When Barcelona wrapped up arguably the coup of the transfer window by picking up the world class Thierry Henry for just over £16 million pounds, football fans were both puzzled and ecstatic about the transfer. Yes, they would be able to finally see four of the most formidable attacking players play together for one team- but on the other hand did Barcelona really need Henry? Already possessing Ronaldinho Gaucho, Leo Messi and Samuel Eto’o up front, Barcelona had three players that any team in the world would be happy to have one of- let alone three. Those that watched last season’s title race would surely argue that their defensive needs needed improving much more than their attacking ones, which is why the purchase of Henry was seen as unneeded by many top football pundits around the world (Gabriele Marcotti stated that “where else but La Liga would their [Real Madrid] closest rivals sign one of the greatest attacking weapons in footballing history at great expense despite already boasting three of the best strikers in the world?”). Although Barcelona scored more goals and conceded fewer goals than any other team in La Liga, they finished second, not winning the title due to their inferior head to head record against champions Real Madrid.

Barcelona scored 78 goals in their 38 league games, meaning they scored an average of around 2 goals a game. Their 33 goals conceded meant they conceded an average of just below 0.9 goals a game. If you take these two figures into account, this means that should have (on average) won every game 2-1, so why didn’t they win the title? Obviously in football you cannot win all your games- you will draw some, and yes you will lose some. However, given the fact that Barcelona scored 12 more goals and conceded 7 goals less than champions Real Madrid, this shows that they should have not even let the Bernabeu side close enough to let the head to head results have any meaning on the title race. The conclusion we can draw from these facts is that when Barcelona won games, they won them well yet when they conceded in games, they often lacked the impetus to claw their way back into a winning position. Most would argue that a striker of Henry’s calibre would only help them do this- here I will reason whether Henry’s signing was as needed or not. Read more »

Posted on September 7th, 2007 | 9 Comments »
Filed under: Barcelona, Henry, La Liga, football, soccer

In a moving tribute to the late Antonio Puerta, Sevilla decided to play in the European Super cup final. In the aftermath to the tragic death of the much loved Andalusian, Sevilla president stated, “With the memory of Antonio Puerta, we start playing again with the desire to win the Super Cup and we will dedicate it to him”. With a short video preceding the match showing the highlights of Puerta’s short footballing career, his Sevilla team-mates sporting his name on their shirts and the fans chanting ‘Puerta!’ right until the minute of silence…the whole of the Stade Louis II appearing to be weighed down by emotion and the memory of Puerta.

The match began at a fast pace, with a well worked opening allowing Renato to shoot in the second minute, inevitably wide after scuffing the effort. Immediately at the other end Seedorf played in Inzaghi, who cut in, only for Kaka to take the ball into his stride and fire against the woodwork. 14 minutes in Renato headed in at the far post from a corner taken in from the right, after Jankulovski took no chances from a deep Duda cross. The celebration that followed was a team huddle with all arms pointing to the high heavens. In a game of fair play, Inzaghi soon had to fall with alarming ease in a meager attempt (20’) to win Milan a penalty. The experienced back-line were torn to shreds when an Alves cross was deflected into Kanoute’s path, who evaded Dida and opted to cross to Renato, whose shot was hacked clear by Nesta on the goal line. Duda’s return was high and wide.

Renato was an aerial threat and failed to connect to a free-kick on 28 minutes. Then Seedorf headed over following a Pirlo corner a few minutes later. In 32 minutes Palop gratefully clutched the ball after Inzaghi moved away from his marker and fired in a low drive from the edge of the area. Ambrosini (43’) almost broke the resistance but a dangerous through ball was cut out but the Sevilla defence. While earlier Kanoute chested down and fired wide. Inzaghi went even closer but somehow missed. Finally the Sevilla defence broke, but the linesman’s flag chalked off a predatory finish by the Italian (46’).

Alves was a constant thorn in the Milan side, with driving runs and probing lofted passing he applied himself well by spreading the play with long range passing and also Sevilla’s short passing game and burst a lung to supply support to Sevilla’s pacy counter attacks. His aggressive manner in defensive situations certainly doesn’t bode well for Rosicky or whoever plays on the Arsenal left flank for the opening Champions league match against the Andalusian club.

After a slow second start, Milan started to press more and on 51 minutes a Seedorf cross was cut out, a minute later a Pirlo counter attack ended following a poor cross from the Dutchman. Following this a clever turn and backheel by the deep-lying Italian playmaker released Gattuso, who crossed for Inzaghi to head into an empty net after the Sevilla defence fell asleep, perhaps unprepared for Pirlo’s brilliance (55’). Sevilla almost regained the lead when Kanoute crossed, but Duda was unable to connect (56’). But it was the Milanese that struck, with Jankulovski running in from left-back on a lofted through ball by Pirlo to volley past Palop in an efficient manner (62’).

