English Football Blog - Soccer News And Comment

England - World Class Chokers

2010-06-30T10:03:00.000+01:00

The overpaid Premiership stars in the England football team have now been exposed. Before the World Cup 2010, we kept hearing about how our team of World class players were capable of beating anyone and winning the tournament. How wrong the media were. The players are a mixture of World class chokers and average Premiership players.

Rooney, Terry and the rest of them look World class when they are playing alongside their domestic clubs’s foreign contingents. Take the foreign stars out of those teams and the English players would be shown up for what they are, i.e., not as good as we are led to believe. It is not Gerrard, Lampard and co that makes the Premiership the best league in the World.

Fabio Capello is not a bad football manager. However, he has got most things wrong where the World Cup is concerned. Firstly, he made errors in selecting the final squad. Leaving out Theo Walcott was a terrible decision. Defenders do not like pace and Walcott has it in abundance. He would have been the perfect alternative to ineffective displays by Rooney, Lennon and Wright-Phillips.

There were far too many average players in the squad masquerading as international footballers. Jamie Carragher was never deemed good enough by previous managers with very good reason. As for Glen Johnson, here we have a right-back whose weakness is defending! If he is the best right-back in the country then we have got serious problems. Then we come to Gareth Barry who has rose to prominence due to Owen Hargreaves injury.

The excuses have started already. Apparently the players were tired. One minute they are complaining of boredom, then after being humiliated by Germany, it is because they were tired. Whatever the reasons behind the poor performances, Capello is paid a huge salary and has failed spectacularly. The fact he still needs an interpreter to speak English is worrying to say the least.

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Wayne Rooney - A Legend in His Own Mind

2010-06-20T16:38:00.000+01:00

Wayne Rooney would do well to remember that loyal support has transformed him from chav to multi-millionaire. England fans have spent heavily on making the trip to South Africa and deserve better than what Rooney and co have delivered thus far. Terry Venables recently labelled him as the best player in the world. If his first 2 performances in this World Cup are anything to go by, he wouldn’t get in the top 100.

Rooney has apologised for his comments via a statement released to the media. This was probably hastily arranged by the FA due to the player’s unwillingness to go before the cameras and apologise publicly.

Before the World Cup 2010 tournament started, many people were of the opinion that England had an easy group. However, after drawing with USA and Algeria, England will look rather foolish if they fail to beat Slovenia in the final group match. England looked a half decent team in qualifying but now look all over the place. Clearly, the players have issues which are affecting the level of performance.

Cappello does not escape criticism for his team selections. Things are not working and need to be changed. If Rooney is throwing his toys out of the pram then he should be dropped along with Heskey. Replace them with Joe Cole, Crouch and Defoe. If England can’t beat Slovenia without Rooney, they will not deserve to go through to the knockout stages anyway.

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English Goalkeepers and Basic Errors

2010-06-13T10:16:00.000+01:00

Perhaps we should not be surprised that England failed to beat a distinctly average USA team. After all, it is not the first international tournament where England has got off to a slow start in the first game. With a manager like Fabio Cappello in charge you felt this World Cup would be different. Losing Rio Ferdinand and David James to injury did not help matters but England should still be coming out on top.

If it wasn’t for the latest goalkeeping howler by Robert Green, we may have held on for a 1-0 win. It used to be Scottish goalkeepers that were the butt of jokes. However, it is now English goalkeepers that are fast gaining a reputation as the latest football joke. If James is not fit for the next match then surely Joe Hart deserves a chance. No doubt there will be an outpouring of sympathy for Green in some quarters but that should not be the case.

TV commentators labelled it a freak goal yet it was anything but a freak occurrence. Green committed the most basic of goalkeeping errors. He did not get his body behind the ball. There was no bobble so it was not because of the pitch or the ball. Green delivered a schoolboy error on the World football stage and that is all there is to it. He is a decent Premiership keeper but at this level he looks exposed.

