Bleacher Report - Articles by Benjamin Rogers

Should Diego Maradona Be Sacked?

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:33:01 -0400

Diego Maradona, one of the world's Best Footballers in his day. He could score a goal from anywhere on the pitch and showed the determination and skill that made him one of the most iconic men in football.

However, his reign as head coach of Argentina has been far from impressive and his job currently hangs in the balance.

It looks like his job will depend on the result of the 2010 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

Diego has had some good times as the coach of Argentina but he has also had some disastrous results that have got people asking the question: Does he have the right coaching skills to manage one of the world's best sides?

In the early days of his role as head coach he started well with a friendly win against Scotland and he went on to win the next next game as well.

He also got his team a win in their first game in the quest to qualify for World Cup 2010.

However, his second result started to ring major alarm bells as Argentina was thrashed 6-1 by Bolivia, it was taken as a one of but some later results have changed the minds of many of the world's football sceptics.

He saw his side win 1-0 against Colombia, which put Argentina's quest for South Africa back on track.

They lost their second of the three against Brazil going down three goals to one.

And finally they lost their third game of three by losing to Paraguay by a score line of 1-0.

Argentina kept hopes of qualifying alive as they beat Peru 2-1 to give them a chance and only needing a score draw to qualify in tonight's game against Uruguay.

Argentina currently sits fourth in the table and unable to climb it any higher, but a draw against fifth place Uruguay would see them safe at least before the finals begin.

If they lose then Argentina would have to win a playoff game against a team from Central America, but they may not get the chance because if Argentina loses and Ecuador wins against Chile, Argentina will be out of the World Cup altogether.

Ex-Manchester United star Diego Forlan will be a big threat for Maradona's side come tonight's game and could be the difference between tears of joy or tears of sadness.

Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez will send his side out with a do-or-die attitude.

''Winning is what matters,'' he said. ''We'll try to win. We respect Argentina, but we need the three points.''

However, qualification or no qualification, should Diego Maradona be sacked as head coach of Argentina?

Argentina have some of the world's best players, including Javier Mascherano, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Juan Riquelme, and Lionel Messi, but can Maradona be trusted to reach the Final if they qualify?

Mario Kempes, 1978 champion and top goalscorer, suggests much of the blame has to be laid at Maradona's door. "There appears to be a problem of communication. On the field it's clear the players don't understand what he is asking of them," Kempes said in an interview with German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

However, Argentina striker Lionel Messi said, ''We'll play at the World Cup. We are risking everything in the last qualifier. I trust in my national team. We'll do our best to clinch a win there, even though it won't be an easy game.''

Maradona himself has said, ''Our chances of progressing to the World Cup are intact. We must go to Uruguay to fight for our qualification. We'll do that with pride.''

Are these the words of a coach whose days as Argentina coach are numbered?

Arsenal: Top Five Players So Far

Benjamin Rogers — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:30:40 -0400

As a arsenal fan myself, ive been trying to distinguish the best players of the season so far. It was not easy and i found plenty of reasons as to why this article could of been top ten and not been limited to top five. But in the end i had to choose but to be far i will list the top ten just to show you my mind set and give you a chance to agree or disagree. In no particular order these are my Top Ten. 1. Thomas Vermaelen 2. William Gallas 3. Eduardo da silva 4. Cesc Fabregas 5. Andrei Arshavin 6. Emmanuel Eboue 7. Thomas Rosicky 8. Alexandre Song 9. Abou Diaby 10. Robin Van Persie I had to chose from the players from the list above as they are the stars that have sparkled so far this season. The gunners have been very impressive from the get go and have clinched some important victorys such as 6-1 against Everton, 6-2 against Blackburn and have played well in games we have lost such as the two defeats in Manchester to City and United. On ocasions we have looked very close to the finished article and the only negetive point so far can be some sloppy defending. I feel if we can take our form into a game against the big four and see the game out we can come away with a victory. it will be intresting to see who makes an impact against the gunners next opponunts Birmingham. Lets start the list, which is no particular order.

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Eboue: The Darkhorse at Arsenal

Benjamin Rogers — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:44:09 -0400

If you saw the game on the December 6th, 2008, you would never have guessed that Emmanuel Eboue would still be at Arsenal, let alone playing well.

He was substituted after coming on as a substitute against Wigan earlier in the game, and was subjected to a large chorus of boos from large sections of the Arsenal crowd.

Many fans sarcastically cheered and applauded as he went off.

I personally was not happy with Eboue's contribution in the game, but I was shocked when I heard boos and jeers from the Arsenal faithful.

It almost made me embarrassed to be a Gooner, and was disgusted that the fans I love so much could be so heartless to a player who always runs his socks off for Arsenal.

In the Game Itself

Arsenal were average, and I feel the fans were just taking their frustration out on a player who was not fully fit.

For me, it was not because of Eboue's lack of skill, but rather a rare mistake by Arsene Wenger for putting an injured player on the field.

He was clearly upset by the booing and left the field of play on the verge of tears.

It looked at that moment as if his Arsenal career was over.

However, the next ten months has seen Emmanuel turn the Arsenal fans' views on him around and he has slowly started to get his confidence back.

He scored against Burnley in the FA Cup, which was retribution for the Gunners as they were embarrassingly knocked out the Carling Cup by the-then-Championship side earlier in the season.

He then netted two goals against Blackburn Rovers as Arsenal went on to win 4-0.

It was unclear as if he was to stay or leave come the summer transfer window as Eboue himself has said he was upset by the booing he received in the Wigan game and was taking his Arsenal career one step at a time.

However a £9m offer from Fiorentina was allegedly turned down by both Arsenal and Eboue, and he started the new season as a Gooner.

As if by magic and great coincidence he scored his first goal of the season against Wigan at the weekend, he flicked Eduardo's shot past Kirkland and into the net to score and bring, what has been a crazy ten months for the Ivory cost star, completely full circle.

He has played well in a lot of the Premier League games this season and seems to have more passion and drive than ever before, and he could well turn out to be the darkhorse of Arsenal this season.

Eboue's stats

Name: Emmanuel Eboue Height: 5ft 10in

Age: 26

National side: Ivory Cost Position: RB, RM, DM.

Apps: 99

Goals: 4 Career goals: 11

Let's hope his career will remain on a high, and his passion and desire to play well for Arsenal never fades away.

The tabloids are suggesting that Arsenal doesn't have any passionate players, yet in my opinion, they only have to look at Eboue to see one.

And last but not, least I want to end the article by thanking Eboue for turning a bad situation into a good one.

As always hope you enjoyed the read.

Arsenal: Gunners Should Add Free Agent Lucas Neil

Benjamin Rogers — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:47:45 -0400

So another Transfer Window passes and the Gunners have yet again failed to sign the players that the Arsenal fans seem to crave.

Many big names were mentioned and it seemed likely that the Gunners would make a last ditch signing before the window slammed shut.

With the money made from the sales of Adebayor and Toure, it looked like Arsenal would spend the money on a new defender, midfielder, and a striker.

However, when the clock struck five p.m., on Tuesday, Arsenal had only made one signing in Thomas Vermaelen and while he has turned out to be a very good signing by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, he was the only addition to a squad that lacks depth.

However, there is still a shining light in the name of a defender that could solve some of Arsenals problems and add strength, depth, and experience to what is a growing squad.

His name is Lucas Neil.

He wouldn't cost a dime and has a career packed full of experience in the English league, which would be a great asset to a club like Arsenal.

He was born in Sydney, Australia and is 31. He has played for many clubs in the past, such as Millwall, Blackburn, and West Ham.

He plays at centre back and can cover at right back.

His goal tally isn't much to write home about with 19 goals in 419 games, but he would be playing with the likes of Vermaelen and Gallas who would be able to score the goals from defence.

As I said, he has played in the premier league for many years and has the right mental attitude and ability to play with the Premier league's big boys.

He is strong and would never give the ball up without a fight and would show passion, similar to what a captain would bring, in every game.

The Hangeland deal never really got started and the Gunners really needed that extra defender in place, before the window shut.

With the window now shut and Lucas Neil still a free agent, is this the player that the Gunners should have added and not let slip through their fingers?

West Ham vs Millwall: Warzone

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:45:44 -0400

In case you were wondering, the match ended 3-1 to the Hammers. But that, unfortunately is not why I'm writing this article.

During last night's Carling Cup game between West Ham United and Millwall, fans disgraced themselves and their clubs by invading the pitch on three different occasions and riots were started before and after the game.

Riot Police were in full gear before the game even started to stop raging West Ham fans from fighting with Millwall fans.

Fans were seen throwing anything they could get their hands on, from bricks to trees and, of course, beer bottles and pint glasses. The police had to push the fans back while missiles were being thrown into their direction and at Millwall supporters.

To the disgrace of one fan, a man was stabbed in the chest and had to be treated before an ambulance took the unfortunate male to hospital, were he is believed to make a full recovery.

Unfortunately it didn't stop there, as many of the fans were pushed into the stadium it became clear that many fans from both clubs without tickets were getting past the turnstiles and starting fights inside the ground itself.

As the game started, Millwall fans in the stands started to get into small fights with each other and when the police and ground officials went to break it up, the anger was quickly turned around on the themselves.

Many Millwall fans tore the seats out of their holdings and used them to battle the police.

After the police seemed to have calmed everything down, Millwall scored the first goal of the game thanks to a good finish by Harris. That triggered more Millwall fans to rub this in the faces of the already angry West Ham fans.

Until the past couple of minutes, police had managed to hold fans back, and the only trouble was with fans from both sides getting between the goal and seats and trying to get on the pitch.

But just as the violence seemed to end with minutes to go, West Ham equalized thanks to Stanislas, who, on his celebration, ran past Millwall supporters and gloated. As he ran past them, the Millwall fans they threw water bottles and other missiles at the player himself. Thankfully they all missed.

However, the anger between the fans was started all over again and it was clear both fans were reaching boiling point and as West Ham took the lead in the 30th minute added on time, the Hammers fans invaded the pitch.

After the police, ground officials, and even the players themselves managed to get the West Ham fans back in the stands, the game was played on.

But the truce was short-lived, and when West Ham sealed the win with a third goal, West Ham fans again invaded the pitch, which led to the Millwall players running off the pitch for their own safety.

Again, the game was managed to be restarted, but as the final whistle was blown the West Ham fans invaded the pitch for a third time.

As the players walked off the pitch among the partying West ham pitch invaders, Jack Collinson was brought to tears as only two days earlier his father had been killed in a moterbike accident.

As the ground was emptied, the fans were fighting in the streets once again. If it weren't for the police, it would have continued until the early hours of the morning.

I myself was planning on going to the game, and luckily I chose not to. But many of my friends did go and luckily all returned safely. One gave me a short interview.

"It was mental and terrifying at the same time," he said. "It was clear that the people fighting weren't even real fans, just thugs out for a fight."

"Luckily we left the pub we were in and went down a safe street, but turned our heads to see fans emptying the pub of its chairs and tables to throw at Millwall fans."

