Keegan: A different perspective

Dennis Wise, Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias are not the most popular names in Newcastle right now. Everybody is criticising the structure of the club. The media, fans and other managers have been vociferous in their disapproval that Keegan was not in total control of player arrivals and departures. The final straw for Keegan was the sale of James Milner, who was sold to Aston Villa for £12m. Indeed, these structures have caused problems in the past. In November 2004 Harry Redknapp became so disillusioned with life at Portsmouth when Milan Mandaric brought in Velimir Zajec as Executive Director, he left and joined arch rivals Southampton.

The appointment of an Executive Director, or a Director of Football has certainly undermined managers and caused numerous problems in the past. However, in the case of Kevin Keegan, people have forgotten something rather telling. After Keegan left Manchester City in 2005, he cut all his ties with top-flight football and immersed himself in his 'Soccer Circus' in Glasgow. When appointed Newcastle

manager three years later, Keegan freely admitted he had never watched a game of football in the flesh since his departure from Eastlands. Now, all the public opinion, especially in Newcastle is firmly in Keegan's favour. Moreover, people such as Hull manager Phil Brown and Geordie legend Alan Shearer have come out and said that they would never tolerate such interference.

Nevertheless, the point I'm trying to convey is that Dennis Wise's role in the transfer dealings may not be as bad as people have been suggesting. Would you let a man who has not watched a game of football in the last three years go out and spend millions on players? The structure in place at Newcastle was there to aid Keegan, but ultimately, Keegan desired total control, and that is something the Newcastle hierarchy were not prepared to give him. The whole saga has left me wondering whether the appointment of Keegan was just a huge PR stunt that's gone horribly wrong, rather like Mike Ashley watching every game in the stands at St. James' park with his replica shirt on. Ashley and co should never have given Keegan the job if they did not trust him, and it seems to me that they never did.

Picture: Ashley, needs better PR???

Hold your horses, Mr. McCarra!

Upon reading Kevin McCarra's piece in The Guardian sport blog on how Arsenal and Liverpool are "flawed" and may struggle to qualify in this year's Champions League group stage, I felt compelled to comment on this naive notion. I had earlier predicted that Arsenal and Liverpool were among my favourites for this year's competition, so I was surprised to read this. What made the article even more surprising is the fact that Manchester United arguably have a trickier group.

Arsenal face Porto, Fenerbache and Dynamo Kiev in Group G. Liverpool will be up against PSV, Marseille and Fernando Torres' old club, Atletico de Madrid in Group D. These groups will not be easy, and Arsenal face long trips to Kiev and Istanbul, but the English duo will not be faced by anything new, or anything that will worry them too much. Dynamo Kiev's 8-2 aggregate victory over Spartak Moscow was imposing Mr McCarra, but their record in last season's Champions League, played six, lost six, was far from imposing. Despite posessing a great home record, Fenerbache are not so hot on their travels, not winning away last season, and Porto, as Mr McCarra acknowledges, are not the side they were under Mourinho. Therefore, Arsenal should qualify from Group G without too much trouble.

In Group D, Liverpool have slightly tougher opposition. PSV, Marseille and Atletico are all good sides but PSV are not the same outfit that reached the Champions League Semi-Finals a few years ago, under the guidance of Gus Hiddink. Kevin McCarra uses the argument that PSV should not be disparaged as they eliminated Spurs in last season's UEFA Cup. This is the same Spurs side that finished eleventh in the league last year and lost their first two matches this season. Marseille and Atletico will be a challenge but anybody who has seen Atletico defend over the last year will realise they are not up to much at the back, however, they do have Kun Aguero, one of the best young players in the World. Despite this, a "flawed" Liverpool should make it through unscathed.

However, Manchester United will face difficult trips to Celtic Park and Villarreal's Madrigal Stadium. How many times have Celtic lost at home in the Champions League recently? In fact, in the last two seasons, Celtic have won every match at Celtic Park in the Champions League group stage, beating the likes of Benfica (twice), Manchester United, A.C Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk. Villarreal are no push over's either, reaching the Champions League Semi-Final's two years ago and playing very well on their way to second place in La Liga last season, finishing above Barcelona. Now I'm not suggesting for one minute that United will not qualify, but if Arsenal and Liverpool will struggle in their respective groups, then surely United will too.

