1198: FA Cup: How Ricky Villa ruined

by : Tony Rubin

SCENE 1 –
It is Saturday night on May 9th 1981. Tony a fanatical Tottenham supporter has just got back to his student digs from Wembley where Tottenham have just scraped a draw with Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. Tony calls his best mate Norman (Norm) from a callbox.
TONY: Hey Norm, it’s me Tony – I’ve just got back from the Cup Final – I think we were a bit lucky to get a draw today – Ricardo Villa was crap!
NORM: Hi Tone. You lucky gits! I saw it on the box – pretty nothing game still you live to fight again – Tommy Hutchinson must be gutted that free kick from Hoddle was never going in.
TONY: Yeah I know I was in line with the penalty box at that end – great view. What a relief when that went in. But a fair result. City can’t play any better than that though – but we can.
NORM: Can you believe how much tickets were going for before the game ? I heard eighty quid for some seats.
TONY: Yeah I know! On Wembley Way I heard some touts asking for two hundred pounds for a pair!
NORM: So the replay’s on Thursday – you gonna go?
TONY: That’s why I called you – here’s our chance to make a bit of money and make our grants last a bit longer this term.
NORM: What do you mean? Not another of Tony’s super scams?
Like the time your mate got us to nick his bike ‘cos he had new for old insurance – and we spent two days trying to flog a dodgy nicked bike which nobody would touch.
TONY: Look, we flogged it in the end didn’t we? And we made a few quid into the bargain.
NORM: Yeah but only because your dad advertised it in his local paper and flogged it for us!
TONY: Listen, before the pips go, the tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at Wembley – each person can buy two.
NORM: Yeah? So?
TONY: Well most Man City fans will be on the way back home tonight – so if we both queue up tomorrow morning we can buy four tickets – they’re a tenner each.
NORM: Sorry mate I’m not getting this. So we buy FOUR tickets?
TONY: Yes! You said yourself how much the tickets were going for today. We buy four – we keep two for ourselves and we flog the other two for 30 or 40 quid or even more. That means we get to go to the game and have a few beers for free AND we pocket ten or twenty quid into the bargain.
NORM: I don’t know Tone – I can barely scrape together twenty quid to buy them.
SFX THE TELEPHONE PIPS GO
TONY (Hurriedly) Come on – you can use your flexible friend – look we need to be there early tomorrow. I’ll meet you at seven o clock outside Wembley Park tube.
NORM: I don’t know….
TONY(Very fast) Be there mate I’m depending on you….
SFX THE BUZZING SOUND AS THE PHONE GETS CUT OFF

1196: Manager Profile: Bertie Vogts,

by : Colin Illingworth

Bertie Vogts looks to have been given a stay of execution by the officials at the SFA but here we take a look at the life and times of the big German dubbed ‘Der Terrier’.

Bertie began his football career with Bundesliga outfit Borrusia Monchengladbach, his one and only professional club, at the age of 19. He quickly built up a reputation for himself and was affectionately known as ‘Der Terrier’ for his resolute performances. International recognition wasn’t far away and at just 21 wee Bertie made his debut for West Germany and it wasn’t long before he was picking up his first piece of silverware.

Vogts was an inspirational member of a unique club side in 1970 as Monchengladbach won their first ever Bundesliga title. He almost achieved an amazing league and world cup double but semi final defeat left West Germany to claim third place in Mexico.

This was the start of a glittering career for club and country and Vogts reputation grew as Monchengladbach retained the Bundesliga title and was named German footballer of the year.
1972 was a barren year for him domestically but the right-sided defender managed to collect international success winning the European Championship for West Germany with a 3-0 win over USSR in Belgium.

The following year Monchengladbach and Bertie were back on the winning trail picking up the German Cup and reached their first UEFA Cup final but lost out to the all-conquering Liverpool.
In 1974 Bertie reached the pinnacle of his career as he won the World Cup in Germany beating fierce rivals Johan Cryuff’s Holland 2-1 in the final. This was the platform Bertie was to build on as that season also began the domestic dominance of Monchengladbach, making the Bundesliga their own winning it three seasons in a row, and managed a UEFA Cup and Bundesliga double in 1975 beating Dutch side Twente Enschede in the final.

In 1976 Vogts and Germany reached the final of the European Championship but lost their grip on the trophy to the Czech Republic who beat them 5-3 on penalties.

The following year Borrusia Monchengladbach made it to the European Cup final against old foes Liverpool and it was Vogts who made the most telling contribution to the game bringing down Kevin Keegan in the box conceding a penalty. Liverpool went on to win the final 3-1.

Borrusia were still one of the top dogs in the Bundesliga but couldn’t continue their winning ways of old and in the 1978 World Cup West Germany were dumped out of the competition in the second group stage 3-2 by Germany. After representing his country 96 times, scoring once, and playing in 19 matches at the World Cup finals, a feat only bettered by five other players, Bertie decided to call time on his international career.

However there was still some bite in ‘Der Terrier’ left domestically and in 1979 Vogts picked up his last piece of silverware for the club picking up the UEFA Cup with a 2-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade.

After 5 Bundesliga titles in 7 years, 483 Bundesliga appearances, 2 UEFA Cup wins, German Cup success and national success in lifting the European Championship for his country, Vogts decided to end his 14 year love affair with Borussia and took up a coaching role as national youth manager.

In 1986 he was promoted to Franz Beckenbauer’s assistant of the national team and were beaten in the world cup final 3-2 by a Diego Maradona inspired Argentina side.

Four years later after helping the side qualify for the World Cup, and leading them to World Cup glory against Argentina in Italia 90 1-0, Vogts was appointed boss of a unified German side.
The success he had as a player continued as he led Germany to the European Championship and they were red hot favourites as they lined up against Denmark in the final, who had only made it after Yugoslavia were forced to pull out. However Vogts ended up on the losing side being beaten by the Danes 2-0.

Bertie went to USA ’94 hoping to retain the World Cup won in Italy four years earlier but despite having Jurgen Klinsmann up front they were knocked out of the tournament in the quarter finals by Bulgaria 2-1.

1197: Premiership: Football manageme

by : Stephen Bartley

However in 1996 Bertie led his country to the final after an exhilarating semi final penalties win over England in the European Championship. Standing in his way were the Czech Republic, who prevented him from winning back-to-back European Championships in the 70’s. 1-0 down in the final Bertie threw on Olivier Bierhoff who scored twice, one in extra time with a golden goal, to seal victory 2-1 for Bertie at Wembley.

Yet things weren’t what they seemed with the national team and in 1998 following a disappointing World Cup in France and a 3-0 quarter final defeat at the hands of Crotia, Vogts ended his 19 year long association with the German FA.

After 35 years continuous service to the game he loved Bertie decided to take some time away and it wasn’t until 2000 when we saw Bertie in the hot seat again. This time it was at club level with Bayer Leverkusen. The German worked his magic and helped the team reach the lucrative Champions League but player unrest forced the patriotic German to resign after just a year in charge.

In August 2001 Bertie joined Kuwait as national coach but the Scottish FA were crying out for an experienced manager and did all they could to attract Vogts to Scotland and in early 2002 Bertie Vogts walked out on Kuwait to take over the reins as Scotland’s manager.

Bertie’s first game in charge of the Scottish national side was a 5-0 thrashing by the World Champions France in March 2002. Defeats by Nigeria, South Africa and South Korea followed before he finally tasted victory as national coach with a 4-1 win over a Hong Kong select 11!
He may have thought he had turned the corner but things were to get much worse as Scotland scrapped an embarrassing 2-2 draw against the minnows Faroe Islands, thanks to goals from Barry Ferguson and Paul Lambert. Bertie managed to lead the team to a 2-0 win over Iceland to get the team back on the qualifying campaign. Desperate to try out new players and use young talent Vogts lined up a number of friendlies with varying degrees of success. A 3-1 win against Canada was followed up by two defeats by Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. Qualifying was the main issue though and Scotland put another three points on the board with a win in Iceland before a controversial penalty against Lithuania cost Bertie a valuable away point.

Bertie lined up against his native Germany and Scotland produced a spirited performance and came away with a point before finding their scoring touch against the Faroe Islands 3-1. A bad tempered match against Germany away was lost 2-1 and Scotland had to beat Lithuania to reach the play-offs for Euro 2004. After a tense game Scotland scored the goal through Darren Fletcher that secured Bertie’s Boys passage to the play-offs where the Dutch masters of Kluivert, Davids, and Van Nistlerooy stood in wait. Against the odds Scotland managed to beat Holland 1-0 at Hampden with a fantastic goal from James McFadden, undoubtedly Bertie’s greatest game in the hot seat. However Christian Dailly was to miss the return leg through suspension and they missed him terribly as the Dutch ended their dreams with a 6-0 mauling.

Bertie was under intense scrutiny from media pundits, like Charlie Nicholas, calling for his head. A humiliating 4-0 defeat against Wales had the fans fuming and further defeats at the hands of Romania and Denmark added fuel to the pressure mounting on the German. Most of the passionate Scottish fans blamed ‘Der Terrier’ for turning their country into a laughing stock and held their heads in their arms when Hungary spanked them 3-0 at Hampden, Scotland’s worst home defeat for over 30 years, Norway left the National Stadium with all three points after a 1-0 victory, Scotland’s first defeat at Hampden in World Cup qualifiers for 19 years, and a 1-1 draw away to Moldova has left Scotland’s chances of qualifying for Germany in tatters.

In 31 games Bertie has led the Scots to victory just eight times and lost more than double that. Bertie refuses to walk away despite stick from the press and public and it looks like Bertie will be in charge until it’s mathematically impossible for Scotland to qualify for the World Cup in 2006. However with all the pressure on the German to deliver you have to wonder how long it will be until he is finally relieved of his duties?

Colin Illingworth
29/10/2004
Are we entering the era of a higher class of manager? Are Premiership clubs now seeking out talented foreigners to hammer away at the illusive dream of titles, cups and qualification? And if so, how will this effect their British counterparts?

The arrival of Jose Mourinho, Jacque Santini and Rafael Benitez this year prompt some form of investigation. Not to forget the likes of Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier already icons in the English game.

But is the importing of glamourous foreigners the answer? Or is there a more subtle approach to choosing your next fall guy?

It’s been a steady formula for replacing a manager - out goes the potbellied red-faced chap pushing 65, to be replaced by a track-suited cheap chimp who adds “–sy” to the end of his player’s names, and, despite a decent career themselves, shows astonishing mediocrity at the helm.

Sure, most managers were players themselves, and dammit, you have to start somewhere, but there seems to be an growing trend in the game – “good player” does not automatically equate to “good manager”

Picture it. Of the 20 managers currently pickling teams in the Premiership, only 8 have won silverware as a manager. Of those 8, six have included a league championship amongst the tarnishing trophy cabinet, although one (Kevin Keegan) won his in the old first and second divisions.

It doesn't stop there. Of those six, only one played at international level (Keegan for England).

In contrast, of the 20 managers in the Premiership only three would be liberally awarded the status of “Excellent” in their playing days (I’m talking Keegan, Souness and Hughes). Each has, so far, failed to live up to being the genius off the field that they were on. Keegan had bottled it for England, had an armchair ride at Fulham and is now on the brink at Man City.

Souness never really threatened the football establishment, despite an FA Cup win at Liverpool and although he did his apprenticeship in the hellish bowels of Galatasaray, has yet to show undefeatable tactical knowledge.

And as for Hughes, he impressed well steering Wales away from another era of iceberg hitting, narrowly avoiding the collective joy of European Championship qualification in 2004. But it remains to be seen just what effect he can have in a full time club job at Blackburn. The money and ambition seemed to run out there a long time ago.

Then there are those who glowingly prove to those of us who spend Saturdays in armchairs, that inactivity can yield incredible results.

In amongst Wenger, Santini, Benitez and even Alex Ferguson, is not one earth shattering playing career, and in the case of Mourinho and Houllier, they hardly stepped on a pitch, other than to pick up litter.

Maybe this could put an end to the managerial trap door for ex-players. And given the turnover in managers - last year alone saw 46 managerial changes, half the number of jobs in the professional game – perhaps there will be more job chances for the millions of amchair experts in this country. Well, if the players are rubbish manager – surely the fans should be given a chance.

Stephen Bartley
25/10/2004

1195: Premiership: Bolton Wanderers

by : Colin Illingworth

Graeme Souness takes his Newcastle side to the Reebok this weekend looking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games against a Bolton Wanderer’s side who themselves will be aiming to preserve their own unbeaten home record.

It will be Sam Allardyce’s toughest test to date as the Magpies aim to leapfrog them in the table and Alan Shearer will be hungry for a hat trick to reach 250 Premiership goals. However Newcastle have won only one Premiership game away from home this season so Souness will need to have his side totally focused. Something has to give!

Bolton are currently fourth in the table and have surprised a lot of pundits with their blistering start to the league campaign. They brushed Charlton aside in the first game of the season 4-1 at but lost to Fulham 2-0. They put that out of their mind as they went on a five match unbeaten run which included wins against Southampton and Liverpool, and impressive draws against Manchester United, Arsenal, and Birmingham, which could have easily been victories, saw the Trotters climb the table. They weren’t at the races when they lost away at West Brom, to give them their first league win of the season, but they have bounced back recording back to back victories over Crystal Palace and Spurs. Despite being knocked out of the Carling Cup at the hands of Spurs in midweek Bolton will be full of confidence coming into this fixture.

Big Sam has assembled a squad that are hard to beat but capable of playing exciting free flowing football as well. With the creativity of Jay Jay Okocha, experience of former toon star Gary Speed, and the scoring ability of Henrik Pedersen, Graeme Souness has a lot to contend with.

Newcastle have been a different side since Sir Bobby Robson’s departure following a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa and reports of players unrest. Many Geordies were frustrated when Souness was appointed instead expecting a big name to excite the club and take over at the helm. However the tough talking and tackling former Liverpool legend has guided the Magpies through league, UEFA cup, and league cup fixtures unbeaten and won over the Toon Army who are now right behind the Scot. He has clamped down on those who thought they were bigger than the club and the results have been witnessed on the park. But Souness must be worried that he has only seen his side win once away from home in a 2-1 victory against another of his former clubs Southampton.

Goals are always guaranteed when the Geordies are in town and they’ve found the target on average twice a game in the league but Shay Given has only managed to keep one clean sheet so far and that was against Souness’s former employers Blackburn. Wins against Southampton, West Brom, and last weeks thrilling 4-3 against Manchester City have sandwiched draws against Birmingham and Charlton. Newcastle themselves will have nothing to fear going into this match but Souness must try and tighten things up at the back. Up front they have no problems with the front line of Shearer, Bellamy, and Kluivert, all hitting the back of the neck, and the midfield and defence all chipping in with valuable goals, but the defence is always susceptible of leaking goals.

Games between these two have always seen goals. In fact last years match at St James Park was the first goalless draw since 1951 so you can bet on seeing the net bulging at least once. Bolton ran out 1-0 winners last season at the Reebok with a Henrik Pedersen goal but Newcastle do have the edge over the last six fixtures winning three of them and losing just twice. Home advantage could be the deciding factor.

Both Bolton and Newcastle will be up for this one as they look to extend their winning ways and with the likes of Shearer, Okocha, Bellamy, Pedersen, Kluivert, and Jaidi, on the pitch there is always going to be a serious goal threat.

This is Gary Speed’s first match against his former teammates and, in different circumstances, Big Sam could have been leading out Newcastle instead of Graeme Souness. Yet Allardyce will be desperate to claim all three points, make no mistakes about it.

This has all the hallmarks of a classic encounter but with both clubs looking to preserve their unbeaten records, and push up the table, it might need a moment of brilliance to claim three points. Anyone for a 4-4 draw?

Colin Illingworth
29/10/2004

1194: Premiership: Why Chelsea’s def

by : David Connolly

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and comedy defending by any team managed by Kevin Keegan. As an exponent of attractive, attacking football, the likeable Manchester City manager is surely due some luck if not full scale karmic pleasantries. Unfortunately such forces were not in circulation when his side were recently molested by old club Newcastle, and by his old favourite score line, the 4-3 defeat. Still, it could be worse, he could be the manager of Blackburn. Sinking--ship jumping Graham Souness’ credential for securing one of the most prestigious jobs in English football must have been a very powerful handshake, or well placed head butt, to Freddie Sheppard.

In gambling one of the first rules you learn is “the odds follow the money”, or in other words the expectation of those that gamble is everything. Plotting a metaphorical graph, teams with a poor defence to attack ratio equals false hope and underachievement. So that’s Real Madrid excluded already. Struggling parallel Spain’s 4th best team should be Manchester City, Blackburn (so far not too controversial) and Arsenal. The very fact the majority of gambling virgins disagree since Henry, Bergkamp and crew are so inexorable only adds conviction the argument.

Arsenal’s defence is mediocre. It’s not as bad as say, Newcastle‘s, but it’s not good enough to make them odds on to win the Premiership. A few injuries and, to qo a bit Redknapp, they’d be “down to the bare bones“. Contrast this with the super-solid Chelsea - the dissent for being dull is a dead giveaway - and we have this ultimate battle of attack vs. defence. And we know which is easier to sort out with the spoils of asset-stripped Siberia safely tucked away in the Kensington Barclays.

