Qatar 2022 – Where money grows on trees but talent is bare.

When Qatar was announced as the winning bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the world watched in shock and amazement. Not only had this tiny sovereign Arab state beaten the rivals bids from Australia, USA and South Korea but it had done so at a landslide. What had FIFA judges seen about the Qatari bid that made them all go all bashful with excitement? Nothing really except for a dream. Qatar itself is a small country with a population of just over 1.8million, most of whom are foreign wrokers. It lacks the footballing infrastructure required to host these games but have built a plan based on money, and lots of it. It’s proposal to FIFA in the fall of 2010 was simple – they would build everything from scratch needed to host the World Cup within the twelve-year timeline. They would fund it through the countries vast wealth, primarily from their petrol and natural gas industries. Everything from stadiums to airports to hotels to transportation was presented and it won over the FIFA panel.

Former Dutch star Ronald De Boer backed the bid.
(Image from PA)

Backed by former pros Ronald Be Boer and Zinedine Zidane, the bid was indeed a grand plan and a high risk one as deemed by FIFA, with several issues beside the logistics of the bid being raised. One such issue was the intense heat of summer in Qatar where temperatures soar to breathtaking 41 degrees celsius (106 degrees fahrenheit) in June and July. With the games traditionally taking place during these months, the unbearable heat would cause havoc to the players and fans alike. Special covered stadium were designed that sprayed a cool mist of water over the teams and fans, supported by super turbines that would drive cool air throughout the ground in an attempt to tackle the heat. But little though was given to the times when no games were being played and fans made their way in their millions across the country by car, buses and trains. Suggestions of moving the World Cup for the first time to the cooler winter months have been met with mixed reactions. This would indeed correct the heat issue however it would disrupt a majority of the major leagues across the world as they attempted to find a 6 week gap in their already tight domestic schedules. Cancellations of cup tournaments and matches have been offered as potential options, but only for one year and likely at a cost to FIFA.

Youth development in Qatar is underway
(Image from Getty)

Regardless of when the tournament will be played and if the infrastructure is ready, one certainty is the need to have a competitive host nation compete in its first ever World Cup. Qatar have never qualified for any tournament to date, coming close on only a handful of ocassions. With a limited amount of players to choose from, youth development focused towards 2022 is a key priority, with money and effort been spent to make this a reality. An ambitious target of qualifying from the group stages has been set by the Qatar FA but a more realistic goal would be 3 good performances in what will be a baptism of fire. To achieve this, Qatar has invested heavily in a project called The Aspire Zone, a world-class sports complex that boasts a youth academy, state of the art medical facilities and stadia for events. The facility has already been used by Barcelona and Ajax and more clubs are due to follow in their footsteps over the next few years as Qatar gears up for the biggest event in its history.

Aspire Dome, part of the Aspire Zone complex
(Image from Reuters)

The current team is improving slowly, under Brazilian manager Paulo Autuori but still lacks the killer instincts needed to get them to a major tournament. Having scored in a handful of their previous games first, their lack of finishing has ended up costing them the game as time and time again their opponents have come back to draw or beat Qatar. In a match against Uzbekistan, Qatar looked like their luck in front of goal was changing when the Uzbekistan goalkeeper miss timed a challenge leaving the Qatar striker clean through on an open goal. Watch the clip here to see what unbelievably happens next: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4CCc-Qi5iU

Improvements and developments can be made to the infrastructure in Qatar but one thing that can’t be taught is raw talent. Finding the stars of tomorrow may turn out to be the biggest challenge of them all that faces this new football loving nation.

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End Of The Season, End Of An Era

This past weekend saw the conclusion of the regular season and with it settled the unanswered questions regarding promotion, relegation and European places. For a select few however it was a bitter-sweet end as they bow out of football and enter retirement. With much of the media buzz surrounding David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson, you could be forgiven for forgetting about the likes of Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes.

The England trio have decided that it’s time to close off this chapter of their lives and move on to pastures new. Scholes has already tasted retirement briefly after quitting at the end of last season, only for Sir Alex to persuade him to come back in what turned out to be a title-winning move. Scholes return helped to add creativity and steel to the United midfield that was suffering from the loss of the injured Darren Fletcher and an inconsistent Michael Carrick. Without Scholes, it’s questionable whether Sir Alex could have bowed out of football himself with the clubs 20th league title. The future for Scholes is uncertain but with David Moyes arriving at Old Trafford in the summer and his need to immediately connect with the club and its fans, there may be a job for Scholes on his coaching staff.

Scholes helped deliver Title to United
(Image from Getty

Former united player Michael Owen announced his intention to retire a few weeks ago shortly after ex England and Liverpool teammate Carragher had done the same. Owens career has seen him play for five different clubs (Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, United and Stoke) whilst Carragher has only played for one – Liverpool. Both players exit after distinguished careers, having lifted a variety of honours including the Champions League trophy. Carragher has been Mr. consistent for Liverpool and the rock at the back for the club whilst Owens goals for club and country seen him exit as a goal scoring recorded breaker.

Carragher’s lifts the Champions League Trophy
(Image from Getty)

Another player bowing out but not necessarily retiring is Newcastle’s Steve Harper. The ever faithful goalkeeper played his final game yesterday for the black and whites and was visibly moved by the minute applause by the Newcastle fans on the 37th minute. Supported as always by his wife and kids, wearing the number 37 shirt and the captain’s armband, Harper rolled back the years with some great saves against an aggressive Arsenal side that needed the three points to secure champions league football next year. Harper will decide in the summer about his next move, whether that is to extend his career at another club or bow out now to focus on other pursuits.

Loyal servant Harper departs
(Image from PA)

Like Harper, Javier Zanetti had been a one club man for some time now and in doing so has become an Inter Milan legend. At 39 years old, the ultra-fit Argentine looked to follow Paolo Maldini by playing in Serie A into his forties. However after rupturing his left Achilles tendon, Zanetti may have to call time on his career now rather than in a few years. It will be devastating news to the player and the club whose heart beat as one. If Zanetti is forced to retire, his next job is likely to still be at Inter with the club set to offer him a coaching role or like Beckham, an ambassador role in football. But Zanetti has not given up hope of playing again and spoke publicly after doctors confirmed the seriousness of his injury:

“My career does not finish here. After travelling so many kilometres, I just needed to change my tyres. I want to come back even stronger than before. My only sadness is not being able to help my team-mates qualify for the Europa League, but I have faith that they can do it.”

Heart and Soul of Inter – Zanetti
(Image from Getty)

If Zanetti is unable to bounce back, he will join a host of other players across Europe who are retiring this summer. Tough tackling Italian midfielder Rino Gattuso is hanging up his boots so that he can focus on becoming a coach. The former AC Milan and Rangers star was until recently acting manager at troubled Swiss side Sion before he was sacked last week. Bulgarian captain Stiliyan Petrov has decided to leave the game as well so that he can focus on his recovery after battling acute leukaemia. And Schalke defender Christoph Metzelder, who represented Germany 47 times during his career, has also decided to retire at the end of this season after a serious of injuries blighted his latter years.

Gattuso quits playing to focus on coaching (Image from Getty)

For all the players above, their footballing careers may be drawing to a close but a new chapter is about to begin. Most of them will remaining in the game in some capacity whether it be in coaching, as an ambassador or  as a TV pundit whilst the rest will bid farewell and step away all together. Either way their contribution to the beautiful game will not be forgotten, at least not by the fans.

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Tactical Change Sweeping Across Europe

In the 1950′s there was only one tactic employed by clubs across Europe – the standard 4-4-2. As a default formation, few clubs chose to deviate from this, adjusting the playing squads to accommodate this formation. the formation which focuses its self around two flat lines of four across the defense and midfield with two strikers working together as a team upfront, proved effective for most clubs even up until the early 1990′s when teams like AC Milan, under Arrigo Sacchi and then Fabio Capello, dominated domestically and in Europe using the formation. That remained the case until some coaches realised that by altering the formation to fit the players they had, they could create teams that would excel above existing expectations and achieve success against more traditional formations like 4-4-2.

Now in 2013. a new formation appears to be on the cusp of overtaking 4-4-2 as the standard. Looking across this year’s Champions League teams, one common theme runs across clubs like Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Benfica,  Chelsea, Lille, Malaga, Manchester United and City, Schalke and Real Madrid. All of these clubs and many more across Europe and the world are switching to a standard 4-2-3-1 formation. This formation is not new, nor is it revolutionary but is being inforced more by smarter coaches looking to play attack minded football. Similar to the 4-2-4 formation, which places heavily focus on the forwards, the 4-2-3-1 approach tries to place as many men in front of the ball as possible to allow breaks at high-speed. The lynch pin to this formation is the two central midfielders and the central attacking midfielder.

The central midfielder is advancing at an alarming rate. Once seen as either the additional player who can break down the play or the starting point for attacks, the current central midfielders are expected to be both. In this formation, they must provide cover to the back four creating a wall of 6 that closes down the space to the opposition but also have the skill and flair to create the play from deep and advance it up the field. Players like Lille’s Rio Mavuba and Bayern Munich’s Javi Martinez are good examples of this new type of player. Whilst there is generally an understanding between the two central midfielders around which one is more likely to sit back and which one to be more advanced, they both operate in a similar capacities and prove a vital link to the attacking midfield playmaker.

Lille’s Rio Mavuba has impressed this season

The attacking midfielder playmaker is not a new concept but is being embraced by clubs across the world as an important part of this new formation. His job is to act as the link between the midfielders and the striker and the creator of many of the teams attack. He provides cover to the two central midfielders, distributes the ball to the attacking wingers and adds support to the solo striker as a deep lying attacking threat. Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla and Schalke’s Lewis Holtby are examples of a new generation of attacking midfielders coming through, possesing the required pace, skill and vision to fufill this role effectively.

Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla has been on form this year

The two wide players operate as attack options whilst have the ability to pull back to act as defensive wingers whilst the lone striker covers all the ground between the 18 yard line and the goal. His job is made even harder by two central defenders marking him so more often than not, is instructed to drift into space, dragging a defender or two with him, allowing the attacking midfielder and two wingers addition space to move into. This formation has proven hard to mark against especially with a floating playmaker as its unclear who should pick them up. Teams are either forced to change their formation and employ a defense midfielder who sits in th hole between defense and midfield or move to a more traditional back three, which in turn opens up more width on the flanks for the wingers.

As more managers look at this formation with wonder over whether it will work for them or indeed how to defend against such a formation when they come up against it, teams across the globe are altering their plans and reverting away from tradition setups like 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 to become more attack minded. Whether this will be succesful for them in the long run is to be seen but as more and more clubs change,how long will it be before the new 4-2-3-1 becomes the norm?

Platini Revamps Euros, World Cup to Follow?

UEFA president Michel Platini confirmed what most people had suspected would happen by announcing a radical overhaul of the European Championships format. No longer will one or in recent cases two countries host the four-week long, now 24 team tournament but instead thirteen countries will take on smaller hosting duties, in an effort to minimize costs. The first Championships that will be affected won’t be until 2020, with the announcement of the host cities not set to happen until September 2014. Twelve packages will be awarded to a stadium staging three group matches and one match in the knockout rounds. The remaining package will see the host of the final and one of the semi finals named. Platini’s plan is to encourage smaller nations ,who may only have one or two stadiums large enough to meet UEFA’s international competition hosting standards, to take part whereas they haven’t been able to do so in the fast. Whilst it doesn’t mean automatic qualification to the tournament (Platini’s plan has no one automatically qualifying), it is hoped to help generate extra revenue to smaller nations that have struggled in the past.

Spain Wins Euro 2012 (Image from CP)

The financial arguments around this change have been strong – reduction in one country having to spend big on improved stadia, infrastructure and accommodation, reduced risk on UEFA having to bail out a country or find an expensive last-minute replacement, plus potential reduced costs for teams as games will be played in countries closer to their own, if not indeed their own. Fans will be relived to hear UEFA promise to ease the time and cost burdens on them as well by organising the group stages to within a two-hour flight radius. However what they haven’t considered is what , will happen after the group stages. Take for the example a Danish fan who follows his team at home in two of the three group stages whilst travelling to Germany for the third. Cost should be restrictive, unless Denmark qualify for the knockout stages. If they are played in Spain and England, Danish fans will be faced with a last-minute scramble to find flights and accommodation in those two cities. Added in to this, if Denmark manage to go all the way to the final, as they did in 1992, it could see Danish fans travelling across 4 countries in less than 2 weeks at a cost which most fans will be unable to afford. Platini’s belief is that by hosting the games in major cities, they will all be served by low-cost airlines which is true but unlikely to stop said airlines from hiking up their prices in the summer during the tournament. Added into this, with the inability to control hotel pricing in 13 countries, fans could be faced with a very hefty bill.

Flights could be a problem for fans
(Image from Getty)

The media will also lose out. Whilst logistical organization for a place like Ukraine and Poland (the last hosts) was a bit of a nightmare for most media outlets, trying to organise coverage over 13 countries may be slightly worse. It is unlikely that a company like the BBC will have studios in every one so they will pick one (probably England if they are chosen as one of the hosts) and operate field operations for the other 12. Coverage will likely rely on a multitude of media networks working together, sharing resources, feeds and equipment which poses its own problems.

TV companies face issues
(Image for AP)

Each host city will need to have a stadium that can hold a minimum of 50,000 people, with the final to be played in a 70,000 seater stadium, however UEFA has confirmed that it will pick at least two cities that only have a 30,000 people stadium to make it fairer on the smaller nations. With 20 of the 53 nations in UEFA possessing a 50,000 seater stadium, it makes sense to lower the threshold to 30,000 to increase the options available. Turkey, who pitched to host the 2020 tournament outright before the decision was made, look favourite to be named as one of the 13 cities and indeed is Platini’s choice to host the Final and Semi-finals, as long as they are not hosting the Olympics in the same year. For the ambitious Turks, who wanted both tournaments, choosing between hosting two games in the European championships and the entire Olympic games, shouldn’t be a difficult decision. Turkey will likely pick the Olympics if they are rewarded it and forego the Euro’s, at least for 2020. The timing of UEFA’s announcement of the chosen hosts in September 2014, ties directly into the decision on the 2020 Olympics which is likely to be announced before then, with Istanbul joining Madrid and Tokyo in the running.

Istanbul 2020 Olympics bid
(Image from Fansided.com)

Whoever the selection board decides to pick as host is irrelevant at this stage as Platini eyes the future of the UEFA’s prize international tournament. Change is happening, whether countries, fans or the media like it but it may not be the only tournament that changes in the next five years. With Sepp Blatter’s colourful tenure as FIFA president due to end in 2015, Platini will be looking at football’s top job and in turn its biggest event, the World Cup. Platini is likely to use the 2020 European Championship as an experiment to see if everything works before making the change permanent or reverting back to the previous one country model. If it is successful and he does secure the FIFA hot seat as expected then changes to the World Cup may take place, with Platini already showing his flexibility for his when talking about moving the Qatar 2022 World Cup to the winter to accommodate the countries extreme summer heat. What Platini has is time however to analyse and assess his next move. His focus until the announcement of the hosts in 2014 will be on the next European Championships in 2016, ironically to be held in Platini’s homeland, France. Fans too will be looking forward to the tournament as it could be the last of its kind for a very long time, especially if Platini gets his way.

Petrov Retires In Order To Continue His Recovery

It’s been a difficult year for Stiliyan Petrov with it all coming to a head this past week when he announced his retirement from the game. The now former Aston Villa and Bulgarian captain will be focusing on his fight against acute leukemia, which he was diagnosed with back in March 2012. Luckily the 33-year-old is now in remission after four months of chemotherapy but he has taken the decision to step away from the game in order to fully recover and focus on new challenges such as setting up a foundation to help leukemia sufferers.