Sadly, his team mates were unable to come to his rescue. Emile Heskey has not played much for club or country yet was reinstated. This meant he was able to further his woeful goal scoring record. Peter Crouch, who had scored 21 goals in 39 games for his country was left to sit on the substitute’s bench for 80 minutes. After witnessing the ineffective displays of James Milner and SWP, Joe Cole must be left wondering why he has not been selected himself.

We keep hearing about how David Beckham is with the squad to give the players a boost! Well, having Beckham sat on the sidelines looking concerned only appeared to boost his friends from the USA.

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Treat Like a Youth Team Player

2010-03-05T12:53:00.001Z

During his playing career, Ian Wright was a quality striker who wore his heart on his sleeve. Now involved in the media, he is never slow to speak up on behalf of his son Shaun Wright-Philips. Well, apart from those occasions when he has a stinker. In the past, we have heard him calling for SWP to be included in the England team. Now he has launched a blistering attack on Manchester City over his son’s contract negotiations.

This is a player who has been earning £70,000 a week since signing for Chelsea in 2005. If he feels he should be on the same wages as Man City’s top earners fair enough. But please let us not have this bleating by his old man that City is treating him as a youth team player. You can bet youngsters in youth teams up and down the country would love to be coining it in to the tune of £70,000 a week.

He says the club should pay him what he is worth but some people might argue he is already getting exactly that. Others would suggest he is paid considerably more than he is worth. SWP is a good player but consistency has always been his problem. He signed a four year contract on his return to City. Fast forward two years and he would like to renegotiate the contract. Is he worth £100,000 a week? No, I don’t think he is but hey welcome to planet footballer.

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Internet only England coverage

2009-10-10T13:14:00.001+01:00

After the recent backlash from fans that were angry at not being able to watch England on television you would think the FA and the TV companies would have taken the hint. Sadly it appears they did not and if anyone intends watching the game between Ukraine versus England they will have to do it online.

The match will be the first England game to be broadcast via the internet instead of television. It should come as no surprise that the vast majority of football supporters are less than impressed by this. If you have not taken out a subscription then it will cost the princely sum of £9.99 to watch the game. There may be unofficial alternatives for those willing to do some research.

Scratching around for an internet site to watch a live feed from the game is ridiculous. It highlights just what is wrong with modern day football. Even if you stumble across such a feed the quality is not always the best. It seems the humble supporter does not rank high on the list of priorities. This is international football and all fans regardless of nationality should be able to watch the game on terrestrial television.

The BBC pockets a huge amount in TV license fees. This should be going towards securing exactly this kind of sporting event for the nation’s viewing pleasure. The FA should be working alongside the TV companies to ensure all games are available via that old fashioned medium the television set.

The online bookmaker Bet365 is allowing member access to the game without charge. There is a small catch however because you need a live account credited with some funds.

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Saint Gerrard Can Do No Wrong

2009-08-31T16:07:00.001+01:00

Arsenal striker Eduardo has been rightly charged with diving by UEFA for his theatrical effort against Celtic. However, this raises questions about whether or not this will be an isolated punishment. Diving is widespread throughout World football and should be eradicated. Highlighting the behaviour of one player will not stamp it out. This should be a regular occurrence and offenders should be hit with an automatic suspension.

There are numerous other players who have a reputation for diving. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard is a perfect example. Gerrard has become an expert at going down like he has been pole axed. It is highly unlikely FIFA or UEFA would charge a high profile player. There have been some classics by Gerrard over the years such as the penalty he was given against Sheffield United when he tripped over thin air.

In his recent court case he was charged with assault, it appeared to most right thinking people that Gerrard was indeed guilty of the charge. The CCTV footage clearly showed a drunken Gerrard and his friends surrounding one member of staff. However, his legal team managed to successfully argue that he acted in self defence. Not because he had been assaulted but because he feared an attack was imminent.

