Bleacher Report - Articles by Adam Michie

Tottenham: If I Had £30m to Splurge on Spurs

Adam Michie — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:56:12 -0400

July 1, 2008 and the transfer window slides invitingly open. The majority of the column inches in recent weeks—whilst interspersed with speculation, deliberation and down right fibs—are taken up with Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential move to the second best league in the world.

While the tabloids are salivating over the potential twists and turns this story takes over the coming months, I, in all honesty couldn’t give a monkey’s.

Where he is playing his football next year is no skin off my rosy nose and quite frankly seeing his irksome grin in every paper and news broadcast every minute of every day is making me sick. I have my own concerns and that is of course with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

No one is quite sure how the coffers of the North London club are being so readily replenished but it seems Spurs are intent on gate crashing the top four next season by doing what most other successful clubs have done—throwing money at it.

While Spurs have an unpleasant history of useless and expensive signings, the signals these days seem to suggest that lessons are beginning to be learnt (the jury is still out on Darren Bent, I don’t care what anyone else thinks!).

If however yours truly was given the keys to the Lillywhite vaults for an afternoon of unadulterated, football squandering—say £30m?—there are a few names that leap to mind.

Firstly, Lucas Podolski. This guy is class. While as it stands Dimitar Berbatov still lays claim to the number 9 shirt at White Hart Lane, the young German would be a fantastic replacement should Dimi leave. Like his Bulgarian counterpart Podolski scores goals and he creates goals. Unlike the sulky Balkan, he is lightening fast and works damned hard for the team. He doesn’t quite have the touch that Berbatov possess but very few strikers do.

What Podolski can offer, is ability, effort and ruthless German/Polish efficiency both home and away. His current club Bayern Munich don’t seem as keen and with new manager and former Spurs legend Jurgen Klinsmann holding the striker’s reigns, he may be inclined to let his man go and experience life at the Lane, just like he did. Friends in high places indeed. £12m would be a snip.

In midfield I am wrangling over two players. My first choice would be Marcos Senna of Villareal, however, as his side have just pipped Barcelona to second place in La Liga and have Champions League football to boast of, he may not be so keen to come.

Still my second choice, another Spaniard, may be easier to coax. David Albelda is younger than Senna and has had some contractual difficulties with his current side Valencia. Whilst Ronald Koeman was in charge at the Mestella, Albelda seemed destined to leave. His pleas for desertion have fallen quiet of late but a bid of £5m for the tough tackling 30 year old would see that right.

With Juande Ramos in charge and European football on offer, all be it the Uefa Cup, Spurs could be a great place for him to make his mark again.

If I were to pick the team of the Euro’s right now, there is only one player I would put in the left back spot. Russia’s Yuri Zhirkov. His performances have been solid and dependable and at 24, he plays a lot like Ashley Cole did when he was that age.

He is currently plying his trade at CSKA Moscow and surely a bid of around £8m would be enough to secure his signature. The going rate for quality full backs these days should lie between £5m (Bacary Sagna) and £8m (Alan Hutton).

The £15m Chelsea shelled out for ex-Porto defender Jose Bosingwa is over inflated and ridiculous. These championships have shown that Zhirkov is a better player and more value for money than the new Blues right back.

So there you have it. Three quality additions and some change from my £30m. A good days shopping I think.

Now what to spend that change on?

A Football Fan Who Feels All Grown Up

Adam Michie — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:33:11 -0400

Bill Shankly, the Liverpool manager from the late sixties and seventies, once said that football was not a matter of life and death; it was more important than that.

While his comments may have been slightly tongue in cheek, there is an element of truth in what he said.

Football evolves and changes with the players and managers that grace it. Players come up through the ranks, move into management, or ownership, and then retire in a perpetual cycle.

As a young fan, I had no idea about how old players were. All I knew is that they were much older than me and were people to be looked up to.

Footballers didn’t age, they just got more experienced. When players changed clubs, retired, or moved into a managerial position, I never considered it a sign that they were aging as people. That was just the way things worked.

The facts of footballing life for me were thus: trainee, player, manager, pundit. That was it. As you get older however, and become more aware of your own mortality, you see that although life is short, a footballer’s career is even shorter.

The current European Championships have made me realise now that I am no longer a young supporter. I have transcended the planes of adolescent fandom and am now entering my own kind of football adulthood.

The players I have watched emerge onto the scene and take the game by storm are closing on retirement. Raul never even made the Spanish squad. Lilian Thuram looked off the pace and a shadow of his former self. Ruud Van Nistlerooy is the elder statesman of a young and vibrant Dutch team. The Italian defence has no Nesta, Cannavaro, or Maldini!

New and improved players are becoming the stars of their national sides, and for me, here lies the real sticking point. How do I approach my role as supporter now?

They are, in some cases, two or three years, younger than me—Ronaldo, Rooney, Fabregas, Torres, Sneijder, Ramos, De Rossi, Podolski, Modric.

As a young fan you go out, you get the shirt, you idolise and mimic and you trade their much sought after sticky backed visages with your mates—two for a shiny, remember.

I can't in my right mind go out now and buy a shirt with “Modric” on the back, knowing he is younger than me, can I? How can I hero worship a younger chap?

Should I even be buying a shirt at all anymore? Should I let a bad result ruin my weekend? Should I really be shouting and swearing at the TV any more?

I am at a stage of my football supporting life that I never expected to happen.

Watching the Ryan Giggs special a few weeks ago that looked back over the Welshman’s illustrious career gave me a cold sweat. Ryan Giggs can’t be close to retirement surely? He’s only, what 28… 30… 33… 34! I remember his first ever game on Match of the Day. Now he's close to hanging up his boots.

At White Hart Lane this year I overheard a couple of blokes talking about Tottenham’s left sided problems and I began nodding to myself in silent agreement as they discussed David Ginola and how special he was on our left side.

To my horror, one of the chap’s sons, he looked about ten, piped up with, “Who was Ginola, Dad, was he that good?” I could have cried. Then it dawned on me. Ginola’s peak time at Spurs was in 1999. Nine years ago. When that young lad would have still been in nappies.

Life moves on. Of course it does.

I must’ve been a naive fool to think that my footballing world would not succumb to the inevitable. I will miss the names of those players I grew up watching and knowing intimately through their statistics and club records but I look forward to the new names that are sure to become the biggest of the big.

