Monday, April 30, 2012

Another Roberto Who Deserves to be Under the Spotlight


While Roberto Mancini is embracing a dramatic season at Manchester and Roberto Di Matteo has single-handedly overturned Chelsea's fate this, another manager named Roberto played a miraculous trick just 16 miles northwest of Manchester.

Roberto Martinez never looked like the man to power Wigan back to the level of performance they endured in their glorious first season in Premier League. Nevertheless, he has quickly built up the reputation as an expert in relegation battle, having twice escaped from demolishing to Championship in his first two seasons at Wigan.

The fans would be of no surprise to find their club once again in the bottom three of the table after Christmas, and the sluggish defence shown by Wigan was worrying. The aging legs of Alcaraz, Caldwell and Boyce had exposed their below-par positioning at defence. Ronnie Stam is more of an attacking full-back, whereas Figueroa has been teased by Premier League quick right wingers.

What made worse was the fall-out of Rodallega, the hero of last season's survival, which further weakened the already uncreative and unproven striker force. A goal difference of -20 with almost 2 goals conceded per game in December summed up the story.

The young Martinez was not afraid and did not wait until the last minute to make a drastic change. After a disastrous January, Martinez re-organized the backline by lining up three centrebacks, playing a 5-4-1 formation rather than the 4-5-1 they preferred throughout the season.

The extra man at the heart of the defence proves to be critical to Wigan. Gary Caldwell's leadership is vital in the defensive line, while Figueroa's shift to the centre adds some pace. Boyce is released back to his comfort zone on the right and new boy Beausejour provides some spark and energy on the opposite flank. The restored stability has alleviated their reliance on Al Habsi's magical hands and brought about a tremendous improvement by allowing only twelve goals in thirteen games since February.
Wigan players celebrate a 4-0 half time
Stellar defence led Wigan to notch up points after points and won back the confidence of youngsters like Moses, Di Santo and McCarthy. Despite an unjust defeat at Stamford Bridge, wins against Liverpool (away), Arsenal (away), Manchester United and Newcastle United were not down to pure luck, especially when their oppositions needed to triumph as much as they do.

Martinez perhaps could have made the chances earlier to avoid another relegation battle but he is now just two games away from conjuring a miraculous rescue to Wigan’s Premier League status, sitting 3 points above the last four teams as well as having the best goal difference amongst. The Spaniard, with his determination, motivation, tactical flexibility and never-say-die attitude, might well just be ready to “get one of the top jobs in Europe” as his ecstatic chairman Dave Whelan suggests.
Probably the happiest chairman in the league


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The disillusioned Gareth Bale


Earlier in the year, The Linesman predicted a tough year ahead for Tottenham despite their unbeatable 1st half.

It didn’t turn out any better, but only worse. Now they are even dropping out of top 4.

It would be unfair to labour all the blame on just one’s shoulder, but none of the Tottenham fans would disagree that Gareth Bale’s dipping form is a major contributing factor.

Yes he has suffered from injuries; and Harry Redknapp’s reluctance to rotate the squad does not help. However, even when Bale was playing, he was never the threat that had tormented Maicon and Sagna in the 2010/11 season. He was not slowed down by tired legs; instead, he was slowed down by his faulty mindset.

The magic that Harry casted in the Norwich game in December promoted Bale's ability to play in a central free role. Certainly he possesses the skills – good ball control, pace to outrun centrebacks as well as a lethal left foot – to play behind the striker and he demonstrated by scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory.

Yet this is not what Spurs need Bale to do constantly. They have already got two fantastic creative midfielders working in the middle of the park. What Spurs value Bale the most – as well as defenders fearing the most of him – is his speed and threatening crosses which provides width to their attack and grants extra space in the middle for Modric and Van der Vaart to blossom.

What we saw in recent weeks, though, was the Welsh winger doing what he is only second best at. This has confused the Spurs defenders as well, as when they got the ball, three players in the centre will show up and ask for the ball, apparently slowing down the tempo. While Assou-Ekotto is already not the quickest full-back in the world, Bale's change in playing style leaves Spurs’ attack, particularly on the left flank, imbalanced and is more or less self-destructive.

