EPL Talk » Roy Keane

Where Now For Steve Bruce And Sunderland?

Paul Bestall — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:35:40 +0000

14 games without a Premiership win would be worrying for several sides, but when you’ve spent the best part of £50 million to improve the team, 4 months without a win is disastrous. When Bruce took the reigns at the Stadium of Light in the summer, the club had survived a dreadful season which had seen Roy Keane walk out half way through and they limped to the final day staying up.

If you were brutally honest, Sunderland stayed up due to the ineptness of the other clubs at the foot of the table. For the amount of transfer outlay the Black Cats have spent, around £130 million in 3 years, two successive relegation battles are simply not good enough. For all the criticism that came last season, Bruce’s tenure started so well and Sunderland were comfortably placed in the top ten.

Yet since November, it’s all gone horribly wrong and Sunderland have slid down the table once more. Free scoring twitter addict Darren Bent has suddenly found goals hard to come by in open play and the side seems gripped with a fear of losing. As daft as it sounds, it’s a common occurrence for sides struggling to win to try and close up defensively, which in turn invites teams to attack them. The fear of having a go back leads to a footballing paralysis, the team simply forgets how to win.

Bruce has certainly got his work out at probably his biggest managerial role so far. Up until November, Bruce could honestly be pleased with the sides progress and they seemed to playing a good, high tempo attacking game. Beating Arsenal had seen them continue to re-affirm their ambitions of an outside chance of European football, but suddenly the confidence evaporated.

Bruce was in bullish mood earlier this week, coming out and defending his signings and perhaps he would point to Kenwyn Jones having his head turned by Liverpool’s underhand transfer methods in January, and the loss of Lee Catermole has certainly shown just how important he is to the Sunderland side. Yet, two signings do not make a team and several players simply have not performed not just for Bruce but over the last couple of years.

What has happened to Keiran Richardson? He seems to have completely lost his way again after picking up last season, so much potential and promise seems to be shackled with a fear to work hard and show the talent he has. Michael Turner has struggled to justify his £10 million transfer fee (as quoted in the court documents in the Hull City v Paul Duffen case). Anton Ferdinand has looked like he’d walk back to London if he could get a transfer, but he at least made me smile with this peach of a quote this week.

“It would be naive to say that we’re not in a relegation scrap. The league is so tight that a couple of results either way can make a massive amount of difference. No one is mentioning the R word around here, and we don’t want to start having to talk about it.” Priceless.

Of course, the bottom of the table is so tight at the moment, anyone from West Ham, in 13th could go down right now. 4 points separate 7 clubs and Sunderland’s goal difference is a real bonus despite the situation they are in. Unfortunately, they’ve a dreadful run of fixtures after Tuesday’s clash with Bolton. Only one of the next 6 games is against a side in the bottom half of the table and that could be crucial. It is not a run of games to take such a dreadful run of form into.

Yet, it could be what they need. Gaining three points in any of those matches would be a massive boost for Bruce and the club, giving them a much needed shot in the arm. No-one wants to say they’re too good to go down, we’ve seen it from sides such as West Ham United and Newcastle before. Now Bruce has to prove his reputation and really earn his stripes at the Stadium of Light.

The Premiership Team Of The Decade

Paul Bestall — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:13:03 +0000

This decade has seen the Premiership continue to grow and attract some of the worlds greatest players throughout the last ten years. By continuing to attract some of the biggest stars in the world, only La Liga can truly consider itself a rival for the quality of the players on show throughout the league. Yet who would make the best Premiership team of the decade?

Which players have consistently delivered year in, year out, or given years of sterling service throughout the decade? Well I present you with my best 11 of the last ten years, from goalkeeper to striker and I think you may be surprised with some of my choices. Once you’ve glanced through the team, let me know who you think should have been in or your best 11 of the decade.

1. Shay Given

The most consistent goalkeeper of the last ten years, with only the criminally underrated Jussi Jaaskelainen coming close for me. Seemingly trying to keep Newcastle up on his own, he served under 9 managers at St James Park this decade until he finally ran out of patience with the chaos in the boardroom and accepted a move to Manchester City. Since joining City in January, along with Craig Bellamy, he’s easily been head and shoulders above the other high profile signings at Eastlands.

2. Gary Neville

England’s most underrated player of the last 15 years and one of the best fullbacks this country has ever produced. Solid, dependable and wholly committed to Manchester United, Neville has often been in the shadow of higher profile players at United. For all the plaudits that Scholes, Giggs and Beckham received, without Gary Neville, it would have been a very different period without his consistent quality for club and country.Was clearly the best full back in Europe for a while along with Michel Salgado.

