Bleacher Report - Articles by Khalid Khan

Would Joan Laporta's FC Barcelona Survive Independence of Catalunya?

Khalid Khan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:34:17 -0400

In recent days, the issue of Catalan independence again came to the fore when Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, laid a wreath at the monument of Catalan nationalist Rafael Casanova on behalf of Barcelona alongside coach Pep Guardiola, another Catalan independence advocate, and many first-team members.

Laporta and the squad then went to another event in Ciutadella Park, and finally lead a march in the evening under banner 'We are a Nation, and We Want a Free State" to mark the National Day of Catalunya on the invitation of Onze de Setembre, a Catalan separatist.

Laporta has long been a Catalan nationalist and though he attended the march in his personal capacity and not as a president of Barcelona, under him the club has become politicized for association with Catalan independence sentiment.

Laporta, a co-founder of Partit per la independencia—a now defunct party to support Catalan separatism—has also never refuted that he might venture into politics after he leaves FC Barcelona in 2010.

An online poll by Barcelona’s daily Sport reflected that only 40 percent of Barça fans back Laporta on leading the march. This episode has been highly controversial in and outside Catalunya and Laporta has been immensely criticized in the media. Radio Cadena COPE even labeled him as an "independence fanatic". La Vanguardia said that Laporta "should not really mix sport and politics in this way."

Laporta has since defended his position saying that "Freedom of expression is a right and have the right to demonstrate. I come to express my national consciousness."

The scary, but presently unlikely, question for Barça fans—at home and abroad—is that what might happen to their beloved soccer club if even Catalunya becomes an independent state free from Spain?

Catalunya is small but wealthy region of only 7.3 million which is not large enough in geography and numbers to support a big league to rival La Liga or other top leagues in Europe.

In the absence of large support for independence, Barcelona will remain an emotional substitute for those favoring statehood and “the unarmed army of Catalunya” to borrow a phrase from Manuel Vazquez Montalban.

Still, if currently what is inconceivable ever happens, Barcelona may be expected to lose its current status at the top of world club soccer and become a national relic of the Catalan independence struggle, a thing of the past.

Way Out Needed from the Mess Pakistan Cricket Is In

Khalid Khan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:50:16 -0400

It pains Pakistani Cricket lovers so much when they see and ponder the plight of their cricketing heroes and administration.

Lack of discipline, responsibility, management, leadership and direction is pandemic. Blunders are made in board’s administration and team selection only to be repeated again and again on end without learning any lessons.

Nothing on the horizon suggests that corrective measures are coming. If any action has been taken previously, if at all, then it is to shove the dirt under the rug or at best merely a quick-fix to get out of current quagmire only to hand reigns over to the future administration to fall in the next one.

For all intents and purposes, it must be realized that there will be no fast or easy way out of this situation. Though calls for major shake-up/overhaul of PCB have been made, however justified, these should be carefully scrutinized before blindly forging ahead as such actions lack steadiness and thus have failed to yield anything substantial in the past.

Pakistan Cricket Board

The institution itself is core to the troubles that are plaguing Pakistani Cricket and is in a serious need of massive reformation. Since 1999 the PCB has been run on an ad-hoc basis (which has sadly been the case for most of its fractured history) instead of having a constitution-based system to govern its internal affairs.

PCB should also be independent of political control, i.e. Ministry of Sports and all its governing representatives should be elected and not nominated, a process which favors cronyism. But the Ministry does not want to make the PCB independent and intends to keep it under government control.

At present, President of Pakistan, Patron of PCB, appoints Chairman which takes out all the domestic structure from the equation as there is no provision for elections. District cricket associations should have electoral rights to elect the chairman in a democratic way.

There should be an accountability process for officials which should apply to paid officials but presently is not possible due to honorary appointees. There have been rules proposed to enable PCB to launch criminal and legal proceedings is case any misuse of power and money happens. One can only hope that this move materializes.

Selection Policy & Selection Committee

To prepare for the future or with a view to the ODI World Cup, teams start preparing years in advance. New blood is infused, non-performers are replaced and only useful of the old-guard is kept for the sake of experience. But here again there is no indication of a steady and stable selection policy to pick enough young talent and give experience by providing with playing opportunities.

Selection Committees and its officials are appointed and then replaced or resign with alarming frequency. Previously there used to be honorary selectors, then in the recent past came paid selectors. Again a reversal has been made to honorary selectors. Unfortunately this has been the story of almost every aspect of cricket in Pakistan.

Chief Selector and Pakistani leg-spin legend, Abdul Qadir, recently resigned because he was denied selection freedom among allegations of meddling in the selection process by chairman coach, captain and others in the middle of T20 World Cup in England.

Conversely, he had been criticized for ignoring young and potentially talented players like Abdur Rauf, Nasir Jamshed, and Khurram Manzoor in his tenure.

Iqbal Qasim, a former Test cricketer and an employee of National Bank, was appointed as Chief Selector in July this year. He is not a full-time, paid selector unlike his predecessors. However, other members are paid selectors. National media reports have suggested that he and other members will be honorary, rather than paid, selectors as began in April 2007 after ODI World Cup disaster.

Inconsistent Policies

As there is no stable governing structure is in place with consistent policies continuing over many tenures; internal chaos ensues whenever national team fails to perform, for various reasons of course.

People, especially former cricketers, are hired and fired then re-hired and re-fired on a regular basis which is a disgrace. Coaches come and go. Javed Miandad has been hired three different times in addition to other administrative positions. Mudassar Nazar has been coach two times.

When a local coach fails then calls are made for foreign coaches with better qualifications and when he fails then attention is drawn toward “experienced” locals.

Firing of COO Salim Altaf, a former cricketer, without any specific charges through Governing Board resolution, who also served in other positions in last five years, is a recent example. Altaf was nominated by PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and his further mismanagement can be evidenced from the fact that he appointed his close relative Muhammad Naeem as financial adviser (a post that does not exist in the structure of the PCB).

Player Powers

This has been an issue for many decades. Imran Khan wielded great power over team selection because of his stature, leadership, and strong personality and that set a dangerous precedent. Now captains want to have a say in who gets selected and starting XI.

Before Iqbal Qasim took control of the Selection Committee, captain and vice-captain were part of interim set-up. No matter how well-intentioned this will always breed favoritism and selection based on personal likes and dislikes instead of merit. Selection of starting XI has also been a source of contention among captain and the board.

Grouping, revolts, in-fighting and politics to gain control of the team have often hampered its on-the-field performance. Small issues are made a matter of honor, like when Younis Khan had to wait for ten minutes outside Shaharyar Khan’s office in 2006 when he was PCB’s chairman.

Younis considered it an intolerable insult and walked away without meeting the Chairman and from the captaincy.

Lack of Professionalism in Players and Enforcement of Discipline

Apart from ineptitude of PCB and Selection Committee, this is the other major contributor to the team’s downfall. This pervades everything from batting and bowling to fielding. As most of the players do not receive reasonable coaching before coming to the national team which further aggravates the matter.

Both “experienced” and young batsmen commit basic mistakes, don’t know how to build partnerships, and take responsibility upon themselves when required. Sometimes they play to save/solidify their place in the team while at other times appear to be out of their depth, especially against top teams like Australia and South Africa.

One need only look at the home and away statistics against top teams to get the picture.

There has also been in recent years a problem of psychological weakness and lack of confidence. It’s hard to put a finger on the cause of the problem but despite psychological assistance from experts, this curse still remains.

Fielding is one area that has never been good historically but that is no reason/excuse for it to stay that way and for team to continue to suffer collectively from such unprofessional behavior.

In major tournaments and bilateral series, the team always successfully does enough to get itself pinned against the wall before recognizing the gravity of the situation and elevate its performance toward the end.

After losing, excuses come aplenty from players and PCB alike.

When it comes to drug abuse and persistent indiscipline, PCB has failed miserably to put its foot down firmly and penalize the offenders strongly, which in turn would dissuade others from going down that path. Examples abound.

Muhammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar had both been found guilty and banned for one and two years respectively for using performance enhancing drug Nandrolone in 2006 only to be overturned later on appeal by PCB Anti-Doping Committee. In addition to that Shoaib had been accused many times of smoking marijuana.

In June 2008 Asif was also arrested in Dubai for carrying drugs and later in July banned from IPL for using banned drugs and handed a one year suspension.

Style of play

Pakistani cricket has been about offensive, often undisciplined, games more oriented toward talent than tactics albeit with dramatic ups and downs that come with such a style.

But under Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan it has acquired a defensive mentality. Reflexive fielding decisions are taken immediately when faced with offensive batting from the opposition. The captain often doesn’t seem to know what to do to at least make a fight out of the game.

Domestic Structure

Currently school and college cricket is virtually non-existent. In the domestic competitions, district cricket associations, banks, corporations, and government departments alone or combination thereof compete.

Again in this case there is nothing substantial achieved and opinions are mixed on how to shape the domestic set-up. Imran Khan has been stating for decades that unless and until domestic cricket is promoted at grass-root level through district associations, improvements are not going to come, while Javed Miandad supports departmental cricket.

Quick-fixes are always tempting and a choice of PCB. A short-term solution may be found if talented young players are nurtured into mature performers. But a steady long-term course seems to be the only option left.

It will take a solid foundation to be laid first, to be build upon through years of hard, dedicated and maybe unappreciated toil. But it will have to be done, otherwise it will be colossal disservice to the Pakistani people.

But again there is no such plan. PCB's development director and former Pakistan captain Aamer Sohail has resigned following differences with PCB, and criticized it saying:

"No one, from the board officials to the team management, seems to have a clear plan in mind."

That is a telling statement.

Can There Be a “Big Four” in the Spanish La Liga?

Khalid Khan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:14:44 -0400

Over the years, Spanish La Liga has been one of the top three professional soccer leagues in Europe. It currently stands at a second spot in the UEFA League rankings this year, losing first place to Premier League for next year’s Champions League qualifications.

