Monday 30 December 2013

Football club owners, who'd have 'em?

The eyes will tell you everything about a person, ignore the facial expressions and ignore their posture, go straight to the eyes. There are many football fans who would like to look at the Chairman and Owners of their respective clubs in the football pyramid and ask ‘What are you playing at?’. Football has changed, gone are the five year plans and the promise for time to develop and nurture talent instead managers are given players that are not their players and thirteen months at best. Most owners are multi million or even multi billionaire businessman, they are self-made men.  In business luck is a part but skill, patience and sensible judgement are the main stay. Chairman seem to have lost  the plot when they take on a football plot and the question has to why?

Abramovich is the most brutal owner of a football club in England’s top tier , managers have come and gone, trophies have been won and lost and players have succeeded or  failed. Yet it has to be pointed out that since 2003 Chelsea have won multiple FA Cups, three league titles, the Champions and a few Carling Cups. This is surely not a bad record, yet any footballer lover will have been taught the football like business is about stability. So is this now an outdated concept? Ferguson left Old Trafford , having achieved what would now simply seem impossible  to happen in the future, 26 years and forty plus trophies in a trophy laden management stint. That will not happen in the future and that’s sad. The English and to a large extent the world football fan has to accept that football has changed for good. Not right or wrong –it’s just a fact!

One thing that people neglect to consider is that when an owner buys a club to them they are not buying a business but instead are buying into a new identity and they want to have fun. It’s the equivalent of one of us mere mortals going out for and curry before hitting the town but instead of having a hangover  and a fry up in the morning; having an emergency board meeting and indulging in a huge managerial pay off. There is the first problem no one approaches a hobby with 100% logic and the heart rolls the head.  Instability then becomes business as usual and football clubs quickly work up debt to almost incredible proportions. Before you know it you are down in League Two struggling for your very existence.

Fans are fans and owners are owners, they are great as separate entities but when the joined it becomes a major issue and common sense is thrown down the river. It’s never a good idea to mix business with pleasure- it’s the coffin nail for most relationships and ends most friendships. Chairman’s should be rational, patience and knowledgeable not emotional, illogical and rash. Mixing the owner and the fan is not going to ever be a winning formation. When the heart starts ruling the head, the heart wins and poor decisions are made. If a self-made businessman goes decide to buy into their passions quite often their trust comrades will abandon them and then they struggle to cope and all entrepreneurs have blank spots and faults. Without their backroom staff entrepreneurs soon become very ordinary.  Football is a victim of this circumstance, that’s inevitable.

Money is football is a big player, and money is what drives success in football. Therefore owners constantly look at figures, spread sheets and financial forecasts and this drives the sacking of managers. The irony is there for everyone to talk about that often after sacking managers clubs go from bad to worse. The money involved causes boardroom tensions and leads to the appointments of numerous yes men , what is a technical director or what is the point of a director of football? This is often about politics and not about football. The manager is the manager, let him manage. The Head Coach has appeared more and more often recently and expect that to continue.

When you owners buy clubs they like to make an immediate statement of intent and this seems either to mean the sacking of managers or the signing of a marquee signing.  Managers should dread new owners because they should realise that new ownerships means increased demands or the sack. England fail to produce top class English managers and coaches and it’s not difficult to see why in the slightest. Until owners gain patience we will not produce the Mourinho’s, Wengers and Hiddinks. The death of the English coach could indeed be nigh, the sun is already beginning to set.

Egos are prominent in any walk of life and in football they are particularly wild. Owners are the worse far worse than their managers . The pick a guy to pick the team yet they want to pick the team , they want a say on transfer and choose which players get a new contract. An impossible situation ensues and the manager is quickly ushered out of  the door. Egos cause serious problems in sport and that will only change if the culture in which they are allowed to breed dramatically changes.  Managers have no chance in the current climate and the change is not round the corner its on the other side of the Galaxy.

Football has become a tense game with boardroom politics begging to reign supreme , once it’s on top its likely to stay dominant. The impatience that exists is not a football problem, it’s a social problem and that will never alter. The technical director and director of football role will become more and more prominent. Not all owners are bad but many are often naïve and miss the point when it comes to football. Football is a business but as daft as it sounds must also remain a sport. The sporting drama of the boardroom should never take away from the tactical battle on the pitch, that is for sure.


Sunday 29 December 2013

Arsenal edge close encounter with the Magpies

Newcastle United ended 2013 with defeat and disappointment against Arsenal.

But they at least put up a bit of a fight against the Premier League table toppers.

A second half goal from Olivier Giroud grabbed the points for Arsene Wenger’s men on a day of few clear cut chances for the Magpies.

The Magpies had a great opportunity on 12 minutes when Yohan Cabaye clipped the ball through for Mathieu Debuchy but he failed to control the ball right in front of goal and the threat was snuffed out by the Gunners.

Three minutes later Cabaye sent an effort just over.

On 18 minutes Loic Remy hooked in a decent looking cross from the left hand side and Moussa Sissoko’s power header was held on to by Wojciech Szczesny.

With 25 minutes on the clock Debuchy clipped another effort wide and Arsenal had served up very little to suggest they were going to stroll to victory.

At the end of the first half Sissoko had an effort pushed over the bar by Szczesny and United won a corner.

From Cabaye’s flag kick Debuchy rose to crack the underside of the bar and Arsenal cleared the danger.

The game was still locked at 0-0 after the hour mark and Alan Pardew made what looked like a positive move to introduce Hatem Ben Arfa.

Five minutes later though and the Magpies fell behind after switching off at the back.

Cheick Tiote took out Carzola and Theo Walcott’s free-kick was met by Olivier Giroud who flicked home a slight touch to beat Krul.

The United keeper should have done better with that one, but the Magpies weren’t out of the game.

Pardew threw on Shola Ameobi for the last 17 minutes and overlooked Papiss Cisse.

With 10 minutes left there was bemusement from some sections of the St James’ Park crowd when Pardew introduced left-back Massadio Haidara when his side required a goal and left Cisse on the bench.

There was hope when Szczesny’s clearance cannoned off Remy but rolled wide.

A flurry of late corners saw even Tim Krul enter the penalty area as United tried to salvage a point but they couldn’t push the Gunners hard enough.

And on a day when United needed to really push a weakened Arsenal team they managed just three shots on target.

ATTENDANCE: 52,161

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Krul; Debuchy, Coloccini (c), Williamson, Santon; Anita (74', Sh. Ameobi), Tiote, Cabaye; Sissoko (79', Haidara), Remy, Gouffran (62', Ben Arfa).

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs (70', Arteta), Flamini, Rosicky, Wilshere, Walcott (80', Jenkinson), Cazorla, Giroud (85', Bendtner) 

Friday 16 August 2013

5 alternative apps

Looking for 5 alternative apps to write about for this article wasn't hard because of the amount of bloody apps that are available ( On the Apple I-Store anyway ). The majority of the apps are pointless pieces of shit that people have to pay for, but I have no idea why - Angry Birds Space? Clearly you haven't figured out what a girlfriend is yet you knobhead! Anyway if you don't agree with the 5 apps I have chosen send me a message and tell me why and I will more than likely ignore it because I don't care what you think, ToThePointLAD.

TV Catchup:

First of all TV Catchup is the stupidest name possible for this app because there is no flippin catching up involved. The app is essentially live TV channels that are available on SKY, but only a selection. So it is basically an app for people who don't want to pay for SKY TV and would rather steal the TV channels and watch them on the go! TV Catchup also shows how technology is taking over the world, Terminator is going to happen! On the other hand it just shows how fucking lazy most of us are becoming, including me because I have the app on my I-Pad ( HypocriteLAD ) But TV Catchup is a free app and with the way the economy is at the minute I don't blame people for using it, "Stop getting all technical you boring knob!" Fine, if you like to watch TV, stay in bed and be lazy in general this is a great app for you!

Shave Me:

I honestly have no idea why you would want to own this app. Well unless you are someone whose beard hasn't started to grow yet and you want to practice on an app where you can get your friends to send you photos and you add beards to them, yes that includes me! To make this app even bloody wierder you can "Choose over 100 different beard types and shavers" how many different types of shavers do you need on an app where you can't even shave something real? There are some strange fucking people out there! Just like TV Catchup there is something pointless on this app, the chance to add tattoos to your body... Erm what?! WierdLAD. So not only do you have the ability to shave your friends bodies, depending on what part of themslef they send to you in a picture, you can then become a tattoo artist. No wonder kids these days want tattoos at fucking 5 years old! But if this is your thing, you strange lonely freak, then the app is free and will satisfy your wierd thoughts such as shaving your friends! 

