Why England don’t need Rooney

The Football Front's Christian Brown gives view on why England dont actually need Wayne Rooney.

If you were to say to most people following the Euros, ‘who would you hinge England’s hopes on?’ there is a very strong chance that the reply would be ‘Wayne Rooney’. I beg to differ. As controversial as it possibly sounds, I don’t even think Rooney should be there full stop, and there are several reasons to suggest this as well. 

Let’s start with the basics. His job, as a centre forward, is to score goals – correct? For Manchester United this is seemingly no problem at all. He finished the 2011/12 season with 27 league goals, which is a very impressive tally, regardless of which team you play for. For the national team however, his last goal was against Bulgaria in September 2011. That was some 10 months ago. For someone whose job it is to stick the ball in the back of the net, that is frankly appalling – especially for a striker who scores for fun for his club and receives 250 grand a week for his troubles.

Then there are his performances in the white shirt of England. Well, I use the term ‘performances’ very loosely. Watching Wayne Rooney play for England is like watching a seven year old who hasn’t yet learnt his positional sense. The seven year old can get away with it, as he is after all, only seven. Rooney’s 26. I’ve never seen such brainless running from any international player, ever. For some reason, he feels the need to be everywhere – including the left wing, right back and centre midfield. This is despite the fact his job is to be up front feeding off the service he will receive.

It causes numerous problems for the rest of the team, as suddenly when there is a chance to counter, Rooney’s beside the ball in his own half as opposed to being on the centre back’s shoulder and the attack swiftly breaks down. It also allows him to get angry, which is stupid given the high profile errors he’s made due to a lack of temperament. One low key example was against Montenegro at Wembley. Rooney inexplicably ‘tracked back’ 50 yards before clattering a Montenegrin from behind – and received a yellow card for his ‘team game’.

Say what you like about ‘oh it’s passion for the team’ or ‘oh it’s part of his game’ – no, it’s neither. It’s pathetic and stupid. It makes him a liability, and makes him suspect to do something ridiculous and get a card for it. Such as his most recent incident wearing the Three Lions, in which he booted Montenegrin defender Miodrag Dzudovic from behind in an apparent attempt to send him into orbit. Do that on the street and you’re looking at about 3 years in prison for assault.

 

There’s also the other red card incident which people seem only too happy to forget about, the 2006 World Cup quarter final against Portugal. You know the one, the game where he attempted to circumcise Ricardo Carvalho. A sending off which cost England massively, had they gone to extra time with 11 men there may not have even been the need to have a penalty shootout. But no, it’s all alright because it’s just passion and part of his game, isn’t it? Playing for Manchester United, he should know full well no-one remembers quarter finalists, only winners – and he put an end to any chances of us winning.

The Dzudvic incident showed how much of a farce UEFA are, as they decided to reduce his ban. Why they didn’t extend it is beyond me, and just about everyone else in the footballing world. They basically said assaulting someone is acceptable. What was even more of a farce is that Roy Hodgson still decided to take a player who may only play one game. England are in a very difficult group, and could well be booking flights to Gatwick by the time he is eligible to play – yet he goes anyway? Why?

What if Welbeck does well? Say he gets three goals in two games, and then all of a sudden he’s dropped for Rooney, and then like usual Rooney underperforms. How is that going to create a positive vibe in the England camp? The strikers know that no matter how well they do, after two games they’re effectively redundant. Just because Rooney is allegedly the third most paid player in the world? Or because he plays for Manchester United? Or because he was good at a tournament for England, EIGHT years ago? That gives him the right to be an automatic starter? No.

The whole thing is a running joke, and if England do manage to get through to the latter stages, they will shortly be going out as there is no doubt that Rooney will be tricked into unleashing his ‘passion’, make a stupid tackle and then watch his team capitulate with 10 men. But it’s alright, because it’s all for the game, isn’t it? He’s a shadow of what he was in Euro 2004, and should be watching the football on a hot beach somewhere – not in the England camp with a chance to play.

 This piece was written by Christian Brown, you can follow him on his Twitter - @Chris78901, Chris also writes for The Sports Pallet too. All of Chris' work is on his blog, 1-chris78901.

Brendan Rodgers: The man who needs time, lots of it..

Out with the old, in with the new.

In a nutshell, that’s what Liverpool have done.

Liverpool have appointed an untried, young and modern manager and of course, the reality is, Brendan Rodgers is a risk. A huge risk.

But like most of FSG’s appointments in recent times, they leave the Liverpool fans experiencing two extremes. Some have called Liverpool’s decision to appoint Rodgers as shrewd. While others have labelled it an avoidable short-sighted catastrophe given more pedigreed managers such as Rafa Benitez and Andre Villas-Boas were knocking about.

