On New Year’s Eve, all sorts of paper is tossed about recklessly, guests make as much noise as possible in celebration and hosts are called upon to deliver toasts and serve more cheap champagne.  Thirty-one evenings later, all sorts of paper is tossed about, fans make as much noise as possible in celebration (or protest) and club chairmen are called upon to address the media, half drunk on Dom Perignon.

The fans actually fall into three groups:  those who wonder how their gaffer could let that player go for any amount of money, especially with their season on the line, those who can’t believe they got said player at any price, we’re in like flint now surely, and, of course, Arsenal supporters.

So, if you fall into the last group, please read this article instead.

For the rest of you, here’s a completely biased, unscientific analysis of the ten clubs which had the most impact, positive or negative, during the January window.

10.  Ligue 1 — Okay, so it’s cheating to squeeze 20 clubs into the first spot but the French top flight pulled a virtual Arsenal in January.  A league that regularly sells off its top talent whenever the big clubs come calling, Marouane Chamakh, Karim Benzema, Hatim Ben Arfa being just the most recent of a list which goes back decades and includes the likes of Zidane, Ronaldhino and Franck Ribery, is conspicuously absent when Stephane Sessignon and Dieumerci Mbokani are the biggest names to leave.  When players like Moussa Sow and Yann M’Vila were rumoured to be drawing intense interest, it’s difficult to believe their clubs stood pat.

Of course, Ligue 1 is enjoying its most tightly contested title in some time, with 7 clubs still within 9 points of each other atop the table.  With so little margin for error, leaders Lille can be forgiven for hanging on to M’Vila and Rennes, in fourth, have need of Sow.  It’s true that PSG sit second but Sessignon had made his remaining with the club untenable and Monaco, despite being in the heat of a relegation battle, had no use for Mbokani.

Giampaolo, why are you making that angry face? I wrote to Santa and he promised that, after Christmas, we'd both be in Milan!

nn9.  Sampdoria — The Blucerchiati made an early start on throwing their season away.  In October, hot-tempered winger Antonio Cassano refused to attend an awards ceremony in his honour, with club Chairman Riccardo Garrone, at the last moment.  A spat ensued, in which it was revealed that Garrone’s temper set the mercury soaring even higher than Cassano’s.  The boss went before a Lega Calcio board to have the player’s contract rescinded, wanting to be rid of the troublesome star, even if it meant he’d see no return.  The board generously declined his request and Sampdoria were able to ‘persuade’AC Milan to pay half the €5 million outstanding from Samp’s purchase of Cassano from Real Madrid, the entire debt itself likely half what the Azzurri flanker is worth.

Garrone then followed that up by selling his 19-goal scorer, Giampaolo Pazzini to Inter for €12 million.  Not much to get for one of the most dynamic attacking partnerships in Serie A.  Worse when the replacements are unproven Kiko Macheda, on loan from Man United and only 19, and Massimo Maccarone, unwanted at Middlesbrough, unable to keep Siena in the top flight and unimpressive (2 goals) in 18 appearances with Palermo.

8.  Wolfsburg — Neither of the past two Bundesliga champions, Bayern or Wolfsburg, did well in the January window.  Bayern, 14 points behind BVB with 14 matches to play, let their captain, Mark van Bommel, go to Milan on a free transfer and sent tiring defender Martin Demichelis to relegation battlers Malaga, in La Liga.  The only significant player new to the lineup was Arjen Robben, finally back from a World Cup injury.  His first contribution to the Rekordmeister cause was to get in a dustup with Thomas Müller, on the pitch, when the youngster called him out for sailing a howler into the stands.

Wolfsburg suffered a far bigger loss.  Edin Dzeko flew the coup for 28 million of Sheikh Mansour’s euros.  The Bosnian striker was replaced by the aforementioned Dieumerci Mbokani.  The club did spend some more of the Abu Dhabi money on Turkish midfielder, Tuncay Sunli, late of Stoke City, at the deadline.  That’s akin to trading your prime rib for peanut butter and jelly, though.

7.  Real Madrid — Things are not going very well for Jose Mourinho at Real.  Los Meringues are a distant second to Barcelona in what, with all due respect to Villareal, Valencia and Atletico Madrid, is a two team league.  What’s more, the club’s Argentine General manager, Jorge Valdano, is one of two people in the world who think they know better than the Special One when it comes to running the club.  Worse, the other is President Florentino Perez, who has yet to step in to defuse the situation.  Meanwhile Mourinho continues to drop hints to the press that he will be heading to England in the summer; the same type of hints he dropped about moving to the Spanish capital before Inter won the Champions League.

With Karim Benzema less than impressive and Gonzalo Higuain suffering from a herniated disc in his back, Mourinho had to beg and plead for a striker to be brought in.  When the window opened, Dzeko was available.  Instead, the club suddenly developed a conservative streak, waiting to sign Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Man City.  The result?  Both Benzema and Adebayor were ineffective as Los Blancos were blanked 1-0 by lowly Osasuna, falling 7 points adrift of Barça.

Mourinho has likely already bought his tickets for Heathrow.  It’s cheaper when you make reservations ahead of time.

This is an outrage! I keep spending more money than anyone and I can't even get the club to first place on this infidel's stupid list!

nn6.  Manchester City — When are seven strikers not enough?  When you’re Sheikh Mansour and Edin Dzeko can be had for the loose change in your spare dishdasha, that’s when.  To be fair, City did clean house a little, even if it was after they welcomed the former Wolfsburg talisman.  Roque Santa Cruz was loaned back to Blackburn, Wayne Bridge went to West Ham and Adebayor headed to Real.  Still, if all three of those loans are made permanent, the receipts are unlikely to cancel out the Bosnian’s cost.

5.  Inter Milan — Two transfer windows ago, Inter were champions of Europe.  Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived.  Jose Mourinho went to Madrid and Rafa Benitez came on board, to prove that, similar to Jorge Valdano, he knew how to run Inter better than the Portuguese.  Only, he couldn’t.

So, after sitting out the summer window, Massimo Moratti got busy as soon as the winter break began.  His first deal wasn’t for a player but a new coach.  Leonardo took over and the Nerrazzurri began playing with both more freedom and success than they had under the former Liverpool boss.  Since then, two new acquisitions have come through the door.  Giampaolo Pazzini joined from Sampdoria and promptly potted a brace in a 3-2 win over Palermo.  Then, at the deadline, they brought in Asian Cup champion Yuto Nagatomo, on loan from Cesena.

