http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/ en Copyright 2012 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:53:01 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss ESPNsoccernet's Football Correspondents pages have provided opinionated football fans with the chance to publish articles to a massive global audience since the year 2000 and we're going international once again this summer to cover the European Championships. We are looking to recruit sixteen enthusiastic, voluntary bloggers for the duration of Euro 2012, one from each qualified nation, to be the voice of your country throughout the tournament.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2012/01/euro_2012_soccernet_needs_you.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2012/01/euro_2012_soccernet_needs_you.php Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:53:01 +0000
Lionel Messi took the award despite a disappointing World Cup campaign © Getty Images
He is the shining light of a Barcelona team that looks capable of world domination once more and, with 60 goals over the course of 2010, it may come as no surprise to see Lionel Messi claim the FIFA World Player of the Year award. As with the three-man shortlist itself, though, his triumph broke with expectation. Wesley Sneijder, despite playing a pivotal role in Inter’s Treble success and Netherlands’ march to the World Cup final, could count himself extraordinarily unfortunate not to have been selected among the contenders at the ceremony in Zurich. With World Cup-winners Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta also on the shortlist, Barcelona therefore found themselves providing all three candidates. Messi, having only the La Liga title and Supercopa de Espana to his name for the year, could even have been considered the outsider. Upon accepting the award, Messi had claimed he did not expect to win. This was not false modesty. Not since 1994 has the Ballon d’Or gone to a player who has not won the World Cup and, as non-Europeans, the members of that triumphant Brazil side had been ineligible. Iniesta’s World Cup-winning goal in South Africa had made him a serious contender but Jose Mourinho, speaking in September, had provided a valid objection to his candidature: "If the winner is Andres Iniesta, who unhappily was not able to play for the first five months of the year because of injury, but after that played six matches and scored a goal in South Africa, then anything can happen in the year of a World Cup final and the rest counts for nothing." Given Xavi’s consistency across the 12 months, he seemed the obvious choice. Not merely a layer of gold paint on the Bentley, he is capable of acting as the entire engine. Messi, for his part, helped Argentina to the quarter-finals of the tournament but, despite making a sizeable contribution to his country’s cause, he did not find the net and was powerless to prevent the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Germany. In the Champions League, he was unable to find the net in either leg against Inter as Barca went out at the semi-final stage. The award, then, seems more in recognition of his immense talent than his success in 2010. On paper, both Sneijder and Xavi have greater cause for recognition; in practice, the international coaches and captains and journalists who voted for the award chose to recognise a man who boasted the greatest ability. He, in effect, retains both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards after a double triumph in 2009. Only Alfredo Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Brazil striker Ronaldo had won the Ballon d’Or more than once, while Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane each won the FIFA World Player of the Year on more than one occasion. Messi joins the pantheon of the multiple winners after a year in which his club and country failed to live up to their aspirations. With Barcelona firmly expected to add to their trophy cabinet in 2011 and no World Cup in the summer, Messi must already be considered the odds-on favourite for a third successive triumph in 2011. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2011/01/messis_talent_worth_its_weight.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2011/01/messis_talent_worth_its_weight.php Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:11:24 +0000
Arsene Wenger will rue errors if they go out early © Getty Images
When Arsenal await the draw for the last-16 of the Champions League next Friday, they will have only themselves to blame if they pull out one of Europe’s elite. The inevitability of a clash against Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich is amplified by the fact that the Gunners can only draw four clubs after finishing second in their group. Unable to be paired against group winners from England - Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham - or the team that finish top of their own group - Shakhtar - German side Schalke represent Arsenal’s best chance of making it through to the quarter-finals; but it is a slim hope. ‘’If you want to win it, you have to play against these big teams,’’ said Wenger on his side’s next potential fixture, before adding: "First of all, it is not a guarantee that we play Barcelona or Bayern in the next round - there are some other teams we can play and what happens, happens.’’ True, it is not guaranteed, but a 75% chance of picking out an elite club is not favourable. Realistically, the Frenchman would have wanted to avoid three of the best clubs in the world at this stage and will be praying for Bundesliga strugglers Schalke. But, after winning the first three group games and losing the following two matches, Wenger must admit that he has thrown away the chance of an easier ride, especially as February’s first-round ties come at a time in the season when resources are stretched and the games come thick and fast. In the latter stages of the Champions League (as the saying goes) ‘there are no small games’, but when you consider that Inter, Lyon, Copenhagen, Valencia, Roma, AC Milan and Marseille could have awaited, it is obvious that the Gunners have missed a good opportunity to progress. Of course, Arsenal have the ability to beat any team on their day, but recent history in the competition suggests that they struggle when up against the bigger teams. Over the last three years, Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona have all knocked them out, while PSV Eindhoven, Bayern Munich and Chelsea put paid to their efforts in years past and, on the biggest stage of all, the 2006 final, they fell at the last hurdle against Barcelona. With the English equation taken out, of the four potential opponents, Wenger will, of course, be most wary of the Spanish champions. Lionel Messi destroyed the Gunners on his own last season and they will require a much more physical and reserved performance if they are to triumph (as entertaining a game as it was.) Real Madrid have shown cracks in their armour, but Arsenal failed to beat Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea at all in his three years in England, while Bayern’s league struggles have been tempered by an impressive record in Europe. All tough tests, that could have been avoided. Arsenal, though, are not the only ones who have themselves to blame if they get a bad draw on Friday. Inter boss Rafael Benitez opted to rest his stars for the 3-0 defeat to Werder Bremen - claiming it was in preparation for Club World Cup games that don’t start for another week - meaning they finished second in Group A behind Spurs and are now faced with Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern; although at least the possibility of drawing Schalke or Shakhtar exists. Still, if the balls do not fall favourably, Wenger and Benitez can, for once, have little to complain about. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/12/arsenal_out_of_pot_luck.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/12/arsenal_out_of_pot_luck.php Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:16:40 +0000
Van der Vaart has lifted Tottenham. © Getty Images
While it is too early to suggest the wheels are coming off Tottenham’s quest for a second consecutive fourth place finish, there is significant proof that the dual demands of Champions League and Premier League are already taking their toll. A flat and predictable performance against a Sunderland side who (despite equipping themselves well to nullify Tottenham’s attacking quality) are still the same side that conceded five goals at Newcastle just 10 days ago, is just the latest. When Rafael van der Vaart finally gave Tottenham the lead in the 64th minute, the reaction of the crowd was one of rampant relief. White Hart Lane erupted as though everyone knew Tottenham were out of jail. But, unlike Manchester United, who scraped past Wolves with a late Park Ji-Sung winner, or Chelsea, who had Branislav Ivanovic to thank for a winning header which handed Chelsea a scarcely deserved win at Blackburn last weekend, Spurs again lacked the ingenuity to craft a winner and are currently imprisoned by inconsistency and, at times, complacency. Harry Redknapp’s comments, two weeks ago, that his side are just two major signings away from being title contenders are already beginning to look foolhardy. Instead, an almost comical breakdown of communication between William Gallas and Younes Kaboul saw Spurs surrender another two points, with Asamoah Gyan inflicting another dent to the Tottenham master plan. A killer instinct, so vital at the level Tottenham now find themselves at, remains absent and, although the returning Jermain Defoe may provide some much needed ruthlessness in front of goal (Van der Vaart cannot be expected to dig Tottenham out of a hole every week), dropped points against Wigan, West Brom, West Ham, Everton and Bolton indicate that the rot has already set in. It is a dichotomy for Spurs, particularly Redknapp, who it should be remembered is also sailing on unchartered waters. But whereas Wenger, Ferguson and Ancelotti all have the experience of at least a Champions League final under their belt, you get the impression that Tottenham are making up the rules as they go along. Redknapp has called upon Bentley, Kranjcar and Sandro in the past two games to alleviate the pressures of his A-team, many of Tottenham’s most talented young players are on loan. There are 15 in total. The euphoria of their dismantling of European champions Inter Milan was a night that will live long in the memory of Spurs fans, but those same fans will tell you that nights like those are meaningless without the bread and butter victories in the Premier League. With Manchester City lurking and Liverpool beginning to flex their muscles again, the bottom line is that another shot at the Champions League may be reliant upon a swift exit this time around. But try telling Tottenham fans that. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/11/spurs_lacking_the_killer_insti.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/11/spurs_lacking_the_killer_insti.php Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:52:31 +0000
Liverpool fans celebrate in the reception of Slaughter and May. © Getty Images
Watching reporters and Liverpool fans alike bundle into the reception of law firm Slaughter and May’s London offices to hear John W Henry and Martin Broughton announce the sale of Liverpool Football Club to NESV on Friday, there was just one prevailing feeling: relief. Relief that a club of the stature of Liverpool had been prised from the hands of a poisonous regime that, until the very bitter end, attempted to hold onto it to their own ends; relief that a passionate legion of supporters had avoided seeing their club plunge to any further depths; and, most of all, relief that one of the most interminable sagas ever to afflict English football had finally come to an end. To be a Liverpool supporter over the past week has been a truly tortuous experience. Scousers, and reporters if truth be told, not possessed of a degree in corporate or international law have been bewildered by an array of legal terms - declaratory judgements, injunctions, temporary restraining orders. It’s enough to make you feel like a bumbling, incompetent Lionel Hutz. Of course, the nightmare may not be over yet. In a matter befitting of Dr Evil, Tom Hicks has raised his little finger to his mouth, arched an