Friday, August 31, 2012

Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona (agg 4-4) Deserved Winners of the Supercopa


They tried to play down the importance of beating their rivalries in this time of the season, but everyone knows the determination for victory is in their blood. A 1-0 or 2-1 win to Madrid could leave Victor Valdes regret for his carelessness in 1st leg, but Barcelona has not lost in their last seven visits to Bernabeu. Madrid's recent struggle in the league could not bolster the fans' confidence either.

The lineup, however, was encouraging for Real Madrid. Coentrao's suspension meant Marcelo was back in the starting lineup after returning from Olympics tournament. Pepe, another well-known El Clasico participant, were also back from injury and did not spend long to make his presence known. His hard challenge on Lionel Messi and fierce shouting towards the penalty-seeking Alexis Sanchez were nothing unfamiliar, but his unintentional assist to Higuain brought a much needed lead to the home team.

Daniel Alves was surprisingly pulled out of the starting XI. His substitute Jordi Alba did not weaken the team by miles, but the gap in El Clasico experience of the two teams was widened. Jordi Alba did not look too nervous, but his presence seemed to have unsettled Javier Mascherano. The Argentine often positioned himself some distance away from his partner Pique, which the void was exposed twice by Higuain, only to be left unpunished by the striker's poor finishing. The nightmare went on when his intended hook clearance could not get a touch to the ball and left Higuain wide open to score the first goal.
Higuain puts Madrid in front with a calm finish

There were not many choices for Jose Mourinho, even with the purchase of Modric. Nevertheless, this is unarguably the most effective Real Madrid lineup, with Ozil orchestrating in the centre of midfield, supported by speedy Cristiano Ronaldo and Di Maria. They struggled against a very crowded but organised Getafe defence, but Barcelona allowed them to utilise their strength in counter-attack.  Cristiano Ronaldo punished the complacent high line defence, dispossessing Pique's soft clearance with a clever back heel and defeated Victor Valdes with a powerful right foot shot. All of a sudden, Real Madrid found themselves in the driving seat, thanks to mistakes from the Catalans centrebacks.

Referee Mr Mateu accepted one of the hardest jobs in the world. Having to gesture to the players "who's the boss" only 10 minutes into the game, Mateu handed out a wrong yellow card to the innocent-for-once Pepe, but the dismissal of Adriano for a cynical foul 28 minutes in the first half was an easy decision. It was once again brought by a Ronaldo's counter attack.

Montoya was forced to be brought on for the disappointing Alexis, who struggled to cement his feet to the ground on even the softest challenge. Right back had suddenly became the weakest link of Barca's defence, evident by Ronaldo's easy turn against the young right back, but Pique and Mascherano seemed to have both regained  concentration. Two crucial tackles had prevented Higuain and Ronaldo to conclude the game in first half.

Typically, being one man down and trailing by two goals means game over. Barcelona players, though, still looked rather composed, however rattled deep down they were. On the other hand, Real Madrid remained cautious, being well-aware of their opponents' ability. In fact, it was the 10-men Barca who stayed dominant in possession, a very atypical phenomenon in such circumstances.

Keeping possession could be the best means of defence. Barcelona  attempted to echo Swansea's theory with ten outfield players. Jordi Alba ruled the left flank while Pedro, having switched from left to right following Alexis' exit., kept Marcelo busy.  Los Bloncos looked happy to sit back with the lead, but their persistent fouling was finally penalised. Messi restored Catalan's hope with a magnificent 30 yards freekick that went in between Casillas' glove and the post just before the half time whistle. Real Madrid was only leading by an away goal at that time.
Casillas could not keep Messi's exquisite 30-yard freekick out

Messi's goal killed Real Madrid's momentum slightly. Tactician Mourinho decided to pound on the man advantage by ordering Marcelo to push forward in second half, but the extra room at the back almost brought Barcelona the lead. The diagonal pass was the ultimate weapon that slid through Madrid's defence. Pedro missed a golden opportunity, while both fullbacks were also freed in similar fashion, with Montoya's chance coming in the final minute. Nevertheless, Casillas did not concede any of those and single-handedly rescued Madrid.

Victor Valdes did not let Casillas steal the show either. Khedira and Ronaldo had once come close but were stopped by the eccentric goalkeeper. Mascherano and the post also collectively saved Barca from another effort by Higuain. Luka Modric could have netted a debut goal on the El Clasico stage in Bernabeu, but his first time shot from Benzema's cutback was blocked by Mascherano.

El Clasico could not end without mentioning Messi. Alex Song, another debutant from the Premier League, calmly set up the playmaker at the edge of the box, but only saw the final chance of the match being sent wide of the post amid sliding blocks from Pepe and Sergio Ramos. Another entertaining El Clasico ended in dramatic fashion, seeing Real Madrid conquer the uphill battle and deservedly won the 2nd leg.

