UK Football

photo: Austin Osuide

So David Moyes is usually a good manager, makes great decisions, the kind that keep his club in the fifth spot, earning them the opportunity to play in the UEFA Cup. But I don’t particularly understand this one. Andy Johnson was a great striker, had his problems with injury, but when he’s healthy he’s fantastic. So Moyes decides to sell Johnson in favor of a better striker, most likely, and so finally ends his search with Manchester United’s own Louis Saha. Why exactly?

Louis Saha is yes a better striker, more talented than Johnson, and also a better goalscorer overall in my opinion. But in now way is the Frenchman reliable, because he’s injured more often than not. So basically Everton are going to have the dead weight of an injured player on the bench, taking up a chunk of money Everton could have used somewhere else. So I guess I just don’t understand why they let go one injury plagued striker, for one that’s even more injury plagued.

But it’s of note that Saha can do this when healthy:

On a side note, United look as though they are unwilling to purchase Dimitar Berbatov because of Tottenham’s £30million price tag on the Bulgarian captain.  Manchester United had put in a bid of £20million, but there has been little communication as to whether the deal could go through under that amount.  And United is unlikely to spend anymore than the initial bid with Ferguson responding to Berbatov transfer questions with: ‘I’m less optimistic so we’ll carry on’

So Manchester United to make no big changes to the line up this transfer window?  A big statement from Ferguson, to say that he feels he has the perfect team.  Although with Ronaldo down, and only Tevez and Rooney to handle the striker positions.  I still wonder how good the decision to sell one of your back-up strikers, like Saha, is.  Especially if you have no plans to sign Berbatov, should Tottenham not accept the first bid.

Mark Hughes excels whilst Harry Redknapp fails again, as Shaun Wright-Phillips who had been linked to both clubs, has chosen Manchester City as his new home. The England mid has signed a new four year deal with City, which sees Wright-Phillips committing to the City campaign for the second time. Mark Hughes has picked up one hell of a signing, as Wright-Phillips will be perfect for the squad, as his injection of pace and goalscoring is just what Manchester City will need, should they hope to improve upon their placement of last season.

Mark Hughes admitted that Shaun Wright-Phillips was a major target for him, from day one, after taking the City manager job.  And given the subtle differences in his play from Chelsea to Manchester City, Mark Hughes may have something with the speedy winger.  Given that for Chelsea Wright-Phillips only received 43 starts overall, and alienated himself from being included in the England squad.  Whereas for City Wright-Phillips managed 181 appearances with 31 goals.  

But let me just ask, what was Harry Redknapp thinking? He didn’t want to pay the ten million pounds, so Portsmouth just stick with their current squad, despite the trouble of having no midfielder good enough to serve up the ball to Crouch and Defoe. So good luck on the current campaign Pompey, you’re starting off really great, given the 4-0 loss to Chelsea to kick off the season, and then getting dropped by United 1-0 on a Darren Fletcher goal.

So…that stupid of a decision by Redknapp and you’re not convinced Mark Hughes is a better manager, well here’s video proof of why Mark Hughes is the greatest manager in British football. Not counting Sir Alex Ferguson of course.

photo: John Dobson

Shaun Wright-Phillips would be headed to Portsmouth, if there weren’t one factor keeping Harry Redknapp from purchasing the Chelsea mid-fielder. Apparently Redknapp thinks Wright-Phillips £10million price tag is just too high. Although given Pompey’s recent run of play, why would he think that?

The one thing above all, that Portsmouth need so far, is a good mid-fielder to feed Peter Crouch and Defoe the ball, if Pompey hopes to ever score a goal. That’s been their one major issue, Portsmouth looked good attacking against United on Monday, but lacked that one final pass to set up a Crouch or Defoe goal. The speed of Shaun Wright-Phillips could be just what they need to run around defenders, and produce that final piece of excellence that sets Pompey on their way.

So spend the money Redknapp! If you ever want to win another trophy managing Portsmouth, because so far they look worse than ever.

