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James on Soccer
Monday, February 8, 2010 3:46 PM EST
Idealist Wenger a little out of touch
It was interesting reading and listening to Arsene Wenger yesterday after his Arsenal team again succumbed to the all-round quality of another team they must now envy. His recognition that his team had more possession throughout the 90 minutes yet was out foxed in the subtlety department of midfield duels was accurate enough. Hate to be patronizing but when will he figure it out?
Having more possession does not mean a thing if your team cannot properly defend set-plays. Similarly, if your team again highlights its inability to defend the counterattack then realistically you cannot compete with the real elite of the Premier League. Manchester United tore them apart last weekend and, in a different way, so did Chelsea this weekend. There is no point making excuses about the referee missing tugs and pulls of the shirt. It's better to spend the energy figuring out how you deal with the inadequacies of the game on the pitch.
Each time Arsenal has been put to the test this year versus Chelsea and Manchester United all their frailties rise to the surface, including in the coaching department. Not that Wenger has become a bad manager over night. But modern day football management requires adapting to the realities of the world around you. If you cannot accept that, you may need to change a few things in how you play or compete, especially in the titan encounters, or your team will be doomed to be second best. Hull City tying Chelsea in mid-week gave a glimpse of what it takes to compete against superior opposition. Arsenal, having an abundance of talent beyond what Hull brings to the table, should have taken note – the lessons were there to be learned.
In the end not winning a Premiership title this year is one thing, but the feeble attempt at doing so in this campaign should be a bit more worrisome for their passionate fans. As good as Wenger is as a manager he has to take some responsibility for this year’s attempt. Not securing the target striker they so desperately needed was a mistake that could have be avoided. He needs to be a little more pragmatic at times. Listening again to the pining of Fabregas’s love of Barcelona may be an ominous sign that things will in fact, be ‘a changing’ at the Emirates, especially if Wenger cannot grasp the realities of balanced play.
Link to this postFriday, February 5, 2010 1:55 PM EST
Fabio Capello, Sir Alex, and Mrs Avram Grant
What a week it has been in the wonderful world of football.
Fabio Capello, away in Switzerland getting his knee mended, arrives back in England Thursday only to find that the world is literally coming to an end. With a showdown with England captain John Terry to get to the truth from the horse's mouth regarding the “alleged” affair with teammate Wayne Bridge’s former girlfriend, it promised to be an exciting media frenzy.
While it now appears rather messy in regards to some facts – did the affair occur while she was still with Bridge? – in the end, it all became rather inconsequential. Aside from sticking to his firm, disciplined philosophy regarding professionalism on and off the field, Capello had to consider the other issues that have been raised concerning Terry’s recent and historic behaviour – which included the supposed touting of tours around the Chelsea training ground.
And if that was not complicated enough, Capello had to mull over other potential revelations, that could still be ‘out there’, knowing the “girlfriend” might spill the beans in the tabloids. A decision to keep Terry as captain could have embarrassed him and the England team further should future revelations come to light, which he wanted to avoid at all costs. Besides, imagine John Terry raising aloft the World Cup trophy in South Africa – an historic photograph that will last an eternity – knowing what has preceded it and having Wayne Bridge back home watching it. It all seemed a little uncomfortable, no matter how liberal one's thoughts is.
Fabio Capello adhered to his principles, which wins him the respect of a nation and leaves Terry to drown in his sorrows for a day or two, before he recovers and moves on to his next selfish escapade.
Sir Alex Ferguson, arguably the greatest club football manager of all time, revealed this week he could have given it all up to have emigrated to Canada back in the sixties. Speaking to a group of students in Glasgow, Ferguson revealed a remarkable change of fortunes in his playing days prevented him from making the trip across the Atlantic to Canada. It makes one think of what might have been? Glass half full: Ferguson as a Canadian manager qualifies the national team to a succession of World Cups, which influences the building of the soccer infrastructure in this country and allows a sustainable national professional soccer league to be established. Glass half empty: After maximizing the full potential of each Canadian national team he coaches, Ferguson recognizes that it was still not good enough to guarantee success at the senior level. After experiencing the general apathy and lack of support he retreats to a quiet life of consulting and local club coaching. Having won more than 30 trophies, including 11 Premier League titles and 2 European Cups, one would say that his real good fortune in life was the day he made the decision to stay put.
