Saturday 14 June 2014

Netherlands 5-1 Spain: Spanish crown slipping as Dutch dominate

It was the score that resonated around the world. As the World and European Champions left the Arena Fonte Nova pitch on Saturday evening with 5-1 still looming large on the scoreboard, it required more than a double take to notice that it was not the Netherlands, but Spain who had been handed the five goal thrashing.

There had been some murmurings about the “end of an era” prior to Spain taking the pitch – the age of key figures Xavi and Xabi Alonso combined with the fact that repeating a World Cup is rare at best and near impossible at worst. But the manner in which La Roja have seemingly fallen was as shocking as the score itself.

Those murmurs will ring loud now, as questions will be as difficult to deal with as the Oranje were last night. How was a team that two years ago exited Euro 2012 after losing every game able to cut through Spain like this? Robben was just as fast in 2010, yet it seemed like Spain had forgotten how to run.

Vicente Del Bosque will be under pressure to make wholesale changes – Iker Casillas, Spain captain and symbol of the Iberian’s world domination over the last six years was at times a shell of him as several costly mistakes helped ramp up the embarrassment. Two years after imploring referee Pedro Proenca to stop the Euro 2012 final against Italy as Spain led 4-1 against the 10 man Azzurri, the Madrid goalkeeper was perhaps wishing someone would do the same for him.

It’s unlikely that Del Bosque will consider changing what has been so successful in the past, but philosophical ponderings are now turning into tactical demands from supporters believing that Spain’s defeat is another example that the passing game is representative of a previous generation.

It can be argued that it was a freak result, a debate that historical evidence would certainly back up. After Stefan De Vrij gave the Dutch a 3-1 lead Spain seemed to mentally check out of the game, one where they were apathetic and lackadaisical defensively to begin with. Following the third, the game seemed to take on an almost schoolyard quality where the fastest child outruns a seething mass of his peers. In last night’s game, that child was Arjen Robben.

Spain will go into the two remaining group games mentally rattled following the defeat, but focused on proving the now growing choir of doubters wrong. They faced similar questions following a defeat to Switzerland in 2010 before going on to win the World Cup, but even the most ardent Spaniard will agree this is somewhat different.

The Dutch’s ability to punish Spain’s highline and poor defensive positioning is a method that Brazil utilised to perfection in the 2013 Confederations Cup win and is also what Jupp Heynckes Bayern Munich did to Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2012/13 Champions League. Real Madrid’s rout of Pep Guardiola’s pass-happy Munich side in the season just past is perhaps another example.

It appears that there is a developing blueprint in how to deal with sides that adopt the “Spanish approach”, which is surfacing against the innovators that kick-started the modern possession revolution in the first place. Whether Spain, like their rivals, can prove to be assertive with a “Plan B” could be what defines their success now and in the future.

Perhaps the most worrying thing from a Spanish perspective is in the space of 90 minutes the question of "will Spain retain the World Cup" is now "can they retain the World Cup." Football tacticians have questioned their approach, but never their ability. The ease in which Louie Van Gaal's side were able to cut through an awful Spanish defence was astonishing and those questions of about the legitimacy of their World Cup bid only grow louder as Spain risk failing to make it out of their group.

The crown is still atop of Spain following their Dutch disaster. But it is slipping.

Monday 9 June 2014

A letter to Pippo Inzaghi


Dear Pippo,

We have never met, and chances are we never will. You don’t speak my language, nor I yours. But your profession, as far removed as it is from mine, changed my life. You reminded me of romance. Don’t worry; I’m not talking about rose-petals on the bed sort of romance.

I’m talking of romance in football. Some say there isn't any, or at least, not any more. Footballers like you live glamorous lives where their existence and ours seem so far apart it’s almost like they’re on different planets. There’s no connection between the two parties any-more.

However, I think there is romance in football. The romance in football is that of an imaginative child who grows up idolising his favourite players, dreaming of wearing the sacred colours of his club and kicking a ball alone in his back garden, wheeling away, pulling the shirt over his eyes and imagining scoring that goal, in that final.

As the boy becomes a man, he still visits the stadium, cheering every win, remonstrating at every loss – and the brief moments of unbridled joy as his heroes score a goal, the man that he is reverts back to that little boy in the garden, even if just for a moment. That romance made me a fan of A.C Milan, the club you once played for.

Like many an English football fan – I watched Channel Four’s TV show Football Italia that covered “Calcio” as it’s known in Italy, and revelled in the sights of players like Marco Van Basten, Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio. 

As a young boy, these were my first forays into European football as a whole – falling for the colour, the fans and the sheer exoticness of central Europe. It was so different to England, still lost in rigid tactics, cold weather and horrible Manchester United-supporting schoolchildren.

I always loved A.C Milan thanks to their bold colours, always remembering how enraptured I was as a child by their cooler-than-cool red and black stripes, the nickname “Diavolo”, meaning ‘devil’ in Italian struck a chord with my young self too. I was an admirer, but not yet a supporter.

As your Milan side progressed in the Champions League (your favourite competition, if I remember rightly) and challenged for European honours during the 2000’s, I began to take a further interest. I was silently pleased if I saw Milan beat a big English side, my sporting guilty pleasure the reason behind the frustration and misery of my Manchester United and Liverpool supporting peers.

