Summer Transfer Window Euro Edition: France's Yohan Cabaye



Will Yohan Cabye stay at Newcastle?

Yohan Cabaye is one of the most underrated players in the world right now as the Newcastle Unitedand French midfielder has become one of the top central midfielders playing in the English Premier League. Cabaye knows how to set his strikers to score but he also is a fairly good finisher himself. Newcastle United will not let him leave for less then what they want but Newcastle might not be able to keep him. So, where will Cabaye end up?

Stay at Newcastle
Newcastle United got him for a steal last summer from Lille and they definitely should not allow him to leave for a small fee. Also, keeping Cabaye and turning down big offers will show the fans that Mike Ashley is ready to take Newcastle back to the UEFA Champions League. Cabaye also will want some career stability now that he is a regular in the French starting XI as he is also receiving plenty of playing time at Newcastle. Cabaye konws that he does not have to move right now and a stay at Newcastle would not be a surprise.

Manchester United
Manchester United are looking for a midfield maestro and espite the fact that they are bringing in Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund, United could very still be in the market for another central midfielder as they have ruored with Luka Modric. Cabaye could be a less expensive, quality alternative to Modric as Cabaye has shown his playmaing ability to set up strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse during the Premier League season. United are still looking for a proven Premier League center midfielder and Cabaye could very well be the right player for United.

Tottenham
After firing manager Harry Redknapp, star central midfielder Luka Modric has been linked with a move away from White Hart Lane as he looks to play in the Champions League. With a move likely, Tottenham needs to find a replacement for Modric as Yohan Cabaye would be the perfect choice. Cabaye could be hat central midfield maestro just like Modric and would be a good fit beside England's Scott Parker. Cabaye could also play where Rafael Van der Vaart is in Tottenham's 4-4-1-1 as Cabaye knows how to score and has a very similar style compared to Van der Vaart. Cabaye could end up at Tottenham if Spurs lose Luka Modric, Rafael Van der Vaart, or both.

Liverpool
Liverpool needs some help in the midfield as they need central midfielders that know how to control the ball and pass it up to the strikers at the right moments. Yohan Cabaye is the exact fit that could play in the central midfield of Brendan Rodgers' system as he looks to take Liverpool back to the Champions League next season. Cabaye also is a proven goal scorer from the midfield and could be the long term replacement for Steven Gerrard as Gerrard and Cabaye would give Liverpool two dangerous midfielders who can score goals or dish it to Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. Cabaye would be a good fit at Anfield but Rodgers seems more interested in signing Icelandic  midfielder Gylfi Sigurðsson since he has had success in Rodgers's system previously.

Summer Transfer Window Euro Edition: Croatia's Luka Modric

Modric is starring for Croatia and is ready to make a move away from White Hart Lane after Euro 2012

Luka Modric is not a new name to many fans but the Croatian could very well be leaving Tottenham now that manager Harry Redknapp has been fired by chairman Daniel Levy.Modric has been pursued by the top teams in the world and a move seems like it will happen now that Harry Redknapp is gone. The world knows the type of playmaker Modric is so where will he end up at?

Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson has been linked with a move for the Croatian throughout this window as Modric is exactly the type of player that Manchester United needs. Modric is a playmaker in the central midfield and United were lacking that last season until they brought back Paul Scholes from retirement as he probably has one year left in his career. Modric has been in charge of the midfield for Croatia as he is a proven leader in the midfield for any team whether it be Croatia or Tottenham. Tottenham will look for a big fee in the range of 30 to 35 million euros (38 to 44 million dollars). Modric is bound for a summer and Manchester United is definitely the favorite to sign him.

Chelsea
Chelsea made an attempt to sign Luka Modric this past January from Tottenham as Harry Redknapp blocked any move but now, the door is wide open for a potential Modric move to Stamford Bridge. Modric would give Chelsea the replacement for Frank Lampard as Lampard is past his primeand could form a dangerous duo for a year or two in the midfield with Modric. Modric can be the man that creates the opportunities for players like Juan Mata, Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard, and Daniel Sturridge to score. Roman Abramovich wants to win more Champions League titles and Modric can definitely be another piece of that puzzle.

Manchester City
Roberto Mancini knows that Modric could form a great duo with Spain's David Silva in the center of midfield for Manchester City as they will look at bringing him to the Ethiad to keep him away from rivals Manchester United. City could have a really dangerous midfield as they can move Samir Nasri outside and put Modric inside with Silva as that would be the best midfield in the Premier League with Yaya Toure at the back as a holding midfield. This would allow City to have a 4-1-2-1-2 with Tore as the defensive midfielder, Modric as the attacking midfielder behind Aguero and Balotelli/Dzeko/Tevez, and Silva and Nasri in a wider role in between Toure and Modric. Manchester City might not be the favorite but Roberto Mancini could definitely make a move for the Croatian.

Malaga
Malaga qualfied for the Champions League and their rich owners want to take Malaga to the top of the world. Malaga could use a true central attacking playmaker behind their strikers as Santi Cazorla is more of an outside playmaker. Modric would definitely get the shot to lead Malaga to the top of La Liga as it could be very similar to the rise of Manchester CIty to the top of the Premier League and that would interest Modric. Modric would get to be the star man and would get to go up against Real Madrid and Barcelona. Malaga might be a long shot but it would not be a complete surprise if Croatia's star traded Tottenham and the Premier League for Malaga and La Liga.

