FourFourTwo: Blog

The managers are not blameless

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:33:47 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Following the resignations of Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley last week, there has been a great debate raging about how shoddily the men put in charge to run clubs are being treated.

The two subjects at the centre of this storm have themselves said that they quit Newcastle United and West Ham, respectively, because of not being able to oversee the transfer of players on their own. In some cases it has been alleged that there were comings and goings of players without the knowledge of the managers.

Well, that may well be the case, but the underlining factor is that soccer as we know it today has become a billion-dollar industry, with its own set of rules.

And the more we get people like Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who bought Chelsea in 2003 and went on to pump more than a half-a-billion dollars into assembling a world-class line-up of stars at Stamford Bridge, the managers will just have to toe the line. Or, they could just thrown in the towel and walk away with a handsome compensation payoff as some have done.

Keegan’s case in particular makes one wonder. Reports had it before he resigned in a huff from the post he took up only in January this year that he could bank as much as £8 million in compensation. Well, whether he got that much is another matter.

However, Keegan was never going to do anything remotely close to winning silverware at a club that has under-achieved for decades. Bigger-name managers came and left before the former Liverpool and Hamburg star, and they never won anything of note. So why would he be so different?

To make matters worse, he spent nearly five years there in the 90s (Feb 92 to Jan 97) and did not win a thing (in the top flight). So why would he now? Keegan only got the job eight months ago (what about the £8 million?) after Sam Allardyce was sacked because no-one wanted it and because the fans love him – not for his managerial skills, but rather because he was their hero 25 years ago.

Curbishley’s lot is not much different, apart from the fact that they are a much smaller outfit than Newcastle, who in turn are smaller than the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool. And if you got problems dealing with a club like West Ham, then perhaps it is better that you just hop on your bike and get going.

The moaning about why managers should get the last say in the transfer of players doesn’t hold much water these days - not when so much money is changing hands. They alone cannot, and surely should not, be the sole say-so on who comes and who goes.

This is not to imply that they should not have any say in the transfers, but rather that it cannot be left up to them alone. Maybe, in a perfect world that is how it works, but with people like Abramovich spending hundreds of millions of dollars on players, it just does not make sense for the manager by himself to take care of the whole the issue.

This position could be likened to any other job for that matter, be it whatever industry you like - if you cannot get along with the boss, you leave (or are forced to leave) and go out to get another job elsewhere.

Sadly, it’s as simple as that.

Hughes' position looks shaky

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:52:11 GMT

By Shaun Orange

As would be expected, Mark Hughes has expressed great delight with the new developments at Manchester City. Such is his enthusiasm since the announcement this week that the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) for Development and Investment have acquired the City of Manchester Stadium team that he has rubbished talk of a possible unsettledness that big-name players like Robinho look likely to cuase - big stars play for big bucks.

Man City set a new British transfer fee record by paying Real Madrid £32.5million for the Brazilian striker on the last day of the transfer window last Sunday. And while no figure has been mentioned about the salary that the striker will earn, it will obviously be much more than any of the other players whom he found in the squad when he switched to the Premier League.

Hughes said that the dressing is his “domain” and thus, he would not let any “jealousy” get in the way of his plans to make Citeh a successful side again and challenge the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, their neighbours Manchester United and Chelsea in the transfer market. Already the new owners have name-dropped players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres and David Villa as future targets. And this has only served to intensify the excitement in and around the City of Manchester Stadium.

The blue half of Manchester, with the bottomless pocket to use for bringing in world-class stars, has every right to be energized. The instant success of Chelsea, after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought Stamford Bridge in 2003, is an example that they will draw inspiration from. Under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea won two successive Premiership titles in his first two seasons at the Bridge, he also won the FA Cup and English League Cup, for good measure.

But the Portuguese coach failed in his three seasons to land the coveted European Champions League trophy and for that he paid dearly. He was duly shown the Stamford Bridge exit, and now coaches Inter Milan in the Serie A.

Hughes has said that he is confident he has the backing of the new Man City owners, who themselves have indicated that the Welshman’s job is safe. But he should be warned that if he fails to deliver silverware “quickly” then he faces the chop. That is the fact of the matter. Even if he wins the Premiership but not the biggest and most sought-after trophy in world club football – the European Cup, then he will be looking for a new job in the not too distant future.

My guess is that Hughes will not get anywhere near challenging for the Premiership title this season, and come next term, Man City will have a new, high profile manager in placd at the City of Manchester Stadium. The oil-rich Abu Dhabi-based tycoons will still be there, of course.

Something doesn’t seem right

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:14:30 GMT

By Shaun Orange

There is no Premier League football this weekend because of the World Cup qualifiers, but there is still a great deal happening in the domestic game. And perhaps the most notable is at West Ham and Newcastle, both clubs without a manager.

Alan Curbishley quit the Hammers and Kevin Keegan walked out on the Magpies. The latter’s decision to suddenly leave the Tyneside club in the lurch is not entirely surprising, at least not as unexpected as Curbishley’s decision to resign from the Upton Park job.

Keegan, we all know, was one of England’s best ever players and to this day is he is still adored by the fans. But as a manager, and he had chances to manage the best teams around, he’s failed dismally. And given the latest scenario, it is quite likely that he might never return to a managerial post, at least not a Premiership team, or anything like it.

There will be many fans of Newcastle will be highly upset at his departure, but in some ways, maybe the club stands to benefit from him leaving. He never really did anything of note in either of his two stints at St James Park, who now need someone with guile to take the club forward.

This is among Europe’s biggest clubs and they deserve better – a better qualified and better organised manager who has the capacity to win things.

Curbishley’s decision to head for the exit was based on interference from the board in his dealings in the transfer market and the sale of players whom he wanted to keep at the club. That is what he claims.

However, the club has a different view and said the former Charlton boss was in the know of what was talking place with regards to the transfer market, so they taken aback by his sudden departure.

There might, of course, be some substance in Curbishley’s claim (because we cannot be sure that either side is not absolutely correct). But the timing of Curbishley’s decision to leave is what is mind-boggling. They had a fairly good start to the season so for him to just up and out doesn’t really make much sense. And this applies, even if the board did go against his wishes. This sort of thing happens nearly everyday, yet the other managers (Keegan aside) do not walk out on the club, players and fans.

There might just something else in the West Ham issue that prompted Curbishley to leave; something that we don’t know about.

