Ronaldo Saga Rumbles On

Now Portugal have departed Euro 2008 Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived back in Manchester to be examined by United's medical people prior to an expected foot operation.

Real Madrid appear to be leaving the ball in the player and club's court (at least publicly) and as Alex Ferguson is still on holiday there is no real news on the situation emanating from Old Trafford at the moment.

They say all players have their price and some of the figures being talked about such as £75 million are astronomical and while they may be slightly wide of the mark surely the previous world record for Zinedine Zidane's transfer will be broken if the deal goes ahead.

No wonder crafty old Phil Scolari was advising Ronaldo to sign for Madrid it would certainly make his task of winning the premiership title next season considerably easier if it materialises.

If it does happen then United have been there before and all great players have to be replaced at some point but saying that Fergie has stuck his neck out for Ronaldo in the past and will probably feel somewhat miffed how things have developed in recent weeks.

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Chelsea Go For Scolari

Premiership runners up Chelsea have announced that Portugal boss Phil Scolari will be their new manager taking up his new job from the 1st July onwards.

The Brazilian emerged as one of the favourites for the job so the appointment itself is perhaps no surprise but the announcement coming in the middle of Euro 2008 is very surprising and one suspects that Chelsea rather than Scolari would want the news released now rather than after the tournament.

The man has a fantastic record at international level with both Brazil and now Portugal so it will be interesting to see how he fares in English club football.

So provided 'Big Phil' does not do one of his famous about turns and decides he does not want the job after all then we can look forward to him locking horns in the Premiership next season with Fergie, Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez.

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FIFA's Five Foreign Player Plan

The world governing body FIFA has approved plans to introduce a quota of 5 foreign players per team although whether it will ever get the green light is another matter as the European Commission have been quick to point out that the proposal actually contravenes EU labour laws.

From an English point of view a restriction on foreign players would be welcomed by anyone with the national sides interests at heart although this would be better for the clubs point of view if it were brought in gradually over a period of seasons to allow the clubs to accommodate the new rules.

Would it lead to a better England team? Yes I firmly believe it would more younger players would get more opportunities regardless of whether they played for a top four premiership team or a struggling side although the benefits would take a while to filter through the game.

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Man Utd Win Premiership As Reading And Birmingham Relegated

Manchester United clinched their 10th premiership title in 16 seasons with a win at Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season finishing a clear 2 points ahead of nearest rivals Chelsea who only managed a draw with Bolton at home although in fairness the news from the JJB stadium filtered through to just about everyone inside Stamford Bridge anyway and the miracle that the blues needed never looked like materialising.

It will be interesting to see how Chelsea react to missing out on the premier league crown when they meet United in the champions league final as they will need to get over this disappointment and pick themselves up.

At the other end of the table Reading despite a 4-0 win at Derby were still relegated and after a great season last year which surprised many observers this term has been much the opposite and the loss of Steve Sidwell was probably a factor.

Joining Reading and already relegated Derby was Birmingham City who like Reading conjured up an emphatic win against Blackburn Rovers to no avail the brum fans apparently gave the board some stick which led to David Gold and David Sullivan hinting that they may now quit the club.

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Chelsea Right Back In Title Contention

Chelsea produced a fantastic team performance to beat Manchester United 2-1 in a thrilling match at Stamford Bridge and put themselves right back in contention for the Premiership title.

Two goals from Michael Ballack either side of Wayne Rooney's equaliser was enough to give Avram Grant's men the three points and with Nemanja Vidic and Rooney going off injured it was not a good day for the defending champions.

The win leaves Chelsea level on points with United although Sir Alex Ferguson's men still enjoy top spot because of their superior goal difference and no doubt will remain favourites to win the premiership title as they have what is considered to be the easier run in compared to the Londoners.

After the game Fergie was as usual gracious in defeat naming and shaming aspects of recent refereeing performances and there were also rumours of post match bust ups between Chelsea and United players during the warm down on the Stamford Bridge pitch.

Regardless of what happens in the remaining two games for the neutral football fan at least the result breathes new life into the title race and strange things happen when teams are under pressure although Manchester United are old hands at getting over the line so should not be lacking in that department.

You get the feeling that after seeing off the challenge of Arsenal maybe United were a little guilty of thinking they had it all but in the bag and this result will leave them in no doubt that if they drop any points in their remaining games they may well finish as runners up to Chelsea.

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Avram So Near And Yet So Far

After the departure of Jose Mourinho and the subsequent appointment of Avram Grant it has been a strange season for Chelsea even opposing teams fans who loved to sing f**k off Mourinho would admit to a begrudging respect for the charismatic Portuguese.