eyebrow and declared he wants $1.6 billion in damages. The temptation to react like Austin Powers’ U.N. and burst out laughing would be tempting if it were not so serious. But this is not how the destiny of a football club should be decided; the fate of a team should be determined on the pitch, not in the courtroom. The very fact that the future of one of England’s great sporting institutions was at one point dependent on a court ruling in Texas tells you all you need to know about the farcical situation that Hicks and Gillett forced Liverpool into. Seeing football placed on the altar of the legal system does the sport no favours; it’s like seeing your pet puppy flattened by an articulated lorry, or your favourite band announce a new experimental direction by appropriating the musical styling of Justin Bieber. In short, it’s just plain wrong - the two worlds should never co-exist. And when Liverpool fans burst into the reception of a top law firm and serenade a corporate chairman with chants of “We love you Martin, we do”, all that is left to ask is: How did it come to this? Let’s just call the whole sorry episode a morality tale for modern football. Sunday’s Merseyside derby will ensure the focus finally, slowly switches back to football. It’s time to swap law suits for tracksuits, and what a relief that will be for everyone. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/10/court_short_liverpools_trial_e.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/10/court_short_liverpools_trial_e.php Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:50:00 +0000
United fans are strongly opposed to the American regime. © Getty Images
No one is likely to confuse Harry Redknapp with a forensic accountant, but just 24 hours after his misguided support of the dying Hicks and Gillett regime at Liverpool, Manchester United’s latest accounts provided further evidence of the extent to which leveraged buy-outs can have a damaging impact on even the biggest of clubs. “I'd love to know what the two Americans have done that is so wrong,” Redknapp wrote in The Sun on Thursday, somehow letting it escape his attention that the debt-laded takeover orchestrated by the Hicks and Gillett had crippled Liverpool, bringing a once-great club to its knees. Now a nine-point deduction could be incurred if the NESV takeover falls through and RBS places the club into administration next week. Both on and off the pitch, United are not plumbing the depths scraped by Liverpool. With their vast revenue streams - augmented by the Glazer family’s expansion into foreign markets - and expertly-run affairs, there is no danger of United heading into administration - an invidious position solely accompanied by Portsmouth in the history of the Premier League, for a few days at least. But that is not to say that Friday’s financial results do not make worrying reading for supporters. United’s accounts revealed an overall loss of £83.64 million, despite turnover rising to £286.4 million and operating profit standing at a record £100.8 million. Not that you would know that from the club’s official website, though - their Pravda-style operation neglected to mention the worst figures and later buried any mention of the results themselves. That is hardly surprising when they paint a very unflattering picture of one of world football’s great institutions. Imagine how financially formidable United would be had £40 million not been hived off to cover interest repayments, or a chunk taken out to cover the Glazers’ bond issue earlier in the year. Instead of signing unknown Portuguese kids with less experience of top-flight football than Ali Dia, they could have been making a concerted effort to follow up Sir Alex Ferguson’s confirmed interest in David Villa. But emasculated by the Glazer takeover of 2005, they have been rendered impotent in completely unnecessary fashion. United did not need a bail-out, a knight in shining armour. For the sake of the club changing hands, it has been submerged in interest fees and charges. Although United posted a profit of £48 million 12 months ago, that ostensibly impressive figure was only achieved after the club failed to resist a fax from the Bernabeu with £80 million emblazoned across it and decided to sell Cristiano Ronaldo. While UEFA’s new financial fair play regulations, brought in to ensure that clubs do not artificially enhance their spending power, are expected to cause real trouble for free-spending Manchester City, across the city at Old Trafford, the opposite is true. As a result of the Glazer takeover, United’s owners have artificially constrained their own club’s ambitions in the transfer market. United should be a club in a position to fully capitalise on their soaring turnover and burgeoning operational profit; instead, the burden of debt incurred by the Glazer takeover means they are not. The vast majority of United fans are savvy enough to realise that just because they are competing for the Premier League this season, and won the Champions League under Glazer control in 2008, does not mean that their place at the summit of English football is guaranteed, or that their future is in the right hands - their prolonged and admirable protests against the Glazer regime tell you that much. It is a distinction that Harry Redknapp - and anyone else ready to ignore the adverse impact of leveraged buyouts - would do well to recognise.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/10/accounting_for_ignorance.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/10/accounting_for_ignorance.php Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:43:28 +0000
Kevin Cyril Davies: England's new hope. © Getty Images