La Liga has also secured 12 Champions League titles, more than any other European league and 12 teams from La Liga have so far participated in the Champions League, higher number than any other European League.

In revenue La Liga stands at a combined second position with Bundesliga in annual turnover for 2007-2008 at eight percent annual growth. The decline in exchange rate of British pound and because of low tax rate of just 24 percent for temporary non-Spanish residents will help La Liga in luring foreign players.

The Big Two?

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are definitively the “Big Two” of La Liga by a large distance from other clubs and will not be relinquishing that place anytime soon by the looks of it.

Barcelona

Barcelona has 19 La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues peaking UEFA Club ranking five times. The third richest soccer club for 2007-2008, that despite no income from shirt sponsorship fee, and, currently comes off a best season for any La Liga team.

A Sport+Markt study earlier this year has concluded that Barcelona is the most popular soccer club in Europe with 44.2 million fans on the continent and Real Madrid was second with 41 million fans.

Club has a fierce rivalry with Real Madrid and game between them is called El Clásico, perhaps the most anticipated and watched soccer game in the world. Already fans on both sides are looking forward to this contest after the arrival of megastars at Real Madrid and Barcelona’s triumphant last season.

Barcelona’s local derby is called El Derbi Barceloní played against underdogs Espanyol but this has mainly been a one-way event making its result significant largely to Espanyol.

In all their history, Barcelona has not sold their shirt rights to any sponsor when they could have made a large sum from shirt sponsorship fees. In 2006, Barcelona reached a five-year agreement with UNICEF to wear its logo on their shirt. That when even the smallest clubs sell shirt space to get the money to bolster their finances.

Camp Nou—Barcelona’s stadium—with its official capacity of 98,787, is biggest in Europe. Year 2007 saw the announcement of remodeling of the stadium at the cost of €250 million, set for beginning in 2008, with enhancement of 10,000 in seating capacity along with retractable roof.

Expected to be finished in 2013, this will make Camp Nou one of the biggest soccer stadiums in the world.

Façade of remodeled Camp Nou will be covered in translucent mosaic of polycarbonate and glass panels, using colors of team uniform and flag of Catalunya, hanging in cable mesh. A beautiful facade will make, with light transitions with day and nights events, a riveting experience.

Club was not to raise ticket prices to finance the construction but instead improved broadcast deal with Mediapro and uniform sponsorship with Nike will help fund the project. Barcelona said officially "the remodeled stadium is designed such that it can be built with minimal disruption to FCB normal football activity."

Barcelona also had plans for a MLS franchise for 2010 season to be based in Miami, because of its predominant Hispanic population, but was forced to cancel this US$20 million enterprise due to the current global economic situation considering it a financial risk.

Yet this was an evidence of club’s efforts to build up its brand overseas and it may renew its interest once economic conditions improve.

Increased revenue may soon see Barcelona overhaul Manchester United or even Real Madrid as the richest soccer club in the world.

Real Madrid

The club is most successful Spanish club with 31 La Liga and nine Champions Leagues titles, receiving FIFA Club of the Century award for its achievements. Real Madrid was also the first club to win UEFA Cup back to back in 1985 and 1986, one of only two clubs to achieve that. Real has topped UEFA Club ranking an unrivaled 14 times.

Real Madrid is one of only five European teams to have received the UEFA Badge of Honor, qualified to wear it permanently.

Real is the richest soccer club in the world for 2007-2008 and have doubled its revenue since 2002. This is notwithstanding underperformance in UEFA Champions League and loss of lucrative BenQ shirt sponsorship fee through firm’s bankruptcy which was replaced with somewhat less fee with Bwin.

While no club has ever defended Champions League title in its current form, Real Madrid won it five times in a row when it started in 1956-1960 and also has played semis a record 21 times. Team captain Raúl is the Champions League’s all-time top scorer.

New York based BBDO Consulting in late 2007 put brand value of Real Madrid at higher than any other soccer club with FC Barcelona second on the list. This clearly demonstrates marketing potential of both clubs when it comes to attracting sponsorship revenues.

According to Sport+Markt survey it has 490 million fans around the world, more than any soccer club.

Galactico I

During Florentino Pérez's first presidency (2000-2006) of the club, he sought to make Real Madrid financially the most successful club in Europe and instituted a policy of signing the best players to harness their marketing power, in turn raising the club’s brand value and advertising revenues.

However, this policy failed miserably in generating team’s on-field success. Arguably his biggest mistake was to sell Claude Makélélé in spite of his pivotal role in the squad which precipitated the demise of Galactico I.

The Galactico I was fueled by revenues coming from the sale of training facilities, La Ciudad Deportiva del Real Madrid, which also cleared debt of €270 million and enabled the club to begin construction of ultra-modern training facilities, La Ciudad del Real Madrid, in the city’s suburbs.

Galactico II

With Pérez back as president, there was again a sense of déjà vu that he will buy big stars and soon this proved very real with acquisitions of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, and Xabi Alonso in particular. Again, there are fears that this policy will fail leaving the club in dire straits.

However, he has not completely replicated his mistakes this time of only buying shirt-selling forwards and has signed Raúl Albiol and Álvaro Arbeloa to strengthen defense and Xabi Alonso to bring much-needed creativity to the squad.

Other Big Two?

So are there other clubs who could be big enough to be classified and included to form rest of the “Big Four” just like that of Premier League?

The answer is bit elusive as of now but there are strong candidates for the last two “vacant” spots of the so-called Big Four, amongst them Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, and relative underdogs Villarreal.

Valencia

Valencia has been a third force in La Liga, with six La Liga titles and Champions League runners-up in 1999-2000, 2000-2001. Considerable success in Europe makes it one of the top ten soccer clubs.

But after 2003-2004 title and the departure of Rafael Benitez afterward, the club has suffered due to mismanagement and bad signings. Though it has failed to qualify for Champions League next season and tough times are far from over, it is only a matter of time before clubs begins to rise from recent lows.

Valencia also stands prominent in La Liga for having 50,000 season ticket holders and when 75,000-seater Nou Mestalla is completed there will be an addition of 25,000 more. Anticipated revenues from the new stadium are going to help a long way toward taking club one of the best in La Liga and Europe.

Atlético Madrid

Atlético Madrid has won nine La Liga titles, third on the overall list of league winners, last one coming in 1995-1996, and has spent most of its life under the shadow of city-rivals Real Madrid. When during '60s, '70s, and '80s Real Madrid overwhelmingly ruled La Liga, only Atlético were able to give them some competition in the league instead of Barcelona.

In their local derby with Real Madrid called “El Derbi Madrileño” Atlético has mostly been behind Real Madrid in terms of wins.

An important milestone was reached when mid-2007 saw Atlético signed an agreement for the City Council of Madrid to sell the land of their current stadium Vicente Calderón and move to Estadio La Peineta (Olympic Stadium, at present owned by the city).

The new stadium is to be upgraded and expanded to nearly 74,000-seater (and set to be completed in 2013) as part of giving boost to Madrid’s bid for 2016 Olympic Games by ensuring that stadium will be used after the Games depending on winning of the bid.

Atlético can play at Vicente Calderón till 2010 after that it will be demolished and turned into a riverside park to be called Athletic Park.

The club will pay expansion costs of maximum €195 million plus VAT and installation and removal of track and field runway if bid succeeds. Ownership of the new stadium will be transferred in 2016 (or 2020 or 2024 if current bid fails and city of Madrid retains the option of applying for future games).

Until then club will have “administrative assignment” over the stadium with full rights of use. Atlético are expected to earn up to €20 million from increased gate revenue after stadium is completed.

Atlético will get a modern and larger stadium that will be good for their image, enabling them to increase revenue to buy talented players and compete for top honors in the years to come. However, the move is controversial and fans are unhappy at the decision which will impose a lengthy travel upon them every weekend.

As of now, Atlético is seemingly well on its way forward in Europe after two consecutive Champions League qualifications.

Sevilla

Sevilla has also improved with two consecutive UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 under former head coach Juande Ramos, but has only one La Liga title in its history which came in a distant year of 1946.

Its performance in recent years has improved and more spectators are now becoming season ticket holders, making a much welcome increase in revenues.

Club has qualified for Champions League after one year gap, but next time will have to compete with a Valencia hungry for return to the top.

Villarreal

This small town club, under former coach Manuel Pellegrini, has scaled new heights both in La Liga and Champions League despite its small budget winning fans for its beautiful style of play. Having finished second in 2007-2008 season, best ever, it dropped to sixth position last season only managing to qualify for Europa League.

While it has bettered its La Liga profile under stewardship of Pellegrini but it seems inevitable that Villarreal will be slipping down the table, a slow process it might be given the talent in the squad, and won’t be able to emulate same success in the long run.

Who has the better chance?

There is nothing in sight to suggest that Real Madrid and Barcelona will be moving lower in the league so there are only two other places available to complete the Big Four.

Sevilla has improved and will be playing Champions League next season but a longer term berth is not assured. Villarreal also may not make the cut and will have to be content to fight for Europa League qualification for the foreseeable future.

Valencia and Atlético Madrid have better prospects for filling the last two of the “Big Four” in the longer run. Both have been the most successful after Barcelona and Real Madrid. They have rich history behind them and bright future in front of them.

While Valencia can expect to achieve that relatively early, the route of Atlético may be precarious and fraught with pitfalls.

Real Madrid's Expected Bench Warmers Next Season

Khalid Khan — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:09:11 -0400

Not many clubs can afford such a star-studded bench as that of Real Madrid.

As there is a considerable agreement regarding who will be playing in the first team and who will be on the bench, it would be interesting to see why some of the best players in the world are warming benches.

Jerzy Dudek

Dudek does not look likely to get any chance of play as Iker Casillas will again be the starter. As long as Casillas stays fit and in form, Dudek will not get a chance. Considering that the former has a lifetime contract, the picture looks even gloomier.

If Antonio Adán makes the switch to senior team, then Dudek will definitely have to leave to save his career.

Christoph Metzelder and Ezequiel Garay

Metzelder was thought to be on his way out when last season closed, but now it appears that he will stay after all.

