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Michel Platini Crusade Against Evils Of Money In Football

March 28, 2009 – 6:30 am

Money has changed the face of football, allowing Premier League clubs to attract world class talents and gain a pre-eminent position in Europe as well as increasing TV viewersips around the world.

Nevertheless, as seen on the laissez-faire Wall Street where frothy assets are created and distributed at will, too much of a good thing can be self-defeating and money’s perverse influences have to be kept in check by an effective regulator. As they say, money is the root of all evil.

UEFA President Michel Platini has clearly taken this inconvenient truth to heart and is determined to eradicate football’s bigggest scrouges – corruption and match-fixing. In a long overdue but nonetheless dramatic move, UEFA will launch a gambling investigating unit next season featuring experts who will review suspected irregularities in 27,000 matches in the first and second division of 53 UEFA members.

Michel Platini Crusade Against Evils Of Money In Football

Michel Platini is prone to fatuous outbursts like his personal attack on Arsene Wenger but this time, he chose his battleground wisely by calling match fixing “a serious risk to football.” He said: “I’ll be extremely firm with those who cheat. I don’t accept players who cheat and will suspend them from any activity in football.”

UEFA has started the ball rolling by cutting its regulatory teeth on two obscure football clubs. President of Macedonian football club Pobeda Prilep, Alexander Zabrcanec and former team captain Nikolche Zdraveski – were accused of manipulating the final score of a Champions League qualification match against Armenian side Pyunik Yerevan, on July 13 2004 for their own benefit.

To be sure, match-fixing is an old story being rehashed. The image of English football was devastated in 1965 when 10 players, including the Sheffield Wednesday stars Tony Kay, Peter Swan and David Layne, were imprisoned for match-fixing.

In recent times, Italian football was severely shaken by a corruption scandal, known as Calciopoli, in Serie A and Serie B. The corruption was exposed when Italian police intercepted telephone calls which revealed an intricate network between team managers and referee organisations. Juventus (Serie A champions at that time), Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Reggina were subsequently charged with rigging games by selecting favourable referees.

The onerous effects of match-fixing are obvious. In fact, I rate illegal gambling and match-fixing as bigger threats to football than doping or violence. It destroys the integrity of the beautiful game because of the perception it leaves in the minds of the public, not to mention hurting the wallets of punters.

People will be less enthusiastic for the sport when they realized the web of deceit. It is no longer justifiable to pay money to watch 11 men on each team fighting over a ball for 90 minutes, since the results have long been decided. Neither is it acceptable to learn that referees have received kickbacks for making “honest mistakes.”

I believe a concerted clampdown by UEFA will go a long way towards establishing a clean and fair sport. Since greed knows no boundaries, drafting a specific cross-border match-fixing law in Europe will provide investigators the muscles to bring criminals to justice.

The regulation divisions within each UEFA member also needs to be beefed up. Usually, match-fixing is handled by the same thinly staffed department which are also swamped with other concerns, including discipline, drug testing, illegal transfer dealings and contracts.

Besides match-fixing, we cannot ignore excessive debts in the messy relationship between football and money. Last week, the Guardian reported that senior debts of £425m secured on Old Trafford, the Carrington training ground, the gilded players, season tickets, commercial contracts, etc. have been sold in the City of London at discounted prices of 70p in the pound.

A further £90m of unseucred loans are being sold for 50p in the pound, while the rest of the £667m – £152m “payment in kind” debt, loaned originally by hedge funds at an attractive 14.25%.

I believe the credit crunch may have forced banks, hedge funds and private equity speculators in accepting a haircut on their investments. Deprived of capital and battered by redemptions, they have little choice but to discard prime assets to shore up their balance sheets.

Manchester United’s debts do not quaify as “distressed” unless they are being traded at less than 20% of face value. Lenders will have already given up hopes of payments, ala toxic subprime mortgage based securities. At 70%, this is in line with marked-to-market valuation of most leveraged buyout debts.

Since the lenders are just replenishing their capital base, raising alarm bells on Manchester United’s impending financial crisis seems premature. Notwithstanding the harshest economic crisis since the Great Depression, it makes no difference who is the debt-holder, as long as United can service their interest payments.

If the past year is any indication, Manchester United remain a solid franchise. The money raked in from winning last season’s Premier and Champions Leagues, gate receipts from a 75000-seater in Old Trafford, and sales of merchandise (replica kits, caps, scarfs, posters, etc) ensured record turnover and profits.

However, turning a blind eye to the fact that debts are shaking the foundations of the club’s profitability structure is dangerous. Manchester United’s 2007 net earnings was decimated by an interest payment of £81m (surpassing its operating expenses of £74m which should be the main outflow in most football clubs) and this year, they can expect higher interest with more debts piled up from the acquisition of players, including the £30m signing of Dimitar Berbatov.

Currently, the Red Devils are surviving by meeting their debt obligations, but if they have to start amortising their debts without viable refinancing options, I wonder where they are going to get the extra money. Something has to give, either the Glazers top up the shortfall (highly unlikely) or capital expenditures to improve branding and buying of players to win competitions are sacrificed.

This Glazer deal leaves Manchester United little room for failure – in fact, they have to capture more fans and post revenue growth every year. In this recession, achieveing the same turnover with lesser cash-rich sponsors is a massive challenge. The rising unemployed terminating their subscriptions will cause TV revenue to stagnate. Ticket and merchandise sales are also expected to suffer from lesser discretionary income.

Coupled with the fact that things can spiral down slowly but all at once when United lose the winning touch for titles or worse, flirt with relegation. Confidence crisis affects the best of teams, illustrated by Manchester United’s recent stumble in chasing a Quadruple. The money men may have little patience for team rebuilding at the expense of missed payments.

United’s spokesman, Phil Townsend, must have imbibed some Kool-aid when he enthused about Manchester United’s financial prospects. “With our turnover, we can meet the obligations on our loans and debts, and still buy world-class footballers and provide first-class facilities at Old Trafford and Carrington,” he said.

Phil has the hallmarks of a great investment banker, even if I don’t share his optimism. As a matter of fact, I do not discount the possibility that United’s debts could end up in the hands of merciless sharks and vultures who would jump at the chance to strip the club of all assets at the slightest hint of trouble.

It will indeed be a sad day that Manchester United, one of England’s most prestigious, well-run and popular clubs, with generations of working class and footballing legends contributing selflessly to its rich history, may be brought to its knees by the fair-weathered credit market who has no affection for the sport except making money from money.

I dread to see the current winning formula of bright young talents, veterans and Alex Ferguson being offloaded to pay down the debts and relieve the wage expenses. This will only cause Manchester United to slide further into annoymity as fans will be hard-pressed to support a team filled with fringe players as well as the youth team.

A lot of fans cannot comprehend why Manchester United were able to bankroll Alex Ferguson’s ambitions and rebuilt Old Trafford with cash, yet they loaded up £667m of debt, solely to pay for the Glazer family to take over the club.

To be sure, this arrangement contains murky details, and most will not come to light until financial catastrophe occurs. It begs the question of accountability and transparency. While “leveraged buyouts” are legal, do such financial wizardry make Premier League clubs stronger or even sustainable in the long run?

Another pertinent question is whether football should be treated as a business. If yes, the owners of football clubs should expect a return on their investment – not some kind of charitable donation. So long as the club achieves success, even in the short term, all members deserve to be richly rewarded.

As business entities, the end justifies the means. Leeds’ strategy of short term financing failed spectacularly as it was based on future consistant Champions League earnings which did not materialize. That is not to say other clubs cannot use this strategy if they want to have a brief fling with success.