I hate bringing this one up, least of all to you – but my love for Milan truly began with that 2005 Champions League final, as I watched your beloved team lose after taking a 3-0 lead. Of course, as you remember – you weren't in the squad that game, and watched from the stands.

 Signed from Juventus, you perhaps connected more with fans than any footballer I have ever seen in my short existence as a fan. I'm sure you would be the first to admit that you weren’t blessed with technique most of your fellow professionals take for granted, your ascendancy came through hard work, attention to detail and your innate ability to read the game.

As a result, I've always thought you have a level of humility I don’t see from many other footballers. You are loyal, passionate and you celebrate every goal like a fan, with the fans.

You watched from the stands as Liverpool fought back and defeated your side, unable to do anything for a team that I know you considered yours as much as any other. You cheered like a fan, cursed like a fan and went home having not played a minute of football – just like a fan.

Two years later, fate would have it that Milan and Liverpool met again. After once again doing internal, joyous dances as you ousted Manchester United in style, the world prepared for Milan to face Liverpool once again. This time, you started.

Milan took the lead thanks to a deflected goal that hit your rib, but it is the second, crucial goal that holds sentimental value to me, and is the reason for this letter.

In the 82nd minute, Ricky Kaka (I've probably got a letter for him too somewhere) received the ball about 25 yards from goal. Making eye contact with the Brazilian, you made a run that left the Liverpool defence standing. You took a touch, neatly rounded the onrushing keeper and rolled the ball into the empty net. You sprint off toward the corner flag, celebrating before ball even crosses the line. Reaching the by-line near the fourth official, you drop to your knees, screaming as you did so, frantically gesticulating.

For that moment as I watched, overjoyed at what I had witnessed, I saw you revert to the little boy in the back garden, wheeling away and celebrating alone. For those few seconds, I connected with you because there was a feeling that you and I were very alike. I, like you had dreamed of scoring a vital goal in Cup Final for club I loved. I, like you - wheeled away and exalted with passion, without shame or doubt. I, like you – was just a fan. 

Since then, I became hooked. I am a passionate fan of a football team that speaks a different language, plays in a different country and has no cultural connection to me at all, and I'm proud of that. In a way it feels more satisfying, because I feel my sporting preferences have not come about through circumstantial geography that I can’t affect, but an emotional epiphany that I feel I chose and simultaneously chose me.

Now, as fate would have it, it appears our shared bond with AC Milan will once again resurface. Once again you watched, I'm assuming with sadness, as the once great club you played for stagnated. Once again someone else was chosen to fix that problem, while you hoped for the best. Once again, you have the opportunity the second time around to help. 

Once again it is your image that is tied to the vision of that club, as your every decision as a coach impacts on my mood and emotions in the same way that your movements on the pitch once did. It appears Pippo, we have come full circle.

I can only hope that in this next phase of both my fandom and your career, you can deliver a fraction of the joy you brought on that May evening in 2007.  I have you to thank for all of this, yet I probably will never get to explain to you in person about how you changed my life, and helped me pick a side that has become part of my identity that to this day you are a huge part of. 

But I guess, that’s the point.

Grazie, e buona fortuna. 

Sam 

Thursday 22 May 2014

Cristiano Ronaldo has chance to cement his status as all-time great in Lisbon return ahead of Champions League final


On Saturday 24th May, Real Madrid will face city rivals Atletico Madrid for a chance to lift their 10th Champions League title, in what will be their first final appearance since Zinedine Zidane's sumptuous volley sealed a 2002 victory in Glasgow.

Since that evening, now 12 years ago, Real Madrid have viewed the 10th title, called "La Decima" to Madridistas and Spaniards everywhere as an "obsession", a dream that has formed an identity of its own, fuelling managerial appointments, transfer fees and press conferences almost immediately after the ninth Champions League title was lifted into a dark Glasgow night by then Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez.

For Real Madrid, a team of unparalleled European success, the next title is always the most important and the tenth is of symbolic significance not lost the club's owner Florentino Perez and all those he employs to bring said trophy back to the Bernabeu.

For Cristiano Ronaldo, talisman of this Madrid side since his arrival in the summer of 2009, "La Decima" is more than symbolic significance to his employers but arguably a chance to complete a year of redemption for the Portugese star.

Redemption is an admittedly odd word for a man who has routinely considered one of the top two players on the planet since he lifted the Ballon D'or in 2008 following Manchester United's Champions League win against Chelsea, but it is appropriate.

Because despite Ronaldo's personal achievements, record-breaking goal tallies and irrepressible surge up the all-time scorers lists for Real Madrid and Portugal, the advent of Lionel Messi's greatness has somewhat demeaned those achievements as an afterthought compared to the Barcelona stars personal quest with history.

It is almost unfair to compare Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi, a player of almost universal popularity and praise that as a result, has elevated the Argentine almost beyond normal comprehension. Because of the staggering achievements of Messi from his 2009 Ballon D'or win at 22 to his ascension as Barcelona's greatest ever goalscorer amidst his four consecutive Ballon D'ors during a period as the fulcrum of a side dominating football like few sides before it, Ronaldo's achievements appear secondary.

If Cristiano Ronaldo's CV is put in a vacuum, you're looking at one the greatest players of all time, who would also be unquestionably the greatest in any era in terms of efficiency bar the one he is part of right now. 164 league goals in 142 league games coupled with 51 Champions League goals in 50 appearances since his arrival at the Spanish giants is a return that should only be found on a computer game. His 16 goals in 10 Champions League matches this season is unparalleled in the history of the competition, also providing four assists and hitting the woodwork four times.