Update: June 16
Barcelona
Goal.com has reported that Barcelona is scouting Luka Modric at this year's Euros as they have had scouts at every single game he plays in for Croatia. Modric could potentially be seen as the replacement for Xavi as Modric is an excellent playmaker just like Xavi and would fit in well at the Camp Nou. Modric would have to fight for playing time as he would be fighting Cesc Fabregas most likely for a spot in the starting XI as Modric might want to go a club that can guarantee him playing time. A move to Barcelona is not out of the question but it is not that likely that Modric takes his chances without a starting XI spot guaranteed.

Summer Transfer Window Euro Edition: Russia's Alan Dzagoev



Dzagoev knocks a goal past Petr Cech. Picture via The Mirror

Euro 2012 is a big stage for some players to become known across Europe and force a move to a bigger club with a top-tier performance. Alan Dzagoev did exactly that in Russia's 4-1 win over the Czech Republic as he was very impressive with two goals due to great instincts and excellent finishing. Dzagoev is going to interest a lot of the big time clubs in Europe as he is only 21 years old and has the potential to be one of the best players in Europe. Dzagoev is also affordable as he will probably cost around 15 to 20 million euros (18.75 to 25 million euros) so who will sign Dzagoev?

Arsenal
Arsene Wenger has been recently linked with a move for Dzagoev as he seems like the prototypical player that the Gunners go after. Dzagoev is a young star that can fit in with Jack Wilshere and Alex Song in an Arsenal midfield as Dzagoev has tons of talent and creative skills. Dzagoev has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and this would make him valuable and very dangerous behind Robin van Persie in an attacking midfield role. Dzagoev is an excellent young talent and Arsenal is a club that knows how to develop those type of players. A move to the Emirates would be a great choice for Arsenal.

Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for a young, creative influence in the central of midfield and Dzagoev is exactly that for United. Dzagoev would get to learn beside one of the best central midfielders in the last couple decades, Paul Scholes. Dzagoev has tons of excellent instincts that would allow him to be a perfect fit for United. Dzagoev also knows when he needs to be to get the ball to the strikers and that could allow United to take off with Dzagoev getting the ball up to Wayne Rooney, Chichirito Hernandez, and Danny Welbeck. Dzagoev would be more affordable than a lot of the other central midfielders like Ganso but he is just as good as those other midfielders and would be a steal for United.

Schalke
Schalke has been rumored with a move for Tottenham attacking midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart but Van der Vaart will not easily leave White Hart Lane so they could look at Alan Dzagoev who is not much more expensive and way younger. Dzagoev plays the same position as Van der Vaart and Schalke would be a climbing up the ladder over the Russian Premier League. Schalke also is in next year's Champions League just like United and Arsenal so that will interest him. Schalke can almost guarentee him a starting spot which is a little better than what Arsenal and Manchester United can say. Dzagoev creativity and instincts make him a great fit for Schalke as they are in the market for a creative attacking midfielder.

Malaga
Malaga is looking to improve for next year after they barely got into the Champions League final qualification stage. Malaga is cash-rich and could bid right with these other teams and they can offer Dzagoev a spot in their starting XI. Dzagoev would be the young creative influence that they need in the midfield if they want to be able to start to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona for La Liga titles. Malaga will definitely be a suitore for Russia's brightest young star as Dzagoev could very well end up in La Liga.

Miracle in Manchester: Manchester City wins the Premier League

Tensions flare as Joey Barton receives a red card.

Sometimes, when all hope seems lost, the greatest cmebacks in sports happen and today is no different. Manchester City seemed destined to lose the Premier League title to arch rivals Manchester United as Djibril Cisse tied the game up and then James Mackie gave QPR a 2-1 lead as they looked to survive in the Premier League. In between the goals, QPR's Joey Barton threw an elbow and got a red card which put QPR at ten men. All hope seemed to be loss as constant attacks from City just didn't work out as Samir Nasri, David Silva, and Carlos Tevez all had shots go wide. Manchester City fansw were growing frustrated and stunned as QPR saw Stoke tie Bolton which took pressure off of QPR as they did not have to win to survive. All hope seemed to be loss as five minutes went up on the stoppage time board, but that is when it all changed.

Second minuted of stoppage time:  Manchester City got a corner and the big, Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko got his 19th goal after coming off the bench as this tied the game up for City and gave them a little hope. Meanwhile, Manchester United thought the title was there as they defeated Sunderland but then they heard that City tied it up but it still seemed to be United's title.

Manchester City celebrates Sergio Aguero's title-winning goal.

Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Mario Balotelli found Sergio Aguero who took a couple of touches and then put the ball by QPR GK Paddy Kenny and into the back of the net. The Ethiad Stadium erupted into cheers as the fans could not believe what had just happened. Roberto Mancini was running around and celebrating while the City players celebrated along with Manchester City's newest hero, Sergio Aguero. Meanwhile, the Manchester United players and fans were stunned at the Stadium of Light when they saw what had happened as some of the players look like they could not believe what had just happened. Manchester City had won the Premier League and it was confirmed when the whistle blew as Joe Hart punted the ball in celebration.

Manchester City celebrates winning the Premier League

What happened in Manchester was truely a miracle as the fans stormed the field to celebrate until they were forced back into the seats due to the fact that they still had to present the trophy. Captain Vincent Kompany got to lift the trophy as the fans went crazy. This will go down as one of the greatest finishes in the history of sports as Manchester City fans will always remember this day, the Miracle in Manchester.