If that had been Joe Bloggs caught on camera committing assault things would have been different. The accused escaped punishment simply because of who he is and the majority of personnel inside the Court were positively star struck. The outcome was a good one for Gerrard but made a mockery of the justice system. It also gave more weight to the argument that some highly paid footballers believe they are immune to the law. Alas, no doubt plenty of people at court managed to obtain an autograph from their hero.

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Time For Man City To Deliver

2009-08-18T18:41:00.001+01:00

Mark Hughes has been the envy of just about every football manager in the World over the summer months. Spending the millions was the easy part now he will have to mould his collection of superstars into a team capable of winning the premiership title. The attitude of Robinho might also improve now he has been joined by several big name players.

The owners of Man City will want to see a return on their considerable outlay. That does not necessarily mean a trophy is demanded this season. However, they will want to see a marked improvement on the results of last season. When playing at home City was reasonably strong but away from home the return was very poor. That will have to change this year.

For all the attacking flair at their disposal the one area where City could still improve is the back four. The manager is well aware of this fact hence the protracted attempts to land both John Terry and Joleon Lescott. If these efforts remain unsuccessful they may turn their attention to an overseas player instead.

Even with question marks over the defence City possess enough pace, power and skill going forward to trouble any premiership side. It is only a matter of when and not if they add a defensive kingpin or two to the equation. When that happens they will be a force to be reckoned with.

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Beckham Wants To Have His Cake And Eat It

2009-07-22T14:33:00.000+01:00

The supporters of LA Galaxy have every right to be thoroughly cheesed off with England midfielder David Beckham. When the supposed star player is receiving the salary that he enjoys they will expect something in return. Instead of improving the team some claim that the side plays better without him.

There has always been rumours of dressing room discontent because of the wages Beckham is paid. His determination to go out on loan to AC Milan meant missing the start of the MLS season. This has infuriated the fans who appear to have now turned on golden balls. Of course, he will not be unduly concerned with the dissent shown by sections of the support.

Beckham’s obsession with England and the next World Cup means he wants to have his cake and eat it. All the claptrap about putting the MLS on the World football map and improving the profile of the sport in the USA was a smokescreen. It was all about living in LA and rubbing shoulders with the celebrity set.

There is nothing wrong with that but if you take the money and then treat your employers with contempt it will end in tears eventually. Shortly after Beckham returned to LA Galaxy he was already stating his intention to once again play for other clubs on loan. He is treating LA Galaxy and their fans with contempt. If Beckham cannot see, why people are angry then he clearly has more money than sense.

Where the World Cup 2010 is concerned Beckham is like a dog with a bone and he will not let go. The only reason he is still clinging on to an England squad place is the revenue he brings in and that is a poor reason for inclusion in the national team. Players should be selected only on merit and not due to any commercial aspect.

Beckham is a selfish individual at times and we have seen this sort of behaviour before. His insistence on playing for England in major international tournaments whilst injured and not fully fit is the perfect example. Beckham’s needs are the number one priority even if that means his team suffers as a result.

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Setanta Sports Goes Bust

2009-06-28T18:06:00.001+01:00

The most ridiculous piece of football news this week concerns the sports television channel Setanta. The supposed rival channel to Sky has gone under with millions of pounds outstanding. They could not even meet the latest payment that was due to the clubs. This is a clear breach of contract by Setanta Sports. The matches they had exclusive broadcast rights for will now be sold to the highest bidder. That is a polite way of saying they will be snapped up by Sky.

Opinion on the failed channel was mixed to say the least. One criticism was the Premiership games often lacked variety with one team in particular screened regularly. Any non subscribers who were considering signing up must be heaving a huge sigh of relief. Getting your money back in this scenario can sometimes be a struggle.

Presumably this means the return of Sky’s Prem Plus package. Why they cannot just keep all the games in one package is beyond belief. If a customer subscribes to Sky sports, they should not have to fork out to see some more live Premiership football. It is just a ploy to squeeze some more money out of the loyal customer base. In the present economic climate these tactics are not welcome.

