a fine turn of pace. He has really improved over the last year. His presence offers them another dimension.
David Villa and Fernando Torres are a duo of strikers unrivalled in world football. But, what would happen if one of them got injured?
Are the substitute strikers even approaching the same level? I would say no.
I believe here are question marks over the defence as well. Carles Puyol is not the player he was three years ago and does get caught for pace on many occasions. Gerard Pique, meanwhile, still lacks experience on the international stage.
The midfield is supreme when in possession, but what about when the team faces a physical outfit, like for example, the USA? They can be rattled, as we saw in the summer.
The Spaniards are the bookies favourites, but are beatable in my view.. They haven’t got that invincible feel that say, France had, at the turn of the century.
England have been superb in qualifying and have an excellent coach in Fabio Capello. He seems to be getting the best out of Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and has moulded them into a tough outfit.
The 1966 winners concede more goals than they did under Sven Goran Eriksson, but they also score more.
Question marks still remain over the goalkeeper and the right back position. Although Glen Johnson offers so much going forward, it does enable Capello to play Lampard, Gerrard and Barry in a narrow formation if needs be.
Much has been said about Jermaine Defoe’s form. But he will not be a starter.
Emile Heskey or Carlton Cole will partner Rooney.
These players provide the Manchester United forward with the space he requires because they are prepared to do his dirty work. Defoe is not selfless enough for that role and he can only really be an impact substitute.
England should certainly get to the last four. It will be winter in South Africa, so the heat cannot be an excuse like it has been in previous World Cups.
I just worry what Capello’s frame of mind will be like if England meet Italy. That would be a fascinating scenario if it happened.
Italy and Germany can never be written off when it comes to major championships, and will qualify.
Both teams lack the superstars of years gone by, but both have experienced coaches and terrific team work.
Danielle De Rossi of AS Roma is a quality player for Italy, and has the ability to be a real star of the tournament. However the Italians are an ageing side and I believe this will be their downfall.
Michael Ballack remains Germany’s key man. It may well be his swan song, so he will want to go out on a real high.
One of those two giants will probably get to the semi finals, but I would be very surprised if both teams made it that far.
Of the South Americans, Brazil will always be a threat. But do they have the players this time around?
The five times winners currently lack any truly world class strikers.
In recent World Cups they have had Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Adriano to call on. But now they have no one even close to that standard.
Robinho and Kaka are the players on whom their hopes rest. But they are both inconsistent. Can they perform at their best for seven games in 30 days?
Gilberto Silva, Ze Roberto and Lucio are all veterans now, but Danny Alves is a fantastic option at wing back if Dunga decides to use him. I believe the Barcelona star could also be a star of the tournament.
Brazil will always be dangerous, mainly due to the fact that are ‘Brazil’.
I personally don’t think Argentina are contenders for the crown.
I don’t believe Diego Maradona is an astute enough manager, and like England, Argentina always go into the World Cup as one of the favourites and so often fail to deliver.
Since the two time winners lost the 1990 final, they have not gone beyond the quarter finals. In fact they even went out in the group stages in 2002.
Lionel Messi is obviously their main star, but I don’t think he can win the tournament on his own.
The Argentines have hardly set the world alight in the qualifiers, and their record playing at high altitude, as they may do in South Africa, is appalling.
I do not see the Netherlands as contenders either. They are terrific going forward, but have a particularly weak defence, which will get exposed at the highest level.
Dirk Kuyt is a decent player, but if he is Holland’s first choice central striker, I think this demonstrates their lack of strength in depth.
Russia have been a sleeping giant way too long, but they have continued where they left off in Euro 2008, when I thought they were the next best team after Spain.
Guus Hiddink’s side have a terrific balance of technique and pace, and seem to have a good team spirit. They are also frightening quick on the counter attack.
Hiddink has to take a lot of credit for this, and with players such as Andrei Arshavin, Yuri Zhirkov and Roman Pavlyuchenko (chronically under-used at Tottenham last season), they are a good bet to get to the last eight at least.
However, a word of advice for the gambler’s among you. Please note Hiddink’s losing record in semi finals. I predict the Russians will not go beyond that stage.
My dark horses for 2010 are Serbia.
They have an excellent defence marshaled by Nemanja Vidic, and have quality in midfield, led by the outstanding Inter playmaker Dejan Stankovic.
As with all former Yugoslav teams, they are supremely gifted technically. Many of the team have also grown up together and the spirit is excellent.
If the Serbs can win at home to France next week, and I think they will, they have all but assured qualification. Watch out for them next year!
Of the African teams, the Ivory Coast have the experience of the last World Cup to draw on. I think if the draw favours them, they are a good bet for the last eight.
The West Africans are a strong and technically gifted team and they also possess world class players in Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
Whether the Ivory Coast, like all the African teams, have the discipline to go all the way is still debatable. But no one will look forward to playing such a powerful outfit.
As things stand, I would make Spain slight favourites, closely followed by Brazil, England and Russia.
Injuries to key players can make all the difference so it’s difficult to make solid predictions at this stage.
But it should be an exciting end to the qualifying stages and I predict a few twists and turns to come..
The countdown continues. 285 days to go.
Friday, August 21, 2009
JUMPING ON THE PROVERBIAL....
It comes as no surprise that the bandwagon jumping has already begun.
I like many other fans, just wish that journalists and analysts alike would not over-react to early season results.
This first week has been no different in the Premiership.
First Chelsea were under close scrutiny for an un-inspiring and ultimately lucky victory over Hull. Then it was Liverpool’s turn following a poor performance at Spurs.
Now suddenly after two games, Spurs are title contenders with some analysts and Manchester United will be struggling to get into the top four.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are now definite contenders with many critics to claim the title. And this after only one league game and one Champions League victory.
Let me ask one question? Instead of just looking at the results, why do analysts not observe what actually happened and assess the bigger picture?
The most important assessment I can make at this stage is that there are 36 games to go.
Chelsea are now the clear Premiership favourites with the bookies. But at half time on Saturday they were getting heavily criticised in many quarters. How football can change so quickly.
It is obvious that Carlo Ancelotti is still not sure of the right system to use, and is still getting accustomed to a new league.
His west London side have been terrific in the second half of both of their games, but very poor in the first half.
Ancelotti will be well aware that better teams than Hull and Sunderland could have killed them off before half time.
Liverpool are suddenly a good team again after thrashing Stoke, but are heavily missing Xavi Alonso according to many people in the press.
But let’s just assess this in more detail.
Xavi Alonso played away to Tottenham and at home to Stoke last season. Liverpool took one point from those two games, scoring one goal in the process.
This season they have scored five goals and taken three points.
Liverpool may well miss the Spaniard in the games to come, but analysts really should check their information before making such rash, pre-conceived judgments.
Another thing that has been scrutinized is Liverpool’s performance at White Hart Lane.
In an attacking sense they were poor, but defensively they also had a day to forget.
Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher were involved in a nasty collision in the first half and the Slovakian central defender could not actually move his head to one side for the rest of the game.
Carragher also seemed to be feeling the affects of the injury for the rest of the game, and this clearly restricted his performance.
This is not making excuses, it’s a fact and Tottenham took advantage of that.