Finally, got to love the liberal attitude of Tzofit Grant, the wife of Portsmouth manager Avram Grant, who, after being questioned about her husband’s visit to a “suspect” massage parlour a mere five-minute drive from Pompey's Fratton Park ground, told English reporters that:
"He needs a massage not from one women but two. Morning and night. He's a great manager with amazing potential who is stuck in a s****y team.
"He owes no one any explanation and the fact he chose to have a massage doesn't make it a brothel. If he had a good time there as well, that's cool. It was in broad daylight and he walked in there wearing a Portsmouth tracksuit and came out of there smiling because he had nothing to hide. Do you think he would have done that if that was a brothel?"
Not that her opinion of brothels is necessarily negative. "You men need it," she said. "I only feel sorry for the women involved ... I'm not cross with him about this kind of rubbish but only about one thing - and I told him that. I'm cross that he doesn't start every morning and end every night with a massage."
No matter what your views are on such matters, it’s refreshing to see the English tabloid press having their enthusiasm for embarrassing someone punctured just a little!
Thursday, February 4, 2010 10:00 AM EST
TFC’s release of Adrian Serioux – just the start
TFC have made the decision to not renew the contract of Scarborough native Adrian Serioux. A few people are scrambling for a reason or reasons as to why the club would make the decision, especially considering he is a Canadian player, playing as a defender, in an area of real concern for the team.
Not too many people seem to consider that Serioux is not good enough for the role and the purpose of new TFC head coach Preki, which is the more realistic reason.
Career-ending injury? If so, then say it. Makes no sense to not state this.
Contract negotiations breaking down? If so, then say so.
When a contract of a player is not renewed it is generally because the player, in the eyes of the head coach, is not good enough. Preki has a 3-year track record as a head coach in the MLS and a wonderful playing background. He is a competitor and task master. But he appears also to be smart. Coaches with these traits are not in the business of making mistakes and so TFC fans rather than being alarmed about the Serioux decision, should instead, feel relieved. They finally have a coach with the gumption and wherewithal to get the team on the right path to success.
It is very likely that Preki since taking over at TFC has reviewed the game tapes of each and every match they played last year. In doing so, he would have seen that for all the athletic promise Adrian brings to the table as a player, he first and foremost cannot defend sufficiently for the level he was competing at. No point being “flashy” on the ball if you give it away at crucial times. No point being “tough” if you get sent off, give away penalties, and get beat too often in one v one situations.
Consider also, the TFC team culture from last year, needs an overhaul. To single out Adrian for a poor team mentality would be a little unfair. Nevertheless, when a team loses in the way that TFC did last year, changes abound when a new coach comes in. Expecting a complete shift in team culture without some significant personnel changes is totally unrealistic.
Preki can and will implement his philosophy on the team and can influence the team attitude to a certain point but without personnel changes there are limitations. This is not about building a team to be average. This is about building a team to win and eventually to WIN BIG. Expect therefore, that other personnel changes are on the horizon.
Monday, February 1, 2010 10:43 AM EST
Hart must avoid a self-fulfilling prophecy
Some positives can be taken from yesterday’s international friendly against Jamaica.
Our men’s team in losing 1-0 gained valuable experience. Playing away from home in an awkward environment it has served its purpose.
From all accounts, David Monsalve was very good in goal and five uncapped players have now been capped. As long as there is consistency with having national team camps in order to build on this experience, then the project has been worthwhile.
Monday, February 1, 2010 12:18 PM EST
Women’s U20 failure unacceptable
Not a great weekend for our women’s national program.
For the first time in the history of the U20 women’s program, Canada has failed to qualify for a world championship. If that was not bad enough, the performances in the games that mattered – a semi-final 1-0 loss to Mexico followed by a similar 1-0 loss to Costa Rica in the third/fourth place game – highlighted once again the technical flaws, tactical savvy and composure our players lack at the international level. It’s one thing to look poor in these areas at a World Cup Finals but quite another to display the inadequacies at the regional level of CONCACAF.
