The Soccerer

2008-06-07T11:41:00.002+05:30

Hours to go before Euro 2008

Austria and Switzerland, are you listening? "Should host teams ranked as low as 91 and 44 be made to come to the tournament through the qualifiers route"

Jens Lehmann having a ball - "I have had a few problems with the official balls, I only started working with them a week ago, but they are very different from the ones used for the 2006 World Cup"

Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson find champions league to me more entertaining than Euro

Questions galore, nationalistic sentiments, pundits working overtime, a trial run for club managers and aspiring players alike, Euro 2008 promises to be a cracking 1 month of extravaganza for football fans. Let us run through the favourites and my personal picks (usually the underdogs :)) and also some players to watch out for in each of them...

Italy
The reigning world champions are coming in with lot of confidence as evident by press releases having statements from the tall Bianconeri custodian, Gigi Buffon. Something seems to bind Italians together like Germany when they wear the national jersey, something which is sorely missing with England, who have failed to gel as a team, more so on big occasions, which costed them a place in Euro 2008. Coming back to the Azzurri, the midfield duo of Pirlo and Gattuso remain the key, particularly with Captain Cannavaro pulling out of the tournament due to injury. The international credentials of Bonera and other replacements are questionable. The man who made the headlines on July 1, 2006, Marco Materazzi is expected to be the first choice centre back. Another startling selection in the team is that of Cassano ahead of experienced hitman, Pippo Inzaghi. But we can expect Luca Toni to be consistent up front.
Players to watch out for: Striker Fabio Quagliarella, Midfielders Aquilani and Daniele De Rossi, (#10)

Germany
The traditional European powerhouse and 3rd place finishers in WC '06, Germany no longer have the inspirational Klinsmann at the helm, but the team still remains a galvanized unit under coach, Joachim Low. Captain Michael Ballack, after struggling in his first season in EPL has been in great form for Chelsea this season and can be counted upon to be the engine of this team. Expect the Polish-German duo of Podolski and Klose to rain in goals up front.
Players to watch out for: Left back Lahm, Defensive midfielder Trochowski, Left winger Schweinsteiger

France
Arguably, the talent pool of Europe along with Holland, the team has been struggling for goals up front, with the usual problem of Thierry Henry not able to translate club form onto the international stage plaguing them. With injury scares to Henry and Ribery, and Vieira already out of the tournament, things dont look rosy for them. But the assuring presence of Gallas, Thuram and Makelele make it a tough defense to get through. Personally, I would like to see attacking Evra at left back instead of defensive Abidal. Also, up front, Karim Benzema and Nasri in midfield are exciting prospects. Temperamental, Nicholas Anelka, would serve as an adequate replacement if Henry doesnt get fit. France remains a great example of how as a home team, a squad can move from oblivion to superstardom
Players to watch out for:Benzema, Nasri, Ribery, Toulalan

Netherlands
Another talent pool, U-21 Euro champions, the greatest team to have never won the world cup, Holland would have my support. The last time they won the Euro was 2o years ago. So I don't have much to tell. Hope they deliver and before that qualify from the Group of death
Players to watch out for: Klass Jan Huntelaar,Wes Sneijder, Ibrahim Afellay

Spain
The perennial underachievers, runner up in 1984, nothing much to cheer about. But I couldnt agree with Mourinho and Linekar as Spanish league has been dull this season with mot much exertion for players and EPL know-how for exciting young talent like Torres and Fabregas. Add this with the experience of Casillas, Puyol and Xavi and you have a potential champion in the making. No longer is the case of someone getting selected because he is from Real Madrid, because he is Raul. So hoping for the best from Aragones' men,another personal favourite...

Portugal
They call them the one man army. I would be shocked if he doesnt become World Player 2007. But there is more to this team than Cristiano Ronaldo. Scolari is a master tactician. Quaresma and Simao are under rated wingers who can run riot in the flanks like Ronaldo. Up front they do have problems with old dog Nuno Gomez expected to do bulk of the scoring. But can they better their runner up finish in 2004 Euro? Catch them against Turkey at 21 15 hours IST

Along with these, teams like Czech, Greece, Denmark and Sweden also cannot be discounted. Expecting a tight fight to the finish. Cheerio!!!

2007-12-23T11:24:00.000+05:30

Why are they still being called Boyz?

I was just going through skysports' team of the weekend wherein some Spurs fans have lodged protests against the team Arsenal still being described as full of youngsters while Spurs squad for y'day's derby indeed had lesser average age. 18 year old Jamie O'Hara played amazingly well for his first North London derby putting in meaty challenges to stop the marauding gunners. Juande Ramos is a brilliant coach dedicated to playing attacking football which suits Spurs team as well who try to play rather than stifle play like many mid-table teams in England do. However, I doubt if he or any other coach in England would be willing to take risks/gambles to the extent which Wenger has taken.

Assuming Jamie O'Hara works his socks off in the remaining part of the season. Will Juande get rid of Zokora/Jenas to accommodate his precocious talent? Compare this with the situation involving Cashley Cole, who despite his tantrums and sick attitude was commitment personified on field and was the soul of the English representation. Wenger could have called truce and retained him. Cashley also has age on his side. Still Wenger decides to offload him to one of his fiercest rivals. Compare this with what Fergie did to Gabriel Heinze's proposed move to Liverpool. Wenger was supremely confident on Cashley's understudy Clichy's abilities that he didn't mind him moving across the capital. And the lad, Clichy, has been more than filling in traitor Cashley's boots in the past two seasons, thankfully with minimum injuries. No worries even if he does get injured, as Armand Traore is also evolving spectacularly for Wenger's team.

The basic point is Spurs' pride in fielding a more youthful team is down to lack of options rather than a deliberate ploy to give more opportunity to youngsters.Had Wenger not fielded Fabregas and Clichy against Wolves in 2003, BPL would have had to wait longer to see these youngsters bloom.

Would any manager have the guts to sell a World cup and Euro winner, who was the best of his kind at that time, fading but still effective midfielder in Patrick Vieira to accommodate the tiny Fabregas?

Lord Fergie has brought in exciting talents Anderson and Nani as long term successors to Scholes and Giggs. The high price tage alludes to the fact that these youngsters were certainly more accomplished than the erstwhile reserve team players like Fabregas, Clichy and van Persie. But the angry Scot, for all the plaudits, no longer takes risks these days. Had he tried to 'do a Wenger', he would have offloaded the veterans, who are playing with more hunger and zest than their potential replacements.The Scot's decisions in recent times have been 'result driven' rather than 'passion driven' like it used to be earlier. Otherwise, the man who had produced the 'Class of '92' wouldn't spend 29+7+6=42 million pounds on his backline. For all their exciting counter attacking play up front, again aided by 27+20/17=47/44 million pounds, the key to United's success has to be attributed to their rock solid defensive partnership testifying Fergie's cautious approach.

Liverpool, even worse. Tinkerman Rafa wants two established full internationals for each position. Not even an under-19 captain would do and he still whines about lack of support from board after splashing on Torres, Kuyt, Babel and Benayoun.

Chelsea, less said the better. They got no mind of their own. Encroach into others' transfer targets. Huth was a good home grown lad lost due to their ridiculous transfer tactics.

Spurs, they would buy anything prefixed/suffixed with English.

The final verdict, is these so called youngsters,are still being called so, unfairly, because people still remember these players as the little guys who came into fill boots of very many giants, and deliver eye catching football on a consistent basis. Apart from Barcelona, no other club can boast of such rich array of talent and an avenue for realizing them.