The reasons for the demise of Setanta Sports are not clear although they had obviously bitten off more than they could chew. Whether you like them or not Sky are an established giant when it comes to sport on television. Now that Setanta has come and gone there is only one real solution for sports on television.

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Good Riddance To The Winker

2009-06-12T18:57:00.000+01:00

It was always a possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo would eventually get his way and move to Real Madrid. He is one of the best players in the World but his behaviour does not always match his skills. This goes back to the World Cup when he played a part in getting his club team mate Wayne Rooney sent off. That game between England and Portugal showed the global television audience exactly what Ronaldo is like.

Many felt that Sir Alex Ferguson should have washed his hands of him back then. However, he did nothing of the sort and instead he remained loyal to Ronaldo. He has developed into quite a player although it could be said that is not necessarily a good thing. He has behaved like a spoilt child at times in the last year throwing his toys out of the pram when he did not get his move to Madrid. Although he pledged loyalty to United, it was not convincing. It was more a case of delaying the inevitable.

This year he has looked disinterested and brilliant often in the same game. In the Premiership, he has thrown tantrums when being substituted. After the Champions League final, his criticism of Fergie’s tactics was very disrespectful. The time was right for Manchester United to get rid and get the best possible price for him. The £80 million transfer is a World record and allows replacements to be brought in.

Ronaldo is the latest in a long line of great players that have left the club. The manager is an expert at rebuilding teams when key players depart. When next season gets underway Manchester United will still be a good bet for the title even without the winker.

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The Rich Man's Toy

2009-05-30T17:57:00.000+01:00

At the start of the season, not many people would have tipped Newcastle United for relegation. The fact they now find themselves in the Championship is due to a catalogue of errors. Numerous mistakes have been made during the course of the season by the owner Mike Ashley.

The reason for the sacking of Sam Allardyce was reported to be the type of football the team was producing. This is a valid point but Allardyce would not have delivered relegation had he remained in charge. The hierarchy decided to bring back Toon legend Kevin Keegan. This raised an eyebrow or two in some quarters but it was considered a safe appointment. Keegan would have the backing of the fans and would get the team playing attractive and attacking football.

For some strange reason Ashley then decided to bring in a director of football. Club chairmen do not seem to learn that in English football the director of football role rarely succeeds. This scenario just creates conflict between the manager and the director. The manager should be solely responsible for deciding which players should be bought or sold.

The appointment was cheeky cockney Dennis Wise a man with no connection to the North East which made matters worse. Furthermore it is believed that Keegan and Wise did not really get along beforehand. The rest is history as Keegan walked away after issuing an ultimatum that was not met.

The next manger to be given the job was former Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear who had been out of the game for some time. Ill health put paid to his stint and that is where the crucial error was made. An experienced manger should have been appointed immediately but instead Ashley left Chris Hughton in charge.

The last throw of the dice was appointing Alan Shearer with only a handful of games remaining. Shearer is worshipped by the supporters but had an impossible task to keep them up. Money has been thrown around like confetti in recent years on a host of poor signings. Average players have been given very generous contracts and have simply not earned those wages.

If the club is to make an instant return to the Premiership then a massive clear out is required. Under performing players who are on contracts of £50,000 a week or more, need to be moved out of the club. You need a fair amount of fighting spirit to get out of the Championship and that is one quality the current squad does not have in abundance.

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Dream Champions League Final

2009-05-08T17:26:00.000+01:00

The purists and any neutral football supporters will be eagerly anticipating the final game of the Champions League between Manchester United and Barcelona. European football’s governing body UEFA will also be looking forward to the occasion. There is talk that the official who refereed the Chelsea v Barcelona semi-final match was under orders not to allow an all English final.

