Bleacher Report - Articles by Willie Gannon

After Chelsea, How Far Are Arsenal from Challenging for the Title?

Willie Gannon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:16:37 -0500

Arsene Wenger must be wondering what to do next after Chelsea and Didier Drogba produced a masterclass in efficiency, intelligence, and ruthlessness at the Emirates as they ripped Arsenal to shreds and in effect, ended the Gunners slim chances of becoming Champions.

Just like last season, the Gunners' tilt at the title has come un-done before December, and now Wenger and many of the Arsenal team must sit down and just like last season when Chelsea destroyed the Gunners 4-1 the recriminations will begin.

As ever with Arsenal, there are more questions than answers. The manager doesn't escape either.

Arsenal are now in danger of going five seasons without a trophy. The buck has to stop with Wenger.

While Arsenal may not spent as much as their nearest rivals, they are still an incredibly rich team, and have the fourth highest wage bill in the EPL. Their choice to spend more on wages than transfers has been a wise move, as it has enabled the Gunners to out-bid rival teams for up and coming youngsters.

The Gunners' policy of signing young superstars from around the world has seen them create a young exciting team, but it has come at a cost.

1) It sends a message out to fans and rival clubs that Arsenal are a selling club.
2) They rarely sign experienced players.

Wenger is central to this policy at the club, and the fault at not replacing experienced players like Flamini and Adebayor with similar players, falls to him, and him alone.

The Gunners have the potential to challenge for the league, but they are at least four players short of a Championship winning team, and, unfortunately, those four positions are the most important.

Arsenal have a weak spine.

It leaves them weak against teams like Chelsea. You may say that they won't face teams of that stature every week, but that's not the point. The Blues are the best team in the league at the moment and currently set the standard, and that is what you should aspire to.

The position of goalkeeper was always going to come back and haunt Wenger this year. His confidence in Almunia is admirable, but the Spaniard is far from being the ideal in his position. He has been with Arsenal since 2004 and has never been regarded as being good enough for a title challenging team. It is worth noting that Arsenal have not won a trophy since before Almunia signed, not that it was his fault.

Wenger's signings as backup have been poor, especially when you consider that far better 'keepers have been available over the last five years. So Wenger must be questioned on why he has stuck with a goalie, that would only be regarded as backup quality by their title rivals, for five years.

Defence is also somewhat of a problem. In Sagna and Clichy, Arsenal possess two of the best full-backs in the league, but there is little in the way of cover.

Arsenal's problem area at the back is in central defence. Thomas Vermaelan has come in from Ajax, and has done ok so far. He has scored a couple of goals, which is always nice, but his main job is to keep them out. The Gunners have so far conceded 18 goals in only 13 games, so the signing might be as good as once thought.

He does, however, look better than William Gallas. The ex-Chelsea squad member has become an Arsenal first team player, and is irreplaceable when compared to the reserves at the Emirates. But his character has always been questioned, and he is not a player who takes responsibility for either his or his teammaters games.

To progress, he must be replaced in the first team, as a backup player he would be superb, but he is not made of the stuff of a title winning centre half.

Johan Djourou, Phillipe Sanderos, and Mikael Silvestre should all be moved on sooner rather than later. They are good enough to play in the Europa League, but not at a team with Arsenal's ambitions.

Midfield is an awkward one. On his day, Cesc Fabregas is the best midfielder in the world, but he needs good support; he can't do it by himself. Fabregas is the kind of player that makes others play, rather than him driving the team on, so good support is essential.

Alex Song is regarded by many as being an "invisible wall," but going forward he offers almost nothing and becomes invisible himself when the Gunners attain the ball. However, a player of his ability is needed in the side as Fabregas' strengths are not defensive.

When you look at the players who could partner Song and Fabregas in the middle, the list is full of superb footballers. Tomas Rosicky, Samir Nasri, Denilson, Aaron Ramsey, and a few more spring to mind, all are exquisite players, and not one of them could even tackle a good dinner.

Point being that Wenger has gone with Denilson lately because he is the most balanced midfielder Arsenal possess and he must play Song because Fabregas isn't too hot in a battle either, so straight away Arsenal are lacking.

The easiest way out of this midfield conundrum that Wenger has gotten himself into is to replace Song with a more experienced more balanced player. A player who could contribute going forward as well as aiding Fabregas in his defensive duties.

The balance that such a player would give Arsenal cannot be underestimated, it would ease the pressure on Fabregas to produce, and would give Wenger far more options than the one or two that he currently has.

It is little wonder that Wenger tried to sign Xabi Alonso two years ago, only for the board to refuse to go to Liverpool's asking price of £15 million, from their original bid of £13 million.

The forward line is another area where Arsenal lack real quality. Robin van Persie is a sublime player, but he is somewhat injury prone and only averages around 25 EPL appearances a season. His backup of Niclas Bendtner and Eduardo are good squad players but lack the presence or quality that a title chasing team require.

Wenger’s refusal to replace Emmanual Adebayor has now come back to haunt him. By placing all his eggs in one basket with Van Persie, he has committed a cardinal sin.

The Dutchman will now almost definitely miss the rest of the season, and now Arsenal look like they have no goals in them.

Gunners fans may point to the fact that 17 outfield players have scored this year, but Van Persie is the focal point of that attack, and his running off the ball creates as many chances for his team mates as his actual assists. Neither Eduardo or Bendtner have the nous or intelligence to even come near the Dutchman’s skills.

One must also worry about Eduardo at this stage of the season. December is upon us and he has yet to play the full 90 minutes, which is worrying when you consider that he returned to full training last season.

On the plus side, Bendtner does have potential, he does not have the ability to become a target man in the true sense, nor does he have the speed of mind or feet to provide the kind of penetration that a player like Jermaine Defoe would provide, but he does possess a good touch and is excellent with his back to goal, and that is exactly the kind of player you would want if you wish to bring the very best from Fabregas.

In short, Arsenal are currently short four players, and given the funding available to Wenger it is hard to see him having the money to buy one never mind four of the kind of players that he needs to win the league.

Now, winning the Champions League...that’s something else entirely...

Everton 0-2 Liverpool: Reds Win Dour Miseryside Derby

Willie Gannon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:12:12 -0500

Liverpool claimed the spoils in the 212th Merseyside Derby with a 2-0 win over Everton. But in truth it was a dour affair with both sides being guilty of a lack of ambition, and the only real difference between the teams was who Lady Luck chose to support on the day.

Javier Mascherano opened the scoring in the 12th minute after his off-target shot took a freak deflection off Joseph Yobo's leg, completely wrong-footing the stranded Tim Howard in the Everton goal.

The killing goal came from the boot of Dirk Kuyt with 10 minutes remaining, when the haphazard Yobo made a massive blunder when he sliced a simple clearance, Rieira was quick to capitalise on the lapse and his powerful shot was too hot to handle for Howard, who could only watch helplessly as Kuyt poked home the rebound.

In between, Everton had a couple of chances to peg Liverpool back, but their horrendous finishing let the Reds off the hook time after time.

Despite David Moyes' men dominating the match, they were devoid of a real cutting edge up front. The energetic lone striker Jo, worked hard but hardly had a shot in anger during his 66 minutes on the field.

Everton tried to change things around by bringing on their most effective striker, Louis Saha, but Moyes surprised everyone by taking Jo off, to leave Everton with only one man up front as they chased the game.

That lack of ambition was equally matched by Rafael Benitez, who brought off his only striker, David Ngog, and amazingly replaced him with a midfielder, Yossi Benayoun.

Benitez also decided to keep Alberto Aquilani off the field, despite the player having reached full fitness but needing game time to achieve match fitness.

The strange substitutions can be read as being the type made by managers who are frozen with the fear of losing.

With this victory, Liverpool have now only won three matches from their last 12, while Everton have only won once in their last 11.

The only real moment of excitement in the match came in the 70th minute following Pepe Reina's poor punched clearance. But he made amends by making a phenomenal double save that will go some way to defining Liverpool's season.

For the moment you would have to worry about Everton. They will not challenge for Europe this season and are badly missing their injured first-team players.

Liverpool, for their part are still playing badly, and are only really missing Fernando Torres' penetration up front. Xabi Alonso's absence continues to hamper the Reds attacking ability, so it is with some wonder that Aquilani's omission is questioned.

The win today keeps Liverpool in touch with the chase for fourth place, but it only papers over the cracks of their current dismal run.

Will Spurs Challenge the Top Four?

Willie Gannon — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:41:40 -0500

As we head towards December, Spurs sit in the oxygen-thin heights of fourth, but will they last? Is Harry Redknapp the right man for the job? Where do Spurs need to improve if they are to stay in the Champions League positions? And what would be deemed a successful season at White Hart Lane?

Can Spurs Make the Top Four?

Both Spurs and Villa are in the same boat here, in that they will only make the Promised Land that is the Champions League if Liverpool and Manchester City continue to stumble.

While Spurs do have a healthy bank balance, unlike Liverpool, it is only pocket change compared to the resources that Mark Hughes can command in Manchester. It is also worth noting that even though Liverpool’s squad is not of title winning ability, they still possess two players that would be welcome in any team in the world, and that gives them a huge advantage over their three main rivals.

Where Do Spurs Need To Improve?

Spurs will not only have to rely on other teams continuing to stumble, but Harry will also have to continue his wise buying policy. Tottenham have always been the nearly-man team of the EPL, and that has not changed since Redknapp took over. However, there has been a massive change in attitude at White Hart Lane.

Having a good attitude is half the battle for any manager, and the other half is based on whom he brings in. So far, all of Redknapp’s signings have had a positive affect on the team, but the progress is far from being enough.

The two fullback positions remain problem areas. While Benoit Assou-Ekotto must be one of the most improved players in the EPL, he is still far from being the ideal. You only have to look at the likes of Patrice Evra, Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, and Kieran Gibbs to see the height that is expected of a top four left full.

While Vedran Corluka may be hailed as “the best full back in the world” by Slaven Bilic, his international team manager, he is far from being the finished product.

It is no wonder that Spurs have signed both Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton for these two positions, but they are young and it is hard to see them impacting upon the team over the next two years.

Assou-Ekotto may be kept for the time being, but Corluka’s days would appear to be numbered as Spurs ramp up their interest in Manchester City’s wayward Micah Richards.

Central midfield is another area that Tottenham lack quality and competitive edge. Wilson Palacios had undoubtedly bolstered what was a very tame, soft centred team. His strength and drive make Palacios one of the standout midfielders in the EPL today, but all too often he is fighting a lone battle.

Palacios' main partners are Tom Huddlestone and Jermaine Jenas, but in truth neither have the class of ability or character to bring Spurs to the next level. For all of Huddlestone’s improvements over the last year, he is still very immobile, while Jenas has never lived up to the potential that he threatened to deliver when he first burst onto the scene with Nottingham Forest.

Over the last couple of weeks, Tottenham have been heavily linked with a £15 million move for Brazil’s Sandro. The highly combative midfielder from Internacional has burst onto the domestic scene this season after a series of eye catching displays, so much so that Dunga has fast-tracked him into the National team for consideration as he picks his best 23 for South Africa next year.

There are, of course other areas that will need to be changed if Spurs progress any further, but these are the key areas for Tottenham regarding their challenge to the top four; obviously it will still depend on keeping the likes of Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon at White Hart Lane too.

Is Harry Redknapp the Right Manager?

At this stage of his tenure you would have to say yes.

As mentioned before, Spurs' progress has been dramatic.

While they may have always been regarded as outside contenders for a Champions League position challenge, they are now considered as being one of the main contenders to the old monopoly.

That can all be traced to one place, Harry Redknapp. He has taken on the task of changing a culture of under-achievement at Spurs, and without getting carried away; the results are there far all to see.

His simple style has been embraced by almost everyone at the club, and those who have decided to resist the culture change are being moved on.

When any manager takes over any team or organisation, the first item he must establish is the mood through out. At Spurs this was a relatively simple task for the veteran manager, but the next item on his agenda was in striving to change that mood, into one of wanting to achieve excellence.

Easier said than done in any organisation, but especially in football, where every manager is measured on the results he brings to the club, particularly when those measurements are revised every seven days, sometimes less.

Since starting his career with Bournemouth in 1984, Redknapp has shown an uncanny knack in judging player ability, but his real talent is in seeing potential.

This is probably where Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s Chairman, will want Redknapp and the club to really succeed. Harry has already gone on record as saying that the Spurs post will be his last in football, and having managed for over 1,000 games over 25 years, he has earned the right to retire a happy man.

However, his drive to accomplish that which no Spurs manager has achieved since before the Premier League’s advent in 1992 is evident to all. He also readily acknowledges that which he achieves at Spurs will set the foundations for whoever inherits his squad.

Do Spurs Have a Strong Squad?

Simply put, yes.

While many may point to Tottenham’s capitulation to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, they are missing the point entirely.

Spurs first XI does not even come near the first teams of their illustrious rivals, but while those teams are severely weakened by missing key players, Spurs have, on paper at least, a very similar standard squad should players be lost to injury or suspension.

In other terms, Arsenal’s, United’s, and Chelsea’s first team all boast players that are of an extremely high level. If they are out they are replaced by inferior players.

At Spurs, their squad is built around many players of a similar level. There are no outstanding players on their books, so if one player is out, he is immediately replaced by another of similar quality.

This is where Tottenham’s challenge to the top four will flourish or fail.

At the moment, Spurs have a team that cannot match the first XI of any top four team when they are playing well, but they do possess a team and a squad that can expose any team outside the Champions League spaces.

Unlike most teams in the EPL, Spurs can now boast at least two players for every position in their starting lineup, so in theory, substitutions do not weaken them significantly.

The best example is the recent mini injury crisis that Spurs went through. They were missing Lennon, Modric, King, and Woodgate through injury, and Defoe was suspended. During that period, Spurs beat Everton and Sunderland but lost against Arsenal and Stoke, who were completely dominated during the game and managed only one shot on target.

Of course, spin can be attributed in any fashion, but looking at these results in the cold light of day, Spurs won two and lost two, one of which they were never going to win in the first place, and the other was a match where they were beaten by a late sucker punch after they failed to convert the abundance of chances they created.

What Would Be a Success for Spurs This Season?

These are always tough questions to ask, Spurs are in the beginning of a culture change (again) and it is easier to answer what would be considered failure.

Spurs must finish in the European positions. Anything less and progress will not have been made on last season, and it would almost be a case of having to go back to the drawing board.

There is an outside chance of another cup final, and Redknapp will fancy his chances when Tottenham travel to Old Trafford to take on what is expected to be a young Manchester United side in the Carling Cup.

But looking at the eight remaining teams in the “second” cup, it will be no easy task for any team to win. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Manchester City will all also be looking at this cup as being a “kicking off” point for their futures, while Blackburn and Portsmouth might not be fancied, but will be tough to beat.

The FA Cup is always somewhat of a lottery for teams outside the top four, and this year will be no different, so as usual, Spurs will be hoping for a home tie should they face one of the favourites.

One huge advantage that Spurs have, but don’t want, is no European football.

With no added distractions, Spurs will play a minimum of 10 fewer games this year, and won’t have to contend with having to travel around Europe for an extra game in between two crucial Premiership ties.

One item that is worth noting is Tottenham’s run in to the seasons end.

In Spurs’ final six games they take on: Sunderland (a), Arsenal (h), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), Bolton (h), and Burnley (a).

So conceivably, Spurs might only take three points from their last 18 available. Such a run of form would be catastrophic at such an important part of the season, so Spurs will have to factor that in now, and be prepared for such an eventuality.

The advantage of playing such heavyweights so close together and so late is that Spurs will only have to face Liverpool away between now and then, a game that Redknapp would have reckoned as a defeat when he studied the fixtures at the beginning of the season.

So all in all, Spurs face a destiny-shaping season. The manager is the right man at the right time, the club has resources available, there is a new stadium on the horizon, despite some Arsenal fans being mischievous, and their main rivals are struggling.

If Spurs don’t take advantage of all of these factors and reach Europe while showing progression, they will only have themselves to blame.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Pensioners to End Gunners Slim Hopes?

Willie Gannon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:29:52 -0500

There are a couple of massive matches in the Premiership this weekend, Liverpool take on Everton, Spurs travel to Villa, but most eyes will be on the Emirates as Chelsea seek to extend their grip on the EPL title, and end Arsenal's slims hopes into the bargain.

So far this season the Pensioners have been the team to beat, bar two strangely muted performances that resulted in defeat against Aston Villa and Wigan, who were beaten by Spurs 9-1 last week.

There have been minor changes in the set-up at Chelsea since Carlo Ancellotti took over, but their 442-Diamond style formation has managed to bring the best out of a number of players whose days looked to be numbered at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba's exploits last season have been well documented, but his change in temperament and high level of performance have marked him out as one of the EPL's top players so far this year. An added bonus for Drogba, is that Ancellotti is the first manager to have successfully paired him with Nicolas Anelka, and their combined attack has put the frighteners on all and sundry this term.

Add that to the re-emergence of Michael Ballack as a force to be reckoned with, Deco's return to form, Michael Essien's added penetration, and Frank Lampard's phenomenal consistency, and Chelsea easily have the best midfield and attack in the league.

Their defense is also quite brilliant too, lest we forget John Terry, Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho.

In short, the Gunners will have it all to do if they are to stop this blue machine this weekend.

Frank Lampard is definitely out, while both Didier Drogba and Ballack returned to action in the Champions League win over Porto after missing the 4-0 win over Wolves.

The win over Mick McCarthy's newcomers was a real paint by the numbers affair. A Chelsea win was never in doubt, and a Florent Malouda wonder-goal after five minutes set up what turned out to be a very easy victory.

The key to Chelsea's domination of the EPL this season can be traced to a number of areas.

They always boasted the two of the best attacking full-backs in the league in Cole and Bosingwa, but whereas both Hiddink and Scolari based their teams on these players attacking prowess, Ancellotti has installed a little Italian steel. It is now unusual to see both players leave the back four at the same time.

If they do, then one of the midfielders slot right in to give the defence a solid three man base.

It is in midfield that Chelsea is better than any club in the EPL at the moment. While they start in a four man diamond formation, all four players are usually comfortable central midfielders and fluidly rotate positions with each other, giving the Pensioners a solid shape throughout the game.

Ballack, Essien, Lampard, and Deco, are all specialist central midfield players, so the narrow style adopted by Ancellotti suits them all perfectly, and if they swap position, they are still playing a very similar role for the team.

For Arsenal to win this match they will have to keep Chelsea's midfield occupied, and move them around the pitch, thus eliminating their ability to rotate so freely. While the Gunners wide players push right up onto the Blues marauding full-backs.

As mentioned before, Chelsea's forward line is formidable. And it will be very interesting to see how they get on against the Gunners smaller but more mobile defensive unit. However, if Chelsea do decide to go long, Drogba's physical presence would be almost too much for either Gallas or Vermaelan to handle.

For Arsenal to win this game, they will have to deal with Chelsea first, something Arsene Wenger does not usually ask his team to do.

So confident is the eminent Frenchman in his team's ability, he rarely changes his fluid system to suit his opponents.

But Chelsea are no mere team, and if Wenger wants to come out of this game with the three points he so desperately needs to keep Arsenal in touch for a title challenge, he will have to change some things around.

For a start, the Gunners wide players will need to push up and suffocate both of Chelsea's full backs, who so often begin many of the Blues attacks.

Andrei Arshavin has produced nothing like the mesmeric form that he is capable of this season, and it might come as a surprise to many, but he has only played the full 90 minutes twice this season.