Harry Redknapp’s side deserved the win over Liverpool, and the 5-1 thrashing away to Hull City was impressive too.
However, the North London club are not title contenders.
They have four very good strikers, but the defence and goalkeeper are not strong enough to win the league.
Ledley King can only play one game a week, and the full backs are not top class, let alone the replacements.
Wilson Palacios is a terrific player. But if he got injured, Tottenham have no replacement anywhere near as effective.
I do think Tottenham can challenge for a top four place, but ultimately I believe even that is beyond them. However, I expect a top six finish.
Manchester United were poor at Burnley and not particularly impressive at home to Birmingham.
But the Champions are notoriously slow starters and to write them off now would be foolish.
However, the loss of Christiano Ronaldo cannot be underestimated, and with him they may well have got a result at Burnley.
But like Alonso, the Portuguese star wanted to leave, so there is no use in the Red Devils dwelling on his departure.
United’s lack of creativity elsewhere in midfield has to be a worry though. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sir Alex Ferguson spent before the transfer window is closed.
Last, but not least there is Arsenal.
The Gunners had a terrific opening day win, but Everton were in tatters.
How many times do Arsenal score from two set pieces in one match? Very rarely I would say.
Joleon Lescott obviously had his mind on other things, and Everton will surely not play as badly as that again this season.
The fifth goal especially, where Cesc Fabregas ran the half the field without a challenge was scandalous defending, and Arsenal will not get that amount of room in most games.
Arsenal’s true worth can be judged on that game, although their confidence will be sky high, and that’s the really positive factor to take from that game.
I still believe that Arsene Wenger’s side are capable of losing when you least expect it and that will be their downfall.
Football wouldn’t be the great game we all love, if people didn’t over-react or make outrageous statements.
But former players especially do have a habit of making statements without really looking at the facts.
Let’s just see what the table looks like at the beginning of October, then we really can begin to make outrageous predictions.
I like many other fans, just wish that journalists and analysts alike would not over-react to early season results.
This first week has been no different in the Premiership.
First Chelsea were under close scrutiny for an un-inspiring and ultimately lucky victory over Hull. Then it was Liverpool’s turn following a poor performance at Spurs.
Now suddenly after two games, Spurs are title contenders with some analysts and Manchester United will be struggling to get into the top four.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are now definite contenders with many critics to claim the title. And this after only one league game and one Champions League victory.
Let me ask one question? Instead of just looking at the results, why do analysts not observe what actually happened and assess the bigger picture?
The most important assessment I can make at this stage is that there are 36 games to go.
Chelsea are now the clear Premiership favourites with the bookies. But at half time on Saturday they were getting heavily criticised in many quarters. How football can change so quickly.
It is obvious that Carlo Ancelotti is still not sure of the right system to use, and is still getting accustomed to a new league.
His west London side have been terrific in the second half of both of their games, but very poor in the first half.
Ancelotti will be well aware that better teams than Hull and Sunderland could have killed them off before half time.
Liverpool are suddenly a good team again after thrashing Stoke, but are heavily missing Xavi Alonso according to many people in the press.
But let’s just assess this in more detail.
Xavi Alonso played away to Tottenham and at home to Stoke last season. Liverpool took one point from those two games, scoring one goal in the process.
This season they have scored five goals and taken three points.
Liverpool may well miss the Spaniard in the games to come, but analysts really should check their information before making such rash, pre-conceived judgments.
Another thing that has been scrutinized is Liverpool’s performance at White Hart Lane.
In an attacking sense they were poor, but defensively they also had a day to forget.
Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher were involved in a nasty collision in the first half and the Slovakian central defender could not actually move his head to one side for the rest of the game.
Carragher also seemed to be feeling the affects of the injury for the rest of the game, and this clearly restricted his performance.
This is not making excuses, it’s a fact and Tottenham took advantage of that.
Harry Redknapp’s side deserved the win over Liverpool, and the 5-1 thrashing away to Hull City was impressive too.
However, the North London club are not title contenders.
They have four very good strikers, but the defence and goalkeeper are not strong enough to win the league.
Ledley King can only play one game a week, and the full backs are not top class, let alone the replacements.
Wilson Palacios is a terrific player. But if he got injured, Tottenham have no replacement anywhere near as effective.
I do think Tottenham can challenge for a top four place, but ultimately I believe even that is beyond them. However, I expect a top six finish.
Manchester United were poor at Burnley and not particularly impressive at home to Birmingham.
But the Champions are notoriously slow starters and to write them off now would be foolish.
However, the loss of Christiano Ronaldo cannot be underestimated, and with him they may well have got a result at Burnley.
But like Alonso, the Portuguese star wanted to leave, so there is no use in the Red Devils dwelling on his departure.
United’s lack of creativity elsewhere in midfield has to be a worry though. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sir Alex Ferguson spent before the transfer window is closed.
Last, but not least there is Arsenal.
The Gunners had a terrific opening day win, but Everton were in tatters.
How many times do Arsenal score from two set pieces in one match? Very rarely I would say.
Joleon Lescott obviously had his mind on other things, and Everton will surely not play as badly as that again this season.
The fifth goal especially, where Cesc Fabregas ran the half the field without a challenge was scandalous defending, and Arsenal will not get that amount of room in most games.
Arsenal’s true worth can be judged on that game, although their confidence will be sky high, and that’s the really positive factor to take from that game.
I still believe that Arsene Wenger’s side are capable of losing when you least expect it and that will be their downfall.
Football wouldn’t be the great game we all love, if people didn’t over-react or make outrageous statements.
But former players especially do have a habit of making statements without really looking at the facts.
Let’s just see what the table looks like at the beginning of October, then we really can begin to make outrageous predictions.
Friday, August 14, 2009
A THREE HORSE RACE
I don’t think I am alone in believing that it’s going to be an exciting title race this year.
Heard this all before?
In my view there is nothing to choose between Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Only seven points separated the three teams last year, but United showed the consistency when it really mattered.
They fundamentally claimed the title with a fantastic run of results in the winter months.
So let’s dissect the three teams.
Manchester United:
The Champions are certainly weaker.
Nobody can tell me that losing Ronaldo is a positive thing.
Granted, he is outspoken, has a horrible attitude at times and even seems to annoy his team mates on the field of play.
But, he has scored 66 league goals in three seasons and has been the match-winner on so many occasions.
Last season, when the Madiera born winger was not in good form for long patches, he still chipped in with 18 league goals, including some crucial goals in the run in.
Now of course, a lot depends on whether Wayne Rooney can step up to the plate in a far more expressive, central role. And he will now be their main threat.
It will also be interesting to see how Dimitar Berbatov performs. The Bulgarian is inconsistent, but can also be truly majestic.
Without Carlos Tevez breathing down his neck for a starting role, maybe Berbatov will become the player will he all know he can be.
The other intriguing prospect at Old Trafford is how Michael Owen fares. Can Sir Alex Ferguson get the best out of him? Or is he a spent force.
I personally think Owen will chip in with 15 goals plus, but as it always seems to be with Owen, he seems incapable of staying fit for more than several weeks.
Elsewhere, United’s midfield is certainly the weakest of the top three.
