James Horncastle talks Luis Enrique and AS Roma.
ESPN’s brand new feature “The Trawler.” Interesting for fans of the lower divisions.
Another great article on Soccernet, this one about Malaga.
Kevin McCarra writes about Fabio Capello in The Guardian.
Excellent piece by Rory Smith who shines some light on the career of Tom Cleverley.
1. Tom Cleverley is a potential cheap gem- Pre season, there was little reason to believe that Tom Cleverley would emerge as a potentially useful fantasy option. With Ferguson interested in signing Wesley Sneijder, it was clear that the Scotsman had yet to regard Cleverley as a trustworthy starter, even after his successful loan spell at Wigan. However, having starred as part of the wave of youth which eviscerated City in the Community Shield, Cleverley is starting to look like a more and more interesting prospect. Unsurprisingly, he is priced at a meager 5.5 million, so signing him would not require a risky financial outlay. However, it is still unclear whether the soon to be (maybe!) England international will start for United, so a place on the bench at first could be just the ticket.3. Edin Dzeko?-It’s difficult to say who was left more wronged in the aftermath of Dzeko’s goal just before half time. More or less since the second it flew into the net, the David De Gea witch hunt has raged fiercely, as critics look to pounce on the youngster’s every action. By the same token though, Dzeko has found himself largely forgotten – no one seems to care that it was his powerful, swerving shot that caught De Gea off guard. There is a reason that Dzeko was such a dangerous player in the Bundesliga you know, he has got a fair amount of talent, and Sunday’s strike is indication that he could be prepared to show it. As of now, the jury remains out on all of City’s strikers. New, petulant, want away and under performing, any of Mancini’s front men could rise to the challenge of firing City to title glory; perhaps Dzeko will be that man.
4. Maybe City’s defense isn’t watertight- Last year, Manchester City were virtually impenetrable at the back – something which manifested itself clearly in the number of points garnered by players like Kompany and Hart. However, the back line was less than convincing yesterday, particularly on the third goal, when Kompany’s terrible mistake put Nani in. Moreover, while in the past the Citizens could be relied upon to keep things tight after taking the lead, on this occasion they let one slip, to disastrous effect. Pre season rustiness or a sign of things to come, it’s difficult to judge, but certainly, the Citizens’ defenders are nowhere near as attractive fantasy options as they were a week ago.
The problems started with an absent satellite. It was Thursday, three days prior to English football’s traditional curtain raiser, and I was getting my first glimpse of the new house. On holiday in London, this was the house which I would occupy for the next two weeks – a crucial two weeks, the opening two weeks of the season. And there was no satellite. No satellite, no Sky. No Sky… no football.
It is difficult to articulate the agony I felt at the absence of the satellite, but I’ll have a go. It was the sort of feeling you get upon realizing that what will likely be the only weeks of 100% optimism all season long, are going to be spent next to a radio. Mind you, I have nothing against radio, it’s just that it makes a poor substitute for the real thing. And the crowd always reacts before the commentator. I briefly thought of pubs. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a car, and my home base was far enough away from the center of London, that I would have had to shell out on public transportation to get to one.
I’m a very bad watcher of games, and an even worse listener. Three-one up with ten minutes to go against Arsenal in 2010, I was so frightened of seeing United blow their lead that I switched the channel, choosing instead to take in the last few minutes of American sitcom Friends. There is nothing like cheesy comedy to relieve stress. However, my watching woes bare no comparison to my listening ones. Against Birmingham, on the opening day of the 2009/10 season, I found out that MUTV online didn’t carry live Premier League matches. What it did carry was Key 103 – radio Manchester – live commentary on all of United’s games. It would have to do. It didn’t. 1-0 up with ten or so minutes left, Birmingham striker Christian Benitez was denied a goal by a brilliant Ben Foster save (yes, I used brilliant and Ben Foster in the same sentence) but it seemed from the inflection in the commentator’s voice, that Ben Foster had been beaten – a plausible conclusion to draw from any situation involving that keeper, he was frightful at Old Trafford. I spent the last eight minutes watching, you guessed it, Friends.
So when I realized that the satellite adorning the roofs of what seemed like every other house on the street was not present on that of number sixteen, I had cause to be upset. There’s only so much of Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer that one man can take.