On the mend – Now in remission
(Image from PA)

As the most capped Bulgarian player of all time with 106 caps to his name, he is a legend in his own country as well as to Villa fans. Throughout his career, that started in his homeland with CSKA Sofia in 1996, through to his move to Celtic in 1999 and finally his switch to Aston Villa in 2006, Petrov’s reputation as a hard-working grafter followed him. He was a fan’s favourite at all three clubs he played for, mostly because of his style of play and never gives up attitude. It has been this attitude that has seen him persevere through the last year as he fought the disease. As he steps away from the game, tributes from teammates current and past as well as opponents flooded in on his twitter page and other media sources.

Bulgaria’s most capped player with 106 caps
(Image from Getty)

Aston Villa winger Marc Albrighton wrote that he “could not ask for a better captain to learn from as a player and as a person” whilst Celtic manager and former teammate Neil Lennon called him “the all round modern-day midfielder, a box to box and technically very good. He was a fantastic goalscorer, very humble; a great team-mate and a great friend“. Fellow Premiership captain Vincent Kompany remarked” It’s sad to see a great captain and a great man retiring in his prime” and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney added his best wishes too commenting on twitter ” Best of luck to Stiliyan Petrov who retired from football today after his long battle with leukemia”

Lambert and Petrov at Celtic
(Image from Reuters)

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert, who played alongside Petrov at Celtic, has offered him a job at Villa when he is ready, likely within Lambert’s coaching staff. Whilst Petrov may not be in a position to accept the offer just yet as he continues his recovery, it will be heart warming that his former teammate and manager thinks so highly of him to do so. But Lambert will insist that it would not be a sentimental appointment, rather a smart one due to Petrov’s character, knowledge of the game and love for the club. If he is to return to Villa Park as a coach, he will be given a hero’s welcome by the players who still look towards Petrov with fondness. Former teammate Carlos Cuellar took to his blog following Petrov’s decision to retire, to praise his colleague. Writing in Spanish then translating into English, some of his words don’t make sense but the general tone of Cuellar’s words suggest that he holds the utmost respect for Petrov:

“His attitude and character while in the pitch made him achieve numberless successes and now, outside the game, it will be key for a new life among his family and friends. I have no doubt that he is going to win this match (against cancer), perhaps the most important match of his life, and he will live again, in the future, a new era around football pitches. Football is his passion and it will keep on being it, in spite of going through a complicated situation, and we miss that passion for football from the inside. Without a doubt, he will be an example for plenty of people who unfortunately sustain this disease”

Teammate Carlos Cuellar spoke kindly about Petrov
(Image from Getty)

Petrov knows he has options ahead of him but first he must continue his comeback away from the pitch which is likely to take some more time. His focus will be on his health and his family and friends, who have been there from the start of his battle with cancer. Speaking on the day of his retirement, Petrov thanked his family, his wife Paulina, and sons, Kristiyan and Stiliyan as well as his teammates and fellow players for their pillar like support throughout in an emotional statement.

“Football has been the other great love of my life, so it is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my retirement from the game. The emotions are overwhelming really, but the continued support of family, friends and the great people I have come to know will make it easier for me to move on from the only life I’ve ever known. That I am ready to embrace new challenges will make this process much easier”

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The Tale of The Two Roberto’s – But What Now?

It was the tale of the two Roberto’s at Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley and the tale of two seasons. Wigan’s triumph, thanks to a goal in the dying minutes of the game, highlighted small things about both sides but more importantly about their managers than either would care to admit. Martinez looked like a man possessed on Saturday, pushing his players along with each kick of the ball whilst his opposite number sat pensively on the bench next to Brian Kidd. Mancini showed little emotion over the ninety minutes except to jump up and march to his technical box to scream commands at his players. Martinez on the other hand spent the majority of the match camped out in his technical area willing his players on like a dotting dad on the side of his kids match. In the end a solitary goal from comeback star Ben Watson, returning to the team as a substitute after a horror leg break in November, which settled the game.

Mancini more passionate about pastilles than players
(Image from The Sun)

It was the perfect ending to a horrid season for Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini, who less than a year ago was basking in Premiership glory after pulling of a last minute miracle himself to snatch the title. Now after a second place finish, a losers medal in the FA Cup final and two unceremonious exits from the League Cup and Champions League, Mancini’s time looks set to be up. Rumours that an agreement has been struck to bring in Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini as Mancini’s replacement surfaced before Saturday’s match much to the dismay of the Italian coach. It will surely have impacted his effectiveness to immobilize his team for those ninety minutes on the Wembley pitch and the performance during the game of City’s multimillion squad backs that notion. But the truth is that Mancini’s head has been on the block, ready for execution for some time now after failure to qualify from their winnable Champions league group left City’s owners red faced with embarrassment. The summary of City’s campaign is disappointment, with a squad capable of so much more but with a coach lacking in tactical imagination and motivational skills. Mancini’s tactical mistakes in Europe against Ajax and his lack of motivational powers needed to rally his City team leading 1-0 at White Hart Lane in a crucial game, have ultimately been his undoing. Mancini will exit not through the front door as a winner but quickly through the back under a cover of darkness.

On the way – Pellegrini (Image from Getty)

For Roberto Martinez, it’s onwards and upwards. Wigan owner Dave Whelan is convinced he can keep Martinez from leaving for a bigger club like Everton but with Wigan likely to drop down into the Championship, a European adventure might not be enough of a pull to keep Martinez at the DW stadium. It’s still mathematically possible for Wigan to avoid the drop but they need two victories in their final two games plus some other results to go their way for that to happen. Martinez has managed to engineer their survival four times so far but this season may be too much for the talented Spaniard. His reputation is growing with other clubs in England and his homeland now paying close attention. After masterminding the cup win on Saturday it will be almost impossible for Whelan to keep his manager much longer. Martinez too, however faithful to Wigan must be yearning for a new challenge, one that doesn’t always end up as a relegation dog fight. A move to Everton to replace the Manchester United bound David Moyes would interest him, especially after failing to get the Liverpool job less than ten months ago but it may not be his call. Everton chairman Bill Kenwright is rumoured to favour trying another scot in the form of Malky MacKay so that door may be shut for Martinez before he has had a chance to stick is head through it. Spain looks like a more likely option but with only the Malaga job coming up, he may have to start the season at Wigan, even if that means in the Championship.

What next for Martinez?
(Image from Getty)

It will be an interesting summer for the two Roberto’s, with neither quite sure what will happen in the future. Returns to their respective homelands looks like a potential route but to do so there has to be an opportunity. Mancini knows he doesn’t have the same grace period as Martinez to decide, with his fate likely to be decided before the end of the season by the City owners. Martinez on the other hand has a job, and if Whelan had his way, it would be for life. But Martinez needs to move on, try something new before he does long term damage to his growing reputation. If he fails to move and Wigan slip down into the Championship with no guarantee of a quick return, the FA Cup accomplishment he worked so hard to achieve will slowly fade into a distant memory. The phone will stop ringing, the media will stop talking and suddenly Martinez will be looking at jobs at Millwall, Middlesbourgh or Leeds as his next big move (no offense to them). Not quite what he imagined when he lifted the cup so high on Saturday at Wembley.

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Latest Zagreb Starlet Halilovic Looking To Follow In Modric’s Footsteps

Luka Modrić’s first season with Real Madrid in La Liga has not going quite to plan after he and former Arsenal player Alex Song, now at Barcelona, were jointly voted as the worst signings of the year by readers of Spanish newspaper Marca. The talented Croatian midfielder to be fair has struggled to adapt to life in Spain with chances in the first team limited to only eight starts and five more appearances from the substitutes bench. But no one doubts the player’s ability as he so often demonstrated at Tottenham during his four years in the Premiership. Modrić, the club’s record signing at £16.75 million, was fairly unknown to most football fans at the time of purchase but was well-known to Spurs and a variety of other clubs across Europe who had been scouting the player since his breakthrough at Dinamo Zagreb. During his five years at Zagreb, Modrić rapidly established his role as playmaker in a youthful team which also featured the likes of Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandžukić and former Arsenal, now Shakhtar Donetsk striker Eduardo in its ranks. Zagreb has produced some of Croatia’s best players over the years and its latest star is looking to emulate Modrić by setting the Premiership alight.

Alen is touted as The New Modric ( Image from Givemefootball)

Zagreb’s 16-year-old attacking midfielder Alen Halilović is quickly gaining more attention than most youngsters across Europe. It’s been quite the season so far for Halilović who only signed a professional contract with Dinamo in June 2012 but has already broken several records since then. Former manager Ante Čačić saw the potential in Halilović whilst he was playing for the team’s youth squad and quickly promoted him to the first team this summer. Two months later, the talented youngster was thrown into his first game, making him the youngest debutant in the history of Dinamo Zagreb, at the age of 16 years and 101 days.  Eleven days later during Zagreb’s match against Slaven Koprivnica, Halilović came off the bench again to score a glorious chip over the opposition goalkeeper in Zagreb’s 4-1 victory, making him the leagues youngest goalscorer. Later on the same month, the player broke yet another record after making his Champions League debut against PSG, becoming the competition’s youngest participant. Only 6 months into his professional career, already Halilović is stamping his name firmly into the record books.

Alen Halilovic scores with a beautiful lob (Image from Mirror.co.uk)

For a 16-year-old, Halilović is remarkably well-developed as a player. Despite his small stature (Halilović is only 5ft 1 inches tall), he possess superb balance, control and a frightening change of pace that have naturally drawn some to compare him to Lionel Messi. An all round player, he has a great passing range, eye for a goal and vision well beyond his young years, much to the enjoyment of the Dinamo Zagreb fans. Having only played 11 games this season for the first team, with two goals to his name, there is more to come from this talented youngster who may be lining up alongside Modrić for the Croatia national team before long. However as the son of Sejad Halilovic, who was a distinguished player in his own right and who played internationally for Croatia and Bosnia, Halilović will have to decide which country he is eventually going to play for. Until then, Halilović is focused on his club career at Dinamo, rather than be drawn on transfers or player comparisions:

“Dinamo Zagreb will ­decide what happens. All I have to do is try to improve as much as I can—everything else does not matter now. Just don’t call me Messi. I admire Leo, but I am a long way from him. For now my goal is to play well and to show the coach he can count on me”

Croatia or Bosnia? (Image from Onlysportall.com)

The wonderkid, touted as the new Luka Modric, is attracting interest from Europe’s elite. Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG and Bayern Munich are only a few of the clubs who have dispatched scouts to various Zagreb games for a closer look at the player. It seems inevitable that Halilović will leave Dinamo quicker than Modrić did, but his next destination at this time is still unknown. Manchester City are rumoured to have offered £9 million for the player but his club knows that they can demand a much higher fee, especially given the money they have previously received for the likes of Modrić.  Dinamo Zagreb’s sporting director Zoran Mamic was bemused by the low ball offer from City joking with the press that it wouldn’t buy Halilović’s left leg, nevermind the whole player:

“There’s no deal with Manchester City. We  cannot talk about something that hasn’t happened yet. But the figure that is mentioned in the  English media, for that kind of money we wouldn’t even sell his  left leg!”

City Bound? Alen Halilovic (Image from PA Photos)

Halilović looks to have the world at his feet and it is only a matter of time before Zagreb accepts an offer they feel deemed appropriate for their latest prodigy. Regardless which team he moves to or which league he plays in, Halilović is destined to become one of the world’s best players.

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Sir Alex To Leave United But Who Will Take Over?

Less than a week ago, Jose Mourinho’s move back to Chelsea looked like a done deal. But following the announcement yesterday from Old Trafford about Sir Alex Ferguson plan to retire at the end of this season; doubt has surfaced over where the Special One will end up. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will be highly motivated to secure the Real Madrid coach sooner rather than later, if he hasn’t done so already, as he will be keen to avoid going through the same public embarrassment he felt when his first choice Pep Guardiola spurred his advances in favour of Bayern Munich.

Sir Alex joined United in 1986
(Image from PA)

Mourinho has been vocal about his desire to leave Real Madrid for some months now but his destination has regularly been hid under a cloud of thought provoking statements like I know “I am loved by some clubs, especially one”. Many assumed that this was Mourinho’s way of expressing passionately about his desire to return to Chelsea but now with the United job a real prospect, others are now re-examining his words and how he said them. Was he being honest or was the statement sarcastic, hinting instead about the way United fans feel about him. It’s hard to believe that Sir Alex has just made this decision over the past few weeks so it’s conceivable that a deal has already been struck some months ago for Mourinho to take over the reins at Old Trafford. Ferguson hinted that he and United legend Bobby Charlton had been talking about potential replacements if he decided to quit which cements the theory that this is not fresh news to the club’s owners and board. His love hate relationship for Mourinho aside, Ferguson knows that the Portuguese coach would be a success if he took over, making the decision somewhat easier but it may be Charlton who sways his final call.

Chelsea Snub? Jose Mourinho
(Image from Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Charlton has been vocal in his appreciation for Mourinho as a person but doesn’t feel he is the right fit for the club going forward. He would prefer instead that the club turn to another Scot to follow in Sir Alex’s footsteps, Everton’s David Moyes. Having spent the last eleven years at Goodison, Moyes looks set to leave after repeatedly delaying negotiations of a new contract, citing his desire to see where the club was going first before committing for longer. Over the past few months, Moyes name has been bandied around in connection with several clubs in Germany, most notably Schalke but so far nothing has materialized. That may be because his agent and brother Kenny has already done the deal that will take him to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

Smart Money is on Moyes
(Image from Getty)

Besides from the two front runners, other names have been linked to the job such as Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp, Juventus coach Antonio Conte and Swansea’s Michael Laudrup as well as former United players Laurent Blanc, Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer and Steve Bruce. Even current players Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have been touted around but the smart money is on either Moyes or Mourinho. Both men make a lot of sense but for different reasons. Mourinho knows how to win, having picked up trophies in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain including the coveted Champions League twice and brings with him an international pedigree that will help to attract the world’s top stars. Tactically smart and good at getting the best out of his players, United could expect to continue where they left off with Sir Alex if Mourinho took over. However some find him arrogant and difficult to work with public bust ups with players common place.

Giggs and Scholes – Future Managers
(Image from Getty)

Moyes on the other hand makes for a more compelling hire. Softly spoken yet determined to get the best from his squad, Moyes is one of the best coaches in England at the moment. Having spent the past 11 years at Everton, his commitment to the club will resonate well with the United board who want to hire someone for another 26 years of success just like Ferguson has given them. In addition he has successfully managed to make Everton competitive in a majority of the seasons he has been in charge, often with little or no budgets available to strengthen the squad. Being clever in the transfer market and nurturing young talent like Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell, both sold for hefty fees, will also impress the powers that be in Manchester. With the UEFA enforced financial fair play rules soon to be brought into play, having a manager at the helm who can work with tight budgets put Moyes in a very strong position.

Rooney and Moyes to reunite at United? (Image from Getty)

Regardless of whom gets the nod (and we won’t have to wait long with an announcement due before the weekend) Sir Alex will be a hard act to follow. The 72 year old will step down as manager of Manchester United after 26 years in charge, having won a staggering 38 trophies including 13 league titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and four League Cups. His last game in charge will be away to West Brom and ironically his 1,500 game in charge. It seems like the best time for him to go, after winning the club’s 20th league title and firmly establishing them as one of the best teams in the world. It will be strange for United to begin next season without Sir Alex in the dugout but whoever is the boss they will know deep down that he will be an impossible act to follow.

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Ronaldo Sheds Those Retirement Pounds On Live TV

At the age of 39, Ryan Giggs is a great example of a model professional, from a footballing prospective at least. Off the pitch he takes care about what foods he consumes, in what quantities he needs in order to maintain the condition he is in. No junk food, little to no alcohol and the right amount of frit and vegetables has help Giggs to prolong his career. But for those players who have retired from the game, the new-found spare time and lack of need to stay in peak condition has led some to binge on those things that were forbidden during their playing years.