Whether a club should adopt a shareholder’s business model or operate as a single owner loading the club with debts is a moot point though. A lender’s first consideration is to ensure that principal and interests are being paid. They are not interested in delayed gratification just to indulge your dreams of world dominance in the not so distant future. If you default on payments, they will liquidate your assets.

However, shareholders may not be superior as they can still take out dividends while neglecting club facilities and stadium. Having debtors rather than shareholders forces the management to be ultra-efficient as they are dealing with someone else’s money rather than their own.

Conversely, if football is not a business, regulators have a duty to scrutinize unhealthy levels of debt being ladled on to clubs to prevent their eventual failure to the detriment of heartbroken fans. Football clubs should not compromise the cultural identity by resorting to arcane financial deals promoted by foreign mercenaries.

Michel Platini’s agenda to recognise ‘the specificity of sport’ – that sport holds a special cultural and social significance and cannot be run along the same economic lines as other forms of business/employment is laudable. To this end, he has campaigned actively with the EU to issue a legally-binding directive to recognise sport’s special status.

Platini is also heading for a show-down with football clubs which bet the house to win titles. He is keen to establish a financial criteria which would qualify clubs and allow them to participate in the Champions League and UEFA Cup.

He said: “We need to find the means, with the European Club Association, to help clubs to solve their problems. Defeat should not be a financial disaster. The goal is not to win titles but [to make] money to pay off debts. Look at the debts of Chelsea and Manchester United. Fifa and Uefa owe it to themselves to fight this.”

“We’re starting to work on it, but I am very concerned by clubs being bought by foreigners. I don’t see why Americans come to invest in these clubs, if not to turn them into products. It’s a never-ending gold rush.”

The focus of the revamped rules will be operational profitability, to tie transfer fees and wages to clubs’ turnover. This won’t necessarily cap high transfer fees but it could have a knock-on effect on controlling wages offered to players.

The Premier League is also planning to introduce a “going concern” test aimed at ensuring its clubs are not laden with dangerous levels of debt. The test will work out if debts are manageable by assessing a club’s financial health, including its turnover and cashflow.

Where time and the economy are kind, the number crunching, charts, financial ratios created by investment bankers worked out to a tee and everybody involved in the buyout deal are happy. If not, it is just a tragic story of another football club biting the dust. The banks earn their commission and move on to promote the next target of acquisition.

The failure of Iceland is sobering and Britain could be heading for a bailout of its own by begging for billions of dollars in international aid. It is high time for football authorities to take a holistic assessment of its relationship with money.

I support UEFA’s measures to force clubs to tighten their belts and be more financially prudent. However, all clubs must be subjected to the same rules, else it will simply result in an exodus of talents. That underlines the importance of getting the major European clubs involved.

I am apprehensive though about any plans to restrict the number of foreign players in each club and to regulate ticket prices that each club can charge. What do you guys think of Michel Platini’s crusade against evils of money in football?

JohnST | Champions League, Manchester United, Premier League, Serie A | Comments (0)

Andrei Arshavin Adds Sparkle To Arsenal’s Play

March 16, 2009 – 5:10 am

Andrei Arshavin Adds Sparkle To Arsenal’s Play

The following was guest blogged by Nick Walsh from Betfair.

There’s a well-worn maxim that behind every good man is a good woman and January signing Andrei Arshavin was quick to single out his better half after he finally announced himself as an Arsenal player in the 4-0 mauling of Blackburn at the Emirates on Saturday.

The enigmatic Russian, who was cup-tied for the sudden death victory against Roma in the Champions League, recovered from a deep wound in his foot that required stitches at half-time to turn this game on its head with a mixture of craft and commitment.

The 27-year-old, a winter arrival from Zenit St Petersburg, unnerved Andre Ooijer into putting through his own net after just two minutes and was a bag of tricks for most parts before he finally got his reward after the restart.

Arshavin left Danny Simpson in knots before drilling the ball past Paul Robinson to set Arsenal on their way to a one-sided victory against Sam Allardyce’s decimated squad.

Blackburn’s miserable afternoon was compounded when the much-maligned Emmanuel Eboue, on as an 83rd-minute substitute, scored two late goals, including a penalty.

This was Arsenal back to their free-flowing best with players sweeping forward from all angles.

Yet for all the positives, Arsenal supporters continued to show their disdain for Nicklas Bendtner, who wasted five clear-cut chances to make the scoreline more emphatic.

Arsene Wenger insisted the Dane will win over his detractors and was pleased Arshavin grabbed his first goal in Arsenal colours, adding that the Russian international could have a significant impact in the race for Champions League qualification.

He said: “Arshavin has lots of talent – his intelligence, vision and finishing are top quality.”

The boss added: “We were convincing and this team goes from strength to strength.”

JohnST | Arsenal, Blackburn, Premier League | Comments (0)

Is Arsene Wenger At Fault For Arsenal’s Woes?

March 7, 2009 – 3:17 am

The tightly knited brows of Arsene Wenger were eased slightly in midweek as Arsenal strolled to a comfortable 3-1 victory at The Hawthorns. Yes, it is only West Bromwich Albion and the three points should never be in doubt. But this is Arsenal arriving on the back of a horrid goal drought, and against weaker opponents, they have shown a propensity of misplacing their scoring boots.

So tarnished was their aura of invincibility, the relief for Arsenal fans was palpable when their beloved team broke the duck within four minutes of kick-off. Despite West Brom equalizing two minutes later, the Gunners found their range with two goals, a fair reward for superior possession and enterprising play.

Is Arsene Wenger At Fault For Arsenal’s Woes?

Though the match was already sewn up in the first half, Arsenal continued to run riot after the break and were were unlucky not to add to the scoreline. West Brom had been most helpful with their porous defence, naivete and lack of technical skills.

The improvement coincided with refreshing changes to a jaded team which was held to four consecutive goalless draws. Robin van Persie, Carlos Vela, Abou Diaby and the injured William Gallas were replaced with Johan Djourou, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue.

Andrei Arshavin was another ace up the sleeve for Wenger. The Russian had been impressive since his arrival. Though he missed three glit-edged chances to score his first Arsenal goal, he created an assist for Kolo Toure. For now, he is already repaying Wenger’s faith with his creativity and exquisite passing. 

However, special mention goes to Nicklas Bendtner, the player who has been vehemently abused. Bendtner was a vital cog in the dominant strikeforce and it was a gamble which paid off for Arsene Wenger. I doubt Arsenal fans will forgive his decision to leave out top scorer van Persie while the club sought its first league goal since January 28.

Bendtner is adjusting to life on the left wing, so there will be no Robert Pires’s silky movements, defense splitting passes and goals for the time being. For a 20 year old, it is unfair to expect Bendtner to be the main goal threat and lead Arsenal to glory but given time and and Wenger’s guidance, he may yet develop into a world class player.

His 11 goals this season is not a disaster either as compared to a senior striker like Adebayor who only managed 12. Not surprisingly, Arsene Wenger stood behind Bendtner, saying: “Nicklas has shown tonight that he has the talent to play for Arsenal. I liked his presence, his determined attitude and the way he took people on. That shows he has matured.”

This result is certainly a confidence booster and Arsenal again has the coveted top four within sights. Aston Villa’s failure to keep up the pressure by stumbling 2-0 to Manchester City and being held 2-2 by a late Stoke rally could be their undoing, once Arsenal snowball their run of victories.

