Alongside managing the traditional title contenders, the highest pressure management positions in the English Premier League are with those teams fighting for survival in the division. These clubs are usually run on a shoe string budget, sell any stars that emerge and expect their managers to get them closer to mid table safety rather than involve them in the discomfort of a relegation battle.
Given the millions at stake, one must sympathize with the club owners who must strike a fine balance between knee jerk firings and allowing their managers sufficient time to imprint their football philosophy on the team.
West Ham, my prediction for first relegation candidate are victims to a group of owners that had become renowned for understanding the need to afford their managers sufficient time. Perhaps tentatively blinded by the new millions in the game, Sullivan and Gold who only recently purchased West Ham must now think they should have stuck with principle and rewarded Gianfranco Zola for his successful battle against relegation last season.
The new owners opted for the experienced Avram Grant who had just completed an inspirational season at doomed Portsmouth but he has apparently failed to fire up his troops for the fight. It is often said that managers like Ferguson and Mourinho are winners that find a way to instill a winning mentality to their charges, Avram Grant after all he went through at Portsmouth seems to have a reverse effect. While West Ham may be best served by changing managers now, with their dire financial situation it may be a decision that Sullivan and Gold feel is too costly to make and one that will cost them a place in the top flight next season.
Sticking with the subject of experienced managers, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley seems to cherish an experienced manager over a successful one. Chris Hughton inherited a relegated Newcastle in turmoil and got them convincingly promoted back to the premiership at the first time of asking.
Despite being denied a contract, funds and an assistant, Hughton got Newcastle into mid table of the premier league with some sensational results against heavy weights Arsenal and Chelsea as well as totally thrashing Sunderland their derby rivals. While these achievements would have strengthened the manager’s hand at any other club, Mike Ashley decided the time was right to sack Hughton and bring in Alan Pardew who he considered an experienced manager.
While I think Pardew is a great person and manager who deserves another crack at the top flight, I predict that Mike Ashley’s unconvenality will continue to drag Newcastle down to end the season in the bottom three. Since he took ownership of Newcastle, Ashley sacked Sam Allardyce while they were 10th placed in the premier league because the football wasn’t pretty enough. Then Kevin Keegan left after disagreeing with Ashley’s hiring of Dennis Wise as a Technical Director and the club’s transfer policy. Until Mike Ashley succeeds in selling the club, continue to watch the sports headlines for the next strange Newcastle situation.
My third prediction for relegation is Wigan. They have had some strange results this season with impressive performances when you least expect them but I believe their inconsistency will cost them a place in the division. In the direct battle against Wolves and West Brom, I believe Wigan will just fall short because Wolves have more steel and West Brom have more goals in them.
Now that I have finally concluded the toughest of my predictions, watch this space for my take on who will emerge with the championship. In the interim, have your say on who you believe is going down this season.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Heart or Money to Soar High in the English Premier League?
Over the last decade, the Premier League has been characterized by talk about the big four and the gulf in resources they have to attract the best talent available. However, since the last season, Manchester City’s financial muscle has dwarfed that of the traditional big four while lesser weights have apparently been motivated to have more fight by the new financial reward structure of the league. This has yielded unpredictability and performances of courage to keep fans on the edges of their seats for the full 90 minutes game after game.
If we needed any reminding that a gulf in financial resources still remains, Man City were on hand to demonstrate during the Manchester derby with a time wasting substitution to bring on £25 million Adebayor during injury time. Amazingly though, cash strapped Bolton who have recently been contemplating selling some of their best players to stay afloat are currently breathing down Man City’s neck in the battle for fourth place.
This season the league has been served with a breath of fresh air courage by especially some of the younger managers at teams like Bolton, Blackpool, West Bromwich and Sunderland. This has yielded them some unexpected results, often referred to as bonus points against the traditional heavy weights.
Mancini on the other hand despite the embarrassing wealth of attacking talent at his disposal is very cautious often preferring to play with two holding midfielders. Given that he has spent over £135 million on new players with in his less than one year tenure, Mancini’s hand has probably been forced by the pressure to meet minimum goals. Hopefully today’s efficient display at Fulham will liberate him for a more adventurous approach against heavier weights or else brave Tottenham will be on hand to snatch that fourth place again and Mancini’s Man City job will be history.
For all the ruthlessness demonstrated by title favorites Chelsea at the beginning of the season, it is now starting to increasingly appear that heart is not shared by all their sergeants. Terry, Essien, Lampard and Drogba are the crop that never seems to accept defeat but in their absence the rest seem to be simply folding. It is acknowledged that together with Man City, Chelsea boasts the deepest squad in the league but with already four losses registered for the season, they could do with more heart in the rest of their ranks.
Strangely, it looks like the time for teams to summon all their courage is when they have a 2:0 lead, a score line that seems to consistently inspire the loosing opposition. Everton and West Bromwich demonstrated against Man United who in turn did the same to Aston Villa that until that final whistle is blown, 2:0 is a very fragile lead. A cruising Arsenal was punished even more severely than Man United and Aston Villa when from a position of a 2:0 lead they ended the game empty handed against bitter rivals Tottenham.