Still the Scudetto holders are 9 points off the pace and their dealings pale in comparison to those of…

4.  AC Milan — If there were only 30 days in January, the Rossoneri would have a case for claiming the number one spot on this list.  Having picked up Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Kevin-Prince Boateng in the summer, they soon reclaimed their familiar haunt on top of the Serie A table.  They were far from the finished product, however.

In the winter, Adriano Galliani went a good ways to accomplishing that.  The disinterested Ronaldhino was sent home to Flamengo for €8 million.  Antonio Cassano was purchased from Sampdoria for €2.5 million, to replace him.  Ka-ching!  Ring up the profit.  Mark van Bommel exchanged the red and white of Bayern for the red and black of Milan.  More importantly to Galliani, no money was exchanged in the transaction.  Ka-ching!  Has Gianluca Zambrotta pulled up lame at left back?  No problem, we’ll sign Didac Vila from Espanyol and Urby Emmanuelson from Ajax for a combined €4.4 million.  Ka-Ching, ka-ching!  Then, at the deadline, we’ll bring in veteran centre back Nicola Legrottaglie from Juve on loan.  All told, that leaves just over a €1 million left over from the sale of Ronaldhino.  Ka-ching!

Luciano Moggi may have been the master of the Italian transfer window but Galliani is an honours student, set to graduate summa cum laude, after turning Milan into a strong balanced squad, capable of both taking the lead and keeping it.

David Luiz: They always pick the goal scorers first!

mm3.  Chelsea — Despite the intricate machinations of the two clubs flanking them in this list, the transfer period would have been rather blasé had Roman Abramovich not woken up last Friday and decided he missed the old days.  If he hadn’t picked up the phone and told Bruce Buck that they were buying Fernando Torres, I’d be in bed asleep instead of writing this.  No worries, sleep is very overrated.

I was scratching my head, though, over why the Russian billionaire would fork out $50 million for a world-class striker, one struggling with his form, to boot, when what the club truly needed was a centre back who would make the Stamford Bridge faithful forget Ricardo Carvalho.  At which point, Abramovich hit redial and said, “I almost forgot, Bruce.  Get on the horn to Benfica and tell the Iberians we’ll give them the €25 million for David Luiz.”

2.  Aston Villa — Don’t think the Premier League is still the biggest and baddest league in all the world, no matter what Pep Guardiola has in his toolbox?  Well, when relegation battling sides go out and spend £20 million or so for Premier League Golden boot winners, there’s the proof in the pudding.  Bottom sides in other leagues don’t buy.  They borrow or sell.  Aston Villa, however, were all over the place in January.  If someone was available, they made an offer.  Yet, it wasn’t until they began checking on players not listed in the want ads that they hit the jackpot.  When I saw the headlines that Randy Lerner had broken the bank for Darren Bent, my first reaction was to check the date and confirm that it wasn’t April Fools Day.

Needless to say, Sunderland were not exactly pleased to do business, although their hand was forced.  On the other hand, you can’t say Villa weren’t sympathetic.  To show there were no hard feelings, they sent trouble-making midfielder Stephen Ireland to the Black Cats’Geordie rivals, Newcastle.  As well as Bent, Villa pried Jean Makoun away from a very reluctant Olymique Lyonnais and rescued Michael Bradley, USMNT holding mid and coach’s son, from floundering Borussia Mönchengladbach.  To make room, Steve Sidwell was sold to Fulham and John Carew lent to Stoke, where he may risk more than being called stupid, should he decide to speak out against Tony Pulis.

To think that Martin O’Neill left the club because Randy Lerner was unwilling to make moves in the transfer market!

Are you sure you don't want a meat pie, Linda? Damien will be happy to get it.

1.  Liverpool — Duh!  You didn’t expect anyone else to take the top spot did you?  On the weekends, I sit on the couch, pigging out on corn chips and roast beef sandwiches.  John Henry goes out and tells everyone on Merseyside that he’s in this for the long haul:

“Kenny, Damien, good to see you both.  I know it’s an FA Cup weekend but thanks for coming in.  It’s gonna be a working weekend.

Fernando Torres has some doubts about where the club is heading?  He thinks he might have a better chance of winning trophies at another club?  Chelsea, even?  No problem.  Let’s sell him and get some guys in here that will be gung-ho to wear the shirt.  What about that bucktoothed Uruguayan that hates to lose so much, he’ll play goalkeeper, if need be?  He bites opponents when they get too close, too, doesn’t he?  That’s what I call enthusiasm!

And what about that big kid in Newcastle?  The one with the long hair, who scores goals and likes a good ruckus.  If he’s good enough for the England team, he’s good enough for us.  Send a car for him, though.  I saw on Sky that someone torched his ride.

Take care of that will you, Kenny?  Thanks.

Damien, get me another cuppa, will you?  This one’s too weak.  When you’re done, ring up Konchesky’s mum and tell her to stop calling me.  Kenny’s sending him off to Nottingham Forest.  There’s a good lad.

Linda’s right.  Anfield is a wonderful place.”

While the rest of Europe sends their players home to spend time with their families, reconnect with the real world, allow niggling aches and injuries to heal, contemplate their performance to date and return in January refreshed, the UK prefers to torture its footballers by demanding they forego the holiday fun, put in extra training sessions and cram in twice as many matches as they’re used.  For the managers, the stress is all in the mind, as they must try to keep their players fit (touch wood), put out a competitive line-up, keep an eye on who might be available in the coming transfer window and pray that the weather lets them get all their matches in, lest the club spend the next two months playing catch-up with those who did.  Supporters worry about all of these things, being powerless to affect any, and often spend more time in front of the computer and television than they do in front of the Christmas tree.  There is so much nail-biting going on that chemists usually find themselves overstocked on emery boards every holiday period.

"Just when I thought we were out of relegation, they pull me back in!"

For people like me, it’s great fun watching clubs rise and fall in the table, imagining the shifting emotions of managers such as Avram Grant, Roberto Martinez and Tony Pulis as their clubs record a massive result, leap several places in the table and then watch their idle rivals go out the next day and pull them back down.  Michael Corleone knew the turmoil of being a football manager, even if that was never his destiny.

As the fixtures have played out, WFC has brought you a daily record of the ups and downs, along with two tables comparing each clubs’position at the beginning and end of each match day.  That record wouldn’t be complete without an overview showing where each club stood when they entered the gauntlet on Boxing Day and came out again on Wednesday, 5 January.  They did all come out, didn’t they?  Roberto Di Matteo isn’t quite sure.

