Aston Villa Await Scandinavian Intertoto Challenge

The Gareth Barry saga has taken most of the attention at Villa Park since the season ended. It's been easy for fans to forget that the club ended the campaign back in Europe again, albeit in the Intertoto Cup.

Barry may have made his views on the Intertoto clear but it repreesents another staging post on Villa's rise under the O'Neill-Lerner partnership. Whether cracking the 'Big 4' is possible is a moot point but this is at last a step in the right direction.

The revamped Interoto means the English represetatives must win just one two leg encounter to make the UEFA Cup. This competition has been running even while Euro 2008 was still in progress and Villa now know that they will visit Scandinavia in Round Three.

It will be either the Finnish side TPS Turku or the Danes from Odense BK who provide the opposition. While Villa would expect to win against either, these are sides that can't be taken lightly.

Odense are the favourites to come through and they have some familiar names in their ranks. Mads Timm was on the books at Manchester United in his youth, hoping to be the next Solskjaear. Thomas Helveg by contrast played at the highest level in Serie A and in World Cups for Denmark.

Morten Bisgaard appeared at Euro 20o0 for the Danes and became a familiar figure with Derby County; fellow midfielder Christian Balanos was in the Costa Rican squad at World Cup 2006. Keeper Arkadiusz Onykso has 2 Polish caps and is only kept out by the excellence the Poles have in that department.

Odense are exactly the sort of tricky test Villa could do without so early in the pre-season but the first leg comes up in less than 3 weeks. They got into the Intertoto by winning the Danish Cup. O'Neill may be resigned to going in without Barry and some of his potential new signings could also  not be available.

At least a trip to Denmark makes for easy traveling. Finland would be  a bit further but TPS are less tough opponents in theory. The fans will be wary of Mika Aaritalo though, who has every reason to desire a game with Villa. He came to the West Midlands in 2003 as a young prospect but failed to settel and never appeared in the first team.

Unusually TPS have an English midfielder, Chris Cleaver, once of Peterborough United. He's spent several seasons in Finnish football. TPS were the club of former Villa keeper Peter Enckleman.

Villa will know their opposition by 12th or 13th July and have barely a week to prepare for the first leg which will be away. At least O'Neill will know what is required in the return leg but he'll hope to finish matters in the first game- it's a tie Aston Villa can't afford to lose.

Championship Transfers: Birmingham City and Sheffield United bide their time

As June turns into July, the Championship is split into those teams who are biding their time in the transfer market and those who have made early moves to strengthen their squads.

Two teams who will be fancied to mount promotion challenges next season, Sheffield United and Birmingham City, are among those keeping their powder dry and waiting fot the right player at the right price.

When Kevin Blackwell took over as Blades boss earlier in the year he inherited a squad that looked ripe for ripping apart in the summer. The men who had served Neil Warnock so well were not producing the goods for Bryan Robson and, James Beattie aside, none of Robson's own signings were impressing.

Blackwell however inspired his squad to an upturn in form of such proportions that the Blades almost reached the play-offs and in the process, changed the manager's thinking about his summer plans.

Now confirmed as manager on a long-term basis, Blackwell has said that he will not be making wholesale changes ahead of next season, preferring instead to keep hold of his star players and add to them with one or two quality signings.

"What I'm trying to do is like unearthing a diamond from beneath a pile of rocks," he told the Sheffield Star.

"I could go out and sign lots of people but I don't want to because, as results towards the end of last season showed, it would be foolish to upset what we've already got.

"They've got to be handpicked and the right ones."

Well-stocked in the striker department, Blackwell's focus is on landing an attacking midfielder with Peter Halmosi of Plymouth Argyle seen as a top target.

Birmingham City have made a move in the transfer market with the early capture of Lee Carsley on a free transfer after his release by Everton.

The rest of the traffic at St Andrew's however has been in the opposite direction. Mikael Forssell has returned to the Bundesliga while Fabrice Muamba has joined Bolton Wanderers for £5m and Mauro Zarate is no longer at the club after the end of his loan spell.

Doubts remain about the future of James McFadden despite Alex McLeish's desire to keep the Celtic target.

"We're lean as a squad in terms of numbers and I hope we'll be stronger on that front by the start of the season," McLeish told the Blues website after the sale of Muamba.

"We'd like to exploit the loan market which can be an effective way of adding quality players."

A new striker is also a priority, whether McFadden leaves or not. To that end, McLeish's connections with the SPL and the Scotland team have seen him linked with moves for Kris Boyd of Rangers and Hibernian's Steven Fletcher.

Blackburn Rovers: Nothing More than Ability and Ambition

by Paul Grech

All praise Blackburn for going against trend and convention by appointing Paul Ince as manager.  He is after all young and English which isn't a combination most clubs have been too interested in of late.

Looking at the managers who came into their jobs midway through last season, it is apparent that all clubs were interested in was experience rather than taking a risk on someone as yet untried but perhaps with the potential to do better in the longer run.

Of course, Ince's appointment has sparked off innumerable debates albeit for other reasons: the colour of his skin and how this has held back other managers.  That there is this awareness is commendable, yet one would hardly imagine that the Blackburn directors gave it too much thought.  What was important for them was Ince's ability as a manager, how he projected himself and his ideas on taking the club forward.

Which is all that should really matter.

That Paul Ince had to start out at Macclesfield and MK Dons whilst his team-mates from the nineties got breaks much higher up the league - Stuart Pearce at Manchester City, Gareth Southgate at Middlesbrough and Roy Keane at Sunderland - isn't indicative of anything.  Tony Adams got his first job at Wycombe, Ian Rush got all his qualifications but all he could get where coaching jobs here and there.

That managers get jobs because of the colour of their skin is of course true in football just as it is elsewhere.  It shouldn't be that way, of course, and any attempt at trying to raise consciousness about the problems faced by black managers should be lauded. Trying to push Ince forward as a champion of the cause, however, won't be doing him too many favours.

His job at Blackburn is already tough as it is.  Facing him is the prospect of losing the club's best players.  David Bentley and Roque Santa Cruz had special links with Mark Hughes but now that he's gone it is looking increasingly difficult for Blackburn to keep hold to them.  Both are eager to further their career and from their point of view it is difficult to do so at Blackburn especially when the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly interested.

Convincing them otherwise will be a challenge just as replicating Hughes' success in the transfer market will be.  It is an area where nothing Ince has come across will prepare him for what he will have to face at Blackburn.  How he adapts to it will go a long way to determining his success.

Otherwise, there seems to be little reason to doubt his abilities.  At Macclesfield, he managed to pull to safety a club that seemed destined for relegation whereas he not only got MK Dons promoted but also managed to lead them to Wembley success in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.  In all cases he did so by playing attractive football.

That will be the most significant development as far as Blackburn fans are concerned because, although effective, Hughes' teams didn't really enthrall the crowds.  The target for Ince is to be just as successful - and hopefully more - without sacrificing his footballing beliefs.

If he does so then there will be truly a reason to eulogize him.  Not because he is the first British born black manager but rather because he has been a success at his job.  Which is the basis upon which anyone should be judged.

Championship Transfers: Burnley, Coventry & Derby go early

As June turns into July, the Championship is split into those teams who are biding their time in the transfer market and those who have made early moves to strengthen their squads.

Already busy in the market have been Burnley, Derby County and Coventry City.

Burnley's business has come off the back of Kyle Lafferty being sold to Rangers for a fee widely quoted as £3m.

The Northern Ireland striker may have a big future ahead of him but a league goals tally to date of 10 from 83 appearances (31 as a sub) seems to justify Turf Moor chairman Barry Kilby's quote that: "This is a good price when you are buying potential rather than the finished article."

Manager Owen Coyle has been entrusted with the Lafferty money and moved quickly to sign another Northern Ireland striker, Martin Paterson of Scunthorpe as a replacement.

The quoted fee is £1m up front and with Paterson having netted 13 times in the Championship last season for a side who ended up relegated, Burnley will feel they have done some good business.

Former St Johnstone boss Coyle has used his knowledge of the Scottish scene to snap up Under-21 international midfielder Kevin McDonald from Dundee while, subject to a work permit, Peruvian goalkeeper Diego Penny will add a touch of the exotic.

Derby have also wheeled and dealed, no surprise given Paul Jewell's almost weekly lament last season at the lack of quality in his squad.

Robert Earnshaw and Kenny Miller have departed, for Nottingham Forest and Rangers respectively, bringing in a touch over £4.5m.

Replacing them up front, Jewell will be hoping to once again get the best out of Nathan Ellington. The pair enjoyed great success together at Wigan but Ellington's career has stalled since, firstly at West Brom, then at Watford.

Full-back Jordan Stewart has followed Ellington in from Vicarage Road while creative midfielder Kris Commons has made the opposite journey to Earnshaw.

Tranmere winger Steve Davies and Plymouth defender Paul Connolly have also arrived with Jewell promising more to come ahead of the big kick-off.

Coventry's need for new faces also stems from a dreadful end to the 2007/08 season. Chris Coleman had enough time in charge then to see what he felt was wrong with the squad and three new faces have already arrived.

Guillaume Beuzelin from Hibernian and Icelandic youngster Aron Gunnarsson will form a new midfield partnership while Carlisle goalkeeper Keiren Westwood has been signed in a £750,000 deal.

That move is the continuation of the Sky Blues' new policy to try and sign younger, hungry players. January captures Daniel Fox and Scott Dann from Walsall were big successes and have already gained England Under-21 honours.

David Silva Attracts The Big Clubs

To the average armchair viewerAndrei Arshavin has been the main man of Euro 2008 so far but David Silva of Spain isn't far behind.

Like Arshavin he came to the tournament as a player known to be useful but his performances have been a revelation. In a tough midfield to break into Silva has kept out Cesc Fabregas and when Luis Aragones has pepped up his team, it's been Iniesta and Xavi taking the early bath.

The Valencia man has stayed on the park becuse of his adaptability. Nominally a left midfielder Silva has appeared in the centre regularly to the point where he's almost been in the 'hole' behind the front two.

One factor characterises his play above all else- the unremitting desire to do something positive with the ball- either committing defenders or playing a probing pass.

These qualities apparently have the Premiership salivating. Just today the Daily Mirror reports that Rafa Benitez wants him but The Sun says it is Arsenal limbering up for a bid.

It's easier to see Silva's quick feet, dancing movement and eye for a pass fitting in at the Emirates than Anfield, except that Fernando Torres is at Liverpool and no doubt keen to welcome his international colleague- and Rafa Benitez's Valencia connections are second to none.

He may have fitted in on the left for Aragones but Silva is surely the sort of player that needs the run of the park to do damage. Arsene Wenger would surely give him that but would the more cautious Rafa Benitez?

Many other sides are sure to enter the argument if Valencia are prepared to deal. For the moment Silva has a semi-final with Russia to prepare for and he may yet even outdo Arshavin as Euro 2008's star man.

Whatever the result, another 90 minutes probing the opposition defence could add even more value to what will surely be a stellar transfer fee.

Andrei Arshavin Becomes Target Number One

The scuttlebutt in the transfer market is that Newcastle United enquired about signing Andrei Arshavin a couple of weeks ago. A few days before that there were strong stories about a move by Manchester City. The picture has now changed drastically.

If Arshavin did come to England United and City would be unlikely destinations, as the player has probably had more impact than any other participant at Euro 2008.

Zenit St Petersburg boss Dick Advocaat is resigned to losing him, although the Russian club hardly need the money- they are sponsored by the third biggest company in the world after all.

Now the talk is of the Champions League elite making bids- especially English or Spanish clubs. Arshavin is openly being talked of as the natural replacement for Alexander Hleb at Arsenal but competition will be stiff.

The assumption that Zenit can't hold their prized asset may not hold good. The club from Russia's second city are on the up and there is little track record of top Russians (and before that Soviets) moving to Western clubs at their peak.

If he does leave, sources close to the player have indicated that Spain has the edge, although 'sources' often turn out to misleading to say the least.Roman Abramovich could yet try to discuss terms with his fellow countryman and steer him toward Chelsea.

The great thing about the tournament has been to see the emergence of a genuine star. In our media-saturated age very few hidden gems are out there but the nimble playmaker had added a real touch of magic to Euro 2008- unfortunately for Newcastle and Manchester City.

Transfer Specualtion - Will Keegan or Keane win the battle for Aiden McGeady?

Kevin Keegan and Roy Keane were two of the greatest players ever to have graced the game. But who will have the power to persuade Aiden McGeady that his future lies with them?

The Republic of Ireland winger is undoubtedly the most exciting player in Scottish football. He has the skills of a Brazilian and isn't afraid to use them in the big games,  he loves to run at defenders, can deliver inch-perfect balls into the box, can unlock the tightest of defences, has an eye for goal and, most importantly from a spectator's point of view, he gets people out of their seats. With skills like this it's easy to understand why there is such a battle for his services. And after winning everything possible domestically at Celtic maybe, like Ronaldo, he is prepared for a new challenge.

Manchester City, Espanyol and Sevilla have been linked with McGeady in the past, but it looks as though it is going to be a two-way fight between Roy Keane's Sunderland and Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United - but where will he go?

Sunderland's Irish contingent could prove to be a deciding factor in McGeady choosing the Stadium of Light. Roy Keane played with the Celtic star during his short spell at the Glasgow giant and has been keeping a close eye on his progress. He will know what makes him tick and how to get the best out of him. Andy Reid, Graham Kavanagh, Liam Miller and Paul McShane will know all about McGeady from international duty while Ross Wallace also used to play with him at Celtic.

But it's not all about who you know at the club. McGeady is an ambitious young man and loves to win. Sunderland achieved their ultimate goal last season of staying in the Premiership but this season they must build on that and McGeady will have to be guaranteed that they can achieve that. And with no-nonsense Keano in charge you have to believe they will.

On the other hand Newcastle United can't be any worse than they were last season. With the Messiah finally turning it around with his attacking 4-3-3 formation the Magpies gave the long-suffering fans something to cheer about. Keegan is reportedly on the verge of losing a number of his established stars at the club - Given, Milner and Martins have all been linked with moves away in recent weeks - but the news that Michael Owen wants to stay will be a huge lift to the Toon Army, providing he can stay fit. McGeady and Owen in the same team is a frightening prospect as McGeady, who had a major hand in 19 of Celtic's goals last season, knows how to deliver the perfect ball and Michael Owen strike record is second to none.

The Newcastle fans love exciting, attacking, flair players and McGeady certainly ticks all the right boxes, and with Damien Duff and Shay Given, currently, at the club he will be able to settle in as quickly at St James' Park as he would at the Stadium of Light.

It's a tough call to make and it's one that will make him an instant hate figure on the other side of the North East. Both clubs have large, passionate supporters, they play in front of a packed house every home game and they both have ambitions to be in the top half of the table. However, McGeady has apparently pledged his immediate future to Celtic, but if the fee was to rise in excess of £10 million Celtic would be crazy not to take it.

Calling all Sunderland fans - Do you think Keano can win the race for McGeady signature? What would his arrival mean for your club? Do you think he's worth £10 million? Why do you think he should the Stadium of Light over St James' Park?

Calling all Newcastle United fans - Do you think Keegan can win the race for McGeady? How would you persuade him to join the Magpies and not the Black Cats? Why do you think he should join Newcastle ahead of Sunderland?

Calling all Celtic fans - How much do you want McGeady to stay at Celtic Park? How would you rate him as a player? Do you think £10 million is a fair price for the player? Do you think he can cut it in the Premiership?

We'd love to hear from you but please keep it clean! 

Portugal vs Germany: Ballack to help grind out a narrow German win

Germany have remained in the tournament partly as a result of a very favourable draw and with some inspired moments - like Michael Ballack's free-kick against the Austrians - making a huge difference. Scorelines of 2-0 (Poland), 1-2 (Croatia) and 1-0 (Austria) show that the Germans are not making the splash that the free scoring Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch have done. But a goal in each game so far suggests that Germany could well maintain that record against a defensively suspect Portuguese side.

Germany do have injury problems, with defensive midfielder Torsten Frings and leading scorer Lukas Podolski both doubts. If both player miss out then a surprisingly shallow squad may struggle at both ends.

For Portugal initial wins of 2-0 (Turkey) and 3-1 (Czech Republic) saw then qualify and allow a virtual reserve side to struggle to a 0-2 reverse against the Swiss - also a sign that there is little quality in reserve. Portugal are coming to rely on the mercurial Cristiano Ronaldo in the same way (and position) that they used to rely on Luis Figo, and no doubt the Germans will have a plan for the Manchester United forward.

Without Ronaldo (who has 21 goals after 52 caps) the front-line is very average, Nuno Gomes is 32 in a couple of weeks and he has never been prolific bagging 28 goals in 71 games; Simao is 29 in a few weeks and his record of 15 in 62 games is also uninspiring. The alternative up-front is ex-Tottenham man Helder Postiga who has ten international goals - after which no-one has more than Rocardo Carvalho's four goals. Portugal are worryingly, if understandably, dependent on the most valuable footballer in the world.