The Ballon D'or win was a vindication of sorts, but the Portugese's critics will point to the absence of the injury-hit Lionel Messi as the prevailing factor in his recognition. Even in his finest hour, Messi's shadow looms large.

Similarly, Ronaldo's superb form since arriving at Real Madrid comes with the caveat of an absent space in Madrid's locker room, forever reserved for the 10th Champions League trophy. Regardless of his transfer being considered an undoubted success despite the enormous price, the lack of a tangible, European reward is a blot on an otherwise pristine record, emphasised by the continental achievements of bitter rivals Barcelona and the 2011 Champions League appearance made by former club Manchester United. Should Ronaldo take over Raul Gonzalez as Real Madrid's all-time goalscorer (which grows more and more inevitable every season), his bid at becoming one of the Spanish club's all-time greats will also be diminished should it end without a European title. For a club like Real Madrid, records and trophies must go hand in hand.

Lisbon's hosting of the final takes on a multi-faceted sense of significance for the homecoming forward. It offers the opportunity for Ronaldo to crown a historic season with the European trophy that his arrival sought to ensure, as well as the opportunity to affirm his status as one of Real Madrid's all-time greats.

For once, in almost five years, Cristiano Ronaldo will not be talked about as an antagonist to Lionel Messi, the rival that pushes the more talented player to new heights. It will be a singular achievement for a man that has led his side to the promised land of the Champions League, and will arguably allow him to stand as a player whose career must be evaluated among those who have graced the history books in years gone by.

For Ronaldo, it is more than La Decima. It is the chance at all-time greatness.













Tuesday 22 April 2014

The David Moyes Replacement: The Contenders


Even though it was beginning to feel a little inevitable, the news that David Moyes has been sacked as Manchester United manager was still a shock to the system. This is the same Manchester United who haven't had a new coach for 26 years, will now have their third head coach in 12 months and probably their fourth by the summer.

Whether David Moyes was given enough time, money or quality to properly complete the job he was hired to do is another question, but in most Manchester United fans worst case scenario's, 7th and 23 points behind Liverpool at the top of the table would have taken some real imagination to envisage last June.

Even if Sir Alex Ferguson's final title run last season was perhaps more a testament to the great man's ability to squeeze results out of teams with his own two hands than the quality on the pitch, Manchester United are still better than where they are right now.

So, we move to the contenders. They say it's best to follow the guy who follows the best act, and in the managerial merry-go-round Moyes will have done his successor a favour, giving fans another comparison apart from just the memory of one of the greatest British managers of all time to live up to. "At least it's not Moyes" gives the new guy at least 6 months to get his ideas across.

So, in order of perceived (bookmakers) likelihood, lets take a look at the contenders:

Bookmakers favourite: Louie Van Gaal


A staunch disciplinarian with the locker room presence of a frightening headteacher, Van Gaal brings pedigree as well as a stern approach that should get some additional work ethic from United's lackadaisical players.

Pros: Proven winner - seven titles in four countries including the Champions League. Has the Dutch connection with Robin Van Persie that should keep the Dutchman happy.

Cons: Has a tendency to fall out with players, media, be outspoken and unpopular among fans. Will either be a lightning rod for the players or further exacerbate the tension in Manchester. Players historically take time to learn his methods.

Verdict: Proven winner but loud, angry and outspoken - sounds familiar, doesn't it United fans? Van Gaal may not bring the beautiful game to Old Trafford right away, but with his track record he's a surer bet than Moyes was.

Suitability: 7/10

Fans Favourite: Jurgen Klopp


The smiling, bubbly German has earned his place as the darling of the European football press with his imitable character, exciting Borussia Dortmund sides and youth development. His hand in taking the German side to a set of league titles and the Champions League final despite Bayern's historic stranglehold over the Bundesliga has been incredibly impressive.

Pros: Will instantly win hearts and minds, brings a charisma to the job somewhat lost under David Moyes. Promotes youth, could tempt Dortmund star Marco Reus to come with him.

Cons: Has no history of dealing with a large budget, never coached outside Germany.

Verdict: It's easy to see why Klopp is the fans's choice for the job. His work in Germany has been remarkable and his ability to promote youth-driven, fast paced football is a huge plus for a club like Manchester United. If he's available, makes perfect sense.

Suitability: 8/10

The outside bet: Diego Simeone



The hard-nosed Argentinian has been the architect behind the Atleti side that has had a miracle season - in the semi-finals of the Champions League and competing for the La Liga title despite losing Falcao in summer. Tough, abrasive and tactically excellent, Simeone would be a much-needed shock to United's system.

Pros: Will not take liberties with players, excellent motivator that will provide a real work-ethic to an ailing club.

Cons: Has never coached a "big" club, underdog tactics may not translate to a larger side.

Suitability: 7/10

Final Verdict: 

It really depends on what Manchester United want next. All three coaches offer unique approaches and will come from tenures at clubs that have brought trophies, but looking at three prime contenders, Jurgen Klopp seems to match up best with United's philosophies and may be the modern European coach that Manchester United need going forward. However, if Jurgen Klopp keeps to his word and stays in Dortmund this summer, Simeone would be an intriguing appointment.


