Debate: Technology in football, for better or for worse?

Technology for the better?

(Written by friend of the site, Dave McGinley)

Watching a replay of Adam Johnson's and Danny Wellbeck's 'clever' simulations to win penalties against Fulham and Chelsea lately, left me pondering for the 238^th time this season; how the hell are referees supposed to do their job effectively anymore when players are now so good at cheating that it’s become a kind of fast twitch muscle reaction for some forwards? It must be time for action?

Surely what we need now is the introduction of video technology. FIFA is stuck in a time warp and are hated by the average fan as a result of this. What these fans need is a powerful champion. An institution to take on the Luddites and show the world that football can evolve. Step forward oh kings of 2D, 3D, HD and possibly several other Ds not yet invented, yep you guessed it I’m talking about Sky Sports.

Sky could simply use its vast resources to stage off season games using video technology with slight variations on the games laws that mean it would fall outside FIFA’s jurisdiction. Example I hear you cry.  Here goes. On August 1^st 2012 they reserve a Championship/League 1 ground. They issue an invite for a 10 a side game. 35 minutes a half. Pitch marked just below the minimum requirements. See where I am going with this? FIFA use their power to stop individual associations experimenting with the games laws in much in the way central planning committees strangled all creativity under Communism. What about players I hear you cry? Well Sky can easily gain access to a fine pool of ex-players playing in their Masters Series. They simply select the fastest and mostly recently retired to play and pay them an appearance fee. The teams would be arbitrarily red v blue. These guys are retired and not still registered as footballers. This should avoid any nasty consequences from the games powers. Now we can simply begin experimenting. Be it a contest system like the NFL, Hawkeye technology (cricket, tennis etc.), a 5^th official with a monitor and a feed to the ref to give recommendations (my own personal favourite) it would quickly become apparent what is working and what should be ditched. The old red button could even be used to poll viewer reactions to specific innovations. It would be done in a controlled environment and respectfully held in the off-season.

No doubt Mr Blatter would be loudly and publicly unimpressed and lambast the English for their rebellious lack of respect for the traditions of the game they invented. And in the end what better reason could there be for Sky to try it, it would be controversy couched in moral superiority and that should equal viewers. It could start a groundswell of support for the changes that clearly work and finally a proper debate with some real information and evidence on an issue that badly needs it.

The Response: Written by Game Ramble Weekly

I applaud your desire for campaigning for improvements to the game Dave, I do. However at risk of being labelled a "Luddite", I am a long way away from jumping on the pro-technology bandwagon and there are numerous reasons why. Let us begin with the most basic logistics. How would it all work?


The most common call for technology is in relation to establishing whether a ball has crossed the goal line and yet in some ways this is the most problematic. Think of a recent incident of whether a ball had crossed the line or not. Thinking about Frank Lampard in the World Cup? Probably. I'm sure we can all remember the incident but just in case, here's a clip to refresh your memory. Now here is the main issue for me, when does the referee ask for the game to be stopped and for the incident to be reviewed? As I am sure you noticed, Manuel Neuer immediately launches the ball down field to Miroslav Klose and within 10 seconds of Lampard's 'goal' Lukas Podolski is inches away from scoring again for Germany. If the referee orders the incident to be reviewed instantly and it emerges that the ball has not crossed the line, then Germany have been deprived of a fair opportunity to counter attack, and I think I speak for most football fans in saying that a lightening quick counter is one of the more aesthetically pleasing and exciting moments that can happen in a game.

Equally if you wait till the next time the ball goes out of play, again using the England/Germany incident as an example, you could have a situation where Lampard's shot crosses the line but they do not get a chance to review it until the ball next goes out of play, which could very well have been when Podolski rifles one in and then you face the farcical situation where Lampard's goal has been instantly wiped out by Germany scoring on a counter even though they should have in fact been restarting the game with a kick off. See the problem? I am sure people will read this and claim that I am simply using one situation to deal with many different hypothetical occurrences but these instances are only hypothetical until they occur in a match and then it is a whole new controversy. For FIFA to implement any sort of new rules every conceivable scenario should be covered.

The most ideal remedy to the goal line problem would be the implementation of an ice hockey system in which some sort of motion sensor is activated upon a puck/ball crossing a certain line. Although hopefully we can all agree that there is no need for a gaudy red siren to go off the moment a goal is scored! If such a system was implemented at reasonable cost and was able to brought into play across a fairly wide scale (say every team in their countries top division had to be able to provide said technology) than I am willing to concede on that point. However those advocating a system in which television "review" systems have to to be operated then I feel there are still many problems to be dealt with.

Dave mentions the use of a "5th" official with a monitor feeding the referee advice throughout the game, again a commendable idea but again there are many potential difficulties with this. For example, I am guessing that one of the situations that you would want this 5th official to come into play would be in deciding whether or not to give a penalty? Yet aside from this system being subject to the same problems as the Lampard/Germany incident there is also the the question of time. Although people argue that such is the length of time that players argue over the awarding of a penalty anyway this would not be an issue, it does slightly underplay the length of time it could take a video official to review such an incident. Although some penalty decisions are clear cut, many are not, for instance when running at top speed it genuinely does not take much to send someone as quick as Aaron Lennon tumbling. A mere clip of the ankle, that may appear innocuous to the standard armchair viewer, can easily be enough to send players to the ground. It could take a long time to assert conclusively whether a penalty should be given so those who worry about the slowing down of the game are right to be concerned.


Additionally take the incident Dave refers to with Adam Johnson and Danny Wellbeck, it is going to be incredibly difficult for a video referee to assert for sure whether a player has deliberately sought to make contact with a defenders leg rather than the other way around.

Having said this there does need to be some action taken to try and curb the desire of players to cheat their way to success. However at this stage, with all the potential problems of video technology in reference to penalties and other incidents which could be problematic and unclear, what I would propose is a major campaign, similar to "kick it out" or the recently unveiled "so what" initiative to counter homophobia, that targets simulation and other forms of dishonest play. If the FA and the Premier League were to make a number of star players the face of a campaign to stamp out diving it would at the very least make players concerned about their actions on the pitch. If players like Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard were major faces of a campaign such as this it would potentially have some impact upon their actions or a the very least if they did continue to con referees the criticism and accusations of hypocrisy would give them food for thought.


Ultimately I am not fundamentally opposed to the idea of using television replays/goal line technology in football but equally I do not want to see the footballing authorities rushed into an ill conceived plan without properly considering the consequences and potential problems such a dramatic change would cause.

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Stewart Downing, Kenny Dalglish's most dissapointing signing?

Since returning to the club he loves so dearly last January, Kenny Dalglish has spent over £100 million. £35m of that was used to purchase Andy Carroll from Newcastle and although this deal, unsurprisingly, receives the most attention, the below average performances of Stewart Downing have regularly slipped under the radar. Since arriving at Anfield for £20m Downing has dramatically failed to perform at anywhere near a consistent level. Indeed it is this articles assertion that in many ways he has in fact been Liverpool's most disappointing signing and not Carroll.

