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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:11:00 +0000

Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Taken from The Telegraph

Portugal may have only just qualified through an intense two leg battle over Bosnia, who had nearly done one over France, but Ronaldo, their talisman, remains as vital as ever.

With huge responsibility to be goalscorer as well as creator, Ronaldo must be in top form if Portugal have any chance of getting out of their group, let alone winning the Euros.

He has broke many records this season, and hopefully his next will be ending Portugal's no trophy record.

One to Watch: Nelson Oliveria

Taken from Zimbio

Upcoming young striker, who's managed to break into the first team. He had a season, that can be described as somewhat like Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, even though they play in different positions.

Hugo Almeida believes he can make an impression in this year's Euros. In 'World Soccer' magazine, he is one of the 16 players to watch at this summer's Euros. So keep an eye out for this young talent.

Manager: Paulo Bento

Taken from My Launch Pad

Youngest manager at the Euros, at just 42. He's also the least experienced with just 7 years in club management. Previously of Sporting Lisbon, and reportedly once interested Sir Alex Ferguson for the vacant assistant manager position after Carlos Queiroz left for Real Madrid.

He received an 84% approval rate from a recent survey that asked if the fans were happy with their manager.

How Portugal qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from China Youth International

Portugal started off their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, with a thrilling, but disappointing 4-4 draw with Cyprus followed by a 1-0 defeat against Norway. After that, however, things picked up, where they won their next 5 games.

However a crucial loss on their final game against Denmark, saw them have to go through the play offs to qualify. They played Bosnia, who they beat on aggregate 6-2.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
Follow me on Twitter @CainTalksFooty
Check out his wonderful blog, Euro 2012 Blogger

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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Poland

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Key Player: Wojciech Szczesny

Taken from Polish Soccer Blog

Consistent all season, ending Arsenal's goalkeeping crisis with safe hands. Made some spectacular saves for Arsenal, seen by some as an unsung hero. Also been key for Poland, their defence is a shambles, but he is a pivotal figure for them.

An exceptional performance against Germany, gives them hope he can help them in big games. He'll be hoping to continue his impressive run going for his and host country Poland.

One to Watch: Robert Lewandowski

Taken from Backpage Football

Cracking form for Borussia Dortmund, who finished as one of the highest scorers in the Bundesliga this season, and is a highly regarded forward across Europe as Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have him on their radar.

For country, Lewandowski has scored 13 goals in 40 games. And is one of the only stars Poland have to shine. He'll be hoping to lead his country to success on home turf.

Manager: Franciszek Smuda

Taken from Zimbio

Definitely not a faint-hearted manager, once quoted as saying "If someone can find a class defender with a Polish passport, they deserve a special bonus".

After 10 years of being offered the job on various occasions, he finally took it in 2009, having managed 15 clubs winning 3 trophies. He'll be hoping to see Poland get out of there group for the first time ever in a European Championship.

With the tournament being played at home, he'll be hoping to use that to his team's advantage.

How have Poland done in their past 10 friendlies

Taken from UEFA

Poland automatically qualified for Euro 2012 as they are hosts. In their last 10 friendlies, their record stands at 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses. Their main problem from these friendlies has been that they have failed to score many goals, just 11 have past the net, and seem over reliant on Lewandowski.

Their defense seems to have its frailties to, with Smuda struggling to stick to the same back 4, with only Piszczek seeming to be the only player guaranteed a place in Poland's defence.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
Follow me on Twitter @CainTalksFooty
Check out his wonderful site, Euro 2012 Blogger

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World football: A Look at some of its Biggest prospects

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:30:00 +0000

With the Transfer Window officially open, I am going to take a look at some of the world's biggest prospects that have caught my attention. This excludes young players in England.

I cannot include all of the promising players in world football, so if you believe I have missed somebody important then please leave a comment.

Christian Eriksen

Taken from Goal

Christian Eriksen is a 20 year old attacking midfielder, currently playing for Ajax. Eriksen is one of the most exciting youngsters in the world and is being described as the next ‘Michael Laudrup’ which for any Danish national is a massive complement.

Eriksen had trials with Chelsea, Barcelona and Ajax at a young age but decided to choose the Dutch champions saying, ‘My first step should not be too big. I knew that playing in the Netherlands would be very good for my development. Then Ajax arrived and that was a fantastic option.'

He managed to break into the Ajax first team at the start of the 2010/2011 season and since then has played around 76 times for Ajax.

Eriksen got called up to the Denmark squad in February 2010 and was named in the squad for the 2010 world cup in South Africa where he was the youngest player participating in the tournament.

Erikson is a top talent and is one to watch out for in the future!

Mario Gotze

Taken from MTN Football

Mario Gotze is a 20 year old attacking midfielder/ winger who currently plays for German champions Borussia Dortmund. Götze is considered to be an up-and-coming, potential world class player due to his speed, technical skill, play-making abilities and creativity.

German Football Association's technical director Matthias Sammer called him "one of the best talents that we've ever had". Gotze came up through the ranks at Dortmund's youth academy. He made his debut in 2009 and was promoted to the first team squad the following season wheere he became an important player in Dortmund's Bundesliga winning squad of the 2010–11 season.

Gotze made his international debut in 2010 and has since played 14 times for his country scoring 2 goals. He has been heavily linked with Arsenal, but has recently signed a new deal ruling out a move to the Emirates for the near future.

Keep an eye on this lad's progress.

Younès Belhanda

Taken from The Short Fuse

Younès Belhanda is a 22 year old Moroccan international currently playing for recently crowned champions in Ligue 1 Montpellier. Belhanda is an attacking midfielder and a winger and is described as a player who possesses ‘vision, technique and intelligent decision-making’.

Belhanda has come through the Montpellier youth academy and was promoted to the first team in 2009. He joined the squad as a defensive midfielder but Montpellier coach wanted him to play in a more attacking role claming that ‘his desire to get on the ball combined with excellent technique means he can play through the middle or on the wings.’

Last season he played behind the striker, another promising talent Olivier Giroud in the ‘number 10 role’ where he shone and became a major factor in Montpellier’s push for the title. He played for France at youth level but decided to play his international football for Morroco, where he has played 12 times scoring 1 goal.

He is described as the next Robert Pires. Arsenal are one of a host of clubs watching this lad.

Matías Suarez

Taken from Bleacher Report

Matías Suarez is a 24 year old Argentinian born striker, who plays for Anderlecht. Suarez started his career at the Argentinian club Belgrano before completing a move to Anderlecht in Belgium in 2008.

He went on to establish himself as a key member of the Anderlecht side contributing many goals and assists in the process, especially following the departure of the team's star player Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea in the summer of 2011.

He followed this with an even better season in 2011/2012 were he was crowned Player of the Year 2011 and elected Player of the Season 2011/2012 in Belgium as his club Anderlecht went on to become champions of Belgium.

Yet again Arsenal have been heaviy linked with a move for Suarez who said, "I want to move on, I want to move to a bigger club in a better league."

Kevin Strootman

Taken from Bleacher Report

Kevin Strootman is a 22 year old Dutch midfielder who is currently playing for PSV Eindhoven. Strootman started his career at Sparta Rotterdam where he played over 70 games for them before they were relegated.

He joined PSV in a duo-transfer with FC Utrecht teammate Dries Mertens for a combined total of 13 million euros. Since joining, he has established himself as an impostant part of the PSV starting line-up.

Strootman cuts a languid figure, and on first appearance alone, it’s hard to imagine he was a creative attacking midfielder in the trequartista mould in his earlier days. But watch him spray the ball over long and short range with intuition, vision and a gifted left foot, and you'll stop judging this book by its cover.

Strootman made his international debut in the friendly against Austria on February 9, 2011.The coach of the national team, Bert van Marwijk, is known to be a great admirer of Strootman, stating his "vision" as one of his best assets. Dutch team mate Wesley Sneijder said ‘Kevin has plenty of quality’.

Manchester Utd are extremely interested in securing the services of Kevin Strootman who is said to fully focused on the Euros and will make a decision regarding Manchester United after the tournament finishes!

Watch this space.

Shinji Kagawa

Taken from Sportsvibe

Shinji Kagawa is a 23 year old Japanese footballer who plays for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in Germany and the Japanese national football team. In the summer of 2010, Kagawa transferred from Cerezo to Borussia Dortmund for €350,000.

He is an extremely creative attacking midfielder whos preferred position is behind the striker where he has a free role. He is a very exciting player and still only young. He is a prolific goal scorer scoring 86 goals in 198 games for all clubs from midfield.

He was a key member of the double winning Borussia Dortmund side this year even scoring a goal and providing an assist in Dortmund’s cup final victory over Bayern Munich. Kagawa has also had a successful career at international level with Japan as well playing 30 games scoring 10 goals.

Kagawa recently turned down a new contract at Dortmund and with only 1 year left, he looks set to leave with Manchester United looking the most likely destination.

Neymar

Taken from Football 365

He doesn’t play in Europe, but you cannot mention hot prospects without mentioning Neymar. Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (a.k.a Neymar) is a 20 year old Brazilian footballer who plays in the Brasileirão Série A for Santos and the Brazilian national football team, mainly as a forward.

Neymar joined Santos in 2003 and, after several years of training, was promoted to their first team squad. Neymar had an impressive season in 2010 scoring 42 goals in 60 games and has an impressive overall record with Santos scoring an impressive 107 goals in 181 games for the Brazilian side.

Neymar is known to be a talented and exciting footballer, who has dazzling dribbling skills and clinical finishing. He commented on his attributes saying: "I'm always trying to perfect everything - dribbling, shooting, headers and control. You can always improve."