Premier League Final Day

This is it, the Barclays Premier League will be decided tomorrow as there are so many battles from the Manchester battle to be champion to the three-way battle to be in the Champions League to the two teams fighting for one spot in the Premier League. So, what will happen Sunday.

The battle for the Champions League spots.
There are three teams battling for a guaranteed Champions League spot and a qualifying stage Champions League spot that could go to Chelsea as a guarantee if the Stamford Bridge club wins the Champions League. Arsenal is in third one point ahead of Tottenham and two ahead of Newcastle as Arsenal only has to win to keep third and be in next year's Champions League. Arsenal has a tough trip to West Brom as Roy Hodgsen's side will look to send Hodgsen out on a high note with a win. Robin van Persie will look to have a big game to carry Arsenal to the Champions League as I think Arsenal wins 2 to 1 thanks to a RVP double. Tottenham needs to win to keep at least fourth and they can claim third if they win and Arsenal doesn't. Tottenham hosts a Clint Dempsey-less Fulham side and I think Tottenham will cruise to a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Gareth Bale, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jermaine Defoe. Newcastle needs a win and a loss from Arsenal and a draw/loss from Tottenham to take third but they face a difficult trip to Goodison Park to take on Marouane Fellaini and Everton. This should be an excellent match that should be a high scoring thriller as I see Newcastle winning it at the end 3 to 2 thanks to goals from Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse who will get the winner. All three of these teams have had godd seasons but the finish will be in this order: Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle.

Who wins the Premier League and who gets relegated.
Because of the overlap between Manchester City looking to win the Premier League while QPR is looking to stay up, we have combined both the title battle and the survival battle. Bolton has to take on Stoke City as the only they will survive is if they win and QPR loses. However, I think Stoke City and Bolton will end up with a 1-1 draw and Owen Coyle's side will be sent down to the Championship joining Blackburn and Wolverhampton. So, who will win the title?
Manchester United has to win and have Manchester City to lose/draw or United can get a draw and have City lose as those are the only two ways they can win the Premier League. United has a tough trip to take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light as United will do everything they can to win but United will win 3-1 to get the big three points they need to have a shot. Manchester City has an interesting matchup as they hosts survival hopefuls QPR. Both teams have something they want and City will look to win their first league title in 43 years. This should be an exciting game as City will get an early goal from Sergio Aguero before David Silva puts away a second goal to seal the game and the title while QPR will stay up due to the draw by Bolton at the Britannia Stadium.
The blue half of Manchester will be celebrating this year as City will hold off United while QPR will survive in the Premier League with Bolton going down to the Championship.

Football Fat Cats are 1, 2 & 3

London football owners/investors fill the top three positions in The Sunday Times's Rich List for 2012, the annual parade of the wealthiest individuals living in Britain.

Lakshmi Mittal, part-owner of Queen's Park Rangers, remains Britain's richest man according to the survey, with an estimated wealth of £12.7 billion. Visitors to this summer's Olympic Games in London will see one example of his benevolence, the £19million  ArcelorMittal Orbit tower (right), a permanent sculpture overlooking the Olympic stadium and Britain's largest piece of public art.

Meanwhile QPR sit fourth from bottom equal on points with 18th-placed Bolton and in serious danger of relegation with only two games to play - at home against Stoke and away at title-chasing Manchester City.

Mittal owns a third of the club but delegates day-to-day involvement to his son-in-law Amit Bhatia.

QPR's recent woes were the subject of a riveting fly-on-the-wall documentary, "The Four Year Plan", transmitted on BBC2. The film showed now departed owners Flavio Briatore and Gianni Paladini stumbling their way through various managers as the club struggled to win promotion. On one occasion, Briatore memorably was filmed issuing instructions on whom to substitute during a match. the influx of big money has also brought confusion and insecurity: Rangers have changed their coach 14 times in the last six years.

The major shareholder in QPR is Malaysian Air Asia founder Tony Fernandes, who bought the 66% stake owned by Formula One men Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone last year.



Alisher Usmanov, the Uzbek-born tycoon who owns just under 30% of Arsenal's shares, is second on the rich list, with £12.3 billion of assets, followed by the most famous of English soccer's megabucks owners, Chelsea's Roman Abramovich, with £9.5 billion.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


Tags

Euro 2012 football

Prediksi Pertandingan Manchester United vs QPR

Manchester United untuk saat ini masih mantap di puncak klasemen liga inggris, selisih lima poin dari pesaing terdekatnya, manchester City. Pada pertandingan pekan ke-32, MU bakal menghadapi Queens Park Ranger (QPR), klub yang saat ini sedang berjuang menghindari jurang degradasi.

Diatas kertas, MU diprediksikan bakal mampu mengalahkan QPR, karena memang secara peringkat klasemen maupun skuad yang dimiliki, MU unggul segalanya. Hanya saja, sepakbola tak bisa diberlakukan seperti matematika, banyak kemungkinan yang bisa terjadi. Seperti pada pekan kemarin, dimana QPR mampu membuat kejutan dengan menundukkan Arsenal yang juga di unggulkan.

Masing-masing klub mempunyai motivasi yang berbeda, MU ingin tersu menjaga jarak dengan City, sedangkan QPR ingin menghindari jurang degradasi. Meski demikian, MU tetap di unggulkan, dan saya pegang MU untuk bisa memangkan pertandingan ini, prediksi skor 3-1 untuk kemenangan MU.

