946: PREMIERSHIP: Butt, Klu and New

by : Stephen Orford

6 Wim van Hanegem

Paradoxically, after Cruyff, the greatest player in that outstanding Dutch team of the early 1970s, was big and slow with the vigour and bite of an old-fashioned wing-half: so much for modernity and total football. In the 1974 World Cup, van Hanegem intimidated opponents with a physicality which occasionally bordered on the criminal and cut them to pieces with a left-foot more subtle and refined than any other in Europe at the time. He was Dutch, so of course his international career was marked by disputes, absenteeism and rancour. In Holland they call him "de Kromme", as much for the wicked spin and curl that left foot would impart on the ball as his footballer's bandy legs.

5 Gerson

When Pele omitted him from his list of the one hundred greatest living players, Gerson vented his anger on national television. Quite right, too - how could anyone omit Brazil’s last great midfield general? Of course he possessed the requisite skill and technique, but he also had unparalleled vision, the ability to play passes like guided missiles and the tactical nous of a battlefield commander. Despite a highly-strung temperament which was scarcely calmed by forty cigarettes a day, he also had a physical hardness and a work ethic which made him as fundamental to Brazil's triumph in 1970 as Pele himself. Gerson gives the lie to the notion that Brazilian virtuosi are all silk and no steel.

4 Rivelino

Mexico 1970 gave us classic football played under a midday sun in glorious colour and introduced a swarthy figure with a bandit's moustache who worked Brazil’s left flank. Rivelino was an artist with the kick of a mule. He was quick, dynamic, dribbled sinuously and fired in free kicks and shots like tracer bullets - all done with a left foot which, in the words of one commentator, "could stir a cup of tea". It was Rivelino who patented and perfected the elastic trick which current Brazilian stars perform in the tv ads. Let’s see Ronaldinho do it in a World Cup final with no extra takes.

3 Omar Enrique Sivori

Thirty years before Maradona the most celebrated footballer in Italy was a similarly short, volatile and technically perfect Argentinian who wore his socks around his ankles and owned the number 10 shirt. Sivori was Maradona’s antecedent in genius and rebellion. Fans called him "Cabezon" (bighead) because his technical virtuosity allowed him to humiliate and embarrass opposing defenders in the most outrageous ways. His career in Italy, where he was the arch exponent of the "Tunnel" - the nutmeg - was replete with vitriol, conflict and utterly brilliant and beautiful football. Perhaps the late John Charles’ greatest achievement at Juventus was to help keep Sivori's hair-trigger temper sufficiently in check for him to become the Europe's greatest player in the early 1960s.

2 Ferenc Puskas

His bewitching of Billy Wright and company in 1953 is one of sport's indelible moments, but for all Puskas' venerable status as one of the founding fathers of modern football he was impish and cocksure with a nose for mischief both on and off the field. As a player he was everything - leader, strategist and goalscorer and he shares with Pele the distinction of being the star of what are arguably the greatest national and club sides ever. He was brilliant enough to be the strategic and spiritual leader of the magic Magyars and intelligent enough to refashion his game and defer to di Stefano at Real Madrid. Squat and heavy set, Puskas had a left foot which was unfailingly accurate, exquisitely sensitive and astonishingly powerful. He did everything with a swagger and a smile and those stories about that left foot juggling with bars of soap in the Real Madrid shower rooms are true.

1 Diego Maradona

These days, he’s hideously bloated and quite mad, but the professional controversies and personal misadventures will never overshadow his brilliance. Despite a squat, almost dumpy build, he ran and turned with the grace of a dancer and the dynamism of a sprinter and was capable of extraordinary athleticism. His left foot coaxed and stroked the ball through an undiscovered range of intuitive techniques and, even now, Maradona retains the ability to juggle with any number of unusual objects, regardless of size or shape. Despite what his most staunch apologists think, Maradona wasn't the greatest footballer of all time nor even necessarily better than Puskas, but he was easily the outstanding player of his generation. Best of all, he showed that the premium placed on pure skill is as high as ever, even in the tactically rigid, modern game. Sure, he bent the rules a little - but Maradona's ability to improvise and create magic make him the left-footed player par excellence.

Errol Lawrence
21/07/2004In view of past headlines it was rather worrying to learn from one media source that Newcastle United had finally 'grabbed Butt'. Fortunately, the kind of 'Butt' they were talking about was the kind to keep their club on the back pages of the tabloids rather than the front, as they captured Nicky Butt from Manchester United for 2.5 million pounds.

Butt signs a four-year deal at St.James' Park and joins Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert as the most notable additions to Sir Bobby Robson's squad this summer. Both should add some experience to a squad that many felt over-relied on its admittedly very talented youth last term. With the bargain basement sale of Gary Speed to Sam Allardyce's 'Dad's Army' at Bolton, it was essential that older heads be brought in alongside the talismanic Alan Shearer to offer a little guidance to the previously wayward Toon youngsters. In addition, Butt's arrival plugs the gaping hole in the centre of midfield left by Speed's exit as the North East giants look to improve on last season's poor fifth place showing.

Indeed plugging gaps is undoubtedly Butt's speciality. In his favoured defensive midfield role there are few players more adept at breaking up opposition attacks before playing the ball simply and effectively to a more attack-minded, slightly showier team-mate. So much so that no less a football legend than Pele waxed lyrical about his credentials in the holding midfield role during the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. Since Pele also considers El Hadji Diouff to be among the top 50 footballers on Planet Earth you may not entirely be convinced by that particular endorsement. It is also true to say that Butt's international career may be slipping away since the emergence at that level of Frank Lampard. However, his pedigree at Premiership level since beginning his career at Old Trafford in 1991 is indisputable.

Butt has gained six Premiership winners medals in that time and was a member of that now immortal 1999 European Champions' League winning team. Now 29, he found himself often left out of the United team last season by Sir Alex Ferguson, who for reasons best known to himself preferred the much maligned Phil Neville in midfield. With the move to Tyneside, Butt has a chance not only to prove Sir Alex wrong, but to continue the quest for further honours in a potential-packed Newcastle United team.

If anything the capture of Kluivert on a free transfer from Barcelona is even more interesting. Like Butt, Kluivert was written off by his club who released him at the end of last season. Despite a brief flirtation with big-spending Middlesbrough, the Dutch striker finally opted for Newcastle and the chance to partner the Sainted Alan up front. At the peak of his powers, the arrival of Kluivert to the Premiership would have had fans and hacks alike queuing up to predict a veritable goal-fest for whichever team had the good fortune to secure his services. Yet these days, it is a somewhat different story.

If Barcelona were no longer enamoured with the former Ajax and AC Milan star, the now former Dutch national coach Dick Advocaat was positively dismissive of him. Kluivert may still be one of the biggest names in European football, but not big enough it seems to secure any playing time at Euro 2004 under Advocaat. The former Rangers boss decided that one striker was enough for him, and with Ruud Van Nistelrooy already having his hooves firmly under the table Kluivert was never going to get a look in. In truth, his omission from the Holland team may have had more to do with his alleged disruptiveness off the field than his failure to work alongside Van Nistelrooy on it. Though born on exactly the same day, it is rumoured that these two have all the off-field chemistry of Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham. The difference is that Sir Alex was able to make these two play well together when necessary, whereas Advocaat obviously decided that trying to pair Van Nistelrooy and Kluivert to the same effect was akin to flogging a dead horse.

Should Kluivert take a dislike to perspective new strike partner Shearer then another footballing knight, Sir Bobby Robson, will have it all to do to keep a happy ship. Even before Kluivert's arrival the former England captain was accused by the media of threatening to quit the club if he could not be guaranteed a first team berth. Ever the professional, Shearer denied this claim and simply repeated his desire to stay at the club for one more year before retiring.

So, is Kluivert the heir apparent? He has been so inactive for both club and country recently that it is difficult to say. It is by no means a certainty that he will secure a regular place in the side should Craig Bellamy finally get a handle on his troublesome injury problems. The Welsh international was sensational for the Toon Army in 2002/03, proving that he could also produce the goods in the Champions' League. He is possessed of the kind of raw pace and fire in his belly that Kluivert can only dream of. Fitness, or Bellamy's lack thereof gives the Dutchman the inside rail to start alongside Shearer, but anything less than an immediate goal return will see the former Norwich and Coventry striker banging on Sir Bobby's office door.

With Liverpool talking big but doing little, that fourth Champions' League spot looks wide open again in 2004/05. Newcastle United will need to occupy the time of the sports editors, not the gossip columnists to make the grade.

By Stephen Orford
30/07/2004

944: EUROPE: Free million pound pla

by : Marc Harvey

This summer, for the first real time, we are seeing the fall-out from the over-inflated transfer activity of the late nineties and early 2000s. In July 2002, the pivotal moment came when Manchester United paid Leeds ₤30m for Rio Ferdinand – a fee deemed reasonable at the time but looking back, one that now seems an astonishing amount of money for a British defender.

The downturn in transfer fees in this country began from that moment, to the point where there have been bargains galore on offer this year. But how come so many top players are moving for free?

Jean-Marc Bosman has much to answer for but this ruling has been around for a while now and does not tell the whole story. The increased player power witnessed a few years back adds weight to the trend. At the height of their supremacy, the players and their agents caused the sudden and abrupt spike in players’ wages, although input from TV revenue had more than doubled at the time.

Whatever the excuse, at the heart of the chaos has to be financial mismanagement at board level, whether that is poor planning, ineptitude or just bad luck. It has taken the demoralising scenes at Leeds United to teach us the value of linking players’ contracts to league status - a lesson West Brom and Leicester among others have taken on board only too readily.

So free transfers are the new vogue and there are some cracking bargains to be had. Let’s go shopping.

Some big-name teams appear guiltier than others. Leeds apart, the most frivolous English club is Arsenal who have let ₤25m worth of talent slip through their fingers for zilch: Sylvain Wiltord and Kanu are yet to be snapped up while Giovanni van Bronckhorst has agreed a deal to remain at Barcelona after his one-year loan ended.

The Catalans themselves are guilty too. The Dutch quartet of Kluivert, Overmars, Cocu, and Reiziger has all left the Nou Camp on free transfers; quietly leaving too is Luis Enrique. In fact the little Spaniard heads a list of high profile stars leaving big clubs for absolutely nothing this summer, many with little fuss or attention from the media.

The names include Recber (also from Barcelona), Rivaldo (from Milan via Cruzeiro), Djalminha (from Deportivo La Coruna), Lizurarzu (from Bayern Munich), Okan (from Inter), Redondo (from Milan), Mihajlovic (from Lazio), Basturk (from Bayer Leverkusen) and Amoroso (from Borussia Dortmund) And let’s not forget Michael Ricketts.

Agreed, many of these players are approaching the end of their careers or have suffered injury and dips in form, but you won’t hear Newcastle United or Olympiakos fans complaining too loudly.

And long may the trend continue. Thankfully, wages are going south again and players are choosing their new clubs for honourable reasons: maybe the manager has convinced them success is just around the corner, or even that their mate is playing there.

No matter what, at the top level, it has got to be better for the World game.

Marc Harvey
28/07/2004

943: PREMIERSHIP: Middlesbrough new

by : Stephen Orford

Lost in all the festooning of elegant titles from football's past and schemes to encourage "more positive" support is the question of the quality of the football on the pitch. Oh my, excuse me, of course it's a bit nave to expect attention to be paid to the football. No brilliant strategies for "re-branding" and lining executive and administrative pockets in that.

Tacked onto the end of the League statement, almost as an afterthought, is this gem: "The Football League will continue to provide real football for real fans. That is essentially what we are about." Real football then, according to Mr. Mawhinney, involves "re-branding" strategies and noise competitions between supporters.

Funny, I thought at some point a football might be considered a requirement for "real football."

Simply put, the Football League's "re-branding" strategy is a misguided and doomed attempt to compete with the higher standard of play and for access to the greater marketing money in the Premier League through a mishmash of ludicrous, American-style razzmatazz and fervent faith in ridiculously over-optimistic attendance projections.

Bill Urban
27/07/2004Middlesbrough is a club whose fans are old stagers when it comes to dizzy optimism. We all remember the summer of 1996 when Brazilians Juninho and Emerson were joined at the then new Riverside Stadium by none other than the White Feather, Fabrizio Ravanelli. The club's subsequent relegation after making it to the FA Cup Final completed what was possibly the biggest false dawn in the history of football.

Since then, star names like Gascoigne, Merson, Geremi, Boksic, Juninho (again) and Ince have all precipitated yet more misguided optimism. Now, under Steve McLaren, Boro fans once again have seen their club active in the transfer market during the summer. This time it will be different, right? This time they will challenge for a place in Europe, the Champions' League even, right? Maybe, maybe not.

First to arrive on Teeside was Dutch international defender Michael Reiziger. Not a first choice with the national team these days, many ummed and ahhed about his arrival. Cynics suggested that Barcelona would not be doing business if they felt that he still had the potential to perform at the highest level of European football. While it may be true that Reiziger is not in the first blossom of his youth, it should be remembered that the previous incumbent of the right-back spot at Middlesbrough was one Daniel Mills. Mills is by far and away, in my opinion, the worst player ever to play in a World Cup Quarter Final, and it could reasonably be argued that the North East club have made an improvement in that area with Reiziger's capture. Manchester City fans will soon know what I mean.

If Reiziger didn't have pundits foaming at the mouth in anticipation of a genuine New Kid On The Premiership Block, what followed was even more interesting. First, it was announced that Middlesbrough had captured Australian striker Mark Viduka from the club now officially referrred to as cash-strapped Leeds United. Though many Leeds fans complained about his laziness and sulkiness in equal measures, there can be no doubting his goalscoring prowess given the right service. Viduka was an integral part of the Leeds team that reached the Champions' League semi-finals, forming a lethal partnership with Alan Smith during that run.

Joining Viduka up-front, though the likes of Nemeth, Christie and Maccarone may have something different to say about the final team selection, will be another ex-Leeds man Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. It was decided that Chelsea could do without the prolific Hasselbaink, and Middlesbrough were first to snap him up despite links with moves abroad. If both Viduka and Hasselbaink fire, Middlesbrough will have goals coming out of their collective ears. Alas, that is a very big if given their advancing years and questionable temperaments.

Middlesbrough were not quite finished there. Their fourth and final (so far, as of July 27) big name recruit is a consummate professional. For the last thirteen years Ray Parlour has given his all for the Arsenal cause and has become something of an unsung hero at Highbury. He will offer the calming influence and maturity that could help tame the egos of the wild boys up front. However, for all his work ethic and no nonsense style, Parlour is hardly a man to offer his side a creative spark. Much of his best work for Arsenal came while playing down the right hand side of midfield during their first Double year of 1998/99. Hard-working and reliable though he is, Parlour no longer has the pace to trouble opponents in that area and will more likely fit in to the centre of midfield alongside Gaizka Mendietta, who joins permanently after last season's successful loan spell. Whether either has the effectiveness of old is open to serious question, which is why Middlesbrough's attempt to crash the big boys' party may just fall short. Europe may be a possibility, but the Champions' League looks out of reach, unless further additions are made.

Still, betting men would do well to put a few quid on them achieving slightly more than Ravanelli and company did when they 'graced' the Premiership.

By Stephen Orford
27/07/2004

945: OPINION: The top 10 left foote

by : Errol Lawrence

There’s an old South American anecdote which has two fans watching Pele play. The first says, "that Pele is incredible, there's nothing he can't do". "True enough", says the other, "but I bet that sonofabitch wishes he was left-footed". Left-footed players are special and the best of them have something which goes beyond mere ability, bringing ego, eccentricity, emotion, arrogance and a host of other foibles to their art. That's why this countdown of the top ten left-footed players of all time, does not include players like Brady, Riva, Overath, Coluna nor even the incomparable Tostao. They were all great, but far too rational, level-headed and unemotional to warrant inclusion.

We also shouldn’t assume that the players listed were unable to use their right foot. Any player with reasonable balance can and should use both feet, but if you have a left which can do everything, why bother with the right? One-footed players are necessarily one-eyed and lacking in vision - and that's a deficiency the players in this top ten don't have. The list comprises 5 South Americans, 4 Europeans and one Celt. There are no representatives of the athletic ideal and, unsurprisingly, no Englishmen. Rather, in reverse order, what we have is a motley crew of show-offs, sociopaths and malignant dwarves - who also happen to be the greatest left-footed players of all time.

10 Jose-Luis Chilavert

Angry, overbearing and eccentric even by the standards of his position, Chilavert was an anti-hero in Argentina, where arrogance and a personality like a bad smell made him the most hated man in football. Running a gauntlet of firecrackers, bottles and the occasional sharp object never seemed to bother him. The Paraguayan belittled other goalkeepers, proclaiming himself the greatest. With over fifty career goals - including some beautifully struck left-footed free-kicks - he was certainly the most extraordinary keeper world football.

9 Paolo Futre

Injury and a perverse nature may have stopped Paolo Futre from fulfilling his potential, but he makes the list because of his serpentine dribbling - most memorably for Porto in their victory against Bayern Munich in the 1987 European Cup Final, which brought glory back to the competition after ten years of dross - and the tantrum he threw at West Ham United when not given the shirt which he saw as his birthright. That number 10 shirt matters.

8 Dejan Savicevic

Beautiful balance, a smooth style and easy acceleration made Savicevic the natural heir to Sekularac and Dzajic, his predecessors at Red Star Belgrade and a much better player than his left-footed contemporaries Hagi and Stoichkov. His individual contribution to Milan's demolition of Barcelona in the European Cup Final of 1994 alone wins him inclusion here. His goal was beautiful - a delicate lob from a sharp angle, following a graceful run from deep. True, Capello, the Milan coach was never a fan, and Savicevic spent a lot of time on the bench, but he was an artist whose play justifiably earned him the nickname of "il Genio".

7 Jim Baxter

Baxter never headed or tackled and he wasn’t a frequent scorer, but the superiority complex he added to the classical Scottish virtues of ball control, elegance and vision produced a player who made most others look utterly inferior. He starred for Scotland in two memorable victories over England at Wembley, but an Epicurean outlook and a reluctance to train meant that he soon turned into a parody of the "Slim Jim" of his prime. He was running a pub when he should still have been tormenting the English. Despite a short career at the top the brush strokes of a left foot which he called "the glove", painted enough masterpieces to make him one of the best footballers ever and the closest thing postwar British football has had to a real midfield artist.

940: PREMIERSHIP: Dastardly and Mut

by : Stephen Orford

With the Premiership season less than three weeks away, those whacky cash-splashers from Stamford Bridge have been at it again.

Undeterred by the failure of their policy of mass spending in 2003/04, the Chelsea hierarchy led by Roman Abramovich are out to repeat the trick with yet more big money buys. This year, the names are somewhat smaller, but the price tags don't seem to have shrunk significantly. Abramovich now has a new assistant to carry out his plans in self-proclaimed 'top coach' Jose Mourinho, but his annual attempt to buy the Premiership title is becoming slightly silly. He puts me in mind of Dick Dastardly or Elmer Fudd, constantly devising new methods with which to catch the pigeon or shoot the 'wabbit'. However, the bunnies from Highbury and Old Trafford keep getting away, much to the Russian's displeasure.

Claudio Ranieri can tell you all about the cost of a hunting failure at Stamford Bridge. Second place in the Premiership and a semi-final berth in the Champions' League was not enough to stop his removal from the hot-seat. For his part, one of Mourinho's first acts as Chelsea manager was to confidently announce that he would be operating with a much smaller squad than that used by his predecessor, with only 21 outfield players and three goalkeepers deemed necessary by the former Porto boss.

Naturally enough then, Mourinho then proceeds to go out and buy another shed-load of players for the coming season. Most prominent among these is Ivory Coast international Didier Drogba from Marseille. Drogba cost a bank-breaking 24 million pounds from the French outfit, and there are a great many who wonder and worry about whether it has all been worth it. Drogba impressed during Marseille's run to last season's UEFA Cup final but was little known before last season. He was consistently out-scored in France's Ligue Un by Liverpool's newest recruit Djibril Cisse and yet he finds himself with the inside rail in the race to take over the Chelsea goalscoring burden. He will have stiff competition for that role despite the transfer of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to Middlesbrough, with Adrian Mutu, Eidur Gudjonsen and another new recruit in the free-scoring Serbian Mateja Kezman all set to challenge. Mourinho insists there will be far less tinkering under his stewardship than was seen under Ranieri, and so form could once again become something that dictates selection in West London.

An audacious bid to grab Steven Gerrard from Liverpool failed, but Abramovich was not to be denied the opportunity to scratch his money-spending itch. One of the more promising captures looks to be Arjen Robben from PSV Eindhoven. Signed before Mourinho's arrival along with Czech international goalkeeper, the patriotically named Petr Cech, Robben was one of the stars of Euro 2004. Indeed, the decision by Dutch coach Dick Advocaat to substitute Robben in the Group D loss against the Czechs led to the former Rangers boss being lambasted by fans and critics alike in Holland. Robben offers genuine width and creativity and, if Mourinho can find a way of including both he and Damien Duff in the side, Chelsea fans could be enjoying a clinic in wing play this season.

Any new manager needs to be made to feel at home, and so in order to achieve this Chelsea have added a number of Portuguese nationals to their squad also. First on board was Paolo Ferreira for a whopping 13 million pounds. Dreadfully unimpressive in the Euro 2004 opener against Greece, Ferreira was substituted after giving away the opening goal of the tournament with a clumsy misplaced pass. He was not seen again in the tournament until an injury to the infinitely more impressive Miguel allowed him to play a part in the final against the same opposition. That ended in tears also for Ferreira, but his displays during Porto's victorious Champions' League campaign offer slightly more hope to Chelsea fans.

Joining Ferreira will be the lesser known Tiago, who's appearances at Euro 2004 were too rare to really make an informed judgement on his prospects, and another former Porto man in central defender Ricardo Carvalho. He was one of the best defenders at the summer shebang according to many observers, and looks set to form an impressive partnership with club captain John Terry. However, the price tag is again a sticking point. However good Carvalho is, it is hard to justify paying the better part of 20 million pounds for a man who before last season was virtually unheard of.

Off-setting these new arrivals in Mourinho's bid to trim down the squad are the departures of the likes of Crespo and Veron on loan, the release of Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly, and the sales of Melchiot, Gronjkaer and Hasselbaink. The long forgotten Winston Bogarde has also left the club but with the likes of Joe Cole, Scott Parker, and Claude Makalele still around the midfield area in particular looks to be stuffed to bursting point.

In the final analysis, Chelsea may spend 2004/05 in much the same way as they spent 2003/04, finding out that throwing money at a problem does not always provide the solution. With such a large turnover of players over the last two summers it is difficult to see how the club can achieve the continuity and cohesion required to remove Arsenal from their lofty perch. With Manchester United also set to embark on a Phoenix From The Flames-style rebirth, Chelsea's Premiership holy grail may be further away than ever.

Maybe Dick Dastardly will have to think of something else.

Stephen Orford
28/07/2004

942: A View From Across The Pond #3

by : Bill Urban

Clive, Spurs have been less than average for a dozen or more years now. We are the League Champions and Cup holders of inconsistency. But our fans keep coming in their droves, rich benefactor or not, and regardless of silverware on shelves [which I’ve only really heard Chelsea fans talking about in the last few years]. There is an allure there that nobody can put their finger on. There is something in the clubs past that attracts people to White Hart Lane like moths to light. If we could bottle it we’d all be rich men.

I’ll even make a bet with you. I’ll wager that, over the next five years, assuming you stay up there with the others [and that Roman doesn’t fancy a harem] that your fans will be bleating how Spurs aren’t rivals any more. You’ll be screaming how you’ve always hated Man United/Arsenal/Liverpool [and Leicester] or whoever acquires another oligarch.

At the end of that famous football day Clive, I and millions like me couldn’t give a gnat’s kneecap whether you’re bigger, smaller, richer or poorer as long as the people involved enjoy what they’re doing. Football is the greatest game on earth; the most fantastic colourful party in the world. But tell me that your club doesn’t presently resemble a mix of Disneyland, a travelling circus, and something that doesn’t relate to what you’ve all grown accustomed to? Tell me that a bit of the old Chelsea didn’t die with the coming of the money. And tell me, that deep inside, you wish you weren’t as ‘big’ as you currently appear.

It’s times like these that my heart goes out to non-Premiership fans on reading this self-indulgent drivel. The wages that the ‘bigger’ clubs have wasted just in the last six months could have kept the other three Nationwide leagues going for years. Its called doing a Bogarde up and down the country.

Size doesn’t matter mate. It’s what you do with it that counts and how you enjoy the experience.