His form has been patchy at best since mid-October and it still remains to be seen how he deals with Russia's elimination from the World Cup, and his row with three of his countrymen on the eve of the second leg.

On the right, Theo Walcott has returned to first team action just in time, but it is hard to see him play any more than a bit part come Sunday, so perhaps Emmanuel Eboue will be handed the dreaded task of keeping ex-Gunner Ashley Cole quiet.

Arsenal's only definite starter in midfield is Cesc Fabregas. Their young Spanish captain has been nothing short of phenomenal this season, and has easily been the best player the league has to show after its first 13 games.

Although Chelsea's great strength is midfield, it is somewhat ironic that it is here that Arsenal can do most damage.

This season, the Gunners have used a three man midfield with two wider supporting players for a lone striker.

With three in the middle, Arsenal has been able to out-man almost every opposition team they have come across. Even their bitter rivals, Spurs, changed their system to combat Arsenal's strength.

It worked as a stifling tactic for almost the entire first half, but once Arsenal went in front Spurs had to resort to a traditional 442 to chase the game, and then the Gunners took over and moved into cruise control as they ran out 3-0 winners.

The key for the Gunners will be who Wenger plays in the middle with Fabregas and Song.

Nasri and Denilson are only coming back to full fitness, Diaby is definitely out, Rosicky has not been able to retain his same level of fitness as from before his injury, and Ramsey is unlikely to be thrown in against Chelsea, at this stage of his development.

It would seem that Wenger will probably start with Rosicky, but replace him with either Nasri or Denilson, but in truth there is little to separate all three in the run up to the match.

Up front is where Arsenal's problems lie.

Robin Van Persie will be badly missed, the Dutchman has been in splendid form this year, but he only averages around 25 EPL games a year, so Wenger must have always factored losing him at some stage of the season.

His replacements are Niklas Bendtner, who has been struggling with a groin injury since September, and has only played 60 minutes of football since their 1-0 win over Fulham, and Eduardo.

The Croatian/Brazilian is another player who has struggled to reach his old fitness levels since returning from injury, and has only played a bit part this season, and most importantly he has yet to play more than 70 minutes in a single game.

If Arsenal do go 451 as expected, Eduardo will be expected to keep Terry and either Alex or Carvalho occupied all afternoon, and stop them from over loading the midfield in Chelsea's favour. Likewise, the Gunners wide players.

On paper it is hard to see Chelsea losing this game. While both teams are suffering from the loss of key personnel, the Pensioners have far more depth on the bench and thus the losses are more easily absorbed.

While it must be said that Arsenal do lack options on the bench when Van Persie is absent, so it is no wonder that rumours have begun to emerge regarding Arsene Wenger signing another forward in January.

If Chelsea win, then Arsenal will become embroiled in a five way tussle for third and fourth, and they will have slipped too far behind the Blues to be even considered challengers.

The win is not as essential to Carlo Ancellotti's as it is to Arsene Wenger's young guns, but you get the feeling that this Chelsea side want to make a statement of intent regarding their title credentials, and Arsenal could be right team in the wrong place at the wrong time.

EPL Review: Spurs Humiliate Wigan, Gunners Title Hopes Fade, and Chelsea Roll On

Willie Gannon — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:29:09 -0500

The last time we had Premiership action, it finished with a David Ngog dive. Then we were bestowed with "the hand of Gaul" as France beat Ireland in the playoffs for the World Cup. So it was with great trepidation that we went back into the full scale battle that is the EPL. Chelsea once again showed that they are the team to beat this year, Arsenal's title credentials were left in tatters, and Liverpool continued to stumble.

Chelsea 4-0 Wolves

The Pensioners were without a number of first team players as they entertained Wolves at Stamford Bridge. If there was ever a game that was a simple paint by the numbers exercise, then this was it. Chelsea was so superior to Mick McCarthy's side that you almost thought they were playing a different sport.

Florent Malouda got the first goal of the game after his 40 yard run to outside the Wolves box, his strike would still be travelling today if it was not for the net, it was that powerful. Michael Essien then scored a brace as Ancellotti took the shackles off the Ghanaian in Lampard's absence. Essien is a truly phenomenal midfielder, one of the few exponents operating today that can do absolutely everything, brilliantly. Chelsea have not even seen what he is capable of bar the odd time he is allowed to play.

Joe Cole also scored his first goal this season after coming back from an awful injury. Exactly what Fabio Capello needed him to do. While the most famous teenager never to have played came on for Nicolas Anelka and looked decent, Gael Kakuta.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City

Liverpool's run without a win now stretched to ten games...Rafa is coming under further pressure, but at least Manchester City did not win. If that particular scenario had occured then the ground the Spaniard walks upon would have become even shakier.

Two players carried off in the first ten minutes did not help matters, but Liverpool still went on to dominate a strangely subdued City who lacked any kind of ambition. Liverpool need to win against Debrechen in the Champions League this week, but with their destiny out of their own hands it remains to be seen if Fernando Torres will play, or if he will return against Everton next week, which could be a make or break game for the Reds.

Sunderland 1-0 Arsenal

The Black Cats have been the surprise side this season. Drawing away to United and beating Liverpool, Steve Bruce's team were always going to be a difficult proposition for an Arsenal team missing the influential Robin van Persie. Without the Dutchman in the team it was difficult to see where the goals were going to come from.

Arsenal was pretty mute for the entire game while Sunderland were well deserving of all three points. Andy Reid received a standing ovation when he was substituted half way through the second half and one must wonder what kind of influence he might have had in Paris on Wednesday.

As it was, Darren Bent scored the solitary goal and if Arsenal fans face the truth, it pretty much ends their title challenge this year. And it will be completely over if they do not take all three points against Chelsea next week.

Tottenham Hotspur 9-1 Wigan

The surprise result of the weekend. Especially when you consider that this Wigan team have beaten both Chelsea and Aston Villa in recent weeks.

Spurs were always favourites to win this game and taking their 1-0 lead into the second half the game was poised on a knife edge. Eight second half goals battered Wigan into submission and Jermaine Defoe bagged five of those. It was a truly phenomenal performance by a team obviously enjoying life at the moment.

The result moves Spurs five points clear of Liverpool in the battle for fourth.

Elsewhere:

Hull came from two down against West Ham to lead 3-2 before succumbing to a Da Costa equalizer. The 3-3 result wasn't really what either under pressure manager wanted, but it was a damn sight better than losing.

David Dunn scored and inspired Blackburn's 2-0 win over Bolton at the Reebok. It was accomplished without Big Sam who had undergone a minor heart operation in the build up to the game. Get well soon.

Aston Villa had John Carew to thank as he scored four minutes from time to salvage a 1-1 draw away to Burnley . The Clarets have had a number of good results recently and Owen Coyle deserves much credit. Don't be surprised to see him mentioned as one half of the new Scotland set up.

Birmingham beat Fulham 1-0 . Quite possibly the worst ever game in Premiership history.

Stoke continued their good start to the season with a 1-0 win over lowly Portsmouth . Due mainly to Thomas Sorenson, who has been the best 'keeper in the EPL over the last 12 months, especially when you consider who he has to play with.

And finally...Manchester United hammered Everton 3-0 at Old Trafford . The result was never in question, but the implications of how far Everton are off the top four could could back to haunt them. Young Jack Rodwell is being chased by every manager who is half decent, and Manchester United are no exception. He could be moving to Old Trafford in January. The Red Devils application form was devastating to say the least.

10 Statements after Gameday 13.

1) The Arsenal-Chelsea match next week is a cup final for the Gunners.

2) As I've said before, Spurs can expose anyone. Outside the top four.

3) The Aston Villa-Spurs match next week is massive for both clubs ambitions this year.

4) The race for fourth includes: Villa, Man City, Spurs, and Liverpool. The Reds are the clear favourites but both Spurs and City will spend heavily in January if they are in good positions.

5) Who will be go first? Rafa or Hughes?

6) Gael Kakuta was the most famous footballer never to have played. He looks good.

7) England has serious problems outside their first XI.

8) Any team that buys Matthew Upson for £15 million needs their head examined.

9) Ruud van Nistelrooy, available in January. But where will he go? Back to United? Liverpool? Spurs, if they sell Keane? Arsenal?

10) Who will win the World Cup? Some might say that France's name is on the cup after Wednesday...

"Sad" Roy Keane Urged To Move on by FAI Chief John Delaney

Willie Gannon — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:54:33 -0500

On Friday afternoon Roy Keane's outburst about Ireland's loss to France surprised everyone. His constant use of the phrase "get over it" has now come back at him as FAI Chief, John Delaney has hit back at the "sad" Keane and told him to "get over Saipan."

It was a strangely aggressive Keane that took to the press conference podium at Portman Road. His body language was simmering even before any questions were asked.

He seemed like a lion, waiting to ambush, before he gets ambushed himself.

When asked if he had any words on Ireland's defeat after Thierry Henry's handball he had this to say:

"Ireland had chances at Croke Park and in Paris but didn't take them," he said. "France were there for the taking but Ireland never grabbed it–as usual ."

"They were afraid of that next step and were mentally not strong enough ."

"They can complain all they want. That is not going to change anything. France are going to the World Cup–get over it . They want sympathy as usual. It is the usual carry on and it is boring. Get over it. "

"It is the usual FAI reaction -'we've been robbed,' 'the honesty of the game' but there was one of the group matches [Georgia] when Ireland got a penalty for a handball and no one had appealed for it."

"It was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen and it changed the game and the group. Robbie Keane scored the penalty and Ireland went on to win but I don't remember the FAI saying 'You know what? The referee made a howler, let's give them a replay.' It is the same principle."

"It [Henry's handball to set up William Gallas's decisive goal] was instinct for Henry. Would I call him a cheat? No I wouldn't think so. Did he bend the rule a little? Maybe. You see cheating going on all the time. Nobody wants a cheat. I wouldn't agree that Henry is a cheat. He is a top, top player who took advantage of the situation."

"I don't feel the game has been damaged one bit. Ireland had the chances. They never took the chance in the first game. They never performed. I heard an interview after the first game when the manager said none of the players got booked–maybe that was the problem, maybe the players should have got booked because they stood off France. In the second game we had opportunities and didn't take them."

While Keane did make some valid points during his statement on Ireland, the vitriol in which he went about it was there for all to see.

Keane obviously still has some pent up anger towards the FAI, most likely about Saipan in 2006, where he left the Irish World Cup squad after a massive argument with Mick McCarthy.

It was also very strange to hear Keane try to direct his rage towards Shay Given, who made his 102nd appearance for Ireland on Wednesday.

But he reserved special attention for John Delaney.

"He talks about the honesty and integrity of the game but I would not take any notice of that man," Keane said. "People forget what went on in the World Cup in 2002 and that man talks about honesty. I have been involved with Ireland since I was 15 years but he didn't have the decency to even make a phone call–and he goes on about the honesty of the game."

The manner in which Keane made these statements on Friday were strange to say the least. He directed the press conference towards the Irish game, and then appeared to get something off his chest by attacking the FAI and Delaney in particular.

In truth, Keane came off like a struggling individual. A worrying case for all those who idolized him and who have backed him through thick and thin.

One would almost think that he is on the verge of becoming a caricature of himself, a David Brent of football, if he is not too careful.

On Sunday night, FAI Chief John Delaney urged Keane to let go of Saipan, turning the Corkman's words on himself by telling him that he should be the one to let it go.

"It's just a side-show."

"We've all moved on from Saipan-Niall Quinn, Mick McCarthy, the FAI and all the players- but it seems to me that he (Keane) hasn't."

"It's time for him now, in my opinion, to learn from the past-not live with it."

"I really thought the images shown around the world on Friday were very sad-it's sad to see a great former player reflected in the manner as he did."

"It's time to forget about Saipan and move on-because everyone else has."

In this respect, John Delaney is right.

Saipan was seven years ago, everyone has moved on, it's time to let it go.

Paul McGrath, a friend of Keane wrote on Sunday that he was looking at the press conference screaming at Roy on the TV to "stop" and to "shut up", wondering what he was doing.

The giant Irishman is one of a select few who know the full story of what happened in Saipan, and is a known backer of Keane. But even he saw the impending breakdown that is looming on the horizon for the ex-Manchester United player.

For his own sake, Keane needs to let go, and to learn how to deal with these situations in a better manner. His future as a manager and as a person, depends on it.

Spurs Send a Message to EPL 4th Place Challengers With 9-1 Humiliation of Wigan

Willie Gannon — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:10:10 -0500

It was a game that made many records. Spurs' highest win in the Premiership of all time, the first time Jermaine Defoe ever scored five goals in one game, the second-fastest hat-trick in EPL history, and, most notable of all, Spurs actually sent a message to their rivals for fourth.

Defoe scored five second-half goals as Tottenham humiliated Wigan 9-1 to record their highest top-flight win. Peter Crouch had headed Spurs into the lead before Defoe went to work with his amazing tally and Niko Kranjcar, Aaron Lennon and an unlucky Chris Kirkland own-goal completed the rout.

Paul Scharner's lonely strike was the best that Wigan could muster, as Spurs went on to record the highest Premiership win since 1995.

Spurs have struggled as of late. Since Lennon's injury and Defoe's suspension, Tottenham have found it difficult to break teams down. Add Luka Modric's broken leg into the mix and Spurs were without three of their most creative and penetrative players.

Today against Wigan, Tottenham really showed that there is a growing gulf between teams that operate in the top half of the league and those below them.

By the time the referee blew his final whistle, Wigan had already given up the ghost. The game was as good as over in the 54th minute when Spurs made it 3-0, and the vast majority of Roberto Martinez's men chose then to start wondering who they were going to vote for on tonight's episode of "X-Factor."

If Simon Cowell had been in attendance, he would have derided Roberto Martinez's team for imitating real footballers.

Not that Wigan's dismal display was the real reason for the cricket score result. Spurs contributed beautifully, too.

To score nine goals in one game is something that normally only good teams can achieve.

If it was not for a man-of-the-match style display from Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal, Spurs would have hit double figures, as the ex-England international pulled off a whole string of world-class saves.

The desire to turn off at three or four nil is normally too great for most teams, but to keep going and doing the right things until the 90th minute sends a real message out to the rest of the league, or at least to three teams in particular.

This win keeps Spurs in fourth, five points ahead of fourth place favourites Liverpool, four ahead of Manchester City, and three ahead of Aston Villa, who they play next week.

After only 13 weeks of the season it looks as if the battle for fourth will be between those four sides.

Liverpool's title challenge has sunk without a trace, but they are still more than a match for most teams in the EPL.

Manchester City may have drawn their last five games, but should they get within touching distance of fourth come January they will be expected to add another couple of signings to their growing dressing room.

Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa were all but written off after an opening day defeat to the aforementioned Wigan, but brilliant work during the summer transfer window by O'Neill has strengthened them considerably.

Tottenham were expected to launch a challenge for the Europa League at the very least this year. Good signings by Redknapp during the summer has seen Tottenham's squad be hailed by many as one of the strongest in the league, even if their first-choice XI are far from being of title challenging quality.

Spurs and Aston Villa remain the long shots of the fourth-place challengers, and in truth they will need both Liverpool and Manchester City to continue their poor run of form if either are to capitalize and gain that elusive Champions League spot.

Liverpool have now only won just once in 10 games. But that drought still sees them only five points off fourth place with their best player still to return from injury.

Manchester City are pretty much a new team, hastily assembled over the last year by Mark Hughes. City have signed some of the best talent from outside the top four that the league has to offer.

They also have the ace-in-the-deck that if things are not going to plan, Hughes can just go out and sign some more players as money is not even an barrier.

Aston Villa have neither the money of their three rivals nor the squads to match. But they do have one of the best sports-psychologist-style managers in the game in O'Neill, and he alone can bring this team to heights otherwise unheard of.

For the moment, fourth is still Liverpool's and City's to battle over. But if they slip up, Spurs won't be far behind.

Thierry Henry Can Handle The Ball, But He Can't Handle The Truth

Willie Gannon — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:45:57 -0500

Since Ireland's exit from the World Cup at the "hand" of Thierry Henry, there have been many things said and done. But there are only two absolutes after this infamous day. Ireland are out, and Thierry Henry's star has fallen.

The incident made front page headlines across the world, radio airwaves from Dublin to Dubai were inundated with irate listeners, Internet campaigns sprouted everywhere, and Henry's wikipedia page was defaced to the Nth degree. But we'll come back to that later.

Irish football was entitled to be furious. They were more than entitled to launch their doomed bid to have FIFA sanction a replay, even though they must have known in their heart of hearts that it would never happen.

The appeal was dead in the water before it ever had a chance. Anyone who knows anything about football knows this, especially Henry.

From listening to radio shows and from reading posts on the Internet, I've come to the conclusion that Henry has gone down in many football fans estimation, especially Arsenal fans.

And now he knows this too.

His half-hearted attempt at offering consolation to Richard Dunne by sitting beside him silently in the middle of the Stade de France beggars belief. By this stage he obviously had time to digest his actions, which saw Ireland eliminated, and knew that there would be a media backlash on the horizon and that he had to move quickly to save his reputation.

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Henry gave an interview to French television. When asked if he cheated, and if he was ashamed, he scoffed and refused to answer.

Then he had a re-think and issued a terse statement.

“I am not the ref. The ball hit my hand and, I will be honest, the ball hit my hand . It was a handball.

"[Sebastien] Squillaci went to jump with two Irish players and then the next thing I know, the ball hit my arm , I played it, and the ref allowed it. It could have been better to do it in another way but like I said, I am not the ref."

Twice within the short statement Henry refers to the ball hitting his hand rather than the other way around.And then he chose to blame the referee for not seeing him cheat.

It was a feeble attempt to deflect some of the impending blows that were coming like a wave, his self serving comments swelled that wave into one of biblical proportions.

The next couple of days saw newspapers and sports programs across the world dissect the match, the incident, and indeed, Henry's self serving statement.

His character was being analysed as never before, every match he has ever played dissected, and then people began to see that they had been believing in a false God all along.

Henry has been held up as one of the greatest players ever to play the game. And yes, he is a phenomenal player, but that does not mean he is not of questionable character.

Over his career, Thierry Henry could never be regarded as a dirty player. He just wasn't the type, but he has been known to be dishonest and cheat to reach a means to an end, but those rare infringements have always been held for the biggest games.

Of course there have been small dives here and there, but everyone else does it so Thierry is except from indignation.

After the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona in 2006, Henry was quoted as saying "Next time [he met Puyol] I'll learn to dive. Maybe I will, but I'm not a woman."

It is also worth noting that Henry slated Terje Hauge's display as referee after the match, despite agreeing that the ref was right to send Jens Lehmann off.

Soon afterwards he actually joined Puyol at Barcelona, guess money can paper over any crack?

But he did get his revenge some 30 days later by diving against Puyol during the World Cup match against Spain. The Barcelona defender received a yellow card after Henry feigned an injury to his face and Patrick Vieira scored a headed goal from the resulting free-kick to seal Spain's fate.

The point is that Henry is a great player, has had a great career, and has been held up on high by so many people that he has actually started believing their hype in him.

When all is said and done, he is human like the rest of us, makes mistakes like the rest of us, and is not perfect, just like the rest of us.

The FAI then launched their doomed bid. The FFF, quite rightly, refused. Then FIFA refused. Then last night Thierry came out with another pointless self serving statement.

"The fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control."

A wonderful gesture I'm sure you all agree. Except that it was issued hours after the door was bolted shut on the FAI.

Why not release this statement before both FIFA and the FFF had their say? He has had since Wednesday night to do so.

