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Sky Sports – Premier League rights coverage

By
Ed Wallace
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In the last few weeks the big business of pay for view (PFV) television
rights reached a conclusion with Sky Sports bidding a massive £5bn for
the Premier League coverage.

They outbid their nearest rivals BT Sport
to have the right to have first pick of games on offer. Of course Sky
Sports have always had this money-no-object philosophy, which has
enabled them to have a big say in how sports coverage is televised
especially kick-off times.

We have seen over the years sporting events
gradually being swallowed up by the gargantuan steamroller that Sky has
become, so much so, that unless you are able to afford pay for view
subscription you see very little live televised sport these days.

So,
although Sky Sports will be feeling very smug about winning the rights
they will have to look at ways of recouping their outlay, which means
all sports fans everywhere will have to pay extra directly or
indirectly to the “piper who plays the tune”. Increased advertising
will be one way, but will result in more disruptive viewing. How many
times have you sat there absorbing the match build-up only for it to
break away to some silly advert just like they do on American TV at
every given opportunity?

In addition to the armchair/pub viewer the
cost of going to games has increased over the years and will continue
to do so, this despite the performances of a lot of clubs and players
not delivering the quality justifying the increased expenditure. I am
very sceptical about the Premier League boasting theirs is the best
league in the world. I find many of the games to be very mundane and
run of the mill. Yes, Sky Sports has introduced new technology to
televised coverage, more camera angles (sometimes spoilt by the whims
of producers); pundits using “state of the art” gizmos to illustrate
their views and opinions and constant replays of incidents to pad out
the programme’s contents.


So, I am very sceptical that the money generated by the winning bid
will filter its way down to grass root level sport where it’s most
needed, but I am sure that won’t bother the owners of the wealthier
clubs in the Premier League, who will continue to reap the rewards of
the money being thrown at them.


I am all for the safety of players but I do think the modern game is
suffering from an over indulgence in the way even the most trivial
injury is dealt with during a game. How many times do see a player
writhing over in agony at the slightest touch, the ball being kicked
out of play by the opposing team to prevent a hostile reaction from the
opposing fans, only for the player to resume his game shortly after. I
don’t want to see the game going back to the old days where tackles
would result in player’s careers ending prematurely, but I do believe
we’ve got to the point where the game has become a non-contact sport
where even minor contact is penalized.

Villareal CF – ‘The yellow submarine’ model

By
Ed Wallace
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With a nickname like “The Yellow Submarine,” one would assume that Villarreal would be receiving more attention across the world for their feats in Spain’s La Liga. However, in the world of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, not to mention Valencia and Sevilla, catching the eye of neutrals and media is a tough task but if there’s one club that should be an outsider’s sweetheart it should be Villarreal.

If the topic of Villarreal was broached a decade ago, conversation would likely circle around the club’s run into the semifinals of the Champions League where they lost a tightly contested 1-0 aggregate to Arsenal. The club was a known commodity thanks to its regular finishes in the top third of the league table (no finishes lower than seventh place from 2003-2011), even finishing as the league runner-up in 2007-2008. For a side which is housed in a 25,000 seat stadium (El Madrigal) and has only played in the Primera Division since the 1998-1999 season, these results were as impressive as it gets.

However, calamity befell on the club in the 2011-2012 season as they finished in 18th place, one point behind safety and now facing life in the Segunda Division. Despite having a talented squad, they couldn’t overcome the transfer of midfield maestro Santi Cazorla and a series of one goal losses followed. To make matters worse, newly appointed manager Manuel Preciado was hired the following summer only to die the same day of his appointment due to a heart attack. The Yellow Submarine, for lack of a better term, was sinking.

What followed was truly an impressive feat given the tragedy of the summer. Following the passing of Preciado, Villarreal hired B team manager Julio Velázquez but his term was short as he was replaced by current manager Marcelino Garcia Toral in January 2013. Promotion back into the Primera followed and then a rapid rise up the standings in the 2013-2014 season as Villarreal finished in sixth place, qualifying for the Europa League only one season after relegation. While many expected Villarreal to be promoted back into the Primera right away given their talent, keeping the players motivated enough to do so against much weaker sides is an accomplishment on its own, not to mention guiding the club to sixth place as soon as they were back in the top flight again. Now, Villarreal is a legitimate threat to make the top-4 and securing a trip into the Champions League or, at worst, qualify for the Europa League where many see them as a serious threat to win it all.

Villarreal does not have the financial clout of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia, but what it does have is shrewd ownership and one of the league’s best managers in Marcelino. When one thinks of Villarreal, naturally they think of an exciting attacking verve but the club has done a good job in assembling a strong defense which is on par with both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in goals conceded this term.

