Ways To Sport

href="http://soccerlens.com/2011-summer-preview-barnet-transfer-for-rooney-tottenhams-new-sponsors-chelseas-unsackable-manager-and-more/71009/">2011 Summer Preview: Barnet transfer for Rooney, Tottenham’s new sponsors, Chelsea’s unsackable manager and much more – originally posted on href="http://soccerlens.com">Soccerlens.com

Thanks to Twitter,the green light for the “Silly Season” to begin has been nicely and truly lit. As we head for the sun, tabloids and social media internet sites are preparing to fill inches with nonsense, here are a couple of of the stories which will have us pulling our hair out.

Barnet Transfer for Rooney

Before the people from Underhill get too excited, the England and Manchester United striker has not signed for the Bees. Rooney has joined the sporting legends of Austin Healy, Shane Warne and Graham Gooch by having a hair transplant.

Undoubtedly the WAGS of United will call it the “Transfer of the Year” but for England fans it was slightly disconcerting. Saturday was a crucial Euro 2012 Qualifier with Switzerland, Rooney may well have been suspended for the match, but surely England’s star striker would attend?

Certainly not, maybe the England national team is not quite “worth it.”

Bendtner Bonanza

It takes some courage to play in a team that contained strikers of the ilk of Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Adebayor, and now contains Robin Van Persie and Andrey Arshavin and declare that “I ought to be playing each and every week.”

It takes even far more self assurance to announce to a planet that boasts Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Villa and numerous a lot more that “I am 1 of the greatest strikers in the world” and then in the last minute against Barca, fluff a one on one that would have knocked the eventual champions out.

Nicklas Bendtner, nevertheless, is not just a typical striker. The Dane who wears number 52 and occasionally sports pink boots, looks set to spark a bidding war that might spiral out of control and from all sense of normality.

With a beginning cost of £12 Million and with a variety of clubs which includes German giants, Bayern Munich interested, the Bendtner Transfer bonanza looks set to have us all laughing at the price, as lengthy as he doesn’t end up at our club!

Mark Hughes Personal “Silly Week”

As manager of Manchester City, Hughes had every thing he could wish for, a fantastic stadium, a good squad and an unlimited quantity of spending money, however, he managed to mess it all up. Hughes burnt millions of pounds on average players and then chocolate coated it all by not winning football matches, he was rightly sacked, ironically soon after winning a match.

Hughes eventually found one more job, at a club had been expectations are low and the number of house fans is even lower, Fulham FC. The Welshman performed a solid job, but looking the huge time: a vacant post at Aston Villa, he was advised to hand in his notice.

Two weeks later Fulham have replaced him with Martin Jol, whilst Villa are attempting their very best to appoint anybody but Hughes. Added to this they are in the method of selling their prize assets Ashley Young and Stuart Downing. Consequently need to Hughes get the job, he will be taking on a squad devoid of top class talent.

There is some solace for Hughes, however, in the form of lumber centre back, Richard Dunne, the when captain of Man City who he sold to Villa.

Spurs new Sponsor rumours

It appears that Tottenham have gone to Sponsorship Plan B for the 2011/2012 season. The north London club who failed to return to the Champions League will have to perform some belt tightening and club Supremo Daniel Levy has set in motion a master plan.

Jose Mourhino claimed that Barcelona’s European success is due to their being sponsored by UNICEF Levy is hoping to jump in on this charity bandwagon and is confident that his proposed signings of Brad Friedel, Joe Cole and any number of veteran strikers will help Spurs secure the sponsorship of Age Concern.

Spurs manager, Harry Redknapp, has hinted that injury prone stars Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King may possibly well remain, this news will only add credence to Spurs’ Age Concern dreams.

Chelsea Directors Brain Wave

It may well be the “Silly Season” but it appears that some of the Chelsea directors have had a brain wave. Roman Abramovich, the man who has bank rolled Chelsea into the force they are today, is renowned for removing managers prematurely. Mourhino, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Carlo Ancelotti have all had their contracts terminated early and it has price the club dearly in compensation.

Therefore the financial directors have come up with the slogan “No Blue on Blue Firing.” It seems over lunch they had the concept to appoint a manager that Ambramovich would in no way sack. With no close family and having already fired one wife, his new girlfriend was deemed unsuitable. The Chelsea leading dogs therefore they moved for long time friend and the man by whom Roman judges all other managers, Guus Hiddink.

The Chelsea board are hoping that this appointment will last longer that the rest and have their fingers crossed that Avram “Annual Relegation” Grant is barred from entering the stadium.