3. Ashley Cole

Yes, he’s got the personality that gets on your nerves and his autobiography was beyond deluded, but he’s been head and shoulders above most other left backs in the last ten years. Despite his issues, Cole is a fabulous full back and his duels with Ronaldo for both club and country have been more exciting than they should be. Only Patrice Evra can come close to him over the last few years. If only he could score more goals!

4. Roy Keane

Love him or hate him, Keane was the ultimate midfield enforcer over the first half of the decade in the Premiership. When Arsenal and Manchester United clashed, Keane vs Vieira was always worth the waiting for. Yet, he scored more than his fair share of important goals than Vieira and Makelele who were the other two key players in a similar position. Controversial until the end, Keane has always spoke his mind, but as a player, for me he was peerless.

5. John Terry

Mr Chelsea, 100% no nonsense defending, Terry epitomises everything that defenders represent. Tough, uncompromising and occasionally has too much to say on the pitch but as captain of club and country, Terry has given everything for the cause at domestic and international level. When he retires, Chelsea will have a major job on replacing him.

6. Rio Ferdinand

Another player who’s off field antics can sometimes grate with the followers of football, but there is no doubting the quality he has as a player. The silk to Terry’s steel for England and Vidic for Manchester United, Ferdinand is the best centre half of his generation. He’s had a ropey few months struggling with injuries and the scandal that the missed drug test caused unfairly tainted his reputation for a while but only Ledley King can come close as a footballing centre half over the last decade.

7. Christiano Ronaldo

Love him or hate him, Ronaldo’s 2007-2008 season was something magical. Quite how he kept scoring at the rate he did can’t really be explained and the following season was always going to disappoint but even though his head had been turned, he still kept scoring marvelous goals throughout the season. If he can replicate his domestic form internationally, then he will be remembered as one of the greats, but he has yet to deliver for Portugal. He needs a great World Cup to cement his reputation. Pace, trickery and explosive finishing that belies his size.

8. Frank Lampard

There is a hair’s breadth between Lampard and Steven Gerrard for me but Lampard gets my nod because he creates more chances for his team mates and doesn’t have the nasty streak that Gerrard can fall back in to on the pitch. A fabulous finisher and a master of the late run, Lampard has consistently delivered season after season for club and country. Has struggled a little this season with the new system that Ancelotti has implemented at Stamford Bridge this year, but I wouldn’t back against him to score another 20 goals this season.

9. Thierry Henry

Well, at least he didn’t have as bad a year as Tiger Woods, his fellow Gillette endorsed scandal buddy but that handball has certainly tainted his reputation almost as much as his whining after Arsenal lost the 2006 Champions League. That aside, Henry was immense for the majority of the decade, even suffering from sciatica for the last few years. His partnership with Bergkamp left defenders dizzy during the Gunners pomp. Failings aside, a damn fine player and terrifying sight in full flight.

10. Didier Drogba

When Jose Mourniho signed him for £24 million from Marseille back in 2004, eyebrows were raised all over England, but he has made the critics more than eat their words. On his day, he is simply unplayable and is once again banging the goals in for Chelsea. His form dipped under Scolari and he flirted with leaving the club, but he’s still at Stamford Bridge and the Blues are far more formidable for his continued presence.

11. Ryan Giggs

What is there to say about Ryan Giggs that hasn’t been said? How good would England have been if he’d stayed true to his schoolboy football roots instead of choosing to represent Wales. Clearly in the category of the greatest players never to have made it to a World Cup, he has scored and created more goals for Manchester United than you can think of. Even now, with Ferguson wrapping him in cotton wool he still delivers. A truly remarkable player.

Notable mentions must go to the following players: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Patrice Evra, Jamie Carragher, Ledley King, Patrick Vieira, Cesc Fabregas,Michael Essien, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres and Dennis Bergkamp. I don’t think anyone would come up with a similar starting 11, so comments please!

Can Anderson Be the Key?

David Schiavone — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:47:53 +0000

The Midfield Magician

Cast your mind back to May 2009, Manchester United were comprehensively and soundly trounced in Rome by a magical Barcelona side, inspired by Xavi and Iniesta. For many, the lack of quality in the centre of the park was plain to see, Carrick looked lethargic and unsure of himself, Fletcher was missed, this, a surprise in itself. Club legends, Giggs and Scholes were ineffective and nowhere to be seen.

The class of the Manchester United midfield is weak in comparison their Premier League rivals, Chelsea with Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Liverpool have Mascherano, Aquilani and Gerrard respectively. Carrick, Fletcher and Scholes just do not compare.