“My half brother is Jamaican so I might try for them, I have more chance of getting into that squad than the England one!” Those were the words of Bolton striker Kevin Davies a few months back. Now, the 33-year-old with the middle name ‘Cyril’ is in Fabio Capello’s squad for the game with Montenegro and is ready to eat those words by claiming his first cap. Pub quiz aficionados may now have to deal with one less answer for the question: Which players cost over £7 million but have never played for England? Carl Cort, Michael Bridges and Dean Richards are some of the names on offer but, from next week, Davies may not be another. So is his call-up a well deserved one, or does it just go to show how small the striking pool for England is? In fact, it’s a little of both. Think international striker and the name Kevin Cyril Davies does not come immediately to mind - unless perhaps England are playing an exceptional physical side on a quagmire of a pitch. The Bolton man is not the most cultured on the ball and has developed a reputation as something of a hardman during his spells with Southampton, Blackburn and now at the Reebok. But, as he has proved this season, his is a game that is effective in certain conditions. He would certainly struggle playing for a side like Barcelona or Arsenal, where the focus of the game is on short passing, and yet has found his feet under a coach like Sam Allardyce who favours the more direct approach. Tough, strong, uncompromising and committed, he perhaps has all the qualities of an excellent central defender, while his goalscoring record follows suit: he has reached double figures just once since the turn of the Century. But he fills a gap. A fairly sizeable gap left by the retired Emile Heskey. In England’s current situation - with Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora and Theo Walcott injured, and Wayne Rooney in indifferent form - Davies is the type of player than Capello would want to call upon to hold the ball up, and create space for others. Heskey performed the role admirably, despite criticism over his lack of goals, and Davies is cut from the same stone - albeit one that perhaps pushes the boundaries a little more. In truth, Capello had very little other option. Darren Bent, Peter Crouch and Rooney will share the responsibilities of leading the hunt for goals, while Davies will likely be called into action only if needed. It is a nice reward for a player who has become a focal point of his club side, even if he has not won many neutrals over with his style of play. West Ham’s Carlton Cole may rue his early season form, as he can count himself unlucky to be overlooked. But in the search to replace Emile ‘Ivanhoe’ Heskey, Cyril takes centre stage for now. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/10/nice_one_cyril_nice_one_son.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/10/nice_one_cyril_nice_one_son.php Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:29:50 +0000
Roman Abramovich: Eight trophies for £720 million investment ©Getty Photos
The most obvious example of this can be seen in their attendance at matches. While Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich can invariably be seen in the VIP seats with his shirt sleeves rolled-up, living every moment of his team's games with a dead-pan expression, it took Sheikh Mansour two-years to even attend his first home match - last month's 3-0 win against Liverpool. Current Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has waxed lyrical about how Abramovich is a man who lives and breathes football and even revealed in his book that the billionaire held two clandestine meetings prior to his appointment to sound out the former AC Milan coach about his plans for the future of Chelsea. Even though Abramovich's eagerness to be hands-on may have back-fired on occasion - signing £30 million flop Andrei Shevchenko and hastening Jose Mourinho's exit with his attempts to become involved in team matters - at least his obvious interest in the sport offers plausible reasons for becoming involved in football. It is hard to imagine Sheikh Mansour being knowledgeable enough to grill his new manager on tactics and transfer targets. And his motivation for buying Manchester City, a team he presumably had no interest in when they were in the second tier of English football in 2002, is hard to fathom - is it just an expensive PR stunt to promote Abu Dhabi via the most popular league in the world? Abramovich bought Chelsea at a time in 2003 when they were already challenging for titles and competing in the Champions League, the transition from contenders to winners was minimal, if highly expensive. Abramovich's £720 million investment in Chelsea over seven years has returned three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the League Cup twice and a Champions League final. Mansour took over a team that was going nowhere despite a moderate investment by predecessor Thaksin Shinawatra in a city where Manchester United have the monopoly on success. After pouring £650 million into the club there is still nothing to show for his investment apart from a collection of over-priced players. While Abramovich is now in a position where he can be patient, if need be, in his quest for results as his team evolves under a relatively new manager, Mansour's City are desperate for the immediate gratification of silverware and, at the very least, a place in the Premier League’s top four. With City crashing out of the Carling Cup in midweek, their 35-year wait for a major trophy could be set to continue for yet another season and a defeat against free-scoring Chelsea on Saturday will show the new boys just how far they have to go, and how much more they will have to spend, to buy a place at the top-table. City may suffer the same nouveau riche-related criticisms that flew in Chelsea's direction back in 2003, but that is where the similarities end.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/09/cash_clash_a_mismatch.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/09/cash_clash_a_mismatch.php Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:48:10 +0000
The Polish 'keeper has erred in the past. © Getty Images
