Lord, can we wrap Hleb's vocal cords around his neck? For someone who disdained London's decibel levels, Hleb is creating his own noise pollution. He better worry about himself. If he performs like he did at Arsenal, Pep Guardiola might ship him out faster than he could say surplus.
John Graham Mellor aka Joe Strummer of Clash fame was a Chelsea fan but that was when it was a club for the working class. His songs railing against fascism, racism and menial jobs resonated with millions in Thatcherite Britain. And his dictum of affordable music for fans almost bankrupted the group. It is clear that Roman Abramovich never took any inspiration from The Clash. Strummer's polemic was aimed at people like him.
So it is a valid question as to whether he would have remained a Chelsea fan in the Abramovich era. We will never know because he died in 2002 before Abramovich took over the club. But I am sure he would have expressed his dismay by penning a not too complimentary song about the oligarch in his inimitable style.
Here is Career Opportunities
They offered me the office, offered me the shop
They said I better take anything they got
Do you wanna make tea at the BBC?
Do you wanna be, do really wanna be a cop?
Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock
I hate the army and I hate the RAF
I don’t wanna go fighting in the tropical heat
I hate the civil service rules
And I won’t open letter bombs for you
Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock
Bus driver!
Ambulance man!
Ticket inspector!
I dont understand!
They’re gonna have to introduce conscription
They’re gonna have to take away my prescription
If they wanna get me making toys
If they wanna get me, well, I got not choice
Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock
Careers
Careers
Careers
Ain’t a-never gonna knock
Quick which one? Or both?
As per Chelsea, two days ago it was Robinho that was supposed to alight on Stamford Bridge on a bid of £40m. Today it is Kaka for double the price. How about importing the whole Brazilian and Portugese team and rendering the Premiership moot? Having Big Phil makes these pipe dreams possible.
But first. What happened to the cost cutting Roman Abramovich? The one that was feted for his 2007 freebies, Claudio Pizzarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim and like the Grinch, stole Mourinho's X'mas. When that happened there was a glimmer that maybe Chelsea wasn't into buying a title. Well, this year Mr Moneybags reverted to type and has already blown 50m on Anelka, Jose Bosingwa, Deco, Branislav Ivanovic, and Franco Di Santo. With Scolari as the gaffer, Abramovich has re-discovered his giddy schoolgirl days which went missing in the monochromatic Avram Grant era which got him bupkis. In this courtship dance with Scolari everything feels pretty, oh so pretty!
Big Phil Scolari knows that there is a downside to doing business with owners like Abramovich where every investment has a depreciative value. This is his moment to be shrill and demanding because he must have observed Rainieri and especially Mourinho wane in power as the years went by. He benefits from a straight line between a deep pocketed owner and a manager at the present moment with his transfer demands.
Jose Bosingwa and Deco's arrival have enhanced Scolari's status and further emboldened him. Public calls to bring on caliber players like Kaka and Robinho puts the onus on the Chelsea owner because a season from now Scolari might have difficulties buying a ball of string.
A reflective moment for all Gunner fans as Gilberto, our stout hearted defensive specialist departs for Panathinaikos. He spend many seasons shielding Arsenal from quick counterattacking teams while providing invaluable goals through set pieces.
His calm leadership during Thierry Henry's injury absence in the early half of 2007 steadied the ship and his ten goals scored through a bunch of penalties and headers kept Arsenal ticking. Many remember this as his finest season which came on the heels of very strong rumours that he was to leave for Juventus that winter.
Just when it appeared that Gilberto was on track to finish his career in Arsenal a few crucial developments took place at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season. Wenger brought in William Gallas and made him captain and Mathieu Flamini's form landed him the starting spot behind Fabregas. Gilberto was relegated to the bench.
He was not happy about these developments but rather than whining about it and demanding a transfer he decided to fight for his spot. Even as his minutes dwindled and his frustration mounted he still gave his best as a substitute. As Arsenal's chances nosedived in the 2008 half, Gilberto came up with some strong starting performances in April. In retrospect, Gallas captaincy was undermined by his petulant outbursts and combativeness on the field. It was not a wise choice by Wenger.
With Flamini leaving for Milan, it would appear that Gilberto's services would be required to fill the gap. Wenger also indicated that he would be loth to see Gilberto go. However Wenger in a tactical move is developing new transfer Aaron Ramsey into a defensive specialist playing behind Fabregas which would mean reduced minutes for Gilberto once again.
Gilberto will be remembered for a number of highlights in his Arsenal career including scoring the fastest goal in UEFA history against PSV Eindhoven and the first ever goal for the club in their new home, the Emirates Stadium.
From a larger perspective, Gilberto's departure means that Arsenal and the Premiership lose one of the few players who were not defined by their mercenary interests or jarring histrionics but by unselfish devotion to club. A fine player and an equally fine human being. Gilberto was also deeply involved in fighting for the homeless. We shall miss him. Best of luck, Berto.
Chris Harris, reporter for Arsenal.com pays tribute >>
This weekend we saw Sepp Blatter clutch the Emancipation Proclamation to his breast as he impassionately spoke about the need to free slaves. He dispatched Ramon Calderon who swept through Manchester and set the slaves in United free.
Chief amongst them was Cristiano Ronaldo who living on a paltry £120,000 a week had suffered the horrors of once passing through council houses. Ronaldo would have kissed the earth but he was wearing an ankle cast having been beaten severly by his slave master, Sir Alex Ferguson with a sealed contract.
The nightmare for Ronaldo began when he approached Sir Alex with "Please Sir, can I have some more?" As Sir Alex looked at him disbelievingly, Ronaldo fell to the ground, writhing and moaning, pawing his gonads. A man wearing shorts and a whistle ran out of nowhere and showed Ronaldo a yellow card as a faint smell of porridge wafted through the air.
