Football Fiesta At Kolkata, A New Experience...

A country of over a billion people would certainly have die hard football fans in every nook and corner of the country. But with the national team which is languishing in 144th position and certainly not going places as of now, a friendly game between top two teams in the world in a neutral venue is certainly  a delight for the neutral fans. Yes I am talking about the Argentina - Venezuela game to be played at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on September the 2nd. The first FIFA sanctioned game for India  involving two of the world's top teams which would certainly be no less than a carnival in one of India's football crazy towns. Argentina are currently ranked 9th while Venezuela are 44th.

The hype around the big game can certainly be attributed to the presence of Messi , the little genius and European footballer of the year. For fans watching him each year on TV , to watch him perform his tricks right in front of their eyes will certainly be a dream come true for the ones who can make it to the Salt Lake stadium.

The result of this might be immaterial, but there is certainly one winner and that is the Salt Lake Stadium. Commissioned in 1984 the stadium has been in misery thanks to the apathy of the officials. Now thanks to this big game the artificial turf,which was laid a couple of years back, has received extensive repairs and is back in fine condition.The entire stadium,too,is being given a facelift. Broken seats in the VIP area have been replaced with new ones and the stadium looks like it has got a new lease of life .The players dressing rooms have been completely refurbished, new lockers,toilets and massage tables are now in place to meet international standards.The players tunnel,too,has been done up.The stadium now boasts two new warm-up zones and medical and dope-testing rooms.The press box is now Wi-fi enabled and the electronic scoreboard has been replaced with a brand new giant LED screen.The floodlighting system has been a source of embarrassment over the years as scores of matches have had to be halted following breakdown.

With such extensive preparation for a game which the Indians fans would have only dreamt of watching it happen in their country there cannot be two ways but that the game has to go well. Some have even gone to the extent of saying that the stadium is capable of hosting World Cup games. I wouldn't go to the extent of agreeing with that statement as preparing a host nation for a football world cup is a different ball game altogether , a tournament considered bigger than even the Olympics in terms of fan following and TV viewership.However, the successful hosting of the Argentina-Venezuela match will pave the way for soccer's national body to organise more international friendlies and AFC tournaments in future.

The September 2 friendly will no doubt help widen the fan base for football in India,but it would be a challenge for the football fraternity in the country to keep them interested in the beautiful game where Hockey is the national game and Cricket a religion. But with European giants Liverpool ready to setup their academies in India, Manchester United already tapping the commercial market with Cafe Bars and EPL Team Blackburn Rovers being owned by an Indian firm there would be an Indian footballer playing in the high grounds on an European team sooner rather than later.(Baichung Bhutia has played 37 games for Bury FC in Greater Manchester, England over a period of 3 years while Sunil Chhetri has trialed with MLS club Kansas City Wizards).

With more than 100,000 fans expected to throng the stadium and millions more glued to their television sets in 152 countries as they tune in to watch Messi and his mates,India could well emerge as a hot spot for top European clubs when they plan their pre-season tours.Indian football has nothing to lose,but everything to gain from this Messi visit.

For football viewers in India the match will be telecast on 2nd September at 6:50pm onwards on ESPN.

A Former No.7 Moulds His New Side Around His Current No.7

 

It was a family feud, Pep Guardiola did not want his brother agent to have a profit and thus vetoed a deal that would take Luis Suarez to Barcelona last January, Barcelona bought Ibrahim Afellay instead and the rest as we say is history.

Suarez is growing into a Kop idol at Anfield, he is getting the love that the kopites used to shower on Fernando Torres. Joining at a time when Fernando was agitating for a move to Chelsea there were talks that he could have been talked out of it and asked to give one last try but Torres grew impatient and we were deprived of a mouth watering partnership that would have surely guaranteed goals.

Suarez meanwhile has gone from strength to strength as he has seamlessly adapted himself into the hustle and bustle of the Premier league. Technically excellent, good balance, neat quick feet and equally adept at either foot he has added a new dimension to the attacking and brave Liverpool that are taking shape under the careful eye of Kenny Dalglish.