Tom Henning Ovrebo made numerous ridiculous decisions during the match for both sides. The most controversial incidents involved at least three clear penalties for Chelsea which he turned down. This happens all the time in football but three clear penalties for the same team in one match is highly unusual. This is why there is a growing suspicion that someone got to the referee.

It is claimed that Ovrebo was an inexperienced official having only refereed 10 Champions League matches previously. If they have any commonsense UEFA will ensure he does not get a chance to officiate in any more. That is assuming they do not want to reward him for his services.

Both semi-finals were shrouded in controversy because of poor refereeing decisions. A strong referee with sufficient experience needs to be appointed for the final. Considering the competition involves the cream of European football the main talking points should be about the game itself rather than the standard of officiating.

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Player Of The Year Farce

2009-05-01T09:56:00.001+01:00

The PFA player of the year award usually goes to the season’s outstanding footballer. This year the accolade has been given to Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs. To say this was a controversial award is something of an understatement. Giggs is an outstanding professional and has been a great servant to his club and football in general. He would be deserving of a lifetime achievement award for such a long and successful career.

Having said that to award him the player of the year is ridiculous simply because he has only started 12 games this season. He has been chosen ahead of several of his fellow professionals who would have been more worthy of the award. Last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo is not everyone’s cup of tea and maybe this was a snub to him because of the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch. It is fair to say that Giggs is a model professional and the exact opposite of Ronaldo which may have been reflected in the vote.

The full list of nominees was Edwin Van Der Sar, Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic. Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard. This season Giggs has been out performed by every single nominee. The fact the list included five Manchester United players also raised a few eyebrows. If he had not missed games through injury, the award would probably have gone to Gerrard. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has had yet another free scoring season and was also unlucky not to feature.

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Eight Goal Thrillers

2009-04-22T17:44:00.000+01:00

Premiership title challengers Liverpool seem to be developing a habit of participating in eight goal thrillers. The recent Champions League semi-final 2nd leg against Chelsea finished in a 4-4 draw and has been labelled as one of the best games of recent years.

The Premiership fixture between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield came very close for sheer entertainment. This match also finished all square at 4-4 with plenty of incident and drama which is what makes the Premiership so popular. Games like this are great for the neutral but not the two managers concerned. Benitez in particular will be pulling his hair out at some of the defending his team produced.

There is a move to bring Kenny Dalglish back to the club in some capacity but with the number of goals Liverpool have conceded recently they would be better off hiring former defender Alan Hansen to coach the defence. The television audiences must love watching Liverpool play as there always seems to be an abundance of goals scored and conceded.

A season that promised so much for Liverpool now looks as though it will finish with no trophy. They must hope Manchester United drops points in the remaining fixtures to have any realistic chance of the title.

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Dominating The European Champions League

2009-04-17T17:02:00.000+01:00

As we reach the final stages of the Champions League the question of English dominance once again, rears its head. No doubt UEFA president Michel Platini will be distinctly unimpressed to see three English teams in the semi-finals. The Premier League is the richest league in the world right now so it is hard to see anything other than the continuation of the trends of the last few seasons.

Life has not always been rosy for English clubs. In the past, we had the ridiculous European ban after the Heysel disaster. This was a classic example of both FIFA and UEFA flexing their muscles in an attempt to unfairly punish the country that gave football to the world.

Football tends to run in cycles so the current period of dominance by the Premier Leagues big four will not last forever. Instead of complaining about English clubs, it is up to the other major teams in Europe to improve their own standards and challenge that dominance.

Spanish giants Barcelona with Messi, Eto’o and Henry are an awesome team and are the only club that stands in the way of an English winner in the final. If not then the Champions League trophy will once again be lifted by an English club. You can just imagine Platini applauding through gritted teeth with his fake smile.

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Controversial New England Shirt

2009-04-05T21:06:00.004+01:00

There was much controversy surrounding the new England shirt in terms of the design and the way it was launched. As long as David Beckham is still around then the FA will maximise any opportunity to cash in.

