EPL Talk » blackburn

New Look Man City Shows Great Attacking Flair, Comical Defending

Dave Warner — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:23:30 +0000

For as many times as Richard Dunne and Shay Given collided today, you might have guessed that they had never played together before in their lives.

Dunne’s defensive woes today nearly overshadowed the lightning-quick start to Manchester City’s season. In the third minute, Emmanuel Adebayor served up a through ball from the center circle that released Shawn Wright-Phillips far down the right wing. Wright-Phillips then served up the onrushing Adebayor, who finished spectacularly. At that moment, it seemed Man City would be worth every penny they spent.

It would be another 89 minutes before Man City would score again and clinch a 2-0 win. As you would expect, Blackburn Rovers refused to lie down on a soggy day at Ewood Park, but this game proved to be as much of an indictment of Blackburn’s finishing as Man City’s defensive issues.

The attacking pressure from Sam Allerdyce’s side often exposed the shakiness of Man City’s backline. Blackburn’s set pieces, including a number of long throws from Morten Gamst Pedersen, kept the black-shirted Citizens scrambling for clearances. Shay Given remained solid in goal, and Kolo Toure did fine work in one-on-one situations, but Dunne’s mistakes — including a very fortunate non-call for a handball in the box at the end of the first half — highlighted why Man City is pursuing Joleon Lescott so doggedly.

Blackburn controlled the tempo of the game for much of the first half. Mark Hughes’ side, however, looked stronger in the second half and showed glimpses of great attacking prowess, serving up classy through balls and attack runs that put players in great position to score. The pace of Craig Bellamy up front and Robinho and Wright-Phillips on the wings put the screws to Blackburn all day, while Gareth Barry looked strong in a more defensive role, Carlos Tevez threatened to score just moments after he replaced Robinho in the 68th minute, and Stephen Ireland’s late game-clinching goal was top shelf stuff.

Hughes deployed a 4-4-2 for this match, rather than the 4-1-2-3 I had predicted he might use, but with attacking players moving off their lines to set up opportunities, it proved effective. Regardless, Hughes clearly has the personnel to be very flexible in his lineup decisions, so we’ll likely see him use different formations to exploit different oppositions’ weaknesses — and to satisfy all the talent on his bench.

After today, however, Hughes’ biggest concern might be getting Dunne and Given on the same page. You’d think two guys who had been playing together for the Republic of Ireland for the last decade or so would have done a whole lot better than this.

Football Transfer Twaddle: Defoe, Arteta, Toure and Pennant

tyduffy — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:42:16 +0000

After accepting a sordid envelope with £20m for “Lass” Diarra, Portsmouth rejected shrewd dealer Harry Redknapp’s £30m overture for Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch. Pompey then lessened Defoe’s value markedly, by announcing they would sell him for a fair price.

“It looks like Jermain wants to go,” Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie said. “If Jermain goes it will be at our price and if there is an offer which appeals.”

Spurs remain favorites to sign the striker.

West Ham, contrary to previous statements, confirmed the club’s inevitable fire sale this winter. Icelandic chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson was severely crunched by the collapse of an Icelandic bank. Manager Gianfranco Zola will “not be compelled” to sell anyone, but the club will listen to any offer for any player, probably ones he’d want to keep such as Craig Bellamy and Matthew Upson.

Arsenal may flout tradition by making a £12m bid for ready-made Everton man Mikel Arteta. The Spanish midfielder would be Arsenal’s ideal signing. He’s an experienced 26, plying his trade in the Premier League the past few seasons. Arteta can provide a credible Fabregas facsimile in the middle for the next few months. He can also fill in on the wings when Fabregas returns.

Arteta would be a perfect fit for Arsenal, so expect Arsene to balk at an extra £2m for him and sign a 19-year-old raw French African.

The Gunners may also sell defender Kolo Toure in January, after he handed in a subsequently rejected transfer request. The defender, not surprisingly, has struggled to regain fitness after a bout of malaria in the summer. He and William Gallas also hate each other, though why you would choose Toure over Gallas is unclear. Out of the squad for much of the season, Toure’s potential £10m fee from Manchester City could give Arsenal funds to strengthen the midfield.