Darren Fletcher has improved so much but is still not in the very top bracket of world midfielders.
Scholes and Giggs can surely not to be more than bit part players this season.
And, while Anderson is a great talent, his development seems to have gone backwards in the last year.
Jung Si Park is an aimable workhorse, but for me was out of his depth in the Champions League final.
However, the Korean does often come in handy in the Premership due to his persistence and battling qualities, and will be valuable in tricky away games against lesser teams.
The defence is very strong, but there remains a question mark over the goalkeeping position.
Edwin Van der Sar is ageing and a little injury prone these days. While, Ben Foster still has a lot to prove. His kicking certainly needs vast improvement.
You can never write off Ferguson’s team, but this might well be a season of transition for the 11 times Premiership winners.
Liverpool:
Rafael Benitez certainly has a love-hate relationship with the media and probably his players too. But sometimes I believe the Spaniard gets unjust criticism.
The team he has built is unrecognisable to the one he inherited. It is a huge force in Europe and the team finished 26 points better off in 2009, than the team he took over from in 2004. That is progress in any one’s book.
Pundits have often referred to Liverpool as a ‘two man team’ but that is ludicrous. And the facts need to be stated clearly.
The Merseysiders finished with 86 points last season. But Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres only started 14 of the 38 league games in tandom.
When they did play together, predominantly in the last three months of the season, the team were unstoppable, but to say there are not other top class players at the club is insulting to players such as Javier Mascherano, Albert Riera, Pep Reina and Jamie Carrager.
Liverpool really clicked towards the end of last season. The Anfield club took 31 points out of the last 33 avaliable, and scored an incredible 34 goals.
If last year's runners up can start in the same vein this campaign, they have to be serious contenders.
Much has been made of Xavi Alonso’s departure. But I think Liverpool got a good deal.
He is 28 in November and the Reds have made a 200 % profit on a player they bought five years ago, and during a recession.
As good as his passing is, and when it’s good it’s really good. I have also seen the Spaniard give it away on numerous occasions as well.
Alonso is also very slow for a top class midfielder and doesn’t score enough goals for a player who strikes the ball as well as he does.
It should also be remembered that Liverpool’s best performance of last season did not include the Basque born player. He missed the 4-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Alonso will be missed at Anfield, but Alberto Aquilani is an Italian international, a crisp passer of the ball and scores more goals than Alonso. He is also two years younger.
However, the former Roma trainee appears to be quite prone to knocks, so there are question marks over his fitness.
Javier Mascherano is a vital cog in the Anfield machine. The club have managed to stave off interest from other clubs and he offers so much protection in front of the back four.
Liverpool miss the Argentine so much when he is not there. The 3-1 reverse at home to Chelsea in the Champions League last season being one such example.
One player that excites many Liverpool supporters is Yossi Benayoun.
The former West Ham man was one of the best players in the country during the last two months of last season. He chips in with vital goals and is also a very lively substitute.
The Israeli will be hoping for more starts, and with Aquilani not expected to be fit until October he may get plenty of them in the early months of the campaign.
Glen Johnson still has a lot to prove. He is very talented going forward has so much ability.
But the England right back’s defensive discipline is still a cause for concern, and 17 million pounds is an awful lot of money. Arbeloa was an excellent player and Johnson has a lot of pressure on him to fill thos boots.
Benitez can hopefully improve the former Chelsea man as a defender without nullifying his talent going forward. This can also be a major plus for England.
It’s a big if, but if Gerrard and Torres play in 80% of Liverpool’s games together, they are my tip for the title.
Chelsea:
I do sense a touch of de ja vu in the build up to this season.
Many people are building up Carlo Ancelotti as a master. But this also happened with Phil Scolari and look what happened there.
Once again, the Italian lacks Premiership experience. But, on the fip side he has vast experience in a European League and speaks better English.
I do feel there is a possibility it could all backfire for Abramovich, and the fact that Chelsea keep having to start from scratch season after season much be wearing for the players.
Ancelotti was at Milan for over seven years but only won one Scudetto in that time. But Roman Abramovich’s dream is to win the Champions League, and the 49 year old Italian certainly has an record to marvel at in that competition. Two victories and another final (in which they led 3-0) is a superb record.
So maybe the team could be a better bet in Europe.
However, with the players at their disposal Chelsea should certainly be in the mix in the league come the end of the season.
For all Scholari’s problems, the team did miss Michael Essien for five months of last season. He is their most important player and has so much power and ability.
I just hope Ancelotti plays him further forward because I think he is wasted in a defensive role. Hiddink used him more effectively, allowing him freedom to break forward when gaps appeared.
Zhirkov was one of the stars on Euro 2008 and is an excellent signing who will offer both defensive security and attacking zest.
While, like Benayoun, Florent Malouda was a star towards the end of last season, and if he continues that form, he will be a real handful.
As I have stated before, the Chelsea side is an ageing one, and have been for a couple of years now.
Nine of their starting eleven will be 29 or over come 2010 and I think this could play an important role later in the season.
Ancelotti, however, is not there to build a team. He is there to continue an on going project and it will be fascinating to see how he does.
His AC Milan team won the Champions League with a team of ageing players, but failed to challenge for the title.
Whether that will be good enough for Abramovich remains to be seen.
I do think that Chelsea’s priority is the Champions League, and a lot depends on whether Didier Drogba can stay focused and injury free.
It also appears like Nicola Anelka is finally the player we all believed he could be. While Frank Lampard will always be a threat, especially in the big games.
But I think a question mark remains over Petr Cech.
Again the Czech international should have saved Nani’s shot in the Community shield, but let the shot slip past him.
Towards the end of last season, the keeper had an horrendous time, and just seems to have lost his confidence.
If he can return to being the player he was four years ago, he will make a huge difference, and that might just be the difference that win’s Chelsea the title.
It's going to be a thrilling season and I believe the winning points total will be lower than in previous campaigns. I also think the race will go to the wire.
For what it’s worth. Here is my predicted final league table:
1 Liverpool (if Torres and Gerrard play 80% of the games)
2 Chelsea
3 Manchester United
4 Everton
5 Arsenal (but Arshavin to win player of the year)
6 Tottenham
7 Aston Villa
8 Manchester City
9 Sunderland
10 West Ham
11 Fulham
12 Blackburn
13 Bolton
14 Burnley
15 Stoke
16 Birmingham
17 Wigan
18 Wolves
19 Hull
20 Portsmouth
Heard this all before?
In my view there is nothing to choose between Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Only seven points separated the three teams last year, but United showed the consistency when it really mattered.
They fundamentally claimed the title with a fantastic run of results in the winter months.
So let’s dissect the three teams.
Manchester United:
The Champions are certainly weaker.
Nobody can tell me that losing Ronaldo is a positive thing.
Granted, he is outspoken, has a horrible attitude at times and even seems to annoy his team mates on the field of play.
But, he has scored 66 league goals in three seasons and has been the match-winner on so many occasions.
Last season, when the Madiera born winger was not in good form for long patches, he still chipped in with 18 league goals, including some crucial goals in the run in.
Now of course, a lot depends on whether Wayne Rooney can step up to the plate in a far more expressive, central role. And he will now be their main threat.