Garay has come back from a loan spell at Racing Santander, but will have to bide his time before a first-team place becomes available through suspensions, injuries, or resting.

Marcelo, Royston Drenthe, and Miguel Torres

Drenthe nearly left for Fiorentina on loan, but the move failed. He has worked hard in the preseason, but his basic defensive skills are still far from developed.

In a more defensive lineup, Torres can substitute Alvaro Arbeloa, otherwise Marcelo may get the nod. There are chances that Torres might leave.

Mahamadou Diarra, Esteban Granero, and Fernando Gago

Diarra is good defensively and has a stronger physique than Lassana Diarra. If Mahamadou stays, then he will be good backup/substitute for a position he lost through injury to his namesake.

Granero is a versatile player and has worked hard in preseason. His versatility might see him adjust to any role in which he is given a chance to play.

Gago’s passing and positioning are bad and with a bevy of other options, his chances look slim.

Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, and Jose Maria Guti

Sneijder may move to Inter Milan, where he can expect to play regularly, but apparently he has opted to stay at Real Madrid and earn his place.

With the arrival of Kaka, the future of Robben also looks doubtful for first-team place, but he can serve as a substitute.

Guti is a big name and favorite, but his form lets him down often and it seems that next season will be his last.

Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy

Last year, Higuain won the hearts of Madridistas with his hard work and dedication, but with arrival of Karim Benzema, he may have to put in more hard work to get back in the team.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was the team's best scorer before his injury, which cost him and Real Madrid dearly in terms of wins. It remains to be seen how he performs now, but he may have to wait in line behind Raul for his opportunity.

Will Barça Coach Josep Guardiola Live Up to Expectations Next Season?

Khalid Khan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:47:13 -0400

Rookie coach Josep Guardiola led Barcelona to an unprecedented domestic and European success last season. This has generated a lot of hype amongst Barça followers as they expect the team to not only retain all the titles next season but also add to them with Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to claim an unprecedented six trophies haul.

It will be very interesting to see if Guardiola can continue from his immediate success in the debut season and build upon it.

When appointed, the expectation level was not high because of his relative inexperience and youth and it was understood that he will need time to settle into his coaching job for such a big club. Therefore media scrutiny of his tactics and decision wasn’t much critical.

But now as a new season begins, all eyes will be on Guardiola, his team selection, tactics and overall strategy will be microanlayzed. It was said about Frank Rijkaard that he won La Liga and Champions League because of the immense talent available in the team.

Can the same be said about Guardiola? There are other questions as well. Was it his ability in handling players that did the trick? Was it his strategy that won the day? Was it that a change was needed in the locker room? Or it was replacement of the laid-back style of Rijkaard with Guardiola’s tough attitude and emphasis on work ethic?

In Eto’o case Guardiola did show psychological vulnerability in his refusal to accept substance when he said "There is not a single major reason for this decision. It is a matter of feeling and sensations. I think it would be the best for Barcelona if Eto'o does leave, and his sale is my decision.”

And more that "Inter have the money to make Eto'o happy, but if he wants to stay, then I will have no problem with that. I fully understand that people ask why. He is a wonderful player. Everyone knows there are no "football" reasons.

So why? It is a question of feeling." He had the power and right as a coach to do what he please, but just couldn’t rise above his personal conceptions and perceptions.

Something also went on between Yaya Touré and the coach at the beginning of last season when former was unhappy at being left out of the team. Before he signed contract extension and increase in wages he was rumored to be on the way to Arsenal, to join his brother Kolo Touré there, among other top destinations across Europe.

The preseason has gone well so far and team has shown no let up in form. The coach and the team understand that wins are now in the past, they have to learn from experience and start all over again. The challenge is to prevent complacency.

Player v. Player: Sergio Ramos v. Álvaro Arbeloa

Khalid Khan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:03:04 -0400

Last season, the fullbacks, particularly left back, let down the team's defense. That does not mean that right back position was much good either. Sergio Ramos had been inconsistent, and had disciplinary issues with 14 yellow cards (plus four yellow cards for Spain) and one red card last season, with some defensive errors earning him some critics.

Ramos is arguably the best right back in the game with his speed, determination, and strength, but already in his four seasons with Real Madrid he has amassed an unenviable tally of nine red cards, which not going to inspire confidence in any coach.

Despite all this, now with the arrival of Álvaro Arbeloa and with Sergio Ramos in the right back position—both defensively strong and young players—Real Madrid can hope to have a solid defense (with Pepe and Raul Albiol in the center) coming season.

Arbeloa didn’t get much time on the field for Real in his last spell and would now be doubly motivated to do well and prove his worth. He had said after signing that, "my objective is to give it everything in training and try to win myself a place in the team, which is the objective of any player.

"And of course I want to help my teammates and the team to win titles, which in the end is what counts."

Before Arbeloa arrived, Miguel Torres could have been expected to earn another chance of proving himself as a fullback, but now he will be a substitute—if not sold to Real Zaragoza. He is good, but perhaps not good enough for Real Madrid.

Christoph Metzelder and Ezequiel Garay can also substitute for Ramos on the right and Marcelo/Drenthe (if not sold) on the left. Javier Velayos and Gary Kagelmacher from youth team might also get a chance if both Torres and Drenthe leave.

All the pieces of Real Madrid’s defense are now in place. Now it is up to them to show what they are capable of collectively.

Keeping a Leg Up: A Striking Look at How Big Soccer Clubs Rise and Thrive

Khalid Khan — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:00:29 -0400

If a critical look is taken at European soccer leagues, notably the bigger ones, then a handful of clubs can be seen retaining a fierce stranglehold on the domestic and European competitions. This is not a recent phenomenon and has taken some time to develop into its form as seen today.

Where and how have these big clubs emerged? Where are they concentrated geographically? Where do they draw their financial and fan support from? How do they preserve their position at the top?

Wealthy, Populous, and Large Countries

Wealth will mean that citizens will have more money to spend on leisure, entertainment, and sports. Big populations will have more spenders, and large landmass means many large cities to call home for clubs.

Large Population Centers

This perhaps is the foremost criterion that gives a club opportunity and space to grow and become big, as a large fanbase means huge stadia can be built to accommodate them, thus bringing in and securing sizable sums in revenue for the club.

Mega-cities tend to have large economies and consequently a large middle class from whom most of the support for the clubs comes. Therefore it is no surprise that many of the top European soccer clubs, including a multitude of small and medium-sized, are found in big cities.

London has Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Fulham, and West Ham United as its representatives in Premier League. Manchester has Manchester United and Manchester City.

Spanish capital Madrid boasts Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Getafe in La Liga. The city of Barcelona has its namesake Barcelona and Espanyol. Valencia, too, has its namesake Valencia and Levante.

Italian city Milan has Inter Milan and AC Milan. Turin has Juventus and Torino. Rome has Lazio and Roma.

In Turkey, Istanbul boasts Besiktas, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and İstanbul B.B., and Ankara has Ankara S.A.Ş., Gençlerbirliği S.K., and Hacettepe S.K.

French Ligue 1 is amongst the top five in Europe but has not produced any big clubs that are dominant domestically and/or in UEFA competitions. This makes Ligue 1 highly competitive but means that in Europe, they fail to go far against big clubs.

The same goes for Bundesliga to some extent, where the only German giant, Bayern Munich, comes from the city of Munich. Besides Bayern Munich, other German clubs keep changing at the top of Bundesliga table every year and fail to stay there long enough and to make it their own to dominate the league consistently.

But there are exceptions, as some big clubs can be found in small cities and towns with small populations. The city of Liverpool has Everton and its namesake Liverpool FC.

Villarreal CF is based in Villarreal, a town of only 49,000 inhabitants, which is not big enough to support a big club when there are La Liga clubs with seating capacity far higher than its total population.

Germany also has many substantially affluent clubs in relatively small population centers but that have a large following in and around their immediate surroundings. Current Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg come from a small city. Hoffenheim, the surprise title challengers of last season, originally come from a small town of just three thousand.

Large Stadia

As illustrated previously, a large population enables a club to build/own stadia with massive seating capacities so gate money forms a vital part of total revenue, as large as one-third.

Keeping ticket prices at reasonably affordable level helps fill stadia, as is the case in Bundesliga. However, where ticket prices are high, only games against big opponents see the stadia filled to capacity or near capacity.

Bundesliga clubs benefited heavily from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. At the moment, more than half the teams in Bundesliga have stadia of seating capacity 50,000 or higher, generating sizable income. Because of lower ticket prices, Bundesliga also has the world’s highest spectator attendance figure for a soccer league.

There are clubs that can become even bigger and richer by building new and large stadia when staying in older, smaller ones has stifled their growth to a certain extent. Examples can be Juventus, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

Having your own stadium has its own immense benefits as well, apart from the fact that the club gets to keep all the income. Modern metropolitan facilities like shopping malls, offices, restaurants, hospitality, residential apartments, high-end shops, and stadium naming rights bring in substantial income.

Bayern Munich earned €41.6 million in the 2007-2008 season from these services, which goes to show how important and lucrative that aspect of owning a stadium has become.

Rich History

This plays a significant part in attracting new fans and keeping old fans faithful to the club. Top players are also lured by the rich history of the club, which in turn draws more fans to the club.

Colonial Language and Legacy

Countries that once were under European colonial occupation are much easier to penetrate and be influenced by their former masters because of historical connection. Usage of colonial language and cultural heritage in former colonies also makes them more receptive/predisposed to be impacted.

England and Spain are most noteworthy in that these countries once occupied huge territories around the world and have left a lasting legacy of language, culture, and political connection; that is where their soccer leagues tend to be most popular abroad.

Foreign Tours and Aggressive Marketing Campaigns

To enhance their fan following and TV rights income, every year soccer clubs go on tours of historical and/or potential markets, which also benefits the league as a whole.

Premier League leads others in aggressive marketing, with success, power, and riches to showcase for it.