Los Bloncos' fans would hardly criticise their team’s performance with their first victory of the season, so as Mourinho, as his players responded to his pre-match comments in a positive manner, but their defence still looked rather vulnerable. Their inability to keep hold of possession, at least against Barcelona, is worrying. Luka Modric could potentially be a solution to the problem, but Ozil's dipping form is unpromising either. There were little threats to defence from dead balls, an area they have worked hard on, but the defence still looked disorganised by the standard of Jose Mourinho.

Barca showed they are still invincible in attack. The Catalans didn't fail to threaten Real Madrid with ten players. Complacency, though, cost them three goals in two matches and is something Vilanova has to address. Also, has Vilanova got a plan B in his pocket? Heading to Bernabeu with a lead in hand, there were no reasons they had to risk an aggressive approach in defence, particularly playing against a very mobile Real Madrid. Sitting deeper at least for the first fifteen minutes of the game would have already unsettled the opponents. Besides, with Pedro back at his best and Alexis looking a bit disillusioned, Fabregas may be a better option in big matches ahead of Alexis to offer better composure and decision-making in the final third.
Back in form, and back in the lineup


Monday, August 27, 2012

Manchester City and Liverpool evened out in Anfield


Brendan Rodgers retained the majority of his 4-3-3 lineup which lost 3-0 to WBA with Coates replacing the suspended Agger. Downing, despite not playing in mid-week’s Europa match, remains on the bench to make way for the 17-year-old Raheem. Man City reverted to the semi-5-3-2 formation they tried in the Community Shield after surviving the 3-2 scare against newly-promoted Southampton last week. Kolo Toure, Kompany and Zabaleta started as centrebacks with De Jong and Yaya Toure sitting in front of them. Nasri, Tevez and Balotelli – getting the nod ahead of Dzeko once again – roamed up front with Kolarov and Milner took care of the flanks.

 It was a slow start for the home side as but clearly the champion had little clues to penetrate the crowded Liverpool half. Tevez’s diligence was their best hope. As always, his runs behind defenders caused problems, notably having a swerving low ball rolling across the goal line only to find his teammates thinking he couldn’t have kept the ball in bounds. Rodgers’ men, however, slowly warmed up and controlled the tempo. The midfield trio offered a combination of good work rate and decent passing. Young Sterling was a highlight as his technique and speed constantly embarrassed Kolo Toure. He could have claimed an assist if Borini had not send his sweet cross between the City defenders wide of the post.

Skrtel celebrated his goal that brought Liverpool the lead
Skrtel gave Liverpool  a deserved goal with a cannon header from Gerrard's corner. It could have been 2-0 shortly after the break if Suarez had better contact on Borini’s through ball in a fast break. Yaya Toure’s close range strike following a cross from the omnipresent Tevez gave City hope but minutes later when Rodwell, who came on for Nasri, handled Gerrard’s shot as he slid in, Suarez swerved the 25-yardish free kick round the ball and in the bottom corner of Joe Hart’s goal.

A mistake from Reina failing to get to Tevez’s cross gave City a goal and a more detrimental error from goalscorer Skrtel gave City a point. His back pass under pressure from the left back position found Tevez who calmly rounded the keeper to level the scores with 10 minutes to go. The Kops put up a convincing display against the champion at home as they seemed to have adapted to Rodgers’ philosophy of possession and attacking football; yet there will be more food of thought for the manager, as these mistakes will never go unpunished in the world’s best football league.

Man of the Match: Carlos Tevez once again showed Mancini who was the boss as the Italian manager needed to thank his outcast to spare his blushes. The Argentine was literally all over the Liverpool half and was the most reliable source of threat as City failed to conjure any magic in a Silva-less lineup. His strength, pace and quick feet were all sorts of trouble, especially the raw Kelly and Coates, and even though his presence was felt, Liverpool did not sufficiently subdue him as the miniature forward was directly involved in both City goals.
Flop of the Match: Aleksandar Kolarov was never known for his defending abilities, but more as a set-piece specialist. In a formation which requires a player to take care of the whole flank, Kolarov was humbled by his counterpart James Milner – in terms of stamina and work rate. The Serbian was as clueless in attack as he was in defence, overlapping with either Nasri or Zabaleta. Despite Borini not giving him much of a challenge, nor did Martin Kelly who rarely overlapped, the space was not exploited to add an extra dimension in City’s dull attack. It is interesting to know why Kolarov still stands a fight against Clichy – who was not even on the bench – for the starting leftback position.

What if Dzeko started the match? Edin Dzeko will always be wondering what he has to do to climb up the pecking order. He was always Mancini’s emergency call for goals and he has rarely failed to deliver, notably the final match of last season as well as last match against Southampton. His aerial presence as well as his ability to score with both feet is an exceptional quality for any centre forwards and he has already proved himself in the Premier League last season. However, the return of outcasts Tevez and Balotelli forced him to sit out on the bench. Tevez’s recent form is convincing but it was a disappointing night for Super Mario. If Mancini continues to start him instead of the Bosnian, Dzeko should really be looking to ply his trade elsewhere, even if it means giving up on one of the sweetest paycheques he has ever seen.