Over the past weeks, I have watched with disdain at the behavior of the Anti-Wenger Brigade which called for Wenger’s head and some even branded him as a liar. Now, I understand Wenger’s post match interviews have been grating on the ears. He is ignoring the facts when he said the team is only 1-2% away from perfection, and his lads are full of potential and spirit.

But what do the fans actually expect? Arsene Wenger cannot raise morale by lambasting the players, or blaming the opponents, pitch, match officials, media, etc. Any reprimand has to be done behind closed doors. Wenger needs his charges to believe in themselves, at least until the end of the season.

I believe most of the unappeased fans are relatively new to the scene and have not gone through the eighties when the pace was slower, their club was languishing, and commercial interests were not pervasive. The Premier League fans today are accustomed to crazy-money, either from leverage or sugar-daddies (think $100 million pounds for a player) and desire instant gratification.

After having their appetite whetted by initial successes, they cannot tolerate poor results. Coming in third or fourth is unacceptable and they demand to spend their way to the championships by purchasing star players. And if that approach fails, then the manager is at fault and must be sacked. Such a mentality has claimed countless worthy managers in the Premier League.

A case in point is Juande Ramos who revived his career at Real Madrid and has whittled Barcelona’s lead to four points in the La Liga. Ramos’s fate at Tottenham couldn’t be more different. After winning the Carling Cup, he went on a run of 13 games without victory and was eventually dismissed. A manager of his calibre does not become a dud overnight, the players, fans and directors have a role to play in a club’s success too.

So far, I am skeptical of the support given by the Arsenal board. They have raised fans’ expectations by making statements like, “we have 30 million pounds to spend,” but actions count louder than words. Xabi Alonso was snatched from under Arsenal’s nose because they haggled over a few million dollars and the Arshavin deal was nearly botched in a similar manner.

The power struggle is apparent when the board took everyone by surprise by sacking former Managing Director, Keith Edelman, and keeping Arsene Wenger in the dark. As outsiders, we cannot be sure who is doing the penny-pinching. The money is definitely there as the club has been making huge profits and is now the fifth richest in the world in terms of revenue.

Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine that Arsene Wenger will help the club save money and compromise the quality of his squad unless he has some profit sharing involved. If Rafael Benitez had been in charge, I am sure he will have raised a stinky ruckus in the media when the transfer budget is not forthcoming.

I do not encourage Arsenal to go on a spending spree though. The financially prudent approach is laudable. Signing expensive players is good while it lasted, but football prestige built on this foundation is illusory. Without constant silverware and new influx of funds, clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and to a lesser extent, Liverpool, could implode under the weight of debts, ala Leeds United.

Arsene Wenger is on a sustainable course by sticking to his philosophy of nurturing young talents, integrating them into the team and then selling them for profits if better candidates come along. For that, he has been viewed as a selfish, stubborn and self-aggrandizing man.

Wenger has always taken pride in his keen eye for raw talents and developing them into established players. But this time, the Anti-Wengers feared their manager has carried things a little too far. Wenger may be deriving greater satisfaction from building great teams than winning titles, else why will he persist in doing things the hard way by reducing his squad for profits rather than retaining his best assets through making exceptions for higher wages. 

By sticking to his principle and refusing huge contracts to players such as Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Hleb and Diarra, Wenger may have inadvertently hurt the club’s interest. On the surface, Arsenal are not held at ransom to players’ demands but negative emotions are being bottled up.

Flamini was a key reason for Arsenal leading the Premier League table until the final third of last season. His presence added tenacity in midfield, without which the mouth-watering football is often stopped in its track by physical opponents. He did not shy from challenges and constantly fought for possession by harrassing opponents into making stray passes. Maybe he carried the fighting spirit a little too far into the contract negotiations.

Flamini’s presence also freed Fabregas from his defensive duties and the latter was able to roam up further to exploit defensive gaps. As for Alexander Hleb, he may not have scored loads of goals but his telepathic understanding with Fabregas and Adebayor created turmoil in opponents’ defenses. This season, Hleb’s technical ability and vision were solely missed as Adebayor is impotent in front of goal and van Persie, despite being a shining light, struggles to attain his full potential of winning the Golden Boot.

If AC Milan deem it fit to double Flamni’s wages while limiting his match appearances, then Wenger must wake up to the workings of the free market. Being adamant on his wage strategy because he is worried about club’s debt on the Emirates stadium is not going to cut it with the players.

Yes, they appreciate and respect the manager’s achievements but they also need him to show ambitions by buying and retaining key talents. If a player has proven his worth and the club is raking in the cash, they expect to be paid their dues – loyalty works only for a select few.

I admire Wenger’s beautiful vision of how football should be played and his team has always been able to pass teams into submission. But his current squad has difficulty keeping possession and Wenger cannot be absolved of responsibility for inadequate replacements after releasing Diarra, Alexander Hleb, Flamini, and Gilberto.

Arsenal are also sorely lacking in natural leaders and winners. Though Gilberto and Flamini tried their best, none can replace effectively Patrick Vieria’s leadership, competitiveness, motivation in going the extra mile, and resilience under pressure. The team spirit is in fact impaired by William Gallas’s captaincy.

Too often, when the going gets tough, fissures appear and the team doesn’t stick together as a unit. There is nobody who commands enough respect to sort things out - Gallas is too much of a big mouth and hot-headed for that. If his outstanding performances for Chelsea and France did gain him any stature, he destroyed all that goodwill with his inappropriate outburst at St Andrew’s. 

Wenger continued to turn a blind eye to Gallas’s poor leadership but when Gallas aired dirty linen, his captaincy was finally withdrawn. Nevertheless, bad blood remains and Gallas behaved like an outcast (his best friends are in Chelsea) and not performing consistently. I suspect his open conflict with van Persie will see either one of them leaving soon.

The injury crisis has been another hallmark of Arsenal’s season. After the departure of the legendary “Invincibles” of the 2004-2005 season (featuring the likes of Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Pires, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Reyes, Vieira, Edu, Henry, Bergkamp), Wenger has struggled to put his first XI for any extended period of time.

His new generation of players are too soft and could not endure the ordeals of a long season without spending time on the injury list. Cesc Fabregas is the heartbeat of the team but is often missing in action when the matches start piling up. The loss of Tomas Rosicky, Eduardo, Walcott and Bacary Sagna had also been crucial.

Though the injuries are not Wenger’s fault, the thin squad is his responsibility. He has done well to infuse new blood to quickly replace the aging “Invincibles” and Arsenal remain virtually unbeatable (in the domestic league and Europe) whenever they field their best eleven. However, when the first XI is tampered with, it is a different ball game.

For a top four club, injuries should be the least of its concerns as compared to a lower division club operating on a shoe-string budget. It is the manager’s job to ensure the squad is still good after the first eleven players. Denilson, Song, Bendtner, Diaby and Djourou have shown glimpses of quality but cannot be expected to carry a team in the top flight or Champions League qualifications. Aaron Ramsey and Amaury Bischoff are simply not ready to even step in as substitutions.

While Wenger has some questionable judgment calls, I feel he does not deserve to be booed. I believe Wenger has suffered in silence as a victim of circumstances and his own success. From reaching the pinnacle of 2004 when Arsenal swept the Double with an army of “Invincibles,” their form have faltered drastically.

Arsenal currently lie in fifth spot, three points behind Aston Villa and four ahead of Everton. Their Premier League record is 13 wins, 10 draws and 5 defeats. They have taken only 8 points from their last 16 and could not find the net in 4 consecutive league games. To be sure, that is not sizzling form deserving of a Premier League title, especially with 10 league games left.

