Bleacher Report - Articles by Farooq Ahmed

Will Arsenal's Defence Define Their Season?

Farooq Ahmed — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:27:11 -0500

Arsene Wenger’s team, Arsenal, has shown the rest of the Premier League that they are for real this season. Well, at least, so far they have.

Compiling an undefeated home record and only dropping points against both sides from Manchester and dropping points at West Ham this season, the Gunners find themselves in third position, five points behind leaders, Chelsea.

The question about Arsenal, however, is can they win ugly?

On the road, in tough conditions, Arsenal's opponent’s are intent on shutting down the attack, giving no space to influential players Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin, and making it difficult for leading scorer Robin Van Persie to get in on the act.

We saw a lot of this over the course of last season, where Arsenal would get ‘bullied’ by other teams, but is seems that Arsene Wenger and his troops have found a way to counter the physical approach that many Premier League opponents will opt for when they come up against the Gunners.

The addition of Thomas Vermaelen in the centre of the defence and the presence of Alex Song and Abou Diaby in the midfield make Arsenal a much more physical team than in previous years.

Theo Walcott stated before the season that Arsenal must find a way to win ugly. They must emulate the performances of championship contenders and rivals Manchester United and (especially) Chelsea in tough games, and be able to grind out a result even when things aren’t going smoothly.

Arsenal have had good stability in their defence over the last decade, with the brilliant back four that helped Wenger’s men go to a League Title, undefeated, six years ago in the 2003-'04 season—conceding only 26 goals throughout that entire campaign. That defence consisted of Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure and Lauren.

Will we be remembering this version of the Arsenal defence any time soon? For good reasons or for bad?

The most important thing, however, for the Gunners to maintain their title bid and form, will be the ability of the defence to keep clean sheets. So far, the Gunners defence has rarely been able to shut out opponents. This will prove to be crucial later on in the season when they have a one goal lead against an opponent.

Whether it be in the Premier League or Champions League, Arsenals frailties in defence are still prominent.

There is no doubt that this is a fairly young group of players in Sagna (26), Vermaelen (23), Clichy (24), Gibbs (20), and Song (22). Veteran William Gallas at 32 years of age is the eldest player on the team.

However, this defence definitely has talent and speed that kills, but the question is, can they win those 1-0 and 2-1 games when they are unable to blow out their opponents by an average to three goals as they have so far this season?

Gallas pointed out the teams inability to recover from setbacks last season. They will have to deal with a few this season, that is for sure.

Their ability to play tough, recover from these setbacks, and win ugly is what makes champions—just ask Sir Alex Ferguson.

Although the loss of Gael Clichy to a back injury is not a major setback for the Gunners, a loss in the centre of defence will be a devastating blow to an already rocky back line. As the old quote goes, “Defence wins Championships.” This Arsenal back line will go a long way in deciding that.

Arsene Wenger's Message to Philippe Senderos, Time To Step Up

Farooq Ahmed — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:16:46 -0400

If there was ever a time for a Gunner to step up his game, the time is now for Philippe Senderos in the wake of a knee injury that will keep Johan Djourou out for around six months.

The 6'3" Arsenal stopper, and currently the third option at centre back behind incumbent starters William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen, Johan Djourou will face a six month spell on the sidelines following an operation on his left knee.

At the beginning of the season the Swiss international was hopeful of pushing for a starting place in Arsene Wenger's first eleven following the departure of Kolo Toure, introduction of Vermaelen and concerns over William Gallas, but this devastating blow has been an unwanted setback for not only Djourou but for Arsenal as a team, with the veteran Mikael Silvestre now the third option followed by outcast Philippe Senderos who’s last Arsenal appearance was in may of 2008 before he went out on loan to AC Milan.

Another option for Wenger is to play starter at the defensive midfield position at centre back, however Song has been nothing short of brilliant this season and Wenger will not want to play one of his best performers this season out of position.

With that said, Song has been solid in the centre of defence whenever his number is called, providing a no nonsense, sometimes scrappy workmanlike effort.

Senderos, 24, who, in his short career, has been the victim of many mistakes in the past for Arsenal now has a chance to solidify his position as the No. 3 centre back ahead of Silvestre who has not impressed many in his last couple of years at The Emirates Stadium, with a Carling Cup fixture coming up against West Brom in the coming weeks look for him to figure and climb his way back up the depth chart in defence for the Gunners and help rectify his once promising career.

Wenger, meanwhile will be worried about the lack of strength in depth in defence following the sale of Kolo Toure and the injury of Djourou, will almost certainly look to strengthen in the January transfer window.

Who Will Arsene Wenger Sign Before The Transfer Window Closes?

Farooq Ahmed — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:15:30 -0400

As a die hard Arsenal fan, I have been waiting all summer for Arsene Wenger to spend some money. With the losses of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor this current Arsenal team still remains competitve, but with teams making moves to strengthen thier squads is it a matter of time before Wenger makes a move in the transfer market? The Arsenal boss has suggested he could buy two players before the transfer window closes. So here are some of the players that have been linked with the club that may interest Wenger before the window closes.

