When fans of the English Premier League refer to the ‘top four’, they are generally talking about Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. However with the influx of the new TV money there appears to be a tide of contenders threatening to break the dominance of the big four.Ever since Rafa Benitez joined and started reshaping a Liverpool side that often failed to deceive into genuine contenders for honours and Roman Abromovich came in and gave Mourinho so much money to spend that they could afford to buy £21 million bench players like Shaun Wright Phillips, the top four places in the league table have generally been filled by those teams each season. Finishing in one of the top four places gains qualification for the Champions League- the two top automatically enter the group stages while the teams that finish third and fourth play a two legged tie against often substandard European opponents.
The last time the stranglehold on the top four was broken was by a spirited Everton side in 2004/05, who finished three points ahead of a Liverpool team distracted by the Champions League - but the Toffees then failed to advance in either the Champions League or the UEFA Cup, losing to Villareal and then getting thrashed by Dinamo Bucharesti. Liverpool still qualified for the Champions League the next season by virtue of them picking up the trophy and being allowed back in by UEFA. Other than Everton, the closest a side has come spoiling the party was the Tottenham Hotspur team of 2005/06, who led a struggling Arsenal side for large parts of the season before succumbing on the last day of the season to West Ham United and thus gifting Arsenal their place in the Champions League qualifiers. While most do not think that another team will break into the top four very soon, with the amount of big spending and the types of players being brought into the Premier League, anything is possible. Here, I will take a look at the four teams that I feel are the most capable of doing so.
Everton Football Club
As mentioned above, Everton were the only team to break into the top four in recent history. While Everton used to be a team whose performances fluctuated wildly (they finished seventeenth the season before, just escaping relegation), it seems the team is finally beginning to gel. While teams like Tottenham Hotspur have started off poorly in comparison, Everton sit a lofty third in the Premiership- ahead of 2005/06 champions Chelsea due to goal difference. In defense, Everton’s only weak position is at right back- the trio of Leighton Baines, Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott form an otherwise stable backline. In midfield, Everton possess both creative players and grafters- Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar can set up chances for the strikers up front while Tim Cahill and Leon Osman both make sure opponents do not have time and space on the ball. Arteta and Cahill are two of the most under-rated player in the Premiership, and as long as Everton keep hold of them, they will do well. Up front, Everton made smart moves in the transfer market- moving to sign Aiyegbeni Yakubu, a striker who has only been outscored in the last four years in the Premiership by Thierry Henry. Everton also have the dangerous Andy Johnson capable of scoring goals, and youth players James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe have turned a few heads with their stellar performances off the bench. Where Everton could be most hit is when the African Cup of Nations comes around- they will lose important players at both ends of the pitch in Yobo and Yakubu, and should Arteta pick up an injury in that time they may struggle. Everton have a good squad, with competent players to come in if injuries occur, and in my opinion are the most likely to break into the top four this season.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
This year was supposed to be the year Tottenham Hotspur finally made a strong push to finish in the top four. Having thrown it all away on the last day two seasons ago, Spurs followed that up with poor season, never really challenging Arsenal again and being dragged along at times by Dmitar Berbatov. After being given over £40 million to spend in the transfer market, manager Martin Jol knew that he had to make buys that could help Tottenham challenge this year. Sadly, his buys in the transfer market have been not up to scratch. Having a forward line that consists of Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe in attack- three players who scored more than sixty goals between them last year, it was perhaps up front where Tottenham did not need to strengthen. However, Jol thought differently- shelling out a massive £16.5 million to purchase goal poacher Darren Bent scored more goals in the Premier League than any other Englishman. It is in the centre of midfield where Tottenham need some creativity, their sole signing to try and correct this was the purchase of Kevin-Prince Boateng from Hertha Berlin, a player who might become good in the future but is not yet ready to be a starter now. Although Tottenham have had a horrendous start to their Premiership campaign- picking up a mere four points after five games played (with their north London rivals Arsenal still to visit), they cannot be ruled out of the running for fourth place. Arsenal in fact had a similar start last season and went on to comfortably finish fourth, so Tottenham Hotspur fans will be hoping they can do the same. As they still have a decent collection of players- the likes of Berbatov, Bale and King would easily get into the squads of any top four team, they cannot be written off yet; however I would say that should they not get a point at the very least against Arsenal in the North London derby on September 15 th, you can safely rule them out this season.
Manchester City Football Club
After the end of last season, where Manchester City finished 14th and just four points above the relegation zone, talk was of them trying to reach the top ten at best. That was until the takeover by Thai businessman Thaksin Shinawatra. As soon as his £81.6 million bid to buy the club was accepted, Shinawatra brought in ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, and quickly gave him money to spend as Eriksson bought over £40 million worth of new talent. Having already witnessed a bright start to the season, fans are talking about finishing fifth- and whispers slowly begin to arise that a finish one place higher may be possible. Eriksson has made some very good buys- Vedran Corluka and Javier Garrido have shown they are competent defenders, helping the established Micah Richards and novice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel start the season off with three clean sheets. They also have experienced Richard Dunne in defence, a player that helps command the backline. In midfield, Manchester City have the players for almost any event- the guile of Geovanni matched up with the dynanism of Petrov, the energy of Johnson and the pace and trickery of Elano. Up front, Eriksson brought in Rolondo Bianchi and Valeri Bojinov, two players that can certainly cause problems on their day. Sadly, Bojinov has been ruled out for the next five months but they should still have firepower to see off most teams. While the most optimistic fans of the club may think it possible this season, I feel it is still a year too soon for the Eastlands club, and while they will compete for the UEFA Cup places getting fourth will be a gap too far to bridge.
Newcastle United Football Club
Characteristics of Newcastle United Football Club in the past included a selection of overpaid, lazy players as well as a shambolic defence. That is true no longer- new manager Sam Allardyce has taken care of that. After being appointed manager soon after he left Bolton, Allardyce completely revamped the set of players he deals with strongest- the defenders. Immediately moving in the transfer market to sign David Rozenthal, Jose Enrique. Claudio Cacapa and Habib Beye, the new Newcastle defence looks a lot more solid that those of previous seasons. The manager also signed ex-Manchester City hothead Joey Barton and Abdoulaye Faye from Bolton to add some bite and steel in midfield, and wrapped up his transfer dealings by signing Alan Smith from Manchester United and Mark Viduka on a free transfer from North East rivals Middlesbrough to play up front. Michael Owen seems to be finally fit as well, and will surely score goals if given the chance. As Newcastle’s biggest problem in the past was defence, and having Allardyce as a manager means “good defence” in football terms, it seems that their biggest problem will cease to exist as long as Allardyce is there. Newcastle have started the season well, currently level on points with last year’s champions Manchester United while having a game in hand. Looking far better than the team that was only able to finish 13 th last season, Newcastle’s team has being mentioned this year as one of the teams capable of breaking into the top four slots, and quite rightly too. On their day, Newcastle are near impossible to deal with and as they are still a youthful side, they will only get better and better. In my opinion Newcastle have just as much of a chance as Tottenham this season, and should they hit a proper run of form and good luck with injuries, they will be right up there in the table.
