EPL Talk » Tony Mowbray

Arsenal Beat Celtic 2-0 at Celtic Park, All But Assure Champions League Qualification

tyduffy — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:03:21 +0000

Arsenal beat Celtic 2-0 at Celtic Park, all but assuring their qualification for the Champions League group stages, with two away goals. It was not the presiding effort of their 6-1 away win at Everton, but the two deflected goals – from Gallas and Gary Caldwell’s foot – fulfilled the requirement in what was arguably the most important match of the season.

Celtic obviously came into match with an inferior squad. The Scottish Premier League nowhere near equates the English one. Celtic’s biggest signing was £4m Scott Brown. As was mentioned in the telecast, new Celtic manager Tony Mowbray did have experience against Arsene Wenger from his time at West Brom. Unfortunately, said experience was losing to Arsenal with an inferior squad.

The tactics came as no shock. Celtic pressed early to disrupt Arsenal’s passing, with moderate success. When the club tired, they kicked Cesc Fabregas constantly, resulting in two yellow cards and accomplishing nothing but placing him at risk for injury. Fabregas is too savvy to be addled by wanton lunges. Even if the tactic had hampered his effectiveness, Arsenal have four or five players who can create adequately with the increased space from diminished attention.

Wenger again opted for the 4-3-3, using the exact lineup that played against Everton. This time, however, players shifted positions more frequently and both Gallas and Vermaelen attempted runs from the back. This suggests we may be seeing some true total football at the Emirates this year.

Arsenal’s back four, fronted by Song were solid again. Though, they benefitted from Arsenal breaking up plays high up the pitch in both matches. The trio of Alumnia, Vermaelen and Gallas appear confident now. Will this change when they face a team that can down the wings and challenge aerially with crosses?

The weak point for Arsenal was Nicklas Bendtner. He shone with the ball at times against Everton, but against Celtic he was woeful. Whether playing down the right or in the middle, his poor off the ball positioning placed him consistently two steps behind his proper place. He has the technical ability, but does he have the football intelligence?

Theo Walcott should take Bendtner’s place when he returns from injury. Though, if Bendtner remains the fall back plan for the slender shouldered one, that should influence Wenger’s to buy. Could Wenger take Rafael Van Der Vaart off their hands for £6m?

For those tracking other transfers as we approach the deadline, Emmanuel Eboue was not in Arsenal’s squad, leaving that reported £9m move to Fiorentina an option.

Who Will Relegation Hit The Hardest?

Christopher Walker — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:54:55 +0000

Who will feel the effect most if they relegated to the Championship?

With West Bromwich Albion’s fate sealed last week we can now prepare ourselves for a dramatic conclusion to the Premier League season on Sunday. The neutral (including yours truly) will relish it and will want to see as many twists and turns as possible. Anyone supporters involved will have struggled to sleep for a week.

We all have our own predictions as to who will go down and what the sequence of results to will be. What I wondered is what effect will relegation have on the clubs involved.

West Bromwich Albion – 31 points (already relegated)

Even the most biased of Baggies supporters could not have been surprised about the clubs fate this season. However there seems relatively little for the Hawthorns club to worry about. Brom perenially spend within their limits upon promotion and Tony Mowbray has followed similiar traits. Signings that broke the £1 Million mark included: Scott Carson (£3.5 million), Marek Cech (£1.4 million) ,Luke moore (£3 million), Zuiverloon (3.2 million) , Valero (4.7 million), Aboulaye Meitie (£2 million) and Roman bednar at £2.3 million.

Not taking into account players that left that Hawthorns, the Throstles have forked out around £20 million. No doubt a few of the above will leave to recoup some of this. It is also likely that some contracts will include a drop in wages upon relegation ,West Brom should be relatively comfortble providing they spend their parachute monies wisely next season and offload a few big-earners.