Let’s take a look…

First Place

Manchester United — United sent their usual message to the Arsenals and Man Cities (Whither hast thou gone, Chelsea?) that they will be difficult to knock off the top perch in the Premier League.  Dimitar Berbatov carried his form into the opening pair of matches and Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Nani took it from there.  The only slip up was a late equaliser from Birmingham, at St. Andrews, such incidents becoming too prevalent this season.  Still, it’s hard to argue against 10 points from a possible 12.  – Grade: A

Second Place

Manchester City — Champions-in-waiting or cowardly pretenders?  That’s the question when it comes to the Citizens.  They started off the holidays in celebratory fashion with a combined 7-1 score in wins over Toon and Villa, then slowed down to a 1-0 victory over Blackpool, which, to be fair, was down to profligacy rather than reticence.  Against the Gunners, they came to a complete stop, however, grinding out a 0-0 draw at the Emirates and refusing to test their array of talent against one of their chief competitors.  It is one thing to be disciplined at the back, it is another to be afraid to take your chances when they come and there were a handful in this match, all of which went to waste for lack of support.  Like United, they took 10 of 12 points but, having induced the Gunners to wear themselves out against a stone wall for 60 minutes, they should have gone for a perfect 12. – Grade: A-

Third Place

Arsenal — When Roberto Mancini rationalises his ultra conservative approach to big league matches, he points to the Gunners as proof of his method.  Arsene Wenger’s side play open attacking football, whether they face a Champions League side or a non-league FA Cup side.  That strategy did not change over the Christmas break and it paid off for them, at last, against a withering Chelsea but failed them against a resistant Wigan.  The late draw against the 10-man Latics could have been avoided without parking the bus, though, if the Gunners could only learn to defend better on set-pieces.  Most sides would relish 8 points from this string of 4 matches but for Arsenal, it caused them to drop off the pace set by the Mancunians. – Grade:  B+

Fourth Place

Tottenham — Spurs have long been Arsenal’s true derby opponent, always trying to out do their more storied rivals.  This year they signed defender William Gallas away from the Gunners, not the first time they’ve done that, but, ironically, it’s in attack where they’ve really pushed the game of one-upmanship.  If there’s anyone in the league more likely than Arsene Wenger to throw caution to the winds and the kitchen sink at the other guy, it’s Harry Redknapp.  The ‘lads’all play for him, as well, nearly hitting the perfecta themselves, over the break, stopped at the last by a determined Toffees side.  Worse than the dropped points was Gareth Bale’s sudden exit, due to a back injury.  Redknapp is praying it won’t be the Rio-curring variety. – Grade:  A-

Fifth Place

Chelsea — Usually, at this time of year, the headlines read ‘Chelsea Roll On’or ‘Blues Steamroll Opponents.’ This season, though, the steel-toed boot is on the other foot.  The Bridge is out and the tender, Carlo Ancelotti, is in danger of being washed under.  The club took hope from a 1-0 win over Bolton, after the humiliation at the Emirates, but a 3-3 draw with a goal conceded at the death against Villa, followed by a loss at Molineux to bottom feeding Wolves have left the Blues with one win in nine matches.  There are three weeks remaining in the transfer window.  If the Italian can’t recharge his magic eyebrow and rejuvenate the squad in half that time, don’t expect Roman Abramovich to let matters regress any further. – Grade:  D-

Sixth Place

Sunderland — The holiday crunch’s reputation is for brutality but sometimes it can be subtle in its approach.  On Christmas Day, the Black Cats were in sixth place and had a very down and up run through to the new year.  The Boxing Day matches saw them lay down for United, as Steve Bruce teams typically do, and follow that with a 2-goal loss to Blackpool.  The New Year’s games were a different story altogether, as Sunderland hammered Rovers at the Stadium of Light and then upstaged Villa to sneak another three points.  Yet despite only taking half the points on offer they managed to close within a result of a Champions League berth. – Grade:  B-

Seventh Place

Bolton — If you think the Black Cats were lucky, Owen Coyle’s Wanderers trumped them easily.  The Trotters barely matched Chelsea, with 4 points in 4 games, yet didn’t take a tumble in the table at all.  They remain in the same seventh position they were in on Christmas Day.  Their only joy was a Boxing Day victory over WBA.  Afterwards, it was colourful losses to the Reds and Blues, with 2 dropped points in a disappointing draw with Wigan.  At the end of the year, should Bolton slip, they may point to other factors but failure to take a few more points over the holidays may cost them a place in Europe. – Grade:  C

Eighth Place

Newcastle — While the Trotters wasted the opportunity to move up in the table, the Magpies had to fight for all they were worth just to maintain their 8th place over the Christmas break.  The first half of their run was against City and Spurs, both in the top four, and it went as you might predict, two defeats.  In the second pair of matches, though, they were able to meet their foes on more level terms and took advantage.  They were dominant at the DW Stadium but could only manage a 1 goal win but all that frustration of missed chances was taken out on West Ham, at St. James Park, where Toon exploded for 5 goals, led by third choice striker Leon Best’s trifecta.  Yet when you look at the results in a different light, you see the difference between having Chris Hughton at the helm, rather than Alan Pardew.  The former might have found a way to nick a result from those first two contests and then where would Newcastle be? – Grade:  C+

Ninth Place

Blackburn — Since 6-10 November, when they beat Wigan and Newcastle, Rovers have alternated winning and losing as though the squad’s performance was modeled after a strobe light.  That’s under both Sam Allardyce and Steve Kean.  I’m sure, however, that neither man wants to see that type of consistency, or is it inconsistency?  The more I think about it, the more I need a tylenol.  Kean, being more attached to the problem, might be wishing for something stronger.  The last victory, over a hopeless Liverpool side, has done the trick of at least momentarily raising them back into the top half off the table.  A nice little run on the other side of the FA Cup weekend may put a stop to all the why-did-the-chicken-farmers-buy-the-football-club jokes going around. – Grade:  B

Tenth Place

Stoke City — Tony Pulis made excellent use of the 6 points the Potters were able to carry out of their holiday run.  The two wins, including one over the Rovers side just ahead of him, pushed the hard-nosed side into the top ten as the new year gets underway.  Had it not been for Nani, a famous point over United might have seen Stoke to a more equitable displacement with Blackburn but it will be a point of pride that Pulis gave Fergie a run for his money. – Grade:  B

Eleventh Place

Everton — Even when David Moyes struggles, he does it at the right time.  Liverpool’s second club have not had the best of season’s but their failures have been eclipsed by those taking place in the red side of town.  The Toffees moved up the table, despite playing only three matches, where most endured 4, and, as usual, Moyes was able to do as he always does, finishing on a positive note, with a 2-1 win over Spurs.  That he did so without Tim Cahill and with straw man Louis Saha just reconfirms his ability to get the most out of his limited resources. – Grade:  B-

