Chelsea vs Wolves - Chalkboard analysis.

With all due respect to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea boss Andres Villas-Boas won’t have cooled all of the rumours and speculation over his future at the helm of Roman Abramovich’s team with a win here, but it was convincing. Villas-Boas has come under fire after some disappointing results, but beyond the knee-jerk reactionaries calling for his head, there is a feeling that he has inherited a team in transition. Several key players are over the hill, and some of the younger fringe players have yet to step up and prove that they are of sufficient quality to replace them.

John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are all over 30; and there is also some thinking that Villas-Boas will need to clear out over-inflated egos along with creaking bodies. Lampard was rested for this game, Drogba picked ahead of Torres perhaps surprisingly (or was Torres rested…?) and John Terry continued to enjoy support from his manager during the investigations into his conduct.

The Portuguese plays a 4-3-3 with a high back line and what’s known in basketball terms as a “full-court press”. This means he wants his players to put the opposition under pressure high up the pitch in an attempt to restrict attacks against them, and win the ball back in dangerous positions. Chelsea’s players have struggled with this system, and it may be the case that Chelsea were just superior man for man against Wolves, but that could probably be said for the defeat to QPR, or it could be the case that Villas-boas is now getting them to do what he asks them to.

The full-court press results in more interceptions and tackles deep in opposition territory, as seen in this chalkboard.

John Obi Mikel has been one of the more disappointing players this season, in fact one of the more disappointing players of the last few years – remember the tussle between Manchester United and Chelsea for his signature from Oslo? Sir Alex may have dodged a bullet there, he’s not fulfilled that early promise… yet.

Mikel was dropped for this game, and the young La Masia graduate Oriel Romeu brought in. The Catalan was arguably the game’s most influential player in many people’s opinion. A passing accuracy of 93% would be impressive for Xavi, let alone someone making their first senior start. He also made four interceptions and two successful tackles. A fantastic performance from Romeu to press for a regular berth in the first eleven.

Another diminutive Spaniard who made a big impression was Juan Mata. Playing high up on the left, he provided two assists and got on the score sheet himself. Mata, signed from Valencia for an undisclosed fee, believed to be somewhere in the region of £20-23 million, is looking like a top quality addition to Chelsea’s squad.

AVB strung three across the top – a combination of Drogba as the spearhead of the attack, supported by Mata on the left, and Daniel Sturridge playing right wing. Whilst Mata operated ostensibly on the left wing of the attacking three of AVB’s 4-3-3, in fact he was all over the place. Comparing his passes in the match against Sturridge, it’s clear to see which of them is the natural striker, and which of them got more involved in the play.

Romeu played very deep, in effect almost making this formation 4-1-2-3, in reality there isn’t much difference, Ramires and Meireles were noticeably more advanced – Ramires when pressing got up near Drogba on occasion.


Written by Tom Nash of The Frustrated Footballer. you can follow Tom on twitter @ffootballer 

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Spurs vs West Brom - Chalkboard Analysis.

Harry Redknapp, back from illness, made an important tactical change to come back from an early goal down to win 3-1 against West Bromwich Albion.
Spurs were without their two most creative central midfielders – with Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart both absent.

Redknapp has often played a 4-4-1-1 with van der Vaart in the support role for the lone front man, but he went with a 4-4-2 at The Hawthornes. Pacey (to put it mildly) wingers Bale and Lennon started, and were joined in midfield by Scott Parker and Sandro. Both central midfielders are capable footballers, but more known for their destructive abilities. This put a lot of the impetus for attacking down the flanks, and up front there was a classic big man/little man combo, with Adebayor and Defoe. Redknapp is more of a player motivator, coach, and astute transfer market buyer than a tactical innovator, and true to form here he sent out his team in a formation very familiar to followers of English football. The lightening quick wingers were backed-up by a pair of full backs who must be almost as quick themselves. I would reckon that any left back in the world would be asking his boss to provide extra support to him during a match where he found himself up against Aaron Lennon and Kyle Walker, and the same could be said on the other side of the pitch with Gareth Bale and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

West Brom scored an early goal through Mulumbu, who found himself unmarked in the Spurs area and headed in from seven yards in just the tenth minute. There is often a sense that if a less favoured team scores the opening goal early on, it can be considered too early and allow the more fancied team to respond. This was certainly the case as Tottenham then ran in three past the Baggies. Redknapp asked his wingers to switch flanks regularly. As you can see form these heatmaps, Redknapp was able to take a bit of time to assess the situation, and made a tactical change without resorting to substitutions. Up until the 18th minute, Bale stays on the left, Lennon on the right. However, from the 18th-90th minute, they spend as much time on the opposite wings as they do on their own.

 In comparison, WBA’s wingers and full backs didn’t switch flanks, and in fact found themselves pinned back. This was important for Spurs, as West Brom’s goal had come from a cross by right back Steven Reid in an advanced position. By mixing it up and keeping their opposite numbers occupied and, to be honest probably terrified, Spurs gained control of the wings and were able to impose themselves on the game.