Middlesbrough – 32 points

Although ‘Boro are technically £85 million in debt, the vast majority is owed to chairman Steve Gibson – which is the equivalent of owing your Dad 200 quid. Conisdering Gibson’s patience with Gareth Southgate it seems highly unlikey he will let the club suffer. However should ‘Boro suffer the drop (and it seems likely they will) they will have to get wheeling and dealing quickly. One of the first names out of the door will be Alfonso Alves, who was signed for a fee rumoured to be £12.7 million and one shudders to think what kind of wages the Brazillian is on at the Riverside. After breaking his foot against in the relegation six-pointer against Newcastle and a poor goals return for the club, ‘Boro may have to brace themselves for a big financial loss. The other big name out of the door, and the one Middlesbrough will miss most from an on-field perspective is Stewart Downing. A host of clubs will have relished the prospect of Boro’s demise in order to sign Downing and it is thought that Spurs will lead the chase after keeping tabs on the winger for considerable time. Boro will be hoping for auction fever from rival clubs in order to raise as much cash as possible. It will come as no surprise that Tuncay and David Wheater will also raise the eyebrow for a host of clubs, with Robert Huth also likely to be the subject of some interest.

Should Middlesborough fail to survive, the winds of change are likely to blow through this cold part of the country including the possibility of a new manager. With numerous players likely to leave and taking into account the squads lack of experience, ’Boro may well have to be happy with a season of stability next season rather than a promotion charge.

Newcastle – 34 Points

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. There may have been talks of a conspiracy theory in regard to the strength of Manchester United’s team selection at Hull. But based on perfomances alone, Newcastle are where they deserve to be. If Newcastle are relegated we will witness a real exodus from St James Park, which in turn demonstrates the extent of the problems the Magpies will face. The list of players likely to leave include: Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obamfemi Martins, Damien Duff, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Gutierrez and possibly Steven Taylor. If things continue in the trational ways of the Tyneside soap-opera then you wouldn’t rule out yet further changes at either boardroom or management level. Chairman Mike Ashley has been ostracised from the club before and if he cannot either persuade Shearer to take the job permanently and/or the Toon don’t get off to a flyer in the championship he knows showing his face in the Sir John Hall stand would be a tad unwise.

Newcastle will have to do their best to wheel and deal as early as possible in order to get the new players to gel as a unit early in the forthcoming season. The first thing they need to do is oust Joe Kinnear from his role, he isn’t physically fit to do job, and if the club are indeed relegated the job starts the minute the final whistle is sounded on Sunday. Although sacking managers isn’t a sign of stability, do any of us genuinely think that Kinnear would stay in the job until the end of next season – fit or not? With expectations and pressure form the fans likley to be huge and the club not in the best of health financially, relegation would hit United very, very hard.

Hull City - 35 Points

And to think the start Hull City had. The Tigers are clawing on for dear life in the Premier League and require one last roar this Sunday to ensure survival. Hull are likely to face a considerably weakened Manchester United team on Sunday which may give them half a chance of stealing a point. Whether any of that will come to fruition is another matter. Should Hull find themselves with an instant return to the Championship you would feel that financially the club will not suffer to the degree some of their rivals will. City were desperately unlucky to lose Jimmy Bullard so quickly after his £5 million move from Fulham and could find him leaving the club sooner rather than later at a cut-price fee. Bernard Mendy and Andy Dawson will also have attracted some attention, Giovvani’s early season exploits may tempt a rival club into a gamble. Hull however – are sound financially, have a good boardroom and a good manager in Phil Brown. Providing they can keep the nucleus of the squad together City should be stable and will look to try and bounce back at the first attempt.

Sunderland – 36 Points

The fans and players alike pleaded for the board to give Ricky Sbragia the managers job on a permanent basis, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ now springs to mind. Should Sunderland fail to beat Chelsea in Guus Hiddink’s last league game in charge, the Mackems may need another black cat in the dressing room for luck. The club would appear financially sound given the money they have spent in the last few seasons however I would still expect a few to leave. Sunderland shouldn’t really be in this trouble given what they have spent over the last couple of seasons. If the club are confined to the Championship, it is likely they will look to offload the wages of Steed Malbranque and Craig Gordon. I cannot see Kenwyne Jones staying at the Stadium of Light, particularly with Tottenham knocking on Niall Quinn’s door. Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand will attract offers and no doubt the pair pick up a fair size wage packet each too. This being said, Ellis short is now linked to a buy out of the club followed by a change of manager and a £200 million transfer kitty – if Sunderland stay up and we are to beleive the tabloids.

