FIFA 12 features 40 new goal celebrations, all of which can be seen in the following video. Interestingly, Arsenal was picked as the club to demonstrate the goal celebrations. Based on their current form in the Premier League this season, they may not be the best choice. But despite their poor form, they have been banging in a few goals now and then.

Here’s the video featuring the new goal celebrations courtesy of Robin van Persie, Gervinho and others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a8liHvd6I

Football needs to be careful. We all love the drama of a good transfer deadline day and that feeling when your club lands a great player is brilliant but the whole situation is becoming scary.

As I sit and write this, Fernando Torres is moving for nearly £50 million and Andy Carroll is the subject of a bid of nearly £40million. Not to mention the Darren Bent transfer last week.

The so called people’s game is moving closer to the edge by the month. The average fan can not help but feel that they are becoming less and less relevant to the running of their club. Actually, that is not quite true, their wallets are still very relevant but beyond that, one has to doubt. The influx of billionaire owners means that even the old reliance on ticket sales is lessening.

This is not an article moaning about the financial behaviour of clubs, there are enough of them already. This is an external processing of serious worry that I have for the future of the game.  The success of football was built on a connection between clubs and fans and while this has almost entirely disappeared over the past twenty years or so, the situation is now becoming ridiculous.

How can fans still feel part of their club? How can they honestly believe that they are at the centre of the owner’s minds anymore? I honestly believe that radical changes are going to have to come in before the bubble bursts. A salary cap, greater financial equality and more investment in lower leagues are all needed.

Unfortunately all of the above are very unlikely. A salary cap would see many players leaving for Europe unless it was brought in there as well. The big clubs, which hold all the power, are not going to pass any rules which see their financial potency diluted. As for investment in the Football League, the chances of foreign owners suddenly embarking a round of philanthropy are very slim.

As fans we are faced with a difficult question, would we trade the big name, high wage players for a more equal, more sustainable league? Would we suffer a dip in the quality of play in the league for a league where we could see more clubs challenging for the top places? It is a dramatic suggestion and a choice that, in all honesty, nobody wants to make but it is one that could well be facing the game in years to come.

What do you all think? What, if anything, needs to be done to improve the future outlook of the Premier League?

A short interview with Bacary Sagna. Enjoy!

Here’s the links:

• Who has the best youth system? [Behind The Goal Post]
• Villa go for Makoun [ESPN]
• Charlie Adam [SI]
• Gossip [Yorkshire Post]
• Transfer talk [Telegraph]
• Attendance talk [Offside Rule]
• Becks to watch from sideline [Yahoo]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.

Let’s gear up for tomorrows FA Cup matches with a video. Take a look at the highlights from last years final.

Here’s the links:

• Aston Villa shaken up [Caught Offside]
• Buy Beckham’s 2008 Porsche [Ebay]
• Manchester City played for the draw [A Different League]
• Obi Mikel out until February [Sky]
• Dzeko interview [M.C.F.C.]
• Soccer Songs [53 Songs]
• Anelka isn’t so bad [Sports Illustrated]
• Wanker of the year contest [Arsenal Review USA]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.

The manager has risen from club secretary to official face of the club since the creation of football teams worldwide. He has moved from the man that kept the record books to man that is larger than the football team he manages. Commentators and pundits refer to Ferguson’s United or Wenger’s beautiful, passing football.

He even has books written about him. The Manager by Barney Ronay, an excellent book that discusses the rise of the manager into the modern game, unearths some of the origins of the manager’s image and attempts to discuss what kind of person the manager really is. While the book wasn’t ever intended to be an academic study of the merits of various tactical thoughts of managers, it does address some of the often listed character traits of successful managers. When all these traits are put together, to many the manager appears to be a father figure, a scary headmaster, a politician you’d like to have a beer with, or some combination.