However, Arsene Wenger can take heart from Manchester United’s success. The present Manchester United squad may be all-conquering but they went trophyless in the 2004-2005 season and only reclaimed the Premier League title in 2007. Back then, their recruitment policy was a disaster.

Youngsters like Quinton Fortune, David Bellion, Diego Forlan, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson were not breaking through the ranks convincingly. As for the senior players like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Scholes, Gabriel Heinze, and Ryan Giggs, they were either injured or a pale shadow of their stellar form when they returned to the pitch.

Alex Ferguson was whiplashed from all quarters and under pressure to resign but fortunately, sanity prevailed. I have to credit Ferguson for overhauling the squad successfully while Manchester United struggled with a change of ownership, massive debts and lack of quality signings.

Opportunistic clubs jacked up the prices when the Red Devils came calling or players simply refuse to come under the wings of Ferguson who “lost” his touch for winning titles. Luckily, the return of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as well as the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo steadied the ship.

At full-strength, Arsenal boast a fearful offensive lineup comprising Cesc Fabregas, Rosicky, Nasri, Arshavin, Walcott, Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Eduardo and Bendtner. If they stay clear of injuries, and purchase quality centre backs and defensive midfield cover, I have little doubt Wenger will mount a serious assault on the Premier League crown next season.

Every club goes through rough patches, and sometimes it can stretch for years. So long as the board perseveres with good management while allowing time for the situation to turnaround, no crisis is insurmountable.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are still in contention for the quarter-finals of the FA cup and the Champions League, so their season could yet end on a high note. If I were the manager of the top four, despite whatever misgivings, I will not discount Arsene Wenger as a formidable enemy. The fans are certainly running the risk of forcing Arsene Wenger out of the club at their own loss. 

JohnST | Arsenal, Champions League, Manchester United, Premier League | Comments (1)

Jose Mourinho Holds Upper-Hand In Milan Derby

February 15, 2009 – 3:39 am

This evening’s 270th Milan derby gives me a tingle of excitement. Few cities can boast one, let alone two illustrious clubs who entrenched themselves consistently in the top flight of their domestic league.

Though AC Milan enjoy a better record in Europe with 7 Champions League titles and four world titles, it is Inter Milan who stand proud with their longevity in Serie A, having never been relegated since its birth in 1908.

On the other hand, AC Milan were relegated twice while winning 17 Scudettos, only one more than Inter. In recent times, results were evenly split between the arch rivals. Both sides claimed 4 wins each, from their last 8 Serie A encounters.

Tradition aside, I expect this derby to be filled with competitive fireworks. Jose Mourinho will be keen to seek revenge for the defeat by AC Milan in September. At the moment, the cosmos are aligned in his favor and he has few reasons to be envious of his neighbor.

Inter Milan enjoy a eight-point lead at the top of Serie A over third placed Milan, so even if they dropped points in this derby, the effect on the title race is not decisive. Conversely, AC Milan may be out of the reckoning if they do not grab full points, leaving Juventus and Inter to slug it out in a two horse race.

AC Milan squad is also plagued with injuries, severely compounding manager Carlo Ancelotti’s misery. Aside from Kaka, Milan have Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello, Giuseppe Favalli and Emerson out injured, with Daniele Bonera suspended. Meanwhile, Inter Milan have a full squad except the suspended Mario Balotelli and Douglas Maicon, who picked up a knock in training.

Form-wise, Inter Milan are now unbeaten in 5 games since their capitulation to Atalanta in January. In those matches, their defense distinguished itself by conceding a miserly 2 goals. If Inter’s recent 3-0 demolition of Lecce was any indication, their key players are pulling their weight at the right time. Goals came from Luis Figo, remaining icon of Portugal’s “golden generation,” and the prolific Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

As for AC Milan, they are unbeaten in their last 7 Serie A outings, but such statistics are meaningless with regard to their lack of killer instinct against lesser opponents. Milan are paying for draws at Cagliari, Lecce and Torino as well as those at home to Genoa and Reggina. Conceding late equalisers, rather than not outscoring, were particularly hard to accept, given Milan’s pedigree in defense.

At least, one cannot fault AC Milan for ineptitude this season; the team played well, kept their shape and created sufficient chances. It is just that the Rossonieri need to improve on their consistency and keep their focus for the full ninety minutes.

Vice-president Adriano Galliani was blunt in his assessment of AC Milan’s predicament: “I’ve always said that the problem isn’t (playing against) Inter but the matches before and after the derby. That’s something the club, Ancelotti and the technical staff have to think about.”

Mourinho’s sarcastic statement about AC Milan also struck a chord with Galliani who said: “As for Mourinho I still think he’s a good guy and he simply says the truth: well done (David) Beckham, well done Pato, well done Milan but in the meantime Inter were six points ahead and now it’s eight.”

Jose Mourinho Upper Hand In Milan Derby

Jose Mourinho can also count on a lethal strikeforce to put Inter ahead in their age-old rivalries. Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the second top scorer with 14 Serie A goals, while Milan can only wring their hands at the white elephant, Ronaldinho. The Brazilian has scored only half the number of goals as Ibrahimovic and has struggled to feature in Ancelotti’s first XI.

Ronaldinho is a prime example of how Milan failed in their transfer policy by recruiting glamorous footballers who were over-the-hill and deemed dispensable by their former clubs. However, transfer strategy is not something which Mourinho can afford to gloat over.

Mourinho’s acquisitions during the summer transfer window included Mancini, Alessandro Faiolhe Amantino, Sulley Ali Muntari and Ricardo Quaresma. Mancini has started just eight times in Serie A and Quaresma was lambasted by Inter fans for his erratic displays. The latter has been omitted from Inter Milan’s Champions League squad and granted a season-long loan at Chelsea.

Mourinho may not be happy with the discipline in the Inter Milan squad too. Brazilian striker, Adriano, maintains his idiosyncratic approach to punctuality and penchant for late-night parties. Mario Balotelli’s immature attitude did not improve despite a series of penalties imposed by Mourinho.

The Special One cannot help but feel slighted by these repeat offenders who pay little regard to his authority. Milan, by contrast, tout the professionalism and good manners of their newest recruit, David Beckham.

Ancelotti can take heart that the addition of David Beckham has given his team a new dimension in attack. I am not even going to dwell on the commercial benefits which is almost a certainty, once Beckham become a permanent fixture and the T-shirt printing machines are in full force as well as influx of endorsements.

When Milan beat Inter in September, they did so via a rare header from Ronaldinho. The threat from headers are likely to increase with David Beckham’s through-balls and chips into the centres.

So far, Beckham’s long-range lobs have allowed lurking forwards like Kaka to surge into space from deep in midfield and have become a prominent part of Milan’s attacking strategy.

Beckham’s assists have led to two of Milan’s last four goals in Serie A and he has scored two of their last six, having started in every one of the last six games.

I am not surprised that David Beckham has adapted to the squad and  done well. He is a top professional with ambitions and intelligence.Whether his loan spell at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy plays out to a mutually beneficial conclusion for all parties remain to be seen.

I believe the crucial factor to neutralize Mourinho’s tactical and physical upper hand could be Kaka’s fitness; a fracture to his foot during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Reggina seeming to have ruled him out. Even weaving a moment of magic as a substitute could be enough to turn the tables around.

Beckham and Ronaldinho should also be starting in this derby. If Ronaldinho has been AWOL for most of the season, he can redeem himself by recapturing his early form in this single match and scoring a goal or two, especially when Kaka is absent.

