Should UEFA ban Eduardo?

The footballing body made news today for two major annoucements. One, it has decided to ban Eduardo from Arsenal for allegedly diving in the penalty box. Two, it has decided to use force to curb club spending in order to bring club spending to equilibrium. All these make for interesting commentary, but the diving incident must have ruffled a few feathers already in the Arsenal camp.

Eduardo's diving incident is as we say, very typical of competitive football these days. More often than not, players go over easily when being touched in the penalty box, as if they have been shot by a sniper. Why? For the simple reason that you could earn yourself a penalty in a game. Now is that gamesmanship or sportsmanship? You be the judge. Eduardo could have dived purposely, or he could have reacted instinctively to the goalkeeper coming quickly at his feet. Was the referee supposed to make a better decision? Perhaps if the referee was better equipped by UEFA, whether it be technology or new rules to include video footage in live play, the incident could have been prevented.

Will Celtic react as furiously if they have won the game, or will they have given up... say a qualifier's berth if they had won by a single penalty themselves? I don't know if the Scottish FA will have cried foul if they had went through to the group stage and had their positions flipped. Truth is Celtic did get outplayed in both legs and they probably didn't deserve it as much as Arsenal, penalty or not.

In a fair opinion, I don't think punishment here is something that should be discussed when the match is over. Punishment meted out for this scenario is still pretty much a grey area. Call me old fashioned, but I believe in human integrity. Sports is a measure of a man's true character and has always been a test of the human spirit, whether it be persistence, determination or simple honesty.

If Eduardo did dive and felt that the penalty was undeserved, he could have raised his arm and ask the referee to reverse the decision. I remembered Robbie Fowler doing that in a crucial game for Liverpool. Liverpool lost the game eventually but everyone including his own manager and especially the referee respected him for his decision to stand up for what he thought was right. If the UEFA body wants to teach fairplay, then start with inculcating integrity and commend exemplary examples like Robbie Fowler. The sages and the mentors of this younger generation of footballers must stand up and teach integrity. To change a corrupt system, don't punish those who get sucked into it. The young players grew up to a system that taught them to dive when they can, and it has been covered up as gamesmanship, which till this day is debatable.

Many will admit that the system in modern football leaves little room for the right ethics. You would think that the younger players need to learn integrity from the people who should lead by example, the coaches and the managers. These are the people who form the beliefs in a young footballer and teach them the true spirit of competition. By punishing the player, it does not change the core issue which till now is the mantra being harped on; "to win at all costs possible", if not explicitly, then implicitly understood in the dressing rooms of major football clubs.

To overhaul a system fraught with an integrity issue, I wonder if deterrence is a long term solution, if a solution at all. Perhaps club education and public commendation for exemplary acts of integrity is a more sustainable one that serves to change a generation's mindset.

Nothing to fuss about...

Liverpool crash to two defeats in their first three games, Man Utd loses to lowly Burnley, Burnley records second victory over a top six team by beating Everton at Merseyside, Man City and Chelsea make it a 100% winning record so far, Spurs are increasingly looking like Championship material, Arsenal is free scoring and looking like serious title challengers...

Oh well, if the all the buzz is to be believed, the season is going to be really exciting with a top four potentially now a top six, Man City and Tottenham the new favourites. And based on form, Burnley looks like it could spring a few surprises and stay up while Everton might look destined for the dreaded relegation drop.... ..... but really, is it worth the fuss?

Alas, at the start of the season, results often go *whacko*, new teams to the division are high on spirits and players fly in for every ball, which could suggest why Birmingham, Burnley and Wolves are doing exactly what they are not expected to... ... win games.

The Premier League is famed for its energy and over-enthusiasm... but sooner or later, everything pretty much returns to equilibrium when mid season or specifically when December arrives. Fans who get too excited now over the results are not doing justice to what has transpired over many many seasons before the current season.

One clear fact is players tire and get injured over the season, and through a long and arduous season, thinner squads with less quality in depth fade badly. Case in point, Hull City last season. They were top five contenders early last season, only to lose the second half of the season so badly, they were on the brink of relegation. I don't expect Burnley to survive the drop. *You can take that as a prediction from me.

Chelsea and Arsenal might win handsomely now. But we all know the story don't we? Arsenal is just too thin to last a season in Europe and England. They can play pretty against any team but the litmus test comes when a Van Persie or a Fabregas gets laid off through injury, then what? Who can replace them in the team? Zilch. Chelsea, well.... they started the same as last season under a new coach called Luis Felipe Scolari... but we all know what happened to him by mid-season. Ancelotti implements a new formation, it looks great against Fulham, but Fulham is no title challenging team... so no ego booster for the Blues really.

