With Africa hosting its first ever World Cup this year, I found it imperative to dedicate a column this season to the African stars that have helped set the English Premier League alight. In line with this blog’s theme of predictions, we shall have your word on who should be crowned African player of the year in the EPL.
Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba and Ghana’s Michael Essein both at Chelsea are traditionally the most recognized African stars in the EPL, but new arrival and BBC African player of the year, Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan at Sunderland would definitely have a say this season.
At 9 goals apiece and level 9th in the league’s top scorers chart, you would have to say that Drogba, Gyan and West Brom’s Peter Odemwingie are the leading African strikers in the league. Other obvious challengers are Morroco’s Marouane Chamakh at Arsenal and Ivory Coast’s Salomon Kalou at Chelsea with 7 league goals each. West Ham’s mid-season Senegalese signing, Demba Ba who has scored 4 league goals in 4 starts has definitely set the second half of the season a light with some breath taking performances and will also have a major say. Other notable African striking stars are Nigeria’s Victor Obinna at West Ham, Victor Anichebe at Everton and Obafemi Martins who famously fired Birmingham to Carling Cup glory, their first trophy since 1963. Malian Mamady Sidibe at Stoke, Zimbabwean Benjani Mwaruwari and Senegalese Mame Diouf on loan at Blackburn as well as South African Benni McCarthy at West Ham are also worth mentioning.
While strikers always take the plaudits, midfield may be the position where Africa presents the league with the best talent. Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure at Manchester City and Ghana’s Michael Essein at Chelsea are two world class midfielders. Cameroonian Alex Song influential in Arsenal’s title challenge, South African Steven Pienaar playing a key role in Tottenham’s fairytale Champions League campaign and battle for a fourth place league finish, as well as New Castle’s Ivorian Cheik Tiote who scored a famous scorcher of an equalizer in the league’s first ever recovery from a 4 goal deficit in the game against Arsenal, may also have a shout in the race for Africa’s best midfielder in the EPL this season. Other notable African midfield mentions include Sunderland’s loan Egyptian Ahmed Elmohamady and Ghanian Sulley Muntari, Nigeria’s Obi Mikel at Chelsea and Dickson Etuhu at Fulham, Senegalese Abdoulaye Faye and Salif Diao at stoke, Aston Villa’s Togolese Moustapha Salifou and mid-season Cameroonian signing Jean Makoun, as well as West Brom’s Congolese Youssouf Mulumbu and Cameroonian Somen Tchoyia who scored a famous equalizer against United in the only points the league leaders have dropped at home so far.
In the case of defense, Congolese Christopher Samba is probably the epitome of toughness and Blackburn’s most influential player. Cameroonian Benoit Assou-Ekotto at Tottenham is definitely amongst the league’s best left backs and Ghanaian John Mensah is a tower of strength at miserly Sunderland. Until his suspension for a failed drugs test, Ivorian Kolo Toure the former Manchester City skipper completed the list of best African defenders in the EPL. Other notable African defenders in the EPL include Ivory Coast’s Emmanuel Eboue at Arsenal, Steve Gohouri at Wigan and Abdoulaye Meite at West Brom. Ghanaian John Pantsil at Fulham, Congolese Herita Ilunga at West Ham, Senegalese Habib Beye at Aston Villa and Cameroonian George Elokobi who scored a goal as Wolves ended Manchester United’s long unbeaten start to the season.
In the race for this season’s African brightest shining star, there is no doubt that strikers usually take all the headlines and my vote would go to one of the forwards. On current form and especially if he helps West Ham sustain their top flight status, Senegalese Demba Ba would be my pick. Since his arrival, West Ham have clearly been rejuvenated with goals flying in from all over, they play at a very high tempo and would be a match for even the league’s most accomplished opposition. His story of a passionate plea for former club Hoffenheim to release him to fulfill his dream to play in the premier league and rejection by suitors Stoke because of a failed medical, make his an emotional story in which he demonstrates the epitome of resolve.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Evaluating My Start of Season EPL Predictions
As we get towards the business end of the season (the last ten games), it felt appropriate to check in on the predictions I made at the start of the season.
