3204: World Cup Group D preview: Ang

by : Alex Wolstenholme

Qualifying: Angola qualified for their first ever World Cup finals by edging out Nigeria, traditionally one of the strongest teams in African football, on goal difference in their qualifying group and were duly rewarded with an opening fixture against Portugal, an important match for historical as well as sporting reasons.

World Cup History: This is Angola's debut in the tournament.

Group Opponents: Alongside Portugal and Brazil they will be the third Portuguese speaking-nation at the tournament and face up to their old colonial masters straight away.

The two sides have played each other only twice previously, with the last game having to be abandoned after Angola had four players sent off and then, having used all their substitutes were reduced to six men by an injury.

After the opening game, Angola face Mexico and then Iran in their group.

Coach: Luis Oliveira Goncalves takes much of the credit for the recent transformation of football in the country.

He has progressed from working with the Angolan youth team whom he took to the African under-20 title in 2001, to the senior side and knows his players inside out.

He has also attempted to bring back some of the players who, like many other Angolans fled the country during the Civil War, which only ended in 2002.

"We are aware that we are one of the most humble teams in the tournament...but we will do everything we can," said the coach.

"It's going to be difficult to get through to the next round because our opposition is very strong."

Players: Seven of the squad named by coach Goncalves ply their trade in the Portuguese league.

Benfica striker Pedro Mantorras retains his place, despite some strong criticisms of the coach after the African Nations Cup but midfielder Gilberto and forward Maurito are ruled out through injury.

Fabrice Akwa carries the hopes of Angola on his shoulders. His goal secured qualification against Rwanda and he has netted 32 times to date for the national side.

Tournament Prospects: "It is a victory just to be at the World Cup, coach Goncalves has said.

"We are going to try to play well and represent our country and the African continent with dignity."

His realism is likely to be well-founded.

Angola were disappointing in January's African Nations Cup, going out at the group stage after winning just one of their three games.

They go to Germany with the majority of their squad unchanged and will do well to avoid finishing bottom of their group.

3200: Holland; World Cup History

by : Stephen Orford

Currently regarded as one of the more powerful football nations, it is perhaps surprising to note that Holland will be participating in only their eighth World Cup finals tournament in Germany this summer.

A country which has produced world class superstars such as Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten is now famed for it’s under-achievement. Indeed, the 1970’s side featuring Cruyff, Neeskens, Johnny Rep and Arie Haan which was beaten in successive World Cup finals in the 1970’s is often tagged the best team never to have won a World Cup.

Holland declined to enter the first World Cup tournament in Uruguay in 1930, one of many European nations to do so. It was four more years before the team made their World Cup bow, when they travelled to Italy for the 1934 finals. It was a short-lived debut, as they were defeated 3-2 by Switzerland in the opening knockout round. Matters scarcely improved four years later in France, when the Dutch were dumped out at the first hurdle once more, this time by Czechoslovakia who won 3-0 in extra time after a goalless 90 minutes in Le Havre.

When David Baddiel and Frank Skinner were banging on about England’s 30 years of hurt ahead of Euro ‘96 (now forty years of hurt but who’s counting?), perhaps they should have spared a thought for Holland. It was 36 years of not so much hurt as anguish for the Oranje before they even qualified for another World Cup finals. They chose not to participate in the early post-war events of 1950 and 1954, before failing dismally to qualify for each of the tournaments between 1958 and 1970.

It wasn’t until the tournament reached neighbouring West Germany for the first time in 1974 that Holland really came of age as a football nation. Led by the inspirational Cruyff the team’s ‘Total Football’ approach carried them all the way through to the final in Munich, where the hosts lay in wait. In the event, good old German efficiency prevailed, despite English referee Jack Taylor awarding the Dutch a first-minute penalty, duly converted by Cruyff. West Germany soon equalised with a spot-kick of their own before Gerd Muller swept them into a half-time lead that, typically, they would not lose.

Among the many factors which have blighted Dutch attempts to dominate world football is player unrest. No surprise then that they went to Argentina in 1978 without the genius of Cruyff, who had chosen not to participate in protest at the political situation in the region. Undeterred, the Dutch once again reached the final and once again they pushed the host nation all the way, casually bouncing balls of the Argentine woodwork before succumbing 3-1 in extra time.

The 1980’s was a wilderness period for Holland at world level. Though the wonderful side of Gullit, van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman carried the European Championship away from West Germany in 1988, that generation of players had arrived a little too late to help them in either the World Cup of 1982 in Spain, or Mexico in 1986. They team failed to qualify for either, but by 1990’s tournament in Italy the newly-crowned European champions were installed as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Once again unrest in the camp cast a shadow over the talent they had in their ranks. Gullit became a disruptive figure, seemingly in a permanent state of dispute with the establishment. Holland scraped through a group containing England and the Republic Of Ireland before running into their old rivals West Germany in the last 16. The Germans won 2-1 and went on to win the title, beating Argentina 1-0 in the dullest final in living memory.

By 1994 Gullit was in international retirement while van Basten had succumbed to a long term injury, paving the way for Bergkamp to announce himself on the world stage in the USA. Struggling at club level with Inter Milan, the man who would become an Arsenal legend shone as the Dutch reached the quarter-finals, losing narrowly to eventual winners Brazil in a 3-2 thriller. Four years later, and Bergkamp was again weaving his magic as Holland went one step further, his special goal against Argentina in the quarter-finals taking them through to the last four of France ‘98.

Holland were beaten on penalties by Brazil, but this time their conquerors would not go on to take the title after Ronaldo’s men were whipped 3-0 by the hosts in Paris. The Brazil defeat was the last time a Dutch team were seen in World Cup finals action, after failing once again to qualify for the 2002 tournament in Korea and Japan.

By Stephen Orford

25 May 2006

3185: Arsenal:Squad Rating 2005/06

by : Sam Cullen

Arsenal suffered their worst domestic campaign under Arsene Wenger, just scraping 4th and Champions League qualification. Many pointed to the departure of Patrick Vieira for this, while others pointed to an extensive injury list. Despite all these woes, the club reached the Champions League final for the first time.

Player Ratings for their "year of transition" are below.

Lehmann 9

Came on leaps and bounds this season, as shown by finally asserting himself as Germany's No.1

Lauren 6

Was doing fine until injury ended his season, the emergence of Eboue has perhaps put his future in doubt.

Eboue 8

A relevation in the later parts of the season, the pace this player has is incredible. Still appears a bit raw at times but will learn with experience.

Cole 5

Barely seen at all this season due to injury troubles. Does he still dream of Stamford Bridge?

Clichy 5

The youthful french left back suffered awful luck picking up an injury just after Cole did. If he had been fit, then no doubt he would have gained the extended run in the side his play in previous seasons has warranted.

Toure 8

A defensive rock this season. Ably marshalled a very inexperienced back four around him for the latter parts of the season.

Campbell 5

A season to forget for Sol but perhaps his comeback has begun and will still be travelling to the World Cup.

Cygan 5

The bald centre back stills strikes fear into the hearts of Arsenal fans everywhere when he appears. Has been out since January and with the emergence of the "new back 4" perhaps Gooners will have finally seen the last of him.

Senderos 7

Began the season erratically and was easily outpowered by Drogba. But as the winter wore on and injuries took their toll, he played a vital part in the team's recovery.

Fabregas 9

Had another incredible season and it is unbelievable to think he is still only a teenager.

Gilberto 6

Seemed to shurk away from the challenges during the mid winter away games. Needed to take more responsibility in the absence of Vieira.

Pires 6

It appears his best days are now behind him, still has flashes of class but nothing like the irrepressable force of a few years back.

Ljungberg 6

A very similar story to Pires. Seems to have lost that extra bite he used to have but still a competent player.

Hleb 7

Took awhile to get going but now appears a very potent attacking force who will serve Arsenal well in years to come.

Diaby 7

Yet another young gun, but on early impressions seem like another Wenger master stroke.

Flamini 7

The 7 comes for his left back performances, prior to this he still seemed a rather ineffective midfielder.

Henry 9

Still remains head and shoulders above the rest. His new contract was the best signing Arsenal could make this summer.

Van Persie 7

Before he was struck down by injury, he had reached a rich vein of form and was really coming into his own.

Reyes 5

Still has done little to justify the outlay invested on him during January 2004. Only managed 4 league goals all season.

Bergkamp 7

More of a cameo role in his final season, still displayed his typical characteristics when called upon.

Adebayor 7

Just the sort of big strong presence Arsenal need up front. Looks remarkably like Kanu however!

Sam Cullen
20 May 2006

3183: What if there was one Ireland

by : Chris Kilpatrick

Eriksson is more cautious: "The first thing I had to check was whether he can handle it and everyone we spoke to said yes. He is a very steady boy.

"I don't think Walcott or Arsene Wenger thinks he is going to play seven games of 90 minutes in the World Cup.

"If you expect him to have the impact Pele had in 1958, we are talking about the wrong things but I am excited about it."

He will surely be given a run out in the two friendly games before World Cup and if he is as good as Wenger and Eriksson claim, surely he can compete and perform against footballing minnows Trinidad and Tobago.

If things go to plan and Rooney comes back in then it may be possible to utilise Walcott from the bench for the remaining games.

Even if he doesn’t feature, being around superstars such as Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard and Owen can only benefit the teenager in the long term.

As mentioned above, the absence of Rooney has swung public opinion on England’s chances of World Cup glory. The bandwagon had been in full swing and it was becoming increasingly apparent that if England returned home from Germany with anything less than the trophy itself they would have underachieved.

The weight of the nation was thrust upon a young squad and in particular Wayne Rooney, himself still only 20 years old. This has subsided slightly in recent weeks, which is surely a good thing for all those involved with Team England. There now appears to be a sense of more realistic expectations for the summer.

Perhaps a more relaxed team with the full backing of the country can perform to the best of their abilities which would surely see them pushing for a place in the final stages.

One must also remember that although Wayne Rooney is undoubtedly one of the finest players in the world at present, he is still inclined to let the red mist descent upon him if things aren’t going his way.

Last year he had to be substituted before he was sent off against Spain in a meaningless ‘friendly’ match.

Not long ago he was dismissed whilst playing for Man United in a crucial Champions League game against Villarreal for a shameful display of petulance.

In the same month he was lucky not be shown the red card against Northern Ireland in Belfast for a dangerous challenge on Keith Gillespie. Television cameras clearly showed the youngster swearing at captain David Beckham when the Madrid ace attempted to calm him down.

There is no doubt that if Rooney doesn’t feature in Germany, the tournament as a whole will suffer. Perhaps not yet quite in the same category as Ronaldhino, he is one of only a handful of players who can lift fans out of their seats when he receives the ball.

However, England have enough quality throughout the team to launch a serious challenge for the World Cup. It looks increasingly likely that Rooney will feature in the third group game or in the quarter finals at the latest. Until then it is up to the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Joe Cole to exhibit their talents to the watching masses and dispel the notion of England as perennial underachievers.

And what price a Walcott winner in the final?

Chris Kilpatrick
16 May 2006
All Norn Iron fans are familiar with the Windsor Park favourite ‘one team in Ireland’ chant but suppose this was to become a reality.

How likely is it that one day unionists and nationalists will stand side by side to cheer on a united Ireland team?

Over the past few years debate over the formation of a united Irish side has arisen on numerous occasions. Indeed one advocate of the venture was the late, great George Best who believed that by pooling together resources Ireland could have a team capable of challenging on the international stage.

“ At any given time, both the Republic and Northern Ireland have had some great world-class players,” said Bestie. “ I just believe in trying something. If it doesn’t work, at least you’ve tried it.”

History lesson…

Prior to partition the island had only one international team and the first association, the IFA, was established after the creation of the Free State and Northern Ireland. Based in Belfast, the IFA continued to pick players from across the whole of the island in spite of partition.

In 1926, the Football Association of Ireland was formed which also claimed to represent the whole island. In 1950 rules were drawn up to limit the number of players born in the South and playing for the North, and vice-versa. It wasn’t until 1954 that the IFA’s team became known as Northern Ireland, while the FAI’s was called simply the Republic of Ireland.

Could we unite again?

Politically the merge would be highly controversial. It as been argued that it is ridiculous for such a small island to have two national teams though it must be recognised that both have established their own unique identities and both associations are extremely proud of their heritage.

Many advocates of unification fail to understand the mentality of N Ireland supporters opposed to the idea. Some speculate that this is because, player for player, the Republic appears to have a stronger side than us.

But this is only one of a number or reasons why it would never be accepted, particularly in this country.

Matches at Windsor Park boast a carnival atmosphere and the feel good factor currently surrounding the team is down to the realistic expectations of what can be achieved by a country of 1.6 million, many of who choose not to follow our national side for political reasons. There is also the huge interest in gaelic sports and rugby to compete with.

Away from home too, the GAWA conduct themselves magnificently. As regular away supporter Shaun Schofield wrote in the Estonia programme: “Without exception, whatever the result, we shout for the team, but have the savvy not to upset our hosts when things don’t go our way, which the locals respect and display by buying drinks, opening bars, exchanging scarves… “Personally, I have introduced Grecians, Slovaks, Czechs, Romanians and Frenchmen to ‘Army’ days out, who have been suitably enthused by saying: “It’s been the best day out ever!”

Other questions to be addressed include – where would the team play? Would southerners and northern nationalists fancy travelling to Windsor Park? Even if they were made to feel welcome, the ground only holds 14,000 people. A quarter the size of what would be required to accommodate the fan base of an all-Ireland team.

A new stadium would therefore have to be provided in order for games to be hosted north of the border. The likelihood would be games held in Dublin at Lansdowne Road or the formidable Croke Park.

And what would we sing prior to the game?

3169: Charlton Athletic; Season Ana

by : Stephen Orford

Upon leaving The Valley after 15 years at the Charlton Athletic helm Alan Curbishley can reflect on yet another season of solid achievement.

A 13th placed finish in the Premiership represents further consolidation for the club which has quickly become the role model for any newly-promoted teams to emulate. It is perhaps only Curbishley’s frustration at the side’s inability to trouble the teams jostling for European places which has led to his decision to pass the job on to someone else from next season.

Favourite for that responsibility appears to be Preston North End boss Billy Davies, but until that is confirmed it is unclear which direction the Addicks will take in 2006/07. Yet despite their currently managerless predicament, the club have still managed to announce the permanent signing of Uruguayan defender Gonzalo Sorondo from Inter Milan, aswell as the capture of United States of America international defender Corey Gibbs from Dutch outfit Feyenoord.

Sorondo spent 2005/06 on loan at The Valley and was one of many added to the squad by Curbishley last summer. Promising midfielder Darren Ambrose joined from Newcastle United, while striker Jay Bothroyd returned from a stint in Italy with Perugia via a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers. Former Everton and Sunderland goalkeeper Thomas Mhyre has taken over the number one jersey from Dane Stephane Andersen following Dean Kiely’s falling out of favour and subsequent transfer to Portsmouth, while Charlton favourite and one-time England player Chris Powell was brought back from West Ham United on a free transfer.

Yet undoubtedly the biggest impact made by a new signing in south London this term has been from Darren Bent. Bought from Ipswich Town for £2.5million, the striker made the transition from England under-21 international to full international after netting 18 league goals, and 22 in all competitions. That tally sees him follow in the footsteps of Crystal Palace’s Andy Johnson as the highest scoring Englishman in the Premiership. Yet like Johnson before him, Bent’s exploits have not been enough to secure the Cambridge-born 22 year-old a place in Sven Goran Eriksson’s squad for the World Cup in Germany.

There has been more promising English talent on show at The Valley this season in the shape of wide midfield player Jerome Thomas. Having begun his career at Arsenal, Thomas gained a nomination for the PFA Young Player Of The Year after announcing his arrival on the Premiership stage with some impressive displays. With the left side of midfield still identified as a problem area in the England midfield at the start of Steve McLaren's reign, 2006/07 could conceivably be a breakthrough year for Thomas.

Luke Young is another Charlton player who has gained international recognition for his efforts this term, but sadly another who has failed to make Eriksson’s 23-man cut. Cynics suggest a trend here, and Young might reflect on whether he would be on the plane to Germany if he had been producing such good form for his previous club Tottenham Hotspur. During the last friendly international against Uruguay, a game in which Bent made his senior debut, Spurs were represented by no fewer than five players on the pitch during the second half at Anfield. Michael Carrick, Jermaine Jenas and Paul Robinson and Aaron Lennon are all included in the World Cup party, though Eriksson may point to the return to fitness of Manchester United captain Gary Neville as mitigation for Young‘s near miss.

In midfield Danny Murphy‘s short stint with the club came to an end, and again it was those pesky kids from White Hart Lane stealing the family silver. The former Liverpool man had something of a falling out with an increasingly and often visibly disillusioned Curbishley in January, and eventually moved north of the capital for £2million. That left Radostin Kishishev and Alexei Smertin to pull most of the strings in the centre of the park, with the latter also now elsewhere having reportedly become the highest paid player in the Russian league.

The effect on results of that, together with the Addicks’ traditional but earlier than scheduled collapse, meant that a sustained challenge for a European place was not possible. However, they excelled in the FA Cup, moving all the way to the quarter-finals before being removed by Middlesbrough’s late-season cup heroics. Their Carling Cup showing was interesting also, as they dumped Chelsea out of the competition on penalties before imploding against Blackburn Rovers in the fourth round, giving up a two-goal lead to lose 3-2.

Indeed Charlton were the only side to come away from Stamford Bridge having avoided defeat in the league in 2005/06, a statistic which shows what we have always known, that they can mix it with the big boys but that their squad is too threadbare to lift them to the next level. If Curbishley’s successor can nurture the undoubted talent at the club and add to it with the right kind of experience, then it may well be that a change at the top can finally deliver the European adventure that the fans so desperately crave.

By Stephen Orford

18 May 2006

3177: Aston Villa: 2005-06 Season An

by : Chris Sherrard

And still they go backwards.

I honestly didn’t think Aston Villa could sink any further into mediocrity but under David O’Leary’s questionable management that’s exactly what they have done.

Everyone at the club, from top to bottom, must ask themselves what they, individually, are doing wrong.

Because it is not just one person coming up short, it is an entire club.

And not just any club, either. A famous old giant of a club with history, prestige and status to aspire to.

But their performances last season were woeful, lacking in passion, skill, commitment, style and any sort of quality.

What’s to blame? That’s the $64,000 question. But for the sake of the club’s supporters, every effort must be done this summer to put things right.

If Doug Ellis feels that David O’Leary is still the man to take Villa forward he should back him all the way.

Clear out the dead wood and bring in the kind of players who will take the club to the next level.

The examples of how it should and can be done surrounded and flooded over the top of Villa last season.

West Ham and Wigan, playing the sort of football that the game is all about, crafted and grafted their way to respectable league finishes.

Charlton, Everton, Blackburn and Bolton, who the Villa Park men should realistically have been competing with, all finished the season well clear of O’Leary’s side.

One of the main reasons for that was a shocking lack of goals. Not one Villa player broke into double figures in the Premiership last season. Not one.

And yet they have expensive strikers at the club, most of who are well paid internationals.

Relegated West Brom scored more goals at home. And the flip-side of their problems is illustrated by the fact that hapless Sunderland conceded fewer goals on their travels than Villa.

Those problems must be addressed.

I think Thomas Sorenson is a good keeper but he gets little cover in front of him.

Jllyod Samuel may come in for severe stick from some sections of the Villa faithful but he isn’t one of the major defensive problems.

In fact, I think that given the boost of some confidence and support from his manager and fans he will regain the form that once took him to the edge of England recognition.

The defence of Bouma, Mellberg, Ridgewell and Hughes looks solid on paper but it isn’t mobile enough.

And without the excellent James Milner in midfield next season, if he returns to Newcastle on a permanent basis, problems will persist.

Because, if truth be told, if it weren’t for Steven Davis last season Villa could well have dropped into the relegation places.

The young Ulsterman is top class. He drives the team on and cajoles and encourages those around him.

That’s something Gareth Barry – another player I rate highly – has the ability to do.

But a lack of movement and ideas in front of them continually undermined their efforts.

And that brings us to the front men. Baros, Angel, Phillips and Moore have all had spells in the team but without a long run at it none of them have thrived.

That’s why O’Leary must decide on which two are his first-choice duo and let them get on with it.

If it were me, Baros and Moore would get the nod but whether the Czech international is still in Birmingham next season remains to be seen.

Certainly if a bid of more than £6million was tabled O’Leary would be willing to do business and bring in a more consistent alternative.

The 2005-06 season was a pretty damn dismal one for everyone at Aston Villa – certainly after the previous two under O’Leary in which the club finished comfortably in the top half of the Premiership.

Since then, it has to be said, the Irishman has bought poorly. He can’t afford any more transfer mistakes like those of Djemba-Djemba and Berson.

Of course, things might have been so much different had Thomas Hitzlsperger remained at the club...

3189: The Championship 2005/06 - Par

by : Alex Wolstenholme

December - Harry Redknapp leaves Southampton after just under a year in charge. His on-off move back to Portsmouth is finally agreed amid more bad feeling between the two clubs.

Earlier, Neil Warnock had rejected the chance to take over at Fratton Park, saying: "I think there's politics involved in Portsmouth and I don't want to get into that. I don't need the hassle."