He has been a revelation for the last three games in a false no.9 position that Messi has made so famous. Leading the line from the front, he uses his footballing brain to drop of into pockets of space with his intelligent movement to link up with teammates. His excellent close control and link up play with his teammates as shone through as he has made a blistering start to the season. His long term fitness and stamina could very well come into play in the latter half of the season when he starts feeling the after effects of the Copa America and a non-existent pre-season he has had this time around.

The midfield signings have been good, although some of them might have been uncalled for given the riches that were already on disposal. Meireles has found himself on the brink of the substitution bench for no fault of his own and must be wondering what has he done wrong to warrant this. Similarly Kuyt was very unlucky not to have started the first game of the season and could have to face similar days as those later on, as Dalglish would try to keep everyone happy. The most notable non-existent benchwarmer has been Joe Cole, its been surprising that he has not been moved on this season. A move to Spurs seemed on the cards but has not materialized yet, it could in the coming days come to fruition though. I still feel the revival Cole could make Liverpool into more of a fearsome team than they now currently are.

Defence has been a problem as has been their problem in maintaining clean sheets. Jose Enrique could well solve the troublesome left back problem and the emergence of the highly promising Martin Kelly and other academy lads Robinson and Flanagan gives everyone hope that this academy still has the capability to produce world class talents that could follow into the footsteps of their illustrious predecessors.

The squad is a very competitive one and have all the capability required in mounting a title challenge should they have a good first half and stay in contention come January after the christmas period.

It would take a lot to heal the wounds that have been inflicted onto the fans by the sheer unproductivity and the inability of their team to win a league title in 21 years. The signings look promising, the display at Bolton last afternoon gives every fan inside Anfield a reason to stay optimistic of their team's chances this season.

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AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT

For all the attacking might of Barcelona, it really leaves me wondering whether they have missed a trick by not signing a centre half. That area really looks worrisome with doubts over the long term fitness of talismanic captain Carlos Puyol, surely the short Mascherano could not be the answer if the Catalans would have to make a trip to their bogey ground of Stamford Bridge.

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As transfer window draws to a close wonder whether we would see another deadline day worth 100mn pounds. Nervous times for the managers ahead.

Where is Juventus heading to?

It has become familiar now that there is a 'revolution' every year at Juventus. It starts with a change possibly in every level of management. Sometimes, it's the transfer director or the CEO, even more often are the coach and the players! However, this time it is the turn of the coach and some players, and a new stadium adds to further freshness. Antonio Conte, fans' favourite during his playing days at the Bianconeri, has now been handed the responsibilty of bringing Juventus back to the glory days.

Just when his reign hasn't even started with an official match, Italian media is already buzzing with talks of Conte deploying a highly attacking 4-2-4 formation. In reality, though, it can only be played with a safe 4-4-2 as Delio Rossi, former Palermo coach, pointed out. With such little experience in managing a serieA team, there are inevitable signs of the extent Conte could succeed. When Del Neri was appointed, he stuck to a strict 4-4-2 but the transfer activity was blamed. Now, with Conte, they're all doing the same thing again: Sell majority of the players who didn't seem to be good enough, buy another set of mediocre players. It's hard to call certain players they bought this summer as 'mediocre' but for a team who finished 7th in serieA (presently, not the best league either) last season, this set of players isn't the solution to make the giant leap in quality. Not to mention the number of spots to qualify for the Champions League being reduced to just three. It's simple to illustrate, just a comparison of how complete the squad is with the other contenders fighting for the those three spots in Italy. Inter might be on the verge of selling Eto'o but there have been useful additions to a team with a proper base. Napoli have shown their intentions too, and Milan is already riding with a complete team.

August 19th isn't the best day to pass judgements on the transfer dealings as there are still 12 days for the clubs to pull off some signings. Marotta's promise of 2-3 more signings have made the news in Italy but the significant part is how big those signings will be. Interest in Emanuele Giaccherini of Cesena is exactly the fault Juventus management is committing. Last year's overhaul resulted in a squad filled with Martinezs, Pepes, Mottas! Vidal is one of the few impact makers emerged from the summer shopping.