Last season Real Madrid, an awesome attacking array of talent if ever there was one, were odds on for most of the season and expected to easily clinch La Liga. I should know: I backed Valencia all the way domestically (and as a Brucey Bonus in the UEFA). Real Madrid scored the most goals. They also conceded more than twice as many as their more cerebral conquerors (home 1.4, away 1.5 compared with 0.8, 0.6) and contrived to finish behind Deportivo, roughly equivalent to Arsenal or Chelsea being beaten to the line by a slightly improved Liverpool. Arsenal have conceded five times as many goals as Chelsea so far.

The newly nice, attacking Arsenal or the competent Chelsea with masterful Mourinho in the captain’s chair? Most people have backed Arsenal, that’s why they are 1 / 2 on. Put your mortgage on Chelsea at 9/4: if they don’t win, and you’re evicted, at least you’ll be able to enjoy yourself watching the triumph of Kevin Keegan, rather than Steve Davis, tactics outside Dixons.

David Connolly
26/10/2004

1193: Premiership: Should Andy Johns

by : Matt Margrett

On a weekend that was dominated by claims of cheating, diving and soup throwing (was it pea or was it tomato?), a rather bold proposal emanating from Selhurst Park was somewhat overlooked. Iain Dowie said that Andy Johnson should be considered for England. Yes, the same Andy Johnson that plays for lowly Crystal Palace, relegation certainties. The same Andy Johnson that in 2001 missed the penalty for Birmingham that handed the league cup to Liverpool. And now Dowie, a self-professed realist, thinks he should play for England. Surely that can’t be right?

The Palace manager’s apparent bout of insanity came after Johnson had gone some way to losing any friends that he gained at the Hawthorns as a result of that 2001 penalty miss. He scored twice in Palace’s 3-0 defeat of West Brom and could have had more, as he plagued the Baggies’ defence all game. A fortnight ago he lost more friends in the Midlands by opening the scoring against Aston Villa, Birmingham’s rivals-in-chief. In between times it was a goal at home to Fulham, setting Palace on the way to their first Premiership victory of the season. Four goals in two weeks, added to the three already chalked up, makes seven; or more importantly, makes Johnson the second top goal-scorer in the Premiership and the leading English striker.

So the step up from Division One to Premiership has been more of a glide for Johnson. He finished as Division One’s top scorer last season and his 7 in 10 so far this term only serves to confirm his goal-scoring reputation, as well as bolster the stats of an already impressive striking career: 53 goals in 93 games for Palace. More impressive, however, is that recently Johnson has seen his workload significantly increase, as he is employed as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield. Evidently this has had little effect on his eye for goal.

Johnson is not a big man. He cannot hold the ball up like the Alan Shearers of this world. What he has got, however, is pace. Lots of it. Playing on his own up front, Johnson is beginning to master the art of exploiting the gap between midfield and defence. A bit of room allows him to turn and do what he does best: run at centre backs. Just ask Darren Moore.

There can be no doubt that Andy Johnson is a man in form, but is he really international quality? The Sven of three years ago, a Sven who vowed to pick players based only on their current form, may well have been thinking of including Johnson in his next England squad. However, things have changed since then. Now out of form strikers and captains who cynically exploit the laws of the game are immune from being dropped. What is more, the idea of fashionable clubs is creeping back into the national set up. Although not nearly as bad as in days past, gone is the time when Sven picks a Charlton left back in his starting eleven.

But there is hope for Andy Johnson, hope on two fronts. He is still only 23 and so can be expected to develop his game further. Indeed, Iain Dowie claims that his main marksman still suffers from a lack of confidence. More significantly, however, Johnson has probably already done enough to ensure that even if his efforts can’t keep Palace in the Premiership, he won’t go unrewarded. He is a player who should be playing top-flight football, and who almost certainly needs to if he is to fulfil his manager’s forecast.

Matt Margrett
28/10/2004

1192: Premiership: Go on Santini - g

by : Adam Graham

This article has been removed at the writer's request.

1184: Scotland: The Sorry State of S

by : Paul Harper

It’s pretty safe to say that Scottish football is not in the best of health at the present time. The number of people playing the beautiful game north of the border is on the descent, the national team is struggling under a German and as ever, Celtic and Rangers completely dominate on the domestic scene. Scottish football just isn’t what it used to be.

Once upon a time, the streets of Scotland were filled with budding young footballers kicking a ball around with their friends. Unfortunately these days no longer seem to exist. Maybe the fact that children now have the luring options of computer games and channels and channels of television, which they didn’t in the good old days, has had an effect on the numbers playing the beautiful game. Maybe, but surely this is the easy excuse.

Children starting out in the game generally look up to a role model or star player, someone they can re-enact in the school playground or the park. If you look at the current Scotland side, I can only see one player who people may consider for this role, Barry Ferguson. The rest are hardly awe-inspiring. Gone are the days when Scottish children can watch and admire truly top Scottish players like Kenny Dalglish, Archie Gemmill, Alan Hansen, even A Question of Sport comedian Ally McCoist. It doesn’t help in creating interest for the sport amongst young people.

Can you believe that Scotland does not have an indoor football facility? I couldn’t believe it when I heard but it’s true. Scotland is hardly renowned for its beautiful hot, sunny weather is it? Maybe they could get away with it in Australia, but Scotland? I don’t think so. On a freezing cold and wet November evening, would you rather go outside and play football, or stay dry and warm and play computer games indoors? Unfortunately I guess the answer of the vast majority of youngsters would be the latter. And who could blame them? But if the facilities were in place and football could be played 365 days a year, maybe it would make creating a few more top players that bit easier. Add to this the fact that some of the outdoor facilities go unused due to mal-maintenance or are sold to be built upon, and you can see the reason why facilities need to improve for the Scottish game to improve.

So how is Berti Vogts expected to produce a winning national side? He is constantly criticised by Scottish supporters and former players saying he should get sacked, but don’t they see that the players at his disposal are possibly the poorest they’ve had for a long time? And there doesn’t seem to be any budding, talented young players on the horizon either, so surely it’s an impossible job? Until the SFA improves the facilities and gets more people playing and enjoying football once more, the manager of Scotland won’t be able to achieve anything. Sorry Scotland fans, the future looks bleak for Scottish football.

Paul Harper
25/10/2004

1189: Premiership: Why Gary Megson h

by : Stephen Orford

He is widely regarded as the most successful manager of West Bromwich Albion since 'Big' Ron Atkinson, but Gary Megson is still parting company with the Hawthorns club. Megson's West Brom contract was due to run until June 2005, but after confirming that he would not sign a new deal the club have decided to cut their losses and sack him with immediate effect.

Megson has been in charge of the Baggies since March 2000, and during that four and a half year spell he has overseen the rise of the club from first division basement dwellers, to the Premiership. West Brom lay 21st in what used to be known as division one when the former Stockport County manager came to the club, and currently they find themselves a respectable 16th in the top flight.

If I were able to write that last sentence in May, most West Brom fans would again acknowledge that Megson has worked miracles with the team. He has twice led the team to promotion to the Premiership, and it looked at one time as though he would offer the club the managerial stability that has been enjoyed by Premiership clubs of a similar stature such as Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic. Now though, his ongoing feud with chairman Jeremy Peace added to growing rumours of discord within the playing staff has led to his departure. Megson was outspoken recently about what he perceived to be a poor attitude from his players, particularly in training. He even halted one session prematurely, such was his disgust at the players' efforts. It has even been reported that Megson accused some players, as yet unnamed, of not trying at all.

Saturday's poor showing in the 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace (October 23) led some fans to believe that the time was right for Megson to make way for a new man. It may be a cliche, but some fans say that Megson had 'lost the dressing room'. Quite where he left it is anyone's guess, but it is also widely believed that there is a rift developing between the players who won promotion last season, and the new buys brought in by Megson to boost the Baggies survival hopes. The story is that the old guard are unhappy with what they see as the imbalance in salaries between themselves and the new boys.

If this is true it is slightly unfair on Megson. Did professional players who, lest we forget, have already proved once that they were not good enough for the Premiership when they were relegated in 2002/03, seriously expect Megson to make the same mistake again by not strengthening his squad? He would have been neglecting his duties as team manager if he had not brought in new blood. Megson needed real Premiership quality, and real Premiership quality requires real Premiership wages to be paid. This was bound to produce a disparity in wages, and it is entirely unprofessional of players to spit out their dummies at the prospect. Players are paid in accordance to their ability and their worth to the club, and it was ever thus, even before the ludicrous amounts of money that we now see in football started to be handed out.

However, it is perhaps not quite as cut and dried as all that. Jeremy Peace is not the first West Bromwich Albion chairman to fall out with Megson. The previous incumbent was not exactly his best friend either. Indeed, upon realising his manager's popularity and ability to bring on-field success to the club, that chairman stepped aside to let Megson run the ship without further distraction. Jeremy Peace was supposed to be Megson's man, but by the end of Megson's tenure it was widely thought that they were barely on speaking terms. At the very least, Megson was something of a common denominator in the off the field wrangles at the club, even if he was not always the instigator. Now, Peace is going to have to come up with a replacement capable of taking the club forward, as expectations have risen markedly under Megson.

It is no surprise to see Megson shown the door now. He had originally intended to continue until the end of the season, but when a manager announces that his long-term future is not with a club, it tends to make matters worse if he hangs on in the meantime. We have seen on a number of occasions recently how the announcement of a manager's impending departure has had a negative effect on team performances. Newcastle United seemed in disarray after it was confirmed to the media that Sir Bobby Robson would be leaving the club at the end of the season, and the announcement was instrumental in his departure taking place much sooner. The same can be said of Gordon Strachan, who originally wanted to hang on at Southampton until the end of last season but was quickly replaced by the unfortunate Paul Sturrock when it became clear that the players were losing their focus.

After Saturday's debacle, West Brom's on-field activities may not seem like they can get much more negative, but they may need to act quickly to avoid hitting rock bottom. Ironically, the name of Strachan will once again be in the frame, as it is for any Premiership job arising, and even Sir Bobby may get a mention. It would not be the first time that he has been mentioned in connection with the West Brom job during Megson's recent troubles with the club.

A squad containing the likes of Robbie Earnshaw, Kanu, Jonathan Greening and Jason Koumas should be good enough to have at least a chance of escaping the drop to what we now have to refer to as the Championship. They must now set about that task without the man who has been instrumental in giving them their Premiership opportunity.

Still, at least he lasted longer than 'Big' Ron.

Stephen Orford
28/10/2004

1191: Premiership: Rooney’s dive - t

by : Keval Tanna

Both Steven Gerrard and David Moyes, BSkyB’s live guests at Old Trafford on Sunday, admitted young Wayne Rooney had done well to win the penalty that halted Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run. Asked whether it was a penalty, both agreed it wasn’t.

What does the future hold in store for the English game when our most promising youngster reverts to cheating to win a game? Some may think saying he ‘cheated’ is a bit harsh on the lad, with the penalty decision not given to Ronaldo a few minutes later and the final winning margin. But the simple fact is until referee Mike Riley pointed to the spot, there was only one team that was going to get a result, and it was not Alex Ferguson’s United.

You have to question the FA’s wisdom in assigning Riley to referee a game of this stature given his record at Old Trafford. He had given the home team seven penalties in his previous eight games at the ground, and he didn’t disappoint on Sunday. He confirmed any doubts anyone might have had about his ability to handle this game by ignoring a late tackle from behind by Gary Neville on Reyes. Neville eventually got his name in the book after his fourth kick on the Spaniard, and was followed a couple of minutes later by his brother, both obviously under instruction to take care of the left sided forward. Then came the biggest decision of the game. Edu slotted the ball through the centre for Ljunberg catching Ferdinand napping. As the Swede raced clear, Ferdinand bundled him over just outside the area with no chance of reaching the ball. There was only one possible outcome for the clearest professional foul we have seen so far this season. But Mr Riley bottled it.

At least you can’t blame him for the penalty. He was blind-sided as Rooney went over Campbell’s withdrawn foot with the seasoned diving skills often demonstrated by his new strike partner. Replays showed there was no contact by Campbell, something Rooney later admitted to the Arsenal players according to Wenger. People say its part of the game and I have no sympathy for Arsenal following the antics of Robert Pires last season; it certainly won’t be the last time someone takes a dive this season to gain an advantage. But it has been something not adopted as readily by the English players until now. Fingers will be pointed at Owen and Shearer, but tempting the defender into making a silly tackle is a different issue; I cannot recall a single incident when they’ve gone down without any contact from the defending player. The only instance of that was when Robbie Fowler went over Seaman in the Arsenal goal a few years back and protested against the penalty decision. Disappointingly on Sunday, Rooney got up and raced to embrace his team-mates celebrating the fact that he had conned the referee. It’s a sign of the modern game and the foreign influence was bound to rub off on our players. Kids across the country will be practising ‘winning’ penalties in playgrounds today, and if nothing else this might be a blessing in disguise for our Olympic high-board diving team.

It is obviously not something discouraged by managers either. Van Nistlerooy has been doing it for years, to the point where he has perfected the ‘who me?’ look. Pires, Ronaldo, Bergkamp, Zola, Van Bronkhorst, Hasselbaink, Gudjonsen are but a few of the several I can recall attempting to deceive the officials in recent seasons, some more frequently than others and mostly at the more prominent clubs. It is not something we have seen from Rooney in the 3 years since his introduction at Everton; however he obliged 3 months after joining Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in a high profile televised game, seemingly feeling little or no remorse or embarrassment over his actions. Herein lies the worrying answer. Success it seems, comes at a price these days. No, not a Russian’s millions. But old fashioned English honesty.

Keval Tanna
26/10/2004

1190: Premiership: Baggies should go

by : Chris Sherrard

Despite conception to the contrary, things aren’t completely bleak for West Bromwich Albion. Gary Megson may have been pushed before he walked despite doing well for the club in his relatively short time as boss. But he leaves the club far from relegation certainties. And if the Baggies board bring in a Robson double they could surprise quite a few this season.

I believe that the next manager at The Hawthorns should be Sir Bobby Robson. And the former WBA player should be joined at his new posting by his former captain marvel, namesake and equally ex-Albion star, Bryan.

Robson and Robson may sound like a firm of solicitors but it could just be the dream team that keeps the club in the lucrative Premiership. They would take over, if appointed now, with their new club 16th in the table – far from perilous. Remember when Sir Bobby took over the reigns from Ruud Gullit at Newcastle? That was at an even lower level.

The former England manager still has plenty to offer football in this country. It’s a shame that he is not employed in some kind of consultancy role at the FA because his honesty and knowledge would be greatly beneficial to the national team. WBA should snap him up. Megson leaves behind a group of decent players who, with the right motivation and guidance, could stay up this season. They aren’t in the bottom three at the minute and that is without many of their better players getting going in the black and white.

Certainly there would appear to be much room for improvement in the two striking signings of the summer – Robbie Earnshaw and Kanu. Both have more than enough ability to do well for their new club. Robson could be the man to get that from them.

And if Baggies fans have any concerns about how much longer Sir Bob can keep going at the top level then the appointment of their former afro-haired midfield general would do much to settle that. They combined to tremendous effect for the national team as player and manager. I reckon Captain Marvel would love the opportunity to go back to a club he has an affinity for.

West Brom have a lot of the type of players that the Robsons would enjoy working with. They have the battlers and committed men like Hungarian international captain Zoltan Gera, Thomas Gaardsoe and Martin Albrechtsen but also a touch of class and imagination that often proves the difference in tight games in the top flight. Sir Bobby seems to thrive when managing players like Jason Koumas or Kanu or, when he returns from injury sometime this month, Junichi Inamoto.

Gary Megson should be remembered as one of the best managers that West Bromwich Albion ever had. Two promotions into the Premiership is quite an achievement and his transfer policy in doing so didn’t bankrupt the club or leave them with massive debts to pay off. It seems things haven’t been right at the club since the end of the summer with rumours of discontent and feuds between manager and chairman.

All parties would probably agree that now is not a bad time for a change. There is still two thirds of the league season in which the new manager can attempt to consolidate the club in English football’s top tier. There should be little doubt that Sir Bobby Robson is the perfect man, with all his experience and know-how, to achieve that. And when he comes to the natural end of his managerial career he would have his younger apprentice, Bryan Robson, ready and waiting to step in and take over.

Nothing has been lost for West Brom this season yet. They are still very much in the survival fight. They must appoint the right man to guide them for the rest of this season and beyond. It has to be Sir Bobby.

Chris Sherrard
27/10/2004

1182: Championship: How can the FA a

by : Alex Wolstenholme

Leeds United recently announced that their impressive Thorp Arch training ground complex was to be sold and leased back by the club in order to help reduce the club’s debts.

Rumours abound that Elland Road may be subject to a similar move. Leeds have admitted to ₤30 million worth of debts and while this is substantially down from a year ago the club have said that the interest payments on that debt are proving a struggle to keep up with.

And yet Leeds have so far this season bought Stephen Crainey from Southampton for a reported fee of ₤200,00, Sean Gregan from West Brom, a player the Baggies wanted ₤1 million for and have had three recent bids for David Healy rejected by Preston.

The FA (and Football League’s) attitude to all this? Nothing whatsoever. Faced with the choice between an arbitrary punishment that only serves to worsen the problems of clubs in financial difficulty or strict licensing and penalties it will surprise no-one that the game in England has chosen the former option.

