The Boy Who Will Never Be King

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.

The 'second' greatest player in the world and of his generation. Lionel Messi must haunt him on a daily basis as he goes about his business being the best player Real Madrid currently have past, present and future. Comparison after comparison, record after broken record. If you were to feel sorry for one player, Fabrice Muamba aside, Cristiano Ronaldo has to be one unlucky fellow.

He was never to know that during his rise at Sporting Lisbon as an 18 year old that the apparent greatest player of our generation was lighting up Barcelona B in the country next door.

Here is a guy who has 'invented', for want of a better word, his own free kick technique. To the point where players such as Gareth Bale has cottoned on, and himself a talented player, even uses the same posture before the referee has even blown his whistle to take the set piece. This free kick is pretty much unstoppable and shows the measure of a man's willingness to train himself.

The first time that Cristiano was seen on the world stage was when he made a mockery of Rio Ferdinand in a match to inaugurate Sporting's new stadium. Not that this is that hard to do nowadays but when you're that good, to the point where Ferdinand pleaded with Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him, you knew there was a great talent here.

Any fan of English football could see the raw talent that Ronaldo possessed but he brought with him the frailness and a willingness to go to ground at any attempt. This, knee-jerkingly caused the media to get on his back because: 1. He plays for Manchester United and 2. Nobody liked a diving foreigner. Diving is now commonplace in the game and it is no different to claiming a corner kick that never was or the way in which a player will claim he has not fouled a player when he knows he has. The art of misleading the referee has been around for decades. The point here, is that now Cristiano has filled the large boots he created for himself with his extreme ego, now what would you say if he dived during Real Madrid's next game? Probably not much right.

Quite often he is compared to Lionel Messi and that is what humans do unfortunately. To claim something to be better you have to compare it to its nearest rival.  However in this case it is difficult to compare. Ronaldo is older yes and of late hasn't scored as much as Messi however that doesn't make him any less spectacular. Something that sticks out is that Ronaldo played for the U18's all the way to the senior squad for Sporting in one season. Ronaldo was breaking records from the youngest of ages, just like his counterpart. There is no point picking out each record as there are so many but a few are highlighted below:

Beating George Best's tally for a winger in a single season with 33 goals.

First Premier League player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

The fastest player to get to 100 goals for Real Madrid.

First player in La Liga to score 40 goals two seasons in a row.

First player to score against every La Liga team in one season.

First player to score in every final he has played in.

First player to win the European Golden Shoe in two different countries.

He is now on 188 goals in 186 appearances for Real Madrid and that is remarkable in itself. There is only one other player that can match such a goals to game ratio and that's the unfortunate part here. In any other century or dimension, Ronaldo would be the best player of his generation. By quite a distance too. He is the finest specimen you could imagine in terms of physique and mental strength. This has all come from dedication to the sport in which he loves. The media like to paint this comparison with Messi as Good vs Evil and not to take anything away from Messi but he's had his own moments of petulance and cheating throughout his illustrious career. Under Sir Alex Ferguson's tutelage, Ronaldo became a man first and footballer second. Now he is the the most expensive signing in football history with a €1bn buy-out clause.

You can't help but feel sorry for Ronaldo having to watch Messi pick up four Ballon d'Ors in a row when he's done nothing wrong himself. You can say he conducts himself in an inflammatory way however that should not take away from his ability in the confines of a football stadium. There isn't a player as devastating that can add power, pace, strength, agility all into one package as well as become a brand sensation. Make the comparison to Messi and you know who would be the underwear model here.

Gerard Piqué aptly put it like this:

"Ronaldo is the best among humans, but Messi is an alien"

He's not wrong either.

Read More...

Messi: An ode to the greatest

In terms of football, the year of 2012 finished moments ago and it was incredible for one reason and one reason only: Lionel Andrés Messi.

Pundits and people alike all talk of the greatest of all time or asking whether he is better than Cristiano Ronaldo, that's where people's perceptions are in the wrong place. You need to ask yourself, can he get better than the level he is at right now? He hasn't won a world cup single-handedly like Maradona or had the luck to play alongside some of the world's greatest players for Brasil like Pele but here is someone that just scored 91 goals in one year. It wasn't in an unknown league on the sub-continent, this has occurred for the best team in the world as the world's current best player. Surrounded by some of the current greatest players of this generation he has excelled in a role he has carved out for himself: the lynch-pin  the focal point, the false nine, the free role, the 'Messi role'. This is not a place to waste time making comparisons but to reflect on what we have available to us right now. Could you imagine what it would be like being born 20 years from now and not growing up having seen Messi play? This is a huge reason just to admire and be happy with what we have and not to make him something he isn't or get caught up in time wasting conjecture.