Although the signings of Carroll and Jordan Henderson have aroused greater skepticism, due to the duos relative lack of premier league experience however these two have one significant factor on their side. Age. Henderson is 21 and Carrol is 23 and the relative youth of these two talents was a major factor in why Liverpool were prepared to invest so heavily in them. This is not to say that Liverpool did not overpay, especially in the case of Carroll, but it is easy to see how both these acquisitions fit into the "moneyball" strategy that has been adopted by sporting director Damien Comolli, both at Liverpool and his previous club Tottenham. Although expensive, both these players offer long term potential not to mention the safety of a respectable resale value when the club does eventually decide to move them on, should they so choose. All these attributes however are noticeably absent from Stewart Downing's CV and that is why he must be viewed in a different light to his colleagues from the North East. Henderson has been practically an ever present this year and the complaint most often leveled at him is that "people don't notice him" during the game yet as discussed before this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Firstly Downing's age; he is 28 this summer and as such must be viewed as being in the prime of his career, he has years and years of premier league experience behind him, first at Middlesbrough and then at Aston Villa. By signing him for £20m Liverpool and Dalglish must surely have expected the finished product and yet he has spectacularly failed to perform. Not a single goal or assist in the league this year is a dismal return for a winger who has managed to become a fixture in England squads of late (and ironically has performed better in an England shirt than a Liverpool one). Upon his signing he was hailed as the key to unlocking Andy Carroll's potential and providing the width that has long been absent from Anfield (see Mark Gonzalez, Jermaine Pennant and Albert Reira as previous "answers" to this problem). Yet he has failed to live up to these expectations so far. Whether playing on the left or right he has offered little threat and seems uncertain of his role in the side.

At Villa both he and Ashley Young knew that under Martin O'Neill their job was to stay wide and aim to get as many crosses into the box as they could yet under Dalglish you wonder if Downing really knows what his role is. His link up play with forwards, whether it be Carroll, Luis Suarez or Dirk Kuyt is pedestrian as is his willingness to run beyond the forwards. Contrast this with Craig Bellamy, whose rise to prominence in the Liverpool team has coincided with Downing's worst run of form, the Welshman regularly runs beyond the last defender and seems to have grasped what Dalglish wants from his wide forwards in Liverpool's 4-3-3 system.

Bellamy is not the only signing that puts the pressure on Downing. Take Gervinho, far from the finished product but he was signed for half the price that Downing was, is younger and has already scored and assisted multiple times this season. Not to mention how well wide men at less fashionable clubs such as Nathan Dyer, Anthony Pilkington, Elliot Bennett, Scott Sinclair (who Liverpool have looked at on a number of occasions) have performed.

Is it a question of Downing not suiting the way Liverpool play or is it something else? In many ways Downing falls somewhere in between the classic stereotypes of wingers. He is neither a David Beckham like player who simply looks to deliver the ball the first chance he gets but nor is he a player like Sinclair who consistently looks to create one v one opportunities and drive towards goal. He is capable of both but simply does not produce to anywhere near the level someone like Antonio Valencia at Manchester United does. If Liverpool go with three in midfield, that leaves three forward positions available, although with Suarez and Bellamy (fitness permitting) really it only leaves one and at the moment Downing finds himself behind others in the pecking order.

It seems likely this weekend that Liverpool will lift their first trophy since the 2006 FA cup and yet expect to see Downing, a £20m pound winger supposedly in the prime of his career, sitting on the bench whilst a Welshman who was discarded by the premier league leaders and a Dutchmen who was signed to be a prolific goal scorer, and is now a somewhat uncomfortable right sided midfielder grace the Wembley turf.

It is not too late for Downing to rescue his Liverpool career but if he and Dalglish do not address his failure to adapt to life at Anfield his future for both his club and his country, with Euro 2012 around the corner, are at risk.


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Quick preview to Napoli vs Chelsea

Not as in depth as the preview to Milan - Arsenal last week, this post will briefly look at some of the key issues and individuals in this evenings clash in Naples.

Napoli on the counter

Few teams in Europe break as quickly or as effectively as Napoli, so Chelsea will have to guard against it, particularly with the second leg to come at Stamford Bridge. Manchester City struggled against Walter Mazzari's side in the group stages partly as a result of offensively minded full backs being caught high up the pitch. With this in mind both Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic will have to be aware of the dangers when they push on and Andre Villas-Boas may well ask that if one full back does push up the other stay deeper. However if the full backs do play more conservatively then Chelsea's chronic lack of natural width will be even more evident.

Pressing

Both teams have looked to pressurise teams high up the pitch this season, with dramatically different results. Whilst Napoli are used to it, with players and a system that is suited to such a strategy, Chelsea are not. In recent weeks the Blue's pressing and high line has been less evident (ironic given John Terry's absence) but were they to resort to it tonight it could make for a chaotic but entertaining affair. Expect Napoli to press high early on, in an attempt to gain control of the game.

Key clashes
Edison Cavani vs David Luiz & Gary Cahill

One of Europe's most prolific forwards against a brand new defensive pairing who have both struggled individually this season against far lesser players. Cavani is similar in some ways to the great Raul, in the sense he does not have one 10/10 attribute, but is simply 9.5 at everything. His quick movement and telepathic understanding with the other members of the "Three Tenors" (Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik) will test this new Chelsea defence but if they can neutralise Cavani a significant goal threat will dissapear.

Gohkan Inler vs Juan Mata

Inler's form has been up and down this season but he has generally saved his best performances for the Champions League. Mata has settled in brilliantly and is already established as Chelsea's leading creative spark. Although he will nominally line up on the left, he will drift infield often attempting to find space in more dangerous areas. When he does, it will be the Swiss enforcers job to prevent the Spaniard from cutting open Napoli's back three, which can become exposed when games become too open.

Ezequiel Lavezzi vs Branislav Ivanovic

As mentioned before Ivanovic must remain disciplined tonight such is the threat posed by Napoli on the counter, however any width Chelsea do have on the right hand side must come from the Serb. Tonight he comes up against a man who is as talented as anyone in Serie A. Lavezzi will look to come inside onto his right foot but is equally comfortable going on the outside. He has already assisted three goals in the UCL so far this season and how Ivanovic deals with the gifted Argentine, in particular in deciding how far infield he tracks him, will certainly be a critical feature of tonight's clash.

Prediction 3:1 (with Chelsea to progress over the two legs)


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EPPP: The future of English football? The death of English football?

There have already been some huge footballing stories this year; The decline of Chelsea and Arsenal, the Suarez and Terry racism controversies, hand-shake-gate, Fabio Capello's resignation, the trial of Harry Redknapp. All these stories have been covered to death (I am guilty about talking and writing about them myself) and yet at the end of 2011 a dramatic and unprecedented revolution occurred in regards to the future of English football and few people seemed to have noticed, or perhaps worse, cared. EPPP. Four letters that, depending on the division your club finds itself in, either spell the potential end of your club or secure your teams long term future. The Elite Player Performance Plan which was voted, and agreed on October 20th 2011 and will come into existence at the start of next season, is the most radical attempt to overhaul the way young footballers are developed since the implementation and death of the Football Association's School of Excellence at Lilleshall.