Once again Arsene Wenger will hand Lukasz Fabianski a chance to prove himself in the Carling Cup - against Tottenham on Tuesday - though once again it is a gamble that may not pay off for the Gunners. Wenger has never been one to put the Carling Cup at the top of his priority list, choosing to blood his Young Guns instead, but Arsenal fans are beginning to tire of seeing a man labelled ‘Flappyhandski’ in between the posts. With Wenger’s refusal to bolster the goalkeeping position in the summer - despite the fact that a bid of around £4 million would likely have seen Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer arrive - Arsenal still lack a decent back-up to Manuel Almunia, who has hardly covered himself in glory in the past either. A good goalkeeper is vitally important for a side, marshalling the defence and providing stability at the back. A bad one can send shockwaves of nerves around a backline, causing problems with concentration and confidence. And that’s before their mistakes lead directly to goals for the opposition. What is clear to most is that Fabianski has been given enough chances to impress for Arsenal. His mistakes against FC Porto alone could have been enough to see him sink into obscurity, but soft goals against Wigan and Blackburn at the back end of last season continued to damage an already poor reputation. Thus far, the Pole has shown nothing to suggest that he is the long-term answer to Wenger’s goalkeeping conundrum and both Vito Mannone and Wojciech Szczesny can count themselves extremely unlucky not to be given a chance of their own to shine against Spurs. Wenger’s faith in his young players is admirable, but there has to come a point when the realisation sets in that one is not good enough to play at the highest level. How many Premier League points or places in Cup competitions are lost while this is being worked out can be placed directly at the doorstep of the manager. However, Wenger feels that Fabianski still has something to offer and even praised the Pole this week for his attitude in training, claiming that he had the potential to be ''orld-class''. Obviously, what he does on the training pitch is different to what the rest of us see in competitive games and it is worrying that a manager of Wenger’s class has resorted to attempting to build up the player’s confidence by bandying about a term that is currently attributed to the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and (in his field) Iker Casillas. Fabianski’s decision making, mental strength and physicality will be the subject of attacks from the opposition and the media until he is able to string some games together. Out of the spotlight at Arsenal and on loan somewhere else may give him that opportunity, although for now it seems he will continue to live in a pressure cooker where everyone is waiting for his next mistake. Wenger has claimed that a goalkeeper will only get so many chances to prove himself, saying: ''You will get a second one [chance], but you will not get 10.'' Fabianski, possibly now dubbed 'The Cat' for different reasons, is quickly running out of lives. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/09/fabianki_running_out_of_chance.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/09/fabianki_running_out_of_chance.php Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:10:42 +0000
Benitez: Returning to England © Getty Images
The days when a group of be-joweled old men in suits would pull balls from a couple of silk bags are gone. Nowadays, we have the Champions League Group Stage draw, an event that clearly fancies itself as a cross between a Euromillions Lottery draw and a stagey awards ceremony. Pedro Pinto and the delectable Melanie Winiger presided over nearly an hour of razzmattazz and the type of viewing discomfort usually brought on when English is spoken as a second language. Fans of Tottenham Hotspur, still celebrating after ending nearly 50 years in the wilderness, deserve sympathy for the edge of tension supplied by the unnecessary long-windedness of the process. Their reintroduction to the elite affords them home fixtures and away matches with Inter Milan, Werder Bremen and FC Twente, a group that offers both cause for optimism and some element of fear too. For the other three Premier League clubs, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, their decade or more of constant presence in this competition allows them to feel detached at whomever is drawn to face them. These days, the repetitive nature of the bloated Champions League means the elite is acquainted with itself to such an extent that short of Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United with Real Madrid, the blockbusters will have to wait until the knock-out stages. Chelsea face a visit to Marseille, the long journey to Spartak Moscow and Slovakian debutants MSK Zilina while Arsenal meet old foes Shakhtar Donetsk but new opposition in Braga and Partizan Belgrade. The Londoners' Eastern trips may offer some cause for concern. Of the continent's major names, Ajax Amsterdam's coupling with AC Milan and Real Madrid may yet hark back to memories of the old European Cup and the Dutch may feel they have a chance against ailing Milan, though even this did not quite have the pull of some of this trio's battles of the 1990s. Even the return of Rangers to Manchester, the scene of their ill-tempered visit to the UEFA Cup final of 2008, is case of having been there and done that. Rangers were swiftly dealt with by United in the winter of 2003, an evening that saw the Glaswegians despatched over the border with chants of "Champions League, yer 'avin a laugh". The more intrepid United fan meanwhile may cherish a visit to the previously uncharted territory of Bursaspor. Among the drawing of lots by a raft of stars including Gianfranco Zola and cheeky crisp salesman Gary Lineker, came a series of awards for the competition's best players of the 2009-10 season. Needless to say, the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward were all drawn from Inter Milan and Julio Cesar, Maicon, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito were all deserved winners in their class, whatever the arbitrary process from which they were selected. Nowadays, Inter are managed by a cove familiar to Spurs in Rafael Benitez, a man who has the unenviable task of emulating Jose Mourinho's unprecedented Treble of last season. Benitez meanwhile may not be too happy to be reintroduced to a country where his relations with the press ended in a cold war. Barcelona, as expected favourites, have again drawn a favourable group despite losing last season to Rubin Kazan while Bayern Munich, notwithstanding facing AS Roma, will expect to progress at the expense of Swiss club Basel and Romania's CFR Cluj. Routine stuff for them perhaps but for Spurs, the journey into a competition that can both make and break a club begins with a visit to Bremen. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/rafa_and_inter_await_for_totte.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/rafa_and_inter_await_for_totte.php Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:14:19 +0000
