BLUE MOONCINI RISING

Such has been the wealth of riches at Eastlands since Sheik Mansour took over that when Gary Cook was having a lunch with his friend almost an year ago he had the audacity to list down the big name targets on a tissue paper. Those were the targets that would catapult City among the elite, a list which consisted of several top notch players, A list that even created envious glances from the red half of Manchester. City did not have the pulling power of the Champions League then, although the seduction of money would have been hard to resist for the players but the chance of playing in the holy grail of club completion was beyond City’s reach at that time. Some of the targets that Cook had in his mind then were signed and some they got away with.

Times have changed now, City are in the Champions League this season and will be among the direct entrants when the draw takes place in late August for the group stages. They have the might of signing any player in the world right now. The targets that they have been pursuing are strikingly brilliant, they had the ability to blow Barcelona out of the water over the Sanchez deal but ultimately it was the player’s desire to play for the Blaugrana that proved to be their undoing. Atletico Madrid’s Kun Aguero is City bound so has been Samir Nasri [although I do not see that transfer materializing]. A world class left back backup in Gael Clichy has been signed. Dzeko will be in his first full season with the club with a proper pre-season behind him. You could well decide now whether he has been an expensive flop or the hype is really worth it.

The Tevez saga has been really dragging on for an eternity. For all the ability that Carlitos has, it appeared that he had been holding the club to ransom at many times last season, the sheer disrespect he had for Mancini might have been another destabilizing factor and further undermined the manager’s authority over his players, something that others took cue from, you all know who I am talking about, The two Bs, Boating and Balotelli. One has been sold to Bayern and the other is too audacious albeit brilliant talent to do away with. He has that ability to go from the sublime to the utterly awful within seconds that it makes you wonder whether he really is worth the baggage that he comes with.

The defence has been unchanged this season with no one of any importance departing. It will be much more stronger than it was last season, Hart in goal with Kompany, Lescott, the ever so improving buccaneering right back Micah Richards, the returning Kolo Toure, Kolarov and the flying Clichy would provide a lot of stability. De Jong one of the unsung heroes of last season and the emergence of Yaya Toure in the central role in an attacking position will certainly give Mancini a lot of options.

It all comes down to the manager at the end of the day and whether he decides to go with a team of three defensive albeit solid midfielders by taking a serieA approach or be a bit more cavalier by using the wealth of attacking options at his disposal to convert those crucial drab home draws he had last season into strong wins. The pragmatism of the side and their solid organization will hold them in good stead come the Champions League. Make no mistake City will surely be a force to be reckoned with next season. They are already well versed with the financial fair play regulations too; the 400mn pound Etihad deal is a testimony to that. A deal that has sent shock waves across the top hierarchy of Europe. Wenger has been criticizing the deal and their crazy spending but this did not stop him from accepting the inflated transfer fees for his not so good players every one of the last two seasons. Bayern Munich were grumbling about it too but have gone silent since the completion of the Boateng deal.

All those people talking that City will not be in the mix or could self destruct are fooling themselves. Remember that this team has been playing together for over a year now. There have been no wholesale changes unlike last term and there has been the same manager as last season and with Carlitos departing it could give the manager some badly needed control over the players in the quest to win a league title in England. The Blue Moon has already risen whether it will be able to fight off the Red Devilry or get eclipsed by it will be something that we would all be looking out for.

LOONEY TOONS

Name the fans who are the eternal optimists? Who love supporting their club, the ones who travel the entire length of England to see their team get thrashed sometimes and yet will flock their stadium every single game and create a hostile atmosphere for every single visiting team. The only answer that you can come up with are the Geordie fans. These magpie lovers are the eternal optimists, one of the most passionate bunch of supporters you will ever manage to find in the sporting world. They worship their club Newcastle United and don't you dare mention anything about a certain team that plays in a red and white from wearside.

Its been a quite a ride for the magpies in the premiership after their return from the championship last season, finishing comfortably in mid-table, dominating teams at their St.James Park fortress and boasting of a home record second only to Manchester United. If only life could have been rosier off the pitch as well.....but life is never dull at tyneside. To start with the club boasts of an owner who surely wont be winning any popularity contests. Then there is the manager merry go round that keeps happening so often that there are times when you wonder how many managers does the team go through every season, And just for the record Newcastle United went through no lesser than 5 managers in their last 2 seasons in the Premier League. Mike Ashley who first showed hesitancy in updating the contract of the magnificent Hughton who had won them the Championship unbeaten at the first attempt and then appointing Alan Pardew, who at that point was jobless caused an uproar at tyneside last December. The geordie fans were outraged when the fan favorite Hughton was sacked and since this was not the first in a list of a no.of scandalous decisions that Ashley has taken since he bought the club, there were mass protests. Ashley's head was been called for, there was a dressing room unrest. And along came Pardew and brought with himself a sense of calmness and discipline and a stern determination to win over the geordie fans and it took him no time to win over them. Steely performances, hard earned grit and resilience at home made them very difficult to beat, none of Liverpool, Manchester United , Chelsea or Arsenal could beat them at home. The game against Arsenal when they came back from 4-o down to draw 4-4 will go down in geordie folklore, It was one of the greatest comebacks in modern day premiership history. Add to that an unbeaten record against rivals Sunderland, 35mn pounds of cash from Andy Carroll sale and the summer looked really sunny in the transfer market at tyneside last May.

Since then there have been some very big decisions that have been made regarding players and clearly there has been an emphasis on youth. Sale of crowd favorite and club captain Kevin Nolan has created a mixed response from the fans, after all he was their top scorer last season. Possible departures of Assist in chief Joey Barton, dynamic left back Jose Enrique look imminent. To top it all there have been no signs that the 35mn pound cash windfall of Carroll sale will be spent on players. While Sylvaine Marveaux was a free agent, Demba Ba signing was from the cash the club received for staying in the premier league. The voices coming out from the club insisting that the Carroll sale money will not be invested on players has hardly improved spirit of the fans.