Brazilian legend Ronaldo is one such player. After been forced to retire last year, Ronaldo remained in the public eye, most notably as part of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup organising committee. His role brought greater responsibilities to his life and was strongly tipped to take over as President of Brazil Soccer Federation 2014 from exiting Ricardo Teixeira before Jose Maria Marin was appointed to the role. But over the same period he has spent the better part of that time indulging himself which saw his weight balloon. The media, both in Brazil and abroad, has not been kind to Ronaldo during this time. They have repeatedly mocked him for the extra pounds he had piled on and made sure that whenever he was out in public with his shirt off, a photographer was near by to take an embarrassing shot.

Ronaldo caught on the beach by a photographer

In his day, Ronaldo was one of the most feared strikers with a glittering career playing for PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan and eventually Corinthians where injury, not age finally forced him to retire. The three-time FIFA player of the year’s goalscoring record as a player was phenomenal both for club and country. He scored an incredible 280 goals in 384 combined appearances for his various clubs and an additional 68 goals for Brazil, winning 98 caps in the process. But until recently Ronaldo looked like a shadow of his former self, even in his final few years of playing when his injuries caught up with him, Ronaldo struggled with his weight.

Ronaldo in his best years with Barca

But now, Ronaldo has managed to shed the weight and is back looking more like his glory days. After joining a TV show dedicated to celebrity weight loss, Ronaldo shed 17 kilograms (37.5 pounds) and now displays defined abs rather than a buddha belly. In the ”Fantastico” variety show, viewers watch with interest as the former striker was put through his paces and intense exercise routines, which included weight lifting, swimming, dance and yoga classes and forays onto the football pitch. On the pitch, Ronaldo’s confidence looks like it has returned and the skill that never deserted him, has resurfaced.

Ronaldo lost the weight over 3 months

Ronaldo, now fitter than he has been for over two years, will be able to show to the world his new physique in the 10th annual United Nations all-star charity football game, due to be held in Brazil this month. The game, which will also feature his close friend, Zinedine Zidane was the inspiration that Ronaldo needed to finally lose the weight and is now looking forward to playing in the match. But the focus for the Brazilian legend has been clear from the start. As a founder of the Match against Poverty with Zidane, the message is not about his change to his personal health but about those who struggle around the world with poverty:

“The struggle against poverty is not a game. But we use this match to raise both funds and awareness that the solution is in everyone’s hands. Working together we will all be winners in the Match Against Poverty. At the tenth match we will use the proceeds to support solutions in my own country, as well as another programme in Africa in which Brazil is actively engaged in,”

Klose Joins Drake, Negri And Salenko In The Five Goal Club

Miroslav Klose is a name found often in football’s record books. The second most capped German player of all time behind legend Lothar Matthaus, already holds the records for being the only player to have scored at four goals in three World Cups and also the only player to have ever played in five European and World Cup semi finals. At the weekend, Klose added yet another record to his collection when he scored five goals in one match for Lazio against Bologna, making him the first Lazio player to ever do so. Hitting a hat trick is hard enough but for a single player to hit five in one match is quite the achievement. Klose joins the likes of Falcao, Lionel Messi, Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Jermaine Defoe, Daniel Fonseca, Dimitar Berbatov, Jurgen Klinsmann and Gerd Muller in the five goal club but there have been other less known names that have struck the same note.

Messi holds the Champions League record scoring five goals in one match
(Image from Reuters)

Marco Negri

In 1997, then Rangers manager Walter Smith spent $3.5million on an unknown Italian striker called Marco Negri. Having hit 52 goals in 94 Serie A games, Smith hoped that Negri would have the same eye for goal for Rangers and he wouldn’t be disappointed. Negri hit 23 goals in his first ten games for his new club including a five goal brace against Dundee United, the best of which was a lob over the keeper from the edge of the penalty box. His form continued as he hit another nine in the next seventeen matches until he was strangely injured in a squash match with Italian counterpart and Rangers teammate Sergio Porrini. Hit with a ball in the eye, Negri was ruled out of action for a while and when he came back he struggled to get his form back. After contracting a flesh eating disease in his leg that ruled him out for the entire next season, Rangers sold Negri back to Italy where he finished up his career with a whimper.

Negri was on fine form for Rangers in his first year
(Image from STV)

Fernando Morientes

Before David Villa and Fernando Torres, Fernando Morientes was the go to Spanish striker of choice for most fantasy teams. The prolific former Real Madrid player scored 72 goals for Real Madrid in an eight year spell before a move to Liverpool dried him up and ruined his career. A brief spell back at Valencia looked to have rescued him but a final move to Marseille only confirmed what many had suspected that Fernando was finished. But during his heyday Morientes was a feared striker and proved it during a match in 2002 against Las Palmas by hitting five goals. He could have actually finished with a double hat trick after being given the chance in the dying minutes of the match from the penalty spot. However he would be denied and finished the match with the paltry five goals instead, cementing his place in the Spanish record books.

Five for Madrid – Morientes (Image from Getty)

Oleg Salenko

Oleg Salenko gained a reputation as being quite lazy. Rightly or wrongly labeled, the former Valencia and Dynamo Kiev star did have one game when he seemed to step it up a gear. In that fateful game against Cameroon in the group stages of the USA 1994 World Cup, Salenko punished poor defending by hitting five past them. These five goals plus a single goal against Sweden in the opening game was enough to secure Salenko the golden boot, albeit shared with Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkov. Strangely, after the world cup Salenko would never score for his country again, concluding his international career after eight games played, six goals scored. He would finish his career in 2001, barely able to shake off the lazy tag as he went.

Salenko makes it five against Cameroon
(Image from Getty)

Kris Boyd

Scotland striker Kris Boyd is tone of only a few players to have ever scored five goals in a match twice but what is unique about Boyd is that he scored both of his hauls against the same team! The team for which this humiliation lay was Dundee United who failed to make Boyd properly on two occasions (once for Kilmarnock in 204 and then for Rangers in 2004) and paid the ultimate penalty. Shortly after Boyd achieved legend status at Rangers, he move to Middlesbourgh where his career went into nosedive, only to be resuscitated at Kilmarnock, following a brief spell in the US with Portland Timbers.

Dundee United loathe Kris Boyd
(Image from STV.co.uk)

Ted Drake

Not the most well known of names but Drake is an Arsenal legend, having scored an incredible 124 goals in 167 games for the club, including a breathtaking seven, yes seven goals in one match against Aston Villa in 1935. Drake by all accounts was on fire that day and could have easily hit double figures if he hadn’t been so generous in setting up teammates to shoot and if the referee had allowed his eighth goal which hit the crossbar and crossed the line only for it to be ruled out. Drake was in the best form of his life when the Second World War began, effectively ending his career but he still goes down in history as the only player in the English leagues to have hit seven goals in a single match.

Before Messi, there was Ted Drake
(Image from Archive)

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How Did They Miss That?

The ball bobbled, it moved slightly before I hit it, the wind swept it up – all reasons given by players who have missed sitters, better known as open goals. It’s every player worst nightmare, the ball falls kindly to you in the box, the keeper is nowhere near to save it, you only have to tap it and your team is one goal better off. But then disaster strikes, all doesn’t go quite to plan and you pull the ball wide or over. It doesn’t happen too often but when it does, no one can forget about it. Every football fan will be able to tell you about at least one bad miss that they have witnessed, either live or on TV or now on YouTube. The latter provides fans with a multitude to chose from but we here at BOTN have chosen three of the worst to share with you so enjoy!

Even Torres misses
(Image from AFP)

1) Ronny Rosenthal

Rocket Ronny Rosenthal made his name in football as a power striker with a hard shot but unfortunately for Ronny he is remembered most for a horrendous miss. The former Israeli international played for a variety of clubs including hometown club Maccabi Haifa as well as stints at Standard Liege, Club Brugge, Tottenham and Watford. But it was his spell as a Liverpool player that made him famous for all the wrong reasons. During the 1992-1993 season, Liverpool faced up to Aston Villa with Rosenthal starting up front. Latching onto a long punt down field from David James, Rosenthal cleared his marker and controlled the ball as the rushing Nigel Spink came to stop him. With some quick footwork, Rosenthal rounded Spink and was through on goal. What happened next needs to be seen to be believed as he hooks the ball up and off the crossbar much to the dismay of his teammates and fans. Rosenthal did recover from this and went on to have a successful career at Liverpool before joining Spurs in 1994. 

Rocky Ronny before the miss
(Image from Getty)

2) Peter Van Vossen

When Peter Van Vossen arrived at Rangers as part of an exchange deal for Oleg Salenko, he did so as European Cup winner, having won the cup with Ajax a couple of years earlier. He was also a member of the Dutch world cup winning squad so Rangers fans were forgiven for thinking they had signed a star striker. For any player joining either Rangers or Celtic, the instance way to become a legend is to score in the Old Firm derby, something that Van Vossen knew going into his first local derby. With Rangers leading their arch rivals 1-0 going into the closing stages of the game German powerhouse Jorg Albertz broke clear of the Celtic defense with Van Vossen in support and only the keeper to beat. Having drawn the keeper out as he entered the box, Albertz squared the ball to Van Vossen to tap the ball in. But the Dutch striker caught the ball wrongly, sending the ball sailing over the bar. Van Vossen was devastated and spoke to reporters the next day about how he felt to miss:

“Nobody said a word to me in the dressing room afterwards. They could all see how terrible I felt at missing and left me alone. I still can’t stop thinking about it. I hardly slept last night because I kept seeing that miss over and over again. Normally I would have looked for a hole to swallow me up, but there were still 10 minutes left and I had to keep my concentration. I felt there would be more chances for me – and I was right. Their keeper saved well but if I’d done things properly he should have had no chance”

His teammates did eventually forgive him but his time at Rangers was marred after that as the fans coined the term “doing a Van Vossen” as ways to describe a terrible miss.

Van Vossen wasn’t smiling after his miss
(Image from Getty)

3) Nicoletta den Ridder

The latest player to join the ranks, Nicoletta plays for Beerschot AC women’s team in the BeNe League. The star defender was playing in a match against Ajax last month when Beerschot were rewarded a free kick on the edge of the area. Caroline Janssens stepped up to take the free kick, curling the ball over the wall and past the diving Laura Du Ryin the Ajax goal. Unfortunately for Beerschot, who haven’t won a single game this season, the post would deny them the lead but as the ball rebounded back across the goal, Den Ridder was on hand to poke the ball home from two yards. Well that’s at least what everyone thought, until the defender, who was looking to add to her only goal this season, spooned the ball over the bar.  Ajax went on to win the match by two goals to nil thanks to strikes from Desiree van Lunteren and Eshley Bakker but it will be Den Ridder’s miss that will be remembered rather than the score line.

A moment to forget for Beerschot’s Nicoletta den Ridder
(Image from YouTube)

Nicoletta is still young and has many more years ahead of her to help erase the memory of the miss but unfortunately it will never go away. She has to move past it as Van Vossen and Rosenthal did. And she should take solace in the fact that some of the game’s greatest players – David Villa, Fernando Torres, Jean Pierre Papin and Kanu have all missed sitters in their careers and they are all strikers. Or better still, she could just watch the clips below which show that she isn’t the only one to have struggled to score from a few yards out.

To See Rosenthal’s miss, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhviGuX09i0

To see Van Vossen’s miss, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEkKs_dj2I

To see Den Ridder’s miss, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te33PnBrmV8

To see a host of misses, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKuEDQj7KnA

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Norway’s Next Big Thing Showcases His Skills

The term ” the next big thing” is flaunted around in football too much, with every young player who displays his or her talents to the world and captures the media’s gaze, named as such. In certain countries, the search for the next version of a legend, is such a focus that it has become exhausting to track. The new Zidane has four candidates, the next Maradona had 3 and the next Pele has too many to name. But Norway hasn’t had such luck, struggling to produce young players who rival the likes of John Arne Riise, Thorbjørn Svenssen or Ole Gunnar Solskjær. That was until 16-year-old Zymer Bytyqi burst onto the scene.

Born in Belgium to Kosovan immigrants, Zymer moved to Norway when he was 2 years old, but didn’t start playing until he was 10 which is suprising for a player who looks so natural on the ball. At the age of 14, he was signed by Sandnes Ulf in the Norwegian top flight but due to his age, he was left in the reserve team to develop. He did train with the first team but couldn’t feature in any games due to his tender years. As he continued to develop, he peaked the interest of Newcastle United who saw his potential in an Norway Under 15′s match in September 2011.  Despite managing to convince him to travel to St James Park for a week-long trial, they were unable to convince the youngster to sign for them, mostly due to advice given to him by his agent, to stay where he was an learn his trade. However it wasn’t long before the talented striker was thrust into the first team, having turned 16. Manager Asle Andersen was so impressed by him that he was given a professional contract, which lead to him making his first team debut in pre season and eventually scoring his first goal in the 6–0 win against Randaberg later that year.

Bytyqi signed for Red Bull on 1st January 2013

By now,  Bytyqi’s stock was rising at an alarming rate and he justified this was a breathtaking performance for Norway Under 16′s in April 2012 which attracted the attentions of clubs across Europe. Andersen managed to hold onto his talented youngster but knew he would have to sell him later that year, at the end of the Norwegian season. But Bytyqi wanted to focus on this season first and continued his career on by  making his league debut as a substitute against Haugesund in May of last year. This made him the league’s youngest ever player to the delight of his coach. But it was only a matter of time before bigger teams came calling and in August of last year, Bytyqi signed a three-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg for a reported fee of only £550,000, then completed his move in January 2013. Some say this is a bargain for such a young player but Sandnes Ulf were unable to resist any longer.

In a recent game between Faroe Islands Under 17′s and Norway Under 17′s, Bytyqi showed to the world exactly why Red Bull Salzburg had snapped up his services. Picking the ball up on the wing, he performed a series of quick step overs, drag backs and ball rolls that bamboozled the helpless opposing defender before eventually nutmegging him and continuing his mazy run into the box before crossing. Zymer certainly has talent and it will be interesting to see how he develops as he matures but for now this raw talent looks like the brightest prospect that Norway has produced in some time.

Fooled you: His nutmeg left the defender standing

To see Zymer showcasing his skills, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR2sxyZ-lZc

Overhaul Needed As QPR Prepare For Life In The Championship

Tony Fernandes broke his season long silence this week and blasted his overpaid QPR stars in what is set to be the first move in overhauling the club. The Malaysian businessman, who bought a controlling stake in the club in August 2011, had vowed never to publically slam his players despite their poor form in order to maintain morale and keep the passion alive for the fight against relegation. But now that the fight is over and QPR’s fate has been sealed, the popular owner has pulled off his gloves and come out punching. His scathing attack critizied players in the squad who he felt had not given their all in every game and those who came to the club for the wrong reasons.

Fernandes backs his team and its bosses all the way
(Image from Getty)

Fernandes is within his right to do so, after enduring a season to forget, watching week in week out a team that had enough quality throughout to easily stay in the Premiership but lacked the desire to do so. He has been fully transparent throughout his time as owner and has backed his managers both publically and financially without question. His handling of the Mark Hughes situation has to be admire as most owners would have dismissed the bumbling Welsh manager months before Fernandes did, but the businessman bought into his vision and gave him as much time as possible to execute against it. Only when the situation was getting beyond repair did Fernandes depart with Hughes and install Harry Redknapp in his place, but still has not publically slammed Hughes for putting QPR in the position they were in. Once again Fernandes has backed his manager in Redknapp by committing to him next season, despite the Englishman being unable to stop the rot. Harry has been highly critical of the team he inherited, blasting their lack of professionalism and greed. But now Fernandes and Redknapp must plan for next season in the Championship, which will see them come straight back up. As always BOTN is on hand to offer its advice to the chairman and head coach as they rebuild for the next campaign.