What if Manchester City dumbed the 5-2-1-2 / 3-4-1-2 formation? It brought Mancini a win at in the Community Shield as well as a draw today but it is definitely not a successful implementation. Using Zabaleta who is not a natural centreback or a faulty Savic are already signs that Mancini does not have the most basic requirement for such formation – 3 proper reliable centrebacks. Athletic wing backs and a strong target man are also crucial, but Kolarov and Balotelli could not deliver on this particular night. A true tactician does not fit his players into an ideal formation but instead devises an ideal formation with the players he has got.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

West Brom earned a well-deserved draw at White Hart Lane


Andre Villa-Boas' comeback season looked even more difficult after opening the season with a setback at St James Park. Nevertheless, Tottenham hijacked last week's headlines not because of rumours about losing confidence in their new manager, but late transfer news. It could easily unsettle a club under renewed management, yet both Tottenham and AVB are well-trained to handle the August mess.

The shorthanded striker force is strengthened by the return of Adebayor, but more than 7 players are rumoured to be on the way out, including starter Jermain Defoe and Rafael Van der Vaart, with the latter replacing the disappointing Sigurdsson tonight.

The team appeared to be spiritual, boasted by the chanting of the home fans. Steve Clarke was not overwhelmed by the 3-0 win against Liverpool. Gera and the injured Odemwingie were replaced by Graham Dorrans and Marc-Antoine Fortune, who are both more committed to defence and could help contain the Tottenham wingers. It proved to be a correct tactical change, as Tottenham were well-aware of their strengths at both flanks, especially when Liam Ridgewell and Steven Reid are not speedy full backs themselves. Both were embarrassed in the first half by wingers running at their backs, but Aaron Lennon and Van der Vaart could not convert the cut back crosses. 

An above average debut performance for Vertonghen

West Brom were happy to sit deep in the first half and absorb the pressure. Although with a handful of possession, Tottenham's crosses were threatening but never converted. Meanwhile, debutant Vertonghen had a relative relaxing 45 minutes.  He started dreadfully with a stretching miss that was rescued by Sandro's tackle on Fortune. Since then, he showed accurate tackling, timely forward runs and excellent vision in passing. If not because of his weaker right foot, the fastbreak he led with Bale would have already brought a 1-0 lead to Tottenham.

On the other hand, Shane Long hardly got his feet on the ball, while Fortune tried to test Vertonghen with his physical strength. Tottenham seemed to be on the upperhand, but Steve Clarke clearly had a plan in his mind.

Tottenham is never the most persistent team in Premier League. Goalless stalemate can easily unease the team. While Defoe showed diminishing intention in passing and Bale was growingly inclined in moving to centre of the field, Tottenham became more and more toothless. Emanuel Adebayor was the man to turn to in order to add some physical presence up front. He proved his value in merely two minutes, when Defoe found himself in space and fired past Ben Foster, but only to be ruled offside.

In the blink of an eye, substitute Romelu Lukaku nearly haunted AVB with a fierce left foot shot only for Friedel to parry it away brilliantly. The alarm has rung as the huge Belgian possessed obvious advantage over the aging Gallas.

The impatient fans welcomed another new arrival, Sigurdsson, for his home debut. Similar to Lukaku, it didn't take long for him to make an impact on the game. His corner had indirectly led to Tottenham's goal – a deflected long shot by Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The leftback had already seen his earlier freekick saved by Ben Foster. This time, he needed a little bit of help from Dorrans to keep the goalkeeper stone to the ground.

Defending a 1-0 lead is far from easy. Lukaku made it even harder for the Yids. The solid Vertonghen did not back down in containing his compatriot, blocking Lukaku's effort with a well-timed slide. Assou-Ekotto seemed destined to be the unlikely hero of the match, when his goal-line clearance of McAuley's header was helped by the crossbar.
Baggies celebrating James Morrison's equaliser

Everyone in the stadium, though, could feel a goal was coming. Numerous deliveries from Chris Brunt had finally resulted in James Morrison's goal, after a brief chaos in the Tottenham box following a corner. Tottenham was left in despair, while the Baggies celebrated as if they had claimed the league title.

Steve Clarke's tactics for the match were well-justified, and it could have easily been three points for them if not of Brad Friedel's outstanding performance. West Brom deserved all the credit. The injury-time equaliser was a massive blow to AVB and his team. There were still some positives for the Yids to cheer about, notably the convincing debut from Vertonghen as Michael Dawson looks certain to leave, but it is becoming increasingly urgent for AVB to notch his first Tottenham victory.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Tito won the 1st round of El Clasico


Traditionally the Supercopa de EspaƱa is a pre-season Cup, similar to English Community Shield. Spaniards, though, usually take it more than a warm-up contest.  When the matchup is again unsurprisingly Barcelona against Real Madrid, it will not be merely a friendly contest.