Milan took control as they showed their experience, with pieces of delightful skill coming from Kaka, who knocked the ball past Alves and ran the opposite side, with the strong dribble ended with a stern Poulsen challenge. In an attempt to press for the equaliser, Juande Ramos brought on Luis Fabiano, a volatile Brazilian on for Julian Escude, who is a centre-back (82’). Sevilla’s hopes ended when the brilliant Brazilian Kaka headed in a rebound after his penalty was saved by Palop (86’). The celebration included pointing to Puerta’s name on his shirt at the Sevilla end of the ground in a touching gesture. In similar fashion Seedorf raised his shirt to the fans, holding up Puerta’s name, when being substituted. Maresca had a late chance to make for a nervy finish but hit the post from point blank range (90’).

In the end the Italians deserved their win, but this night will long be remembered for the tribute of Antonio Puerta. Meanwhile Arsenal should be aware of the quality of the Spanish team, while the occasion may have been overwhelming, the Andalusians acquitted themselves well and well dangerous on many occasions. Rest in Peace: Antonio Puerta.

Goals: Renato (14’), Inzaghi (55’), Jankulovski (62’), Kaka (86’)

Milan: Dida, Kakha Kaladze, Gennaro Gattuso (Emerson 73’ ), Filippo Inzaghi (Alberto Gilardino 88’), Clarence Seedorf (Cristian Brocchi 89’), Alessandro Nesta, Marek Jankulovski, Andrea Pirlo, Kaká, Massimo Ambrosini, Massimo Oddo

Subs Not Used: Zeljko Kalac, Cafu, Giuseppe Favalli, Daniele Bonera

Coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Sevilla: Andrés Palop, Ivica Dragutinovi?, Daniel Alves, Duda (Enzo Maresca 84’), Jesús Navas, Christian Poulsen, Renato, Frédéric Kanouté, Julien Escudé (Luis Fabiano 83’), José Luis Martí (Aleksandr Kerzhakov 65’), Seydou Keita

Subs Not Used: Morgan De Sanctis, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Diego Capel, Tom De Mul,

Coach: Juande Ramos

Referee: Konrad Plautz (AUT)
Assistant referee: Egon Bereuter (AUT), Markus Mayr (AUT)
Fourth official: Fritz Stuchlik (AUT)

Posted on August 31st, 2007 | No Comments »
Filed under: AC Milan, Puerta, Sevilla, match

Sevilla’s Antonio Puerta’s death was confirmed three days after collapsing in their opening game of the season against Getafe. He was a promising, versatile footballer, with the world at his feet, and was about to become a father. Sevilla had postponed Tuesday’s Champions league qualifier against AEK Athens and the Super Cup match against AC Milan but now it will be played in homage to the late Spanish footballer.

A short film showing the 22-year-old’s career will be played before the game between the Champions League and Uefa Cup winners. Flags in the stadium will be flown at half mast, there will be a minute’s silence and the players will wear black armbands.

I would like to refer you to a piece by Arseblogger, who put how the majority of the footballing world is feeling.

“Finally today I want to take a moment to talk about how sad I felt about the
death of Sevilla’s Antonio Puerta. I, like many of you, was watching the game on
Saturday night when he collapsed so we’ve been with him ever since. Seeing him
wheeled out of the ground and rushed away in an ambulance was sickening,
especially when you could tell by the paramedics that it was serious. There was
hope as many times in cases like this an athlete simply drops and that’s the
end. We saw it some years ago when Marc Vivien Foe died during the Confederations Cup.

But as the days passed the doctors grew more pessimistic and yesterday afternoon Antonio Puerta passed away. For someone like me who plays park football and enjoys a pint and the odd smoke and doesn’t always stick to a healthy diet it’s quite sobering. A young man, less than 6 weeks away from being a father for the first time, is dead.

I’ve been reading the coverage in the Spanish papers and it’s heartbreaking stuff. Julio Baptista spoke of the enormous jolt of pain he felt when he heard. Messages of support and sympathy have flooded in from every Spanish club. Ex-teammate Antoñito declared himself ‘broken’ at the news. I listened to the President of Betis, Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, who has had the worst relationship with Sevilla FC and their President Jose Maria del Nido that you can possibly imagine, speak on the radio about Puerta’s death and the genuine emotion and solidarity for Sevilla, their fans and the family of Antonio Puerta was very moving.