I look forward to being able to take a step back and say, that lad’s a bit special, and comparing the new breed with the old, with a big bright pair of rose tinted specs on.

Of course I'll scream and shout. Passion doesn't diminish as you get older, nor should it.

I am still young myself. As a 25 year old in the prime of life I appreciate now that football, like life itself, changes and moves on with the rest of us and as a fan I realise that my appreciation and understanding of the game will change with it.

Perhaps Bill’s words of wisdom were even truer than I first thought.

Chelsea: A Bridge too Far for Luiz Felipe Scolari

Adam Michie — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:58:54 -0400

After less than one month of searching and deliberating, Chelsea has found themselves a new boss.

Former Brazilian World Cup winning manager and current Portuguese coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has accepted the role vacated by Avram Grant. Scolari will take up his position following the culmination of the European Championships in Switzerland and Austria.

While drafting in a World Cup winner as head coach seems like an ideal appointment for the team that still misses the touch of the “Special One,” Jose Mourinho, I can’t help but think it’s a gamble.

Scolari has never managed in Europe apart from his current spell with the Portuguese national team. His managerial teeth were cut in the 1980s at a series of small provincial Brazilian sides as well as spells in the football heartlands of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. After a term in charge of the Kuwaiti national team and a couple of other clubs in the Kuwaiti league, he returned to his homeland with Gremio in his second spell with the club before moving on to Brazilian giants, Palmeiras and Cruziero.

Following three State Championships, a National League Title and nine assorted Cup wins including two Copa Libertadores, Scolari has spent the last seven years in international football.

International and club football are two very different creatures. International football is essentially cup football. Matches are infrequent and time spent with players is limited. An international cup run, as well as a domestic cup runs hinges on several “winner-takes-all,” games.

The World Cup for example only required his set of players to be fit, motivated and in-form for seven matches over a one-month period. The European Championships require only six games. In the same way, domestic cup competitions require a similar level of application to what are essentially a series of one off games.

To achieve success in club football requires consistency and, of course, ability. Scolari is inheriting a squad of undoubtedly talented players. His task, however is not to get them motivated for a one month challenge, with national pride at stake, but getting a set of men from all corners of the world to gel, within his own tactics and ideas over a 38 game season— a season that will be interrupted by other competitions, have fixture congestion, involve derby matches and require trips places like Wigan on a wet and windy Monday night in December.

Scolari's successes at club level reflect on his abilities as a “cup manager.” In his 26-year managerial career, he has so far, won five league championships. Of those, four were State Championships which involve a duel league format, with 14 games, followed by a knockout playoff between the best 16 of the two leagues—in essence, a maximum of 17 matches to win the championship.

His victory with Gremio in a 38 game season Championship in 1996 is the only competition he has won that mimics the EPL format. Scolari will, have to face the pressures of stepping into the shoes of Mourinho—the man who brought back-to-back titles to the club in his first two seasons.

He will also have to out do the unpopular Grant, who took his team to within one game of the EPL Title and also led Chelsea into their first Champions League Final. Anything less for Big Phil, will be deemed as a failure.

He famously turned down the England job in 2006 due to the intrusive English press. What made him think that his treatment by the tabloids would be any less of a nuisance in the Stamford Bridge hot seat, than with the national team?

There is no doubt Scolari is an excellent football coach. His achievements to date are impressive regardless of the format, and winning titles in the Brazilian leagues are no easier than winning them elsewhere. What should be a concern to Chelsea followers is his unfamiliarity with everything that comes with managing an EPL team, including the language.

Having been out of club football for seven years and having never managed in Europe—does he have an idea of which players excel and which ones to sign? Does he know Bolton and Blackburn like to play an intimidating rough style?

Does he grasp the importance of the games against Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham? Does he even know where Hull and Stoke are?

Through their Russian financial backing Chelsea have become a successful and high profile club. The demand for success and levels of expectancy seemed to have made the job a poisoned chalice. Numerous managers turned down the role and the previous manager was sacked after coming runners up in the league, League Cup and Champions League.

Scolari has the grit and determination to make a success of his time at the Bridge, but with so many factors working against him, it could be the toughest job he’s ever had.

Is The Six-plus-Five Rule FIFA’s Equation for Equality?

Adam Michie — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:01:28 -0400

It seems strangely fitting that FIFA have met Down Under to vote on a convention that could turn the game of football upside down.

Delegates from the sport's international governing body have met in Sydney and voted in favour of a rule that would limit the number of foreign players a team could field from the kickoff.

The so called “six-plus-five” rule requires that only five foreign players can make the starting XI of any team, ensuring a majority of domestic players in the pitch.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is aiming to ensure a better balance to leagues throughout the world and open up the opportunity for any team to win their respective championship, not just an elite few.

While his idea seems to have the right motivation behind it, an almighty can of worms is being opened up which could change the face of the game.

It seems surprising that the president of the international governing body of the world’s most popular sport seems keen to restrict the diversity of teams around the globe. The sport is richer than ever because of its globalisation.

Blatter has had a history of controversy throughout his tenure as FIFA president. If you ever wondered who introduced such ridiculous reforms as the silver and golden goal rule, automatic bookings for removing shirts in goal celebrations and the removal of the privilege for the incumbent world champion qualifying automatically for the next World Cup finals tournament; that was our Sepp.

The European Union have already categorically “given the red card” to Blatter’s proposals, as the rule contravenes a directive that protects free movement of workers and guards against discrimination based on nationality.

UEFA have been discussing an idea of a “home grown” quota system, whereby a team must field a certain number of players who have trained for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21 within the country they are playing in.

This would allow foreign nationals to be play so long as they can show they have filled these criteria.

Players such as Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas and Middlesbrough’s Robert Huth would be eligible as “home grown” under these rules, regardless of their Spanish and German roots. The EU has stated that this is a more workable solution.

A quick look at the EPL and the potential effect of the proposed changes is immediately apparent. Of the 20 teams involved in the 2007-08 season, only two clubs (Aston Villa and West Ham) managed an average of six or more Englishmen in their starting lineups.

The “Big Four” of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal had an average of less than three English players, with Arsene Wenger’s men (unsurprisingly) coming out the worst overall with an individual average of less than one.

Across Europe’s major leagues on the last weekend of the season, the EPL and the German Bundesliga were unable to make the quota across the board in comparison to Serie A, La Liga and even the SPL, who made it easily.