Tuesday 15 April 2014

Andrea Pirlo: "I think therefore I play" - A Review



There's always an air of disappointment that accompanies reading an autobiography. To revel in your heroes success before revealing the machinations behind thrilling victories occasionally have the effect of pulling the curtain up from behind "The Phantom Of The Opera" to reveal a small bearded man operating a lever system.

Sometimes, the mystery is better than the truth.

This is somewhat emphasized in sporting autobiographies. Never known for their literary prowess, hearing tales of physical, emotional batterings spoken through the writings of a footballer is often a redundant exercise.

Football is a spectator sport, one to be watched rather than recorded in writing. Hard analysis can be found aplenty when typed by professional fingers, but even among experts the ability to place a clear image in a readers head, one with a vividness that does justice to the sporting romance portrayed is a skill possessed by very few.

Yet there is a heady sigh that can often accompany sporting books of this nature. One (perhaps unnaturally) expects to be able so tangibly read the passion emanating from the autobiography of a Roy Keane or a Steven Gerrard that it burns red on the page. The cacophony of simple sentences that follow almost sully the image, like a Mona Lisa in a dull, unwashed frame.

It is then, with a deep pleasure to read a biography that is written with the characteristics that a reader would expect from a particular player. "I think therefore I play" by Andrea Pirlo does just that.

Pirlo is the thinking man's football player, a testament to an almost lost art of grace and calm that is a rare sight among his uber-athletic peers. As a result the midfielder looks almost frozen in time, slowing the game to a pace more suited to him, seemingly oblivious (or perhaps impervious) to the trends enveloping in the game around him.

Pirlo's now famous facial hair (which despite first appearing in 2012 feels like it has always been present) emphasizes his image of experience, the groomed veteran looking more scholarly that sporting.

His prose echoes with wit, short sentences interjected with snide comments that so neatly fit with his clever movements on the pitch. Cutting remarks about peers ("We were 4-1 up so the chance of us losing were as likely as Gattuso completing an Art Degree") are interspersed with a metaphoric view of his own ability ("After all, Dolly will never just be an ordinary sheep").

The stories you'd heard before, detailing his exit from Milan in 2011 to Silvio Berlusconi blocking his move to Chelsea in 2009 and even Real Madrid, and Italy's World Cup victory.

But what you didn't have before was the way in which Andrea told you the tale, weaving with humour like one of his famous free-kicks (a notable example was where he calls a case pulled by Adriano Galliani from under the table during negotiations as "just as well hidden as Monica Lewinsky under Bill Clinton's desk in the Oval Office.")

The simplicity of Pirlo's writing style keeps the anecdotes lively, short sentences zipping along like a well-placed pass.

In review, the book was everything I hoped, because it was nothing like I feared.

No-one, (at least not me) expected Pirlo's book to be a thesis with a more expansive vocabulary than his passing range, but it was nevertheless pleasant to read a book from a sportsperson that for once, didn't leave me unsatisfied.

Rating: 4/5








 

Monday 14 April 2014

Milan's 4th win in a row leaves potential of arrow pointing up for Seedorf's Rossoneri


In the build up to Milan's late-March win over Lazio, rumours were rife.

After a galling loss to Roberto Donadoni's Parma, where four goals were sent past a typically hapless Milan defence, many were wondering what the difference was between the cast-off Massimiliano Allegri and his shiny new Dutch successor.

With all the promises of Seedorf's charisma turning around the sinking Milan ship and directing it toward the treasure island of European qualification, four straight losses followed including an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid that ended the Rossoneri's European adventure.

"This is not a team," former Milan coach raged Arrigo Sacchi raged following the loss.

The criticism didn't end there.

Club hero Paolo Maldini told Gazzetta dello Sport that Milan director Adriano Galliani felt "omnipotent" while the decline of one of the more graceful and respected European giants left him with a "mixture of anger and disappointment."

His sentiment was shared by fans and pundits alike, which seemed to be mirrored by the increasingly desperate members of the club's board.

Milan dropped out of the top 10 in the Serie A league table and whispers that Seedorf could be ousted after just two months on the sideline at San Siro were growing louder.

As the Milan players lined up to take on Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the match against the Roman side and the following one against Fiorentina would be Seedorf's last two games to save his job. Mauro Tassotti, long-time assistant coach would takeover for the rest of the season before Filippo Inzaghi, Cesare Prandelli or Roberto Donadoni - somewhat appropriately considering it was his Parma that so convincingly downed Milan - would be the next man up.

While the hiring of a rookie coach over another one would appear vastly redundant - perhaps the bringing in of an experienced tactician would've been the best idea to begin with.

That idea however appears, for now at least, to be in the rear-view mirror. The reason for that is that since Italian dailies screamed of unrest, Seedorf has led his squad to four successive victories in Serie A that now leave Milan eighth, level with high flying Torino and just a three points away from the Parma side that so convincingly beat them in mid-March.

There is still a window open for a late Europa League push (although the long-term benefit of said push is yet to be determined - that's an article for a different day) which in itself is an impressive feat. Europe seemed out of the question as Milan were slipping into free-fall a month ago, but is now one of the possible outcomes that could follow the season's conclusion.

While not displaying the vibrant attacking football that was once so often associated with Milan in years gone by, the Rossoneri have created chances, converted them and - crucially considering previous defensive issues - conceded just one goal.

13 points earned in five games, second only to Roma during the same period.

For now, the arrow is pointing up for Clarence Seedorf and his Milan side.