It’s not just the players on the wings that gave Spurs that territorial advantage. Scott Parker and Sandro are deep-lying players, and by having those two helping out central defenders Kaboul and King, Redknapp was able to let his wide players push up and pressure West Brom’s own defence.

Morrison (in central midfield for the Baggies) is more advanced than Sandro who with Parker helps out defensively for Tottenham, this allows Bale and Assou-Ekotto, and Lennon and Walker to push up.


Written by Tom Nash of The Frustrated Footballer. you can follow Tom on twitter @ffootballer

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Mikel Arteta,the Media Puntas and the False 9s

A month ago,i came across this brilliant article by Phil Ball,on the power and rise of the media puntas.He explains the reasons behind its importance and states that with an abundance of media puntas,Spain can dominate the world in the years to come.
In that article Ball mentioned that,Arsene Wenger was the only manager in England who tried to introduce the media punta and in Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri,Arsenal had two of the best in the business.When they lost them both in the summer,Wenger bought Mikel Arteta from Everton.So can Arteta play between the lines as Fabregas and Nasri before him did?

Arteta about to take a corner for Everton,his former club
against Arsenal,his new club.

A media punta essentially is someone who acts as a link between the midfield and attack,someone who can receive the ball with his back to the defence.This role isn't easy to play and only the players of the highest  technical quality can play this role.Cesc Fabregas was a master,playing behind the strikers,receiving the ball,turning and then providing the killer pass with ease. These players playing in between the lines are the ones who generally create the most chances. So Arsenal had a big gap to fill when they lost both Fabregas and Nasri,they did have Andrei Arshavin who could play that role,but the Russian has been out of form for quite sometime now. So when Arteta arrived at Arsenal,people expected him to fulfill the void left by Fabregas. Arteta is someone who could play between the lines,as he did at Everton

But Arsene Wenger chose to play him in a deeper role,someone who could feed the wingers.For example against Fulham his average position is deeper than Ramsey's and almost at the half way point,clearly showing that he isn't playing the "in between the lines" role anymore.

The below chalkboard shows the difference in roles of Arteta when playing for Everton and for Arsenal.

Chalkboard showing the difference in Arteta's style of play for Arsenal
and for Everton.

So has Arsene Wenger gone back on his philosophy of playing with media puntas,and adopted a more English way of attacking through pacy and skillful wingers?. Maybe,because of the excellent form of Theo Walcott,we may see more of Arsenal's goals created from the right,but Arsenal's main source of goals still comes from a media punta,RVP. 

Robin Van Persie is a different type of media punta,he is a false 9 or a nine and a half. RVP drops back into space to create play,he is one of the few players who can both score and create. This season more and more Premier League teams have started playing a false nine,Rooney,Aguero,Suarez and RVP himself have all both created and scored.

One advantage that the False 9 has over the traditional media punta is that he can either choose to play as a normal stiker and score goals,or if he is not getting enough of the ball,he can then drop between the lines and look to create. Fabregas's move from Arsenal might have made them more solid,as Arteta is a more defensively aware and solid player than Fabregas,Arsenal's midfield has less chance of being overrun. And with RVP(and Ramsey too) playing the creator's role with ease,Fabregas's transfer maybe a blessing in disguise.

All the top Premier League teams have these "between the lines" players. Here Chelsea's case is an interesting one,although Ball points out that Frank Lampard is a media punta,Lampard is more of an attacking midfielder with a good finish.He is someone who does at times play as a media punta,but one can't call him a pure media punta. In Juan Mata they have someone who can play as a media punta,but AVB prefers to start him on the left. Tottenham Hotspur who have a enjoyed a great start to the season,have in Emmanuel Adebayor who has gone from a traditional center forward to someone who drops deep and tries to link up with the midifield

Chalkboard showing the difference in Adebayor's style of play for Tottenham
and for Arsenal .

One can clearly see the change in Adebayor's playing style, here at Tottenham he looks more determined and wants to get involved in the build up play as well. 

Coming back to the situation at Arsenal, Van Persie is someone,as we have seen over the past few seasons who is injury-prone. As Arsenal depend on him a lot to create and score,Wenger needs a back up plan. With Wilshere out with injury,Arsene can either play Arteta or Arshavin in the hole with Chamakh/Park up front.Or Else even a 4-6-0 with Arshavin,Arteta and Ramsey switching the striker's role with each other.

Barcelona have already experimented with the 4-6-0 this season,although it has not been very successful,it does make the game tactically more interesting. The La Liga and the Serie A as always have been more attractive and intriguing for lovers of the tactical side of the beautiful game,i hope the Premier League too comes up with it's share of tactical innovations.

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Djimi Traore-Legend

When someone who can do this

can also do this

then he is a legend.