RaceFan Radio:

And back to reality! RaceFan Radio is for people, like me, that live and breath NASCAR. What the fuck is NASCAR I hear you cry? BrutalLAD. Well just imagine F1 if it wasn't boring. There that was easy to do wasn't it! This app gives you the opportunity to listen to the races from anywhere you want, taking a shit on the toilet or during that awkward sex scene in a film when you are watching it with your parents, we've all been there! Listening to the races on the app, which is free - always a good thing! - makes you feel like you are actually at the race, without being at the race. Well that's bloody stupid! I hear someone else shout, well no because if you don't want to spend £5000 in total to get to the race the. It is a perfect alternative, so there you loud mouthed tit - sit down and shut up! If you are a hardcore race fan that doesn't want to pay £10 a month to get the TV channel that the race are on, then this free app is a great alternative!

FFT Stats Zone:

Now I know that FourFourTwo is not something that is really an alternative, but the stats zone app is -an alternative to becoming a sports journalist and watching at least 10 football matches at once and taking note of everything that happens during the games. Everything from number of corners, shots that a player had had during the game to how many times Gareth Bale decides to dive during a game. FaggotLAD. Okay I made that last one up, but that would make this app even better if that was one of the stats available! If your a budding statto - get eating the pies mate because your going to have to become a fat bastard - then this app is something that will make you dribble in more than one place! "Torres had 55 shots and only 1 was on target, I can add that to my stat book" whatever takes your fancy or makes you happy mate. I must admit that I like this app because it shows that sport is becoming more technology based and more information is becoming available to the fans, next stop cameras in the dressing rooms like that sport where they play with a funny shaped ball!

A Granny's Big Adventure:

You would not have got something like this 10 years ago, "we'll yeah you knobhead because apps didn't exist 10 years ago!" Okay, I wrote myself straight into that one, but what I meant was that this just shows how much people don't respect the elderly in modern society! Which isn't surprising after that ITV comedy show which got elderly actors to prank the younger generation. This app was probably created by some who either wanted to take the piss out of Granny's or Granny's are his thing and he wanted his Granny to go on an adventure! Whatever the reason is for creating this app, it is defiantly a laugh and if some "Angry" Birds could take the world by storm and get their own video game, Figures and song then why can't a nighttime Granny who needs to find an exit from each level you have to play do the same? Well maybe because angry birds are wow thigh that no one has seen before, whereas Granny's are fucking everywhere! GrannyLAD.

So there you go 5 alternative apps criticised and praised by me, someone whose opinion you will probably not give a shit about and either get these apps or totally ignore what I have said because you think I am a twat because of what I have said and buy other apps! 

Cheers 

Mark Smith











Wednesday 8 May 2013

Extra column for around the grounds in TwentyFour7Football

So what's it like?

Any opposition fan that has been lucky enough to watch a game in a packed St James' Park can admit that the atmosphere is breathtaking. Even though they are stuck up "In the gods", a number of away fans have commented on how intimidating the stadium and how passionate the fans are, 52,000 Geordies singing Blaydon Races is certainly a sound to be savoured. Talk to any Sunderland fan about the wave of noise that hit them after each of Newcastle's five goals in the derby game in 2011and I'm sure that even they will admit it was loud. There is never a quiet moment because the Toon Army in the Gallowgate end are continuously singing and supporting their team for the whole 90 minutes.

There are a number of places to go before the game including the greatest pub in the world, The Strawberry. Situated right outside the ground, the pub is jam packed on match day. Memorabilia line the walls and it's certainly an atmosphere to experience, away fans are welcome (Apart from Sunderland or Middlesbrough obviously). The Back page shop is an oasis of football memorabilia for all football fans, from Barcelona to Barnet. The Gate in the city centre has bars, restaurants and even a Casino.

In terms of refreshments within the ground, a number of pies are on offer including the chicken balti pie and burgers and hot dogs are also available, all of which come in a Newcastle branded packaging. Alcohol, which is also served in branded Newcastle cups, is also available for those who haven't had enough before venturing inside the ground to watch the game.

Newcastle can also lay claim to two multi talented people as fans, Ant and Dec. The pair who were both born in the city are lifelong supporters of the club. They both share their famous fan status and passion for the club, along with cricketer Graeme Swann, who regularly voices his love for the club and actor turned fisherman, Robson Green. Along with ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Around the grounds piece for TwentyFour7Football

Since 1892 Newcastle United Football Club have resided in this magnificent stadium. St James' Park can boast at being the third highest capacity stadium in the Barclays Premier League, beaten only by Manchester United's Old Trafford and Arsenal's Emirates stadium.

The ground is steeped in history and has seen some amazing games over the years, including the 5-0 drubbing of Barcelona and more recently the humiliation of local rivals Sunderland in a 5-1 victory on Halloween.

Since 1892 disagreements and worrying financial positions had meant that the stadium wasn't developed to its full potential, apart from the West Stand being renovated and named the Milburn stand in honour of Newcastle's greatest number 9, Jackie Milburn. Until 1992 when Sir John Hall arrived on Tyneside, the Gallowgate end was transformed and the Leazes end structure rose from the ground and was re-named the Sir John Hall stand.

In the following years United's popularity grew to an extent that lead to a second tier being added to the Milburn and Leazes ends. Work was completed in August 2000 and the stadium now has the largest cantilever roof in Europe.

Although the stadium was re-named the Sports Direct Arena for a short period of time, new sponsors Wonga.com brought back the legendary name at the end of last year. Everyone knows that as long as this truly breathtaking stadium is seen on the beautiful skyline in Newcastle, it will forever be known as St James' Park.


Football affective disorder's (FAD's)

Many people across the world suffer from a condition known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), where the weather can have an adverse effect on one’s mood and general happiness. I am writing to inform you of important new studies into the condition known as FAD (Football Affective Disorder). This condition tends to develop as a young supporter grows older and much more susceptible to FAD tendencies. These tendencies can widely vary across two ends of the spectrum.

We have RTG (Rose Tinted Glasses) which stems from an improbable result, or in rare cases a string of results and can last from anything between hours to several years. With RTG the sufferer will feel a sense of overwhelming calm and euphoria. Colours seem brighter and stress levels are reduced. However, as these symptoms subside, there is a rather nasty Liverpool derived turning point known as KOP (Knocked Off Pedestal), where a rather harsh reality takes place and the initial Euphoria is replaced by disappointment and a realisation of how delusional they may have sounded throughout the week and face up to some terrible side effects such as outlandish predictions, sometimes even backed up with money. I have paid my own penance towards RTG in the past with £5 on my beloved Newcastle to win the Europa League, Newcastle have in fact have played an integral role in this study and have allowed me to experience the other end of the spectrum known as PMS (Post Match Stress).

PMS will have had an impact on most supporters, I have had the opportunity to experience the full, long term effects of this affliction and the devastation it can bring. The most common response is ramblings of tactics that could have been used, bile infused rhetoric in which a scapegoat is vilified and the answer to your team’s problems is glaringly obvious to you, but nobody else. This will fuel the PMS and it can spill into your home life. The first non-football fan you meet will generally bear the brunt and be ignored in the best case scenario or subjected to the ramblings of tactic laced hatred towards players or manager, of which they know nothing, care little and don’t want to hear about.

Much like the symptoms of RTG this will mellow and subside in stages. First comes the paranoia, the FA, the referee, your own players or manager are out to sabotage your club. You nervously look at tables and imagine the teams below you hurtling past at breakneck speed and a general feeling of fear substitutes the anger you once felt. This is a horrible situation as you now suffer in silence, the passionate outbursts of the previous stages are replaced with an internal monologue, distracting you from work and making the world a terrible place. Finally though you are given the mercy of apathy, you stop caring about the results, you stop looking at fixtures and a sad expression reminiscent of a time when you broke a toy you loved will remain on your face until the next hit of RTG.

So what can we do? There is nothing to stop FADs I’m afraid, the best thing to do is not let it affect life outside the game. For those in the paranoia stage this is a time to remember that there is life outside the game and remember FADs don’t last very long. They swing wildly and whatever your club has done to your poor mind will probably change next weekend and this time next month it’ll be a fresh dose of RTG for us all. Two signings and we’ll win the league! We can do it! I feel my hit of RTG, where’s my fiver!

Thursday 11 April 2013

Is sacking managers the immediate solution?

A quick answer from Old Trafford is no, while the Russian at Stamford Bridge is in favour. There is hardly a universal answer, but most teams sitting at the bottom of the Premier League decided to put the blame on their former managers. It can only be known in May how effective their moves are. The Linesman pre-assesses case-by-case whether the decisions of the board are justified.
Reading: Was it the manager’s fault?

They have surely produced some entertaining football. Two goals in the last ten minutes frustrated Chelsea; leading Manchester United three times was nullified by conceding four goals before the interval; and the improbable 5-7 loss in Capital One Cup, despite leading Arsenal 4-0 at half time.