If the team looks like this at the start of this year's championship, what was the point in changing the coach at all? Marchisio cannot play at the left and changing his playing positions constantly is hampering his development already. Michel Bastos was the ideal player that was linked with the Bianconeri for a long time. And for good reason. His pace, skill and workrate could have been the spark what Juventus needed with Krasic on the other wing. His performance on the crucial Champions League qualifier against Rubin Kazan was outstanding and would have increased his market value if he decides to move out of Lyon. If Juve buys anyone other than Bastos, or a player inferior to his caliber, is a huge step down. No Calcio fans want such a great club walking backwards every season.

EPL 2011/12 : Chelsea all set to get the ball rolling

A new season, a new manager. This has been the story for Chelsea for quite sometime now and you wouldn't be surprised if you see a new manager as quickly as next season. However I personally believe that Andrés Villas Boas is here to stay, to build a team which the opposition will envy and drive away the question as to what if Roman Abramovich were to quit. The answer might just start with Andrés Villas Boas.

With a poor last season, the sacking of Carlo Ancelloti and the arrival of AVB induced more interest in the fans, a hope that Roman would splurge money and AVB quick to cash in, having the brightest stars at his disposal.  But with only 3 buys at the moment which include Oriol Romeu, Thibaut Courtios and Romelu Lukaku, AVB has dashed Chelsea fans' hopes of having a high profile player at the Bridge this season. The hunt for Modric still seems to be on with Pastore having snubbed the Blues for a chance to play at PSG. But will this move even materialize is a question on everyones minds, especially with Tottenham's stubborn approach with regard to Modric.

The 3 new arrivals though are young, bright stars, they lack the big game experience. The timing of the move though points to be an investment for the future than the present, giving the youngsters more time to gel and adapt to life at Stamford Bridge. AVB has surely identified Courtios to be Petr Cech's successor and his immediate loan stint at Athletico Madrid will do him a world good playing against some of the best attackers in the world. Oriol would be used to identify his place in the squad and Lukaku who is dubbed 'The new Drogba' will have time to learn to step in the shoes of the big man. However the immediate question is 'Has AVB done enough to build a successful team, his predecessor couldn't , a team which failed miserably in all competitions even when they finished 2nd in the league behind champions Manchester United.'? The answer to that would be, AVB is threading the safe path. His belief that a team cannot be built only by fitting players into an incomplete puzzle is driven by the fact that he was successful at even relegated threatened Portuguese side Académica de Coimbra and then at eventual Portuguese and Europa League champions Porto. 6 friendly games may not be enough to judge how good the team is, but without a doubt AVB has inherited players who can make life easy for any manager if each one of them play to their potential.

With many players on the wrong side of 30 and also injury striking some of them at the wrong time, it would be interesting to see how AVB handles his men. A young manager, new to the PL, and handling big egos is always a challenge. But AVB would consider these secondary to the challenges he will have in selecting his match day 11, a headache but a good one. Without any major signings Chelsea are no less a threat. They are a well settled unit and seemed to get more fiercer with each game in the friendlies(However friendlies are no measure as they are more for game time and practise). With the core group still around and the right balance of youth and experience Chelsea are definitely one of the the contenders for a title and just because there haven't been wholesale changes in the same squad from last season, to dismiss them would be foolish.

With the core team still available, January signings Torres and Luiz now settled in the side and the meaningful signings of 3 youngsters, all seems good for the Chelsea squad. With Drobga and Anelka still showing the hunger for success, Torres coming out of his injury which he last sustained just before he moved to Chelsea and Sturridge coming of age after a successful loan spell at Bolton, the omens are good for the team. The midfield might be missing Essien for a long spell after his injury in training, but this might be a boon for Mikel and Josh McEachren to fill up the gap and increase their chances of a regular starting spot. This would especially be a great opportunity for young Josh who is touted to be the next 'true' star in an England squad which has a lot of self proclaimed stars. The defence looks settled with Luiz and Terry holding the backbone while Cole and Ivanovic have always threatened. Bosingwa and Alex are quality defenders who can keep up the pressure even with one of them missing.