If the Germans can bottle up Ronaldo they can grind out a result based on their more physical game (they are on average 7cm taller and 4kg heavier than the Portuguese) and better set-piece delivery. That may not rule out extra-time and a late German heart-breaker. Maybe Ronaldo and Scolari will be able to plan for next season a little earlier than football purists would like.

Prediction: Germany to win 1-0 after extra time, 0-0 at 90 minutes.

5 £20 Spread Betting Tips: Sporting Index are currently offering a £200 free bet on any Euro 2008 match, see site for more details and with that in mind here are 5 tips that risk £20 that would leave you eligible to claim that £200 bet.

Shocking Decision, Ref! sell 0.45, buy 0.55 A market counting the number of disallowed goals; with such a robust German team there could be a few fouls given where the ball ends up in the net - a single goal makes a buy profitable.

Example: 40pt buy disallowed goals at 0.55 No goals: you lose 22pts 1 disallowed goal: You win 18pts 2 disallowed goals: You win 38pts 3 disallowed goals: You win 58pts 4 disallowed goals: You win 78pts and so on

Ballack(Ger) Goal Minutes sell 10, buy 13 The Chelsea man will delight in upsetting his new boss at club level, and is a real threat with his head in the penalty area and from free-kicks around the box.

Example: 2pt buy Ballack goal minutes at 13 No goals: you lose 26pts Ballack scores after 45 minutes: You win 64pts Ballack scores after 30 and 60 minutes: You win 154pts Ballack scores after 30, 60 and 90 minutes: You win 334pts and so on

Ronaldo(Por) Goal Minutes sell 21, buy 24 A bet on Ronaldo is certainly the housewifes choice, a footballing Desert Orchid or Red Rum.

Example: 1pt buy Ronaldo goal minutes at 24 No goals: you lose 24pts Ronaldo scores after 45 minutes: You win 21pts Ronaldo scores after 30 and 60 minutes: You win 66pts Ronaldo scores after 30, 60 and 90 minutes: You win 156pts and so on

Por-Ger: Total Penalties Scored sell 1.25, buy 1.50 If there is a winner then a buy on shoot-out penalties scored is a loser, but as shoot-outs tend to be decided by around 10 successes there is a huge upside if you are prepared to sweat for 120 minutes.

Example: 20pts buy Shoot-out penalties at 1.5 No goals: You lose 30pts 5 goals: You win 70pts 6 goals: You win 90pts 7 goals: You win 110pts 8 goals: You win 130pts 9 goals: You win 150pts 10 goals: You win 170pts 11 goals: You win 190pts 12 goals: You win 210pts and so on

Hotshots sell 26, buy 29 (each goal by Ronaldo, Nuno Gomes, Ballack or Klose scores 25pts) Hostshots is well priced with a break even at around one goal scored between the four most likely scorers. This could be a good alternative to low scoring markets.

Example: 1pts buy Hotshots at 29 No hotshot goals: You lose 29pts 1 Hotshot goals: You lose 4pts 2 Hotshot goals: You win 21pts 3 Hotshot goals: You win 46pts 4 Hotshot goals: You win 71pts 5 Hotshot goals: You win 96pts and so on (add on 8 points for any non starters - who become invalid)

When Football Came Home

by Paul Grech

It was the summer when football came home, England were half-decent and Paul Gascoigne had his last hurrah. It was also the summer when English football, inspired by the European Championships being held on home soil, really started to open up to foreign players.

For Liverpool that meant Patrick Berger. One of the best players in the tournament, he had been pivotal in the Czech Republic’s surprise run to the final where they were only beaten by an Oliver Bierhof goal in extra-time.

The truth that has since been forgotten is that Berger’s move to Liverpool was an accident of circumstances. The player that Evans really wanted was Karel Poborsky but, after a summer of dithering, he opted to move to Manchester United. Perhaps pressurised into going for a foreign player because that is what everyone else was doing rather than through genuine conviction, Evans promptly turned to Berger.

The feeling that Evans wasn’t really that enamoured with Berger would last till the end of his time at Liverpool. Unable to really figure out where best to play Berger, it wasn’t long before he decided that the best way of solving the conundrum was to leave him out of the side altogether.

Even worse, within a year Evans made a move for Oyvind Leonhardsen. If there ever was a sign of Liverpool’s declining standard it was that of buying players from Wimbledon who, with their long ball tactics and crazy gang mentality, were the antithesis to what Liverpool stood for in all respect.

Just as Leonhardsen was the complete opposite of Berger. Limited both technically and tactically, he had neither the flair nor the brilliance of Berger. Yet he was better in one respect: consistency. Evans knew what he would be getting from Leonhardsen each whereas with Berger it was brilliance one day, mediocrity the next.

Yet things had started off fantastically well for Berger. Two goals in his second game for the club were followed by another brace on his first full start against Chelsea the feeling was that Liverpool had finally found the man to take some pressure of Steve McManaman’s back.

This was, after all, a time when clubs came to Anfield with the sole tactic of trying to hack down McManaman in the belief that, by doing so, they would be stopping Liverpool. Sadly that is often how it turned out to be.

Berger’s arrival changed that. Here was a player who didn’t have McManaman’s ability to dribble his way past players yet who had the skill to turn the direction of a game with one pass.

The problem was that the side couldn’t really carry two players for whom defending meant trotting back when possession was lost. And, often, the one to lose out was Berger.
All of which changed when Gerard Houllier arrived at Anfield. Much more comfortable with his continental training regime, Berger quickly became a key player, even more so when McManaman left for Real Madrid.

Sadly for him, just when he was finally looking to fulfil his potential, fate intervened. An injury suffered in a 4-3 defeat at Leeds saw him miss most of the 2000-01 season even if he did return to play a key role in the FA Cup final win over Arsenal.

In truth, Berger never really recovered from that injury. Eventually, his contract at Liverpool ran out and, although he enjoyed good times both at Portsmouth and at Aston Villa, he never really was as good as he was at Liverpool

A few days ago, Berger left English football to return to his first love of Sparta Prague. His parting contribution: urging his then Aston Villa team-mate Gareth Barry to join Liverpool.

Can Arsene Wenger Fight Off The Vultures Again?

High summer used to be heralded by the sound of tennis  at Wimbledon but these days the sight of Arsene Wenger taking on various clubs with designs on his best players is equally traditional.

This year it's no different as Barcelona make unwelcome advances toward Emmanuel Adebayor which is added to the problems over Alexander Hleb, who's been unsettled for some time. Matthieu Flamini has already jumped ship to Milan. So can Arsene Wenger work his persuasion again?

The annual attempt by some of Europe's top clubs to prise Patrick Vieira away from Highbury became almost a pantomime with everyone knowing their part so well. Wenger won that battle as his skipper stayed long enough to be part of the 2004 Invincibles and when he did leave , his best form was left in North London.

After Vieira ,attention turned to Thierry Henry and again the Arsenal boss appears to have been able to keep his French talisman to the point where his considsrable powers waned slightly. Henry is still a top player but not the force of nature he was in an Arsenal shirt.

When players leave Highbury it's generally on Wenger's terms- remarkable given that by common consent, the club can't- or won't -match the money bandied about by their rivals. It's often said that careers don't go upwards after leaving Old Trafford but it's equally true of the Emirates/Highbury.

Ashley Cole may have reached a Champions League Final with Chelsea but he hasn't looked as comfortable across London and Wenger drove a bargain that brought William Gallas in return. He also showed his steel when he refused Robert Pires a longer contract.

So generally, Wenger has won the big battles but now his task is tougher. He can't point to recent titles won anymore which has been the core of his argument- players love to play in his system but pragmatism will kick in if it leaves them short of trophies.

The attempt to take Adebayor and Hleb away from his squad is effectively a dry run- if Arsenal can't hold on to this calibre of player, expect the likes of Barcelona to be back for Cesc Fabregas, a move that would strike at the heart of what Arsenal are doing.

Arsenal could accept Flamini's move as he is essentially a replaceable figure, albeit a very good player. Lose the other pair though and some others squad members will begin to wonder where the club is going and transfer targets may shy away.

If anyone can make the case it is Arsene Wenger. He's spent a career at the club building sides and retaining them with reduced financial muscle than his chief rivals. The imminent arrival of Samir Nasri shows that his unparallelled contacts are still producing results but it is a balancing act.

The longer Arsenal go without a title or Champions League triumph, the harder it is to keep the squad intact. Even the persuasive Arsene Wenger might have his work cut out if he were to lose both Adebayor and Hleb.

The Unexpected Euro 2008 Star XI

Every team has played 3 games and while the big stars have made their impact who are the unexpected names who have made people sit up and take notice across the Continent?

Artur Boruc (Poland)

Goalkeepers have the chance to shine behind poor defences and the dreadfully slow Polish stoppers gave Boruc every opportunity. The Austrians are still trying to work out how he kept them out until a penalty and he put in a massive shift against Croatia too but in vain.

Right back- Alexander Anyukov (Russia)

The Russians are especially well served by their flank defenders. Anyukov is a robust athlete capable of becoming the furthest man forward in the manner of the recent Brazilian stars. A constant threat down the right with good recovery powers.

Centre back - Andre Ooijer (Holland)

This hasn't been a vintage tournament for centre halves- thankfully- but Ooijer has impressed by his sheer enthusiasm for the Dutch. A player who doesn't always make the first choice pairing at Blackburn Rovers has been throwing himself into every challenge with abandon, like a man who knows he's been given the chance of a lifetime. Dominant in the air, less secure on the deck.

Centre back- Christian Panucci (Italy)

Hardly a newcomer? Well not as a full back but the veteran has been forced to centre back to cover Italy's surprising problems in that area. Helped shore up the back line and had time to net a goal against Romania.

Performed well against France despite the shock of the dodgy penalty awarded against him in the Romania game. Proof again that Italians produce the world's best rugged defenders.

Left Back -Yuri Zhirkov (Russia)

Full backs getting forward are an exciting but relatively routine feature of modern football. What is unusual is one who has the skill of a midfield playmaker in the final third.

The CSKA Moscow man is actually a converted left winger but the timing of his intrusions and his exquisite delivery have been highest quality. Saved his best for the slide rule pass to Arshavin that prouced the clincher against Sweden. Has high levels of stamina too. Honourable mention for Daniel Pranjic of Croatia.

Right Midfield- Rafael van Der Vaart (Holland)

Nominally a midfielder but Van Der Vaart embodies the great Dutch tradition of quality players looking to cause problems all over the park. He makes this eleven because although his talents were well documented, Van Der Vaart had never fully impacted at this level. Injuries to Robben and Van Persie gave him the chance which he grabbed with aplomb.

Centre Midfield - Nigel De Jong (Holland)

Kept the Dutch machine ticking over nicely and covered a great deal of ground in the centre of the park. Links up with Rafael Van Der Vaart at Hamburg and has kept it simple while others have provided the fireworks around him.

Centre Midfield-Joao Moutinho (Portugal)

The Mr Adaptable of the Portuguese midfield.  With two wide men and a central striker Portugal's midfield three have lot of work to do, both defensive and creative. The Sporting Lisbon player has shown tremendous maturity beyond his years to complement the experienced Deco and the grafting Petit.

Left Midfield- David Silva (Spain)

The least well-known member of the Spanish midfield but a constant thorn in the opposition side. Works very hard, always seeks the positive ball and shows great technical ability. One for the future.

Striker- Nihat Kahcevi (Turkey)

A star of the unlikely Turkish progress, the Villarreal frontman has been everywhere- sometimes deployed in the centre, occasionally on either flank , or slightkly withdrawn. Nihat has been both finisher and provider for the Turks and he never gave up when the team had their backs to the wall. His finish against the Czechs was a classic.

Striker - Ivica Olic (Croatia)

David Villa took the headlines for his goals but if you need a forward to run himself into the ground for the side, Olic is your man. Without Eduardo, Olic has really picked up the slack to open up spaces for Croatia's excellent midfield. Tremendous heart, a turn of pace and no little skill.

Would Sir Alex Ferguson Leave Christiano Ronaldo In The Stands?

The escalation of the battle between Manchester United and Real Madrid over the future of Christiano Ronaldo has become increasingly intemperate but the question is how far would the United management take matters?

It seems plain now that the furore isn't just the fault of Real Madrid- the player could have put an end to the debate and speculation at any time over the past 6 weeks. As he hasn't, we must conclude that he either definitely wants to move to Spain, or wants to have the option at least.

The predictable refusal of FIFA to do anything about Real leaves the ball in United's court- as Ramon Calderon cynically remarked 'what evidence is there?' The Spanish giants have a long track record of allowing the player to do the work for them in these tugs of war.

The most striking comment from Old Trafford was Ferguson's threat- apparently with Glazer backing secured- to leave the Portuguese star out of the team at the start of the season and deny the player to both clubs. The question is, could he do it and would he do it?

In the modern soccer world power has passed inexorably to the top players who tend to regard long contracts as a minor inconvenience. No matter that Ronaldo extended his with United only 16 months ago- he and his advisers will bank on the fact that United cannot afford to pay upwards of £100,000 per week to someone who only trains.

If Ferguson were to banish Ronaldo to the wilderness would he carry the bulk of fans with him? In the desperately tight contest at the top of the Premiership many may feel that taking the Real shilling and spending it on recruits who want to play is more valuable than making a point to a player who everyone has expected to leave at some point. The argument goes that as long as it is Real Madrid and not Chelsea, then United can live with it.

The United boss may have begun this period of phoney war believing that Ronaldo's ambiguous statements were a barganing chip to secure a better deal from his current club. Now he has to accept that he's got a seriously disgruntled superstar of on his hands and decide if forcing him to stay is worth it.

The problem is that the two are simply not in a position to hold the sort of face-to face discussion that can cut through the fog of disinformation put about by Real, the media, agents and so-called 'friends of the player'. While Portugal remain in Euro 2008 Sir Alex can't reach him and a 3 week holiday for Ronaldo after won't help.

The suspicion is that a direct meeting between the two would give the Old Trafford boss a clear measure of his star player's true intentions and then he can act accordingly. The threat not to pick him was more aimed at Real than the player himself- if he finds Rolando intransigent, surely he'll advise the board to sell but bleed Real dry.

As a club Real Madrid haven't always shown team building to be their forte. By forcing the suitors to pay heavily for Christiano Ronaldo's services, United may cause Bernd Schuster problems with the balanceof his  squad. One man can't always make a team and United could do an awful lot with over £60 million.

For these reasons pragmatism will probably take over; Sir Alex Ferguson would probably like to take a stand on contracts but with a Premiership and European crown to defend, a fight to the finish simply isn't worth it.

Euro 2008 Preview; Holland v Romania

Romania could hit the headlines this Tuesday evening (June 17) as victory over Holland in Berne will propel them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, ending the hopes of both France and Italy in the process.

Beating Holland may seem unlikely on the evidence of the first two games played by each side. Romania have battled and scraped their way to draws with France and Italy (although but for an Adrian Mutu spot-kick blunder would probably have beaten the latter), while Holland have thrashed both with the kind of football not seen in orange since the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten were in their prime.

Yet the side, now coached by van Basten, haven’t always been this fluent under his guidance. They faced Romania in qualifying and could only pick up one point from a possible six. A 1-0 defeat in Romania came after a goalless draw on Dutch turf. Coming into the tournament there were grave concerns about Dutch prospects, particularly as they had been drawn in a group which pitched them in not only with the resolute Romanians, but also with the perceived might of France and Italy. Yet they have stormed the so-called Group of Death, following a 3-0 stroll over Italy with a 4-1 thwacking of France.

Those results have assured the Dutch of top spot in the group regardless of the result here, sparking fears among the populations of Italy and France that van Basten may ask little of his side against Victor Piturca’s men. Wholesale changes are likely, with some conspiracy theorists even suggesting that Holland might engineer the defeat that would see off both of the 2006 World Cup finalists. Van Basten has been quick to dispel these suggestions, but has stopped short of promising to field a full strength side. He has the backing of UEFA too, who say that having won both of their opening games the Dutch have earned the right to use their squad as they see fit.

All of which means that we are unlikely to see Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Andre Ooijer or Nigel de Jong. The latter pair are a yellow card away from a suspension, while van Nistelrooy is likely to give way to the highly-rated Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Not a bad replacement, nor it must be said are the likes of Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Ibrahim Afellay, who are all thought to be in line for a start after making previous appearances from the bench.

Romania lost Mirel Radoi for the remainder of the tournament after he picked up a nasty head injury against Italy. Also out is Dorin Goian through suspension, so expect starts for Nicolae Dica and winger Banel Nicolita in midfield. Inter Milan’s Cristian Chivu may revert to a central defensive role to cover the loss of Goian. Again much of their attacking inspiration will come from Mutu, who lies just behind central target man Daniel Niculae. Ciprian Marica provides another goalscoring threat from the bench should Piturca’s men need something late in the game.

If you set any store by history then they are likely to. That qualification win was Romania’s one and only success in 10 meetings with the Dutch down the years. Holland have come out on top in six of those including a 6-0 drubbing in their first meeting dating back to 1927. There have been three draws including that goalless encounter in qualifying for Euro 2008.