The real reason for this statement was to repair some of the damage that his reputation has suffered, specifically in England, where he was close to canonisation.

For once the English media all agreed upon one thing, Henry was a cheat. And every single one leaped to discredit their former hero. His reputation has been tarnished.

Ex-professional's such as Bixente Lizarazu, Emmanuel Petit, Lee Dixon, and Eric Cantona, as well as respected journalists like Graham Hunter, James Lawton, and Martin Lipton have all written on Henry's halo falling.

The simple truth is that this incident has sullied a great career. A great player, who hardly ever cheated..., has been reduced to the lowest form of player.

His reputation has diminished, as has the game of football.

When a player like Maradona or Henry or Roy Keane decide to cheat it tears at the very fabric of the game. For those so great to reduce themselves so low pains the rest of us to see it happen.

We bear the brunt of their folly, not they. They hardly care, they've reached their goal and we've cheered them to it.

Thierry Henry now has to face up to the truth of what he has done, and face the ramifications.

If he can handle the truths amongst the abuse he will undoubtedly take he will come out of it a better man.

For the moment though there is the inevitable backlash. Even his wikipedia page has had to be put under lock and key after some irate fan managed to edit it.

I think it's safe to say that Henry won't be going on holiday to the Emerald Isle any time soon, but the Irish are a resilient people.

They sang their hearts out on the streets of Paris on Wednesday night while the French hid in dark corners ashamed of their hollow victory.

Parisian's can count themselves lucky that it was the Irish they beat, because if it had been some other nation God only knows what would have happened to their beautiful city.

As it was there was only 60 cars burnt out in Paris that night.

All by Algerian fans, celebrating getting to the World Cup...

Just imagine the party the Irish would have had had they qualified...

But some Irishman did get a bit of a laugh from Thierry, at least for a few hours anyway.

As I said before Henry's reputation has diminished, he now has to face up to it and re-build it.

Here is the Wikipedia page before it was taken down, it shows how some people see our illustrious Henry...(click here )

Harry Redknapp Launches Scathing Attack on Spurs Squad Players

Willie Gannon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:05:31 -0500

Spurs sit in fourth place after getting off to their best start to a league campaign in some time. But Harry Redknapp has indicated to his team that he is not prepared to sit on his laurels by lashing out at certain squad members for complaining to the clubs Chairman about not playing enough.

Tottenham's star has risen exponentially since Redknapp joined in October 2008. Sitting bottom of the table after their worst start to a season since 1912, Spurs moved to bring in the former Portsmouth boss.

His influence is there for all to see, as Tottenham rose from the depths of the Premiership to actually launch a concerted attack on the European positions of the league. Only a final game defeat to Liverpool denied Spurs what would have been one of the great feats of the Premiership age.

With the wind in their sails, Spurs were expected to challenge for those elusive European positions this year. As luck would have it, they would entertain Liverpool in the first game of the season.

Spurs ran out comfortable winners over the team that finished second last year, and the stage was set for a good start to the season.

Eleven games later and Tottenham sit in fourth place above challengers Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.

Much of this progress can be attributed to Redknapp's influence on the team, but it is worth noting that he has spent £71.5 million in only one year at Spurs.

For the most part, the money has been spent very wisely. Spurs were lacking firepower since the sales of Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermaine Defoe. So when Harry went looking for new strikers, it came as little surprise to see him re-sign both Defoe and Keane, before adding Peter Crouch to the mix.

These signings were quite significant, but perhaps his most important signing has been that of midfielder Wilson Palacios.

The Honduran was added to give Spurs some steel in midfield, as Redknapp reckoned that Spurs "lacked character in a battle." He was right.

Over the years, players have come in at Tottenham with the attitude that they have made it to the big time because Spurs are such a massive club and have then gone on to produce little on the pitch. This attitude has been endemic throughout the club over the years.

However, that attitude has begun to change since Redknapp came in.

Palacios bolstered midfield and all of a sudden certain players who had always thought that their position was unassailable were under threat.

There has been a massive culture change at Spurs in a little more than one year, and Harry deserves much credit for actually making these players work for the right to represent their team on the pitch.

Over the last 30 years, Spurs have gone through too many managers who were not equipped to tackle the culture of underachievement that had become part of the fabric at White Hart Lane, and Redknapp has now moved into the second phase of this culture change at the club.

Whenever a culture changes in an organization, it is normally met with fear, trepidation, and a general level of mistrust.

Changing your organizational culture is the toughest task you will ever take on. The organizational culture has been formed over years of interaction between the participants in the organization and changing it can feel like rolling rocks uphill.

Knowing that Spurs were burdened with players who were sitting on fat pay cheques and contributing very llittle, Tottenham Hotspur changed the players working conditions to try and force some of them into leaving.

In the summer, Spurs pulled their team out of the Reserve Squad Premier League.

All of a sudden, players were looking at going through a season without a game of football.

The focus was placed on Tottenham's ever-improving Academy side and many young squad players were sent out on loan to get experience.

While others were left to fight it out for the first team.

This obviously had a huge impact on players—not getting games. Now Harry has lifted the lid on how some disgruntled players have decided to complain to the clubs Chairman rather than the manager.

“What I found amazing is that agents will ring the chairman [Daniel Levy] and complain about their player not playing, you know, ‘What is your manager doing, why is he picking this player?’” Redknapp said.

That’s something that’s new to me and I find it strange and very difficult to deal with—if a player hasn’t got the courage to come and see you himself and ask why he’s not playing and get his agent, who would know nothing about football anyway, to ring.

“He [the agent] is only there because [the player] is a money-making machine. He’s got no interest in the player when he finishes his career probably, but will ring up the chairman and ask why you’re not picking this particular player.

“I’m lucky that the chairman doesn’t take any notice and he tells me about these idiots who ring him. But I just find it amazing that they have the nerve to do that, and I’m amazed that the player is weak enough to let his agent ring up the chairman and ask why he’s not playing.

“He should be coming to see me, knocking on my door. But that is what’s going on and I’ve come across it more and more in recent times.”

The broadside seems aimed at players like Roman Pavlyuchenko, Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley, Giovani Dos Santos, and Alan Hutton, who have all found their chances limited this year.

At least two of those five are expected to move on in January after AS Roma and Zenit St. Petersburg announced their interest in Pavlyuchenko, while Bentley has been linked with a swap for Manchester City's Martin Petrov.

There needs to be many components in place for clubs to change. For a start, it's particapants actually have to want to change.

It then begins with the chairman, who has to understand how the current culture works and how it can be changed. He then puts together a team to bring in his vision of how the organisation should be structured.

Levy made one massive mistake with Juande Ramos as manager and Damien Comolli as Technical Director, so he went back to traditional methods and chose the most traditional of managers for the task.

Redknapp has been in management since 1984 and is one of the few managers to have reached 1000 professional games.

His history is there for all to see, and now he is the key influence on Tottenham's future.

So far, he has done a very good job.

But the progression off the pitch will only be recognised if he can make progress on the pitch.

To do that, Spurs must finish in the top seven. So far they are on course, but as any Tottenham fan will tell you, they're used to false dawns, and hope that this is not another.

France Cheats Its Way Past Heroic Ireland To South Africa

Willie Gannon — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:33:02 -0500

France cheated their way to South Africa tonight after Ireland succumbed to a travesty of justice as Thierry Henry handled the ball twice in the build up to William Gallas' winning goal.

It was an outrageous way to win the match after Ireland had taken the game to their "mighty" opponents and put in the kind of performance that the players will remember for years.

Going into the game all eyes were on Paris as Irish fans descended on the city in their thousands. The French Football Federation only supplied the FAI with 8,000 tickets but almost 20,000 fans defied the recession to support the boys in green.

Ireland were expected to play the game as tight as possible but they caught Raymond Domenech and the French team off guard as they tore into their illustrious opponents right from the start.

The manner of the Irish performance was a joy to see. Giovani Trappatoni seemed to have encouraged his side to be as adventurous as possible and their ambition was there for all to see.

Ireland's midfield was immense, with Damien Duff and Liam Lawrence standing out as they inflicted their game upon the French and Patrice Evra and Sagna in particular.

All the omens were against Ireland going into this match. The Irish had not beaten a team seeded higher than them away from home since 1987, under Domenech France had only ever lost one on home soil, and no team to ever take the lead in an away leg had ever lost a UEFA playoff.

But Ireland have never lost when Robbie Keane scored.

And score he did.

The Tallaght man was immense all night, his work-rate was phenomenal, his touch exquisite, and his radar for goal on full alert.

If you had just turned the match on you would have been forgiven for thinking that it was the French who were dictating play, such was Ireland's dominance.

And their goal was a thing of beauty.

Having gone close through Doyle and Keane in the minutes leading into the opening strike. Ireland twisted the knife and cut the French defence apart as they moved the ball from one side of the pitch to the other before Damien Duff raced onto Kilbane's perfectly weighted through ball. The boy from Ballyboden then picked out Tottenham Hotspur's Keane, who had pulled out to the penalty spot, and he twisted his body to suit the path of the ball and simply passed it past the superb Lloris to give Ireland a well deserved lead.

Ireland continued their dominance until half time, and it was just one of those days when France were literally saved by the bell.

France were expected to come out and take the game to the superior Irish, but again Ireland were the better side.

Time after time they cut France apart, and Shay Given was a forelorn figure in the Irish goal as none of the much celebrated French strikers troubled him at all.

Liam Lawrence was the chief architect for Ireland's best chances in the second half, as his beautiful through ball found Damien Duff clear on goal with on Lloris to beat.

The young Lyon 'keeper spread himself well to block Duff's effort, but the Fulham wingers strike was straight at his foil and barely tested him.

Minutes later, Lawrence wriggled his way past two defenders before prodding the ball to Keane who skipped past Gallas and into a one-on-one with Lloris. He sold him a beautiful dummy to leave the goal open, but his initial touch was too heavy and the ball ran agonizingly wide as the Spurs man held his head in wonder.

The misses were to prove costly as the game moved into extra time. The Irish, beginning to wilt after their phenomenal effort made a couple of changes to spice thing up, but their bench is their Achilles heel, and without the likes of Steven Reid, Andy Reid, Stephen Ireland, Chris McCann, Stephen Kelly, and Steve Finnan, Ireland were always going to struggle as their team got pushed to it's limit.

Even still, the French failed to make any chances of note and Thierry Henry was only a peripheral figure as the game moved towards extra time.

With Ireland tiring, France gained more possession, but heroic defending from the men in green denied them time and space, and whoever scored the next goal would almost certainly win the game.

The knockout blow came from a set-piece that Ireland failed to deal with, but on closer examination, the goal should never have been allowed.

Martin Hansson had a very good game and made right decisions throughout the night, most notably Nicolas Anelka's dive when moving past Given.

But he and his assistants made grave errors as France had two men in an offside position as the free kick was taken, then Richard Dunne was pulled over as he attempted to clear the ball, and then Thierry Henry handled the ball twice to keep in it play and then picked out Gallas on the line to head home France's winner.

It was the cruelest of blows for the heroic Irish, as France had barely threatened the Irish goal all evening. To lose to blatant cheating from one of the games great players is one thing but for the referee to miss key decisions in the build up to the goal is unforgivable.

Liam Brady, Ireland's assistant manager, ahd called for stern refereeing in the playoffs after UEFA President, Michel Platini, had decided to seed the playoffs to aid the higher seeded teams progress to South Africa.

It is a bitter pill for Ireland to swallow. When a player of Thierry Henry's calibre cheats to win, it leaves a stain on the game.

And now UEFA and FIFA will most probably do their best to sweep this ugly incident under the carpet.

Kevin Doyle spoke magnanimously about Henry after the match, saying that "any player would probably do the same. It's a natural instinct. But for the referee to miss it, and for the linesman not to call it after he had a clear view...well...."

The incident will further the calls for video evidence, but it is hard to see Michel Platini backing away from his extra two referee experiment which is due to start next season.

Marco Tardelli said the game had "diminished" after Henry's foul.

And he does have a point.

Diving and cheating have the ability to ruin the game, and it is hard to imagine the likes of an elite sportsman in any other code cheating to win.

Tiger Woods has owned up to fouls when he could take advantage of a situation, as has Roger Federer.

Henry is in that league of sportsman, and tonight he will hold his head in shame.

Spurs' Wonderkid John Bostock Scores Twice on His Debut for Brentford

Willie Gannon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:14:13 -0500

Tottenham's on-loan John Bostock scored a remarkable double on his debut for Brentford, as the Bees drew 2-2 with Millwall. And he was then described as a "young Zinedine Zidane" by Brentford's boss, Andy Scott.

The Spurs youngster is expected to have a bright future at White Hart Lane, only signed for Brentford on Friday after the two clubs came to an agreement concerning a three-month loan deal.

Bostock put Brentford ahead with a sweet finish in the ninth minute. He forced his way past Tony Craig before finding the bottom corner with a sublime finish from outside the box.

Unfortunately for the Bees, Millwall drew level in the 15th minute through Paul Robinson with a close0range header.

Bostock then added his second direct from a corner after he curled his set piece right into the top corner of the near post. It was a fantastic piece of skill that caught Millwall on the hop, as the Bees went ahead 2-1.

Brentford were only denied the win they deserved in the 88th minute as James Henry fired home to secure a draw for Millwall.

After the match, Andy Scott had this to say about the Spurs youngster, "John's a special player. Any lad who's bought for big money at 15 has got to have something.

"He's physically strong, and has outstanding vision. After seeing him in training, the lads thought he was Zidane!

"He took his two goals really well."

His achievement is all the more remarkable when you realise that this game was the first time Bostock has ever completed 90 minutes at senior level.

Harry Redknapp, Tottenham Hotspur's manager, is said to be delighted with the progress Bostock is making but felt the young player needed some first-team experience before being involved with Spurs' first team, hence the loan move to Brentford.

The now 17-year-old made his debut in late 2007 for Crystal Palace at the tender age of 15 before Spurs came in and signed him after playing only four games.

The move to White Hart Lane infuriated Palace owner Simon Jordan, who then threatened to cancel Bostock's father's season ticket with Palace after the teen-ager agreed terms with Spurs.

Initially, the two clubs could not come to an agreement over the fee for Bostock, and the case was sent before a tribunal ,who it must be said, found in Tottenham's favour, especially when you consider the youngster's skill and potential.

The tribunal declared that Tottenham would pay £700,000 for Bostock, with add-on payments of up to £1.25m dependent on appearances and a further £200,000 should he make his full international debut.

A sell-on clause entitles Crystal Palace to 15 percent of any profit Tottenham makes from any future sale of Bostock's contract.

The powerfully built midfielder has captained England U-17s as well as Spurs' Academy team, and was influential as Tottenham won their league section last season, only to be beaten to the title by Arsenal after a playoff.

Bostock has yet to play a league game for Spurs, but has played three times in Europe, making him not only the youngest player ever to play for Crystal Palace, but Tottenham too.

Ireland 0-1 France: Advantage Les Bleus After Priceless Anelka Away Goal

Willie Gannon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:51:10 -0500

France took one giant step towards the World Cup finals in South Africa this evening after they beat Ireland 1-0 at Croke Park in the first leg of the UEFA playoffs. Nicolas Anelka's deflected strike was enough to secure a deserved advantage for France ahead of the return leg in Paris on Wednesday.

It was a game of few clear cut chances for either side, despite France dominating possession throughout the game. Ireland for what it is worth are always going to be technically inferior to the French and had hoped that their hard work and toil would cancel out Les Bleus superiority.

But the French had other things on their mind and matched Ireland in terms of workrate all over the pitch, and when that battle was won, the French began to impose their footballing superiority on a tiring Irish team.

There were plenty of rumors flying around in the build up to the match. France's manager, Raymond Domenech, a much ridiculed figure back home, was seen to have had a huge argument with Thierry Henry in the lobby of their hotel on the afternoon before the match.

And when the French squad were inspecting the surface at Croke Park, a lone Henry sat in the dug out refusing to walk the pitch.

In truth, this was Ireland's best hope of beating the French, but in the end, the stories of disharmony in the French camp were a far cry from the team ethic out on the pitch.

In the early exchanges both sides clattered into each other in trying to make an early statements of intent. There was to be no love lost and no quarter asked for or given as both countries knew that the prize on offer was too huge to shirk a tough tackle.

France, playing their customary 4-2-1-2-1 formation against Giovani Trappatoni's 4-4-2 were always going to have an advantage in moving the ball quickly. Yoann Gourcuff, in central midfield, linked superbly with Anelka, Gignac, and Henry as the French strove to spread the Irish back four.

Gourcuff's positioning was causing Ireland plenty of problems and all too often either Robbie Keane or Kevin Doyle would have to drop into midfield to help the outnumbered duo of Glen Whelan and Keith Andrews who were battling overwhelming forces throughout the match.

And when the Irish forwards did drop deep to help out their midfield it allowed the likes of Sagna and Evra to bomb into midfield to further out number the spirited Irish.

France could have taken the lead in the first 10 minutes only for the German linesman to rule Gignac's effort out for offside, the Toulouse hit-man was sauntering back into action when he latched onto Gourcuff's weighted ball, and Ireland were thankful for the linesman catching the players infringement.

With France beginning to dictate the ebb and flow of the game and with Ireland seemingly happy to let them while looking to launch an all too infrequent counter attack, the game was starting to take on a pattern.

When Shay Given launched a long ball towards the French box. Immediately France looked unsettled, and Lassana Diarra can count himself lucky that the referee did not blow for a penalty when he led with his arm while defending the high ball against Kevin Doyle.

The ball came off Diarra's arm and fell nicely to Robbie Keane but young Lyon 'keeper Lloris pulled off a superb save to deny the Spurs man. The ball then broke free to Liam Lawrence who only had to apply the killer touch with an open goal but a superb saving block by Evra deflected the ball inches wide.

Moments later Keith Andrews found himself in space on the edge of the French box after a clever lay off from Keane but his curled effort sailed well wide of Lloris' goal.

This spurred France into action and they dominated the rest of the half without creating anything of substance. They started the second half very quickly and this good start seemed to knock Ireland completely out of their stride as France began to take over completely.

Les Bleus started to grow in confidence and their one touch passing had Ireland's midfield in sixes and sevens not knowing who to pick up or what to do next.

To all intensive purposes Ireland looked to be playing for a 0-0, and lacked ideas of any sort. And as France realised that the Irish had no ambition they imposed their game upon the men in green.

A goal was coming. It was just a matter of when and where, and if Ireland had the legs to see out the 90 without conceding.

But concentration is the name of the game at international level, and France have such good players that you knew they were going to take advantage of Ireland's lack of imagination, lack of ambition, and pure lack of concentration, sooner rather than later.

In the end the goal came as the cruelest of blows.

Nicolas Anelka picked up a loose ball around 25 yards from the Irish goal, Sean St. Ledger never closed him down, and the Chelsea striker fired home.

The ball took a massive deflection off St. Ledger's back as he tried to block the ball and the flight of the ball changed massively and swung away from Shay Given and in off the post.

The defending for the goal was shambolic.

For a start, Anelka was unchallenged in picking up the loose ball, then he was not closed down, and then St.Ledger turned his back on the ball. All of these are schoolboy errors and to make the three of them in a row in such a crucial match is criminal.

France, in the lead, then hit Ireland on the break, time and time again. But to no avail.

Ireland did manage to push France back in the last 10 minutes and only another brilliant Lloris save denied Ireland a certain equalizer, when he bravely dived at Glen Whelan's feet after Robbie Keane's flick had put him one on one with the 'keeper.