Man Utd are perennial slow starters... they only hit top gear in November/December. Pacing yourself is the name of the game. Rooney has stepped up to the plate as a matchwinner. Now can he do it consistently like Ronaldo did? Liverpool might lose twice already but the issue here isn't about the record in three games, its more about what they seem to be lacking and what is painfully obvious to the bystander. No creative playmaker means less chances. Less chances means less goals. No matter how good Torres is, he cannot convert what is not created. Gerrard who is likely to fill that position will see his goal ratio dry up from last season. Rafa doesn't need to panick into buying, but can he solve the problem without doing so?

Man City is like an unproven entity. If they can get their act together, they might work out because of the players bought. Most of these players have proven track records. But the team balance is awfully off. Playing Barry and Ireland in midfield and having Robinho and Wright Phillips on the wings to support a front two is what I reckon a very adventurous lineup with little cover for the back. But with the defending quality of Lescott and Toure as well as having a more than able keeper in Shay Given, they might actually have some consistency in terms of results. Mark Hughes knows he needs time to build a championship team, but his exponential and growing investments so far also mean less and less time expected of him. Will his Arab employers be patient with succees as they profess to be or are they just another Abramovich in disguise? That is crucial to what pans out over the rest of the season for Man City.

All in all, its only been three games, there is really nothing to fuss about. And even if there is, it shouldn't be taken as definitive for the season.

Review: Liverpool stunned at Anfield

Liverpool has made a disappointing start to this season, having lost 2 of their 3 opening games. Last season, Liverpool lost 2 games in total and they have lost the same amount in just 2 weeks to the start of this season.

Liverpool played sloppily and caused themselves to have conceded 2 goals in the first half. Although Torres was able to bring them one up, Gerrard went on to conced a penalty, allowing Ashley Young to convert it, resulting in a 3-1 defeat for Liverpool against Aston Villa, at Anfield.

Well, I believe Liverpool have their work cut out for them if they wish to once again challenge for top spot in the Premier League this season. Benitez! Stop your foolish mistakes and get your act right. The loss of Xabi Alonso could be the reason as to why Liverpool has had a disappointing start. But it is definitely not an excuse. Benitez must learn to adapt to situations and change tactics based on their current squad selection and squad depth. The key to a successful manager is not only in acquiring good players but to turn their good players into fantastic players for the team, transforming their players into a squad that works and produces results!

Newbies defeated Champions!

Burnley stunned the Red Devils last night with a 1-0 win at Turf Moor. Burnley's Robbie Blake shot in the winning goal in the 19th minute and despite awarded a penalty, Michael Carrick was unable to convert the chance as Brian Jensen made a "heroic“ save. It was 33 years ago since Burnley had a home win in the Premier League and it is to the fans' joy that they have recorded their first home win in the Premier League since 1976 against Premier League Champions, Manchester United.

I guess Manchester United is beginning to miss the firepower of Ronaldo Cristiano as they were unable to break down Burnely's defense. I guess we will have to see if Burnely can continue to resist the attack from the Big Boys and if they are able to keep up their wins to stay alive in the Premier League by the end of the season.

First Round Review: Trio Impresses while Merseyside slumps

In what is an exciting start to the new season, the first round of matches suggest there is more to the eye this season than the usual top four suspects.

With all top four clubs losing key players over the summer, there is a larger degree of equilibrium these days with the likes of serious pretenders Tottenham and Man City knocking at the door. The three sides that looked really good on first match impressions were Arsenal, Tottenham and Wigan.

Man City was closely scrutinized because of their big spending over the summer. While Adebayor scored, Man City still looks far from the finished product of top four calibre. Mark Hughes was not able to birng out the best of Gareth Barry or Robinho in a lineup that saw Blackburn conjure more shots on target than their prized strikers despite a 2-0 loss. Had it not been for the reliable Shay Given, the match could have turned in Blackburn's favour. The defence needs to be better protected at the midfield if Man City is to face a bigger side than Blackburn.

