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This weekend, Chelsea welcomes Liverpool to Stamford Bridge, signaling the start of an important run of games for the Blues throughout November and December, a period in which they have struggled in the past.  This dreaded period has been responsible for spoiling three of Chelsea’s recent title challenges after the club had come roaring out of the gate.

In the 2006-07 Premier League season, many were tipping Chelsea to claim their third title in a row, especially with their ability to win games with late goals. In December though, Jose Mourinho’s teams found out the hard way that late goals don’t always come, giving the advantage to Manchester United who ultimately won the league.

The following season, Chelsea were again tipped for the title on the back of their impressive start under Brazilian World Cup winning coach Luis Felipe Scolari. Once again, however, their form nose-dived in November and December, ruining any title aspirations and ultimately leading to Big Phil’s sacking in February.

Last season, it was a case of same sh**, different year, with the stunning start to the season followed by an equally spectacular collapse, following the sacking of well-liked assistant Ray Wilkins.  The stretch was one of the worst runs of form during their time in the Premier League.  While their incredible run down the stretch put them back in the race, the early.

So how does Andre Villas-Boas solve what Mourinho, Scolari, and Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t and make sure that Chelsea doesn’t experience their all too familiar November and December decline?

With Manchester City nine points ahead of the Blues in the league, many believe that the title is already out of Chelsea’s reach,  and are already focused on consolidating third place — the final automatic berth into Roman Abramovich’s yet-to-be-realised dream, the Champions League.   Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Newcastle are all currently within shouting distance of Chelsea, so laying the foundation for 2012-13 may be the wisest course.

On the other hand, if you look at the upcoming games in all competitions,  seven of eleven in the Premier League, Carling Cup, and Champions League are at Stamford Bridge.  No disrespect to any opponents, but Chelsea can realistically expect to win six of those matches, with the critical match against City being the only fixture to give the squad pause.

Of their four away games, Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen, and Tottenham will all be difficult tests for Chelsea, although they are more than capable of getting a good result against any of them.  The fourth contest, against relegation threatened Wigan, should see AVB come out on top in a battle between two young Iberians.

To shake the early winter ‘snow’monkey off his club’s back, Villas-Boas must stabilise his shaky defence, especially as they will have to contain the likes of Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, Mario Balotelli, and Roberto Soldado.  Yet, it is not as though the Blues have been impotent with the Portuguese in charge.  While there has been much criticism levied at the Chelsea attack, they have scored often enough to take points, only to see their mates fail to hold up their end.

If Villas-Boas can solidify the back-line, the attack is likely to benefit.  Should that occur, Chelsea has every chance of breezing through what has recently been a very stormy portion of the season.  Even if many of the results are ground out as was the case against Blackburn, it won’t matter.  The chairman may not be entertained, but his new Portuguese manager knows as well as the old that 1-0 garners the same three points as 5-1.

Elsewhere, it was really shocking to learn that it was a Chelsea fan who apparently leveled racial abuse at Daniel Sturridge.  Racism is absolutely disgraceful, regardless of circumstances, so it goes without saying that if the perpetrator is caught, he should not only be banned, but should face the same police scrutiny which John Terry has been enduring.  That said and while Sturridge’s experience pales in comparison to the pillorying that Paul Canoville underwent in the ’80s, it is somewhat distressing that any Chelsea player would be subject to such treatment from a so-called Blues supporter, and even moreso to think that such a person may have behaved similarly to opponents, while wearing the club’s colours and badge.

Can’t we just accept that the only way to be better than anyone else is through performance?

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I can’t speak for other footy fans who were born in North America, but one of the reasons that I have embraced the game and now virtually ignore sports on which I was raised (hockey, baseball and grid-iron football), is that all the leagues in America have gone corporate.

Don’t misunderstand.  You won’t find me sitting on a commune, growing my own wheat-grass, curdling my own tofu, and taking time off to attend sit-ins against the UN or the World Bank.  I’ve nothing against money.  Hell, I’ve crewed on yachts for a healthy portion of my life.

If a baseball player has the opportunity to sign a ten year, $250 million contract, more power to him.  If NFL owners can cajole multibillion dollar television contracts out of American networks, let them sit back and light up a cigar.  No, what irks me is that American sport has become so image-conscious in chasing the almighty dollar that they’ve censored into extinction the characters who made their world so captivating.

You’ll never see another Casey Stengel or Yogi Berra, or have the opportunity to hear but not understand exactly what either is trying to say.  In hockey, Don Cherry, his garishly coloured suits and homespun conservatism are the last of a dying breed.  In the NFL, Rex Ryan may have carried on from his father Buddy and the immortal John Madden, but the five digit fines that the NFL is handing out to anyone who utters anything other than the company line have silenced him, as well.

If you’re an American athlete, coach or team executive, and want to keep your weekly wage packet, you’ll check your personality at the door and utter banal clichés whenever a microphone is thrust in your face.  Corporate speak has won.

If you reside outside the ‘greatest democracy in the world’, however, free speech is still an option.  That is why Giovanni Trappatoni can talk about cats being in sacks, Harry Redknapp can threaten to give the media the cold shoulder if he’s fined for calling a bad call a bad call, and Jose Mourinho, bless his heart, can call Arsene Wenger a voyeur.   And don’t get me started on that Frenchman’s penchant for speaking his mind.

The American sports fan loves to make an ass of himself, braying endlessly about how boring soccer is, but the fact is, even if that were the case (I said if, you plonker) the goings on off the pitch make the beautiful game more entertaining than anything Uncle Sam can dish out, at least on the order of ten!

And while il Trap’s comparison of Estonia to a bedraggled tabby almost bagged and ready to be dropped in the river was worth a chuckle for those of us not indoctrinated into PETA, it wasn’t the most eye-popping statement made this week.  Nor, given Ireland’s massive four-goal advantage, is Estonia likely to leap out of their sack and give him cause for regret.

On the other hand, Santos president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro may find that his latest outburst may come back to bite him where it hurts most.  Ribeiro has fought a running battle in the press with European clubs eager to obtain the services of his sensational teenaged striker Neymar.  For the most part his defiance has been admirable, as he has warred against the disrespect some European outfits exhibit towards South American clubs, by dealing directly with the player’s agent rather than the club.

Most recently, it was rumoured that Real Madrid had negotiated a mega-deal to sign Neymar in the January window.  Instead, Santos penned the youngster to an extension which ties him to the Paulista squad until the 2014 World Cup.   Unfortunately, Ribeiro then pulled a Derek Llambias, insulting the Meringue negotiators and boasting about his hold on his starlet.

“The behaviour of Real Madrid’s board of directors was lamentable and arrogant. Their attitude resembled a colonial mentality. I convinced Neymar to stay by telling him that Jose Mourinho would have forced him to cut his hair. He can do with his hair whatever he likes here.”

Political rhetoric and historical grudges aside, the last time I checked, Jose Mourinho wasn’t acting like a drill sergeant.  Ribeiro’s jibe was obviously in reference to Emmanuel Adebayor, who had his locks shorn voluntarily, as he was desperate to get his career back on track with a top side.  To suggest otherwise fails to take into account Didier Drogba, who kept his dreads upon his Stamford Bridge arrival, and continued to grow them throughout the Special One’s tenure.

What’s more, if the Castilians are willing to invest €40-50 million on the Brazilian wunderkind, would they allow the deal to fall through because Neymar has a phobia regarding barbers?   If you’re going to heap praise upon yourself, that’s fine, but the braggadocio has to maintain at least a shred of credibility.  The worst aspect of Ribeiro’s rant, however, is the potential effect it could have on the player at the center of the matter.

There is no question that the boy has both a healthy ego and prickly temper.  He has argued with his coach in the midst of a match, seen that coach sacked, and accused the entire Scottish citizenry of racism because of one errant banana peel (thrown as a prank, it turns out, by a German student on holiday).  Further, he has topped his reed-thin frame with a mohawk of such bushy proportions that if he stood on his head in a closet, the team janitor might mistakenly begin sweeping the clubhouse floor with him.  When it comes to Neymar’s coif, ostentatious is understatement.

Yet for all that, he has mirrored one of his heroes, Pele, by putting off his publicly proclaimed desire to play abroad (preferably with Real Madrid), in the interests of promoting the Brazilian game ahead of that country’s upcoming turn at hosting the World Cup.  That could, in turn, attract other Brazilian stars, such as Robinho, to return home.  Given the improvements in the Brazilian economy, standard of living and with the upcoming tournament, quality of stadia, one might eventually see a few European players heading over to the land of Carnaval.  And I’m not just talking about unwanted Manchester City stars, either.  Yet, those dreams hinge precariously on Neymar’s willingness to stay.

If such was your decision to make, how would you feel if your team president informed the world that you were so foolish as to believe him when he told you that possibly the world’s greatest coach at possibly the world’s greatest team would not sign you, possibly the world’s next great player, if you refused to cut your hair?  As lamentable, arrogant and colonial as Real’s attitude might have been in pursuing their target, Ribeiro has easily trumped them, and his charge can’t be so stupid as to have missed the slight.

Given the dismissal of Dorival Junior, it’s fairly certain that Neymar already knows that he can do as he likes at Santos.  He can grow his mohawk.  He can colour it pink and green.  In fact, he can probably insist that the club change its colours to match whichever tint he has dyed it this week.  More importantly, he can stay as long as he likes, or, contract or no, leave at a moment’s notice.  And, if he chooses to exercise the latter option, he can name his price and any conditions he likes, wherever he goes.

So, as much as I love to hear footy personalities speak without forethought, this might have been one time that Luis Alvaro Ribeiro might have been better advised to shut it.

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In 2010, the Colorado Rapids found their stride down the stretch of the regular season.  They continued that momentum into the precarious do-or-die environment of the playoffs, eventually overcoming FC Dallas in the final moments of extra time to win what might have been the best MLS Cup Final yet to be played, certainly eclipsing the similar run of Real Salt Lake, who stunned the Los Angeles Galaxy the year before, and making up for the lack of a marquee club in the showpiece match during a World Cup Year.  Much of the credit was given to English coach Gary Smith’s emphasis on a strong, physical presence straight up the middle of the pitch.

This season, despite adding one or two players, most notably former Hull City standout and Irish international Caleb Folan, the Rapids finished in virtually the same position as the previous campaign and were eliminated early in the playoffs.  Smith was sacked after the defeat, proving that, despite the long term philosophy collectively espoused by the league, there are still some impatient ownership groups,.  Never mind that only twice in the league’s now sixteen year existence has a club successfully defended its MLS crown — DC United in the sophomore campaign and Houston Dynamo in 2007 — the Rapids backroom staff felt the need for a change.  Even more puzzling is that the team is owned by Stan Kroenke, the same man who now presides patiently over Arsenal’s six-year trophy drought in the Premier League and Europe.  Perhaps the man who married into the Wal-Mart fortune feels that is enough staid conservatism for one man and has fallen into the same trap as London rival Roman Abramovich, preferring attractive football to a solid team capable of producing a steady run of trophies.

Meanwhile, the Houston Dynamo, holders of four MLS titles (two won during their early years in San Jose) were rewarded for sticking with coach Dominic Kinnear.  The architect of the most recent back-to-back champions endured a stretch of mediocrity — and the accompanying criticisms — which can be attributed in great part to midfielder Stuart Holden’s exodus to Bolton Wanderers and the chronic injury problems of striker Brian Ching.  Dynamo did not return to their dominant ways in 2011; rather they assumed Salt Lake and Colorado’s role as the late charger, rising up the table through August and September to finish runners-up to Eastern Conference champion Sporting KC.

Let’s ignore the question of why both Houston and Kansas City, both on the wrong side of the Mississippi and associated with the American Old West, are placed in the Eastern Conference.  What’s important is that, as with RSL and the Rapids before them, Houston’s rich vein of form has extended deep into the post-season tournament.