Events at Portsmouth last season are still so freshly engraved in our minds for us to naively ignore the importance of money. The right combination of money and courage will be critical for especially the teams that are looking to do more than just survive in the English top division. That more teams have demonstrated heart to fight in every game has made it harder to predict matches and relegation candidates. With the exception of West Ham, all 19 teams in the league look like they are not about to easily relinquish their place in the top flight. I will need to summon all the courage I can to make predictions for the relegation candidates in my next column.
If we needed any reminding that a gulf in financial resources still remains, Man City were on hand to demonstrate during the Manchester derby with a time wasting substitution to bring on £25 million Adebayor during injury time. Amazingly though, cash strapped Bolton who have recently been contemplating selling some of their best players to stay afloat are currently breathing down Man City’s neck in the battle for fourth place.
This season the league has been served with a breath of fresh air courage by especially some of the younger managers at teams like Bolton, Blackpool, West Bromwich and Sunderland. This has yielded them some unexpected results, often referred to as bonus points against the traditional heavy weights.
Mancini on the other hand despite the embarrassing wealth of attacking talent at his disposal is very cautious often preferring to play with two holding midfielders. Given that he has spent over £135 million on new players with in his less than one year tenure, Mancini’s hand has probably been forced by the pressure to meet minimum goals. Hopefully today’s efficient display at Fulham will liberate him for a more adventurous approach against heavier weights or else brave Tottenham will be on hand to snatch that fourth place again and Mancini’s Man City job will be history.
For all the ruthlessness demonstrated by title favorites Chelsea at the beginning of the season, it is now starting to increasingly appear that heart is not shared by all their sergeants. Terry, Essien, Lampard and Drogba are the crop that never seems to accept defeat but in their absence the rest seem to be simply folding. It is acknowledged that together with Man City, Chelsea boasts the deepest squad in the league but with already four losses registered for the season, they could do with more heart in the rest of their ranks.
Strangely, it looks like the time for teams to summon all their courage is when they have a 2:0 lead, a score line that seems to consistently inspire the loosing opposition. Everton and West Bromwich demonstrated against Man United who in turn did the same to Aston Villa that until that final whistle is blown, 2:0 is a very fragile lead. A cruising Arsenal was punished even more severely than Man United and Aston Villa when from a position of a 2:0 lead they ended the game empty handed against bitter rivals Tottenham.
Events at Portsmouth last season are still so freshly engraved in our minds for us to naively ignore the importance of money. The right combination of money and courage will be critical for especially the teams that are looking to do more than just survive in the English top division. That more teams have demonstrated heart to fight in every game has made it harder to predict matches and relegation candidates. With the exception of West Ham, all 19 teams in the league look like they are not about to easily relinquish their place in the top flight. I will need to summon all the courage I can to make predictions for the relegation candidates in my next column.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Rooney Saga Creates Big Winners
In a variety of sports, athletes are motivated by ambition for medals, to be the best and maximize their financial return in a career that is arguably shorter than any other. With numerous headlines about different sportsmen moving on in pursuit of personal aspirations, you may wonder why Rooney’s threatened departure from Manchester United was greeted with extra fuss.
Wayne Rooney is simply England’s highest profile footballer and Manchester United has dominated the game for the last couple of decades. It is also known, United do not lose a player they want to keep! At least until they were persuaded by Real Madrid’s £80 million and the player’s pleas to accept the loss of Christiano Ronaldo last season. United now run the risk of losing Wayne Rooney who was reportedly worth at least £50million for a meager £5million! A FIFA technicality allows players to buy themselves out in the last year of their contract for the value of their annual wage.
The saga began when after the England game against Montenegro; Rooney contradicted his manager’s claims that he had missed the last couple of games with an ankle injury. In typical “my kraal is too small to hold two bulls” style, no one defies Sir Alex in his Manchester United empire and survives. The list of victims notably includes Roy Keane who like Rooney questioned the quality and application of his team mates, van Nistelrooy who challenged the boss’ decision to bench him and David Beckham who continued to attract pop star attention with his involvement in fashion.
Contrary to the fiery Scott act that we have come to be accustomed to, Ferguson surprised the football world when in a press conference before a Champions League game he confirmed Rooney’s desire to leave United in a close to tears performance. Why was Ferguson compromising an image of firmness that had brought him so much success over the years? Whether this was calculated or he was overwhelmed by emotion, Sir Alex succeeded in winning the battle for hearts.
Since Roy Keane’s departure, Ferguson had finally found in Rooney the embodiment of himself on the field and was not about to let go so easily. While Rooney does not wear the captain’s arm band, he typifies Ferguson’s unrelenting drive for success. Like Ferguson, Rooney demonstrates with his work ethic that he is in the game because it is his life and not for the money.