2007-06-24T10:55:00.000+05:30

Goodbye Va Va Voom

The tabloids say it all. It was just a matter of time before the most decorated foreign player in EPL for a good part of last decade decided to seek pastures new. Tributes pouring in from fans spanning several clubs, even arch rivals Spurs and ManU stands testimony to the man who has wow-ed fans in England for the last 8 years. It is a sad moment in the history of the premiership having lost another influential player, a goal machine Ruud van Nistelrooy and midfield engines Roy Keane and Vieira in the last two seasons. If Beckham was glitz and glamour, Roy Keane was the symbol of ManU's playing philosophy. Henry was the glamour as well as soul and spirit of the French revolution at Arsenal and his presence will be sorely missed at the Emirates.Afterall this was one guy people would pay to watch in England.

Rewind to June 2004: After helping Barcelona finish 2nd in La Liga, Barca's tradition and Ronaldinho's lure were too good to resist for the likes of Eto'o, Deco Edmilson and Larsson. These 4 were key people in Barca's surge towards two successive titles. Rewind to June 2006, Henry was probably expecting similar impact signings to boost his chances of winning European title with Arsenal. However, Arsenal's financial status meant the club had to sell to buy and they did that last year by swapping Cashley for Gallas and Baptista for Reyes. Henry's injury problems and tantrums got the better of him and Arsenal limped to 4th.

The question is how much Arsenal will struggle without Henry?Provided they don't lose any more players, not much. If you see the last two seasons with identical finishes in table, in 2005 Arsenal had to thank Henry's 27 goals that helped them to that position and also the European final. Last season, Henry couldn't even manage to get into double figures. He was getting very injury prone from the beginning of 2005 which wasn't the case till 2004 when he almost played all matches in a season. Wenger has got it late albeit right again, but could have gained 34 million pounds more had he sold him last season, but his injury problems weren't expected to be so severe at that time. Opportunities are wide open for the likes of Bendtner and Theo.When Ferfie offloaded RVN, he had the confidence that Saha who was firing on all cylinders would replace him. Wenger doesn't have anyone for replacement and Titi's boots are too big for anybody to fill in. Unlike Fergie's cautious approach in recent years, gambling has always been Wenger's forte. How else could EPL have got the teenage prodigy, finest passers also dubbed the next Nedved, in Fabregas for peanuts?

Will Titi succeed in Spain?Yes, provided he gets enough playing time and crowd support.Spanish audience is very unforgiving and Henry who took 9 games to open his account for Arsenal will not get any favors from Camp Nou faithful if situation is to repeat. It is a risky project for Barca. They were unable to keep Eto'o and Ronaldinho happy. Now there is another inflated ego to contend with. The fact that Rijkaard lost Henk ten Cate last season has apparently led to these dressing room feuds. It will be a tough ride to keep the 4 attackers happy. Trying to accommodate all 4 could be disastrous as they will be liable to be hit on the counter attack and without any world class anchor man, Barca would be blown away.However, I can't help feel, Henry wants to be like a #12 in Les Bleus than #14 in Arsenal. If that is going to help him win Champions League so be it. Will the move help him become World player of the year?Dont know. Probably the charm of Johann Cryuff's #14 jersey would motivate him.

2007-01-22T20:12:00.000+05:30

The Gulf ain't as wide as it seems to be

The final grand slam weekend of the season has drawn to a close. Bookies certainly got it right. And Macca is developing amazing consistency in predicting the scoreline in Arsenal- Manchester United clashes.

Both United and Chelsea suffered contrasting defeats away at the Emirates and Anfield respectively. Chelsea were decimated in defence, flowless in midfield and toothless in attack. Carragher in particular nullified Drogba's threat. Ballack still is in no man's land and I'm finding it difficult to decide the slowest to adapt to EPL, Ballack or Sheva. Liverpool were organized, but Chelsea's makeshift defence was hassled by the industrious Kuyt and at-times-annoying-at-times-brilliant Crouch. And one thing I can't stand is Jose whining about squad size and complaining that he cannot play with school kids.It just simply infuriates me. But for someone who got Maniche as back-up for half a season, this should have not been the most shocking words we would hear. I believe Jose doesn't know a s*** about academies and home grown talent. And Shameless Kenyon says they would become the biggest club by 2014. Worse for Jose, Roman also feels Chelsea should nurture academy players. I read a lot in recent times about their young attacking Israeli, Ben Sahar. He ain't getting a chance. And Wenger himself admits Lassana Diarra would have been a player he would have liked to have. He is not in the scheme of things. All Chelsea did was present their best buy for $12 million, stolen from Manchester United, the next Djemba-Djemba, Obi Mikel. Swapping Gallas for that thug would be the worst mistake Kenyon did all his life.And I pray B****** Cashley spend his Chelsea career like Beckham did at Real Madrid, no silverware.

Moving on to real footballing teams, all those who expected a goal feast including me were disappointed as it was a scrappy affair predominantly for as many as 60 minutes. United were quick to move off the blocks and started confidently. Fergie also got his tactics right by playing a fluid formation allowing United to have 5 across midfield at times. This stifled Arsenal at times and Carrick very much did "the Invisible Wall" Gilberto does for Arsenal so many times. He was quietly demonstrating his distribution skills. Though great things were expected of the hottest player in EPL currently, except for the pass to Evra, Cristiano Ronaldo was a damp squib. And whoever says he doesn't dive need not rewind their memories to more than 24 hours. Earlier in the season, a similar dive in Riverside set United up for victory with a penalty and good Samaritan Fergie backed his protege. Atleast two seasons back, the young lad was puny and there was some logic behind him getting muscled out. But he has developed good physique (anyone read that article in the Sun on the biggest book on ManU where Ronaldo is shown strutting his stuff) it is an ultimate shame.

Coming back to the game, a cagey first 40 minutes saw both sides enjoying equal possession before Rooney's long ranger and Larsson's subsequent header from the corner in the final few minutes of first half caused some flutters in the Arsenal camp. The second half started brightly for Arsenal with Cesc firing straight at Edwin from 25 yards. As they have done umpteen number of times, United caught Arsenal on the counter attack with Eboue and Cesc losing their mand Evra who delivered a crisp cross for Rooney to convert expertly with his first headed goal. But for one, I didn't expect United to sit back on the lead which cost them probably a point. When everybody was thinking from where gunners would get a goal, what with midfield being clogged with Blue shirts, Cesc atoned, with his perseverance paying off and Rosicky's perfect cross expertly screwed up by Henry evaded Neville and was into the top corner of the net from Van Persie's left foot. With six minutes to go, you could see clearly that the home side had the hunger to win. Their perseverance paid off again in the dying moments, when Henry scored one of the most memorable goals of his career, has to be the best headed goal of his career. Vidic, who had an excellent match till that point and Eboue who had a very average match till then saw a contrasting change in their fortunes.

Any thoughts that United were lucky to not get a point would lose some cognizance, when Neville escaped in the first half in what looked to be a standard penalty decision. Definitely if Rooney rapping his own knees and coming down like a house on fire in September 2004 was a penalty, this was definitely a penalty.

