3340: World Cup 2006: Will German gr

by : Chris Sherrard

At the outset of the 2006 World Cup, doubts and conjecture circled over the projected fortunes of both Argentina and Germany.

The hosts, we were told, were heading for an early and embarrassing exit in front of the eyes of the world.

Not enough quality, not enough skill, nothing to come close to their teams of the past.

Argentina came into the competition with questions asked of Jose Pekerman as to why he’d dispensed so freely with many of his star names like Zanetti, Samuel and Kily Gonzalez.

They weren’t entirely sure that Argentina had enough experience in their panel to make a true mark on the competition.

But doubts aimed at both nations were washed away in a sea of stylish football and all of a sudden either team could realistically go all the way to the top of the podium in Berlin on July 9.

The fact that one of them will no longer be in the World Cup by Friday evening is a disappointment for the good of the tournament.

Argentina have been arguably the best footballing side in this World Cup so far. They’ve cut teams open with such imagination and style that their exit would be a blow.

So, too, would be the elimination of the hosts who have genuinely brought a fresh attacking approach to the tournament and deserve for their run to be extended.

But one will go and calling it is a tricky undertaking.

Going forward both sides are laden with top notch players. Riquelme’s movement, Ballack’s passing, Maxi Rodrigues’ shooting and Klose’s finishing have been a sight to behold.

At the back, Argentina should have the upper hand on Germany’s weak-looking defence which is definitely ‘get-at-able’.

But drifting past Mertesacker and his mates, as Crespo, Riquelme and Messi will surely do, will have them in the sights of Jens Lehmann who is enjoying a great run of late.

From the moment they stepped on the pitch against the Ivory Coast in their opener, I’ve fancied Argentina to walk to the title this summer.

That said, Germany have reached the final of the World Cup on seven occasions so to completely dismiss them from performing a repeat – particularly in their own backyard – would be folly.

The last time the Germans were in charge of staging the biggest football show on earth, they duly romped to victory in 1974. [Ed: See feedback.]

And with the backing of the home crowd driving them on, they’ll be a tough nut to crack in Berlin.

But, of all the teams left in the competition, perhaps only Argentina and Brazil would be able to get the better of Jurgen Klinsmann’s side and I think that’s what will happen on Friday.

It will be close, extra-time and the dreaded ‘p’ word could be needed. But come Friday evening, it will be 1-0 to South America in their lop-sided battle with Europe in this World Cup.

Chris Sherrard

3343: World Cup 2006: It's not the R

by : Fred Tarow

Never has the president of any professional sporting organisation made as many headlines for stupidity as Sepp Blatter. Earlier this week, the FIFA figurehead managed to add to his ever-growing list of idiocy. In the wake of Sunday's shambolic tidal-wave of Portuguese and Dutch cards, Blatter publicly declared that the referee, Valentin Ivanov, was the cause of the farce and that he (Ivanov) should have been the recipient of a booking for his poor display.

That he could make such an assertion without even a modicum of self analysis, or without pointing an accusing finger in the direction of the cheats who disgraced their countries, defied logic. Can anyone recall a decision that Ivanov, by the letter of FIFA's laws, got spectacularly wrong?

This World Cup has contained some fantastic football and glorious games but it has also showcased the shameful side of our sport. For Blatter to willingly ignore the reasons behind the unsporting behaviour translates into him paying a massive disservice to football.

If the officiating is so unilaterally poor (and in relation to red and yellow cards it has been) then the major cause of the problem is not with the individuals refereeing the game, but with the conditions under which they are forced to carry out their jobs. Of course, inept refereeing is a contributory factor to the problem, as the much-maligned Graham Poll demonstrated, but it is not the main one.

Football has become almost un-refereeable because some of the rules are unnecessarily pedantic or wholly unsuited to a sport as quick as “The Beautiful Game”.

FIFA directed the referees in this World Cup to clamp down on eight specific offences, one of which was "reckless fouls". While that looks like a champion idea on paper, the effective implementation of it is akin to trying to outrun Asafa Powell whilst carrying Ronaldo on your back.

Such is the pace of the game that the effect of an innocuous tackle, made without even a whiff of malice, is accentuated and the challenge appears ‘reckless’. Two tackles that are mistimed by a fraction of a second, over the course of the game, result in the dismissal of the offender. In fact, two such tackles over three games (or 270-360 minutes of football) can result in a player missing the World Cup Final.

So, what should be done? Is the game beyond redemption?

FIFA need to do away with the yellow card or repeal many of the offences for which it is deemed a suitable punishment. In its present guise, the yellow card is an impediment to the modern game and serves no purpose other than to encourage cheating. Of course, if a player systematically fouls or is physically violent, he should still be red-carded. However, two mistimed tackles shouldn't result in the same immediate punishment as a head butt or right-hook.

In an ideal world, the yellow card would act as a warning shot to players and discourage them from repeatedly and deliberately fouling the opposition. We don't live in an ideal world.

Football players, noting the frequency with which the cards are now dispensed, are only too eager to exaggerate the effect of tackles to get the opposition booked or sent off. This, by extension, leads to players already on yellow cards being cynically targeted for the merest contact, as seen in the Portugal v Holland sham.

Failing outright abolition of the yellow card, ridiculous suspensions for two offences over the course of a tournament (or in the case of the World Cup over the first or knockout rounds) should be consigned to Room 101. This would prevent the all too familiar scenario whereby the latter stages of a competition are played minus the participation of first team players, who are left sitting in the stands for two nothing offences.


The act that FIFA have labelled "simulation" is blighting this tournament. There is another offence that is closely related to this cowardly practice. Players are now fouling themselves by running into the opposition and falling over. Italy's Fabio Grosso provided a prime example of it on Tuesday to earn a match-winning penalty against Australia. It is a blatant manipulation of the laws of the game.

The FIFA rule says that a direct free kick (or penalty) is awarded if a player "tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball." There is an inherent difference between that definition and Grosso initiating contact with Lucas Neill to earn a spot-kick.

These brands of cheating are difficult for the officials to clamp down on during the heat of battle. Referees have a millisecond to see the incident, often from restricted views, and must make a decision on something of which they cannot be 100% sure.

This is why, on numerous occasions, players will go down and neither a free kick for the foul nor a booking for simulation will be dished out. Referees are sure enough that the incident doesn't warrant a free kick, but not sufficiently certain to book a player

3339: World Cup 2006: Italy should h

by : Chris Sherrard

On paper, it’s a mismatch.

The three-time winners, runners-up in 1994, semi-finalists in 1990, against the first-time qualifiers reliant on one star man.

But football, particularly modern day World Cups, are not fought on paper but on the pitch when upsets are increasingly common-place.

But the Italian manager, Marcelo Lippi, will look at the team sheet of his opposite number on Friday evening and hardly shudder with fear.

He’ll not be struck down by West Ham reject, Sergei Rebrov, or Gusev, Gusin and Shelayev.

Lippi would have watched Ukraine struggle to make their mark against Switzerland in the previous round.

He’ll know that the last big team they played wiped the floor with them in the opening match against Spain.

Italy are unbeaten in 23 international matches – their longest such streak since 1939. Remember that one?

Only Cristiano Zaccardo’s own goal against USA in the group stage has breached Gianluigi Buffon between the Italian posts.

That’s largely because of the keeper and his exceptional backline of Zambrotta, Grosso, Nesta and the skipper Fabio Cannavaro. Nesta is likely to miss the match through injury but another talented individual will come in to replace him.

Despite not seeing the best of their forwards so far, Italy have plenty of goals in their team should they click into gear.

Alberto Gilardino and Luca Toni have had superb seasons in Serie A for Milan and Fiorentina respectively while Vincenzo Iaquinto from Udinese is another who knows his way to goal.

So all things point to an Italian victory – and with a bit of room to spare.

But, having made the case for a comfortable Italian win, they won’t have it all their own way.

If the Ukrainians need inspiration prior to the match, they need only look at a video of the last-16 clash between Italy and Australia.

The Aussies pushed their more illustrious opponents all the way and only a hotly-disputed spot kick in injury time could spare the Italian blushes.

What is more, for all the top level talent at Lippi’s disposal, does he have an individual in his squad with more ability than Ukraine’s Andrei Schevchenko?

The answer is ‘no’ but the new Chelsea striker must continue to find the net in this match if his compatriots are to extend their spell in the spotlight.

Because if Scheva doesn’t fire them through, who will?

It’s a massive burden of expectancy to be placed on the shoulders of one man. Only Diego Maradona has been able to carry an entire nation on his back to win a World Cup and it’s unlikely Schevchenko can do the same here.

But he can certainly concern the Italians who will go into the match with the utmost respect for the man who has lit up Serie A for so many seasons.

Cannavaro has a good record against him from their meetings over the years and if he can produce a repeat then an Italian win will be the end result.

3344: World Cup 2006; The Pain In S

by : Stephen Orford

and risk him incurring an unwarranted ban. It seems that quite often, the certainty of getting it 50% right is better than the chance of getting it 100% wrong.

This is where Blatter and his cronies should come in. They hold the key to stamping out the practice. If blatant cases of simulation, such as Thierry Henry's abhorrent clutching of his face when Carles Puyol made contact with his chest, were punishable retrospectively on the basis of video evidence, it would act as a deterrent to the exponents of these sickening theatrics.

To argue that imposing punishments retrospectively would undermine the power of the referee is an instantly dismissible excuse. Conning the ref, as many players are doing habitually, is undermining their authority and making the job an impossibility. For FIFA to abrogate their responsibility and blame the refs is a heinous distortion of reality. Yet, time and again, they do just that and refuse to use their power effectively.

While gamesmanship will always be a part of football, and people will always try to take advantage wherever and whenever they can, it is up to the guardians of the game to ensure that this happens as little as possible.

Presently FIFA's spineless administration of the game is allowing cheating to reach epidemic levels and we can expect to bear witness to more games, like Sundays, that go into disciplinary meltdown. For FIFA to stand by and allow it to happen, or to drop the blame exclusively in the lap of referees, is reckless. It is they, more than the players and officials, who are responsible for the disintegration of football’s integrity. They have created the conditions that are a breeding ground for refereeing mistakes and cheating.

Perhaps Blatter's comments about Ivanov getting a booking will result in the introduction of yellow and red cards for the referees during a game. It may turn out to be his most inspired move. If referees, hamstrung by FIFA's inability to understand the game of football, are removed from the equation we might just get a better and fairer spectacle.
Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to France (June 27) sent Spain crashing out of World Cup 2006 in Germany, and further enhanced their reputation as world football’s serial chokers.

Despite a history of persistent under-achievement at world level, Spain went into this World Cup believing more than ever before that this could be their year. With good reason too. With young talent of the calibre of Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and David Villa in their ranks added to the experience and guile of Xabi Alonso, Raul and Xavi, Luis Argones’ 23-man selection looked as strong as anyone else’s on paper.

Even the previously maligned Spanish defence was now marshalled by the impressive Carlos Puyol, fresh from his immense role in helping Barcelona win the Champions League at the expense of Arsenal and AC Milan among others. Perceived wisdom also suggested that the rifts which once existed between players from Barcelona and Real Madrid in particular were now a memory, replaced by harmony within the camp and a determination to put politics aside for the sake of the football.

When Aragones’ men surged through their opening game against Ukraine (June 14) with a 4-0 victory, the feeling that Spain were now genuine contenders only intensified. Many had it that this was the best performance offered by any team in Germany to that point. The praise didn’t end there, as in scoring three times in the second half to come from behind to beat Tunisia in their next game (June 19), Spain were showing that they had a fair amount of resolve to go with the flair for which they have always been famed. Aragones even saw fit to rest his entire first choice team for the third Group H game against Saudi Arabia, won 1-0 courtesy of a Juanito header created by Arsenal’s Jose Antonio Reyes. This was a Spanish squad not lacking in depth.

And yet it was also a Spanish squad that could not survive the cut-throat nature of the knockout phase of the World Cup. Heavily fancied to brush aside an ageing and hitherto under-performing French outfit, Spain imploded as only they can in the second half in Hanover. After taking the lead through a Villa penalty, Puyol and friends presided over an amateurish attempt to play offside allowing Franck Ribery to equalise. Though there was controversy concerning France’s second goal, Thierry Henry’s wooden acting which led to Patrick Vieira nodding home from a free-kick could not disguise the fact that the Spaniards were by now looking a beaten side. Icing and cakes sprang to mind as Zinedine Zidane put the nation where he has earned his living since 2001 out of its collective misery with the third goal close to the final whistle.

The inquest will probably now begin and end with Aragones. The controversial, yellow-fearing coach commented before the World Cup that he would resign should he fail to take the side into the last four. Should he keep his word, the new man will be inheriting a vastly talented squad which seems only to need some fine tuning to finally make its mark in tournament play. In Torres Spain have a genuinely world-renowned striker, sought after by the great and good of European club football for sums of money believed to be in the £25million region. Villa is becoming an accomplished international player also, but the German experience may prove to be the end of the road for long-time hero Raul.

Most football-playing nations would jump through metaphorical hoops for a midfield partnership of the quality of Alonso and Xavi, who between them rarely waste a pass. If they lack anything then it is a little bit of bite when things get ugly in the middle, but in Fabregas Spanish football has a man just waiting to blossom into the role of midfield enforcer. Aragones may have been wise to make more use of the abilities of both Reyes and Joaquin who offer genuine width as an alternative to their rather cluttered 4-3-3 formation, but in general there is not too much wrong with the Spanish engine room.

Defensively Puyol is among the best central defenders in the world, but his Germany 2006 partner Pablo Ibanez often looked unsteady and may have to be improved upon. Mariano Pernia of Getafe offered a persistent attacking threat in deputising at left-back for Chelsea’s Asier Del Horno, while any coach would be happy to choose between Michel Salgado and Sergio Ramos if attacking right-backs are part of the plan. In goal Iker Casillas still compares favourably to the Gianluigi Buffons, Edwin van der Sars and Petr Cechs of this world, and is a worthy captain of his nation.

All of which adds up to make Spain a likely contender for glory at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Doesn’t it? Well, qualifying from a group which includes the Scandinavian trio of Sweden, Denmark and Iceland along with Northern Ireland, Latvia and Liechtenstein should be a reasonably straightforward task, allowing this array of stars to finally arrive at a major tournament at the peak of their powers in two years time.

Yet since when was anything ever straightforward for Spain?

By Stephen Orford

3345: Italy v.Ukraine - The History

by : Hugh Larkin

The history of matches between Italy and Ukraine is a relatively short one as the Ukraine has only appeared as a separate country since 1992. Their World Cup quarter-final will be just the 4th encounter between the two sides but there is also an interesting history about Italian efforts against the former Soviet Union.

The Ukraine were unlucky enough to draw Italy in their first ever attempt to qualify for the European Championships. As an inexperienced side they lost both matches in 1995. The score at home was 2-0 to the visitors and the new boys were beaten 3-1 in Italy.

Two names on the teamsheets for those games could figure in this weekend’s contest. Andriy Shevchenko will certainly be out there for the Ukraine and Alessandro Del Piero may well play some part for the Azzuri.

The third match between the two nations is from a much more recent vintage. They met in a warm-up game just a few weeks before this World Cup began and it finished as a goalless draw. That result may be a pointer to what we can expect in the quarter-final match –up.

Italy have begun to fall back into the conservative attitudes that have so often bedevilled their challenge in major tournaments. The defence is solid but then it should be because the team aren’t venturing very much up front.

Of all the sides left in this competition Ukraine are probably the one that most emulates the Italian approach. They have inherited (although they may not like it being mentioned) much of the cautious, disciplined approach that used to characterise the old Soviet teams.

There’s a marked absence of midfielders getting in front of the strikers in Oleg Blokhin’s team; the full backs provide what adventure there is and the midfield attempt to pass it patiently up to the front men (often just a single player). The central defenders are stoppers in the old fashioned mode who don’t bring the ball forward- against Switzerland they played so deep they went out of camera shot for much of the time.

It was no surprise to anyone that the match in June finished without a goal. The Italian defenders have an exceptionally high regard for Shevchenko having suffered from his predatory instincts and foraging for seven seasons in Serie A. They won’t be taking any chances with him around.

Italy had an amazingly poor record against the teams from the old Soviet Union, which often contained a very large number of Ukrainian players- even a majority in much of the 1980s. In eight meetings the Azzuri never beat the old USSR- the best they could do was five draws.

Possibly this was because the USSR refused to be drawn into an open game like so may opponents that Italy caught on he counter-attack. There was never more than two goals in any of the eight contests and the Ukrainian team can possibly take heart from that. Their coach Blokhin is a living reminder of the success that the USSR had in frustrating the Italian game plan and history suggests that the newcomers will be happy to force Italy to make the running.

Hugh Larkin
27 June 2006

3330: Book Review: Red Revival by Pa

by : Bill Urban

“So there you have it –– 2007 will be Liverpool’s year, finally ending a 17
year wait.”

Paul Tomkins latest Liverpool opus, Red Revival, certainly does not waffle in its closing commentary. But while the prediction of an end to the Liverpool title drought might be interpreted as overly-ambitious supporter fantasy, in fact, the writing that informs the text in Red Revival is delivered from a rigidly analytical perspective, and by book end, Tomkins has delivered an extended, informed, and reasoned opinion about the continuing operations of Liverpool Football Club and the events of the 2005-06 season.

Tomkins’s sophomore Liverpool effort, a follow-up to his account of the 2004-05 season Golden Past Red Future, is anything but sophomoric. The book is organised into three parts, the summer following the miraculous events in Istanbul, the new arrivals and departures under Rafael Benitez, and the course of Liverpool’s lengthy 2005–06 campaign that began in July and culminated in an epic FA Cup Final triumph over West Ham United.

Did I miss out on a spoiler warning? One must acknowledge that Tomkins has been passably lucky to date with the plotting of his two Liverpool books. Tomes culminating in trophies seem to have a tangible supporter audience. Imagine that.

The central theme in is clearly stated by Tomkins in the initial chapter

“What Liverpool need, in order to be fully revived, is to be firmly
established in the Champions League qualification positions, and to make
substantial progress in as many cups as possible.”

An interesting, provocative thesis, sure to upset hysterical fringe supporters desiring a return to the days of Liverpool sweeping all before them during the ‘80's, but Tomkins makes a very good case for that kind of dominance being impossible for the club to re-establish under the current Premiership setup. It is the willingness to confront the realities facing the club that places Tomkins’s analysis outside the general run of supporter-written football books.

Rather than trumpeting the marvelous victory in Cardiff as evidence of Liverpool’s mythical invincibility, a perspective Tomkins is careful entirely to avoid, Red Revival’ offers a steady diet of sound, objective analysis on a variety of topics that arose during the 2005-06 season. The analysis of the effects of the triumph in Istanbul offers an interesting view as to the impact that memorable victory had on the course of Liverpool’s ludicrously long season, and on the club’s supporters as well. Tomkins makes a reasonable comparison of the merits, and crucially, the differences, between Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, reading which comes across as very intelligent given the two’s continual failure to form an effective partnership in Germany this summer. And the text about Liverpool’s struggles to find investment should be required reading for all supporters, a balanced, lucid look at the difficulties in attempting to bring in money for new transfers and a proposed new stadium while simultaneously striving to maintain the local character and traditions of Liverpool Football Club.

3336: England vs Portugal: The Histo

by : Hugh Larkin

It seems that England and Portugal are destined to meet in World Cups every 20 years. After the encounters in 1966 and 1986, the two sides now clash in the quarter-finals. For England it is a chance for revenge after falling to the Portuguese in both the last two European Championships.

Overall England’s record against Portugal is excellent with 9 wins and 9 draws from 21 meetings. However, in recent seasons the statistics are much closer- the last three games have ended in score draws, the most recent being the penalty shootout heartbreak at Euro 2004.

1966

This was the never to be forgotten World Cup semi-final at Wembley when Portugal played exceptionally well but were pipped by an England side riding a wave of emotion at home. Bobby Charlton stepped up to fire two goals for Alf Ramsay’s side with one from Eusebio in reply.

Many of the Portuguese team would be back two years later to suffer a similar fate for Benfica in the 1968 European Cup Final, with Charlton again their main tormentor.

1986

The encounter in the Mexico World Cup was the first game in Group F. It was a drab affair settled late on by a Carlos Manuel goal after some very average English defending.

At that point Bobby Robson’s team were stuttering badly but injury to Bryan Robson and the sending off of Ray Wilkins against Morocco forced a team reorganisation. In came Peter Reid and Trevor Steven to the midfield and Peter Beardsley up front. Poland were trounced and England topped the group while Portugal finished bottom of the pack.

2000

This game in the 2000 European Championship Finals was a treat for the neutrals but agony for Kevin Keegan’s side. England made a blistering start to the group stage by going 2-0 to the good in only 17 minutes with strikes from Scholes and McManaman. Then Luis Figo hammered home for Portugal five minutes later and England’s assurance went out of the window.

Joao Pinto had Portugal level by half-time and Nuno Gomes hit the second period winner. England’s confidence had been damaged and despite a win over Germany they went out at the group stage. Kevin Keegan’s tenure as coach was effectively over.

Figo and Gomes still figure in Portugal’s current squad while Gary Neville. David Beckham, Sol Campbell and the departed Michael Owen suffered that night for England.

2004

The meeting at the 2004 quarter-final stage was even more disappointing. Just like the Argentina game at the 1998 World Cup it had a 2-2 draw, England losing a key player (Rooney to injury or Beckham to red card), Sol Campbell having a winner disallowed and finally a defeat on penalties.

The match also resembled England’s defeat to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup Finals-early goal from Owen then a rearguard action as Eriksson’s side failed to keep hold of the ball and dropped deeper and deeper. Big Phil Scolari coached Brazil and Portugal and he’s in the dugout again this weekend.