While Ferguson was winning the hearts, Rooney in his response through his agent, Paul Stretford, succeeded in reminding many United fans that their beloved club was now suffocating under the Glazers’ debt burden. Most United fans recognized that Rooney chose to leave his beloved Everton for United in the first place because he believed in United’s ability to consistently succeed. That Rooney now had doubts about United’s ambition was great reason for the fans to question the club’s future. Their local rivals, Manchester City were now competing at the top end of the transfer market while United had stooped to seeking bargain buys like Bebe from the third tier of Portuguese football.
Irrespective of Paul Stretford’s game plan, he must have been surprised at the reaction of the United fans. Rather than vent at the owners’ stingy transfer policy, the fans attacked Rooney’s home and angrily warned him against joining their local rivals or he would die.
Although listening to Ferguson’s complaints about the role of agents in destabilizing players sounds hollow, I agree with him that Paul Stretford caused the saga in a bid to maximize his personal paycheck. Ironically though, Stretford would for his selfish reasons yet again work to Ferguson’s gain. After all Rooney and Ferguson have a common hunger for success and the Glazers’ arm would be forced into purchasing some real quality footballers.
As the saga continued to unfold, the biggest concern was about United’s dressing room. Rooney had implicitly expressed a lack of confidence about the quality of his team mates and he was to return on a significantly higher check!
Ferguson will be pleased that the players have responded by winning all the games in which they have featured since the landmark interviews. They have also demonstrated a tremendous team spirit as they consistently fight for each other. The key question is whether they will feel Rooney is truly part of this team having questioned their quality and then evidently being treated with extreme favoritism. Their biggest gain though will be the fact that the Glazers may not allow contracts of any key players to run so close to expiration and they too may demand significantly bigger checks now that United’s pay structure has been broken.
The United fans were relieved to keep the big star that had almost single handedly fired United to glory during the previous season. While Sir Alex has shown time and again great ability to compensate for lost players, United would definitely be better off with Rooney in their ranks. Better still, Rooney will have the added incentive to win over the fans and his team mates after the implications of the remarks his agent made on his behalf.
The Glazer’s too despite having been pushed into agreeing to terms will be pleased to have avoided losing their prized asset for close to nothing. Having tied Rooney to five more years they can now make a rational decision on whether he is too big for the club or if they can sustain the club’s success despite their financial plight.
The Glazers may be kicking themselves for having yielded to Rooney’s demands so easily when they realize that he was truly not in as strong a bargaining position as they may have thought. Only a couple of clubs would truly afford to pay Rooney the kind of money he was seeking. Real Madrid would be the best alternative to United given that in Mourinho they are almost guaranteed success. With the kind of record English players have established playing overseas, Rooney would probably have been thinking that he was not guaranteed to be a hit in Madrid. I would be hard pressed to think Man City truly crossed Rooney’s mind given that he is apparently more motivated by success than money.
As long as they can keep Ferguson motivated, the Glazers will trust his ability to continue keeping United at the very least competitive with or without Rooney. After all he has unearthed a new hero in a truly grateful Chicarito and he was able to compensate for the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez in the last season. But keeping Rooney may well be the best way to motivate Ferguson given that he is not in the football business for the money. Then of course after the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez in the last season, there would be genuine concern about United’s ambition and ability to attract top quality talent if they lost arguably their last truly high profile player in his prime.
Wayne Rooney is simply England’s highest profile footballer and Manchester United has dominated the game for the last couple of decades. It is also known, United do not lose a player they want to keep! At least until they were persuaded by Real Madrid’s £80 million and the player’s pleas to accept the loss of Christiano Ronaldo last season. United now run the risk of losing Wayne Rooney who was reportedly worth at least £50million for a meager £5million! A FIFA technicality allows players to buy themselves out in the last year of their contract for the value of their annual wage.
The saga began when after the England game against Montenegro; Rooney contradicted his manager’s claims that he had missed the last couple of games with an ankle injury. In typical “my kraal is too small to hold two bulls” style, no one defies Sir Alex in his Manchester United empire and survives. The list of victims notably includes Roy Keane who like Rooney questioned the quality and application of his team mates, van Nistelrooy who challenged the boss’ decision to bench him and David Beckham who continued to attract pop star attention with his involvement in fashion.
Contrary to the fiery Scott act that we have come to be accustomed to, Ferguson surprised the football world when in a press conference before a Champions League game he confirmed Rooney’s desire to leave United in a close to tears performance. Why was Ferguson compromising an image of firmness that had brought him so much success over the years? Whether this was calculated or he was overwhelmed by emotion, Sir Alex succeeded in winning the battle for hearts.
Since Roy Keane’s departure, Ferguson had finally found in Rooney the embodiment of himself on the field and was not about to let go so easily. While Rooney does not wear the captain’s arm band, he typifies Ferguson’s unrelenting drive for success. Like Ferguson, Rooney demonstrates with his work ethic that he is in the game because it is his life and not for the money.