To some, it would be an interesting way to level the EPL playing field, and it could mean that as many as 10 or 12 sides are fighting it out for the top spot, instead of the predictable four.

The reason the league is so popular however is because the standard of football is so high. The world’s best players want to play in England’s top flight, and with them comes the revenue that has expanded stadiums, brought more live action to the homes of millions, and ultimately raised the bar for any English talent that wants to succeed.

Although some argue that the standard of international football will improve as more nationals are exposed to top flight football, the standard of the leagues domestically will diminish.

Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini both seemed concerned that two English clubs made the final of this year's Champions League.

Blatter even cited the outcome as a reason why his rule is necessary, saying, "At the end of the Champions League in Europe you have in the quarter-finals four teams of the same association; in the semi-finals three of these teams. Then in the final you are surprised that you have two teams of the same association? We want to bring some remedies, and this is the six-plus-five rule's objective.”

As clubs get richer (especially in the EPL), is making world football a fairer and more equal sport Blatter’s real motivation? In the last few years, international football has been swamped with new countries, meaningless friendlies and World Cup whipping boys. As a result, interest has waned.

Is Blatter attempting to resurrect the love for international competition, which is his responsibility?

Is he also looking to get one over on the nations of the UK, with whom he has battled on the International Football Association Board over the laws of the game that he wishes to change?

The UK nations have four of the eight delegates who sit on this board because of their unique status within the history of the sport, and this has never sat well with the FIFA president.

Although FIFA is the governing body of the sport, it is a governing body, and Sepp Blatter is the president of that body. His motivations will seem to be within the interests of the game, but he is l no more than a politician and politicians have their own agendas.

Whatever the new rules suggest, six-plus-five, eight by three or seven of eleven, the numbers ultimately add up to one.

Unfortunately, he’s in charge.

England vs. USA at Wembley Stadium, Part 1—This Time, It's Pointless

Adam Michie — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:15:02 -0400

Wednesday night sees England’s Euro 2008 starved squad take on a plucky USA side who are unbeaten in 2008.

After the national side’s dismal failure to reach the final tournament in Austria and Switzerland that starts in June, the FA has seen to it that new boss Fabio Capello can give his players a run out before they swan off to a beach for two months (although with a friendly match organized against Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean on Sunday, the beach may already be too close to ignore).

Capello has been able to round up his troops for 10 days prior to Wednesday’s fixture and should be able to field a strong side.

He has already handed the captain’s armband to John Terry which will serve as a nice little pick me up after his slip in the Champion's League Final shootout last week.

Dean Ashton, providing he wraps himself in cotton wool for the next couple of days, should line up in attack against his West Ham teammate John Spector. The former Manchester United flop has put in some dogged displays for the Hammers this season and will have his work cut out against a player that will be out to prove not only his fitness, but his international credentials.

Frank Lampard is likely to start in the middle for England and will be hoping to continue his spell of good form after what has been a tragic month. Only time will tell if the Chelsea man can fight off the allergic reaction he seems to suffer when pulling on the England shirt, which affects his vision, his coordination and his ability to work with others.

Other players in need of a large dose of antihistamine for their England-itus are Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.

The two scouse chums have had wonderful seasons linking up with their respective Iberian foils Fernando Torres and Cristiano Ronaldo, but have continued to serve up a load of old rubbish when linking up with each other in the national team.

Facing off against Gerrard in the US midfield will be Michael Bradley.

While those of a conspiratorial nature will point cynically at the nepotistic ties to his father and first team coach Bob Bradley, the SC Heerenveen midfielder has been in fine form this season scoring a hat full of goals for the Dutch club.

Pitting his wits against the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Owen Hargreaves will be a good test for the young midfielder, who has attracted Premier League attention.

As friendlies go this is as run of the mill as you can get and aside from the chance to nip down the boozer for a midweek pint and a game of footy, excitement is likely to be at a minimum.

One surprise that has reared its head, however, is the inclusion of Joe Lewis as stand in for injured goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. The Peterborough United (League Two runners-up) keeper has been given the nod ahead of several Premier League stoppers, most notably West Ham’s Robert Green.

Green’s absences from all of Capello’s squads to date, despite a dazzling season between the sticks for his club, are a surprise to all.

While no stories of Green sleeping with Capello’s wife and urinating on the Italian flag have hit the press, these can be the only explanations for the big man’s further demotion below a League Two player in England’s custodial pecking order.

The visitors will have several familiar faces in their ranks, with eight players currently plying their trade in the English leagues.

It doesn’t bode well, however, that Derby County’s Benny Feilhaber and Eddie Lewis and Fulham’s Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey have spent their seasons battling against relegation. Three more of the squad's players are also currently without a club.

On the plus side, Everton’s stalwart goalkeeper Tim Howard, who helped steer his side to a fifth placed "best of the rest" finish, will be between the posts and perhaps we may see the abilities (at last) of a certain Freddy Adu.

For fans of "Championship/Football Manager," Adu’s talents were much sort after and it would be interesting to see him in the flesh—although he is only at 89% fitness, he is homesick and his morale is low*.

So what can we expect in Capello's third outing as England boss?

With the USA ten places below their transatlantic cousins in the FIFA rankings, a win will be a lot to ask in their 11th game against the Three Lions.

The last time the sides met—in Chicago almost exactly three years ago—two Kieron Richardson goals, on his debut, put the hosts to the sword in a 2-1 win.

With the talent England have throughout the side, a similar and perhaps more comfortable outcome is likely, as long as they turn up on the night.

Capello will be hoping that his side shows infinitely more attacking guile than their last outing against France in February in their lifeless 1-0 defeat.

Bob Bradley will be looking at his players to repeat the feat of the Alexi Lalas inspired US team that beat Graham Taylor's men 2-0 15 years ago.

With Landon Donovan picking up his 100th cap and a host of English based players in the side, the Hollywood script writers will be hoping for a blockbuster.

To be honest, given the state of England's play these days, it's fair to say that like the US, most of the country just doesn't give a monkey's.

*For those who haven't played Championship/Football Manager, this will no doubt, have soared over your heads.

Berbatov's Off: Where Will Tottenham's Dimi Go?

Adam Michie — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:20:15 -0400

With just one game remaining in the English Premier League, the rumour mill is already fully operational with players from all corners of the globe, on their way to god knows where.