Other Games

It is a sobering thought that in England’s last ten matches with Portugal they have won only once. That was a 3-0 success in a Wembley friendly back in 1998 and again the Neville-Campbell-Beckham-Owen quartet, were on duty. The old ‘SAS’ duo provided the goals, with Shearer bagging two of them.

England have found the ‘Five Shields’ difficult opponents during a period when Figo and Co were finding it tough to get to the World Cup Finals. After 1986 they didn’t return until 2002.

Apart from that 3-0 victory, there hasn’t been more than one goal separating these two sides in their last 14 contests (8 have finished level), so everything points to another close-run game in the quarter-final. It looks like another nerve-shredding weekend.

Hugh Larkin
26 June 2006

3337: England: Sven’s Chance to Laug

by : Kieran McHugh

Amidst the media hysteria as England overcame a mediocre side with a mediocre display to reach the last 8 of the World Cup, one thing becomes clearer by the day. The only people with more to lose than the England team and fans in this World Cup are the hacks who have sought to destabilise England’s campaign at every turn. For them, the prospect of Sven’s men winning the World Cup is a daunting and humiliating cloud looming ever larger on the horizon.

The nervousness amongst the fans is nothing compared to those ex-players and pundits who can suddenly see Sven Goran Eriksson slicing up the humble pie and ensuring there’s enough for them all to take a bite. Without having played well, England are on the cusp of potentially their best showing at a World Cup since winning the competition on home soil in 1966.

Before the tournament started the received wisdom in the esteemed press was that a semi final berth was the very least that should be achieved. In real terms what this means is that Sven is fair game for lampoonery should England fall short of this media imposed target. Such is the hunger for a bloodbath that should England progress against an understrength Portugal side on Saturday, this target will be hastily revised.

The well trotted out line is that any England success in the tournament would be “in spite of, not because of” Sven. As an attempt to have your cake and eat it this is inspired, but ultimately juvenile. The fans, it appears, frankly don’t care what the media think.

In a straw poll on BBC Radio’s 5 Live, near enough 80% of those who had a strong enough opinion to register a vote decided they were happy with England’s performances thus far. A figure which utterly baffled the flabbergasted presenter. It’s difficult to see why. Given the choice between “heroic” failures and boring Champions, your average England fan would unsurprisingly choose the latter.

The issue of David Beckham’s inclusion in the side is still up for debate in the back pages. Aaron Lennon’s introductions from the bench have lead many to call for him to start matches. This view is flawed not simply because of Beckham’s ability to deliver from dead ball situations.

Aaron Lennon, whilst able to go past his man seemingly at will, has yet to learn the most important part of a winger’s game. He must deliver telling balls across the box on getting round the back. Until he is able to do this with the regularity that Beckham has shown in the past, (albeit from a slightly different position in Beckham’s case), he will always be understudy. It is a fact that Beckham is in on merit and that Lennon’s place is as an impact player able to scare the life out of tired full backs.

However, of all the media inspired myths of this England team, the one which most rankles is that which would have us believe that we are witnessing a “Golden Generation” of English footballers, and that they are being stifled by a passionless manager who has crowbarred them into formation they neither enjoy nor understand. The inconsistencies are glaring. We are being asked on the one hand to believe that the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand et al are the most talented ever to emerge from the country as a group, but are wholly unable to adjust to a change in formation that hardly borders on the revolutionary.

3332: World Cup transfer speculation

by : Alex Wolstenholme

The greatest sporting event in the World always signals a fruitful time for managers on the hunt for new signings and journalists keen to fill the back pages. Here is a look at all of the transfer gossip generated by the tournament so far.

Argentina: Maxi Rodriguez is wanted by AC Milan as part of a £27m double swoop with Fernando Torres. Inter Milan want his team-mate Juan Roman Riquelme for £12m.

Australia: Lucas Neill of Blackburn Rovers could be set for a dream move to Barcelona. Aussie assistant coach Johan Nesskens will take up a similar role at the Nou Camp next season and has recommended Neill to his new club.

Brazil: Kaka has ended speculation about a move to Real Madrid by signing a new deal at AC Milan.
Costa Rica: Paulo Wanchope wants a move back to Europe, preferably with AS Roma if they will have him.

Croatia: Midfielder Niko Kranjcar, linked with Celtic before the tournament has caught the eye of Wigan boss Paul Jewell.

Czech Republic: Fulham are keen on defender Tomas Ujfalusi, currently with Fiorentina while Aston Villa's Milan Baros is wanted by SV Hamburg, Monaco and Paris St Germain.

Ecuador: Another Aston Villa man, Ulises De La Cruz is a target for Villareal and Premiership new-boys Sheffield United.

England: Michael Carrick remains a £15m target for Manchester United despite Spurs' determination to hold onto the midfielder. Sol Campbell could be set for a move away from Arsenal, with Fulham and Portsmouth both keen.

France: Talk of a move to the Premiership for winger Franck Ribery has died down after a disappointing tournament to date for the Marseille man.

Germany: Werder Bremen have told Manchester United and Arsenal that striker Miroslav Klose is not for sale. Chelsea and Barcelona are keen on £10m-rated Bayern Munich left-back Philipp Lahm.

Ghana: The Black Stars' progress to the last 16 has seen plenty of interest in their players. Sheffield United and Hearts want Derek Boateng. Fellow midfielders Sulley Muntari (£7m) and Stephen Appiah (£5m) are targets for Bolton and Arsenal respectively.

Holland: Dirk Kuyt remains on Premiership shopping lists despite a below-par World Cup. Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle are eyeing the Feyenoord striker. Ruud van Nistelrooy's Manchester United remains in doubt with both AC Milan and Bayern Munich preparing big-money swoops.

Italy: Chelsea are interested in defensive duo Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro. Back-up centre-half and former Everton man Marco Materazzi, now with Inter Milan hints at a move back to the Premiersip.

Ivory Coast: Midfielder Didier Zokora is close to a move to Tottenham. Bolton's move for defender Abdoulaye Meite looks to have hit the buffers.

Japan: Celtic are keen to pair Hidetoshi Nakata with international team-mate Shunsuke Nakamura.

Poland: Birmingham City are reportedly after centre-half Bartosz Bosacki, scorer of two goals in their final group game.

Portgual: Benfica have told winger Simao he can leave this summer, alerting Manchester United and Liverpool. West Ham have been linked with striker Nuno Gomes.

Serbia & Montenegro: Blackburn Rovers are still keen on Red Star Belgrade's giant striker Nikola Zigic.

South Korea: Reading want to sign Wolves winger Ki-Hyeon Seol.

Spain: Fernando Torres went into the World Cup as a hot property and his value is increasing after three goals in the group stages. AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester United want the £20m star. United also want Villareal midfielder Marcos Senna, while Real Madrid have not given up hope of signing Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal.

Sweden: Rangers have been linked with forward Johan Elmander. Aston Villa skipper Olof Mellberg is a shock target for Bayern Munich.

Trinidad & Tobago: Port Vale's Chris Birchall could be on his way to Ipswich Town after an impressive tournament with the minnows. Dwight Yorke has not given up hope of a move back to the Premiership.

Tunisia: Arsenal have reportedly offered a contract to Ajax right-back Hatem Trabelsi, a free agent this summer.

Ukraine: Manchester United have been impressed with the displays of Spartak Moscow winger Maxim Kalinichenko.

USA: Oguchi Onyewu's nervous World Cup displays look to have ended talk of a move to Middlesbrough.

3335: World Cup; England v Ecuador

by : Stephen Orford

A new formation, a couple of new players in the starting line-up, but still the same overall result for England during their World Cup second round encounter with Ecuador in Stuttgart on Sunday (June 25).

As with the Group B matches with Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden, Sven Goran Eriksson’s side did enough to progress, without ever threatening a goal glut. David Beckham’s 60th minute free-kick may have been enough to make the England captain vomit, but it was also enough to take the increasingly fortunate Eriksson through to his third major quarter-final as England boss.

That Eriksson is yet to progress to a semi-final should give cause for concern, as should the pedestrian performance of his arguably over-rated troops against the South Americans. Without the injured Michael Owen for the rest of the tournament, Eriksson decided to shuffle his pack in a manner which would have been unthinkable throughout most of his risk-free tenure, with Michael Carrick coming in to play in a midfield holding role and Owen Hargreaves reverting to right-back.This left Wayne Rooney to play alone up front, with Beckham, Joe Cole and the incompatible couple that are Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard charged with getting forward in support.

Those of you who thought Eriksson had done away with the ill-fated ‘quarterback’ idea after the shambolic defeat to Northern Ireland in qualifying can think again. Carrick was left to stroll around aimlessly impressing everyone with just how many five yard balls he could complete in a sideways direction. Though competent and without major alarm, the Tottenham man’s performance was devoid of any tangible attacking contribution. The supposed ‘killer passes’ for which he is famed in north London were not forthcoming in what was in mitigation his first competitive international start.

All-out defence was replaced with passing for passing’s sake against Ecuador, as yet another bewildering system change served only to arouse suspicion that Eriksson hasn’t the vaguest idea what his best team and preferred formation is. The inclusion of Hargreaves in place of Jamie Carragher in defence was particularly perplexing, given that the Bayern Munich man had delivered his best performance in an England shirt in midfield against Sweden five days previously.

Among those suffering most from the changes was Chelsea star Cole. Forever on the fringes of the action Cole lost discipline, with many of the party-tricks which so anger club boss Jose Mourinho coming out of the locker, resulting in a loss of possession on more than one occasion. Lampard again raided forward gamely, but his inability to combine both power and direction in his shooting is becoming one of the more laughable features of this World Cup.

The first half was the equal of any of England’s disastrous second half performances under the emotionless Swede in terms of lack of creativity, and were it not for a desperate and athletic clearance by Ashley Cole England would have been a goal down after only 10 minutes. Despite the attempts of some pundits to blame goalkeeper Paul Robinson for the episode, John Terry committed his second calamity in successive games by heading the ball blindly towards his own goal, only for the Arsenal man to scramble back to divert Carlos Tenorio’s shot on to the crossbar. Fortunately, threats were in short supply from the Ecuadorians thereafter, as the game fizzled out in the now time-honoured England tradition.

Again England’s major plus on the day has to be the performance of Wayne Rooney. There were obvious doubts about whether the Manchester United striker could complete 90 minutes playing as a lone forward given his recent injury problems, but he passed the test easily. Indeed, Rooney got better as the game went on, causing fair amounts of mayhem in the Ecuador defence without ever really creating anything clear-cut. Perhaps Lampard could have done better with a chance created by the ex-Everton star following a dizzying burst of energy here and a nutmeg there, and there was enough in Rooney’s performance to suggest that he can turn a game England’s way regardless of the team’s overall display.

Portugal now await in the last eight, with the nation wondering from behind the sofa what strategy Eriksson and the scribbling Steve McLaren will come up with next. The deployment of Carrick failed to convince, but if his inclusion allows Rooney to operate with such freedom it may not be a bad thing. More is still needed from Lampard and Gerrard, while Beckham seems only to be keeping his place due to his unerring accuracy from set-pieces. Two years ago England eventually succumbed to Portugal at Euro 2004 after retreating to protect a slender advantage gained early. A similar inability to keep the ball and insistence on defending so deeply will see them come home from Germany disappointed once more, and the reliance on Rooney at present seems like a heavy imbalance.

Carrick to stay in a five-man midfield? Hargreaves to hold instead? Sven to finally lose patience with Lampard and/or Beckham? Or maybe Crouch to partner Rooney in attack? All possibilities ahead of the Portugal clash on Saturday (July 1), as trying to work out what Eriksson will do next becomes more and more difficult.

By Stephen Orford

27 June 2006

3333: Pen Portrait: Didier Zokora

by : Paul Grech

A tough draw meant that the Ivory Coast departed the World Cup at the first hurdle but not without impressing. If their defeat to Argentina owed much to lack of experience, the 2-1 reverse against Holland was largely down to lack of luck.

One of the key moments in that match came when midfielder Didier Zokora, for once free of any defensive duties, struck a fierce shot from just outside the penalty area that beat Van Der Sar but not the upright. It was a tremendous piece of skill that captured both the team's talent and their misfortune.

It also brought to light a player often linked to English clubs over the past twelve months where Didier Zokora has at different times been penned in as the replacement of Roy Keane at Manchester United, Patrick Vieira at Arsenal and, lately, Edgar Davids at Tottenham. And it says much about Zokora's talent that he wouldn't be out of place at any one of those clubs.

The skills that he would bring to any side are obvious: strength, tenacious tackling, excellent positioning and stamina. He is typical of the modern defensive midfielder who breaks up attacks with extreme efficiency even if he is yet to develop the attacking aspects of his game. For, even if he can distribute the ball well, Zokora rarely ventures outside his half and that shot against Holland was very much abnormal to his style of play.

As with any player coming in to the English game, there are doubts as to whether Zokora would manage to adapt to the style of play. And, as with any other player, initially he is bound to suffer. But, as a player who made the step up to Belgian football with relative ease and then seamlessly continued performing well after leaving for the tougher game in France, he has shown in the past that he can adapt.

Not to mention that he is already vastly experienced. A league winner in Belgium with RKC Genk, he has played in the Champions League which, added to his caps for the Ivory Coast, means that he knows of the expectations of football at the highest level. Even if for the past two seasons he has been playing for the mid-ranking French club Saint-tienne.

Having signed him for a mere £850,000 the French club is now looking to cash in on its star. Although they would rather hold on to such a talented player, they know that they won't be able to match his ambitions whilst the possibility of a transfer fee in excess of £8 million should be enough to smooth over any hard feelings.

And whilst at first glance such a figure might seem excessive, as Saint-Etienne themselves have found out any investment in Zokora is bound to be a wise one.

What sort of an impact will Didier Zokora have on Tottenham’s midfield? And is he being bought to replace Michael Carrick? Read more here

3334: England: Drop Lampard, not Bec

by : Sam Cullen

Yet again, the England ghosts of Christmas past have come out and criticised David Beckham, implying he should be dropped.

Far from being a Beckham apologist, in the past I have been a staunch critic of his ability to seemingly enter England teams by default, especially post 2003 when it seemed obvious to everyone his powers were waning and while the then majestic Shawn Wright Phillips was giving Man City fans something to smile about, and we all know how hard it is.

It is true that there has been a screw or two loose in the England midfield, but the culprit and scapegoat shouldn’t be Beckham.

It’s Frank Lampard.

I am surprised this plethora of past stars haven’t highlighted the woeful inadequacies in the Chelsea man’s recent performances for England.

Anyone who saw the tail end of last season, Lampard was already beginning to go off the boil for Chelsea, yet it did seem to go un noticed by the mainstream media.

Has Lampard joined the untouchable brigade?

Anyone who has seen the mixed England displays of the last 4 games must surely agree that the Frank Lampard we are seeing isn’t the player we expect, and also, barely merits a place.

The warning signs came straight from the outset in the Paraguay game. He was shooting from distance and instead of working the ‘keeper, or even scoring, Lampard was simply hitting it significantly off target and never once looked like he was a realistic proposition to score.

This trend has continued in each subsequent game and is no doubt frustrating to the millions of fans watching on TV, who know that when Frank Lampard has a crack, it invariably is going to go sailing out of play for a goalkick for the opposition.

In international football, where possession is everything, these moments are incredibly infuriating, especially when attacks are then launched from the goal kicks.

In truth, it hasn’t just been his shooting that has been off the mark. in midfield, his accuracy has dipped to almost dangerous levels, which has been helping to unsettle the English rhythm and tempo.

On his day, there are few better midfielders than Frank Lampard.

Right now, it doesn’t seem like his time in Germany. when we face Portugal, a side with more potency than our previous opponents, we can’t afford to have a passenger in midfield constantly surrendering possession.

The answer therefore is simple.

Don’t drop Beckham, drop Lampard.

Sam Cullen
27 June 2006

3331: Tottenham Hotspur: The implica

by : Jamie Mangan

If there is a weakness in Red Revival, it is the section of the text dealing with the operatic saga of Michael Owen. The realities of the inevitability of Owen’s move to Newcastle are clearly and accurately laid out by Tomkins, but the author perhaps carries a bit too much sentimental attachment to the player that detracts from his discussion of Owen’s reception at Anfield in Newcastle kit, the player’s past contributions to Liverpool sides, and the possibility that Owen might move to Liverpool from Newcastle in the near future.

However, even while discussing the possibility of the existence of a mythical and convenient buy-out clause in Owen’s Newcastle contract, and while presenting the opinion that a clearly-washed up player is, well, not washed up, Tomkins does make a concerted effort at presenting the opposing point of view. It is this willingness to confront and elucidate opinions in opposition to his own that makes Red Revival such an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

The three parts, individual chapters, and myriad sections of Red Revival smoothly flow from point to point, the size of the text has been enlarged in comparison to Golden Past Red Future, a sore point for some of Tomkins’s readership upon publication of his initial Liverpool work, and the end result is a fascinating, erudite examination of Rafael Benitez’s ongoing efforts at taking Liverpool Football Club to a position among the few clubs at the very top of British football. Golden Past Red Future readers will very much enjoy the second part of the to-date Tomkins duology. Liverpool fans who missed out on Tomkins’s first book, and indeed football supporters in general who enjoy well-written work about the beautiful game, would do well to put Red Revival on their summer reading lists.

Red Revival is available for order from the author’s website, www.paultomkins.com

The arrival of Didier Zokora at White Hart Lane would represent a signal of intent from Tottenham Hotspur, an indicator of the direction in which the North London club are heading. Should the proposed £8.5 million transfer from St-Etienne be completed, Spurs would secure the services of a player often touted as the man to fill Roy Keane's illustrious boots at Old Trafford.

A product of the ASEC Abidjan academy, the former RC Genk player has since 2004 established himself as the best defensive midfielder in the French Ligue 1. He acts as a screen for the defence, breaking down attacks on a regular basis, and possesses many of the battling characteristics that have marked the career of current Spurs favourite Edgar Davids.

The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany has been the stage on which Zokora and many of his Ivorian team-mates have established themselves as worthy competitors with the likes of footballing giants, Holland and Argentina.

Zokora himself achieved a tackle success rate of over 40%, and 87% of his passes found their intended target, despite the fact that the Elephants were drawn in the infamous 'group of death.' To add to this, a venomous drive that rattled the frame of the gaol against the Dutch in Germany indicates that Zokora's strengths are not purely defensive.

The rumour mill has suggested that Tottenham have had to fight off a number of potential suitors, amongst them some of Europe's most illustrious clubs, in order to gain the advantage in the race for the St-Etienne linchpin. While interest from Arsenal and Chelsea may have been less than concrete, it is clear that Spurs are close to acquiring a player who would have been beyond their reach in previous years.

Pictures of Zokora in the company of Tottenham Sporting Director Damien Commoli, with the former holding a Spurs flag imply that the deal is indeed close to completion. The Ivorian has been quoted as saying "In my mind I'm already a Tottenham player.'

Yet this move does not, as some have suggested, signal the end of Michael Carrick's career with the Seven Sisters' Road club. Spurs are about to embark on their first European campaign since 1999 with a realistic prospect of UEFA Cup success. To compete on all fronts Martin Jol does need to increase the general quality of his squad, and the acquisitions of Zokora and Dimitar Berbatov are undeniably steps in the right direction.

The Spurs chief would thus be loath to part with one of his star performers. The Dutchman has often expressed his desire to play Carrick in a more attacking role, in order to bring out the best of his graceful dribbling ability. Zokora's arrival gives Jol such an opportunity.

If Tottenham fail to add a left winger to their squad before the start of the new season, Zokora could partner Carrick in the centre of midfield, allowing Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Jenas/ Teemu Tainio to operate on either side. Alternatively a 4-5-1 system could be employed in which Carrick, Zokora and Jenas occupy the three central spots, with the former Newcastle man playing off a lone striker.

Thus if Carrick remains at White Hart Lane, Tottenham will have a much-needed Plan B, pivotal to the idea of European progress. However, should the man who anchored England's midfield against Ecuador decide that the lure of Machester United is too great, then Martin Jol will be able to call upon a more than able replacement.

Jamie Mangan
26 June 2006

Want to know more about Didier Zokora? Read here

3329: Five Reasons Why Ghana Might S

by : Hugh Larkin

Brazil-Ghana is an exciting Second Round encounter but don’t expect the Ghanaians to be satisfied with making the knockout stages. They could well push the World Champions close on Tuesday.

They Want To Play Brazil

Too many sides are beaten against Brazil before they even get on the park. Like the Australians before them, the Black Stars are viewing the match as an opportunity to prove how good their soccer is. After enduring many years of frustration, the nation is now at a World Cup and determined to put on a display.

Pressing All Over The Park

This Brazilian team is something of a throwback- and all the more enjoyable for it. After accepting the European virtues of organisation, solidity and fitness to get the national team back to the peak of world football- remember they didn’t make a World Cup Final between 1970 and 1994- there seems to be more confidence about letting talent do the work.

This side contains a few players who are either not at a peak physically, or not as athletic as they could be. Ghana, as they proved against the Czechs, can take a team who may be a little suspect in stamina and harry them to distraction. Plus, they counter attack with some speed. Emerson and Ze Roberto could be in for a busy time protecting the back four.

Ghana Know a Lot About Tournaments

The most impressive feature of Ghana’s play at this World Cup was the lack of panic after the opening defeat to Italy. They are one of only two teams in the last 16 who lost their first game and Ukraine were in one of the weakest groups. When Ghana lost to Italy, they faced two games against teams from inside the top 5 of FIFA’s world rankings.