Roman Pavlyuchenko is looking to step up his career with a move to the Premiership, and amid the recent interest for Tottenham, seems ready to make the move, if Spurs can float the bill. Hopefully Tottenham are committed to signing Pavlyuchenko and have forgotten about Arshavin completely. Because if Spurs lose Berbatov, and have only Darren Bent to carry the club’s scoring contingent from the striker position, they are dead in the water. You picked up David Bentley Juande Ramos, what are you doing focusing on another mid-fielder that sets up a forward striker, instead of looking to a better striker for the brilliant mid you already have?

Pavlyuchenko is set to leave Russia, as he’s basically conquered everything he can playing in Russia. He’s ready to move to the biggest stage, into the Barclay’s Premiership, and if Tottenham are smart, and want to score a few goals and escape any relegation trouble at the end of the year, they’ll sign the correct Russian.

Liverpool made a mistake buying Robbie Keane, and Tottenham made a bigger one in selling him. Liverpool didn’t need another striker, and so far Keane just gets in Torres way up front, instead of helping the Spaniard to score. Tottenham are like a headless chicken running around flapping it’s wings, without their captain. Look at Liverpool and don’t make the mistake of replacing your captain with a player you don’t need. You don’t need another mid. You need Pavlyuchenko, should you hope to conquer anything this year, beyond just playing good enough to not be relegated.

After a slow start, filled with entertaining matches but nothing really up to English football standards, finally the Premiership hit it’s stride in the new season with Portsmouth hosting Manchester United. The scoreline may have only been 1-0 in favor of United, but the entire ninety minutes was either end to end play, or Manchester United showing how beautiful the passing game can become with such a talented roster.

The only thing that could have made the affair better, would have been for Ronaldo to be match fit of course, but also for Rooney’s fitness to improve. Recently recovered from a fit with a Nigerian virus, Rooney always looked tired, showing the England call up in mid-week probably did some damage to his energy. But Rooney is a notorious slow starter for the club lately, and United always seem to play better when he’s on the pitch opposed to without the little striker.

Although it’s fair to say that Rooney has finally stopped coming short to receive passes, and was actually taking on defenders for more long passes, which was brilliant because a lot more scoring chances were set up. Rooney needs to do that more, otherwise the defense can anticipate that Rooney is always going to play out of mid-field instead of just onside, making defenders jobs all the easier. Rooney even seemed to keep his anger in check, unlike the Wayne Rooney of the past, or maybe he was just too tired to challenge any of the officials calls, even the ones where Rooney would have scored had the offside call not been wrong most of the time.

It’s also fair to say that Portsmouth played very well against United.  The entire second half was pretty much all Portsmouth putting massive amounts of pressure on United.  But the best defense in Premiership held strong against a Defoe, Crouch pairing that’s beginning to shape into an effective duo.  

But it’s also fair to say that if Ronaldo had been available, the Portsmouth defense would have been torn in half.  As that final great inside pass is what United was missing all night, and Ronaldo would have delivered with great ease and precision.  In a was showing that without Ronaldo, United need to really work harder to stay in the Premiership race early. 

On a side note, I find it extremely hilarious that will all the scoring power still available to Manchester United, Darren Fletcher is the leading scorer at the moment with the only two goals for United so far this season.  I guess the Scot is really kicking up his playing to try and break into the first team permanently.

photo: Austin Osuide

Sir Alex Ferguson is being billed as the number one contender for the job of Great Britain’s football coach for the 2012 Olympic games in London. Normally Great Britain doesn’t have much representation in Olympic football, because of the fact that FIFA recognizes Scotland, England and Wales as separate entities, whereas the Olympic commission doesn’t and lumps them together into Great Britain. Which makes for a funny situation, as the Great Britain team for 2012 will supposedly contain all English players, according to early reports. Although my main question is, who cares?

The Olympic matches aren’t even considered by FIFA as competitive fixtures, so why bother worrying about the football at all in the competition. With such stupid age restrictions on the sport, why does it even remain relevant as something for GB to manufacture a team in time for 2012?

I understand the importance of football, but why does it really matter? More people in England would rather back England for the World Cup that will take place two years earlier, and will likely be more invested in Euro 2012 that the Olympics. So why worry about it? And why have Ferguson waste his breath on such a squad. Get him to coach England or Scotland. The greatest British manager in the history of the sport deserves better.