A club going into administration in the Football League can now be hit with a ten-point penalty. This punishment bears so little relevance to the `crime` it is untrue. Why ten points? And how will it help that club get out of administration if it means they are likely to be relegated because of it?

The majority of clubs going into administration deserve little sympathy but the process itself has allowed the governing bodies to ignore all those clubs who are not in administration but are effectively trading unlawfully. The FA has a responsibility to the game as a whole and to the community of people within and without its member clubs.

Financial mismanagement at a football club affects a number of people. Cleaners, admin staff, turnstile operators within the club. Contractors, local businesses and shops without.

By allowing clubs like Leeds to spend money on players when there are debts to such people and the country as a whole (in the form of VAT or the Inland Revenue) football is showing once again that it considers itself a business when it suits (putting up ticket prices, negotiation TV deals) and a special case when it suits.

Much harsher penalties need to be imposed on clubs as soon as they do not pay their debts. Many European countries impose automatic relegation on clubs who cannot provide financial guarantees. There is no way in the world that such a thing would happen here but the time will come when a major football club in this country will go to the wall and the FA will be just as culpable as those running the club.

Alex Wolstenholme
25/10/2004

1187: Premiership: Manchester United

by : Stephen Orford

There are other things happening on Planet Earth at the moment, but you would be forgiven if you had not noticed. The media is still in a state of the proverbial frenzy, with the sports pages of seemingly every newspaper packed with the 'fallout' from the game between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday (October 24).

Going for a 50th league game unbeaten, Arsenal's 'invincibles' were finally humbled 2-0 by their arch-rivals. Miserably failing to take this rare defeat with good grace, the Gunners instead chose to pander to the media objective of stoking up the fires of what is becoming and increasingly tedious rivalry. This, of course, was bound to happen. Following on from last year's embarrassing melee, the media were always going to blow any incidents from Sunday's game out of proportion. Right on cue, the players and managers of both clubs provided them with enough ammunition to convince the nation that the cities of Manchester and London are officially at war. While it may not exactly be a war just yet, there is quite clearly rising tension between these two clubs.

At the centre of the latest round of fish-slapping is referee Mike Riley. His appointment for the fixture looks controversial in hindsight. Much has been made of the fact that he has given 8 penalties in his last 8 visits to Old Trafford. All of which ignores the fact that most of those decisions were correct, or at the very least understandable mistakes, and that one of the penalties was awarded to Liverpool against United.

Despite this, he will now be left in no doubt that he got one or two things wrong in the game. His decision to award United a penalty after Sol Campbell scandalously breathed on Wayne Rooney was perhaps the turning point in the game. It came with only 18 minutes remaining of what had been a full-blooded but rather dull contest. On his 19th birthday, cheeky scouse Rooney dramatically fell to the ground somewhere in the vicinity of Campbell's leg, while all the while looking to Riley for a decision. Campbell was understandably cheesed off, and Rooney's subsequent refusal to look his team-mate in the eye spoke volumes. Rooney had dived, which some, Arsene Wenger being one, would call cheating. However, it is hard to have any sympathy for the champions on this subject. It seems that everyone connected with their club has forgotten about Robert Pires' even more scandalous dying swan act against Portsmouth last season, a moment which was pivotal in setting up Arsenal's long unbeaten run.

All of this had followed several other blunders by Riley, who somewho saw fit to keep Ruud Van Nistelrooy on the field of play after the Dutchman had produced the game's only moment of what I would consider real violence. His cowardly and potentially leg-crunching assault on Ashley Cole should, if justice is seen to be served, earn him a three game break from United's first team. Perhaps he could use the time to reconsider his tackling technique, but more likely he will instead spend it convincing himself and anybody who will listen what a nasty bunch those Arsenal players are, and plot futher retribution.

Those who witnessed his crucial penalty miss in last season's corresponding fixture between these two will accept that he had some ghosts to lay to rest. However, his reaction to converting the highly dubious penalty was further evidence of a penchant for the over-dramatic from today's Premiership stars. Like a youngster at a wedding in Peter Kay's family, Van Nistelrooy performed the bog-standard jog and knee-slide, before screaming inanely to the heavens in what we are led to believe was joy. I have never converted an undeserved penalty at Old Trafford, nor anywhere else for that matter, but I found this boisterous outbreak of wild celebration a little hard to stomach. In an era in which players jump into bed with any club who offers the required amount of filthy lucre, it is hard to believe that a player could take such orgasmic pleasure in giving his team a one-goal lead with plenty of time still to play.

1186: SPL: Bhoys’ board need to back

by : Chris Sherrard

Neil Lennon is dead right. Celtic are a club in big danger of going backwards. Certainly outside of the domestic battle field, they look like a sparse, weary side. There’s no question of the players not giving their all, but they don’t have enough quality or quantity to challenge in European football. And their manager won’t be relishing hanging around too much longer, either.

After the UEFA Cup final defeat against Porto in 2003 they should have been in a position to kick on to the next level. Instead, lack of financial backing for Martin O’Neill has resulted in a series of key players leaving the club with little in the way of replacements arriving.

How long will O’Neill go on at Parkhead? Not too much longer, in my own opinion. He will be asking himself if he has taken the club he loves as far as he possibly can. He has. There is little doubt that the Irishman is one of the finest football coaches in the modern game, anywhere in the world. He has overseen a major sea shift in Scottish football, wrestling the SPL title firmly away from their Old Firm rivals.

The run to that European final and the quarters of the same competition the following season was a tremendous feat. With the current crop of players he will be surpassing all previous achievements to even match it. They now face a fight to even make it in to the UEFA Cup this season. The fact that they probably will is to be a short-lived glory. He won’t walk out on Celtic this summer, but it is coming soon, I’m afraid.

Actually it could be this June under one particular set of circumstances: Manchester United win the Champions League this season. If that happens then, I believe, Sir Alex Ferguson will recognise that to be the most fitting way to bow out. O’Neill would be the prime candidate to take over, what is essentially, a club with deep-lying Irish roots.

Who could blame him? Celtic fans are among the most football-aware and realistic, if equally romantic, in the game. They know that O’Neill will want to regularly pit himself against the Wengers and Capellos at the summit of football. If he was going to be doing that in Glasgow there would be no question of him moving on. He isn’t and that’s why Old Trafford would be too big a temptation to resist.

Over the last season or so, O’Neill has been forced, for differing reasons, to let a major proportion of his first-team squad leave as well as quite a few backups. That has left his squad bare, to say the very least. Obviously the loss of Henrik Larsson speaks for itself. I can’t think of too many clubs who would flourish after losing their star player and linchpin. Could Arsenal cope without Henry? Liverpool without Gerrard?

But Celtic have also lost promising Irish midfield talents Liam Miller and, before him, Colin Healy. Both would have been, arguably, making the starting line-up this season if they had stayed and remained fit. Swedish international defender Johan Mjallby also departed in the summer and he was, when fit, a key ingredient of the club’s back-line forging a decent partnership with Balde and Valgaeren. The bones of the squad were stripped further by releasing back-ups like Steven Crainey, Steve Guppy and promising youngsters like Ryan McCann, Jamie Smith, Mark Fotheringham and Micky Doyle.

All that has resulted in a Celtic squad that isn’t able to fairly compete with their European foes. The defeat to Shaktar Donetsk last week highlighted, painfully, the difference financial backing can do for a club. The Ukrainians have spent big in recent times and that could reap rewards if they can squeeze into the UEFA Cup.

Shaktar have signed 12 new players in the last year. Celtic have brought in Juninho on a free on Henri Camara on loan from Wolves. They, alone, won’t win you a European cup. When O’Neill leaves the club many more could follow him. Certainly Lennon, as much as he too loves Celtic, has spoken of a desire to play on the continent at some point before he retires.

For the Celtic board the message is clear: you are taking enough money off a set of loyal and passionate supporters. You are lucky to have them. And you are lucky to have Martin O’Neill as manager. So, back him with the funds he needs or he’ll go somewhere that will.

Chris Sherrard
22/10/2004

1173: Premiership: A reassessment of

by : Matthew Wilson

Arsene Wenger’s relationships with his players have always played a key part of his tenure at Arsenal.

Give or take an Alberto Mendez here or a Kaba Diawara there, not to mention the incomparable Stefan Malz, most observers would agree that Arsene Wenger has a somewhat mercurial talent for manipulating the transfer market to his advantage in the recruitment of players at Arsenal. Not only the big money or high profile signings such as Reyes, Henry, Pires and Campbell, where there would be a convincing argument that he has made good players much better ones. Also the young talent such as Fabregas, Toure, Vieira (once upon a time), Hoyte, and if Wenger is to be believed (and who are we to doubt), the recovering Ryan Smith.

This is all well documented. What is perhaps no less fascinating, and often overlooked, is the striking pattern that emerges when players brought in by Wenger leave his tutelage. It seems that these erstwhile specimens fall into one of two categories.

Firstly, and more noticeably, we have the high profile players who believe they have outgrown both Wenger and the club. Step forward Nicolas Anelka, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, and to an extent Ian Wright and Paul Merson. They have invariably gone on to regret leaving, especially in the cases of Anelka and Petit, whose careers have nosedived since leaving Highbury. Wenger was visibly hurt, like a jilted lover might be when they find their partner had been unfaithful, when he discussed their departures in subsequent press conferences. However, Wenger picked himself and Arsenal up off the floor and went on to bigger and better things. Anelka and Petit must think of the ‘what ifs’ had they stayed with Wenger. It would be difficult to argue that being at Manchester City represents a realisation of the massive talent that Anelka possesses. A similar situation was in the making this summer when Vieira just could not bring himself to leave. Edu should perhaps take note.

Significantly, when Marc Overmars returned for Martin Keown’s Testamonial at the end of last season, Reyes and Bergkamp combined to play a pass into the channel for him to run onto. It could have been 1998 all over again, just with a bit more panache. The upshot was an Overmars shot parried behind for a corner. The crowd cheered and as he went over to take the corner, he looked around and was it was clear for anyone in the North Bank that the look on his face was one of nostalgia. After brief talk of a season at Anfield, Marc Overmars retired from football two weeks later. Good players that leave Arsenal tend not to get better.

Secondly, and to the neutral and careful observer more fascinatingly, is the second category of player that has left Arsenal. These are the ones who looked for a while that they would make it at Arsenal but never did. People like Luis Boa Morte, Matthew Upson, John Hartson, Moritz Volz, Steven Sidwell, Julian Gray, Jay Bothroyd, Alex Manninger, and Inamoto. It remains to be seen whether Pennant, Aliadiere, Bentley, Flamini, Van Persie, Senderos, and Ryan Garry will also fall into this category.

All these players encountered Wenger early in their careers. Either through the high level of competition for places or the high level of talent required to play for Arsenal thesesdays, these young guys did not breakthrough. Nevertheless, most of them are better players for the footballing education they received under Wenger’s regime, and have gone onto have successful careers at a high level in English football. Upson has represented England.

It is testament to Wenger’s ability to spot and nurture talent that so many go on to have successful careers elsewhere. Boa Morte, for instance, is the scourge of many a Premiership defence for Fulham. Hartson scores by the bucketload for Celtic, and Sidwell is performing superbly for Reading at the top of the Championship. It will be interesting to see how Frankie Simek and John Spicer do at QPR and Bournemouth respectively. Sure, the players must have done a lot for themselves, but the club and the man that gave them their footballing education have a very large part in it. Perhaps there are less young players than we would like coming through at Highbury, but Wenger’s record of spotting and then producing good quality young players for other teams is worth some recognition.

Matthew Wilson
20/10/2004

1188: Premiership: Love is blind

by : Adam Graham

Van Nistelrooy was not the only United player who should have been shown a red card during the game. Rio Ferdinand had earlier wildly under-estimated the pace of Freddie Ljunberg, and resorted to shoving the Swede to the ground as he broke clear of the defence. It is arguable that Ljungberg had lost control of the ball with a heavy touch towards United goalkeeper Roy Carroll, but Riley's failure to give a free-kick for the episode is almost indefensible. So too is his decision not to give United a second penalty after Ashley Cole mis-timed a tackle on the skillful Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps Riley had realised his earlier mistake with regard to the first penalty and was not about to compound matters further, but there is a case for suggesting that he should give what he sees regardless of any other howlers he may have come up with during the game.

After impersonating Bambi on ice, or Emile Heskey on roller skates, Rooney was able to maintain his balance long enough to finish Arsenal off with a last-minute goal. His close range effort followed some neat inter-play from Alan Smith and Louis Saha, one of whom now looks set to be offered a first team opportunity in what should be Van Nistelrooy's absence through suspension. With Arsenal's unbeaten record finally gone, perhaps we could all stop talking about them and get on with the business of the rest of the season. Not a bit of it.

After the game there were yet more high-jinks and frolics as it was alleged that a rumpus broke out in the tunnell. Sir Alex Ferguson is thought to have been pelted with an array of food that would have Anthony Worrell Thompson waxing lyrical about cullinary diversity, with several differing flavours of soup among the items thought to have been aimed at the United manager. Whoever this phantom flan flinger is, he has failed to realise that it is now bordering on treason to so much as ask Ferguson an awkward question in an interview. Launching items of food in his direction is sure to be seen in a dim light by the FA, and shows again that English football's two biggest clubs are embarrassing everyone with their pitiful rivalry. Both clubs should be brought up before the FA on a new charge of 'bringing the game into the playground' or at the very least 'failing to control the buffet'.

Aside from Van Nistelrooy, one man sure to be in the soup is Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. In his post match interview he aimed his wrath at both Van Nistelrooy and Rooney as well as the by now hapless Riley, with the word 'cheat' being bandied about willy-nilly. It would be unsurprising if he faced a fine, but he will not be unduly concerned about this if it makes the FA think twice about refereeing appointments for future spats between these two sets of schoolgirls.

With all the furore surrounding Ruud, Rooney, Riley and Rio, you may not know that Newcastle edged Manchester City 4-3 in yet another trademark Kevin Keegan thriller, that Chelsea showed their intentions by walloping troubled Blackburn 4-0, and that Everton's meteoric rise up the Premiership continued with a 3-2 win at Norwich.

But then, that is the media for you.

Stephen Orford
26/10/2004This article has been removed at the writer's request.

1185: Premiership: Classy Alonso can

by : Ross Armstrong

Liverpool supporters have grown accustomed to hearing that a new signing has been made that will change the club’s fortunes single handedly, and bring the title back to Anfield and all that lark. Those with memories of the last 15 years will easily recall the introduction of a whole host of footballers that have been trumpeted to Liverpool fans as the key man, the one player that will set Liverpool on the path to the top and make all the difference.

Without thinking too hard, one can start with Nigel Clough, and then continue with Stan Collymore, Paul Ince, Jari Litmanen, Emile Heskey and Harry Kewell – there have been plenty of signings that have been heralded as ones that will turn the tide.

Some of those names certainly showed promise, and some did not necessarily get a fair crack of the whip – every Red mourns the lack of opportunities that befell Litmanen for example – but not one of these signings has significantly lifted the whole team, if not the whole club, in the way that Bergkamp did (indeed still does) for Arsenal or Cantona did for United. Each one of the much-heralded new heroes has faded away without ever making a real and sustained impact.

When Rafael Benitez took over in the summer, it was clear that he was going to want to impose his own style, his own tactics and his own practices on the club. New signings were also going to be imminent, which of course meant the chance for the introduction of yet another player that would be seen as the next ‘man to turn Liverpool around’. Enter Xabi Alonso.

After a quiet start, Alonso now impresses more and more with every game. Whereas the likes of Nigel Clough and Stan Collymore never really looked as though they belonged in the red of Liverpool, Alonso looks as if he was born to wear the shirt. His range of passing is intelligent, impressive and intuitive; he delivers a good set piece and can shoot from long range. He can tackle, dribble, defend and attack. What’s more, he still hasn’t had the chance yet to properly form a partnership with Steven Gerrard, one of Europe’s premier central midfielders. When they click, Liverpool will have the chance to develop one of the strongest partnerships in the country in the most important area of the football pitch.

Liverpool fans are, in general, a knowledgeable bunch – they know how to spot a class act because they have been spoiled on a diet of players of genuine world class ability for the last 30 years, although admittedly the diet has not been as full in the last ten. Whilst the newspapers claim that Luis Garcia is the new ‘King of the Kop’ and is fast becoming the fans’ favourite, the truth is that fans have actually warmed much more to the raw class of Alonso.

Whether Alonso will have the same impact of a Cantona, a Bergkamp or a Zola remains to be seen, and too much should not be expected too soon. However, once his understanding with Gerrard improves and they get a run of games together, Liverpool fans will have every reason to be optimistic, and every reason to be hopeful that Benitez has captured a player of genuine class, style and ability that will be a key player for years to come.

Ross Armstrong
25/10/2004

1183: Premiership: Is there life bey

by : Paul Harper

It’s the Monday after the Manchester United vs. Arsenal game, and I’m desperately searching for column inches in the sports pages that don’t mention this ONE particular game. This is after last week’s ridiculously over-the-top build-up. And I can’t believe I’m the only one sick of it. There are supporters of 90 other league clubs in England, not-to-mention the many non-league clubs who were deprived of as much coverage of their team last weekend. Am I just jealous?

I can understand why there was increased coverage of the fixture, with the Gunners gunning for their 50th game unbeaten against their biggest rivals. But surely it didn’t need people talking about it every minute of every day leading up to the game. And then during the game, and then after it. It’s incredible. When will it end?