For Canada to not qualify for this tournament, in what is supposed to be positive niche area of our soccer industry, it is a major disappointment.
Sunday, January 31, 2010 5:21 PM EST
Premiership challenge now a two-horse race
After today’s emphatic 3-1 win by Manchester United over Arsenal, the Premiership title race is now effectively down to two teams. With Chelsea brushing aside the John Terry controversy to win against a weak Burnley team on Saturday, it almost certainly sets up an April 3 encounter between the two teams as the make-or-break game of the season.
On the heels of a terrific midweek performance against their sky blue neighbours, Manchester United were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal against an Arsenal team buoyed by their own recent good form and positive results. Similar to their game in November versus Chelsea, Arsenal fans were using this particular match as a benchmark to evaluate how far they have come since the physical thumping they took that Sunday afternoon and size up the reality of their title challenge.
Any positive result for Arsenal would be a boost to their morale, particularly considering they play Chelsea in the return Premiership fixture next weekend. But after being outplayed, out-coached, and particularly in the final third, outclassed , they need to lower their expectations to the more realistic level of a top-four finish, which, considering who they play in the next few weeks (Chelsea and Liverpool) will be a tough enough task as it is.
It's a different story for Manchester United, who looked a class above their London opponents today. Nothing more assuring, if you are a Manchester United fan, to see Sir Alex Ferguson clapping his palms like an elementary school teacher to his pupils when they score. It has become a trademark action indicating he has his game face on and means real business. And he sure did today.
While the first 30 minutes were fairly even, with both teams taking turns bossing the game, you always felt United were more threatening. The danger of an Andrei Arshavin-Wes Brown matchup in the end fizzled in the favour of the United full-back, even though he was stressed to the limit in the early going. Arshavin, for all his quality, summed up Arsenal’s day in the final third as they lacked the cutting edge and rarely threatened an ominously improving United back line.
Meanwhile, Man U looked threatening in the final third themselves and once they opened the scoring courtesy of a brilliant individual run from Nani – combined with the clumsiness of Arsenal’s "not good enough" goalkeeper Manuel Almunia – it was always going to be United’s day.
Being 1-0 up away from home allowed them to drop back into their preferred counter-attacking posture. Tirelessly getting behind the ball and then defending collectively and individually in a disciplined, resilient manner ultimately won the game for United, as it allowed them to counter attack effectively. With Wayne Rooney's class orchestrating anything played forward in the transition, United were unstoppable. Knowing how important the counter attack will be in the World Cup for Capello’s England, the Italian himself must be frothing at the mouth over Rooney’s display. Park Ji-Sung then scored the third goal to wrap up the points with Thomas Vermaelen’s strike near the end a mere consolation for a well beaten Arsenal team.
It is rare to see Wenger so easily outcoached as this, but outcoached he was. It makes Martin O’Neill’s recent comments about his own self-indulgent comments resonate a little more after Ferguson's masterclass.
Naive or not, surely Wenger recognizes that a target forward with height and ability to hold the ball up, particularly in these elite environments would be more productive. Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner have been significant losses in this area but not replacing them, even with a stop-gap measure, has and will hurt them, even with Bendtner's return. The aesthetic beauty of their play is at times mesmerizing to watch but when winning is what matters most in the modern world of professional football, then adaptability and a willingness to change at important times is necessary.
As for United, they look as formidable as Chelsea.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:27 PM EST
Same old story in Manchester derby
If games of football only lasted for 45 minutes then Manchester City would have won today’s enthralling encounter against their elite neighbours in red.
But, as we all know, the game is played for 90-plus minutes. In the end, Manchester United’s experience and star quality, in key areas, paid dividends. Wayne Rooney’s injury-time winner allowed United to win the all-important home leg 3-1. A trip to Wembley to face Aston Villa in the League Cup final is their reward.
Of course, there are plenty of talking points from the game itself. For starters, there was the excellent referring performance by Howard Webb, who had to deal with a number of tricky player conflicts, such was the intensity and friction of the encounter. Poor leadership here and things would have boiled out of control.