Sheffield United celebrate Warnock's decision by beating local rivals Wednesday 1-0 to continue their impressive season to date. The Blades have 52 points at the halfway stage of the season, leaders Reading have 56.

George Burley takes over as Southampton head coach, with Sir Clive Woodward becoming director of football. Colin Lee moves into a similar role at Millwall with David Tuttle becoming first-team boss.

January - The transfer window re-opens and Norwich City are involved in some big-money deals. They sell Dean Ashton to West Ham for £7.25m and re-invest just under half that in Robert Earnshaw of West Brom.

The Canaries also snap up Dickson Etuhu from Preston and Sunderland midfielder Carl Robinson, who had been on loan at Carrow Road.

Strikers are much in demand. Sheffield United pay £1.75m for Burnley's Ade Akinbiyi and Wolves splash out £1.4m on Polish international Tomasz Frankowski.

Leaders Reading sign defender John Halls from Stoke and Watford complete the permanent signing of Marlon King from Nottingham Forest.

At the bottom, Sheffield Wednesday sign strikers Marcus Tudgay and Deon Burton,

Millwall snap up Dutch forward Berry Powel and Crewe pay their first ever fee to an agent as they sign Algerian international Madjid Bougherra.

On the pitch, Reading score eleven times in their three home games as they remain firmly on course for the title.

Preston's Billy Davies is manager of the month after his side win five and draw one of their games.

Phil Brown though is sacked just seven months into his first managerial role after Derby's slide down the table.

Just down the road and just a few days earlier, Craig Levein had parted company with Leicester City, paying the price for league form and not saved by a dramatic 3-2 FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur.

February - QPR suspend, but not sack manager Ian Holloway after he shows interest in the vacant Leicester City job. Gary Waddock is placed in caretaker charge.

Sheffield United complete the double over neighbours Wednesday with a 2-1 win at Hillsborough. The Blades are also active in the loan market, signing Geoff Horsfield from West Brom.

Southampton are the busiest side outside of the transfer window. George Burley signs Richard Chaplow, Gregorz Rasiak and Jermaine Wright on loan on the same day as he looks to stave off the threat of relegation at St Mary's.

No Championship side makes it past the last sixteen of the FA Cup as Preston, Stoke and Southampton lose to Premiership sides in Round 5.

March - Reading clinch promotion to the Premiership with a 1-1 draw at Leicester City.

Stoke City suspend director of football John Rudge and assistant manager Jan de Koning for a second time following their row earlier in the season with boss Johan Boskamp. Suspended Queens Park Rangers boss Ian Holloway, still tending to his garden, is linked with the Stoke job if Boskamp leaves.

Leicester City caretaker boss Rob Kelly is named as the Championship's Manager of the Month. Another caretaker, Terry Westley of Derby is also among the nominations after guiding the Rams away from the relegation zone.

As the deadline for loan signings approaches, Burnley snap up Phil Bardsley from Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday land Mikkel Bischoff from Manchester City and Scott Carson from Liverpool and Derby sign Michael McIndoe from Doncaster Rovers.

Other loan deals done see Leon Clarke move from Wolves to Plymouth and team-mate Colin Cameron join Millwall.

April - The title is Reading's after a 5-0 win over Derby. Sheffield United will be joining them in the Premiership next season after they win at Cardiff on Good Friday and neither Watford or Leeds can take three points from their games.

All other league issues are also settled over Easter.

Leeds, Watford, Crystal Palace and Preston will contest the play-offs, Crewe, Millwall and Brighton are relegated as Sheffield Wednesday ensure their safety with a win at the Withdean Stadium.

David Tuttle leaves the New Den after just 22 games in charge while Johan Boskamp leaves Stoke City after one season. He is a target for clubs in Belgium after failing to agree a new contract at the Britannia Stadium.

Rob Kelly is named as the permanent manager of Leicester City after impressing in a caretaker role since taking over from Craig Levein.

May - Leeds and Watford will contest the play-off final after wins over Preston and Crystal Palace respectively.

Southend and Colchester win promotion to the Championship and will be joined next season by Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham City who are relegated from the Premiership.

Joe Royle parts company with Ipswich Town.

Norwich City's Robert Green is included in England's World Cup squad along with Theo Walcott, whose only senior action this season has been with Southampton. Andy Johnson of Crystal Palace is on the stand-by list of players.

The final game of the Championship season sees Watford beat Leeds 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium to win a place in the Premiership for 2006/07.

3179: Stephen Orford's Premiership T

by : Stephen Orford

With two newly promoted teams reaching major domestic cup finals, Portsmouth turning on the title form to avoid relegation, mediocre Middlesbrough reaching the UEFA Cup final and Arsenal almost making off with the cup with the big ears there has been plenty to get excited about in 2005/06. Here are the men who made it happen for their clubs, my team of the season.

Goalkeeper - Thomas Kuszczak - West Bromwich Albion

After arriving from Hertha Berlin in 2004 the Polish stopper was thought to be behind loanee Chris Kirkland in the Baggies’ pecking order when the season began. However, yet more injuries to the accident prone former Coventry custodian gave Kuszczak his chance, and he never looked back. West Brom’s relegation would probably have been confirmed far earlier but for the efforts of Kuszczak, and his exploits have been enough to engineer rumours of a move to Manchester United in the summer.

Right-Back - Steve Finnan - Liverpool

Never one for the complex or the spectacular, Finnan has established himself as a consistent performer in the Liverpool back four this term. He is now as invaluable to that unit as Jamie Carragher or Sami Hyypia, and his form convinced manager Rafa Benitez that Spanish full-back Josemi was surplus to requirements. Even Dutch international Jan Kromkamp, brought in as part of a swap deal for Josemi from Villarreal, cannot shift the dependable Irishman from the first eleven.

Left-Back - Jon Arne Risse - Liverpool

As I await the accusations of Liverpool bias I would challenge you to think of a better left-sided defender in the Premiership this term. William Gallas is something of a square peg in a round hole in that position with Chelsea, so much so that the player himself is intent on quitting the champions to avoid having to perform the role any longer. Riise meanwhile has remained solid in Liverpool’s impressive back-line and has the added bonus of being able to maraud forward to help out with the attacks when the team wins possession.

Centre-Back - John Terry - Chelsea

Who else? The England man continues to annoy everyone with his brilliance, bravery and all round die-for-the-cause no nonsense defending. The antithesis to all of the things that people hate about Chelsea, most English fans cannot help but love Terry. Even if he does look slightly smug at times. Undoubtedly a key player in England’s bid for World Cup glory this summer.

Centre-Back - Jamie Carragher - Liverpool

What? Not Sol Campbell? No. Not Sol Campbell. Instead more gratuitous Liverpool bias in the shape of the inclusion of the man mostly responsible for Liverpool’s defensive improvement in recent years. Carragher drags the others up to his level and, the odd FA Cup final own goal aside, has been the proverbial tower of strength in the Anfield rearguard.

Centre-Midfield - Claude Makalele - Chelsea

Everyone knows that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard can’t play together. Everyone that is apart from Sven Goran Eriksson. As such, there’s only room for one of them in this particular dream team, and you wouldn’t expect a man who rates Steve Finnan above Pascal Chimbonda to plump for Lampard over the Liverpool legend. With that in mind, Lampard’s Chelsea team-mate Claude Makalele’s services are required, as there are few better at standing around in a 20 metres squared patch of grass with the expressed intention of ruining the Saturday afternoons of playmakers everywhere. Quite simply, Chelsea, for all their millions, would not be the same team without the French international.

3198: Birmingham City: Time To Give

by : Hugh Larkin

Birmingham City faced a real problem when they came up to the Premiership in 2002. The demands of survival forced Steve Bruce to fashion a grafting, tough, experienced side and the opportunities to introduce young talent were severely limited. Then the push for European status took over and an influx of established signings flooded the first team squad-but the youth picture is improving.

Now that City are relegated it remains to be seen what role youth has to play in the attempt to get back to the top flight. At least several home grown products got the chance to experience Premiership football this season due to the club's injury list.

There are a number of trainees given pro contracts in 2004 and 2005 of whom there are solid hopes. A number of them may become squad regulars in the next few years.

Neil Kilkenny

Neil Kilkenny is the midfielder that is the most talked about of Birmingham's young players. He only started six games in 2005/6 but he came off the bench for 12 more. He played a lot of games on loan at Oldham in 2004/5 and is highly thought of, not least for his expertise on free kicks.

He isn't strictly a Blues product as his formative years were in Australia and he originally signed to Arsenal. He's played for England at under-18 and under-19 level and Steve Bruce offered him a 2.5 year contract in January 2004. He's probably ready to fight for a first team shirt next year.

Matthew Sadler

A Birmingham-born defender who made 10 first team appearances this season. He made his debut back in 2002 but his path to the side has been blocked by stalwarts like Cunningham, Upson etc. Possibly one who could feature more after the inevitable summer clear out.

Alex Bruce

Being the manager's son is never an easy situation. The younger Bruce signed a contract in 2004 and he's had three loan spells at Oldham, Tranmere and a prominent one at Sheffield Wednesday during their promotion push. Has a handful of games for the first team without ever looking really convincing.

Sam Oji

Another young defender, who had his first senior outing in an FA Cup tie this term. Been on loan at Doncaster briefly.

As well as the four players mentioned above Birmingham ended the season with four on loan at various clubs- they included keeper Colin Doyle at Millwall and midfielder Peter Till at Boston.

Others are part of the first team squad such as Marcos Painter, Sone Aluko and Oliver Allen but await their debuts, plus the likes Matthew Birley who was given three games in the recent campaign.

So the young players are there and the size of the first team squad will shrink to offer them more hope. The performance of some of the expensive signings gives weight to the view that the club should put more emphasis on its own products.

Such a policy would probably get the support of what is traditionally a patient set of supporters. Many Blues fans were clearly unimpressed by the lack of fight in some of their established names this season.

Obviously, City will still need many hard-nosed professionals to get them out of the Championship but to secure the club’s long-term future, the team needs to include more players committed to the Blues cause. 2006/7 could be the time to start offering more chances to the youth products jostling for attention.

Hugh Larkin
22 May 2006

3188: The Championship 2005/06 - Par

by : Alex Wolstenholme

June - Tony Pulis leaves Stoke City after a disagreement with the club's Icelandic owners about his transfer policy. Former Anderlecht boss Johan Boskamp takes charge at the Britannia Stadium.

Also leaving is George Burley, despite guiding Derby into the play-offs. Phil Brown leaves his job as Bolton's assistant manager to take over at Pride Park.

Sheffield United seal the permanent signing of Danny Webber from Watford.

Webber's former strike partner, Heidar Helguson, departs Vicarage Road for Fulham while Ipswich lose Darren Bent to Charlton and Kelvin Davis to Sunderland for seven-figure fees.

Southampton begin selling players following relegation to the Championship. Kevin Phillips joins Aston Villa for £1million.

July - Steve Claridge's managerial reign at Millwall ends after just 33 days before he is replaced by Colin Lee.

England international Peter Crouch leaves Southampton for Liverpool. The Reds pay £7m for the striker.

Tottenham complete the signing of Tom Huddlestone from Derby for £2.5million.

Newly-promoted Luton snap up Rowan Vine on a permanent deal from Portsmouth.

Reading pay a transfer record fee to sign England under-21 international Leroy Lita from Bristol City and Robbie Blake moves back to the Championship after just six months. He leaves Birmingham for Leeds.

Cardiff snap up Darren Purse from West Brom while million-pound deals see Adam Virgo leave Brighton for Celtic and Stoke's third-choice goalkeeper Ben Foster join Manchester United.

Sir Clive Woodward is appointed as Southampton's technical director after arriving back from the British Lions rugby tour of New Zealand. He says: "For the first few months here it will be a case of sitting back, watching and learning."

August - Leeds are busy again in the transfer market. They pay £1.15million for Preston's Richard Cresswell. Leicester lose David Connolly to Wigan but snap up Tranmere striker Iain Hume.

Stoke City pay a club record fee for Standard Liege striker Sambegou Bangora.

West Brom pay £3million for Luton centre-half Curtis Davies while two strikers get Premiership moves. Andy Gray goes from Sheffield United to Sunderland and Henri Camara finally leaves Wolves on a permanent basis, signing for Wigan.

None of the three relegated sides win on the opening day of the season. Crystal Palace lose 2-1 at home to Luton, Norwich are held by Coventry and Southampton draw a blank against Wolves.

Coventry win their first game at the new Ricoh Arena, 3-0 against Queens Park Rangers

September - Sheffield United win all five of their league games to firmly establish themselves as promotion contenders.

Robert Green of Norwich and Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson are named in the England squad for the first World Cup qualifiers of the season against Wales and Northern Ireland.

Tony Pulis is back at the helm of a Championship club. He is appointed as the new Plymouth manager in succession to Bobby Williamson.

Gianni Paladini becomes the new chairman of Queens Park Rangers.

October - Reading's 1-1 draw with Leeds United leaves them unbeaten for 18 games in a row - a club record. Boss Steve Coppell picks up the manager of the month award.

Norwich City's poor form and 1-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday has the Carrow Road fans calling for the head of manager Nigel Worthington.

He says: "I'll be strong. The important thing from my point of view is that my job is on the line here and I will be working damn hard to make sure I retain my position."

After six-and-a-half years of trying, Brighton & Hove Albion get the go-ahead for a new stadium at Falmer. Manager Mark McGhee says: "We can now focus on two years ahead when the young team we've got can take us into that new stadium.

November - A 3-0 win at Ipswich sends Reading to the top of the Championship table.

No Championship sides are left in the League Cup after Millwall, Reading, Crystal Palace and Leicester lose to Premiership opposition in the 4th round.

International entrepeneur Peter de Savary, a man whose business interests have included owning both Lands End and John O'Groats, becomes the new chairman of Millwall.

The Lions celebrate by gaining their first home win of the season, 1-0 against Norwich.

3190: Chelsea; Season Analysis 2005

by : Stephen Orford

A first title in 50 years in 2004/05, and only a second in their history, was enough to persuade most people that Chelsea would repeat that success this time around.

The money pumped into the club by yacht-dwelling media mute Roman Abramovich has changed the perceptions of the Stamford Bridge club, raising expectations in line with the rise in ill-feeling towards Jose Mourinho’s side this term.

Press pin-up Mourinho spent the summer of 2005 playing yet more fantasy football with Abramovich’s money, bringing in Manchester City’s England starlet Shaun Wright-Phillips for a whopping £21million, and Ghanaian international talisman Michael Essien from French side Lyon for a further £24.4million. The defence was added to with the acquisition of Spanish international left-back Asier Del Horno for £8million from Atlhetic Bilbao. Del Horno had come to the attention of the British public by scoring the only goal in a friendly with England earlier in the year.

Despite much reluctance striker Hernan Crespo returned from a loan spell at AC Milan. The Argentine spent most of the summer suggesting that he would like to stay in Italy, but was brought kicking and screaming back to west London by a determined, smug, smirking Mourinho. Conversely, the club continued with its controversial policy of loaning out new signings, allowing midfielder Jiri Jarosik to head straight for Championship-bound chumps Birmingham City after arriving from CSKA Moscow.

Without doubt Wright-Phillips has proven to be the most expensive substitute in transfer history. The adopted son of Arsenal legend and comically awful BBC pundit Ian Wright has made just 10 league starts for his new club, a state of affairs which has certainly brought about his omission from England’s World Cup squad. Essien has not always figured either, making 27 starts in a season which as been more notable for his horror tackles against Bolton Wanderers and Liverpool. Yet Chelsea, with all the riches afforded to them by Abramovich, will spend little time fretting about investing £45million on players who haven’t exactly dominated.

Instead the club can look back on another remarkably easy title win, with most of their rivals written off before Christmas. A late wobble, including a 3-0 thrashing at Middlesbrough and a goalless score at Birmingham City briefly threatened to let Manchester United back in, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s side could not beat either Boro or league whipping boys Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Satisfyingly for Chelsea the title was confirmed against Ferguson’s men in a 3-0 victory on April 29, a match which is now best remembered for the injury suffered by Wayne Rooney than for the subsequent title party. In part, that is down to the importance of the Manchester United’s star to England’s World Cup chances, but also to the apathy that the English public fans have for Chelsea. A series of controversies throughout the season, most notably at West Bromwich Albion when several Chelsea players surrounded the referee in an ill-tempered affair, added to the conservative style with which Chelsea are becoming easily England’s finest has done little to help their popularity.

Nor did Didier Drogba’s Lost In Translation moment following a victory over Manchester City, when he inadvertently admitted not only to handling the ball into David James’ net, but also to hitting the ground with a little too much regularity and with little provocation.

Yet for all Chelsea’s faults, they are unquestionably the most consistent team in the land, and will probably continue to be so for as long as Abramovich sticks around. Only the cup competitions offer any room for improvement, with a disappointing second round exit to Barcelona in the Champions League accompanied by a shock Carling Cup exit to Charlton Athletic and another semi-final defeat to Liverpool, this time in the FA Cup.

Ever the perfectionist, Mourinho will now see the Champions League and Premiership double as his holy grail. His side are a red-hot favourite to secure a third successive title in 2006/07, but the desire to become European kings burns strongly inside the Portuguese. To that end, he has already added German international midfielder Michael Ballack to his squad, with the former Bayer Leverkusen man joining on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Bayern Munich.

Rumours persist of a move for AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko, and failing that even a swoop for Manchester United’s unsettled marksman Ruud van Nistelrooy has been mooted. With Crespo likely to be finally be granted his wish of a return to Italy, and Drogba making noises about rough treatment from the press forcing him out of English football, Mourinho will be keenly aware of the need to strengthen his side in the goalscoring department. Midfielder Frank Lampard cannot continue to carry the burden, though his midfield partnership with Ballack could be among the best in Europe if the former West Ham man resists a possible switch to Barcelona.

Among others likely to depart are Eidur Gudjohnsen with Newcastle United leading the chase, defender William Gallas who is hankering after a move to Italy, aswell as the troubled Wright-Phillips. As if to prove that they are not totally irresponsible with their bags of cash, Chelsea have indicated that his massive price-tag may restrict him to a loan deal rather than a permanent move. And yet it scarcely seems to matter about the personnel all that much, as with a seemingly unlimited transfer fund and the ebullient yet often masterful Mourinho at the helm, Chelsea seem set to dominate the Premiership for the foreseeable future.

By Stephen Orford

22 May 2006

3205: Liverpool; Fernando Flops

by : Stephen Orford

Few tears will be shed among the Anfield faithful at the departure of Fernando Morientes after a largely unsuccessful 16-month stint. The 30 year-old joins Rafa Benitez’s former club Valencia for an undisclosed fee, as Liverpool begin the re-jigging of their much criticised strike force.

The Spanish international striker joined Liverpool from Real Madrid in January 2005 with a big reputation. Three times a Champions League winner with the Spanish giants, Morientes also starred in Monaco’s run to the 2004 final during a loan spell with the French league side. With 26 goals in 43 appearances for Spain Morientes has a pedigree that few others can equal, yet it just hasn’t happened for him during his Premiership stay.

The reasons for this are varied. Striker rotation is one of Benitez’s favoured ploys throughout what is always a long, tough season. As such, Morientes has failed to secure a run in the starting 11, with the much maligned but strangely effective Peter Crouch often preferred to the Spaniard. With £14million man Djibril Cisse also competing for a striking role aswell as returning local hero Robbie Fowler in 2005/06, opportunities were limited for Morientes.

Yet when he has been given a chance to shine the man once routinely linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur rarely seized upon it. His lack of conviction in front of goal was palpably visible, and it was difficult to believe that a man with his experience and goalscoring record could suffer from the kind of confidence crisis normally reserved for the Ade Akinbiyis of this world. Each time a goalscoring chance materialised for Morientes a sense of panic seemed to take hold of him, with even his revered aerial ability going absent without leave during his time on Merseyside. A return of only 12 goals in 61 appearances for the 2005 European champions tells the story of Morientes’ fall from grace, as Benitez finally lost patience with his compatriot.

Morientes’ departure leaves a hole in the attacking department of the Liverpool squad, with rumours persisting that Cisse will also be offloaded should the right offer come along. A move for Tottenham Hotspur’s former West Ham United striker Jermain Defoe had been talked about long before the transfer of Morientes materialised and perhaps now seems even more likely. Pacy, and with the kind of shot which threatens to damage netting everywhere, Defoe would be an interesting foil for the towering Crouch, and a speedy alternative to the naturally gifted but rather more leisurely paced Fowler.

Dutch international Dirk Kuyt is busy flirting with a number of clubs, among them Newcastle United, but Liverpool are also said to be prepared to spend £10million on the player. The recent signing of Dimitar Berbatov perhaps rules Tottenham out of the race for his signature (although tabloid practise often involves never ever ruling Tottenham out of a transfer deal) and so Kuyt could have a straight choice to make between the Reds and the Magpies. One gets the feeling that the future of Cisse and the possible arrival of Defoe could have a bearing on that decision, with opportunities for Kuyt at Anfield likely to be increased or decreased accordingly.

Maybe Benitez will keep his powder dry until after the World Cup, but there is sure to be more transfer activity among his forward options before next season begins. Unquestionably, unequivocally, Morientes was not the answer to the impotency which has stifled Liverpool’s attempts to really challenge Chelsea for the Premiership crown. Nothing if not shrewd, Benitez is likely to make this a top priority, a fact highlighted by his somewhat ruthless decision to let Morientes head back to La Liga.

