Bleacher Report - Articles by Bevan Bolland

Wenger's Millions

Bevan Bolland — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:56:23 -0400

Arsenal director Danny Fizsman, last night, revealed that Arsene Wenger has plenty of transfer funds at his disposal. Fizsman’s statement generates an interesting question? Why hasn’t Wenger splashed the cash this summer?

Wenger is renowned for being a shrewd operator in the transfer market, purchasing cheap youngsters and exploiting their potential. He is a rare breed of manager, one whom, whilst wanting to build a successful team, also has one eye on the financial situation at the club.

There have been murmurings of discontent circulating Ashburton Grove, at the beginning of this season, from fans aggrieved at Wenger’s reluctance to delve into the transfer market for an established player.

Fizsman’s comments will not help matters.

Last season’s "final hurdle" fall-away was reasoned for by many as being due to Arsenal’s lack of experience and squad depth. With the cash in his pockets, Wenger could ensure that similar excuses are irrelevant this time around.

Yet, Wenger has stated his belief that Arsenal doesn’t require the boost of another proven player. He believes the squad is talented enough already. Favouring those he has groomed through the youth ranks at the club.

Such intent is not consistent with the trophy-laden teams Wenger has built in the past though. The "Invincibles" of 2004, for example, included many expensive players: Robert Pires (£7million from Marseille), Thierry Henry (£11 million from Juventus), Sylvain Wiltord (£13 million from Bordeaux), Jose Antonio Reyes (£18 million from Sevilla), and Lauren (£6 million from Real Mallorca), amongst others.

The current economic downturn may factor in his decision to trust in youth, but the fact of the matter is, it's not Wenger’s job to worry about the club’s financial situation, he just has to create a team capable of winning competitions.

We are very grateful for the luxury of having a financially secure club with a good team on the pitch, but the time has come to make one big push for silverware. Another top-class player will be a welcomed addition.

The opening four games of the season are never the best indicator of how a season will pan out, but watching the games, the early signs suggest that Arsenal have not improved significantly enough to mount a more sustained challenge.

Star players have been placed with younger versions, and the hunger seems to have waned slightly, the creativity diluted, and defensive errors continue to be made. The display at Fulham was abysmal, whilst wins against West Brom and FC Twente haven't been convincing for varied reasons. I worry that Wenger’s faith may be misguided.

A lot of emphasis for Arsenal’s indifferent start has been the omission of Cesc Fabregas from the first three games. It shouldn’t be the case that the reason we don’t win is because of Cesc’s absence. For a club of Arsenal’s size, his absence shouldn’t be too deeply felt.

A dominating defensive midfielder or a prolific goal-scorer would do nothing but improve the club’s chances. My view is naturally hypothetical, but similarly, so is the view that a big-name would create disharmony and imbalance. Every signing is a risk, but I think, in this case, the positives outweigh the negatives.

So, I’m suggesting that, with the closure of the transfer window just two days away, maybe Mr. Wenger should splash the cash. Please.

Time is limited, and the right players are difficult to come by, but they are out there. With his extensive scouting network, Wenger will know where they are.

Can Shaun Wright-Phillips Re-Ignite His Career Back at Eastlands?

Bevan Bolland — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:28:07 -0400

The re-signing of Shaun Wright-Phillips by Manchester City on a four-year contract from Chelsea has come at just right the time for the diminutive Englishman. Signed by Chelsea for around £21 million back in June 2005, SWP has struggled to cement a regular starting berth in the capital, fading one of England's most exciting pre-World Cup 2006 prospects into obscurity.

When he did get his chance, Wright-Phillips seldom reproduced the electrifying form he displayed regularly in his first spell at City. He did manage to show brief glimpses of his former self, but struggled to perform at a consistently high level.

Faced with competition from World-class wide-men like Robben, Cole, Kalou, and Duff is not an enviable task for anyone looking to establish themselves at one of England's biggest clubs.

Other talented young players like Scott Parker and Steve Sidwell, and more renowned players like Crespo, Boulahrouz, and Shevchenko have all struggled to make an impact under the Mourinho and Grant regimes, so there is no shame in Wright-Phillips' "failure."

Reasons forwarded for Wright-Phillips' failure to re-create the mazy dribbles and spectacular goals during the past three years have included a lack of confidence and the reduced freedom he held in the tactics-heavy approaches of Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant.

Now was the time though for Wright-Phillips to cut his losses and sign for a less high-profile club where he would be able to rediscover his devastating ability. (Although, ironically, under Luis Felipe Scolari it is arguable that he may have had greater freedom to express himself, as "Big Phil" is known to base the attacking emphasis of his teams on his wide players).

There is no better opportunity for him to do this than at Manchester City where the majority of fans fondly remembers him. Indeed, SWP has expressed his "delight" at re-signing for the club, which gave him his senior debut.

If he can reproduce the form synonymous with his first spell in the light blue of City, Mr. Capello will come knocking and everything will be alright again in the world of Shaun Wright-Phillips.

English Premier League "Team of the Weekend"

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:32:06 -0400

It has been another eventful, entertaining weekend in the English Premier League. This is my team of the weekend.

Goalkeeper

Shay Given (Newcastle United). Produced a magnificent save from Nolan's penalty, diving low to his left, and reacted quickest to the loose ball by kicking it away from danger. He also produced a string of other significant saves and this early season clean sheet will do wonders for his and Newcastle's confidence.

Defenders

Sam Ricketts (Hull City). He was Hull’s outstanding defender as they earnt their first away point in the Premier League. His tackling and distribution was spot on, and Hull fans will be hoping he can reproduce this type of display many times of the next nine months.

Brede Hangeland (Fulham). Scored the all-important goal as Fulham notched a memorable win against their London rivals. Impressive in keeping Adebayor and van Persie quiet for the vast majority of the game.

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United). Dealt with the threat of Peter Crouch admirably. Was a calming influence in Manchester United’s defence as Portsmouth’s attackers busied themselves around him.

Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United). Another major contributor to Newcastle’s clean sheet against Bolton. Was superb at Old Trafford last week and followed it up with another convincing display.

Midfielders

Deco (Chelsea). Appears to have settled straight into Premier League life. Struck a fantastic fourth minute free kick to claim the three points for Chelsea and adapted well to the hustle and bustle in the midfield at the JJB stadium.

Lee Cattermole (Wigan Athletic). Was superb at limiting the effectiveness of Chelsea's midfield five. Covered the space between midfield and defence, breaking up several Chelsea attacks in the process.

Paul Scholes (Manchester United). Was at his magnificent best at Fratton Park. Controlled the cluttered midfield with simple pass after simple pass. He kept Manchester United ticking over, and like Ferdinand, exuded calmness in a high tempo match.

Elano (Manchester City). Two goals from the Brazilian highlighted a top class performance and it looks as though he may be returning to the form he displayed early last season. City fans will be hoping he maintains it throughout the whole season this time around though.

Strikers

Bobby Zamora (Fulham). Was a constant thorn in the Arsenal defence’s side. His off the ball movement caused all sorts of problems, which on the day Toure and Gallas just couldn’t cope with. He deserved a goal for his endeavour and was unlucky not to get one, flashing a couple of efforts just inches wide.

Fuller (Stoke). Scored the goal of the weekend by flicking the ball over Laursen and running on to fire past Friedel. His goal helped Stoke to a memorable first win in the Premier League.

Hoffenheim: The Fairytale Football Club?

Bevan Bolland — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:25:56 -0400

A quick glance at the Bundesliga table will show you that after the first round of matches, an unfamiliar name currently parades at the top of it—1899 Hoffenheim. The story of the club rooted in the village of Hoffenheim in the South-West Germany is a remarkable one.

For the romanticists out there it is a fairytale; the cynics on the other hand, will argue that the rise of Germany’s most controversial club of the last few years sets a dangerous precedent.

The story began back in the early 1990’s with the return of former player Dietmar Hopp to the club. This was no ordinary alumni return though. Hopp brought with him his vast personal fortune, amassed through the software company he co-founded, SAP (currently Europe’s largest software company).

Looking to invest some of his wealth into a football club, Hopp decided against purchasing an established club, opting instead to invest in the club he had played as a centre-forward for in his younger days, the one closest to his heart, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. At that time, the club was nothing more than an amateur village team, turning out in the eighth tier of the German football league system.

In the 18-year period since Hopp became the club’s financial backer, Hoffenheim have risen through the league system to the very top. Due largely to the £120 million the entrepreneur has ploughed into the club.

Naturally, parallels have been drawn between Hopp’s involvement with Hoffenheim and Roman Abramovich’s investment in Chelsea. Hopp though, has been keen to rubbish any suggestion of similarities.

Indeed, Hopp has stated that his aims are solely to provide his club with the foundations for long-term success, refuting claims from critics that the club is just his expensive “plaything.”