It will also be interesting to see how Dimitar Berbatov performs. The Bulgarian is inconsistent, but can also be truly majestic.
Without Carlos Tevez breathing down his neck for a starting role, maybe Berbatov will become the player will he all know he can be.
The other intriguing prospect at Old Trafford is how Michael Owen fares. Can Sir Alex Ferguson get the best out of him? Or is he a spent force.
I personally think Owen will chip in with 15 goals plus, but as it always seems to be with Owen, he seems incapable of staying fit for more than several weeks.
Elsewhere, United’s midfield is certainly the weakest of the top three.
Darren Fletcher has improved so much but is still not in the very top bracket of world midfielders.
Scholes and Giggs can surely not to be more than bit part players this season.
And, while Anderson is a great talent, his development seems to have gone backwards in the last year.
Jung Si Park is an aimable workhorse, but for me was out of his depth in the Champions League final.
However, the Korean does often come in handy in the Premership due to his persistence and battling qualities, and will be valuable in tricky away games against lesser teams.
The defence is very strong, but there remains a question mark over the goalkeeping position.
Edwin Van der Sar is ageing and a little injury prone these days. While, Ben Foster still has a lot to prove. His kicking certainly needs vast improvement.
You can never write off Ferguson’s team, but this might well be a season of transition for the 11 times Premiership winners.
Liverpool:
Rafael Benitez certainly has a love-hate relationship with the media and probably his players too. But sometimes I believe the Spaniard gets unjust criticism.
The team he has built is unrecognisable to the one he inherited. It is a huge force in Europe and the team finished 26 points better off in 2009, than the team he took over from in 2004. That is progress in any one’s book.
Pundits have often referred to Liverpool as a ‘two man team’ but that is ludicrous. And the facts need to be stated clearly.
The Merseysiders finished with 86 points last season. But Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres only started 14 of the 38 league games in tandom.
When they did play together, predominantly in the last three months of the season, the team were unstoppable, but to say there are not other top class players at the club is insulting to players such as Javier Mascherano, Albert Riera, Pep Reina and Jamie Carrager.
Liverpool really clicked towards the end of last season. The Anfield club took 31 points out of the last 33 avaliable, and scored an incredible 34 goals.
If last year's runners up can start in the same vein this campaign, they have to be serious contenders.
Much has been made of Xavi Alonso’s departure. But I think Liverpool got a good deal.
He is 28 in November and the Reds have made a 200 % profit on a player they bought five years ago, and during a recession.
As good as his passing is, and when it’s good it’s really good. I have also seen the Spaniard give it away on numerous occasions as well.
Alonso is also very slow for a top class midfielder and doesn’t score enough goals for a player who strikes the ball as well as he does.
It should also be remembered that Liverpool’s best performance of last season did not include the Basque born player. He missed the 4-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Alonso will be missed at Anfield, but Alberto Aquilani is an Italian international, a crisp passer of the ball and scores more goals than Alonso. He is also two years younger.
However, the former Roma trainee appears to be quite prone to knocks, so there are question marks over his fitness.
Javier Mascherano is a vital cog in the Anfield machine. The club have managed to stave off interest from other clubs and he offers so much protection in front of the back four.
Liverpool miss the Argentine so much when he is not there. The 3-1 reverse at home to Chelsea in the Champions League last season being one such example.
One player that excites many Liverpool supporters is Yossi Benayoun.
The former West Ham man was one of the best players in the country during the last two months of last season. He chips in with vital goals and is also a very lively substitute.
The Israeli will be hoping for more starts, and with Aquilani not expected to be fit until October he may get plenty of them in the early months of the campaign.
Glen Johnson still has a lot to prove. He is very talented going forward has so much ability.
But the England right back’s defensive discipline is still a cause for concern, and 17 million pounds is an awful lot of money. Arbeloa was an excellent player and Johnson has a lot of pressure on him to fill thos boots.
Benitez can hopefully improve the former Chelsea man as a defender without nullifying his talent going forward. This can also be a major plus for England.
It’s a big if, but if Gerrard and Torres play in 80% of Liverpool’s games together, they are my tip for the title.
Chelsea:
I do sense a touch of de ja vu in the build up to this season.
Many people are building up Carlo Ancelotti as a master. But this also happened with Phil Scolari and look what happened there.
Once again, the Italian lacks Premiership experience. But, on the fip side he has vast experience in a European League and speaks better English.
I do feel there is a possibility it could all backfire for Abramovich, and the fact that Chelsea keep having to start from scratch season after season much be wearing for the players.
Ancelotti was at Milan for over seven years but only won one Scudetto in that time. But Roman Abramovich’s dream is to win the Champions League, and the 49 year old Italian certainly has an record to marvel at in that competition. Two victories and another final (in which they led 3-0) is a superb record.
So maybe the team could be a better bet in Europe.
However, with the players at their disposal Chelsea should certainly be in the mix in the league come the end of the season.
For all Scholari’s problems, the team did miss Michael Essien for five months of last season. He is their most important player and has so much power and ability.
I just hope Ancelotti plays him further forward because I think he is wasted in a defensive role. Hiddink used him more effectively, allowing him freedom to break forward when gaps appeared.
Zhirkov was one of the stars on Euro 2008 and is an excellent signing who will offer both defensive security and attacking zest.
While, like Benayoun, Florent Malouda was a star towards the end of last season, and if he continues that form, he will be a real handful.
As I have stated before, the Chelsea side is an ageing one, and have been for a couple of years now.
Nine of their starting eleven will be 29 or over come 2010 and I think this could play an important role later in the season.
Ancelotti, however, is not there to build a team. He is there to continue an on going project and it will be fascinating to see how he does.
His AC Milan team won the Champions League with a team of ageing players, but failed to challenge for the title.
Whether that will be good enough for Abramovich remains to be seen.
I do think that Chelsea’s priority is the Champions League, and a lot depends on whether Didier Drogba can stay focused and injury free.
It also appears like Nicola Anelka is finally the player we all believed he could be. While Frank Lampard will always be a threat, especially in the big games.
But I think a question mark remains over Petr Cech.
Again the Czech international should have saved Nani’s shot in the Community shield, but let the shot slip past him.
Towards the end of last season, the keeper had an horrendous time, and just seems to have lost his confidence.
If he can return to being the player he was four years ago, he will make a huge difference, and that might just be the difference that win’s Chelsea the title.
It's going to be a thrilling season and I believe the winning points total will be lower than in previous campaigns. I also think the race will go to the wire.
For what it’s worth. Here is my predicted final league table:
1 Liverpool (if Torres and Gerrard play 80% of the games)
2 Chelsea
3 Manchester United
4 Everton
5 Arsenal (but Arshavin to win player of the year)
6 Tottenham
7 Aston Villa
8 Manchester City
9 Sunderland
10 West Ham
11 Fulham
12 Blackburn
13 Bolton
14 Burnley
15 Stoke
16 Birmingham
17 Wigan
18 Wolves
19 Hull
20 Portsmouth
Friday, May 22, 2009
WENGER - Is it time to move on?