"The police were overrun and were only just stopping the fans from both clubs colliding."

"We even saw Millwall fans steal tickets from their own fellow fans and try to get into the ground."

"If I'm honest it wasn't pleasant, any young kids at the game must of been terrified and frightened, if I had to use two words to discribe it all, I would choose terrifying warzone."

As my friend said, the trouble was not started by real fans, but by mindless thugs that should not only get dealt with by the law, but also get life bans from every football game in the future.

This was all pre-arranged by thugs and hooligans, and they are the ones who should be brought to justice, and not the clubs themselves.

Thankfully officials of the FA have come out and said the violence will not effect England's 2018 World Cup bid.

Let's hope that the police and the two clubs find and punish the offenders and we can try and forget this horrible incident.

Arsenal: One More Striker

Benjamin Rogers — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:17:03 -0400

Well who would of seen this coming, Arsenal Winning two games, scoring ten goals and more importantly only one goal coming from a striker.

After the 6-1 opening day destruction of Everton, Arsenal carried on scoring in the second win of the season at home to Portsmouth.

The final score was 4-1 to the Arsenal side and the gunners carried on the trend and scored another hat full of goals to please the Emirates Faithul.

Two goals in his 100th appearance for Diaby, one for William Gallas and the fourth from the young Welsh star Aaron Ramsey wrapped up yet another comfortable win.

Even With Cesc Fabregas out for the Manchester United game the fans should still be confident of going to Old Trafford and coming away with three points.

Yet there is one thing that stands out from the past two games, only one goal has come from a striker.

With Eduardo the only striker to score for Arsenal so far this season, it raises some questions and answers, good and bad.

The good answers are, Arsenals midfield is proving to be stronger then people predicted and the defence is standing stronger when it comes to aerial balls.

But a new question is put to Arsenal and that is do they need another striker?

Not scoring goals isn't a problem for the Gunners but would it be helpful to add another option in the strikers position?

Arsenal had looked to the Boudoux striker Chamakh in way of giving Arsenal a bit more fire power but with Boudoux over pricing the hot shot, Arsene Wenger backed out of the chance to sign him.

If Arsenal are to purchase another striker who could it be, here are a couple of my options.

1. Name: Luis Fabiano, Current club: Sevilla, Age:28, Career goals 115, Apps: 234.

In my opinion he would be a fox in the box and could be a rock for Arsenal in hard times. He has a brilliant goal to game ratio and could be the answer to some striking problems. The only snag could come in the way of his price tag as it may cost the Gunners £15m to £20m to land the Brazilian star.

2. Name: Gonzalo Higuain, Current club: Real Madrid, Age: 21, Career goals: 47, Apps: 110.

Madrid are keen to keep the young star but with new strikers in the form of Ronaldo and Benzema could the striker himself leave Madrid in the hunt for more first team starts. Again he wouldn't be cheap and would probably set the Red Army back around £10m to £15m.

3. Name: Bojan Krkic, Current club: Barcelona, Age: 18, Goals: 22, Apps 76.

It maybe an unproved buy but the future of this kid is a bright one. He is quick and is slowly getting into the Barce first team. He would be the right price for the Gunners as he would only cost around £10m.

4. Alexandre Pato, Current club: AC Milan, Age: 19, Goals: 32, Apps: 65.

He would probably be the hardest player for Arsenal to sign as Milan have turned down bids for the player and have said he isn't going anywhere. However for the right price he maybe tempted away from the San Sero.

5. Name: Luis Alberto Suarez, Current Club: Ajax, Age: 22, Goals:73, Apps: 125.

Out of all the strikers he would probably be the easiest to sign and would not demand a massive contract. He has a good goal to game ratio and would set the club back around £10m.

So this leaves us with the question does Arsenal need to strengthen the squad?

Do you agree with the strikers I've picked?

Will the current strikers come into their own and start to play better?

As the season goes on will the strikers really shine?

I hope you enjoyed the smalll read and as always your comments are the reason I write articles, so if you have an opinion then please feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks for reading.

Why Arsenal Can Win the League

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:04:10 -0400

I'm writing this article on behalf of every Gooner that is fed up of everyone running our club into the ground.

Everyone seems to be writing Arsenal off and I hope this article will help bring some hope back to what seems to be a trampled upon football club.

I'm going to give my views as to why Arsenal can win the Premier League and why I think we will be serious contenders for the 2009-10 season.

I will give some views as to what I think we need to improve upon and what needs to be left alone for the new season.

It has been plain for all to see that the team from North London have struggled during the past four seasons and have found it hard to keep up with the rest of the top four clubs.

However this season I have a good feeling about the Gunners and here's why.

Goalkeepers

For me, Arsenal have a great up and coming line of keepers. Almunia is more experienced and will be better equipped than ever to deal with the shot stopping and I think he will have learned a lot from last season.

Fabianski is the up-and-coming future keeper of Arsenal football club and will again have good run outs in the Carling and FA Cup. He will be used in some premier league games if Almunia is injured, and could get some time between the sticks in the Champions league.

Points of improvement:

It would be good to see a little more consistency and going on clean-sheet streaks would give defenders more trust in the keepers abilities. For me a good keeper is someone who goes about getting the easy things right and gets small bundles of clean sheets in a quiet way and shows plenty of focus.

Defenders

It will be interesting to see how well Thomas Vermaelen fits into the Arsenal defense, and I have a feeling that if he plays well Arsenal could have a serious chance of conceding a lot less silly goals this season.

Gallas needs to show a lot more passion this time round, like he did two seasons ago. He has a new partner on defense and needs to strike a better partnership with him than he did with Toure.

Djourou is an option from the bench though he needs to show a little more confidence and concentrate on playing the right ball on the break.

Silvestre is an experienced defender and even if at times he makes the odd mistake he can also score the odd header from a corner and set pieces are important.

We have two of the best left and right backs in the world in Sagna and Clichy and they need to keep the defense tight and also charge up the flanks giving support to the midfielders.

Some young talent is coming threw in Gibbs and I feel he could be a future great and I'm confident he could do well if he is needed this season.

Points of improvement:

Last season we conceded too many aerial goals and we need to fix this problem. If we fix this, I feel more draws and wins can be picked up.

Midfielders

I feel we need to give Diaby a better chance as a holding midfielder. We lacked the presence of a genuine holding player last season and for me Diaby just needs time and could be the answer.

Song and Denilson are also an option, but they need to be stronger and more aggressive. If they do this they have the makings of good defensive midfielders.

Fabregas and Arshavin are vital to Arsenal's creativity and if they play well I can only see success. For me upfront or midfield, Arshavin will be integral to Arsenal success this season.

Aaron Ramsey really impressed me last season and has continued to do so in preseason, I think he is the type of player that can come off the bench and score, and should be in Arsenal's plans this season.

Rosicky and Nasri are both out for the start but when they return they will add a real difference to the Arsenal midfield this season.

Keeping Eboue was a good step in the right direction. He shows a lot of passion and desire to do well with Arsenal and can cover plenty of spots.

He is always on the attack and never gives up. Every team needs a player that runs the length and width of the field for 90 minutes and for me, Eboue does that.

One of my first articles on Bleacher Report was about Jack Wilshere and I really think he will be the next big thing in English Football. I feel it is the right time for Arsenal to get him involved in the set up and really show how he can set the world alight.

Points of improvement:

It's all good getting a lead, but if you don't help the defense and see the game out then it all amounts to nothing. The midfielders need to show a lot more focus and commitment to defending a lead. You will only win the league if you master this.

Also, the midfielders need to share the goal tally with the strikers this season. Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky and Arshavin can all help this season and are more then capable of netting 10+ goals a season with Arshavin and Fabregas possibly netting 20+.

Strikers

Van Persie, Eduardo and Bendtner have the chance to step up this year. After Henry left Arsenal, Adebayor stepped up and took much of the lime light when it came to Arsenal's attacking offense. Now that he is gone they need to do the same in Ade's departure.

If the they can score goals on a consistent basis then they will be massive players for Arsenal in the season to come. For me 15+ goals each is a target they need to reach.

Bendtner is a player that last season could have come of the bench and score a vital goal, and he needs to convert that into scoring from the starting lineup. If he learns how to finish he would be deadly.

Wallcott and Vela are able to come on and be the speedy strikers if needed. They both have great touch and finish at times and need to do this on a more consistent basis.

Points of improvement:

Keeping fit, if Arsenal are to be successful this season they need to keep players fit and stop getting silly injuryies that stop consistency.

The strikers need to be more consistent and step up with goals when Arsenal are going threw rough patches, try shooting from outside the box as well as inside it.

Transfer additions

If it is possible, I think Arsenal should really go for the signing of Fulham Centre back. Brede Hangeland is a player that could really solve a lot of Arsenals aerial problems.

The Gunners are still trying to sign the striker Chamakh from Bordeaux, and it would be interesting to see what he adds to the side.

Final comments

Well, with all this said, I feel Arsenal Fans should be looking forward to the new season and getting behind what will hopefully be a title push.

If you agree or disagree with any in this article or some of the points in it, then please feel free to make a comment.

Your opinion would be greatly appreciated and respected.

As always hope you enjoyed the read.

Huntelaar, Hangeland, and Vieira Additions Should Equal Arsenal Resurgence

Benjamin Rogers — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:59:53 -0400

Ok, so Arsenal have lost Adebayor and Toure but come on Arsenal fans, we need to trust Arsene Wenger to turn the Arsenal ship around, and I think I've realised how he could do so.

With Wenger saying that he isnt going to spend unwisely and he is going to spend money if a good oppotunity arrises, that for me sights 3 targets that Wenger and Arsenal are sighting.

No. 1

Brede Hangeland

After signing with fulham at the begining of last season brede has been a true tower and Rock at the heart of Fulhams defence.

He is stalling on a new contract and is clearly hinting he would leave Fulham for Arsenal if Wenger came calling.

If he came to the Emirates he would surely cure Arsenal's airrial abilitys and would be more then a great replacment for the departed Kolo Toure.

He is 28 and has great expirence from his first year in the Premier League and from previous clubs has expirence in Europe.

He would probebley set the Gunners back £5m-£9m and a contract of Plus £30.000 a week.

Possibility of signing Hangeland: 4/5

No. 2

Klass Jan Huntelaar

Huntelaar signed for Real Madrid only a season ago and has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabou due to the arrival of the new big money signings.

Real Madrid are keen on selling him and Reports are that Arsenal are the front runners to capture his contract.

He is a proven goal scorer and would fit in well at Arsenal, not only would probebley score 25+ goals a season he would strike a great partnership with van Persie just as they have in the Dutch National team.

He is 25 years old and has expirence in Europian football and many call him the new Van Nisterooy, as he is a great poucher in the box.

He only got 20 Apperences with Madrid last season and yet he still scored eight goals.

If you want any more infor on Huntelaar the check out this article.

He would set Arsenal back around £15m-£17m with a contract of around £50.000 plus a week.