Gareth on the left and at his best
It is always preferable for a player to have a plan B just in case plan A doesn’t work (or works less well) under certain situations. Nonetheless Bale, or even his manager will need to realise how to utilise the winger’s abilities to the maximum to compromise with the team’s tactics in the remaining fixtures and help Spurs salvage a top 4 finish. 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Poor Officiating Puts Off True Football Fans

For two weeks in a row, brilliant goals and matches in England are overshadowed by dubious referee decisions. Regretfully, this has not happened just once this season. Are the top teams too protected by the referees? Is this bunch of officials actually capable of officiating matches at the pace of the EPL?

Ashley Young looked like making the Great Britain Olympics team in two consecutive weeks, where Wenger and Tony Fernandez both reacted furiously to the diver. Started off from an offside position, Ashley Young ensured he was on the ground even if only 1 Newton of force was applied to him.

What makes the incident more dramatic is, Derry the victim’s red card appeal was dismissed even Young should be ruled offside in the first place. Clearly FA is only trying to make things worse by covering for officials’ mistakes, if not avoiding to turn their decisions against bigger teams.

The left winger did it all again last weekend. Ciaran Clark was switching his centre of gravity and had his foot planted but Young manufactured the contact by kicking Clark’s foot and convinced referee Mark Halsey that was a penalty.
"He played for a penalty" - Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United dominated the match against Aston Villa and it was only a matter of time that they grabbed the goals and the 3 points. People could also argue that taking away the controversial goal, United would still win both games by 1-0 or 3-0.

But is football just simple arithmetic games?

Aston Villa, coincidently, was victim again in the match vs Liverpool. An injury time incident in the box between Agger and Carruthers should have already resulted in a penalty. Instead, Mr Oliver decided the young and anonymous Samir Carruthers had dived.

Villa didn’t have many complaints about the referee as they had twice escaped from being penalised in the box, when Suarez and Kuyt provoked mistakes from Hutton and Lichaj; but by no means are the officials doing their job well.


Meanwhile, Roberto Martinez had nearly barraged the FA’s office when two offside goals allowed Chelsea to steal three points in an unconvincing match which the Latics were solid defensively. Moses’ header vs United was ruled out when Phil Dowd believed De Gea was obstructed by a soft contact. Nevertheless, Martinez would not be too unhappy with the first points ever off Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, when Figueroa’s obvious handball inside the box could have easily taken 2 away from their bag.

The last thing you would like to see is poor officials ruining a great match.

The much anticipated FA Cup semi-final London Derby would now only be remembered by Atkinson’s whistles.

Drogba and Lampard scored two stunning goals in either halves, but it was the two incidents sandwiched between the wonder strikes that centred the heated debate.

Atkinson granted the advantage of doubt to Chelsea in a goal-line chaos. Mata’s strike could well be a valid goal but Atkinson was never in a position to produce an indubious verdict. The linesman at the far side admitted himself that he had not seen the goal since his sight of the ball was completed shielded by the flock of players in the 6-yard box and the referee had to be aligned with the goal-line to make the decision.

Unfortunately he wasn’t.

The cameraman had a better view, but still not perfect.
Tottenham pulled one back shortly when Parker’s excellent through-pass sent Adebayor clear into a goal-scoring opportunity. The Togo striker fell inside the box after apparent contact with Cech, Mark Halsey gestured play-on and Bale tapped in the loose ball.
Adebayor fell down after contact with Cech

Okay people analysis mode.

Referee played advantage to Spurs, so it was a foul by Cech on Adebayor; it was a last man foul that denied a goal-scoring opportunity. We have seen in the past that officials let the game play on and goals were scored, but officials would still warn or even caution players accordingly after playing on. Then why wasn’t Cech penalised for his foul – which was acknowledged by the referee – and sent off?

After a fortnight of intensive drama, fans of football (not fans of football teams) would be feeling dejected and disappointed on how the game has derailed and lost its fun.

The FA is pushing for goal line technology once again and Arsene Wenger is reminding us of his proposal to ban divers; yet the most important factor is to ensure the quality of the match officials, a view shared by Mr Norman Hubbard.