Column inches containing the name Dimitar Berbatov have unsurprisingly been in heavy supply, as the sulky Bulgarian looks to leave White Hart Lane after a two year spell.

Berbatov’s certain transfer is, to most observers, the worst kept secret in football. His displays at the beginning of the season betrayed more than a hint of indignation at his denial of a move to a Champions League club in the summer, despite the player’s assertions that he was happy in North London.

Emil Danchev, the player’s agent, has not endeared himself to many of the Spurs faithful with his continuous efforts to tantalise potential big money suitors with his client’s services, regardless of his lengthy and fully protected contract at Tottenham.

Despite another 22 goal haul this season and helping the club to a Carling Cup triumph and UEFA Cup football for the third consecutive season, the classy striker it seems, wants more.

Although his departure from Spurs is almost certain, his transfer fee is less so. A look at transfer fees of other undoubtedly talented forwards do not make things any clearer.

At 29 years old, Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko, left AC Milan to join Chelsea for £30m in 2006 and last year Arsenal’s talismanic striker Thierry Henry, left the Gunners for £16m, also at 29. Wayne Rooney made his debut for Manchester United aged just 19 after his £29m move from Everton and 23 year old Spaniard Fernando Torres left his spiritual home of Atletico Madrid to join Liverpool for £24m.

At 27, Berbatov is reaching his peak, with two years left on his contract and Spurs not needing to sell; he could cost his new team up to £30m. His thirst for Champions League football and the inevitably large price tag on his forehead will have narrowed the pool of clubs in contention for his signature.

Chelsea’s bottomless Russian cash pit could easily finance a move and with Didier Drogba already signalling his intent to leave Stamford Bridge, a space may well open up for a new top class striker.

Manchester United too, who have spent almost as much as their title rivals Chelsea over the past few seasons could also stump up the cash. Fitting Berbatov in alongside Rooney, Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo would make every other manager in England sick with worry, however, as with Chelsea, the move is unlikely.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is not a fool and nor does he lack ambition. With Spurs themselves vying to gatecrash the "Big Four" party at the top of the EPL, selling a prized asset like Berbatov to another Premier League club would not be the kind of move Levy would make, whether Berbatov liked it or not. His departure is likely to be for foreign shores, and only four clubs fit the bill.

In Spain, the big hitters Barcelona and newly crowned champions Real Madrid are no strangers to big buys. Berbatov’s style would more than adapt to the Spanish game and if former EPL players Diego Forlan, Paolo Wanchope and Frederic Kanoute can score for fun, the Bulgarian should have no problems.

There are however some issues with both of these moves. While Madrid have just clinched the La Liga title, the plight of Valencia at the wrong end of the table has thrown doubts on striker David Villa’s future at the Mestalla. Villa, who wants to remain in Spain, is touting himself directly at the champions but the alleged buy out clause in his contract of almost £80m would certainly rule the Spanish giants out of any move for the Spurs forward.

In Cataluña meanwhile, Barca are in something close to turmoil. Lying third in the table behind Villareal and a semi final exit from the Champions League at the hands of Manchester United has left their season in tatters.

With key players such as Ronaldinho losing form, Samuel Eto’o wanting out and Thierry Henry failing to recapture his Arsenal days in a Blaugranes shirt has put pressure on manager Frank Rijkaard, who also seems to be looking for the escape hatch from the Camp Nou.

With a strong possibility of Chelsea’s Drogba leaving the Premier League to play for Barcelona, it again seems unlikely that Berbatov would leave Spurs for a troubled club to play second fiddle to the Ivorian, no matter how prestigious they are.

It is in Italy that Berbatov is more than likely to be plying his trade next season and discounting Juventus who are still recovering, all be it in an exceptional way, from the calciopoli scandal of 2006, it is Milan and the San Siro that will welcome the Bulgarian.

For which team is still in question as Internazionale have the financial clout and the status to accommodate Berbatov comfortably. The only question is whether it would mean Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaving the Nerazzurri for him to fit in at the club.

It is however AC Milan that offers the ideal situation for both Spurs and the player himself. Danchev has already stated earlier in the season that Milan were interested in his client and with a history as glorious as the Rossoneri’s it would be hard for Berbatov to refuse a deal, were it to come.

Spurs would be happy to receive a hefty fee and perhaps see midfield workhorse Gennaro Gattuso come the other way as part of the deal. Milan’s aging squad will be in need of revitalisation as many players surpass the 30 years old mark and with Chelsea’s millions reportedly amassing for a push to entice Brazilian Kaka away from the Milanese, the move would certainly suit Milan at any cost.

Berbatov’s laid back style would very much suit Serie A and his deftness of touch is sure to endear himself to the fans.

While Spurs supporters and players will be sad to see their star man leaving, his on field tantrums and inconsistent displays this season will have made his departure slightly easy to take.

The transfer fee the North London club will receive is also likely to soften the blow too and with Croatian playmaker Luka Modric already signed up for the Lilywhites, Spurs may find life after Dimi is not as bad as it once seemed.

Spanish and Italian Free for All Eclipses EPL's Flat Finale

Adam Michie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:06:28 -0400

With three of the four teams in the Champions League semi finals coming from the Premier League for the second year in succession, it would be easy to nail the lid shut on England’s claim to the best and most exciting league in Europe.

With only a handful of games left to play in England, Italy and Spain, it is interesting to note the outcomes and events of many of this weekend’s fixtures and what it meant to each league.

While the observations that follow are hardly conclusive proof of anything, it does make you think about where the game is being taken to in their respective countries.

This weekend, Serie A was more like a battlefield than a football league. From the ten matches played referees dished out a total of 50 yellow cards and nine reds.

In Spain it was a similarly X-rated tale with 60 bookings and four players taking an early bath. These leagues are not noted for their dirty play but the figures here seem to be more akin to a prison league than two of the world’s best domestic competitions.

Over in the Premier League, where player discipline has been very much in the public eye this season, this weekend’s fixtures, in comparison to their Mediterranean cousins were a well mannered tea party. Just 22 yellows and one red were shown across nine games.

While the Latino temperament is renowned for it’s fieriness it is surely no coincidence that the amount of cards issued in Italy and Spain this weekend is more to do with the competitive nature of this season’s competition going into the final few weeks.