Given what Arsene Wenger has achieved, it would be difficult to imagine Arsenal without him. But I think it is a distinct possibility in the near future.
Despite what the Frenchman has done at Arsenal, the North London club were a huge club before he arrived and will be after he leaves.
Granted, Wenger transformed the way Arsenal played and also re-addressed the fitness regimes, diets and mentality of the club. But he didn’t make Arsenal an overnight success.
Under George Graham they won two league titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners’ Cup between 1987 and 1994.
Graham was a dogmatic and direct coach who built his team’s foundation on sturdy defences and skilful wide players. This is quite the opposite of the contemporary Wenger teams who concede a few goals and don’t score many goals direct from crosses into the box.
Although Emmanuel Adebayor’s presence has slightly altered this style, his teams are more suited to counter attacking and playing through the middle.
I was listening to Radio Five Live last weekend and Mike Ingham made a very valid observation. He added that the double winning teams of 1998 and 2002 and the 2004 championship winning side all contained an English spine, and importantly an English defence.
The likes of David Seaman, Lee Dixon, Tony Adams and Martin Keown spanned both double winning teams, while in 1998 Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn were still regulars at the back.
In 2002, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Dixon, Adams and Keown, were part of a solid, powerful defence. And Campbell, Cole and Keown were also there two years later, during the Gunners unbeaten season.
Ingham asked the question, would Wenger have signed Adams, Keown, Bould, Dixon, Winterburn and even Seaman? All three of these teams also included Ray Parlour and would Wenger have signed him? He didn’t sign Jimmy Bullard, a very similar player, despite being heavily linked to him in January. Is it because he was too old? Was it because he was too expensive?
The game has possibly moved on a little, and Arsenal have two English players close to, or playing in the first team. But Theo Walcott and Keiran Gibbs are raw, and need developing. Walcott is very special, but you would hardly call either of them spine players would you?
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all have a middle spine of English players, but Arsenal do not. Are players from these shores an important aspect of a successful Premiership team?
The Arsenal spine is weak. Almunia is the weakest of the top four goalkeepers while Kolo Toure is not the same player without Sol Campbell alongside him, Cesc Fabregas is top class, but Denilson and Diaby, are they top level? Adebayor has been very disappointing this season and Van Persie, although a top player, is injury prone and picks up a lot of suspensions throughout the season.
Tomas Rosicky is an excellent player, but will he get over his injury problems? It’s also difficult to see Eduardo being the same player after his horrific injury last season.
The injuries are not Wenger’s fault, but unlike previous seasons, Wenger’s team has not pushed on from the success of last season.
I remember once thinking that Wenger was the master when it came to developing players who had previously looked like lost souls. Later he would so often nurture them into superb players once they had adjusted to the English game. Some were even world class.
Robert Pires for example, took a whole season to adjust, but then won footballer of the year. Freddie Ljungberg looked like such an average player for a good two seasons, but then became one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in Europe, and was a crucial player in the 2002 run in.
Wenger converted Thierry Henry from a winger lacking confidence at Juventus to the most lethal striker in world football. And Edu, who looked way out of his depth in his first six months at the club, was shaped into a superb all round midfielder who had tenacity, a knack of scoring important goals and had an incredible engine.
Alexander Hleb also appeared overpriced at first. But after a year or so, his superb technique, wonderful close control and ability to keep the ball in tight situations was so terrific on the eye. But he was sold, along with Flamini. They reportedly wanted to go, but why? Was it the manager? Was it wages? Or was it the club?
The current crop of players may yet prove me and other doubters wrong, but the majority of the players from last year still remain. They haven’t pushed onto the next level. They have had injuries, but surely this is where Wenger’s highly rated and much lauded youth players should come into play and demonstrate the strength of his squad.
Last season Arsenal finished on 83 points, just four points behind Manchester United. That is one result away from the title. They also finished seven points ahead of Liverpool.
This campaign, the Gunners finished 14 points behind Liverpool and 18 points behind Manchester United, is that progress? Is that the young players getting even better? No.
The team haven’t kicked on, in fact they seem to have gone backwards. Maybe they just overachieved last year, but quite frankly in the semi final of the Champions league, they were out of their depth and could have lost by a lot more goals over the two legs. They were never in contention.
The worrying thing for Wenger is that many of the players who were injured earlier in the season were available. They were virtually at full strength across those two ties.
The majority shareholder at the Emirates, Stan Kroenke, has said he is unhappy at finishing so far behind the leaders. At the AGM it is believed that Wenger’s outstanding record in years gone by has given him breathing space. But it’s four years since they won a trophy and they have only challenged for the title once in five years. Even George Graham didn’t have such a lean spell.
Of course, these days it’s not only managers’ skills that win titles. Finances and pay structure play a huge role, and both of these factors have hindered Arsenal. The terrific Emirates stadium is great for the future and will in the long term, provide huge financial stability for the London club. But some fans are certainly becoming impatient after years of wonderful football and domestic success. They have been spoilt.
From what I’ve seen of Arsenal, they can still play some great attacking football, and the one touch play is a pleasure to watch. However, they lack a Viera, or even a Flamini to patrol in front of the back four. I’m not sure Diaby, Denilson or Song are up to this task, but I have thought this before about Wenger’s teams, so I will reserve judgment.
However, unlike the earlier years of Wenger’s reign, when he knew when to offload a player and get the maximum profit from him, Wenger’s judgement in the transfer market seems to have waned slightly.
Players such as Overmars and Petit were sold at the right time and he received excellent transfer fees for them. Nicolas Anelka was also a great bit of business, but with Viera he waited one year too long, and it appears like he has also waited one year too long to sell Adebayor. The front man has become a frustrating figure this season and was sulky and anonymous against Manchester United in the Champions League. I expected this to be the sort of high profile game he would shine in.
I bet Wenger wished he let him go last summer for 30 million pounds. He will do well to command such a fee now for the Togo striker.
You also have to question the Frenchman’s handling of Lassana Diarra. He is exactly the type of player they require now and it makes you wonder how he let him slip away. Would that have happened six or seven years ago? Again, probably no.
Despite my views on Wenger’s decision-making, I also believe Wenger has had his hands tied to a certain extent. The building of the stadium has restricted him in the transfer market, although he is also very stubborn and frugal. It must be his degree in Economics. You certainly wouldn’t find Wenger claiming for expenses.
Chelsea and Manchester United, and even Liverpool have bigger spending power. The record signings of these clubs illustrate that, and the Emirates club are in far less debt than any of the other ‘big four’. But fans demand instant success.
Wenger has given the Arsenal faithful some wonderful memories, but is it time to move on? He has not won the Champions League, something I believe hinders him in the transfer market, despite the obvious pull factor of London.
Although Andrey Arshavin was signed in January, I actually believe that many big name players are put off by the club’s lack of success in Europe, or maybe the fact that they cannot command such a high salary. But this has been the case for many years, it just appears that Wenger has lost the knack of solving this conundrum.
Wenger hasn’t just fallen behind Chelsea in recent years, but has also fallen behind Liverpool. The former Highbury club finished in the top two every year between 1998 and 2005. However, they have finished fourth in three of the last four seasons, and 2006 aside have never looked close to winning the Champions League.