Some of you may cry, “You forgot about Owen Hargreaves!” Indeed I did, mainly due to the length of time he has been injured and latest estimates say he will return around Christmas.

With the transfer window almost closed there are no centre midfielders in sight. So I put it to you that, Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira or just plain Anderson will flourish this season.

In my opinion, Anderson possesses all the qualities to become a top class midfielder, he has pace, acceleration, strength, a strong positional sense coupled with the ability to thread through a match winning final ball. He is a combatitive all action midfielder, beginning his career further up the park, he has since developed a very useful defensive side to an already impressive array of attacking talents.

Anderson reminds me a little of Kaka but with a hint of Roy Keane, obviously these are massively talented players, whose level of ability he has not yet reached, but I think he can and has to an extent combined the best parts of their respective games.

He can sit in front of the defence and play a disciplined role, spreading passes to his teammates further up the field. He can also play as an attacking midfielder, a place where he is most comfortable. In this position he offers all the samba skills you can want – just ask Cesc Fabregas – he has vision, dribbling skills and an eye for goal.

The single shortfall of Anderson’s game, and it is a rather large one, is his uncanny ability to do everything right in the lead up to a shot then fluff the final act, footballs have been found as far away as China. Seemingly he did not bring his shooting boots to Old Trafford.

But I have hopes he can eradicate this untimely habit throughout the forthcoming season, and if pre-season is anything to go by we are in for a few treats, as his sublime free-kick against Boca Juniors was a joy to behold.

I think this could be the season where stamps his authority on this Manchester United side, he has already shown in the past he can mix it up with the big boys dominating in games against Fabregas and Steven Gerrard during his first season with United. He may just prove that there is infact life after a certain Portuguese.

Sunderland Need To Move Quickly But Realistically

Paul Bestall — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:12:29 +0000

The only thing that surprised me about Ricky Sbragia’s resignation was the timing of it, coming just 20 or 30 minutes after the final whistle. It was odd to watch Niall Quinn speaking about his manager not wanting to take up the option of another year as manager, whilst Sbragia stood there impassively.

Now it seems that the man who dared to question Roy Keane’s scattergun approach to transfer policy, correctly in my opinion, Ellis Short, is finalising his deal to buy out the board and complete his takeover at the Stadium of Light. A transfer kitty of £200 million will then apparently be made available to whoever takes the hot seat over which just makes me throw my hands up in exasperation.

60 years ago, Sunderland were known as the “Bank of England” due to their wealth but times have moved on and once again we’re faced with another club who seem to have no realisation of where they are in the scheme of things. The names being mentioned with the vacancy go from the ludicrous, Frank Rijkaard, to the obvious, Alan Curbishley, to the stupid, Steve Bruce being a Newcastle fan. The number one target, Martin Jol looks set for his dream job as Ajax manager; can Sunderland honestly think they can match Ajax in terms of appeal?

Now I’ve nothing against Sunderland wanting to better themselves but once again this is a club that the new owner assumes that just because it’s in the Premiership, everyone will be queuing up to join them. No offence to Sunderland fans but Short must be living in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks that they can attract the quality of players or a top quality manager he seems to think will want to join them.

Despite the amounts of money washing around in the Premiership, to attract the top players you either need to be based in London, or an internationally known club such as Liverpool or Manchester United. Sunderland are neither at the present moment and Short needs to look at how tough Manchester City are finding it to attract the big name players they assumed would be desperate to join them. Regardless of what a lot of people think, the top players want to win trophies, with money being a distant second.

You can have all the money in the world, but as in Sunderland’s case, you have no real international presence or modern history, you will struggle to improve the player quality with signings from abroad. Look at Newcastle in their pomp or Leeds United when they were going well, which top quality international stars did they sign? None. Not one, because of geographical location and history of success.

They may have signed some great players, but not one of true top level international quality. Ginola was a swear word in France by the time he joined Newcastle after being blamed for the goal that cost France qualification to USA 94. Faustino Asprilla was a loose cannon, unable to fit in anywhere, a risk too far for many managers.

With Short trying to throw money at Sunderland, he may be very surprised of the actual lack of interest from a top quality manager to join him. With several massive clubs in Europe needing new managers, Juventus, Munich, Real Madrid, Ajax, PSG, Chelsea, Celtic and German champions Wolfsburg to name a few, he’ll realise that money isn’t everything in Premiership football. Can Sunderland honestly compete with those sides, regardless of the money the may have?

Even in England, they only have to look up the road to Newcastle United to see the type of player having loads of money can give you. Inconsistent, infuriating and unwanted else where, the perception of the last few years in the UK was that if a player went to Newcastle, it was purely for the money as they had no chance of any silverware.