One criticism levelled at football clubs is how often the replica shirts are changed. Most shirts last for two years although some have been used for just one season. The England replica shirts follow suit in much the same way. In recent years, the England shirts have not changed a great deal and at times it has been difficult to distinguish between new and old such was the similarity.

This latest shirt has a retro feel to it having been modelled on the kits of yesteryear. It is basic in design and comes with a collar but the combination works well. This change of direction is welcome and at least gives the fans a reason to purchase a shirt that is unique and different from the previous one.

The shirt does look similar to a white polo shirt at first glance and the manufacturers Umbro had to come up with something different for the polo type leisure shirt design to ensure the two were not identical.

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Three Big Wins For Liverpool

2009-03-23T21:02:00.000Z

Liverpool’s season has been re-ignited thanks to three stunning results against Real Madrid, Manchester United and Aston Villa. These were not just bog standard victories either on each occasion the opposition was soundly thrashed with goals galore.

Both Man Utd and Real are among the cream of European club football so those two wins in particular were quite stunning and will have made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice. Not many teams will be overly confident about facing Liverpool in what remains of the current Champions League.

If Liverpool had not dropped so many points at home then they would probably be out in front. In their defence, they will point to the absences of Gerrard and Torres which may have cost points. Both men are world class players and they rely heavily on them.

The premiership appeared all but over a few days ago although it is true that Man United still has the advantage. They have a crucial game in hand and have plenty of experience having been in this position a few times over the years. Recent results will put some pressure on Fergie and his players if nothing else and ensure that the title race is not a foregone conclusion.

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The Hiddink Effect

2009-03-10T15:39:00.001Z

Guus Hiddink has had an instant impact on the Chelsea squad after winning his first five games in charge. The appointment has probably come too late in the season to enable the blues to mount a serious premiership title challenge but it bodes well for next season if the Dutchman is still in charge.

There was talk of Frank Rijkaard being brought in as manager at the end of the season but surely the job will now be offered to Hiddink on a long term basis. Hiddink is exactly the kind of high profile and experienced manager to finally lay the ghost of Mourinho. He also possesses enough quality to battle it out with Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United.

Phil Scolari was surprisingly ineffective when it came to the tactical side of the game and this was particularly exposed during the matches against the big three teams. Hiddink instantly recognized the importance of getting the best out of Didier Drogba which is something Scolari failed to do. He has also not been afraid to play with two up front and the partnership of Anelka and Drogba rivals any in the premiership.

Chelsea resembles a team once again and appears to be back to their best with both John Terry and Frank Lampard looking re-invigorated. The premiership title may no longer be a realistic target but not many will bet against them going all the way to the Champions League final once more.

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Unhealthy Situation At Eastlands

2009-02-23T23:17:00.000Z

It came as no surprise to hear that Craig Bellamy had made his feelings known to his team mate Robinho. The exchange centred on what Bellamy considered a lack of effort. Love him or hate him Bellamy is guaranteed to make things interesting. The next pre season tour should be interesting if he packs his golf clubs.

There is no disputing the quality of Brazilian superstar Robinho but his conduct off the field leaves a lot to be desired. Robinho openly flouts club rules and escapes punishment seemingly because of who he is. This is rumoured to be causing bad feeling among other elements of the first team squad which is no surprise.

Long term this situation is unhealthy and cannot continue. Successful teams are a collection of players. One great player does not bring success by himself. The new Man City owners should encourage the manager to treat all players the same way regardless of who they are.

Team spirit is a massive factor for any great football team. If the club is to start winning trophies, then harmony needs to be restored. Superstars are often like spoilt children and can be difficult to manage. Mark Hughes finds himself in an awkward position trying to find a balance between maintaining discipline and not upsetting the best player.

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Scolari Not So Special

2009-02-10T11:49:00.001Z

When it comes to sacking the manager there are some football clubs which do not mess about. Chelsea has a ruthless streak and will act if things are not going according to plan. Mourinho was extremely successful on the trophy front but became too big a personality for the owners. Avram Grant was always a dead man walking after succeeding Jose and he was ruthlessly axed after coming close to Champions League success.