If indeed it is what he says happened, and then I would say he still did not have enough to quit. The excuse is really not good enough.

But this, and Keegan’s lot, all make for attention to be drawn to the Premiership even if there is no Premier League this weekend.

Keegan all set to walk again?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:23:51 GMT

By Shaun Orange

The future of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle United looks bleak. The club have issued a statement saying that he has not been sacked, nor has he resigned. For his part, the former Liverpool and Hamburg star confirmed this, denying that he had been given the boot or quit the Magpies on his own accord.

However, with a management track record such as his, it's almost inevitable that the coach the Tyneside fans call the “Messiah” is about to vacate his position at St James’ Park. There was great speculation whether he was still in charge. And his absence from training on Monday only served to fuel the notion that he had seen his last days with the Premier League club.

But, as much as Newcastle owner Mike Ashley would like to have Keegan replaced with a more forceful and purposeful manager, it appears that an £8 million compensation package for the 57-year-old has made the club’s hierarchy reluctant to show Keegan the door. Further still, there have been suggestions that Keegan may take a cut in a payout from the club and still be on his way.

Newcastle’s loud and passionate fans also come into the equation, given their sway at the club, However, it is thought that if Ashley can somehow work out a deal with Keegan to leave for less than what he is due, then the supporters’ view in the matter would count for nothing.

Much of Keegan’s grievances centre on his supposed role in the transfer market, and here Joey Barton and Michael Owen come to the fore. Keegan has publicly backed Barton, who was only recently released from prison, following a conviction in which a man was attacked and harmed by the player. Ashley, it has been said, wanted the hard-tackling midfielder to be off-loaded before the transfer window closed on Sunday; something the manager obviously did not agree with.

Owen’s issue is understood to be about the club wanting to sell the player, against the wishes of the manager. But the club here has a valid point in that they would have at least got something for the player, instead of him possibly signing a pre-contract agreement in January and then going to another club for nothing, as his contract runs out at the end of the season. This too was something that riled Keegan so much so that it now appears he is indeed on his way out.

For those who might side with Keegan should also know that he is one man who walks away from a team when things do not necessarily go as well as they should. That they were thumped 3-0 by Arsenal over the weekend was not entirely surprising, and Keegan, for all his glory as one of the game’s most charismatic stars, is not nearly half as good at being a club manager.

In his first stint at Newcastle, he abruptly quit when things got a bit heated, walking out on January 7, 1997. At the time, Newcastle released a statement that read: "Newcastle United today announce the resignation of the club's manager Kevin Keegan. Whilst there were lengthy discussions in which the board attempted to persuade Kevin to change his mind, both parties eventually agreed that the best route forward for the club was to, reluctantly, accept his resignation with immediate effect."

It is my feeling something almost identical will emerge from this latest lot . And as sad as it is, that is what it looks like most.

City’s is a major coup

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:34:14 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Just when we thought that the summer signings were not as captivating as they might have been, we were dealt a shocker with the amazing coup of Manchester City.

Manchester United eventually signed Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham, but that was to be expected. One might add here that Spurs showed real guile in the protracted saga, in which the Red Devils were accused of some under-handedness, something reportedly left die away as part of the agreement between the two clubs. The London team, it appears, got a better price for the player than they might anticipated. Good on them.

However, there was no guessing – on anyone’s part, that Man City would pull off the feat of luring Brazilian ace Robinho to the City of Manchester Stadium; not with the player publicly declaring that he was bent on a move to Chelsea.

It would appear that with the takeover of the club by the Abu Dhabi United Group, some brilliant business acumen on the part of Thaksin Shinawatra (the owner of the club up to then) and Real Madrid’s reluctance to sell one of the world’s best players to one of their main European rivals, all weighed-in to make this quite extra-ordinary move possible.

It left manager Mark Hughes almost speechless, and his observation that this was “a huge statement of intent” on the part of the club, was perhaps an understatement.

Man City forked out a British record £32.5 million for the 24-year-old whom they secured on a four-year deal. Capped 42 times by Brazil and a scorer of 25 goals in his 101 appearances for the Bernabeu side, Robinho's arrival could well mark the start of a balancing of power in Manchester football. For a long time now, the Red Devils have cast a long shadow over the blue half of Manchester, but that could change rather dramatically if things go the way they look like they might.

Attention was drawn to this when Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, the man behind the ADUG swoop, confirmed that they had also made last-ditch efforts to sign Berbatov, Valencia’s much-sought after David Villa and Mario Gomez. But real warning came in his statement that read: “Funds are available and transfers such as these show we are serious.”

Indeed, Man City will now be looked upon in a different light in English football from today, if all goes through as expected. And that stature would be carried through to the European stage. There is little doubt that with the financial muscle that the ADUG yield, they will be targeting the Champions League. This powerhouse of big bucks was also in the running to take over Arsenal, Liverpool or Newcastle.

What Robinho’s move to Man City really means to English soccer will only be truly understood in time – maybe next January, when the transfer window opens again.

Big Four stuttering, but still in charge

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:47:48 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Chelsea and Liverpool had their perfect starts to the season come to an abrupt end on Sunday evening, with draws against Tottenham and Aston Villa, respectively. The results were good returns for the two sides outside the “Big Four” and clearly exemplified the theory that this campaign could be a lot closer than in the recent past.

Chelsea are touted as Manchester United’s main threat for the Premiership crown, and early indications are that it could well pan out that way. The arrivals of Deco and Bosingwa at Stamford Bridge have really added a new dimension to the club which now has Luiz Felipe Scolari as the boss.

Should the proposed transfer of Robinho from Real Madrid to the Blues go through, then they would appear an even more formidable unit and a tougher prospect to overcome.

Liverpool, for their part, do look like a side that could make a better run for the championship trophy than in any of the seasons since they last won the domestic title in 1990. They have not sparkled in their performances thus far, but they have been getting decent results, and at this stage of the campaign, that is probably more important than playing attractive, entertaining soccer and not winning.

But the Anfield side have been delivered two heavy body blows that might yet take the wind out of their sails. Captain and midfield inspiration, Steven Gerrard is expected to be out for several weeks due to a groin operation. And they lost their ace marksman Fernando Torres to a hamstring injury in the Villa game, where he came off with not more than 20 minutes on the clock.

The speed of their recoveries could prove crucial to how they fare in the next few weeks. Rafael Benitez has adequate cover in both positions, but these are his two biggest players and a prolonged absence by either could adversely affect their form.