Sepp Blatter, a portly but kindly man had seen enough. Holy Schnitzles! There is too much inequity in the world. That is why he had filched every vote through bribes and scams. Slaves finish last. It was time for not just Ronaldo but Adebayor, Hleb, and Lampard, good men all to get their 40 yachts and a country. But this would never happen under their present slave masters. If pigs could fly, David Coverdale would be Ian Gillan or Snoop Doggy Dogg.
We have to feel for these schlubs. Hleb lives a miserable life quarantined in Hempstead's claustrophobic silence and stomach turning leafy foliage. Look up chaos. It's west of Vietnam. Lampard's visit to Abramovich's yacht unhappily remindshim of life in Darfur. Ronaldo's slave wages only allows for a £835,000 Bugatti Veyron but because of his grinding poverty he never will get to see an asteroid. That is left to Sergei Brin who can afford to spend £3m on a space flight. Brin is the co-founder of Google which many slaves use to find the address of Ramon Calderon. Surreptitiously.
But here is Sepp Blatter aka Abe Lincoln clear as a bell "I think there's too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there. If a player wants to leave, let him leave." Immortalized, July 10th, 2008. Wunderbar.
This Euro had England's pundits a twitter with the perceived lack of quality players in their national squad. Who could blame them? Spain, perennial underachievers, finally broke the hex leaving England in dire straits as the only big country with a big fat doughnut hole in recent accomplishments.
Arshavin, Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Senna, Sneijder, Nihat, Altintop, Podolski, Srna, and many others make Gerrard and company look pedestrian. Even players like Cesc Fabregas suffered by association playing second fiddle to Xavi as Luis Aragones reposed faith in the Liga players.
But as per the affirmative action school of thought, it is the influx of overseas players who are responsible for the death knell of English soccer. With top flight managers going for the foreign brand, domestic talent is being squeezed out, bottoming out in the lower divisions. The same thinking permeates in youth academies as overseas talent is considered more attractive in a club's success. The affirmative action school is proactive in imposing limits on foreign representation in the English clubs, especially the Premiership.
Playing for the most globalized league has proven beneficial for a number of players as seen in this Euro or the last World Cup, in terms of representation. In contrast, this cross pollination is virtually absent when it comes to the English squad. The present roster shows a high degree of insularity. Only David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan Woodgate (in a forgettable cameo) have experience playing for an overseas league. From the lack of transfer talk involving English players, save a perennial Frank Lampard move, clearly rival leagues are not exactly enchanted with its talent. But even the handful players who have made a jump have had less than enjoyable experiences.
The lack of positive foreign experiences plus the Premiership's klieg lights have created a risk averse environment in the current lot of players.
This is in direct contrast to the relatively anonymous years of a nascent Premiership which saw a number of English players hungry for recognition going overseas to ply their trade in the bigger leagues.
Paul Ince, Paul Gascoigne, Steve McManaman, and David Platt, the nucleus of England's 1996 Euro team provided them their last substantial lift, all benefited from their Serie and La Liga experience. McManaman and Ince garnered considerable overseas success. Even earlier, Chris Waddle and Gary Lineker translated productive seasons at OM and Barca into stellar performances in England's 1990 World Cup campaign, another banner year as they made the semi-finals.
It is clear that England gains when their players have made the most of their foreign experience. An attribute which should be explored more rigorously by the FA rather settling on the more expedient exercise of blaming overseas players for the predicament of the English game.
Hleb's thumb down to London life does not seem to have discouraged Samir Nasri who arrives in the Emirates. He is all gung ho about playing for Arsenal which he said played the best soccer in Europe. Well, we concur and add that he has already gotten off to a good start.
Nasri cautions against comparing him to Zidane. He has not headbutted anyone yet, so such convenient comparisons should be put on hold. He should not do so but if he decides to try, we suggest the twilight of his career and against Man U, a slave club located in NW England.
Jokes aside. Nasri brings some impressive stats which bear well. He is ahead of the Arsenal midfield in shooting accuracy and crosses completed; level in pass completion. He is behind the curve in dribbling skills but that might be because of Hleb's exceptionality in that department.
However all this is for nought if it does not help Arsenal score and score consistently. Nasri will not be a triggerman. For that to happen we need an out and out scorer, someone with a direct connection between the limbic brain and the neuromuscular junctions of the leg muscles.
Aliaksandr Hleb's departure seems imminent. Well, mentally at least. The man has been complaining for months of living in Oliver Twist's London on thin gruel and fear. Dodging defenders on the field is exhausting enough but he has to do this every day on the chaotic streets of Hempstead with its millions of artful dodgers. Give the poor sod a break. Its not the money, its his mind that might go to pieces.
Here in commiseration for Hleb is Bob Marley's classic >>
Ask Diego Maradona and he will spit in Sepp Blatter's eye when he so self servingly talks about players living in modern slavery. It is as laughable as Phil Gramm's dismissal of the dismal US economy as a 'mental recession'.
In Blatter's case, it is a total derailment of reality. Where was this champion of players rights when Maradona along with hundreds of other players were trying to establish the ground rules against exploitation?
Maradona got under the skin of Sepp Blatter with his demands for labour rights for players. Blatter, a suit, dismissed Maradona by saying "The last star from Argentina was Di Stefano."
Blatter on the same day he created a stir by siding with Ronaldo, a stance that the Man U star gratefully internalized by simply stating he was a slave, also reverted to type by undermining South Africa's preparations for the World Cup. Post apartheid SA cannot catch a break whereas a spoilt, petulant superstar who gets paid millions of pounds is supposedly a victim of an inherently unjust system. But it raises the question, who is the slave here? Isn't Blatter a creature of corporations and national federations?