While Ferguson was winning the hearts, Rooney in his response through his agent, Paul Stretford, succeeded in reminding many United fans that their beloved club was now suffocating under the Glazers’ debt burden. Most United fans recognized that Rooney chose to leave his beloved Everton for United in the first place because he believed in United’s ability to consistently succeed. That Rooney now had doubts about United’s ambition was great reason for the fans to question the club’s future. Their local rivals, Manchester City were now competing at the top end of the transfer market while United had stooped to seeking bargain buys like Bebe from the third tier of Portuguese football.
Irrespective of Paul Stretford’s game plan, he must have been surprised at the reaction of the United fans. Rather than vent at the owners’ stingy transfer policy, the fans attacked Rooney’s home and angrily warned him against joining their local rivals or he would die.
Although listening to Ferguson’s complaints about the role of agents in destabilizing players sounds hollow, I agree with him that Paul Stretford caused the saga in a bid to maximize his personal paycheck. Ironically though, Stretford would for his selfish reasons yet again work to Ferguson’s gain. After all Rooney and Ferguson have a common hunger for success and the Glazers’ arm would be forced into purchasing some real quality footballers.
As the saga continued to unfold, the biggest concern was about United’s dressing room. Rooney had implicitly expressed a lack of confidence about the quality of his team mates and he was to return on a significantly higher check!
Ferguson will be pleased that the players have responded by winning all the games in which they have featured since the landmark interviews. They have also demonstrated a tremendous team spirit as they consistently fight for each other. The key question is whether they will feel Rooney is truly part of this team having questioned their quality and then evidently being treated with extreme favoritism. Their biggest gain though will be the fact that the Glazers may not allow contracts of any key players to run so close to expiration and they too may demand significantly bigger checks now that United’s pay structure has been broken.
The United fans were relieved to keep the big star that had almost single handedly fired United to glory during the previous season. While Sir Alex has shown time and again great ability to compensate for lost players, United would definitely be better off with Rooney in their ranks. Better still, Rooney will have the added incentive to win over the fans and his team mates after the implications of the remarks his agent made on his behalf.
The Glazer’s too despite having been pushed into agreeing to terms will be pleased to have avoided losing their prized asset for close to nothing. Having tied Rooney to five more years they can now make a rational decision on whether he is too big for the club or if they can sustain the club’s success despite their financial plight.
The Glazers may be kicking themselves for having yielded to Rooney’s demands so easily when they realize that he was truly not in as strong a bargaining position as they may have thought. Only a couple of clubs would truly afford to pay Rooney the kind of money he was seeking. Real Madrid would be the best alternative to United given that in Mourinho they are almost guaranteed success. With the kind of record English players have established playing overseas, Rooney would probably have been thinking that he was not guaranteed to be a hit in Madrid. I would be hard pressed to think Man City truly crossed Rooney’s mind given that he is apparently more motivated by success than money.
As long as they can keep Ferguson motivated, the Glazers will trust his ability to continue keeping United at the very least competitive with or without Rooney. After all he has unearthed a new hero in a truly grateful Chicarito and he was able to compensate for the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez in the last season. But keeping Rooney may well be the best way to motivate Ferguson given that he is not in the football business for the money. Then of course after the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez in the last season, there would be genuine concern about United’s ambition and ability to attract top quality talent if they lost arguably their last truly high profile player in his prime.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Top Half of the Table
Ordinarily finishing in the top half of the table is not an achievement to write home about. The merit payment reward structure of the English Premier League has however motivated teams to fight for a finish in the very best possible position, if not for pride, the financial benefit that comes with each higher position.
Given the events that clouded Liverpool over the last few weeks, I started to strongly question my prediction that they would squeak into the Europa League places. The new ownership at Liverpool would however surely provide just the tonic needed to spark them into a run that would close out the challenge of Aston Villa and Everton.
Liverpool’s revival was not helped by their loss to Mersey rivals Everton during the week of their take over but as long as the owners remain patient with Manager Hodgson, they still stand a good chance of climbing up the table.
Everton have had their traditional slow start to a season but they now seem to have turned around the corner to mount a serious challenge for the Europa League places. This should be a season where the Mersey rivalry will be as bitter as ever, as Everton fiercely battle for that last Europa League place against Liverpool. If Roy Hodgson is given time to mold this group and the funds to make a couple of smart additions in the January transfer window, Liverpool may just nick this battle.
Aston Villa have played well in spells but the signing of Gerard Houllier as Manager has not moved them up a level as the owners must have expected. In fact the owners may be starting to wonder whether they should have given assistant manager, Kevin MacDonald the chance he craved to have a crack at the job. Villa should still finish in the top half of the table although the fans will be disappointed not to mount a challenge for Champions League places, as they have got accustomed to over the last couple of seasons.
It is that last place in the top half that will have the most captivating battle. Sunderland and Birmingham have over the last couple of seasons invested heavily into their squads. Fulham has a very experienced squad and capable manager in Mark Hughes who will want to sustain the success enjoyed under previous manager, Roy Hodgson.