While Real Madrid have opened up a 10 point lead at the top of La Liga; between Atletico Madrid in 4^thplace and Recreativo Huelva in 18^th, there is no more than three points separating each team.

With the league as tight as it is, is it any wonder that players are putting it all on the line in order to make that final push for success?

In Italy, the league is just as tight as their Spanish counterparts. From Fiorentina in 4^thand Reggina at the very foot of the table, no team has more than a four point gap between themselves and the team below them.

For the Premier League however it is not as tight. The league is fractured in numerous places with point deficits, meaning that with just a few games to go, most teams have little to play for, whether they are already consigned to relegation, stuck in mid table or soaring away at the top of the league.

Five points separate third and fourth, eight points separate fourth and fifth and ninth, tenth and eleventh are split by five points.

In the bottom half, twelfth and thirteenth are separated by six and in the relegation zone, a whopping 16 point gap divides nineteenth and twentieth.

The vast margins between those in England is summed up even more when you consider that between Manchester United at the top and Derby County at the bottom, 70 points divide them—in Italy and Spain the comparative difference is 48 and 47 points respectively.

While the same four English sides seem to be ruling the roost in Europe’s premier competition, domestically, the story is very much the same.

The worrying gulf between the four at the top and the rest when the end of the season comes around detracts from what should be a climactic culmination of a club’s efforts over the season.

When teams in Spain and Italy are scrapping tooth and nail until the very last day, the entertainment and excitement in those leagues are surly more appealing than the seeming inevitability of the Premier League.

While those can argue that the quality of the football may not be as good, predictability is boring.

A good indicator for exciting football and competitive graft are results away from home. This weekend in England there were only two away wins and two draws, while in Spain, their fans saw five wins on the road with one draw, and in Italy four away victories and a draw.

While these statistics only reflect one weekend in three different league seasons and could essentially mean nothing, my paranoid mind worries that because of the domination of a few, the Premier League is losing it’s appeal.

In recent years the same concerns have been voiced for England’s cup competitions but thankfully, and to the benefits of both competitions, this season Tottenham took the League Cup out of the hands of the "big four" and Portsmouth and Championship side Cardiff are the unlikely finalists in the FA Cup.

If teams and players in the Premier League are becoming happy to accept a bit part in English football history and leave the glory for a handful of clubs then the game is lost.

In Spain and Italy it seems that fighting to the last make the games more entertaining and the league’s outcomes more exciting to the people who really matter—the fans.

So for those valiant souls whose names filled the notebooks of the men in black this weekend in Spain and Italy, and kept the competitive spirit of the game alive until the season’s end, "Salute!!!"

Gun with the Wind: Arsenal's Season Falls Apart

Adam Michie — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:40:26 -0400

Arsenal are becoming a very hard team to fathom. After a roaring start to the season, going 15 games unbeaten and top of the league, it could turn out to be another dud. At the start of the campaign many had tipped them to slide beneath the Champions League places and no one expected a title surge from Arsene Wenger’s men, except the Frenchman himself perhaps.

Since taking over the club over a decade ago, Wenger has rebranded Arsenal as a free flowing, attacking team. Appealing to the eye and scoring for fun, watching the Gunners is sometimes close to viewing a leather booted ballet. The vestiges of their unbeaten season of 2004 are now all but disappeared within their personnel, having only 3 players from that team in their current squad but the classy style in which they played has transferred itself to the new breed.

Since that title winning season the silverware has dried up. A Champions League final defeat to Barcelona in 2006 is their only notable achievement. In that same season their Champions League status was almost relinquished to their North London rivals Tottenham but they scrambled into fourth spot on the last day of the season. A new stadium, the loss of Thierry Henry - their talisman for so many years -and investment in youth and athleticism has given the club a new look but still success has eluded them, despite the verve and zeal of their play remaining.

When they started the season at a canter, the belief within Wenger’s young squad seemed to over flow. Emmanuel Adebayor, who previously had been much maligned for his inconsistency in front of goal, topped the scoring charts, followed closely by Robin Van Persie. Despite a minor set back, an away defeat to Middlesbrough that ended their unblemished start to the campaign, the run up to Christmas left few believing that they couldn’t win the title.

The 5-1 hammering at the hands of Spurs in the Carling Cup semi final, will have knocked some confidence out the players - despite the competition being a low priority for the Gunners - and was followed soon after by a 4-0 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup. They then suffered a terrible blow to morale. Just a few days after a credible draw at the Emirates against AC Milan in the Champions League and a week after their mauling away to United, Croatian striker Eduardo suffered a horrific broken leg in a game against Birmingham. With players visibly shaken it was a surprise to some that they could continue and fight back to a 2-1 lead after going behind. In the final minute of the game, a clumsy challenge from Gael Clichy handed the midlanders a penalty which James McFadden duly dispatched. Robbed of three vital points and losing a key player was too much to take for their captain William Gallas, who spent 10 minutes after the final whistle sat on his own on the St Andrews turf refusing to move.

The draw began of a run that saw them claim only 4 points in five games, and slip behind United and Chelsea in the title running. In the middle of this league malaise, a monumental display against Milan in the second leg at the San Siro saw Wenger’s men claim a 2-0 win and a place in the quarter finals of the Champions League. The potential achievement of a League and European Cup double was still very much alive to Arsenal and with the ability of the side; a late push in the league and cup was not out of the question. This was certainly evident in their comeback against Bolton. 2-0 down and with only ten men, the Gunners fought back and claimed a victory, which had seemed unlikely.

A treble header against Liverpool – two Champions League games and a Premiership clash – began with two 1-1 draws and saw Arsenal, for much of the first leg, and the league encounter, dominating possession and creating chances. A theme indicative of Arsenal of late is their lack of thrust in the final third that should come from the amount of possession they enjoy.

Injuries have played their part of course and their squad has been pushed to its limits. Wenger’s unwillingness to splash the cash and to pick up unknown quantities has meant many, though talented, are too young and untried. With the new stadium came a drying out of the coffers and moves to increase the size of the squad were not able to be made. The amount of cash that Chelsea and United have at their disposal has seen them swell their ranks with good quality and has accounted for their ability to stay the distance in the league.