Sergio Asensio, he of the having lost his spot at Atletico Madrid to a young David De Gea, tends the net and has been in fine form playing behind a back line containing highly-rated Mateo Musacchio (linked in the past with Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United) and Victor Ruiz. While the club did sell strong centerback Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal for a good sum, they replaced him with Eric Bailly, an Ivorian centerback whose potential rivals any defender currently on the squad. Ruiz provides the veteran positional awareness while Musacchio is the defensive playmaker. On either side of these two sit Jaume Costa and Mario Gaspar, players who aren’t flashy but who are more than reliable. Of note is Mario’s combined five plus tackles and interceptions per game, impressive numbers for a fullback on an offensively-oriented club.

The midfield is undoubtedly anchored by Bruno Soriano. The team’s captain and veteran of over 300 matches at the club, Bruno provides a bit of everything for Villarreal. From a combined rate of over five tackles and interceptions, to running the offense, to being a veteran leader on a relatively young squad, Bruno has seen it all for Villarreal. Unfortunately for him and the club, he suffered a fractured tibula in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey against Barcelona which will keep him out until mid-April and the team has already suffered for it with a loss following the Barca match. His partner in the midfield is Manu Trigueros, a 23-year-old who rose through the Villarreal youth ranks. A good shot taker, Trigueros is the primary option alongside Soriano but Marcelino has at time opted for Tomás Pina in his place against the bigger sides.

The star unit of Villarreal, though, is the attack. The team’s dominant playmaker this season has been Denis Cheryshev, the on loan winger from Real Madrid who, barring injuries, will easily register double digit assists in his first year at the club. His ball dominance on the counterattack is drawing attention from his parent club and a return to the Spanish giants should not be ruled out as he’s been integral to Villarreal’s attack. His counterpart on the opposite side of the pitch is Jonathan dos Santos, younger brother of Giovani who also plays at the club. Jonathan plays out wide but as he’s not naturally a winger he generally moves inside and allows Mario to move up from behind him or interchanges with either another midfielder or a striker. Moi Gómez is a midfielder youngster to watch as he’s only 20 but already has four goals and assists to his name this season and has been a regular first-team player the last three seasons despite his age. Expect big things from him once more consistent starting minutes become available.

Regarding the strikers, Villarreal is blessed with having one of the world’s best young ones on their hands in the form of Luciano Vietto. The 21-year-old arrived for a reasonable sum of 8.5 million Euros last summer and has immediately made an impact as he already has 10 goals to his name, including the game winner against Atletico Madrid which showed composure and form beyond his years. Energetic, active and tenacious, it’s easy to see where comparisons to countrymen Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez come from. He’s happy at Villarreal for now, but it’s not difficult to imagine one of Europe’s bigger clubs making an offer for him should this form continue. His partner in action is veteran Ikechukwu Uche, a solid is unspectacular player who can provide a goal now and then but not much else. The more complete assistant for Vietto, however, has been Giovani dos Santos, less of a scorer but much more of a playmaker comfortable with the ball. His scoring form has taken a dip this season but he’s more than capable of providing double digit goal and assist numbers when on form (such as last season where his total goal output was 20).

Depth options include Giovani, Antonio Rukavina at right back, Gerard Moreno at striker (three goals and two assists in limited minutes), Gómez and Pina in central midfield to occasionally partner with Bruno.

In terms of shape, Marcelino has opted for a 4-4-2 which is not only defensively airtight thanks to a disciplined back four and hard-working midfielders, but also provides enough width on the counterattack, namely through Cheryshev’s control and the pace of the forwards. The offense is one of the most potent counterattacking units in the league as only Real Madrid have scored more goals on the counter while the team as a whole sits fourth in the league in terms of shot generation. With a mix of Atletico’s defense with Real’s offense, it’s no surprise that Marcelino is rapidly rising name in job opening discussions at bigger clubs.

Villarreal will likely finish no better than fourth place in the league in the foreseeable future. They’re highly unlikely to win the Champions League with the way the format favors the superclubs. They won’t be attracting any massive names through frivolous spending. However, that shouldn’t be a deterrent for neutrals who are looking for a Liga club to support that isn’t one of the big three. Hard-working, smart-spending and full of stylish play, Villarreal has shown that the relegation they faced in 2012 was only a temporary bump in the road on the way to building a special project stocked with promising young players. One can only hope that this project will stay for good and build upon this season’s success. So far, all signs point to a yes.

Jordan Henderson to remain Liverpool captain after Gerrard return

By
Ed Wallace
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Liverpool should stay with Jordon Henderson as captain even after Gerrard’s return

Steven Gerrard is on the verge of making his comeback for Liverpool since he suffered a hamstring injury in the win over Tottenham Hotspur back in February. Gerrard is posed to make his comeback after a 3-week absence for the reds in the midweek game against Burnley. Odds are that he will start the match but should he start the match as Liverpool captain?

In Gerrard’s absence Jordan Henderson has proved his claim to be Liverpool’s next captain when Gerrard jets off to MLS next season. Henderson has shown qualities which Liverpool fans have grown to see and admire from Gerrard over the years.