The exciting forward has been tipped to be the next Pélé and has even been praised by the man himself who says he’s even better than Lionel Messi, "Now everyone is talking about Messi; he is a star. But [to be the best ever] he must first become better than Neymar, at the moment Messi is just more experienced."

On 10 August 2010 he made his debut with the national team in that game, aged 18 years old, starting the match and wearing the number 11 jersey. He scored on his debut after 28 minutes, a header coming from an André Santos cross in a 2–0 win for Brazil. Neymar has played a total of 17 games for Brazil scoring an impressive total of 9 goals for his country.

Neymar is one of the hottest prospects and Santos say they will not sell him for less that £40m . It is rumoured that Neymar will sign for Barcelona on a pre-contract and he will remain a Santos player till after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

One thing that is guaranteed is that whoever does sign Neymar is buying an unbelievably talented footballer.

Thank you for reading.

Written by Arran Farrell
Follow me on Twitter @ArranAFC29 for all the latest football news and upcoming articles! Thank you.

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Euro 2012 Key Players: Group A

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:46:00 +0000

In six days, Poland and Greece will begin Euro 2012 in Warsaw in front of approximately 50,000 fans. So in honour of the beginning of world football’s most captivating events, I will be going through the key players and possible "it" factors for each team, group by group. Here’s group A.

Poland- Wojciech Szczesny

Taken from Juntadeo

The Arsenal shot stopper has added some much needed stability to the Gunners defence this season as he has got better and better throughout the course of the season.

The 21 year old is arguably Poland's most recognized player and if he is able to keep a few clean sheets against the likes of Russia, perhaps Poland will cause an upset and advance to the quarter finals.

Greece- Giorgos Karagounis

Taken from The Independent

At age 35, this will almost certainly be Karagounis’ swansong on the international stage, and he will be determined to make it special. And the word ‘’determined” perfectly sums up the Panathinaikos man as he wears his heart on his proverbial sleeve for both club and country.

Having played in all ten of Greece’s qualifying matches for the tournament; Greece will rely on their central midfielder to instill the values of Greece’s astonishing Euro 2004 win, a team that Karagounis was an integral part of.

Russia- Roman Pavlyuchenko

Taken from Zimbio

Four years ago, at Euro 2008, Roman Pavlyuchenko truly arrived on the international stage, as he helped Russia to a surprise semi-final place, in the process scoring three goals. Due to his excellent performances at the tournament, the Russian was signed by Tottenham for £14 million.

Now, with Russia being placed in a relatively easy group alongside the Czech Republic, Greece and co-hosts Poland, Pavlyuchenko has a great chance to help Russia to a quarter final, and maybe even a semi-final place.

The expectation is higher on the Lokomotiv Moscow this year, but with the likes of Andrey Arshavin and Yuri Zhirkov around him, he should impress again.

Czech Republic- Petr Cech

Taken from BBC

There can be no better way to enter a European tournament than to have just won the Champions League with your club side, and that’s exactly what the Czech Republic’s goalkeeper, Petr Cech has done with Chelsea.

The Czech’s may well look to Chelsea’s heroics for inspiration, as with an ageing squad, their chances of a semi-final appearance like the one they had in 2004, look slim.

But with Cech in goal, a man largely considered one of the world’s top five goalkeepers, and a group in which they look likely to progress from, you never know.

So who do you think will get through this group? Leave a comment as I’d be interested to know.

Written by Joshua Sodergren
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Liverpool: Managing Expectations

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Taken from Kop That

As with any Liverpool fan who has lived through the club’s glory years, the past two decades have, at times, been frustrating.

Winning league titles in the 70’s and 80’s became the norm, it was expected. But times have changed and other than for a few seasons under Rafa Benitez, challenging for the top honours have become a distant memory.

Liverpool FC is still a massive club though, with huge world wide support, so the ambition has not changed and indeed should not change: that being Champions has to be the target. What does differ in many people’s eyes though is the time that would take. Herein is the task of managing ambition against expectation with Liverpool.

Naturally, FSG and Liverpool fans want to be back in the top 4 immediately, but having being out of it for 3 seasons now, it’s not that easy to get back in unless you have the significant financial muscle of Man City.

A steady progress has to be the plan to sustainable success, especially after the number of changes the club has gone through over the past 2 years. Changing manager 3 times in 2 years is unprecedented in Liverpool’s rich history; this aligned with multiple boardroom and playing staff changes mean that a period of settlement and continuity is needed.

The appointment of Brendan Rogers as manager is a bold move, a gamble perhaps, but the time has come to stop looking back and instead, move forward. A highly regarded and ambitious coach, Rodgers has many admirers in the game. His achievement at not only getting Swansea promotion and then finishing mid table in their first Premier League campaign, but doing it playing pass and move football, caught the attention of many.

Rodgers... Bold appointment (Taken from Sky Sports)

That pass and move football is what Liverpool’s success was built on and the fans love to see, so Rodgers should at least tick that particular box. Certain members of the media have been critical of Liverpool fans ‘hounding out’ Roy Hodgson, just 6 months into his Anfield reign, but the style of play under him was one of the prominent reasons for fans disgruntlement at the time.

Though philosophy, ambition and Hodgson’s approach to the job of being Liverpool manager were other major sticking points with fans, results were also a problem and whilst Hodgson had difficulty connecting with Liverpool fans in the way that Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish could, results were also ultimately their undoing.

So, if Rodgers does implement the pass and move style, but has a difficult start to his tenure in terms of results, I hope everyone connected with the club stays with him.

One real plus point moving forward is the amount of emerging young talent: Robinson, Sterling, Coady, Flanagan, Kelly, Suso, Shelvey, Wisdom, Coates, Henderson and Pacheco offer the club a bright future. Mixed with established players such as Reina, Gerrard, Agger, Skrtel, Lucas, Johnson, Enrique, Downing, Carroll and Suarez, as well as any summer recruitments, mean that Rodgers will have a good squad to work with.

An improved commercial performance, including massively increased kit sponsor and manufacturer deals, along with the prospective plans to either expand Anfield or build a bigger stadium will give the club a stronger financial footing; something that is required in order to compete with the top clubs Europe.

Top to bottom now, the club is being built with the future in mind, but I think it’s important that we don’t expect that bright future to happen overnight. We need stability and progress if we are to achieve our ambitions, chopping and changing will only set us further back.

A top 4 finish next season would be great, but let’s be realistic, it will be very difficult, with many of the teams above us already strengthening.

However, it should be said that it is by no means impossible and would be the first step toward trying to achieve the ambitions of the club and fans alike…… One step at a time.

Written by Andy Wales
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Swansea: Brendan Rodgers- Good memories or Bitter taste?

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

What a week for Swansea City, a year on to the day from our Wembley triumph, tears (of joy) turn to fears.

This week has been hard to swallow, the reality of ‘our’ Brendan facing the world media at Anfield hit hard how deep our loss is and their gain will be, once again he was exceptionally polished with the media at the Liverpool press conference.

Rodgers, at his first press conference as Liverpool manager (Taken from Zimbio)

He will help to change the game of football in this country in a way that Arsene Wenger did in the late 90’s, Liverpool will provide the profile to achieve this, Swansea couldn’t. This studious Ulsterman insists that players rest in possession, only working in bursts with the ball, exerting their effort when they have lost the ball. His methods are unique in this country.

The triangles, the possession, the accuracy, the pace out wide, the control of the game are all hallmarks of our past two seasons, no club has enjoyed playing against us and have stated so. Their pain has been our joy.

Off the pitch his man management resembles Jose Mourinho who he worked under for a few years, most comment on the confidence he instills in their mentality and no former player has yet to criticise him.

In the boardroom it has been suggested that his actions represent the interest of the club ahead of himself. It was Brendan who suggested to the club that they tie him in for a three year contract, adding that a £5m compensation should be inserted and that he would leave the club some-time in the future and that the club should be rewarded accordingly.

This must be a world first and on a day when Paul Lambert simply storms out of Norwich leaving them with nothing, this again highlights the integrity of the man.

I have seen thousands of very critical comments towards him on Twitter and hope that this eases the pain, a pain that I too felt with my son @ejswans commenting as to ‘how could he do this to us’. A perspective is required.

His departure cannot be compared to that of Martinez, he believed that he had delivered us to our peak and left for one of the biggest clubs on earth, Martinez left us in the Championship for fortune and glory at a village team with a sugar daddy. Comparisons are delusional.

Rodgers and Martinez.... Circumstances regarding their departures incomparable. (Taken from Eurosport)

So who next? Laudrup, Di Matteo, Vialli, Bergkamp, Zola, Benitez? That’s my short list and in that order. Poyet would certainly make that list but having spoken to him a few days after his rejection from his previous application at Swansea, plus given his current position I believe we can eliminate him from this process.

All are foreign sadly but continuing with the rich vein of total football instilled in the fabric of the team and with the expectation of the Jackarmy.

Why Swansea? All of a sudden we have deep pockets, no debt as a premier league club, momentum, a young squad under long contracts, passionate fans that sell out and a vociferous away following. Can we survive in the Premier League? Absolutely. Can we prosper? The foundation is there and it now rests on Huw Jenkins finding another mercurial leader.

Our last four managers have progressed the club’s standing and their own personal careers at Swansea, change has become normal and the appointments to date under Huw Jenkins have been prudent and brave each time. Flynn, Jackett, Martinez, Sousa and Rodgers.

This is the biggest appointment of them all, we have a privileged position in this great league and I see no reason that with the right appointment why we can’t become the next Fulham or Stoke, the Jacks are here to stay and so are the hymns and arias.