By Stephen Orford

26 May 2006

3207: England: The A Team in No Dang

by : Kieran McHugh

Although being used largely to assess the form of one or two of the fringe players in England’s squad, and to improve match fitness for those returning from injury, it’s difficult to see exactly what could have been gleaned from the B International in Reading on Thursday night, (May 25th).

David James looked an able deputy for the number one, Paul Robinson, and hearts went out to Robert Green. To lose out on a World Cup at this late stage having been picked in the 23 man squad will devastate the Norwich ‘keeper notwithstanding the likelihood that he would have played a very limited role in terms of time on the pitch in Germany. Scott Carson looks most likely to benefit and will gain a lot for the experience. For Green, the chance to go to a World Cup may well come around again, but it will be of little consolation this morning.

All around the pitch the England B players were guilty of sloppy passing, gifting possession to the opposition and for the most part wasting the opportunity to impress Sven ahead of the World Cup itself. At right back Owen Hargreaves looked a fish out of water. There is a tendency to ask what he contributes to the squad but, in mitigation, a man good enough to have won 3 German League and Cup doubles playing as a defensive midfielder could feel aggrieved at not getting a chance in his favoured position. One run from deep, resulting in a blocked shot, hinted at a desire to show what he can do, but should anything happen to Gary Neville, options at right back look limited.

Another man who seems destined to be a squad player rather than an England first team regular is Jamie Carragher. Having played in the last England B International 8 years ago, Carragher’s career has taken in many highs and lows since. His doggedness as a pure defender, once seen as a limitation, is now regarded as a strength. However the feeling persists that his role is as a back up anywhere along the back four. It’s difficult to see the Liverpool stalwart displacing either John Terry or Rio Ferdinand at centre half or Neville at right back. Indeed, the somewhat rejuvenated Sol Campbell looks to have cemented his berth as first change at centre back.

Ashley Cole’s performance at left back was slightly more encouraging, although he too was responsible for careless distribution. Sven should have no problems in picking Cole in the first game in the World Cup, and should also use him in the two remaining matches if only to allow the Arsenal defender to play himself into better form. A potential link up with Joe Cole on England’s left is about as good a partnership, should both men play to form, as England have had for many a long day. The defensive unit for England’s first match at the World Cup, all things being equal, is settled. Robinson in goal, with Terry and Ferdinand in front of him and Neville and Ashley Cole as full backs.

Up front, England look thin. Wayne Rooney’s fitness looks likely to rule him out of any involvement in the group stages leaving Sven to pick from Owen, Crouch and Theo Walcott from the recognised strikers. Frankly, it’s a no brainer. Lacking experience in the Premiership, to ask the 17 year old Walcott to start in the World Cup is a recipe for disaster. Although one or two bright spots suggested that the young Arsenal forward was well capable of mixing it in this company, it’s as a substitute that he is most likely to play his part.

3203: World Cup Countdown; England

by : Stephen Orford

With just over two weeks to go before their opening World Cup match with Paraguay, England began their warm-up programme with a ‘B’ international against Belarus at Reading’s Madejski Stadium on Thursday (May 25).

Quite why the match was not afforded full international status is perplexing and largely irrelevant, with the main issues on the night centring on the individual performances of England’s less experienced players.

Chief among these was Spurs winger Aaron Lennon. The 19 year-old former Leeds United man undoubtedly provided the main positive from Sven Goran Eriksson’s side’s 2-1 defeat, constantly causing mayhem in the Belarussian defence. He was particularly effective in the opening 20 minutes, laying on a tap-in for an offside Peter Crouch before unluckily seeing his dipping shot land just over the crossbar. He faded somewhat in the second half, but was still lively enough to have an impact on the game, twice provoking defender Sergey Omelianchuk into rash tackles in the space of a few seconds which earned the Belarussian stopper a red card.

That England could not press home that numerical advantage was mainly due to a disjointed team performance in the second half. Perhaps minds were wandering following the unfortunate injury to Robert Green in the build-up to the Belarus equaliser. The Norwich City goalkeeper had been on the field for only five minutes before rupturing his groin in the act of a botched goal-kick, leaving Vitaly Kutuzov to defy the boos of the Berkshire crowd to roll the ball into the empty net. Green now looks certain to miss the World Cup, a sad state of affairs which does at least offer Liverpool reserve Scott Carson a chance to make the trip to Germany.

There was also a first chance to see Theo Walcott pit his wits against a fully-fledged international team, and the Arsenal youngster acquitted himself reasonably well. He threatened to outstrip the defence with his first touch, accelerating past defenders with ridiculous ease before being cynically chopped down. Later, he latched on to a knock-down to send a rasping drive towards goal, but had placed his shot too close to the goalkeeper. In truth it was difficult for Walcott to get into the game on a more consistent basis than this due to England’s sub-par second half performance, but the promise shown by the former Southampton star will not have gone unnoticed by Eriksson.

Walcott entered the fray as a replacement for Michael Owen with half an hour remaining, after the England ‘B’ captain had been involved in the opening goal of the game. Standing in an offside position which would have made Ruud van Nistelrooy blush, Owen got his head to Stewart Downing’s left-wing free-kick and as the ball rebounded off the bar it fell to Jermaine Jenas to tap home. Earlier, Owen had a sharp chance to open the scoring but his angled shot was pushed aside with Crouch arguably in a better position to score. Yet the main objective for Owen was to get through his game time without any further fears over his much publicised foot injury, meaning a satisfactory night for the Newcastle United striker.

Defensively England were solid enough, losing a late goal when the possibly off the pace Michael Dawson allowed Sergey Kornilenko to turn and fire past Carson. All things being equal Dawson will not even be in Germany, much less be required to participate and so his potential fallibility at this level should not really concern anyone. The Tottenham defender has been excellent in the Premiership this season and has plenty of time to make the jump to the international stage.

Other than Lennon the second-string midfield of Jenas, Michael Carrick and Downing was as disappointing as the more illustrious unit of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole have been in the past. This suggests a tactical fault on the part of Eriksson, as it is hard to argue that these players are anything else but top quality in domestic and European football. Indeed, Cole came off the bench in the second half and looked one of England’s brightest players, with only some of his decision making open to question.

All in all a useful experiment for Eriksson, who will now know more about his younger guns than he did previously. All too often we are ’treated’ to England friendlies in which we learn nothing about anybody, but at the Madejski Stadium on Thursday there was at least a sense that some of the gambles taken by the Swede in his World Cup selection might actually pay off.

By Stephen Orford

26 May 2006

3196: World Cup Group D preview: Por

by : Alex Wolstenholme

By the time the Argentines began the defence of their title in Spain in 1982 the exciting talents of Diego Maradona had emerged. The breathtaking ability of the diminutive rehab regular convinced many that Argentina were in a good position to succeed on the world stage once more. However, Maradona never quite found his form, and his World Cup ended in tatters as he was dismissed from the field, Rattin-style, in a second phase match-up with Brazil.

When the World Cup returned to Mexico in 1986 the performance of the Argentines would be in stark contrast to their failure to reach the 1970 show. Led by a more mature if slightly more hedonistic Maradona, Argentina swept all before them to become world champions for a second time. If any World Cup has ever been won single-handedly it is this one, as Maradona continually and routinely strolled around opponents, laying on goal chances for his team mates in the manner of a hyperactive waiter at the only restaurant in town. He scored a few too, most notably a despicably brilliant solo effort in the 2-1 quarter-final win over England to add to his somewhat darker ‘Hand Of God’ effort for his side’s first that day.

He did not score in the final, but did enough to help his colleagues to a 3-2 victory over West Germany in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City. Fittingly, he lifted the trophy himself as captain of the side as his nation collected it’s second world championship in eight years.

Maradona and Argentina were in the final again in Italy in 1990, albeit with a lot less style. Never popular on these shores, the Argentines won even fewer friends with their rugged, often tedious style of play. However, what the side did have was a good deal of grit and determination, bouncing back from an opening game defeat to Cameroon to ultimately take-on the newly unified Germany in the final. In a game which could best be described as niggly, Argentina submerged under a sea of red cards, protestations and no little shedding of tears, finally losing out 1-0 to Andreas Brehme’s second half penalty.

By 1994 Maradona was a shadow of his former self and his private life was making front page headlines. Allegations of cocaine addiction marred his presence in the USA, and but for one camera-bothering moment of nostalgic inspiration against Greece, the Argentine’s talisman was a spent force. His shameful removal from the tournament following a positive drugs test brought about the beginning of the end of his colourful yet masterful career, and the team mates he left behind struggled to cope in his absence. They were beaten 3-2 in a second round thriller by Romania as Brazil secured a fourth World Cup victory.

Argentina managed to upset England once more in France in 1998, when the play-acting of Diego Simeone helped get English golden boy David Beckham sent off in a second round clash. The game finished 2-2 after extra time, and spot-kick misses from Paul Ince and penalty virgin David Batty gave the South Americans a ticket to the quarter-finals. There, they were undone by the brilliance of Holland's Dennis Bergkamp, whose last minute miracle goal set up a semi-final clash with Brazil.

Argentina’s most recent appearance at a World Cup finals tournament was an unmitigated disaster, and again there was much squabbling with England at the centre of the plot. Beckham laid the ghosts of ‘98 to rest with the only goal from the penalty spot in their first round clash, as pre-tournament favourites Argentina went home early. The England draw had followed victory over Sweden, but a 1-1 draw with Nigeria put both the Africans and the Argentines out at the first hurdle.

By Stephen Orford

24 May 2006

Qualifying: Perhaps the most consistent team in European football over the past two years, Portugal followed up their run to the final of Euro 2004 by going unbeaten through their qualifying group and finishing seven points clear of Russia, who they beat 7-1 in one of the fixtures.

Group Opponents: On paper Portugal have one of the better groups, facing Angola, Iran and then Mexico, although memories are fresh in Portugal of their dismal showing four years ago when the national team failed to make the knockout stages after defeats by the USA and South Korea.

Portugal's opening game is against Angola and although it looks straightforward based on form, the colonial history between the two countries produced an explosive game when the sides last met and the Portuguese will need to keep their cool, something they have not always done in major tournaments.

World Cup history: Surprisingly this is only their fourth ever World Cup and like England they have been trying to emulate their 1966 showing (3rd) ever since.

Their 1986 campaign was marred by off-field controversy from start to finish, culminating in a threatened strike by the players over bonuses. Portugal were knocked out in the first round despite a win over England and a number of stars were suspended from the national side upon their return.

Coach: Since 2002 Portugal have come under the charge of Luiz Felipe Scolari and the Brazilian coach will be looking to win his second World Cup in succession.

Scolari's contract expires after this tournament although it is clear now that he will not be taking over the England side, removing one potential conflict of interest should the teams in the quarter-finals which they are drawn to do if both teams win their groups and last 16 games.

Players: Luis Figo is back in the squad after changing his mind over international retirement. A move from Real Madrid to Inter Milan last summer seems to have revitalised the Portuguese skipper and this tournament really does present his last chance of glory on the big stage.

Elsewhere the squad has been picked more on their achievements for the national side under Scolari rather than based on who is and isn't in form for their clubs.

Hence the likes of Maniche are in the 23 despite his lack of games for Chelsea.

"These players have my trust and they play well as a group," said the coach.

"I haven't chosen my (starting) team yet. I have seven or eight in mind. From now, the fight is on for places, though team choices will always depend on the game and the opponent."

Tournament prospects: Without the huge public pressure that was placed on them to win Euro 2004, Portugal may be able to express themselves a little more in Germany.

They look well placed to reach the knockout stages at the very least, but the lack of a top quality goalscorer may count against them in tight, one-off games.

The potential last 16 draw does not look kind for them as if they progress, Portugal will face either the winners or runners-up in Group C which includes both Holland and Argentina.

3195: Argentina; World Cup History

by : Stephen Orford

Germany 2006 will be Argentina’s 14th World Cup finals tournament appearance from a possible 18. They have twice been winners, and have been beaten finalists on two further occasions. Of all the competing nations this summer, only Brazil, Italy and Germany can boast a more consistent World Cup record than the team English fans love to hate.

Argentina withdrew from the finals in 1938, 1950 and 1954, and the 1970 tournament in Mexico remains the only occasion on which they have actively failed to qualify for the event. They appeared in the first ever World Cup final in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930, losing out 4-2 to the hosts in a game most notable for a pre-kick-off dispute about which ball would be used, and for a goal by the one-armed Uruguayan Hector Castro.

Along with the subsequent withdrawals immediately prior to and following the Second World War, Argentina suffered three ignominious first round exits in 1934, 1958 and 1962, before reaching the quarter-finals in England in 1966. They were eliminated 1-0 by Alf Ramsey’s side en route to England’s one and only world title, the game forever remembered for the refusal of Argentine captain Antonio Rattin to leave the field after being shown a red card. In many ways that game marked the beginning of the somewhat heated rivalry between Argentina and England, but it is the South American side who have had more success on the world stage since then.

After their 1970 nadir the Argentines recovered to reach the second phase in West Germany in 1974. However, they finished bottom of their group at that stage, behind continental rivals Brazil, East Germany and one of their 2006 opening round opponents Holland. While the Dutch went on to lose to the hosts in the final that year, Argentina would have to wait four more years for their moment in the spotlight when the tournament arrived in their own back yard.

The 1978 World Cup was a triumph for Cesar Luis Menotti’s side as they condemned the Dutch to their second consecutive World Cup final defeat, winning 3-1. The game featured a brace from the tournament’s top scorer Mario Kempes of Valencia, the only player in Menotti’s squad who did not play his club football in Argentina. Daniel Bertoni added a goal also, and the nation erupted in wild celebration as captain Daniel Passarella held the trophy aloft.

By the time the Argentines began the defence of their title in Spain in 1982 the exciting talents of Diego Maradona had emerged. The breathtaking ability of the diminutive rehab regular convinced many that Argentina were in a good position to succeed on the world stage once more. However, Maradona never quite found his form, and his World Cup ended in tatters as he was dismissed from the field, Rattin-style, in a second phase match-up with Brazil.

When the World Cup returned to Mexico in 1986 the performance of the Argentines would be in stark contrast to their failure to reach the 1970 show. Led by a more mature if slightly more hedonistic Maradona, Argentina swept all before them to become world champions for a second time. If any World Cup has ever been won single-handedly it is this one, as Maradona continually and routinely strolled around opponents, laying on goal chances for his team mates in the manner of a hyperactive waiter at the only restaurant in town. He scored a few too, most notably a despicably brilliant solo effort in the 2-1 quarter-final win over England to add to his somewhat darker ‘Hand Of God’ effort for his side’s first that day.

He did not score in the final, but did enough to help his colleagues to a 3-2 victory over West Germany in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City. Fittingly, he lifted the trophy himself as captain of the side as his nation collected it’s second world championship in eight years.

Maradona and Argentina were in the final again in Italy in 1990, albeit with a lot less style. Never popular on these shores, the Argentines won even fewer friends with their rugged, often tedious style of play. However, what the side did have was a good deal of grit and determination, bouncing back from an opening game defeat to Cameroon to ultimately take-on the newly unified Germany in the final. In a game which could best be described as niggly, Argentina submerged under a sea of red cards, protestations and no little shedding of tears, finally losing out 1-0 to Andreas Brehme’s second half penalty.

3202: Wigan Athletic: Not The Right

by : Victor Tay

In the 2005/06 season Wigan Athletic were undoubtedly the surprise package in the English Premiership. The Latics were the major favourites to get relegated but instead cemented their place in the top-flight for another season comfortably. If not for Manchester United, Paul Jewell’s side would have crowned their remarkable campaign with the Carling Cup as well.

Instead of taking a well deserved break right now, Jewell and Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, are in the process of recruiting players in preparation for their second season in the top flight of England.

Currently, Wigan are thought to be in the frame to sign Robert Huth. The defender might not be a regular at Chelsea but nonetheless he is still an international with the German squad. The 21-year-old is thought to be considering joining Jewell’s revolution for the next campaign.

It is certainly a far cry from the previous summer where the so-called ‘big name’ players did not even bother talking to the club. The link with Huth though is just the tip of the iceberg for the buzz in the media right now is on their accepted £8.5m bid for Andrew Johnson of Crystal Palace.

In fact the Latics have jumped to the front of the queue ahead of Bolton Wanderers and Everton, which is supposedly the preferred destination of Johnson.

‘Wigan are in the box seat,’ Simon Jordan, the Crystal Palace chairman, confessed. Rightly so for Everton have so far refused to revise their bid beyond £7.25m while the last offer of the Trotters was at £8m.

However, Jordan did add: ‘Whether Andrew Johnson decides to join the club concerned is another matter.’

On the part of Johnson, seeking a move to enhance his England chances is understandable, but a move to the JJB stadium might not be the best choice for the Englishman especially if there are still choices available.

No doubt, wherever he chooses to move to – be it Bolton, Everton or Wigan - Johnson is going to become the most expensive player at the club. Henceforth the pressure to deliver is huge.

That perception of pressure would be tremendous if he opts for Wigan as he is going to be the ‘star’ that the club turns to for goals. A reasonable assumption considering the huge price tag but having taken the Premiership by storm in the 2004/05 season by scoring 21 goals for Palace, things are going to be a lot harder this time round.

Worst of all, the 25-year-old is not going to get much help from either Henri Camara, who could be on his way out incidentally, or Jason Roberts. Two tricky customers, however, the two are not renowned goalscorers. Basically, Johnson will need to deliver the goods without the help of a partner unless the club signs someone else to help him in this area.

The burden though could be significantly reduced if he chooses Bolton or Everton. At the Reebok stadium, Johnson will be able to seek out Kevin Davies for help. The much-travelled striker might not be too prolific but he might just be the perfect foil for Johnson.

Apart from being strong in the air, the powerfully-built striker also holds up play well. On paper at least, the attributes of Davies seem to complement the pacy Johnson perfectly.

That perhaps is also why Johnson prefers a move to Everton for over at Goodison Park he can play off the large James Beattie. Indeed, it looks to be the best option not just for him as Beattie also thrives on playing off a smaller partner as was the case during his time at Southampton with Kevin Phillips as his side-kick.

In other words, the price might be right for Palace and Jordan but a move to Wigan apparently does not look right at all for Johnson.

Victor Tay
25 May 2006

3201: Arsenal: Are Wenger’s latest g

by : Antony Melvin

Out with the old and in with the new – no sooner is Tomas Rosicky signed (according to our rough guide as a likely winger) than Robert Pires leaves. He may be great mates with Thierry Henry, but sentiment doesn’t win titles and he didn’t need help from a Roman Centurion in reading the writing on this particular wall.

Arsenal are now preparing a team that will be challenging for the title very soon, that much is clear – but is 2006/7 too soon?

Pretty much every position at Arsenal will be contested next season, which is true testimony to the strength in depth now available to Arsenal Wenger. With only Henry, Lehmann, Fabregas and Toure guaranteed a place – and Rosicky and Hleb available as probables.

The competition will be tough – pick your own favourites:

Right Back: Eboue/Lauren
Left Back: Cole/Clichy/Flamini
Centre Half: Campbell/Senderos
Defensive Midfield: Gilberto/Diaby
Winger: Hleb/Reyes
Winger/Attacking Midfielder: Rosicky/Ljungberg/Walcott
Second Forward: Van Persie/Adebayor/Walcott

The choices for the four spots between the defensive midfielder and Henry are mouthwatering with Hleb, Reyes, Rosicky, Ljungberg, Walcott, van Persie and Adebayor all battling for a chance – with none guaranteed a place.

A replacement for the ageing Campbell now needs to be addressed, and proper thought given to a goalkeeper who is capable of challenging Lehmann. If these areas are strengthened then Arsenal will be capable of pressing the top three.

So back to the original question; are Wenger’s latest generation ready for a title tilt? Well a qualified no is the answer. This writer has been suggesting for some time that Wenger is preparing for a 2008/9 title tilt - and swapping Pires for Rosicky does not really alter this, but it does add further mobility to this most mobile of teams. If Wenger can also replace Sol Campbell effectively this summer without the need to sell then they might even be ahead of this schedule.

If you want predictions then I would suggest (at this moment) that Arsenal will improve for each of the next three seasons. Arsenal will be fourth in 2006/7 (Manchester United will grab third in the final season before Sir Alex Ferguson is sacked, with Liverpool as champions); Arsenal will move up to second behind champions Chelsea in 2007/8; before assuming control of the division with a breathtakingly young yet mature side in 2008/9.

The process that was under way before Patrick Vieira’s departure is now gaining momentum – and a dominant Arsenal side now seems almost inevitable before the end of the decade.

Antony Melvin
25 May 2006

3193: Manager Profile:Iain Dowie

by : Sam Cullen

Iain Dowie's departure from Crystal Palace came to a shock to many football fans across the country. Ok, so he hadn't returned Palace to the Premiership but he had got them in the play-offs and all seemed relatively peaceful at Selhurst Park. The softly spoken chairman Simon Jordan has begun to get paranoia over his friends at The Valley eying up Dowie.

Dowie's managerial spell began with a fleeting caretaker spell at QPR in September 1998, where he won one and lost one. His first managerial post came in summer 2002 when he was appointed at Boundary Park as manager of Oldham. He had a strong first season and the club finished 5th,qualifying for the then Divison 2 play offs where they were defeated 2-1 on aggregate by QPR in the semi finals.

