UK Football

Manchester City with their infinite billions, are targeting Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o as the big possibility for their next high profile transfer, when the window opens this summer.  And Barcelona isn’t a bad place to be looking for talent, considering the Spanish giants are practically overflowing with it.   Which will also no doubt propel them to a Champions League title this year.

Which is why I say if you’re targeting someone on Barcelona, and you want a striker that you know can handle the Prem, why waste your time on Eto’o when Henry could easily be pried from Barca’s slimy fingers.  You know, Thierry Henry, the man that single handedly turned Arsenal into the best club anybody had ever seen, when they completely dominated the Premiership in the 03/04 season.  Henry can not only play the Premiership way, he can excel at it like few other players could ever hope to accomplish. 

That’s the target City should be gunning for, that’s the type of quality Mark Hughes needs to put that transfer money to good use.

And if you’re still not convinced, remember Henry was the Premiership’s top scorer for three years in a row before he left the League.  

18 years in the making, but finally getting the reward he so desperately deserved, Ryan Giggs has been crowned the Professional Footballer’s Association’s award for Premier League Player Of The Year.  And if not for this season, surely Giggs deserved it for a career that’s been nothing short of legendary.  Ryan Giggs has been an absolute standout quality midfielder from the first day he took United’s pitch way back on March the 2nd 1991 against Everton. 

Not to mention United wouldn’t have acquired a good portion of silverware that they have done without Giggs’ quick feet and pacey attacking runs, one standout being the Welshman single handedly eliminating Arsenal in the ‘99 FA Cup Semi-final replay with one of the most spectacular goals in the history of football.  

I understand he’s only got 12 starts this season, and I understand Giggs isn’t the player with the best statistics on the list this year, but you have to look beyond that to why Giggs is still a prominent feature in United’s first team.  Giggs lifts the squad when he takes the pitch, inspiring many a late victory, and for United to concentrate, string passes together and become the dominant force for which they have the ability.  Ryan Giggs is a legend, a living still playing legend who will feature for United once again next season at the age of 36 and perhaps even beyond.

And to anybody that would say Ryan Giggs doesn’t deserve the PFA award, Giggsy has 10 League titles, 2 Champions League titles, 4 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 6 Community Shields, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup that say otherwise.  And if United win the League this year the record books really need to change the arrangement of the records for most English League titles to: Manchester United 18, Liverpool 18, Arsenal 13, Ryan Giggs 11.  

photo: Aleksandr Mysyakin

What a spectacular match.  It wasn’t the best football we’ve ever seen played, but my god did it have plenty of heart.  I remember before the match thinking there’s no way Liverpool even have a chance, considering they would have to score three goals without allowing any from Chelsea to outright win the match on aggregate.  And then boom, I was completely shocked when Cech’s uncharacteristically horrible keeping allowed Aurelio to score in the 19th minute, and then not ten minutes later Alonso delivers from Liverpool’s penalty award.

For a moment there Chelsea looked set to give up a 4-0 match, as has become a characteristic result for Liverpool this season.  Especially with Chelsea looking shaken and broken in their defending, showing just how much Chelsea captain John Terry means to the squad.  Nobody looked confident in that back four, Cole, Alex, Carvalho and Ivanovic all looked like amateurs from the youth squad that had been forced into the starting eleven.

And I don’t think anybody out there saw a way out for Chelsea until Drogba found the back of the net in the 52nd minute, showing us all that the Ivorian still has plenty of Premiership life left in him.  Quickly followed by a superb strike from Alex in the 57th minute, and Chelsea had all but put away the match when Lampard walked in an easy but well earned close range effort off a Drogba cross in the 76th minute.  Making practically everyone believe that Chelsea had put the match away, until once again Liverpool came back on their counter attack to score two late goals by Lucas and Kuyt in the final ten minutes of full time.  Leaving us with a tense and cagey few minutes until Frank Lampard took it upon himself to save the day with a strike that bounced off both posts before heading into the net in the 89th minute.

And like that a 4-4 thriller was over, and despite a courageous performance, Liverpool were sent tumbling out of the Champions League.

But no doubt the pressure is on United doubly strong now, as in their Champions League campaign United face FC Porto today in Portugal, and no English side have beaten Porto in Portugal, and United have to win to advance after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.  Now the defending champs will also have to continue fending off a Liverpool side with only one trophy left to play for, the Prem.  

photo: Nigel Wilson

Well, looks as though Rafa Benitez is about to make another mistake when it comes to injured players, just as he played Fernando Torres too early from his hamstring injuries earlier this season, the Spanish manager is going to play Gerrard from the start tonight.  Now that’s a horrible idea because Steven Gerrard sustained a groin injury in Liverpool’s first leg match against Chelsea at Anfield,  last week.  A match that Chelsea dominated, handing the home side a 3-1 loss, a remarkable position when you consider that gives Chelsea three away goals going into Stamford Bridge.