This year, both teams have already played week one fixture.  Barcelona showed their determination in reclaiming the La Liga, while Los Blancos was caught out by the unusual early start of the season. Although no league points will be credited to the winning side in the Cup, a victory would represent a significant morale boost throughout the season. 

The renewed rivalry: Vilanova vs Mourinho
Neither teams were ready to give away the first leg. Adriano and Alexis Sanchez were preferred  over Jordi Alba and Christian Tello, given their experience in El Clasico. Gerard Pique started as the centreback partnering Javier Mascherano. The three substitutes who came in for Real Madrid on Sunday, Raul Albiol, Jose Callejon and Karim Benzema, all started in Camp Nou.

The storyline has not changed much since last year. There is no longer Pep Guardiola, but Tito Vilanova continues to let Barca's excellence to flourish. The "false no. 9" formation continues to bring them dominance in midfield, particularly when Xavi and Iniesta have already hit top form in August. The question remains the absent forward to apply the finishing touch, when it has to be a very special long shot to beat Iker Casillas.

Jose Mourinho put his faith into the counter-attack approach, a no-brainer playing Barca at Camp Nou. The speedy Angel Di Maria could be a better option than Mehmet Ozil, who was the invisible man throughout the match without the ball at feet.

The sole advantage Real Madrid had earned throughout the first half was a Javier Mascherano's yellow card awarded for blocking Fabio Coentrao's fast break. On the other hand, their defence is growingly effective in stopping Barcelona. Barca's passing was spectacular, but nothing more than long shots were allowed. Sergio Busquets were camermen's favourite in 1st half, often found him rolling on the ground.

While Mourinho has not been once grumbling about the biased officiating towards Barcelona, it was a night which Real Madrid got the most out of it. Three deliberate fouls by Raul Albiol had only resulted in one yellow card. Alvaro Arbeloa's post-hitting backward pass was regarded as a result of Alexis Sanchez's foul from minimal contact. When the Spanish fullback obstructed Alexis in the box for a clear-cut chance, neither a penalty nor a second yellow was awarded controversially.

Couples of minutes after the controversy, Christiano Ronaldo bullied the weakness of Barcelona's lineup with a bullet header from Ozil's corner. With 35 minutes to go, the night seemed to be destined for Madrid's victory.

Nevertheless, within ten seconds after kickoff, Mascherano's pin-point pass released Pedro who broke the offside trap and equalised for the home team. Lapse in concentration for a single moment against Barcelona proves to be costly.

The rapid shift of momentum put Real Madrid on the back foot again. With Busquets dropping deeper, Pique and Dani Alves were encouraged to roam forward. Dani Alves cut back to his left foot in the box, but saw his decent effort saved by Casillas. A deja vu by Iniesta, though, teased Sergio Ramos, who denied the foul by helplessly shaking his finger after catching Iniesta's foot. Messi did not miss the penalty this time and brought Barca the lead for the first time this match.

Iniesta kept Madrid's midfield busy for the night
The introduction of Di Maria was well-anticipated, and the Argentinian winger should have caused his companion Mascherano being sent off. Barca's luck continued when Ozil endured his dreadful night, having unable to control a long pass which could leave him 1-on-1 with Victor Valdes. In contrast, Iniesta starred in midfield. He skipped past the challenge of Sergio Ramos and assisted Xavi for the third goal with a delicate through pass.
The El Clasico always ends in dramatic fashion. Last year there was the eye-poking incident between Vilanova and Mourinho. This year, Victor Valdes became the centre of attention. The eccentric goalkeeper turned a straightforward clearance into an embarrassing goal and left the crowd exiting the stadium with a slight disappointment at the 3-2 scoreline.

Di Maria's effort brought Real Madrid an important away goal, which a 1-0 marginal win next Wednesday will see Real Madrid seal the title. A moment of dreaminess saw Real Madrid surrender the lead, while Victor Valdes' moment of carelessness could hand their rival a title and a mental advantage season long.  

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

David Moyes gained the upperhand over fellow Sir Alex Ferguson


Everyone knows visiting Goodison Park would be a physical contest. Having lost Tim Cahill and Jack Rodwell, David Moyes is able to fend off the interests in Fellaini and Baines and fielded a very industrious midfield to support Jelavic. Sir Alex had limited choice to come up with a more defensive lineup. Carrick and Valencia were forced to join the defensive unit led by the returning captain Nemanja Vidic. Welbeck was dropped to left wing, with Rooney starting as a lone striker. Shinji Kagawa debuted as an attacking midfielder, a position he is most comfortable in.