Manchester City have a £60m transfer budget for six players to help them avoid relegation. Hughes has made a £10m offer to Chelsea for left-back Wayne Bridge. They may bid over £20m for Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker from West Ham and throw in £17m to Blackburn for Roque Santa Cruz, just for shits and giggles.

Finally, Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant may join Hull City after rejecting an overture from Real Madrid, in what would undoubtedly the first time that statement could be made. The Tigers would like Pennant “at the right price,” but will face off with Wigan, who view Pennant as a replacement for Luis Antonio Valencia, possibly on his way to Real Madrid.

England’s Summer Transfer Market Begins And Ends At Tottenham

The Gaffer — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:01:29 +0000

It looks like the floodgates in the transfer window have opened. So far this summer, it seems that the majority of major transfer deals have started and ended at Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.

The spark was Robbie Keane’s move from Tottenham to Liverpool for 20.3 million pounds. That allowed Spurs to finalize the deal with Blackburn for the 15 million pound winger David Bentley.

Now, with cash in hand, Tottenham looks likely to purchase Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko. If the two Russian stars arrive at Tottenham, that’ll likely mean that Dimitar Berbatov will be exiting White Hart Lane and moving to Manchester United.

In many ways, Tottenham has become this summer’s Chelsea by playing an active role in the transfer market similar to how the Blues have conducted business in previous years. Tottenham is banking on the success of the new players and manager Juande Ramos this season. If Spurs isn’t able to mount a serious challenge this year, there’ll be hell to pay.

If Spurs are able to land Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko, the club probably won’t make any other major transfer signings but will instead concentrate on getting the side ready for the beginning of the new Premier League season scheduled for August 16.

After quite a silly season in the transfer market, deals are beginning to get signed and the excitement is building for the new season, one which promises to be the most competitive in many, many years.

Liverpool Does the Right Thing: German Clubs Do Not

Kartik Krishnaiyer — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:20:15 +0000

On the European Continent and on the British Isles the view of the Olympic football Tournament is completely different than in the rest of the world. In Europe the tournament is seen as more of a nuisance than anything, while among those in the Western Hemisphere and in Africa it is seen as big deal.

Nigeria and Cameroon are both recent champions of the event, and after both nations achieved their Gold Medals, mass celebrations consumed the nation. Mexico fired its national coach, the biggest hero in Mexican football history Hugo Sanchez because he failed to qualify the team for the Olympics, despite a month earlier, achieving the nation’s first result on American soil against the arch rival United States in nine years. Brazil’s Dunga has survived a tumultuous World Cup qualifying campaign thus far, because he is seen as the man to bring home an Olympic Gold Medal, and Brazil did not want to change coaches so soon before the Olympics.

The United States puts more emphasis on Olympic Football than any tournament outside of the World Cup, and because for years the Olympics themselves were used as a propaganda tool by the USA, I’ve heard debate within American soccer circles as to whether or not winning the Olympic Gold Medal would actually do more for the game domestically than winning the World Cup. While I do not subscribe to this view in the least bit, it simply demonstrates how important the Olympic tournament is considered to many people. In fact, one of the best forwards then United States has ever produced, Brian McBride has come out of international retirement just for this event, because of its importance to US Soccer. Tim Vickery, who understands Latin Football better than just about any European writer, explains why this event is so important to so many in an outstanding piece.

But European clubs for the most part are more annoyed and bothered by this event than they are interested in it. Liverpool is losing more than just about any club on the planet. Ryan Babel will be featuring for Holland, Javier Mascherano for Argentina, and Lucas for Brazil. This puts the Reds behind the eight ball in the first few weeks of the Premier League season. Rafa Benetiz isn’t happy about it, but unlike some of the clubs in Germany, Liverpool understands that FIFA’s declaration that all selected U-23 players must be released is to be honored. But even more admirable is that Liverpool has released Mascherano, who is an overage player and whose release Liverpool legally could have prevented.