If you happen to read or hear any other “Silly Season” news please feel no cost to post it, right after all when there is no football there can only be speculation.

From href="http://soccerlens.com">Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

Under-21 Euro 2011: Players To Watch – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With no senior tournament for Europe this summer, it is the chance for the next generation to shine. Here are eleven youngsters hoping to catch the eye at the forth coming 2011 Under 21 European Championships in Denmark.

GK: Frank Fielding (Derby County &amp England): The obvious choice would have been Atletico Madrid’s David De Gea, but with his transfer to Manchester United all but done and dusted, we need to instead focus on residence-grown talent. The Senior England Team is at present suffering a goalkeeping crisis. Ben Foster and Paul Robinson have retired from duty, whilst Robert Green and Scott Carson’s continual high profile errors do not instil us with confidence. For that reason a chance has emerged for Frank Fielding to step up. As initial selection for Stuart Pearce, the Ram’s stopper has the excellent platform to display his abilities.

RB: Cesar Azpilicueta (Olympic Marseille &amp Spain): From the moment he burst on the scene as a 17 year old for Osasuna, Azpilicueta, has been hotly tipped for international stardom. He was in the original squad of 30 for Vicente Del Bosque 2010 World Cup squad, but was left out of the final 23 man squad. Later that summer Azpilicueta, joined Olympic Marseille, nevertheless, regardless of a promising commence to his French experience, a severe knee injury saw him sidelined for most of the season. Now fit and running again, he has the chance in Denmark to remind every person just why he was so extremely rated in the very first place.

CB: Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Shakhtar Donetsk &amp Ukraine): How do we sum up a hot prospect? Playing regularly in the Champions League? Quickly tracked into their senior side? Already 3 International objectives to your name? Rakitskiy is a yes to all of these. He started career as a left winger just before gradually moving back to central defence, where he now commands for both club and country. With Europe’s top centre backs all ageing, Rakitskiy possibly just be the answer, if they can prise him away from Shakhtar Dontesk.

CB: Phil Jones (Blackburn Rovers &amp England): A major proving ground awaits the young Blackburn Rovers centre back. If we are to believe the press, the price above this young man’s head is already up to £15 Million, need to he have a spectacular Championships, it is guaranteed to rise. Jones was 1 of the couple of players to come out of Rovers terrible season with their head held high. Regardless of a serious injury Jones has shown us that he has potential in midfield as well as central defence, now we wait to see just how far he can go.

LB: Danny Rose (Tottenham &amp England): Rose became an instant legend when he fired property an extraordinary volley against Arsenal in his very first start for Tottenham. His career even so, failed to follow the exact same trajectory and 1st team chances became limited as Gareth Bale lit up the Premier League and Europe. However, an injury ridden back line saw Rose slot in at left back and instantly he looked at property. Strong performances away to Liverpool, Manchester City and at house to Birmingham appear to have reinvigorated the youngster and given him purpose. Stuart Pearce might employ him at left wing throughout the tournament, but there is no doubting that Rose is an up and coming prospect.

AM:  Juan Mata (Valencia &amp Spain): Spain appears to have a factory somewhere deep in the Pyrenees producing top high quality attacking midfielders. Juan Mata is a left footed winger who seems destined to leave Valencia in search of bigger things. Liverpool seem to be favourite to land the winger, however really should he perform up to his reputation in Denmark, then possibly other clubs will be willing to pay the quoted £20 million for his services.

CM: Christian Eriksen (Ajax &amp Denamark): Looks set to trigger a key stir in the transfer marketplace this summer and need to he have a stellar tournament, there is no realizing at what cost and which club he could end up at. At the age of 16 he signed with Ajax Amsterdam and has progressed wonderfully through their famed youth academy. This year saw Eriksen genuinely emerge into a significant part of the team that gave Ajax their initial league title in 7 years. Eriksen was named Talent of the Year in the Eredivisie, a title presided over by Ajax legend Johan Cruffy, Eriksen also holds the distinction of being the youngest player brought to the 2010 World Cup Finals and the youngest ever capped Dane.

CM: Gylfi Sigurdsson (1899 Hoffenheim &amp Iceland): Dead ball specialist and lengthy range shooter extraordinaire, Sigurdsson, is a player nicely recognized by Reading fans. A firm favourite at the Madjeski Stadium, there was an outcry when he was sold, including 1 13 year old suing the club over a £42 replica shirt. Sigurdsson, had been closely monitored by a host of Premier League clubs, but Reading sold him for a club record fee to the Bundaslega side Hoffenihiem. The Icelandic star has continued to shine and with his trust dead ball abilities, remains in the goals. Opposition defences want to be careful in Denmark this summer.