Manchester United Mantap Di Puncak Klasemen

Manchester United kian mantap di puncak klasemen, setelah pada pertandingan dini hari tadi berhasil menundukkan Blackburn Rovers dengan skor 0-2. Manchester United baru bisa menciptakan gol pada babak kedua, setelah pertandingan memasuki menit ke-81. Gol pertama di ciptakan oleh Antonio Valencia memanfaatkan assist dari Rafael Da Silva, dan pada menit ke-86, Asley Young berhasil menggandakan keunggulan United.

Blackburn bukan tanpa perlawanan, pada babak pertama, tercatat beberapa tendangan dan sundulan pemain Blackburn mengancam gawang United, tapi kecemerlangan kiper United, David De Gea, mampu mengatasi peluang dari Blackburn tersebut.

Dengan hasil ini, Manchester United makin kokoh di pucak klasemen sementara dengan raihan 76 poin, terpaut 5 poin dari Manchester City. Liga Inggris tinggal menyisakan tuju pertandingan lagi, dan Manchester United masih akan bertemu dengan Manchester City. Seandainya penampilan United bisa stabil, bukan tidak mungkin pertandingan antara United vs City nantinya sudah tidak menentukan lagi. Kita nantikan aja pertandingan sisa usim ini, untuk melihat siapa yang bakal juara di Liga Inggris.

When I see you Suarez, I go off my head

Some say that you never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. When Luis Suarez refused to shake the hand of Patrice Evra at Old Trafford yesterday however, you sensed the significance of the moment would shape the longevity of the memory. Relations between England's two most most successful clubs - who have not exchanged a player since 1964 - continue to sour, both on and off the pitch.

Pre-match handshakes at Premier League matches are a recently invented 'tradition'. They were introduced to suit the requirements of international television broadcasters, allowing them time for an advertisement break. The Premier League need to stop globalising and start prioritising.

A cancelation of the ritual for the QPR-Chelsea FA Cup tie due to the race row involving England captain John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, and the drama that followed at the Theatre of Dreams, support the case to have it discontinued. Liverpool supporters would have welcomed this move even before yesterday's league meeting, as it interferes with the traditional timing of the pre-match You'll Never Walk Alone rendition at Anfield.

The latest twist of the Suarez-Evra racism saga has been magnified by an unhelpful modern ritual imposed by television executives - yet press conferences aside, the media's role in this instance was largely circumstantial.

The French fullback offered the Uruguayan a lowered hand, with no initial eye contact. It was a disrespectful gesture of respect. It was a gesture nonetheless. The former Ajax frontman could have done the same, many argue he should have done - but he chose instead to publicly declare his dissatisfaction at the outcome of the racism case that saw him hit with an eight-match ban. The Liverpool corner deemed contextual semantics to be significant in 'that conversation', yet these were largely ignored by the three-man panel, and Suarez feels aggrieved.

Following the convenient adjournment of John Terry's case until after the European championships, this week saw Fabio Capello's principled resignation as England manager. The FA's temporary replacement Stuart Pearce soon had to face the embarrassment of defending himself, as videos of him racially abusing Paul Ince during a Manchester United v Nottingham Forest match in 1994 gained repeated air time. Let's ignore his brother's role in the BNP (“the country is full up”, Dennis Pearce declared before standing in the 2009 European elections), Pearce should be judged on his own actions, and the FA on theirs.

'Racism' currently dominates British football's sanitising political correctness campaign. However, English footballing authorities overlooked the relevant linguistic nuances that divide Spanish and French, but the less complicated case involving Ince and Pearce (who were raised 25 miles apart) received a different response.

The PFA's overpaid longstanding chairman Gordon Taylor pointed out that Pearse apologised for being racist. Suarez however continues to protest his innocence, so refuses to apologise, or shake on it.

In a post-match interview an aggravated Alex Ferguson branded Suarez a "disgrace", claiming he should never play for Liverpool again. The Scot implements a confused criteria, for apparently refusing a handshake is worse than kicking a fan in the head. After serving his ban for the infamous Crystal Palace incident in 1995, Eric Cantona continued to play for Manchester United until his retirement in 1997.

Ferguson's Liverpool counterpart Kenny Dalglish continues to be vilified for his support of Suarez and his defence of his club. The fourteen title winning, three-time European champion has coped with triumphs and tragedies throughout his career. Yesterday, an angry Dalglish stood up for his club and his player and Suarez stood up for his principles, whatever you think of them.

British broadsheets are likely to respond by focusing on Manchester United's 'dignity' and Liverpool's apparent lack of it, and misrepresent a Scouse understanding of the notion in the process - as yet another example of the distinction between England and the rebellious enclave that clings to the Mersey. One unbalanced headline reads 'Outraged by everything and ashamed of nothing', as a reference to Dalgish's handling of the post-match press conference. English tabloids will play up the tunnel bust up and Evra's celebration. Someone will point out the scoreline.

Evra had every right to celebrate the win that saw Manchester United go top of the league in the way he did. He didn't run up to the Liverpool fans as Gary Neville did following United's last minute winner in this fixture in 2006. Evra's team won the game and as captain he will consider himself entitled to a bout of triumphalism, particularly in the circumstances.