Abramovich wanted attractive football but you suspect he would now gladly settle for the sort of success Mourinho delivered. At the start of the season Chelsea looked like red hot favourites for the title but, injuries to key players have not helped their cause. Drogba has always been a big player and the managers fall out with him and also Alex did not help matters.

Scolari looked to be a good appointment on paper but he has looked out of his depth in recent weeks. The premiership is all about high tempo and intense football and it was looking as though Scolari could not cope. He has had success on the international front but club football is a different kettle of fish.

From what we have seen of Scolari this season England probably had a narrow escape when he changed his mind after accepting the job. If he cannot get to grips with English club football, the pressure of leading the national team would be too much. This was probably the reason for his change of heart.

Making the change now gives the new man a chance to get the challenge for trophies back on track. There will be an impressive short list of high profile managers vying to be the new Chelsea manager. Among them will be Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink and Sven Goran Eriksson.

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Transfer Deadline Day News

2009-02-03T12:55:00.001Z

To say the country is suffering from the effects of the global recession, several clubs still managed to spend a few million on players. The big news was the return to White Hart Lane of former striker Robbie Keane. The talk is Liverpool agreed to take a huge loss on the player by allowing him to move back to Spurs for only £12 million. It is not a good time right now to be writing off £8 million. Keane did not set the world on fire at Anfield but the rotation policy employed by Benitez was probably not the way to get the best out of him.

The fact that Spurs have gone for several former players actually makes sound business sense. Transfer fees are paid in instalments so all of these deals will have had a significant amount of money outstanding on them. The only surprise is that more clubs have not followed suit. Harry Redknapp has a much stronger squad at his disposal and any relegation worries should be eased.

At Stamford Bridge their old boss Jose Mourinho did Chelsea a favour by allowing Ricardo Quaresma to join them on loan. How times have changed in the last year for the club. It does make you wonder whether they have one eye on a new stadium as an alternative to re-developing the existing one.

Arsenal brought their own transfer saga to an end when they eventually managed to sign Andrei Arshavin. They have been desperate for new blood all season and some would argue it is too little too late to have any real impact on their title chances this season. In fact Arsenal will have their work cut out to finish in the top four with the emergence of Aston Villa this season.

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Premiership Trophy Bound For Old Trafford

2009-01-29T19:01:00.001Z

Just when we were enjoying the prospect of a good old fashioned ding dong in the premiership title race Manchester United have slipped into the top gear. Ever since old Rafa said his piece about Fergie it seems to have fired up the Old Trafford boss because his team looks the most likely champions. In comparison, the men from Anfield are fading fast.

Benitez has had his own problems with multiple operations for kidney stones and that has certainly not helped Liverpool. Whether they can continue to challenge or not remains to be seen. The league table does not lie and when you look at the number of points Liverpool has dropped it does not look well. They have simply drawn far too many games for a team that is going for the title

When you compare squads from all the title challengers then Man United look the most formidable. They have had their share of injury problems but it has not hindered their progress. Liverpool has plenty of quality themselves but sometimes you wonder why Benitez makes so many changes to his side. This is a source of frustration for even the most loyal supporter.

It is also a tale of two strikers. Manchester United has Dimitar Berbatov up front while Liverpool signed Robbie Keane for around £20 million. Berbatov made an instant impression and has looked like a great signing. In contrast Keane has not established himself. The transfer fee that Liverpool paid for Keane did raise some eyebrows at the time and he has not justified it yet. When you pay so much for a top striker then you really need to see a return of some description.

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FA Cup Coverage On TV

2009-01-26T13:20:00.001Z

For years, we have been used to watching FA Cup football on the BBC so it is very strange now it is on ITV. Of course, Setanta has it as well but this is not much good to the many that refuse to subscribe to yet another TV channel. FA Cup football is traditional and it is only right it remains on terrestrial television.