Twelfth Place

Liverpool — Everything I just said about David Moyes does not apply to Roy Hodgson.  No matter what the diminutive Londoner does at Anfield he keeps coming up short.  Defeat is becoming the norm and former champions are developing a losing mentality.  It really is difficult to believe that Hodgson is not the man being handed notice today.  The Reds also were limited to 3 matches over the break and, truth be told, only took one less point than their Stanley Park neighbours.  Yet, where Everton scrapped for every minute of every match and moved up the table, Liverpool languished and sank back into the bottom half.  NESV were correct in not moving before they were sure of their situation but the time to act has come. Hodgson is not the way forward and change must be effected. – Grade: D-

Thirteenth Place

Blackpool — Bloomfield Road’s lack of turf heating saved the Seasiders from playing a match against revenge minded Liverpool, on Boxing Day, which, had it not gone well, might have drastically changed the season’s outlook for both clubs.  Yet, Blackpool’s 3 points from 3 matches and its accompanying drop in the standings, played out more as a tragedy than did Liverpool’s comedy of errors.  A strong start, with a 2-0 win over Sunderland, was rebuffed by a flattering 0-1 result at Man City, where they were simply outclassed.  The third match was heartbreak, though, as Birmingham’s Scott Dann stole a victory at the death, when a point might have been more deserved.  Blackpool still have the look of a club that can stay up but the bottom of the table was very strong in December.  It may take a higher than usual total to survive the drop in 2011. – Grade D+

Fourteenth Place

Fulham — As I just mentioned, the bottom half of the table had a very good end to 2010.  Thus, the final seven places are all within two points of one another.  After a horrid start, on Boxing Day, where they were humbled by an evermore confident West Ham, Fulham stormed back, beating Stoke too easily at the Britannica, losing a hard-fought match to Spurs and then confirming their ascendancy with a 3-0 battering of a broken West Brom.  Mark Hughes knows the climb isn’t complete, though, until they put some distance between themselves and the bottom three. – Grade:  B-

Fifteenth Place

Birmingham — The Blues ended the holiday rush one place further from the drop but also one point closer to it.  You can bet a shrewd Scot like Alex McLeish doesn’t like that trade one bit.  It could have been much worse, however, as Scott Dann’s late game-winner at Bloomfield Road effectively saved them from being second bottom.  To borrow ESPN’s World Cup slogan, one goal changes everything! – Grade:  B

Sixteenth Place

West Bromwich Albion — The Baggies are in the midst of a woeful run that began before the holidays.  They’ve dropped their last 6 games, a figure matched by the number of centre halves they’ve lost to injury.  Add to that the drop in Peter Odemwingie’s form and it’s easy to see why West Brom were the only side to take absolutely no joy from the holiday fixtures.  If any team needed to be active in the January window, it’s the Black Country side, but Chairman Jeremy Peace is not known for being too quick to open his cheque book. – Grade:  F

Seventeenth Place

Wolverhampton Wanderers — At the beginning of the season, Wolves had the look of a team on the up, with some strong, if not flashy, signings.  Then Karl Henry’s apprenticeship at the Nigel De Jong Dojo of Defense knocked the entire club on its back.  While the consistency isn’t there, evidenced by losses to relegation rivals Wigan and West Ham, Mick McCarthy’s side displayed a renewed confidence with wins over Chelsea and Liverpool.  Then again, that may just be an indication of how far the two Champions League enemies have fallen in such a short time.   Having lifted themselves off the Premier League mat, Wolves are actively seeking to acquire some help to stay on their feet.  Both Villa’s Steve Sidwell and Spurs’Robbie Keane are rumoured targets. – Grade:  B

Eighteenth Place

Aston Villa — Admittedly, Villa didn’t have an easy Christmas schedule, with Tottenham, Man City, Chelsea and Sunderland on the schedule.  Still, a single point from that quartet of matches is just not good enough.  Sunderland was a home loss and they were ahead after 80 minutes at Stamford Bridge.  That’s 4-6 points they let slip, which would have dramatically altered their standing.  That Stephen Ireland is a poor man’s Nicolas Anelka may have masked Gerrard Houllier’s fractious relationship with the squad for a time but when your own signings are heralding your ouster, the situation is dire. – Grade:  F

Nineteenth Place

Wigan Athletic — The Latics are more proof that nice guys finish last.  Roberto Martinez is as courteous, honest and dedicated a manager as you are likely to find, this side of Roy Hodgson.  The club came out of the gates on Boxing Day with a 2-1 victory over Wolves and followed up with two draws and a one-goal loss.  They were never out of a match, not even when they were a man down to Arsenal.  Yet, despite getting a result in 3 of 4 matches, they sank further into the relegation mire.  The latest rumour out of the DW is that the club would like to sign out of favour Hamburg and Dutch International winger Eljero Elia.  maybe a dose of contentious personality is just what Wigan needs. – Grade:  C-

Rock Bottom

West Ham United — As it turns out, Avram Grant is a nice guy who won’t finish at all.  Wednesday’s 0-5 clubbing at the hands of Newcastle was the last straw for Messrs. Gold and Sullivan.  Grant will be removed as soon as a new manager is found, with Allardyce and Hughton leading the pack of applicants.  The loss was as comprehensive as it gets but it didn’t reflect the good work Grant has done in the last two months, when the Hammers climbed up from being hopelessly buried to reach as high as 15th place just prior to the St. James massacre.  In fact, West Ham took 7 of 12 points over the holidays, trailing only the 4 clubs at the top of the table.   Their position hasn’t changed, which is hard luck indeed, but one has to wonder if the porn merchants have had a bout of premature sack-ulation? – Grade:  C+

♦   ◊   ♦

So, the top 3 pulled away from the rest, with Tottenham keeping pace but unable to close.  Chelsea fell off the pace and Sunderland fell into it.  Liverpool suffered a relapse, sinking to the bottom half, while the bottom half surged closer to the middle.  While only a trio of clubs may be in the title hunt, no less than seven are on the edge of the drop.  The holiday fixtures have worked their black magic again and the remainder of the Premier League season promises dramatics from top to bottom.  All I can say is that if you miss out, your name is Tom Hicks.

Editor’s note:  Just as this article was being made ready for posting, Mikel Arteta’s ineligibility was announced.  However, WFC still believes the issues of player eligibility remain unresolved, even if Mikel Arteta’s case has been.  So, please read on and decide for yourself.

In South africa, England was lacking a creative spark...