It would be sad to see Wenger go, but maybe he has finally taken Arsenal as far as he can. It was interesting to see him say that Florentino Perez being voted in at Real Madrid was ‘an interesting project’. Perez is a long time admirer of Wenger and it would be an interesting proposition for the Arsenal boss.
The Strasbourg born coach has surprised us before and could well do it again. But me, like many others did not expect Arsenal to be so far off the top of the league this year. They team even had five consecutive goalless draws in January and February, something un-heard of among Wenger’s usual free flowing, prolific teams.
The speculation regarding Pat Rice’s departure from the club only adds substance to the possibility of the Frenchman ending his 13-year association with the club. He was even quoted in one newspaper recently, criticising the Arsenal fans and stating they were destroying his players’ confidence.
Whether you love or loath Wenger, you cannot deny the impact he has made. But have other managers just caught him up now? He was a revolutionary in English football, but seems to have reached a plateau.
One thing is for sure. All is not well at the Emirates, despite last week’s reports.
Despite what the Frenchman has done at Arsenal, the North London club were a huge club before he arrived and will be after he leaves.
Granted, Wenger transformed the way Arsenal played and also re-addressed the fitness regimes, diets and mentality of the club. But he didn’t make Arsenal an overnight success.
Under George Graham they won two league titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners’ Cup between 1987 and 1994.
Graham was a dogmatic and direct coach who built his team’s foundation on sturdy defences and skilful wide players. This is quite the opposite of the contemporary Wenger teams who concede a few goals and don’t score many goals direct from crosses into the box.
Although Emmanuel Adebayor’s presence has slightly altered this style, his teams are more suited to counter attacking and playing through the middle.
I was listening to Radio Five Live last weekend and Mike Ingham made a very valid observation. He added that the double winning teams of 1998 and 2002 and the 2004 championship winning side all contained an English spine, and importantly an English defence.
The likes of David Seaman, Lee Dixon, Tony Adams and Martin Keown spanned both double winning teams, while in 1998 Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn were still regulars at the back.
In 2002, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Dixon, Adams and Keown, were part of a solid, powerful defence. And Campbell, Cole and Keown were also there two years later, during the Gunners unbeaten season.
Ingham asked the question, would Wenger have signed Adams, Keown, Bould, Dixon, Winterburn and even Seaman? All three of these teams also included Ray Parlour and would Wenger have signed him? He didn’t sign Jimmy Bullard, a very similar player, despite being heavily linked to him in January. Is it because he was too old? Was it because he was too expensive?
The game has possibly moved on a little, and Arsenal have two English players close to, or playing in the first team. But Theo Walcott and Keiran Gibbs are raw, and need developing. Walcott is very special, but you would hardly call either of them spine players would you?
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all have a middle spine of English players, but Arsenal do not. Are players from these shores an important aspect of a successful Premiership team?
The Arsenal spine is weak. Almunia is the weakest of the top four goalkeepers while Kolo Toure is not the same player without Sol Campbell alongside him, Cesc Fabregas is top class, but Denilson and Diaby, are they top level? Adebayor has been very disappointing this season and Van Persie, although a top player, is injury prone and picks up a lot of suspensions throughout the season.
Tomas Rosicky is an excellent player, but will he get over his injury problems? It’s also difficult to see Eduardo being the same player after his horrific injury last season.
The injuries are not Wenger’s fault, but unlike previous seasons, Wenger’s team has not pushed on from the success of last season.
I remember once thinking that Wenger was the master when it came to developing players who had previously looked like lost souls. Later he would so often nurture them into superb players once they had adjusted to the English game. Some were even world class.
Robert Pires for example, took a whole season to adjust, but then won footballer of the year. Freddie Ljungberg looked like such an average player for a good two seasons, but then became one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in Europe, and was a crucial player in the 2002 run in.
Wenger converted Thierry Henry from a winger lacking confidence at Juventus to the most lethal striker in world football. And Edu, who looked way out of his depth in his first six months at the club, was shaped into a superb all round midfielder who had tenacity, a knack of scoring important goals and had an incredible engine.
Alexander Hleb also appeared overpriced at first. But after a year or so, his superb technique, wonderful close control and ability to keep the ball in tight situations was so terrific on the eye. But he was sold, along with Flamini. They reportedly wanted to go, but why? Was it the manager? Was it wages? Or was it the club?
The current crop of players may yet prove me and other doubters wrong, but the majority of the players from last year still remain. They haven’t pushed onto the next level. They have had injuries, but surely this is where Wenger’s highly rated and much lauded youth players should come into play and demonstrate the strength of his squad.
Last season Arsenal finished on 83 points, just four points behind Manchester United. That is one result away from the title. They also finished seven points ahead of Liverpool.
This campaign, the Gunners finished 14 points behind Liverpool and 18 points behind Manchester United, is that progress? Is that the young players getting even better? No.
The team haven’t kicked on, in fact they seem to have gone backwards. Maybe they just overachieved last year, but quite frankly in the semi final of the Champions league, they were out of their depth and could have lost by a lot more goals over the two legs. They were never in contention.
The worrying thing for Wenger is that many of the players who were injured earlier in the season were available. They were virtually at full strength across those two ties.
The majority shareholder at the Emirates, Stan Kroenke, has said he is unhappy at finishing so far behind the leaders. At the AGM it is believed that Wenger’s outstanding record in years gone by has given him breathing space. But it’s four years since they won a trophy and they have only challenged for the title once in five years. Even George Graham didn’t have such a lean spell.
Of course, these days it’s not only managers’ skills that win titles. Finances and pay structure play a huge role, and both of these factors have hindered Arsenal. The terrific Emirates stadium is great for the future and will in the long term, provide huge financial stability for the London club. But some fans are certainly becoming impatient after years of wonderful football and domestic success. They have been spoilt.
From what I’ve seen of Arsenal, they can still play some great attacking football, and the one touch play is a pleasure to watch. However, they lack a Viera, or even a Flamini to patrol in front of the back four. I’m not sure Diaby, Denilson or Song are up to this task, but I have thought this before about Wenger’s teams, so I will reserve judgment.
However, unlike the earlier years of Wenger’s reign, when he knew when to offload a player and get the maximum profit from him, Wenger’s judgement in the transfer market seems to have waned slightly.
Players such as Overmars and Petit were sold at the right time and he received excellent transfer fees for them. Nicolas Anelka was also a great bit of business, but with Viera he waited one year too long, and it appears like he has also waited one year too long to sell Adebayor. The front man has become a frustrating figure this season and was sulky and anonymous against Manchester United in the Champions League. I expected this to be the sort of high profile game he would shine in.
I bet Wenger wished he let him go last summer for 30 million pounds. He will do well to command such a fee now for the Togo striker.
You also have to question the Frenchman’s handling of Lassana Diarra. He is exactly the type of player they require now and it makes you wonder how he let him slip away. Would that have happened six or seven years ago? Again, probably no.
Despite my views on Wenger’s decision-making, I also believe Wenger has had his hands tied to a certain extent. The building of the stadium has restricted him in the transfer market, although he is also very stubborn and frugal. It must be his degree in Economics. You certainly wouldn’t find Wenger claiming for expenses.