Friday, April 13, 2012

The Linesman's Manager of the Year

Martin O’Neill took over Sunderland when they were 16th in the table. His first match in charge, the 2-1 comeback victory against Blackburn, was only the club’s 3rd victory of the season despite an ambitious summer which saw nearly 10 players signed for the club. As people started to doubt the new signings, which included peaked players Wes Brown and John O’Shea, unproven talents like James McClean and the once-arrogant loanee Bendtner, O’Neill stuck with most of them.

The key to Sunderland’s revival is simple – passion. O’Neill is always one of the most animated figures on the sideline and his commitment to the game is definitely influential. His commitment certainly pervades in the dressing room and no doubt helps in conveying messages to the players. The never-say-die attitude shown by the team in the win against Blackburn proves the point.
You have to be passionate enough to celebrate like this!

O’Neill’s dream start at the Stadium of Light saw him amassed 11 points in the packed holiday fixtures including a 1-0 win over then-leaders Manchester City. Alone in January, Sunderland netted 9 points, leveling with Manchester City and Manchester United, only trailing Tottenham in the league. They beat Arsenal in FA Cup Fifth round with a convincing 2-0 victory. Now they are in sight of a top half finish sitting at 11th with 5 games to go.

The former Celtic manager has restored discipline, morale and most importantly, confidence to the players, notably Sessegnon whose glimpses of skills gradually turn into a consistent threat for the Wearside. He also gave anonymous James McClean his first start, albeit signed by Bruce, and the Irish winger surely possesses the potential to become one of the best left wingers in the league.

This is what a manager is primarily for --- getting the best out of the players. He did it in Leicester; he did it in Celtic; he did it in Villa. The miracle in Sunderland is of no coincidence.  

Sir Alex Ferguson endures an enormously unprecedented success in his era at Manchester; his managerial skill is of no doubt. On the other hand, Martin O'Neill enjoys various levels of success at various clubs and his tactical knowledge and man management ability might even outscore that of the Scottish legend. It would be impossible to rule out Sir Alex and Roberto Mancini as the front-runners for the Manager of the Year Award, whoever wins the league, as well as Brendan Rodgers of Swansea as an outsider. However, with the way how the Black Cats' season has revived, Martin O'Neill is definitely The Linesman's Manager of the Year. 

Monday, April 9, 2012

Is he capable of bringing a title to City?

It was probably the best lineup and formation he could field with his available players. With star playmaker David Silva ruled out, the creativity burden rested on ex-gunner Nasri and Balotelli with leading scorer Aguero spearheading up front. However several decisions from the City manager were questionable leading to what might be the end of his title pursuit.

1.       Introduction of David Pizarro
Midfield dynamo Yaya Toure’s injury shortly after kick off was undoubtedly a big blow to the visitors, but instead of making a direct substitution with Nigel De Jong, who fell out of his favour this season, Mancini opted for a surprised change which indeed was a clever one. Roma loanee David Pizarro came on and played behind Aguero and Milner took up Toure’s position. The Chilean midfielder could definitely offer more creativity to the team. With Arsenal’s midfielders playing careless passes in the first half, Mancini seemed to think he got away with his decision.

With slightly more than an hour’s playing time in the Premier League under his belt, David Pizarro was definitely lacking match fitness in a league he has yet adapted to. Despite his starring performances in Italy, you wouldn’t think he could immediately reproduce such form away from home in a must-win fixture right, Roberto? Pizarro became next to anonymous in the 2nd half, unable to contribute much with his team under constant pressure from a revived Gunners midfield and Nigel De Jong must not be the only one wondering why he’s still on the bench.  As a manager, you should be more aware of your players’ conditions and fitness before sending them on because of their class.

2.       Entrust the Distrust
At the end of March, Mancini publicly admitted he does not trust Balotelli but will continue to play the Italian talent. Regardless of his performance on the pitch, continuing to use a player that you do not trust is a stern damage to the atmosphere inside the dressing room. To lose your players’ confidence and morale in the closing stage of a title challenge is probably the last thing a manager wants but Mancini did exactly that. Edin Dzeko would be the first to agree.

Tactic-wise, Balotelli started on the left. If Mancini intended Super Mario to help track back the erratic Theo Walcott, he should be disappointed but fortunate as the winger failed to sparkle against his former teammate Clichy.