Merchandising, TV Broadcasting Rights, and Sponsorship Fees

Big clubs attract/buy big stars, which generates interest in their games, raises income from TV rights, increases sale of merchandise, and spurs a rise in sponsorship fees. Shirt sponsorships also rake in millions of Euros.

Foreign Ownerships

Though not universally applicable, it is one way to rise fast and secure a place there. It is particularly prevalent in the Premier League, where half the clubs are in foreign hands.

At the same time, contrary to common perception, not all foreign owners are glory- and prestige-seeking money-wielding predators; most are shrewd businessmen looking for safe investment opportunities with potential for income and growth.

But a disconnect between profit seekers and fans leaves a bad taste because owners are more concerned with profits, and that creates huge pressure on the club to perform and win. Some don’t want to steadily build a team and so covet success NOW/TODAY without having to wait.

Foreign owners can/and do pump lot of money in for buying big players, which at times leads to hyperinflation, making things difficult for other clubs, many of them small, taking them into financial quagmire while trying to play catch-up.

Conclusion

However one may look at it, big clubs have self-sustaining circular processes, including big populations, large stadia, and sponsorship incomes, helping them along their way to stay at the top.

It is a world where big is getting bigger, rich is getting richer, fittest is surviving, and the smaller and weaker pretender is just filling the numbers in return for leftovers.

Player v. Player: Pepe v. Raúl Albiol

Khalid Khan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:56:04 -0400

If there was one area where Real Madrid were worst last season and which cost them heavily in the La Liga title chase and Champions League defeats, then it is definitely defense.

Fabio Cannavaro is gone and he was never really able to shine in his last few years at Real Madrid. To fill his vacant position at center back, Raúl Albiol has been brought from Valencia and Ezequiel Garay comes from Racing Santander.

Presently Real has Raúl Albiol, Pepe, Ezequiel Garay and Christoph Metzelder as specialist center backs, whereas Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Arbeloa can also do the job in case of injuries or suspensions.

Head Coach Manuel Pellegrini is experimenting in the preseason but the regular starters for center backs may be Albiol and Pepe, when his remaining four game ban ends.

Metzelder can be expected to start before Pepe comes back, before losing place to become backup option alongside Garay. But if Metzelder is sold then Gary Kagelmacher may come up the rank from Castilla as second backup.

Albiol though started his career as a defensive midfielder but at Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores played him as center back and from then onward he made this position his own. His speed, height, strength and passing ability makes him first choice. But he will need an experienced defender like Pepe beside him to lead the defense and to work hard to shed his Albi-own goal image from Valencia days.

Pepe is the best center back Real Madrid has. Though somewhat volatile and temperamental character as it manifested in his fight with teammate Javier Balboa in 2007 and last season in a game against Getafe in April 2009 for which he was red-carded and handed a 10-game ban. But his tactical intelligence and defending from dead-ball situations is excellent.

Pepe’s presence in the teams also moves Sergio Ramos to the right back position where he belongs. He will also need to be consistent the whole season and avoid making too many mistakes.

Both Pepe and Albiol have their work cut-out in building a solid partnership in the infamously week area of Real Madrid defense.

How Long Will Bundesliga Lag Behind Top Three European Soccer Leagues?

Khalid Khan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:40:51 -0400

It is somewhat perplexing thinking as to why Bundesliga, first division soccer league of Germany (the richest country in all of Europe), is not very prominent when it comes to worldwide viewership and fan-base.

Why is it not catching up in popularity with top three leagues? What does it will have to do to more? Is it money that hinders its European success?

First argument that some make is that it is because of defensive style of play. While some may call it anti-football but supporters consider it efficient football to achieve results rather than playing attractive game especially when it comes to modern realities of winnings titles and staying on top.

However, things are changing in recent times and teams are playing offensive soccer. Wolfsburg played aggressively to win Bundesliga title last season. Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen are playing fast, physical, one-touch football that is getting attention of fans in Germany and around the world.

Werder Bremen is known for highly offensive play in recent times albeit to the disadvantage of woes in defense.

Former German national soccer team’s head coach Juergen Klinsmann also employed an offensive strategy while in the job.

For an outsider, Bundesliga seems a one-club affair with Bayern Munich dominating the competition mostly. There are not too many permanent occupiers at the top of the table as is often the case in three top leagues. Qualifiers for UEFA Champions League change almost every season with the exception of Bayern Munich.

Still it is more competitive than top three European leagues and teams like Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, Werder Bremen, and Borussia Dortmund have won league titles in the last decade.

Last season Hoffenheim came up through promotion for the first time and for more than half of the season stood at the top of the table. Only after losing striker Vedad Ibišević to injury (top scorer for half of the season) did they faltered and finished seventh eventually.

In Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, big clubs regularly win places for UEFA competitions which gives them great visibility and money but leaves out competition.

Bundesliga is very closed in nature in that German citizens must be the owners of majority shares through membership organizations and also should have majority of votes in clubs.

All Bundesliga clubs are legally Non-Profit Corporations. Many critics say Germany will have to change its laws governing shareholding to catch up with rest of the Europe.

In 1999, clubs were allowed to off-shoot their parts into a separate legal entities forming a club, with restriction that original NPO is obliged to obey “50+1 Rule” of the shares thus effectively barring foreign investors from assuming majority shareholding.

Only investors who had supported a club for twenty years until 1999 were permitted to keep the majority shares, as in the case of Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg. To change “50+1 Rule”, two/thirds clubs of German soccer league will have to give approval along with German soccer association.

Foreign investors would cause some resentment because existing hierarchical structure will be driven out of power. Traditionally, clubs form an important part of the host city and locals do not like to relinquish that to blatant commercialism.

Foreign investors are not essential but it could bring a freshness of approach to soccer in Germany. This is considering the fact that Bundesliga was the profitable league in whole Europe, with most of the clubs in green, for 2006-2007 displacing Premier League, with highest profit rate of 18 percent which provides a great incentive. Though for 2007-2008 it lost that place to Premier League.

Now, according to latest figures, Bundesliga has replaced Serie A as the second richest European league this season for 2007-2008 behind Premier League. The question now is, can it overtake Serie A in UEFA rankings anytime soon and get four spots for Champions League?

German clubs generate major part of the revenue from higher spectator attendance (due to lower ticket prices), stadium naming rights, lower wages and highest shirt sponsorship income than Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

With foreign money many clubs can become stronger and compete for the title and UEFA club competitions. It will be good for breaking domination of Bayern Munich at the top and make league more evenly balanced and fairly competitive.

Many sugar daddies would be eager to come in but German authorities fear loss of competition would come with that with fewer clubs dominating the league.

Bundesliga has been very conservative in its adaptation its fiscal policies and acceptance of innovations. German clubs spend around 45 percent of revenue on player salaries (according to 2006-2007 figures) whereas Premier League nearly two third in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

This has kept operating costs down and profits up and it is good as a business model. But in sports reality, wage levels mean that Bundesliga has failed to attract best (so expensive) talent available, compelling some to argue that this is the reason behind lack of success in the Champions League.

In 2008, Germany’s anti-trust agency, Federal Cartel Office, has raised concerned about the €3 billion worth live TV broadcasting deals for Bundesliga games saying it is a monopoly and does not protect rights of consumers.

German soccer league and clubs are raising voices that without the bigger TV contracts they will be unable to get big players to come to Bundesliga. That is the reality of the times that without hell of a lot of money there is not much chance of success.

As Bundesliga improves its revenues and maintains its profitability, ambitious clubs should have to use this on acquiring best talent. Even without big names, success is possible through improved work ethic, better management of transfers, good head coaches and development of talent through soccer academies.

To reach worldwide popularity, clubs will have to play attractive game to lure audience. Slow, defensive soccer may be pragmatic for the team but it is just not going to bring viewers flocking to watch Bundesliga. Improving and marketing their brand of soccer is going to be tough but decisive call to make if Bundesliga clubs harbor global ambitions.

Formational Formula Far From Being Final at Real Madrid

Khalid Khan — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:51:26 -0400

As preseason moves on, there is uncertainty surrounding which formation will be used next season by Manuel Pellegrini. The arrival of several galacticos also presents a big pain because they will have to be adjusted in the starting XI and with that comes much speculation about possible formation.

It is apparent that, to a large extent, midfield will dictate formation decisions where the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso will play, and to a lesser extent, frontline where Raul may have to be adjusted alongside Karim Benzema.

4-4-2 Formation

This is the preferred position of Pellegrini and most likely to be used with his usual mid-game variations.

In this formation Alonso will be playing as a deep-lying playmaker with another defensive midfielder beside him for defensive support. This will edge Kaka on the left of the field instead of a central offensive role and may force Robben out of the team or relegated to being substitute winger.

Kaka as a left winger can be used to cut in from the left to right of the field to create scoring opportunities for the strikers.

If Kaka is played as a second striker, then Robben can play on the left flank, and this 4-4-2 configuration could be fluid as Kaka can move back in “the hole” to make it 4-4-1-1 or further back in the center midfield as well effectively changing the formation to 4-5-1.

Alonso can also be played alone with Kaka in the center midfield and wingers on the flanks but there will be a risk of him being marked out of the game thus completely disrupting the game-plan.

Karim Benzema and Raul may be the strikers. Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy can be the substitutes.

4-1-2-1-2 Formation

Wingbacks will have to be used to support offense on the flanks by forcing the opposition defense to play wide. Alonso will be alone in the back of the midfield with Ronaldo and Robben in the middle and Kaka can play as offensive midfielder or even “in the hole.”

It’s a very narrow formation. Real just do not have better wingback on the left to go for that option as Arbeloa is not strong on offense and Marcelo is weak on defense.

4-2-3-1 Formation

That will suit both Alonso and Kaka in deep-lying and advanced playmaker roles respectively.

All lone striker formations require a physically strong and tall striker to receive balls and battle opposite defense as fellow teammates will catch up.

Again Alonso can be with a defensive midfielder in the back with one of the Diarras, Ronaldo on the right, Kaka in the middle and Robben/Higuain/Sneijder on the left. Karim Benzema maybe the lone striker but that will create a problem with so many strikers in the squad.