Possibility of signing for Arsenal: 4/5

No. 3

Patrick Vieira

I dont need to tell you that Vieira is an Arsenal Legend and reports are mounting that Vieira is on the verge of re-joining the Gunners.

He left Arsenal for Juventus for the sum of £13.5m and has since moved to Inter Milan.

He has been by Inter as a player they want to let go and is nearing the end of his contract.

Like Hangeland he would help Arsenals airrial ability and if he came to Arsenal im sure Wenger would place him as a holding Midfielder and would cover the defence.

In 279 apperences for Arsenal he scored 29 goals and with His france caps showing 107 and a recorded 6 goals his expirence speaks for itself.

He would set Arsenal back around £750.000 or even Free and his contract would most likely be £30.000 pay as you play.

Transfer possibility: 4/5

Surely I'm not the only one who thinks if these players came to Arsenal then success would be right round the corner.

What do other fans think? Come on Arsenal fans, what's your opinion? Do you think the players I've suggested are good or bad?

This may be a stupid question, but would us Gooners welcome back Patrick Vieira?

If you have any opinions the please feel free to leave a comment.

Hope you enjoyed the read.

Benjamin

Barcelona Get Target but Did Inter Milan Get a Better Deal

Benjamin Rogers — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:03:38 -0400

Barcelona have completed the deal to bring Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the Camp Nou.

He will set Barca back £46m and in a money plus player deal, Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o has agreed to move the other way and join the Italian giants.

In total the deal set Barca back just under £60m as Eto'o is raited and valued at £14m.

Plus as if the deal wasn't sweet as it stands for Inter, Barca has also agreed to loan out midfielder Aliksander Hleb on a season-long loan. They will have the chance to buy Hleb at the end of the season for a reported £10m.

Ibrahimovic has signed a five-year contract with Barcelona as to has Eto'o with Inter.

Ibrahimovic said he was tired of the challenge and struggle in Serie A and wanted to join the Camp Nou faithful since December.

Eto'o has said it will be a new challenge for him and he can't wait to play in yet another of Europe's top leagues.

Point of the Article

Is it me, or is this deal much much better for Inter rather then Barca? Ok, they get a highly-rated striker but in Ibrahimovic but they lose an arguably better striker in Samuel Eto'o, plus they lose Hleb for a year.

With this have Barcelona paid way over the odds for a player that some people and spectators see as lazy and not consistent with his goal scoring and general ability.

Lets look at the stats and Bio's of the players.

Bio's

Name: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Age: 27

Position: Striker

Birth place: Malmo, Sweden.

Teams he has played for: Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan.

Malmo (1999-2001)

Goals, 16, apps 40

Ajax (2001-2004)

Goals 35, apps 74

Juventus (2004-2006)

goals 23, apps 70

Inter Milan (2006 -2009)

Goals 57, apps 88

Sweden (2001- )

Goals 21, apps 56

Eto'os bio

Name: Samuel Eto'o

Age: 28

Position: striker

Bith place: Douala, Cameroon

Teams: Real Madrid, Leganas, Espanyol, Mallorca and Barcelona.

Real Madrid (1997-2000)

Goals 0, apps 3

Leganas (1997-1998) Loan

Goals 3, apps 28

Espanyol (1998-1999) Loan

Goals 0, apps 0

Mallorca (1999-2000) Loan

Goals 6, apps 13

Mallorca (2000-2004)

Goals 48, apps 120

Barcelona (2004-2009)

Goals 108, apps 145

Cameroon (1996- )

Goals 39, apps 84

My opinion

If you ask me, Eto'o is better then Ibrahimovic and he is a better all-round player. I think Barca are a bit silly letting him go as he was one of their top goal scorers and was a great help when it came to winning the treble last year.

Im not sure how well Ibrahimovic will do in Spain, I think he has gone to a better club but a tougher challenge, and if he was mourning about the challenge of Serie A, what will his reaction be to the Spanish game. Only time will tell I guess. He has a good goal tally which I'm sure he'll add to.

So if you ask me, Inter got the better deal. I broke it down like this, its quiet simple:

Inter Milan get Eto'o, Hleb and £46m.

Barcelona get Ibrahimovic with possible £10m for Hleb.

Well, as always, what do the fans think? Barcelona fans, are you happy with the deal? Inter Milan fans, are you Happy with the deal? If anyone wishes to comment then please feel free to do so? As always hope you enjoyed the read.

Benjamin

AS Roma Forward Mirko Vucinic Set For Arsenal Switch

Benjamin Rogers — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:31:01 -0400

According to the Italian press, Arsenal has made a £13m bid for Roma striker Mirko Vucinic.

Neither club has made any comments, but two days ago the agent of the Roma hot-shot said that no offer has been made. But at some point in the past two days, Arsenal have supposedly made the £13m offer.

The offer is also supposed to include Arsenal's £10m rated striker Nicklas Bendtner to cover Roma's loss of Vucinic, and that may swing the deal in Arsenal's favour.

Whether Arsenal lets Bendtner go is another question because, as of today, Bendtner said he is not interested in a move away from Arsenal, and he's looking forward to the new season. I don't think Arsenal would have the heart to let him go after Bendtner said he wants to stay.

Roma has rated the Montenegro striker at £20m and is said to be looking to sell one of its main players in order to lower the ever-growing mound of debt its gotten itself in to.

Vucinic has said that if he moves from Roma it would have to be for a top four/Champions League club that has the chance of winning silver wear.

The signing of Vucinic would probably come off as a credit to Arsène Wenger and his ability to draw big names to the Gunners.

Vucinic would be a great replacement for the already departed Adebayor, and the leftover £25m for Manchester City could come in handy to pay for Vucinic.

Arsenal has to make up the goal tally Adebayor scores each season, but I think Mirko would cover that gap. Vucinic's goal average is about one every three games, but if he steps up a gear—which a move to Arsenal would surely help him do—he may up his season's goal tally.

During the past two seasons Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid have all shown their interest in the striker.

However, Wenger is interested in many strikers, including Chamakh, Ba, and Real Madrid star Klass Jan Huntellaar. But he has been following the progress of Vucinic for a long time and is a admirer of the Roma star. If the opportunity to sign Vucinic was put in front of Wenger, you would think Mirko would be his No. 1 target.

Vucinic bio

Name: Mirko Vucinic

Age: 25

Birth place: Montenegro

Clubs:

Suteska niksic (1999-2000) Goals 4, Appearances 9.

lecce (2000-2006) Goals 34, Appearances 111.

Roma (2006- ) Goals 22, Appearances 85.

Montenegro, Goals 6, Appearances 12.

Videos:

My opinion

For me, he is one of the best strikers in Italy and would be a great signing for the Gunners. He would fit in right away and would soon be a player that averages 30 goals per season. Roma is a great club, and they have helped make him the player he is today. But I think that a move to Arsenal would be the next step up in his career.

I have been following the progress of Vucinic ever since his Lecce days, and it would be a small dream come true for me if he made his way to North London.

Huntelaar would also be a great signing, but I would be more confident in Vucinic because I have seen him more than Huntelaar. It's a pity both can't be signed, but I have to choose Vucinic because if Arsenal missed out on him, I would be gutted.

What do the Arsenal fans think of this proposed move for Vucinic?

Would they rather a move for Huntelaar?

If you have any comments, then please feel free to have your say because that's what this article is all about.

Hope you enjoyed the read,

Benjamin

Arsenal Should Swoop for Top Klaas

Benjamin Rogers — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:24:48 -0400

Let me start this article by firstly congratulating Arsene Wenger and Arsenal by shipping out the most un-loyal, team dividing, big egoed, money grabber, Adebayor, and once more getting £25m for the one hit wonder.

Now we have £25m to spend, and we need to spend it. Last season we were short of replacements for the main squad and it showed, with a trip to Manchester City coming into mind.

We have got rid of a striker and in my opinion we need to buy to replace him, Ade was only a 15 goal a season type striker but he still needs replacing.

In my eyes the perfect replacement would be Real Madrid striker Klass Jan Huntelaar.

At 25 years old, he has the experience needed and still has the peek of his career to show. He made 20 appearances for Madrid last season and netted eight goals, which if analysed is nearly one every two games.

He has had an impressive career with Ajax, scoring 105 goals in 136 appearances.

He also has a fair goal tally with Holland with 13 goals in 21 appearances.

Last summer it looked as if Klaas was on the verge of joining Manchester United or Arsenal, and with United looking to of landed the Striker Real Madrid swooped in and finally made the Dutch international a Madrid player.

During this Summer's window there have been links that Arsene Wenger is once again setting his sights on the three time former Dutch Striker Of The Year.

However, it is thought that Tottenham are also interested and are thinking of making a bid. But wages would be a stumbling block, and Spurs Boss Harry Redknapp says he "doesn't see the move a real possibility," no pun intended I'm sure.

Hunlelaar looked set to sign for Stuttgart but the deal was stalled and as of yesterday (22nd july) it looks as if Stuttgart have pulled out of the move. The reason for the stall appears to be Huntelaar holding out for a bigger club.

Klass has said that he would welcome a move to the Premier League and is fond of the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal.

With all these facts in mind could Arsenal be about to splash some of the cash made buy the Adebayor sell?

Would Huntelaar strike a great partnership with Van Persie?

What do the Arsenal Fans make of the Dutch star and do they think its the right move for the Gunners?

Hope you enjoyed the read.

Tevez Joins City But Will He End Up In The Blues?

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:14:10 -0400

Manchester City have finally ended the long winding Tevez saga by securing his services for 5 years for the cool sum of £25 million.

Fans crowded the Argentinean hot shot as he arrived for a photo shoot at the City of Manchester Stadium. He seemed to have a glimmer in his eye as he posed for the cameras but will that continue if he is just one piece of the over crowded jigsaw that is Manchester City.

There is no doubt that the Blues are trying to become one of the biggest clubs in the world. After a fair finish to last season and a giant pile of money being spent in the Transfer window, will City better last seasons final place of 10th and push for a champions league spot or will they finish lower in the table thanks to the never ending tide of players rushing in and out of the City Ground?

Last season City stunned Chelsea and the World of Football by signing the Real Madrid striker Robinho for £32.5 million from under everyone's noses. New owners claimed they would make city the best football club in the world and would spend whatever it takes to make that claim a reality.

So far the new board and Manager Mark Hughes have perchesd, Shay Given (£8m), Wayne Bridge (£10m), Pablo Zabaleta (£7m), Shaun Wright Phillips (£8.5m), Robinho (£32.5m), Stuart Tayler (free),Rogue Santa Cruz (£17.5m), Gareth Barry (£12m), Vincent Kompany (£7m), Tal Ben Haim (£5m), Nigel de Jong (£8m) and finally Carlos Teves (£25m).

It also looks as if Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor will sign for the reported sum of around £22-£25m and links and speculation still remain about Chelsea defender John Terry and his proposed £20m move to city.

So far the new owner Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and chairman Khaldroon Al Mubarak have kept their promise to City fans, manager Mark Hughes, and the world, by spending big.

However I have two questions for City fans and fans of other clubs. One, will Manchester City break into the top four this season? And two, are the signings made by Manchester City big names or are they all safe targets?