Sunday 13 April 2014

Scudetto disappointment shouldn't overshadow Roma's historic season


Roma beat Atalanta 3-1 on Saturday night in a flurry of attacking fervor that has become common custom when watching the Giallorossi in 2013/14 season.

Gervinho tears past opponents with ease, Daniele De Rossi anchors a midfield that dominates possession and the juggernaut keeps going. Francesco Totti turns every weekend into 2001 with an array of flicks and tricks that makes you think taking a 37-year-old to the sweltering heat of the Brazilian World Cup in summer wouldn't be a bad idea and as usual, Rudi Garcia adds another win to an impressive debut season.

Roma have only lost twice all season, losses to Antonio Conte's soon-to-be historic Juventus side and Rafael Benitez's dangerous Napoli the only negatives to be found in a season that by and large, has brought almost unrelenting satisfaction to the usually weary followers of arguably Italy's most chaotic giants.

Yet, there will be a tinge of disappointment when the season ends and the inevitable Bianconeri festivities begin. Juventus's pending three-peat will be the first time the Turin side has won a trio of consecutive league titles since a quintet of Scudetti between 1931 and 1935, and will deny Roma the chance to celebrate a title that in previous years would've been almost guaranteed. To call Juventus's title a landmark achievement, especially in the context of today's hyper-competitive footballing sphere, is an understatement.

As a result, Juventus's five point stranglehold over the top of Serie A (and a game in hand to boot) has somewhat overshadowed Roma's own season, which has been notable in it's own right and in context - arguably more impressive.

Roma's achievements are plenty - their 79 points from 32 games is the most earned in that period by any Giallorossi side in Serie A history while the 19 clean sheets held by Garcia's side are more than Juventus had in the entirety of Juventus's 2012/13 title winning season.

Their goal differential (+49) is better than any in Serie A; two better than Juventus and a huge 21 goals better than next best Napoli. However, the lack of a Scudetto parade celebrating said achievement will unfortunately condemn this excellent Roma year as the unfortunate ugly sister alongside the dominating Juventus placed above them. Sadly, a casual fan would probably fail to recognize the success this season already has been for the 2nd placed side, and the point differential doesn't accurately depict the huge progression made by Roma under their coach.

Roma's season should be compared to the one had in 2012/13 to more accurately explain the quantum leap this team has made.



2012/13 was a season that began with huge optimism following the return of former coach Zdenek Zeman, who brought with him his expansive, daring, entertaining and ultimately suicidal tactics back to the Italian capital.

Nine losses in Zeman's first 23 matches in charge brought a abrupt ending to the veteran's second Roman tenure and caretaker coach Andrea Andreazzoli guided the capital club to 6th place, with the final match under his charge a disappointing Coppa Italia loss, which nearly drove Daniele De Rossi out of Italy.

Roma's final points total through 38 games in 2012/13: 62. Win/Draw/Loss record: 18/8/12. Goals For/Against: 59/45.

Now look at the same Roma statistics through 33 games, with 5 remaining to improve said record:

Points total: 79. Win/Draw/Loss Record: 24/7/2. Goals For/Against: 68/19.

Roma with five less games have 13 more points, six more wins, 10 fewer losses and despite having a distinct lack of Zeman's cigarette smoke on the Olimpico sideline - nine more goals. Somewhat unsurprisingly by the same regard, they've also conceded 26 less goals than their 2012/13 rivals.

Thanks to Walter Sabatini's terrific summer of work bringing in Kevin Strootman (contender for Serie A midfielder of the season before injury practically handed the award to Arturo Vidal), Mehdi Benatia (Serie A's best defender this season by a mile) and managing to replace 15 goal Erik Lamela with walking disappointment Gervinho and come out the winner of that transaction (with about €20m in change too), Roma are set up to contend for a few years yet.

Tying it all together has been Rudi Garcia, whose arrival from Lille was the best addition any Serie A side has made all season. Carlos Tevez will probably be Serie A's top scorer, but Garcia's work in transforming the chaotic, frustrating Roma side that has annually disappointed for over a decade into a title contending side is frankly astonishing.

The announcement of a new stadium that will be the club's home in 2016/17 - bringing in income that will allow Sabatini and Garcia to continue building a team capable of winning silverware all but confirms this as Roma's best season since Fabio Capello was parading a Serie A trophy atop a bus around the streets of the Italian capital in 2001.

Regardless of what Juventus have achieved, that should be remembered.





Sunday 6 April 2014

Liverpool's West Ham win makes fairytale title win real possibility


Steven Gerrard stepped up and smacked a winning penalty home yet another time in his career to send his Liverpool side home as 2-1 victors over West Ham, his second spot kick of the game.

The England captain has scored several important goals in his career, the Anfield hero possessing enough heroic moments that could equate his career highlights video on Youtube to a scene from Braveheart. And yet, the converted penalty to give Brendan Rodgers' side their ninth straight victory and give the Reds a two point lead at the top of the Premier League table could arguably be the most important (or at the very least memorable) of his career.

Because it's not surprising to see Steven Gerrard win games on his own, the sight of the midfielder coolly converting a penalty to keep his side's hopes alive has been a constant since the 33-year-old entered the hearts and minds of Premier League fans over a decade ago.

What is surprising, however, is that his goal gives Liverpool the lead in a title race no-one had them potentially winning just months ago.