Blatter's statement expressing doubts on SA's preparation came two days before a vote at the UNSC on imposing sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime as Zimbabwe spirals into violence and anarchy. His surrogate also used the opportunity to express concern over the deteriorating conditions in Zimbabwe. It is clear that Blatter and FIFA are leveraging the unrest in a neighbouring country to create conditions in addition to national catastrophes that would enable them to move the World Cup to a different country. In short, Blatter threw red meat at European countries, especially Germany and England as well as Australia who in the past have stated their interest in hosting the World Cup should SA fail.
It is not a coincidence that the countries pointing fingers to tardiness in stadium construction and requisite infrastructure are also the ones most displeased with SA's stance towards Mugabe. They are also Blatter's biggest voting bloc essential to his become president. Greasing the palms of powerful office holders with bribes and ticket scams in exchange for their votes has long been a Sepp Blatter speciality.
That is what Sir Alex must be thinking. Some months ago, Sepp Blatter and Sir Alex were whooping it up coming up with proposals limiting foreign player representation that would put the kebosh on clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool. Right down chummy, sharing photo ops making goo goo eyes while crooning into the mic.
Well those moments were ... just moments. Blatter decides that Cristiano Ronaldo is living in 'modern slavery.'
You could almost feel the blood drain from Sir Alex's face.
Yes, Man U operates a modern day chain gang. On hot days, 11 men emerge from their locker room, shuffle onto a field, their legs inextricably bound by a bag of wind, as an overseer barks out orders, and when the day is done, burst into anthemic songs of exploitation and bad food, which are now sung by Sam Cooke.
Ronaldo could not have scripted this better. What are the odds his agent is nodding his head sagely and replacing loyalty with modern slavery in his letter to Man U?
This is sad because I have the greatest respect for both Gareth Barry and Martin O' Neill. Two of the fiercest and most uncompromising competitors who when on the same page pushed Villa to the next level. You could relive a match watching O' Neill on the sidelines while on the field Barry impressed with his industry. He was Mr. Versatile. He took over Wilfred Bouma's left back position when the Dutchman was injured and did a yeoman job. But recent events have driven a wedge between them.
Barry upset O'Neill by intimating the Villa boss was more interested in being a television pundit for the Euro 2008 finals than speaking to him over his future.
He said: "It's seven weeks now since the season finished but while the gaffer found time to be a pundit for the BCC at Euro 2008, he hasn't found time to speak to me.
It is especially bitter because Barry served 10 years at Villa and follows another veteran, Olof Mellberg, who departed with O'Neill's praises ringing in his ears.
I wish him luck at Liverpool which is where he appears to be heading if Villa can get their price right.
Arsenal which is now in the business of leveraging its players reportedly offers Adebayor to Milan who are looking to replacing their aging fleet with some sleek new additions. His first choice remains Barca.
Something tells me that these stories will become de rigeur every season following Wenger's statement.
Another season of unsettling news out of the Emirates. Flamini gone to Inter, Ade and Hleb's future looking murky; Rosicky and Eduardo with major injury concerns. In short our attack is stretched very, very thin and needs an infusion in double quick time in order to remain competitive.
It appears that we are linked to either Andrei Arshavin or Klaas Jan Huntelaar, even maybe both for a reported combined price tag of £38m.
But this is to be seen in context of Wenger's bizarre statement: “The strategy of the club is to sell every year and to buy less expensive players.”
Wenger says that this will be the strategy for the next 17 years to pay off the debt on the stadium. This cost cutting strategy will generate a £24m surplus annually. Yes, Arsenal is officially in the business of leveraging players.
In effect too, buying players now is contingent on maintaining the £24m margin. Which means that Arshavin and Huntelaar don't come under the category of 'less expensive players' . And I agree with Arseblog, Wenger's pronouncement makes no sense if Arsenal wants to retain a bargaining advantage. In fact, with this there will be very few "less expensive players" left on the market with clubs cognizant of Wenger's plan. It all seems quite fishy.
Marcos Senna is listed as a midfielder but his usefulness lies in his being a utility player capable of coming forward on attack, falling back to defend, and controlling midfield. He is strong in the air, very capable with free kicks, burns up the outside turf to slice in a cross, quick and decisive in his tackling, and shows some dribbling chops too, turning and twisting his way through defenders.
A time motion study (Bloomfield, et. al, 2007) analyzing purposeful movements of players playing specific positions show clear demarcations with midfielders covering more ground, defenders spending more time running backwards and laterally,and strikers turning more. Midfielders also play more short passes as defenders go for the long ball. They also spend significantly more time in skills such as tackling as compared to other positions. Strikers and defenders spend more time in high intensity physical contact as they use their body strength to advantage to head or break or make tackles.
A player like Senna probably washes out the significant differences between positions, successfully melding midfielding capabilities with aspects of defending and striking skills to create a physical and protean presence on the field.
I always think that international competitions like Euro or the World Cup provide much needed correctives.
Fernando Torres muscled his way past Philip Lahm in one of the more indelible images of Euro 2008 to provide Spain's winner. The Liverpool striker was one of the heroes in his country's win against Germany. However his Premiership compatriots Cesc Fabregas and Michael Ballack had a more muted final as the players from the Bundesliga and La Liga provided the most highlights. The final showed Iniesta, Xavi, Senna, Silva, Ramos and Marchena at their sparkling best as they ran over Germany who relied once again on Podolski and Schweinsteiger to spare the blushes.