As GMP officers were confiscating Red Issue fanzines from Man United supporters due to the LFC Ku Klux Klan cut-out masks printed on the back (on the suspect grounds that they were "potentially offensive"), home fans in the ground sung of their hatred of "Scouse bastards", before Liverpool-born Wayne Rooney scored the two decisive goals early in the second half.

This is definitive racism, and Liverpool fans responded in kind.

Suarez' inevitable goal scoring contribution proved merely consolatory, yet the travelling support sang "when I see you Suarez, I go off my head" in recognition and adoration of the Uruguayan, interspersed with songs about their more famous number seven.

Just when Ferguson and Evra began to get paranoid about the reference, the away fans continued to offer their position on the player who divides British footballing opinion: "He scores a goal and the Kop goes wild and I just can't seem to get enough, Suarez."

© Dr Joel Rookwood & Soccerphile.com

Tags

Liverpool
Suarez
Evra

We're not Racist - Twists of the Scouse-Manc debate

"We're not Racist" - Twists of the Scouse-Manc debate

Anyone tiring of the Suarez racism saga? Me too, but I'm breaking radio silence to offer a few thoughts, just as Suarez serves the final week of his ban and in light of yesterday's fiercely fought battle between Liverpool and Manchester United - the second epic Soucse-Manc cup battle at Anfield this week.

You might not agree with some of this - but remember, this is an issue of opinions and loyalties...

I don't understand football as a non-participating spectator sport. But the comments offered in today's press are not about armchair fans, so I'm discounting them. I doubt a decent appreciation of the rivalry between Liverpool and United is possible until you've walked out of the away end of either ground and got the train home - and not as a one off.

The meaning of match-going fandom is intertwined with rivalry, identity and place. It's an issue of localism and tribalism. 'Language' is often employed to deny outsiders access (including fellow 'fans').

I'll let readers figure out your respective stance in that context. If you define identity as semantics only and not syntax, you miss the point. In other words, as an example, part of what it is to be a Liverpudlian is to not be an Evertonian, definitively. That has both negative AND positive consequences.

In a chant that's been building for weeks, yesterday Liverpool fans en masse sang "We're not racist, we only hate Mancs." This is a way of saying that although a minority despise Evra for being black (the now infamous non-Scouse monkey poser for example), a majority despise Evra for being representative of Mancs.

The latest saga (it used to be darts in the eye and tear gas on the team bus when I was a kid) is really a collective demonstration of that philosophy. It's tongue in cheek - we know what racism is. When one of your own puts an axe through a lad's head because he's black (Anthony Walker in 2005), and with our legacy of being the former world slaving capital, and the Toxteth riots in 1981 - and then with the popular demonisation of Scousers over the last four decades - our consciousness is heightened.

Like most of the footballing world, many fans seem to have a very narrow implied definition of race, so how are you supposed to offer valid opinions on racism? (Reading that report (or just claiming to have done) is no qualification).

Race is a subjective categorisation of human beings used in the past by imperial powers to justify subjugation of 'native' peoples and now used by the PC left (to criticise anyone who raises concerns about immigration for example). Political correctness is a disease of disproportion and distraction, and it seems many have been infected. Time to climb off the bandwagon.

Making derogatory comments about Scousers or Mancs is essentially the same as making derogatory comments about blacks and is therefore 'racism'. Through that song Liverpool fans were all being 'racist' today, but of course no one really comments on that - because racism is actually a function and expression of any football rivalry you have heard of anywhere in the world. It's not confined to skin colour.

The point many miss is that Evra is a grass. In some respects it's not about what was said between him and Suarez, or the 'right' to complain and seek 'justice'. It's about being a snitch.

Few Mancs worth their salt will respect Evra for complaining, but they will love him for contributing to Liverpool's horrific season (punctuated by some excellent results). Of course, Scousers and Mancs understand our similarities. That's why I can speak for them, and they for us in this respect. If we were talking about Glen Johnson and Wayne Rooney instead (deliberately selected examples), reactions would be similar.

Oh, and in case you think I'm a racism sympathiser, I'm not. I've travelled the world and have been battered and bruised for my skin colour, accent, race, footballing allegiances and more besides. I just loathe political correctness - and for me, the real issue concerning rivalry and hatred in contemporary 'British' fandom is the manipulation of disasters. This was my Facebook status yesterday morning: "A celebration of another club's tragedy pollutes the respectful remembrance of your own. Rise above it Scousers. Unify your standards."

© Dr. Joel Rookwood

Tags

Liverpool
Suarez
Evra

City's pyrrhic victory?

Manchester United 1:6 Manchester City

Scorelines don't come much more amazing than Sunday's Mancunian derby, but was there really much reason to celebrate, however many records tumbled at Old Trafford?

With a few days' recuperation from that shellshock of a final score, can the result be deemed a welcome riposte to or even wholescale power shift from the hegemony of moneybags Chelsea and Manchester United, or another symptom of the obscene, out-of-control spending in the English top division which is upsetting its natural order of competition?

Watching Fergie's nose rubbed into the dirt certainly had its charms for those of us who do not buy into the 'Glory glory Man United' hype machine, as the Scot's lazily applied moniker of 'football genius' suddenly hung by a thread after such a an utter pasting.

And it was not unpleasant to see City's supporters for once get the upper hand on their storied and hitherto more monied rivals. The Blues have played Torino to Juventus, Espanol to Barcelona for so many long and grueling years, that anyone's sense of fairness would not begrudge them a moment in the sun.