The Beginning

Lionel Andrés Messi was born 24th June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. He was the younger of two brothers and had most of his upbringing delivered by his Auntie Marcela and Grandmother Celia. His parents were busy working day jobs making ends meet so it was up to his wider family to introduce him to football and become the catalyst in making him the player he is today.

His first football coach at Grandoli Sports Centre No 8 was urged to play Messi by his Grandmother. After some persuasion, Messi's Mother allowed him to play, but in the age group above. It was this acceptance from his Mother that let his coach, Oscar Lopez and other children from the neighbourhood see what a special talent he was. His first action with the ball wasn't your usual one. Sat in the middle of the pitch playing with stones until the ball bounced towards him. He jumped up, controlled the ball and dribbled it away in the same vein you see now for Barcelona. He may not have scored that day but from then on he turned into a goal machine playing with the older boys.

"He seemed to create pictures of what he wanted to do in his head and then make them reality on the pitch. He was just born with this talent. You can't teach it." Jorge Lopez

That's the thing, you can't teach it. All the great players were great before we all knew it. Training can help you hone your accuracy or strength but natural ability is exactly that.

A shy, caring, unnaturally small boy but with courage and determination that left an impression on anyone that met him. Messi is the same now as he was 20 years ago back in Rosario. It is this humble-ness that leaves you in even more admiration of him as any other player would have let it get to their heads and tarnish their reputation as a person first; footballer second. Messi's stock was rising and it caught the eye of Newell's Old Boys number two coach Claudio Vivas who made the trip to the training centre in the heart of Rosario. It was here that he saw something special as Messi was now under the stewardship of Grandoli Sports Centre No 8's new coach Gabriel Digerolamo. He was putting a team off 11-12 year olds together and was asked if he had space for one more. From there, the rest was history.

"He was from another world. He dribbled with the ball so closely it was like watching someone who had been given years of training in how to do it. He played like he does now, dribbling and scoring lots of goals. He was brilliant at anticipating what his team mates, his opponents and the goalkeeper would do." Gabriel Digerolamo

Digerolamo went down the unusual route of playing Messi as a sweeper. An astute tactic when you get past the surface as with the ability that Messi has, it was the natural place to put him as he could dribble past the entire team from the half way line which is not dissimilar from what occurs at Barcelona from time-to-time. Messi's next coach played him as a defensive midfielder and it was from here that he would go on to score over 100 goals that season and for the following seasons after.

Every coach that had the honour of honing Messi's talents all had the same worry; Messi was far too short for his age and he wasn't growing like the other boys. While playing for Newell's Old Boys, the doctors at the club urged Messi's Parents to speak to a child growth expert. After a year of examining Messi, Doctor Schwarzstein had found the hormone deficiency that was hampering Messi's height and began a course of injecting the missing hormone. Over the next two years, Messi grew at a 'normal' rate and his confidence increased in line with his height. However at a pricey £300-£650 per month, which wasn't a problem during the 90's as it was covered by the Government, but come the year 2000 Argentina was in the midst of quite severe fiscal troubles. Without this funding Messi's treatments could not be paid for by his family and Newell's couldn't help him either. River Plate were very interested in Messi's services but weren't in a financial position to cover the treatment. The only team that showed a concrete interest and were willing to fund his medical bills were Barcelona after Scouts had become aware of Messi's talent. They offered Messi a trial and after a family meeting and the famous 'napkin contract', Messi and his Father moved to Spain.

"In Barcelona, on the 14th of December of 2000 and in the presence of Josep Minguella and Horacio (Gaggioli), Carles Rexach, FCB technical secretary, it commits under his responsibility and despite some views against it to sign the player Lionel Messi, as long we stick to the amounts agreed upon."

Barcelona

At 13 years old, this was the first time that Barcelona had signed such a young talent from abroad and it wasn't long before he was turning heads at La Masia. Growing up alongside Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas, they formed a formidable side in the youth leagues and while Pique and Fabregas moved to England, Messi made his official debut as a 16 year old in 2003 against Porto. It wasn't until the 16th October 2004 that he started breaking more records in becoming the youngest player in La Liga when he made his professional debut against Espanyol.

Replacing Deco, this picture is more poignant that it initially may seem.

Messi then became the youngest scorer in La Liga for Barcelona when he scored his first professional goal against Albacete in 2005 at the tender age of 17. It is quite interesting to note that Messi also played for Barcelona B during this season and scored 6 in 17 matches in the Segunda División.

The Start Of Something Special

The 2005/2006 season was the season that Lionel Messi signed a contract extension as a first team player and let him play alongside the best player around at that time in Ronaldinho. They forged quite the partnership and Messi received a standing ovation when he was substituted as the fans recognised the shining star within their squad. Messi's season ended prematurely when he was injured against Chelsea in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge. The tournament that Barcelona ended up winning that season.