Yet despite all this popularity, he is little more than decider of players and positions during an actual football match. His only other real role having to do with a game of football is what he says, or does not say, to the players. While this may seem to be just about everything that there is to do, this is really not much in relation to even one, single football match. Even the purchasing of players has been taken from his list of job responsibilities at some clubs. After talking to the media, amping up / scaring the team, and picking the players and formation (something that many of us feel we could do a better job of), it’s up to the players to get the job done. He is then left to either become the scapegoat for club and player ineptitude or savior for lifting his players (all the while not doing much different in either scenario).

The idea of the manager being wholly responsible or all to blame for results is to make a system with many variables look like it all comes down to the whims of one man. This is ridiculous. To some, suggesting that this is absurd may not come as very controversial at all. I suggest listening to fellow fans and media but understanding that this article may not provide much reflection for you. To others, this begs to ask the question of who is responsible if not the manager. While I refuse to fall into the same trap of blaming one party for an entire club’s woes, I would suggest the players as a possible start.

The point is that the owners (a common euphemism for cash), back-room staff, the manager, a dash of luck, and mostly players play a part in a team’s performance. In addition, former owners and managers often continue to play a role. When a team fails to obtain the results they are perceivably entitled to, the fans and media seem to have a checklist of blame that progress from the manager’s tactics, the manager’s transfer policy, the manager’s man-management, and usually ending in the owner’s lack of investment. Players rarely, if ever, come into play (pun intended) unless it is to discuss the manager’s man-management.

All managers have come under close scrutiny at some point in their career but one of the most extreme examples from a fan-base and the media recently is the demonization of Roy Hodgson at Liverpool.

One reason fans have cried for his removal is, what I believe to be, the myth of his lack of tactical knowledge. Hodgson is, if anything, a man deeply involved in tactics to the point of players at Fulham labeling their endless repetition of team shape at training as tiresome. This is all, however, beside the point for me. 4-4-2, zonal marking, 4-3-2-1, team pressing, or the deep, lying midfielder have nothing to do with what is wrong with Liverpool right now. Jonothan Willson, Michael Cox of Zonal Marking, and like-minded individuals may cringe at the idea of tactics taking a backseat but a quality player will be a quality player in any position without needing to be told what square to position himself in. Tactics come into play and they can definitely give that extra push that is sometimes required. In the Hodgson’s Liverpool example, however, I believe bad purchases have been made in the past and the world-class players are often failing to rise above. Swapping one man’s 4-4-2 for another man’s 4-3-3 won’t change Liverpool’s chance of winning games. Further, tactics often don’t improve a player or team but aim to exploit weaknesses in the opposition.

This leaves us with the question of his ability to both manage players and, to a lesser extent, the media. This is where I will somewhat concede to the critics. While at Fulham, he seemingly could say no wrong. He was polite, soft-spoken Hodgson. This is quite different to his time at Liverpool where he has experienced quite a few moments of idiocy when opening his mouth. One quote that sticks out as especially odd to me was during a discussion about Fernando Torres and an alleged move to Manchester United. Hodgson didn’t exactly express the sentiments most supporters would have wished for considering this is the club’s long-time rival.

“I am not naive to believe there won’t be any danger and we will never lose a player like Torres, I understand these things can happen. I don’t believe we will lose him, we will do our best to ensure he stays…”

Having said all that, I still believe this has little to do with a match of football. His man-management / media relations may be lacking and Torres may look at a quote like that and wonder what his manager was thinking but I would still expect a world-class striker to make his supporters proud as soon as the interview is over and the match begins. To say Hodgson’s man-management is wholly responsible is to say that a kind word or two and the proverbial “arm around the shoulder” of professionals is all that stands between Liverpool and former winning ways. Again, this probably has something to do with the trouble at the club but not the sole reason.