Keith Palmer
28/07/2004British football, like any other modern industry or business, is occasionally subjected to the depredations of overly ambitious individuals who set their sights too high in a grasp for power or money. Instead of tasting success, these individuals wind up as objects of ridicule and derision while dragging the game's good name into disrepute and scandal. Football League Chairman Brian Mawhinney has apparently chosen to become a member of this select group of eminent failures with the announcement of his new plan for attracting new supporters to Football League clubs.

In a statement released on the Football League's website, Mr. Mawhinney stated his belief that a realistic attendance figure for the year 2010 would be 21 million supporters, a projected 30% in six years from the figures for last season. Quite how the League is to accomplish this short of an epic population boom in League cities and towns remains cleverly submerged beneath the traditional and typical spin-doctoring native to football administrators worldwide.

Apparently, the League plans to increase its fan base by "re-branding" its teams and competitions. Exactly what "re-branding" is or will accomplish remains a mystery. A part of the League Statement simply reads:"…we are targeting increased revenues for member clubs through a re-branding strategy that focuses attention on the pinnacle of our competition The Championship."

Thanks very much, Mr. Mawhinney, we were unaware that most supporters had no idea which tournaments were particularly important. As a result of the "re-branding" strategy, supporters of League clubs will know how properly to focus their sporting attention in the 2004-05 season.

The vision of misguided League supporters wandering dazedly through British streets without a clue as to the relative import of British football's myriad competitions was surely a pressing problem that required immediate attention. Although, one does wonder what will become of the poor supporters whose teams get promoted to the Premier League after winning the newly "re-branded" Championship. Are they doomed to more aimless wandering about until the Premier League lends a similar guiding hand?

A further edifying slice of the League statement reads, "In choosing to re-brand our top echelon as The Championship we are re-establishing the historic name of our competition." In other words, welcome to football, 1991.

Does Mr. Mawhinney realize that one or two things have changed since, and indeed because of, the Premier League breaking away from the Football League in 1992? Or perhaps the "re-branding" of the League Championship is a brilliant marketing strategy designed to show the Premier League the supposed error of its ways for breaking away from the warm embrace of the Football League.

Ah, but apparently I missed a further important part of Mr. Mawhinney's plan, the "Noise for Toys" participation edict. The League proposes to have a shadow League table, wherein the teams will be ranked by an independent adjudicator, equipped no doubt with a myriad of high-tech devices to measure the "best encouragement" given to teams by their supporters, with a cash award being given to the winning teams at the end of the season "to benefit the supporters."

Wonderful, drinks on the club down your local, after the man with the Noise-O-meter says you are the loudest, or the most obnoxious, or the most original, the list of possibilities is open to wide interpretation and will undoubtedly result in much confusion, and no little consternation and anger.

How do you measure competition among supporters? Isn't this really a competition between the interpretations of the "independent adjudicators," many of whom probably haven't sat outside an executive box in more than ten years?

And, it must be said, should the League really be taking pains to encourage supporters to feel as though they are in direct competition with other supporters, in whatever fashion? It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to come up with scenarios involving practices very popular between groups of rival supporters during the eighties that the game is infinitely better having left behind. Encouraging competition between supporters is flirting with disaster by raising the prospect of a return of hooliganism to British football grounds, which is something that any true football supporter can more than do without.

This question of "positive support" also ignores the central aspect to supporting a League team, which is the constant disappointment in the quality of football the supporter has been fated by choice to watch. Supporters of the smaller clubs don't want to be prodded into more positive and polite support when watching their side play; quite frankly, the right to tell, or yell, that your lot are crap, even though you'll support them evermore, is a crucial part of the League supporter experience. Plans to try to increase the level of "positive" encouragement of League clubs are sure to fall on deaf ears, or more likely to be ridiculed and mocked in sneeringly negative fashion.

941: PREMIERSHIP: Chelsea and Spurs

by : Keith Palmer

After reading Clive's article, I felt I had to respond. Maybe it’s wrong that Clive and I are given this platform considering our natural bias. We’ve both worked for fanzines, have both written books, and enjoy allegiances to opposite ends of the capital. In answering his article, I am totally fed up with this constant matter of size. In general, it seems to be a testosterone driven deficiency in the underpants department rather than a true test of a clubs stature.

In my defence, I was raised in south London in a Chelsea supporting family; I trained with them as a kid [Chelsea, not the family]; and went to school with 1500 rabid blues fans who hated my team with a passion. I know a little about the feelings of my ex-local team, as did my cumbersome, lumbering Doug Rougvie style brother. My shins are testament to that.
Two things here Clive. Like the French aristocrats of 1789 [I think we won the cup two years after ‘cos the year ended in a one] you seem to have lost your head.

Writing with venom towards Spurs is all well and good but you must mix that with more than mere passion. Reason must sometimes overcome hatred. Criticism must be balanced. Mere Melloresque mocking isn’t going to convince anyone that you’re not driven by anything more than terrace-style myopia.

This will always come back to the question of what makes a club big, and to me it’s the huge torrent of interest whipped up by club fans. The interest in Spurs almost borders on avarice. Message boards are constantly overloaded with people wanting to know every blow, every transfer in or out, and the tiniest of trivial news. They are desperate for success and living the hell of constant disappointment. Remember the 1980’s?

Both Chelsea and Spurs have fanatical support yet it’s impossible to judge the other in the same way you’d judge your own, which is probably the reason why I’d rather not comment on Everton. Too many issues rest on mere fact and figures, and as the politicians have proved over the years, they are not exactly trustworthy.

What I do know is that you do not become ‘big’ by the arrival of a foreign billionaire – he is rich, Chelsea aren’t.

You are not considered bigger because you have a larger gate capacity than another - that is merely a case of logistics.

You are not considered bigger because others have won less of late - or does it render them impossible to win things in the future?

Football is not built on concrete. The years have proven it to be based on shifting sands. Teams win championships then find themselves bankrupt ten years later. That’s the great allure of football; anything can happen.
I hate getting in to arguments of size with other men. It always sets my knees knocking and you can only guess how painful that can be, especially when you’re, err, a big boy!

The Ed’s analogy of ‘throwing money around like confetti’ isn’t right either.
You only use confetti at weddings. To the best of my knowledge Chelsea and Abramovich are merely living together – and we all know what happens when that special sexiness goes and others seem more attractive.

If Roman could be so vicious with his ex, senor Ranieri, what’s he going to be like with his next lover who ‘fails’, and the next, and the next?

Marriage made in heaven or wife swap from hell? Only time will tell.

I just hope, for your sake, it’s the former.

In reality Clive, Luton could build a 100,000 stadium tomorrow, it wouldn’t make them a bigger club than anybody else. The litmus test is when the team goes through bad times, and god knows we’ve both experienced those. Difference is, when the grim reaper comes a visiting White Hart Lane, our crowd remain relatively faithful, as did the 8 or 10 thousand hardy souls who used to cram into Stamford Bridge when the vultures were hovering.

Let’s get something abundantly clear, there’s no love lost between the clubs, that’s obvious, but adding Preston to the big six is merely the lowest form of wit.

But while we’re there, if 90 percent of North End’s fans stayed loyal during the bad times that would make them twice the club you are. - Amazing how you can juggle with numbers eh?

Your last point held as much water as an Oliver Reed chaser. Yes, you have a great record against us in the last twelve years, and yes I’ve wriggled and squirmed with the best of ‘em. You also have a great record against Man United. Does that make you bigger than them or are there other criteria to consider when questioning size?

939: PREMIERSHIP: Chelsea gamble th

by : Chris Sherrard

It’s often said that football is a game of chance where clubs live and die by the success or not of the gambles they take. This summer, in keeping with the raised funds at their disposal, Chelsea have increased the stakes in their own game of Russian roulette. The money they have forked out is not on even close-to-sure successes but that’s the risk they are prepared to take.

The arrivals at Stamford Bridge of Ivorian international Didier Drogba, Portugal reserves Paulo Ferreira and Tiago and rookie keeper Petr Cech were not predictable. Ask anyone to guess four players that cash-rich Chelsea would go after this summer and very few would have named those individuals. Bookies would have paid out a fortune on that forecaster. That seems to be the way Jose Mourinho operates. He has brought in these particular players, instead of everyone else who was available to him, because of more than just football. He believes they have the mental toughness to turn their new club into champions.

I think on these four players he has taken a massive risk, though. He has staked his reputation on how they perform and can not afford for them to let him down. It is not a matter of fact that they will all do the business. It’s well chronicled that Drogba has had one good season with Marseille, one good season with Guingamp prior to that and quite a few poor, anonymous campaigns up until then. Not many in this country would even have been familiar with his name, if it had not been for his displays against Liverpool and Newcastle in last season’s UEFA Cup. So, at a less than realistic £24million, he represents far from a certain glory prospect.

His new team-mate, right-back Ferreira is another who was largely unknown in this country until very recently. He did ok for Mourinho’s Porto last season but he had a stinker in Portugal’s first game of the European Championships - the first opportunity Chelsea fans had to get a glimpse of their new purchase. It’s fair to say they were left unconvinced. At £13million no-one can claim he is a cheap acquisition. In fact, he will have to perform well above the average if he is to be considered value for money. He will have Glen Johnson pushing him hard for the first team spot so any early mistakes could result in an extended spell on the reserves bench.

As for Tiago and Cech, it’s difficult to assess the gamble which has been taken on them, except to say it is definitely a big one. The Czech keeper showed in Portugal that he is a real talent but he has come to England with a big price tag and how a player reacts to such a burden is impossible to foretell. Tiago didn’t get much of a run-out when his country staged their big tournament recently so it’s very difficult to assess how he will perform here but he clearly faces a big challenge to get into the starting line-up with the likes of Lampard, Parker, Makelele and the rest at the club.

Mourinho appears to be also close to sealing the capture of Porto defender Ricardo Carvalho for anything between £10million and £20million. If that doesn’t represent a risk then I don’t know what does. He was arguably the best defender at Euro 2004 but up until that point had looked modest at best. The fee being talked about in connection with him is ridiculous and the gamble on a player who has never played outside his homeland is a significant one.

Abramovich’s spending since he has been in West London has now burst over the £200million mark. More of the players he has bought have been failures than a success. He has a new manager now and even more players in the hands and feet of whom the club’s fortunes now rest. While they got a bargain in the goal machine Mateja Kezman that has been the exception rather than the rule. That must change if they are to claim the title and trophies that the Russian came for. Mourinho has some well known chips in Drogba, Mutu and the rest with which to gamble his club’s success in the high stakes casino that is the Premiership. Time will tell who comes out on top.

Chris Sherrard
27/07/2004

938: PREMIERSHIP: Why Chelsea are b

by : Clive Batty

In Liverpool blue bunting hangs from the civic buildings, the locals have a swagger in their step and even the scowling scallies who hang around the street corners break into an occasional smile. It’s a similar story in parts of north London, although there the flags, balloons and streamers are white rather than blue.

A feeling of popular celebration is in the air in both cities – and the reason? Why, haven’t you heard, both Everton and Tottenham, two former giants of the English football stage who most observers assumed had long since forfeited their places at the top table, have regained their status as members of ‘the big five’!

What’s that? It’s news to you? Ah, well, in that case you must have missed the long article on this very topic by Antony Melvin, the esteemed editor of this site, which appeared on Squarefootball just a few days ago.

Antony’s argument, if I may be so bold as to summarise it, goes something like this: it’s all very well for the likes of Chelsea to go throwing money around like confetti at a wedding, but they’ll still be Johnny-come-latelys until they’ve won four or five championships and a European Cup or two. Until that time, if indeed it ever arrives, the Blues can be considered no more than a second tier club. The Premiership heavyweights, he insists, remain the group of clubs who famously reinvented themselves as the ‘big five’ in the 1980s for they have been the most consistently successful teams over the last 40 years or so.

It’s true that twenty years ago Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Spurs had some excuse for looking down on the rest of Division One (as the top flight was then called) with a degree of disdain. As the history books show, between the five of them they had won most of the available domestic honours in the preceding 10-15 years.

Two decades later, though, and the picture is very different. No one would surely take issue with Antony when he pencils in United, Liverpool and Arsenal into his modern-day elite. But Everton? And Tottenham? It’s tempting to suggest he should turn his ‘big five’ into a ‘bigger six’ and add Preston to his list. After all, North End were pretty hot in the 80s, too. The 1880s, that is.

But, according to Antony, ‘the tectonic plates’ of football move exceedingly slowly, and it will take more than a decade of non-achievement by Everton and Spurs before either one of these superpowers slip off their lofty perch. What drivel! This is just the sort of complacent, reactionary nonsense the French aristocracy used to spout…until they were carted off en masse to the guillotine.

In football, as in France in 1789, there has been a revolution in the upper echelons of the Premiership. But it would be wrong to think that Chelsea have only managed to storm the barricades thanks to Roman Abramovich’s lavish spending sprees. Apart from winning four major cups between 1997 and 2000 - well before the arrival of their billionaire Russian benefactor - the Blues have finished in the top six of the Premiership in each of the last eight seasons.

In the same period, on the other hand, Everton have frequently struggled against relegation, while Tottenham have apparently taken out copyright on the phrase ‘mid-table mediocrity’. Bigger than Chelsea? I don’t think so. Yet the most damning statistic is this: in 12 years of trying, Tottenham have never once beaten Chelsea in the Premiership. That’s 24 games…without a single win.

Still, as they ponder that humiliating record Spurs fans can always console themselves with thoughts of their cherished ‘Double’ (1961 vintage), a sepia-tinged triumph which no doubt played a major part in cementing their ‘big five’ rating in the ‘Melvin rankings’.

Clive Batty
27/07/2004

937: ENGLAND: Get lost Sven, you’re

by : Chris Sherrard

Further revelations of the adulterous nature of England’s head coach have come to light in recent days. The time has come for the FA to show some strength of character and sling the Swede out on his randy rear. There are only so many times you can overlook something, and Sven has passed the point of no return.

You have to beg the question has his eyes been on the team or the secretary recently? Is the reason he fails to display any passion on the touchline because he has exhausted his excitement levels in a darkened hotel room? Enough is, surely, enough. Either he should do the honourable thing (well, there’s a first time for everything) and walk the plank or his employers should say thanks for nothing and kick him and his roving eye into touch.

Neither will happen, of course. The FA will obviously be embarrassed by this latest misdemeanour on the part of Eriksson, not least because Mark Palios, the boss of the organisation, has been irrevocably embroiled in the whole episode himself. But how do they expect the nation to get behind a deceitful manager when they know his attentions are most likely fixed firmly on affairs outside of the football arena?

Fans would have been prepared to overlook the extravagant wage packet that Eriksson picks up each month, and the very fact that he is not English, if there were clear signs that the national team were moving in the right direction. While there have been glimpses of promise being realised in the last two major international tournaments, two quarter-final exits is not a great improvement for a nation which got within a spot-kick of the finals of the World Cup in 1990 under Bobby Robson and Euro 96 under Terry Venables.

I think the time is right for a change of direction. The England squad is a talented and youthful one which should blossom in the next couple of years, most likely in the World Cup in Germany in two years time. Changing the manager now, before a match has been played in the qualification process, would not be a great disruption to the squad. There are, contrary to popular conception, a number of candidates who could do Eriksson’s job for a fraction of the salary and still do as well, if not better. Ask yourself this: ‘what does Sven bring to the England team that Robson, Venables and Hoddle didn’t?’ All three had similar or better records in major competitions as Eriksson. The time has come to accept the experiment of putting English football’s future in the wandering hands of Sven Goran Eriksson has failed.

The FA won’t have to look too far to replace him, and Eriksson himself will find a couple of sides in England and Italy more than happy to make room for his arrival.

Favourite to fill the void would be Middlesbrough’s Steve McClaren. The plan, it seems, has always been to phase him into the fold with the intention of him taking over the reigns with some idea of what is needed of the post. That is how it has been done, with some success, in the set-ups on the continent and abroad and should work well here. McClaren, in common with most English coaches, would jump at the chance to manage his country… if it were not for the rude health he has managed to steer his club side into this summer. Having bought the likes of Viduka, Hasselbaink and Reizeger, McClaren undoubtedly wants the opportunity to guide them in the Premiership so he may feel he has unfinished business on Teesside.

Which would leave someone like Charlton’s Alan Curbishley in the frame for the England hot-seat. Not many who have seen how he has steadied the team from The Valley could argue against his appointment. He would thrive under the responsibility of coaching and motivating the likes of Beckham, Rooney and Gerrard and, I think, would be a better international manager than Eriksson.

Scouring further down the candidates, someone like Harry Redknapp could do a great job in the unlikelihood that he was given a chance. He has the passion and tactical knowledge to get the most out of good young players, as he proved with his handling of Ferdinand, Lampard and Cole at West Ham. It would be going against the grain for the FA to appoint someone as unfashionable as Harry to replace their golden boy Sven but that is a job they must do.

Eriksson has brought enough disgrace on himself since he has been in this country. Now is the time for his superiors to embarrass him further and send him packing; for the good of the national team.

Chris Sherrard
26/07/2004

935: PREMIERSHIP: Versatility the k

by : Marc Harvey

After a turbulent week at Old Trafford, the arrival of Alan Smith from Leeds United seems like an even better piece of business by Sir Alex Ferguson. Although Smith’s favourite position is as a frontman, he played in various roles during his time at Elland Road, most notably the season before last. Then, the Mark Viduka – Robbie Fowler pairing adequately filled the striking spots and so the England man unselfishly moved to operate on the right flank.

His new boss may ask the same from him this season for United.

Ferguson has demanded this versatilely from his players before. In the manager’s early days at United, Clayton Blackmore filled a variety of roles; lately the most noticeable jack-of-all-trades, Phil Neville, has played across defence and midfield for the Red Devils. To a lesser extent, Ole Gunner Solskjaer gives the boss attacking options all across the field too.

In fact, post-Beckham, the right-flank position was earmarked for the Norwegian striker, particularly after some impressive performances in 2002-03 when Beckham was first injured, then out-of-favour. Solskjaer gave a superior goal threat breaking from the wing, but still maintained enough team savvy to support his central midfield and defensive colleagues.

Solskjaer was then injured and the new season pretty much written off. The obvious replacement was Cristiano Ronaldo; the flying Portuguese winger was pressed into action perhaps slightly earlier than Fergie would have planned. Despite an uncertain start, his post-Christmas displays improved and he finished the season the strongest player at United. Ronaldo capped off his first season with a man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup Final against Millwall. According to everyone except Sven that is.

The new season would have put an end to any lingering murmurs from the Old Trafford faithful that United still lacked the creativity Beckham used to supply from the right. In an outstanding Euro 2004, Ronaldo claimed a spot in the all-star squad and took over the playmaker’s mantel from Deco and Figo. And his reward: a place in Portugal’s Olympic squad for Athens and according to Fergie, no chance of starring for Manchester United until at least November.

The hammer blow would have been softened if not for another unfortunate, and potentially career-threatening injury to Solskjaer’s iffy knee. Which is why Alan Smith now steps to the fore.

Although he would love to partner Ruud up front, Smith can do a job on the right for United: he has the speed and tenacity to bomb forward while his aggressive team play can support Gary Neville in defence. To get a game, he may have to be flexible. Breaking last season’s productive pairing of Van Nistelrooy and Saha, will be a challenge he needs time to rise to.

In the meantime, the unusual circumstances of this week may have given Alan Smith a fortunate break. The former Leeds-favourite could make the post-Beckham right-side position his own for United, and who knows, given the England captain’s current form, Sven may even come calling for the versatile Yorkshireman too.

Marc Harvey
2004/07/25

936: PREMIERSHIP: Winners and loser

by : Antony Melvin

There have been a series of summer transfer stories (or in actual fact non-stories) which have had the fans working long and hard in the salt mines that are the football forums. As soon as anyone suggests that some player or other ‘wants away’ or ‘issues a come and get me plea’ the instant response is to get online and start arguing the toss about the ‘fact’ that the media is more biased against your team than any other.

But, without accepting the paranoid talk of media campaigns, who have been the winners and losers in the battle for hearts and minds in the phony war that used to be called the ‘close’ season?

Losers

The three highest profile media campaigns (according to the fans) have been to get Steven Gerrard from Liverpool to Chelsea, Patrick Vieira from Arsenal to Real Madrid and Wayne Rooney to anywhere but Everton.

Clear losers in these campaigns have been Arsenal and Everton.

Arsenal may yet keep hold of Patrick Vieira but there is no doubt that the annual attempt to destabilize him by Madrid has affected Arsenal’s preparations. The comments by some Madrid players have been clearly self-serving (none of them want to fetch and carry – the role they see for Vieira) and contradictory. David Beckham’s ‘when the president calls he gets his man 99% of the time’ is a prime example.

Whereas Everton’s entire season is hanging on the Wayne Rooney - will he / won’t he debate. As the pundits line up to say that Rooney needs to go to further his career, despite the fact he is a teenager playing regularly in a major league and for his country, so Everton’s season is being derailed. Everton are the masters of the last minute deal that saves them, but with the season less than 3 weeks away they are in some peril. Add to Rooney the daily diet of boardroom infighting and you would be forgiven, if you were an Everton fan, for thinking that the media was being run by Liverpool fans.

Other losers include Sven Goran Eriksson who is being destabilized by the tabloid newspapers who never wanted a foreigner in charge of England in the first place. Remember the article in the Daily Mail, where Jeff Powell welcomed SGE with his unforgettable ‘We've sold our birthright down the fjord to a nation of seven million skiers and hammer throwers who spend half their lives in darkness’ – old prejudices die hard.

Winners

An easy winner this summer has been Middlesbrough, who are being courted by the media as the next big thing. A series of highly paid, experienced (nice word for old) players have been brought in and a top four finish is being predicted.

Most managers would enjoy being ignored at this time of the season, so it is easy to view Bolton’s recruitment of more geriatricos than Middlesbrough and Charlton’s steady squad manipulation as being successful.

Liverpool have also been given an easier ride than most this summer, all it took for all the speculation regarding Gerrard to go away was a press conference held on a slow news day where he said he was staying. Liverpool’s manipulation of this situation was masterful. Compare this with the almost willful disregard of Manchester United wheeling out Ruud van Nistelrooy a few months earlier.

Score draws

Two managers that hate being out of the limelight are in charge of Manchester United and Chelsea and they warmed up to the season by agreeing that you can’t buy the league – before accusing each other of attempting exactly that. This is one story that leaves such little encouragement that the media will inevitably bring it back up on every slow news day. --

The Guardian did an online poll last season to ask them who they thought Alan Green supported, and more than a dozen teams were highlighted, but interestingly Liverpool fans thought he was a Manchester United fan and vice versa as well as a host of other perceived biases. As a result he receives abuse from all sides simply for doing his job.

Newspapers are in the business to sell newspapers. Any campaign that they start is based on this simple premise. Although some media campaigns are started by macho journalists who believe that they can get someone they dislike sacked, or a club they hate disrupted this is very rare. Otherwise how can anyone explain Alex Ferguson’s 18 years at Old Trafford.

The news that people want to read is what gets published – media campaigns are much rarer than too many paranoid fans want to believe.

Antony Melvin
26/07/2004

934: A View From Across The Pond #

by : Bill Urban

"In terms of comfort for the supporters, facilities, stadiums and organisation, there's no comparison," Parreira told reporters. "It's a reflection of Europe's far greater economic wealth. But in terms of the football which has been played, I don't think the Copa America is in any way inferior. It's the same standard or, possibly, better. - Brazilian National Manager Carlos Alberto Parreira after Brazil's 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Mexico

After spending $179.00 for the Setanta satellite package to watch every match of Euro2004, and then watching for free the Copa America matches made available by Univision, I must reluctantly conclude that I was metaphorically robbed and that Parreira is substantially correct. Not only was the quality of the football on display at Copa America 2004 on a par with that of Euro 2004, but for sheer pageantry, spectacle, and ultimate entertainment value, the Copa America must be regarded as demonstrably superior to its European cousin.

Despite fielding teams lacking several of their first-team players, the two generally regarded top teams in South America have qualified for the Final this Sunday, and few would grudge them their achievement. Adriano and Alex for Brazil, and Saviola and Lucho Gonzalez of Argentina, among others, have used their brilliant performances to stake claims to places in their national sides in the upcoming South American World Cup qualifying matches. Both teams have played skillful, sparkling, attacking football, each team overcoming a defeat in the first round of the tournament with a commitment to attacking play in the quarterfinals and semifinals to book their places in Sunday's Final.

Contrast this with the performances of Greece and Portugal in the European Championship. Although Portugal were regarded as pre-tournament favourites, this was as much due to their home nation status as to the abilities of their fading "Golden Generation" of players. After a loss to the Greeks in the first round, and a narrow win over Spain to qualify for the quarterfinals, Portugal rode an atrocious refereeing decision by Urs Meier and England's traditional haplessness in penalty shootouts to book a trip to the semifinals.