Nonetheless, Chelsea and Liverpool maintained their unbeaten starts to the season and maybe should not be too perturbed by what could be written into the results against Spurs and Villa.

The Gunners bounced back nicely from their surprise defeat to Fulham a week earlier with a handsome 3-0 victory over Newcastle. And while the scoreline is spot on in depicting a comfortable win, it was the manner in which Arsenal accomplished the win that really mattered.

Arsene Wenger’s team was simply streets ahead of the Magpies in all departments and the fluidity with which they bossed Newcastle made for some entertaining football.

Man United were engaged in the European Super Cup showdown with Zenit St Petersburg of Russia, against whom they came short (2-1). It was a sad loss for the English and continental champions, still struggling to find any decent form with a string of injuries.

All four of the England’s leading quartet will resume their bids for the league title in two week’s time, following the international break, with the Liverpool-Man United fixture the pick of them all. Chelsea will be away to Manchester City and Arsenal will travel to Blackburn.

Man United’s woes continue

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:14:50 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United’s lackluster start to the new season persisted with their defeat to Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Super Cup. This fixture, featuring the winners of last season’s Champions League and UEFA Cup, is not as renowned as the other continental competitions; all the same it is a European event and is mentioned on your CV if you triumph.

Thus, Manchester United’s defeat at the hands of the Russians will be one that they will brood over for some time. The importance of the match though in Monaco was illustrated in Ferguson sending out his strongest side.

However, they were undone by some class and a string of their own shortcomings. The latter was highlighted by Paul Scholes being sent off. And for those who might suggest like Ferguson did after the game, “that it happens”, well it should not. No way should a player with Scoles’ experience be sent off in a game like this, more so with them trailing.

Then again this is the sort of mentality that exists in this team and players like Scholes. To underscore the point, one need not go back further that Ferguson’s first European Champions League success. Scholes did not play in the 1999 final against Bayern Munich at Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium, because along with his then captain Roy Keane, he was suspended.

But what is more worrying is Man United’s start to the new campaign. This season they are defending the Champions League and Premiership titles, yet they have got off to a rather poor start.

The Red Devils beat Portsmouth on penalties to win the Community Shield in the season’s opener at Wembley Stadium. Then they drew before winning the second of the league matches. Now they have been beaten by Zenit and while the alarm bells might not yet be ringing at Old Trafford, they are on standby to go off real soon.

Ferguson, in the wake of all this, has turned to moaning about his players out injured, the latest being Owen Hargreaves who went down with a knee just before the Zenit showdown.

But if the truth be told, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, up front for Man United, could not really get past the Russian defence, and for that credit goes to coach Dick Advocaat.

The Dutchman has been responsible for turning around the fortunes of Zenit, who last season won both the UEFGA Cup and their league championship title.

Ferguson will surely get things right, but in his case it must be sooner rather than later. This is because if they come up against their main rivals for the English league title, playing the way they are, they could come unstuck and that would merely make it more difficult for them.

And with this scenario, one wonders just how far this team can go without Cristiano Ronaldo in it. That Ferguson even reported Real Madrid to FIFA about the Spaniards “tapping up” his star player (something the world governing body threw out), perhaps gives us some indication as to how much they depend on him.

There is no doubt they need him and the sooner he returns the better for a team who have started the new campaign listlessly.

Interesting signings

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:57:04 GMT

By Shaun Orange

There is a still a wee-bit of time to do a deal or two before the transfer window slams shut until January. And make no mistake about it, there will be hurried negotiations behind closed doors all over the place as managers, chief executives, agents and players bid to conclude theirs in time.

But there are two interesting ones that have gone through on the eve of the curtain coming down on three months of wheeling and dealing, and these are the moves of James Milner and Louis Saha, the latter subject to a medical.

Milner, the 22-year-old England international winger who signed a four-year contract to switch from Newcastle to Aston Villa, has got to be seen as a classy piece of business by Martin O’Neill, whom it must be added has really got his way this summer. The Irishman stumped Liverpool in their bid (up to now anyway) to sign England midfielder Gareth Barry, and added to an already decent-looking squad with a few other shrewd signings. But the capture of Milner’s signature will be viewed at Villa Park as the icing on the cake.

This youngster has great potential and is seen as a player who will go a long way, given his aptitude and general approach to the game and how he conducts himself off it. If there was one question to beg in the transfer, then it must: how and why did Kevin Keegan let him leave St. James’ Park? More so, with him trying to consolidate his own side.

The fee of £10 million might have had something to do with it, but it couldn’t have been about dollars alone. Anyway, O’Neill is definitely the happier of the two managers, and has good reason to be.

Everton boss, David moyes, who missed out on taking Albert Riera and Shaun Wright-Phillips to Goodison Park at last had some joy at sealing a deal to lure Saha from Old Trafford. The Frenchman still has to pass a medical before crossing over officially, but it is expected he will, and this despite him suffering numerous injury setbacks at the English champions over the last few seasons.

Saha had lost Alex Ferguson’s faith, but if he can get himself fully fit, then the Toffees could benefit enormously from his experience and nose for goal. The 30-year-old Saha is a replacement for Andy Johnson who moved to Fulham. A two-year deal, whose financial terms were not released by the club, is a good package for Saha. And now the Merseysiders will be hoping he can really prove himself and stay fit.

He was certainly one of the top strikers round when Manchester United moved in top sign him from Fulham in 2004 and if he can regain even part of that form, Everton should be more than grateful.

Indeed, his signing and that of Milner’s switch to Aston Villa, make for interesting activity just as the transfers window comes to a close.

Gunners, Reds face choppy waters

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:13:57 GMT

By Shaun Orange

England’s four teams in the European Champions League have all got top billing in their respective groups, the result of some excellent results over the past few years that culminated in the first all-English final last season – Manchester United and Chelsea.

Liverpool are the top seeds in Group D, while Arsenal are the tipped side in Group G, and it is the Gunners who could fall by the wayside earlier than the other three clubs, with which they make up what is now known as the Premiership’s “Big Four”.

The Emirates outfit are drawn with Portugal’s FC Porto (champions in 2004), Turkey’s Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev of the Ukraine. On paper it looks like Arsenal should coast through the round-robin phase of continent’s biggest and most lucrative club competition. But a closer analysis of the threat that the three pose is much greater than most would think. Porto, for one, are no pushovers, and their triumph under Jose Mourinho is testimony to this. Man United will also reluctantly stand up and concur, if only because they were taught a lesson at Old Trafford not too long ago.