Common sense will tell you Rodgers, with better technically gifted players at Liverpool will be able to implement and succeed with his way of playing the beautiful game.

But with the same token, the players play the managers game. Not the manager. The Liverpool players must buy into Rodgers ways of doing things and the way he wants to play.

I think this could be one of the hardest challenges Rodgers faces at Liverpool. We’ve got to remember, Rodgers was brought in to replace King Kenny Dalglish. A man who was not only idolised by the players, but his rapport with the players was clearly very strong too.

Rodgers first challenge is to get his players onside. But it could be relatively straight forward for him. Top footballers want to play beautiful football, so players may buy into his way of doing things.

But the players wont suddenly play like Swansea, time is needed.

Brendan Rodgers is a modern manager at a club looking to make its way in the modern world of football.

But modern world of football often demands instant success. Patience has no virtue in the footballing world no more.

Liverpool must give Brendan Rodgers time. He needs patience. His football philosophy is very hard to implement, especially in the fast paced Premier League.

However there is hope for Rodgers, the club have shown over the past two seasons they can knock the ball about just as good as anyone.

Look at Torres last goal for Liverpool (against Wolves, Liverpool made 21 passes before scoring the goal)

But doing this week in, week out is another matter. Rodgers states again and again in his press conference that his team won’t play in his image instantly. The players need to adapt to Rodgers vision of the game and have a full understanding of their role in the system. It could take months or even years.

What’s interesting is Rodgers says he failed at Reading as he ‘changed too much too quickly’ in terms of Reading’s style. The Northern Irish manager is fully aware that he will have to be patient, he will have to be methodological in his changes and he has deal and manage with the high expectations while he is forming his brand of football onto Liverpool.

Rodgers himself admits, ‘There will be some additions to improve and improve our way of playing as well.’ It can’t be stressed how crucial Brendan Rodgers signings are. They have got to be more successful than the last batch of Dalglish signings. (Some may think that’s not much of a challenge, as Dalglish’s new imports were dour.) But as Rodgers states, it’s important he makes the right signings so he can imprint his identity more smoothly and effectively onto the club.

Brendan Rodgers passed his first test in being Liverpool manager. He successfully dealt with the press in an astute manner.

Rodgers said he would ‘fight for his life’ for the supporters and stated, he was ‘blessed’ in getting the Liverpool job. Even Liverpool fans who were entirely unsure on Rodgers abilities felt like they had a man who is just as determined as them to be successful again. Rodgers later on admitted, ‘We might not be ready for the title now but the process begins today.’ The new manager’s ambition and desire to be successful has already won over quite number of critics and Liverpool supporters.

But the reality in football is, as much as Rodgers has won over some fans through his words, he can win and lose fans a lot more on the pitch.

Brendan Rodgers needs two things early on in his reign at Liverpool. He needs time and a chance to be successful. All through history, football has proved, give a relatively unknown manager, ambitious manager a chance and he will succeed. Prior to moving to Liverpool, Bill Shankly had never won a trophy as a manager of a football club. But when he moved to Anfield he was given the chance and he paid the club and its fans back in abundance. The same could be said about Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez. These are all managers who had not achieved a great deal prior to their big club moves.

The Liverpool faithful need to know it wont be easy especially in the first year of the Rodgers era. There certainly will be growing pains, but the fans must grit their teeth and continue to support the team and the manager. Liverpool have to build success from the roots upwards.

As much as the fans need to give Rodgers the time, the owners do too. With the club in mid-table obscurity and not in the glory land of the Champions League, it of course will have a significant effect on the commercial appeal of the club.

The owners must give Rodgers at least three years to build his team. Liverpool can’t attract the superstars of today’s current football world. They must create and develop their own ones, through stability and giving Rodgers the time and the chance.

Liverpool, as a collective identity must fight through the rain in order to enjoy the sunshine, or in other words, the club needs to remember, at the end of every storm there is a golden sky.

Football's philanthropists | Clarence Seedorf

Reuben Lewis explains to The Football Front the charity work that football legend Clarence Seedorf does.

Now the football season is over, interesting debates and incidents are minimal. Twitter is a hotbed for transfer bullshit, instigated by bored folk hunting for new followers to spew their in the know crap to. Thus, I decided that this summer I shall do a series on The Wonder of Wenger on football's most charitable players (in no particular order). It is certainly an interesting topic and one that I'm sure many will prefer over meaningless transfer gossip. My opener will be Clarence Seedorf - a man we all greatly admire as a footballer and hopefully after reading this, as a person.