Before we move on to the pro's and con's of the EPPP (and believe me we will), here are the key elements of the EPPP and how they differ from the previous systems. First and foremost the introduction of the EPPP will bring an end to the era of two tiered academy systems. As it stands now all premier league and football league clubs have either an academy or a centre of excellence attached to them. However once EPPP is introduced the youth set up will become a four tier system. Category 1 academies will have to provide an annual funding of £2.325m and  will have to have a minimum of 18 full time staff and consequently they are granted greater access to players. This criteria is scaled down all the way to category four "academies" who are only able to sign players at 16 once they have let go by other Academies or Centres of Excellence.

Another key change is the scrapping of the "90 minute" rule, whereby clubs were only able to sign players who lived within an hour and half of their training facilities. Instead now clubs are able to sign youngsters from all over the country.

However the most controversial element of the EPPP is the adjustments of the rules and regulations for compensation that has to be paid to clubs if there youth talent is purchased by another team. In the past clubs would go to tribunal to agree a fee with another club over the transfer of a young talent. Often these fee's would run into the millions. Now that fee will be fixed at the highest rate of £140,000 with the possibility of additional performance related add-ons.

Now that some of the key issues have been highlighted, we can move to discussing exactly why some of these issues have become so contentious that one blogger dubbed the EPPP the "love the premier league: &*^% everybody else plan". First and foremost the removal of the 90 minute rule creates the possibility of a gifted 12 year old emerging at Barnet and being snapped up by Manchester City for a £25,000 fee and shipped up to the north-west. The arguments for the scrapping of the "90 minute" rule are fairly weak. Gareth Southgate, the Football Association's Head of Elite Development, argued that "When you look at someone like Middlesbrough a lot their catchment area fell within the North Sea... clearly at [Crystal] Palace you have over a million and a half kids within the radius whilst at Plymouth you are struggling to recruit". Whilst Southgate cannot claim to speak for the FA as a whole, even so these arguments have serious flaws. Stating that it is unfair that Crystal Palace have a huge catchment area negates the fact that whilst Palace are indeed in a rich area, they are also competing against much bigger clubs within London for the best talent. Much like in the North West where the Manchester and Merseyside clubs hoover up much of the top talent, the same applies in London. It is difficult for teams like Crystal Palace, Brentford, Leyton Orient etc to compete with the large number of premier league teams that obviously prove a far greater attraction to youngsters as well as being able to offer greater financial benefits even at that early age.

Aside from these flaws to the FA's argument over the removal of the "90 minute" rule, there is also the issue of whether it is right for young children to be whisked across the country to be stockpiled at a clubs academy. With the removal of these rules, top premier league clubs in particular will end up with a large number of children who have been uprooted and moved away from home. As a result of this some clubs have looked into the possibility of boarding the children together. This idea is fraught with potential dangers, it is not stretching the imagination to envisage the difficulties of putting 30-40 highly competitive schoolboys from all over the country in a close knit environment whilst they are competing for a long term future as a premier league footballer, where it is likely the vast majority will fall short.

Moving on to the complete restructuring of the academy system and again this rule totally favours the top premier league clubs far more than it does anybody else. As a result of their superior budgets and little else, clubs who are able to provide category one academies will have the pick of young players. The fact that category one academies must have a budget in excess of £2.325m and employ at least 18 full time staff instantly rules out the vast majority of football league academies. Crystal Palace for example, spend £1m on their academy but this does not enable them to achieve category one status despite their excellent track record of bringing through young players.

The situation becomes more and more perilous the further down the football ladder you go, indeed teams who are only able to meet the criteria applicable for a category four academy will only be able to sign players who have been released by other teams and therefore act as little more than a glorified trash depository for players who have fallen through the trap door of professional football. Such is the imbalance of this new categorisation that Nick Cox, Watford's Head of Youth feels it could lead to clubs abondoning their academies all together. "Certainly that could well be the case if all of the best talent is filtered up through the system to the bigger clubs; there will be no point in the smaller clubs having a system anymore".

Additonally clubs now do not have the option of denying scouts access into their academies to watch their best youngsters so the risk of potential feeding frenzies occuring at top academies could soon become reality. Equally with teams all over the country now able to compete for the best young talent with the abolition of the "90 minute" rule, agents will undoubetdly seek to create bidding wars over clubs most prized assets.

We now come to the most controversial of issues, and the single biggest reason why 22 clubs voted against the EPPP back in October. The radical overhaul of the tribunal method of compensation. We've all grown accustomed to the stories over the years "Chelsea sign 16 year old from Leeds for £2.5m" and so on. Under the Elite Player Performance Plan however the days of fees reaching into the millions as a result of a tribunal are long gone. Instead fees are now fixed at set rates decided upon the number of years spent in a clubs academy and on the category of the academy. No matter how the premier league attempt to spin this, it is a substantial decrease in the cost of recruiting young talent for top teams. Again let us take the example of Crystal Palace (those wondering why Palace keep coming up, it is due to the fact that their chairmen Steve Parish has been one of the most outspoken voices over EPPP), In 2008 John Bostock was one of the most sought after young talents anywhere in the Europe. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona were some of the clubs keeping tabs on him, indeed Chelsea offered £900,000 for Englands U-17 captain. In the end Spurs offered Bostock a contract and the case went to tribunal with Palace ultimately recieving £700,000 much to the anger of then Palace chairman Simon Jordan. If Jordan was angry, then Lord knows how he would react now in the same situation given that Palace would have recieved about £150,000 for Bostock under the new guidelines.

The concerns over the alterations to the compensation method are fair as the cash generated by the sale of promising youngsters, if they decide to leave clubs, can be the difference between a club being financially secure. The sale of a John Bostock can keep a club's academy running for another year yet this precious source of income has been taken away by the all powerful premier league. The major argument for the introduction of the EPPP is that it creates the best possible opportunities to emulate the most gifted youngsters around Europe. As Ged Roddy, the premier league head of youth development says "Any club at any level, who believe in giving our future Daniel Sturridges, Tom Cleverleys and Jack Wilshires the greatest chance of succeeding to the highest possible standard have nothing to fear". The intention of providing the best possible enviroment for youngsters to develop is laudable and without contention. However Roddy's quote that "any club at any level have nothing to fear" is laughable. As is this official statement from the premier league upon the passing of the EPPP last autumn. "The premier league is confident EPPP will ensure the best players are developed by the best coaches at clubs using state of the art facilities".