Amid all the hoo-ha about Holland’s team selection it should be remembered that it is almost impossible for van Basten to send out a team incapable of winning this match. The Dutch have a depth of talent far superior to their Romanian counterparts, and so much will depend not on the abilities of the deputies, but on their mentality having already made the last eight. The replacements will be desperate to impress to move into van Basten’s thinking for a possible showdown with Spain in the next phase, meaning a long day at the office could lie ahead of a limited Romanian team.

Yet they are nothing if not dogged, and there remains the nagging doubt that Holland may prefer it if Piturca’s side progress rather than face the prospect of a semi-final clash with a rejuvenated Italian or French outfit. At prediction time, it is the Dutch, just.

Verdict; Holland 1 Romania 0

By Stephen Orford

17 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Italy v France

At least one (possibly two) of Europe’s traditional football powerhouses will fall by the Euro 2008 wayside tonight (June 17) when Italy take on France in Group C in Zurich.

Neither have managed a win from their opening two fixtures in the section, and both found themselves on the end of a hammering from Marco van Basten’s progressive Holland outfit. Both could only manage a draw with Romania, leaving their fate out of their own hands as Victor Piturca’s side look for victory against what will be a weakened Dutch side in Berne.

Italy came within an Adrian Mutu spot-kick of bowing out on Friday (June 13). Had Gianluigi Buffon not got an arm and a leg to the Fiorentina striker’s late penalty, the Azzurri would already have landed on home soil. It is not hard to imagine the reception that would have greeted them, and the future of coach Roberto Donadoni remains in the balance going into this one.

The same might be said of France boss Raymond Domenech. Having guided his side to the World Cup final (where they were beaten by Italy) only two years ago, Domenech has been criticised for sticking by an ageing group of players. Men like Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele have looked a shadow of their brilliant best from years gone by, while others like Thierry Henry have shown only flashes of their undoubted ability. Nicolas Anelka has looked like a man wishing to be elsewhere throughout, while Franck Ribery can hardly claim to have reproduced the form which helped Bayern Munich dominate the domestic scene in Germany last term.

There are more problems for Domenech with the news that Patrick Vieira will miss out once again. The former Arsenal midfielder is still suffering from the thigh injury which ruled him out of the games against Romania and Holland, leaving Jeremy Toulalan in line for another start. Toulalan has failed palpably to pull up any trees with his performances, and Domenech may wonder whether he should have drafted in Mathieu Flamini to the squad after his excellent season with Arsenal, or given a chance to Portsmouth’s serial transfer-requester Lassana Diarra.

Adding to all of that is the possibility that William Gallas may miss out after sitting out a recent training session, although reports suggest that the Gunners defender will be ready in time.

Donadoni made five changes to his line-up last time out, and is thought to be pondering more for this win-or-bust clash. There are no fresh injury worries for Donadoni, who must decide whether to bring back Gennaro Gattuso alongside Andrea Pirlo in midfield, or else persevere with Roma star Daniele De Rossi. Simone Perrotta and Giorgio Chiellini look set to keep their places at the expense of Massimo Ambrosini and Marco Materazzi respectively, while another dilemma for Donadoni concerns whether or not to restore Antonios Di Natale and Cassano in attacking roles. Fabio Grosso may also start allowing Christian Panucci to continue in central defence in preference to Andrea Barzagli.

The teams have met twice competitively since that World Cup final in 2006, with both progressing to Euro 2008 from the same qualifying group. France won the first qualifying encounter 3-1 and managed a goalless draw in the return, yet it was ultimately they who stuttered to qualification after two defeats by Scotland. Other famous head-to-heads down the years include the Euro 2000 final in which David Trezeguet scored a Golden Goal to give France a 2-1 win. France beat Italy 2-0 in a last 16 match at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and came through a penalty shoot-out after a goalless quarter-final en route to winning the 1998 World Cup in their own back yard.

Yet history is just that, and with the stakes so high there will be no looking to past glories at the end of this one. The maths would test out Carol Vorderman, with all manner of possibilities ranging from either side winning to progress, to either side winning and packing their bags all the same. There is even one scenario in which the two could play out a penalty shoot-out for the right to finish third in the group to gain points for UEFA’s complex co-efficient points system used to determine seedings in future tournaments. The only certainty is that a draw puts both out, as does any sort of win for Romania against Holland.

It’s likely to be tense for all parties, making for one of the best games of what has already been one of the better European Championship tournaments of modern times.

Verdict; Italy 2 France 1

By Stephen Orford

17 June 2008

Euro 2008 Diary; Ballack Belter; Klasnic Clincher; Megson Moves For Muamba

Euro 2008 Diary - Monday June 16 2008

Germany crawl through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 following an uninspiring victory over Austria in Vienna.

Michael Ballack’s net-busting 49^th minute free-kick is the only thing that separates the two sides on the scoreboard, though quite how Mario Gomez does not fire Germany into a first half lead is a question that he may never be able to answer. Austria are hard-working and competitive throughout but rarely threaten Jens Lehmann in the German goal;

“I'm pleased to garner this important win in a match where we were under enormous pressure.” announces Germany boss Joachim Low pompously.

Along with Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger, Low is sent to the stands just before half-time following a spat with the fourth official;

“I told the referee's assistant we wanted to quietly get on with our coaching work in our zone and that's why we were both sent to the stand.” flounces Low.

Defeat for Hickersberger’s men means that the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 are a host-free zone, following Switzerland’s earlier exit from the competition;

“We weren't able to do up front what we had hoped.” explains the Austrian coach.

News of Germany’s fortunes must have been filtering through to the Polish team, who were taking on Croatia in Klagenfurt. Leo Beenhakker’s side are beaten 1-0 following Ivan Klasnic’s goal, and owe much to the impressive Artur Boruc for keeping the score down against Slaven Bilic’s weakened side.

Bilic heaps praise on Klasnic afterwards, following the Werder Bremen striker‘s recovery from a kidney transplant last year;

“He is a very strong personality. When we first learnt the news about his kidney operation, it was him who raised our morale. It really is a fairytale.” says Bilic;

“We are not the first team to win three group matches at a European Championship but there have not been many who have.” adds Bilic, claiming his share of national glory even before the last eight clash with Turkey on Friday (June 20).

As for Beenhakker, he is left to reflect on the old Polish disease of leaving their qualifying form at home when it comes to tournament play;

“We showed in most of the qualifying matches that we can do much better but the players who gave us something extra in qualifying didn't do it here.” he reflects.

Back home the fixtures for the forthcoming English and Scottish League seasons are announced, with the big game of the opening Premier League weekend taking place at Old Trafford where Newcastle United are the visitors on August 16.

Big Phil Scolari starts his Chelsea tenure with a home clash with Portsmouth, while Arsenal host West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool travel to Sunderland. Newly promoted Hull City are at home to Fulham in their first ever Premier League game, while Stoke City’s first in the division will be at Bolton Wanderers.

Bolton have other matters on their mind for now, with the signing of Fabrice Muamba from Birmingham City for £5million. The ex-Arsenal midfielder joins on a four-year deal to the delight of Trotters boss Gary Megson;

“Fabrice is a tough-tackling central midfielder who has had a good grounding with the Arsenal youth set-up. He'll be a tremendous asset to Bolton Wanderers over the coming seasons.” promises Megson.

By Stephen Orford

17 June 2008

Donadoni Looking for A Repreive

by Paul Grech

Win or bust.  That is what is facing Italy tonight, putting aside that it could be win AND bust if results elsewhere don’t go their way.  That too is the reality for Roberto Donadoni: contract or not, if Italy go out then so too would the national coach.

For many, that would be the predictable conclusion of a rushed decision.  Prior to taking the Italy job, Donadoni’s only previous experience was at Livorno where he was famously sacked by the Aldo Spinelli, the club’s president, on national television.

In truth, his track record there wasn’t at all negative – Livorno were heading for UEFA Cup qualification when he was dismissed – yet not enough to suggest that he could take over the national team especially with the added pressure of guiding the world champions weighing him down. 

It was and remains a surprise decision, particularly as there were other much more qualified candidates like Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti who would have willingly taken the job.  Yet it was also the peak of the calciopoli scandal at a point where no one knew who was in charge of Italian football following a series of resignations and dismissals.

Donadoni has never managed to shake off that impression about him being in the job by virtue of someone failing to really tackle the issue.  His lack of popularity was reflected in the Italian federation’s reluctance into renewing his contract, apparently happy to go into a major championship with a coach whose future was undecided.

To his credit, Donadoni has grown into the role.  Having been outclassed by France in his first game of qualification, he has slowly been shaping the side on his own mentality and so as to handle the loss through retirement of two key players like Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta.

By the end of qualifications, it was as if the Italy of old was back: determined, clinical and capable of playing attractive football.  That rumours of an apparent interest by Milan to make him their manager started to surface hinted that Donadoni might be starting to win people over, not to mention finally got him a contract renewal.

Then came Holland and the biggest defeat in a major championship for almost forty years that was followed by an unimpressive draw with Romania.  The critics started crawling back out, even if Donadoni was at least cut some slack thanks to the erroneous referee decisions – perceived or not – as well as the injury to Fabio Cannavaro that has exposed the lack of alternatives at the back.

Not that Donadoni is blameless.  His decision – or deferral thereof - to appoint two captains following the injury to Cannavaro sent out the wrong message, one whereby he was either too undecided or else incapable of managing his players to decide between Del Piero and Buffon.

It was the same after the opening game defeat when he suddenly swept away all that had been prepared in the run up to the championships and opted to bring in five new players.  Some of these were undoubtedly through personal choice or rethinking but there was also the feeling that media pressure had played a role, and an important one, in his decisions.

Even so, Donadoni appears uncertain about his best formation.  Antonio Cassano and Simone Perrotta could play just behind Luca Toni up front tonight meaning more changes that feel too much like being experimental to really be of much comfort. 

In this respect, the contrast with Marcello Lippi couldn’t be more marked. True, Lippi frequently changed his sides but that was to give them different tactical inflections something that proved to be crucial in the World Cup.  He knew how to face each team and which players suited which opponent.

Donadoni, on the other hand, seems to be making changes in hope rather than belief.  Just as talk of hope has been making the headlines for the past days, with talk of whether Holland will be putting much of a fight against Romania.  Because, ultimately, whatever Donadoni and his players do today could prove to be futile.

Just like his best efforts to convince people of his worth.

Euro 2008 Preview; Germany v Austria

There probably won’t be anything neighbourly about Germany’s Euro 2008 Group B clash with Austria in Vienna on Monday night (June 16).

A shock loss to Croatia has left Germany needing at least a draw to progress to a quarter-final appointment with Portugal, while the Austrians still have designs on a meeting with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side. The co-hosts’ hopes were kept alive with a 1-1 draw against Poland on Thursday night (June 12) thanks in no small part to the decision of English referee Howard Webb to award an injury time penalty to Josef Hickersberger’s side.

Germany are still firm favourites to reach the least eight despite their set-back. They produced a confident display in their opening victory over Poland, while Austria have lacked cutting edge in their two outings so far. Furthermore they were written of as no-hopers before the tournament began, and are still ranked a lowly 92^nd in the FIFA list. Anything other than a German victory would go down as a seismic shock.

Joachim Low’s side are boosted by the news that Lukas Podolski and Philip Lahm are set to start. Podolski looks to have shaken off an ankle injury while Lahm could switch over to left back in place of Marcell Jansen having recovered from a calf problem. Jansen has been the glaring weakness in this German outfit to date, finding himself exposed at left-back on numerous occasions. Expect Arne Friedrich to come in at right-back to shore up a German defence featuring the unconvincing Cristoph Metzelder and Per Mertesacker. Alternatively, Clemens Fritz may drop deeper to play at right-back, with Tim Borowski coming into midfield.

Along with Lahm, Podolski has been one of the form players for Low’s side. His double strike earned victory over Poland - the country of his birth -, and it was his goal which gave Germany late if rather false hope of a comeback against Croatia last time out. With Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez and Kevin Kuranyi not looking likely to score so far, the burden is falling heavily on Podolski to produce. Yet the Bayern Munich man is responding well, and carries his adopted country’s biggest goal threat if current form is anything to go by.

Missing alongside Jansen is Bastien Schweinsteiger. The midfielder brought some much needed energy and impetus to the German performance when he was introduced against Croatia, before spoiling it all by getting himself sent off. He was guilty of a push on Croatian defender Jerko Leko and must sit this one out.

Austria have a suspension of their own to contend with. Centre-back Sebastien Proedl picked up a second yellow card in successive games against the Poles, and is likely to be replaced in the starting line-up by Martin Hiden. Comments by Hickersberger in the media point to the deployment of Rene Aufhauser in a man-marking role on Michael Ballack, while the goalscoring duties will again be handed to Martin Harnik and Roland Linz. Harnik missed a couple of clear-cut chances against the Poles before Ivica Vastic’s late penalty but is expected to keep his place as Austria go for broke. Vastic is a veteran at 38, and is expected to take his place on the bench with the aim of making an impact late in the game if need be.

The tie throws up memories of two famous match-ups between the old West Germany and Austria. At the 1978 World Cup in Argentina a Hans Krankl-inspired Austria beat their rivals and at that time defending World Champions 3-2. Four years later in Spain, the two were accused of engineering a result that suited both as an early West German goal preceded a farcical bout of keep-ball which ultimately eliminated Algeria. It was a game which led to a rule-change insisting that all final round group games kick off simultaneously.

To the maths now, and Austria will qualify for the last eight with a win provided Poland do not record a larger margin of victory against group winners Croatia. Strangely, if Poland and Austria both win and finish level on goal difference, it will be the Poles who go through based on their higher UEFA ranking. So, no chance of a hastily-arranged penalty shoot-out which would have been used to sort out the Czech Republic and Turkey had it not been for Nihat’s late winner last night (June 15). Anything less than victory will see both Poland and Austria eliminated and Germany through to meet Portugal on Thursday night (June 19).

That remains the most likely scenario. Defeat to Croatia just might be the kick up the proverbial that the Germans needed, although tensions remain judging by comments made by Ballack today. The Chelsea man admitted that there is a nervousness in the camp, speaking of raised voices at a players meeting ahead of the Austria clash.

Verdict; Germany 2 Austria 0

By Stephen Orford

16 June 2008

Transfer Speculation- Deco To Chelsea

Back in 2004 Deco was the player than Jose Mourinho couldn't get. The Portugal playmaker had been the core of Porto's Champions League winners but his destination was the Nou Camp rather than Stamford Bridge. Now Felipe Scolari might bring Deco to the Premiership after all.

Mourinho briought Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferriera from his Porto side in summer 2004 and he later added Maniche briefly. Instead of Deco he bought his international colleague Tiago from Benfica.

Like the rest of the Barca squad Deco was on a high up to 2006, when Frank Rijkaard's squad added the Champions League to domestic successes. Since that victory over Arsenal most of the team haven't performed as well but Scolari has kept faith with Deco at international level.

Now the Brazilian-born midfielder is catching the eye again at Euro 2008 and the rumour is that Scolari will take him to Chelsea. The irony would be that only a couple of weeks ago the speculation was that Mourinho would be re-united with the player at Inter. It may be a case of choosing between his two mentors.

If he does come to the Premiership he can take advice from Chrstiano Ronaldo. Like the Manchester United winger he was prominent in the two tournament defeats handed to England on penalties in 2004 and 2006. His role wasn't as controversial but there are those who will remember a tendency to hit the floor a little too easily.

Like Ronaldo before him, Deco can deal with the physicality of Premiership football- after all he was the player who put in more tackles than anyone lese at Euro 2004.

Scolari's decision to throw his lot in with Chelsea while simutaneously managing one of the most talented national squads has created an earthquake of speculation but while Sir Alex Ferguson may be very suspicious of 'Big Phil' in relation to Ronaldo and others, Barca have always been clear that Deco can leave.

His performances over the past few weeks and the appointment of Scolari at Chelsea have made it a better than even bet that he will be playing Premiership football in August.

Transfer Speculation- Dimitar Berbatov to Barcelona

For some months now it hasn't been a question of 'if 'Dimitar Berbatov leaves Spurs but where to? The latest speculation has the striker heading for Barcelona.

Barca have the money to buy Berbatov, like all the other clubs linked to him but they do have a trump card- Hristo Stoichkov. The glowering, mercurial star of the 1994 World Cup was a team mate of Pep Guardiola, the new coach at the Nou Camp.

He is still a much respected figure in Catalonia where the crowds related to his fierce attitude and massive self-confidence. More importantly, Stoichkov is a towering figure to a whole generation of Bulgarian footballers and his recommendation would surely tip the scales in any competition for Berbatov's services.

East European playmakers have always fitted well into the Spanish environment, as they have much in common with a league where touch and skill count for so much and packed defences are less evident than in Italy- plus, the physical emphasis is less than in the Premiership.

Barcelona are a team in some transition after their 2006 Champions League winning triumph. The likes of Ronaldinho and Deco are leaving and it remans to be seen if Thierry Henry can reach his potential again. There is continual speculation about Samuel Eto'o's future.

Lionel Messi has emerged as the club's talisman and it could be an eye-watering proposition for defences to see the Argentinian flit around a mobile, pivotal striker like Berbatov who is as equally capable of playing his colleagues in as scoring himself.