You can view John O'Shea-Legend Here
You can view Titus Bramble-Legend Here

Milan 2-3 Barcelona:Milan fail to pick up Xavi

Barcelona overcame Milan at the San Siro in a match which differed markedly from the 2-2 draw between the teams in September. In that encounter, Milan scored early on and ‘parked the bus’ before conceding two goals, then snatching an equaliser in the dying seconds. They attempted to be more proactive in front of their home crowd, but this played into the Catalans’ hands.

The teams set out as usual; Milan in a 4-3-1-2 and Barcelona in their well-known 4-3-3. Max Allegri left out captain Massimo Ambrosini in favour of Alberto Aquilani, as if to signal a more positive intent. Barcelona were missing Dani Alves and Gerard Piqué was only deemed fit enough for the bench so Mascherano and Busquets played at centre-back, with Puyol moving out to the right of defence and Keita filling the holding midfield slot. Thiago Alcântara played narrow on the right of attack.

First half: faltering defences lead to a lot of chances
Milan came out of the blocks strongly, attacking the away side and pressing intently. But this rather resembled Manchester United’s start to the Champions league final as Barcelona soon found their stride, taking control for the majority of the game (they finished with 59% possession). Milan’s narrow midfield had its usual problem of dealing with fullbacks motoring forward; as there was nobody to oppose Eric Abidal, he was a very easy out-ball.

As for Milan’s fullbacks, they were having a tough time defensively. Both switched off for the first goal; Zambrotta letting Thiago beat him to a ball which he had no right to win, before Abate failed to see Keita ghost into the far post, the Malian’s ball deflecting off van Bommel for an own goal. The tricky Thiago was giving Zambrotta a hard time, again getting the better of him to set up a good chance for Messi.

Milan’s midfield wasn’t doing a much better job. Despite van Bommel’s attention, Messi was finding space between the lines and was given options by the onrushing Xavi and Fabregas. This was a result of Allegri’s decision to place two playmakers ahead of van Bommel. While this was commendable for positive intent, a ‘runner’ such as Ambrosini or Nocerino could have done better at tracking Barça’s central midfielders. Van Bommel could even have dropped deeper to try to restrict Messi’s space in front of the Milan defence (see the space between him and the centre-backs in the average positions below).

To be fair to Milan, they carried an attacking threat of their own. While Barcelona’s pressing makes it hard to pass through them (especially with all of Milan’s midfield being in the middle), they found some joy with Aquilani playing diagonal balls to the left, giving Boateng or Robinho a one-on-one with Puyol and the opportunity to pass into the box. That was the buildup for Ibrahimovic’s equaliser

This was aided by Barcelona’s own defensive troubles; playing two defensive midfielders in central defence works well when they dominate, as those players play in their usual zone (around the halfway line). However, they seemed unsettled when Milan came at them and at times struggled with positioning. This was exploited in the previous encounter by Pato’s pace; this time round, Ibrahimovic was to profit. First, his ability to hold the ball up led to a chance that Robinho should have converted. Minutes later, he had made it 1-1. Poor positioning and loose marking from Mascherano and Busquets was evident on both occasions.

Still, Barcelona kept attacking and the lack of tracking from Milan’s midfield cost them. Xavi got on the end of a Messi through-ball and while Nesta may not have actually fouled him, they deserved to retake the lead from Messi’s penalty.

Second half: Milan pull it back but don’t learn from mistakes
Pato came on for Robinho at half-time, with Allegri maybe casting his mind back to Busquets and Mascherano’s struggles with his explosive pace a couple of months ago. He failed to provide the same threat as Barcelona were not losing this time, so there was less need for the centre-backs to push up so much. But he still managed to take advantage of their penalty-box uncertainty; winning his header against Busquets (who stands almost 4 inches above Pato), before Mascherano headed the ball to Boateng for another equaliser resulting from direct play.

However, Milan also failed to learn from their mistakes. While their play with the ball was improving, they were still looking vulnerable when Messi ran at them. Inevitably, another through ball found its way to Xavi, who finished superbly.

After an exciting hour, the game started to peter out as Milan searched for an equaliser in vain. Their midfield shape is more suited to counter-attacking or controlling the middle rather than chasing a goal, although long balls to Ibrahimovic looked like they might bring some joy. Nocerino, who could have been on earlier for defensive reasons, was instead brought on for van Bommel to give the midfield some thrust (with Seedorf becoming a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence). Still, they could not create more clear chances against Barcelona, who did a good job of stopping the supply from deep by bringing on Pedro and Sanchez for Villa and Fabregas to close down from the front; a prime example being Sanchez superbly chasing back to stop Aquilani playing the ball forward in the 87th minute.