Although I support a non-Premiership team, it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the delights that the upper-echelons of the game provide. I watched and enjoyed the game yesterday, but I think it’s important we don’t forget that two teams and one game don’t make football the beautiful game it is.

Yesterday saw possibly the game of the season so far in the Premiership. And I don’t mean the one at Old Trafford. Some of you may have missed it but Newcastle sneaked a last-minute victory over Manchester City in a seven-goal thriller at St James’ Park. But this exciting and entertaining display of free flowing attacking football was completely overshadowed by the media preferring to eulogise over events at Old Trafford instead. There was the briefest of highlights of the game on Match of the Day 2, but they spent longer discussing whether Rooney had dived or not for a penalty. Let’s get things into proportion, please.

So this article is dedicated to all the people who don’t support Arsenal or Manchester United and feel hard done-by (like myself) over the poor coverage of their respective teams last weekend. After all, it’s not every week that I can celebrate an excellent Tranmere away win!

Paul Harper
25/10/2004

1181: Premiership: The truth behind

by : Daniel Kelly

Consider these three statements. Fans like their team to win. Fans like to win in style. Fans would rather their team lost 4-3 than won 1-0. Fans would choose statement number one first, and then number two. No fan would choose number 3. I think these are pretty universal, unequivocal statements. Yet there appears to be a widely held perception that Spurs fans somehow but style before substance, entertainment before results.

This is simply not the case.

Critics in the media would have you believe George Graham was forced out of the club, not because he did not get results, but because he did not play in the ‘Tottenham Way.’ The truth is that he did not get results in the league, despite spending millions of pounds (Sergei Rebrov anyone?) AND because his side played some dire football.

Take Glenn Hoddle. His side did play attractive, open football (3-5 vs Man U for example) but his results were as bad as Graham’s. His fate was the same.

David Pleat masterminded a succession of 4-3 thrillers. Did Spurs fans cheer the undoubtedly thrilling victories, praise the style of play. No, they winced every time their opponents attacked, and despaired of having such a fragile team. Pleat, too, was shown the door.

In the face of this evidence, can the accusation that Spurs fans demand pretty football as a prerequisite to results really stand up. I feel the answer would have to be no.

Every clubs’ fans’ feel the same way. When Arsenal ground their way to title under the afore-mentioned George Graham with a series of one-nil victories he was hailed a hero and the score-line became a chant. Results come first.

However, Arsene Wenger’s stylish side are loved to an even greater extent than Graham’s side by their fans. The reason: because not only do they win, but they win in style.

Statement number one first, and then number two. Both if possible. This is the so called ‘Tottenham Way’ and it’s for everyone, even Arsenal.

Daniel Kelly
21/10/2004

1177: Premiership: Manchester City –

by : Steve Heald

At the City of Manchester Stadium last Saturday I decided at half time to treat myself to a pint and duly wound down the concourse to jostle my way to the front of the queue to be served. Whilst standing behind the archetypal brick alehouses with the shaved heads waiting to squeeze to the front I noticed the bar was entitled ‘the Ian Brightwell bar’. This served to remind me of my advancing years because during our Maine Road tenure the bars were named after brillcreamed heroes long retired and many not even still alive: Frank Swift, Sam Barkas, Fred Tilson; All players that my dad couldn’t even lay claim to witnessing. These days the bars are not only named after players that I fondly remember, but lads who are about the same age as me and I can remember as fresh faced youths making their City debuts.

There was only one exception to the list of players from the Maine Road bars that I could say I viewed on the pitch, though there were many bars in parts of the ground I never frequented so there could be a couple more, but the only on I’m aware of is Colin Bell. Even then, I never had the privilege of seeing the great man play prior to the injury that cut him down at the peak of his career. Sadly my memories of a man many City fans claim is the clubs greatest ever player is of Colin shuffling along in midfield very much on the periphery of the game unable to influence or dictate matches in the way I have been told he did.

However, I will never forget his comeback match because I saw men similar to the ones standing in front of me years later at the Ian Brightwell bar with tears in their eyes when Bell emerged on the pitch for the first time in two years on Boxing Day 1977 against Newcastle. I had become a City regular only a year earlier and during this time my dad told me that soon Colin would be back. I’ll never forget the noise that roared around Maine Road as fans choked back their tears and roared their approval.

I was a little too young to feel the emotion, but I can recall being moved to tears on two occasions at Maine Road because of the emotion. A similar situation to Colin Bells happened to Paul Lake, a young player tipped by many to be the natural successor to the throne of City’s greatest ever player. A team mate of Ian Brightwells they both emerged on the scene with a clutch of young team mates and the future looked exciting for a spell in the late eighties. Lakes career was cut down before it had even blossomed and after a staggeringly long five year battle finally conceded and announced his retirement. At City’s next home game Lake emerged to wave goodbye to the fans. I was initially shocked to see him hobble painfully onto the pitch with a walking stick but completely lost it as he broke down and cried as we sung his name for the last time at Maine Road. Inevitably the last time I cried was at the last ever game at Maine Road when I thought of stories and memories such as Paul Lake and realised how much I was going to miss this little part of Manchester.

But that’s the wonderful thing about football isn’t it? You don’t need to be constantly winning trophies or operating in the Premiership. Every club has their heroes and villains, the tragic stories and the happy tales that live with you forever. But I can’t help thinking that whilst this will continue eternally will these stories happen as often? With teams stuffed full of cocky unlovable poseurs turning up for their twenty pieces of silver and quickly buggering off at the hint of a better contract elsewhere will we still see the likes of Colin Bell, Paul Lake, and Ian Brightwell appearing at clubs like City?

Furthermore, part of the attraction has to be the ability to dream. It’s an old subject that I have mentioned before but if you are a Rochdale fan then you must dream of being able to emulate Wimbledon in the eighties and rise to the top of the league. In these days of the Premiership, and more laughably now the Championship, this is practically impossible.

1180: Premiership: Manchester United

by : Antony Melvin

The clash between Manchester United and Arsenal had everything that neutral wanted: Fouls, debatable decisions and nervous tension by the bucket-load. As a game of flowing football it was distinctly average as an old-fashioned blood-and-thunder game of English football it was perfect. TV should have put some kind of violence warning up before the match, which was played in driving rain and at a furious, violent pace. This was retro-football that was very reminiscent of the 1980’s.

Selections and tactics

Perhaps remembering his man of the match performance of two seasons ago Sir Alex Ferguson picked Phil Neville for the first time in a while. It proved to be an inspired decision as Neville made some significant challenges in Arsenal’s inside right channel, reducing the effectiveness of Jose Reyes and Thierry Henry, and giving Cristiano Ronaldo the freedom to attack Ashley Cole. The result was a nullification of much of Arsenal’s creativity through some, admittedly, rough-house tactics.

Patrick Vieira played and Roy Keane didn’t – but as Vieira flagged in the second half it was Edu who emerged as the dominant midfielder. Arsenal faded badly during the second half and Robert Pires should have come on earlier for a cobbled Reyes and a replacement for Vieira might have helped.

Fouls

The Neville brothers and Ashley Cole kicked lumps out of everything on their side of the pitch (though strangely not each other) until they were booked. Thereupon all three demonstrated proper professional restraint.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy was the real villain with his stamp/scrape on Ashley Cole a particularly nasty incident. The referee, like much of the crowd, merely assumed that Cole injured himself in sliding in on van Nistelrooy – TV replays showed a different story. Expect van Nistelrooy to be brought up before the FA for that one.

Ferdinand / Ljungberg

The key incident of the first half was Fredde Ljungberg falling under Rio Ferdinand’s challenge. It looked like a foul, with the only mitigation being that Ljungberg had lost control of the ball, which was bouncing harmlessly to Roy Carroll. On another day it would have been a red card- and the match would have been different.

Penalty!

With eighteen minutes to go Kolo Toure gave the ball away on the edge of his box, Ronaldo and Rooney combined to set Rooney free in the inside right channel, Sol Campbell waved his leg in Rooney’s direction and as he withdrew it Rooney made some contact with it. Campbell shouldn’t have waved his leg and Rooney shouldn’t have gone down, but at full speed from the referee’s position it looked a nailed on penalty. TV replays showed it was a soft penalty. Sol Campbell to his credit did not over-complain about the decision until after the game.

Four minutes later Ronaldo was clearly fouled by Cole in the box, but the referee was not minded to give two penalties in five minutes – especially as he would probably have had to book Cole and send him off as well. Two wrongs don’t make a right and Mike Riley’s fourth major mistake of the day was the first one that favoured Arsenal.

Afters

Jens Lehmann tried to pick a fight with everyone after the second goal and allegedly in the tunnel afterwards, but there were also heated words exchanged between Thierry Henry and Roy Carroll (a word of warning to the Frenchman, it can be foolhardy to upset burly Irishmen who have little regard for what their own face looks like), Sol Campbell and Mike Riley as well as the combustible Rooney. And that was before the players left the pitch.

In the buffet section of the tunnel Ferguson was allegedly assaulted with all manner of food-stuffs after the match. Various tabloids are unsure as to whether the soup was pea and ham (Mail, Guardian) or tomato (Telegraph), indeed whether soup was in a cup (Sun) or a bowl (Mail) or even a beaker (Guardian), and indeed if slices of pizza (Sky) and sandwiches (Sky) were also thrown. No-one yet knows the identity of the messy eater, but whoever the alleged player allegedly was he clearly has big hands if he were able to throw that much food at the volatile Scot and still escape injury.

Managers

Arsene Wenger called Ruud van Nistelrooy a cheat – and came perilously close to insinuating the same of the referee, whereas Sir Alex Ferguson accused Patrick Vieira of trying to influence the referee.

Antony Melvin
25/10/2004

1179: Premiership: United back in th

by : Chris Sherrard

Rip up those obituaries. The club you thought had passed away still has more than enough life left in it. Enough to beat the champions. Enough to end their 49-game unbeaten run. And enough to win this season’s Premiership title.

I’m not going to lie about it. Manchester United were not tremendous against Arsene Wenger’s team at Old Trafford. This was not the United of old. Except the underlying fact that they won the game. But, like Alex Ferguson’s teams of the past, this one knows how to win football matches when it really matters. They slogged it out with the Gunners and got their reward.

You make your own luck in this game and while the penalty that put United in front was extremely harsh, they should have had one but didn’t minutes later when Ronaldo was sent sprawling. It does even itself out.

On the whole, the home side deserved the win they got. Especially in the second period when they were the more attacking, imaginative and positive of the two teams. Arsenal’s run had to end sometime. It was fate that conspired they would be denied their 50th unbeaten game at Old Trafford by their greatest rivals.

Once again, though, Arsenal showed that when the going gets tough and things aren’t going their way in a match they bottle it. Where was Thierry Henry? In Rio Ferdinand’s pocket, that’s where. Where were all the chances on goal that they can conjure up with will against the lesser lights in the league? Where were all the goals that they have been banging in without too much opposition this season?

The difference between their previous fixtures and this one was that it really mattered at Old Trafford. Just like it mattered in the FA Cup semi-final against the same club last season. And how it mattered against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final last season. And how it mattered against Bolton in April 2003. And against Leeds in the next league game of that season. All of those games have a common theme: The Gunners bottled it.

Don’t get me wrong, they are a fantastic side who play glorious football and their 49-game unbeaten record is one that will stand the test of time and never be bettered. And in Henry they have a subliminal player and a great leader in Patrick Vieira. Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world right now. And Sol Campbell is one of the finest centre-halves in the game, as Reyes could go onto become in his position in the next few years.

But mentally are they strong enough to win the trophies and games that matter? There is plenty of evidence to suggest not. The worst thing you can do against Arsenal is to score a goal. That often awakens the beast from within and they come out firing; like they did on Sunday. But good teams like United can withstand that revival and hold on. Wenger’s men have brushed aside Blackburn, Charlton and the like this season. But they have to play Chelsea twice, Newcastle twice, Liverpool twice and, of course, United once more. As well as a trip to Bolton that they won’t particularly relish. Those games will be the real test of their mettle. Not Southampton or Crystal Palace.

As for Manchester United, their title prospects have just been revived. Big time. I said in a previous article that the race for the title is a marathon and not a sprint. Ten games have been played this season. That means there are 28 still to go. Who said it’s all over? Because it’s not. And they will only improve as the campaign progresses.

On Sunday, they won without Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes or Rooney playing anywhere near their full capability. Ruud van Nistelrooy has had a slow start to this season but his goal should boost his personal confidence which spells danger for the rest of the league. And Rio Ferdinand goes from strength to strength since his return and continues to highlight his position as the world’s best defender. No case to the contrary could be made since he has been back.

A special mention, also, should go to Roy Carroll. The Northern Ireland international has been superb from the moment he was handed back the first team keeper’s jersey. How many others can claim to have shut out Henry, Bergkamp, Reyes et al twice in two games? Forget all the other goalkeepers being linked with moves to Manchester. In Carroll they have enough quality to hold down the spot. And, in Tim Howard, they have a more than able deputy.

Fergie was confident going into the game against Arsenal. So, too, were most real United fans. Because they knew that their side never fail to raise themselves when it really matters. That’s something all Gooners should be seriously questioning of their heroes.

Chris Sherrard
24/10/2004

1176: Premiership: Frank Arnesen – t

by : Adam Graham

This article has been removed at the writer's request.

1178: Championship: Rotherham must s

by : David Hulott

Before the Chelsea game last week, my dad and I, having to travel to the ground at an unaccustomed evening time for the benefit of Sky, found little enthusiasm for the match ahead as we feared the might of Chelsea would beat us handsomely. In the car on the way my dad bemoaned the point of us going at all, making a point that I have harboured for some time now:

“What’s the point in going when you know we are never going to win the league again ever? We may qualify for the EUFA Cup and have a good run, but that will end when the big boys join the tournament. We may win the League Cup, but only because nobody wants to win it. What’s the point?”

City being City, god bless them, then did what they do best and duly turned Chelsea over. And I bought a round in, so the unexpected still does happen to the also rans. But it is becoming rarer, and only the memories of Colin Bell, Paul Lake, and Ian Brightwell and their equivalents at other clubs up and down the country encourage many of us to keep up the habit of watching our sides still week in week out.

Steve Heald
21/10/2004
Without a win and with just five points and five goals to their name after 14 league games, things are already looking pretty bleak for Rotherham United as far as this season is concerned. The situation is looking equally uncertain for their manager, Ronnie Moore, especially now that the club has been bought up by Earth Mortgages.

The new owners, Darren Millington and Mike Worthington, are due to take over the club in early November, but they already appear to be going about their business in a less than satisfactory manner. According to Moore himself, they have yet to actually speak to the manager, which you would have thought should register somewhere near the top on any list of priorities. Perhaps even more worrying is that two of those they have spoken to for “guidance”, are Bryan Robson and Paul Gascoigne, sorry, G8.

In terms of a management duo, the prospect of Robson and Gascoigne in tandem is more nightmare scenario than dream ticket. The very idea can only have come from someone whose entire knowledge of the game is based on having read a couple of copies of Shoot sometime around 1989. Such a move seems especially perverse given that Moore is one of the most highly-respected managers outside of the Premiership and still has the backing of the vast majority of the club’s supporters. That in itself is hardly surprising, given that he has steered the club to two promotions in his seven years at the helm and already managed to keep them in, what we are now to refer to as, the Coca-Cola Championship for three seasons against the odds. All this despite having to work on the proverbial shoestring budget that Messrs Robson and Gascoigne would probably have regarded as being just about sufficient for a night down the boozer in the not too distant past.

Moore has had precious little luck in trying to solve the goal shortage, with injuries preventing main striker Martin Butler and winger Andy Monkhouse from kicking a ball for the first team this season. Loan signings Mark Burchill from Portsmouth and Paul Shaw from Sheffield United both returned to their respective clubs early and attempts to bring in the Reading duo of Shaun Goater and Lloyd Owusu on similar short-term deals both collapsing. Derby County’s Brazilian striker Junior has just arrived on a one-month deal and he could be the type of player who could help to spark a revival. They could certainly do with him providing a little Samba magic in Monday night’s televised game against Sunderland at Millmoor.

In reality, the Millers have been punching above their weight for a few years now and realistically their ambitions are always going to be limited to little more than retaining their current league standing. Even were they to be relegated this season (and I wouldn’t regard that as being a certainty at this stage), they would be well advised to stick with what they have in terms of the manager. You get the impression that Millington and Worthington don’t see it that way though.

David Hulott
24/10/2004

1076: MANAGER PROFILE: Steve Bruce,

by : Chris Sherrard

Steve Bruce has had his fair share of managerial jobs over the course of a relatively short career as a boss but he seems to have settled on Birmingham City as the club with which he can achieve his current ambitions in the game.

The man who was extraordinarily never capped by England despite being one of the best central defenders in the country for many years, has built a strong squad at St Andrews which is brimming with quality and top level experience. Bruce has got the club to the point now where they are seriously looking to push into the very top echelons of the Premiership. He is a strong enough character to help them establish that.

The likeable Geordie made his name as a no-nonsense defender with Manchester United helping to lead the club to their first league title win in 25 years in the anagurual Premiership season, as well as some significant subsequent successes. His partnership with Gary Pallister at Old Trafford often seemed telepathic at times, earning them respect as one of the best defensive partnerships in the game and the shared title of ‘Dolly and Daisy’. It’s never been clear which Bruce was supposed to be.