If the Texans are to win a fifth title, however, they will have to produce an extraordinary performance to claim it.  Not only must they face the consecutive Supporters Shield winning Los Angeles Galaxy, led by USMNT talisman Landon Donovan, former England and possible Great Britain Olympic captain David Beckham, late season acquisition Robbie Keane, and MLS Defender of the Year Omar Gonzalez, but they must do it in the unfriendly confines of the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy’s home ground, where the side are unbeaten in this campaign.  Further, it’s likely that they’ll have to do so without the services of their own playmaker, Brad Davis, who left their semi-final victory over Sporting KC in the early going, with a torn quad muscle.

While Houston is surely disappointed at the loss, they will take confidence from the fact that they went on to victory despite Davis’absence.  There are also chinks in the Galaxy armour, which Kinnear will look to exploit.

Donovan is nursing a leg injury himself; not nearly so serious, as he’s played all three playoff matches and scored from the spot twice, but sufficiently troubling for the star to excuse himself from international duty in France on the weekend.

As well as the twelve-goal man’s physical limitations, there are questions about the limited familiarity between newcomer Robbie Keane and the other two attacking stars.  Galaxy fans, who endured Beckham’s European vacation in a vain quest for one last World Cup adventure, must be grinding their teeth at the thought of Keane ditching the team ahead of the MLS Cup, to join the Ireland side as it looks to qualify for Euro 2012.  Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has likely already spoken with Ireland boss Giovanni Trappatoni about only using Keane as an emergency substitute in Tuesday’s second leg, after the Irish romped to a nearly insurmountable 4-0 lead over Estonia in the opening match.  Keane’s spirit will definitely be buoyed by qualification, but an unnecessary knock might throw a wrench into LA’s plans.

In any event, all the pressure is on the Angelenos and their biggest star.  In the fifth and final year of his contract, Beckham has finally put together a full, productive season in keeping with his own lofty standards.  He appeared in twenty-six matches, registered fifteen assists (second only to Davis’sixteen) and kept his famous temper under relative control, collecting ten yellow cards but no sendings off.  Even better, his stellar play quieted the hecklers and preempted any further handbags with supporters.

Historically, however, the big game has rarely been Beckham’s friend.  Two red cards for England and an ineffective performance against Real Salt Lake (due to injury) in the 2009 MLS Cup are all he has to show for one-off affairs.  Although the league cannot afford $5 million per year on a thirty-six year old who has lost a step and was never the swiftest in the first place, MLS commissioner Don Garber has stated that, regardless of next week’s result, Beckham has delivered for the league both on and off the field, and they would love to have him back.  If he wants to stay, Golden Balls will only help his position if he can orchestrate a third championship for the Galaxy.  However, with their own midfield wizard sidelined, don’t be surprised if the Dynamo pay special attention to the face of the league, in an attempt to stir his prodigious temper.

Why not?  It’s worked before.

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“The cat is in the sack, but the sack is not closed.  The cat is in it, but it’s open – and it’s a wild cat…. At this moment, we are near qualifying at 4-0. But I repeat the same sentence: don’t jump the gun. I have been many times at the edge of a cliff. I know these situations. I have been to many big tournaments and matches like this are what I call top level matches.  But it’s not necessarily important to achieve one objective, we have to focus on what comes next. This is my law. I never look back, I always look forward.” 

It’s a good thing that Ireland boss Giovanni Trappatoni doesn’t look over his shoulder, because, if this translation is accurate, the trail of metaphorical carnage and felines trussed up in sacks which he has left in his wake would be horrific to look upon.

The quotes come from an interview given ahead of the second leg of Ireland’s Euro qualifying playoff against Estonia, and, while they tend to paint il Trap as a buffoon, it’s really the reporters who should be held to account.  Knowing that his English is primitive at best, the media are only too happy to focus on his shortcomings rather than celebrate his leadership in refusing to allow defeat at the hand of Thierry Henry in 2010 World Cup qualifying to stunt the growth of the FAI programme.

I do have a sense of humour and the thought of Herr Schroedinger turning over in his grave at the Italian’s imagery does make me chuckle, but I’m also aware of the underlying prejudice of English journalism, even if its practitioners are not.  Trappatoni is lucky, however.  His animated, good-natured personality provides the beast with what it craves:  interesting material which the masses will swallow whole.  For that reason, they are content to let him go about his business, pausing now and then to poke him playfully with a single claw.

His compatriot, England boss Fabio Capello, is not so fortunate.  The former Milan and Madrid manager’s reserved demeanor and sense of propriety cause the beast to bare its teeth, snarl and leap for the throat.  In the build-up to consecutive major competitions, he has found himself defending his captain against unproven accusations.  While Trappatoni was instructing on the proper method for transporting tabbies, Capello was being repeatedly grilled on why his captain John Terry wasn’t starting the Saturday match against Spain.

Never mind that these same journos have written on numerous occasions that (a) the fixture list is too congested and players need to rest, (b) there are far too many friendlies in said list, (c) it’s well past time that a new generation of English players are given a chance to develop, and (d) Terry has become too slow and would easily be exposed in major tournaments by the ball movement of sides such as Spain, their only intent at this press conference was to goad the manager into throwing his embattled player under the bus.

Time and again, they repeated the same questions, insisting that the only reason for Terry’s absence from the lineup was the investigation into his allegedly racial exchange with Anton Ferdinand.  When Capello insisted that it was purely a footballing matter and that he refused to discuss issues occurring outside of team parameters, he was described as “flustered” and “frustrated.”  Angry, disgusted and ashamed at the people he serves is probably closer to the truth.

And by those he serves, I don’t mean the FA.  I’m speaking of a public who buy into the sensationalism fed to them by the media, as though it were the sustenance of life, rather than its ruin.  There is far too much truth in the premise that if you repeat an idea, frequently and loudly, no matter how ridiculous it may be, people will come to believe it.

Trust is a commodity which our generation sorely undervalues.  It is a noble quality without which marriages fail, families drift apart and society crumbles.  Have we already forgotten the riots in London and other UK cities this summer?

In the far less important arena of football, trust is something which every championship squad needs.    Fabio Capello, a former champion both as a player and coach, understands this.  Rather than scorn, he deserves our respect and admiration for practising what he preaches.

Having accumulated a small store of wisdom during his Three Lions tenure, Capello isn’t apt to consider Saturday’s victory over Spain as redemption, either.  After all, it was just a friendly, wasn’t it?  No, the beast is always hungry; it won’t be put off for long.

Maybe those who suggest that England should have an English coach are correct.  At the moment, the country doesn’t deserve the one it has.

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written by Shaun Best

“We are delighted with this result and are happy for the League position and for our fans. It is a joy for them.  We have gone beyond our rosiest expectations.”  – Edy Reja

What a difference a month makes, especially if you’re a Lazio fan.  Sitting pretty atop the Serie A summit and ‘suffering’from vertigo while looking down at giants such as Inter, who are hovering just above the relegation zone seems too good to be true.  And it is, for now at least.

Sharing the leadership with old Champions League sparring partners Udinese, one hopes that Lazio coach Edy Reja is taking time to reflect, during the international break, on a remarkable change in fortune.  If his Eagles finally nesting in an appropriate perch doesn’t put a smile on his face, maybe the thought of Francesco Totti choking on his morning corn flakes at the mere sight of the Serie A standings will.

Yet, before the first kick of the campaign, it was a different story altogether. Eagles fans were as enraged with their coach as the benched Totti was with his. Angered by the sale of beloved starlet Mauro Zarate, the tifosi were further frustrated to see their side squander a two-goal lead against Scudetto holders Milan in the season’s curtain raiser, leaving San Siro with a solitary point.  Just one week later, the protests gathered steam when Lazio suffered a shock 2-1 home reverse to Genoa.

Fed-up with the fans undermining his efforts and unsettling his players, Reja called a joint meeting between his squad and President Claudio Lotito. During this meeting, Reja allegedly tendered his resignation, which was vehemently rejected by both his staff and employer.  The fallout from the meeting led to a cryptic message from the 66-year-old tactician.

“I have no problems working here – the picture is good in Rome, it’s just the frame that is rotten.”

Many share Reja’s frustration, as an ungrateful few seem to have conveniently forgotten how he’s turned a team battling relegation into Champions League battlers in less than two years.  With Reja venting his frustrations, both publicly and privately, Lotito acted quickly to smooth the cracks and prolong the relationship, at least until the end of the season. In response, the club pulled out of free-fall and began to soar.

In the weeks since the spat, Lazio have undergone somewhat of a renaissance, with their only loss being away to Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League.  Domestically, Reja masterminded his first ever victory over ‘i vicini rumorosi’, as Lazio came from behind to win 2-1 over Roma, putting to bed a string of five consecutive derby defeats.

It hasn’t all been perfect, but despite stuttering to two home draws against Palermo and Catania, the Biancocelesti have shown no signs of travel sickness, recording four straight road victories in Serie A.  Cesena, Fiorentina, Bologna and Cagliari have all been brushed aside with gusto.

The new signings are also beginning to find their feet and gel with the established stars.  Between the sticks, Federico Marchetti is starting to show the form which saw him net a place in the Azzurri at the World Cup.  The splinters he’s picked up from being benched for a year in Sardinia have now been firmly displaced.  Defender turned midfielder Senad Lulic has also caught the eye. After some disastrous appearances at the back, the Bosnian has since been pushed into a wide midfield position. The results have seen Lulic flourish, highlighted by his peach of a long range strike at Cagliari.

Up front, the evergreen Miroslav Klose has rediscovered his goalscoring touch, winning the hearts of the Lazio faithful with his last-ditch effort against Roma.  Thus far, the German has bagged eight goals in thirteen games in all competitions for his new club, and his sparkling form has seen him earn a recall to the German national squad.  The goals may have dried up for Djibril Cisse, but the Lord of Frodsham Manor has turned provider, weighing in with a flurry of assists.  Even veteran marksman Tommaso Rocchi has found time to finally join Lazio Centurions Silvio Piola, Giuseppe Signori, Giorgio Chinaglia and Bruno Giordano. Anything Cristiano Ronaldo can do and all that.

The club is going for glory on three fronts this season, with the Europa League and Coppa Italia providing alternate routes to possible silverware.

Lazio are delicately poised in Group D of the UEFA competition, with five points after four games. However, having played seven games in twenty-two days has taken its toll, leading Reja to blast league officials for giving teams playing in the Champions League more consideration when it comes to rest days.

“Playing Thursday night and then thinking even 24 hours after the game about Sunday is not easy.  When we play on a Thursday, the Serie A game really ought to be on a Monday.  It is true that others play abroad as well, but we are under equal pressure.”

Reja understands that the games will continue to come thick and fast after the international break, too. In addition to a crunch European tie at Romanian club FC Vaslui, Lazio’s impressive away record will also be tested in the league, when they travel south to face Napoli, before welcoming Turin giants Juventus to the Olimpico.

Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and co, face a tough balancing act themselves.   Days after the Lazio game, they face a do-or-die Champions League clash against the millionaires from Manchester City. Given the importance of that match, and the preparation required of the Neapolitans, Lazio will certainly fancy their chances in the league tilt.

It’s one thing getting to the top, but staying there is another matter altogether.  After all, at this time last year, the Aquiles were in an even stronger position, only to be run down before the holidays by eventual champions Milan.  Six points from the club’s next two league games will solidify the belief that, this time, the nearly men can go all the way.

Is Michel Platini fighting a losing battle or is 2011-12 merely the final, frantic, spasming death throe of the way it’s always been done?  After a cautious 2010-11, when spending was tempered by the reality of a global recession and the perceived threat of Financial Fair Play, 2011-12 has erupted into the Year of Money, making one wonder just how seriously the big clubs are taking UEFA’s attack on excessive spending.

Look at the defending champions in Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, Serie A and even the Premier League.  Lille and Borussia Dortmund each won their competitions with young, mostly homegrown squads.  Both sides emerged from a condensed pack in the second half of the season, taking control of their leagues while the traditional powers, such as Bayern, Bremen, Leverkusen, Marseille and Lyon, struggled to come to grips with the fact that age and experience were no longer sufficient to overcome youth and speed.