Written by Alec Johnson
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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Holland

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Key Player: Robin Van Persie

Taken from The Guardian

Unbelievable with Arsenal this season. Top scorer in the Premier League, and managed to keep fit all year round. Plays second fiddle to Huntelaar for the national team, so he is usually deployed on the right.

Though not in his favoured position, Van Persie has scored 50 goals this season and is being heavily backed for the Golden Boot. In an attack with Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Robben and Huntelaar it is likely that Van Persie will want to combine and score many goals for his country.

One to Watch: Gregory Van Der Wiel

Taken from Eurosport

Has regularly been linked with Chelsea, Roma and Real Madrid. With a possible deal breaking summer for him, he'll be hoping to play better in order for him to force a move to a bigger team.

He's had a excellent season for Ajax and will be hoping to do more of the same with Holland. He primarily plays as a right-back but has been rarely used at centre-back.

Manager: Bert van Marwijk

Taken from ESPN FC

Lead Holland to World Cup final two years ago, despite losing though, he was offered a new deal that expires in 2016! Holland's FA are expecting him to reach the final again with the press constantly testing their manager to the limit.

His son-in-law is Dutch's ball winning midfielder Mark Van Bommel. He likes his team to play fast, free flowing, attacking football, and this should be demonstrated again this summer.

How Holland qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from Football QS

Holland won every game in there qualifying, except there last game, which they lost 3-2 to Sweden. Their qualifying was comfortable with only Sweden putting pressure on them. They also beat San Marino 11-0 at home.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
Follow me on Twitter @CainTalksFooty
Check out his wonderful blog, Euro 2012 Blogger

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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Italy

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Key Player: Antonio Cassano

Taken from Goal

Never got close to the squad when Lippi was manager, as he continuously picked many of the 2006 winners team. Regular under Prandelli, and repaid the manager's trust in him by scoring 6 goals in qualifying.

Not excelled for club and sometimes his fitness is questioned, but this could be a summer of goals and glory for Cassano.

One to Watch: Mario Balotelli

Taken from The Guardian

Recently been a voice on racism in Poland and Ukraine, who said in an interview, "If anyone throws a banana at me, I'll go to prison, because I'll kill them". Constantly at the centre of attention, usually for the wrong reasons, but when this man avoids this, he can be a deadly striker.

He scored 13 Premier League this season, and could really make or break Italy's summer.

Manager: Cesare Prandelli

Taken from Gay Games Blog

Took over from Lippi after a dreadful World Cup that saw Italy fail to get out of their group. He ditched the majority of the old guard to bring in players like Nocerino and Balotelli. He has brought back a sense of belief to the Italian camp, which had previously been lost under Lippi.

He's had full backing from players, ex-players, staff and even the Italian press on the lead up to Europe's most prestigious tournament. So he'll be hoping with all the support from everyone Italian and it seems, that he'll be able to restore Italy's chances in major tournaments to come.

How Italy qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from Forza Italian Football

Italy qualified unbeaten, and look to be a forced to be reckoned with. Won every home game and only drew two away, Serbia and Northern Ireland. Perhaps were light on the goal side, but their defense was impeccable. It's unlikely that many teams will want to play against the stallions. My tip for Euro success.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
Follow me on Twitter @CainTalksFooty
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Liverpool FC – Can they change their ways?

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Taken from Panoramio

For many years the particular strength of Liverpool Football Club was their insularity. The philosophy was to promote from within and rather like an exclusive gentleman’s club, you had to be invited to join or already known within a close knit circle.

This management strategy saw Liverpool enjoy a dominant period with great Managers like Bill Shankley and Bob Paisley, who served his apprenticeship at the club before being promoted to Manager.

Some of the Liverpool players became footballing legends and most never thought of going to any other club, so it was a return to traditional values when one of Liverpool’s greatest players, Kenny Dalglish, was re-appointed as manager for the second time around, but his relationship with the club ended on a sour note.

Liverpool had tried to evolve when they appointed Roy Hodgson, but rather like when Newcastle appointed Sam Allardyce, the supporters were not supportive of the attempted change in playing style in order to achieve results, resulting in both these managers spending a much shorter than expected period in charge.

A lot has changed off the pitch at Liverpool FC including a takeover at the club, so will their American owners take heed of the clubs traditional values and insular approach.

The simple answer is no, as results in recent seasons and an anticipated challenge for a long overdue league title have not materialised, the management appear to have abandoned the old way and in a show of strength, Kenny Dalglish was sacked due to poor results.

This action and the now subsequent appointment of Brendan Rodgers as the new Liverpool manager signals a new era at the club, where the board of directors are not willing to willing to let the history and past achievements of the club cloud the issues that needed addressing, mainly that Liverpool FC were being left behind by their Manchester and even some London rivals in many areas on and off the pitch.

The man chosen to lead Liverpool into a new era is Brendan Rodgers, a relatively young manager at 39 years old, he won a lot of plaudits for the style of play that he promoted with his team Swansea who comfortably survived their first season in the Premier League with a brand of football that you would expect an established and successful team to adopt, dominating possession and playing with confidence.

Rodgers... chosen to lead the Reds. (Taken from Sport-Africa)

This style of football and his refusal to deviate from the way he wanted his team to play even when results were not forthcoming, which they were not at the beginning of their campaign, demonstrated to the owners of Liverpool that Rodgers could be the man to take them forward.

The fact that he achieved success with Swansea with a squad perceived to be less talented than the one now at his disposal at Liverpool, only helped to cement the opinion that he was the right man for the job.

Will the fans take to their new man, especially as he is replacing one of their very own legends? Only time will provide the answer to that question, and it has to be hoped that the fans and the board show patience in allowing Brendan Rodgers to fulfil his plans to bring greater consistency and success back to Anfield.

At least he is more inclined to play the traditional Liverpool way of positive football than Roy Hodgson, who never got the chance to win over the fans, so perhaps Liverpool can finally change their ways and achieve more success in the future.

Written by Sam Harvey on behalf of Youwin

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Arsenal: Should Van Persie stay with the Gunners?

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:54:00 +0000

Taken from Ronaldo7

Last year, Arsenal lost two of their best midfielders in Nasri and Cesc Fabregas. Throughout this season many people have been whispering "will he or won't he?" with regards to Robin Van Persie staying in fear that he could also follow in their footsteps. It would truly be a travesty for the the club to lose two brilliant captains in consecutive seasons.

What kind of message would it send to Arsenal's rivals as the North London club tries to stay mentioned in the same breath as the upper echelon of football sides? Also what message would it send to a player like Lukas Podoski who joined Arsenal to play with someone of Van Persie's calibre?

There's no question that this past season, Van Persie had his best year on a personal level. This has coinscded with him staying fit for the entire campaign. He has scored an astronomical 37 goals in 47 appearances while notching 15 assists in the process.

Such impressive numbers have lead many football fans to cheekily label Arsenal a "one man club" further emphasising the gunner's dependency on him. Arsenal fans would rest easier if Van Persie, the individual was being touted as a "one man club" due to his unwavering loyalty.

What's really impressive about Van Persie's incredible season is that he has managed to fire past the large majority of the big teams. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, closest rivals Spurs and AC Milan felt the Dutchman's wrath. He has not been a flat track bully by any means. Van Persie has been crucial for Arsenal managing to finish third and Arsene Wenger will tell you the same.

However, pensive Arsenal fans continue to sweat as their hit man still has not signed a new contract. On the final day of the season when grilled by the interviewer about his intentions to stay, Van Persie's potent confessions of love for his club almost sounded like a goodbye for the most cynical.

Many of us thought this contract dilemma would have been settled weeks ago but there remains a significant cloud of uncertainty around Van Persie's future which is set to continue after the Euro.

The biggest question for me is: Should he stay after witnessing another dissapointing season on a collective level for Arsenal as the barren run of years without a trophy rumbles on?

In situations like this the famous phrase "the grass isn't always greener on the other side" gets thrown around easily. However, for Arsenal's previous three best players in Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry and Samir Nasri the opposite has been the case.

When Thierry left to Barcelona for a meagre £16 million he won everything one can possibly win at club football, securing seven trophies in just two seasons. He was also instrumental in the treble as he formed a devastating attack with the imperious Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o.

He finally got his hands of the elusive Champions League trophy, erasing disappointing memories of heart break that infamous night in Paris brought.

Cesc Fabregas has already won four trophies this season alone and was a Messi spot kick away from argubally winning the Champions League. Of course, many will say the trophies Cesc has won are not significant but everybody knows how hurt he was after losing out an a Carling Cup winners medal last season. This conveys how seriously he takes winning at club level.

Finally you have Samir Nasri. Many Arsenal fans start frothing uncontrollably by just hearing his name but the Frenchman has secured a Premier League title in his first season at City.

It wouldn't have been possible for him to do the same at Arsenal with their current squad. He's also done this while becoming a lot richer in the process and money always influences decisions to stay or leave a club.

Nasri holding the Premier League title. (Taken from the Daily Mirror)

Judging from these tales of Arsenal's three previous best players the grass certainly can be greener. I could even go back as far as Ashley Cole and talk about his achievements since leaving. Van Persie will no doubt be envious of his former team mates as he hasn't picked up a single trophy since 2004. There's also the money factor. Any club that will sign Van Persie would be willing to increase his wages substantially.

You also have the fact that a fair share of Arsenal fans, feeling saddened to have been left in limbo regarding their captain's decision, have been abusing Van Persie's official twitter page. Such disparaging remarks is hardly going to persuade Van Persie to sign a new contract but that's the nature of despondent football fans. The factors supporting Van Persie leaving seem quite convincing. So why exactly should he stay?