Keep hold of Harry

Fernandes and Redknapp have already discussed the coach staying on for next season and have agreed but nothing in football is definitive so above all else, Fernandes and QPR must keep hold of Harry and prevent his head from being turned by a better opportunity. Redknapp is faithful and loyal to the club and has expressed his desire to remain at Loftus Road but if a job comes up in the Premiership at a club like Everton for instance, you can count that Harry will be on the shortlist. The draw of England’s top league may prove too difficult to ignore as Harry knows that at 66 years old he probably won’t be managing for much longer. Redknapp has had a good managerial career and is a proven master of turning teams around (QPR were a sunk ship when he inherited them) so he will want to end his career on top in the best division in the league. A quick rebound with QPR will give him that but the Championship is considerably harder to get results in than the Premiership, with the teams more evenly balanced so promotion is not a foregone conclusion. Fernandes must keep Redknapp and back him 100% as switching managers even at the start of the season can prove costly. 

Much to Ponder – QPR must hold on to Harry
(Image from Reuters)

Trim the fat

The QPR squad is heavily bloated and overpaid, making it one of the biggest and most expensive to run squads in the Premiership. With over 42 players in the first team, all on over inflated wages, trimming the squad down to a manageable number is a must. Fernandes will know what that number looks like but it is likely to be a fifth of what they are currently paying out (premiership wages are historically five times larger than championship ones). Between Fernandes and Redknapp, they need to trim the squad down to a manageable 22 players, give or take a few. Cardiff by example won the league this year with a squad of 28 players and a handful of youth/reserves thrown in from time to time.

QPR’s drastic overall must start at the top with the biggest earners leaving first (Samba, Remy, Julio Cesar, Zamora) hopefully all commanding fees then followed by the players who are surplus to requirements, either for a fee or on a free transfer to get them off the books – Bosingwa, Wright Phillips, Jenas, Barton, Cisse. Finally Redknapp must make decisions on players who may want to stay and play for him but don’t fit into his long term vision for the club – Green, Ganero, Park Ji Sung, Taarabt, Ferdinand. They may be offered the chance to stay but must do so on heavily reduced wages and on Harry’s terms. Rob Green and Anton Ferdinand may opt to do so, but will likely insist on a clause in their contracts to allow them to leave after one season if promotion is not achieved. Once Redknapp is finished he should have trimmed his squad down to 28, with a few others deciding to leave on their own accord. 

First in, First Out – Samba could leave
(Image from AP)

Keep a strong core group of players

With a now reduced squad and a wage bill that has been cut in half, Redknapp will focus on building a core around a select group of players. These individuals are at QPR to play for the club, not the money which a majority of Hughes signings ended up being. Players like Clint Hill, Shaun Derry, Alejandro Faurlin, Luke Young, Jamie Mackie, Nedum Onouha and Andy Johnson are likely to stay for various reasons, some through a love for the club and others as a sense of loyalty to the fans for getting QPR into this position in the first place. The last three on the list may be harder to hold on to, with Premiership clubs interested in all of them but if Harry can be persuasive then perhaps they will end up staying. But most will have to take a pay cut of some degree as the club looks to slash its costs across the board. With a core intact, Harry can add to this with fringe and youth players like Yun Suk-Young, Max Ehmer and Angelo Balanta as well as some select signings.

Max Ehmer may play a key role next season
(Image from Reuters)

Buy wisely

Fernandes will make money available to Redknapp that is for sure but how much will depend on who can be sold, what savings can be made and what requirements he has. The Premiership will kick in some money as well in the form of the parachute payments but much of this will go towards paying off player contracts and general running of the club. Redknapp wants to sign players of good character in order to unite a dressing room that was split for most of this campaign due to the irregular levels of pay that some players were on compared to others. He is likely to go back to Tottenham to sign, either permanently or on loan Andros Townsend who spend the last six months at the club on loan and impressed Redknapp. In addition players like Blackburn trio Jordan Rhodes, Grant Hanley and Paul Robinson plus Leeds United’s Stephen Warnock and Ross McCormick could be on Redknapp’s wish list as they all possess the self drive, determination and commitment that he is looking for. Regardless of who he signs, Redknapp will be cautious to avoid a repeat of last season when average players were given star status and the wages to match, which ultimately led to the clubs downfall. It’s unlikely that the club or its fans would survive another fall.

Jordan Rhodes could fire QPR back into the Premiership
(Image from PA)

Repay the Fans

Above all else, Fernandes needs to repay the fan. They remained loyal throughout the entire campaign and give their all even if the team on the pitch didn’t. It won’t have been easy to watch this supposed star studded lineup fail so miserably week in week out but the fans stuck through it and will come in their droves again next season as well. Fernandes has already made promises to heavily reduce the cost of tickets down by almost 35% next season. This should go some way to appease the fans but more needs to be done to reward them for their loyalty. They need stability at their club, investment in infrastructure and the promise of a quick return to the Premiership, where they feel they truly belong. Fernandes has been a man of the people so far and will likely look to offer more to the fans in order to keep them on side. But if performances on the park don’t improve before next season, even reducing ticketing costs won’t stop the fans from expressing their anger.

QPR fans blame Hughes for what has happened
(Image from Getty)

Fernandes, Redknapp and QPR have a huge summer ahead of them as they look to overhaul the first team in preparation for next season’s grueling Championship campaign. If Fernandes and Redknapp can work well together to quickly move on players and secure the ones they need before pre season begins, then QPR will undoubtedly be seen as a challenger for the title. Any delays however could result in a stuttering start to the year and lead to disaster once again for QPR.

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April Round up – Goals, Gaffs and Guardiola

May is the one of the most exciting months in domestic football. As the season draws to close, fans are poised on the edge of their seats waiting to see if their team is successful in winning the league, avoiding the drop or lifting the cup. For the first time since their famous win in 1997, Borussia Dortmund are looking forward to the Champions League final at Wembley on the 25th May, where they will face either Barcelona or fierce rivals Bayern Munich. The odds are firmly stacked against the Spanish side who trail 4-0 from the first leg but miracles do happen. Back in the Premiership, the fight for the title is over with Manchester United beating Manchester City to the post and picking up their 20th title, an english record. All eyes are now focused on the bottom of the table to see who will join QPR and Reading in the Championship next year. Newcastle, Wigan, Aston Villa and Sunderland are in a vicious dog fight with all four clubs desperate to avoid the drop.

Champions League Final bound - Mario Gotze
(Image from Reuters)

Last month we took at look at two of those teams – Sunderland and Newcastle, focusing on two key stories, Sunderland’s appointment of controversal manager Paolo Di Canio and Newcastle’s recent slump which has left them dangling in the bottom half of the table. Di Canio got off to a flyer with unexpected wins against Everton and Newcastle before being cruelly brought back to earth with a bump by a rampant Aston Villa. Newcastle, who lost the Tyne Wear derby 3-0 have had a bad month, both on the pitch and off it. On the pitch, they crashed out of a winnable Europa League after defeat against Benfica then saw their domestic form slump as well picking up only 5 points out of a possible 15 during April. Off the pitch, the Tyne Wear derby was marred by the return of the english hooligan with Newcastle fans rioting after the match and one fan even punching a police horse. They were not alone in a month to forget for English football followers as fans of Millwall, Stoke, Bradford and Portsmouth all contributed to tarnishing the beautiful game’s reputation.

New Sunderland Boss Di Canio
(Image from Getty)

Also leading the charge in setting a bad example was Liverpool’s Luis Suarez who was banned for 10 games following an incident against Chelsea where he appeared to bite the arm of Branislav Ivanovic. The striker was slammed by his manager and the club for his actions before dramatically performing a U-turn and defending his actions, insisting it wasn’t worth a ten match ban. Very strange indeed. It could have been a lot worse for Liverpool, just look at AEK Athens who are now having to fight for survival without influential young midfielder Giorgos Katidis, now serving a ban for performing a nazi salute as a celebration. The incident which happened in March has not help AEK’s plight as they desperately tried to avoid the drop. However Sunday’s defeat in the final game, and a three-point deduction handed down for fan violence has resulted in AEK being relegated and dropping out of the Greek Super League for the first time in their history.

Suarez sinks his teeth in
(Image from SkySports)

As AEK dismiss their manager following relegation, other teams across Europe are gearing up to follow suit. In a piece we called the six degrees of managerial separation, we predicted a chain of events that would start with Real Madrid and exiting manager Jose Mourinho and end back at Real with their new potential coach. See if you agree with us on our predictions. One manager who has already been confirmed is Bayern Munich’s new head coach, Pep Guardiola who has already started his revolution by signing Borussia Dortmund winger Mario Gotze. The player arrives for a record german transfer fee and kicks off what is sure to be a transformational time for the Bavarian club. Another club preparing for a transformational season is Cardiff City who led by Scot Malky Mackay celebrated last month with promotion to the Premiership. Cardiff will want to avoid the same fate as many promoted teams who find the move to difficult and end up back in the Championship after only a year. We looked at what Cardiff need to do to avoid the drop in their first season in England’s top division.

Going in the right direction – Cardiff win promotion
(Image from BBC)

Also making the news last month was the never aging story of Nigerian footballer Taribo West, who Serbian officials are now pursuing over allegations that he lied about his age to gain a contract with Partizan Belgrade. It would appear that he is not the only player to have done this with other players from the same region reported to have done this. Two players who don’t need to do this just yet are Esbjerg’s Youssef Toutouh and Utrecht’s Mike van der Hoorn who made the news in April but for different reasons. Toutouh took the plaudits in April with a stunning effort against high-flying Randers whilst Van Der Hoorn felt the heat due to a clumsy error in Utrechts 6-0 defeat at the hands of AZ Alkmaar. Both players have exciting careers ahead of them so we are sure this won’t be the last time we hear from them. Also featured a crazy Bulgarian coach ripping up a referees cards, a goal from a goalkeeper, Bebeto’s resignation from the CBF and a look at Hamburg’s tactical woes in what proved to be a busy month. May is likely to throw up more interesting stories so please keep checking the blog and enjoy!

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Newcastle Slump Continues As Relegation Fears Increase

Newcastle’s abysmal display against Liverpool only strengthens the feeling that the North East club are in more danger than Alan Pardew cares to admit. Sitting five points above the relegation zone with three games left, many people would assume that Newcastle are safe but if their current form continues and the masters of the great escape, Wigan can conjure up yet another miracle, Newcastle could be joining QPR and Reading in the Championship next season. It would be a dramatic turn of events for Pardew who was voted Manager of the Year last season following his team’s impressive fifth placed finish. Now only Roberto Martinez and his team stand between Newcastle and an unwanted reunion with England’s second tier.

Can Martinez engineer another great escape for Wigan?
(Image from Getty)

Aston Villa’s stunning 6-1 win over fellow strugglers Sunderland has breathed fresh life into their faulting campaign, moving them above Newcastle in the table and rubbing salt into their wounds. Newcastle’s performance at home to Liverpool was described as spiritless and embarrassing by former striker Alan Shearer on MOTD and the worst he has seen. Some may point out that Shearer has seen a lot worse performances than Saturday’s affair, most notably during his fateful spell as Toon boss which ironically ended up in relegation. But the former England front man does have a point in that several players have been posted missing, not just in the last game but on several other occasions this season. Players who should be stepping up to field the responsibilities of pulling the team forward have been found wanting instead. Experienced starters like Steven Taylor and Jonas Gutiérrez have not had the greatest campaigns whilst striker Shola Ameobi inclusion in the squad is questionable having only scored one goal in twenty two domestic games.

Which way to the goal? One in 22 for Ameobi domestically is not a good return
(Image from Reuters)

Others like Rob Elliot, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Dan Gosling and Vurnon Anita appear to be not up to grade and highlight the inefficiencies that exist in this skeleton bare squad. Yes the first eleven have quality in abundance, right through the spine of team from Krul to Coloccini to Cabaye to Cisse with wonderful support roles performed by Santon, Tiote and Ben Arfa but beyond that Newcastle are a Championship side. Harsh criticism perhaps but true as an extended European run has shown. The statistics don’t lie. 4 wins from 13 games played after a European game, including seven defeats. 13 goals scored and 19 conceded. Key points drop against fellow strugglers like Wigan, Sunderland and Aston Villa have left Newcastle dangling precariously above the drop zone. Newcastle should be able to play two games on the bounce like many Premiership clubs but it would appear that after a short trip to the continent, jetlag got the better of them.

Newcastle played 13 games in Europe this season including Anzhi (Image from Getty)

The honest truth is that Newcastle doesn’t have the squad to cope with a multiple tournament attack, especially when injuries to key players hit. Any team losing the likes of Krul, Cabaye and Ben Arfa for large chunks of a campaign would suffer but without adequate cover, Newcastle has really suffered. Reinforcements did arrive in January in the form of Debuchy, Sissoko and Gouffran which helped but by then the damage had been done. Added into this selling your inform striker to Chelsea and having your goal scoring machine from last season misfire (3 goals in the first half of the season, 5 so far in the second half for Cisse) has made life difficult for Alan Pardew. Then there are the youngsters that Pardew has been highly critical of for not being able to step up when needed but chances have been few and far between which is a requirement to making the grade. The truth is that probably Pardew doesn’t believe they, or the likes of Curtis Good, Roman Amalfitano and Haris Vuckic are worth a shot, even if they do. Pardew needs points and performances to keep his job and risking it is just not worth it.

Now half a strike force – Cisse all alone up front following Ba sale
(Image from Telegraph.co.uk)

But there is hope in the form of a fresh start and a new season. Newcastle can regroup in the summer, reevaluate and strengthen by sending scout extraordinaire Graham Carr out to see what other gems he can uncover. With no European football next year, Pardew needs to build a squad capable of playing for domestic honours only so will need to buy sensibly as well as clear out those who are not up to the grade. Before he can start this process, Pardew needs to secure Premiership football for the club for next year. To get there all they have to do is pick up enough points in the last three games to stave off relegation and condemn someone else to that fate. With games against QPR, West Ham and Arsenal to come, on paper it looks possible but having only won once away from home all season and two of the three games away from St James, Pardew may need a miracle. If they fail then Pardew might be wishing he hadn’t signed that eight year contract as he faces up to life as a Championship manager once again.

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Where are they now – Ajax 1995

After both teams drew a blank on the first leg of their European Cup semi final clash, Ajax FC entertained a strong Bayern Munich side at home knowing that 90 minutes separated their team from their first  European Cup final since 1973. Bayern, with a host of stars including German internationalists Markus Babbel, Thomas Helmer and Mehmet Scholl, were favourites to progress against a talented but youthful Ajax squad. In an epic match that saw both teams give 100% commitment to every tackle, Ajax came out on top with a 5-2 win that sent them through to the final in Vienna against AC Milan.

Milan, having beaten PSG both home and away to progress, went in as slight favourites and rightly so. With a squad featuring Paolo Maldini, Demetrio Albertini, Zvonimir Boban and Daniele Massaro, Milan had coasted to the final without conceding a goal from the quarter finals onwards. However, the signs that this Ajax team could beat Milan were there from the group stages where the two had already locked horns in group D with Ajax winning both times by a two goal margin.

After a thrilling match, Ajax scored the only goal of the game in the 85th minute through 18-year-old substitute striker Patrick Kluivert, on for Jari Litmanen, and held on to win and crown Ajax champions of Europe. This was their finest hour, not only because of the teams they had beaten along the way but by the way they had played, especially for such a young squad. The achievement itself was even more remarkable as the squad was built of mostly local talent, all eager to impress and build a name for themselves. Even with Dutch legend Frank Rijkaard returning to the team at the age of 32, the average age of the squad was still only 23.

At the age of 25, Edwin Van Der Sar was one of the oldest members of the team, having been in the first team for the past 4 years. A towering goalkeeper at 6 ft 5 inches, Van Der Sar (picture below) was a crucial part of the 1995 season, picking up the Best European Goalkeeper award of that year.

The defence, either as a straight back 4 or as a central 3 was a combination of youth and experience. At right back, Michel Reiziger was a constant, no-nonsense defender who had broken into the first team at the age of 17 and become a regular in the side since then. In the final in 1995, the then 22-year-old played as the right-sided defender along side Danny Blind (centre) and Frank De Boer (Left). Blind, 33, was an experienced centre half who was brought to Ajax in 1986 by then manager Johan Cruyff to add much-needed steel. Completing the back three was the younger twin brother of Ronald Be Boer, Frank. The solid left-sided defender (picture below) came through the youth ranks in the late 80′s and by 1995, the 25-year-old was a permanent fixture in the team.

