Bleacher Report - Articles by Shadlee Rahman

Video Technology In Soccer: The Time Is Now...

Shadlee Rahman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:12:49 -0500

FIFA keeps harping on about fair play in its meetings, and yet everything it does seems to play to the tune of them wanting to have the top teams at their tournaments without giving the so called lesser nations a prayer of a chance.

Let’s put this into perspective, shall we? Ireland was seeded third in their qualifying group. They finished second. In a sense, they’d already overachieved in more ways than one, and for them to be denied a place in the World Cup in a manner that was quite preposterous to say the least.

Did I mention FIFA ruled that the playoffs, too, would be a seeded a mere three weeks before the end of the qualifiers. The only reason they could possibly have done so was because they saw clearly that Portugal, France and couple of other ‘top’ teams would be in the playoffs.

Coming to THAT handball, which will be the topic of my short article today, I just want to say that as much I supported Ireland’s calls for a replay, even they knew in their hearts it wasn’t going to happen.

I remember a qualifier between Bahrain and Uzbekistan being replayed due to a penalty wrongly given I think, but in that case it was more a wrong interpretation of the rules whereas here, the ref has clearly seen the incident and allowed the goal.

For years now, different quarters have been crying for video technology and the France-Ireland game should put an end to all doubts as to whether it would come to any use or not. Sure, the human element should be there and the ref should still be the centre of the decision making domain but this wasn’t a backyard pub game, this was for a place in the World Cup, and a slight use of the video technology would have cleared everything up.

Of course, Ireland could still have gone on to lose the game, and that is not my point. What I am trying to say is that the way they were eliminated was not befitting of the effort they put in, and blaming Henry is no use. He has been a great ambassador to the ole that will be the game and this will be just a blot on his resume, which, in spite of saying almost drove him into retirement, is something he will learn to live with.

But the fact that the linesmen failed to see the incident despite being almost at a directly 90 degree angle to the incident just shows the role video tech can play. Many have said it will disrupt play and proceedings. Trust me 20 seconds is all it will take, and if it can improve decision making and goal-line decisions, in the end, it will be football as a whole and also afford FIFA the luxury of stepping away from uncomfortable questions on player ethics and the implementation of rules, not to mention fair play.

It is used in American football with great success, and I don’t understand why soccer cannot take a leaf from their book. It is a shame when teams are denied on the basis of wrong decisions, especially on goal line decisions. Scoring goals at high level is not an easy task, and the same applies for preventing goals i.e. defending, and to see poor decisions, human error as it is, is very disappointing for passionate viewers like me.

The rime to implement video replays in football, quite evidently so, is now…

Sachin Tendulkar: An Icon, a Legend, a Life...

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:47:45 -0500

You get batsmen who are exceptional when they’re 16. You get batsmen with amazing wrists. You get batsmen who choose their shots well. You get cricketers who are fit and dedicated to their sport. You get cricketers who can cope with the downs and who come back stronger. You get cricketers who can last for 20 years.

You never get all of this. Except if you are Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

The most amazing thing about Sachin is not his batting records. We have harped long enough about that, but it is his sheer longevity that is exceptional. The genius has lasted 20 whole years in an era when India wasn’t exactly struggling for classy batsmen.

We forget that the man scored his first ODI century in his 78^th match. We can’t be blamed, for he has racked up another 44 since then, and has 87 overall in Tests and ODIs combined.

Yes, the batting is more methodical than cavalier now, the body stiffer and weaker, the reflexes maybe not as sharp, the speed maybe a little less, but that desire, oh no, it still burns as glowingly as an Olympic torch in full flame. It is an almost childlike enthusiasm that he brings to the game.

Sachin Tendulkar was a prodigy. Ever since he lit up the Harris Shield with mammoth scores about 23 years ago, he was earmarked for great things. The fact that he has lived up to those huge expectations, and for so long, is testament to his sheer genius. Even more than that, he has played the game the right way, keeping his head above the frills and controversy that have courted so many of his contemporaries. He has played the game in the right spirit and maintained his dignity throughout. He might not have gone to college, but his views are articulate and held in as high a regard as any.

With 87 centuries in all forms of cricket to his name, it is hard to pick a single Tendulkar moment, and I shall not even try to do it, for this is more a tribute to the man than a statistical analysis. It is fair to say in any case that he is the single most analyzed cricketer in the history of the game.

That the man has never let his success get to his head is quite a remarkable achievement. We only need to look at what happened to his great mate Vinod Kambli, who incidentally had a much better start to his test career than Sachin, only to fall as fast as he had risen. The fame was too much for him, and perhaps that led to his freefall into obscurity.

No such problems for Sachin. That the whole of India still expect so much from him, a whole twenty years since he graced the world stage as a curly-haired 16-year-old schoolboy facing up to the likes of a blood-searching Waqar and Co., says a lot about the man’s ability. Indeed, he is nothing short of God to many.

His 175 the other day was magic. It seemed as if he had a point to prove, and it was India of the 90s revisited—Sachin carrying the team on his own, and the team falling like a set of 9-pins once he got out. He literally turned back the clock 10 years and more during that knock—and to think that a couple of years ago, people were questioning whether he still had it in him.

How were they even qualified to ask such questions? Well, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, those whose opinions matter least are the ones with the most damning opinions, but as I sit here in my university dorm room here in Vancouver, my 19-year-old heart tells me there are still a couple of good years left in the little genius.

But then, who am I to judge how long he has left in him? He has transcended culture, religion, national borders, and all sorts of barriers in his singular pursuit of perfection, and pardon me if I am wrong, if there was ever anything close to perfection in batsmanship, he is IT—the defining icon in the game for the last 20 years, in which he has thrilled crowds and driven people to the edge of reason, and beyond.