“Every time he plays, Leo Messi reminds me more of Maradona, both left-footed and short, Messi is the best player in the world, along with Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo. For us it is not a surprise. Since he began to come and train with us and we knew we would go down this path. Someday I will explain that I was at the birth of one of the footballing greats: Leo Messi.” Ronaldinho

Messi started the next season a stronger player and it was this season he established himself as a first-team player. Anyone involved in his past knew that this was always inevitable but to displace current members of the Barcelona squad, on paper at least, seemed difficult. It was this season that his scoring exploits became apparent and he ended the season with 14 in 26 matches. He starred in El Clasico, scoring a hat-trick to give 10 man Barcelona the draw in a fantastic 3-3 match. 

In an already career defining season, Messi went on to score one of the best goals that anyone has ever seen and he didn't help the 'New Maradona' tag he had been labelled with. Against Getafe Messi took the ball from the half way line, beat 6 players and slotted home with ease. There have been comparisons with Maradona in the past but this goal was nearly identical to the goal Maradona scored against England in the 1986 World Cup.

The following 2007-2008 season saw Messi start to receive the plaudits that he deserved. The Spanish press were calling for him to be named the best player in the world and various figures in football echoed those sentiments. However he finished third in the Ballon d'Or behind Kaka and eventual winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi suffered a fourth thigh injury in three seasons and it kept him out of the side for quite a while. There were claims that his hormone deficiency was the cause however since then there has not been a recurrence and that's for the better of everyone. Messi finished the season with 16 goals and 13 assists, the former number continued to grow and it still is.

In 2008-2009, Messi took the number 10 shirt from the departing Ronaldinho. Along with taking the number, he also inherited his responsibility. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge knew that this would never be an issue for Messi and it couldn't have been compounded better with another record-breaking season on the way. Messi scored 9 Champions League goals, won his first Copa Del Rey, scored twice in a 6-2 Real Madrid battering and scored in the Champions League final to give Barcelona the final cup to claim a historic treble. This was the first time that it had happened in Spanish history and Messi went on to finish the season with 38 goals and 18 assists in all competitions.

After his exploits the previous season, Lionel Messi won his first Ballon d'Or by beating Cristiano Ronaldo by quite some margin. It was during the 2009-2010 season that he helped Barcelona win the European Super Cup and the World Club Cup, capping off an amazing calendar year for Messi. Under the stewardship of Guardiola, Messi was moved into the centre as a 'false-9' and went on to have another prolific season.

"He is a unique player. The best player I've ever seen and I think we'll ever see." Pep Guardiola

He's been called the best for a number of years now and when a player of Guardiola's calibre can have such superlatives, it is only correct that a €250m buy out clause was included in Messi's contract extension. He signed until 2016 and has always said that he never wants to leave Barcelona. When you're on such a tangent as a player, there's no reason to leave when you have Xavi and Iniesta playing with you. 

Messi went on to win the FIFA World Player of the Year title as well as scoring his first 4 goal haul in a single match against Arsenal. Those Champions League goals took Messi past Rivaldo as the competition's top scorer for a Barcelona player. He also equalled Ronaldo's record of 34 league goals and for a second year in a row was named La Liga's player of the year. His goal and assist tally for this season finished on 47 and 11 respectively.

Season after season Messi has improved and has not stopped breaking records. The 2010-2011 season was no different in helping Barcelona have a 16 match unbeaten run. In April of that season he surpassed his 47 goal tally from last season and went on to score a colossal 53 goals as well as providing 24 assists. On the way to this figure, Messi scored one of the greatest and my personal favourite El Clasico goals (albeit in the Champions League). 

Messi went on to score 12 Champions League goals that season which is only 2 away from the all-time record of 14 by José Alfatini. His exploits did not go unnoticed by the Ballon d'Or panel, which awarded him the accolade for the second year in a row.

A Record Breaking Year

The 2011-2012 season became one of folklore for many reasons but one that's been highlighted continually in the press. From numbers alone, Messi has got better and better year on year and there is no one out there at his level. The start of this season saw Messi score 3 against Real Madrid to help lift the Spanish Supercup and then score again in the European Supercup to claim that trophy too. 

You'd think there wouldn't be many more records to break but it was this season that he overtook Lázló Kubala as Barcelona's La Liga (132) and all competitions (194) top goalscorer. It wasn't long after that he scored his 200th goal for Barcelona and it's crazy to think he has achieved this at the tender age of 24. Messi won his second World Club Cup and again shined by scoring two and overshadowing the prodigious talent that is Neymar. Messi then broke another record by becoming the first player to score 5 goals in a Champions League game in a 7-1 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen. 