Pardew wants to stamp his image on the team and wants to build a dynamic young side. Winger Sylvaine Marveaux joins his French counterpart, the fit again Hatem Ben Arfa. You have a fit again Dan Gosling who can play anywhere in the midfield or also as a full back, A very promising young juggernaut in Cheik Tiote, A reborn Jonas Gutierrez whose flagging career was revitalized by Pardew in the second half of last season and surely a blueprint of the team that the manager wants starts coming into picture. Defensive reinforcements are needed and they are reportedly set to go head to head with Sunderland for the signing of departing Manchester United defenders Jon O'Shea and Wes Brown.

There is a new Newcastle United team that is being built by Pardew, how well he does in his first full season at tyneside will be very crucial. He very well knows that this could well be his very last chance of managing at the top level as he continues his search for the next player fit enough to wear that legendary no.9 shirt.

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AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT,

Fabregas, Nasri, Ashley Cole - a list of footballers seeing which no gooner would dare say that Wenger knows best. But don't be surprised either if Fabregas or Nasri realise that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Hope they still have a certain former Barcelona B team player Alexander Hleb's number with them.

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I am still trying to explain to myself why has Wenger been reluctant to shell out a few extra pounds in wages to Samir Nasri to convince him that he is at the right club and at the right moment in his career.

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Can anyone please bring back the Santos president from the dream world that he currently lives in. 40mn+ euros for a player who until recently had not played in one competitive game for his country is appalling to say the least. I have run out of adjectives on that one.

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Fantasy Formations: Brasil

There has been so much talk of the shortcomings of Brasil, or Brazil which ever suits better, after their first Copa America match against Venezuela. Being a blogger, my views on this matter are nothing different. However, it's always a pleasure to chalk out formation boards for the Selecao as the resources, in the form of players, are always rich in this country.

After the failings of Kaka in Dunga's 2010 World Cup squad, Paulo Henrique 'Ganso' was given the privilege, or burden, of the N0.10. This is never an easy job, when you wear the famous yellow jersey. Many were left disappointed by the trequarista's performance in the first match. Valid, considering how immobile Ganso was. Already consisting a front three of Neymar, Pato and Robinho (in the order from left to right), it was unnecessary for Ganso to be found in much advanced positions more often. Not only did he struggle to find space, it also created a huge gap between the defensive midfield and attack. This made Ramires cover lot of ground but with more Venezuelan midfielders to deal with. One has to wonder why Ganso was not dropping deep enough. Like how he plays for Santos, this would have made him seek the ball more often and, importantly, enabling him to create space to spray passes around. At 21 years of age, he still has a long way to improve but passing the judgement on him after just one big match would be highly unfair.

Another factor i noticed in that game was the lack of creativity in the central midfield. Hernanes would have nicely fitted the bill. Even though he plays as a trequarista for Lazio, he was known as the deep lying playmaker of the 'Pirlo-mould' during his days at Sao Paulo. On the first board is my view of Brasilian starting eleven in a more compact 4-3-1-2. Yes, no Neymar in the starting eleven as in my opinion, he would be much more effective in a substitute role for game-changing situations. Real Madrid left back Marcelo was omitted by Mano Menezes but has found a way in my eleven for his more offensive approach! Another reason for choosing Marcelo is that it would get the best out of Pato as he can drift wider, similar to how he plays for Milan. Even a super sub Neymar can interchange mouth watering one-two passes with Marcelo (much more skilled than Andre Santos).

This tactical board illustrates the passing movements and postion of players in possession of the ball. The yellow dotted line shows the probable player movements, yellow line marking the passes and the white line representing the crosses. This is the formation where Hernanes comes handy, a midfielder who can shift the balance of play from left to right at ease. If Ganso drops deeper, Brasil can dominate more in the midfield with possession and create chances with patient buildup. Well, it might not go according to the plan but I've a Plan B too!

If Ganso becomes less effective, Brasil can play a trequarista-less formation with 4-3-3. Neymar can start on the left, Hulk on the right of front line with Pato; a much improved Lucas, Hernanes and Elano in midfield. This formation can yield a fine balance between the wings and center. Pato is also capable of playing as a false9.

I still find the criticism on Dunga's team unfair. His was a compact and defensively solid side, unlike their rivals Argentina at the World Cup. True, he might have selected some out-of-form players and left the in-form players at home, but his style was more 'European' and if Kaka had a half decent World Cup, things would have been very different. But then, you expect someone who was crowned 'World Player of the Year' just a few years ago, to deliver it on the big stage. Not convinced yet? Ronaldo in '02 World Cup!

Andrés Villas Boas to Succeed in The Quest for the Holy Grail ?

Chelsea was like an army without it's king post the sacking of Ancelloti, and this added to the worries of it's people(say fans). The anxiety had started to increase as several names began doing the rounds and when it seemed the old war horse Guus Hiddink would relinquish his post as Turkey's national manager to lead Chelsea back to glory, in steps Abramovich with his magic wand..Kaboom.. And Chelsea get a new manager in Andrés Villas Boas. (I like Abramovich's magic. He always keeps you flabbergasted. You never know who comes and who goes.)

A young manager in Andrés Villas Boas might just be the tonic Chelsea need at the moment. After having the tried and tested men at the Bridge, Abramovich certainly has surprised everyone by choosing the underdog to lead a team desperate to claim the Holy Grail. Jose Mourinho delivered it with 2 teams and Carlo Ancelloti has secured it twice. But at Chelsea everyone has stumbled and fell right on their face while chasing the coveted dream. Will AVB be another of Roman's victim's or will he make Stamford Bridge all of his own? Let's see.



Old AV of 2005 & New Villa-Boas of 2011

Andrés Villas Boas or AVB or Villas Boas as he is refered to is no stranger to the Bridge or the players who currently are at the Bridge previously having played under Jose Mourinho. His transition from being Robson's protege to Mourinho's spy is something worth mentioning. Under Mourinho his role as an opposition scout was praised as his in depth analysis, detailed dossiers and a collection of DVD's on the opposition helped Jose and the players a great deal. AVB starting his career all the way down in the organizational chart and reaching a stage where he has the whole team looking upto him is something which will connect him very well with the team including the backroom staff.