But maybe Arsenal’s biggest dangers lie with visits to the notoriously unfriendly Turkish club and a skillful, even if under-performing, Ukrainian team. The Turks have no fear for any side that comes to town, and that applies to all of Europe, including teams with a celebrated pedigree. Those like Arsenal, who have yet to lift the gigantic European Cup, are regarded in an even lesser light.

But Dynamo Kiev could really throw the group wide open. All they need to do is to play to their full potential at home and then steal a result on the road. With only two sides going throw, it would make things especially interesting.

Liverpool, likewise, could come unstuck against PSV Eindhoven, whom they have met and beat at the same stage . No doubt the Dutch will be more than keen to exact a measure of revenge and that could have a telling effect on the pool standings.

France’s only winners of the tournament, Marseille, are also on the up these days and may yet prove a tougher task than they are being made out to be. The same could be said of Atletico Madrid.

Cup holders Man United should easily see of the challenges of Villarreal of La Liga, Celtic from north of the border and Aalborg, the rank outsiders from Denmark. Villarreal might not take it lying down and Celtic could also make it difficult for the champions in their all-British showdown, but the Red Devils will be tipped to win the silverware again this season and should reach the knockout stage without too much hassle.

Chelsea, who lost on a penalty shootout to their English rivals in Moscow last May, will also be expected to waltz through the group stage, ahead of Italy’s Roma, French club Bordeaux and CFR 1907 Cluj of Romania.

So, if things go the way they look like they might, Arsenal and Liverpool could find themselves just hanging on to make it to the last 16.

Man United win, but the worries remain

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:27:19 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Defending champions Manchester United registered their first win of the season with their 1-0 victory over Portsmouth on Monday, and it was a bitter pill for Pompey to swallow.

That narrow defeat came after they were well and truly humbled by Chelsea (4-0) in their opening league fixture a week earlier. And, it also came after the Red Devils beat Harry Redknapp’s side on penalties to win the Community Shield two-and-a-half weeks ago.

That Redknapp welcomed a possible post for him as coach of the Great Britain team at the 2012 London Games a day earlier did not count for anything. That Ferguson has distanced himself from such a job will probably have made Portsmouth’s loss even more difficult to take for the 61-year-old Redknapp.

All the same Pompey were consigned to their second defeat in their opening two league games and Man United were relieved just to secure their first win of the new campaign.

Indeed, Ferguson will be mighty pleased that they picked up their first maximum points of the season. However, the Scot will also probably be bit concerned that they victory was not as empathic as it was expected.

Man United have struggled in these early stages of the campaign and in the pre-season, and the Old Trafford team are still in pursuit of an out-and-out striker. Burdened with a long string of injuries, Ferguson has had to do without the services of Cristiano Ronaldo - their talisman in the double-winning season last term, which saw them prevail in the Premiership and the European Champions League.

Further to that Ryan Giggs, Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney (who is back in the frame) and Carlos Tevez, among others, have been or are, sidelined through injury or personal matters. This has only execrated their problems and to state the obvious, Man United are nowhere as good as they would have expected to be at this stage.

They have managed just two goals in their last three competitive matches, and that is testimony to their deficiencies up front.

The pursuit of Tottenham’s Bulgarian ace Dimitar Berbatov is still on the cards and the Red Devils remain optimistic that they will secure his transfer to Old Trafford sooner rather than later.

But even the arrival of the highly-rated Berbatov might not be enough to mask the disjointedness of the Premiership and European champions. There is something lacking quite badly in Manchester United’s approach and it is evident for all to see in their results.

Of course, it would be grossly wrong for anyone to suggest that those at Old Trafford hit the panic button, but there is a dire need to get things back to a level of normalcy as soon as possible. This is club is too big to be written off so quickly, but Manchester United are a worried team at the moment, and that is despite the win over a Portsmouth side that could have done with a better draw to the opening to the season that had them play Chelsea and Man United in their first two games.

My thinking is that if Berbatov comes into the side before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month, then they will be even more relieved that they are with the Portsmouth result. If they do not, things could really go awry, and that is the last thing the champions would want.

Redknapp would be a great choice

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:39:38 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Harry Redknapp has been linked with a possible post as manager of the Great Britain team at the 2010 London Olympic Games. This would be a huge way for British soccer to say thank you to one of the most loyal servants of the sport.

The job has in the past thrown up the name of Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, but that call has lost its momentum with the Scot giving the idea the cold shoulder. Now Redknapp, the boss at Premier League club Portsmouth, is beginning to look the likely candidate.

And while the next Olympics might seem a lifetime away, what with the Beijing Games having just come to a close, the appointment of the man to lead a team from the United Kingdom might come a lot sooner than most people think.

The key issue to bear in mind here is that soccer is the national sport of these nations and there would be no greater satisfaction for GB to win the gold on home soil – the land where they say the game was born.

Redknapp is seen as the best of England’s own managers and what pride he would attach to leading the team in his own backyard. Of course, to win the gold would make it almost unbelievable.

In the wake of Steve McClaren’s sacking after England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, Redknapp appeared as a front-runner for the hot seat. But that was before the English Football Association ((FA) named Italian Fabio Capello as the new manager.

Redknapp views the post as one that cannot be turned down. Speaking to the (London) Sunday Mirror he said that he was “absolutely flattered” to have his name “being mentioned about managing the Great Britain team”.

And the shrewd tactician that he is, the 61-year-old added that he had “some great managerial jobs” during his career “but there is no doubt this would be the icing on the cake”.

A Londoner himself, Redknapp said that the fact that the Games will be held in the capital made it “even more appealing.”

However, before anything of this has the chance of materialising, the matter dealing with the objection from the football associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have to be overcome.

So, in the meanwhile, Redknapp, and whoever else might have ideas of managing a Great Britain team at the 2010 London Olympics will just have to be patient.

Fulham deserve every bit of glory

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:00:32 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Arsenal came unstuck this weekend against a Fulham side they were supposed to beat without too much of a hassle. And almost immediately the Gunners” detractors will have been pointing out that the notion that Arsene Wenger’s outfit is too young to challenge for the title this season, is spot on.

There might be some substance in that, but that one defeat alone cannot be used a barometer to determine whether or not their whole campaign will be littered with results that go against them, like the one in Fulham’s case.