Actually, whether Inter Milan win this derby or not, I have little doubt Jose Mourinho will secure the Serie A title. Consistency has always been Mourinho’s hallmark and that has ensured his perpetual success in domestic leagues. It also helps that he has no urgent need to defeat Ancelotti, and that takes the pressure off his team.

However, even if he is backed to a corner and has to take full points, that should not be a problem given that winning is hard-wired into his system. Mourinho is also not one to take kindly to consecutive defeats.

The irony of the situation is that Mourinho could yet be sacked at the end of the season. He has to better his predecessor, Roberto Mancini, who clinched three Serie A titles from 2006-2008 but was still not deemed good enough to continue as manager.

The Champions League is the yardstick which will be used to measure Jose Mourinho’s achievement at Inter Milan. So winning the derby and Serie A title may not matter or even guarantee his job.

Jose Mourinho has a much bigger shoe to fill at Inter Milan than at Porto and Chelsea. As yet, he has not been in a position where delivering the Champions League title is considered a must and not a bonus. How will this situation affect his preparation for the imminent Champions League clash with Manchester United? Stay tuned for updates.

JohnST | AC Milan, Champions League, Inter Milan, Serie A | Comments (0)

Manchester United’s Dominance And Quadruple Dreams

January 30, 2009 – 2:55 am

If Manchester United are in the grip of an injury crisis, they are not showing it. The Red Devils were rampant in a masterful 5-0 thrashing of West Bromich Albion on Tuesday and moved two points clear of Liverpool who failed to destroy Wigan. Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo were utterly irresistible in front of goal.

At the start of the season, Manchester United’s fortunes were draped in a dark fog as they dropped points carelessly and their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, seems half-hearted in repeating last season’s glory. Speculation abounds that he prefers the white jerseys of Real Madrid after achieving all possible honors in England and his August public statement of “staying at United for the time being” left the door open for future suitors.

However, the fog cleared after Manchester United picked up the Club World Cup last month. The players returned from Japan in ominous form. Their back line was not breached in the Premier League since that defeat at the Emirates, 11 games ago. Slowly but surely, Manchester United’s Quadruple dreams is taking shape and to the consternation of their rivals, this era of absolute dominance may continue for years.

Manchester United Quadruple dreams

I believe the immediate and realistic goal for Manchester United is to win a third consecutive Premier League title. It is an ultimate test of consistency to finish top after 38 games and they are now in a strong position to do so.

There is an added prestige to maintaining domestic superiority for Manchester United. Winning an 11th crown in 17 seasons would bring them level with Liverpool’s record 18 league titles, and rub shoulders with the all-conquering Anfield sides of the ’70s and ’80s. Fergie’s babes would be well and truly be legends.

The implosion of their closest rivals has also made the work easier for Alex Ferguson. Liverpool ended their short reign at the top of the Premier League on an unhappy note. Successive draws against Stoke, Everton and Wigan compounded Benitez’s misery and sent Liverpool sliding to to third in the Premier League table.

Defeat at home to Chelsea on Sunday could leave Liverpool five points adrift of Manchester United after holding a 10-point advantage over his rival Sir Alex Ferguson in December. The dip in form has coincided with some unexpected outbursts from Benítez, who has made public his contract dispute with the club while launching conspiracy theories about Sir Alex Ferguson’s influence over match officials.

Football pundits are now questioning the state of Rafael Benitez’s mind, especially after his “crazy” rant about “uncontrollable events” in the second half against Wigan. Some choice words from Benitz: “What you can’t control, you can’t change and maybe you have to understand it has to be like this for years.”

I don’t blame the players for feeling clueless when the manager is talking in such cryptic terms and being resigned to his fate. The heat of the championship race and Alex Ferguson’ mind games have really affected Benitez badly. When the boss loses the plot, the battle is lost.

As for Arsenal, the players have continued their tradition of being soft in the face of physical challenges, despite Arsene Wenger’s insistence on his team’s resilient character. This season, the Gunners got worse by failing to dish out their fluid passing game consistently and missing crucial chances. These days, it is common to read post match descriptions of Arsenal’s performances like “lack of quality,” “lucky,” “living dangerously,” and “finishing not up to scratch.”

Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Everton was lackluster. Against Cardiff, they only manage to eke out a goalless draw and hence, another meaningless FA Cup replay. Clearly, this batch of Gunners lacked the killer instinct nor the sense of urgency to clinch titles. Wenger has failed to boost Arsenal’s squad sufficiently which left them extremely vulnerable to injuries.

Meanwhile, the same elements causing discontent within the ranks have not been eliminated. Top of the list is William Gallas and there are those who want away because of unhappiness over their wages and contract terms. It is up to Arsene Wenger to stop the rot; if Alex Ferguson can show Roy Keane to the door, I don’t see why Wenger is hesitant in exercising his authority.

Chelsea is another inexplicable disappointment. Scolari coached Brazil to the World Cup crown and also brought Portugal to the threshold of similar glories. Why isn’t he able to achieve the same success at Stamford Bridge, and also failing to outperform Avram Grant, an unqualified manager to boot? I suspect a combination of cultural clash, players politics, technical abilities, language barrier in motivating the players, as well as maladjustment to the attacking strategy/formation and training methods.

In any case, Scolari deserves respect for accepting blame for the poor run of results. After the 3-0 drubbing by Manchester United, Chelsea won unconvincingly against Southend (4-1) and Stoke City (2-1). I don’t care much about the scoreline; against these two clubs, nothing short of clean sheets will suffice.

That used to be something which can be taken for granted during Mourinho’s era, especially at Stamford Bridge. But the home ground is no longer a fortress. Will Chelsea regain their aura of invincibility and threaten Manchester United? From what I have seen so far, the squad is not fully united behind Scolari nor committed to implementing his ideas. Getting rid of Drogba and securing capable replacements will take time, thus, the fans have to be patient with Scolari this season.

In the Carling Cup, Manchester United booked a place in the finals after a taxing tug-of-war against Derby County. United will clash next with Tottenham Hotspur, led by Harry Redknapp (winner of last year’s Carling Cup at Portsmouth). Based on Spurs’s current state of affairs, they are a long way off from getting their house in order.

Harry Redknapp has started on the umpteen Tottenham’s rejuvenation process by calling his old boys up for a gathering. I don’t know how effective that will be because Spurs have been rebuilding for the last ten years and since the buck always stops with the manager prematurely, we may not even see Redknapp next season, whether Tottenham are relegated or not.

By the way, unless Redknapp considers himself master of reverse psychology, he will do well to motivate his team without going to the press and lamenting about individual performances.

The FA Cup is a similar story for Manchester United. They are three matches away from wresting the title. United have enough experience and intelligent players to turn around the games when the chips are down. Their greatest enemy remains themselves, complacency and tired legs notwithstanding, there are few defenses in England which can withstand the firepower of the Red Devils.

Turning to the European scene, the Champions League will present a tougher challenge. In the forthcoming last-16 tie of the Champions League on 25 February, Manchester United will face Inter Milan. Actually, the prospect of clashing with the Italian team is less daunting than confronting the manager, Jose Mourinho.

Alex Ferguson has never got the better of Jose Mourinho, be it psychologically or on the pitch. Porto eliminated Manchester United 3-2 over two encounters and they went on to clinch the Champions League in 2005. In Mourinho’s two seasons at Chelsea, they accumulated 86 unbeaten games at home and Manchester United were not able to hurt Chelsea even when they were struggling with injuries, suspensions and international commitment.