In midfield, the trio of Davids, Seedorf and George provided the Ajax strikers with the supply and the flair needed for them to win games. Davids, 22 at the time of the final, came through the youth ranks at Ajax and went on to make a name for himself as a tough tackling midfield general affectionately known as Pitbull. Clarence Seedorf, who played alongside Davids, was only 19 during the 1995 campaign but already displayed glimmers of the talented player he would become. His natural ability shone through especially in the second leg of the semi final against Bayern where he shackled Mehmet Scholl and prevented him from playing his game. Switching between midfield and attack, Findi George was a pacey Nigerian winger brought in two seasons before to add flair to a workman like midfield. At 24 years old, he was known for his dazzling runs and shooting abilities which gave a different dimension to the team.

Up front, Ajax usually played with the trio of De Boer, Litmanen (above) and Overmars, with the latter acting more as a winger than a striker. Frank De Boer, like his brother, had come through the youth system. His goals in the 95 campaign helped Ajax to get to the final including strikes against Milan in the group stages and Hajduk Split in the quarters. The 25-year-old performed different roles for the team, sometimes dropping to midfield or behind the strikers, depending on the opposition. Litmanen, a Finnish international, was the recognised striker. Having built his name in the Finnish leagues, he moved to Ajax in 1992 and went on to play 159 times for the club, scoring 91 goals. by 1995, the 24-year-old had established himself as the central striker in the team. Marc Overmars supplied Litmanen with a majority of his goal scoring opportunities throughout his 5 year spell at Ajax. The winger was 22 at the time of the final and along with George gave the team the width needed to stretch games and open up spaces for De Boer and Seedorf to attack.

Ajax 1995 starting eleven:

GK - Edwin Van Der Sar – After leaving Ajax, Edwin starred for Juventus, Fulham and most recently Manchester United where he won the Champions League in 2007. Capped 130 times by Holland to become the most capped player of all time, Edwin currently works as an analyst and has stated an interest in coaching in the near future. He is now back at Ajax as Sporting Director.

D – Michel Reiziger - Reiziger left Ajax at the end of the 1996 season to join AC Milan then going on to play for Barcelona, Middlesboro and PSV before retiring. Capped 72 times by Holland, the right back is now pursuing a coaching career.

D – Danny Blind – Defensive rock Blind was the heartbeat of the Ajax team during the 90′s. After joining from Sparta Rotterdam in 1986, Blind never looked like leaving the club and didn’t in the end. He played 372 times for Ajax, finally retiring in 1999. Blind took up the role of Technical Director at Ajax shortly after retiring and held the post until boardroom unrest resulted in him departing from the club. He now works as assistant coach for the Dutch national team.

D – Frank De Boer – A defender with great technical ability, De Boer joined Barcelona from Ajax after the 1998 World Cup. Unsuccessful spells at Galatasary, Rangers and Al-Rayyan then followed. After retiring, De Boer took  up a role at Ajax in charge of the youth team and during the 2020 world cup acted as assistant manager of the Dutch National team. In December 2010, following Martin Jol’s departure, Frank De Boer was appointed Ajax manager, a position he still holds.

D/M - Frank Rijkaard - The 1995 Champions League Final proved to be Rijkaard’s last game before retirement. He took up the Dutch managers role in 1998 but was dismissed after a fairly unsuccessful time in charge. In recent years, Rijkaard enjoyed success as manager of Barcelona, winning 2 titles and a Champions League. He was manager of the Saudi Arabia national team until January when he was dismissed.

M – Clarence Seedorf - Arguably the most successful of the ’95 youngsters, Seedorf’s CV boasts spells at Ajax, Sampdoria, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan. In 2003 he became the first player to win the Champions League with 3 different clubs. He is still playing after recently moving to Brazil with Botafogo.

M – Findi George – Following his 3 years at Ajax, George moved to Real Betis in 1996. English fans may remember him playing for Ipswich during their brief stay in the Premiership. He retired in 2004 after a season with Real Mallorca. He is Director of international football at Real Betis in Spain

M – Edgar Davids –  A ferocious tackler in the middle of the pitch, Davids was instantly recognizable for his protective glasses which he wore during matches. Davids formed a formidable midfield with Zinedine Zidane for Juventus in the late 1990′s. Following Juventus, Davids played for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Ajax before retiring in 2008. He travelled the world promoting Street Football before eventually ending up at Barnet of all places for his first managerial role.

M/F – Ronald De Boer – Like his twin brother Frank, Ronald also moved to Barcelona after the 1998 World Cup. Unlike Frank, Ronald struggled to make an impact at the Nou Camp and moved to Rangers in 2000. He retired in 2008 after a number of seasons in the Middle East. He is now working with his brother back at Ajax as a youth coach.

F – Jari Litmanen - On of the best players in the world at the time, Litmanen was a highly talented attacking midfielder. Like many of the 1995 side, he went on to play for Barcelona. He moved to Liverpool in 2001, in search of first team football. After being criminally underused by Gerard Houllier, Litmanen returned to Ajax in 2002.  Until recently he was still playing back home for HJK.

F – Marc Overmars - The lightning fast winger was a key member of Arsenal’s double winning team of 1998. He moved to Barcelona for £25m in 2000 before retiring in 2004 at the age of 31. Overmars returned to football briefly in 2008 to play for the Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch lower leagues. He is now Director of Football at Ajax.

Coach – Louis Van Gaal -  After leaving Ajax, the Dutch master helped Barcelona to win the La Liga in 1997 before stints as firstly Holland boss then Bayern Munich before recently returning to the Holland national team job.

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Liverpool Strangely Baffled by Suarez Ban After Biting Incident

It’s not hard to understand why Liverpool are now outraged about striker Luis Suarez’s impending ten match ban for biting but its somewhat less understood what they believed was going to happen to the player after the FA panel met? Surely Rodgers and co expected a lengthy ban based on the footage that categorically proved that Suarez had indeed sunk his teeth into the right arm of Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during Sunday’s 2-2 draw. Or perhaps not as the Liverpool coach came out publically yesterday to berate the sentence handed down by the FA on his star player. He accused the governing body of botched double standards and picking on the player rather than the incident itself citing other similar incidents as precedence for potential punishment options.

Suarez sinks his teeth in
(Image from SkySports)

Previous incidents aside, including Jermaine Defoe’s allegedly biting of then West Ham midfielder Javier Mascherano and Chester defender Sean Hessey biting of a Stockport player in 2006, Suarez’s punishment was handed down by the FA due to the incident in hand rather than past cases. The player and the club admitted guilt straight away with the latter formally condoning what Suarez had done in yet another confusing move by Liverpool’s management. Whether they felt they had to following the media backlash they absorbed after the much publicized racial abuse of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, also by Suarez is for them to determine. But it seems strange that a few days after slamming their player for an act that was “not befitting of any player wearing a Liverpool shirt“, that they would be so disappointed with the actions taken against him. Even Rodgers who went on in length about the traditions of the club, its standards and how no player is bigger than the club or its history, is now back tracking:

“We are shocked and bitterly disappointed.”It is the severity of the ban which has hurt most. That is something we are bitterly disappointed with. The punishment is against the man, rather than the incident. We have a punishment with no intention of helping his rehabilitation. As you can imagine whenever Luis Suarez receives a 10-match ban it is very difficult for us to understand and even more so for him. If I had more players of a similar mentality we would be in a different position. He has not let me down one bit”

Not to sound suspicious of Rodgers intentions but his outburst on Liverpool TV suggest more of a concern for his own neck than for Suarez after his best player by far this season was banned for the remaining games of this campaign and the starting six of the next one. Rodgers knows he has not done the job he was brought in to do and he himself has fallen below expectations. Having Suarez in his starting eleven for the remaining four games of the season might just have made the difference between finishing 6th rather than potentially 8th. 6th place in the league behind the dominant four and an impressive Tottenham would have looked ok for Rodgers but an eight placed finish behind West Brom and more importantly arch rivals Everton would not.

I don’t get it – Rodgers confused by the ban length (Image from PA)

Suarez has come out an apologized for the incident and will accept the ban, even if his club does not. Whether he admits to having a problem which Liverpool imply by using the word “rehabilitate” will be for the player to decide but for his sake he should seek some help as surprisingly Sunday’s unsavory incident was not the first time he has been caught up in this type of controversy. Whilst playing in Holland, Suarez was caught up in a similar incident when he bit the neck of  PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal during a matchand was given a lengthy ban there as well. A move to Liverpool was hoped to have stomped out this bad behavior but again controversy followed. Besides the biting and racial abusing, Suarez has been spotted stamping on opposition players, elbowing defenders and accused of cheating in games by either diving or using his hands to gain the advantage.

Luis Suárez bites Otman Bakka when playing for Ajax in 2011
(Image from Reuters)

Legends of the club like Alan Hansen and Graeme Souness believe that he should be sold as he has soiled the name of the great club for the last time but Rodgers looks to be standing by him by now saying that he won’t sell the troublesome striker. It may be the wrong move for Rodgers especially if Suarez finds himself in any further trouble next season but it might also be taken out of the managers hands, especially if Liverpool fail in their last few games and finish in 8th, almost certainly ending Rodgers spell in charge.

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South Korea’s Latest Star Hoping To Fire His Way To Legend Status

When Hamburg scouts flew to South Korea in 2008, they hardly expected to find a South Korean school boy who would eventually turn into a first team striker. But in Heung-Min Son they did and quickly signed him up to their youth academy before others could beat them to it. Having agreed to make the move to Germany, an undaunted Son embarked on a mission to show his new team exactly what he could do and over the past five years has done exactly that. Possessing blistering pace, close control and the ability to use both feet to strike the ball with power and accuracy, it’s no wonder the Hamburg scouts were keen to get ink onto a contract. Some five years on and Heung-Min Son has gone on to establish himself in the Hamburg first team. Son has received praise from fans, media and former players alike with comparisons being made to South Korean legend Cha Bum-Kun and even German legend Gerd Muller. At only 20 years of age, Heung-Min Son has the rest of his career ahead of him but if this season is any indication, he looks like following Cha Bum-Kun and former Manchester United star Park Ji Sung into the South Korean legends category as well.

Cha Bum Kun starred for South Korea in the 1986 World Cup (Image from Reuters)

Since 2010, Son has been a part of the South Korean national team and has played 12 times to date, scoring only 1 goal so far. The striker would have had more caps for his country, even at his tender age, but his determination to repay Hamburg for the faith and support they have shown him since they brought him to the club as a 16-year-old, has led the player to turn down some international call ups. Indeed Son turned down the opportunity to join his countrymen in London for last years Olympic Games, instead preferring to spend the summer weeks preparing himself mentally and physically for the forthcoming Bundesliga campaign with Hamburg:

“In Korea, an Olympic appearance has a special meaning, but I want to speed up for Hamburg. What matters is to pour all my time into team training”

Son has been on fine form this year
(Image from Getty)

His decision to do so has paid off handsomely for Hamburg as Son is having the best season of his career yet scoring 7 times in 19 appearances. Last year’s total five goals has already been surpassed and if his form continues, his goals will help Hamburg’s push for a top half finish. Son has also seen the benefits of his decision as he has begun to start more games this year than in previous campaigns, where he was used more from the bench. With his fine performances comes increased attention from larger clubs across Europe including Inter Milan and more recently Tottenham. It will only be a matter of time before a club decides to match the $12 million asking price that Hamburg have placed on the head of their talented young striker. Until that happens, Hamburg will enjoy watching their player flourish and grow into a star and so far have had glimpses of what is to come.

In a recent mid-season friendly match between Hamburg and Austrian side, Austria Vienna, Heung-Min Son showcased to watching scouts exactly what he can do. Picking the ball up midway within his own half, Son drove the ball up field using a combination of close footwork and pace before reaching the opposition box. Slowing his pace slightly he looked up to see that Austria Vienna goalkeeper off his line before unleashing an unstoppable shot with his left foot high into the right hand corner of the net to put Hamburg a goal up. The home crowd inside the Imtech Arena erupted in appreciation for their new star striker who capped a fine performance by setting up Hamburg’s second goal in their 2-0 win.

Son scores against Vienna
(Image from AFP)

With players like Heung-Min Son coming through their youth ranks, the future looks bright for South Korea as they push to be the dominant country in Asian football. South Korea have qualified for every World Cup since 1986 and are looking to maintain that run into Brazil 2014 and beyond, a task which looks achievable if they can get Son’s club form to brush off on his international form and start banging in the goals for his country.

To see Heung-Min Son latest strike, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APftNbkLN4c

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Guardiola Grabs Gotze As His Revolution Picks Up The Pace

Jupp Heynckes might still be in the hot seat but the Pep Guardiola revolution at Bayern Munich has already started with the Spanish coach making his first move in the transfer market by splashing out a new record German fee for Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze. The pacey winger has been a revelation for his team over the past three seasons after Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp promoted him from the club’s youth setup but will join Bayern when the current season ends. Bayern have agreed to pay a record breaking £31.5m to sign the Germany international in a move which formally kicks off a new era at the club following the appointment of their first ever Spanish coach.

On the Move – Mario Gotze
(Image from Reuters)

Gotze joins the club at a time of transition with Guardiola likely to adjust the team to his liking. Suspected departures include the aging trio of Daniel Van Buyten, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Claudio Pizzarro and the second string pairing of Luiz Gustavo and Rafinha in favour of some fresh young blood, in a similar mold of Gotze. Bayer Leverkusen may be bracing themselves for a double bid from Guardiola for Andre Schürrle and Lars Bender whilst Borussia might not have seen the last of them as they circle back for prolific striker Robert Lewandowski and defender Mats Hummel. Similarly the form of Freiburg defender Oliver Sorg, Eintracht Frankfurt duo defender Sebastian Jung and midfielder Sebastien Rode as well as Bochum’s rising star Leon Goretzka will not have gone unnoticed to the Spaniard who will look to bring in exciting German talent into his already impressive squad. Guardiola will also look to other shores to strengthen with likely candidates being the controversial biter Luis Suarez, Barcelona’s Thiago and Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote whilst also looking to promote exciting youngsters from the youth setup into his first team.

Rising Star – Leon Goretzka
(Image from Getty)

But Gotze is and will be the glamour signing and what a signing they have made. Comfortable on both wing and possessing breathtaking speed and close control, Gotze is one of the most exciting young players in the game today. Over three seasons, the twenty year old has scored twenty two goals from wide positions and created countless more on route to back to back domestic league titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Seen as one of the best products of the Borussia youth setup for decades, Gotze is now one of the first names on Klopp’s team sheet and a fully fledged member of Joachim Low’s national squad too. The news of Gotze’s decision to leave and Bayern’s purchase (having activated a release clause in his contract) has upset the talented Klopp but the Dortmund boss holds no animosity towards his star player, despite his somewhat sarcastic response to the media when questioned over the transfer:

“Gotze was the player Guardiola wished to sign. So if it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine. I cannot make myself 15cm smaller and learn Spanish. Gotze wants to work with this extraordinary coach that is Guardiola. I cannot preach football of quick transitions and now start playing Tiki Taka. Mario knows he owes a lot to the club, but I know he gave a lot back as well”

Not Happy – Klopp (Image from PA)

Klopp knows he has lost one of his best players to the clubs biggest rivals which will hurt for some time but he will start the rebuilding process in earnest as he looks to re-strength his squad ahead of the new season and a new title challenge. He will also be looking forward to testing his skills against one of the best coaches in the world in Guardiola. Munich will be stronger than this season and Dortmund know they will need to be up to the task if they are to peg them back. Munich have been in dazzling form this season, losing only once to Bayer Leverkusen (an 87th minute strike by Sidney Sam ruined their chances of an unbeaten season) and conceding only 14 goals. Guardiola could not have dreamed for a better time to take charge of a new club, especially one that is flying so high this year.