For my whole life Man City, who last lifted the Championship in 1968 and whose last taste of glory was the 1970 Cup Winners' Cup before last season's FA Cup win, have seemed cursed to underachieve. Even when they looked like winning the FA Cup in 1981, their goalscorer Tommy Hutchinson then put through his own net to let Tottenham back in to triumph, after a replay.



A sense of injustice turned into angry frustration among some fans, a similar phenomenon one can witness at Cardiff City or Leeds, but after an endless string of disappointments, along came rich men from the East bearing gifts. David could fear Goliath no more and City had arrived.

Yet the underdog tag which won City sympathy is fast evaporating in the face of such a merciless spending spree by the Abu Dhabian owners. Just take a look at the Blues' winning team. Whilst five were Englishmen, only one had come through the City youth system (Micah Richards). United by comparison fielded eight Brits throughout the 90 minutes, two of whom had been developed in-house. But City's foreign legion surely eclipsed United's, whose overseas stars comprised Anderson, David De Gea, Patrice Evra, Javier Hernandez and Nani.

Compare that to the ambrosial cornucopia of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, Gael Clichy, Edin Dzeko, Alexsandar Kolarov, Vincent Kompany, Samir Nasri and Yaya Touré, plus the Premier League's top entertainer of the hour, David Silva. United had been outspent off the field and thus outgunned on the pitch.

With the Arab owners pouring money into a new academy complex and showing no signs of acknowledging any recession, City will soon spend their way to the heights of England, Europe and the world.

With no restriction on salaries, money does not just talk in the Premier League, it bellows. The pyrrhic element to this famous win will tell in the signal it has sent to soccer's governing bodies. If the Blues maintain their unerring march to European conquest, UEFA and FIFA will be forced to act and impose control on clubs' spending as the playing field will have become too tilted.

City's devastating victory shows the Premier League is absurdly top-heavy, listing like the Mary Rose into the waters of the Solent. There is no pretence of a 20-team competition and a gulf now exists even amongst the top teams. On any given Sunday, to plagiarise a term from American Football, Man U, the reigning champions, should not lose 6-1 at home to anyone. What made it so shocking was that it seemed no aberration, no one-off.

Does it have to be like this? No. Later that night some miles to the south, the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought out a much closer NFL game at Wembley. In America, that well-known communist regime, a salary cap keeps its football field level, and the worse teams get first pick of the best young players.

The more the Premier League continues with no regulation, the more meaningless games like Sunday's will become. Bring on the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules.

Doubtless some new fans in Asia will be sporting blue shirts instead of their elder siblings' red ones, but there was a time when you supported a team for reasons other than it was far richer than the others, who are clearly finding it increasingly impossible to compete.

With this elephant in the room, Sunday's thrashing of United was less proof that the Premier League is unpredictable and competitive, but that its free-market model is in serious need of financial regulation.

For it seemed less a case of one club outplaying another through superior football than one simply outspending another, in an increasingly frightening way.



(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Enjoy a free In-Play bet on Man Utd v Man City with bet365

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Manchester United Old Trafford Tour

The Museum & Stadium Tour of Manchester United's Old Trafford ground, the self-styled "Theatre of Dreams" is hugely popular with football fans from all over the world, not just Manchester United supporters.

Participants of our tour included visitors from Hong Kong and Russia as well as Swansea City supporters in Manchester for their team's Monday night game with Manchester City.

The tour begins in the Museum, which has replicas of Manchester United's many trophies, shirts, boots and other memorabilia donated by Manchester United players past and present and video of many of the great matches featuring the club. The interesting displays chart the history of Manchester United, the Busby era and the tragedy at Munich, through to United's first win in the European Cup and its present dominance in English football. The Museum also reveals the hooligan problem that affected the club in the 1970s.

Bobby Charlton, George Best & Denis Law

The Stadium part of the tour takes visitors into the ground to get a full appreciation of the size of Old Trafford and your guide will explain the technological features of the stadium, which includes CCTV coverage of every seat. next, you are led into the dressing rooms, which with their brown wooden panels have something of a 1970s area, reinforced by the players' bar with fading photographs of George best, Denis Law and a young David Beckham pinned to the wall.

You are then led out through the tunnel onto the touchline towards the players' and managers' benches. The tour then takes you back to the Museum where you exit through the Megastore.

The Museum & Stadium Tour or just entrance to the Museum can be booked online with ticket prices prices for non-members presently 15 GBP for adults and 10 GBP for children.

Manchester United Open Training

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Manchester United Open Training Session

Each year before the start of the season, Manchester United hold an open training session at Old Trafford.

The entrance fee to the event is donated to the Manchester United Foundation.

Fans were addressed by manager Sir Alex Ferguson on the eve of the Community Shield match at Wembley against Manchester City.

After the training session, a youth match - Manchester United Premier Cup - took place between Mexican team Pachuca and Orlando Pirates from South Africa.

Manchester United Museum & Stadium Tour

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Man Utd v Chelsea

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Sunday's opponents Chelsea to once again be one of his team's closest challengers for the Premier League title. United are 6/1 with Bet 365 to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and customers can get a free In-Play bet for the game this weekend. Andre Villas-Boas' side have failed to impress in the league so far this season, although they have taken ten points from their first four matches, and are 11/1 to beat the league leaders 1-0 on Sunday. Ferguson said: "They will be there at the end of the season, there is no doubt about that. At the moment, of course, the two Manchester teams are enjoying the publicity but in the background lurks Chelsea. They don't need the publicity. They will be enjoying being out of the profile at the moment."