When you compare the big four contribution to national squads, La Liga and Serie contributed 38 apiece and the Bundesliga topped out with 59 players with the largest numbers going to their own teams. The English league even without England's participation provided 47 players, far ahead of La Liga and Serie. Squads with large representations included Portugal and Netherlands, who despite their bright start could not take their game to the next level. This in some aspects is a reprisal of the 2006 World Cup where the English league found its influence on the wane as the tournament went deeper despite the FA touting publicly the maximum number of players to the national squads.
One wonders why this is so? The English League is overwhelmingly the largest in terms of viewership and revenues. With many of its clubs under the control of deep pocketed ownerships, it doles out the biggest chunk of change for the best talent and the largest overseas contingent of players is evidence of where the sport has shifted. Their clubs took three semifinal spots in the CL cup this year.
But all this is for nought because once again as demonstrated in the Euro it was the other leagues that provided the impact players when national pride was at stake.
One of the biggest differences between the English league and other leagues is the intensity of scheduling and the amount of recovery time it gives its players. The English league with its packed domestic fixtures and international obligations for revenue reasons does not give a winter break to its players, a month which finds other leagues enjoying a breather and players recuperating from niggling injuries. This is especially crucial in years when international competitions take center stage with little lag from the end of the league season. For elite Premiership clubs playing this year's CL, recovery gets even more abbreviated. Players from Man U and Chelsea hyperventilating from the grueling CL final literally flew into Klagenfurt or Geneva from Luzhniki Stadium the next day to start their Euro campaign. Fatigue is cumulative and fresher legs do count for a lot more.
The other reason is more controversial and insidous. The English League's combative attitude frequently pushes players to choose club over country. Jose Mourinho was so incensed by Michael Ballack's ankle surgery peformed by German doctors that he was seriously considering shipping Ballack off. Jogi Low had to eat humble pie. Everton's David Moyes threw a fit when he said that witch doctors were trying to force Tim Cahill's recovery for Australia's World Cup 2006 opener against Japan. Sir Alex considered a lawsuit against the FA if Rooney came back as damaged goods from the World Cup. Obviously such measures are protective in nature and serve the club's self interest but they also sub-consciously create conditions where players have to choose between their bread and butter and abstractions such as national pride. Doubts like these can lead to fluctuations in motivation and performance as can levels of fitness and fatigue.
Factors such as these are partly responsible for England's failure on the international level apart from a whole horde of tactical shortcomings and perceived lack of talent. But all these factors put together also affect English League overseas players when they play for their national squads.
" Barcelona have made it clear that their priority this summer is signing a striker with physical presence, after sanctioning the departure of Samuel Eto'o."
I never thought about Adebayor as a physical presence. Yes, he is tall and he does play with his back to goal but an adjective such as physical is an inaccurate descriptor. He is no Viduka or Drogba. He does not bull his way through or possess a rasping shot that catches a goalie out of position. In fact, there is a languid sort of quality which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. His long legs add a deceptive dimension to his less than blazing speed, enabling him to direct in a memorable goal after a nifty Fabregas pass against Man Utd a couple of seasons ago.
Ade's style is indirect and more finesse. When he is sharp, he can kill defenses with well timed deflections or re-directions through opportunities created by Arsenal's busy midfield. It resulted in a 30 goal breakthrough season. He was more productive than Ronaldo who had far more chances. However against more aggressive defense, Ade frequently shows a heavy first touch which results in a number of balls taken away. At a crucial time last season, Ade's output deserted him. Arsenal could not buy a win as their reliance on moving through the middle rendered them predictable and stacked up defences successfully isolated Ade. As demonstrated many times over, Ade's success is contingent on Arsenal's midfield ascendancy.
Thierry Henry's transfer had less impact than expected. With Deco moving to Chelsea, good luck to Barca if they believe Ade can provide the Terminator role.
I have tears of joy. Watching Spain get over their mental block against their more heralded European rivals, doing it their way, playing beautiful, attacking soccer and finally winning what was rightfully theirs. There is a God occasionally and he chose the right time to be munificent.
There was Ballack his face streaked with congealed blood and the nonplussed Metzelder and Mertesacker, their faces frozen in disbelief and dismay, as they contemplated another championship without a title. Ballack is now the eternal stepchild, having lost out on the World Cup, Premiership, Champions League, and now the Euro.
It was Germany that came out in the first 20 minutes looking sharper and crisper as the Spanish backpedaled to keep the ball away from Podolski and Klose. But the defense gained in confidence as they won some hard fought 50-50 tackles. And slowly Spanish superiority in the midfield exerted itself. It was El Nino who created the best chance as he went up against Metzleder and guided a header which fortuitously hit the goal post after beating Lehmann and bounced out of harm's way. Germany was suddenly the team with their backs against the wall.
As it was with Turkey, Philip Lahm again donned the mantle of scapegoat as he went toe to toe with Torres, and got blistered. Torres turned the corner and then toed the ball past Jens Lehmann who over committed himself, telegraphing the little faith he had in his defenders. It was the 32nd minute and the Spanish were ascendant. There was Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, and Ramos stringing together fantastic passes and relying on flicks, sleight of foot, and peripheral vision to tease and torment the Germans.
Spain should have gone about three goals up as Sergio Ramos's header was parried out by Lehmann, Senna flashing a nanosecond late following a beautiful one- two with Iniesta heading down a cross from Silva across goal, and Ramos whistling a shot just past the far post.
Viva Espana and congratulations to them. We will see them again. And its onwards full speed for Aragones boys to the World Cup.
The newspapers in Spain are touting the new muscular and sleek Spanish team, unified in purpose. The future lies bright as Luis Aragones has molded a team that is young and resilient.
"Spain must decide whether it wants to be a bull or matador", proclaimed Cesar Luis Menotti.