Do you remember way back, in the springtime of England’s 2010 World Cup dreams, when anything seemed possible?  Brazil and Spain were within reach and the only real problem that Fabio Capello had was the lack of a proven goalkeeper.  Oh, to be young again.  Sadly, another generation of England fans have been forced to grow up too quickly, discovering that the footballing world is a cruel, hard place.

Now it’s autumn and the FA are trying to pick up the pieces of a crumbled dream.  Under pressure from fans and the media to not make the same mistakes and perform as is expected of an England team when the Euros arrive in 2012, new chairman Roger Burden, Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League overlord, and the rest of the board have had to consider suggestions from all quarters on how best to go about it.

The FA has made several decisions quite quickly, in laying plans for the reconstruction.  Should they let Capello go? (No, he stays)  What to do to resolve the poor pitch issues at Wembley? (Install a real and artificial hybrid blend)  What can be done to accelerate the development of young English players? (To begin, the implementation of the Homegrown Rule on 1 September)  The shape of the Euro squad has slowed them up, however.

In their first action since waking up from their pleasant dreams to the horrible realities of Rustenburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and, at the last, Blomfontein, the Three Lions took to the pitch against Hungary, receiving an ambivalent welcome from those faithful who did decide to come.  Much like their greeting, the squad was a mix of the fallen heroes and new faces eager to make their mark.  Unfortunately, Phil Jagielka’s own goal didn’t do much for the hopes of the youngbloods, although their blushes were spared by a brace from captain Steven Gerrard.  The England team, despite the win, seem trapped in a dark place, casting about for some light.

...but would Arteta bowing to the Queen, rather than a king, truly make him an Englishman?

Last week, however, there came either a ray of hope or an oncoming train, dependent upon your worldly outlook.  Everton’s wonderfully talented midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has had the misfortune of being only the ninth or tenth best player at his position in his home country of Spain, suggested that he might be very pleased to play for England, where he would likely be considered in the top three, alongside Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

Amongst the many who raised their half full glasses and drained it to the health of the Toffee’s playmaker (and took up a petition for his canonisation), there were a few old gaffers, frowning at the barmaid’s tardiness in topping off their empty looking mugs, whilst muttering thatsomething just wasn’t right about this.  Unfortunately, WFC editor Martin Palazzotto falls into the latter category , while new writer Tapesh Patel is firmly in the camp of the former.  In the interests of world peace and the general entertainment of others, the pair have agreed to sit down together, sample some Tucher’s on draught and see if they can come to an understanding.

Tapesh: When we talk about Mikel Arteta, I think we should talk about the player himself, before approaching the whole nationality issue. The key point is: if he obtained dual nationality and became eligible for England, would he get into the squad? In my opinion, he most definitely would. In fact, I personally would put him into the starting eleven.

There's no question the Three Lions would welcome him, as well.

One of England’s current problems is a perceived lack of creativity in midfield. This is strange, because the main pairing, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, are both fairly creative players. What we have seen over the years, though, is that both like to get forward when possible.

What England have lacked, then, is a foot-on-ball playmaker, with the ability to pass to a Gerrard or a Lampard.  Hence the outcry for the return of Paul Scholes (who, by the way, is too old). This lack of such a passer meant that Wayne Rooney tended to drop deep to make the play, which left the now departed Emile Heskey (yikes!) up front.

I believe Arteta is the solution. His ability to dictate play, combined with excellent technique and outstanding passing ability, cannot be matched at the moment by any English player. Tom Huddlestone or Jack Wilshere might become that player in the future, but they are not ready to be regulars yet.

Also, the guy takes a decent penalty!

...but are mercenaries what we want at the World Cup?

Martin: You’re not going to get any argument out of me on Arteta’s ability or where he would fit in with the England squad.  If he were from just about anywhere other than Spain (Brazil and Argentina spring to mind as exceptions), he might very well be a veteran of three World Cups by now.  But the plain, unvarnished truth is that he is a Spaniard.  As such, he should not be available to play for England.

Mikel Arteta is far from the first player to be considered for inclusion in a foreign squad.  There have been several before him and many more are likely to follow.  Some, like Kevin-Prince Boateng, Lukas Podolski and Giuseppe Rossi are doing it for the love of the nation they represent.  I applaud and welcome that.  On the other hand, there’s the onetime Chelsea midfielder Deco, a Brazilian, who just concluded his international career with Portugal and promptly returned home to play out the string with Fluminese.  As his tenure with the Iberians went on, it was rationalised that the two nations were, culturally speaking, close cousins.  That is true enough and if Deco had made his permanent home in Portugal, I would have been content with that line of reasoning.  Yet, the abruptness of his return to Brazil laid bare his true intent.  He was playing for himself, rather than for love of country.  We should never forget (Ashley Cole) that the latter is what the World Cup is about.

Tapesh: I definitely agree with you that this question is ultimately one of pride.  So, these questions really need to be taken on a player-by-player basis. We live in a world where many people have divided identities, especially in football. In fact, the case of Kevin-Prince Boateng is one of the best examples of this.  Infamously, he did not talk to his brother Jerome before facing him in the World Cup. That really goes to show that people from the same background can view their identities in completely different ways.

Unlike his countryman, Senna settled permanently in his adopted country.

A case very similar to that of Arteta, was Marcos Senna. The Brazilian began playing in his native country before moving abroad, to further his career. He went to La Liga, with Villareal, settling there, before gaining citizenship and playing for Spain.  One could not doubt Senna’s commitment to the cause; it was something integral to his role.  Starring in Euro 2008 as midfield enforcer, his displays led many to name him as one of the players of the tournament.

Coming back to Arteta, he seems a very loyal player, as well as a person of substance, having stated that he wouldn’t want to move to clubs like Arsenal or Manchester City in the hope of reaching the Spain team. He’s braved Scottish winters in Glasgow, having played for Rangers from 2002-04, and has learnt the intricacies of the Scouse accent. Given his background, I think he would be proud to step out for England, the country where his career has really blossomed.

Martin: I can appreciate that Arteta seems to be a more honourable candidate than Deco. It’s very loyal of him to publicly decline a possible move to another club, after Everton has treated him so well,  even though it might help him crack the Spanish lineup.  Still, by his own statement, his preferred choice would be Spain.  And there lies the rub.  Boateng’s first choice was Ghana, even though Germany, where he was both eligible and wanted, offered a better chance for glory.  That’s what I mean by love of country.

That he is a ‘person of substance,’as you put it, and a great player certainly garners Arteta my sympathy and while these cases do have to be judged on individual merit, the criteria used to decide the matter must ultimately be whether or not the candidate has cultural ties, of some kind, to the nation he would represent.

