After some mild sleuthing I find that Valeron assist mentioned in a comments section recently. Beautiful. Notice how the striker didn't need to touch the ball until he had to take it around the 'keeper, such was the perfect weight of the pass.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
React Quotes
* So yeah. That Manchester derby was pretty crap, eh? I knew it wouldn't be worth watc [gets word in ear about it being a 4-3 thriller] So as I was saying, the derby was clearly the game to watch this weekend, and only a fool would have said otherwise. I must confess, I didn't see it, but by most people's reckoning -- not least Sir Alex's, who is always unbiased in his post-match analysis -- United were worthy winners, and could have been so by a considerably more convincing margin. As it happened they only won the game because of a dubiously late goal that makes you hate United that little bit more.
* City are defensively brittle. In the two games I've seen them in this season -- against Blackburn and Arsenal -- they conceded numerous chances, and were frankly lucky winners in both. It seems a similar story unfolded at Old Trafford, without the lucky winners part. Is Toure and Lescott really a top 4 centre-half partnership? Not likely. Consider Lescott. His signature season came in 07/08, but if I'm not mistaken he played at left-back for most of it, and even then it was his goal scoring exploits and not his solid defensive play that earned him the plaudits. Last season he was at centre-half, but he was always playing second fiddle to Phil Jagielka. In short, we don't really know how good Julien Lescott actually is as a defender, but one suspects that he's not £20m+ good. Less money could probably have been spent on a better player, like that Dunne chap at Aston villa for instance. And then there's Kolo Toure. Capable of splended defending every now and then, but there is question marks over his consistency, and that pace which got him out of many a hole seems to be fading away. It is telling that Wenger was prepared to let Toure go ahead of Gallas, despite him being a number of years younger. I'm not quite sure what Hughes was thinking when he signed these two defenders for a combined total of £38m [?], but on the evidence thus far it has been money poorly spent, and money which could end up costing a lot more as the season progresses.
* Four goals and four assists. I knew Ibrahimovic would be a complete flop. I actually have yet to see a full Barcelona game so I'm unable to give an in-depth report on the matter at hand, but the signs look good so far. Of course few doubt Ibra's capabilities when it comes to shining against the lesser teams, so perhaps critics have yet to be silenced. Still, it would be churlish to take anything away from his contribution so far. It is important to note also that his presence hasn't hampered Messi in any way either, with the little Argentine continuing from where he left off last season, and arguably outdoing himself, having scored 5 in 4. It remains to be seen how Henry reacts to his new colleague, or simply to the new season with all of its demands. Being in his thirties and having just won the treble may lessen the hunger and desire that characterised him last season.
* Given the way Arsenal fans and various media outlets talked about vermaelen before he played a game for the Gunners you'd have sworn he was a certified midget who stepped out onto the pitch wearing platforms just so attackers wouldn't be able to run over his head. Given the way he's being talked about now, you'd swear he was Franz Beckenbaur II. There's no denying that he's been good, but in the words of Steve G, "calm down, calm down". The Belgian has plenty to do before he's proved to be an astute signing.
* Ever since I saw Benayoun tear Ireland a new one a few years ago I've been a closet fan. In his darkest hours at Liverpool I did question my secret allegiance, but given his performances at the end of last season and the beginning of this one, it seems it is becoming perfectly acceptable for his closet fans to come out. He reminds me a lot of Alex Hleb, another of my favourites. He has the increasingly rare ability to go by players, and he sees things that not many see. His presence in the starting 11 will help Liverpool to no end as they seek to eliminate those 0-0 draws against defensively minded teams from their results sheet this season. His big game influence remains a question mark, but this could be the season when Benayoun finally gets his name mentioned alongside Torres and Gerrard.
* City are defensively brittle. In the two games I've seen them in this season -- against Blackburn and Arsenal -- they conceded numerous chances, and were frankly lucky winners in both. It seems a similar story unfolded at Old Trafford, without the lucky winners part. Is Toure and Lescott really a top 4 centre-half partnership? Not likely. Consider Lescott. His signature season came in 07/08, but if I'm not mistaken he played at left-back for most of it, and even then it was his goal scoring exploits and not his solid defensive play that earned him the plaudits. Last season he was at centre-half, but he was always playing second fiddle to Phil Jagielka. In short, we don't really know how good Julien Lescott actually is as a defender, but one suspects that he's not £20m+ good. Less money could probably have been spent on a better player, like that Dunne chap at Aston villa for instance. And then there's Kolo Toure. Capable of splended defending every now and then, but there is question marks over his consistency, and that pace which got him out of many a hole seems to be fading away. It is telling that Wenger was prepared to let Toure go ahead of Gallas, despite him being a number of years younger. I'm not quite sure what Hughes was thinking when he signed these two defenders for a combined total of £38m [?], but on the evidence thus far it has been money poorly spent, and money which could end up costing a lot more as the season progresses.