It's quite simple, his love for Arsenal, a team he allegedly grew up supporting. Ignoring a few disgruntled fans, Van Persie is very loved at the Emirates stadium. He's undoubtedly their most popular player since Cesc left. Go to any home match and see how many times his name is chanted if you need any proof. He also knows how much he owes his rise to the top to Arsene Wenger. W

ithout Wenger's belief in Van Persie's abilities the Dutchman would not be the world class player we see today. Van Persie has acknowledged this himself, most recently when he picked up his first PFA player of the year award. Wenger plucked him from almost obscurity for a minimal price of just £2.75 million.

In today's inflated market his value is likely to be around £60 million. The improvement has been staggering, almost matching Cristiano Ronaldo's growth under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The key problem for Van Persie is Arsenal are a few years away from being as good as the two big clubs of Manchester. He will also see how Chelsea have become the first London team to win the Champions League and feel further desolate about his personal lack of silverware. Chelsea have also recently purchased Eden Hazard for a potential fee of £78 million further illustrating ambition.

The Blues acquired a top prospect in Marko Marin a few weeks back and are likely to soon gain the services of Porto's Hulk. Van Persie knows that Arsenal can not match such clubs in the transfer market and the prudent Wenger will never be willing to break his back for quality players who are likely to attract astronomical transfer fees.

Just how far can Van Persie's love for Arsenal take him? Would Van Persie's loyalty see him as the new Francesco Totti? He was/is a world class player whose love for his club saw trophies pass him by year after year instead of making a move to a bigger club. This meant that he naturally never received the recognition he truly deserved.

Van Persie, at 28, is at the peak of his career. He's not getting any younger and the decision he makes could prove crucial in his quest for silverware. What decision do you think he should take?

Written by Chim Okeoma
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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Greece

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:26:00 +0000

Key Player: Georgios Samaras

Taken from Zimbio

Greek's primary source of goals for many years. Decent season with Celtic, however he failed to score many goals, something that has troubled him throughout his career. He was once a wonderkid, destined for great things, however, goals held him up, in his quest to be one of the best.

He is sometimes deployed on the left flank. He'll be hoping to pick up some important goals to help his country attempt to replicate their success of Euro 2004.

One to Watch: Kyriakos Papadopoulos

Taken from Sky Sports

This summer could really make this player's career. Constantly rated highly, after his move to Schalke. Papadopoulos has had an unbelievable season, and is looking to extend his good form with Schalke onto Euro 2012 with Greece.

Plays in the heart of the defence, and plays well in big games, much like the Greece team of 2004.

Manager: Fernando Santos

Taken from Zimbio

The Portuguese born manager, before his appointment, managed in the Greek league for AEK Athens twice, Panathinaikos and PAOK. Prior to his appointment he was named the Greek League - Coach of the Decade.

He has managed to build a solid team, which lets in few goals, however Greece have struggled to score, lacking creativity and proper fire-power.

How Greece qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from Bleacher Report

Greece qualified with ease, due to their excellent defending. They also didn't lose a game, despite having Croatia and Israel in there group. Though scoring was a problem, their tight defense let just 5 goals in, never conceding more then 1 goal per game.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Germany

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Key Player: Mesut Ozil

Taken from Sport 360

Fast, creative, industrious and filled with flare? That's Mesut Ozil. The man has been on top form for Real Madrid and Germany, racking up 5 goals and 7 assists in qualifying. Ozil's clever vision and great passing skills matched with hard work and being a team player, it is easy to say that Mesut Ozil is definitely world class.

Ozil has also had his best season domestically, being a pivotal figure for Mourinho's men, especially during the final third. He will want to use his determination and drive that steered his team Real Madrid towards success, with Germany this summer.

One to Watch: Lukas Podolski

Taken from the Guardian

Podolski has been Koln's shining star in an abysmal season for the relegated club. His consistent goal scoring record has landed himself a move to Champions League qualifiers Arsenal. He has also been a keen performer for Germany, often seen as a poacher out on the left.

Podolski scored in Germany's drubbing of England 4-1. He'll be hoping his form he has shown with Koln shows, not only for Germany's sake, but to show Wenger exactly why he spent close to £11million on this eccentric left winger.

Manager: Joachim Low

Taken from Yook Chen

Appointed in 2006, after Germany's World Cup campaign, which was held on their own turf, Germany have come close to winning a major tournament. They were finalists in the previous Euros in 2008.

Low has since ditched the old German guard to focus on bringing through the future of German players such as Hummels, Khedira, Ozil, Muller, Kroos and Gotze.

This is Low's third major tournament in his reign as Germany manager.

How Germany qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from UEFA

Germany were drawn in a group which consisted of Belgium, Turkey, Austria, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Germany won every game they played comfortably, scoring 34 goals and conceding just 7 goals.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
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Euro 2012 Final Stages: Team Preview- Group B

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Group B is arguably the hardest tournament with teams that have vast experience in this sort of tournament. I think it will be an incredible achievement to any team who gets out of this group, as they will definitely deserve it.

Group B teams: Netherlands – Denmark – Germany – Portugal

Taken from Stock Fresh

Netherlands

Taken from The Colombian Herald

The Netherlands have a very strong attacking team, what with the likes of van der Vaart, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt. However, their defence can be broken down if the opposing team play ‘proper football’ and not hoof the ball. They came top of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying group E with 27 points, beating San Marino 11-0 in the process.

Their main ‘keeper is Maarten Stekelenburg of AS Roma. He is a very consistent goalie, but he faces fierce competition from Michel Vorm (Swansea) and Tim Krul (Newcastle) who both have had fantastic seasons in the Barclays Premier League.

In defence, they have Everton custodian John Heitinga, who people know, is a solid defender. Alongside him in The Flying Dutchman's defence is PSV Eindhoven pair Wilfred Bouma and Jetro Willems.

In midfield, they have tough tackling World Cup runner-up Nigel De Jong, who plays his football at Manchester City. He will aim to break up play and dictate the pace of the game along with A.C Milan holding midfielder Mark van Bommel.

Wesley Sneijder has found it tough this season as Inter Milan fell way below expectations, which resulted in them finishing in 9th place in Serie A. He will want to transform his season around and build on the disappointment of losing the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, by winning the Euros, which I think they could, as their squad is promising.

Van der Vaart could prove pivotal in Holland's success. Barcelona youngster Ibrahim Afellay will want be eager to show what he can do, his quick pace will cause havoc with defenders, and their forwards such as van Persie, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Luuk De Jong and Arjen Robben will be looking to get on the end of the fierce crosses.

Robin van Persie will be looking to add to his already record breaking season with Arsenal, and Arjen Robben will be hoping to put the Champions League disappointment behind him and set Europe alight.

My prediction: Semi Finalists

Squad in Full

Goalkeepers: Maarten Stekelenburg (AS Roma), Michel Vorm (Swansea), Tim Krul (Newcastle).

Defenders: Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Malaga), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Wilfred Bouma (PSV Eindhoven), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Jetro Willems (PSV Eindhoven).

Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona), Mark van Bommel (AC Milan), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Stijn Schaars (Sporting Lisbon), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Kevin Strootman (PSV Eindhoven), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham).

Forwards: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke), Luuk de Jong (FC Twente), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Luciano Narsingh (Heerenveen), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich).

Denmark

Taken from Bleacher Report

Denmark have quite a strong and resolute squad, but could really struggle in this group. Thomas Sorensen is normally between the sticks for the Danes, but suffered a back injury in their Euro 2012 warm up game against Brazil, which they subsequently lost by 3 goals to 1.

Since then, Manchester United shot stopper Andres Lindergaard and Leicester ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel have become a part of the squad. Both are very good goalkeepers in my opinion, and they will do well in this summer’s tournament.

In defence, they have Liverpool man Daniel Agger, who I rate very highly, his all round play is superb, and he needs to be on form to halt the likes of Ronaldo and van Persie in their tracks. Full back Lars Jacobsen showed fans what he can do when he had a short spell at West Ham United, he will want to impress his critics.

In their midfield, they have Michael Silberbauer of Young Boys, who showed his class in their game against Tottenham in their Europa league game a couple of seasons ago. Silberbauer and William Kvist need to take control of the game and break up play as much as they can, to give Denmark as much breathing time as they need, and to disrupt the flow of play.

Wide man Christian Eriksen will want to support Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner in attack. If he doesn’t make bursting runs forward, they will really struggle.

My prediction: Last in the group.

Squad in Full

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City), Stephan Andersen (Evian), Anders Lindegaard (Manchester United).

Defenders: Simon Kjaer (Roma), Daniel Agger (Liverpool), Simon Poulsen (AZ Alkmaar), Lars Jacobsen (Copenhagen), Andreas Bjelland (Nordsjaelland), Jores Okore (Nordsjaelland), Daniel Wass (Evian).

Midfielders: Christian Poulsen (Evian), William Kvist (Stuttgart), Christian Eriksen (Ajax), Lasse Schone (NEC), Michael Silberbauer (Young Boys), Jakob Poulsen (Midtjylland), Thomas Kahlenberg (Evian), Niki Zimling (Club Brugge).

Forwards: Michael Krohn-Dehli (Brondby), Dennis Rommedahl (Brondby), Nicklas Bendtner (Sunderland), Nicklas Pedersen (Groningen), Tobias Mikkelsen (Nordsjaelland).