Berbatov in the colours of a cavalier outfit like Barcelona seems far more fitting than the Bulgarian in a functional outfit like Inter Milan. This deal could be on at £25 million, though Tottenham would rather have the player than the cash.

Euro 2008 Diary; Dodgy Cech Helps Turkey Through; Scolari Selection Shocker

Euro 2008 Diary - Sunday June 15 2008

Drama of the highest calibre in Geneva, as Group A’s Any Other Business is sorted out by Turkey and the Czech Republic.

With Portugal already through as group winners and with Turkey and the Czech Republic boasting identical records, the prospect of a first ever penalty shoot-out to decide a European Championship group game looms large. Yet a horrible clanger from Czech stopper Petr Cech and a superb finish from Nihat Kahveci complete a remarkable turn-around to send the Turkish through to the last eight.

The game looks up for Fatih Terim’s side when they go two goals down with less than half an hour to play. Jan Koller’s first half header is added to by Jaroslav Plasil’s 62^nd minute strike to put Karel Bruckner’s side in command.

Even when Arder Turan slots past Cech with 15 minutes left a recovery looks unlikely. Yet with only three minutes to play Cech inexplicably drops Hamit Altintop’s centre at the feet of Nihat, who taps into the empty net. With panic having set in around the entire Czech team, Nihat finds himself in space just moments later to curl an unstoppable shot past the despairing Cech to win it for Turkey.

There‘s still time for Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel to be sent off for a push on Koller following a late chance for the Czechs, a turn of events which sees Middlesbrough striker Tuncay Sanli put on the goalkeeping gloves for the final moments;

“The only positive thing about this season is that it's over.” blurts a distraught Cech, who has already suffered the heartbreak of finishing runners-up in three competitions with Chelsea this term;

“We buckled under the pressure, it is going to take many nights to get over this game.” chips in Bruckner, looking for a stiff drink and a flight home.

By contrast there is joy in the Turkish camp, with manager Fatih Terim overcome by a sudden bout of optimism;

“We came here to play to the end. We're working to make that goal come true.” he warns, looking ahead to his side’s quarter-final clash with Croatia;

“I send a message to my country and I say to the people ‘get on the streets, celebrate this victory.’” he goes on.

Things are somewhat less exciting in Basel, where Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Switzerland is as meaningless as the latest comment on his future by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Manchester United star is one of several stars rested by Big Phil Scolari, whose side are beaten by Hakin Yakin’s double for the co-hosts;

“I made a big mistake. I should have made 11 changes. But I thought we would play normally.” he says on his team selection.

Meanwhile Swiss boss Kobi Kuhn isn’t pretending that this win erases the disappointment of going out at the group stage;

“It is great to win but there are tears of disappointment.” he concedes.

By Stephen Orford

16 June 2008

Euro 2008 Diary; Spain Snatch It Late; Greeks' 30-year Wait

Euro 2008 Diary - Saturday June 14 2008

Spain join Portugal, Croatia and Holland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 but leave it late to beat Sweden 2-1 in Group D in Innsbruck.

It all seems to be going according to plan when Fernando Torres notches his first goal of the tournament. The Liverpool striker gets on the end of David Silva’s cross on 15 minutes, but 10 minutes before half-time Sweden are level. Zlatan Ibrahimovic twists and turns in the Spanish penalty area before firing past Iker Casillas, though the Spanish keeper may feel he should have done better.

Ibrahimovic is withdrawn at half-time to protect his injured knee, leaving Sweden looking as if they have settled for a point. They nearly get it too, until David Villa latches on to Joan Capdevila’s hopeful ball to coolly slot past Andreas Isaksson for his fourth goal of the tournament;

“In the second half, we went out looking for the goal and things worked out. We were the boss of the ball in the second half.” says Spanish coach Luis Aragones, looking for something to shout at;

“It was a good win against a very good team. We had a lot to lose coming in.”

Sweden boss Lars Lagerback is not best pleased, but remains confident of progressing to the last eight;

“In the midst of this desolation, we realise it is still in our own hands.” he reflects;

“I think we have a realistic chance of qualifying, there's enough character in the team and this squad.”

It’s a straight fight for the second qualifying slot between the Swedes and Russia, who knock out defending champions Greece with a 1-0 success in Salzburg. Konstantin Zyryanov nets the only goal after 34 minutes, although Roman Pavlyuchenko misses enough chances to win the European Championship, the World Cup, the Boat Race and Russia’s Got Talent;

“The game will be a different game against Sweden. They are tough and they are experienced.” suggests Russia coach Guus Hiddink. As opposed to the soft, inexperienced lot who won this tournament four years ago.

Greece’s coach Otto Rehhagel was hailed as a messiah in 2004, but is left only with regrets as he analyses his side’s shortcomings;

“Our problem is that we score so few goals.” he reveals;

“A miracle happened in 2004 and a miracle only comes around every 30 years.” he adds, looking ahead to England’s 2036 European Championship triumph.

By Stephen Orford

16 June 2008

Euro 2008 Diary; Mutu Miss Gives Italy Hope; Dutch Destrory Domenech's Duds; More Miller Movement

Euro 2008 Diary;  Friday June 13 2008

Italy cling on to their hopes of adding the European title to their world crown of two years ago, but only by the slimmest of margins.

The Azzurri are held 1-1 by Romania in Zurich in an eventful contest, and now need to beat France in their final Group C game to have any hopes of progression.

After a goalless first half Gianluca Zambrotta’s misplaced header breaks into the path of Adrian Mutu, who lashes the ball past Gianluigi Buffon for the opener on 55 minutes. Yet just a minute later Christian Pannuci levels the scores, getting his head to Giorgio Chiellini’s flick-on from a corner.

With only minutes remaining Panucci almost blows his side’s chances when he brings down Daniel Niculae inside the box. Mutu steps up to take the resultant penalty, but cannot find a way past Buffon who saves with the aid of an arm and a leg to keep Italy in the tournament;

“I don't usually speak about referees. But the refereeing was not of high quality.” observes Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, angered by referee Tom Ovrebo’s decision to cancel out a Luca Toni effort for offside;

“It's funny that they saw Panucci when he was off the field against Holland and then they didn't see the player by the post.” adds Donadoni, ignoring the fact that his side’s 3-0 defeat to Holland on Monday (June 9) was officiated by an entirely different set of flag-wavers and whistle-blowers.

Romania are unsurprisingly the happier camp, with coach Victor Piturca pointing out his side’s achievements just in case anyone managed to miss them;

“We have played against the world champions and against the World Cup runners-up and we have two points.” he remarks.

Romania will qualify for the quarter-finals if they avoid a heavy defeat to Holland in their final group game and Italy and France draw in their head-to-head on Tuesday (June 17).

That’s because France are busy taking the kind of thrashing from Holland which might make Italy green with envy. You know you are struggling when Dirk Kuyt pops one past you, and it is the Liverpool man’s header which opens the scoring on 10 minutes.

That’s it for the first half, but when Arjen Robben centres for Robin van Persie to blast past Gregory Coupet on 59, the French look toasted. Thierry Henry pulls one back on 71 but within a minute Robben in causing more mayhem in the French defence, leading defenders a merry dance before smashing the ball in at Coupet’s near post from an impossible angle. The cherry on the cake is Wesley Sneijder’s long-range effort in the final minute to complete a 4-1 rout;

“We are very happy to have beaten the world champions and the World Cup finalists in the same week.” says Dutch coach Marco van Basten, rather trumping Piturca’s earlier boast.

France boss Raymond Domenech looks for a scapegoat, so long as it isn’t him;

“Certain players did not do what they had to do.” he comments;

“The players have to show themselves worthy of wearing the French shirt. Big players have to know how to get over things like this and to come back.”

Transfer business continues this Friday, with highly-rated Cardiff youngster joining Theo Walcott on the Arsenal bench for an officially undisclosed fee said to be around the £5million mark;

“I'm so happy to have signed for Arsenal.” says Ramsey, looking forward to the rest.

Club-hopping Kenny Miller is at it again. The former Rangers, Woverhampton Wanderers, Celtic and Derby County striker pitches up at…..er…….Rangers again on a three-year contract for £2million;

“When a club like Rangers comes calling, it's always going to be hard to knock that back anyway.” he suggests, endearing himself to the Celtic faithful.

By Stephen Orford

16 June 2008

Van Basten Keeps High Maintenance Dutch Machine On The Road

Turkey have their claims but Holland are clearly the team providing the most excitement at Euro 2008. That it was unexpected - especially by the Dutch- is an indication of the fragile balance that has to be maintained in any Dutch squad.

Football in the Netherlands has been providing a conveyor belt of exciting, talented footballers since the end of the 1960s. At any given time this relatively small nation has had a bagful of riches to select from but have rarely been able to assemble them into a title winning squad.

Dutch footballing culture carries some unique features which form both strength and weakness. Principally, the combination of the most consistently offensive-minded approach of any major footballing nation, allied with a tradition of intelligence and spiky independence of mind in the players.

The freedom of mind and opinion demanded by Dutch footballers can release glorious attacking tendences and sublime skill but also produces bouts of in-fighting and disregard for the manager's opinion which simply couldn't be tolerated in other nations.

Put simply- when it works (1974 and 1988) it is brilliant and almost irresistible. When it doesn't, riches are squandered by a bunch of players who hardly deserve the title 'team mates'.

Even now Marco Van Basten is operating with Ruud Van Nistelrooy who at one time refused to play under him and without Clarence Seedorf of AC Milan, who refused to be part of the squad.

At Euro 96 the Dutch were a divided, dispirited bunch, yet two years later much the same group of players were within touching distance of a World Cup Final appearance. They won Euro 1988 in glorious fashion and two years later in Italy they becme involved in a scuffle with an inferior German side and missed their chance of World glory.

When Van Basten was appointed the hope was that his massive reputation in Holland- second only to Johann Cruyff- would bring all the various egos onside. It seems to have worked out but only after the coach has made it clear that he's leaving- before his departure to Ajax was announced he had much the same problems as his predecessors.

For now the machine is purring along, although the evidence of some of the defending shows that it could break down all to easily. Dutch teams are always high performance but high maintenance - that's the fascination of watching. Van Basten just needs to coax three more prime performances from his charges and leave the problems of directing a squad of opinionated European champions to someone else.

New Squarefootball book on the 39th game

The 39th game: Premier League plays at imperialism

Seven of the writers of the long-established football website, Squarefootball, have collaborated to produce the first in-depth appraisal of the Premier League’s contentious proposal to add internationally based fixtures to the Premier League season.

Squarefootball is a football website which publishes a few thousand articles each season from a variety of writers based throughout the world; and is read by thousands of people each day. Squarefootball is the #1 web site for a search on the web for football articles and was nearly described on http://fakekev.blogspot.com as a site of ‘tolerable media freeloaders’ – although that actually referred to The Guardian.

The book covers a history of the Premier League and European football; arguments for and against the 39th game; the thoughts of a sample of fans from every Premier League club and some football league clubs; 100 key quotes from representatives of clubs and football politicians; plus a vision of what this means for clubs outside the Premier League and where it will take us by 2020.

Overall it is the definitive guide to a proposal that has yet to collapse; and will remain so unless someone else writes an alternative.

The book is currently available directly from the publishers, Lulu, (http://www.lulu.com/content/2463204) but will be available on Amazon and elsewhere in July.

What does the future hold for Spurs' Paul Robinson?

Rumour has it that Juande Ramos is preparing to bring Manchester City's Joe Hart and France international goalkeeper Gregory Coupet to White Hart Lane as part of a goalkeeping dream double act.  But where does this leave England shot stopper Paul Robinson?

On his day, the 28-year-old is a fantastic goalkeeper. Despite his portly frame, Robinson is agile as a cat, has great reflexes and is an imposing figure between the sticks. However, like all goalkeepers, he has suffered a dip in form and has made some huge clangers for club and country. His confidence was well and truly shattered when he was dropped by Ramos in January. Although he was recalled to the starting line-up following a howler by Radek Cerny in the UEFA Cup against Slavia Prague in February it's clear that the Spaniard doesn't rate him and Robinson hasn't played for Spurs since a 4-1 home thrashing by Newcastle United at the end of March.

So what does Robinson do now? Does he remain at Tottenham and fight for his place or does he leave for a new challenge? If Robinson really wants to regain his place as England's number one then there's only one option and that is to leave. But where would he go?

Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers are just a few of the clubs who have been linked with him in recent months but Gareth Southgate has shelved any plans of signing him while Bolton are buoyed by the news that Jussi Jaaskelainen is staying at the Reebok. Newcastle United could be interested if Shay Given leaves for Arsenal, but then the talk of the Toon is all about signing Rangers' Allan McGregor - one in a long line of goalkeepers who has been linked with Spurs recently.

Robinson needs to be playing first team football. Despite all his recent gaffes, he is too good to be left rotting on the bench. But he can't expect to walk into a club and be handed the number one jersey, he has to earn it. Looking through the clubs in the Premier League it's hard to see where he could end up. None of the big four will touch him, Everton, Blackburn, West Ham, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Sunderland all have top keepers already. Manchester City and Aston Villa could be his most likely of destinations in England. Martin O'Neill has a fabulous reputation of restoring players' confidence but is still seeking to do a deal over Scott Carson while Mark Hughes could buy anyone in the world with his transfer kitty. It's unlikely that he'll join one of the teams tipped to be in a relegation battle next season so maybe he could be tempted by life in Italy or Spain.

One thing's for sure, Robinson must find a way out of White Hart Lane before his international career is over.

Spurs fans - What do you make of the way Robinson has been treated by Ramos? Do you think he is still deserves to be your number one or have you lost faith in him? If Ramos does bring in two new goalkeepers, what do you think Robinson will do? If he does leave, where do you think he will go? And do you think Hart and Coupet are Spurs class? If not, who would you like to see between the sticks at White Hart Lane? We'd love to hear from you.

Transfer Speculation - Shay Given to Arsenal

Arsenal had the worst defensive record of the top four last season and Arsene Wenger knows that if he wants to end the club's barren spell then that issue needs to be addressed ASAP. And with Jens Lehmann gone it's no surprise to see the Gunners being linked with one of the Premiership's best shot stoppers, Shay Given.

The Republic of Ireland and Newcastle United goalkeeper is a class act and you have to wonder where the Geordies would be if it weren't for his heroics down the years. How many times has he rescued the Magpies when he's been left one on one with a striker? How many times has he stretched himself to the limit in order to turn a goalbound shot around the post? Too many to mention. However, for all the praise and accolade from the fans, football writers and players, he only has one winner's medal to show for it - and that was for helping Sunderland win promotion while on loan from Blackburn Rovers more than a decade ago. Well that could all change if he joins Arsenal.

The Gunners led the title race until the final few months of the campaign last season but injuries, a loss of form, in-house fighting and the pressure became too much for the young squad. Everybody outside of the Emirates believes that Wenger needs to sign some experienced heads to balance the young talent at the club, especially after the loss of Flamini and the seemingly inevitable departure of Hleb. Shay Given is as experienced as they come and would ooze confidence to the Arsenal backline. Some people may criticise Senderos and Gallas but they will look like world beaters to Given compared to the likes of Titus Bramble and Jean Alain Boumsoung!

But is Kevin Keegan really willing to let one of his best players leave St James' Park? Well yes and that's all down to Steve Harper. The 35-year-old has been at Newcastle for 15 years but has spent most of the time out on loan or as a back-up to Given. However, Keegan has been hugely impressed by Harper since his arrival and Given is not guaranteed to be his number one come the start of the season. And with Mike Ashley forcing Keegan to sell in order to add to the squad he might think that selling Given is a smart bit of business for all concerned.

Arsenal do of course have Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski vying for the number one jersey but some people aren't entirely confident with Almunia's command of the area while Fabianski remains one for the future. Given though has plenty of Premiership and European experience to come straight into the fold and would give everyone at the club a huge boost.

Figures being thrown around at the moment range from between £3.5 million to £10 million. At 33, Given is in the prime of his career and anything less than £5 million will be a steal for Arsenal. However, even if they shell out the maximum for him, it could end up being the difference between another trophy-less season or not.

Arsenal fans - Do you think Shay Given would be a good signing for Arsene Wenger? Who else would you like to see arrive at the Emirates before the season kicks off?

Newcastle United fans - Do you think Shay Given should be allowed to leave? How much confidence do you have in Steve Harper's ability? Who would you like to see Keegan bring to St James' Park and why?

Euro 2008 Preview; Holland v France

Two sides experiencing very different fortunes so far at Euro 2008 meet in Group C as Holland take on France in Berne on Friday (June 13).

Unfancied (not least by themselves and their own media) before a ball was kicked in Austria and Switzerland, Holland shook up the tournament by blasting Italy 3-0 in their opener. By contrast, much was expected of a star-studded French outfit which stuttered to an appalling 0-0 draw with Romania in Zurich.