Danish keeper Anders Lindegaard is determined to continue to keep the pressure on Manchester United's currently recognised No.1, David de Gea. Despite the Dane's impressive display against Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists De Gea will be back for Sunday's all-important Premier League clash against Chelsea. United are 6/1 with Bet 365 to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and customers can get a free In-Play bet for the game this weekend. However, the Spaniard's shaky start to his United career, coupled with Lindegaard's emergence, could provide Ferguson with an interesting dilemma. Lindegaard says: "I learned a lot from Edwin van der Sar and I have confidence in my own ability. I came to Manchester United for the challenge to be the first-choice goalkeeper."

8-2 thrashing leaves Arsenal empty

'8-2, eight bloody two' as Michael Palin almost said in Ripping Yarns (8-1).



The morning after Arsenal's worst defeat since 1896 was a sobering one.

The 8-2 capitulation at Old Trafford was slow-motion carnage or schadenfreude at its sweetest, depending on your opinon of the Gunners and Mr Wenger. It was humiliation indeed although even Tottenham supporters had to choke their chuckles as they sit bottom of the division, having been smashed 5-1 at home by Manchester City, fast becoming the first club since Blackburn to so obviously buy their way to the title.

The chasm in power which divides Wenger from Alex Ferguson is vast, despite the Frenchman's historic transformation of London's biggest team. While United have a new breed of youngsters battle-ready for Premier League action, Arsenal are blooding untried rookies with increasingly calamitous results.

Arsenal's acute demise is being blamed on the power struggle between Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov and Wenger's ideological adherence to youth policy and non-English players. Whilst Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott are two young Anglos who have made it through the ranks, the Frenchman's apparent reluctance to buy hard-working English defenders and midfielders when available appears a flaw in his thinking which has come back to bite him. Indeed it is hard to imagine him recruiting the excellent Dixon, Bould/Keown, Adams and Winterburn back four he inherited from Bruce Rioch.

His adherence to statistics means if a player seems overpriced he shies away and passion, leadership and other English footballing virtues do not register on his Pro-Zone printouts. Fielding eleven multi-functional mobile dribblers is admirable in the age of tiki-taka but how Arsenal could do with another Petit and Vieira in the middle to stop opposition attacks dead.

Wenger's French revolution gave Arsenal an edge for a few years until other clubs aped his off-field science-based training. In addition, the game moves on every few years and no historic system, whether W-M, total football or 4-4-2, can hope to prevail forever. Wenger's excessive self-belief is costing Arsenal points.

Alex Ferguson has cited his 1990 F.A. Cup win as the break he needed to take complete control over Manchester United F.C. and launch his imperial project. A giant of a club had been asleep so long it was almost comatose, so Martin Edwards gladly handed the Scot carte blanche to run the club like a true 'manager' once they felt sure he could bring them a full trophy cabinet.

An impressive Cup Winners' Cup final win over Barcelona the following season, in English clubs' first foray into Europe for five years, convinced the board they had got their man, and a first title in 26 years arrived in 1993.

Ferguson has been effectively unsackable since then, and the Glazers are said to be in awe of him. His rise from under-fire hiring with 90 minutes to save his job (a cup-tie against Nottingham Forest) to great dictator and universal football legend is in sharp contrast to the prevailing trend of managers becoming first-team coaches with directors of football, board members and presidents pulling the real strings high above them. Modern coaches enjoy the lifespan of mayflies in comparison to Ferguson. Moneybags Chelsea have used seven managers in the past five years, while Fergie has ruled the roost at Old Trafford since 1986.

"I know dictators are out of fashion but I would love to be the perfect dictator," said Brian Clough famously. Indeed he was for years at Forest, until he did what almost all dictators do and stay on too long before being ousted by backers who vowed never to repeat the same mistake.

But Wenger has had a relatively free hand at Arsenal, not least in his persuading the capital's most storied team to leave its ancient, sacred home for a new house nearby and make him overseer of the entire youth set-up.

Football is politics again. So often desperate electorates happily hand power to a charismatic leader when hope and tradition run out of steam. US Soccer had been understandably reluctant to give Jurgen Klinsmann the keys to their kingdom for the past five years but after the exasperating Gold Cup final they relented and Klinsi is now in control.

If Arsenal want to emerge from their nightmare, they could hand Wenger a blank chequebook and an even freer hand, assuming his reliance on self-made solutions stems from the tight kitty at Ashburton Grove and not a dogmatic desire to build an Ajax-on-Thames.

But time is running out for Wenger and Arsenal. With transfer deadline imminent and 360 degree pressure on the Frenchman, purchases are probable, yet the downside to leaving it so late to recruit is that price tags rise concomitantly and desperation can set in, leading to panic buying with no time to research players properly.

In his final days at Highbury, George Graham made three hasty purchases at least two of which seemed wrong at the time as well as afterwards -John Hartson, Glenn Helder and Chris Kiwomya.

Wenger has boxed himself in and needs nerves of steel and intense focus to sail his way out of this storm.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Wembley final promises much

UEFA Champions League Final 2011 - Barcelona v Manchester United 19:45 GMT

In 1992, with 70,000 others, I saw Barcelona win their first European Cup at Wembley.