But all wasn’t necessarily lost. I, of course, could not watch Scholes’ testimonial (being played the Friday before the season’s curtain raiser) a match of such unimportance that had it been on radio, I could have made it the whole way through. But I wanted to watch it. Wanted to watch it enough to delve into the previously unexplored world of pirated footage. The bizarrely named P2P Fire provided the outlet for which to view Scholes’ big send off, and it was P2P Fire that I turned to again on Sunday. Things started alright, United were dominant and the feed shaky, yet sufficient. Then things took a turn for the worse, City scored twice and the footage stopped working. Not all the time mind you – it was fine for the half time commercials, and seemed to slip into stunning HD vibrancy every time City scored. Which was two times too many in my book.
If the end of the first half was hell for United, the whole of the second was hell for me. Sort of. United had some momentum, so I was happy. United scored within minutes – I was happy. I didn’t see United’s goal. I was not happy. Well, I saw some of it. I saw Ashely Young’s foot make contact with the ball – that image was frozen on my screen for thirty-five seconds – and I saw the team congratulate Chris Smalling afterwards. Then my computer ran out of power and I missed the replay.
Two minutes later, things were rosy again – United back in the game and a relatively high quality feed back on my computer screen, courtesy of another of my discoveries, Ilemi. While United’s play improved, my feed deteriorated though – to the point where a shot of Vincent Kompany’s backside remained immobile for a full two minutes. When, finally, play returned it took me ten seconds to realize that it was 2-2.
As the match shifted into the last ten minutes, my nervous habits began to manifest themselves more clearly. The sweat, the shaking and the urge to tune out. I was determined to fight through it though, after all, Friends isn’t on as often in England as it is in the United States.
The last thing I heard before seeing Nani wheel away in celebration after scoring was “Dzeko with a great chance!” I was left, hanging, with a frozen screen, waiting for the full impact of Community Shield defeat to hit. I wrote an article praising Dzeko about a month ago, it seemed, while the Bosnian hung in midair, that my brave prophecy was coming true in the worst possible manner.
But, thank God, it didn’t. Dzeko missed, Rooney hoofed, and Nani scored – not that I saw any of that in real time…
Yup, they’re back. The famed, the vaunted and the very often inept, INFTH predictions…A nil-nil, and we would arrive directly at penalties, extra incentive to keep it tight – the prospect of an energy draining bout of extra time is impossible. Of all derbies, this is the one to play for a draw in – City have done it to United before, and they will feel confident of doing it again.
But then again, United will surely go all out; it is not in Fergie’s psyche to accept nil-nil, and his line-up may include a number of players in need of a big performance. In Chicharito’s absence, Dimitar Berbatov must stake a claim for that precious striking spot, while new signings Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David De Gea will all be eager to impress on their debuts. Meanwhile, youngster Tom Cleverley has only this match to convince Fergie of the folly of splashing thirty-five million on Sneijder – the Scotsman hinted that Cleverley could have part to play for United this season.
At City too, are an array of players trying to make their mark – both Eden Dzeko and Mario Balotelli need to impress, as new signing Sergio Aguero watches on from the bench. Perhaps somewhere, another Argentine will be watching, Tevez’ name will be forever linked with the United-City rivalry, such a shame that his role in it looks to be coming to an end.
Prediction: 1-1, City wins on penalties
There is always a certain romanticism about the Community Shield. The competition encapsulates all your pent up excitement about the new season, officially informing the viewer that English football is back for the new campaign. Over the last four years, Manchester United have been perennial Community Shield participants – beating Chelsea in 2007, Portsmouth in 2008 and Chelsea again in 2010. When United win, victory is seen as a sign of things to come, and based on the last four years, it is. Since 2007, the winner of the Community Shield has gone on to win the Premiership (United victorious three times, and Chelsea once). However, when things don’t go as well the match is written off as an exhibition, a silly little game with more than three subs available and nothing really to play for.
Win or lose, this time it matters for United. The opponents are no longer a Chelsea team that doesn’t give a toss, but a hungry, fired up group, looking to make a point. There have been so many high profile meetings between United and Chelsea over the years that players can’t really get up for a Community Shield match, but Sunday’s contest will represent only the second ever meeting between City and United at Wembley. Since Manchester City were bought by Sheik Mansour in 2008, derby matches have taken on a new significance, and unlike others past, this one really could turn out to define a season. For the first realistic time, City are entering a Premier League campaign with title ambitions – ones supported by their aggressive activity in this summer’s transfer market, and experience garnered from last year’s FA Cup success.