This Spanish team has found ways to be both. Under Aragones and his successor in waiting Vincent Del Bosque, they are now a serious challenge to German and Italian supremacy.
Expect David Villa not to be in the line up, the Valencia striker has a muscle tear in his thigh and has been ruled out.
Expect Cesc Fabregas to start. Arsenal's maestro has been having quite a tournament
Expect Michael Ballack to be a gametime decision.
Expect a foul filled initial 20 minutes as the Germans try and break the rhythm of the free flowing Spanish midfield.
Expect very few aerial balls from Spain as the longer limbed Germans would have a field day.
Expect Germans to loft the ball to Klose and Ballack to beat out the shorter Spanish defence.
Expect the German left flank with Lahm and Podolski to be hyperactive in attack.
Expect David Silva to be a thorn in Arne Friedrich's side, and in general, the whole German side
Expect Jens Lehmann to cause a few heart attacks on either side.
Expect Fernando Torres to break his Luca Toni like dry spell.
Expect Cesc Fabregas to stamp his authority in attack.
Expect Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder to look nonplussed.
Expect Tommy Smyth to have an orgasm everytime Germany touches the ball.
Expect Angela Merkel in German face paint and a beer in her hand.
Expect Spain to beat Germany.
Germany will be feeling a bit relieved as Spain will be without David Villa who has been ruled out with a muscle tear in his thigh. But they still have Torres and Guiza to contend with. And Silva, Fabregas, Iniesta, Xavi, Senna, and Ramos.
This Spanish team is not afraid to let it fly from long distance and Lehmann's reflexes will be sorely tested. He was not upto the task when he deflected a shot onto the post and the ball came back to Ivica Olic for Croatia's second goal. Against Turkey, Lehmann could not stop Ugur Boral's weakly struck shot.
I expect the Spanish team to come out smoking, creating chances with their clever interlocking play as they pull and probe the German defence and soften them up with their 20-30 pass sequences. Lehmann better be on top of his game to keep the Germans competitive. He has looked tentative, been caught out of position and not clean with his collection.
Marcos Senna is being celebrated as a find, a player finally giving teeth to the much maligned Spanish defence, a noteworthy ally in its potent attack. But he is in a minority because this Euro shone a spotlight on the number of flatfooted defenses which became red meat for swift counter attacks. Teams could not hold onto leads. Goals were given up by defenders without thought. And attacks were sustained by the inability of the defenders to clear the ball effectively. In basketball terms, the advantage lay with the team making all the offensive rebounds.
Many examples abound, Gianluca Zambrotta's interception of a Razvan Rat long ball which he mishit into Adrian Mutu's direction that the Romanian striker gobbled up gratefully. Or Sergio Ramos whose problems staying upright led to Zlatan Ibrahamovic scoring a goal. In between we were treated to Florent Malouda defending in vain against Dirk Kuyt's goal. Or Philip Lahm's atrocious defending against Sabri that led to Semih equalizing for Turkey. The Czech defence kept Nihat onside enabling him to score the game winner. These defensive lapses became de riguer and costly to the team's chances.
Managers discovered that experience was an over rated attribute and that age and attrition had sapped players of the quick reflexes resulting in porous defenses breached repeatedly by a fast counterattacking style. Many teams too were forced to employ a makeshift defense because of injuries to their first line.
The French relied on Lilian Thuram and Willy Sagnol, players brought back from retirement, which saw the Dutch shredding them in one of France's worst defeats. In turn, the Dutch led by Andre Ooijer and Wilfred Bouma at the back, slowed down by injuries and age, were no match for Arshavin and company. Italy in Cannavaro's absence patched its defense pairing the 36 year old Christian Panucci with the much younger Andre Barzagli or Giorgio Chiellini at the center, to ultimately no avail. The Czech Republic's defensive line boasted 242 caps, a lifetime of experience which counted for nought as the Turkey embarassed them in the match of Euro 2008. The Turks repeated their performance against Croatia, another team with a veteran defense, with Dario Simic one shy of a century of caps for his country and Robert Kovac and Josip Simunic accounting for another 143.
Spain will try and exploit a German side that has had trouble keeping the ball away from the back of the net with Croatia, Portugal, and Turkey giving plenty of heartburn. Age and injuries can slow down a defense but these are not the excuses for a German team that has a group of young defendees who should have no problems with speed or reflexes. But their team has been found wanting. Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder as the sentinels in the center have looked slow and tentative. At right back Jogi Low has tinkered with Lahm, Fritz, and Friedrich but they have proved inadequate. Lahm has used his attacking prowess down the left flank effectively but his defense has been questionable. Even with Torsten Frings giving additional cover, the Germans look shaky. Given that Jens Lehmann has been having some problems with motor co-ordination, this does not bode well for a team having to stop the likes of Villa, Torres, or Guiza.
The eternal greed machine that is club soccer just outdid itself. The present over-correction in the market which reversed club domination now finds players without any shred of guilt opting out of multi- year contracts and hold out for more money. Arsene Wenger believes that the present course is out of control reminiscent of a Wild West mentality.
It is interesting he makes these observations in the context of the Ronaldo saga. The only way clubs can be forced to make further concessions is to paint them as being the entities that wield ultimate power which is what Ronaldo and his agent are doing.
Ronaldo feels that leading Man U to two Premiership and a CL title is enough price to be paid for his independence. It seems he reportedly pursued his dream of joining Real since December of last year. His perfomance seems to be partly fueled by the perception that if he had a great season which resulted in winning Man U its titles that the club in its gratitude would have no problems releasing him.
Naive or calculatingly conniving? Does Ronaldo really think that Man U would let go of its golden goose, the one player chiefly responsible for its success and give Chelsea and Arsenal snapping at its heels, a huge leg up.