It was apparent Balotelli did not like to play on the left as he occasionally roamed in the center, failing to even hinder Sagna from coming up. Balotelli was extremely fortunate as he escaped from sent off for a dangerous studs-first challenge on Alex Song – a tackle which Mancini claimed he did not see until the end of the match. However the striker continued to frustrate as the match went on, seeing him kick the post and boot in the grass on several occasions and ultimately got sent off for a second bookable offence minutes after conceding Arteta’s wonder strike.

We all know how equally eccentric Balotelli is as he is talented but instead of hoping a 21-year-old to mature in a few months, or even in 90 minutes, shouldn’t Mancini take the blame for repeatedly gambling on the risk factor?

aligned in pointing, but definitely not aligned in thinking
3.       Settling for a point?
Man Utd won controversially earlier opening an 8-point gap. Let’s do the math, assuming Man City wins every match.

Scenario 1 (Draw Arsenal): 7 points difference in 6 games, winning the Manchester derby will make it 4 points in 5 games. Yet they still need Man Utd to lose one and draw one in order to win on goal difference.

Scenario 2 (Win over Arsenal): 5 points difference in 6 games, winning the derby will make it 2 in 5 games and City could already win on goal difference if Man Utd fail to win one match.

Despite Arsenal being the better side in the first half, there were merely any threats. Yet Mancini stuck with his starting eleven – which did not work – until the 79th minute when Kolarov came on for Nasri, but Wenger’s men were already taking  control of the game.

4.       Substitutions
Midway through the 2nd half, the midfield trio, Pizarro, Milner and Barry were showing tired legs and only Zabaleta and Kompany remained competently defiant. However Mancini could not, or did not, address the issue and chose to send on Kolarov for Nasri, hoping to protect the under-fire left hand side and hoped to steal the 3 points with Kolarov’s set-pieces – which was disappointing to say the least.

Nigel De Jong could have, and should have been sent on instead and earlier if Mancini decided to secure a point and many would have thought if Arteta, who in particular scintillated for the Gunners in the second half, would still have the space to line up his match-winner had De Jong be subbed in.

Mancini’s last substitution at the 84th minute was to bring on the player who he claimed “will never play for Man City again” (you know who) for Aguero. It was bemusing, without considering the player’s fitness level, 1) not to send on Dzeko instead for more height advantage in attack (from Kolarov’s set pieces) and defence and 2) leave the booked Balotelli on the pitch.

Mancini has lost the dressing room and might as well lost his composure to handle the pressure in the title race. He has decided to use a player he openly distrusts and is getting clumsy with his tactics. There will be better odds for Mancini to stay as manager next season than to City winning the league.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Sunderland Did Newcastle A Favor

Sunderland travel back to the Stadium of Light to host the “in good form again” Spurs that thrashed Swansea with a convincing 3-1 win in Wales. Once being two goals up at the Etihad Stadium last week, Martin O’Neill’s men must again present their confidence and concentration to fend off the Londoners looking for their second win in seven games - one that would also bring them back to 3rd place for at least several hours.

Both teams started with the same lineup last week which meant the less defensive Van der Vaart would be up against one of the sparkling wingers in the league James McClean while Adebayor could give non-regular Matthew Kilgallon a tough afternoon. Ex-Gunner Bendtner would be looking for his 5th goal in eight games but another ex-gunner Gallas may just know enough to silence the threat.

It was an interesting first half with Spurs enjoying 75% of possession but gave away 7 corners, a stat that epitomized their carelessness in moving the ball around – given their abundant talents – that allowed Sunderland, Sessegnon and McClean in particular, to counter on multiple occasions, exactly how O’Neil would have wanted.
 Sunderland started the half with a deep front line, allowing Tottenham’s back four massive freedom to bring the ball forward as near as the midfield line but at the same time crowding their creative players with little room to conjure any magic.
A low volley just wide of the post from the unusually sluggish Assou-Ekotto and shots from Modric and Van der Vaart (a right footed one) outside the box summed up the threats on a well-protected Mignolet, in which Spurs, Bale in particular, lacked the pace and space to penetrate an industrious Sunderland frontier in the first 45 minutes.

It was not until the 54th minute that Bale managed to get down the byline, perhaps the first time, on the right hand side after skipping past the excellent understudy left-back Jack Colback but his square pass to Modric was too quick for a first-time shot and the Croatian backheeled to Van der Vaart only to see his right footed shot fly into the stands. But disappointingly Spurs reverted to mediocrity shortly. Sunderland continued to intercept and counter through McClean and Sessegnon but the final ball was always lacking.