And how many times have we seen United nick it in the last few minutes or get lucky?Liverpool beaten by Ferdinand header in OT last season in stoppage time. Most recently, how United avoided an FA cup replay against Villa when Kiraly's clanger enabled a stoppage time win. Or the most famous Champions League win in 1999. Fergie must now realize how Bayern felt as quoted by Sun. You don't always get it your way Fergie. It's a cycle and would definitely come back to haunt you. Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted.

2006-12-12T18:48:00.000+05:30

The best league in the World

It was a ripper of a match, not withstanding Cashley being booed and Drogba getting back to doing the man 'on the diving trapeze'.Chelsea had to thank a tireless Essien who was hero as well as villain in missing one late chance. The picture would show Chelsea had tons of chances till the last minute. However, the difference in the two sides lies in the very approach. Attacking teams try to work around the opposition on the field and overpower them through sheer skill.Take for instance, there is a confusing maze to pass through. Arsenal would go through the route using their ingenuity and skill and make it through the maze. Chelsea would use a battering ram to break through the walls of the maze and come out. Arsenal call it pretty foorball, Chelsea justify theirs as effective.Imagine, You have money to feed the entire African continent. You can get any player you want. You are the most sought after club in the country(for more pounds per week you offer obviously).Would you still prefer to play like Bolton who have to do with all superannuated veterans due to their weaker financial clout? Mr. Kenyon will have to answer this question first before opening his big mouth about transforming a club with 'no history' to 'the biggest club in the world' by 2014.

Now coming to the main topic, one weekend is enough for all critics and the ever fickle media to forget the misgivings(literally) of this season. For all the hype surrounding it, EPL has been the most frugal league this season having conceded the fewest goals. With more cynical defenders (Boulahrouz, Sonko, Meite, etc.)and more attacking players leaving(Ruud, Reyes, Pires, etc), Catennachio doesn't seem no longer applying only to Italy. No surprises for guessing who is the harbinger for this trend. Again, TrueBlue is the answer. If the league leaders themselves are happy to sit back after a goal advantage, you can't expect the pack to play any entertaining football for they'll be made to look like jackasses as Chelsea keep winning playing ugly. It was the problem with Italy. With 'dark arts' expert, Juventus not dictating terms, Serie-A has shed its bad boy image, atleast on field. Roma are going great guns and poor losers Inter are on a purple patch as well. Arguably, La Liga leads the pack when it comes to attacking football with atleast one major goal rout guaranteed every week. Heartening to see Sevilla doing well. They seriously have the look of the champions. More of matches like the London Derby last night is needed if EPL is to live up to its name as the most entertaining football league in the world.

2006-12-01T19:54:00.000+05:30

In a world of Sanity

Well, there's not much to brag about atleast from the Emirates and Anfield who are doing their worst in trying to join the bandwagon of 'also-rans'.

However, I feel my imagination deserves a pat on the back(!). I can envisage some events which can change the landscape of English Football. Following are the headlines that flash across my mind frequently.

1) Following Titus Bramble's rock solid performances at the back helping Newcastle avoid relegation on the last day of the premiership and in guiding the Geordies to Quarter-finals in UEFA cup, he has been awarded the coveted Ballon D'Or in a grand function to be held at the Stadium of Light, just a few miles across the St.James Park. Titus joins the likes of legendary defenders like Mathias Sammer and Franz Beckenbauer and our very own Michael Owen(People still can't digest how Michael won the award 4 years back. All the legendary figures, kindly forgive me)

2) For his consistency in front of goal (in scoring or missing is an entirely different issue altogether), Aston Villa's prolific hitman Juan Pablo Angel is being awarded the Players' Writers Association award of the year.

3) The situation is like this: A new award is being constituted to be given at the end of the season for the Most Fair play Team award which commits minimum of fouls and shoulder barges.The headlines goes as follows:

Under the astute helmsmanship of Kevin Nolan and Sam Allardyce, Bolton Wanderers creates history by picking up the inaugural Fair play award for this season.

4) It's that time of the year when all the hardwork and perseverance of players will pay off. From a tough shortlist that included Patrick Vieira and Mark van Bommel, Didier Drogba manages to come out trumps and claims the prestigious World Player of the Year. Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho had this to say: "He should have won this long time back. Though it has come late, it's a just reward for his all round displays" (All round includes pulling shirts, diving, using all parts of the body including hands to nick a goal and surreptitiously evading yellow cards).According to inside sources, the apparent reason why PV and Bommel missed out inspite of them being the masters in the fields of card collection and diving respectively is that they lacked all round qualities like Drogba did.

The harbinger for these rude shocks has to be the continuing stupidity in picking winners. Right from 2003 when Zidane was picked for virtually no great feat performed that year, things have taken turn for the worse. In 2004, Ronaldinho was awarded because his influence helped a struggling Barcelona to second place, likewise if a previously relegation threatened Portsmouth manage to get a UEFA cup spot at the end of this season, they should give World Player award to Kanu who incidentally is joint top scorer in EPL till now. Plain logic. Barcelona from midtable to second, Portsmouth from the fangs of relegation last season to UEFA cup spot. By that logic someone from Blackburn Rovers must've got it now. Shouldn't they? There should not be any favour towards specific players in specific clubs in specific leagues.

Cannavaro and Zidane who had very average and poor seasons respectively with their clubs are chosen for World Player just on the basis of their World Cup Heroics. Ronaldinho, on the contrary is there inspite of the most insipid performance in the World Cup. Henry, who had an above average performance individually has not even been considered. Deco who had a good World Cup showing to back his two medals with Barcelona isn't there. There has never been any talk of the dirty work being done before Cannavaro decelerating the opponents. If Lippi was the brain, Gattuso was the soul of the Italian fightback. Cannavaro can be termed brilliant for his individual performance (without Gattuso and Pirlo, imagine!) and his marshalling of his troops. Nothing more.

Time and again, this awards process has been proven to be a farce. This only reinforces my belief.

2006-09-28T19:53:00.000+05:30

Familiar Stories

I've been away for some time. Wasn't there to pour my thoughts on Arsenal's remarkable victory at OT or their successful passing of the physical test at Hamburg which preceded the United game. I also missed out on Dirk Kuyt(Strangely enough, spelled as "Khout") getting off the blocks with two clinical finishes thereby getting Liverpool's season back on track. But atleast I'm back now albeit at a time when it becomes business as usual in the premiership.

To start off, Arsenal against United. Has been a complete contrast. United are used to letting gunners hog around and tire them out before scoring a goal against the run of play. However, they were to get a taste of their own medicine. The pressure to be at the top must've got to Fergie, like it did to Wenger two seasons back when 50 not out beckoned. Arsenal have suffered at the hands of teams which funnel them down by packing the centre. United went on the atatck too much for my expectation. Inspite of some amplification, justice was done as Kuzczak saved a stumbling Gilberto delivery. I was unhappy with Ronaldo, who was sporadic throughout and was the culprit for giving the ball inside his own half. This quality will make him a good material for Real Madrid. Arsenal's penetration were to pay off eventually as they came away with a deserved and satisfying victory to end United's hegemony in the United-gunner clashes.

However Gunners resurgence was to only return familiarity to premiership with Drogba's outrageous thump robbing Liverpool of atleast a point. Needless to say, Chelsea started motoring along and are sitting pretty at the top of the summit.