Since his appointment as Chelsea manager everyone has an astonishing look on their face with a question on their lips. Is this the next 'Mourinho'? This is something everyone needs to understand and avoid. AVB has built his own stature and reputation and trying to compare his achievements with the 'The Special One' is disrespect to both the men. When you never hear someone say that Mourinho can do a Fergie or maybe comparison's between Ancelloti and Capello being carried out, then why do fans put needless pressure on a man who has his own inviduality. Saying this I would like to point out that he could go on to be one of the best in the job. Starting so early, so young, certainly gives you an advantage over others.

AVB certainly hasn't had a game on the sidelines at the Bridge yet but surely is making his impact felt off the pitch after he cancelled Chelsea's friendly with Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem citing reasons that the training woudn't be good enough for the senior players to get in shape. Such serious commitment to training might certainly be of help to the squad on match day. He is also in the process of shaping his backroom staff  having released the assistant first-team coach Paul Clement, the fitness coach Glen Driscoll and the club doctor Bryan English . For a guy who started his career working a lot of time behind the scenes, he surely knows how important it is for him to get his support staff right. One shouldn't doubt him and Abramovich would like AVB's no nonsense attitude which is why he would have been bought in the first place in addition to his impressive managerial display at Porto.

A lot of players still hanging around have been there from the time AVB was in the role of opposition scout. And without a doubt many have reached a age from where the performance on the pitch is only gonna get slow and weary. It will take a huge task for AVB to not only rebuild the team for season 2012 but also the long term future. Roman will be ever ready to splurge money for new players but AVB might realize that in the benefit of the club it would be right to promote the club's youngsters, some of whom have moved on to other clubs for lack of opputunities at Chelsea. It's time to start preparing for the 'UEFA Financial Fair Play' which dictates that you spend only how much you earn. And if additional money is used to buy new players Chelsea might be in a spot of bother when the rule is implemented.



Chelsea's present

 AVB has always been a follower of 4-3-3 and if he decides to go with the available squad then for sure he will have the 4-3-3 in place as Chelsea have always been comfortable playing in this formation. The kind of manager AVB is he will give Cole and Ivanovic full freedom to attack down the flanks which Cole especially has always been wanting and something which he likes. Essien as a holding midfielder has always been crucial in moving the ball to attack while also defending when the ball gets in his half. The midfield isn't a problem but the attacking 3 is always a confusion. Preferred Sturridge and Malouda to support the player in a striking position, a role on the pitch which is certainly gonna give AVB a big headache as his predecessor. Drogba was always better off playing with Anelka as a striker out of position. With Torres included it's tough to have both of them on the field as Torres likes someone to play him the ball whereas Drogba is an all in out striker which surely is a tough ask on him.

Chelsea's hopeful future

On the new players front Chelsea haven't signed anyone yet, but they would do good on buying Aguero, Moutinho and Thiago Alcantara. 3 young guys are surely going to increase the pace and agility of a Chelsea squad which has most of it's players on the upper side of 30. These 3 choices are made considering the present squad in mind. An overhaul of the entire squad is impossible and highly inadvisable. They will fit into the current system which is why I have selected the 3 to be the men Chelsea want. Aguero is a perfect fit considering he can play as a striker who can support Torres. He can play the ball on his own , attack deep into the opposition's defence and also provide to the hungry striker lurking close to goal. Both of them having played together at Atletico Madrid can only help matters to get better. However with him appearing to be closing in on Juve, Chelsea have to perform a trick to bring him to Stamford Bridge. AVB's preference for Falcao might also not support this cause. Moutinho might be a surprising choice for many of you but surely he is an apt choice. He isn't a youngster but has bloomed into a central midfielder who can play in any midfield position, including the flanks and as an attacking or holding midfielder .Perfect to Chelsea because of the fact that at Chelsea there isn't a real midfield tactician. His box-to-box dynamism is impressive and he could be a wonderful midfielder at the Bridge. Thiago Alcantara needs no introduction after his freekick in the final of the U21Euro 2011 sealed Spain's win. A look at the free kick and surely you would want this kid to be on your side. Currently at Barca this lad plays in a CM position. Chelsea needs someone who can make the CM position his own. And Thiago matches what Chelsea is looking out for. With Chelsea's freekick specialist Lampard and Drogba , both no younger than 33 Thiago could fit into that role as well. At 19 he could be the youngster Chelsea have been missing. An increase in his buyout clause from ₤30million to ₤90million could be AVB's reason to forgo the young lad.

In bringing AVB to Stamford Bridge Roman Abramovich has made a gamble, but a calculated gamble. A man who had the education of a Bobby Robson, has learnt things from Jose Mourinho is definitely a good man to be at the helm of Chelsea. Is this a 3-4 year programme against the one where he has to win something in the 1st year is something we don't know yet. Will AVB manage to impress the Chelsea fans and the owner? It's a tough ask, a tough challenge, something the Chelsea faithful wish and hope he can live upto.

Sneak peek into FC BARCELONA's Transfer Policy

Barcelona are about to bring to an end the most painfully boring transfer sagas of the last decade by finally sealing the deal to take Francesc Fabregas Soler back to Catalunya. After years of courtship and tapping up claims, the saga is expected to come to an end this weekend when Barcelona are widely expected to complete the signing of the midfield schemer who they widely believe to step into the ageing Xavi’s shoes as his achilles get more and more suspect with each passing season. It is also being expected that Barcelona could very well gift a double to their fans by also presenting Alexis Sanchez, the next big thing in world football alongside Fabregas to the Camp Nou faithful.


It could be interesting as to what it will do to the dynamics of the team when Sanchez arrives, which is just a matter of when. It is clearly known that Barcelona are getting overly reliant on Messi with each passing season for goals as the statistics clearly suggest, but the argument is not as hollow as it sounds. Pedro and Villa were scoring for fun. Both had been scoring for fun until late winter and into early spring but injury struck Pedro and a long and arduous season got to Villa as his form simply vanished into thin air come February. But after that the goals just stopped flowing as both of them went on a barren run and had it not been for the brilliance of their No.10 Barcelona would not have been the team that would have been laughing and celebrating at Wembley last month.