Disaster then struck at Boundary Park as the club fell into deep financial trouble which necessitated a fire sale of some of the best young talent at the club such as Fitz Hall and Chris Armstrong. Dowie stayed at the helm of the apparently sinking ship for the early part of 2003/04 but due to his strong performance the previous season he was linked to several vacancies, including Brighton.

He joined Palace in December 2003, with a brief to undo the damage done by previous manager Steve Kember which had left the club hovering ominously above the relegation zone in 21st place. He then enacted an incredible turnaround in the side’s fortunes as they went on to win 14 league games after he took charge, powering them into the play offs in 6th place. They then overcame both Sunderland and West Ham to secure their place in the Premiership, a feat which looked near on impossible back when he took charge.

After an inauspicious start which saw them take 8 games to register their first win, Palace began to get into their stride in the Premiership. Andy Johnson took to the league like a duck to water and quickly climbed up the goal scoring charts, highlights of the season included the side doing the double over rivals Birmingham but a 2-2 draw on the final day at The Valley sent the South London side back into the Championship at the first time of asking.

Luton shot any confident Eagles fans down to earth with their 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park on the opening day of 2005-06. Despite a run of poor form early in the season, there were never any calls for Dowie to go and the side began to gain momentum during the 2nd half of the season, finishing 6th and again clinching a play off place. The dream of an instant return to the big league was quickly extinguished by a 3-0 drubbing at home by Watford in the Semi Finals.

Dowie leaves Palace with a fair few potential new suitors lined up including Middlesborough and Charlton. He remains a young manager with a sound reputation. But if I were Mr Dowie, I wouldn’t go reading Simon Jordan's column in The Observer anytime soon.

Sam Cullen
23 May 2006

3194: Pen Portrait: Tomas Rosicky

by : Paul Grech

Few players have as much talent as Tomas Rosicky, which is why the confirmation that Arsenal have signed the creative Czech playmaker has been greeted with almost as much delight as the news that Henry has decided to extend his contract.

But Arsenal fans have to query why Borussia Dortmund were so eager to get rid of Rosicky or indeed why they’ve been trying to offload him for the better part of three seasons.

The reason is partly down to the fact that Rosicky financially crippled the club. When Borussia Dortmund bought him for £18 million – a Bundesliga record - in 2001, they were banking on permanently taking over from Bayern Munich as Germany’s super club. By spending heavily they had already won the Champions League as well as a number of domestic honours.

Rosicky, however, pushed them over the edge. Overburdened by expectations and unable to cope with the departure of manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, Dortmund started to falter and without the backing of regular Champions’ League football, financial meltdown was inevitable.

Through no fault of his own, Rosicky was caught in the middle of their crisis but, with a lucrative contract freshly signed, he had little incentive to move and Dortmund were unable to take one of the greater burdens off their budget.

Inevitably, this made him rather unpopular and with his performances being too unpredictable he was soon tagged as another football mercenary in it only for the money.

Yet Arsene Wenger must be confident of succeeding where others have failed. And there are few better suited than him to turn potential into results. Not only is the list of players he has pushed through at Arsenal alone almost endless but he has shown an ability to mould even the more problematic players like Nicholas Anelka and Robin Van Persie.

Rosicky won’t come with the same characterial baggage as those two but Wenger will still have to work hard with him, focusing particularly on three areas: strength, consistency and tactical placing.

The first challenge is a given for any player coming into English football. The pace at which the game is played is unmatched elsewhere in Europe so Rosicky will not only need time to find his feet but also step up his physical sharpness or otherwise he will be crowded out of games too easily.

Consistency, or lack of it, has been the most frustrating feature of Rosicky’s career in Germany. As one fan described him, he is the “best most unproductive player” capable of alternating spells of grandiose football ingeniousness with long periods where he simply doesn’t look interested.

Wenger will also have to try and figure out where best to play Rosicky. Nominally described as a striker, he clearly isn’t that - as 20 goals in over 150 games in the Bundesliga - but rather an advanced midfielder with the freedom to move behind the main striker. That is the role that he’s often taken up with the Czech Republic to great effect, especially with fellow Dortmund player Jan Koller up-front.

Arsenal, however, don’t play with a target man, which means that Rosicky will have to play on either of the wings, especially as he doesn’t seem to have the strength to take up one of the central midfield roles habitually filled by Gilberto and Cesc Fabregas. This too will need some adapting from his part but Wenger must be confident that ultimately he will have a player capable of taking over the creative mantle of Robert Pires.

Then again, Rosicky’s best season for Dortmund (2001/02 when they won the German league and were beaten in the UEFA Cup final by a Van Persie inspired Feyenoord) came when he was playing behind a strike partnership of Jan Koller and Marcio Amoroso. It could be that Wenger is planning to use him in that role just behind Henry and Adebayor.

Rosicky certainly has the talent to do that, or even take up the role of Henry’s partner in a similar manner as that adopted by Denis Bergkamp in the past. But with the move to Arsenal coming late in the day – he was poised to go to Atletico Madrid before the Spaniards failed to honour the first instalment of the transfer fee – it will be his attitude that will eventually determine whether he succeeds.

3199: Arsenal: Point the finger at L

by : Jeff Gold

The opening seventeen minutes of Wednesday’s Champions League final were spellbinding: two exciting teams playing sumptuous football. Then came the defining moment. Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o, through on goal, was brought down by Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Rather than allowing the loose ball to be stroked into an empty net, the referee awarded a free-kick and sent Lehmann from the pitch. In doing so, he ruined the game entirely, both for Arsenal and for us, the viewing public.

Or so we have been led to believe. True, a more alert referee might have allowed play to continue, and we might have been treated to one of the greatest games ever. On the other hand, we might not. We shall never know, and what remained was still an utterly absorbing contest.

And were Arsenal obviously doomed from the moment they lost a player? Far from it. It is only now, with the benefit of hindsight, that such a feeling has taken hold. During the game, nobody had a clue which team the referee’s decision favoured. At half-time, and leading, Arsenal were probably quite happy about the whole thing. At full-time, in defeat, they were definitely less so.

However, their search for a scapegoat should lead not to the referee but to someone much nearer home. In that defining moment, the referee made a decision that wasn’t outstanding but was satisfactory. Jens Lehmann, however, made one that was absolutely shocking. If the foul was deliberate, and it certainly appeared to be, then his actions were inexplicable. If not, such a challenge could still be described as rash in the extreme.

So Arsenal were condemned to play for over seventy minutes with ten men and they almost pulled off an extraordinary victory. With the game nearing its conclusion and Arsenal a goal to the good, ITV commentator David Pleat proclaimed that “the sight is in end”. Perhaps it was his garbled way of telling us that he had just been blinded, the quality of football simply too dazzling. More likely, he was attempting to convey the feeling that Barcelona were becoming slightly ragged, that Arsenal were creating more openings and that, for them, the end was in sight and their prospects bright.

His timing was unfortunate, for no sooner had the words left his lips than Eto’o outfoxed Lehmann’s replacement, Manuel Almunia, to equalize. From there it was all downhill for Arsenal, a night of goalkeeping woe completed by Almunia again being beaten from an improbable angle.

After the match, Thierry Henry went all Mourinho in a graceless and uncharacteristic rant about the injustice of it all. He railed against the referee and refused to acknowledge that Barcelona were the better team, arguing that, since the teams played with unequal numbers, it was impossible to tell.

That assumes the sending-off was particularly unlucky or a travesty of justice. It was neither. A combination of Barcelona brilliance and Lehmann incompetence gave the former an advantage. That advantage could have been a goal; it turned out to be an extra man. The sending-off, the defining moment, was not the cause of Barcelona’s slight superiority, merely a reflection of it.

Henry also claimed that he “didn't see Ronaldinho” and he “didn't see Eto'o at any point”. Well, one of them scored and the other was influential throughout. As for that defining moment, it was prompted by the pair of them. Henry’s comments were made in the heat of the moment, in the heat of defeat, but they suggested that it wasn’t just David Pleat whose “sight was in end” that night.

Jeff Gold
20 May 2006

3197: Wigan Athletic: Is Jordan shaf

by : Sam Cullen

Everyone's favourite outspoken millionaire mobile phone salesman may well have a reason to be cheerful again following Iain Dowie walking out of South London. Today Simon Jordan accepted an £8.5million bid for Andy Johnson from Wigan.

Paul Jewell proved to be one of the most talented and astute Premiership managers during 2005/06, when he melded a collection of budget signings and unknowns into a Premiership force to be reckoned with. Yet if he splurges £8.5 million on Johnson, then he is in serious danger of destroying his reputation with greater speed than an unsuspecting Ron Atkinson.

It may well be true that he scored 21 Premiership goals last season, but it must be remembered that 11 were penalties, an amount so high that the old school BBC Vidiprinter would spell out eleven. In the Championship this season he scored 15 goals in 33 league games, a decent return but surely hardly form warranting £8.5 million?

Fans of Mr Johnson may point to the £7 million shelled out on Peter Crouch by Liverpool last summer. Compared to that perhaps £8.5million isn't too much for Johnson, but we've all seen what "good" value Crouch has been for Liverpool's money this season.

A signing such as Johnson would not only be an expensive risk for Wigan but a dangerous one too. With such a high price tag, if he doesn't begin performing quickly, then the weight of expectation could begin to drag the side down towards the dreaded "second season syndrome", as experienced most notably by Ipswich in 2001-02.

It seems English strikers sell for vastly inflated prices, if Jewell was looking to pay £8.5 million for a foreign striker who had only 2 caps everyone would be calling him mad but it seems as if some of us have expected English strikers come at a premium.

But what happens if you don't get your moneys worth?

Kevin Davies cost Blackburn £7.5million in summer 1998 and scored 1 Premiership goal, a "prolific" feat repeated by Chris Sutton when he joined Chelsea for £10million in 1999. Two classic examples to fill any Latic with dread.

Johnson could have also exhibited "one prolific season" syndrome which has also been memorably been demonstrated by Kevin Phillips(30 goals in 1999-2000, 6 goals in 2002-03) and James Beattie(23 goals in 2002-03, 5 goals in 2004-05).

Simon Jordan will no doubt be happily casting his eye over some new expensive artificial tanning products. If I were a Wigan fan, I'd be very worried.

Sam Cullen
24 May 2006

3149: Portsmouth Squad Rating 2005/0

by : Sam Cullen

Portsmouth endured one of their most dramatic and nailbiting seasons in 2005/06 as they attempted to stave off relegation.There was also the managerial merry go round which saw Alain Perrin depart in November and a media frenzy followed as Harry Redknapp returned to his "spiritual" home.

Fratton Park also saw an alarmingly high turnover of players as both Perrin and Redknapp rolled many a dice to get out of the last chance saloon.

Who were the stars and who were the duds?

Westerveld 4

Oh dear. It appears his time away from English football did him little good.

Ashdown 5

Arguably he never expected to be No.1, but such were the previous regime's penchant for buying shocki ng goalkeepers, the former Reading man again briefly held the No.1 jersey during the Autumn/Winter period.

Kiely 7

Just what the Dr ordered! A solid,safe pair of hands at exactly the right time in Pompey's season.

Primus 6

The defender survived another season of managerial and player upheaval.

Stefanovic 7

Did his best to keep the side with some respectability during the awful early season form, had to endure playing with Mr Vignal.

O'Brien 6

Battling defender had alot to put up with this season.

Priske 6

One of the few Perrin buys to experience a resurgence under 'Arry. Raised his game and surpassed expectations.

Griffin 5

Dismal own goal which started his and Pompey's campaign set the tone for the first few months. Missed the successful survival run in.

Vignal 3

Another Liverpool reject with equally dire results.

Pamarot 5

One of Redknapp's January buys which added little to the strugglers cause.

Vukic 4

Wasn't very good, at all. Scored against Sunderland though, but then again that tells little about Premiership quality.

Viafara 4

Columbian import which didn't hit the spot.

Robert 3

Technically still a good player, but YET another strop gives him such a low score.

O'Neill 7

Pompey's longest serving player gave more hard work and solid graft in midfield this season. Also chipped in with 6 league goals.

Pedro Mendes 7

Initially there were doubts a player such as Mendes would be suitable for the relegation battle environment. He then went on and scored two great goals at Upton Park in a game which triggered the Pompey revival.

Taylor 6

In and out of the side under Perrin, established himself as a near ever present under Redknapp.

Hughes 5

Scottish midfielder was in and out of the side all season.

D'Alessandro 7

Another inspired Redknapp recruit who put some oomph back into the Pompey cause.

Davis 7

Managed to put his injury troubled spell at Spurs behind him.

Routledge 5

Arrived on loan from Spurs but proved to have little impact and found it hard to claim a first team spot.

Diao 4

Awful at Liverpool, awful at Birmingham and surprise of the year, awful at Portsmouth too.

Lua Lua 7

Still provided moments of magic in what was at times an incredibly bleak season

Todorov 7

After so long out, it was almost cruel he was thrust back into the picture during a relegation battle. Took him awhile to find his feet but he began to look like the star of old.

Karadas 5

Spent the majority of his season the subs bench, both under Perrin and Redknapp.

Silva 5

Aging continental journeyman frequently drew blanks up front and was released by mutual consent in February.

Mwaruwari 5

May have finally broken his duck against Wigan, but 2006/07 will need to see a big improvement from the African striker.

Sam Cullen
14 May 2006

3174: Birmingham City: Season review

by : Hugh Larkin

It’s pretty simple to sum up Birmingham City’s season- disastrous. The Blues became this year’s candidates for the title of ‘Team too good to go down’, except that for most of it they looked definite candidates for the drop.

The seeds of this fall from grace were there to see in 2004/5. That year was meant to be the push for Europe after solid finishes in 13th and 10th. In the event, 12th place was a bit of an anti-climax and the reasons given were familiar excuses a season later- quality players injured, new signings not fitting in, sloppy defending at times and a lack of goalpower up front.

On the face of it there’s no great mystery to the relegation. The three lowest scoring teams are the ones that went down. Birmingham’s top League marksman was midfielder Jiri Jarosik with 5. Emile Heskey hit only 4, an often injured Mikael Forssell could contribute only 3 and Walter Pandiani was less ‘The Rifle’ and more the ‘Popgun’.

The Uruguayan didn’t look the answer when he came on loan at the end of the last campaign, he seemed less than positive about being in Birmingham and he proved ineffective in the Premiership. He wasn’t the only one of Steve Bruce’s signings that proved to be a damp squib.

The solid workmanlike side that Bruce fashioned in 2002 to establish the team in the Premiership has given way to a team that are more talented individually but hugely less effective collectively. The loss of Robbie Savage personifies this change- the Welshman is no one’s idea of great player but he certainly contributes to making teams hard to beat.

Steve Bruce has been unlucky because he’s hardly ever been able to get David Dunn out on the park for a decent run in the side since he bought him and Muzzy Izzet joined him the treatment room for most of the campaign. At times there’s been a lack of creativity in central midfield from honest grafters like Stephen Clemence and Damian Johnson and the decline of Nicky Butt continued.

That might explain the lack of spark but it doesn’t explain the profligacy in front of goal or the lack of spine in the team that reached a nadir in the 7-0 home Cup defeat to Liverpool. Birmingham were 13 games into the League campaign before they registered a second victory and spent the whole Premiership season on the back foot.

As the debacle unfolded the normally supportive Birmingham crowd began to pick on players like Mario Melchiot- definitely a quality player but possibly not one with the battling qualities needed in a situation like this. Heskey did what he always does; he kept on working hard up front but without showing the eye for goal that should mark out a club’s number 1 striker.

At no time in the campaign was there ever a ‘charge’- the sort of bullish, stubborn momentum that gives both players and fans a sense that the escape can be engineered. Blues only lost 2 of the final 8 games but just two brought three points at time when Portsmouth were skittling their opposition.
The incompetence of Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth before the Redknapp revival provided a false sense of security. These were at least three sides that Blues could see off but once Pompey got moving Bruce’s side couldn’t match them. They were taking satisfaction from grinding out draws but the task had moved on and Pompey were flying.

A little more of the application shown after the Liverpool debacle injected before Christmas and Blues would have stayed up. The team’s only wins before the New Year were against West Brom, Sunderland and a Fulham side who travelled abysmally.

Blues finished the season in a far more spirited fashion but the manager- if he is allowed to stay- will need to look at the squad and see which of them are going to be motivated for the battle in the Championship. The departing Kenny Cunningham has given his opinion on the state of morale at St Andrews and it looks a tough ask to come back immediately.

One of the problems of the modern Premiership is that it can punish ambition in medium-sized clubs. Birmingham made the investment to aim for European football and ventured a more expansive brand of soccer. To do it they had to bring in a lot of new players, some of whom were inevitably something of gamble.

They’ve paid a price for moving away from the functional approach while there are sides in the top flight who are parked in the division with no real ambition to move up. Hopefully, the failed attempt to take the Blues higher than ever before in the club’s history will be rewarded by a swift return at least.

Hugh Larkin
15 May 2006

3192: Arsenal: Tomas Rosicky - How w

by : Antony Melvin

In midfield Arsenal are strong and likely to get stronger. Hleb has had a season to get used to the Premiership and looks likely to improve. Diaby was surely pencilled in for a more important role in the coming season but, in Gilberto, Arsenal have a World Cup winner with the discipline and experience to guide the jewel in Wenger’s midfield crown through his most important season to date.

Cesc Fabregas has all the ability and mental strength required to become a midfield player of world class repute. His skills in the tight confines of the central midfield area have seen him overcome, in Europe and in the Premiership, some of the toughest of opponents. The weight of expectation, a nagging doubt that he has yet to find the level of consistency of the truly great player and a measure of the “Sophomore Jinx” mean this could be a pivotal season for Cesc. Expect Wenger to take the pressure off his young starlet by investing in a central midfield player, should one of the required ability show up on his radar.

Up front the superlative Henry will lead the attack in his inimitable fashion. Adebayor has yet to convince, but he has time on his side and Wenger rarely buys duds. Which brings us to Theo Walcott.

Yet to appear in an Arsenal shirt, Wenger has somehow convinced Sven Goran Eriksson to take him to the World Cup. Whilst it may prove to be a masterstroke, the route the Swede took to get to the decision is bafflingly opaque. Nevertheless, the future for Walcott looks ever more promising which can only benefit Arsenal.

Putting aside the frustration of Paris, Wenger’s chief achievement this season was to haul an injury ridden squad into 4th spot. In seasons past Wenger set great store in his teams’ continued domestic success. Illustrating his uncanny ability to argue both sides of an argument depending on the circumstances, Wenger would now have us believe that the run to Champions League Final is a measure of the progress of his team.

By the same rationale that had few believing Liverpool were Europe’s best team last season, Arsenal indisputably are not the second best in Europe this. Improvement in the league next season would be the true barometer of progress and is likely to prove tricky.

There are certainly some areas for improvement for Arsenal next season. Amongst the platitudes for a near miss in Europe, their domestic form at times, (and with an injury hit squad in mitigation), was terrible. Despite the haste in some quarters to make a case for Jens Lehmann as a potential Player of the Season, his form this season was noticeable mostly for a reduction in careless errors, rather than for exemplary goalkeeping. Although many will argue that goalkeeping at the highest level is all about reducing errors, his sending off in the Champions League Final was deserved for a reckless challenge. It was Lehmann’s error that cost Arsenal in the final analysis, not that of the referee.

Away from home they found the going tough, and against the tough they never got going. Wenger may not like the thought of it, but Arsenal may have to adapt their style depending on the circumstances. Away from home, the youngsters may be asked to move aside for the more experienced campaigners and the likes of Bolton, Blackburn and Sheffield United will attempt to derail the pretty football and play to their own strengths.

The European run has lead many to proclaim Wenger’s new team as near complete, one piece of the puzzle away from the finished article. This is not true. Henry staying is a major boost and allows investment elsewhere in the team. Had he gone Wenger’s rebuilding would have been a far trickier challenge.

To rely as heavily as Arsenal surely do on one man, is to lay the team prone to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. With him they are capable of beating anyone on their day. Without him they would be in some trouble. Either way, the chances of Arsenal overhauling Chelsea at the top of the Premiership are remote at best. Europe on the other hand is a cup competition. Along with previous winners Manchester United and Liverpool, the Champions League is again Arsenal’s best hope of marking progress with silverware.

Kieran McHugh
20 May 2006
Arsenal have signed Tom Rosický from Borussia Dortmund for a fee believed to be around £6.8m. The Czech player was available at a knock-down price reportedly due to financial problems at the German club, who paid around £18m for him five years ago from Sparta Prague.

Rosicky was quoted as preferring Arsenal over other suitors like Spurs and Real Madrid earlier this year:

"If I had the possibility to choose, I would like to play for Arsenal with Thierry Henry because he is the best,"

So perhaps Henry's contract extension is making an instant impact.

On 5 May there were many reports that Atletico Madrid had signed Rosicky after a year long pursuit (these continental players are tricky to pin down). Spanish Daily 'Marca' claimed that Atletico were paying €10 million for the 25-year-old Rosicky.

But this report - like many in the Spanish football dailies - was anomalous, to say the least.

The Guardian today quote Dortmund official Hans-Joachim Watzke as saying:

"He has travelled with his manager Pavel Paska to London.