Wingbacks will be needed to support offense.

4-5-1 Formation

Here Kaka will have to play in the center midfield with Alonso, one of the Diarras, and Ronaldo plus Robben/Higuain on the flanks. Alonso will be the playmaker. This defensive formation does have the flexibility to be converted to 4-3-3 to launch offense.

4-5-1 actually to get draws or defend leads but might also be workable against big teams that would look to play an offensive game thereby exposing their defense which will make it possible to play a lone striker who has to be a real performer and finisher.

But against heavily fortified, deeply-entrenched defense of smaller teams, 4-4-2 with two strikers upfront would be required.

4-4-1-1 Formation

A slight variation of 4-4-2, Pellegrini plays with this position during a game so Kaka/Raul can play as second striker ahead of midfield.

4-1-3-2 Formation

Again a variation of 4-4-2, Alonso can be placed alone behind three offensive midfielders who will also have to bear some defensive duties to protect him from getting marked.

All in all, playing all the megastars in their preferred positions would be a tricky proposition if placed first before the performance of the team as a unit. In any case, Real Madrid will not field two playmakers as it will create problems in defense and such a move inherently stifles each playmaker’s natural game.

There are just so many formational possibilities or tinkering with Kaka, Alonso, whether to play a second defensive midfielder and with strikers.

Coach Pellegrini has a really tough job on his hands placing all these players in the first team while keeping the formation flexible enough to allow him to change tactics (and player positions) on the go.

Player v. Player: Ricardo Kaka v. Wesley Sneijder

Khalid Khan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:45:11 -0400

Comparatively Kaka is definitely a better player, but then Sneijder is also not that far behind in talent. Though Kaka’s place in the first team is assured, there is some speculation as to in which position he would play. Will he play in offensive midfield, second striker or even an advanced playmaker?

Kaka would be more suitable for as an advanced playmaker with his ball distribution skills, creative positioning, and passing but Manuel Pellegrini is not expected to try Kaka in that position (except perhaps as a mid-game change of tactics), because with Xabi Alonso being the creative defense playmaker, it will stifle natural instincts of both playmakers to the detriment of team’s performance while increasing vulnerabilities in defense.

The best option for Kaka would be in the offensive midfield behind strikers, creating goal-scoring opportunities for them with his assists, ball-control and game-reading abilities. His hard-work combined with his team-work attitude and lack of greed in front of goal makes him an ideal choice. But then nothing about playing position is certain for now by any measure.

Sneijder’s chances, in the current situation, of a first team place are virtually none. Despite being a second-best behind Kaka and once rumored to be on the way out, Sneijder will be working hard to wage a tough battle to win a place back in the first team ahead of Kaka. A daunting and sometimes frustrating task it will be for him.

If he can bring himself to it then perhaps he can play substitute to Xabi Alonso as well as a creative midfielder, in league and Copa del Rey to rest/replace tired/injured Alonso.

Sneijder will be a strong backup for Kaka with his versatility, passing, and dead-ball expertise. He is a product of the highly-rated Ajax academy, one of Europe’s best, and second most-expensively transferred Dutch player in history behind Ruud van Nistelrooy.

No one should get ahead of themselves and assume that just being behind Kaka in the pecking order would mean that Sneijder is finished. Many top teams around Europe would love to have a player of his ability on their team.

Player v. Player: Esteban Granero v. Xabi Alonso

Khalid Khan — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:55:42 -0400

The transfer saga of Xabi Alonso takes many twists and turns, and there is no sign of it ending as of now. This raises questions that if Alonso does not arrive then who will do the job of playmaker, or to be more specific, deep-lying playmaker.

Alonso maybe suitable for the job and wanted by Pellegrini, but at the moment, there are many players on Real Madrid's squad whom are playmakers.

However, since Manuel Pellegrini prefers the 4-4-2 formation, that would suit a deep-lying playmaker, namely Alonso or a similar player. Another formation that is good for such player is 4-1-4-1, but it won’t be realistic for Real.

From the existing squad, Guti and Wesley Sneijder can both play as a deep-lying playmaker.

But Guti is inconsistent and therefore unreliable. Sneijder does not prefer to play in the deep-lying position. His defense is vulnerable and he likes to play in an offensive role.

Still, if Alonso does not come then Sneijder may well have to fill that position. But another player that may well be a better choice is Esteban Granero.

Granero is young and, despite his offensive credentials, can be developed into a deep-lying playmaker’s role.

He is a good passer which is an essential for a deep-lying role, has great vision, ball retention, free-kick taker, got a good head and can become a future workhorse in the center midfield.

All he will need is the playing opportunities and backing from the coach, while saving the club a huge amount of money in purchasing Xabi Alonso.

The club had tabled an offer for AS Roma’s Daniele De Rossi, but unfortunately this Alonso saga once again illustrates the fixation of Real Madrid’s hierarchy on one player and the inability to contemplate other options when things are not working out for them.

Should Real Madrid Have Given Arsenal Huntelaar to Get Clichy?

Khalid Khan — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:17:24 -0400

Following the signing of fullback Alvaro Arbeloa by Real Madrid for $5.7 million, primarily a right back but set to play as left back, their summer spending is now only going to bring another player (Xabi Alonso?) in central midfield defense.

However there will be no top backup player for Arbeloa (should he get injured or needs to be rested for big games) except for the likes of Miguel Torres and Marcelo.

Torres is a better backup than Marcelo for left back and can improve in that position. Chema Anton and Marcos Alonso can come from Cantera but they are too young and inexperienced and Anton especially has lost steam in recent times.

Arbeloa came cheap but Real should have gone for Gaël Clichy in a swap for Huntelaar, even though Arsenal wouldn’t have been expected to sell their first-choice left back. Clichy is one of the best left backs around and he proves it with his consistency and his speed, just the kind Real Madrid need to fill a gaping hole on the left of their backline.

To fuel their signing, reduce the squad to 25-member La Liga limit and recover some money; Real have put several players on the transfer market. One of them is an outcast Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Arsenal and Tottenham are on the scene to lure the talented striker away from Santiago Bernabeu.

Stuttgart recently failed to sign Huntelaar as player refused to take a pay-cut. Tottenham will probably have lost interest by now after signing Peter Crouch, making Arsenal the only runner in the race to sign Hunter who have offered €17.3 million according to reports.

Huntelaar would be good replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor as he is both tall and possesses aerial qualities. Nicklas Bendtner is also tall but he is not better than Huntelaar. Huntelaar, a gifted poacher and finisher, is perfect for a lead striker role. Arsenal would also offer him the chance to play in the Champions League.

Huntelaar will thrive at Arsenal with his prolific goalscoring especially if he gets first team place to pair with fellow Dutchman Robin van Persie creating a fearsome offensive partnership in the Premier League.

The majority of Arsenal fans are clamoring for Huntelaar's signing.

The David Silva Chase by Liverpool

Khalid Khan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:59:14 -0400

As dust settles around failed transfer of David Villa, now another Valencia star, David Silva, is reportedly being targeted by Liverpool just in case Xabi Alonso leaves for Real Madrid.

Even if Xabi Alonso leaves, now Liverpool are set to save 20 percent sell-on payment to Real Sociedad when on July 18 agreement expired between the two clubs. Liverpool can then use this money to fund their targets.

Silva has in the past repeated reaffirmed his loyalty to Valencia to fulfill his contractual commitment. In spite of that and also in the face of dire financial straits threatening Valencia, the influential playmaker is again a wanted man.

With Silva’s versatility as a winger on both flanks and on frontline, playmaking, and lower wages, he is a much desired player.

But Valencia will not let their star go without a fight to keep him at Mestalla. Silva is just too important for their future campaigns and it would be very difficult to replace a player of his caliber.

Silva, along with David Villa, is a pivotal player for Valencia, whose partnership with the latter on the field is crucial to offense of the team. Should he leave, he will have fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres to work with at Liverpoo,l which will be an intriguing prospect in and of itself.

Following Alonso’s imminent departure, Liverpool will likely make all efforts to keep Javier Mascherano from joining Barcelona and risk losing both creative central defensive midfielders. Still, Rafael Benitez has other central midfielders in his sights.

Rumors aside, Silva move is unlikely as Liverpool already has excellent wingers in Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Albert Riera, and playmakers in Yossi Benayoun and Steven Gerrard. Rafael Benitez would just do well to get central midfielders like Javi Martinez of Athletic Bilbao and Esteban Cambiasso of Inter Milan.

Player v. Player: Ronaldo v. Robben

Khalid Khan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:18:11 -0400

At first sight one wonders if Cristiano Ronaldo could be compared with Arjen Robben in terms of talent and winger position being opposite side of the field. However, it is very much relevant both individually and collectively as part of the team.

Ronaldo is an obvious stand-out of the two as he has achieved so much in such a short span of time and at such a young age. Now he is the world's most expensive player at €94 million fee with allegedly a buy-out clause of €1 billion.

Ronaldo is also the first ever FIFA world player of the year in the history of English Premier League. Noted for his powerful surges, scorching pace, stunning skills, quick feet, free kicks, trickery of dummies that include step-overs to defeat best of defenders while earning time and space to create his magic, are among his top assets.

If Ronaldo settles at Real Madrid without taking much time, continues his form from Manchester United and remains injury free then he will be the best player for Real Madrid not only in the coming season but for the foreseeable future.

Arjen Robben, playing on the left wing, is one of the most exciting players in the world to watch. The flying winger has no lack of talent and is able to compete with the best of the lot.

Robben has the necessary skills to become the best winger in the world but injuries have hampered his progress and he missed out on many accolades that he could have earned by now. His reputation has been hurt and this has had a bad impact on his career.

How common a sight it is to see Robben make a very fast dash that takes him deep into the opponent’s half only to see bad judgment let down his creativity and his team. Robben needs to curtail his goalscoring greed, remain injury-free and focus all his energies on his positive points, directing assists, timing his runs and crossing to his forwards.