It was in March of that season that he became Barcelona's all time leading goalscorer by scoring his 233rd goal in all competitions. He then equalled the Champions League record of 14 goals mentioned earlier. Had he not missed that penalty against Chelsea, he would have most likely put Barcelona through and beat that record also.

In May during the run up to the end of the season, Messi overtook Gerd Müller's record of 67 goals in a season by scoring a hat-trick against Málaga. It was his seventh hat-trick of the season and confirmed him as the best goalscorer in a single European season. He went on to score in the Copa Del Rey final, winning Guardiola his last trophy as Barcelona manager and finished the season with 73 goals and 29 assists in all competitions. His La Liga tally was 50 and 16 respectively.

To cap off his most amazing season yet, Messi won the Ballon d'Or for the third time in a row (equalling Platini) and was named UEFA's Best Player in Europe. He beat his compatriots Xavi and Iniesta to both awards, to which he said was for them as much as it was for himself.

The current season is only half way through but it wasn't without its records. Messi surpassed Pelé's record of 75 goals in a calendar year to move within 9 of Gerd Müller's record. In December Messi scored twice against Athletic Bilbao which helped him equal César Rodriguez's record of 190 La Liga goals for Barcelona. It wasn't long before he surpassed both Müller's and Rodriguez's records by scoring another brace against Real Betis. Müller's was a record that stood since 1972 and it's a privilege to have been around to witness such magic. 

"My record stood for 40 years - 85 goals in a year - and now the best player in the world has broken it, and I'm delighted for him. He is an incredible player, gigantic." Gerd Müller

Messi's goalscoring exploits did not stop here as he ended the calendar year with 91 goals, a feat I can only see be bettered by Messi alone. He was then again rewarded with a contract extension until 2018, at which point he will be 31 and no doubt have broken a plethora of records.

All of Messi's 91 goals can be viewed here. What a player.

Lionel Messi is the best player in the world and that is undoubted. To compare him with Cristiano Ronaldo, who himself is a brilliant player, is nonsensical. Playing the numbers game, it is clear to see who is the better player but it's not always about that. Messi has the balance, touch, speed and agility of a player that hasn't been seen for decades. He resembles what Maradona showed the world during his time in the game but do not mistake this as a comparison to who is the better player. This isn't about that. This is about realising what we have right now and appreciating that he is the best at what he does.
It must be irksome for great players of the past however Johann Cruyff said it best:

“Messi obviously could not be compared to me as he is a completely different type of player; he is more in the mould of Maradona. What everyone should be especially happy about is that every era has its own heroes. Why would one be less than the other? Pele was a hero in his time, I was in my period and Messi’s time is now. He is a joy to behold. Instead of comparing, we should just be really happy that we are able to enjoy players like Messi and Ronaldo today.”

Read More...

Sometimes it's Better to Look Closer To Home

As much as you want it to, it's not going away and it probably never will until A) Sir Alex Ferguson reads this to compound his own current thinking or B) well there is no B. 'Why?' you may ask, 'Why is there no B?' well as you can see from the cyclical articles and blog posts about a weak midfield that's been going on for about 3 years now, you can see there is no other option but to understand better what is going on and that what you're asking for, will probably never happen however much you would like it to.

Manchester United's season, looking at it from the outside-in looks great. Top of the table in both of the leagues they're playing in and scoring a plethora of goals. What has papered over the cracks is the weakness in the team to actually be the better team on the day or just to keep a clean sheet (3 in 16 games so far). Outscoring the opposition has now become the norm and it's completely understandable when purchasing last season's best striker in the league for what now looks like bargain money. When you consider that Jordan Henderson was £20m it's completely compounded. Or, my favourite example,  £35m Andy Carroll who still hasn't scored and as they say, the rest is history.

The change in formation and the acquisition of Kagawa are probably the main factors here as well as a defence that doesn't look at all confident. Regardless of the improvement now and it is somewhat settled, goals are still being conceded. This could be down to lack of communication or concentration but the midfield that precedes it does not instil the latter unless Scholes or Rooney are playing. That, unfortunately is the fact here.

Reading about Manchester United of late and their 'over-reliance' on Robin Van Persie doesn't change anything at all. There isn't a team on this planet that wouldn't rely on such a clinical finisher. The problem here is not the 'over-reliance' on Van Persie but the option not to rely on a midfielder. Out of Carrick, Cleverley, Fletcher and Anderson it is pretty tough to think of them as the reason a game was won. The latter's exerts in the League cup aside, it's a mediocre foursome of players for a top of the table club; in England or in Europe. 

There is no need to write about Scholes and his effect on the team or the fact there isn't a new Scholes that a team could buy. This would be the reason Sir Alex Ferguson hasn't gone out there and spent money on a replacement. This would be the reason he tried and failed to buy Eden Hazard. Or Lucas Moura who opted for the cash cow that is PSG. Instead he went for the number two on his list: Shinji Kagawa. These three are final third players who link play and score goals. There was no talk of players of the ilk of Daniele De Rossi or Arturo Vidal for example, players that command the midfield single-handedly. 