Fresh from a 7th placed position at the end of the 2012-13 season, Brendan Rodgers was given a simple task: improve that place next season. A top four spot giving Liverpool a place in the Champions League for the first time since Rafael Benitez managed the side in 2009 was seen as an attainable target, but not an expected one.

Suffice to say, Rodgers and his squad have surpassed those summer predictions.

Under the former Swansea coaches tutelage, Liverpool have rocketed up the Premier League table playing a brand of football that is the most exciting Premier League fans have seen since Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo-Carlos Tevez-Wayne Rooney trio terrorized defences en route to two of United's three consecutive league titles between 2007 and 2009.

29(!!!) goal forward Luis Suarez leads a front line that pairs him with the only other striker that has more than 18 league goals in Daniel Sturridge, who has transformed his reputation from Chelsea's moody but selfish reserve striker to the most clinical English forward in the league.

Obviously Liverpool's Uruguayan star has nabbed the majority of the headlines (and rightly so) with performances reminiscent of Thierry Henry in his Arsenal Invincibles's pomp, but a glance through the league leaders side is a collection of underrated players who have all taken a step forward at the same time.

Jordan Henderson, who has been a revelation in centre of midfield for Rodgers' side leads a supporting cast of Philippe Coutinho, John Flanagan and teen winger Raheem Sterling conspiring to make a feel-good side that is playing with the same youthful exuberance on the pitch that is being displayed off it.

Rivals Manchester City can still overtake Liverpool (who sit four points above Manuel Pellegrini's side) with their two games in hand, but one of them being at Anfield mean that destiny is still firmly in Liverpool's hands.

It's an astounding turn of events that in the space of a season expectations have shifted so drastically that it would actually be rather disappointing if Liverpool didn't end up champions in late-May. However, it should always be remembered that no matter how the season ends, a heartbreaking second place is a remarkable achievement considering the financial clout shown by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and even Manchester United in the last two transfer windows in comparison to the Anfield side's relatively profligate additions during the same period.

The title would Liverpool's first in the Premier League era, their last one coming at the conclusion of the 1990 season, the last title won by Kop heroes John Barnes, Alan Hansen and Ian Rush. If that 1990 success was the last title won by a veteran collection of champions, an unlikely 2014 title would be the mirror image of that; Rodgers' thin team made up of young, exciting talent.

So the converted penalty Gerrard dispatched was important for a number of reasons for Liverpool fans. It keeps them at the top of the table (also mathematically eliminating Manchester United, which won't go unnoticed in Merseyside) and in doing so, it keeps the dream of a fairy tale title challenge alive, one that they were never supposed to be part of to begin with.










Friday 21 March 2014

Arsene Wenger: Adding finesse to English football since 1996


The English Premier League was a very different place in 1996 to what it is today. Part of the reason is because 1996 is 18 years ago, mullets are no longer socially acceptable outside certain states in America and kits don't look as appalling as their 90's counterparts.

However, a large part of it is down to Arsene Wenger.

The polite, quietly spoken Frenchman arrived at Highbury in August of 1996 to little fanfare, fresh from a stint in the Japanese League with Nagoya Grampus. Despite Barcelona hero Johan Cruyff being the reported favourite to take over, it was the Frenchman who became the coach.

The Evening Standard met the appointment with the headline "Arsene Who?" while club veterans were unsure of the signing.

"At first I thought, 'what does this Frenchman know about football?'" Captain Tony Adams remarked retrospectively on Wenger's appointment.

"He looks more like a schoolteacher. He's not going to be as good as George Graham. Does he even speak English properly?"

Adams was sort of right, Wenger's nickname "Le Professeur" highlights his pensive appearance as much as it does his thoughtful footballing approach but as far as comparisons with previous manager George Graham went, Wenger proved to be much different for both Arsenal and the entire league.

In the 1995-6 season, 8 from the 11 top scorers in the league were British while Manchester United, the title winners of that year, boasted only three-non British players in a squad of 31.

The football across the league also reflected that. The "classic" English stylistic discourse regarding direct, fast paced, physical football was alive and well in 1995 while the players themselves were probably the last generation to accurately subscribe to the "fan on the pitch" romanticism that was somewhat lost with the David Beckham-led mass celebrity culture in the sport a couple of years later.

Players ate badly and still drank heavily.

"We used to have eating contests on the way up to games," former Arsenal player Paul Merson confessed in a 2009 TV documentary.

"You know, who could finish the most pies on the coach to Newcastle or somewhere like that."

It wasn't just Merson. Arsenal's infamous "Tuesday Club" became news material when stories of hungover players at games and training began leaking out of the pubs and into newspapers, captain Tony Adams the centre of it all, flirting with alcoholism that threatened his career.

Arsene Wenger's arrival changed that, almost overnight. The introduction of diet, serious exercise and a no-alcohol rule were unpopular at first but with time became normal with the steady introduction of Wenger's "own" players who reflected his philosophy.

Before Wenger even signed with Arsenal he told the club a month in advance to sign Patrick Vieria, then a young French midfielder on the fringes at AC Milan. Despite playing only two games for the Rossoneri, Wenger had seen enough.

Vieria, who not only became the midfield lynchpin Arsenal were built around for nine years was a serious professional, shocked at tales of his English teammates' drinking exploits. Vieria's discipline came to embody Arsenal's style on the pitch, as he also became an example of the new mentality off it.