Yes they can score, but they are better at giving away goals. Brian McDermott could not elevate the team to another level, but in fact, the quality of the squad and their playing style are just short of Premier League standard. Being the best defensive team in Championship last season, limited emphasis were placed on further improving their defence. This only made their mission even harder.

Is solid defence what Nigel Adkins is going to bring? He was more well-known for leading the exciting and attacking Southampton. Even if he is an expert in defence, how influential could he be with six matches to go?

Sunderland: A little bit too late?

In contrast to Reading, the Black Cats can’t quite find a way to score. 7 goals in 9 matches since Danny Graham has joined is not what Martin O’Neill anticipated. The spending on Steven Fletcher, Adam Johnson, as well as the existing talents of Stephane Sessegnon and James McClean hardly manifested on the scoresheet. Martin O’Neill has failed to transform the attacking form he brought to Aston Villa to the Stadium of Light.

The decision to farewell O’Neill only came when the alarm started to ring – currently at the edge of safety zone on goal difference. The aggressive and controversial Paolo Di Canio is appointed, attempting to re-ignite the team. With the Italian made himself available a month ago, has Sunderland left it all a bit too late?

Aston Villa: Staying faithful

The humiliating 0-8 night at Stamford Bridge was followed by two more white-washed defeats. Entering the year 2013 on a low, Aston Villa is starting to discover the way of winning. The somewhat stubborn Paul Lambert is adamant youth is the key to success. There might be more experienced players in the squad than Andres Weimann and Christian Benteke, but their enthusiasm and desires are what Lambert embraces. There are occasionally schoolboy errors, but the growth and improvement throughout the season is encouraging and a sign that Lambert is keen for long-term development rather than a stepping-stone onto a bigger club. Although still far from guaranteeing Premier League status next season, their tolerance and faith towards Lambert is a rarity and at least a partial success in the realistic world.

Southampton: Doing it the right way?

David Puncheon rescued the Saints at Stamford Bridge, but could not save the job of Nigel Adkins. It was a debatable decision to sack the manager on a high. Now it proves Pochettino is indeed the right man to rely upon.

The Argentine is able to bring Southampton to the next level of football with the same crop of players. Utilising the work rate and pace of their frontline, characteristic in the Championship last season, Pochettino advocated a high pressing style, which further eases the pressure at the back. It is a risky tactic but Southampton has been executing it close to perfection, in particular Ricky Lambert and Jay Rodriguez. Victories against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City say it all. There is more work to be done before claiming it safe, but the Saints are looking very confident at this crucial stage of the season.



QPR: It is Just All Wrong

They have got quality players; they knew Mark Hughes’ philosophy did not work; they made the right decision as early as in December. Unfortunately, it is the players that disappoint the supporters and left Harry Redknapp dejected.

The ex-Tottenham manager first restored the order by solidifying the defence. The arrival of Loic Remy, Andros Townsend and Jermaine Jenas represents stage two of the fight for survival — playing to win. Just when it seems they are about to produce a miracle, they self-destructed. Christopher Samba was worryingly clumsy at Craven Cottage, raising doubt if the seldom-used Nedum Onuoha is even fitter. Bobby Zamora’s ruthlessness and more crucially Stephane M’bia’s indiscipline took away the important 3 points against Wigan.

These are all out of Harry’s hands, who has already done a marvellous job to restore hope for QPR. While the board made a logical decision in managerial change, it could be the promised relegation clauses that contributes to the lack of fighting spirit in Loftus Road.

Fan power is alive and kicking, just ask Chester FC

Saturday 6th April saw one of the most studied football turnarounds completed in record time and I for one was delighted to see Chester FC “Return” to the Conference just three years after going completely out of business. Cast your mind back to March 2010, Chester City FC as was were in the Conference, unable to complete fixtures, fans were boycotting games which in my opinion is the death knell for start! At the same time the club were financially wrecked with players going on strike and the future looked non-existent. It was a difficult time for a club that had realistically been struggling for 20 years since they left their Sealand Road ground then had to play for two seasons at Macclesfield Town’s Moss Rose ground, a 70 mile round trip as the crow flies. Yo-yoing between the Football League and Conference did not do them too many favours as perhaps people expected too much from a club and read too much into their potential at a time when they should have consolidated and built on what they had.

The club went out of business and literally had to start from scratch, a bunch of die-hard supporters refused to let the game die in the town and hastily got a collective of supporters, professionals, businessmen and ex-players alike to get a team name registered and raise funds to get a club restarted again but without the baggage of its previous regime. The club successfully applied to the Evo-Stik League and was admitted to Step four, which is known as The Evo-Stik League Division One North, featuring sides such as Lancaster City, Cammell Laird, Clitheroe and others. In a way they were lucky to get admitted to such a high level as most new clubs would have to apply at Step six or lower, just as Wimbledon, Maidstone and Aldershot! They secured the lease of the former clubs ground, The Deva Stadium and backed by a tremendous amount of goodwill and support the club gained three successive titles.

The game this weekend which saw Chester win 1-0 at home against Boston at the Deva Stadium was watched by 3685 people, higher than several League Two home games that took place on the same day and shows what potential they will bring to the Conference Premier. A total of 33 wins and an unbeaten run of 30 games shows that Neil Young’s team will not be any pushovers either. Whoever takes on the sponsorship of the Conference levels of football will surely be rubbing their hands at the prospect of a Conference Premier that looks just as strong, if not stronger than its League Two counterpart. The progress through the leagues was swift but effective, yes they swept all before them but they re-learned their trade and have made friends throughout the non-league pyramid, not to mention boosting the coffers of many clubs with much needed away gate revenue. Last season when I was at Marine FC, Chester fans came to the game at the Arriva Stadium, they were respectful to the level of football that they were at, knew their football and contributed to the clubs Floodlight fund collection and that effect was probably similar at lots of clubs at that level.

For me though, the “Return” of Chester to a high level of football shows a lot more than a club being able to steamroller through divisions on a momentum of support and results, it shows eternal hope to fans of many clubs who are struggling or out of touch, or just living on borrowed time. It shows that however much a business or owner can get their hands into a club, the power of a clubs support can ultimately decide whether a club lives or dies. It provides credence to the belief that fan power still exists and that whatever situation a club finds itself in, in this modern age of football there is always hope. I’m not for one minute saying that fans of clubs in severe trouble should start AFC Clubs or abandon their own to re-start for the sake of re-starting but it does show that fans of clubs like Darlington 1883, Scarborough Athletic, AFC Halifax Town and so on are not joking when they say that they will be back. Chester provide a prime example of what a well run fan orientated and operated club can achieve.

Let the axe fall on the Arsenal players heads and not the managers

The news has again been released that Abou Diaby is set to be out of action for a lengthy period of time. This is disappointing but inevitable news, Diaby seems to be cursed with the constant injuries that look to ravage his promising career. It does seem an unfortunate occurrence that key players at Arsenal to either be consistently injured or under performing. This has left Arsenal with a skeleton selection of trustworthy players and often a floundering team. This may be part of the reason that Arsenal have struggled and suffer with periods of lacklustre performances. The news of Diaby’s 9 month lay off, comes on the same day that Arsenal reported Jack Wilshere would be fit to return in April. This sounds like good news but it just highlights the injury difficulties that Wilshere still can’t get over. Everyone hoped his return from his 17 months injury lay off would bring the renewed start of the rest of his career. Yet, already he is inactive in the Arsenal set up and on the pitch they dearly miss him. Even though there is very little in Arsenal’s power they can do about serious injuries, it is a shame and a bit unusual for two key midfielders to suffer this same fate.

It isn’t just long term injuries that have blighted Arsenals season. They seem to have a small group of players that are inconsistent who do not perform when the club really needs them. I don’t like placing blame but feel I should name names to illustrate who I think are contributing to Arsenal’s issues. These players include Sagna, Mertesacker and Gervinho. All three players have great reputations from internationals and previous clubs and although they haven’t been a huge let down for the club, their inconsistency and often casual performances have an effect. Arsenal need players that really perform, who have grit and want to win. Gunner’s players have been criticised for lack of effort in the past and seeing Jack Wilshere screaming on the pitch for action has been a familiar site since his return. Arsenal need a fighting spirit and too many of the Arsenal core aren’t showing that.
Arsene could do with yielding to fan pressure and attempting to sign some star players. First though, he would need a clear out, there are many players out on loan that aren’t part of Arsenes plans including Johan Djourou, Marouane Chamakh Nicklas Bendtner. Other bit players could face the chop too. Arshavin and Rosicky have seen less and less football and are not the players Arsenal need to really progress forward.
Arsenal need to hold onto their better players and can’t let players like Wilshere, Walcott, Vermaelen and Oxlade-chamberlain go if they want to avoid being a selling club. They need to bring in some world class players or at least spend money on players of the calibre who can challenge for the title. They rely too much on their injured players and if Diaby can not play they need to find a replacement who can.
Every team looks stronger with a very solid defensive midfielder holding the line and Arteta is not the answer. They need that midfielder who can allow Cazorla and Wilshere to move forward without leaving the team vulnerable. A player like Yann M’Villa, who they were linked with before his move to Rubin Kazan. Arsene needs to get his scouts out searching.
Although Arsenal have scored a lot of goals, they score in fits and starts, scoring 5 or more in over 4 games. They havn’t really replaced Van Persie and need an out and out goalscorer, a match winner. Players like Stevan Jovetic or Loic Remy would win them games. Raiding QPR could really help Arsenal if they could steal Samba as well to strengthen that often leaky defence.
If Arsenal can steer themselves away from being a selling club and bring in players of a better calibre then maybe Arsenal will concrete themselves as a top 4 team again. Even though Arsene Wenger has come under pressure I think it will be on the players where the axe will drop and maybe that’s the best course of action.