Chelsea and Manchester United, and even Liverpool have bigger spending power. The record signings of these clubs illustrate that, and the Emirates club are in far less debt than any of the other ‘big four’. But fans demand instant success.
Wenger has given the Arsenal faithful some wonderful memories, but is it time to move on? He has not won the Champions League, something I believe hinders him in the transfer market, despite the obvious pull factor of London.
Although Andrey Arshavin was signed in January, I actually believe that many big name players are put off by the club’s lack of success in Europe, or maybe the fact that they cannot command such a high salary. But this has been the case for many years, it just appears that Wenger has lost the knack of solving this conundrum.
Wenger hasn’t just fallen behind Chelsea in recent years, but has also fallen behind Liverpool. The former Highbury club finished in the top two every year between 1998 and 2005. However, they have finished fourth in three of the last four seasons, and 2006 aside have never looked close to winning the Champions League.
It would be sad to see Wenger go, but maybe he has finally taken Arsenal as far as he can. It was interesting to see him say that Florentino Perez being voted in at Real Madrid was ‘an interesting project’. Perez is a long time admirer of Wenger and it would be an interesting proposition for the Arsenal boss.
The Strasbourg born coach has surprised us before and could well do it again. But me, like many others did not expect Arsenal to be so far off the top of the league this year. They team even had five consecutive goalless draws in January and February, something un-heard of among Wenger’s usual free flowing, prolific teams.
The speculation regarding Pat Rice’s departure from the club only adds substance to the possibility of the Frenchman ending his 13-year association with the club. He was even quoted in one newspaper recently, criticising the Arsenal fans and stating they were destroying his players’ confidence.
Whether you love or loath Wenger, you cannot deny the impact he has made. But have other managers just caught him up now? He was a revolutionary in English football, but seems to have reached a plateau.
One thing is for sure. All is not well at the Emirates, despite last week’s reports.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
WHO SHOULD REALLY BE THE PREMIERSHIP MANAGER OF THE YEAR?
Sir Alex Ferguson will almost certainly win the manager of the year award once again. And if the seasonal awards are based on trophies won then it is the right decision.
However, football management is so much more than winning, so everything should be analysed relatively.
I’ve followed football for over twenty years, and I have never known there to be so many contenders for manager of the year.
Along with Sir Alex, there is David Moyes at Everton, Roy Hodgson at Fulham, Gianfranco Zola at West Ham, Harry Redknapp at Spurs, Sam Allardyce at Blackburn, Tony Pullis at Stoke and even Gary Megson at Bolton. These names are all contenders in my opinion, and all deserve a mention.
At the end of most seasons, the manager of the Champions will win the award. And, as Manchester United are also in the European Cup Final, and won the League Cup, Ferguson does, of course, present a very good case.
However, every year we expect Manchester United to be challenging on all fronts.
Last year United won both the League and the European Cup, so in a perverse way it’s not really an improvement. Even their points total is going to be approximately the same as the last two seasons. Maybe the League Cup victory could be the difference.
For me, the major, decisive factor is who has improved his team so much, its almost incredible to believe?
Firstly, there is Roy Hodgson. With two games to go, his team is 14 points and ten places above last season’s final position. The Cottagers also have the fourth best defensive record, and are currently in the last EUROPA Cup position.
Hodgson has also conducted himself quietly and acted like a gentlemen.
An outside contender has to be Gianfranco Zola. He probably won’t win the award, but when you take into account the financial and internal problems at West Ham, and the players he’s had to sell, the Italian has done a terrific job. They are currently ninth, but could still finish seventh.
In recent months, the East Londoners have also been consistent and have never looked in trouble after Christmas. Zola has also moulded together a team of youngsters who play excellent possession football, and, as always he has conducted himself with dignity and humour. He is also very new to management, and has proved many doubters wrong after a difficult start to his reign at Upton Park.
The former Parma and Chelsea star demands respect from his players due to the player he was, while his gentle manner will probably mean he won’t fall out with players very often. He has a bright future…
Harry Redknapp also has to be a major contender for manager of the year. When he took over Tottenham, the team had two points from eight games. They now lie in eighth position, two points off a European place. His team have taken 46 points from 28 games since he became manager, and they also got to a cup final.
After such a poor start, Redknapp also had to build the players confidence, sand that would have taken some doing after the disastrous Ramos period. When the former West Ham and Portsmouth boss took over at White Hart Lane, he was just expected to keep his team up. He has exceeded expectations.
Some people will point at the money that Spurs have spent, but these are not really his players, and they are already up on last season’s position and total, despite such a dreadful start. He has also helped make Heurelho Gomes into a decent keeper. That, alone, deserves the award.
Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers has not been mentioned much in the media as a possible contender. However, after the difficult period of stewardship under Paul Ince, it would have taken a lot to lift those players. The Lancashire club were on a horrible losing streak and were five points adrift at the bottom when Alladyce took over in December.
Rovers have now reached the magical 40 points with two games left and are now looking at a mid table finish.
Once again, the former Bolton boss has proved himself to be a terrific boss under pressure and a motivator of players. In fact, the position that Newcastle are currently in reinforces his track record, as it showed they were in a terrible state long before he was in the North East.
It just illustrates how well Allardyce was actually doing when he was there. I bet the St James’ faithful wish they were in mid-table now.
I believe ‘Big Sam’ has not been mentioned much in the reckoning because people expected him to turn Blackburn around. But, he has achieved what he was appointed for and more. It’s just a shame he acted like such a child as Ferguson’s ally against Rafa Benitez in the recent spat. That was pathetic.
Much has been said about Tony Pullis and the football that Stoke City play, but I for one, think he deserves all the credit he gets.
You have to think back to the start of the season when there was nobody, even many of their own fans, who thought Stoke would stay up.
The Staffordshire club have been criticised for their style of football and their use of Rory Delap’s long throws. But, how many of their goals have actually come from his long throws? Pullis’ team get the ball forward quickly, but they also defend with bravery and guts and do use the full width of the pitch to full effect. It’s up to the other teams to combat this.
It must be noted that they have beaten Arsenal and drawn twice with Liverpool.
James Beattie and Matthew Ethrington have been inspired signings and the club have not only escaped relegation, they are 11 points clear of the bottom three and now lie in 12th place. They have comfortably avoided relegation and their home record and home support are fantastic.
Stoke have been an alternative and passionate addition to the Premiership, and have surprised us all. Pullis also still has many of the players who helped the team up last year. Everything he has done has gone against everyone’s predictions.
The Stoke manager would be my choice as boss of the year. He gets on with his job and doesn’t moan about decisions going against him. He has also spent the majority of his managerial career in the lower divisions, making this achievement even more impressive.
David Moyes, contrary to popular opinion, has had money to spend in recent years. Yakubu, Fellani and Lescott have all been big money signings.
However, the unfortunate thing is that Yakubu and Saha have been injured since the turn of the year, and that’s why he deserves so much credit.
Everton have stayed inside the top six without any strikers and have had to play midfielders or youth team players as centre forwards. Mikel Arteta, possibly the team’s most creative player, has been out since February, and the club have reached the FA Cup Final, despite all those injuries.