Jose Mourinho is an astute tactician and he knows how to play the intelligent, or rather boring game of football to counter superior opponents despite scarce resources. However, Alex Ferguson can take heart from the way Inter-Milan fell to Atlanta 3-1. It was a disgraceful performance which left Mourinho visibly upset. We shall not revisit his harsh criticisms of the squad here.

Given that Mourinho is not omnipotent in the Champions League (he has never won it with Chelsea), the odds are good that Manchester United can scrape through if Inter Milan perform below par.

Another factor which made Manchester United’s Quadruple dreams not only a distinct possibility but also replicable in the coming years is their strength in depth. United’s squad is now bursting with young talents after a series of shrewd acquisitions.  Save for Barcelona, few clubs in Europe pursue youth development with such vigor and patience.

That is not to say that “old men” like Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar are about to become dispensable. They are crucial in imparting their experience and technical skills to the youngsters; more importantly, there is a continuity of the special bonding and Manchester United identity with these veterans around.

The days of Ryan Giggs blazing down the left flank, evading defenders and crossing the ball into the box may be over. In fact, the last couple of seasons, he has been fading into the background, so much that a lot of fans are questioning his value and contribution to the team.

Surprisingly, he is now enjoying a new lease of life with Alex Ferguson placing him in central midfield. He created three assists against West Brom and was devastating against Chelsea. Giggs has been rewarded with a new contract, a rare privilege of eventually retiring with Manchester United as his only club. In fact, he could even win the Footballer of the Year award this season.

Edwin van der Sar is also getting better with age. He has eclipsed Petr Cech’s four-year-old top-flight record by stretching his personal unbeaten run to 1,031 minutes at West Bromwich Albion and the Dutchman could yet approach the Football League milestone of 1,103 minutes, set by Steve Death for Reading during the 1978-79 season.

Even if these veterans were to retire tomorrow, Alex Ferguson need not fret. Rising stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Nani, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson, Carlos Tevez are now holding the fort and have nearly a decade of service left in them… but Alex Ferguson is not contented.

Brazilians Rafael da Silva and his twin brother, Fabio, were spotted during a youth tournament and a deal was tabled immediately. Rafael, only 18-year-old, has such sublime skills that he has kept club captain, Gary Neville, and his understudy, Wes Brown, an England international, in reserve, until his untimely injury.

Alex Ferguson said during his trip to Japan last month: “This boy has come in from Brazil, doesn’t even speak the language that well, but understands the football very well. Gary and Wes Brown are England’s best right backs but they have a little problem because the boy, da Silva, has just taken off.”

Fabio, a talent of even brighter proportions, captained Brazil to the Under-17 World Cup title in 2007. He has not yet featured until the impressive match against Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round. It is incredible to note that he has not played a competitive match over the past year, yet he is as sure-footed as his team mates. Great ball control, defensive ability and attacking instincts seem to be the trademark of the twins, little wonder that they are slated to be the bedrocks of Manchester United’s defense.

The da Silva brothers are not the sum of United’s youth squad though. Rodrigo Possebon, half a year older than the da Silva twins, is another maturing midfield prospect. And the Serbian revolution is on with the latest acquisitions in January (Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajicwere) to add to the already established Nemanja Vidic. The strategic purchase of Zoran Tosic provides yet another replacement for the aging Ryan Giggs.

Ferguson has built winning teams around youth before in his 22 seasons in Manchester. He gave youngsters like Neville, Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham their chance at the start of the 1990s and began an era of dominance in the ’90s. The core of these players remain almost two decades on. Given Ferguson’s track record, I will not bet against him starting another renaissance at Old Trafford.

Pre-season, Manchester United were 1000-1 to win all six competitions they entered. That looks like a great investment already since the Red Devils had put two prizes in the cabinet – the Community Shield and the Club World Cup crown. They may well perform an unprecedented clean sweep, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

JohnST | Arsenal, Champions League, Chelsea, Club World Cup, FA Cup, Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League | Comments (1)

FIFA 2008 World Player of the Year – Cristiano Ronaldo

January 24, 2009 – 3:18 am

The following was guest blogged by authors from BlogsFC.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, FIFA World Footballer of the Year 2008. Already crowned European Footballer of the Year 2008, Ronaldo added to his trophy collection with the ultimate accolade for any footballer. Born in 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Ronaldo has reached the peak of his profession in just a few short years.

Cristiano Ronaldo World Player of the Year 2008

The World Footballer of the Year award is voted for by coaches and captains of the world’s international football teams. Each coach gets three votes, the player voted the top player by the coach gets five points, the second three and the third player one point. The winner is simply the player accumulating the most points. There is also an award for the best female player in the world.

The men’s award was introduced in 1991 and the womens award a decade later. Historically, the men’s award has been dominated by European based Brazilian players, winning eight out of the eighteen titles. The 2008 winner, Christiano Ronaldo beat Kaka of Brazil, last years winner, into second place. Third place went to Argentina`s Lionel Messi, followed by Fernando Torres of Spain and Xavi, also of Spain.

Christiano Ronaldo joined Sporting Lisbon at the age of twelve, making his debut at the age of seventten, when he scored two goals on his first team debut. Sporting won the championship in that season, and was already attracting a posse of scouts from the major clubs.

However, it was not until Sporting beat Manchester United in a pre season friendly that the British press sat up and took notice. Ronaldo was mesmerising in the friendly match and by half time the Manchester United players were trying to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to buy the young Portugese winger.

Sir Alex agreed and Ronaldo joined Manchester United for 18m Euros. He was so highly thought of that he was given the famous Number 7 shirt, worn by legendary Manchester United players including George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. That season he wowed the fans with his blistering speed, fancy trickery and heading ability. In his first season he won the Man of the Match award in the FA Cup final, and was voted the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award by the Manchester United fans.

Over the next three seasons he managed to increase his goal tally, reaching double figures for the season in 2005/06. He was becoming physically stronger and had developed the ability to play on both wings. Although he had a controversial World Cup in 2006 Ronaldo contributed 23 goals in 49 games, in the league and probably just as important assited in another 20 goals as his teamwork drastically improved.

The 2007/08 season started with a sending off in the second game of the season. Ronaldo duly returned to play against his old club Sporting Lisbon, scoring the only goal in the first leg and an injury time winner in the second leg. Christiano Ronaldo finished by gaining second place in the European Footballer of the Year awards, the Ballon d`Or, coming second to Kaka, and third in the FIFA World Footballer of the Year behind Kaka and Lionel Messi.

World Player of the Year - Cristiano Ronaldo

On 12th January 2008, Ronaldo scored his first ever hat trick for Manchester United as they beat Newcastle United 6-0 to go top of the Premiership. He would shortly afterwards match his previous seasons goal tally with his twenty third goal of the season in the 2-0 win against Reading.

Ronaldo was given the captain`s arm band as Manchester United played Bolton,beating them 2-0, with Ronaldo scoring both goals. This was the game where he beat George Best’s record for a Manchester United midfielder by scoring his thirty third goal of the season.

Manchester United played Chelsea in the Champions League final wher he scored after twenty six minutes. Chelsea scored on half time, and the match played out to a 1-1 after extra time.So, to penalties. Christiano Ronaldo thought he had lost the match for Manchester United as he missed his penalty. Needing omly to score to win the match for Chelsea, captain John Terry slipped on the run up, and Manchester United were champions once again.

Although there have been ongoing reports that Real Madrid were about to sign the Portugese star, Ronaldo has remained a Manchester United player, and has recently committed his future to the Red Devils.