Henderson, as the captain has led Liverpool to 3 back-to-back wins in the league. Those wins came against Crystal Palace, Southampton and Manchester City. All of these matches carried huge stake in Liverpool’s season. 

Palace being the team that sinked Gerrard & Co’s title hopes last season, Southampton stood in Liverpool’s way of finishing in top 4 and Man City remain one of the best team in the league and Liverpool not only won those games, they dominated them.

Aprt from these wins, the way Henderson handled Balotelli’s penalty fiasco against Besiktas was worth admiring. He did not make a fuss about it and his public statement after the incident was a lesson for all the young aspiring captains. 

Gerrard did claim earlier in the season that part of the reason for him to move away from Liverpool was to let younger talents come through and get regular 1st team action, in particular Philippe Coutinho. Look where that has taken Coutinho’s and Liverpool’s season. The little Brazilian has been on fire this season and doing wonders for the reds.

If Gerrard retains his role as the Liverpool skipper after his comeback, it might put a dent to Henderson’s confidence and Liverpool might loose the influence he has had playing in Liverpool’s midfield in recent games. 

Gerrard has always put his beloved Liverpool side ahead of his personal glories and I feel it’s time for the legendary KOP to do what is right for Liverpool once more and let Henderson fisnish the season as Liverpool captain.

This decision will allow the former Sunderland man to grow in to the role and be ready when 2015-16 season starts fresh, instead of wasting first few weeks in getting a hang of being the full-time Liverpool captain. 

Inter outcast to Liverpool saviour: The remarkable rise of Philippe Coutinho

By
Ed Wallace
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A 16-year-old tousle-haired attacking-midfielder was making waves in Brazil with Vasco da Gama. Coutinho was subject of widespread interest, with clubs from all over Europe circling for the kids’ signature. Inter Milan reached a  €4m agreement a year before his 18th birthday, after which he would be entitled to fly to Italy.

Coutinho arrived at the Giuseppe Meazza to join an ageing squad that had just won the Treble. Comprising of seasoned veterans in Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stanković, Diego Milito and Esteban Cambiasso reaching pinnacles of their careers, the likes of Mario Balotelli, Marko Arnautović and Lorenzo Crisetig were touted as possible replacements.

In came the tender Coutinho, to join the promising batch, with an aid to shoulder Nerazzurri’s current success forward.

Massimo Moratti described him as “The future of Inter”, Lucio became a father-like figure, and manager Rafa Benitez was quick to thrust his confidence in the teenager. 

He showed his glimpses of class in his first season, most notably in the 2011 Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich, where his exhibition of poise and maturity in two of Inter’s three goals on the night helped them overturn a first-leg 1-3 loss, to win 2-3 on the night.

Having already played under two managers in his first season, the irregular faith shown by his third manager Claudio Ranieri saw him shipped out on loan to Espanyol.

That is where Coutinho realized his real potential. With the Spanish club, he had an admirer in Mauricio Pochettino, and the freedom to express himself. It was perhaps no surprise that the Argentinian was keen on landing his former apprentice at Southampton when he took charge of the South Coast club.

To add to his successful Spanish sojourn, Philippinho also won the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup with the young Seleção, enhancing his reputation. It was followed by the Trofeo TIM triumph, where he proved to be the match-winner in the final against Juventus, and also being named player of the tournament.

For a man seen as Wesley Sneijder’s worth replacement, things didn’t pan as per expected after that for him. The managerial wavering continued in Coutinho’s stay at Inter, with him playing under as many as five managers. To say that the Brazilian failed at Inter would be a tad too rasping. He arrived when the club was in a state of transition; incoming managers coming with a sense of insecurity, reluctant to trust young players.

Fast forward today, Coutinho is seldom running the show for Liverpool. Sunday’s exquisite match-winner precisely proved why then Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni branded the 22-year-old’s departure as a “painful sale”

After all the struggles faced by the Merseysiders at the start of the season, Coutinho’s spirited form has coincided with Liverpool’s re-emergence as a contender for the top four.

Coutinho has excelled in Brendan Rodgers’ 3-4-3 tweak. Earlier in the campaign, Rodgers’ 4-2-3-1 ploy was predictable and had lacked penetration.  A back three has provided Liverpool with some much needed solidarity in defense, while the front three have blossomed, allowing them to run at the defences, and create space for the wing-backs.

 Along with his penchant for spectacular that he showcased against Manchester City, Southampton and Bolton, Coutinho has popped up with crucial assists. His overhead flick to set-up Raheem Sterling’s goal against Burnley turned out decisive as they snatched all three points in what looked a dire outing for the Reds.

Furthermore his telepathic combination with another spirited youngster in Raheem Sterling has proved imperative on numerous occasions for Liverpool. The duo in tandem blew away West Ham, with the uncanny Brazilian crafting both the goals.

The Reds have revamped their results since the turn of the year, going on an unbeaten 9 game streak, and unsurprisingly, Coutinho has started in all of the games.