Could Chelsea cope without a manager?

After Rafael Benítez’ inevitable departure at the end of the season, Roman Abramovich will have seen four Champions League winning managers leave his club, only one of whom has succeeded in leading Chelsea to a Champions League final. Despite high-profile managers coming and going on a regular basis, Chelsea’s two Champions League final appearances have come during periods of transient management following a sacking of a high profile manager: Avram Grantin 2008 who replaced Jose Mourinho and Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 who took charge following André Villas-Boas’ departure. Roberto Di Matteo of course went one further than Grant, leading Chelsea Football Club to their first ever Champions League title whilst serving as ‘Interim Manager’; however there is much doubt as to how much of an effect he really had on Chelsea’s success following the sacking of the unsuccessful André Villas-Boas.

Much of Villas-Boas’ failure at Chelsea came from his inability to overcome the renowned player power at Stamford Bridge, resulting in him dropping Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard for the away leg of Chelsea’s clash with Napoli – a game which Chelsea went on to lose, and Villas-Boas was sacked not soon after. After taking over in early March, Di Matteo resorted to the simplest solution to the evident player power problem at the club – work with it, as opposed to fruitlessly attempting to hold it back. Immediately he began to perform in opposition to Villas-Boas’ previous management, bringing back both Lampard and Cole for the home tie against Napoli, who along with Terry, Drogba and Čech, contributed to Chelsea’s unexpected come-back, and took Chelsea through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Having gone off injured in extra –time, Terry was seen barking orders on the touchline – as if he was the manager himself, and from that moment on, the question was raised as to who was really in control of the Chelsea squad; Di Matteo, or a subdivision of the squad itself.

A similar scenario developed under Avram Grant’s management in 2008 following the sacking of Mourinho – the club’s (at the time) greatest ever manager, and father-figure to a majority of the squad. Rather than go into the dressing room and implement his own ideals and disciplines, Grant simply continued Mourinho’s legacy, befriending the players, and granting (excuse the pun) power to the influential players within the dressing room. The result of this was a team that each game went out onto the pitch with 5 or 6 captain figures, who worked alongside each other, and carried their team all the way to the Luzhniki Stadium, culminating in Chelsea being a few inches away from Champions League glory.

Following Di Matteo’s success, Abramovich took a number of months to decide whether or not to hand the Chelsea legend a permanent managerial contract. During this period, Chelsea signed Eden Hazard and César Azpilicueta, both of whom during their times under Di Matteo would have known that they might not necessarily have been in Di Matteo’s transfer plans. The same can be said for the likes of Torres and Shevchenko who were reportedly forced upon their respective managers at the time of their arrival.

Knowing that their manager may not want them in the squad, a player cannot attach himself to his boss in the way that the Barcelona squad did with Pep Guardiola for example. Under Guardiola’s management, Barcelona went on to conquer the football-world, partly down to the strong bond between Guardiola – the managerial leader-figure – and his immensely talented squad. Upon his arrival, Guardiola set about removing those he deemed to be surplus – including former world player of the year Ronaldinho – and completely reshaped Barcelona from top to bottom. Appreciating that Barcelona would see through Guardiola’s project and not sack him in the way the Chelsea board tend to do, the squad bought into his methods, and developed into arguably the greatest club team ever.

Under both Grant and Di Matteo, the Chelsea squad consisted of a number of cliques, all attached to separate managers. Rather than try to win them over in the way that Scolari, Villas-Boas and even Ancelotti to an extent failed to do, the ‘interim’ bosses instead permitted these players to work to whichever conditions suited them. Being intrinsically linked with the glory days under Mourinho; Terry, Lampard and Drogba were naturally the leaders of the dressing-room, which both managers used to their advantage, allowing the powerful players to fill in for the missing presence of the ‘special one’, and it is no coincidence that both saw their team reach un-expected heights during their provisional periods. As long as the so called ‘big-names’ in the dressing room are contracted to Chelsea, this division will continue – making it near impossible for any manager to bring sustained success to the club. As we saw under Ancelotti, given time the player power will overcome any boss who tries to contain it, thus making Chelsea’s best chance for success short periods of caretaker management.

The question as to whether or not the club even needs a manager depends on how we define ‘manager’. Tactically, the players themselves are inept and would never be able to suppress a team like Barcelona as Chelsea achieved under Di Matteo; therefore as a tactician, a ‘manager’ is most certainly required. As a motivator and leader however, nobody but Mourinho himself would be able to overcome the influence of those linked with his time at the club, meaning whoever manages the club would have limited control over his own squad. Of course Chelsea would never do such a thing as let Terry, Lampard and Co. run the team as player-manager like figures (just imagine a different player each week attending post-match managerial press conferences and shaking hands with the opposition manager before each game); however by maintaining a constant cycle of managers in and out of the club, Abramovich is simply fuelling the player-power within the squad, which in the short-term allows interim bosses to come in and bring success to the club, however until the ‘old-guard’ of Chelsea leave the club, long-term sustained success is most definitely out of the question.

Swansea City the Premier Leagues surprise package

Swansea’s recent rise and successful retaining of their Premier League status has been outstanding but with the club seemingly going from strength to strength they now have the chance to really stamp themselves as a top 10 team. This would be huge for a club that was only promoted to the Premiership in 2011 and now are one of the most exciting and dangerous teams outside the European places. So what has given Swansea such an epic rise from underachieving football league team to Premier League starlets?

First of all is the man who has over seen this rise since taking over ten years ago, Swansea Chairman Huw Jenkins. His plan for Swansea has worked excellently, starting with building a stadium and building the club and allowing the team to move smoothly up the ranks whilst bring stability to the club. The method of Swansea’s rise has been sensible and Jenkins has recently called himself “dull” enough to take over the Swansea reigns. I’d call it rational Huw.

A large part of the success at the Liberty Stadium has been down to the fantastic succession of managers that have graced Swansea. Firstly it was Roberto Martinez who pulled Swansea into the Championship, before Brendan Rodgers again got them promoted. After an impressive debut season, his departure left a worry the Swans would struggle. Again, though, they bought in a manager who would continue to improve the team: Michael Laudrup. One the main strong points of the small succession of managers is that they have been prepared to continue from where the last left off rather than to change the style of the team. There have been very little periods of adjusting, with Swansea continuing under new ideas rather than faltering as new initiatives are established and tried. The team has stayed quite similar in itself as well, with some players staying with The Swans through the leagues. This has been important for the Welsh club as it means that players blend in easier when they are bought and new managers know precisely what to expect in training.

One of the most important attributors to Swansea’s accomplishments is their playing style. Their sharp passing and possession tactic has worked wonders allowing them to overcome many of the major teams in the league. Their ability to keep the ball and make more triangles than Dairylea has made them a feared team in the English top flight. This tactic has been carried on through Rodgers and Laudrup, both seemingly happy to keep the general style with their own managerial tweaks. The ethos of Swansea in recent years is of evolution and not revolution, a commendable philosophy for a football club.

On the other hand, a club seemingly fighting above their weight division could easily evolve into a selling club. Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham have all left the club for substantial fees in 2012 and 2013, though the latter was because of missing out of the starting XI. Even so, with reported interest for star man Michu and Vice-captain Ashley Williams, only the ambition and depth of Swansea’s pockets will seal the futures of the clubs finest players. With the first piece of silverware in their history and a European spot for next season, you would hope Swansea’s expectation of success is surely met.

Can Gervinho revive his Arsenal career?

Before last Saturdays game against Reading, the vast majority of Arsenal fans would have said that Gervinho should be one of many victims of a summer clear-out at the Emirates. Although, his confident performance against Nigel Adkins new side may have caused second thoughts.

It’s fair to say that Gervinho hasn’t won many fans since his move to the Emirates in the summer of 2011. He has never really got his career going, which may be down to having to depart to the African Nations during January and some of February. Reports were coming in last week that Wenger was ready to have a summer clear-out including Szczesny, Podolski, Gervinho, Rosicky, Sagna, and other fringe players.