But it was a case of too little too late, and France ran out easy winners.

And now Ireland's hopes of making it to South Africa look slim in the least.

Ireland were close to pulling off a credible 0-0 draw, despite their poor performance. And they needed that kind of result to get the French public on their teams back on Wednesday.

As things transpired, France are now dead certs to make it to South Africa and it will take the kind of performance that Ireland have not produced in over 25 years to see them progress, and they only have themselves to blame.

Ars Bandeet and Other Funny Names from the Wonderful World of Football

Willie Gannon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:40:15 -0500

Never heard of Ars Bandeet? How about Einar Aas? No? Well everyone's heard of Segar Bastard, haven't they? For every Diego and Pele, there has been an Ars or an Aas. Here are a couple of the greatest names ever to grace a football pitch.

Well we started with the great Ars Bandeet , so a little explanation so you know the name isn't just made up.

Back in the '70s the legendary Ars Bandeet played for Algeria. I'm not too sure he was that legendary a player, but his name is a classic that time will never forget, or at least the inter-web.

Segar Bastard : Played his football in the early 1900s in England, he was also a referee. Which brings new meaning to the chant, "the referee's a bastard," and well, yes he was.

Einar Aas: The first Norweigan to play football in England after Brian Clough signed him from Bayern Munich in 1981. Incidentally, "ein" is one in German, one can only guess at what Aas means...

Francisco Arce: Nothing too funny with being called Francisco, Arce could be construed as something else though. And when your nickname is "Chiqui" Arce ...

Francisco had a 17 year professional career in Paraguay and played in a couple of World Cups before retiring in 2006 while playing with 12 October . Now that's a great team name too.

Arsene Wenger manages Arsenal and one of his best players is Andrei Arshavin . You just can't make something like that up. Bloody good player though.

Creedance Clearwater Couto : The Brazilian plies his trade in Belgium with SK Lierse. And other than his parents having good taste in music, little else is known about the elusive striker.

Steve Death : Other than being a Reading legend, having played 471 times for the Royals. Death set a great record in 1979 where he did not concede a goal for over 1,000 minutes. The record was only broken last year by Edwin van Der Sar of Manchester United.

Robin Friday: The greatest player you never saw was also at Reading with the great Steve. From kidnapping swans to defecating in opponents kit bags, Friday was one of a kind. Click here to read a little more about Robin Friday.

That Reading team of the late '70s just won't go away. Wayne Wanklyn was a nippy winger who was also in the same team. You just don't get that kind of symmetry anymore, except at Arsenal.

Wolfgang Wolf: The great Wolf had a 17 year career as a player in Germany with the likes of Kaiserslautern and Stuttgart berfore he moved into management with Nuremburg, Stuttgart, Kaiserslautern, and yes you guessed it, Wolfsburg !!

Danny Shittu: Daniel Olusola Shittu is a Nigerian footballer who has played in England since the late '90s. He's a big, tough, no nonsense kind of guy and you wouldn't like to come up against him in an aggro. Great second name though, made all the better when you realise that "Olusola" means "God creates wealthy" Shittu ...

Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James Oatway: Yep you read that right. "Charlie Oatway" as he was otherwise known as played for whole series of lower English league teams between 1993 and 2009.

And just in case you're wondering how he ended up with such a strange name...his parents named him after the 1973 QPR team. The "Charlie" part came into it when his aunty reckoned he looked like a "big time Charlie" as a baby. Charming.

Neville Neville: Father of Gary and Phil Neville.

Two-Boys Gumede: Nippy South African forward who is currently playing for the UAB Blazers in America.

Argelico Fucks: The Brazilian centre half's career started in 1992 in Japan, before he moved between Portugal and Brazil. It was here with Palmeiras that he put in a series of eye catching performances before he was snapped up by Benfica. It was this move that sparked EuroSport into action and the "Fucks off to Benfica" headline has now reached legendary status.

Dominique Dropsy: If there was ever an unfortunately named goalkeeper it is the aforementioned Dropsy. Although he wasn't as bad as his name suggests. His pro career lasted for 20 years and he received 17 caps for France, including playing in the World Cup in 1978.

Danny Diver: Was a Scottish striker who played for an incredible 18 teams during his 21 year career. Obviously he wasn't the most patient of fellows.

Kevin Prince Boateng: OK, so it's not as good as some as the previous names on the list, but any German that called his son Prince deserves to be mentioned.

Well, there's a small sample of some of the greatest names to ever grace a pitch, and if guy's called Willie can write about dudes called Ars and Aas and Fucks, well, the world is a great great place.

Carlo Cudicini's Misfortune Opens the Door For Pompey's David James

Willie Gannon — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:29:19 -0500

Carlo Cudicini's career hangs in the balance this weekend after a horrific motorcycle crash that saw him fracture both his wrists and badly injure his pelvis. The 36-year-old Tottenham Hotspur 'keeper was pulled from the mangled remains of his BMW motorbike after a collision with a Ford Fiesta.

Paramedics who attended to the Italian at the scene described his injuries as "life-changing" rather than life-threatening, which could only leave interested parties to believe that Cudicini's career as a professional footballer is possibly over.

The Italian shot-stopper was signed as backup to Heurelho Gomes last season after a 10 -year stint at Chelsea, where he played 141 times.

Initially, he was signed by the Pensioners on loan from Castel Di Sangro as a backup to Mark Bosnich and later Ed De Goey, but he quickly established himself as first choice at Stamford Bridge and would go on to be named as the best 'keeper in the Premiership in 2002 and 2003.

However, Jose Mourinho took over the Chelsea reigns in 2004 and signed Petr Cech as first-choice 'keeper, and Cudicini only played a bit part after that.

Although rivals for one position the two 'keepers became friends and Cech was one of the first people to visit Cudicini in hospital.

"It is very sad but sometimes life brings unfortunate situations," Cech told Chelsea's official website.

"I went and saw Carlo yesterday in the hospital. He has always been a great character and you can see he is coping well with it. He is doing well and he will undergo some operations today to help him to be as fit as possible.

"I think that everybody should keep fingers crossed for him to get well soon."

Even though the move to Spurs was only as second choice 'keeper, the Italian was thrust into action very quickly, as injuries and a lack of confidence combined to keep Gomes out of the first team.

Last summer, there was plenty of speculation that Harry Redknapp was interested in signing David James from his former club, Portsmouth. But Tottenham's chairman, Daniel Levy, poured cold water over the move, citing James' age of 39 as being too old.

Spurs now only have two fit goalkeepers on their books for the rest of the season, Gomes and David Button, who was called back from a successful loan spell at Crewe last week.

Importantly, Button has little first team experience, and with Spurs in the middle of a concerted push for European football, it would look as if Harry will look to sign experience.

You won't get any 'keeper any more experienced in EPL football than David James. Over his 21 years in professional football, he has battled through everything the game has had to throw at him.

And it says much of his professional character that at the age of 39 he is now on the verge of his greatest achievement in lining out for England in the World Cup in South Africa next year.

Redknapp is a huge fan of James and has tried to bring the 'keeper in before, and with Spurs doing well this year, it looks most likely that Levy will back Redknapp's judgement this time around.

James, of course, would only be interested in a move to Tottenham if he was guaranteed first team football. Otherwise, why move?

At Portsmouth he is unchallenged for his position, and would probably recognise that his standard of performance, wherever he may be, is more important to Fabio Capello in this World Cup year.

Such a move would also have ramifications for Gomes. The Brazilian probably has no chance of taking his place in Seleção Brasileira, as Júlio César is the undoubted first choice, but he would expect to be named in the squad.

But if James signs, then his chances of being named in the squad lessen. It would also be somewhat ironic for Gomes if he were dropped, as he has finally begun to show the kind of form that tempted Spurs to sign him in the first place.

Gomes suffered a torrid first six months at Tottenham prior to Cudicini's signing, and the Italian's presence somewhat intensified Gomes' concentration levels after he returned to the starting XI.

This year, he has once again suffered from injuries, and only returned to first team action last month. So far, he has put in a number of first-rate performances, most notably against Sunderland last week, where Gomes was in inspired form.

Cudicini has since been transferred to a private hospital on the request of Tottenham Hotspur, where he is now under the care of specialists.

"We have leading specialists looking after Carlo and once surgery is complete and his recovery is underway, we will have a clearer idea of how many weeks he will be out for," said head of medical services Wayne Diesel.

Manager Harry Redknapp said, "We are all sorry to hear about what has happened to Carlo. We are just relieved that the injuries that he sustained in the accident weren't more serious.‬‪"

"Everyone at the Club sends their best wishes and we hope that he recovers soon."‬‬

Unfortunately for Cudicini, it now looks most likely that he will not pull on a Spurs jersey again this season.

Rafa Stares into the Abyss after Birmingham Draw

Willie Gannon — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:42:50 -0500

The best slant that can be put on another poor Liverpool performance is that they managed to come from behind to draw. But that tells its own tale: as the equalizing goal came from a penalty after David Ngog had dived to win the spot kick.

Little was done in this game to lift the pressure that Rafael Benitez now finds himself under.

If anything, Rafa's time in charge of Liverpool can be summed up as a team stronger than the sum of their parts, defensively solid, and one which always rose to the occasion of a big match.

So far this year it has been almost the complete opposite. Their once sound defense has been found wanting against teams that have attacked, and their midfield has been bypassed, out-fought, out-thought, and is clearly missing the influence of Xabi Alonso.

Their much talked about 'zonal marking' system has been shown for the shambles it always was, and now Liverpool looks like conceding a goal from every cross and set piece. The problem in using this system is that it relies heavily on every player being 100 percent switched on; even then it is very susceptible against well organized opponents.

Last season the big four in the EPL: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool only lost 17 games all season, with the Anfield giants losing only twice.

But this year those four teams have already lost 12, and Liverpool has contributed a massive five to that total.

Add in their Champions League problems and Rafa is facing the first and possibly last crisis of his Liverpool career.

His problems can be traced back to his purchases over his six seasons in charge. The once great club now looks like they have a paper thin squad.

It says much about the quality that Benitez has at his disposal that he was forced to bring on a half fit Steven Gerrard at half time against Birmingham and for him to be Liverpool's most potent threat on goal-whilst playing on one leg.

Before tonight, Birmingham boasted the worst forward line in the EPL, having only scored eight goals from their 11 matches. Yet somehow they managed to ask questions of Rafa's team as others have done before them.

Of course, Liverpool did not start tonight with either of their world class talents, Gerrard and Torres, but they should still have had enough to brush Alex McLeish's team aside.

Without the duo the onus to create falls upon Yossi Benayoun. While he is a very capable player, he is not of the upper echelon of Premiership quality and can struggle without the main attacking pair in the team.

Rafa's run without a win has now stretched to nine games. To some this will be summed up as just a bad run. Many will be praying that all their injured return after the international break to face the EPL's other club on the verge of a crisis, Manchester City.

While to others, they can point to the clubs worst start to a league campaign in over 50 years.

Liverpool are only three points off the coveted Champions League spot. Sources from within Anfield have confirmed that Rafa will only be sacked if it is mathematically impossible for them to qualify for next years tournament.

Never mind if they go out early this year; which is a very real possibility.

So where to Liverpool and Rafa turn to now?

Well, the international break has come at an ideal time. It should allow their star players an extra couple of weeks to recuperate, but if you believe everything you hear, then Rafa has been guiding Fernando Torres through the last couple of games until Gerrard returns. At that point, he will have an operation on his troublesome groin.

Without Torres or Gerrard in the team, Liverpool are a shadow of themselves, and without the Spaniard in particular, it is hard to see them breaking down the kind of quality that rests in the upper half of the Premiership.

His power and pace combined with his undoubted skill mark Torres out as one of the finest strikers in the world, and David Ngog isn't even on the same planet as a player.

Without either of the pair, Liverpool's win percentage is only 56 percent; with them it is a dramatic 79 percent.

And that now means the game against City is now a huge one for both clubs.

Currently, Manchester City sit one point ahead of Liverpool but with one game in hand. If they were to beat the Reds at Anfield and win that extra game, they would then be seven points in front heading towards January.

It is here that the battle for fourth will be won and lost this year.

Liverpool have very little in the way spending power, but their owners could be forced to dig deep to buy back up for Torres.

City is expected to buy heavily to consolidate their push for fourth. After spending somewhere in the region of £150 million in less than one year, it is easy to come to that conclusion.

The other contenders for fourth are Tottenham, and with Spurs being somewhat of a pushover in midfield, Harry Redknapp is expected to sign two if not three new players while the Lilywhites push City and Liverpool to the line.

So for all intensive purposes, the week following the international break will take be one of utmost importance for Rafa.

Manchester City (h), Debrechen (a), and Everton (a) are the three biggest games of the season for Rafa.

To guarantee his job he must win all three.

Lose two of these games and Tom Hicks and George Gillett will be seeking advice on Rafa's future.

The abyss is staring back.

Rafa's Bluff Backfires As Liverpool Draw In Lyon

Willie Gannon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:18:05 -0500

A last minute equalizer by Lisandro Lopez has left Liverpool's Champions League qualification hanging in the balance as they wait on results in other matches to see if they will progress. A Ryan Babel screamer sent the travelling Reds fans delirious as they snatched a late lead before succumbing to the late knock out blow that sees Lyon through to the next phase.

All eyes were on Liverpool in the run up to the crucial tie. Many ex-Liverpool legends had heavily criticized Benitez after Saturday's defeat to Fulham, feeling that he was hinging the entire season on the next match against Lyon, and winning the Champions League.

During the week Benitez appeared to have been robbed of his best players and said the injury crisis at the club was the worst he had ever come across in his entire professional career.

With so much hinging on the Lyon tie, many Liverpool fans were extremely worried about their clubs chances, considering they had so many players out.

In the end it was all a bluff on Benitez's part, as only Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnsen were missing from the first team to have played regularly this season.

Liverpool controlled the vast majority of the game, Lyon going through their own injury crisis were there for the taking.

The first half was a very tight affair, with only one real chance worth noting as Fernando Torres' snap shot was saved by the feet of Lloris, the keeper who should find himself between the posts when France play Ireland in the playoffs on Saturday week.

Lyon for their part looked to be playing for the point they needed to progress, and they seemed most happy with the lack of penetration on Liverpool's part. In this the Reds were their own worst enemies as play broke down with Andrei Voronin time and time again.

Alberto Aquilani was on the bench, and while the game was screaming for a player of his creativity to be brought on, Benitez chose to stick with the Ukrainian international, much to the dismay of the watching audience.

Liverpool should have gone ahead in the second half but Lloris saved brilliantly to his left as Lucas Leivia tried to curl a shot around him. The home side were becoming edgy and their lack of ambition was obvious for all to see as the Reds controlled midfield and went looking for a winner.

As Liverpool pressed, Lyon had to thank their lucky stars as the ball was cleared off the line from Kuyt's acrobatic overhead kick when a goal was deserving of the effort.

But it wasn't all one way traffic, Kyrgiakos and Agger's lack of communication and Carragher's lack of pace at right full left Liverpool open as Lyon began to launch some counter attacks.

Reina crucially produced a fine save from Lisandro after confusion between Kyrgiakos and Agger and the pair were at it again minutes later as a superb pass from Ederson opened up the square Liverpool defence entirely only for Lisandro to fire wide.

Rafa then went to change the game but brought on Babel for Voronin, when everyone thought we were about to see Aquilani enter the fray.

As it was it turned out to be a great move as Babel fired in a thunderbolt from fully 25 yards after he cut in from the left.

The most notable thing about Babel's wonder goal was the distinct lack of celebration as he looked mutely towards Benitez with a "this is the kind of stuff I can do" look.

All Liverpool had to do was hold on for the final seven minutes, but all of a sudden Lyon came to life and started pushing extra men forward for the first time in the match.

They got their just rewards in injury time as the ever dangerous Lisandro controlled a lobbed through ball to shoot past Reina after both Kyriagos and Agger had made vital mistakes in the run up to the goal.

Neither defender clothed themselves in glory with their inept performances but Kyriagos looks a really poor player at this level and is anything but a Liverpool player.

The draw means that Liverpool now must rely on Lyon travelling to Fiorentina and winning, with The Kids already qualified this looks unlikely, especially as a draw would virtually guarantee Fiorentina's progress if Liverpool don't beat them by at least three goals.

Not qualifying would cost the Anfield giants at least £17 million, and for a club who are currently losing £650,000 per week and in debt for £290 million, this would be a disaster of the highest order.

So it would appear that Benitez's injury crisis bluff has backfired badly, Lyon achieved their target of a draw and now Rafa must travel back to Liverpool and face the fans and ex-players who questioned his judgement after picking a strange team against Fulham last weekend because his hands were tied due to injuries.

The tide has begun to turn against Rafa. The first signs were against Lyon at Anfield last week when Benitez was booed after he substituted Yossi Benayoun with only minutes to go to rest him for the United game the following weekend.

Then legends like ex-captain Ronnie Whelan openly criticized their manager, and questioned his activity in the transfer market during his tenure.

Asking questions about Benitez spending £210 million in six years and why the team only has one recognised striker and a very shallow squad.

Liverpool's next two Premier League games are at home against Birmingham and Manchester City before they travel to Hungary to take on Debrechen.

For Benitez to keep his job he needs to win all three matches, but the decision on his time at the club will surely not be taken before it is mathematically impossible for them to qualify for the knock out stages of the Champions League.

And even if Liverpool do win these three matches they then embark on another tougher three match run where they must win all three again. The only real difference is that this time they travel away to Everton and Blackburn before they entertain Fiorentina, who should have at least picked up a point against Lyon, meaning that Liverpool must beat them by three clear goals to qualify.

Four days later Arsenal travel to Anfield.

Liverpool have only won once in their last eight games in all competitions. And for Rafa to save his job they must beat both Debrechen and Fiorentina (by three goals) as well as winning their next five Premiership matches, otherwise even qualifying for the Champions League next to impossible.

Tomorrow is Guy Fawkes night, and many Liverpool fans will be making effigy's of their current manager to burn. Lose their next CL matches and any of the next five EPL matches and Rafa's time at Liverpool could and possibly should be at an end.

Liverpool vs. Lyon Preview: Rafa Set To "Walk Through a Storm"

Willie Gannon — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:24:49 -0500

Liverpool travels to Lyonnais to play what is simply the clubs biggest game in decades and certainly the most important in the clubs recent history. Bigger than Istanbul, bigger than Rome, and possibly even bigger than that fateful night in 1892 when a few long-sighted men decided to split from Everton to set up their own team.

Yes, the game is that massive.

Its magnitude has not been lost on their manager, Rafael Benitez, as in the run up to this season defining match he has been robbed of the very best talent available to him.

He knows that the very future of the club, and indeed his future, hangs in the balance. Following a meeting with Christian Purslow, Liverpool's Chief Executive, Rafa was told to concentrate on the Champions League because of their massive debt.

Defeat and an early knock-out from the world's best club competition would have a devastating effect on the short term future of the team.

Liverpool is deep in debt.

Their £290 million loan to Royal Bank of Scotland is by no means the largest debt in the Premiership. But the payment methods used by Liverpool mean the club has until next June to pay the loan off.

Last June, RBS came within hours of sending the club into administration after it had come to their knowledge that Liverpool FC was unable to meet their re-payments. A senior director at RBS brokered a deal that saw the club pay £60 million to reduce the debt to £290 million and to restructure that payment so it would be paid off in full in June 2010.

Add that to the dire news that the club is losing somewhere in the region of £650,000 per week and you get the distinct idea that tomorrow's match is a huge one for their short-term future.