Portugal gave their best performance of the tournament in an outstanding triumph over the Dutch in the semis, but their efforts in the Final against Greece were more than a little disappointing, a general paucity of ideas and inspiration in attack, coupled with the lack of a lethal touch in finishing, resulting in a 1-0 loss to Greece. By contrast, although their never-say-die underdog performance captured the minds and imagination of neutral observers throughout Europe on their way to their Final triumph, the Greeks' negative system of play and tactics surely won them no new admirers in terms of providing entertaining football.

A series of 1-0 wins marked by stout, man-to man defending, supreme defensive organization, and ruthless finishing at set-pieces showed nothing new to football viewers, instead illustrating that, in fact, well-organized and super-fit teams could entirely kill off games, surely no advert for the entertainment value of the football on display at Euro2004.

Among the European teams, only the Czech Republic came to every game with attacking football as their primary tactic. Among the other teams supposedly committed to skillful and technical play, the Portuguese, the French, and the Dutch all looked tired and jaded, unable to produce football either attractive or effective. Most of the other sides in Euro2004, with the Germans, Croatians and Italians being notable examples, took to the field with the primary goal of preventing the opposition from scoring, with goal scoring being relegated to a secondary concern hopefully resulting from counter-attacks or restarts.

By delightful contrast, most of the South American sides took to the pitch with the seemingly nave idea that the way to win matches was to score more goals than the opposition. The Peruvians, in particular, played football that looked refreshingly old-fashioned and romantic, with an insistence on passing the ball out of the back, playing in persistent, neat triangles in midfield, and failing to beat Argentina primarily because of their besetting problem with finishing.

In short, although there were only twelve teams in the Copa America, in comparison to sixteen in Euro2004, supposedly a much stronger tournament, Switzerland, Russia and Bulgaria notwithstanding, the odds of watching a match with one or both teams committed to skillful, attacking, entertaining play were much greater in the South American tournament. I, for one, have no doubt how my afternoon this Sunday shall be spent, watching Argentina and Brazil in a clash of South American titans, where the chances are good that my breath will be taken away more than once by some of the tricks, skills, and attacking football on display.

Bill Urban
23/07/2004

920: Premiership hall of fame: Gian

by : Chris Sherrard

Gianfranco Zola lit up the Premiership stage for seven years. The only regret anyone who saw him play could have is that he wasn’t here longer. I defy anyone to recall a telling mistake the genial Italian made during his spell in English football. He was one of the most precise and breathtaking players there has ever been. For all Roman Abromovich’s cash, he will be doing well if he can find another Zola. In fact, football will be doing well if there is another.

Zola came to this country for £4.5million in 1996. He was already an international player after a prolifically excellent spell with Parma which had followed more than 100 games as Diego Maradona’s successor at Napoli. The likening to the Argentine superstar is predictable in that the two share a stocky, robust frame and clinical passing abilities. You can’t imagine Zola letting an excessive interest in drugs get the better of him, though. Conversely, not many players have looked after themselves so well. Testament to which is Zola’s capacity to continue playing right through his mid-30s. He was born around the same month as Eric Cantona.

Zola not only won a host of cup trophies in his native land and with Chelsea to add to the Serie A league title he claimed with Napoli in 90, he also put his own name up in lights by scooping the Player of the Year award in 1997. Few were more deserving of recognition than Zola.

Truly one of the best players to have been imported into our game, Gianfranco Zola was as pleasing off the pitch as he was on it. A firm favourite with the Chelsea fans, he never gave less than 100% for the club and their supporters and would always speak eloquently and insightfully on the rare occasions he deemed it appropriate to give an interview. Never did he complain about a single thing whilst in English football. Nor did he argue or backchat referees during games. He could mix it physically in games if needed but he was most comfortable when given the space and capacity to show his full range of passes and sublime skills. He was never sent off in his career, stretching back to his days as a youngster with Nuorese at the outset of his career.

His 80 goals for Chelsea mark him down as one of the club’s greatest players of all-time but it’s for more than the goals that he will be remembered at The Bridge. Other moments like his twisting goal in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Wimbledon in 1997. Or his perfectly executed heeled-flick in the Premiership against Norwich City. Or his top corner screamer against Liverpool in that remarkable FA Cup fixture not long after he had joined the club. There have been so many other moments which have displayed how brilliant Zola has been for English football.

He scored the winner in the Cup Winners Cup final against Stuttgart in 1998 which enhanced his personal haul of medals. A record which includes that Serie A title, two European Cup Winners Cup medals, a UEFA Cup gold, two FA Cup medals, an English League Cup medal, an Italian Cup winner’s medal and two European Super Cup medals. An impressive haul by anyone’s standards. A remarkable explosion into his English football was fully recognised with that Player of the Year prize barely six months after his arrival on these shores.

It seems incredible that Zola only played for Italy 35 times, but that record included appearances in the 1994 World Cup in USA and Euro 96 in England. A tally of seven goals is due largely to the withdrawn role he was asked to perform for the Azzurri compared with the forceful front position he occupied for his clubs. Always a threat when on a football pitch, they are few clubs, if any, who would have passed over the opportunity to have Zola on their books. Even when he was in his thirties he was still a constant danger.

Gianfranco Zola is one of those footballer who comes along every so often that nobody can conjure a bad word about. There is no stick you can beat the personable Italian with. He was a brilliant footballer and, perhaps more importantly, a brilliant human being. No amount of Russian money can buy that.

Chris Sherrard
12/07/2004

933: PREMIERSHIP: Chelsea’s new mon

by : Antony Melvin

As the old clich goes form is temporary and class is permanent, and the established big five in English football are, regardless of temporary difficulties, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United. More recently clubs like Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Chelsea have threatened to join this elite. But history and tradition in England moves more slowly than tectonic plates. It will take a decade or two of top 3 finishes, and 4 or 5 titles before any of these pretenders will form part of a new elite.

Chelsea have been making noises this week regarding becoming the best team in England both on and off the pitch but if they mean being generally regarded as the biggest team they have some way to go. In terms of tradition Chelsea still lag some way behind the fourth and fifth teams in the big five - Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.

Before Chelsea can be the best they first need to be easily established into the ‘big five’ – only from that base camp can they mount an assault on summit of English football.

But on what basis is the big five established?

This is an easy question to answer, and is best answered with another question: which are the only five clubs who have been so consistent in their league finishes as to be amongst the top 10 teams for each decade in the last 50 years? The answer of course is the ‘big 5’. By consistently having high top division finishes (and only suffering the odd relegation) these are the teams that get embedded in the social fabric as being the establishment. This is why when Chelsea spend £70m in a close season it is ‘new money’ – if Manchester United were to do the same it would almost seem to be their ‘right’.

There are other measures of ‘bigness’, of which the other best measures are average attendance and trophy haul, but objectively measuring league performance is surely the best measure of establishing this perception of size. Incidentally, Chelsea fall behind on these measure too.

Of the big five Everton are the most vulnerable, as they are ‘only’ the 12th most consistent team of the current decade, and after a summer of turmoil can expect a finish in the lower half of the division in the coming season. Everton currently stand behind the likes of Charlton and Middlesbrough for the current decade and were only the 10th most consistent side of the 1990’s. Fifteen years of mediocrity have frittered away the momentum gained during the glory years under Howard Kendall.

Spurs are also in a period of relative weakness and yet they are the eighth strongest team of this decade, and likely to move into seventh as the team directly above them – Leeds – have been relegated.

Of the four teams – Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Leeds United - Chelsea’s money is likely to win out in providing a basis for entry to the big 5, but don’t discount Aston Villa.

The big five

Team	1960-69	1970-79	1980-89	1990-99	2000-2004
Liverpool	4	1	1	3	3
Arsenal	7	3	2	2	1
Man Utd	3	8	4	1	2
Spurs	2	10	5	7	8
Everton	1	7	3	10	12

The closest contenders

Team	1960-69	1970-79	1980-89	1990-99	2000-2004
Aston Villa	-	-	8	5	6
Chelsea	6	-	-	6	4
Leeds	-	2	-	4	7
Newcastle	-	-	-	-	5

The big five matter. They are the most likely to win titles, they have the most supporters and in these days of global merchandising these are the high profile teams – with tradition – that are so attractive to global markets. It isn’t enough just to be the best, consistency and tradition are at least as important.

Over the next few years Chelsea may replace Everton as Britain’s fifth club. But if the club really want to be number one it’s going to take a few decades. This means that the foundations need to be in place for the day when Roman Abramovich’s interest wanes – because he is unlikely to be in place for the day when the neutral considers Chelsea to be England’s biggest club.

Antony Melvin
23/07/2004

931: The ten best players in the wo

by : Chris Sherrard

It’s one of those debates which could rage all night, given the chance. Who are the best players in the world today, and in what order should they be ranked? FIFA stick their neck on the line annually to announce who they consider to be the finest three. The same old names have cropped up repetitively in recent years, but is that accurate? Here are the ten players, in order, that I consider to be the finest exponents of the beautiful game at present. Don’t even think about agreeing.

1 - Ronaldinho

The buck-toothed Brazilian with the bag of tricks almost single-handily transformed Barcelona’s season just gone and has age on his side. If Manchester United had managed to bring him in as Sir Alex Ferguson had wanted then last season’s Premiership title race might have had a different ending. Has got pace, great control and weighs in with more than his share of goals. Ronaldinho has got one of the best attributes any footballer can have and that is the ability to change a game and make things happen.

2 - Zinedine Zidane

The French maestro struggled for his country in the European Championships (the last five minutes against England aside) but remains one of the greatest players in football. He combines the balance of a ballerina, the control of a puppeteer and the grace of a swan. Has done it when it really matters, including goals in the World Cup and Champions League finals. Seems to have been an elder statesman of football for quite a while now but still a player every manager would want in their midfield.

3 - Thierry Henry

The Frenchman has been converted into perhaps the best forward in the game since he has been at Arsenal. There is not much more that can be said about him without repeating past eulogies. That searing pace, close control and eye for goal has marked him out above a lot of his peers. When he is in the mood, as he has been for most of his Highbury career, he is purely and simply unstoppable. The defender who holds Henry in check more times than not is a better man than I have seen.

4 - Ronaldo

Ronaldo has not been playing at his very best for a while now, due to a series of horrendous injuries and one too many trips to the chip shop but that doesn’t disguise the fact that Ronaldo is still one of the best players on this planet. Incredible to think that he is still only in his mid-20s having crammed two World Cup titles, three World Player of the Year awards and a Champions League gong between those injuries and that World Cup final in 1998. Has often spoke of a desire to ply his trade in English football and there are not many who would not want that. He could be the best player in the world again if he really wants to.

5 - Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy has suffered, for club and country, in recent times from a lack of support and decent Beckham-like crosses but has still managed to get his name on the score sheet at regular intervals which is surely the mark of a top striker. Leads the line for United brilliantly and has quickly made himself into one of the most clinical finishers around. Without wanting to stray into equine territory, for obvious reasons, he is a true thoroughbred with top class staying power and remains one of the most uncontrollable forwards in the game.

6 - Patrick Vieira

The Arsenal captain has been the subject of intense speculation regarding a possible move to Real Madrid, but in truth there are no clubs who would not want him in their team. Was the driving force behind the Gunners’ unbeaten Premiership sequence last season and his presence is key to their future success.

7 - Andrei Shevchenko

Such a shame that the Ukrainian does not get more of an opportunity to show his considerable talents on the very biggest international stages. Has long been the heir to Marco van Basten’s striking throne at Ac Milan and the very fact that he is mentioned in the same breath as the Dutchman is as big a compliment as any striker can have. Scores goals from all angles, gets on the end of crosses or can summon his own chances from nowhere. It’s hard to see his Italian club ever parting with him, such is his contribution.

8 - Pavel Nedved

Nedved showed in the recent European Championships that the Czech skipper is truly up there with the best in his sport. Has the ability to run a game from midfield and is always a threat when running with the ball into an opponent’s half. The reigning European Player of the Year and definitely one that most teams would want in their line-up.

9 - Rio Ferdinand

The case for Ferdinand’s inclusion was made, unusually, by his absence. When he left the Manchester United team they were sitting pretty at the head of the Premiership with the best defensive record in the league. Not long later, they had crumbled at the back and saw Arsenal and Chelsea leapfrog them in the standings. United’s performance without him reflected his importance to them. Probably the best defender in the world when he is on his game and his club will be embracing his return in September with much relief.

10 - Frank Lampard

The Chelsea man sneaks in to the top ten on the back of a brilliant Premiership season for his club and an impressive European Championships for England in which he made few headlines but bagged three goals. Is now a regular for his country which speaks volumes for his progress in recent times. If harnessed in the right way by his new manager, Lampard could go on to make an even bigger name for himself in the game.

Chris Sherrard
18/07/2004

932: PREMIERSHIP: Premiership needs

by : Alex Wolstenholme

As the new season approaches it looks as though some of the smaller clubs in the Premiership will be making the biggest impact.

Birmingham and Middlesbrough are prime examples of clubs with business-savvy men in charge who have ridden the Premiership wave and made sure that they have benefited from it.

Having done so they have been able to pursue and land a number of players of high quality in the summer.

The idea a few years back of a current England international leaving a Liverpool side where he was a first team regular last season would have been unthinkable. Yet that is what Emile Heskey has done. OK his first team chances would have been more limited at Anfield this season but the fact remains that Birmingham had the means to buy the player and pay his substantial wages while the player himself saw the club as no barrier to his aspirations.

Similarly, Middlesbrough have moved on from what seemed like their reckless spending of a few years ago on the likes of Ravanelli to buying in proven Premiership performers like Viduka and Hasselbaink on wages that the club can afford.

Slightly more hampered by finances but no less well run are Southampton, Charlton and even Deadly Doug’s Aston Villa who have resisted the temptation to gamble all and look healthier for it.

The Premiership needs these clubs to both continue progressing the way they have done and for at least one of them to try and breakthrough into the higher echelons. If not we are relying on some of the `bigger` clubs to do it and by the looks of Everton and to a lesser extent Tottenham and Newcastle that may be some time.

It can be done. The Spanish Primera Liga shows us that. There, progressive well run clubs like Valencia and Deportivo La Coruna have culminated years of improvement with championships and good runs in Europe while Madrid’s millions have not always guaranteed them the title. The resulting league is one that deserves the title of best in the world.

The alternative to this is a nightmare cross between the Scottish Premier League where one or two clubs can still dominate despite being less than well run themselves while the rest merely exist to provide match practice and Serie A which remains a spread of big clubs but is completely bogged down in debt and the whiff of corruption.

Alex Wolstenholme
20/07/2004

930: PREMIERSHIP: Dwight Yorke stil

by : Chris Sherrard

The trademark smile has been conspicuously missing from Dwight Yorke’s face over the last couple of seasons. Where once a grin would beam from ear to ear, a lifeless facial expression now betrays an inner feeling of rejection and anti-climax to what, at one stage, had looked like becoming one of English football’s best striking talents. He was one of the best. Briefly. Now he’s asking if there is anyone out there who still loves him. Yes, Dwight, there is.

He was truly one of the greats of any of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United squads. The man whose goals and partnership with Andy Cole significantly helped the Old Trafford club reel in the treble glory of 1999’s Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League successes. For a time it appeared nothing, and no-one, could halt his ascent to the top of the game.

But something changed, be it inside the player’s head or elsewhere, to alter things. Gone was the happy-go-lucky bouncy forward. In it’s place was a man reduced to fleeting appearances, between regular turn-outs for the second string. Quite a fall from grace for the Trinidadian. There were brief false alarms of Yorke’s rebirth prior to leaving Manchester, notably the hat-trick he bagged in quick time against Arsenal in a 6-1 home victory a couple of years ago. So what changed? Well, it seems Fergie didn’t fancy his growing interest in off-pitch goings-on and shipped him out to Blackburn as soon as the opportunity arose.

That fresh dawn largely failed to fully materialise, owing, it’s being claimed by the player, to his manager, Graeme Souness, being less than encouraging. But I still believe that Dwight Yorke can burn bright again for some club in the Premiership. It would be an almighty shame if he was forced to travel to continental pastures in search of some encouragement and love. He still has a lot to give to English football. He has given a lot to it already and he deserves more of a chance.

I am fully aware of the intransigence in Yorke’s efforts in recent times but it is not going to be easy to motivate yourself to play for a manager who flies into dangerously high tackles on you in training matches. That was Souness as a player: all-action, combative, violent even. He shouldn’t be doing anything to endanger any of his players while he is supposed to be coaching them. Rumours of bust-ups between Souness and his players have been long and damaging. They struggled in the league last season and it must be asked whether the friction caused by the manager was not a significant factor.

Despite not being helped by Souness, Yorke has continued to score goals at the top level when given a decent chance. All he needs now is for some other Premiership manager to take a risk on him. To give him a last chance to prove that he is still good enough to play the game he so clearly loves to play. It’s clear from his flitting appearances in recent times that fitness is not a problem. Not so long ago he took part in an updated version of TV show ‘Superstars’ and impressed with his cardiovascular fitness. He has not lost his fitness and you do not go from a top goalscorer to dead loss that quick. If he is focused and motivated, there is no reason why he can’t make a mark on the scoring charts once more

So many clubs in the Premiership are crying out for a finisher. Someone who can lead the line and find the net with regularity. Yorke, for me, is one such player. Without the distraction of international football he could devote his full attentions to restoring his battered reputation. There are many who consider Yorke to be nothing more than a playboy these days. A once great player who let the praise go to his head. Dwight Yorke should be given a chance to prove that is misjudged. He may have to dig in at a lower club, even one of the promoted sides, but that should not be a problem. A fraction of what he showed whilst a United player would be more than enough for a team like West Brom or Crystal Palace.

Dwight Yorke has not had much to smile about in recent times. He deserves the chance to bring some joy to another set of supporters in this country before his time is up.

Chris Sherrard
18/07/2004

929: A view from across the pond #1

by : Bill Urban

Much like trends in fashion, football systems and styles of play come and go. Europe's "big" countries had best prepare for the smaller countries to choose retro man-marking tactics as the Greeks did so successfully in their improbable run to the Euro 2004 title.

Greece played a system that would not have looked out of place anywhere in continental European football during the 1970's. Rigid man-marking, an "extra" defender in the impeccable Dellas who cleaned up his teammate's mistakes and used the ball skillfully rather than merely belting it into touch, and an emphasis on counter-attacking and set-pieces as primary goal-scoring opportunities were the hallmarks of the Greek system of play.

So many similarities existed between Otto Rehhagel's 2004 Greek team and Helmut Schoen's early '70's German sides that I half-expected to see Beckenbauer striding majestically about the pitch in blue Greek kit, with Vogts and Schwarzenbeck nipping at the heels of any opposing attacker. The Greeks did lack a magical goal-scorer like Gerd Mueller, but what they possessed in spades was the very old-school German belief that the opposing attack could be shut down by scrupulously tight man-marking, and chances created by hitting opponents on the break.

Supposedly, tactics like Schoen's had fallen out of fashion. How were Rehhagel's Greeks able to ride tight man-marking and headed goals from corner kicks to three consecutive 1-0 victories and a first major tournament trophy?

Rare is the national or club side in modern European football that plays a strict man-marking system. Zonal defense, in most cases a flat-back four, has been the rule since the turn of the century, and indeed well back into the '90's. As a result of an almost complete saturation of zonal defending, the art of "losing" a man-marker in modern football has been lost itself. Zonal defense is attacked by strikers trying to find "holes" in the back four, taking up positions in that grey area of responsibility between the centre-backs, or the centre-back and outside back. But until the ball is played in to the striker, the role is essentially a passive one. The point is that a striker who is man-marked has no "hole" to find, instead being faced with a single opponent whose primary task is to deny him any possession of the ball whatsoever, as the Greek marking backs did so effectively.

Watch the France v. Greece Quarterfinal again, and you will see both Henry and Trezeguet standing still at the edge of the Greek penalty area, bewildered at the lack of service and space resulting from tight Greek man-marking. The Greek defenders did a marvelous job at anticipating balls about to be served into the French strikers, and often stepped in front to win the ball cleanly before starting a counter-attack in the opposite direction.

Man-marking is not an easy system to implement. It demands tremendous fitness and rigid discipline from the players. But what it doesn't require is lots of skill on the ball. In this particular measure, the "smaller" nations of Europe may very well choose to mimic the retro-German tactical plan of the Greeks, given that discipline and fitness are much easier to find, or create, than pure, game-breaking skill.

The advantage that the "big" nations have in choosing a tactical response is that successful tactics against man-marking are well-known, all evidence from Euro 2004 notwithstanding. There was a very good reason that Kevin Keegan became European Player of the Year in 1978 after moving to Hamburg to play in the Bundesliga. His constant movement off the ball and relentless search for space across the forward line drove the man-marking German defenders to distraction trying to keep up with him. Expect to see more mobile striker pairings coached to interchange positions becoming the rule, not the exception, if man-marking becomes all the rage again in European football.

Some sort of tactical change was long overdue in European football. Rehhagel's decision metaphorically to outfit his Greek side in bell-bottomed tactical trousers was an appropriate response to the schoolboy-uniformed, cookie-cutter football prevalent throughout much of Europe during the past decade.

Perhaps pastel leisure-suited movement off the ball will be a proper French response…

Bill Urban
19/07/2004

927: PREMIERSHIP: Can Fulham build

by : David Hulott

Having surpassed most people’s expectations last season in not only avoiding relegation, but in securing a top 10 finish, Fulham’s name isn’t one being mentioned in many circles as to candidates for the drop in the coming campaign.

Indeed, there is a sense of renewed optimism at the club, with a return to Craven Cottage (albeit probably only on a temporary basis) and their highly regarded young manager Chris Coleman and his assistant Steve Kean signing extensions to their contracts over the summer (although quite how an “indefinite rolling contract” actually benefits the club in reality I’m uncertain?).

There are also some quality players at the club, with ‘keeper Edwin Van der Sar, right-back Moritz Volz and Steed Malbranque all class acts. Even so, Coleman’s second season at the helm may prove rather more challenging than his first. The squad looks in need of reinforcements in just about every area - the defence could do with another central defender, the sale of Sean Davis has left the midfield looking evermore dependant on the excellent Malbranque and the forward line looks short of Premiership quality, where Louis Saha has never really been replaced.

Coleman is currently being linked with a wide range of players, with CEO Jim Hone stating that the club intend to bring in at least three new faces before the season kicks-off. To date, it appears that central midfield and the attack are the areas on which Coleman is concentrating, with Jason Koumas, Amdy Faye and Gary Speed all being linked as replacements for Davis, while Tomasz Radzinski, Andy Cole and Mido look to be the main contenders to join the Fulham forward line. At the time of writing it appears that Faye and Cole are probably the likeliest to be donning the white shirt of the Cottagers next month, with the latter seemingly set to join on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers in the near future. Whether the 32-year old still has the requisite desire to justify his reputed £60,000 per week salary could be a crucial factor as to Fulham’s Premiership survival hopes.

To date, veteran midfielder Billy McKinlay has been the sole addition to the squad over the summer, although he’s primarily been brought in with the intention of helping the development of the youngsters in the reserves. At the same time, several squad members have moved on, with Barry Hayles, Mark Hudson, John Harley and Abdeslam Ouaddou among those departing. With a relatively small squad that could struggle to compete were injury or suspension to deprive them of a couple of players for any period of time, chairman Mohamed Al Fayed needs to back his young manager in the transfer market with significant funds over the next few weeks.

This could be a season where half the division become embroiled in a survival scrap against the drop into the Coca-Cola Championship – the three newly promoted clubs (naturally), Manchester City, Everton, Portsmouth and the Lancashire duo of Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers will all feature among prospective relegation candidates over the coming months.

A few new signings could obviously change things but, under the circumstances, the 10-1 currently available on the Cottagers to go down looks very generous at this stage.

TIP: Fulham to be relegated – 10-1 (Coral)

David Hulott
18/07/2004

928: CHAMPIONSHIP: The domestic tal

by : Chris Sherrard

It’s often claimed that there are no longer any bargains to be had from within English football. Managers are regularly looking to eastern European or further away shores for the next big thing. But, as Blackburn proved last season, if you are willing to take a gamble on someone like Jonathan Stead the rewards are obvious. Here’s a run down of some of the rough diamonds to be found lurking in the lower leagues.

From The Championship (Division One to you and me) there are some great players in a host of positions willing to wait for their chance in the top flight or eager to make a name for themselves right now. Millwall’s star man, Tim Cahill, has already been the subject of a number of bids from the Premiership and it’s easy to see why. His all-action game from midfield is what sides like Everton and Crystal Palace are crying out for and it’s no surprise that they are among his suitors. West Ham are a club who are built for the Premiership but are any of their players worth a punt? Well, winger Matthew Etherington has proved he is better than his short spell with Spurs had suggested while his Upton Park team-mates, Michael Carrick and Youssef Sofiane are not without their talents.