Perhaps, it is easy to understand the temptation in that goalscorers tend to get more popularity, pay, and high media profile that come with it.

Comparing Robben to another winger, Franck Ribery, he doesn’t score that many goals but that does not make his effectiveness, productivity and importance to the Bayern Munich any less. Robben just needs to take that leaf (and couple of others for good measure) out of Ribery’s playbook.

As the season begins, it will be interesting to observe which wing is more effective than the other offensively and produces more goals and assists. For that Ronaldo, on the right wing and probably in a forward position, is already a hands-down favorite but Robben on the left can be equally good a workhorse.

Robben will never score more goals than Ronaldo, though if he learns his lessons well then this cannot stop him from becoming one of the, if not THE, best wingers in the world.

Player v. Player: Karim Benzema v. Gonzalo Higuain

Khalid Khan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:06:09 -0400

If any position promises to be most fought for in coming season at Real Madrid, then it is going to be of a striker.

Much is dependent on which formation is going to be used by Manuel Pellegrini. If he uses 4-4-2 (or even 4-4-1-1 or 4-1-2-1-2) then both Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain can play together or pair with Raul, depending on Pellegrini’s lineup.

However, in case of 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1 formation, Benzema would be the most likely candidate as his best position is center forward and he also prefers to play as a lone striker. Real Madrid’s interest in Xabi Alonso (maybe already a done deal), also raises speculation of 4-2-3-1 formation being employed.

Whatever formation is eventually used, Karim Benzema would have a better chance of featuring in the first team. Simply because Señor Pérez didn’t pay €35 million price tag for one of the hottest properties in soccer just to become another expensive bench-warmer.

Benzema is big but with a strong upper body which is good to edge past opposition defenders. He has the self-confidence but needs to work on his crossing while on the flank.

Benzema is capable of playing wide but hasn’t been good there.

Higuain's position is on surface at least vulnerable, despite being a fan favorite after saving Real’s blushes last season many times. He might be feeling unsure about his playing time after signing of Benzema. But he is determined to rise to the challenge and fight to win a place on the first team. Recently he said that, "the arrival of high-quality players makes me be more motivated."

Ultimately whoever becomes first team regular; both are great talents and have big futures ahead of them.

There are other strikers like Alvaro Negredo and Klass-Jan Huntelaar at the club as well who could, given opportunity, do the job. Currently both are being linked to other clubs. Huntelaar came close to a €18 million Stuttgart move whereas Negredo has been linked to Tottenham.

Because of the sell-on clause in Huntelaar’s contract, Real will have to pay €7 million to Ajax which means only €11 million net on a €20 million purchase. If Van Nistelrooy is offloaded and one of Negredo and Huntelaar is to be kept then Huntelaar should be because his height gives him presence in the penalty area, especially in the air from crosses and set-pieces.

Strictly in financial terms, it would be better business to sell Negredo for €18-20 million. He had a good last season at Almeria but is still unproven at Real (as the competitive season hasn’t started yet).

There is still so much uncertainty about the front-line starters. Perhaps as preseason goes along and Pellegrini makes his experiments, some favorites will start to emerge from the younger strikers.

Player v. Player: Ruud v. Raúl

Khalid Khan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:11:18 -0400

As Real Madrid go through their preseason, and with the transfer window still open, there is a heated and often controversial debate among followers and fans alike as to which players, notably strikers (in the context of this article), should be offloaded.

Many want Ruud Van Nistelrooy to go, while others believe Raúl’s time is up at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and he should either leave with dignity or hang up his boots for the sake of club.

Firstly, it would be pertinent to look at their past.

Raúl, a living legend and a great leader, is Real’s all-time top scorer and historically one of the best-ever forwards. Fernando Hierro once paid a compliment to Raul that he is “a Ferrari who is going to overtake us all and break every record in Spanish football."

Madrid-born Raúl began with Real Madrid’s city rival Atlético Madrid but when in 1992 they decided to close their youth academy because of financial problems he moved to Real Madrid C. That proved to be arguably the biggest mistake in the history of Atlético Madrid.

He was the youngest ever to play for Real Madrid when Jorge Valdano picked him for the senior team. A true sportsman noted for his integrity and honesty that has never been red-carded. Having started as a midfielder he has become a top striker with great left foot, predatory goal-scoring instincts, vision and an unending hunger for success.

He is an all-time goal scorer for Real Madrid in La Liga and also all-time leading scorer in UEFA Champions League. Raul has career club average of 0.45 goals/game and Champions League average of 0.51 goals/game.

Coming to Van Nistelrooy, he arrived at Real Madrid in 2006 after five stellar seasons with Manchester United. In his first year with the Spanish capital club he won the Pichichi trophy and a La Liga title.

In November 2008, he was declared to be unavailable for the remainder of the 2008-09 season because of a right-knee injury. Before getting injuries he had scored 10 goals in 12 games for the club that season at a phenomenal average of 0.83 goals/game.

Ruud has career club average of 0.63 goals/game and Champions League average of 0.75 goals/game. He is the second highest goalscorer in Champions League history.

Ruud is a much feared and more complete striker, with lethal finishing touch, ball control, strength and resolve. If he picks up his prolific game where he left off after injury last season than he can still be a better goalscorer than Raul as validated by his comparatively better goals/game average in all club competitions.

Realistically it is now almost impossible for Ruud to compete with Raúl for a place in the starting lineup. If for some reason Ruud is not sold then he may be used as a substitute for Raúl because of his experience.

While Raúl is in the twilight of his career and is not the force he used to be, he is still an untouchable figure at Real because of his past record and loyal service.

At the end of the day, no matter what the critics might say about Raúl, he has earned and deserves an honorable exit.

As next season begins, which should be his last with the club, the coach should use him sparingly and mostly only as an inspirational role to motivate the players in the locker room.

Anything more than that and he will become a tactical impediment stifling team’s offensive play.

Samuel Eto'o vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Khalid Khan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:53:29 -0400

Last week Spanish and Italian media reported of a deal worth €40 million between Inter Milan and Barcelona for services of Ibrahimovic with Samuel Eto’o and Aleksandr Hleb going to other way.

It is troubling for many as to why would Barcelona commit to that €40 million deal for Ibrahimovic when they can get David Villa for €50 million and save Eto’o and Aleksandr Hleb for separate sale transactions.

Of course, Mourinho's interest in Eto'o may have gone some way toward convincing Inter of selling Ibrahimovic but it means Eto'o will be saving only €10 million in sale for Barcelona when compared to Villa deal with Valencia. Is Eto'o worth that little (Man City were willing to pay more) even with one year remaining on his contract?

Villa would have been an easier-fit and a top performer in big games against big teams.

Rumors circulating around say that only Eto‘o wage demand of €10 million is hindering progress on the deal going ahead with Inter Milan.

This comes after Eto’o refused the two-year contract extension offer. Part of the reason behind that might be greed as to why would a player wants to leave Barcelona when other players would grab onto any opportunity to get in.

When all things are considered, best solution right now would be for Barcelona and Eto’o to reach a solution on future contract and wages. Such a solution would be good for both parties concerned.

Barcelona will get to save money on purchase of another striker, whom (namely Ibrahimovic) may in turn, need time to adjust at Nou Camp as illustrated by Thierry Henry’s example.

Eto’o will get to stay with a top club instead of searching for a club willing to pay big bucks in wages and missing possible future silverware with, at present, arguably the world's best soccer club.

Ibrahimovic, in spite of his talent, has his strong critics who would tell you that he is not a performer when it comes to playing against top opponents and that his presence on the soccer field becomes noticeably inconspicuous.

In that respect, Eto’o is definitely a big match player able to score consistently in high-stakes games. Eto'o is a measured commodity in La Liga and CL.

Daniel Opare: A Right Back Canterano to Hold Onto

Khalid Khan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:05:32 -0400

Since joining the club in the beginning of 2008 for an estimated fee of €1.5 million, 18-year-old wonder-kid Daniel Opare has been struggling with injuries and has only played for Castilla, a junior team of Real Madrid.

Real beat several top players for the signature of the former Ashanti Gold SC defender when he gained recognition at 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup while playing for Ghanaian national soccer team.

Primarily a right back, with added ability to play right wingback, he possesses strong pace and physique with penetrating crosses. He trained under former Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos with the senior team but did not get a playing spot.

Ghanians are apprehensive of his getting promoted to the senior team, as many players like Sergio Ramos, Miguel Torres, Michel Salgado, and other defenders capable of playing right back are available for the same position.

Perhaps if an injury crisis develops in the defense or as a backup player (should some right backs leave) he may get his chance; otherwise, his prospects of making it are very slim right now. If Salgado and Metzelder depart, then it will also help his cause.

Despite overwhelming odds against his chances, he is determined to give his best to try and get a place on the team while faithful Madridistas hope that another canterano will not slip through their fingers.

Best solution for both parties involved will be to loan out Opare to another La Liga club so he may get first team experience elsewhere and then come back to Real ready for high-pressure action.

It is about time that Real Madrid focuses its attention on giving promising canteranos playing opportunities; otherwise, what is the point of having such an elaborate La Fabrica?

Santi Cazorla: Villarreal Winger Now Wanted by Real Madrid

Khalid Khan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:13:27 -0400

After Bayern Munich rejected the advances of Real Madrid for its star winger Franck Ribéry, things were giving the impression of being relatively quiet at the Santiago Bernabeu about other target wingers.

But not for long, now it is coming out that Real is interested in Santi Cazorla of Villarreal. Only last August Cazorla had rejected a move to Real Madrid, citing the reason as that he was happy at Villarreal, angering Real's hierarchy.

Though Santi Cazorla is an excellent offensive player able to play in the midfield, left and right wings as he is two-footed, still Robben is considered a comparatively better option on the left by many.

The important question is how can Real Madrid finance this move without first having to sell players when Jorge Valdano has said that club needs to sell at the least five players to generate enough money to finance further signings?