Welcome back West Brom

David Schiavone — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:06:05 +0000

Will the Baggies bounce back?

The predicted great escape was sadly not to be for West Bromwich Albion, a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool condemned Tony Mowbray’s side to life in the Championship. It seemed a late run of form was going to provide the springboard for the Baggies to perform another miraculous feat, ala 2007, but it was too little too late for them as relegation was confirmed on Sunday.

This season West Brom have spent most of their time languishing in or around the relegation zone and the inevitable was surely just a matter of time. In the summer Mowbray did not strengthen the squad adequately enough, the most significant being Gianni Zuiverloon, Scott Carson, Abdoulaye Meite and Borja Valero.

Scott Carson has looked a shadow of the player once tipped as the future England number one. His clear lack of concentration has cost the Baggies a fair number of points and it seems he consistently makes thoughtless decisions.Zuiverloon on the other hand has been impressive in the right back slot, attracting interest from Paris Saint German. Playing in a defence, which has shipped goals for fun, it is a credit to the young Dutchman that he is attracting such interest.

Credit must also go to two stalwarts of the Hawthorns, Jonathan Greening and Chris Brunt. Greening, the club captain has put in some marvellous performances this season, controlling the centre of midfield and driving his team forward. Chris Brunt has show he has some ability when striking a ball from a set piece, coupled with his rampaging runs down the right flank, he has shown his value to the team.

Borja Valero has also been a solid buy, signed for £4.8 million, a significant amount for the club. Valero can pass with artfulness similar to countryman Cesc Fabregas while reading the game like a seasoned pro. January signing Juan Carlos Menseguez has also caught the eye in recent weeks, and although only on loan, he may well return for next season.

Tony Mowbray has a young and extremely talented squad with bags of potential. He has a footballing philosophy that must be commended, not giving way to calls from the masses to drop his way of playing. The style shown by his team have earned them many admirers and respect from many, but the downside is the lack of defensive cohesion. This twinned with Scott Carson’s shaky performances have led to 60 goals conceded in the Premier League, a number that is not good enough.

One saving grace is the financial situation at the Hawthorns, with 16,000 supporters having already renewed their season tickets for next season. The club will find itself on a sure footing during their time out of the lucrative Premier League. It also seems most of the squad can be kept together, “We don’t have to sell players because we don’t have any debt at club,” said Mowbray. A statement backed up by chairman Jeremy Peace, “We can keep players we want. Their salaries are affected by what league they’re in.”

Most would agree, although West Brom are destined for the Championship, they play a brand of football that is most welcome in the Premier League and will be welcomed back with open arms come next May.

Rafa Benitez Fallout and Wenger’s Reaction to Fourth Nil Draw

Johnathan Starling — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:04:28 +0000

The two big stories this weekend not related to Manchester United’s getting the first leg of the quadruple would have to be events that transpired at the Riverside and at the Emirates Stadium.

We’ll start with Liverpool because after such a great result midweek against Real Madrid, their loss at the Riverside defied belief. And the papers were quick to fill column inches with their own post match thoughts. Sam Wallace compares the Liverpool situation to that of Nigel Clough’s power struggle at Derby County. Personally I don’t see that much of a comparison as Rafa and Hicks for the moment appear to have formed a loose partnership. Piers Morgan heads down the character assassination route calling Rafa the most arrogant manager in the history of the Premier League. That’s just harsh. Patrick Barclay sneaks the line in his column about Rick Parry that Rafa is the one who has to answer for the results, not Parry himself. Don’t expect that anytime soon. This Independent column pretty much states what Rafa is confirming Sunday, the title race is all over.

It’s almost become a recording at the Emirates, a Premier League nil draw. The results are something that just baffle any mind and after the result against Roma midweek, you would think confidence would have reigned supreme against Fulham. However after Saturday’s result, all Wenger could come up with is “Maybe is is partly psychological. We are getting in good positions but not taking the chances.”

Maybe? Is that the best you could come up with? At this point it is completely psychological. When week in and week out your side can’t finish in front of goal, it becomes a mental thing. Wenger can praise your keeper all you want, and keep the faith in Arsenal’s stars, but you simply have to motivate your players to get goals. That is simply something Wenger hasn’t been able to do. Maybe Theo Walcott’s return to training can be the boost that Arsenal sorely need.