Germany

Taken from Fan Pop

Germany are a very, very strong side indeed, and they will go far in the Euros in Poland & Ukraine. In goal, they have Bayern Munchen number 1 Manuel Neuer, he showed his class against Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League final loss, and I believe he has the credentials to be the best ‘keeper in the world.

3 other Bayern players make up the defence, these being Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng and Phillip Lahm, this means they all understand each other’s game, and this can only consolidate their defence. They also have Benedict Howedes of Schalke, he is an amazing centre back, and will score a fair few goals for the Germans from set pieces.

In midfield, they have Real Madrid super kid Mesut Ozil, who will be eager to add to his impressive performances at the 2010 World Cup, which earned him a contract for the La Liga champions. Bastian Schweinsteiger will be looking to impress, also.

Mario Gomez is looking likely to lead the attack, after his goal scoring season for Bayern, scoring 13 goals in the Champions League. Newly signed Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will want to impress his new boss.

My prediction: Finalists

Squad in Full

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover).

Defenders: Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Jérôme Boateng (Bayern Munich), Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Özil (Real Madrid), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Mönchengladbach), André Schürrle (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund), İlkay Gündoğan (Borussia Dortmund).

Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Köln).

Portugal

Taken from Canada.com

Portugal are again strong contenders in this group, and Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to transfer his club form to the international stage. In goal is Eduardo who is at times a risky ‘keeper, but then again most are!

In front of him in defence is Fabio Coentrao, who has had an impressive season at Real Madrid. Pepe has also been solid this season, and will want to do well.

In midfield they will have Raul Meireles of Chelsea, who has disappointed me, and he will want to overcome his own disappointment of missing out on the Champions League final through suspension.

Nani and Ronaldo will be immense in this competition and will play some entertaining football.

My prediction: 3rd in group

Squad in Full

Goalkeepers: Eduardo (SL Benfica), Rui Patrício (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Beto (CFR 1907 Cluj).

Defenders: João Pereira (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid CF), Bruno Alves (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Rolando (FC Porto), Ricardo Costa (Valencia CF), Pepe (Real Madrid CF), Miguel Lopes (SC Braga).

Midfielders: Raúl Meireles (Chelsea FC), Miguel Veloso (Genoa CFC), João Moutinho (FC Porto), Rúben Micael (Real Zaragoza), Carlos Martins (Granada CF), Custódio (SC Braga).

Forwards: Nani (Manchester United FC), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF), Hugo Almeida (Beşiktaş JK), Ricardo Quaresma (Beşiktaş JK), Silvestre Varela (FC Porto), Hélder Postiga (Real Zaragoza), Nélson Oliveira (SL Benfica)

Written by Adam May
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Arsenal: Possible solutions to team's lack of creativity

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:50:00 +0000

A criticism labelled at Arsenal throughout the 2011/12 season, was the over reliance on Robin Van Persie to not only score goals, but to create chances for his team-mates.

With the signing of Lukas Podolski, Arsene Wenger has attempted to take some of the strain off the Dutchman’s shoulders – yet the lack of a true creative midfielder in the absence of Cesc Fabregas remains a thorn in Le Professeur’s proverbial backside.

The Problem

When it became apparent Cesc Fabregas was to become a focal point of Arsenal, the transition from a 4-4-2, to a 4-3-3 come 4-2-3-1 took place. The side was set up tactically, to give Cesc Fabregas ‘free-reign’ in attack.

Simply put, the team was built around the Spaniard, and everything went through him. Last summer, Cesc departed for the Nou Camp. This left a large hole in the tactical set up at the Emirates.

Fabregas... team was built around him which left a huge hole for the Gunners (Taken from Zimbio)

Despite it being widely considered that Mikel Arteta has been an astute signing; he is not Cesc Fabregas. Mikel Arteta is a deeper playmaker, whom keeps possession ticking over and controls games – whilst providing essential defensive cover when Alex Song goes roaming. Arteta has filled the role left by injury-ridden starlet Jack Wilshere.

Tomas Rosicky has provided creativity in the second-half of the season, but his work-rate is so much that he doesn’t feel comfortable having the team on his shoulders.

The Czech has had a remarkable turnaround, yet his age and susceptibility to injury means that a true, creative force has been lacking at the Emirates since the departure of el Capitan, Cesc Fabregas.

The Possible Solutions

Shinji Kagawa

Taken from Fan IQ

Whilst his Dortmund team-mate Mario Götze was the fan’s favoured choice to sign for Arsenal – a deal for the highly rated German seems very unlikely. His price tag would be far higher than £30 million, and the player himself seems very happy at Dortmund.

His teammate Shinji Kagawa is a different story, however. It is accepted that the Japanese sensation Kagawa is going to leave this summer – for the Premier League. With one year left on his contract, Shinji would command a fee of around £15 million. For a player of his ability; it’s a steal.

The man would not only fill in the creative role, feeding Van Persie and providing vital goals for himself, but could also fill out on either wing. The versatility of the Japanese playmaker makes a deal all the more enticing. It seems Manchester United have also taken a liking to the Bundesliga player of the season, so perhaps Shinji Kagawa isn’t a viable option for Arsenal.

Younes Belhanda

Taken from Chrono Foot

Alongside Olivier Giroud, Younes Belhanda is a player who has had his reputation increased the most after Montpellier’s shock Ligue 1 title victory. The Moroccan has alerted many of Europe’s top clubs with his dazzling dribbling and immaculate passing range.

Something that will have alerted Arsene Wenger’s attention is his great footballing intelligence. With 12 league goals and 4 assists – Belhanda could be another option.

Would the player want to leave? I’m unsure. After winning the title with Montpelier, perhaps the 22 year old will want to try his hand at the Champions League with MHSC – much like Eden Hazard.

Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that if he does leave next season, he doesn’t ‘troll’ fans like the Belgian.

Marvin Martin

Taken from Infos-Foot

The 5ft 7inch frame of Marvin Martin may not be described as intimidating. What is intimidating, especially to opposition players and supporters, is the ability of the young Frenchman. Being a traditional playmaker, Marvin is a player whom has been on Arsenal’s radar for a while.

Giles Grimandi warned that he needed more time in the French League a few years ago – and he’s had that now. Perhaps Marvin Martin could be the man to fill the void.

In 2010/11, Martin notched up an incredible 17 league assists, and could be vital to take the creative load off the Captain Robin Van Persie.

This season just gone was a lot quieter for Marvin Martin, so perhaps with him going slightly off the boil as it were; it could be a perfect time to pick him up on the cheap.

Robin Van Persie

Taken from Arsenal: The Offside

Van Persie is a player whom has never really been considered an out and out striker – until this season. He scored a remarkable amount of goals and was of course the Premier League golden boot winner, with 30 league goals.

German international Lukas Podolski could allow Van Persie to drop into a more natural creative role. Despite playing as a lone striker – the Dutchman managed 13 league assists, a remarkable feat.

Imagine how many assists he could conjure up as a creative player, a la Dennis Bergkamp?

Arsenal revert to a 4-4-2

The most interesting option would be a tactical rethink and reshuffle into a modern 4-4-2, similar to Manchester United. Van Persie could drop slightly deeper in a ‘Rooney role’, whilst Lukas Podolski or rumoured signing Olivier Giroud could slot the chances away.

With a strong midfield duo of Mikel Arteta and Alex Song providing a strong base, the wing play of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Gervinho could really come to the fore.

This is unlikely. Arsene Wenger realises the defensive mentality of his side is poor at the moment, so losing a midfielder could further reduce the stability of the side. The concept is interesting however, as Arsenal last won the Premier League with a flat 4-4-2 system.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, there are many different scenarios and ideas that can be drawn up when addressing the lack of creativity in the current Arsenal team. Theo Walcott and Gervinho also need to begin to create more from the wide areas.

There are other options that I haven’t even began to talk about in my piece – such as Marek Hamsik or Kaka, however, if I mentioned all of the options, this article would be far too long.

I hope I’ve given a decent range of options, and if there’s anything you want to discuss, don’t hesitate to contact me on twitter, I usually reply pretty quickly.

Written by Frankie Hobbs
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Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool: Right man for the job?

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Taken from What Culture

Brendan Rodgers was never favored over Roberto Martinez for the Liverpool job at any stage, after the announcement of Dalglish's departure from the Merseyside club. From initial reports of Kenny's sacking, people were certain the vacant position would be Martinez's for the taking.

Everything seemed to be in place, talks were taking place between Martinez and Liverpool and a deal seemed imminent. But then news emerged that Martinez, who had been offered the job no man could refuse, decided to stay put with Wigan. This left the door open for Brendan Rodgers

Who is Brendan Rodgers? What aspects of his career as a manager would create interest from a club like Liverpool? Rodgers started managing for Reading youths and then the Chelsea reserve team, but he then moved on to bigger things, beginning by managing to prevent Watford from relegation in 2008 after a cagey start to the season.

He then had a shaky season with Reading, but quickly rediscovered himself at Swansea. In 2010, Swansea decided to make a swoop for the Rodgers, and soon became a Swans hero leading them to promotion to the Premiership.

He led the Swans, a team who many people doubted, to 11th in the Premiership which is a great achievement for a manager who seemed to had lost his magic touch as a manager two years prior when he was at Reading. But its these great achievements of leading a club like Swansea to success which got him one of the most prestigious jobs in English football; managing Liverpool.

Rodgers, achieved success with Swansea. (Taken from Sky Sports)

His achievements can't be compared to those of the likes of Sir Alex or Arsene Wenger, but he hasn't been given a big chance to prove himself. What he did with Swansea was special getting them to success some fans could have only dreamed of. However, this is the real test.