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Top 5 NBA Teams Going Into the 2009/10 Season

Farooq Ahmed — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:07:42 -0400

The NBA, Where Amazing Happens, the draft is over and we are midway through the Las Vegas summer league, where rookies and squad players will try to lock down a final roster spot in hope of glory in the form of the NBA for the upcoming season.

Teams are still vying for free agents most notably Allen Iverson who seems to be headed to LA with the Clippers, teaming up with no.1 pick Blake Griffin, Baron Davis and cast of talented young players.

Also speculation has Carlos Boozer and Lemar Odom headed to Miami to join Dwayne Wade.

However, none of those deals are confirmed yet and may take some time before they do get done. With that said, I have compiled a list of my top 5 NBA teams going into the 2009/10 season.

The list is based on last seasons performances, regular season and post season, the NBA draft and free agency.

So with that all said and done, here is my list of the Top 5 NBA Teams Going Into The 09/10 season.

5. Denver

A young and experience team at number 5 the Nuggets are very close to becoming a real force in the NBA with a superstar player in Carmelo Anthony, clutch shooter and future Hall of Fame player in Chauncy Billups...not to mention the ability of one of the more underrated big-men in the league in Nenê.

The Nuggets had a great NBA Draft where they nabbed the shifty North Carolina playmaking guard Ty Lawson in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, there are some concerns with Lawson's ability and mainly his lack of height at only 5-11” some have pointed out their concerns with his height, but there is no doubting his quickness and skill.

The Nuggets main free agent signing was to re-sign Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen to a new 5 year deal. Andersen proved his worth in the playoffs most notably in the series against the Dallas Mavericks.

Andersen replaced Marcus Camby's shot-blocking presence in the middle, adding a big dose of energy as well—swooping his bird winged-tattooed arms after big plays.

The Nuggets main loss was the recent signing of Dhantay Jones to the Indiana Pacers on a four-year deal. Jones gave the Nuggets a physical most notably for tripping Kobe during the conference finals last season.

Entering the 2009-10 season the Nuggets should have one goal in mind; win a championship. Last season they came in to prove a point by silencing critics, that they were only a ’scoring team’ by showing great defence on their way to the conference finals where they lost out 4 games to 2 to the LA Lakers.

Now that the younger players have deep playoff experience under their belt, the Nuggets can be primed to make a championship run possibly taking the Western Conference on their way.

4. Cleveland

The Cavs coming off a franchise-best record in the NBA last season (66-16) powered by MVP LeBron James were a force to be reckoned with last season, but then their weaknesses showed in the conference finals series against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic’s perimeter shooters.

This team didn't exactly lose a whole lot from the team that dominated the Eastern Conference last year, and they added veterans Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Parker to add extra depth.

There isn't much to say about LeBron that hasn't been said already; the dude is straight up nasty, not to mention unstoppable. LeBron James is simply the best player in the league, and he has a very solid supporting cast led by PG Mo Williams and Delonte West; both players with range and scoring ability.

While Ilgauskas and O'Neal are both past their prime, they both still have good post moves and can grab a respectable number of boards.

However the additions don’t make the Cavs better or worse, without the presence of a prominent No. 1 center which could well be troublesome when and if they come against Dwight Howard in the playoffs.

This team will have to heavily rely on re-signed Anderson Varejao to be their No. 1 big man a develop into a more dominant, physical player.

The Cavs drafted guards Christian Eyenga and Danny Green as well as forward Emir Preldzic, who are unlikely to see a whole lot of action this season. Eyenga and Preldzic are most likely to play in Europe next season to continue development.

This team is in excellent position to remain championship contenders this year regardless of their situation at center, with cap-room will want too keep LeBron for the foreseeable future.

LeBron will continue to dominate, Williams will continue to provide the Cavs with a legitimate No. 2 option, only problem I have is the lack of a No. 1 big man, however it may be that Varejao develops into that player.

3. LA Lakers

The defending NBA champs have somewhat of a strange off-season with rumours of coach Phil Jackson planning to retire, then sharing duties with an assistant coach.

However, Jackson confirmed that he would continue to coach the Lakers for another season and that his health problems weren’t a concern. With that being said, I believe that the Lakers have gotten worse this off-season.

Firstly the loss of electrifying play-maker Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets, some say that Ariza was a system player and will never be successful outside of Phil Jackson’s team.

However, there was no doubting Ariza’s presence in the playoffs becoming one of the most contributing players for the Lakers.

The loss of Trevor Ariza will not be the only loss of the Lakers this season however after the Lakers stated that they had retracted an offer to Lemar Odom after talks between the two had stalled.

Odom who turns 30 later this year is set on leaving LA possibly for Miami and joining friend Dwayne Wade.

It is widely rumoured that Odom rejected a $10 million contract in order to leave the Lakers where it is likely that he will not receive as much money.