Other Stories
The other big result this weekend was Aston Villa blowing a two goal lead to Stoke City at home. That didn’t stop Tony Pulis hoping pre-match that Villa finished in the top four. Post match it was Martin O’Neill not happy at the arrogant and over confident nature Villa had after going two goals up.

In other Villa news, Martin O’Neill has responded to disgruntled Villa fans who decided to fly out to Moscow just to see the Aston Villa ‘c’ side lose to CSKA Moscow. His offer, dinner with himself and the players. I guess that works, but I was thinking more a reimbursement check for expenses after having to endure that game.

The cracks are starting to show at the KC Stadium. After Geovanni’s ridiculous antics after being subbed, Phil Brown gave him the verbal hair dryer treatment. I expect that one to get much more heated before it cools off.

Speaking of hair dryer treatments, Rio Ferdinand is still sacred of Sir Alex’s.

Tony Mowbray continues to say he will not stand down from his footballing philosophy. That’s even after another defeat.

Bolton fans probably aren’t happy after Gary Megson has agreed to a new rolling contract at the Reebok Stadium.

Florent Malouda says the lack of first team action could cause him to consider his Chelsea future. I say take a hike. You were a good player for France, but the English game is not your brand of football.

And finally, if the News of the World is to be believed (and I normally don’t unless they have the video to prove it), Manchester United is going to throw 200,000 a week at Cristiano Ronaldo to stay.

Just one more thing before I go. Has anyone noticed how many clubs are now within three points of the drop?

Not a Happy Guus While Rafa’s Going No Where,

Johnathan Starling — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:18:50 +0000

I’m happy Guus is not as thrilled about Chelsea’s 1-0 win as I am.

A bit of a side bar before I get into the news tonight. Chelsea are extremely lucky they are a goal to the good heading into their Champions League second leg. For starters, I don’t believe Didier Drogba’s goal should have counted. Frank Lampard was actively offside, and when Drogba and Lampard are both teeing up to shoot, sorry the referee has to throw the flag up.

Then there are the two obvious penalties that should have been called on both Petr Cech and Michael Ballack. Then the icing on the cake, the man in the middle completely blows the last kick of the game. Alex did get the last touch and the referee didn’t seem to care.

Guus Hiddink has every right to not be happy with Chelsea’s performance Wednesday night against Juventus. Yes the first half went by fine, but Chelsea mentally checked out in the second half. Guus was the first to admit that. He isn’t satisfied with a one goal advantage heading into the second leg, but that’s understandable knowing the task at hand heading to Italy. Being complacent on an away European night could result in their ultimate undoing.

If preparing for Real Madrid wasn’t enough, having reports over your head about your job added to the difficult task Rafa had in front of him Wednesday night. The first denials about Rafa leaving hit my RSS feeder at 9:34 Wednesday morning, but nothing concrete from the ownership at Anfield.

Liverpool will be happy with their 1-0 victory. For starters they got that cliched away goal and got a road shut out. That is Rafa Benitez at his best. Every time Rafa has been under the gun, an European night has always given him comfort. Even his post match press conference was a happy place as he committed his future to Liverpool. We’ll see come this summer.

Other Stories
For those wondering, Middlesbrough are in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after a 2-0 win over West Ham United. Now Gareth, can you get that result in league play?

And Phil Brown is hoping that an FA Cup win Thursday night will kick start Hull City’s dead form.

More FA Cup talk as Roy Hodgson is warning Manchester United that Fulham won’t be laying down. The problem is, it’s Manchester United. Even if you don’t lay down you may end up rolled over.

So Kolo Toure didn’t know the rule about not coming onto the pitch until the referee said so once play resumed? Along with a new ritual, maybe a look at the laws of the game wouldn’t hurt.

Martin O’Neill has added his two cents into the artificial pitch debate. Of course he had to use the Champions League Final jab in his comments.

So another Premier League player has been arrested. This time it was Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller. What driving offense (or offenses) could it take to be brought in for questioning.

And finally, Tony Mowbray intends to use loan signing Juan Carlos Menseguez as a super sub for that extra spark off the bench. West Brom could use one from the start as well.