However, having said that, the Emirates team does look a little thin on experience and in this league where even the faintest of frailties are exposed and unforgivingly punished, Arsenal will do well to rebound without delay.

Yet Arsenal did have their chances, and the missed penalty by Robin van Persie merely underlined how things fell for them on the day. That Emmanuel Adebayor was denied by the woodwork added to their pain. Still, Fulham were deserved victors in the London derby at Craven Cottage and Wenger conceded after the final whistle that they were not good enough in their performance.

To make matters worst, the Arsenal manager said he did not know why they underperformed. He cited their first-half display as “not good as they expected it to be” but he did give Fulham their due.

The Frenchman said that their hosts played “very well and were sharper”. Indeed, the Cottagers were a step ahead of their more illustrious opponents and it will have given Roy Hodgson’s team a huge morale boost ahead of their League Cup fixture with Leicester City next Wednesday.

Arsenal, though, were not the only big team to have the air knocked out of them. Tottenham, who spent in the region of £50 million this summer, lost their second match on the trot when Roy Keane’s rejuvenated Sunderland went to White Hart Lane and left with all the points – thanks to a 2-1 victory.

There is little doubt that Spurs coach Juande Ramos has to resolve the Dimitar Berbatov issue at once, if he is not to see his side suffer further misery. Berbatov’s request to leave the club so as to pave the way for a move to Manchester United has clearly shaken Tottenham.

Perhaps the best thing for Spurs to do would be to let the Bulgarian striker leave. No he is an excellent international forward whom Ramos would like to keep at White Hart Lane, but his present standing within the club is doing more damage than good. Thus, he should be sold.

Stoke, one of the promoted sides, also pulled off a major shock when they consigned Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa to a 3-2 injury-time win. Villa got off to a flyer last weekend, thumping Manchester City, only to be dealt a heavy body blow by a side that has yet to lose in their return to the Premiership.

Hull, another of the promoted sides, did equally good by holding fancied Blackburn to a 1-1 draw.

The third of the newcomers, West Bromwich Albion, slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Everton, but it was nowhere near as bad as Arsenal losing to Fulham.

Is O’Neill a mathematician or what?

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:24:36 GMT

By Shaun Orange

I said a long time ago that I liked Martin O’Neill as a manager. I always thought that, since his days at Leicester City, he was good at his job, that he has a unique ability to get his players “to play for him” and that it shows in the teams he manages.

My view has not really changed, apart from the fact that I thought the way he handled the Gareth Barry saga was a little shoddy, to say the least.

I fully accept that Barry is Aston Villa’s best player and has been for some time now. And granted, it is incumbent upon the manager to thrust forth the club’s interests first, and if that means endeavouring to keep the top players at the club, then that’s what the manager should be doing. But he should not do it to the detriment of the club.

And while Villa got off to a blistering start last weekend with their fabulous 4-2 home victory over Manchester City, and will be expected to see off Stoke as well this weekend, they may yet be undone by what I now term O’Neill’s mathematical shortcomings.

The Aston Villa manager I think has gone too far with what he perceives to be the gospel, just because he believes, or at least tells us, to be the correct thing.

The latest and quite extra-ordinary issue to come from the Irishman is his valuing of Ashley Young.

For some really bizarre reason O’Neill has told the world that Young is worth not a penny less than £30 million.

This is the 23-year-old winger, capped three times by England, whom O’Neill paid Wtaford £9.5 million for in January last year.

To suggest that this boy is good is to understate his talent. But for O’Neill to honestly value him at £30 million is taking it a little too far.

It is obvious, and it should be so, that O’Neill will try his utmost to keep Young at Villa Park because Young is indeed a wonderful talent and has the potential to develop into a true world-beater. But O’Neill should not do it at the cost of adding to the travesty of a transfer system which he himself is critical of, given the some outrageous money being spent on players these days.

There is nowhere Young is worth £30 million; if he went for £20 million then Villa should be (very)grateful – but certainly not the price tag that O’Neill has put on the player.

The lad, according to the club, is expected to pledge his future to Villa in a new contract, which O’Neill and company hope will be penned “sooner rather than later”.

I just hope that Young makes the right decision when the time comes. And for his good, I sincerely hope that if he does stay at Villa Park, O’Neill pays him what he is worth – that should be around £120,000 a week (going by today’s rates that O’Neill used in the formula to value the player in the first place).

I say this because I still like the way O’Neill gets football played – not necessarily the way he delves in the transfer market. And there is a difference there!

Sunderland make a statement

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:05:07 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Roy Keane ranks among Manchester United’s most successful captains. He helped the Old Trafford club dominate the Premiership like no other team. And now, as manager of Sunderland, he is strengthening his squad in their second season in the top flight with a view to holding their own, even against the big guns.

Keane took his tally of signings this summer to six with the transfer of strikers Djibril Cisse from Marseille and David Healy from Fulham to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland started their new campaign with a loss to Liverpool last weekend, but it was by no means a shoddy performance. If anything, the Black Cats can draw inspiration from the display rather than the result. The defeat was largely due to another exquisite individual strike from the Reds' brilliant center forward, Fernando Torres.

Rightly so, Keane said after the game that they were disappointed with losing because they gave as much as they got against one of the “Big Four”.

The arrival of Cisse and Healy this week will bolster Keane’s resolve further to get the Black Cats to do better than their 16^th spot in the standings last term. That finish might not seem altogether a bright one, but under the circumstances, coming up from the Championship League, they did a decent job of just staying up.

The signings of the two forwards this week will augment to a great degree the earlier arrivals of Teemu Tainio, Pascal Chimbonda and Steed Malbranque from Tottenham Hotspurs, and El-Hadji Diouf, who switched from Bolton.

This quartet gave a good account of themselves on their debut for the Black Cats against Liverpool and will almost certainly start again when they travel to White Hart Lane for what promises to be a feisty clash with Tottenham on Saturday.

The inclusions of Cisse and Healy should add to Sunderland’s firepower up front, although there is a good chance that Cisse might start ahead of Healy.

But any illusions that the Black Cats’ fans might have that the Tottenham game will be an easy one after Spurs were embarrassed by Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season, should be done away with at once.

Spurs will be bent on getting it right after being built up as the “next best team” behind the “Big Four” only to succumb to a resolute ’Boro side, managed by one of Keane’s foes from his playing days – Gareth Southgate.