Many called it a mistake to not buy the midfielder everyone wanted. Many others thought Kagawa would be the player to be the Scholes of old. The rest thought the reinforcements at hand would suffice. In a way, they're all correct. Kagawa is a player that is easy on the eye, somewhat a Japanese David Silva. Interpret that how you like but he has the talent and he will find his feet after a lot more games. The problem here is that he wasn't the world class signing that would move the club forward. Yet at the same time the problem was never a problem in the first place. The world class signing had already signed back in 2003. 

Wayne Rooney's potential as an all-round midfielder far outweighs his exploits as a striker thus far. Firstly for the need of Manchester United to possess that kind of midfield talent (more on that later) and secondly the ample and somewhat better strikers up front in Van Persie and Chicharito. Both better finishers with better movement and intelligence in and around the box. This could be down to nationality but it's quite clear that Rooney should play behind these two players or one of the two. 

Rooney's first foray into midfield was to compensate for the talent that was Cristiano Ronaldo and at first the English media chastised the club for 'wasting talent' on the left wing. This slowly moved to acceptance and then on to praise for finding out how effective a move it was. You should also remember that Carlos Tevez was the final member of that triumvirate; a very capable player but also moved out of position so you can see that Rooney was not alone in adapting. This season you have seen that Rooney has become that missing midfielder with ease and no talent is being wasted here at all. It's clear that it has only been beneficial as I'm not sure United would be sitting where they were for it not for his displays so far.

Everyone has seen Rooney's passing range, vision and tenacity. Three qualities reserved for a player that isn't a striker but a midfielder. When he completes a cross-field ball, which is above 90% of the time, you wonder why he hasn't played in midfield for longer to hone his talents. His touch can be a bit hit and miss at times though thankfully it's more often leaning towards the former. He has made more interceptions, touched the ball more which he himself has admitted is something he enjoys, made more tackles and just influenced games a player of his calibre should. 

If this is only a temporary solution then it's a round peg for a round hole and looking at it now, United are reaping the rewards. The younger members of the squad may well have a say too. Nick Powell being the stand out figure here as Cleverley is plainly not good enough. There was a moment against Arsenal where his first touch was so bad it looked like a pass. It's moments like this that are slightly worrisome and his departure in that game was a benefit come the end of 90 minutes. Powell looks a better player and is 5 years younger. That is something to be excited about and his involvement in the first team plus his first call up to the Under 21's can only be a good thing.

As much as this season has been a blessing to the midfield situation. It does still leave a lot to be decided with there not being someone to accompany Rooney's talents there. The four players mentioned much earlier are not in that quality and a lot is left to be desired to show if they ever will be. It's due to this that Rooney is dropping deeper and deeper to influence games and often make mistakes. This could be due to naivety in this role or his mentality as a player but either way he needs to hone his skills away from turning into a box-to-box midfielder. 

The top teams in the world have Yaya Toure and David Silva, Ramires and Juan Mata, Busquets and Xavi, Alonso and Ozil. We just need to find the someone and Rooney.

Read More...

Another year of midfield mediocrity

Eight games into the new season and Manchester United haven't fully got going, failed to purchase the midfielder they needed, leak goals at a startling rate and have kept just two clean sheets. Dissecting those two games, Wigan had ten men and Galatasaray could and should have scored at least 3. In simple terms, United have been due a beating and against Spurs, I'm not sure there are many that would think that the loss wasn't justified.

All season long the shortcomings from last season are still there but this time with the added complexity (thus hindering the team further) of incorporating a new attacking system of Kagawa and Van Persie. The inherent problem was always midfield. In a 4-4-2 the system looked okay and papered over many a crack however with a 4-2-3-1 it seems even worse than it was before; even with the extra midfielder. When all of this is put together, United look vulnerable and likely to concede in every game that they play, something which isn't too far from the truth at all.

Once again there is an over-reliance on Paul Scholes. Excuse the switch to the first person but I wrote about this last season and I'm unsure as to why it's still the case now, 6 months on. United are one of the richest most successful club teams in history yet still rely on needing a 37 year old to make the team click. That is not to the detriment of Scholes as he is a fantastic player. The problem is, with the wealth and power of a club like Manchester United, plus having Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager, shouldn't adequate replacements have been purchased over the summer so this reliance still doesn't apply? Paul Scholes is to United what Xavi is to Barcelona. Watching both teams play this season, when rested, the team look inept and incapable of asserting any dominance on the opposition. It's no wonder that each time the player is sent on as a substitute, the whole pattern of the game changes. That would be a good reason to rely on such a player but with money to spend, a midfielder was paramount whereas a striker was a luxury. 