The coverage of FA Cup football was always highly polished when it was in the hands of the Beeb. Regardless of what people thought of the individual commentators and presenters they all did a thoroughly professional job. In comparison, the ITV coverage has at times seemed a little rusty. This is to be expected and will fade over time.

It does seem odd watching the opening credits and instead of the good old Match of the Day theme tune we have the ITV version which does not have the same impact.

The main problem with the ITV coverage is the amount of advertisements you have to put up with. This was demonstrated perfectly on the 5th round draw programme. The ad breaks ruined ITV’s coverage of Formula 1 especially with that painful, monotonous Sony clip that drove us crazy. Advertising keeps these channels in business but sometimes they should remember what it is we are actually tuning in for.

The BBC does not escape criticism after all they receive an obscene amount of money every year via the TV licence fee. In return, the viewers expect them to be able to secure major sporting events like the FA Cup. Sadly it seems as time goes on the BBC becomes less keen to do this.

It remains to be seen whether the BBC is serious about cup football when the rights are up for renewal. The ITV channel has dabbled in previous years most notably with their premiership coverage. It would not be that much of a surprise if the FA Cup coverage swapped hands again next time.

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Man City In A Hurry

2009-01-17T12:12:00.001Z

Thanks to their new owners Manchester City are probably the richest football club in the world at present. Many teams face an uncertain future thanks to the economic downturn but City is flexing the financial muscle. The fact they have attempted to sign the world’s best player is a statement of intent. If they do not secure the services of Kaka then they will simply move on to the next target.

The signing of Robinho was a stunner especially when you consider Chelsea looked like his preferred destination. That signing looks like being the first of many as the Abu Dhabi group try spending their way to success on the pitch. Money does not always guarantee success. The two Brazilians are as skillful as you like but they may not relish a muddy pitch in late November. They will also need high calibre players who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in.

This is a curious way of building a team that has provoked some criticism. Managers like the late Brian Clough used to build teams from the back but Man City’s owners just like Roman Abramovich do not see things quite the same way. People with huge resources do not usually want to hang around and these guys want success in a hurry.

Arsenal seems to be fading this season and Aston Villa is on the verge of establishing themselves in the top four. A strong challenge from Manchester City in future will certainly spice things up where the title race is concerned. Money will probably have a massive impact at Eastlands because world class players want to be competing in the Champions League and winning trophies.

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Benitez Speaks His Mind

2009-01-10T12:08:00.000Z

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez did not sidestep any issues at his recent press conference. He gave Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson both barrels in an extraordinary attack. Fergie has been in the game for so long that many people are reluctant to cross swords with him but Benitez was not having any of it. They may not say so in public but privately there will be plenty of managers who agree with what Rafa had to say.

It has been compared to the outburst by Kevin Keegan when he was Newcastle United manager all those years ago. On that occasion, Fergie’s notorious mind games clearly got the better of Keegan and he duly cracked. This was different though because Rafa was cool, calm and collected and spoke at length about his grievances with Ferguson. In particular, about how he complains about everything and is rarely punished.

Ferguson is a legend in managerial terms but he does appear to do more than his fair share of complaining. Having a dig at the referee before the match is a subtle way of applying pressure to the official. All managers have their moments where referees and linesmen are concerned but the recent complaint about the Manchester United fixtures was ridiculous. The idea it had been done deliberately to harm their premiership title bid was just plain daft.

Jamie Carragher recently spoke about the possibility of psychological warfare from their title rivals. He correctly predicted it would signal how seriously teams are now taking Liverpool. Now the half way point of the season has past we can expect things to get very interesting both on and off the pitch. Fergie is not slow in coming forward if he has got something to say. With Chelsea looking unconvincing and Arsenal constantly up and down it may yet prove to be a battle between Liverpool and Man Utd for the premiership title.

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