Still, Keane will be optimistic that they can at least come away from London with a point. Travelling to a side like Tottenham will always be difficult and with this in mind, a draw would not be considered a poor result for the Black Cats. But with their new signings in the squad, Sunderland might well be thinking of an outright victory. And given the manner in which they started the new season, a Black Cats win cannot be ruled out as the unthinkable.

On the contrary, they have every chance of picking up all the points.

Terry a better call than Ferdinand

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:27:22 GMT

By Shaun Orange

There is a big toss-up between John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, on who will get the job as England’s next captain.

Either way it looks a close call and were it not that the Italian in charge of the Three Lions, Fabio Capello, was the strong man that he is, these two central defenders might well have been alternating the armband. But as things stand, one of the two will be named to lead out the team against the Czech Republic in the friendly on Wednesday.

The odds are on Ferdinand to get the nod from Capello, but in some ways the Italian might just be cooking his goose. Ferdinand is good central defender, but not the best. And neither is he captain of Manchester United. Terry, for his part, is the best in his position in England, and he is captain of Chelsea.

Both are good leaders of teams, but Ferdinand has a lot more to prove than Terry. In fact, if it were my call, I would say that David Beckham should get the call ahead of Ferdinand, but behind Terry.

Terry’s as a player and as a skipper is far more stronger than Ferdinand, and while I do accept that there will be nothing anybody says or does that will sway the thinking of Mr. Capello on this matter, making Ferdinand the captain could well work against the team. That might sound a little harsh on the lad, but that is just how it is.

I do know that Alex Ferguson and a player or two in the Old Trafford set-up have come out in support of Ferdinand, claiming that he is “the best in the world”. Well, they might think so, or maybe not believe so but say so, yet the fact remains that Ferdinand is prone to making serious blunders when under pressure. And as any calculating tactician will tell you, the last thing you want when your team is about to be, or being, vanquished by the opposition, is a captain who suddenly goes cold.

For me, there is a lot of that in Ferdinand. He loses his cool too quickly, although I must hasten to add that he does say "sorry" afterwards. The incident after Man United’s defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last April springs to mind here (and that is not even on the field of play, or during the game for that matter). Please remember, that he is NOT the captain of Manchester United.

Terry appears, and rightly so, to have gotten over his waywardness. His issues with the bottle and brushes with law are things of the past (touch wood). He certainly appears, from the outside at least, to be in control of what he does and what he says. And that is fundamentally important for a captain of any team, let alone England’s national football squad.

The catcalls might point to his (costly) missed penalty in the European Champions League in Moscow. But don’t dwell on that, it happens to the best of players – and in England’s case the list is rather long.

So, Capello will let us know whom he wants as his captain. If it is, Terry we can accept it; if is Ferdinand, we might live to regret it.

Chelsea look the complete package

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:45:33 GMT

By Shaun Orange

As premature as it might seem, Chelsea have thrown down the gauntlet in their challenge for the Premier League championship title.

It would not be unreasonable to suggest that their main adversaries in the fight for the domestic game’s most coveted prize – Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool will laugh off any such notion.

They might well do that in public but certainly not when they take stock of the manner in which the Blues dismantled Portsmouth, the team that a week earlier held Man United to a goalless draw in regulation time before conceding the Community Shield in a penalty shootout at Wembley.

Chelsea’s performance in their opening fixture of the new season, played out before a full-house at their Stamford Bridge ground, was nothing short of a comprehensive lesson in soccer, and in particular the first-half was ruthlessly efficient.

Their England midfielder and definitely one of the biggest stars in the European game, Frank Lampard, said after the annihilation of Pompey that that was perhaps as good as they could have played, and how right he was.

From the get-go Chelsea were like a well-oiled machine, firing on all cylinders, and they left the watching world in no doubt that if they perform consisitently like that, or better, then they will take some beating.

Under new manager, Brazilian Luis Felipe Scolari, who himself is a winner of the World Cup – leading his country to their record fifth triumph in 2002, Chelsea look like they can go on to set a few new benchmarks of their own.

They are still chasing Scolari’s compatriot striker Robinho, whom they hope to lure from Real Madrid before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month. But even if the immensely talented and lively forward doesn’t make it to Stamford Bridge, this squad has the potential to do better in a single season than any other club from England has managed in the past.

The inclusions of midfield maestro Deco and his Portuguese team-mate and right-back Bosingwa, were clearly solid additions and only the injury to Michael Ballack was a worrying matter for the Blues. The extent of the German's ankle injury was not immediately known, but it did raise some concern because it was a similar injury that kept him out for nearly half of the season last term; with Ballack only returning to action in pre-season.

What must also surely cause some disquiet among Chelsea’s chief rivals is that Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and his Ukrainian team-mate upfront Andriy Shevchenko are yet to take their bow this term. Drogba mainly is a threat to any side and many a team in the Premiership – if not all, will bear witness to that.

Arsenal and Liverpool also won (both 1-0) and will have reason to remain buoyant in the face of Chelsea’s quite outstanding exhibition at Stamford Bridge. However, Alex Ferguson’s Man United were not so good and had to settle for a draw with Newcastle; and that after the Magpies had led – albeit for a minute or so.

The Old Trafford side will know by now that they cannot, or will not, be able to drop too many more points if they are to successfully defend their league title. Chelsea, they will have seen, mean business this season. And how interesting that would be – to have the “Big Four” all at their best!

Tottenham need not be alarmed

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:10:05 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Of the teams who were expected to make a good start to the new campaign, Tottenham suffered the worst humiliation. That came after a comprehensive defeat to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on the opening day of the new season.

It was certainly no less than Gareth Southgate’s home team deserved and it will have left the highly-rated Spaniard Juande Ramos in no doubt that all the hype surrounding his off-season spending spree, which reached almost £50 million, counts for absolutely nothing when it comes to the game itself.

Ramos is an experienced coach and will understand that their season, which promises so much, is not all lost on the opening game.

The White Hart Lane boss knows that it will take time for his new players like goalkeeper Gomes, Giovanni, Luka Modric and David Bentley – all making the debut for Spurs, to settle in and find their feet.

But he will also be cognizant of the fact that when you spend the kind of money that he did in the close-season, the club’s management and the fans expect results; and unlike he understands the game – they will be insisting on nothing short of instant success. That is just how it is in this game – big money means big results (instantaneously).