Champions' League action saw Arsenal maintain remarkable composure to put two past stubborn Porto. Surprise Surprise, Henry scores with his head for the second game running. United's scrappy performance against Celtic was mirrored in Lisbon with Ronaldo and Saha saving them the blushes to give them their first European away victory in 3 years. How terrible can it be for the most successful manager premiership has seen!!! Champions Barcelona also scrapped through thanks to Messi's 89th minute finish. Real used whipping boys Dynamo Kiev to restore some lost confidence. Reyes' stock is rising in Madrid. Baptista, better pull up your socks!!!
Poor losers Inter made it three in two matches, not goals, but red cards. Little Juve fares in same proportion also when it comes to performance. Valencia climbed to the top of the group after beating Roma 2-1 at home.

Imagine, Valencia has not lost to Barcelona at Camp Nou for six years running.Miraculous, indeed. They were good value for their 1-1 draw last sunday at Camp Nou. Iniesta saved the La Liga champions the blushes. Now with Eto'o KO-ed till end of year, they have a major problem.Coming back to Valencia, they look quite serious contenders for Europe as well as La Liga. Morientes and Villa look a lethal combination. Vicente and Joaquin make a intimidating line-up.

Milan made heavy weather of a light weight group match against Lille, drawing 1-1. I'd love to see young Gourcuff in action. Liverpool were rickety throughout and were on course to do an Istanbul again. They held on and managed a 3-2 win over Galatasaray.

Wenger's 10th year celebration have started well. But the chasing pack need to keep pace and also hope some dark horse knocks the stuffing out of Chelsea.

2006-09-13T20:04:00.000+05:30

Stuttering giants

When EPL got underway this season, inspite of Chelski's big spending, there was one team which I expected to start with all guns blazing. But their occasional callous approach has only managed to bring back pictures of how poorly Rafa's Liverpool had started their last two seasons. Losing by the worst scoreline since 1964 to arch-rivals Everton sums up the woeful start to Liverpool's season. For all Kop fans waiting for the glory days of '80s to return, this is the worst teaser they could have got. Rafa got a couple of selections wrong by throwing Sissoko and Carragher straight into the cauldron called Goodison Park. Robbie Fowler's good record against his boyhood club counted for nothing as Liverpool were unable to capitalize on good possession. If someone were surprised on how Sami Hyypia was able to withstand for so long in the premiership, evidences of his ageing could be seen when Andy Johnson overran him only to be denied by a last ditch effort. Somehow one has to feel for the impressive Daniel Agger. What a ripper against West Ham!!! If ridding Moro and Cisse were solutions to Liverpool's striking problems, the answer is a loud 'No'. I wonder why Peter Crouch always creates selection problems for both England and Liverpool. He scores somehow or other, but certainly does his bit in causing selection headaches for even a manager as astute as Rafa. If my words are not to be believed, Kuyt- Bellamy combination seems to have worked out far better against PSV last night. I certainly feel, Kuyt must be given enough chances to show his mettle.
The goalless draw, fortunately did not have a damaging effect as the other group match also meandered towards a stalemate BTW, Moro nets a hat-trick to kickstart Valencia's return to big time. Certainly, all his tricks had gone on a vacation when he was in England. Wonder if Reyes will also find back his goal scoring boots in Spain!!!

Another sad story happens to be coming out of the brand new 'Emirates' stadium. Arsenal seem to have atleast 10-12 shots at goal, but somehow manage to miss the net. Henry has been the main culprit. But we all know how clinical he could get when fully fit. The young boys have been poor in giving the killer ball. The final third needs to be worked on. This is where you can see ManU work wonders. I'm sure they'll tear Arsenal defense apart coming September 17. However, if Wenger puts his thinking cap on, he would come to know that Djourou is still not EPL Centre back material. Whatever astute deals he did on the fading minutes of transfer deadline are being put to waste by playing Gallas at Left back, the position where he deliberately performed averagely against Boro to avoid being typecast. Likewise, Fabregas seems to be wasted as Arsenal have never really got their passing going through the midfield. And a concept of 'wing' has vanished from their lexicon. Hleb and Rosicky look like mirror images who cut in without stretching the defenders till the edge of the square. And Baptista certainly looked to be in no man's land. His position is in the midfield alongside Gilberto. He has a good work rate and can make runs from deep.

Walcott still hasn't earned Wenger's trust. How else can you explain him not being even on the bench against Boro?And teams like Boro and Villa basically come to escape a hounding they've frequently suffered at Highbury. An impatient Arsenal only manage to get themsleves behind, courtesy either stupid goalkeeping or amateurish defending.
Hamburg will be no pushovers!!!And United, sounds scary.

2006-09-01T18:53:00.000+05:30

A frantic end to a soporific transfer window

The title says it all. For someone who was waiting to see more action offfield by managers than by players on the World cup turf, it was a major disappointment. The hype generated by tabloids only increased the disappointment. Except for Chelsea's mint and the coffers of Messrs.,Catennachio company by Capello and Calderon, we could hardly see clubs in action.

However, an anti-climax was awaiting in the form of some relief and shocks on the dying minutes.

What were Tevez and Mascherano thinking? The question should be rather what were MSI and Joorabchain thinking? If someone wanted to know who are Chelsea's and Roman's equivalents in South America, "the answer is out there. Follow the Rabbit." In fact, people may feel compelled to concur with so many tabloid reporters saying how Russia has the remote control over Corinthians' operations. Chelsea are in no position to accommodate two rising stars, what with Mourinho already grappling to appease his English equivalent of 'Galacticos' by trying some weird combinations. Surely, 'Chelski' wouldn't have wanted any European giant to lay their hands on these Argentines. So Russian Roubles must've prevented them from moving into more ambitious clubs to nullify the competition, which has been non-existent for the past two seasons in England.

Another testimony to Mourinho's policy of "Do any crap to avoid enemy strengthening himself" was the fact that he was furious at Kenyon for allowing Gallas to go on the swap.Neither does he allow him to move, nor does he allow him to play. A seasoned campaigner like Gallas doesn't deserve such treatment. And I feel Mourinho has no rights to slam Domenech for treating Makelele like a slave. Because he's been doing exactly the same with Gallas. However, I must admit that Wenger has been trumped for once by Kenyon's shrewd mind. 5 million + Gallas for one of the bets English talents!!!

And another protracted transfer saga involving "loyalty-personified, lion-hearted" Reyes and Baptista came to an end. Reyes has chickened out to his homeland. Ever since the day he was kicked by Phil Neville, he must have been planning for this. Thank God, two disloyal gunners are gone. Wenger also seems to be tied down by lack of funds contrary to what Dein says. They had to sell to buy.

With such major changes, Arsenal should get strong defensively. Toure and Gallas!!!Mourinho must have been right.People like Hoyte only vindicate Wenger's anti-English policy. It wasn't his natural position. But when Flamini could, why can't he? Anywayz, hoping to see Liverpool and Arsenal pull up their socks, United to keep going strong and Chelsea to play like champions rather than be at the mercy of pathetic defending like that of Ooijer.

2006-05-24T18:27:00.000+05:30

Transfer Window - The Bundesliga Exodus

The season has ended. But the transfer window has just opened. The off-field action can get as nail-biting as the FA cup final between Liverpool and West Ham. With managers wary of an astronomical price increase in case of their target doing well in the World Cup, and also due to the fact that many players preferred to sort their futures out before going to Germany, there've been some heavy movements across the transfer window.