12 September 2007
7 September 2007
Will the Terrific Trio Become the Fantastic Four?
When Barcelona wrapped up arguably the coup of the transfer window by picking up the world class Thierry Henry for just over £16 million pounds, football fans were both puzzled and ecstatic about the transfer. Yes, they would be able to finally see four of the most formidable attacking players play together for one team- but on the other hand did Barcelona really need Henry? Already possessing Ronaldinho Gaucho, Leo Messi and Samuel Eto’o up front, Barcelona had three players that any team in the world would be happy to have one of- let alone three. Those that watched last season’s title race would surely argue that their defensive needs needed improving much more than their attacking ones, which is why the purchase of Henry was seen as unneeded by many top football pundits around the world (Gabriele Marcotti stated that “where else but La Liga would their [Real Madrid] closest rivals sign one of the greatest attacking weapons in footballing history at great expense despite already boasting three of the best strikers in the world?”). Although Barcelona scored more goals and conceded fewer goals than any other team in La Liga, they finished second, not winning the title due to their inferior head to head record against champions Real Madrid.
Barcelona scored 78 goals in their 38 league games, meaning they scored an average of around 2 goals a game. Their 33 goals conceded meant they conceded an average of just below 0.9 goals a game. If you take these two figures into account, this means that should have (on average) won every game 2-1, so why didn’t they win the title? Obviously in football you cannot win all your games- you will draw some, and yes you will lose some. However, given the fact that Barcelona scored 12 more goals and conceded 7 goals less than champions Real Madrid, this shows that they should have not even let the Bernabeu side close enough to let the head to head results have any meaning on the title race. The conclusion we can draw from these facts is that when Barcelona won games, they won them well yet when they conceded in games, they often lacked the impetus to claw their way back into a winning position. Most would argue that a striker of Henry’s calibre would only help them do this- here I will reason whether Henry’s signing was as needed or not.
While Barcelona definitely do not need help scoring goals in La Liga, it could be argued that Henry will help them dominate the prize they won in 2005/06- the Champions League. Although Barcelona disposed of mediocre Bulgarian side Levski Sofia with relative ease, they struggled against the top sides- failing to beat Chelsea both home and away, not managing to get the all important second goal at Anfield when they needed it as well as dropping two points in Germany against Werder Bremen. With three of Ronaldinho, Henry, Messi and Eto’o on the pitch as well as one of them on the bench, this Barcelona attack should find even the toughest defence in the world only slightly hard to breach. While Henry has never won the Champions League before, he has scored a total of fifty goals in European competitions- as well as spearheading a youthful Arsenal side into the final of the competition that they ironically lost against his present employers.
As Barcelona won nothing last season, most would agree it is obvious that they need strengthening. They have done so- bringing in Yaya Toure to play in midfield as well as Eric Abidal to play in defence. While perhaps a fully fit Barcelona squad would not need Thierry Henry, the realities of the modern game are that players will pick up injuries, and when they do it is priceless to have someone like Henry waiting to come in and play in their role up front. This became a reality when Samuel Eto’o was recently ruled out for at eight weeks at the very least following a thigh injury. He will also be missing at least a month of the season during December/January due to the African Cup of Nations (ACoN)- how happy will Barcelona fans be to have Henry come in and play up front instead of the erratic Eidur Gudjohnsen or the ageing Santi Ezquerro?
Since adding too many big names to a squad can cause huge problems with so many large egos in the dressing room (as the Galacticos of Real Madrid found out during their unsuccessful spell between 2003-2007), Barcelona head coach Frank Rijkaard will have a difficult task on his hands handling the four superstars up front, but it is probable that injuries, suspensions and international events like the ACoN will make his task easier in deciding who to play up front. If Rijkaard is able to successfully integrate all four players as well as the new arrivals into a team unit that plays together coherently, Barcelona will definitely be in contention for not just domestic honours, but European ones as well.
Barcelona scored 78 goals in their 38 league games, meaning they scored an average of around 2 goals a game. Their 33 goals conceded meant they conceded an average of just below 0.9 goals a game. If you take these two figures into account, this means that should have (on average) won every game 2-1, so why didn’t they win the title? Obviously in football you cannot win all your games- you will draw some, and yes you will lose some. However, given the fact that Barcelona scored 12 more goals and conceded 7 goals less than champions Real Madrid, this shows that they should have not even let the Bernabeu side close enough to let the head to head results have any meaning on the title race. The conclusion we can draw from these facts is that when Barcelona won games, they won them well yet when they conceded in games, they often lacked the impetus to claw their way back into a winning position. Most would argue that a striker of Henry’s calibre would only help them do this- here I will reason whether Henry’s signing was as needed or not.
While Barcelona definitely do not need help scoring goals in La Liga, it could be argued that Henry will help them dominate the prize they won in 2005/06- the Champions League. Although Barcelona disposed of mediocre Bulgarian side Levski Sofia with relative ease, they struggled against the top sides- failing to beat Chelsea both home and away, not managing to get the all important second goal at Anfield when they needed it as well as dropping two points in Germany against Werder Bremen. With three of Ronaldinho, Henry, Messi and Eto’o on the pitch as well as one of them on the bench, this Barcelona attack should find even the toughest defence in the world only slightly hard to breach. While Henry has never won the Champions League before, he has scored a total of fifty goals in European competitions- as well as spearheading a youthful Arsenal side into the final of the competition that they ironically lost against his present employers.
As Barcelona won nothing last season, most would agree it is obvious that they need strengthening. They have done so- bringing in Yaya Toure to play in midfield as well as Eric Abidal to play in defence. While perhaps a fully fit Barcelona squad would not need Thierry Henry, the realities of the modern game are that players will pick up injuries, and when they do it is priceless to have someone like Henry waiting to come in and play in their role up front. This became a reality when Samuel Eto’o was recently ruled out for at eight weeks at the very least following a thigh injury. He will also be missing at least a month of the season during December/January due to the African Cup of Nations (ACoN)- how happy will Barcelona fans be to have Henry come in and play up front instead of the erratic Eidur Gudjohnsen or the ageing Santi Ezquerro?
Since adding too many big names to a squad can cause huge problems with so many large egos in the dressing room (as the Galacticos of Real Madrid found out during their unsuccessful spell between 2003-2007), Barcelona head coach Frank Rijkaard will have a difficult task on his hands handling the four superstars up front, but it is probable that injuries, suspensions and international events like the ACoN will make his task easier in deciding who to play up front. If Rijkaard is able to successfully integrate all four players as well as the new arrivals into a team unit that plays together coherently, Barcelona will definitely be in contention for not just domestic honours, but European ones as well.
5 September 2007
Why Arsenal Should be Happy to be out of the Limelight
While the Gunners are currently second in the table, level on points with leaders Liverpool albeit with an inferior goal difference, nearly no one apart from their fans have even mentioned their names with regards to who will be competing for the title come May 2008. Liverpool will finally do it is the cry, or that Manchester United and Chelsea will both recover from their shaky starts to reclaim their places at the top. The young Arsenal side is written off as being too youthful, too experienced- how can they do it when the average age of their first team is so low?