Villarreal could be set to get €30 million plus a player like Alvaro Negredo in a cash plus player deal. Villarreal president Fernando Roig likes Negredo and has hiked the price to €40 million to possibly force Real Madrid to include Negredo in the deal.

Questions about the future of Arjen Robben in the team gain further prominence by this episode. If he stays then, will he be given first team spot, or will he share it with Cazorla on rotation, or Cazorla will become first choice, because Robben tends to be selfish sometimes?

And what will happen to Marcelo, who performed better as a winger then as left-back? Will he become second choice left back to Roberto Canella should he arrive from Sporting Gijon? Or perhaps as a substitute left winger? But if Cazorla and Canella arrive, with Robben staying, then Marcelo may definitely be pushed out.

Marcelo can serve as a backup when Robben is injured, or to rest him, and start Copa del Rey games to give him time and opportunity to develop.

Despite Robben’s apparent shortcomings, he is an excellent player and eager to do well at Real Madrid. He should be the one in the first team if he is not sold instead of bringing another winger. Failure to sell existing players and buying new will put extraordinary pressure on club’s balance sheet.

One Defensive Midfielder Needed To Reinforce Real Madrid

Khalid Khan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:19:55 -0400

Real Madrid has been looking for a defensive midfielder ever since the season ended. But because of the unwillingness of the other clubs to sell, and maybe due to big signings taking up all the attention and cash, this has lagged behind somewhat.

Why does Real Madrid need another defensive midfielder when they already have Lassana Diarra, Mahamadou Diarra, Javi Garcia, and Fernando Gago on the team?

Why are they so adamant on going forward with this?

Well, it is clear that they are looking for a defensive midfielder with long passing and deep lying abilities to add to their offensive play. All the players linked with Real Madrid so far for this position have these capabilities.

Whoever ultimately comes will, in all eventualities, pair with Lass Diarra. This paring can be effective in a 4-2-3-1 formation, though it is still unlikely in the face of Pellegrini’s favorite 4-4-2.

Such a signing is also going to drive Mahamadou Diarra out. Fernando Gago or Javi Garcia may also see the falling axe, while others might serve as backup.

Xabi Alonso is the one most wanted by Real Madrid, but alternatives are also being checked out. So far, Liverpool does not want to sell Alonso. Liverpool is asking, if reports are to be believed, something in the range of €47 to €50 million for Xabi.

This is probably only meant to scare away Real. A reasonable price would most likely be around €27 million.

Real’s €30 million bid for, another defensive midfielder, Daniele De Rossi has also reportedly been rejected by AS Roma. De Rossi is also wanted by Chelsea.

According to AS Roma Director Bruno Conti, De Rossi is worth over €40 million. However, a middle ground of €35 million is considered to be a workable price.

De Rossi can be a good option for defensive midfield and brings with him great offensive skills as well. He seems, for now, to be a part of a backup plan if Xabi Alonso does not arrive at Santiago Bernabeu.

De Rossi has unflinching attitude in defense when it comes to tackling, along with long-range shooting, aerial prowess, and deep-lying playmaking.

The latest addition to players being linked is relatively inexpensive. A €25 million offer by Real is Gaetano D'Agostino of Udinese, who is also strong on the radar of Juventus.

He initially started his career as a trequartista, but later developed into a midfielder with excellent passing and a deep lying role. His play is hailed as having a close resemblance to the Andrea Pirlo.

The number of players available in the market is small, and clubs are jacking up prices to hold on to them. In this situation, D'Agostino is the economical option, but being a Spaniard, Xabi Alonso is expected to fit in easily with the team.

However, in the end, Daniele De Rossi, with his strong pace, is perhaps a complete solution. And with a price tag in between both other players, coupled with AS Roma’s financial woes which may compel them to sell, De Rossi might emerge as a strong contender.

One Left Back Needed to Reinforce Real Madrid Defense

Khalid Khan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:10:47 -0400

Real Madrid has moved to take a backseat in the transfer market, for now, with two more players to come—in all probability a defensive midfielder and a left-back.

Focusing on left, Marcelo has been good there last year but a fall in the pecking order behind Heinze kept him on the bench for the most part and the same fate seems to be awaiting him for next season.

The matter of signing a left back has to gain urgency in terms of zeroing in on targeted player(s). Simultaneously, the club also has to offload Gabriel Heinze who is an very overrated and under-performing player.

As natural left-footed left backs are something of a rarity in soccer, most players in that position are right-footed. This is always an inherent disadvantage for many; however, there are some notable exceptions in right-footed players being excellent performers on the left.

Right-footed left backs are sometimes used by coaches to cut in from left to the center and feed ball to forwards. Most of Real's rumored targets at right-footed.

One of them, Philipp Lahm, Bayern Munich are not willing to sell. Still there are other options as well like Fabio Grosso of Lyon with limited years but inexpensive. Maxwell can be available now that he is out of favor at Inter Milan and facing competition from youngster Davide Santon for a place.

Christian Chivu, primarily a center back but capable of playing on the left, of Inter Milan would be a little expensive at market price of €23m but can be considered.

Reports say Real is going to bid for Chelsea’s Ashley Cole who is having problems in contract negotiations but chances are slim that he will leave. Arsenal cannot be expected to sell Gael Clichy who is valued around a reasonable €15m sum.

For now, Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa is apparently a leading choice for Real Madrid. He can play at both right and left flanks and center. Circumstances now are also favorable for a move since with the coming of Glen Johnson his chances of first team place will be reduced.

Only hurdle now is that Real is offering €5m while Liverpool is demanding €6m. With such a small difference a deal is likely to be achieved sooner or later.

Valencia Is Going To Bounce Back

Khalid Khan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:27:58 -0400

It was not long ago that Valencia were reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy. Severe financial problems forced the construction of its ultra-modern and high-seating-capacity Nou Mestalla to be halted, and payment of wages to players and club staff had to be delayed.

But, things seem to be improving for the troubled Spanish giants.

Only one month following the resignation of Vicente Soriano, it is becoming increasingly apparent that he will in fact return to Mestalla as its savior, as the front man of investment firm Inversiones Dalport SA.

Reports are emerging that they will soon complete the purchase of a 51 percent shareholding, securing a majority, and paving way for Soraino to become president again.

According to press, Inversiones Dalport SA are wiling to pay €500 million to buy the site of old Mestalla, wiping the club’s debts in the process. If this materializes, then Valencia can move forward to complete building the Nou Mestalla—with the added certainty of a five–star status from FIFA—meaning it might even host the 2011 Champions League final.

The 73,000 seating capacity that the Nou Mestalla provides is crucial to a bright future for the club. It will generate revenue that could attract top quality players, and pay high wages required to sign them. This would provide a platform for Valencia to truly become a top club, fight for the La Liga title, and improve its performance in European competitions.

Vicente said to AS: “I do not want to go into the details of the operation in respect to how much I had to pay for the shares, but it is an agreement that I had with Soler back in September.”

“My idea is to regain the presidency and the control of the club and what is clear is that one of my companies now has 51 percent of the shares.”

In the end, this will be good for the club because it will not have to sell its prized players to alleviate financial woes. Instead, it will be in a strong position to keep them for next season’s title charge, or at least, to claw their way back into a money-spinning Champions League spot.

Real Madrid's Offensive Options: Was Karim Benzema Really Essential?

Khalid Khan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:22:19 -0400

As a €35m deal for Karim Benzema is done, the question that bothers many a mind is that was it really that necessary when the club already have a whole host of strikers with young talents of Higuain and Huntelaar having big potential, Raul and Van Nistelrooy with experience, with Negredo also coming off of a good season with Almeria last year.

It will create anxiety, insecurity, and instability in the squad—especially Gonzalo Higuain and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

While Higuain would have been thinking of building up on his stellar performances of last year and Huntelaar trying to make it permanently into the first team to prove his true potential, now Huntelaar—not Higuain because Real won’t want to let go of him—might be considering saving his career, and at the same time improving his prospects for inclusion in Netherland’s World Cup squad, by moving elsewhere.

Even Florentino Perez refered to this eventuality recently and said "We need to concentrate our efforts on convincing some players that they will have to leave. It should not be forgotten there is a World Cup next summer and all our players want to play in it.”

And further, "If players aren't going to have the chance to participate here, they'll want to do it somewhere else, to be able to make it to the World Cup."

Already many top clubs are being named to be interested like AC Milan and even Manchester United. Already AC Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani has commented that, "We are going to sign a great forward. Luis Fabiano and Huntelaar are options, but neither will arrive before Monday."

Apparently Jorge Valdano does not value Huntelaar as an important part of the offense for next season. For Huntelaar this would be a tempting opportunity he may not want to miss considering his seemingly reduced chances for first team play at Real Madrid next season.

Why Diego Maradona is Not the Man for Argentina

Khalid Khan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:43:38 -0400

At the moment two-time world champions Argentina are perched perilously at fourth place above Ecuador in FIFA group standings for World Cup 2010 qualifiers. Top four will automatically qualify for the World Cup but if Argentina falls to fifth then it will have to face playoffs with fourth ranking team from North, Central America and Caribbean group.

In view of the recent past of the Argentinean team, if there is one chink in their armor to be pointed out then coach Diego Maradona would have to be the one.

Often it has been proclaimed that great player doesn’t necessarily, though there are exceptions, become a great coach. In the case of former Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli star Diego Maradona it seems so true. On personal level, he has had a history of drug abuse, health problems coupled with a volatile temperament.

When Alfio Basile resigned from coaching job following loss to Chile in world cup qualifiers in the second half of 2008 Maradona offered himself and took his place—an utter shock to many and despite large portion of public opinion against it.

He has never coached at club or national level except for small stints at Mandiyú de Corrientes and Racing Club in Primera División Argentina.

To aggravate matters further, he doesn’t seem to have much knowledge about coaching, how to put forward his own tactics and soccer philosophy.