My opinion:

For me the two questions are interlinked, I don't think Manchester City will break into the top four this season because the signings aren't good enough. They have definitely made a couple of great signings, such as Given, Tevez, Robinho, Barry, and de Jong but the rest have question marks over their talent.

There are a couple of bright sparks at the club already in Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards, but with all the money spending it seems that they are casting aside what is a great youth system, which has created the likes of already sold Joe Hart and Daniel Sturridge.

If there is no young blood flowing into the side, then the club itself will not grow, and it will be stabilised by what in the future could be a fickle owner, which for any football club isn't a good thing.

Even the world's richest and best clubs have got a great youth systerm in place such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, and of course Arsenal. It proves that you need a good balance of money and youth to be somewhat successful, but if the new owners of City don't realize this then they may struggle to win the trophies.

For me, Manchester City's future is uncertain and still has many storyies to tell, but I hope for City's sake that one of the stories isn't about how all that money destroyed a great youth system.

As always the opinions I give are of my own and are not fact (no matter what I think), I give my opinions to trigger a response from the fans of football and those in question. I care about football to a great degree and see the responses you all give, good or bad, as the best high I can get from writing my articles. So please feel free to make a comment that puts your opinion across.

As always, thanks for reading.

Cheers, Benjamin

Robert Pires Vs. Freddie Ljungberg: Who Is the Greater Gooner?

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:04:39 -0500

Hallo to all, I'm back with the new series of VS articles and for my first issue of the brand new series ill be looking at the two Arsenal legends, Robert Pires and Fredrik Ljungberg.

Both of these players are respected world wide by Gooners and are seen as two of the stars that were part of the Magic Unbeatable who went into the record books. The pair won many trophies as part of one of the best Arsenal sides.

To all those that haven't seen my VSarticles before, I will compare both players as fairly as possible and try to make it a good competition by giving as many facts about each player as I can.

Freddie Ljungberg

Freddie was signed by Arsenal in 1998 from Halmstads BK for the sum of £3 Million. At the time He was the biggest transfer ever for a Swedish International.

He proved to be one of the newest talents to the premier league when on his debut, he scored in a 3-0 win against bitter rivals Manchester united.

After Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit left Arsenal in the summer of 2000, Ljungberg became a first team regular that could play on both wings.

He was instrumental in the League and cup double winning season of 2001/'02 and scored a peech of a goal in the FA Cup Final Against Chelsea.

He played a big role in the 49 Unbeatable season but due to a running backup of injury's keeping him out of the team he was sold to West ham United in 2007 and in 2008 he Left England to join up with USA side Seattle Sounders FC and will make his debut in March 2009.

In all he won:

With Halmsteds BK: The 1997 Swedish league Championship and previously in '95 he won the Svenska Cupen.

With Arsenal FC: He won the Premier league two times in the '01/'02 and '03/'04 seasons and FA Cup three times in '02, '03, '04. He also held the Community Shield of '99.

In 2008 Freddie placed 11th in Arsenal.com's Gunners Greatest 50 Players competition.

Robert Pires

Pires Joined Arsenal in 2000 for the £6 Million from French club Marseille. After a tough start to his Arsenal career he started to get the hang of things in '01 and in the seasons champions league fixture scored a blinder against Lazio and a winner against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

In '01/'02 he had one of his best seasons with Arsenal and was Voted Arsenal Player of the season. He suffered with injury at the end of the season but Arsenal still went on to lift the Premier league.

He returned the Following season to score 14 goals out of 20 starts for Arsenal in the Premier League.

In 2003 he scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Southampton.

It got even better for Robert and in the '03/'04 season he played a vital role in Arsenal's 49 Unbeatable side who won the League and Cup Double.

In '04/'05 he Scored 14 goals and won the FA Cup against Manchester United.

His last Game for Arsenal was in the 06 champions league final defeat to Barcelona after which he decided to make a move to Spanish side Villarreal.

In all he won:

For Metz: '96/'97 French League Cup.

for Arsenal: The premier league twice in '01/'02 and '03/'04 and the FA Cup twice in '03 and in '05 and twice won the community Shield in '02 and '04.

For France: He won the world cup in '98 and European championship in 2000. H e also won the FIFA confederations Cup in '01 and '03.

On 11 July 2008, Arsenal fans voted Pirès as the club's sixth greatest player of all time.

Remember this is a vote article so it would be great if you could make a vote and if you want to express any views your more then Welcome to leave a comment.

I hope I was as correct as I could of been but if you have anything else then the vote to comment about then again feel free to leave a comment.

As always hope you enjoy the article,

Benjamin

Arsenal or Aston Villa for Fourth Place

Benjamin Rogers — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:53:12 -0500

You don't have to be a genius to see that Arsenal are in a bit of bother at the moment, and that despite being on nine-game unbeaten streak are still five points behind fourth place Aston Villa.

In my opinion, Arsenal are more then capable of catching villa who again in my opinion will crumble and start to lose a game or two. Villa are on the run of their lives at the moment and no doubt deserve to be were they are. But for me the unbeaten run will come to an end when Manchester united, Liverpool and Chelsea come to play Villa.

I myself do realize that arsenal have got the challenge of United, Chelsea, and Liverpool but I think Arsenal will take more points from the top three then Aston Villa will.

As a connected matter even if Aston villa did finish in fourth place I think they would embarrass England by crashing out early. No offence to Villa fans but I don't think Villa can handle the champions league and they might not even qualify for the group stages.

They simply don't shout out Champions league, I mean Real Madrid at villa park would be ridicules. Villa finishing forth would be a disaster for the English teams chances of winning the Champions League.

I realize for all the years Arsenal have been in the Champions league they haven't Won it once, However when it comes to the champions league Arsenal are able to put on a great performance, however as Aston Villa are barely surviving in the UEFA Cup I really see them struggling.

Here are the remaining fixtures for both sides.

Arsenal Aston Villa

West Ham (H) 1. Wigan (H)
Tottenham Hotspur (A) 2. Blackburn (A)
Sunderland (H) 3. Chelsea (H)
Fulham (H) 4. Stoke (H)
West Brom (A) 5. Manchester city (A)
Blackburn (H) 6. Tottenham Hotspur (H)
Newcastle (A) 7. Liverpool (A)
Manchester City (H) 8. Manchester United (A)
Wigan (A) 9. Everton (H)
Liverpool (A) 10. West Ham (H)
Middlesbrough (H) 11. Bolton (A)
Portsmouth (A) 12. Hull (H)
Chelsea (H) 13. Fulham (A)
Manchester United (A) 14. Middlesbrough (A)
Stoke (H) 15. Newcastle (H)

Can Villa crab that last champions league spot or will Arsenal grab it? Cast your vote and if you would like to leave a comment that would be great.

As always, hope you enjoyed the read.

Benjamin

Arsenal's Transfer Targets?

Benjamin Rogers — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:08:29 -0500

Come January 1, 2009, every football team in the world will be able to dabble in the transfer market.

For many of the lower sides, it will be about wheeling and dealing and bringing in players that will help keep them in their respected leagues. For the top sides, it will be about bringing in players that will strengthen a title push and adding depth to their teams.

Due to injury and an apparent lack of consistency, one team has been highlighted as a bigger spender over the January period and that team is Arsenal.

With major injuries to Thomas Rosicky, Eduardo and England youngster Theo Walcott, Arsene Wenger mentioned that he would need to spend in the window.

As he said this, the speculation began and many pounded as to whom Wenger would target and whom he would want to open the wallet for.

All Arsenal fans will have an opinion as to who should be brought in, but here are the apparently targeted players that the Gunners have been aiming at.

1. Xabi Alonso Team. Liverpool Cost. £12.000.000.

The link to Alonso has been there since the summer and it was reported that the Spanish midfielder would welcome a move to the Emirates and team up with fellow countryman Cesc Fabregas.

Newspapers claim Arsene Wenger is poised to make a fresh bid for the Liverpool star and with the deal nearly getting done in the summer could he finish the job come January.

2.Yaya Toure Team. Barcelona Cost. £6.000.000.

Brother of Arsenal center back Kolo Toure, Yaya is apparently eyeing a move away from the Camp Nou come the next window and with Arsenal needing and extra player to bulk the squad, he could be tempted to move to North London.

With Yaya able to play in midfield and defense, Arsenal could be willing to pay the Spanish Giants the money they desire.

3. Salomon Kalou Team. Chelsea Cost. £11.000.000.

The main link for this unlikely target is that Wenger made an offer to Chelsea last season and it was rejected and you would think Arsenal have many strikers already, but with Kalou also able to play in midfield the move could be on the cards.

4. Paul Pogba Team. Le Harve Cost. £500.000-£1.500.000.

I myself don't know a great deal about this player except he is a French midfielder who plays for Le Harve. Reports are that he had a good season so far for the French side, and with Wenger always favouring the future, he could do the usual and buy him for the young guns squad.

5. Fabian Delph Team Leeds Cost. £1.500.000.

The young Argentinian has been making major waves in Leeds' league 1 campaign this season. He has even been linked with a call up to first team for Argentina. Diago Maradona speaks highly of the young star.

With Arsenal bringing in Aaron Ramsey with the last window, the links have been made. It is reported that Leeds have already rejected bids from Arsenal and one other club.

What are your opinions about Arsenal's January targets? Do you agree with them? Do you have any suggestions for who Arsenal should bring in?

If you want to leave a comment that would be great as your opinion means a great deal to me and its always good to her from different perspectives.

As always, hope you enjoyed the article.

Top Five Premier League Final

Benjamin Rogers — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:07:49 -0500

Its time for the last Issue of the Premier Leagues Top Five Series. In this last Issue for the Premier League we will determine the player who falls short of the Top Five and we will find out, Which player will represent the Premier League in the grand final.

Just in case you don't know why I'm doing the Top Five series competition, it's so I can find the most popular football player, not just on Bleacher Report, but to whoever wants to vote.

The competition works like this: the players will be my choice and my decision, and will be selected from the opinions of friends whose football knowledge I respect. Any players that could be added can be sent by comments from the viewers of the article.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favourite players from each league, I will put them into the end article to find out who's the most popular player overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition, but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League, and the Dutch League.

Over all six issues we looked at Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, and Aston villa. In all six of the articles, people came out in their hundreds to vote and thousands to at least view the articles and for this I thank you as your opinions mean so much.

The Arsenal vote saw Fabregas win the Arsenal poll with 70.1% of the 344 votes, and the article got 18698 views.

The Manchester United vote saw Wayne Rooney take 37,4% of the 289 votes cast by the United fans and the article got 3121 views.

The Liverpool vote saw Steven Gerrard take 58.9% of the 341 votes cast by Liverpool fans, and the article had 2415 views.

The Chelsea vote saw Frank Lampard win with 60% of the 225 votes cast by Chelsea fans and the article made 1597 views.

The Tottenham vote saw Ledley King win with 39.2% of the 97 votes cast by Spurs fans and the article made 1276 views.