Arsenal impressed with a 6-1 thrashing of lifeless Everton. Without Arteta, Everton was lacking creativity and their conservative approach was punished by Arsene Wenger's stylish side. Normally solid in set-pieces, Everton gave away two goals to Arsenal's centrebacks from free kicks. If David Moyes is wise, he will cash in on want-away Jolean Lescott to cash-rich Man City and reinforce his ailing team. Lescott's recent antics look like a serious dent on the usually water tight Everton defence. But if anyone was quick to point Arsenal as firm favourites for the title, Arsene Wenger was quick to deny it. He will know... afterall his squad is so thin, all it takes is an injury to one key player to seriously affect their chances.

Liverpool was left rueing their loss of Xabi Alonso. Without their Spanish playmaker who dictated play last season, Torres and Gerrard was not the potent attacking force of last season. Without a main man spreading those visionary passes, Rafa has a major decision to make. Either he places Gerrard in the Alonso position and sticks Benayoun behind Torres or he can continue to believe in an inferior Lucas Leiva to do the job. What will Rafa do? Only Rafa knows, but he needs to change something quick to prevent a domino effect from this first loss to the Spurs. The Totenham Spurs on the other hand was impressive in their first outing of the season. Bassong was majestic in defence, Modric was silky smooth, Robbie Keane was inspirational, Palacios was tigerish; even more so than the Reds' Mascherano. the only blip is the clumsy goalkeeper that is Herulho Gomes. For heaven's sake, Harry Redknapp should start thinking about getting rid of him.

Wigan was the surprise package of the first round. Roberto Martinez the new manager in charge of the club had managed to transform the club into a classy attacking side that had more poise and purpose in their style of passing. Expect that from a Spanish manager who harps on beautiful football. One player who stood out was Roberto's countryman Jordi Gomez who fills in the creative role behind the chief striker Hugo Rodallega. Think Deco, Iniesta... Jordi is looking like the surprise of the season at a club that had given the Premier League fans unpolished gems like Palacios, Valencia and to a certain extent Amir Zaki. A 2-0 victory at Villa Park was indicative of a genius in the making in Roberto Martinez who is set to raise a few more eyebrows over the course of the season. Martin O'Neill for one was honest in saying he did not expect Wigan to be that good against his side which finished just behind the top four teams.

Exciting start to the season for the fans. Mind-boggling one for the managers who are still living in the yesteryear.

Review: Liverpool's terrible start.

What a terrible start to a battle for the top spot in the league for Liverpool. They went down 2-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday. The only consolation that Liverpool had was when Gerrard converted a penalty awarded for Gomes' out right foul on Glen Johnson. After the game, we see Benitez ranting and blaming the referees for the loss that Liverpool has suffered.

Truth is, Liverpool is lacking cohesiveness and most importantly, lacks the attacking power and depth that a champion needs. We will have to see what more does Benitez have up his sleeve over the next few months. From there, we can better assess Liverpool's chances of challenging for silverware and top spot in the Premier League this season.

Footballing Tragedy

The footballing world as a whole was left in shock as the game lost one of its top professionals in the captain of Barcelona club Espanyol's Jarque.

While Jarque might not be a household name in football, his untimely passing is starkly similar to the death of Antonio Peurta from Sevilla not so long ago. Both had passed due to heart failure. Some have wondered if the professional game's physical demands had contributed to such untimely and sudden deaths. Most of all, one has to wonder how extremely fit atheletes such as Jarque could just topple like that, its almost too hard for the fans of Espanyol or the general public to contemplate the early death of a young and professional footballer, with a world of opportunities ahead of him.

Being lovers of football and the passion it stands for, the editors of this blog will like to extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and the fans of Daniel Jarque.

Charity Shield 2009 Match Analysis: Manchester United

Man Utd was at their free flowing best in the first half of the Shield. For a moment, Nani gave hope to all Man Utd fans of forgetting Cristiano Ronaldo when he struck a sweetly taken goal after cutting in from the left. He has scored a few times from that exact position, and I think it will not be his last.

Nani is no Ronaldo and we know that. Clearly, Man Utd is still adaping to play without a winger who gives you penetration from all over the field. You could kind of see clearly now that Man Utd is more about passing and finding the best positions to threaten defenders. Players are working harder to run into spaces and also slow down play when options are few. Finding the right player in the right position in a classic 4-4-2 formation, with Rooney and Berbatov switching places throughout the match in a staggered front two is the key to Man Utd's attacking play now that there is no Ronaldo to go to when looking for a spark.