Meanwhile, having two top goalkeepers pulling off a couple of great saves and the effervescent yet irritable Craig Bellamy getting under everyone’s skin – apparently not even a coin to the head fazes him – simply added to the occasion. The unruly fans responsible for throwing the coin and bottle projectiles at the fiery Welshman now create a few headaches for United. ‘He was getting on our nerves’ can hardly be a good defence for the actions and so expect suspensions and fines to follow shortly.
As for the game itself, Manchester City’s defensive display in a 4-5-1 formation (4-3-3 when attacking) will be encouraging as they looked solid and compact for large periods and with Pablo Zabaleta in the middle of the park they were sturdier. Stephen Ireland’s mettle will now be tested in the coming weeks after Zabaleta was picked over him. Kudos to Mancini for these improvements and also for his lecture to Carlos Tevez to move on from the Gary Neville cat-calling episode leading up to the game. Undoubtedly, Tevez’s unsavoury comments ignited this contest before it had even begun. The atmosphere at Old Trafford was at fever pitch and the resolve of the United players to simply not lose was as intense as it would be for any Champions League encounter.
As a consequence it came down to the impact players for United coming through. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, and Rooney were on top form and even at the back – which has been an eyesore at times this season – they were determined and solid and rarely penetrated.
For all their tactical savvy and counter-attacking threat, Manchester City simply wilted at the back. They couldn’t cope with the constant piercing attacks from United.
Lessons abound for coach Roberto Mancini, who has coped well so far and is full to the brim with class. In the end though, it will be about winning prizes in England, not performing in bits and pieces. As Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill recently pointed out, it takes a bit of everything to win in England. In reference to Arsenal, he talked about their physicality being the only question mark this season – with Manchester City it is not that simple.
After today’s reality of playing well but still losing comfortably, Mancini now has had a taste of just how difficult it will be to win something.
Sunday, January 24, 2010 7:01 PM EST
Sneijder’s sarcasm only blemish on Milan Derby
Well, Inter certainly appeared to have made hard work of the Milan derby when the brilliance of Wesley Sneijder was curtailed by a self-destructive moment of madness from the Dutchman.
Having influenced the first 25 minutes of the match, through some majestic play, Sneijder then lost his cool by ridiculing the referee for what appeared – to him at least – to be a bad decision. Good for the referee in making the call but too bad for the rest of us who were watching a classic unfold, even if Inter did appear to be tearing away from their city rivals. In retrospect, maybe losing a player balanced the contest a little, such was the counter attacking threat of the Nerazzurri, even with 10 men.
Any doubts on how good Inter can be this season were in the end answered after their 2-0 victory over their lacklustre neighbours AC Milan. It leaves Inter’s Champions League encounter against Chelsea in a couple of weeks an enticing prospect.
In just about every department Milan were second best today. With Mourinho providing a master class in coaching for his counter part Leonardo to ponder , there was only ever going to be one winner. Whereas losing a player in the first 25 minutes of such an important game would create a level of anxiety for most teams, with Inter, it was not the case. Playing 10 versus 11 is a regular part of the Mourinho‘s training regime be it at Porto, Chelsea, or now at Inter and so it should be of no surprise to see the seamless transition. No panic, just a composed switch to a deeper back line when defending and an even greater emphasis on the counter attack, as their method of moving forward.
Hard to find a Milan player who comes out with too much credit from this disappointing display, especially considering their recent renaissance in form. In contrast it was difficult to find an Inter player who did not deserve significant praise. Pandev and Milito up front are an exciting partnership and were a handful for the Milan defenders. Zanetti, in the middle of the park, was his traditional very best defusing any kind of positive momentum Milan tried to initiate. At the back Inter’s pace has been questioned but there can be no questioning their savvy and experience. Combined with the correct tactics from Mourinho and the foraging forward runs from right back Maicon, the Inter defenders excelled and were never penetrated by Milan throughout the 90 + minutes. Beckham’s pin-point crosses were really the only concern for them but even here they were well drilled and prepared.