Tottenham are well and truly missing the presence of Robbie Keane now, as the loss over the weekend to Sunderland, at home, would evidence.  Tottenham have no scoring power, because Dimitar Berbatov is no longer committed to the campaign, to such an extent that Tottenham manager Ramos elected to leave the Bulgarian skipper out of this Premier league fixture.  Amid reports that Berbatov has been signing Manchester United shirts for supporters, also clearly shows that Dimitar is no longer in the right mind to contribute to White Hart Lane.  So why not sell him already?

Clearly Berbatov can’t help you Ramos, so why keep him in London when he wants to go to Manchester?  He can’t do Tottenham any service by brooding on the bench or in some dark corner of the field, so who do you hurt most by not selling him?  You.  Tottenham.  And maybe even Premier League success.

After defeating Tottenham at White Hart Lane 2-1, Sunderland manager Roy Keane weighed in on the Berbatov saga, with some worthwhile advice to Ramos.  Such as Keane’s quote ‘If a player didn’t want to play for me, I know what I’d do - I’d drive him myself to wherever he wants to go,’

‘I’ve said it before, no player is bigger than any club.

‘Sometimes you have to lose to win - Tottenham have lost against Sunderland but long-term it might be best for the business.

‘I had a player two years ago when I got my job, I heard he had been speaking to another club within a week or two and I just sold him. And off he popped.’

And that makes sense to me.  Because Keane has the makings of a great manager, in understanding the lure of a club like Manchester United is too much for a player like Berbatov, and stardom is going to his head.  So you need to sell him, and just buy a replacement, or another player to bolster a weak point in your squad.  If Berbatov doesn’t want to play, be rid of him and find someone that does.  

Because you need unity on a football club.  That’s why Arsenal flops just short of winning some silverware more often that not.  Internal strife.  You need players that want to play together through the length of the season.  People who are dedicated to helping the team get better.  Not Bulgarians that want to play for the biggest club possible, instead of valuing the experience he has at his current club.

So cut the dead weight, and buy a new player with the thirty million pounds you’ll get for the sale.  James McFadden is still available, and incredibly underrated as a striker.  Get him for cheap, and buy yourself a mid-fielder as well.  Anything to put in some scoring, and erase the stupid sale that was Robbie Keane.  The captain that never should have been offered up for Liverpool’s money. 

Fabio Capello should feel no threat for his job from the likes of Harry Redknapp, as the Portsmouth manager proves himself fit to manage nothing more than a mid-table Premiership squad with is comments about England. Those comments being, Redknapp stated Beckham should be dropped from the squad completely with Rooney dropping to the right wing position in his place. Which makes me say, What???

Wayne Rooney if not a striker, is then a central mid, so he can burst forth and attack the way Steven Gerrard does for Liverpool, and would for England if he wasn’t stranded on the left. Redknapp is an idiot, because the one redeemable quality of England’s play against the Czech Republic was from set-pieces, i.e. David Beckham’s delivery. A delivery unlike anyone else in the world has in them to put out, despite the opinions that David Bentley is a worthy replacement for the former England captain.

If anything England’s changes should consist of three things at the moment:

1. Take Gareth Barry out immediately, and put in either Owen Hargreaves when he’s healthy, or Michael Carrick. Because either are holding mid-fielders of the sort that can actually play defensively, intelligently. Whatever Gareth Barry was doing, definitely wasn’t it.
2. Take Lampard out, however good he plays for Chelsea is completely gone when he puts the three lions badge on. And swap for Joe Cole to play on the left so Gerrard can slot back into a central mid position, as he’s more used to, and where Gerrard will have most effectiveness. Not to mention Joe Cole’s speed would be ever so useful down the left, and his ability to cross is often forgotten.
3. Defoe needs to go. All he does is shoot when he gets the ball, nothing else. He doesn’t even bother to disguise it, leading to Defoe being stomped on every time he attempts a shot, making him utterly useless. You have David Beckham England, give him a big target, give him Peter Crouch. Peter Crouch is awesome when you have people to give him the ball, and if you have Cole swinging in crosses on the left, Beckham on the right, and Gerrard and Rooney feeding him from the middle. Boom, you have a World Cup Final squad.