Can Chelsea remain quiet in the transfer window? They've added Michael Ballack, a matchwinner in his ownright to their embarassment of riches. The weird thing is Chelsea have nabbed a player on a bosman, rather than paying up 2 or 3 times the player's actual worth. Mourinho seems to have had enough with Crespo's whinging and is ready to offer him to Milan along with the under-estimated William Gallas in return for Andriy Shevchenko. The situation in Milan seems to be the same like it was in Highbury a few weeks ago when Henry was pondering "To be or not to be".

Buoyed by his captain's decision to stay, Wenger has promised to sign two top-class signings in the summer. He has got one in the form of the Czech playmaker, Tomas Rosicky who has moved from Borussia Dortmund.Aleksander Hleb seems to have led the way. The German exodus seemed to have gained momentum with many players moving across. Rosicky is a pacy, attack-minded midfielder who can play in the hole, central midfield or the wings. Rosicky's arrival seems to end the Arsenal career of Robert Pires, who has contributed immensely to the club's success.Personally, I'd like Pires to stay and pass on his experience to newcomers and youngsters. With age catching up, it'd be better advised if he plays selected matches. Arsenal've also been linked with former Liverpool hero Michael Owen, not for the first time though.

Fergie has got into self-destructive mood once again. It seems, supporting the past outlaws like Stam, Beckham and Keane is a reason enough to chuck a player out of Old Trafford. But the club will find it extremely hard to replace. Moreover, with Chelsea scouring the market for forwards, Fergie will always end up second best. Speaking of strikers and Chelsea, there seems to be some talk of United exchanging van Nistelrooy for Chelsea's Gudjohnsen and some cash. But Gudjohnsen seems to have his eyes on Barcelona who are looking for a replacement for Larsson.

Newcastle seem to call all leading strikers in the market as replacement for Alan Shearer. They're said to be monitoring the two young strikers, Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres. But they face competition from Liverpool and Arsenal respectively.

Tottenham, after missing out agonizingly on Champions League can be very happy after signing Dimitar Berbatov for 10.7 million from Leverkusen. Its again a case of another Bundesliga player moving out.Berbatov is a complete forward. In my opinion, he deserves to play for a club which can consistently provide Champions League. Spurs also seem to be ready to lock horns with bitter rivals, Arsenal and Manchester United in the race to sign midfielder, Didier Zokora. Spurs are also trying to sign Pascal Chimbonda and Curtis Davies from Wigan and West Brom respectively.

Moving momentarily way from England, Juve's state of turmoil following the match-fixing allegations can lead to players leaving the Old Lady. Players like Trezeguet, Vieira, Thuram and Ibrahimovic are all eyed by several clubs across Europe like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal.

We need to wait till the World cup finishes to witness some more major transfers. It's promising to be a great two months on and off the field for soccer fans.

2006-05-06T20:59:00.000+05:30

The Eternal Underdogs

They have figured consistently in the World Cup finals. But they've been consistently knocked out in the quarter-finals many times and they are increasing finding it to difficult to get rid of the "Quarter-chokers" tag. They have two of the greatest clubs in Europe and in the world in Barcelona and Real Madrid. But their popularity, legacy and success in club football doesn't seem to be play any part in correcting the problems in the national team.

Spain's coach, Luis Aragones has announced his provisional squad of 27 members. There are no major changes but still one look at the list will not make a happy reading for everyone. An inconsistent Guti, also Real Madrid's stand-in-captain has been given the axe along with Espanyol's Ivan de la Pena. Valencia star Vicente is in the injury list which already has Valeron and hence does not figure in the line-up. But one startling selection has been that of Asier del Horno at the expense of Getafe's impressive Mariano Pernia, who is eligible to play for Spain in the world cup. Had he been selected, Pernia would have been the second naturalized Spaniard after Marcos Senna to have represented Spain in the past six months.Del Horno has failed to deliver the goods for Chelsea at left back. If Guti was omitted on the grounds of inconsistency, so should have been Del Horno.Also maybe due to Bilbao's pathetic performance or injury, I cannot figure out why Joseba Etxeberria, who played well in Euro '04 has not been selected. But Spain is blessed with good talent in the wings. Betis' right winger Joaquin is a star in his own right.

Aragones has gone in for his experienced stars, inspite of the fact that some of them are coming out of career threatening injuries. Xavi and captain Raul are in the team. Fernando Morientes, whose Liverpool career has not gone off to a flyer, also retains his place. Apart from the above duo, Carles Puyol, Barcelona captain and Real Madrid's saviour Casillas will be crucial to Spain's chances.

Aragones has also picked David Villa and Fernando Torres, both youngsters have been in goal scoring form, with Villa in particular who looks set to ensure Eto'o does not get the eluding 'Pichichi'this year also. Similarly, midfield also has a blend of youth and experience with Xabi Alonso giving company to Xavi in the midfield along with Iniesta and Cesc. Alonso has been in terrific form for Liverpool. If he can reproduce such displays, Spain can go a long way.

With Shevchenko inspired Ukraine, ex-African Champions Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, their group is definitely not looking tough when you compare what lies in store for Holland, Italy, Argentina and Czech Republic. As an admirer of Spanish style of football, I would seriously love to see them go the distance. Getting past the quarters is the key. Hope Raul does something good for his country atleast.

2006-05-01T11:03:00.000+05:30

A Final to savour for the purists and the continuing Metatarsal jinx

When the Champions League semifinal second leg kicked off in spain last week, all the teams knew that they had a chance to progress. After all, the first leg was a very close call with one goal separating the teams.

Arsenal survived a severe onslaught by Villareal to hang on to their 1 goal lead. The match was a one-sided affair throughout. Villareal were guilty of not converting the chances to a goal. They could have easily grabbed 2 goals. Franco, unfortunately had most of the opportunities none of which he could take. Forlan got a sitter, which he could not slot into an empty net.

When the match was meandering towards a draw, the ref reminded he was very much there on the pitch by awarding an outrageous penalty on the 89th minute, which seemed to amuse the diver, Jose Mari. Some kind of justice was done for their turned down penalty appeal at Highbury. But another kind of justice was done when the Argentine midfield general, Riquelme came up with a mediocre penalty which was well saved by Lehmann. Arsenal held on to progress to their first Champions League final. Another interesting event in this match was that involving a Barca fan, who was trying to decorate Henry with a Barca jersey. The professional he is, Henry hardly let the incident affect him.

Milan came to Camp Nou with an almost impossible mission. They could have wiped off the arrear in the very first minute had Kaka's shot been on target. Barca attacked and defended well. Had Eto'o been a bit more unselfish, they could have scored a goal. Dida did well between the sticks for Milan.

The boisterous home crowd was stunned into silence when Shevchenko headed the ball past Valdes in the second half. But the ref did not let it count for Shevchenko seemed to be fouling Puyol. Replays showed that the decision was very much debatable. Whatever said, Barca played the best football over two legs and deserved to go to Paris.

So an Anglo-Spanish final awaits us on May 17th in Paris. This week, another Anglo-Spanish final in the form of UEFA cup is going to take place at the Philipps Stadion between Boro and Seville. Boro's march has been nothing short of a revelation. They have done the Houdini act, twice in both Quarters and Semis, to come this far. Their unlikely hero on both the occassions has been Massimo Maccarone.

The EPL also witnessed some significant moments this weekend. Chelsea won their successive title drubbing nearest rivals Manchester United 3-0. Alan Curbishley, the second longest serving manager among the current crop, decided to call time on his Charlton career. Harry does the "Houdini" as Portsmouth stay in the premiership for another season. Gerrard banged in two as Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 3-1. Spurs weathered a Bolton storm for much of the match and by the sheer brilliance of Carrick and Lennon scored a solitary goal which gave them 3 points and puts them in the driver's seat for the last Champions League berth.