Unlike at Swansea, there is a lot of pressure on him now at Liverpool. The Liverpool fans are in dire need of a new manager who can bring them back to glory days, and is Rodgers the right man? I think so.

He will be buzzing with confidence after a successful two seasons with Swansea and will be more than happy to have the opportunity that may put him down in English football history, as one of the great managers.

The pressures of managing Liverpool will be tough and he will sure as hell have his critics, but if he can keep his cool and re-unite his squad and bring a few fresh faces, there is no doubt that he will be able to bring Liverpool back to their winning ways.

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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: England

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Key Player: Steven Gerrard

Taken from Kop Talk

A pivotal man for club and country for years. Now at the age of 31, soon to be 32, is it a shock to you that I've picked Gerrard out? Ok, so the man's pace and stamina have dipped, he is still has a lethal shot, and can play a good pass.

He is also been pushed forward into the centre of 3 midfielders in a 4-2-3-1, to expand his strengths, something which previous England manager's failed to exploit. Also Gerrard can hit pinpoint free-kicks, which when performed right, can create chances for our towering defenders.

One to Watch: Alex Oxlade Chamberlain

Taken from ESPN FC

Eyebrows raised when Wenger splashed £12m on a young lad from Southampton. Now some would ask how did Wenger get Oxlade-Chamberlain so cheap? Wenger threw Oxlade-Chamberlain in the deep-end from the start; with performances against regular Champions League group stagers' Olympiakos, where he scored his first goal, as well as some brilliant games for England U21 team.

Gradually Chamberlain managed to move ahead of Arshavin in the pecking order at the Emirates, which resulted in him being loaned out. It was achievements like this which booked him a ticket to Wembley to play for the first team.

Despite his young age, Oxlade-Chamberlain has excelled at the top level, beating the likes of Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson to a place on the plane to Poland/Ukraine.

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Taken from The Sun

At the ripe old age of 64 years old, this is possibly Hodgson's last team he'll ever manage. Despite Harry Redknapp being massive favourite for the job when the vacancy appeared in February, after Capello walked following an argument with the FA.

Though he has never managed an England game, it is likely he'll play 5 across the midfield, with width being key, and playing one lone striker.

How England qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from Caught Offside

England began qualifying successfully winning their first 2 games scoring 7 goals. However there next 2 games at Wembley ended in draws to Switzerland and Montenegro.

Results after were wins, until England's last game, they played Montenegro, who had already surprised everyone by knowing they were at least going to get a play-off place, if they failed to win. England drew 2-2, which saw England finish unbeaten.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Key Player: Christian Eriksen

Taken from Eurosport

Danish Player of the Year this calendar year, after a flurry of good performances for both club and country. He was youngest player at World Cup 2010, but only made one sub appearance. Now, he is being scouted by Europe's top clubs, and is definitely one of Denmark's best players.

He may seem inexperienced, but has played in title battles, and has Champions League experience with Ajax. He is currently being watched by Arsenal, Inter Milan and Manchester United.

One to Watch: Dennis Rommedahl

Taken from The Power of Sport

Formerly of Charlton and Ajax. Despite now being 32, Rommedahl is still as pacy as ever. He is key to Nicklas Bendtner's goals, and will need to provide killer passes to him, like he did in qualifying.

Manager Morten Olsen, has said that Rommedahl and Eriksen will need to score more goals to take the heat off Bendtner.

He predominantly plays on the right of a front 3, behind Bendtner who plays in front of him, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, a formation which is proving very popular in this European Championship.

Manager: Morten Olsen

Taken from Eurosport

62 year old Olsen became manager way back in 2000. He is the longest serving manager at this Euros. However, after this tournament, patriotic Olsen will step down.

He landed 50 caps for Denmark. Olsen has already called upon Michael Laudrup to be the next manager. Olsen has taken the side to 3 major tournaments during his tenure.

How Denmark qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from Sporting Life

Denmark had a strong qualifying campaign, losing just one game, away at Portugal. They finished there group 1st, with strong results beating Portugal at home, and drawing away at Norway, and winning against them at home.

This will put them in a positive position to beat Portugal in the group stage.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett
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Liverpool: An Emotional Roller Coaster Of A Season

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Taken from Gambling Kingz

For Liverpool fans, 2011/12 was an emotional roller coaster of a season; with some ups, like winning the League Cup, but too many downs. In fact, far too many downs to normally cram into one season.

It was one that began with aspirations of challenging for a Champions League spot, but Liverpool’s league form has stuttered and ground to a halt to become a hugely disappointing Premier League campaign. The cup form has been something of a saving grace – winning the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup final.

Winning trophies is fantastic, it’s what football is all about, make no mistake about that. However, in modern football, success is not only measured by the trophies that you win, but also by what competitions you are in and how far you progress in them.

Nowadays, qualifying for the Champions League and going beyond the group phase is considered relative success; it’s where the big money that clubs need to compete is and it’s where top players want to be playing.

So for all that lifting the League Cup or FA Cup is an honour and a great day out for the fans and should rightly be celebrated, it cannot and must not paper over the cracks of a poor league performance.

As a Liverpool fan for 30 years, I’m lucky to have experienced many, many highs; winning league titles, European Cups, FA Cups, League Cups, the UEFA Cup and seen some great players. There’s also been heartache and times of disappointment along the way, but I support my club through good times and bad. I don’t subscribe to the modern disease of expecting instant success and the constant hiring and firing of managers.

However, it was clear to virtually all Liverpool fans that Roy Hodgson was not the right man for the manager’s job, nor was he ever. He took the team backwards at an alarming rate and his removal was not only necessary, it was overdue.

At that point, the club needed uniting and Kenny Dalglish was the perfect man for the job. The hope offered to the fans from the ownership change and Dalglish back in charge of the team brought everyone together and that was vital. Fortunes on the pitch improved and with the new owners prepared to back the manager financially, the summer was one of optimism.

Splashing out £16m on Jordan Henderson, £20m on Stewart Downing, £7m on Jose Enrique and £7m on Charlie Adam was seen as a signal of intent. As established Premier League players, an adjustment period to English football would not thought to be required, they were expected to settle in quickly.

Taken from Calvin Ayre

The return on the investment thus far has not been what anyone associated with the club would have hoped for, but Jordan Henderson is just 21 and has shown real signs of promise in the second half of the season when playing in central midfield.

Stewart Downing had a less than brilliant first season at Aston Villa, before going on to become their most consistent performer and was man of the match in the League Cup Final. Jose Enrique had a very good first half of the season, but was sloppy and over indulgent on the ball in the second half of the season as his form dipped.

Charlie Adam was brought in after an impressive stint with Blackpool to try and fill the void still left by the departure of Xabi Alonso in 2009, but instead his lack of defensive awareness and tendency to not release early passes, created more questions than answers.

Liverpool’s opening day fixture was at home to Sunderland, who themselves had been busy again in the summer. It was a match that became the story of Liverpool’s season – Luis Suarez missed a penalty, the woodwork was struck more than once, easy chances missed and a goal given away.

So, a game that should’ve been over comfortably before half time and finished up a 4 or 5 goal win ended as a draw.Too often this season, it has happened at Anfield: Liverpool dominate, fail to convert chances, hit the woodwork and end up drawing games they should’ve won. It’s this poor home record that has wiped out any hope of qualifying for a Champions League place.

Suarez's reaction after missing his penalty vs Sunderland... Season changer (Taken from the Telegraph)

As well as the constant changing of formations and bringing players in and out of the team, playing some out of position has not helped the fluidity and confidence of the side.

Had Andy Carroll’s perfectly good goal against Sunderland on the opening day not been wrongly ruled out, perhaps his season may have been different; but when he did start to show some form early 2012 after a difficult spell, he was dropped back to the bench.

Whether or not Carroll has a long term future at the club remains to be seen, but has shown that when his confidence is up, he is an effective player. The £35m price tag around his neck is a heavy burden, not one of his own making, but still one that he has to carry and comes under more scrutiny for it.

Downing was another with a big price tag, who started the season quite well and his partnership with Enrique was looking good, but he struggled for form when switched to the right and in turn, wingers having to cut inside onto their strongest foot starved Carroll of the kind of service he thrived on at Newcastle.

Not playing to players strengths has certainly not helped the cause and this goes without getting into the controversial Suarez and Evra saga that undoubtedly had an adverse effect.

The controversial Suarez-Evra incident, cast an adverse effect on the Reds' season (Taken from Espacio Deportes)

It can be easy to lambast players for underperforming and missing sitters, but the inconsistent team performances went deeper than that. Team and formation changes were too regular, questions were asked of match preparations with utterly lamentable performances against Spurs, Wigan and Bolton in particular.

Clearly, improvement was needed from all the Liverpool Football Club staff. That being said, the sacking of Kenny Dalglish came as a surprise because despite the disappointments of the season, a trophy was still a long way from the mess that Dalglish had to repair from the debacle that was Roy Hodgson’s short lived tenure as manager.

Most fans felt that Kenny deserved another season to be given the opportunity to improve the league position and performances, to try and get the club back into the Champions League positions.

As rollercoasters go, 2011/12 was the big dipper for Liverpool fans; with all the changes within the club, fans will be hoping 2012/13 is more plane sailing.

Written by Andy Wales
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Liverpool: The Cycle of a Confused Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:40:00 +0000

Taken from CNN

With Pep Guardiola and Roberto Martinez in the frame for the coaching role at Liverpool, a fan can only sit back and watch as it unfolds.