The basic premise, written between the lines of the statement above and EPPP rules in general is that "Well done tiny football league club for finding a decent player now quickly get him to a premier league club because they are the only ones who know what to do with him". As John Bostock himself might tell you there is a little bit more to it than that, the notion that the top clubs in the country are the best at bringing through young talent is at best weak and at worst simply wrong.

For all the fortunes Chelsea have spent on their much vaunted academy what has been the result? Nothing but total failure. Remember the name Tom Taiwo, probably not. He and Michael Woods joined Chelsea from Leeds for £5million in 2006 after bitter wrangling between the two clubs with Ken Bates accusing Chelsea of tapping up the youngsters (Chelsea tapping up a player?? Surely not!). Where is Taiwo now I hear you ask, on the verge of making his first team bow? Playing for another premier league team? playing for another championship team? No Tom Taiwo currently makes his money turning out at Brunton Park for Carlisle United in League One. Money well spent Mr Abramovich. You could have signed 1/10 of Fernando Torres for that money.

A major argument in favour of EPPP is that it gives the top clubs the best access to young English players which in turn will aid the national team. This is potentially true, however of the last England starting 11 that played Sweeden in a friendly back in November 6 of the starting 11 graduated through either Championship or lower league academies. Equally the squad for those two friendlies against Spain and England was made up of players, 70% of whom came through academies in the football league.

In conclusion, I do not fault the ideals behind the Elite Player Performance Plan, indeed for years many have been advocating changes to the way young players are coached and and the fact that youngsters will recieve more hours for coaching is good news for the country as a whole. However one cannot ignore the blatant influence of the premier league in all this and the way they have run rough shod over the football league, even so far as to threaten to withhold funding had the EPPP not been passed. I'll leave it to our friend Steve Parish to conclude this peice, "There is so much that is good about EPPP, I just wish they had taken the time to get the rest of right".


Rules and Regulations of the Elite Player Performance Plan

Academies and centres of excellence

Category 1
* The top level category will require clubs to have an approximate budget of £2.325m.
* Have a full time staff of at least 18.
* Provide at least 5 hours contact time with players each week.
* The current 90 minute travel rule will not apply.

Category 2
* Clubs that cannot meet the required budget requirement and staff levels demanded by Category 1, but still have an indoor training facility will most likely fall into this category.
* They will spend less time coaching players each week.
* Will be allowed to take players from age 4 and sign players from the age of 9.
* Will require an estimated budget of £969k.
* The current 90 minute travel rule will not apply.

Category 3
* Clubs in this category will not be permitted to coach youngsters until they are 11
* Will require an estimated budget of £315k

Category 4
* Clubs in this category will be used to pick up youngsters  that are late developers or have been released from other Academies or Centres of Excellence. Players will be 16 years of age or above.

Compensation Fees for each year of development

Age 9 to 11: £3000 for players registered at any club

Age 12 to 16: £12,500 for players registered at a Category 3 club

Age 12 to 16: £25,000 for players registered at a Category 2 club

Age 12 to 16: £40,000 for players registered at a Category 1 club


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Arise Sir Harry, Problems Solved? Not Quite.

With little more than four months to go until England take on France at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, it is hard to recall the last time the national team went into a major tournament with so much uncertainty surrounding it. No manager, no captain, most influential player suspended for the first two games, you get the picture. Whilst Fabio Capello's resignation this week has been greeted with wide spread jubilation from all corners, little has been made of the turmoil and confusion that it has left the England team in. Whilst it is very easy to jump on the Harry Redknapp bandwagon and try and convince everyone that all England's failings under Capello were a result of the the Italians inadequacies and nothing else, few people have attempted to look at the sheer number of important issues that have been left under the darkest of clouds.

Manager

The obvious one to start with and the most important. Capello and all his backroom staff are gone, minus Stuart Pearce (who was forced upon him in the first place anyway), in many ways England have gone back to square one. The friendly against Holland this month would have ideally been used as preparation for Capello to run the rule over a number of players he felt had the potential to make an impact in Poland and Ukraine. Now with Pearce in interim control how does he approach this friendly and England's preparations for the Euro's as a whole? Does he continue with Capello's tactics and approaches and largely stick with the players the Italian had shown a preference for since South Africa? Or does he try himself to put his own stamp on the team even though this may well be the only game he leads England in? Will for example Micah Richards be called up even though Capello has consistently remained unconvinced over his ability and temperament?

Equally if, as is expected, Harry Redknapp takes charge of England for the tournament, whether it be on a full or part time basis, there are still a number of issues to be dealt with. The sooner a deal can be put in place the better for all concerned. The new manager whoever he is will need as much time as possible to look at players in the short space of time available.

A very real problem is how the England squad will be brought together during the build up to that opening clash with France. Whilst the manager would normally be spending the final weeks of the season running the final rule over players he is undecided on (and sweating on the fitness of those guaranteed to go, an injury to Joe Hart for example would present a truly worrying situation and a potential trip down to the championship for a keeper), yet on this occasion Redknapp will be guiding his team through the final stages of the season and quite possibly pushing to win the league. Apart from the physical limitations of doing both jobs, there is also the  mental workload that will be placed upon Redknapp. Having to go from a stressful run in and then head straight into the immense pressure of leading England into a major tournament is hardly a relaxing end to a club season nor a smooth transition into the summer.

Captain

In comparison to some of the other problems faced by England this should not be to great an issue. A captain you imagine will be named for the game against the Netherlands at the end of the month, and then a captain for the Euros will be announced with the preliminary squad come the end of the domestic season. Any of the candidates suggested in the press already will be satisfactory. Joe Hart, Steven Gerrard or Scott Parker would seem to be the favorites and all of these would be met with approval. Indeed this whole captaincy saga should be used as opening to move away from the English obsession with who wears an armband on their shirt and tosses a coin.

Squad

There are a number of issues to be dealt with involving the selection of the England squad that will head east this summer. Firstly Pearce must decide whether to call upon John Terry for the upcoming friendly, if fit, and if he does what effect will this have upon the dynamic in the changing room. He has been placed in an incredibly difficult position by the FA who in their infinite wisdom have ruled that Terry is unfit to lead his country with a charge of racial abuse hanging over him yet he is eligible to represent his country nonetheless. Potential for an unhealthy dressing room must be weighed against how much John Terry brings to the table as a centre back. Personally the best decision for moving forwards and removing this issue is to not select Terry for the squads leading up to and including the Euros. Whilst no English centre backs can claim to be enjoying stellar seasons between them Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Gary Cahil, Phil Jagielka, Michael Dawson, Ledley King, Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott there is more than enough collective ability for the Chelsea captain to be left at home.


One wonders what Pearce's role in all this is? If he is simply keeping the seat warm for 'Arry' should he even be making such big calls like leaving out John Terry and other established names who have not been performing of late such as Walcott, Downing etc to make room for Daniel Sturridge, or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain given that the game against the Netherlands will likely be his only match in charge? 