It was the same elsewhere.  AC Milan traveled a more beaten path, acquiring thoroughbreds Robinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano, albeit at cut-rate prices, as the Rossoneri also emerged from a jumbled pack in the winter months to claim their first Scudetto in seven years.  In England, Manchester United belied their status as the most valuable sporting club in the world, weathering Chelsea’s early dominance, Arsenal’s enthusiasm and City’s persistence and pacing themselves to their record nineteenth championship, without any noticeable spending.

Barcelona was the only champion who won by spending big, bringing in David Villa and Javier Mascherano in a bid to stay ahead of Real Madrid, now led by their Champions League nemesis, Jose Mourinho.

This season, the shoe is on the other foot.  The Achilles heel of Arsenal’s youth policy — that loyalty to club is trumped by big money offers — was cruel exposed this summer, with both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri jumping ship.  The same has occurred at Lille and Dortmund, with players such as Yohan Cabaye, Gervinho and André Schürrle lured away by clubs willing to pay more than the title holders can afford to keep their talent.   Milan, who made only small changes in the summer, are chasing a completely revamped Juventus.  United, who spent big but focused on youth, were blown out of the water by their ‘noisy neighbours’, who again lavished tens of millions on big name stars while casting away last year’s investments like outdated fashions.

A week after their 6-1 thrashing of United at Old Trafford, which put them five points and twelve goals clear at the top of the Premier League, City widened the gap by beating Wolves 3-1 while United held off Everton 1-0.   All that oil money is beginning to pay off.

In Paris, another Qatari contingent has invested millions in that city’s lone major club, signing Palermo’s Javier Pastore out from under the noses of Chelsea and complementing his talents with those of Kevin Gameiro, Jeremy Menez and a host of others.  After a short but bumpy bedding in, during which nearly everyone other than new Sporting Director Leonardo was ready to panic, PSG are now three points ahead of Montpellier in first place.

Bayern, whose reputation as big spenders may colour perceptions somewhat, largely stood pat in the off-season.  Their one major purchase was secured before the window opened, agreeing to terms with Schalke for the services of German number one Manuel Neuer, after a heated negotiation.  Still, the line-up which is now leaving the rest of the Bundesliga behind is comprised of highly sought after and dearly bought talent.  The key differences are that Franck Ribery is finally in the full bloom of health and form, and that new old coach Jupp Heynckes has placed complete trust in Mario Gomez, whereas had his predecessor Louis van Gaal had his druthers, the twelve goal man would have been offloaded two summers ago.

Ironically, the lone exception of money talking and bullshit walking this year in the major competitions is Barcelona.  Despite finally prying Cesc Fabregas from the Gunners and paying through the nose for the now injured Alexis Sánchez, the Catalans are chasing Real Madrid, who turned down opportunities to purchase Neymar and Emmanuel Adebayor.  To be fair, the Castilians did match Barça euro for euro during their summer shopper spree, but other than Fabio Coentrao, most of Madrid’s investment has been earmarked for the future, while Cesc and Sánchez were very much intended to be plug and play.  In that light, Real’s early lead seems an example of doing more with less.  Of course, as the former American wrestler Nature Boy Rick Flair was fond of saying, “To be the man, you have to beat the man.”  So, one can’t put too much weight on the Meringues’early lead until they meet  the Blaugrana in the opening leg of this season’s Clasico in December.   When the season ends, it won’t be a shock if Barcelona’s €55 million outlay brings them yet another championship.

The lure of the big buck works both ways, however.  United Arab Emirates club Al Ain forced a loan from Premier League side Sunderland by turning the head of Ghanaian World Cup hero Asamoah Gyan with the promise of outlandish wages and let’s not even get into what Russian Premier League minnows Anzhi Makhachkala paid to sign Samuel Eto’o.  So, it’s not just the top sides who flash the cash.

In any event, it does not appear that clubs are taking UEFA’s proposals seriously.  All told, UEFA clubs paid out over half a billion euros for players in the summer.  That’s a mind-boggling figure, even if top sides weren’t facing the prospect of losing their license to play in the Champions or Europa Leagues should they fail to balance the books.  That they are makes their lack of restraint even more puzzling.

On the other hand, the top clubs’continued dissatisfaction with international scheduling and compensation for injured players has led European Club Association chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to suggest that the organisation’s contract with UEFA, which obligates major clubs to compete in the Champions and Europa Leagues and to allow their stars to compete when summoned by their national teams, should not be renewed when it expires in 2014.

If that occurs, ECA members could break away from their national federations and form an elite European league, possibly patterned after the American franchise system, which does not employ promotion and relegation.  While the concept may seem completely alien and even impossible to the average European fan, it has been so profitable that the Forbes list of the fifty most valuable sports teams is dominated by American franchises.  Most notably, all thirty-two NFL clubs are on the list, although they are joined by six baseball and two basketball squads.  F1 teams Ferrari and McLaren also make the cut, leaving just eight places (less than twenty percent) to be split between the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga, UEFA’s so-called Big Four.  ECA big wigs can’t be happy with those numbers.

Further research into dealings across the pond reveals that baseball and basketball both support lower league programs which the universally profitable NFL has chosen to abandon.

An ECA break from UEFA, in order to follow gridiron’s ‘look out for number one’example, would naturally have a drastic effect on the footballing landscape.  An elite competition without promotion and relegation would likely consign lower divisions and non league football to the rubbish heap.  Big clubs with the power to deny national federations access to their best players would also threaten the existence of the Euros, Copa Libertadores, African Cup of Nations and, of course, the World Cup.  Yet, with the amazing success of the NFL, can ECA chairmen be blamed for wanting to be rid of the ‘dead weight’of the lower leagues in exchange for a much bigger slice of the pie?

Michel Platini doesn’t believe that the threats of the ECA are anything more than posturing. He points out that big clubs are just as much to blame for the crowded fixture list when they schedule extended summer tours to the far corners of the globe, regardless of the fact that these lucrative junkets help to promote UEFA as a whole.  But when he asks why the ECA doesn’t consider smaller clubs when lobbying for independent television rights, he loses his audience.  The big clubs know that they can make more money if they don’t have to prop up the lower tiers.  Threatening to “throw them out” before they leave of their own accord, as Platini did in July, may not be the best position to take.

Abandoning the century and a half old club system may seem inconceivable to UEFA, but both sides have been pushing hard to rake in every available penny and pound, filling the fixture list with competitions, friendlies and tours to the point of bursting, with neither group satisfied with their share of the spoils.  Platini needs to pay more heed to the clubs’argument that it is they who invest the money in players, assuming the greater financial risk.

Should he not, the question bears asking again.  Is Financial Fair Play necessary and just legislation which will corral irresponsible spending and preserve the UEFA club system or a draconian measure that will drive the big clubs right off the reservation?

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“I do believe that you can access truths about the game by speaking to Arsène Wenger, if he feels like telling you. I don’t believe you can access them by speaking to Wayne Rooney.”

So says Simon Kuper, in the introduction to his new book, entitled – deep breath – ‘Soccer Men: Profiles of the Rogues, Geniuses, and Neurotics Who Dominate the World’s Most Popular Sport’, which features profiles and interviews with a variety of the game’s greats, both past and present.

The above quote is the key theme of the book; players have very little, if anything, of interest to say.

“Twitter demonstrates the problem,” Kuper told me in an interview to promote the book.

“Players are constantly getting into trouble for things they have tweeted. In many countries, players have less freedom of speech now than they would have had in the Soviet Union. Players learn over time to say nothing.”

Indeed, there’s an amusing line in the profile of Freddy Adu (the only American player featured in the book) where Kuper states that the fourteen year old ‘spoke with more articulacy than I have heard from any adult England player’. But why are the English superstars so tongue-tied?

“I think it’s partly because they get teased by their peers if they sound too clever-clever or too middle-class. Their goal when speaking in interviews is to say nothing, because any interesting thoughts are liable to get them into trouble, and so inarticulacy becomes a sort of self-defence”.

The book is inspired by ‘The Football Man’, a 1968 book by Arthur Hopcraft, which Kuper admitted is “a little bit dated now”. But he felt the idea behind that book is still valid: “Portraying a series of individuals and thinking about what they have in common”.

It’s interesting then to see that the people in this book don’t actually have all that much in common. Besides being good at football and very career orientated (“In the end almost everyone in football is out for themselves” Kuper told me), there isn’t all that much that binds them based on the information that is presented here.

A chapter on a boasting Edgar Davids is followed directly by one about a shy Rivaldo; the likes of Jari Litamen and Thierry Henry are shown as being football obsessed, whilst it barely seems to register with Johnny Rep and Bernd Holzenbein (in a joint chapter) that they played in the World Cup final at all. The World Cup final!

The literary pretensions of the players themselves are entertainingly mocked in a chapter that looks at the autobiographies of England’s ‘golden generation’. Kuper confessed that no-one had ever asked him to write one, and I suspect few players will be asking him in future, if they have read this section of the book at least.

“I’d vaguely thought I’d be interested in doing it for Dennis Bergkamp but that won’t ever happen” Kuper revealed, and I wonder if, as the author of Soccernomics, he feels a connection with the Dutch legend who (as the book reveals) was teased as the dressing-room geek at Inter Milan.

Aside from looking at the players themselves, the book also covers the football cultures of different countries, which proves interesting. For example, we learn about the Argentine concept of the pibe, and that Dutch children often follow players rather than teams.

“If you grew up in Holland, you were taught an extreme interest in the actual game itself and in its tactics. So you learned to appreciate, for example, Bergkamp or Van Basten no matter which club they played for”. As an English fan of football, with all of its tribal rivalries and hostilities, this certainly seems an alien concept to me.

As the profiles date from 1997 to the present, it’s interesting to see which predictions Kuper made in his original articles came to fruition and which did not. I won’t spoil it here, but the author is honest enough to admit when he was off the mark.

It’s not just players in Kuper’s sights though; there are profiles of managers and ‘some other soccer men’ (as Part III of the book is titled).

Amongst these, there’s an interesting comparison between Glenn Hoddle and Tony Blair, from when one was England manager and the other the Prime Minister (the two most difficult jobs in the UK according to most of the natives). But who is soccer’s Barack Obama?

“Lilian Thuram is a very politically engaged man. They have something of the same aura: tall cerebral men who exude a great calm”. There you have it; look out Nicolas Sarkozy!

There’s also a fascinating portrait of Billy Beane, star of the book (and now film) ‘Moneyball’ who, it is revealed, is a soccer obsessive. With his analytical mind, I wonder if Beane could cross the divide and become a success in soccer. Kuper thinks so:

“I suspect it’s going to happen one day, that he’s going to make the leap to soccer, just because he has such passion for it and spends so much time thinking about it. Not soon, but one day”.

Whilst I very much enjoyed the book, as a fan who struggles to get tickets to see his own favoured team play, it does sometimes seem that Kuper is complaining a little too much about a life spent trying to interview players whilst going to every game imaginable, including the World Cup final itself in 2010. Want to swap places Simon?

But that’s a minor gripe. The book is very readable, obviously well written and researched, and you learn some incredible and occasionally startling facts about the stars of the game.

If nothing else, the book is worth reading to find out which World Cup winner showed his testicles to Luis Chilavert. You’re wondering now, aren’t you?

Soccer Men is available online at Amazon.com, BN.com (Barnes & Noble Booksellers) and in a book store near you.

Read more of Andrew Beasley @ basstunedtored.com

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Back when he was still employed as Blackburn manager, Sam Allardyce was famously quoted as not liking perception and believing that people “should stick to reality”.  Many pundits, yours truly included, took the opportunity to have some fun at Big Sam’s expense.  After all, if perception didn’t exist, no one would give a damn about football and he’d be unemployed.  Every aspect of the game, including the spectacle, which club or country one roots for and which style of play is most effective is down to each individual observer or participant’s perception.  Obviously then, the same set of circumstances can be seen in a unique light by different people and approached from myriad directions.