Sachin is getting older, and we might not see much more of him, but we should savor his genius while we can, for Sachin is not just a cricketer—he is an icon, a legend, a life…

The Pressures of Sport

Shadlee Rahman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:02:32 -0500

We viewers often view the millions earned by top level sportsmen and women with disdain and perhaps a touch of jealousy, aware, perhaps, how their earnings dwarf that of ours.

Every time a high level sportsperson gets in the news for the wrong reasons, we say, "There they go, their millions are spoiling them. They have no sense of responsibility. they do whatever want and expect to get away with it."

When these people say such things, do they think of the pressures that a high level sportsperson goes through, the expectations that they have to live up to, the constant media attention, the hype and the fervor, the weight of pressure, the knowledge that they have to be at their best day in, day out?

Contrary to what most people think, 99 percent of sportspeople at the top of their game are not spoilers. They live life the way it should be lived, and they put their families and personal life ahead of any possible riches they could earn.

It is just that the media is brilliant at bringing out the negative one percent and exaggerating the story tenfold. Forgive me for being negative about the media, but I am only being honest in my opinion.

This might seem controversial to many, but the recent spate of deaths in the lives of top level sportspeople in my view has as much to do with not being able to deal with the constant stare of the world as it is with the reported reasons for their deaths; heart attack, suicide, etc.

Take Robert Enke. He had everything going for him. He had a new contract at Hanover, he was Germany’s No. 1, and was almost certainly going into the World Cup as Germany’s top keeper.

He was earning a lot, and was living a glitzy life, and yet, he took his own life yesterday. Now, I know he had the tragedy of his daughter dying of heart ailment a couple of years back, and that he was not in a stable condition during his last few days, but would you make me believe that his instability was the only reason he decided to bid adieu from us.

In no way can you make me believe that. I am sorry, but that theory holds no water for me at all. It might be one of the reasons, but coupled with that is the much bigger reason, that some sportspersons simply cannot deal with the media glare and the attention that comes with it. They melt under the glare, they fall under the eyes of the world.

It may not seem so obvious, but footballers having heart attacks, poker players committing suicide and the like are all related to stress and depression, which in turn might lead to heart attack and other physical problems.

The point I am trying to make, in the light of Robert Enke’s alleged suicide, is to highlight the immense pressure that many sportsmen live in.

Below their demeanor of confidence and brashness lies a softness which often cannot deal with 200 cameras flashing at you 24 hours a day. It is enough to drive any sane person insane, let alone people who have to be at the top of their game day in day out just to please us critics, who are ever so willing to put a finger on their every mistake.

The pressure ultimately forces many to be under stress all the time, leading to self-doubt, and in extreme cases, heart attacks and the like.

I am only using examples from soccer here, but it applies to all sports. So many top sportsmen, for example, have taken their own lives while at the top of their game.

Why?

Was it because they were not happy with the 20 million quid a year they were making? They certainly weren’t having problems in paying the rent, so to speak. They simply couldn’t handle the pressure. They simply couldn’t…

Champions League Review: Three Teams, Same Result, Different Emotions

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:43:40 -0500

So after the midweek Champions League Matchday Four round of matches, we have a much clearer picture of who has a chance of going through and whose Champions League dreams have been put a lid on, at least for this season.

Inter Milan’s victory over Dynamo Kyiv, coupled with Barcelona’s draw against Rubin Kazan, has added even more spice to what is fast becoming the group of death. The group table has a familiar look, with Inter and Barca on top, but there is just two points separating the four sides.

Rubin, especially, must be fancying their chances, having taken four points out of a possible six against the European champions. They now have their fate in their own hands. Four points in the next two games, and they are through.

Hard to believe that they were plying their trade in the Russian second division just 6 years back, before winning promotion in 2003. Their manager has been with them since 2001, guiding them to promotion, then champions of Russia, and now, into a team on the brink of getting through a group of heavyweights in the Champions League proper. Goes to show what a little bit of faith in the manager can do.

But my main point in this article will be the performance of three English clubs this midweek. While all three came away with draws (the other one was banging in four against AZ Alkmaar, but I will not focus on Arsenal in this article. Pardon me) they must have been having contrasting emotions at the end of the night.

While Chelsea and United could look to the knockout stages, Liverpool must be sweating and thinking where it is going wrong for them this season. A few reasons, if I am allowed to state them are—Rafa Benitez, Lucas, Voronin, and the unavoidable spate of injuries which have hit Torres, Gerrard and co. In fact, it is a testament to Torres’ special talent that he was such a handful despite being not fully match-fit.

As expected, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all through to the next round (or at least as good as through) while Liverpool’s Champions League dreams are hanging on a thread after yet another disappointing display where Lyon robbed them of three points right at the end.

Now, they HAVE to win their next two matches, and, given how hot and cold they have blown this season, there is no guarantee of that. But that is what separates truly great teams from the good ones, their ability to overcome the odds in the most adverse of situations, and we shall now get to see the Liverpool’s mettle for real.

It is a pity Liverpool have floundered in the Champions League this season, because over the years Rafa’s selection policy has made it ever so clear that Europe is where he puts all his eggs.

So failure to cross the first hurdle will constitute a disaster of gigantic proportions, and, given their financial plight (apparently they will have to offload some players to finance Pepe Reina’s new contract), it is something they can ill-afford, what with all the sponsorship and TV rights money they stand to lose out on. Their 1-1 draw leaves them desperately close to elimination, especially after Fiorentina defeated Debrecen.

Moving on, Manchester United, who played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with CSKA Moscow, has less to worry about, but they were minutes away from losing their proud unbeaten home record. I think what happens when you carry that kind of record is that it plays on the opposition’s minds as well.

CSKA were 3-1 up to 84 minutes before they conceded two in the last few minutes, and they would surely have lost if it hadn’t been for the superbly breathtaking masterclass served up by their impressive young keeper, Igor Akinfeev. I would be surprised if one of the big European clubs don’t snap him up soon, if not in January, then surely during the summer.