Nottingham Forest, who have a long tradition of bringing through talented young performers, have Irish international Andy Reid on their books - a player a lot of top flight clubs could do with in their midfield. Elsewhere in The Championship, players like Cardiff City’s Welsh international duo, Danny Gabbidon and Robert Earnshaw, Derby’s teenage defender, Tom Huddlestone, England under-21 international, Phil Jagielka, of Sheffield United and Sunderland’s Argentine wide-man, Julio Arca, could all do a more than adequate job in the Premiership, given a chance. Better than the likes of Postiga, Crespo and Viana anyway and certainly sure to try harder.

Clubs operating around the bottom third of the Premiership table should be looking at these types of players instead of their continental peers. The only way English football will ever grow is if some of the money from the top of the game is allowed to sprinkle down among those in the lower reaches.

In League One, there are plenty of other talented players capable of making it in the big league, or at least worth a risk. For example, Bristol City’s Northern Ireland international, Tommy Docherty, had a tremendous season for the Robins last season and has a brilliant range of passing and a good engine. Surely worth as much of a risk as somebody like Salif Diao. Or how about Leo Fortune-West from Doncaster or Blackpool’s midfielder Richie Wellens? Both good players who would surely add something to a squad like that at Norwich or West Brom. Maybe Manchester City should have took a gamble on Swansea’s crowd favourite, Lee Trundle, instead of Argentine flop Luciano Figeuroa. At Huddersfield, the club where Jon Stead made his name, Danny Schofield and Nathan Clarke are also well worth a closer inspection.

And if the players in the lower divisions in England are too pricey or not available then how about those north of the border in the Scottish Premier League? Or in the Welsh leagues? Or the Irish Premier League and the League of Ireland in the south? After all, some of the finest players in the history of English football served their apprentices in competitions like these. The next Kenny Dalgiesh or Liam Brady might be being held back in their tracks because of the current policy to look to Europe and afar.

The Premiership is full of top class overseas stars. But there are just as many who haven’t made any impact other than on their club’s accounts. For every Eric Cantona there will inevitably be a Kleberson. I suppose that’s the price the big clubs pay in their pursuit of glory. But not enough of the up-and-coming talents from the lower leagues are being given the chance to come through. It’s the same with managers. Fair play to Southampton for having the guts to promote Paul Sturrock from a smaller club. Perhaps the gamble that Rupert Lowe took on his new manager, and the risk Graeme Souness and Blackburn took in handing Stead his chance at the expense of internationals like Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, will show the way for others. For the sake of the English game as a whole, it needs to.

Chris Sherrard
2004/07/16

925: PREMIERSHIP: Irish connection

by : Chris Sherrard

Martin: Nope. As you can see everybody who has vacated the planet through this competition is in attendance. There’s Peter Reid… Dave Jones… Mickey Adams… Gerard Houllier… David Pleat… Kevin Keegan… Graeme Souness… Claudio Ranieri… and a whole lot more.
Andy: This just gets better and better! Not only will we have Wenger and Fergie going head to head but I’m pretty sure that the dead will get involved. Whether they fight each other or those in the ring. This is going to be a night we will never forget!
Martin: Well as the fight edges ever closer give us a run down on the latest betting.
Andy: As has been the case throughout the whole tournament the bookies have been swamped with blood thirsty fight fans desperate to put some cash on the outcome of this contest and reports so far have indicated that £600 million pound is riding on tonight’s outcome.
Martin: Crikey! That’s almost as much as Steven Gerrard could have got if he joined Chelsea!
Andy: Predictably the bookies have this too close to call but Fergie is slight favourite at 4/2 with Wenger at 5/2 however your last chance to make a quick buck out of this competition comes in the form of these little hot shots especially supplied by your local bookmaker. At 10/1 you have the chance to predict that Ronaldo will come down to the ring at the end and cry for his manager like he did at the end of the final of Euro 2004. At 16/1 there’s the good possibility that Ray Parlour’s ex missus will come to the ring and demand a third of all of the winner’s future earning.
Martin: I could see a double suicide happening if she showed up!
Andy: But the idiots’ bet is surely at 100/1 for Fergie and Wenger to shake hands and join forces against the new boys in the Premiership ala Benitez, Santini, and Mourinho.
Martin: You’re right. That would be the biggest waste of money since Manchester United brought Juan Sebastian Veron! Well both fighters must be tearing at the bit so without further to do let’s head to ringside for the final time this series for the all important ring introductions.
Ring announcer: Laaaaaddddiieess aaannnnnddd gennntttllleeemmennnn… wellllllcccoooome to the final of Ppppprrrremmmiiieeerrsssshhhhiipp Maaaannnnaaaggggeeerrrss Bbbrrrraaaawwlll!
The fans roar excitedly.
Ring announcer: Leeettt’sss ggggeett rrrrreadddddyy to rrrrruummmbbblllleeee!
The stadium reverberates due to the fantastic level of noise from the fans.
Ring announcer: Introducing first hailing from France representing the Premier League Champions Arsenal, wearing the red home strip of the gunners, and fighting out of the red corner, weighing in at 11 stones and standing tall at 6ft, it’s the one, the only, ‘Mr Perfect’ himself Arsene Wenger.
Arsene steps out from behind the curtain and waves to the Arsenal fans to his left. He stops and smiles as his ring entrance music hits and he points at the curtain.
Martin: What’s this all about?
Andy: Haven’t got a clue… foreigners!
Arsene then lifts up the curtain and out pops Robbie Williams belting out Arsene’s entrance music ‘Let Me Entertain You’. The crowd goes wild as Robbie dances down the aisle with Arsene shaking hands with his loyal fans. Some girls in the crowd can’t contain themselves and pass out at the sight of Robbie.
Martin: This is amazing. Not only can the cerebral assassin put on one helluva show on the pitch but he also do it away from it too. What an entertainer!
Andy: He is that. What a way to get the crowd even more pumped up.
Arsene steps into the ring as Robbie finishes off his performance to a huge ovation from the Gunners faithful.
Ring announcer: And introducing his opponent hailing from Glasgow in Scotland representing, the last English side to win the coveted European Champions League, Manchester United, wearing the white away strip of the Red Devils and fighting out of the blue corner, weighing in at a hefty 16 stones and standing tall at 6ft, it’s the one, the only, ‘The Fearless One’ Sssiiirrrrr Allllleeexxx Ffffeeeerrrrggguuusssssoooonnnnn!
The Manchester United fans go berserk as Fergie’s music ‘Anarchy in The UK’ hits the speakers.
Andy: You don’t think Fergie’s arranged for Johnny Rotten to appear here tonight do you?
Martin: Do you know what, nothing would surprise me in this business anymore.
Fergie steps out from behind the curtain smiling at his devoted followers, chewing his trademark piece of gum, and Peter Reid’s and Sam Allardyce’s former monkey in tow.
Andy: Well that’s a surprise… Fergie smiling! I didn’t expect that tonight considering the prize at stake.
Martin: At least the monkey’s still here but I’m not too sure how Reidy and Big Sam will react to see him joining forces with Fergie.
Fergie steps into the ring and stares at Arsene Wenger who still has Robbie Williams by his side.
Martin: What is Robbie Williams doing here anyway? I thought he supported Port Vale?
Andy: He does. It’s all Greek to me.
Martin: One things for sure though this has classic written all over it. The past master Vs the young pretender. If blood and guts are not spilt in this bout then I’m going to tear Andy limb from limb!
Andy: Yeah cheers mate! I love you too.
Martin: Well there is a lot of love in this stadium.
Inside the ring Fergie and Wenger are trading insults as each other as Robbie exits the ring.
Wenger: You’re a washed up has been Fergie. You should have quit when you said you were and finished on a high. People feel sorry for you. I pity you.
Fergie: You pity me? I pity you… imagine having an arse for a name!
Wenger: Sticks and stones may break my bones but your precious Manchester United will never touch the Arsenal. I think you’re going senile. Look at some of your recent signings. Djemba Djemba, Kleberson, Veron, and Alan Smith… You’ve lost the plot man.
Fergie: Says the man who brought Jens Lehman to the Premiership. That man’s a numpty of the highest order.
Wenger: Excuse me but did we lose a league fixture last season?
Fergie: No but…
Wenger: But nothing. Did you win the Premiership last season?
Fergie: No but…
Wenger: But nothing. Under my guidance Arsenal are THE best team in this country and there is nothing you can do about it.
Fergie: Oh really?
With that Fergie throws a huge right hook at Wenger but to Fergie’s surprise Wenger doesn’t flinch.
Martin: Ohmigod! Fergie’s just given Wenger his best shot and Wenger hasn’t budged.
Andy: Fergie must be worried now. Nobody has ever stood up to one of his punches before.
Wenger smiles as the crowd buzzes over the incident.
Wenger: Is that your best?
Suddenly Wenger throws a big left at Fergie and connects with his jaw but Fergie fails to go down.
Andy: This is unbelievable! Believe the hype ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be awesome.
Martin: Both men have connected but both men have failed to hit the deck. What a show of strength by both men.
The buzz amongst the fans is at fever pitch.
Fergie: Nice shot. I just hope that wasn’t your best or you’re in serious trouble.
Wenger: No this might be though.
Arsene unleashes with a ferocious right hand that leaves the big Scot spinning and falls down to one knee much to the wild jubilations of the Arsenal fans.
Martin: Wow! Fergie’s down on one knee.
Andy: I hope he’s not going to propose!
Fergie slowly gets to a vertical base as Wenger grins in his face. Out of nowhere Fergie delivers a huge uppercut on Wenger that forces him to stagger backwards and eventually drops to one knee.
Andy: It’s one each here at the Millennium stadium but who is going to capitalise on this?
Wenger has a trickle of blood dripping out of his mouth following that assault but stands up tall.
Wenger: You’ll have to do better than that!
Out of nowhere Manchester United winger Ronaldo appears in the ring and points in the face of Wenger and tells him to watch his stepovers.
Martin: Don’t do it Wenger. He’ll leave you dazed and confused.
Ronaldo begins his wizardry on the ball and Arsene’s head is all over the place. Ronaldo then stops and tries to punch Wenger but the Gallic genius sees it coming a mile off, grabs his wrist and pulls him to the ground before placing him in the crippler cross face and tearing his right arm off.
Martin: What the…? I can’t believe what we have just witnessed.
Andy: Neither can Fergie he is dumbstruck.
Wenger stands up and kicks Ronaldo’s decaying carcass out of the ring and throws his torn off arm into the Arsenal fans. In a state of shock Fergie boots Wenger square in the nuts and pummels him to the ground.
Fergie: What do you think you’re playing at destroying my star winger? You’ve just ruined my only chance of success for next season.
Arsene grins and spits blood into Fergie’s face.
Wenger: You won’t ever win a match in your life again after tonight you fool.
Unexpectedly Wenger lifts his knee into Fergie’s groin, repaying the favour, and throwing him on to the canvas before unleashing with a series of blows to the face himself.
Andy: There’s more twists and turns in this fight already than a Hollywood thriller. More end-to-end action than a Newcastle – Liverpool game and more excitement than a night with Christina Aguleria and Britney Spears! Well maybe I won’t go that far but it’s almost there!
Martin: Fergie’s been busted wide open and the blood’s pouring on to the canvas.
Sensing danger Fergie’s recently acquired monkey, previously owned by Peter Reid and then Big Sam Allardyce, jumps into the squared circle and begins biting Arsene Wenger.
Andy: There’s some serious monkey business going on now.
Martin: Get that beast out of here!
Andy: Yeah and while you’re at it get the monkey out of here too!
Martin: You really are a bleb!
In the front row there is a huge racket being made from the spirits of the past managers and the camera turns round to catch Peter Reid and Big Sam climbing over the ring barriers and entering the ring.
Martin: No way! Are they going to get themselves entangled in proceedings?
Andy: Its PMB… anything’s possible!
Reid and Allardyce are in the ring and grab their former monkey off of Wenger and he looks stunned when he is faced with his two previous owners.
Reid: What on earth do you think you are doing helping Ferguson? Have you not seen what the Leeds fans think of Alan Smith for joining the Red wreck?
Allardyce: And don’t give me those soppy eyes. I’m not too pleased with you being associated with United either.
The monkey looks startled and doesn’t know what to do or who to go to but suddenly makes up his mind and jumps on the shoulder of Peter Reid.
Andy: Ahhhh. Isn’t that sweet? He’s chosen his original owner.
Martin: A monkey with loyalty. You don’t get that very often in football.
Big Sam looks gutted as Peter plays with his monkey but he offers his hand in friendship.
Martin: What a gesture from Big Sam. He’s lost his pet and life on the quest of being the King of the Ring but he’s still got a bit of dignity.
Reid shakes hands and the crowd cheers at Big Sam’s sporting action but ends up clothes lining the former Leeds coach and battering him, and his monkey, all over again out side the ring.
Martin: Unbelievable! I simply cannot believe what I am seeing here tonight.
Andy: Yeah it’s a same that this is the last time we’ll be on air as well… just as things were truly hotting up.
Meanwhile as Reid and Allardyce continue brawling outside the ring the Arsenal and Manchester United squads have hit the arena and surrounded the ring in a lumberjack match style.
Martin: This is unreal. Fergie V Wenger has now completely turned into an Arsenal Manchester United brawl.
Andy: Well what did you expect when these two teams come into contact with each other… tea and biscuits!
A whole host of stars surround the ring including Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera, and Sol Campbell for Arsenal and Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Ruud Van Nistlerooy for United as the noise in the arena becomes deafening.
Martin: Wenger has Fergie up by his ear! What’s he going to do with him now?
Wenger throws Fergie into the ropes but the Scotsman is saved when his Man Utd players pull him under the ring. The Arsenal fans are not amused.
Andy: What’s all this about? Come on lads, play the game.
Inside the ring Wenger is filling up with anger and suddenly runs and jumps over the top rope into the crowd of United players and begins throwing punches at anyone and everyone.
Martin: This is suicidal by the Arsenal boss. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. They’re going to kill him!
The Arsenal players dash over to the other side of the ring and spark a riot by scrapping with the United players to save their manager.
Andy: What morale this Arsenal team have. They fight for every lost cause on the pitch and they’re fighting for their own off it too. What team spirit.
As the action outside the ring resembles an average Saturday night in Glasgow Fergie and Wenger manage to crawl back inside the ring.
Martin: The scenes inside the Millennium Stadium are awesome. These images will live on for eternity but which of these two are going to survive to tell the tale?
Andy: It’s too close to call. Both men are fighting machines. It will take something special to win this.
Martin: Well they’ve both got cards up their sleeves. Wenger is an origami god while Ferguson is a flesh-eating cannibal.
Andy: Somebody has to win! All of this action isn’t good for my heart.
Blood pours from Fergie’s mouth. He licks it up and smiles and his eyes form daggers at Wenger. The Frenchman looks worried and dashes out of the ring and picks up a wad of plain paper.
Martin: Oh here we go, business is about to pick up big time.
Wenger frantically folds the paper as Fergie stalks his victim around the ring.
Andy: What can he possibly make? We’ve already seen the likes of Iron Mike Tyson and Ali in action. Who’s next?
The crowd gasp in shock, as Wenger’s creation is unveiled…
Martin: Jaap Stam and David Beckham!!! This is unbelievable. Two of Fergie’s former players who he cast aside for personal reasons. This is going to be interesting!
Stam crunches his former boss and snaps his left leg in half as Beckham takes off his shoe and repeatedly smashes him over the head with it.
Beckham: It’s not nice is it boss?
Ferguson is lying in a pool of blood and screaming for help but nobody can hear his calls due to the crowd’s level of intensity.
Andy: Could this be the end of an era?
Fergie manages to grab a hold of Beckham’s foot and begins to devour the former Manchester United number 7 from the feet up.
Martin: What a comeback from Fergie! He looked dead and buried!
Fergie continues his assault by then clutching at Stam’s fist and starts eating him.
Andy: Fergie has just eaten two of his main enemies but although they are out of the way he is still in a bad way. His leg’s in two and his head is cut wide open.
Martin: Wenger needs to take advantage of this situation.
Wenger looks at Fergie desperate to get to his feet but can’t find the energy to do so. Arsene moves towards his great adversary and delves into his pocket to pull out a pack of chewing gum.
Wenger: Here you go Fergie. This should ease the pain a bit.
Arsene hands over a piece of gum to the Old Trafford coach. Fergie takes it and begins chewing furiously but Arsene quickly grabs hold of Fergie’s trap and shoves over 100 packets of chewing gum down the Scotsman’s throat.
Andy: Ohmigod! That’s going to kill him.
Martin: Fergie is going to explode!
Fergie’s face begins turning blue as he struggles for air and his belly becomes bigger and bigger.
Martin: This brawl has been huge but it looks as though it’s all over. Wenger has defeated the beast. Arsene is the King of The Ring!
With that Fergie decides to pop and pieces of his body scatter across the Millennium Stadium, as Wenger, the Arsenal players and the fans celebrate wildly.
Andy: Wenger’s done it. He has succeeded in beating the best the Premiership had to offer and is the undisputed Brawler of the Premiership.
Martin: Undefeated in the Premiership and now undefeated in PMB. Is there anything this man can lose?
Andy: I don’t think so. The man’s a living legend!
Suddenly the lights dim down as the Old Trafford players leave the arena bawling their eyes out at the loss of their manager, and the spotlights focus on three men at the top of the ramp.
Martin: What’s the meaning of this? Who are they? No it can’t be them?
Andy: Oh yes it can. Mourinho, Benitez and Santini. But what brings them here?
Mourinho: Well done Arsene. You’ve beaten the best the Premiership has to offer. It’s just a pity that we weren’t around for this competition, as we would have shown you what a true fight is all about.
Benitez: I will look forward to pitting my wits against you in the league this season and would like to issue you with a formal invitation to put your PMB title on the line against me at the start of next season.
Santini: Excuse me, as manager of your north London rivals, I believe I have the right to challenge you first. After all we’re both French and you wouldn’t want some Spaniard taking the title from you would you.
Santini and Benitez square up as Arsene looks on bemused.
Mourinho: If anybody deserves a title shot at Wenger it’s me. I’m manager of the richest club in the world, won the Uefa Cup and Champions League back to back… I am the best in the business.
Andy: These boys have got a right attitude going on.
Suddenly Benitez, Santini and Mourinho are knocking seven bells out of each other as Arsene turns away laughs and holds aloft his new PMB King of the Ring title aloft.
Martin: It’s been emotional the past couple of weeks but our time has come to an end. With only three possible pretenders to the throne our series has ended but rest assured we will be back one day.
Andy: Once the managers’ quota has been restored anyway…
Martin: But as we leave the magnificent Millennium Stadium we must say thanks for watching and I will leave you with a joke. What do you call a reindeer that can’t see?
Andy: No idea.
Martin: You always have to ruin it for me don’t you?
With that Martin dives on Andy and they begin scrapping like school kids as the end credits run and signals the conclusion to the series for 2004.

Colin Illingworth
17/07/2004For all the foreign imports floating around in the Premiership these days, down at White Hart Lane it could be a handful of young Irish players who hold the key to Tottenham’s fortunes. Their new manager will have scanned the leagues and divisions of world football but within his own club lie some excellent promising youngsters and experienced performers ready and able to transform the club’s displays in the top flight.

The highest profile, and most talented, of the club’s many Irish players is the much-travelled Robbie Keane. The former Wolves, Coventry, Leeds and Inter Milan forward has settled well in North London and was one of the few bright spots of a less-than-brilliant campaign last year. He combines flair with pace and strength and has scored some great goals for the club since he joined. 29 goals in all competitions since joining the club off the back of an excellent display in the World Cup in the Far-East in 2002. He has a lot to offer the new manager and how Santini constructs his attack, with others like Defoe and Kanoute vying for starting berths, will be one of the most interesting decision of any club going into the new season.

But Keane is not the sole Irishman at Tottenham with a part to play. There is the club captain, Steven Carr. The 27-year old Dubliner has had his share of injuries in recent years but remains one of the finest full-backs in the division. Given a run clear of injury he could provide a valuable constant in Santini’s plans. What you know you are getting from the pacey Carr is an eagerness to get forward and support his midfield, providing telling crosses from good positions. He has managed to introduce a stronger defensive element to his game since he first broke into the first team and provides, naturally for a captain, a strong leadership quality. There were some who believed he had only been made skipper of Spurs to keep him from running off to join some other suitor. For what it’s worth I think he is a good captain, not close to a Roy Keane or, sadly, Patrick Vieira, but encouraging and motivating no less.

If Santini can manage to banish the age-old Tottenham injury jinx then he deserves a lot more than a climb up the Premiership table but that is what he will get. The players are there for him and in Carr he has a splendid right-back - the Premiership’s best - and that quality will stand the club in good stead.

When Carr has been absent through injury in recent times, his young compatriot, Steven Kelly, has ably deputised. He is a solid defender but it is going forward that he is most impressive. Still only 20-years old, Kelly has a long and illustrious career ahead of him if he can stay fit and healthy. Tottenham fans will be hoping that he fulfils his immense potential in the white with the cockerel on his chest. His displays for Spurs and those he produced during loan spells at Watford, Queens Park Rangers and Southend have left few in any doubt as to his potential. Certainly Santini should have no concerns if he has to call on Kelly in the new season.

There are a couple of others outside of that trio who should serve Tottenham Hotspur with distinction in the years ahead. Like young forward, Mark Yeates, from Dublin who looks like he has all the attributes to make it in the game and impressed during a three-month loan spell at Brighton. The Dubliner celebrated his 19th birthday in January and has already been given a spot in the Spurs first-team squad for the coming season. While his opportunities to shine could be limited this season, he provides a more than adequate back-up for the new French manager of the club.

Jacques Santini has a lot of talent at his disposal as he settles into his new hot seat as manager of Tottenham. But beside the young English players and overseas performers, four youthful Irish stars should provide him with plenty of options as he attempts to steer the club up the Premiership table.

Chris Sherrard
18/07/2004

926: PREMIERSHIP: Should Arsenal ca

by : David Hulott

"There are no players that are not for sale. The only problem is the money."

With those (patently bloody obvious) words, Real Madrid’s recently re-elected president, Florentino Perez, kicked off the annual transfer speculation concerning Patrick Vieira. Summer just wouldn’t be summer without Perez sounding out the possibility of Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira swapping Highbury for the Bernabeu would it? Stories linking the French international with a move to Madrid have become part of the fabric of a British summer to rival the undue optimism over Tim Henman’s chances of winning Wimbledon or train cancellations due to buckled rail tracks as temperatures soar above a blistering 20°c.

On the back of his resounding victory in the presidential elections and with another four years at the helm for the incumbent Perez, it’s only natural that a host of exotic signings are currently being linked with a move to the Spanish capital. Having finally recognised that having a defence is something of a pre-requisite for a successful team, Los Meringues have already signed the Argentinean centre-back Walter Samuel from Roma. There is also reportedly a bid on the table for Porto stopper Ricardo Carvalho, so signing Vieira would be another example of the more conservative approach insisted upon by new coach Jose Antonio Camacho.

Although Vieira is unquestionably a hugely significant factor in their success in recent years, perhaps it is time that the Gunners took Perez up on his offer. Vieira is now 28 years old and his transfer value is only ever likely to be heading in one direction from now on. If talk of a £30 million offer is true and Vieira expresses any desire to move, then Arsenal should seriously consider taking Real Madrid’s money.

For around half that figure, they could almost certainly secure the services of Brazilian midfielder Emerson from Roma, especially with the Italian club desperate for cash. Others who will come into the reckoning as potential replacements are Steven Gerrard (although his cost would be prohibitive), Gennaro Gattuso and Maniche. A certain David Beckham esquire would almost certainly be willing to move back to Blighty as part of any deal that took Vieira to Spain, while there is talk that Fernando Morientes could be the bait in a player-plus-cash deal. The latter would certainly offer Wenger an attacking option he currently lacks, although it could be argued that there are other areas of the team that are in more urgent need of strengthening.

Indications seem to be that Vieira might be looking to leave after almost eight years at Highbury. Should that be the case, it would seem somewhat futile to insist on him seeing out the remaining three years of his contract, with his transfer valuing diminishing as each year passes, if he isn’t fully committed to the cause. It was also noticeable that Arsenal coped perfectly well without their captain whenever he was absent due to injury or suspension last term, which was certainly not the case in previous seasons.

There are obviously certain other caveats that would need taking into account – would his departure signal the break-up of the squad, with the likes of Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and Robert Pires following suit? Would his sale have an adverse effect on morale throughout the club? Would all the proceeds from the deal be available to buy new players, or would it go towards the cost of the re-location to Ashburton Grove? How would Wenger react to losing probably his most trusted player? Vieira’s relationship with Wenger is akin to that of Roy Keane’s with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, with Vieira regarded as his manager’s mouthpiece on the pitch.