The keyword is spark. Ronaldo was the spark for Man Utd in the entire 90 minutes he plays on the field. Now the team has to share that responisbility. Nani provided it in the first half. The evergreen Ryan Giggs provided it in the second. Berbatov made intelligent runs and linkplay while Park was his usual industrious self, finding himself in good scoring positions more than a few times. It is a more balanced footballing side now at Man Utd. Yes, the lack of a go-to man can be less of an advantage to Man Utd now, but the teamplay has improved as a whole with Ronaldo gone. While he used to hog the play of Man Utd, his absence now has given Man Utd an edge in unpredictability. The team showed more variety and the linkplay within the first half was exquisite to say the least.

Chelsea did came back stronger in the second half. Man Utd will have to improve their defensive awareness in the coming week, especially that of the custodian Ben Foster whose kicking leaves more to be desired if he is to replace the excellent kicker that is Edwin Van der Sar.

The most encouraging sign of the day for Sir Alex must be the equalising goal by Rooney in the last minute of the game. It showed that the team has not lost any of its winning appetite and fighting spirit that they are famed for, and that without Ronaldo, other players like Giggs and Rooney are still capable of coming up with the goods when crunch time is on. The coaches and players will be encouraged to see that they did not look out of sorts against a top four rival than what many will have predicted them to be without a certain star player in Ronaldo.

Man Utd can adapt to play without Ronaldo. The thing that Sir Alex will be worried about though is the lack of players who can play behind the opposing defence. Ronaldo use to do that many times against slower defenders on the turn like John Terry when Carrick punted those searching long balls from midfield. Micheal Owen was the best at it during his heydays but he has lost some of the pace that allowed him to beat the fullbacks now. Rooney and Berbatov generally prefer to play with the ball to their feet. Sir Alex will look to rectify that during this last week leading up to the new competitive season. Owen will probably fulfill the role of chasing down long balls now but at his age of 29, Sir Alex and his coaching team needs to find the right balance in Owen's game to utilise him fully.

This season is a test of wits and tactical acumen for the coaching team at Man Utd. To replace Ronaldo, you need more than a like-for-like player, you need to change a system. The team does look like they are up to it, but they need to sustain momentum for a longer period than just a half if this match is anything to go by.

Charity Shield 2009 Match Analysis: Chelsea

Even though The Charity Shield is only a pre-season friendly before the season starts officially next week, the game between Chelsea and Man Utd suggests anything but friendliness.

Both sides are renowned for their competitiveness and their thirst for silverware, so a Charity Shield still makes a tasty match between two of the closest rivals in English football. In the end, Chelsea won on penalties but the post match analysis will draw more attention than the victory itself.

With the experienced Ancelotti on the side of Chelsea, it was interesting to see the kind of football Chelsea will adopt under the Italian tactician who guided Milan to two Champions League wins. Adopting the "diamond" formation as has been widely reported these days, Chelsea looked tight in the centre of the park but evidently was much weaker on the wings. With no cover on the wings, the Chelsea fullbacks were under immense pressure from a Man Utd side that always had and has more than capable wingers with intelligent offensive play. I seldom see Ashley Cole play a bad game for Chelsea or England, this was one of his worst to date... but to be fair, the diamond formation has inevitably added more defensive pressure on him than when Chelsea played a 4-3-3 formation.

A new formation will take time to settle into and especially at Chelsea where they have played Mourinho's 4-3-3 for so long. The key Chelsea playmaker Frank Lampard looked out of sorts in the first half. He got lucky in the second with a goal that should not have happened in the first place. Referees like Chris Foy spoil an otherwise entertaining game with questionable double standards by failing to stop play when Man Utd left back Evra was clearly in distress (he stopped play earlier with Man Utd in an advantageous position when Chelsea man Ballack was laying injured on the ground) The subsequent counter attack saw Chelsea score a cheap goal in a three to two situation. That sort of redeemed Lampard's non existence in the first half, but he returned to anonymity again... soon after.

Lampard is no Kaka as Ancelotti will love him to be in the diamond formation, and frankly his best position is deeper in midfield, linking play and spreading long passes instead of being just behind the front two of Anelka and Drogba. To play Lampard in such a forward position like Gerrard with Liverpool is clearly making the same mistake when England did the same thing with him before Capello took over. The close scrutiny of the opposing defensive midfielder and the tight spaces in front of the centre backs meant that Lampard has little space to make those late runs into the penalty box where he scores many of his goals. Its fair to say that Lampard's dribbling and running with the ball is inferior to Kaka which made Ancelotti's diamond formation looked class and dangerous. At least from this match alone, I seriously think Lampard will have it hard and Chelsea might suffer some disorientation if he sticks to that position on top of the diamond in midfield.