AM: Xherdan Shaqiri  (FC Basel &amp Switzerland): Has been on the radar because his left foot thunderbolt left England stopper Joe Hart swiping at thin air. This left footed wizard, has fast turn out to be Switzerland’s great hope and one of the most sought following players in Europe. Shaqiri helped his club team FC Basel claim their second championship in a row, and was 1 of the star performers as Switzerland’s senior team drew 2-2 with England at Wembley. Shaqiri is at his deadliest when cutting in from the appropriate and shooting with his left in a comparable manner to Dutch wizard Arjen Robben.

ST: Bojan Krikic: (Barcelona &amp Spain): Two years ago he was hailed as the coming force of world football, however things have not gone rather to strategy. The rumours linking him to the Premier League for £15-£18 million have disappeared. Bojan may possibly be a squad player for one of the greatest teams in history, but there is no doubting that his career has stalled. With David Villa, Leo Messi, Jeffren Suarez, Pedro Rodriguez all in front of him and the imminent arrival of Giuseppe Rossi, Bojan should perform in Denmark if he is to rebuild his reputation.

ST: Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev &amp Ukraine): When Andriy Shevchenko says you are a excellent player, you should be performing some thing right. That is precisely what he had to say about Yarmolenko. This powerful forward, who is equally at property on the flanks or through the middle, has been attracting attention from all over Europe. With his team playing second fiddle domestically to Shakhtar Donetsk, Yarmolenko may nicely follow in his idols footsteps and head for foreign shores. A strong performance in Denmark would be the perfect way to book a ticket.

The tournament promises to be a blockbuster with Spain, Switzerland and England all searching extremely strong.  I would have produced England clear favourites had Jack Wilshire and Andy Carroll created the trip to Denmark, however, as soon as once again England is undervaluing the Under 21’s. Recent winners of the tournament incorporate Italy, Spain and Germany, whose senior teams have then gone on and performed well at the main competitions. Just before England can seek to win tournaments with the seniors they must start off focusing on the Under 21’s.

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

Probable contenders for Villa Park hotseat – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Gerard Houllier’s mutual departure from Aston Villa last week has left us all guessing as to who will take over the reins at Villa Park. Generally we would have a fair concept as to who that will be, but at the moment it is anyone’s guess who will be implemented by Chairman Randy Lerner. A host of names have been linked – some household in fact – however we are still none the wiser as to whom will be Houllier’s successor.

We take a look at some of the names in contention.

Mark Hughes

When Sparky resigned rather surprisingly from his Fulham post last week, it looked for all the world he was heading up the M6 to Birmingham to turn out to be the successor to Gerard Houllier. It seemed too coincidental that as soon as Villa find themselves in the market for a new manger, the Welshamn ends up activating a release clause in his Cottagers contract. In a bemusing set of circumstances, it was then reported that Randy Lerner had in reality had no intention of appointing Hughes, with several believing his abrupt departure from Fulham put the American billionaire off.

Nevertheless he still remains a hot candidate for the post and will not leave too a lot of surprised if indeed he does end up in claret and blue tie. However with a vacancy at the Kings Road with a former club in Chelsea, they too are reviewing the possibility of appointing Hughes.

Carlo Ancelotti

Undisputedly Carlo Ancelotti is the overwhelming favourite from the Villa faithful to take over the reins at Villa Park. However, the four-time European Cup winner right now announced his decision to take a year out of the game following 16 consecutive years of coaching. Is this just a bluff from Carletto? The Holte-Enders in the sky will undoubtedly be hoping so.

If indeed he did take over, it would eclipse the appointment of Martin O’Neill back in 2006 but there would be an inevitability of the world’s elite entities surveying his progress in a bid to lure him away from the Midlands. Villa fans will tell you they’ll take the rough with the smooth – they want Carlo by any indicates feasible.

Steve McClaren

The former England boss has been linked with much more or less every single vacancy in England and is widely regarded as to be on Mr Lerner’s shortlist. To say this will go down well with the Villa fans could not be further from the truth. Rather merely Mr McClaren is the last person they want to see impersonating a Brummie accent.

Beside all that and despite his miserable tenure as national coach, he does possess a range of genuinely excellent attributes. His stock had rose considerably having guided FC Twente to an Eredivisie title, becoming the first Englishman given that the late fantastic Sir Bobby Robson to achieve such a feat overseas, but his failure in Germany has took him two steps back. He is in contention but Mr Lerner jeopardises his healthy relationship with the fans if appointed.