Being as unbiased as possible as a twenty year supporter of Liverpool and, while critical of at times, a supporter of Hodgson, I fail to believe that one man can be responsible for the play I’ve seen this season. Any manager on the bench cannot change the fact that the players are making silly mistakes and are not fighting for the shirt and crest they wear. This coupled with a bench that hardly strikes fear into the opposition has seen the club at a historic low. This season I have seen some good football. I have also seen our most often excellent goalkeeper booting the ball right into a striker’s feet, defenders falling over themselves trying to intercept a simple through ball, midfield players spending an entire match passing backwards in fear of mistakes, and strikers not willing to put the work in to hold the ball up. As absurd as it sounds, I’m sure he’s addressing these basics with the players during training but at some point responsibility must at least partially shift. Having said that, when results do turn I will also be the first to point out that Hodgson isn’t the only reason.

The point is that I don’t believe another manager would do much better without improvement in the squad and players stepping up. Removing Hodgson is an especially bad decision considering the need to pay off Hodgson’s contract and find a manager willing to work at a club that will give him little say in who the club purchases.

In the very first chapter of Barney Ronay’s book, The Manager, he discusses one thought on why the manager’s position was even dreamed up in the first place during the late 1800s and early 1900s when, again, he was little more than club secretary.

“The crowd called for blood, and they got it: secretarial blood. Mute, office-bound – but also dressed in the directorial waistcoat and watch-chain – the sacrificial lamb was already on premises. The secretary was about to get his big break. It seemed unlikely to be a very happy experience.

Here we come to a central dramatic irony in the manager’s story. The fact is, his first real high-profile public act was to be sacked. Getting the boot was where it all started. The manager was born to be sacked, and sacked with some sense of cathartic public ceremony.”

This is how it has always worked. It is much easier to take all that dispersed anger out on the one man from whom we have come to expect too much. The owners need not address all these messy issues mixed up with a team’s performance. They can just fire, hire, and repeat.

Buy The Manager: The Absurd Ascent of the Most Important Man in Football by Barney Ronay

Note: This article was written prior to Liverpool’s latest poor result against Blackburn. In the few hours since the end of that match, even more speculation about Hodgson’s job have surfaced and it is very likely he could be leaving the club soon. Though I planned on publishing this later in the week, I have pushed it up because I believe this game was the perfect example of how the club uses the manager as a sacrifice to their fans despite it being clear that fault was literally at the feet of the men that, save Steven Gerrard, seemingly couldn’t be bothered to fight for us, the supporters, on the pitch today.

Ah, it’s that time of the year again and I simply love it. No, not Christmas, but the end of the year lists that all end up being about the same everywhere you look. Seriously, I think every music magazine has awarded album of the year to Kanye West, but that’s a topic for another article. Here we discuss the Premier League and the individual footballers that make it one of the best leagues in the world.

2010 has been quite interesting if you’re a fan of the Premier League. We’ve seen current Champions Chelsea start the season on a flier only to loose out on some key players and suffer once again from the goings on behind the scenes as owner Roman Abramovich and his cronies have their way. Adding parity to the Premier League, all three promoted teams are comfy in mid table or there abouts while once boring Bolton have enjoyed a mini resurgence under current boss Owen Coyle. The end of last season’s title race was a close one with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney picking up most of the accolades. Chelsea were deserved Champions but Manchester City and Tottenham have emerged as serious title contenders in the last four months.

While familiar faces currently hold the top two spots in the standings, 2010 hasn’t been the kind of year dominated by English football’s ‘big 4′. Liverpool are re-building under Roy Hodgson, Manchester United have been solid without being great, and Arsenal seem to be plagued by the same old problems that have hindered their title credentials for the last few years. Critics will say that the big 4′s lack of dominance has burdened an already top heavy league while proponents will argue just the opposite. Regardless of your stance on the overall theme of this year’s Premier League, there have been some standout performances which we’ll now take a look at in the form of the league’s best starting XI.