France coach Raymond Domenech is thought to be considering making changes to his line-up. Thierry Henry could be fit to start after missing the Romania match with a sciatic nerve. He could replace fellow ex-Arsenal man Nicolas Anelka, who was one of many disappointing performers in the first outing. Another former Gooner Patrick Vieira missed the first match through injury but looks set to come in to replace the anonymous Jeremy Toulalan in a holding midfield role alongside uber-holding-midfielder Claude Makelele. Makelele saw more of the ball than many of his team-mates against Victor Piturca’s side, a clear indication that things were not going to plan for Les Bleus.

No such problems for Holland, whose breathtaking display of counter-attacking football was by common consensus the best 90-minute shift of any side so far at Euro 2008. Marco van Basten may not wish to change a side that played so well in Berne against the Azzurri, but does have options with key players regaining fitness over the last few days. Chief among these is Real Madrid’s former Chelsea flyer Arjen Robben, who missed the Italy game with a groin strain. He offers pace and directness in wide areas and could trouble France’s ageing right-back Willy Sagnol if selected. So worried about the re-introduction of Robben is Domenech, that it is thought he is considering replacing Sagnol. Left-back Eric Abidal is also fighting to hold on to his place ahead of Manchester United star Patrice Evra.

In addition to Robben, Arsenal’s Robin van Persie is in the reckoning for a start after putting in a 20-minute appearance against Roberto Donadoni’s side. Van Persie showed touches of his class during that time, and although he has been struggling with a thigh injury he is said to be fully fit for this one. Other midfield options available to van Basten are the impressive Wesley Sneijder, Hamburg star Rafael van der Vaart and Orlando Engelaar. The FC Twente player was immense for Holland against the Italians, and looks to be a key player for van Basten. Not the flashiest performer, Engelaar nevertheless popped up everywhere to frustrate the Italians, and his ability to win the ball and start Dutch raids could be vital as the competition wears on.

There is a rich tradition of Holland-France meetings down the years, but only four of the 21 clashes have been in competitive action. Two of those have been at European Championship finals tournaments, with France progressing from a Euro 96 quarter-final after a penalty shoot-out. At Euro 2000 staged in Holland, the hosts prevailed 3-2 in one of the more entertaining group matches of that tournament despite the fact that both had already qualified for the last eight.

There’s no guarantees for either ahead of this one, although a win for the Dutch will see them join Portugal and Croatia as confirmed quarter-finalists. France can shoot from the bottom to the top of the group with a win, so long as their result betters that achieved by Romania against Italy. Yet whatever the result here they are likely to need something from their last match against the Azzurri to seal their place in the last eight. All of which makes defeat for Domenech’s side unthinkable, albeit a very real possibility on the evidence of the opening round of matches.

Verdict; Holland 2 France 0

By Stephen Orford

13 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Italy v Romania

Italy’s Euro 2008 prospects go on the line when they take on Romania in Group C in Zurich on Friday (June 13).

Drubbed 3-0 by Holland in their opening game, Roberto Donadoni’s side will be eliminated should they back that up with a loss against Victor Piturca’s side. Already under pressure from the Italian FA, Donadoni will almost certainly lose his job should the Azzurri go out in the group phase of the European Championship for a second time in succession.

Four years ago in Portugal their shortcomings were masked by tales of cursed luck and Scandinavian carve-ups. Yet there will be no excuses this time around if Donadoni fails to guide the world champions to the last eight. Italy were comprehensively beaten by a more tactically astute Holland despite playing moderately well. Nothing short of a convincing win against the Romanians will restore the country’s faith in the former AC Milan winger.

Donadoni is predicted to ring the changes for this one. Out may go the disappointing Antonio Di Natale in favour of Allesandro Del Piero, while Giorgio Chiellini looks set to replace former Everton sledger Marco Materazzi. Del Piero has been in scintillating form for Juventus this past season, rattling in 22 goals to lead all scorers in Serie A. Donadoni will be hoping he can reproduce that form against Romania after turning to the man originally left out despite increasing pressure on the manager to include the veteran playmaker.

Donadoni must also decide whether to recall Roma star Daniele De Rossi in midfield in place of Massimo Ambrosini, and defender Fabio Grosso is also in contention for a start after an energetic 35-minute cameo against the Dutch.

Romania were partly responsible for one of the dullest games in championship history in drawing goallessly with France on Monday (June 9). Without offering too much threat going forward, they held off a French attack featuring Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda with astonishing ease. They will look to frustrate Italy in much the same way, while ever hopeful of sneaking a goal or two on the counter. Italy were particularly susceptible to the counter-attack against the Dutch, with the second and third goals scored by Marco van Basten’s side acting as a video manual on how to break quickly and effectively.

On the evidence of the first game Romania won’t represent quite the same threat. Fiorentina’s former Chelsea star Adrian Mutu was an increasingly peripheral figure as the game wore on, and will hope for better service this time out. Piturca may choose to introduce Ciprian Marica up front in place of Daniel Niculae, though the Stuttgart man is still suffering from a head injury. Another key man will be defensive midfielder Cristian Chivu, who has Serie A experience having played for Roma aswell as current club Inter Milan.

Italians looking for omens will be pleased to note that Romania have not beaten the Azzurri for almost 20 years. Donadoni was in the side which lost 1-0 in Sibiu in March 1989, while the last competitive fixture between the two was Italy’s 2-0 win in qualifying for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, a campaign which also saw them secure a 3-0 success over the Romanians in Italy. This will be the second European Championship match-up between the sides, following Italy’s 2-0 win in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000 which saw Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi on the score sheet and Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi sent off in his 125^th and final international appearance.

It’s hard to see Romania having the ambition or the quality to beat Donadoni’s Italy. Like so many successful sides the Italians have a propensity to win when it is absolutely necessary. It would be a huge shock if they failed to put their first three points of the tournament on the board here.

Verdict; Italy 2 Romania 0

By Stephen Orford

13 June 2008

Euro 2008 Diary; Germans In Jeopardy; Poles Penalty Pain

Euro 2008 Diary - Thursday June 12 2008

Croatia follow Portugal into the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 after shocking Germany 2-1 in Group B in Klagenfurt.

Germany’s defensive weaknesses are exposed on 24 minutes when hapless left-back Marcel Jansen fails to react to Danijel Pranjic’s cross, allowing Darijo Srna to fire past Jens Lehmann. Portsmouth’s Niko Kranjcar misses two great opportunities to increase the lead before half-time, but the reprieve is only temporary. On 63 minutes Ivan Rakitic’s cross deflects off Lukas Podolski, on to Lehmann’s left hand post and falls nicely at the feet of Ivica Olic for a simple tap-in.

Podolski pulls one back 12 minutes from time but when Bastian Schweinsteiger picks up the first red card of the tournament for a push on the academy award nominated Jerko Leko, the game is up for Joachim Low’s side;

“Looking back at the match we deserved to lose.” concedes the German boss;

“We didn't manage to play through the midfield, we played too many high balls, our game off the ball was bad, we did not run the combinations and precision was lacking.” he adds.

Apart from that, they were brilliant.

Croatia manager Slaven Bilic remembers the old cliché about never writing off the Germans;

“We controlled the game but Germany are still a great team and still one of the favourites for the title.” he insists;

“It was a great game. But I want to congratulate my players - not only for the fight they showed but for playing an excellent match.”

Germany must now avoid defeat to Austria in their final game on Monday (June 16) to guarantee their passage to the last eight.

On the subject of Austria, the co-hosts benefit from the first noticeable contribution from an Englishman in Euro 2008. Trailing 1-0 to Roger Guerreiro’s distinctly offside goal on the half hour, Austria are rescued deep into injury time when Premier League referee Howard Webb awards a penalty for a grab by Maruisz Lewandowski on Sebastien Proedl. Step forward veteran Ivica Vastic, who blasts the ball past the previously unbeatable Artur Boruc in the Polish goal;

“Maybe he (Webb) wants to show he is a big boy and has the guts to do it, I don't know.” rages Poland coach Leo Beenhakker, sounding like any number of irate Premier League managers down the years;

“I've never had a problem in 43 years of being in football but this is something I cannot understand.” he says, stretching things a little;

“We don't have it (qualification) in our own hands any more and the conclusion is we are out of the tournament.” he concludes, rather pessimistically.

Austria will reach the last eight if they can beat Germany in Vienna in their final game, provided the Poles do not beat Croatia by a bigger margin.

Putting that to one side, Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger takes the view that his side should have been well clear long before Webb’s controversial intervention;

“We should have been 2-0 up but we didn't score.” he chirps, reflecting on glorious but wasted first half opportunities for Martin Harnik;

“My team reacted well after falling 1-0 behind to a goal that was offside.” he points out, shrugging slightly.

One piece of Premier League transfer news sees Iranian international Andranik Teymourian join Fulham from Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer. He is the second freebie picked up by Roy Hodgson this week following the arrival of Zoltan Gera from West Bromwich Albion, and the third of the summer after goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made the switch from Middlesbrough.

By Stephen Orford

13 June 2008

Bookies Back Italy To Get Back On Track

Despite their three goal defeat to Holland, Ladbrokes firmly believe the World Champions will stay in the hunt for qualification today.

Romania face a dilemma in their match with Italy because at some point the outsiders have to win a match to get through from Group C. Their dour effort against France won them a point but now they must stick or twist against the Italians.

Probably the Romanians will sit back and choose to stake everything on the last game, knowing what they have to do at that point but of all sides, Italy are unlikley to be fazed by a packed defence.

It is at the back where the Azzuri have issues and if Romania are unambitious it will suit them. They didn't play that badly against the Dutch- 3-0 was a harsh scoreline -and the Romanians could be in the firing line this afternoon.

Italy              4/6

Draw             11/5

Romania      4/1

Prices from Ladbrokes

Allardyce The Favourite for Blackburn Job

It's just a short distance from Bolton to Blackburn and Sam Allardyce is now favourite to make that trip via a considerable detour to Newcastle.

Ladbrokes have slashed Big Sam's odds to 4/6 after the news broke that Alan Shearer refused a place on the club's shortlist. The TV pundit remains in the betting but way out at 20/1.

Another member of Blackburn's 1995 title winning side- Henning Berg- has moved to third spot in the market on the back of his efforts with Lyn Oslo in Norway. Just ahead is Paul Ince who is surely going to get a Premiership job at some point but possibly not this one.

Farther out are the names of Henk Ten Cate and Steve McClaren, who are both available. It seems too early for the ex-England boss who has been talking of rehabilitating his carrer in overseas mangement.

Ten Cate is on the market after the fallout at Chelsea but his stock fell a little during his brief time at Stamford Bridge and return to Holland may be more likely.

Roberto Martinez is a surprise name at 10/1 but he has a growing reputation and strong connections to the North West from his time as a player

Slaven Bilic's appearance as a 25/1 shot is an indication of things to come. His work with Croatia will mean that whenever he gives up the national job (which won't be yet), the articulate, multi-lingual former West Ham player will be a top target for many clubs.

Sam Allardyce                 4/6

Paul Ince                               7/2                           

Henning Berg                       8/1

Roberto Martinez             10/1

Ten Cate/McClaren          12/1

Prices From Ladbrokes

Euro 2008: Austria v Germany set to be more '78 than '82

Thursday's games at Euro 2008 saw a surprise win for Croatia against Germany and a controversial late penalty awarded by English referee Howard Webb that secured a draw for Austria against Poland.

That leaves the co-hosts needing a win against nighbours Germany in the final round of fixtures while a draw will send their opponents through.

The clash will spark memories of two very different World Cup meetings between the sides, the first in 1978, the second four years later.

Argentina 1978 saw the two nations meet in the final game of the second round of group fixtures.

Austria had already been eliminated but a rip-roaring 3-2 win against West Germany thanks to Hans Krankl's late winner effectively ended the holders' chance of retaining their crown (although Holland's late fightback against Italy meant that the Germans would have gone out anyway).

Current Austria coach Josef Hickersberger was a member of the 1978 squad and will be hoping that his side can repeat the heroics of Krankl and co.

Aside from a late flurry against Croatia and the opening half-an-hour versus the Poles the co-hosts have not impressed but Vastic's late penalty on Thursday night will surely see them fired up to get one over on the Germans and help erase the memory of Spain '82.

The 1982 clash earned the honour of being called the 'most notorious international game of all' by the Guardian.

Going into the World Cup as European champions, Germany had suffered one of the greatest World Cup shocks in history when being beaten 2-1 by Algeria in their opening game before winning their next fixture, against Chile.

With Algeria having already played their last game, the Germans knew that a win over Austria would send them into the second round. Crucially for Austria, a narrow defeat would not harm their chances of reaching the next phase ahead of the surprise package from North Africa.

Horst Hrubesch netted early for Germany and the two teams spent the rest of the game barely bothering to launch an attack in their opponent's half. Outrage all around, not least from fans of the two teams, Algeria and neutral Spaniards in the stadium but no punishment.

By the time the next World Cup came around however, the now standard practice of the final two group games kicking off at the same time was in place to try and prevent similar shenanigans.

Now it's Austria versus Germany once again and with both sides having national pride as well as a place in the last eight to play for, a fiery clash looks guaranteed.

Euro 2008 Preview; Austria v Poland

After the elimination of one host nation, Austria will be hoping to deny a double when they take on Poland in Euro 2008 Group B in Vienna on Thursday (June 12).

Switzerland’s 2-1 defeat to Turkey last night (June 11) left Austria standing alone among host nations retaining an interest in the competition, and they have it all to do to keep hold of that status. Yet although they were beaten narrowly by Croatia on Sunday (June 8) the Austrians surprised many, including their own fans, with how competitive they were. Only Luka Modric’s penalty separated the sides in a game from which Austria arguably deserved at least a point. They didn’t get it, and now find their tournament future potentially on the line against Leo Beenhakker’s Polish outfit.

The Poles fared little better in their opener, going down 2-0 to Germany in an emotion-charged atmosphere in Klagenfurt. Reports of post-game violence among the fans are disappointing, and it is to be hoped that those attending this one can concentrate on the football rather than the politics and the xenophobia. On the field Beenhakker’s side enjoyed some positive spells against the Germans, but were ultimately well beaten by one of the tournament’s most fancied sides.

Beenhakker is forced to make at least one change to his team. Former Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski is the victim of a thigh injury and misses out. The skipper could be replaced in attack by the Brazilian-born Roger Guerreiro, while there may also be a change at left-back. Jakub Wawryzniak could replace Pawel Golanski in that position, with the captaincy transferring to Jacek Bak in the absence of Zurawski.

Austrian midfielder Umit Korkmaz turned in a high-octane performance against the Croatians and is pushing hard for a starting slot. Meanwhile striker Roland Linz is hoping to win his battle to recover from an ankle injury to start alongside Martin Harnik. Harnik plays his football for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, and with the experienced Ivica Vastic impressing off the bench on Sunday coach Josef Hickersberger does hold one or two attacking aces up his sleeve. Should Linz miss out he could be replaced by 24-year-old striker Roman Kienast, who also enjoyed some playing time off the bench against Slaven Bilic’s side.

Despite their modest record in the modern era Austria has a great footballing tradition, amassing one of the world’s most feared sides during the 1930’s and again in the 1950’s. Yet they have yet to win a major honour, and have never qualified for the European Championships. Their record against Poland is poor when it matters, having lost both competitive matches between the two. The sides have not met since Poland’s 3-2 win in 2005, but when they do clash there are usually goals. Austria have enjoyed 5-2 and 4-3 wins over the Poles down the years, while Poland came out on top 4-2 in 1992. Overall Poland have won four of the previous seven meetings (including friendlies), with Austria taking three. There has never been a drawn game between the two.

With both playing catch-up in Group B you wouldn’t expect either to settle for a stalemate in this one either. Both lacked penetration in their opening games, but perhaps both will thrive against less efficient defending than that displayed by Germany and Croatia. If Austria bow out it will be the first time that a host nation has failed to reach the knockout stages of a European Championship since UEFA introduced a group phase in 1980.

It is just possible that they will. Their fans will give their all to try and raise the Austrians’ game, but Poland impressed in qualifying and a return to that sort of form should see them past a team still ranked 92^nd in the new world order.

Verdict; Poland 3 Austria 2

By Stephen Orford

12 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Germany v Croatia

Euro 2008 Group B gathers pace when Germany meet Croatia in Klagenfurt on Thursday (June 12).

Both sides won their opening fixture at the weekend. Tournament favourites Germany beat Poland 2-0, while Croatia were rather less impressive in sneaking past Austria by the only goal in Vienna.

On the score sheet for Croatia that day was Luka Modric. Bound for north London and Tottenham Hotspur for next season, Modric slotted away a fourth minute penalty to give Slaven Bilic’s side all three points against the co-hosts. Coming into this one Modric is the only slight injury doubt after picking up an ankle knock, but has been declared fit to take his place in the line-up.

There may be changes elsewhere in the Croat side. Bilic will have been unimpressed by what he saw from his side from an attacking point of view against the Austrians. Ivica Olic and Mladen Petric ran around exhaustively to little effect on Sunday (June 8), and it is thought that the latter could be the one to miss out if there is a shake-up. Schalke’s attacking midfielder Ivan Rakitic is set to be the beneficiary should that happen, but will play a little deeper than Petric in an effort to establish a stronger link between the midfield and Olic. Werder Bremen’s Ivan Klasnic is another attacking option for Bilic, whose side face a real test of their title credentials against the Germans.