Over and above this, Ramos will be bitterly disappointed with their first result. If you are a team strong enough to break into the top-four of the Premiership, then playing a side like Middlesbrough should real mean a win, more so in the season’s opener.

Tottenham are being touted as the next best side behind the “Big Four” of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. And for them to lose against Middlesbrough – never mind a draw – will obviously be seen by many as a result that shows that the White Hart Lane outfit are not yet up to the task of taking on the “Big Four”.

It will also come across as the point being made that Spurs will again flatter to deceive, just like they have on numerous occasions in the recent past. They get everybody and everything all worked up about going to do well, and then fall flat on the faces – when the going starts getting tough.

But somehow, I think that it might be a bit different this time around and that Ramos will get what he wants out of a side that has ambitions of playing in the European Champions League, something that is guaranteed by finishing in the top-four of the standings.

It will not be an easy task, of course. But Tottenham’s season is not all lost on the Middlesbrough result. Ramos, nonetheless, will want to turn things around and do it real quick.

If not, the rot will set in and then it will become a monumental task further into the season. At the moment it is just one poor result – nothing more that. The skeptics might want to take note of that, because that’s what the Riverside result really is.

Deco could be key to success

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:03:39 GMT

By Shaun Orange

For many, Chelsea start the new season as the team to beat. Officially, one could say, Manchester United are favourites. Nonetheless, in the eyes of more than just a few, the Blues will be the club to emerge as champions in May.

But regardless of where one’s allegiance might lie when it comes to England’s two top sides, Chelsea have openly declared their intentions to wrest the Premiership championship from the outfit that took the title from them two seasons ago and look like having a good chance of doing that.

They have being in fine fettle in the pre-season, impressing on the visit to Asia, winning hordes of new admirers, but more importantly bolstering an already quality ensemble of world-class stars with the signing of Deco, the immensely gifted attacking linkman who has the capacity to present the ball at the feet of strikers and wingers - in full stride.

The Portuguese international of Brazilian birth has the extra-ordinary ability to split wide open read-guards with sound reputations and accomplish it with such ease that it really looks quite simple. He has been the architect of many a win at Barcelona, whom Chelsea paid millions to cross over to Stamford Bridge, and with Portugal national team, whom he has represented since attaining citizenship a few years ago.

It goes without saying that Luis Felipe Scolari, head coach of the Portuguese squad for six years until this summer’s European Championships, was the swaying influence in Deco’s transfer to the Premiership.

No doubt the diminutive midfielder will be have been relishing working with Big Phil again, even while discussions were still on-going for his switch to the London club.

Deco adds a new dimension to a Chelsea midfielder that was for a long while regarded as the most durable in England and among the finest in the world. It is not only his remarkable brilliance with the dead-ball that makes his peers look on in awe, but rather a refined aptitude to dictate play from both deep and attacking positions.

There is little or no doubt in the minds of the purists that Scolari has a patented role for the Portuguese star. When fully fit, he will almost always be in the starting line-ups of the games that matter most. Deco is that kind of player – one who can sublimely turn a game on its head with but only a deft touch in his own half; or maybe whiz the ball through a crowded penalty-area for someone else to reap the benefits.

That Deco is joining a squad loaded with internationals and one that has the potential to embarrass even the best in Europe, only makes his arrival in London all the more intriguing.

He could well prove the pivotal player in a season of any Blues success. Chelsea will not start as favourites to win the Premier League title this season, but Deco could be the one to make an impact for them.

Big guns look unstoppable

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:27:02 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United will start the new season this weekend as favourites to retain the Premiership title and make it three in a row for Alex Ferguson’s team.

However, the English champions will almost certainly not have it their way. Chelsea, runners-up to the Red Devils in both the league and European Champions League last term, look menacingly dangerous and could end up with the unique league title and European Cup double of their own next May.

Ferguson has largely kept faith with the squad that won him a tenth Premiership title and a second Champions League crown. But he remains keen on bringing in a top-class striker to augment a frontline that is both handicap by injury and the weakest link in their armory.

Tottenham’s Berbatov is apparently Man United’s top target. And if they get their man, then Old Trafford’s whole lookout changes quite dramatically. A forward of the Bulgarian’s quality would bolster the Red Devils to such an extent that they would probably made out-right favourites to a third league title in a row.

But failing to secure the services of a leading hitman up-front would seriously hamper Man United’s chances. And as things are, with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha all sidelined, the Red Devils could find it difficult in kickoff to the new campaign.

Last season Chelsea were bedeviled by all sorts of issues at the beginning of the campaign, and eventually had Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho sacked, and replaced by Avram Grant, who acted as a stop-gap measure for the Stamford Bridge club.

With Brazil’s World Cup-winning boss Luis Felipe Scolari at the helm now, Chelsea will relish a greater stability about the team and can look forward to getting off to a flying start.

They showed some good form in the pre-season build-up and will hoping to take that form straight into the new league season.

The arrival of Brazilian-born Portuguese international Deco has got be viewed as a coup for the London side that definitely appears top be much stronger through their ranks and with Scolari poised to make point of his own, Blues will relish having another crack at Man United for league and Champions League honours, with one eye on the League and FA Cups.

Arsenal and Liverpool, the other two clubs in the elite “Big Four” bracket look able enough to maybe finish in the Champions :League spots, but perhaps are not really up to scratch just yet.

The Gunners side is by and large a shade to young to challenge for the domestic game’s biggest prize – the long-haul league. Meanwhile, Liverpool, even with talisman Steven Gerrard and wonder-striker Fernando Torres in the mix, look like struggling again this term.

Rafael Benitez, the Anfield manager, does have a team on paper that could make a few noises but unlikely to get the better of Man United and Chelsea; maybe Arsenal, but not the other two.

Tottenham, with the £50 million or so that Juande Ramos has spent strengthening his squad, could come close, but is also expected not to make that much of an impact to set off the alarming bells at any of the “Big Four.”

The promoted clubs, West Bromwich Albion, Hull and Stoke, could straight back to Championship League, unless of course they show enough character to hold their own in the last quarter of the season, That is the most crucial part of the campaign, and Man United and Chelsea, are likely to prove that.

Tevez should be banned

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:52:38 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is still trying desperately to lure a striker of some substance to Old Trafford, and is now hoping that he can do it before the season gets underway this weekend.

The Red Devils won the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium last Sunday, but only managed to overcome Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth team after a lottery penalty shootout. And that result has left no-one in any doubt that the league champions will struggle this season unless they can indeed buy a recognised forward, and do so without delay.