Georgie may be the best of but not the only great to have never been to the World Cup.

Take George Best as an example.  The Northern Irishman was perhaps the greatest British player ever.  Yet, with his country being minnows, he never played in a World Cup.  For most of his adult life, he lived (and partied) in England and was a stand out for United.  What if he had pulled a Stephen Ireland, early in his career, and declined to represent his homeland, instead repatriating to England.  Think how that would have lessened his legacy within the game.  Sometimes, your greatness is also measured by what you weren’t able to accomplish.

Andy Carroll, for all his supposed immaturity, has passed this test by declining the invitation of Craig Levein and the Scots.  No, for me, Mikel Arteta must make do with the cards life has dealt him.

Tapesh: I think cultural ties are usually fixed at a young age, but can also be gained or transformed later on in life. The fact is that naturalised citizens will always face the question of when their identity shifts to that of the nation in which they live.

Different people, understandably, have different views on the matter but I think government is designed to represent the views of a nation. As such, I think that Arteta should be considered an Englishman since he now qualifies for dual-nationality by law. The country has a long history of successful assimilation of immigrants, which I think is also demonstrated within the domain of sport. For this reason, I think that most English people would welcome him playing for our national team.

If managers are eligible, why not players?

It’s also fair to argue that the England team lost part of its identity in 2000, when Sven-Goran Eriksson became the first foreign manager of England. This then set the precedent for Fabio Capello to manage the team, and while many opposed the very idea of a foreign manager, at first, no-one was complaining when England flawlessly gained qualification for the World Cup this summer. If there is one person who symbolises the team, it has to be the England manager, who takes a post frequently described around the world as ‘the toughest job in football’.

I was one of those that felt English patriotism took a blow with Eriksson’s appointment. The fact is, though, that the game is different nowadays – even at international level. Therefore, if Arteta wished to become part of the national setup, I see no reason for denying him what is rightfully his.

Martin: I’ve got no truck with foreign managers being involved in a national program; it helps develop the game, especially in the far corners of the football world.  Let them have at it, I say.  They can coach, advise and play the figurehead all they like, because when you get right down to it, championships are won on the pitch, by the players.  That simple fact puts them into two different categories.

As for Arteta, I’m not sure what you mean by rightfully his.  He’s been in England long enough to apply for a passport, yes, but hasn’t actually gotten, or even asked for one yet.  There is a process to go through, after all.  It’s not like he’s trying to buy a Premier League club.  If that were the case, then, naturally, you’d just hand it to him with no questions asked.

I take your point, though.  If he had an English passport, he’d have the right to play for England, given that he’s good enough, and who am I to deny him?  That is the letter of the law.  What I’m trying to champion, however, is its spirit.  In order to do that, I don’t believe FIFA can be as trusting, even judging on an individual basis, as you would have them be.   I don’t like to be redundant but the ‘alright, you seem like a nice guy’policy hasn’t worked out too well for the likes of Liverpool and Pompey and won’t, if things continue as they are, for Manchester United.

...Greed is good.

In football, like any other big business...

That English fans would welcome him with open arms goes without saying, as well.  It’s human nature, after all, to take advantage in any way we can.  We got to the top of the food chain by adapting, being innovative and turning any opportunity to our advantage .  Winning at all costs in business and sport is just a product of evolution.  And that’s where you’re wrong about government.  It’s not there to give us what we want but to make sure we don’t kill each other trying to get it.  Allowing foreign players who can’t get a game in their own country to play for any country desperate enough to take them will eventually kill the World Cup.

Look at the America’s Cup of yachting.  It was going along nicely for the better part of a century until big money became involved.  Suddenly, rules began changing at an alarming pace, until you had the Swiss being crowned champions two times running.  The last time I checked an atlas, Switzerland was still a landlocked country.  If it had been bankers’sons, raised on Lake Geneva crewing the Alinghi and its successor, I’d have no complaint.  Unfortunately, it was the best Kiwi and Aussie sailors that the Swiss Franc could buy.  So much for the battle of nations.

Is that what you want for the World Cup?

..

Of course, while Tapesh and Martin were busy having at it, FIFA weighed in and ruled Arteta ineligible due to a little known rule:

Article 18.1.a within the Fifa statutes outlines that any player who has represented their country in an official competition, at whatever level, would at that time need to have held a passport for the country they later wish to play for in order to be permitted to make the switch. –BBC report on Arteta’s eligibility to play for England

Arteta did play in an Under 16 competition for Spain and, of course, didn’t have a British passport at the time.  So that’s that.  Unless, of course, FIFA were to decide to change their rules or make an exception to an existing one, as they’ve been known to do, on occasion.  After all, Sepp Blatter is quite happy to have the UK represented by the separate home nations but is unwilling to sanction the Basques or Catalonia to field teams separate from the rest of Spain.

Meanwhile, having been informed that all their arguing was moot, Martin and Tapesh have resolved to go back to the bar and get falling down drunk.  How do the rest of you feel?  Answer the poll below and, if you like, add a comment through the Intense Debate comment section.

[poll id="13"]

No, Elmo, I never bagged six.

Hi boys and girls, today’s report is brought to you by Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and the number six.

Six does seem to be the hot number in the Premier League, to begin the season.  The Gunners reached that total against Blackpool on Saturday, as did the Blues for the second week running, this time at Wigan (Ladbrokes has posted 6-1 odds that the Latics will officially change their nickname to the Lambs, as in sacrificial).

Sunday saw the most stunning six of them all, though, with Toon absolutely throttling Villa, at St. James Park.  It was a happy result for everyone around the league, too, as it means Joey Barton will be shaving that creepy mustache off his upper lip.

So, if you play the lottery, make sure six is on your ticket for the immediate future.  Meanwhile, all the lads from WFC are back to talk about the goings on from the weekend.

Enjoy.

Matt Dalton

Matt Dalton

Arsenal 6, Blackpool 0

Indeed, it’s not very often that we are treated to 6 goal games but, like London buses, they all seemed to come at once this weekend!  The Arsenal – Blackpool match, as predicted, was one of those to feature a sackful of goals.  Blackpool might well be counting themselves a bit unfortunate, having been reduced to ten men fairly early on.

Elsewhere, Chelsea thumped Wigan, one of my tips for the drop, by the same scoreline.  Then Newcastle decided to join the party yesterday, by giving Stephen Ireland a stinker of a birthday present, on his debut for the Villans!  Topping it off this evening, my beloved Liverpool received a pretty conclusive footballing lesson from the Premier League’s latest rich boys, Manchester City. You have to take your hat off to City, they didn’t do much wrong and fully deserved not only the three points but all three goals.