A playing career which started before I was even born - in 1992 - would see Mr. Seedorf become one of Europe's most successful players. His tally for club honours is 20 (twenty!) which averages out to a trophy in every one of his 20 seasons as a player, while his individual honours are hardly scarce. He was named in Real Madrid's team of the century and also named by Pele as part of the FIFA 100, a list of the 100 greatest living players. Seedorf became the first ever footballer to win the Champions League on four occasions with three different teams; Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. A tremendous achievement which will struggle to be beaten.

Aside from his remarkable playing career, Seedorf has invested heavily in charity. In 2005, Champions for Children was established, which is aimed to improve the lives of children in developing countries often by the means of sport and education.

“Witnessing the famine that strangled Ethiopia in the nineteen- eighties, when I was just a child, had a profound effect on me and sparked my desire to give and literally shaped my destiny. With this experience as a catalyst and seeing all the suffering around the globe, I made a vow in my youth to help hurting people and make a contribution to my world in as many ways as I could. Improving the quality of life through health and  education is my vision"  -Clarence Seedorf 

Seedorf was born in Suriname, a developing country in South America. Around half a million people are populated in and around the capital city, Parmaribo, yet there are just 4 hospitals. Champions for Children invested €110,000 in a neonatal respiratory care unit in order to provide care for newborns with respiratory deficiencies.

Due to his strong connection with his place of birth, Seedorf also invested €250,000 in the set up of the Para Junior Football League. Composed of 32 teams with players aged 9-15 years old, the project is aimed to "promote integrity and fair play" amongst the youth, giving them an alternative to life on the streets.

"My dream has always been to give back to this world and especially to children. By supporting education through sport, we can help build a brighter future and teach authentic life skills and community values.” -Clarence Seedorf

Since its foundation, Champions for Children has completed six projects in countries all over the world, such as Cambodia, Kenya, Brazil and of course Suriname. The charity invested €50,000 in sports facilities in seven schools in the Phnom Pehn district in Cambodia - one of Asia's poorest countries. Similar to the Para Football League, this project aims to provide young people with an alternative to life on the streets. Drug use is prevalent in Cambodia, and Champions for Children believe the investment in sports facilities is the best deterrent.

Moreover, the charity provided €150,000 for the construction of a secondary school in one of the largest slums in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This provides over 250 thirteen to seventeen year olds the access to basic education, which they were devoid of beforehand.

Champions for Children then invested €50,000 in the construction of a sports and recreation centre in the favelas of Salvador De Bahia, Brazil's third largest city. Here, poverty is strife with almost 50% of the city's 3.5 million population living in 'structurally precarious' housing without sanitation. Gun crime is commonplace and the city is in desperate need of support. Thus, Seedorf's charity helped the government build the sports centre, which over 400 children utilize on a daily basis. Seedorf's vision of "improving the quality of life through health and education" is clearly one of substance.

Finally, Seedorf invested €80,000 in the construction of 'The Clarence Seedorf Playground' in Stedenwijk, Holland, where he grew up. This is a poor area and the playground - 6,400 sq. mt. long - aims to support the development of young people by teaching them life skills and values through sport.

“I not only want this playground to be a facility where kids can play sports but, also want it to be a place where kids develop their social and emotional skills” -Clarence Seedorf

Clarence Seedorf is now a free agent having left AC Milan, and if that marks the end of his remarkable playing career then I sincerely hope to see him move into management or coaching - there aren't many better role models.

It's players like him who ensure that football, engulfed by corruption and avarice, still has the power to change lives, as Mandela once said.


This Article was written by Reuben Lewis, you can find more of his work at The Wonder of Wenger. Reuben is on Twitter too: @Rlewisafc.

The Ever Changing Expectations of Harry Redknapp

This season, Harry Redknapp has got even more annoying. He has tipped his side for virtually everything and within a matter of weeks, his expectations have suddenly changed.

So I have gathered actual quotes from the man himself showing him changing his expectations week by week.

Please Click to Enlarge

Premier League Teams Relegated XI

The transfer window is upon us. This is the time of the year when some of us are excited about who are sides could buy, while there are some of us who dread this time of the year, as it means some of our heroes and idols could be prized away from our beloved clubs.

The latter feeling is probably what most of the relegated sides are feeling like. This season, there are some brilliant players who face the raw reality of playing in the Championship. And with this, it means clubs in the higher divisions are sniffing about these relegated sides to find themselves a bargain on good talent.