Barcelona attacked superbly and will be delighted to have won in the San Siro but this match showed that with both Busquets and Mascherano in central defence, they can be unsettled by direct play. They will be keen to have at least one of their ‘natural’ centre-backs playing in the later stages. As for Milan, they competed well enough against top-class opposition and showed that they have the attacking talent to trouble anyone, but getting outplayed at home brings up the limitations of Allegri’s narrow midfield and suggests that they’re outsiders in the Champions League this year.


-Ihsaan Budaly

Tokyo Sexwale-It's All In The Name

Forget all the controversy surrounding Sepp Blatter and his comments on racism,just enjoy the video .

For a more serious take on this issue,click here.

Man Utd Transfer >> Manchester United keen to bring dutch trio

Manchester United Football Club | Man Utd Football Team | Man United Transfer | Manchester United Transfer News Now | Manchester United Transfer Latest News | Manchester United Transfer News | Manchester United Transfer Talks and Rumors | Man Utd Transfer Target | Man Utd Transfer Target Summer | Wesley Sneijder Midfielder Inter Milan | Gregory van der Wiel Defender Ajax Amsterdam | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Striker Schalke 04 | Season 2011-2012

Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax Amsterdam), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04)

Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan) | Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax Amsterdam) | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04) | Wesley Sneijder Transfer News | Latest News Van der Wiel Transfer | Huntelaar Transfer News Now | Sneijder-Van der Wiel-Huntelaar Pictures and Wallpaper | Milos Krasic Photos 2011-2012

Mancheseter United is said to have sent scouts to monitor when the Netherlands to meet German in a friendly match. opportunity was used by Manchester United's management team to monitor the upcoming January transfer terget fill.

Three players, namely: Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax Amsterdam), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04).

Although somewhat disappointing defeat to the Netherlands because of the German 3-0, but the performance is quite satisfactory recording. Chelsea also reportedly wanted the Van der Wiel in the upcoming January transfer window.

How do you think about Man Utd Transfer : Manchester United keen to bring dutch trio?

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Portugal 6-2 Bosnia:Portugal Qualify For Euro 2012

Portugal convincingly beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 6-2 at the Estadio da Luz to book their place at Euro 2012. Both sides lined up pretty much the same they did as in the first leg on Saturday which ended 0-0, with Portugal in a 4-3-3 and Bosnia shaping up as a 4-2-3-1. The only player change was Sasa Papac coming in at left-back for Bosnia following suspension.

First half: robust Portugal race into lead

Though Cristiano Ronaldo had mused before the game that a better pitch would favour Portugal (presumably due to the passing ability of their midfielders), the hosts’ initial approach was quite direct. This could be because Portugal are currently lacking a Deco-type player to look for the final pass but in any case, Pepe’s long balls caused problems. Portugal did look more confident to play the ball through midfield after Ronaldo scored an 8th-minute free-kick.

It’s been noted by Zonal Marking that holding midfielder Medunjanin will sometimes drop into defence when Bosnia have the ball, allowing the left-back to scamper forward. This wasn’t seen so much tonight, as Portugal’s wide men pinned back the Bosnian full-backs – an example being Ronaldo winning the ball in the build up to Nani’s superb drive below.

It was looking like an uphill battle for Bosnia, and they weren’t competing well in midfield; while Lulic and Pjanic would come infield to create a numerical advantage, the passing wasn’t good enough to create anything. In particular, they could have done with better distribution from the deep-lying midfielders, whose sloppy passing almost led to a penalty (although Helder Postiga was judged to be diving by the referee). Misimovic played high up the pitch and didn’t have a tangible influence on proceedings.

The visitors’ only two chances came from Papac crosses. The first instance was when Lulic pulled out from the congested central zone and drew Nani away from the left-back who crossed for Dzeko, hitting the post with his header; Bosnia’s first attempt on goal, 35 minutes in. Papac’s second cross led to a penalty, converted by Misimovic, and somehow Bosnia were still in the contest at half-time.

Second half: red card and substitutions lead to a rout

Bosnia, buoyed by their goal late in the first half, looked to push higher up the pitch but were immediately punished by Ronaldo’s pace – the Real Madrid man latched onto João Moutinho’s excellent through ball to put Portugal 3-1 up. Things got worse for the visitors as Lulic was sent off for violent conduct on Pepe. It was a questionable decision, but more dubious officiating gave Bosnia a lifeline as captain Emir Spahic converting from a set-piece, despite looking suspiciously offside.

Dragons’ coach Safet Susic had taken off Elvir Rahimic for Darko Maletic, presumably to add a bit of drive to his midfield after Lulic’s red card. It was an understandable move, given his side needed to score to get through, but it was exploited brilliantly by Paulo Bento who sent on Ruben Micael for Miguel Veloso. Micael’s smart movement and slick passing brought fluidity to Portugal’s midfield, taking advantage of the holes left by Rahimic’s departure. The fact that the oposition were a man down should temper speculation that he might be “the answer” to Portugal’s inability to link midfield and attack but he played well, and it was no surprise that he set up Postiga for a fourth.