His investment strategies thus far back-up his claim. In his early years of ownership Hopp invested in state of the art training facilities, and as such 1899 Hoffenheim’s success thus far has been based on the development of youth players from its range of youth academy, which includes teams spanning from under 12s to under 19s age-groups.

The club reached the Regionalliga Sud (third tier) by basing their team on players developed through the club’s youth setup, and proceeded to attain respectable finishing positions in each of their first four seasons in the division. At this point Hopp believed that the club had acquired the necessary foundations and stability in order for the club to push on for promotion to the Bundesliga 2.

For the first time large-scale investment in experienced players and staff took place, preceding the start of Hoffenheim’s 2006/07 campaign. Amongst the newcomers brought in by Hopp was a manager, Ralf Rangnick who he believed had the credentials to push his beloved Hoffenheim into the upper echelons of German football.

Rangnick’s management CV boasted the likes of Vfb Stuttgart, Hannover 96, and Schalke 04. The aim was to be playing in the Bundesliga within three seasons.

Rangnick’s first season in charge ended with a second placed finish, winning promotion to the second tier of German football at the first attempt. It was an unexpectedly quick impact, quicker than Hopp could have hoped for.

Whilst experienced players were brought in, the core of the side consists of talented young players, who have yet to achieve their potential. It has been an effective mix. Star strikers Wellington and Demba Ba (pictured above) have been joined by experienced internationals Per Nilsson and Andreas Ibertsberger. The squad, perhaps tellingly of Hopp’s regime, lacks any household names or familiar faces though.

With the success has come notoriety. Fans have begun to flock from further afield and its 6,350 capacity Dietmar-Hopp Stadion is no longer a viable location to host Bundesliga football. Hence, Hopp has financed the development of a new 30,000 capacity stadium, the Rhine-Neckar Arena, situated in the nearby town of Sinsheim (expected to be completed early next year).

Whilst their new stadium is being constructed, Hoffenheim will be playing their home matches at the 26,000 capacity Carl-Benz Stadion in another nearby town, Mannheim.

Whilst the success bestowed upon the club has necessitated a move away from the village of Hoffenheim, Hopp has been keen to ensure the club’s links its community remain intact, with a variety of sports classes accommodating both gender and age, being run by the club.

Hoffenheim’s achievements haven’t been greeted with unanimous acceptance though, with some rival fans labelling the club as “corporate whores.” The criticism has been especially forthcoming in the former-East Germany where fans of clubs with larger support but less money view Hoffenheim as the epitome of the unfair nature of West German capitalism.

No matter how much success befits the club over the next few years, the real test of Dietmar Hopp’s Hoffenheim legacy will be when the 68 year old is no longer around to bankroll the club and sign the cheques.

The case of Gretna in the Scottish Premier League has shown the risk involved if a club forgets its long-term commitment in favour of short-term success. So far, Hopp has acted sensibly, I hope he continues to do so.

Currently the club has just 1,800 registered club members, a figure dwarfed by the likes of Bayern Munich who have 125,115 and Schalke 04 who have 73,699. The Bundesliga experience will increase the club’s exposure to the general public, and thus, should help to build its reputation and attract fans. They need it to.

Attracting fans may be the easy part though, it is ensuring that they are not fickle enough to leave when times are bad. The Hoffenheim story could have an unhappy ending if the foundations for continued success fail to lie firmly in place.

Others believe Hoffenheim are only on the path to bigger and better things. Indeed, Bayern Munich manager Jurgen Klinsmann has suggested that “sooner of later Hoffenheim are going to become a superpower in German football."

In the present though, the 3-0 win away at Energie Cottbus last Saturday was just the beginning of Hoffenheim’s Bundesliga adventure, but a strong indicator of their intent to succeed at the highest level and their belief that they deserve to be there.

Could Hoffenheim become the first village club to compete in the Champions League? Only time will tell.

With Hopp and Rangnick at the club’s helm anything seems possible.

Usain Bolt Wins 200m: Lightning Bolt Strikes Twice

Bevan Bolland — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:36:32 -0400

After his jaw-dropping, gold medal-winning, world record-breaking performance in the 100m last Saturday, Usain Bolt produced a similarly sensational performance in the 200m final today.

All eyes were on the newest Olympic legend during the pre-race build up. (Even the British finalist, Christian Malcolm was considered a side show by the extremely patriotic British television presenters.)

The favourite for the race produced the goods and the display that the 91,000 in the "bird's nest" had flocked to see. Again.

Bolt considered winning gold in the 100m to be just a bonus. The 200m is his speciality and he came to Beijing in search of Olympic 200m gold. You could tell.

Lambasted by some for his open-armed, chest-patting finish in the showcase event over the weekend, Bolt ran through the line this time. He wanted gold. He wanted the world record. He got them both. Again.

Michael Johnson's 12-year world record was shattered. Bolt recorded a time of 19.30 seconds. There is now a new gold-spike-wearing man in town.

He blew away his fellow competitors. Netherlands Antilles' Churandy Martina took silver, lagging over half a second behind Bolt. The reigning Olympic champion, Shawn Crawford, had to settle for bronze.

As Jamaica's sprinting star jigged a victory dance. The man whose record he broke described Bolt's display as "an incredible performance, just incredible."

Other finalists admitted to being "shocked" by the giant Jamaican's stunning exploits.

The man himself said he "wanted to leave everything on the track." He certainly did.

The race demonstrated his phenomenal raw power, with his enormous strides gulping up the track in front him. Bolt is, simply put, a man built for devastating speed.

The Beijing Olympic games will forever be associated with Usain Bolt, and I feel extremely privileged to have witnessed these performances from the fastest man ever.

John Terry Named England Captain

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:34:19 -0400

Fabio Capello has named bookmaker's favourite John Terry as his permanent England captain. The decision means Terry will resume the role he undertook under previous England manager Steve McClaren.

The decision ends months of speculation regarding the England captaincy, during which time Capello gave Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and John Terry opportunities to stake a claim to be permanent England captain.

Speaking at the press conference where Terry was unveiled as captain Terry expressed that he was "a little bit shocked" to find out Capello decision just one hour earlier as he believed Rio Ferdinand was going to be named England captain.

He also said that "It means the World to me. It's a huge achievement for me."

Fabio Capello explained that "It wasn't easy to choose the England captain. As John and Rio both played well as captain." Capello suggested that his reason for choosing Terry' was his "big personality."

Capello also named Rio Ferdinand as his vice-captain.

John Terry has been England captain on 14 occasions during the 44 caps he has won, and he will now lead the team out for tomorrow nights friendly against the Czech Republic and all the subsequent World Cup Qualifiers when he is available.

A Fantastic Opening Weekend of the Premier League Season

Bevan Bolland — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:29:04 -0400

Premier League football is back, and with a bang.

The opening weekend witnessed plenty of goals, 32 in total (and some stunning ones at that), some fantastic individual and team performances, several impressive debuts, and the new "Get On With The Game" made a smooth transition into Premier League football.

The highlight of the opening weekend's fixtures was undoubtedly Hull's 2-1 victory over Fulham at the KC Stadium. After Seol Ki-Hyeon had given Fulham the lead with a deft header, Geovanni soon equalised with a magnificent 20-yard curling shot. Caleb Folan then scored the winner, in the 81st minute.

It was Hull's first ever game in the Premier League, and this season's relegation favourites showed they are going to be no pushover. Hull's performance exhibited plenty of grit and passion—with its fair share of class—and they did well to defeat a Fulham team who cannot say they underperformed.

Ultimately, Hull were simply too good for them. An excellent start for the Tigers, and if they recreate that type of performance in every game in the Premier League they might just defy the odds and remain in the division.

A special mention also needs to be made to the Hull support, who were truly exceptional and, if Hull are to have any chance of staying up, will need to play their part. The noise they created throughout the 90 minutes on Saturday was thunderous.

Chelsea displayed the most impressive performance of the weekend, by crushing Portsmouth 4-0 at Stamford Bridge. The performance set a high, early benchmark for the title contenders.

Luis Felipe Scolari's men were relentless, and the Brazilian's impact was obvious. Their football was more attractive to watch—even including a taste of Samba flair—and they carved Portsmouth open at will throughout the first half.

Joe Cole, Nicolas Anelka and a Frank Lampard penalty put them 3-0 up inside the first half, before Deco capped an excellent Premier League debut with a rasping drive just before the final whistle—although maybe David James could have kept it out.

Portsmouth will have to regroup, and ensure that their season really kicks into gear next weekend.

Manchester United fielded a far from full strength line-up and it showed as they struggled against a galvanised Newcastle United at Old Trafford. Obafemi Martins opened the scoring with a header from a corner, but Newcastle's lead was short lived as Darren Fletcher stole in at the near post to equalise just 2 minutes later.