I hope every Premier League weekend is as entertaining as this one, although with a little luck, Liverpool will not be on the end of a roasting like that, too often!

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards

Bayern Munich 2, Wolfsburg 1

Can anyone stop Thomas Müller? After his World Cup heroics, it was perhaps fitting that he scored the Bundesliga’s 1st goal.  What a goal it was, too, beautifully worked by the ‘New Bomber’and fellow starlet Toni Kroos.

After being comprehensively outplayed in the 1st half, Steve McClaren deserves credit for lifting his side, at the break, and sending them back out onto the Allianz Arena turf with fire in their bellies. Substitute Zvjezdan Misimovic was instrumental, as Wolfsburg looked the better side in the 2nd half.   They equalised deservedly through Edin Dzeko, then wasted a number of chances to put themselves ahead, before being hit with a last minute sucker punch from another German World Cup hero, Bastian Schweinsteiger.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2NQjpOouZc

A disappointing start for McClaren, but plenty of positives to take from the 2nd half performance.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

Paris Saint-Germain 1, Bordeaux 2

This match took a while to get going but really caught fire in an end-to-end second half. If anything, Bordeaux had the better of possession, although PSG occasionally threatened on the counter.  Les Girondins were also superb on set pieces and so it proved, when Alou Diarra headed home from a 68th minute corner. The Parisians equalised 8 minutes later, with veteran Ludovic Giuly squaring for Guillaume Hoarau to tap home.

It was the lads from the wine country who had the last laugh, however, and on 95 minutes, centre-back Mickael Ciani scored the winner, sparking crazed celebrations from the away crowd. The eleventh hour dramatics made this a brilliant match for the neutral, yet Bordeaux fans will undoubtedly be happy that their team has kick-started its season, after stalling out of the gate.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Wigan Athletic 0, Chelsea 6

I thought the Londoners might hand out a thrashing to Roberto Martinez’s charges and so it proved. After a bright start Wigan subsided alarmingly quickly, seemingly forgetting the art of defending and capitulating, in the face of some delightful play from Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba. Even at 6-0, it could have been worse for The Latics.

Leeds United 3, Millwall 0

Despite Millwall having had the better start to the season, it was Leeds who triumphed, on home turf, overcoming the Lions in what was an enthralling game, at Elland Road. With the momentum continually switching between the teams, Millwall took the lead before Lloyd Sam’s single strike and a brace from Davide Somma sealed the points for Simon Grayson’s side. An entertaining advertisement for The Championship.

Fab Presilli

Fabricio Presilli

River Plate 3, Independiente 1

River got their third win of the season with a stunning first half display.  Striker Rogelio Funes Mori scored two goals and got a big lift from his attacking midfielders, Manuel Lanzini and Diego Buonanotte.  Although outplayed in the second half by Independiente, el Millionarios managed to secure the win and keep pace with Velez Sarsfield, at the top of the Apertura table.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytclt_8XIw8

Santos 2, Atletico MG 0

Neymar delivered, after deciding to stay with Santos, scoring a penalty kick and assisting the second goal.  With the 18 year old secured, the club can now can focus on the national championship, and realistically target the domestic triple crown.

Vasco de Gama 2, Fluminese 2

The Rio derby was even all the way. Vasco remain undefeated since the World Cup but Fluminense are still atop the table. Vasco’s Carlos Alberto (no, not that one) was the star of the night with two assists. Deco made his debut in Rio, but he couldn’t shake off his jet lag, losing a good opportunity at the end.

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=u5V74nhYAxw

The Brasilian story of the weekend, however, turned out to be Corinthians’destruction of Sao Paolo.  Corinthians scored three goals at their rival and São Paulo seems hopelessly lost, needing a quick shift in order to get back on track.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Toronto FC 1, New York Red Bull 4

I think I put the kaibosh on TFC over the weekend, somehow telepathically overinflating their egos with my pre-match hype.  They did play amazingly well against Cruz Azul, in mid-week, but came out completely flat against Thierry Henry, et al, on Saturday.

Rafa Marquez opened his MLS account with an absolute scorcher on 35 minutes.  From about 25m in front of goal, the Mexican captain ran onto a little side pass,  sending a goal seeking missile, bending and twisting, through 3 defenders and beyond the reach of a helpless Stefan Frei.   The lead doubled moments later on a classic own goal.  After pegging one back through Dwayne Derosario, the Reds fell apart, surrendering a penalty on a handball that resembled the opening tip off for an NBA game and then gifting the Red Bulls a 4th goal, when Frei mishandled a fairly routine cross, into the box.

Here are the highlights, with apologies, in advance, for the sorry excuse for commentators.  They really are dolts.  It is a laugh, though, to hear of the incredible patience of Tee-Airy Hawn-ree, in signing autographs for over five minutes.  Wow, what a great guy, giving up so much of his time for the fans.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bPjkr0Iy-A

The gap between the two clubs, in the Eastern standings, widened to eight points and Toronto faces a long flight to Corona, Panama, for a mid week CCL clash with Arabe Unido, and then back home again, to face the defending MLS champs, Real Salt Lake.

Until next weekend, here’s a little fun from the Dutch Jupiler League (2nd div.), where Sparta Rotterdam showed no mercy to Allmere City, romping to a 12-1 victory after going a man up in the early going.   Sparta’s Johan Voskamp was the most bloodthirsty of the Kasteelheren, with not 6 but 8 goals. It took Andy Carroll, Theo Walcott and Nicolas Anelka combined, to match that!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbrNFun87AA&feature=related

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_I3br9m-68

I think she needs to get her eyes checked though, because we’re having dinner on Thursday night.

Anyway, I got to the office and, settling in, checked my mail to see what was going on in less humid parts of the world. Imagine my surprise when the first thing I saw, on Soccernet, was that Martin O’Neill had walked out of Villa Park! Five days before the season starts, no less.

The article really didn’t say much about why. So I headed over to Sky Sports to get the lowdown. They really didn’t have a lot to say, either. Eurosport was just as in the dark as the others. In fact, all of their accounts were almost verbatim, except for some rearranging of the paragraphs. Is there a website where they sell breaking new stories, like pilfered copies of college exams?

I decided I needed to do some digging. After reaching out to all my contacts and several complete and discomfitted strangers, I think I’ve got a better picture, now, of what happened and it’s nothing like what all the ‘experts’are speculating.