In 1995, Bruce left Old Trafford with more than 400 games and 50 goals under his belt to sign for Birmingham as their 35-year old captain. Two years later he moved to Yorkshire to become Sheffield United’s new player/manager – a short lived affair of just ten months before quitting after failing to finish in the play-offs.

Bruce was promised mega cash to spend if he took over at Huddersfield Town, but it didn’t all materialize and the club missed out on the play-offs before Bruce was sacked in October of the next season with the club bottom of the league. In 2001, he was appointed manager of up-and-coming Wigan Athletic. Six weeks later he had relocated again, to London to manage Crystal Palace.

Four months passed before Bruce was forced to hand in his resignation to Chairman Simon Jordan after the manager’s job at Birmingham had become available. He was forced on ‘gardening leave’ while Palace and City fought it out before Bruce finally took over in the Second City in December 2001 – his fifth club in three-and-a-half years.

A late surge in his first season saw Birmingham into the play-off final where an inspired performance from youngster Darren Carter proved the difference as the Blues secured the win and a place in the lucrative Premiership.

Since then, despite being predictably tipped to yo-yo back into the second tier, Bruce’s Brum side have finished 13th and 10th in successive seasons to firmly establish themselves as a top-flight club. He has continuously added to his young squad with the experience of Savage, Gronkjaer, Izzet and Heskey and the goals of Forssell vital to their future.

If they can continue at this current pace, many will be expecting Bruce to make a return to Old Trafford to succeed his old boss. Well, he does get around.

Chris Sherrard
17/09/2004

1171: Serie A: The return to the top

by : Paul Harper

Italy’s most successful club team have recovered from a bad season last year to regain their supremacy in Serie A. Juventus won a record 27th scudetto in 2003 but followed it up last season with a disappointing 3rd place in the league and an early exit from the Champions League.

Marcello Lippi left his position as manager of the bianconeri in the summer and Fabio Capello made a surprise move from AS Roma to take over. The change of manager has certainly changed the club’s fortunes, as they sit top of Serie A having only dropped two points from the opening six matches and have a 100% record in the Champions League so far too.

Capello has made some excellent signings since he took control, to strengthen what was already a pretty strong squad. Defensively last season, Juventus looked a little vulnerable so who better to sign than one of the best central defenders in the world, Fabio Cannavaro, to play alongside Lilian Thuram. If that wasn’t enough, Capello took Emerson from his former club Roma to shore up the midfield and added even more strength to the attack by purchasing the man who partially helped Italy’s downfall in Euro 2004, Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It could be argued that of the top Italian clubs, Juventus were the only ones to strengthen their squad over the summer while the others stayed still. On paper, the Juventus squad now appears as strong as any other in the world of club football.

And that strength is showing on the field of play as well. The defensive frailties of last season no longer exist as Cannavaro has added organisation, strength and a great deal of skill to the back four which has shipped just two goals in the opening eight competitive fixtures. And with players like Nedved, del Piero, Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic they don’t lack creativity and goal scoring ability.

They appear to be unstoppable; any other team in Serie A, except perhaps AC Milan, cannot match the strength in depth that they possess as well as the immense quality of the players and manager. They could possibly do what Arsenal achieved last season in the Premiership and go unbeaten in Serie A this time around. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me. And you mustn’t rule them out for the Champions League either. They always seem to be there or thereabouts but this time, with arguably their strongest squad for a long time, this could be their year.

Paul Harper
17/10/2004

1175: Central America: Power, corrup

by : David Hulott

Sometime in the next few years, when I’ve made my fortune from writing for http://www.squarefootball.net, it’s my intention to move to Queretaro, a distinctly middle class city in Mexico (there was recently a very positive article in Newsweek, no less), which just happens to be where my wife was born. There are many plus points about the city – cheap property prices, good weather, secure (certainly by Mexican standards) and the local club side, Queretaro “Gallos Blancos” (White Roosters), playing in the Primera Liga…or at least they were.

Last season was Queretaro’s first back in the top-flight after a lengthy absence and they performed well enough to finish in the top half of the table at the end of Clausura 2004. Back in April, I went to a game at La Corregidora, where they drew 4:4 with Monterrey on a record-breaking day when Mexico went goal crazy (50 goals in 10 games). They were certainly a little nave defensively, but they showed enough spirit for me to think that I could enjoy many visits from the elite of Mexican football in my dotage.

However, the Mexican Football Federation are noted for interfering in the game more than just about any other FA in the world. Franchising has long been commonplace, with promoted clubs frequently being bought out by businessmen from another city and simply being set up wherever they deem fit. To be fair, Gallos Blancos only gained promotion themselves via this system, when a group of Guadalajaran businessmen bought the franchise from Le Piedad (who were unable to finance a new stadium) in 2003.

This summer though, the powers that be in Mexican football surpassed themselves. Not only did they decide to cut the league from 20 clubs to 18 at the end of the season but, rather than say adios to the two teams who finished bottom of the table, 10th placed Queretaro and 9th placed Irapuato were simply told that they were being demoted, citing their poor financial situations and lack of backing from major companies as the reason.

Well, as stated earlier, Queretaro is far from a poor city, so the suggestion that they lacked funding seems unlikely. Having spoken at length to the club’s Media Officer, Mauricio Herbert Pesquera, before the Monterrey game, I was told that the club were largely looking to develop their own players, rather than spend heavily on star names. With La Corregidora being a Government owned stadium, the club’s owners main concern was in securing their own stadium. They also saw themselves as a club for the local community and were already heavily involved with schools and clubs in the vicinity.

Another reason for the demotions seems to be based on fixture congestion, with the Olympic Games and World Cup qualifiers having a major impact on the current season, although given that the authorities have only reversed a much-criticised expansion that they themselves put in place two years ago, this seems a pretty lame excuse.

The consensus among many supporters is that Queretaro (and Irapuato) simply had to go because they failed to bring in the glamorous players to keep the likes of Televisa and TV Azteca happy. Queretaro are now plying their trade in Primera A, where they are on the fringe of the promotion race (although there has also been talk of no promotion this season). For their part, Irapuato have disappeared from the scene altogether.

It’s tempting to think that such a scenario could never happen in England, but with some of those currently looking to invest in the game seemingly only interested in making a fast buck, I wouldn’t be so certain.

With thanks to Jose Abisay Cruz Sanchez/ En agradecimiento a Jose Abisay Cruz Sanchez

David Hulott
19/10/2004

1075: MANAGER PROFILE: Sam Allardyce

by : Chris Sherrard

Big Sam is a rarity in the game these days – an English manager, plying his trade in the Premiership and good enough to take the national team job; if he wanted it.

Bolton Wanderers did an incredible job to tie Allardyce down to a ten-year contract. Most clubs wouldn’t mind him heading their operation, such is his ability and growing reputation.

Eleven years a player with Bolton, followed by a lengthy stay in the north-east with Sunderland and then varying spells elsewhere in English football and then the USA. A strong solid defender, Allardyce would be first to admit he never set the football world on fire with his sheer class.

His first venture in the coaching game was as a coach with Preston and Sunderland, and then a spell in the early-90s as manager with Irish side Limerick. Blackpool were watching his progression closely and, when Billy Ayres was dismissed in 1994, Allardyce was offered the top job at the Seaside club. There he transformed the club from relegation material to top-of-the-table challengers but, in 1996, the side blew a big chance of promotion and the Dudley-born manager was sacked and replaced by Gary Megson.

Allardyce was soon back in the game with Notts County and brought the club the third division title with an incredible 99 points in his first full season in 1998.

It’s fair to say he was now a wanted man and, in October 99, the top job at his beloved Bolton became available. It was too good an opportunity to overlook and Big Sam took over, on his 45th birthday, with the club on the way to the play-offs. They lost in the semi-final to Ipswich but also reached the last four of the two domestic cups and confidence was high around the Lancashire club that success with Allardyce was just around the corner.

They were right. The very next season – Sam’s first full one in charge – he took them to a 3-0 play-off win against one of his former clubs, Preston, in the final. The Premiership had come to Wanderers and Allardyce was hailed for his achievements.

It was then that the beginnings of Allardyce’s masterplan of bringing in big-name loans and freebies paid dividend and Bolton finished 16th – despite being nearly everyone’s favourites for the drop.

Since then they have established themselves as a Premiership side with players of the calibre of Youri Djorkaeff and, of course, Jay Jay Okocha, persuaded by Big Sam that The Reebok was the arena for them. He brought the club to the final of the Carling Cup in 2003 where they narrowly lost out to Middlesbrough. But hope still remains around the town that Bolton have, in Allardyce, the man to bring them the elusive silverware they so crave.

That’s if the England job doesn’t come calling first.

Chris Sherrard
17/09/2004

1172: Championship: Alan Pardew shou

by : Rob Hodges

West Ham United has always been a unique club in more ways than one. It’s a club that is full of traditions, that has been blessed with such an array of talent and yet relatively empty on recent glories and cursed with the uncanny knack of shooting itself in the foot when so close to success.

The late great Brian Clough described West Ham as the one club he would have loved to have managed. He mentioned the great potential and the imprinted values that it hosts. But then again he was always as close to insanity as he was to genius.

Just over a year ago, Alan Pardew was the man appointed to take over the mad house. The club he joined was stunned by relegation, reeling from a summer exodus of some of England’s finest and crippled by a huge wage bill hosting players who either couldn’t get out quick enough or wouldn’t get out however hard they were pushed.

Like the proverbial breath of fresh air he introduced his new regime from the off. New training techniques, motivational methods and more professionalism were all part of the Pardew revolution. If Harry Redknapp was Del Boy and Glenn Roeder was Trigger, then Alan Pardew was most certainly not Rodney. Here breathed a confident and ambitious man ready to turn a beleagued club round full circle.

After an inauspicious start, Pardew began to stamp his authority on the side, new recruits arrived hungry and the dead wood was cut adrift. In reaching the Play Off final last season, Pardew had managed to turn one of the most turbulent seasons in the clubs history into one of near glory. Of course West Ham wouldn’t be West Ham if they didn’t then slump to defeat at Cardiff and let Palace take the plaudits.

Alan Pardew is certainly not shy; his self belief is extraordinary at times. Famed for his motivational mottos, the former Palace and Charlton defender certainly likes the sound of his own voice. It’s rare that a day goes by when he isn’t appearing on TV, radio or on the newswires with more of the right words at the right time.

So after a summer with further changes and big talk from Pardew, The Boleyn Ground was almost filled with an air of confidence as the new season approached. A pre season with his own recruits and his own methods and Pardew assured the West ham faithful all would be well.

Yet despite all the changes, there remains an air of familiarity about the East End club. Still full of potential, still full of expectation and yet still full of the same inconsistencies that have plagued the club for years.

Even with all the speeches, new techniques and changes that Pardew has installed, he still hasn’t managed to get things to click on the pitch. Questionable tactics and strange selections have plagued him as he searches for the right formula.

Of course it’s by no means incurable; the club is in far better health than a year ago both on and off the pitch. Despite the scratchy start, the Hammers remain in and around the top six and many of the early defensive frailties have been allayed.

Despite this, Pardew has to now give up the role of spin doctor and start achieving; all his good work of the past year will be for nothing if the results don’t come. The West Ham public want promotion, the side he has is built to deliver must now do so. There are no more excuses to be had and the talking has to be done on the pitch, or Pardew might well talk himself out of a job.

Rob Hodges
19/10/2004

1174: Premiership: Adrian Mutu

by : Stephen Orford

Once again scandal has reared its ugly head in professional football with the news that Chelsea's Romanian striker Adrian Mutu has admitted to taking drugs.

When news broke of the positive test of a then unnamed footballer, followers of the sport everywhere braced themselves for the shocking possibility of an athlete plying his body with performance enhancers, cheating to put it another way. That Mutu has been admitted to using a social drug may be cause for those same football followers to let out a collective sigh of relief in one sense, but the affair is still damaging to the sport's image.

To Mutu's credit, he has at least admitted to the offence, and will doubtless be offered some sort of counselling or rehabilitation by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA). Had he issued a denial and insisted on the testing of the B sample, it is likely he would have faced heavier punishment than may now be the case had he been found guilty. Doping offences, complete with denials and unsatisfactory explanations, carry a two-year ban from the game and so in admitting his crime, Mutu can probably expect his sentence to fall short of that.

Despite this, anything less than the eight month ban received by Rio Ferdinand for missing a drugs test earlier this year will be met with outrage among many in the game. It is not hard to imagine Sir Alex Ferguson in particular banging down the door of the FA, and possibly even FIFA to demand an explanation should Mutu's punishment not outweigh that of Ferdinand. FIFA's own Sepp Blatter is bound to have an opinion, and he is a man who seems to take a very dim view of most of the wrongs he sees in football. A man who criticised the England squad for failing to talk to the press, and bemoaned the chosen match attire of female players is certain to have something to say about the use of recreational drugs by a man who is, after all, a role model for young people.

And therein lies the biggest and most important consequence of Mutu's actions. The number of youngsters who look up to stars like the former Parma striker is incalculable. His use or indeed abuse of what is after all an illegal substance not only in sporting terms but in terms of the laws of the land in which he lives, sets a quite apalling example to those youngsters. You could argue that Mutu should only be subject to the same sort of role model responsibilities as your average pop star, many of whom have openly admitted to the use of drugs. However, sports stars know when they go into the arena of their chosen profession that drugs and sport do not mix. In music or film, there seems to be a culture of merely laughing off drug misdemeanours, whereas in sport they are seen in a very grave light.

Sport, and football, is right in my opinion to take this stance. Should it fail to do so, it would open up doors and some more foolhardy athletes might be tempted to push the boundaries even further. We have seen in recent years with Paul Merson in particular, the damage that can be done to an individual's life from drug addiction. In handing out a meaty punishment to Mutu, football will be sending out a message to young aspiring footballers, and fans of the game, that drug abuse is not a desirable route down which to travel.

Mutu's Chelsea days looked numbered even before this news came to light, with manager Jose Mourinho seemingly set on leaving him out of the team. Now, with the precedent of having cancelled Mark Bosnich's contract under similar circumstances, Chelsea have all the ammunition they need to make an example of Mutu and terminate his contract with the club. He will doutbless find new employers at the end of any ban he incurs, with rumours that Ukranian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk are already interested in his services, but few would blame Chelsea for taking such action. They will probably have to endure a financial loss to remove Mutu from their books, as not too many will be willing or able to pay anywhere near the 16 million pounds plus that Chelsea splashed out on the player last year.

Still, sometimes the financial needs of a team, particularly one as mega rich as Chelsea, are outweighed by their moral obligations.

Stephen Orford
21/10/2004

1169: Premiership: Manchester United

by : Colin Illingworth

Forget the three league points at stake. The only thing on the line in Sunday’s mouth-watering clash between the Premiership’s two superpowers is pride. Sir Alex Ferguson welcomes his nemesis Arsene Wenger to Old Trafford in what he’s described as a ‘must-win game’ knowing failure to do so means the Gunners will have achieved a record 50 league games unbeaten in his own backyard. Not only that but if they do lose then they’ve all but conceded the title as well.

Football pundits and journalists have run out of superlatives to describe Arsenal as they brush past teams and score with apparent ease. Only Bolton have prevented them from a run of nine straight league victories. Manchester United on the other hand have made an awful start to the season by their high standards winning just three times and scoring a paltry nine goals in nine games. If it wasn’t for late equalizers against Blackburn, Bolton, and Middlesbrough, United would be even further down the table but, despite their poor start, they have only been beaten once, on the opening day against Chelsea, and currently sit sixth in the table. In that sense all the pressure is on Manchester United to produce the goods and show the footballing world that they are not a spent force. Arsenal and Chelsea have overtaken them in recent seasons and many believe that the golden era of the all-conquering Manchester United is now a distant memory.

Arsenal are gunning to keep their unbeaten record going and where better to rack up the unimaginable half century than on your rivals home turf, the same place where they tied up the title with a Sylvain Wiltord goal two years ago. Fergie will do everything in his power to ensure Wenger’s men do not leave Old Trafford with that record or three points under their belt.

The Gunners already have a healthy lead at the top of the table and playing the kind of football that nobody on these isles can match. The way they’re playing you can see this amazing run running and running, but if there is one team capable, and desperate enough, of stopping them it’s United. They proved they still have the desire to win when they crossed paths in the FA Cup last season when the Gunners were going for the treble. United scrapped and pressed Arsenal for every ball and ended up winning through a Paul Scholes goal.

Past fixtures

Fixtures between these two giants are always powder-keg affairs and the whole of the country will be glued to their screens. Notoriously close and hard thought affairs there is no love lost between these two. The scenes of last seasons clash at Old Trafford are still fresh in most fans memories following the shameful scenes of Martin Keown, Lauren and co surrounding Ruud Van Nistlerooy after he missed a last gasp penalty, which would have ended the Gunners unbeaten record prematurely. The return fixture at Highbury ended 1-1 after Louis Saha stole a dramatic point.
They squared up in this seasons Commuinty Shield and Arsenal ran out comfortable winners at the Millennium Stadium 3-1 thanks to goals be Jose Antonio Reyes, Gilberto Silva and a Mikael Silvestre own goal. Alan Smith replied for United. All in all, since the turn of the Millennium, Arsenal have reined victorious 6 times over their Northern counterparts with United recording just 3 victories, in all competitions.