The ball is really now in Vieira’s court. If he expresses a desire to stay, then selling him really would not be a particularly good way in signalling the club’s ambitions. Anything less than 100% commitment though and a move to Madrid will probably be best for all concerned.

David Hulott
16/07/2004

Related:

PREMIERSHIP: Arsenal should let Vieira go if he wants to

Premiership hall of fame: Ian Wright

EURO 2004: King of cool - Thierry Henry

924: Premiership managers brawl: TH

by : Colin Illingworth

The enduring image of Garrincha the footballer is similarly hard to accept. With Matthews, Pele and Best, he raised the art of dribbling to its highest level and his physical contortions and manipulation of the ball caused awe and even laughter among spectators. The Uruguayan novelist Eduardo Galeano described him as the player who brought more happiness to fans than any other in history and in Brazil he is lyrically known as "The Joy of the People". Yet for all his entertainment value, Garrincha was incredibly effective. In more than fifty official games for Brazil he scored thirty-four goals and suffered defeat only once: a record which is difficult to reconcile with the universally-held notion that he was a dilettante.

In a sense, his one-dimensional image as the player of genius without intelligence or self-control reflects that of Brazilian football itself as a thing of freewheeling, instinctive beauty, rather than the result of thorough preparation and the application of technical and tactical expertise. If the myth of Brazilian football has fooled the world, perhaps Garrincha did the same. The book misses a trick by not considering the degree of planning which went into making full use of Garrincha's unusual abilities.

That said, the book is well-researched and the detail is minutely drawn. The style is more journalistic than analytical - extensive use is made of interviews - and as such, the narrative is somewhat lacking in objective distance and historical perspective. As the book was written for a native audience, it’s understandable that knowledge of the political, social and cultural context of Garrincha's life and times is assumed. On the other hand, British readers, especially those familiar with the stories of football casualties closer to home, may wonder whether anything new is revealed by the book's narrow focus on personal tragedy - even one of this magnitude.

Implicit in the way many Brazilians think of Garrincha is the belief that his personal tragedy reflects a national one. To them, he is indicative of a crucial historical phase in Brazil's development and he embodies their country's unfulfilled promise and wasted potential. It’s an interesting theory, but the book’s narrative style doesn’t allow such a case to be made. Garrincha is the most popular Brazilian footballer, but Castro’s biography doesn’t really explain why. Ultimately, the hero remains elusive: was Garrincha truly emblematic or merely the most gifted in a long line of sportsmen whose destructive compulsions were not tempered by education or life experience?

Whilst never less than arresting, the book lacks detachment and analysis and the narrative is pitched at a level which occasionally debases its subject. Yet despite these flaws the appearance of an English version of this biography is to be welcomed. It graphically tells one of the sorriest tales in sport (putting football “tragedies“ closer to home firmly in their place), and in so doing, highlights a particular stage in the development of football in Brazil, when players - many dark-skinned and from poor backgrounds - were commonly treated like children one moment and young gods the next. Has anything changed?

Errol Lawrence
12 July 2004Martin Tyler: Welcome to the fight we’ve all been waiting for… It’s been seven months in the making but the waiting is finally over… The Premierships two most successful managers ever come face to face in the final of the competition managers have been literally dying to be in… Premiership Managers Brawl!
The 90,000 plus crowd at the magnificent Millennium Stadium in Cardiff roar in anticipation.
Martin: We’re here, live in Cardiff, for the showpiece finale of this competition as Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger finally gets his hands on Manchester United’s very own Sir Alex Ferguson. You can enjoy all the action here live and exclusively only on www.squarefootball.net and we’ll crown one of these warriors the undisputed King of the Ring! With me as always is my loyal companion, the former Wolves and Everton striker, Andy Gray.
Andy Gray: Hello fight fans and what a mouth watering clash we have on our hands. Between them they have notched up 10 of the 11 Premiership titles since its creation, numerous FA cups and the European cup.
Martin: But come the end of this bout one of these men will be history. Only one man can survive to be crowned the King of the Ring and that is why the Millennium Stadium sold out in record time and we are being beamed into the homes of 365 countries around the globe.
Andy: It has been a long and treacherous journey from the pre tournament qualifiers back in October but we are finally here, at the final, for a fight between the two of the games great warriors. You can forget all about the FA cup final of Manchester United and Millwall and all of the mismatches Audley Harrison has had over the years. This is a true heavyweight clash that the public has been dying to see. A lot of blood has been shed over the past couple of months but it’s all been worth it to finally reach this stage.
Martin: It certainly has and more blood is sure to be shed tonight. There’s no love loss between this two. Fergie is the old warhorse and master of the Premiership but Wenger is definitely the new flavour of the month and could be set to hit the final nail in Fergie’s coffin.
Andy: One thing’s for sure whoever wins tonight will totally deserve to be crowned the King of the Ring. Both men have come through some gruelling battles with some unexpected guests becoming involved making it even tougher. However they both showed great steel and determination to succeed and now they face their final and deadliest challenge… each other.
Martin: As both men prepared for the battle of their life we caught up with Arsene Wenger and he’s desperate to unleash his fury on Fergie.
Wenger: Ever since I came to the Premiership he has always been trying to rub me up the wrong way what with his pathetic mind games and chewing gum. Well I am glad that I have the opportunity to rid the game of this monster. He may have conquered the Premiership before my arrival but I’m the top dog now and I intend to prove it in the ring.
Andy: Fighting talk from Wenger and he never fails to deliver. If he can perform like his Gunners do on the pitch this could be the most elegant destruction of all time.
Martin: Indeed but we also caught a few words with Fergie and he’s in fighting mood.
Fergie: There’s no denying that me and Wenger do not get on. We never have, we never will, especially once I’m finished with him. I haven’t achieved what I have in this game by shirking from my opponents. I will be going out all guns blazing and I will rid the game of Wenger like I have Allardyce, Houllier and Paul Sturrock. This is my Premiership title… you hear me… MINE! Now get out of here before I twist your head off… You heard me!
Fergie begins throwing teacups and kicking football boots at Chris Kamara as he hastily exits.
Andy: Wahey! I was already excited about this but now I really can’t wait. They want to annihilate each other! This will be the best final EVER!
Martin: I share your excitement but lets not build this up too much. It only takes one punch to knock somebody out.
Andy: I hope that isn’t a warning directed to me?
Martin: Of course not. I was just mentioning it because we have some special guests in the front row…
Andy: Ohmigod! You’ve got to be kidding me?
In the front row is the spirits of all of the deceased managers who have lost their life trying to get their hands on this trophy. They’re all smiling and throwing cups and betting slips at each other.

923: BOOK REVIEW: “Garrincha: The T

by : Errol Lawrence

The years between 1958-70 were a golden age for football, with Brazil the world's soccer powerhouse and the game a focus of national identity there. During this period one of the sport's most celebrated figures was a small right-winger with grotesquely-shaped legs and an extraordinary style of play. Garrincha: The Triumph and Tragedy of Brazil's Forgotten Footballing Hero tells the story of the player who as much as anyone embodied the beautiful football for which Brazil remains famous.

The salient facts of Garrincha's life and career are well-known. After becoming a world champion in 1958 and in 1962 and inspiring his club, Botafogo to one of its most memorable Rio championships, he was feted as the most extraordinary player in the world and the personification of the instinctive football for which Brazil was famous. However, he went into steep decline. Injuries reduced him to a mere mortal, and his career ended with a sad odyssey through various outposts, in a vain attempt to recapture his former magic. His final years were miserable, marked by alcoholism, self-destructive behaviour and a complete inability to adapt to life off the pitch. He died, impoverished, at the age of forty-nine.

Ruy Casto's biography chronicles the life and death of Garrincha and presents him as a childlike hero blessed with divine skills, whilst having all-too-human flaws. The legend is revisited: the fact that his wizardry was performed with legs not meant for football - the left bent inwards, the right six inches shorter and curved outwards; his apparent lack of abstract interest in football and utter incomprehension of the popular obsession with the national team; his image as a simpleton, for whom dribbling around as many opponents as possible was the object of the game - the final score being practically irrelevant; his rampant pursuit of earthy pleasures.

However, there is much more besides. Garrincha's youth in the textile factory town of Pau Grande and his avoidance of education and employment are covered exhaustively, as are the sporting glories and his turbulent relationship with the singer Elsa Soares, which scandalised the nation. The story of his infantile behaviour, self-pity, alcoholism and pathetic slide into oblivion, is told in excruciating detail. Among the destructive acts revealed here are the abuse of his spouse and the separate drunk-driving incidents in which his father was injured and his mother-in-law was killed. At times, the litany of tortured relationships, pain and death and the author's gratuitous and prurient references to Garrincha's sexual exploits make for difficult reading, especially as no real explanation for such behaviour is offered. Clearly, the man who gave pleasure to everyone who saw him perform on the field, brought misery to those who had to live with him away from it.

Interestingly, the book hints at a dichotomy between his public image as a simpleton and a more intelligent character in private. The media of the time is criticised for its simplistic portrayal of him, yet as the book itself draws heavily on the stories and folk myths, any notion that Garrincha himself may have been complicit in the construction of his public image is unproven. The book suggests that he was more sensitive than portrayed and had a wily "street savvy", but does not really stray from the stereotype of the backward nature-boy. Still, it is hard to believe that Garrincha did not take advantage of the fact that his public persona gave people a reason to forgive his many transgressions.

922: PREMIERSHIP: Arsenal should le

by : Chris Sherrard

Likely to stay

Megson, West Bromwich Albion. 4/10.

This is the point where we reach the unlikely candidates. Megson has delivered two promotions as a sandwich for a relegation. At some point the board or Megson may get bored of this yo-yo ride – but it would take a calamitous early season to precipitate the sack.

9/4 to go, 1/3 to stay

Dowie, Crystal Palace. 3/10

It’s been an emotional roller coaster as Dowie has moved Palace improbably into the Premiership. The likely relegation is unlikely to unseat him, but his ruthless ambition (just check out how much he is disliked in Oldham) would mean he would jump ship if a safer bearth happened by.

5/2 to leave, 2/7 to stay.

Coleman, Fulham. 3/10

In the mid-table of the Premiership there are a lot of nervous managers desperately to stay this side of, say, twelfth. Fulham are more likely to sack a manager than most but it would be a certain precursor to relegation.

11/4 to leave, 1/4 to stay.

Mourinho, Chelsea. 3/10

One of the great imponderables is how much longer Chelsea will wait before becoming champions. Mourinho is unlikely to leave after being given a top team in a top league so only a disastrous season will see him removed and even then probably at the end of the season.

7/2 to leave, 1/6 yes to stay.

Bruce, Birmingham City. 3/10

As safe as houses unless the Manchester United or Newcastle jobs come up and then who knows. Given the shaky hold SBR has in Newcastle he has got to be worth a machiavellian punt, at 4/1, to leave.

4/1 to leave, 1/7 to stay.

O’Leary, Aston Villa. 3/10

Villa have a somewhat unjust reputation as a sacking club. However, given the hierarchies pretty ungracious response to finishing sixth (they flirted with relegation the season before) a prolonged stay in the lower reaches on the table could bring trouble. Some people are never happy.

100/30 to leave, 1/5 to stay

Almost certain to stay

Worthington, Norwich City. 2/10

Nigel Worthington delivered the final division one title to East Anglia last term and is not especially attractive to a bigger club. As he’s still learning it would take a catastrophe bigger than Sunderland 2002/3 to unseat him.

2/1 to leave, 4/11 to stay.

Curbishley, Charlton Athletic. 2/10

The second longest serving manager in the top flight is only likely to leave for the England job or if, say, Manchester United or Arsenal came knocking. The England job is possible otherwise as safe as houses.

11/4 to leave, 1/4 to stay.

Sturrock, Southampton. 2/10

Southampton aren’t much of a sacking club and Sturrock is grateful for the opportunity. Only relegation would realistically end his tenure and given the way he started after Strachan left last season that is unlikely. Decent odds of 1/2 to stay at the club.

6/4 to leave, 1/2 yes to stay

Ferguson, Manchester United. 2/10

This isn’t a popular concept in M16, but at some point SAF will leave. As it will almost certainly be a time of his choosing it is possible that it could be mid-season – but very unlikely.

7/2 to leave, 1/6 to stay

Santini, Tottenham Hotspur. 1/10

Spurs don’t sack new managers and Santini has the pedigree to keep this side in the top half of the season. As Santini needs to rebuild his reputation after Euro 2004 he is unlikely to be poached – so highly unlikely to be off.

7/2 to leave, 1/6 to stay

Wenger, Arsenal. 1/10

The bookies favourite to stay at an unbackable 1/40. Wenger has made comments that could be misinterpreted when he was linked with the Germany job, but is highly unlikely to leave mid-season. Arsenal won’t sack him and he might leave sometime in the next 3 or 4 years, but not this year.

11/1 to leave, 1/40 to stay

Allardyce, Bolton Wanderers. 1/10

Bolton won’t sack him as he is halfway through a 10 year contract and he is a consummate club man. Equally Sam is, unfortunately, not fashionable enough for the England job or any of the ‘big’ jobs. Staying.

100/30 to leave, 1/5 to stay.

Benitez, Liverpool. 0/10

A club with little history of sacking managers and an exciting new manager. He won’t leave and they won’t sack him. The only real certainty in this list.

11/2 to leave, 1/10 to stay

Antony Melvin
16/07/2004Patrick Vieira, the great don of Arsenal’s midfield, looks like he is seriously contemplating an extended stay in the footballing hotbed that is Real Madrid. But, while losing their skipper would be a hard blow to take, Arsenal must know that they have a manager better equipped than most to turn the loss of the Frenchman into a positive. So, take the money, Arsene, and let Vieira count his riches elsewhere.

The truth is no team should keep any player who patently pines for other pastures. If Vieira’s head and heart is leaning towards the Bernebau then it is completely futile to keep him in North London. Instead, Wenger should take Madrid’s money and replace him with a younger model or strengthen his squad for the challenges ahead. Replacements for Patrick Vieira are not going to be easy to find but there are a few candidates to step into his shoes and Wenger will be studying them all as he comes to terms with the notion of losing his skipper.

The most obvious option is to negotiate with Real that any deal taking Vieira to the Spanish capital has David Beckham returning the other way. Not many parties of that particular deal would be too depressed at the prospect. Madrid get their man whilst saving face over the signing of the England captain, Arsenal get a ready-made centre-midfielder to step into the Highbury side, Vieira gets his move, Beckham gets to come home where he is loved and Posh Spice gets to keep a closer eye on her mischievous husband. Simple enough. Well, the fee would be an issue. Vieira is clearly more valuable as a footballer but Beckham has made his Madrid club great wads of cash so where does the line be drawn between footballer and asset? I think a straight swap would be most likely, although Arsenal would be well within their rights to demand a few million on top.

Other contenders to replace Vieira take different shapes. There is the under-developed but promising Bayern Munich midfielder, Owen Hargreaves. He has made no secret of his desire to play in his adopted homeland and the price being asked by his German club, around £6million, would be a drop in the ocean compared with what Arsenal could expect from selling the Frenchman. Hargreaves offers adaptability which is a key component of any Wenger signing but there is no way he is in Vieira’s class when it comes to bossing a midfield. For that reason he would not be enough to fill his boots.

That task could be achieved by the closest thing to Patrick Vieira in the post-Roy Keane English game - Steven Gerrard. We all know that he has come out publicly to state his desire to remain at Anfield but money talks in football and he might just see the challenge of running Arsenal’s midfield a more fulfilling and rewarding one than a similar post at Stamford Bridge. Certainly, Wenger would love to directly replace Vieira with the Scouser and the only losers in that transfer manoeuvre would be Liverpool. It is by no means out of the question that any deal to let Vieira go to Spain would feature an assurance by the Arsenal board to their manager that the funds will be used to lure Gerrard south.

Outside of the English national team there are some others who would come into the frame if there was a need to replace Vieira. How about Gennaro Gattuso from Ac Milan? He harbours a desire to return to British football which he impressed in whilst a youngster at Rangers. He is the no-nonsense tackling leader that Arsenal would need in midfield. His price would not be cheap but would leave change from any receipts from Madrid. Or Brazilian skipper, Emerson, could be tempted by a new city in his quest to enjoy the sport which has seen him become clinically depressed. There are others. Like the Portuguese midfielders who so impressed in the European Championships - Maniche and Costinha.

For Vieira himself the decision must be a hard one; stay with the man who has made you into one of the best players in the world and a host of your compatriots at the top of the English game or run along and join your mate Zidane and a host of players in what has rapidly become a European Dream Team. Last season, Vieira won the Premiership title and went unbeaten domestically. Real Madrid, for all their glitz, glamour and superstars, won nothing.

Arsene Wenger would love to have his captain leading his team again into this coming season. If, however, he has any doubts as to Vieira’s commitment then he should drive him to Madrid himself. No team will function successfully if their captain is looking elsewhere. Are you, Patrick?

Chris Sherrard
16/07/2004

921: PREMIERSHIP: The sack race sta

by : Antony Melvin

Since the League Managers Association (LMA) launched a voluntary agreement in the mid-1990’s that no Premiership club can poach a manager from another during the season the managerial merry-go-round has more or less ground to a halt during the season.

Last season saw the early demise of Glenn Hoddle at Spurs. Also the Leeds board had enough spare time to sack Peter Reid and later on Eddie Gray. And at Southampton Gordon Strachan announced his sabbatical and was replaced a little early, but apart from that there was little movement during the season.

At the end of the season Liverpool swiftly dispensed with Gerard Houllier and the axe also fell on Chelsea’s Claudio Ranieri (a phone call is a crass way to sack a manager after his loyalty) but 15 of the other 16 Premiership clubs have kept faith with the manager they had at the start of last season (Iain Dowie was hired part-way through last season for promoted Crystal Palace).

But this season there are a number of credible reasons why there could be more casualties than usual. Money (and results) being the basis for all evil at least 5 casualties are predicted from this distance.

Here we rate the current Premiership incumbents on a 0-10 basis. 0 and you’re staying, 10 and you’re off. Odds courtesy of William Hill.

Likely to go

Souness, Blackburn Rovers. Likelihood of leaving: 8/10

Blackburn nose-dived last season and perhaps the board will tire of Souness’s habit of falling out with players that he has expensively recruited. Souness would consider a move if he could get one – but his stock is on the wane. The first month of the season could decide his fate.

7/4 to leave, 2/5 to stay

Robson, Newcastle United. 7/10

Like Liverpool, Newcastle were well off the pace last term, and as Robson’s glorious career as a manager comes to an end he may well find he is pushed to go if Newcastle have their traditional early season struggle. Second favourite with the bookies to go.

11/10 to leave, 4/6 to stay

Keegan, Manchester City. 7/10

Another manager in the final season of his contract. Keegan has never been sacked as a manager and expect him to maintain this record by surprising everyone by guiding City into mid-table obscurity. Best odds of anyone to actually see out the season, bookies favourite to go.

Evens to leave, 8/11 to stay

May go

Redknapp, Portsmouth 6/10

Pre-season spat with the Portsmouth board that Redknapp won may have left him with enemies in the boardroom that will strike given a chance. If Portsmouth struggle then Redknapp may get to spend more time with his family. 6/4 to leave, 1/2 to stay

Moyes, Everton. 6/10

Everton have no money and are facing a season of struggle. They may have Rooney but Moyes is going to work miracles to get Everton into the top 10, and a good season will see them avoid relegation. Moyes’s reputation will be in tatters if Everton go down, so there is a possibility that he may engineer a fall-out with the board and use it to get out. According to the bookies only Keegan and Robson are more likely to go.

11/8 to leave, 8/15 to stay

McLaren, Middlesbrough. 5/10

Middlesbrough may eventually tire of his constant spending for mediocre league finishes but until then (probably 3 more seasons) he is safe enough. Would leave for the Manchester United or England jobs and given the criticism of Eriksson the England job is a possibility.

11/4 to leave, 1/4 to stay.

919: Premiership hall of fame: Ian

by : Chris Sherrard

Ian Wright was one of those players that defenders must have hated to come up against. Not only did he fight for ninety minutes with such enthusiasm and commitment, he was also a brilliant striker. One of the finest this country has produced in recent years.

The Arsenal legend displayed such a ruthless streak in front of goal it almost made you feel sorry for the opposition’s goalkeepers. Almost. 185 goals in all competitions as a Gunner created the Wright stamp of class. He was a supreme goalscorer but, significantly, he played the game with a smile on his face and fire in his belly which is something supporters cry out for from their team’s heroes. And Wright could fairly be described as a hero. Certainly to Arsenal and Crystal Palace fans, who he served with such distinction and conviction that it became impossible to dislike the Londoner.

Ian Wright’s career at Highbury only intersected with the Wenger dynasty at it’s foundation period but it was long enough for the Frenchman to recognise a superb striking talent. Wright was part of the Arsenal team which clinched the double under Wenger in 1998 - medals which he was able to add to the FA Cup and League Cup versions from 1993 and the Cup Winners Cup gong achieved the following season.

It’s rarely chronicled but Ian Wright achieved one of the most phenomenal achievements of any footballer whilst at Arsenal. He scored in his first home league game for the club, as well as his first away league game, first home FA Cup game, first away FA Cup match, first home League Cup game, first away League Cup game, first home UEFA Cup match, first away UEFA Cup match and his first game in the European Cup. A simply superb scoring record from a simply superb striker.

And the personal accolades didn’t end there. At the conclusion of the 1991-92 season, Wright needed to pluck a hat-trick from somewhere if he was to nick the League’s golden boot from England man Gary Lineker. He promptly banged three goals past Southampton and lifted the award. In the 1994-95 season, Wright broke a 63-year old Arsenal club record by scoring in his tenth successive match. And on Saturday 13th September 1997 he scored another hat-trick for the club - the second of which took him past Cliff Bastin as Arsenal’s highest goalscorer of all-time and into Highbury folklore.

The £2.5 million which the Gunners forked out for Wright was a snip considering the service he gave the club under a number of different managers. His scoring record for Arsenal was better than a goal every other game.

Wright’s best days were undoubtedly as an Arsenal player but he played the early stages of his career as a Crystal Palace forward, helping the unfancied Eagles to the FA Cup final in 1990 where they narrowly lost out to Manchester United in a replay. He formed an impressive partnership with Mark Bright at Selhurst Park - one which has been transferred to radio in recent years to good effect.

Wright’s career, after leaving Highbury, took him to a number of outposts but the goals kept coming. He found the net for Harry Redknapp’s West Ham before leaving the capital for a short-lived period in the intensity of the Scottish Premier League with Celtic. And a career which had kicked off in 1984 with Greenwich Borough came to a natural conclusion at Turf Moor with Burnley.

On the international stage, Wright famously made his mark with four goals in one match before going on to r rister nine goals in 31 appearances for his country. Pulling on the white of England was clearly something which meant the world to Wright, his passion for the country no more visible than with his reaction from a BBC studio to England’s recent dismissal at Euro 2004.

Ian Wright will be remembered long, long after he has gone as a brilliant footballer and terrific striker. To a younger generation he will be known as Shaun Wright-Philips’ father, but to many others he is Ian Wright. Class personified.

Chris Sherrard
12/07/2004

918: SPL: Tough times lie ahead for

by : Kevin Kerr

Barely a year has passed since the green white and gold invasion of Celtic supporters to Seville, with 70,000 devoted footsoldiers marching, flying, driving and doing just about anything possible to make their way to the biggest party this club has seen since the great Lisbon Lions of 1967.

On that sunny evening in the south west of Spain, Celtic were to run out unlucky 3-2 losers, having twice come back from a goal down thanks to inspirational star player Henrik Larsson, however the sending off of tallisman Dianbobo Balde proved crucial in the outcome of one of the most exciting European finals of recent years.

"Auch wull be back!" cried one red faced, green shirted fan to the local TV Reporter, and he was indeed one of many optimistic Celtic fans, keen to belive that Martin O'neill could guide this side to the top of Europe and conquer.

One full season has since passed, and as the countdown gathers pace for another domestic season gets closer and closer to an end, Celtic have signed just ONE player since that great night in Sunny Spain.

Rising Scottish star Stephen Pearson has been the only permenant signing (With Sunderlands Michael Gray coming in on a 3 month loan last season) O'neill has made, and with the departures of up and coming Irish star Liam Miller to Manchester United ("Auch hes aye injured anyway" cried another green shirted footsoldier), key defender Johan Mjallby to newly promoted Spanish side Levante,while goalkeeper Magnus Headman looking straight at the exit door and-most crucially- the departure of the clubs hero and ambassador Henrik Larsson to Barcelona, Celtics squad is looking rather depleted of several of the star names that took them to Seville.

Of course every team needs freshness, and these days players come and go every few seasons, but the lack of new signings must be worrying the fans, if not the calm Irishman O'Neill.