Already Ferguson is without England star Wayne Rooney – laid low by a virus picked up in Nigeria, Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo – recovering from ankle surgery, and Louis Saha – the French striker who has spent more time on the treatment table at Old Trafford than on the pitch.

Worst still, Ferguson could well lose his only remaining out-and-out forward if the English FA (Football Association) act on video evidence that should be brought against Carlos Tevez.

The enormously talented Argentine was most definitely in breach of soccer’s code of conduct when he clearly and deliberately man-handled Portsmouth defender Hermann Hreidarsson, catching the Pompey player by the throat.

The pint-sized South American, who is in the throes of securing a permanent transfer to Manchester United from West Ham, was not penalised on the day, given that neither the referee nor his assistants saw the incident. But thankfully for television replays, Tevez could be seen reacting angrily to the tussle with Hreidarsson and gripping the Scandinavian by the throat.

As this was just the season’s curtain-raiser, the FA might be found to be reluctant to act on the matter, and more so because the player involved is from Manchester United. Well lesser players have fallen foul to evidence presented through the lens of a television camera and now the Football Association must be strong to stand up to Manchester United and Ferguson, and bring Tevez to book.

He was out of order and should be made to pay for his misdemeanours, which include the Argentina international stamping on Hreidarsson.

There will be no excuse for the FA not to drag Tevez before their disciplinary committee and throw the book at him. The custodians of English football have done it on countless occasions involving “lesser” clubs and this time they will be ridiculed perhaps unlikely any other time if they do not act against the violent and unsportsmanlike behaviour of Tevez.

Of course, it will be noted that Manchester United, and Ferguson, have previously fallen foul of the football rules, only to escape sanction for one reason or another.

This time, however, Tevez cannot dodge censure. Needless to say that if he does, then this season we will almost surely see players getting off scot-free for half-strangling opponents – something we could do without.

Liverpool face uphill battle

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:59:52 GMT

By Shaun Orange

In a single season Fernando Torres established himself as one of the best strikers the English Premier League has had since its inception in the campaign of 1992/93.

And then at the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland last month he drove home the point Liverpool fans made that he was among the finest in the world. In the process he helped lead Spain to triumph in the continental showpiece.

Now, as the Anfield club prepare for an assault on the Premiership crown, seeking to claim the most coveted of titles in English soccer, the deadly marksman has declared that it is his intention to ensure that they win the league championship; and much more.

There is no denying that Torres has the talent and pedigree to develop into one of the game’s grandest names yet. The aptitude, skill and flair that he boasts is unlike anything that Liverpool have had since the days of Kenny Dalglish and company. And coincidentally those were the days when the Reds dominated the game, both at home and in Europe.

Anfield coach Rafael Benitez, Torres’ Spanish compatriot, has done more than enough to make Liverpool a force again in European soccer. A Champions League triumph in 2005 and a couple of semi-final berths since have amply seen to that.

But like Torres, Benitez wants the Premiership more than anything else and his yearning for the league crown is something that is shared by Liverpool’s fans, flung across all the continents. But it is also one thing that cannot be achieved easily, and both of Anfield’s most influential Spaniards recognise this without coaxing.

But having said that, Liverpool appear at this time to have a squad that has the capacity to at least challenge for the league title, and that is something they have been unable to do in more than 15 years.

The recent arrival at Anfield of Irish striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham has prompted a growing belief within and outside of the club that now they do indeed have in place a squad just about on par with Manchester United and Chelsea, the favourites to fight it out for the Premier League honours.

Benitez is still keen on signing Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, although the manager’s ambitions for that buy took a huge knock a couple of days ago when Anfield boss Rick Parry noted that the asking price of some £18 million for the England midfielder was “too high”.

Still, the Anfield coach has at his disposal some quality players, almost all of them internationals. And if he can just quit rotating his players every next game they might well end up in a position to have a say in where the Premiership title goes in May.

But he should also be mindful, as should Liverpool’s faithful supporters, that Torres alone cannot clinch the league, and that it is a long haul to win the biggest title there is in English soccer.

Arsenal will be exposed

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:07:59 GMT

By Shaun Orange

Arsene Wenger, the French coach who has a supreme gift of turning young raw talent into top-class footballers, will look to his pre-season preparations with a fair degree of satisfaction; if not more.

Arsenal all but wrapped up the Amsterdam Tournament with the 1-1 draw with Spanish side Seville on Saturday. That result left the London team unbeaten in their off-season friendlies and will have given Wenger much heart as they look forward to a busy three weeks ahead and what should be a long and testy league campaign.

But the Gunners manager will draw more than that from their preparations, which also included what has now become an annual visit to Austria. He will be excited by the performances of some of his youngsters, and perhaps no more so than the prospect of Mexican forward Carlos Vela taking the Premier League by the scruff and imposing himself on the English game with such a dominance that even he (Wenger) will be left in awe.

Of course, the crafty manager will mention none of this in public, and maybe not even to his closest aides. But deep down, one gets the feeling that he will hoping for just that – for Vela to come through and play his first season in England in such a manner that even the skeptics will be left in no doubt about who he is, and what he has to offer.

Naturally, Wenger will not be focused solely on Vela. He has quite a few other youngsters in his side that require the same nurturing and will need to spread himself far and wide to accomplish that.

Illustrative of this was the fact that when they drew with Seville in Amsterdam, the Arsenal side had an average age of just 19-and-a-half; and the displays that came across were enough to suggest that Wenger will not be too concerned about changing a lot to his squad.

But the Frenchman gets his first real test of the new season when they return to Holland in the week for the European Champions League qualifier against Arnhem, the club now coached by former England boss Steve McClaren.

There will almost certainly be changes in that team, compared to the one that played Seville, but it should not be wholesale changes, and Wenger should go with some youth, complemented by a bit more experience.

In fact, he is likely to adopt that approach to the domestic campaign as a whole. And that is why I believe that Arsenal will struggle more this season that they did last term. In the 2007/08 campaign they led the championship for long periods but collapsed spectacularly in the run-in as the inexperience of the young boys showed.

This season I do not think they will even get the chance to hang around at the top, never mind finish in the top-four. Actually, if Arsenal are in the top-five come next May, then they could consider themselves having done well.

There is no doubt in my mind that they will struggle badly this term and only because this time Wenger’s faith in a group of youngsters will be exposed for just what it is.