At the time of his remark, Big Sam himself was under the perception that, in the face of new ownership, he’d finally have the backing to move Rovers forward and could expect to be challenging for a European place in the seasons to come.  That, of course, was not the reality.  Not even a fortnight later, he was sacked, briefly went into television and has now signed on to lead West Ham out of the Championship desert and back into the promised land of the Premier League.

So, even for the wary, perception is a very dangerous thing.  Imagine how powerful it is in the minds of teenagers.  Cases in point are Monday’s quarter-final matches in the U17 World Cup.

In one match, the French took on hosts Mexico.  Mid-fielder Kevin Escamilla put El Tri in front just before the quarter-hour but three minutes later defender Jordan Ikoko levelled for Les Bleus.  Shortly after intermission, Carlos Fierro put Mexico ahead to stay.

Tensions ran high between the two sides, with the French trying to impose their will physically on the smaller, more technically proficient Mexicans.  In all, five cards were handed out to both sides, with three to France.  The tight 2-1 score could easily be put down to home field advantage being the deciding factor between two closely matched sides.

Yet, given recent events within the French national program, one has to wonder if the match doesn’t vindicate Laurent Blanc’s perception of the state of the game in that nation.  Politicians and many players of minority origin were outraged at the very thought of imposing racial quotas within the France set-up.  The French Minister for Sport stated publicly that athletic ability should be the sole criteria for selecting players.

Blanc, on the other hand, supported quotas to protect players who may not possess superior athletic prowess but whose vision, technique and sense of timing more than compensate.  He pointed out that the current, overwhelming trend to recruit and promote bigger, stronger players was endangering Les Bleus’future.  Without them, as the loss to Mexico hinted, the side was becoming predictably one-dimensional.

The same criticism has been levelled at Ligue 1, which features sides filled to bursting with gifted young athletes, blessed with speed, power and skill but who, to many, seem to lack craft and guile.

One or two such players in a lineup, pulling the strings, tend to elevate the game of the whole squad. Their vision and imagination were what made Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini and David Beckham legends of the game, not their physical gifts.

That the trio and many others like them tend to be Caucasian is [to my perception] rooted in socio-economic issues rather than the more widely perceived and condemned racial perspective.  Yaya Toure certainly dispels any notion that black footballers are bereft of imagination but the simple fact remains that the opposite is the general perception.

Regardless of his racial background, if the French had a player of Toure’s ilk in their squad on Monday, they might have been able to change tactics, rather than trying in vain to overpower a smaller, quicker side.  Instead, Les Bleus were only able to employ a single strategy, for which their opponents were well prepared.  The overriding sentiment from those in authority, that the FFF should only concern itself with physical qualities, was proved to be the ignorant school of thought in this competition.

The other match of the day displayed another quality of the power of perception.  When Brits logged onto the internet on Monday night or picked up the morning paper on Tuesday, they would have read the following scoreline:  England 2 – 3 Germany and thought to themselves, not again!

For whatever reason and at whatever level, English footballers cannot seem to get the better of their Teutonic rivals.  It happened at the 2009 U21 Euros, where the Three Lion Cubs were mauled by Germany 4-0.  The senior squad was then eliminated by Die Mannschaft in South Africa, albeit with the opposition aided by a critical mistake from the referee.  Even when they have had success, as at Wembley in 1966, they find themselves having to defend against the perception that they were merely lucky, or worse, had help themselves.  When it comes to Germany, it always seems to go wrong for English football.

For a group of teenagers, the ever-present knowledge of that futility can be poison.  They may relish the challenge of playing their rivals.  They may understand that the past is just that, and has no bearing on the present unless they permit it.  They may even be wholly confident in their own ability.  But when the least little thing goes wrong, a sense of inevitability creeps into their collective mind.  If the first team finds that difficult to overcome, how can one fault the youngsters from falling victim to the same pathology?

In Monday’s match, things went wrong very quickly.  Samed Yesil struck for Germany in the seventh minute.  When England failed to respond, Kaan Ayhan added a second before the half-hour and Yesil completed a double early in the second half.  The young Lions finally responded after the hour, through Samuel Magri’s spot kick, and then Hallam Hope offered his name to the side by pulling England within one with eight minutes remaining.  That was as close as they would come, however, and Germany now face Mexico in the semis.

Meanwhile, everyone is asking,”Why can’t we beat Germany?”

What makes the continuing failure all the more frustrating to England fans, for whom each encounter is momentous, is that their opposite numbers view every renewal as just another game.  That’s not surprising, really, when you’re always on the winning side, but it is another lesson in differing perceptions.

My perception is that the key to the one-sided rivalry is simple.  Germany is open to change, while England is implacably rooted in tradition.

The last hundred years outside the game will tell you what you need to know.  England fought and, against the odds, won two World Wars.  Their pride in that is justifiably immense but it also gets in the way of their thinking.  They cling to the trappings of their former empire and refuse to join the rest of the world.  The current government is composed of what are supposed to be diametrically opposed political parties, yet in just over a year in power, there have been no significant disagreements or public acrimony between the two sides of the coalition.  Britons are simply unwilling to disturb the status quo.

Conversely, Germany has twice had to rebuild their nation from scratch.  They have learned the hard way that some of their traditional values are detrimental to their political well-being.  Since the inception of the EU, the Germans have maintained their famously stoic determination whilst welcoming and embracing the rest of Europe.  Consequently, the country which regretfully embraced Hitler’s philosophy of a single master race is now the most diverse nation in Europe.

England, of course, has resisted the call of Europe every step of the way.  Like a pendulum swinging in a wide arc, Germany have experienced a broader range of  ideologies and successfully adapted the best of each.  The British timepiece barely moves and that is reflected in the narrow-minded thinking of those in power.  With the FA comprised of many powerful members of the establishment, it’s unsurprising that no serious change has been seriously considered, much less implemented.

If England want to step to the fore of the game, they are going to have to follow Germany’s example and redefine what it means to be English.

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The FIFA World Congress meets next week, with the organisation scheduled to vote on Wednesday for Sepp Blatter, Mohamed bin Hammam or, as in the case of the Home Nations, none of the above as its President for the next four years.  Before that occurs though, both Batter and bin Hammam will join CONCACAF President Jack Warner in appearing before the FIFA Ethics Committee < insert oxymoronic joke here > on Sunday to answer allegations of bribery brought by CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer.

If the second highest ranking executive in an organisation leveling corruption charges against his superior has you smelling a political rat, welcome to the club.  That Blazer’s accusations come so close to the vote and hot on the heels of Lord Triesman’s damning testimony to British Parliament should only agitate your conspiracy radar all the more.

With the FA and USSF questioning the process after their bids were dismissed virtually out of hand, making serious charges against Blatter, bin Hammam and Warner on the eve of the election seems not only an effective revenge but also perhaps the most expedient way to bring about change within the organisation.

Chuck Blazer owns a vintage Mercedes valued in the six figures while working exclusively for FIFA and CONCACAF... people who live in glass houses?.... birds of a feather?..... it takes a thief....?

It was Blatter, after all, who made an impassioned last minute speech, back in December, on behalf of the Qatari bid.  Bringing the World Cup to the Middle East fits in perfectly with the incumbent’s desire to leave a legacy of expansion when he finally steps down from his post.  For bin Hammam, chairing the successful bid smoothed the way for his planned ascension to the game’s highest office.  As well, in championing the American effort, Chuck Blazer must have felt betrayed when Warner placed their region’s support behind Qatar.  Therefore, bringing to light the alleged transactions between Warner, Bin Hammam and others in the Caribbean Football Union, nicely completes a one-two with Lord Triesman.

Whether the power play results in the intended goal is another matter.  While British Sports Minister Hugh Robertson is calling (somewhat conveniently) for the election to be postponed, it is difficult to foresee that happening.  If no more evidence beyond the accusations of associates with axes to grind is brought before the Ethics Committee, how can that body justify suspending the vote?  If tangible evidence is presented, then the question becomes will suspending the vote be sufficient?  If there is probable cause, the indicted parties would probably be asked to step aside from their posts until exonerated.  Should they be convicted, what repercussions might that have on Russia and Qatar’s duties as hosts in 2018 and 2022?

It’s theoretically possible that three of the largest governing bodies in football could be without their leaders, not to mention the possibility of Qatar and Russia seeking redress for being stripped of their World Cup hosting privileges in the CAS or World Court.  Ethical or not, one would suspect that is a perilous path which the presiding members at Sunday’s hearing will be very reluctant to tread.

Robertson’s echoing of the demand for transparency in FIFA operations, to my mind, endangers the delicate balance of power within the organisation.  While many people, including Chuck Blazer, have enjoyed extravagant lifestyles through their ‘service’to the game, the simple fact is that corruption is not a cancer within FIFA; it is its lifeblood.

Speaking of oxymoronic jokes.

The federation consists of two hundred and seven member nations, each with one equal vote in all matters.  Less than twenty percent of those countries, most European, have the financial, logistical and political capability to successfully host the World Cup.  Given, then, that over one hundred and fifty of FIFA constituents have no chance of staging the game’s lucrative crown jewel, what benefit does being a full member offer them?

The over-simplified but truthful answer is that their vote, in support of one wealthy nation over another, buys them the resources to develop the game in their country or region.  If the transparent FIFA model, which some are demanding is instituted, then large countries will have no reason to share their wealth with the less fortunate.  Seeing as humans are not as naturally generous as some of us might wish, the rich would get richer, the poor poorer and the game would suffer.

The issue should not be whether votes are being bought but where the money is going.  Unfortunately, western democracies frown on bribery in any form.  Yet, if Issa Hayatou or Reynald Temarii accept money for votes, on behalf of their federations, where is the harm?

Perhaps one of the problems for the US and the UK is that they are spoilt by their position in the United Nations.  As members of the Security Council, each has the power to veto any measure they feel is not in their best interest, as do several other nations.  Consequently, more blood than necessary is shed in smaller nations, such as Rwanda, Bosnia and Iraq than should be necessary before peace can be achieved and aid takes too long in reaching many who desperately need it.

There is no veto in FIFA.  There are simply two hundred and seven potential votes spread amongst countries that don’t always share the priorities which the FA and USSF would like to see adopted for choosing a World Cup host.  Before any organisation can operate transparently, such priorities must be agreed upon.  Like it or not, the UK and America, thanks to their history as imperialist nations, simply don’t engender the trust required to effect immediate change at FIFA.

Therefore, don’t expect anything to come of Sundays inquiry and do expect the election to take place as scheduled, on Wednesday.  At best, the FA might be able to gauge any support for future reform, should there be a high rate of abstention in the vote.  Don’t count on it, however.  When it’s the wealthiest members crying foul in a profitable venture, such as FIFA, the huddled masses would be foolish to take much heed.

So angry was I that I couldn’t see the good in my life. Lucky enough to be privately educated, I could have gone on to a top university, travelled and begun a promising career. Instead, I spent eight years blaming fate for the sorrows it had visited on me.

Curiously enough, Liverpool endured a very similar incident, during that time, to the one it is going through now. Club legend Michael Owen left for greener pastures, having made noises about the desire to win trophies. Of course, he didn’t get exactly what he was looking for at Real Madrid and was snapped up by Newcastle, for £18 million, after a season on the Galactico bench.

It's a sad fact of life that sooner or later, we all have to move on.

There was no happy ending for him on Tyneside, either. He continued to struggle with the injuries that had plagued him at Anfield, eventually losing his England place, unthinkable for the man who had scored ‘the’ goal against Argentina in the France ’98 World Cup. At St. James Park, he would endure the lowest point of his career, unable to find the goals that would keep the Geordies in the Premier League and reduced to shopping his CV to prospective clubs when the consensus was that he should just quit the game entirely.