Let the Games Begin – Guardiola makes his first move
(Image form Getty)

As Heynckes prepares to vacate his position, the legacy that he leaves to Guardiola may well include a Champions league title after a convincing 4-0 victory at home to Pep’s old team, Barcelona in the first leg of the semi finals of that competition put them in a commanding place. But that will matter little to Guardiola, who has won the same event twice as a coach already and is looking more towards the future of the club and its next metamorphism. No transition can start without the initial spark and it appears as though Gotze is that spark. Guardiola’s Bayern revolution is firmly underway, even before he arrives in Germany. The fans will demand success and Guardiola will want to deliver it, that is with the help of his new Messi, Mario Gotze.

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Finnish Trickster Hurskainen Out To Prove He Is No Fake

We have all seen the ads when a famous footballer like Lionel Messi, David Beckham or Kaka performs a mind-blowing trickshot before carelessly turning around and promoting a brand. For the brands, this is all about buying the cool that is celebrity endorsements and the synergies connected with their product and what the user has just seen. Most of the time however these clips are faked, made by the brand to look real but in reality are impossible for the athlete to perform. However there is a young pretender out there now in the form of unknown 25-year-old  Lassi Hurskainen, who when he isn’t playing in-goal for Jippo Joensuu in the Finnish second division, is filming himself performing tricks and uploading them to YouTube.  In the short time he has been doing it, Hurskainen has become a YouTube star in his own right with fans clambering to see his latest stunt.

Lassi Hurskainen and his trickshots
(Image from YouTube/Kick)

The appeal for many is that Hurskainen makes it look effortless. From curling a ball over 30 yards perfectly so it hits a Coke can or kicking the ball into a moving shopping trolley, Hurskainen’s tricks are impressive. But sceptics believe that not everything is as it seems and that the young Finn is faking his trickshots just to get media attention. But now  Hurskainen is hitting back, claiming his shots are 100% real and he is happy to prove it at any time to anyone including one David Beckham. Beckham has made a successful side career for himself away from the pitch by starring in TV adverts. One ad in particular had his fans drooling, where a relaxed Beckham was challenged to curl three footballs into three respective bins several meters away on a beach. The ad for Pepsi shows Beckham take up the challenge and proceed to put away all three balls with little effort.

Beckham in the Pepsi Ad
(Image from YouTube/Pepsi)

But those in the know including Hurskainen claim the ad cannot be real for several reasons including the downward speed of the ball as it enters the trashcan, the projection of the shot and the sheer chances of being able to do such a thing. Neither Beckham nor Pepsi have ever commented on the ad or accusations over whether its real or not, most likely because the ad has performed incredibly well, with users watching it multiple times to try to figure out for themselves the truth. But Hurskainen is convinced it’s not real and has now challenged Beckham to meet him and attempt the challenge again. Hurkainen is keen to prove he is not a fake also and believes the media limelight that Beckham will bring will allow him to showcase his tricks and prove they are 100% genuine. To most viewers, his bag of tricks look impossible so he may have a job on his hands to prove them wrong. Decided for yourself by watching the clip below and checking out Hurskainen’s YouTube channel.

To see some of Hurkainen’s best tricks, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L94vGbOFcOA

To see Beckham’s Pepsi ad, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq_fINAsn5U

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Six Degrees Of Managerial Seperation As We Gear Up For A Summer Of Moves

All aboard the managerial merry go round once more as speculation of this summer’s biggest moves reaches fever pitch. Josep Guardiola was the first coach to nail his flag to the mast and declare where he will be taking up this summer. The new Bayern Munich coach ended months of rumours and Chelsea whispers by signing on with the Bundesliga Champions in November of last year. The Spanish coach is unlikely to be the only high profile coach to switch jobs this summer in what is gearing up to be an intensive few months of change. It starts and ends with Madrid, with their high profile coach Jose Mourinho starting the ball rolling in what looks to be six degrees of managerial separation.

Chelsea Bound – Jose Mourinho
(Image from Getty)

Mourinho to Chelsea

It’s no secret that Benetiz is leaving Chelsea in the summer and an even bigger secret that Mourinho is on his way back. Talk of other coaches like Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp and Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini are nothing more than smoke and mirrors, strategically placed so that when the former Portuguese coach makes his entrance at Stamford Bridge, it is as dramatic as possible. Jose the great, the special one is back at the bridge which calls an end to Benetiz time, much to the delight of a large section of the home support. Whilst Mourinho hasn’t taken the formal step to announce his return, he has been publically saying his goodbyes in Spain. Roma looks to have gotten his man, after the two made up following their very public spat which lead to Mourinho leaving England in 2007. PSG could throw a spanner in the works by offering Mourinho a more lucrative offer but whilst it would be appealing to the Portuguese maestro who wants to win the league in as many countries as possible, he has unfinished business at Chelsea that will draw him back. He wants to deliver the Champions League title which he promised Abramovich several years ago and despite the Russian billionaire getting his hands on the trophy last year thanks to Roberto Di Matteo, another one courteously of Mourinho would be welcomed.

Benetiz would be welcomed back at Liverpool
(Image from Getty)

Benetiz to Liverpool

Benetiz deserves more praise for what he has done at Chelsea than he is given. Sitting third in the league, hot on the heels of a faltering Manchester City, and in the semi finals of a very winnable Europa League competition, Benetiz has done well under harsh conditions. With the home fans breathing down his neck with distain due to his previous history with Liverpool, Benetiz has kept his composure and managed to steer a wayward Chelsea ship towards port. Additionally he has done what most Chelsea bosses have failed to do, by reigniting the fire of Fernando Torres. Still half the player he was at Liverpool, Torres is at least now firing in the goals with 17 goals in all competitions, much to the delight of his biggest fan, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Benetiz will step aside in the summer for the returning Mourinho but he may not go that far with a trip up the M4 and back to Anfield on the cards. A legend in the north with Liverpool fans, due to delivering the Champions League trophy against all odds in 2004, Benetiz return to the red side of the city would be much welcomed. After a poor season under Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool fans just want to get back to winning ways and competing for the major honours once more, which is exactly what Benetiz can give them.

Rodgers return to Swansea?
(Image from Getty)

Rodgers to Swansea

Rodgers to be fair hasn’t done a bad job at Liverpool, but unfortunately his idea of time versus the clubs owners is likely to be different. Rodgers would love to have five to ten years to restructure the club and breed a new batch of talented youngsters much in the way that Arsenal have but investors won’t hang around to see this. The Fenway Group which has the controlling stake in Liverpool, need quick results and trophies to boot as success brings new money and expansion opportunities for the club. Rodgers has brought through some youngsters this year as part of his plan but his poor tactical calls and inability to bring in silverware will see the coach depart in favour of a manager who knows every blade of grass at Anfield and is a crowd favourite. It comes hardly as a surprise given that Rodgers wasn’t Liverpool’s first choice (Roberto Martinez holds that honour) but will be bitter sweet for the Northern Irishman. After picking himself back up, he is likely to look for an opportunity in the same division to prove he is not a failure and that chance may come in the form of an old friend, especially if Laudrup departs Swansea for a bigger club. Rodgers would relish the chance to restart where he left off a year or so ago, even if it’s seen as a backward step in his career.

Rising Star – Michael Laudrup
(Image from Getty)

Laudrup to Man City

Laudrup’s stock has risen considerably after an impressive debut season in the Premiership with Swansea. The former Danish international led the unfancied welsh outfit to their first major trophy in their 101 year history with victory in the League Cup and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by England’s top four. City, much frustrated with the lack of silverware this season, look to have lost patience with Roberto Mancini, despite the Italian coach thinking otherwise. If he is to go, City have options of who they can turn to including Ajax’s Frank De Boer and Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini but the smart money would be on a somewhat surprise move for Laudrup. Working on a limited budget, Laudrup has built an impressive team and bought wisely which to big spending City, who have repeatedly paid over the odds for players in the past, may be appealing. His style of attacking football and ability to mix up the formation of his team with little disruption would also interest city’s owners who have watched in wonder as Mancini tinkered badly and lost vital games and ground this year. They could face a fight with Madrid, who could turn to their former player as Mourinho’s replacement but Laudrup is likely to want to remain in the UK after two spells as a manager in Spain.

Not a successful season for Mancini
(Image from Reuters)

Roberto Mancini to PSG

Mancini knows that this season was not good enough and probably knows that he will not be coaching Manchester City next year if he is truthful. So where next for the pragmatic Italian? Heading back to Italy is an option and with former clubs Sampdoria and Lazio a likely destination, especially after somewhat disappointing seasons. But having already won Serie A with Inter and with both clubs unlikely to be challenging next year for honours, Mancini looks destined to go to another league. That league may be just across the water in France to take on another multimillion dollar rebuilding operation in PSG. Despite a quarter final appearances in the Champions League and the French title on its way, it’s not been a great year for current coach Carlo Ancelotti. The former Chelsea boss has watched in horror as his team of superstars crashed out of two domestic cup competitions this year, most recently to lowly Evian in the Coupe de France. Whilst these cups meant little to the owners, it was expected that PSG would storm to the domestic treble this year which has not happened. Rumours of a rift between Ancelotti and Technical Director Leonardo have risen recently although the club vehemently denies it. If the rumours are true, PSG are unlikely to favour anyone but the Brazilian who is seen as the focal point of the PSG forward movement. Ancelotti is smart enough to know when to leave than to fight a battle he will never win.

Off to Real for Ancelotti?
(Image from PA)

Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid

Ancelotti’s reputation as a winner (titles in Italy, England and now France) make him a compelling option for many clubs. But for one in particular, Ancelotti’s managerial style could be seen as a refreshing change to their last coach. Madrid would welcome Ancelotti with open arms and embrace his low key style, which will be in harsh contrast to the style of the exiting Mourinho. Ancelotti would welcome the challenge as well of adding the Spanish title to his resume and at a time when Barcelona look considerably shaky, it may be the perfect time for the 53 year old coach. Only an ailing father back home in Italy would potentially block the deal from happening but if Madrid owner Florentino Pérez sees Ancelotti as the coach he wants, we are sure a Real owned private jet will be made available at all times if the Italian needs to head home quickly.

Whilst the above is not an exact science and requires only one owner to offer a curveball into the mix to throw the whole thing off, it’s a calculated risk that the coaches involved will be moving on to new clubs starting at the end of May. Other coaches like David Moyes (rumored to be off to Schalke), Neil Lennon (to Everton as Moyes replacement) and potentially Barcelona looking for a new manager with Tito Vilanova rumoured to be stepping down again as he continues his fight against cancer, it could be one of the busiest summers for managerial moves in recent history. Over to you Jose to get the ball rolling.

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The Rise Of Football Freestyle

Football Free style is an art form. Art in the loosest sense to some but still an art form none the less. It takes years to develop these skills, hours practising and requires incredible close control, balance and awareness to pull off these tricks. Some like Victor Rubilar have made it into a full-time occupation touring the world showcasing their talents to audiences. Rubilar specializes in mixing football freestyle and football juggling skills with dance, acrobatics and comedy and has featured in a variety of adverts for Coke, Nike and Puma displaying his skills. Others like Arnaud “Sean” Garnier, Hee Young Woo and John Farnworth are freestyle champions in their own right, competing at brand run competitions such as the Nike Freestyle Competition or Red Bull Street Style.

Guinness Record holder John Farnworth
(Image from Getty)

However most freestylers do it either for tips or simply for the love of the game. A simple search for football free style on YouTube reveals a plethora of clips. On good example is the video of a young street performer named Iya, performing a variety of free style skills with a ball in Paris, from lying down whilst balancing the ball on a pen to balancing the ball on his chin and then putting his right shoe on top of it! The clip was uploaded to YouTube in 2010, creating an internet sensation at the time with over 2 million views. Iya, like others before him, have spent years perfecting their skills and are now reaping the benefits as the popularity of free style increases. With professional players like Robinho, Neymar and Ronaldo all evangelists for the sport and showcasing their form of freestyle on the pitch, freestyle is slowly making the cross over into the football mainstream.

To see free styling at its best, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnNB2FRtctI

To see Ronaldo perform some freestyle tricks, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di7G4nbpyDg

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Cardiff Reach The Promise Land But Can They Stay There?

After a 51 year wait, Cardiff City have finally reached the promise lands of England’s top division, the Premiership. The Championship title is yet to be secured but Cardiff care little as they have managed to seize one of the two automatic promotion places with three games to spare. Manager Malky McKay has masterminded what many others failed to do and built a side capable of competing and more importantly winning in the Championship. Cardiff have flirted with promotion for the past ten years so to finally achieve it will come as a welcomed change to the faithful Bluebird fans.  Their quest next season will be to stay in the Premiership and replicate the success of fellow Welsh side Swansea who capped a good year for Welsh sport with their League Cup final victory. But that’s not as easy as it seems.

Going in the right direction – Cardiff win promotion
(Image from BBC)

History does not bode well for Cardiff next year as they embark on their debut campaign in the world’s most watched league. Promotion success has frequently been followed by relegation despair the season after as clubs fail to cope with the differences between the leagues. Since its inception in 1992-1993 season, the Premiership has welcomed 59 promoted teams (only two were promoted in the 1994 season due to restructuring of leagues) with 25 teams going straight back down the following year (that number will grow by 1 if Reading are indeed confirmed as relegated this year). In addition, of those that managed to avoid the drop in their first year, seven were relegated in their second year back (again that number will increase by 1 if QPR are relegated this season). So what lessons can Cardiff take from past failures and indeed successes to stay in the Premiership long term?

Master and Chief – Malky MacKay
(Image from Huw Evans Images)

Lesson 1 – Buy only what you need to survive. Clubs have shown that you don’t have to replace your entire squad when you come up, only strengthen areas you deem as to be not up to par. After all you wouldn’t have claimed promotion if your players weren’t good enough. The misconception is that the gap between the Premierships top teams and the Championships top teams is too wide which is somewhat true, however the majority of the teams in the bottom half of the Premiership are likely to be on similar groundings, with most having come up only a few years previously. The age old adverb ” if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” rings true in this case. Look at Sunderland in 2006 who signed 14 players or Derby County in 2007 who signed a total of 19 players over the season during two transfer windows. Both ended the season bottom of the league after the squad failed to gel quick enough to compete. After spending the first four months trying to get to know each other, the team then found themselves being replaced by new arrivals in January and facing an already uphill climb to escape relegation. Buying to solve problem areas is a better solution as nine times out of ten; it helps the team avoid relegation. Well that is unless you are Norwich City in the 2004 season, who bought wisely with the likes of Thomas Helveg, Dean Ashton and David Bentley arriving but were unable to prevent their team escape the trapdoor. 

Danish International Thomas Helveg was unable to keep Norwich in the Premiership in 2004
(Image from NorwichFC.com)

Lesson 2 – Forward planning. Most clubs don’t look at the fixture list as an opportunity but the smart managers like Wigan’s Roberto Martinez and former Swans boss, Brendan Rodgers do. They studied the list like it was a manual to the Premiership, trying to work out where they could likely get the points needed to hit the magical, yet mythical 42 point mark. Facing Manchester City away from home at the start of the new season is not likely to be one of these places but tackling Norwich (sorry Norwich fans) at home in the middle of December may well be. Planning can give you an idea of what number you are likely to finish on and how close you potentially could be to the bottom three. It also acts as motivation when your team picks up a surprising win away from home against an Arsenal or Chelsea in September. The unexpected result making life a little easier and giving your team that safety barrier, just in case you lose one of your so called guaranteed three pointers.

Using the fixture list to build a forward strategy is the best approach (Image from EPL)

Lesson 3 – Score more than you concede. It may sound like common sense but many teams fail to understand that it doesn’t matter if you concede three goals in a game as long as you have scored four. A healthy points tally always outweighs a healthy goal difference so promoted teams need to make sure that they have goal scorers in their team. Notice we said scorers plural as often its left to one man (e.g. Kenny Miller in Derby’s disastrous 2007 campaign) to hit all the goals. If he struggles, you lose. Derby found out the hard way as Miller chipped in only four goals all season and his teammates added another 18 for a total of only 22 goals. After only one win all season they were relegated with one of the lowest point’s totals (and one of the highest goals conceded totals) in Premiership history. 