Author’s Note: While not an easy feat, the following list has been complied by analyzing performances from the entire 2010 calendar year. If readers fail to see a player on the list they feel was deserved, it’s likely said player had a great few months but was injured, suffered a drop in form, fell to the fact that only one player can occupy each position or simply wasn’t good enough over the course of the last 12 months. As always, feel free to leave comments and suggestions in the space below.

Goalkeeper – Joe Hart, Manchester City- While Chelsea’s Petr Cech has enjoyed his best form since 2007, the league’s best keeper thus far has been the England #1 Hart. Hart started 2010 on loan with Brum then was called back to his parent club Manchester City. He began the season in the kind of super-human form football fans are used to seeing on highlight reels and maybe even in their dreams. Manchester City are chasing the title and with Hart healthy, fit and between the sticks, they’ll feel their shot at the title will increase.

Right Back -Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea- Having filled in for the injured, first choice right back at Chelsea Jose Bosingwa, Ivanovic slowly claimed the spot as his very own over 2010 yet remains available to fill in in defense wherever needed. A good crosser of the ball when getting forward to support attacks, Ivanovic is a staunch defender and able to score the occasional goal from a set piece when opportunities present themselves.

Central Defender -  Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United – Vidic has arguably been the league’s best defender for a couple of years as well as this calendar year of 2010. Strong, smart and with brilliant defensive positioning, Vidic remains a staple in the heart of United’s back line and should be considered as one of the best defenders in the world.

Central Defender – Vincent Kompany, Manchester City- Although City have been leaky recently, they’re not challenging for the title for nothing. They finished last year in fifth and look to improve upon that this season. Kompany has been a rock solid defender for City through their resurgence up the table.

Left Back – Leighton Baines, Everton- Ashley Cole and Patrice Evra have also had a great 2010, but I grow tired of players the likes of Leighton Baines missing out on recognition. Baines has been one of a few standouts on an Everton side with not much to gloat about in recent weeks. And although one could argue that Baines isn’t asked to do as much as the aforementioned Cole and Evra, he remains as important to his team as Cole and Evra do to theirs. Baines just missed out on joining England at last summer’s World Cup to Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock but it wasn’t because of form, but more because of the experienced players in front of him. Baines is a solid defender and possesses the attacking abilities that modern day full backs need to enhance the shape of their team moving forward.

Midfield (Right) – Nani, Manchester United- Nani’s stock has risen immensely in 2010 with some great wing play on the right, a number of important goals scored and has shown he possesses the kind of footballing maturity needed to succeed at United. Nani was brilliant in last season’s away victory at Arsenal on 31 January by turning in a man of the match performance and remains one of the league’s most dangerous attackers when on form.

Midfield (Attacking) – Samir Nasri, Arsenal- The brilliant Nasri can play on either flank or in central midfield in an attacking role. Quite possibly the league’s form player so far this season, Nasri has been an instrumental play-maker and attacker as Arsenal chase the Premier League title. Quick, a good link player, a goal scorer and emerging as a leader while Cesc Fabregas continues to struggle with injury, Nasri has excelled as a footballer in 2010.

Midfield (Defensive) – Nigel de Jong, Manchester City- What a year City midfielder Nigel de Jong has had for both club and country. His exploits in South Africa, while at times controversial, earned him a starting spot in the Final v Spain while he remains a staple with club. Strong in the tackle, a good distributor of the ball and a solid defender, de Jong is currently one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

Midfield (Left) – Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur – No one in the world has been as effective on the left side of midfield in world football in 2010 as Bale has been for Spurs. First a left back with attacking abilities and now an out and out attacking winger, Bale’s stock has risen higher than any footballer this year. Bale’s a strong, marauding runner, a brilliant crosser of the ball, dangerous over a free kick and can score goals. His trickery in attack is only matched by his effectiveness when running at defenders while his abilities to defend shouldn’t be overlooked.