* Four goals and four assists. I knew Ibrahimovic would be a complete flop. I actually have yet to see a full Barcelona game so I'm unable to give an in-depth report on the matter at hand, but the signs look good so far. Of course few doubt Ibra's capabilities when it comes to shining against the lesser teams, so perhaps critics have yet to be silenced. Still, it would be churlish to take anything away from his contribution so far. It is important to note also that his presence hasn't hampered Messi in any way either, with the little Argentine continuing from where he left off last season, and arguably outdoing himself, having scored 5 in 4. It remains to be seen how Henry reacts to his new colleague, or simply to the new season with all of its demands. Being in his thirties and having just won the treble may lessen the hunger and desire that characterised him last season.
* Given the way Arsenal fans and various media outlets talked about vermaelen before he played a game for the Gunners you'd have sworn he was a certified midget who stepped out onto the pitch wearing platforms just so attackers wouldn't be able to run over his head. Given the way he's being talked about now, you'd swear he was Franz Beckenbaur II. There's no denying that he's been good, but in the words of Steve G, "calm down, calm down". The Belgian has plenty to do before he's proved to be an astute signing.
* Ever since I saw Benayoun tear Ireland a new one a few years ago I've been a closet fan. In his darkest hours at Liverpool I did question my secret allegiance, but given his performances at the end of last season and the beginning of this one, it seems it is becoming perfectly acceptable for his closet fans to come out. He reminds me a lot of Alex Hleb, another of my favourites. He has the increasingly rare ability to go by players, and he sees things that not many see. His presence in the starting 11 will help Liverpool to no end as they seek to eliminate those 0-0 draws against defensively minded teams from their results sheet this season. His big game influence remains a question mark, but this could be the season when Benayoun finally gets his name mentioned alongside Torres and Gerrard.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Around the World...or just England and Spain
*Wayne Rooney needed to fill Ronaldo's shoes when the winger sailed away towards pastures greener. His goals were fulfilling most of the task, but something still felt missing. I didn't know what it was, until Rooney slammed his boot on the ground after being substituted. The legacy of CR7 lives on. Next stop - substituting yourself, because when you've got an ego on a par with Ronaldo, the only person allowed to substitute you is, well, you.
*3-2, 3-0, 5-2. And still they aren't firing on all cylinders. If Madrid ever do they will be a fearsome proposition. If not, they'll be good entertainment nonetheless.
*How about that Guit fella? A poaching striker turned mercurial playmaker if ever there was one. His pass for Ronaldo's goal against Espanyol and his chip over the (awful) Zurich keeper are in the top 5 moments of the season so far.
*Iniesta is back from injury. Yay!
*The game to watch this weekend - Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. There was 14 goals over the two league games last season. It promises to be nothing but fun.
*Game that will not be what people hope it will be - The Manchester Derby. This is no clash between title contenders. City will be beaten, and not in a way that makes you think they're still in with a shout for the title. The only thing that will make this game interesting is Tevez featuring.
*5 of Arsenal's 7 games have been away from home so far this season. Expect Wigan to feel the brunt of this homesickness.
*It's finally happened. The Champions League group matches hold little appeal to me. Liverpool v Lyon is about the only game I'll watch with interest, only because this Lyon team looks pretty darn good on paper.
*3-2, 3-0, 5-2. And still they aren't firing on all cylinders. If Madrid ever do they will be a fearsome proposition. If not, they'll be good entertainment nonetheless.
*How about that Guit fella? A poaching striker turned mercurial playmaker if ever there was one. His pass for Ronaldo's goal against Espanyol and his chip over the (awful) Zurich keeper are in the top 5 moments of the season so far.
*Iniesta is back from injury. Yay!
*The game to watch this weekend - Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. There was 14 goals over the two league games last season. It promises to be nothing but fun.
*Game that will not be what people hope it will be - The Manchester Derby. This is no clash between title contenders. City will be beaten, and not in a way that makes you think they're still in with a shout for the title. The only thing that will make this game interesting is Tevez featuring.
*5 of Arsenal's 7 games have been away from home so far this season. Expect Wigan to feel the brunt of this homesickness.