Style of Play

One of the key criticisms of CapelloTottenham so brilliantly? The main point here is that you imagine England are going to change tactics under Redknapp and to a lesser extent Pearce. But there is precious little time and opportunity for these changes to occur. Equally the first squad the new manager will announce will be the tournament squad, so there will be little opportunity to run the rule over players or to experiment greatly. England seem to have settled on a 4-3-3 formation lately with Rooney flanked by two wingers, yet this has seemed far more fluent and effective when England are asked to counter attack with pace on the wings but at the same time has made them predictable when dominating possession and attempting to break teams down. Best illustrated by the respective performances against Bulgaria and then Wales last Autumn.

Given the shortage of time and opportunities available to experiment with the system it seems reasonably likely that both Pearce and Redknapp will look to avoid wholesale changes to both tactics and personnel.

Rooney

Although this issue has been discussed to a certain degree given that his suspension has long been an issue but an alternative to Rooney needs to be put in place that can secure England at least four points from the first two games. However here too there are issues that remain unresolved. The first point is whether the 'four striker' policy that has long been adopted needs to be adjusted, knowing that one of the forwards will be unavailable for the first two games. The answer to this question is entirely linked to the way in which England will line up. If they plan to play with one forward then perhaps they can  get away with four, however if they look to play with two forwards it could leave them short especially if/when injuries occur. If we assume that England will follow convention and take four strikers then the most likely candidates are Danny Wellbeck, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe as well as the suspended Rooney. They are the most likely players but at the same time the obvious issue is that there is not a great deal of variety. As stated above it seems probable that England will look to play with one striker flanked by wingers in a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 and the strikers listed have experience at leading the line on their own although in the case of Defoe it is not his preferred role.


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Champions League Preview: Milan vs Arsenal

This week sees the resumption of the Champions League so here is a chance to look ahead to the four second round ties that take place this week. First up is Milan vs Arsenal.

Arguably the tie of the round, this pits the Italian champions against the team who knocked them out at the same stage of the Champions League in 2008. Both teams are much changed from that game, although a few survivors do remain namely Allesandro Nesta, Alexander Pato, Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie who was an unused sub that night.

The bookmakers make Milan slight favorites and on paper this is certainly well founded. Arsenal currently lie 6^th in the premier league whilst Milan are only a point behind Serie A leaders Juventus. However there is a growing body of opinion that Milan are little more than the most efficient flat track bullies in Europe. Having consistently struggled against the top sides domestically, indeed Massimiliano Allegri’s side have collected just 5 points from 6 games against the top seven sides   in serie A this season, not to mention this weeks 2-1 loss at home to Juve in the Coppa Italia. There is no definitive reason for Milan’s struggles against the top sides whilst they continue to steam roller the weaker teams. One factor may well be that their team is based upon a powerful midfield symbolised by Kevin Prince Boateng and individual brilliance up front obviously characterised by the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and that whilst this is sufficient to defeat the weaker teams that they encounter a lack of craft and a coherent tactical plan is somehow absent.

Equally a team that is focused on Ibrahimovic is naturally going to struggle when the Swede fails to perform, as shown in the recent games against Napoli and Juventus. In both games Ibrahimovic and consequently Milan failed to score.

Discussing an over reliance on a centre forward leads us nicely to Arsenal who enter the second round of the champions league in the unenviable position as being the team most applicable to that most unpleasant of terms ‘a one man team’. As stated earlier, Milan are rightly favorites to progress but there are points of encouragement for Arsenal as well as obvious concerns. Arsenal’s record in champions league ties against Italian opposition is good. The gunners have overcome Inter, Juventus, Milan and Roma under Wenger and Arsenal’s best run in the European cup came in a season in which Arsenal only secured fourth place on the last day of the season. The direct style of Arsenal’s play, particularly out wide, could cause Milan problems as there 4-3-3/4-3-1-2 formation can often leave their full backs exposed and therefore Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain (it seems unlikely that Gervinho will even be taken to Milan given the Ivory Coasts participation in the African Cup of Nations final this coming Sunday) could enjoy success.

Having said this one does fear for Arsenal, particularly if they concede an early goal in what will be a rocking Giuseppe Meazza. However if they can restrict Milan and are able to concede possession in non-threatening areas, much like Inter did in the derby a few weeks back then they have a chance of progressing with the return leg to come at the Emirates.

One final point, the poor state of the San Siro pitch is a factor that needs to be noted as Milan’s ability to negate this and go long to Ibrahimovic may cause Arsenal problems especially since Arsenal do not possess the same alternative.

Prediction: 1^st leg Milan 2-0

Key Battle: Van Persie vs Thiago Silva- One of the outstanding strikers in Europe against arguably the best centre half on the continent. If the magnificent Brazilian can neutralise the Dutchmen half of Milan’s job is done already.

One to watch: English football fans who have not kept track of Allegri’s Milan may be surprised to learn that Kevin Prince Boateng is now an integral part of the Rossoneri and when he is not fit (often due to his highly active sex life if his girlfriend is to be believed) Milan are not the same side. Boateng brings a drive and energy to Milan that is otherwise lacking. Not only this but he has proved himself to be an exceptionally gifted footballer capable of some truly majestic moments. His goal against Barcelona and his 18-minute hat trick against Lecce being just two examples of his mercurial talent.


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Preview of Manchester United vs Liverpool

This weekend Manchester United face Liverpool for the third and last time this season and despite all the issues surrounding the two clubs this year, the previous two matches have actually been rather bland and disappointing affairs given the quality of players involved. In the first league meeting back in October, which will be forever overshadowed by what occurred between Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez, the game was disappointing from a tactical perspective. Liverpool’s goal coming direct from a Steven Gerrard free kick, and a poor one at that, whilst United’s equaliser again came from a set piece, Javier Hernandez glancing in a corner. Similarly the FA cup-tie last month was decided more by individual errors than either teams good play. Daniel Agger’s goal was again a result of a fairly routine set piece and some very ordinary defensive play from United; likewise Park’s equaliser, whilst well taken, was brought about by poor defending from Jose Enrique. The winning goal too was a long ball from Pepe Reina and yet worse defending from United.

With all this in mind, it is difficult to use the previous encounters to read too much into Saturdays clash. One key issue is whether Suarez will start in place of Andy Carroll. Given that both times the two sides have faced each other Kenny Dalglish has lined up in a 4-5-1 that occasionally became a 4-3-3, it seems unlikely that both Suarez and Carroll will feature from the start. Although Carroll’s performance in the cup tie at Anfield was one of his better in a Liverpool shirt, the fact remains that he and Liverpool barely threatened United until Dirk Kuyt’s out of the blue winner.

Another question for Liverpool is whether Craig Bellamy will be able to play, given that his troublesome knees often limit his involvement in consecutive games. However if Bellamy is able to play and Chris Smalling is unable to recover from a knock and resume his promising partnership with Jonny Evans, then the Welshman’s pace will cause the increasingly unstable Rio Ferdinand all sorts of problems. In recent weeks when worried about people running off him, Ferdinand has been dropping ludicrously deep. If this was to happen then the potential for Suarez and Gerrard in particular to be given room in front of United’s back four becomes a problem as will be the fact that the whole United team risks being pinned back.

