A hub for the most complete, accurate, and up-to-date headlines regarding Football from every continent in the world. The main focus of the blog, however, will be the English Premier League and the European continent as a whole.
Ferdinand is one of Utd's best defenders, but Adebayor will look to drop deep and pull Ferdinand out of position so the likes of Fabregas, Nasri, and Walcott can get into advanced positions. Arsenal are most likely to start with Adebayor as a lone striker, so expect Vidic and Ferdinand to share the job of marking him.
Kolo Toure vs Wayne Rooney :
Like Adebayor, Rooney will drop deep into positions defined as "the hole" and look to involve the likes of Ronaldo, Scholes, and Giggs in the attacking third. On Saturday, Rooney was deadly when he went wide left, delivering pinpoint crosses to Ronaldo and Berbatov - so Toure will most likely only mark Rooney where and when he enters the central defensive positions in the middle of the 18 yard box. Rooney has caused Arsenal multiple problems in the past because of his movement and ability to find space in and around the box - Toure will have to marshal Rooney to perfection in order to stop this happening again on Wednesday.
Carrick vs Fabregas :
I fully expect Sir Alex to play Michael Carrick and order him to pick up Fabregas when he is in advanced positions. Carrick is a wonderful player - a truly unsung hero in Utd's season - he deserved a PFA nomination. The problem Carrick and Man Utd have is that Fabregas loves to drop deep - just in front of his own back four - and play long balls to Arsenal's attacking players. But if Fabregas plays an advanced role - as he did against Middlesbrough on Sunday to good effect - I think Ferguson will instruct Carrick to pick him up.
Ronaldo vs. Kieran Gibbs /Bacary Sagna:
Ferguson will most likely deploy Ronaldo on the right and tell him to attack Gibbs - who has little first team experience. Ronaldo will probably look to receive the ball from deep positions on the right; with the intention of drawing Gibbs out of position and gaining an advantage this way. Ronaldo could also overlap with Rafael Da Silva - exploiting Gibbs' inexperience about which one to pick up when they are both attacking the right flank. Ronaldo will also swap flanks and will attack Sagna - but he'll get more joy attacking Gibbs.
Theo Walcott vs Patrice Evra:
Evra is arguably the best left back in the league but on Saturday he was caught hopelessly out of position for Tottenham's second goal. I think Wenger will tell Walcott to cut inside as much as possible and try and burst beyond the two Man Utd central defenders. On the counter attack, Ferguson will be wary because of Walcott's pace - look at what he did to liverpool in last season's quarter final. Given this, I think Evra will sit deep and not allow Walcott any joy, but I think Walcott will look to burst through the middle rather than just staying wide right.
David Beckham was preaching this week that his move to A.C. Milan was about "football", not about money. Yes, David, that's because you have more money than most people can dream of. With an estimated fortune of over 125 million pounds, and L.A. Galaxy demanding 10 million pounds for the transfer, the fact that it's taken you this long to seal the move (on the penultimate day of the transfer deadline) is very suspect, considering you say that football is your motive and not money.
If that were the case David, this transfer could have been completed in a matter of hours. As it is, the transfer itself has not been entirley completed; you're only staying in Milan till the end of the season on loan and are due to re-join L.A. Galaxy in July of this year. To coin a phrase, I think you're "bending the truth like Beckham".
Furthermore, you never would have moved to L.A. Galaxy in the first place [had your motives been football, not money]. You easily could have forfeited that multi-million dollar contract and joined a host of top European clubs eager to sign you, not so much for your footballing ability(s), but for your commercial and marketing power/revenue. You joined L.A. Galaxy for two reasons :
(1) Finances
(2) An escape from English and European football - you had recently been axed from the England squad, remember?
Nobody doubts your commitment to playing football for club or country, David, but people are highly skeptical of the motives when you claim immunity from financial greed and fail to cough up a meager drop in the water to seal your so-called "dream move".