The Lakers drafted forward Chinemelu Elonu from Texas A&M at the bottom of the second round and re-signed guard Shannon Brown who contributed from the bench last season and through the playoffs to a one-year deal.

The main acquisition of the off-season for the Lakers however was the signing of former Houston Rocket and Indiana Pacer Ron Artest. Artest most famous for ‘The brawl at The Palace at Auburn Hills, Detroit’ and his confrontations with Lakers superstar and finals MVP Kobe Bryant.

However, despite this, Artest is widely regarded as one of the top defensive players in the league. Kobe Bryant himself actually hailed the signing a ‘great move’.

The Lakers will continue to impress people like they did last season, however the losses of Ariza and Odom may be a major problem in the progress of the Lakers successfully defending their championship next season.

The addition of Ron Artest alone will make up for those to losses I assure you. I believe that the Lakers will struggle to get back to that elite level again next season with the strength of the Western Conference.

2. San Antonio

The San Antonio Spurs are always a team that is there or thereabouts in the conversation for championship contenders under Gregg Popovich one of the best coaches ever in the NBA, they fell short of the mark last season struggling with injuries to all three of their star players.

The Spurs emerged from their first-round series 4-1 loss to Dallas knowing that they needed more depth and strength.

So the Spurs went out and traded for runaway groom Richard Jefferson and role player Antonio McDyess without ruining the core group of all-stars in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. That makes for a pretty stellar cast if you add Matt Bonner and Roger Mason Jr.

Not only were the Spurs active in free agency they also got what was probably the steal of the draft, picking top 20 prospect Dejuan Blair in the second round with the 37th overall pick.

Teams had noted Blair’s previous ACL injury from high school as a cause for concern, however Blair missed only one game during his two seasons at PITT.

Blair has however to deal with the fact that he isn’t as big as he looks, at only 6-7” not exactly big for a big man in the NBA, however he make up for in physicality as he has shown in the summer league games.

At Pitt, Blair recorded 21 double-doubles, including two 20-point 20-rebound games during his career his.

Blair appeared in 72 games for the Panthers, averaging 13.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.61 steals while shooting .568, and sure to continue that trend in the NBA.

With a whole off-season for the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and especially Manu Ginobili to rest and recuperate from injuries, teams shouldn’t underestimate the threat of the Spurs in the West, 3 NBA championships in the last six years, the Spurs have been the Dynasty team of the decade and will look to make it a fourth this upcoming season.

1. Boston

And the No. 1 team in this countdown goes to the Boston Celtics, yes the big three, the Boston three party or the three amigos.

Call them what you will there is no better threesome (no pun intended) than Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, throw in one of the best young point guards in the league in Rajon Rondo and you have four potential all-stars on your team. Headed by coach Doc Rivers.

The Celtics fell out in the second round where they faced the Orlando Magic and were defeated after an seven-game series.

This after possibly one of the greatest NBA playoff series of all time against my Chicago Bulls included four games that went into overtime, the Celtics would eventually win in game 7.

The Celtics had somewhat of an up and down season last season, with an overall record of 62–20 after a great start to the season somewhat tailed off later on in the season after it was rumoured that Kevin Garnett was having injury problems, he was immediately shut down for the playoffs, however the injury had become serious and caused KG to miss the post-season.

During the off-season the Celtics have tried to retain Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis who is currently a restricted free agent. The Celtics have also managed to sign former Detroit Piston Rasheed Wallace to a three-year deal.

The Celtics were also after former NBA All-Star Grant Hill but were unable to sign the Phoenix player who opted to stay with the Suns.

When healthy, this Celtics team can be an imposing opponent for the best of teams, especially with their depth on the bench with players like Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine not to mention Wallace.

So there it is, my top five teams in the NBA heading into next season, Thanks for reading my article and please post your opinions and comments below.

Why This Arsenal Team Are Legit Contenders

Farooq Ahmed — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:16:33 -0400

With the premier league six weeks into the new season it seems that this year the premier league could be as wide open as any other season. With things shaping up the way it has been for a while, I have looked at the so called “Big Four” clubs, along with other clubs that may be optimistically looking towards that goal, and I believe that this Arsenal team can be the best of them all.

Arsenal have had their doubters over the past few weeks, defeats to much weaker teams in Fulham and Hull City have meant that a team that should be top of the league are currently sitting in fourth spot behind league leaders Chelsea, Liverpool, and Hull, whom they lost to in an embarrassing defeat at the Emirates.

Champions League games seem to be the forte of this young Arsenal team who enjoy passing their opponents off the field, that’s all well and good in the Champions League. Premiership away days seem to be more difficult for a side that has been notoriously criticized for not being able to win ugly and tough it out in poor conditions.

Weeks Six’s efforts against a fairly strong Porto side, Portuguese champions four years in a row are not a team to be taken for granted, and a simply stunning performance as they outclassed them in a 4-0 win that really should have been six or seven.