The Aston Villa vote saw Ashley Young win with 45.1% 0f the 443 votes cast by Villa fans and the article made 3337 views.

So who will represent the Premier League in the Top Five grand final. Will it be Fabregas, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, King, or Young.

No player has been ranked and the list is not in any particular order at this time.

Name: Cesc Fabregas

Position: CM

Age: 21

When you think of Arsenal, you think of Cesc Fabregas; he's Mr. Arsenal. Arsenal's best playmaker, and a player who doesn't just make assists but scores goals. In my opinion, he's the best player at Arsenal, but many of you may disagree.

Name: Wayne Rooney

Position: Striker

Age: 22

Since Manchester United signed Rooney, he has been a deadly force amongst others in the attack of Manchester United. At the start of this current season he is looking great and after a disappointing season last time out, he is firing on all cylinders. One of England's and Manchester United's top prospects as he still has time to learn.

Name: Steven Gerrard

Position: Midfielder

Age: 28

Captain of Liverpool and a real gentleman, one of the best players and men in the Premier league. It seems every goal he scores saves Liverpool from defeat or makes them the best of the best. Without Gerrard, Liverpool would not be where they are today and probably would not have won a certain night in Istanbul. A true future legend.

Name: Frank Lampard

Position: Midfielder

Age: 30

One of the best and most loved players at Chelsea, he is to Chelsea fans what Steven Gerrard is to Liverpool fans. He is one of the best midfield goalscorers and always seems to be able to squeeze the ball into the back of the net. He is very passionate about Chelsea and plays for the badge.

Name: Ledley King

Position: Centre Back

Age: 28

Ledley eats, sleeps and breathes Spurs and is a hard working die-hard defender who really puts everything he has into every single game he plays. The club captain is a fine product of the youth system and a great example for the young Spurs faithful and kids alike.

Name: Ashley Young

Position: Winger

Age: 23

One of England's rising talents, Young is quickly becoming a crowd-pleaser at Villa Park. He has great speed and skill and can be a living nightmare for the best of defenders. I'm sure you all know that he is a great prospect for England, so we would do well to keep an eye out for his up and coming performances.

Well there we go the players you voted for are ready to go head to head and battle it out, for the Premier League Place in the Top Five grand Final.

Remember your vote counts.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Top Five Players for Aston Villa

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:46:29 -0500

It's time for the sixth issue of the Top Five series and this time we are taking a look at Aston Villa.

Just in case you don't know why I'm doing the Top Five series competition, it's so I can find the most popular football player, not just on Bleacher Report, but to whoever wants to vote as well.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favourite players from each league, I will put them into the end article to find out who's the most popular player overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League, and the Dutch League.

In the first five issues we looked at Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Spurs. In all five of the articles, people came out in their hundreds to vote and thousands to at least view the articles and for this I thank you as your opinions mean so much.

The Arsenal vote saw Fabregas win the Arsenal poll with 69.6% of the 273 votes, and the article got 3709 views.

The Manchester United vote saw Wayne Rooney take 39.9% of the 248 votes cast by the United fans and the article got 1667 views.

The Liverpool vote saw Steven Gerrard take 59.3% of the 322 votes cast by Liverpool fans, and the article had 2144 views.

The Chelsea vote saw Frank Lampard win with 59.7% of the 216 votes cast by Chelsea fans and the article made 1310 views.

The Tottenham vote saw Ledley King win with 41.8% of the 91 votes cast by Spurs fans and the article made 1128 views.

It's now time for the Aston Villa fans to step up and vote for their favourite player.

So without further ado, let's start the Villa vote.

No player has been ranked and the list is not in any particular order.

Name: Martin Laursen

Position: Centre Back

Age: 31

One of the best Centre Backs in the Premier League, Laursen is such a rock for Villa and is the captain of the club. His grit, determination, passing, and ball control make him the solid player he is today.

Name: Gareth Barry

Position: Midfielder

Age: 27

Such a sound midfielder who has deservedly broken into the England team many times. In many people's opinion he should be partnered with Steven Gerrard and not Frank Lampard. He is a Villa die hard and despite all the rumors from the summer, he has stayed to fight for his place.

Name: Ashley Young

Position: Winger

Age: 23

Name: John Carew

Position: Striker

Age: 29

For me Carew is a such an underestimated player and deserves more headlines. His size and ability really help him and can make him an unpredictable striker. His past record preceded him when he came to Villa and he hasn't let anybody down.

Name: Gabriel Agbonlahor

Position: Striker

Age: 22

For me he is along side Theo Walcott as one of the two best prospects for the future of British football. His ball control, skill, and finishing set him apart from the rest. He needs to be a bit more consistent but apart from that he has such a bright future.

Well, the Aston Villa list is done, I'll be back with the next team in the series in a day or two.

If you have any suggestions for who you think should be in the top five, then please feel free to leave a comment, or if you just want to vote for one of the five, then please get voting.

As always, I hope you enjoy the article.

An Arsenal Youngsters 3; Wigan's Best 0

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:35:55 -0500

I have decided to write my usuel Arsenal Youngsters special after another great night for the young guns.

For a long time know I have been writing and telling friends that the future is in the Arsenal colours and despite great discussions and arguments from the majority of jealous Spurs, Man United and Chelsea fans many people have agreed with me.

I have long been shouting the names of Vela, Wilshere and Randall and think that stars like Simpson, Ogogo, Gibbs and merida are starting to impress me too.

Arsenal 3-0 Wigan

Arsenal looked great from the beginning and really made Chris Kirkland work to keep a clean sheet. A great number of strikes were made at the Wigan goal but give credit to Wigan they held on. However as half time drew close a great finish by Simpson saw Arsenal take a 1-0 lead into the second half.

Going into the second half then, and about half way through Wigan claimed a penalty shout when jumping to head the ball, Djourou accidentaly touched the ball with his hand.

However, and I'm saying this in a non-biased fashion, his arm and hand shouldn't of been so high, but, it is clear he tried to move is hands and arm out the way of the on coming ball, but he was too slow. However, the penalty wasn't given and the game went on and Gibbs strait away came close at the other end for Arsenal.

It wasn't long before Arsenal were up by two and the goal was a great break away. With Wigan presuring the Arsenal goal the ball was cleared and strait to an on fire Vela, who dribbled the ball to the Wigan back post and unselfishly passed it to Simpson, who's calmly placed belter flashed paced to Kirkland and sent Arsenal 2 to the good.

The 3rd goal was a piece of magic from the next great striker to wear an Arsenal shirt and yes, it was Vela. Spoting Kirkland of his line and being pressured form a Wigan defender, Vela whipped the ball up and over Kirkland and into the Wigan goal, a goal which left Kirkland with no chance and stairing into space he looked stunned.

The match wasn't over however as Wigan went in search of a consolation goal and if it wasn't for a spectacular double save by Fabianski they would have got it. De Ridder let loose with a smashing strike at the young Polish star but the ball was parried to his left and then fell to Zaki who you would of bet your house on scoring but stretching to reach the ball he could only hit it back from were it came from and fabianski superman style proped the ball against the crossbar for the Arsenal defenders to clear.

So over the whole of the game and the whole of the pitch the next Arsenal Generation played brilliantly.

My Player marks

Fabianski = 8/10, Hoyte = 7/10, Song = 7/10, Djourou = 7/10, Gibbs = 8/10, Wilshere = 10/10, Randall = 8/10, Ramsey = 8/10, Merida = 8/10, Simpson = 10/10, Vela = 10/10.

subs: Bischoff = 7/10, Lansbury = 7/10.

Another great night for the Young Gunners and I'm sure that next season we will see the likes of Wilshere, Simpson and Vela progress to the main arsenal starting line up.

I'm reminded of the tail the Tortoise and the Hair, while the Hair(other Premier league teams) rushed ahead and bought todays great stars, the tortoise(Arsenal and Wenger) spent along time on the path on Stars of tomorrow and when the Stars of today got tired and retired the Tortoise and tomorrows stars won the race.

As always hope you enjoy the article.

Tottenham Hotspur : Top Five Players

Benjamin Rogers — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:11:34 -0500

It's time for the fifth Issue of the Top Five series and this time we are taking a look at Spurs.

Just in case you don't know why I'm doing the Top Five series competition, it's so I can find the most popular football player, not just on Bleacher Report, but to whoever wants to vote as well.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favorite players from each league, I will put them into the end article to find out who the most popular player is overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League, and the Dutch League.

In the first Four issues we looked at Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea and in all four of the articles, people came out in their hundreds to vote and thousands to at least view the articles and for this I thank you as your opinions mean so much.

The Arsenal vote saw Fabregas win the Arsenal poll with 69.6% of the 273 votes, and the article got 3709 views.

The Manchester United vote saw Wayne Rooney take 39.9% of the 248 votes cast by the United fans and the article got 1667 views.

The Liverpool vote saw Steven Gerrard take 59.3% of the 322 votes cast by Liverpool fans, and the article had 2144 views.

The Chelsea vote saw Frank Lampard win with 59.7% of the 216 votes cast by Chelsea fans and the article made 1310 views.

It's now time for the Tottenham fans to step up and vote for their favourite player.

So without further ado, let's start the Tottenham vote.

No player has been ranked and the list is not in any particular order.

Top Five

Name: Aaron Lennon

Position: Right/left Winger

Age: 21

He is the young star at Spurs, and I predict great things for this young man. Great speed and turn and he will be a nightmare for any defender to mark. When Spurs play well he is always in the mix and he is a player who is adored by the Spurs' fans.

Name: Darren Bent

Position: Striker

Age: 24

This season Bent's goals have been a life-line for Spurs, he had to step up when Keane and Berbatov left and to be fair to the lad, he did. Still a long way to go but he is a pleasant surprise this season, for you Spurs fans anyway.

Name: Ledley King

Position: Centre Back

Age: 28

Name: Jermaine Jenas

Position: Midfielder

Age: 25

Some of the Spurs fans I spoke to said Jenas is the most underrated player at the club and deserves alot of respect. Over the past year or two he has done a lot of growing up, maturing into a fine midfielder who can, at times, change the game. For as far as I'm concerned, we should be seeing him in the England squad more and more.

Name: Roman Pavlyuchenko

Position: Striker

Age: 26

There were so many other players that could of taken this place such as Bentley, Gomes, Bale and Dawson but with the Russian starting to make his waves in the club I thought that he deserved the final place in the article. Such a poacher of goals and always the man in the right place at the right time and if I'm honest with Spurs in the position they are in that's exactly what they need, time will tell for him I'm sure.

Well, the Tottenham list is done, I'll be back with the next team in the series in a day or two.

If you have any suggestions for who you think should be in the top five, then please feel free to leave a comment, or if you just want to vote for one of the five, then please get voting.

As always, I hope you enjoy the article.

Top Five Players for Chelsea

Benjamin Rogers — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:51:55 -0500

Its time for the 4th issue of the Top Five series and this time we take a look at the top five players for Chelsea FC.

Just in case you don't know why I'm doing the Top Five series competition, its so I can find the most popular football player, not just on Bleacher Report, but to whoever wants to vote as well.