McCarra's article was easy to write as everyone is criticising Arsenal and Liverpool right now. Arsenal were hopeless against Fulham and Liverpool made a meal of the Standard Liege matches. However, it is inconceivable to think that in the space of a few months Arsenal and Liverpool have become "flawed". In April this year they both played out a fantastic Champions League quarter-final, Arsenal finished only four points behind the champions Manchester United and Liverpool reached the Champions League semi-final. It is an overstatement to suggest that Arsenal and Liverpool have become "flawed" after the first few games of the season.

To read Kevin McCarra's article click on the link! http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/08/29/no_easy_rides_for_flawed_arsen.html

Try telling these two their sides are "flawed"

The Premiership 2008-2009

After a summer spent watching a European Championship without England, and reading endless transfer rumours, the Premiership is back. But don't expect many surprises, we all know whats going to happen. The top four will of course, remain the same. It's absurd to suggest otherwise. The three promoted clubs will undoubtedly struggle and it's depressingly inevitable that Spurs will finish in fifth place. Despite this, I'm still excited as there are bound to be some twists and turns along the way in the best, if not the most predictable league in the world.

Let's start at the bottom, and look at who's in for a long hard season. The three promoted clubs are of course favourites to go straight back down, namely, West Brom, Stoke and Hull. Out of those three, I believe Hull have the best chance of survival. In Phil Brown they have the best manager, who was arguably the brains behind Allardyce at Bolton. They will be hard to beat at home and that alone could keep them up. The signing of Boateng is a shrewd one, he will protect their defence and has bags of Premiership experience. The only problem for Hull is it's hard to think who could go down instead of them. Bolton and Fulham have strengthened, as have Wigan. I think it will also be a tough first season for Paul Ince at Blackburn and Manchester City are in turmoil right now. If Thaskin has to sell up and sell his players then Man City could really be in trouble.

Mid-table mediocrity awaits the likes of Sunderland, Middlesborough, West Ham, Everton and Newcastle. This is a step in the right direction for Sunderland, who after a few years of consolidation can look to push on, but right now this will be as good as it gets for the Black Cat's. Middlesborough have improved, and will steer clear of a relegation dog-fight but Gareth Southgate's dream of Champions League football, will have to be shelved for perhaps the next few decades at least. Everton, West Ham and Newcastle will fall just short of pushing for a Uefa Cup place, and the best these sides can hope for is a good run in the Cups.

The Challenge for fifth and a place in the Uefa Cup should be between Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Spurs. With the money Tottenham have spent and the ability they have at their disposal they should finish in fifth place with ease and even make one of the big four look over their shoulder more than they usually would. However, I think Juande Ramos' stature as one of the best managers in the Premiership right now is an unjust one. Last season Ramos took over in October, he had the majority of the season and he only steered Spurs to a twelfth place finish with the likes of Berbatov, Keane and Woodgate in his squad. If Spurs stutter then I expect Aston Villa and Portsmouth to be hot on their heels.

Finally, let's look at the 'big four'. The 'big four' will occupy the top four places yet again, no matter what Spurs or anyone else with lofty aspirations thinks. This season the title is Chelsea's for the taking, they could even run away with it. They pushed Man Utd all the way last season with crippling injuries and they also had the African Cup of Nations to contend with. Chelsea also had a change of manager last season but now they have stability and a great new manager in Gene Hackman look-a-like Big Phil Scolari. As for the other three, they will fight it out for second, third and fourth respectively. Man Utd are missing Ronaldo for the the first three months of the season and have yet to add a new striker to their books so if they have a slow start, it could cost them dearly. Arsenal are yet again being written off but they were only four points away from being Champions last season. Hleb, Flamini and Gilberto will not be missed as much as people think. Hleb did not turn up most of the time, and Nasri appears to be a more direct and able player. Flamini will be replaced and was awful before last season and Gilberto is the wrong side of thirty. Arsenal have a young, dynamic side that is gaining more and more experience and could be Chelsea's main contenders if they avoid injuries.

Champions: Chelsea.

Runners Up: Arsenal.

Champions League: Man Utd and Liverpool.

Uefa Cup (5th): Spurs.

Relegated: Stoke, West Brom and Hull or Bolton.

(Picture) Arsenal, Chelsea's main title threat?

Ronaldo is staying, for now....

After months of gossip and endless speculation Cristiano Ronaldo has finally told the world that he is staying at Manchester United. Ronaldo revealed all in an interview with Portuguese Journalist Bruno Prata, sharing more information than most people would have imagined. This was a brave move by Ronaldo, but ultimately a good one. Ronaldo came across well in his interview, he was honest, admitted he had made mistakes and surprisingly, appeared more humble than I ever imagined him to be.