The most significant moment though, has to be the fact that we were all getting to see Michael Owen play after a long time. The striker was coming out of a long lay-off caused due to a broken metatarsal. While Owen was not exactly match fit and was on a comeback, his mercurial striker partner Rooney suffered an injury, serious enough to put his World Cup hopes in jeopardy. And agonizingly,Rooney has a broken metatarsal. During last World cup, Beckham had suffered a similar injury, just weeks before the finals. Rooney himself was a victim at Euro 2004. This season, Owen, Ashley Cole and now Rooney have all fallen to this injury. The worst thing is this has happened just days before Sven announces the squad and has happened to main players. Rooney's individual brilliance cannot be emulated by anyone else in the country. I just hope, England get past the group stage without him and then unleash a fit Rooney on the opposition in the knockout stages. At present though, the situation looks grim for the "Three Lions".

2006-04-10T09:27:00.000+05:30

A rugged road to Paris via Spain

The Champions League semifinals kicked off on Tuesday and Wednesday. London and Milan were the venues for the two cracking matches.

San Siro was the witness to the glamour tie between Milan and Barcelona. Barcelona travelled to Milan without Larsson, Messi and the suspended Deco. Giuly, who hardly gets a start nowadays was the obvious replacement in the right side. He scored a very important goal when he guided a perfectly weighed lob from the Brazilian Wizard, Ronaldinho into the back of the net.

The match started with Milan creating more chances and Barca enjoying good possession. Milan's failures in not converting the scoring opportunities were going to cost them dearly. Ronaldinho was already keeping Gattuso at bay. The impending goal arrived in the second half. Milan again did not make use of the limited opportunities it got in the second half and Barca were deserved winners as the scoreline read 1-0 in favour of the Catalans.

The other semifinal between Arsenal and Villareal unfolded on the expected lines. The last European night at Highbury ended with kolo Toure's goal separating the two teams. Villareal must've come to London with a modus operandi of parking the bus in front of goal and hoping for a gift in the form of an away goal.They should have got one, but a legitimate penalty appeal was turned down. In a tense night at Highbury, the referee was also feeling the heat.A disallowed goal, poor decisions with regard to offside calls and fouls ensured a dramatic day. But one thing which made me feel totally disgusted was Villareal's play-acting. This particular incident deserves mention. Alessio Tacchinardi, Villareal's most experienced Champions League player, fell to the ground after conceding the ball, waited to see if a counter-attack was happening, and when he found it was, again fell to the ground in order to break the play. Unfortunately, he still has a long way to go in his attempts to emulate Rivaldo's antics in WC '02. He was not alone in these cheap tricks. For even the slightest scratch on their bodies, Villareal made a hue and cry about it, again in an attempt to disrupt play. The frustration was showing in Henry's and Ljungberg's faces. 5 minutes stoppage time was another testimony.

Villareal, I believe, played 7-1-2, rather than 4-4-2. The threat of Riquelme was quelled successfully by Gilberto. Further, the ploy to clog the middle of the pitch with its midfielders to close down Arsenal acted counter to Villareal in the sense that Riquelme could not get more space to move around freely. A narrow Highbury turf hardly helped matters either.

Barcelona already have one foot in the finals. Milan will have to show a lot of character if they're going to make a match of it at the intimidating Camp Nou. They must be seriously hurt by the loss. They've won 13 of their previous 14 European matches at San Siro.

Arsenal will have to endure another restless night at El Madrigal. Their defence was slightly jittery yesterday. With a boisterous crowd backing, Villareal are more than capable of overturning the goal deficit. But they have not banged in a barrage of goals in the entire season. They don't have the vital away goal. Arsenal, traditionally have done well in Spain. They've even won a match at Camp Nou, I think. Here are my predictions.I feel there is a 40% probability of Arsenal winning at Villareal, 40% chance of penalty shootout, 10% chance of a goalless draw, 10% chance of a Villareal win. Though not as comfortable as Barcelona are, Arsenal are surely in the driver's seat.

2006-04-08T21:13:00.000+05:30

The Awesome Foursome

Spanish La Liga's representatives in UEFA Champions League 2003 - 04 was Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad. Both teams had an amazing run with Sociedad in particular, which gave Real Madrid a reak scare till the last match in the run up to the title.

Again this year's La Liga features Villareal, debutants in Champions league, who are making a mockery of the European giants to progress till the semifinals. Villareal also made it till the semifinals of the UEFA cup in 2004. Osasuna are doing well this season.

Italy's Serie - A has been represented in Europe by teams like Roma, Lazio, Udinese in the past three seasons. Luca Toni's Fiorentina are showing resurgence as they are in the driver's seat for the fourth spot.

Unlike the above leagues, EPL since the dawn of the millenium has been very predictable as far as the top four is concerned. Occasionally teams like Everton and Newcastle have sneaked in. But they get knocked out by unknown entities in the qualifying round unlike the Spanish and Italian teams. English teams also don't excel in UEFA cup as much as the other league teams. Boro seem to break the jinx, this season. But they've two more hurdles to cross.

Now coming to the main point about EPL, the divide between the big four, viz, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea and the other challengers like Bolton, Boro, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Spurs, etc. is huge.

Let me illustrate this by taking Bolton first. They don't have a large squad. Their squad has a lot of players who are well past 30. They seemed to do well for most of the season till last month when they started showing signs of fatigue. Apparently, UEFA cup and FA cup seemed to have drained them completely. Their style of play being one-dimensional hardly helps matters either.

Another case is that of Spurs. In January, they only took 6 points out of all the matches played. The chasing pack took lesser than 6 was what kept them afloat. Without King, they struggle to even save a match. When King is injured or Dawson gets suspended like in the last weekend match against Newcastle, their Tier-2 players don't seem to be even half as good as the players they had replaced. NewCastle came into the match minus parker with a couple of losses. Had Spurs had good backup players, they could have solidified their position at number 4.

Wigan were hardly able to keep pace once they started to tire. From second to far away from UEFA cup in 5 months is a testimony to this.

Blackburn were pathetic in the Champions League the year following their EPL title.

Everton could not even muster anything in UEFA cup leave alone Champions League qualifying.

Now take one of the big four. Manchester United. Their midfield was decimated following Keane's abrupt exit and Paul Scholes' eye trouble. Fergie did not find any proper midfielder in the winter transfer window. Still people like O'Shea and Smith have more than ably filled the vacancies.

Likewise, Liverpool hardly had strikers to choose from during last season. But still, they went on to win the Champions League.

Arsenal's defence was 75% knocked out following Campbell's depression, Lauren's and Cole's injury. Even backup players like Clichy, Cygan, van Persie were sidelined. But still they've conceded only two goals in the past 7 matches.

Can any of the pretenders boast of such depth and quality?That's why English Premier league differs from other leagues. The Predictable top four.

At a time when Europe witnesses the rise of English teams like Liverpool, Chelsea and recently Arsenal, there's a need to ensure these teams play every year to consolidate Britain's position among Europe's elite.

2006-04-06T18:35:00.000+05:30

The Victor and the Vanquished

The past two days have provided a lot of action on the Champions League front. Most of the teams which had a good goal cushion and home advantage progressed through.