On reflection, the 1-1 result was justified. Newcastle's close-season signing Jonas Gutierrez displayed an especially impressive debut performance, full of running, purpose and creativity.

While Sir Alex Ferguson won't be too worried by the dropped points, Kevin Keegan will certainly be the happier of the two managers, as the point illustrates a significant improvement for the Magpies upon last term (when they conceded 11 goals in two heavy defeats to the Red Devils).

Arsenal and Liverpool both won by a single goal, against West Brom and Sunderland respectively. Both clubs will be happy with gaining the three points, although Liverpool will perhaps be happier with their performance.

Arsenal broke out of the traps fast and Samir Nasri opened his Arsenal account with a coolly taken goal after four minutes, slotting home from just outside the six-yard box. Arsenal threatened to extend their lead, but West Brom eventually got to grips with them—and were unlucky not to equalise.

Liverpool played exceptionally well at the Stadium of Light, and limited the home side to very few chances. Fernando Torres picked up from where he left off last season, driving home a 25-yard effort into the bottom corner.

Paul Ince's first game in charge was a memorable one to say the least, snatching victory with virtually the last kick of the game at Goodison Park to win 3-2.

David Dunn opened the scoring with, arguably, the goal of the weekend. However, Everton rallied and equalised before half time, through Arteta's opportunistic freekick. Not long after the break, Yakubu put the home side in front with a header.

Any suggestion of player unrest at Blackburn was quashed though, as they battled back to win the game with goals from Santa Cruz and then Ooijer. A precious three points, and an impressive start to Paul Ince's Premier League managerial career.

Juande Ramos' summer spending spree had little effect at the Riverside Stadium, as Middlesbrough beat Tottenham 2-1 and thoroughly outplayed them in the process.

David Wheater bagged Middlesbrough's first before ex-Spurs striker Mido wrapped the game up. Robert Huth's injury time own goal proved to be too little too late for Tottenham. The victory for Middlesbrough will help to encourage optimism on Teeside.

Aston Villa emerged victorious from the opening weekend's highest scoring game, beating Man City 4-2. All eyes were on Gareth Barry, but despite his impressive performance it was Gabriel Agbonlahor who stole the show, scoring a 7-minute hat-trick to add to Carew's opener.

Elano had equalised for City from the penalty spot, before Agbonlahor took the game by the scruff of its neck. Corluka stabbed home from close range in added on time to make the scoreline a little more respectable from City's point of view.

Dean Ashton scored two goals inside the first 10 minutes at Upton Park, as they defeated Wigan Athletic 2-1. Ashton's afternoon took a turn for the worse though as he got injured and subsequently had to be substituted. The injury also prevented him from being available for selection in Fabio Capello's next England squad.

Wigan's new Egyptian striker Amir Zaki grabbed Wigan's goal, with a sensational volley on the turn. Zaki's goal was impressive, but he spurned several chances later on to equalise for his new club.

The Premier League's other new boys, Stoke City, had a shocking first half at the Reebok Stadium. They were 3-0 down at the interval after goals from Steinsson, Davies and Elmander.

Stoke did manage a late consolation through Ricardo Fuller, but Bolton were too strong for them on the day. It was a brilliant win for Bolton though and will help rid some of the relegation fears at the Reebok Stadium.

Arsenal Season Preview

Bevan Bolland — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:03:57 -0400

I left writing my season preview for Arsenal until as late in the day as possible. The season kicks off on Saturday with a home tie against West Brom, and the trepidation I felt mid-July still hasn't disappeared.

Wednesday night's result in Holland in the Champions League third qualifying round was a good early test for the Gunners, which they passed, although hardly emphatically. The 2-0 scoreline was somewhat undeserved as FC Twente had plenty of opportunities to score and should be going into the second leg at least level.

There is no doubting that Arsenal will need to improve significantly upon this performance when the real stuff starts this weekend, and they will. I am perhaps reading a little too much into a match in which numerous key first team players were missing, and plenty of young inexperienced players were blooded.

It was an acceptable performance overall.

However, Arsenal's squad depth was an issue last season, and will be there undoing again this season. I am not questioning the quality of Arsenal players, every player is the squad is more than capable of playing fluid, easy-on-the-eye football that we Arsenal fans have come to take for granted over recent years.

Arsenal brand of football seems to improve its level of technique season-on-season, but in recent seasons it has lacked the end product that bestowed it in the title winning seasons. Maybe Arsenal have to become a little more direct, a little more 'ugly'.

There were signs early last season that Arsenal had adapted their game to become more efficient in front of goal, they were beginning to shoot more and from distance, and weren't scared of the long ball.

Yet, as wins became harder to come by, and confidence ebbed, Arsenal retreated into their comfort zone somewhat by rekindling their passing across the 18-yard line game that has been a large factor in the club's failure to win any trophies during the last three seasons.

I don't see Arsenal's trophy cabinet having to make room for another addition this season either, unless the Carling Cup team can win the competition as their performances in recent seasons has deserved.

Before last season supporters were justifiably worried about how the sale of Henry would affect the team, initially it galvanised the squad and Arsenal played as well, if not better than 'The Invincibles' of 2003/04.

The pre-season expectations were justified though and Arsenal's inexperience told as the finish line appeared upon the horizon. Whilst expected, it was a little undeserved. This inexperience can't resurface this season if Arsenal want to win the league.

Finishing four points behind the eventual Champions was a fantastic effort and much more than I had imagined had the start of the season, but if I'm honest, Arsenal football club and its fans should never be settling for anything less than winning every competition we enter. Their have been too many 'transition' seasons of late.

This pre-season has, yet again, been a typical Arsenal summer, top players leaving for 'Bigger' teams, and other star performers flirting with potential suitors every time Wenger's back was turned. Its a perennial problem for Arsenal, but one the fans have grown to accept.

If players don't want to play for us then they can leave. The club's stubbornness to its wage structure, whilst frustrating and also being a contributing factor to our lack of success in recent years and inability to create sustained success over consecutive seasons, is perfectly reasonable and should be highly commended.

The long-term future needs to be stable, but we now have to start coupling it again with short-term success.

My worries about Arsenal's title, no Champions League qualification credentials, are greater this season than last. The impact of losing Hleb and Flamini will have a major effect on Arsenal's chances of success this season, even more so than the predicted decline following Henry's move to Catalonia.

Hleb and Flamini formed half of Arsenal's formidable, dynamic midfield last season, and for Arsenal to build upon the foundations laid last season they need to be replaced by players as good, if not better, immediately.

Ramsey and Nasri look like they have tremendous potential but I don't think they are ready to plug the gaps departed players have created in the midfield.

Nasri should provide more goals than Hleb, but Hleb was perhaps Arsenal's second best player last season and so his boots are going to be extremely difficult for Nasri to fill. The return of Rosicky, and the transformation of Walcott into a player who performs the high levels he is well capable of, but on a consistent basis, is required.

Filling the gap left by Flamini's lucrative move to the San Siro could be even more crucial. Last season, if rather unexpectedly, he visibly grew in confidence, and into the role of the midfield's engine, providing an excellent foil for Fabregas, allowing the young Spaniard to weave his magic so devastatingly.

He was by no means perfect though, there are plenty of players out there who would perhaps be better suited to the role but Arsene has only seventeen days to find him. The type of player Arsenal's failings necessitate in order to improve upon last season, is a powerful box to box midfielder, of a similar ilk to Vieira, someone to take the hits, so to speak, for Cesc.

It looks like yet another season of 'transition' for Arsenal. The level of inexperience has increased. Too much is going to be required of players like Fabregas, Adebayor, Van Persie and the younger prospects.

Arsenal need to learn from last season's errors, the experienced players need to come to the fore (especially Gallas) and guide the young players, and every player needs to improve that extra notch, for Arsenal to go the distance this time around.

Realistically, this is too much to ask for this season. The hits the squad has taken over the summer are going to be felt deeply, and we Arsenal fans will have to settle for third or fourth place again, and memorable, yet ultimately unsuccessful, FA Cup and Champions League campaigns this season.

The FA Launches New 'Respect' Initiative On Opening Weekend

Bevan Bolland — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:50:57 -0400

The "Big Kick-Off" has brought with it a big kick-off for the FA’s new respect for referees campaign. Branded "Respect", the campaign has been prominent during the opening weekend of the Football League season, and equally so at the Premier League’s curtain-raiser, the Community Shield.

The new initiative has been promoted heavily; Manchester United and Portsmouth players were seen sporting t-shirts with the word "respect" on them during their warm-ups at Wembley yesterday.

Match officials also donned the t-shirts over the course of weekend as they took part in their pre-match rituals, full-page advertisements were placed in national newspapers, and the FA also launched a "viral" video campaign featuring among others, Fabio Capello, Howard Webb, Les Ferdinand, and "Barry from Eastenders".