Short needs to be realistic at Sunderland and grow them steadily, otherwise he could end up with a frustrating summer and team full of mercenary players. Once again, a quick glance up the road will tell them all they need to know about that policy.

Premiership Final Day Preview

Paul Bestall — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:44:09 +0000

Ready For Sunday then?

So, how’s your nerves? Sky Sports News have today been running an article about stress relief for fans for Sunday. Tips included having a hot bath, avoiding alcohol and meditating to stay relaxed in the build up to the final round of matches in the Premiership. Which will be no help to any of the fans who’s nerves are probably already shredded about Sunday. For the first time in the UK, we’re going to have 4 games broadcasted from the Premiership simultaneously with streams coming in from Hull, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Ham, which worries me about the potential for an RSI based injury.

The trapdoor to the Championship is wide open, beckoning 2 teams to join West Bromwich Albion in relegation despair. Poor WBA, such lovely football, but no cutting edge, what they’d give for a 15 goal a season striker, it would have made all the difference to such a good football side as daft as that sounds. At 6pm, we will know which of the four candidates will have joined them, with each team’s destiny entirely in their own hands, but for Middlesbrough, it just looks too big a job.

Turning around a 5 goal deficit on Hull City, couple with a Newcastle defeat, is the Boro’s only hope. It’s not impossible to imagine Manchester United putting 3 past Hull, but to win 2-0 at West Ham? That’s a tough ask for most sides, but is it impossible to achieve? Come the last day, nothing would surprise me anymore. Can a team who’ve only scored 27 goals get at least 2 away from home and hope that results in two other games go their way?

Most eyes are going to be on the K>C Stadium, to see exactly which team Ferguson sends out to face Hull City. I’m annoyed by the accusations of a “weakened” Manchester United side taking the field, a side that will probably feature Neville, Ferdinand, Nani, Fletcher,Giggs and Tevez. Disgraceful isn’t it to pick such inexperienced players as those. It’s a side track issue that shouldn’t be even a discussion point; all of those players would walk into every other side outside the top 4 without question.

Newcastle need to worry about themselves at Villa Park, if they don’t win then it could possibly not matter. They have to win and hope for the best, but it’s a massive ask of a team that has only won 2 games this year. Defenders are dropping like flies, Owen isn’t fit, Andy Carroll is definitely out and a couple of youth team players may be on the bench. It all looks hopeless, yet I can’t condemn them fully, something just won’t allow me to say they’re down. It looks impossible but with all of the potential relegation sides in such poor form, it’s too close to call.

Finally, Sunderland, who have just drifted into this situation from seemingly nowhere. Keane walked out when he was rightly questioned over his signings by the majority investor, Ellis Short, over just what value for money they were getting. When someone pays £6 million for Teemu Tainio, you’ve got to ask questions haven’t you? Of all the sides at the bottom, they’ve spent the most, yet got worse so have the most to lose in my opinion, by being relegated some Sunday.

I’m going to be here all the way through on Sunday, so if you can’t get to watch any of the games, hopefully you’ll join us here on epltalk.com, and I’ll try to keep pace with events for us all. Let’s hope we’ve we have a fantastic last day and may the best teams stay up!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Join the live blog on Sunday at 10:45am ET/3:45pm BST for the Premier League finale hosted by Paul Bestall. Celebrate the final day of the relegation battle with one eye on the television set, and the other eye on your computer as you participate in the online experience with football fans from around the world.

Without Keane, Sunderland Flirt With Relegation

Ethan Armstrong — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:01:28 +0000

Is Roy Keane smirking right now? Is he rolling his eyes? Both?

For two years Sunderland was Roy Keane’s baby. He took the struggling side, nurtured it back to health and delivered it from the relegation zone of the Championship and back to the top flight. In every transfer window he made moves to improve the squad. Once back at the top, the goal was to dig Sunderland’s feet in and avoid the old yo-yo effect. Stay up. Stay up.

And while they only finished three points from the drop zone, Sunderland didn’t look in danger at the end of 2007/08 and 39 points was an amazing feat compared to their last Premier League finish: 15 points and 20th spot in 2006.

The season began as expected with a balance of wins, draws and losses and Sunderland enjoyed reaching as high as sixth in the League table. But six losses in seven matches led to Keane’s departure. Intense pressure from the board in light of the bad results was too much for Mr Keane. He resigned in early December. Directly before a trip to Old Trafford to face his old club.

Now, I recognize it was Keane’s decision to leave, but doesn’t it seem painfully obvious that the board could have found a more constructive way to work through Sunderland’s problems? Unrelenting pressure at this level is inevitable, especially when the threat of relegation comes into the equation. But boards are too quick to come down on the manager rather than work with him through a rut. It is a foreign concept for boards to think, We’ve got the same goals, let’s fight through this together.