The arrival of Sanchez could really galvanize Pedro and Villa into scoring more which could only be good for Barcelona. There are also rumblings that Barca could now make a move for Villareal’s Guiseppe Rossi after the signing of Cesc and Sanchez are completed. This could certainly spell the end of Barcelona career for at least one forward in the team, either of Pedro or Villa who could be sacrificed, with the higher likelihood that it could well be David Villa being shown the door. This is certainly a very big IF indeed pertaining to whether Guiseppe Rossi is indeed being signed or not. Therefore it is hardly surprising to read rumours of Villa being linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge or Eastlands.

The field that Barca need to strengthen is in the defence with the left full back position a priority, Jose Angel looks a bright prospect and could well be signed. The evolution of Mascherano into a centre half looked promising at the latter stages of the season and Eric Abidal is also now being regarded to play in the centre alongside Pique rather than on the left as Captain marvel Puyol’s injuries start to limit the no.of games he can play in a season.

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AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT,

It was such a disgusting and disgraceful sight to see a banana being hurled at Roberto Carlos when he was plying his trade in the Russian football league. This incident happened in a country that is going to host the football world cup in 7 years time. And to make matters worse the horrifying sight of a passenger plane crash in the same country would even make the hurling of bananas on players acceptable. Do we really need a World Cup in such a country? Would it really be worth the risk? Do FIFA really know what they are doing when they award the showpiece event to countries like Qatar and Russia? No wonder FIFA makes profit, after all the money comes from those billionaires who quite happily fill up the pockets of these corrupt and immoral officials who run this corrupt organization.

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Hats off to the FIFA ranking ranking system when it shows an incoherent, underachieving and fearful team that has failed to make the top 4 of the last 5 World cups and the last three European championships as the Fourth best team in the world ahead of the mighty Brazilians. The next time if someone questions Capello regarding what he has done for the past three years while on gardening leave at the Wembley in England with the National Football team, you can very well expect an answer only if he knows more than four English alphabets though.

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Tottenham, Time to Excel..

Special thanks to JC, the discussion gave me insights for this post. Cheers mate..

The Spurs team or Harry Redknapp's boys as I like to call them, are a bunch who have underachieved despite having a lot in them. This blog post is a reminder of where Spurs have been heading despite all the talent oozing out and with a man at helm who dreams to be England's coach soon..(England are in shit and Harry certainly won't be able to clean it up)

Right from the days I followed football, that was about 8 years ago, Spurs have always been an exciting team to watch in both the positive and negative sense.Be their 3-3 fightback against Arsenal in 2011, or the 'so close yet so far' comeback against Inter Milan scoring 3 goals after going 4 goals down in the 1st half or their demolition of AC Milan in both the legs of the Champions League. However also exciting are games like the one against Manchester United in 2009 where despite being 2 goals up in the 1st half , Spurs cowardly lost the game by conceding 5 in the later half of the game. A game involving Spurs is never incomplete without any drama. And surely bring lots of heart aches to the fans, which they would like to avoid.

Let's begin digging deep.. Where are the guys hiding.. I put my hand in the Spurs defence and I get the opposition's favourite player.. 'Blooper Gomes'.. Well, what was his name.. "Heurelho Gomes" a Brazilian, has been one of their main players and to be fair, never have Brazilians been great goal keepers. But Gomes has done his reputation more harm by being butter fingered on numerous occasions. As good a goalkeeper he has tried to be, the worse he has been by letting the ball sneak past him on several times thus letting the opposition sneak through to victory. Persisting with 'Blooper Gomes' has been a costly mistake by Redknapp and for this here's a ..

Tottenham have had 6 strikers in the past 5 years with Berba and Bent having moved on to greener pastures where they have settled well into their roles scoring consistently. But at Tottenham and specially under Redknapp strikers are like rolling stone, not sure if they will start the next game on the field or on the bench. Bent is not a legend at White Hart lane but will forever be remembered for the famous quote by Harry Redknapp, who said, after the striker had fluffed a simple chance against Portsmouth: "Even my Mrs. could have scored that." Here a  for the indecent comment from a top manager..Pauyluchencko, Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch are not safe at Spurs either and their exit looks imminent. Harry scouts a lot of strikers but never the one's who will guarantee him success in the long run. A 20+ goal scoring striker is certainly going to solve their woes but will they be able to get one? Redknapp's British policy is certainly not driving away fan's fears of sitting out of the Top 4 and the Champions league.

Certainly not a good thing when you have your best players leaving to rival clubs in the premier league, the balance, the stability is all shaken up and rebuilding is never an easy process.. The most recent ones which come to mind are Berba and Carrick's departure to United. And the latest rumours of Modric to Chelsea or ManU strengthens the fact that Tottenham's resilience to hold on to their best players is lacking big time. Getting players like 28 year old Pienaar and 40 year old Friedel shows nothing less than Tottenham's lack of transfer imagination. Their only signing which was appreciated and was for one, a bargain, Rafael Van Der Vart. He has been the backbone of Spur's last season and without his presence on the pitch the team has only struggled.

The man in picture, Luka Modric has been an integral part of Spur's achievement in  qualifying for the Champions league for the first time eventually bowing out of the tournament at the quarter final stage. Starting in a defensive midfield position he eventually moved up to play as an attacking midfield, a role he enjoyed and was effective. His style of play has been appreciated by not just the players and staff at Spurs but also at other clubs. Increased visibility has led to poachers in the form of Chelsea and Manchester United. It would be hard for Spurs to hold onto their prized asset for long and it's only time before the 24 year old lad yearns to play champions League football. Spurs have to make it or break it for hold onto Modric for the real battle is only when you have your best around. Without him, Spurs will be starting all over again and  the fans at White Hart Lane would be praying that the Croat sticks with them.