At first it was George Gillet and Tom Hicks. Now John Henry is failing us, or at least that’s the dominant chronicle of a Liverpool fan. Confidence in the clubs American owners is at a record low, and it seems like owner John Henry has been struggling with halfhearted ratings since he sacked club legend – Kenny Dalglish as manager. Based on the immediate social media rant carried out on the Liverpool media platforms, one cannot count the number of people that trust Henry, even discreetly.

Having recently named a new Chief Commercial Officer (Billy Hogan) and director of corporate relations and communications (Jen Chang), one will except nothing less than top four finish for the club next season!

But what do they have to do with football? They are the operational staff. The club will not be able to achieve it’s true potential if it does not have a manager; one that the club can trust and have confidence in. Kenny Dalglish was that person who not only had the poise of the club but the millions of supporters all over the world. Why wouldn’t he? He was and is Liverpool.

Till they manage to fill in the role that Dalglish was not “able” to hold on to, each individual supporter’s vengeance will always remain. Somewhat similar to what the Manchester United fans went through a few years ago and to some point today with their American owner – Malcolm Irving Glazer. Additionally, the statement from the clubs Managing Director (Ian Ayre) does not help the cause either.

"The Carling Cup and The FA Cup don’t generate the revenue and the success that is needed to keep investing. If you want to be successful, you have got to keep investing. People don’t want to hear that football is a business. They want to see us put lots of money into the football team and win lots of trophies and games.

But you have got to have both. You have got to have continued progress in the league. If you don’t do well in the league and you don’t get into the Champions League, you are writing cheques from your own pocket, aren’t you? That is not a sustainable way going forward…"

Ayre is talking from a business perspective, and hence would make sense to someone who understands the principle of how a business works.

But Mr. Ayre, you can’t just shout these words out loud.

Taken from Sulekha

A Liverpool fan could give a rat’s behind to what you have in mind. I am quite sure due diligence was done prior to the new owners taking over the club. And this would not have been based on a 2-year plan.

We need to see results on the pitch and so do you, but we also grasp the history that exists with Liverpool FC. It was not created in a few years time. It took time, consisted of a lot of faith and conviction, and definitely involved a love for football.

But I do respect the work that is done by John Henry and team philanthropically. Has given a lot back to the community; both locally and internationally.

At the end of the day, I am with me and the rest of the Liverpool faithful. The only answer to bad leadership is better leadership.

And, yes, maybe we will get that LFC fan crusade through associations like ThisisAnfield that will help throw the incompetent out.

Taken from First Post

But coming to think about it, then again to turn their heap of passions into constructive transformation, leaders will have to arise. And hence, this cycle will continue.

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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Czech Republic

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Key Player: Tomas Rosicky

Taken from Zimbio

Rosicky, in recent seasons, has struggled with injury. However, this last 1/3 of the season he has been a real key man for Arsenal, with a vital goal in Arsenal's win over Spurs. Also, anyone who watched Euro 2004, will remember his eye-catching performances.

The 'Little Mozart' has often claimed he would love to see a future where Czech Republic can compete for World Cups and European Championships.

One to Watch: Petr Jiracek

Taken from Super Sport

Jiracek is an up and coming young talent, who has been quoted by Petr Cech saying, "He is a hard-working and versatile player who can cover a lot of ground during matches". He has been an in-form player this season for Wolfsburg, and has become a first team regular.

His incredible passing skills are matched with cool, composure. He often plays behind Rosicky, and will try to thread balls to him and Baros.

Manager: Michal Bilek

Taken from Green Scene

Former player, who won the 1990 World Cup Player of the Tournament! He is 46 years old, and got his job after coming through the backroom.

On the back end of last year, there were huge pleas for Bilek to step down, after a string of poor results, however, he decided to ditch his 4-2-2-2 formation and move to the modern 4-2-3-1, to fit key players Rosicky and Plasil in the team.

How Czech Republic qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from UEFA

Czech Republic started off there Euro 2012 group stage, with a disappointing result, losing 1-0 at home to Lithuania. Then some more atrocious results saw the manager's future in jeopardy. He quickly changed the tactics to fit the team better.

They finished 2nd behind Spain, to qualify they had to win in the Play Offs. They drew Montenegro, who had been an impressive team in England's group. Their first leg was at home, which they won 2-0, putting them in a good position to qualify. Away in the second leg, they once again prevailed, 1-0.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Written by Cain O'Bennett

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Euro 2012 Nation Profile: Croatia

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Throughout and before the start of this year's European Championship held in Poland/Ukraine, Euro 2012 blogger Cain O'Bennett will be providing a profile of each participating nation on O-Posts, starting with Croatia. We hope it's to your satisfaction and that you enjoy the coverage.

Key Player: Luka Modric

Taken from My Football Facts

This man has been the backbone for Spurs all season, his exquisite passing and quick movement has been applauded by top clubs.

This has left Modric vying for Champions League football, however, Spurs have failed to qualify for the prestigious tournament, so questions marks arise as to whether Modric will leave this summer.

Modric is set to play in the centre of a midfield for Croatia.

One to Watch: Nikica Jelavic

Taken from Zimbio

Joined Everton in January this year for a fee of around £6m. Since joining the Toffees, Jelavic has scored 9 goals in 13 games. He finished as Everton's top scorer, after his move from Rangers.

He is likely to be starting for Croatia this summer, and will be hoping to continue his goalscoring form into Euro 2012.

Manager: Slaven Bilic

Taken from the Guardian

Bilic is 43 years old. He was given the Croatia national team manager job in 2006. When a footballer, Bilic played for many clubs, including West Ham and Everton.

After this Euro 2012 campaign, Slaven Bilic will step down, to join Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow as manager.

How Croatia qualified for Euro 2012

Taken from Daily T-Portal

Croatia finished 2nd in the group, and consequently had to go through a play off to qualify. They drew Turkey. The first leg was played in Istanbul, Turkey, Croatia won 3-0, making there job much easier to qualify. The second leg was played at home for Croatia, the game finished in a stalemate 0-0.

Likely Line Up for Opening Game

Pletikosa

Lovren Simunic

Corluka Pranjic

Srna Modric Kranjcar

Rakitic

Olic Jelavic

Written by Cain O'Bennett
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Penalty Shootouts: Should it be wiped away from football?

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:16:00 +0000

Drogba with the winning penalty in the Champions League final (Taken from the Wall Street Journal)

It is one of the most anticipated moments in football, yet also one of the most the most feared. One of the most climactic moments, yet potentially one of the most disappointing. One of the most emphatic moments, but only if you’re not an England fan.

That’s right; I’m talking about penalty shoot-outs.

The penalty shootout was formally introduced in June 1970, although there had been variants of the modern shootout used before (the Copa Italia, the Yugoslav Cup, and even a silver medal playoff game in the Bolivarian Games).

It was first used in an English game in the Watney Cup, between Manchester United and Hull City. Hull’s keeper Ian McKechnie hit his shot over, giving United the first ever penalty win.

The European Championship was the first major international tournament to use the penalty shootout; Czechoslovakia and West Germany faced off in 1976, with the Czech winning 5-3, after a 2-2 draw AET.

The penalty has since been etched into English and International Cups. Liverpool’s 3-2 penalty win over Cardiff in February was the 3rd penalty shootout in the competition since 2001. Both Italy and Brazil have won World Cup’s on penalties, and 9 separate Champion League Finals have been decided by spotkicks.

So what is the appeal of penalties? They’re perhaps the most suspenseful part of football. Thousands, if not millions of people wait with baited breath for one person with the world on his shoulders to send the ball into the net from 12 yards.

They’re also dreaded, yet expected, with 2 minutes to go of extra time and the score still tied. They’re extremely unpredictable, as we’ve seen over and over again.

The most recent example I can think of is APOEL, Champion League minnows from Cyprus, who beat French champions Lyon in a penalty shootout. You can never tell who’s going to win a penalty shootout. The mental battle between goalkeeper and player is something so delicate, yet so influential.

So as you can see by my little rant in the last paragraph, penalties are wicked (in layman’s terms). But are they wicked enough to keep?

Despite the popularity of penalties in the modern game, there is a growing anti-penalty movement among the masses. Various solutions are being thrown forward, and even FIFA has attempted some alternatives in order to get rid of the penalty shootout.

“Golden Goals” and “Silver Goals” were tried in the late 90’s and the early ‘00s, but however have since dropped dramatically in popularity: normal extra-time is apparently more liked among the masses.

South Korea's Ahn celebrating his "Golden Goal" against Italy in the 2002 World Cup (Taken from the Telegraph)

Other alternatives have been proposed, such as ADG (Attacker Defender Goalkeeper), Crossbar Challenges, or even deciding the game based on the amount of possession, corners, shots on goal, or even having the referee decide the winner of the game (Bad news for whose ever team has Joey Barton on it). But are these as good or better than what we already have?

When I started writing this, I wanted to talk about how I’d rather a different method than penalty shootouts.

However, after watching the penalty shootout between Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final, I’ve realized that, when it comes down to it, nothing beats the exhilaration of watching Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the post: Well, maybe that’s just cause I’m English.

And besides, Sepp Blatter may want an alternative to penalties in football; but everybody in football wants an alternative to Sepp Blatter anyway.

Written by Cormac O'Brien
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Nick Powell: Crewe's prodigy signs off to something special

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:14:00 +0000

"Certainly Dario does not underestimate this lad's talent. He's got natural ability and Dario said, in his view, there is no reason why Nick cannot play at the highest level of league football."

"I think he's one of the best there has been"- John Bowler 28/05/2012

Powell with Gradi holding the League One Young Player of the Year award (Taken from BBC)

These were the words of the chairman of Crewe Alexandra only a day after he proudly watched his club triumph over Cheltenham Town in the grand setting of Wembley stadium on the sun soaked afternoon of Sunday to climb back into League One following a three year absence.

