Auld Lang Syne & All That

Next article that should be up by the 3rd of January will be examining the chances of the clubs threatened by relegation at the mid-point stage of the season and offer some solutions that could keep them afloat.

Till then, have an excellent New Year's Eve and a fabolous 2008. Cheers!

Wake up and Smell the Ashes, Arsene.

Top of the league by one point, through to the knockout stages of the Champions League and with the FA and Carling Cup yet to come, Arsenal are sure looking good for success this season. Spearheaded by the dynamism and creativity of Cesc Fabregas, who is only 20 years of age and already in his 5^th season for the Gunners, it would seem foolish to not back Wenger’s Gunlets for at least one trophy this season. Yet, that is exactly what I am going to do – Arsenal will end up without the League, Champions League and FA Cup this season. Call me daft, but here’s why.

Probably the most obvious weakness in the squad is the lack of depth and general quality beyond the first-eleven. They have a decent keeper that is yet to see action at high levels in Alumnia. Their defense is prone to error and has backup in the form of Sanderos and Hoyte, this department is particularly weak. Other than Hleb and Fabregas, the midfield either has vastly inexperienced players, or those who are not good enough to be challenging for top honours. They do have a talented forward line, many of which can double up as wingers. But they only have two out-and-out forwards in Adebayor and Bendtner and neither is good enough to lead the line. Van Persie and Walcott are too light-weight to be employed as target-men and are better off coming in from wide.

The youthfulness of this Arsenal side smacks of effervescence, but the inexperience and the condition of young bodies could undo their prospects, and this is especially compounded by the lack of depth in the squad. The stress of fixtures in a top club like Arsenal mean that the core players in the team have to turn out for 60 odd games in one full season. This is highly stressful especially for players who are still in the early years of physical development. This will ultimately contribute to the theory that Arsenal will fade out after the second half of the season as fatigue and injuries set in.

Arsenal has performed pretty well so far this season, but I would like to remind readers that the only real opponents they faced so far are at home to Manchester United (2-2, lucky to have got away with a point), away to Liverpool (1-1) and Sevilla home and away (3-0 and 1-3 respectively). The real test comes when they face a resurgent Chelsea this weekend, while not forgetting the tougher challenges in the Champions League knockout stage. If a Fabregas-less Arsenal does that badly against a less-than mediocre Middlesbrough side (who happened to perform brilliantly that particular day) is any sort of indicator, your guess is as good as mine on how they will fair against the bubbling Blues.

I meant to write this article before the game against Middlesbrough and talk about how Arsenal will fade after the Christmas fixture congestion, but I guess it has begun earlier than I expected. Arsene has to wake up and smell the ashes real soon. Make 1 or 2 purchases in the January transfer window to fill that lack of depth especially in defense, or risk ruining a bright start to the season.

Manchester United's Chances in Europe

Five games, five victories, and United are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Only two other teams have remained unbeaten in the group stages, Chelsea and Barcelona. Although the teams that were in Group F were not exactly what you would call serious contenders for the Champions League, coming away from Kiev and Lisbon 4-2 and 1-0 winners is quite a feat. Coupled together with dominating performances at home, the Red Devils look the best bet for a strong showing in Europe this season.

As a United fan myself, I would love to see that happen. But this is dependent on two factors. Firstly, the Cristiano Ronaldo factor. He has netted 14 goals in 18 games this season, 5 of which have come in the 5 European games he appeared in. He sure is peaking, but is it too early? If he burns out prematurely, this could cause serious problems to United in all competitions. You could say there are still the likes of Tevez, Rooney and Saha to lead the front line. Tevez and Rooney are doing relatively ok while Saha is perpetually unfit yet somehow is able to contribute when called upon. The situation looks real bright. At least one of the three has to step up when (or if) Ronaldo wanes at the latter part of the season if United were to see success in any competition.