With Essien and Malouda on the two sides of the diamond, what you have are the roles of Gattusso and Seedorf for Ancelotti's diamond at Milan. Is it smart for Ancelotti to make Chelsea adopt his style of play? Perhaps time will tell. Essien looked less than his usual combatative self except for a header at goal in the first half. Malouda was not all too effective playing deeper in midfield with Anelka also looking overwhelmed with his partner Drogba again hogging most of Chelsea's play when they revert to the direct style that they are always more comfortable with since Mourinho first instilled it. They will always have a part of Mourinho in their play and Ancelotti will have his hands full to get the players' heads around his style of play.

If I am a Premier League manager watching Chelsea, I will think there is a chance to beat Chelsea if I deploy wing play- get in the face of the fullbacks and try to stop them from linking play on the wings, pressure the defence by popping balls in from the wings. By stifling Lampard in the role behind the strikers, you basically kill Chelsea's supply line and goal ratio. Drogba is a menace but he can be dealt with by more experienced centre backs now. Chelsea's main threat will still be their set-pieces with physically gifted players all round the team posing aerial threats but I presume Stoke City can also give them a go at set pieces too. With Chelsea playing a diamond formation, only having one player for defensive cover in midfield can and will catch their own central defence flat footed when being splitted through opposing runs down the middle, Giggs's run and clean through pass for Rooney's late goal in this match proved that the one midfielder covering the defence might work in Serie A but in the BPL, you are courting trouble.

Chelsea might have won the Charity Shield, but I am not sure if they have won pre-season bargaining rights to the English Championship. There is plenty of work to be done and I think Carlo Ancelotti knows that.

30 million cash injection from sale of Xabi Alonso.

Alonso's recent departure to Real Madrid meant that Perez has spent 220 million pounds on bringing players into Real Madrid, of which two came from Liverpool (Alonso and Arbeloa). Alonso's departure also meant that only two players (Gerrard and Carragher) remained from the 18 players that featured in the penalty shoot out with AC Milan in 2005, which ended withM Liverpool lifting the Champions League Cup.

It is sad that Alonso is leaving, especially since he featured an important role in Liverpool's success in contending for top spot in BPL last season. While we can't stop players from moving on to greener pastures, it would be exciting to see what Benitez will be doing with the cash that he has in hand from the outgoing summer transfers.

My suggestion would be that he increases his attacking options which is greatly affected after Alonso's departure. Hopefully Liverpool can remain title contenders this season and hopefully re-claim top spot soon...

The Real and City effect

Have love, don't hate... that could be harder to do these days when clubs like Man City and Real Madrid are flaunting their cash around, grabbing up players by the dosens from the most popular clubs in football.

Man City has been eating away at their closest competitors this summer. Champions Man Utd has lost Carlos Tevez to their city rivals. Liverpool has lost their top transfer target Gareth Barry to the Blues as well. Arsenal lost both Adebayor and Toure to the riches at Eastlands. Chelsea? Well, they were the first club to feel the effect when the loss of luring Robinho to Stamford Bridge last season eventually cost them a Premiership title.
Those which finished above Man City suffered huge losses as well. Aston Villa no longer have their captain Barry, Everton looks like they might just lose Manchester homeboy Jolean Lescott as well... West Ham has already lost Craig Bellamy to them last season. No one is spared from the new cash floating around in the league, a new financial power in football.

Real Madrid meanwhile looks set to disrupt Liverpool's plans to overtake Man Utd this season. Arberloa has already left for the Spanish giants, reinforcing the backline of Real but weakening the options at the Kop. But the most painful must be the impending departure of Xabi Alonso who handed in a transfer request. His loss looks set to handicap the Liverpool midfield badly, in fact it could be fatal to their title hopes. Without Alonso, it is hard to see who can replace his role since Gareth Barry has already joined Man City. And Rafa looks like he has a major crisis on his hands with Mascherano seemingly unsettled by Barcelona's interest. That is three very important players from their best season. If Liverpool does not get replacements fast enough in central midfield, this season will be really really challenging.

Real and Man City are already starting to shift powers in world football even before a ball is even kicked. They might have a lot to prove with the massive spending, but they have also created some questions for their close competitors as well. Intriguing season ahead...