During 2007/08 as United won the UEFA Champions League title as well as the Premiership and with Ronaldo winning the European and World Footballer of the Year, leading Dutch legend Johan Cruyff to claim that Ronaldo was better than Manchester United stars George Best and Denis Law. By the end of the 2007/08 season Ronaldo had amassed 42 goals, just four short of the Manchester United record number for a season.

Christiano Ronaldo’s strength is his ability to be skiful at speed. His trademark step overs have been copied by young players all over the world, but few can perform them whilst running flat out against an opponent. Bobby Charlton once remarked that the step overs were embarrassing at first, and certainly he was accused of being a “one trick pony”, but since then, as he has grown older, so with it has come an extra physical strength and maturity.

Ronaldo’s speed of thought is often as effective has his physical speed. His dedication to football has allowed him to develop other skills. He is a master of dead ball situations, and his free kicks are often repeated on television, simply because of their spectacular technical brilliance. Ronaldo also has the added plus of being an excellent header of the ball. He is is simply one of the most skilful players of his generation.

As the legendary Pele handed Christiano Ronaldo his award as World Footballer of the Year, few would bet against him winning again, and one day we may see a young player receiving an award from Christiano Ronaldo, the greatest player in the world.

To keep up with the latest in football, go to Liverpool blog.

JohnST | Ballon d'Or, Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Premier League | Comments (0)

Will Liverpool Ever Win Another Premier League Title?

January 6, 2009 – 7:37 am

Liverpool are on a hot streak as they entered the crucial Christmas period. In last week’s FA Cup third round action, Liverpool comfortably eliminated Preston North End 2-0 at Deepdale.

The importance of Steven Gerrard to Liverpool’s title charge cannot be understated. He was again in the thick of action when he turned creator in the last minute and could have scored himself, but he neatly giftwrapped the goal for Fernando Torres. It was a perfect present to mark the long-awaited return from injury of the Spaniard.

Despite Rafael Benitez’s absence, Liverpool maintained a steady advance in all three competitions, the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. This year, there is extra motivation for the Reds to excel in the less heralded domestic cup competition, in memory of the Hillsborough disaster 20 years ago, when 96 fans died at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. 

Due to past disappointments, critics, including Benitez himself, are not convinced that Liverpool have the experience and winner’s mentality to clinch their first Premier League title in two decades but I will take nothing away from their inspired run since Boxing Day. Liverpool consolidated their position at the top of Premier League table while their competitors slipped up.

Steven Gerrard

The Reds dispatched Bolton 3-0 and reaffirmed their title ambitions with a 5-1 demolition of Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Talismanic captain Steven Gerrard became the toast of Anfield after imposing his game and scored two superb goals.

In fact, his second goal eclipsed the record of John Barnes, one of Anfield greats. The latter scored 108 goals for Liverpool in 409 games between 1987-1997 and Gerrard has now notched 109 in 464 appearances. Considering Gerrard’s role as a right midfielder, that is an achievement worth celebrating. And in England, what is a celebration without booze and girls?

So, with andrenaline pumpling, the lads headed to a nightclub in Southport. And it is here that the top of the world feeling turned into a nightmare. A brawl broke out which resulted in a broken tooth and four stiches to a head wound for a part-time DJ, just because he refused to play a Phil Collins song.

Gerrard (together with five mates) was arrested and for the longest 20 hours, he was in silent contemplation behind bars. The police released him but on January 23, he will face charges of affray and assault occasioning bodily harm. If sentenced, Gerrard could face up to 5 years of imprisonment.

Liverpool fans must be wondering if they will ever fill their cabinet with another Premier League title. Last year, the club was beset by uncertainties over Benitez’s rotation policy, his possible departure, and the internal bickering between its owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

This season, while Liverpool’s debts remain an overriding concern amid the global credit crunch, at least some semblance of stability has been restored and it is reflected in their dominant league position. Rafael Benitez is close to signing an attractive £16 million four year contract, with a smaller war chest available though.  

Nevertheless, maintaining enough momentum to clinch the title remains an uphill task and Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose Steven Gerrard’s leadership, creativity and attacking prowess. 

Not surprisingly, Benitez has pledged Steven Gerrard his full support. Sammy Lee, the stand-in manager, also weighed in by vouching that Gerrard is a true professional. Gerrard’s captaincy is not in doubt but Benitez will not tolerate any more distraction and warned that focusing on the pitch is top priority for everyone.

Benitez said: “Steven is our captain and a key player for us, but more than this, I know him as a nice person. He’s trained with the other lads after a couple of days off for the squad, and is keen now to focus solely on his football.”

There is support for Steven Gerrard’s innocence and good character everywhere. Messages of support flooded in from England players, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand. The Football Association insists that Fabio Capello’s criticism of Gerrard does not indicate an exclusion of the midfielder from the England squad.

The media has also been busy casting Gerrard as a goody two shoes. Special mention was made of Gerrard’s organisation of charity work with Kenny Dalglish just before the incident.

If we are to consider Gerrard’s upbringing, it is easy to understand his aggressive streak, although he channeled his belligerence on the pitch with admirable discipline. Like Wayne Rooney and Joey Barton, Gerrard hailed from the gritty neighborhoods of Liverpool. In 2007, the cold-blooded murder of innocent 11 year old Rhys Jones by Sean Mercer shocked Britain.

How can teenagers be so remorseless in taking another human life? Well, that is the tough environment we are contending with. You got to be streetwise to survive the chaotic feuding gangs. Petty disputes like girlfriends can involve casualties, especially with the liberal use of firearms. Call it collateral damage if you are caught in the maelstorm.

Another mitigating factor for Gerrard’s unseemly behavior will be his fame. As great trees attract the winds, so great fame attracts envy and hatred. If a celebrity want to wind down in a bar, be subtle. There are people who will seek you out to get their moment of fame or simply to create trouble, and the situation can get ugly, especially after alchohol has loosened your self restraint. 

To be sure, we cannot expect our Premier League footballers to lead a monk’s life and avoid nightclubs altogether. It is up to their own indiscretion if they want to be featured in the press – drunk, sexually uninhibited, violent, taking drugs, etc, considering that they are role models for the young.

For a long time, Steven Gerrard has enjoyed an exemplary family-man image and his fans will expect him to be at home with his wife and 2 kids, instead of a wild night out with the guys. I believe that image has sustained irrepairable damage due to this incident.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if Gerrard had been provoked or was under the influence of drinks, the fact remains that the act of violence was commited. We do not yet know the full circumstances of the case, but putting Steven Gerrard on a pedestal may indirectly interfere with the course of justice.

It is hard for the judge and jury not to be influenced by all the support and praise heaped on Stevie Gerrard. Will they be pressured into acquiting Gerrard and then apply a double standard to another less famous person with the same crime?

We certainly cannot exonerate a prepretrator just because we have been assured that he will “never walk alone” or that he is “nice,” ”good at creating goals,” and “indispensable to Liverpool and England.” Fitting such sentiments into findings of “not guilty” is not morally right.

For now though, Steven Gerrard is innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of law. And Liverpool have to put this incident behind them, especially when a taxing fixture list includes two clashes with derby rival, Everton, in a week (in the Premier League on January 19 and then in the fourth round of the cup the following weekend).

Will Liverpool win another Premier League title in the absence of Gerrard? I am highly skeptical and January 23 may just be the the fateful day that derailed Liverpool’s title challenge. I admit that I will be as disappointed as Liverpool fans if Steven Gerrard turns out to be guilty. What do you guys think of Gerrard’s affray breaking up Liverpool’s momentum at this critical juncture?