Rafael Benitez

Rafa has been unfairly ridiculed the past number of years. Although his last season at Anfield with Liverpool did not precisely go according to strategy, along with bodging Jose Mourinho’s very good work at Internazionale – a mere impossible task in the initial place – the Spaniard has a healthy pedigree. You do not grow to be a poor Coach overnight, particularly when you have won a Champions League along with a number of domestic league titles and cups.

He is adamant on securing his next role in England and intends to be patient. Aston Villa is a big club and Benitez realises that. There is interest from both parties make no mistake.

Roberto Martinez

Yet another Spaniard in the frame and do not let a relegation battle with Wigan Athletic fool you, Roberto Martinez is an exceptional manager. It is a miracle in itself how he has been able to keep The Latics in the leading flight due their monetary constraints, however for the second year running he has kept them afloat from the Championship.

One thing is for certain, Villa fans can anticipate some entertaining football under Martinez and his philosophy would suit the players down to the ground. If he had the calibre of player at his disposal such as Villa’s, he would do a job.

He was in reality the third favourite upon Houllier’s decision to leave so watch this space.

Who do you want Villa fans? Let us know!

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs: where will Scott Parker end up? – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Scott Parker’s admission that he wants to leave West Ham for the Premier League will have piqued the interest of many leading clubs. The three sides thought to be heading the queue are Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham, so here are the instances for and against the England midfielder joining every of them.

Arsenal

The case for: Parker is the tenacious however technically able footballer Arsenal are crying out for. He has plenty of Premier League encounter, meaning he would not want the period of adjustment numerous of Wenger’s foreign signings have needed. At 30 years of age, he would bring considerable encounter to a comparatively young side. Parker is also forging a promising footballing relationship with Jack Wilshere in the national side, and if they had been to play beside each and every other for club and country, it could bring the best out of both. Wenger would also be able to use Parker as a mentor for Wilshere, who is still maturing both on and off the field. Add to this that Parker is a leader (some thing which the Gunners at times appear to lack), and he becomes an ever much more appealing choice . Arsenal are the sole of the 3 sides which offers the chance of Champions League football next year, which Parker would relish. Furthermore, moving to another London club would mean no want for relocation and becoming able to stay in the city where he has spent the majority of his career to date.

The case against: Signing Parker would be a marked departure from Wenger’s usual transfer policy. Several would argue alter is necessary, but it is yet to be seen regardless of whether Wenger would be willing to sign a player in his thirties. Arsenal might be more concerned with shoring up their patchy defence than their midfield, and if West Ham’s asking cost is high, they might elect to use their funds elsewhere. Money may well not be an issue for Parker, but considering Arsenal’s wage policy, he would almost certainly be able to command a greater wage at Liverpool or Spurs.

Liverpool

The case for: It is thought that Kenny Dalglish will ship out a fair couple of players this summer, and with midfielders Christian Poulsen and Joe Cole likely to be amongst them, reinforcements may well nicely be sought. Despite the fact that Lucas Leiva enjoyed a great season this year, his performances are occasionally erratic, and with Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing still understanding their trade, Parker would offer consistency. Parker could also prove the talismanic figure Liverpool at times lack when Steven Gerrard is missing. Parker would also be a steadying influence on the crop of young talent establishing themselves in the very first team squad at Anfield. Dalglish is a fan of buying British talent where possible, and the Kop would definitely take to Parker’s combative style. Liverpool are a club with rich history who are on the up, and to play for them under an inspirational manager in Dalglish, would be appealing for any player.

The case against: Liverpool are the only of the 3 clubs not to be based in London, and the main upheaval of moving may possibly be unattractive to a player whose roots are firmly in the capital. They are also the only of the three clubs not to be playing European football this year, although the propsects of achieving it in subsequent years are quite very good. Liverpool are also debatably the club that need him the least of the 3, boasting reasonable strength in depth in central midfield, and so may well invest their kitty on other areas of the team.

Tottenham

The case for: Harry Redknapp is well recognized to be an admirer of Parker’s abilities as a footballer, and has been the most public of the three managers in his praise of both the midfielder’s physical and mental attributes, creating the likelihood of Harry bidding for Parker quite high. With Wilson Palacios increasingly becoming linked with a move away from the club, Parker would be a timely addition, offering the tenacity that Palacios gives whilst being great enough on the ball to fit into a stylish team. As with Arsenal, no major relocation would be required ought to he move to White Hart Lane, and like Arsenal, Spurs will feature in European football this year. Although Spurs are only in the Europa League, to play European football this year will be tempting for a player who is trying to establish himself in the England team.