The African Nations Cup is played every two years and Ghana are usually in the Finals. Squad members like Stephen Appiah, Sammy Kuffour, John Mensah, John Pantsil etc have played in more than one tournament; while the competition isn’t as big as the World Cup it is a sound grounding in the pressures that build up on teams over a focused period of time.

Ghana Have Goalscoring Potential

The Black Stars found the net 24 times in the qualifying tournament and in Germany they could have scored a bagful against the Czechs. When necessary they delivered the goals against the USA. The Ghanaian approach is a positive one and the team get the ball forward quickly.

They may be exposed at the back on occasion but by sending the ball forward with purpose and trying to make things happen, Ratomir Dujkovic’s side do have the potential to unsettle defences and create chances.

How Good Are Brazil?

That seems a strange statement given the players the ‘selecao’ can call on but it’s fair to say they haven’t been fully tested in Germany. Neither Croatia nor Japan play a high tempo pressing game and the Australians gave Brazil are really a hard time in their group game.

Either Carlos Alberto Parriera ‘s team hasn’t got out of second gear yet, or possibly the balance isn’t right and some team members are past their best. Ghana are the team to find out the answer one way or another.

And the Down Side…..

Of course there are two big negatives. Michael Essien has picked up his inevitable one match ban- given some of the officiating in Germany, it’s a wonder he’s stayed on the park at all as the Chelsea midfielder has been winning tackles all over the midfield.

Plus, Asamoah Gyan can’t play because of FIFA’s ludicrous refusal to countenance appeals against unjust yellow cards- even Petr Cech made it clear that the young forward heard a whistle from the crowd when he took his penalty early in the Czech game. [Ed: As pointed out Gyan served his suspension against USA].

Any team would miss players of their quality but just as they did after the Italy game, Ghana are looking at the positives and Brazil will come off the park knowing they have been in a game on Tuesday.

Hugh Larkin
26 June 2006

3328: Germany v.Argentina-World Cup

by : Hugh Larkin

Superlatives are thrown around in sport too often but a World Cup quarter-final between Germany and Argentina really does deserve to be called a heavyweight clash- between them these two nations have won 5 World Cups and appeared in no less than 12 Finals altogether.

This will be the fifth time that the two nations (or West Germany originally) have met at World Cup tournaments and two of these were Finals in successive competitions.

1958

Back in the 1950s the Argentinians were not the force that they are now. After South American soccer dominated the 1920s and 30s, European strength, technique and pace had muscled aside the ball artists from Uruguay and Argentina. The West Germans were holders in 1958 and despatched the Argentinians in their first group game 3-1. Sepp Herberger’s team progressed to the knockouts and Argentina didn’t get out of the group.

1966

By 1966 South American soccer was back on top and Argentina came to England as one of the favourites. Again the two were drawn in the same group and this time the game was a real battle. It finished 0-0 and both sides ended up nursing their bruises. The Argentinians objected to the hard tackling of their European opponents and the Germans had little truck with the off the ball antics of the South Americans.

This was just one of many Continental misunderstandings around the period when the teams from different Hemispheres had completely different views of how the game should be played. Both teams went out to England in the knockout stages with varying degrees of controversy.

1986

Twenty years on and the two nations reached the Final of the Mexico tournament. On one side a team inspired by the individual brilliance of Maradona, against a side that summed up the clich of German efficiency. When Argentina took a two goal lead it seemed a cut and dried affair.

As ever, the German side summoned up their powers of recovery to drag matters back to 2-2 before Maradona had the last word by creating the winner for Burruchaga.

1990

Both sides returned to the Final four years later for the most miserable ‘showpiece’ ever produced. In a negative tournament, these two teams summed up the competition. After Italia 90 the game finally cleaned up its act after getting the Final it deserved between two cynical and limited sides, who ventured nothing against superior opponents and waited for the penalties option.

Argentina removed Brazil in a negative encounter and the Yugoslavs and Italians on penalties, though at the expense of losing half a team to suspension for the Final. Germany progressed via a thoroughly bad-tempered encounter with Holland, beat the Czechs 1-0 with a penalty and then put England out via the shootout in the semis.

The Final lived down to expectation- Germany won it with a goal from the spot and Argentina contrived to have two men sent off while Maradona wailed about conspiracies.

Since 1990

The relative decline of both sides has kept them apart since 1990. In 1994 they lost in the 2nd Round (Argentina) or quarters (Germany), 1998 saw then both leave in the last eight and in 2002 Argentina didn’t get out of their group.

Now both teams are on the up again- Argentina have made themselves favourites with steady progress since 2002, topped by brilliance in their group games. Germany have picked themselves from decline since the Millennium to believe they can actually win this competition with home advantage. It could be a tremendous game if both play as they can and history says the winner should go to the Final.

Hugh Larkin
26 June 2006

3327: England: If only David Beckham

by : Antony Melvin

With England’s World Cup ambitions about to tested to their very core the inveterate gambler in charge of the team is reckoned to be ready to make more changes. The papers are convinced that Carrick and Hargreaves will be picked ahead of Liverpool pair Crouch and Carragher. With Hargreaves at right back, and Carrick holding.

This is very suggestive of a 4-1-4-1 formation with Carrick as a registi (a play-making holding player – there is no need to go with the ‘quarterback’ thing when there is already a word available) and Rooney playing on his own up front.

Ideally if Carrick is to play 50 yard passes there would be two forwards – because there is precious little point in one forward receiving possession in an advanced position if there is no support. Of course he could ‘Joe Cole’ it – but after watching Argentina this appears to happen every third game this world cup, so we might need to wait for another one.

With Carrick in front of the defence it would be ideal for Crouch to play with his back to goal and allow Rooney to work on the knock-downs to either get shots in or bring the arriving Lampard and Gerrard into play.

Of course getting Crouch, Rooney and Carrick on the pitch means that only three of the regular midfield four can play. Gerrard and Lampard offer goals, Beckham is superlative at dead balls and Joe Cole is able to offer that little bit of inspiration. So it is difficult to see who to leave out.

Obviously most people see Beckham as the fall-guy. But let’s be honest, a great dead ball specialist is more likely to see England through a match than almost anything else. England are creating few chances, but with Beckham in the team every free-kick within 35 yards of goal is a chance – and we will convert one or two sooner or later.

Reasonably, after accepting the need for Beckham, you would suggest dropping Frank Lampard. Now that Steven Gerrard is starting to translate his Liverpool form into England form it really should be the Chelsea man to miss out.

But the other option would be to drop Beckham to right back. He can jockey with the best of them and few full-backs really tackle anymore so he wouldn’t be too out of place. Also from deep he can hit his long passes and overlap Steven Gerrard (who I would assume would be on the right). Finally he would be there to take free-kicks and corners – his best feature.

So I’m not going to suppose Sven is going to change his mind again, but in his shoes I would suggest moving the skipper to full-back in this kind of formation (4-1-3-1-1):

Robinson
Beckham – Ferdinand – Terry – A Cole
Carrick
Gerrard – Lampard – J Cole
Rooney
Crouch

Antony Melvin
24 June 2006

3326: Ecuador v. England: England Sh

by : Hugh Larkin

So England have reached the Second Round, although it’s been a really bumpy ride. Now they face Ecuador- a team that England have never faced before in a competitive game. The two nations met just once in 1970 when Alf Ramsay’s England were tuning up for the Mexico World Cup. It’s a good omen that it finished 2-0 to Ramsay’s squad.

Before the tournament began, England would have been huge favourites to beat Ecuador. After all, this is just their second World Cup Finals and they have never before won a game in Europe. However, the Ecuadoreans have carried on where they left off in 2002- then they won their last game- and in Germany they brushed aside Poland and Costa Rica with ease.

It’s difficult to assess just how good they are because coach Luis Suarez rested five of his best players against Germany for what was effectively a dead rubber. The hosts gave them a bit of a working over but up to that game Ecuador hadn’t conceded.

While Ecuador have progressed relatively smoothly England’s build up and matches have been fraught. The perennial midfield balance issue has been compounded by injuries to key strikers and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s strange decision to bring only four front men; two were not fully fit, one unproven at this level and the fourth a tyro who has never even played at Premiership level.

England have topped a weak Group B. There have been some excellent moments but overall the team has been misfiring. Michael Owen is now back home and Wayne Rooney is still not at full fitness. Even the sound defence has been showing signs of weakness.

The coach has now taken to unveiling a new tactical formation for every match. The word appearing in the press is that England will go into the game with a 4-5-1 affair (or 4-1-4-1 if you prefer) with Rooney as lone striker even thought his best work is usually done facing goal.

Michael Carrick suddenly finds himself brought back from his bit-part role to centre stage for the World Cup knockout stages and Peter Crouch heads for the bench despite being the side’s only fully fit, experienced striker. If England do progress, it’s anyone’s guess what side and system Eriksson will deploy in the last eight.

And England should get through. Despite the problems, they are still facing a side that almost all play inside their own country; England can deploy players- especially the midfield- who operate in the Champions League week in week out and in Rooney they can still call on the most gifted player in either squad.

This is completely new territory for Ecuador, although they can be expected to defend with composure. The massively experienced Ivan Hurtado and Giovanny Espinossa have been excellent in central defence- the latter is one of the finds of the tournament. They are protected by hard working midfielders and Luis Valencia is going to ask a lot of questions of Ashley Cole.

Augustin Delgado and Carlos Tenorio need careful policing but there isn’t blistering pace up front. Whichever centre-back pairing England out should be able to cope with these two. Ecuador will ask questions of England’s defence but there are much tougher second round opponents out there.

Sometimes the balance in these matches is tipped by experience and expectation. England do believe that they should be at this stage and have shown that someone in the team steps up to change the game when needed. Joe Cole’s glorious effort against Sweden, Beckham’s delivery against Paraguay and Gerrard’s clincher against Trinidad & Tobago were all moments of individual excellence. Ecuador don’t have the same weapons in their armoury.

It should be a tight game with Ecuador forcing England to work very hard for the victory. As this is Eriksson’s England, there will probably be some sticky moments but extra class and experience should win through

Prediction – 2-1 to England.

Hugh Larkin
24 June 2006

3325: Pen Portrait: Ousmane Dabo

by : Paul Grech

Isn’t it strange how the destiny of some people seems to intertwine? In the late nineties, encouraged by the growing reputation of French football and attracted by the technical loophole that allowed clubs from the rest of Europe to pick up teenage players for virtually nothing before they signed their first professional contract with a French club, Inter swooped to sign two promising players from Rennes.

Neither one of the two found much luck in Milan – they made a handful of appearances between them – but both eventually graduated to the French national team and, next season, the two will be reunited in Manchester even if for opposing sides.

The first player is Mikael Silvestre, signed directly from Inter by Manchester United after he seemed poised to join Liverpool. The second is recent City signing Ousmane Dabo who has moved to Manchester in a much more roundabout manner.

Dabo’s nomadic career is largely down to the way Italian football works whereby the big clubs build up huge squads only to loan out most of the fringe players in the hope that these mature into good enough players to warrant a return.

It is this system that led Dabo to spend seasons at Venezia and Parma. His experience at the latter, seen as a great chance to prove his worth at the highest level, turned out to be extremely disappointing and frustrating. Brought in as part of former Italy and AS Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi’s grand plan to build a team of promising young players to mirror Ajax’s famous system, Dabo floundered managing to notch up just sixteen appearances.

It was only when he was moved to perennial Serie A strugglers Atalanta that he started to establish himself. Given the responsibility of shielding the defence without any of the pressure to play and perform that had followed him for most of his career; he soon began imposing himself on games so much that he was called up by Raymond Domenech to replace Claude Makelele for France.

His performances, and the relative cheap price, brought him to the attention of Lazio where he established himself as a regular even if after a difficult start. A tough tackling midfielder, his role was that of ensuring that there was someone covering for the advances of the more attack minded Fabio Liverani. That the latter came to be considered one of the Serie A’s best players last season is partly due to Dabo’s job in plugging away the gaps in midfield.

In this respect, the move to Manchester City is intriguing. Stuart Pearce already has Joey Barton at his disposal who, if asked to continue playing as the midfield’s holding man – the role for which Dabo is best suited – as he has in recent years would mean the bench for the Frenchman.

Given Dabo’s high opinion of himself – he delayed his move to City because he considers himself as one of the best players on a Bosman free this summer and as such wanted an offer to reflect that situation – it is unlikely that he would accept this situation.

More likely, Pearce’s intention is to free Barton from his defensive duties, leaving Dabo to carry out that job confident in the knowledge that from such a pivotal position the Frenchman’s Serie A experience will offer his young team more tactical wisdom. This would also see Barton playing in a role similar to that adopted by Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.

3320: World Cup: Blame Sven because

by : Chris Sherrard

Three times now we’ve sat through the over-hyped football of England and three times I’ve come away convinced they’re not going to get much further in this World Cup.

In fact if they carry on playing like they have been so far then Sven will be watching the final of the competition from a massage parlour somewhere in Rome or Madrid, not from the bench in Berlin.

Not good enough, not bright enough, not inventive enough and simply not organised enough.

I blame the manager, personally.

Eriksson is a joker dressed up as a football coach. He is one of the best paid managers in the world and what has he done to merit it? Get jiggy with the secretary and flirt with Chelsea and Manchester United.

Even Graeme Souness could do a better job of managing England than the slippery Swede.

He has at his control the most talented group of players that the English national team has had in many a long year.

He has born leaders in Gerrard, Terry and Neville. He has midfield brilliance in the Liverpool skipper, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and David Beckham.

He has Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Paul Robinson to play about with.

And still he comes up short. If Eriksson hadn’t already made clear his intentions to leave the job at the end of the competition, you’d be really pushing hard for him to go now.

There can be little doubt that if England had Guus Hiddink or Big Phil Scolari in charge they’d be close to winning it.

The teams that win the World Cup always play above themselves when the going gets tough. They are better than the sum of their parts. England are much less than the sum of theirs.

Stevie G is the perfect example. When was the last time he played as well for his country as he does for his club? It comes down to where Eriksson is playing him in the side. It’s the same with Lampard.

He’s inhibited their natural talent and stifled the potential for greatness.

Watching them against mighty Trinidad and Tobago in their second group game last week, Lampard was as uninspired and lacking in ideas as I have seen him in quite a while.

And Gerrard was little better, lying very deep and given little opportunity to impose his normal attacking skills until the latter stages when he fired home that screamer.

They look confused as to what their role in the side is. And you have to ask if it’s a case of Eriksson putting his best players on the pitch, rather than his best team.

Has it not come to the point where Sven realises that to get the best out of Gerrard and Lampard he must have a midfield anchor in the team?

Beckham could probably do the job if he insists on continuing to pick the Madrid man. That way you could get Aaron Lennon in the team which is becoming quite key to their chances, such has been the teenager’s rise to prominence.

As it is, and the way they’ve played so far, there’s as much a chance of the Soloman Islands winning the World Cup as England.

Famous last words, I know. But I’m brave like that.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, come on you Argies.

3323: World Cup: Group F ends in cha

by : Sam Cullen

In 2006, it is thought the age of corporate sponsorship, million pound contracts and wall to wall TV coverage has removed an element of farce and unpredictability from the World Cup.

Nobody told that to Australia, Croatia, or Graham Poll.

The game was always going to have some entertainment value attached to it, as the winners were set to clinch 2nd spot in the group, as Japan’s progression relied on the almost absurd notion of them beating Brazil by 3 clear goals.

The drama started before kick off when Mark Schwarzer was bizarrely replaced by Zeljko Kalac. When I first heard this name, I was sure it rang bells from somewhere, it wasn’t until co-commentator Steve Claridge made some comments later that I realized he was the sub for Leicester in the 1996 play-off final, brought on for a penalty shoot out which never materialized due to a stunning Claridge effort in the last minute.

Just two minutes into the tie, the Croatians took the lead. As the game progressed, marooned on UKTV Gold 2, the Australian’s valiantly fought back and Graham Poll seemed to miss a few stone wall penalty decisions as the Croatians decided to use any means necessary to stop the Australians.

Eventually Poll gave a penalty which was duly converted, and the game was poised at 1-1 at half time.

The second half was marked by a series of terrible, but delightfully entertaining, blunders.

First, from Aussie goalie Kalac who did a Massemo Taibi impression and conceded one of the softest goals this World Cup. It did provoke a witty response from Claridge however, “I’m glad I scored that goal now”.

Secondly from Croatian defender Stjepan Thomas, who appeared to get caught in a time loop and repeat his previous hand ball offence which had led to the first half penalty. This however was missed by Graham Poll, which led to..

Thirdly, in the dying minutes of the game, Poll chose to book Simic, which was to be his 2nd booking as the commentator and on screen graphics rightly reported. However, Poll got a touch of Alzheimers and forgot. He did however rectify his mistake eventually, giving the player a 3rd yellow card and then finally a red.

The last few minutes of the game was also filled with a cornucopia of fouls, mistakes and cards, including Kajac’s throw straight to a Croatian forward.

Perhaps fate has a sense of irony.

After the widespread condemnation of the ref in England’s first game, the man from “The Munsters”, it appears that fate has conspired to retaliate for all the English moaning about refereeing standards by making our top dog deliver the biggest clanger this tournament.

There will no doubt be recriminations for his actions, both from the media and from Sepp and the boys at FIFA.

Forget that though, it may have been scrappy, amateur at times and marooned on a desolate TV channel, but no other game this world cup has provided me with such entertainment!

Sam Cullen
22 June 2006

3321: Waiting for the big boys to sh

by : Chris Sherrard

SO far, then, France and Brazil, along with England, have failed to live up to their star billing in this World Cup.

But fear not. Spain, Argentina, Holland, Australia, Ghana and Italy have turned on the style to more than make up for it.

Watching the French last Sunday, bigger and bigger question marks are rising above Thierry Henry.

Like can he and Zinedine Zidane play in the same team? Two big egos, both used to being the main man. Is there room for them both to co-ordinante things for Les Blues?

And after his misses in the Champions League Final against Barcelona, why does Henry not quite do it on the biggest stages?

Don’t get me wrong, he’s probably the best player in the world. But for that title he should be setting the world alight in this World Cup, when he’s at his peak.

It hasn’t happened yet. But the chances are it will sooner rather than later.

Arguably the biggest names in this sport have failed to dazzle up to this point.

Whatever is going on with Ronaldinho, it’s baffling.

So far he’s done nothing wrong but he has hardly imposed himself on the tournament in the way he was expected to.

Sitting extremely deep, almost directly in front of Lucio and Juan, the Barcelona man has been a largely peripheral figure to this point.

Rarely has he spread a pass beyond 10-yards, how often has he beaten his man, slalomed past defenders, created golden chances for team-mates?

I’ve every confidence that, as the tournament progresses, Ronaldinho will come good. Lord knows his country could be doing with it, such has been the uninspiring form of the five-time winners so far.

But Henry, Zidane and Ronaldinho are hardly alone in underachieving.

Elsewhere, plenty of England’s big boys haven’t shown up either. For example, Lampard has under-performed big-time.

This is clearly a World Cup to mark the ‘changing of the guard’ in the world game.

Figo, Zidane, Nedved, Raul, del Piero, Ronaldo, Makelele and Beckham can clearly feel the sweeping wave of youth engulfing them and taking over the beautiful game.

So, now, we have Torres and Messi, Rooney and Fabregas, Kaka and Toni, Schweinsteiger and Rosicky.

The young guns seem to be staging a coup and only the strongest of the strong will survive the cull.

It happens. Football, like everything vibrant, needs to shed its own skin once in a while to allow it to flourish.

This is what we are witnessing on the lush grass of Germany this summer. It feels good to be in on it from the start.

At 19, Messi, to use the Argentine as an example, hopefully has 15 years on top of this sport. His formidable compatriot, Carlos Tevez, is only three years older and another genuine star in the making.

These guys are going to rule the sport for the foreseeable future and, if that turns out to be the case, then what better hands could we wish it to be in?

The only sour note, for me, to take away from the sweetness of the 2006 World Cup so far has been the chronic displays by the officials.

Not one, as yet, have we had a solid refereeing performance. Too fussy, pinicity and over-eager to brandish yellow cards and free-kicks.

It was summed up when Ronaldo slotted the ball into the back of the net against Australia but because he was offside, the ref booked him for ‘kicking the ball away’.

How pathetic is that? It’s threatening to mar the competition unless common sense takes over proceedings.

Not much chance of that, though. So we’ll just have to hope that the quality of football remains classy enough to over-ride the worst efforts of the officials.

3322: Premiership; Can Rafa Rein Be

by : Stephen Orford

Liverpool moved to strengthen their much criticised, flagging strike force with the £6million capture of Craig Bellamy from Blackburn Rovers on a four-year deal on Thursday (June 22).

With another horror injury ruling Djibril Cisse out until possibly the new year, and having let Fernando Morientes head home to Spain with Valencia, Rafa Benitez was desperately short of attacking options ahead of the new Premiership season. Only Robbie Fowler and Peter Crouch remained fit and available to Benitez, and the addition of the former Newcastle United star is a much needed one.

The 26 year-old Welsh international was a key part of Blackburn Rovers’ rise to the Premiership’s top six last term, scoring 17 times in all competitions for Mark Hughes’ men. That followed a successful spell at St.James’ Park, only ended when the admittedly controversial Bellamy fell out with the equally testy former Toon boss Graeme Souness. A loan period at Celtic followed, with Bellamy’s goals north of the border enough to convince Hughes to renew old international acquaintances for a fee of £5million last July. The pair were instrumental in Wales’ ultimately unsuccessful Euro 2004 qualifying campaign when Hughes was manager of the national team.