And while Roy Keane may not have been ready for the pressure of leading a struggling premiership side, this would have been an ideal time for Sunderland’s powers-that-be to show their support for the man’s learning process. One six-loss rut in the larger picture of all that Keane had done for Sunderland seems workable. Sure, if the results are not turned around in January, questions need to be asked and a sacking or a resignation may well be in order.

But clearly, Sunderland have gained nothing by letting Roy Keane go.

Interim manager Ricky Sbragia hasn’t turned Sunderland’s results around and now, unless they defeat Chelsea this weekend, their fate will rely on the outcomes of other matches. Newcastle at Villa and Hull hosting Manchester United.

Hull, who scored three goals on United at Old Trafford will put up a fight, and Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to rest his best for the upcoming Champions League final, having won the league already.

Newcastle have a mammoth task playing Villa away, especially with defender Sebastien Bassong suspended. But there’s nothing like facing relegation to inspire a side to glory.

Sunderland will be praying one of the two drop points. But there are no restfull nights in the Blackcats’ week ahead. And even if they survive, the fact that they are in this position in the last weekend is proof enough Keane’s departure didn’t do the club any favors.

Meanwhile, Roy Keane is probably pouring over the scouting reports, plotting his summer moves for Ipswich Town.

“I truly believe that I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side,” said Keane when appointed. If he returns to the top flight with Ipswich, prehaps he’ll be ready for the next bout of pressure. A good manager learns from past tribulations. Even if boards can’t.

Sunderland Keep Slipping Under Sbragia

Paul Bestall — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:19:06 +0000

When Roy Keane walked out of the Stadium of Light back in December, they had 15 points from 15 games. He’d become exasperated as his expensively recruited side simply hadn’t gelled as quickly as he’d hoped and felt he couldn’t inspire them from the insipid performances they’d shown, especially in his last game in charge, the 4-1 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers.

Yet, when the dust settled it seemed it was board member Ellis Short that seemed to have got under Keane’s skin, as he questioned his tactics and signings, which having funded his Summer extravagance, you would feel he was right to do. Perhaps being American, he was not under the spell of Keane as much as some in the UK but I’ve yet to meet another manager that has his club send letters to forthcoming opponents advising them of rules regarding Keane. The Championship will be delighted with the return of someone who refuses pictures to be taken in the same room as him, regardless if he’s in shot or not, no autographs under any circumstances or for club staff not to speak to him unless spoken to.Delightful.

Once Keane had walked away from Sunderland, Ricky Sbragia was named as the Caretaker Manager for a four game period that saw the Black Cats garner 7 points and the players seemed 100% behind the new regime. So much so that the Sunderland Chairman, Niall Quinn, rewarded him with an 18 month contract to become the new manager of Sunderland and things were looking rosy in SR5.

Fast forward to the end of April, Sunderland have just been routed by West Bromich Albion 3-0 at the Hawthorns as The Baggies gave the best display of the season against a disinterested, dispirited bunch of players in red and white stripes. The only thing missing was Keane back on the bench snarling and staring at the pitch. It was a concerning performance, a performance that will be given the Mackems sleepless nights this weekend, it was the performance of a team in real trouble.

The one benefit for Sunderland is that they’re still out of the bottom 3, regardless of Newcastle’s result tomorrow night. With 4 games to go, they can still save themselves from the ignominy of relegation but they need a win. Any kind of win, but they need one and fast but it’s not the easiest run in they could have had. Two home games against the cup finalists Everton, on May 3rd and Chelsea on the final day book end two tough away trips against Bolton and Portsmouth.

The team seem to have fallen back into the bad habits and lacklustre displays of Keane’s tenure that saw him walk away back in December. Can they really survive without picking up any further points, regardless of how poor Newcastle, Hull, Middlesbrough and West Brom have been playing. To hope that none of the four sides below them pick up any points between now and May 24th would be suicidal at best.Their rivals though hardly have it any easier:

Middlesbrough: Home to Manchester United, Away at Newcastle, Home to Aston Villa, Away at West Ham United.

Newcastle: Portsmouth at Home, Liverpool Away, Home to Middlesbrough & Fulham and then travel to Aston Villa.

West Brom: Spurs Away, Wigan and Liverpool at Home and finish with a trip to Blackburn

Hull City have Villa away a week on Monday, Home to Stoke City, Away at Bolton and finish with Manchester United at Home.