At the other end of the pitch, Wayne Rooney has yet to start against Liverpool this year after being rested in the league encounter and missing the FA cup clash due to injury. It is hard to imagine Sir Alex Ferguson resting him for this clash with United needing three points to maintain pressure on Manchester City. With this in mind, how Liverpool deal with Rooney will be central to whether they get anything out of this game. As has already been discussed on this site Liverpool without Lucas can be vulnerable to players playing between the lines so whether Jay Spearing or Jordan Henderson are able to affect Rooney will be a key issue. Chelsea plainly struggled to deal with Rooney hence the introduction and subsequent failure of Oriol Romeu to try and curb the influence of the United number 10 last Sunday.

Equally the goal that Park Ji Sung scored at Anfield last month was a demonstration of the dangers of playing Gerrard in a midfield role as both he and Jamie Carragher allowed the South Korean to wander in to the box untracked. This has always been a danger of playing Gerrard in central midfield and a key reason why so many managers have not wanted him playing in a two man central midfield given his occasionaly poor positioning.

It seems unlikely that Carragher will be selected to play that role again and either Jay Spearing or Jordan Henderson, who are far more mobile and better on the ball than Carragher, will need to be on their guard. As has already been discussed on this site, Spearing is a player more suited to marking a specific man rather than sweeping in a certain zone whilst Henderson is far more of a box to box player than a “number six”. If Liverpool don’t get this area right it is hard to see them getting a result.

Despite the two rather mundane games between the two so far this season, I actually expect Saturday’s game to be a more open affair. The fact that United are at home and coupled with the fact that Rooney will play from the start should make them a more offensive proposition from the start. Ultimately the game may well be decided by a moment similar to those that have settled the previous encounters this season. A set piece or a defensive error but the chances of a more attacking minded game are certainly higher than last time.

Potential Line Ups

Manchester United:

De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Hernandez

Liverpool:

Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Kuyt, Gerrard, Henderson, Adam, Bellamy, Suarez

Prediction 3-1

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Premier League Team of the Season so far...

Goal Keeper: Wayne Hennessey, Wolves

The usual keepers that people have tended to plump for are Michel Vorm at Swansea and Newcastle’s Tim Krul. Both these players have been excellent this year but part of the reason why they have been getting quite so much praise is due to the fact that both their teams are vastly exceeding expectations whilst Wolves were always expected to struggle and are doing just that. This does not change the fact that Hennessey has been consistently outstanding, proving himself to be a key part of Wolves bid for survival. A great shot stopper, comfortable on the ball and confident from crosses. His performance at the Emirates was one of the best individual performances of the season. 

 Right Back: Kyle Walker, Tottenham Hotspur

A breakthrough season for the young right back, who has emerged as a key component of Harry Redknapp's entertaining title challengers. As quick as they come the, Walker forms one half of the paciest right hand sides in the league in tandem with Aaron Lennon. Many would expect such an attacking and fearless full back to be found out defensively but that has simply not happened. Equally unlike many defenders when in attacking positions, rarely does his final ball let him down with Walker providing assists and goals this year. His long range strike which won the north London derby will live long in Tottenham fans' memories.

Centre Back: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City

Impossible not to include the Manchester City skipper; a dominant presence in the air, an excellent reader of the game and quick enough to cover for any rare mistakes he does make and as good on the ball as many midfielders. The captain provides an air of assurance and security that disappears in his absence as was witnessed during his recent suspension. The way he dealt with the aerial threat of Andy Carrol was impressive and he and his back line managed to keep Robin Van Persie as quiet as any this season which is an achievement in itself.

 Centre Back: Daniel Agger, Liverpool

Although Liverpool have had their problems this season, defensively they have been fairly solid and much of this is down to Agger. The major problem with the Dane was never his ability on the pitch but being able to get him onto one consistently such was his troubles with injury. His fitness worries seem to be behind him and he has started 19 league games this term. His partnership with Martin Skrtel has forced Jamie Carragher into semi-retirement and it is no coincidence that Skrtel has performed far more now that Agger is consistently beside him. There use to be concerns over how Agger dealt with physical strikers (Drogba often gave him a torrid time in his early years at Anfield) but that problem is no longer an issue and with Skrtel alongside him they have an effective partnership of strength and pace.

Left Back: Neil Taylor, Swansea

An unexpected choice for some, but there is not exactly a stock of outstanding left backs in the divison. Assou Ekotto at Tottenham is solid but unspectacular, both Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole have been inconsistent. Swansea have been one of the best teams to watch this season and Taylor has been a key component of much of their enterprising attacking play. In Brendon Rogers' system his full backs are vital as both Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer often come inside so the full backs are essential in providing width as well as creating space for the wingers to come inside. Equally Swansea's desire to play out from the back often results in the full backs receiving the ball in difficult situations and yet Taylor and Angel Rangel consistently show for the ball and rarely concede possession. Swansea's equaliser this weekend is  an excellent example of his role in the team, with Scott Sinclair cutting inside and Taylor overlapping to provide the assist.

Midfield: Leon Britton, Swansea


Another key member of the Swansea success story, Britton as the linchpin of Swansea's play with practically everything going through him has some of the best passing statistics anywhere in Europe. This alone is impressive enough but coupled with the success of the Swans this year with Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all outpassed and outplayed at the Liberty Stadium with Britton central in all that is good with the south Wales outfit. His ability to find pockets of space anywhere on the field is essential to the way in which Brendan Rogers wants to retain possession and the way in which Britton and Joe Allen work together in midfield is a joy to watch.

Midfield: Luka Modric, Tottenham

How important will Daniel Levy's refusal to deal with Chelsea over the Croatian prove in both Tottenham and Chelsea's seasons? Whilst Andre-Villas Boas' side struggle for consistency and control in midfield, Modric leads Tottenham's title challenge into its final straight. The spurs fans who booed Modric at the start of the season must feel a little bit foolish given how well the Croatian has settled down to his task once it emerged that he was not going to be granted the transfer he so desired. With Scott Parker along side him and Bale and Lennon on the wings, Modric is the pivot on which Tottenham's play is founded. His ability to slide the ball in behind defenders for Tottenham's rapid wingers is central to spurs' attacking philosophy. The fact that Tottenham are rarely out passed and out muscled in midfield despite lining up with just 2  central midfielders, whilst most teams play with 3 is a testament of the quality and control that Modric inspires in Tottenham.

Midfield: Yaya Toure

As mentioned in a previous article on this site, Toure is critical to Manchester City and when he returns to Manchester from the African Cup Nations if he can return to the form he was in before he departed it will stand City in good stead going into the championship run in. Playing in a more withdrawn role this season compared to last, Toure plays in more of a double pivot with Gareth Barry but such is City's dominance in most games, he is still able to get forward and still has a healthy goal return. Equally his ability to run from deep with and without the ball has often been crucial for City.  See his run for to win a penalty against Liverpool for an example of the Ivorian's power and skill.