The campaign itself is a direct response to a growing number of referees quitting the game at amateur level in response to the abuse they receive from players, coaches, and fans alike. As highlighted by Durham FA company secretary John Topping, "Many referees leave the game because of the comments and the behaviour they have to tolerate from outside of the pitch, from parents and coaches".

The FA is hoping that cutting out the abuse officials receive at the highest level will encourage similar effects at amateur and youth levels.

Last season, the issue of respect, or lack of, towards officials in the Premier League was heavily scrutinised. Ashley Cole and Javier Mascherano were the perpetrators in high-profile incidents.

The issue of disrespect towards match officials has existed for many years, and this isn’t the FA’s first attempt at trying to eradicate this major problem from the sport. The 2001/02 season saw the introduction of the 10-yard rule, which punished dissent by moving free-kicks ten yards closer to the offender’s goal.

To begin with the rule was effective, but over the course of the season it disappeared, before finally being scrapped altogether by FIFA in June 2005 due to “a four-year trial period in England proving unsuccessful”.

Ian Blanchard, head of national referee development, has tried to ease any suggestion that this will be yet another FA campaign which fades away into obscurity, “We are not expecting anything to change overnight, and this is not a campaign or a recruitment drive that will run for a couple of months then fade away. We are in this for the long run, though hopefully people should start to see a difference right away”.

The effect the new campaign has depends largely upon how it is enforced during the opening few weeks of the season. Referees need to set a precedent and show that disrespect will not be tolerated at all. Less of Mike Riley’s leniency towards Ashley Cole and more of Steve Bennett’s intolerance of Mascherano’s behaviour is undoubtedly the order of the day.

Its effectiveness on the opening weekend has set a good marker, but this stance needs to continue throughout the coming weeks. Arguably, the greatest test for the campaign will be when the Premier League kicks off next weekend. Greater attention will be paid to the refereeing decisions in these more high-profile matches.

If the "Respect" campaign is to have any chance of succeeding, it needs to start at the very top. In recent seasons, Ferguson, Wenger, and Mourinho have all been guilty of unacceptable behaviour towards officials. The managers and coaches need to set the examples that are to be followed on the pitch. Only then will respect towards referees and assistants filter down to the lower levels.

Perhaps the key to having respect shown to match officials is that players, coaches, and fans have to acknowledge that mistakes are going to be made throughout the course of game, and the course of a season. The referees are, after all, only human.

Yes, it is extremely frustrating when a decision goes against your team, but referees don’t make bad decisions on purpose. It is just part and parcel of the game we love, and without these moments of decision controversy football would become less enthralling.

I’m not condoning bad decisions, but merely suggesting that in their absence football wouldn’t quite stir the passions as it so does. Its just that these passions need to be released in alternative forms rather than disrespect and abuse.

Critics will suggest, though, that this campaign doesn’t go far enough, that it is a laissez-faire measure. Maybe a more revolutionary step needs to be taken in order for dissent and disrespect to be completely eradicated.

Many suggest that adopting the system used in Rugby is needed. Attaching microphones to rugby officials enables everyone in attendance and watching on television to hear entire conversations between players and referees. The system has eradicated virtually all instances of dissent and foul language in professional rugby, and in the process, naming and shaming those who show a lack of respect ensuring that the evidence exists for which they can be held accountable.

One reason why the FA would be slow to adopt such a system though lies in the fundamentals of the FA’s decision-making. Their belief is that changes made to the laws of the game need to be applicable at all levels, which, conjunctively, is also a reason for the reluctance of the FA to introduce video replays into the game.

"Respect" has followed the example set by rugby in one sense though, as it has placed more emphasis on the role of captains in ensuring that order is kept within their ranks. Referees will attempt to communicate primarily with team captains about on-pitch events, so it is up to the captains to respond appropriately to the greater behavioural expectancy placed upon them.

The overall aim for the FA’s campaign is to increase the number of qualified referees in the country from its current figure of 26,000 to the 34,000 mark, which would ensure that every organized game will have its own match official. The main obstacle in achieving this figure is not the recruitment of officials, but the retaining of them. If successful, the "Respect" campaign should go a long way towards reducing the number of referees giving up due to the disrespect they suffer.

Surely the time has come to once and for all eradicate the disrespect evident at the highest level of the game. In so doing, there is hope that it will benefit the game as a whole, not just in England, but in every location around the world that the Premier League and Football League reaches.

Arsenal FC 'All-Time' Line-up

Bevan Bolland — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:25:21 -0400

In response to the open-mic, this is my 'all-time' greatest line-up for the team I support, Arsenal.

The reason 'all-time' is in quotation marks is that I have only included players who I have seen play for Arsenal. As a result I have overlooked greats such as Brady, George, Nicholas, Bastin, Rocastle, Wilson, Jennings, McLintock, Graham, O'Leary, etc...

I think that despite their stature within Arsenal folklore, it would be a bit fickle of me to put them in my team without ever seeing them play.

The formation I have selected is a traditional 4-4-2.

Manager: Naturally, my choice is Arsene Wenger. Despite being a supporter throughout George Graham's successful reign, Wenger has taken Arsenal to a higher level. His spell in charge has been Arsenal's most successful ever.

He has not only revolutionised the club, but he has played a part in revolutionising the English professional game. His management methods have become almost gospel-like throughout the Premier League and his trophy haul is second only to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Goalkeeper: David Seaman. In my opinion, the greatest goalkeeper ever. He might have made a few high profile mistakes during his career, but these were only high profile because they were his only mistakes.

He was a calming influence, in which his defence always had full confidence. His shot-stopping ability was second to none and his ability to hold onto the ball was second to none. He also pulled off the greatest save ever against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final during his final season at the club.

Left Back: At times, Arsenal have had an embarrassment of riches at left back. All have been able to not only defend exceptionally, but also attack with style and panache. Nigel Winterburn is my choice.

He provided the original mould for what Wenger wanted his left backs to play like. He was defensively, the strongest Arsenal have had during my time as a supporter, and he developed his attacking game under Wenger's stewardship. He was part of the famous 'Arsenal back four.'

Centre Back: In my opinion, the club's greatest ever player, Tony Adams. He was Mr. Arsenal and he put his heart and soul into every match. He is one of England's greatest ever defenders.

Under Wenger he improved from not only possessing top-class defensive ability, but matured into a composed centre back who could begin attacks from the back. His goal against Everton to seal the clubs first ever Premier League trophy, was an iconic moment, and one which aptly befitted Adams.

Centre Back: Not many players ever dare to cross the North London divide between Tottenham and Arsenal, only few have done so throughout the years, but arguably, none have done it as successfully as Sol Campbell. His presence in the Arsenal defense was an extremely important asset throughout their title triumphs of 2002 and 2004.

He was a born leader, and formed a key component of the spine of Arsenal's 'Invinicibles.' He provided a massive goal scoring threat from set-pieces, and like Adams, possessed natural top-class defensive ability, which was also groomed into Campbell becoming a more cultured centre back.

Right Back: Also part of the famous 'Arsenal Back Four,' Lee Dixon was an outstanding right back who played a major role during his several successful seasons at the club. His defensive ability was superb, but he was also a threat going forward, often seen making lung-bursting overlapping runs down the right flank. His ability to deliver the ball and shoot meant he accumulated his fair share of goals and assists whilst at the club.

Left Midfield: The left midfield position has been home to great players since Wenger took over. Robert Pires just—and I mean just—edges it from Marc Overmars. Pires' contribution to the title winning season of 2002 was epitomised by his teammates bowing down to him when he collected his medal and lifted up the trophy. His contribution that season cannot be underestimated.

He continued this contribution throughout the next few seasons. He scored more than his fair share of goals from left midfield and amassed many, many assists. He possessed deceptive pace and plenty of skill.

Centre Midfield: Born in Romford, Ray Parlour, was a local lad who never really established himself properly as a first team player until Wenger arrived. Under Wenger he flourished, first into one of the best right midfielders in the country, and then into a mature central midfielder, capable of strong leadership. He contributed largely to many successes throughout his time at the club, especially under Wenger.

Wengers faith in Parlour was emphasised when Parlour took over the captain's armband in Vieira's absence and led Arsenal to that resounding victory over Inter Milan in the San Siro.

Whilst perhaps not the most naturally gifted player, his endeavour and work rate has earnt him a place in this side. His ability was underestimated though, he could hold his own against other great players throughout Wenger's reign.

Centre Midfield: As a midfielder, Patrick Vieira had it all. Fantastic ball winning ability, a sublime touch, plenty of creativity, and strong finishing ability. He rightly took over the captaincy from Tony Adams, and led by example from the middle of the park. There has never been a midfielder in Arsenal's history who has had a more imposing presence.