When Owen left Anfield Road, I took it personally. Depression breeds from negativity and what could be more negative than your hero turning his back on you, as Owen did to the Kop when he joined Real? For the longest time afterward, I hated Michael Owen with a ferocity I now find difficult to imagine.

Today, some would argue that Fernando Torres has gone even further, not just turning his back on Merseysiders but selling his soul to the blue devil that is Roman Abramovich. As with Owen, the internet is roiling with hate for the once beloved Spaniard. Suddenly, Torres worshippers see fit to burn his shirt, forgetting that it still bears the Liverbird we all hold dear.

Yet, what exactly does Torres owe us? While here, he has given everything he has for the club and going to Chelsea, of all places, must have been an emotionally tearing decision. Like Owen, Nando wishes to win and to provide for his family. He has seen the money come out for Luis Suarez and likely approached the club with regards to his own needs.

However, also like Owen, he has begun to be hampered by injury. The new ownership, while pledged to listen to the Kop, doesn’t yet have the emotional ties to the ‘Liverpool Way.’ It is not difficult to imagine that when they finally identified their targets and swooped for Suarez, Fenway Sports Group felt that a large investment in Torres was not the risk they wished to take.

Instead, they followed Ajax’s example and hardballed the Blues into paying a premium for El Nino and used the money to claim Andy Carroll. While Carroll has also had some knocks, he is a much stronger specimen than Torres, not to mention younger.

For everyone but the fans, football is a business. In whichever order it came about, both the club and Torres made decisions about their future. What right do we have to castigate a man for looking out for his own best interests? If he feels that this is the time to move on, then we should at least afford him the respect that he deserves for his previous efforts.

While Torres is chauffeured to London, Carroll is carted to Anfield. Limo drivers must have 31 January circled in their day planners.

I am still in a state of shock over the whole matter, if I am honest, and I think it will be a good while before I can emotionally come to grips with Torres’ leaving. These days, though, I have a much wiser head. I’ve worked very hard to get my life back on track, into a semblance of what it could have been. I’ve realised that fate doesn’t always deliver what I expect from it but that I can make the best from what it does offer, if I only open my mind to the possibilities.

If I can do that for myself, how can I deny another man the same opportunity? This time around, I will not hate my sporting hero. Instead, I will wish him well. There is a reason that we all worshipped him and I, for one, will not simply abandon those memories to replace them with hate. He may have broken my heart by moving to Chelsea, but he has to do what is right for himself and his family. I sincerely hope that he has gone for the proper reasons, as regret is one of the most difficult emotions you can ever have to deal with.

El Niño, you will always have a place in my heart. Thank you for the good times and good luck in your future. I hope you rediscover your best, especially in the two matches to come against Man United, just not when you play my Reds!

♦   ◊   ♦

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Hi all!

This column will be crossing back and forth over the Channel, keeping an eye on events involving the French.  Be it players, coaches or executives, in Ligue 1 or elsewhere, I’ll have something to say on it.  I’ll be praising the piercing runs of Samir Nasri, scoffing at the pierced nose of Sebastien Bassong and touching on everything in between. This week, I’m looking at the FIFA fiasco, the aforementioned Samir Nasri, Ligue 1 and the Champions League. So, without further ado…

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“Football is for everyone”

In England this week, World Cup 2018 took centre-stage for obvious reasons. Although France didn’t bid, the vote’s resemblance to a game of Russian Roulette or Qatar Hero (terrible, sorry) means that the news garnered attention across the channel, too. I can understand that FIFA may want to expand into the Russian market, where football has been established as a professional sport for a long time.

Ka-ching!

But Qatar? To pick a football unknown ahead of the USA is strange, to put it mildly. Something smells fishy. BBC’s Panorama documentary provided the bait, now someone needs to drag the FIFA fish out of the water. As former Belgium midfielder Marc Wilmots put it, “the sport has lost”.

The Qatar bid was, of course, fronted by French football legend Zinedine Zidane. Quite why is a conundrum akin to that of FIFA’s decision to host the World Cup in its 113rd ranked country. For Zizou, maybe it had something to do with the reported $15 million he’s getting as a reward for the successful bid.

The former Les Bleus captain was glad for the 2022 decision, but was looking to butt heads over the 2018 announcement.  That choice, having gone against Spain, heaped yet more misery upon Real Madrid supporters who had only just recovered from a very Manic Monday at the Nou Camp.

Incidentally, Spain, much like England, really thought they had an impressive bid. In fact, I have to say that there were a number of good bids – it’s just unfortunate that none of them were picked. Shouldn’t the World Cup be about football instead of politics?

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Nasri’s Deadly Dancing

In French, it's sur le feu but the Spanish say it best: en Fuego!

The talking point of Saturday’s Premiership matches was the display of Samir Nasri, who seems to look better and better with every match that Cesc Fabregas is absent. Whilst watching the former Marseille player dance around the Fulham defence to score two goal-of-the-month nominees, you can’t help but think that Arsenal might not miss Fabregas all that much if (when) he does indeed move to Barcelona.

There’s been enough evidence, for both the Gunners and Les Bleus, that Nasri is at his best when operating as the main playmaker for his side (i.e. the guy behind the attackers). When deployed as such, he turns from good to great.  It’s difficult not to like the combination of dribbling, technique, vision and downright hard work that is showcased by the Frenchman.

He pretty much walked the ball into the net for both of his Fulham goals, which some would say suits Arsene Wenger down to a tee!

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Ligue 1

With Ligue 1 so ridiculously close this season, you would think that no-one is particularly outstanding. The reality, however, is that several teams have mounted amazing runs, only to fall over again once they reach the top of the table.

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Kings of Lyon

The latest lucky contestant in France’s game of snakes and ladders is Lyon, who, having plumbed the depths of the division, have now gone 10 games unbeaten to bring themselves back into the title race. This includes last Saturday’s impressive win over the early surprise package, Brest.  The coach, Claude Puel, has been completely mauled in the French press, with the early positioning of Les Gones giving rise to much speculation regarding his future.

Do not make this man angry.

Puel has managed to bounce back but not without the problems that come from taking over a club defending 7 successive titles. For a start, he has a bulging array of talent in midfield which will never be satisfied. Jean Makoun is already known to be unhappy, while Kim Kallstrom is also pouting, having told French newspaper L’Equipe of his frustration at not playing the big games.  Although, recently he has started most matches, so maybe it’s Miralem Pjanic’s turn to cry.

Lisandro Lopez, on the other hand, has decided to turn his frown upside down, putting his differences with Puel behind him. The striker, brought in to replace Karim Benzema, had disagreements with the manager about his pre-season weight and then about being substituted against PSG. Puel found the solution against Montpellier:

I played Lisandro until the end so he wouldn’t be in a bad mood afterwards.

To be fair, I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of one of his strops. Look at the guy!

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A Lille Hazard At The Top

Too many balls, not enough goals.

Another high-flying side is Lille.  Four wins in their last five matches have propelled them to the top. The pilot for their success has been winger Eden Hazard, who, at 19, looks to have a bright future. Paper talk has already linked him with all of Europe’s biggest clubs, so it appears that the Belgian will be on the move fairly soon.

Lille’s climb has not been down to one man, though. With Ivory Coast winger Gervinho, Yohan Cabaye, Adil Rami and Ligue 1 top scorer Moussa Sow, Hazard has a talented and experienced crew surrounding him, permitting him the freedom to flourish.

On Saturday, Lille beat Lorient 6-3 in a goal-fest that featured another burgeoning prospect, Lorient striker Kevin Gameiro, also on the radar of the big clubs if the newspapers are to be believed. Gameiro has already been called up for France several times and his brace in the loss will only thrust his name further into January transfer debates.

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Champions League

Drogba appreciated the welcome from the crowd but had yet another issue with an official.

The 6th and final round of the CL Group Stages played out this week.  

Lyon, already through to the knock-out stages, dominated proceedings against Hapoel Tel-Aviv, with 73% of possession and 32 shots on goal. Despite this, they still could only salvage a 2-2 draw at the death against the Israeli outfit.  Lisandro Lopez opened the scoring and Alexandre Lacazette came through with a header on 87 minutes for the hosts. Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama’s athletic performance put a scare into Les Gones, in a match they would have won easily were there a human backstopping the Israelis.   Consequently, they’ll face a tougher draw in the last 16, as Schalke took the honours in the group..

Wednesday saw the long-awaited return of Didier Drogba to Marseille. Drogba is known to be very emotionally bound to his former club, and apparently wasn’t too keen to leave when Chelsea’s offer was accepted. He did, and the rest is history, but the match turned out to be a happier encounter for the OM faithful, who feted the Ivorian during the introductions and upon his substitution on the hour.  Chelsea lost the match, 1-0, and Drogba, the penalty taker in Frank Lampard’s absence, was displeased when the official pointed to the spot, only to overrule himself after Marseille players harried him into consulting his linesman.

Benzema, who scored 3, and Diarra, who led the Spaniards, were not kind to their countrymen.

Auxerre, always the runt of the litter in a group with 9, 7 and 4-time European Champions found no joy in their final match at the Santiago Bernabeu.  Despite no Jose Mourinho, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos, through suspension, and no Iker Casillas, Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira or Angel Di Maria, rested for a meaningless game, Real Madrid were all business.  Los Blancos were showing no lasting effects from their beating at the hands of Barcelona and had, in fact, made short work of third placed Valencia on the weekend.

On this night, it would still be a Frenchman who starred.   Unhappily for Auxerre, it was one in foreign service, as little used Karim Benzema took the opportunity given and made a case for more regular action with a hat-trick in a comprehensive 4-0 win.   The only good news for AJA was that the mid-week distractions have come to an end and they can now focus on raising their profile from its current, unlucky 13th position in Ligue 1.

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That's it, for now. Until next week, au revoir et bon chance!

As for me, unfortunately Kool-Aid doesn’t have a sour grape flavour.  I’m not too out of sorts about England losing out.  The whole world could see that one coming, so when it actually happened, it wasn’t too big a let-down.  The American bid was quietly professional, though, virtually devoid of any controversy and, with the money to be made, actually seemed the sensible choice.

Naturally, the initial response is to shout corruption.  Certainly, FIFA has a well-known reputation for incidents of mutual back scratching.  Here’s the thing, though… From the accounts I’ve read, Issa Hayadou, Amos Amodu and Reynald Temarii didn’t accept bribes.  They engaged in the practice of barter.  There’s all the difference in the world between the two.

Bribery is accepting a personal gift to perform a public or professional service or to approve a contract for same; it is a form of theft.  However, what all three delegates are alleged to have done is exchange their valuable votes for significant investment in their countries’football infrastructure, an equitable trade, surely.  Further, since every one of the nine finalists for the two available World Cups had already been approved by FIFA as capable of staging the event, there was no impropriety beyond the disapproval of Western capitalists who prefer the monetary system of trade.

While the UK and US may be dominant players in the world economy, theirs is not the only functional method of doing business.  FIFA, as a truly global organisation understands this, even if the British and American media machines do not.

I’m not so naïve as to believe that Sepp Blatter and his cronies are not interested in profit but I’m also not so jaded as to disbelieve that he truly wishes to leave behind a viable legacy when he sails off into retirement on Lake Lucerne, with his boatload of cash.  His stated intent to bring the beautiful game to every corner of the world and to alternate the World Cup between all the confederations is very real.

While the World Cup is the world’s greatest celebration, a scheduled rotation of FIFA’s crown jewel is not enough, by itself, to bring the game to the entire planet.  Outside of UEFA, which boasts any number of countries, singly or in partnership, able to put on the greatest of tournaments, there are only a handful of nations which can say the same.

Of the 160 non-European FIFA member states, only 18, by my count, qualify as potential World Cup hosts.  Admittedly my judgment is non-scientific and inexact but it isn’t too far off the mark.  Even if you allow a 5% margin of error, well over 80% of these countries, most of them Third World, are completely out of the frame.  Is their only role to provide cannon fodder for the big guns?