Although many Arsenal fans may be irritated with this, the reality is they should be happy- the Arsenal team always thrives as the underdog. This was best shown in the run to the Champions League final during the 2005/06 season- the Gunners outclassed and outplayed all opponents that neutrals and football pundits alike thought would destroy them; first relying on a magnificent Thierry Henry goal and some brilliant defending to beat Spanish giants Real Madrid, then running rings around an ageing Juventus side. In fact, in the first knockout round that Arsenal were expected to comfortably dispatch their opponents they had problems- while they won the first leg by a single goal against Villareal, the second leg was a tense, nervous affair that could have gone either way. However, luck stayed with the Gunners as Riquelme missed his penalty, and although they were thwarted in the final by a star studded Barcelona side, they were arguably the better team for large spells of the game- despite having a man less for all but the first eighteen minutes.
So, why exactly should the Arsenal side be happy to stay out of the limelight? Well, being in the limelight means all eyes are on you, and although that is great when you are winning games, it provides unwanted pressure when you are not doing as well. Expectations will rise, as they are for Liverpool- a team that has not won the title for the last seventeen years is expected to lead the title race, just because of their large win over a side bound for relegation. All I ask for is this, fellow Gooners; don’t have any expectations of the title at this moment in time, just hope for an improvement on last season. With ten points in four games (we had half the amount at this stage last season) we have certainly started off better, and for that all those that sport red and white around the world can rejoice.
Although many Arsenal fans may be irritated with this, the reality is they should be happy- the Arsenal team always thrives as the underdog. This was best shown in the run to the Champions League final during the 2005/06 season- the Gunners outclassed and outplayed all opponents that neutrals and football pundits alike thought would destroy them; first relying on a magnificent Thierry Henry goal and some brilliant defending to beat Spanish giants Real Madrid, then running rings around an ageing Juventus side. In fact, in the first knockout round that Arsenal were expected to comfortably dispatch their opponents they had problems- while they won the first leg by a single goal against Villareal, the second leg was a tense, nervous affair that could have gone either way. However, luck stayed with the Gunners as Riquelme missed his penalty, and although they were thwarted in the final by a star studded Barcelona side, they were arguably the better team for large spells of the game- despite having a man less for all but the first eighteen minutes.
So, why exactly should the Arsenal side be happy to stay out of the limelight? Well, being in the limelight means all eyes are on you, and although that is great when you are winning games, it provides unwanted pressure when you are not doing as well. Expectations will rise, as they are for Liverpool- a team that has not won the title for the last seventeen years is expected to lead the title race, just because of their large win over a side bound for relegation. All I ask for is this, fellow Gooners; don’t have any expectations of the title at this moment in time, just hope for an improvement on last season. With ten points in four games (we had half the amount at this stage last season) we have certainly started off better, and for that all those that sport red and white around the world can rejoice.
What exactly is 'Second Season Syndrome'?
Ask almost any fan of a club that has done well in their first year after being promoted to the Premiership and their feelings will not be one of anticipation, but more of fear- all due to the condition dubbed “second season syndrome”. Second season syndrome is defined as a downturn in fortunes for a club two years after promotion to the top flight- especially if they have done exceptionally well the prior season. While most promoted clubs often drop straight back down into the division they came from, quite a few have surprised football fans and pundits alike with a brilliant first season- however after expectations are raised, they often struggle in their second year.
The first notable example of second season syndrome that was seen in the Premiership was Middlesbrough in the 1996/97 season. Promoted as champions of Division One in 1995, Middlesbrough shone in their first season- reaching the heights of fourth place in October before eventually finishing well clear of the relegation zone in 12th place. The next season however, despite manager Bryan Robson buying expensive players (at the time) like Fabrizo Ravanelli and Emerson, Middlesbrough eventually slumped to a dismal 19th place in the table and were relegated, starting the trend that would be continued quite a few times over the next decade.
For Ipswich Town in 2001/02, the sudden drop was even more alarming. After being promoted due to them winning the Division One playoffs in 2000, Ipswich shocked the Premiership after storming into fifth place and thus winning a place in the UEFA Cup. Although they qualified for the UEFA Cup again next season (this time via their UEFA Fair Play ranking), Ipswich were relegated at the end of the year- winning just one of their first seventeen Premier League fixtures and eventually going into financial administration.
While the next team to be hit by second season syndrome was not relegated, the drop was still a massive seven places down the Premier League table. The team this time was Manchester City, promoted as Division One champions in 2002. They did well as a team in their first season- eventually finishing a respectable ninth in the table. Their second season, however, saw them sucked into a relegation battle for all but the last few days of the season, finally finishing sixteenth to stay up (and have since pushed on to become a comfortable mid-table team).
The last example of second season syndrome that I will give you is the season of 2006/07, where not just one, but two teams struggled in their second season. This time both teams were not relegated- but a struggle of such great magnitude looked almost impossible after their successful first seasons in England’s highest division. West Ham United and Wigan Athletic, both promoted from the second tier in 2005. West Ham finished ninth in their first year as well as reaching the final of the FA Cup (and thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup), but in their follow up season were almost certain to be relegated until an exceptional run of form by Argentine striker Carlos Tevez. Wigan Athletic went from tenth in their first team to surviving due to goal difference on the last day of the season- despite keeping most of their star players.
While all this does is highlight the difficulty of going from a side promoted to the Premiership to a comfortable mid table side in the top flight, fans of those clubs about to celebrate their second season should still have faith- there are survivors, as West Ham, Manchester City and Wigan Athletic have shown, and the former two at least are almost certain not to go down this season.
The first notable example of second season syndrome that was seen in the Premiership was Middlesbrough in the 1996/97 season. Promoted as champions of Division One in 1995, Middlesbrough shone in their first season- reaching the heights of fourth place in October before eventually finishing well clear of the relegation zone in 12th place. The next season however, despite manager Bryan Robson buying expensive players (at the time) like Fabrizo Ravanelli and Emerson, Middlesbrough eventually slumped to a dismal 19th place in the table and were relegated, starting the trend that would be continued quite a few times over the next decade.
For Ipswich Town in 2001/02, the sudden drop was even more alarming. After being promoted due to them winning the Division One playoffs in 2000, Ipswich shocked the Premiership after storming into fifth place and thus winning a place in the UEFA Cup. Although they qualified for the UEFA Cup again next season (this time via their UEFA Fair Play ranking), Ipswich were relegated at the end of the year- winning just one of their first seventeen Premier League fixtures and eventually going into financial administration.
While the next team to be hit by second season syndrome was not relegated, the drop was still a massive seven places down the Premier League table. The team this time was Manchester City, promoted as Division One champions in 2002. They did well as a team in their first season- eventually finishing a respectable ninth in the table. Their second season, however, saw them sucked into a relegation battle for all but the last few days of the season, finally finishing sixteenth to stay up (and have since pushed on to become a comfortable mid-table team).