Moyes addressed the weakness of Manchester United in the air and gave De Gea no room to breathe with waves of threatening deliveries, particularly from Baines. Fellaini excelled as the playmaker of the team. His footwork was as impressive as his header, which brought Everton the winning goal as well as chest control. Jagielka made several crucial tackles to dispossess Danny Welbeck. Hibbert and Baines neutralised threats from the flanks, and everyone bravely threw their bodies in front of the ball in the last 20 minutes. 

A calm lay-off from Kagawa to Cleverley, but Jagielka blocked his effort
It was De Gea's show in the first half, but he was finally beaten by the height of Everton's lineup. However, Sir Alex would be more worried about the attack, which they have heavily invested into. The movement was lacking in the final third. Nani often stalled the build-up, while Rooney was completely out-of-form, even looked relatively lazy comparing to the Rooney at his best. Kagawa was the most active attacker for the Red Devils, who showed promising football intelligence to link up plays with clever runs, direct passes and impressive composure. However, balls were not distributed quick enough to distract the Toffee's defence. Neither Kagawa nor Van Persie could single-handedly rescue Manchester United. The inconsistent Nani will likely lose his starting place next week, while Cleverley's performance in the middle of the park was well above average. 

A threat that haunted Manutd all night long
Man of the Match: He scored the decisive goal, but more importantly he showed how invaluable he is to Everton. He embraced under the freedom Moyes granted him. Not only could he hold up balls with his technique physical strength, but also created chances with his silky passes and powerful runs. More importantly, he did not slack in defence, having executed Moyes' game plan perfectly. Fellaini deserved a perfect ten for his performance last night.



Flop of the Match: A very obvious contrast to Fellaini's performance, Rooney could not operate under the limited space given by his former team’s defence. His passing was especially disappointing, and his concentration and aggression seemed absent in front of the jeering crowd. The early season symptom would not be an excuse for Rooney, who United rely heavily on to win back the title from their neighbours.

What if Rooney was taken off the match? Manchester United fans will be screaming when they read this line, but the truth is managers are ought to field their fittest sides. It is not once we witness managers not daring to take off their superstars when losing, and no one would be even aware of this argument if Rooney scored an equaliser. However, Van Persie came off the bench and combined with Kagawa once or twice that nearly created a goal. One would wonder how the match would have evolved if Van Persie was assigned the striker role in lieu of Rooney earlier. Rewind back to 2002 when France prematurely exited the World Cup qualification stage even though a godlike – but unfit – Zidane was present. 10 years later tonight at Goodison Park it showed once again keeping an quality but unfit player on the field is nothing more than a gamble.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1 --- Post-Match Analysis


Starting the new season at St James Park, Alan Pardew fielded nearly his best lineup, only without injured captain Coloccini. Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse were all cleared to play. Players demonstrated tonnes of confidence. Despite Cisse and Ba not at their fittest, the midfield performed admirably. Ben Arfa was the crafter, while Jonas excelled as the tireless soldier.

Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement in defence. James Perch was not put under enormous pressure, but fullbacks were crying for help. Jonas teamed up with David Santon to stall the runs by Lennon several times, with the only exception which led to Gareth Bale hitting the crossbar. Danny Simpson was forced to fight off Bale without much help from Ben Arfa, the projected right wing in the starting XI. Pardew needs to re-weight the balance of letting Ben Arfa get loose in offence and filling the void on the flanks in defence. The 4-3-3 he played in 2nd half is very threatening, but could be exposed by good wingers.

The high defence line rejuvenated in Tottenham's jersey, in a slightly altered fashion. Centrebacks were deeper than where AVB normally prefers, with everyone else roaming around the midfield line.  It was a significant improvement to Tottenham, as this lessens the chance of their shaky defence being exposed. The tactics were more effective with Sigurdsson starting in place of Van der Vaart, who only reported back from Netherlands duty.

Ben Arfa fouled by substitute Van der Vaart 

Midfields were no short of energy, but the playmaking department was missing. Without a major distributor in central midfield, Lennon and Bale were often asked to do more than they should to start an attack from scratch. Jermain Defoe was very sharp, but he either had to, or preferred to work on his own. The passes were just lacking in the final third, which came from Modric, Van der Vaart, or even Adebayor last season. When Tottenham turned to Harry Kane for the final push, their desperation for a striker became more obvious. AVB still has a lot to work on before claiming his comeback season.

Brow-Raiser: Undoubtedly the start of William Gallas. Nobody would have imagined the 35-year-old would fit in the high defence line, but AVB needed some leadership on the field. His partnership with the solid Younes Kaboul did not disappoint the fans too much, but Demba Ba's goal clearly stated he is in decline. When captain Dawson comes back fit, Gallas won't be expected to feature as much as he used to.