Antonio Puerta will be buried today at 2pm Spanish time. A promising career and a young life cut short well before time. Perhaps, as we bitch and moan about not signing a fat Brazilian or any kind of winger, we might think about this and put it all in perspective.

I have never tried to speak on behalf of any other Arsenal fans, but I think I can do so today when I say to the family and friends of Antonio Puerta, everyone at Sevilla FC and all their fans, that we send our most sincere condolences and sympathy. May he rest in peace. “

My deepest sympathies to Sevilla Fútbol Club and more importantly, the family of Puerta. RIP.

Posted on August 29th, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Filed under: La Liga, Puerta, football

There are certain clubs where many feel the time has come, for glory again. Having lain dormant, they have to challenge again for the title and become national champions. Here is a preview of the underdogs in the various national leagues all around Europe.

England: Arsenal
A team in transition, the majority say…’you don’t win anything with kids’, Alan Hansen says…well the Arsenal camp has come out with several statements of a great team spirit, epitomised in the late goals against Fulham, the battling successes against Sparta and Blackburn. The season is long and hard, but while fellow rivals underestimate the North London team, on the basis of their summer spending, which was one of Wenger’s bigger expenditures in his time in charge of the Gunners, I believe that they shall quietly challenge without any big names and a team ethic.

Liverpool shouldn’t really be considered as a dark horse considering their current squad quality and depth, but not having won the league since 1989-90 means there is a pressure on the Anfield side, and the lack of domestic success means they are a huge outsider to break the recent Chelsea, Manchester United monopoly.

Italy: Fiorentina
Having not won Serie A since the ‘Italian Job’ was released in 1969, the Florence club have assembled an side, which can challenge the Champions league spots and even have an outside chance for the title. Toni may have been sold, but the funds have been used to build a youthful yet talented side, with the prolific (albeit at youth level) Lupoli, along with the other outstanding Belgian talent of his generation in Vanden Borre and other potential stars, the club can surprise a few giants this year, especially with future star Pazzini, who scored the first hat-trick in the new Wembley.

Juventus, having returned from their Serie B exile, still have the experienced Nedved, Trezeguet and club captain Del Piero, along with a number of talented youngsters. Part of the upper hierarchy at the club has been overturned and a new beginning is imminent.

Spain: Villarreal
Riquelme is at the centre of a transfer conundrum. Having decided that he is not important enough to have a team built around him, the Spanish side instead decided upon a team ethos. Gone too, is the prolific Forlan (well in Spain anyway). Long term injury victims Pires and Rodriguez have returned, along with Rio Mavuba, to give the team a technical and physical style.

Having spent big via the sale of star striker Torres, Atletico Madrid has a great chance to break into the top four. An encouraging pre-season along with impact from signings Reyes, Simao amongst others, has added to the underachieving side flair and a strong work ethic. Is it enough to mount an outside title challenge? Time will tell…

Germany:
Who in Germany is capable of surpassing Bayern Munich? Well apart from the current Champions from Stuttgart, naturally Bremen or Schalke 04 are considered. Both have had title bids in recent years, both are considered dark horses since Bayern’s summer shock therapy, which cost them near to €80 million. Having bought from their rivals in Altintop and Klose, they have strengthened as well as weakening the outside bets. As the Bundesliga progesses, it will be evident who will form the supposed chasing pack, especially when Werder have already been slaughtered by the Bavarian machine.

Posted on August 23rd, 2007 | No Comments »
Filed under: Henry, La Liga, Premiership, Serie A, football, international

With reports of Thierry Henry’s impending transfer to Barcelona, for a measly fee of £16 million, while a world class centre forward and Arsenal legend leaves, Darren bent, a relatively inexperienced English striker is being mooted around at £18 million pounds. The proposed inflation in the transfer market has surrounded English clubs buying and selling from one another, with Manchester United spending close to £54 million on three imports from foreign leagues. So where does this leave Arsenal, whose talisman uttered these words: “This is my last contract. It is where I belong”, last summer, and now completes a complete turnaround to his statement, completing a significant move in what truly will be the final contract of his career.

The simple fact is that there will never be another Thierry Henry. While there may be young pretenders, with Theo Walcott and Ryan Babel, both biding their time on the wing, before playing in a similar role to Henry. True class is rare and Henry was a legend. Remember each of his 226 Arsenal goals, and relive them with joy. Remember the barnstorming run against Tottenham, and the daring celebration which followed. Remember the outrageous back heeled finish against Charlton. Remember the wonder goal in the Bernabeu. Remember Thierry Henry, the greatest player to ever grace the Premiership, with joy.