No, the truth, David, is that you're a money-grabbing attention seeker. Disguising that as your real motive is only a lie to yourself, and to your numerous drones of fans who follow you like blind, helpless sheep.
There was an interesting study done recently at the university in Edinburgh, claiming that watching Romantic comedies can "ruin your love life" because they create unrealistic expectations. At first when I read it, I laughed, but then thought about the concept - and I put the likes of Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail to the proverbial "real-life exam" and deducted that, in actual fact, the study made a lot of sense. How often do you meet the love of your life via an AOL-email, how often do you fly thousands of miles across the Atlantic to Milwaukee of all places and come back home with two beautiful women. The answer of course is rhetorical; it doesn't happen, and if it does, it's a pure fluke, a one off, the stuff dreams are made of. That, in my view, is what's wrong at Arsenal. The barrier for success has been set at such high standards that, whenever Arsenal lose in the Premier League, it is considered an absolute travesty.
The media have slated Arsene Wenger for a wide variety of aspects this season. Team selection, lack of activity in the transfer market, selecting a fit and proper captain - among others. But for me, the biggest elephant in the room this season occurred when,days after Arsenal's early season 3-1 win at Bolton, it was revealed that Arsene Wenger had sent out a team letter to the entire squad detailing the following:
Confidential Team meeting 19th September 2008
The Team: A team is as strong as the relationships within it.
The driving force of a team is its member's ability to create and maintain excellent relationships within the team that can add an extra dimension and robustness to the team dynamic.
This attitude can be used by our team to focus on the gratitude and the vitally important benefits that the team brings to our own lives. It can be used to strengthen and deepen the relationships within it and maximize the opportunities that await a strong and united team.
Our team becomes stronger by:
Displaying a positive attitude on and of f the pitch
Everyone making the right decisions for the team
Have an unshakeable belief that we can achieve our target
Believe in the strength of the team
Always want more - always give more
Focus on our communication
Be demanding with yourself
Be fresh and well prepared to win
Focus on being mentally stronger and always keep going to the end
When we play away from home, believe in our identity and play the football we love to play at home
Stick together
Stay grounded and humble as a player and as a person
Show the desire to win in all that you do
Enjoy and contribute to all that is special about being in a team - don't take it for granted.
Sound familiar? You could be forgiven for thinking it was the base of a script for a romantic flick involving George Clooney and Julia Roberts. This, in my opinion, is the problem at Arsenal - and with Arsene Wenger. He persistently demands unrealistic expectations. These players are young, this sort of psychological mumbo-jumbo isn't what the younger players need. Sure, a helping hand and a father-like figure to look on to is helpful, but going as deep as this note does, well, it seems too far down the rabbit hole for my liking. Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson employing a similar tactic? Not a chance.Coincidentally, the team deservedly beat Bolton to go top of the league. However, as I stated, news about the note was leaked to the media in the days after the game. Wenger was forced to field some embarrassing questions about the note. He, as per usual, went on a self-proclaimed rant against the "moral ethics of society" and further stated that he was "proud" of the note... but the perplexity of some of the messages within it made me wonder.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Arsenal threw away a 1-0 advantage to Hull, losing the game in the process, and surrendering their position at the top of the Premier League. Worse was to follow, letting a 4-2 lead slip against Tottenham, shocking defeats to Man City and Stoke, and the William Gallas fracas somewhat deflected the shameful performances of the team - but further brought to light the emotional instability inside the ranks at Arsenal.To bring my point back to what I said at the beginning, I believe Wenger is living in the past. When he is questioned about his methods in press-conferences, he states that he strives for perfection at the start of the season - and reminds the media frequently of the "unbeaten season". And that's one, of many, of Arsenal major problems. Had Arsenal lost 2 or 3 games that season, and still won the league, there wouldn't be this barrier at unprecedented, Mount Everest-like heights. It would have been another league winning season.