What If Jenas came in for Livermore? Three Lions debutant Jake Livermore is a decent defensive midfielder. When it comes to attack, he is still relatively raw though. Jenas has only just come back from injuries, but his passing range was what Tottenham was missing in the game. With Sandro already there protecting the backline, was it possible to give Jenas 25-30 minutes of run-out when they were trailing?  Or maybe Huddlestone who was not on the bench? AVB might have gone a bit too conservative for a large part of the game.

Player of the Match:  It would have easily been gone to Ben Arfa for his match-winning contributions, but Jonas deserves recognition for his enormous work rate. Starting on the left flank, he spent his effort more on closing down Lennon. When Ben Arfa promoted to a more advanced role in 2nd half, Jonas covered even more ground to maintain the balance of the team. He was the invisible contributor to the victory.

Gutierrez (L) doubled up on Lennon, again

Flop of the Match: There were clearly high hopes in Sigurdsson, which might have also over-stressed him. He did well in executing AVB's defence plan. However, apart from the freekick, his long shots were far from threatening, as well as below-par passes. In his first appearance at a top-tier club, he seemed to have gradually lost the confidence as time went by. Surely not the ideal debut for the Icelandic midfielder.

Friday, August 17, 2012

2012/13 season preview: Tottenham


Finishing fourth with a ticket to Europa League will be glamorous to most of the clubs, but not for the Tottenham last season. Once flirted with the title, the hope diminished with Harry Redknapp's rumours. Now Harry is gone, so will Luka Modric soon. Daniel Levy put his bet on Andre Villas-Boas to reproduce his success at Porto with this decent group of players and deliver Champions League football back to White Hart Lane.

New Signing: Daniel Levy neutralised the instability brought by Modric's transfer rumours by stealing Sigurdsson from Liverpool's hand. The Icelandic midfielder is of no stranger to English football, enduring previous spells at Reading and Swansea. Modric is a better tempo-controlling midfielder, while Sigurdsson plays a more adventurous style, leading to his outstanding scoring performance. He could also play behind a lone striker, offering extra flexibility to Tottenham. This acquisition is absolutely ideal to a team with striker-crisis. Vertonghen will be filling up the void left by Ledley King and is projected as another goal-scoring defender as Vermaelen.  
Sigurdsson (left), Vertonghen (right) will strive to help their new boss 

Goalkeeping: Brad Friedel shines despite entering the dawn of his career. His dip in form approaching the end of last season, though, has to be addressed. Heurelho Gomes is too eccentric to be a reliable second choice. Frenchman Hugo Lloris will be a decent long-term option to stabilise Tottenham's defence, but his price tag will still be an obstacle.

Defence: If high defence line remains as AVB's preference, Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen emerge as the handy choices at centrebacks, although Dawson's health and Vertonghen's adaptability remain questionable. Steven Caulker will hope to repeat Kyle Walker's success after a solid season on loan at Swansea. His opportunity is opened up by the aging Gallas and shaky Bassong. Younes Kaboul provides cover at centreback and right back. Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto will be the automatic choice at fullbacks, but the latter maybe exposed more often under AVB's philosophy of defence. Danny Rose failed to impress during the Olympics. His bench position could be hacked by the young utility man Kyle Naughton.

Midfield: This is an area Tottenham is most proud of, with or without Modric. Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Rafael van der Vaart combined for 23 league goals in 2011/12. In the third season the trio has teamed up, they will be missing Modric but continue to be supported by a solid group of midfielders. Sigurdsson is the immediate replacement of Modric. The more defensive Sandro and Livermore impressed last season and will carry more responsibilities now, as Scott Parker suffers early season injury. The all-rounded Tom Huddlestone and Jermaine Jenas will fight for their first team kits, so as dead-ball specialist David Bentley. However, their chances may potentially be hampered by the arrival of Yann M'Vila or Joao Moutinho following Modric's departure.

Attack: Tottenham is likely to start the new season with only two strikers on the book --- Jermain Defoe and young Harry Kane. The recruitment of Emmanuel Adebayor and Salomon Rondon did not go as planned. Even they are playing 4-2-3-1 and treating Europa League as a secondary competition,  acquiring a striker, preferably of notable size, is still ranking at the top of the agenda.

Long-time fellow: Huddlestone (left) and Lennon 
Player to watch: Tom Huddlestone's contribution to Tottenham has been severely limited by injuries, but his potential has never been doubted. His passing range and long  shots are of top notch, but he is never comfortable at the defensive role being assigned, despite his physical strength. With Modric leaving, the more advanced central midfield position is opened up. It will be the perfect timing for Huddlestone to repay his club's faith.  

X-Factor: Entering the seventh season in Tottenham, Aaron Lennon has established as the definite choice at right wing, but his development has stalled in recent years. His passes are often of poor timing, which has limited him into a single-dimension winger, who is often trapped by a double-team. If he can improve in this category, he can pair up with Kyle Walker to form a threatening force down the right and further expand the width of Tottenham attack. 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

2012/13 Preview: Newcastle United


There were doubts when influential players Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, fan-favourites Jose Enrique and Andy Carroll left, while the club turned to cheap acquisitions of David Santon, Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba . Yet the Tyneside club took the world by surprise as they qualified for Europa League by finishing 5th in the league, only two seasons after promotion. It will be a challenge for Alan Pardew to live up to the even higher expectation this season.