Two seasons later, Arsenal were league and FA Cup champions thanks to a vibrant brand of football never seen on English shores aside from occasional European Cup visits from Spanish and Italian sides.

Entertaining and controlled, Arsenal combined the tough defence George Graham instilled into the team prior to Wenger's arrival with the attacking flair preached by the new coach and practiced by a collection of exciting new players that were almost all unknown before their arrival.

Dennis Bergkamp, a slow Dutch forward not known for goals burdened by pressure at Inter in Serie A was picked up by Wenger and when combined with the 1999 signing of a struggling Juventus winger by the name of Thierry Henry, turned into the finest strike partnership in modern English football.

Nicolas Anelka played 10 league games for PSG before Wenger bought him and converted the moody striker into a near record fee three years later. Transfer windows came and went and more players arrived; Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljunberg all came in, the majority of whom formed the backbone of a side that won another double in 2002.

Two years after that came the zenith; Arsenal's 2003-04 league triumph that came in the midst of a 49 game unbeaten streak, encompassing the entire season. Wenger had created one of the most memorable Premier League teams of all time, if not the most memorable. His rival Sir Alex Ferguson will be rightly praised for dynastic achievements, but for single-season, instant classic teams - Wenger's invincible's top that list as much as the 11 inspired Liverpool players against Milan in the second half of the 2005 Champions League final top the single-game memories.

Since that team, some of the glamour has faded. The exit of Vieria, Pires and Henry in consecutive seasons ended the Arsenal success story rather abruptly and those losses have been difficult to contend with while also competing with the money of new rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, who celebrated their new-found riches by enticing Arsenal's best players away from them. Robin Van Persie's 2012 exit was a path taken by Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor in previous years, as well as captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona.

Regardless, Wenger continued with his principles - developing players despite fans impatience and insistence to spend large amounts, remaining almost cryptically polite to journalists openly questioning his job security and continually churning out consistently spectacularly football despite calls to "play more direct" to win the trophies that have eluded the coach for nearly a decade.

The building of a new stadium that has now funded the purchase of record signing Mesut Ozil is arguably a direct result of Wenger - had the club not undergone the transformation it had under the Frenchman throughout the late 1990's the club may not have been as attractive to Stan Kroenke in 2011, nor would they been a safe bet to maintain success while having to pay the construction bills. Wenger was a huge contributor to both.

The changes that Wenger has brought to Arsenal; scouting of foreign talent, development of youth overseas, strict diet planning and possession based football has since been mimicked, aped by many Premier League sides since his arrival.

He and the club have been a blueprint for modern football - laying a successful platform and foundation for foreign coaches and players to succeed in England. Stars flocking to England thanks to the lucrative deals are as a result of coaches like Wenger(and Ferguson, of course) turning English football into something worth watching, something worth buying.

Many people owe their careers to Arsene Wenger from Tony Adams, who enjoyed a wildly successful twilight period that was seemingly destined to have a tragic ending to Henry and Bergkamp, whose stalling careers were both given life, as well as a strike partner.

Additionally perhaps, English football fans owe something to Arsene Wenger too. A notoriously cold, miserable little island packed to the rafters with hard-nosed, physical teams finally had a different style to watch, an odd name to see on the back of a shirt. English football has changed since those darker days 18 years ago, and all for the better too.

The Premier League is now a huge, money making, attractive juggernaut with more teams playing passing, youth driven football than ever before. It's part of the product now, part of the success.

All the while during these changes, a thin man has stood on the sideline of a football pitch looking pensive, as he has for 999 Arsenal games. Perhaps we all owe him a bit of gratitude.


Saturday 18 January 2014

A & E Charges for new immigrants not just unnecessary, but immoral


We are 19 days into the aftermath of a lifting of EU regulations permitting Romanian and Bulgarian migrants enter our shores and the first real threat of action has been sent by David Cameron and his Conservative government
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A proposed cap on the new Romanian and Bulgarian migrants expected to move to the U.K that would limit usage of emergency services intended to prevent what has been called “benefit tourists” would also aim to deter immigrants aiming to “abuse free movement” as Theresa May, Home Secretary’s office said last month.

However, the tactic is no more than an attempt to pander to the populist view that immigration is not only bad for the U.K, but unsustainable.

In actual fact, there is very little evidence to suggest immigration would be anything other than a benefit to our struggling economy and the denial of this is ignorance bordering on immorality.

Numbers gathered from the Labour Force Survey reveal that just 2% of immigrants who have joined the country since 2010 claim unemployment benefit. 2%! Where’s the “benefit tourism” there? If anything, the migration of workers (which conversely, has made up 98% of the immigration population in the last four years) has helped fill the U.K economy full of people happy to work, families happy to support their new system.

Additionally, the Economist report that thanks to increased taxes to migrants and the fact that majority of said migrants are younger in age, the tax money brought in by their arrival vastly outweighs the money spent by the government on healthcare for its new citizens.  


Cameron andhis home office have since been slammed by members of the EU including JoseManuel Barroso, who criticised the U.K’s approach to immigration as “chauvinistic” and “scare-mongering” while Austrian leader of European Parliaments Socialists Hannes Swobada claimed that “Conservatives and the far-right have started a distraction debate that spreads fear, hatred and misinformation.”

David Cameron and his Conservative parties head in the sand attitude towards what is an economically beneficial movement smacks of a stubborn child refusing to go to the dentist despite painful teeth.