Ironically, Mourinho's first title included a near-perfect season. A record points total, record number of clean sheets, etc... but one blemish; a solitary defeat away to Manchester City. When Wenger was asked to comment about Chelsea's unbridled success that year, Wenger cheekily pointed out that his side had gone unbeaten, and there is "a big difference" between winning the league and going unbeaten. In the following years, Chelsea won trophy after trophy - and Arsenal have won next to nothing; including an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the league cup final in 2007.In conclusion, if Arsene Wenger wishes to make Arsenal a successful team, he needs to abandon this philosophy of absolute perfection. The unbeaten season was fantastic, but it was a one-off; it might never be repeated again. And it is lingering around the club, like a ghost - a terrifying re-occurring nightmare that spells disaster season after season. The sooner Wenger abandons eulogizing about the 2003-2004 invincibles, the better. It was nearly half a decade ago...
Arsene Wenger turned to the other side of the Iron Curtain in search of that one "special player" with that "special talent" that could propel Arsenal's stuttering season into overdrive. Today, officially, Andrei Arshavin is an Arsenal player for a fee of rougly $15 million.
Wenger certainly knew of his talent previous to this transfer window. The Frenchman was reportedly interested in the versatile attacking midfielder after watching the Russian's dazzling displays at Euro 2008 that heeded the interest of a number of top European clubs, Barcelona among them.
Nonetheless, Wenger, tighter with the purse strings than a pensioner with a 401 K, was keen to wait in order to pounce in order to deflate the price. Wenger knew a number of factors that would deflate Arshavin's price, number one : the current economic climate, number two : Arshavin is currently in pre-season training and not playing in high profile matches, number three : The Russian league does not have the intense media scrutiny of Euro 2008, and it was unlikely that the player could produce repeat performances week in week out. In truth, Wenger is the perplex mixture of a Siberian tiger and an accountant when it comes to buying players; always looking for a bargain - no matter what the economic, social, or relative cost to the team. His prudent financial ends justify the means... in Arsene's eyes anyway.
So how does Arshavin fit into the Arsenal team? Well right now, that will not be very difficult. Against West Ham Arsenal were chronically lacking a player able to give and receive the ball in tight areas in the final 1/3. This was illustrated to comic book perfection when Abou Diaby, supposedly the next Dennis Bergkamp, failed to control a 5 yard angled pass 25 yards short of goal. At present, most Arsenal fans would be happy to see Arsenal play with 10 men as long as Andrei is in the team. Yes, that is how painful the situation has become. He is a player that can stop the "creative bleeding" that Arsenal are experiencing just outside the 18 yard box.
Nonetheless, thinking long term - possibly one of Wenger's few current strong points, Arshavin is merely a band-aid to a punctured wound that Arsenal have not provided any medical attention to. Yes, he solves our creativity problem in the short term, but long term, when/if Rosicky returns, and when Walcott and Fabregas follow suit - Arsenal will have an attacking splurge, with an overload of players in the same position. The one position Arsenal fans clearly touted as being critical this season, in which boots should have been filled, was the central defensive midfield position. Neither Diaby, Denilson, or Ramsey have been convincing in "the holding role", and Arsene Wenger spurned the opportunity of purchasing Aston Villa's Gareth Barry, for example, whose side are 5 points ahead of Arsenal. Sacrebleu, Monsieur Wenger!!
However, intriguingly enough, Arsenal's opponents this weekend are Tottenham Hotspur, home to one of Arshavin's few Russian counter-parts in Enlgand - Roman Pavlyuchenko. There is a further twist in the tale, as Tottenham came the closest of any club to sign Arshavin in the summer - but their 16 million pound move was re-buffed by Zenit, who were holding out for closer to 20. Due to Wenger's tigerish instincts during this grizzly transfer window, Zenit were forced to settle for just over 12. It is extremely unlikely Arshavin will start Arsenal's match at the weekend, but surley history tells us there is a winning goal from the substitutes bench written somewhere in the script for the Russian; given the cavalier nature of Tottenham Hotspur's season, it would surprise few, and provide a fairytale beginning to English football for the Russian, and most importantly, 3 needed points for the Gunners!