While Liverpool’s quest for a top four continues, one man has come a long way, from inconsistent to irregular, from outcast to pivotal.

Edinson Cavani to join Manchester United

By
Ed Wallace
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0

Very few would have thought at the beginning of this season,that Manchester United would be in pursuit of a striker in the upcoming summer. Radamel Falcao, Robin Van Persie, Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata- you would rarely find such an attacking line-up in the Premier League. 

‘All that glitters is not gold’ -is a well-known age old proverb that we all are aware of. Manchester United fans must be knowing the meaning better after this season gets over,or even before that courtesy a disappointing goal scoring season for the Red Devils despite the attacking competency.

So the scouts have now turned their eyes upon the PSG star Edinson Cavani , who is set to leave the club at the end of the season. Arsenal had set their target upon him, but United seems to be more determined to land him to the theatre of dreams, and in fact scouted Cavani last month, during PSG’s 3-1 win over Toulouse. According to reports, Falcao is unlikely to get a permanent deal with the Red Devils and Van Persie at 31 is not as fit and prolific as he used to be earlier.

Cavani is also reported to be a target for Atletico Madrid, according to Mirror but United will have the edge it seems this time around. The Uruguayan has scored  40 goals in 71 appearances for the Paris side after joining them from Napoli and is one of the most destructive strikers in world football at present.

After his fellow countrymen’s stint with Liverpool in the Premier League, the 28-year old would be eager to make his mark in the top English league.

Olivier Giroud- The much maligned Frenchman with a point to prove

By
Ed Wallace
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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring Arsenal's 2nd goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on December 21, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Olivier Giroud- The much maligned Frenchman with a point to prove

It was a season defining tie. The Champions league draw had pinned Arsenal against Monaco. At last! A draw that favours the gunners for once, after many years of glorious failure, this was their time to show their European pedigree and go far in Europe’s biggest club competition. The fans were brimming with optimism when the first leg came about, the Emirates had become a bit of a fortress finally for Arsene Wenger’s men in recent weeks and this was expected to be a comfortable win. Maybe it was this extreme confidence and arrogance that lead to what happened but ultimately they were beat 3-1 on their own turf.

Monaco had embarrassed the gunners and effectively ended their champions league hopes for another season. Trying to find a scapegoat perhaps, Arsenal fans turned on Olivier Giroud their French forward who had missed a series of guilt-edge chances throughout the match, he was subbed off and booed by his own fans and his self-confidence could have easily been destroyed. 

In recent weeks though he has bounced back to devastating effect, scoring in each of the gunners’ games to put his scoring run in the premier league to 11 goals in 14 games. The Frenchman has won back the support of the Emirates faithful and in my opinion he is one of the most underrated players in the division. He isn’t perhaps the most beautiful player to watch and he isn’t going to beat 3 or 4 men on the way to scoring a wonder goal but he is a crucial member of this Arsenal side. His goals in recent weeks have propelled the gunners into 3rd place in the Premier League, a point behind Man City. He in many ways is a throwback to the archetypal English No.9.

He is constantly compared to ex gunners legend Alan Smith, Smith like Giroud was very one footed and held the ball up very well for teammates. Smith though was always likely to score in big games; he scored a hat trick against Manchester United in the 1991 season to seal the league title and scored the winner in the Cup winner’s cup final against a great Parma side that had players like Asprilla and Tomas Brolin at their disposal. This would be perhaps a fair criticism levelled at Giroud. He has scored big goals this season but in the games that really matter like Monaco and Chelsea etc he has failed to deliver.

What you cannot criticise Giroud for though is his desire to be involved in the battle. He enjoys the fight and isn’t afraid to put his head in wear it hurts. The headed goal at Newcastle last weekend was a prime example of the aerial prowess he possesses. He outmuscled the Newcastle centre-half Mike Williamson and powerfully headed the ball into the bottom corner. It’s this aerial ability and his physical prowess that makes him such a tough opponent to defend against. I also think he makes Arsenal a better team when he’s at his best. His neat footwork, hold-up play and little flicks are of great importance to a team like Arsenal whose midfield is such a crucial part of the way they play. He brings these midfielders into play and I think he’s more suited to this type of role than say Danny Welbeck or Theo Walcott up front.

I think Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is particularly helped when Giroud is in the team. Ramsey is at his best when running beyond defenders and trying to score goals from midfield. With Giroud in the side this enables Ramsey to make short simple passes to the Frenchman who brings Ramsey back into play and in on goal with his flicks and tricks that he possesses. And as was mentioned previously his recent goal record along with this neat interplay that he is able to be a part of is making some of these past critics sit up and take note. In fact Giroud’s goal record so far in 2015 is second only to Lionel Messi. Messi is the only big name forward with better goals to game ratio. His form has certainly merited a player of the month award and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he won it. 