Add a tough 1-1 away draw against a very good, up and coming Sunderland team managed by one of the brightest young managers in Europe to me was a point earned in the final minutes of the game. That to me shows resilience and the highest of efforts, Arsenal had struggled all day against Sunderland and their best seemed to be a below average effort on the day.

Having a goal wiped off the scoreboard didn’t help either. But then when Sunderland scored on 86 minutes with a stunner from Grant Ledbetter, it would have been easy for Arsenal to accept their fate and go home with nothing. But in the last seconds of the game, veteran Cesc Fabregas came in and capitalised on a Goalkeeping error by Craig Gordon. As Arsene Wenger tells us every week “They Showed Great Character.”

Even though many people have already, six games into the season written off Arsenal for the title, I believe that they can still win it. It may be pushing it, but if they can turn losses into draws, and draws into wins, and finish games off then they do have a great chance of winning the Premiership this season in my opinion.

All the talent and experience is there for a great season, the addition of Silvestre may be a stroke of genius by Arsene Wenger as he provides experience, knowledge and has experience of winning trophies, plus the fact that he could get into any team in England, its just because Ferdinand and Vidic are just that good.

A solid back four and goalkeeper. A packed midfield when fully fit, still with Rosicky and Diaby to come back from injury. A productive strike force with height, power, skill, and speed, all capable of scoring 20+ goals during the season, bar any injuries (Eduardo will be back before Christmas we are told).

So, I conclude with this, if Arsenal do not win any trophies this season then you can re-publish this article and mock me all you like, but the truth is that I will be incredibly surprised if Arsenal go a staggering fifth consecutive season without winning a major trophy.

Arsenal "Kids" Destroy Sheffield Utd In League Cup Rout

Farooq Ahmed — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:15:31 -0400

Arsenal looked stunning Tuesday night in a magnificent 6-0 victory over the clueless Sheffield United. One of the youngest ever Arsenal teams—with two 16-year-olds, Jack Wilshire and Emmanuel Frimpong—named in the squad.

A week where tempers between Arsene Wenger and Uefa president Michel Platini flared ends well for the Gunners.

Mexican international Carlos Vela completed a man of the match performance with a very classy hat-trick, look out for his lovely chip-shot over Paddy Kenny in the Sheffield goal. Nicklas Bendtner opened the scoring from 20 yards on the night with the first and easily slotted in the second.

Jack Wilshere, the 16-year-old, also got himself on the score sheet at the Emirates —making him one of the youngest ever players to score in the League Cup.

Wenger is renowned his focus on youth development, the Carling Cup competition is traditionally used it to integrate his young guns into the Arsenal first team. Alex Song and Johan Djourou provided the experience, both at 21 years of age.

Fran Merida, dubbed the next Cesc Fabregas, played outstandingly well on his full Arsenal debut creating a goal and dominating the midfield throughout the game.

Arsenal looked great tonight in front of around 56,000 fans, another exciting League Cup run looks like it is on the tables, lets just hope it doesn’t end like it did last season. Men against boys, but reversed.

England Defy the Odds As They Thrash Croatia in Zagreb

Farooq Ahmed — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:06:46 -0400

Arsenal star Theo Walcott proved his worth tonight, during England’s 4-1 win over Croatia in Zagreb. The Gunners winger scored a superb hat trick as ended the Croats undefeated home streak of 35 games.

Walcott, who started in Andorra, was once again preferred to MLS hero David Beckham as manager Fabio Capello opted for an attacking line-up, with Emile Heskey partnering Wayne Rooney up front in a 4-4-2 formation.

The tactics worked perfectly as England easily picked off Croatia in the midfield after a somewhat subdued beginning to the first half.

Walcott’s first came in the 25th minute, as he capitalized on a clearance by Daniel Pranjic which came off a fellow team-mate straight into his path. He drilled the ball hard and low into the bottom corner, but the Croatian goalkeeper should have done better after getting his fingers to the ball.

In the second half it was more of the same for England, as Croatia made little impression asserting themselves, and their cause was further hindered in the 53rd minute as defender Robert Kovac was sent off for nasty challenge—leading with his elbow on Joe Cole who was left with blood streaming from a cut.

After collapsing to the ground Cole received treatment, and was substituted for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas. It is thought that Cole had a concussion and no risks were to be taken. He soon returned to the England bench looking well, and sporting several stitches to the upper right of his forehead.

Shortly after, the excellent Wayne Rooney surged towards the penalty area before exchanging passes with Heskey and then slipping the ball to Walcott, who fired precisely with a strike similar to his first.

England were quickly 3-0 up in the 64th minute, as full-back Ashley Cole won the ball and sent substitute Jermaine Jenas down the left flank, getting to the byline and passing to a wide open Rooney. The Manchester United striker could hardly miss from the 5 yard's out.

Croatia hit back late in the game after some sloppy defending by England, but replays suggested that there was a high-foot challenge committed on John Terry—who left the field shortly after making his thoughts heard to the referee.