Arsenal are not only after the unbeaten record but are also chasing their 30th league goal this season. The free flowing Gunners are masters of pass and move and one touch football. It doesn’t matter if you put two men on Thierry Henry to try and curb his influence as Jose Antonio Reyes, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, and Freddie Ljunberg are all capable of popping up with something special and unlocking defences. However the Gunners only weakness is their defence, as highlighted again in midweek. They’ve conceded almost a goal a game in the league this season but Jens Lehmann has managed to keep four clean sheets along the way and as Middlesbrough and Aston Villa have found out, even if you do breach their defence they will just go up front and bang in another.

1166: Premiership: Why Manchester Un

by : Chris Sherrard

You might think I’m mad, and that’s nothing I haven’t heard a dozen times already this week, but I firmly believe that Manchester United will beat Arsenal in Sunday’s titanic clash at Old Trafford.

Still laughing? Well, hang on a minute. For all the superlative, at times sumptuous, football that the Highbury side have played in recent times, you can count the number of back-to-back titles that they have secured on a broken calculator. They are bottlers, in my opinion. United have the players for the big occasion. Arsenal’s go missing when the going gets tough.

They may have played the best football in the world at times over the last three seasons, but won just one league title and got nowhere near winning the Champions League. It’s all very well destroying Blackburn or Southampton. But when it comes to the big teams they can’t do it. And Man United are their biggest rivals.

In the four games that United and Arsenal played last season, the Manchester club were unbeaten and even knocked the all-conquering Gunners out of the FA Cup when everyone was hanging the treble around their necks.

Old Trafford is now home to a host of what you could term as big-game players. Wayne Rooney did little last season in Everton’s nothing fixtures but give him a stage where the whole world is watching, like in Portugal for his country or against Fenerbahce on his United debut, and there is no stopping the wonder-kid.

The same could be said about Ferdinand, van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo, Silvestre and Giggs. Rightly or wrongly, they find it hard to raise themselves for games against supposedly smaller teams. That explains the draws with Everton, Blackburn and Birmingham already this season. Do you think they will have any problems raising themselves for the visit of Arsenal? Me neither.

The Battle of Old Trafford last season was a disgrace to football. Arsenal’s offending players were, in my opinion, treated unbelievably leniently. Scoff if you want, but Lauren and Keown, in particular, got away pretty lightly for their bullying. I can’t imagine van Nistelrooy will need any further incentive to bang one in on Sunday. This one is personal.

It’s personal between the likes of Lauren and van Nistelrooy. It’s personal between the two sets of supporters who have much more than just pride at stake in this one. And it’s personal between Wenger and Ferguson. Hands up who reckons Fergie would be a happy bunny if The Gunners manage to secure their 50th unbeaten game in his back garden. It was bad enough when that Wiltord goal won them the title up there a couple of seasons back. Rest assured, the Glaswegian hairdryer will be on the whole week leading up to this one.

And, though they might not have scored too many goals so far this season, United are probably the only team in the country, potentially Europe, with the firepower to out-score Arsenal. Most likely it will be Rooney and van Nistelrooy starting. But Saha and Smith won’t miss too many chances if called upon. And the threat of Giggs and Ronaldo from the wings should be enough to keep The Gunners’ full-back occupied all afternoon.

Throw in the absence of Patrick Vieira - Arsenal’s captain and inspiration - and the return of United’s own version in Roy Keane and you have to say the home side will have the edge in midfield.

And how will Thierry Henry cope when he comes up against, arguably, the best defender in the world in Rio Ferdinand? Bit different from Luke Young, ain’t it?

This game is, for Manchester United, about stopping the Arsenal juggernaut before it leaves them behind. Most observers think that is too late. A United win on Sunday and it’s game on again in the Premiership race. A marathon not a sprint, as someone once said.

Chris Sherrard
20/10/2004

1167: Premiership: Why Arsenal will

by : Antony Melvin

Arsenal will win because they are better. Better team, better form, better organised, better motivated and better managed. Sir Alex Ferguson may have won everything going but he is losing his way at Manchester United. You can throw as much money as you want at a team – ask Chelsea or Lazio – but if the manager is losing his touch it’s wasted.

Ferguson is suddenly questioning his own team selections saying he is making too many changes, and then makes seven changes for the midweek match – four of them unforced. Arsenal by comparison are already serenely planning Arsene Wenger’s ascent to the boardroom.

Arsenal have a team packed with stars, but with no star mentality. When Thierry Henry scores a goal he gathers the team together, when a match is over they congratulate each other (except when Lauren gets upset). This togetherness has seen them through 49 league matches unbeaten and will see them through 50 and beyond. The only way an Arsenal defeat is coming is if they stop working for each other or suffer colossal ill-luck.

Given the way Manchester United’s much vaunted attack is misfiring, colossal ill-luck for Arsenal would be a 0-0 draw, as United barely seem capable of scoring.

Whilst Ferguson overpays for every passing teenage sensation, Wenger has been forced to make do and mend with a budget that for most teams would suggest relegation fodder. And with massive sponsorship announced to improve cash-flow over the next few years the basis for a decade of domestic domination is in place.

Arsenal have a settled, if regularly criticised, goalkeeper – Manchester United are making do with picking one from three keepers who if they are not having crises of confidence are struggling to kick the ball. Advantage Arsenal.

In defence the two teams are remarkably equal, with Ferdinand cancelling out Campbell, Neville edging out Lauren, Cole edging out Heinze and Toure vs Brown/Silvestre also pretty equal. No advantage.

In midfield, Arsenal hold sway. Ordinarily Vieira, Pires and Reyes would top anything United have except Ronaldo. But in Vieira’s absence Edu will be Keane’s equal leaving Arsenal to edge the battle. Further advantage to Arsenal.

Up front Arsenal have the best strike partnership in world football in Bergkamp and Henry, and despite United boasting van Nistelrooy and Rooney – this is another win for Arsenal.

Everywhere on the pitch Arsenal players are better than their United counterparts. And of a combined XI, how many non-United fans would find room for less than 7 Arsenal players? For me the best combined XI would be Lehmann; Neville, Ferdinand, Campbell, Cole; Pires, Vieira, Reyes, Ronaldo; Rooney and Henry. Showing just how strong Arsenal really are.

Arsenal will win comfortably on Sunday, and perhaps the uncomfortable truth for the home support is that all eras have a start and an end. Manchester United’s era has ended and Sunday will be the day when Arsenal prove beyond all doubt that their era is upon us.

Antony Melvin
20/10/2004

1170: Premiership: Manchester United

by : Stephen Orford

Despite scoring just nine goals in the league Manchester United possess potentially the most lethal striking quartet in the country. Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha, Alan Smith, and the boy wonder himself Wayne Rooney. Van Nistelrooy and Saha have all suffered with injuries this season, Smith has coped well on his own up front and Rooney has only played three games for his new club. Fergie’s dilemma, which he has commented on this week, is that he has experimented with his team too much this season and they are in a transitional period. He’s overlooked Phil Neville, played John O’Shea in midfield, and I’m not sure if he knows whose his main strike partnership is going to be. Once Fergie has sorted these issues out then United should be back to their winning ways but it’s unlikely to happen this Sunday. It will be fascinating to see how Sol Campbell copes with his international colleague Rooney though.

The midfield battle will be a fiercely contested one as ever and we could possibly see the reintroduction of Phil Neville who has done a superb marking job in these fixtures before. Fergie also can choose from Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Eric Djemba Djemba and Cristiano Ronaldo. Arsenal meanwhile will be without Gilberto Silva, with a cracked vertebra, and possibly captain Patrick Vieira, with a sprained ankle picked up against Villa. Edu and Freddie Ljunberg will be in contention alongside Robert Pires, Cesc Fabregas. But how will the United defence manage to stop Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and Jose Antonio Reyes, running through them? In Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, and Gary Neville, they have a defence full of internationals who have played at the highest level but they, and Roy Carroll, will need to be totally focused and committed with the job at hand because the Gunners just need one sniff of goal and they will punish you.

Fergie is still hurting after the Gunners clinched the Premiership title at Old Trafford in 2002 and will have his men fired up to ensure that Arsenal do not make it 50 not out at the Theatre of Dreams as well. With so much at stake it has the makings of a classic and bonfire night may be a fortnight away but fireworks are almost certainly guaranteed.

Colin Illingworth
21/10/2004Whoever enters the data into the Premiership's fixture computer has a sense of humour. Maybe it is the machinery itself enjoying an ironic chuckle, but somehow it is glorious fate that Arsenal's prospective 50th match unbeaten should be against Manchester United at Old Trafford this Sunday (October 24).

Last year's invincibles are again tearing ahead of the competition, sitting five points clear of nearest challengers Chelsea. Meanwhile, Fergie's men flounder in the relative doldrums of 6th place, eleven points behind the Gunners. A win for United is already being seen as a must if they are to place any pressure on Arsenal in this year's Premiership race. Much is at stake even this early in the season, and with memories of last year's pitiful melee still fresh in many memories this one has added spice.

Indeed, Sir Alex Ferguson has already used the events of last season's Old Trafford fixture to stoke up the fires ahead of the game. Laughably, he called the minor scuffle at the end of that game 'the worst thing' he had 'ever seen in sport'. Clearly, Sir Alex has never seen Barrie McDermott fight Stuart Fielden in a Bradford Bulls v Leeds Rhinos clash. Chief aggressor that day was Martin Keown who, busy causing bother elsewhere, will be absent from Sunday's encounter. Twelve months ago Keown showed all the menace of a toddler taunting one of his peers over a dropped ice cream when barging into Ruud Van Nistelrooy following the Dutchman's last-gasp penalty miss. Also absent will be one of Keown's side-kicks from last season, Ray Parlour, now assisting dressing room harmony in Middlesbrough. With Arsenal's terrible two out of the way, Old Trafford could be a more peaceful place this time around. Or perhaps not.

The width of the Old Trafford crossbar last September, added to some very clever gamesmanship from Robert Pires against Portsmouth, are major factors in Arsenal's ridiculously long unbeaten spell. For much of the time however they have been imperious, slicing through a succession of frighteningly inferior opponents in the way that Mike Tyson once despatched heavyweight boxers. They are a destructive, powerful force on their day and at the moment, every Premiership day seems to be their day. United, in their current state of drowsiness, cannot possibly be expected to halt the juggernaut, can they?

Possibly, though do not expect Arsenal's unbeaten run to come to an end. Despite what Sky Sports would have you believe, these games are very rarely classics in the purest sense of the term. It is this potential tedium and the propensity of both teams to cancel each other out that will probably lead to a draw. Now more than ever, the verbal jousting between Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson which preceeds these fixtures is invariably more interesting than the on-field product. With Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira kicking as many lumps out of each other as is permitted in modern day football, rarely is their enough space in midfield for any creativity to prosper.

If there is to be a winner, it could be the result of a calamitous error or disastrous lack of discipline. Comedy Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has the potential for both as his recent antics in Athens have shown, while the badge-kissing strike duo for United of Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney have fuses shorter than Steve Wigley's coaching CV. A repeat of what football people insist on calling the 'brawl' may be unlikely, but perhaps Sir Alex's wild lack of perspective on last year's events were aimed at keeping the incident simmering under the surface. Should Keane, Rooney, Smith or even would-be peacemaker Ryan Giggs fancy a girly cat-fight, they will find willing eye-ball scratchers in Ashley Cole, Lauren, Vieira and the increasingly moody Thierry Henry.

United are clearly the more desperate, but it is not exactly clear how that desperation is going to help them overcome what is by far and away the best team in the land at the moment. Even if Arsenal get caught up in the handbag-swinging and hair-pulling, there is little to suggest that they could have enough of an off day to actually lose to a United team that looks disjointed in midfield if solid at the back. The game will almost certainly contain incident in the tabloid sense of the word, with yellow and red cards, bad refereeing decisions and controversial post-game soundbites all on the cards. However, it is unlikely to contain much flowing football, and for that reason I predict a rather dour draw.

Should that come to pass Arsenal will have achieved an unprecedented 50 games unbeaten in top flight league football, but more importantly will have done much to see off the title challenge of a major rival. The title race itself is likely to be another anti climax, so what next for the fixture computer to amuse itself with?

Perhaps a relegation six-pointer between Everton and Liverpool in March.

Stephen Orford
21/10/2004

1164: Premiership: Graeme Souness an

by : Bill Urban

From fourth bottom to eighth in a few short weeks is powerful support for the job Graeme Souness has done to date at Newcastle. In many respects, the change of managers appears to have been the right move; results have picked up, the play on the pitch has been sharp and incisive, and cautious optimism from the supporters has very much been in evidence at St. James Park. However, as I predicted in an earlier article for this website, the personality clashes between Souness and players and executives at Newcastle would explode at some point; the question was not if they would happen, but rather between the manager and whom?

The initiation of the first Great Clash between Souness and Someone occurred last Sunday at the Valley during the match against Charlton. After scoring the first, and only, Newcastle goal of the match, hot-tempered Craig Bellamy was caught by television cameras voicing strong disapproval at being substituted in the 66th minute.

Initially, Souness seemed to take events in stride. Post match comments included, “I did not see it (straight out of the Arsene Wenger Handbook), but I can understand players not being happy.” and “Psychologically he is not going to be in great condition, physically he is not going to be at his best, so I think it was a common sense thing to do.”

Perhaps Brad Friedel had been right when he predicted that Newcastle were going to see a mellower version of the fiery Souness. An impression which lasted roughly twenty four hours.

The day after the match, after undoubtedly wearing out the rewind button on the club VCR, Souness turned normal procedure upside down, growing remarkably angrier after a period of time to reflect on the previous day’s events.

Souness referred to Bellamy as a “dope,” and in a burst of temper stated:” All these things have to stop. If we're going to win things at this club we need to concentrate on what matters, not this petulance, not people acting like children. It has to stop and it will stop, I guarantee the supporters that. He (Bellamy) in particular has to sort himself out.”

And here we go.

I find it both predictable and fascinating that the Newcastle manager appeared to be well under control initially, and that after a night’s reflection the well-known raging Souness emerged ready for any sort of confrontation. Interestingly enough, both men appear to have some justification for their outbursts, which will surely lead to more edifying spectacles in the coming weeks. Newcastle were in front due to a goal scored by Bellamy, and appeared well in control of the match. And it doesn’t take any sort of lip-reading skills to decipher exactly what Bellamy’s personal opinion of his new manager was upon being substituted. Upping the ante by referring to Bellamy as a “dope” surely does not represent the calm, professional approach Souness favours in his rare mellow moments, yet he is correct in pointing out that events off the pitch are overshadowing those between the white lines for the Geordies.

In the aftermath of escalating tensions, Souness and Bellamy had a clash on the training ground before leaving for Thursday night’s game in Greece against Panionios. Apparently, things progressed, or regressed rather, to the point where Souness’s calloused hand was placed round the Welsh Whinger’s neck. Sounds like things got a wee bit tense at Benton.

Oh, yes, and Souness did march Kieron Dyer to a police station after the Talented Mr. Dire was allegedly photographed urinating in the street. Little Waster must have been feeling left out.

So off to Greece, with Bellamy at least having avoided throwing a chair in the airport this time. How wonderfully ironic that hard-man, hired-gun Souness may be forced to play the player with whom he had his first big confrontation, Shola Ameobi struggling to shake off a hip injury and Patrick Kluivert not even traveling with the squad. It took a little while to develop, but everything is coming up Stone Roses in Geordieland.

The proper analogy for last Sunday’s events and the subsequent training ground bust-up is something akin to the prequel to a novel; the Great Battle of St. James saw its first shots fired between Souness and Bellamy, now the plot twists and new heroes and villains will undoubtedly emerge as the season progresses.

Bill Urban
19/10/2004

1168: Premiership: Is Robbie Keane’s

by : Fred Tarow

Every Spurs fan I know loves Robbie Keane. It's hard not to. At 24 he is already Ireland's leading goalscorer, possesses copious amounts of skill, and is willing to sacrifice his own game for the greater good, as evidenced by his shackling of Claude Makelele in a recent draw at Stamford Bridge.

However, despite his adroitness with a football and status as crowd
favouite, Keane's immediate future with Tottenham looks less than secure. His inability to forge a potent partnership with the new focal point of the club's attack, Jermain Defoe, leaves his Spurs career in potential jeopardy.

Keane has been in this position before. Brought back to the Premiership by Leeds after a nightmare spell at Internazionale, the Irishman frequently found himself on the bench at Elland Road in favour of Mark Viduka and Alan Smith or Robbie Fowler. Keane's desire to be more than a squad player and Leeds desperation for cash to pay off mounting debts saw the striker offloaded to Spurs in August 2002, after just 16 months in Yorkshire. Tottenham, in the midst of yet another false dawn under Glenn Hoddle, seemed the perfect place for Robbie to re-establish his credentials as a top class player.

The Irish international quickly found favour with a new legion of followers. Despite a penchant for spurning one-on-one chances, his popularity waned not a jot, probably because within minutes of each glaring miss he'd be popping up in no man's land looking for the ball and terrorising defences. Robbie's scoring record wasn't too shabby either, bagging 13 goals in his first season. When the guillotine finally fell on Hoddle, and Tottenham endured the by-then tactically inept David Pleat for 9 months, Keane was arguably the club's finest performer, and chipped in with a further 16 goals.