Every day the back of several tabloids have the latest signing target for Celtic, and so far the club have been interested in-gone fore-and lost out on former world player of the year Rivaldo, Brazilian internationalist Amoroso, FC Basel star Hakan Yakan and Dundee's 24 goal hitman Nach Novo- crucially to arch rivals Rangers.

In this weeks tabloids, it was reported Celtic have 2 Czech trialists under the microscope, but have the funds to sign just one of these players, while they have shown a passive interest in ex-Chelsea duo Marcel Dessailly and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, without taking any of these interests further.

It is worrying that with another domestic and Champions League campaign just a few short weeks away, Celtic have so far not managed to freshen up their squad, with several key players- Chris sutton, John Hartson, Alan thompson, Neil Lennon and Paul Lambert being the wrong side of 30.

The emergence of young players such as David Marshall, Stephen Pearson, Aiden McGeady , John Kennedy and Shaun Maloney has been encouraging, but with 2 of these players currently out for over a year with serious knee injuries (neither are guarenteed to make a full recovery) and the and the other 3 all showing sparkles of immense talent but inexperience and frailty when exposed to top European clubs, it remains difficult to see how Martin O'Neill can continue this success story that has seen Celtic dispose of Ajax, Juventus, Valencia, Porto, Rosenborg, Stuttgart, Liverpool, Blackburn,. Celta Vigo, Barcelona and Boavista without the signing of three or four players in their "peak years".

Not players who have shown potential. Nor players who have been playing continually well year in, year out but are now in the sunset of their careers, but players who are proven quality and still have their best years in front of them.

Whether or not O'Neill can attract them to the two horse race that is the Scottish Premier League is another story, but the golden carrot of guarenteed European action every year along with 62 thousand fans chanting your name every second week, Celtic DO have the potential to prove why they are a feared and respected name within European Football.

Kevin Kerr
16/07/2004

916: PREMIERSHIP: Manchester City s

by : Steve Heald

Exactly one year ago I stated on this very website that Manchester City could end up in the Champions League in 2004. Conversely, I felt that a relegation fight could be on the cards. Well, it wouldn’t be Manchester City unless the pundits didn’t have a clue what was going on.

The potent for the new season looked good. A team that sturdily gained a creditable ninth place in it’s first season back in the Premiership had been garnished with a selection of experienced internationals. An exciting new stadium and an opportunity to perform in European football for the first time in quarter of a century convinced City fans that there was cause for optimism.

And yet by May City had finished fifth bottom of the Premiership and meekly surrendered in all the cup competitions whilst racking up a debt believed to be in excess of £50m in the process. What went wrong? And what can be done to put it right for next season?

Blame can be attributed to every facet of the team, but I want to focus on the most catastrophic area, the defence. Starting at the back, David Seaman on paper seemed like a good idea. Here was an experienced international who could have one last hurrah marshalling an equally experienced back four, as Peter Schmeichel had effectively done the season before. Unfortunately for Seaman he had been cosseted by those fine Arsenal defenders for far too long which became evident once the season commenced and every game presented Seaman with new footage to be used in one of his ‘goalkeeping bloopers’ videos.

Keegan did repair the damage with the signing of David James. Don’t snigger – There are some City fans that believe he was the clubs player of the season, despite only signing on in January. Commanding, reliable, and cool, James also displayed fine leadership qualities as the club hit crisis point in April and relegation seemed a distinct possibility. James represented the team in meetings with management in a bid to halt the slide and save the club. It was a shame James failed to transfer his City form into the England team where he now seems nervous and lacking in confidence every time he lines up for the national side.

The defence didn’t help Seaman at all. The axis formed towards the end of the 2002/3 season suggested David Sommeil/Sylvain Distin would be the centre half duo capable of defending against the finest strikers in the Premiership. For whatever reason both lost confidence at the start of the new season and never regained it. Many felt Distin couldn’t handle the extra responsibilities of being made club captain whilst Sommeil looked all at sea, caught out of possession and failing to display the merest hint of defensive technique. Sommeil was farmed out on loan and Daniel Van Buyten, Belgian international and a man interesting Man United was introduced. Strong, calm, and with a real physical presence, along with the signing of James he helped to steady the ship during his loan spell which was frustratingly cut shore first by suspension and then injury. It would have cost City the modest sum of £3m to maintain his services permanently but the club couldn’t stump up the necessary cash and he moved this summer to Hamburg. This casts a severe doubt over the centre of the defence as City clearly still have a soft centre. If they can’t afford £3m what sort of player can the fans expect to see lining up next season?

There was paper talk today linking Martin Keown, which will surely remind everyone too soon of the Seaman fiasco.

At left back two seasons ago City had the classy performer, Danish international Niclas Jensen. And yet a year ago in an act of folly Keegan sold him, replacing him with the much older and more expensive Michael Tarnat. Jensen spent last season performing reliably in the Champions League whilst Tarnat creaked his way down the left side, only his few spectacular free kick goals masking his general inefficiencies.

On the right Sun Jihai seemed to pick up the criticism Tarnat avoided.
Enthusiastic, athletic, and a good foil for Shaun Wright-Phillips, Sun also tended to drift out of position and give the ball away, making him a target for the boo boys. Overall Keegan does need to strengthen the right back spot but Sun deserves to be kept in the squad. Especially when you consider next seasons full backs will be Ben Thatcher and Danny Mills. Sun will be needed to replace those two as they sit out the many suspensions they will inevitably pick up between them.

As a City fan I’m reasonably happy with these signings. They are stout out and out full backs which should force Keegan into operating a standard 4-4-2 formation next season and prevent some of his flamboyant tinkering. With a flat formation all you want from your full backs is for them to be strong and hold the line without setting the world on fire, which is what I believe City have got. If a dominant centre half can be added then perhaps City could be pushing for a European spot as organisation defensively will take you a long way in this division.

Steve Heald
12/07/2004

917: PREMIERSHIP: Middlesbrough gam

by : David Hulott

With the Carling Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers having finally secured a piece of silverware to adorn the trophy cabinet, there are few places where the new season is being viewed with as much eager anticipation as there is at Middlesbrough F.C. It’s easy to see where this sepia-tinted outlook springs from, what with UEFA Cup football to look forward to, the arrival of several big name players and the promise of more to follow.

The signings of Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink should ensure that Middlesbrough are finally capable of scoring the goals to propel them towards the upper echelons of the Premiership in the coming season, although whether a top four finish is on the cards (as many seem to be suggesting) has to be doubted.

The new signings are certainly a notch above those that they are usually able to tempt to the Riverside, but this needs to be put into context against the fact that the likes of Viduka, Hasselbaink and Michael Reiziger were never likely to go anywhere that would have involved them taking a substantial drop in salary. In today’s market, Boro are one of the few clubs able to pay the inflated wages of yore, so they naturally become an attractive proposition to those big name players not wanted by Europe’s elite clubs. The aforementioned threesome may have cost relatively little in terms of transfer fees, but it’s believed the club are shelling out somewhere in the region of £120,000 per week in wages for their services. The harsh reality is that without the attraction of Champions League football, it’s only their ability to pay top dollar salaries that allows Boro to bring in the better players.

In addition to those who have already arrived, it seems that Boudewijn Zenden and Geremi could be set to follow Hasselbaink from Stamford Bridge to Teesside. It could be that North Ormesby Market is usurping the King’s Road as the place to be, although it would probably be closer to the truth to suggest that Boro chairman Steve Gibson is one of the few capable of offering comparable wages to those at Chelsea, with the added incentive of regular first team football.

The new strike pairing does look a marked improvement on a succession of expensive forwards who never looked likely to live up to their valuations. The problems could arise if, and probably when, things start to go awry for the frequently un-dynamic duo. With the possible exception of Nicolas Anelka, it’s difficult to think of two more surly individuals in the Premiership that Viduka and Hasselbaink. Neither is exactly renowned for their work-rate either, with both prone to skulking in the opposition half rather than helping out with the defensive chores. When Aussie/Dutch combo is in the mood, Boro could be a real force to be reckoned with. When the temper tantrums start, Steve McClaren will need a team of counsellors on constant 24-hour stand-by.

You rarely hear a bad word spoken against McClaren, although his reputation in the game and the fact that he is frequently touted as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s natural successor as England manager is one that is somewhat at odds with his record at the Riverside Stadium. Few have spent as much with so little reward as Sir Alex Ferguson’s former Old Trafford assistant over his three years in charge. An improvement on the hapless Bryan Robson he certainly is, but they have hardly set the Premiership alight during his time at the helm. With the squad now at his disposal (it’s worth remembering that they also won the FA Youth Cup last term) and the continued support of the admirable Gibson, anything less than a top six finish and another decent cup run will be a major disappointment.

David Hulott
14/07/2004

915: PREMIERSHIP: Manchester United

by : Antony Melvin

After a clear-out that lasted three seasons it is clear that Sir Alex Ferguson has finally finished restocking a squad that has looked tired and thin at various times in the past three seasons. Around 20 first team squad members have moved since around the time of the third consecutive title success in 2000/1; and only 3 or 4 players from that team are likely to be first choice picks in the coming season.

Up front the pruning has been most savage with the fab four of Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all gone with the exception of the uber-sub Solskjaer.

As a result of this pruning there were times in the eighteen months before Louis Saha’s arrival, that United’s attack resembled the Dutch boy trying to hold back the water by sticking his finger in the dyke. Poor old Ruud van Nistelrooy was ploughing a lone furrow and must have considered moving onto pastures, well, more Spanish. His goal returns of 36, 44 and 30 were stunning and helped to deliver a Premiership title and an FA Cup – but probably did not ease his mind.

It was clear a year ago that he was feeling the pressure and burden of his workload.

As a clear tactic to lessen the burden on van Nistelrooy, Ferguson has acquired a striker in each of the subsequent three transfer windows at a cost of around £20m; David Bellion, Saha and Alan Smith. This added to the fit-again Solskjaer and the fit-full Diego Forlan means that Ferguson can call on six strikers. This is obviously in addition to the ‘forwards’ he plays in midfield; Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs.

By stocking up on strikers with potential – but without threatening van Nistelrooy’s position (even Saha has only been a full international since the spring of 2004) United have moved van Nistelrooy from ‘likely to leave’ to ‘probably will stay’. And although nothing is certain, especially when Real Madrid come calling, it is probably safe to suggest that the Dutchman will lead the line in the coming season.

Where this leaves the expensive comfort blanket that has been built up IS more interesting. Saha has been very vocal in his opposition to recruiting Wayne Rooney from Everton because at least one of the back-up five would need to be moved on to create the space in the squad – and Saha would probably be moved in the direction of the bench (if not the exit).

This is another reason why a move for Rooney is neither appropriate nor desirable for either Everton or United right now. Three strikers signed in the last year need to bed in and a move for Rooney would result in a glut of discontented strikers unless Ferguson could move on one or two in the deal. Everton are unlikely to accept Forlan, Bellion or Solskjaer as any kind of significant part-exchange. For their part Everton have a talented player who will retain value in any event, barring injury, and in the meantime offer a focus to attract other players to the club.

United would probably prefer to delay any move for 1 or 2 years so that worries about Rooney’s fitness and potential injuries can be assuaged. Unfortunately their hand may be forced if Chelsea or Real Madrid (or according to reports Newcastle United) make a bid.

A more intriguing sub-plot may emerge if Everton were to borrow a striker or two from United – as this may suggest that a deal may be struck for a later date. And Everton do need fresh faces.

In an ideal world Ferguson would probably sell on Forlan – a decent international striker who is more suited to La Liga than the Premiership – and farm out Bellion. So that he would be left with a four of van Nistelrooy, Saha, Solskjaer and Smith. And then make a move for Rooney to replace Solskjaer in a year or two. A move for Rooney, or someone like him, should eventually happen because he is a player in the mould of Sheringham or Cantona that can change the course of a game through subtlety as well as goals. None of the five strikers behind van Nistelrooy are over-burdened with guile.

So United have too many strikers, partly as cover for their Dutchman, partly to persuade him to stay. Ferguson has knitted a very large and expensive comfort blanket for van Nistelrooy, this season we will see if it is full of holes.

Antony Melvin
14/07/2004

914: Football has no place in the O

by : Paul Grech

So what went wrong with England? Maybe people might just realise that we are not very good. Actually, that’s a little unfair, we showed the traditional England defensive qualities. Ashley Cole came of age for me marking Ronaldo to great effect against Portugal. And though it pains me to admit it as I believe the guy has an illogically high regard for himself and must be the wettest person ever to believe they are a bit of a tough guy, but for the first time in his life Gary Neville impressed me. He had to work hard on the right hand side because Beckham was invisible for all four matches. Oh for Shaun Wright-Phillips, the in form right sided midfielder in the Premiership, running at defenders the same way the aforementioned Ronaldo caused problems throught the competition. Except against England. Sol Campbell also, as ever, deserves plaudits.

Up front we also had reasons to be cheerful, but that’s stating the obvious. I have a sneaking suspicion that after his opening goal Owen would have been a late starter in the competition if we could have progressed: His confidence after scoring against Portugal was there for all to see. And I won’t mention the other geezer who seems to be dominating the headlines right now.

Sadly we were let down by the most hyped area of our side: The midfield. Not strong enough winning the ball, not creative when distributing it, every one of our midfielders needs to take a long hard look at themselves and stop believing the hype. And can anybody tell me what Owen Hargreaves brings to the party?

But overall the tournament was hugely enjoyable because it was about footballers playing for the pride of their nation. Twenty years or so ago the best national teams would always triumph over the top club sides but now that a side like Real Madrid or Chelsea can side World XI’s that is no longer the case, and we get the sterile Champions League where the same clubs are trotted out year after year, buying up the best players. As a consequence Euro 2004 was very much a level playing field. Latvia, for example, were the rank outsiders but were never outclassed.

Greece winning Euro 2004 was the equivalent of Nottingham Forest winning the European Cup in 1979, and it means that every nation can dream of emulating this feat for years to come.
Rangers’ decision to transfer list defender Craig Moore for entertaining the thought of taking part in the Olympics has, somewhat predictably, come in for quite some criticism. No club, it has been argued, has the right to deny any player from appearing from his country particularly in such an underhand manner.

Yet it is hard to fault the Scottish club. Moore’s defection would put them in a difficult situation particularly as he would miss the crucial Champions League qualifier that takes on added significance given their current financial troubles. Rangers’ decision was rendered easier by the fact that they now have Jean Alain Boumsong and Marvin Andrews to fill in at centre-back.

Liverpool could be in a similar conundrum should Harry Kewell be required to form part of the same squad even though, unlike Rangers, it is unlikely that they could make him available for a transfer not least because there doesn’t seem to be a ready replacement.

As always happens in such situations, the end result is likely to be a bitter club versus country war of words. Only, in this scenario, it is hard not to side with the clubs involved.

The crux of the whole arguments is whether football should form part of the Olympics in the first place?

By pressing for the inclusion of football, the International Olympic Committee is going down the same road taken by FIFA when the world governing body imposed the Confederations Cup. This competition is of such little relevance that the France FA didn’t even bother to extend Jacques Santini’s contract even though he led them to victory.

Yet it evidently has a value for FIFA, albeit largely of the monetary kind.

And that, I fear, is the reason why football is an Olympic sport. It is the only truly global sport and the IOC has very little intention of missing out on the financial benefits that it generates regardless of the fact that the sport patently neither needs nor values the Olympics.

A further indication that this is the real motive lies in the make up of the teams involved which have to select a squad including players aged less than 23, making it the only sport in the Olympics with an age restriction on the athletes involved. This not only diminished the worth of a medal won in this sport but also raises further doubts as to the reason for which football is being included.

Would the line of thinking be different if Britain was allowed to field a team and perhaps win a medal? Possibly, but probably not seeing that many managers still complain when they have to release players for meaningless friendlies regardless of nationality.

The Olympics are a wonderful festival of sport. Every four years, they bring into focus those sports that are normally out of the spotlight. Is it really worthwhile trying to build up the football tournament thereby reducing the exposure that other sports need so badly?

Paul Grech
13/07/2004

912: PREMIERSHIP: What has Fergie g

by : Chris Sherrard

Fans from Salford to Singapore have been eagerly following Sir Alex Ferguson’s transfer policy this summer. Not many will be sure if they are meant to be happy, satisfied or irate with Manchester United’s signings so far. It’s simply difficult to gauge how the Old Trafford club are going to perform next season. And it’s impossible to know whether the players they have bought are capable of regaining the Premiership title.

Manchester United have bought two players and signed a handful of others since the end of the last Premiership season in which they finished third and got knocked out at an early stage in the Champions League. Alan Smith has been bought in the fire sale at Elland Road while Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze has been snapped up from Paris Saint Germain. Both players cost United in the region of seven million pounds. If you include Louis Saha, who came from Fulham in the transfer window of last season, United have paid £27million for three players. Have they got good value for that?

Well the answer depends on how they perform in the coming season, naturally enough. But how Ferguson constructs his starting line-up for his team’s Premiership curtain-raiser against title rivals Chelsea will be most interesting. A few important questions will most likely be answered in that match. Like why on earth has he signed Alan Smith? Obviously a good enough player, for what position has Fergie bought the former Leeds man? Surely not as a striker with Saha already brought in for big money and Ruud van Nistelrooy an immovable force in United’s team. Was Smith bought as a right-sided midfielder where he played a number a number of times for his hometown club last season? Well if that’s the case how will he get in the team ahead of the sublimely gifted Cristiano Ronaldo? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s form on the right of United’s midfield was so good prior to his long-term injury that David Beckham was deemed surplus to requirements at the club so surely the Norwegian remains the second choice behind the Portuguese winger for The Reds. All that leaves Smith’s role at Manchester United up in the air, for me. If Everton asked for him as part of any deal which would take Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford, I’m sure no objections would be raised by any party, save for the player himself.

Ferguson has also brought in a number of talented young performers from different sources but none of whom are likely to figure in too many games in their debut seasons as Manchester United players. Of the new youngsters - Liam Miller from Celtic, Gerard Pique from Barcelona and striker Rossi from Parma - Miller, owing to his age, would be closest to the first team spot. But his way is likely to be blocked by the players already at United. Either Ferguson already knows what is going to be his first choice side - something I believe is imperative for a successful team - or he is going to judge his new boys and existing stars in the club’s pre-season campaigns in USA and elsewhere.

The goalkeeper’s jersey will again be a fight between Tim Howard and Roy Carroll with less than convincing Spaniard Ricardo also on hand if needed. In defence United will be welcoming back Rio Ferdinand with open arms and a bunch of flowers. His return will be like a brand new signing and vital to how United perform next season. On his return in September he will go straight into the team, of that there can be little doubt. Who he lines up alongside is yet to be clear. Gary Neville will most likely hang on to the right back spot. While the other full-back position will be between John O’Shea, Mikael Silvestre and new-boy Heinze. Or the Argentine could be at the club as a centre-half to partner Ferdinand, which leaves Wes Brown, a player of clear talent but conspicuously little luck, with a reserve role at best.

If defence is a challenge to make the parts equal an impressive whole then midfield is a minefield of talents and egos where someone is sure to get hurt. Three of United’s treble winning midfield four - Keane, Scholes and Giggs - are still at the club and should all start when fit. Ronaldo is almost impossible to omit so he should start on the right of midfield which leaves a lot of players without a role to play.

Players like Darren Fletcher, who has just had a great season for the club, World Cup-winner Kleberson, Cameroon international Eric Djemba-Djemba, new boy Miller, England man Nicky Butt, Quinton Fortune, David Bellion, Diego Forlan, Solskjaer and Alan Smith. These men will be looking around them and desperately wondering how they will ever get a game for the club next season.

I wouldn’t like to guess what Sir Alex Ferguson has in mind for his club for next season. I’m sure a few of his squad would, however. The real question he must ask himself is ‘are my players good enough to beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool to the league title?’. If he is confident of a positive response from his squad then the fun is set to begin for United fans. Until some of the doubt over the United players has lifted, many questions remain unanswered.

Chris Sherrard
10/07/2004

913: EURO 2004: Steve Heald's view

by : Steve Heald

Waiting exactly one week since the completion of Euro 2004 before writing this article, I knew that I would be able to read about the inevitable transfer of Greek players to the Premiership. Ever ready to jump on a bandwagon, the first manager linked with a Greek was Harry Redknapp. I expect Kevin Keegan to be looking at one any day now.

Anybody (and there are a couple of you) who have read any of my previous articles may recall I have often championed Sam Allerdyce as the outstanding top flight manager in my opinion so it therefore does my case no harm when you consider the only Greek international playing his domestic football in this country was the right midfielder Giannopolis. His performances for Bolton, and indeed throughout Euro 2004, encapsulated the performances of Greece. Hard working, covering a lot of ground, never giving up, solid if unspectacular but with the confidence to press forward and attack when possible rather than just soaking up pressure negatively for ninety minutes.

I personally was delighted that the Greeks won Euro 2004. I am fed up with these over rated pampered prima donna footballers who promised so much and delivered nothing of substance. Beckham, Torres, Zidane, Raul, Henry, Totti: the stage was set and they badly failed to deliver the goods. Instead we had a team of well organised grafters who displayed an understanding of the game plan outlined by Otto Reinhard and delivered it to the letter. Pre-tournament I felt Greece would be a dour side quite happy to sit on 0-0 draws and bore the opposition to submission. They were nothing like that, happy to defend in numbers and control opposition chances to a minimum before pouncing and attacking in great numbers. The spirit and stamina was a thing to be marvelled throughout the side.

Those same couple of you who remember my pre-tournament article will remember me choosing Greece to win the competition as I had a feeling they could do it…OK that isn’t strictly true, I tipped Italy. Couldn’t have been more wrong if I had said the Pope would have been in Italy’s squad for the competition. Judging by their strikers he may well have been, though spare a thought for the young lad Cassano, the Italian wonderkid who thought he had rescued Italy’s chances with his goal against Bulgaria only to find out Sweden and Denmark had obtained the result that allowed them both to qualify so it was all in vain. I was well off the mark with this one, my feeling a strong settled side would have the experience and know how to carve up most of the opposition. Instead the experience turned into old legs and the side couldn’t muster up the legs to break down sprightly opponents.

I wasn’t too wide of my mark however on the subject of France. I thought they wouldn’t make it through the group stage and in the end they could easily have missed out. If David Beckham could take penalties England would have been 2-0 up and would have cruised through the game with three points. If France had failed to beat Croatia (and they would have been even more nervous going into that game on the back of the England defeat) then they would have been packing their bags a few days earlier. That said the Greece result still caused raised eyebrows in my household.

910: PREMIERSHIP: Middlesbrough's p

by : Colin Illingworth

Middlesbrough have been linked with more stars than astronomer Sir Patrick Moore but the signings of three top internationals in Michael Rieziger, Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has proved that Steve McClaren isn’t one to rest on his laurels.

Hot on the heels of their Carling Cup success last season the England number two has been in the transfer market and boosted his squad for the new campaign and chief executive Keith Lamb insists that the spending spree isn’t over yet!

Middlesbrough fans are over the moon at the signings and while some of the football world has been stunned by the class of players they’ve signed Stuart Bargewell, Chairman of the Middlesbrough Official Supporters Club, believes that securing the services of two of the Premiership most lethal strikers will see them competing for major honours come May.

“I think MFC have a fighting chance to progress well up the Premiership table this season, I am hoping for at least a top six placing or possibly even Champions League football next season,”

Says Mr Bargewell.

“I honestly think if we had had strikers of the ability of Viduka and Hasselbaink last season we could have made that fourth spot ours.”

In fact last season Steve McClaren’s men only managed to score 44 goals during their league campaign, the fourth joint worst scoring record with Southampton in the Premiership ahead of Birmingham City and the relegated Wolves and Leeds, and Nemeth was top goal scorer with a feeble nine.

However Viduka and Hasselbaink have bagged 162 goals during their time in the Premiership between them, Jimmy’s scored 103 alone, so their signings will ultimately add much needed fire power in front of goal.

“It was all too apparent last season that the team were somewhat lightweight up front and with the signings of Mark Viduka and in particular Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink I believe the club has addressed that situation. Both strikers have done the business in the Premiership and at the highest level and are proven players.”

While Viduka and Hasselbaink have been brought into bring in a bigger presence in attack the purchase of Reiziger, a product of the Ajax academy, should help shore up the defence which, although is usually solid and well organised, managed to leak 52 goals in the league. They should also give them the valuable experience of European football.

Optimism is running wild on Teeside and Stuart, like all Boro fans, can’t wait for the big kick off.

“I can hardly believe we have managed to get three top quality international players for an outlay of ‘just’ £4.5 million. I am really looking forward to the start of the season, I just can’t wait for the opener against the old enemy, Newcastle.”