"The deal with Atletico is off. There were several other clubs interested but Tomas had his preferences,"

The BBC are suggesting that Rosicky is a direct replacement for Dennis Bergkamp, which kind-of-suggests that Rosicky will be used from the substitutes bench - so perhaps they mean the Bergkamp of a few years ago. In truth Rosicky looks like he has been bought to go straight into the first team - and therefore put a number of players under pressure.

Of the Arsenal front six, Henry and Fabregas are the only guaranteed starters for next season - and I would suggest that Rosicky will join them either as a withdrawn support for Henry or as an attacking midfielder. Interestingly a team with Fabregas and Rosicky in the centre would have little need for a second forward as he is similar enough going forward to warrant comparison with Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard.

Obviously the tactics will evolve for different games but it seems unlikely that these three will be rested for the important games.

So if Rosicky, Henry and Fabregas make up three of the front six what of the other three? It seems likely that Gilberto or Diaby will play as an anchor leaving two places. The implication is that there will be surplus wide men and forwards.

Pires, Hleb, Ljungberg, Reyes, van Persie, Flamini, Walcott and Adebayor will basically be chasing two spots, assuming Lauren is no longer considered a midfield candidate. Hleb will probably justify one on a regular basis and hopefully Walcott will be ready to play 20-30 times for Arsenal.

As a result I would expect two of the other six to move on this summer, with Pires the most obvious likely casualty. It would be unsurprising if Reyes - who has often disappointed since his £10.5m transfer were to join him.

Some reports describe Rosicky as 'diminutive' (although he is also reported as being 5'10"), so perhaps Arsenal have signed a scheming midfielder who is similar to Paul Scholes. If this is the case then Arsenal have a stone cold bargain and the ideal stepping stone for a renewed challenge to the top three.

Ballack at Chelsea, Berbatov at Spurs and Rosicky at Arsenal - how will Manchester United and Liverpool respond?

Antony Melvin
23 May 2006

3191: Arsenal: Still in Transition

by : Kieran McHugh

After the disappointment in Paris and with the news that Thierry Henry should sign a contract extension, now is as good a time as any to evaluate the development of Arsenal. First things first. The new Emirates stadium will be able to boast Champions League football, (should Arsenal get through their qualifying round), which is a major factor in Henry’s decision to stay. Had the Gunners not claimed 4th spot the defeat against Barcelona would have had more far reaching consequences. A player of Henry’s ability would not have been able to countenance a season in the UEFA Cup at this stage in his career, whatever his ties to North London.

Notwithstanding Henry’s decision to stay, some familiar faces will depart this close season. The imperious Dennis Bergkamp, increasingly peripheral on the pitch, but highly influential at the club, is hanging up his boots. Robert Pires will, we are lead to believe, sign for Villarreal. Lauren, displaced at right back by the impressive Eboue, is another supposedly heading for the exit. Rumours also surround the Arsenal future of Ashley Cole. What would these moves mean for their hopes of challenging again?

One of Wenger’s bigger money signings of the last few years would surely have to raise his game. Big things were expected of Jose Antonio Reyes after his move from Sevilla, but he has rarely delivered. Having not settled comfortably into London life, he now finds himself at a crossroads. The path is clear for him to make a name for himself at Arsenal, but there is a feeling that he needs to produce, and soon.

Wenger’s trusted band of senior players would once again be asked to support the emerging team. Henry’s influence on all the youngsters in the squad, not least Theo Walcott, could have a profound influence on their careers. For the other senior members, Campbell, Gilberto & Ljungberg the feeling persists that they are now only temporary guardians of their allotted shirts. When Wenger feels the time is right they will be replaced.

Then there is the once thorny issue of investment. For so long unable to compete with the real powerhouses, the retaining of a place in the Champions League, the increased income streams from the new stadium and the run to the Champions League final, means Wenger will be in a position to improve some areas of his squad.

Although keeping the cream of Europe out for nearly 1,000 minutes it will surely be in defence that Wenger spends. Campbell, despite his goal and an encouraging performance in Paris is way past his best. Samuel Eto’o drew a magnificent save from Almunia, but only after Campbell had got far too tight to the Cameroonian and allowed him to turn in the box. Senderos has not yet fully earned Wenger’s trust, although his contribution over the course of the season is beyond question.

Should Lauren and Ashley Cole seek pastures new, Eboue and Clichy are both able to hold down their places with the dependable Flamini able to deputise on either flank. Thus it should be a rock solid centre half that first occupies Wenger’s thoughts. He should be able to attract the very best.

3180: Survey: UEFA Wants My Views...

by : Bill Urban

Centre-Midfield - Steven Gerrard - Liverpool

Question for you. Would Frank Lampard have scored THAT goal in the dying embers of the FA Cup final thriller with West Ham United last week? No, thought not. That’s one of the reasons why Scouse sensation and former one-man team Gerrard gets the nod over his admittedly prolific but slightly porkier Chelsea rival. Are you reading, Sven?

Right-Midfield - Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United

You knew it wouldn’t be long before one of the Old Trafford mob cropped up, and so it is no surprise to you no doubt to see the Portuguese star included. At times mesmeric, at others frustrating and petulant, the man with slightly suspect balance offers United fans genuine hope over the next few years that they can end the dull dominance of Chelsea.

Left-Midfield - Joe Cole - Chelsea

Unfortunate to miss out on Player Of The Year honours with both the PFA and the Football Writers Association, Cole has turned his fancy playground tricks into something tangible and useful this season. So good was Cole, in fact, that Jose Mourinho decided to drop him at regular intervals to prevent his success going to his head. Pots and kettles, Jose. A possible answer to England’s interminable left sided problem, Cole will be another key in Sven’s plans in Germany.

Striker - Thierry Henry - Arsenal

As I write the Arsenal superstar is busy pledging his future to the Gunners. Sighs of relief all round High….sorry, Ashburton Grove all round then as it was indeed the Frenchman who almost single-handedly guided the team to an unlikely Champions League final appearance. That they failed to capture the trophy was no reflection on the former Monaco and Juventus man’s performance, although we could probably have done without his sexist, petulant rambling at the final whistle. A true superstar, Henry might very well have been irreplaceable.

Striker - Wayne Rooney - Manchester United

Close your eyes, put your hands to the screen and pray with me that the Manchester United genius gets fit in time for England’s World Cup campaign. Chelsea’s title win on April 29 became a side issue when the former Everton star hit the Stamford Bridge turf with what turned out to be a broken metatarsal in United’s 3-0 defeat. Goalscorer, goal-maker, Rooney could play half the Premiership sides on his own and still come up with a favourable result. In an era of packed midfields and mindless cloggers of the Danny Mills ilk, Rooney is a welcome and refreshing reminder that the finer arts of football are not quite dead yet. Even if he does play for that lot.

By Stephen Orford
19 May 2006Here at Squarefootball, in the interest of having our readership voices heard loudly and clearly, we have been dedicated to providing surveys of, well, surveys, about football. The Championship, Major League Soccer, even our own version of a Premier League survey, the opportunity to make your voice, however strange, echo throughout the dusty chambers of the internet is not to be missed.

The latest, and surely by intended implication most important, survey we at Squarefootball have come across is a survey put together by those folks at UEFA, timely issued on the back of the Champions League Final between Barcelona and Arsenal. The survey may be found here:

Survey of future club competitions

and concerns your thoughts about future UEFA competitions. Sadly, then, there are no questions about “bung inquiries,” more’s the pity, and no chance to offer your views on the institutionalized corruption at the heart of Serie A, for example. Failing that, let’s clap on our Euro-mandarin beanies and let’s take a stroll through the UEFA survey.

Of the surveys previously visited under the auspices of the SquarefootbalI inquiries, it is important to note that the UEFA survey is by far the most sensibly designed, includes the most logical questions, and reads most like a professional opinion exercise.

When the money at stake is considered, in comparison to the Championship and Major League Soccer, this should come as no surprise.

The first four survey questions are grouped under the heady rubric of “Principles,” and centre around concerns like qualifying for the two major European competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup and importance in so doing for the supporters. The questions are answered on a rating scale of 1-5, and further space is granted for you to enter your own thoughts, in your own brilliant prose, about how Liechtenstein should be granted an additional qualifying place in next year’s competition.

Classy.

The very first question in the survey queries your opinion about the, and I quote, “raison d’etre,” for competitions between football clubs across Europe. Pomposity appears to be an occupational hazard of football survey design. Hidden amongst the responses is the nominal default correct answer of “increasing revenue for clubs.” That is, if you are taking the survey from a G-14 perspective.

What became swiftly apparent as the 20 questions were perused and answered was that the UEFA survey does have a bias similar to the Championship and MLS ones, but its bias is actually in the interest of something other than the pockets of the UEFA dons. The UEFA survey is not meant to justify more money for UEFA, but to keep more of the money that they currently earn from being diverted into the cashboxes of the G-14 clubs.

3133: Tottenham Hotspur:Squad Rating

by : Sam Cullen

Tottenham Hotspur's campaign may have ultimately ended in controversy and disappointment, following losing the Champions League spot to Arsenal on the last day of the season. However it must be remembered that they achieved their highest league placing since 1990.

But just who was responsible for this Spurs resurgence?

Robinson 8

Another solid,strong season for the man now established as England's No1.

Kelly 5

Found first team opportunities more limited this season as Jol constantly shuffled his pack.

Stalteri 6

Had good moments and weaker moments during the campaign, seemed more vulnerable in the latter months of the season.

Lee 6

Youthful,pacy player who at times looked too lightweight for defence. Noteable cringeworthy error against Man Utd on Easter Monday

Gardner 5

Has found himself as an understudy CB this season. When in the first team, did seem somewhat error prone and a defensive weak link

King 8

Captain who led by example throughout the campaign, regretable that injury ultimately cost him his world cup squad place.

Dawson 8

Formed an excellent partnership with King and made excellent progress this season. It must only be a matter of time before he receives an England call.

Davenport 6

Finally made his first start for Spurs against Man Utd on Easter Monday, and performed well. Sadly however he didn't retain his place in the side as he picked up an injury. Has begun to show signs of returning to the form that gained him such rave reviews at Coventry.

Huddlestone 6

May have made only 4 substitute appearances but in these, he showed significant promise and had a real presence on the field.

Tainio 7

Tenacious and talented defender was a shrewd acquisition by Jol this season.

Routledge 5

Barely featured after picking up an early injury, before being loaned to Portsmouth. Spurs future looks decidedly uncertain.

Pedro Mendes 5

Did little in his brief opportunities to make anyone think twice about offloading him. Then again, he did go on to score twice against West Ham.

Carrick 8

Part of the English core at Spurs, 2005/06 saw Michael Carrick play an instrumental role in Spurs season and force his way back into the England set up. Could do with a few more goals though.

Davids 6

If this were marks for the first part of the season, the Dutchman would be scored significantly higher. However after returning from his injury around Christmas, he seemed to lack the same authoirty he brought to early season games.

Jenas 7

For a player so many people labelled over rated towards the end of his tenure at Newcastle, Jermaine Jenas just got on with his job at Spurs, and got on with it well.

Lennon 7

His score is similar to Davids, except in reversal. Had a flying end to the season and if he continues as he left off, Spurs have a formidable weapon down the wing.

Murphy 5

Back in his Liverpool days, many Premiership sides would have loved to have had a player like Danny Murphy at their club. In his brief spell at Tottenham, he has seemed jaded but perhaps with a full pre season behind him he can add his own bite to the Spurs midfield.

Reid 5

Poor season for the Irish Midfield as he struggled with form and injury, both conspiring to keep him on the fringes of Martin Jol's plans. Many suspect he will go through the White Hart Lane revolving door this summer.

Keane 9

Has this been his best season of club football? His excellent performances seem even more remarkable when this time a year ago many thought he would be the striker to make way. A player of true class.

Mido 7

A handful for both defenders and managers, Mido's strong presence brought alot to the Spurs attack this season. Kudos to Martin Jol for succeeding where other managers have failed, in terms of man managing the livewire Egyptian.

Defoe 6

Began the season as he left off in 2004/05, one of England's brighest young prospects. Spent the latter part of the season on the bench, and deservedly so, due to the excellent form of Mido and Keane. Will he rise to the challenge as Keane did last year, or is a move out of London on the cards?

Rasiak 5

A low score, but not for want of trying. Rasiak was found out as below Premiership quality, but considering his time at Derby, he appeared worth a punt.

Overall Verdict

The league table doesn't lie, showing that this has been the best Spurs side since the Premiership began. Whether or not they better this next season, one thing remains certain, there will be plenty of transfer activity at White Hart Lane this summer!

Sam Cullen
11 May 2006

3184: West Ham United Trying To Prod

by : Hugh Larkin

We’re never going to sing each other’s anthems so the only alternative is a neutral song as in rugby. When a northern journalist asked an FAI official in Dublin whether the Republic would ever drop their national anthem the response was ‘Are you bleedin’ jokin’?’

If we cannot agree on a universal anthem then how likely is it that we can agree on a team?

A bit of fun…

If the impossible were to be achieved and all of the above problems were ironed out then how would the team line up? Ignoring the dilemma posed by the management of the side (Lawrie or Stan, etc) I have outlined what I consider the first choice team of a united Ireland would be.

Goalkeeper : This was the toughest position to fill as Shay Given, Maik Taylor and Roy Carroll have all produced great performances this season for their respective clubs. A nice selection problem to have as manager though. In my humble opinion I would choose Maik due to his outstanding displays during the World Cup qualifiers. Recently Birmingham boss Steve Bruce hailed Taylor as the best shot-stopper in the Premiership. Mr. Reliable.

Defence : My back four would consist of our current captain Aaron Hughes, Richard Dunne, John O’Shea and Steve Finnan. Hughes has been a revelation for N Ireland, particularly against England and his importance is perhaps most apparent when he is not playing. A recent addition to the IFA’s Hall of Fame, Aaron would surely warrant a place in the team before the likes of Gary Breen and Andy O’Brien.

Midfield: There is healthy competition for places in midfield with Damien Duff, Steve Davis, Andy Reid, Keith Gillespie, Liam Millar, Damian Johnson, Matt Holland, Aidan McGeady, Stephen Reid and Graham Kavanagh vying for the four places.

I would go with a central midfield duo of Davis and Andy Reid with Gillespie and Duff on the flanks. Davis keeps improving game by game and the main problem faced is who to play alongside him.

I am a big admirer of Johnson who works tirelessly for the cause as does Matt Holland, both established Premiership players. However Reid gets the nod as he is capable of unlocking defences and, as he has demonstrated against Bulgaria, Cyprus and Italy, score goals at international level.

Duff is a certain starter over Elliot and Brunt though Gillespie is a more capable out and out winger than Steven Reid and more experienced than McGeady.

Forwards: Up front are two record goalscorers for their respective countries. Robbie Keane has hit 25 goals in 64 caps and was recently given the captain’s armband by new boss Staunton. The final place goes to Healy or King David as he has become known after that goal against England.

The Killyleagh colossus hit 8 goals in ten games last year and has a phenomenal strike rate of 19 goals in 50 appearances. Back up strikers include Morrison, Connolly, Doyle, Feeney and Quinn.

First team:
Taylor
Finnan Hughes Dunne O’Shea Gillespie
Davis A Reid Duff
Keane Healy
Subs: Given, Harte, Holland, Morrison and Johnson

Chris Kilpatrick
2 May 2006In 1966 the contribution of West Ham United to England’s World Cup win cannot be overstated. Three of the X1 that day were Hammers players including the captain and both goalscorers. Forty years on, players discovered at West Ham can make a similar contribution- unfortunately for Hammers fans none of them are still at Upton Park.

No club suffered from the harsh realities of the Premiership more than West Ham. Relegated with a record number of points, the club could do little to fend off the predators and a generation of talented youth products left the club- some willingly, others less so.

Rio Ferdinand had already been prised away in 2000 by Leeds for a huge £18 million fee and Frank Lampard went to Chelsea for £10m in 2001. The 2003 relegation took away Joe Cole and Glen Johnson to Chelsea; Jermain Defoe (though not strictly a youth product as he was a signing from Charlton) went to Spurs and after a year Michael Carrick also went to White Hart lane.

At least three of these players are certainties for Sven’s starters in Germany, another has a good chance and a fifth is on standby. It must be enough to make a West Ham fan weep.

After producing that kind of crop it inevitably takes time to bring through another group to first team level, plus the demands of getting out of the Championship tend to put the emphasis on acquiring experienced players who know what it takes to get promotion. Some progress is being made though.

Anton Ferdinand

Rio’s younger brother was the only product of the youth system who started in last week’s FA Cup Final. (not forgetting Paul Konchesky, who was lost to Charlton and returned). He’s tipped to join his brother as an England international and West Ham are likely to have the same problem holding on to him. European football for next season should keep the current squad happy but unless West Ham continue their rise someone is bound to come calling with a big cheque.

Elliott Ward

Formed a very youthful centre back pairing with Ferdinand at a critical time in last season’s Championship campaign and let no one down. However, the realities of Premiership life saw Alan Pardew sign two international centre-backs and Ward has spent most of 2005/06 on loan at Plymouth. Definitely one for the future though.

Darren Blewitt

Another defender. Yet to play for the first team and has had loan spells at Southend and Hereford United.

Kyle Reid

A teenage midfielder who played twice in the Premiership this season, once as a starter.

Chris Cohen

A defender who has enjoyed a season-long loan at Yeovil Town and made himself a regular there. He made a number of appearances in the Championship- usually as a sub and it remains to be seen if he figures in the first team plans for 2006/07.

A number of other youth players have been on loan around the divisions but West Ham now have a difficult balancing act. To push on they need to have an experienced team out on the park but as the fate of teams like Birmingham, Sunderland and Leeds shows, buying in established professionals on big contracts can be a risky business.

Ultimately, West Ham need to bring through youth to be able to have a squad with depth and also to maintain the impressive cohesion and ethos of the club. Trying to introduce young players while building for a push toward 4th spot, is Alan Pardew’s biggest challenge.

Hugh Larkin
19 May 2006

This is the seventh in a series looking at which top flight clubs give their youth players a chance, see also:

Aston Villa: Home Grown Talent Lifts Morale at Villa Park
Fulham: More Young Talent Needed
Liverpool: How Much Does the Academy Matter?
Manchester City: Does the academy matter?
Tottenham Hotspur: Have Spurs abandoned the academy again?
West Ham United: Trying To Produce a New Generation
Wigan Athletic: Do they give their academy players a chance?

3187: Liverpool: So what is the prob

by : Paul Meadows

Ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg tie with Bayer Leverkusen in April 2002, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier attempted to rally his troops by claiming his side were ‘ten games from greatness’.

The Frenchman’s statement of intent was not only based on their efforts in Europe, but also the fact that with five league games remaining – of which three were at Anfield – the Reds were also still in with a shout of ending their twelve-year wait for the league title.

In the end, their season fizzled out with a whimper. Despite a 1-0 win over the Germans in the first leg, a 4-2 reverse at the Bay Arena meant they failed to get past the last eight. To be fair to Houllier, they finished strongly in the league by picking up twelve points from a possible fifteen on offer, yet they still ended up seven points adrift of champions Arsenal.

Houllier lasted two more seasons, yet he failed to even match his 2001/02 record, let alone that of the previous season when he led his side to three trophies. As popular and amiable as he undoubtedly was, the fans knew deep down that he was not the man to lead them back to glory and change was afoot in the summer of 2004.

And since the arrival of Rafael Benitez, the vast majority of Liverpool fans are happy. An unlikely UEFA Champions League victory last season was followed this time round by a third-place finish in The Premiership, and an FA Cup triumph over West Ham United in yet more dramatic fashion.

More significantly, perhaps, is the amount of progress the Reds have made since the arrival of the Spaniard. No longer does their squad feature a mix of a couple of world class players, a sprinkle of able performers and a handful of unknown youngsters.

Instead, they have a goalkeeper who has a habit of keeping clean sheets in Jose Reina, a defence including the reborn Jamie Carragher, a true midfield maestro in Xabi Alonso, a potential new Patrick Vieira in Mohamed Sissoko, and of course the irreplaceable Steven Gerrard. Add to this, internationals such as Peter Crouch and Luis Garcia, and the red half of Merseyside understandably feel their club is in healthy state.

There is one debate, though, that remains something of a moot point with the fans of the former European champions – Djibril Cisse, who was indeed a Houllier signing. After months of chasing the Auxerre striker, Houllier was delighted when he finally landed his man for a club record £14million just months before he was sacked.

Throughout the speculation over his future, Cisse had always maintained that Liverpool were the club he wanted to join. Ironically, there was interest from Benitez’s Valencia, yet there was no doubt the player would end up in England if he was to have his way. And when he finally made his debut for Liverpool under Benitez at Tottenham Hotspur, he was on the scoresheet in a 1-1 draw.

Although his form remained steady, the goals did dry up and he added just two more to his tally before he suffered a horrendous injury at Blackburn Rovers at the end of October. This was expected to end his season, yet he bounced back against all odds to return to the first team in April. Understandably after such a lay-off, Cisse failed to rediscover his best form yet still played his role on the road to glory in Istanbul.

There was no doubt the 24-year-old started the 2005/06 season with much to prove. A disappointing campaign this time round, at a time when his side were expected to make real progress in the Premiership on the back of the UEFA Champions League triumph, and he could find himself looking for another club in the summer.