The case against: Of the 3 clubs, Tottenham are the least fancied to get into the top four next year, and playing in the Champions League soon may be an opportunity Parker would be a lot more likely to get elsewhere. Spurs may well also will need to sell just before they can purchase, which could lead to complications. There are also rumours that West Ham may not want to do company with Tottenham given the tension between the two over the Olympic Stadium, though this seems improbable.

Taking all of this into account, it appears that Liverpool is the least likely destination of the three for Scott Parker. They will need him the least, and the geography of the move would be a sizeable deterrent. Arsenal undoubtedly seem the most appealing proposition, and they are the team that most demand a player like Parker,  but with Harry Redknapp becoming such an admirer, and with Liverpool’s prestige, don’t rule any of these clubs out. No matter who wins the tussle for his signature, you can be sure that Scott Parker will be playing top flight football next year.

You can follow Will on Twitter: @willmcbean

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

West Ham go Route 1 back to Premier League – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Messrs. Gold and Sullivan have stumbled from bad decision to ludicrous choice since taking over at West Ham but they may nicely have struck gold with the appointment of Large Sam. The quickest form of transport is via the sky and that’s why Allardyce’s lengthy ball football could present the Hammers with an instant return to the topflight.

Last season was a truly catastrophic campaign for the Hammers. From the outside searching in, a team of talented players ended up getting relegated due to over-inflated egos and a terrible lifeless gaffer. Grant somehow managed to cling on to his job in January when it was evident change was required. It proved to be a costly mistake by Gold and Sullivan to show faith in the Israeli and not install a manager such as Allardyce with a proven reputation for keeping teams out of the relegation dogfight.

The appointment of Large Sam may well have happened 6 months too late but Gold and Sullivan have discovered an experienced manager capable of ensuring West Ham’s bubble does not burst. It might not be pretty on the eye but the 57 year old’s tried and tested tactics do appear to get outcomes.

Just look at what happened when he left Blackburn. Blackburn had been 7^th in the league when the new Indian owners decided they wanted to try and turn Blackburn into Barcelona and Allardyce was shown the door. By the time the season ended the club had narrowly avoided relegation on the last day of the season. The terrible function of Steve Kean has made Allardyce look like a tactician of the highest calibre.

Not even the Football Writer's Player of the Year could stop West Ham going down.

Several West Ham fans point to the reality that their club is house to the Academy of Football and that West Ham are renowned for their free flowing attacking style. This, even though an appealing philosophy, has got the club nowhere in recent years and change was needed.

With Allardyce in charge West Ham ought to have much more than sufficient to return to leading flight at the initial time of asking. Although a lot will depend on the clubs capability to hold on to their much better players and if they leave, who is brought in to replace them.

Massive Sam will look towards encounter and has already talked of improving the squads ‘physical edge’. In other words a 6 foot 6 centre half will be arriving any time soon alongside a battering ram of a centre forward.

Fantastic running track for Large Sam to make perfect use of with lengthy throws.

Gold and Sullivan’s own ego trip will be a pain in the neck for Allardyce throughout his tenure at Upton Park, but that will be nothing like the actual discomfort in the neck the Hammers faithful will encounter as they look skyward, desperately trying to locate the ball as it plummets down from outer space following one more Matthew Upson hoof.

The imminent move to the Olympic Stadium following the London 2012 Olympics could prove to be the generating of West Ham. Not only will they have a better stadium to attract a higher high quality of player, far more fans and possibly an Arab sheikh with billions to spend but Massive Sam will be able to utilise the running track for some superb long throw tactics. Do not know about you but I can’t wait for it…

Daryn MacRae writes on Remain On Your Feet.

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

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Why Mark Hughes was wrong to leave Fulham – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

For the second season in succession, Fulham discover themselves in the tough situation of searching for a new manager via no volition of their own. Little far more than eleven months soon after Roy Hodgson left the club for his ill-fated stint at the helm of Liverpool, Mark Hughes has decided to activate a clause in his contract meaning that he will depart at the end of the month. I feel he’s made the wrong choice.

Yes, Fulham’s start to the season was fairly calamitous. Too many draws and not sufficient wins left the club in the lower reaches of the league at the turn of the year. However, as soon as Hughes had got settled at Craven Cottage, and once their injury stricken strikeforce returned to fitness, their second half of the season was very impressive. 33 points from 20 games is a really good return for any side outside the top 4. Hughes was at the helm of a team who had been starting to show that they could regularly challenge for the best eight. Fulham also have European football to look forward to next year. For a man who is still establishing himself in club management, this is a great platform.