United must feel City’s Sergio Aguero balloon is in need of needle application, while Mancini’s charges know the sort of message they want to send out early on in their quest to dethrone Fergie’s champions. With Chicharito injured, and Sergio Aguero only allowed a bench place, the teams put out on Sunday will not necessarily resemble those set to compete over the course of a thirty-eight game season, however, it is the identity of the clubs which matters most. At this point in time, any match between the two Mancunian teams attracts huge amounts of media attention – City the usurpers need to scrap for every victory they can get.
We already know what the loser will say. Whether the victors are in blue or in red, the side up the Wembley steps first will be prepared with the full lexicon of football excuses and downplays. The words “exhibition” and “pre season” will be uttered, rather than “precedent” or “signal of intent.” However, no matter what comes out of the mouth of either Ferguson or Mancini, the footballing public will be only too aware of the message conveyed by the season’s opener. For City, a win would confirm the reality of title ambitions, while one for United, a defiant refusal to be budged.
Ferguson has claimed over the years that he never counts Communtiy Shield victories when totting up his total of trophies, yet this suggestion of indifference should be taken with a grain of salt. The huge, refereeing inquisition started after Frank Lampard’s controversial goal in the 2009 edition proved that Fergie’s hunger for silverware remains, no matter how small the prize. This time though, even the wily Scot will be unable to talk around questions of the match’s value. It was Rooney’s penalty at Ewood Park which sealed number nineteen, but men like Ferguson always remember more – for instance, that United had originally wished to play that fixture the week after, preferring a jaunt down to Wembley – one stolen by Saturday’s opponents – to an early chance at sealing the record breaking title.
Revenge is never admitted as as a driving force by managers, but there is no doubt that Yaya Toure’s goal and Scholes’ sending off still rankle with the man forever in pursuit of perfection. On Sunday, available will be a player who’s absence last time around partly accounted for United’s demise; Wayne Rooney has already been quoted in the press about his desire to win the shield. “You couldn’t get better motivation to start the season with a bang,” he said in an interview with FourFourTwo. Well, whoever emerges victorious, a bit of a bang is virtually guaranteed…
1. Adel Taarabt- For Taarabt, this season is about redemption. After being hustled out of White Hart Lane and accused of arrogance and disrespect by virtually every manager he’s worked under, this year is the one where he plans to put things right. Originally, he didn’t want to do it in England though. Perhaps the money wasn’t right, or Loftus Road was just too small a stage – whatever the reason, it looked as though a move to PSG was in the offing. I warned in one of my earlier pieces to avoid players emerging from sagas – Taarabt is the one exception. He is a player that could go horribly wrong or terrifically right, and the collapsed transfer to Ligue 1 doesn’t change that. Young, talented, goal threat from midfield and available for 6.5 million, the Moroccan could be worth a punt. As newly promoted players go, he is fairly pricey, but a brilliant showing in the Championship last year proves he fully warrants the money. Enigmatic, unquestionably talented; Adel Taarabt, lets see what you can do…
2. Scott Sinclair- When you’ve just scored a hat trick in a Wembley final, you don’t need much of an endorsement. A former youth team player at Chelsea, Sinclair was a key part of Swansea’s push into the top division last year, and at only six million, he promises a cheap, albeit risky, option in midfield. Much like Taarabt, Sinclair has yet to prove himself at the highest level; filled with raw, untested potential he could be star or a flop. Even if his performances don’t reach the heady heights expected though, his penalty taking responsibilities will act as a safety net for managers willing to take a risk – two conversions in the playoff final helped Swansea to promotion, and it is unlikely that the penalty taking responsibilities will fall to anyone else.
3. Jay Bothroyd- One of two players on the list with an England cap to their name, Jay Bothroyd has taken the Championship by storm over the last couple of seasons. Unable to gain promotion with Cardiff though, Bothroyd chose to walk away from the Welsh side this summer. QPR was his eventual destination, and the former Arsenal youth player will relish the opportunity of a crack at the Premiership. More cosmopolitan than most British strikers, Bothroyd has already played in a top European league, performing admirably in Serie A while at Perugia. Like most on this list, Bothroyd is available for a knock down price, and if picked by Neil Warnock, is more than likely to find the net.
4. Kieran Dyer- It’s safe to say that Dyer’s stay at West Ham couldn’t have been much worse for all involved. Plagued by injuries, the one time England international was unable to make his mark at Upton Park, as the Hammers plummeted into the Championship. However, initially signed as Taarabt’s replacement, Dyer has found a root back into top level football with Queens Park Rangers. At a startlingly low 4.5 million, Dyer is an obvious choice in midfield, even if only to make up the numbers. Assuming he has finally shaken off persistent injuries, Dyer will guarantee goals and assists in abundance next season – though then again, the injuries are a worry.