United, on the other hand, have defensive worries of their own. Ferdinand has been out of form for a concerning period of time, and Evans and Brown did not do a good job at Old Trafford. You only have to see the space that their forwards, Dzagaev and Krasic, got deep into United’s half.

Chelsea drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid, who, quite frankly, are but a shadow of the club they have been in the past couple of seasons. The match also showed how important Kun Aguero is to the side. Why on earth he did not start seems preposterous to me and beggars belief. It also showcased how important Didier Drogba is to Chelsea.

Yes, the man has problems when it comes to his behavior, discipline, and keeping his balance (literally), but when you have the quality he has, you will cause problems for any defence.

That being said, Atletico were defensively awful. The second goal they conceded was a masterclass on poor defending. I fear for them this season. They have not clicked, and their midfield is ageing. Simao, Assuncao and co is not getting any younger.

So three of the English sides drew their matches. A draw, in effect, is not a bad result. They were not playing lightweights in any case. Chelsea was playing a team that, while having been quite pathetic this season, has more than its fair share of world class players.

Liverpool were playing a team that has made the French league its right (maybe except for last season), and Manchester United were playing with a severely understrength team against CSKA Moskva.

But while United and Chelsea could afford to draw given that both won all three of their previous matches, Liverpool’s draw was a bad result for them. Very bad, considering Fiorentina’s victory over Debrecen.

With Liverpool’s form, to make victory over Debrecen a foregone conclusion would be difficult, given how they capitulated against Fulham just a mere week after their victory over Manchester United in the League.

These are difficult times for Liverpool, and while I am sure Ancelotti and Sir Alex would have preferred to win their respective matches, the person who should really be worrying is Rafa Benitez, and as much as he says he is not worried about his job and the like, what he must be feeling right now inside his head is quite different from the impression he is giving us during those media interviews. Time, quite frankly, is running out for him.

Liverpool: Dropping, and Dropping Fast

Shadlee Rahman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:28:43 -0500

Liverpool, and indeed their supporters, haven’t stayed in cloud nine for long, have they? After the hysteria of last week’s derby victory against Manchester United, this week’s defeat brought them back to the harsh reality of how inconsistent they’ve been this season.

In spite of being such an ardent Manchester United fan, I could not help but feel sorry for Rafa Benitez as I saw the seat beads dropping from his face and his eyebrows as he was giving his post match interview. The tension is back on the faces of the supporters, and this defeat, in many ways, signifies my belief that Liverpool are essentially a two man club. Without a fully fit Gerrard and Torres, they are just another club, intimidating none, and as we have seen, losing to many.

One interesting point to make here, is that Rafa Benitez is no longer just the coach. His role now is more like the Director of Football. This means more work in the confined space of his office desk, and consequently less time with the players in the training ground. I wonder if Benitez is struggling to juggle the two parts of his job, considering that he is relatively new into this multi-tasking job.

Whatever it is, it is imperative that the Reds improve on the pitch soon, because the Kop supporters, among the most loyal in the world, are starting to lose patience. You could see it in the booing at Benitez’s substitutions. Andriy Voronin has become a laughing stock anyways. At clubs like Liverpool, a sustained period of bad form is just not acceptable, and yet, that is just what the supporters have had to endure, watching their team lose game after game.

Even after last week’s victory, I had this apprehension that they would muck it up this week against Fulham. Oh, how right I was!!! Alan Hansen hit the nail on the head when he said last week that their victory over United would come to nothing if they could not carry the momentum forward for the weeks to come. On that count, they have failed at the first hurdle.

Even their finances are in disarray. Am I right in hearing that they need to sell a player to fund the contract extension of Pepe Reina? How sad, for Reina, while being reliable, has not exactly set the league on fire with his sot-stopping abilities. Sure, he has been good, but there are at least half a dozen keepers better in the league alone, let alone Europe Van der Sar, Cech, Friedel, Given, Green, etc. are all better shot-stoppers than him.

The Liverpool hierarchy has some serious soul-searching to do, because the empire is falling, and how!!! And if results don’t improve fast enough, we could be seeing the back of Rafael Benitez sooner than many had bargained for…

Nani's Time Is Running Out at Manchester United

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:16:52 -0400

Okay, so how long has Nani been at Manchester United? He is now in his third full season and for me, he just does not cut the cake at a club as big as the one he is playing for.

To brand him an obvious misfit—like Kleberson or Diego Forlan—would be harsh, because he has not been that bad. But then again, "not that bad" just doesn't do when you play for Manchester United. Those questions and doubts should not even be raised.

I, for one, was surprised not to see the back of him this summer. With Ryan Giggs’ advancing years and Nani’s own indifferent form, I could be forgiven for thinking I was right in believing that Sir Alex would look to the market for a new winger. But he has decided to keep with his hot-and-cold winger, and unfortunately his faith has not been rewarded.

When United signed him in 2005, he was hailed as the next big thing. For an ever-so-short period of time, many believed he was the real deal. Of course, he had to live under the shadow of his compatriot on the other wing, a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

But while C’Ron has gone on to become the world’s best player—bar none—and moved to the Spanish capital for pastures new, Nani has disappointed with his recent performances and had to face constant calls of criticism from the supporters, often fairly vitriolic.

There is no doubting the man’s talent. You only have to look at his pace and skill to see his ability, but when your final pass is as inept and ineffective at most times as his is, the forwards can only beat the ground with frustration. Berbatov and Rooney have done that many a time this season.

With Ryan Giggs usually being played only one game a week, Nani will undoubtedly get chances to prove his detractors wrong, those who think he cost too much and is not worth his weight in gold. However, he will have to be much, much more consistent if he is to harbor hopes of wearing an United shirt next season.

We have seen brilliant, established players like Juan Sebastian Veron (who, after a great start, petered out into mediocrity at United), being shown the door for continued poor form and failure to fit into the system.

Nani has talent, bags of it, but he must start producing goods, and he must do it soon. If his current poor patch continues, his future as an United player is gravely at risk. He must raise his game, because, as should be all too obvious to him, time is running out.