Is Giroud really though the world class Striker Arsenal need if they want to challenge for major honours? Many gunners’ fans are still sceptical. With his recent form being so good Arsenal fans are left wondering if he’ll be able to keep it up. Before his recent spell of goals Giroud had one of the worst conversion rates in the division and for a team like Arsenal they are going to need this inform streak he is on to continue as they challenge domestically on two fronts. The game against Monaco though I think was a blip. Otherwise this season he has been terrific and this has been demonstrated in the goals that he has scored in this past month. He is Arsenal’s best centre forward and they’d be a heck of a lot worse off without him. 

Arsenal vs Manchester City – Tactical Analysis

By
Ed Wallace
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0

Manchester City visited the Emirates stadium in the pinnacle fixture of the gameweek that saw the return of club football. Both teams had notable absentees, which led to big name signings making their debuts. Danny Welbeck probably never thought he would feature for Arsenal, and the loan move of Lampard to Manchester City surprised a few people as well.

Manchester City pressing

Manchester City started the game pressing aggressively. Agüero and Silva played behind each other, one of them marking Flamini, the holding midfielder, while the other closing down one of the cntre-backs in case Szczesny had the ball. The winger from the weak side marked the other centre-back, thus closing down the short passing options of the goalkeeper. To be fair this was the only situation in which Arsenal struggled to get the ball forward, as Manchester City dominated them in the air, and Szczesny had a few poor kicks forward.

 Picture: Arsenal goalkicks
Source: FourFourTwo StatsZone

 In other situations Arsenal managed to bring the ball forward easily. If one midfielder was marked, a second one dropped deep. If two were marked a third moved towards the ball, at which point both Fernandinho and Lampard would have had to follow them, abandoning space and exposing the defense to the inward movement of Sánchez and Özil. At least one Arsenal midfielder was free as a result. On the picture below Agüero and Silva are trying to block the pass to Flamini, and keep the play on the left side of the pitch. Their efforts are futile. 

Lampard

 I always mavel at the dribbles and forward runs of Touré. Lampard played differently, he offered support to the player in possession, and rarely attempted dribbles. His play was fairly passive, with only five passes in the attacking third. 

Picture: Lampard actions.
Taken from the FourFourTwo StatsZone

 Last season we saw Manchester City play with two wingers coming inside into the central zone between the midfield and the defense. In this game they started with Navas on the righ, and Milner on the left, both of whom kept the width, and rarely came inside for the ball. This changed when Nasri came on for Lampard at half-time, forcing Milner into a more central position.

Picture: Passes Received by Navas
Taken from the FourFourTwo StatsZone

Picture: Passes Received by Milner in the first half
Taken from the FourFourTwo StatsZone

 In the 13th minute Manchester City countered into the space left behind by Monreal. just fifteen minutes later Navas ran into the same space and put in a low cross which Agüero scored from

 The midfield dominance of Arsenal

 The forward runs of Ramsey combined with the drifting inwards of Sánchez posed a big problem for their opponents. This had multiple reasons. Arsenal took free-kicks quickly, before Manchester City could have taken up a defensive position with their two lines of four. Arsenal harassed Manchester City straight after loosing the ball, collecting balls after headers, and forcing mistakes. This was especially visible before the equaliser of Arsenal, where the teams exchanged possession three times in Manchester City’s half before Wilshere lobbed Hart from close range. 

 Arsenal created 3 vs 2 and 4 vs 3 situations in midfield, constantly overloading with Welbeck dropping deep, or Ramsey making a run forward, or Sanchez coming inwards, or of course some kind of combination of these. 

 Arsenal’s transitioned into attack from deep positions through the dribbles of Ramsey and Wilshere. 

 Sánchez and Özil

Sánchez switched positions around the 20th minute with Özil. In my opinion this was down to getting away from the defensively more adept James Milner, and playing against Navas and Zabaleta. Navas doesn’t provide as much defensive input as Milner does, so it made sense to play a good, in-form dribbler against him. Although this is my theory only, I didn’t find a stat that supported it. Although Navas found it hard to deal with Sánchez and the Chilean won two free-kick in dangerous positions against the Spaniard. 

The half-time switch of City

 James Milner moved to central midfield for the second half in place of Frank Lampard, Samir Nasri moved to the left side. Milner helped solidify the midfield from a defensive point of view, he made 4 interceptions, and 3 out of his 5 tackles were successful. Lampard had 3 successful tackles, but didn’t attempt any interceptions. The ball circulation of Manchester City improved as well, from 107 successful passes out of 136 (78,67% success rate) in the middle third during the first half to 125 successful out of 146 (85,6% success rate) during the second half.

Conclusion

For me Arsenal were the better team, and they would have deserved to keep the points at home. Sánchez had an exceptional game, and Welbeck seemed to fit in well with his new team-mates. Arsenal would have had a harder time transitioning from defense, and City could have made the midfield battle more contested had Touré been playing. 