And while we dare not crucify him, we must see that there is a growing uncertainty in the direction of Arsenal’s future on and off the pitch. With the news that the board are willing to work with Stan Kroenke after Peter Hillwood’s unnecessarily blunt remarks concerning the American, this appears to point to a possible takeover with David Dein’s possible reinstalllment as Chairman. Arsene Wenger’s future too is uncertain, although this has been a common pattern as the French tactician almost always commits to a new contract at the end of his current one, which prompts media speculation into his future. More worrying is the number of players tied to Wenger’s future with Cesc Fabregas, amongst others, with an uncertain future at the club. Therefore it is vital for the uncertainty in the upper hierarchy of the club to be settled and for the club to continue to add to its illustrious history. While there will be great players and managers, no one person is greater than the club itself.

One problem is due to the inflated transfer fees in players coming over to England, it will be difficult to find a player who can stop the lack of Thierry Henry’s influence in Arsenal’s game being found. Therefore it is vital that Wenger gets the player that he wants to replace Henry, with Patrick Vieira (Wenger failed to buy Julio Baptista as well), not effectively replaced until Fabregas developed into his new type of role dominating games with his ability rather than pure physicality. Therefore here are a number of players who Wenger could have his eye on:

Ryan Babel has been likened to Henry by his national team coach Marco Van Basten, who incidentally was Henry’s idol when he was a young hopeful. The player himself is right footed though plays on the left wing and can also play up front. He is blessed with pace and trickery and so on his day can bamboozle opponents with his skill. He is inconsistent, naturally due to his inexperience and so this is not the kind of player that needs to be added to Arsenal’s strike-force as experience and goal-scoring prowess is needed.

Speaking of goal scoring prowess, Klaas Jan Huntelaar is a striker whose goal-scoring record for teams at different ends of the spectrum in the Dutch league. The player himself is relatively young and again is unproven in a foreign league but his record of 37 goals in 46 Ajax appearances shows his instinct for goal. The player would not provide Thierry Henry’s sheer elegance (he is, in fact, more likened to Ruud van Nistelrooy) or be as involved in the build up, but he would be a ‘fox in the box’, a tag shunned by Arsenal fans, since the signing of Francis Jeffers, who was a spectacular disappointment.

Carlos Tevez is a player that can bring the same level of excitement to fans as Thierry Henry. After a season of acclimatization to the English league in which he still managed to save his club, West Ham United, from relegation, he appears to be ready to step in to the shoes of a legend. Tevez has been a club talisman all his life, carrying Boca juniors and Corinthians on his broad shoulders, the latter almost suffered disciplinary action due to its involvement with MSI, whom Tevez is also associated with. This may put off Wenger as third party ownership deals enter murky water. Also an asking price of close to £32 million pounds and interest from Inter Milan and Real Madrid may mean that Tevez is out of reach due to the superiorly financially backed rivals.

Darren Bent has a eye for goal and is proven in this league, scoring goals for a side of considerably less quality. He is valued at a price greater than what Henry has been sold for, which is not uncommon as the lack of available, quality English players, who are in scare supply. He has clever movement and would love to try his luck at a bigger club but there has been no link and again Wenger may be put off by the price.

Obafemi Martins reportedly has a £13 million pound release clause in his contract at Newcastle, as does strike partner Michael Owen (of £9 million pounds). Martins is a player of blistering pace and has a powerful shot. Wenger has first hand experience of the player, who as a rough 18 year old teenager single-handedly tore apart Arsenal’s defense at home to Inter in 2003. There are doubts about his age (he is thought to be 23), as there are with a number of African players, who lie in the hope of breaking from a life of poverty.

There is also the unlikely Samuel Eto’o (who maintains that his future lies at Barcelona and that he was looking forward to playing with Henry at the Camp Nou. If there was any hope of him coming in what in a swap deal for Henry), Adriano (mooted in a swap deal for Henry and also his motivational problems are also a dilemma), David Trezeguet (thought to be brought in to appease to Henry’s demands for a world-class striker and now his loss of form, and more static movement makes him a inadequate buy, as his day was three years ago) and Dimitar Berbatov (this is impossible but Arsenal fans can only dream that the player will switch from the white of Tottenham to the red and white of Arsenal). A final mention to a possible return of Nicolas Anelka, who is now a reformed character but Wenger has never resigned a former player and also Diego Milito, who seems destined for Zaragoza.

Finally I ask you to trust in Wenger, who without doubt already has a replacement lined up. There is no one bigger than the club and we will prove that once more.

Posted on June 29th, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Filed under: Arsenal, Barcelona, Henry, La Liga