Chelsea has released Solomon Kalou. Blackburn has released Ryan Nelson (an overage player) and Manchester United has allowed Anderson to join Brazil. However two German clubs are refusing to release their Brazilian players: Werder Bremen with Diego, perhaps the best player in the Bundesliga last season, and Schalke with Rafinha. Both players left their clubs this week without permission to join Brazil’s training. This stands in contrast not only to the example set by the three aforementioned English clubs, but by AC Milan who just signed Ronaldinho and have made him the center of a major worldwide marketing campaign. Despite this, Milan has allowed Ronaldinho to join Brazil’s squad, perhaps because Italian clubs are more used to this situation than other European clubs: Italy has competed in more Olympic Football tournaments than any other nation. (Believe it or not, the United States has qualified for the second most Olympic Football tournaments, and would tied with Italy for the most appearances had the US not barely missed qualification for the 2004 tournament).

What’s even more disturbing are the lengths the two German clubs are going to in order to try and stop players from exercising their free will and representing their country. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear a case being brought before it by the clubs and backed by the European Club Association to block U-23 players from joining their national teams in the Olympics. Werder Bremen has also refused to allow Dusko Tosic of Serbia to join his team and has reportedly confiscated his passport.

Olympic football is very important to many across the globe. As European clubs become more and more global in both their squad makeup and in their marketing they must learn to bend on these sorts of issues. Liverpool to their credit has reluctantly complied as they continue to try and build their global brand. The German clubs, already in a league whose international stature is waning have made a fatal mistake in the court of international football public opinion with their unreasonable stand. Though many in Europe whose focus is the club game and European tournaments may applaud Schalke and Bremen for their stands, the Bundesliga is no doubt soon to take a major beating in perception and respect level in Latin America.

While Olympic Football takes place outside the regular FIFA blackout windows, clubs in Europe must understand the importance of this event and also assume the risk for signing high profile internationals. Liverpool, as a more popular and successful club from an international standpoint clearly understands this better than Werder Breman and Schalke 04. Perhaps this helps to explain why the Premier League is head and shoulders above the Bundesliga these days when it comes to international recognition and popularity.

Premier League Odds and Sods 12 Feb 2008

tyduffy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:39:20 +0000

It was night of black armbands and barren kits in Manchester, which only served to emphasize the sponsorship everywhere else as Man City shocked Man United 2-1 at Old Trafford. It is no coincidence that most of Man U’s losses come without Wayne Rooney on the pitch. Ronaldo can score goals but even he with the fleetest of foot needs space to exploit, which only Rooney appears capable of providing.

Neither of City’s goals was very impressive, coming more from good luck and poor defending. United supporters obviously reflected the solemn occasion by “saluting” Benjani after he put through the second on his debut.

Carrick came through with a fine goal at the end, which, though meaningless, proved a point. His goal was no stroke of magic but rather pedestrian, a product of practical opportunism rather than a hair-raising blitz from the back. Carrick is not as flashy as Hargreaves, but that’s not a weakness for a holding midfielder. Carrick may not pose as much of a threat going forward, but his conservatism keeps things tight at the back. Were it not for the 2006 World Cup, would Carrick be starting in his stead?

The United loss opened the way for Arsenal to take a five point lead in the Premier League, with their 2-0 defeat of Blackburn. The victory for Arsenal proved important, but hardly impressive. Despite dictating play for much of the game, Arsenal failed to create chances for much of the game, and largely failed to capitalize upon the chances that they did have.

They still have no genuine threat on the wings, which Wenger acknowledged by fielding four central midfielders (Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto, and Flamini.) The approach limits their angle of attack on goal and affords teams the opportunity to defend less of the field. To get any pressure whatsoever on the wings, Wenger’s gents rely on overlapping fullbacks to create any width, leaving the defense vulnerable. Against Blackburn, who cares? However, that strategy may be exposed if they try it against A.C. Milan.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa throttled Newcastle 4-1. Toon supporters, you’re gonna need a bigger boat. The extended decrepitude of Keegan’s tenure has dried up the market for “exciting football” and “soccer circus” jokes. Newcastle are just terrible. With Keegan’s 2 pts since taking over the club, they are now a mere six points from the drop zone. If Michael Owen scores in an empty championship ground, does Fabio Capello hear it?

If it is possible to have an unflattering hat trick, John Carew accomplished it.

Here is all you need to know about Liverpool 0 – Chelsea 0. I fell asleep during the highlights. The only thing productive that happened was that it killed Chelsea’s title hopes, 8 pts behind with two teams to overcome and it increased the probability of Liverpool being knocked out of the Champions League places.