They’ll need to be solid defensively, which was not always the case against Austria. Kovaces Robert and Nico have important jobs to do in that regard, as does Manchester City’s Vedran Corluka. Dario Simic is as uncompromising as you would expect any AC Milan defender to be, while in Josip Simunic Croatia have a man who knows all about German football. Simunic plies his trade for Hertha Berlin in the German Bundesliga, and with 63 caps to his name provides vital experience.

In midfield Nico Kovac will have to combine defensive discipline with the ability to get his side moving in attack. He is ably assisted by Modric and the determined Darijo Srna aswell as Portsmouth’s Niko Kranjcar. All were disappointing at the weekend, but all have the ability to cause panic in even the tightest of defences.

There are likely to be few changes to Joachim Low’s line-up. There are no injury or suspension concerns for Low, who looks likely to stick by two-goal striker Lukas Podolski in attack alongside Mario Gomes and Miroslav Klose. Bastian Schweinsteiger probably has not done enough to replace the buccaneering Clemens Fritz on the right of midfield. Yet there may be a decision to make at left-back, where Marcell Jansen looked uncomfortable against the Poles. Low could opt to switch Jansen’s Bayern Munich team-mate Philip Lahm back over to the left of the defence, leaving room for Arne Friedrich on the right.

Michael Ballack will steer the team around from the centre of midfield alongside Torsten Frings. The Chelsea man was one of the form players at the back end of the Premier League season and his contribution will be key to German hopes. If the side has a weak link it is perhaps the back three of central defenders Per Mertersacker and Christoph Metzelder and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. The defenders look unconvincing at best, while Lehmann’s troubles at Arsenal this season have been well documented. He has spent much of the season playing second fiddle to Manuel Almunia at the Emirates Stadium, and added to concerns with two high-profile errors in a warm-up game against Belarus recently. He was hardly tested against Poland, and Croatia would be well served to put him under pressure wherever possible.

Croatia have a relatively short history in international football, leaving only two competitive matches to look to in the history books. Croatia sprung a surprise by drubbing Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup in France, two years after losing to them at the same stage of Euro ‘96 in England. Bilic played in both of those matches for Croatia, while the Germans went on to beat the Czech Republic to win the European title following that 1996 last eight triumph.

The loss of Eduardo has seen Croatia’s chances reduce in the eyes of many, so it will be interesting to see how well they can mix it with a genuine contender. A vast improvement from the weekend’s performance is required if they are to gain anything from this one. Yet there remains a feeling that the momentum is with Germany following their relative cruise over Poland, and they will be expected to beat Bilic’s promising side.

Verdict; Germany 2 Croatia 1

By Stephen Orford

12 June 2008

Chelsea; Gambling On Scolari

Trawl through the thousands of posts, messages, columns and reports on the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager of Chelsea and one word seems to be used repeatedly. Gamble.

Perceived wisdom has it that the 59-year-old Portugal boss, who will take over at Chelsea when his current side’s interest in Euro 2008 comes to an end, represents a huge risk on the part of the Chelsea hierarchy. Flambouyant, expressive, emotional and fiery, Scolari has far more of the characteristics of the Chelsea fans’ beloved Jose Mourinho than he does of Avram Grant. Scolari is nobody’s yes-man, which is why so many feel that it could yet end in tears.

What he does bring to the table is a proven track record, at least at international level. Having led his native Brazil to victory in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, Scolari moved on to Portugal where he has guided the national team to the final of Euro 2004, and the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2006. Beating England at the quarter-final stage in both of those tournaments (albeit on penalties) has ingrained him in the English national consciousness. He’s seen as a formidable force whose sides play with a flair which does not disregard discipline, but rather incorporates it into the package.

Yet we should not forget that this is a man who has no experience of managing in European club football. He has had success with club sides in Brazil, leading Gremio and Palmeiras to Copa Libertadores triumphs and adding a Brazilian title with Gremio, but is yet to test himself in the European game. In any case that Brazilian championship came as far back as 1996. Doubts have to remain about whether ’Big’ Phil will adapt easily to the club game after so long on the international scene.

Critics also suggest that Scolari’s sides haven’t always played the kind of attractive football so coveted by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Scolari’s club sides in Brazil often adopted a more physical style. It was not until he took charge of a Brazil squad boasting the talents of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo that he was able to turn on the style. Some say that Scolari’s Chelsea vision will be more similar to that which earned Brazil their glory six years ago, simply because he will have the open chequebook of his Russian paymaster to provide him with the players he needs. Already he has been linked with a £55million swoop for AC Milan’s Brazilian maestro Kaka, with names like David Villa, Ronaldinho, and Deco also earning honourable mentions.

Yet perhaps his biggest conundrum will be what to do with the players he will inherit. Didier Drogba has long been involved in a brazen dalliance with AC Milan, although the appearance of Mourinho at Inter has perhaps upgraded that affair to a love triangle. Frank Lampard is entering the final year of his contract and could be a saleable asset at the age of 29, while Ricardo Carvalho is another who has been linked with the Stamford Bridge exit. The former Porto central defender is a key man in Scolari’s bid to add the Euro 2008 title to his CV, and was thought likely to join up with Mourinho at Inter before the announcement of Scolari’s appointment in west London. He could now be persuaded to stay by Scolari, who will recognise that his partnership with John Terry is among the best in the Premier League.

Once the personnel are sorted, Scolari must engineer a method of communication. His English is thought to be almost non-existent, though with so many different nationalities in the Chelsea dressing room that may not be the problem it once might have been. He’ll be happy to have Portuguese speakers like Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and new signing Jose Bosingwa around him to assist, but how will he deal with the notoriously blood-thirsty English media. Scolari is alleged to have turned down the chance to manage England when Sven Goran Eriksson left the post two years ago because of fears about press intrusion, so what makes him think that there will be any fewer hacks hanging around his home once he sweeps into office?

Plenty of questions to be answered for Chelsea fans then, and one big one for fans of Manchester United also. The red-hot star is currently part of Scolari’s Portuguese squad and it does not require the wildest imagination to envisage a scenario of manager influencing player on his future. Ronaldo has been linked with a move to Real Madrid for a period of time to make Drogba pine for more attention. He is rumoured to have sought the opinion of Scolari on the subject, so why would the future Chelsea manager encourage the world’s in-form player to stay with a Premier League rival? The final decision remains Ronaldo’s but you can bet that Sir Alex Ferguson is sitting a little less comfortably in his armchair this morning.

The only certainty in all this is that Scolari must deliver. Abramovich is not a man known for his patience. Witness his ruthless removal of Grant after only nine months in charge despite the Israeli’s admirable achievement of finishing second in the Premier League, the Champions League and the Carling Cup. Yet after tasting unprecedented success under Mourinho there is a feeling now at Chelsea that second is nowhere. After two years grace and despite winning back-to-back Premier League titles even Mourinho found out that failure to land Europe’s top prize was a sackable offence.

The gamble is on for both Scolari and Chelsea.

By Stephen Orford

12 June 2008

Euro 2008 Diary; Portuguese Progress; Turkish Delight As Swiss Roll Out

Squarefootball Diary - Wednesday June 11 2008

Portugal become the first team to cement a place in the last eight of Euro 2008 following their 3-1 win over the Czech Republic in Geneva.

It takes just seven minutes for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side to take the lead as Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo conjure up a route to Petr Cech’s goal before the former squeezes the ball in off defender Marek Jankulovski. Yet a resilient Czech outfit notch the first equaliser by any team at Euro 2008 when Libor Sionko gets his head to a corner kick on 17.

Into the second half and that man Cristiano Ronaldo stamps his mark on the competition, sweeping home Deco’s square ball just after the hour mark. With the Czechs chasing the game, Ronaldo springs the offside trap to feed substitute Ricardo Quaresma for a simple tap-in in injury time;

“We had planned to play against a starting 11 that would include (Czech striker Jan) Koller.” moans Scolari afterwards;

“The fact Baros was there didn't make life easy. We faced difficulties because they had four or five in midfield and we had two wingers so we didn't know what to do.” he adds.

One wonders what they might achieve then when they find out what it is they are supposed to be doing.

A matter of hours later Scolari is named as the new manager of Chelsea. The 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian will join the Stamford Bridge club on July 1, two days after the final of Euro 2008 when his contract with the Portuguese FA expires;

“He is one of the world's top coaches with a record of success at country and club level.” explains a Chelsea statement;

“Out of respect for his current role and to ensure minimum disruption to this work there will be no further comment from Chelsea nor from Felipe about his new role until his employment with us commences.” it concludes.

Does that mean the diary can get back to reporting on the important stuff?

Good, because Czech coach Karel Bruckner has some words of wisdom following his side’s defeat;

“In the first half, we proved we are a good team. We know how to play in defence and in attack.” he observes;

“(Jaroslav) Plasil was excellent and (Milan) Baros also proved he is a high-quality player.”

It is a straight fight between the Czechs and Turkey to qualify behind Portugal in Group A after the latter see off co-hosts Switzerland 2-1 in Basel. The Swiss take the lead in a first half reduced to farce by torrential rain, when Hakan Yakin taps home on 32 minutes. Soon after, Yakin crucially misses a similar opportunity which could have seen off the Turkish challenge.

Instead coach Fatih Terim rings the changes at half-time, landing the dividend on 57 when substitute Semih Senturk heads powerfully through the chocolate wrists of Diego Benaglio. With the game heading for a draw despite some end-to-end action, Arda Turan’s shot deflects off Patrick Muller to send the Swiss spinning out of their own party after only two games;

“The whole country is probably as disappointed as the team. You hope for so much and go out. At the end of the day we did not have enough.” reflects Swiss coach Kobi Kuhn sadly;

“We didn't take our chances. But there is no blame on the team. They did everything they could.”

No such head-hanging in the Turkish camp, with Terim instead focusing on his faith;

“I did wish for the rain to stop. I did pray to God for that. God willing, we will win against the Czech Republic and reach the next round.”

By Stephen Orford

11 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Switzerland v Turkey

It’s a fight for Euro 2008 survival in Group A on Wednesday night (June 11) when Switzerland take on Turkey in Basel.

Both sides lost their opening matches on Saturday (June 7) and both know that defeat in this one will put paid to their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals. If that doesn’t give the tie enough of an edge, then consider the last competitive meeting between the two when an ugly brawl broke out following a World Cup play-off encounter in 2005. Turkey won that match 4-2, but it was the Swiss who progressed having won the first leg 2-0 at home. Cue the hostilities, which led to mass bans, fines and games played out behind closed doors.

Coach Kobi Kuhn will hope that home advantage will be decisive once more, but will be rueing the absence of striker Alexandra Frei. The Borussia Dortmund marksman suffered a knee injury in his side’s 1-0 defeat to the Czech Republic at the weekend and is ruled out of the remainder of the tournament. It’s a massive blow to the Swiss for whom goalscoring was already a problem. Favourite to replace Frei is Hakan Yakin, who has managed only 15 goals from his 67 international appearances to date. More of an attacking midfielder than an out-and-out goal-getter, Yakin will be looking to the likes of Tranquillo Barnetta and Marco Streller to help him out in that department.

The defence includes Arsenal’s Philippe Senderos, but new Liverpool signing Philip Degen awaits his chance from the substitutes bench. Alongside Senderos is the experienced Patrick Muller of Lyon, who came into the tournament having missed the entire 2007/08 season through injury. His lack of match practise may be something that the Turks will look to exploit, as will the propensity for disaster possessed by Senderos.

If the Swiss can claim to have been unfortunate in defeat to the Czechs, the same cannot be said of Turkey. Fatih Terim’s side were despatched 2-0 by Portugal with relative ease, and struggled to threaten throughout. Midfielder Emre Belozoglu, who has just agreed to join Fenerbahce from Newcastle United in time for next season, is out of this clash with a hamstring injury. The problem also makes him a doubt for the final group game against the Czechs in Geneva on Sunday (June 15). Of more pressing concern for now is whether or not Turkey will retain any interest in the competition by then.

Terim has problems in defence also, where central pairing Gokhan Zan and Servet Cetin are both doubtful. Both are knee injury victims, meaning that Emre Asik could be pressed into action. Further forward, the onus is on Nihat Kahveci, Semih Senturk and Tuncay Sanli of Middlesbrough to provide the goal power up front. Former Sheffield United man Colin Kazim Richards could be an interesting wild card option from the bench as Terim looks to find a solution to his side’s attacking problems.

Aside from that infamous World Cup play-off three years ago, Switzerland and Turkey have met on 14 previous occasions, with Turkey managing seven wins to Switzerland’s four, and a further three games drawn. Eight of those meetings have been in competitive conditions, with Turkey holding a 4-2 advantage in that department, with another two games ending level. They have yet to meet in a European Championship fixture.

A draw will probably be of little use to either, but in the knowledge that defeat puts them out both coaches might wish to play it a little cautiously to begin with. The outcome of the Czech Republic-Portugal encounter played earlier in the day may affect how the team’s approach the game also, making an accurate prediction difficult. Yet the Swiss looked to have slightly more about them on the evidence of the opening weekend, and could just have enough to sneak a much needed win.

Verdict; Switzerland 2 Turkey 1

By Stephen Orford

11 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Czech Republic v Portugal

Two more title contenders collide when the Czech Republic and Portugal meet in a Euro 2008 Group A match in Geneva on Wednesday (June 11).

Both got off to winning starts in their opening games at the weekend, meaning that the winner of this one will be guaranteed a place in the last eight. The Czechs were slightly fortunate in squeezing past Switzerland by the only goal, but Portugal put in a much more commanding performance in beating Turkey 2-0.

Czech coach Karel Bruckner cannot have been too impressed with what he saw on Saturday (June 7) against the Swiss. He is thought to be considering a change up front, where Milan Baros could come into the starting line-up alongside Jan Koller. Baros will offer pace and strength in attack and has proven a perfect foil for Koller over the years. A Champions League winner with Liverpool in 2005, Baros was top scorer at Euro 2004 and despite his lack of activity with Portsmouth in recent weeks, it was still a surprise to see him omitted from Bruckner’s first selection.

Jaroslav Plasil could be the man to miss out if Bruckner chooses to sacrifice a midfielder for an extra attacker, while Marek Matejovski of Reading could come in to replace the disappointing David Jarolim. Vaclav Sverkos was the goal hero against the Swiss and is another forward-thinking option for Bruckner, who knows his team will have to do much better if they are to challenge Luiz Felipe Scolari’s impressive looking Portuguese outfit.

Scolari looks set to name the same side which prevailed over Turkey. That would mean no place in the starting line-up for Raul Meireles despite the FC Porto defender’s goalscoring contribution against Fatih Terim’s side. Instead, Chelsea trio Jose Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira are all expected to start in the backline, along with Real Madrid’s Pepe who notched the other goal in the opener.

Portugal’s strength remains in forward areas, where the brilliant Cristiano Ronaldo is joined by midfield schemers Deco and Joao Moutinho aswell as Atletico Madrid winger Simao. They support the ageless Nuno Gomes at the point of the attack, with further attacking threats available from the bench in the shape of Ricardo Quaresma, Helda Postiga and Manchester United winger Nani.

The last meeting between the two sides was a memorable one. They clashed in the quarter-finals of Euro ‘96 at Villa Park in England, with the Czechs winning 1-0 thanks to Karel Poborsky’s audacious lob. The Czechs went on to reach the final but despite the presence of stars like Pavel Nedved, Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer they were beaten by Oliver Bierhoffs’ Golden Goal at Wembley. It was the second time they had reached the final, having won the 1976 title at the expense of West Germany thanks to another piece of inspired impudence, this time from Antonin Panenka who brazenly chipped the winning shoot-out spot-kick over Sepp Maier.

Portugal have reached the final only once, and were traumatised to lose on home soil to Greece in Euro 2004. Angelos Charisteas scored the only goal of the game, representing one of the biggest shocks in international tournament history.

Scolari’s side look equipped to go just as far if not one better this time around, and will be keen to secure their passage to the quarter-finals before they meet Switzerland in Basel on Sunday (June 15). Yet in the Czech Republic they will find a dogged opponent which, although perhaps lacking the flair of years gone by, could still be a serious challenger when the medals are handed out on June 29.

Verdict; Czech Republic 1 Portugal 1

By Stephen Orford

11 June 2008

Roy Keane Moves to Stage 3 at Sunderland

It's been an impressive performance by Roy Keane since he became Sunderland manager. Stage 1 - Promotion, done in one season- Stage 2-Premiership Survival, Achieved. Now for the third phase.

This involves taking Sunderland up the Premiership table, even making them contenders for Europe. That may seem a major undertaking given that so many teams above them in the table have been adding financial muscle but it's a fair bet that if Keane didn't believe Sunderland could do it, he wouldn't be there.

His incredulous answer to a reporter who asked him if his team would be taking it easy in a match becuse they had secured Premiership survival is a measure of the man- being in it for the sake of it is a concept the Cork man just doesn't understand.

He'll have a fair war chest to back him because Niall Quinn and the Drumaville consortium are also ambitious and they'll back the manager.