And to cap off a great night in Zagreb for England, a well deserved fourth, and a third for the 19-year-old Walcott completing his hat-trick, after being played in by a superb ball from Wayne Rooney.

It was a truly great performance from England against extremely tough opposition, in an intimidating atmosphere.

Fabio Capello has reason to be proud of his men, as they showed what England football can really be after weak showings against the Czech Republic and Andorra.

Amir Khan: Is It Already Over?

Farooq Ahmed — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:00:03 -0400

Amir Khan's camp insist there will be no witch hunt after his shocking first round knockout by heavy hitter Breidis Prescott of Colombia.

Fingers were pointed after Khan got his tactics horribly wrong and came up against an opponent who had been badly under-estimated, one who in his 17-fight undefeated streak owned a 90 percent knockout rate.

I for one am glad that Amir Khan was knocked to the canvas by a better boxer, giving him a quick reality check as he returns to the planet earth.

Weeks before his fight with Prescott, Khan stated his intentions to step up into the ring with Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton. Are you serious?

No disrespect to Breidis Prescott, but if you cannot beat his quality of opposition, then Ricky Hatton should not even be mentioned, unless he wants to get KO’d within 25 seconds.

Khan himself was a more sober individual afterwards in training, saying, "It is a mistake I've made and I've got to go back and improve. It has made me realise that it is the pro game and there are going to be tough fighters out there.

"Perhaps I thought I could get away with the mistakes, but I am going to train in the gym a lot harder."

Amir, you can’t and won’t get away with mistakes if you want to be a serious contender for a world title. The margins for error at that level are second to none.

Khan's dreams of American conquests, hopes of multi-million pound mega-fights in Las Vegas, aspirations of greatness—they are all hanging by a thread now.

In fact, on a night of shocks at the Manchester Evening News Arena, all the talk and hype surrounding Khan has vanished and now there is talk of possible re-matches with previous opponents. The truth is that we have yet to see if this Olympic silver medalist is a legit contender.

Bears-Colts: Are The Bears Who We Thought They Were?

Farooq Ahmed — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:27:47 -0400

The Chicago Bears' defence spoiled the Indianapolis Colts' first regular-season game at their brand new stadium.

This leads me to the question: Are the Bears who we thought they were?

Undoubtedly, the curse of the Super Bowl loser has ravaged the NFL in past years, with Seattle being the only team in the last seven to make a playoff game after losing a Super Bowl in the previous season.

An efficient offence and stellar defence kept the Bears alive against the Colts, with rookie from Tulane Matt Forte rushing for 123 yards. Ex-Lion Kevin Jones also weighed in with 45 yards on 12 carries.

Kyle Orton looked good under centre as the Bears' signal caller, and the offensive line did an awesome job of creating running holes and pass protection.

The Colts had no excuses after Sunday’s game, but with an inexperienced front three on the offensive line, and a QB that missed the preseason, maybe they showed a bit of rust?

Turnovers were key, and the Bears answered questions about the defence, with a couple of sacks of Peyton Manning and stopping the run by limiting Joseph Addai to only 44 yards.

A forced fumble from Charles Tillman, recovered by Lance Briggs, created a swarm of blockers as he found the end zone, this after a safety from Adawale Ogunleye on Joseph Addai.

So, I ask you: Are the Bears who we thought they were?

One More Signing Mr Wenger?

Farooq Ahmed — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:53:30 -0400

With the transfer window closing soon, Arsenal looked short of a midfielder at Fulham. Alex Song looks like the favourite along with Abou Diaby who is currently out injured to take on the holding midfielders role alongside Cesc Fabregas who is set to return this week.

Wenger had indicated he may not make another signing this season and stick with the players he currently has on his squad. He has spent around £18million during the off-season on Samir Nasri, Aaron Ramsey and Amaury Bischoff, plus the return of Carlos Vela after a loan spell at Osasuna.

Here are a list of candidates that may interest Arsene Wenger.

Gareth Barry, Aston Villa

Yes, it is getting boring and annoying now, but there’s no doubt in my opinion that he is one of the best midfielders around. He has a bunch of experience and is also very versatile and can shift into defence if needed.

Wenger has made it no secret that he is monitoring the situation with Barry, Liverpool and Aston Villa and may yet make a move if nothing happens. The only downside may be the price and the fact he is ineligible for the Champions League until February of ‘09.

Likelihood: 5/10

Xabi Alonso, Liverpool

When your best player and midfield general Cesc Fabregas is quoting “Alonso would be perfect” in the papers then you might want to enquire. Alonso is currently on the transfer block from Liverpool. Rafa Benitez has already rejected a £10million offer from the Gunners, asking for £16million but Arsenal could have a compromise somewhere in-between.

Vastly experienced and only 26 years of age would be a great fit into Arsenal’s system and would be a hit with the fans. Can the chemistry with Fabregas be better than last season with Flamini?

Likelihood: 7/10

Gokhan Inler, Udinese

Inler has a great amount of talent but has continued to reiterate his desire to stay in Italy with Udinese. Arsene Wenger like what he sees from the Swiss international but the concern may be that he will struggle in the system and find it difficult adjusting to life in the Premier League.