After his performance it might be that Wenger takes Gervinho off that list. Speaking to Arsenal.com, Wenger had this to say:

“He finishes well now, much better than when he arrived and he will get better and better. But his finishing is linked with his psychology.

“To be honest he is not clinical however when he is completely relaxed he is quite good. He rushes his finishing because when he arrives in front of the goal he wants to get rid of [the ball].

“But you can gain experience and calmness. He wants to do well. He is a hard worker and, physically, you cannot fault his effort. Even when he had a bad period, he has always tried very hard.”

So, with seven games left, will there be enough time for Gervinho and his team mates to save their Arsenal career and qualify for the Champions League?

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Are Real Madrid favourites for the Champions League?

The Spanish giant ended last season’s champions league campaign in a disappointing defeat to Bayern Munich on penalties in the semi-finals. Having won the title in nine occasions and the most recent one was back in 2001, since then Real Madrid have struggled to get back in to their champions league form. Different coaches have tried to get the tenth title of the competition within the years of 2001 till date; the likes of Pelligrini, Fabio Capello and Juande Ramos have all tried and failed to deliver. Jose Mourinho was signed two year ago from Inter Milan and has shown great promises as he came very close last year.

The beginning of this season was a one to forget for all Real Madrid players, fans and everyone associated to the club as they suffered to get their domestic form in the top flight and they now thrill 12 points behind the league leaders, Barcelona. But the domestic form is not affecting their European form as they emerged out of the group that is known as the group of death constituting, the German champions, Dortmound, the English champions, Manchester City and the Dutch Champions, Ajax. Loosing just a game from six and finishing second was not bad even though much was expected from them.

Manchester United was next for Real Madrid as they qualified for the next round, a lot of questions were asked as to who is going to stop the Dutch striker Robin Van Persie as well as the goal machine Christiano Ronaldo who has been reunited with his old team mates and of course his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson who branded Ronaldo the best player before the game. The last time these two teams met was back in 2003 were real Madrid became victor over the two legs. Jose Mourinho was also reunited with his colleague manager, Sir Alex from his time at Chelsea as they always have good contest in the English premier league

The first led ended in a stalemate as Ronaldo canceled Wellbeck’s strike at the Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid dominating the game but could not capitalize on that and Manchester united got the advantage as they go back to Old Trafford with an away Goal. United have made some good counter attacks as they look to defend their precious away goal and got a goal from the foot of Real Madrid’s captain of the night, Sergio Ramos. Moment later, a controversial decision from the referee saw Nani out of the game and Madrid took advantage of that to get a two goals from Modric and the ever-reliable Ronaldo.

The question is can Real Madrid win the champions league considering the form of the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus, Dortmound as well as bitter rivals Barcelona

The JPT, a chance for glory or a waste of time?

The final of the Johnstone Paint trophy will soon be played, giving the chance for a lower league team to bring silverware back to the club. With Bradford losing the Capital One Cup final and no representative from League 1 or 2 in the FA Cup semi-finals the JPT is the only opportunity for cup success for the lower leagues. Two teams have progressed from the southern and northern finals but the Wembley date is the decider for the competition.

Crewe Alexandra represent the north and Southend United the south, but what have these teams really won or lost by progressing through the rounds? The first worry fans and managers may have is the effect a good cup run can have on the league. Southend United are currently 6 points off a playoff position in League 2 and would consider themselves still in contention. If they had exited the JPT in the earliest round then you must beg the question as to whether they could be above the dotted line of the playoffs at this point of the season. Crewe on the other hand have 54 points in League 1 and would consider themselves safe, however are too many points off a promotion push so now safety is secured, the JPT is no distraction. Southend would therefore be hoping that the JPT is worth the risk of a few lost points in the league.

If the JPT is not a distraction, either through no worthy bid for promotion or depth of squad to handle competitions, then it still is not financially great. The winnings for reaching the final are known to be poor and would not match up to a third round FA Cup game against a big Premiership team but recent statistics have shown that by reaching the final teams may expect a decent windfall. The money, however is not what the competition is about, it is about giving the chance for fans to have bragging rights against rival clubs. Mostly, the only true success a lower league team can really have is from promotion and a windfall from an FA Cup game when the big teams enter. So what better way to let clubs battle it out to bring success for the fans that rarely have that kind of experience and enjoyment that brings? Crewe or Southend will be champions and cup winners, something teams like Arsenal and Everton can’t say and while the cups may be fought on different battlegrounds the celebrations and feeling of ecstasy when the trophy is lifted is the same. That experience of Wembley is something amazing for English football fans and this competition gives the opportunity for fans to see their teams win in the home of English football.

The ripple effects from a successful Johnstone Paint final can be great for the winning club. In previous years, winners of the JPT have carried on to more success, in the past twenty years alone, six of the winners have since become Premiership teams, two of which have won it twice. Teams have in the past won it and used that experience to springboard up the tables, using the JPT as another platform to perform and get used to winning. The JPT could therefore be seen as a possible glimpse into the future of which teams are ready for, or moving towards, long term success.

The reputation of JPT victory for managers therefore, could be great, and even though Phil Sturrock has lost his job at Southend, his JPT trophy run wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. For Crewe, however, it may be a bit different, with their manager Steve Davis guiding Crewe to playoff success last season after an unbeaten run of 19 games. With safety and a JPT now added to his CV this season, a JPT victory would really stand out for him. After being linked with Burnley earlier in the season he is definitely lower league hot property now and the JPT can only move to prove that.

The Johnstone Paint Trophy may not draw the greatest crowds yet when Coventry entertained Crewe in the first leg of the regional finals there were over 31,000, a record for the Johnstone Paint outside of a final. It shows an interest for the competition that rivals the cynicism that it often has to deal with, it shows that lower league teams want to see their teams fight for success and that winning competitions is important to all football fans.

FA Cup a necessity for Manchester City and Mancini

This time last year Mancini was left facing down the barrel of Sheikh Mansour’s loaded gun. He dodged that bullet with the most extraordinary season end we are ever likely to see. 12 months on and he finds himself in an even more precarious position.

Given the money available to Manchester City, and the squad they had going into last summer, they should certainly not be 15 points behind Manchester United with 8 or so games to play.
Mancini must be held responsible for their relatively tame defence of their Premier League title, and there are several reasons for this.
Lack of top quality signings in the summer was the first issue. Javi Garcia arrived with a big reputation and an equally big price tag, but has looked way out of his depth in his first season in English football, which hasn’t softened the blow of losing Nigel de Jong to Milan.
One player who had proven he was capable of performing in the Premier League was Scott Sinclair. This was a strange transfer for me, as Sinclair was clearly ready to play at a higher level but needed to be playing regular football. However, to say he has been a bit part player would be a massive understatement. He has been given no first team opportunities whatsoever, and Mancini has been naive in not using a talented wide man who would offer something different. Sinclair is also to blame here, as he was surely aware that he was going to the Champions knowing he would be given limited time on the pitch, when he should have been progressing as a player and playing regular first team football.

The one transfer who has shone this season though is Nastasic. One of the more underwhelming singings Mancini has made looks to be a real find. He reads the game superbly well, isn’t afraid of a tackle and is supremely calm when on the ball. If he can carry on his form into his second season at City then he could develop into a top class centre half.

Everyone knows the Tevez saga last season was poorly managed by Mancini, yet I was willing to allow this as the situation was one he shouldn’t of been put into in the first place.
However, his man management skills have become poorer ever since then and this has proved detrimental to a squad that seems to lack harmony throughout the ‘tough’ times in a season. Rows with Balotelli, Nasri and Kompany have been well documented and with a squad full of big characters and egos this will only cause more difficulties and Mancini does not have the necessary skills to deal with such characters.
This seems to have rubbed off on Yaya Toure who doesn’t seem to be enjoying his football at the minute and certainly isn’t the player he was last season. Not celebrating a goal, as he did against Newcastle, for me always gives rise to a player who is not enjoying himself at the football club.

The final problem Mancini has had this year is his own tactics. Title winning sides need stability and a regular starting XI, which Manchester City had last season. Chopping and changing full backs and the support strikers only upsets the balance of a team, whereas last season he knew exactly who he would be playing, and in what position.
His favoured formation of 3-5-2 can be a very effective system when deployed in the right way, with the right players. Unfortunately this has not been the case for Mancini and this has often blown up in his face when his players look like they have no clue who is playing where and what their role is.

The FA Cup now offers a saving grace for Mancini, because if they can go on to beat Chelsea then they will be huge favourites to go on and lift the Cup for a second time in three seasons. If they can achieve that, then it will be difficult for Mansour to sack Mancini as he would have delivered three trophies in three seasons, something Arsenal could only dream of!
However, given the investment made by the Abu Dhabi Group, and the money available to Roberto Mancini, if they do not win the FA Cup it will give the Sheikh suitable grounds to get rid of Mancini.
And with Mourinho available in the summer, could it be perfect timing?