All by myself – Lone Derby striker Kenny Miller
(Image from Getty)

Lesson 4 – Build a back bone. Every successful team in history has been built on a solid backbone – solid goalkeeper, tough centre half, creative or strong midfielder and deadly striker. If you have these four and they work together, the other players seem to matter less. Not that they don’t contribute but the backbone appears to dictate what the result of the game is likely to be, with the rest of the team feeding off of them. QPR have found it tough this year without a solid backbone. Yes they had Julio Cesar and Ryan Nelsen but without a Joey Barton or an inform Abel Taarabt playing, they lacked the structure for their strikers to feed from. Similarly, like in most operations, substituting key vertebrae like Ryan Nelsen for Christopher Samba midway through the season was always going to be troublesome, despite how good Samba is. Harry Redknapp’s team has never recovered and looks destined for life in the Championship next year because of it.

Losing Nelsen changed the QPR backbone (Image from Getty)

Cardiff’s manager Malky McKay will be aware of the trials and tribulations of life in the Premiership having played (and being relegated) with Watford in 2006. He is a smart manager so will plan accordingly and will already know the areas in which he wants to strengthen. With owner Vincent Tan suggesting a sum in the region of $25 million being made available to MacKay next year, he has the funds to do so. In Marshall, Turner, Cowie and Bellamy, he has a strong backline, but experience may be the only thing he needs to bring in with few in his squad having played in England’s top league. It will be a test for his squad on how they cope under extreme pressure next year but this is after all what they have been waiting for (and their fans) for almost 51 years. If they can heed the lessons of teams gone by then there is a good chance that Cardiff will follow Swansea’s lead by cementing their place in the world’s most watched league.

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Young Players Learn From Goals And Gaffs

The easiest way for you to make a name for yourself in football is to do something incredible on the pitch. Scoring a spectacular goal, doing some fancy dribbling or worst case scoring a horror own goal can all bring the media attention firmly to your door. It’s likely that both Wayne Rooney, Neymar and David Beckham would have eventually grabbed the spotlight soon after making their competitive debuts but scoring a wonder goal or a howler in their first few matches certainly helped to speed up the process.

Wayne Rooney made an impact by scoring a wonder goal for Everton against Arsenal
(image from PA)

The latest players to attract the media glare, for opposite reasons are Esbjerg’s Youssef Toutouh and Utrecht’s Mike van der Hoorn. Both hit the headlines after hitting the back of the net this past week but for Van der Hoorn he is wishing he hadn’t. The powerful young centre back has been in fine form this season and has attracted the interest of some other teams both at home in Holland and abroad. But in the game against AZ Alkmaar at the weekend, Van der Hoorn scored a comical own goal that has made him a media sensation. Trailing 3-0, with only injury time left in the first half, Ulrecht’s left back Dave Bulthuis failed to clear a nothing cross and was disposed on the edge of the 6 yard line by AZ winger Roy Beerens. Beerens brought the ball under control before unleashing a hard shot from an acute angle at Jeroen Verhoeven in the Utrecht goal. The former Ajax stopper managed to get a hand to the ball and pushed it away from goal into the path of Van Der Hoorn. With no one near by and the ball dead at his feet, Van Der Hoorn tried to adjust his feet and clear the ball out of danger but instead swiped the ball into the empty net to give AZ a 4-0 lead. Consoled by opposition players and the referee, the player looked devastated by what he had just done before quietly walking in at the half time whistle.

Van Der Hoorn looks for the ground to open up after his goal
(Image from Getty)

Over in Denmark, Esbjerg took on a high-flying Randers team, needing a win to keep their push for the top half alive. Within 33 minutes, Esbjerg had the lead and in some fashion. Twenty year old Youssef Toutouh was only making his 17th start for the club following his loan move from Copenhagen earlier this year. The young winger, who scored his first goal for the club (ironically also on the 33rd minute) last month in the 1-1 draw with Brondby, took up possession of a bouncing ball some 25 yards from the Randers goal. With his back to goal, he cleverly flicked the ball up and over his head, leaving Randers defender Johnny Thomsen routed to the spot. As he swiveled round, he connected perfectly with the ball firing it over the head of goalkeeper David Ousted and into the net. A stunning goal made and executed by a rising star in Danish football. TouTouh’s goal set the pace for the game and Esbjerg went on to win the match comfortably by 4-0, continuing their recent good run.

Toutouh and his teammates celebrate his wonder strike
(Image from Getty)

Whilst Toutouh will take confidence from his strike, the unfortunate goal that Van Der Hoorn scored may affect his, resulting in a dip in form. It is his managers responsibility and his more senior teammates duty to help pick him up from this and explain to him that everyone had a bad day in the office that day (Utrecht lost 6-0 in the end) and to move on. Similarly teammates and the management of Esbjerg need to make sure that Toutouh does not become too over-confident and remind him to continue playing his natural game and not live on past glories. Van der Hoorn and Toutouh are talented youngsters who are just beginning their footballing careers so need to be nurtured appropriately through these situations by their respective managers. Both players can learn a lot from these experiences that will make them better players and hopefully one day turn them into stars like Beckham, Neymar and Rooney have become.

To see Van Der Hoorn’s howler, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA9Z5J2yb5g

To see Toutouh’s goal, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2vObJnOQYU

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English Football Back To The Dark Ages As Hooligans Return

They call it the beautiful game but this past weekend in England, it was anything but. For once, the players were not at the heart of it as the fans this time took centre stage in disgracing the nation’s favourite pastime. Violence and inappropriate behaviour marred three separate matches on Saturday and Sunday as hooliganism reared its ugly head once more. Scenes more recently found in Russian, Italian and Greek football reemerged from its slumber to tarnish what were three thrilling encounters.

Violent scenes like these making their way to British shores
(Image from Getty)

In Stoke, with the home team fighting for Premiership survival, some of Stoke fans were caught on television publically mocking the Manchester United fans by making diving plane gestures and singing songs, in reference to the horrific Munich air crash in 1958 that killed 23 Manchester United players and coaching staff. Stoke fans claimed after the match that it was in retaliation for the United fans actions following a moving one minute clap salute to a 14 year old Stoke fan who had died earlier that week. The United fans, again in a small minority, were heard singing ” What the f*cking hell was that” after the conclusion of the tribute which sparked the outburst by the Stoke fans. But pictures after the match of a banner, held up by Stoke fans that read “Munich b*st*rds” suggests otherwise.

Stoke fans taunt the United fans with airplane gestures
(Image from Sky Sports)

Up in Newcastle, violence erupted following the much anticipated Tyne-Wear Derby, contested between Sunderland and Newcastle. The rivalry between the two clubs is known but the two sets of fans have been fairly calm with their approach to each other for some years now, so Sunday’s explosion as somewhat unexpected. Having lost 3-0 to a rampant Sunderland, a small selection of Newcastle fans faced up to some Sunderland fns as they made their way home. Police on horses intervened and stood between the two sets of fans in an attempt to keep the peace. However the plan backfired as the Newcastle fans then attacked the police, with one fan actually punching a horse! Masked individuals taunted the police and the Sunderland fans as they actively looked to start a fight. After a few hours, police did manage to bring the situation under control and a total of 29 fans were arrested, including the individual who assaulted the police horse.

A Newcastle fan punches a horse
(Image from Getty)

Keeping rival fans apart is hard enough for the police but when fans of the same club start to fight, the job is even tougher. This is exactly what happened at Wembley as Millwall fans brawled with each other during their FA Cup semi final match against Wigan. Millwall has had a reputation for bad fan behaviour for close to four decades now, with some of it captured in the movie The Football Factory starring Danny Dyer. But yesterday’s scenes, with several fans spotted throwing punches and others with severe cuts and bruises, is what the club is trying to get away from.  The club has spent time and money trying to improve its reputation both on and off the pitch and until yesterday was on the path to success but yesterday’s events have pushed them back once more. Terrifying scenes captured the fighting and the fear of some people around them, including a young girl whose father was desperately trying to protect her from the violence all around.

Millwall fans fight themselves at Wembley
(Image from The Sun)

Other smaller incidents involving Bradford and Portsmouth fans as well have made it a weekend to forget for the FA. All the clubs involved have come out publicly and criticized their fans that took part in these disturbances and vowed to take action on anyone found to be involved. The police will be conducting a series of investigations, along with the FA and various league bodies to understand what the root cause of these issues were. Late kickoffs which allow people to drink for extended time, low policing levels at games and after games as well as drug use and criminal intent have all been cited as reasons behind the trouble. But it seems like too much of a coincence that over two days there were five separate incidents of fan misbehaviour.

Danny Dyer in The Football Factory
(Image from Getty)

The problems in the Russian and Greek leagues were not dealt with quickly and were allowed to grow, resulting in the issues that they are seeing now so the FA must act quickly to prevent these type of incidents from becoming a trend. The FA and the clubs know that it is only a small minority of fans that are ruining it for the rest of them and they must act swiftly to stamp it out before it escalates. English football grew out of the hooliganism phase it went through in the 1970′s and 80′s so a return to those days would be very much unwelcomed. Football is about the fans, they are its life line but if the hooliganism aspect is not dealt with now, it could be the end of the beautiful game in England

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The Strange Case of Alan Curbishley

Alan Curbishley’s fifteen year reign as boss of Charlton Athletic looked to have established him as one of the up and coming English managers. After taking over the club in 1991 from departing manager Lennie Lawrence, Curbishley transformed the club he once played for from a lowly second tier team to an established Premiership club who at one stage was a few points away from Champions League football. His man management of the club he loved and his attachment to the fans made him a firm favourite with The Addicks support and on leaving for pastures new, he received a standing ovation from the fans despite just witnessing their club being thrashed 4-0 by a rampant Manchester United. Curbishley, who managed Charlton for a record-breaking 729 matches, left the club on a high, unsure where his next job would be but knew that it wouldn’t be long before someone came for his services.

After a brief 5 month stint as a television pundit, West Ham came calling in December 2006 shortly after dismissing Alan Pardew for a dismal start to the season and Curbishley accepted. Having played for the Hammers, his return was welcomed by the fans who hoped that Curbishley could turn around the club much as he had done previously with Charlton. Looking odds on for relegation, Curbishley managed to string a run of 7 wins out of nine at the tail end of the season including impressive results against Everton, Bolton, Arsenal and Manchester United to keep the club in the league.

In the following seasons, Curbishley had some success in difficult surrounds finishing 10th in the 2007-2008 season despite more long-term injuries to first team players than any manager could handle and an ongoing saga around the controversial signings of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano. During the 2007-2008 season, Curbishley’s name was also mentioned in connection with the vacant England manager’s job after Steve ” The Wally with the Brolley” McLaren was sacked but eventually lost out to Italian Fabio Capello. As the next season kicked off Curbishley managed under a cloud of rumours and speculation as the club’s Icelandic owners looked to make back some of their investment by selling key players. Following months of internal struggles, Curbishley called time on his tenure as manager in September 2008 and launched a legal case against the club for constructive dismissal which he eventually won.

Speaking about West Ham and the court case, Curbishley reflected on his time in charge and the reasons for leaving:

 ”I very much enjoyed my time at West Ham and never wanted to leave, but on joining the club I insisted that my contract contained a clause confirming that I would have final say on the selection of players to be transferred to and from the club”

After a spell on the sidelines and having returned to work as a TV pundit, it wasn’t long before his name was linked to managerial vacancies across the UK and Europe. But amazingly Curbishley has yet to come back to management in over 4 years, raising the question of why not. A strong coach, who has experienced success at two different clubs, his talent for management is not in question but what has potentially restricted clubs from approaching Curbishley about roles, is his anticipated passion to get back in the game. Understandably he wanted to take some time after leaving West Ham to regain his thoughts and turned down several offers but perhaps he turned down one too many and has now placed doubt in the minds of club owners across the country. Their reluctance to hire him now rings alarm bells for a talented manager who is ready to get back into the game but faces the real prospect of not being able to do so any time soon.

Recently, he has expressed an interest in a vacancy at Ipswich Town (joined by former Tractors manager George Burley in doing so) but other candidates like Alan Shearer and Mick McCarthy were also interested. He felt that he had a winning hand with his ambition to bring in former midfielder and Ipswich Town legend Matt Holland as his No.2, who played for Curbishley as his captain at Charlton, but eventually lost out to McCarthy. It was yet another disappointment for a talented manager who just can’t seem to find his way back in. In the end, Curbishley deserves another shot at management, whether it be in England or abroad because no-one wants to see him end up on the managerial scrap heap yet again.

LA Blues As Galaxy Crash Out Of Champions League

It’s a hard pill to swallow when you come so close to a final that you can taste it but this season’s CONCACAF Champions League final will not feature an MLS team after its last participant, Los Angeles Galaxy were knocked out over two legs by Mexican side, Monterrey. Having narrowly lost the first leg 2-1 at home, LA travelled to Mexico with optimism in the hope that reaching the final was still in their hands. With a solid backline and a formidable strike force of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, LA knew they had the team capable of winning the game and progressing. But instead it will be an all Mexican final as Monterrey progressed to face Santos Laguna later this month after they beat Los Angeles again, this time by a solitary goal, which meant a 3-1 aggregate score and elimination for Galaxy.

Donovan was unable to find his stride
(Image from Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

In a hostile environment, LA performed admirably but their efforts were in vain as they could find the finishing touch that has been with them this season in the league. At the back, the duo of former Monterrey player Omar Gonzalez and his defensive partner Leonardo held together a somewhat nervous back four but managed to shut down every opportunity that Monterrey had. The Mexican side, who have won this tournament for the past two years, looked dangerous in the first half, creating a series of good chances but Gonzalez was up to the challenge and shut them out. Galaxy too had chances in the first half, the best of which fell to Gonzalez, who was supported at the game by his family, found himself in space in the box but was unable to poke the ball past a confident Juan De Dios Ibarra in the Monterrey goal.

MaGee’s exclusion baffled many
(Image from Getty)

 The second half started much as the first half had finished with a frantic pace to it and several chances falling to either side. Carlos Cudicini looked solid in-goal for Los Angeles, which historically has always been a weak area of their team. The Italian used all of his experience to get down well early in the second half to block a de Nigris effort, keeping the game tied. With the minutes ticking away, Galaxy pushed forward and created two goal scoring opportunities with efforts by Juninho and Donovan were stopped well by Juan De Dios Ibarra. With nine minutes left the deadlock was broke but unfortunately for Galaxy, it was Cudicini that was picking the ball out of his net after a De Nigris strike crept past him to put Monterrey ahead by 3-1 on aggregate. LA heads didn’t drop, much to the delight of coach Bruce Arena but were unable to find a way back into the game before the final whistle blew.

Goalscorer Aldo de Nigris celebrates (Image from AP Photo/Alfredo Lopez-JAM MEDIA)

Galaxy started the match with optimism, with the return of captain Landon Donovan, making his first appearance this season. He did manage to play the entire game but whilst Donovan is a tireless worker and runner, he is highly predictable and was easily stifled by the Monterrey players. Keane, so often the focal point for LA, couldn’t find the space he needed to perform some of his special brand of magic and left the field frustrated and annoyed by his own performance. Arena took a bold move at the start of the match by leaving Mike Magee on the bench, which was somewhat of a surprise to many, most notably Magee himself. Whether the midfielder would have been able to give the team anything more than they had on the pitch  from the start will be for the analysts to decide but realistically, the tie was lost at home some weeks ago at home in Los Angeles. Monterrey will go on from here in hope of a hat trick of Champions League trophies whilst Galaxy head back to the drawing board. They will get another crack at the tournament this summer when it kicks off again in earnest but before that they must now travel to Texas to face an inform Dallas side looking for blood. Bruce Arena will be delighted with that prospect after his team gave it all under tricky conditions in Mexico.