If I were Andrés Villas Boas

 A missing piece in the puzzle is the playmaker. Chelsea have of late struggled in this department and have looked out to acquire the services of many of them most recently being Pastore who snubbed Chelsea to join PSG. What are the options for Chelsea at the moment? Their pursuit of Modric doesn't seem to yield any pressure on the Spurs higher ups and with United giving up on their pursuit of Sneijder, it cannot come better than this to sign one of the world's best players who is available for transfer. If AVB could pull a bunny out of the hat in this regard, there would be no reason why Chelsea shouldn't win the competitions they play in especially the ever elusive Champions League.

3 youngsters in Romeu, Courtious and Lukaku is a perfect sign that AVB is here to stay. His ideology of mixing a little old and a lot of young is certainly the first in the Roman Era. The likes of Josh, Bertrand , Van Aanholt, Chalobah are certain to have more games under their belt with AVB at helm as he prepares the dawn of a new era. If Jose started building a puzzle with his own ideas, AVB will enhance it which would be a challenge for the opposition to decode. The burning desire for titles certainly will push every fan to extend their support to AVB. Will he end up being a Chelsea legend? 2012 might just answer that.

Wembley Showdown : Battle Of Manchester : Preview

Almost 2 months of no competitive football would have been driving the fans crazy, and  with the season already having begun in some parts of Europe the English fans would be hungry for football, if not exciting football.  The game tomorrow, The Community Shield, the curtain raiser for EPL season 2011/12  is certain to draw a great deal of interest as the season is about to begin . The fact that it's being played  by two bitter rivals, Manchester United and Manchester City, a derby and the chance to thump the opposition to the ground is an incentive which will certainly make the start to the season all the more interesting.

It was only in May 2011 that United last played a game at Wembley where they lost the Champions League to Barcelona whereas City will have happy memories of their last outing on this ground where they defeated Stoke to end their title drought and win the FA cup. It is hence imperative that City would want to continue on their winning run whereas United would wish to wash away their Wembley wounds. One team with a successful history against another piling up it's armoury with exquisite players from around the world, the game between the red and blue half of Manchester will be Battle Royale. The bad blood between the two teams from last season is threatening to spill over into this season which is wonderful for the neutrals if they are guaranteed an exciting 90 minutes.

The retirement of Edwin Van der Sar and Paul Scholes and the sale of John OShea, Wes Brown have made a dent in United's chance of running away to glory this season. Through the arrival of Phil Jones, David De Gea and Ashley Young, Sir Alex has tried to up the ante , but the ammo is gonna run out sooner rather than later if there will not be further additions to the squad. On the other hand "the noisy neighbours" as City are called by the United fans, have strengthened their squad with the arrival of a few big names. With the availability of a host of players in the squad who could win a game with their individual brilliance the arrival of Aguero and Clichy has definitely given them an upper edge over their rivals.

With last season's FA cup triumph, and also the elimination of United in the semis, City did more than end their 35-year old drought. They announced their arrival on the big stage with a warning to all other clubs. 19 League titles might be far away for the Citizens to catch up, however the game tomorrow might just decide who is the new number one in  Manchester for the time being. The Community Shield may not be worth a penny, but  you can be certain that Sunday's match will be one clash United and City wouldn't want to lose.

Fantasy Premier League : Twitfootie

Do you wish to manage a team of 11 players? Have you always dreamt of this? Here's is your chance. And what's better , you get to choose over a wide range of players balancing your budget and choice. What are you waiting for ? Rush and register on Fantasy Premier League before 13th of August to enjoy the game to the fullest. Don't forget to join the "TWITFOOTIE" league where you can compete against opposing teams and fellow managers. CODE: 204846-63534

The winners will get a mention on the blog here along with loads of goodies already kept aside.. ;)

Football, Money & Financial Fairplay : A Match in the Making..

Money, money, money must be funny in a rich man's world. Money, money, money must be sunny in a rich man's world. And these certainly have become the words of the present footballing scenario. Be it the Russian tycoon or the Qatari Sheik or the American businessman , the game is no longer safe in terms of a financial meltdown. The question is can money buy you a trophy? Certainly not. But money can certainly take you sliding down from where a team can only remain in memories.