The second factor is the shaky defense that has been on display all season. They have conceded 13 goals so far this season, which doesn’t seem that bad a number initially. However conceding 5 in the last 7 is a statistic to worry about. The most consistent defensive performer this season has been Wes Brown, who is now in the middle of a distracting contract wrangle. The problem actually lies in the latent instability of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. They look solid on the whole and started off very hard and strong early in the season, but they are beginning to show a propensity to lose concentration, which was precisely why those goals were leaked. Such cracks will be gaping holes when they move deeper into the competition where the likes of Kaka, Ronaldinho and Ibrahimovic will prove to be much more of a problem. Reestablishing the once sound Ferdinand-Vidic partnership and holding on to Brown could be vital to their quest for silverware this season.

My humble opinion is that whether United do well in the Champions League this season is entirely dependent on their performance in the domestic league. The better they do in the league, the less likely they would do well in the Europe. They arguably have enough depth in the squad to challenge a minimum of two fronts, but the new batch of players lack the experience to compete at such a high level so often and perform consistently. However if there was one player that could bring back the 2^nd European title that Sir Alex so obviously wants and needs to surpass Sir Matt Busby and cement himself in United folklore, it will be that Portuguese Prodigy.

Precursor to Revival

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=488545&cc=4716
(Article posted on 7/12/2007)

http://www.bleacherreport.com/articles/2724-European_Football-
Portsmouth-Tottenham_Hotspur-Foreign_Ownership_in_the_EPL_
A_Double-Edged_Sword-081007
(Written on 08/10/2007)

********

Hey Melvin,

The Champions League Group F has proven to be a simple challenge for Fergie's men. No other club in Europe has matched their dominance in the Group Stage, and many spectators would deem them the favorite heading into the knockout rounds.

Wondering if in the next week, you'd be able to write a 250-500 word editorial piece regarding Man U's Champions League prospects heading into the new year?

If you're feeling ambitious, we're also looking for analysis on other top Champions League contenders.

Thanks Melvin—looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Zan

--

Zander Freund
Content and Community Director
Bleacher Report Team
www.BleacherReport.com

*********************

Back with a vengeance! Look out for my next article which will probably come in beginning of next week. Sorry for the wait folks...will update soon.

Lame Looney

Everyone has been talking about the £30mil useless piece of meat that is Andrei Shevchenko. I will do one better. Named by Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the 5 world-class players he has ever coached, alongside Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs and costing the club in excess of £20mil, Wayne Rooney has definitely been placed on a pedestal by both his manager and his fans. I will stick my neck out to say that Rooney is overrated, and Manchester United is better off with him not in the starting lineup. Here’s why…

Statistics that matter, Rooney has scored 7 goals in 28 appearances against credible teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Milan and Roma. This brings me to my first beef - Rooney does not perform on the big stage. Very often fading into obscurity when performing on the biggest stage, he certainly has failed to live up to the ‘world-class’ tag labeled on him. Granted, his role in the team is not one of being a natural goal-scorer, but then again besides Saha, Ruud van Nistlerooy and the now retired Solskjaer, there were not many of such players. This plus the point that he plays almost every game that he is fit to and the positions he finds himself in front of goal in matches, makes the lack of goals against big teams glaring. Cristiano Ronaldo can score more goals than Rooney, playing in a less forward and central position, on the big stage as well.

Known for his fiery and dogged playing style, he loses the plot too often and does unnecessary tackles or comes into confrontations with the opposition and the referee. He is certainly someone that does not lack confidence and he is very overt in showing it. He has improved somewhat in his relations with opposition players but he really has to check his tackles and less-than-subtle conversations with the referee or he will continue to be a disciplinary liability.

His playing style is another cause for concern. He has this habit of playing on his strength and determination, often running the ball into the wide and corner positions, very often crowded out by 2 or more defenders, and he will end up losing the ball. He loses the ball very often too, due to poor touch and awareness. He is unable to bring his teammates into the game (unlike Tevez), lacking the presence of mind and awareness that is vital for someone employed in that position. His finishing is inconsistent; he used to score spectacular goals and is able to put away easy chances, but he has yet to score in 10 competitive games 4 of which included slightly inferior teams. The only advantage having him on the pitch is his determination and physical presence, which could cause defenders problems and open up space for his teammates to capitalize on.