Forward – Didier Drogba, Chelsea- Drogba hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks, yet he’s still a top five goal scorer this season and was last season’s highest scorer. Although he’s battled sickness and injury, Drogba remains a threat the moment he steps out onto the pitch and let’s not forget, Chelsea are the title holders largely because of how good Drogba was earlier this year.

Forward – Carlos Tevez, Manchester City- Like Drogba, Tevez is always near the top of the goals scored list while his work rate remains mostly unmatched by any other forward in the Premier League. I’m happy to hear that he’s rescinded his transfer request and will remain at City, at least for the time being. Tevez is one of the league’s best and most exciting players to watch.

Bench: John Terry, Chelsea – Patrice Evra, Manchester United – Petr Cech, Chelsea – Darren Fletcher, Manchester United, Roger Johnson, Birmingham City – Florent Malouda, Chelsea – Wayne Rooney, Manchester United – Darren Bent, Sunderland – Stewart Downing, Aston Villa

First against third will take place on Monday when Arsenal travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in what will be a fitting end to an exciting weekend. Arsenal lead United by the slimmest of margins, just a point, due to United missing out on league play last weekend against Blackpool because of extreme weather. Whenever two of English football’s biggest clubs meet, fireworks can be expected. Let’s face it, United and Arsenal have dominated the Premier League since its inception so Monday’s prime time match is sure to be enjoyed by millions across the world.

The interesting thing about United v Arsenal, at least this time around, is that top spot is up for grabs and both sides will look to attack with purpose while neither (in recent years) have been prone to set up defensively. Other traditional ‘big 4′ matches featuring Chelsea v Liverpool or United v Chelsea have sometimes proved to be dull, boring affairs while Arsenal v United always entertains.

All pre-match variables point to an open and attacking but tight encounter with top of the league on the line. United have yet to loose in the Premier League this year and Arsenal have the physiological advantage of actually being league leaders thanks to some sensational play in recent weeks from their emerging talisman Samir Nasri.

Before Monday’s appointment, here are three key match-ups we at EPL Talk think will make a difference in the outcome of Manchester United v Arsenal 2010-11, Pt. One.

Samir Nasri v  United’s Defense – Nasri is easily the Premier League’s form player of 2010. His contributions to an Arsenal side who have lacked a full strength Cesc Fabregas or Theo Walcott or an out and out goal scorer have seen Arsenal reach the Premier League summit while many would argue they’ve yet to play their best football. Because of Nasri’s emergence as Arsenal’s best player this season coupled with the fact that the Gunners are still without first choice defender Thomas Vermaelen, many believe Arsenal to be serious title contenders when they’re finally able to put a full-strength team together.

Nasri has been instrumental in Arsenal’s success this season because of his versatility as a footballer. He’s capable in a midfield three, a good passer of the ball, pacy and has developed a healthy goal-scoring obsession in the form of eight league goals so far this season. Nasri uses his pace (second fastest on a quick Arsenal side just behind Walcott) and incredible footwork to create space and goal scoring opportunities.

Depending on how Arsene Wenger elects to use his star player will also depend on which of United’s midfielders or defenders will encounter him the most. Should Wenger place Nasri on the left side of Arsenal’s 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, he’ll run into Rafael the most. This could prove incredibly exciting because of how quick both players are while Nasri’s abilities won’t necessarily be used to provide Arsenal with width, but will more likely be used to create space for others by cutting in from the flanks.

Darren Fletcher in midfield is also a likely participant in the containing of Nasri. Because of his work rate and defensive midfield abilities, Fletcher, if fit and starting, will be key in slowing down the league’s best player.

Dimitar Berbatov v Sebastien Squillaci – Berbatov is the league’s leading goal scorer with 11 and will look to add to that tally by testing Arsenal’s (at times, shaky) central defensive pairing of Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny. Arsenal have conceded the most goals this season out of the other three title contenders-United, Manchester City and Chelsea-with 18, so it’ll be up to their center backs to keep them in the game by quieting the Bulgarian.