So please Redknapp, be quiet and continue coaching a squad that can only win by getting lucky goals in an FA Cup tournament.

So Newcastle United’s Joey Barton, also known as a huge piece of human waste, is being sued by the 16 year old he punched outside a McDonald’s last December. The victim, Jordan Spencer, is suing to increase the original payout rewarded at Crown Court, the sum of £2,500, as a result of his continuing suffering over the incident. To which I think Barton should have to pay more. He’s the embodiment of everything wrong with professional athletes in the sense that Barton’s bad behavior continues and the punishments for such actions do not stretch nearly as far.

But that’s not all, as Barton is also being sued for another past even in which he reacted with childish violence. Barton is being sued by Jamie Tandy for having allegedly wrecked Tandy’s playing career after Barton smashed a lit cigar in his face. Tandy was a trainee with Manchester City at the time.

This same disgusting human being that keeps abusing his professional footballer status also only served 74 days on the 6 month sentence, for punching the 16 year old, before he was let out as though nothing had happened. Not to mention the FA’s lack of action still, in punishing Barton for attacking a Manchester City teammate during training a while back. So what’s going on here?

So just because Barton is a pro, and not much of one at that, though he is known for violent behavior, and cannot be trusted on the field for his constant intent to injure when he goes to ground for a tackle, nothing matters? Barton’s given a pass because he could help Newcastle make some money? The same organization that punished Luton so harshly that they will never recover this season, won’t take action against a dangerous player whose off field antics deserve extreme reprimand?

I guess I just don’t understand.

But here’s a comical video of Steven Gerrard slipping in an interview, just for the hell of it.

I know yesterday I attacked Capello’s decision to appoint John Terry as England Captain, but today’s friendly against the Czech Republic proved me wrong.  As John Terry plays like a different person when he’s wearing that armband.  Coming forth to attack and spurn the team on, as well as doing whatever is in his power to stop an opponent from attacking.  Carrying England forth today as they rallied back from trailing the Czech Republic twice in the match, to draw 2-2.

 Although I still believe a Beckham or a Gerrard could also lead the team to brilliance, Terry is not bad as first choice.  Although it’s also fair to point out that England still desperately need something big to take place on the defensive front, because they looked awful defending any Czech attack.  Especially David James, whose penchant for stupid goalkeeping decisions should have let in more goals than were put past him.  

 But still, not a terrible performance from England, surprisingly enough.  We should all be proud that Mr. Capello has England playing more reserved technical football, as is so common in the international game now, instead of England’s typical and unsuccessful long ball tactics.  Now we just need to find a proper place for Wayne Rooney to slot into, and a better striker than Defoe, who is horribly obvious in his intentions to shoot every time the ball comes to him.  Usually leading to Defoe being stomped on by defenders I should note.  

John Terry was named as Capello’s permanent England captain today, and I can’t help but feel as though he’s missed the mark. Sure John Terry can inspire, but can he guide England to victory when they’re playing awful, like true champions would need. Because he surely didn’t when it came to Euro 2008 qualifying, John Terry really couldn’t cut it.

I think the man that really should be wearing that captains armband was missed by everyone, amid the reports as to who should lead England to the World Cup. That being Steven Gerrard, because you can’t deny what ‘captain fantastic’ has done for Liverpool in the name of his captaincy. Often times carrying the club, as he’s carried England in the past. Because John Terry is also a wrong choice because of the position he plays, full back just isn’t a great choice for International captain for a very good reason.

Especially for England, that reason is goal scoring. Sometimes it’s the captain that has to take matters into their own hands, like Beckham scoring on a free-kick to keep England alive in a tournament, or send them through. Wouldn’t a Gerrard goal from distance, the way he so often scores for Liverpool, be more inspirational that John Terry spitting on people from Argentina in Champions League finals?

Because I doubt spitting on Tevez was anywhere near as inspirational as when Gerrard scored from distance to take Liverpool through against Inter Milan 2-0.