Two goals up and a man up, this was the perfect situation for Portugal’s neat and tidy midfield. To be fair to Bosnia, they still looked to play the ball out of defence, but this may have brought unnecessary pressure; after all, Edin Dzeko is an excellent target man and long balls to him could have been a viable outlet given the situation. Instead, Portugal were in cruise control and added to their tally; Veloso scoring a beautifully-placed free-kick before Postiga headed home a cross from the bright Fabio Coentrão. On that note, Bosnia were still failing to play with great width and the Portuguese full-backs were free to constantly join in with the attack, adding to their side’s dominance.

Portugal will be delighted at having negotiated tricky opposition with eventual ease and must still be considered a force at Euro 2012 if the likes of Nani and Ronaldo perform. Defensively they did fairly well, limiting Bosnia to just three attempts on goal apart from the penalty, and it will be interesting to see if Micael develops into a good link player further up the field. As for Bosnia, they will be bitterly disappointed at not qualifying having been so close last month in Paris, but were comprehensively outplayed against Portugal.

-Ihsaan Budaly

Blatter Has To Go!

President of football organisation FIFA, Sepp Blatter faces a barrage of ‘outs’ after his comments on racism in football.

Asked if racism was a problem on the pitch, Blatter told CNN World Sport: "I would deny it. There is no racism, there is maybe one of the players towards another, he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one, but also the one who is affected by that. He should say that this is a game. At the end of the game, we shake hands.

"During a match you may say something to someone who's not looking exactly like you, but at end of match it's forgotten."

Many names are calling for the President to step down and I add my name to that long list as I’m sure many football enthusiasts will. Sports Minister Hugh Robertson and Professional Footballers’ Association Chief, Gordon Taylor have both called for Blatter to stand down. As well as Kick It Out the anti-racism football group.

Blatter needs to ‘keep with the times’ and recognise that racism does go on in football, and he has the responsibility and power to change that.

Wednesday saw the FA charge, Liverpool forward Luis Suarez with racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. Further investigations are going on with England captain John Terry’s alleged racist comments towards Anton Ferdinand.

So how can FIFA President Sepp Blatter insist there is no racism in football?

Maybe FIFA needs to change as a whole, and not just Blatter, as it’s so evident that racism does go on.

Blatter was clearly poorly informed when heading into this interview, but still to make such comments is appalling. The man represents football and what it stands for, and for him to say what he has is a slap in the face to the world and to anti-racism groups who have worked so hard in years gone by.

 How he hasn’t explained himself and his comments yet, baffle me. But as Rio Ferdinand said on twitter “Fifa clear up the blatter comments with a pic of him posing with a black man...I need the hand covering eyes symbol!!”. I’m sure Sepp Blatter wishes he could cover up everyone’s eyes and clear up this mess.

-Tom Ball

Football And Alcohol

This post first appeared on Football Speak

              “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”

Football and booze go a long long way back, in 1893 an Anglican Vicar said,”football is a fascination of the devil and a twin sister of the drink system."And that devilish  twin sister of the sport we all love,is still alive and kicking. Back in the 19th century there was a close connection between most of the football clubs and local pubs. In those days with no televisions,the only way to see a match was to go to the stadium. Else you could visit the local pub where match updates would be sent via telegram. And when the clubs won trophies,the first place they showcased it was,the local pub. So pubs became a focal point where supporters,players and even managers gathered to discuss the usual football talk. The players also got a reputation of spending all their free time at the local pubs, but reckless drinking and late night binges always had an effect on a player’s career. We had managers who tried to stamp alcholism out of the game,but to of no avail. Herbert Chapman manager of Arsenal in the 1920s tried his best to sign players who were teetotallers. The legend goes that he always used to ask player if they smoked or drank and if they said no,then he would ask them,”Would you like to sign for Arsenal?”.


The moment you see the two words Manchester United and alcohol in a sentence, you assume it is about George Best. True Best’s career and his life were cut short due to his lifestyle. He once famously said:

In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life. 

Ironically,here Best is the only one not drinking

But Manchester United go further back with their connection with Alcohol. In 1902 Newton Heath was £2,670 in debt and if they couldn't raise the money,they had to close. At a shareholders' meeting in the New Islington Hall, the local Manchester brewer, John Henry Davies said that he was willing to takeover the club's debts along with three other business men. And the plan was approved and John Henry Davies along with his partners renamed the club to Manchester United.
25 years ago,when Sir Alex Ferguson first arrived at Old Trafford,they were languishing at 17th in the league and the club had a big drinking problem. Gordan Strachan had warned Alex Ferguson that alcohol was a big problem at United even before Ferguson had contemplated moving south form Aberdeen. Strachan was a Aberdeen player under Ferguson and later moved to Manchester United and again played under his old boss when the latter became the gaffer at Manchester. During the numerous phone calls which Gordan made to Sir Alex when he first moved to Manchester,he often said that the whole club was talking about him(Sir Alex) being their next manager,and warned him about the drinking problems at the club.
When he first arrived at the club,the chairman Martin Edwards confirmed all of Strachan's accounts. Ferguson has an interesting theory on why British players booze a lot,certainly a lot more than their continental counter parts. He said in his autobiography that the English players had this “shift-worker's” mentality of working hard all day long and then boozing hard into the night. Whatever the reason was for the excessive drinking,it still exists today in the Premier League.