The last example of second season syndrome that I will give you is the season of 2006/07, where not just one, but two teams struggled in their second season. This time both teams were not relegated- but a struggle of such great magnitude looked almost impossible after their successful first seasons in England’s highest division. West Ham United and Wigan Athletic, both promoted from the second tier in 2005. West Ham finished ninth in their first year as well as reaching the final of the FA Cup (and thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup), but in their follow up season were almost certain to be relegated until an exceptional run of form by Argentine striker Carlos Tevez. Wigan Athletic went from tenth in their first team to surviving due to goal difference on the last day of the season- despite keeping most of their star players.
While all this does is highlight the difficulty of going from a side promoted to the Premiership to a comfortable mid table side in the top flight, fans of those clubs about to celebrate their second season should still have faith- there are survivors, as West Ham, Manchester City and Wigan Athletic have shown, and the former two at least are almost certain not to go down this season.
4 September 2007
Arsenal's Group: Champions League Analysis
When Arsenal were drawn against Sparta Prague in the Champions League qualifiers, most, if not all Gooners predicted a relatively simple, yet physically testing passage to the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition. At the end of the two legged contest, they were proved right- the Gunners winning 2-0 away from home courtesy of goals from Cesc Fabregas and Aliaksander Hleb, while later beating the Czech side 3-0 at the Emirates stadium after Rosicky netted against his former club and then Fabregas and Da Silva finished them off. During the Champions League draw, Arsenal could have drawn the likes of Lyon and Valencia; however the eventual outcome was Czech side Slavia Prague, Romanian side Steaua Bucharest and Spanish side Sevilla. Here I take a look at how those sides got into the Champions League, as well as what kind of threat they will pose to us.
SK Slavia Praha (Slavia Prague)
Although the Czech side beat Dutch giants Ajax to take their place in the Champions League group stages, they should not pose much of a threat to the youthful Gunners. As the Gunners have already beaten Czech champions Sparta to reach the same stage as the lesser known Slavia Prague taking care of their lesser known counterparts should not prove a problem for the likes of Rosicky, Fabregas and van Persie. For the weak Arsenal side of yesteryear the away match would have been a problem; however the Arsenal side of this season has shown that it is ready to scrape it out with the kickers of the football world and should find them as much as a problem as Sparta were to beat. Slavia got into the group stages of the Champions League by beating Ajax 1-0 in the Amsterdam Arena and then taking them back to the Czech Republic and winning 2-1. While in the past Slavia had players such as Karek Poborsky, Patrik Berger and Pavel Kuka, their most threatening player of the modern side is Vladimir Smicer. Although Smicer has already picked up a Champions League winners medal during his time at Liverpool, even scoring during the remarkable comeback against AC Milan, he is on the wane as a player and the likes of Gilberto should be able to shackle him with ease.
Most notable player: Vladimir Smicer
FC Steaua Bucureşti
Steaua Bucharest broke into the group stages of the Champions League by beating Belarusian side BATE Borisov 4-2 on aggregate. After a thrilling 2-2 draw in Belarus, Steaua comfortably ran out 2-0 winners at the Stadionul Ghencea (stadium) in Bucharest. Steaua Bucharest are the most successful domestic side in Romania’s football history, having already won twenty-three National Championships, twenty Romanian Cups and the European Cup in 1986. While they will prove a harder task than Slavia, they will not be the hardest team Arsenal will have to face this season and if Arsenal are not careless at the back and keep it tight, they will do well against their Romanian opponents. In history their best player would have to be current head coach Gheorge Hagi- regarded as the best player to ever play for Romania. At the present moment, star players include Nicolae Dica, a promising striker wanted by the likes of Benfica and Aston Villa during the summer transfer window; Mirel Radoi, a strong, powerful defender that can play all across the backline; and Valentin Badea, a technically gifted striker that Steaua coach Becali said would eventually become Romania’s top striker.
Most notable player: Nicolae Dica
Sevilla FC
Sevilla are a side that love to come out and the beautiful game as it should be played. A great side to watch going forward, Sevilla surprised many last year when they competed in an astonishing title race with the Real Madrid and Barcelona- despite spending much, much less than the other two clubs. Having won the UEFA Cup for the past two years in a row, as well as picking up the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, Sevilla are blessed with an array of talent. Possessing the likes of Fredric Kanoute and Luis Fabiano up front, Jesus Navas and Renato in midfield as well as the dynamic Dani Alves in defense, they are a side that has quality in all areas of the pitch. Their best player has to be the Brazilian fullback Dani Alves, a player that orchestrates the majority of their attacks from his position at the right side of the defense- his brilliance causing owner del Nido to put a £27m price tag on his head to ward off potential buyers. Sevilla got into the group stages of the Champions League by beating Greek side AEK Athens 6-1 on aggregate, winning the first leg 2-0 at home and then destroying AEK 4-1 during the second leg in Greece. While Sevilla’s abundance of quality all over means they will prove a testing team for the Gunners, Sevilla love to come out and attack- and more often than not Arsenal beat those kinds of sides.
Most notable player: Dani Alves
This Champions League group certainly has the potential to be interesting- to state the obvious we could slip up in any of our games yet we could also win them all. A win at home followed by a draw away to each of the other teams should be enough, although if we want to finish top perhaps we should be looking at taking maximum points from the Slavia and Steaua Bucharest encounters (and take a draw at the very least in Spain). While last season’s Champions League campaign was a bit shambolic, one only hopes we can do as well as we did in 2005/06- and not just reach the final this time, but win it as well.
SK Slavia Praha (Slavia Prague)
Although the Czech side beat Dutch giants Ajax to take their place in the Champions League group stages, they should not pose much of a threat to the youthful Gunners. As the Gunners have already beaten Czech champions Sparta to reach the same stage as the lesser known Slavia Prague taking care of their lesser known counterparts should not prove a problem for the likes of Rosicky, Fabregas and van Persie. For the weak Arsenal side of yesteryear the away match would have been a problem; however the Arsenal side of this season has shown that it is ready to scrape it out with the kickers of the football world and should find them as much as a problem as Sparta were to beat. Slavia got into the group stages of the Champions League by beating Ajax 1-0 in the Amsterdam Arena and then taking them back to the Czech Republic and winning 2-1. While in the past Slavia had players such as Karek Poborsky, Patrik Berger and Pavel Kuka, their most threatening player of the modern side is Vladimir Smicer. Although Smicer has already picked up a Champions League winners medal during his time at Liverpool, even scoring during the remarkable comeback against AC Milan, he is on the wane as a player and the likes of Gilberto should be able to shackle him with ease.
Most notable player: Vladimir Smicer
FC Steaua Bucureşti
Steaua Bucharest broke into the group stages of the Champions League by beating Belarusian side BATE Borisov 4-2 on aggregate. After a thrilling 2-2 draw in Belarus, Steaua comfortably ran out 2-0 winners at the Stadionul Ghencea (stadium) in Bucharest. Steaua Bucharest are the most successful domestic side in Romania’s football history, having already won twenty-three National Championships, twenty Romanian Cups and the European Cup in 1986. While they will prove a harder task than Slavia, they will not be the hardest team Arsenal will have to face this season and if Arsenal are not careless at the back and keep it tight, they will do well against their Romanian opponents. In history their best player would have to be current head coach Gheorge Hagi- regarded as the best player to ever play for Romania. At the present moment, star players include Nicolae Dica, a promising striker wanted by the likes of Benfica and Aston Villa during the summer transfer window; Mirel Radoi, a strong, powerful defender that can play all across the backline; and Valentin Badea, a technically gifted striker that Steaua coach Becali said would eventually become Romania’s top striker.