How was it such a storied club had never done it before? Who knows, although they have made up for lost time since and are set to stay a European giant for the foreseeable future.

As they enter their second final in three seasons, once more locking swords with Manchester United, Barcelona have to prove they are one of the greatest teams of all time, as many have claimed.

Their swatting of Arsenal raised club football to a new height because of the intensity of the pressing and the intricacy of their close passing, a hybrid game which left Europe stunned.

Man United are more direct and wide, preferring to attack than marinate possession, a legacy of their English origins: The clash of styles is one to relish; then there is the opportunity for Alex Ferguson to show he has learned from the defeat in 2009. It is quickly forgotten that Man U had Barça on the ropes in the opening ten minutes, before the game metamorphosed after Barcelona scored with their first attack.

The Catalans clearly have the edge, although the English setting and weather (it is cool and cloudy in London today) will give the Red Devils confidence too. Perhaps Javier Hernandez, who has electrified the domestic league this season, will snatch the crown from Lionel Messi.

Not that Barça will not feel at home: Pep Guardiola himself was on the turf in 1992.
This Wembley is a new building however, with no resemblance to the old Twin Towers.

While it promises to be a classic final, it could just as easily be an ultra-cagey affair as finals often are, where nerves and the meeting of two great teams cancel out the space and mistakes that open contests need.

Spain is split between Real and Barça just like England is between pro and anti Man United. Barça won admirers with their tiki-taka masterclass against the Gunners, but lost many fans with their gamesmanship against Real in the semi-final. We do not like to see our heroes pretending to be injured, diving for free-kicks or waving imaginary cards in the referee's face to get opponents sent off.

A fair fight and an enthralling contest is what the world has ordered.

As long as the fans are happy I am. I could not afford to repeat my 1992 visit tonight as UEFA and Co. had increased ticket prices to extortionate levels. But I have fond memories of that balmy day when Catalans and Genoese came to town.

The stadium fans might be an afterthought these days for the corporate circus that football has become, but the thousands of fans in London will be enjoying it more than anyone.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Park And Koo Say Goodbye To Korea

It was apt. On the day that Park Ji-sung announced his retirement from the South Korean national team, leaving the way open for even more young players, then 21 year-old midfielder Koo Ja-cheol was bidding farewell to Jeju United and heading to Europe to join 2009 German champions VfL Wolfsburg.

Park’s goodbye was more emotional and marks the end of an era. After making his 100th appearance in the semi-final of the 2011 Asian Cup that ended in a penalty shootout defeat at the hands of eventual champion Japan, Park confirmed that he wouldn’t be seen in the famous red shirt of his nation again in order to prolong his career in another red shirt, that of Manchester United.

Even at the far-from-ancient age of 29, Park feels that the lengthy journeys from Manchester to Seoul don’t do his body any favours and it can be safely assumed that his English employers are not against this decision.

"I think I could have continued my international career without health issues," Park said, blinking in front of hundreds of flashlights at KFA House in Seoul. "But I will accept the situation as it is and I have no regrets. Because of our geographic location, I've had to travel long ways from Europe to play (in South Korea). But to be competitive in the world, we have to travel around the world and players from now on should take care of themselves."

Try as he might, he couldn’t convince the assembled press pack that he doesn’t plan to make a dramatic comeback at the 2014 World Cup when he will be 33.

“If we make it to the World Cup in Brazil, then players who worked hard during the qualification should get the chance to play," Park said. "They will improve as players through World Cup experience. I don't think I will ever be back with the national team."

Park knows the Korean media well enough to know that it won’t be that simple. He will be fine for the next 12 months as there are few important duties for the national team but as Brazil 2014 starts to move into view that will change. There will be calls, demands and then pleas for his return especially if he is still playing well with Manchester United. Indeed, the name of Zinedine Zidane, who famously returned to the French national team ahead of the 2006 World Cup, has been in the headlines in the Korean media with a frequency not seen since that infamous headbutt in the final against Italy.

Koo Ja-cheol has his European experience ahead of him. Last year was when the mild-mannered midfielder really started to rise to prominence in the Land of the Morning Calm. From the centre, his five goals and 12 assists not only helped his club Jeju United, into second place in the K-league and within touching distance of a first title, but confirmed his place as one of the nation’s top prospects.

It didn’t quite happen in 2010. A trial with English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers early in the year didn’t quite work out and while he was named in the preliminary squad for the World Cup in South Africa, Koo was cut from the final 23.

The recently finished Asian Cup was a different story however. Even before it started, the player had come close to joining Swiss team Young Boys of Berne but after finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, other suitors threw their hats into the ring. One came from VfL Wolfsburg. The German team, backed by Volkswagen, won the 2009 title but is struggling this season at the wrong end of the standings. And have now just sacked former head coach of the English national team Steve McClaren.

But Koo, who will join up with Japanese national team captain Makoto Hasebe, is ready for the challenge. “Now I am at the starting line again. The facilities and team atmosphere was great. I feel very happy now as I was trying so hard to play in Europe.”

“Now I will concentrate on playing well out there. Lee Young-pyo and many national team mates advised me to play in Europe. Though my original position is defensive midfielder, I am ready to play in any position the coach asks.”

It just remains to be seen who that coach is but such is life in Europe.




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