Winning the EPL this season is not going to happen, and the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as viable contenders to Liverpool for the final place in the Champions League means that the Reds face a very tough season ahead.

So far this year, Liverpool has shown a diatinct aversion to beating good teams, bar Manchester United. In every other match where serious questions have been asked of them, they have lost.

The last time they played Lyon at Anfield, they were beaten 2-1, as Claude Puel's side scored twice in the last 20 minutes after Liverpool had taken an early lead and manager Benitez was booed by his own fans for the first time in his tenure.

And now they travel to the Stade Gerland, with something of an injury and confidence crisis.

Benitez will be without at least eight squad members and Fernando Torres and Alberto Aquilani are only half-fit.

Talismanic captain Steven Gerrard is perhaps the most notable casualty, and his absence will hit the club badly.

With him and Torres, Liverpool wins 79 percent of their matches. Without one or both, the win percentage drops to 53.

Already without Gerrard (groin), Albert Riera (hamstring), Martin Kelly (ankle) and Martin Skrtel (muscle and virus) and the Reds were hit with the news that their two first-choice full backs have had to return to Liverpool for medical attention, Glen Johnson (calf) and Fabio Aurelio (calf).

The loss of the full backs is complicated by Philip Degen not being a member of the Champions League squad.

Add that to the half-fit Torres (groin), Aquilani (virus), Agger (back) and Ngog (ankle), and Liverpool's team will resemble the walking wounded against the team on top of Group E.

The only good news that seems to be coming out of Anfield at the moment is that Pepe Reina wants to extend his contract. But he wants his pay doubled to match that of the highest earners at the club.

Should Liverpool lose tomorrow, they need Debrechen to beat Fiorentina in Italy, a highly unlikely outcome. That would then leave Lyon and Fiorentina to carve up the group by playing out a draw.

Liverpool and Benitez need Champions League success to ensure their short-term futures. Lose, and the club will enter a dark period where they will only see the light at the end of the tunnel if they qualify for the same competition next year.

For many fans at Liverpool, Benitez is a man who could take an axe to a cabinet only for it to be hailed as modern art. He can do no wrong.

But the tide of support for him has begun to ebb away. For the first time in his reign, ex-players like Ronnie Whelan, Graeme Souness, Ray Houghton and Alan Hansen have begun to question his future at their old stomping ground. Others like David Fairclough and Dietmar Hamann have called on the board to stick with their man, at least until the end of the season.

As it stands, Benitez is one of the most powerful figures at the club. He has personally picked the Academy and Reserve Team coaches as well as the first-team backroom, the scouting system is also his, and he is in charge of transfers after the resignation of Rick Parry.

In short, Benitez has the power to stand up to Liverpool's two American owners. Neither can sack him without the say-so of the other, an unlikely proposition considering their animosity towards each other.

One theory doing the rounds, that Liverpool can't afford to sack Benitez, is wide of the mark. Should they part company, Rafa would only receive around 18 months worth of his wages in compensation. The club could easily afford that much.

The problems would then arise if Benitez chose to bring some of his staff with him, or if Liverpool decided to part with them also. This could cause a massive vacuum at the club, which could potentially lose its entire back-room staff.

So the game tomorrow night has huge ramifications. Liverpool must win. Anything less and the targets for this year become smaller and harder to attain. And even if they do win, they then face two more critical matches.

In Benitez's time at Anfield, Liverpool has won when least expected.

They did it in Istanbul. They need to do it again. Only this time, the prize on offer is the club's future.

EPL Review: Red Mist, Red Cards, Rafa's Red or Dead, and False Dawns

Willie Gannon — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:52:07 -0500

It was a red letter day in Week 11 of the Premiership in more ways than one.

For a start, there were more red cards dished out in one weekend than ever before, Rafa and Liverpool were well beaten at Fulham, while Spurs learned what life is really like at the top.

There were a couple of big stories this weekend, the most notable being Liverpool succumbing to defeat against Fulham which, in turn, rendered their only victory in October, against Manchester United, almost meaningless.

Their tilt at the title is all over.

Any Liverpool fan who is still trying to convince themselves that the Reds will challenge are deluding themselves.

To win the league they would have to go the rest of the season unbeaten, and after losing for the 5th time in 11 games, that is just not going to happen, while Rafa seems even now to be concentrating on the European Champions League.

For their part, Liverpool contributed two players to this week's red card frenzy in the 3-1 defeat. Both players were deservedly sent off, although Jamie Carragher will most likely appeal his decision.

It would be wrong not to mention Fulham. They seem to be returning to their European chasing form of last year and are a difficult proposition for anyone to beat at Craven Cottage.

Manchester United returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Big Sam's Blackburn Rovers. Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney both combined to put United back in behind leaders Chelsea who put four past Bolton for the second time in less than one week.

The 4-0 win means that Chelsea have now scored 17 without reply in their last four games. Florent and the Machine are back in business.

The ominous cloud on the horizon for Arsenal and United is that Chelsea's appeal will most likely allow them to recruit new players in January.

And while we're talking about Chelsea and January, I wouldn't be surprised to see them win every game in the month, despite them losing at least four players to the African Nations Cup.

Hull (a), Sunderland (h), Birmingham (h), and Burnley (a) are not exactly who their rivals want them to be playing minus some very important players.

Two of those teams met on Saturday in a real 24-pointer, never mind a six-pointer. Hull made the journey to Burnley and Phil Brown's men came away with their tail between their leags, a 2-0 defeat, a man sent off, and a manager who doesn't have the dignity to step down when all around him is falling apart.

There were a number of 2-2 draws as Wolves and Stoke fought it out in the Staffardshire derby, and then Sunderland were surprisingly held to the same scoreline by West Ham on Wearside. Andy Reid scored a sublime free kick but it wasn't enough for Giovani Trappatoni to call him up.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the way Portsmouth took Wigan to the cleaners with a 4-0 win thanks to a hat-trick from Dindane...Dong.

Anyone who has seen Pompey play lately know that a result like this was coming, they hammered both Spurs and Everton but ended up without full points from either game and Paul Hart's team now have an outside chance of survival. Very outside.

Everton and Villa played out a lifeless 1-1 draw, with Russian winger Bilyaletdinov scoring and then getting sent off for the Toffees.

It was a weekend for draws, and Birmingham and Manchester City played out a 0-0 thanks to a penalty save by Shay Given. It was only the fourth 0-0 this season from almost 110 games.

Spurs made their way to the Emirates for the 162nd North London derby. All week Robbie Keane and Harry Redknapp were available for comment to anyone who would listen, talking up their teams chances while putting Arsenal down.

Silly talk in the run up to the biggest North London Derby in years.

With the two teams sitting in 3rd and 4th, this one game would speak volumes of how their respective seasons would go.

Arsenal won 3-0.

For the Gunners it was a big win. Not because they beat their rivals, but because they ground it out and played with a level of professionalism not seen in an Arsenal team in some time.

For Spurs it was a crash down to earth. The White Hart Lane faithful are used to false dawns so you would have thought they would have been more guarded against their teams comments in the run up to the game.

Make no mistake about it, Spurs have progressed rapidly under Harry Redknapp, but not as fast as some have made out.

They possess a team that can expose almost every team, outside the top four.

It was a harsh lesson learned. Only time will tell if it was learned well.

10 Statements after EPL GameDay 11.

1) Phil Brown should do the right thing and resign. Three wins from 31 tells the true story of Hull's demise.

2) Rafa will come under severe pressure over the next week. And Liverpool fans could be singing The Gunpowder Plot next week. "Remember, remember the 5th of November." It could be the day Rafa goes.

3) Spurs have progressed, 4th after 11 games is good, but it means nothing at this stage of the season.

4) Pompey are becoming hard to beat, but an injury to David James could cure that.

5) Manchester United need a central midfielder to partner Fletcher.

6) Ex-Liverpool pro's are beginning to call for Rafa's head.

7) Arsenal are now viable challengers, but the best I can see them doing is 2nd, and only if United don't buy big in January.

8) Marlon King is an misogynistic idiot. Dave Whelan was right.

9) Lorik Cana is very very good.

10) Expect a bidding war to erupt over Matthew Upson. He's available for at around £10m to £15m and the likes of United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Spurs are all interested.

Arsenal Slaughter Spurs 3-0 as Harry and Robbie Eat Their Words...

Willie Gannon — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:48:57 -0400

Arsenal gave Spurs a taste of what is expected of a title-chasing team by ripping them to shreds at the Emirates today.

Two first-half goals in the space of 50 seconds put Arsenal firmly in the driving seat before Robin van Persie added his second and Arsenal's third to kill the game off.

The first half was a tight affair, Harry Redknapp surprised everyone by matching Arsenal's formation and going man for man as Robbie Keane was moved out as a left sided forward while Crouch played as the lone striker.

It worked for the most part...

Arsenal were frustrated, all too often the foundation of Fabregas, Song, and Diaby have outnumbered their opponents in the engine room, and have gone on to dominate and dictate the flow of a game.

But with Spurs going man for man in the middle and hassling Arsenal at every hands turn meant that space in midfield was at a premium, and the congested centre resulted in a lot of patchy play from both sides

Arsenal, for their part, looked cramped but patient, waiting for that perfect moment to open their rivals up.

It wasn't all going their way though. Spurs had come to frustrate, and were denying space and chances, while creating some signs of danger for Arsene Wenger's men.

The most notable of the early stages came when Robbie Keane burst into the box only for Song to produce a brilliant tackle right as the Spurs man was about to pull the trigger.

Minutes later, Heurelho Gomes pulled off a phenomenal save to deny Fabregas. The Brazilian shot stopper seemed to grow a couple of inches as he dived, and he made the vital touch when he had no right to even get near the Spaniard's expertly placed shot.

As the half wore on, you could sense the frustration growing in the Arsenal ranks. Spurs were controlling midfield, Fabregas and Arshavin were being starved of time and space and Tottenham were beginning to get on top as Harry's game-plan looked close to being a master-stroke.

Then as the game moved towards half time, Bendtner pulled a hamstring and went off injured, to be replaced by Eduardo. The smaller, more mobile forward began to drift out of his "fixed" position and all of a sudden, the Spurs defence started to look less confident.

Spurs and Harry were by far the happier. Only one real chance created by Arsenal in the half and a number of half chances for Spurs meant that the second half was going to be a tense affair...

And then Arsenal sprung to life by scoring twice in the space of 50 seconds.

The first came from a lax piece of defending by Ledley King as he allowed van Persie to get the jump on him at the front post and hammer home Sagna's weighted cross after Robbie Keane had failed to close the Frenchman down.

The next goal came straight from the tip. The Emirates was still celebrating van Persie's goal when Keane tipped off and passed back to Palacios, he was caught in possession by Fabregas, who drove straight at goal.

He eluded two challenges before finding the bottom corner of Gomes' net, it was a superb goal from Arsenal's point of view, but from Spurs', it was a disaster.

The goal resembled something you'd see on Hackney Marshes on a Sunday morning as the entire team switched off before Gomes made a cardinal error by letting the ball sneak in at the near post.

Ledley King doesn't come out of this goal smelling of roses either, his rash challenge outside the box when he could have easily jockied Fabregas gave the Spaniard a clear run on goal.

The game had flipped in less than one minute, from Spurs being on top and relatively comfortable at 0-0, they were now two down and the game was as good as over.

15 minutes into the second half and the game was well and truly over, as Robin van Persie added his 2nd and his 7th in five games.

At 2-0 Spurs had some hope, especially as Arsenal conceded two goals to West Ham after being in a similar position last week but at 3-0...

The goal came about after Harry decided to go 442, Gareth Bale was brought on for Huddlestone, and all of a sudden Arsenal's three in midfield were winning every ball against Spurs' two and the pitch just opened up.

A trend was beginning to develop and another ball was played out to Sagna from midfield, his cross was met by the flying Dutchman for the second time after a fortunate deflection from King and he guided the ball home.

Assou-Ekotto's comical reaction to the referee allowing play to continue after his foul on Sagna gave the Arsenal full back an open space to run into and the resulting goal left Spurs dead and buried.

Tottenham's full backs had been picked out as major weak spots in the run up to this encounter, and their poor performances against the Gunners will have done nothing for their flagging reputations.

In truth, they are both of Premiership standard, but there is a big difference between being an also-ran and being of title challenging quality in the EPL.

If Spurs are ever to make more progress under Redknapp, these two positions are vital. You won't win a match alone with a great full back, but you will definitely lose the game with a poor one.

Another area where Arsenal's dominance was dramatic is central midfield. Fabregas is playing brilliant football at the moment and is easily one of the best midfielders in Europe. He is ably backed by Alex Song and Abou Diaby, who are both effective players.

For Spurs, you have Wilson Palacios. The Honduran is very good, but he is alone in there, especially when it comes to the trench warfare of top four football.

Jenas and Huddlestone just aren't up to this level, and it is easy to see why Spurs are tracking Brazilian international Sandro.

With Arsenal three up Spurs threw in the towel, and the Gunners simply controlled the rest of the game.

The win means that Arsene Wenger gained his 1,000th point as Arsenal manager, a brilliant record over his 13 years in charge. And it extended their run against the old enemy to 20 years without a league defeat.

Their fans cheered every pass, and at one stage it looked as if they were going to score another three as a demoralised Spurs learned that there are consequences to "poking a beehive."

In the run up to this game both the Spurs captain, Robbie Keane, and their manager, Harry Redknapp, spoke out on how they had "a better squad than Arsenal" and of how Arsenal were "not of title challenging material."

This performance by the Gunners simply made their comments out to be foolish and idiotic in the extreme.

From the sublime Cesc Fabregas in central midfield, to the superb fullback performances of Sagna and Clichy, to van Persie's lethal movement and finishing, Arsenal were better than Spurs in every department.

The moral of the defeat for Harry, Robbie, and Spurs is don't make huge statements until you're in a position to back them up.

To rub salt into the wounds, Keane was substituted in the 65th minute after his abject performance. Let's just say the Arsenal fans jeered him off the pitch...

Spurs have improved immensely in the year since Harry Redknapp first took over, but they are still miles from challenging the likes of Arsenal, and on this performance, they have some way to go.

Arsenal-Spurs Preview: Player-by-Player Guide to the 162nd North London Derby

Willie Gannon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:49:18 -0400

The following article is a preview to the upcoming North London Derby match.

The Arsenal and Tottenham community leaders talk about what they expect from one of the most exciting fixtures in the league this season.

Willie's perspective:

Spurs make the short journey to the Emirates this Saturday to take on Arsenal in the most eagerly awaited North London Derby in years, or at least since the last one. With both sides level on points and sitting third and fourth respectively, the game promises to an entertaining one.

Robbie Keane stoked the fires in the build up to the Halloween showdown when he intimated that Spurs have a better squad than the Gunners, and on paper it's easy to see where he's coming from.

Spurs' possess probably the greatest combined strike force in the Premiership, and it's hard to think of any other team in the EPL that has four international strikers on their books.

At the back, Spurs have a centre half partnership of Ledley King and Johnathan Woodgate, who on their day are as good as any defenders in the league.

In the middle, Spurs have Luca Modric, Aaron Lennon, and Wilson Palacios, who are all top class players in their positions and who would compliment any team.

But Spurs real strength is in their squad.

They boast two players for every single position, and the vast majority of them are of a very high level.

But the problem for Spurs is that games are not won on paper. And Arsenal have some of the best talent in the world in their starting XI. Players like Fabregas, Arshavin, Clichy, and van Persie spring straight to mind.

Man-to-man the starting XI's should be something like this.

GK) Mannone vs. Gomes

Gomes got off to the worst possible start as a Spurs player. He couldn't catch a cold. So much so that Harry brought Tony Parks back in as goalkeeping coach, and ever since then his form has improved dramatically.

Young Mannone is Arsenal's third choice keeper at the moment, but has kept three clean sheets in eight games. Fabianski is definitely out while Almunia seems to have lost Wenger's confidence so Vito will start.

His inexperience still shows though, and he is liable to make at least one mistake per game, so Arsenal's defenders have to be turned on all the time.

Advantage: Spurs

Full Backs) Clichy, Sagna v Corluka, Assou-Ekotto

Arsenal win this clash hands down. Their two full backs are amongst the best in Europe and Clichy is up there with the very best. For Spurs, both defenders are a little one paced and can be caught out by tricky players.

Advantage: Arsenal

Centre Halves) Gallas, Vermaelan vs King, Woodgate/Bassong.

If Woodgate partners King, Spurs have the advantage here. On their day, King and Woodgate are the best pairing in the league, but with both players being somewhat injury prone, that day doesn't happen all that often.

Vermaelan has been a revelation going forward, as has Gallas to a lesser extent, but they have struggled in certain situations this season.

Advantage: If Woodgate plays, Spurs. Otherwise Arsenal

Central Midfield) Fabregas, Song, Diaby v Palacios, Huddlestone.

This is where there is a large gulf. Fabregas is a far superior player to either of Spurs central midfielders, and Song is equally as good as Huddlestone, if not the same goal threat.

Diaby has been improving, but he is still a squad player and is only really filling in until Nasri and Denilson are back in the frame.

Palacios will have it all to do if he is to keep Fabregas quiet on Saturday, the Gunners' captain has been in inspired form so far, and is the early leader for player of the year.

Advantage: Arsenal

Wide Players) Arshavin, Eboue v Bentley, Krankjaer

The unbelievably skillful Arshavin almost signed for Spurs last year, and how they wish they had nabbed him. It might have even brought something from Pavlyuchenko...

The little Russian is a joy to watch, he can move any direction with the ball and can create something out of nothing. While Eboue is as hard-working as they get.

For Spurs, both Lennon and Modric will be badly missed, and despite being very good squad players, both Bentley and Krankjaer are less than what is needed to dominate the Gunners out wide.

Advantage: Arsenal

Forwards) Van Persie vs Crouch, Keane

Van Persie is on a run of five goals in the last five games, but he should come up against his sternest test to date in Ledley King, while Vermaelan and Gallas will hardly be relishing their impending battle with Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane.

Advantage: Spurs

For Spurs to win this game both Bentley and Krankjaer and going to have to push right up to Arsenal's fullbacks and stop them from supplying the ball into Arshavin and Fabregas, while the likes of Keane will be expected to bulk up midfield.

If Pavlyuchenko wasn't suffering such a dip in form, I would expect Harry to go for both big men up front and hit Arsenal with a series of long balls through the much better passers of Bentley and Krankjaer, while both players would then be comfortable enough to tuck inside causing Song problems.

The danger areas for Spurs are out wide; neither full back is the paciest and they are both prone to being caught with diagonal balls in behind them, which the likes of Van Persie will exploit all day.

In the end the match will be a tight affair but with Arsenal playing at home, and having won all of their last 10 games at the Emirates, you would expect them to beat an under-strength Spurs side.

The absences of Defoe, Lennon, and Modric will hit Spurs badly as their entire game plan will have to be changed, but it could work in their favour as it will make them less predictable.

Last week's results will serve as timely reminders to both managers and players not to take games for granted, so with that in mind you've got to fancy Arsenal.

Won their last 10 home games, unbeaten in their last 10 in all competitions, Spurs without their most influential players and facing late fitness tests on their best defenders...

Arsenal will start as favourites and rightfully so. But Spurs have gotten closer to beating the Gunners under Harry than at any other time in the recent past, write them off at your peril.

Eldin's perspective:

The upcoming North London Derby is one of the most anticipated at the moment, not only because it's one of the biggest rivalries in English football, but also because the two teams have the same number of points, and also each team has a mission this season.