Most notable player: Nicolae Dica
Sevilla FC
Sevilla are a side that love to come out and the beautiful game as it should be played. A great side to watch going forward, Sevilla surprised many last year when they competed in an astonishing title race with the Real Madrid and Barcelona- despite spending much, much less than the other two clubs. Having won the UEFA Cup for the past two years in a row, as well as picking up the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, Sevilla are blessed with an array of talent. Possessing the likes of Fredric Kanoute and Luis Fabiano up front, Jesus Navas and Renato in midfield as well as the dynamic Dani Alves in defense, they are a side that has quality in all areas of the pitch. Their best player has to be the Brazilian fullback Dani Alves, a player that orchestrates the majority of their attacks from his position at the right side of the defense- his brilliance causing owner del Nido to put a £27m price tag on his head to ward off potential buyers. Sevilla got into the group stages of the Champions League by beating Greek side AEK Athens 6-1 on aggregate, winning the first leg 2-0 at home and then destroying AEK 4-1 during the second leg in Greece. While Sevilla’s abundance of quality all over means they will prove a testing team for the Gunners, Sevilla love to come out and attack- and more often than not Arsenal beat those kinds of sides.
Most notable player: Dani Alves
This Champions League group certainly has the potential to be interesting- to state the obvious we could slip up in any of our games yet we could also win them all. A win at home followed by a draw away to each of the other teams should be enough, although if we want to finish top perhaps we should be looking at taking maximum points from the Slavia and Steaua Bucharest encounters (and take a draw at the very least in Spain). While last season’s Champions League campaign was a bit shambolic, one only hopes we can do as well as we did in 2005/06- and not just reach the final this time, but win it as well.
29 August 2007
Is the MyFootballClub Scenario a Good Idea?
Throughout the history of football, there have been many innovative ideas. Deciding to disallow the use of the conventional backpass to the goalkeeper, putting numbers on shirts, even the intense physical conditioning that a lot of the top level managers use have all contributed to make the sport the spectacle it is today. In the past few years, one of the things in football that has caused the most amount of debate is take-overs by "foreigners". Whether it's Thaksin Shinawatra at Manchester City, Malcolm Glazer at Manchester United or Roman Abromovich at Chelsea, most businessmen that have taken over clubs in the recent past have courted controversy at one point or another. In the past, most football clubs were owned by fans of the club itself- no it seems that more and more businessman looking to make a quick buck or for a real time version of popular computer game Football Manager. Now, it seems like ordinary fans will be able to actually have a say in the running of a club. MyFootballClub, a website set up by former football journalist Will Brooks claims that common football fans will finally be able to effect decisions of a club- be it who to sign in the transfer market, selecting which players will feature in the first team or the amount of money put into the youth fund for the coming season.
The site charges a fee of £35 for all those wanting to take part (£7.5 for administration of the MyFootballClub Trust while £27.5 goes into club expenditure) and members get to vote on which club they would like to see taken over. Currently leading the list is League One club Leeds United, with Nottingham Forest and Cambridge United in second and third place respectively. Although the website is keeping the number of people that have signed up a secret so that clubs they were negotiating with would not know the extent of their wealth, 53,051 members had signed up as of July 31st- making the total value of the company worth £1.46 million at the very least. Now that all the facts have been sorted out, this writer will give his view on whether he feels that the idea is a good one or not.
While the idea of "the people" running a football club may be a sound one in principle, a look at nearly any football forum on the Internet will tell you that most of "the people" are lacking a few brain cells. The very fact that a club like Leeds United, a team that was given a fifteen point penalty for financial issues leads the list of clubs to purchase speaks for itself- as do the listings of Arsenal and Manchester United (two clubs that would cost over £1 billion to purchase) at 9th and 11th place respectively shows that voting even in large numbers can sometimes produce futile results. Also, while the MyFootballClub scenario allows your vote to be counted, it is unlikely that a solitary vote in 50,000 people will make a large dent in the decisions you want to affect. There are official fan forums of teams that ask you to contribute ideas as to how the team can be improved and they are often free to join- what difference does MyFootballClub offer you, apart from charging you £35 to voice your opinion?
Although a fee of £35 seems a fairly cheap price to join the service, which as MyFootballClub says is "less than most Premiership tickets" as well as the price of a "football manager computer game", what benefit does joining the service give you? Whereas football manager computer games can be played for hours on end, and going to a football match allows you to see your favourite team in the flesh, how does joining what is effectively a glorified fan forum create any more ‘fun' that a free online message board would do? As MyFootballClub have not even selected the team they are going to purchase yet, those fans that have already paid up could be hugely disappointed if their dream to control the decisions of Leeds United turned into a reality of controlling the decisions of non-league side Cambridge United. Since football is a very passionate sport, it is nearly impossible for those that have a true interest in it to generate support for another team. Why then, should fans of the club that MyFootballClub will purchase waste money on a team they were never interested by in the first place?
Even though it must have seemed a good idea when Will Brooks concocted the MyFootballClub scenario, in reality there are just too many problems and too many drawbacks for it to work smoothly. While fans would get to ‘own' a football club for probably the first time in their lives, there are many ways they could satisfy their passion for the sport, and spending £35 on MyFootballClub is certainly something that will bring them a great deal of satisfaction.
The site charges a fee of £35 for all those wanting to take part (£7.5 for administration of the MyFootballClub Trust while £27.5 goes into club expenditure) and members get to vote on which club they would like to see taken over. Currently leading the list is League One club Leeds United, with Nottingham Forest and Cambridge United in second and third place respectively. Although the website is keeping the number of people that have signed up a secret so that clubs they were negotiating with would not know the extent of their wealth, 53,051 members had signed up as of July 31st- making the total value of the company worth £1.46 million at the very least. Now that all the facts have been sorted out, this writer will give his view on whether he feels that the idea is a good one or not.
While the idea of "the people" running a football club may be a sound one in principle, a look at nearly any football forum on the Internet will tell you that most of "the people" are lacking a few brain cells. The very fact that a club like Leeds United, a team that was given a fifteen point penalty for financial issues leads the list of clubs to purchase speaks for itself- as do the listings of Arsenal and Manchester United (two clubs that would cost over £1 billion to purchase) at 9th and 11th place respectively shows that voting even in large numbers can sometimes produce futile results. Also, while the MyFootballClub scenario allows your vote to be counted, it is unlikely that a solitary vote in 50,000 people will make a large dent in the decisions you want to affect. There are official fan forums of teams that ask you to contribute ideas as to how the team can be improved and they are often free to join- what difference does MyFootballClub offer you, apart from charging you £35 to voice your opinion?
