This is an article from last Sunday that I did not come upon until later on Monday. Rod Little on what appears to be an escalating financial crisis that has the potential to decimate clubs in the Football League.
It’s not only the Premiership that is a magnet for wealthy owners. The same thing has been happening in the Israeli league for the last few years and here is another takeover.
National team coach linked with Scottish coaching position. It's not Bruce Arena and it's not the national team job either. The Arena story detailing his supposed interest in the Scotland job must go down as one of the stupidest soccer stories of the year.
Is it just me or does this declaration of success not seem a bit premature given that there have been no contentious calls?
The Canadian Soccer Association said that would have a new staff person in place before the end of the year. With a job posting just up this week the only way that they can hit their self-imposed deadline is if a fix is in. It is not the first that they have failed to come though on a promise – talk about not getting it.
A look at the worst British transfers of all time. You do not get a prize for guessing the top two. Any that you care to add.?
Early this week on The Times podcast Bill Edgar pointed out that excluding games between each other Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United had only lost four games at home over the last two and a bit seasons.
That got me thinking and I thought it might be interesting to go back to the 2003/04 season (the start of the Abramovich era) and look at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United’s performances over four and a bit seasons.
During that time they have played 336 Premiership matches at home. They have collectively won 236 games (70%) drawn 76 (23%) and lost 24 (7%). But of the 24 losses, 14 have come from games between one and other leaving the other Premiership sides with only 10 away wins in the remaining 284 games – 4%. Only eight clubs have won at Highbury/Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Anfield or Old Trafford.
The list comprises of West Ham at Arsenal 05/06 and 06/07, Bolton at Chelsea 03/04, Boro and Fulham at United 03/04, Blackburn Rovers 05/06, West Ham 06/07, and at Liverpool, Southampton and Charlton 03/04, Birmingham 04/05.
Sharpening the focus to head2head clashes brought forward the following information. There have been 52 games involving these teams and each team has played 26 games. Chelsea have the best performance.
Team Home points Away points Total
Chelsea 24 20 44 Man Utd 24 17 41 Arsenal 23 13 36 Liverpool 15 6 21
With Grand Slam Sunday only hours away the statistic that sticks out is Liverpool’s performance. The maximum points Liverpool have taken in a season against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have been six – 2003/04 and last season.
What’s more – confirmed with the help of the blog’s trusty Liverpool fans – is that Liverpool have failed to take a single point in the last nine away games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Their best home performance over the same period was six picked up courtesy of two home wins against Chelsea and Arsenal.
After Sunday’s game against Manchester United, Liverpool have to travel to the grounds of their three closest rivals during the remainder of the season.
If Liverpool are to mount a challenge for the Premiership title this season then it would appear almost impossible to do so without improving their record against the other three and in particular away from the friendly confines of Anfield. In the 26 head to head matches since 03/04 Liverpool has 6 wins, 3 draws and 17 losses.
Other head2head stats – the most points picked up in the four-team series in a season since 03/04 was 15 by Chelsea in 2005/06. A clean of away fixtures has not been achieved in that time but two teams managed the feat at home – Chelsea and Manchester United both did it in the 2005/06 season and neither conceded a goal.
In the 52 games since 03/04 there have been five scoreless draws. That’s higher than we see over a season but considering the tension and what is usually at stake it gives hope that Sunday will not only brings thrills and controversy but goals as well.
Of course Sunday’s action will be preceded by the FIFA Club World Cup in Yokohama, Japan. Not unexpectedly the tournament has failed again to garner worldwide interest - my understanding is that in the UK the game is not being broadcast – but surely no self respecting fan can pass up the chance to watch the world’s most successful clubs?
According to Champions magazine Milan and Boca Juniors will go into Sunday’s match having won 17 international titles each – the world’s most successful club sides. Neither side hit full stride in winning their semi final match by one goal but there is no doubt that both teams want to be acclaimed World Champions.
Well let's get the excuse out of the way first. The referee's decision on the penalty was a shocker. Almost everyone will agree with that.
However, by any measure the US did not deserve to qualify for the last sixteen.
To state the bloody obvious, the USA let in too many goals and scored far too few.
Teams that make the last sixteen do not let in five first half goals in three games. Nor do they only score one goal (yes I know it was two but the other was an own goal) and none in a second half.
No doubt Bruce Arena will be the lightning rod for the early exit but I think we have to go deeper and look at the players performances. The 4-5-1 never clicked but when the USA switched to a couple of players up front, the USA still didn't create many chances.
How many players are going to come away from this tournament with enhanced reputations?