Notable new signing: While Debuchy and Andy Carroll may seem unrealistic now, Vurnon Anita has becoming the club’s first major signing this season. Newcastle looked short of options down the bench last season when they were looking to defend their lead. Anita can be the solution to it. The 23 years old predominantly plays as defensive midfielder, but also featured as fullbacks under Frank de Boer.

Defence: Tim Krul looks certain to remain between the posts after an outstanding campaign. Steven Taylor is fit again and his partnership with Coloccini in central defence is comparable with the top 4 while Michael Williamson and highly-rated Curtis Good are decent understudies, with James Perch acting as the emergent centreback. Anita’s arrival would help to resolve their left-back problem when Ryan Taylor and David Santon both failed to make that position theirs. If they are, as they say, to challenge top four this season, the defence must contribute to improve their +5 goal difference in 11/12.

Midfield: The Cabaye-Tiote partnership was golden for the success of the previous season, as well as the revived Ben Arfa. However, both Cabaye and Ben Arfa will be expecting a much tougher physical challenges and lot more closing down. Jonas Gutierrez versatility is invaluable for Newcastle to switch between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2, so as Ryan Taylor. New addition Anita provides the depth Newcastle has been missing in central midfield. With Gabriel Obertan could be on his way out, together with the involvement in Europa League, Shane Ferguson and Haris Vuckic would have more opportunities to impress in the first team. 

Attack: January signing Papisse Cisse scored 13 goals in 14 matches while Demba Ba ammased 16 goals in 34 games. The Senegaleses were responsible for more than 50% of the team’s goals. Ba was adjusted to a wider role on the left flank last season to accommodate Cisse as a lone striker but in order to realize the true efficacy of the strike partners, Pardew may have to sacrifice his 4-3-3 in favour of a traditional 4-4-2. The Ameobi's continue to provide strong physical presence off the bench, as well as the troublesome Nile Ranger. Nevertheless, the five strikers do not represent a very wide diversity which could see them struggle to score against certain teams.

Player to watch: Little teams have realised the importance of silencing Yohan Cabaye last season, since he was overshadowed by Eden Hazard and Gervinho in Lille. He enjoyed a breakout debut season in the Premier League, and now he will have to prove himself as one of the division’s top central midfielders .

X-factor: The fans were eager to see Sylvain Marveaux blossom alongside his companions Ben Arfa and Cabaye when he joined Newcastle in 2011. Injuries, though, limited his appearances for the Magpies. As the options in central midfield are far from abundant, Alan Pardew will look forward to the Marveaux who have put behind his injury history and performs at the calibre shown in 2009/10 at Rennes to lead Newcastle to another productive season. 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Community Shield: Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3 ---Post-match analysis


Roberto Di Matteo put his faith in his counter-attack approach which won him the Champions League trophy last season. Chelsea’s back four, David Luiz in particular, looked quite in form. They stole the lead with a goal resulted from a fast break, but their weakness in midfield was obvious. Mikel and Lampard are not known for their battling tenacity or their instinctive positioning in defense. When Ivanovic was sent off, the coveted gap between midfield and defense was exploited, notably leading to the first two goals by Manchester City. Eden Hazard was given his England debut, but is yet to adapt to the physicality of the English game. His lack of presence in defence had released James Milner, particularly when Chelsea was a man down. Di Matteo's failure to respond promptly to twists in the game might have cost Chelsea a title.

Mancini trialed a 3-5-2-lookalike with Zabaleta playing in a semi-centre back position alongside Savic and Kompany. Mancini took advantage of Chelsea's relatively narrow 4-3-3 with five midfielders, with Tevez also dropped deep to link up often with Nasri and Yaya Toure. City easily dominated the possession, but the frontline lacked the height to convert crosses from Kolarov and Milner. The missing piece is a target man inside the box – Edin Dzeko, who was on the bench. It maybe the early season symptom, but neither Savic nor the 3-5-2 formation would convince Mancini with two goals conceded.

What if Hazard was taken off earlier?
With 10 men and a 1-0 lead, the manager who orchestrated his team to defend against Barcelona and Bayern Munich on their road to Champions League glory surprisingly kept Juan Mata and Eden Hazard in the 2nd half, who both looked uncomfortable with defensive duties, particularly the Belgian. It was not until Chelsea trailing by 1-3 before Ryan Bertrand was introduced to consolidate the defence on the left.