Another man who has been instrumental in Tottenham's magic spell has been Gareth "Superman" Bale. This young man who at 21 has emerged as one of the sought after players is key to Tottenham's success. Playing at left back, he was destined to become a winger, some one whose crosses are a delight for every striker waiting in the box. He exposed himself to the world with his exhibition display against Inter scoring 3 on the night even though Spurs lost 4-3. Thus was known to the world "Superman" Bale, whose game certainly has improved since then pushing Spurs towards the brink of Champions league qualification. Bale recently extended his contract tying him to the club for another 4 years, but a sane person will realize that no longer are contracts considered to be holy. With interest from Barca and Inter , Spurs have to be on their guard to clinch on to Bale if they want to have any chances of qualifying for the Champions league next season and challenge for the premier league title.

I have only mentioned 2 players who have evinced interest from bigger clubs and have been crucial in playing a part in Tottenham's good run . Compared to their London rivals Tottenham's trophy cabinet has been barren for a long time except for the league cup win in 2008. Pace on the pitch has been Spur's strength and if they sell off Modric and Bale, that for one is a step back. Below is a compilation of how the combination of Modric and RVDV is crucial in propelling Spurs to a success.

The Spur's Quadrilateral : The games should be focused around Rafael VD Vart, being the centre of the quadrilateral, Modric starting all of it. Modric has all the freedom of deciding how to play the game, making him an important piece in the game. Obviously with Bale and Palacious lurking on the wings (I would prefer someone else for Palacious, Lennon doesn't show character ofcourse which is why he is omitted here) Modric has to get it exactly right as to how he wants to play and he has been right most of the time. Rafael VD Vart in between the quadrilateral has a responsibility to support 5 players around him and also at times play the game all by himself. Bale's position on the left wing is indispensable as he has proved and had made the left side of the field all of his own as he can double up as a left back without any hiccups.The strikers aren't really world class to match up to Spurs ambitions of playing in the Champions League. Defoe , Crouch , Paulu are all on the same scale and it's for harry redknapp to ditch his wife's ego and go get a striker who can propel the ship to the podium. The position in front of net has been a pain for a Spurs fan and unlike others Harry is washing his hands of it. 40 yr old Brad Friedel is not even a short term solution and doesn't Harry know that he is no SAF and Freidel is no Van Der Saar. Until and unless they get a 'No-Blooper' GK, problems will continue to arise.

Tottenham's transfer policy has been one of the most confusing and irritating one's I have ever seen. Rafael Van Der Vart at £8 million was the best buy Tottenham have ever made in recent times. That's it, end of story. I haven't seen them go a step ahead and make a buy that would have atleast won them a small battle. The recall of Keane and Defoe after being sold to Liverpool and Portsmouth respectively shows that Tottenham's ideology revolves around a small set of players. And the sale of Berba and Carrick to Manchester United didn't make matters any better. And now with rumours of Modric's exit and Bale in the near future it will only make a Spur's fan doubt if they can ever keep hold onto players who are looking to play in Europe and want to win titles( I don't even wanna mention that Spurs haven't qualified for Europe in the upcoming season). The day Tottenham start to win big, the exodus is bound to end.

Spur's fans would hate the trio to break apart

A good manger, a better sets of players and a great fan base build a team. But in the last decade trophies have mattered a lot and players have had big ambition arriving at a new club. Time for Tottenham to live up to those expectations!!

THE MIDLANDS SAGA

What a year it has been in the midlands....three clubs in the premier league, each one of them had a mixed season and only West Brom emerged with some credit to their names after a wobble in the winter that threatened relegation. The two Birmingham clubs have had a season of extremities. The Blue half had a memorable one, a season that they will never forget, City made the trip to Wembley and won the Carling Cup and then got relegated on the final day of the season. The defensive resilience and the discipline that characterized the side had been missing for best part of the season thus the main reason for relegation, their inability to score goals from open play hit them hard as they were among the lowest scorers in the League.

Now lets come to the Claret and Blue half of Birmingham, Aston Villa, what a way the season started for them, Talismanic General Martin O'Neill walked out of the door the week the premier league was to kickoff, chaos reined at the club for the best part of three weeks as the club officials flirted with the idea of having Kevin McDonald as the boss only to find out that he was best suited for nurturing the lads at the academy. Upwards of 18mn pounds were required in the name of signing Darren Bent to save the club from relegation. The journey to safety has not been easy, it has been chaotic, indifferent and laden with infighting, indiscipline. The club that had the air of stability and the swagger of a potential top 4 side under O'Neill vanished overnight and although it took time for Houllier to bring in a semblance of stability at the club, his handling of the players or the outdoor bonding camp fiasco or even the Anfield antics did little to help matters. He managed to save them from relegation and just as he was beginning to settle into the job, an old heart problem struck him again making him unable to continue.

And thus started a game of musical chairs of Who wants to be the Aston Villa Manager? Mark Hughes was the best man who could take the club forward and he was poised to take over the job as his resignation at Fulham clearly suggested, but Randy Lerner developed cold feet and backtracked and Hughes was left jobless, ending up chastisized and laughed at by the media and fans alike. Steve McClaren, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and then Roberto Martinez who almost took the job had it not been for Dave Whelan's terrific emotional blackmail. And this was just the beginning as the huge saga had just started to unravel. A certain Alex McLeish from the Blue half of Birmingham resigned as the manager by e-mail and reports started emerging that he was approached by Villa and then there were the tapping up claims, City were furious and so were the Villa supporters. Hate protests demanding against the move, Twitter and Facebook campaigns went on in full flow, club officials did not bother and went ahead and appointed Alex McLeish as their new manager and this provided for the crossing of the psychological wall that divides the city of Birmingham into two halves, McLeish by agreeing to take the job has angered both the set of fans in a city that is famous for its inter-club rivalry. This will be without the shadow of a doubt the toughest job of his managerial career, it will be a huge challenge for him to now try and stabilize the club,unify the polarised dressing room and start getting results. The only way he can get the fans on his side is by getting results and failure to do so could spell one hell of a trouble. Alex's reign will be in uncharted territories amid troubled waters, his every move will be watched at and the slightest hint of a shortcoming and the fans will come down heavily on him.