Tuesday's game at Liverpool in the second leg was really the defining moment for their season that had promised so much. Early domination, superb passing and a well worked Abou Diaby goal was then followed by some poor set piece defending and an equaliser from Sammi Hyypia. When Fernando Torres took the lead, Wenger’s response to bring on Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie brought immediate results with the young Englishman creating an equaliser with a storming run.

With only 7 minutes to hold on to an away goal advantage Arsenal again failed to react when it mattered. Much of the season has seen them play without a real leader on the field. Gallas, the captain has had patchy performances but his outbursts on and off the pitch have left questions over his temperament. Midfileder Cesc Fabregas is their most important player but is not yet a leader and despite another good display, Mathieu Flamini’s early departure through injury, left a lot for him to do and looking for leadership in the middle of the park when it was needed was asking too much of the young Spaniard.

Liverpool surged up the field from the restart and newly introduced Ryan Babel burst into the box and was felled by Kolo Toure - one of few experienced heads on the pitch and the only remaining first teamer from their unbeaten season. Gerrard’s penalty conversion left Arsenal with just five minutes to save their season but again it was Liverpool who strode forward to kill the tie with a fourth goal - showing all their own experience and belief.

With an away trip to Manchester United to come and a six point deficit to make up, Arsenal’s season is essentially over and empty of silverware again. While they still play the most attractive style of football in the Premier League, and perhaps in Europe, they lack that cutting edge and leadership that the more successful teams show. Their squad is not big enough to cope with absences of important players with Van Persie, Toure, Eduardo, Bacary Sagna, and Tomas Rosicky all spending long periods on the sidelines. For all the talent they exhibit, Arsenal are noticeably missing several aspects of a top side - a true leader, a prolific striker and depth of squad. Not all can be purchased and it doesn’t come cheap when it can be but it is unlikely that Wenger will start spending big now in any case.

Can Arsenal push on and fulfil their potential? All signs say that they can as they have over achieved somewhat this season and many of their talents are yet to fully mature. Questions will still remain however over their transfer policy and tactics if they continue to fail at the vital moment. Winning ugly is something great teams do but with the Gunners playing some of the prettiest football around, do they have it in them to sacrifice style for results?

EPL: Lack of Respect is a Reffing Disgrace!

Adam Michie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:07:01 -0400

As a youngster, players rarely take to the football field as themselves. When a child worships their footballing hero, it transcends the posters and figurines that adorn their bedrooms and inevitably finds its way onto the pitch. While everybody else sees little nine year old Johnny running around, dribbling past defenders and firing the ball past his equally diminutive opposing goalkeeper, in Johnny’s head, he is in fact Cristiano Ronaldo.

You would be hard pushed to find a professional footballer these days who doesn’t still burn a candle for the icon of their youth. It should be healthy to admire, constructive to study and fun pretending to be your hero but with a seemingly steady decline within the Premiership of respect towards officials by the games top players, is this still true?

Ashley Cole’s dangerous lunge on Tottenham’s Alan Hutton recently, was arguably worse than the challenge made by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor on Arsenal’s Eduardo that broke the Croatian’s leg. Although Hutton picked himself up after the boot of the Chelsea left back had made its mark on his calf, referee Mike Riley would have been well within his rights to issue a straight red to Cole.

The swarm of blue shirts that surrounded Riley seconds after he had blown for the foul was astonishing. England regulars including captain John Terry and Frank Lampard, surrounded the official clearly remonstrating his decision, not only to call a foul but to insinuate that Hutton had made a meal of the challenge.

Riley’s decision to leniently book Cole was then shamefully received by the player himself. Instead of dropping to his knees and kissing the ref’s boots for not throwing him off the pitch, he walked away from the official, visibly angry, swearing, shouting and when prompted to turn and face his punishment, merely jabbed a thumb at the name on his shirt in vindictive disdain. Riley was seen to mouth, “Ashley, show some respect”. A man not unaccustomed to the pouting of an adolescent schoolboy, Cole, should indeed be showing some respect. Any young player watching the game will have seen it and taken note. Mimicking the actions of a footballer is not after all confined to dribbling, shooting, and celebrating.

The question is - where does the burden of responsibility lie? Should football matches be treated like films; given a suitability rating, and a parental guidance necessary label. Should it be up to the parents to point out that what Cole and the many other misbehaved and disrespectful players did was wrong? Of course not. Only the players and to a lesser extent their managers can police their own on field attitudes.

Chelsea has already been fined three times this season for failing to control their players. Last season too, in another Tottenham encounter, Terry was sent off for dissent after a continual harassment of the referee Graham Poll, who filed a report to the FA after the game citing his feeling of intimidation. This is the England captain; the man who is meant to be the rock at the heart of the national team and the country’s ambitions.

Manchester United, lead by Roy Keane famously harangued Andy D’Urso to the point where the official backed all the way off the pitch confronted by a wall of angry red shirted men. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson did apologise for his sides actions but his own red nosed rants against referees are themselves a thing of legend - his most recent against Mark Clattenburg in United’s recent loss to Portsmouth in the FA Cup earlier this month.

These high profile men, professional men, family men, acting like petulant teenagers do not send out the right messages for the sport, regardless of the accuracy of the official’s decisions. They are in the public eye seven days a week and instead of taking the opportunity to be good role models, what we see is a ‘warts and all’ exposé of men with more money than morals and more immaturity than humility.

Consistency in the levels and ability of referees in the Premiership has always been under scrutiny but this is not at the crux of the problem. The ability to understand and appreciate the numerous decisions a referee has to make under pressure within 90 minutes of football should be an intrinsic part of a professional attitude. Given the passion of competition and high profile nature of the event, a player can be forgiven some transgressions in these situations but the chasing, surrounding and berating of men doing their own professional duty is not something to be looked up to.

With the amount of money that surrounds the game, hitting players and clubs in the wallet with fines for misconduct, is a laughable punishment. The only possible solutions to the lack of respect that players are showing are bans and in cases of persistent offenders, deducted points. The loss of points can make the difference between Champions League and Uefa Cup, Premiership status and relegation, and can even decide championships. In a results business with careers for players and managers on the line, this could make the difference on the pitch.

The FA plan to only allow club captain’s to approach and question a referee’s decision is a step in the right direction but again, the powers that be have got things all wrong. By introducing the policy into the lower leagues, including children’s Sunday league games by way of an experiment before it is applied to the Premiership has missed the point entirely about why respect towards officials is a problem. It is those at the top of the sport, whom people aspire to, who should be leading the way.