Spurs suffered at the back. © Getty Images
"I have thought about the Astroturf and it could just kill Ledley completely, it could ruin his knee," said Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp before their crucial Champions League qualifier against Young Boys. After 28 minutes, and three goals, Redknapp may have been forgiven for wanting to kill his entire defence in the absence of their talismanic captain. Ponderous, slow and non-responsive before the introduction of Tom Huddlestone for the abysmal Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Spurs looked overawed by the occasion. The plastic pitch would not have helped, as such a surface does take some time to get used to, but a lack of concentration at the back - especially between the two centre-halves - seemed to put the game beyond them before it had really even started. If there was an element of luck about the way the ball found Senad Lulic for the first goal, the ball-watching by all four of Tottenham’s defenders for the second was inexcusable. One player very rarely requires four markers and while Tape Doubai’s deflected shot had somewhat fortuitously opened the door for the opener, his throughball to Henri Bienvenu saw another failure of Spurs’ defence highlighted - a lack of pace - once the space had been created. Michael Dawson was left stranded and exposed by the Young Boys’ striker, whose shot into the bottom corner was despatched as calmly as his crucial winner against Fenerbahce in the previous round. But one can’t help feeling that some better organisation by a leader such as King would have seen the danger snuffed out earlier. Dawson was not the only one caught out, as 15 minutes later the lively Moreno Costanzo spotted a gap for a simple angled throughball to Xavier Hochstrasser, who should have been tracked by Sebastien Bassong. The Cameroon international’s loss of concentration proved crucial as the Swiss side went three up, although he did redeem himself to an extent by claiming an away goal before Roman Pavlyuchenko gave Spurs hope with another late on. Redknapp has already made it clear that he is eyeing new faces in defence, with former Arsenal captain William Gallas an interesting (if not especially popular) option. For all of their attacking talent, Spurs will find that the Champions League is an unforgiving mistress when it comes to defensive errors and a cool head to replace King in his all-too-frequent spells on the sidelines would certainly be welcome. As would a decent left-back. While the result looked on course to match Celtic’s unexpected 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Slovakian Champions Artmedia Bratislava in 2005-06 in the first half, the two away goals has given them hope and a 1-0 win would get them through in the return leg at White Hart Lane. Redknapp will hope his crocked skipper will be ready to face the Swiss next week to calm the nerves.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/spurs_miss_calming_king_at_the.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/spurs_miss_calming_king_at_the.php Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:49:54 +0000
Romelu Lukaku is tipped for big things © Getty Images
The front page of Spanish sports newspaper Marca featured a picture of Anderlecht’s highly-rated youngster Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday alongside the caption: “Mourinho’s secret dream.” It is hardly a secret that 17-year-old Lukaku is in all the big clubs’ sights after his splendid first professional season, which saw him crowned Belgium’s youngest ever top scorer and get a couple of good goals in Europe. It is not the first time either that Marca has put Belgian players on display like this. Last year, it was Standard’s Steven Defour and, in April, Eden Hazard of Lille was linked to the Madrid giants. So even if Marca claim Real want Lukaku even more than other targets such as Hugo Almeida, Mario Gomez, Amauri or Fernando Llorente, it remains to be seen whether the young striker actually does leave Anderlecht this season. Lukaku’s agent, Christophe Henrotay, says that while he did speak to Real about Lukaku, this is only because they are keeping tabs on him. “There is no rush in signing him. Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona and other big clubs are also following Romelu, but that does not mean they want to get him right away,” Henrotay says in Belgian newspaper De Morgen. “If Anderlecht get past Partizan Belgrade and into the Champions League proper, he can learn a lot at the highest level.” Then there is the question of whether Romelu is too young to move to such an elite team such as Real. Father and former pro Roger Lukaku is sober and laidback about the rumours, saying he is pleased at Real Madrid and Mourinho’s interest. “For us, it is important that Romelu finishes school. He has one more year to go, after which he will still only be 18 and there will be ample time to move abroad. But you never know. In the end, Anderlecht will have to decide, given that Romelu has just signed a new five year contract with them. There will be no surprises as we have clear agreements on how a move away would be handled.” Anderlecht manager Herman Van Holsbeeck says the club are “flattered at the proof of international recognition for one of their players. It is an honour for our club that Real wants one of our players - it means recognition for our youth academy and the way we coach our young talents.” Van Holsbeeck adds, however, that "no concrete offers have yet been made for Lukaku, not by Real Madrid nor any other club.” Interestingly, little under a month ago, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba was reported to have called Romelu Lukaku, urging him to sign for the London club if he left Anderlecht. Chelsea are father Roger’s favourite as far as a transfer goes, while Romelu is known to be a big fan of the Chelsea striker. To be continued…]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/romelu_lukaku_jose_mourinhos_s.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/romelu_lukaku_jose_mourinhos_s.php Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:20 +0000