When Ferguson first arrived at United there was a club rule that forbade players to drink 2 days before a game. He immediately changed the rule to make it an offense for a player to drink while he was in training. He understood that the problem was very serious when in his first match in charge against Oxford,which they lost 2-0 primarily due to poor fitness levels,that the previous Thursday the players had been boozing at Ron Atkinson(Who was the manager of Manchester United before Sir Alex Ferguson)'s farewell party.
Bryan Robson,Paul Mcgrath and Norman Whiteside formed a troublesome threesome when it came to drinking. Those three were the most talented among the players United had at that time. Bryan Robson had a fierce determination to do well and the whole team looked upon him as a hero. So a sense of responsibility and his desire to perform to the limit when he was on the pitch limited his alcoholic escapades. But the two Irishmen Mcgrath and Whiteside were a serious problem to Ferguson. Norman Whiteside was a “wonderkid” as Football Manager Fans would call him. Introduced to the Northern Ireland team at 17, he played at the 1986 World Cup. At least Whiteside accepted that he had a problem and he tried to listen to Ferguson when the Scotsman would talk to him about his drinking binges. But Paul Mcgrath was a different case altogether.
Paul Mcgrath whenever confronted by Ferguson, didn't seem to accept that he had a problem. Even worse was the effect he had on his mate Whiteside, both regularly had late night binges which drastically effected their game on the pitch. Even Sir Matt Busby tried to talk to Mcgrath,but he seemed impenetrable. Eventually Ferguson decided to sell both of them and bring some sort of a control to Mancheser United ‘s social life. Both of them were quite popular with the fans and when they were sold, there was a lot of public anger. But Ferguson went ahead and got what he wanted. As far as Bryan Robson was concerned,his occasional late night travails was a small price to pay for his brilliance on the field.

Titus Bramble-Legend

When someone who can do this

can also do this

then he is a legend.


You can read John O'Shea-Legend Here

Is The Future Strikerless For Spain?

When Spain played Scotland last month in Alicante,two goals and an assist from David Silva killed off any hope Scotland had of making the Euros via a playoff. One may say that this was a typical Spain performance and an expected win,it was,but for one important change. Vicente Del Bosque played David Silva as a false 9 against the Scottish and it paid off. With Fernando Torres out of form and Llorente,Negredo and Soldado lacking international experience,can we say that this move is a permanent one?



Another option for Del Bosque is to play Villa up front and bring in Pedro to play wide left, but for quite some time now Villa has been starting out wide left and then cuts in for both club and country.With the number of world class midfielders Spain have got,their best option maybe  is to play one of their midfielders as a withdrawn forward. If Del Bosque was mulling over this option in the past few weeks,he got another reason to implement the strikerless formation,as Pep Guardiola played Fabregas in a similar sort of a role against Bilbao last weekend.

Cesc Fabregas started among the front three in a 4-3-3 ish shape,but was rarely the most forward player for Barcelona.As we can see below his average position is almost at the halfway line.

But more importantly Fabregas got forward at times,and scored a typical striker's goal. So it makes perfect sense for Del Bosque to include another part of Barcelona's successful style of play. His experiment with David Silva against Scotland was certainly a success as Silva stamped his class all over Scotland's defence. This move can make Spain even stronger and it will also result in a better utilization of resources. As Del Bosque prefers playing both Alonso and Busquets as the holding midfielders in a double pivot,that leaves room for only four more attacking players. And as Xaviesta are a must,so there remains only one more midfield slot. With the likes of Villa,Silva,Fabregas,Mata,Cazorla,Pedro,Thiago all competing for that slot, it is a pity that we get to see some of the best talents sitting on the bench. So including an extra midfielder for an out and out striker must be too a great tempation for Del Bosque to resist. If this is the case then there are more dark days for Fernando Torres ahead.

Certainly if  Del Bosque plays Silva in the "Messi Role" against England,then we will know for better whether Spain can play with a false 9 or not. With some of these tactical changes,it takes a lot of game time to adjust,as Manchester United found out with their interpretation of the stikerless formation with Rooney-Ronaldo-Tevez. They did manage to attain the understanding and fluency which led them to great success but national managers have far more less time with their team than club managers. So against England(supposedly a better team than Scotland), we will know for sure if this move will work for Spain.