It was mission accomplished for Gunners at Turin. A 0-0 scoreline may not have been the case had it not been for the profligacy of the Gunners in front of goal. Capello rightly gave credit to Wenger's young guns. Though Arsenal were not at their lethal best in attack, their defence was mostly water-tight. Toure and Lehmann kept out the rare threats that threatened to rob Arsenal from claiming the world record for maximum consecutive clean sheets.

I feel very strange and weird like Wenger when I type this message. "Water-tight Arsenal" was an oxymoron not so long ago. Henry does not seem to be appeased. Nor does he want to sit back and relax. He sees this as the best opportunity to claim the one eluding him for so long. But Arsenal will have to contend with this opponent from a little Spanish town who have added another team to their giant-killing list.

Villareal's hopes were in balance after losing to Inter. But an away goal offered a great chance against the perennial under-achievers, Inter. Home crowd's backing, Riquelme's inspired second half display ensured Mancini's boys had a miserable day at office.

The Nerazurri capitulated when all they needed was a draw. Pellegrini has rallied his troups brilliantly. The Yellow Submarines are known to defend well. They barely conceded a goal in their group stages. They did a "Catennachio" and Inter surrendered.

The red side of Milan had to endure a nervous 88 minutes before crisis man Inzaghi guided them home. Carlo Ancelotti's men reached their 3rd semi-finals in four seasons.

Lyon had done well and were minutes away from their maiden UCL semi-final with a vital away goal before Pippo struck for the second time. Shevchenko added insult to injury by scoring a third as Lyon bowed out 1-3.

Barcelona knocked Benfica out to set up an enticing semi-final with mighty Milan.

The referee this time was not Steve Bennett. He spotted the hand ball by Petit inside the box and awarded a penalty which was well saved by Moretto. But Ronaldinho made amends by opening the scoring subsequently. Another goal was added in the dying minutes as Barca went through to the semis.

All that makes up for two exciting and tricky semi-final encounters. Arsenal and Villareal have treaded similar paths and their playing styles also bear some similarity. The other encounter will be between flair and efficiency. Milan have shown a lot of resilience in overcoming Lyon. Barca are the overwhelming favourites.
I can hardly wait for April 18. Arsenal have a crucial North London derby against Tottenham sandwiched between the two semi-finals. Before that they've to quell the challenge of ManU this weekend and must also last this arduous month where they play 7 matches. Bolton losing 3 on the trot has whittled the competitors list for 4th place. But with just one notable opponent to play against in Liverpool (I'm discounting a stuttering Chelsea), Blackburn are in a pole position to grab the spot. A cracking month in prospect!!!

2006-04-02T09:49:00.000+05:30

'El Gran Clasico' and the stern test facing gunners

Last night was the witness to the derby of the century happening twice in a season. And this could be the only derby where the clubs are separated by hundreds of miles unlike in the case of the merseyside derby or the basque derby. Such intense is the rivalry between the two clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid. The 'faded Galacticos' came to Camp Nou seeking redemption after suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals in their home ground in November. Barca, even without some key players was expected to come out on top.

Ronaldo had shown some resurgence of late when he ran through the Deportivo defence a couple of times in their 4-0 victory last week. Again, he was to Real's rescue with a solo effort after they fell a goal and a man behind following Ronaldinho's penalty and Roberto Carlos' sending off.

Elsewhere in North London, Arsenal had a good day at office. With Spurs and Bolton losing and Blackburn having a tricky encounter at Wigan on monday, things could not have been better for the gunners.On field, a Sublime Henry and a quick feet van Persie helped gunners rout Aston Villa 5-0. The victory may have come at a price though as Fabregas and Eboue limped off the field with injuries. Their Champions league opponents, Juve decided not to break a sweat in their match against Treviso to remain fresh for Arsenal's visit. Treviso managed their 3rd point in 9 games, thanks to Juve's energy saving tactics.

Arsenal have to live up to the new found expectations on them. Juve will not be complacent this time around. Creativity would be in abundance in Juve ranks following the return of Del Piero and Nedved whereas Arsenal might lose some if Fabregas sits out. But knowing Italians to be traditional chokers and unable to keep their cool under pressure, Arsenal have to force their style of play like in Highbury. If Juve is allowed to dictate play, then 2-0 may seem a small margin.

What adjective can be attributed to ManU's eternal optimism and consistent play?Fabulous. Beating 'Rough and tough' Bolton in their home requires some doing. Arsenal will be facing a sterner test at OT than in Turin. Afterall, Red Devils and Bolton are the two teams to have had the better of them in the past few years. It all makes up for an interesting week. Press and pressure is getting to Chelsea and another loss may make it a two-horse race for the title.

2006-03-30T12:28:00.000+05:30

Blue scores, Red fires blanks

Inter Milan's home match at San Siro against Villareal featured many South americans, Argentines in particular.

The Blue side of Milan came from behind to score two goals. But with an away goal in hand, will the Yellow Submarines knock the Nerazzuri out at El Madrigal? Will Riquelme and Forlan breach the Italian defence?Villareal will also have some players back from suspension.An anxious seven days lies between the question and the answer.

The beaten finalists last year were denied by the Lyon goalie in the first half while Dida saved some long range efforts for the Rossoneri.
The goalless scoreline hardly does any justice to the two teams like in the case of the goalless Iberian tie at Lisbon.

Lyon must have missed Juninho dearly. But with the free kick God back from suspension, will Lyon be able to stop Milan's determined march to Paris at San Siro? Will Juninho get the better of his compatriot Kaka? Will it be a stroll in the park for Milan like it was against Bayern? Answers a week away.

2006-03-29T10:10:00.000+05:30

An Italian Job half done and an intriguing Iberian return fixture

A job well begun is half done. Arsenal have begun their quarter-finals tie in the best possible fashion by slotting two crucial goals and equalling a record 7-match successive clean sheets record of AC Milan. Touted as Fabregas vs Vieira, after seeing the way Fabregas squeezed his passes through the Juve midfield like threading a needle,it was easy for people to judge who won. Vieira is not going to get a chance to make amends as he is missing the return leg due to suspension.

Slowly but surely, Francesc Fabregas is stepping out of the shadows of Vieira and Gilberto and is estabilishing a niche for himself in the Arsenal midfield. Though not as celebrated as Rooney or Messi are because of the fact that he plays in a relatively deeper role, Fabregas is a star for the future coming out of the Barcelona stable. I would be happy to be proved wrong again by the gunners when they play at the Stadio Delle Alipi in a week's time.

A dogged Benfica keeps the Iberian tie alive.They've already surprised many with their good run in this year's competition.But will Ronald Koeman's Eagles be able to flourish in the electrifying atmosphere at Camp Nou? Do they have what it takes to upset the Catalan applecart? Answers in a week's time.

2006-03-27T12:08:00.000+05:30

The filthy "Hand of Drog"

With no offence meant to the Argentine magician Diego Maradona, I start this post.

The sport is called Soccer or football. There have been instances of players using their head literally like in the case of Miroslav Klose who used it to such an extent that he missed a "sitter footer" six metres from goal post in the 2002 final against Brazil. Teams like Celtic and Bolton use their head a lot to score almost all the goals and use the two feet only to kick the ball long and high in the air into no man's land making one feel whether the sport should be rechristened "Head Ball". But there has been a new development in the sport. Using hand to control the ball so stealthily and sneak a goal is hogging the headlines in recent weeks. And no prizes for guessing who is the humdinger of this "refreshing change"....