The activity in the transfer market is far from over and reports suggest that England international Owen Hargreaves could be set to join the revolution this week and Bolo Zenden and Geremi are also in the frame but Stuart thinks that former Barcelona front man Patrick Kluivert has missed out.

“Middlesbrough are being linked with many players at the moment but as we have secured the services of Viduka and Hasselbaink I think Patrick Kluivert will have slipped down the pecking order a little bit. Kluivert seems to have changed his tune a little bit from just a few weeks ago when he said he wouldn’t sign for a small club like Middlesbrough. Comments like that do not go down too well with the fans in this neck of the woods. I would love to see Geremi playing in a Boro shirt once again, he would be an excellent signing for the club.”

The bookies believe Boro have a good chance of securing a Champions League place with odds of 10/1 but although they’ve been installed as seventh favourites for the title some bookies still have them priced at 300/1.

One thing is for sure though, if Steve McClaren continues to build on the success at the Riverside some of the big clubs will definitely come in after him. He has a proven pedigree and learned from two of the games most respected managers in Sir Alex Ferguson and Sven Goran Eriksson but Stuart is realistic about McClaren’s future.

“I agree that Steve McClaren is a good manager and at some stage he will leave Middlesbrough and go on to the so-called bigger clubs. However I am sure McClaren will weigh up all the pros and cons before he makes that decision. At the moment he is the most successful manager Middlesbrough football club have ever had, because his team brought this club its first piece of silverware. Then of course he has the backing of what must be the best chairman in the country. It shows that both the chairman and the manager are very ambitious and they are taking this club forward.”

It’s an exciting time to be on Teeside and if they do continue adding quality to their squad then you can expect the big clubs to be looking over their shoulders.

Colin Illingworth
11/07/2004

911: Transfer frenzy: Every club is

by : Chris Sherrard

With the British press soaking up all the rays from a typically frenzied ‘silly season’, the real transfer action is sure to crank up a gear in the weeks ahead as Premiership managers stock take what they have and what they need. The time has come for big decisions to be made.

Almost every club will have a big decision to make. Decisions like ‘Who can we get from the European Championships that won’t break the bank?’, ‘No-nonsense hard man or cultured defender?’ and ‘Can we afford Patrick Kluivert?’. Of course, few could comfortably afford to pay Kuivert’s wages but is anyone prepared to gamble on a player who has seen more action on the dance-floors of Barcelona night clubs than the football pitch in the last year. There is a chance he remains hungry enough to justify his reputation but who will take that risk?

Certainly, if Kluivert were within his budget, Harry Redknapp would be inviting the Dutchman to Portsmouth’s training ground to join his band of merry men. Old Harry likes a risk, you see. Not a day has gone by this summer without some obscure European journeyman being linked to Pompey. For all the mischievous rumour-making, Redknapp has not actually signed too many players. And he clearly needs to if his side are to keep their heads above water again this season.

Out of the big tournament in Portugal last month a number of unheard of or undervalued names came, surprisingly, to the fore. Certainly, many of the Premiership managers will have been looking at the modest Greeks and aiming to bring any number of them to these shores. Theo Zagorakis, UEFA’s player of the tournament (yes, I know), Basinas, Charistesas and a handful of other unpronounceables have been linked with Premierships moves. It’s hard to see any of them making as much of an impact as individuals as they did as a collective international group with their country but the challenge for league managers is clearly there.

Around the cluttered offices of the Premiership’s managers, lies bundles of scouting notes on targets and faxed offers from dodgy agents. Almost every club still has some business or other to conduct before they are fully ready for the new season. Arsene Wenger has claimed he is finished in the transfer market but having rid his club of a lot of dead wood he clearly needs to strengthen his reserves. Wenger has arguably the strongest and finest starting eleven in the league but should he suffer an injury to Henry or one of his other stars then his empire could look more vulnerable. Robin van Persie, the talented Dutch winger, is the only Arsenal close season signing likely to get near to the first team next month.

Manchester United have strengthened their squad over the past number of months but there remains a debate as to what is Ferguson’s strongest starting line-up. The successful United dynasties of the past all had a clear best eleven when everyone was fit, but that could be a stumbling block for The Reds this season. Then again, United could do what they usually do when deposed of the title and claim it straight back.

We know that Chelsea will always be on the look-out for new players at the top end of the market. Mourinho still has some work to do in his own head to work out who is in his plans for the new season and who is surplus to requirements. At every other Premiership club you examine, the men in charge will be eyeing up their prospected targets with a look that says ‘come to me….cheaply’. Newcastle have flooded their squad with young stars but they clearly need some other guidance and experience to supplement the youths, particularly with Alan Shearer stepping down at the end of the season and Gary Speed being linked with moves away this summer. They also need to strengthen a defence which looked extremely vulnerable whenever Jonathan Woodgate was, more often than not, absent.

Some clubs, like Birmingham and Boro, have already efficiently added to their existing squads and look like producing a good side. Middlesbrough have been busier than most so far and their acquisitions of a new potent-looking strike force of Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink clearly has goals in it if they remain motivated for the whole season. Michael Reizeger also looks a solid buy and, with more names to come, Boro will be knocking on a door higher up the table at the end of the season.

In comparison to the volume of names linked with various moves to here, there and Portsmouth in the press, a small percentage actually complete those transfers. Last summer, aside from Chelsea’s Russian revolution, was a particularly quiet close season on the transfer front. This July and August promises to be somewhat livelier but only with hindsight can the buys be adequately judged.

Chris Sherrard
10/07/2004

909: PREMIERSHIP: Impressive Mourin

by : Alex Wolstenholme

Obviously familiar with the English phrase `first impressions count` Jose Mourinho delivered a very impressive opening press conference as Chelsea boss the other day and had the assembled journalists eating out of the palm of his hand.

It was a far cry from some of the hard times that the newspaper men have given foreign coaches in the past, notably Christian Gross on his first day at Spurs but to a lesser extent Claudio Ranieri was also a figure of fun for the first part of his Chelsea reign at least. Even today, one radio station had the music from `Allo Allo` playing in the background as it played clips from Jacques Santini’s press conference at Tottenham and that was in the sports news bulletin!

Mourinho spoke with the confidence of a man who is both good at his job and well aware of it. If Roman Abramovich was watching he would have felt very pleased at the performance of the man entrusted with a small part of his millions.

The new man’s preference for a smaller first team squad, supplemented if necessary by home grown players was both refreshing to hear and exactly what Chelsea need. The policy of rotation can be very hard to get right in the English league where English players like to play regularly and signings from abroad need exposure to a number of games in order to get up to speed with the pace of the play.

Equally impressive was his coolness towards star names. Ranieri should be praised for bringing some of the best young British players to the club last summer but when push came to shove he favoured the big name signings and they let him down.

Significantly, Desailly, Veron and Crespo look to have jumped before they can be pushed by the new man who’s vision of a team with `no players from the moon` as he put it doesn’t encompass them.

With those three players out of the way Mourinho would have a fairly young and very talented squad to work with and may not need Abramovich to spend a great deal more of his money in order to achieve success.

Coach Steve Clarke also spoke interestingly of Mourinho showing more interest already in the youth and reserve side of things than his predecessor.

Certainly if Chelsea can play the game as well as their manager talks it then that success may not be too far away.

Alex Wolstenholme
08/07/2004

908: Tough times at Turf Moor

by : David Hulott

It must be getting ever so slightly worrying for the Burnley faithful that, with less than a month to go until the new season gets underway, the list of those currently registered to represent the Clarets next term is barely enough to form a jury.

In an era where we are constantly informed that strength in depth is a prerequisite for success, it’s apparent that new boss Steve Cotterill will need to adopt the wheeler-dealing skills of Del Trotter if he is to have a squad worthy of the name available for the opening game with Sheffield United on August 7th.

At the time of writing, Stan Ternent’s successor has just 12 contracted first team players at his disposal, three of whom (Matthew O’Neill, Joel Pilkington and Paul Scott) have barely played a game between them. With transfer funds almost non-existent, the new manager has found it difficult to attract new signings to the Lancashire, with defenders John McGreal (Ipswich Town) and Michael Duff (Cheltenham Town), the only two to join so far this summer. Bolstering the defence was unquestionably a priority. Having conceded 77 league goals last season and 89 in 2002-3, it’s doubtful whether they would get away with such a woeful defensive record a third time.

With time fast running out to bring the squad up to scratch for the coming campaign and with little in the way of transfer funds available, the club may find it increasingly difficult to hang onto their one major playing asset. Incredible though it may seem given their recent history, Leeds United have actually been bidding real money for the services of 19-year old midfielder Richard Chaplow. Their first two offers have been rejected, but a third bid might just tempt the Burnley board into doing business.

Given the cash constraints (perhaps Alastair Campbell could lend them a few quid?), Cotterill has already indicated that long-term loan deals and young players could have a significant role to play at Turf Moor over the coming months. Should Chaplow leave, it could lead to a bid for Norwich City’s Mark Rivers, with the former Crewe Alexandra winger linked to a move north a few weeks back.

Having been involved with clubs relegated from the Premiership in each of the last two seasons (as Howard Wilkinson’s assistant at Sunderland and at Leicester City as coach last season), the Burnley job is one that could well make or break Cotterill’s managerial reputation for years to come. It has to be said that, unless he can instigate a major overhaul of his squad in the next few weeks, a hat-trick of demotions looks to be a very real possibility.

TIP: Burnley to be relegated – 11-4 (Bet 365)

David Hulott
07/07/2004

907: CHAMPIONSHIP: Neil Warnock can

by : David Hulott

Next season’s Coca-Cola Football League Championship already looks likely to be the most open for years. It only requires a brief perusal of the squads and finances of the participants to come to the conclusion that the 24 clubs look a fairly ropey bunch in terms of quality.

None of the relegated clubs appear to be anything special, with Leeds United having sold off their few remaining “crown jewels” (and Nick Barmby), Leicester City having had a major overhaul of their own and Wolverhampton Wanderers losing several key players without having yet replaced them. West Ham United, Sunderland and Ipswich Town, last season’s play-off contenders, all have money worries and will probably start the season with weaker squads than they had last term.

With cash in desperately short supply for the vast majority of those outside the Premiership these days, the value of a good manager has probably never been more important. Gone are the days when a recently retired former international would be offered the opportunity to spend a few million quid recruiting his drinking buddies for a final pay day prior to hanging up their boots.

To be successful in the current climate necessitates being able to build a squad on limited resources, with the vast bulk of incoming transfers being of the “Bosman” variety. When it comes to an eye for a bargain at this level of the game, there are few more adept than Neil Warnock at Bramall Lane. Warnock is never likely to win any popularity contests, but when the playing field is as level as it is now, there are few better exponents at building a successful squad on the cheap than the self-confessed Blades’ fan.

Last season was something of a disappointment for the Blades, finishing only 8th in the table. Coming after their sterling efforts in 2002-03, where they narrowly missed out on promotion and reached the last four of both major cup competitions, it was perhaps expecting too much for the players to maintain the momentum after those near misses.

This coming campaign could well see another concerted bid for the top-flight, with Warnock having made several typically astute additions over the summer. Of the new boys, the signing of Fulham striker Barry Hayles could be the most significant. Goals were something of a problem last term, with only Jack Lester reaching double figures. The signing of Alan Quinn from local rivals Sheffield Wednesday could be an inspired move, with the Republic of Ireland international seemingly brought in to fill the boots of Michael Brown. Phil Barnes, Leigh Bromby, Jon Harley and Andy Liddell are the other new faces to date. Warnock did well in securing the services of Bradford City duo Andy Gray and Simon Francis for next to nothing towards the end of last season when the Bantams were desperate for cash.

They can already call upon arguably the best defender outside the Premiership in Phil Jagielka, a quality midfielder in Michael Tonge and one of the Division’s best ‘keepers in Paddy Kenny. Another plus point could be the recent appointment of Mick Jones as coach. Having formerly worked with Warnock at Notts County and Plymouth Argyle, Jones will be well aware of what is expected of him.

Wigan Athletic and Reading are both in a position where they can shell out a few quid on players if necessary, but there is really very little to choose between the vast majority of the teams in the division. In terms of value, the 7-1 available for Sheffield United to win promotion looks a decent price, as does an each-way punt on the 25-1for them to top the table.

TIP: Sheffield United to win promotion – 7-1 (Coral; Totesport)

Sheffield United to win the Coca-Cola Championship – 25-1 (Totesport)

David Hulott
06/07/2004

906: ENGLAND: Winter break may help

by : Alex Wolstenholme

COSTA RICA (Jorge Luis Pinto)

As with Mexico, Costa Rica's place in the finals in Peru is as invited guests. They have struggled badly of late, only qualifying for the second stage of the CONCACAF World Cup draw thanks to an unconvincing away goals victory over Cuba, which led to the dismissal of American coach Steve Sampson. Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto has come in as successor to Sampson just a couple of weeks before the finals, but is likely to regard the games as little more than an opportunity to prepare for the next round of World Cup qualifiers.

Goalkeepers: Jose Francisco Porras (Saprissa); Ricardo Gonzalez (Alajuelense); Alexander Jara (Brujas-Escazu)
Defenders: Try Bennett (Saprissa); Alexander Castro (Alajuelense); Mauricio Wright (Herediano); Luis Marin (Alajuelense); Michael Umana (Herediano); Junior Diaz (Herediano); Leonardo Gonzalez (Herediano)
Midfielders: Douglas Sequeira (Saprissa); Walter Centeno (Saprissa); Alonso Solis (Saprissa); Cristian Badilla (Herediano); Steven Bryce (Alajuelense); Carlos Hernandez (Alajuelense); Cristian Oviendo (Herediano); Mauricio Solis (no club)
Strikers: Erick Scott (Columbus Crew, USA); Froylan Ledezma (Alajuelense); Andy Herran (Herediano); Ronald Gomez (no club)

CHILE (Juvenal Olmos)

With Brazil and Paraguay sending under-strength teams to the finals and Costa Rica in a poor run of form, Chile will fancy their chances of progressing from Group C. Undefeated in five games in 2004, they should travel to Peru in confident mood as they seek to win the Copa America for the first time in their history. They are well in contention for a place in the next World Cup finals, so will be looking to ensure that they maintain their form here. Olmos will certainly expect three points when they face Costa Rica in Tacna, on the Chilean border. Striker Mauricio Pinilla is the man on whom most hopes will rest. Goalkeepers: Alex Varas (Santiago Wanderers); Claudio Bravo (Colo Colo) Defenders: Cristian Alvarez (Universidad Catlica); Ismael Fuentes (Rangers, Chile); Luis Fuentes (Cobreloa); David Henrquez (Colo Colo); Rafael Olarra (Independiente, Argentina); Mauricio Aros (Huachipato); Rodrigo Prez (Cobreloa) Midfielders: Clarence Acua (Rosario Central, Argentina); Gonzalo Fierro (Colo Colo); Mark Gonzlez (Universidad Catlica); Luis Pedro Figueroa (Universidad de Concepcin); Luis Jimnez (Ternana, Italy); Rodrigo Melndez (Quilmes, Argentina); Rodrigo Millar (Huachipato); Milovan Mirosevic (Racing Club, Argentina); Moiss Villarroel (Colo Colo); Rodrigo Valenzuela (Atlas, Mexico) Strikers: Patricio Galaz (Cobreloa); Sebastin Gonzlez (Atlante, Mexico); Hctor Mancilla (Huachipato); Mauricio Pinilla (Celta Vigo, Spain)

David Hulott
02/07/2004In the wake of England’s quarter final exit from Euro 2004 the FA have again stated their plans for a winter break from the Premiership season to assist the England team.

Such plans have been kicked around for a long time now but it is still highly debatable whether they would have improved England’s showing in Portugal at all.

One of the major factors suggested for England’s below par showing in the tournament is that the players looked jaded after such a long season in the Premiership. Having a break for two or three weeks after Christmas would not change that as without any kind of sacrifice on the party of Premiership clubs, the Premiership season will still run for the same length of time and the same number of games will still be played.

Also, countries that do have a winter break such as Germany, Italy and Spain performed abysmally at Euro 2004 and showed exactly the kind of leaden footed displays as England. The idea that a break is a panacea to all of England’s troubles is wide of the mark. England’s captain and main player was himself the beneficiary of a winter break this season but you would have been hard pushed to tell in Portugal whereas Cole and Lampard, two of our better performers had played upwards of 50 matches before the tournament.

A winter break will come into force eventually if only because the bigger clubs will see it as an advantage in their quest for the Champions League. If those clubs are out of Europe by then it would be no surprise to see a hastily arranged tour of the Far East after Christmas to fill in the gaps in the fixture list. The smaller clubs would go along with it as long as there was no reduction in the number of Premiership clubs and the England side would have to make the best of it, which it has had to do since time immemorial.

The winter break would just be a sop to the FA and the England manager in return for the clubs keeping their 20 team Premiership and its regular round of money spinning fixtures in the face of FIFA opposition. Any kind of real changes to give an advantage to the England team such as training camps during the season would remain a long way off.

Alex Wolstenholme
06/07/2004

905: COPA AMERICA 2004: Group C pre

by : David Hulott

MEXICO (Ricardo Lavolpe)

One of the few countries who always take the competition seriously, due to the fact that it presents them with a rare opportunity to play competitively against top-level opposition. Come into the finals on the back of an 18:0 aggregate victory over Dominica to qualify for the semi-final group stage of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. El Tri have an excellent record in the Copa America, having twice finished runners-up and twice finishing third in their five appearances. Ricardo Lavolpe has selected an experienced squad, with defender Claudio Suarez capped a world record 171 times.

Goalkeepers: Oswaldo Sanchez (Guadalajara); Oscar Perez (Cruz Azul)
Defenders: Rafael Marquez (Barcelona, Spain); Salvador Carmona (Guadalajara); Claudio Suarez (Tigres); Mario Mendez (Toluca); Ricardo Osorio (Cruz Azul); Duilio Davino (America); Omar Briseno (Tigres); Hector Altamirano (Santos); David Oteo (Tigres)
Midfielders: Gerardo Torrado (Sevilla, Spain); Octavio Valdez (Pachuca); Pavel Pardo (America); Jaime Lozano (UNAM); Rafael Garcia (Toluca); Ramon Morales (Guadalajara)
Strikers: Jared Borgetti (Santos); Adolfo Bautista (Guadalajara); Jesus Arellano (Monterrey); Francisco Palencia (Guadalajara); Daniel Osorno (Monterrey)

ECUADOR (Hernan Dario Gomez)

Ecuador come to the finals on the back of successive home victories over Colombia and Bolivia that has put them back in the hunt for a place in Germany. The loss of regular No.1 Jose Francisco Cevallos to knee surgery is a serious blow, with the back-up ‘keepers being decidedly dodgy. Veteran playmaker Alex Aguinaga is still available, although age has certainly caught up of late and he is no longer the influence of old. Former Southampton striker Agustin Delgado will be the main attacking threat, especially in the continued absence of Ivan Kaviedes.

Goalkeepers: Jacinto Espinoza (LDU Quito); Giovanni Ibarra (Nacional); Damian Lanza (Deportivo Cuenca)
Defenders: Ivan Hurtado (Tigres, Mexico); Giovanni Espinoza (LDU Quito); Jorge Guagua (El Nacional); Ulises de la Cruz (Aston Villa, England); Neicer Reasco (LDU Quito)
Midfielders: Alfonso Obregon (LDU Quito); Edwin Tenorio (Barcelona); Marlon Ayovi (Deportivo Quito); Leonardo Soledispa (Barcelona); Cleber Chala (Deportivo Quito); Luis Saritama (Deportivo Quito); Edison Mendez (Irapuato, Mexico); Paul Ambrossi (LDU Quito); Alex Aguinaga (LDU Quito)
Strikers: Gustavo Figueroa (Aucas); Johnny Baldeon (Deportivo Quito); Ebelio Ordonez (El Nacional); Agustin Delgado (Aucas); Franklin Salas (LDU Quito)

David Hulott
02/07/2004

GROUP C

To win Group C:

Brazil – 8-13 (William Hill)
Paraguay – 4-1 (William Hill)
Chile – 7-1 (Bet 365)
Costa Rica – 10-1 (Sky Bet; Gamebookers)

BRAZIL (Carlos Alberto Parreira)

As ever, Brazil will be many people’s fancies to win the competition. However, they travel to the finals with what is in effect a second–string squad, indicating that winning the Copa America is not particularly high on their agenda. The irony is that the Brazilian FA are perfectly willing for a full-strength national side to play largely meaningless friendly games around the world to boost their coffers, yet treat the regional championship with disdain. Despite the absentees, those on duty still look well capable of going a long way in the tournament, with Diego and Luis Fabiano sure to be attracting plenty of attention from European club scouts.

Goalkeepers: Fabio (Vasco de Gama); Julio Cesar (Flamengo)
Defenders: Maicon (Cruzeiro); Mancini (Roma, Italy); Juan (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cris (Cruzeiro); Bordon (VfB Stuttgart, Germany); Luisao (Benfica, Portugal); Adriano (Coritiba); Gustavo Nery (Sao Paulo)
Midfielders: Dudu Cearense (Kashiwa Reysol, Japan); Renato (Santos); Kleberson (Manchester United, England); Edu (Arsenal, England); Felipe (Flamengo); Alex (Cruzeiro); Diego (Santos); Julio Baptista (Sevilla, Spain)
Strikers: Adriano (Inter Milan, Italy); Ricardo Oliveira (Valencia, Spain); Vagner (Palmeiras); Luis Fabiano (Sao Paulo)

PARAGUAY (Anibal Ruiz)

Paraguay remain well in contention for a place in the finals of World Cup 2006. Paraguay defended superbly in holding Argentina to a 0:0 in Buenos Aires recently in a performance reminiscent of their backs to the wall effort against France in World Cup 98. However, Ruiz has selected a distinctly second-string squad for the finals, indicating that his priorities lie very much towards qualification for Germany. They look particularly lightweight up front, with Roque Santa Cruz, Jose Cardozo and Salvador Cabanas all missing.

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Libertad); Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno)
Defenders: Derlis Gonzlez (12 de Octubre); Carlos Gamarra (Inter Milan, Italy); Emilio Martnez (Libertad); Jos De Vaca (Cerro Porteno); Pedro Bentez (Cerro Porteno); Aureliano Torres (Guarani); David Villalba (Olimpia)
Midfielders: Carlos Paredes (Reggina, Italy); Fabio Escobar (Nacional); Emilio Cristaldo (Cerro Porteno); Julio Dos Santos (Cerro Porteno); Edgar Barreto (NEC Nijmegen, Holland); Celso Esquivel (San Lorenzo, Argentina); Diego Figueredo (Valladolid, Spain)
Strikers: Jorge Benitez (Olimpia); Julio Gonzlez (Nacional); Dante Lpez (Cordoba, Spain); Nelson Haedo (Werder Bremen, Germany); Freddy Barreiro (Libertad)

904: COPA AMERICA 2004: Group B pre

by : David Hulott

VENEZUELA (Richard Paez)

It wasn't so long ago that Venezuela were the whipping boys of South American football, but times have changed and they are now a force to be reckoned with. They remain the only one of the 12 never to have appeared in the World Cup finals, but are well in contention for a place in Germany 2006. Coach Paez has been instrumental in the improvement over the last few years, with his son David Paez, Juan Arango and Gabriel Urdaneta all having key roles supporting a lone striker (probably Alexander Rondon) from midfield.

Goalkeepers: Gilberto Angelucci (Maracaibo); Manuel Sanhouse (Deportivo Tchira)
Defenders: Alejandro Cichero (Nacional, Uruguay); Jonay Hernndez (Dundee, Scotland); Luis Vallenilla (Caracas); Jos Manuel Rey (Caracas); Andrs Rouga (Caracas); Jorge Rojas (Caracas); Leonel Vielma (Maracaibo)
Midfielders: Juan Arango (Puebla, Mexico); Gabriel Urdaneta (Young Boys, Switzerland); Ricardo David Pez (Barcelona, Ecuador); Andre Gonzlez (Defensor, Uruguay); Hctor Gonzlez (Coln); Leopoldo Jimnez (Maracaibo); Miguel Mea Vitali (Caracas); Pedro De Pablos (Deportivo Tchira)
Strikers: Massimo Margiotta (Vicenza, Italy); Daniel Noriega (Independiente Medelln, Colombia); Ruberth Morn (Maracaibo); Cristian Cceres (Maracaibo); Alexander Rondn (Deportivo Tchira)

BOLIVIA (Ramiro Blacut)

Bolivia go into the finals propping up the CONMEBOL table for World Cup qualification, although such is the competitiveness of the group that they are still, theoretically at least, well in contention for a top five finish. That said, they are probably the weakest of the 12 finalists and rarely perform away from the altitude of La Paz. Their main hopes of success will probably lie with striker Joaquin Botero, a reserve with Mexican champions Pumas UNAM, who has scored four times in the current World Cup qualifying campaign.