While Hughes will be loathe to part with his man, what is Benitez buying for his £6million outlay? Bellamy is a player with frightening pace, something which as been sorely lacking in the Liverpool front line ever since Michael Owen headed to La Liga and Real Madrid. With Owen now firmly ensconced at Bellamy’s old club Newcastle United, matches between the two sides have just been offered an extra bit of spice despite the England star’s recent injury at the World Cup. With the August 23 fixture between the two postponed due to Liverpool’s Champions League commitments, the two strikers may yet get two chances to go head-to-head against their former clubs. It’s reasonable to suggest that should he make it, Owen’s reception at Anfield will be markedly warmer than Bellamy’s in the north east on February 10.

That’s because not only has Benitez introduced genuine speed and a worthy rival to Owen to the Merseyside club, but he has also signed a man who is not without his off-field problems. The much publicised spat with Souness ended with Bellamy calling his former manager a ‘liar’, while the former Coventry City and Norwich City star also managed to fall out with the much beloved Alan Shearer during his time on Tyneside. Shortly after his Newcastle departure, Bellamy is thought to have indulged in some text tomfoolery which angered the former England captain, was denied completely by techno retard Freddie Shepherd, but which almost certainly ended any hopes that Bellamy had of ever returning to the Magpies pay-roll.

So can Benitez control Bellamy’s personality issues? There are those who believe that the Spaniard is so strong willed that he can knock even the most wayward of men into line, but in truth the former Valencia coach’s response to trouble makers has not been all that different to the line taken by Souness. On a lesser scale, the way in which Benitez abruptly rid his squad of the likes of Stephane Henchoz and Danny Murphy and even Owen is reported by those involved to have been fairly ruthless and not entirely friendly.

Cisse too has failed to secure many invites for dinner at the Benitez household. Often left out altogether, when the French striker did feature he found himself stuck out on the right wing as the Madrid-born manager kept faith with the misfiring Morientes and brought Robbie Fowler home from obscurity. There seems little doubt that should Benitez find the Bellamy character disagreeable at some point down the line, he won’t waste any time trying to counsel his new purchase. It is more likely that in such circumstances Bellamy would find himself out in the cold, invited only to sit on the bench until someone is prepared to do business.

Assuming that there are no behavioural problems with the new recruit, Benitez must also be wary of Bellamy’s recent injury record. Though his goals to game ratio with Rovers is impressive, there’s no escape from the fact that he made only 22 league appearances for the Ewood Park club during his one and only season in Lancashire. Getting Bellamy off the treatment table and on to the field will be key if Liverpool are to get value for their money over the next four years.

Benitez must also decide who is most suited to becoming Bellamy’s strike partner. It looks likely that Crouch will be seen as a reasonable foil for Bellamy, with his perceived but over-rated aerial ability hopefully getting the best out of the incisive and rapid runs of the Welshman. Yet don’t discount Fowler as an option, as the home favourite’s ruthless finishing ability has often masked his all round awareness and ability to bring others into the game. This is particularly evident in his game during his second spell at Anfield, with what speed he had departed to be replaced by cleverness and guile.

In all probability Benitez will have to add one more front man to his squad before the Community Shield clash with Chelsea on August 13, and if not certainly before the Reds’ opening Premiership fixture six days later at Sheffield United. The often linked Jermaine Defoe appears too similar in style to Bellamy and could well be walking into a situation similar to the one he already has at Tottenham whereby two into one simply won’t go. That said, perhaps a taller, more consistent aerial threat in the Mark Viduka mould might well be where the smart money is.

By Stephen Orford

22 June 2006

3324: World Cup: Group E; Czech refu

by : Sam Cullen

It doesn’t feel like a World Cup without drama on the final day of the group games. Yet many groups had qualification signed, sealed and delivered before the now customary simultaneous kick-offs. Even those that still had something to play for, such as Group D, never seemed that exciting because it would have taken a miracle for Angola to unsurp Mexico.

Thank god, therefore, for Group E.

When it was drawn, it was potentially seen as another group of death, but what followed over the last 10 days was far beyond what anyone could have predicted.

On “match day 1” in the Group, the Czech Republic turned on an excellent performance to comprehensively beat USA 3-0. at the time, their performance stood up as one of the best so far in the tournament and it was enough for some to back them as dark horses to claim the trophy.

Meanwhile, the Italians efficiently saw off a dogged but somewhat lacking performance by Ghana, 2-0. Despite at times showing invention and spark, there seemed to be several shortcomings in the final third for the African side.

After both these games, it seemed pretty clear cut who the two sides that would make the Last 16 were.

Fate then took a surprising turn.

Scoring barely two minutes into their tie against the Czech Republic, Ghana were immediately buoyed by this and showed an extra edge which had been missing in their previous tie. The Czechs were understandably rattled by this instant setback and struggled to get back into the game. Ghana eventually deservedly ran out 2-0 winners in a game where they could have had far more.

Meanwhile the headless chickens of the US suddenly appeared to find direction again. Despite going down to 9 men, they had the better of their scrappy tie with the Italians and were robbed, care of some dubious refereeing decisions.

Both these results seemed totally improbably going on the form of their first games, yet they happened and left qualification from the group wide open, with all the teams in with a shout.

Today saw the safe passage of both Italy and Ghana, after they secured victories in the respective matches. Yet had someone predicted Ghana qualifying ahead of the rampant Czech’s back on June 11th, they’d have been laughed out the building.

Not quite the upset spirit of 2002, but a nice break from the predictability none the less!

Sam Cullen
22 June 2006

3318: World Cup 2006: No longer a br

by : Jamie Mangan

There is a distinct possibility that the second round of this year's finals in Germany could be devoid of a single African nation. Angola, Togo, Tunisia and the Ivory Coast have all failed in their endeavour to reach the last 16. While on the face of it this appears to be a poor showing, there has been once again a marked improvement in the quality of African football.

This has been particularly evident concerning the Ivory Coast and Ghana, with the Black Stars still embroiled in a battle for qualification following their comprehensive 2-0 victory over the much-fancied Czech Republic. Inspired by Michael Essien at the heart of midfield, and with Asamoah Gyan seemingly unable to unlock a stubborn defence, the Ghanaians are a good bet for victory over the United States on Thursday.

The Cote d'Ivoire, on the other hand, look a match for almost any team in the tournament, yet have come unstuck due to the fact that the questionable seeding system landed them in the so-called 'Group of Death' with Holland and Argentina. In both games thus far, the Elephants were denied both by poor finishing, and dogged defending from their opponents, and were far from being overawed.

To add to this, Togo, Angola and Tunisia have all impressed in flashes. Yet it would be surprising to pick up a newspaper without reading about the next set of 'brave' or 'plucky' African footballers who have just come up short in their quest for victory against more illustrious European or South American opponents. Yet such language is outdated, and more importantly, does not correspond with the reality of the African performance at this World Cup.

Kolo Toure, Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Eboue are all players who shine in the Premiership week in, week out, Toure and Eboue having been integral to Arsenal's Champions League campaign this season. A name soon to be added to that list may be Didier Zokora, who could soon be plying his trade at White Hart Lane. In fact, every single member of the Ivorian squad in Germany this summer, apart from goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie, plays their club football in Europe.

None of this counts for anything apparently, and as soon as these players pull on the orange jersey they are no longer world class footballers but 'brave' Africans, out of their depth, surrounded by more worldly individuals such as Thierry Henry and John Terry. In other words, the same players they play with and against frequently at club level. If the Ivorian Football Association were happy with their 'plucky' showing, then why is coach Henri Michel being deprived of a new contract? Even within the squads of some of the lesser-known Togo and Angola, Emmanuel Adebayor of Arsenal and Mantorras of Benfica are hardly unknowns, new to football in the developed world.

It is perhaps fair to say that African football has not quite yet lived up to its potential after it exploded onto the world stage with Cameroon's victory over reigning champions Argentina in the opening game of Italia 90. Pele's prediction of an African triumph by the year 2010 looks more than unlikely, as Ghana do not have what it takes to go all the way. Yet the big stage is no longer a brave new world for these nations, and to see it as so is frankly ridiculous. It may not be time for an African winner yet, but that time should arrive.

Jamie Mangan
21 June 2006

3319: Iain Dowie can deliver for Cha

by : David Hulott

No sooner had Alan Curbishley announced that he was parting company with Charlton Athletic than the merchants of doom and gloom were forecasting the club’s Premiership demise.

Curbishley was unquestionably an important figure at The Valley, but it would be wrong to assume that the club will suddenly stop functioning without him. After 15 years at the helm, the time for a break was probably long overdue for both manager and club, with the squad starting to look a little stale over recent years and seemingly unable to take the next step in becoming genuine contenders for a place in Europe.

The appointment of Iain Dowie appears to be a shrewd move, albeit one in which he appears to have received geography tips from Robbie Savage if Simon Jordan is to be believed. Dowie came agonisingly close to keeping Crystal Palace in the top-flight just over a year ago, so with the additional top-flight experience of the players now at his disposal and the anticipated financial backing from the board, Charlton should be more than capable of avoiding any serious trouble towards the foot of the table.

There is certainly plenty of work to be done though, with the squad that Dowie inherited currently looking short of numbers and quality and with the likes of Francis Jeffers, Jonatan Johansson, Shaun Bartlett, Chris Perry and Jay Bothroyd all having been allowed to leave (the latter pair having been shown the door by Dowie himself), it is not difficult to see why some regard The Addicks as relegation fodder. The departures of Alexei Smertin and Danny Murphy during the course of last campaign certainly does little to help the new boss, while on-loan, West Ham bound, defender Jonathan Spector is another who will need replacing.

Things could yet get worse, with Darren Bent a potential target for Premiership rivals and captain Luke Young having handed in a transfer request. The loss of Bent would be a serious blow, with Charlton having only the far from prolific duo of Marcus Bent and Kevin Lisbie available to partner last season’s top English Premiership goalscorer as things stand, although having been largely overlooked under Curbishley over the past year or so, Jason Euell could be another option for the new regime.

In terms of recruitment, Cory Gibbs has come in from Feyenoord and Gonzalo Sorondo (whom Dowie originally brought to England at Crystal Palace) has made permanent his loan from Inter Milan. Further additions are obviously required, with a move for another Palace old boy, Wayne Routledge, seemingly high on Dowie’s agenda, while Luton Town’s Carlos Edwards has also been mentioned following some encouraging performances for Trinidad & Tobago in Germany. A £2.5 million bid for the excellent Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell is also on the table, with Charlton having offered the former Arsenal player a four-year deal that would apparently treble his current £7000 per week salary.

The recent exodus of strikers will also need to be addressed, although such a cull was no great surprise given that there have been too many very mediocre forwards at The Valley for a few seasons now.

The Charlton board were increasingly supportive of Curbishley in the transfer market in recent years and there is no reason to suggest that they will be any less inclined to back Dowie now. Given the anticipated number of comings and goings, the coming season may be one of consolidation for Charlton, but the club still looks to have a bright future.

David Hulott
20 June 2006

3310: Whatever happened to: Tony Yeb

by : Sam Cullen

On his arrival in February 1995, Ghanian Tony Yeboah looked set to light up the Premiership and bring delight and entertainment to thousands of Leeds fans. Apparently the then Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson had spotted him while watching eurogoals, surprising proof that someone was watching Eurosport.

His most memorable period at Leeds came during the start of the 1995/96 season where he made goal of the month competitions look as competitive as the Premiership does in the Chelsea era, as he comprehensively won both the August and September ’95 awards thanks to stunning goals against Liverpool and Wimbledon respectively.

However his free flowing skills didn’t sit well with the defensive regime of George Graham when the dour Scotsman arrived in late 1996, and following a public spat after being substituted, Yeboah found himself on the way out of Elland Road.

He then found himself on the way to SV Frankfurt as part of a £1million transfer in September 1997 for a second and equally successful spell in Germany.

However as the new millennium began, he found his German career in jeopardy after allegations of tax evasion began to emerge, dating back to his time at Eintracht Frankfurt in 1993.

January 2001 saw him receive his punishment, a 360,000DM fine. A few months later he came close to retiring from football after entering a dispute over payment to the lawyer who represented his unsuccessful court case against the tax allegations.

The issue was eventually resolved but his days in Germany were numbered regardless following the dismissal of Hamburg boss Frank Pagelsdorf in October 2001 and he was granted an early contract release from the club in December of that year and promptly went to the middle east to end his playing days at Al-Ittihad Sports Club.

He returned to Elland Road at the end of the 2004/05 for the testimonial of Leeds legend and former team mate Lucas Radebe.

As Ghana compete in their first world cup, one of the few regrets the country must hold is that they were unable to achieve qualification when Yeboah was still playing.

Yet their confident and assured victory against the Czech’s may go some way to showing the new generation can hold their own, and I’m sure that would please Tony even more than tax inspectors going on strike!

Sam Cullen
19 June 2006

3317: World Cup; England v Sweden A

by : Stephen Orford

It was mission accomplished for England as they topped Group B following the 2-2 draw with Sweden in Cologne on Tuesday night (June 20).

Had Sven Goran Eriksson been offered a last 16 meeting with Ecuador before England’s opening game with Paraguay one gets the feeling that hands would have been detached from arms with great haste. Avoiding hosts Germany at this stage is significant, but there are reasons to be wary going into Sunday’s clash with Group A’s surprise package (June 25).

Firstly, and most pressingly is the striker situation. Michael Owen’s first-minute crawl from the action has indeed signalled the end of his World Cup campaign for 2006, with scans confirming cruciate ligament damage likely to keep him out for five months. Having selected only four strikers in his 23-man party, Eriksson now has some serious thinking to do before settling on the right attacking options for the remainder of the tournament.

Wayne Rooney’s 60-minute plus shift against the Swedes has to be considered very positive. Indeed, the visible frustration shown by the Manchester United striker upon making way for Steven Gerrard shows how keen he is to make his mark on the biggest stage of all. Though clearly not back to his bewildering best just yet, Rooney showed enough in his first start since breaking his foot at the end of April to suggest that he can still have a massive impact on the tournament.

If fit Rooney seems a certain starter from here on in, leaving Eriksson to decide whether to pair him with Peter Crouch, or perhaps leave him up front alone with Gerrard operating in close proximity. Eriksson’s reluctance to use Theo Walcott to this point seems to rule the Arsenal starlet out of the running for selection at this juncture, and it may well be that Gerrard is his preferred option. Crouch spent much of his time in Cologne getting in the way of Swedish defenders without ever really threatening to score, and was an increasingly isolated figure during another turgid second half display from England. Tellingly, Crouch’s main achievement on the night was that of avoiding the yellow card which would have earned him a suspension and furrowed Eriksson’s brow still further.

Before the horror of the second half display England had again showed genuine efficiency in the opening stanza. The midfield area was a particular plus, with the much maligned Owen Hargreaves stepping in for the rested Gerrard and giving a more than decent account of himself. With a five-man midfield for much of the way following Owen’s exit, Hargreaves seemed to suddenly discover his relatively simple job of protecting the back four, going about it with some distinction. England’s subsequent inability to defend set-pieces which finally cost them the win cannot be attributed only to Hargreaves though he played his part as much as anyone else, and the Bayern man will have gained confidence from his display.

Those of you still recovering from that bombshell might not yet be ready to digest my thoughts on the performance of Joe Cole. Often derided by this writer as a playground footballer more interested in tricks for tricks’ sake than actually influencing the play, Cole shoved my words firmly down my throat with a stunning first half display. Always a threat out wide on the left or drifting inside, work hungry Cole capped his opening 45 minutes with a stunning volley to give England the lead that they should probably never have lost. With Frank Lampard again raining shots on the opponents goal the offensive options from midfield looked formidable for England before half-time. That is before the inevitable decline which seems always to follow under Eriksson after the break.

That England were reeled back in was due mostly to their incurable inability to hold on to possession of the football late in games, allied with one or two lapses of concentration from defenders at set-pieces. It’s massively simplistic and therefore wrong to blame the withdrawal of Rio Ferdinand through injury for this, with replacement Sol Campbell producing a reasonably solid display. The problems for England seemed to be born out of disorganisation from set-pieces, with the otherwise anonymous David Beckham somehow left marking Marcus Allback for the first equaliser, before a comedy of errors started by the normally uber-reliable John Terry gifted Henrik Larsson a second.

Notwithstanding the loss of Owen and further fitness doubts over Ferdinand and Gary Neville aswell as the ongoing saga of Rooney’s health, England will be expected to dispose of Ecuador with the minimum of fuss. It is a goal that should be achieved all things being equal, even if we are subjected to long periods of 4-5-1 masquerading as 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3 from Eriksson’s side in the process. It is when the side runs into a Holland or a Portugal in the last eight that these fitness and personnel issues will cause the greatest concern.

Eriksson has inadvertently carved out an unwanted reputation for himself as a manager incapable of taking us beyond the quarter-finals at major tournaments. He now needs to come up with some major solutions to some probing questions if that stigma is to be consigned to history upon his exit from the hot-seat.

By Stephen Orford

21 June 2006

3313: Liverpool: Bellamy would be a

by : Sam Cullen

Had Liverpool had a more potent forward line last season, then you could put forward a very good case that they would have pipped Manchester United to 2nd and pushed Chelsea far closer.

If the talks with Craig Bellamy go well and he signs for Rafa Benitez’s side, he will prove to be a valuable addition to the Liverpool side and could potentially help to solve their striking misfortunes of 2005/06.

During last season, Bellamy scored 13 league goals for Blackburn in only 22 starts, which was more than any Liverpool player scored in the Premiership during the whole season. Bellamy’s skill and talent proved to be one of the main catalysts behind Blackburn’s surprisingly successful season, which ended with their best league position since they won the title 11 years ago.

Of course, those who remember the Welshman’s infamous spell at Newcastle will be highlighting the discipline and attitude problems Bellamy showed in abundance towards the end of his time up north.

In his two years at Anfield, Benitez has proved himself to be an astute manager, both tactically and in regards to player motivation. He is far more likely to be able to hold Bellamy to account than the hot headed Graeme Souness or the ailing Sir Bobby Robson were.

Instead of temperament, the only real characteristic over Craig Bellamy which should concern Liverpool fans is his fitness, as he has had frequent niggling injuries before and the last thing they need at Anfield is an out of action forward.

With the departure of Morientes and a long term injury to Cisse, it is vital for Liverpool’s title aspirations that they recruit extra firepower up front.

Even before these two players were removed from the playing squad, it still seemed the most pressing area of the team that Benitez needed to strengthen.

For all his recent England glory, you still feel as if you wouldn’t want to rely on Peter Crouch being prolific for an entire season and while Robbie Fowler may be god in those parts, whether he can still hack it for an entire campaign remains to be seen.

Bellamy could prove to be a great acquisition for Liverpool. Benitez mustn’t stop there however, at least one extra striker is required to bolster the side and take it to the very highest echelons of the Premiership.

Sam Cullen.
20 June 2006

3315: World Cup 2006: Good Tournamen

by : Hugh Larkin

So now every team has played twice- some already know that three is all they’ll get- and there’s a chance to reflect on who’s enjoying their time in Germany and who wishes they were on a quiet beach somewhere.

GOOD TIMES

Germany

No Ballack and a lot of apprehension at the start but this is Germany after all. Always one of the last to leave a party, especially when they’re hosting it.

Ghana

Finally the Black Stars are at a World Cup and after a tentative start against Italy Stephen Appiah and company blasted the Czechs off the park with their athleticism and positive approach. Many good judges felt that Ghana would be the first African team really threaten to win the World Cup but they could never get through qualifying.

South Korea

Dick Advocaat’s team have already done enough to prove that their performance on home soil was no fluke. Since 1986, the Koreans have been steadily adding to their reputation and have now reached the point where they can give anyone a game on any Continent.

Australia

A first win at the Finals under their belts thanks to a late show against Japan, followed by going toe to toe with Brazil. Every chance of qualification for the last 16 and with that man Hiddink in n arge just about anything is possible.

Argentina

The only problem is things might be going to well. Produced a solid effort to see off the dangerous Ivory Coast and then shredded Serbia-Montenegro with as good a display as anyone can remember.

Ecuador

Coming down from altitude usually works for Kenyans in athletics but the same never seemed to apply in football. Finally the Ecuadoreans have found they can still perform even when there are no mountains in sight.

GOING OK

Brazil

Two wins, no goals conceded but the rhythm just isn’t there. The’ selecao’ have enough talent to win even when they aren’t firing but Ronaldo surely has to be discarded to allow Robinho in. This may be a World Cup too far for Cafu and Roberto Carlos and Emerson doesn’t look like the player he would have been four years ago.

Spain

It looked brilliant against Ukraine. The real Spain had turned up for a change. Then Tunisia’s stubborn resistance brought the demons out again. Just about anything can happen from here and probably will.

England

Two wins and easy qualification but the performances were dire. The big question is will they get better when challenged by a better side?

BAD TIMES

Serbia-Montenegro

They could have added another 4 or 5 countries and still the Argentines would have steamrollered them. Played a brand of football that wouldn’t have looked out of place amid the negativity and ponderous build ups that were the norm in Italia 90.

Someone needs to point out that the game has moved on. With creative players better protected, less offsides and no passes back to the keeper their sort of slow delivery belongs in a different age. Their ‘iron’ back four creaked against Holland and collapsed completely against Riquelme and friends.

Poland

It couldn’t be as bad as 2002 they thought. Well it might actually be worse as this is the nearest thing to a home World Cup as the Poles can get and this time Pawel Janas’ side were the first team to exit the tournament. Their performance shows up just how weak the qualifying group that provided England and Poland was.

France

The 1998 champions are still in the hunt but it’s been painful to watch. Where once ‘Les Bleus’ represented verve and excitement now there’s just staid efficiency- too many players living on past reputations without the real hunger that drives teams on.

Togo

Probably the first side to qualify for the Finals and then threaten not to turn up. Its been a tale of woe- dissension in the camp, arguments over cash, a captain sent off, blatant penalties not given- just the team for France to finish off their group games against.