Most of my predictions did not involve specific finishing places but highlighted the teams that would finish in each of the key categories. Minutes before most teams kick off their 28th round of games and a handful of others go through their 27th round of fixtures, this is how I am fairing based on current league standings. Champions League – 3 of 4, Europa – 1 of 3, Top half – 0 of 3, No Man’s Land – 4 of 7 and Relegation – 2 of 3. This gives an accuracy of just 50% to highlight how unpredictable the league has been so far.
My predictions about Newcastle, Aston Villa and the last 3 teams that should make the top half of the table seem to be most wide off the mark! Go ahead and test your predicting ability this week before most teams embark on the season’s last 10 rounds of games. We shall check in at the end of the season to determine who our “Predictions Champion” is.
That you have been given the advantage of watching at least 28 rounds of games making your predictions, at the minimum you should beat my prediction score! In case of a percentage tie, we shall look at actual team placement to award 3 points for a team finishes in the exact position you place it in the table format below, and 1 point for finishing in the correct award category i.e. Champions League, Europa, Top Half, No Man’s Land and Relegation. Your predictions must be placed before 2359 GMT on Thursday March 3, 2011 to be eligible.
Good luck!
Most of my predictions did not involve specific finishing places but highlighted the teams that would finish in each of the key categories. Minutes before most teams kick off their 28th round of games and a handful of others go through their 27th round of fixtures, this is how I am fairing based on current league standings. Champions League – 3 of 4, Europa – 1 of 3, Top half – 0 of 3, No Man’s Land – 4 of 7 and Relegation – 2 of 3. This gives an accuracy of just 50% to highlight how unpredictable the league has been so far.
My predictions about Newcastle, Aston Villa and the last 3 teams that should make the top half of the table seem to be most wide off the mark! Go ahead and test your predicting ability this week before most teams embark on the season’s last 10 rounds of games. We shall check in at the end of the season to determine who our “Predictions Champion” is.
That you have been given the advantage of watching at least 28 rounds of games making your predictions, at the minimum you should beat my prediction score! In case of a percentage tie, we shall look at actual team placement to award 3 points for a team finishes in the exact position you place it in the table format below, and 1 point for finishing in the correct award category i.e. Champions League, Europa, Top Half, No Man’s Land and Relegation. Your predictions must be placed before 2359 GMT on Thursday March 3, 2011 to be eligible.
Good luck!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Champions in Waiting
Of the twenty English Premier League teams, five claimed title aspirations at the start of this season. I will stick with the teams I predicted in an earlier article would finish in the top four as the genuine title contenders. Chelsea for their experience and apparent strength in depth, United for their experience and manager’s prowess, Arsenal for their development as a team over previous seasons and Manchester City for their limitless investment in players.
Pre-season favorites and defending champions Chelsea had an assured start but went on a painfully long poor run at the quarter way stage of the season when they inexplicably sacked assistant manager, Wilkins and lost a few of their seasoned campaigners to injury. Chelsea’s £ 70 million January investment should help them close the gap on their rivals but the poor loss to Liverpool probably cost them the championship as there will not be many more weekends where both Manchester United and Arsenal slip up.
Manchester City fans may feel hard done that I apparently just insinuated the champion will come from either of Manchester United or Arsenal. No doubt Manchester City with over £340m spent on player purchases since Sheikh Mansour’s 2009 takeover has assembled a squad of genuine championship winning quality. However, Manager Mancini’s approach contrary to Spurs’ Redknapp is apparently too conservative to win the title. The purchase of Dzeko gives City’s attack a new dimension with some genuine height although they seem to still be mapping out a formula to effectively utilize two out-and-out strikers at the same time. During today’s derby Mancini was forced to portray more adventure although Rooney’s stunning goal may have volleyed City out of title contention.
Arsenal with the best away record in the league and a few gritty victories like the recent one at Everton has shown continued progress and are clearly the only other side with a genuine chance of winning the title. Wenger has previously won the title three times so he has the know-how. The majority of his side has also matured together gaining significant experience over the years challenging for the title in the Premier League and Champions League. To quote Wenger, “the title is Arsenal’s to win”, although record breaking results like the pioneer Premier League surrender of a four goal lead at Newcastle will cause some concern about Arsenal’s on pitch leadership quality. Two potentially decisive moments of Arsenal’s season lie in their performance against Champions League favorites Barcelona and the impact of their expected first piece of silverware in six years, a predicted Carling Cup triumph against Birmingham.