And one look at his statistics show he delivered the goods – six goals from six starts in the UEFA Champions League (including the qualifiers), nine goals from nineteen Premiership starts, and two goals in three FA Cup games ensured he ended the season as the club’s leading striker* – something made even more impressive considering he often started games on the right hand side of midfield.

It is not only his tally that is impressive, but he also developed a habit of scoring in the vital games – his two goals in a 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow won the European Super Cup, whilst he also scored winning goals against Blackburn Rovers and Anderlecht, as well as scoring at Goodison Park in the derby against Everton and a brace in the late season 2-1 win over West Ham. He also scored a crucial goal against the Hammers in the FA Cup final in Cardiff.

It wasn’t just Liverpool for whom Cisse shone during the 2005/06 season. France faced a difficult World Cup qualifying group including Switzerland, Israel and the Republic of Ireland. And take away his goal in the 1-1 draw against the Swiss in a tricky away tie, and Les Bleus may not be taking up their place with the world’s elite in Germany this summer.

Despite all this the jury seems to be out for Cisse. Yet with Benitez determined to close the gap on Chelsea and Manchester United and mount a serious title bid next season, would getting rid of his leading goalscorer be the wisest of moves by the Spanish tactician?

Paul Meadows
21 May 2006

*As mentioned Steven Gerrard was Liverpool's leading scorer in 2005/6 with 22 goals to Cisse's 19.

3186: Watford:Back in the big time!

by : Sam Cullen

At the beginning of the 2005/06 season, few pundits predicted much for Watford. Adie Boothroyd, appointed in March 2005, was seen by many as nothing more than a cheap option and Watford were highlighted for relegation "fodder" seeing as they had only survived the drop by 2 points that season.

Yet today, Watford confirmed their place in the Premiership by beating Leeds 3-0 at Cardiff.

Going into the play-offs, Watford were underdogs yet again. They immediately set about taking advantage of this tag by enacting a crushing 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Semi Final first leg. A goal less draw at Vicarage Road ensured they reached the final to meet Leeds.

The majority of build up to the game earlier this week placed all the emphasis on Leeds, about how it was their chance to return to their "rightful" home of the Premiership and once again casting Watford as the underdogs.

Once again this proved to be foolish, as Watford almost took the lead within minutes of kick off and they then had a subsequent flurry of corners. Jay DeMerit's goal gifted them the lead in the 25th minute, following this the game remained tense and fraught as Leeds looked to equalise and Watford looked to extend their cushion. Neil Sullivan’s second half own goal effectively put the game out of reach but the day was Watford's when Darius Henderson converted an 84 minute penalty to make it 3-0 and game over.

For Boothroyd, this is a tremendous achievement. As stated earlier, few thought much of the rookie internal appointment when he first took charge last March. He made excellent summer acquisitions such as Henderson and Matthew Spring, ironically from Leeds. His painstaking and methodical planning helped mould these players into a unit which proved very hard to beat.

Going into the Premiership, he will be the youngest manager at 35. His side will also go in as red hot favourites for relegation. But as this season has proved, predictions can mean absolutely nothing and anyone who has witnessed some of their excellent performances this season would be able to see no reason why they couldn’t do a West Ham.

Congratulations to Boothroyd and Watford FC and we look forward to seeing you take on the big boys next season. To Kevin Blackwell and Leeds, there is little doubt you will be in the shake up again next season.

Sam Cullen
21 May 2006

3176: Wigan Athletic; Season Analys

by : Stephen Orford

Scott Parker 8

When he’s played, Newcastle looked a more solid, dependable and coherent unit. The next skipper of the club? Why not. Keep him fit and the club will be in great shape next season. Has the heart and the commitment that Toon supporters love to see.

Emre 7

I expected a bit more from the former Inter Milan man, if I’m honest. At one point in his career I would have had him in a World XI but we’ve not been treated to anything near that standard as yet. But there were glimpses that, if he can stay sharp, he’ll do the business.

Lee Bowyer 6

Nowhere close to the player he was. Apparently he played more than 20 times for the club last season but I am struggling to remember any of them. His weary body looks like it’s going quicker than his temper and that says it all.

Shola Ameobi 7

Has been forced to take major responsibility since Owen’s injury and has nearly done it. You need your strikers to score more often, though, and I still doubt if Ameobi can find the net on a regular basis at the top level. As a back-up to the first-choice pairing he’s strong, though.

Alan Shearer 8

The main man – yet again! The club’s top scorer for yet another season, Shearer could have done or given little more to the Toon cause last season. The hole that he leaves will take a superstar striker to fill.

Michael Owen 7

There were signs prior to his injury that he was settling well on Tyneside. Seven goals in his 10 league games for the club, including a hat-trick against West Ham, was the predictable return from the man who promised goals when he arrived. Such a shame for the fans that he couldn’t play the full season.

Nobby Solano 7

Good to see him back in the black-and-white where he belongs. He’s not quite the player he was but he can still deliver a wicked cross and retains the ability to sail past full-backs. Owen will look forward to linking up with the Peruvian next season.

Charles N-Zogbia 7

The Zog looks to be a good young player and his displays for Newcastle certainly caught the eye. Five goals from his 20-odd appearances in midfield isn’t a bad return and if he can continue to progress he may be one to watch out for in the near future.

Peter Ramage 7

Can’t really fault his efforts for the club, playing in a variety of positions when needed. Is he good enough for a first-choice place? Doubts persist but it wouldn’t be the biggest mistake to give it a whirl.

Albert Luque 5

One measly goal all season says it all. A total waste of money, based on this season’s displays. Roeder must make a big decision this summer; cut your losses and ship him back to Spain or try and get some of the potential to pour out. He must have cost £11.5million for something, after all.

Kieron Dyer 5

Yet another injury-plagued season for Mr Arrogant. He appeared in just 13 games for the club this season. I know it isn’t really his fault but surely big questions should be asked in the boardroom as to the wisdom in continuing to pay Dyer £60,000 every week for doing nothing.

Robbie Elliot 6

He clearly loves the club and his versatility is a real asset. He knows he’s not a first-choice but is prepared to come in as and when he’s required and you have to admire that. Still, Aaron Hughes did the same thing and was a better player, yet Souness sold him on.

Steven Taylor 6

Definitely one to hold on to. He looks like, given the right encouragement and guidance, he could be the real deal for the club. Not enough chances to shine this season, though. Promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history in 2004/05, Wigan Athletic were everybody’s favourites to be relegated back to the Championship this term.

Despite owner David Whelan’s millions, Latics were not expected to spend the kind of money which would give them a prayer. And they didn’t spend a tremendous amount, yet they did manage to avoid a quick return to Football League engagements. And then some.

Striker Nathan Ellington didn’t have any faith, quickly jumping ship to West Bromwich Albion. In so doing, he broke up a prolific partnership with former West Brom man Jason Roberts at the JJB Stadium, and gave yet more ammunition to those who felt it would be a long, hard slog for the team forever in the shadows of their rugby league housemates.

Yet as the Warriors slide impressively towards Super League oblivion, Latics can reflect on a sensational 10th placed Premiership finish, and their first ever appearance in a major cup final. That they were eventually beaten 4-0 by Manchester United in February’s Carling Cup final in Cardiff is a disappointment, but should not detract from the phenomenon that has been the Wigan side this term.

Ellington is linked with a move back to Wigan in time for next term following the Baggies’ relegation, and he might like to reflect on what he has been missing during his one year sabbatical in the west midlands. Quietly, and with little fanfare, manager Paul Jewell set about filling the gap left by the former Bristol Rovers man by adding Senegal international striker Henri Camara for £3million from Wolverhampton Wanderers after loan spells at Celtic and Southampton, aswell as the experienced David Connolly for a further £2million from Leicester City.

The defence was bolstered by the acquisition on free transfers of Portsmouth central defender Arjan De Zeuw, former Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz aswell as the then little-known Bastia full-back Pascal Chimbonda. Midfielder Damien Francis had impressed during Norwich City‘s ultimately unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation from the Premiership a year earlier, and was another useful addition without troubling the accountants. Andreas Johansson cost £450,000 from Swedish football, and goalkeeper Mike Pollitt only £200,000 from Rotherham United.

It was in the early part of the season when Wigan really excelled. Talk of European qualification was more common around the JJB Stadium than any discussion about relegation, as the team surged up the league with a succession of impressive victories. De Zeuw and Henchoz formed a classy central defensive partnership, and the industrious Jimmy Bullard engineered much of the good work from midfield alongside the born-again Lee McCulloch. Camara offered genuine pace up front, but it was Roberts who found the net with most regularity, notching 14 goals in all competitions.

When Camara travelled to Egypt for the African Cup of Nations in January, Jewell decided that his squad needed a little more depth. In came former Liverpool pair David Thompson and Neil Mellor until the end of the season, while full-back or winger Reto Zeigler joined on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. A lesser name but a man who made no less an impact was Austrian utility man Paul Scharner, who arrived for £2million from Norway’s Brann Bergen. His impact was immediate, notching the only goal in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final, a result which would lay the foundations for the last gasp heroics of Roberts in the return leg a week later.

In many ways Wigan’s season petered out after the Carling Cup final. A 4-0 walloping wasn’t a fair reflection of their contribution to the game, and certainly not of their contribution to the competition over the season. Wigan were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round by Manchester City, and won only 3 of their last 12 league outings, including an altogether more narrow 2-1 loss to United just days after the Cardiff date. Again their performance deserved better, but it seemed as if many of their players had little left in reserve and were already looking to rest up ahead of next season.

If Jewell and his side are to repeat this season’s performance or even push on and improve, the former Bradford and Sheffield Wednesday manager faces tough decisions this summer. Henchoz and Thompson have already been released, while Ziegler has returned to Spurs after his loan period expired.. Yet perhaps the most notable loss is that of Bullard, whose midfield drive will be sorely missed after he chose to join Fulham for £2.5million. At the time of writing (May 19) severe doubts remain about the future of Chimbonda also, who looks likely to leave after angering Jewell by handing in a transfer request immediately after the 4-2 defeat at Highbury on the final day of the season.

The club are linked with a £7million move for Crystal Palace hot-shot Andy Johnson, but with Everton and Bolton Wanderers also interested, Jewell has to convince the man capped once by England that the JJB Stadium is the place for him to further his career. After a successful first season in the Premiership that task might now prove a little easier than it would have seemed previously.

With or without Johnson, there are now slightly longer odds on Wigan heading out of the Premiership in 2006/07 than were offered 12 months ago.

By Stephen Orford

19 May 2006

3158: West Bromwich Albion: Season R

by : Hugh Larkin

Last season’s ‘Great Escape’ turned out to be just a temporary respite and Albion slipped back into the Championship. Towards the end the relegation began to look inevitable and it’s a case of rebuilding to attempt a third promotion in six seasons.

Bryan Robson’s team produced a reverse image of their 2004/05 campaign; this time everything looked reasonably promising before Christmas but the New Year was marked by a downturn in form and a depressing run in, with no wins at all in the last 13 matches.

The problems weren’t so much lack of effort or character but an absence of quality in the squad. One method of assessing potential is to compare two teams and see which players would make up a composite side. Albion came off worse in such an exercise against nearly all the other Premiership squads.

Goals were dreadfully hard to come by. Nathan Ellington and Kanu headed the charts with just 5 each in the League. It was a similar tale last year but Albion benefited from 11 by Robert Earnshaw and a useful 6 from Zoltan Gera in 2004/05. Both were missed this year. Gera only managed 12 starts through injury and Albion lacked his energy down the right; Robson appeared happy to condemn Earnshaw to the bench which didn’t suit the player at all.

The October win over Arsenal boosted everyone’s confidence, although beating the Gunners soon proved to be less of a shock than the win at the Hawthorns seemed at the time. That victory was followed by 3 defeats to mid-table sides but optimism returned through a 4-0 thumping of Everton that started a four game unbeaten run.

At that stage Diamansy Kamara was proving to be dangerous runner and Kanu and Ellington were troubling defences. Kanu produced a brace to see off another North London challenge from Spurs just after Christmas and losing only 1-0 at Anfield on New Year’s Eve was a sharp contrast to the 5-0 home thrashing at the same time in 2004.

January gave a foretaste of what was to come though. Aston Villa inflicted a home defeat and the excellent away win at Wigan was balanced by losing at home to lowly Sunderland. Yet goals from Campbell and Greening saw off Blackburn in the first week in February and the prospects still looked quite good.

Then the 13 game winless streak began with a horrendous 6-1 thrashing at Fulham. Albion faced an extremely tough programme to the close with matches against all the top four, plus Spurs, Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and resurgent Everton to deal with.

Albion produced battling draws in derby games against Birmingham and Villa and bemoaned the fact that luck seemed to have deserted them in the penalty box. The air of a side destined for the drop had settled over the squad, although most were still performing as manfully as last year.

Portsmouth’s surge gave their campaign a quick death with no agonising last day failure. 8 points away from safety is ultimately a very big margin and though some breaks went against them late on, it’s difficult to argue that Albion deserved to stay up.

Some members of the squad will obviously be on their way- some the club would like to keep, others not. Last time they came straight back to the Premiership but a more substantial rebuilding programme will be needed this time; however, there’s no reason why the Baggies shouldn’t be in the shake-up in April 2007 if the right signings are made.

Hugh Larkin
16 May 2006

3175: Newcastle United: 2005-06 play

by : Chris Sherrard

Even amid the unpredictable labyrinth of Newcastle United’s recent history, the season just past took some beating.

Not for brilliance, not for any major degree of ineptitude. More for simply how bad it could have been and how good it should have been.

The club’s 2005-06 season lived and died on the decision to remove top player, shocking boss, Graeme Souness, from the St James’ Park hotseat.

It’s highly debatable if Souness would have got the Mags relegated but what is clear is that under his masterful stewardship they were only going in one direction – and it wasn’t up.

Step forward Glenn Roeder and Alan Shearer instead and something of Newcastle’s true potential reaches the surface.

So assessing the performances of the United players requires a bit of forgiveness for the early part of the season.

Here’s how they rated for the season just ended:

Shay Given 9

The danger for Super Shay now is that anything remotely close to below his normal world class standard will be classed as a waning of his powers. But the Irishman was as good as ever last season, and must be worth at least 15 points on his own every year. His commitment to the club for the foreseeable future is as big a boost as the new boss is likely to get.

Steven Carr 6

Not the marauding full-back that rampaged down the right wing for Spurs prior to arriving on Tyneside. That said, there were moments where his class shone through, but not really enough.

Jean-Alain Boumsong 5

Not good enough. Just when you thought Newcastle’s succession of bumbling, over-hyped centre-halves was at an end, along comes this man. How he is going to the World Cup with one of the favourites is far beyond me. Looks woefully out of his depth in the Premiership and mistakes never look far away. He might just be the worst thing the disasterous Souness did to the proud club.

Titus Bramble 6

Getting there but doubts must remain if he is ever going to realise the massive potential he showed in the fledgling part of his career. Not a bad season from the former Ipswich man, but not a great one either.

Celestine Babayaro 6

Not convinced. Once upon a time he would have been a good signing but he doesn’t quite have the pace or the interest to reach the very top level again. Made quite a few appearances last season but how many of those was because of a lack of decent alternatives?

3170: Liverpool:Season Review 2005/0

by : Sam Cullen

To look back upon Liverpool’s season, it seems to have stretched far longer than other clubs. Indeed, the 2005 Champions League winners began their 2005/06 campaign on July 13th, as UEFA placed them in the first qualifying round due to the fact they had finished outside the Champions League spots.

Unsurprisingly they successfully navigated these hurdles, but when their Premiership season began exactly a month later, they had already played 5 competitive games. Summer signings by Benitez included Spanish goalkeeper Jose Reina, Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko and arguably most surprisingly, former Southampton striker Peter Crouch.

The domestic season began with a 0-0 draw at the Riverside Stadium followed by a 1-0 defeat of Sunderland at Anfield. Benitez then added another trophy to the cabinet winning the UEFA Super Cup, beating CKSA Moscow 3-1.

After drawing 0-0 with Man Utd at Anfield on 18th September, Liverpool had only scored 1 Premiership goal in their first four games. The media and commentators quickly became obsessed with when, if ever, Crouch would score his first goal. The lack of goals was to become a recurring theme for Liverpool during the season.

October began with a humiliation on home soil as Chelsea annihilated the Reds 4-1. Later that month the side lost again going down 2-0 at Craven Cottage. This result left them in 12th and fans were again fretting over another domestically inconsistent season.

Benitez got the Liverpool machine back on track during November as the side registered 4 straight victories, seeing them climb to 4th in the Premiership. December 3rd saw a landmark moment in the season as Crouch finally registered his first goal for Liverpool at the 19th time of asking.

The side leaped into 2nd after recording their 6th straight win, against Middlesboro, on 10th December. The team then had a brief sojourn from the Premiership as they travelled to the Far East to compete in FIFA’s revamped Club World Championship. After comprehensively beating Saprissa 3-0, they found themselves deeply unlucky to lose 1-0 to Sao Paulo in the final.

Returning to Premier league action on Boxing Day, the run of victories continued after a 2-0 victory over Newcastle. The first Merseyside derby of the season came two days later, resulting in yet another Liverpool victory, an excellent 3-1 score recorded at Goodison Park. Peter Crouch’s goal against West Brom closed 2005 with a 10th straight Premiership victory for Liverpool.

The excellent run came to an inevitable end with a hard fought 2-2 draw away at Bolton. The team then began to experience a sticky patch, perhaps suggesting fatigue was catching up with them as they gained only 1 point from their next 4 games, including a heart breaking 90th minute defeat at Old Trafford. This effectively destroyed their title aspirations and also damaged their chances of finishing 2nd.

However during this period a monumental and unexpected event occurred. Robbie “God” Fowler returned to Anfield on a free transfer from Man City, throwing the fans in to delight at the return of a true Liverpool legend. Outsiders remained sceptical if the Robbie Fowler of 2006 could ease Liverpool’s impotence up front.

There was to be no repeat of Istanbul as Benfica dumped Liverpool out of the Champions League in the last 16 3-0 on aggregate in another tie which highlighted the teams struggles up front. It appeared this weakness upfront was going to derail the season. It appeared a breakthrough was urgently needed.

A week later, the breakthrough arrived in the form of a 5-1 drubbing of Fulham at Anfield, also marking Fowler’s first goal for Liverpool since he rejoined the club. This result seemed to finally reignite the Merseyside side and they recorded an incredible 7-0 victory over Birmingham at St Andrews in the FA Cup Quarter Finals.

Liverpool remained undefeated for the rest of the season, winning 9 straight league games and 11 in all competitions. Despite this, 2nd place still eluded them although they were within a point of Man Utd.

Their season ended with the dramatic penalty shoot out win over West Ham in the FA Cup Final, clinching Benitez’s 3rd trophy as Liverpool manager.

Looking back on 2005/06, there were many positives to take from the season including the two incredible successive win sequences. The return of Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell’s significant upturn in form were also big pluses which could be drawn for 2005/06.

Had Liverpool had more bite upfront, then they could have had an even better season, and Benitez buys wisely, then it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see a far stronger Liverpool title tilt.

Sam Cullen
18 May 2006

3172: One Night In The City

by : Paul Grech

Book Review: One Night In The City by Ian Leech

Liverpool’s victory over Milan in last year’s Champions League final has predictably spawned a huge number of books. Some, published by well-known authors like Guilleme Balague or John Williams, have immediately become best sellers. Others, like this one, are relatively unknown.

‘One Night in the City’ is Ian Leech’s contribution to the catalogue of books on the 2005 Champions League final, a photographic record of what went on in the city on that famous night. It all started when Ian, who lives in the Midlands, promised to take his daughter to watch the game in a pub at the city centre. Unable to go back on his promise, Ian decided to take his camera along so as “to savour the sights and sounds of the night”.

The result is a book of around 80 pages full of pictures from the night and comments by the author.

Despite the author’s good intentions, for a number of reasons the book struggles. First of all, the real magic was taking place in Istanbul. Had Leech interspersed the photos that he took at the Liverpool city centre with others taken by the fans who were in the Turkish capital, then it would have resulted in a much more interesting comparison between attitudes in the two venues.

Even worse, he completely omits the hour between the start of the first half and the moment when Gerrard scores Liverpool’s first goal. There are no photos from that period, nothing to show the mood during this dramatic period. Perhaps Leech felt that he would have been invading the supporters’ feeling during such tense moments or indeed he feared for the safety of his equipment. Whatever the reason, an explanation for such a major omission would have been appreciated.

There are other, minor quibbles. In the back cover it is stated that Leech is only an amateur photographer but even he should know better than printing photos that haven’t been doctored to adjust for red eyes. And the fact that he stayed put in one pub for all the match means that he only caught the mood of a particular crowd rather than different people. Indeed, it might have been interesting to see the alternate mood swings, those experienced at pubs largely frequented by Evertonians

As a blue himself – even one with a Liverpool supporting daughter – it must have been difficult for him to stick it out through the night. For that he should be acknowledged as indeed he should for managing to convey the general feeling of excitement before the game and euphoria afterwards.

Yet none of his photographs have that evocative quality that merits more than occasional flick through. Unless you were one of those featured in this book, I’d suggest that you invest the £8.50 in one of the much better alternatives out there.