The much anticipated Aaron Lennon came off the bench for the cautioned Sandro after the hour mark and was immediately involved with a few runs on the flank only to see his teammates remained crowded in the Sunderland half. Saha then came on for Adebayor who was completely frozen out by Michael Turner and Harry Redknapp gambled his last substitution with Defoe coming on for VDV instead of taking off Gallas who seemed to be struggling with his hamstring.

Martin O’Neil responded by sending on a pair of fresh central midfielders David Vaughan and Richardson to maintain his compact defence and tireless closing down gameplan.

Sunderland’s hard work might have been undone at the last minute of official time had Bale managed to skip past Gardner outside the box.

It was a well-deserved point for Sunderland and Spurs had their back four to thank for clearing out a number of quality set-pieces from Larsson throughout the game. The impatient face of Harry Redknapp demonstrated how much he wanted the three points, but the message was poorly passed onto the field, where Spurs simply lacked the urgency and aggressiveness to attempt to disturb the so organised Sunderland defence whole afternoon. Complacency will be the last thing Harry wants to see from the squad, especially when Newcastle has rejoined the race for a Champions League spot again.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Milan's Effort Undone by Double Penalties

It was the fourth game within two weeks for both sides, but none of the players would be too unhappy about more congested fixtures after this night.

Barcelona would have held an advantage over the aging visitors AC Milan, but Guardiola was not overwhelmed by their home advantage. A 4-4-2 formation was still employed. Fabregas was restored to the lineup while Keita was benched. Youngster Cuenca got a surprising start over Pedro and Alexis Sanchez.

The veterans Nesta and Seedorf returned to offer the Italian side stability after their disappointing draw at Catania during the weekend. Abate's speed was also preferred over Bonera's strength in this contest.  Nevertheless, the superior Italian defence had failed to contain Barca, not even for a quarter of an hour into the match.

Messi and Fabregas had connected for a few times early in the match, and that had shaken Antonini slightly, who made a silly tackle in the box on the Argentine. Messi converted the penalty to give Barcelona a well-deserved early lead.

The even higher defensive line at Nou Camp did not favour the playing style of Ibrahimovic. The Swedish often found himself crowded by white shirts as soon as he got the ball. In a pitch of much better quality, Barcelona had no trouble in mastering ball possession once again.

However, Mexes and Nesta had the quality and experience to withstand the enormous pressure from the Spaniards. Abbiati had often found himself well-shielded from threats. Praise should also be given to the Italian goalkeeper's determination and concentration to stop Alves and Messi doubling the lead.

This gave Milan half a chance to get back into the game. The midfield fuelled by Nocerino and Boateng did not shy away from running at defenders. Their tireless runs were rewarded, when Robinho, whose match fitness had improved since the first leg, sent Nocerino to acres of space with a sweet pass. Milan scored a goal double the value of Messi's.

Barcelona did not spend long to restore the lead, though, through an unfashionable way which most Italians would not agree. Nesta was judged to have got the shirt of Busquets during a corner, even though 9 out of 10 referees in the world would have ignored this type of contact. Busquets got the win stake of the gamble and Abbiati was once again beaten by Messi twelve yards out.
"It's not like that in Italy!"

Milan still had the belief that they could score the second goal, boosted by the 2-2 draw at Nou Camp during Group Stage this season. But playing a fast pressing in Barca's own half left their back more exposed. Iniesta timed a perfect run to collect a Messi's deflected shot. He ignored Abate’s offside claim and soared past Abbiati calmly. Why did Abate choose to complain rather than go for a last-ditch challenge? I do not know.

Iniesta makes it 3-1 from close range

Allegri showed his desperation by sending Pato on for Boateng, switching to a more aggressive formation. The Brazilian made one threatening run before being substituted by Maxi again. Obviously his muscle problem is still bothering him. Was it worth to give him a go under this pressurised situation? Arguable.

Thiago and Adriano missed golden opportunities to give Barcelona a comfortable three goal cushion, but AC Milan never looked like a side that could stage a comeback. Although Pique limped off with 20 minutes to go, and although Ibrahimovic showed how much he wanted to triumph at Nou Camp, the killing touch had just been missing all night.