The club is itself is facing a lot of trouble, it has the air and look of a sell-on club, something that was considered as the major factor for O'Neill's resignation last summer. The sales of Barry, Milner and the prospective sale of Ashley Young are testimony to that, Talks of interest from Liverpool in Stewart Downing are gathering pace and unless McLiesh can convince the club player of the season to stay, it could be difficult for the club to hold on to its good players in the future, the players who can take the club forward. Start selling the best players like the past few seasons and flirting with relegation could lead to a full fledged relegation battle next season. If the side is shorn of quality, Villa could start to slip into a mediocre mid table side in the bottom half of the table and start scrapping for safety if proper steps are not taken that will ensure the club heads into the right direction that's why signing of Alex McLeish makes total sense. Randy Lerner is ready to spend big as the Darren Bent signing testifies. How much of a transfer warchest will McLeish be handed to splurge on players will be interesting. Villa boasts of one of the finest youth academies in Britain with brimming talent. Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Delfouneso are to name a few youth team graduates that could well form the bedrock of a successful team in the future.

The divide has been crossed by McLeish , we will have to wait and watch how he shapes Villa into an disciplined and resilient side that will have a flair that was so so lacking in his Birmingham side that slipped down the abyss into the championship on the last day of the season.

Wenger And His Arsenal Summer

 

What’s with Arsenal, Birmingham and February. Every time these two meet in this month and there have been disastrous repercussions for the Gunners. Flashback to February 2008, Arsenal are breezing for the title with Hleb, Eduardo and Fabregas in prime form, but destiny had different ideas as Eduardo suffered that horrific ankle injury, the Gunners crumbled as they could not get their act back together after that and eventually finished third. Fast forward to February 2010, Fabregas led Arsenal are in flying form on the back of beating Barcelona at home, a chance to finally end that Oh so long trophy drought with the Carling Cup final at Wembley looming on horizon, But guess who their opponents are?......Birmingham City of course. We all remember what happened after that as calamity struck and they got knocked out from three competitions in the space of 15 days, and were so distraught by it all that they crumbled in the title race without mustering a fight.

Wenger has been nurturing some extremely gifted technical footballers in North London; they play beautiful football and are without the shadow of a doubt the most beautiful team to watch in the entire Europe let alone Britain barring a certain team from Spain that plays in Claret and Blue. Every season we make bold predictions that his boys will come to fore, they will finally mature into men and end their trophy drought, only for them to prove us wrong time and time again. Even this age old adage that he has a very young team at his disposal has started to sound hollow now as the team has started to mature but the win at all costs attitude and desire to fight in adversity expected from these players is just not there sometimes, Arsenal just don’t turn up when faced with a pressure cooker situation.

To top it all they have a captain who openly flirts with his love for Barcelona, Just because he was nurtured through the ranks since the age of 17 and he is a fan’s favorite does not give Cesc Fabregas the divine right to keep flaunting with a move to Catalonia. Time and time again every single season the he openly flirts with a move to Barcelona, to the point that it has now become a huge bore. We see every single FC Barcelona player commenting that Fabregas has Barcelona in his blood and that he deserves his homecoming. But what about repaying the debt he has towards Arsenal who made him into the player he is today. I seriously wonder how players look up to him in the dressing room when they clearly know that he intends to leave at the slightest hint of a satisfactory bid from the Spanish giants.

And to compound Wenger’s woes his French schemer monsieur Samir Nasri wants a pay hike that Wenger does intend to give him. And now the lad is ready to run down his contract with a year left, Wenger needs to decide whether he will offer him the wages he is demanding or sell him. It’s purely a wrangle over wages, exactly the reason why Cashley Cole swapped North for West London. It could be a disastrous scenario which every Gooner dreads even to think about, the sight of both their No. 8 and 4 leaving Emirates for so called greener pastures [Just ask Alexander Hleb].

There are some very tough decisions to make indeed; the transfer policy of the manager has been called into question on why he does not spend big on experienced players who could bring a sense of knowhow and calmness around the dressing room. A leader like Tony Adams or a midfield marauder like Patrick Viera who could tear into a rampaging Roy Keane and look eye to eye with a Gary Neville, someone who would grab this team by the scruff of their necks and win them matches. There is a wealth of talent with so many talented youngsters; all they need is a wise old head.

I still feel this team is just two to three signings short of dominating Europe for years to come, but we say this every year and Wenger does not make the signings we hope he makes. There are rumors of Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill but will either of them end up at the Emirates only time will tell. A good striker who could take away some of the goal scoring burden off Van Persie’s shoulders is badly needed [the lad just can’t last the whole season!!!! If he had done so then he would have won the golden boot quite comfortably]

This trophy drought will come to an end so will Andy Murray win a grand slam but we will have to wait to see who breaks their duck first. This is too good a team not to win a trophy for this long a time. Even the current FC Barcelona side who are winning trophies for fun at the moment went without a single trophy for five years from 1999 to 2004 before finally winning the La Liga title that spelled the dawn of a new era, they have never looked back ever since. The moment of reckoning awaits, how soon will it come? We will find out when the clock ticks September 1 in two and a half months time.

Bent can be the answer for England - Wait and Watch!!

Irrespective of yesterday's result and performance by England and Bent respectively I stick to what I have written. This post comes just after England's crucial qualifier against Switzerland where England managed to score only a paltry draw, a disappointment for most spectators and fans. But this is also against Paul Parker for saying that Darren Bent is not the answer for England. My question to Mr. Paul, why is Bent not the solution for England's persistent striking woes? Why not encourage a man who has performed his best in mid table teams like Sunderland and Aston Villa?  Why can't England have a great striker who plays not only for the like of ManU, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea but also the other teams?

The world around we observe top teams and England have always been a top team, but off the field while on the field they remind of boys playing at school. With the influx of foreign players in EPL, especially the stronger striking force like Drogba, Tevez, Torres and others there has been a decline in the development of English strikers with the exception of Wayne Rooney who moved to ManU as a teenager and has grown from strength to strength. However on the international stage he has flopped miserably and there hardly are games where you can remember him making a great contribution. Since the downfall of Micheal Owen hardly anyone comes to mind who has made his mark for England, be it Rooney or the lanky Crouch. And in the past few years there have been so many strikers who have played for England that you would hardly remember them. And to add to that list there's Darren Bent. However contrary to popular belief, I would go for this chap, a man who has been begging for a chance with his performances week in week out in the Premier League.