One of Pleat's last positive actions at the club was to lure Defoe to North London. What Pleat, and everyone else, failed to realise at the time was that Defoe's arrival may have inadvertently been the beginning of the end for Robbie Keane.

On paper the Defoe-Keane partnership may appear to be loaded with goals but in the games they've played together the pair have looked as menacing as Dale Winton. Because of their combined lack of physical presence, neither player is the foil that the other one needs. Once the transfer market re-opens in the new year, Jacques Santini is widely expected to bring in a target man to expand his attacking options. If he does then then the Frenchman will have to choose between Keane and Defoe, and he will most likely plump for the latter.

Although Tottenham would be delighted to keep him, Keane, at 24, needs to be playing regularly for the sake of both his own development as a player and his international career. A bit part roll at Spurs will not suffice. Fortunately for the number 10, the club's attacking options are limited at present. Edson Ronaldo Silva Sousa had a less than impressive pre-season while Freddie Kanoute suffers from footballing schizophrenia. When he's on his game, Kanoute looks like he should have walked into the French team, the rest of the time you wonder what Mali see in him.

Therefore Keane should have until January to prove that he and Defoe can play in the same team. If he fails, then the Irishman could follow in the footsteps of David Ginola and Sergei Rebrov and become the next star-player to exit White Hart Lane.

Fred Tarow

1162: Premiership: The Everton reviv

by : Colin Illingworth

If anybody had predicted Everton would be sitting third in the Premiership at the start of the season the men in white coats would have been round quicker to pick them up than Ronaldo can do thirty step-overs! The Merseyside club were in turmoil this summer with boardroom unrest, Rooney was the subject of huge transfer speculation, Thomas Gravesen was on the brink of leaving, striker Tomasz Radzinski and defender David Unsworth did leave for Fulham and Portsmouth respectively, and Moyes had made just one dip into the transfer market snapping up the Australian international Tim Cahill from Millwall for £1.5 million. Everton were everybody’s favourite for the drop but nine games in to the new campaign the Toffees are indeed third and just 20 points off their total tally for last season. They have made a start to the season beyond their wildest dreams and they fully deserve to be where they are.

David Moyes could be the messiah in disguise after dragging Everton from relegation contenders to Champions league potentials. He has built his side on the premise that if you can’t score past us you can’t beat us. The Toffees have one of the best defences in the league having only been breached 7 times, 4 of them coming on the opening day against Arsenal. Nigel Martyn is still a class keeper and with Alan Stubbs, David Weir, Tony Hibbert, Alessandro Pistone in the back four Moyes has assembled a tight, well-knit, unit that will fight for every ball. In fact in the last 7 games they have only conceded one and that was against Tottenham.

The midfield is equally industrious, packed with internationals like Thomas Gravesen, Kevin Kilbane, Tim Cahill, and Lee Carsley, and Leon Osman, who don’t know the meaning of a lost cause and pop up with some important goals. They have the fight but they also have the creativity to produce that telling contribution to the game that has seen them fly up the league. And, of course, up front they have the strong physical presence of Marcus Bent, James McFadden and Duncan Ferguson vying for the strikers spot.

A major bonus is that there is a goal threat from all over the pitch. Leon Osman is top marksman with three following his winner against the Saints on Saturday and Marcus Bent, Tim Cahill, Thomas Gravesen, and Lee Carsley, have all added their name to the goal scoring charts.

It’s more or less the same outfit as last season so what has turned these relegation battlers into title contenders? Moyes’s major incentive is that team show the rest of the country that there is life after Wayne Rooney and that they were not a one-man team. Two seasons ago the Goodison Park club were unlucky not to achieve European football as they finished 7th in the league. However after a serious dip in form last season the troops have pulled together and proved they do not rely on the talents of just one player but can the Toffees impressive form continue or will they become unstuck?

Well Norwich, Villa, Chelsea, and Birmingham are their upcoming league opponents and I can’t see any reason why they can’t keep the pressure on Chelsea. Norwich are still adapting to life in the top flight, Villa have made an indifferent start, Chelsea have yet to find their scoring touch, and Birmingham are currently in the bottom half and not found their form of last season.

The loyal fans at Goodison Park are enjoying exciting times at the club again and if they do qualify for Europe they are sure to hang on to the services of Danish international Gravesen who wants to play in European competitions. And with the prospect of a multi-million pound windfall in the next transfer window Everton could be set to re-establish themselves as a major player in the Premiership after years in the doldrums.

Whatever happens, unless Everton magically turn into East Stirling, they will be free from the threat of relegation this season and at the start of the season that was most fans main objective.

Colin Illingworth
18/10/2004

1155: WORLD CUP: Oh what a night as

by : Alex Wolstenholme

Pride of place in the latest round of World Cup qualifying games has to be shared between Andorra and Liechtenstein for gaining their first ever victories in the biggest tournament in the game.

Liechtenstein had already won a European Championship qualifier before this week but for Andorra, their 1-0 win over FYR Macedonia represents an amazing achievement for what is a speck of a nation wedged in between Spain and France.

Not content with merely winning their game, Liechtenstein hammered Luxembourg 4-0 in Luxembourg, a superb result that even any of the European superpowers would have been content with from an away game.

After a 2-2 draw at home to Portugal, Liechtenstein have certainly earned their right to be included in all future qualifying tournaments and have shown how dangerous it would be to make the smaller countries have to pre-qualify for the chance to play England, Holland, Germany etc as has been talked of for Andorra, San Marino and the rest.

Football must avoid the kind of closed shop mentality that permeates other sports. In Rugby Union for example, the Rugby World Cup permits the quarter finalists from the previous tournament to automatically qualify for the next one without having to soil their hands playing some of the emerging nations leaving the minnows to play amongst themselves. These countries are then woefully under-prepared when they face the likes of England in the World Cup, invariably get knocked out early and go through the same cycle again.

Without meaningful qualifying games, smaller nations such as Liechtenstein and Andorra could never have learned from their mistakes, improved their shortcomings and then achieved the kind of results they did on Wednesday night.

And those two teams were by no means the only ones to shock. Slovenia defeated Italy on Saturday while FYR Macedonia, defeated by Andorra, themselves drew with Holland at the weekend.

It is too easy to say that such teams are also-rans and will always remain so. Ok their size probably precludes them ever winning the World Cup itself but to make an arbitrary decision that some teams should pre-qualify denies teams who are well coached and well organised the chance to improve their rankings.

Football at all levels thrives on that ebb and flow of teams emerging as powers to take the place of those who have fallen by the wayside.

Alex Wolstenholme
14/10/2004

1097: MANAGER PROFILE: Iain Dowie, C

by : Chris Sherrard

Even in the unlikely event of Iain Dowie abruptly retiring from management to concentrate on a modelling career, his short spell as a boss would be regarded as an unmitigated triumph.

He took Crystal Palace from the abyss at the foot of the old First Division to the dizzy heights and feigned injury zone that is the Premiership. All in half a season – surely one of the most incredible feats to have been witnessed in this country in the last decade or more.

But it should have come as no surprise to anyone who has spoken to the man about football in the past. He was always a no-nonsense, combative centre-forward as a player but off the field he was intelligent, endearing and, significantly, highly knowledgable about the beautiful game.

His bustling playing days began in the non-league ranks before he secured a switch to Luton Town and then West Ham United paid almost £500,000 for his services at the start of the 90s. But he didn’t hang around long as Southampton came in with a bid just a handful of months into his Hammers career.

Dowie quickly made himself at home on the south coast making more than 100 appearances and scoring over 30 goals in a spell that lasted three-and-a-half years. A move to Crystal Palace followed in 1995 before he made a return across London to Harry Redknapp’s West Ham. This time he stayed a little longer, turning out 70 times before a switch to another capital club – QPR.

It was at Loftus Road that he took his first steps into the coaching field by guiding the club’s reserve team and nurturing it’s youth set-up. Dowie’s tactical aptitude was there for all to see and Mick Wadsworth soon offered him the assistant manager’s job at Oldham. And then, in the summer of 2002, he was handed the top job when Wadsworth left the club.

He proved to be, arguably, more of a hero on the international stage than he was during his club career. With 59 caps and 12 goals for Northern Ireland Dowie had Windsor Park in Belfast rising to it’s feet in praise of a man who always gave more than was imaginable in causes that were less than winnable. He was the figurehead of a low-quality Irish side during the 90s and should take some of the credit for the relative upsurge the international side is seeing at present.

Despite the financial mire at Boundary Park, Dowie impressed, taking the club to the play-offs in his first season. But Oldham’s cash-less mess prompted enquires from other Dowie suitors and, in December 2003, his old club Palace called on him to save them from the relegation that they were faced with.

Not only did he do that. He performed the near-miraculous by taking his new club through the division and into the play-offs. A 1-0 win over West Ham in the Cardiff final solidified the tremendous feat that Dowie had guided and meant he would get the chance to take on Wenger, Fergie et al quicker than even he would have predicted.

But there can be no doubt that Dowie and Crystal Palace are in the top flight on merit. And with goalscorers like Andy Johnson and team spirit like they have under Dowie, no-one should rule out a dramatic survival by the Selhurst Park club.

Chris Sherrard
28/09/2004

1165: Premiership: Saints in need of

by : Daniel Kelly

As Southampton’s season disintegrated still further with a defeat to a resurgent Everton, it seems only the lack of quality in the sides around them can save them from relegation. The club are in dire trouble.

Sacking the manager who had won one of two games, and replacing him with a head coach who has since won none of the subsequent seven, can be been as mystifying. Appointing the same man to the job until the end of the season sounds like suicide. The trials of Spurs last season should have been noted, as an established premiership club with more quality than the current Southampton side flirted dangerously with relegation. The cause: the sacking of a manager with no replacement lined up, and a subsequent season long temporary appointment in David Pleat. Looking closer to home, once news of Gordon Strachan’s departure last season became known to the players, performances visibly slumped. Yet Southampton have shown they have learned nothing in appointing Steve Wigley as head coach until the end of the season, and history has begun to repeat itself.

With presumably a new man to come in at some point, as and perhaps much sooner than the end of the season if results continue, there is little motivation to play for the current head coach. And the spiral of defeat and loss of confidence the club are finding themselves sucked into is hard to escape, no matter who is in charge. The players become nervous and edgy, as do the fans, and performances are stifled by the fear of defeat. Already Southampton look to be playing to avoid losing.

The only other source of salvation lies in those around them. Norwich have yet to win a game, and Crystal Palace, Blackburn and West Brom look like they will be struggling for survival into the spring. If Southampton can be the fourth worst team of those at the bottom of the table, they will survive. It could prove too much on current form.

Whilst it is possible that Steve Wigley could yet turn things around, the likelihood is that a new manager will need to be appointed before things become terminal. Unfortunately, the managerial merry-go-round that Rupert Lowe has set in motion at St Marys will hamstring any attempt to appoint a top name. Paul Sturrock was the best he could appoint last season, and given the Chairman’s treatment of him, perhaps fewer names will be interested than were 6 months ago. Ironically, the man who left to become the messiah of Spurs fans, for a few weeks at least, may be Saints’ best hope. When in need of a miracle, turn to G.HOD?

Daniel Kelly
19/10/2004

1163: Racism: Have your say with Joh

by : Colin Illingworth

As part of the Kick It Out campaign the plush SWAY bar and restaurant in Central London is holding a unique gathering of celebrities, fans and professional footballers, this Thursday (21st October) at 7.30pm, to look at the issues relating to the involvement of black and Asian fans in this country.

The United Colours of Football forum, which is free for fans, will involve leading people in the game including England’s most capped black player John Barnes, former England international and on-loan West Ham star Chris Powell, and West Bromwich Albion pioneer Brendon Batson.

The evening of discussion will cover many topics including debating the huge success of Euro 2004 in attracting a huge diverse fan base in Portugal and to find out what can be done to attract black and Asian football fans back to matches in this country.

Also joining the debate will be renowned political singer and songwriter Billy Bragg, Bhangra sensation Juggy D, UEFA Communications Director William Galliard, journalist Vivek Chaudhary, Britain’s best known black football fan Billy ‘the bee’ Grant, and campaigner Piara Powar.

Billy ‘the bee’ Grant is optimistic that it will lead to real changes i ithe beautiful game.
“The forum will be a great opportunity for people to get together, discuss issues related to football and the engagement of our communities with the game. It’s going to be a night of frank exchanges which ultimately we hope will lead to real changes in the game,” he said.

Piara Powar, Director of Kick It Out, football’s anti-racism campaign, is pleased that the face of football has changed since its formation 11 years ago but there’s still work left to do.
“As a result of 10 years of campaigning, football is tackling racism better than ever before. But what about those absent from stadiums or overlooked for employment in the game as coaches, managers or administrators? Theses are the issues football now needs to address,” she said.

The event, which takes place during Black History month and the National Anti-racism week of action in football, is free but if you want to go along and have your say you must pre-register by phoning 020 7684 4884 or emailing [email protected]. The SWAY bar and restaurant is at 61-65 Great Queen Street, London WC2, and kick off is at 7.30pm this Thursday.

Colin Illingworth
18/10/2004

1156: LEAGUE 1: Rebirth of Queens Pa

by : Alex Wolstenholme

One of the most positive football stories of the past season and a bit has been the resurgence of Queens Park Rangers under the passionate, driven and sometimes plain bonkers guidance of their manager Ian Holloway.

A first visit to Loftus Road for some years last month showed just how much Holloway, his board and his players have done to re-invigorate what has at times been London’s forgotten club.

The smart, compact ground is tight to the touchline on all four sides and for this night fixture against Coventry it helped to generate a superb atmosphere that started in the corner of one stand and reverberated all around with even the punters in the Main Stand joining in the singing and chanting.

On the pitch Rangers looked lively, committed and passionate, exactly the qualities you would expect from a Holloway side.

Average crowds are up close to capacity, no mean feat in a country where the Premiership is king and in a town where Arsenal and Chelsea are the big attractions. The number of youngsters in the crowd showed that whatever QPR are doing to attract families to their games is working.

QPR have a fair bit of history behind them. League Cup winners in 1967 as a third division side, runners-up in the old Division One in 1976, FA Cup finalists in 1982 and then top London club under Gerry Francis.

All the while they developed a well-earned reputation for passing football under managers such as Dave Sexton and Terry Venables and a refreshing lack of the arrogance (among their fans) associated with a number of other sides from the Capital.

With new investment in the club from two separate consortiums, the financial nightmare of a few seasons ago (when Rangers did overspend on players and wages) is hopefully now a thing of the past, helped by the groundshare deal with Fulham that bought in some much-needed cash.

The only possible downside is the possibility, first mooted just a few games into the season of some of the new investors wanting to bring their own manager in to replace Holloway.

A true football man if ever there was one, Holloway has given everything he has to help pull QPR back from the brink. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that if another manager had been appointed a few years ago who didn’t have Holloway’s passion for the club and strong, almost manic desire to see it back on its feet then QPR would not have been here at all today.

Alex Wolstenholme
14/10/2004

1077: MANAGER PROFILE: Arsene Wenger

by : Chris Sherrard

What would the Premiership be without Arsene Wenger? Certainly an easier one for Manchester United players and supporters. But a poorer one for the absence of such quality and excellence that the Frenchman has brought in the eight years he has been on these shores.

If Wenger hadn’t came to this country, would we have seen Patrick Vieira as one of the best players in the world? Or Thierry Henry? Or Kolo Toure? Or Nicolas Anelka? The list goes on forever and the answer is probably not.

And that would be enough of a gift for anyone to give the football world. But Wenger brings so much more besides. Like his attacking, fluent philosophy and his never-see-much attitude. Even Spurs fans can appreciate that their north London rivals have got one of the best managers in world football, if not the best, in charge. If Claudio Ranieri was the ‘Tinkerman’, then Wenger is the ‘Thinkerman’.

He wasn’t much of a footballer, I’m sure he would be the first to admit that, only making his professional debut for hometown club Strasbourg as a 28-year old. He first broke into the coaching game at the same club in 1981 where he quickly carved out a reputation for himself as a top tactician and motivator of players. In 1984 he earned his first managerial job when he was offered the post at Nancy. Three years later he was appointed as AS Monaco’s manager and won the championship and Manager of the Year award within a year. His team in the principality earned rave reviews for their style of play and by 1994, Wenger was offered the job of coaching the French national team and German giants Bayern Munich.

Always loyal to his contracts, Wenger turned down both lucrative approaches but, in a cruel twist of fate, Monaco finished ninth that same season and he was sacked. Instead of hanging around, waiting for another big job, he packed his things and jetted in to Japan to take the reigns at struggling J League side Grampus Eight – the same club that tempted Gary Lineker to the far-east. He transformed the Nagoya side from relegation fodder to runners-up and Super Cup winners before the temptation of London became too strong to refuse.

And there, and then, he began a great love affair at Highbury which is still burning strong to this day. His first signing was an unknown Frenchman of Senegalese descent struggling in Milan’s second team. Patrick Vieira has never looked back from then. And neither have Wenger or Arsenal. He has won three Premiership titles in his time here, including two league and cup doubles. As well as countless managerial accolades and an OBE in 2003.

His team are considered one of the best in the continent, chalking up an unprecedented run of unbeaten league games and playing superbly attacking football. The Champions League crown is surely the next target on the Wenger radar. It’s fair to say he has transformed some good players into truly great ones since signing them.