Great tributes should still be paid to the Italians. Not until the final whistle had they forfeited, although Mexes had situated his passion in the wrong territory in the final minute. Nesta put in a strong performance in which might be his last Champions League quarter final match, notably preventing Messi from scoring in open play in both legs. Ambrosini also starred in both games in the holding midfielder’s position.

While an El Clasico Champions League final match-up is possible, the Catalans awaits their next opponent – be it the back-in-form Chelsea or the Portuguese-Manutd Benfica. After losing 0-1 in Lisbon despite dominating the match, Benfica will look to throw everything at Roberto Di Matteo’s men in Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. 

Monday, April 2, 2012

Valencia Leads United Avengers

Just when Mancini thought he could become a prophet if he didn't choose management, United manager Alex Ferguson somehow managed again to find a way to grind out victories.

For most of the match they didn't gain an upper hand and were even looking more like the side to first concede, but two late goals from the in-form wingers earned Manchester United three important points at Ewood Park.

Blackburn had been on good form lately, grabbing seven massive points before losing out to Bolton away. Well aware of the challenge, especially their historical struggle at Ewood Park, Sir Alex went for a conservative approach to start Phil Jones in midfield alongside Carrick and Scholes. Should Javier Hernandez be able to convert a long pass to goal, Alex Ferguson's plan would seem to be going at the right direction.

But when Hernandez failed to convert once again a low cross from Valencia, which Paul Robinson saved with the help of the post, United didn't look like a side that could inflict Blackburn's third loss in the last 13 home games.

The imbalance squad left Evra to be the only threat from the left, and this was way too demanding for a 30 years old left back who has seldom absent himself from games in the past six years. When Rooney chose to operate at a deeper role and Jones was the only one who would go box to box, though often confused with positioning in the final third; all of United's threats were coming from the right side.

The lack of support from both flanks left Hernandez being crowded in the middle and his poacher nature was left unexposed with limited quality supply.

If not of De Gea's great saves before half time, denying Olsson's powerful volley and Hanley's header, the dreadful result on the last day of 2011 at Old Trafford may well be repeated.
Certainly, De Gea was determined not to let the Blackburn duos ruin his Red Devil's career once again, when he was dropped to the bench after the 2-3 loss on 31st of December.

Mancini would have brought a smiling face into his tea break during interval. He would be even more encouraged by Blackburn's effort in the second half, when Yakubu had started to get into the game. The Nigerian was just a split second slower than Rio to meet Marcus Olsson's cross which would have left De Gea with no opportunity to palm that away. Pedersen hit the net with a spectacular left foot shot, but N'Zonzi's volleyed low cross was ruled out of bounds beforehand.

Rooney struggled to lead the United front to score. On a day when he passed more than shot, he dropped way too deep to overlap with Scholes and Carrick's role. Giggs came in and restored the balance of the attack, but they took out Hernandez and opted for Welbeck, a striker more well-known of his off-ball movement outside the box rather than inside the box. On a night when Rooney wasn't as aggressive as usual, the effort by the wingers was wasted.

Luckily, Valencia did not wait till the last minute to alter the game plan. Seeing his crosses unmet again and again, he blasted the ball towards far post instead and beat Robinson in the 80th minute. The passionate celebration by the Ecuadorian and his 70 years old manager could tell how massive this goal meant to United's title hope.


Valencia flies away to celebrate breaking the deadlock

Ashley Young’s wonderful strike left Robinson hopeless to prevent Blackburn dropping three points at home, but Steve Kean definitely deserved more than the angry moaning by the fans that left the stadium early. They had fought hard enough to be only 10 minutes away from stealing a point from the reigning champions; their comeback performance in 2012 has put them in a much better position in the relegation battle as well. Blackburn fans should be more appreciative and supportive towards their brave manager, particularly in April, a crucial month in EPL.

Meanwhile, Alex Ferguson would be happy that they have more home games left than away games. They certainly look more confident and unbeatable at home. The fluency seems to have vanished when playing away from Old Trafford. Fortunately, the fighting spirit and that winner's belief were still there to carry them forward tonight.

Now Mancini will have to work out where could that extra five points come from in the last seven games and how to deal with the upcoming mind games.