In both the British and American media, the argument is made that the decision should be made on merit but, as I’ve already noted, no country is permitted to be a bidding finalist if they are not qualified.  If merit were the only criteria, Sepp Blatter could invite the television cameras into his office and have Elle MacPherson or Charlize Theron pull a name out of a hat.  No, in the final stage, the decision is made based upon other factors and entering previously ignored markets like Asia, Africa and now the Middle East and Eastern Europe is as good a reason as any.

If a regulated and transparent system of bartering for votes were part of bidding process, it seems to me that minor countries would benefit greatly, rather than FIFA merely exploiting a given region’s lucrative markets.

Naysayers will argue that the corrupt will attempt to take advantage of the system.  Whatever the rules, however, there are always those who test the limits or willfully cross the line.  CNN is getting a lot of mileage out of reports of illegal immigrants and drug smugglers tunneling, having been thwarted by endless miles of fencing on the US/Mexico border.  The moral of the story?  When you ban a custom, rather than regulating it , the criminals go underground.  Consequently, they’re much harder to detect.

A simple, transparent system is key.  You want to host a World Cup.  The children in my country need a comprehensive academy in which they can learn the game and get a decent education.  Let’s agree to trade and inform everyone else of the details.  Fair and above-board.  That may not be the ‘American Way’but maybe it should be.

♦   ◊   ♦

Somewhere back there, I mentioned that FIFA had already done their homework to be assured that all the bidders were up to the task.  Much has been made of the ‘high risk’tag applied to Qatar.  That doesn’t disqualify them; it just means they have a bigger challenge than most.  They definitely have the resources to meet the challenge.  If any country involved can match the US,  dollar for dollar, in order to stage a truly spectacular show, it’s the Qataris.

Yes, Qatar is a restrictive society by Western standards, no consumption of alcohol, jail for kissing in public, no scantily clad women.  If Qatari society doesn’t loosen up quite a bit in the next decade, 2022 will be the dreariest and least profitable World Cup in some time.

Of course, Mohammed bin Hamman and the Qatari royalty did not cozy up to Sepp Blatter for nearly a decade, providing him a personal jet and financing his re-election, to put on a party and make a profit from a once-in-a-generation sporting event.  They did it to prove that Islāmic society deserves a seat at the table on their own terms.  More importantly, they accomplished their aims peacefully.  For that they deserve respect, admiration and congratulations.

♦   ◊   ♦

The Russians didn’t do a lot of talking, although when they did, as England will attest, they didn’t mince words.  Still, while the British found every opportunity to fall on their own swords, Russia mounted an effective, if minimalist campaign.  As with Qatar, the objections to their candidacy revolve around the darker side of Russian society.

Many simply couldn’t believe that FIFA would consider Russia, in light of its record of both violence and racism at matches.  The RPL and the government even had the audacity to ignore the infamous ‘banana’banner celebrating the emigration of native son of colour, Peter Odemwingie.

Unlike the US and UK, who endorse punitive policies of embargo and trade restriction, Sepp Blatter and, by extension, FIFA practice a politics of inclusion.  It’s difficult not to imagine, considering the footballing body’s campaign against discrimination, that private communications were dispatched making it clear that any such incidents would not be tolerated by FIFA.  If the Russians have demonstrated anything over the years, it’s that they can deal with undesirables.  It’s fairly safe to assume that by 2018, expressions of hate will be anathema in Russian football.

With the proper assurances likely having been made behind closed doors, Russia then made a largely unnoticed but significant public offering.  They announced that the RPL would immediately shift from a summer to a winter schedule, one of Sepp’s pet peeves.  With the RPL and MLS being the only leagues of any potential still out of step with the great dance and Blatter have once again publicly raised his concerns shortly after the Russian proclamation, one has to wonder if the lip service paid by the Americans was a critical error.  Hint not taken, last chance lost?  Who knows?

♦   ◊   ♦

So, if you live in an English-speaking nation and want to see a live World Cup match in your lifetime, you’d better break out the Fodor’s and purchase the appropriate version of Rosetta Stone.

Whoever assumes command will find that Rajevac has left them everything they need to move Ghana forward.

Possessing one of the most talented groups of young players anywhere in the world, game Ghana’s future looks extremely bright.  However, confidence was dented in September, with the news that Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac – the architect behind the team’s recent progression – was leaving to take up a managerial role with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.

With the Black Stars set to play their latest Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan, on Sunday, without a permanent coach in place, a temporary power vacuum has been created at the very top of the Ghanaian game. The assistant manager under Rajevac, Kwesi Appiah, has been placed in temporary charge, while the Ghana FA seek to appoint a successor to the Serbian. But who are the candidates to replace Rajevac, and what qualities would each bring to what is one of the highest-profile jobs in African football?

Tettah has had success with the Ghana U-20 squad.

Sellas Tetteh

The man who led Ghana’s U-20 team to the 2009 World Cup title, Sellas Tetteh’s reputation within Ghanaian football could hardly be higher. Having helped to bring through the majority of the young players now forming the fulcrum of the senior side, Tetteh has been responsible for instilling the Black Stars’ brand of 4-2-3-1, at the various age group levels, and has an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of football in his homeland.

However, despite being perfectly suited to the vacancy with his country, Tetteh became the manager of the Rwandan national side, in February and signed a two-year deal with the central Africans. If Tetteh is truly desperate to seize what could be his last chance to lead Ghana, then the FA would likely attempt to arrange a compensation deal with their Rwandan counterparts, although such an arrangement looks unlikely at present.

While Desailly has never managed, he is immensely popular and has maintained ties to his birthplace.

Marcel Desailly

The former Chelsea and France centre-half may have amused viewers with his overzealous Ghanaian cheerleading on ITV during the World Cup, this summer, but Marcel Desailly, Ghanian by birth, is a highly respected social figure in his homeland.

The main argument against Desailly’s application for the job is his complete lack of managerial experience, something which could potentially be very much to the detriment of a group of players currently developing at an extremely fast rate. Indeed, the outspoken former Asante Kotoko coach, Opeele Boateng, has warned the Ghanaian FA against appointing Desailly, being quoted as saying, rather scathingly of his countryman, that “the Black Stars job is serious business and we cannot pick coaches just for the fun of it.”

The odds may be stacked rather imposingly against Desailly becoming the next Ghana manager, but the 1998 World Cup winner certainly has the passion and enthusiasm required to and it is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that he will come to the job further down the line.

Coelho, with his experience and background, is thought to hold the inside track.

Humberto Coelho

Arguably the strongest and, perhaps, most realistic candidate, the experienced Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho is thought to be amongst the front-runners for the Ghana job, at this moment in time.

With a managerial CV boasting spells with Portugal, Morocco, South Korea and most recently, Tunisia, Coelho is thought to have impressed the FA by presenting a clear and achievable plan for the future of the Black Stars. According to Ghanaian news outlet Peace FM, Coelho’s plan involves instilling a greater consistency and equity in the selection process as well as increasing the team’s goal scoring threat by working towards a more offensive interpretation of the tactical system as it was under Rajevac.

An experienced coach with plenty of international experience and a workable blueprint for development, not to mention a good deal exposure to African football, Coelho might well be the perfect man for the job.

Zola is looking to get back in the coaching picture.

Gianfranco Zola

Sacked from his post at West Ham in rather contentious circumstances, at the conclusion of last season, Gianfranco Zola is reported to be looking for a way back into management and is strongly rumoured to have applied for the vacant Ghana job.

During his time at Upton Park, despite struggling for consistency, the former Chelsea forward proved himself in difficult circumstances. He was able to get his team playing an often attractive brand of football, which would sit well with the current Ghana side. However, like Desailly, Zola has a relatively thin body of work, in coaching terms, with West Ham having been his first job as a first team manager.

That said, Zola was the assistant manager to the Italy U-21 side from 2006 to 2008 and has experience shaping the talents of relatively young players, on the international stage. A coach, who patently has plenty more to give to the game, Zola would represent a left-field but potentially very astute appointment should the Ghanaian FA choose to trust him with their youthful national team.

Of course, this is only a snapshot of some of the more prominent coaches that could be in line to replace Rajevac – the Ghanaian FA are said to have received upwards of 60 applications for the job and, so, have a plethora of options open to them. Whoever does replace the Serbian, at the helm of what is arguably Africa’s most talented national team, will inherit an immensely gifted group of players, many of whom are in the embryonic stages of their careers and possessed of boundless potential. There’s even a chance that Ghana’s next coach could create history by guiding the country to it’s first Cup of Nations title since 1982 and, dare we dream, make the Black Stars the first African side to reach the last four of a World Cup, come 2014?

He can't do it alone.

The test for Real Madrid, this season, may well be whether or not Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego will allow him to be the second most productive player on the club.  He hasn’t had to yield to any teammate in quite some time but allowing someone else to clean up may be the key to Los Blancos overthrowing Barcelona, in Spain, and making it to Wembley, in the Champions League, in 2011.

Other than Jose Mourinho, no one has arrived at the Bernabeu with more star power, championship pedigree or leadership qualities than the former ManU talisman.  Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria are outstanding young Galacticos but they just aren’t in CRon’s universe.   Kaka is going to be out for quite a while and, according to some, may be sold on in the January transfer window.  So why and for whom should Cristiano have to make way?

There’s one player on the club, who hasn’t been truly recognised for what he is and what that could mean to Real’s success.  He’s always been a fallback option in his previous managers’game plans, despite his productivity being second to none over the course of a four year stay with the club.  In fact, if you took a survey of your average fan, asking them to name three current Real Madrid stars, as often as not he’d be overlooked.  Other than Ronaldo, the nominees would most often come from the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Kaka and Xabi Alonso.  Young starlets Ozil and Karim Benzema are also in most people’s thoughts.

The secret to our mystery man’s success is his very anonymity on the pitch.  Just like the fans, opposing players, distracted by the headline grabbers, often forget he is out there and that is always a very serious mistake to make.  Of course, I’m talking about Gonzalo Higuain.

A garbage man always wears gloves

If 7 goals in 11 Argentine national team appearances, including 4 in a World Cup where Lionel Messi couldn’t open an account, isn’t enough to convince you of his value,  watch this clip from Los Meringues’Match Day 1 victory against Ajax in the Champions League and perhaps you’ll see what I mean.  Higuain shows skill and power, when trying to create something for himself, but admittedly lacks the finishing touch of a Ronaldo.

It’s the two goals that reveal his best skill, however.   Higuain has a sublime talent for being where the ball ends up and for finding the blind spot in a defensive set-up.  Yes, the first tally is an own goal but consider that had the defender not acted, Higuain would have done the job himself.  Sometimes a well positioned forward can force a defender into a terrible mistake.

As I hinted in the opening paragraph, The Argentine is a master at cleaning up the mess of a broken down play, possibly the best in the world at that particular skill.  Higuain is the ultimate garbage man.  It’s an apt metaphor, too.  Garbage collectors are looked down upon, sneered at and unappreciated.  In a nutshell, that’s been his Madridista career to this point.

He’s potted goal after goal, most of them of the clean-up variety, but has always been found wanting.  Despite being just as productive as Raul in La Liga, two seasons ago, when the midweek Champions League fixtures arrived, his playing time became limited and the tactics were focused on getting the ball to the veteran.  Then Ronaldo arrived and, not surprisingly, the side’s urgent need to feed the superstar on European Nights became even greater.  Higuain had the higher league total by a deuce but was outpaced by the Iberian shotmaker, 7-2, in continental competition.  The trap inherent in that tactic is that when the big gun misfires your whole season can go up in smoke, as Madrid found out against Lyon.

As with a big city, having no one to clean up the garbage can make the greatest club -if you’ll excuse the pun- seem rank.  As wonderful as Real played last year, with Ronaldo and Kaka in the lineup and the side accruing their highest Primera Liga points total ever, they were horrible against Barcelona in both legs of El Clasico.  As the saying goes, they stunk up the joint.   Manuel Pellegrini was content to lean on Ronaldo in those matches and Pepe Guardiola’s Barcelona cut Cristiano off at every turn.  It’s not a coincidence that, in crucial matches, Madrid forgot about their garbage man and lost.