Who next for Leeds United?


As Neil Warnock closes the door on his way out of Elland Road and his managerial tenure with the mighty whites, one question looms large, who next for Leeds United?

It comes as no surprise that Warnock has left the club, having made his intentions perfectly clear that it was promotion or bust in the ER hot seat.

However there is a timid hint of surprise as his departure comes with six league games of the championship season remaining.

Nevertheless, the revelation comes after a sorry performance again by the whites, this time a home defeat to Derby County.

More points dropped and chances of promotion back to the Premier League a fleeting thought to be resurrected next season.

A club statement shortly after Warnocks departure outlined the strategy of appointing a successor:

“This may well be after the end of the season dependent on the availability of the club’s preferred choice to become the next manager.

“A short-list has already been prepared as Neil was always going to leave at the end of the season in the event that we did not get promotion

“However, with availability of suitable candidates changing all the time then we will adopt a flexible approach, so as to ensure that we make the right appointment

Academy manager Neil Redfearn will take caretaker charge of the first team until a permanent candidate for the role is found, a decision the powers that be are in no rush to make.

Leeds Chief Exec Shaun Harvey stated: ‘We need to look to the future and the search for his replacement is under way’

“There is no fixed timescale as securing the services of the right person is the primary objective to give us the best chance of promotion next season.”

Warnock spent 14 months at the Leeds United helm, replacing Simon Grayson in February 2012.

“We would like to thank Neil for his efforts during his time as our manager and share his disappointment that we could not achieve promotion,” added Harvey.

“We would also like to thank Mick Jones and Ronnie Jepson, who will leave the club with Neil, for all their hard work.”

Early front runners to the vacated managers office include Mark Hughes, Owen Coyle, Gus Poyet, Brian McDermott and Martin O’Neill.

The bookies have former Reading boss McDermott at the shortest price of 5/4, followed by Poyet at 9/2 and Martin O’Neil at 8/1.

Gus Poyet is the only one of these names to have spent time at Elland Road as a member of the clubs backroom staff, serving as Dennis Wise’s assistant between October 2006 and October 2007. Poyet, now manager at Brighton, is held in high regard by the Leeds faithful.

The Yorkshire Evening Post reported over the weekend that sources close to the former Reading boss Brian McDermott, have stated he wants his next managerial role in football to be at Elland Road.

Read into that what you will.

McDermott’s availability comes after his former club Reading sacked him after four successive defeats; this coming after the manager had claimed the manager of the month award for January.

Prior to that, he led Reading to the Championship title the previous season, pipping Southampton to the trophy by a single point, winning an impressive 16 league games from 19 to close out the season.

However the newest managerial casualty from the top flight, needs no introduction to some Leeds fans, most recently Sunderland found him to be surplus to requirements, their loss could be the mighty whites gain.

The name Martin O’Neill is familiar to supporters of Leeds United, once upon a time he nearly signed with the Elland Road outfit whilst at Celtic.

The Northern Irishman could be back on United’s radar as their top target, however it is thought O’Neill will be taking a short break after his dismissal and look for a new position over the summer.

A scenario Leeds perhaps wouldn’t turn their nose up at if ‘no fixed timescale’ were the intended plan of action alluded to by Chief Exec Shaun Harvey.

Who do you think should be Neil Warnock’s successor?

Tottenham keep pace in race to Europe

Andre Villas-Boas claims Tottenham is not a one-man team. As Arsenal is marching on in the race for top four, playing against Everton was not the perfect moment to prove himself right. The team did not let him down though and salvaged a 2-2 draw via Sigurdsson’s late equaliser, despite leading early in the match. The spiritual team effort kept them at third, marginally ahead of their North London rival.

Living without Bale is something the Yids could not imagine. It was a worrying formation for Spurs as they had to play without their biggest assets — wingers Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, but Emmanuel Adebayor and Jan Vertonghen alleviated the concerns with barely a minute into the match. Player of the month Vertonghen delivered a cunning cross that caught John Heitinga and Sylvain Distin. Adebayor, unmarked at the far post, seemed to have re-discovered his scoring boots and tapped in the opening goal past Tim Howard.

A surprise to the home crowd, yet an unpleasant one for David Moyes. A goal created from the flank in a winger-less formation only demonstrated the lack of concentration in the Toffees’ defence. Moyes could count himself a bit lucky, as Tottenham did not quite have the quality this afternoon to pile on further after the early goal.

Michael Dawson’s poor pass at the back had already triggered the alarm. Leon Osman could not make Dawson pay for the mistake, but Phil Jagielka made it count 3 minutes later. Hugo Lloris was two-minded on Leighton Baines’ corner. Jagielka towered above Vertonghen and headed the ball between Lloris’ legs. Tottenham’s lead only briefly lasted for a quarter of an hour.

A very hardworking bunch but lacking the flair and creativity, long shots were the best Tottenham could manage against the solid Everton. The away side held on until Moyes made a decisive change after the interval. Niko Jelavic joined Victor Anichebe up front and the ambitious move exposed the space at Tottenham’s defence. While fullbacks were urged to press on, centre backs were stretched by the striker pair. The determined Kevin Mirallas raced down the right and beat several defenders before firing a fantastic shot past Lloris. Despite trailing early, Everton fought all the way back in the battle for top 4.

Kyle Walker, Emmanuel Adebayor and Clint Dempsey all tested Tim Howard with shots outside the box, but it was Moussa Dembele who had the best chance. Tim Howard saw the Belgian’s right foot shot late and squandered the shot which then somehow hit the post. With Arsenal on their shoulders, this was the best chance Tottenham could have created.

When Andre Villas-Boas finally decided to change, it proved to be an impactful one. Tom Huddlestone, returning from a lengthy layoff from a knee injury, came in to orchestrate the midfield. The crowd did not welcome AVB’s decision to take off Dembele, but Huddlestone’s presence allowed the influential Scott Parker to field more daring runs to support the fullbacks. His range of passing also made Tottenham’s attack more dynamic.

David Moyes got a goal after his substitution. AVB finally got one back as well after his tactical change. Adebayor calmly controlled Walker’s cross in the box and curled past Tim Howard, only to be denied by the post kept. The ball bounced off into Sigurdsson’s path and the Icelandic midfielder once again scored an important equaliser for Tottenham with three minutes to go.

There was hope this was going to be another comeback victory with four minutes of added time. Tottenham, though, required Lloris to make sure the one point was safe. Anichebe and Jelavic were both granted space in injury time but Lloris made no mistakes. The dramatic 2-2 draw put Tottenham two points ahead of Arsenal, who has a game in hand, but saw Everton’s Champions League dream faded away further. Everton will soon be boosted by Fellaini’s return from suspension, but Gareth Bale’s recovery is still in the mist. Tottenham still have a steep mountain to climb to clinch the Champions League spot.

Is Bergkamp the right man to replace Wenger?

It is true that Dennis Bergkamp has Arsenal DNA, and with coaching experience as assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax, he could be the ideal successor to Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Bergkamp had a wonderful 11 year spell at Arsenal before deciding to hang up his boots. Upon retiring, he said that he would not be taking up coaching. He later on decided to reject an offer from Arsenal to be a scout. In 2008 he decided to start coaching and has built his way all the way up to Ajax assistant manager.

When Wenger eventually leaves the Arsenal post it will be very hard for Stan Kroenke and co. to find a replacement who will have the football knowledge and passion Wenger has displayed throughout his time at the club. The name that was the clear favorite in the fans’ eyes, Pep Guardiola, has now taken up the role as manager at Bayern Munich. With Jose Mourinho looking to be heading towards either Chelsea or PSG, Bergkamp could be the right man for the job. With a clear love for the club and his well known football intelligence, Bergkamp surely has to be considered by the Arsenal board.

It’s now coming up to 8 years without a trophy for Arsenal but Wenger has made it clear he has no intention to leave at the end of the season and that he will stay at least until his contract expires in the summer of 2014.

Saturday 9 March 2013

Qatar 2022 and a winter of discontent

FIFA General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, has confirmed that moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter has not been discounted as an option. Due to the baking hot temperatures in the Middle East emirate, playing a football competition at the traditional time of year could be dangerous for both players and fans.

It’s reignited the fury against FIFA surrounding the decision made in 2010 – on the same day awarding Russia the 2018 competition.

Moving the competition to winter may be the only choice for FIFA. There’s no saying that players could refuse to compete due to the risk of dehydration.

Without wanting to guilt trip anybody, considering the shocking collapse of Fabrice Muamba last year and the tragic death of Marc Vivien-Foe in 2003 – should FIFA really by allowing a situation to occur that puts players at higher risk of system malfunctions.