5. Anthony Pilkington- By far the least well known of the players featured, Anthony Pilkington is a winger who has impressed me for a very long time. While at Huddersfield last season, he put on quite a show against Arsenal at The Emirates, bamboozling their defenders all day long in what proved to be a very uncomfortable match for the below par Gunners. However, next year is set to be his first in the Premier League, so a place in the starting line-up might be a little too risky, however, at only 4.5 million he deserves a shot at the bench.
As Alan Shearer notes in the book’s forward, Taking Le Tiss probably wasn’t written by Matt Le Tissier. Shearer cites Le Tissier’s laziness as the reason for his suspicion of a ghost, and it is laziness which emerges as the book’s major theme. At times amusing, but more often dull, Matt Le Tissier (or whoever ghost wrote it) manages to merge a revelation about a betting scam, detailed descriptions of all his goals and a collection of repetitive one liners into a single, generally mediocre, book.
Not that I expected much more. Footballers’ autobiographies are rarely anything to write home about; in fact, in The Football Men, Simon Kuper explains in detail how many of them are really just the same.
However, for all its faults, it would be unfair to describe Taking Le Tiss as an ordinary autobiography. Despite being arguably the most talented footballer of his generation, Matt Le Tissier’s story bares no resemblance to the “climbing up the rungs of the football ladder” type journey explained by men like Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard. No, Le Tissier set his sights low, and stuck with them – satisfied with remaining at Southampton despite meager pay and even fewer opportunities for trophy glory.
The portion of the book describing Le Tissier’s career mainly consists of long winded accounts of troubles with managers, successes with manager, eulogies to Alan Ball, last day escapes and of course, self deprecating cracks involving burgers, chips and an unwillingness to exercise. It all gets old after the first ten chapters, and that’s being generous.
For about a third of the book Le Tissier’s jokes manage to conjure up amused smiles, but as Taking Le Tiss shifts into its monotonous second half, the ex pro’s comedy dies away rapidly. There are only so many times the reader can bear hearing the same joke rolled up into different words – okay Matt, you were fat, slow and ugly, we get the point.
If you’re bored and not interested in reading the whole thing though, I would recommend giving the final chapter a look; while his descriptions of season after season at Southampton bare a sort of well, erm.. repetitiveness, the portion dealing with his days at Sky does not.
After its publication in 2010, the only point of interest turned out to be an admission about a failed betting scam in the mid nineties. Le Tissier claims that he “couldn’t see the problem making a few quid on the time of the first throw in,” in a plan which ended up going disastrously wrong. From the press reaction you would have thought he’d admitted to snorting cocaine while sleeping with a prostitute hired by the owner of a Chinese gambling syndicate. In the final paper back chapter, Le Tissier writes of his surprise at the amount of furor created by the revelation, though he seems quite certain that his reputation will remain untarnished. Phew!
Personally, I found the fact that the eight or so managers he had worked under had all failed to improve his eating habits as more troubling than a bet on a throw in, but I guess everyone knew about those problems before the book was published. In the introduction, Alan Shearer describes Le Tissier’s idea of a diet as “picking the lettuce out of a burger.” Later on, it is revealed that once a doctor queried Le Tissier’s very survival, let alone his career in professional football, due to his lack of nutrition. He also admits to gaining two stone in the two months right after his retirement – great player, but not the fittest…
For me, the most important portion of the autobiography was Le Tissier’s analysis of his England career, which I felt could have been expanded somewhat, maybe taking the place of a four page rant about referees and Southampton’s inability to win penalties at Old Trafford. The current Sky pundit fails to make a definite conclusion about the reason for his exclusion from the 1998 World Cup, though he does hint that rejecting Glenn Hoddle’s Chelsea side earlier in his career might have had an impact on the then England manager’s decision.
Towards the end of the book, when the publisher clearly felt the need to add a few more chapters despite having already squeezed every last word out of Le Tissier’s career, comes a prodigiously dull ramble about Southampton and their financial trouble, during which Le Tissier writes of his concern for the side at which he made his name. The book then concludes with some cracks about Jeff Stelling’s height and a veritable love letter to the sport of golf. I think it’s safe to say that Matt Le Tissier will always be a better footballer than he is a writer. Or even long term interviewee for a ghost author.