Success will only come through a selfless partnership.

There are indications that Jose Mourinho sees things differently from his predecessors.  A balance of skill and power is taking shape in the lineup this season.  The ball is being spread around.  Mesut Ozil creates in the middle, with Ronaldo and di Maria working magic on the flanks.  Nor are Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira afraid to let loose from long range, to keep the opposition club on their heels.  There’s less of an emphasis on the perfect finish and more on getting the ball into the box, repeatedly testing the opposing keeper.  That is the perfect environment for Higuain to exploit.  If the Special One has convinced his side to fire at will and let the French born Argentine clean up the mess, Barcelona may finally be swept away.

Of course, the real test comes on 28 November, at the Camp Nou.

Like the Giro, the Scudetto is a long race with plenty of twists and turns. No sheep, though.

In preparation for the ‘Giro d’Scudetto,’there’s been a maelstrom of player and manager movement during the summer.  The departure of one man, however, has changed the landscape more significantly than the rest of the comings and goings combined.  Jose Mourinho’s move to Real Madrid, after capping his stay at Inter with a domestic double and his 2nd Champions League crown, has sparked title hopes at clubs across the country.

With the outcome seemingly less inevitable than it’s been for some time, the race for the 2010-11 Scudetto is a tough one to handicap.  I’m willing to give it a go, however.  So, read on to see how I think the field will shape up in the coming Serie A season.

..

The Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey)

How Rafa imagines himself managing Inter.

Jose Mourinho is indeed gone from Internazionale, as is the cancerous Mario Balotelli.  Still, Julio Cesar, Ivan Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stankovic, Lucio, Thiago Motta, Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder, Sulley Muntari, Maicon, Nicolas Burdisso, Esteban Cambiasso, Diego Milito, Marco Materazzi, Walter Samuel and Goran Pandev all remain.  That’s a formidable squad.

Even Rafa Benitez may need more than a year to screw up this dynasty.  Then again, maybe not.  He’s doing his best to get Javier Mascherano in the squad, although Barca is on the verge of swooping for the unhappy Liverpool man.  I’m not sure how having the captain of the Diego Maradona All Star World Cup squad around would affect the attitudes of Cambiasso and Zanetti but I  can’t imagine it going over very well.   Giving their blessing to a young teammate Milito’s World Cup dream is one thing.  El Pibe’s chosen man on the pitch suddenly showing up to take over in midfield, is another matter entirely.

Trust will be an issue for the players.  Rafa is the polar opposite of  Mourinho.  The Special One bonded with his players and stood between them and the rest of the world.  He was a general.  Benitez is a politico, gravitating to power.

How everyone else sees it.

At Anfield, that power was with the supporters, rather than the absentee owners, or the players.  The Spaniard made every effort to ingratiate himself to the Kopp, often without regard for players, like Xabi Alonso.  Milan’s president, Massimo Moratti, is very much a presence not to be bypassed or usurped but you can bet Rafa will be looking to mark out his patch.

There’s little, if anything, of significance missing from Jose’s treble winners, yet one wrong step from Benitez may be the difference between Inter driving for five or watching Roma come up in the rearview and slip past them to claim the Scudetto.

The Challenger

Last season, Claudio Ranieri assumed command, early in the AS Roma season, replacing an ineffective Luciano Spalletti.  In short order, the former Chelsea boss had the Romans marching in step, steadily up the table, until they’d laid siege to Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan.  Ranieri didn’t have quite enough troops for the siege to break the Nerrazurri but it was a close thing.

Over the summer, they’ve acquired Brazilian star, Adriano, who, if he doesn’t drink too much of the stuff in the Eternal City’s nightclubs, will add some punch to Roma’s attack.  With Taddei and Mirko Vucinic streaking down the wings, the thundering left foot of fullback John Arne Riise and a midfield anchored by deputy captain, Daniele de Rossi, an effective Adriano might just be the final weapon needed to end Inter’s reign.

Ranieri has put the wind in Roma's sails.

Just in case, however, there’s young French international, Jeremy Menez, and the ancient talisman of the club, the tottering Francesco Totti.  The former Azzurri number 10 still holds the captaincy of his club, although Ranieri has gradually weaned him from a starting role to that of a 60th minute sub.  When he is on the field, his lack of pace has the same effect as a baseball pitcher’s knuckleball.  When you’re used to everything coming at you at a dazzling pace, an old man out for a pleasant stroll doesn’t really catch your eye, until it’s too late.

The Pursuit

Outside of Italy, clubs often take on the personality of their manager, influenced by his style. That’s not such a frequent occurrence in the Serie A, where coaches usually aren’t in town long enough to rub off on their charges.  Instead , Italian sides tend to emulate their owners.  Unfortunately for AC Milan, that means transforming into an aging squad with sharply declining abilities.  Much like their owner, the scandal beleaguered Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, they’re clawing to hold onto the shreds of what once was an imposing mantle of power.

The wealth is no longer there for Berlusconi to purchase whomever he fancies and leave it to managing director Adriano Galliani to sort out.  Now, to buy, the Red Devils first must sell; a problem when most of the merchandise on the shelf is either past its sell by date, or not yet ripe.   In the buildup to Match Day 1, rumours have been circulating that Zlatan Ibrahimovic and/or Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt may be Milan bound.  Still, Milan must first generate the funds necessary to acquire either player.

Ronaldhino, you're sporting the physique of a 46 year old man. Namely me. Yours is a much better tan, though, if that's any consolation.

Currently, the only new blood is Ghanian international Kevin-Prince Boateng, on loan from Genoa.  Hopefully, Boateng will provide a direct link to the young Brazilian, Alexandre Pato.  As well, noted hip hop impresario Ronaldhino has committed his professional future to the club.   That may be a boost, if he can trim off some of the pounds acquired at the beach, while the rest of his compatriots were toiling in South Africa.

Even with Jose Mourinho no longer across the hall, Milan will find it tough to mount a challenge for the Scudetto. Under new manager, Massimo Allegri, they’ll be fighting off the likes of Juventus, Napoli and Sampdoria for the final Champions League place.

Juventus’ recovery from the infamous 2005 match fixing scandal has been slow and, to date, incomplete.  Yet , this could be the year they reclaim their Champions league place.  That prediction does come with a bucketful of ifs, however.

€40,000 per tackle? Madre Dios! If I just breathe on someone, it could cost me a day's wages.

If Gianluco Buffon stays healthy.  If Felipe Melo gets over his horrendous World Cup.  If Vicenzo Iaquinta, Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet can draw enough strength from their aging limbs to carry the scoring load for one more season.  If Diego doesn’t bolt at the last minute, for the Bundesliga.  If World Cup sensation Milos Krasic doesn’t turn out to be a flash in the pan.  If Alberto Aquilani, on loan from Liverpool, can rediscover his form and pull the strings in midfield.  And, of course, if Mauro Camoranesi is still willing to make a tackle without first seeking the permission of his attorney.

The Old Lady has enough talent to challenge Milan for a trip to Europe but are carrying enough baggage to get stuck in traffic, along the way.

The young Argentine has the potential to tilt the Serie A on its axis.

Napoli were a surprise in last season’s Scudetto, featuring a trio of dangerous forwards.  Twenty-three goals split between World Cup stars Marek Hamsik, of Slovakia, and Italy’s Fabio Quagliarella, as well as Argentine starlet Ezequiel Lavezzi’s eight strikes, forced opposing defenders to keep their heads on a swivel.  This season, they’ve upped the ante by adding yet another star of South Africa, Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, on loan from Palermo.  Anchoring the line is Cannavaro, not Fabio but his lesser known younger brother, Paolo.

Since film producer Aurelio de Laurentiis brought the club back from the dead, after its 2004 bankruptcy, they’ve doggedly risen up through the Serie A table, all the way to 6th position last year.  One gets the feeling de Laurentiis won’t be happy until they’re once again considered true contenders for honours in Serie A.

Rumours have it that Cassano actually prefers a five iron, as his weapon of choice.

Sampdoria surprised many with their torrid start to the last campaign.  For a time, they stood above even Inter on the table.  Dizzying heights, indeed.  Ultimately, they showed enough staying power to end up 4th, consolidating a place in the Europa league group stages.  Giampaolo Pazzini’s 21 goals certainly had much to do with the good fortune of Genoa’s 2nd club and his performance will again dictate their destiny in the upcoming competition.

The other main factor will be the contribution of Antonio Cassano. the club’s veteran second striker, aka Italy’s Craig Bellamy.  His mercurial reputation saw him left off Marcelo Lippi’s woeful World Cup squad, where his more positive attributes were sorely needed.  If he can hang onto his sanity for another season, Sampdoria may again do some damage, despite their expanded schedule.

The Peleton

Despite a disappointing 11th place finish in the league table, Fiorentina enjoyed a healthy romp through Europe last season, putting paid to Liverpool and only succumbing to eventual Champions League bridesmaids, Bayern, after some very questionable officiating went against them.  The purple clad Tuscans look a strong outfit but there are challenges facing them.

Fiorentina hopes that Prandelli's rise to the Azzurri doesn't signal a decline for them.

Manager Cesare Prandelli has left to assume the reins of a rebuilding national side.  His replacement is Serb Sinisa Mihajlovic, late of Catania and Bologna, where he finished 13th and 17th, respectively.

The addition of Mikael Silvestre, from Arsenal, is just as uninspiring but backline mainstay, Per Kroldrup has signed a 2 year extension to remain in Florence.  Up front, the load again falls on 15 goal man, Alberto Gilardino. As well, vice captain and number 1 keeper, Sebastian Frey, cannot be feeling too comfortable with the arrival, from Celtic, of Artur Boruc.

No longer in Europe, Fiorentina should fare better this year, if Mihajlovic can soothe the nerves of his inherited players and make good use of his own recruits.  Should he not, the Serie A managerial merry-go-round will surely make an early stop in Tuscany.

Rossi is ushering in a new era in Palermo.

While the rest of the world was watching the World Cup, Delio Rossi was enjoying a month long marathon of The Nanny, if the way he’s been cleaning house in Palermo is any indication.  Gone are Simon Kjaer, Edinson Cavani and Mark Bresciano, the latter in the autumn, if not winter, of his career.  Rossi’s spring cleaning has freed up space for Argentine sensation Javier Pastore to blossom and for an influx of younger players to begin cultivating top flight careers.

Spearheading the youth movement are two starlets from Argentine clubs, Rosario Central fullback Santiago Garcia and Boja Juniors central defender Ezequiel Munoz.  As well, Rossi has recruited Matteo Darmian and Kamil Glik for the back line, midfielder Pajtim Kasami, strikers Mauricio Pinilla and Massimo Maccarone, and goalkeeper Giacomo Brichetto.  Maccarone, the only Serie B player to feature for the Azzurri first team, is going to be relied upon to compliment captain Fabrizio Miccoli’s goal scoring prowess.

Di Natale is hoping his squad backs him up this year.

With so many changes and European fixtures adding to the burden, it will be difficult for Palermo to repeat their 5th place finish from ’09-10, much less improve upon it.

Despite the compact nature of last year’s Serie A table, it’s difficult to believe that Udinese finished 15th.  With Antonio di Natale’s 29 strikes, the support of Antonio Floro Flores and young Chilean starlet Alexis Sanchez, there was no dearth of scoring.  As Switzerland’s Gökhan Inler held down the midfield and partnered with Simon Pepe, Ghanian Kwadwo Asamoah and another Chilean, Mauricio Isla, the Little Zebras should have done much better.

Pepe has been loaned out to Juventus, Ghanian John Mensah to Granada and youthful French defender Mohamadou Sissoko to Scotland’s Kilmarnock.  New manager Francesco Guidolin knows he has the guns to shoot it out with almost anyone.  Now he just has to teach his charges to do it from proper cover.