Those collapses weren’t due to extreme heat, but the crippling climatic conditions may well pose a threat to footballers carrying any weaknesses of which they were unaware before the tournament – particularly considering the pressure of a World Cup being added to the mix.



What are the benefits of Qatar hosting the tournament?

Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of benefits that will come from allowing Qatar to host the tournament. Unfortunately, they’re all to do with FIFA’s treasure chest and nothing to do with what’s best for players or fans.

We’re already seeing Sheikhs from the emirates pumping cash into top European clubs as well as their own local teams. Allowing Qatar to host the tournament is intended to stoke oil-rich billionaires into throwing more money at the sport. The truth is the region has nowhere near the passion for football as its counterparts in other continents.

The argument of ‘promoting football’ in the Middle East doesn’t really hold up in court. It’s a sport with mass appeal and investors have started to invest heavily in local football. Qatari fans can come to football first if they want it – no one else needed to host a World Cup to generate support.

For political reasons, the best footballing countries in the Middle East, Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia can’t even make a bid without being laughed at. Japan and South Korea did a splendid job of hosting the 2002 tournament. The difference being, that the two countries already had a football infrastructure in place and passionate support from the masses.

The same is not true of the Middle East. Sheikhs churning money into football is a marketing ploy to carry on attracting Western tourists and investors to the emirates. If there was a true love of football in the region, why have we never seen players from the region prosper?

It’s a typical example of FIFA directors knowing full well that as the support has such mass appeal, they can do whatever the hell they like. The decision makers would prefer to bring in new fans and investors over giving the people who already love the sport the best experience possible.

Moving the tournament to winter is the only choice and it will greatly disrupt seasons in Europe, South America and Africa. The question is why the hell should it? These are continents with embedded football cultures that have built the sport to become what it is today. The truth of the matter is money talks.

Sunday 3 March 2013

Arsenal - Short term pain for long term gain

Firstly, I am not an Arsenal fan but find myself both saddened and annoyed by the personal character sleights by all sections of the media towards Arsene Wenger. Here is a man who has exhibited extreme loyalty to Arsenal when more lucrative and challenges opportunities have been presented to him. A man who is the most successful manager in Arsenal history, who led a team throughout a full season unbeaten, a feat that eluded Shankley, Clough, Chapman, Revie, Paisley, Ferguson and even the special one. It is worth remembering that Alex Ferguson didn’t win a trophy for 4 years and that Shankley went 7 years without silverware and Clough went 9 years. Do Arsenal fans remember the style of play under George Graham, successful yes but Wenger has been successful and attractive. As Johan Cryuff says “Football is a simple game but the hard part is to play simple”. Arsenal made a business decision to build a new stadium to compete financially in the long term with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid. A decision which placed Arsene Wenger in a financial straitjacket with regards to team building. Unlike certain managers who would have upped sticks and left Wenger accepted the situation and adjusted his requirements accordingly placing greater emphasis on Arsenal’s youth academy and the purchase of younger players who in time would develop into better players.

The financial straitjacket was further tightened with the purchase of Chelsea by Roman Abramovich and Man City by Sheikh Mansoor. Prior to the purchase of Chelsea by Abramovich Arsenal had never finished lower then 2nd in a full season under Arsene Wenger. He was lauded as a tactical genius, a shrewd innovator and clever in the transfer in the market, remember that he purchased Nicolas Anelka for 1/2 million pounds from PSG and sold him to Real Madrid for £23.5 million. FastForward to 2013 he is now referred to as a Dictator, a coaching non-entity, a tactical flop and yet Arsenal have never started a season under his stewardship in a position to NOT compete for the 4 biggest honours in domestic and European football. In the current climate of social media and the WE WANT IT NOW mentality Arsene Wenger is a shining beacon of calmness, intergity and loyalty and when the dust finally settles on his time at Arsenal I have no doubt that the last laugh will reside with him.

Has the North London status quo between Arsenal and Tottenham changed?

The North London rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham has been stirred by Gareth Bale by saying that on the pitch, Tottenham have over taken Arsene’s men. This got me to thinking of the rise of Spurs in recent years to a Champions League position challenging club. They definitely are looking more consistent than Arsenal and are having a better run in Europe, be it though the lesser Europa League. However, it will give the Tottenham players a great confidence and experience, especially for the younger lads for the Champions League next year. Where as Arsenal have a confidence shattering mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich who made them look like what they are on the world stage, more-or-less average. So maybe Bale’s claims have a bit of substance. They are above Arsenal and looking like they could take the esteemed top European spots but writing off Arsenal seems a very foolish thing to do.

Bale did say specifically say that they are better on the pitch not as a club so to compare stadiums, budgets and fan bases would seem a tangent, though we would strongly reason Arsenal have the largest in all three sectors. Bale, humbly, has not highlighted the obvious upturn in Tottenham’s fortunes, his own left foot. Bale is Tottenham’s talisman, their big profile but more importantly there match winner, something Arsenal haven’t got currently. They have got a great collection of strikers at the Emirates but not one player that you can really trust in. Walcott? He wants to play through the middle but he is certainly no Henry and Podolski and Giroud have just not proven it at the top level yet where Bale has.

So what about Arsenals great youngster? Jack Wilshere. Well, he may not be a match winner like Bale but that isn’t his game, he can control a game and that can a win game over 90 minutes. People have speculated about both of their futures, with both being linked to huge value moves to any club that could potentially afford it. This is only verification of the amazing, young talents that these two teams have and are hoping to hold on to. So would comparing the two players and deciding who’s the better player help figure out the difference between the teams? I don’t think so. They are both young excellent players and will either give their respective teams a big pay day or world class performances.

Both teams have strong players but Tottenham’s midfield seems to have better depth, with a great array of midfielders across the board with good wingers and a depth through the centre. Arsenal though struggle with wide men, instead pushing them forward to play in a front three while their centre midfielders are arguably similar calibre to that of Tottenham.
Arsenal and Tottenham both have youthful players in their defence and are roughly evenly matched.

The main issue between these two for me is the mentality of the teams, Tottenham have a drive, a feeling that they have nothing to lose. This mentality has given them victories in games Arsenal may left with a point, a couple of last minute goals to snatch that victory is crucial for a winning team. However with Arsenal we see a different way, they have been criticised for not giving the effort and Wilshere screaming at players to close gaps and get close has been all too common this season. The mentality isn’t there, so when Arsenal drop points and Tottenham are picking them up Bale’s statement looks more and more true. Nothing, of course, can be taken away from AVB who has forced this winning mentality into the Tottenham camp, showing he wants to win everything that’s possible.

Tottenham seem to be always looking up, seeing where they can go we’re as Arsenal want
to keep fourth so are always looking down. It’s as if Arsenal have no ambition for top spot but just to play Champions League football. That difference in mentality is what splits the two teams at the moment, the hunger and desire is not there at Arsenal. Whether this can be improved by Arsene in the near future or whether a successor could change this failing Arsenal team but that is a debate for another day. So with four points and two positions between the rivals, their Sunday game will decide this debate and possibly their seasons.

Is the Premier League not actually that Premier?

On talk shows, comments sections of articles and other mediums for discussion on all things football one of the most common complaints is that this is a poor Premier League. Some call it average, some even call it mediocre from those really disenfranchised with what they are watching. So why is there a section of fans who believe this a poor Premier League? More importantly how do you judge the quality of a league?

Most fans and pundits would say that the Premier League was strongest when teams from the Premier League were regularly getting to the latter stages of the Uefa Champions League. Between 2007 and 2009 there were 3 English teams each year and the 6 finalist spots in those three years had 4 of them taken by English teams. If it was not forBarcelona under Guardiola, arguably the best club side of all time, then there would probably be a few more English names scratched onto that famous trophy. However during that period there were also complaints about the formation of ‘The big 4’ consisting of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United and how it made the league boring and predictable. So what is better? A predictable League with the same sides at the top but doing well in Europe or what it is at the moment with a predictable top 2 and then 4 or 5 sides battling after them for Champions League places but with worse performances in Europe?

What of the other top leagues in European football? Lots of talk has been of the growing strength of the Bundesliga, who have 3 sides in the last 16 of the Champions League (all on course to make the quarter-finals after the first legs) and has been impressively run financially, with most clubs making profits and the highest average attendances in Europe. It’s also a league with Bayern Munich currently 17 points clear at the top (although they had not won it the previous two years to a resurgent Borussia Dortmund). There is also, however, a lot of competition for the Champions League places.