The season is only days away, so it seems as good a time as any to record some basic predictions for the new year. Come May, we’ll see whether divination really is my thing…
Premier League Champions: Mancheser United- There is just something about this generation at United which makes me fear for the rest of the league. Unquestionably, last year was a success, and Fergie has made all the right moves so far this summer to insure that United enter the next campaign stronger than ever. Old faces like Wes Brown and John O’Shea have been rooted out, while promising youngsters have been brought in. Oh yeah, and they might be about to sign one of the best attacking players in World football.
The Rest Of The Top Four: City, Chelsea and Liverpool- City and Chelsea aren’t very controversial picks for top four inclusion, only Liverpool’s placement is questionable. However, given the precarious state of things at The Emirates, and Tottenham’s surprising lack of initiative so far this summer, it is only logical that the Reds should claim that coveted fourth spot. As any veteran reader knows, I am not a huge fan of Henderson or Adam, but Livepool have enough depth in midfield to make up for the weaknesses of two of their latest signings.
Relegation: Norwich, Wigan and Swansea- Wigan have been very close to going down on a number of occasions, and I get the feeling that this time no escape will be forthcoming. In selling Charles N’Zogbia to Aston Villa, they have lost their most coveted attacking asset; even if they succeed in signing Wright Phillips, I can’t see around relegation. As for Norwich, promoted teams are always vulnerable to an instant drop back down; such has been the steepness of their rise, I doubt Lambert’s side are fully prepared to make the step up. The story of Swansea is likely to echo that of many teams before them, promoted sides promising attractive football always go right back down. Just ask Ian Holloway…
Top Scorer: Wayne Rooney- This is going to be his season.
Player of the Year-Wayne Rooney- Same as above.
FA Cup: Chelsea- They are the masters of cup competition, and it seems likely that the side almost always gifted the most powder puff of draws will once again lift the trophy at Wembley. In Andre Villas Boas they have a manager hungry to prove himself at the highest level, though as he looks to have missed out on two major targets I see Premier League glory as unlikely.
League Cup: Who Knows, Who Cares- At this point, it is very difficult to predict a League Cup winner. There is no side perennially dominant in the competition, and last year one of the relegated teams won! It would be brilliant for Arsenal if they finally were to win a trophy, but Wenger seems to be determined to keep their glory-less streak alive…
Promoted To The Premier League- I don’t pretend to be any kind of expert on lower division football (for that kind of knowledge you should check out The Seventy Two) but like most fans, I would love to see Leeds United back in the big time. During their pomp, Leeds managed to make fights with virtually every team under the sun, and the renewal of those rivalries would only add to the Premier League’s penchant for excitement.
Of course, all these predictions have to be subject to change, there is still a month of transfer window frenzy left to throw up a few surprises…
But for now, who do you think will claim the major prizes next season?
1. Carlos Tevez- In a game all about money, Carlos Tevez fits in. Well, he used to at least. The man who at one point was every team’s must have has lost a bit of his luster – I guess, that’s what you get from walking out acrimoniously on every club you’ve ever played for. Close to a move this summer, Tevez now looks destined to remain in Manchester, where he will no doubt sulk his way towards January. Funny, the reason he hasn’t moved already… money.
5. Gareth Bale- Bale is probably the most over hyped player in the history of football. Injury prone, dodgy in defense and unable to put together a consistent run of form, the Welshman is certainly not worth his eight million pound price. There is a fiction being bandied around that Bale is one of the best providers in the game, but if ever statistics destroyed a theory, it was that one. With only three assists in the league, Bale sat beside legends of the game like Ahmed Elmohamady and Jon Walters (who incidentally would represent a solid cheap option) in last year’s assists standings. In terms of goals, Bale is nothing to shout about either; seven isn’t terrible, but their are midfielders available who could promise far more. Sure, Bale might be primed to win Great Britain their first ever Olympic Gold in football (it’s not like he’s going to be occupied at the Euros…), but he is yet to show his true statistical value on the fantasy stage.
Arsenal haven’t won a major trophy for quite a while, which is why when the Gunners failed to claim even their own home tournament, the fans weren’t particularly pleased. Against Boca Juniors, and later the Red Bulls, Arsenal’s same old failures rose to the forefront – ones that have been identified, analyzed and hypothetically solved by every literate football fan save one; Arsene Wenger.
In For The Hat Trick 