Believe me, it was a pretty complicated situation. O’Neill’s been stewing over a lot of issues this preseason and things finally came to a head. There was just too much to handle and Martin thought it best to get while the gettin’was good.

So here, as a WFC exclusive, I’m happy to present the Top Ten Reasons Martin O’Neill Quit Aston Villa:

10. Martin found out that instead of Stephen Ireland coming to Villa Park in the James Milner sale, it would be Patrick Viera.

9. It’s always been his dream to open a really good curry takeout and, hey, there’s no time like the present!

8. New CEO Paul Faulkner wouldn’t stop calling him David and shrugged it off, claiming that “All you Irish look alike to me.”

Floyd 'Twnkletoes' Womack

7. O’Neill discovered that plans had been approved for a work exchange program with owner Randy Lerner’s NFL Cleveland Browns, in which

a) he would have to allow counterpart Eric Mangini to name his starting eleven on alternate weeks.

b) forward Emile Heskey, in order to improve his goal scoring accuracy, would become the Browns’placekicker for a month and

c) to trim some of his excess fat, 6’2″ 328 lb offensive lineman, Floyd Womack, would become the Villans first option at striker.

6. Martin was constantly being pestered by Ashley Young and Richard Dunne, who had watched the World Cup on the telly, and wanted to know why he couldn’t coach more like Diego Maradona?

5. Paul Faulkner wanted him to be more dynamic with the media, suggesting that, “Maybe, David, you could do that eyebrow thingy that Ancelotti, over at Chelsea, does?

4. To help improve his relations with disaffected players, O’Neill was ordered by the club psychologist to attend weekly sensitivity sessions and sip mimosas with disgruntled defender Nigel Reo-Coker.

3. Someone with a really thick brogue, who sounded a lot like Sir Alex Ferguson with a headcold, left a message on his answering machine saying he was retiring and the ManU job was his, if he wanted it.

2. On his last day, Martin passed a Red Cross mobile donation unit, in the parking lot, on his way into the training ground and was met by Faulkner, who told him, “If you’re really serious about getting creative in raising transfer funds, Davey boy, then roll up your sleeves!”

And the Number One Reason Why Martin O’Neill Quit Aston Villa:

Mum,...

...Da...

...And little Gaga make three!

He wanted to get away from the harsh media spotlight before the News Of The World revealed that he and Anne Robinson were the parents of illegitimate love child, Lady Gaga.

“Personally, I think internationals are going to be something of the past,” he said. “The pride of it and all that, I just think it’s getting lesser and lesser.

“Players these days don’t see as pride in their country, they see it more as a chore, you know ‘God, I have to go again’. That was the way it always was for me.

“I think you’ll be surprised how many players – young ones at that – who will retire from international football after the World Cup.”

There are rumours coming out of the French camp that Karim Benzema is frustrated with his role in the national side. A goal-scoring substitute against the Faroe Islands, his international manager Raymond Domenech was hugely critical of the forward following September’s draw with Romania. Real Madrid’s £35 million signing is quoted as saying “it doesn’t go well” for him under Domenceh. With 7 goals in 26 caps, he is yet to recreate his explosive form at Lyon on the international stage . At just 21, France could be losing their potential leading light for the next decade.

We have seen plenty of players within the British Isles retiring from their respective countries in this decade. Alan Shearer is probably the most famous example of them all. After 63 caps and 30 goals for England, he gave up England duty aged 29. His body could not survive the rigours of playing for Newcastle and England, and was plagued with knee problems throughout his career. He gave the reason of prolonging his club career, and played for Newcastle until 2006. His childhood dream of becoming Newcastle’s top scorer was realised with 206 goals. That’s all the justification he needs for turning his back on the international game.

Paul Schloes ‘England career also ended at 29, after a Euro 2004 spent playing on the left of midfield. He cited family reasons for his retirement, with a frustration at been made the scapegoat at the peak of the Lampard-Gerrard debate lurking under the surface. Clubmate Ryan Giggs went 9 years without playing a friendly game for Wales, and played just 64 times in a 16-year career with his country. Sir Alex Ferguson, despite being a former Scotland manager, is not a fan of international breaks and is still up to his old tricks. Darren Fletcher and Wayne Rooney are ‘unavailable’ for Scotland and England this week. Keep an eye their availability for Manchester United hosting Bolton on Saturday.

For such a small nation, Wales seem to have more retirees than most. Captain Craig Bellamy mentioned today that he is considering hanging up his Welsh boots, as he could be playing Champions League football next season. At 30, and with his injury record, it’s understandable. But Bellamy always enjoyed playing for his country, unlike Jason Koumas. A player of untapped potential, a fear of flying meant he only amassed 34 caps, and didn’t play an international match outside the United Kingdom for two-and-a-half years between September 2005 and March 2008. Add this to the loss of Paul Parry, Carl Robinson and Carl Fletcher, along with manager John Toshank’s very public falling out with Robbie Savage, the Welsh have had their resources stretched to the limit.

Some players don’t play for their countries due to the manager. Glasgow Rangers pair Kris Boyd and Lee McCullough won’t turn out for Scotland due to a serious personality clash with Coach George Burley. Juan Roman Riquelme’s dispute with Argentina coach Diego Maradona turned into a slagging match, riling fans of Boca Juniors to the extent that Maradona was labelled a ‘traitor’ by the supporters who once idolised him

Whilst all the examples previously have been of players approaching their 30s, this trend of talented young players bemoaning international duty at such a young age is worrying. The Champions League is seen as the be-all and end-all these days, with Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher stating all the best players in the world play in the competition. There are enviably going to be some big names missing from next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

Perhaps these youngsters should look at the examples of Steven Gerrard and Cristanio Ronaldo. 2 of the world game’s biggest names, 2 hugely patriotic men, who see the honour in representing their respective countries. Ronaldo was clearly not fully fit taking the field for Portugal against Hungary, and only lasted 27 minutes. Employers Real Madrid were not best pleased. Gerrard has been troubled by a groin injury for over a year now, with has led him to miss games for club and country, but his autobiography showed his undoubted passion in wearing an England shirt.

Should Ireland qualify for South Africa next summer, you can be 99% sure that Stephen Ireland will not be on the plane over. That in itself is a shame. This would be the perfect stage for him to display his undoubted talents. Greats of the game like Cruyff, Pele and Maradona all made their name on the international stage in major tournaments. Whist most of the power in the 21^st century lies with the clubs, the international game will always have its place. Not only those it brings football fans together, but countries come to a standstill when their national side are involved in a World Cup. Maybe then, Ireland would realise it is not a chore. It is a privilege.