Right Midfield: Arsenal have been blessed with plenty of good right midfielders throughout the last twenty years, but none as charismatic as Paul Merson. According to many, Merson's natural ability was on a par with Paul Gascoigne. Couple that with a desire and hunger to play for Arsenal, and Merson ended up being one of Arsenal's greatest.

He was a goalscoring midfielder, at times scoring the spectaculars, at other times arriving late to finish of a flowing move. Through George Graham's reign, Merson provided the 'spark' in the Arsenal team. His off-field problems were endearing rather than off-putting, and so, Merson remains a proper fan favourite.

Striker: Signed by Bruce Rioch in 1995, Dennis Bergkamp came to Arsenal with a proven pedigree. After a slow beginning to his Arsenal career, Bergkamp burst into life and thrived under the guidance of Wenger.

He was Arsenal's most cultured and classy player ever, with a majestic touch and an exquisite ability to play pin-point through-balls. He shared in every trophy success the club has achieved so far under Wenger.

Personal highlights include memorable goals against Newcastle and Sunderland, and an outstanding hat-trick away at Leicester. Bergkamp retired at the end of the 2005/2006 season.

Striker: Thierry Henry. Rated by many as the club's best ever player. Henry was pure class. The perfect striker. Wenger developed him from a hit and miss left winger into the world's best striker. He is the club's record goal-scorer, and was the star player at the club for many seasons.

His final season, 2006-07, saw him take the captaincy, a much deserved accolade given everything he has done for the club. Not only was he great goalscorer, he also provided just as many assists for his teammates.

Substitutes: Jens Lehmann (part of the 'invincibles,' not as good as Seaman though), Ashley Cole (would have made the team if he wasn't so greedy), Martin Keown (tough tackling, no nonsense centre back), Marc Overmars (pushed Pires close and was arguably as influential as the Frenchman during his time at the club, but Pires won more trophies), Freddie Ljungberg (a proper goal-scoring midfielder who scored plenty of crucial goals), Ian Wright (third in my all-time greatest players list, only on the bench because Bergkamp and Henry were so good), Nwankwo Kanu (a bit of a cult-hero, his unpredictability was at times frustrating but more often amazing, his ability to overcome heart problems is inspirational).

Future Possible Inductees: Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna.

Nigeria's Call-Up Blunder

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:33:58 -0400

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has strangely called up an two ineligible players to their national squad for their forthcoming matches against South Africa and Sierra Leone.

The players in question are West Ham; United's, Carlton Cole; and AC Cesena's, Daniel Ola.

Cole is ineligible to play for the Nigerian National Team, as he has already appeared at U21 level for England.

FIFA regulations state that a player is eligible to switch from a country they represented at junior level, but not at the U21 level.

Daniel Ola currently holds a Ghanaian passport ,so he is not eligible to play for Nigeria.

It is an extremely bizarre scenario, that the NFF, have showed no apparent willingness to correct this error.

Should Arsenal Sign Xabi Alonso?

Bevan Bolland — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:46:22 -0400

Arsene Wenger has made it clear in recent weeks that he intends to sign an experienced midfielder before the new season kicks off and it has emerged today that Wenger preferred choice is Liverpool's Xabi Alonso.

Rumours have been rife that Wenger has been chasing the 26-year-old Spanish international all summer, but it appears as though any deal will only take place if Liverpool significantly reduce their £18 million asking price.

An experienced midfielder is exactly what Arsenal require after the sales Gilberto and Alexander Hleb, and the departure of Mathieu Flamini on a free transfer to AC Milan, but I'm not sure Alonso is the answer.

Granted, Alonso is a fantastic passer of the ball over all ranges, and he is an experienced international who has Champions League and European Championship medals to his name, but I don't think he quite fits the criteria for the type of midfielder we need.

Classed as a defensive midfielder, his presence let the other midfielders go and express themselves. He was a more than just a defensive midfielder though, his exceptionally high energy levels meant he became the engine of the midfield and when he was unavailable, Arsenal suffered.

Arsenal were so close to being Champions last season, and for all Flamini's limitations as a player, he was at the same time a vital member of the team.

In my opinion, Wenger needs to sign a player of similar stature to Flamini, and with around £15 million to spend, I think Wenger could even purchase someone better than Flamini. Signing Alonso would be too risky a signing for me. He has played in the Premier League for four years with Liverpool, and whilst being obviously talented, he has never really turned into a top class midfielder.

His presence in Arsenal's midfield would probably worsen it rather than improve it as it would make it less efficient and dynamic. Gareth Barry has also been linked with a move to Arsenal, but he too, just wouldn't be the right sort of player we need. We need an imposing presence. The possible signing of Barry, or especially Alonso just doesn't fill me with optimism, they are square pegs for round holes. They just wouldn't fit in.

My preferred choices for midfielders to add a bit of experience would be either Werder Bremen's Torsten Frings or Fenerbahce's Stephen Appiah (I have rated Appiah highly for many years and I genuinely think he is a typical Arsenal player, I even think he has the potential to be as good as Vieira). Both of these players are busy, energetic players who have a touch of class which would make them right at home in Arsenal's midfield.

I'm interested to hear your opinions on the possible signing of Xabi Alonso. Which experienced midfielder do you think Arsenal should sign if not Alonso?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Testimonial: Manchester United 1-0 Espanyol

Bevan Bolland — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:01:16 -0400

"Who stuck the ball in the German's net?" I was tempted to say Emile Heskey, but to be honest, judging by the number of times this man had asked this question I wasn't quite sure if even he knew the answer so I didn't want to confuse the poor guy.

Granted he was a "little bit" (a lot) drunk, but his constant mutterings weren't annoying, they were bliss, it signalled the return of Premier League football (sort of) to my life, and I was looking forward to it, even though it was only a friendly.

Today's friendly match between Manchester United and Espanyol was a chance for United fans to pay homage to a player who had served them so well. Solskjaer's testimonial had been well earnt.

Almost 70,000 fans were in attendance, on a day when all the frivolities were directed towards United's number 20, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The match was glammed up with the help of entertainment from special guests such as Teddy Sheringham, and a rousing rendition of Barcelona in tribute to that glorious night at the Nou Camp nine years ago.

Solskjaer didn't start the game, but was prominent prior to kick off. Walking out a guard of honour from both sets of players, Solskjaer and his two young children carried out the Champions League trophy won with that last-gasp winner against Bayern Munich.

The match itself was a typical pre-season affair. Both teams eased their way into the game, as it started at a pedestrian pace. The first real opportunity presented itself close to the half hour mark.

Clever work by Nani led to the ball landing at Scholes' feet, just outside the area, with defenders closing him down quickly, Scholes lofted the ball goalwards, only for it to hit the post, the rebound fell to Nani who blasted wide when he really should have scored. United then went on to create several other chances but poor finishing let them down.

The second half began more promisingly than the first, with several tasty tackles creating more of a spectacle, indeed, I have never seen a referee flash his yellow card so much in a friendly match.

As the inevitable changes occurred, the crowd grew impatient for Solskjaer's introduction. He eventually entered the fray in the 69th minute. Prior to the change, the game was grinding to a stalemate conclusion, but Solkjaer's presence sparked a bit of life into the game.

Solskjaer looked eager to score to recreate his old super-sub status, and had two fantastic efforts saved in the space of a three minutes. The crowd responded and United pressed for a winner.

It arrived in the 81st minute. Frazier Campbell latching onto an exquisite through ball from Giggs, before dinking it over the advancing keeper.

At the final whistle, Solskjaer received one last standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful, and with that, he walked off to continue his career on the coaching staff at United.

The performance by United illustrated their need to purchase a top-class striker before the window closes if they are to build upon last season's successes.

An out-an-out goalscorer, someone who can run the channels, someone, in fact, rather like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Defining Moments Of The 2007/08 Premier League Title Race

Bevan Bolland — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:54:06 -0400

In football, defining moments are the difference between success and failure. Destiny can be traced back to the predominant moments that shaped it, and in these moments a season's story can be told.

As last season drew to a close, Premier League fans experienced the most closely-fought title showdown in many years. Heading into May three teams, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United, still had the opportunity to capture that most coveted of league trophies and embrace the glory synonymous with it.

Of course, we all know how it ended. Arsenal fell away as the finish line approached, and Manchester United pipped Chelsea to their 10th crowning glory and the Champions League trophy.

But only four points separated these top three teams in the Premier League.

Three teams who had taken points off of each other all season long. Three teams who had produced top-class performances in ways only they know how. Three teams who, again, showcased the very best that the Premier League has to offer.

As the inquests started in newsrooms, television studios, and at radio stations all around the world as to where Chelsea and Arsenal went wrong, and how Manchester United got it right, one defining moment for each sticks out from the rest.