With all of the front four with the ability to play anywhere in the final third,Spain may be moving closer to Johan Cryuff's total football. Certainly with players like Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique who have very good abilty with the ball for defenders, Spain have the talent to emulate the great Dutch team of 70s. Carlos Puyol and Xabi Alonso more traditonal players who play in specific roles are on the wrong side of their 30s and replacing them with players like Javi Martinez and Santi Cazorla will only mean another step in the direction of Total Football.

And it would be a travesty if we don't thank Pep Guardiola and Barcelona for their contribution to Spain's National Football Team. Although Real Madrid fans would hate to admit it,Spain certainly wouldn't be the same without Barcelona. Not only does Barcelona provide majority of the starting line-up,but also the style of play,the tiki-taka which helped Spain become the world champions was perfected first at the Nou Camp. And now if Spain implement the false 9,then the only difference over the past few years of Spain playing and out and out striker and Barca playing with Messi,will also be eliminated. David Silva certainly is no Leo Messi but as a part of a strong 4 man attack,he will be devastating as his second goal against Scotland shows

I would love to see Spain line-up this way

Youtube Classics-1958 World Cup Final

The 1958 World Cup Final saw the birth of the one of the greatest players ever,Edison Arantes Do Nascimento(Pele). With Brazil trailing 0-1 to Sweden,the 17 year old Pele equalizes with a piece of sublime skill.

Brazil went on to win the World Cup 5-2 and Pele became a teenage hero all over the world.

Premier League-Summer Transfer Review

Value for money? A look back at 2011’s Summer Transfers.

With all clubs except Spurs and Everton having played 11 games, courtesy of the disaffected youth of Tottenham smashing their own town centre up in the name of rage, here’s a look back at the tops and the flops of the summer transfer market, and also the unexpected bargain buys.


Manchester City. Where else to start?

Sergio Aguero; £35 million. 13 appearances, 10 goals, 2 assists.

One of world football’s hottest properties, and another statement of intent from City’s horrifically rich owners. Aguero made an instant impact with a 30 minute debut against Swansea City, scoring 2 goals and creating another. After arguably the best debut in recent Premier League history, Aguero has continued in fine form with a hat-trick in only his third game, as Manchester City continue to steamroll opposition – he’s a ready-made perhaps even superior replacement for his much maligned countryman Carlos Tevez. He’s been compared to his father-in-law Maradona, but Roberto Mancini was perhaps closer to the mark in terms of style when he likened him to Romario.

Samir Nasri; £25 million. 10 appearances, 2 goals, 6 assists.

One of the most mind-numbingly drawn out and contentious transfers of the summer. One of those “Will he – won’t he?” situations where in the end most people ended up thinking “Ah just bloody well get on with it”. Some Arsenal fans used rather courser language. Dropping into a midfield as strong as Manchester City’s is never going to be easy, having said that, it’s probably the only club where a £25 million price tag doesn’t automatically mean expectations are sky high. With David Silva in his second season in England outshining all the other stars in the galaxy assembled by Sheikh Mansour, Nasri hasn’t grabbed the headlines, but three assists on his debut against Tottenham isn’t a bad way to give the boss even more of a selection headache.

Owen Hargreaves; Free transfer. 2 appearances, 1 goal, 0 assists.

Wiley transfer coup, or simple posturing and one-upmanship from Manchester City? Sadly, as Hargreaves has yet again succumbed to injury, the latter may prove to be the case irrespective of any intentions for the former. Hargreaves has gone from cult hero at Old Trafford, to villain after this move, and then heaped insult upon injury (No pun intended) by criticising Manchester United’s medical staff, saying that he felt treated like a guinea pig. Such is his superiority over English players in a similar position, that should he ever be able to prove his fitness – in matches – then he would probably start for England (Notwithstanding Don Capello’s strange fixation with Gareth Barry). Sadly, his career seems to have become one long, stumbling, never-ending journey to come-back.

Manchester United. Evolution not revolution.

David de Gea; £18 million. 12 appearances. 3 clean sheets, 12 goals conceded.

The young Spaniard endured a baptism of fire into the Premiership and also into the ways of the British media. Still only 20 years of age, he was put under intense scrutiny and a couple of nervy moments including a few goals that he shouldn’t have let in meant that he was under pressure. Anders Lindegaard is proving to be an able contender, as Fergie settles his new ‘keeper. Some might say that the games player/goals conceded statistic is skewed by the 6-1 hammering by Manchester City, but – he let in 6 goals didn’t he? Still a long way to go for the wispy framed wispy bearded donut fancier.

Ashley Young; £16 million. 10 appearances, 3 goals, 6 assists.

Young finally got to play for the big club his talent deserved, and so far he’s made a very impressive start to his Manchester United career. Two goals against Arsenal in the 8-2 rout, and another in Europe to secure a 3-3 draw away from home. Normally deployed on the left flank, with Nani in the team it allows Ferguson to switch wingers at will. A very good signing, at 26 he’s be entering his prime years over the course of the next few seasons.