How a champion should not be? Best Example: Chelsea. The Blues are making a hue and cry about the love and respect they are due for.John Terry insists that it is going to be Chelsea's days under the sun in the near future and they want to estabilish a foothold as strong as that of Real Madrid. But they have been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons... Disciplinary committee, Diving, Play acting and now a 'novel' way to score goals... This only shows the champions in poor light. For the second week in succession, Drogba has tried his antics and has succeeded for a change. Chelsea were a goal ahead and were doing more than enough to guarantee them a legitimate second goal. But out from nowhere, a 25 million pound striker scores using his hand and shamefully admits it to the media. This only highlights Chelsea's arrogance and a win-at-all-costs attitude. With such a mindset, they'll not be able to even gather as much as respect as the invincible gunners had, leave alone the great 80's Liverpool and 90's United teams.

Now how does one solve this ugly problem of using hand? It's very hard to detect amidst all the melee happening in the box. Some suggestions are as follows:

1) Borrow the third umpire concept from cricket. Already with lot of pauses in a 90 minute game due to injuries and substitutions, the fans might not be patient enough to wait for the 3rd umpire. Also, we've witnessed 3rd umpires take some outrageous decisions in cricket. Known to be volatile, the fans may just crucify the man in the hotseat in case he gives a horrendous decision.

2) Some embedded chip inside the football which detects and lists the players in the order of who touched the ball first. The linesman will have a monitor which gives the list. Obviously, the chip should ignore the defending goalie when determining who touched the ball first. The problem is that the linesman might err in his normal duties in trying to come to terms with the new technology.

3) Post additional linesmen especially behind both the goal posts. I think, UEFA is going to experiment with one more linesman from next year.

4) Don't do anything new. After the match is over, watch the video of the debatable goal and red-card the player who used his hand and dock a point from the cheating team's tally for every single handled goal. Uncaught divers may also be brought into this net.

2006-03-24T12:03:00.001+05:30

EPL's Poor Losers - Meet the latest Winner

Some common incidents occurring post matches at EPL...

1) Chris Coleman openly lambasting his players for their abysmal performances away (They have become so consistent in losing away matches that bookies can bravely bet on relegation candidates stealing point(s) against Fulham).

2) Sam Allardyce starting his post- match press meet with his customary "The ref got couple of things wrong against us. 11 tackles by opponents went unnoticed" and some more conundrums.

3) David O' Leary finding some excuse to save his head for another week.

4) Arsene Wenger complaining in his typical French accent about refs not protecting his team against rough opponents. Gunners do not want any opponent to touch them. Is it feasible? What else is the defenders' job other than dispossessing you? Everyone also remembers the bad spat in September, 2003 at Old Trafford when Gooners incensed by play-acting of van Nistelrooy showed their dark side by roughing him up.

From the above four nominations, the clear winner by a long mile has been Arsenal for the past 2 or 3 seasons. But there has been some improvements on the discipline front at Highbury. Departure of those people involved in the OT 2003 spat is an important reason. Henry may not be as inspiring as Vieira. But he has managed to instill some discipline among his young colts. Another reason has been the teams nowadays have literally got physical when it comes to playing Arsenal. The EPL teams tried for 49 matches in vain. And it was the experienced ManU manager, who came up with the formula of "I don't care whether you kick the ball or not but if you fail to kick their players, you may forget about starting a match in the future". Though United have lost that physical presence of late due to the departure of Keane and Phil Neville, other teams have followed united's example perfectly.

Enough of old stories.. If Arsenal has improved who takes the title this time around? Well, We have a brand new contender and it has done exceedingly well leaving the competitors far behind. Stand up for Moaning Mourinho's Chelsea.

It all started last season itself. Anders Frisk' forced into retiring, Sir Alex alleged about talking to ref at half-time. But the media didn't tighten the rope on Jose and his blues. The club was afterall winning its first title in 50 years. Initially, it looked a good ploy that the manager was absorbing the pressure whil shielding the players.

But this season, Chelsea has developed a mindless arrogance, which makes them feel they've won a match even before stepping on the pitch. They've had their share of good fortune. If it had not been for an outrageous ref decision to call Scholes offside, Jose would still be loitering on the corridors of Estadio Dragao. When decisions go against them, which does happen once in a blue moon, he should be able to accept defeat graciously rather than blaming others, refs in particular.

Some quotable quotes out of Jose...

"All I know is we scored two beautiful goals and were worthy winners" - After chelsea dropped their first points of the season while drawing 1-1 at Everton.

"Liverpool played Basketball" - After Chelsea's attempts at trying to break down Liverpool in Europe broke down for the fourth time.

"There are good theatres in Barcelona" - Taking a swipe at Messi after Del horno was sent off. Maybe he doesn't know that there are good theatres in West London itself. Should have remembered Reina's sending off weeks before at Stmford Bridge.

Not shaking hands with Bryan Robson after their scrappy win over West Brom where Robben was sent off. At the same time last year, chelsea had only one red card against its name (No send-offs in EPL, Drogba at Camp Nou), whereas this season, in a space of two months they have collected as many as 4 red cards.

Tha latest defeat to Fulham takes the cake. "Drogba handled the ball. But unless the ref had ten eyes he could not have seen it" - So a nice logic to claim a disallowed goal. They played poorly in the first half and Drogba must realize that there is no defender in EPL strong enough to make him fall to the ground. Atleast Glenn Roeder can find some solace that his club's not alone when it comes to blowing away money on wasteful signings.

Now disciplinary hearing for the second time this season. I guess the blues have allotted time in their monthly schedule for a disciplinary hearing from last month.

2006-03-23T09:45:00.000+05:30

Teams to watch out for - I

World Cup fever is on. The coming edition takes us to home of the European powerhouses, Germany. The list of teams to watch out for is long. And so is the list of favourites . But the current holders are first in this list. Brazil, unlike in 2002 is coming into the tournament with good form and embarrassment of riches in the front line. They have also tasted success on German soil recently after winning the Confederations Cup thrashing rivals Argentina 4-1 in the finals Carlos Alberta Parreira has a big headache in selecting his attack. I thought I would time my first blog by having a look at a possible formation for the South American giants.

Alberto Parreira has been pondering over a 4-man frontline. Brazil have traditionally been brittle at the back. Their full backs, Cafu (even at 35), Carlos and the new kid-on-the-block, Cicinho and center back Lucio, all have a habit of running forward too much exposing the defense. A team good on the counter attack has a good chance of scoring lot of goals against Brazil. I am reminded of a particular commentator say in one of those official WC official films on ESPN-STAR that Brazil has been more than happy to trade goals provided they get one more than what they give. A 4-man frontline looks befitting for Brazil's style.

Ronaldo excused himself from the confederations Cup in June, 2005. He would be cautious to not take any such risk in the future as Adriano more than threatened his place with a stellar display that time. But of late, Adriano has suffered a steep drop of form. Moreover, Ronaldo has always done well for Brazil. So he will be there up front with Kaka and Ronaldinho converging from the flanks. Adriano, Robinho and Baptista may be rotated in the deep lying attacker position. Edmilson, Cicinho, Lucio, Denilson will be the substitutes.

One look at a possible formation...

Dida

Cafu Roque Jr. Alex Carlos

Emerson Gilberto

Adriano

Kaka Ronaldinho

Ronaldo

That looks like an uphill task for an opposition. Bad days at office for opponents' defenders not far away, I believe.