Sbragia needs to try and rectify something in the next few days because they cannot gamble on the teams below them not gaining any points. We only have to look at Fulham last season, relegated with 30 minutes to go at Manchester City, they recovered and won their last 3 games to save themselves and condemn Reading to fall through the trapdoor on goal difference.

The side seems so short of confidence but when you look at the side, they’ve probably got the best squad in the bottom 5 by some way. Yet, whilst Jones and Cisse seem to getting the flack of not getting the goals, the rest of Sunderland’s squad have chipped in with 11 goals between them all season. Yes, 11. Cisse and Jones have 18 in the league so far, but the rest of the team simply aren’t weighing in to help out and for them to have any chance of survival, the rest of the squad have to stand up and be counted.

The Black Cats are going to need more than luck and other teams to stay up.

The Relegation Rumble: Sunderland

tyduffy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:37:22 +0000

Sunderland rose to the Premier League two seasons ago with Roy Keane’s magnetism, and it was the same presence that kept them afloat last season. The reform movement lost steam when Keane left, and Sunderland have been rudderless since Ricky Sbragia transcended the interim label. The club is in fourteenth place, but just three points above the drop zone.

Form: Sunderland have nine points from their last eight matches, winning two and drawing another three. The two wins came at home against Stoke and Fulham, which isn’t so impressive, but the type of wins they need to stay up. Though, the eight game sample sounds better than it should, because Sunderland are winless in their last five.

Schedule: Sunderland’s schedule is not hospitable. Three out of their four home matches are against Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea, squelching opportunities to shoot for a home win. They may get a reprieve if the final Chelsea match is a dead rubber, but even a deflated Chelsea team could compete. The other home tie is against Hull City. Sunderland also travel to West Ham, West Brom, Bolton and Portsmouth.

Injuries: Sunderland are not really beset with crucial injuries, with Teemu Tainio being the most significant loss. Amazingly, Djibril Cisse has not broken his leg, but there’s still time. Their talented players are healthy. They just need to play well.

Prognosis: Sunderland have not beaten a noteworthy team all season, going winless against the top eight. Besides the occasional flash of brilliance, they don’t create and they struggle to score, managing just 29 in 30 matches. Sunderland need to win two to three of the next eight games to ensure their safety. It doesn’t look likely. If Newcastle catches some luck, Sunderland may be relegated instead.

This post is part of a series on relegation. Check out our other posts on Bolton and Hull City.

Manchester United: Best Eleven Of The Premiership Years

Michael Timbury — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:24 +0000

They seem to have been mentioned on here quite a lot recently but since the inception of the Premiership in 1992, the dominant force in English football has undisputedly been Manchester United. Over the years they have had a number of fantastic footballers on their books but who have been the best? Below I have attempted to put together a best eleven of the Premiership Years (also stating the season that I believe each player was at the height of their powers). There are going to be one or two notable absentees but here goes:

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel (1995/96).
This was the easiest choice of all eleven as Schmeichel is probably the best goalkeeper of all time. United haven’t exactly been blessed with an abundance of talent in this area since The Great Dane left the club in 1999. Edwin Van Der Sar has become the closest thing to a replacement that Sir Alex has found for Schmeichel but without a doubt, he would be my choice of keeper for any fantasy team.

Right Back: Gary Neville (2000/01).
The most difficult part of this selection was pinpointing the exact season as to when Neville was at his best. I have gone for the early 2000s as to when I think he was at his peak but for the best part of a decade, Gary Neville was the best right back in the league. Still an important figure at Old Trafford as the club captain, his determination and desire to play for United has seen him rewarded with a contract extension. Neville deserves this for his service to the club and has been an integral part of United’s unrivalled success.

Left Back: Denis Irwin (1993/94).
Patrice Evra was a close contender for this position but I have gone in favour of the former Ireland international purely on the basis of longevity. In his twelve years at the club, he won seven titles, three F.A Cups and a Champions’ League. Albeit right footed, Irwin was arguably better at left back where he played the majority of games for United. Irwin was not only a dependable full back but also had a knack for scoring penalties and free kicks too.

Centre Back: Jaap Stam (1998/99).
In his first season at the club, he won the treble. Intimidating, powerful and no nonsense, Jaap Stam was a centre forward’s worst nightmare. When he signed for the club he was exactly what they were missing and when he was sold (something Ferguson has since admitted his regret at doing), he was sorely missed as United leaked goals in a way they had never really done so before. Although he only spent three years at the club, Jaap Stam made a huge impression on Man United fans and I feel definitely warrants a place in this team.