Manchester United being table toppers and with the experience they boast from previous triumphs will no doubt be most people’s favorites at this stage. Most pundits have echoed all season that United are not playing particularly well although they continue to surprise with their league placing. United deserve credit for being the league’s highest scorers going into the 26th round of games and for sustaining such a long 29 unbeaten game start to a season in which many wait for a consistent display of their best form. I believe United’s season will greatly depend on performances of their recent bargain buys Chicarito and Smalling. Chicarito has popped up with game winning goals in the three away wins that United have enjoyed so far this season while Smalling has been an assured presence when he has been called in as cover for Ferdinand. Given that Chelsea only edged United to the title last season by one point despite the absence of most of United’s back four beyond the first half of the season, one cannot over emphasize the importance of a solid defensive bench as cover for especially injury prone veteran Ferdinand. After their recent loss to Wolves, rivals may have started to rub their hands in anticipation of the major collapse that followed the last notable long unbeaten run by Arsenal’s “invincibles” but United popped up again with the “bounce back ability” commodity that has seen them dominate the Premier League era. United’s major challenge during the business end of the season will no doubt be their away form especially with a few potential “six-pointers” lying in wait, but Ferguson’s tremendous ability to re-invent the side in recent seasons when faced with different challenges should edge them to title number 19 of their illustrious history.
Pre-season favorites and defending champions Chelsea had an assured start but went on a painfully long poor run at the quarter way stage of the season when they inexplicably sacked assistant manager, Wilkins and lost a few of their seasoned campaigners to injury. Chelsea’s £ 70 million January investment should help them close the gap on their rivals but the poor loss to Liverpool probably cost them the championship as there will not be many more weekends where both Manchester United and Arsenal slip up.
Manchester City fans may feel hard done that I apparently just insinuated the champion will come from either of Manchester United or Arsenal. No doubt Manchester City with over £340m spent on player purchases since Sheikh Mansour’s 2009 takeover has assembled a squad of genuine championship winning quality. However, Manager Mancini’s approach contrary to Spurs’ Redknapp is apparently too conservative to win the title. The purchase of Dzeko gives City’s attack a new dimension with some genuine height although they seem to still be mapping out a formula to effectively utilize two out-and-out strikers at the same time. During today’s derby Mancini was forced to portray more adventure although Rooney’s stunning goal may have volleyed City out of title contention.
Arsenal with the best away record in the league and a few gritty victories like the recent one at Everton has shown continued progress and are clearly the only other side with a genuine chance of winning the title. Wenger has previously won the title three times so he has the know-how. The majority of his side has also matured together gaining significant experience over the years challenging for the title in the Premier League and Champions League. To quote Wenger, “the title is Arsenal’s to win”, although record breaking results like the pioneer Premier League surrender of a four goal lead at Newcastle will cause some concern about Arsenal’s on pitch leadership quality. Two potentially decisive moments of Arsenal’s season lie in their performance against Champions League favorites Barcelona and the impact of their expected first piece of silverware in six years, a predicted Carling Cup triumph against Birmingham.
Manchester United being table toppers and with the experience they boast from previous triumphs will no doubt be most people’s favorites at this stage. Most pundits have echoed all season that United are not playing particularly well although they continue to surprise with their league placing. United deserve credit for being the league’s highest scorers going into the 26th round of games and for sustaining such a long 29 unbeaten game start to a season in which many wait for a consistent display of their best form. I believe United’s season will greatly depend on performances of their recent bargain buys Chicarito and Smalling. Chicarito has popped up with game winning goals in the three away wins that United have enjoyed so far this season while Smalling has been an assured presence when he has been called in as cover for Ferdinand. Given that Chelsea only edged United to the title last season by one point despite the absence of most of United’s back four beyond the first half of the season, one cannot over emphasize the importance of a solid defensive bench as cover for especially injury prone veteran Ferdinand. After their recent loss to Wolves, rivals may have started to rub their hands in anticipation of the major collapse that followed the last notable long unbeaten run by Arsenal’s “invincibles” but United popped up again with the “bounce back ability” commodity that has seen them dominate the Premier League era. United’s major challenge during the business end of the season will no doubt be their away form especially with a few potential “six-pointers” lying in wait, but Ferguson’s tremendous ability to re-invent the side in recent seasons when faced with different challenges should edge them to title number 19 of their illustrious history.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
English Premier League Misfits
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.
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, 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.
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