It's not that Keane doesn't make mistakes- he's still learning after all- but the overall balance sheet since his arrival is massively in the positive ledger.

Yes, there were blips like the 7-1 belting at Everton and the odd questionable signing but no manager below the 'Big 4' can deal solely in cut and dried, high quality players. All of them have to take the odd gamble and pursue hunches.

The fascinating factor over this close season will be to see how far Keane spreads his transfer net. Sensibly he's mined a rich seam based on his entwined Manchester United and Irish contacts up to now, which has established the club at the current level.

Towards the end of 2007/08 there were the first signs of a new direction as Rade Prica came on board to help the relegation fight and most significant of all was the acquisition of highly -rated young French defender Jean-Yves Mvoto.

In a league as cosmopolitan as the Premiership, teams will rise or fall based on the quality of overseas players they can bring in. Up to now Keane has taken a cautious approach- deliberately so, given that he inherited a medoicre scouting network.

This summer will be the time when he cuts loose and his efforts in the next couple of months will be critical to maintaining the Black Cats'progress.

Stage 3 promises to be an exciting, if inevitably bumpy, ride for Sunderland fans but mid table mediocrity is never going to be the limit of Roy Keane's ambitions.While other middle-ranking Premiership clubs are grabbing headlines at the moment, there are bound to be big developments at the Stadium of Light by August.

Euro 2008 Diary; Spain Soar; Greek Bore; Spurs Sign Dos Santos

Euro 2008 Diary - Tuesday June 10 2008

Stark contrasts in Group D today as a display of fast, flowing incisive football by Spain against Russia is followed by a quite turgid scrap featuring Sweden and Greece.

First up it is the Spanish, for whom David Villa bags an impressive hat-trick in a 4-1 romp over Guus Hiddink’s side in Innsbruck. It takes 20 minutes for the Valencia man to get on the score sheet, benefiting from some persistent work down the left by Fernando Torres to tap in to the empty net. Seconds before half-time Villa’s tally is doubled when he sweeps home a perfectly weighted pass from Andres Iniesta.

Into the second half and Villa is at it again, latching on to a sumptuous ball from substitute Cesc Fabregas to make it 3-0. Russia had provided some progressive moves of their own by then, and it was perhaps just that they finally pulled one back through Roman Pavlyuchenko’s header. Yet it is Luis Aragones’ men who have the last word, Fabregas heading into an empty net after Xavi’s shot is parried by Igor Akinfeev;

“When I think of Villa, it's a name that makes me think of scoring.” says Aragones afterwards, probably not referring to Graham Taylor’s last spell of employment in Birmingham;

“Villa is a brilliant player but so is Torres when he's got space.” adds the Spanish coach, dishing out backhanded compliments to the Liverpool striker, who was withdrawn from the action before the hour mark.

Meanwhile Hiddink is left to pick over the wreckage, coming over all schoolmasterly in the process;

“If you saw the second and fourth goals - some school teams do not commit those errors.” he says, although to be fair not many school teams come up against Villa, Torres, Iniesta and Xavi all that often;

“At the end in the dressing room, I said this is a tournament of three games. I hope the team can and will react.” he concludes.

Over in Salzburg defending champions Greece attempt to bore their way to another title, but are found wanting by Sweden. A stale and stupefying first half contains the kind of passing movements which made West Germany and Austria infamous in 1982, but the game livens up when Zlatan Ibrahimovic rifles Lars Lagerback’s side into the lead on 67 minutes.

Six minutes later Petter Hanson scrambles home one of the ugliest goals in Championship history, bundling in after Johan Elmander lobs the ball towards goal following Freddie Ljungberg’s blocked shot;

“It's fantastic to win, particularly with the way we played, it was a 100% deserved victory.” beams Lagerback, significantly more impressed with the action on show than the rest of us;

“The Greeks didn't play with heart like they normally do, and the Swedes pushed us hard.” counters Greece’s German coach Otto Rehhagel, remembering who he works for after a slight blip;

“If we play like that we won't win the tournament again.” he adds, shrewdly, before discharging himself of all responsibility for the negativity in the first half in particular;

“I didn't want my defenders to keep the ball at the back for an extended period of time, I didn't want them to do that.” he insists.

Finally there are some comings and goings in the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur seal a £4.7million deal for Barcelona winger or striker Giovani Dos Santos;

“If Giovani progresses as we hope, he will be a terrific player. I'm delighted.” offers Spurs boss Juande Ramos.

On his way out of England is David Rozenhal, who joins Lazio from Newcastle United after a loan spell with the Rome-based club.

By Stephen Orford

10 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Greece v Sweden

European title holders Greece take centre stage on Tuesday night (June 10) when they open their Euro 2008 Group D campaign against Sweden in Salzburg.

It is hard to think of a defending champion that has been so unfancied. Before the tournament began you could get odds of 25/1 about Greece pulling off a repeat of their Euro 2004 triumph in Portugal. Impressive performances so far from Germany, Portugal and Holland in particular won’t have done much to change the bookies’ view. Reaching the quarter-final stage will be seen as an achievement for Otto Rehhagel’s side.

At least the German coach has a full strength squad to pick from for the opening game. The only doubt had been about Giorgios Karagounis who had been suffering from a knee injury, but he looks set to be available to take his place on the left of a midfield three. Angelos Basinas is another name you may recall from their victory four years ago on the right of that trio, while it is the job of Kostas Katsouranis to provide the pivot in support of the front men.

The forward line may look a little different from that which pulled off that remarkable success in 2004. Then Angelos Charisteas ploughed something of a lone furrow, but now Manchester City’s Georgios Samaras is the likely spearhead. Samaras spent last season on loan at Celtic and is believed to be trying to engineer a move north of the border on a more permanent basis.

Goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis came into the tournament with a thigh problem but is expected to start, while central defender Traianos Dellas was one of the star performers in Portugal. His impressive displays earned him a move to Roma from Perugia but Dellas never quite adapted and is now back in Greece with AEK Athens. Still he remains a difficult opponent, and will be key to keeping the likes of the highly rated Zlatan Imbrahimovic at bay.

Ibrahimovic is a doubt with a swollen knee but should start alongside the returning Henrik Larsson. The former Celtic and Manchester United star is making yet another international comeback after playing in Sweden for Helsingborgs recently, and his experience will still be of great value. Former Everton midfield stopper Tobias Linderoth has had his fitness called into question, but the man now turning out of Galatasaray is another likely starter.

Coach Lars Lagerback has been in charge since Adam was a lad, and has now led his side to five major tournament finals appearances. He has a reputation for stubbornness and single minded determination, reflected in his back four which is led by the uncompromising Olof Mellberg. The bearded defender will move to Juventus from Aston Villa this summer after seven years service to the Villa Park club, and at 30 years of age could yet be playing in his last major international event. Behind him there have to be question marks surrounding goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson who has made just 17 appearances for Manchester City this term since the emergence of Joe Hart. Isaksson is almost certain to move on, but with 56 caps to his name still provides great experience to Lagerback’s line-up.

Freddie Ljungberg is a dwindling force but still good enough to merit a start. That might not be a ringing endorsement of the midfield quality available to Sweden, but in Birmingham City’s former Arsenal starlet Sebastian Larsson they have a player with great potential. An exciting player on the ball, Larsson will no doubt grace the Premier League again sooner rather than later. Look for him to join in the attacks with Ibrahimovic and namesake Henrik, with Ljungberg’s forays more occasional in recent times.

History between the two throws up a slight controversy, with Greece refusing to recognise a 9-0 drubbing by the Swedes during the 1920 Olympic Games. Using that proviso, there has never been a competitive international between the two and it is the Greeks who lead the overall head-to-head with two wins to one, and three matches drawn. The last meeting of any description between the two was a friendly in Norkopping, Sweden in 2003, with Greece running out 2-1 winners.

Aside from one dramatic encounter between Holland and Italy Euro 2008 has found flair in short supply so far. This match-up might not help much in that department, and is likely to be a battle of wills between two sides who will know the importance of not losing the opening game of what promises to be a tight group. A goal either way could be enough, and in Ibrahimovic and the Larssons Sweden may just have sufficient creative edge to swing it their way.

Verdict; Greece 0 Sweden 1

By Stephen Orford

10 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Spain v Russia

Stand by to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre as tournament chokers Spain enter the Euro 2008 fray this afternoon (June 10).

Luis Aragones side take on Russia in Innsbruck in Group C with even more expectation than usual on their shoulders. It is believed that this is the strongest group of Spanish players to assemble at a major tournament in some time. Aragones’ biggest problem is deciding who to leave out, particularly in midfield where Arsenal sensation Cesc Fabregas is not assured of his place. Nor is Liverpool midfield maestro Xabi Alonso. That’s because Barcelona pair Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez are so highly rated by Aragones, who caused a public outcry by leaving national icon Raul out of his 23-man squad altogether.

Iniesta is one of three main injury worries for Spain. He has been suffering from a bout of food poisoning along with Real Zaragoza striker Sergio Garcia. Both remain doubtful, while Valencia striker David Villa is struggling to fight off a thigh problem. Villa has endured a struggle in La Liga this season with Valencia finishing a disappointing 10^th in the table. His stock has lowered slightly since he introduced himself to the world with his busy displays at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but he remains one of Spain’s most potent attacking threats.

Yet it is debateable whether Aragones will select Villa regardless of his fitness. Instead he may prefer to go in with only one out-and-out striker, and if so that honour will go to Fernando Torres. The former Atletico Madrid man has been in scintillating form in his first season at Liverpool, netting 24 Premier League goals and 33 in all competitions. He is joined in the Spanish squad by Anfield team-mates Alonso, aswell as stand-in goalkeeper Pepe Reina and versatile defender Alvaro Arbeloa.

Reina awaits his opportunity behind the impressive Iker Casillas. The Real Madrid custodian is rated as one of the best in the world, and plays behind a defence boasting the uncompromising Carles Puyol of Barcelona. Yet if the side has a weak link (aside from their propensity to self destruct under a weight of expectation) it is in defence, where Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid is the only other stand-out player. As a group they have been unconvincing at times. Puyol has not been immune to the struggles endured by his team-mates at Barcelona this past season, and will need to rediscover the form that made him one of the better defenders in the world in 2006 if Spain are to remain solid at the back.

At first glance Russia’s main asset is coach Guus Hiddink. A man whose services are apparently coveted by any Premier League club which finds itself without a manager, Hiddink enjoyed a reasonably successful spell in charge of his native Holland before performing the relative miracle of leading South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002. Home soil and some generous refereeing helped, but Hiddink’s achievements in Asia are unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry. Experienced and as tactically aware as anyone, Hiddink holds the key to ensuring that a modest-looking Russian squad performs to its optimum potential.

He will have to do without two of his most important players for a significant period of time. Playmaker Andrei Arshavin tormented England in that now infamous Moscow qualifier, but misses out on the first two group games through suspension. In addition, striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is out of the whole tournament with a knee injury. His place in the squad has gone to the uncapped Oleg Ivanov. Just 21 years old, Ivanov plays for Krylya Sovietov Samara in his homeland, where he has helped his club to sixth place in the early part of the domestic season.

In the absence of Arshavin, Hiddink may opt for a conventional two-man strike partnership, with Dimitri Sychev of Lokomotiv Moscow likely to partner Spartak’s Roman Pavlyuchenko. No such club rivalries get in the way in defence, where goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, Berezutskys Alexei and Vasily aswell as Sergei Ignashevich all ply their trade for CSKA Moscow.

Historically Spain hold all the aces, having beaten Russia in four of the previous eight encounters (including those played under the Soviet Union banner), losing just once in that period. Their last completive meeting was at Euro 2004 in Portugal, when a Juan Caros Valeron goal ensured a 1-0 Spanish victory in a Group A encounter at Faro. Spain also beat Russia 2-1 in the 1964 European Championship which remains the only occasion on which they have lifted a major prize.

Predictions are difficult because both sides possess a Jeckyll and Hyde nature. Spain’s talent for disappointment is legendary, while the Russian side which qualified behind Croatia at England’s expense was also the same ragged mob who were destroyed 3-0 at Wembley. If anything the Russians have under-achieved even more so than the Spaniards in tournament play, and could find themselves off to a rocky start against the eccentric Aragones’ class of 2008.

Verdict; Spain 2 Russia 0

By Stephen Orford

10 June 2008

Real And Ronaldo Equals United And Hargreaves

The news that Manchester United are reporting Real Madrid to FIFA over their pursuit of Christiano Ronaldo will have raised some amusement in Bavaria.

Last summer the German side were forced to allow Owen Hargreaves to move to Old Trafford despite refusing to sell the player more than once.

Some elements of the Hargreaves transfer seem familiar- Bayern firmly didn't want to sell, Hargreaves mentioned his desire for a move to the press on several occasions and United made it clear they were coming back for the player even after a firm 'no thanks' from Bayern.United may have poured resources into developing Ronaldo but Hargreaves was even more a product of Bayern's youth system.

It's difficult to see much difference between what Real Madrid are doing now and what Manchester United did then- or probably what Bayern Munich do themselves when they really target someone.

The point is, there is no morality in the transfer market at the elite level. This is simply business and the ceiling is effectively decided by what the biggest clubs believe they can get away with.

In a climate where players have massive control over their futures, players are commodities who go to the highest bidder- Aston Villa are about to find that out with Gareth Barry. Their skipper will go to Anfield because he wants to and Villa cannot afford to pay him to sit in the stand.

The strange aspect of this is why Sir Alex Ferguson thinks FIFA are going to get involved - and even if they do what steps they can take to control Real.

The transfer market operates to the benefit of Europe's elite clubs as a free for all with little prospect of smaller club staving off the attentions of the larger one- most of Europe's top clubs accept this and will have littel sympathy with United's complaints.

United will just have to accept- like the fans of 99.9% of clubs- that there is a bigger beast out there in the jungle and the only way to keep Ronaldo is to persuade him to stay. If he can't be persuaded take the massive money and buy the best available out there.

There are an awful lot of clubs that would would rather Christiano Ronaldo stayed at Old Trafford because if he moves, United are likely to come into the transfer market with renewed purpose and strip some other club of their star player- nothing personal, just business.

Euro 2008 Diary; Flagging French Foiled; Dutch Devour Donadoni's Dummies

Squarefootball Euro 2008 Diary - Monday June 9 2008

The much vaunted Group of Death gets under way, and there are plenty of horrors on show for Italy and France.

First up it’s the French, who toil through 90 goalless minutes of tedium with Romania in Zurich. The underdogs lack ambition throughout, but Raymond Domenech’s side respond with some of the most predictable, lamentable football played so far in the tournament. Chances are at a premium, though the best fall to grapevine superstar Karim Benzema and Chelsea’s much travelled sulk-meister Nicolas Anelka;

“Every match is now effectively a knockout match.” reckons Domenech, unable to resist a dig at the approach of Victor Piturca‘s side;

“We were playing against a team that didn't want to play, just wanted a draw.” he comments, having gone into the clash without injured former Arsenal duo Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.

Romania may have been dull, but they put on a master class in bus-parking. Yet Piturca pretends not to be pleased, observing;

“We wanted all three points.”

For an encore he tries his hand at irony, failing badly with;

“Maybe the French are bored with playing at the highest level and let us Romanians win a point.”

If Romania’s point is unexpected, events in Berne take a turn for the sensational. World champions Italy are downed 3-0 by a Holland side which had apparently lost it’s flair coming into Euro 2008.

In a stunning display of what used to be known as Total Football, a massively offside Ruud van Nistelrooy puts the Dutch in front, before sweeping counter attacking movements lead to breathtaking goals for Wesley Sneijder and Gio van Bronckhorst. There are golden opportunities for van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie to add to the misery of Roberto Donadoni’s side, but nevertheless the scoreline is comprehensive enough;

“To win 3-0 against Italy, a team with so much experience and quality in their team, we didn't expect that. It was a truly good performance from everyone.” says Dutch coach Marco van Basten;

“They (the players) fought like a team and if the spirit is like it was tonight, with all the quality we have, we can have nice dreams.” he adds, catching himself staring through a window and beginning to snooze lightly;

“In the first-half, we conceded two goals from mistakes, but despite that we were not overrun by Holland.” responds Donadoni, who looks destined for an airport fruit-pelting in a week or so’s time on this evidence;

“We have made mistakes in our approach to the game, but the guys will respond positively.” he promises.

By Stephen Orford

9 June 2008

Euro 2008 Preview; Italy v Holland

Sparks are set to fly in the biggest clash of Euro 2008 so far as world champions Italy face off with Holland Berne on Monday night (June 9).

The general consensus is that it has been a slow start to the tournament in Austria and Switzerland, so the introduction of two of it’s bigger names could provide a much needed boost to proceedings. With France also in Group C action earlier in the day, headline writers will be paying close attention.

Italy come into the competition as one of the favourites. Little wonder, as it is only two years since they battled past France in the World Cup in Germany following a nerve-annihilating penalty shoot-out. Most of that squad remain under new coach Roberto Donadoni, with one notable exception. Fabio Cannavaro was named 2006 World Player Of The Year on the back of his performances during that tournament, but has been ruled out of Euro 2008 with ankle ligament damage.