*It's finally happened. The Champions League group matches hold little appeal to me. Liverpool v Lyon is about the only game I'll watch with interest, only because this Lyon team looks pretty darn good on paper.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
City-Arsenal
A few thoughts on the Man City-Arsenal match:
- Man City weren't particularly good. Here's a remarkable statistic that basically sums up how they played. Their most creative player, Ireland, hit 12 -- 12[!] -- passes today, 9 of which were complete, and only 1 of which was inside the Arsenal half. Giving credit to this City performance is like giving credit to person who earns money by sitting in an airport and stealing any bags that get left unattended. Such a person might have the odd lucrative day, but it's a parasitic lifestyle and worthy of little genuine praise. City did what they did very well. Their counter-attacks were quick and direct. But for me, something about the win felt so dirty. It was similar to Man Utd's win over Arsenal two weeks ago, with the only major difference being that City scored those chances you get when the other team is chasing the game, thus making the scoreline extremely flattering. Next week they play their city rivals. Next week they will surely be brought back down to earth.
- Shay Given once again came to the rescue. It is hardly an overraction to say that if the two goalkeepers swapped sides before the game, Arsenal would have run out comfortable winners.
- Don't believe those who blast Arsenal's "tippy-tappy" approach to football. I don't hear anybody complain when Barcelona or Spain do it, and rightly so, since they are the best club side and international side respectively. Keeping the ball in football is never a bad thing to do. The object of football is to work the ball into a scoring position, and then score. The Bolton way of doing this is a hoof up the pitch; the Arsenal way is to pass it until a scoring opportunity presents itself. Arsenal's problem today wasn't "tippy-tappy" football. Their problem wasn't pulling the trigger when opportunities came their way, for they had over 20 shots on goal, many of which were decent efforts. Their problem was actually that they weren't tippy-tappy enough. They lacked the control and discipline of a Barcelona or a Spain. When they equalised they became careless, turning the game into a playground match. The adrenaline of youth kicked in, and the shape of the team was lost. More control and a less gung-ho approach would most likely have resulted in an Arsenal victory.
- Apart from one insane dribble, Adebayor posed little threat to the Arsenal rearguard. He was still the same half-hearted creature that stumbled around the Emirates, and even though he has scored in all of City's games thus far, he is not missed in North London. As for his celebration, it's probably vindication for Mr Wenger, who now knows beyond doubt that he made the right decision to sell such a character-less mercenary.
- If Rosicky can stay fit, Arsenal will be all the better for it. His goal today was a smart finish, and some of his link-up play first rate. It should not go unnoted that Arsenal's collapse in 2007 began in January of that year, which is (I think) when Rosicky was ruled out for what turned out to be 18 months. Hardly a coincidence.
- Arsenal have issues, but not ones that are easily definable. For example, they shipped four goals today, but one can hardly say that the back four were dodgey. Central defense looks better than it has done in a few years, and it is a rare day when Sagna and/or Clichy are given the run-around. I can't help but feel that the issues reside with the midfield trio of Song, Denilson and Fabregas, yet these players have been largely applauded in the opening weeks of the season. For me, in the murky world of tippy-tappy football, it all rests on the midfield. Something is not right with that trio in my opinion. What I think needs to happen is that Denilson needs to get dropped, Fabregas needs to drop deeper, and Rosicky needs to come in and assume Fabregas's current role as midfield floater. This isn't to pin all of Arsenal's woes on Denilson, as if he is everything that is wrong with the Gunners. He isn't. But a trio of Song, Fabregas and Rosicky is better than a trio of Song, Denilson and Fabregas. Not only because Rosicky is better than Denilson, but because Fabregas is better utilised further back the pitch.
- That's two losses back to back for Arsenal. Not the end of the world, but the pressure is on for the next game against Wigan. A poor result in that fixture could see all of that early season optimism flow out of the squad, and things could begin to get ugly as they did 12 months ago.
- Wayne Bridge is really, really fast. Especially for a white guy. i wonder how high he can jump...
- Man City are not title contenders. But they are a genuine threat to the Big 4. This alone makes the season of 09/10 worth following.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Broad Strokes
If it wasn't for Spain and an appetite for football that leaves me no choice but to watch the likes of the Confederations Cup, the upcoming World Cup would hold little appeal. When a team like Ireland can go unbeaten in the qualifiers -- a team that decides the best way to beat Cyprus is to concede possession to them and instead lump balls up to Robbie Keane on a wing and a prayer -- you know something is amiss.