At 24 he would be a typical Wenger signing, however it would take a lot to prize away their best player.

Likelihood: 5/10

Marcos Senna, Villarreal

Senna had a stellar Euro 2008, helping Spain lift the trophy for the first time in forty years. He was the wall between the midfield and defence. The Brazilian born 31 year old was key to the successes of Villarreal last season as they managed to qualify for the Champions League.

Senna recently had just signed a new contract with the "yellow submarines" but would relish the opportunity to play in the Premier League. I personally can't see this signing happening as at 31 it's not a Wenger signing, but they did just sign 31 Mikael Silvestre

Likelihood: 3/10

Yaya Toure, Barcelona

Barcelona have issued a hands-off warning to teams who are reportedly interested in Yaya, he is one of their star players. Brother of Gunners defender Kolo Toure, said he would love to play with his brother but a statement from Barcelona simply says Yaya Toure will not be leaving, it seems that they mean business in not doing business.

He would fit in well at Arsenal I’m sure but getting him to the Emirates seems like a tall order.

Likelihood: 5/10

Arsenal may not make any signings this season, wanting to showcase their own youthful talent in midfield, with likely starters alongside Fabregas being Alex Song or Denilson.

Wenger has experimented with Emmanuel Eboue but his lack of knowledge for the position and loss of possession in key areas are not going to win him points.

Only six days left to make any signings, and Arsenals midfield currently has more questions than answers.

John Terry Wins England Captaincy

Farooq Ahmed — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:25:39 -0400

England manager Fabio Capello has named John Terry as his captain to take on the Czech Republic tomorrow.

Terry, 27, who succeeded David Beckham as the skipper after his resignation from the captaincy at the 2006 World Cup was given the nod ahead of Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand.

Steven Gerrard, Ferdinand and Beckham were all given one game each by Capello to show their leadership skills and qualities. Ferdinand looked to be the favourite but Capello has decided to continue with Terry, who scored when he led the side in the friendly victory against the USA at Wembley in May and in a friendly against Brazil connecting with a David Beckham cross.

Fabio Capello's decision will be a disappointing blow to Rio Ferdinand, who will take on the vice-captain role. The 29-year-old Manchester United defender, who served an eight-match ban for failing to attend a drugs test at Manchester United's training ground in 2004, has steadily put his off-field problems behind him and looked well placed to be named skipper.

Ferdinand who lifted the Premier League and Champions League with Man Utd last season will take on the vice-captain role, but still continues to be a leader on the field. He has a great ability to rally round his players and get the most out of them as we saw with Man Utd last season.

Terry has performed well recently, and helped his Chelsea side to a 4-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday.

Personally I would have liked to see Rio take the armband, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Terry is more than capable of leading the England team to success in the future.

But there is the question that lingers in the back of many supporters minds. Can he handle the big game pressure?

It was clear to me that David Beckham may have played his last few England games, with the emergence of David Bentley now at Spurs he looks ready to cement his place in the national side. Plus the fact that the MLS is a weak league with sub-standard players makes it hard for Becks to maintain motivation to play at a high level.

Orton Named Bears Starting QB

Farooq Ahmed — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:50:21 -0400

Well, it looks like the competition in Chicago is over folks.

Kyle Orton is set to start the 2008 regular season opener at Indianapolis, bar any injury. This puts an end to weeks of speculation and controversy over who will take the first snap of the season for the Bears.

Orton had a good rookie year in 2005, starting 15 games. Plus,the last three games of the 2007 season, in which he went 2-1 beating the Saints and the Packers, aren't too shabby either. He's completed 233-of-448 passes for more than 2,300 yards and 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His overall quarterback rating stands at 62.2.

Rex Grossman quarterbacked the Bears to the Super Bowl XLI, and was the favorite to beat out Orton to the starting job, but has been often-criticized for turning over the football. He has 30 career starts, with 31 TD passes, 33 interceptions, and an overall rating of 70.9. However, it looked as if Rex had turned the page in his last four starts before getting injured, throwing only one pick and protecting the ball better.

Personally, I would have gone with Rex. Yes, I know about the good-Rex, bad-Rex syndrome, but he is a legit threat in the air and has the ability to make great plays. Orton on the other hand, seems more of a game manager, and with the offense lacking any real firepower, and a defense that we can’t be sure will be healthy throughout the season, it seems the Bears are missing that edge.

I would of really liked the Bears to have taken a good hard look at Byron Leftwich, the former Jaguars QB who recently signed with the Steelers to be a back-up for Big Ben Roethlisberger. Leftwich has a slightly better record than both Bears QBs throwing 52-38 for 9,321 yards and a 79.7 rating.

Chris Simms has also been mentioned, but with the Bucs wanting to keep him for a possible trade, it is unlikely now that the Bears will pursue him.