Stoke has also invested in some flair players to make them less of a one dimensional physical team which relies on Rory Delap’s long throw. Bolton too has added quite a bit of silk to their steel under manager, Owen Coyle. All three newly promoted teams have also had quite a decent start to the season and it would not be too much to expect one of them to crack into the top half. West Brom particularly looks disciplined and show signs of improving with every game while Blackpool is a very adventurous outfit which is a breath of fresh air to a league where the lesser teams often preach caution and are characterized by a very cagey style.
Tough as it is to call, I will bank on Sunderland’s depth, experience and extra quality in the striking department to eventually come good and fire them to the top half. Darren Bent is a constant goal threat and he now has quality back up in Asamoah Gyan who will improve with each game.
If you learned in school that being average was a sign of complacency, this EPL season’s fight and the challenge to sustain middle class quality of life in these tough economic times will soon make you change your mind.
Given the events that clouded Liverpool over the last few weeks, I started to strongly question my prediction that they would squeak into the Europa League places. The new ownership at Liverpool would however surely provide just the tonic needed to spark them into a run that would close out the challenge of Aston Villa and Everton.
Liverpool’s revival was not helped by their loss to Mersey rivals Everton during the week of their take over but as long as the owners remain patient with Manager Hodgson, they still stand a good chance of climbing up the table.
Everton have had their traditional slow start to a season but they now seem to have turned around the corner to mount a serious challenge for the Europa League places. This should be a season where the Mersey rivalry will be as bitter as ever, as Everton fiercely battle for that last Europa League place against Liverpool. If Roy Hodgson is given time to mold this group and the funds to make a couple of smart additions in the January transfer window, Liverpool may just nick this battle.
Aston Villa have played well in spells but the signing of Gerard Houllier as Manager has not moved them up a level as the owners must have expected. In fact the owners may be starting to wonder whether they should have given assistant manager, Kevin MacDonald the chance he craved to have a crack at the job. Villa should still finish in the top half of the table although the fans will be disappointed not to mount a challenge for Champions League places, as they have got accustomed to over the last couple of seasons.
It is that last place in the top half that will have the most captivating battle. Sunderland and Birmingham have over the last couple of seasons invested heavily into their squads. Fulham has a very experienced squad and capable manager in Mark Hughes who will want to sustain the success enjoyed under previous manager, Roy Hodgson.
Stoke has also invested in some flair players to make them less of a one dimensional physical team which relies on Rory Delap’s long throw. Bolton too has added quite a bit of silk to their steel under manager, Owen Coyle. All three newly promoted teams have also had quite a decent start to the season and it would not be too much to expect one of them to crack into the top half. West Brom particularly looks disciplined and show signs of improving with every game while Blackpool is a very adventurous outfit which is a breath of fresh air to a league where the lesser teams often preach caution and are characterized by a very cagey style.
Tough as it is to call, I will bank on Sunderland’s depth, experience and extra quality in the striking department to eventually come good and fire them to the top half. Darren Bent is a constant goal threat and he now has quality back up in Asamoah Gyan who will improve with each game.
If you learned in school that being average was a sign of complacency, this EPL season’s fight and the challenge to sustain middle class quality of life in these tough economic times will soon make you change your mind.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Manchester United and Liverpool Rivals or Twins?
It is not very often that you will find a diehard Liverpool fan share a cup of tea with their counterpart from Manchester United. In fact the two clubs historically have one of the most significant sporting rivalries in football, you could easily brand them archenemies.
If you take the time to look deeper though, you will find that Manchester United and Liverpool have so much in common they could easily pass for twins.
For starters, both United and Liverpool hail from the North West of England and they have won 18 top domestic flight titles a piece to make them the joint most successful English clubs.
Granted, Liverpool founded in 1892 and Manchester United founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, changing its name to Manchester United in 1902 do not share a birthday but it is amazing how much more they have in common.
The cornerstone of the history of both clubs is shaped around disastrous events. For Liverpool it is the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster that stands out while for Manchester United it is the 1958 Munich Disaster.
There is the issue of unpopular American owners that riddled both clubs with huge amounts of debt. United was purchased by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005 in a deal valuing the club at almost £800 million. Liverpool did not have to wait much longer before George Gillett and Tom Hicks acquired the club in February 2007 for £218.9 million.
Liverpool fans at least need to celebrate their near survival of administration and tremendous reduction in debt following the recent purchase of the club for £300 million by American sports investment company NESV! Even in this transaction though, Liverpool’s resemblance with United is what probably led Hicks and Gillett to fight for £1 billion in damages, the approximate value of Manchester United according to Forbes Magazine’s April 2010 issue.
In recent weeks, the prolific center forwards of both United and Liverpool, Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres have looked nothing but a pale shadow of themselves. The form of both clubs has also suffered and with that compromised the title challenge of both in a season that promised so much with the signings of Roy Hodgson for Liverpool and Javier Hernandez for United.