The general consensus of opinion was that English football would miss the self titled Special One and that has been proved right although as the domestic and European season approaches its climax Chelsea under Avram Grant are in theory very much in with a chance of a premiership and champions league double although you get the feeling that it is unlikely that even one of those trophies will end up at Stamford Bridge.

The style of play under Mourinho was cited as the main reason for Roman Abramovich deciding to dispense with his services but under the managership of Avram Grant Chelsea are playing pretty much the same way.

As personalities Grant and Mourinho are like chalk and cheese and this will probably be why many fans will never accept the Israeli and be quick to criticise when things do go wrong although in his defence his results albeit over a relatively short period of time are not completely disastrous but at Chelsea trophies are what is required.

After the ruthless way the owners got rid of his predecessor he should not be making himself too comfortable in the managers office unless he can pull a rabbit out of the hat.

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Premiership Title Race Hots Up

As we near the end of 2007/2008 premiership season it appears to be Manchester United's title for the taking as their overall strength in depth has been evident in recent weeks compared to their rivals indeed as fergie's team have kept their heads everyone else around them has been losing theirs for a variety of reasons.

At the time of writing Chelsea rather surprisingly are only three points behind in second place and look like the only team that are still in with a serious chance of winning the premiership title at United's expense although even if they can close the three point gap and equal United's tally of 77 points they still have the handicap of an inferior goal difference.

Arsenal need a win tomorrow at Old Trafford to maintain their interest in the title race and as good as United have been recently I would not bet against Arsene Wenger's team pulling exactly that off unlikely as that may seem it is still a game that could go any way and Chelsea will be no doubt keen observers.

Elsewhere the soap opera at Anfield continues unabated with the latest episode between one of the American owners Tom Hicks and chief executive Rick Parry with the American calling for the resignation of Parry with the turmoil in the boardroom it will be quite an achievement if Liverpool do manage to make it to the Champions League final this year.

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The Spoilt Brat Culture

After the show of petulance from Chelsea defender Ashley Cole in midweek and the less than favourable media attention it generated you would have thought that the penny might start to drop with the big name premiership players but apparently not as Liverpool's Argentinian midfielder Javier Mascherano tried his level best and succeeded to out do Cole's behaviour.

Mascherano nor his club can have any complaints as he was continually confronting, complaining and swearing at Steve Bennett and short of physically assaulting the referee there was not much more he could have done to receive his marching orders.

There seems to be a complete lack of respect for officials in general sure they will make mistakes occasionally who doesn't? maybe it is the fact that referees and linesmen do not earn enough for the premiership stars to take them seriously but the players seem to behave like spoilt brats who don't like it when they cannot get their own way contrast this with the sport of Rugby those guys just get up and get on with the game whether they agree with decisions or not.

Quite often especially during the televised games you can see players overstepping the mark and hurling abuse at the referee or linesmen and it does not require the services of a lip reader to work out what is being said.

I wonder what the late great Brian Clough would make of it all he always use to instruct his players not to argue with the the match officials no matter what.

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Another Grand Slam Sunday

This weekend sees another of those grand slam Sundays as Sky calls them where the big four clubs lock horns as always these games look great on paper but quite often can be an anti climax to say the least hopefully this will be one of those occasions where the actual games live up to the pre match expectations.

This Sunday will also go a long way to deciding the outcome of the 2007/2008 Premiership title race with Manchester United looking as though they have stepped up a gear and you have to say they do look like the team that is best equipped to pull away from the pack given that they have the most strength in depth and that factor alone will probably see them home.

In complete contrast is Arsenal who despite topping the table recently have been stuttering of late while Chelsea have put some results together after the disappointment of losing the Carling Cup final which leaves us with Liverpool who are not title contenders at this stage having had something of a troubled season both on and off the pitch Rafa Benitez's team were written off even by their own admission some time ago so securing a Champions League spot will be their priority.

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Football Has Gone Mad

We had some further evidence this week if any more were needed of how much the game has changed over the years some would say for the worst and how the obscene amounts of money that are in football these days threatens to kill off the smaller clubs completely.

League Two side Rotherham United have gone into administration for the second time in as many seasons after being denied time to find new funds by the courts the club now faces another 10 point penalty which effectively puts an end to their promotion hopes for this season as they now stand in 11th place with eight games still to play.