Hugh Larkin
19 June 2006

3316: Owen injury confirms folly of

by : David Hulott

There was something sadly inevitable about Michael Owen’s early departure from England’s game against Sweden tonight. Whilst concentration over recent weeks has been focused on Wayne Rooney’s recovery from injury, not enough was made of the fact that the notoriously injury-prone Owen had played less than six hours of first-team football in 2006.

Selecting both Owen and Rooney for Germany was certainly a risk worth taking, but the decision to take just two additional strikers always looked like a gamble too far. The inclusion of Theo Walcott was hugely controversial under the circumstances, especially as Sven-Goran Eriksson has been reluctant to throw the teenager into the action despite the problems hampering his first-choice strike pairing.

The omission of at least one of Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent from the England squad looks increasingly as if it could prove to be the decisive factor in just how far England will go in the competition. Either could and should have been included at the expense of a midfielder. Many would argue that Owen Hargreaves should have been the man to miss out in favour of an additional forward, but the Bayern Munich man’s versatility does provide cover in a number of areas. No, the player whose inclusion is the most difficult to fathom is Jermaine Jenas, with there being precious few scenarios under which one could envisage the Tottenham midfielder featuring in the finals.

Injuries can sometimes prove to be a blessing in disguise at major tournaments, with Sir Bobby Robson being one of those who has benefited from changing the formation of his team to account for the loss of a key player. However, if Owen’s World Cup campaign is now at an end, Eriksson’s decision to take just four strikers to Germany does look as if it might be one that will be difficult to compensate for.

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole are all capable of aiding the England attack if played in the hole behind a lone striker, but Eriksson has rarely ventured far from his favoured 4:4:2 formation and never seems particularly happy to do so. Now it looks as if he may have little option other than to push Gerrard further forward and hope that everything clicks into place.

England rode their luck in drawing with Sweden, but will expect to see off Ecuador in the last 16 even with Rooney still patently lacking match-fitness and Owen almost certain to be sidelined. Progress beyond that stage looks an increasingly tough ask and English hopes of a place in the last four or beyond look to be more dependent on Eriksson’s luck than his judgment.

David Hulott
20 June 2006

3314: England vs Sweden: England Pla

by : Sam Cullen

What was all the fuss about?

After a 2-2 draw with Sweden, England secured top spot in Group B and therefore finished top of a group in an international tournament for the first time in 10 years.The Swedish hoodoo remains though.

How did the invididual players fare?

Robinson 6

Didn't have an awful game but continued his flapping trend as seen in previous games. Made an excellent save when the match was still poised at 1-1

Carragher 6

Did alright but you can tell he would prefer to be playing in his favoured centre back position and no attacking impeteus at all.

Ashley Cole 6

Still showing some signs of having such an extended lay-off, made a few rusty passes.

Terry 7

Solid performance, better than some of his other games for England.

Ferdinand 6

Great tackle on Ljungberg in the first half but looked ropey after that. Could easily be explained away by injury however.

Beckham 5

Rather quiet and anonymous appearance, delivery left a little to be desired.

Hargreaves 7

I have criticised him as much as anyone, but didn't do many things wrong tonight and got on with his job well

Lampard 5

He also seems rusty, his shooting also appears quite off, which has been a running theme throughout the group games.

Cole 7

Excellent goal, inventive and lively during the first half but impact waned as game went on.

Crouch 6

His usual self really. Thankfully he didn't pick up a booking, which with the Michael Owen situation, would have left England short.

Rooney 6

Flashes of the genius we all know is there, but understandable he would tire as the match went on. Him throwing his boots off as he was subbed was quite amusing though.

Gerrard 7

Strong performance and another goal. Take note Lampard!

Campbell 6

Marshalled the defence in Rio's absence, did alright but arguably was culpable for the 2nd goal.

Sam Cullen
20 June 2006

3308: Pen Portrait: Lionel Letizi (R

by : Paul Grech

“We were playing a very determined team. They were ready for it and better than us, it's as simple as that.”

May 7 is the final day of the Premiership season, and it is shrouded in controversy. Tottenham’s crucial trip to West Ham United is left in some doubt as a mischievous lasagne sweeps through the Spurs squad, leaving many players feeling decidedly peaky. Postponement or a delay are considered, but this being the last day of the season the Premier League ignore the fact that they have allowed a television company to schedule their fixtures for much of the year, and insist that Tottenham fulfil their obligation. They do, and contrive to lose 2-1, albeit with a suspiciously full-strength team.

All of which allows Arsenal to secure the final Champions League berth by virtue of a 4-2 win against Wigan in the Highbury send-off party. The last game ever to be played at the stadium is lit up by a Thierry Henry hat-trick, with assembled hacks just desperate to find new and interesting ways to interpret the French star’s kiss of the turf following his third from the penalty spot.

Elsewhere a by now giggling Chelsea lose again, and in so doing allow Newcastle to sneak an unlikely Intertoto Cup place by finishing seventh. Adding to the humour at St.James’ Park it is comedy carthorse Titus Bramble who notches the only goal of the game after 72 minutes.

The battle for second place, and therefore the honour of skipping the Champions League qualifiers next season is won by Manchester United. Out of form recently, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men recover to gub Charlton Athletic 4-0 in Alan Curbishley’s last game in charge of the Addicks. Luis Saha, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kieran Richardson make it a miserable end to Curbs’ 15-year reign, and an own goal from Jason Euell hardly helps matters either.

That result denies Liverpool, who have to settle for third despite wiping the smile off Harry Redknapp’s face with a 3-1 win at Fratton Park. No fewer than three of Liverpool’s lacklustre striking corps are on target, with Robbie Fowler, Djibril Cisse and Peter Crouch registering aswell as Serbia-Montenegro star Ognjen Koroman for the home side.

In the file marked “any other business” Blackburn’s place in the UEFA Cup is assured with a 2-0 win over Manchester City thanks to goals from the not easily spelled Zurab Khizanishvili and Shefki Kuqi. Fulham achieve a creditable 12th placed finished by beating Middlesbrough by Heidar Helguson’s penalty, while Aston Villa burst into life (maybe) with a 2-1 win over Sunderland.

Relegated West Brom draw 2-2 with Everton at Goodison Park, and fellow cellar dwellers Birmingham City are beaten 1-0 by Ricardo Vaz Te’s second goal in four days for Bolton.

With only two months left of his reign England coach Sven Goran Eriksson finally surprises someone on May 8. Well, everyone actually. The bespectacled boss includes Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott in his provisional 23-man squad for the World Cup. The 17 year-old has not yet made his Premiership bow, but this is seemingly not enough to convince Eriksson that he is not ready for the biggest stage of all;

“It's a big gamble, I know it is.” says Sven, whose squad currently has only one fit striker with any Premiership experience. And that‘s Peter Crouch, who as we all know is part striker, part lampost;

“I am excited to see him (Walcott), he's a big talent.” says Sven, as if he were picking a team for a testimonial against Oxford United.

The selection means that both Charlton hit-man Darren Bent, the leading English goalscorer in the Premiership, and Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe miss the trip to Germany;

“It was sad to not pick people but we had to make a decision.” offers Eriksson.

The Swede also selects uncapped Tottenham youngster Aaron Lennon and Middlesbrough’s Stewart Downing, with Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips missing out. Also left behind is Tottenham defender Ledley King in favour of former Spurs man Sol Campbell;

“Ledley King is injured and he can't train.” explains the man who has included the even more incapacitated Wayne Rooney in his squad.

Amid the discussion over Walcott, Lennon and the mysterious presence of Owen Hargreaves in another major international squad, there is some football played this evening. Leeds United reach the Championship play-off final with a 2-0 win at Preston North End, going through to Cardiff 3-1 on aggregate over the two legs.

Rob Hulse opens the scoring in a second half delayed by half an hour following a power failure, before some questionable goalkeeping by Carlo Nash allows Fraser Richardson to double the advantage. However, there’s bad news for the Yorkshire outfit as both Stephen Crainey and Richard Cresswell will miss the final after both were dismissed;

“There was a power cut, delays, goals disallowed, tackles, bookings and a referee that seemed to lose his way right at the end.” observes Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell;

“These games are too big for these kinds of officials. For all the teams in the playoff, these are £40m games.” he adds.

The biggest game in Middlesbrough’s history, and the last in the managerial reign of Steve McLaren ends in disaster as Boro are tonked 4-0 in the UEFA Cup final by Sevilla in Eindhoven on May 10 Luis Fabiano heads the Spaniards in front on 26, before three goals in the last 13 minutes from Enzo Maresca (twice) and former Spurs man Fredi Kanoute crush the Teessiders.

“This is just a small town in Europe and we've proved we can live with the best.” offers McLaren;

“The club must take it forward. They must not let this be the end. It must be a new beginning.” he adds, scrambling for the Riverside exit;

“I go with my head held high. I don't like losing football matches and I didn't think they were four goals better than us on the night.” he concludes.

Everyone nods their collective heads in firm agreement that the 2006 FA Cup final on May 13 is among the best of all-time (all-time being anything after the advent of the Premiership). Putting cynicism aside it is hard to argue with the misty-eyed purists as Liverpool pip West Ham United to the trophy on penalties after a truly pulsating 3-3 draw.

The Hammers take an audacious 2-0 lead through a Jamie Carragher own goal and a Dean Ashton goal brought about by a horrendous Pepe Reina error. However, Djibril Cisse pulls one back before Steven Gerrard equalises in the second half. Paul Konchesky’s speculative cross finds a way past the increasingly befuddled Reina to make it 3-2, and it looks as if the cup is on its way to Upton Park for the first time in 26 years.

Enter Gerrard once more. With a typical penchant for dramatic effect, the cramp-stricken superstar limps off his death bed to rattle in the most outrageous 35-yard rasper in injury time. Extra time is a non-event as Gerrard goes back to limping and West Ham go into a terrified retreat, leaving Reina to atone for his earlier misdemeanours with penalty saves from Konchesky, Bobby Zamora and Anton Ferdinand in the shoot-out;

“West Ham were brilliant, they gave us a really good game but we had a never-say-die attitude and we stuck in there.” concedes Gerrard, manfully resisting the temptation to use “I” and “me” rather than “us” and “we”;

“It was a bad performance by me at the start but goalkeepers live in a small land between mistakes and saves.” admits a relieved Reina. Is that land anywhere off the East Lancashire Road?

Meanwhile Hammers boss Alan Pardew suggests Gerrard’s rude intervention in normal time was decisive;

“It felt like a defeat when the third goal went in.” he laments;

“We had to dig in. This was a top team we were playing, but I felt we were going to win. Only a 35-yard Gerrard smasher was going to change that.”

Three days later and Thierry Henry’s move away from Arsenal draws a stage nearer after the Gunners fail in their bid for Champions League glory.

Arsene Wenger’s side are beaten 2-1 by Barcelona at the Stade de France in Paris, that despite taking a 37th minute lead through Sol Campbell’s header. Earlier, Barcelona are denied the lead when Ludovic Giuly’s 18th minute strike is controversially brought back by referee Terje Hauge, who chooses instead to award the Catalans a free-kick on the edge of the box while dismissing Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann for a professional foul on Samuel Eto‘o.

It takes a long time for Frank Rijkaard’s men to break down Arsenal’s brave 10-man resistance, but goals from Eto’o on 76 minutes and Juliano Belletti on 81 ensure a European trophy double for Spanish sides this season following Sevilla‘s UEFA Cup success.

If Henry is going, his destination may not be the Nou Camp after all, if his post-match comments are any marker for the future;

“I was kicked all over the place. Carles Puyol and Rafael Marquez should have got yellow cards.” he blasts, clearly unashamed to name names before taking a slight swipe at fellow superstars Ronaldinho and Eto‘o;

“Everyone was talking about Ronaldinho before the game. I didn't see him today and I didn't see Eto'o.” he claims, having clearly missed the Cameroon striker’s equalising goal.

On which subject, Wenger suggests yet more tampering with the rules;

“The referee made a big mistake at a crucial moment - their first goal was offside.” he moans;

Over to the winning camp now, and Eto’o massively overstates his side’s achievement with;

“After having seen what Liverpool did last year we told ourselves not to throw in the towel. We followed Liverpool's example.”

Back in the real world, the last word on the subject goes to Henrik Larsson, whose contribution to both goals in his final game for Barcelona not only helps his team become European champions, but also ensures that his former club Celtic progress straight to next season’s group stages;

“It was an unbelievable way for me to finish my career at Barca.” he beams;

“I have had a fantastic experience here in my two years with two league titles and now this. It's amazing.” he concludes.

Well, it beats scoring seven goals against Falkirk, certainly.

Across north London Tottenham are active in the transfer market, agreeing a £10.9million fee for Bayer Leverkusen’s Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov;

“I've watched Spurs for a couple of months.” he says wearily, possibly even shaking slightly at the memory;

“They (Tottenham) tried to buy me in January but they (Leverkusen) said no. Spurs waited and have now signed me.” he adds, with scarcely justified pride.

It is Watford who are left celebrating after winning the richest game in domestic football in England, gaining promotion to the Premiership via a 3-0 Championship play-off final over Leeds United at Cardiff‘s Millennium Stadium on May 21.

The score perhaps flatters Aidy Boothroyd’s men, who take the lead in the 25th minute through a Jay DeMerit header. Despite Leeds pressure, it is the Hornets who double their lead on 57 when James Chambers’ shot is deflected off Eddie Lewis before hitting the post and going in off goalkeeper Neil Sullivan.

With the Yorkshiremen doubling their efforts to get back into the contest thereafter, Watford break away to earn a penalty six minutes from time when Sean Derry fouls Marlon King. Darius Henderson steps up to notch the third goal and crown the Vicarage Road club’s return to the top flight after a six-year absence;

“We've got no big-timers, but the lads love each other and work hard for each other. When you have that belief, anything is possible.” explains Boothroyd, absolutely not taking a pop at his side’s more illustrious opponents, before predicting big things for the club‘s impending Premiership adventure;

“This is just the end of the beginning. We will come again.” he warns, messrs Mourinho, Ferguson and Benitez clearly shaking at the prospect;

Meanwhile Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell displays the air of a man who would rather have spent the day somewhere else;

“It's a terrible place to come and lose and feel as though you've achieved nothing.” he admits. However, like Boothroyd, Blackwell is positive about his side‘s future;

“This has showed that the club's got some life back into it and we'll be looking to get back into the Premiership as quick as we can. We've rebuilt the football club and have become a side that clubs are fearful of.” he claims.

The only thing that Simon Jordan and Iain Dowie can agree on during a May 22 Crystal Palace press conference is that the former Oldham Athletic manager is on his way out of the club. Floppy-haired loudmouth Jordan insists that his now former employee is exiting Selhurst Park to be nearer to his north west-based family, while Dowie suggests that there is slightly more to it;

“Unlike Simon, I'm not independently wealthy, so I would like to be in a job.” whines poverty stricken Dowie, adding;

“I need to work for a living and I need to consider everything that is on offer. The family issue has been a problem, but perhaps it is also time for another challenge, too.”

Avoiding eye contact, Jordan retorts;

“I would be disappointed if Iain were to turn up at Charlton. He understands my view. I have made this situation far less acrimonious than it could have been.”

Meanwhile Jordan has more problems trying to fend off bids for star striker Andy Johnson. The Palace chairman claims to have rebuffed approaches from Everton, Wigan and Bolton in the last few weeks, claiming that the Trotters tabled an £8million bid;

“Everybody has a price, but he will be sold at the money I value him at.” insists the ever-bullish Jordan, without elaborating on a potential figure in his mind;

“Would another season for Andrew in the Championship do him any good and, if we're talking money, would it do the club good if he's not setting the world alight next season?” adds Jordan, speculating pointlessly while showing a distinct lack of faith in his man, before recovering with;

“I think he is worth £20m, but in that valuation I'm probably in the minority of one.”

Arsenal aren’t dwelling on their Champions League disappointment, following the agreement of a new deal with Thierry Henry with the capture of Czech international Tomas Rosicky from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of around £6.8million on May 23.

Positively cock-a-hoop at arriving in north London, the 25 year-old Rosicky clearly didn’t take much notice of last week’s defeat to Barcelona in Paris;

“I'm really happy to be here at Arsenal, it is a great day for me. This is the best club in Europe.” he gushes optimistically.

For his part, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger explains to the many uninitiated on all things Rosicky what the club will be getting for their money;

“He has great technique, skill on the ball and sharp passing.” says Wenger, adding;

“Tomas has good experience at all levels for club and country and we look forward to welcoming him to Arsenal after what will hopefully be a successful summer for him at the World Cup.”

Another player on the move, this time out of Britain is Rangers’ Danish international Peter Lovenkrands. The 26 year-old heads for German club Schalke ‘04 as a free agent following a six-year stint in Glasgow. Schalke manager and long-time enemy of English football Andreas Muller takes on the Wenger role of explaining his actions, just in case anyone was wondering;

“Peter is left-footed, lightning quick and has an eye for goal. He will increase our options going forward.” he suggests.

Meanwhile the player himself reveals that he was talked into the move by a couple of Schalke’s nifty negotiators who also double as Danish team-mates;

“I spoke with Soren Larsen and Christian Poulsen about Schalke and what they told me helped me make the decision.” he explains.

Conspiracy theorists at the ready as Manchester United part company with club doctor Mike Stone on May 24, a man who most right-thinking football fans always mistook for former player Mike Phelan in any case. Stone just happens to have been the man dealing with Wayne Rooney’s recovery from a broken foot, but disappears from the Old Trafford pay-roll amid suggestions of a row over England’s would-be World Cup saviour;

“Dr Stone has left after a difference of opinion on a non-footballing and non-clinical issue.” claims a Manchester United statement;

“It had nothing to do with any medical treatment to a United player.”

Right.

May 25 is an eventful night in England’s World Cup preparations as Sven’s ‘B’ outfit are beaten 2-1 by Belarus at Reading.

Making his first senior start since breaking his foot on New Year’s Eve, captain for the night Michael Owen is involved in the opening goal as his header rebounds off the bar and falls kindly for Jermaine Jenas.

It’s all downhill from then on for England. Half-time substitute goalkeeper Robert Green lasts all of five-minutes before rupturing his groin in the process of fluffing a goal-kick and gifting an equaliser to Sampdoria’s Vitaly Kutuzov. Things look up briefly when Sergey Omelianchuk is sent off for two wild hacks at Aaron Lennon in quick succession, but it is the visitors who steal the win when Sergey Kornilenko nets nine minutes from time.

The prognosis on Green is not good for the Norwich City stopper;

“He's almost certainly out.” admits Eriksson, referring to that little tournament in Germany that lurks on the horizon like a lurking, lurky thing;

“The scan will confirm it. It's a pity for him and us but Scott Carson can step in.” adds the Swede.

Still, there’s much better news on Owen’s much publicised fitness;

“The foot felt fine. I was never worried about my fitness. I feel sharp, I can't feel my foot and I'm pleased I played for the 60 minutes.”

Can’t feel your foot? Is anyone else worried about that statement?

Not Sven, who says;

“Michael Owen did well for one hour, more or less. He is fit. We didn't want him to play any more.”

Fair enough then, but what about Arsenal pair Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole?;

“Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell played 90 minutes and Peter Crouch looked very well.” insists Eriksson.

Club chaos now and Robert Pires finally announces his predicted move to Spanish side Villarreal. The French star will go to El Madrigal on a two-year deal after spending six years at Arsenal;

“I have decided to accept a new challenge at Villarreal for the next two years of my career.” he explains, clearly relishing the prospect of making Diego Forlan look good again;

“I am delighted to have signed for Villarreal for the next two seasons and hope to help the club to continue the great work they have done in the past few years.” he beams.

Another player swapping the Premiership for La Liga is Fernando Morientes. The Spanish striker leaves Liverpool for Valencia after an unsuccessful stint on Merseyside;

“Everybody at Liverpool would like to wish `Nando' all the best with his new club in Spain.” suggests a club statement, although the grief at their loss isn’t really coming across all that well.

The good times are back at Barnsley, as the Tykes are promoted back to the Championship. They beat Swansea 4-3 on penalties after a thrilling League One play-off final at Cardiff, Nick Colgan saving the crucial kick from Alan Tate. Earlier, Paul Hayes had put the Yorkshire side in front, only for Rory Fallon and Andy Robinson to give Swansea a second half lead. Daniel Nardello’s strike forces an extra 30 minutes culminating in yet more 12-yard drama.

The following day the need for spot-kicks is dispensed with by Cheltenham Town, who gain promotion to League One by winning the League Two final 1-0 over Grimsby Town. Steve Guinan sees his cross avoid everyone and land in the Mariners net on 63 minutes.

The experimentation of last week’s ‘B’ international with Belarus is replaced by the serious stuff as Sven’s A-Team host Hungary at Old Trafford on May 30. Or so you might think.

It may only be 11 days to England’s World Cup opener against Paraguay but that doesn’t stop Eriksson from pointless tinkering, bringing in Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher to play in an unaccustomed holding midfield role. It all turns out alright in the end, but for 40 minutes England are as dull and clueless as they have ever been, a situation seemingly capped by Frank Lampard’s stupefyingly predictable penalty miss just before half-time.

With Eriksson’s very own special agent Owen Hargreaves introduced in place of Gary Neville at the break it does not take long for England to gain an advantage. Captain David Beckham’s cross is nodded home by striker for the night Steven Gerrard to give the home side the lead. With Hargreaves now operating in the Carragher/King/Carrick/insert mediocre England fringe player here role the advantage is doubled when John Terry nods home another expert Beckham delivery.