So what I’ve done is made my best XI of the relegated Premier League sides (Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton), with the help of stats.

Here it goes.

Goalkeeper: Paul Robinson: Picking out of the keepers Bogdan, Robinson and Hennessey was surprisingly hard. At times all three have been dour, while at other times they have kept their teams in games. 

Green =best, Red = worse

I chose Paul Robinson as the former England international hasn’t been that bad this season. You could easily argue he’s been Blackburn’s best defensive player this season. But what makes Robinson stand out ahead of the other two relegated keepers, is the fact he’s made a good amount of saves but most importantly he’s made the fewest mistakes too. Robinson offers more than just good goalkeeping, the former Spurs man is a good leader and is very experienced. 

Right Back: Jason Lowe: This was yet another tough choice, simply because I feel none of the right backs for the trio of clubs have been that great at all. 

Stats via EPL Index

 I’ve gone with Blackburn’s Jason Lowe, for two simple reasons. Reason number 1 is the lad is 20 years old and point 2 is the kid has shown glimpses of potential during this season. However, on the same token, I feel Lowe has quite a bit of improving and developing to do. I feel he could win more ground duals and tackles. But with experience and confidence in his technical ability this will naturally improve. What excites me about Lowe is that at 20 he’s near enough at the level of right backs who are at their supposed peak years. Lowe has also created 15 chances which demonstrates his willingness to go forward. It also shows the creativity and intelligence in his play. At 20, Lowe’s stats show he is a competent Premier League right back. Blackburn may struggle to keep hold of this talented young lad. 

Centre Backs: Rodger Johnson and Grant Hanley

Rodger Johnson: I think Johnson has been a decent signing for Wolves. However, he hasn’t covered himself with much glory during certain parts of the season. However, when focused he is a Premier League standard defender, although in the past two years, he’s been relegated with two different clubs. So he’s hardly a great omen to have knocking about. But I feel Johnson is a well rounded defender who can not only tackle, he challenge sufficiently in the air and he reads the game relatively well too.

Grant Hanley: I’ve picked another young Blackburn kid for the defence.  At 20 years of age, Hanley has shown good promise for the future. The Scottish youngster has won a relatively impressive 76% of his tackles this season. Hanley also reads the game very well for a young lad too. This season Hanley has averaged 1.9 interceptions per game. But there is room for improvement in the kid. I feel he could be a bit more aerially dominant especially as he’s 6 ft 2 inches.

Left Back: Martin Olsson: This was one of the easiest choices. The Swedish international has been a solid customer for Blackburn this term. Olsson has shown he is more than competent enough to venture forward and create chances. He has shown solidity defensively too. Olsson won 74% of his tackles and 60% of his aerial duals too. Which isn’t bad at all. At 24 and his ability to play as a left midfielder, I can see quite a few clubs sniffing about him.

Defensive Midfield: Karl Henry: This was quite hard. None of the relegated sides had many good holding players. The two who I thought were the best out of the limited options were Wolves’ Karl Henry and Nigel Reo-Coker (who is a free now). 

I’ve gone with Henry as I think he’s a safer bet at defensive midfield. His tackle record is good and no Wolves player has won more tackles than him. Being a good passer in defensive midfield is crucial too. Henry’s passing abilities are very good, he had a 86% pass accuracy, which for a relegated side isn’t always a common thing.

Centre Midfield: Steven N’Zonzi: The Blackburn midfielder hasn’t been outstanding by any means this season. But he certainly is a Premier League standard player. At 23, he’s become a key part of Blackburn’s setup and this is demonstrated by the fact he’s made the most passes for the Rovers this season (1736). But what’s just as impressive is that he had a pass accuracy percentage of 84% which shows he is a player who is very comfortable on the ball and distributing it. N’Zonzi’s distribution and creativity has been fantastic too. The Blackburn man has assisted 5 times this term. Defensively, N’Zonzi has strengths too. He has won 89 aerial duals this season, no player for any of the relegated sides have won more aerial duals than him. 

Centre Midfield: Mark Davies: Bolton really missed this guy when he was out injured at the start of the season. But when he returned, it’s no surprise Bolton’s fortunes began to change. Mark Davies is an intelligent footballer, one who can pass the ball very tidly. In fact, Davies had a pass accuracy of 87% which is brilliant. Not only this he made 332 final third passes with a pass accuracy of 80%, an impressive feat for a relegated player. I certainly feel Davies will be a good signing for most Premier League sides, especially those who like to keep the ball on the ground. He is one of those players who can command the ball and can his side ticking over. At 24 years old, I hope he stays in the Premier League. 