The competition works like this: the players will be of my decision, but any players that could be added can be sent by comments from the viewers of the article.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favorite players from each league, I will put them into the end article to find out who the most popular player is overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League, and the Dutch League.

In the first three issues we looked at Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool and in all three of the articles people came out in their hundreds to vote and thousands to at least view the articles.

The Arsenal vote saw Fabregas win the Arsenal poll with 69.6% of the 273 votes, and the article got 3709 views.

The Manchester United vote saw Wayne Rooney take 39.9% of the 248 votes cast by the United fans and the article got 1667 views.

The Liverpool vote saw Steven Gerrard take 59.3% of the 322 votes cast by Liverpool fans, and the article had 2144 views.

It's now time for the Chelsea fans to step up and vote for their favourite player.

So without further ado, let's start the Chelsea vote.

No player has been ranked and the list is not in any particular order.

Top Five

Name: Frank Lampard

Position: Midfielder

Age: 30

Name: John Terry

Position: Centre Back

Age: 27

He always comes to Chelsea's rescue and is one of the best centrebacks in the world. Not only is he captain but he is also captain of England. He is loved by the Chelsea fans and is always able to come up for a corner and head in a goal. He is a great example for youngsters who want to rise through the ranks at a football club.

Name: Petr Cech

Position: Goalkeeper

Age: 26

Arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League and some think the world. He is always making magnificent saves and keeping Chelsea a clean sheet. He has had to overcome a horrible injury and he still plays with a protective head guard. This kind of dedication to the game only deserves respect.

Name: Michael Essien

Position: Midfielder

Age: 25

For me Essien is the dark horse at Chelsea and is able to score a stunning goal or two. He always does his job in midfield well and is always helping the strikers buy setting up goals and making assists.

Name: Joe Cole

Position: Attacking Midfielder

Age: 26

For me this was a hard one because it was ether Drogba or Cole, and I chose Cole. I think his dedication to getting into the Chelsea side is remarkable and he is always able to jump in and replace a player any time. He has good pace and is able to put great passes in for the strikers.

Well, the Chelsea list is done, I'll be back with the next team in the series in a day or two.

If you have any suggestions for who you think should be in the top five, then please feel free to leave a comment, or if you just want to vote for one of the five, then please get voting.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Top Five Players For Liverpool

Benjamin Rogers — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:51:51 -0400

It's the third issue of the Top Five series, and this time I look at Liverpool FC.

The competition works like this: the players will be of my decision, but any players that could be added can be sent by comments from the viewers of the article.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favorite players from each league, I will put them into the end article to find out who the most popular player is overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League, and the Dutch League.

In the first two issues, we looked at Arsenal and Manchester United and both of the articles had people reading and voting. Fabregas won the Arsenal vote with a giant 69 percent out of 260 votes and Wayne Rooney has won the Manchester United vote with 41.4 percent of the 232 votes cast.

So without further ado, let's start the Liverpool vote.

No player has been ranked and the list is not in any particular order.

Top Five

Name: Fernando Torres

Position: Striker

Age: 24

Fernando Torres is the striker among strikers from not only the Liverpool and Spanish teams but he is also one of the world's best strikers. Every team in the world would value Torres' goal haul every season.

Name: Steven Gerrard

Position: Midfielder

Age: 28

Name: Jamie Carragher

Position: Centre Back

Age: 30

When I think of Carragher, I think of the most important value a player can give to a team and that's loyalty. It's not just his loyalty that keeps him at Liverpool, but his grit and determination to win every ball, tackle and pass. Again, just like Gerrard, a future legend.

Name: Xabi Alonso

Position: Centre Midfielder

Age: 26

Alonso is the dark horse of Liverpool FC and is always popping up with a fatal goal here and then. His presence on the field, partnered with Gerrard, is one of the Premier League's best centre midfield partnerships. Many of the world's elite are eyeing this player.

Name: Dirk Kuyt

Position: Striker, Winger

Age: 28

Kuyt may be the weaker of the top five, but his ability of getting goals when you don't expect it is the reason he makes the list. He is not always the hotshot he can be but when he scores a goal, it always seems to count well for Liverpool.

Well, the Liverpool list is done, I'll be back with the next team in the series in a day or two.

If you have any suggestions for who you think should be in the top five, then please feel free to leave a comment, or if you just want to vote for one of the five, then please get voting.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Arsenal Run Riot Again, but Can They Finish the Job This Time?

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:16:39 -0400

Let me start by saying...WOW!

Another great performance in Europe by the Gunners. No team has beaten Fenerbahce at home for nearly three years and last night Arsenal went out and made it look easy.

To start the the match in the way they did was great and it killed Fenerbahce's spirit early on.

Adebayor was put through by Nasri and finished the move with a shot into the bottom right-hand corner. Moments later Arsenal went two up after some great foot work from Theo Walcott to take it around the keeper and drive it home.

Almunia made some great stops in the Arsenal goal. Silvestre's own goal was the only disappointment in an otherwise imperious first half display, and it didn't take Arsenal long to score their next goal. Diaby scored to regain a two-goal lead.

Song put Arsenal 4-1 up after the break before Guiza gave the home side a life-line to make it 4-2. In the dying seconds of the game Ramsey struck a dragged shot off the post and in to make the final score 5-2 to Arsenal.

After the game, Theo Walcott admitted that the toughness of playing in such a one-sided arena made the win all the sweeter, and he praised the all-round performance of Arsene Wenger’s team.

"It is a very difficult place to come, the fans get behind them but everyone got our jobs right tonight and it was just a brilliant performance by everyone,” he told ITV4 after the game."

Walcott added: "Everyone is just flying. We are playing brilliant football and scoring plenty of goals from all sorts of positions. People are coming off the bench and scoring goals and it just shows how strong our squad is."

Abou Diaby, who scored Arsenal’s second, had a great performance in midfield and up front, echoed his fellow player's comments: “To come here and play is never easy. Tonight we did very well.”

Arsenal have gained seven points from three games so far in this campaign.

The best players of the game for me were:

Arsenal: Almunia, Wallcott, Fabregas, Diaby, Nasri, Adebayor, and Ramsey

Fenerbahce: Alex, Guiza, and Yilmaz

So, another great night in Europe for Arsenal, but my question to everyone is can they carry on producing great results and finally win the Champions League?

It seems every year Arsenal get mind-blowing results against Europe's finest clubs. Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Real Madrid are among the giants that have fallen to the Gunners both home and away.

Arsenal always seem to fall at the final hurdle and never in the club's history have they capitalised on their momentum and gone on to win the title. However, I have a theory on how they may be able to win the Champions League and how they haven't already.

My theory on the winning of the Champions League is all in the team's status in the Premier League.

In the past two Champions League wins for Liverpool, their Premier League campaigns were not so great and they have had to settle for third or fourth.

It seems that their desperate bid of qualifying for the Champions League by finishing only third and fourth in a long tough season has spilled over to the Champions League, and they have had themselves some great European nights.

It looks of late that Arsenal are in the same boat, because they too are struggling to catch United and Chelsea. In their bid to catch them, could their momentum take Arsenal that final step and help them win the Champions League?

We all know that Arsenal have great enthusiasm and spirit. With that never say die attitude plus the momentum, could this finally be the year for Arsenal?

Mikael Silvestre has set his sights on the Champions League final. Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, he said: "We are looking to guarantee that we finish top of this group as early as possible so that we can get ready for the next step.

"Our aim is to play the kind of football that can take us to the final.

"It was not easy to come here with a good atmosphere against us and I think we coped not too bad with the experienced players we played against,” he said.

"It was a good game to improve and learn from. Hopefully we can get some consistency."

Silvestre admits it was less of a role-model job for him at United because they have Rio Ferdinand, Neville, and Vidic as the big shouters. He said: "At United, I didn't have to shout that much to guide my partners. It is a responsibility, but when I signed for Arsenal I accepted it straight away.”

Can Arsenal use his experience and the attitude of the younger players to finally propel themselves into the Champions League history books?

I guess we will have to wait and see.

As always if you agree or disagree with me then please feel free to leave a comment as I always enjoy getting feedback.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Top Five Players For Manchester United

Benjamin Rogers — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:05:22 -0400

You may or may not know that I'm creating a favorite player competition.

The competition works like this: the players will be of my decision, but any players that could be added can be sent by comments from the viewers of the article.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favorite players from each league, I will put them into the end article to find out who the most popular player is overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League, and the Dutch League.

In our first issue we looked at Arsenal FC and it was a great success. The article got nearly 2000 views and 255 votes were cast. The first winner of the competition was Cesc Fabregas who gathered 69% of the Arsenal vote.

In this issue we look at Manchester United.

No player has been ranked and the list is not in any particular order.

Top Five

Name: Wayne Rooney

Position: Striker

Age: 22

Name: Cristiano Ronaldo

Position: Winger

Age: 23

Last season Ronaldo was the face of Manchester United. He scored over 40 goals in all competitions and was simply the best player in the world at the time. After a summer of speculation Ronaldo decided to stay at Manchester United and even though he had a injury he has just made his return and is already on the score sheet.

If he will ever play with the same passion again is yet to be known but if he does then the world better watch out.

Name: Ryan Giggs

Position: Winger

Age: 34

Ryan Giggs has won everything with Manchester United and is amongst the crowds' all time favorite players. He is on the list because even at the age of 34 he is still a great player and still has the ability to supply a deadly cross or score a great goal.

He has shown great loyalty to Manchester United and has only ever played for them. If he can compete with the younger stars of this competition is yet to be seen but I want to give him a chance.

Name: Dimitar Berbatov

Position: Striker

Age: 27

Many Spurs fans will tell you they are happy to get rid of Mr. Berbatov due to his grumpy and selfish attitude but this season Manchester United signed the 27 year old Bulgarian due to his amazing skill that he showed at Spurs.

He is struggling to score for Manchester United so far but is a real goal scoring machine when he gets going and is one of the biggest predators in the Premier League.

Name: Rio Ferdinand

Position: Centre Back

Age: 29

Rio Ferdinand is one of the sternest and unbreakable defenders in the Premier League and is a fine England International. He is always at the heart of Manchester United's defence and for me is the future long term Captain of Manchester United. He is the bricks and wall of Manchester United's defence and is currently rescuing the side from great attacks.

Well, the Manchester United list is done, I'll be back with the next team in the series in a day or two.

If you have any suggestions for who you think should be in the top five, then please feel free to leave a comment, or if you just want to vote for one of the five, then please get voting.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Top Five Players for Arsenal

Benjamin Rogers — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:04:05 -0400

Sitting in bed the other night, I came up with a new idea for an article series: the top 5 players from each major team in Europe.

The players would be of my decision, but any players that could be added could be sent by comments from the viewers of the article.

I'll do a poll every issue to see who is the most popular player from each club, then at the end of the long article series, I will put all the top names into one big league article.

After I've gathered the favorite players from each league, I will put them into the ending article to find out who the most popular player is overall.