The Merseysiders have also set a club record for clean sheets, and three of their back four have been in the England squad.
Moyes has to be a major contender. He has consolidated the club’s league position, but is also in the mix for trophies.
Gary Megson is perhaps a controversial choice. He is not particularly popular, even with some Bolton fans. He is also perceived to have a lack of charisma.
However, when Megson came into the job last season, they were bottom of the Premiership. They unexpectedly escaped relegation, but he was rightly criticised for not taking Europe serious and fielding a weakened team.
This year Bolton have been a mid table team and beaten the teams in and around them regularly. They have never looked in trouble, and I personally think that they have some really dynamic players and play some decent football.
Megson deserves a mention, considering some of the stick he has received in the past.
Ferguson is bound to win it again, but as I said previously, it’s all relative.Tony Pullis did not have any sort of track record at the very highest level, but now, none of us can say that.
What is particularly interesting is that five of these managers are English. Maybe we are not such a bad bunch of managers after all and can actually manage at the highest level. If only they were given the chance more often.
However, football management is so much more than winning, so everything should be analysed relatively.
I’ve followed football for over twenty years, and I have never known there to be so many contenders for manager of the year.
Along with Sir Alex, there is David Moyes at Everton, Roy Hodgson at Fulham, Gianfranco Zola at West Ham, Harry Redknapp at Spurs, Sam Allardyce at Blackburn, Tony Pullis at Stoke and even Gary Megson at Bolton. These names are all contenders in my opinion, and all deserve a mention.
At the end of most seasons, the manager of the Champions will win the award. And, as Manchester United are also in the European Cup Final, and won the League Cup, Ferguson does, of course, present a very good case.
However, every year we expect Manchester United to be challenging on all fronts.
Last year United won both the League and the European Cup, so in a perverse way it’s not really an improvement. Even their points total is going to be approximately the same as the last two seasons. Maybe the League Cup victory could be the difference.
For me, the major, decisive factor is who has improved his team so much, its almost incredible to believe?
Firstly, there is Roy Hodgson. With two games to go, his team is 14 points and ten places above last season’s final position. The Cottagers also have the fourth best defensive record, and are currently in the last EUROPA Cup position.
Hodgson has also conducted himself quietly and acted like a gentlemen.
An outside contender has to be Gianfranco Zola. He probably won’t win the award, but when you take into account the financial and internal problems at West Ham, and the players he’s had to sell, the Italian has done a terrific job. They are currently ninth, but could still finish seventh.
In recent months, the East Londoners have also been consistent and have never looked in trouble after Christmas. Zola has also moulded together a team of youngsters who play excellent possession football, and, as always he has conducted himself with dignity and humour. He is also very new to management, and has proved many doubters wrong after a difficult start to his reign at Upton Park.
The former Parma and Chelsea star demands respect from his players due to the player he was, while his gentle manner will probably mean he won’t fall out with players very often. He has a bright future…
Harry Redknapp also has to be a major contender for manager of the year. When he took over Tottenham, the team had two points from eight games. They now lie in eighth position, two points off a European place. His team have taken 46 points from 28 games since he became manager, and they also got to a cup final.
After such a poor start, Redknapp also had to build the players confidence, sand that would have taken some doing after the disastrous Ramos period. When the former West Ham and Portsmouth boss took over at White Hart Lane, he was just expected to keep his team up. He has exceeded expectations.
Some people will point at the money that Spurs have spent, but these are not really his players, and they are already up on last season’s position and total, despite such a dreadful start. He has also helped make Heurelho Gomes into a decent keeper. That, alone, deserves the award.
Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers has not been mentioned much in the media as a possible contender. However, after the difficult period of stewardship under Paul Ince, it would have taken a lot to lift those players. The Lancashire club were on a horrible losing streak and were five points adrift at the bottom when Alladyce took over in December.
Rovers have now reached the magical 40 points with two games left and are now looking at a mid table finish.
Once again, the former Bolton boss has proved himself to be a terrific boss under pressure and a motivator of players. In fact, the position that Newcastle are currently in reinforces his track record, as it showed they were in a terrible state long before he was in the North East.
It just illustrates how well Allardyce was actually doing when he was there. I bet the St James’ faithful wish they were in mid-table now.
I believe ‘Big Sam’ has not been mentioned much in the reckoning because people expected him to turn Blackburn around. But, he has achieved what he was appointed for and more. It’s just a shame he acted like such a child as Ferguson’s ally against Rafa Benitez in the recent spat. That was pathetic.
Much has been said about Tony Pullis and the football that Stoke City play, but I for one, think he deserves all the credit he gets.
You have to think back to the start of the season when there was nobody, even many of their own fans, who thought Stoke would stay up.
The Staffordshire club have been criticised for their style of football and their use of Rory Delap’s long throws. But, how many of their goals have actually come from his long throws? Pullis’ team get the ball forward quickly, but they also defend with bravery and guts and do use the full width of the pitch to full effect. It’s up to the other teams to combat this.
It must be noted that they have beaten Arsenal and drawn twice with Liverpool.
James Beattie and Matthew Ethrington have been inspired signings and the club have not only escaped relegation, they are 11 points clear of the bottom three and now lie in 12th place. They have comfortably avoided relegation and their home record and home support are fantastic.
Stoke have been an alternative and passionate addition to the Premiership, and have surprised us all. Pullis also still has many of the players who helped the team up last year. Everything he has done has gone against everyone’s predictions.
The Stoke manager would be my choice as boss of the year. He gets on with his job and doesn’t moan about decisions going against him. He has also spent the majority of his managerial career in the lower divisions, making this achievement even more impressive.
David Moyes, contrary to popular opinion, has had money to spend in recent years. Yakubu, Fellani and Lescott have all been big money signings.
However, the unfortunate thing is that Yakubu and Saha have been injured since the turn of the year, and that’s why he deserves so much credit.
Everton have stayed inside the top six without any strikers and have had to play midfielders or youth team players as centre forwards. Mikel Arteta, possibly the team’s most creative player, has been out since February, and the club have reached the FA Cup Final, despite all those injuries.
The Merseysiders have also set a club record for clean sheets, and three of their back four have been in the England squad.
Moyes has to be a major contender. He has consolidated the club’s league position, but is also in the mix for trophies.
Gary Megson is perhaps a controversial choice. He is not particularly popular, even with some Bolton fans. He is also perceived to have a lack of charisma.
However, when Megson came into the job last season, they were bottom of the Premiership. They unexpectedly escaped relegation, but he was rightly criticised for not taking Europe serious and fielding a weakened team.
This year Bolton have been a mid table team and beaten the teams in and around them regularly. They have never looked in trouble, and I personally think that they have some really dynamic players and play some decent football.
Megson deserves a mention, considering some of the stick he has received in the past.
Ferguson is bound to win it again, but as I said previously, it’s all relative.Tony Pullis did not have any sort of track record at the very highest level, but now, none of us can say that.
What is particularly interesting is that five of these managers are English. Maybe we are not such a bad bunch of managers after all and can actually manage at the highest level. If only they were given the chance more often.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)