Despite the continued ineptitude of Hargreaves and the rude interruption of Pal Dardai’s 55th minute belter for the once Mighty Magyars, England regain control and seal the win when Peter Crouch fires home on 84;

“They (Hungary) were even better than I thought, a good side and technically very good.” moans Eriksson, as if an easier night all round had been promised;

“You must have patience against a team defending with nine men behind the ball.” he advises in weak mitigation for a woeful first half effort.

The time was when football’s press conferences were uneventful, banal affairs, but no more. Following on in the tradition of such classics as Harry Redknapp’s original departure from Portsmouth circa 2004, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace serve up a right ding-dong this lunchtime. With the former all set to unveil Iain Dowie as it’s new manager, a representative from the latter strides in to serve Dowie with a writ for making what it calls ‘fraudelent statements’ to secure his release from his Eagles contract;

“He (Dowie) told me he wanted to go back to the north to be with his family.” fumes an apoplectic Palace chairman Simon Jordan, with an unusual helping of justification;

“My club waived compensation because he said he wanted to return to the north. Iain Dowie had a £1m compensation clause in his contract and there is no reason why I would take that out unless it was as a gesture of goodwill.” adds Jordan, finding goodwill hard to come by;

“I'll prove it to the High Court. I would not issue a writ on a point of principle, I issue it on a point of law.” he promises finally.

Meanwhile the Addicks press on regardless, unveiling Dowie as their new man;

“The easy thing would have been not to come here. I've taken what is a fantastic opportunity for me.” says Dowie, consulting his lawyers. Charlton chairman Richard Murray adds;

“We interviewed over 20 candidates and I can assure you Iain Dowie was the most impressive of those candidates.”

More woes for Crystal Palace in the shape of striker Andrew Johnson’s departure. The England World Cup standby hopeful finally completes his £8.6million move to Everton after passing a medical at Goodison Park. Not the most convincing of achievements, given that it is something that Duncan Ferguson managed to do twice. Regardless, Johnson can’t wait to begin the next chapter in his goal-filled but to this point somewhat stifled career;

“I believe Everton will afford me the best opportunity to fulfil my twin ambitions of winning major honours and representing England again at senior level.” he suggests, with even Jordan struggling to come up with a compelling argument against the switch.

Chelsea are also doing business today, capturing Feyenoord striker Salomon Kalou for a surprisingly undisclosed fee.

They go out shopping again 24 hours later, this time surpassing even their own cash-happy standards with a club record deal for AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko.

The Ukraine captain joins the Stamford Bridge club on a four-year deal thought to be worth around £30million, with the official fee undisclosed;

“I am here for the challenge and the excitement of the Premier League.” he explains, neglecting to mention the barrow-loads of cash;

“There is a right moment to join a football club and I think I have arrived here at the perfect time.” he goes on.

Well, certainly a better time than say, 1983. Somehow the diary doubts whether the 29 year-old superstar would have fitted in alongside Kerry Dixon, or enjoyed similar wages. Yes, we know Shevchenko was only 7 years of age in 1983 but you see what we are getting at.

Meanwhile Sultan of Smug Jose Mourinho, despite his previous successes in west London, still finds it in his heart to get excited about the move;

“Today is a day when the dream became reality. Andriy has always been my first choice for Chelsea since I arrived.” he gloats.

Last word on the subject (for now) goes to celebrity hanger-on /behind the scenes hatchet man Peter Kenyon;

“The deal is a new club transfer record and is a straight cash deal.” he says, waving large bundles of notes in the air and shouting “Loadsamoney!!”

To the peasants now and Birmingham City swoop to sign Cardiff City’s England under-21 international Cameron Jerome for £3million. The one-time transfer target of Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich signs a Shevchenko-sized four-year deal at St.Andrews, and immediately goes about the stiff task of justifying his decision;

“Steve Bruce is a very good manager.” he announces, straight-faced;

“I spoke to him and realised this would be another step up the ladder for me at such a young age. Birmingham are a massive club and it's a big opportunity for me.”

Finally this May there is dismay (do you like what I did there? No? Shucks) on the new Wembley Stadium project. After a series of delays Wembley National Stadium Limited chairman Michael Cunnah refuses to offer any guarantees that the stadium will be ready for events early in 2007;

“The important thing for us is that the stadium is built to the right quality and for the price that we can afford.” he offers;

“So from that point of view, time becomes our variable and although we were very, very disappointed not to have the FA Cup final here it is more important to get the stadium that is going to be here for 100 years.”

Would that be as opposed to the one that is going to be here IN 100 years?

By Stephen Orford
7 June 2006
Joining Paris St. Germain should come with a health warning. The pressure at the French capital’s main club is such that even the brightest of talents seem to fade with the list of casualties including Ronaldinho who often looked pedestrian for them. It was only when he left for Barcelona that he regained his self-confidence and zest.

Given all that, it was a major achievement for Lionel Letizi to hang on to the number one spot for six seasons. Even so, his reputation has hardly been boosted as those trophy-less seasons have been highly tormented ones for PSG with Letizi often being among the chief scapegoats for their failures.

Undeniably, the fans’ frustrations with the keeper have often been justified. Talented but unreliable seems to be the verdict coming from the Parc De Princes, where Letizi has all too often conceded easy goals having made a magnificent save moments earlier.

Yet, whether all the goals attributed to him are actually all his own fault is another matter. The constant changes in managers, markedly different transfer policies each year, excessive fan pressure and frequent turnover of personnel are all factors that have contributed to the lack of stability at PSG. In such a situation, consistency isn’t that easy to achieve and that makes mistakes all the more unavoidable. Especially if you know that even the slightest error will result in unrestrained criticism.

Letizi certainly suffered because of this. When he moved to Paris six years ago he was considered the most promising keeper in the country and the heir apparent to Fabien Barthez. One of the heroes of Nice’s promotion to the Ligue Un, he had moved on to Metz where he had starred as they surprisingly finished second in 1998 and ended up as runners-up in the following year’s French Cup.

That promise, however, hasn’t been fulfilled which is why at 33 – the age when most goalkeepers are nearing their peak – he found himself without a club. The move to Rangers is ideal for him in that it offers him top-level football and at the same time a fresh start.

That he is effectively a stop-gap brought in until Stefan Klos recovers from his injury will only be a minor problem. Past errors may have chipped away at his confidence, but the French international knows that in the right set-up and with the required stability he can excel.

The key, however, will be how he reacts to Scottish football and it’s more physical approach in comparison to the game in France. It is something Letizi will have be warned about and trained to be prepared for before he is sent out to play. Otherwise, an early slip-up could erode his confidence further, making his recovery all the more difficult.

3311: World Cup: Pundits prove a rea

by : Sam Cullen

A week and a half into the World Cup, it still remains to be seen whether it will live long in the memory as a classic tournament. Some big powers have so far failed to reach their usual standards, such as Brazil, France and England, while new comers such as Ivory Coast and Ghana have all looked up for the challenge.

There is one aspect of this World Cup that is seemingly decided already, the TV punditry will go down faster than Sunderland.

As a writer myself, I can understand the odd lapses because it is incredibly difficult to ensure you stay on top of things all the time but 2006 has seen standards slip to levels I’m sure nobody on this website would consider tolerable in their written equivalents of analysis.

At the BBC, we have the once legendary but now pathetic John Motson.

He appears to be totally out of his depth, although the cracks were beginning to show 4 years ago with his constant reference to breakfast in regards to the early kick offs. This time around he seems to have been reduced to a shouting simpleton, bellowing the name of any England player excitedly even if they are simply kicking the ball about within their own half.

That said, this over-zealous style could stand him in good stead for a career change to wrestling commentator, because any day now I can just visualise watching an England game and hearing Motson going “oh my god, oh my god, never have we seen anything like this in the world cup before, ROONEY, ROONEY,ROONEY”.

Can you smell what John Motson is cooking?

The co-commentators are of equally poor quality. Mark Lawrenson comes across as disinterested and arrogant most of the time, his nadir of the tournament so far came in the Brazil v Croatia match in which despite Croatia having an equal share of the first 20 minutes, he saw fit to do little else but wax lyrical about the awesome talent of Brazil.

The die was cast for David Pleat even before the tournament began as “the sight is in end” perplexed millions on Champions League finals day. His pronunciation is erratic and frequently wrong, and his statements border on the ridiculous. For example, in the Angola v Portugal match he claimed Angola would have earned themselves far more neutral fans had they really gone for it against the Portugese, yet lost by a few goals. What rubbish, surely the Angolans would have been lambasted for defensive naivety?

Gareth Southgate seems totally unsuited to the environment, seeming either nervous or totally devoid of passion. Mick McCarthy over on the other side is slightly better but simply because you half expect him to start viciously swearing while commentating on a referee during a 2pm kick off. As for Gavin Peacock…

In the past, I have always stood firm, defending the bastion of terrestrial TV and it’s right to cover football matches.

So far this World Cup, the only thing the BBC and ITV coverage has made me do is yearn for Martin Tyler and Andy Gray.

Oh, and the mute button.

Sam Cullen
19 June 2006

3312: England: Six ways to change th

by : Antony Melvin

Every pundit with half a brain (and some with less) is convinced that England need a defensive midfielder if they are to progress in the competition. But how do we shoehorn in that defensive bulwark?

Well for the Sweden match the manager is using the simple expedient of dropping a couple of players who have been booked ‘so that they are available later’ – a rationale that simply didn’t apply to Frank Lampard. This enables Rooney to start and Hargreaves to cover in front of the defence.

Well, here are six ways for England to permanently slot in a defensive midfielder and a rating for how likely they are to be adopted.

Drop Joe Cole [4-1-3-2] 6/10

A bit harsh this as Cole was man of the match in the opening match and proved adaptable enough to be pushed up front when Owen was withdrawn. But perhaps Cole’s adaptability is his downfall. Being available to play across the midfield and behind the front one or two does make him an ideal replacement.

If Cole went then England could adopt a 4-1-3-2 and give Gerrard and Lampard the opportunity to break forward at will.

Drop Lampard or Gerrard [4-4-2] 5/10

Most countries would not hesitate to balance their midfield – and there would be a feverish debate as to which player to leave out. In Brazil there would be no thought to a team with no defensive midfielders regardless of how many Robinhos had to sit on the bench as a result.

As the two players don’t seem to enjoy playing without an Alonso or Makelele behind them then dropping one is not without its attractions. As they are both on a booking and only Gerrard has been ‘rested’ it seems that if one is to miss out later on – it will be the Liverpool man.

Move Beckham to full-back [4-1-3-2] 2/10

Without Gary Neville overlapping it seems a waste to consider reducing the attacking options yet further by moving Beckham back. But Beckham would still be available for the set pieces, and would be able to spray his long passes around. This would allow Gerrard, Lampard and Joe Cole to play behind two forwards and in front of a defensive midfielder and would seem to offer a lot of benefits.

Play Rooney in midfield [4-1-4-1] 2/10

David Moyes did it at Everton and Alex Ferguson did it to allow Roy Keane to prolong his career – but would Sven consider moving Rooney into midfield? Obviously once fit Rooney will start every match (and probably before he is close to being fit) but if he fitted into midfield with Crouch or Owen alone up front it would allow room to play an extra ‘proper’ midfielder. Obviously Cole or Gerrard would have to be sacrificed.

Adopting a sweeper [3-5-2] 1/10

It worked for Sir Bobby at Italia ’90 when Mark Wright proved a revelation as a sweeper. Basically three centre halves would anchor the team – with one stepping into midfield to link the defence and midfield. Wing-backs would be required but Beckham and Cole could do that job. Overall a tantalising prospect – but a bit radical for the manager.

Play with Rooney as a lone forward [4-5-1] 1/10

It would probably be asking a lot of the mercurial scouser – but he has the appetite for work necessary to make it happen. Whether losing him from linking midfield and attack is worth the candle is another matter.

In this scenario Owen and Crouch would be sacrificed to bring in Hargreaves or Carrick.

So there are a number of options available to Sven-Goran Eriksson – will he stumble on the answer before it is too late?

Antony Melvin
19 June 2006

3309: Sven facing a no-win situation

by : Jamie Mangan

England Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has shown a hitherto hidden ruthless streak in his policy towards this year's finals in Germany. The English fans have both raised eyebrows and nodded in approval as Michael Owen, a man thought to be one of Sven's untouchables, has been withdrawn from the field following two off-colour performances.

Yet the tactical flexibility that saw Aaron Lennon and Stuart Downing pull the strings to break Trinidad's stubborn resolve is unlikely to be extended to our faltering central midfield partnership. It doesn't require someone with a shrewd football brain to see that in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, England possess two of the finest players in world football, both capable of winning a game in an instant.

Yet in their similarities they stifle one another. When Holland faced Serbia and Montenegro on June 11th in Leipzig, they were up against a side determined to defend with two rigid banks of four protecting the Serbian goal. Yet with one moment of defensive hesitancy, Arjen Robben was set free by the Dutch midfield and Holland had secured the lead in an instant. Similarly with Argentina, everyone in the middle knows their individual jobs, and the result if swift, incisive football.

Lampard and Gerrard however, are unsure. With neither player used to overly defensive duties, there is often a spilt second of hesitancy before England are able to break from midfield. In the worst cases, both players have been hovering just in front of Terry and Ferdinand, leaving a huge gap between midfield and attack. This lack of balance has led to an over-reliance on the long ball to Peter Crouch, who ironically, despite his size, is more effective with a pass into feet.

The solution seems so simple. At club level, the more attacking inclinations of the two midfielders are protected by Claude Makelele and Xavi Alonso respectively. Yet while England do not perhaps possess an anchorman of such esteem, Tottenham's Michael Carrick is not far behind. Despite facing criticism for a nervy performance against Belarus, Carrick oozes class and discipline, and his form week-in, week-out has caught the eye of none other than Sir Alex Ferguson.

The former West Ham man will sit in front of the defence, providing greater attacking licence for his partner, and an impressive passing range. Those who criticise his tackling do not fully understand his game, as his ability to read the play has provided significant protection for Tottenham this season.

Steven Gerrard, with his ability to grab a game by the scruff of its neck and carry his team, is arguably indispensable for England. Lampard though, is not. It may seem ridiculous to advocate dropping England's top scorer in Portugal two years ago, but a midfield pairing of Carrick and Gerrard, would produce greater attacking gains, especially if bolstered by the return of Rooney in front.

Eriksson however, despite his new-found adaptability, will not be so bold. If England continue to play in a similar manner then Sven's World Cup quest is unlikely to end in glory, despite a formidable defensive set-up. Yet if he chooses to exclude one of England's stalwarts in favour of Carrick, or even the much-maligned Owen Hargreaves, immediate success would be required to avoid a media vilification.

So Sven will continue to send out Gerrard and Lampard together, and many will scratch their heads and wonder what went wrong when someone of the quality of Juan Roman Ricquelme pulls the strings to end England's dream. Yet with a show of courage in the face of pressure, in conjunction with the return of Wayne Rooney, England could prove to be formidable.

Jamie Mangan
17 June 2006

3306: Arsenal: Season Analysis 2005/

by : Sam Cullen

Arsenal began the 2005/06 in a way which they hadn’t for the past 9 seasons, they were now minus Patrick Vieira. All the pundits had primarily been concerned about was how the club would adapt to life after the departure of their talismanic keeper, there were few incoming transfers of note save for Alexander Hleb, the Belarus international midfielder.

The campaign began with a jittery 2-0 win at home over Newcastle, secured only in the last ten minutes of the game. A week later Chelsea once again asserted themselves as top dogs, albeit from a 1-0 victory.

With the captaincy handed to Thierry Henry, many felt he would be once again pivotal to Arsenal’s season. Following an injury on international duty in September, the Frenchman was ruled out for a month.

During this period, the first signs of major faltering in the side occurred, with defeats at Middlesborough and West Brom. Henry returned to score a stunning goal in the Champions League tie at Sparta Prague, leaving fans to hope that his return would herald improved form.

Though they remained undefeated in November, December was really when the wheels started to come off. The side suffered three successive defeats, away at Bolton and Newcastle and at home to Chelsea, which began to cast doubts over their ability to qualify for the Champions League.

A common characteristic of these defeats saw the youthful Arsenal side out muscled by the more physical Premiership sides in bruising winter encounters. The young guns, such as Cesc Fabregas, were still doing the club proud whereas it was the more experienced Gunners such as Gilberto for whom questions were being asked of.

A 7-0 drubbing of Middlesborough on January 14th proved to be a false dawn on two counts. Firstly it failed to upturn their form, as the game was followed by two successive defeats. Secondly it failed to mark the lasting return of Ashley Cole, who made an appearance as a substitute but then sustained another injury which put him out till the final weeks of the season.

West Ham’s visit to Highbury proved to be the North London club hitting rock bottom, but in a way, proved to be a catalyst for their rival. It was indeed a torrid night for any Arsenal fan, especially highlighted by the disastrous performance of Sol Campbell, who was subbed at half time. As the game ended, Arsenal lay in 7th place and the season appeared to be all but over.

Then. Something happened.

While domestically, form continued to be erratic, a great win at the Bernabeu in February gave great confidence to the very young Arsenal side. Out of the back four that night, only Kolo Toure would have been considered 1st choice, yet as the weeks went on, he and partners Emmannuel Eboue, Philippe Senderos and Mathieu Flamini helped push forward the Arsenal renaissance.

As the season drew to a close, the Gunners whittled down the gap between themselves and Spurs, and fittingly clinched Champions League football for 2006-07 by winning their final game at Highbury, 4-2, against Wigan.

There was a sense of heartbreak in Paris as Wenger’s 10 men went down 2-1 to Barcelona in the Champions League final, but this progression represented real development. Up to this point, Arsenal had been Champions League also-rans and this season dispelled the common myth they couldn’t translate their abilities into the European arena.

Despite statistically having their worst season since Wenger took charge, there are still a great deal of positives to be gleaned from 2005/06. The development of the next generation of Arsenal stars, such as Robin Van Persie and Eboue, must be providing encouragement to all Gunners, and after watching Thomas Rosicky’s goals at the World Cup, it appears Wenger has unearthed yet another gem.

Sam Cullen
18 June 2006

3307: Squarefootball diary: Best of

by : Stephen Orford

Reeling from a crushing 3-0 defeat to Chelsea two days earlier which saw the London club secure a second consecutive Premiership title and Wayne Rooney break his foot, Manchester United cannot pick themselves up for the visit of Middlesbrough on May 1 as the game ends goalless.

West Brom are feeling sorry for themselves too, with the weekend win for Portsmouth over Wigan seeing them relegated to the Championship. With that the Baggies cannot hold off a West Ham United side with Cardiff and the FA Cup final on their minds, with Nigel Reo-Coker netting the only goal of the game on 41 minutes.

Arsenal’s battle for fourth with Tottenham seems the only Premiership issue of interest left open to question then, and they keep their hopes alive with a 3-0 win over woeful Sunderland. The win comes at a cost, as midfielder Abou Diaby is stretchered off with what appears to be a serious ankle injury. For the record, a Danny Collins own goal, added to strikes from Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry keep Spurs nerves jangling.

A day later and champions Chelsea have the cigar on during a 1-0 loss at Blackburn Rovers. Republic of Ireland international Steven Reid strikes decisively on 42 minutes, as Rovers step up their own chase for a European spot.

No rest for the terminally dull as just two days after their Old Trafford stalemate Middlesbrough are busy holding the equally awful Bolton Wanderers to a 1-1 draw. Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Te cancels out Adam Johnson’s strike for Boro, in a game that defines the word meaningless.

Exactly a week on from the diabolically handled Scolari affair, the FA under-whelm everyone by appointing Steve McLaren as the next England manager on May 4. Ashen faced, season ticket-dodging Steve signs a four-year deal, with FA chief Brian Barwick quick to dismiss suggestions that the Middlesbrough boss is in any way a second choice appointment;

“My first choice was always Steve. That might be difficult for people to get their heads across.” he maintains. Especially difficult if your name happens to be Luiz Felipe Scolari, no doubt.

Meanwhile McLaren doesn’t admit to feeling unwanted either, suggesting;

“I knew the process from the very beginning and I was quite comfortable with it.” says the man currently in charge of the 13th best team in England;

“To manage your country is the greatest honour which can be bestowed on anyone.” adds McLaren, dusting off the welcome mat for the paparazzi.

Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb tries not to smile too much;

“Whilst we are sorry to lose Steve, we are delighted he is leaving the football club for such a prestigious role. It is an honour for Middlesbrough that our manager should become the new England coach.” he says.

And so to the on-field action this Thursday, with an unusual Premiership double shoe-horned into the congested final week of the season. Arsenal remain in contention to steal the fourth Champions League qualification place from Tottenham with a 3-1 win at Manchester City. Freddie Ljungberg scores his first league goal since Middlesbrough were in the top half of the table, but David Sommeil equalises for the home side before half-time.

The Gunners step up several gears in the second half, however, and a brace from Jose Antonio Reyes finally breaks the resolve of Stuart Pearce’s men. And all despite a fine performance between the sticks from England disaster master David James;

“Every time we crossed the ball or had a set-piece, I thought we looked dangerous but the thing with Arsenal is they hit you on the break.” reflects Pearce.

Sunderland finally break their home duck by beating Fulham, who themselves only managed their first away win of the season five days ago. The Black Cats prevail 2-1 after Anthony Le Tallec and Chris Brown give them a two-goal cushion ahead of Tomasz Radzinski’s reply;

“Beforehand, I said 'Let's send people home with smiles on their faces'. I'm pleased to be able to report they did.” beams Sunderland caretaker-manager Kevin Ball, whose side now boast a whopping 15 points from 37 league outings

Fulham boss Chris Coleman shrugs his shoulders;

3305: World Cup gives Manchester Uni

by : Tom O'Flaherty

the experience of the wily Toni pulling and pushing him about on the sly will stand him in good stead as he matures. A dominating, commanding display leading the back line for the US.