To paint with broad strokes, here is my assessment of the major nations in world football:
Argentina - Pathetic. Essentially a one man team, but that one man isn't built to be built around. Messi is phenomenal, but he is no Zidane, in the sense of everything being able to go through him. Players like Zidane, Iniesta, Riquelme are the ones who can make your team dominate the play. Messi is the one who can turn that dominance into goals. Argentina have short-circuited the system by parting ways with Riquelme, and so coupled with their defensive frailties they are neither a joy to watch nor an effective unit. Should they make the World Cup, expect that to be the most they do unless something changes radically in the next nine months.
France - A joke. How Domenech is still the coach is one of the great mysteries of the universe. A talented group of players, but while Monsieur Domenech remains in charge this talented group will win approximately nothing. One must wonder what Raymond has threatened to do should he be sacked. Blow up the Eiffel Tower? Expose his secret affair with the Prime Minister? Ensure that Steve McLaren is his replacement? The mind boggles.
Italy - Just. So. Boring. Watching Italy play is like watching Ireland play, except perhaps even more depressing since you expect so much more. There must be a good national team in there somewhere, but Lippi refuses to find it, and instead resorts to what he knows. When Rossi is your great hope, things are not as they should be.
Germany - The Man City of international football. A pretty decent team, but tactically inept and too flakey to be considered a major force. The saying "Never right off the Germans" has lost much of its credibility. Back in the day, the Germans used to win things if people dared right them off. Now the Germans get to semi-finals, even finals, but then get found out by someone better. They're a weirdly fun team, but not to be taken too seriously, which for something German is a remarkable achievement.
Brazil - Italy v Brazil used to be the pinnacle of football. The tactical astuteness of the Italians against the liberated flair of the Brazilians. These days it's more a poor Italy against an imitation of Italy, with Brazil being that imitation. Like most teams, Brazil lack quality in the middle of midfield. Gilberto Silva still gets games, which tells you all you need to know. Dunga is trying to remedy what happened in 2006, when the big 4 of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano and Kaka disappointed the world so much that people were actually happy to see France -- France! -- beat them. Brazil have shied away from such a cavalier approach and adopted pragmatism with a tinge of flair. The results have come their way, but nobody is enjoying it. And at the business end of things, Brazil simply aren't solid enough to pull this game plan off when it comes to a World Cup.
Portugal - Similar to Argentina. They probably won't make the World Cup, so they're not even worth talking about.
Holland - Do any of their players play for top sides? Most of them have been sold by Madrid, deemed not good enough to help the Spanish side win things. It's interesting that (arguably) the top 4 clubs sides -- Man Utd, Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool -- only have one Dutch player between them all who gets a regular starting place, and that player is Dirk Kuyt. I rest my case.
So that leaves Spain and England, the two teams with the best chance of World Cup glory in my opinion. Since there is something in my that finds the English football team repulsive, it is Spain alone who carry the flag for international football. They are the best team by a country mile, and unless one of the above magically gets their act together, it is hard to see the trophy ending up anywhere but Spain.
To paint with broad strokes, here is my assessment of the major nations in world football:
Argentina - Pathetic. Essentially a one man team, but that one man isn't built to be built around. Messi is phenomenal, but he is no Zidane, in the sense of everything being able to go through him. Players like Zidane, Iniesta, Riquelme are the ones who can make your team dominate the play. Messi is the one who can turn that dominance into goals. Argentina have short-circuited the system by parting ways with Riquelme, and so coupled with their defensive frailties they are neither a joy to watch nor an effective unit. Should they make the World Cup, expect that to be the most they do unless something changes radically in the next nine months.
France - A joke. How Domenech is still the coach is one of the great mysteries of the universe. A talented group of players, but while Monsieur Domenech remains in charge this talented group will win approximately nothing. One must wonder what Raymond has threatened to do should he be sacked. Blow up the Eiffel Tower? Expose his secret affair with the Prime Minister? Ensure that Steve McLaren is his replacement? The mind boggles.
Italy - Just. So. Boring. Watching Italy play is like watching Ireland play, except perhaps even more depressing since you expect so much more. There must be a good national team in there somewhere, but Lippi refuses to find it, and instead resorts to what he knows. When Rossi is your great hope, things are not as they should be.
Germany - The Man City of international football. A pretty decent team, but tactically inept and too flakey to be considered a major force. The saying "Never right off the Germans" has lost much of its credibility. Back in the day, the Germans used to win things if people dared right them off. Now the Germans get to semi-finals, even finals, but then get found out by someone better. They're a weirdly fun team, but not to be taken too seriously, which for something German is a remarkable achievement.