Darren Bent started his club career with Ipswich town scoring 48 goals in 122 Apps, then with Charlton Athletic scoring 31 goals in 68 Apps. He then moved to Tottenham and scored a paltry 18 goals in 60 Apps. I can understand Bent's misery at Spurs, as strikers always don't make a great impact at Spurs taking Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Defoe, Keane as an example. The move to Sunderland was a great one for him as he scored 32 goals in 58 games and recently a move to Aston Villa didn't stop his goal scoring run as he has already notched up 9 goals in 16 games. Well one would say why quote all this, but if you have a closer look with all the stats combined he averages 0.4 per game over his whole career and in the past 2 years he has been simply superb with over 0.55 goal/game. Now again this is all at club level but if you look at the teams he has played , it is the ones which always finish outside the top four and his recent form indicates that Bent is on fire. And if you still have doubts Bent has been the top English goal scorer in the league for the last two seasons.

Darren Bent did his international debut on 1st March 2006 against Uruguay in a pre world cup friendly. Since then the World has witnessed two world cups without Bent. He should have played for England in South Africa but Capello thought otherwise going with Crouch and Heskey, someone I thought was really past his prime for the biggest tournament on this planet .

Bent's statement after being dropped for the World Cup last year “I knew I hadn’t done enough to get picked but I always hoped, I went on holiday to America, came back, turned the negatives into positives, and tried to do well for club and country this season.”

Paul Parker mentions that England need Bent, which shows the extent the team is struggling to find strikers which is just shameful. Why can't you respect Bent for the kind of player he is , the efforts he puts in training and the amazing show he displays on the field. And I don't need to justify this. The stats prove my point and Steve Bruce at Sunderland will testify for him. Parker doesn't know what he is saying when he also compares Bent with the likes of Balotelli of Italy and Llorente of Spain and Benzema of France and writes that they play regularly for at the international stage and for top clubs. Mr Parker why don't you see that at 23, Bent was performing and was still young but yet never got a chance. Is he to sulk and protest, quit football for not getting a chance to play for the national team. Why don't you see the confidence this man exuberates, the determination with which he has got himself to be as one of Capello's favourites right now, the man who got a struggling Sunderland to the top half of the Premier League table. Why do you have to dismiss him off just because he plays for smaller teams. Is not Bent playing against stronger teams and still able to put the ball in the back of the net. These are little things which make a man invaluable, which Parker doesn't even take into consideration.

By gones are by gones, Darren Bent should be given a chance and persisted as he can help England recover their lost fortunes, At 27, he is not a young lad, but his experience at club level will surely make him a great asset for the national team. Would love to see him play alongside Rooney and capture the world's attention for glory which they last tasted way back in 1966. Mr.Capello or whosoever your successor post Euro2012, can we witness Darren Bent at Brazil2014?

My team for England with Bent

War at Wembley

The final at Wembley is one which has a past courtesy the two teams. Both Barcelona and Manchester United played each other at this very stage 2 years back in Rome and at that time it was the Catalan Giants who shoved away Ferguson's men to win the title. This time around though Manchester United look prepared to take on Barcelona not wanting Barca to be their nemesis once again.

To be gifted is one thing and to actually use that gift is another thing and Barcelona surely are doing that having the most gifted players in the team. Barca under Pep  are as strong as a team can be and are just one step away from being labelled  as one of  "The best teams ever". Their 'taka taka' football has mesmerized everyone even their enemies. They have been despised off the field but on the field you would be left in awe. Manchester United on the other hand have one of the most mediocre teams they could ever have. Having said this I would not take away any credit away from them, for the way they have stepped onto the field this season always brimming with confidence and always hungry for more success. A lot of this could be attributed to Sir Alex's 'winning mentality' which surely is gonna be ManU's 12th man against Barca. If they do manage to win the title it would be sweet revenge for their defeat in 2009 though they wouldn't want to admit it. Also it would enhance their reputation as being one of Europe's best teams a tag which they have always strived to maintain.

The verbal sparring between the respective camps of Manchester United and Barcelona has largely been complimentary but no less illuminating than the sniping that marred the latter's semi-final with Real Madrid. Some of my favorites are here..

Nemanja Vidic - "There should be some respect for us. Barcelona are favourites for this game. We are fine with that. They are a good team and play some good football. But we not a club that has won nothing over the years. We are Manchester United."

Pep Guardiola - " I admire them. Manchester United are a fantastic rival, but they have an advantage because two years ago we beat them. You can't be favourites against Manchester United anyway - they are a great team. They sold Cristaino (Ronaldo) and they are still winning."

Rio Ferdinand - "Revenge is not the right word, but I do have regrets about the 2009 final defeat to Barcelona. I was gutted, devastated by the end of that game. Nobody likes to lose a cup final but it was one of the worst feelings I have ever had in my career. We just didn't perform  as we should have done last time. This time we have to give a better account of ourselves."

Pep Guardiola - " I hope  that they (the players) feel it could be their last Champions League final. In 1992 we thought  that we would never play  a European  Cup final again. I want my players to feel the same. We cannot waste this opputunity."

A comparison I would like to make is between AC Milan vs Liverpool and now Barcelona vs Man United.

2005 - Istanbul - Liverpool came back from 3 goals down to win on penalties.

2007 - Athens - AC Milan win the final 2-1 against Liverpool

2009 - Rome - Barcelona beat Man United 2-0

2011 - Wembley - ?

Is this a sign of a Manchester United victory or will Barcelona reclaim their crown they lost to Inter Milan last year. The whole world is waiting, the whole world is watching.

Carlo Ancelotti..Strike 2..You are Out!!!

West Ham relegated, Avram Grant sacked...Chelsea finished 2nd behind champions Manchester United..Carlo Ancellotti sacked quicker than Grant.

The above statement will scare the hell out of you but yes, this is the harsh reality of teams which demand quick results. Result, 2nd is not good enough.

Ancelotti Out.. Whose Next Roman?