Although a fee of £35 seems a fairly cheap price to join the service, which as MyFootballClub says is "less than most Premiership tickets" as well as the price of a "football manager computer game", what benefit does joining the service give you? Whereas football manager computer games can be played for hours on end, and going to a football match allows you to see your favourite team in the flesh, how does joining what is effectively a glorified fan forum create any more ‘fun' that a free online message board would do? As MyFootballClub have not even selected the team they are going to purchase yet, those fans that have already paid up could be hugely disappointed if their dream to control the decisions of Leeds United turned into a reality of controlling the decisions of non-league side Cambridge United. Since football is a very passionate sport, it is nearly impossible for those that have a true interest in it to generate support for another team. Why then, should fans of the club that MyFootballClub will purchase waste money on a team they were never interested by in the first place?
Even though it must have seemed a good idea when Will Brooks concocted the MyFootballClub scenario, in reality there are just too many problems and too many drawbacks for it to work smoothly. While fans would get to ‘own' a football club for probably the first time in their lives, there are many ways they could satisfy their passion for the sport, and spending £35 on MyFootballClub is certainly something that will bring them a great deal of satisfaction.
25 August 2007
Why Newcastle fans should be optimistic this season
Every single year, Newcastle fans start the season off with raised expectations of how their team will do. Despite the failures of the year prior, fans dubbed one of the most passionate in England feel that the coming year may be different, before inevitably viewing a year of losing to mediocre teams, a horrible team and a distinct lack of silverware. This year however, it may be different- and here I write to tell you why.
While ex-owner of the club Freddy Shepherd regularly courted both controversy and embarrassment by his outbursts in the press, new owner Mike Ashley has quietly stayed in the background while offering new manager Sam Allardyce funds to spend. Although Newcastle have had a series of bad managers in the past, Allardyce seems a step in the right direction after his strong spell at Bolton Wanderers, leading a club in the bottom half of the England’s second tier to become a respectable mid-table team in the Premier League. The highlight of Allardyce’s time at Bolton has to be taking the club into the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club’s history. Bolton Wanderers were known as a tight defensive unit- something that Newcastle were the complete opposite of.
Immediately after arriving at Newcastle, Allardyce cleared out much of the “dead wood”- players such as Titus Bramble and Oguchi Onyewu. These players had not been up to the task they were supposed to do- defend, and it clearly shown in the goals conceded column of the Premier League table. Some of Newcastle’s transfer dealings during this window have been very astute, and here I will look at the new players that will be playing in black and white for season 2007/08.
Up front, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith have been added to the ranks. These are excellent additions to a striking lineup that already included the likes of Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins, and is surely guaranteed to score goals. Mark Viduka is a proven Premier League player, having scored goals for the likes of Middlesbrough and Leeds United before joining the Geordies. Alan Smith will provide able backup should injuries occur, and has an added bonus of being able to play in central midfield- something that will benefit Newcastle with their well known about injury problems. Although Michael Owen is injured at the moment, Viduka and Martins should form a powerful partnership that Premiership defenses will find hard to cope with.
In midfield, ex-Real Madrid player Geremi and ex-Manchester City hothead Joey Barton join the club. Geremi is a versatile player that can fill in at defense if need be, while Barton will add some passion to a side that looked lifeless at times last season. Coupled with the likes of Emre, Nicky Butt and N’Zogbia, there are quite a few players in that Newcastle midfield that could cause problems for even the best teams in the game.
Lastly, it is defense that needed the most strengthening and this has been done. With Rozenthal, Enrique and Cacapa having already joined the club, Newcastle are also rumoured to be in talks with Leighton Baines and/or Nicky Shorey. The Toon have also done well to keep hold of goalkeeper Shay Given- a player who saves them at least 5-10 points per season. With all these dealings in the transfer market, Newcastle fans will be ecstatic to know that after so many seasons of defensive woe, they finally have a manager that looks at bolstering the defence.
So, why exactly should Newcastle be optimistic about the upcoming season? With a few more additions to the talented squad they already have, there is no reason why they will not be in the reckoning for European places come May 2008. With an attacking line-up almost guaranteed to get goals and a solid midfield, if Allardyce makes the defence anywhere near as strong as Bolton’s defence was, Newcastle will be right up there with Tottenham, Everton and Manchester City battling out for that fifth place slot (and UEFA Cup football). Although I think it is too early for them to qualify for the Champions League, with a couple of successful seasons who knows what could happen. The start they have had thus far will only help increased the sense of optimism- a strong preseason, where they beat the likes of Juventus and Celtic followed up with a thrashing of Bolton and a draw against Aston Villa in the Premiership. While Newcastle will definitely not be in contention for the Premiership title, fans should expect a strong push in the domestic cups- and maybe even some silverware if the club gets a few lucky breaks in the FA and Carling Cup.
While ex-owner of the club Freddy Shepherd regularly courted both controversy and embarrassment by his outbursts in the press, new owner Mike Ashley has quietly stayed in the background while offering new manager Sam Allardyce funds to spend. Although Newcastle have had a series of bad managers in the past, Allardyce seems a step in the right direction after his strong spell at Bolton Wanderers, leading a club in the bottom half of the England’s second tier to become a respectable mid-table team in the Premier League. The highlight of Allardyce’s time at Bolton has to be taking the club into the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club’s history. Bolton Wanderers were known as a tight defensive unit- something that Newcastle were the complete opposite of.
Immediately after arriving at Newcastle, Allardyce cleared out much of the “dead wood”- players such as Titus Bramble and Oguchi Onyewu. These players had not been up to the task they were supposed to do- defend, and it clearly shown in the goals conceded column of the Premier League table. Some of Newcastle’s transfer dealings during this window have been very astute, and here I will look at the new players that will be playing in black and white for season 2007/08.
Up front, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith have been added to the ranks. These are excellent additions to a striking lineup that already included the likes of Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins, and is surely guaranteed to score goals. Mark Viduka is a proven Premier League player, having scored goals for the likes of Middlesbrough and Leeds United before joining the Geordies. Alan Smith will provide able backup should injuries occur, and has an added bonus of being able to play in central midfield- something that will benefit Newcastle with their well known about injury problems. Although Michael Owen is injured at the moment, Viduka and Martins should form a powerful partnership that Premiership defenses will find hard to cope with.
In midfield, ex-Real Madrid player Geremi and ex-Manchester City hothead Joey Barton join the club. Geremi is a versatile player that can fill in at defense if need be, while Barton will add some passion to a side that looked lifeless at times last season. Coupled with the likes of Emre, Nicky Butt and N’Zogbia, there are quite a few players in that Newcastle midfield that could cause problems for even the best teams in the game.
Lastly, it is defense that needed the most strengthening and this has been done. With Rozenthal, Enrique and Cacapa having already joined the club, Newcastle are also rumoured to be in talks with Leighton Baines and/or Nicky Shorey. The Toon have also done well to keep hold of goalkeeper Shay Given- a player who saves them at least 5-10 points per season. With all these dealings in the transfer market, Newcastle fans will be ecstatic to know that after so many seasons of defensive woe, they finally have a manager that looks at bolstering the defence.