Brazil - Italy v Brazil used to be the pinnacle of football. The tactical astuteness of the Italians against the liberated flair of the Brazilians. These days it's more a poor Italy against an imitation of Italy, with Brazil being that imitation. Like most teams, Brazil lack quality in the middle of midfield. Gilberto Silva still gets games, which tells you all you need to know. Dunga is trying to remedy what happened in 2006, when the big 4 of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano and Kaka disappointed the world so much that people were actually happy to see France -- France! -- beat them. Brazil have shied away from such a cavalier approach and adopted pragmatism with a tinge of flair. The results have come their way, but nobody is enjoying it. And at the business end of things, Brazil simply aren't solid enough to pull this game plan off when it comes to a World Cup.
Portugal - Similar to Argentina. They probably won't make the World Cup, so they're not even worth talking about.
Holland - Do any of their players play for top sides? Most of them have been sold by Madrid, deemed not good enough to help the Spanish side win things. It's interesting that (arguably) the top 4 clubs sides -- Man Utd, Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool -- only have one Dutch player between them all who gets a regular starting place, and that player is Dirk Kuyt. I rest my case.
So that leaves Spain and England, the two teams with the best chance of World Cup glory in my opinion. Since there is something in my that finds the English football team repulsive, it is Spain alone who carry the flag for international football. They are the best team by a country mile, and unless one of the above magically gets their act together, it is hard to see the trophy ending up anywhere but Spain.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
A Rather Bizarre Marriage
Debate rages on over the penalty awarded to Manchester United against Arsenal on Saturday. Here is my take on it.
Rooney dived. There can be absolutely no doubt about that. In the clip posted below (albeit a clip uploaded by someone with a definite agenda) you'll see that Rooney made absolutely no attempt to run on to his first touch. Speaking of that first touch, just look at it again. He basically smashed the ball into the crowd. To me, this is the touch of a man with no intention of getting on the end of it. In my opinion, this is what was going through Rooney's head:
Just get to the ball before Almunia, and go to ground as soon as it leaves your foot. He'll more than likely make contact with you.
If diving can have different moral grades, then this particular one is certainly not the worst. However, the irony is that Eduardo -- the player whose every touch was booed by extremely forgetful United fans -- performed almost the exact same maneuver as Rooney, who I'm sure won't be subjected to booing by his own fans or those of any other team. I'm not defending Eduardo, any more than I'm attacking Rooney. I'm just making the observation that both players did more or less the same thing: got a foot to the ball before the goalkeeper and went down expecting/wanting contact.
The difference, of course, is that Almunia did make the contact Rooney wanted, whereas Boric didn't comply with Eduardo's wishes.
Was Rooney's a penalty? Yes, but he won it through a well executed dive. Had Manuel Almunia demonstrated Boric's sense of what was going down he would have pulled out as best as possible and Rooney would have been branded a big dirty cheat...or not. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Almunia did the silly thing by doing exactly what Rooney wanted him to do. In a rather bizarre marriage, it was both a dive and a penalty. Is such a thing not oxymoronic? Let the reader decide.
Anyway, here are the two incidents. Judge for yourself whether my assessment is correct or not.
Rooney dived. There can be absolutely no doubt about that. In the clip posted below (albeit a clip uploaded by someone with a definite agenda) you'll see that Rooney made absolutely no attempt to run on to his first touch. Speaking of that first touch, just look at it again. He basically smashed the ball into the crowd. To me, this is the touch of a man with no intention of getting on the end of it. In my opinion, this is what was going through Rooney's head:
Just get to the ball before Almunia, and go to ground as soon as it leaves your foot. He'll more than likely make contact with you.
If diving can have different moral grades, then this particular one is certainly not the worst. However, the irony is that Eduardo -- the player whose every touch was booed by extremely forgetful United fans -- performed almost the exact same maneuver as Rooney, who I'm sure won't be subjected to booing by his own fans or those of any other team. I'm not defending Eduardo, any more than I'm attacking Rooney. I'm just making the observation that both players did more or less the same thing: got a foot to the ball before the goalkeeper and went down expecting/wanting contact.
The difference, of course, is that Almunia did make the contact Rooney wanted, whereas Boric didn't comply with Eduardo's wishes.
Was Rooney's a penalty? Yes, but he won it through a well executed dive. Had Manuel Almunia demonstrated Boric's sense of what was going down he would have pulled out as best as possible and Rooney would have been branded a big dirty cheat...or not. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Almunia did the silly thing by doing exactly what Rooney wanted him to do. In a rather bizarre marriage, it was both a dive and a penalty. Is such a thing not oxymoronic? Let the reader decide.
Anyway, here are the two incidents. Judge for yourself whether my assessment is correct or not.
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