The pairing of Giggs and Scholes against Tottenham looked like a mistake before kick off. With the power and speed of Spurs's midfield trio of Sandro, Dembele and Dempsey, they were always going to cause United's midfield problems. Watching Spurs's two goals in the first half was clear vindication of the mistake that was made: elsewhere on the internet it was being written that Giggs only completed 5 passes in that half and he was promptly substituted for Rooney which changed the game. On the topic of power and speed, against Newcastle in the Captial One Cup, the midfield of Cleverley, Anderson and Fletcher contained those attributes and United looked a completely different side to the one that has been playing in the league. Taking that positive into the next game against Spurs, all three were put on the bench regardless of the former two both scoring goals. In every game this season, the midfield has been dominated over the 90 minutes. Yes there are times when Scholes influences the game, but that's a given. Overall the opposition midfield tends to dominate United's which creates more scoring opportunities and leaves United with a lot of work to do against the likes of Fulham and Southampton.

Without tarnishing Giggs's name, he was poor against Liverpool so I'm not sure how it warranted a start against Spurs. Proving that point, again he was poor and the game passed him by. To say that he has no worth would be ridiculous but he needs to be used wisely. The same can be said for Rooney as his introduction at half time changed the game and Spurs's second half possession was just 18%. His role behind Van Persie and generally dictating the game in the final third was exactly what was needed in comparison to what Kagawa was offering up until the second half. This 45 minutes was proof that the three of them can play together and if they don't in the next game away to Newcastle then it would be a huge disappointment. As this is being written, Scholes, Giggs and Carrick have all been rested for the Champions League tie against Cluj which isn't what United fans probably wanted to hear. Unless it's to give game time to Anderson and Cleverley so they can get back in the league side, it is slightly puzzling.

The January transfer window is an opportunity to address the problems in midfield but it's not something that is likely given past transfer windows. For a club the size of Manchester United, the constant overlooking of the elephant in the room is as equally perplexing as it is frustrating and it begs the question: how much longer can it go on for?

Read More...

Masked by football: Spain's crumbling economy

Don't be fooled by the title; I'm not about to go through Spain's fiscal issues. What I am going to talk about though is the current problems that are shielded from the average television viewer.

"The top division alone holds a combined debt of $4.61 billion through the 2010-11 season, with six of the teams in bankruptcy protection with payments due by June 30."

You did read that right, four point six one billion dollars. That was last year and I'm sure, if there aren't changes that by the end of this current season and with Spain's downturn not willing to see an upside, this number will have increased closer to $5bn. Looking at current Spanish Government assessments, clubs from the top two divisions owe $988m in unpaid taxes and over the last four years, that's nearly a $200m increase.

It may seem rosy in La Liga with viewers and pundits running out of superlatives but being rosy couldn't be further from the truth. How apt the term 'rose tinted goggles' now seems. To put it into perspective, Real Madrid's current debt stands at $773m, Barcelona's at $756m and Valencia's is $500m. When you speak of debt, you automatically think of Manchester United and contextually, their debt stands at $700m and that is something that is being serviced quite well considering. In terms of revenue, the top teams in Spain's debts far eclipse revenue figures and when you're touted as some of the richest sports teams (sports, not just football) on the planet, it seems the goggles are on pretty tight.

This whole matter is a double-edged sword in that the Government cannot expect these taxes to be paid straight away as it is impossible. Due to this teams will continue to delay tax payments and create a bigger all round debt figure. On the other hand, the Government can't use the force they're entitled to use as La Liga's image is growing exponentially and with that comes an incredible amount of commercial value.

Spanish football as a whole is pleasing to anyone that wants an education in how the actual sport should be played. Even the feigning of injuries and incessant surrounding of referees adds to the theatre of it. Using empathy, imagine England's economy was on the verge of needing a bailout and the only thing to take your mind off of a flagging economy was watching your favourite stars every weekend in the Premier League. What would you think if the Government then demanded most of the teams to put themselves into administration by demanding all debts to be paid within months. No Government wants to be the bad guy when football is such a healthy distraction and that's the problem right now in Spain. Unemployment is rising and the Government are already hated amongst the masses with the current austerity measures being put in place. Football is what the people need to get away from what scares them.

Government threats are in place and teams in La Liga are beginning to fear them. Firstly due to UEFA's Financial Fair Play system that is coming into force in the next few years and secondly from fear of not existing to even participate in FFP. In terms of 'living within your means' only Valencia, Atheltic Billbao and Osasuna would survive outside the top two teams according to a Financial and Economics Professor. 