I will try not to just include Europe in the competition but also include some of the other major clubs from around the world as well.

The leagues I will look at will be the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, LFP, MLS, Brazilian League, A-League, Portuguese League and the Dutch League.

The first article will be about the Premier League's Arsenal, who play in the Emirates Stadium in London.

No player is ranked by skill at this stage its just a random pick of the players that I think are Arsenal's top five players.

Top Five

Name: Cesc Fabregas

Position: CM

Age: 21

When you think of Arsenal, you think of Cesc Fabregas as Mr. Arsenal. Arsenal's best playmaker, and a player who doesn't just make assists but scores goals. In my opinion, he's the best player at Arsenal, but many of you may disagree.

Name: Emmanuel Adebayor

Position: Striker

Age: 24

Last season he was Arsenal's top goal scorer and after the master Henry left Arsenal, he stepped up and filled his boots by scoring goals. It looked nearly positive that he would leave in the summer, but he chose to stay at the Gunners to fight for trophies.

Name:Tomas Rosicky

Position: Winger/ attacking midfielder

Age: 28

Unfortunately, Rosicky has been riddled with injury during the past two seasons, but when he is at his best, he is one of Arsenal's best players.

He supplies assists and is able to score at least 10 goals a season. He is one of my favorite players for Arsenal when he is fit, and I hope he returns for Christmas.

Name: Robin Van Persie

Position: Striker

Age: 25

One of Holland's top young strikers and is really making a dent in the National team. He is Arsenal's second striker and is always getting better every game.

He has scored some tremendous goals in the past, such as a screamer against Charlton. With a bit of luck, he will soon be hitting 20 or more a season.

Name: Kolo Toure

Position: CB

Age: 27

Kolo is one of Arsenal's best defenders and should be the captain instead of Gallas, in some fans' eyes.

I'm one of these fans, and I really think it should happen soon. He's 27 already and deserves a shot at it. He isn't shy in front of goal and has scored a couple of screamers and headers in the past.

Well, the Arsenal list is done, I'll be back with the next team in the series in a day or two.

If you have any suggestions for who you think should be in the top five, then please feel free to leave a comment, or you just want to vote for one of the five, then please get voting.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

15 Years of FIFA

Benjamin Rogers — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:15:48 -0400

Many games have come close and many games have fallen to the mighty FIFA series.

The Series started in 1993 with the first game Fifa 94 or to some players in the world Fifa International Soccer. At the time it was the first game to have the team looked at from a different angle instead of the other football games that had the pitch view from above or side.

Its been played on the finest consoles such as Ps3, PSP, PS2, PS1, Xbox 360, Xbox, Wii, Game cube, N 64, Gameboy, PC, DOS, Sega Mega Drive, Saga Satern, and many more...

Since its creation it's really made leaps and bounds in its graphics and game play and has become one of the most loved football (soccer) games of all time.

It is famous for being the most official game and beautifully game on the latest consoles.

I have made this article because I wanted to compare the FIFA's of the past with the FIFA's of the present. I'm going to start a voting poll so all the fans can vote for their favorite Fifa.

I will use many methods of getting information about the versions of FIFA such as Wikapedia, the official FIFA website, the game website, and many chat rooms. However my own memory of the games are pretty good as I'm a massive FIFA fan.

FIFA 94

At the time it was a master in football gaming, its different graphics and game play really stood out against its competitors. It was one of the only FIFAs not to be 100% official and spelled names incorrectly and only allowed you to play with international teams. Its tag at the time was "FIFA International Soccer has it all...experience sheer brilliance."

FIFA 95

FIFA 95 was only a minour polished version of 94, except the new version allowed you to play with club teams from Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, Netherlands, and USA. Even at this time however the FIFA series did not use official names of players, and this was the real downfall of the game as many fans had been promised a more official FIFA. But the game still had the tag "The best console football can get."

FIFA96

Many fans were extremely delighted when they realized that 96 was the first FIFA to have official names and positions. FIFA as an apology also chucked in the first Transfer Window System for a console game. The game was also a ground breaker for the new 3D Graphics Virtual Stadium. The tag line for this game was "Next Generation Soccer" and it lived up to its name.

FIFA 97

The biggest change in FIFA '97 was the inclusion of six-a-side indoor soccer mode and polygonal players, with Motion Capture provided by David Ginola. It added the first commentary to a game by Voicing Andy Gray and Des Lynnam as the commentaters. Its tag was "Emotion Captured" even though the game was reported to be a bit sluggish.

FIFA 98: Road to the World Cup

This game marked the start of a trend in the series. It boasted a better graphics engine, team and player customization options, 16 new stadiums, better AI, a "Road to World Cup" mode with all FIFA-registered national teams, and a licensed soundtrack featuring popular musical artists of the time.

The most ambitious of the series up to that point, it features many accurate team rosters even with reserves for national call up when playing in the round robin qualification modes. It is also the first FIFA game to contain an ingame player/team editor. Its tag was "Your only goal—qualify."

FIFA 99

This was one of the most popular FIFAs as it added even more official players, teams, countries, and Cups to the new edition. It made an even bigger leap by really improving the graphics. The game only had one problem it was so technology smart it was some times to fast for the consoles and regular half time screen freezes started to occur all over the world. The tag for the game was "All The Clubs, Leagues, and Cups."

FIFA 2000

Game play is fast, simple, and has a clear arcade feeling which failed to keep hardcore fans happy, especially with rival games such as International Soccer gaining in reputation. The leagues also feature many unlicensed teams, which substitute their real names for those of their home cities. For the first time, U.S. Major League Soccer clubs are included. The tag for the game was never really given away so many use the Robbie Williams song to tag the game, "It's only Us."

FIFA 2001

This title had a new graphics engine which allows each team to have its own kit, and for some players, their own unique faces. Doing away with ordinary coloured pennants as club emblems, the license includes official club emblems for the first time, although certain leagues, like the Dutch league, are unlicensed. Slightly tweakable physics made the game a modding favorite for its fan community.

FIFA 2002

Power bars for passes were introduced, and dribbling reduced in order to attain a higher challenge level. The power bar can also be customised to suit the gamer's preference. The game also includes club emblems for many more important European clubs as well as for major Dutch clubs such as PSV Eindhoveen, Ajax, and Feyanord although there is still no official Dutch league.

FIFA 2003

FIFA 03 features completely new game play from the previous titles. EA revamped the outdated graphics used in FIFA 2001 and 2002, and introduced new graphics featuring more detailed stadia, players, and kits.

Also, unlike previous versions of the game, instead of a ring around the controlled player, an arrow pointed down at the controlled player, to make the controlled player not seem as if he was attached to the ball. For the first time in years FIFA gave the game a tag. It was, "Be the twelfth man."

FIFA 2004

The biggest new inclusion is secondary divisions, which allow the player to take lower ranked teams into the top leagues and competitions. A new game play feature dubbed "off the ball" was introduced, which is the ability to simultaneously control a second player in order, for example, to move him into the box in anticipation of a pass. Apart from that not much changed from the '03 addition. The game tag was "Create Brilliance."

FIFA 05

The biggest difference compared to previous titles in the series is the inclusion of first-touch game play which provides gamers with the ability to perform "real-life" tricks and passes. It is also the first version to feature the full Mexican League. This game however was flop as many fans were lost to the Pro Evolution Series. The tag for the game was "A great player needs a great first touch."

FIFA 06

This was another turning point for the FIFA series as the game was given a new face lift and over half the game was redone to compete with Pro Evo. Many fans were lost again to PES and again FIFA was getting a bit downtrodden. Many said it was over for FIFA. The tag was "You play they obey."

FIFA 07

The main differences from the previous game are a new "Interactive Leagues" function, new stadiums such as the new Wemebly and and Emirates Stadiums, and the ability to create custom teams. The game's front-end and graphics engine remain largely untouched. The tag was "This Is the Season."

FIFA 08

FIFA 08 was the title that gave the FIFA series the breath of life it needed. The debut version for the Wii introduces motion controls for shooting, as well as three mini-games that make use of the Wii Remote. The first touch was said to improved greatly and the through ball was perfected to make scoring a goal look beautiful. The tag was "Can you FIFA 08?" "Got what it takes?"

FIFA 09

For me this is the best FIFA in years and will smash Pro Evo in to the stratosphere. The game is tougher and you have to use your brain when it comes to scoring a goal.

I can't give the biggest preview of the game as I've only discussed the game with friends and some Internet folk. The reception the game has got is great and many of my pro Evo friends are saying they are very impressed.

The game only has one downfall for me and that is you can't change the numbers on the back of the shirts. Messi No. 2 hmmmm. However it's easy to forgive FIFA as the game is otherwise floorless. Pro Evo Do your worst. "Let's FIFA 09" is the tag for the game and I truly believe more and more people will come back to fifa thanks to this new version.

Remember this is a vote article, so get voting for your favorite FIFA. If you have any comments that would be great and if you have any Questions or suggestions then please feel free to suggest them as I'm still young and learning.

As always hope you enjoy the article.

Pele vs George Best: Who is the Greater Legend?

Benjamin Rogers — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:23:18 -0400

The third issue of the VS series is here and after looking at great players and managers in the first two issues, this time we look at two great Legends. The two legends are George Best and Pele.

I have chosen these two Legends because they are simply the best at football, adored by the fans and gave so much back to the game.

When these players were in their prime they were the best players around and from the first moment they kicked a ball, they really shock the football world up. From Best's dribbles to Pele's eye for goal, these two really helped make football a better game and what it is today.

When comparing the Legends, I'll try to be as fair as possible and give the same amount of article space to each.

Well lets get started....

Pele

Pele was born in Tres Coreacous, Brazil in 1940 and from an early age loved playing the game of football.

He started playing football for Bauru AC as a youth from the years 1952 to 1956, he finally got his first senior start when in 1956 he signed for Santos.

He won many Cups and scored many goals for the club and made 412 appearances. He played for Santos until 1974 but in 1975 he joined the American side New York Cosmos, were he scored 31 goals in 56 appearances and he stayed at the club until 1977.

During his time at the two clubs he also played for his National side Brazil. He helped his side to goals and trophies from 1957 to 1971.

In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football.

In total for club and Country he scored 1281 goals a feat that has never been broken.

He was also declared the official football ambassador of the world by Fifa and a national treasure by the Brazilian government. He is also acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor (when he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil).

In total he won...

For Santos, 10 Campionato Paulista titles, three Torneio Rio-sao Paulo titles, three Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa title, five Taca Brazil titles, two Copa Libertadores, two Intercontinental titles and one Southern American Recopa.

With the New York Cosmos, one NASL Champions title.

With Brazil, three Fifa World Cups and two Roca Titles.

George Best

George Best was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1946.

As a youth his first team was Gregagh Boys Club but in 1963 he was to start the road to his future status as a legend by becoming a youth for Manchester United.

He played for Manchester United from 1963 to 1974, scored 138 goals and made 361 appearances. He won many trophies with the club and to this day is adored by the United fans and players.