Pardew faces an interesting season as Ashley gets his wallet out

By
Ed Wallace
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0

Alan Pardew would have welcomed the summer break more than most, having endured a torrid conclusion to last season when wretched form saw Newcastle fans stage protests on a weekly-basis. With the manager serving a 7 match ban for head-butting Hull’s David Meyler in March, Newcastle won just 2 of their last 10 games to complete the fall from sixth at Christmas to a disappointing tenth-placed finish.

One of those rare victories, the 3-0 home win over Cardiff in May, couldn’t free Pardew from criticism who would have seen banners calling for his sacking as he returned to the dugout. A 69th minute walkout was staged in protest of Mike Ashley’s running of the club and after ending with a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool, Newcastle would enter a pivotal summer. Pardew, especially fortunate to still hold his post after the fracas with Meyler, would have been grateful to get away.

Despite earning a reputation for unimaginative football on Tyneside, Pardew has been forced to work under the restraints of a frugal board and an owner who has remained obstinate against calls to invest into the squad. Joe Kinnear was controversially appointed as Director of Football in June 2013 but failed to land a single permanent signing over two transfer windows before he departed in February. 

He would however sell Yohann Cabaye to PSG for £20 million in January, the catalyst for Newcastle’s decline in the second half of last season. Cabaye’s would appear in a Newcastle shirt last in the 1-3 win at West Ham, in which he scored twice, but without him Pardew’s men would seemingly give up, scoring just 11 goals in their remaining 14 games and winning only 4 times.

The Toon had managed to go 18 months without spending a fee on a player, the loan deals to bring Luuk De Jong and Loic Remy to St James’s Park the only business done in the Kinnear era but with the ex-Wimbledon manager now gone, this summer’s recruitment has been much smoother. The 20 year old Spanish striker Ayoze Perez joined for just under £2 million to kick off a run of 6 deals that have already been completed with the total spend so far in the region of £30 million. 

To carry on the theme of selling, Mathieu Debuchy has been allowed to join Arsenal for a fee in the region of £12 million but a replacement has already been found in Daryl Janmaat, the Dutch right-back who impressed in this summer’s World Cup. Fellow Dutchman Siem De Jong has been captured from Ajax for £7.5 million and attacking verve has been added with the signings of Remy Cabella from Montpellier and Emmanuel Riviere from Monaco for a combined fee of around £13 million.

Cabella, an attacking midfielder who scored 14 goals and registered 5 assists in Ligue 1 last term, is seen as the much-needed replacement for Cabaye while Riviere, who got 10 goals for Monaco, will take over the goal-scoring mantle from last season’s top-scorer Loic Remy. 

Their arrivals however will keep the squad’s Francophone element at 9, not exactly in-keeping with Pardew’s calls last October for the club to focus their policy more towards home-grown talent. Three of that group however are set to leave, with Hatem Ben-Arfa, Sylvian Marveuax and Gabriel Obertan all reportedly told they are free to leave the club after they became frozen out for the majority of last season.

Ben-Arfa and Marveaux were seen specifically as disruptive influences amongst a squad that was undermined by disharmony last term, their reported differences with Pardew forcing the manager to leave out 2 of his more creative talents as his team often served up turgid football. He has used this pre-season to speak of an improved team-spirit in their absence, but as coherence and unity grows behind the scenes there will be even greater pressure for such fluidity to be translated onto the pitch, where the 55,000 regulars at St James’s have found themselves alienated by the miserable football on show.  

In a move that will help greatly to improve squad accord, the signing of Jack Colback from Sunderland takes the amount of English players at St James’s also to 9 with two of those, Adam Campbell and Adam Armstrong, sharing just 7 senior substitute appearances between them. 

The signing of Colback on a free however has been excellent business, a versatile left-footed 24 year old who was born and raised in the city and with 164 league appearances already under his belt. The club’s new managing director Lee Charnley completing a deal that fits perfectly with the Ashley blueprint of low-cost and potentially high resale value.

Charnley has arguably managed to placate Ashley on the rest of this summer’s transfers but not one of them come with Colback’s Premier League experience and the pressure will be on the new imports to adapt to the new league quickly as the club looks to avoid a continuation of the anti-Pardew sentiment that blackened the mood on Tyneside at the end of last season. 

The mitigating claim that Ashley has failed to back Pardew is no longer available and the owner will be entitled, given the degree of faith he showed the manager during his disciplinary issues in March, to expect a return on his investments.

Injuries and plain old bad luck have been used as excuses by Pardew for Newcastle’s recent misfortunes and poor runs of form but with a settled squad and an active summer of recruitment there will be no hiding places left for a manager who managed to swell public opinion against him to 86% in a poll run by the Newcastle Chronicle in April. 

It starts with the visit of champions Manchester City but after that flows an inviting run of games. With Pardew now in a position to deliver, the pressure will be on for him to do so, or the calls for him to leave will be too loud for Ashley to ignore.