What if Savic and Ramires were sent off for a 2nd yellow?
A dubious decision in Savic’s favor against Torres allowed Mancini’s men to enjoy a numerical advantage over Chelsea; all could have been quite different had it been a 10 vs 10 in 2nd half. It could be a red for Ramires’ reckless foul but he was let go by the friendly Friend. With Ivanovic already being suspended for the opening fixtures, having another player suspended will definitely not be the ideal start to Di Matteo’s official reign. However, poor officiating means we will never know what would happen.

Man of the Match:
It was the man who Mancini vowed never to play for Man City again; it was the man who said Mancini treated him like a dog. Carlos Tevez put in an energetic display throughout the match as if he needed no pre-season. His movement, work rate, techniques are undoubtedly of top class. He could once again be the key to City's success this season.

Flop of the Match:
A relatively inexperienced referee in the top tier, Kevin Friend correctly sent off Ivanovic whose studs caught Kolarov. However, when Torres raced Savic onto a through ball, the shaky defender, managed to put himself between the ball and El Nino but the inevitable collision hardly looked like what Friend thought – an offensive foul. While a budge from David Luiz on Tevez inside the box remains debatable, a cynical bodycheck on David Silva by a booked Ramires did not produce a second yellow card. It seemed as though Kevin Friend was either too lenient in the ‘Charity Shield’ or was not decisive enough to make the right call. The game definitely needs more consistent refereeing than this. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Financial Fair Play: An essential practice in football


In 2003, Roman Abramovich became the owner of Chelsea football club in a high-profile fashion and sparked off a series of foreign investment into football. Since then, the connection between money and football has never been weakened.

The heightening Eurozone crisis has already hit the football business in Italy and Spain. The English Premier League, though, continues to post record revenues with ever-growing popularity.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi: ready to raise the profile of PSG       
However, the dream theatre has a corrupted backstage. Only 5 clubs have had a net profit in 2010-11, while Manchester City recorded the biggest loss in football history – a whopping £197m. Arsene Wenger's and most recently Sir Alex’s complaints about crazy transfer spending are not only out of bitterness and jealousy. In fact, the Manchester duos, Chelsea, Liverpool, joined by Paris St German lately, have been spending freely with the backup of their wealthy owners.

Their survivals are in contrast to the grief in Portsmouth, Glasgow and, a decade ago, in Leeds. Their gambles were only returned with short-living fairy tales and finally miseries.

This is why Financial Fair Play was introduced last season, intending to put a halt to overspending and promote a sustainable business model in football clubs. According to the regulations, clubs who wish to join European competitions will only be allowed to make a loss of  45 million between 2011 and 2014, in which UEFA can impose bans on European competitions from 2014 onwards if clubs fail to comply. Annual losses for clubs are expected to decrease to 8.8 million by 2018.
 
The born of Financial Fair Play, as it is named, obviously is driven heavily by financial factors, but the benefits will surely extend to development of football, especially for the youths.

To start with, ‘football-related expenditure', as defined by UEFA, does not include expenses on youth development. The pressure of balancing the account should therefore not be exerted on youth facilities investment. Secondly, it can inhibit the immature introduction of young prospects onto the bigger stage of football. Andy Carroll is the perfect example. Surely possessed bags of talents, he has yet to fully explore his potential but chose to leave Newcastle after only an explosive half-season. The heavy price tag only mounted higher expectation, thus bringing greater disappointment. Lastly, exerting control over transfer fees and wages could avoid overcrowding star players in one single team, enabling youngsters to penetrate info first team. Lukaku and Romeu were two obvious victims last season at Stamford Bridge, they are good players, but they were better bench-warmers.

There are always two sides of a coin. By relating transfer spending with income, it could be even harder for mid-table teams to catch up with the top with their limited potential in increasing revenues. Unable to attract big names, their rebuild duration could be lengthy, as seen with Leeds. Situation could be worsened when top teams expose the loopholes of the regulations. Lucrative though questionable sponsorship deals have been used as a mean to enhance incomes. Manchester United has entered NYSE to increase earnings. In truth, it could be an opportunity as well as a risk to them. Some underlying unfairness, for example the effect of different national tax rates on player wages and the uneven share of TV sponsorship in La Liga, could also ultimately undermine the creditability of Financial Fair Play. 
the last thing we want to see in professional players
Obstacles are everywhere, but this is a policy that has to be enforced. Investments have improved football, but they have also started to overpower football. The rumours about the Qatar investors quitting Malaga have already disjointed the team, which is just about to begin their bid to become an international entity. The amount of debts incurred by the top-earning clubs is also ridiculously worrying. 

The Bundesliga and Ligue 1 may not be as popular, but rules similar to Financial Fair Play have brought the clubs much healthier finances and the emergence of home-grown players who are starting to flourish even on the international stage. Seeing the success of Frenchs and Germans, as well as the encouraging signs of diminished (or self-disciplined) spending by some of the top teams, we hope UEFA could endure the persistence in advocating financial self-sustainability to avoid the spirit of football being destroyed.