With the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea's present has been put into the dark till they can find a replacement for him. But why was he sacked? Was this really needed when the team came back and finished 2nd after a disastrous mid season during which Chelsea threatened to finish outside the top four. Certainly there are things to ponder about..

Carlo Ancelotti was brought to Chelsea at a time when the team needed to build after having stop gap managers (or yeah long term managers who were made to look like stop gap ones) the tactics of who were temporary and didn't yield long term results. Roman Abramovich chose Carlo Ancelotti over others for his results in Europe which yielded two trophies at Milan. Roman's obsession with the Champions League was the most important criteria for Ancelotti landing at Stamford Bridge. And it was a dream season for the manager, first time in England winning the the Community Shield and the double(League+FA Cup) thus halting Manchester United's hatrick of league titles. There was no complaints in the first season except that Chelsea couldn't progress beyond the quarters of the Champions league where they lost to eventual champions Inter Milan. A successful first season promised greater glory for Ancelotti and Chelsea. But fate wouldn't let that happen. After a brilliant start to Ancelotti's 2nd season where Chelsea threatened to run away with the title a mid season dip cost them not only the premier league title but also the league cup, the Fa cup and most importantly the Champions League. Chelsea seemed to have been transported back to the dark age and a final day defeat to Everton  was the final nail in the coffin for a man who was destined to resurrect Chelsea's success.

Did he deserve the way he was treated?

The sacking of Ancelotti set new standards of ruthlessness.However if observed this has been the way Chelsea has been going about their business since the takeover by Roman Abramovich and it was no different with Ancelotti. Raneiri, Mourinho, Grant, Scholari, Ancelotti and this list will grow on as long as Abramovich is up there. And the fuel which added to the sacking was Chelsea's dismal season, trophyless for the first time in the "Roman" era. This raises the question once again, does one poor season deserve a sacking. According to Roman, it is a big yes. He must have made his up mind the day Chelsea lost against Manchester United in the Champions League without a fight.. He has equated football success to 'fast food' which if undelivered is gonna drive you out of Stamford Bridge. And this is exactly what Ancelotti got, his marching orders immediately after the game at Goodison park , the result of the game certainly summing it all up.

I have still have not answered if Carlo Ancelotti deserved the way he treatment he was meted out. Popular opinion is against Abramovich's decision and I do agree with that. Failure in not able to add silverware in one season  was not a good enough decision to sack him but the owner thought otherwise. Jose Mourinho would better understand what Carlo Ancelotti might be going through as he too suffered a similar fate back in 2007. Ancelloti was brought to the club to fulfill Abramovich's obsession with the Champions League and 2 years of poor showing is the sure reason for Ancelotti's exit. And without doubt he is not gonna be the last one.

A new man is soon gonna take charge at Stamford Bridge and he surely has to come with the knowing that failure to deliver success is going to point him to the door. There cannot be two ways about it till Chelsea has Abramovich at helm. Will this thought drive away the best managers from taking up a job at Chelsea or will they view this as a challenge which not if enhancing their resume will surely add to their personal satisfaction. It certainly is a cat and mouse game for the new manager. Hopefully he would remember to bring "success" along with him .. ;)

Udinese in Champions League: Another Sampdoria?

Yes, Udinese managed to cross that final hurdle to reach the preliminary round of Champions League with a nervy draw at home to Milan. Remarkable considering the manner in which this team has picked itself up after 4 consecutive losses that saw them at rock bottom of the serieA table after the first four games of the season. Thoroughly deserved, for the attacking football they had put on show for majority of the campaign. Yet there is a lot of uncertainty, predictably, around the Udinese camp. Even before they managed to get that vital point, everybody in Italy had the same question in their mind: How many of the present squad members will be playing in the same team even if they qualify for next year’s Champions League.

Add to that fact, Udinese has always been a ‘selling’ club, profit from player sales being their major revenue in the last decade. Udinese, the club, always took pride in their business model of spotting talented youngsters from countries lesser known for football in Africa, South America and Europe and then selling them as better players at huge profits, something which European clubs like Porto and Lyon do best. This team, with its 3-5-1-1 formation, is surely going to be entertaining to watch in the Champions League if they can keep hold of these stars this summer:

1.Alexis Sanchez- Who wouldn’t have guessed it! The most ‘talked-about player’ in the league has grown tremendously on footballing terms. The creativity behind Udinese’s attack and also Di Natali’s goals, his skill and vision is what makes him such a hot property in the transfer market. Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo was right in saying that it would actually help Sanchez if he stayed at Udinese for another year so that he experiences Champions League with regular starts and lesser pressure. To understand precisely what he meant, ask Torres to know the pressure of playing for a big club especially if the club has paid a lot for your services. Considering his value, it’s highly unlikely Sanchez would be sold anything less than €25m.

2.Gokhan Inler- It’s an open secret as to how much the Napoli owner wants the Swiss captain at the heart of the Azurri midfield. A real classy, yet tough, midfielder who is hugely influential in dictating play has even dropped the biggest of hints when he declined to celebrate his stunning goal against Napoli at San Paolo. Replacing Inler would be a huge task for the coach Francesco Guidolin when you take into account the experience Inler brings to this side.

3.Kwadwo Asamoah- Interest from Milan late in the season has caused further speculation and Allegri has even admitted that Asamoah would fit straight into his system. But compared to the other two, there are lesser chances he would leave.

4.Samir Handanovic- The Bianconeri goal keeper, who had a fine season with a record number of penalty saves in the league, has also been consistently linked with a move away. He has expressed his desire to move to the Premier League.

The main concern, of course, for all the neutrals and Udinese fans is how much this side can offer without these stars. There is also fear in their minds after witnessing what happened to Sampdoria in this crazy season. After finishing 4^th last season, they were only seconds away from participating in the Champions League group stages until a late goal broke their hearts in the qualifying round. To make matters worse, they sold their two stars- Cassano and Pazzini, and the season ended, as we all know, with them being relegated. An intriguing story of a team from celebration to despair.

When you mention Sampdoria, it would be improper if you don’t mention Angelo Palombo. After the penultimate game of the season that confirmed their relegation, here’s what their captain Palombo could all do. Invokes the emotional side for football in you when you watch this video.