However, it is inevitable that Ronaldo will leave Manchester United for Spain at some point in his career. It was inevitable before this summer, in fact it was on the cards ever since he joined United in 2003. "People have to understand one thing: at the age of 18 I arrived at a dream club like Manchester United. It was a dream come true. But, even at that moment, I was thinking about playing in England for some years and then going to play in Spain. Even at that time I was thinking that way" revealed an honest Ronaldo. This is totally understandable as Ronaldo is a Southern European, he will want to go back to a climate and culture that is similar to his own and at the same time be closer to his family. Ronaldo will also want to experience a different footballing culture and play for another big club and nobody should begrudge him this, it's a perfectly acceptable wish.

But, what I do not understand, is the timing of this. Manchester United are reigning Premiership and European champions and they are in a position to kick on and dominate in the next few years. Why would Ronaldo not want to be part of this? "After we'd won the Champions League, I felt that in five years I had helped win everything there was to win. We'd won the Premier League twice and I'd won a host of individual awards, including the best goalscorer in the Premier League, Champions League and in Europe. So I felt that maybe I needed a new challenge. I never hid the fact that I wanted to play in Spain, at Real Madrid in particular, and I thought this could be the right moment" said Ronaldo. But after tasting all of that success, surely a winner like Ronaldo will want even more. That's what was so surprising about this, why would Ronaldo want to join a club that has not progressed beyond the last-16 of the Champions League in the last four years? At the moment, in terms of ambition, a move to Madrid would be bad for Ronaldo, unless he secretly harbours huge aspirations of Uefa Cup success.

By staying at Manchester United Ronaldo has made the right decision and can look forward to more success in England and in Europe. Ronaldo is only 23 and has plenty of time to fulfil his ambition of playing for Real Madrid. If he stays in Manchester for a couple more years, helps United to more success then nobody could begrudge him his wishes. He can leave England with his head held high and with Manchester United's blessing, something that would not be possible now.

To read the interview in full click on the link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/aug/07/manchesterunited.ronaldo1

The luck of the draw

I'm not quite sure how to say this, so I'll just go ahead and say it; I actually feel sorry for Steve McClaren. Please don't get my wrong, his tenure as England manager was a total and unequivocal disaster. McClaren thoroughly deserved the sack and most of the fierce criticism. But today I have a lot of sympathy for the man. McClaren's new side, Dutch outfit FC Twente have been drawn against Arsenal in the Champions League qualifiers, one of the two opponents he would have surely wanted to avoid at this stage (Liverpool being the other).

After the debacle of his England reign, McClaren did the right things in my opinion. Firstly, he admitted he was to blame when he said; "I can't criticise anybody. I said at the beginning it is my responsibility. I live or die by results and the results haven't gone my way." Secondly, McClaren lay low after his England exit and kept himself to himself to allow things to blow over. Although his decision to commentate for BBC Radio 5 Live at Euro 2008 was an incredibly bad one, he was more or less returning to the scene of the crime.

However, McClaren's best decision by far was accepting the offer from FC Twente to become their new manager. By doing this McClaren will immerse himself in a different footballing culture, which can only make him a better manager and this is something he has acknowledged; "Dutch football and English football are very different but that's why I'm here - to sample a different culture and continue my education and improve as a coach. Just working in one country can narrow your mind and I wanted to open mine." Nevertheless, the main reason this is a good decision for McClaren is that he can slowly rebuild his shattered reputation away from England, and perhaps more importantly, away from the English media. I think it's a shame his first test as FC Twente manager will be against an English side, a side that FC Twente will have no chance of beating, even if a miracle worker was in charge. Expect the tabloids to have a field day.

Good luck Steve, you'll need it!

Is Andy Johnson worth 13 million?

Today it has been revealed that Andy Johnson is on the cusp of a 13 million move to Fulham. It was widely reported that David Moyes was reluctant to sell the man he brought from Crystal Palace two years ago, however he must now be laughing all the way to the bank. Thirteen million pounds is an astronomical sum for a player who is hardly prolific, Johnson managed a measly 6 league goals last season. His overall tally of 22 goals in 74 appearances for the Toffees hardly enhances his reputation so i'ts perplexing how Everton have made a profit on Johnson, whom they paid 8.6 million for in 2006.