Cameron talks of the greatness of Great Britain and at the Conservative party conference in late 2013 he spoke of “we”, how “we” led the world in industry, culture and sports. What he fails to realise (or does, but doesn’t acknowledge) is that one of the huge factors in Britain’s modern success since the end of the Second World War is thanks to migration.

The “Great” in Great Britain in 2014 is multi-culture, from Reggae and Ska music that entered our shores with Carribean and African migrants following WWII and the curry houses, Chinese restaurants and many more things that came with our Asian counterparts.


Denying immigrations deep impact on the very foundation of British society is ignorance bordering on blindness. Propagating that ideal by openly differentiating between Romanian migrants and British nationals through the medium of healthcare is not only factually incorrect, but immoral.  Migrants pay taxes, go to work, support their families and support our economy. Their economy. Long live Great Britain. Long live immigration.

Saturday 4 January 2014

Moves that make so much sense they probably won't happen: January Edition



OK, so the title of this is a little misleading. "January Edition" implies that this is something that is more regular than it has been and January is just another month in the pipeline. That is incorrect. If you're reading this thinking "I haven't seen this before" you're not out of the loop for thinking that.

I did however, do this blog post in summer when I thought Samuel Eto'o should have been an Arsenal player and titled "moves that made so much sense they probably won't happen". As predicted, Samuel Eto'o didn't go to Arsenal. He did however go to Chelsea, and has been mediocre at best and has by no means solved Chelsea's striking problem, and probably wouldn't have at Arsenal despite my insistence to the otherwise in summer. Arsenal probably did the right thing not buying him. But they didn't, like I said. So we'll call that one a draw.

Anyway, I decided to do it again, focusing on the January transfer window and players who probably should go to clubs who they fit in with tactically rather than who matches the buy-out clause. Alas, we don't live in that world. On the bright side, it gives me something to write about. So here we go.

Moves that make so much sense they probably won't happen: Juan Mata to Juventus

What's the Mata at Chelsea? Mata should be number Juan at Chelsea! Ok, I'll stop. It's not often you can fit two name puns in one opening gambit, unless you're reciting a sonnet.

But on a more serious note, Mata is for some reason on the edge of the rotation of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea despite scoring 32 goals in two seasons the year before and being by far and away the most talented creative talent since Gianfranco Zola. But Mourinho doesn't have time for players like Mata, preferring the more lateral Eden Hazard or hard-working Oscar to play in his attacking positions. Whether Mourinho is throwing his weight around and sees Mata as a tactical roadblock on the way to building 'his' Chelsea or Mata slept with his wife is neither here nor there. A player of truly elite quality is available at (probably) a knockdown price and someone needs to take advantage. I think I have the perfect club in mind.

Juventus have been a domestic domination since their Antonio Conte-led rise from the ashes of mediocrity between 2007 and 2010 and are preparing to take the next step into being a force in Europe. I, like many, assumed they would take that step this season after seeing their disciplined (and in hindsight, very impressive) two legs against eventual European champions Bayern Munich. They added Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, fixed their striking problem and by and large looked a much more complete team than the one that fell out of the Champions League months earlier.

While that has proven true in Italy (Juventus leading Serie A by five points despite an unbeaten Roma setting the pace early), in Europe the Old Lady has struggled to break down disciplined European teams which ultimately proved their downfall. While they have dispatched domestic opposition without stellar performances simply due to the simple disparity in team quality between Juve and say, Bologna - Europe has offered no such easy victory.

While not necessarily a great help for the remainder of this season with Juventus out of the Champions League,  Mata would certainly help in that regard in the Europa League and the Champions League next season. The Spaniard offers creativity in an area where they have little - the 3-5-2 formation depends on width and strength in numbers to overrun and outnumber defences but in terms of creative subtlety and misdirection Juve's attacking threat remains rather benign. A lack of a real creative midfielder means Juve are forced to rely on Aturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio to create opportunities and despite their incredible talents you wouldn't attribute any one of them with a "trequartista" label like a David Silva, Mesut Ozil or Andres Iniesta.

Instead, Juve's elegance and creativity comes from Andrea Pirlo at the base of a three man midfield and as wonderful as Pirlo's feet are, they cannot hit 60 yard through balls from the half-way line. Without a true creative link to connect between Vidal, Pirlo and Tevez, Juve's attack is in danger of stagnation on the most testing of stages.

In Juventus's final Champions League game against Galatasaray, Tevez and Llorente combined for three shots. In a must win game, the lack of a creative presence was fatal and felt even deeper when the it's noted that Andrea Pirlo didn't play either. Only Asamoah, a left-wing back finished that game with a pass accuracy higher than 75%. Andrea Pirlo is also a free agent in summer. If he leaves, where does the creative solution come from then?

Juan Mata provides attacking spark, versatility and a real, long term creative solution. Moving forward, Mata allows Juve to switch to a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or a selection of other formations, an asset increasingly important in light of Juventus's likely tactical reshuffle post-Pirlo (be that now or in a few years).

For Mata himself, he gets a change of scenery(to a warmer, more Spaniard friendly city culturally and otherwise), regular starts for a notable, successful European football team. Juve will play him more than PSG will, he guarantees regular Champions League football for the forseeable future (cross out Napoli) Chelsea don't have to sell him to a rival(cross out Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United) and Juventus get a great player.

It makes so much sense, it probably won't happen.