Harry Redknapp will be giving the draw a thumbs up. ©Getty Images
Harry Redknapp is often keen to hang his team's state of affairs on a particular hook and then cling to it grimly. Tales of being down to the "bare bones" littered his time at West Ham and Portsmouth, while his first season at Tottenham Hotspur saw him mantra on inheriting a team who had won just two points before his arrival. It seems hugely likely that this season's repetitive beat will centre around his club's maiden Champions League campaign. That is, of course, if Spurs actually qualify for the promised land. The delight of that May evening at Eastlands, when Manchester City were dumped out of reach, will have been gradually tempered throughout the summer by the fear of falling at the final fence of the final qualifying round. A trip to Switzerland's capital and the challenge of Young Boys, whose gauche name hides their conquering of Fenerbahce in the previous qualifying round, and a return at White Hart Lane for the Londoners' biggest European night since the UEFA Cup Final of 1984, represent 180 minutes of tension. A club who have made an art form of making things difficult for themselves when glory was within reach will surely not be taking anything as read, even when presented with a less-starred opponent. Whatever happens against Young Boys, it is clear that the 2010-11 campaign will almost certainly be defined by that very fixture. The pain of a premature exit will likely hang heavy over matters domestic, even before the marathon undertaking that is the Europa League hoves into view. And qualification is likely to see sights adjusted, whether by design or not, on efforts in the Champions League group stages. There are precedents to take heed of. David Moyes' Everton were the last team to break the "big four" monopoly but fell to Villarreal at this very stage. And further back, Newcastle United and Leeds United both made hay in the competition proper only to find that their season had been unbalanced by their continental adventures and that returning to the same levels was not possible. Indeed, both soon became acquainted with another level of football, having suffered relegation in short order, with financial crisis as an accompaniment. So there is much to beware for Spurs. After so long trying to return to the top table of the English game, with some notable near-misses along the way, Redknapp's achievement of a fourth place finish was undoubtedly the crowning triumph of his long managerial career, even allowing for his now-sullied FA Cup win with Portsmouth. Maintaining that high standard presents a still greater challenge to him and his team. The club's ambitions are strong, with a new stadium among the goals set in place by chairman Daniel Levy. Filling a 65,000-70,000 megadome, at no-doubt eye-watering prices, would seem most probably dependent on the promise of club football's blue riband competition on a regular basis. And so Tottenham must fight on a new frontier while keeping up the home front. A tall order for Redknapp, and that may well end up being his stock line for the season. He must embrace these new horizons with just about the same group of players he called on last time, a rather unfamiliar state of affairs for football's most prominent transfer wheeler-dealer. Though it could also represent a satisfaction with his squad, and the belief that stability can further success, it also seems likely the lack of business has resulted from financial prudence and that any Redknapp additions must come through the trimming of his playing group. Only Brazilian defensive midfielder Sandro, grabbed from the clutches of many a suitor, swells the options but he will only join after current club Internacional finish their Copa Libertadores campaign. Redknapp may yet be granted transfer funds but only after having achieved Champions League football. That will allow him barely a week to sign reinforcements. In the meantime, those who took Tottenham to the precipice of the elite need to hit the ground running in what is surely the club's biggest game since, yes, that night in Manchester. The giant steps are coming thick and fast and Spurs cannot afford to falter now. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/the_glory_game.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/08/the_glory_game.php Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:29:10 +0000
Steven Defour has been linked with Liverpool © Getty Images
Now Roy Hodgson has confirmed Javier Mascherano wants to leave Liverpool, the focus turns to his replacement at Anfield. Several reports over the last couple of weeks have linked Standard Liege's Steven Defour, 22, with the Reds. Hodgson is said to have a keen interest in the young Belgian ace and it is easy to see why - Defour seems like a perfect replacement for Mascherano. A pacy and versatile midfielder with great vision and passing rate, he would fit straight into the gap. Defour has attracted big club interest before. Ajax, looking for a replacement for Wesley Sneijder, had a bid turned down in the 2007-08 season. After the 2009-10 season, bigger clubs showed an interest. All of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United were reported to have had a look at the Standard captain, but nothing materialised. Still, when Defour was injured in a Europa League game against Panathinaikos in January, Sir Alex Ferguson was rumoured to have sent him a personal letter of encouragement. However, all the talk now is about Defour going to Liverpool, especially with Manchester United seemingly having taken a fancy for German Wunderkind Mesut Ozil. And if it happens, it may prove to be a great move for all concerned. Defour cannot go much further in Belgium, having won two league titles with Standard (2008 and 2009) and the country's highest individual honour, the Golden Boot, in 2008. He has captained Standard since he