In the rare event that diehard fans from the two clubs share a cup of tea, they will often focus on the trivial differences between the two clubs. For instance they are facing different predicaments with Liverpool in a relegation dog fight! United is not having much joy either as it faces a season so similar to Liverpool’s two losses for the 2008/2009 season that still finished with no trophies to show because of simply too many draws.
Granted, Hodgson at Liverpool is facing the risk of losing his job while Ferguson is secure at United but both are hugely successful old British managers. Ferguson was also reportedly on the verge of being dismissed when his United career was saved with the 1990 FA Cup victory and Hodgson may simply need the same lucky break to spark Liverpool’s revival and end a 20 year championship drought. Remember it took United 26 years to end their championship drought with the famous 1993 triumph that led to the current era of dominance, identical to Liverpool’s of 1970’s and 1980’s.
My verdict on this most bitter of football rivalries is that it is simply one that is borne out of their twin similarities. If you would like to avoid a fight over your cup of tea, pay more attention the next time you choose someone to share it with. After all, even scientists have taught that like poles repel.
If you take the time to look deeper though, you will find that Manchester United and Liverpool have so much in common they could easily pass for twins.
For starters, both United and Liverpool hail from the North West of England and they have won 18 top domestic flight titles a piece to make them the joint most successful English clubs.
Granted, Liverpool founded in 1892 and Manchester United founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, changing its name to Manchester United in 1902 do not share a birthday but it is amazing how much more they have in common.
The cornerstone of the history of both clubs is shaped around disastrous events. For Liverpool it is the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster that stands out while for Manchester United it is the 1958 Munich Disaster.
There is the issue of unpopular American owners that riddled both clubs with huge amounts of debt. United was purchased by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005 in a deal valuing the club at almost £800 million. Liverpool did not have to wait much longer before George Gillett and Tom Hicks acquired the club in February 2007 for £218.9 million.
Liverpool fans at least need to celebrate their near survival of administration and tremendous reduction in debt following the recent purchase of the club for £300 million by American sports investment company NESV! Even in this transaction though, Liverpool’s resemblance with United is what probably led Hicks and Gillett to fight for £1 billion in damages, the approximate value of Manchester United according to Forbes Magazine’s April 2010 issue.
In recent weeks, the prolific center forwards of both United and Liverpool, Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres have looked nothing but a pale shadow of themselves. The form of both clubs has also suffered and with that compromised the title challenge of both in a season that promised so much with the signings of Roy Hodgson for Liverpool and Javier Hernandez for United.
In the rare event that diehard fans from the two clubs share a cup of tea, they will often focus on the trivial differences between the two clubs. For instance they are facing different predicaments with Liverpool in a relegation dog fight! United is not having much joy either as it faces a season so similar to Liverpool’s two losses for the 2008/2009 season that still finished with no trophies to show because of simply too many draws.
Granted, Hodgson at Liverpool is facing the risk of losing his job while Ferguson is secure at United but both are hugely successful old British managers. Ferguson was also reportedly on the verge of being dismissed when his United career was saved with the 1990 FA Cup victory and Hodgson may simply need the same lucky break to spark Liverpool’s revival and end a 20 year championship drought. Remember it took United 26 years to end their championship drought with the famous 1993 triumph that led to the current era of dominance, identical to Liverpool’s of 1970’s and 1980’s.
My verdict on this most bitter of football rivalries is that it is simply one that is borne out of their twin similarities. If you would like to avoid a fight over your cup of tea, pay more attention the next time you choose someone to share it with. After all, even scientists have taught that like poles repel.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Europa League Places
The predictability of the English Premier League (EPL) has long been debated in years gone by. This is mainly because of the establishment of a big four that comprised Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Bar the odd Everton and Spurs squeak into fourth place, it has almost been written in stone that these would be the teams that finish in the top four places.
With Liverpool finishing seventh last season and Manchester City shaking the European transfer market with their outlay of millions on players; it was evident that the old order would be confined to history. Even more shaking was that Spurs deservedly finished fourth last season, putting use of the “big four” phrase on hold at least for another season.
That it has taken me down to round 6 of this season to come up with predictions for the Europa League places is evidence to how unpredictable this league is turning.
Predictions would greatly depend on the answers to the following questions: How would Spurs cope with the challenge of mid week champions league games? Who would replace Martin O’Neil at Villa and how quickly would he be able to galvanize a squad that consistently shows promise but seems to run out of steam at the business end of the season? How would Hodgson cope with the pressure at Anfield and would he be able to lift the inherited side with simply too many average players? Would Everton, considered one of the most organized and mentally strong sides in the league have a modest start and not leave it too late to get a decent run of victories? Would Mark Hughes at Fulham, like he did at Blackburn be able sustain their progress on a modest budget?
Then of course we should not ignore the steady progress that Sunderland and Birmingham have been making under Steve Bruce and Alex McLeish respectively. How much more would they progress this season?