The January Transfer window, in my opinion, provides for more heart-ache than it does joy for the average supporter. There is no conceivable fashion in which you are able to conduct sound, prudent business in such a short shop window with hundreds of millions of pounds at stake, both in terms of performances on the pitch, and who is signed and who leaves their respective clubs.
Take some recent deals, for example. Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe is no stranger to moving in January. In fact he has just completed a full circle turn within a calendar year back to his old club Tottenham from Portsmouth. Defoe said he was "sickened" by vicious death threats received via the Pompey fans after he reiterated his desire to leave the south coast outfit following Harry Redknapp's renewed interest.
Sure, you might think : "I can understand the heart-ache the Portsmouth fans have gone through - but what about the Tottenham fans?". The answer, here, is not emotional heart-ache, but financial heart-ache. Every cloud has a silver lining, and Portsmouth fans can relish the 7 million pound profit they made off of the England International - but Pompey's gain is Spurs' pain. In a world where finances are supposed to be tighter than ever; it makes you wonder why Daniel Levy, normally so prudent withe the White Hart Lane purse strings (as evidenced in the Berbatov saga) would permit paying double the amount they sold the same player for one year ago. Why you might ask, would he do such a thing...? One word : relegation. Defoe has been brought in because Tottenham are in a relegation dog-fight, along with roughly 6 or 7 other teams, possibly, somewhat ironically, including Portsmouth.
My overriding point is, which set of supporters are really happy? Both have been hurt by each other in the January transfer window. The term "panic buy" is the word and flavor of the month. One of the two things normally happen. Either clubs target a super-star player, and on the rare occasion when this player is brought in, he is normally cup-tied, and takes 2/3 months to settle into a new environment. If clubs are unable to get their top targets through the door, they invariably buy one of lesser quality which the fans are displeased with. From the selling clubs point of view, the January transfer window is akin to a poisoned chalice - in that they are determined to hold on to their best players, but at the same time keen to buy. The financial crisis has added a wicked twist to the tale - expect a flurry of deadline day deals to go through with milliseconds to spare in February; because the stakes have never been higher for clubs all across the British top flight.
Liverpool's dynamo midfielder has grown from strength to strength since the protracted summer transfer saga of Gareth Barry. Alonso, supposedly a "light-weight" in that deal for the older, less experienced Barry, is arguably the best player in the premiership on current form and has led Liverpool's charge to the top of the table. The best passer of the ball in the Premiership, strong in the tackle, excellent work-rate, and most importantly; a mouth watering partnership with CescFabregas that lead Spain to their first piece of Silverware in 20+ years . Wenger could have signed him over the summer but balked at the £16 million asking price - looks like a Walmart style bargain now though...
2. Daniel Van Buyten
Arsenal have shipped more goals than anyone else in the top four and this was the heart of their evaporation last season from the Champions League and Premiership. Van Buyten has Premiership, Champions League, and International Experience. His giant physique would add much needed steel in the Arsenal baby-pram as Wenger's kids need to come to grips with the physicality of the likes of Aston Villa, Stoke, and Hull in the second half of the Premier League next season to stand any chance of staying in 4th spot, let alone challenging for the title. Furthermore, the player has recently stated his admiration for Arsenal : "Arsenal are a very attractive club. That goes without saying,". Following the William Gallas fracas, Arsenal NEED a new centre half, that also goes "without saying".
3. Kris Boyd
This might surprise some people but he has one of the best goal scoring records in Europe. 66 goals in 92 appearances for Rangers, and he is not even a regular starter, and 7 goals in 15 appearances for his country, Scotland - who don't exactly ever pepper the opposition's goal. People might say, "Ah, but it's the SPL, it's a different kettle of fish from the Premier League". While this is true on the face of it, I agree with Martin Samuel, a columnist for the Sunday Times when he describes one of the most common fallacies in modern day football. Beating the keeper, dribbling past 5 men, the 16 step-overs... they mean nothing. Sticking the ball in the back of the net, that's the hard part of football . Arsenal's beautiful football normally ends in a missed chance or a tame shot at the goalie. Boyd, similar to Henrik Larsson, knows how to do the most difficult part. He is a deadly, ruthless finisher, who would relish a move to the Premier League. Feeding off the chances created by the likes of CescFabregas would be a dream come true for the Scottish International. He would also be available for the Champions League knock-out stages in February. He would add the cutting edge to Arsenal's incisive, yet frustrating football which too often lacks the end product - which this man would no doubt provide.