So, why exactly should Newcastle be optimistic about the upcoming season? With a few more additions to the talented squad they already have, there is no reason why they will not be in the reckoning for European places come May 2008. With an attacking line-up almost guaranteed to get goals and a solid midfield, if Allardyce makes the defence anywhere near as strong as Bolton’s defence was, Newcastle will be right up there with Tottenham, Everton and Manchester City battling out for that fifth place slot (and UEFA Cup football). Although I think it is too early for them to qualify for the Champions League, with a couple of successful seasons who knows what could happen. The start they have had thus far will only help increased the sense of optimism- a strong preseason, where they beat the likes of Juventus and Celtic followed up with a thrashing of Bolton and a draw against Aston Villa in the Premiership. While Newcastle will definitely not be in contention for the Premiership title, fans should expect a strong push in the domestic cups- and maybe even some silverware if the club gets a few lucky breaks in the FA and Carling Cup.
Could Drink Be the Reason Brazil Did So Poorly at the World Cup?
The Brazilian team at the 2006 World Cup was a shadow of the one that had competed in the last two- stopovers, pirouettes and nutmegs replaced by a sluggish passing game while the sexy, flowing football we had seen before replaced by a team that did not know where its players were on the pitch. After Brazil was eliminated by a strong France team in the quarterfinals, rumors came out in the press that the Brazilian players had been drinking not just after games, but before them as well.
This shocking story emerged little more than a week ago, with CBF president Ricardo Teixeira telling reporters that a few players “arrived between 4 and 6 in the morning, drunk”. Although this has since been denied by Brazil’s assistant coach Mario Zagallo, could there be some truth in the claims? Throughout the World Cup, Brazil was hyped up as the golden team- most saw them as a shoe-in for the trophy.
After they were dumped out, they were criticized of a lot of things- the president of the country slamming Ronaldo after it emerged he weighed 98kg at the start of the tournament. However, not a single person hinted at this sort of unruly behavior- until now, that is. This will be looked at in great detail over the next few weeks, as drinking is hardly the best preparation for the biggest international football competition in the world- no matter how many stars your team possesses.
This shocking story emerged little more than a week ago, with CBF president Ricardo Teixeira telling reporters that a few players “arrived between 4 and 6 in the morning, drunk”. Although this has since been denied by Brazil’s assistant coach Mario Zagallo, could there be some truth in the claims? Throughout the World Cup, Brazil was hyped up as the golden team- most saw them as a shoe-in for the trophy.
After they were dumped out, they were criticized of a lot of things- the president of the country slamming Ronaldo after it emerged he weighed 98kg at the start of the tournament. However, not a single person hinted at this sort of unruly behavior- until now, that is. This will be looked at in great detail over the next few weeks, as drinking is hardly the best preparation for the biggest international football competition in the world- no matter how many stars your team possesses.
Can Tottenham Hotspur Break Into the Top Four?
A collection of able, but not brilliant players, boardroom disharmony and extravagant spending in the transfer market has long since been a feature of Tottenham Hotspur as a football club. The debate about whether they could break into the top four has been going on for a long time- perhaps originating after they led an injury-hit Arsenal side for large parts of the 2005/06 season before succumbing on the last day to finish fifth. Since then, they have never really looked like taking away that coveted fourth place from their hated rivals. While most expected them to push on last season, again challenging heavily for a top four finish, Spurs fell off the pace, finishing eight points behind their north London rivals Arsenal compared to just a single point difference the year prior.
Despite spending more than £40 million pounds this time round in the transfer market, Tottenham have still not looked any closer than last year to breaking into the top four with their shaky start to the Premiership season. After conceding a last minute winner to a Sunderland side that had just come up from the Championship, Martin Jol’s team then went on to be comprehensively thrashed by an Everton side at White Hart Lane. In fact, reports in the media hinted that the win over Derby County was the only thing that had kept Martin Jol his job with Tottenham. Although some would think that the recent win could be the start of a change in fortunes, it appears that the Tottenham board think differently. After publicly announcing that Jol would be staying at the club, they were left with egg on their faces after Juande Ramos revealed they had approached him with “a dizzying offer”. Hardly the best news if you’re Martin Jol, considering you were lied to and then the board went behind your back looking for replacements.
When you take a look at the Spurs team, it is hard to see how they can finish ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal. While Tottenham’s first choice backline looks stable on paper, their replacements are not up to scratch- shown in some of the shambolic defending we have witnessed this season. Quite a few fans have doubts about goalkeeper Paul Robinson, while players such as Ricardo Rocha, Anthony Gardner and Assou-Ekotto have repeatedly shown they cannot defend. In midfield, even though they have solid defensive players with Zokora as first choice and Huddlestone as backup, they have problems in both the attacking midfield slot and on the wings. Aaron Lennon is the only player they have that can play well out wide, and with the rest only capable of sporadic good performances. As for attacking central midfielders, Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy have been inconsistent at best, while promising players like Taarabt and Boateng will take some time to get used to top flight football. Up front is the only area of the pitch where Tottenham fans will agree they have players just as good as the top four, but is it a case of having too much wealth? Berbatov showed his anger when he was subbed off against Sunderland, and one wonders how Jol is going to keep four strikers that would start at most clubs content.
While only deluded fans of the club itself could believe that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club will be able to break into the top four, I feel the most probable way for them is down rather than up- with the likes of Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle all playing better than the north London side.
Despite spending more than £40 million pounds this time round in the transfer market, Tottenham have still not looked any closer than last year to breaking into the top four with their shaky start to the Premiership season. After conceding a last minute winner to a Sunderland side that had just come up from the Championship, Martin Jol’s team then went on to be comprehensively thrashed by an Everton side at White Hart Lane. In fact, reports in the media hinted that the win over Derby County was the only thing that had kept Martin Jol his job with Tottenham. Although some would think that the recent win could be the start of a change in fortunes, it appears that the Tottenham board think differently. After publicly announcing that Jol would be staying at the club, they were left with egg on their faces after Juande Ramos revealed they had approached him with “a dizzying offer”. Hardly the best news if you’re Martin Jol, considering you were lied to and then the board went behind your back looking for replacements.
When you take a look at the Spurs team, it is hard to see how they can finish ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal. While Tottenham’s first choice backline looks stable on paper, their replacements are not up to scratch- shown in some of the shambolic defending we have witnessed this season. Quite a few fans have doubts about goalkeeper Paul Robinson, while players such as Ricardo Rocha, Anthony Gardner and Assou-Ekotto have repeatedly shown they cannot defend. In midfield, even though they have solid defensive players with Zokora as first choice and Huddlestone as backup, they have problems in both the attacking midfield slot and on the wings. Aaron Lennon is the only player they have that can play well out wide, and with the rest only capable of sporadic good performances. As for attacking central midfielders, Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy have been inconsistent at best, while promising players like Taarabt and Boateng will take some time to get used to top flight football. Up front is the only area of the pitch where Tottenham fans will agree they have players just as good as the top four, but is it a case of having too much wealth? Berbatov showed his anger when he was subbed off against Sunderland, and one wonders how Jol is going to keep four strikers that would start at most clubs content.