was only 19 and at 22 seems destined to burst out of Belgium and onto the big scene. Liverpool would be a massive new challenge. Liverpool are still one of the biggest clubs in the history of the game and a dream move for any young player. And Defour can only expect to learn and get better, playing in one of the biggest leagues in Europe, with the likes of Steven Gerrard and most likely Fernando Torres and under a manager who is known for getting the best out of his players. For Liverpool, Defour could be the man to help them achieve their turnaround and break back into Europe's elite. He has proved at Standard that he can compete at the highest level, with more than decent performances against top opposition in the Champions and Europa Leagues. (It was in one of those ties, in which Liverpool only beat Standard after penalties, that Defour first attracted attention .) The captain of a championship-winning side since the age of 19, he has also shown an ability to cope with pressure that belies his 22 years. Any position in midfield can bring out the best in him: holding, attacking, centre or either flank. His vision and passing rate would be a boost for the Reds and, as an added bonus, he has played for some time with Liverpool's new striker, Milan Jovanovic, and has built a great playing partnership with him. The fact that he is "only" Belgian and "only" plays in Belgium makes for a relatively low transfer fee. £15 million is currently rumoured. The same calibre player would easily command double that if he were Italian, Spanish or English. Defour will presumably also be less demanding than Mascherano in terms of wages, given the financial chasm between the Belgian Pro-League and the Premier League. Defour would be a steal. For Standard, then, the benefits would be largely financial. Having had to let Jovanovic go on a free, they will regret the transfer money they could have received for a player who scored at this summer’s World Cup. With their other main striker, Dieu-Merci Mbokani, also keen on a move out of the country and Belgium left-back Sebastien Pocognoli attracting interest from Spanish giants Sevilla, Standard could put any extra money from a Defour transfer to good use rebuilding their ravaged squad. A fee of £15 million is an enormous amount of money to Standard, which will enable them to outbid nearly any Belgian club in their quest for new players.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/07/defour_the_perfect_replacement.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/07/defour_the_perfect_replacement.php Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:34:30 +0000
Raul was a legend at the Bernabeu. © Getty Images
Just two weeks after Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal saw Spain crowned as the finest footballing nation on the planet, one of their finest ever players - Raul - ended an era at the Bernabeu. Imagining Real Madrid without Raul is like picturing the New York skyline without the Empire State Building. The man defined the club he represented for 16 years and one of Jose Mourinho’s first challenges in Madrid will be to recapture the chunk of identity Raul (and fellow veteran Guti) took with them as the doors of the Bernabeu closed behind them for the final time. Raul won more than he ever could have imagined with Los Blancos and still tops the all-time Champions League scoring charts with 66 goals, so it couldn’t have been easy for the Spanish icon to accept that his inevitable decline would coincide with Spain’s emergence as a superpower. The sumptuous tiki-taka style that saw Vicente del Bosque’s side confirm their status as the world’s best relies on a David Villa or a Fernando Torres to convert the chances Xavi and Iniesta craft from deeper areas of the pitch. But even in a system so apparently perfect, it’s difficult to imagine that Raul at his peak wouldn’t have added something extra, something different. But, of course, this is something we’ll never know. Raul still managed an exceptional 44 goals in 102 games for Spain throughout a barren period when, despite possessing able players, they were never genuine challengers for trophies. So, it was in the Champions League and La Liga that Raul went about his business of destroying defences and beating goalkeepers. Something he achieved 323 times. Raul once cited the predatory instincts of Gary Lineker as his inspiration and, after making his debut as a skinny 17-year-old, the Spaniard begun the work of emulating his hero. But it was against Lineker’s former side, Barcelona, in a vintage episode of the El Clasico in 1999 that Raul demonstrated his lethal presence in front of goal, creating a symbolic moment in the process. Despite Raul’s early goal, Real Madrid were trailing 2-1 in Camp Nou. With five minutes to go, Raul collected a piercing through ball from Javier Saviola before exquisitely lifting it over the rushing ‘keeper and into the Barcelona net. The Nou Camp fell deathly silent and, after kissing his wedding ring in tribute to his wife, he suggested the Catalan fans remained quiet by running in front of the main stand with his finger on his lips. But Raul was always respectful to friends and foes and, in his last ever Real Madrid press conference on Monday, he admitted that another Barcelona player, Pep Guardiola, was the opponent he respected the most. “My favourite opponent was Guardiola. You tell when he was playing that he was the manager as well. I used to think how could he talk so much and play so well,” Raul said. “And it was he who gave me my assist for my first goal for Spain.” The highs of Raul’s career in the pristine white of Real Madrid are too many to mention, but as he continues his career in a new league - most likely the Bundesliga - Los Blancos say goodbye to a true great of the modern game. Indeed one, for his prolific service for club and country, who deserves a share in the recognition his international colleagues enjoyed earlier this month in Johannesburg.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/07/real_say_goodbye_to_a_true_gre_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/07/real_say_goodbye_to_a_true_gre_1.php Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:27:20 +0000