I find it quite an issue to name someone, who has just played 4 seasons for you and is only 22 years of age, alongside true greats like Cantona, Giggs, Schmeichel and Keane as being ‘world-class’. He has yet to achieve anything on the big stage and this brings immense injustice to a player like Paul Scholes. Perhaps this is another mind-game from the wily old Scot in an attempt to bring Rooney’s standard of play up another level to justify his price tag or to benefit the team, I don’t know. I do know he has to bring his game with him soon, if not Tevez and Saha should deservedly be in the first team and not Lame Looney.

Jose has Left the Building

Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea. As much as everyone has their negative comments about him, I am absolutely certain his presence will be missed. Let's take a pictorial journey on the impression he left on the Premier League.

Amidst the Blue revival under Roman Abramovich, a certain someone who won the Champions League with an unfancied Porto side was hired to replace Claudio Rainieri. He called himself The Special One, and from this picture, it isn't hard to see why. Armed with Roman's billions, to spend on transfers, he began his reign.


In the flurry of criticisms and hatred, he silenced every one by winning the Premier League and the League Cup, reaching the semi-final stages of the Champions League in the process. He has gone on to win one more League title and League Cup, one FA Cup, and one Community Shield in his 3 full seasons with Chelsea. Chelsea are currently unbeaten at home for a record 67 games in a row. Such are his achievements.




In his time at Chelsea, he has shown himself to have interesting character traits. The most attention-grabbing is his inability to lose with grace. Blaming everyone from the referee, his assistants, the FA, buses parked in front of goals, lunch...whatever. Sometimes he has a point, sometimes he doesn't. One thing's for sure, he usually gives the opponent the credit they deserve. One legacy he did leave behind is his stylish goal celebrations at the dugout, sometimes he even displays nonchalance. Nothing less from the Special One.




His antics were fodder for the press, who lapped up his every word and action. Every facial expression, every comment made, every mis-step was scrutinized. It was a field day for the media personnel covering any Chelsea event. Every reporter's dream.



All said and done, Jose is one polished Portuguese. His boyish looks, manly charms, sharp suits, sexy accent and the air of confidence around him left many women hot on their couches. He does have his off days though, but generally, he was hot enough.



And things began turning sour. His relationship with Roman turned frigid. I would say, it all started with the arrival of Andriy Shevchenko, Roman's good friend. Things snowballed and didn't look good at the end of last season. Roman's ominous departure in the recent 2-0 defeat against Villa spelled trouble. The support of his players, and the success he had was not enough to make him immune from the chop. More of an issue of personal differences than anything else, Mourinho was made to leave.



He carried the team on his shoulders, and wore his heart on his sleeve. He was extremely popular with the players, media and his own fans. I am certain he has converted many a hater in his time at Chelsea. And I am proud to say that I am one of them. The Premier League will never be the same without him. He will be missed. Will we see him in action on the sidelines in England for another team? Spurs are actively looking for a manager and they could hire him. But I feel it is unlikely that he will stay in the UK. If Spurs does hire Ramos from Sevilla, Mourinho could be moving to sunny Spain. Anyway, Jose has certainly left the building.

The Foe?

Name: Jermain Colin Defoe

Height: 1.70m

Date of birth: 07-10-1982

Position: Forward

Nationality: England

Tottenham Hotspur

Appearance (Substitute) - Goals

League: 85 (40) - 39

FA Cup: 7 (4) - 5

League Cup: 8 (2) – 9

Other: 2 (3) – 3

Jermain Defoe was a youth product of Charlton where he impressed enough to be purchased by then West Ham boss Harry Redknapp for a fee of £1.15million in 1999; he was only 19 years old then. In his 5 years at Upton Park he netted 51 goals and when The Hammers went down in 2003, it was almost inevitable that someone one of his quality would have no lack of suitors. Thus he followed the West Ham exodus of that season and joined Tottenham Hotspur for a hefty fee of £7million in 2004. This move saw him make his England senior debut as a substitute in March of the same year in a 1-0 defeat to Sweden. He subsequently handed his first start in a World Cup qualifying match against Poland in September 2004, scoring in a 2-1 win. He has clocked up 22 more caps after this and scoring 2 more goals. Blessed with quick feet, lightning reaction and explosive finishing, many people would have tipped him to achieve great things. This is precisely why I decided to devote an entire article to him.