Even now he is not resting on his laurels with exciting new sensations like Spaniards Jose Antonio Reyes and Fransesc Fabergas joining his lengthy list of transfer successes. You know when Wenger splashes the cash, it is on a top notch player. Just don’t mention Franny Jeffers.

Chris Sherrard
17/09/2004

1160: ENGLAND: Sven’s still the best

by : Rob Hodges

Just over four years ago, England were defeated 1-0 at Wembley by a poor German side. National coach Keegan decided to step down after finding he was falling short of the task in hand. England lamented its lack of options, on the pitch Keegan had elected to play Gareth Southgate in midfield because his options were so light, off the pitch Howard Wilkinson and Peter Taylor had to steady the ship whilst the FA struggled to find an alternative.

When Sven Goran Eriksson took over, a sceptical press wanted us to give up on Japan/Korea 02 and plan for 2006. The FA announced this was their goal, and Sven set about his task.

Four years on, and after last nights win in Azerbaijan, England are in pole position to take their place in Germany as required and more importantly ready to challenge for honours. In between Eriksson’s England have sometime flattered to deceive, but Quarter Finals in 02 and 04 were never on Sven’s checklist.

Not only is this England side transformed from the sorry XI that were defeated that soggy October day, it is now a squad full of flexibility, strength in depth and most importantly options that his predecessors never managed to create.

Despite the cat calls for his head, Sven has developed into his role as coach and in doing so has developed an England set up ready for any challenge.

Blessed with an ever growing list of tools, Eriksson has finally struck gold, three different formations that the side can switch to, a list of 20 players that can interchange without the usual widespread panic in the press, and a team spirit to match the very best.

The weeks 433 formation along with the discoveries of Shaun Wright Phillips, Paul Robinson, Jermaine Defoe and last night Jermaine Jenas, have all but completed the jigsaw for 2006. Even without Beckham and Gerrard, England have a side ready to challenge, even when Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge aren’t fit to interchange on the left, England have a formation that can work without width and even when it’s most creative midfielder retires, England have a Lampard or a Rooney to fill the hole.

Despite criticisms, Sven has built a squad full of talent and more importantly blessed with options. The flat or diamond 442 can be interchanged with the new 433, the central defensive partnerships look as strong as anyone in the world and even golden boy Owen’s place was in doubt, until he found that golden touch again.

The various sex, drugs and money scandals have actually had a positive effect, Eriksson’s England may have lost some face in the past but they’ve gained spirit and a siege mentality similar to Robson’s England back in 90.

It’s not home and dry yet, much could happen in 18 months and Poland are still to be finished off, but England and Sven should qualify and barring a deluge of injuries should arrive in Germany with high hopes and a side that will challenge for glory.

The football community maybe divided on Sven, but one thing is clear, the task he set out to complete is upon us and the signs are healthy. In giving us such options on the pitch, Sven remains the only option off it.

Robert Hodges
14/10/2004

1161: PREMIERSHIP: Would Rupert Lowe

by : Alex Wolstenholme

Southampton Chairman Rupert Lowe faced a vote of no confidence this week over his running of the club in the last few years, notably the speed at which he has gone through managers in recent times and the apparent vacuum that now exists at the head of first-team affairs.

Lowe is most definitely a football outsider; someone attracted to the `business` by the upturn in its fortunes following the formation of the Premier League in 1992.

That in itself is no bad thing and shouldn’t be the stick used to beat Lowe around the head with. There are countless examples of Chairman who have supported a club through thick and thin making a hash of running it when their time comes. Equally there are outsiders who make a successful job of it.

What Lowe has in common with a number of his fellow Premiership Chairmen is a belief that he has successfully managed to build up a good business through sound business principles which allows him the right to hold court on both football and financial affairs.

But one thing and one thing only has financed a large percentage of the Premiership revolution; television revenue and Southampton are no different.

Ok, Lowe was integral in moving them to a new stadium and crowds have increased but Southampton had always needed to get away from the Dell, had a sympathetic local council and were always a bigger club than the capacity at the old ground allowed for. It was hardly a move that no one had ever thought of before but Lowe had the platform through the Premiership to make it happen.

Southampton’s (relative) success over the last few years has come despite, not because of Rupert Lowe. Good committed people like Dave Merrington and Stuart Gray have come and gone, along with Paul Sturrock they were bounced out before having a real chance to make their mark on the manager’s job.

Lowe’s love affair with Glenn Hoddle is the classic example of a man who has allowed himself to be drawn into the world of football to the point where he knows as much about tactics, formations and players as someone who has been in the game at the sharp end for thirty years.

Other Chairmen have suffered from this affliction too. David Sheepshanks at Ipswich was lauded for his running of the club when they were in the Premiership but upon relegation the East Anglian side faced real financial hardship. Coventry’s Bryan Richardson was another who used the television revenues generated to paint a picture of financial success that just wasn’t there.

If Southampton are relegated this season then Lowe’s leadership and business skills will face a real test, one that only West Brom have really managed to face in recent years from a sound financial base, uncluttered by the television riches that have blinded so many to the state of their club.

Alex Wolstenholme
17/10/2004

1073: MANAGER PROFILE: Jose Mourinho

by : Chris Sherrard

He’s the cocky, nay, self-assured Portuguese manager who has given English and European football a major shake-up. And isn’t the game a more interesting one with him involved?

You have to say he has more than enough reason to be proud of what he has achieved already in his short career as a professional manager. The man who started his working life as a teacher before joining Bobby Robson’s staff at Porto and Barcelona as, first interpreter, then coach, now stands tall, and characteristically proud, as one of the best in the business.

Certainly, his pay cheque compares better than any of his peers in European football. He was the one that the Chelsea regime targeted long before he had secured the Champions League title with Porto. Abramovich wants the best that his money can buy in all areas of the club and, in Mourinho, he feels he has got the best available manager as well. Time will tell if that is the case, but he is clearly on the right track.

Jose Mourinho never played professionally as a footballer. But then, as the famous Arigo Sacchi quip goes, you don’t need to have been a good horse to become a top jockey. Together with Sir Bobby Robson, they won two league titles in three years with FC Porto before the opportunity for the former England coach to take over at Barcelona was presented. He duly took his young protg, Mourinho with him. They won two Spanish cups and the European Cup Winners Cup before Robson was offered a return to PSV Eindhoven while Mourinho remained in Catalonia, under new manager Louis van Gaal.

The Dutchman’s insistence on bringing in his own backroom staff forced Mourinho to leave but he was not jobless for too long as Benfica offered him the post as team manager. It was a short-lived affair with him handing in his resignation after just nine games due to boardroom disputes.

In 2001, he took Portuguese minnows, Uniao de Leiria, to fourth place in the league – prompting Porto to offer him the chance to take their top job. Which he did. With maximum success. Finishing third in his first season, despite a poor start, the next year he brought them the league, cup and UEFA Cup treble – the latter recorded thanks to a thrilling victory over Celtic in the final in Seville.

Of course, the following season he regained the league title, but the achievement which got the football world talking, particularly in the Stamford Bridge boardroom, was his superb Champions League victory in Gelsenkirchen after taking the scalps of some notable giants, like Manchester United, along the way.

And now he has docked in west London, nobody can be in any doubt that Mourinho will not be happy with being a gallant loser, like his predecessor. He wants, and expects, success. Nothing less will do. With the money he has been given and the pressure he places himself under, the clock is ticking faster than most for Chelsea to achieve success. They have to bring silverware to the club or some heads will roll. And that includes Mourinho’s.

Even if it is a slightly bigger head than most others.

Chris Sherrard
17/09/2004

1159: PREMIERSHIP: Dennis Bergkamp:

by : Matthew Wilson

You may think that the most important person, the man that started the Arsenal revolution, is Arsene Wenger. Think again. Arsene brought it on, sure enough, and without Wenger Arsenal would not occupy the position they do today. Nevertheless, there is one man who started it all and during what could be his last season as a professional footballer marking time on his contribution to Arsenal and the English game seems more than appropriate.

It’s is just over nine years to the day when Dennis Bergkamp scored his first goals for Arsenal. Like the No. 19 bus that goes from just outside the Marble Halls, you waited for one, then two came along at once. Both were superb strikes, hallmarks of the quality that were to become synonymous with the Dutch striker.

It was not always smooth going for Bergkamp though. Having left Ajax after being ludicrously successful and hyped, Bergkamp lost his way in the restrictiveness of Italian football at Inter Milan. Then came a chance, offered by David Dein, to resurrect his career at a floundering English club side who had just finished 12th the previous season, behind Nottingham Forest, Spurs, Wimbledon, and QPR. Moreover, George Graham had been sacked in disgrace, and David Seaman still had a sore neck from watching Nayim’s shot sail over his head in the Paris springtime. Why would Bergkamp go to a club like that, even if he were getting paid what was then a club record amount, it was still less than what he received in Italy. Providence perhaps?

Bergkamp, quite simply, was the catalyst for all that was to follow. The Arsenal team that September day included John Jensen, Glen Helder, and Martin Keown as playmaker in midfield. Added to this if you bear in mind that Hillier, Linighan, and Morrow were still knocking around you get the picture. Bergkamp’s arrival was a statement of intent, not least on behalf of the board. Bergkamp arrived at the prime of his career and from the time he scored those two goals against Southampton, Arsenal never looked back.

Instead of playing balls over the top for Wright to chase after, Bergkamp was the man everyone else in the team looked for. Not just on the pitch either. Tony Adams and others have attested to the way the Bergkamp lived his life as the beginning of the change at Arsenal. Thierry Henry raves about how he aspires to what Bergkamp does on and off the pitch.

Bergkamp the footballer has been, and often still is, outstanding. Touch, vision, and quick feet with a harder edge as well. He was arguably the best player in the world in 1998. the goals against Argentina and Leicester respectively, are the stuff of legend. Had Maradona, Pele, or indeed Zola, scored either they would be on constant replay. Everyone though, should treat themselves and check out a goal that Bergkamp scored against Middlesbrough on New Years Day 1997. It was technical perfection. Arguably, in terms of ability and profile, Bergkamp is the most important foreign footballer to ever play in England. He was a massive name when he arrived, and young too. His name, like so many others, was not made in England, merely enhanced. But how.

Why then is it then such a talented and important footballer has not been personally recognised beyond a belated Footballer of the year award?

Bergkamp is not a media player. His smile does not light up a pitch the way Zola’s did, nor does he play with the impudence of a Cantona. Dennis is also a niggly footballer. Sendings off and stray elbows have been many down the years. He also does not fly away in Europe.

Nevertheless, when Vieira nearly left last summer, Dennis stepped up. As Arsenal fans have always known since he arrived, he is the heartbeat of the side, in the way they play and in a more spiritual manner. Without Bergkamp, the others may not have followed, Wenger, needing something to work with may not have taken the job. Even worse, if Arsenal had not invested in Bergkamp, they may not have sacked Bruce Rioch, having no need of a coach worthy of Bergkamp’s unique skills.

Much like Tony Adams, Arsenal will never know another like Dennis Bergkamp. He will be much harder to replace than Adams was. That is why once again fans of football must hope Dennis Bergkamp plays that one more season.

Matthew Wilson
15/10/2004

1158: PREMIERSHIP: Now for the main

by : Adam Graham

This article has been removed at the writer's request.

1157: PREMIERSHIP: Liverpool fight-b

by : Antony Melvin

Liverpool’s thrilling fight-back at a relatively moribund Craven Cottage would be the talking point of most weekends. The only real contenders were an old fashioned thriller in the rain at Charlton and another superlative defying performance by the invincible Arsenal team. But for me Liverpool on Saturday epitomised English football.

Liverpool drifted towards half-time 2-0 down and were set for a fourth consecutive away defeat, only to plunder goal after goal in a thrilling second half comeback. The expression ‘a game of two halves’ was never more apt. But it was more pivotal than that. Perhaps we have seen the start of the new Liverpool, and more importantly perhaps we have just witnessed a lucky manager getting a big slice of luck in the nick of time. If Liverpool had lost, the season was in real danger of meltdown.

If Liverpool had not come back so fiercely in the second half they would have reached the psychologically important quarter season mark marooned in the lower half of the table. The first 9 or 10 games tend to determine a teams season, and thirteenth place is not an ideal place to launch a bid for a top three finish – the logical challenge for all Liverpool teams. Defeat may have left Liverpool psychologically relying on the return of Steven Gerrard to move them on – and in those few weeks of waiting the season could be effectively over.

The catalyst for the comeback was undoubtedly Xabi Alonso, who despite early season reports is not yet ready to take over Steven Gerrard’s mantle. He is, however, perfectly capable of bossing mediocre teams like Fulham or West Brom. Allied to Gerrard this will be a youthful, energetic, powerhouse of a midfield, that Sir Alex Ferguson would kill to have available to him. In short Benitez has no worries in the engine room for years to come.

For the first time since Steven Gerrard’s injury at Old Trafford, Liverpool showed they were capable of competing as a team. The odd thumping of relegation fodder at home is not what wins titles and trophies; it’s grinding out points when playing badly or winning games away from home against the middle-classes. Liverpool have yet to get this equation right, or they would already be in the top 3 – but when they do this will be a team to reckon with.

If Liverpool were fortunate with a couple of the goals – Baros was threatening the corner flag before a wicked deflection, Alonso’s goal also looked deflected and surely there is a by-law preventing Igor Biscan from appearing talented – then that surely is symptomatic of a team that were going through the gears to get a result. Fulham were pulled about and could have been beaten more comprehensively and, indeed were still level when Liverpool were reduced to ten men. And besides, after so many narrow defeats a couple of deflections were merely a nod towards evening out the luck Liverpool have not had in recent weeks.

No matter how the victory came about it is clear that the Liverpool revival is now in progress. The signing of Morientes in January plus a decent centre-half – Wes Brown will be available for less than £1m – and Liverpool can look to the second half of the season with a classy, balanced and competitive team. Liverpool now look stronger than they have for three years.

Antony Melvin
17/10/2004

1154: MANAGER PROFILE: Nigel Worthin

by : Colin Illingworth

Nigel Worthington is a legend in the Steel City from his playing days at Sheffield Wednesday but he will be a hero in East Anglia if he can keep Norwich City in the Premiership this season.

In just four years at Carrow Road Worthington, one of the games brightest young managers, has transformed a struggling Norwich side into one that can go to Old Trafford and show no fear.
Born on November 4, 1961, in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Worthington, who was affectionally known at the Owls as ‘Irish’, began his managerial career in the North West with Blackpool in 1997 as player manager. He finally hung up his boots for good in December that year as he got his teeth into life as a football manager. However things didn’t go to plan and within two years at Bloomfield Road, guiding the Seasiders to just 44 victories in 134 games in charge, Worthington and the board mutually decided it was time to part company.

The former Northern Ireland international wasn’t out of the game for long and it was the former Northern Ireland coach Bryan Hamilton who brought him back into the game at Norwich in the summer of 2000 as his assistant. And just like buses, two jobs came along at once, as Worthington was soon appointed under 21 manager of Northern Ireland.

Just six months after his appointment Nigel was installed as caretaker boss after Bryan Hamilton resigned from his post. The Canaries put their faith in the former Sheffield Wednesday defender and their faith was repaid as he steered the club through the festive fixtures unfazed. ‘Irish’ was given the job full time on New Years Day 2001 helping a failing City side to 15th place in the league.

His first full season at the helm was a rewarding experience as he led the Canaries to the play off finals after helping them to a sixth place finish. Unfortunately the fairy tale wasn’t to be as Birmingham City beat the Canaries at the Millennium Stadium and the Blues booked their ticket to the promised land.

The following season Norwich failed to build on the foundations they had created and finished a disappointing eighth. However Worthington is not one to shy away from a challenge and in 2003-2004 he had moulded a Norwich side capable of beating anyone. They romped home with the first division title thanks to the form of keeper Robert Green and the lighting quick pace of Darren Huckerby, finishing eight points ahead of West Brom and 21 points ahead of the other promoted side Crystal Palace, who finished sixth. The first division title is Worthington’s first managerial success.

His playing career began in the midlands with Notts County under the management of future England coach Howard Wilkinson in 1981. He stayed at Gay Meadow for three years before Sheffield Wednesday recognised his talents and signed him in 1984. Worthington stayed at Hillsborough for a decade which included European football, an FA cup and league cup final double in 1993, although he was defeated on both occasions, and scored 12 goals for the team. His reputation as a tough tackling defender led to international recognition and he went on to represent his country 66 times. However he left the Steel City in 1994 and moved to Elland Road as a free agent but left Leeds United two years later for the Britannia Stadium. He played for Stoke City for one season before the lure of a career in management proved too much and finally ended his playing career at Blackpool to concentrate on his managerial duties.

This is the mild mannered Northern Irishman’s first shot at the big time and he is fully aware of how hard it will be to keep his side in the top flight. He snapped up a number of experience signings in the summer including Simon Charlton, Thomas Helveg, Youseef Safri, plus the on-loan signing of Arsenal’s David Bentley, and more recently Gary Doherty from Spurs.

As one of the games hottest young managers his position at Carrow Road is one of the safest in the country. He will be desperate to add to his first division title but although it’s unlikely to happen this season Worthington is destined for success. However if he can keep the Canaries in the Premiership then that will mean as much as lifting a trophy.

Colin Illingworth
13/10/2004