The Gunners are determined to go for the league this season, while Spurs plan to qualify for the Champions League no matter what it takes, had this match been at the end of the season with the same scenario, there would've been an all-out war between the fans of the two teams.

Arsenal are going into the match with an almost fully fit squad, most people would expect Arsenal to win this match, but things are never simple in a derby match.

Tottenham, however, have a few of their key players missing, most notably is Luka Modric, a player who has the vision to aid and complement any team he plays in, Tottenham will miss him greatly in this fixture.

Woodgate also remains a doubt, leaving Spurs with a lot of worries before the game.

Man to man the starting XI's should be something like this.

GK) Mannone vs Gomes .

While Mannone was great in his last few games, proving to be one of the most promising young keepers in Europe, his inexperience shows at times, and while he is a greater talent than Gomes, he lacks the experience that the Spurs keeper has.

When Gomes came to Spurs, he was a bad joke, terrible in every aspect of the game, but he ended last season on a high, and he was even nominated for the goal keeper of the month in the end of last season.

If Gomes stays consistent, Arsenal will have to be clinical with the chances they make.

Advantage: Spurs

Full Backs) Clichy and Sagna vs Corluka and Assou Ekotto

This one is a no-brainer to any one who watches football, while Clichy is sometimes inconsistent, he is one of the best left backs on the planet, Sagna is one of the most consistent players in the Arsenal squad, proving to be a great right back both offensively and defensively.

The Spurs full backs aren't that great in attacking, but are quite good defensively, their main task will be to stop the wide players from penetrating and delivering a cross, a task that is gonna be quite difficult should Nasri and Arshavin both play on the flanks.

Advantage: Arsenal

Centre Halves) Gallas and Vermaelan vs King and Woodgate/Bassong

This one is harder than it looks, mainly because Gallas and Vermaelen aren't as defensive as the Spurs defenders, they tend to go and attack quite often.

And while Gallas and Vermaelen are two of the best defenders in the league, their moments of inconsistecy have cost them a few goals this season.

In fact, Arsenal have conceded more than the likes of Villa and City, something that worries me, at this point, keeping a clean sheet against Spurs would be a great bonus for the Arsenal defenders and keeper.

Tottenham on the other hand, have two quality defenders in Woodgate and King, but they are injury prone, and their partnership was mostly an on-and-off partnership in the past, Spurs need Woodgate if they are to survive the Arsenal attackers for 90 minutes.

Advantage: Arsenal, unless Woodgate partners King, then it is a draw.

Central Midfield) Fabregas, Song and Diaby vs Palacios and Huddlestone

Should Palacios stop Fabregas from making his passes, then Spurs will have a much easier task ahead of them, Song for Arsenal is improving, but gives too many unnecessary fouls, falling victim to easy dives like the penalty witnissed in the West Ham game, if he acts clumsy, Spurs will be able to deliver crosses agains a team has crosses as a weakness and a threat to them.

Diaby is very inconsistent, and at times gives away the ball too much, but when on form, he is a useful team player.

I am not quite sure whether Huddlestone will have an impact on the game or not, but I believe Arsenal will have a greater advantage in the midfield.

Advantage: Arsenal

Wide Players) Arshavin and Eboue vs Bentley and Krankjaer

I believe Arsenal have a great advantage in this area, considering how fast both players are.

Spurs will have a hard time without Modric and Lennon, knowing quite well that Arsenal have two very good players on both sides of the pitch, which will have a huge impact on the game.

That's not to say that Bentley and Krankjaer are bad players, they aren't, but they aren't Modric or Lennon either.

Advantage: Arsenal

Forwards) Van Persie vs Crouch and Keane

While Spurs have an on-form Robbie Keane and Crouch, whom I never believed in as a football player, Van Persie is by far a greater technical player, seeing how the attacking options at both sides are plenty, it's probably gonna be a game with many chances in it.

Spurs will probably use Crouch's greatest asset, his height.

Like I said, I don't believe in Crouch as a footballer, but he is one of the greatest and deadliest headers out there. If Spurs succeed in feeding Crouch with crosses, then Gallas, Vermaelen and Mannone are going to have a lot of problems for the 90 minutes of the match.

Draw between the two sides.

With Arsenal's current form, and the fact that they've wasted two valuable points against West Ham, they are determined to win this game, but this is a derby match, so no one guarantees what is the outcome of this match.

It's been over 10 years since Tottenham last beat Arsenal in the league, I'm not quite sure this is gonna be the time were they finally beat Arsenal.

However, like Willie said, right them off at your peril.

After Everything, Is Rafael Benitez Off To Real Madrid?

Willie Gannon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:09:05 -0400

Every Liverpool fans worst nightmare has moved one step closer as Real Madrid have confirmed that Manuel Pelligrini only has one week to save his job, or he will be replaced. And Rafael Benitez is the favourite...

The Liverpool faithful have been through the mill lately.

The clubs worst league run in 22 years and a poor start to the Champions League have not been enough for them to turn on their manager. With whom they have always enjoyed a great rapport.

Benitez is a much loved figure at Anfield.

Since joining Liverpool from Valencia in Summer 2004, Rafa has been seen by many in Red as a kindred spirit. Someone who loves the club as much as they. And that he would give his heart and soul to bring the glory years back to Anfield.

His cause was helped by the Reds winning the Champions League in his first year as manager, beating AC Milan on penalties in Instanbul. That first year, Liverpool also got to the Carling Cup Final only to lose to Chelsea after extra time.

While Liverpool were doing well in the cup competitions their league form dipped badly and they finished fifth after a poor end to the season.

But that Champions League win endeared him to the clubs fans forever, that magical fifth win, that their English rivals haven't even come close to achieving.

The following year Liverpool finished a credible third and won the FA Cup, and Rafa became the first Liverpool manager ever to win a trophy in each of his first two seasons.

In his third year as manager Liverpool were expected to challenge for the league, but horrendous form away from home brought that title tilt to a stop by mid November, while the club were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions by Arsenal.

It was after this poor run of results that the first rumblings of Benitez's departure took place. Bookmakers even went as far as suspending betting after the placement of huge bets on Rafa to leave, but he re-affirmed his desire to stay with the club and even got the club to another Champions League Final where AC Milan exacted revenge with a 2-0 win.

The start to the 2007/08 season was disrupted by trouble in the boot room at Melwood as both Pako Ayestrian and Steve Heighway parted company with the club over Benitez wanting to take control over the youth and reserve team set-up.

While that was going on the club was entering into it's boardroom war phase after George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over the club amid huge fan-fare.

The American duo mortgaged the club for some £500 million, including £220 million that was going to be spent on a new stadium, which has yet to materialize.

It then began to emerge that Benitez was in the middle of a conflict regarding transfer spending with the two owners, and in the run up to Liverpool's crucial CL clash with Porto, bookmakers again refused to take any more bets on Rafa leaving his job.

Fearing their beloved manager was about to leave, the fans staged a massive show of support for Rafa before the game, Liverpool ran out 4-1 winners and Benitez stayed in the job. But not before it became known that Rick Parry had approached Jurgen Klinnsmann to become the clubs manager.

Benitez was devastated to hear that Parry had approached another manager, as Rafa felt that the man who brokered the deal to bring him to Liverpool was one of his closest allies, and the following season Benitez set about undermining his new adversary and forcing him to resign.

Their league campaign was over was before Christmas and Liverpool were knocked out of every cup competition so 2007/08 proved to be a barren year in more ways than one.

Last season Liverpool produced their best ever finish to a league campaign under Benitez, 2nd.

But as ever the season was an eventful one in the boardroom. Chief Executive, Rick Parry, deemed Rafa's first choice transfer of Gareth Barry too expensive at £18 million for a player with only two years left on his contract so the pair decided to go for Tottenham captain, Robbie Keane instead.

The £20 million deal was pushed through but it was then that Rafa chose to move against Parry. Benitez practically shunned Keane, and less than six months later the striker was on his way back to Spurs as Rafa complained bitterly to the board about not having full control of transfers.

With the club in it's best in their best position in some time, and the manager as popular as ever, the board relented and gave Benitez charge of the purse strings and Parry was forced to resign.

It was during the week that Parry tended his resignation, that Liverpool were set to face Real Madrid and Manchester United. Lose one or both and Rafa's future was on the line.

However, the team put in two amazing performances and won both games 4-1 and Parry ended up leaving, but again bookmakers had suspended betting.

All was not well though as there were more rumblings in the boardroom, and Benitez was openly questioned on his transfer record of having spent £170 million on 48 players in less than five years.

It was this kind of talk that led to the transfer kitty being reduced to practically nothing the following season, and with this combined to the clubs poor start to the year, betting has become rife that Benitez will not last the year at Anfield.

Following Madrid's shock 4-0 defeat to third division side Alcorcon it now appears that Manuel Pellegrino is to face the axe at Real Madrid, and the distinct possibility has arisen that Benitez could move to the Bernabeau.

Before Pellegrino was surprisingly given the job, Florentino Perez approached three managers from his four man shortlist. The others being, Arsene Wenger, Carlo Ancellotti, and Jose Mourinho.

All three turned the offer down for a variety of reasons, but Benitez was never approached as the compensation required to bring him to Madrid could have cost somewhere in the region of £20 million.

As it was Madrid chose to pay Villareal some £10 million for Pellegrino's services, and now face a bill of another £10 million to sack him.

With battling in the boardroom intensifying at Anfield, this could prove the opportune moment for all concerned if Real Madrid were to offer Benitez the managers role.

The chances of Wenger, Mourinho, or Ancellotti being offered the job again this season are astronomical never mind them actually taking the job, so Benitez at Real has taken on a distinct possibility.

If the offer was good enough it would suit the Liverpool board who would no longer have to deal with a manager they obviously don't rate or want, and who is backed to the hilt by the fans which weakens their position.

The offer might also suit Benitez as he would be moving to a club where the transfer spending dwarfs every other club, and if given time he would be able to build a team.

But time is a commodity that is rarely given at the most pressurised club in football, saying that Madrid should still realistically finish 2nd in La Liga this season, and have a good run in the Champions League so Rafa could well be tempted.

The chance of managing a club like Real only comes once in a lifetime for most, and when the offer comes while you're fighting fires set by your own board, it becomes more than tempting.

Madrid's next two games are away to city rivals Getafe and AC Milan in the San Siro, and Pellegrino has to produce not only two wins but performances of real substance from his team.

It would seem that with only one win from his last five games, Pellegrino's time at Real Madrid is at an end.

And that Florentino Perez is most likely to use the conflict at Liverpool to move for Benitez, with his current record of only one win in six being overlooked as a side effect of the turmoil.

The big losers in all of this will be Liverpool's fans. Many have backed their manager to the hilt.

And if he does leave, Anfield's boardroom could become a vacuum, with both American's trying to position themselves as the dominant force at the club, as at the moment Benitez is without doubt the most powerful figure.

The owners will then undoubtedly bicker over who would replace him and the Liverpool faithful would suffer many sleepless nights if the new appointee was a "yes-man" to the board.

None would begrudge Benitez a move, especially considering the circumstances that he operates under, but begging him to stay might be best for the club in the long run.

EPL Review: Rafa's Redemption, Wenger Whines, Spurs, and Chelsea Get Swine Flu

Willie Gannon — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:01:12 -0400

Week 10 of the EPL produced more stories than almost every other week so far—from Rafa's job, to Stoke beating Spurs, to Chelsea hammering Blackburn, to Arsenal capitulating against West Ham.

All eyes were on Liverpool for Manchester United's trip to Anfield. The back story of Rafa's job being on the line had captivated almost the entire footballing world. Lose and Liverpool would have had their worst start to a season in some 50 years, and the last time they lost five in a row they were relegated...

It was Rafa who inspired his team into battle against a United team who looked like they didn't know what hit them.

Again, Fernando Torres destroyed Nemanja Vidic, who got sent off against the Reds for the third time in a row.

Torres seems to have gotten into the Serbian's head, and has him psyched out even before the teams take to the pitch. In all truth, Vidic was lucky not to have picked up at least four yellow cards during the game in his fruitless attempts to put the Spaniard off his stride.

Fergie fumed after the encounter about the sending off but he did make some valid points about some decisions by the referee.

“We lost out to one or two major decisions. I felt Carrick in the first half was a penalty kick, but the controversial one that everyone will be talking about is when Carragher brought Michael Owen down on the edge of the box.

“The crowd got Vidic booked, and that put the ref under pressure, but this atmosphere is hard to handle for a referee. Whether he had enough experience or not, I don’t know, but he will certainly learn from it."

But he finished off on the back foot as he gave Liverpool the credit they deserved.

“All in all though, Liverpool were the better team. They created more chances and were better than us on the day.”

A Torres goal and a cool finish by David N'Gog were enough to see United off as Liverpool deservedly won, 2-0.

It was a great win for Rafa, but they are still in the same predicament and need a win next week against Fulham to keep the pressure off Rafa. His statement that Chief Executive Christian Purslow told him to "take one game at a time" is ominous.

Spurs lost 1-0 to Stoke at White Hart Lane. It was a poor result for Tottenham, who dominated the match for 80 minutes before being reduced to 10 men after Aaron Lennon left the pitch with ankle ligament damage. Spurs had already made all their substitutions.

It was hailed by Tony Pulis as "our best ever Premiership result", which does go some way to showing how far Spurs have come in one year under Redknapp.

The Chelsea machine returned to normal service as Blackburn came to the Lions' den that is Stamford Bridge.

But all they did was show up.

But in fairness they did have the best excuse ever. In the run up to the game three of their players contracted Swine Flu. Big Sam then called the FA and Chelsea to get the match postponed, but perhaps seeing a weakened opponent, Chelsea said no...

Chelsea then hammered five past Paul Robinson and Frank Lampard returned to his normal scoring ways by bagging two.

The game finished on a triumphant note for Big Sam, who hoped the Chelsea stars get Swine Flu...

Bolton and Everton played out a highly entertaining game at the Reebok Stadium as Everton came from two down only to lose to an 86th-minute Klasnic goal.

It was a much needed win for Gary Megson, who is always under pressure from the Bolton faithful, regardless of results.

Manchester City continued to stutter in their recent form by surrendering a two-goal lead to Fulham, who look to be returning to the kind of form that saw them qualify for Europe last year.

Next week, they take on Liverpool and Rafa at Craven Cottage.

All of Sunderland's recent good work against United and Liverpool was flushed down the toilet as Birmingham beat Steve Bruce's team, 2-1.

The Blues forced the tempo for much of the match and too many Black Cats players had off days (Darren Bent, in particular).

The ex-Spurs striker really needs the manager's arm around his shoulder all the time and loses his focus on matches if he is expected to be the main goalscorer. However, he is doing very well this year and Sunderland are well-poised to challenge for a top eight position.

Burnley's unbeaten home run was smashed by Wigan as Roberto Martinez's side ran out 3-1 winners with Hugo Rodeallga scoring twice.

The Clarets' away form is really poor so far, and if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation, they will have to avoid days like these.

Hull and Portsmouth drew, 0-0. Neither side has the strikers to trouble many teams in the EPL. Phil Brown's cause was not helped by "Dozy" Altidore sleeping late and showing up late (and then going on Twitter to say, "I'm sorry").

In Birmingham, the Wolves tied Aston Villa, 1-1...

Wanderers have not beaten Villa since 1979 and that record continued despite a good performance against Martin O'Neill's improving team.

Arsenal gave a big indicator as to why they won't challenge for the title this year against West Ham as they threw away a two-goal lead against Gianfranco Zola's struggling side.

The Gunners raced into a comfortable two-goal lead but were pegged back by the Hammers, who capitalized on defensive mistakes by Arsenal's players as they went to sleep.

Their lazy tackles gave away a free kick, which resulted in the first goal and a late penalty, and they were lucky not to give away another as Gallas blatantly tripped Scott Parker.

The referee then made a mad decision by sending off the Hammers' skipper after a brilliant tackle on Fabregas. Only he can tell you what he was thinking.

Wenger then turned on his players and accused them of blowing a major chance at a title tilt.

“You need to get points when you deserve to get points and sometimes when you don’t deserve to get the points.

“Today, we didn’t get the points when we deserved them, and that means we have not made the maximum of what we should have done.

“It is tight and open and that is why I am convinced that it will be tight until the end. We have a great chance this year but you cannot repeat this kind of performance we had today and not come out with three points.

“We have to keep the positives as we played well and are a strong team. We want to learn to finish these games off, which is basically the most important lesson of the day.”

“West Ham is very happy tonight and I understand that. The free kick and penalty were extremely generous. I don’t think that either should have been given.”

Fergie and Wenger obviously go to the same school of blaming the ref for their poor results...

10 Statements after Game Day 10 of the EPL Season

1) Rafa is still under extreme pressure and they need to qualify for the Group Stages of the Champions League and stay in the top four to keep his job.

2) Fernando Torres is a majestic player, and Liverpool need to achieve the above to hold onto him.

3) What would it take for Stevie G. to leave Liverpool?

4) Spurs lost a game they were expected to win. They've taken huge strides in the last year, but they are still mentally weak.

5) Hull, Portsmouth, and Burnley...

6) Manchester City are looking to offload Robinho...Chelsea or Barcelona?

7) Chelsea should win their appeal with the CAS, so expect a spending spree in January as they gear up for the next 18 months.

8) That Lee fella at Bolton looks decent.

9) Arsenal won't win the EPL, but they could do so in an FA Cup, CL double...

10) Will Liverpool field a strong side in the Carling Cup fourth round against Arsenal? Both managers are under pressure for different reasons to bring home some silverware.

REDemption for Rafael Benitez as "10-Man" Liverpool Beat "9-Man" United 2-0

Willie Gannon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:09:43 -0400

Ten man Liverpool beat "nine" man Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield in a pulsating clash where both sides went at each other as if it was a cup final.

Both Nemanja Vidic and Javier Mascherano saw red as Fernando Torres and the unlikely David Ngog coolly slotted the second past the returning Edwin Van der Sar.

The commitment and passion from Liverpool was a joy to see as they hassled Manchester United to every ball, and completely dominated and out-muscled the Red Devils all over the pitch.

The win was well deserved and pushes the troubled Reds into the top 5, only six points behind leaders, Chelsea.

Rafael Benitez deserves much credit for the way he motivated his struggling side, despite the absence of their talismanic captain, Steven Gerrard.

Welcoming Fernando Torres back into the fold, they looked a different proposition to the team that surrendered to Sunderland and Lyon in recent weeks.

Too many United players chose to take the day off. Paul Scholes was poor, Michael Carrick was his usual anonymous self, and Dimitar Berbatov might as well have not been on the pitch.

The Bulgarian international has come in for much criticism since his move to United from Spurs, and this was his big chance to shine on the biggest stage yet. But his performance was way below par, and United might as well have only played with 10 men when he was on the pitch.

Barring the odd flick or nice piece of control, he was a ghost to Liverpool’s fervent players.

But Liverpool deserve much credit.

Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun worked tirelessly on the flanks and shut United's full backs down at every opportunity, denying the Red Devils every avenue of escape as they tightened their grasp on the match.

In midfield the much-maligned Lucas Leiva probably played his best game in a Red jersey, and even came in with the assist for David Ngog's cool winning goal in injury time.

He was ably partnered by Javier Mascherano. The other half of the South American midfield covered every blade of grass and closed off many United attacks before they even saw them.

The only blight on his otherwise outstanding display was a ridiculous sending off for a stupid challenge on Edwin van Der Sar in injury time.