The stubbornness of the Italian tactical approach can at times be frustrating. It was surely highlighted today by Milan. Being 1-0 down but with the extra player, it was wearisome to see their approach once they regained possession after a threatening Inter counter attack. The slow methodical backwards and sideways passes worked into the hands of Inter’s retreating team who were tireless in their resolve to get goal side. A quick ball forward would have been much more threatening for Milan and would certainly have stressed the Inter team more significantly than they did. Too late now though but maybe a lesson for Leonardo to take forward. No question Mourinho faced with the same situation would have approached it differently. Hard to argue against anyone catching Inter now, not just because they are 9 points clear but on the evidence of this display they are the class of Serie A.
Friday, January 22, 2010 7:27 PM EST
Onstad just a temporary fix
Pat Onstad, the 42-year-old veteran Canadian goalkeeper, has again been called up by the men’s national team for their friendly game versus Jamaica on Jan. 31.
Still playing in MLS for Houston Dynamo, Onstad’s inclusion fundamentally makes sense – there are no other alternatives – but it also highlights a rather desperate situation with the national goalkeeping depth chart, beginning right at the top with the starting options.
Jason Devos from CBC recently wrote an insightful column on the attributes of being a top class goalkeeper. In the piece he highlights the quality of Tim Howard, the stalwart Everton goalkeeper who is currently the U.S. World Cup teams’ top choice for the starting role after consistent performances in the English Premiership. Knowing the depth chart for the U.S. in this vital position is also deep – Brad Guzan and Brad Friedel both compete for Aston Villa – it is difficult to not feel insecure about our own situation in Canada.
Thursday, January 21, 2010 1:34 AM EST
Tevez forces Man U to eat humble pie
Everybody loves Carlos Tevez
And so they should. After his performance and two goals for Manchester City against the newly created nemesis, just around the corner, there is little doubt he is missed at Mancheter United. Tuesday night's electric performance in the 2-1 victory over United was similar to the ones Tevez displayed for Argentina back in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. With his inspirational work rate, pace, strength, and power, combined with skill, confidence and tactical guile, he is a player that is earning justifiable plaudits from all corners. So he should. As a benchmark for youngsters on what it takes to compete at the highest level Tevez provides it. Even Wayne Rooney, who is of similar ilk, must be impressed with his energy.
No matter the pertinent comments Sir Alex Ferguson makes when faced with a barrage of “any regrets?” it still does not address the issue that United would be better with him just like neighbouring City are able to compete against the top teams with his feistiness. No doubt Ferguson made plenty of offers to keep him over the summer but it was all a little too late, wasn’t it? The issue with keeping Tevez at United was two-pronged. Not just finances but regular first team football. Even England manager Fabio Capello acquiesced a few years ago, when recognizing that David Beckham was a better player than he had originally thought and ended up using him regularly after bit-part performances at the start of his Real Madrid career. Maybe the better question for Ferguson should be directed in this area. Most Man .United fans could see it last year and even though United were spoilt for options, the eventual Tevez faux pas could have been avoided.
Arsenal on Top
Ever since Arsenal was convincingly thumped – literally not figuratively – by Chelsea at the Emirates in November, it has grown in stature as a team. Led by the inspirational Cesc Fabregas, the consistent quality of goals Arsenal score is difficult to match in any top league, let alone the Premiership.
Not so easy to compete back-to-back against an energetic, motivated Bolton team. Even though familiarity tends to level things a bit, new Bolton manager Owen Coyle, can have no complaints over the 180 minutes played, as Arsenal, in terms of pure quality, was an almighty chasm ahead of its opponent. Whether it can sustain its challenge for the title will be interesting, especially considering the depth Chelsea is proving to have, but in comparison to Manchester United, they should be favoured.
Liverpool Win – Go Figure
No Steven Gerrard, no Fernando Torres and an owner claiming the manager is in the top five in the world. I mean, couldn’t he save that for when they are a bit nearer the top, like second or third.? I guess not. Rafael Benitez needs the encouragement in the down times, not so much when things are all glossy. Fair enough.
No good giving out too many gold stars just yet. After all, Liverpool’s gutsy but not necessarily attractive win was against a predictably declining Tottenham side.