When discussions are taking place about how best to tackle the monetary problems within La Liga, all discussions always come down to TV rights. We are all very much aware of the favouritism involved when TV money is handed out and I'm not going to focus on that as that's an exhausted subject. Using perspective again, the next team in line is Valencia. They receive $55m less than what Wigan get in the Premier League and this is a team that fights for relegation each season. Claims are made that La Liga is the best league in the world, but when you only pull in half of what the Premier League ($1.66bn) and two thirds of what Serie A ($1.198bn) make, it's clear there's something inherently wrong here.

I said before that clubs are beginning to take notice and that can be seen now the transfer window has closed. For the first time in decades, the total tax owed and what is owed to the social security system fell. The best example is the 65% decrease in summer spending by clubs. The largest transfers were Luka Modric to Real Madrid for €40m, Alex Song to Barcelona for €19m, after that Jordi Alba to the same club for €14m. Following those three there were no large expenditures. The stand out figure however is that clubs in Spain made €55m more from player sales than they did from strengthening their squads.

It is pleasing that clubs in Spain have finally seen the light in that they can only spend what they have invested or fear going bankrupt. Debts aside, this is a huge step in the right direction and I, for one, am glad they took the 'better late than never' approach.

Read More...

Transfer Window Anomalies

The end of another transfer window and it's still another one that makes me constantly shake my head in shame at what has just happened. I say shame as I still can't believe it. Some of the money spent is just laughable and I can't see it happening anywhere else in the world to this extent except here. That's what is shameful as I'm sure other countries are looking on and are completely bemused  There's a weird curiosity about it and it's strange that I'm among a minority here.

I read an interesting piece on Rooney not so long ago and it questioned whether he would be worth £50m if he wasn't English. 'Finally' I thought, someone fairly high up in the sporting journalism world has seen sense. Of course he isn't worth £50m. Nobody really should be either. In reading that piece, it made me think of something I wrote last season after Kenny Dalglish spent some of the craziest/funniest amounts on three players. £75m nearly and where are they now? One is on loan to a newly promoted side. One is playing left back to cover injuries and the other can't even get in the side ahead of Jonjo Shelvey; a player that cost less than 1/10th of what was paid for him.

Now the window is closed, I don't think it was entirely Dalglish's fault. It's the culture in this country and the air of superiority factor which has hampered nearly everything from top to bottom. Inflated prices as well as massaged egos has created this monster and I don't believe it will ever change. Not even financial fair play will impact on the attitude or the valuations of some players in this country.

Is any English player really worth £50m? Especially one that smokes, tries his best not to be caught drinking and can't control his own weight? Yes he is probably England's best player but does £50m make sense when Falcao's buy out clause is only £45m. I know who the better player is and this is just a small example when laughable figures are brought into the mix. A better comparison would be to look at Matt Jarvis who cost West Ham ten million pounds. With only one cap to his name and relegated with Wolves, he commands a £10m figure. Capped once for his country and closer to 30 than 20, what makes him worth such an amount when Pablo Hernandez costs only £5m. Is Jarvis twice the player? Hernandez has been capped 4 times by his country and played for Valencia, not exactly a team that would be relegated. So this would lead many to believe the doubled price must be down to Premier League experience which is another flawed argument. Case in point, Michu, La Liga's top goalscoring midfielder last season (15) and cost an astounding £2m. Now he has had no problems at all adapting to the Premier League with 4 goals to his name already. Contrast that with Jordan Henderson who cost £20m and can't get a game let alone score. I find it hard to believe that he is 10 times the player Michu is as, if anything, it's the other way around. Another good example of the fabled adaptation argument can be used with Javier Hernandez. He scored 23 goals in his debut season for Manchester United yet only cost £6m. In comparison, Steven Fletcher who just signed for Sunderland for £12m and who, again, was relegated with wolves is not twice the player Hernandez is. Andy Carroll is not 6 times the player either. It's the Fletcher deal that is quite irksome though as I can't fathom how he costs more than Podolski who is a free-scoring German international and known all over Europe. Fletcher is in fact English but plays for Scotland due to his Mother. Call me pedantic but I'm wondering if he was actually Scottish would this have had an impact on his fee. 

Something I should mention here is that many clubs in Spain are in a lot of debt so it makes sense Michael Laudrup is going there to find some holiday bargains in Michu and Pablo Hernandez but I'm not sold on the fact that clubs here aren't in debt either. Yes TV money is apportioned better here and clubs are run better but it still stands to reason that the figures compared above are, in essence, without merit. 

Managers and club owners alike all complain about agent fees and how Chelsea/Manchester City have ruined the transfer market but an English mentality towards valuations of home-grown talent far outweighs what those two aforementioned clubs have done. Logically you'd have thought after Andy Carroll turned up in the top ten all time transfers on Earth that something would have changed and these inflated prices would take a tumble. On  the contrary, it has snowballed out of control and I can't see an end to it now or any time in the near future. Clubs will continue to be held to ransom and mediocre players will continue to be worth tens of millions more than is warranted and that is a crying shame.