Phil Jones; £16.5 million. 17 appearances, 0 goals, 0 assists.

Jones is a beast. Centre-back, right-back, even defensive midfield – he’s a beast. In the Premier League, with Jones in the back four, United have played nine, winning eight and drawing once – conceding 5 goals. Without Jones in defence, United have one draw and one loss, conceding seven goals. Told you – BEAST.

Liverpool. Best of British?

Jordan Henderson; £18-20 million. 13 appearances, 1 goal, 1 assist.

A big price tag for a young player who is yet to settle at Anfield. He’s primarily a central midfielder, but has been used on the right wing the majority of the time. In a way, the reaction to Henderson’s start at Liverpool has been the exact opposite of Nasri’s at Manchester City. He’s not played well, but been overshadowed in this respect by other recent signings. Liverpool have drawn too many games, and have needed their talismanic skipper back from injury. Henderson is suggested as a long term successor to Gerrard, but on evidence so far, still has a long way to go. He’s got time on his side though.

Stewart Downing; £20 million. 11 appearances, 0 goals, 0 assists.

Those goals and assists statistics don’t read well for a winger. At 27, he should be in his prime and Liverpool can’t be happy with his contribution so far. When viewed alongside the cost of former team mate and fellow winger Ashley Young, it’s a poor bit of business.

Charlie Adam; £7 million. 11 appearances, 2 goals, 4 assists.

Not such a large transfer fee for this player. Blackpool had held onto him for as long as they could, looking to stay in the Premier League. Ultimately they failed, and got less than was offered in the previous January transfer window. Adam has made a solid if not exceptional start to his Liverpool career.

Chelsea. Splashing the cash once again.

Juan Mata; £23 million. 12 appearances, 3 goals, 4 assists.

Now, those are much better statistics for a winger. Mata has settled very well into life in the Premier League. Full of invention and attacking verve, he must be making Liverpool sick – he was a reported target for the reds before Chelsea swooped, and Liverpool ended up with Stewart Downing.

Romelu Lukaku. £18 million. 5 appearances, 0 goals, 0 assists.

Now, this chap is ranked amongst the hottest young properties in Europe, part of Belgium’s bewildering output of players at the moment. He’s 18 years of age, so has a lot of time on his side, and perhaps shouldn’t be judged quite yet. In his limited appearances as a sub he’s not yet convinced, and in his only start so far, was very disappointing. Lukaku is built like a light-heavy weight, is quick and strong, but has apparently not yet learned to pass, shoot, or head the ball with any accuaracy. One for the future…

Arsenal. Recovering form big losses.

Gervinho; £10.7 million. 13 appearances, 2 goals, 7 assists.

After 15 minutes on the pitch in his debut for the Gunners, Gervinho had scored two goals. Not a bad start! Since then he’s been more of a provider than a finisher, and is credited with prolonging Van Persie’s amazing run of scoring in the Premier League. Gervinho might look a bit ridiculous, with a bigger parting than the Red Sea, but he’s an effective player. He will also have learnt that getting a red card is no barrier to becoming a hero for your club, especially if it’s Joey Barton that you give a slap to.

Mikel Arteta; £10 million. 11 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist.

Arteta’s goals and assists tally belie his comfortable start at Arsenal. Brought in to dampen the shock of (finally) losing Fabregas to Barcelona, the former Barca trainee has adapted to his playmaking role well, and looks a class act. It was bandied about that Arteta had been a panic buy, and the £10 million fee was too high for an injury prone 29 year old. This will only be borne out in time, but so far Arteta has been a hit at The Emirates.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; £15 million. 4 appearances, 2 goals, 0 assists.

Another from the Southampton academy production line. He’s over-taken (under-taken?) Theo Walcott as the youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League, and also scored against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup. A hot prospect of the scorching kind, he’s already been tipped by many to gatecrash England’s Euro 2012 squad.

Bargain Basement

Demba Ba - West Ham to Newcastle, Free transfer. 12 appearances, 8 goals, 2 assists.

After scoring 7 goals in only 12 league games for the doomed West Ham United last season, Demba Ba found himself the target of Everton, Sunderland and Newcastle’s affections. He opted for Tyneside, but was not an instant hit. His manager Alan Pardew revealed in a post-match interview that Ba was struggling to find form duer to the fasting observed for Ramadam. Two hat-tricks later, he’s a big part of Newcastles amazing start to the season.

Sebastian Larsson – Birmingham City to Sunderland, Free transfer.  12 appearances, 3 goals, 3 assists

Scored a wonderful volley against Liverpool to draw the game, and superb free kicks against Arsenal and Stoke City. Eckoned by Arsene Wenger to be the best free-kick taker in the league. He’s got fellow former Gooner Nicklas Bendtner to aim for with his crosses, which must be frustrating for the lad. Great player.

Written by Tom Nash of The Frustrated Footballer. you can follow Tom on twitter @ffootballer