Caleb Hanie’s name has been tossed up a bit recently, after two good performances, but as an un-drafted free-agent its hard to think that he will play. Another thing is that he was playing against 2nd and 3rd string defenses. But there’s no doubt he does look a good prospect for the future.

If I’m honest, I don’t like the decision to play Orton as the starter. I believe that Rex Grossman gives the team a better chance to win and the players around him react to him well. I just wonder if the same will happen for Orton.

Can Matt Forte and Kevin Jones Be a Great NFL Running-Back Tandem?

Farooq Ahmed — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:39:08 -0400

First, Kevin Jones has to prove he's healthy. He's coming off a serious foot fracture and a torn ACL, not the injuries that are wanted, especially if you’re a running back. He hasn't topped 186 carries in three years and isn't likely to this year.

If Jones can get ready for Week One, he's likely to be a role player. The Bears will bring him along slowly, possibly as a complimentary back to support Matt Forte. Lovie Smith was quoted this week saying that he didn’t want to rush Kevin into the Seattle game but was optimistic for his chances to play against the 49ers.

Jones has impressed in his first few days of training camp with full pads and contact drills, making nice cuts and showing a good display of speed and elusiveness. Jones, don’t forget, rushed for 1,133 yards in 2004, with a very respectable 4.7 per carry average but has since struggled to carry the load for Detroit averaging 3.8 per carry in the last three seasons.

This may be due to probably the worst offensive line in the NFL, one that had Jon Kitna running for his life all of last year. But at the age of 25, Kevin Jones should still be able to produce good numbers.

Matt Forte can bring to the Bears what Cedric Benson was supposed to: power, speed, and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Last year he was rushing for 2,127 yards for Tulane, with a 5.9 average. A lot of hype has surrounded Forte but he has responded like a true professional, which leads me to believe the Bears will not have to worry about any off-field issues with him.

Other players that could enter the mix are, of course, the “other Adrian Peterson,” who has been a great special-teams player and carried the ball solidly whenever the bears required his services.

Garret Wolfe has also impressed me towards the back-end of last season and this preseason. He has shown great burst and agility, and despite his size, he has shown that he can run the ball well. I'd expect to see him play a bigger role in year two.

P.J. Pope and Matt Lawrence are the outsiders to see any action, but where ever there will likely be a running-back-by-committee offense, they may see reps in the preseason.

Personally, I like the look of Matt Lawrence, an un-drafted free agent from a relatively small program at UMass. He had 318 carries for 1,585 yards with 16 touchdowns, ranked 15th in the NCAA, and fourth in CAA, with 121.92 yards per game.

He looks like a bruising, power back and reminds me of Brandon Jacobs of the Giants. Unfortunately, I don't see him playing much at all in '08. Looks like he will be on the practice squad.

With that sorted, it looks like Matt Forte will take most of the carries Week One in Indianapolis, but expect to see the likes of Kevin Jones and Garret Wolfe making contributions in the running and passing game.

It doesn’t seem as if the Bears will struggle in the running game this season, with three-plus capable running backs and better protection from the offensive line.

Why Rex Grossman Has To Start the Regular Season

Farooq Ahmed — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:16:43 -0400

Yes. I said it. Rex Grossman must start for the Bears.

Call me crazy, but in 30 starts, he has a 19-11 record. Yes, people will say that he turns the ball over way too much, but as many Bears fans know, the players around him respond to the guy for some strange reason.

And don't forget that he was "the guy" that helped lead the Bears to a Super Bowl only two years ago.

He definitely has a chip on his shoulder after Super Bowl XLI, where the Bears ran the ball well and defended solidly. Despite the Bears' great defensive play, Grossman's turnovers cost them the game. He threw three interceptions, including one that resulted in a touchdown, which sealed the Colts' victory.

That’s why I believe Rex will start the season opener against the Colts and continue to play throughout the regular season. He wants to prove himself as an elite NFL quarterback. But first comes the much-publicized QB competition in the Windy City.

It's clear that Rex is the favorite to win. In fact, Bears officials have said that they expect Rex to win the starting job. He has the talent to lead a team. Whether or not he wins the starting role is another question.

We all know that when he’s hot, he can be unstoppable, as was the case when he threw four touchdown passes against Detroit in his best game to date.

When he’s cold, he can be awful. This was apparent when he threw for zero touchdowns and three interceptions against Green Bay.

With a career rating of 70.9 in 30 starts, Rex is definitely under pressure to perform like a 22nd-overall pick should.

Rex will have a better season this year.

I can see him easily beating out Kyle Orton in the QB competition and throwing well in preseason games before Lovie Smith declares him as the starter. Much to the outrage of thousands of Bears fans that will shout and scream, “WE WANT FAVRE,” it won’t happen.

One thing Rex has to do is mature and stop the stupid, unwanted turnovers and vow to protect the ball. He's shown glimpses of the great quarterback he can be, and that’s what the Bears will need to see from him in the 2008 season.

He doesn't quite have the weapons he had in 2006, but he does have Devin Hester providing a deep threat at WR, along with veteran receivers Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, and Mark Bradley.