Remarkably, Hughes has gone and turned his back on this. So let’s have a look at his choices. He has been heavily linked with the post at Aston Villa. I feel there are two main problems here. Firstly, I feel that Villa would be very dubious about hiring a man who has constantly got his eye on how to get further up the managerial food chain. Hughes has not shown that he is one to stick around at any club for long, and as managerial stability is essential to the success of any team, Villa may be discouraged by his track record.

Secondly, I don’t believe that Aston Villa are in a considerably much better position than Fulham. Both clubs will be aiming for the leading eight next year, and Fulham have European football on supply. Villa’s star turns, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, are becoming linked daily with moves away from Villa Park, and Brad Friedel has already left for pastures new. If Hughes desires to establish himself as a leading manager, he could have achieved his aims just as effortlessly at Fulham, keeping the spine of his side together. Besides, who knows if he’s on Villa’s managerial shortlist anyway?

If he’s pinning his hopes on finding the Chelsea job, I believe he’s in for a huge disappointment. Roman Abramovich typically likes to appoint big name managers, and if Guus Hiddink is available and interested, I genuinely don’t see Hughes becoming chosen over him.

Also, Hughes has already had a stint at a club with a massive spending budget chasing Champions League football, and his record at Manchester City was mixed at greatest. Results had been poor, particularly away from property, and Abramovich would not be happy if his money were to be frittered on high-priced flops such as Jo and Roque Santa Cruz.

Even if Hughes had been to get the post, he would have to succeed instantly. Trophies in the very first season (and every season following that) are a ought to, and I doubt he would be able to deliver success rapidly enough to prevent Abramovich’s twitchy trigger finger.

One of the strangest things is that it is a colossal gamble he did not want to take. For an up and coming manager, being in a job and becoming effective is the most likely way to attract attention from a bigger club, which is seemingly Hughes’ aim. At Fulham, he was in the excellent location to do just that. He was putting together a powerful side, built on rocks such as Schwarzer and Hangeland. He was at no risk of becoming sacked, and could have continued to impress and forge a reputation that might attract the interest of the clubs of the ilk he wants to take charge of. Being in the managerial wilderness for any length of time means your managerial stock depreciates, specially for a manager who is not a proven name yet.

I believe overambition has got the better of the man. I hope this is not the case, but at this point in time, it looks like Mark Hughes has got this decision wrong.

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

Paul Scholes: a tribute to a player born in the wrong country – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

In the last 15 to 20 years the greatest central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this numerous times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has every thing. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he by no means gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued a lot more.”

-  Xavi

Why isn’t he playing for England? It is crazy. Only in England.

-  Jose Mourinho

Look at that picture. He was by no means an oil painting, was he? And maybe that’s component of the issue. Nature produced positive Paul Scholes was in no way going to be appreciated for his looks, and nurture on the Langley council estates near Manchester created sure he saw past self promotion and the need for fame. Celebrity culture was starting to ooze into English football in the years leading up to his emergence in 1995, with Lee Sharpe, Ryan Giggs and the Anfield spice boys already dating half-assed models and appearing in tabloids. But Scholes came up at Old Trafford with David Beckham, who was going to take things to a entire other level. Still, in the middle of the growing whirlwind surrounding the game, Scholes remained grounded, was straight into the car right after training, heading residence to be with his wife and children.

But enough of that. I do not want this to be another tribute to Scholes’s normalcy, as if, 1) that was his most admirable feature, and 2) a man deserves to be admired for not turning into Jordan. Almost all the tributes written considering that he announced his retirement have focussed on that side of him, and it is been significant and saddening that even now that he’s gone, the country he was born into still has no notion what a talent they had.

It is my belief that Paul Scholes is, immeasurably, the greatest English footballer of the Premiership era, but possibly not a massive amount of individuals from his own country would hold the same opinion, and definitely not as strongly.

Get this for an example of what I’m talking about: Andres Iniesta swapped shirts with Scholes at the end of the Champions League final last weekend and Henry Winter, in his Times tribute, felt the will need to blurt, “What a souvenir!” As if Scholes need to be in awe of receiving such a gift. Iniesta, of course, would have other suggestions. He comes from a country that understands a midfielder’s job.

Carles Folguera, the director of the Barcelona youth academy, talked this week about the Catalan club’s suggestions for creating youth. “The physical aspect is not so crucial compared with the capacity to take decisions…technique, capacity for anticipation.” Issues couldn’t be a lot more various in the UK.  In reality, Folguera believes that in the Premiership, where “physical prowess takes priority…Iniesta, Pedro, Messi or Xavi would not have had any chance of generating it to the best.”