He was of course, singling out the precautious talent of Nick Powell on which to lavish the almightiest of praise in these parts; Dean Ashton, Neil Lennon, Danny Murphy, Geoff Thomas, Seth Johnson and Rob Jones are some of the names on the honour roll of Crewe academy graduates that Powell has now joined and to be called the best is a statement that becomes more sensible with every passing performance that borders on the sensational.

It was following the script of true footballing irony that Powell should wake from his relative slumber of a few sluggish performances in recent weeks to mark the most gorgeous of settings with a goal of divine beauty, good enough to grace any level and to fire the club that made him subject of a reported £4 million deal with Manchester United, back into the third tier.

It was almost like his calling to arms, his Simba Lion King moment if you will, this was his stage and he seized it with unerring aplomb.

In the searing heat, with the game still in the disorganisation of its youth with just a quarter hour gone, he picked up the ball with his back to goal, swivelled to the right with a feint and unleashed an emphatic howitzer past Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown with his left foot from 20 yards.

It was a scramble of elation amongst Crewe fans in the opposite side of the ground as they could barely believe what had just took place and whilst numerous replays were beamed to the world through the modicum of Sky Sports cameras, it began to sunk in that what had occurred was something truly special.

It is important not to dwell on the goal too much with Powell, a fantastic team effort saw them double the lead and enjoy the ecstasy of the post-match celebrations, but it was also a culmination of a campaign that has been littered with a series of wonderful moments from a player that before only two months ago, was just a mere 17 year old.

Powell celebrating his goal vs Cheltenham (Taken from the Telegraph)

Crewe’s remarkable journey from 18th in early November to promotion in May hasn’t just been the fruits of a change of manager, but the rise to the fore of Powell from unconvincing teenager to talismanic genius.

A steady introduction was the philosophy of Dario Gradi, bearing way for a few unconvincing performances from the bench last season whilst an impressive showing for England under 17s in the European Championships in the summer followed, scoring against France and leading England to the semi-finals.

However, this season started slowly again for Powell, his inexperience showed in the clearest form as he was sent off at Shrewsbury for an over-spill of frustration in a game where his team were slipping to a fifth straight defeat.

There were sporadic glimpses of his talent, a wonderful goal away at AFC Wimbledon, a clever performance away at Cheltenham, but the extent of his restraint was illustrated when Gradi chose to bench Powell in favour of a youth team game when his final match came in a devastating 0-3 home loss to Torquay, a transient example of Dario’s misguided faith in matters below the first team that were hindering the club.

His successor, Steve Davis, immediately turned to Powell, installing him as a figurehead and was duly rewarded with a stunning strike against Morecambe to spark a late comeback to secure a win in the manager’s first league game.

He hit a 25 yarder to win the game against Hereford a week later as the turnaround began in earnest, a solo-demolition of Bristol Rovers contributed to the League Two Player of the Month award for December and so the attention started to drift in.

10 goals later, including the spectacular effort at Wembley that sought promotion, and he is the most wanted young talent in the Football League, with the general consensus being he will be Manchester United’s first signing of a transitional summer where they aim to win back English football’s greatest prize.

Sweeping all before him at Crewe’s end of season awards, including goal of the season for a stunning effort away at Gillingham that only a perusal of YouTube can do justice, the words have long since railed to reach hyperbole when describing the attacking midfielder who hit 16 goals for the season to fire his team to promotion in his debut year.

From one watch of his performances which have attracted scores of scouts and even David Moyes and Alex Ferguson to the regular season’s last game with Aldershot, the most glorious conclusion that this player, at the logic defying age of 17-18, can emblazon his potential to reach the very summit of his trade can be drawn.

As England’s national team set off on a voyage of pragmatic, low-risk football a night earlier, the great hope that Powell can be at the forefront of the next generation of technically gifted ingenuity is still very much alive.

Armed with the most audacious of skills and technique and also a marvellous attitude that seems him diligently track back to help out the defensive phase of play, Powell is the complete package; that England youth level teams use him in a Paul Scholes style deep-lying central midfield role rather than the free-attacking midfield role he is more accustomed to with his club is best suggestive of the versatility that he possesses, unbelievably, at the ripest of ages.

Taken from EADT 24

The immaturity that saw the red card against Shrewsbury or the resulting accusations from sections of support that he believed his own hype too much to make it to any degree of success have been kicked out of the atmosphere with more conviction than what he hit his Wembley goal, all within a space of eight months, it has been a progression at a fair rate of knots.

A few subdued performances in recent weeks as Crewe negotiated the play-off process were consigned to the history books as an unwelcome anomaly as he took to centre stage so majestically on Sunday afternoon.

There may have been a feeling that his show culminated in an 80th minute substitution that could mark his last action on the pitch for his boyhood club as the vultures begin to circle the sky for this special talent. Though his last act off the pitch may have been lifting the play-off trophy and celebrating with his team-mates, like he said he would do, and there is no fate more deserving for Powell than that.

For the final was his season in microcosm; showcasing his ability to assist the club to victories that earned this awesome conclusion. There will be no bitter feeling if Powell was to leave this coming summer, only well-wishers as he has exceeded the expectation level and smashed it to smithereens.

Pick any Crewe fan and he could exhume plaudits and trawl compliments off the register to Powell all night, but as mentioned earlier, there is no verb fitting enough left to use when describing his contribution, they have all been exercised enough.

Written by Adam Gray

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Arsenal: Possible New Formation To Accommodate Potential New Signings

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Taken from the Metro

Good day faithful gooners, hope we are all enjoying the "air of uncertainties" surrounding our club this summer? This article takes a look at the formation Le Boss employed last season and tries to project what formation he could use next season with some of the players constantly linked with us.

Last season saw many changes in the Arsenal squad and also a change in formation. The exit of Fabregas and Na$ri, the drubbing at OT saw the influx of players into the team by the end of August. May I point out that when 5 or 6 players are brought into a team, there has to be an accommodating formation that follows suit.

Now to the formation: We employed a 4-2-3-1. Our backline was pretty much constant with Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny and Gibbs making up the back four. The cover ups did well except when Mertesacker's lack of pace was exposed against Norwich and other games, but his aerial presence helped a lot against the up-enders like Stoke (Song was to blame for their goal though). Andre Santos, when called upon, also did well especially in the games against Chelsea and West Brom where his goals were vital.

The midfield composed of Song-Arteta-Rosicky/Aaron Ramsey-Gervinho-Theo Walcott. The holding role was interchanged between Song and Arteta, Arteta excelled well in that holding role as we couldn’t win more than a game without him in the side.

Arteta.... excelled last season. (Taken from The Sun)

Rosicky's form improved from the Tottenham's game which also saw the dip in form of Ramsey with Gervinho and Theo completing the quintet. RVP led the attack. With some of the players linked with us, here's my own formation for next season; 4-3-1-2- Sagna-Kosc-Verm-Gibbs. Our backline remains the same with Szczesny in goal. If Vertonghen signs then him, Per, Santos and Djourou would be excellent back-ups.

The midfield is where the work is. It looks like a diamond but isn’t, Yann (potentially), Song and Arteta make up the three in the middle. Yann does the dirty work while Song and Arteta push forward. Rosicky is the one behind two strikers, he fills the hole behind them. RVP and Podolski will be the two strikers.

M'Vila.... responsible with the dirty work. (Taken from The Premier League Owl)

If in the eventuality that this doesn’t work, we could revert back to our 4-2-3-1 formation with Arteta dropping to the bench, Gervinho and Walcott coming into the sides and the bench would be like this; Fabianski (I don’t think he is going to leave), Vertonghen, Arteta, Podolski, Giroud, Ox and Per.

I'm sure the gaffer would have a big headache picking his team like it has been for me.

That’s it from me, later.

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It's official: Eden Hazard signs for..... Chelsea!

noreply@blogger.com (oalmasri) — Mon, 28 May 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Taken from The Shed End

Chelsea have signed Belgian winger Eden Hazard from Ligue 1 side Lille, the player confirmed via his Twitter page.

After hours of waiting, Hazard sent the tweet saying he will join the "champions of Europe". Before May the 19th, Hazard may well have chosen a different destination.

Regardless of who is managing the west London club come August, the idea of Hazard playing in Chelsea's attack alongside the likes of Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, and new Chelsea signing Marko Marin, sounds mouthwatering.

One of Chelsea's main problems last season was their reliance on Juan Mata for creativity, and his form was slightly on and off. Now with Hazard on board, Chelsea have one of Europe's most phenomenal talents, who many are tipping to be one of the best young talents since Lionel Messi.

In fact, due to Hazard's wide range of abilities that include incredible dribbling skills and excellent shot accuracy, it could be argued that Chelsea can build their squad around the Belgian for the next 10 years, he's simply that good. Plus, as Hazard's only 21, he has plenty of time to improve and adjust to the Premier League's high tempo.

The arrival of Hazard is not only great for Chelsea, but also good for the Premier League. Some have claimed that due to players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta plying their trade in La Liga, the Premier League doesn't have as many world class players as the Spanish equivalent has.

Now with Hazard in the league, it's possible that either this year or in the coming years, the Premier League may boast the world's best player again, like they did when Ronaldo was at Manchester United.

Chelsea have signed a truly magnificent player and his potential is nearly limitless. If Hazard plays as well as he has done for Lille in the past two seasons, the Premier League crown may very well be coming to west London once again.

Also, in case you have not yet had the privilege of seeing Hazard in action, here’s a YouTube clip.

Written by Joshua Sodergren
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