In 1975 he left United and played for Stockport but he only made three appearances and scored two goals so in the same year as he signed for Cork City were he scored 29 goals in 61 appearances. In 1976 he joined Los Angeles Aztecs were he made 23 appearances and scored 15 goals.

He then moved on to Fulham and scored 7 goals in 33 appearances. He moved back to Los Angeles Aztecs in 77 and scored 12 goals in 32 appearances. Then he played for Fort Lauderdale Strikers and scored six goals in 26 appearances. He then moved on to the Scottish club Hibernian were he scored three goals in 22 appearances.

In 1980 he joined up with the San Jose Earthquakes were he scored 28 goals in 56 appearances. Then in his lat years as a player he played for Bournemouth were he made four appearances, Brisbane Lions but only made one appearance and in 1984 made his final appearance for Tobermore United.

During his massive amount of time as a player he also played for Northern Ireland from 1964 to 1977.

He failed to win any major trophies which is a real shame for a player who played so well for so many clubs.

In 2005, George Best passed away at the age of 59 but behind him, he left a football legacy.

Well there we go it's done. If you like the article then please feel free to leave a comment. However this is a vote article so If you would like to vote that would be great too and remember if you vote then leave a comment telling who you voted for that way it will be more of a contest.

But if you want to have a private vote then I respect that too.

Just before I make my usual ending, I would like to dedicate this article to George Best for the legacy he left and the telegram that Bob Bishop sent back to Matt Busby saying "I think I've found you a Genius"

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Ten Stars That Could Shine in the Premier League

Benjamin Rogers — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:10:48 -0400

So many players from the world of football have found their feet while playing in the Premier League. It seems to be the biggest and most popular league in the world and it attracts the biggest stars.

In every transfer window we see new stars enter the frame for their shot at Premier League glory. This year we saw some mighty big stars join our English sides, such as Robinho at Manchester City, Nasri at Arsenal, Deco at Chelsea, and as a wild card Zaki at Wigan.

The purpose of this article is to show some great players that could join the Premier League in the future. I may also include a couple of players that may not be linked with Premier League moves but would make a big impact if they came.

The players are not ranked from one to 10 in greatness, it was just a random selection as to where they were put.

10.

Name: David Villa

Age: 26

Position: Striker

Current Club: Valencia

Name: Kaka

Age: 26

Position: Attacking Midfielder

Current Club : AC Milan

Name: Lionel Messi

Age: 21

Position: Winger/forward

Current Club: Barcelona

Name: David Silva

Age: 22

Position: Attacking Midfielder

Current Club: Valencia

Name: Klass-Jan Huntelaar

Age: 25

Position: Striker

Current Club: Ajax

Name: Sergio Aguero

Age: 20

Position: Striker

Current Club: Atletico Madrid

Name: Iker Casillas

Age: 27

Position: Goalkeeper

Current Club: Real Madrid

Name: Gianluigi Buffon

Age: 30

Position: Goalkeeper

Current Club: Juventus

Name: Carles Puyol

Age: 30

Position: Centre Back

Current Club: Barcelona

Name: Karim Benzema

Age: 20

Position: Striker

Current Club: Lyon

If you have any questions as to the players I've chosen, then please feel free to leave a comment. If you want to suggest a player then that would be great.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.

Arsene Wenger v. Alex Ferguson: Who's the Best Manager?

Benjamin Rogers — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:20:34 -0400

Issue Two of the "vs" series is out, and in this issue we focus on two of the biggest managers in Premier League history—Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson.

During the 90's, the two managers ruled the waves of management and their two clubs, Arsenal and Manchester United, were the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

Every season they would fight it out for the Premier League, and the majority of the time they would clash horns when it came to opinion and their beloved clubs.

Both of these managers have continued to manage greatly into 2008, with Ferguson competing with Chelsea for the title and Wenger creating a great young force to battle for the Premier League in years to come.

This article will look at how these two managers have hit the highs that no other manager has, and hopefully by the end of voting we will see which one is not only the best, but the favourite as well.

I will try to be as fair as possible, and give the same article space to each manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson started his career at East Stirlingshire, St. Mirren, and then went on to manage Aberdeen before in 1986 he took his place at the helm of Manchester United.

He is known as one of the biggest managers in the world of football, and has won things that no other manager has won, and must be given credit for bringing fresh life into Manchester United, long after the Busby era.

His most proud moment was in 1999, when he guided Manchester United to a record breaking treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League in one single season.

In all he has won:

St. Mirren: 1 Scottish First Division.

Aberdeen: 3 Scottish Premier Divisions, 4 SFA Cups, 1 Scottish League Cup, 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, and 1 UEFA Super Cup.

Manchester United: 10 Premier League Titles, 2 Football League First Divisions, 5 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 8 Charity/Community Shields, 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and 1 Intercontinental Cup.

Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger started his career at AS Nancy Lorrainie, continued it at AS Monaco and Nagoya Grampus Eight, before joining Arsenal in 1996.

Since joining the Gunners he has been the most successful manager at the club in terms of trophies, and is also the longest serving manager in Gunners history.

He has brought some great players like Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, and of course Thierry Henry to Arsenal, and has also made one of the best defensive line-ups in Premier League history in the form of Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bould, and Martin Keown.

One of his proudest moments as Arsenal manager was in 2004, when he guided his team through their first ever unbeaten season—in a record that lasted 49 games.

In total he has won:

AS Monaco: 1 Coupe de France and one Ligue 1.

Nagoya Grampus Eight: 1 J-League Super Cup and 1 Emperors Cup.

Arsenal: 3 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 4 Community Shields, and 3 Manager of the Year awards.

I hope you enjoyed the read and if you have any questions about the managers, or if you want to ask me anything, please leave a comment.

Remember that this is a voting article so it would be great if we could get as many votes as possible—your vote counts!!!

As always, I hope you enjoyed the article.

Ben Rogers's 10 Footie Jokes

Benjamin Rogers — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:58:11 -0400

Over the past couple of weeks we have been seeing a lighthearted warmth spread over Bleacher Report to make it a warmer and funnier place.

Two of the writers responsible for this warmth are Michelle Alves and Thomas and they have really started a great trend which has made me laugh every morning while I'm drinking my coffee and reading articles on Bleacher Report.

After some thought Ive decided I'd write a little joke article myself, so I can make other people laugh the way I laughed.

I'm not the greatest joke teller so I hope they are good but I'm only taking a shot at this so please don't send a mob round to my house if the jokes offend your team.

10.

The seven dwarfs are down in the mines when there is a cave-in.
Snow White runs to the entrance and yells down to them.
In the distance a voice shouts out "Arsenal are good enough to win the European Cup."
Snow White says "Well at least Dopey's alive."

Q: How many Man U supporters does it take to stop a moving Bus?
A: Never enough.

Q: What's is the difference between Pamela Anderson and the Liverpool goal?
A: Pam's only got two tits in front of her

Q: What do you call a Chelsea fan on the moon?
A: A Problem.

Q: What do you call 100 Chelsea fans on the moon?
A: An even bigger problem.

Q: What do you call all the Chelsea fans on the moon?
A: Problem solved.

The fire brigade phones Kevin Keagan in the early hours of Sunday morning...
"Mr. Keagan, St James Park is on fire!"
"The cups man! Save the cups!" replies Keagan.
"Well...the fire hasn't spread to the canteen yet, sir."

Apparently, when Harry Redknapp was West ham manager he offered to send the squad on an all expenses paid holiday to Florida but they declined. They'd rather go to Blackpool so they could see what it's like to ride on an open-top bus.

Q: What is the difference between Spurs and the Bermuda triangle?

A: The bermuda triangle has three points.

A little boy took his parents to court because he did not want to live with them anymore. The honored judge said to him "So why don't you want to live with your dad?"
"Because he beats me," said the little boy.
"Why don't you want to live with your mum then?" asked the judge.
"Because she beats me as well."
"Oh," said the judge "Well who would you like to live with then?"
The little boy replied" I would like to live with Derby County, because they don't beat anyone!"

Q: What's the difference between an Everton fan and a supermarket trolley, with a dodgy wheel?

A: The trolley has a mind of its own.

Four surgeons are taking a tea break:

First surgeon says, "Accountants are the best to operate on because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."

Second surgeon says, "Nope, librarians are the best. Everything inside them is in alphabetical order."

Third surgeon says, "Well you should try electricians. Everything inside them is colour coded."

Fourth surgeon says, "I prefer Tottenham fans. They're heartless, spineless, gutless, and their heads and a**es are interchangeable."

Well I hope you had fun reading the jokes and remember if I caused any offence to any football supporter or you enjoyed the jokes then, then please feel free to leave a comment.

Which Trophy Means the Most?

Benjamin Rogers — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:01:58 -0400

There are many trophies to be won from every season, and every team has chance to win one. If you are the smallest side or the biggest side you have a fair chance when the season begins. Many teams try to get many trophies in one season and other teams focus on one trophy in particular.

However, I'm writing this article to find out which trophy is the most important to the fans and try to find out the most popular title in football.

I'll look at the main trophies a team can win such as the Champions League, Premier League, and others.

UEFA Champions League

Europe's best teams go up against each other to decide the fate of this trophy. Some say you have to be the best team in the world to win it. As I said, this trophy brings the best teams in the world together such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, AC Milan and many many more...

The Final is selected by a Qualifying Round then a Group Stage followed by the last 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finally the best two teams emerge from it all fight it out in the final.

In the last year we were treated to a fascinating final between eventual winners Manchester United and Chelsea. Who will be the winners this campaign?

Is this the most popular trophy in the world?

Premier League

The top league in England and reported to be the most popular league in the world. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool are the normal top four but after the uprising of some new talent Manchester City, Portsmouth, Everton, Spurs, and Aston Villa all have a chance.

Manchester United were the winners from the past two seasons and are aiming to make it a hat-trick this campaign.

FA Cup

The cup that every team in England wants to win—and has a chance to win. The game could be a top of the league giant v. a bottom of the league minnow. Many say it has a certain wisdom and feeling about it, and no matter what's on the cards an upset is always possible. Barnsley showed us that last year, by beating Liverpool and Chelsea.

It is a great chance for a team out side the top four of the Premier League to win such as last campaign's winners Portsmouth.

Carling Cup

The Carling Cup is like a smaller FA Cup, and is a great chance for a team to put out some of their future stars. Arsenal, Manchester City, and Everton have produced some of the best stars in England by doing this. Just like the FA Cup, the Carling Cup is a great chance for a team outside of the "Big Four" to get a trophy.

The final can bring some great teams together such as last campaign's eventual winners, Tottenham and runners up Chelsea.

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Cup is the smaller version of the Champions League and is the chance for a team that finishes 5th, 6th, and 7th to play against teams from Europe. If you win the trophy you get a chance to play in the Super Cup, such as last year's winners Zenit St. Petersburg.

Ac Milan are this year's favourites, but will an English side cause an upset?

Well, there's the list and if you want to leave a comment or vote for the trophy you like the most then please feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you, like wise if you want to add a trophy please feel free.

As always, hope you enjoy the article.