He has made 5 league appearances for Spurs this season, all as a substitute. In his 24 international caps for England, he only started four of those games, with the rest as a cameo substitute. Sven brought an unfit Rooney and an untested 17 year old Walcott rather than a raring-to-go Defoe for the World Cup last year. In short, Defoe’s recent fortune with selection could be described as pitiful. Why is that so? Let’s look at the situation in both Spurs and England to have a better idea.

There are currently 4 forwards in the Tottenham setup – Berbatov, Keane, Bent and Defoe. You could say each has their own strengths and weaknesses but neither are goal scoring machines unless you count Berbatov’s 23 goal haul in all competitions last season as being prolific. He is the only one, I would have to say, that would be the only confirmed name on the team sheet in the forwards department. Keane’s strengths are his intelligence and creativity, leadership qualities, as well as his ability to score amazing goals to rouse his team mates. He would be second on the team sheet. This leaves Jermain Defoe and a £16.5million Bent on the bench.

One note on Bent; he has pace, strength, and aerial ability. But he is only slightly above average in those departments, and that arguably makes him a mediocre player. You could say he scored lots of goals during his time at Charlton but being the lone man up-front for the Addicks would mean he would have the most and best opportunities to become their top goal-scorer. After all that rambling, I will just sum up the player, which cost Spurs £0.5million more than what Barcelona paid for Theirry Henry, in one word – overrated.

With Tottenham involved in the domestic league, FA and League Cup competitions, and the Uefa Cup, there is supposed to be a host of games to keep each forward happy. The problem here lies in the international status of both Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe. Both are on the fringes of the team and need match time in order to impress and keep sharp. Playing bit-parts in competitions inferior to the League or Uefa competitions would definitely frustrate, or could even be detrimental to these players, who are of certain quality and expectation.

The fact that Spurs have got off to a poor start has pressured Martin Jol to keep the existing strikeforce of Berbatov and Keane. The only time this partnership was changed was against Derby when Bent was handed a starting place, ahead of Defoe. It was perhaps the fact that Defoe and Keane were never able to successfully play together that prompted Jol to make such a decision.

What this could mean for Defoe on the club level is increasing disappointment on the bench. This would affect his already dim international future. England usually employs a dual forward system and this would normally mean calling up 4-5 of them. In the upcoming Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel, McClaren called up Alan Smith, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Andrew Johnson and Jermain Defoe. Well-known for his liking of pairing a target-man with a speedy player, it would be a good guess to say that Heskey and Owen are the most likely to start.

A few words on McClaren (as you can see, I love to digress). I have always felt he has achieved nothing in club level for him to deserve a job like managing England. Owen is a paler shade of his old self, after losing his speed and agility after coming back from his long term injury. But yet, he is one of McClaren’s favourites. In my opinion, it would be logical to start Emile Heskey and Andy Johnson up front as the latter is in good form compared to Alan Smith (who is deployed as a centre-midfielder in Newcastle) and Jermain Defoe (who has a serious lack of match practice). Owen’s place in the squad should be given up to someone like Ashley Young or Gabriel Agbonlahor (both of whom have been putting in decent displays for Villa), since I feel his abilities and form does not warrant him a place. In essence, he is as daft a manager (tactically) as you can get.

Back to Defoe. It is unlikely he will play any part in this game as I see Andy Johnson coming before him in the pecking order, and putting 4 forwards on the field at the same time would only happen if England were down 1-0 with 15 minutes to go. And with Rooney and Crouch unavailable, Defoe’s England chances look bleak.

What now for this young man? To me at least, his abilities as a forward are undeniable and my heart aches to see such footballing injustice being done. My honest opinion is that he should move on to a club that will guarantee him regular first team action, and that England needs a new (read: more competent) manager for his talents to be recognized and put in better use. He should be least playing a more integral role rather than the plug-filling function that he is right now.

With such talent and promise, one can only lament the state that Defoe is in right now. I wish him all the best.