Or is Ronaldo calculating that Man U comes off looking like an ungrateful slave master with a sketchy conscience, forcing players into servitude, unwilling to negotiate even with Real ready to break the bank. The only way they can redeem themselves is to re-negotiate his five year club contract agreed upon just last year to give him more money. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes believes that Man U will make that happen in order to help Ronaldo renew his passion to play for the club.
Either way Real is ready to offer a sum which is making most pundits and managers sick to the stomach. The asking rate is worth €200m (£158m) for his services. The so called best player in the world is worth more than Werder Bremen's valuation.
Spain made it to the Euro finals after 44 years. So long ago it came during Francisco Franco's iron fisted rule, an era abhorred and overturned by thousands who have made Spain, a beacon of democracy and social progressivism.
Today's match against Russia turned out to be anti-climactic as Guus Hiddink's team was a shadow of itself, tentative and tremulous. Andrei Arshavin chose the wrong match to turn invisible. Roman Pavlyuchenko provided a few uplifting moments for the Russian fans but the Spanish defence and Iker Casillas proved to be a step quicker, in a reversal of the much parodied versions of earlier teams.
Spain right from the outset went on the attack and tested Igor Akinfeev with some smart and crisp volleys which was a good tactic as the incessant rain made the ball slick and hard to handle. Fabregas introduction for the injured David Villa as the slot striker leaving Torres up front was a bit surprising (he usually replaces Xavi) introduced a crisper passing game. But the Russians managed to battle the first half to a draw.
The second half saw some of the most scintillating soccer from Spain as their fluid midfield led by Iniesta, Xavi, and Fabregas began wearing down the Russian defence. The stalemate ended when Xavi smartly sliced the ball past Akinfeev from a heads up pass by Iniesta after a lovely bit of passing. Torres was surprisingly taken off and replaced by Dani Guiza. To be fair, Torres was a thorn in the Russian side but he seemed to be just a bit off his timing. Aragones probably realized that he needed at least one more goal to put this past the Russians to avoid a Turkish surprise.
His move paid dividends as minutes later in a brilliant 1-2, Fabregas adroitly lifted the ball past Ignasevich and Guiza chested it down and toed it past Akinfeev to score the second goal. Then after a great bout of passing, Iniesta hands of to Fabregas, whose run ends in his pass threading the needle to find Silva, and the diminutive left footed winger controls the ball, shifting it to his natural foot and lays the ball into goal. Spain is three up and the nail is in the coffin.
The Russians were outdone by a superior team and their fairy tale written largely by Arshavin's exploits, came to an end. Except for a few moments, the fluid and open style that the Russians used to shell shock the Netherlands was missing. In its place, the Russians became as predictable as the Italians as they sought their big man, Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Correction: Spain also made it to the 1984 Euro finals where they were beaten by France, 0-2.
It is obvious as daylight that Germany's Lukas Podolksi and Philip Lahm operate with a right brained attitude which is at polar opposites to the rest of the team. Germany's creative zest arises from the left flank. Four goals and a hand in three more. But the intuitive right brain is also prone to blunders. And so it is with Podolski and Lahm, especially Lahm whose defensive gaffes have proven embarassing. Opposing teams have been punished by them but they have also found that the door is left open.
Tommy Smyth is an execrable piece of humanity. After the Turkey - Germany match, he condescendingly dismissed Turkey's performance as "No one will remember who played the semi-finals, it only matters who won, and Germany won." He then went into a paean on how Lahm scored a goal which strikers would be well advised to watch. There was no praise for Turkey and their effort.
Kudos to Julie Foudy who smacked him down by saying that there would be many who would remember Turkey and their never say die spirit. Smyth looked like he had swallowed an "auld onion bag."
Why ESPN continues to tolerate Smyth is beyond me. Keith Olbermann should do a Worst Person segment on this buffoon.
Semih Senturk did it again. He guided the ball exquisitely between Lehmann and the goalpost for a 86th minute goal after Sabri turned Philip Lahm inside out at the sideline and then slid the ball across. Semih was at hand to beat out Lehmann and Metzleder. The magnificent Turks had stormed back after they familiarly looked defeat in the face from a Miroslav Klose goal in the 80th minute. The match looked like it was heading to extra time.
The loss of TV transmission at crucial intervals of the second half added to the tension and the fast changing scoreline had to be updated by the studio crew. We could not get to see Klose and Semih's goal live but the link came back in time to see Philip Lahm's dagger in the waning minutes of the match to dash Turkish hopes. Lahm atoned for his embarassing mistake by speeding down the left flank as he left Kazim Richard sprawling on the turf. Hitzlsperger was at hand to receive his pass and in a clever 1-2, relayed it back to Lahm who had continued his run. Lahm finished off with a curling right footer that Rustu had no chance of stopping. The Turks were caught napping and Mehmet Topal, the makeshift center back could not react in time. The link went dead again. Fatih Terim's thin roster, attenuated by injuries and suspension, could not pull of a miracle this time.
The most crucial play was the one that Rustu gambled on and lost. Lahm, from the left floated a cross towards Klose and Rustu, from a full 10 yards rushed out. His effort was a nano second too late as Klose headed the ball into an empty goal. If Rustu had held his ground he would have had an easy collection.
The Turks were everywhere in the first half as the Germans looked like the makeshift team. Under siege, the Germans cracked. From a Kazim Richards floater which hit the cross bar, the ball fell to Ugur Boral. Fortunately for him, his weak shot caught Lehmann off guard, and the ball squeezed past the goal line. The Turkish celebration was shortlived as four minutes later the Germans in their only good moment of the first half came back when a Podolski drive across the goal saw Schweinsteiger reaching before Topol and flicking the ball past Rustu.