The tale of the first half could be summed up as Van Der Sar vs. Liverpool. The giant Dutch 'keeper was making his second appearance of the season and he put in the kind of display that 'keepers only dream about.

He made a whole series of outstanding saves from Dirk Kuyt, Fabio Aurelio, and Benayoun as Liverpool tried to force their adventurous play home. United's only real chances of the first half fell to Wayne Rooney.

The English international was his usual energetic self, harrying Liverpool's defenders at every turn. Unfortunately the same can't be said of his striking partner, Berbatov, who again looked a shadow of his former self.

With the game poised on a knife-edge as both teams traipsed in for their half-time talks, it was easy to see that Benitez was the happier manager.

Ferguson changed things slightly and pushed Giggs further forward in an attempt to give some support to Rooney, but the move did nothing to deny Liverpool's dominance, and if anything it worked to Benitez's gain.

The second half was every bit as frantic as the first, with both sides probing for that vital opening.

United's goal was being peppered by crosses from both sides while United chose to venture through the centre by looking for Berbatov and Rooney to race onto through balls.

The opening goal came in the 64th minute after Liverpool had begun to turn the screw in search of that opening goal after Benayoun found Torres in the box and the Spanish striker tucked the ball home to give Liverpool the lead their play deserved.

United then came into the game and started to look something like their normal selves as they began to eke out chances, Michael Owen being brought into the fray as Fergie chased the equalizer.

But it was almost a case of too little too late, as Liverpool were easily on top and weren't in the kind of mood to relinquish that hard earned lead.

As the game moved into the final 10 minutes the inevitable United onslaught came, but Liverpool dealt with everything they had to throw at them. Agger and Carragher were magnificent in Liverpool's defence, as were Johnson and Aurelio who provided many out balls that their United counterparts were being denied.

The most contentious part of the match fell in the 87th minute as Michael Owen raced away from Liverpool's defence with the goal at his mercy, only to be unceremoniously dumped by Carragher, who was extremely lucky only to receive a yellow card for his professional foul.

Moments later Vidic saw red for his second bookable offense. The giant Serbian now has the envious record of being sent off in all of his last three games against Liverpool.

United then had their last chance of the game as Wayne Rooney headed over from Valencia's cross.

In the end, all the jokes were on the United faithful. Despite all the beach balls and masks and banners on show, they just couldn’t inspire their team to a win that would have been the nail in Liverpool’s and quite possibly Rafa’s coffin.

And as the game moved towards its end, Mascherano produced a moment of sheer madness when he bundled Van Der Sar over when it was easier to stand off as the United 'keeper was going nowhere.

It was the final act of a highly entertaining game, and Rafa's job is safe for another week...

Match of the Day: Spirit of Shankly Versus Gillett and Hicks Part Two

Willie Gannon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:39:07 -0400

To mark the anniversary of last year's protest march against Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the Liverpool supporter group known as the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) marched to within a mile of Anfield to voice their concerns for the club.

Many Liverpool supporters are extremely worried by the size of the clubs growing debt and how the loan with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is financed.

Last summer, the bank came very close to forcing Liverpool into administration and only an 11th hour intervention by RBS board members who feared reprisals by Reds fans throughout the world stayed their hand.

In the end Hicks and Gillett paid £60 million off their £350 million debt and re-financed the remainding £290 million to be paid off in June 2010, or face the prospect of administration.

The turnout was quite disappointing for leaders of the SOS group who had hoped that some 10,000 fans would show their support, last year thousands of fans marched on the famed Shankly Gates at Anfield. However, only a couple of hundred fans chose to voice their concerns about the American owners, despite the club's worst league run in 22 years.

Spokesman for the group James McKenna said supporters had not been appeased by recent comments from Mr Gillett, who said that manager Rafa Benitez had his backing.

"Tom Hicks and George Gillett say a lot of things. The problem with them is that they fail to act upon that," said Mr McKenna.

"When they first took over the football club they promised no debt on the club. We've since been put into a lot of debt.

"They promised they'd back the manager and time and time again they've failed to do so.

"And they promised a new stadium and if you go and look in Stanley Park we are no nearer to a new stadium now than we were when they first took over the football club.

"So whilst Tom hicks and George Gillett might want to say these words, until they start carrying out the actions Liverpool Football Club fans won't be appeased and we won't quite believe them."

Their fears will not have been sated as Chief Executive Christian Purslow recently stated that neither businessman had any plans to sell their stake in the club, despite rumours that one or the other were looking for a quick get out.

Both men, Hicks and Gillett, own 50 percent each and relations between the pair have been strained for some time. Most notably when Tom Hicks vetoed Gillett's sale of his share to DIC.

"There has been a huge amount of interest in the club from some extremely wealthy and expert investors but it will take three to six months to pull that together," he said.

"It means there will be new investment into the football club. Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett have no plans to sell their shares."

This news will come as something of a hammer blow to many SOS members were had hoped that they were on the verge of seeing the last of George Gillett following the rumours he was about to sell his 50 percent to Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud.

With Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benitez, under pressure to turn results around, and with many supporters offering him their full backing, it would seem that the real games at Liverpool will be played off the pitch for the foreseeable.

Dragan Stojkovic Scores the Greatest Goal of All Time...in His Suit

Willie Gannon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:46:35 -0400

The greatest goal the world has ever seen was scored this week by Grampus 8 manager Dragan Stoijkovic. In an amazing effort from his own technical area, he volleyed the ball into the net.

Grampus 8 Manager and Yugoslavian legend Dragan Stoijkovic is world renowned for his silken skills as a footballer. But if anything, those skills have improved...as a manager.

This week, Nagoya Grampus 8 were playing in a J-League match. The game in itself was nothing special...until Stojkovic popped up with a piece of skill that was unbelievable, even more so when you consider he is the manager.

With a player receiving attention in the penalty box, a Grampus player cleared the ball off the pitch into the technical area.

In seeing what the goalkeeper was attempting and with the game already stopped, Stojkovic read the direction of the ball beautifully and jogged off his bench to catch the ball on a full volley and hammer the ball into the net from fully 50 yards!

It is easily the greatest goal scored in the J-League this season, or any other season for that matter.

And the very fact that Stojkovic was dressed in a suit, wearing patent leather shoes, only makes it better!

Unfortunately, the 44-year-old was sent off for his indiscretion...leaving you to wonder if referees the world over are cloned from the same sense of humorless drone.

Despite that, Stojkovic is almost certain to win the goal of the season award, something he never won in his 20-year career. And he was some player.

To see the goal on YouTube, click here .

The Lisbon Treaty and the 6+5 Rule Combine to Change Football

Willie Gannon — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:56:55 -0400

This week, Sepp Blatter met with the European Parliament Vice-President, Pál Schmitt, to discuss the imminent ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and how it will impact on the footballing world as FIFA begin to implement their 6+5 rule.

Under current EU law the 6+5 rule would not work, but if and when as expected the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, Article 165 would leave the door open for FIFA to bring their new rule into force, albeit with EU permission.

Such is FIFA's endeavour to bring the rule into force that Parliament Vice-President Schmitt has been officially cast as FIFA's "6+5 Ambassador" to the EU regarding all sports, not just football.

The Lisbon Treaty in itself is an updated version of the Maastricht Treaty which came into force in 1992. Since then the EU has grown in size from 12 countries to 27.

Under the new Treaty, the EU Parliament, made of MEP's from every country, would vote on certain topics and not consult the home countries, thus making the EU more efficient.

There are numerous sections to the Treaty, as you would expect of any volume of work concerning the rights of 27 countries and almost 500 million people. But the section that will concern most football fans is Article 165 concerning sport.

Article 165 pertains to Education, Vocational Training, Youth, and Sport, and is aimed at EU Member States taking responsibility for young people's development, both indigenous and migrant.

Section 2 of the Article calls upon the Member States to begin "developing the European dimension in sport, by promoting fairness and openness in sporting competitions and cooperation between bodies responsible for sports, and by protecting the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmen and sportswomen."

In short Member States will be called upon to treat foreign and domestic sportsmen and women as equals. This seems to be a common sense approach by the EU and there is nothing sinister in this section of the Treaty.

And it seems to open the door for FIFA to implement the 6+5 Rule.

The definition of the 6+5 rule is as follows. At the beginning of each match, each club must field at least 6 players eligible to play for the national team of the country of the club.

However, there is no restriction on the number of non-eligible players under contract with the club, nor on substitutes to avoid non-sportive constraints on the coaches (potentially 3+8 at the end of a match).

For a long time it was felt that the 6+5 Rule was incompatible with EU Law, but as mentioned before FIFA have recently met with European Parliament Vice-President, Pál Schmitt to discuss the Lisbon Treaty's impact on FIFA's proposal.

When questioned on the 6+5 Rules compatibility with EU Law, Blatter had this to say.

"Contrary to what may have been said, the '6+5' rule does not contravene the European Labour Law on the freedom of movement. Clubs will still be free to take on as many foreign players as they want.

"When a match kicks off however, they will have to have six players on the pitch who are eligible for the national team of the country in question."

Under current FIFA rules, a player can live in a foreign country for only two years before he can claim that nationality. The 6+5 rule will seek to change this and move the limit to five years to stop the misuse of the loophole in the previous ruling.

Currently many South Americans and Africans are being nationalised by a whole host of countries across the world. FIFA are trying to stem this flow of talent by the introduction of the new ruling.

UEFA are also currently looking at the possibility of banning transfers of players aged 17 and under, if this moved through it would most definitely mean that domestic talent would become the order of the day in every league throughout the world.

The figures from the five main European championships (Germany, England, Spain, France and Italy) are not that far away from '6+5'. 43 percent of squads are made up of players who are not eligible, while England and Germany are the only ones who are above the 50 percent mark.

Currently, Liverpool are perhaps the worst example of a club who do not promote domestic talent in England. Of the 27 players in the reserve squad, 19 of those are foreign. The number improves significantly concerning the Academy team, where only nine from 29 players are foreign.

Of the 40 players in the first-team squad, only 10 are English and this is a trend that is becoming more apparent in the modern game throughout Europe but almost specifically amongst teams who are ever present in the Champions League.

The pursuit of glory brings with it extravagant wage bills which must be serviced if the club wishes to remain successful.

To stay at the top the club, then, comes under increasing pressure to buy big and with a small domestic pool being trawled by many local rival clubs, foreign players are snapped up.

The only other option on the table at the moment is UEFA's 4+4 proposal. However, it does not protect domestic talent in the same way as the 6+5 rule. It leaves the door open for teams to exploit a loop-hole and sign even younger talent the world over.

The '6+5' rule will redress the balance in sporting terms as players from South America and Africa will be less likely to be taken to Europe where the richest clubs in world football reside.

As these continents are the suppliers for the big European clubs, they are suffering from the mass exodus of their players.

Of course, rich clubs will still be able to sign the most expensive talent, but should the 6+5 be implemented, it would happen on a smaller scale. And in a roundabout way, it could even bring about the rationalisation of wages, which seem to be spiraling out of control.

At the conference, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter made the following suggestions: the number "6" (which corresponds to the minimum number of players that a club must select at the start of a match in a club competition who must be eligible to play for the national team of the association in which the club plays) would include players, "irrespective of their nationality," who have been registered for clubs belonging to the association in which the club plays on a continuous basis since the age of 12 or earlier.

It would also include players, irrespective of their nationality, who have played professional football for clubs belonging to the association in which the club plays on a continuous basis for five years since the age of 18.

The most worrying part of the 6+5 rule is the "irrespective of nationality" section, especially it's reference to players under the age of 12.

The current schoolboy system allows foreign players to represent the national country their school resides in. Think Ryan Giggs playing for England schoolboys when he is of Welsh nationality.

The pressures young players are under will always be great, but it will intensify under the 6+5 rule as the avenue to bring in foreign talent will be almost closed.

Hence young foreign players could come under pressure to declare for their country of residence. As FIFA competition does not start until U-17 it would leave the door open for nationalisation of youth players before they get the chance to pull on the jersey of their original nationality.

On paper, the 6+5 rule certainly equalizes the sport, especially in terms of large rich clubs plundering foreign talent. However as one goal-post is moved, clubs will invariably strive to find another way around the rule as their responsibility is to their own bottom line rather than their country's footballing hopes.

After the conference between the EU and FIFA concerning the 6+5 rule, Per Schmitt had this to say.

"I look forward to the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which represents historic recognition for sport and its specific nature and autonomy.

"It is my personal conviction that sport is part of national identity and culture, and the '6+5' rule is a symbol for all team sports and gives an opportunity to young talents to take part in the highest level of competition.

"I expect that besides football, other team sports will also support this initiative since local stars in the line-up make sport more popular and attractive, therefore it draws young people back to the grounds."

In reply, a happy Sepp Blatter said, "I'm particularly pleased that such a high-level and diversified group of participants at the conference called for a recognition of the specificity and the autonomy of sport.

"We are not alone in sharing these views, which speak for themselves. The '6+5' rule which FIFA defends is nothing but a fair rule to maintain the integrity, the balance and the uncertainty of competitions. These values are crucial to football."

Integrity and the uncertainty of competition are indeed crucial to football, but as history shows, FIFA have not always been true and good, and all to often they have pandered to the whims of the elite, especially the largest most powerful nations.

The future of the game is in the hands of Blatter and FIFA...

Superb Defensive Display Sees Stoke Beat Unlucky Spurs 1-0 at White Hart Lane

Willie Gannon — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:06:42 -0400

Stoke came to White Hart Lane and denied Tottenham a chance of going top of the table with a superb defensive display. A solitary goal from Glen Whelan was enough to give the Potters all three points, and deny Spurs a win on Harry Redknapp's one year anniversary as manager.

This was to be one of Spurs' biggest test so far, having been comfortably beaten by Manchester United and Chelsea, albeit in games they were expected to lose, Harry Redknapp had set his team a target of Champions League football. To even challenge for that much this was a game they were expected to win.

Something that has not sat well with Spurs teams over the last 25 years.

Both Pulis and Redknapp are 442 traditionalists so both sides lined out in attempts to snuff out each others attacking flair. The duo were together at Bournemouth in the early '90s, as manager and assistant and Pulis succeeded Redknapp in 1992 when the now Spurs manager took over at West Ham.

Stoke took the early initiative with a massive long throw from Rory Delap, just inside the Spurs half. His huge effort was dealt with comfortably by Crouch and the returning Woodgate who cleared for a corner. From the corner. Gomes took the ball easily and released Keane on a swift counter attack, but the Irishman's control let him down.

The Potters appeared to have pin-pointed Vedran Corluka as a weak point in the Spurs team and tried on more than one occasion to release Matthew Etherington down the left, his pace and directness causing the Croatian international plenty of problems.

Equally Spurs strived to get Aaron Lennon clear as often as possible. The little English man has been is fantastic form since the turn of the year, and has forced himself into Fabio Capello's plans for South Africa.

Twice in the first 10 minutes his pace took him away from Ryan Shawcross and Etherington and his crosses almost led to Tottenham taking the lead after he found Peter Crouch at the far post but Simonsen clawed the effort around the post. Moments later Crouch went close again, this time the provider was Krankjaer, but again Sorenson's replacement was equal to the effort.

Spurs had to swallow a bitter pill after all their good early work as Jonathan Woodgate had to leave the pitch with an injury to his thigh. It was the centre half's first appearance of the season following severe injury problems, his replacement was Michael Dawson who had only played for four minutes thus far this season.

Lennon continued to be Spurs most creative force, and his superb cross was met by Peter Crouch who directed his header towards the top corner with the 'keeper well beaten only for James Beattie to acrobatically clear the goal bound effort with a hooked clearance.

Moments later Niko Krankjaer smashed a shot off the foot of the post as Spurs began to turn the screw in search of the opening goal.

Stoke were devoid of creativity apart from Rory Delap's long throws. In setting up his team Redknapp went with Palacios and the ever present Tom Huddlestone in central midfield, and Crouch up front in place of the suspended Jermaine Defoe.

The extra height that Crouch and Huddlestone provided at the back gave Spurs a firm foundation for dealing with Stoke's inevitable aerial attack through set plays. And their lack of ambition in their play gave all the impetus to Spurs, but this Stoke team are more than capable of a smash and grab and as the two teams trotted in at half time it was easy to see which manager was the happier.

Spurs started the second half in the same vein as the first, Aaron Lennon broke away from ex-Manchester United player Shawcross on the right of the box and found Keane with a slide-rule pass, the Irishman's first time shot was brilliantly saved by Simonsen but the ball squirmed free of his grasp and Crouch slid in to capitalise, but a brilliant defending tackle by Faye denied Spurs a certain goal.

The ineffective Delap was replaced by his fellow countryman Glen Whelan in the 60th minute as Tony Pulis looked to stem the flow of Tottenham's incessant attacks, but Spurs went close again moments later.

Tom Huddlestone's shot was deflected wide for a corner, and from the resulting set-piece Steve Simonsen pulled off a miraculous save from Crouch after he had leaped like a salmon to meet Krankjaer's corner.

With Spurs piling on the pressure, Redknapp then chose to change things around and the hard working Robbie Keane made way for Pavlyuchenko as Harry signalled that Spurs would go more direct for the last half hour.

There has been all kinds of transfer speculation surrounding the big Russian this year, and at one stage it looked as if he was on the verge of a transfer back to Spartak Moscow for a reduced fee of £10 million only for Spurs to pull out of the deal at the 11th hour.

The Potters then almost snatched the lead after Matthew Etherington tore down the left and found Beattie with a brilliant cross. The ex-England international rose between Bassong and Dawson but he headed wide with Gomes flat-footed in the Spurs goal.

The tiring Tom Huddlestone and James Beattie then made way for Jenas and Tuncay respectively as both managers looked to eek out a winner in this tight affair.

The match was becoming a midfield battle of attrition before Jermaine Jenas broke from the centre with a driving run on goal, but his penetrative run was brought to an abrupt halt by Salif Diao who received a yellow card into the bargain.

The freekick was in an ideal position, 20 yards from goal and slightly to the right. Assou-Ekotto lined himself up from the free but Jenas took the kick and it went high and wide, much to Harry Redknapp's annoyance as he thought the young Cameroonian was going to take it.

With 10 minutes to go Spurs were dealt a hammer blow as Aaron Lennon was forced off the pitch with an injury, as Harry had already made his three substitutions Spurs were forced to play out the game with ten men.

The extra space due to Lennon's departure gave the impetus to Stoke who sensed blood and all of Tottenham's hard work was then undone as Ricardo Fuller's powered down the right with a forceful run. He powered into the box past Assou-Ekotto and cut the ball back for Whelan who guided his sublime shot into the top corner to give Stoke an unlikely lead. (Spurs 0-1 Stoke)

Fuller had been picked out as the danger-man by Harry Redknapp in the pre-match press conference and his old player did everything Harry thought hw would. He worked the Spurs back-line tirelessly, chasing lost causes and causing all sorts of problems.

As the game moved towards it's end, Spurs launched attacks from all directions but Stoke dealt with them easily. Steve Simonsen collecting the ball from Peter Crouch's head just when his team needed him to be big and justifying his man of the match performance.

Spurs cried foul as Ryan Shawcross seemed to bundle Niko Krankjaer over but it was no foul and the Tottenham players pleas fell on deaf ears as Stoke deservedly ran out 1-0 winners.

Crisis at Liverpool For Rafael Benitez: One Month To Save His Job?

Willie Gannon — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:15:02 -0400

Following their loss at Anfield to Lyon in the Champions League, most Liverpool fans meandered away scratching their heads wondering where it has all gone wrong. A fourth defeat in four games leaves the club on their worst run for years, and manager Rafael Benitez's job in severe doubt.