With so many contenders for these three Europa League places, the battle may just prove to be the most entertaining aspect of this season. The quality of the sides contending should also be higher than traditional contenders, and like last season, there probably will not be much between fourth and fifth place.
Tough as it is to predict, I will go with Tottenham, Fulham and Liverpool. It is even tougher to leave Aston Villa off this list and I have no doubt they will be waiting to pounce if Hodgson fails to galvanize his disgruntled Liverpool troops quickly enough. I just think Gerard Houllier has been away from day to day football management a little too long to get it right immediately, having missed out on the start of the season.
In the interim, stay tuned for another season with twists and turns, major upsets and a couple of manager casualties. If the unpredictability of the league is in question, look no further than round 6 of games where we already have many failed predictions with the results at The City of Manchester Stadium, Emirates and Upton Park. Even more surprising is the fact that at the latter two venues, teams that are relegation candidates according to many experts performed so superbly, fans watching from proximate roof tops could easily have assumed a swap of jerseys.
With Liverpool finishing seventh last season and Manchester City shaking the European transfer market with their outlay of millions on players; it was evident that the old order would be confined to history. Even more shaking was that Spurs deservedly finished fourth last season, putting use of the “big four” phrase on hold at least for another season.
That it has taken me down to round 6 of this season to come up with predictions for the Europa League places is evidence to how unpredictable this league is turning.
Predictions would greatly depend on the answers to the following questions: How would Spurs cope with the challenge of mid week champions league games? Who would replace Martin O’Neil at Villa and how quickly would he be able to galvanize a squad that consistently shows promise but seems to run out of steam at the business end of the season? How would Hodgson cope with the pressure at Anfield and would he be able to lift the inherited side with simply too many average players? Would Everton, considered one of the most organized and mentally strong sides in the league have a modest start and not leave it too late to get a decent run of victories? Would Mark Hughes at Fulham, like he did at Blackburn be able sustain their progress on a modest budget?
Then of course we should not ignore the steady progress that Sunderland and Birmingham have been making under Steve Bruce and Alex McLeish respectively. How much more would they progress this season?
With so many contenders for these three Europa League places, the battle may just prove to be the most entertaining aspect of this season. The quality of the sides contending should also be higher than traditional contenders, and like last season, there probably will not be much between fourth and fifth place.
Tough as it is to predict, I will go with Tottenham, Fulham and Liverpool. It is even tougher to leave Aston Villa off this list and I have no doubt they will be waiting to pounce if Hodgson fails to galvanize his disgruntled Liverpool troops quickly enough. I just think Gerard Houllier has been away from day to day football management a little too long to get it right immediately, having missed out on the start of the season.
In the interim, stay tuned for another season with twists and turns, major upsets and a couple of manager casualties. If the unpredictability of the league is in question, look no further than round 6 of games where we already have many failed predictions with the results at The City of Manchester Stadium, Emirates and Upton Park. Even more surprising is the fact that at the latter two venues, teams that are relegation candidates according to many experts performed so superbly, fans watching from proximate roof tops could easily have assumed a swap of jerseys.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Your Pick for Champions League Places
As we start our predictions for potential champions and the big monetary prize that comes at the end of the 2010 – 2011 season, it is prudent to look into the events of last season and the transfer window.
For the last six seasons, Chelsea has undoubtedly had the strongest squad in the league and as defending champions they start as the team to beat. This time though, they too are probably looking at Manchester City enviously as they realize they do not boast the luxury of strongest squad in the league any more.
The transfer window business has seen Chelsea shed off some age in the shape of Ballack, Carvalho, Belleti and Deco. Although Joe Cole is only 29 years, he has not had a chance to be a major influence over the last couple of years and despite his undoubted quality, Chelsea will not be weaker because of his departure. The additions of Benayoun and Ramires will not cause major title rivals to shake in their boots though. The fit again Essein is the major reason why Chelsea may be stronger this season than the last, although you have to feel that the loss of Carvalho will weaken them defensively and they may struggle without a quality defensive replacement.
Manchester United having been piped by just a point last season will surely fancy their chances. A major concern would be the fact that they were overly reliant on Rooney last season and you cannot guarantee that he will enjoy this season nearly as much.
Chicarito is undoubtedly the exciting bit of business United have done this summer and he may be the breath of fresh air needed to inspire the rest of the team to chip in with goals. Getting the best out of Berbatov who looked very lively playing alongside Chicarito may actually be the master piece in the puzzle to make the United machine tick again.
Although you would not bet on a recurrence of the defensive injuries that wiped out two entire ManU back fours last season, their primary defensive unit looks very injury prone. Van ser Sar is an awkward fall away from injury and Ferdinand together with Brown will not be expected to get 50 games between them.
New defensive signing Smalling has done very little to inspire confidence while there will also be worries about how influential old guards Giggs and Scholes continue to be. The return of a fit Macheda will increase competition on the striking positions so we should see a much better spread of goals through the team. The other new signing, previously unknown Bebe who was playing in the Portuguese third division only five weeks ago and was until recently living in a homeless shelter will also be a very interesting story to follow.