Goalkeepers: Leonardo Fernndez (Chacarita Juniors); Jos Carlos Fernndez (Bolvar)
Defenders: Sergio Galarza (Jorge Wilsterman); Lorgio Alvarez (Oriente Petrolero); Juan Manuel Pea (Valladolid); Ronald Raldes (Rosario Central); Oscar Snchez (Bolvar); Sergio Jauregui (Blooming)
Midfielders: Miguel Angel Hoyos (Oriente Petrolero); Limbert Pizarro (Bolvar); Luis Cristaldo (The Strongest); Rubn Tufio (Bolvar); Walter Flores (San Jos)
Strikers: Richard Rojas (The Strongest); Gonzalo Galindo (Bolvar); Julio Csar Baldivieso (Alwarah Sport, Qatar); Geutilio Vaca Diez (Blooming); Joaqun Botero (UNAM, Mexico); Roger Suarez (Bolvar); Miguel Mercado (Bolvar); Juan Carlos Arce (Oriente Petrolero)

David Hulott
02/07/2004

GROUP B

To win Group B:

Argentina – 8-13 (William Hill)
Mexico – 5-1 (Sky Bet)
Uruguay – 6-1 (William Hill; Sky Bet; Bet 365; Gamebookers)
Ecuador – 8-1 (Sky Bet; Bet 365; Gamebookers)

ARGENTINA (Marcelo Bielsa)

Argentina did not take part in Copa America 2001 in Colombia due to terrorist fears which, retrospectively, may have hampered their preparations for World Cup 2002. With coach Marcelo Bielsa coming under increasing pressure after a number of indifferent performances, he will be more determined than most to do well in Peru - his job could well depend on it. Have taken a relatively strong squad as a consequence. The inclusion of Luciano Figueroa may surprise some after his after a short and disappointing spell with Birmingham City, but he found his form towards the end of the season in Mexico. Club mate Cesar Delgado is a potential star of the tournament.

Goalkeepers: Pablo Cavallero (Celta Vigo, Spain); Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors).
Defenders: Roberto Ayala (Valencia, Spain); Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United, England); Facundo Quiroga (Wolfsburg, Germany); Fabricio Coloccini (Villarreal, Spain); Diego Placente (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Nicolas Burdisso (Boca Juniors); Juan Pablo Sorin (Paris St Germain); Leonardo Fernandez (Newell’s Old Boys)
Midfielders: Kily Gonzalez (Inter Milan, Italy); Andres D'Alessandro (Wolfsburg); Javier Mascherano (River Plate); Luis Gonzlez (River Plate); Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan, Italy); Clemente Rodrguez (Boca Juniors); Carlos Tevez (Boca Juniors)
Strikers: Javier Saviola (Barcelona, Spain); Cesar Delgado (Cruz Azul, Mexico); Luciano Figueroa (Cruz Azul, Mexico); Mariano Gonzlez (Palermo, Italy); Mauro Rosales (Newell's Old Boys).

URUGUAY (Jorge Fossati)

Would have been considered dark horses for the tournament less than a year ago, but their form has since gone into freefall. The 3:0 defeat in April at home to Venezuela resulted in the dismissal of coach Juan Roman Carrasco, who had opted to disregard their traditional defensive strength in favour of all out attack. His successor, Jorge Fossati, has fared little better to date and his job is already on the line. Expect something of a return to their old cynical ways as Fossati looks to stop the rot with a squad with a large emphasis on home-based talent.

Goalkeepers: Fabian Carini (Standard Liege, Belgium); Luis Barbat (Danubio)
Defenders: Paolo Montero (Juventus, Italy); Dario Rodriguez (Schalke 04, Germany); Joe Bizera (Penarol); Alejandro Lago (Fenix); Guillermo Rodriguez (Danubio)
Midfielders: Carlos Diogo (Penarol); Jorge Martinez (Wanderers); Diego Perez (Penarol); Javier Delgado (Saturn Region, Russia); Marcelo Sosa (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Gustavo Varela (Schalke 04, Germany); Martin Parodi (Panionios, Greece); Omar Pouso (Danubio)
Strikers: Diego Forlan (Manchester United, England); Dario Silva (Sevilla, Spain); Richard Morales (Osasuna, Spain); Vicente Sanchez (Toluca, Mexico); Fabian Estoyanoff (Fenix); Cristian Rodriguez (Penarol); Carlos Bueno (Penarol)

903: COPA AMERICA 2004: Group A pre

by : David Hulott

GROUP A

To win Group A:

Peru – 11-8 (Sky Bet)
Colombia – 7-4 (Bet 365)
Venezuela – 11-2 (William Hill; Sky Bet)
Bolivia – 13-2 (Bet 365
; Gamebookers)

PERU (Paulo Autuori)

As the host nation, Peru were always certain to deploy their strongest possible squad for the finals, which should give them a significant advantage over several of their main rivals. Aston Villa's Nolberto Solano will be well known to English supporters, but there is additional quality in the squad. Roberto Palacios is the midfield playmaker, while much will be expected of Europe-based strikers Claudio Pizarro and Andres Mendoza. Jefferson Farfan is the most promising young talent in the country, having recently signed for PSV Eindhoven from Alianza Lima. Whatever happens at the finals, they will certainly hope to improve their current FIFA world ranking of 72 - only Bolivia rate lower among the finalists.

Goalkeepers: Oscar Ibez (Cienciano); Leao Butrn (Alianza Lima); Erick Delgado (Sporting Cristal).
Defenders: Guillermo Salas (Alianza Lima); Jorge Soto (Sporting Cristal); Juan Carlos la Rosa (Cienciano); Santiago Acasiete (Cienciano); Walter Vlchez (Alianza Lima); Martn Hidalgo (Alianza Lima); Miguel Rebosio (Rael Zaragoza, Spain).
Midfielders: Aldo Olcese (Alianza Lima); Juan Carlos la Rosa (Cienciano); Juan Jayo (Alianza Lima); Carlos Zegarra (Sporting Cristal); Marko Ciurlizza (Alianza Lima); Nolberto Solano (Aston Villa, England); Julio Garca (Cienciano); Roberto Palacios (Morelia, Mexico); Pedro Garca (Alianza Atltico).
Strikers: Jefferson Farfn (PSV Eindhoven, Holland); Andrs Mendoza (Brugge, Belgium); Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich, Germany); Flavio Maestri (Vitria, Brazil).

COLOMBIA (Reinaldo Rueda)

Colombia go to the finals as defending champions, having claimed the title on home soil in 2001. Their hopes of retaining the trophy will have been boosted by the recent 5:0 win over Uruguay, followed by the 2:0 friendly win in Miami over Argentina. Confidence will have received a further lift from the achievement of club side Once Caldas in winning the Copa Libertadores this week, although none of their players has been selected for the national duty here as a result. They will also be missing several key players in the likes of Mario Yepes, Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Oviedo, which seems certain to cost them dear.

Goalkeepers: Breiner Castillo (Deportivo Cli); Miguel Calero (Pachuca, Mexico)
Defenders: Andrs Gonzlez (Amrica de Cli); Hayder Palacio (Atltico Junior); Csar Fawcett Atltico Junior); Arley Dinas (Tolima); Andrs Orozco (Racing Club, Argentina); Gonzalo Martnez (Napoli, Italy); Gustavo Victoria (Risespor, Turkey)
Midfielders: David Ferreira (Amrica de Cli); Oscar Daz (Deportivo Cli); Abel Aguilar (Deportivo Cli); Tressor Moreno (Deportivo Cli); Jos Amaya (Atltico Junior); Jaime Castrilln (Independiente, Argentina); Jairo Patio (Newell's Old Boys, Argentina)
Strikers: Sergio Herrera (Amrica de Cli); Hctor Hurtado (Atltico Nacional); Elkin Murillo (LDU Quito, Ecuador); Edwin Congo (Levante, Spain)

902: Copa America 2004: Tournament

by : David Hulott

The oldest international cup competition in the world kicks-off for its 41st edition in Peru on July 6, with the 10 South American representatives joined by the CONCACAF duo of Mexico and Costa Rica. Recent Copa America finals have taken second billing to the lengthy World Cup qualification process, with the latter increasingly seen as the unofficial regional championship. Consequently, many of the better players now tend to remain in Europe in preparation for the new league season, rather than risk the possibility of upsetting their club sides.

As has become traditional, the draw for the finals was engineered to enable the hosts to have the easiest possible route through to the knockout stage, pairing them with Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela in Group A. Group B is the toughest looking, featuring neighbours Argentina and Uruguay (each having won the trophy 14 times), Mexico (whose record since their first appearance in the finals in 1993 is excellent) and Ecuador. The final group sees a weakened Brazil up against Paraguay, Chile and Costa Rica. The group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals, as will the two teams with the next best records.

Brazil and Argentina are, naturally enough, pre-tournament favourites. However, Brazil are not only missing numerous regular players, but it should also be remembered that their Copa America record is relatively poor, with just six titles to their name. Argentina’s squad is stronger and more experienced by comparison, although they do look a tad short of confidence at present. Given that Peru and Mexico are at close to full-strength, both must also be considered as serious contenders.

Results at Euro 2004 should ensure caution, but Argentina could be the team to be on given that they appear to be taking the competition seriously and really need the win to boost morale. Peru could well make it to the final, given home advantage and the strength of their squad. Possibly the best value bets for the group stage are Peru to win Group A (11-8 Sky Bet), Mexico to win Group B (5-1 Sky Bet) and Chile for Group C (7-1 Bet 365).

Current best prices available to win the competition are as follows:

Brazil – 3-1 (Paddy Power; Sky Bet; Can Bet; Gamebookers)
Argentina – 3-1 (William Hill; Coral; Ladbrokes)
Peru – 6-1 (Coral; Bet365; Pinnacle)
Mexico – 10-1 (Sporting Bet; Sporting Odds; Sky Bet; Bet 365; Bluesq.com; Totesport)
Colombia – 11-1 (Totalbet; UK Betting)
Uruguay – 20-1 (Ladbrokes; Totalbet; UK Betting)
Paraguay – 25-1 (Ladbrokes)
Ecuador – 25-1 (Ladbrokes)
Chile – 25-1 (Stan James)
Costa Rica – 40-1 (Ladbrokes; Totalbet; UK Betting)
Venezuela – 40-1 (Sporting Bet; Totalbet; Stan James; UK Betting)
Bolivia – 50-1 (Ladbrokes; Stan James; Totalbet; UK Betting)

David Hulott
02/07/2004

901: PREMIERSHIP: The Premierships

by : Alex Wolstenholme

A look at some of the odds on offer for the forthcoming Premiership season shows that Charlton are rated less likely to finish in the top ten than Blackburn, Manchester City and Tottenham and as likely as Everton. This is despite the fact that the London side have outperformed these more illustrious sides in recent years and have the continuity to do so again next year.

It is always interesting to see Alan Curbishley linked with some of the so called `bigger` managerial jobs when they become available and then for him to be criticised for a lack of ambition when he does not immediately take them up. Aside from the fact that clubs may not offer Curbishley a job as they know how settled he is, the manager himself knows that the financial and managerial stability offered by Charlton is pretty hard to come by.

Despite the setbacks of relegation during his spell, Curbishley has consistently been backed by his board and has been able to build without looking constantly over his shoulder. The result is a youngish side who are used to the system they play and have faith in their manager.

Similarly the board themselves have presided over the growth of a club that were playing in someone else’s ground at the start of the 1990’s. The Valley today is a fantastic modern stadium in an old style football setting, surrounded by houses. The club is financially secure unlike many others in the Premiership and its reputation as both a family and community club is well deserved.

Charlton’s flying starts of recent years haven’t always been matched by their finishes but their achievements have been nothing short of superb. Using homegrown players such as Kevin Lisbie and good solid signings from within the English game they have put to shame some of the clubs around them with bigger reputations and wallets.

The addition of Dennis Rommedahl will add pace to their line up and slightly change the focus away from the centre of midfield after the departure of Scott Parker. Charlton lack a great goalscorer but solid citizens like Holland, Fish, Kiely and Hreidarsson should ensure that they once again upset the pre-season predictions and build on last years 7th place finish.

And with Paulo Di Canio on board for another season they always have that element of surprise that the Italian brings with him.

Alex Wolstenholme
05/07/2004

899: Manchester City could struggle

by : David Hulott

It was recently announced that Manchester City had agreed a deal to sign Ben Thatcher from Leicester City. If ever there was a signing that suggests an impending battle against relegation, then surely this is it. Thatcher is one of a select, but growing, band of players whose names are invariably linked with potential Premiership relegation candidates on the basis of meeting two basic criteria - they're cheap and they have top-flight experience.

The move for the Foxes’ defender came after they were priced out of the race for Daniel van Buyten, a quality centre-back who was on loan at Eastlands for the latter half of last season. The fact that they had to opt for one over the other is indicative of City’s financial plight, with Kevin Keegan having no transfer budget to speak of as he attempts to bolster his squad this summer.

Give him an ambitious, upwardly mobile club with plenty of money to spend and Keegan has the sort of infectious personality capable of motivating those around him to succeed to a certain level. Give him a club bereft of cash, an ageing squad and little realistic hope of anything other than a season of struggle and he isn’t a name that many would have towards the top of any list of prospective managers.

The prospects for City next season look far from encouraging with the current squad relying heavily on many of those who were so disappointing during Keegan's tenure as England manager and who look to lack the motivation to cope in a struggling side. With the club in debt to the tune of around £50 million (roughly the amount Keegan has spent on new players in his three years at the helm) and with an annual wage bill thought to be similarly high, there is precious little cash available to bring in new faces.

Unless they are willing to cash-in on one of their few saleable assets, any rebuilding will have to be done on the cheap, with the attempt to sign Dominic Matteo on a year’s loan from Leeds United symptomatic of their financial plight. Events at Euro 2004 has led to Bulgaria’s Marian Hristov and the Danish pair of Martin Jorgensen and Thomas Helveg all linked with a move to Manchester. Any move for Jorgensen seems a total non-starter (he would cost a fair bit and would surely have more attractive offers were he to leave Udinese?). Hristov might just be affordable and would certainly strengthen the midfield, but Helveg would seem the most realistic target, given that he’s available on a free transfer. At the age of 33, he is hardly one for the future though.

There are few players that would bring in anything significant in terms of transfer fees for City – Nicolas Anelka, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton. If Keegan has to make a decision to sell one of them, the temperamental French forward would surely be the obvious choice. Despite his phenomenal strike rate, Anelka is unquestionably a player who is always liable to simply wake up one morning and decide to call time on his career. Better to rake in a few million quid now while they can, rather than risk losing him for nothing in a year or two.

The temptation to draw similarities between City and Leeds is unavoidable and there must be every possibility that they could follow the Yorkshire club through the Premiership trapdoor. Until just a few days ago, City were priced at a remarkable 10-1 with Coral to be relegated. Not surprisingly, that price was snapped up and the best currently available is 8-1. That still looks a decent wager to me.

TIP: Manchester City to be relegated – 8-1 (Can Bet) or 7-1 (Coral; Victor Chandler; Total Bet; Totesport; Sky Bet; Bluesq.com; UK Betting).

898: Brilliant Dowie heads the chal

by : Chris Sherrard

Crystal Palace’s highly talented pin-up manager, Iain Dowie, leads the charge of the promoted sides in what promises to be an exciting, but difficult, Premiership campaign for all three. But it sure beats the grind of the First Division, doesn’t it?

West Bromwich Albion’s manager, Gary Megson, has the advantage over Dowie and Norwich City’s Nigel Worthington, in that he has experience of leading a side in English football’s top flight. Until you have been knocked about by the big boys, you will not know fully what the feeling is like. Megson can draw on that experience as he attempts to keep Albion in the Premiership.

Megson has not got an immense amount of money at his disposal but always makes what he has got go a long way and that will need to be the case in the players he attracts to his club for the new season. Albion didn’t look wholly convincing in last season’s First Division and will need to improve a great deal if they are not to fall back at the first time of asking, once more.

It is the two new boys, former Northern Ireland team-mates, Dowie and Worthington, that will be most interesting. Anyone who finds themselves in the First Division relegation placings at the turn of the year, when they take over a club, has no right to expect to be a Premiership manager within a handful of months. But that is exactly what Iain Dowie has achieved at Selhurst Park. Not enough praise can be bestowed upon him. Tactically, Dowie is as astute as any manager in the English game and has a very bright future in management ahead of him. He was always destined to take charge of a top-flight side, right from his days as assistant at QPR. Not even he would have expected to be taking the reigns and lining up opposite Wenger, Ferguson and Mourinho so soon.

But his time has arrived and Dowie will not let the grass grow under him in Palace’s time in the sun. He will be fully aware of the enormity of the task ahead. But he has a couple of outstanding players under his control and they will combine with the younger starlets and a heady team unity to make the Londoners a difficult team to beat. I think any team coming away from Selhurst Park next season with three points will know full well that they have been in a match.

The trick, easy as it is to see from here, is to accept as manager of teams like WBA, Palace and Norwich, that you are going to get trounced or completely outplayed on occasion. The three promoted teams will know where they can expect to lose and where they should be picking up the points that will keep them up. They have a superb template in Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth of how to come up and stay there at the fist time of asking.

Nigel Worthington has done a tremendous job since he took over at Carrow Road. He got Norwich within moments of the Premiership in the play-off final of a couple of seasons ago and has gone on to build a side capable of clinching the First Division title - by no means a straightforward task. In Darren Huckerby they have a player more than able to run affairs in the second tier of the English game but can he do it in the Premiership? Evidence from the past suggests not but he was never given a proper chance with Manchester City and those with a long enough memory will recall his dynamic displays for Coventry came in the Premiership.

Key for all three sides will be the ability to score goals this season. With players like Henry, van Nistelrooy and Owen in opposition line-ups in the months ahead the promoted teams will know that they are going to come under serious pressure defensively. If they can help themselves to enough goals at the opposite end on the way then their task of staying afloat will be made a lot easier. Each of Crystal Palace, West Brom and Norwich have a creative influence in their side. Jason Koumas, Michael Hughes and Huckerby will all be called to produce the goods once more when the action gets going. Each has something different to give but each will be crucial to their side’s chance of success. And success for all three will be fourth bottom of the Premiership table when the final standings are drawn up. Offer that to Megson, Dowie or Worthinton right now and they will snap your hand off in acceptance.

History suggests that at least one or two of the promoted sides will find themselves returning from whence they came at the end of the season. However, all three of this season’s promoted sides have great young managers with a burning desire to make it in the top flight. This is their chance to show that there is life beyond the top of the table. Their fans are in for a roller-coaster campaign the like of which they have rarely experience in recent years. But they wouldn’t swap it for the world.

Chris Sherrard
02/07/2004

900: EURO 2004: Greek win begs the

by : Chris Sherrard

As the famously passionate Greek nation awakes with a collective hangover and, in one united movement, pinches itself, there can no longer be any doubt about it; we live in strange footballing times.

First we had the sight of a South Korean side joining Turkey and the most dishevelled German unit in history in the last four of a World Cup. Then the conventionally ‘big’ teams in Europe fell, one by one, to the sidelines as the European Champions League final was contested by unfashionable Monaco and Porto. Now, to cap the lot, Greece are European champions. No folks, you did not dream it. Greece really are the champions of Europe. Just what is going on?

Has the tide turned completely and irrevocably? Are we to no longer see the really big finals being fought between really big nations and clubs? And will England ever be able to move on from that summer forty odd years back?

Greece have won the European title as a team. No superstars, not even a minor star. They have formed, under their progressive coach, a team spirit and unity. They have fought for each other throughout the tournament. Of all the nations present, they were the toughest side to beat. They may not have blown anyone away with their technical abilities or flowing football but they have came out on top. Their win marks a sea-change in how teams will approach these competitions. What Greece have done is to show the importance of avoiding defeat well before you contemplate actually winning. They have assumed Italy’s mantle, in that respect.

In Otto Rehhagel, they had a coach who could draw on years of experience. He used every ounce of that knowledge to unify his squad. Although it would be brutal to rain on a Greek parade which has barely got going, I don’t realistically envisage them successfully defending the title which has just been bestowed upon them. Nor do I see them believably challenging for the World Cup on European soil in two years time. That is in the same way I do not believe South Korea have the game or the conviction to repeat their Jules Rimet performance. Porto, bereft of their talented manager and a handful of their better players, will be hard pressed to match their successes of this season.

We are now beyond the dynastical eras of football success. Gone are the days when Liverpool, Real Madrid and whoever else would string together European titles in successive seasons. The level of competition is so high now, the standard and competitiveness of the opposition is so high, that to do what Ajax did in the 1970s or Madrid in the 50s would take a super-human effort. Nigh on impossible, frankly.

What onlooking coaches and managers impressed by the triumph of Rehhagel and his side will take away is that to be a success you must be a team. Real Madrid and Chelsea have, in different measures, assembled some of the most illustrious and highest profile players in the world. Between them last season they won diddly squat. Few would have been able to name Porto’s starting eleven prior to their assault on European football but the team became the star. That is how managers will be approaching their sides in the coming future.

Superstars like David Beckham must prove their worth as footballers first and foremost before they will be able to claim greatness. Beckham was just one of the so-called ‘superstars’ who didn’t show up in Portugal. He will get criticism in the same way as Del Piero and Totti of Italy will and Raul, Trezeguet and a host of Dutch players will in their homelands. It is all very well having these famous players in your squad but if they are playing at the expense of a team then you will never win anything. Beckham must prove that he is worthy of his place as the head of Eriksson’s side. Not by his reputation or what he has done in the past but by the here and now.

Greece have followed the no frills team-ethic example laid down in the recent past by South Korea and Porto. Many more club and international teams will be playing it that way in the months ahead. It is, after all, the winning way.

Chris Sherrard
05/07/2004

896: EURO 2004: How the finalists m

by : Chris Sherrard

A tournament which has had it’s fair share of twists, turns and England penalty shoot-out defeats, is set to reach it’s conclusion with the final between inviting hosts Portugal and the competition’s surprise team, Greece. It promises to be a footballing battle with Portugal’s exciting runners coming up against a fighting Greek side which has already ground down the defending champions, France, and the dangerous Czech Republic. Here, we take a look at the likely starters for each of the two finalists.

Portugal (4-2-3-1)

Ricardo

Ricardo is a typically charismatic keeper who plays with his heart on his sleeve. Good shot-stopper and is confident with crosses and taking vital penalties. Has done well since taking over from Vitor Baia and is now firmly established as Portugal’s number one.

Miguel

Miguel has followed up on his fine club campaign with Porto to play a controlling and reliable part in Portugal’s progress. Has been linked with a move to the Premiership and would be a welcome addition. Strong tackler and runner who provides an attacking threat.

Jorge Andrade

Andrade has shown why Deportivo took him to the Primiera Liga from Porto with some outstanding displays at the heart of the hosts’ defence. Coming into the peak of his career at 26 and has established a sound understanding with Carvalho.

Ricardo Carvalho

Carvalho didn’t start the tournament for Portugal which seems incredible after the impact he has made since displacing Fernando Couto. Reads the game so well and looks to be on his way from Porto to Real Madrid for next season. Probably the outstanding defender at these championships.

Nuno Valente

Valente has done well on Portugal’s left. He is a good distributor of the ball and can get forward when needed. Questions over his defensive abilities have been answered in this tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has ensured that the footballing world knows his name now. Has been one of the stars of the tournament, tormenting opposing full-backs with his bags of tricks and skills. Blistering pace and crossing abilities from either flank have cemented a burgeoning reputation.

Maniche

Maniche has been one of the surprise stars of the tournament. Predominantly a defensive midfielder, he pops up in the opposition half at regular intervals and, as he demonstrated in the semi-final victory over Holland, has an eye for the spectacular goal. Will have top clubs beating Porto’s door down to secure his signature.

Costinho

Costinho is one of those players that every successful side has. Breaks up play with well-timed tackles and covers the majority of the pitch doing his team’s ‘dirty’ work. Had a memorable couple of seasons with Porto and will be hoping to add the European Championship title to his growing trophy cabinet.

Deco

Deco is a controversial figure within the Portuguese camp since he switched international allegiance from his native Brazil. Not many people will be questioning him in Portugal now after a great tournament. Gets knocked off the ball too easy but pulls the strings through the middle for the hosts and can conjure a scoring chance from nothing.

Luis Figo

Figo has been one of the great players of this generation without doing it on the international stage. Has put that right to an extent here despite some evidence that he is past his most influential. Portugal no longer need him to play well to be a success but it always helps.

Nuno Gomes

Gomes will probably get the nod ahead of the ineffective Pauleta to start alone up-front. Made his name in the these championships four years ago and has looked a threat whenever he has been given a chance in his homeland this time around. Seems to play better for his country than his club and Portugal will need his goals if they are to claim the trophy.