Fatih Terim's remaining men rallied magnificently. Mehmet Aurelio did a fantastic job reducing Michael Ballack to a bystander. Kazim Richards was a force on the right. He could have easily had two goals if the crossbar had not come in the way. Semih Senturk with his guile slipped past the twin towers of Mertesacker and Metzelder with ease. Ugur Boral resurrected Tuncay with his hard running, down the left to attack and falling back on defense. Gokan Zan provided a physical presence in the middle. Hamit Altintop although not quite having the game as he did against Croatia, marshalled the midfield, to enjoy an advantage in first half possession.
This Euro shall be remembered for the Turks and their indomitable team. They not only played with courage and an unflagging spirit but they did so with a sparkling display of creative and attacking soccer. They might have lost this match but they won the admiration of milions around the world. And which team would not love to have such passionate fans engulfing the stadium with chants of Turkiye Turkiye. We know you will be back.
Of all the players missing from the Turkish squad, Tuncay Sanli's absence hurts more than others. The Middlesbrough striker has been the catalyst and the motivator par excellence for all the Turkish comebacks.
Against a German side ready to exploit their physical play against the more diminutive Turkish side, Tuncay would have brought his strength and pace to cause problems down the flanks and up the middle. But more than that Tuncay has given 110% to the game, running back all the way to tackle, racing upfield to chase a ball, test the goalie with a sizzling shot, crunch heads with defenders to get to a ball, take corners and free kicks, send in crosses, and even play goalie.
I am not discounting the immense efforts of Adhar Turan, Nihat, Semih, Hamit Altintop, Hakan Balta, and others but Tuncay's impact has been as important as Andrei Arshavin's to the Russian success. Personally, I think he would run Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder ragged. Torsten Frings would probably have to soften him up with fouls to break his rhythm and Philip Lahm would have to chase him down.
When Germany and Turkey meet tomorrow on the field it will not be just another soccer match but one which reflects deep socio-political connections between the two countries largely though the prism of the 2.5 million people of Turkish ethnicity living in Germany.
Tomorrow's match raises to the fore, the heated issue of German attempts at Turkish integration and its success. Both countries will get to see Hamit Altintop and Hakan Balta, German born players of Turkish ethnicity, who have opted to play for their country of origin. This is the first major clash between the two countries, and on the eve of the match, many on the political left believe that the two players chose to play for Turkey because assimilation has not gone far enough. Politicians from the right tout Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski as success stories in German integration, which seems to be a bit of a stretch, given that they come from Poland, a neighbouring country, where German is the second language.
The answer lies in the way Germany set about ignoring the citizenship claims of hundreds of thousands of Turkish guest workers invited by Germany in the post World War II reconstruction phase, once they settled down, learned the language, began families, and started the process of assimilation. Germany then shut down the guest worker program in the early 70s and then tried to get rid of the existing workers, even giving them cash awards to return. The immigration laws were not very kind to the subsequent generations also leaving the status of German born Turks in limbo.
German laws till very recently, did not grant citizenship to children of foreign born parents, even as German Turks enter their third generation. In fact, only about 30% of the population have been granted citizenship. New federal laws passed in 2000 under Gerhard Schroeder sped up the process of naturalization but left it up to the state to decide on how immigrants were perceived to uphold the constitution. The southern state of Baden Wurttemberg now requires that potential citizens from Muslim countries answer questions pertaining to their cultural beliefs, grounds for disqualification if they are anathema to Western tenets. The large Turkish population in that state sees this as racist and discriminatory, and a further obstacle to their integration.
More recently, tensions between Angela Merkel and Tayyip Erdogan flared up over rules which increase the bar on family re-unification. Turks joining their families have to now learn basic Deutsch. This marginalizes families from more remote regions of Turkey where German classes are not readily available.
Erdogan's visit wih Merkel came at a time when German - Turkish community relations were already at a low ebb. A fire had killed nine Turks, five of them children, in the German state of Hesse. It was widely suspected but not proven to be a hate crime. Erdogan to allay Turkish fears, in a populist speech, exhorted the Turkish community to remain aloof from German society and to take pride in Turkish culture and its language. To many Germans, already suspicious of Muslims following 9/11, it appeared that Erdogan, a devout Islamist, was fueling the feeling of alienation which many Turks publicly acknowledge. His first visit ended with widespread condemnation by the German media. The talk of attending Turkish language schools should be seen in the context of German dismay with the erosion of its world rankings in reading and math largely because of the poor performance of its "migration background" children. This illustrates the quintessential Turkish conundrum. In order to assimilate, the Turks learn German, the benefits of which have not paid off in terms of citizenship, higher education or employment. Germany nationalists are quick to blame the Turks for their country's high unemployment rate, increasing crime, and falling educational standards. However, embracing the Turkish language and culture, would be perceived as reactionary, the genesis of a parallel culture which many Germans see as responsible for breeding radical Islam.
It is not just Germany's foot-dragging of the immigration issue that has disenchanted millions of Turks in Germany but also the larger issue of Turkey's integration into the EU. Angela Merkel and the CDU want a more diluted version of full membership, in which Turkey will be accorded special privileges, with cultural and economic caveats.
Even Hamit Altintop acknowledges that this is not just a soccer match, its implications are far more significant, and that he dances a delicate dance.
"It will be a very special game for me," Altintop said. "I have Germany to thank for a lot -- actually for everything…. I would be very happy if every fan were to see Wednesday's game as a huge folk festival between the two countries. Regardless of the result, the game is an excellent opportunity to take another step toward the much-discussed goal of integration."
I don't think German fans will be so sanguine if he scores the winning goal. In soccer, rationalization is best left to managers and pundits.