Carlos Bocanegra 6

A nervous moment heading onto his own crossbar aside, Bocanegra did himself proud against the Italians, particularly at the start of the match, when the Italians looked to be playing under orders to get at the left side of the US back four. Bocanegra weathered the Italian storm, and contributed to US attacks with low, driven passes to his lone frontrunner, Brian McBride. Bocanegra had a good chance with a header from a corner that he should have at least gotten on target, but the left defender spot looks his rather than Eddie Lewis’s for the rest of the tournament.

Clint Dempsey 7

A young wide midfield player for the US, Dempsey was clearly unconcerned with the reputation of the Italians, more than willing to put his head down and run at defenders, and gave the Italian back four some nervous first half moments. A promising display from a player who has flattered to deceive all too often in his early international career.

Claudio Reyna 7

The only flaw in Reyna’s performance was that he played the entire 90 minutes; his gimpy hamstrings surely will not be able to go for another 90 in a mere five days. Calmly spreading the play for the US despite intense Italian pressure, Reyna created chances for himself and others, and kept running and tackling long after his lungs must have been screaming at him to stop.

Leaving his captain in for the entire match will surely have consequences for Arena against Ghana, but the crucial point was won.

Pablo Mastroeni 5

Pablo, Pablo, the temper will be the death of your international career. Mastro put together a forceful show, winning tackles and breaking up Italian attacks, and firing in a fine long range drive late in the first half as well. Whether there was a need to launch himself into a two-footed, studs-up challenge late in the first half in the Italian defensive third is another thing entirely. Such foolishness could have cost the US dearly.

Bobby Convey 6

US supporters keep waiting for Convey to explode, but the Reading winger looked tentative and unsure of himself far too often against the Italians. Convey did try to take on the Italian back four on several occasions, but couldn’t get the last touch around the azure kits or get the perfect serve in for the white shirts crashing into the box. Subbedoff for central defender Jimmy Conrad after Eddie Pope’s second half dismissal.

Landon Donovan 7

Perhaps this display will put to rest some of the critics of Donovan among the American supporters. Donovan grew in influence as the match wore on, and as US players received their marching orders. His runs with the ball from the centre of the park had the Italian back four in some panic, and Donovan created a fine late chance which his target man McBride spurned. Switched to a virtual right-sided midfield role after Clint Dempsey went off, Donovan grew in stature, always pushing and prompting, and willing to chase back and help Steve Cherundolo defend. Donovan is another player who looked completely destroyed at the end of the match, and may not be able to go on Thursday against the Ghanaians.

Brian McBride 6

McBride’s cult hero status among American supporters grew a little deeper after this match, the filthy, horrible De Rossi elbow that drew blood in no way inhibiting his appetite for the game. Sadly, he should have been withdrawn in the second half both because his legs had clearly gone, and also because the wider spaces on the pitch cried out for the pace of American striker Eddie Johnson. But McBride battled well and bravely the entire match, more than willing to chase back into his own half to help the US cling to the precious point they so deservedly earned.

Jimmy Conrad 7

Conrad writes an inventive, incredibly humorous column for the ESPN Soccernet site, and all US supporters will be awaiting his latest entry after his performance against the Italians. Quite frankly, Conrad was a sort of Sol Campbell addition to the American squad, very much a central defender emergency cover sort of option.

Thanks to Eddie Pope, Bruce was in a bit of a pinch. Conrad did very well in his first World Cup match, not at all intimidated by the Italians and even willing to mix it up and tug on Iaquinta’s jersey inside the penalty area late in the match. Impressive display from a player who did not figure to play a minute before the tournament.

DaMarcus Beasley 6

Beasley played much better against the Italians than he did against the Czechs, but there is still something missing from his game, the reckless, devil-may-care attitude from his 2002 displays vanishing to be replaced by a more cautious fear of making mistakes. Beasley did run at the Italians on several occasions, and did score a fine goal disallowed due to McBride standing in an offside position, but as far as changing the game as a substitute, Beasley came up a little short. But his confidence after his poor first match display and the subsequent media bickering with his manager will have received a welcome boost before the crucial last match against Ghana.Wayne Rooney has the ability to eclipse all footballers whilst on the pitch, but off it he has been even more effective. But the saga of Wayne’s metatarsal was finally ended by his substitute appearance on Thursday. For Manchester United fans though this might actually be much less significant than seeing Ruud van Nistelrooy open his account with a sweet strike against the Ivory Coast.

The spectacle of Sir Alex Ferguson and Ruud van Nistelrooy falling out of love in the space of only a few months was something to behold. First the manager relegated the player to the role of unused substitute in the Worthington Cup final for the crime of not trying in the final few minutes in the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool. Then Ferguson banished van Nistelrooy from the squad against Charlton in May, to which the Dutchman responded by flouncing off. Finally the player was exiled altogether, being banned from Old Trafford for Roy Keane’s testimonial, amid reports of training ground incidents such as making Cristiano Ronaldo cry. These are the sorts of antics one expects of the playground not of a footballing behemoth like Manchester United.

And yet Ferguson has a growing record of such spats with few examples of reconciliation. Though some have argued that he has successfully maintained United’s impetus through his clinical dispatching of his former stars, invariably the club has lost out. From Paul Ince, to Jaap Stam, through to David Beckham and Roy Keane, United’s stars have been allowed to leave for cut-prices. With talk of van Nistelrooy leaving for as little as £10 million, and no-one suggesting much over £15 million, it looks likely that United will have to accept a loss for a player they paid £19 million for in July 2001. This seemed inconceivable just a few months ago for a player who has averaged 30 goals a season for the club, not to mention his record of 46 goals in the Champions League. Even in this “unsettled” season he chalked up another 24. To harbour grudges when a £20+ million player earning in the region of £70,000 a week is involved seems to be a schoolboy error!

The World Cup though has come at just the right time for player, manager and club. It has allowed all parties to get away from each other and cool off, and a rapprochement might even be on the cards. Either way it is vitally important to everyone that van Nistelrooy has a good World Cup. If he is seen to perform well, and especially if he does so spectacularly, the possibilities are endless. The fans will want to see him return to the club and the G14 clubs will sit up, take note, and be prepared to pay top dollar; the astronomical cost of distinctly average players, such as El Hadji Diouf, after a good tournament is ample evidence. The list of World Cup Golden Boot winners includes such greats as Eusebio, Garrincha, Ronaldo and Just Fontaine and van Nistelrooy's value would go through the roof if he could add his name. Sir Alex Ferguson would have the luxury of keeping or selling him knowing that neither decision was wrong.

The alternative picture though, is much less rosy. Truly international quality strikers are few and far between, with perhaps only Fernando Torres fitting the bill of someone playing for a club that might be convinced to sell. His price will surely rise too, and if van Nistelrooy and Holland misfire United could be looking at a chasm between the two players price evaluations. It would serve too to sour the relations between van Nistelrooy and Ferguson, with the former almost inevitably blaming the latter for lack of match time and general unsettling that "would" have contributed to his poor showing. Another unsmooth and unprofitable departure of a now unloved former star would worry the Glazers.

The priority for the owners and most United fans watching the World Cup group phases will probably be the ongoing recovery of Wayne Rooney, but in terms of the health of the club it should be the swift rehabilitation of Ruud van Nistelrooy that should be prayed for most.

Tom O’Flaherty
17 June 2006

3304: Group E: US/Italy- US Player R

by : Bill Urban

Plenty of guts, plenty of heart, and plenty of corpuscles from Brian McBride, and the US redeemed themselves with a brave display against the Italians. The Ghanaian victory over the Czechs earlier in the day made winning the match less of a necessity, but the Americans did come out and try to put the Italians under pressure right from the kick-off, a marked contrast to their timid, lethargic performance against the Czechs.

Maintaining that pressure became progressively difficult as two US players were sent off, resulting in a 10 v. 9 match for more than forty minutes. Goaded by traditional Italian diving and gamesmanship, the US threatened to lose its collective cool more than once, but held on and out for the draw, leaving plenty to play for in the final group match against the impressive Ghana side.

Playing with only nine players on the pitch, questions must be asked of the American manager Bruce Arena, who saw fit not to use his final substitution, thereby condemning seven of his players to a nightmare ninety minutes of playing down. Missing two players due to suspension against Ghana on Thursday, and with dead legs for the rest, Arena will have to make more changes to his first eleven.

But those he made for this match seemed to work out fairly well...

Kasey Keller 7

Keller came up big several times in the second half, including a wonder save from a point blank Del Piero flick. Might have done more with the Italian goal, but saved the point for the US on several different occasions, a big match performance from the big, balding man.

Steve Cherundolo 8

Cherundolo played a much more composed, skillful match than against the Czechs. In the second half, the best American chances came from his overlapping runs on the right side. Tremendous work rate, and no little skill on the dribble and on the cross, a fine performance from the Hannover defender.

Eddie Pope 4

Lost his mark for the Italian goal, then compounded a soft first half yellow with a sweeping tackle from behind in the second half, giving match official Jorge Larrionda little choice but to show a second yellow. A nervous display from Pope will not provide him with happy memories of his 2006 World Cup.

Oguchi Onyewu 7

The physical clashes between Onyewu and massive Luca Toni were similar to those between Onyewu and the titan Czech Jan Koller in the first US group match. Onyewu grew frustrated at the number of fouls Larrionda adjudged him to have conceded, but

3298: Barnet: Club’s Survival On a K

by : Paul Grech

Barnet’s return to the Football League didn’t go as smoothly as had been anticipated. Runaway winners of the Conference the previous year, they struggled to make much of an impact languishing towards the bottom of the division with threat of relegation always at the back of their minds.

It was only towards the end of the season that those fears were laid to rest with a five point gap eventually separating them from second bottom Oxford. But, as has often been the case at Barnet, there was little time for them to rejoice at this result.

In the middle of May, the Barnet council announce that a road - Priory Grove - was pedestrian access only, a decision that would have effectively rendered it impossible for the club to use their Underhill Stadium.

The matter was eventually resolved, but it was the last in a long list of differences with the local council that have threatened the club’s existence.

“Barnet’s ground is outdated and is way behind other League 2 grounds” Janet Matthewson, the chair of the Keep Barnet Alive campaign explains. “The spectator accommodation is poor especially for our disabled fans. We have no credible off-pitch revenue opportunities and more importantly we do not reach football league standard. We now have only two years to bring Barnet up to scratch or face relegation. Long-term we need a stadium that meets all the criteria for a modern stadium with a viable future.”

Finding a site for such a stadium is never easy but when the club is located in an area where most free sites are either in green belt or the strictly regulated metropolitan open land, this becomes more problematic.

For Barnet, however, there seemed to be a potential solution with a site at South Underhill capable of hosting a 9,212 capacity stadium and which had received clearance from the Mayor of London. Everything looked set for Barnet to start planning for a new stadium until the council’s administration changed.

Suddenly, the development plan was changed to remove the option of building on the site at South Underhill, the council took Barnet FC to court over the price paid to the previous council for the acquisition of land and also shackled the club by putting an injunction preventing minor development activity required for safety and disabled access reasons. The Priory Grove issue was simply the latest, and one of the more petty, differences to emerge and which led to the formation of Keep Barnet Alive.

“I feel that most Barnet fans will not give up on staying in Barnet until the final hour. Common sense dictates that we need a supportive council in order to survive, something, to date, we have not had under the present administration, but our hearts are in Barnet,” Janet explains.

That the Priory Grove issue has now been resolved is, at least, a start yet the fans remains sceptic. “I am glad to see that common sense prevailed over the Priory Grove issue but that has not gone away its simply on hold! They have given back something that the club has enjoyed for years for FREE, access down Priory Grove. Suddenly the council expected them to pay through the nose for it! If common sense does not prevail over the long-term use of Priory Grove, it may well result in another court case, why should the club pay for something that they have always had? And why should the council be looking for ways to put the squeeze on the club?”

“Unfortunately unlike other councils, I feel that Barnet council do not truly recognise what a wonderful asset they have in Barnet FC. They have not grasped the wealth of opportunities that exist for partnership working to enhance our community and deal with a wealth of issues including anti-social behaviour and obesity problems among our youth.”

This potential for Barnet to be a success – on and off the field - is underlined by the fact that the London Borough of Barnet is the second largest borough in London with a population of over 310,000 residents. Their huge following was evident when promotion from the Nationwide Conference was achieved and when they were drawn against Manchester United in the FA Cup last year, taking over 5,000 fans to Old Trafford.

Yet the hopes for a ground that would enable the club to tap further into that potential seem as far away as ever. “Unfortunately no,” Janet says of their hopes for this issue to be solved. “So many of us want to ensure the long-term future of Barnet FC in Barnet but without a supportive council we have little hope of that! Travelling to other League Two grounds highlights the growing gulf between us and them. Most other clubs are very lucky to have the support of their local politicians.”

At the latest round of council elections, Keep Barnet Alive campaigned to have the current Conservative administration removed, a bid at which they failed. Does this mean that the residents don’t rank the club highly in its list of priorities? Not at all, Janet retorts. “On the contrary, there was a big U-turn by the Conservatives during the election, they went from saying nothing about Barnet FC to ensuring residents that if they were re-elected that they would be fully supporting Barnet FC.”

3302: World Cup; England v Trinidad

by : Stephen Orford

The sighs of relief were audible all across England when Peter Crouch’s 83rd minute header hit the back of the Trinidad and Tobago net.

To that point, England were once more labouring towards what would have been an embarrassing goalless draw, with the same old problems manifestly halting their progress.

While it is fair to say that England dominated against the Caribbean outfit, their inability to score or even create enough clear-cut chances to render their profligate finishing meaningless must be a worry to coach Sven Goran Eriksson. Tougher tests are appearing quickly on the horizon, most notably the Group B decider with Sweden in Cologne on Tuesday (June 20), and a good deal more urgency and decisiveness are a must if England are to prosper.

Before his goal Crouch had been among the most guilty of England players. Beside missing a gift-wrapped opportunity close to half-time, the Liverpool robot then went on to place a header just over Shaka Hislop’s crossbar. Perhaps he can take comfort in the fact that he was not alone, as Michael Owen again looked some way short of the sharpness which is required and which is ordinarily the hallmark of his game. Newcastle United’s former Liverpool and Real Madrid man spooned wide when presented with another present from Hislop, before placing a normally routine header wide of the West Ham stopper’s post.

The long awaited World Cup finals bow of Wayne Rooney, aswell as the introduction of Spurs winger Aaron Lennon gave England a much needed boost. However, once again it was Owen who was sacrificed by Eriksson in the re-shuffle, allowing Crouch to run away with what little plaudits were on offer by the end. Puzzlingly, it has become the general consensus in recent weeks that Owen can no longer form a credible forward partnership with Rooney, despite the fact that the pair have performed admirably together in the past.

It’s only two years since the pair were consistently worrying defences at Euro 2004 in Portugal, with the eventual injury to the then Everton striker finally putting paid to English hopes against the hosts. With the passage of such little time since then, surely it is the recent lack of fitness suffered by both as a result of troublesome metatarsals which is stifling their expression, rather than any sudden realisation that they are not a match made in Heaven after all.

The much maligned midfield axis of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard again suffered. With Gerrard asked to perform a more rigid, defensive role he cannot possibly be the all-action, imposing figure who turns out for Liverpool in the Premiership each week. It seems the Whiston-born star is bearing the brunt of the criticism as a result, with Lampard getting off relatively lightly. In reality, Lampard is the one palpably failing to reproduce the form for which he is revered at home, despite being given adequate license by Eriksson at the expense of the Liverpool captain. When Gerrard finally advanced in the final moments, he unleashed a fearsome left-foot hammer which almost seemed to accentuate the notion that it his talents rather than those of the Chelsea man that are most central to English aspirations.

Defensively scares were few and far between, but had John Terry not produced a blinding and frankly uncharacteristic moment of acrobatics England would have been a goal down before half-time. The Chelsea stopper was on hand to scissor kick Stern John’s looping effort off the line. The same player was narrowly caught offside before netting late in the game, but by that point Gerrard’s stunning intervention had sealed the win for Eriksson’s men.

And yet there can be no doubt that if England have genuine ambitions in World Cup 2006, a vast improvement is required in future games. The Sweden clash provides another test, with debate currently raging about the inclusion or otherwise of Owen and/or Rooney.

Maybe, just maybe, Eriksson has a more important decision to make regarding Lampard and Gerrard.

By Stephen Orford

June 16 2006

3303: Premiership: Size matters, Bla

by : Sam Cullen

With the World Cup taking place, some comments from Sepp Blatter have been overlooked. While it is understandable that comments from Switzerland’s answer to Michael Winner can easily be overlooked, these required mass public knowledge.

In his infinite wisdom, he wants all European top tier leagues to reduce to 18 clubs, saying “It’ll give four more days to the international calendar”.

Obviously this means that our own Premiership will be shorn of 2 sides, which considering the cash cow it has become, it is hardly the sort of proposal we want to hear about.

Luckily, this time the Premiership seems far from convinced of Blatter’s plans, with a Premiership spokesman being quoted as saying “There's no appetite for this kind of change.”

Reducing the size of the Premiership would cut 4 games out of every club’s domestic schedule. Apologies if I sound nave but in an age where players are getting paid more and more, how come the top dogs in the game want them to play less and less? Does playing football clash with lucrative marketing and sponsorship deals?

Taking 2 from the Premiership would also create an imbalance in the professional league pyramid. In a system which is currently 20-24-24-24, it would be impossible to redistribute the teams without creating something stupid like 18-24-24-26 or even tinkering with the size of all three divisions outside the Premiership.

The only logical way we could deal with these changes would no doubt be chopping 2 sides out of league existence all together, reducing the overall size to 90. While this would surely mean nothing to someone in some Ivory tower in Berne, it would cost two communities their league football side. Being a fan of a club which has been in the lower echelons of the league, I know how much football means to the Rochdale’s and Mansfield’s of this world, and how crushing it would be to have it taken away.

A cynic would surely ask what Sepp wanted to fill these extra four international days with?

Expensive but meaningless tournaments in the Far East?

A world club championship 2 days after the domestic season ends?

Wait…I got it!

Miss Fifa! Would you like that Mr Blatter?

Sam Cullen
16 June 2006

3301: England: Eriksson gets it righ

by : Antony Melvin

Following a relative tour-de-force of substitutions in the first match, Sven Goran Eriksson followed it up with even more adventurous substitutions to wake up a moribund England side. England are now in the enviable position of having qualified easily for the knock-out phase and yet having dampened down expectations in doing so.

But despite the serene progress Eriksson is perceived as a bungler. The reality is that the coach is still learning and improving and on most counts is a better manager than four years ago.

There are three main areas where the millions of England pundits have felt that Eriksson was weak:

Firstly his over-reliance on small group of stars; the argument goes that there are certain players that can’t be dropped regardless of form.

Whilst there is something to this it could also be interpreted as selection consistency. Being loyal to players who are clearly class acts – but may be going through a dip in form – rather than picking whoever is the media darling of the day is not a capital crime. It enables the loyalty to be reciprocated (hopefully at a major tournament). Class and experience are often worth more in major tournaments than potential and youth but the media loves to see the age-old scenario of pupil replacing master.

But when Eriksson needs to be ruthless he is – he kept Crouch and Hargreaves in the England side when the mob wanted them out. As to Michael Owen, Eriksson is now happy to substitute one of England’s all time top scorers – exactly when England needed a goal. Shades of Graham Taylor and Gary Lineker for some, but it shows that now that his bridges are burning behind him he is focused on winning at all costs.

Secondly his inability to change matches through tactical substitutions.

In the Paraguay match his switch from 4-4-2 to 4-4-1-1 and then 4-1-4-1 closed off the game. Against Trinidad and Tobago his introduction of Rooney lifted the crowd and caused the Trinidadian defenders to fall off a crucial ten yards – something which Owen’s presence was not achieving. Pulling off Carragher for Lennon and Cole for Downing meant that Trinidad were suddenly stretched all over the place. The goals inevitably flowed as first Crouch and then Gerrard were able to isolate markers. Again the team started at 4-4-2, before switching to something akin to a 3-5-2 as Ashley Cole was only defending when England had a set-piece and David Beckham had only nominal defensive duties.

Two poor performances from England rescued by clever and bold tactical switches from Eriksson – isn’t this great team supposed to rescue an average coach? Not the other way round.

The final bugbear is his scandal strewn private life.

Well Eriksson has been remarkably low profile in recent months, and negotiations over new jobs have been remarkably discrete. That’s not to say that nothing has been reported – but the rumours are at such historically low levels that it is safe to assume that most of them are made up.

Perhaps with his time as coach coming to an end he has realized that the ideal England manager would have a monkish sex-drive, the tactical acumen of Sun-Tzu and the luck of a serial lottery winner. Eriksson is a flawed individual – but we should be grateful that under his stewardship England now considers a quarter-final elimination to be failure. Historically England has only got past a quarter final on foreign soil once, at Italia ’90. There a besieged coach who was leaving after the tournament, suffered through a desperate group stage but in qualifying abandoned 4-4-2 and adopted an untried 3-5-2 that took England to within a penalty shoot-out of the final.

Such were the outpourings of joy that there were calls for Bobby Robson to stay – from the same journalists that tried to destroy him. Don’t expect the same response for Eriksson even if he has now learnt the lessons of history.

Antony Melvin
16 June 2006

3297: World Cup; Who will join the s

by : Sam Cullen

Marcos Senna 7

Senna did much of the spade work for the Spanish, winning the ball and moving it on to the next man in mechanical, fluid fashion. Very much the work-horse, unsung hero of the Spanish midfield, Senna had a very effective performance in helping the Spanish dominate the midfield against the Ukrainians.