A remarkable thought, and 1 backed up by the fact that the 1 English player comparable (if not superior) to those players, was appreciated a lot more around the world than in his own back yard. Scholes was an alien in a British football culture in adore with headless chickens. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard – both great footballers in the final third of the pitch – had been constantly celebrated above him, in spite of neither being able to do the essential job of a midfielder: controlling a game.

Scholes was distinct. Nani, his Portuguese teammate, spoke in January of watching him in training: “He makes a pass to one wing, goes to support and gets the ball. Then he makes a pass to the other wing, goes to support and gets the ball once again. All the time he’s in control of the play. He’s the finest midfielder I’ve ever noticed.”

English football is chock full of midfielders who can crash into a tackle even a lot more who can hide from the ball in a “holding role” (hello Michael Carrick) and even a few who can score fifteen objectives a season and whack a ball in from twenty yards out. Scholes, except for his old school leg-rakers, was subtler, and hence less complicated to underrate: all he did was have the courage to constantly want to take the ball, usually turn on it, then look at the pitch and instantly choose the proper thing to do. He had the bravery, desire and method to control a game.

That’s a midfielder’s job. The rest is just noise.

Still, you’d assume that Scholes doesn’t care that he never got the credit (although you’d imagine being shunted onto the left wing for “Stevie G” and “Lamps” still rankles with him), so I ought to possibly lighten up. You can’t imagine him bothering to read any of the tributes this week, cutting them out and gluing them into the Scholesy scrapbook. Can you even picture him having a testimonial? I can’t.

Of course, all the recent words, which includes mine, are absolutely nothing next to the quotes from his peers all over the net. For everyone interested, it’ll take thirty seconds on Google, and if you want to disagree with the opinions of Zinedine Zidane, Marcello Lippi, Pep Guardiola, Luis Figo, or Cesc Fabregas, that he wasn’t that wonderful, then have at it.

When news of his retirement broke on Tuesday, Bobby Charlton stated a wonderfully sad thing about his fellow United legend, that all he could think of was “what an absolute tragedy (it is) that we have to be without having him – he is such a wonderful player, a stunning player to watch.” My thoughts are the exact same. I feel privileged to have noticed him play and terribly sad that I won’t once again.

Oh, and if anyone writes, “Yeah, but he couldn’t tackle” in the comments below, I’ll scream.

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

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USMNT Outclassed by Relentless Spain – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Bob Bradley has some decisions to make ahead of Gold Cup play.

When the U.S. scheduled today’s fixture with Spain they likely felt it would be a good tune up for a team destined to fight it out with Mexico for CONCACAF supremacy in the coming weeks. Spain got a brace from Santi Cazorla and goals from Negredo and Fernando Torres to down the host 4- ahead of their Gold Cup opener against Canada on Tuesday.

What happened in Boston these days was nothing much less than a confidence shaker. Playing most of the match with their reserves, the U.S. were undone by a 4 objective performance from the reigning world champions on the backs of a number of outstanding performances from a mix of Spain’s “A” and “B” level players.

The U.S. was outclassed at each and every step of the match. In every single phase the Spanish giants dominated, and whilst that’s not a surprise, the level of dominance was disheartening.

The U.S. could not create anything in the first 45 minutes playing without having eventual second half subs Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley and missing Donovan the whole match due to illness. Without three of their best players the U.S. surrendered an astonishing amount of possession and paid the price.

Game thoughts:

- Regardless of the personnel, playing a flat four-four-2 was an awful choice from Bob Bradley. Refusing to give cover to an exposed backline killed the U.S. and resulted in open lanes for late runners which produced two of the four Spain objectives.

- Defense is a glaring problem for the U.S. Conceding goals to Spain is one thing but to not pressure and to have poor marking, particularly in the middle, is unacceptable and could hurt against the much better teams in the Gold Cup. The Oguchi Onyewu/Tim Ream pairing was not very good. Neither player did well and without cover the Spanish attackers had a field day.

- Dempsey and Bradley coming on in the second half brought greater spells for the U.S. with the passing and possession obtaining far better.

- Today’s individual performances from some of the younger players ought to give the U.S. some cause for concern. Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers, Jozy Altidore and Eric Lichaj had some bad moments in the match. Some of these players will be called upon to contribute heavily in the Gold Cup and their individual effort was not good nowadays. While no U.S. player had a good day these guys stood out to me as not doing nicely.