JohnST | Champions League, FA Cup, Liverpool, Premier League | Comments (1)

Which EPL Manager Will Lose His Job Next?

December 15, 2008 – 6:27 am

Who will follow next in the footsteps of Kevin Keegan, Juande Ramos and Roy Keane this season? Off hand, I can think of a few candidates, namely Scolari, Mark Hughes and Paul Ince whose services could soon be dispensable. 

Scolari’s position in Chelsea is increasingly shaky. His attacking style resulted in a vulnerable Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and the Brazilian has to juggle a language barrier, smaller transfer kitty, clash of ideals with Roman Abramovich and player politics to survive.

Chelsea fans have also whetted their appetite for trophies since Jose Mourinho’s reign and will not take kindly to empty-handed seasons. The “unqualified” Avram Grant managed to keep the ship on a steady keel last season so if Scolari falls short of that benchmark, his past glories will mean little in saving his job.   

As for Mark Hughes, he is struggling with consistency. Manchester City lost 1-0 to Everton, marking the fifth home league defeat of this season. Despite the signing of £32.5m Brazilian superstar Robinho, Manchester City are looking nothing like championship material. At least Sven put up a fine pretense until Christmas when their title run fell apart.

Though Hughes’s Middle Eastern boss is not in a hurry to sack him, that patience may evaporate when he fail to match their expectations after more money is made available to recruit quality players in Januray.   

But we may at least see the duo until the end of the season. Blackburn’s manager Paul Ince is in a far bigger crisis - his team has gone without a victory since September and he seems helpless in changing the team’s relegation fate. Though Ince survived a board meeting last week, his job is still hanging by a thread, especially after losing the first of “five cup finals.” 

Paul Ince faces the sack

On Saturday, Wigan effortlessly blew Blackburn apart in a 3-0 victory, with goals coming from Emile Heskey, Antonio Valencia and Lee Cattermole. Paul Ince took full responsibility for their sixth successive defeat and vowed to carry on as manager.

Blackburn fans are not cheering that decision though. Once Wigan started banging in the goals, choruses of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” and “You don’t know what you’re doing” filled the stadium, a clear indication of Ince’s current standing among the fans.

By the 12th minute, any semblance of Blackburn’s resistance was destroyed. Valencia eased past Warnock and delivered a brilliant cross which was met by Heskey for his third goal of the season. Two minutes earlier, Valencia had nutmegged Warnock by slipping the ball between his legs and the live-wire was simply too hot to handle.

Blackburn had barely regained their composure when their defense was breached again in the 14th minute. Paul Robinson took a goal-kick but Mario Melchiot was first to the ball and played it to Valencia, who slotted home stylishly after a free run on goal. Once again, Warnock and Pedersen were negligent in their basic defensive duties.

Just before the break, the match could be sewn up had Cattermole scored from Valencia’s assist but his header hit the underside of the bar. It was finally over in the 77th minute when Valencia’s cross was deflected by Warnock and Cattermole was alert enough to drive the ball into the net.

I must say Rovers defense was extremely sloppy and unrecognizable from the team of spirited fighters crafted by Mark Hughes. It has caused much of their demise today. Not that the midfield performed any better as Blackburn surrendered possession easily and frequently, with Tugay the serial offender.

In the aftermath of this defeat, Paul Ince cut a lonely figure in the Blackburn camp. Fortunately, Wigan’s manager Steve Bruce, stood behind his former team mate in his darkest hour. He urged patience, saying: “I’ve known him for a long, long time and you don’t play for Milan and Liverpool unless you’ve got a bit of bottle. I don’t want to comment on him losing his job and I’m sure he will turn it around.”

Bruce is being kind but Blackburn fans are running out of patience and they will prefer the axe to fall on Ince tomorrow. The question is no longer if but when for these diehard supporters. If Ince flunk the next four games, the inevitable may just happen. 

I know it is heartbreaking for the fans to see the deterioration of their club. Blackburn finished 7th last year and have been in the top half of the league for the last 3 seasons. They earned a reputation of being defensively tight and had a manager that was tactically astute and motivated the players well. Now, with gov’nor Paul Ince around, the oomph factor is gone.

However, the fans have to discard the “we want it now” mentality. Developing a mid-table club into perennial title contender requires patience, planning, vision, and if possible, truckloads of cash. Patience is in especially short supply these days but if Hodgson (Fulham), Moyes(Everton) and Megson(Bolton) are still in their jobs after experiencing nasty setbacks, then sacking Paul Ince may be too hasty. 

Ince has appealed for more time to grow accustomed to the pressure of helming a Premier League club and I believe it is justified. There is no point in handing Ince another 4-5 games without giving him the whole season. Many managers had escaped the drop right till the last day of the season so why should Ince be deprived of the chance?

Beginners must be given a fair chance at success and in order to have more English managers gaining international recognition, the least we can do is to give them time and space to develop in the Premier League. There will be no Sir Alex Ferguson today if results were expected of him in the first attempt.

To alleviate the stress, Ince had shifted some responsibility back to the Blackburn board when he called upon them to spend. He said: “The cold hard fact is we need investment. You saw Wigan today – lots of pace, power – and we need new faces coming in.”

Ince may have a point there. To be a major title contender, you can’t be signing players like Keith Andrews – a 29 year old 3rd division player, or bringing in Robbie Fowler and Matt Jansen for trials.

If these guys are good enough to make the first XI, then other players may not be motivated to perform. Existing players like Tugay has lost the plot and Santa Cruz’s heart is no longer with the club. Coupled with the departure of David Bentley, one of Blackburn’s most promising stars, Ince’s trump cards are limited when the going gets tough. 

I wouldn’t blame the board for not getting solid reinforcements though. The club is not exactly flush with cash and the January transfer budget, if any, is expected to be modest. Ince has no choice but to make do with the lack of depth in the squad.

In any case, getting additional quality players is not a process which is achievable overnight. If the board adopts a finacially reckless approach, in the worst case scenario that Blackburn are demoted which means considerably less revenue, they may do a Leeds’ United and have to liquidate their best assets.

I believe Paul Ince may be facing lesser criticisms if he has some notable achievements under his belt. Unlike Scolari and Hughes, Paul Ince can only claim to have saved Macclesfield from relegation and took MK Dons to the title and a cup but both clubs are in the lower divisions.

On hindsight, it may be better for Ince to spend a few more years managing these clubs and leading them to titles to build up his reputation and experience before moving up the ladder.

Blackburn were lucky when they took a gamble to appoint Mark Hughes. He did not have much experience (Blackburn was his first club appointment) but things worked out perfectly. Sparky learnt quickly on the job and was able to impose his own presence in the dressing room. 

But if Blackburn were hoping for a second time lucky, they were greatly disappointed. Paul Ince’s learning curve turns out to be more eventful and in terms of tactical acumen, organization and encouraging his team, he has lots to catch up.

Nevertheless, not all aspects are negative about Paul Ince’s reign. When we consider Blackburn’s efforts against Liverpool or even against Spurs, Rovers were unorganized but worked hard to frustrate their opponents. After resilient performances characteristic of Ince, Rovers finally succumbed to the meekest of goals.

Blackburn’s next matches are against Stoke, Sunderland and Manchester City - all matches in which they have an even chance of winning. If they picked up full points, jumping out of the relegation zone is not impossible. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Ince can do just that and prove his critics wrong.

JohnST | Blackburn, Chelsea, Manchester City, Premier League | Comments (0)