He is getting his midfield wrong in an outdated 3-3-1-3 formation which isn’t working for them (in part because of forwards of small height like Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, and Sergio Aguero) especially after the departure of playmaker Juan Riquelme who retired from international duty in March 2009 after disagreements with Maradona,

Team is out of form and directionless on the soccer field, and, it is failing to convert spectacular talent at its disposal into game wins.

It will be sad if Maradona brought further ruin to an already under-performing team and also if it fails to qualify for the world cup in South Africa because Albicelestes is one of the most loved and followed soccer teams around the world.

Argentina’s soccer federation will have to go back to the square one and find alternative for its Head Coach if it has any ambitions to launch a serious challenge to win next year’s World Cup, which seems unlikely as of now. They cannot afford to lie back and hope that situation will resolve itself. It is just not going to happen and time is fast running out on them.

Team has home qualifiers on September 5 against Brazil and on October 10 against Peru while away games are on September 8 versus Paraguay and on October 13 against Uruguay.

Rubén De La Red Might Never Play for Spain And Real Madrid Again

Khalid Khan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:07:35 -0400

Reports are coming out that Spanish international Rubén de la Red will still be with the capital club next year but will not be playing any games.

Last October he was admitted to hospital when he collapsed during a match of Copa Del Rey against Real Unión and was later initially diagnosed with effort syncope and did not play another game during the remainder of the season.

Unfortunately for him, all further medical tests have failed to provide anything conclusive or substantial on his situation so he will miss the next season as well while tests will be carried out every two months to definitely assess his health.

Whether he will ever play again for club and national team is also in serious doubt as both teams will be wary of that in particular because of what happened to Antonio Puerta of Sevilla when he fell to the ground because of a cardiac arrest while playing a La Liga game against Getafe on 25 August 2007 and died three days later.

The word buzzing around is that he may take up a coaching job with one of the teams as he has completed many coaching programs.

Should Samuel Eto'o Go to Manchester City?

Khalid Khan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:47:51 -0400

The Cameroonian striker’s future looks to become another soap opera amid a latest “stratospheric offer” of €30m from Manchester City and the lure of a fat paycheck.

Reportedly he wants to stay but is unhappy at being pushed out of the Nou Camp and is demanding a €10m paycheck from Manchester City should he join them, plus €15m allegedly as “transfer bonus” from the Catalan club.

President Joan Laporta stated his and Pep Guardiola’s desire for Eto’o to stay, but Barcelona, according to reports, have not offered him a new contract, yet.

Laporta would be tempted to sell the player to make some money while only a year on his contract is left. Barcelona can then use the money to buy another striker.

Another destination, according to rumors, had been Inter Milan which might look for a deal if Ibrahimovic leaves for Barcelona.

Manchester City failed to qualify for Europa League place and do not look like qualifying for the Champions League anytime soon with the dominance of the so-called “Big Four” in the PL. This has been an obstacle to bringing in top talent because big players want to compete for and win trophies, especially the Champions League.

Last year Manchester City purchased Robinho for a record sum but the deal was reached because the player was not happy at Real Madrid and wanted to leave. Manchester City will have to learn that success and a place in European competitions attracts talent and it will have to work steadily upward with mid-level talent instead of getting megastars to buy success.

This will just not happen.

Arab Sheikhs are deluding themselves.

Real Madrid Spend or Squander Its Dineros

Khalid Khan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:54:34 -0400

Soon after the last season closed and Florentino Pérez took charge of the club presidency, there have been consistently ample rumors that many players especially the Dutch will be offloaded en masse in this transfer window.

It defies logic as to why they all will be indiscriminately purged when they are not mediocre players. Real Madrid spent big money to buy them and cannot afford to blow so much money with such regularity. Many possess extraordinary talent and are still too young to offer long years of service to the club.

Why would the club want to sell these players on meager values and buy expensive ones to replace them is beyond many. For one, it would be very difficult to get good prices for Van Nistelrooy and Mahamadou Diarra as both are coming off of serious injuries (Van Nistelrooy reportedly might be sold for €1.5m to Tottenham).

Robben was purchased from Chelsea for €36m and still has three more years on his contract. Van Der Vaart came for €13m and has four more years. Wesley Sneijder for €27m and still has three years. Huntelaar arrived for four years on €20m as initial sum. Van Nistelrooy has another year. Mahamadou Diarra for €26m and has two more years.

Granted that Robben is injury-prone who sometimes doesn’t know when to pass the ball to others and ends up wasting the entire effort itself but he is fast and effective. Van Der Vaart is an excellent attacking midfielder who was nominated FIFA Player of the Year for performance at Hamburg but if he is not sold then possibly will be a bench-warmer next season.

Sneijder is an attacking midfielder who can become integral part of the team. Huntelaar is an excellent striker for a No. 9 position and in the long run can take place of Van Nistelrooy or Raul. Van Nistelrooy had a severe injury last year but if recovers well then he can perform better than Raul.

Before last year’s injury Mahamadou Diarra was crucial in the defensive midfield for two seasons though now Lass will make it difficult for him to get his place back making him superfluous.

In the case of Royston Drenthe, it is fine to loan him out or sell with a buy-back option (currently being linked to Fiorentina) so he could improve his skills and become consistent performer. This solution can also be applied to Fernando Gago and Javi Garcia.

Raul Albiol’s transfer of from Valencia has been confirmed and can take place vacated by Cannavaro in the center. Ezequiel Garay will also arrive from Racing Santander and can serve as substitute for Pepe in center or Ramos at right. So Maicon can be overlooked and Metzelder might be sold.

Now priority should be to buy a left back. Marcelo can play as left wing back and left winger, however, for left back Alvaro Arbeola seems to be the frontrunner according to rumors but he is primarily a right back. Philipp Lahm (actually right back but effectively plays on the left) and Yuri Zhirkov (a strong Chelsea target) are also prominent players to be considered, who are on the wish list of Barcelona and other top European clubs, because they can also be part of the offense.

Then there is a question of signing more strikers when club already has Raul, Higuain, Van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar. Alvaro Negredo, Saviola and Alberto Bueno can be brought up from Castilla. Why go for David Villa or Karim Benzema then and pay huge sums? But if Alberto Bueno is loaned out and Negredo is sold then another striker will certainly come.

Saviola was brought by Schuster but neither he nor Juande Ramos used him regularly (mostly in Copa del Rey and primarily as substitute in La Liga) though he is a talented player upfront. He has suffered at Real Madrid and will probably leave this year to save his career.

As for left wing, if Robben is to be sold then Real will need a replacement which might be Ribéry. David Silva would have been an excellent and relatively inexpensive choice, as he can play on both wings and as playmaker plus supporting striker, had Valencia been prepared to sell him. Jesús Navas from Sevilla can be another viable option.

All in all Real have its options and also competition for them. It will have to be careful so as not to sell quality players. Only couple of more discrete purchases avoiding overspending and club will be home and dry.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Euphoria: Now Plan for ODI's World Cup 2011

Khalid Khan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:58:43 -0400

An unlikely winner Pakistan may be of the T20 World Cup, but the team elevated its performance just at the moment when it was staring at the exit door in the Super Eights. It is time to rejoice but underneath the surface all is not as it should be.

Except for the last three matches Pakistani team never looked like it had consistency and discipline to get past the Super Eight stage of the tournament.

The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy will be a much tougher format of 50 over ODI in which the Pakistani team can be expected to struggle.

T20 format is evolving and teams played differently in a marked contrast to the previous tournament. Sometime T20 can be like a lottery because it doesn’t give you much time to recover from a bad performance like in the 50-over ODI.

It is about time that PCB should start building team for the World Cup of 2011 as there isn’t much time left. Under-performing players should be shown the door while younger talent must be given enough chances. Better and consistent performers be allowed to consolidate their place in the team.

Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal are not top batters as their records reflect, especially against the best attacks in the world. There are other unreliable performers as well, the likes of Salman Butt and Misbah-Ul-Haq. New batters like Shahzaib Hasan and Ahmed Shehzad did not seem to be bright prospects.

And then there is Shahid Afridi who has improved his bowling but his batting is deteriorating. He only batted well in the semifinal and final, obviously helping the team a lot, but still he has never been a consistent batter.

In bowling, Mohammad Aamir seems good but only time will tell if he is capable enough to stay longer in the team. Razzaq’s bowling is without any pace and swing and he might as well be bowling asleep. Shoaib Akhtar should hang up his boots now.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, PCB doesn’t seem to be in a team rebuilding exercise. On the flip side one wonders that where is the talent anyway as not many capable players seems to be coming up the ranks, in batting and bowling both, to take the team forward and win test series against major teams and World Cup in 2011.

Like the Pakistani team’s reputation, its future also appears unpredictable.

Gonzalo Higuain: Real Madrid's Unsung Hero Last Year

Khalid Khan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:31:46 -0400

If there was one man that played with commitment, hard work, intensity and humility last season at Real Madrid then Gonzalez Higuain would arguably stand out amongst his club colleagues.

When he moved from River Plate in 2007 he didn’t perform much until last season and what an incredible season it was for him. Not only did he prove himself to be a top striker with his destructive speed and skills but he was also good on the wing.

There are rumors floating around, shaky perhaps, that Real Madrid has offered Higuain to Inter Milan as cash plus player offer for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It would be totally ludicrous, if it happens, to sell an excellent young performer and a top prospect for the future.

And for whom? Ibrahimovic, who despite his enormous talent has a reputation of under-performing in big matches especially in Champions League.

However, there still might be a possibility of him being sold. Recently, when the new Real Madrid kits became available, shirts of only three players were on sale. Higuain’s was not one of them.

Selling performers for cheap and buying big stars for expensive fees doesn’t seem like a good business deal. It shows disrespect to the player and devilishly insatiable hunger on the part of the club to achieve/buy quick success.

It may also suggest that Real Madrid has not learned its lesson from the Robinho episode of last season when he was alienated by being linked in a cash plus player move for Cristaino Ronaldo. Robinho subsequently moved to Manchester City.

Higuain may not be a Galactico, but he deserves a place at Real Madrid because he has earned it through his performance.