Similarly, La Liga has been said by many as the best league in the world and the arguments for that are quite convincing. The slightly dubious Fifpro world team of the year from 2012 had all 11 players from La Liga (and just one not from Real Madrid or Barcelona), and boasts a large number of the elite talents in world football. In many ways, La Liga is similarly structured to the Premier League, with two main teams competing for the league and then 4 or 5 teams competing for the champions league (Athletico Madrid and some poor results from Real Madrid this year making against that last statement). The collective performance of La Liga clubs in Europe last season was startling, 2 teams in the champions league semi-finals (no surprise which two) and 3 in the semi- finals in the Europa League with an all-Spanish final. Yet this year, Barcelona won virtually all of their league games this year and are well ahead of Real Madrid with only a Falcao inspired Atletico Madrid anywhere near them. Furthermore there is a real possibility (although would be a huge shock if it did happen) that there will only one team from La Liga left in Europe in a little over two weeks time. That team being Levante who are not exactly setting La Liga alight these days.

Since that 2009 Champions League season when the competition was only a couple of minutes away from a second all English final in a row, English teams have generally not performed well in Europe. In fairness it was surely inevitable that the record of English teams would decline somewhat but decline it did. From 3 semi finalist for 3 years in a row the Premier League has since had two quarter finalist in 2010 to one finalist in 2011 and a winner in 2012. On paper, not exactly a disaster, although Manchester United had the possibly the worst semi-finalists in Champions League history in Schalke in 2011 and Chelsea’s remarkable run based largely on defence was a minor miracle considering their league form. Furthermore only two teams have made it out of the Group stages the last two years and could well have no English teams in the quarter-finals since the year Blackburn were unable to get out of their group in 1995/96 season. Three English teams however are in the last 16 of the Europa League and Liverpool was just one goal away from making it a fourth.

So achievement in Europe shouldn’t be the determining factor of the strength or quality of a league. I bet no one would say La Liga is a poor league if none of the Spanish teams overturn their respective ties this season. So are people saying the Premier League is poor because it compares poorly to the recent high level English teams were doing in Europe (while probably saying it was boring and predictable at the same time)? It could well be one reason, another one is that with Manchester United 12 points clear at the top of the table and generally considered average compared to other teams of the recent past then it doesn’t say much for the rest of the league that they are so far ahead. One can see the logic in that argument, but then if they knock out Real Madrid in the Champions League then exactly how many teams are much better than them? However it has to be said that Manchester United’s squad is much bigger and deeper than anyone else and that seems to be the main reason why they are so far ahead.

So is it really a poor premier league this year? Certainly the title race is a lot less exciting than last year with those incredible scenes at the Etihad stadium at the end of last season, as well as Newcastle finishing higher in the league than Chelsea, Tottenham back in the ‘Top 4’ helped to make it one of the most dramatic seasons for some time. However, to call the Premier League this year poor is very harsh, and also creates the question of how many good, even average leagues are there exactly? Thank goodness we aren’t watching the Estonian league in that case.

The premier league might not have Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Falcao and it might have lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Fabregas and Xabi Alonso (and ahem…Alex Song) but the Premier League has some magnificent players, Van Persie, Suarez, Bale, Rooney, David Silva, Juan Mata, Vidic, Kompany, Jack Wilshere, Yaya Toure, the French National team (also known as Newcastle United), Eden Hazard, Oscar and others. Why do we put down our own league with a list of players like that? The rest of Europe has grown stronger, with the financial strength of the Bundesliga, the historical significance of Serie A, the outstanding quality of players at the top of La Liga as well as the sugar daddy clubs from Russia and Paris making Europe as competitive as it has ever been. A poor premier league you say? I would love to see a Premier League that is considered good then!

Roll on May for Chelsea's Rafa

Many Chelsea supporters have been less than impressed with Rafa at the helm and for most of the season they have a point, but have they forgot about why Rafa was appointed to start with? Roman Abramovich had what all other managers prior to Di Matteo had failed to do which was to win the Champions League, he did this with a team which Villas-Boas and himself built over the season. Villas-Boas had been sacked by Chelsea after a run of poor results and a player backlash against his tactical approach to games, Di Matteo was his assistant and he managed to get the players on his side and he tactically outwitted many top European sides to get a place in the final against Bayern Munich in Bayern’s House.

Di Matteo started the next season as full time manager with a big budget to make sure the Champions League returned to Stamford Bridge for a second season and to challenge for the Premier League. Di Matteo managed to recruit Hazard, Oscar, Marin, Moses and Azpilicueta to start this charge and had a very good start to the season considering Chelsea lost Drogba as his contract had finished to allow him to make a move to Shanghai. Losing a valuable player and leader in your first defence of the Champions League started to show early on as Torres could’nt match up to the Ivorian which lead to a loss of confidence and the new signings starting to get found out. When Di Matteo was sacked it caused a media frenzy and a call for Abramovich to step down as had sacked another manager for not winning enough games with his financial backing; which is understandable if he gave his managers 2-3 seasons to make a squad capable of challenging for all trophies every year.

So without a manager and consistently linked with Guardiola who was on a sabbatical at the time Chelsea had to get someone in until Guardiola made a decision on where his next move would be. Congratulations Mr Benitez you have won Bully’s Special Prize which would prove to be his BFH (bus fair home) as he had the most difficult job in football. His appointment was made mostly because he was not in a job at the time which suited the Chelsea board but not the fans. During his time at Liverpool Benitez made himself a villain to the Chelsea faith-full and when it was announced he got the job the majority of the fans did not reacted kindly. Not even started yet Rafa has to now win over the fans and he started to get them on his side with a few decent performances and playing the attractive football the fans wanted, but every time the team drew or lost the fans then reverted quickly back to Rafa the Villain. Di Matteo was a popular figure with the fans and players which made his job an even more difficult and some of the players started to question his tactics and man management within a few games it was becoming clear Rafa had taken a lot on.

Rafa had to take the Chelsea job as he needed to get himself back into management and Chelsea needed an experienced manager to warm the seat for a new manager in the summer. I would like to see Rafa get a job at another top European team as if he had more backing and time to do his job properly we will see the Rafa we know from his Liverpool and Valencia days.

What's happened to Manchester City?

With the final third of the season upon us teams are pushing to determine their final position in the league, vying for safety and qualification to Europe. Yet there seems to be a debate that every year grips the headlines that isn’t mentioned this year and that’s the title itself. It is as good as over now if you talk to anyone interested in football or listen to any pundit when probed on the subject. So we have to ask, what went wrong for Man City. Why couldn’t they really make a challenge for the title? Or are Man United just too good?

What’s been the difference between the two Manchester clubs? Are we really going to accept that Van Persie is the only difference? He has arguably been the best player in the Premier League this season but Man City have dropped as many points this season with 10 games left as they did all of last season.

It isn’t just Van Persie’s goals that have opened up such a lead for United at the top of the league but what’s wrong gone at City. While Ferguson picked and acquired his targets, Mancini was left frustrated and with his desire to bring in players, it left a bad yield to enter the city ranks. Would Champions of the Premier League really be massively improved with the purchases of Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell and Maicon? They are undoubtedly good players but they are not the quality that City really need. Not to fight off Manchester United to retain the title. There failure to sign their top targets meant that as their rivals felt galvanised for the new season, the city players had to pick up the weight of expectations again. Also with players like Nasri under performing its dangerous to have a lack of depth. Mancini’s attempt to bring a fight for places almost worked but as Man City played poorly, he was forced to bring in other players into the team to just put a decent team out.

Their lack of signings have a deeper issue off the pitch, which is a fragmented structure they had in place. They have started a restructure, which should aid them in rivalling the impressive behind the stage goings-on at United. Mancini’s frustration at the deal closing and work of Brian Marwood was very public and showed that where other teams would go and get their targets, City simply couldn’t and didn’t . If at the start of the new season they have signed the players that Mancini wants then maybe they’ll have a chance at the title but when two teams finish on the same points and only one team improves the team then the outcome is inevitable.

The issue with City trying to defend their title is that the Premier League tilt belongs to Fergie and every year you must attempt rip it from him. Every year you must come back stronger because that’s what Manchester United will do. Fergie views that title as his and its down to other teams to take it off of him and City haven’t done enough to warrant that. That is what Fergie brings to Manchester United but is Mancini good enough to rival and beat Ferguson on a regular basis? There are arguably better coaches out there who know how to win and the obvious name to put forward is Mourinho. He wants a job in the Premier League and has a sensational track record. Ferguson never feels any pressure over losing his job where as for Mancini it is another distraction to attend with. Maybe if he puts another title under his belt and perhaps picks up a few more bits of silverware this talk will go but expectations will always be huge whether he succeeds or not.

With this title as good as over, Mancini should have one eye on the summer and the next season. If he does lose his job then City need to move quick to bring the stability needed to throw everything they have in chase of success. With the unsuccessful summer spending of 2012 you can be sure that big names will move in and out of the blue part of Manchester. Mancini might be best to rule a line under this season, store it away somewhere it can’t be found and label it: ‘how not to beat Fergie:the learning years.’ However he sees this season, he will have to focus on next year now and play his part in what makes English Football so enthralling.