3182: England: Is Wayne Rooney’s inj

by : Chris Kilpatrick

Unless you have been in outer space for the past couple of weeks you will be more than familiar with the furore surrounding Wayne Rooney’s fourth metatarsal.

Just as in 2002, when Beckham and Gary Neville suffered the same injury, the country is hysterical with doom-mongers proclaiming that the shattering of Rooney’s foot signalled a similar fate to the national side’s World Cup ambitions.

For months prior to the Chelsea v United game hype surrounding England’s chances of reclaiming the World Cup was at fever pitch. We were told repeatedly that Eriksson had at his disposal the finest set of players the country has produced in the past forty years, possibly ever.

Suddenly though, as the result of one clumsy tackle during a game, England have promptly been written of as potential champions.

Alarm bells sounded from the moment Rooney failed to rise to his feet following an innocuous challenge by Ferreira. From the expression on his face and the reaction of the other players, it was clear something was seriously wrong.

Fans across the country watched with their hearts in their mouths as the boy-wonder was stretchered off just six weeks prior to the start of a tournament in which he was expected to showpiece his extraordinary talents to the rest of the world.

Could the injury to England’s most influential player prove to be a minor blessing in disguise?

Over the past three weeks the Press have inundated us with progress reports on Rooney’s recovery paired with constant deliberation over his chances of making the World Cup. Sven’s squad announcement last week illustrated that he is confident of the scouser’s participation, albeit during the latter stages of the competition.

Eriksson’s final squad selection as England manager was by far the boldest of his five-year reign and showed the Swede had a contingency plan in place, should Rooney not make it, in the form of youngster Theo Walcott. Gasps of amazement could be heard throughout the press conference when Walcott’s name flashed on-screen.

The assembled hacks repeatedly questioned the inclusion of the untried Walcott over established Premiership goalscorers such as Jermaine Defoe and Darren Bent.

Was this such a surprise though?

Perhaps Bent is entitled to feel hard done by given his goal tally this season but Defoe has been poor for Spurs for most of the campaign and has repeatedly failed to produce the goods at international level.

The addition of the unknown Walcott brings a sense of excitement back to the pre-tournament build up following the devastating injury to the star player. Tord Grip, Sven’s right-hand man, has stated that Walcott was picked to play the same role as Rooney and is at his most potent when playing off the main striker.

The obvious potential benefit of the Arsenal starlet’s participation is that, as an unknown quantity with undoubted talent and ability, there is the possibility he may explode onto the international scene and wreak havoc among opponent’s defences.

3178: Championship Play-off Final: L

by : Chris Sherrard

So which is it to be? The fallen giants trying desperately to haul themselves from the ground or the young upstarts, so full of spirit and promise?

Leeds United and Watford will do battle on Sunday for the prize that is often described as the most lucrative in the game.

For the winners of the play-off final, trips to Champions Chelsea, Old Trafford, Anfield and the big table awaits.

And that’s before mentioning anywhere between £30 and £40million.

For the losers, another season in the Championship, with away days in Southend and Colchester, is their reward.

It’s not quite ‘all or nothing’ but it’s as close as English football gets.

And play-off finals are notoriously unpredictable and unforgiving of environments.

Watford know all about them – it was their route into the Premiership the only time they’ve appeared there.

But this is a different Watford set-up. None of the players from 1999 remain, the chairman no longer is a Rocketman and the manager isn’t a Turnip.

Few could fail to be impressed by Adrian Boothroyd’s management of Watford in his short spell in charge of the club.

It took a bit of guts for the Vicarage Road outfit to hand him the reins but that faith has been restored and repaid ten-fold.

He has them on the cusp of the Premiership, not by luck or other teams’ capitulation but by hard work, discipline and a range of fresh ideas.

Everything about Boothroyd screams ‘fresh’.

His counterpart on Sunday, Kevin Blackwell, is another man deserving of immense praise and a hearty slap on the back.

He took the job that no-one else wanted. He has steadied the sinking ship and got it moving forward again.

Plenty of Leeds supporters were bracing themselves for quite a few seasons outside the top flight, or even to follow the double-relegation paths of teams like Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.

But Blackwell has done wonderful to get rid of the expensive players while also bringing in players good enough to acquit themselves in the Championship and even challenge.

The lure of the name of Leeds United wasn’t all it took, the manager’s vision of the future was what drew them in every bit as much.

And now, here the two clubs stand; heading for Cardiff with their hopes and dreams squeezed into one game of football.

The key to the match, for me, comes down to the respective strikers.

Leeds have a strong panel of experienced front men from which to call on. Watford, meanwhile, will pile their hopes on the considerable shoulders of Marlon King.

Leeds’ main striking problem is does Blackwell know his strongest front pairing? Because David Healy, Rob Hulse, Robbie Blake and Richard Cresswell have all taken their turn at leading the line. Cresswell is suspended for the final but the other three will fight it out for two places.

Personally, I’d go for Hulse and Healy because, together, they pose all manner of problems to defences with their pace, aerial ability and craft.

Elsewhere, United will need a strong performance from World Cup-bound Eddie Lewis. Centre-half Stephen Crainey would have been another key man but his suspension has hit Leeds hard.

Aside from the league’s top scorer, King, Watford pose plenty of their own threats.

Ashley Young and Darius Henderson have been handy in front of goal while Matthew Spring and Chris Eagles look like the real deal when pushing on from midfield.

Young Manchester United prospect Ben Foster is agile and alert between the posts and Malkay Mackay and Clarke Carlisle are bristling with experience. Unfortunately, Carlisle looks to be out of the meeting with his former team through injury.

So it’s a hard match to call, as these games usually are.

Both managers deserve reward for their respective sterling efforts with their clubs but only one will get it.

The cash cow awaits...

3168: Bolton Wanderers; Season Anal

by : Stephen Orford

The 2004/05 season was an historic one for Bolton Wanderers. The hitherto unfashionable, unattractive Trotters climbed to a sixth placed finish above traditional leading lights such as Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Aston Villa.

With that came qualification for the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club’s history, a performance which had raised expectations markedly going into 2005/06. An eighth placed finish this time around means that they narrowly fail to clinch another European adventure, but it is an achievement which still represents success for a club of their size and stature.

Manager Sam Allardyce was again afforded little financial backing last summer, bringing in just two new faces. Mexican international striker Jared Borgetti arrived from Pachuca for £1million, while El Hadji Diouf’s loan move from Liverpool was made permanent without the need for any further spending. Borgetti’s appearances have been sporadic at best, with the man capped 64 times by his country making just five starts, with a further 14 appearances from the bench. His meagre return of two goals in that time shows how difficult he has found it to establish himself in Allardyce’s plans, and he was continually linked with a move away from the Reebok Stadium throughout the campaign.

Meanwhile grinning, diving, spitting enemy of the game Diouf was a key player in the first half of the season. His contribution to the cause seemed to dwindle after he jetted off to Egypt to represent Senegal in the African Cup of Nations. Allardyce eventually questioned the player’s desire to return to full fitness after picking up a series of what his manager would no doubt once have referred to as flesh wounds. Despite a goal return of only 3 from 17 starts Diouf remains one of Bolton’s more talented performers, and if player and coach can re-align themselves into something approaching harmony once more, the former Lens man could be a key for the team next term.

Bolton fans will be hoping so, as goalscoring has been a constant source of anxiety. Critics, and there are many, point to the team’s direct style and all-round lack of subtlety to account for this shortfall, and with good reason. Kevin Davies’s record of just 7 league goals in 37 starts is due mostly to the fact that he is used as a battering ram in Allardyce’s aerial assault on Premiership defences, with midfielders like Kevin Nolan and Stelios Giannakopoulos often profiting from the scraps created by the former Southampton and Blackburn Rovers striker.

The contributions of Nolan and Giannakopoulos (9 league goals each) represent the best return by any Bolton player this season, and have inevitably led to attention from the larger predators further up the table. Keeping hold of both will be pivotal to Bolton’s chances of maintaining their upstart presence in the Premiership’s top ten, as opposed to a return to the relegation battles of their formative years in the big league.

The UEFA Cup is routinely offered up by managers as an excuse for flagging league form, despite the fact that said manager has usually spent the previous six months of his life doing everything he can to ensure his team participates. Allardyce is no exception, having often bemoaned the demands placed on his squad by his side’s run to the last 16 of Europe’s second club competition. Their eventual defeat to Marseille over two closely fought legs showed that their combativeness can be as much of a pain in the proverbials to continental sides as it can to domestic foes, and players and fans will have gained unforgettable experiences from what still amounts to something of a fairy tale.

Bolton may be slightly disappointed with their exploits in the domestic cups, but can take heart from the fact that they were beaten by eventual finalists in both the FA Cup and the Carling Cup. The Trotters lost out 2-1 to eventual finalists West Ham United in an FA Cup fifth round replay, and reached the quarter-final of the Carling Cup where they eventually ran into Wigan Athletic.

Looking ahead the permanently apoplectic but admittedly shrewd Allardyce has already begun re-shaping his squad. Long-time Wanderers hero Jay-Jay Okocha bids farewell after another season of looking skywards and wondering exactly what his purpose is, while Senegal international Khalilou Fadiga is also released after failing to make a really significant impact in Lancashire. Former Blackburn Rovers striker Matt Jansen similarly struggled after joining in January and also heads for the Reebok exit door.

With improving youngsters such as Nicky Hunt, Joey O’Brien and Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Te to add to key performers such as Tal Ben Haim, Gary Speed and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, Bolton have a good blend of youth and experience which should see them challenging for a European berth again next time around. If lessons can be learned from the latter part of this season (2 wins from their final 10 league outings) then perhaps they can continue to upset the odds a while longer.
Just don’t expect opposition managers to be happy about playing them.

By Stephen Orford

18 May 2006

3173: Fantasy Football provides the

by : Jeff Gold

“A pulsating contest.” The Guardian.
“An edge-of-the-seat thriller from start to finish.” The Times.
“This might have been the best Cup final of them all.” The Independent.

The 2006 FA Cup final seemed too good to be true. Perhaps it was. Maybe we weren’t just watching fantasy football but Fantasy Football, the whole glorious extravaganza elaborately choreographed by Baddiel and Skinner in a grand homage to finals past.

If so, they did a sensational job. This Phoenix From The Flames had pretty much everything. Defensive errors gifting goals to West Ham (a re-creation of the 1975 final), a two-goal comeback (1966), an own-goal (1981, 1987 and 1991), an incredible save (1973) and last minute heartbreak for the underdog (1983), all wrapped up in a six-goal thriller (1990).

Disappointingly, the players stopped short of dressing up like their predecessors, for Jose Reina as Jim Montgomery would have been an amusing sight. Not as funny as Steven Gerrard done up like Alan Sunderland though. While, in style, Gerrard’s late strike was a classic tribute to Steve MacKenzie’s long-range volley of 1981, the timing was more redolent of the Arsenal man’s last minute effort from 1979. Still, asking a Scouser to take to the field sporting a huge perm and a bushy tache is perhaps taking clich just one step too far.

Though the delightful vignettes were a winner, Baddiel and Skinner’s real genius was to be found in the ambience of the whole piece. It was like being transported back to the 1950s as we once again witnessed a team carry a passenger. Totally unable to contribute, and offering little more than nuisance value, our brave man lumbered around aimlessly and generally got in the way. It was a shame that Liverpool saw fit to bring the performance to a premature end by withdrawing Xabi Alonso in the second-half, but Marlon Harewood was a brave and able stand-in, even more so once he got injured.

Then we had the welcome return of an old friend: the cramp-fest. In days of yore, the last ten minutes of any final would descend into a five-a-side walkabout as, across the pitch, bodies lay strewn with legs erect while team-mates leaned on them as though trying, and failing, to push a human trolley. On Saturday both teams embraced the concept with enthusiasm. As a result, the pace of play dropped to such an extent that Alan Pardew confidently threw forty-year-old Teddy Sheringham into the fray and, at one point, seriously considered the introduction of Trevor Brooking as well.

Unfortunately, there are always those reluctant to enter into the spirit of things. Young Benayoun, for example, gambolled and frolicked through the whole two-hour spectacle without revealing even a hint of fatigue. It was a cramp-free performance that showed commitment, desire and a shocking disregard for heritage and tradition.

Of course, it is difficult to strike a balance between showmanship and competitiveness, but Steven Gerrard managed to pull it off with some aplomb. By spending the majority of the game feigning cramp, he lulled the opposition into a false sense of security. Providing the highlight of the match was then merely a case of summoning the technique to pop one in from thirty-five yards. Easy.

The whole afternoon was a triumph, and I trust Baddiel and Skinner will be providing more of the same next year. Maybe they will be receptive to a few suggestions. Socks around ankles would be good, as would someone scoring for both teams, but best of all would be a win for the underdog. Now that really would be fantasy football.

Jeff Gold
18 May 2006

3171: Liverpool:Squad Rating 2005/06

by : Sam Cullen

2005/06 saw Liverpool record their record Premiership points tally and win the FA Cup for a 7th time. Who contributed to this and who let the side down?

Player ratings below.

Reina 8

Another shrewd Benitez acquistion, appeared far more reliable and capable in goal than error prone Dudek.

Finnan 7

Continued the improvement shown last season and was a first team regular to the extent rival Josemi was offloaded.

Carragher 8

The local lad continues to go from strength to strength. Played a crucial part in the season.

Hyypia 6

Still a great player on his day but it does appear his age is slowly starting to catch up with him as he has begun to look vunerable in various situations. Played the most competitive games for Liverpool over the season, an incredible 59 games.

Kromkamp 5

Arrived in January and so far has been unable to gain a regular first team birth. He shows significant promise however and will no doubt put in a better account of himself next season.

Agger 5

Like Kromkamp, this defender is most likely "one for next season" and only featured 4 times after his January transfer. Liverpool were undefeated in the games he played in though.

Traore 5

One of the few remaining hangovers of the Houllier era, still has potential to cause damaghe!

Riise 7

As solid and dependable as ever. However for someone with such a strong shot as his, it was disappointing he only registered 1 league goal.

Kewell 8

Most improved player of the season easily goes to Harry Kewell. A complete turnaround to his disappointing 2004/05 campaign, in the FA Cup Semi Final win over Chelsea he looked back to his rampant best.

Gerrard 9

Once again captain fantastic led by example in a long yet exciting campaign. At times it appeared fatigue was getting to him, but who will forget his cracking goal in the Cup final?

Sissoko 8

A great addition to the Liverpool midfield engine room, this young midfielder should have a great future ahead of him at Anfield.

Alonso 7

A consistant member of the side this season, Alonso continued to build upon his good work last season.

Warnock 7

The local lad always has faced a struggle to get in the Liverpool side ahead of the multi-million pound imports. When used this season, didn't disappoint.

Hamann 6

Featured far less than in previous seasons, but like Hyypia time is against him. Still a very useful player to have on the bench.

Garcia 5

Frustratingly inconsistant season for the Spaniard who found himself used as a substitute more often than not. Can still fashion great goals from nothing but can also fashion awful misses.

Zenden 5

Only managed 7 league appearances before picking up an injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Morientes 4

For a man who scored goals for fun in Spain, 5 league goals in a season is an awful record. Has looked short of confidence, worringly.

Cisse 5

He could have a much higher score if it weren't for the seemingly hot and cold nature of his performances. Great one moment, disinterested the next.

Crouch 6

The lanky lad attracted more than his fair share of criticism over the season due to a variety of chances he missed. He may not be the most skillful player around but he does put in 100% which is arguably more than the two strikers above him in this list do.

Fowler 7

The 2nd coming? His arrival in January delighted the majority of Liverpool fans but also left many wondering if he could ever come close to his former glory. Initially there were obvious fitness issues but it appears he is really working to overcome them and he ended the season impressively, enough to gain a new contract. Also managed to score the same amount of league goals as Morientes in under half the appearances.

Sam Cullen
18 May 2006

3167: Season review 2005/06 - Fulham

by : Alex Wolstenholme

Fulham entered the 2005/06 season on the back of a 13th place finish the year before.

In the transfer market, Watford striker Heidar Helguson, former Manchester City left-back Niclas Jensen, goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny from Greek side Panionios and Australian international Ahmad Elrich, a midfielder joined in the summer.

Another goalkeeper, Tony Warner of Cardiff City was signed on loan days before the start of the season to cover for injuries to Drobny and Mark Crossley.

Edwin Van der Sar joined Manchester United, while Andy Cole went across town to City on a free transfer

Also leaving on a free was Lee Clark, who returned to Newcastle.

Facundo Sava and Steve Marlet's contracts expired, while Elvis Hammond joined Leicester City.

The season started ominously with just one win in nine games before an excellent home victory against Liverpool.

Away form was poor and would continue to be so throughout the campaign but home wins over Man City, Bolton and Blackburn kept Fulham's heads above water going into the New Year.

Manager Chris Coleman was busy in January, snapping up goalkeeeper Antti Niemi from Southampton and midfielder Michael Brown from Spurs.

New Zealand international Simon Elliott also arrived from Major League Soccer in the USA while Wayne Bridge joined on loan from Chelsea. Warner's loan move from Cardiff was made permanent.

More good home displays followed, the highlight being a 6-1 win over West Brom, while Fulham ended the campaign strongly. A much-celebrated win against Chelsea ended any lingering relegation fears and started a run of five wins in eight games, including a long-awaited away win at Manchester City.

Given the poor away form, a finish of 12th place was another more than decent achievement by Coleman, who has continued to defy the bookmakers' odds that invariably have him as one of the favourites to be sacked first every season.

Helguson formed a good partnership with Brian McBride while Collins John continued his progress, scoring 11 times in the Premiership.

One negative has to be the Cottagers displays in the cup competitions (beaten at home by West Brom in the Carling and by Leyton Orient in the FA).

You only have to look at the massive impact that cup runs have made on the likes of Middlesbrough, Bolton and West Ham in recent seasons, but Fulham again failed to deliver, making it clear their priority was staying in the Premiership.

Apart from that the future looks brighter than for some time, with chairman Mohammed Al-Fayed's enthusiasm for the club seemingly as great as ever.

Steed Malbranque will be sold after he refused to sign a new contract but the very fact that Fulham offered him 'the most significant financial package in the club's history', together with the capture of Jimmy Bullard ahead of the summer frenzy, shows that Chris Coleman is no longer operating under such tight restrictions.

Bullard has signed a four-year deal after a fee of £2.5m was agreed with Wigan while Coleman has been linked with Jermaine Pennant of Birmingham City and Sylvain Distin of Manchester City, the latter in a possible exchange deal with Malbranque.

A powerful centre-half certainly seems to be what the Fulham fans want, to tighten up a defence that let in more goals than any side bar Portsmouth and Sunderland.

A permanent deal for Bridge may also be on the cards given Chelsea's reported pursuit of Roberto Carlos while even if Malbranque does leave, Coleman has plenty of options in the centre of the park.

3164: Middlesbrough; Season Analysi

by : Stephen Orford

It’s perhaps crude to suggest that the success or otherwise of Middlesbrough’s season hinged on one result, but victory in last Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final over Sevilla (May 10) would have been the club’s greatest ever achievement.

Instead the 4-0 thrashing suffered at the hands of the Spanish outfit shows the club in a manifestly alternative glow. It leaves the fans to reflect on what might have been, with an FA Cup semi-final defeat to West Ham United adding to the feeling of ‘if only’ on Teesside. Throw in the club’s desperately awful showing of 14th in the Premiership, and the argument that expectations have not been met by the now outgoing manager Steve McLaren gathers momentum.

It would not have been unreasonable for Boro fans to expect the side to push for qualification for Europe via their league placing. Though they left it late, this was exactly what they achieved in 2004/05 when Robbie Fowler’s botched penalty denied Manchester City a chance to dust off the passports. Instead of bothering the top six this term, Boro concerned themselves more with avoiding the drop to the Championship for most of the season, with a level of inconsistency akin to that of a 500 year-old schizophrenic trying to lead two hobbits to the fires of Mordor.

The season’s nadir came at home to Aston Villa in February, when one long-suffering fan saw fit to hurl his season ticket in the general direction of McLaren and his coaching staff following an abject 4-0 defeat. That had followed a 7-0 pasting at the hands of a previously wobbling Arsenal at Highbury, and things looked dreary for the dreary man who now finds himself in the England hot-seat. Within a week of the Villa debacle the team perplexed the critics and everyone else including themselves as they handed champions Chelsea a 3-0 pounding at The Riverside.

This Jeckyll-and-Hyde-ism extended to their creditable European run also. Two goals down from the first leg of their quarter-final tie with Basle, Boro suffered yet another set back when they conceded the first goal on home soil in the return fixture. Unperturbed, they roared back to rattle four goals past the Swiss outfit to book a semi-final date with Steaua Bucharest. The drama didn’t end there, as a 1-0 defeat in Romania was swiftly followed by the loss of two early goals at The Riverside in the second leg of that encounter. Once again McLaren somehow rallied his troops to hit back with another stunning quartet of strikes, even managing to rev the previously kaput Massimo Maccarone into something approaching roadworthy order.