While only deluded fans of the club itself could believe that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club will be able to break into the top four, I feel the most probable way for them is down rather than up- with the likes of Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle all playing better than the north London side.
1 August 2007
Eduardo da Silva: A Look at the New Arsenal Signing
After the departure of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to Barcelona, fans across the globe were both shocked and excited. Who was Arsene Wenger lining up to replace the French genius? Names thrown into the hat included those of the likes of Huntelaar, Owen, Torres and even that of Samuel Eto’o. A week later, the striker that came to Arsenal was not one of those ‘big names’, but a relative nobody compared to those players. Eduardo da Silva, nicknamed ‘Dudu’ joined Arsenal on July 3rd, 2007 and here I try to inform Arsenal fans about what a player we have on our hands.
Most Arsenal fans would have had a vague recollection of the name when he signed with us, remembering that he featured against the Gunners in a two legged Champions League qualifier last year. Although he shone, is he the man capable of filling the giant-shaped hole in Arsenal’s squad left by Henry? Even though most would say no, judging from his past experiences there is nothing that says he will not be able to do so. Brazilian-born but a player for the Croatian national team, da Silva has starred for Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian league. His tally of 73 goals in just a 104 appearances speaks for itself, as does the numerous accolades he has won while with them. Voted Croatian player of the year in 2004 and 2006, as well as being the league’s top scorer in 2006 and 2007, Eduardo’s performances and goals have been instrumental in Dinamo’s march to two Croatian league titles as well as two Croatian Cup triumphs. His 34 goals in just 32 appearances last season was a new Croatian league record, breaking the 29 goals scored by ex-Dinamo striker Goran Vlaović.
While da Silva is nothing short of brilliant on the domestic stage, he is a star player for the Croatian national team as well. His stellar performances on the international stage have been one of the main reasons for Croatia rising to the top of Group E in the European 2008 qualifiers, a group containing the likes of England, Russia and Israel. With a record of 8 goals in 14 appearances, his goals per game ratio is up there with the best and surely will only improve. He already knows how to score against the big names, the highlights of his time with Croatia including a looping header to beat England goalkeeper Paul Robinson on the way to a 2-0 win for Croatia as well as a hattrick against Israel to wrap up a 4-3 win away from home. His partnership with Luka Modric has blossomed both at club and international level, and as reports linking Modric to Arsenal grow stronger and stronger, we may be seeing both of them linking up in the red and white very soon.
Surely the biggest question about how da Silva will cope is whether he can make the step up from the weaker Croatian league to the unforgiving Premiership- if he does, Arsenal will have a terrifying player on their hands. The weather should not be a problem, as anyone that can play football in the freezing climate of Croatia should have no problem with the relatively pleasant weather of England. Whereas other players like ex-Liverpool striker Morientes and ex-Arsenal player Jose Reyes could not adapt to the physical side of the Premiership because of its extreme difference from La Liga, the Croatian league is hardly light, with a lack of skill made up for with bone-crunching tackles. Whether he will set the Premiership alight or not is a question yet to be answered of course, as we can never be fully sure when the likes of Baptista, a player who seemed perfect for the English game have failed. Dudu, however seems to have the abilities to succeed and the attitude to replace Henry’s place in the team as well.
Where will Eduardo play? His best position is up front, although he is capable of playing on the wing as well. With him and Van Persie as our strikers, we would have two players that are left footed- an unusual strike partnership to say the least. If he were to be played out wide, his left foot could offer us something different as none of our other wide players are left footed. Although he is a decent player, the bonus about this Wenger signing is that he is not good enough to be guaranteed a place in the starting eleven- meaning he will have to fight for his place and thus, hopefully put in good performances week in, week out. Even the fans that had never heard of Dudu must have been gripped with excitement when they saw this player sign for us, because with players and signings, the phrase “Wenger knows” has rarely been proven wrong.
Most Arsenal fans would have had a vague recollection of the name when he signed with us, remembering that he featured against the Gunners in a two legged Champions League qualifier last year. Although he shone, is he the man capable of filling the giant-shaped hole in Arsenal’s squad left by Henry? Even though most would say no, judging from his past experiences there is nothing that says he will not be able to do so. Brazilian-born but a player for the Croatian national team, da Silva has starred for Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian league. His tally of 73 goals in just a 104 appearances speaks for itself, as does the numerous accolades he has won while with them. Voted Croatian player of the year in 2004 and 2006, as well as being the league’s top scorer in 2006 and 2007, Eduardo’s performances and goals have been instrumental in Dinamo’s march to two Croatian league titles as well as two Croatian Cup triumphs. His 34 goals in just 32 appearances last season was a new Croatian league record, breaking the 29 goals scored by ex-Dinamo striker Goran Vlaović.
While da Silva is nothing short of brilliant on the domestic stage, he is a star player for the Croatian national team as well. His stellar performances on the international stage have been one of the main reasons for Croatia rising to the top of Group E in the European 2008 qualifiers, a group containing the likes of England, Russia and Israel. With a record of 8 goals in 14 appearances, his goals per game ratio is up there with the best and surely will only improve. He already knows how to score against the big names, the highlights of his time with Croatia including a looping header to beat England goalkeeper Paul Robinson on the way to a 2-0 win for Croatia as well as a hattrick against Israel to wrap up a 4-3 win away from home. His partnership with Luka Modric has blossomed both at club and international level, and as reports linking Modric to Arsenal grow stronger and stronger, we may be seeing both of them linking up in the red and white very soon.
Surely the biggest question about how da Silva will cope is whether he can make the step up from the weaker Croatian league to the unforgiving Premiership- if he does, Arsenal will have a terrifying player on their hands. The weather should not be a problem, as anyone that can play football in the freezing climate of Croatia should have no problem with the relatively pleasant weather of England. Whereas other players like ex-Liverpool striker Morientes and ex-Arsenal player Jose Reyes could not adapt to the physical side of the Premiership because of its extreme difference from La Liga, the Croatian league is hardly light, with a lack of skill made up for with bone-crunching tackles. Whether he will set the Premiership alight or not is a question yet to be answered of course, as we can never be fully sure when the likes of Baptista, a player who seemed perfect for the English game have failed. Dudu, however seems to have the abilities to succeed and the attitude to replace Henry’s place in the team as well.
Where will Eduardo play? His best position is up front, although he is capable of playing on the wing as well. With him and Van Persie as our strikers, we would have two players that are left footed- an unusual strike partnership to say the least. If he were to be played out wide, his left foot could offer us something different as none of our other wide players are left footed. Although he is a decent player, the bonus about this Wenger signing is that he is not good enough to be guaranteed a place in the starting eleven- meaning he will have to fight for his place and thus, hopefully put in good performances week in, week out. Even the fans that had never heard of Dudu must have been gripped with excitement when they saw this player sign for us, because with players and signings, the phrase “Wenger knows” has rarely been proven wrong.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)