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Bookable Offence? Bulgarian Coach Steals Refs Cards And Rips Them Up.

Being a top flight football manager can be a tough job. The immense pressures applied on them from the clubs hierarchy to succeed in every game they play in can lead to a pressure cooker type environment. Some managers can handle the stress and have developed coping mechanism to prevent it from becoming a health issue, where as others it has unfortunately led to more grimmer results. Raised stress levels in any job can affect your performance but very few of us are under the public glare and media attention as footballs top coaches.

Stress can break the best of managers
(Image from PA)

Without an avenue to deal with this stress and pressure, emotions often then not boil over and can lead to startling events. Take for instance Bulgarian coach Antoni Zdravkov’s situation, who currently looks after Botev Vratsa in the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group. With his team struggling in the league and having not won a match since December 2012, Zdravkov and his team recently played host to a high-flying CSKA Sofia team looking to secure the points needed to challenge leaders Ludogorets for top spot. After watching his team fold the previous week against Lovech, eventually losing the game 5-1 despite taking a fourth minute lead, Zdravkov made two changes to his midfield leaving out Brazilian Vicente and Bulgarian Velev in favour of a more cautious approach. Unfortunately early signs were that he had made a mistake as Sofia took the lead after only five minutes through Brazilian Marcinho. However Botev rallied and equalised in the twelfth minute from the penalty spot through striker Andrey Atanasov. Botev began to dictate the play and push Sofia back, looking more confident as the minutes ticked on. That was until the 19th minute of the game when disaster struck.

The game unravelled for Botev after the sending off
(Image from Getty)

After being caught out of position at the back, Botev’s defence scrambled back to stop a Sofia chance only to see defender Nikolay Marinov handball in the area and concede a penalty. To make matters worse, referee Aleksandar Kostadinov (one of the youngest referees in Bulgarian football at only 33 years old) issued Marinov with a straight red card, sending him from the game and into the dressing room. Incensed by the decision, Zdravkov lost his composure running on to the pitch to berate the referee. When he got to him, he took his actions one stage further by grabbing both the yellow and red card from Kostadinov’s hands before ripping them up into tiny pieces. He then stormed off the pitch, before being sent off himself by the referee who eventually reported him for his behaviour. Zdravkov’s anger was mostly caused by what he felt was double standards from the referee after a similar incident had happened only 10 minutes previously (which led to Botev’s penalty), but on that occasion only a yellow card had been shown. Regardless Sofia converted the penalty through Brazilian striker Michel, who ironically was too sent off later in the game for two bookable offences. Despite a spirited comeback, led mostly by anger driven from the sending off of Marinov, Botev lost the game by 4-3 and continued their dismal form for one more week.

Zdravkov loses his cool with the ref
(Image from AFP)

Zdravkov’s actions, whilst crazy, are understandable given that Botev now hang dangerously above the relegation zone but with nine games to go, they still have a chance of staying in the league. However Zdravkov is likely to be suspended for some of those matches much to the frustration of the clubs owner, Nikolay Ivanov. Ivanov wants the club to remain in the top division and grow and has talked in the past about his desire to persuade former Botev player and Bulgarian legend Martin Petrov to finish his career back at the club where he started. Petrov, currently with Espanyol and enjoying his life in Spain may be tempted as he reaches the end of his career but Botev would need to be in the top league for that to be an option.

To see the video of Zdravkov losing his cool , click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CzYfsgRrgY

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Bebeto’s Resignation Adds Further Concern To The CBF

A World Cup at any level without Brazil often feels like a half effort. Its like birthdays without cake or summer holiday’s without the sun. But whilst the senior team gets ready to play host to the world next June, Brazil’s junior teams are struggling to make the grade.  It comes at a time when Brazil has failed to qualify for the under 20 world cup in Turkey after finishing bottom of their group,  ringing alarm bells across Brazilian football. Failure to qualify for the event, which Brazil are current champions, has been seen as a disgrace by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) who launched an immediate investigation, with several people losing their jobs.

Brazil’s under 20′s struggle against Peru
(Image from PA)

Former Brazil striker Bebeto, who starred alongside Romario in Brazil’s USA 1994 World Cup winning side, who was parachuted in by the CBF during January to oversee the transformation of the youth system, sensationally quit last month after only two months in charge stating that he didn’t have enough time to dedicate to the job. The former player is currently one of the three members on the local organizing committee for the 2014 World Cup that will be held in Brazil, as well as a state legislator in Rio de Janeiro. But many believe that Bebeto was unaware of the state of the youth game and the work needed to overhaul the setup from the ground up. The CBF itself has taken some heat over the Bebeto appointment, which was seen as a panic move as a reaction to the country’s poor showing in the South American U-20 Championship, the gateway to the Under 20 World Cup. Most blame the Brazilian FA entirely for the poor showing, stating that the CBF have been neglecting the U-20 side somewhat over recent years, but has been getting away with it thanks to some superb generations of talent

Bebeto and his famous Rocking the Baby celebration at USA 94
(Image from Getty)

The issue is not around the production of new talented Brazilian youngsters but instead it’s a deployment problem with a lack of fresh ideas and forward direction. When Mano Menezes was brought in as the senior team national coach in 2010, he pinpointed the under 20 side as a problem. He appointed Ney Franco to the job who immediately began reorganising all levels of the junior game, its structure and coaching methods. But Franco’s departure to  coach Sao Paolo in 2012 led to Under 17 manager Emerson Avila being promoted to the role and a reversion back to old habits and philosophies. Proper preparation time and training have fallen by the way side as the general approach changed with many believing that the team was good enough to qualify without it. Granted the team still possess some genuine talent in the form of Fluminense duo Wallace and Marcos Júnior, plus Sao Paolo’s Ademilson and even the star of Bebeto’s famous goal celebration, rocking the baby, his son Mattheus, is part of the squad. The team has skill and ability throughout but without direction and a winning formula the Brazil Under 20 team are a disorganised group, with little to offer. Evidence of this was seen during the South American U-20 Championship where Brazil let teams score weak goals against them and failed to create anything in return.

Bebeto’s son Mattheus is now part of the Under 20′s team
(Image from PA)

Emerson Avila was quick to blame the players for a lack of commitment which was shot down by former Brazilian internationalists like Ronaldo and Tostao as being a poor excuse. Emerson was quickly fired and replaced by Bebeto but with the former striker now leaving the role, its back to square one for the CBF. Bebeto’s only act during his time in charge was to appoint Alexandre Gallo from Nautico as new boss of the under-20. Gallo, a former defensive midfielder, is seen as one of Brazil’s new generation of coaches with new ideas and visions but will face an uphill struggle as boss if he doesn’t get the appropriate backing from the CBF. Now that the man who appointed him has left, Gallo will be concerned that his new boss (to be appointed) may have different plans which he doesn’t fit into. If this is the case, Gallo could be looking for new work before he has really had a chance to influence the team or its structure. The situation comes at the worst time for the CBF who are struggling to be ready for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, with stadiums half completed and infrastructure issues still a worry. The only silver lining for Brazil in this whole situation is that rivals Argentina are facing similar problems with their youth setup after also failing to qualify for the World Cup in Turkey but that will hold little  favour with A Seleção (the selection, a nickname for the Under 20 team) fans. Whoever is brought in to replace Bebeto faces a tough task to get Brazil’s youth teams back on track and once again become the team that no one wants to face.

*Credit given to World Soccer Magazine’s Tim Vickery for elements of this article.

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AEK Athens Inch Closer To The Edge Of Despair

With only two games left to play in the Greek Super League season, five teams are caught up in a relegation dog fight to see which one will join Kerkyra in the football league next year. Among them is AEK Athens, who as one of Greece’s oldest and most prestigious clubs, find themselves staring oblivion in the face for the first time in their illustrious history. Ravaged with debt, unable to play its players and struggling in the league, AEK’s glory days look like they are coming to an end. Its dark days for the once Champions league regulars who have played host to some of Europe’s biggest clubs – Liverpool, Juventus, PSV, Ajax and Real Madrid. Now sitting a single point above the drop zone, AEK could find themselves going out of business if they were to fall into the financially constrained lower divisions.

AC Milan Rino Gattuso challenges Julio Cesar of AEK Athens during Champions League Clash
(Image from REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo)

Greece is suffering from financial turmoil and its football teams have not been left affected. 90% of the clubs in the Super League now operate on vastly reduced budgets, with most having to make significant cost cutting measures last year as the financial crisis took hold, to stay afloat. Transfers are down across all the clubs with only $5.7 million being spent combined by the 16 clubs this season. What makes that figure so remarkable is that five years after Greece shocked the football world by winning Euro 2004, the combined transfer fees in 2009 reached $63 million. But Greek clubs have long been living beyond their means with exuberant transfers and unaffordable wages. Added into that poor business management, corrupt officials and owners and a weak economy, it is no wonder the league is now suffering. Athens “suffering” is rumored to be around the $35million mark with further debt owed in unpaid taxes to the government. As yet they have not come looking for that payment, but it is only a matter of time. Chaos off the pitch has affected events on it, but nothing has been done to prevent rot from setting in.

The financial crisis gripping Greece is now affecting its football teams
(Image from Getty)

Athens had an opportunity yesterday to pull themselves away from the relegation zone, as they faced up to PAS Giannina in a re-arranged fixture. But Athens failed to take their chance and lost the match 2-0 with goals from PAS defender Nikos Korovesis and midfielder Fotis Georgiou. Trailing by two goals at half time, AEK’s German coach Ewald Lienen made two changes bringing on Portuguese midfielder Furtado and Greek youngster Valentinos Vlachos in an effort to haul Athens back into the game but the duo were unable to make the difference. That has been the story of AEK’s season so far, often trailing in matches and unable to introduce the spark needed to get them back into the game. In 28 matches this season, AEK have failed to score in 12 of them, and just as damning have only kept seven clean sheets. Weak at the back and limp up front, AEK look like a shadow of the club they used to be. The once powerful club, who over the years has had great players like Rivaldo, Traianos Dellas, Andreas Stamatiadis, Mimis Papaioannou and Demis Nikolaidis on their books, now relies on inexperienced younger players and journeymen.

Former AEK star, Rivaldo
(Image from AP)

With only two games left, speculation has started over who will stay up or who will go down. The smart money would be on Aris to be relegated, as they face two tricky matches against Asteras Tripolis and Xanthi but Aris have been known  to pull off stunning results when they had to – beating Panathinaikos and drawing with runaway champions, Olympiakos this season. Fellow strugglers Veria face difficult games against Platanias and Panathinaikos but again have taken points off of both teams this season. With OFI a point ahead of AEK, they are not seen as one to watch but they two must secure some points in their remaining two games against Atromitos and Asteras Tripolis if they are to stay in the league.

Running out of time – Ewald Lienen
(Image from PA)

Ultimately AEK’s fate lies in next Sunday’s crunch game with fellow strugglers, Panthrakikos. A win would all but secure them their league status, a draw would take it to the final week and a defeat would leave their fate in the balance. Having lost the last time the two sides met to a single goal by Marama Vahirua, the odds are stacked against the Athens side. It has been a season to forget with results on the pitch often overshadowed by events off of it. Political scandal followed financial disaster followed player scandals, most recently with Greek under 21 captain and rising AEK star Girogos Katidis being suspended by the club and then the FA for performing a Nazi salute as a goal celebration (as covered in a blog last month). With two games left to focus on, Lienen and his players will know that two wins will be enough to secure their place for next year. Anything less could well spell the end for AEK Athens as we know it.

Remaining Fixtures:

	14/04/13	AEK Athens	vs.	Panthrakikos
		Aris	vs.	Asteras Tripolis
		Veria	vs.	Platanias
		OFI	vs.	Atromitos
	21/04/13	Panathinaikos	vs.	Veria
		Xanthi	vs.	Aris
		Asteras Tripolis	vs.	OFI
		Atromitos	vs.	AEK Athens
		Panthrakikos	vs.	Kerkyra

Super League Table:

Tables and Fixtures by Soccerway.com

For more on the crisis facing greek football, read this great piece by George Tsitsonis in Inside The Game: http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/03/22/inside-the-game-financial-crisis-takes-toll-on-football-in-greece/81752/

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Derby Starlet Attracts Interest From Europe’s Best

For Derby County fans, there hasn’t been a lot to cheer about in the past 10 years. The club, once one of England’s top clubs have suffered badly in the last decade with relegation, receivership and play off anguish. But now there is a sparkle coming out of Pride Park in the form of 17-year-old wing sensation Will Hughes. The bleach blond-haired youngster has exploded on the scene this season with some fine performances which has started to attract the attentions of Europe’s biggest clubs including Barcelona. Hughes joined Derby only last summer from his local team Mickleover but has been the find of the year, breaking not only into the first team but also gaining recognition at international level for England Under 17 and recently Under 21 teams. He is widely regarded as an exciting prospect with the potential to become a world-class player in the years to come.

Starlet Hughes has dazzled this season
(Picture by Kate Lowe)

Hughes moved to Derby with his family at the age of only 2 so it seems fitting that he make his mark with his hometown club. Under the carefully tutelage of manager Nigel Clough, who first noticed Hughes during a reserve team outing and promoted him to the first team for the penultimate game of campaign last season, Hughes has flourished as a left winger. With a combination of explosive pace, close control and self belief, it’s not hard to understand why Clough was keen to see more of what Hughes could do. He gave the youngster his first team break against Portsmouth, bring him on as a substitute with just over 20 minutes left. Hughes grabbed his chance with both hands and impressed his manager so much so that Clough started him in the final game of the season against Peterborough United. Clough saw in two matches the potential this youngster had and knew that he would have to include him as a member of the first team from next season on. But Clough is clearly aware of the need to protect his player and keep him grounded as he develops.

Boss Clough is keen to hold on and protect Hughes
(Image from Getty)

Hughes impressed again in pre season and forced his way into the starting line up for the Rams this season where he has remained ever since. Starting 24 games so far, Hughes has been a revelation as part of a new batch of youngsters emerging at Derby. He is joined in the first team by Jeff Hendrick, Mark O’Brien and Mason Bennett in a new look Derby side that is working their way up the Championship table. Hughes has been instrumental in this rise with his wing play, assists and goals, bagging two already. Clough believes the player has an incredible future in front of him and is constantly impressed by his attitude and play whether he starts a game or comes from the bench:

“When he came off the bench at Colchester, he was very good indeed. I thought he was the star of the subs. He looked comfortable. I don’t think he gave the ball away and he made our equalizer. We are very pleased with him. People say ‘is he really only 17?’. It is like having a senior pro in the team. His composure belies his age and there are not many 17-year-olds in the country playing to the standard that he is; it sets him apart.”

The praise doesn’t just stop with Clough as Hughes international boss Stuart Pearce has also been vocal on his impression of the young left winger, shortly after his debut for the Under 21′s against Northern Ireland in November of this year, subsequently becoming the second youngest player to ever do so. Hughes didn’t look out-of-place in the international arena and could have found himself on the score sheet with a debut goal if it wasn’t for a last gasp challenge by a Northern Ireland defender. Pearce spoke candidly about Hughes after the player made his debut for England Under 21′s:

“Will’s technically a very sound player. He rarely gave the ball away in training or in the game he played [against Northern Ireland], which is vitally important at international level. He’s progressing really well.”

Hughes makes his England Under 21 debut
(Picture from Telegraph.co.uk)

Pearce knows that if Hughes continues to improve, it won’t be long until he follows the likes of Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha into Roy Hodgson’s full England squad. Clough too knows that the better Hughes gets the more attention he will draw to himself and the harder it will be to hold on to his prize asset. With Barcelona rumoured to be constructing a dossier on the player and both Manchester clubs sending scouts on a regular basis to Pride Park, it may be only a matter of time before Hughes moves on to bigger things. In the meantime the Derby fans will be enjoying seeing their team and Hughes in particular light up the Championship, praying that their new star can help push them up the league and towards promotion back to where they feel they belong, the Premiership.