Forward: David Silva, Manchester City

The presumptive favorite for footballer of the year, and despite a slight dip in performances lately City without the man from the Canary Isles are far less menacing proposition. With 9 assists he leads the way in the premier league and Mancini will be praying that the Spaniard can be muster one last effort to get city over the line. Although the presence of Samir Nasri has been sighted as a limiting factor in the gifted Silva's effectiveness, if Mancini can get all his forwards fit it is uncertain if the Frenchman even starts with James Milner emerging more and more as an integral part of the premier league leaders. Like Modric, Silva has banished all those who suggested he was too lightweight and in Sergio Aguero he has found a perfect foil and some of the interplay between the two is spellbinding.

Forward: Robin van Persie, Arsenal

Not much that needs to be said really. 22 goals in the league already this season, more than Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov last seasons golden boot winners managed in the whole of last seasons campaign. The Dutchmen has evolved into a complete centre forward and this is best shown by the sheer range of his goals. Headers, free kicks, tap ins, left and right foot Arsenals number 10 has scored them all. His movement is simply brilliant and this was illustrated by his hat trick at home to Blackburn over the Weekend. Despite regularly being the only Arsenal player in the penalty area the ex Feyenoord man always seems to find space. Sergio Aguero was very close to making this list but the fact that so few of the Argentine's goals have come away from Etihad coupled with the fact that Van Persie has continued to score at such a rate in a team enduring one its poorest season in living memory just edge it for the Arsenal captain. His volley against Everton will be remembered as one of the moments of the season and showed just how invaluable Van the man is to Arsenal.

Forward: Gareth Bale, Tottenham

Notable mentions to Nathan Dyer, Nani and Juan Mata but the Welsh winger has simply too much going in his favor. Having found both the consistency and the fitness that eluded him last season where he was fortunate to win the PFA player of the year, Bale has spearheaded a season that will undoubtedly see Tottenham return to Europe's top table, potentially as English champions. Bale has added goals and assists to his electric wing play and a notable effort has been made to make him more effective coming in off the left flank. Goals against Norwich and Manchester City are the best examples to the threat that Bale offers when he comes  inside. The fact that Emmanuel Adebayor now leads the line for Spurs gives Bale a real target when he does get round the outside of his full back as inevitably Adebayor looks to play with the width of the goal posts as was demonstrated by his goal in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea at White Hart Lane over Christmas. Simply put on his day, there are few players in the league who can rival Bale for sheer excitement when the Welshman is in full flow.


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What's behind Manchester City's Midwinter Blues?

“[the]team do all hard work keeping possession then u hit row Z every @£*&%$*  time!!”

The Manchester United fan that tweeted this to Darren Gibson’s ill-fated twitter account may well have been choking on his words by the end of Wednesday night’s premier league action. Gibson’s strike for Everton meant that goal difference is now the only thing separating Roberto Mancini’s side from their city rivals. Yet how exactly did this happen? As autumn drew to a close many were ready to anoint Sheik Mansour’s petro dollar funded squad as the new kings of England and yet as we enter February the title race has once again become a three way battle with Tottenham refusing to let the two Manchester clubs have everything their own way. No doubt great credit is due to both Spurs and United for keeping themselves in the hunt but at the same time one must address the question of why have City begun to stutter since the last leaves of autumn fell and winter arrived?

The comparisons with Manchester City this season and Chelsea last season are certainly there to be looked at. Few could forget the manner in which Chelsea were being proclaimed as an unstoppable force at the start of last season which began with 8 victories in 10 games and a goal aggregate of 22-3. Chelsea, like City this season, benefitted from a fairly kind fixture list and did this favorable start potentially give and continue to give us and City a false sense of just how good they really are? Let us not forget that they failed to get out of an admittedly difficult champions league group and have gone out of both domestic cup competitions, and in the case of the Carling Cup having surrendered a winning position. 

Whilst for many Manchester City’s sacking of Old Trafford was a seismic event in establishing where the power lay in English football, the fortunes of the two clubs since then makes for intriguing reading. Since that Mario Ballotelli inspired trouncing, Manchester City have only won two away games from a possible seven, drawing another two and losing three. In comparison, before they visited Old Trafford their away record read played five won four drawn one. In contrast Manchester United’s away form since that day, reads played seven won 6 with 5 clean sheets thrown in for good measure. There can be no doubt that Manchester City have suffered a not insignificant dip in form since their last visit to the theatre of dreams. What reasons can we pinpoint for this alarming drop in City’s effectiveness, particularly away from home.

First and foremost the enforced absence of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany due to international commitments and suspension respectively, hurt and continues to hurt the club. The results as well as the defensive vulnerability in Kompany’s absence were pretty damning. Defeat over two legs to Liverpool in the league cup, a fairly unconvincing 3-2 victory at home to Tottenham which they could have easily lost, not to mention the defeat suffered at home to United in the FA cup when Kompany received his marching orders. With Kompany returning it will be bring a more calming presence to the backline and his ease bringing the ball out of defence will aid City as an offensive unit.

 The loss of Yaya Toure has perhaps been felt at the Etihad even more than the absence of their captain. Mancini was startlingly frank in his assessment that City simply did not have another player like the Ivorian and that has been shown in his absence. Aside from his numerous technical qualities, such as his lung-bursting and pitch covering dribbles, it has been plainly obvious that since his arrival he has emerged as a real leader and even in a squad of numerous top class internationals he is looked up to and respected. Whether it’s David Silva, Samir Nasri, Sergio Aguero or Mario Balotelli you can tell merely from watching City on the pitch that they hold Toure in the highest of esteem and a certain drive and inspiration has been missing from the heart of City’s team since he departed for the Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Equally the loss of Toure and the regular absences of Mario Balotelli, through first an ankle injury and then the most idiotic of suspensions, has impacted upon Roberto Mancini’s desire to play with a fluid forward line capable of constantly rotating positions. At their best early on in the season and particularly away against both Manchester United and Chelsea, City were at their most creative and devastating when their forward line was able to seamlessly switch positions. The absence of Ballotelli has meant that Edin Dzeko has had to play and this impacts greatly upon the teams flexibility.

 In the majority of city’s “big games” this season Mancini has paired Balotelli and Sergio Aguero and the capability of both these players to drift wide or deep has been a key factor in creating space for others, David Silva especially.  Whilst Dzeko is a player who has much to admire, he has neither the pace nor technical gifts to drop wide or deep and as a result City become a less threatening when he leads the line. Equally having to play Dzeko in the absence of Balotelli results in City offering far less of a threat in behind the oppositions defence.