Cricket: Commercialization and Where the Problem Truly Lies

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:18:53 -0400

Cricket…a gentlemen’s game, you say. Would you still stick to that belief, seeing how drastically the pay of players has risen in the last three years or so?

Many purists have described this aforementioned commercialization of the game as ‘the death of cricket’, But should we, arm-chair and sofa viewers that we are, be taken aback by surprise at this rapidly changing face of the game where players are running away from 50,000 pounds a year county and international contracts to 500,000 dollar 6-week, 3 hours-a-game-and-back home IPL contracts?

Face it, something like this was waiting to happen. Yes, it has thrown the future of ODIs, and to a lesser extent, Tests, in doubt.

Football, basketball and baseball have long capitalized on its commercial value, with team owners, national boards and players the main beneficiaries, and now the same is happening to cricket.

I am in no way saying that the gradual movement towards 20-20s, or 40-over ODI’s, is a good thing. In many ways, it is quite the contrary.

The point I am trying to make is that this was a move waiting to happen, that of the commercialization of the giving rise to massive player contracts and leading to club v country debates, much like we have in football, where clubs are unwilling to let their players go since, as they have argued for years and years, they are the ones ‘paying the astronomical wages.’

As the prime form of cricket, I do not see a threat to Tests, except for the odd tweak here and the odd change there. But what is my main point here is commercialization, of which I have an interesting take, if you will allow me to key it out.

Most commentators( basically everyone who has an opinion) has stated strongly that the move to T20 cricket has signaled the end of cricket’s ‘age of innocence;' and given rise to the rampant advertising joke that we see today and while I can see the merits of their respected arguments.

I would beg to take the other thin piece of string and say that it s the other way round, that it is the commercialization of the game which has led to the move to quantity over quality, and money over everything else.

You see, commercialization has been the driving force in the game for a long time now. The game wouldn’t survive on stadium gate receipts alone.

The game needs the advertisers, the ones who pay thousands and more for that 10-second slot to showcase their product in-between overs, and because attendances around the world have been falling drastically (as consumers FINALLY realize that arm-chair watching is perhaps the best way to see a cricket match), the importance of the advertisers has grown that much bigger, and it was only a matter of time before they started dictating terms.

It has been said that it is the spectators who want to see more cricket, more 20-20s, more excitement, less of those boring ‘middle overs’. Trust me, there are many people who would rather have cricket stay as it was.

MOST people, in fact. But advertisers wanted bigger returns on their investments, so what they might have done is pressurize governing bodies to switch to forms to cricket that would stop viewers changing channels and keep them glued in for the whole match.

My point is, in a 50 over match or Test cricket, many viewers would say- ‘okay, I’ll come back to this channel in 45 minutes time while this passage of play peters out’.

Viewers change channels, ratings go down, advertisers lose revenue, and sponsoring companies lose interest.

Compare that to a T20 game where viewers don’t really have a chance to say that (well they do, only that they would miss out on a lot even if they miss 5 minutes of action).

So yes, the whole point of keying all this down is to explain to my revered readers that contrary to perhaps what you might think, I believe that it is commercialization of cricket from broadcasters, advertisers and a million other connected subjects, which has dropped the game into the quandary it finds itself in today.

Every next move of the ODI and Test cricket seems to be met with skepticism and ‘But T20 is so much more exciting’ looks.

So, there it is…my take on what I think is destroying the roots of cricket.

In a way, you cannot blame it, because sooner rather than later, cricketers would have pointed to their footballing brethren to show how they were earning millions while they were not, but then again, advertising and commercialization in football is done much more respectably.

We do not ever hear commentators yelling out terms like ‘that was a spectacular DLF volley’ or ‘That was a Samsung Super Save’ or ‘What a brilliant KitKat freekick?!!!’ in football, do we? (Yes, that is a stab at you, Mr. Modi!)

Count Out Manchester United at Your Own Risk

Shadlee Rahman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:14:39 -0400

Manchester United lost 2-0 to Liverpool yesterday evening. Please forgive me for stating the utterly obvious. It was a very insipid performance and will not do much to silence critics who, despite the fact that they are second in the league and going great guns in the Champions League, continue to claim that United lack the steel required for an unprecedented fourth successive domestic title.

This has also been a great opportunity for them to remind the United kin that Valencia is no replacement for Ronaldo, and that Giggs and Scholes are getting older, and that Berbatov is not worth his weight in gold.

Yes, their performance was thoroughly disappointing. They lacked a cutting edge in their play but, while taking nothing away from Liverpool’s victory, and as much as I hate to whine about referees’ decisions, I have got to say that even from a neutral point of view; Andre Mariner did not have his best game yesterday.

It seemed to me like he was nervous in making certain calls and was swayed by the crowds in making certain decisions. If the Vidic’s fouls were worth a sending off, how do you justify Jamie Carraghar not being sent off for his foul on Michael Owen when he was going clean through? And I can state a couple of other examples too where United did not have the rub of the green.

However, that is not the salient point of my article. I have been reading various news sites where journalists have, yet again, started questioning United’s mettle.

To be quite honest, I find it quite baffling how you can question the mettle and desire of a team who has dominated (even that could be an understatement of sorts) the English game over the last two decades after just one defeat. Even Sir Alex is not reading into it as much as the journalists and media are.

I feel that because United have been so successful over such a long period of time, many observers almost take pleasure, if I am given the luxury of calling it that, in seeing United lose. Headlines like ‘United on the ropes after defeat drops them from the top’ and ‘The Red Devils’ Cracks Beginning To Show’ are outright laughable. You just cannot read too much into a defeat when we are a mere one-third of the way through the season.

Did not Liverpool beat them 4-1 at Old Trafford last season, at a later stage in the season. Who won the title last season? The same team that got hammered that day.

Champions differentiate themselves from the rest not by going through every season unbeaten and unconquered, but by how they react to setbacks, both in terms of injuries and losses.