Berbatov has enjoyed some fine service from those around him in the form of Nani and specifically Wayne Rooney while his finishing has been equally as effective. United’s forward two of Rooney and Berbatov have begun to form quite the partnership upon Rooney’s return to first team action. Although not entirely matured as of yet, their combining in attack has produced a few moments of pure class thus far this season.

As for Arsenal’s Squillaci, the French defender has been asked to step in as cover for the injured Thomas Vermaelen more than expected this season. Although solid on many occasions, Squillaci has been error prone in recent weeks as he trudges through his first season in the Premier League. Pay special attention to his defensive positioning and look for United to attempt to test Arsenal’s back line through crosses into the box from the width that Nani will look to create on the flanks.

Alex Song v Wayne Rooney – Arsenal seem to have found the ‘hard man’ they’ve craved in recent years in the form of Alex Song. Song will sit just in front of the back four which is exactly the space that fit again Wayne Rooney likes to occupy. Playing more as a play-maker or link player than an out and out striker, the battle that Rooney and Song will encounter with each other should be a hard fought one and likely key in a tight match.

Song is a strong midfielder, good in the tackle and can get forward to support in attack when opportunities present themselves. Rooney’s desire to be involved in every movement United attempt and his thirst for the ball witnesses the England striker in more of a roaming role than a ‘high up the pitch goal poacher’. If Rooney can better Song, look for United to create more and enjoy more meaningful possession than Arsenal. Likewise though, if Song can contain Rooney in the same way Fletcher will hope to neutralize Nasri, Arsenal can use Song’s ball winning skills to spark counter attacks into United’s half.

While the predictions will be left to the punters, the match promises to live up to the hype surrounding it. Arsenal would be lying if they said they wouldn’t be pleased with a draw while three points for United would be massive heading into next weekend’s clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as they pocket that game in hand for January.

Today’s video features Manchester United players in an ad for a popular vodka. Poor Rio barely gets a touch though. Thanks to Off The Post for the good find.

Here’s the links:

• Ray Wilkins speaks [Vital Football]
• Everton secure young midfielder [Guardian]
• Pardew leads manager race [Soccer News]
• Mike Ashley’s Pardew checklist [Transfer Tavern]
• True form of EPL teams [Bleacher Report]
• Weekly gossip [Sinnacle]
• 10 most underwhelming managers [Telegraph]
• The Hawthorns [Stadium Journey]
• Fantasy home vs. away [Tikabooson]
• Mike Ashley comic [Three Match Ban]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.

‘Premier League Links Of The Day’ is kicking off Monday in style with another great video. Take a look at the excellent skill moves from the past week.

Here’s the links:

• Friedel on the decline [Back Page Football]
• Grapevine rumors [Soccer 365]
• Ugg-oh [Kickette]
• Malouda faces possible ban [Mail Online]
• EPL formations guide [Soccer Portal]
• Peter Crouch boot interview [Soccer Bible]
• Arsenal without Koscielny and Vermaelen [League Football Live]
• Marko Marin scouted [Sport]
• Americans abroad [Soccer By Ives]
• EPL photo gallery [Espn Soccernet]
• Goal of the month compilation [Soccer Portal]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.

Our second installment of ‘Premier League Links Of The Day’ is here! Today’s video features Dimitar Berbatov and his thoughts on his recent five goal performance.

Here’s the links:

• EPL’s 10 dirties players [Bleacher Report]
• Adrian Durham’s team of the week [Talk Sport]
• Carroll has the X-factor [Mirror Football]
• Clint Dempsey backs Mark Hughes [F & H Chronicle]
• Aaron Lennon’s unbelievable week [Tottenham FC ]
• Liverpool players adjusting to Hodgson [Liverpool FC ]
• Ashley Young makes a blooper reel [Goal]
• Bolton vs. Blackpool match highlights [101 Great Goals]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.