FC Porto – Their scouting network and how it works

By
Ed Wallace
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The maxim “patience is a virtue” doesn’t really hold much sway at FC Porto. After taking over from Vitor Pereira last summer, Paulo Fonseca lasted only until March after group stage Champions League elimination and a poor league position. Reserve team coach Luis Castro took interim control until the end of the season but was only able to guide the club to third place, breaking the run of 3 straight league titles. 

It will leave them facing a potentially difficult qualification round to get into the Champions League but there will be a relief that the Dragao still hosts the lure of the competition as the Portuguese giants start another rebuilding process under Julen Lopetegui. 

The former Rayo Vallecano coach will assume his first senior club role since leaving the Madrid club in 2008 to play a major role in the production of Spain’s recent array of phenomenal talent, having coached their under-19, 20 and 21 sides across the past four years. 

He is a stylistic, tactically versatile coach, focused on utilising an organised defensive base to allow a fluid attacking game to thrive and a relative inexperience shouldn’t be an issue given Porto’s past successes with Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas Boas.

The 47 year old has made immediate use of his knowledge of younger Spanish talent by returning to La Liga for six signings, as well as another young Spaniard in Jose Angel signed from AS Roma on a free-transfer. Juan Iturbe has gone in the opposite direction for a £17 million fee and defensive midfielder Fernando Regas has moved to Manchester City for £15 million. 

Eliaquim Mangala is expected to complete a long-drawn out transfer in order to follow Regas to City and while the squad has been significantly weakened by these sales, Lopetegui has made astute replacements as he aims to wrestle the Liga Sagres back from Benfica. 

So far the sales have raised just under £30 million while Mangala is expected to raise a further £32 million but perhaps most importantly, they have managed to keep hold of Colombian duo Jackson Martinez and Juan Quintero despite wide interest across Europe. Martinez has hit 46 league goals in 60 games over the past two seasons and has this summer signed a new deal, bumping his release clause up to £27 million and extending his future with Porto until 2017.

That represents a significant coup for club president Pinto da Costa who has seen his attacking talent leave without being able to present too much resistance in recent years. The likes of Anderson, Falcao, Fredy Guarin, Hulk, James Rodriguez and Lisandro Lopez have all been prised away for major fees and huge profits stemming from Porto’s excellent South American scouting network. 

That has been mostly prevalent in Colombia where Guarin, Falcao and Rodriguez have been found and eventually sold on for a total of around £100 million. Rodriguez has become a unique success, becoming Real Madrid’s latest “Galactico” after performing brilliantly at the World Cup with Colombia. It was Porto who took the initial gamble on the midfielder, bringing James to Europe for just €5 million. 

That brilliant eye for talent and shrewd business sense has become the cornerstone of the club for the past decade. No matter what extraordinary talent is plucked away from the club by the prying eyes of their more affluent rivals in more illustrious leagues, there seems to be another one in line to take their place.

Juan Iturbe has played just 6 times for the Portuguese club but his move to Roma has raised £15 million in profit while the exit of Mangala, signed from Liege for just over £6 million in 2011, will pocket a cool £25 million extra. Lopetegui has reinvested that sum gradually however, bolstering squad depth as well as adding quality to all areas. 

However their business has this time been more orientated towards Europe, making use of Lopetegui’s extensive knowledge of the Spanish market. Their most expensive import has been the £9.6 million Adrian Lopez, the striker who played an important part in Atletico Madrid’s La Liga title win of last season. While he has not managed to replicate the prolific scoring rate of his first year in Madrid, his industry and work-rate will give an extra option alongside the ruthless Martinez.

Yacine Brahimi, the technically gifted Algerian right-winger who is also adept in the centre of midfield, comes in from Granada after an impressive World Cup in Brazil, while Cristian Tello comes in on loan from Barcelona with a huge point to prove. Majorly underused at the Nou Camp given his vast talent, the Catalan’s signing of Luis Suarez has pushed him further down the pecking order and under his former Spanish youth team coach at the Dragao, the pacey wide-man will get two years to show his exciting potential on the left side of a 3-pronged attack.

A similar deal has been arranged for Oliver Torres, Atletico Madrid’s highly-rated 19 year old midfielder who has picked up the nickname “Miniesta” owing to his likeliness to Barcelona’s superstar playmaker. A gifted passer and comfortable on the ball, the Primera Liga will cater to his style and under a manager he knows well already, he is likely to provide competition to Quintero’s attacking midfield slot as he continues to progress individually. 

Behind the attacking talent that Lopetegui has stocked up on, the Brazilian Casimero arrives on loan from Real Madrid to provide a solid defensive screen, next to the combative Steven Defour, as a replacement for Fernando, while Bruno Martins-Indi will take-over Mangala’s spot in defence following a successful World Cup with the Netherlands. He will play alongside Maicon while the 21 year old Mexican Diego Reyes challenges for a starting spot under them, another precious talent the club has unearthed from the Latin American market.