In the midst of a credit crunch, a financial meltdown, and the crumbling of the world beneath our feet, Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, has taken his current spending total to over 70 million pounds at the City of Manchester Stadium. Despite this influx of talent, which includes the likes of Jo, Robinho, and most recently - Wayne Bridge - Manchester City sit a meagre 13th in the English Premiership. To put this in a stark perspective, Hull City, who have spent a fraction of Hughes' transfer kitty, sit 5 points ahead of the Eastlands Club. Furthermore, the figure of "13th" is a paradoxical one; Man City are 2 points off the drop zone and 4 points clear of the league's bottom team, West Bromich Albion.
Hughes, backed by the Arab billionaires who took over the club in August, will argue that he has not been given the time in order to mold his squad together in order to make them capable of challenging for the upper echelons of the a Premier League which is deemed by many to be the fiercest in Europe, if not the world.
But this argument falls on its head if you consider Hughes' predecessor, Sven Goran Eriksson, spent markedly less than Hughes yet still had City competing for the European places for most of the season, and managed to get them into the UEFA Cup. A modest 9th place in the division, with the likes of Elano, Micah Richards, and Michael Johnson all firing on full cylinders - many in Manchester thought Sven had done a remarkable job, including the famous die hard Noel Gallagher of the band "Oasis".
Yet fast forward to January 2009 and City were just thrashed 0-3 by Championship strugglers Nottingham Forrest in the FA Cup. Their league form, as already stated, is appalling, and only a late, late Robinho strike saved them from a deserved defeat away at Blackburn Rovers. A 5-1 thumping of Hull City a rare recent feat.
Mark's problem is his inability to get any consistency out of City. In particular, they are lacking steel in the middle of the park, and Scott Parker has been touted as the man to fill this void. Whether Parker, a reject of Roman Abramovich's Chelski, is the right man for the job, only time will tell. But many are wondering whether the likes of Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker will be enough to satisfy the appetite of the club's owners - whom in September said that they would make audacious bids for Kaka, Ronaldo, and even Berbatov - who rejected City for Utd on August the 31st.
Hughes is a pragmatist. He achieved success at Blackburn by combining a strong under belly of the likes of Tugay, Christopher Samba with a rapier thrust of Pedersen, Bentley, and Jason Roberts.
If we're all being honest with ourselves, it seems as if Hughes is not so hot on the idea of going after pre-Madonnas who will cost an absolute fortune in wages, and they may also not respond kindly to Hughes' no-nonsense approach and management style. There have already been talks of a split between Hughes and Elano this season, and a general rift between the Brazilians in the changing room and the rest of the squad.
In effect, the debacle that is Manchester City is living proof of how talented a manager Jose Mourinho was at Chelsea, and is still currently at Inter Milan. Mourinho poignantly reminded journalists that the millions in oil money from a wealthy Russian owner meant nothing if there was not a chief conductor in place to get the orchestra performing in unison. The art of managing people who are earning upwards of 100,000 pounds per week is, arguably, the most challenging aspect of managing a super star club. This is a stumbling block that Hughes, given the rumours of dressing room fracas, has yet to master. It is a possible reason why he is not keen to add further "larger than life" players to the dressing room at Eastlands. Whether Sheikh Mansour is on board with Sparky's policy remains to be seen, especially given the FA Cup annihilation at the hands of Forrest.
Hughes' men need to bounce back against Portsmouth on Saturday. Defeat will only increase the pressure on Hughes, and put his position at the club in further jeopardy.