Centre Back: Rio Ferdinand (2007/08).
I feel that Ferdinand has been the best centre back in the world for the last couple of years now. It took him a while to mature but seems to have been worth the wait. At the time, thirty million pounds seemed to be a very steep price tag for a centre back but Rio looks to have justified that investment and has gotten better with age and experience. Ferguson ought to think about awarding Rio with the permanent job of captain (I’m pretty sure he has).

Right Midfield: David Beckham (1998/99).
While at Man United, David Beckham twice came runner up in the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award. Although he was probably a more accomplished player and talismanic figure for both club and country in 2001, the way that Beckham bounced back from being outcast as a public hate figure after the 1998 World Cup is what most impressed me.

Left Midfield: Ryan Giggs (1992/93).
Giggs has the unique record of being the only player to have scored in every Premiership season. For as long as I can remember, Ryan Giggs has been annihilating full backs. He is the personification of loyalty and is Mr Manchester United. Over the years he has adapted his game to ensure that he can still compete at the top level and doesn’t get any less remarkable. However, it is the Giggs of the inaugural Premiership season that I would want marauding down the left wing as he was simply unstoppable.

Centre Midfield: Roy Keane (1999/00).
The PFA and Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 2000, Roy Keane was the engine room, the heart and soul of Manchester United for many a year. He demanded perfection and usually got it. The way his United career ended sours the fact that he was an immense talent and a fantastic captain. Not only is he an automatic selection but would definitely get the armband too.

Centre Midfield: Paul Scholes (1999/00).
Paul Scholes has never sought attention like many professional footballers do, but somehow I don’t feel he (or his talent) can ever receive enough praise. A truly remarkable exploiter of a football, he can dictate games with his eyes closed and has been doing so for what seems an eternity. It’s tricky to nail down the specific season that Scholes most shone for me as he has been superb for so many of them. I have gone with 1999/00 because of two special goals that live long in the memory, versus Bradford and then Middlesbrough (look them up on YouTube, both occasions United wore the less fondly remembered purple strip).

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08).
Well he had to be in here somewhere. You could play Ronaldo anywhere you like really and he’d still be sensational. Many would say that he is a midfielder but I would probably just tell him to play where he likes. Anyone who can score 42 goals in a season earns that privilege. His aerial ability married with David Beckham’s delivery would be an exciting prospect and I’d be intrigued to find out whether or not Ronaldo would score as many goals up front as he does from the wings. Either way, he’s in. You can’t not have the world’s best player in the team.

Striker: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (2002/03).
This was an unbelievably tough call, one that I didn’t anticipate (somewhat naively) when I began this article. Cantona or Van Nistelrooy? I only went for the Dutchmen because it’s who I’d pick to compliment the team if this were real. A born predator, he scores goals like you and I breathe. 44 goals in a season isn’t easy to ignore. Whereas Cantona was perhaps United’s most influential figure of the nineties and they wouldn’t be where they are today without him, I have to go for Van Nistelrooy just on the basis that goal scorers win a team trophies.

There is my team; some agree with me, most won’t so feel free to add your own suggestions and/or best elevens as well.

Gianfranco Zola: How Do You Say “Lucky” In Italian?

Scott Bennett — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:30:15 +0000

His owner is trying to sell the club after the global economic recession virtually wiped out his fortune in Iceland. His club is embroiled in a massive lawsuit with a £25 million fine sitting over it’s head. His better players were sold off at an alarming rate, with no possibility of new players coming in. One player in particular staged a walkout the minute he heard there was a possibility of him leaving his club. He was told through the media that one of the biggest clubs in the world had very little interest in hiring him to manage their team. He’s comfortable for the moment, but the relegation zone is still only a rough patch away.

Clearly, Gianfranco Zola is the luckiest man in football.

The most obvious aspect of Zola’s good fortune is pretty straightforward. Since he dropped into a no-win situation, there’s relatively little pressure to succeed. With the tumultuous start to the season, subsequent departure of Alan Curbishley, and a fan base that doesn’t need a dictionary to familiarize themselves with the word “relegation,” nobody would have blamed Gianfranco Zola if keeping West Ham in the Premiership proved a bridge too far. As it stands, Zola’s record as manager is not spectacular, grabbing only 27 of a possible 63 points. When your more recent results include sneaking points off Liverpool Chelsea and Arsenal, and giving Manchester United a run for their money, however, supporters laud you for implementing a system that’s falling into place and players responding to your tactics. Reporters, supporters and pundits are even willing to overlook points dropped to other struggling clubs like West Brom, Spurs, Newcastle United and Portsmouth. Not many managers get that kind of praise based on a 43% points return.

But hey, we’ve come to praise Zola, not to bury him. His situation is a difficult one and he’s done well, taking points in 8 of the last 11 Premiership matches. But what’s more important than results for Zola is the security he’s been afforded in the West Ham hot seat.