Arsene Wenger is pursuing the Zenit St. Petersburg striker with deadly intent notwithstanding his coy statements. To do that he has to cloud Arshavin's mind by blurring Arsenal's style with that of Barca (which remains Arshavin's first choice). Having Cesc Fabregas team up with the Arshavin on display in this Euro should be a mouthwatering proposition for Arsenal this season.
So far La Liga has not paid much interest to Arshavin whose age appears to be a factor. The Spanish league loves to catch 'em young, watch them grow, unless you happen to be RVN or Thierry Henry, proven superstars. Barca is also shopping their surplus in Deco, Eto'o, and Ronaldinho, and some of the money in that trade will be used to woo Adebayor, also being pursued by Milan.
Here is how I see it. Arsenal's attack stems from the midfield. Other than RVP, the rest of the strikers rely on clear supply lines. Man U's distinct advantage lies in the fact that their strikers are more adept at creating goal scoring opportunities unlike Adebayor or Eduardo. I have seen Rooney and Tevez go deeper than Adebayor to nurture attacks. Rooney has honed his short passing skills to great effect. This is in part because Scholes and Giggs, in their waning moments, are not the crisp passers they once were and Anderson and Nani, their potential replacements, are still in the showboating phase of their development. Man U's stutters in midfield are glossed over by their accomplished striker corps.
Arshavin does everything. He drops deep to fuel an attack with his efficient passes (54 passes completed out of 72 attempts), he uses his speed and ball skills to split the game wide, as his zigzagging run found Dmitri Torbinski for the second goal against Netherlands, and he has shown great opportunism, zipping between Andre Ooijer and Wilfred Bouma, for the third goal. At age 28, he is a late bloomer but with his UEFA exploits and now the Euro, he appears to be in a hurry to cement his legacy. He could be the right antidote for Arsenal's now familiar late season swoon.
The man who has made it a mission to bleach Brazil of the memories of the Tele Santana era and has some success doing it his way with his system of prizing workman like players and sound technical skills over artistry and attacking play is having a hard time motivating Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers. They are presently 5th in the group with nine points, having survived a dreary draw against Argentina. The Seleccao have dropped points with draws against lowly Peru and Colombia, and then losing to Paraguay. Their one bright spot is a 2-1 win over Uruguay and a 5-0 drubbing of Ecuador.
The Brazilian press and the public have hammered Dunga's approach.
Dunga's playbook revolves around creating a seamless connection between the attack and the defense through his system of holding and attacking midfielders. Elano, Julio Baptista and Gilberto Silva figure as the featured players. The defense has cemented around Lucio, Juan, Dani Alves, and Maicon, with a decidedly physical style of play (Argentina learned this the hard way at the 2007 Copa America). However, in this scheme of play, it is the attack that has been susceptible to Dunga's vagaries and has a decidedly unsettled look.
Earlier tinkering saw lesser lights Vagner Love, Daniel Carvalho, Rafael Sobis, and Luis Fabiano getting the call once Dunga was made manager in the aftermath of Brazil's poor showing in the 2006 World Cup. This was probably natural as none of the marquee players played to their capability. Dunga did eventually recall Kaka. But Dunga's initial rejection probably accounts for the AC Milan star's lukewarm national commitment. Robinho's performance of late has been abysmal, Adriano and Ronaldinho's hard partying has attracted more news media than their no shows on the field. Fred has had a look in but the Lyon striker is not the easiest to discipline. Alexandre Pato remains the one bright spot having an impressive first season for Inter. The attack therefore has been very patchy going through goal scoring droughts.
Dunga has also shifted his emphasis from open field goals to set pieces and Elano, Julio Baptista and a 6' defense offers Brazil their best chance of scoring such goals. This leaves Brazil exposed to fast counter attacks which takes advantage of slow reacting or an out of position defenses. Paraguay was able to win through such means.
Just when Andrea Pirlo was showing his best form in a while, against France, he picks up his second yellow card and misses his match against Spain. In the absence of Italy's medio, you have to fancy Spain's chances. Previous meetings have been exercises in futility for Spain whose fragile psyche will be tested by the Italians who thrive on opportunism. But this is a Spain whose midfield is so gifted, that Cesc Fabregas comes on as a substitute for Xavi Fernandez. They also have Andres Iniesta who has had a muted tournament so far.
The find so far has been David Silva, a diminutive winger, who has been a live wire with his versatility, speed and outstanding ball control. He stretches the game out wide and uses both flanks equally well. Swedish defenders had a hard time stopping his crossing runs one of which led to the Torres goal.
Spain's game is very circumscribed. Their success lies in their midfield creating chances for Torres and Villa to score, rarely do they themselves avail of scoring opportunities. Against Sweden it became de riguer to watch 20- 30 passes strung together as the midfield probed the Swedish defense seeking supply lanes for the strikers to score. The Swedes were very good at crowding them out.
The tie was broken in heartbreaking fashion in extra time as David Villa latched onto a long ball beating the Swedish defenders. They will have to employ the same unorthodox methods against Italy which will be gearing up for Spain's control of the midfield. Italy on the other hand have won even with their biggest scoring threat, Luca Toni registering no goals.
Spain's weakest link remains the defence. Carlos Puyol and Carlos Marchena provide bulk but also a great deal of inertia, Puyol in particular has been slowed down by niggling injuries, Sergio Ramos has great pace but his defensive instincts are somewhat suspect. The one bright spot has been Marcos Senna, whose defensive organization is similar to that of Gilberto, while providing a threat on set pieces too.
There it is. If Portugal had beaten Germany, Chelsea's announcement on their website, announcing Big Phil's hiring during the Euro, would have been overlooked. But they lost and the Portugese football federation quickly heaped