Arsenal has seen the departures of their old guard in Silvestre, Gallas and Campbel, but last season they were all particularly of minimal influence. The loss of van Persie to injury for much of last season was clearly a major blow to Arsenal and in signing Chamakh they should be able to cope with van Persie’s expected absence at least for a few games and will also lend some size to their attack.
Interestingly, defense was the major area that Arsenal struggled with last season and Wenger must have such confidence in new signing Koscielny, he expects him to compensate for the loss of 3 center halves. How Fabregas copes after a summer of much speculation may also be an interesting factor to watch for.
Manchester City may have missed out on a top four place last season but they have made a great statement of intent with yet further extravagance in the transfer market. As the squads get trimmed to just 25 players, City will without a doubt have the highest quality squad. With at least two world class players for each position, it is hard to point out an area of weakness in their squad.
The key question is that with so many new signings, will they gel quickly enough to mount a realistic challenge? Mancini like Ancelotti will also now have the bonus of having had more time to instill his style on the team, although after hearing outbursts from Adebayor and Given, Mancini has a real challenge of managing so many egos.
Liverpool and Tottenham will feel very hard done to be excluded from this list of predictions. I expect a real surge from Liverpool this season given their new witty manager Hodgson but they still seem to be a little light in their squad. I believe they will get real close to the top four but they will find Arsenal’s experience too hard to crack and City’s depth hard to overcome. Chelsea and United will also prove too seasoned as they bid to either retain or return the trophy. Tottenham will simply be undone by the demands of European football, although I expect both to easily get back into Europe.
For the last six seasons, Chelsea has undoubtedly had the strongest squad in the league and as defending champions they start as the team to beat. This time though, they too are probably looking at Manchester City enviously as they realize they do not boast the luxury of strongest squad in the league any more.
The transfer window business has seen Chelsea shed off some age in the shape of Ballack, Carvalho, Belleti and Deco. Although Joe Cole is only 29 years, he has not had a chance to be a major influence over the last couple of years and despite his undoubted quality, Chelsea will not be weaker because of his departure. The additions of Benayoun and Ramires will not cause major title rivals to shake in their boots though. The fit again Essein is the major reason why Chelsea may be stronger this season than the last, although you have to feel that the loss of Carvalho will weaken them defensively and they may struggle without a quality defensive replacement.
Manchester United having been piped by just a point last season will surely fancy their chances. A major concern would be the fact that they were overly reliant on Rooney last season and you cannot guarantee that he will enjoy this season nearly as much.
Chicarito is undoubtedly the exciting bit of business United have done this summer and he may be the breath of fresh air needed to inspire the rest of the team to chip in with goals. Getting the best out of Berbatov who looked very lively playing alongside Chicarito may actually be the master piece in the puzzle to make the United machine tick again.
Although you would not bet on a recurrence of the defensive injuries that wiped out two entire ManU back fours last season, their primary defensive unit looks very injury prone. Van ser Sar is an awkward fall away from injury and Ferdinand together with Brown will not be expected to get 50 games between them.
New defensive signing Smalling has done very little to inspire confidence while there will also be worries about how influential old guards Giggs and Scholes continue to be. The return of a fit Macheda will increase competition on the striking positions so we should see a much better spread of goals through the team. The other new signing, previously unknown Bebe who was playing in the Portuguese third division only five weeks ago and was until recently living in a homeless shelter will also be a very interesting story to follow.
Arsenal has seen the departures of their old guard in Silvestre, Gallas and Campbel, but last season they were all particularly of minimal influence. The loss of van Persie to injury for much of last season was clearly a major blow to Arsenal and in signing Chamakh they should be able to cope with van Persie’s expected absence at least for a few games and will also lend some size to their attack.
Interestingly, defense was the major area that Arsenal struggled with last season and Wenger must have such confidence in new signing Koscielny, he expects him to compensate for the loss of 3 center halves. How Fabregas copes after a summer of much speculation may also be an interesting factor to watch for.
Manchester City may have missed out on a top four place last season but they have made a great statement of intent with yet further extravagance in the transfer market. As the squads get trimmed to just 25 players, City will without a doubt have the highest quality squad. With at least two world class players for each position, it is hard to point out an area of weakness in their squad.
The key question is that with so many new signings, will they gel quickly enough to mount a realistic challenge? Mancini like Ancelotti will also now have the bonus of having had more time to instill his style on the team, although after hearing outbursts from Adebayor and Given, Mancini has a real challenge of managing so many egos.
Liverpool and Tottenham will feel very hard done to be excluded from this list of predictions. I expect a real surge from Liverpool this season given their new witty manager Hodgson but they still seem to be a little light in their squad. I believe they will get real close to the top four but they will find Arsenal’s experience too hard to crack and City’s depth hard to overcome. Chelsea and United will also prove too seasoned as they bid to either retain or return the trophy. Tottenham will simply be undone by the demands of European football, although I expect both to easily get back into Europe.
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