Premiership players are the one’s who should be setting the example that kids look for but with the way things are going, it will soon be likely that Cole, Terry and many others will be looking at little Johnny and thinking, “perhaps I should act like that”.

Lordy Geordie!: Tough Days ahead for Newcastle United

Adam Michie — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:45:49 -0500

Easter is just around the corner, and the Christian calendar designates this time of year to celebrate the return of a Messiah. At Newcastle United, the return came just a little earlier.

Just five weeks ago, Kevin Keegan walked back through the St. James’ Park gates to take charge after 11 years away from the club and three years in the footballing wilderness.

As a player his time with the Magpies was brief but prolific, and when he rejoined the club in 1992 as a manager he worked the same sort of magic. In a five-year tenure, he guided the North East giants into the newly formed Premier League and set about a revolution in attacking free flowing football with some of the most exciting players in the game.

When club owner Mike Ashley made the monumental decision to re-establish “King Kev” in the Newcastle hot seat following the departure of Sam Allardyce, the fans turned out in force to revel in his return as if he'd been an old war hero.

Anticipation of the reinstallation of out-and-out attacking football and a steady rise up the table engulfed the club, the city, and nearly all of football.

Many, however, were skeptical. As the Premiership approaches its final months—and after five league games under Keegan—Newcastle United has failed to earn a win since December. The squad is now in 13th place with 28 points and the prospect of a relegation battle.

The Magpies have to play away at Liverpool, Birmingham, Tottenham, Portsmouth, West Ham, and Everton—all teams that have plenty to play for. Having picked up only eight points on their travels this season, Newcastle’s chances of gaining more in their fixtures away are slim.

Their five remaining home matches are their best chance to gain the points they need to avoid the ignominy of relegation. After a 5-1 spanking by reigning champions Manchester United this weekend, the Magpies need to find a quick response to the gloom as dark clouds gather over the Gallowgate.

But their run in at home will be far from easy. Visits from Mark Hughes’ Blackburn and title contenders Chelsea in their final home game, sandwich within them three relegation “six pointers” and include a North East derby with bitter rivals Sunderland.

And of course these adversaries would truly enjoy condemning their Geordie counterparts to a spell in the second tier of English football.

Keegan’s biggest concern will be his defense, which has the third worst record in the league behind Reading and Derby County. In Keegan’s first round in charge of the club, the goals flowed in at both ends.

Back then, Newcastle’s players were more adept at scoring one more than their opponents.

Unfortunately, this approach does not seem to be working this time around. The squad has conceded nine goals in four games, managing only three in reply. Even the return of England striker Michael Owen has failed to inspire a goal glut at the right end of the pitch.

At first glance it seems astonishing that a team boasting members Owen, Nicky Butt, Obafemi Martins, Alan Smith, Mark Viduka, Damien Duff, and Shay Given are in this kind of trouble. Injuries have not helped Newcastle this season and the violent off field antics of midfielder Joey Barton has dragged the club into an even deeper mire.

Where Allardyce failed to inspire his team to perform, Keegan was hoped to prevail.

Then again, perhaps it was foolish to assume that Keegan would find the pulse of the Premiership straight away. He’s been out of football for so long and has even claimed not to have watched a game since he left his last managerial post at Manchester City in 2005.

How could we expect him to cut it in a league that develops and moves as quickly as the players who adorn it?

More importantly, Keegan’s appointment in mid-January left him with only two weeks of the transfer window available to assess and improve his squad.

Newcastle’s one saving grace is that three teams are likely to fair worse. The Reading squad has not won since December and has lost their last eight league games. Fulham have won only once in the last 16 and also have a new man in charge.

Derby have won only once all season—against Newcastle. With just nine points on the board in 27 games, this club is all but relegated.

As fate would have it, Newcastle must face both Reading and Fulham before the season is done. With only nine points separating them, it could get very ugly should Keegan’s men continue to struggle.

Realistically, Newcastle’s relegation is unlikely. Though the three at the foot of the table will probably remain in the same condition through May, there are also many other struggling clubs between them—and none have the squad that the Geordies have.

On the more cautious side however, no team is too good to go down. West Ham proved this nearly five years ago with Joe Cole, Paolo Di Canio, Jermaine Defoe, Michael Carrick, and Trevor Sinclair in the ranks.

It’s the results that matter and as it stands now, Keegan is yet to win a league game. If that continues the fans may need to look past their newly restored savior and turn to a higher entity for the answering of their prayers.

Football Fitness: A Waist of Talent?

Adam Michie — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:39:12 -0500

After the astonishing revelations that Tottenham’s players were carrying 16 stone in excess flabby baggage when Juande Ramos and his team took charge, it immediately begged the question, how can professional footballers be fat?

In the good old fashioned days before Rugby Union became a professional sport, the physiques of some of the world’s top players, particularly the forwards, were far from slender. Whilst the fitness of those players was probably vastly superior to that of the average man about town, the amateur nature of the sport made them almost precisely that. Men about town.

Brian Moore the England hooker was a solicitor, Jeremy Guscott was a bricklayer and Welshman Ieuan Evans worked for a bank. It would be understandable for men in these professions to carry a little excess weight as their daily lives are dictated by their jobs rather than their sport (even though Guscott and Evans were themselves, trim).

Since the game was made professional however, the size, stature and physiques of the men that play are now of stark difference to those of the amateur days; sleek, well-built and without an ounce of excess fat on their bodies.

League Football has been a professional sport for decades and whilst like professional rugby, players have in recent years become quicker, stronger and faster, the days of 20th century professional football was home to some overweight players.

Jan Molby, Mick Quinn, Paul Gascoigne and Neville Southall are just a handful of players who fought the flab whilst holding down successful professional careers. Throughout the mid to late 20th century rugby and football teams had an unheathly drinking culture and frivolous night-lives which would account for some bulging waistlines.

Despite the advent of the Premier League, the money it has generated and the adoption of more professional fitness ideals, there are still players who appear out of shape and slightly on the podgy side.

At Tottenham, fans could identify goalkeeper Paul Robinson and midfielder Tom Huddlestone as two of the guilty parties and since Marcos Alvarez the fitness coach has taken over, the pounds have visibly fallen off them.