Arsenal's title challenge self-destructed at a windswept St. Andrews in late February. The sensational form they had displayed before Christmas had disappeared somewhat in the early weeks of 2008; clinical finishing was once again starting to evade them.

Arsenal fans were getting that all too familiar feeling of all style and no substance, yet the club was trundling forward, earning points from games in which they played below par.

Maybe Arsenal were learning how to play 'ugly.' Maybe this feeling of all style and no substance was actually no style and all substance.

Fans started to believe.

But in reality, even the most ardent Arsenal fan will admit that a twist was always expected. And the footballing gods duly obliged.

The unfortunate injury to Eduardo overshadowed the events of the match, but in hindsight, that match was probably Arsenal's most significant of the season.

Champions are made of stern stuff. What was required that day after the events in the opening minutes was for players to stand up and be counted on what was always going to be a tough early afternoon.

But in the first half they didn't; they shrunk. The first half was awful. Arsenal were shocked and Birmingham seized the opportunity.

McFadden struck a brilliant free kick mid-way through the first half, which left Almunia with no chance. As the halftime whistle blew, Arsenal were lucky to be going into the dressing room only one goal down.

After the interval, a different Arsenal emerged, an Arsenal that could have been champions. They seemed to put Eduardo's injury to the back of their minds, and they took the game to Birmingham. Their play was reminiscent of their early season master classes.

Shots rained in on Maik Taylor from all angles, and then Theo Walcott bounded to the fore with two quick-fire goals. One an instinctive flick, the other a superb low shot after a confident, purposeful run. Arsenal had turned the game on its head.

As the game edged to a finish Arsenal attacked frequently on the break. As the clock ticked towards full time, both Adebayor and Bendtner beat a lacklustre Birmingham offside trap. Both clean through, all Adebayor had to do was square the ball for Bendtner to tap it in, 3-1. Job done.

But he never even looked at Bendtner. He just saw the goal. On for a record breaking ninth successive Premier League goal, Adebayor's eyes lit up. He was only ever going to shoot.

He did, and Taylor saved. With that, the chance of escaping from St. Andrew’s with all three points disappeared.

Birmingham gained confidence from the thunderous noise emanating from their fans. There is nothing fans of relegation-threatened teams like more than a scrap against the big boys. They pushed for the equaliser but never really created any significant chances. Arsenal's task was to just play out the three minutes of added-on time.

They failed. It was Arsenal's season-defining moment. A moment of sheer bizarreness from Clichy let in Parnaby and Clichy's seemingly innocuous challenge was deemed a foul by referee Mike Dean. Penalty.

It was the 91st minute and James McFadden had a chance to snatch a point that Birmingham, taking into account their first half display, probably deserved, but should never have had the opportunity to gain. He smashed it home. 30,000 bluenoses were delirious. Gallas fumed.

Arsenal never recovered. Several draws followed and Arsenal's inexperience had ultimately cost them dearly. Arsenal were helpless as both Manchester United and Chelsea clawed back the points deficit before overtaking them. The inevitability of it all was what hurt the most.

The defining moment of Chelsea's season could so easily have been Michael Ballack smashing in a winner from the penalty spot in the showdown of the top two at Stamford Bridge in late April. But it wasn't. That defeat didn't quite affect Manchester United in the way Chelsea had hoped.

Instead, the defining moment of Chelsea's season occurred in Moscow a few weeks later.

In the torrential rain at the Luzhniki Stadium, John Terry impatiently strode forward from the centre circle. All that separated him from his dream of putting his hands on the Champion's league trophy was one successful penalty; his successful penalty.

With a deep breath, he took four steps back, and then another for good measure. Hands on hips, he heard the whistle and approached the ball, but as he kicked, he slipped. The ball hit the post and veered wide. John Terry's dream disappeared into a nightmare reality.

Chelsea fans tried to comprehend the incomprehensible—the captain, the heart and soul of Chelsea Football Club, had missed. Nobody expected that.

The chance for ultimate club glory, that elusive Champions League trophy, was about to elude them once again. That single kick summed up Chelsea's season; so close, yet so far. Runners up in three competitions. Nobody remembers the losers.

Chelsea will intend to bounce back stronger than ever. Wounded animals are always the most dangerous, and the backlash could be frightening.

Where did Manchester United get it right? At the Riverside Stadium, in the midst of one of those now-regular March blizzards. If the 'changeable' weather (and I use that term in the extreme here) was to be expected that day, Manchester United's dire display wasn't.

In the weeks prior, United had been steamrolling their way through league games and parading, almost nonchalantly, towards the top of the league.

They almost came unstuck, though, against perennial upset kings, Middlesbrough.

Despite taking an early lead, United found themselves 2-1 down, and it could, and should, have been more.

However, they battled back. They altered the flow of a game which had, for a long period, been completely against them, and Rooney smashed in an equaliser.

They showed they had the desire, the hunger, and the determination to earn at least a point from a game in which they played poorly and should have lost. It was "the stuff of Champions," as Andy Gray would say.

And it was.

Manchester United didn't look back. A defeat here would have given Chelsea the advantage, but United kept their nerve and from then on never once let the destiny of where the title would end up be shaped by anyone but themselves.

"...And Solskjaer Has Won It!"

Bevan Bolland — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:18:48 -0400

It takes a special player to have a banner attributed to him at Old Trafford.

Hanging from the Stretford End, "20LEGEND", is the perfect appraisal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. A player immortalised for steering Teddy Sheringham's header into the top corner of Oliver Kahn's goal, in the most dramatic finish to a Champions League final ever, at the Camp Nou nine years ago.

This Saturday, Old Trafford will be filled to capacity for Solskjaer's testimonial match against Espanyol. It's the chance for United fans to show their appreciation for Solskjaer's role in the club's most successful period ever. A role which extends so much, and at the same time, so little, beyond THAT goal.

Solskjaer was a rare breed, an invaluable asset, as crucial to Manchester United's successes as any other of their most cherished.

He was the Premier League's iconic super-sub. Had he grown up in the streets of Salford, he would not be loved more by the Old Trafford faithful. He is their adopted son.

He epitomises professionalism and loyalty. His endeavour and commitment has never been questioned by those who so adore him.

Late goals were his forte. Besides THAT goal, winners in the FA Cup against Liverpool and Villa live long in the memory, as do many, many others.

In the face of competition from more prolific goalscorers, Solskjaer often found himself adorning the club tracksuit at kick off. However, when the chips were down, Sir Alex would invariably turn to his "baby-faced assassin" to save the day, and Ole usually obliged.

The extraordinary regularity of devastating impacts he made via the bench can be attributed to him spending his time on the bench analysing the opposition's defence, looking for gaps which he could exploit when he got his chance.

Having called time on his career at the beginning of last season due to the re-occurring knee injury that has plagued his career throughout recent years, Saturday will be one last chance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be centre stage at the Theatre of Dreams, and he most definitely lived the dream, not least in Barcelona, 1999.

"When Teddy scored, I thought 'Yes!', I'm going to play forty minutes of a Champions League final. That's going to be unbelievable."—Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Wanted: Roque Santa Cruz

Bevan Bolland — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:35:38 -0400

Paul Ince’s premier challenge as his Premier League managerial career begins is to keep hold of Blackburn’s star players, David Bentley and Roque Santa Cruz.

Bentley’s commitment and dedication to the Blackburn cause appears to have waned, he has already expressed a desire for a move away from Ewood Park in order to further his career and enhance his chances of cementing a regular starting berth for England. Blackburn have thus far rejected several insufficient offers, but it is only a matter of time before their valuation is met.

It is even more vital then that Ince persuades his star striker to stay. The loss of both of his star players could have catastrophic consequences as the new season looms.

Ince is currently making all the right noises regarding the future of Santa Cruz, stressing that he was “going nowhere” after Blackburn’s 2-1 friendly win at Macclesfield Town last week, and when asked about Sir Alex Ferguson’s, interest in Santa Cruz Ince said: “If [Ferguson] comes asking about Santa Cruz then I will just tell him he’s not having him.”

Blackburn’s commitment to keeping hold of the Paraguayan is sure to be tested though. With each passing day another interested party joins the queue for Santa Cruz. Besides Manchester United, other clubs showing genuine interest include Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City.

How long will Blackburn be able to keep fending them off? Money talks in the Premier League and Santa Cruz is hot property.

He possesses a majestic touch, formidable strength and the ability to score all-types of goals. The 19 league goals he scored in his debut Premier League season is impressive by anyone’s standards, but considering it was for a club outside of the "Big Four," it was a phenomenal feat and represented a fantastic return on Blackburn’s £3.5million investment.

Santa Cruz’s future appears to be heavily dependent upon that of Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov. Santa Cruz is a player of a similar mould to that of his Bulgarian counterpart, and with both Tottenham and Manchester United both showing interest in Santa Cruz, it appears as though the loser in the struggle for Berbatov will opt for Santa Cruz as a replacement.