It is this bounce-back ability which sets United apart from their title rivals. Hardly ever will you see them lose more than one game at a time. In fact, past United squads have used such defeats as the perfect fillip to go on long unbeaten streaks and knock the wind out of their rivals, so to speak, so do not be surprised if the Red Devils hammer Blackburn this Saturday.

You can be sure that even though Sir Alex appeared bullish after the defeat, he will have given his players a god tongue-lashing behind closed doors. It would indeed be naïve, if not downright foolish, to think that Manchester United cannot win the title this season, as many people are opining in cyberspace.

Liverpool, on the other hand, I’d beg to state, are the ones under pressure because after this victory, supporters would expect them to turn a corner, and so any defeats in the next few games will make this victory nothing more than a false dawn.

Rafa Benitez has saved his job for now. For all the votes of confidence that George Gillett and Tom Hicks can give him, I think defeat here would have made certain sections call for his head.

I will go as far as to say that this victory does not open up a three-horse race for the title. I am more than sure that come the end of the end of the season, it will still be Chelsea and United fighting it out for ultimate glory. Liverpool and Arsenal are just not consistent enough in my books, or in most observers’ books, for that matter.

If people are thinking this defeat will derail United no ends, let me assure you that it will only make them stronger as a unit and as a team. If any are thinking of discounting United from the title race on the back of this one defeat to a team that has a habit of blowing hot and cold consistently, they are doing so at their peril.

The standings at the end of the season will be proof...

Trinidad and Tobago: Putting A Whole Region To Shame

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:12:34 -0400

They say cricket is a gentlemen's game. Not so anymore, I beg to differ. With all the ridiculous amounts of money that is being bandied about these days, especially after the emergence of T20 and a certain Lalit Modi or His Modiness, as many call him, cricket is beginning to put an end to its innocence, and how!

Let us put this into perspective. The basis of the game for the last 125 years has been a battle between nations, where nations were represented and a whole country rooted for them. Now, it seems some of the best players in the world might jump ship and actually choose club over country, and some might not play for country at all (think the two Andrews, Messrs Symonds and Flintoff).

Some players have been seen to be considerably disinterested when playing for their national teams. The attitude of the West Indian players during their recent test series in England was a disgrace to the game. But then again, isn't it to be expected when their captain (who is, ironically, one of the best players in the world and certainly one of the most exciting) doesn't really care (well, he NEVER seems to care).

You read the papers, and you see the stories of contractual disputes, problems with the board, unhappy players, second string squads getting hammered by Bangladesh (I'm happy, I'm Bangladeshi, but this is a neutral article and hence I have to have sympathy for the West Indians, which, in the heart of my hearts, I sincerely do), and it is easy to forget that this is the land, sorry, region (for the distinguishment between the different countries has recently come up quite strongly) is the one that gave birth to Marshall, Lloyd, Kanhai, Richards, Garner, Holding, Walsh, Ambrose, Lara et all.

The team has been in a free-fall for way too long now, too long for us to be blamed in yearly 90s. The present team has talent, but it is difficult to perform when you are supposedly, as Dwayne Bravo alleged recently, 'treated like club cricketers', with poor management and unmet payments.

All this has led us to have a very grim assessment of the team and where it is going, with an obvious lack of unity and cohesion both on and off the field.

And so it is wonderful to see a tiny, individual island from the Caribbean bring back flashes of an era bygone by playing a brand of cricket which is thrilling and brings back memories of why our previous generation knew nothing but the West Indies when it came to cricket. The Champions League T20 has been an absolute blast, with teams playing different brands of cricket and pitting their wits against each other (Of course, it helps when the pot of gold is worth a small 2.5 million USD).

But the team that has caught everyone’s imagination has been Trinidad and Tobago. Led by the intelligent and highly articulate (read his interviews) Daren Ganga, they have been a breath of fresh air. What has been most impressive has been the unity and cohesion in the team, so lacking in the West Indian team. Every match, someone has put their hands up and been counted. Barath, Pollard, Bravo, the brothers Ganga, everyone has put in big match performances. Who would say that there is no talent in the Caribbean? They play with joy, they play with passion, they play with fervour and they play with a will to win. T and T have epitomized the real flavour of cricket in their region, playing with flair and not an ounce of fear, paying the opposition respect but no more than they deserve.

They have expressed fully, free from the problems that the combined team faces so frequently. It is a testament to their fighting abilities, and their never say die attitude, that they have found a way to win every time we thought they were going to lose. They have gone into every game as the underdog, and yes, they’ve won every one of them. Instead of caving in like the West Indies, they have brought themselves out and found a way to come out on top. They have also enjoyed themselves, unlike the combined team who give the impression sometimes that they don’t want to be out on the field and would rather play the IPL and run with the pot of gold for six weeks of light work.

They have caused such a positive stir that now, the focus of discussion has shifted to whether the islands should be allowed to play on their own. I, for one, would agree to that. For one, it would give the players a greater sense of patriotism and identity. It would also take away much of the legal and logistical troubles, not to mention allegations of favouritism towards players of certain islands (especially Jamaica and Barbados). Yes, some of the smaller islands, who have insufficient players of quality, can make combined teams, but I am certain that T and T, Jamaica, Barbados and maybe Guyana can be more competitive than this current West Indian team, the main team that is, not the joke that was being led by another joke, Floyd Reifer.

This T and T team has proved that playing with joy and passion and a will to win can make up for a lack of big names, and playing for the love of the game more than makes for a great spectacle and will earn you the respect of all, including your opposition.

I will be supporting the T and T team in the final. They deserve no less than to win. But, win or lose, they have certainly captivated us and caught our imagination with their enthusiasm and flair, their will to win and their charisma, and they have put their combined team brothers to shame and forced the administrators to look at the mirror and finally understand (hopefully) that when a team plays without negative external influences, they can perform to their best.