Looking at other premiership managers of a similar age and experience, it’s clear that West Ham’s tough spot has helped Zola while others, namely Paul Ince, and Roy Keane, and have fallen.

Like Zola, Paul Ince had zero top flight experience. Unfortunately for the self-styled “Guv’nor,” he came in on the heels of his former Manchester United teammate, Mark Hughes, who kept Rovers punching above their weight during his tenure. Despite success at MK Dons, word leaked out that Ince’s training methods were, to put it mildly, unsophisticated. It appears that Incey relied a fair amount on his star power to get things done in the lower divisions, but when he tried those tactics on players who comfortably make more money than he did as a player, the bluster of self-promotion didn’t dazzle the troops into action.

Unlike the self-promoting Ince, whose attitude earned him a one-way ticket out of Manchester United, Zola is known throughout the game as the consummate gentleman whose respect for others earns him respect in return. This humility also allowed Zola to put ego aside and sign Steve Clarke, the former long-standing Chelsea number 2. Clarke’s training and tactical experience help cover up Zola’s shortcomings and allow him to focus his energies in areas of confidence.

Zola definitely has qualities that have contributed to his somewhat encouraging start, but it would be naïve to ignore the part his surroundings played in his positive publicity. There are still top flight managers who use regressive training methods (see: Megson, Gary) and an even longer list of Managers who are not on the top of any conceivable “nice guy” list (see: every manager who ever won the Premiership). Without a history expectation (See: Phil, Big) or even raised expectations, Zola has the wiggle room to make mistakes without having to look over his shoulder after every misstep. He can make mistakes and, because of the financial situation of both he club and owner, can live to err another day.

Roy Keane is a Zola contemporary who not only succeeded in keeping a club in the top flight, he managed to drag Sunderland from the foot of the table to win the Championship and promotion status that goes with it. His early start exceeded every expectation. Unfortunately, it also sealed his fate. Having only hung up his boots the year before, Keano had no experience managing players. As a man who expects nothing less than the best out of himself and anyone around him, stories in the wake of Keano’s departure from Sunderland indicate that the club needed a better buffer between taskmaster manager and players.

Even more significantly, however, Keane had a meager scouting network in place to help him suss out talent. In the Championship, it wasn’t a big problem. His three main sources of players, the Scottish Premier League, the Irish national setup, and Manchester United castoffs and loanees, were more than enough to succeed in England’s second tier. Unfortunately, you don’t see a lot of Scottish Premier League players making the jump to the English Premiership these days, and Keano wasted millions of pounds on players who were either not up to Premiership standard, like Russel Anderson and Anthony Stokes, or simply not worth the money, like Craig Gordon. Keano famously said he could tell that a player wasn’t up to standard after seeing him for five minutes on the training pitch. Sadly, he had already spent the cash to get them on that training pitch, and sales of footballers don’t come with a return policy.

Let’s be honest; there’s absolutely no reason to believe that Gianfranco Zola’s football Rolodex would be any more thorough than those of Keane’s or Ince’s, considering the three are contemporaries and the former Manchester United teammates have actually played the managerial game longer than the diminutive Chelsea icon. Therefore, lacking the proverbial pot or window, Zola never had to worry about exposing his limited scouting network to any scrutiny. Instead, he has time to try to build one up before spending any of West Ham’s minute transfer fund.

On the surface, managers like Ince and Keane appeared to be in vastly superior situations than Gianfranco Zola’s; quality players and an enthusiasm brought on by success at Ewood Park, and an administrative team that bought every player you asked for at the Stadium of Light. As it turns out, there’s a reverse to holding down a job where the business infrastructure allows you to get the job done; if the job doesn’t get done, there’s only one place to point the finger.

For some people, adversity is an excuse to fall apart. For others, it’s an opportunity to try without fear. While former Derby County manager Paul Jewell cracked jokes at his club’s and his own expense all the way to the precipice of footballing oblivion, a character like Gianfranco Zola obviously realised the tight situation at West Ham allowed him the advantage of beling allowed to grow into the job. He’s free to try new and different things, and since failure is expected, there’s no need to fret about the odd stumble and fall. Becasue he didn’t have a chance to do much of anything in the transfer market, Zola can take more time and build up a strong scouting network so he’s ready to move decisively when the opportunity finally presents itself. Due to the fact the club and the owner can’t afford to pay him not to do the manage the club, Zola realises that he enjoys a preverse form of job security and can eschew stop gap measures for long term stability and success. Instead of adopting a fatalistic stance, Zola realises that being in the wrong place at the wrong time has never been such a fortunate opportunity.