Arsene Wenger is also likely to launch a testing offer if Adebayor leaves for warmer climates.

Santa Cruz’s prospective suitors would do worse than to take caution from the Paraguayan past scoring exploits though. His strike rate for Bayern Munich was much less prolific, notching just 38 goals in 188 games throughout an eight-season period.

Contending with strikers like Elber, Makaay and Pizarro limited Santa Cruz’s chances in Munich and he seldom experienced sustained runs in the first team. His move to Blackburn has re-ignited the huge potential he displayed at his first club Olimpia Asuncion, of Paraguay, throughout his teenage years.

Santa Cruz stated his dedication to Blackburn: “A lot of people said my transfer to a bigger club was about to happen, but I live in the present and I’m focused on Blackburn. I am motivated by other team’s interest, but if I am not transferred then I want to have the best possible season at Blackburn”.

His comments suggest that whilst he is content to stay at Blackburn, he would jump at the chance to display his regained form and confidence on a bigger stage once again.

Wigan Athletic Sign the "Egyptian Gladiator"

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:12:23 -0400

Wigan Athletic have confirmed today the signing of Egyptian striker Amr Zaki on a one-year loan deal from the current Egyptian Cup holders, Zamalek.

Zaki is currently ranked as the World’s number one striker by FIFA, netting 27 goals in 48 appearances for the Egyptian National side.

Speaking to the press earlier today, Wigan manager, Steve Bruce has expressed his “relief and delight” at completing the signing of the player dubbed the "Egyptian Gladiator."

Speaking about the player, Bruce said: “Although he hasn’t played in the Premier League, I am convinced, having seen him personally on several occasions, that this boy can do the business.”

“He is a passionate boy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is all-action, physically powerful, great in the air, with two great feet and a good turn of pace.”

“Anyone with a one-in-two strike rate or better over 50-odd international games knows where the back of the net is.”

Bruce’s signings this summer suggest that the Wigan manager feels that the main improvement his team needs to make this season is in the goal-scoring department, with Zaki adding to the recent acquisitions by Bruce of two of his former Birmingham City charges, Olivier Kapo and Daniel de Ridder.

Zaki leaves behind no shortage of controversy in Egypt though. He is currently suspended by Zamalek after a falling out with the club’s chairman.

His new manager is confident that this controversy won’t follow him to his new club, and is sure that Zaki will endear himself to his new fans.

If Zaki’s opening gambit was anything to go by, “I’ve come to England to score goals. That’s what I do,” I’m sure he will.

Ryan Giggs, MA

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:55:04 -0400

"People say footballers are thick. Well, we are thick. David Beckham gave the game away on that one when he started talking on the telly." - Neil "Razor" Ruddock.

I wouldn't even dare argue with Razor Ruddock, but after being awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from Salford University for his contributions to sport and charitable causes, perhaps Ryan Giggs will.

Besides being arguably the most successful professional footballer ever, Giggs is a UNICEF ambassador and campaigns for South African children suffering from HIV and AIDS.

That's top stuff from a top player I reckon.

I'll expect to see Giggs stumbling out of Salford's pubs and clubs with traffic cones on his head from now on then... maybe not... ah, the joys of student life.

Ronaldinho Set To Sign For AC Milan

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:25:45 -0400

F.C. Barcelona's Brazilian ace, Ronaldinho, is set to sign for AC Milan it has emerged.

A statement on the Milan's official Web site reads: "AC Milan and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over the transfer of Ronaldinho. The player will be in Milan on Wednesday to undergo a medical and sign a contract that will keep him at Milan until 30 June 2011."

The deal ends months of speculation about the forward's future. New F.C. Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola made it clear at the end of last season that he would listen to offers for the player.

The confirmation of the deal is a bitter blow for Manchester City fans, especially their owner Thaksin Shinawatra who was hoping that securing the services of the two-time former World Player of the Year would prove to be a catalyst for City's quest for domestic and European success.

Reports coming out of Italy suggest that AC Milan will pay £14.6 million for Ronaldinho's services, a significantly lower amount than the £25.5 million Shinawatra was prepared to shell-out for the Brazilian playmaker. It is likely though, that the deal will include future performance-related payments.

From a personal point of view it is disappointing to hear that I won't be able to witness Ronaldinho's outstanding class and genius-like ability week in, week out, in the Premier League this coming season. He would have been a welcomed addition.

Aston Villa's Act Of Generosity

Bevan Bolland — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:50:55 -0400

In the current climate of greed dominating football, from the players, to their agents, to the clubs and from the governing authorities themselves, it is a pleasant to surprise to see one the Premier League's most successful clubs, Aston Villa, giving something back to their local community.

Following a precedent set by F.C. Barcelona in the past couple of years, "The Villains" have decided to do away with the traditional format of shirt sponsorship whereby the highest bidder is allowed to have their logo put on the club kit, and have instead chosen to put the logo of local children's hospice "acorns" on their kit for the 2008/09 season for free.

Acorns children hospices are based within the West Midland's region and currently care for over 600 life-limited children (life-limited means the children are unexpected to reach adulthood).

The generous act is similar to FC Barcelona's decision to place the logo of global child's rights organisation "UNICEF" on their shirts. Incidentally, this was the first time the Catalan club's shirts had ever had a logo placed on them. Barcelona felt that a charity such as UNICEF was the only organisation worthy of gracing their hallowed blue and red kit.

Villa's similar act of generosity is designed to raise awareness of the work that the acorn children's hospice do, and will hopefully generate greater revenue streams for the hospices as a result.

The move was initiated by current Villa owner, American tycoon Randy Lerner. Lerner visited the acorns hospices in his first few months in charge of the football club and left with nothing but admiration for the work that they do.

It is nice to see such an act of genuine generosity from a big name football club in England. Villa have a long, proud heritage and this shows that they have not forgotten their roots.

I wonder if any other teams will follow suit, or will money continue to motivate the mighty in every respect.

Rafa Benitez Confirms His Interest in Signing Robbie Keane

Bevan Bolland — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:31:29 -0400

With Peter Crouch on the verge of his move away from Anfield to Portsmouth, Rafa Benitez is looking to reinforce his forward line. In recent weeks the Liverpool manager has been linked with moves for Tottenham's Robbie Keane and Valencia's David Villa.

At a press conference earlier today, Benitez stated, concerning Villa, "I said the other day that he is one of the names we had on our list, but I can say at this moment that it is not an option for us.

"We know Villa is a very good player, we know the price and we know the players we have, so when you consider everything we decided he was one of the names, but at this moment, not our target.”

However, when questioned about the the possible signing of Robbie Keane Benitez responded by saying, "Keane is one of the other names and okay we are still working with other names. We were in contact and we will see now."

A deal for Keane could be a possibility as reports in recent weeks have suggested Tottenham are willing to listen to offers for the Republic of Ireland International. The signing of either Keane or Villa would add major weight to Liverpool's attempt to claim their first Premier League title next season.

With the addition of Gareth Barry looking like an inevitability, Liverpool appears to be on the verge of creating a squad worthy of challenging for the title.

Carlos Vela: Another Promising Arsenal Talent

Bevan Bolland — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:55:04 -0400

Arsene Wenger has a keen eye for top, young talent. One player who could emerge this season and go on to make an impact as great as Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy in the coming seasons, is a Mexican by the name of Carlos Vela.

Arsenal's fans know little about the player dubbed the new "Hugo Sanchez," even though he was signed back in November of 2005 from Mexican outfit Guadalajara. His progress has had to be monitored from afar as he was immediately loaned out to the Spanish side Celta Vigo due to work permit complications.

Vela has stayed in Spain ever since being signed by Arsenal. After his spell with Celta Vigo he was then loaned out to Salamanca, a Spanish second division club, where he scored eight goals in 31 appearances during the 2006/07 season.

His performances in the Spain's second tier earned many plaudits and several La Liga teams became interested in loaning Vela for the 2007/08 season. Vela opted to join Osasuna where he appeared 33 times, notching a further three goals, including a stunning strike against Real Betis.

Wenger explained that loaning Vela to Spain was designed to make it "easier for him to adapt to Europe as there are several similarities between the Spanish and Mexican cultures."

It appears as though every effort is being made by Arsenal to ensure that Vela develops to his full potential. Potential that was first noticed back in 2005 when he finished as top scorer at the FIFA Under-17 World Championships, scoring five goals and helping Mexico win the competition.

His performances in the tournament had Europe's most prestigious clubs sniffing around. Arsenal won the race to sign the highly rated youngster, and along with Geovanni dos Santos who moved to Barcelona, the two most instrumental players of the Mexican teams success had earned their big moves to Europe.

My knowledge of Vela's performances extends little beyond the odd piece of outrageous skill shown on "Soccer AM's" showboat segment, and on Football Manager, where Vela often develops into a "world-class" player.