Liverpool's Woes, Barca's Blues-Champions League Review

Shadlee Rahman — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:35:18 -0400

SO, following on from my article yesterday, where I said Lyon would give Liverpool a run a for their money, it is safe to state now that not only was I proved right, but Lyon also came away with all three points, which leaves the group ever so wide open and leaves the Reds with work to do to pass out of the group stages.

I honestly think Rafa has lost the plot. It is good to be staunch with your principles, but any rational person would change it if it was not working. Why on earth is Rafa sticking to the much criticized zonal system? And would someone explain Lucas’ role in the team? Playing cheerleader, eh?

I am not a Liverpool fan and can choose not to care, but the football fan in me tells me it is time for Rafa to make changes or leave the sinking ship, because they cannot afford to have so many defeats so early in the season.

You can blame the fact that Gerrard did not play at all, but it is not saying much when, despite all the money they have spent in bringing in misfits like Lucas and Dossena, all we can talk of is them. Two players do not make a club.

Yesterday also underlined the true beauty that is European football. Hands up for those who heard about Rubin Kazan before they made it to the Champions League this season…yes, did not think I’d have many hands up.

And yet, there they were, the small town club from Russia facing the might of the European champions in their own backyard, and coming out with all three points when most observers were not even giving them a whiff at being competitive, let alone being victorious against Messi and co.

The fact that Dynamo Kiev led twice at the San Siro and AZ Alkmaar getting a draw against Arsenal goes to show that underdogs will not die wondering. Sure, if Rubin Kazan were to play Barcelona 20 times, they would probably lose 19 times, but yesterday was the OTHER time. You see, these so-called small teams (not Lyon, but Rubin and Dynamo, to some extent) know that this is their opportunity to show what they can do, and they are more motivated than ever to make a fist of it against the European big boys.

Special mention should also go to Debrecen for their outstanding attacking play against Fiorentina yesterday night, and to Rangers for their quite dreadfully abysmal display, at home, against Urinea.

I read on Soccernet the other day about the Rangers hierarchy harping about not having enough competition in the SPL and about possibly moving to the EPL. Are you kidding me? They just do not have the quality to even compete against Urinea and they are talking about tackling the likes of Man City, Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham (Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned the Big Four at all?).

My point is, how can you talk of moving house when you don’t have your PRESENT house in order? Walter Smith was only being honest when opining that Rangers do not have a squad capable of competing in Europe, but even THAT does not speak for the absolute hiding they got yesterday, and with due respect to Urinea and Dan Petrescu, we are not talking about one of the big guns here. Begs a question or two about the standard of the SPL. Gone are the days of the Laudraps and the Hartsons gracing the SPL.

All in all, yesterday was a magical European night, full of surprises and shocks. Congratulations to the victors and commiserations to the victors.

Yesterday’s performances from the likes of Rubin Kazan and Debrecen will do much to vindicate Michel Platini’s belief that the Champions League needs to go outside the big leagues and take in teams from smaller nations as well. Yesterday proves just how romantic it can be.

Too bad I did not bet 10 on Rubin yesterday. Would have walked away with 300 on bets of 30/1…

I just cannot wait for tonight’s matches. Let the battle continue, I say…

Do Top Soccer Players Deserve the Pay They Get?

Shadlee Rahman — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:50:45 -0400

The European season kicks off in approximately three weeks and I, for one, can't wait for the football season to start.

As always, the focus is going to be primarily on the English and Spanish leagues, which is not a surprise given that these are the leagues in which most of the best players in the world ply their trade.

What I am going to write about today is player wages in football.

Okay, we know that the best players get astronomical sums of money for showcasing their talents on the football field. We know that C Ron and some others get in excess of 150,000 pounds ($300,000) per week, just in wages (not taking personal endorsements into consideration).

Come to think of it, the annual per capita income in Switzerland, widely considered to have the highest standard of living in the world, is around $40,000. And these guys are getting $300,000 every week.

There is currently a huge debate going on as to whether there should be salary caps for top footballers.

Before I state my unbiased opinion, let me just clarify one thing. Many people assume that all footballers get astronomical sums of money. The truth is, it is simply the ones at the very top that get these kinds of wages.

The reason? Let me use a little bit of economics here. Good players are in very short supply, but the demand for good players is huge, almost infinite (clubs are always looking to buy good players). Because of this shortage of supply with respect to demand, clubs are prepared, and very often forced, to pay such wages to get the best talent.

However, go to the lower leagues and you will get a very different picture. You will see players playing in the second or third divisions, and very often having a second job because their football earnings are just not enough to feed the mouths in their family.

The problem is with us viewers and, to some extent, television.

As fans, most of us get to see only the top tier of different leagues around the world. I live in Bangladesh and have been watching football for 11 years now (I am 17). Never in my life have I watched a second division match of any league.

I have watched the English Premier League, Spanish Premiera Liga, and also the top rung of Italian and German leagues, but never a lower league match.

In truth, we all hear and rave on about the Messis and C Rons and Agueros of this world and some of us are no doubt jealous of the millions that they earn. However, I have undiluted conviction in my belief that if we look closely, we will see that 99 percent of players who play organized football (amateur or professional) do not make the cut as far as making it into the big time is concerned.

That is why I, from a completely neutral point of view, honestly believe that the top players deserve every penny they get.

It's not in every corner of the world that you get a C Ron or a Messi, and so when you do get one, you have to pay them well so that they stick with you. Not all footballers are stars, and even fewer are well paid.

There are many many teams in the lower rungs of national leagues whose wages for the whole year are less than what players like Kaka earn in a month.

My point is, we viewers have got to look at the bigger picture. Choosing football as a profession is not going to make you a millionaire. It's just that the ones who do make millions out of the game are so much in the spotlight that the real story falls under their shadow.

People pay good money to see the best players play and the players should get a fair deal of it. It is only fair that they do.

I might be deemed pro-labor and anti- administration here, but I am not. I am just stating my own humble opinion. After all, I am entitled to one, aren't I?