With much-hyped running backs Matt Forte and Kevin Jones in the mix, and a re-jigged offensive line, the Bears should improve on their 29th-ranked offense from a year ago.

Add a solid top-10 defense and a No.1 special teams, and the Bears can set their sights high this season and make a playoff run. The mood around camp is very positive, with Jerry Angelo dishing out contracts like lunch. But it is up to the players and team to prove that money was well spent.

Thanks for reading.

Coming soon, my regular-season preview of the Chicago Bears.

Arsenal's Talented Youth: Why Fans Should Be Excited About The Upcoming Season.

Farooq Ahmed — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:13:54 -0400

There have been mixed opinions over the last few months, after the richly criticized 2-2 draw against then newcomers Birmingham City, over whether Arsenal FC can regain the Barclays Premier League title.

The first half of that game was marred by a horrifying injury to Gunners striker Eduardo, then a late 90th minute James McFadden penalty tied the game, leading to William Gallas' sit-down protest, which put his captaincy and leadership into question.

Many say that was the point when Arsenal's season started to collapse.

It was followed by a series of injuries to key players, including Tomas Rosicky and Robin van Persie, an embarrassing 4-1 exit from the FA Cup at the hands of arch rivals Manchester United, and a somewhat more embarrassing (not that that was embarrassing enough) 5 -1 Carling Cup shocker at the hands of North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

They eventually slipped down to third in the Premier League as well as suffering the thrilling defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League second Leg at Anfield.

However, hope can be restored to Arsenal's ever loyal fans as a new beginning is within sight. The new EPL season gets underway soon and Arsenal have a wealth of young, talent flowing through their squad.

One name Arsenal fans will have heard is that of Carlos Vela, a Mexican striker, who played on the left wing for Osasuna while on loan last season.

Vela is mainly a link-up player with a great footballing mind and quick feet. Some fans may have seen his recent pre-season performances, scoring a hat-trick in a 10-2 rout against a Burgenland XI from Austria, and scoring and creating a goal against VFB Stuttgart's stronger opposition.

Fans should expect him to start out in the "Carling Cup squad" and as a bench player, but look for him to make a larger contribution towards the back-end of the season, especially if Robin van Perise's injury problems persist.

Personally I would love Vela to start the season at West Brom, but I expect to see around 10-20 games out of Vela in an Arsenal shirt.

Next up is the big summer signing of Samir Nasri.

Predominantly an attacking midfield player, Nasri can create havoc for opposing defences with his quick thinking and technical ability. Soccer fans who watched any Marseilles games last season will be sure to know what I mean.

Nasri was named French Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year ahead of Jimmy Briand and Karim Benzema, the wonder kid out of Lyon. Nasri was also voted Marseille's player of the year by the fans, receiving 62% of the votes.

He has been widely tipped as "the next Zidane." All headbutt jokes aside, things are looking bright for this young man.

Expect Nasri to start around 10-20 games this season, looking to contribute a few goals also.

Amaury Bischoff is a name many people in the soccer world wouldn't have heard of no matter how deep their knowledge is.

From Werder Bremen, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted the capture of the free-agent is something of "a gamble."

A 21 year old midfielder whose only meaningful competitive game was against Spanish side Celta Vigo in the UEFA Cup, Bischoff has a long history of injury problems, but I would never doubt an Arsene Wenger signing.

You never know, Bischoff could become a steal.

On the other hand he could be the next Francis Jeffers (Arsenal fans, you know what I'm talking about). Expect him to start 1-10 games, but mainly be used as a substitute coming off the bench.

Aaron Ramsey, a 17 year old prospect from Cardiff city, has shown the skill set needed to become a Premier League player.

The £5million ($9.5million) signing declined an offer from champions Manchester United to join Arsenal because he felt he would have a better opportunity to contribute.

In my opinion he could well be the starter alongside Cesc Fabregas in the centre of midfield (provided Abou Diaby is not healthy). Ramsey has shown defensive and offensive abilities this pre-season, scoring one goal and assisting in several others.

Ramsey has shown the mindset and confidence to excel at the Premier League level, and I expect him to start five to 10 games while making a number of contributions from the bench

And last is Jack Wilshere, a 16 year old prospect who has come up the ranks in the last few months.

It was only in March this year that he made his debut for the reserves, and he has propelled himself into a fairly meaningful pre-season game against VFB Stuttgart in front of 51,000 strong.

Wilshere scored, demonstrating his impressive skills, but also revealed the weakness in his game, looking indecisive when presented with other goal scoring opportunities.

Remember the name Wilshere, however, as you may be hearing much more of him in the not too distant future.

It definitely looks bright for him at Arsenal, but don't expect much from him this term, apart from the odd Carling Cup appearance.

Add veteran players Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and a healthy Tomas Rosicky and you have what looks like a legit title contender.

Couple that to the possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo could be on his way out of Manchester for Madrid, and the future for the Gunners looks golden.