Thirteen million represents a great piece of business for Everton but surely Fulham fans must be wondering if they have been lumbered with a new Steve Marlet. Steve Marlet was Fulham's previous record transfer when Jean Tigana brought him for 11.5 million in 2001. That transfer could surely be up there as one of the worst transfers in Premier League history as Marlet amassed a wopping six goals in his first season at Fulham. Marlet then saw out the rest of his Fulham contract on loan at Marseilles. Johnson will have to bag at least 15 goals for his price tag to be justified and that looks unlikely, unless Fulham get a lot of penalties of course.

Steve Marlet: absolute pants

Can Spain's Euro triumph give England hope?

As I sit on a bus heading to Seville from Madrid I look out upon Spain's yellow desolate landscape and I think to myself that it cannot be more different to England's luscious, green countryside. The dusty, uneven football pitches I pass by are a total contrast to the grassy, usually muddy pitches we are used to at home. Spanish football is based on flair and tiki-taka, a nonsensical term for pass and move whereas English football is a much more physical direct game. English and Spanish football has many differences but the fortunes of our respective national teams are not so different at all.

Before Euro 2008 England and Spain had won one major tournament each. In 1964 Spain were victorious in the European Championships and two years later England lay their hands on the Jules Rimet trophy to become world champions. The similarities start here. The 1964 European Championships were hosted by the Spanish and they defeated the USSR in a packed Bernabeu to claim the trophy. Two years later England hosted the World Cup and went on to beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley in a memorable World Cup Final. England and Spain have each won a major tournament when they hosted the event but this is just the start of the similarities.

Since the 1960's England and Spain, in most peoples eyes at least, have been two of the biggest underachievers in world football. Spain are famous for usually losing in the quarter-finals, despite the fact that they always seem to qualify with ease and are normally fancied by many in the build up to the tournaments. England also have a problem with the quarter-finals, going out at that stage in the last three tournaments they have participated in. Rather famously, England's biggest problem appears to be penalty shoot outs. In the last eight major tournaments England have played in since Italia 90' (four World Cups and four European Championships) England have been eliminated five times on penalties, losing two semi-finals, two quarter-finals and one last 16 tie. The only penalty shoot out we have ever won, was inevitably against the Spanish in Euro 96'.

England and Spain's failure at international level is all the more remarkable when you consider the strength of their respective domestic leagues. The Premiership and La Liga are two of the best three leagues in Europe, Serie A obviously completes the trio. English, Spanish and Italian clubs have exactly the same record in the Champions League, all winning the trophy with big ears eleven times. Despite having identical records at club level England and Spain simply cannot be compared to the Italians who can boast four World Cups and one European Championship. To have such a pedigree in arguably the best competition in the world, England and Spain have had to have produced many world class players over the years just like the Italians. But why have the Italians been so successful at international level and not ourselves or the Spanish? Why is it that despite possessing powerful leagues, great players and being so successful at club level ourselves and Spain have constantly underachieved over the years? We always seem to bow out early and have to watch the Germans, Italians or the Brazilians celebrate yet more success.

The main reason for English and Spanish failures over the years is a lack of mental strength or winning mentality in my opinion. Fabio Capello believes the English players need more of a winning mentality and he is currently trying to foster this in his squad. The amount of times England and Spain have buckled at the business end of competitions is beyond a coincidence now, whether its a penalty shoot out or a quarter final. No matter how good a German, Italian or Brazilian squad may be, they are usually there or there abouts at the end, competing in semi-finals and finals. Would anyone have put money on Germany reaching the final in 2002, or Brazil winning it? Italy were not fancied in 2006 but they still went all the way. No matter how good there squad may be on paper, they will always be competing because they are winners and they know how to win the big games. If England and Spain are ever going to challenge consistently in the future then they will need to address this urgently.

Yet despite the fact that Spain seemingly always played well until the quarter-finals, when they would inevitably lose, something happened that can give England a lot of hope for the future. Spain not only won Euro 2008, but they won it in style and maybe more importantly they beat the Italians and the Germans on they way, something that has been understated because everybody has been raving about the beautiful football they played. The Germans and the Italians are very dangerous opposition but they overcame them on penalties and 1-0 respectively, games that they would surely have lost in the past. England are not fortunate enough to have a substitutes bench with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Xavi Alonso or Pepe Reina on it at the moment but if Spain can change there ways, shed there quarter-finals hoodoo and beat the big boys in the big games then why can England not become champions again. The national teams of England and Spain have a similar past, it would be nice to think we could have a similar future to.