Read More...

New season, New start.... oh...

So the new season begins with every Manchester United and Everton fan having to wait a day longer than everyone else to see what's in store. Much of the pre-match talk was about new singing Robin Van Persie which detracted away from Manchester United's defensive 'crisis'. I put that in quotes as it's become so repetitive that it can't be called a crisis but more of a foregone conclusion. This would make it the third season in a row that there is a make-shift back four and to be honest, I'm at a loss to see how it can keep happening. Some may call it bad luck, others might see it as the defenders being made of glass (yes Rio, all eyes are on you when it comes to that). I just see it as inevitable. If it had not been for Vidic, who was surely not 100% fit, then who knows what could have been.

After the 4-4 draw last season this was never going to be an easy game. I remember the 3-3 at Goodison not so long ago and Everton have since been a thorn in Manchester United's side. You'd have thought lessons would have been learnt from that game at Old Trafford last season: Fellaini ran the show, Jelavic is a competent player and David Moyes knows how to set a team up to soak up pressure. So after the game the same thoughts are still in everyone's head. Regardless of the new signings, Manchester United looked inept in front of goal and that's probably the only difference to the 4-4 draw. Possession stats are nothing if you can't score, ask any Arsenal fan. How Carrick is left to mark a player who single-handedly destroyed United last season at a corner is beyond me. Fellaini was a beast on Monday night and he overshadowed a midfield three of Cleverley, Scholes and Kagawa all on his own.

Same old story

All United fans have been told of the importance of Cleverley and at times I can see it but he needs to relax. From what I saw on Monday, he's that guy you play football with that passes the ball too hard just to test your touch. I lost count of the amount of times I saw him ping the ball with excessive force at a colleague that it was just a matter of time before he over-hit one. His potential is there to see but this looks like another season of him trying to fulfil it rather than fulfilling it.

Nani was again frustrating. Many fans are calling for his head but when he's on his game, he's one of the best attacking players United have. It's unfortunate that Valencia was hindered by playing in defence but this was Nani's chance to show he can match the Ecuadorian on the right wing and that's something he failed to do. His early booking only showed us the petulant side everyone knows he has and it's a shame. How he can be brilliant in one game then disappear in others doesn't make sense. The same goes for his crossing as sometimes he can beat the first man and most of the time he can't. Highly frustrating but isn't everyone used to it now?

Rooney looked overweight and unfit. Reading the post-match articles with many writers claiming his first touch was off but in my personal opinion, he's never really had a good first touch. There's more games I can count where his touch was off than games where it wasn't and that speaks volumes. His shirt was completely soaked about 20 minutes into the game and for a player to have Robin Van Persie breathing down his neck, he needs to have a reality check. Van Persie just turned 29 and there's not an ounce of fat to be seen, the mark of a true professional. So less time on the golf course Wayne and more time doing some cardio might help everyone, including yourself. He should take Anderson along with him as he's just getting bigger and bigger and not in a good way either. He recently spoke of his love of pies, the less said, the better.

Welbeck has matured from his stint at the Euros but I don't believe that merits a first-team spot, especially when it's on the left wing. Rafael and Young were on the bench and surely it made sense to have two orthodox wingers playing as United looked disjointed with no real cohesion. I've never enjoyed a striker playing on the wing and at times it makes sense if you're good enough and right now, Welbeck isn't that player. Rooney can do it as he's someone that could play anywhere but he was only forced out wide due to the remarkable Cristiano Ronaldo. Welbeck, however, is only effective in the centre and the 4-2-3-1 formation played on Monday didn't suit him at all. This change in formation is to incorporate a new type of player that hasn't been seen at Old Trafford for a while and his importance is paramount.

Shinji Kagawa was the shining light on Monday and I can see a big future for him. Over 90 minutes I haven't seen someone in a United shirt since Ronaldo ask for the ball so much or find space to receive it. My personal opinion is that he will be key to to Manchester United's title push.

This may sound completely negative but United have started this season the way that last season ended. Defensive injuries, an unfit Rooney and a lack of cutting edge. It was pure luck and the maturity of De Gea that stopped this being a complete rout by Everton. Yes Everton away is a tough game, but it's rare to be completely outplayed by them in terms of goal scoring opportunities. Tim Howard wasn't really tested and when there is an attack consisting of Rooney, Van Persie, Nani, Young and Kagawa you would expect a bit more in front of goal. Things need to change pretty quickly otherwise Manchester City and Chelsea will be out of sight leaving United with a mountain to climb.

Here's hoping that Fulham at Old Trafford is a different story.

Read More...