Maybe Jimmy Conrad who played competently, perhaps Clint Dempsey who was one of the few players who looked comfortable on the ball, and Brian McBride who always gives an honest effort.
After that's it's slim-pickings.
Onyewu is very raw and without a solid central defense you have nothing to build on.
The midfield was too slow in the build up and when the USA got into the last third can anyone recount a defense splitting pass over the three games?
Donovan, Beasley, Convey contributed little. As it stands the USA is not a team that can go out and dominate another side of any quality for large stretches o####ame. Again can anyone point to any periods of the three games where the US dominated play and created chances.
The next step in the evolution of the US game must be to produce a truly creative midfielder.
Two bad goals to conceed actually three bad goals.
Rather than beating about the bush I think that Reyna going off is a positive. He is a very good player but his strength is slowing the game down and spreading the play - for Man City in the Premiership his is a great strength because of the frantic pace of the game there.
At this World Cup it has been to the detriment of the US. The US has some quick players but when Reyna slows the game down it allows the opposition to regroup and the advantage in a change of possession is lost.
If it was a penalty should the referee not have sent Onyewu off? Last man back? I think there are a lot of people questioning the penalty call but who can honestly say that they don't hold their breathe everytime the ball goes close to the big centre back?
I think there are goals left in this game.
The Italians are doing their bit - now it is up to the US.
Arena has to get a players or players forward to support McBride.
Without a threat over the top the Ghana defense can't be kept "honest".
The US team was more balanced than against the Czech Republic – particularly when they had 11 men on the park. Dempsey looked comfortable on the right and Donovan and Convey settled quickly.
It was a typical Italian start. Absorb pressure, bend but do not break and then take the first chance on offer. I thought the American defense was too high on the free kick and gave Gilardino far too much room to move into.
The momentum switched for a third time with the Zaccardo own goal. A poor piece of work from the Italian defender. Then seconds later De Rossi got a straight red card for something that you would be arrested for if you did it in public. Absolutely deserved.
My thoughts as we approached half time was that Mastroeni was going to be a key player in the 2nd half to make sure that the Italians didn’t catch the US on the break.
The red card he got was the worst decision of the day by far. Yellow yes – red, no way. A slide tackle no lunge, not over the ball – a very poor decision.
The third red card of the day saw Pope sent off. It should have been a yellow card, which meant he was going to go anyway. It certainly did not warrant a straight red.
Arena did a good job of shuffling his players and Conrad plugged a big hole at centre back. At the time, I thought it a bit odd going with a back four when you only had another four outfield players but it worked out.
Beasley’s disallowed goal I would have to say the referee got right. It looked from the TV angle as if McBride was blocking Buffon’s view.
The US players ran themselves into the ground and they achieved a glorious result.
Man of the Match – It could have been one on five or six players but I am going for Carlos Bocanegra. He won tackles; he got up and down the wing and had a thoroughly good game.
Added thought - I have tried to avoid mentioning the announcers but…….there was 20 minutes left with tension rising by the second and we heard about Lippi’s son and the Italian scandal. If you cannot convey something about the game at that stage in a game can you please just be quite? It was such an absolutely pointless piece of information.
Bruce Arena rolls the dice. If O'Brien and Johnson for Mastroeni and Cherundolo doesn't work then this one could turn ugly. Three at back could back fire but the game is lost at the moment anyway.
The Czech's are going to be quite happy to hold the ball and to wait for a chance. Poor marking from USA on a free kick and it could have so easily been 3.
The US has a tempo to their game unfortunately it is a slow tempo. They are never going to break down the Czech defense playing at this pace.
An hour gone and there is nothing to indicate the USA can comeback in this one. The Czech's are very comfortable. Every third USA pass is a chip - it is a complete waste of possession.
In the space of one minute we see the difference. Convey has a chance that he chips into the box only to have it intercepted. Nedved in a similar position, finds Lokvenc, and creates a half-chance.
It looks as if both sides have opted for a 4-5-1. Bruce Arena has made sure he has got some real pace in the line up with Convey, Donovan, and Beasley.
Key match-ups; Onyewu vs. Koller; McBride vs. Ujfalusi; Nedved vs. Mastroeni; Reyna vs. Rosicky; Convey or Beasley vs. Grygera
We are off. Beasley lines up on the right side which puts him up against a very left footed Jankulovski. A showing a few nerves by conceding a number of early free kicks. They need to settle down asap.
Onyewu - yellow card, a card as early as this will be a problem. Koller scores. Lewis caught out of position that frees up Grygera and he plays in a fantastic cross that Koller can't fail to score from. A bad and costly mistake.
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
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