Further worries exist over the fitness of right-back Christian Panucci. The former Chelsea man faces a race to be fit following a knee injury, and could be replaced in the starting line-up by Fabio Grosso of Lyon. Grosso stood out for Italy two years ago, and will be an able deputy for Panucci should he lose his fitness battle. Yet the recent form of Gianluca Zambrotta is less impressive. Having joined Barcelona from Juventus the veteran defender has not had it any easier than many of his team-mates at the Nou Camp this term. He needs to find some form if Italy’s usually solid defence is to remain at its impregnable best. The impressive Andrea Barzagli of Parma should partner Inter Milan’s former Everton defender Marco Materazzi in the centre of the rearguard.

With Canavarro out, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will skipper the side. Capped 82 times by his country alredy, Buffon remains one of the best goalkeepers in the world and was another key figure in Italy’s success in Germany. In front of the back four are the tigerish duo of Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo, the latter also able to dictate games with his fine range of passing and his dangerous ability to shoot from long distances. Mauro Camoranesi offers energy and drive out wide, while Donadoni must choose between Juve legend Allesandro Del Piero and Udinese star Antonio De Natale to provide the creativity for the prolific Luca Toni up front. Daniele De Rossi of Roma has been earning rave reviews for his gut-busting efforts from midfield also.

All in all then a formidable proposition awaits Marco van Basten’s Dutch class of 2008. The former AC Milan great will step down after the tournament, so expect his success or otherwise in this championships to define his tenure in the eyes of many. He has been pilloried by some for moving away from traditional Dutch ideals in favour of a more workmanlike approach, yet he can still call on the talents of Real Madrid pair Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder, aswell as Hamburg’s innovative midfield force Rafael van der Vaart for inspiration. The loss of another Real man in the shape of Arjen Robben and Arsenal’s Robin van Persie for this one could be significant. Both possess the skill and imagination to be both effective and pleasing on the eye, but both remain doubts for this already difficult group phase.

However, it is in defence where van Basten has the most to think about. Edwin van der Sar has won a league and Champions League double with Manchester United this past season, but at times has looked far from secure. His distribution and decision making seem a little out of kilter, and those in front of him are not as reliable as van Basten might like. Wigan’s Mario Melchiot is a doubt with a groin problem, while van Basten must decide between Tim de Cler and Aston Villa’s Wilfred Bouma at left-back. Johnny Heitinga of Ajax is likely to figure centrally alongside Hamburg’s Joris Mathijsen. Worryingly, Chelsea misfit Khalid Boulahrouz was recently drafted into the squad to replace Liverpool’s Ryan Babel, who has ankle ligament trouble. Anfield team-mate Dirk Kuyt will hope for a an attacking role in support of van Nistelrooy.

The match-up evokes memories of the classic Euro 2000 semi-final clash, when Italy prevailed 3-1 on penalties after Frank de Boer and Patrick Kluivert missed spot-kicks during the match itself. Italy went on to lose to Group C rivals France in the final that year, but gained revenge when the two met for the world title in Berlin six years later. Overall Italy have won 7 of the 15 previous meetings between the two, but Holland have the edge in competitive action with two wins to Italy’s one, with that solitary draw at Euro 2000.

Holland may feel a little less expectation than usual given the degree of difficulty in Group C, and a draw in the opener against one of the tournament’s favourites would be far from disastrous. Yet the section is likely to go down to the wire, with Romania also having a say in what promises to be the closest and most exciting of all the groups. Italy are not known for their fast starts, but may feel a little more pressure to win this first match given the quality of opposition on the agenda and the massive expectation that surrounds Donadoni’s side following their 2006 exploits.

Verdict; Italy 1 Holland 1

By Stephen Orford

9 June 2008

Life as A Substitute Suits Del Piero Fine

Paul Grech

If Alessandro Del Piero was looking for closure then there could have barely hoped for a better stage for the European Championships: it was here that his career first went into a freefall.

It is the 2nd of July, 2000 and Italy are taking on World Champions France in the final of the European Championships.  The French are firm favourites whilst Dino Zoff’s azzurri can hardly believe their luck in being there.  In the semi-final they had somehow overcome Holland who had missed two penalties in normal time before going on to, fittingly, lose the penalty kick-off.

Yet it was the Italians who went ahead and looked to be heading for a win.  Then Sylvain Wiltord popped up with a dramatic final minute goal to send the game into extra-time and then David Trezeguet did likewise to win it by scoring a golden goal.

Many back in Italy blamed Del Piero for that defeat. Two marvelous chances to score the second goal and kill off the game had fallen at his feet.  Del Piero had missed them both.

By that time he had long since stopped being Italy’s golden boy.  If anything, he had become a burden, a player retained by both Juventus and Italy because of his past achievement rather than his current contribution.  A serious injury suffered two years earlier had apparently killed off whatever special talent there had been.

Not everyone, however, was willing to discard Del Piero.  Not only Dino Zoff but also Carlo Ancelotti and Marcelo Lippi had kept faith in him as well as the Juventus fans.  Most stayed by his side when Fabio Capello rode in from Roma and suddenly started treating Del Piero as a glorified squad player.

Del Piero, in turn, remained faithful to Juventus when things suddenly and dramatically went bad.  He was one of the few star players who immediately confirmed that he would stay with them even in the Serie B and fittingly it was during that season that his reputation started to resurface.

Twenty one goals in a majestic campaign where Juventus breezed through the division added another title to his name.  Yet if the sight of Del Piero doing well in the Serie B had been expected, his sudden return to form in the Serie A wasn’t.  Many have argued that 2007-08 was the best of his career, with his twenty-one goals marking him out as the league’s top scorer and a main reason for Juventus’ claiming third spot in the league.

Those goals and his form saw him regain his place in the national squad.  To a degree, public pressure saw to that as Donadoni has never seemed a big fan of his. He too, however, ultimately realized the importance of having someone like Del Piero not only because of his undoubted footballing merits but also because omitting him might have burdened the team with too much un-needed media pressure.

That, however, is as far as he has gone.  The starting slot that many felt should belong to Del Piero will instead go to Uinese’s Antonio de Natale who at least made life easy for Donadoni by scoring a brace in the final friendly against Belgium. 

Even if Donadoni himself didn’t seem to eager to facilitate things by naming Del Piero as captain after the injury to Fabio Cannavaro.  For a brief instant, that decision caused a flurry of rumours that he would be starting the game before it transpired that the captaincy had only passed to Del Piero because he was the senior member in the squad.  On the pitch against Holland, the captain will be Gigi Buffon.

Yet for Del Piero the opportunity remains there. If anything it is even better for he is left with the prospect of changing the direction of games as a substitute and finally exorcise the demons that have been harrying himself for eight long years.

200,000 Reasons For Ronaldinho To Come to Manchester?

Manchester City's pursuit of Ronaldinho continues while much of the football world is focused on Austria and Switzerland. The latest reports indicate that a City team has travelled to Brazil to speak to the player on holiday.

If the former World Player of the Year does accept Thaksin Shinawatra's overtures, it would be a massive change of attiude. This is the player who turned down Manchester United because he couldn't stand the thought of living in the North-West weather.

Even global warming hasn't improved the Manchester micro-climate that much so we must assume Ronaldinho has other reasons for a possible change of heart. There are 4 key factors- often interlinked;

1. The player and his brother (his agent) are using City to smoke out other offers

2. Manchester City's reported offer of £200,000 per week (The Guardian) is simply too huge to dismiss

3. The Premiership is now the dominant league in Europe and Ronaldinho wants to be part of it

4. The word 'former' World Player of the Year is key. Ronaldinho no longer has top clubs desperate for his services and many will wait to to see him in another shirt before stepping in.

The City of Manchester Stadium could be a one-year sojourn to see if the player still has much to offer at the highest level- or a massively rewarded pension plan boost, for a player past his best.

In the 4 points list above, City must hope that point three is high on Ronaldinho's list of priorities, otherwise they could be getting a superstar for a single season, or worse, one who isn't fully motivated.

Euro 2008: Austria and Switzerland could buck a trend to crash out early

One of the unwritten rules of international tournaments is that the hosts qualify for the knock-out stages. This is necessary to retain local interest and press coverage and to make everything as good natured as possible.

But with the modern expansion to the Euros this is the first time the Euros have being staged at two weak, joint hosts. And the first time ever that the semi-finals are likely not to include a host country. Hosts are always top seeds which should ensure a slightly easier group, but even with this advantage the Austrians and the Swiss are unlikely to survive the group stage.

Hosting is also a catalyst in the World Cup, with USA and South Korea both having their best campaigns in home conditions.

The Euros has been played since 1960, originally as "Nations Cup". From 1960 until 1976, 4 teams qualified for the final tournament - although sometimes there were two series of qualification tournaments to get to the final four. From 1980 until 1992, 8 teams made it there - with two groups of four. Since 1996, 16 teams have qualified; four groups of four initially. Pressure from countries like Scotland and Ireland for a further expansion to 24 or 32 teams will probably force a further expansion from 2016.

So initially all teams that qualified for the finals were semi-finalists and up until 1992 only one group stage was necessary to confirm the semi-finalists. But regardless of these facts the hosts usually do quite well:

1960: France (fourth place) 1964: Spain (winners) 1968: Italy (winners) 1972: Belgium (third place) 1976: Yugoslavia (fourth place) 1980: Italy (fourth place) 1984: France (winners) 1988: West Germany (semi-finalist) 1992: Sweden (semi-finalist) 1996: England (semi-finalist) 2000: Belgium (group stage), Netherlands (semi-finalist) 2004: Portugal (runners-up) 2008: Austria (group stage?), Switzerland (group stage?)

Since the expansion to 16 teams in 1992 only Belgium (as joint hosts in 2000) has failed to reach the semi-final. Austria and Switzerland could really buck a trend here.

Euro 2008 Preview; France v Romania

Lock all doors and windows, raise the alarm and carry out a head-count as Euro 2008’s Group Of Death gets under way in Zurich this afternoon (June 9).

Two-time European champions France enter the spotlight alongside the less fancied Romania in Group C. Raymond Domenech’s side have been one of the most talked about squads in the build-up to the tournament with opinion split on their prospects. For every observer who suggests that Domenech has the strongest squad of players of any nation at the competition, you will find another who worries that advancing age may catch up with Les Bleus.

That fear is particularly evident in defence, where 36 year-old Lilian Thuram leads a backline containing Arsenal hot-head William Gallas, and which also contains 31-year-old Bayern Munich right-back Willy Sagnol. Yet so strongly does Domenech believe in left-back Eric Abidal of Barcelona, there is likely to be no place in the starting line-up for the impressive Patrice Evra of Manchester United. Uncertainty abounds among this quartet, but dull moments are likely to be in short supply in front of goalkeeper Gregory Coupet.

Hoping to exploit the madness is former Chelsea star Adrian Mutu. Sacked by the Stamford Bridge club following a drugs ban, Mutu is now starring in Serie A for Fiorentina, and is Romania’s great hope coming into Euro 2008. He forms a potent partnership in attack alongside Stuttgart’s Ciprian Marica, and it was the 11 goals between them in qualifying which helped nudge Victor Piturca’s side ahead of Holland in the scramble to reach Austria and Switzerland.

A re-match with the Dutch awaits, but for now Piturca must plot a route out of this one without sustaining terminal damage to his side’s campaign. It is not going to be easy, and a defence led by the experienced Christian Chivu is likely to be busy. With Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery et al coming at them from all angles, the Romanians will need to be ultra-combative if they are to keep the French at bay. Chivu is so important to Romanian hopes that the Inter Milan stopper has agreed to postpone surgery on a shoulder injury to enable him to take part in the tournament.

France could be set to announce the withdrawal of Patrick Vieira from their squad. The former Arsenal maestro misses this one with a thigh injury, and remains doubtful for the remainder of the competition. A decision is expected prior to kick-off, and if Vieira fails to convince Domenech of his fitness then he is likely to be replaced by another ex-Gunner in the shape of Mathieu Flamini. A rarely-used utility man for so much of his Arsenal career, Flamini established himself as the midfield enforcer in Arsene Wenger’s side in 2007/08, only to leave for AC Milan at the end of the season. He is now considered a hot property in European club football, and it is perhaps a measure of the strength-in-depth on paper of this French outfit that he missed the original cut.

There are further worries for Domenech concerning those with an Arsenal connection, as Henry struggles to fight off a problem with a sciatic nerve. Should Henry fail to make the starting line-up, expect Anelka to partner the exciting Benzema in attack. The Lyon starlet is coveted by Manchester United among others, and is valued by his current employers at around £30million. Euro 2008 could give us a glimpse as to why.

Yet perhaps the most damaging loss could be that of Ribery, who has starred for Bayern Munich this term but who is troubled by a knock to his ankle. Ribery has been linked with a £31million move to Chelsea in the press this morning, and has quickly emerged as the team’s main playmaker following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane. A different type of player to the legendary World Cup winning captain, Ribery is nevertheless able to dominate games with his mix of skill and vision, allied to an eye for goal.

If the list of star names on the French team sheet isn’t enough to frighten Piturca’s men, then a quick look at the history books might. Romania have never beaten France in a competitive international, and have only won three of all 10 meetings between the two. They last met competitively at Euro 96, when Christophe Dugarry’s goal was enough to win a Group B encounter at St.James’ Park, Newcastle. In addition, Romania have never won their opening match at a European Championship finals tournament, and have never gone beyond the quarter-final stage.

This time around the draw has arguably taken the pressure off them. Nobody expects them to live with the group’s trio of heavyweights despite the fact that they took four points out of six against Holland in qualifying without conceding a goal to Marco van Basten’s side. They remain an unheralded outsider, but as Henry has been quick to point out in the week leading up to this clash, they are a dangerous opponent who cannot be discounted.

For Romania much will depend on the ability of Mutu and Marica to get at the French back four, and on the quality of service from the likes of Steaua Bucharest pair Nicolae Dica and Banel Nicolita. Look out too for attacking left-back Razvan Rat, who has been catching the eye with his performances for Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukraine aswell as for his country.

With Holland and then Italy still to come, the need of both should be great enough to inspire a performance. If both perform to their potential expect Domenech’s side to just about have enough to hold off a strong challenge from an emerging force.

Verdict; France 2 Romania 1

By Stephen Orford

9 June 2008

He Should Do Well: Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea)

Paul Grech

As far as summers go, few have started off as chaotically as this one for Chelsea.  Ever since the announcement that they had decided against keeping Avram Grant as manager, it has been a free-for-all among the papers with everyone linking them to a new manager every day.

The apparent rebuttals of Mark Hughes, Carlo Ancelotti and Luciano Spalleti haven’t helped lighten the mood and the longer it takes to appoint someone the more it starts to seem that there wasn’t any plan in place on what direction the club wanted to take.

Amidst all this, it has almost been forgotten that Chelsea have already completed their first transfer of the summer in the form of right-back Jose Bosingwa who has been signed from Porto for £16.2 million.

Initial reports on Bosingwa hadn’t been too complimentary. Alberto da Silva, a journalist for World Soccer magazine, claimed that "he's a good player but he's not worth that much money.  Chelsea's current right-back Paulo Ferreira is a better player. I don't know who negotiated the deal, but he did well for Porto."

That might be the case but it doesn’t explain why Bosingwa kicked off Euro 2008 playing at right-back with Ferreira displaced to left-back and Miguel left completely out of the side.

Which is why we opted to look into the matter a little deeper and get another opionon.  “For any Chelsea fan who knows little about Jose Bosingwa, I have to inform you that he stands every chance of becoming as successful at Stamford Bridge as his international team-mate Ricardo Carvalho,” Tom Kundert, owner and chief editor of www.PortuGoal.net, was quick to inform us.

“A measure of how highly regarded the speedy right-back is can be gauged from the fact that nobody questioned Luiz Felipe Scolari’s decision to pick Bosignwa ahead of Valencia right-back, Miguel, one of Portugal’s best performers in their highly successful Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 tournaments, one year ago. “

“Despite Miguel’s undoubted pedigree, Bosingwa immediately made the position his own in the national team.”

So what makes him such a special player?  “His incredible energy levels, enabling him to motor up and down the right flank from 1st to 90th minute, have even led several Portuguese pundits to claim he has now surpassed Daniel Alves as the world’s leading right-back. I believe that claim is not fuelled by patriotism alone and is pretty much on the mark.” Kundert continued.

“His speed and attacking menace are what stand out in his game, but it is the fact that he combines these attributes with measured aggression and sound defending – an area of his game that has improved greatly over the last two years – that makes him such a wonderful player, and one apparently suited to the physical demands of the Premiership.”

“It has been obvious for several months that FC Porto would not be able to hold onto him, and a move to Manchester United was very much expected, so Chelsea stealing in for him has to be considered something of a coup.”

There is, however, a downside.  “My only question mark over whether or not he will be a resounding success lies in his tendency to be somewhat injury prone. He has missed around 15 matches this season, not through any serious problem but a series of niggling muscle strains. “

“Provided he remains fully fit Jose Bosingwa will quickly become a household name for Premiership fans.”