The most recent team to be bought by a foreign investor who pumps in huge money is not Manchester City but  Malaga. An unknowingly quiet team bought by a Qatari, Sheikh Abdullah, has suddenly stepped up to sign big names like Ruud Van Nistleroy, Toulalan, Mathijsen, promising big wages and projecting an ambitious project. But unlike Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City, Sheik Abdullah has been careful and smart in the spending of his money. However at Manchester City Sheik Mansour has brought about a revolution,a philospohy which certainly involves buying the biggest of stars to build a team, to guide a project which if doesn't turn successful will push the club into grave misery. Is this buying a club and splashing money on new players and their wages so very dangerous? Certainly it is, if the going gets wrong.

The biggest example of the financial mess is none other than the "biggest" league, the English Premier League. The sunnier side of that apparently hopeless picture is that the English top flight made much more money from television and other commercial income than its rivals, €122m on average; the next wealthiest was the German Bundesliga, whose clubs made an average €79m. Yet despite that commercial advantage, the English clubs were hugely more reliant on borrowed money from banks and club owners than the 714 other clubs combined. English clubs contain on their balance sheets an estimated 56% of Europe-wide commercial debt which is a very worrying sign.According to a report across Europe in 2007-08, overall income rose 11%, but "the huge increase" in wages exceeded it, at 18%. In a bumper time for football, 47% of clubs across Europe lost money, with 22% reporting "significant losses" equivalent to more than a fifth of their income. A huge chunk of the money football clubs make is spent on ever-inflating players' wages which is totally absurd.

Now here comes to picture the 'UEFA Financial Fair Play'. Though I was personally against the concept which amounted to violation of personal spending, the meltdown at Portsmouth, which followed the standard Premier League practice of borrowing from an owner and banks to pay high wages for otherwise unaffordable players, seriously shook the credibility of the English league's model bringing out the harsh reality after some of thier beautiful years in the premier league, made me feel that the rule is for the good of the game. There might be pros and cons associated with it. However the overall good this program will bring forth will benefit the club, players and it's fans.

A look at the Financial Fair play suggests that clubs will be required to break even from 2012-13 , spend no more than the money they make, and not borrow, or have a rich owner putting money in, to scoop up losses and overspending. In the words of Uefa's general secretary, Gianni Infantino "The problem is that all clubs try to compete, a few of the biggest can afford it, but the vast majority cannot. They bid for players they cannot afford, then borrow or receive money from owners, but this is not sustainable because only a few can win." The argument that being financially supported by a single owner is not sustainable because it inflates players' wages generally, then if the backer runs out of money, the club is plunged instantly into crisis is a point which definitely is worth pondering and evaluating. The key thing is sustainability and the The idea of preventing what the likes of Dave Whelan [at Wigan], Jack Walker [Blackburn], Steve Gibson [Middlesbrough], Roman Abramovich [Chelsea] and Sheikh Mansour [Manchester City] have done to take their clubs on is not something UEFA will be looking forward to.

Overall, though, the English Premier League is a great deal quieter about this than it would probably have been two or three years ago, when, with revenues booming, the risks of clubs relying on borrowing or owners had not been messily exposed by Portsmouth and West Ham. UEFA has moved impressively, from initial statements of concern by Platini, who talked of clubs borrowing to buy success as "financial doping" to a workable, practical proposal aimed at helping Europe's clubs live within their prodigious means. By opposing that, and arguing that clubs should still be allowed to be bought and pumped up by owners, the Premier League is swimming against a tide of logic.

Allegations that the Financial fair play is to stifle the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea are totally unwarranted. The mess at Portsmouth and West Ham are enough evidence that going round the globe to bridge the gap between the top teams will eventually pull you down. Manchester City's £400million, 10-year sponsorship arrangement with Etihad Airways including stadium naming is to be investigated to see if financial fair play rules have been contravened which will certainly seem dictatorial but over a period of time it will be considered a wise move. However It might be said that if clubs have to live within their income, the rich clubs will surely dominate, but that is a separate argument, for  - how to make the sport more competitive again. At present, the rich clubs dominate anyway; the top four clubs in each league make on average four times the money of every other club in their league. Attempting to bridge that gap the English way, by relying on a "benefactor" to put money in, now requires just two words to point out its flaws: Fratton Park.

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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