I understand Steven Gerrard is a remarkable component of the Liverpool squad, and the team plays very differently without him.  In fact Liverpool would be extremely hard pressed  to overcome Chelsea without their captain, especially considering Liverpool need three goals to stand a chance of advancing.  But playing him with a groin injury, especially from the start, just seems stupid in the long run.  As even if Liverpool somehow advance, Gerrard could be injured worse and rendered useless for the remainder of the Champions League campaign, and also unavailable in the Premiership where Liverpool hope to overcome leaders Manchester United.

Rafa is making a very big gamble indeed, and I don’t know that it’s going to pay off.  

Well Martin O’Neill has finally admitted defeat for Aston Villa’s Champions League campaign.  Due completely to the fact that Villa has essentially sputtered out towards the end of this season, with a form that doesn’t befit any side hoping to break into the Premiership’s top four.  Aston Villa have six matches left to play, they are eight points behind Arsenal, and their last six matches have gone draw, four losses, and now another draw against Everton.

Villa need to purchase more players this summer, because Martin O’Neill just doesn’t have enough quality to successfully rotate his first team, allowing his big stars the rest they need.  Everybody on Villa just looks tired at this stage, and O’Neill doesn’t have anyway to rest the ones that matter most to his squad.  Villa are set up right now to flop at the end of every season until they follow the big four format and expand the squad to include some great secondary talent.  

photo: Oldelpaso

Mark Hughes has made it a habit to target the right players, opposed to the high profile football celebrities everybody thinks City should target given their unlimited transfer budget.  Up to this point I agreed with Mark Hughes strategy, especially considering the quality Hughes has to make useful players more useful, like what Hughes did with David Bentley last season.  But now I have to say, perhaps City aren’t employing the strongest possible strategy, because something is still seriously wrong at the club, and none of the current transfers have had any effect on making the squad better in the long run.

Mark Hughes has a serious problem on his hands, and the retooling of the squad up to this point hasn’t really done it’s job at all.  Leading me to believe City need a new strategy, or a new manager at the end of the season.  Because those unlimited billions are being wasted on a club that could be called lackluster at best.  

Federico Macheda is becoming a miraculous hero for Manchester United.  First the 17 year old, in his first appearance ever in Manchester United’s first team, tips United past Aston Villa to win 3-2 in the second minute of extra time.  And then, as if that wasn’t enough to begin his United legacy, Macheda makes his second appearance in United’s first team today, and within four minutes of him entering the match, the brilliant youngster puts United ahead 2-1 for the win over Sunderland with a lucky left footed strike.

I just can’t wait to see into Macheda’s future, to see if we are actually seeing the beginnings of something special.  Or if this is just a lucky 17 year old that will level out into an average at best player in the next few years.  

photo:  Mr. Phillip Chambers

If Liverpool are to win the League and Europe it looks as though Rafa Benitez’s men will have to do it practically without captain fantastic, as Steven Gerrard has picked up a groin injury that Liverpool will be forced to deal with until the end of the season.  This means that Gerrard is likely to miss out on Saturday’s clash with Blackburn as well as next Tuesday’s second Champions League leg against Chelsea.  A major blow to Liverpool considering at times Gerrard is their whole team, and Liverpool desperately need to keep pace with United in the Premiership, and have a 3-1 aggregate to bounce back from in the Champions League.

Oh how quickly football can turn around on you.

photo:  Jh1442

Speaking of clubs suffering injury blows to major players, Arsenal also suffered a huge blow to their squad in the Champions League, as former captain William Gallas has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury.  A gigantic blow to an Arsenal side that’s going to need to defend stoutly to have any hopes of beating a Villarreal side that’s been excellent in the Champions League this season.  Not to mention the help Wenger’s defense is going to need to fend off a Europe hungry Aston Villa from taking one of the top four spots in the Premier League.

I don’t particularly understand why Amr Zaki is doing practically everything in his power to mess up his football career, and his standing with Wigan Athletic, who have given him the world stage necessary to become a star.  As you likely know by now, Zaki still hasn’t reported back to Wigan after the international break, and is essentially missing in action, giving no reason to manager Steve Bruce for his absence.  Considering Wigan pay the lad very well, and the fact that he’s become a major star for them, why would Zaki throw all that away, and ruin his standing with other clubs that could be interested in purchasing him?

I would hope that anybody considering buying Zaki would also factor in his behavior towards his club, because he really isn’t good enough to have such a diva attitude.  

Villarreal, who are not a bad club by any standard but actually a ridiculously strong one, have made probably the most random player I could ever think of as their number one transfer target in Bobby Zamora.  Sure Zamora is talented, he’s done a great job for Fulham, but Villarreal have real ambitions for success in La Liga and the Champions League, and are perfectly capable of acquiring both, but not by recruiting Bobby Zamora to strengthen your side.  If for no other reason than just the fact that Zamora can’t really be counted on when the team desperately needs him.

Villarreal should spend their money elsewhere, because Zamora isn’t the sort of player you want a highly ranked club to depend on.