Manchester United: What's Next for the Champions of Europe?

Shadlee Rahman — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:44:52 -0400

The European league seasons are over and the European Championships have just started. This means that we will not have to wait long to see the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben pit their wits on the national stage.

At the end of the season, one thing is quite crystal clear: Manchester United are undoubtedly the team to beat next season, both in England and in the Champions League.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who many thought might retire at the end of 2003, shows no signs of losing his love for the game. His insatiable thirst for success has driven him to delay retirement and build a completely new, young team at United.

He has let the likes of Beckham and van Nistelrooy leave the club and has brought players like Nani, Anderson, and Owen Hargreaves. I must say that when United brought these three players at the beginning of this season, I was a little skeptical.

Hargreaves, okay, he won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and he has long been a target of United. But with Nani and Anderson they were investing in raw potential.

But the big question is, what lies ahead for the English domestic and European champions?

Continuity has been at the core of United's success right through Sir Alex's reign at Old Trafford. One needs only to see that the team that dominated in the Premier League through the 90s and the early part of this century had the same core set of players (the Neville brothers, Beckham, Butt, and co.). I would be very surprised if Fergie makes changes galore for next season.

Having said that, United do need to make some investments and, dare I say, clear out some of the so-called squad members in the team. For parts of this season, United have lacked a real out and out striker. Tevez and Rooney have a habit of running the channels and lying deep, and Ronaldo (despite his 42 goals this season) is more a winger than a striker.

They need someone in the mould of van Nistelrooy who will sit in the penalty box and dispatch any opportunity that comes his way. Louis Saha is there, but with his record of injuries the probability of him stringing together a decent run is less than Austria's chances of winning a single match at Euro 2008.

With Gerard Pique moving back to Barcelona, Fergie needs to bring in some cover for the irrepressible Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Joleon Lescott would be a really good buy. He is tall, quick, and dangerous from set pieces.

United are pretty spoilt for choices in the holding midfield position, with Carrick, Anderson, and Hargreaves battling for at most two places if not one. So there is no need for change there.

Joao Moutinho would be a fantastic buy for United, although price might have gone up that tad bit higher after his superb performance against Turkey the other night.

Miguel Veloso, I am not so sure about him. To me, he is too defensive minded and lacks pace.

In the striking department an out and out striker is desperately needed. Huntelaar and Berbatov would fit the bill perfectly, as would Santa Cruz. But only buying players and enlarging an already large squad would not be a good idea.

Some of the squad players need to go. I have always been a firm believer that if you are not challenging for a first team spot week in week out, you do not deserve to play for big clubs.

John O Shea, okay he is a really useful and versatile player. But he is 27 and at a time when he should be at his peak, he struggles to even make it on the bench. I am sorry. He has just got to go.

So does Darren Fletcher. Honestly did Fergie buy him for his quality? Give me a break! He bought him because he is Scottish.

If Ronaldo does go to Real Madrid (and he seems hell bent on doing this despite his mother's view that he will stay) then maybe Fletcher should stay and provide backup for whoever comes in.

David Odonkor would be a really good replacement for Ronaldo. He is lightning quick and has better crossing ability than Ronaldo.

I expect Nani and Anderson to really step up to the plate next season and there is no need to change the philosophy of the club. After all, why change a winning formula and a winning mentality?

By Shadlee Rahman

Dhaka,Bangladesh

EPL: Why Liverpool Doesn't Belong in the Big Four

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:47:43 -0400

Ever since the turn of the century, football commentators, pundits and general public have been going on and on about the so called Big Four of English football. No prizes for guessing who I am talking about: Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, and, yes, Liverpool—and it is the last of the aforementioned teams that will be my main topic of discussion today.

Yes, Liverpool have a great history. True that Liverpool have a wonderful trophy cabinet. Accepted,Liverpool are a good team and on their day can decimate opposition. But are they good enough to challenge the other three for the title? Simply put, no. Not until the owners and Rafa Benitez set their priorities right. Let us take the current Liverpool team. Take Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres out of the team and even Derby County would fancy beating them.

Yes, if we take Adebayor and Fabregas out of the Arsenal team and Rooney and Ronaldo out of the Manchester United lineup-they would be weakened but they would still be very good sides. However, take Torres and Gerrard out of the Liverpool side and what you get is a very very ordinary side which could be perennial mid-tablers at best.

Liverpool have won the Champions League under Rafa Benitez, albeit under dramatic circumstances on that famous night in Istanbul, so why not concentrate on winning the league for once? At the start of the season, it looked like Rafa really wanted the title this time. But as soon as the Champions League kicked in, he started tinkering yet again and gave up the title way back. I wonder how he had the audacity to say before last week's match against Manchester United that he thought Liverpool could still win the title. I think even he did not believe what he said.

Wake up Mr.Benitez.

You are struggling to hold on to fourth place, let alone win the title. You lost the title way back early in the season when you drew a series of games at home against mid-table opposition. The players you bought just aren't good enough, Mr.Benitez, with the exception of one Fernando Torres. Take him and your captain out of the team and you have got a very poor team at your disposal.

To be honest, for the last couple of seasons, Liverpool have been fighting for only fourth place. They haven't even come close to challenging for the title. Although I do think they are considerably better than Portsmouth, Aston Villa and the other teams that normally finish just below them, they are nowhere near the class of Manchester United, Arsenal or even Chelsea. The Anfield faithful must be getting tired of Rafa's rotation policy and public opinion must surely be going against him. What the Kop really wants to see is their team winning the Premier League.

My personal opinion is that Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are in a league of their own and the Big Four tag needs to change into the Big Three.Liverpool do not really belong to that group. Great teams do not need to qualify through the qualifying rounds of the Champions League despite winning it in the previous. Great teams do not struggle to finish fourth in their national league. A great club does not lose at home to a second-tier club with such an insipid performance in front of their own supporters. A club Liverpool's size should be aiming higher than that. Rafa's player purchase policy just is not good enough. Yes, Aurelio, Alonso, Lucas Leiva and the rest are good but compare them to Anderson, Nani and Hergreaves.....and....yes, you get the point.