So far this season we have seen a Liverpool team who have really struggled to overcome good opposition. Beaten by Spurs, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Sunderland in the league, Liverpool entertain Manchester United this coming weekend.

The freakish nature of their defeat to Sunderland thanks to a deflection from a beach ball only served to highlight the manner of the shock performance against the Black Cats where they were played off the pitch completely.

Worrying Trend Developing at Liverpool, Inability to Beat Good Teams

And following their defeat to Lyon in the group stages of European football's elite trophy they now stare down the barrel of a gun and could go out of the competition at such an early stage.

The added distraction that the Liverpool faithful are beginning to show their displeasure by booing their manager after his decision to take Yossi Benayoun, their best player against Lyon, off with six minutes to go at 1-1 to rest him for Saturday, show that the cracks have finally begun to show between the manager and the supporters.

As far as the Champions League is concerned, the Anfield giants must win in Lyon on November 4th. If they fail to come away with all three points the remaining fixtures will be carved up between Fiorentina and Lyon and they will exit the competition.

On the pitch the team look a shambles of the side who pushed Manchester United to the limit last season.

And that is with only one real change to the starting team following Xabi Alonso's transfer to Real Madrid for £30 million.

On paper it is only one change, Alonso for Lucas.

But in reality the change has had a catastrophic effect on Liverpool as an attacking entity.

When Alonso was in the side, he acted as a link between defence and attack, starting many attacks with his pinpoint passing. His style brought out the best in Javier Mascherano, who was happy to sit in midfield closing down spaces the opposition would dare wander into.

As a forward going player, the Argentinian offers no ambition whatsoever, so when Alonso moved on to pastures new, and was replaced by young Brazilian Lucas the dynamic of the team changed completely as Lucas is closer in style to Mascherano than Alonso.

This simple change meant that Liverpool's most potent attacking player, Steven Gerrard, was forced to come deeper, effectively neutralising him against good opposition who happily shepherded him into less dangerous positions.

Of course, Benitez is the architect of his midfield's demise in more ways than one.

For a start, it was he who forced Alonso out of the team after he made it known he was chasing Manchester City's Gareth Barry as the Spaniard's replacement. When the deal with Barry's old team, Aston Villa, collapsed he was forced to make do with Alonso for at least one more season.

Alonso Transfer Piles Pressure on Benitez to Produce or Else...

And when Alonso went looking for a transfer from the club last summer, Steven Gerrard approached his manager to try and talk him out of letting Alonso leave, to no avail. Because Benitez had his replacement already lined up.

This is where the first and second major mistakes entwine as new signing Alberto Aquilani was injured and unavailable for the first three months of the season.

Elsewhere, other problems have come into focus, namely Liverpool's now shaky defense and complete lack of squad depth.

As far as the defense concerned, Liverpool have made two big changes in the fullback positions, where both Glen Johnson and Emiliano Insua have come in. Both are effectively better players than any of Liverpool's fullbacks last year, but they are significantly different in one important area.

They are both attacking fullbacks, whereas last year they were defenders first.

With both players bombing on, spaces have been left behind and Liverpool's slow centre halves have been caught out and isolated by teams with good strikers.

Jamie Carragher's form has seen many column inches donated in the debate over whether he is finished at this level or not. But in all reality he is the same player as last year except this time around he is being exposed by the gaps his full backs are leaving on the side but also the gaps that Lucas is not covering through the centre.

This is now where the lack of squad depth is coming into focus, simply put, Liverpool do not have a squad capable of challenging for the league.

The lack of cover for Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard only gives credence to the "two-man team" theory that has been doing the rounds for some years.

Without one or the other or both, Liverpool are not the same team. They are a team who are more than the sum of their parts, especially when the world class duo are on the pitch.

With them in the team Liverpool are capable of beating anyone. Less than one year ago, they hammered four goals past both Real Madrid and Manchester United in the space of a week.

The stats back up the theory emphatically.

When Gerrard and Torres play together, Liverpool win 79 percent of their matches.

Without either that drops to 54 percent.

This stat emphasises the lack of squad depth at Liverpool. In short it brings Rafael Benitez's transfer record to book.

In six seasons at the club Benitez has spent £210 million on 48 players.

Rafael Benitez, Arsene Wenger, and Alex Ferguson's Transfer History

He has spent a vast amount of money rebuilding Gerard Houillier's squad, but it would now appear as if there is little to show for it. No squad players of a high enough standard for a club like Liverpool, and little or no youth players coming through.

And his excuses of losing because his best players were not available just don't wash, not when he has signed almost 50 players in a little over five years.

Internal disputes have not helped matters either. Only last June KPMG warned that Liverpool were in danger of becoming the next Leeds United after they failed to service their debt.

KPMG Warn That Liverpool Could Become the Next Leeds

All of these issues have combined to leave Liverpool with their worst start to a season since 1963, a year in which they ironically won the league after a similar start to the season.

In this era the chances of that happening again are remote in the slightest. Especially with the resources available to the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal. Even a club like Tottenham can rival Liverpool in terms of spending so the competition is greater than before.

And now with six defeats in all competitions and their title aspirations hanging in shreds, Rafael Benitez faces possibly his toughest task to date, holding onto his job.

The Premiership title is a pipe dream, so Liverpool's future as a club is hanging on the Champions League, perhaps it always was, as the CL can contribute some £50 million to a club without having to reach the final.

Going out in the group stages would be tantamount to financial suicide to the club so heavily leveraged in debt.

Another revelation regarding Fernando Torres' future at the club has also come to light after Liverpool turned down a £70 million bid from Manchester City in the summer after an 11th hour re-structuring to their debt by Royal Bank of Scotland who were afraid of the backlash they would receive from putting one of football's leading lights into administration.

Without the vital income of the Champions League, the clubs wages cannot be met alone through gate receipts and Liverpool as a club would be forced to downsize considerably. As Manchester City's wealth pushes them towards the summit of the Premiership, Liverpool would find it almost impossible to get back into the "top four."

It is the countdown to that Nov. 4 game against Lyon that now hangs over Rafael Benitez like a shadow.

Between now and then Liverpool face the small hurdles of Manchester United (H), Arsenal (A), and Fulham (A).

With morale as low as it has been for decades, these are not three fixtures Liverpool will be looking forward to, especially without Gerrard and Torres, should they fail to return from injury. Remember the stats?

Lose one or more of these three games and the board will have to decide if Rafael Benitez is the right man to lead them into battle against Lyon in that crunch game.

Twenty days later, just after the international break for the playoffs, Liverpool travel to Hungary to take on Debrechen in a game they should easily win on paper. Either side of that CL tie they take on Manchester City (H) and Everton (A).

Two factors come into play concerning Benitez's future at the club. The first being Liverpool's considerable debt, and the question as to if the board have the resources to compensate him adequately should they decide to part company, especially as he only signed a substantial new contract last season.

The other factor is that Benitez undoubadly deserves time to put things right. He has done enough over his time in charge to suggest that he can get them back into winning ways, winning the title is another question entirely.

And they did go very close to winning that elusive title last year, which in all probability magnifies this seeming collapse this year.

Rafael Benitez's future at the club he brought an historic Champions League win in 2005 is in peril, he's partly the architect of his own downfall, and now he has one month to save his job, and possibly save the club from financial ruin.

Dimitar Berbatov: Worst Signing Ever? or Player on the Verge of Greatness?

Willie Gannon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:46:38 -0400

It would be fair to say that since Dimitar Berbatov's £30.75 million pound move to Manchester United from Tottenham Hotspur, that he has not set the world alight.

Before heading to Old Trafford, Berbatov's goal-scoring was formidable to say the least. At international level he had scored 41 goals in 67 games, and with Spurs he had converted 46 goals in 102 games over two seasons, a brilliant record with almost a goal every two games.

That record has dulled somewhat since his move to the Red Devils though. In a little over one season at the club, Berbatov has returned only 17 goals from 54 games between Premiership and European action, a record of 1:3.

Many United fans would argue that the Bulgarian international had to endure being played out of position for the most part in his first season, but the truth of the matter is that he was almost exclusively used as the upper-most forward in Ferguson's schemes while Rooney, Ronaldo, and lest we forget Carlos Tevez did the main rotating.

Red Devils fans have only seen glimpses of his undoubted ability in a red shirt, most notably a superb turn against West Ham last season. The fact that such instances have to be dredged up is a sure sign that the Bulgarian is not firing on all cylinders.

But while he is more than capable of the sublime, he can also contribute his fair share of lazy blunders, like his poor penalty against Everton in the FA Cup Semi-final last season, that cost United a chance at a historic quadruple.

So what is the problem with Berbatov?

Well according to himself, nothing at all.

"You know," he says, "when someone has great qualities sometimes they don't have to put much effort into things. Sometimes the things I do look effortless but it's not like that. It's very difficult, but because of my style of play I make it look easy."

Berbatov is described like this on Manchester United's official website.

"Dimitar Berbatov is a classy and complete centre-forward, pairing the ability to ruthlessly and regularly find the net inside the box with an aptitude to create moments of sheer magic outside it.

"Sir Alex likes players with plenty of charisma in the way they play, and the Bulgarian’s languid style is instantly recognisable on the field. It’s also an approach that has drawn comparisons with former United talisman Eric Cantona."

Typical spiel that you would find about any player on their teams website, but it is one that some Manchester United fans fervently believe.

For a start, Berbatov is nowhere near being a complete centre-forward, for that you only have to look across other teams in the Premiership. Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, and even Wayne Rooney, are far more complete players than the ex-Spurs player, with Torres in particular being one of the greatest if not the greatest exponent of forward play in the world today.

What Berbatov does have over these players is a creative side that verges on genius. His ability to pick out a seemingly impossible pass from nowhere gives him an edge over his "lone striker" rivals in that he is slightly more versatile.

That versatility is what made Alex Ferguson move for him in the first place, but when push came to shove, Berbatov proved to be versatile in only two positions instead of the three or four that his new manager had hoped.

With a distinct lack of pace over long or short distances, Berbatov is instantly redundant out wide, so in playing to his strengths, Ferguson plays him as a direct centre-forward or just off it.

Conventional wisdom would say that Manchester United had a phenomenal season last year, being pipped at the post on their historic journey for four trophies. And it was, but they had to carry an unhappy Ronaldo and a misfiring Berbatov through many matches, often leaving the team with only nine outfield players trying.

Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez were direct contrasts to each other last season, in more ways than one.

One player worked his guts out every week in trying to secure a new contract, to the extent that Manchester United's fans even turned against their manager for a few brief moments when they called for him to sign the Argentinian.

Meanwhile, Berbatov seemed happy to have finally arrived at one of the worlds great clubs, and forgot that the real hard work was only starting.

Tevez was not alone in the way he approached the game at Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson has had many players like him who subscribe to the basic fundamentals of the game.

Players like Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes, and John O'Shea, these players have only one agenda when they step onto a pitch and that's to win the ball, and the game in that order.

It's this basic truth and essential part of the game that makes it so hard to understand why Ferguson continues to indulge Dimitar Berbatov, particularly when it is so obvious to everyone that every time he steps out onto the pitch that he can give so much more and is not playing at 100 percent, or that he is denying a place for someone who could make a difference.

Last season ended disappointingly for Berbatov. The player we saw on the pitch was not the final piece of the never-ending jigsaw that everyone thought he would be.

Perhaps it was having to indulge the antics of Ronaldo who refused to allow anyone else at United take the alpha role at the club, or perhaps it was the massive transfer fee and the pressure of playing for a great club.

It would seem that all of the above played their part in his below par season.

Berbatov for the first time has spoken of his self-doubt, and of insecurity and how he was "plagued by United's former legends".

"In my first year I was disappointed in myself. I need to say that. It was a big pressure for me and maybe I failed myself. I think I wanted to prove myself to these supporters.

"You must remember, they are used to Best, Charlton, Cantona. I am just Dimitar."

Regarding the dissatisfaction of some United supporters with his work rate, effectiveness and attitude on the pitch, and some allegations that he is a "Berbasloth," the Bulgarian put on a defiant face, saying "that is my fault, not theirs. It is me who must change".

With such an introspective view of how last season went, many United fans are still in hope that this season goes well for the player who was voted the second worst English transfer of all time.

But this season has been a continuation of last year if anything.

It would seem that Fergie and Berbatov have something of a trust issue going on, if the first eight games to the Premiership season are to go by.

Of an available 720 minutes (eight matches), Berbatov has only played 515 minutes, including three full games, which means that he has failed to play the full 90 in over half the matches this year.

His best performance to date was in Manchester United's 5-0 demolition of Wigan Athletic where he seemed to cut the Latics to pieces. The following weekend he was dropped to the bench for the Red Devils biggest game of the season so far when United entertained title rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Does Ferguson see Berbatov as being central to United's cause, or just another cog in the machine?

The jury is still out on Dimitar Berbatov's time at Old Trafford, and that's what makes it so infuriating.

He is a player who has all the assets needed to play at the highest level, but it is his attitude that lets him down time and time again.

United's supporters have been patient during his 54 games at the club and some would point to his slightly better performances this season as being the green shoots of a newer better Berbatov.

But his time at United is running out. Alex Ferguson is famous for giving his players chances, especially if he feels they are capable of much more. Berbatov definitely fits into this category.

Unless his performances dramatically improve, he might find himself on the long list of players who have failed under the shadows of some of the games greats at the Theatre of Dreams.

EPL Review: Fergie Says Sorry, Sort Of...England Are Sorry, and Rafa is Blamed

Willie Gannon — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:12:58 -0400

Just because there were no Premiership matches doesn't mean the league just stops.

So much for the Respect campaign, as Fergie waited a full week before issuing a strange apology to referee Alan Wiley, while England put in the type of performance that only apologies can cover and Rafa got blamed by George Gillett, who reckons Liverpool's finances are rosy.

Fergie eventually said sorry to Alan Wiley for publicly embarrassing the referee after his strange claims on Wiley's fitness, and his poor decisions...

“I apologise to Mr. Wiley for any personal embarrassment that my remarks may have caused and to the FA for going public with my view.

“In retrospect, I accept that this could be deemed as expressing those views in an inappropriate forum.

“It was never my intention to bring the focus of intense media attention on Mr. Wiley.

“I intend to contact him personally after I return from a trip overseas during the international break.

“I would wish it to be noted that I have always respected Mr. Wiley’s integrity and that I did not state or imply that Mr. Wiley is bad referee; that he was in anyway biased; that his decision-making during the game was poor, or that he missed any very important incidents during the game.

“My only intention in speaking publicly was to highlight what I believe to be serious and important issues in the game, namely that the fitness levels of referees must match the ever-increasing demands of the modern game, which I hope will now be properly addressed through the appropriate formal channels.”

This well judged statement from Ferguson is probably as close as the Scot gets to an apology, but it avoids the main part of Ferguson's attack on Wiley: his fitness.

Of course, Fergie's original tirade on Wiley was completely ridiculed after ProZone stats showed that the referee covered more ground (11km) than 21 of the 28 players involved in the match, and that he got all the major decisions in the game right.

Cynics might read that Fergie sees a big ban coming down the down the road and that he has moved to try and reduce its severity, but in reality it is too little too late, and a lesson learned by the United manager.

His poor choice in rhetoric, as he tried to take the spotlight from his poor selection and his team's poor performance, backfired badly.

On Saturday, England lost their 100 percent record to Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk. They more or less had to play the full game with 10 men after Rio Ferdinand's poor defending led to Robert Green charging from goal and taking Artem Milevskiy down.

The error by Ferdinand is yet another in a season full of them, starting with his howler against Holland, before going into club form and a series of mistakes against Manchester City.

Ferdinand is not match fit, no matter what he claims, and on the last three months' evidence he has work to do if he is to guarantee a starting position in South Africa.

Another position that is worrying for Capello is goalkeeper.

As it stands there are only four viable choices for the role in South Africa.

Ben Foster, who will soon be out of the United team.

Robert Green and David James who could both be fighting a relegation battle at their respective teams and Paul Robinson at Blackburn.

James is in the lead marginally, and with only three more games planned between now and the squad announcement, he should keep the role.

One team without goalkeeping problems are Ireland. Shay Given is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, and he will seal his 100th cap on Wednesday against Montenegro.

He didn't have a whole lot to do in the 2-2 draw with Italy but what he did have to do, he did well.

The big problem area facing Ireland comes in the form of players outside the squad.

Andy Reid and Stephen Ireland.

One wants to play; the other doesn't.

One thing to consider is that Reid could merit a place in the squad, but you would have to argue if he would get into the starting XI, and at this stage, his reputation is growing more by being out of the team than in it.

Giovanni Trappatoni is an old-school manager, and the wily Italian will not bend to some of the Irish media's calls to bring Reid into the squad.

In the red world of Hollyoaks, I mean Liverpool, things are beginning to take a turn for the worst for Rafael Benitez.

“In the last 18 months, we have invested £128 million on top of what has come in. That means it should be getting better."

“Now if it’s not getting better, it’s not Gillett and Hicks, it’s the manager, it’s the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis. There was plenty of money, so if you have any complaints, take a look at the ins and outs.”

“The club has the lowest debt to each dollar of earnings of any major club in the sport.”

“The club is in extraordinarily good financial condition. Far better than Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal.

We have invested massively, we have put more money in than anyone other than Manchester City, with the craziness they have got,” Gillett said.

Gillett insisted the “debt on Liverpool is very sound” and denied suggestions the club would struggle to meet interest payments without Champions League football. “The budgets are done very conservatively,” he said.

“They are based on a very limited success in the Champions League. Even without that, we have enough cash flow to pay the minimum interest and give Rafa what he needs to make us competitive.”

George Gillett's comments have raised many eyebrows across the footballing world. Not only for the way he has undermined his manager, but for the way he claimed that Liverpool are financially healthy.

Starting with Rafa, Gillett has attacked his manager's claims that he was restrained in the transfer market, the monies taken in for Alonso were put back into the transfer fund along with another £22 million.

But that beggars the question, why didn't Rafa spend it?

Perhaps he didn't want to?

The words can also be read as being quite vitriolic towards Benitez, because they so obviously question the wisdom of their manager's signings this summer, particularly Acquilani and Glen Johnson.

The next part about the clubs finance's being healthy, especially when the club owe some £300 million to banking giants Wachovia and RBS.

And to say “The club is in extraordinarily good financial condition" is funny in the extreme.

10 statements after a week where nothing happened

1) Harry Redknapp will be given SAS protection when he brings Spurs to Fratton Park. Didn't he win the FA Cup there?

2) Rio Ferdinand has much work to do if he is to guarantee himself a starting berth in South Africa.

3) FIFA's re-jigging of the European play-off system to suit the bigger countries is cynical.

4) Players should celebrate against their former teams; it's almost like not celebrating is the new celebrating.

5) Michael Owen should be treated like a returning hero at Anfield. He gave the club remarkable service. Schadenfreude?

6) Michael Ballack is the key player for Chelsea this season. He has only not started in two games, the 2-1 win over Hull, where he came on at half-time; and the 3-1 loss to Wigan, where he was rested.

7) Burnley only pay £9.6 million in wages a year. Chelsea pay £172 million.

8) Manchester City are now in debt for £137 million. Manchester United are £650 million in debt. Debt is now synonymous with football, and Liverpool are lucky to still exist after the banks re-financed their loan for 12 more months.

9) Half the teams in the Premiership are owned by foreign owners. In Germany, foreign owners are only allowed to own 49 percent of a club. The other 51 percent must be German-owned.

10) Diego Maradona is a spacer.