By and large McLaren’s signings during the summer of 2005 have done little to set the globe ablaze, with defender Emmanuel Pogatetz and midfielder Fabio Rochemback adequate at best. There’s little doubt that the most successful recruitment of the season was that of striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu from Portsmouth. Despite not always managing to break the ageing but often spectacular strike partnership of Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Yakubu has been the club’s top scorer this season with 13 goals. This tally puts him ninth in the Premiership’s goalscoring charts, above the Chelsea duo of Didier Drogba and Hernan Crespo, and is a considerable achievement given the club’s flagrant mediocrity in league play.

Apart from the addition of the Nigerian to the squad, McLaren’s legacy at the club will be the impressive crop of youngsters that he has been able to blood this season. The likes of Lee Cattermole, James Morrison, Andrew Davies, Matthew Bates and Adam Johnson have all emerged as genuine Premiership prospects alongside the already established Stuart Parnaby and Stewart Downing. All of which bodes well for the currently unidentified new manager as McLaren sets about the task of guiding England through qualification for Euro 2008.

How Boro fare next season depends very much on who chairman Steve Gibson and the board appoint to replace the former Derby County and Manchester United assistant. Names in the frame include the routinely linked Martin O’Neill, Hibernian manager and former Boro player Tony Mowbray, and Terry Venables. The club have played down reports that they have offered the post to the former England boss, who enjoyed a short stint at the club alongside Bryan Robson immediately prior to McLaren’s 2001 appointment.

Whoever takes over will need to further develop the home-grown talent identified so well by McLaren, and ally that with some men more motivated for the weekly grind of league football than the Vidukas, Hasselbainks and Gaizka Mendiettas of this world. Midfielder George Boateng is a key performer who has been linked with a move away from Teesside, but his experience may yet be crucial to Boro for one or two more seasons.

So what defines success? A European final? A good FA Cup run? Possibly, but if Middlesbrough are to emerge as major players in England’s big league they need to produce a more consistent showing in the Premiership next term.

Otherwise season tickets will fly.

By Stephen Orford

17 May 2006

3165: Newcastle United;Season Analys

by : Sam Cullen

Newcastle fans hoped 2005/06 would see an upturn in their fortunes following a disappointing and inconsistent campaign during 2004/05.

Beleaguered boss Graeme Souness attempted to alleviate some of the pressure he was under by shipping out disruptive influences Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy. He then embarked on a summer spending spree exceeded only by Chelsea, recruiting players such as Emre, Albert Luque and rescuing Scott Parker from the Chelsea reserves.

Yet there was more to come. On 15th August, the club proudly announced they had secured the signing of Michael Owen for £17 million, beating off interest from Liverpool who were unprepared to meet the asking price. The next day 15,000 Geordies flocked to St James Park to welcome the new addition to the line up.

The first game of the season bought a narrow and unlucky defeat at Highbury 2-0. Following this the side went on a disappointing run of form, picking up only 2 points from the next 12.

Ewood Park hosted their first victory of the season as they defeated Blackburn 3-0, a game which also marked Michael Owen’s first goal. Inconsistency continued to plague the side as they failed to make any real impression in the league.

Injuries were also hampering Souness’s plans, with Michael Owen missing a month just before Christmas. His return to the side coincided with an excellent victory at St James Park over Arsenal and then the following week he bagged a hat trick in a 4-2 victory over West Ham at Upton Park. His return proved to be short lived and he was put out of action indefinitely following a collision with Paul Robinson on New Years Eve.

The side began 2006 dismally, picking up only one point from their first four league games. Of particular concern was the sides inability to defend, with Jeain-Alain Boumsoung consistently underperforming. New recruits Lupue and Emre also had done little to justify the investment, placing more pressure upon Souness Their defeat away at Man City on February 1st saw them drop to 15th in the league, with only 26 points on the board.

This abject run proved to be the final straw as Souness was dismissed the next day. Glenn Roeder, former Watford and West Ham boss, was placed in temporary charge. Immediately the teams fortunes improved, with Roeder winning 4 out of his first 5 games in charge.

Mid march saw a blip after defeats by Man Utd, Liverpool and Charlton. The team however successfully bounced back from this wobble with an impressive run of 5 straight victories, giving them an outside chance of reaching the UEFA Cup.

Ultimately this goal proved a bridge too far, but the side still managed a very respectable 7th placed finish, giving them the possibility of back door European qualification through their participation in the Intertoto Cup.

After his excellent caretaker spell, Roeder was confirmed as new Newcastle manager on 16th May after the club successfully overcame the LMA’s reservations over his coaching qualifications.

2005/06 certainly proved to be a season of two halves for the Toon Army. Under Roeder’s leadership, fans will no doubt hope he can build upon the fine form displayed at the tail end of this season, many neutral observers will also be closely watching to see how the club copes without their living legend Alan Shearer.

Sam Cullen
17 May 2006

3166: Arsenal:Winners in defeat

by : Sam Cullen

Defeat is always a bitter pill to swallow, even more so when you have held onto a lead for a significant portion of the game. After scoring in the 37th minute and holding Barcelona back into the last 15 minutes of the game, many Arsenal fans could be forgiven for thinking their name was on the trophy.

Arsenal may leave Paris empty handed in terms of silverware, but they have gained an incredible amount from both the final and their run to it.

As it has been well documented, until very recently Arsenal had a particular hoodoo with the Champions League. Sometimes it involved poor results from the offset, sometimes it involved incredible performances that eventually led to nothing, after all, think of their destruction of Inter Milan 5-1 at the San Siro in November 2003.

Yet this season, for the first time under Arsene Wenger, they showed the world they had the steel, the mettle and the tactics for European football. What makes it all the more an achievement is the fact that in many ways this is the weakest Arsenal side since 1997, with Vieira gone and Pires and Ljungberg peripheral figures.

The run to the final made heroes of many Arsenal players. Cesc Fabregas was already highly thought of, but his commanding performances in the centre of midfield made fans go “Patrick who?” and when the Gunners took on Juventus, arguably he gave a better action of himself than his predecessor.

The defence, who managed that incredible Champions League record, also made heroes of themselves. Although harshly sent off last night, the tournament played an integral role in the rehabilitation and growth of Jens Lehmann, best displayed by his penalty save in the Semi Final

Phillipe Senderos also grew in stature while covering for Campbell, dispelling his early season nightmare at the hands of Didi Drogba. Emmanuel Eboue proved himself to be strong, composed and incredibly fast and finally, who’d have thought Mathieu Flamini, nothing more than a fringe midfielder, would excel so much at left back.

The final, although ultimately in vain, also saw many heroes emerge from the Arsenal side.

Going into the tie, the Gunners were the underdogs. Having a player sent off in the 20 minute made them akin to the underdogs with their hands tied behind their back. Yet Sol Campbell made his own voyage of redemption and scored in the 37th minute.

As we all saw, what then followed was brave and solid Arsenal defending. Manuel Almunia, thrust into the action following Lehmann’s dismissal, made some excellent saves. Both Cole and Campbell showed little signs of their extended lay offs and Toure and Eboue were immense as ever.

What makes this all worse was their excellent spell of position just after the 60th minute, which saw Ljungberg playing brilliantly and seizing the small opportunities Barcelona presented to them and if Henry had scored that chance then perhaps it may have been a different ending.

The history books may record Arsenal as the losers, as the defeated side in the final. Yet in a campaign where they achieved so much in this competition, I feel that word is totally inappropriate.

Sam Cullen
17 May 2006

3132: SPL Season Review:Hibernian

by : Sam Cullen

After clinching 3rd and UEFA Cup football on the last day of the 2004-05 season, Hibs fans looked towards 2005/06 with belief and expectations that Tony Mowbray would continue to guide the club in the right direction. Funds were limited for new players, with only Michael Stewart and Zbigniew Malkowski joining the club during the summer.

The season began with a 1-1 draw at home to Dunfermline and then hit an early low point, as the Hibees were trounced 4-0 by city rivals Hearts. Pride was salvaged soon after as the team went on a run of 4 straight league victories, including an excellent 3-0 victory at Ibrox masterminded by an Ivan Sproule hat trick.

Their UEFA Cup adventure was brief as they were smashed 5-1 by Dnipro in the first round but they didn't let this have a detrimental effect on their league form as they continued to build on their positive start and they took 12 points from a possible 15 during October. One of these games included revenge over Hearts, made sweeter by the fact they were the first side to defeat the Jambo’s that season.

Hibs closed November with another victory over Rangers, 2-1, at Easter Road. This victory consolidated their position of 3rd in the SPL, 9 points ahead of Rangers and only 4 points off Celtic in top spot.

Mowbray’s side were gaining plaudits across Scotland as many thought they were the best passing side in the SPL and Alex McLeish said they were the best side to come to Ibrox so far that season, with strikers Gary O’Connor and Derek Riordan firing the side towards the top of the SPL.

January 2005 saw them remain in 3rd spot but they had to endure another dismal defeat,4-1, at Tynecastle. The side provided another instant reaction annihilating Livingston 7-0, one of the most emphatic victories in SPL history.

The Scottish Cup also brought another fine 3-0 victory at Ibrox, but later that month the Gers first victory over Hibs during the season pushed them down into 4th spot, where they remained all season.

March began with the surprise transfer of Gary O’Connor to Locomotive Moscow for £1.5million, with Mowbray hoping the money could go towards building a training facility. His presence was obviously missed and the side began to lose form as the season drew on, with a spat of injuries and suspensions hampering their progress.

Many would argue this cost them the Semi Final against Hearts, a game they lost 4-0 but with several key figures, such as Riordan, missing. Eventually Hibs finished 4th as they were unable to end the campaign with the momentum they showed during the early months.

Despite this, there were many positives for any Hibs fan to draw from 2005/06, as their club played a key part in what was at times one of the most open and exciting SPL campaigns in years.

Sam Cullen
10 May 2006

3159: Ronaldinwho? Defence has prove

by : Tom O'Flaherty

The Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona has been billed by some as a clash of the titans: Ronaldinho v Thierry Henry, currently the world’s most striking talents. The personalities of the two managers accentuate the anticipation of an exciting game. Frank Rijkaard hails from the Dutch tradition of “Total Football” and has incorporated a host of attack-minded players in his 1st XI, including luminaries such as Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi, and Henrik Larsson. Arsene Wenger meanwhile has been held up as Europe’s leading exponent of attractive, free-flowing football. Though Henry has sometimes been asked to play alone upfront, his supporting cast includes players of the calibre of Jose Antonio Reyes, Robert Pires, Fredrik Ljungberg and Robin Van Persie. At first glance the mouth waters at the prospect of a goal fest.

Closer inspection of the two teams however suggests that punters should steer clear of predicting a cricket score. The truth is that it has been the two defences that have been largely responsible for their teams’ respective progressions through the tournament. Arsenal have set a new Champions League record this season having kept ten consecutive clean sheets. Ajax were the last team to score against them back in September 2005 and in the intervening period the likes of Trezeguet, Riquelme, Ronaldo, Raul and Zidane have all drawn a blank. In comparison to some of the great names in European football, Arsenal’s back line of Jens Lehmann, Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos and Mathieu Flamini, are relative unknowns. It is the performance of these men though rather than a frontline that has scored only four goals in the knockout stages that has made the difference, for in the same period Arsenal have conceded none. If they win in Paris the lion’s share of the plaudits should go to the defensive half of the team.

Barcelona’s back four get even less of the limelight. Overshadowed by the double FIFA World Player of the Year, in Ronaldinho, and La Liga’s joint top scorer, in Eto’o, the defence are sometimes ignored by the international media, and more significantly, opposition managers. Jose Mourinho identified full backs, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and Oleguer, as weaknesses, yet none of Chelsea’s wide players made major inroads, with Barcelona conceding only an own goal and a dubious penalty; and since then both Benfica and AC Milan have failed to find a way past goalkeeper Victor Valds.

It is not just the Champions League though that has seen the Catalan defence proving more decisive than their glittering front line: Barcelona have recorded four clean sheets in their last five matches in La Liga (and the one defeat saw Rijkaard rest seven first choice players).

The team’s solidity has been based on the performances of local boy Carles Puyol. While Rafael Marquez, Oleguer and Edmlson, have all done well, Puyol has excelled. The 28 year old possesses both strength and pace, but it is above all the authority that he exudes that arguably makes him the world’s best central defender. As a Catalan he truly embodies the heart and soul of the team, rising from the youth team in 1999 and captaining the side since 2004. He is certain to relish the responsibility of keeping Henry quiet, and few are better equipped to do so. If Barcelona emerge victorious, there will be good reason why it will be Puyol who collects the trophy.

The UEFA Cup final was a perfect example of all-out attack becoming self-defeating. The more strikers Middlesborough threw on the easier it got for Sevilla to score on the counter-attack and put the game beyond reach. Similarly it is a recognised truth that the World Cup is won by the side not with the winner of the Golden Boot, but with the best defence (Sven’s excuse I hope for taking only four strikers). So when the curtain comes up in Paris on Wednesday by all means enjoy the silky skills of Henry and Ronaldinho, but reserve real respect for the men who keep them quiet.

Tom O’Flaherty
16 May 2006

3160: Newcastle United: Miracle work

by : Colin Illingworth

The Premiership witnessed a number of miracles last season from Paul Jewell guiding Wigan Athletic to a top 10 finish to Harry Redknapp saving Portsmouth from the drop. However, some would argue that their achievements don't come close to that of the new Newcastle United boss Glenn Roeder.

At the start of February The Magpies were in freefall. They sat just six points off the drop zone and Graeme Souness had been shown the door following a disastrous spell in charge. Youth academy coach Glenn Roeder stepped in to fill the void and was given the sole task of stopping the rot. The former West Ham United boss was adamant that he didn’t want the job on a full-time basis as the search for a new boss began and some of the biggest names in the game were mentioned from Martin O’Neill and Sven Goran Eriksson to Gus Hiddink and Otmar Hitzfeld. But while Freddie Shepherd and the board considered who they should appoint, Roeder was making a case for himself with a string of impressive results. 15 games and 10 Premiership wins later the former Newcastle defender had completed an amazing turnaround on Tyneside as he claimed seventh in the Premiership and secured a shot at the Intertoto Cup.

In just four short months Roeder has lifted the doom and gloom in the North East and replaced it with hope and optimism and became the number one choice in many of the fans’ eyes, so yesterday’s appointment didn’t come as a shock to the St James’ Park faithful. Ian Moore, a season ticket holder at Newcastle United for the past 26 years, said Roeder deserves the chance after what he’s achieved.

“I have to say that I am quite pleased with the appointment. He deserves great credit for clearing up the mess we were in last season. For that alone I think he deserves a chance. He has given us a glimpse of his approach to the game and what he can get out of players. I think after the end of the season, Roeder had made himself the only candidate. Results and feedback from the players left Shepherd with no real choice. Shepherd is very much his own man who does what he wants, but he must be pretty confident that Roeder is the right man for the job. It could be seen as a gamble but if it pays off it will be a gamble well taken.”

The turn around at St James’ has been even more remarkable when you consider that Roeder has inherited the same squad as Souness and has been without the scoring prowess of England’s finest striker Michael Owen. So how has he actually managed to turn a bunch of strugglers to UEFA Cup contenders? Ian believes that the former QPR captain has brought a range of fresh ideas to the club and instilled a winning mentality to the players.

”I think he has brought a more positive attitude to the team. A lot of the players have come out and said he has them all believing they can win every game they take part in. Apparently, he is a big fan of the psychological side of things to try and get the best out of the players. Those who have mentioned that have said that it has been a big help and a refreshing change. So for one thing, he has brought a new approach with positive mental attitude being a big part of it.

”His man-management seems to be good as well – he never slags off his team, or individual players, in public. He's also showed this by paying a lot of attention to Dyer, in an attempt to iron out his long-standing injury problem. People always appreciate that, whatever field of work you are in.”

3163: Champions League Final Preview

by : Stephen Orford

They are two of the biggest names in European football, but between them Barcelona and Arsenal have won just one European title. While the Catalans look to add a second success to their 1992 triumph over Sampdoria at Wembley, Arsenal play their first ever European Cup final when the two meet in Paris on Wednesday night (May 17).

As with Liverpool and FC Porto before them in recent years, Arsenal were fancied by almost nobody to travel this far in the competition this term. A cumbersome 2-1 win in their opening game against FC Thun of Switzerland scarcely pointed towards the glorious run to the final that has followed, with victories over Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal in the knockout stages. Furthermore, Arsene Wenger’s Gunners have achieved this with a revised back four of Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos and Matthieu Flamini, with regulars Lauren, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole spending much of this season on the sidelines.

Cole and Campbell are now available for selection once more, meaning that Flamini and Senderos could miss out on the big night. They would be incredibly unfortunate to do so, but Wenger may decide that the extra experience of the English pair will serve his side best against the considerable might of Ronaldinho et al in the Barca ranks. Both Senderos and Flamini have recently recovered from injury, but the notion that whoever Wenger chooses in his defensive line may not be fully match fit has to be a concern for Arsenal fans. On a more positive note, Arsenal have not conceded a goal in the Champions League for ten consecutive games, and have been breached only twice in 12 matches in the competition this season.

The only other decision for Wenger to make is whether to start Jose Antonio Reyes or Robert Pires in midfield. Wenger has preferred to pack the midfield with five men throughout his side’s surge to Paris in springtime, with all of Gilberto Silva, Alex Hleb, Cesc Fabregas and Freddie Ljungberg likely starters. Reyes has failed to convince since his move from Sevilla, while Pires could be about to enjoy his Arsenal swansong with rumours of a move to Villarreal still persisting. Dutch hero Dennis Bergkamp will also bid farewell after deciding to retire, and his impact from the bench along with that of compatriot Robin van Persie could be crucial. In addition, the prospect of England World Cup squad member Theo Walcott entering the fray at some point is an enticing one.

Barcelona’s main concern is Argentine sensation Lionel Messi. He has not figured since picking up a torn thigh muscle in the second round defeat of Chelsea, but returns to the squad ahead of the Stade de France clash. In all probability, coach Frank Rijkaard will decide that a Champions League final is not the place to ease a player back to fitness, and will opt instead to play former Monaco man Ludovic Giuly alongside Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o in the front three.

The sides have met only twice before in Europe, both in the opening group phase of the 1999/2000 Champions League. After a 1-1 draw at Highbury the Spanish champions prevailed 4-2 on home soil, before being knocked out by hated rivals Real Madrid in the semi-finals that season. Should they pick up the trophy this time, Rijkaard will become only the fifth man to win the title both as a player and a coach, following on from Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff and former AC Milan team-mate Carlo Ancelotti.

With both sides having remained unbeaten throughout this Champions League season something has to give in the French capital on Wednesday. Much of the pre-match talk is of whether Henry or Ronaldinho will shine the brightest, with the winner of that particular duel thought to be favourite to lead his team to glory. Yet this is likely to be a more complex issue than that, with Barcelona’s flamboyance pitted against the un-Arsenal-like solidity that has been drilled into them by Wenger in Europe this season.

Henry is no doubt key to Arsenal’s chances, but the contributions of Hleb, Ljungberg and company on the counter attack could be equally vital. Stumbling around to a prediction, Ronaldinho appears to have a greater support cast than Henry, and it is this which could just about give the Nou Camp club the edge in a tight but entertaining skirmish.

Verdict; Barcelona 2 Arsenal 1

By Stephen Orford

17 May 2006

3157: Arsenal: Was FC Thun the match

by : Sam Cullen

Tonight, Arsenal FC will be competing in arguably the biggest and most lucrative game in European football, the champions league final. They may go into the match as underdogs but as Liverpool proved last year, anything can happen.

Given Arsenal’s previous Champions League exploits, the average gunner can be forgiven for being a bit blown away by this sudden rise to the final.

Back at the start of the campaign, the suggestion of them in the final looked about as implausible as the return of Lord Lucan. Cast your minds back to 14th September 2005 and you’ll see what I mean.

For their opening Group B match, Highbury played host to Champions League newcomers FC Thun. The Swiss side hail from a town with only 42,000 residents and were unable to play their home ties in the competition at their ground due to it failing UEFA’s regulations for Champions League grounds. Only 8 years previously, Thun had been plying their trade at non-league level

Arsenal went into the game on the back of a disappointing 2-1 reverse at the hands of Middlesboro at the Riverside stadium and with talismanic skipper Thierry Henry injured. Despite these setbacks, due to the small nature of the opposition, a confident and morale boosting win was expected of the North London side.

To the surprise of many, the game didn’t follow this script. Arsenal appeared the better side in the first half but lacked any real cutting edge or moments of true flair, the frustrations were exacerbated as Robin Van Persie was sent off on the stroke of half time.

Relief at Highbury came 6 minutes into the 2nd half as finally Arsenal scored, through Gilberto. This however proved to be no trigger for a Gunners goal glut as just two minutes later Thun equalised with one of those “cross cum shot” efforts.

As the game progressed, Arsenal became more and more desperate and every now and then Thun looked like they might grab an unlikely winner. Finally in the 90th minute a saviour arrived in the form of Dennis Bergkamp with a goal which gave Arsenal the 3 points.

Despite ultimately winning, the initial fall out from this game set expectations very low. Seeing just how heavy work the London side had made of the Swiss minnows made few outsiders see the competition holding any hope for the gunners.

Should they leave Paris victorious tonight, then this Arsenal side will have made a true journey from mediocrity to greatness in the space of under a year. Beating Barcelona to clinch the Champions League trophy? Imagine having said that with a straight face on the evening of 14th September 2005.

Sam Cullen
16 May 2006