Liverpool have to start challenging for the title before they can be regarded as part of the Big Four. Yes they are part of the big Four in terms of the finances, but in terms of results, they are surely not part of that elite group.

They are just simply not good enough to go near being title challengers, let alone being winners.

Yes, Mr.Benitez, putting all your eggs in one basket (ie.winning the Champions League)doesn't suffice for a club with a tradition like Liverpool. Liverpool has a winning tradition-one of victory and triumph-and they should be challenging on all fronts at the business end of every season. Until and unless that happens, the concept of the Big Four will forever be misleading because I am afraid to state, Liverpool just does no belong there. Barnsley supporters would surely agree.

By Shadlee Rahman

Dhaka,Bangladesh

Arsenal Analysis: Gunners Falling Off the Pace on Last Lap

Shadlee Rahman — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:58:32 -0400

The EPL season is coming to an end and after the repercussions of Grand Slam Sunday,it is Manchester United who have come out as the real victors.Their comprehensive win over a shockingly lacklustre Liverpool side,coupled with Chelsea's come from behind 2-1 victory against Arsenal has put United five points clear at the top-and,with only seven games to go in the league-it has to be said that it is United's title to lose this season.Who would have believed how the league table has panned out now at the start of the season,when United picked up only 2 points from their first 3 league games and were struggling to find the back of the net.

But it is Arsenal,and their recent disappointing form in the league,that I will write about today.Just five weeks ago,Arsenal were on top form,trailing United only on goal difference and looking like being the onlyteam capable of prizing the league winners trophy away from Old Trafford.They also beat AC Milan in the Champions League and despite being a fervent Man Utd United supporter,I have to put my hand up and admit that it was a special and inspirational performance from Arsenal's young guns.However, a run of 4 consecutive draws and a defeat to title rivals Chelsea in Grand Slam Sunday,their title hopes have all but evaporated.Arsenal have a very young squad and it seems to me like they have let the pressure of the title run-in get to them.There is no doubt that for a big part of the season,they have played the best football in England-their style of play is, undoubtedly,very pleasing to the eye,but over a campaign of 38 league games,you cannot always win by playing 'pretty' football.Sometimes,you just have to win ugly and eeks out results and unfortunately,that is something Arsenal's young brigade have not been able to do these past few weeks.Now they have allowed Chelsea to overtake them and their title hopes seem to be all but gone.Which reminds me of something the great Alan Hansen said on BBC in 1995 about Manchester United's young side(Scholes,Butt,Beckham,the Neville Brothers).He said-"You will win nothing with kids",referring to the title chances of Manchester United's very young side during that season.Mr.Hansen was proved wrong.They not only went on to win the title that season but also went on to win the league a further 5 times with essentially the same group of players.Why I refer to Alan Hansen's words is because this Arsenal side really is very young.Walcott,Bendtner,Eboue,Clichy,van Persie and the irrepressible Francesc Fabregas are al very young and I just wonder whether they have the stomach to grind out results at the business end of this league campaign.Recent performance would force the neutral to answer in the negative.Arsenal have also struggled to hold onto leads,something that must be of great worry for their long-serving manager Arsene Wenger.They took the lead in the League Cup semifinal and lost against Chelsea,thanks to 2 Didier Drogba strikes and last week in Grand Slam Sunday-exactly the same thing happened.Arsenal need someone to inspire them.Maybe a convincing win at Bolton might be the remedy they need.Arsenal also have their Champions League quarterfinal against Liverpool in midweek and this is where Arsene Wenger's selection policy will come under scrutiny.He has made no secret of his desire to win the Champions League-but will he have one eye on the game in midweek and rest players against Bolton,knowing that anything less than a victory will put paid to their slim title hopes.It remains to be seen what the manager does.However,if Arsenal do win the Champions League this season ot will constitute a very satisfying season for Arsenal and it will be Arsene Wenger's greatest triumph as manager of Arsenal.It is a tribute to their form throughout the season as a whole that,despite their indifferent,almost poor,form over the past month,they are still in with a shout of doing the double of league and the European Cup this season,something that has not been achieved by an English club since Manchester United's Class of '99.

This has been a wonderful season for Arsenal's young guns.They have shown a maturity beyond their years to stay in the title race for this long but it seems to me like they peaked just a little bit too early in the season and are on a downward curve now.However,no one gave them a chance for the title at the start of the season after Thierry Henry left and they have proved many of their doubters wrong.But to be honest with the world-when the going gets tough,the tough get going-and unfortunately for Arsenal supporters,their team has not shown the mental toughness required to grind out results in recent times.4 points from a possible 15 in the last 5 games doesn't make happy reading if you are an Arsenal fan.They are now 6 points behind the leaders,Manchester United and that means that their showdown at Old Trafford is a must win for Arsenal if they are to continue dreaming about the title.

Arsene Wenger must decide whther he still wants to go for the title this season.He has talked tough in the media recently but his side have let him down in recent games,After their breathtaking early and mid-season form,they seem to be falling off just when it is time for them to take off and sprint to the finish line and it would take a major slip up by United now for Arsenal to take the title now.If Arsenal do not pull up their socks and start getting results now,they might not even take second place,in which case they will have to sufer the ignomity of having to play the qualifying rounds of the Champions League next season.

If I were Arsene Wenger,i would put my reality cap on and think forward to next season as far as the league goes because Man United have been there and done that so many times that I do not think they will throw it away this late in the season.Arsenal should now concentrate solely on the Champions League and trying to grab second place in the league from Chelsea.

It looks like Arsenal are going to have to wait another year for that elusive league title which they won last in 2004 because they seem to have fallen at the last hurdle this time around.

By Shadlee Rahman

Dhaka,Bangladesh