From my experience, top players in the football manager game series tend to be at least half-decent in real life. It appears Vela is going to be a lot more than half decent though.

Wenger has stated that he expects Vela to be challenging for a first team place this coming season, after he managed to obtain a work permit which now allows him to play in England.

Wenger also went on to describe Vela as "a good passer of the ball and an excellent finisher," and has also commented that "he has intelligent movement with very good technique and great pace," suggesting he is a player of similar ilk to Eduardo.

Vela has since gone on to make his debut for Mexico's senior side, scoring four goals in seven appearances.

It sounds to me as though Wenger may have just unearthed another gem of a player, and I, for one, look forward seeing his talent displayed in the red and white of Arsenal this season.

Wenger To Cash In On Adebayor?

Bevan Bolland — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:40:26 -0400

The Emmanuel Adebayor transfer saga has taken yet another twist with Milan vice-president telling Italian TV station, Antenna 3, "I have a letter from Arsenal that says 'we will consider a deal if it interests you'".

Galliani's comments have been made just a month after he told the press that Arsenal had insisted Adebayor was not for sale. If his comments are not a desperate ploy to unsettle the Togolese forward, it appears as though Arsene Wenger has decided to cash in on a player who is clearly unsure as to where he would like his future to lie.

A stumbling block in any deal negotiations could be Arsenal's asking price of £30 million. It is thought Milan is prepared to offer a figure closer to the £20 million mark. Ronaldo's long-term injury lay-off coupled with the sale of Gilardino, to Serie A rivals Fiorentina, has left the 'Rossoneri's' front-line looking a little lightweight as the new season looms.

For a club seeking to make up for its poor season last term it is not the ideal situation. This could lead to Milan raising their offer in desperation. Milan has already stated that acquiring top-class striker is their priority in the transfer market this summer.

They had previously stated that Adebayor was their "sole interest,” but reports suggest they are also interested in signing either of Chelsea's Didier Drogba or Andrei Shevchenko.

However, Luis Felipe Scolari stated that Drogba was "200% a part of his plans" at his media unveiling yesterday, so any deal to bring Drogba to the club looks unlikely. In addition, manager Carlo Ancelotti, considering that the Ukrainian appears to be past his best, may regard the possible resigning of Shevchenko as too much of a risk.

Wenger's transfer policy has always been to cash in on those players that are not completely committed to the cause, and Adebayor's actions over the last few weeks suggest the player wouldn't put up too much of a fight if he was to be sold to Milan.

How MLB Could Break the Dominance of the EPL's Big Four

Bevan Bolland — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:19:49 -0400

The transfer merry-go-round is beginning to pick up pace, and with the recent economic downturn, football clubs could do worse than to follow a precedent set by a MLB franchise.

The Oakland A's are the subject of the bestselling business novel Moneyball, written by Michael Lewis.

You may be a little confused right now. What could football possibly learn from baseball? The two sports are entirely different games.

Well, that is true. But the business of sport is universal. In the modern era of professional sports, success on the field is derived from financial success. It is a sad fact, but nonetheless true.

This derivation of success on the field of play from success off of it is the source of the emergence of the "Big Four" teams in the English Premier League.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United have become virtually permanent fixtures in the top four positions of the English Premier League in recent seasons. Liverpool was the only one to finish outside of these Champions League qualification positions in 2005 (that same season they won the Champions League so ultimately qualified as holders).

The lucrative nature of the UEFA Champions League has increased the financial deficits between the "Big Four" and the rest of the Premier League clubs.

And, despite modern perception, I have faith that the majority of professional footballers desire to play at the highest level, not just at the club offering them the highest wages.

There is no higher level in world football than the Champions League. The result of all of this has been an embarrassment of financial and playing riches for the "Big Four."

So how can competing Premier League clubs operate to try and break the dominance of the "Big Four" in the domestic game? Well, this is where the Oakland A's come into play.

The Oakland A's were a MLB franchise that was going nowhere fast prior to the appointment of their current general manager, Billy Beane.

This appointment turned out to be one of the most significant ever in MLB, and could yet turn out to be one of the most significant in all professional sports.

For those of you familiar with Moneyball, you will probably understand where I am going with this. For those of you who aren't, I will provide a brief summary.

Moneyball offers a unique perspective on how Billy Beane managed to transform a relatively small MLB franchise into one that has regularly competed with richer, more renowned franchises such as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox throughout the '90s.

Now, my knowledge of baseball extends no further than what is written between the covers of this novel, but it doesn't need to.

The reason for this transformation of the Oakland A's is due to Beane's revolutionary exploitation of labour-market imperfections. This exploitation arose as a result of a statistic-heavy approach to scouting players.

Using a sabermetric model (I don't know exactly what this is either!), Beane and his backroom staff handpicked those players that would fit into the Oakland A's style of play, and yet were undervalued in the labour market for baseball players due to imperfections that existed within it.

Using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as on-base percentage and slugging percentage, which Beane highlighted as better indicators of offensive success, and the ability for players to avoid an 'out' rather than get a 'hit', Beane acquired players that were cheaper than those with higher, conventional statistics.

The result was winning percentages within the top 10 of all MLB franchises, despite having annual payrolls within the bottom 10 of all MLB franchises. On two separate occasions, Oakland's winning percentage was the second highest of all the teams, despite having an annual payroll of less than half of that of the more affluent franchises such as the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Dodgers.

Perhaps English Premier League teams could utilise this statistic-heavy approach to exploit labour-market imperfections that exist within the current game.

It would be a way for clubs to sign suitable players for prices and wage costs that are far lower than the inflated prices that are banded about the professional game at this moment in time.

In fact, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the first clubs to look into the possibility of adapting the approach of the Oakland A's to the boundaries of professional football, working with Beane himself, who admits to "falling in love" with the game during a couple of months he spent in England in 2006.

Beane is exploring the possibility of adapting the model to football with professor Bill Gerrard of the University of Leeds. It is hoped that such a model will expose similar imperfections in the labour market for professional footballers to those identified in baseball.

All of which will be of benefit to professional football clubs, allowing them to sign suitable players for a lower cost, and could have the impact of breaking the dominance of the Premier League by the "Big Four."

There are many difficulties associated with the development of such a statistical model for football though, namely, the choice of the key performance indicators that will be used.

Unlike baseball, football is a free-flowing sport and there are many variables that can impact upon the KPI statistics. The statistical model was, by all accounts, much easier to develop in the case of baseball.

It is debatable as to whether such an approach will ever truly catch on in professional football. But the nature of the market for professional footballers suggests that imperfections probably do exist and could be worth looking into.

If Tottenham wins the Premier League in the next few years, they will have Billy Beane to thank.

I would like to hear your opinion on this issue. Do you think such an approach to acquiring players will ever exist in football?

Peter Crouch's Move Will Delight Fabio Capello

Bevan Bolland — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:44:14 -0400

News of Peter Crouch's impending transfer to Portsmouth will please at least one person outside of the confines of Fratton Park.

Fabio Capello will be looking on with interest at the prospect of Crouch linking up with his England colleague Jermain Defoe, hoping that the two players can create a club-level partnership that can be transferred to the international scene.

Both Defoe and Crouch have been bit-part players in the England set up over the last few years. They have never really done enough to cement themselves as permanent fixtures in the national side, with Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen being the preferred front-line choices when fit.

Defoe has only recently earned a recall to the international scene. This decision was a result of the scintillating form he has showed for Portsmouth since his move from Tottenham in January. His eight goals in 12 appearances have proved that the shortage of first team action suffered by him at White Hart Lane in recent seasons has done nothing to diminish his ability, or confidence.

Crouch has won more England caps than Defoe in recent years, and his 14 goals in 28 games look impressive on paper, but herein lay Crouch's major criticism.

Pundits and fans alike point to the low level of opposition (Macedonia, Jamaica, Andorra, and Trinidad and Tobago) that the majority of these goals have been scored against. The suggestion is that Crouch is unable to perform to the same level against the higher level opposition.

What people tend not to realise, though, is that Crouch was actually England's top scoring player throughout their unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with five goals. It is alright to suggest that Crouch only scores against opposition of lower quality, but someone has to score the goals to beat these teams. The statistics suggests that there is no Englishman better able to do this than Crouch at this moment in time.

Crouch and Defoe have rarely played together, but all the signs are there that the players will complement each other's styles to create a prolific partnership. Crouch's ability to hold the ball up and flick it on coupled with Defoe's ability to get in behind defences will make Premier League teams wary.

The chance for Crouch and Defoe to form a partnership at club level is an appetising thought for Pompey and England fans alike. If they can "click," then the prospect of England's first real strike partnership of any significant quality since the Shearer-Sheringham combination may be just around the corner.

Fingers crossed.