More South American talent can be found in Alex Sandro and Danilo who offer boundless energy at full-back while long-serving goalkeeper Helton is challenged by fellow Brazilian Fabiano. Hector Herrera, Carlos Eduardo, Ricardo Pereira and the Brazilian Evandro who has this summer arrived from Estoril following typically detailed and lengthy scouting research, will offer craft and skill to the squad in forward areas. 

Ricardo Quaresma, undergoing a renaissance in Oporto after seeing his once-promising career stall, will lead the squad as captain. The winger, at 30, is the oldest outfield player in a squad that is concerted on youth but high on dynamism and hunger to reclaim their dominance of the Portuguese domestic game. 

Liverpool post Suarez: Can the Reds rise up to the challenge?

By
Ed Wallace
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Liverpool post Suarez: Can the Reds rise up to the challenge?

Playing the most exuberant brand of football, Liverpool grabbed the global eyeball last season and were just a whisker away from winning their maiden PL title. The chief architect behind this dream campaign, with a staggering 31 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, was none other than Luis Suarez. He almost single-handedly led the Reds’ charge, for it wasn’t just about the goals and assists, but the value he brought to the team  – His unpredictability  being his biggest strength. 

But with Suarez having departed to Barcelona, lingering concerms remain – Can Liverpool expect to come anywhere close to their second-place finish last season, a question whose answer only time would tell. But to give a fair idea, here I try analyzing the reasons why I feel a Suarez-less Liverpool will still be a force to be reckoned with. 

Reactive Summer Transfer Policy

With the club’s Europe return and with the added fixture burden, selling your marquee player would be hardly considered ambitious. But following the controversial Uruguayan’s departure to Barcelona, manager Brendan Rodgers was quick to point out that Luis Suarez made Liverpool look only as good as Liverpool made Suarez.  

With a like-for-like replacement being simply non-existent by any stretch of the imagination, the Northern Irishman in charge of the Reds has opted for the next best thing – signing players who can give him plenty of tactical options, provide unpredictability and versatility and, in some cases, which have invaluable experience of the Premier League.

Core Remains Intact 

Another thing that works in the Reds’ favour is that despite Suarez’s move, the rest of the Liverpool lineup will remain intact. Steven Gerrard continues at the helm in his new defensive midfielder role, whereas Jordan Henderson excelling in the box-to-box midfielder’s role. Suarez’s departure provides Daniel Sturridge with an opportunity to impress and stake a claim to be Liverpool’s front man for many a years to come. With breakthrough seasons for the likes of Coutinho and Sterling and Rodgers’ philosophy placing a firm emphasis on the development of young talents, they be very difficult to budge from their starting eleven roles. 

Even in the absence of Suarez at the start of last season, due to the Uruguayan’s biting ban, the Reds’ managed to see off Stoke, Aston Villa and Manchester United in their first three games to get their fairytale season up and running, with Sturridge stepping on the plate each time. 

New signings – Adding Depth and Quality

Last season whenever Rodgers needed some inspiration from the bench, all he could see was Aspas and Moses’ blank faces staring back at him. This window though, Rodgers and his transfer committee, have moved to add some much needed quality to a rather depleted squad. 

The move for 32-year old striker Rickie Lambert is a fine example. The move has Brendan Rodgers written all over it. Lambert provides a cheap back-up option in the form of a traditional goal-to-back centre forward in case there is a need for Plan B. Last season, Liverpool were found wanting of an alternate strategy against teams who shore up the defence, the most notable being the home match against Chelsea, a match which was a critical blow to Liverpool’s title aspirations. 

Defence was another major concern for the Reds last season and that too seems to have been taken care of. Dejan Lovren is a commanding and a powerful presence in the central defence. The Croatian is accustomed to play possession football and maintain a high defensive line. Even at £20mn, the 25-year old has age on his side and poses a genuine goal threat as well, as Dortmund found out on Sunday. Tightening the leaky defence will help cut the striker’s workload, as well as provide balance.

Rodgers was quick to earmark Adam Lallana, another former Saint, as his priority signing of the summer. Although the price tag seems a bit overpriced, Brendan obviously seems the England international fitting into his plans. Being versatile, Lallana can rotate anywhere across the front 3 and chip in with valuable goals and assists. Emre Can gives an impression of a proper German enforcer and is a great long-term investment. 

Conclusion 

Of course, losing Suarez will sting Liverpool, for 31 goals are very difficult to replace, as Tottenham found out last year in the aftermath of Gareth Bale’s departure. Whether these signings combined can help plug in the hole left by Suarez remains to be seen. But, what can be said is that Brendan Rodgers has already started to counter those fears with his emphasis on acquiring Premier League proven talents. Although Liverpool and Rodgers, in particular have their task cut out, early signs certainly give an impression that they have no such aspirations to let Suarez’s move dent the club’s progress.

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