The opening goal scored by Balotelli at Chelsea is a fantastic illustration of what the mercurial Italian offers with a turn of pace which Dzeko cannot hope to match. Equally Balotelli is of a much higher technical level which creates better opportunities to bring the best out of the brilliant Aguero than Dzeko when the two are paid together,  and as such City’s interplay can seem rather pedestrian and one paced with Dzeko leading the line. Mancini prefers to have the option of bringing Dzeko of the bench late in games when teams begin to drop deep, as teams become more susceptible to crosses from out wide for the Bosnian to attack.

With all this in mind, perhaps the idea of Carlos Tevez actually stepping out onto a football pitch in a city shirt is not quite as implausible as it seemed a few months back. There is no doubt that a fully fit and focused Tevez (which admittedly was last seen probably four years ago) would suit the rotating and flexible frontline that Mancini desires. The premier league and champions league winning united side of 07/08 was built around the constant movement and positional rotation that Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo fostered with the controversial Argentine.

The next five league games will tell us a great deal about how City will be approaching the run in for the championship. Home matches with Fulham, Blackburn and Bolton coupled with trips to Villa Park and the Liberty Stadium must yield as close to 15 points as possible for City to regain the confidence and momentum that they have undoubtedly misplaced. If Mancini’s men can emerge from this run of fixtures still at the summit of the premier league it will stand them in good stead for what is a fairly daunting run in. Trips to Stoke, Arsenal and Newcastle are fraught with danger and with Chelsea to visit the Etihad looking to complete a double over city, Roberto Mancini will be desperate to have restored City’s advantage at the top of the league by the time April 30^th rolls round and Manchester United visit Eastlands in a match that may very well decide who will be kings of not only Salford and Wilmslow but of English football.

Hell, Arsenal and the Transfer Window

Given all the hyperbole that has been used to describe events at the Emirates this season, there is one statement that does seem to resonate more than most. That this season has undoubtedly proved to be the most challenging and torturous season of Arsene Wenger’s career. Wenger himself recently described Arsenal’s pre season as “hell” and ever since Arsenal and Wenger have barely managed to stay in purgatory let alone aspire to a higher level. It is hard not to view the recent defeat to Manchester United as a potential turning point and one senses that for better or for worse at the end of the season people will look back to the clash at the Emirates as a decisive moment in Arsenal’s season.

As one season ticket holder who sits near me at Arsenal proclaimed upon his arrival to Sunday's match, “I can deal with the disappointment, it’s the hope that kills me”, as the game wore on this statement became more and more prophetic as Arsenal managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of, well not quite victory but at the very least a morale boosting draw.

Whilst there have been calls over the season for Wenger to make this season at Arsenal his last, this blog will not add to the voice of those who wish to remove the man who has made Arsenal into the club they are today. However there is no doubt that there have been some major mistakes made at the club this season and to many of them can be traced back to the clubs torturous pre-season. The gunners boss announced that you couldn’t sell Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas and then convince people that you are still a serious club and yet that is precisely what happened, not to mention the loss of Gael Clichy. 

Now these departures were far from unexpected, everyone was aware of Nasri’s contractual situation, likewise it had become clear that the club were willing to let Clichy leave and the Fabregas/Barcelona saga seemed to have been around since the dawn of time. The crux of this issue though is not that these players were allowed to leave, but that the lateness at which the deals were completed, specifically the Nasri and Fabregas deals were blows from which the club has yet to fully recover.

Now it had been clear for a long time that Fabregas was going to leave and that Barcelona were always going to come back in for him after being rebuffed the previous year. The fact Arsenal spent the entire summer negotiating and haggling with Barcelona whilst a shroud of negativity and doubt was cast over the club is inexcusable, and possibly the biggest mistake the club has made this season. The contrast between Arsenal’s handling of their want away captain and Manchester United’s over Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid is stark and revealing.

 Although Manchester United have always denied that a deal was done with Real that ensured Ronaldo would move at the end of the 08/09 season, it is clear now that some form of arrangement had been reached. The Ronaldo deal was done and dusted almost as soon as the transfer window opened in June and subsequently Manchester United had planned and prepared for the loss and did not enter the season with the same uncertainty and negativity that hung over Arsenal. It comes back to the naivety that Arsenal sometimes show, everyone was aware that one day Fabregas would go back and if Arsenal had been realistic they would have been negotiating with Barcelona throughout the season and had everything in place like united did with Ronaldo. With such a deal concluded and the money in the bank it would have given Arsenal more time to look to bring in reinforcements of a higher quality to Yossi Benayoun and Park Chu-Young.

The knock on effect of these delayed yet inevitable transfers resulted in the club being reactive rather than proactive in the transfer market and there is no doubt that the signings the club made in the last 48 hours of the transfer market are still highly questionable. The signing of Mikel Arteta was the best result of those frantic last days in August and he has slotted in well to a position as one part of a double pivot with Alex Song, those who still look to compare his role with Fabregas should actually see Arteta as Jack Wilshere’s short term replacement.

Whilst there have been gradual improvements in Per Mertesacker, especially his increasing willingness to collect the ball short from the goalkeeper, (the sight of him berating Lukas Fabianski for not playing him the ball early was a refreshing sight at the Emirates against Aston Villa), the short comings that were presumably the key factors in not signing him sooner, given that Wenger had run his eye over him on so many occasions, are still there. The alarming lack of pace can be compensated for, but, as a team Arsenal often want to press high and this causes obvious problems when a backline contains the cumbersome German. This is frequently exhibited when Arsenal need to chase a game, regularly Mertesacker is withdrawn and Alex Song drops back. To be fair to the ex Werder Bremen stopper, it is unfortunate that Arsenal’s backline has been riddled with injuries and not having Bacary Sagna alongside him for much of the season has not helped. Despite this the feeling remains that when Arsenal can get Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, and or Andre Santos fit again the first choice centre half pairing will be Lauren Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen.

It does not seem to be a coincidence that the two signings that Arsenal had planned in advance this summer have been the most impressive so far this campaign. Gervinho offers a real threat and with a little more composure at times when in goal scoring positions is easily capable of reaching double figures for both goals and assists as he did in his last season in France for Lille when he was the only player to do so. Equally Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has shown in his few performances some excellent qualities and bags of potential and although ultimately the European Championships will come too soon; there is certainly a talent there. Indeed once Gervinho returns from the African Cup of Nations, I venture to suggest that were Arsenal to line up with Chamberlain and Gervinho in the wide positions ahead of Theo Walcott there would be few who would be against that idea, such is the continued inconsistencies and deficiencies of the England winger.

The long-term significance of the summer departures and their subsequent replacements has been the impact upon Arsenal’s footballing philosophy and style of play. With the loss of Nasri and Fabregas, two players supremely comfortable on the ball even under intense pressure, Arsenal are far less adept at retaining possession. The fact that Arsenal now play with two wingers who are more comfortable out wide running at or in behind opponents means that they have become a more direct team than when Nasri would play nominally from the flanks. Equally the rise of Robin Van Persie to the undoubted star and focal point of the team means that players are now keen to get the ball to him as soon and as much as they possibly can and consequently this results in more risky balls being attempted.