- On the positive side, I thought there was some excellent play from Chris Wondolowski and Juan Agudelo. The inexperienced forwards found some spots and tested the Spanish defense. Wondolowski put himself in a number of good spots in the second half and Agudelo was 1 of the few Yanks willing to go at Spain’s defense.

Going forward its unclear how this game will be received by the U.S. team but it is tough to say they’ll take too a lot of positives from it. Playing tough competition is a very good factor in general but from the outside searching in this could be a confidence shaking match for the Americans.

Bradley has some decisions to make concerning player and formation decisions. While a four-four-2 could work in the group stage, playing that style against an attacking team like Mexico could be death to the Yanks’ Gold Cup chances.

One thing’s for positive, it will be interesting to see the U.S. and Bradley’s response Tuesday when Gold Cup play starts against Canada.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com and contributes to Soccerlens.com for the Gold Cup. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

Soccerlens.com

Swansea’s Sinclair deserving of England call? – originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Anointing a youngster “future England normal” is an physical exercise both in optimism and presumption. There have been numerous recent nominees for the position future England star – from Jermaine Defoe, by means of Jack Wilshere, Andy Carroll and even Adam Johnson. Each has had their sparkly moments in the Three Lions’ shirt and as Fabio Capello begins to assemble his squad for Euro 2012, particular names have been categorized already: Rooney – certainly, Lampard – possibly, Naughton – maybe, Bothroyd – unlikely, Scholes – I wish and Nugent – never in a million years.

Here’s 1 much more suggestion for that “perhaps” category, a bolter from the field: Scott Sinclair, of Swansea City. In truth, it’s not too lengthy a bow to draw to suggest he ought to have been regarded as for a call-up to the existing England training camp as they prepare to face Switzerland. Take note he probably doesn’t deserve a place in the team just however, but with his Championship form, Chelsea pedigree and blistering pace down the left of midfield he – and England – can only benefit from his exposure to best level competition.

The former Chelsea man isn’t the best English left winger in the country. He may not even make the top seven. But what he does offer is an abundance of pace, youth, finishing skills and enthusiasm. In International football, speed is a crucial part of a team’s gameplan and something- Theo Walcott’s fragile body apart – that the 3 Lions lack. He may possibly develop into a gamebreaker (or not) but to incorporate him at this juncture would only aid England’s process of ensuring the most proper talent makes their representative team.

Understanding that in the course of their past couple of internationals England have trotted out James Milner, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young as regular left midfielders – Milner the incumbent and deserving Villa pair rewarded for great Premiership form. Other wide players like Matt Jarvis and Johnson round out the England squad – both of very good, but not world-class regular. It’s hard to think that Sinclair is that far removed from that second level, particularly when viewed on a purely physical basis. Man City’s Johnson went from the Championship with Middlesbrough to the national setup inside months of his acquisition by the Citizens and appears as if he has an England future. Sinclair could do the very same.

The argument for calling up the Swans’ star is basic: why not? What has England got to lose? They consist of an upcoming youngster, give him exposure to training with best-class talent and play him only if they’re confident he won’t let the side down. If he’s not very good enough, so be it – he can easily not be included in their matchday team. His Championship background shouldn’t scare Capello – the Italian referred to as up Jay Bothroyd earlier this season and Sinclair’s record (27 goals in all competitions this year) is comparable to, if not far better than, that of the former Cardiff City striker.  He’s already in the system as nicely as a regular for Stuart Pearce’s U-21 mob.

As any four-year old is frustratingly aware, the easy rebuttal to an argument of “Why not?” is “Why?”. England have a bevy of wide players with greater and a lot more established pedigrees – ranging from Milner to Jarvis. To represent one’s country ought to be earned and it’s questionable that Sinclair has done so. Often, managers look for two years of performances prior to rewarding players with greater honours.  But actually, does training with the National squad have the same weight of meaning? Two years ago, Joe Lewis of Peterborough was known as into the England training camp while Jordan Henderson’s tremendous start to last season got him an England cap, right after which his form tailed away. To look back on those two’s call-ups is to ask if they really deserved them also.

Scott Sinclair will locate out later this year when Swansea City begin their Premiership campaign if he’s fairly the player he seems. But Fabio Capello’s watching brief shouldn’t just consist of obtaining outcomes but creating the national team for the future as nicely – and Scott Sinclair’s definitely 1 to watch. It appears he has missed a trick by disregarding the young Swan.

For a lot more commentary and analysis, shoot across to  Matthew Wood’s blog, Balanced Sports. You can also follow him on Twitter - @balanced_sports.

From Soccerlens.com – Football News

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