Here are a few stories that I read over the weekend that might spark some debate.
David Bond has a story in which he details CONCACAF’s President Jack Warner response to the growing ticket scandal. It seems to me that Warner’s reaction is a strong indication that he no longer feels protected and has been flushed out.
Jack Warner is now suing. In the words of the late great Mr. Roy Orbison it seems that we have a severe case of “Running Scared”. This is from the CONCACAF website. (Surprisingly I could not find a way to order tickets).
I stand to be corrected on this but if my memory does serve me correctly then the red herring in this move is the filing of the lawsuit in Switzerland. There was a simllar suit against Andrew Jennings after his expose of the Olympic movement and in particular the old Fascist Juan Antonio Samaranch. In Swiss law you can be found guilty of defamation if you look sideways at someone - ok an exagerration but you get my drift. However, Swiss court decisions are about as intimidating as their navy. If Warner was serious he would have filed someplace else. And I don't believe he has to file in Switzerland just because FIFA is based there.
The English press is working overtime ahead of a BBC Panorama broadcast into kickbacks and bungs in the English game. This article focuses on a payment made during Harry Rednapp’s time at Southampton.
Nick Harris has some more background on the player at the centre of the Southampton investigation.
Nick Szczepanik describes Portsmouth central defender Linvoy Primus’ journey from the bottom to the top. Primus is one of these players that you would mark down as making the absolute most of the talent he has been given. Any other players in the Premiership that you think might fit the bill?
Natasha Woods writes about Queen’s Park, a team that remains dedicated to playing for the enjoyment of the game without consideration of money.
And finally a few random thoughts on the Manchester United and Arsenal game.
Adebayor’s goal – and Ronaldo’s grotesque error – may have won the game for the Gunners, but Jens Lehmann’s save from Solksjaer just seconds later, certainly saved the full points for Arsenal.
John Djourou and Kolo Toure were outstanding at the heart of the Arsenal defense.
Wenger opted to play Adebayor as a lone striker – a role I thought he filled very well – and packed the midfield with five players. It freed Fabregas to push further forward and United never found a way to shut him down.
The 4-5-1formation allowed Arsenal to dominate possession for large parts of the game but I never sensed that SAF made any changes to counteract the extra Arsenal player in midfield. United seemed quite happy to allow Arsenal the ball perhaps believing that the Gunners would continue their poor performances in front of goal.
By the time Arsenal scored, it was too late to make any telling change. There just seemed to be too many United players who put in average-at-best performances. Despite his mistake, Ronaldo was the only United player to pose a consistent threat over the 90 minutes.
Why would you spend over $30M on Michael Carrick and leave him on the bench for a game that, if won, could have put a stake through the heart of your fiercest challenger over the last decade?
Tomas Rosicky is slowly but surely adapting to the Premiership and Arsenal’s style. He is going to be a Premiership star before the end of this season.
It must have warmed the hearts of Arsenal fans to see patista running at the united defense with power and conviction when he came on late in the game.
Daniel Finkelstein “The Fink Tank” on the Cole – Gallas swap and statistically which club got the best deal.
Mihir Bose on the West Ham Argentine transfer “coup” in last Thursday's Daily Telegraph. Bose wrote the definitive book on the aborted Sky takeover of Manchester United - "Manchester Unlimited".
Some more details on the upcoming “Panorama” program to be broadcast in the UK concerning corruption.
Neil Clark has a story in The Independent about Argentine clubs selling the rights to players to businesses.
Meanwhile Nick Townsend takes a bit of a different view.
Is Crouch one of the world’s great strikers as 11 goals in 14 England games would seem to indicate? Or is it a case of an awkward forward riding an international hot streak and that his ratio of slightly better than 2 goals in every 7 Premiership is a fairer reflection of his true worth?
Here is a list of the top 100 Premiership goalscorers to the end of August 2006. Crouch’s stats have inserted at the relevant level even though he has yet to break-in to the top 100 club. (The number attached to each player is their position in the all-time goals list as opposed to their goals to games ratio).
Serbia and Montenegro a side that rarely looked capable of getting a goal after going 1-0 down to the Netherlands.
Iranian goalkeeper Mirzapour and centre back Rezaei who teamed up to gift Mexico a go-ahead goal that turned out to be the winner.
Angola’s 2005 player of the year Jamba who saw Luis Figo breeze passed him to set up Pauleta for the only game of the game after only four minutes.
FIFA – the British investigative program Panorama turned their attention to bribery allegations involving the bankrupt company ISL and “payments” allegedly made to officials of soccer’s world governing body over a period of 20 years.
It was a good day for….
Arjen Robben whose pace and running caused the Serbian and Montenegrin defense no end of problems.
Mexico’s Coach Ricardo Lavople – his double half time substitution paid off - eventually.
Mexican striker Omar Bravo who notched two in typical goal poaching style.
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