The smaller clubs that have gone into administration over the last few years must accept some responsibility over how they are run financially although in their defence they would argue that lower league clubs have always had to sell their better players to survive and that with the advent of football academies clubs such as Chelsea can go around the country cherry picking the best young talent free of charge which is something that angered numerous clubs in recent seasons.

While that was happening we hear that Chelsea and England Midfield star Frank Lampard and his new contract negotiations have apparently hit a stumbling block with the player rumoured to be holding out for two hundred grand a week now this is not an attack on Lampard but I'm sorry no player is worth £200,000 per week it is too ridiculous for words but unless the governing bodies step in and introduce some sort of salary cap for players then it will no doubt happen sooner or later.

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Don't Call Us Scu We'll Call You

Premier league supremo Richard Scudamore has now cancelled the planned trip to see FIFA and discuss the 39th game proposals citing the reason as "deferment to allow a consultation process to go ahead and refine details of the scheme" whatever way they want to word it it certainly seems to most observers that the plans which were announced to the world with breathtaking arrogance and scant regard for anyone other than themselves has now been effectively put to bed.

Over the years football's governing bodies UEFA and especially FIFA have never missed an opportunity to give English football a reprimand probably because we invented the game but on this occasion credit should go to FIFA president Sepp Blatter who has clearly got it spot on in his condemnation of the 39th game plans.

There is still talk of a breakaway European or Worldwide super league but this is pure fantasy and something which should be opposed by all fans of the game the world over and even if it were to happen it would effectively kill the game as the only benefits it would bring would be even more financial gain for the already wealthy football club owners and chairmen and maybe people like Ricard Scudamore.

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Get Rich Quick With Richard Scudamore

The latest own goal from premier league chief executive Richard Scudamore is to export the premier league franchise to all four corners of the globe and the plans would involve the clubs contesting a lucrative 39th match on foreign soil.

In response to early critiscism of the plans Scudamore insists that the top four clubs will break away from the league and do this anyway although that seems highly unlikely.

Premiership clubs already go around the world it is usually called a pre season tour and frankly that is what it should remain the whole crackpot idea is ridiculous not to mention a selfish attempt to generate even more money from the game.

Even if the plans were to materialise managers are always complaining we play too many games so having to play an extra one on the other side of the world would not be welcomed and do people really think it would stop at one game? of course it wouldn't before we know it there would be a 40th match and so on.

The FA Cup and Carling Cup are already devalued as it is by the fielding of understrength teams with the premiership and/or champions league the priority these plans would no doubt see an increase in clubs fielding weakened sides you can just picture the interview.

"No Steven Gerrard today then Rafa?"

"No I have rested him due to jetlag".

Many would argue that there is too much money at the top of our game already but Scudamore who says the plan isn't just about money (yeah right) will make it much worse if he is allowed to proceed with his get even more richer much quicker scheme.

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Happy New Year From Fergie

It seems there was more than a few hangovers from the new years eve celebrations the night before at Old Trafford on new years day as Sir Alex Ferguson slammed the home crowd after watching his players make hard work of a 1-0 win over struggling Birmingham City.

"The crowd were dead that was the quietest I have heard them and it's disappointing because we needed the crowd today. We have come through a difficult period of game after game and in moments like these we need a lift. But it was like a funeral out there."

Fergie stopped short of giving it the full throttle Roy Keane rant about prawn sandwiches and the like but it was amusing nonetheless presumably Sir Alex (and maybe his players) were the only people in the stadium not feeling a little worse for wear from the night before.

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The Decline Of Homegrown Talent

In the last twelve years the percentage of English players playing in the top tier of English football has declined to such an extent that English players are now in the minority every week in the premiership.

1995-96 English players 65% Foreign players 17%
2007-08 English players 36% Foreign players 51%

This is not an attack on foreign players because the cream of the many foreign players have no doubt played their part in making the premiership what it is today which is arguably the best and most exciting domestic football league in the world however if the trend continues i fear it will have serious long term effects on the English national team.

After England failed to qualify for the 1994 world cup all the talk was of developing the game at grassroots level and introducing football academies well the academies are in place but the problem is at many clubs the talent that they are producing just do not get many opportunities this is no doubt due to the many foreign players in their path.

Cricket was faced with a similar problem years ago and was quick to recognise that measures had to be introduced to limit the amount of overseas players each team could field although i suspect realistically that would never happen with football simply because of the huge amounts of money the premiership generates these days.

In their defence some managers claim they would like to sign more English players but they are unable to do so as because they are in such short supply the transfer fees they command are vastly inflated hence the influx of cheaper overseas talent it is the old classic catch 22 situation.

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