Xavi Hernandez 6

In a brilliant Spanish all-round performance, Xavi had a comparatively subdued match, some fine touches and passes offset by stretches of disappearing from the match, perhaps understandable since the player is still working his way back to match fitness after an extended, injury-induced break while playing for Barcelona this season past. Xavi fit well into the fluid Spanish midfield, but still lacked a bit of sharpness and staying power.

Luis Garcia 7

A brilliant performance from Garcia, combining the usual doses of skillful touches, sharp passing, including several lethal through balls, a hefty appetite for chasing back and protecting Sergio Ramos, and the occasional strange, offbeat touch/run/tackle that leaves Spanish supporters scratching their heads. Garcia appeared to have been given rein to roam about the midfield rather than remain pinned to the right touchline, and he drifted into dangerous positions throughout the match until being subbed for Cesc Fabregas in the 77th minute.

David Villa 7

Two-goal Villa had a strangely disjointed performance, a deflected free-kick and a controversial penalty, emphatically dispatched past Ukranian keeper Shovkovskiy, combined with several misses when well placed, offset by powerful and intelligent running and an appetite for the game that belies his comparative international naivete. The glitches in Villa’s finishing will be a worry for Aragones.

Fernando Torres 7

Scorer of a wonder goal, an elaborate build-up from Puyol crowned by a lashing finish from Torres set the seal on an effective, energetic performance from the young Atletico Madrid striker. Powerful in the air and running with and without the ball, Torres combined well with Villa in an attack with which the Ukraine back four struggled to deal.

Raul 5

Whatever happened to Raul? The lethal finisher from a few years past seems to have been converted into a midfield plodder, useful on the ball perhaps, but not playing the new position with any real, pardon the pun, enthusiasm. Even after coming on for Villa in the 55th minute, Raul spent much of his time on the pitch in midfield rather than up top alongside Torres, and other than a few neat, showy, but mostly purposeless flicks, did little to show that he was a necessary element to the Spanish side. After an effective, effervescent Spanish display, it’s difficult to pick holes, but given the past history of failing to come through in the clutch, the strange status of one-time automatic selection Raul could turn out to be the thing which brings about the traditional Spanish World Cup implosion.

David Albelda 6

Albelda came on after the match was effectively finished, and took up Alonso’s midfield role with little fuss.

Cesc Fabregas NR

What do France, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Canada all have in common?

They all part of a group of national sides which have achieved a distinctly underwhelming feat, they have all left a World Cup competition without scoring a single goal.

France’s failings were very well documented. Despite being holders, they suffered a humbling first round exit from the World Cup four years ago in which they finished bottom of their group without scoring a single goal. This was an “achievement” made all the more remarkable when their squad contained players the calibre of Thierry Henry and Zidine Zidane.

Saudi Arabia also managed this feat in 2002 when they let in 12 goals without scoring any themselves. Luckily for the Saudi’s, they have already made a repeat performance impossible by scoring 2 goals against Tunisia in their opening group game.

USA 94 was one of the most open and attacking World Cup’s in recent history, which featured only two 0-0 draws throughout the competition. Despite this goal glut, tournament debutants Greece failed to find the net, but did slightly better at the other end than the Saudi’s had, conceding a modest 10 goals.

So far Canada’s only participation in the World Cup finals to date in Mexico 86 was marked by zero goals being scored by the North American side, although they only conceded 5 goals so managed to avoid a Saudi style humiliation.

Will anyone join this illustrious group in 2006?

Early favourites such as new boys Togo and the previously mentioned Saudi’s have both ruled themselves out of the running. The spotlight will now shift to the other debutants such as Ghana and Angola, but after drawing blanks in their first two games, Poland must be feeling the heat too.

2002 featured two sides that were unable to register on the score sheet, our much mentioned Middle Eastern friends and first timers China.

Will 2006, which has so far seen a lot of exciting attacking play, see every side score at least one goal?

This occurred in France 1998 and more surprisingly in Italia 1990, a tournament noted for being one of the most goal shy in recent years.

Sam Cullen
14 June 2006

3299: Second time lucky for ambitiou

by : David Hulott

“On the national trend Barnet conservatives should have swept the board, and although they made gains, they should have made many more and without our campaign they would have. There were one or two prospective councillors that were particularly anti-Barnet FC, we know that as their comments on the doorsteps were reported back to us, they did not get elected so that was a result in itself!”

“All in all I feel that the conservatives now know how important Barnet FC is to Barnet residents, it is now up to them whether they fulfil their election promises to residents and actively start supporting Barnet FC or continue in their old ways until the club is gone!”

Even so, it was “a big setback as both Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors are fully supportive of the club and believe in its value to our community. Unless we can convince the Conservative administration of the club's value to our community and the advantages of working with the club to benefit the community, the future is very bleak within the borough of Barnet especially given the latest developments.”

“Over the coming months we will turn our energies into showing the council the benefits of having a football club within our community, if that falls on deaf ears, we will have done all we can because without a supportive council, we have not hope of a long-term future.”

“The KBA has always said that our key objective was to secure a long-term future for Barnet FC, and ultimately that is still our objective, unfortunately time is not on our side to secure that future within Barnet without a supportive council. It is now in the hands of the council, they have to decide and decide quickly, do they want a football club or are they happy to watch us leave?”

At least, Barnet have had the recent good news that their famous slope to the pitch has been approved by the Football League, allowing them to continue at Underhill for the time being. But even that news does little to alleviate the mood with Janet delivering a stark warning.

“Barnet FC will only survive in the borough of Barnet with the support of our local politicians, the life or death of the club is in their hands. If they fail to support Barnet FC, then the club may have to look outside of Barnet to ensure its future and that is hard for me to admit, as I have spent years fighting to ensure its future here in Barnet! Being homeless could ultimately mean the death of our club. Recent developments have put Barnet's survival on a knife edge.”
Few could argue that Swansea City were somewhat unfortunate in losing out to Barnsley in their quest for the Coca-Cola Championship but, rather than wallowing in self-pity, they already appear to be concentrating their efforts on ensuring that there are no slip-ups next term.

The Swansea board have to be applauded for both their ambition and determination, with chairman Huw Jenkins having already sanctioned the £100,000 signing of Fulham’s 21-year old midfielder Darren Pratley (who impressed during his loan spell at Brentford last term) and a similar bid for Wycombe Wanderers captain Roger Johnson. The initial offer for the 23-year old defender was rejected, but a further bid seems probable once the vacant managerial position is filled at the Causeway Stadium.

Whatever the outcome of their pursuit of Johnson, additional new recruits seem inevitable. The January transfer window saw the additions of five players – Rory Fallon (Swindon Town), Darren Way (Yeovil Town), Steven Watt (Chelsea), Leon Knight (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Tom Williams (Gillingham) – at a combined cost of getting on for £500,000 and manager Kenny Jackett has already given an indication that he is looking to further bolster his squad over the summer with players who he describes as being “young and hungry”.

In truth there doesn’t appear to be any great urgency to augment a squad that already looks more than capable of mounting another challenge for promotion. Perhaps the priority should be a new goalkeeper, with Willy Gueret having no real competition as things stand. Were Johnson to join, there would appear to be little need for further additions at the back, while Pratley’s signing also leaves the midfield looking relatively well stocked.

Manager Kenny Jackett is already well served in terms of the strikers on his books too, with Lee Trundle, Knight, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Fallon likely to offer Swansea more firepower than any of their rivals in Coca-Cola League One next term, especially with Andy Robinson also chipping in with his fair share of goals from midfield.

Despite the loss in the play-off final, The Swans do have a winning mentality, with promotion from Coca-Cola League Two the season before last and victory in the Football League Trophy at the Millennium Stadium in April of this year. Given the impetus at the club, a third season of success looks to be a strong possibility and Championship football at The Liberty Stadium could well be on the agenda this time next year.

David Hulott
11 June 2006

3300: Arsenal:Bergkamp, definition o

by : Sam Cullen

For some, the influx of foreigners into the English game has done nothing but denigrate it, sending wages up, prima-donna attitudes and stifling young English talent. Every so often, an import arrived which made up for all the Winston Bogarde’s and Steve Marlet’s. Dennis Bergkamp can be considered part of this group.

Few Gunners remember the brief reign of Bruce Ricoh with any real fondness but in signing Bergkamp in the summer of 1995 he put down the key foundation for the success of the Wenger era to be built around.

When the Dutchman arrived, it appeared somewhat of a gamble as he had been struggling in Italy and Inter’s weekly “donkey of the week” competition had been renamed to “Bergkamp” of the week.

Initially it appeared the bad form was continuing as he failed to score in his 7 games for the club, with one memorable tabloid headline reading “Desperate Den”. All Arsenal fans needed to show was a little patience as he enigmatically came to life in their home game against Southampton on September 23rd, scoring two cracking goals.

He scored 11 goals in his first season at Highbury and began to build up an excellent understanding with strike partner Ian Wright.

Arsenal FC changed forever in September 1996 when after several weeks of rumours, Arsene Wenger was finally confirmed as new club manager. His first season saw more of the same magic between Bergkamp and Wright up front as the club finished a very respectable 3rd.

Throughout the Wenger era, each of the Championship winning sides saw Bergkamp play a pivotal role.

During 1997-98 he was in his prime, as seen by his sublime goal during France 98, and he spearheaded Arsenal’s late surge to the title as top scorer.

The barren years that followed saw him begin to take a back seat, indeed he only scored 3 league goals during 2000-01. However the next season saw his renaissance as the experience he brought to the team proved invaluable as they claimed the double once more. He also added another breath taking goal to his tally, up at St James Park in February 2002.

Although the amount of goals he was scoring began to diminish, his impact and influence still remained obvious.

A true “Bergkamp moment” came at the end of the 2004-05 season. With Wenger unsure whether to offer the player a final contract extension, Dennis simply answered the question himself by orchestrating a breathtaking 7-0 annihilation of 4th placed Everton.

He may have been no more than a cameo figure this season, but like it mattered.

Dennis Bergkamp, was, is, and always will be an Arsenal legend.

Actually, make that a Premiership legend.

Sam Cullen
15 June 2006

3293: World Cup; Have the Italian's

by : Sam Cullen

When Italy take on the Czech Republic, they certainly won’t underestimate the threat they pose. After all, why would they, the Czech’s are ranked an incredible 2nd in the world and comprehensively beat the USA 3-0 in their opening group game.

However, it wasn’t that way almost exactly this time ten years ago.

Euro 96 was the first major tournament the recently independent Czech Republic had qualified for and they were placed in Group C alongside ’92 runners up Germany, Russia, and USA ’94 runners up Italy.

It was highlighted as “the group of death” and few fancied the Czech’s to qualify from a group with two of European football’s biggest forces in it.

The first round of games conformed to type. The Czech’s were easily beaten 2-0 by a typically efficient German performance while the Italians despatched the Russians 2-1, care of two goals from Pierluigi Casiraghi.

Arrogance then proved to be Italy’s downfall.

Coming into their game against the Czech Republic 3 days later, the controversial Italian head coach Arrigo Sacchi felt confident enough of Italian victory that he rested several otherwise first choice players. 4 minutes into the tie, the Italians were immediately stunned by a goal from youthful Pavel Nedvěd. Enrico Chiesa scored an equalizer soon after but the Czech advantage was restored by Radek Bejbl in the 35th minute putting the score at 2-1, which is how it remained till the final whistle.

This then left the Italians in a critical position. They had to get something from their final group match against Germany, but if the Czech’s matched or bettered their result, then even an Italian victory would still send them home.

The Italians were struggling to break down a dogged German defence and by half time their efforts seemed academic anyway, as the Czech’s were leading Russia 2-0. But by the 85th minute, everything seemed to have changed. The Russian’s had clawed their way back into the game and had just scored their third, courtesy of Vladimir Beschastnykh.

Suddenly it looked as if Italy would scrape through after all, but just 3 minutes later Vladimr Šmicer equalized and the game finished 3-3, sending the Italian’s on the first plane home.

When they line up against the Czech’s in a weeks time, I doubt they will underestimate their European cousins again!

Sam Cullen
13 June 2006

3295: England: And this World Cup's

by : Fred Tarow

Some statements, by their mere utterance, are enough to get you straight-jacketed and thrown into a padded cell. For example, saying that John Major oozes charisma, David Beckham is a misunderstood genius or Pavel Nedved doesn't look like he is temporarily on loan from Status Quo are all enough to force the men in white coats to kick in your door and cart you away. Others are so perverse and unpalatable to the masses that they demand you be instantly deemed irretrievably lost to insanity and ensure that you never again trouble society with your ramblings and antics. One statement that has attained that status, and I make it in all seriousness, is that Owen Hargreaves is the man to give balance to the anaemic England midfield.

Hargreaves' place in the England squad has been attributed to many things, from simple bribery to his alleged possession of photographical evidence of his Swedish manager’s latest indiscretion. Few people accept that he has earned a place in the squad based on his performances in an England shirt. That may well be so, but the necessitation of his inclusion in the first eleven has been brought about by his manager's cautious approach and the unsuitability of the alternatives to the much talked about holding midfielder role.

Much has been made of the Steven Gerrard/Frank Lampard partnership and the fact that the sum of its parts is far greater than the total contribution that the pairing make to the team. Whether the two of them can play together is still debatable; that they cannot whilst shackled by Eriksson's pedestrianism is blatantly obvious.

The problem has been laid bare time and again for all to see, most recently against Paraguay, and despite the abundance of options there is no neat solution to it.

Tottenham fans will inevitably call for the inclusion of Michael Carrick and not without justification. The former West Ham man was immense for Spurs last season and has improved immensely as a footballer since the day that Jacques Santini exited White Hart Lane and Martin Jol decided to build his midfield around him.

Few players in the game possess his vision and range of passing. However, Carrick is not a traditional holding player in the Makelele or Keane mould. He is cut from the same cloth a Glenn Hoddle; a marvellous distributor of the football but simply not aggressive enough to do the job that Sven really needs done.

Hoddle's international career suffered because Bobby Robson viewed him as a luxury that could not be afforded in a major tournament. One fears that Carrick's may go the same way unless he can display the ability to grab a game by the scruff of the neck that is synonymous with the world's best defensive midfielders.

Jamie Carragher has been touted by many and filled the role in the first half of the recent game against Hungary. However, the lesson learned from Riquelme's dismantling of Ledley King in a November friendly illustrates that central defenders, even those as comfortable on the ball as King, are limited holding midfield players. King (unlike Carragher) has played a Premiership season in midfield and looked impressive against Poland but when faced with genuine class he was left chasing shadows. The same thing would happen to Carragher in the latter stages of this World Cup.

There is one man in the squad who plays in the position for a top European club. He is a player with a Champion's League medal and several domestic honours to his name, but is derided by most England fans and pundits on the basis of a few cameo appearances for his country and because of a suspicion that because he doesn’t play in the Premiership, he can’t really be that good. Perhaps Owen Hargreaves is not Claude Makelele but few players are of the Chelsea man's ilk. However, Hargreaves is England's best option for the holding midfield role.

The Bayern Munich man has been openly praised by the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness and Karl Heinz Rummenigge, while Martin Jol, Frank Arnesen and Arsene Wenger have allegedly courted the Canadian- born midfielder. In other words, men with a far greater knowledge of the game than me or the morons who booed him on Saturday rate Hargreaves very highly.

Therefore, his ability to fill the problematic position should not be in doubt. Those who insist that he has never proven himself in an England shirt would also struggle to remember a time when he was given a sustained run in his preferred position. 24 of his 31 caps have come as a substitute while many of the games he started were on the left-hand side of midfield.

However, the inclusion of Hargreaves (or one of the others) would have to coincide with a seismic shift in the thinking of Sven. To facilitate that sort of change, Eriksson will have to dispense with Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Owen or Cole. The first four are favourites of the Swede while Cole is the only one of the bunch that can adequately fill the left-sided position.

Another option, to switch to 4-5-1 with only Owen up front, would put further

3294: Sad But Inevitable Departure f

by : Paul Grech

Of the four strikers at Chelsea last season, Eidur Gudjohnsen was probably the only one that the fans really wanted to stay. Yet, with the arrivals of Andrii Shevchenko and Salomon Kalou as well as the confirmation that Didier Drogba was to be kept on, his departure was always a likely possibility.

But now that the realisation that his transfer to Barcelona was going through has hit home, there is an overwhelming feeling sadness among the club's fans.

Gudjohnsen joined Chelsea for approximately £5 million in the summer of 2000 after impressing for Bolton. Initially considered a squad player, he soon forced his way into the side never playing less than 30 games in a season.

Even so, he remained rather under rated outside of Stamford Bridge where instead he was appreciated for his ability to drop deep and play defence splitting passes. His vision, strength and tactical flexibility made him a valuable player regardless of his goal tally, even if 86 goals in 286 games is a remarkable return.

Statistics and form aside, Gudjohnsen developed a bond with the fans who saw in him not only an extremely talented player but also one who had grown to love the club as much as they do. His constant determination to keep his place, despite the millions spent on other players, is also widely admired.

That he has been sold to Barcelona thereby strengthening the team widely considered as Chelsea's biggest European rivals will cause some concern. Yet the general feeling is that Gudjohnsen had earned the right to decide where to go.

His refusal to talk to Manchester United despite their apparent willingness to pay £2 million more than Barcelona was praiseworthy as it signalled a refusal to compete against Chelsea in the Premiership whereas the decision not to talk to Valencia was fuelled by their limited championship prospects.

Barcelona, however, was a totally different prospect. Here was a chance to further improve his growing honours collection in a very pleasant city to live in. That he won't be seen as a regular starter is hardly going to be a problem: he often faced the same situation as Chelsea but was still an integral part in all their recent successes. Given that Henrik Larsson - the man he will be replacing - is widely credited as the player whose entry on the field of play turned the Champions League final in Barcelona's favour, Gudjohnsen's resolve will be further strengthened.

The only pity, from a Chelsea point of view, is that the fans didn’t get the opportunity to bid their farewell. This should ensure that, although their recent matches with Barcelona have been spicy affairs, should they meet again at least one member of the visiting squad will be given a hero’s welcome.

Read our profile of Salomon Kalou, the man taking up Gudjohnsen's place,here
.

3296: Group H: Spain/Ukraine- Spain

by : Bill Urban

pressure on a striker clearly lacking match fitness and who isn't adept at holding up the ball at the best of times. Even to drop Owen and use Crouch as the lone striker would do little but highlight the Liverpool striker's shortcomings.

In 2002 England went to Japan and Korea in a similar position to the one they find themselves in now. There, Nicky Butt, who was regarded as nothing more than an average bit-part international player, came out of the tournament with the praise of Pele, amongst others, ringing in his ears. Could Owen Hargreaves be the Nicky Butt of 2006, or should I ask the nurse to increase my medication?
One match, one comprehensive, thoroughly effective, and occasionally brilliant performance, and the Spaniards will undoubtedly move from the media’s pre-tournament favourites for an early exit to champions-in-waiting. The Spanish have a history of flattering to deceive in the World Cup, and some indifferent performances in pre-tournament friendlies, combined with the extreme eccentricity of their manager, Luis Aragones, made the Spaniards an easy target for those predicting an early exit from the World Cup.

Instead, the Spanish put together a beautiful display of flowing ball movement, surging runs into the attack, and some lethal finishing, combined with the always necessary bits of luck in the shape of a deflected free kick and a strange penalty decision, to play the Ukrainians off the park. Much was made of the Ukrainians struggles in the heat in the Zentralstadion, but to blame their ineffective, disjointed play on the climate does a disservice to the Spaniards, who combined their skillful attacking play with organised, compact defending and the ability to break quickly on the counter.

One match is never a reasonable sample base, but having dispatched what was supposed to be their most difficult group opponent by four clear goals must make the Spaniards confident about their progress to the next round.

Everything should be fine, unless Raul turns up to training clad in yellow kit again...

Iker Casillas 6

Casillas had comparatively little to do, as indeed could be said for the Spanish back four. There was a nervous moment in the 90th minute when Casillas came off his line and totally missed a through ball, but his stalwart central defender Pablo Ibanez saved his keeper’s blushes.

Sergio Ramos 7

The latest in the identikit, blonde hair pulled back Spanish wonder players, Ramos had a fine match, defending effectively and simply when required and pushing into the attack on the right side of the pitch into the gaping spaces left by Luis Garcia’s runs into the centre.

Carles Puyol 7

Bored with pushing up to catch Andrei Shevchenko offside, Puyol decided to audition his playmaking skills late in the match, pulling out a wonderful spin turn before chesting down a through pass for Fernando Torres to lash home the goal of the match. Not really tested by an impotent Ukraine attack, Puyol gave one of his typical, assured, commanding performances in the centre of the Spanish back four.

Pablo Ibanez 7

Content to stay home while Puyol wandered off doing his Ronaldinho impression, Ibanez had a tidy match alongside his wannabe playmaking counterpart, winning balls in the air with aplomb and covering for both Puyol and Casillas when necessary.

Mariano Pernia 6

Pernia had as little to do while defending as the rest of the Spanish back four, and pushed into attack on occasion like his right-sided counterpart Ramos. Pernia’s service to the strikers left a bit to be desired, but he locked down the left side of the Spanish back four in professional fashion.

Xabi Alonso 7

Scored a first-half header from a corner, and sat alongside Marco Senna in front of the Spanish back four, winning tackles and distributing balls all across the pitch in typical, subdued, and effective fashion. Subbed early in the 55th minute for David Albelda, this surely was a reflection of wanting to preserve Alonso’s fitness rather than a comment on his effectiveness. Then again, with Manic Street Preacher Luis Aragones in charge...