The Spaniard put it down to the poor selection of fried and sugar rich food in the cafeteria and has since changed the menu entirely. Bangers and mash are a thing of the past—replaced by grilled chicken and boiled rice and the improved results on the pitch are testament to the changes made.

Perhaps the size and weight of former manager Martin Jol and his own attitudes to fitness, took their toll on his players as one of his former charges, now at Middlesborough seems to show. Mido 'Boro's Egyptian forward has, struggled to keep the weight down since coming to England from Italy in 2005 and often looks exhausted and out of breath whilst playing.

Whilst he has shown in the past that his talent for goal scoring and sheer physical presence amongst opposition defences can be an asset, his attitude to fitness detracts from his capabilities. Surely for professional footballers, who train anywhere between 18 and 25 hours a week and ultimately use their bodies as their tools of the trade and who get paid a fortune to do so, can avoid the battered sausages and meat pies, that their cravings desire if not for their clubs, but for the sake of their careers?

Other high profile players accused of being overweight like Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney are wrongly criticised about their physiques. These two seem to stand out more because of a more robust appearance which although may not fit in with the shape and size of a modern top flight footballer, it would not have looked out of place in league football of two decades ago.

There is a danger these days of identifying bigger players as fat as, like rugby, the shape of the modern footballer has changed. The danger is that players such as Mido and Huddlestone before the Ramos revolution get overlooked as being just generally bigger and do not realise the potential they have, should they lose the pounds.

Clubs have a responsibility to take care of their players much like any other profession however the main responsibility should however lie with the players. Paid as they are in modern football, as athletes, the nutritional value of what they eat should be a fundamental part of their fitness regime.

As professionals and role models failure to maintain these obligations as part of their profession, in line with what the club expects of them should have more severe consequences. Players would think twice about drinking binges or late night kebabs if their own credibility and future in the sport was affected because of being continually out of shape.

The profile of top flight players are such that their attitude to their profession on and off the pitch is in the public domain. They owe it to their employers, their fans and their sport to consider whatever is served up on their plates at mealtimes will be evident in what they serve up on the pitch.

You are, after all, what you eat.

The Butcher of Seville: Juande Ramos Wields the Axe on Tottenham Squad

Adam Michie — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:06:23 -0500

In any good horror film, as the story progresses you invariably know who’s not going to make it through until the final credits.

By creating that sense of impending doom for the unlucky soul on screen, the viewer is put on edge and drawn into the picture.

The nervous excitement and anticipation that precedes the bloody moment of terror is felt just as much in the football world as it is in the cinema—in a cold and gloomy part of North London, a Spaniard is wielding his axe on an unsuspecting Tottenham squad.

Since entering the scene at White Hart Lane, Juande Ramos has made no secret of his desire to revamp and revolutionise his squad. His opening attack came on the waistlines and fitness of a number of Tottenham’s players.

The amount of late goals Spurs were conceding was an immediate worry to the new boss and his assistants, and fitness was the key factor in tackling this problem.

Fitness coach Marcos Alvarez, whom Ramos had brought with him from Sevilla, doubled training sessions and removed fried foods from the Spurs canteen.

Goalkeeper Paul Robinson and Tom Huddlestone were two of the weightiest problems for Alvarez to work on, and have shown a stark improvement in their shape and performance since Ramos took charge in October.

Fitness wasn’t all Ramos had his eye on. From his very first training session, he has been sizing up the players' abilities and techniques, and evaluating their suitability to fit his plans.

Player departures are always expected when there is a change of management, and many likely candidates for the exit—such as Wayne Routlege, Paul Stalteri, and Ricardo Rocha—were expected not to see out the season.

Since the January transfer window has opened, however, the manager’s axe is now beginning to fall down hard on a number of unexpected victims.

Despite much improved performances and weight loss, Robinson looks to be in line for the chop. His season has been peppered with error-strewn performances and he has been culpable for a fair share of the 38 goals Tottenham have conceded in the league this term.

His loyalty to the club has been outstanding, exemplfied by his signing of an unprecedented seven-year contract in 2005. However, it seems Ramos has lost patience with the England stopper and has eyes for another man between the sticks.

An even more surprising addition to Ramos’s hit list is French fullback Pascal Chimbonda. As culpable as any of the Spurs squad for their poor start to the season, the defender seems to have put in one bad game too many for the manager's liking.

Chimbonda has made clear his less-than-happy feelings about playing as a makeshift centre back, and perhaps this was the final straw for the Spurs boss. The Frenchman has been magnificent over the last two seasons, but it looks as though his time has come to an end at White Hart Lane.

Right backs seem to be high up on the preferences of Ramos' wish list, with Chris Gunter joining from Cardiff, and an £8m offer extended to Rangers’ Alan Hutton turned down by the player.

With every Champions League club worth their salt fighting tooth and nail to land Tottenham’s classy striker Dimitar Berbatov, it was interesting to see that Ramos, too, had his eye on his own frontline.

Goals have not been Tottenham’s problem area this year, as Spurs have outscored all but Arsenal in the league. So when Jermain Defoe was called into the Spaniard’s office for a chat, he was as surprised as anyone to hear that he was being allowed to leave the club—even after a burst of three goals in three games.

To his credit, Defoe made it clear he wanted to stay and fight for his place—but Ramos clearly feels that the England man would be better off elsewhere.

Darren Bent has also struggled to impress his new employers this season. From day one Ramos had questioned the £16m man’s condition, and has given the striker ample opportunity to redeem himself. It appears now, though, that he is willing to sell the Bent should a suitable offer come in for him.

This midseason cull is coming at the first time Ramos has been able to truly make his imprint on the team. In purging his squad so thoroughly, Ramos is making a statement: Those who cannot perform will be cut out of his plans, while those who are willing to step up may find a very welcome place on his team.

Players who are walking the tightrope between these two positions—like Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas and Michael Dawson are sure to have until the end of the season to show the new management what they are made of.

Ramos is known to be a ruthless but fair man when it comes to his team selection. He has already shown that players, who have proven to him in training that they are good enough, such as Jamie O’Hara and Kevin Prince-Boateng, will be given a chance on the first team.

With just under a month to go until the transfer window shuts again, Tottenham fans will be feeling that nervous excitement and anticipation that only the open window can bring—whether it is over players leaving or coming in.

They can only hope Ramos’s eye for talent is as sharp as the axe he is only too willing to use.