In 15 appearances last season, Valeri Bojinov led Parma with 8 goals.  You might think that ratio would earn him more playing time, this season.  Unfortunately, Hernan Crespo has arrived at the ancient il Tardini, after a short spell in Genoa.

Crespo's flowing locks have been cut off but Parma is hoping the same doesn't hold for the flow of goals.

The 34 year old Argentine is far younger than the venerable stadium he will call home and the club is banking on him still having some spryness in his step.  If Crespo can lead and Bojinov follow, the Crusaders may be making plans to invade the Europa League, a year from now.

The Genoa Cricket and Football Club have long had a revolving door installed in the clubhouse.  They develop exciting young talent, such as Diego Milito and David Suazo, to sell to the big clubs.  Both to influence the youngsters and maintain competitiveness when they depart, the side also regularly takes in aging veterans of note.  Hernan Crespo, on his way from Inter to Parma, stopped off to contribute 5 goals in 16 appearances, last season.  This year’s big brother is former Roma and Bayern star, Luca Toni.

Rocchi is determined not to let anything rain on his century parade.

With players not always in permanent residence, goal by committee is very much the norm.  Rodrigo Palacio’s 7 led the squad in ’09 and he is back for more.  At the opposite end, Portugal number 1, Eduardo, backstops the club.

Last year, il Grifone were a comfortable 9th in the table and will likely finish the new campaign in the same neighbourhood.  After all, they are in the business of buying and selling players, not collecting trophies.

Lazio’s goal-scoring tandem of Sergio Floccari and captain Tommaso Rocchi will be getting some support in midfield, with the addition of Aussie Mark (don’t call me Marco) Bresciano, from Palermo.  The 33 year old Rocchi will be especially motivated,  as he was limited to 6 goals, a year ago, bringing his total for club to 89.  At the outset of ’09, he publicly stated his desire to become the 5th Lazio centurion, intentionally switching to the number 9 that 3 of the other 4 had worn, including the legendary Giorgio Chinaglia.  If Rocchi can enjoy a resurgence, Lazio might move into the top half of the table, after their 12th place finish in ’09-10.

Gillet was a major part of Bari's success in '09.

Bari were a major surprise, last season, finishing in 10th, having just earned promotion to the top flight, after championing the Serie B, in 2008-09.  As per usual, with a selling club, not much investment has been made to fortify their advances.  Five new players have come into the squad, all on loan, but the responsibilities on the pitch lie at either end, with acrobatic keeper and captain, Jean-Francois Gillet and the 14 goal scoring Brazilian, Barreto.  There is a lot of fight in this Adriatic seaside club, so it’s not so likely that they’ll fall victim to the sophomore blues.  Still, they’re not a threat for a European place.

The port city where football was first introduced to Sicilians by British sailors, Catania, has fallen into the habit of importing the game.  Italians make up only half the squad, very unusual for a less than elite Serie A squad.  Fully a dozen of its players are Argentine, a contingent led by striker Maxi Lopez.  He may see more time, this year, with Uruguayan Jorge Martinez now at Juve.  With Guisseppe Mascara also having an eye for goal, Marco Giampaolo’s side should have enough in attack to remain safely in the middle of the standings.

The Stragglers

Pellisier would like to see another gentleman, or two, come to his aid in Verona.

For 9 of the last 10 years, Chievo have led a quiet life in the mid to lower end of the Serie A table. During that time they have endured some tremoulous moments attempting to avoid the drop, especially in the ’08-09 campaign.  Under Domenico di Carlo, having picked up just 9 points in the first 17 matches, they suddenly found their stride, picking up results against Juve, Inter, Roma and Genoa to propel them out of danger.  This season looks to be another stressful one, as they rely heavily upon captain Sergio Pellissier, whose 11 goals were 1/3 of the team’s anemic ’09-10 output.

Last season, the strike partnership between captain Marc di Vaio and Brazilian veteran Adailton helped Bologna to narrowly avoid relegation.  Adailton has moved on to Romania and it will be up to a younger replacement, most likely Uruguayan Henry Gimenez or the Greek Peter Crouch, 6’5″ Vangelis Moras, to supply the necessary ammunition to keep the Rossoblu in the top flight.

At Cagliari, new manager, Pierpaolo Bisoli has moved over from newly promoted Cesena.  He’s acquired the effervescently named Robert Aquafresca, on loan from Genoa,and a pair of young Brazilians, Nene and Jeda, to supplement Alessandro Matri’s finishing.  Daniele Conti, the son of Roma legend Bruno, is the captain and midfield anchor.  Look for pacy young defender Francesco Pisaro to get some more minutes in the back.

Bisoli hopes to take the Sardinians away from the relegation zone, this year.  If their spirit, as evident in a recent unfriendly with Sicilian side, Palermo, is any indication, his charges are ready for the fight.

Leading the newcomers, the Giallorossi have popped in for another quick visit to the top flight.  Pulling a ‘West Brom,’Lecce have bounced right back into Serie A, after having been ignobly relegated in 2008-09.  Beyond their newly appointed manager, the venerable Luigi di Canio, late of Queens Park Rangers, nothing much has changed for the club.  Nor have they done a lot in the transfer market, to improve their chances of hanging around for a while.  Expect them to continue emulating the Baggies, by not overstaying their welcome in the 1st division.

Brescia will return to the San Siro this season but they won't be bringing their own legend with them, this time.

In their 90 year existence, it’s been rare for Brescia Calcio to spend consecutive seasons in Serie A.  Their last such period was their greatest.  The talismanic ponytail of Roberto Baggio spent its final competitive years with the club, from 2000-01 to 2003-04, and through the skills of the man attached,  they actually accomplished an Intertoto Cup runners-up medal in ’01.  In 2005, however, after his final season, ‘Baggio’s Brescia’were quickly relegated.

Other famous players have used Brescia as a stepping stone, in their early careers, including Pep Guardiola, Gheorges Hagi, Luca Toni and Andrea Pirlo.  With the retirement of Luigi di Biagio, after their promotion, the current group is left without a Baggio (of any variance) to guide them.  That’s not a good omen, but youngster Andrea Carracciolo will be looking to make his step up to Serie A permanent.  If he impresses, he may achieve that but for his club to also remain, more help than his will be needed.

***In a late development, just hours before this posting, Brescia have reached out for that help, bringing Alessandro Diamante back to Italy.  Having languished on the bench at West Ham,  for the past 12 months, the 27 year old striker, purchased for €2.2M, will likely be thrust into a leadership role with his new club.

Situated about an hour from Bologna, the Bianconera (yes, it’s yet another black and white kit in the Serie A) of Cesena are making their 1st top flight appearance since the ’91 season.

Although Massimo (pictured here with Piacenza) is a manager now, he remains as fit as Ronaldhino.

The new manager in town is Massimo Ficcadenti, whom you may remember as being the prize in the Verona/Reggina tug-of-war, ‘ in 06-07.  After Reggina finally won the right to his services, they promptly sacked him for failing to produce a victory in his first 10 matches.

Ficcadenti will be relying on former Velez Sarsfield and Atalante central defender, Maxi Pellegrino, acquired from the Italian side as partial compensation for Ezequiel Schelotto, to anchor the line.  Veteran Ghanian international Stephen Appiah and Schelotto, remaining with Cesena on loan, will patrol the mid-field.

This season marks their 2nd consecutive promotion, a surprisingly strong surge for the tiny club.  It was masterminded by the departed Pierpaolo Bisoli.  Whether or not his upward move, to Cagliari, suggests his former club has reached or exceeded its capabilities remains to be seen but don’t expect too much from them.

....

In 2009-10, Sampdoria was the rabbit that set the early pace, only to be run down in the final sprint by Inter and Roma.  This season, promises to be a tight finish again between the latter two clubs but perhaps with a different result.  The rest of the league was a whirlwind throughout the campaign, with clubs rising and falling throughout.  The mid table standings were so crowded that any little slip could have been devastating, as Juve eventually found out.

There is every indication that this year will be just as competitive.  Catch every match you can,in the race for the Scudetto, but, whatever you do, don’t blink…

...You never know what you might miss!

With Ashley Cole facing a battle to be fit for the tournament and an out of position Steven Gerrard occupying the left-hand side, width isn’t England’s strong point.

N’Zogbia is soon to complete the required residential period of leaving in England for five years, making him eligible to be considered for the national side.

The ex-French Under-21 midfielder has yet to be selected for the French senior side and his manager has suggested he should be considered by Capello.

Martinez said: “I asked Charles the other day about England and he said he was hoping. I think he is definitely open to playing for England.

“I thought he wanted to play for France but he’s been living in England so long now he’s ready to present whichever country asks him.”

The left wing position has long been the thorn in any England managers’ side.

Sven Goran Eriksson even resorted to playing Emile Heskey wide left, a player not known for his pace, as resources were limited.

With Joe Cole failing to establish himself in Chelsea’s first team and James Milner playing most of his club football in the centre of midfield, this leaves Stewart Downing as England’s only option.

N’Zogbia is left footed, usually deployed on the right hand side on Wigan’s midfield, showing versatility on both sides of the field.

The former Newcastle player has also filled in at left-back during his spell in the North-East, therefore offering Capello cover.

Not only scoring goals but creating them this season for the Latics proves N’Zogbia possesses more than enough quality to be selected.

But would Capello really consider taking a Frenchmen to wear the three lions shirt this summer?

Well this isn’t the first time a foreigner has been considered for an England call up.

During Eriksson’s reign, the Swede wanted to bring Carlo Cudicini, Louis Saha, Steed Malbranque and Edu into his England squad after Euro 2004.

The fear of an outcry from English supporters of an Italian, a Brazilian and two Frenchmen representing the national side prevented the players from being considered.

Isn’t it about time English football stopped living in a bubble and stopped hampering their own chances of success?

Other sports in this country have adapted to the rules and regulations that allow foreign players to represent the national teams.

Lesley Vainikolo, the most prolific try scorer in Super League history, was called up to England’s rugby union national side, despite originating from New Zealand.

And the ‘Barmy Army’ don’t mind cheering when South African born Kevin Pietersen scores a century for England.

So why should it be any different for the national football side?

Fabio Capello isn’t shy of making big decisions, proved by striping John Terry of the England captaincy.

The Italian could make his boldest move yet by selecting the first overseas player to represent the English this summer.

At the same time, the president of the Football Federation warned that, for the same reasons, the Cape Verde national team might also drop out of the qualification for the ’12 African Cup of Nations and for the ’14 World Cup.

Cape Verde doesn’t have much of a history in football, but the latest signs have been of steady progress. In 2008, Sporting da Praia eliminated the famous FAR Rabat (Morocco), at the preliminary round of the African Champions League, winning 3-0 at home. A year earlier, the national team climbed to its best ever position on the world ranking: 68^th.

Still, the latest events show how far off the African football is from its Europe counterpart, organization-wise. And it’s mostly about money.

Any European team who made it to the Champions League group stage received 7.1 million euros, plus 0.8 for every win. The last winner of the African Champions League, TP Mazembe, took home the somewhat meagre prize of 1 million euros.

On the other hand, for a small European club, continental football is a window of opportunity, to create a reputation and to market its best players, on global television. So, even if a round against a team from Moldavia was a non-profitable trip for Portuguese minnows Paços de Ferreira, they still went.

In Africa, the rewards are slimmer, away from the eyes of television, and the expenses can be even bigger. Like the Cape Verde national team felt last year, to travel to Tanzania, on the other side of the continent, can be a cost-ridden adventure.

The Government pays 30 per cent of the expenses and players are part-time professionals but it seems even that is not enough. Sponsors are few, in a country where the economy is still heavily reliant on the State, and their input usually only covers the wages and the equipment.

To be left out of the African competitions would surely be a “step backwards” for the Cape Verdean football, said the president of the Federation. And while South Africa is anxious to welcome the World Cup and millions dream of Ghana or Ivory Coast as champions, the continent’s football needs a step forward.