 

Right Midfield: Matt Jarvis: I’ve gone for Matt Jarvis, although he predominantly plays on the left, I still feel he has to be in this team. At 26, Jarvis is reaching is peak and this season he has proved he certainly has the ability to stick around in the Premier League. Jarvis to me is a traditional winger, he can run at defenders and put in great balls into the box. This term Jarvis managed 8 goals and 4 assists, which is encouraging. I feel this lad could be the most expensive relegated player to move this summer. His creativity, work rate and good finishing make him a very useful player.

Left Midfield: Junior Hoilett: This boy is special and he’s made that bit extra special by the fact he is a free agent. Hoilett 21, is interesting all the big boys this summer. The Blackburn wizard has shown great promise this term, by often by popping up and getting crucial goals for his side. But what impresses me most about Hoilett is his dynamism and technical abilities. Hoilett has the ability to change games within a second, if you look at his successful dribbles he dominates. The young Canadian has great feet, great dribbling skills and a great touch. He certainly will be a brilliant free transfer signing for someone this summer. But I’ve got one issue with Hoilett. Comparing his chances created to the others, I feel he could create more and during some games he does go missing. If Hoilett wants to become a real top, top player he must get more involved in every game he plays in.

Striker: Yakubu: Like the wingers, picking the striker was hard and it was made even harder by the fact I went with a 4-3-3 system here. I chose Yakubu for a relatively straight forward reason. His goal scoring record this term has been outstanding. To score 17 goals for a side that have been relegated is nothing short of amazing. The Nigerian’s experience, along with his goal scoring prowess will make him of strong interest to a number of clubs. However, a stumbling block could be the price Blackburn put on him. You’d expect Blackburn to want quite a bit for a guy who has just come off the back of scoring 17 Premier League goals. But at 29, clubs may baulk at a high valuation of him. 

Subs: Wayne Hennessey, Richard Stearman, Stuart Holden, Morten Gamst-Pedersen, Martin Petrov, Steven Fletcher, Ivan Klasnic. 

So, here's how the team would look:

(Stats from EPL Index)

Video: Goal 'Special Effects' Celebrations

This video is just cool. Cool, cool,cool. They take some of the best and most memorable goal celebrations in football and add a little special effects twist to it. Check it out!

The Top 5 Transfer Targets

Welcome to my blog, I’m Callum Rivett and this week I’ll be writing about the top five transfer targets this summer and why they are being raved about so much. Even though it's just finished, I can't wait for the Premier League to start up again, and also can't wait for the Euros - we won't win but watching teams like Germany, Spain and the Netherlands will be a joy for all. I hope you enjoy this along with all my other work and spread the word about this website and myself!

5 - Jordan Rhodes
This twenty-two year old is being touted as the next big thing from the lower leagues, being the top-scorer at all levels in English football this year with thirty-six league goals. He was also the first Huddersfield player to score back-to-back hat-tricks since the 1920s, against Exeter then Preston respectively. Teams such as Fulham and Norwich are rumoured to be interested in Rhodes, and I’m sure he can, and will, make the step up.

4 - Luka Modric
Once again, Modric is likely to be linked with numerous over the summer, with Real Madrid already rumoured to be ready to make a bid for the twenty-six year old. He is still a relatively young player, who’s just about to hit his prime, and this may convince teams to bid for him. I’m sure Chelsea will rekindle their interest in Modric, with a rebuilding job on the cards at Stamford Bridge. With Tottenham’s failure to reach the Champions League, his final decision may be swayed by this factor.

3 - Lucas Moura
Anyone who, like myself, plays Football Manager 2012 will know Moura for his five star potential and the fact he’s the best young player on the game. Chelsea have already had a £32.5m bid for him turned down, and I wouldn’t expect Sao Paulo to accept anything less than £40m for this nineteen year old. He has already played fifty-four games for the Brazilian First Division side, and with thirteen goals from the attacking midfield position, and this is sure to attract attention. And eleven caps for the Brazilian first team isn’t bad either.

2 - Mats Hummels
This twenty-three year old centre back has been attracting the attention of Arsenal, and they are keen to join Hummels with his German counterpart Per Mertesacker. Standing tall at 191cm (6ft 2), this monster is very unlikely to be beaten in the air, but also has a bit of pace about him so is unable to be beaten in a straight sprint easily, unlike Mertesacker. Borussia Dortmund’s centre back pairing of Hummels and Neven Subotic meant they only conceded twenty-five goals all season and secured the title and also the DFB-Pokal - the German equivalent of the English FA Cup.

1 - Eden Hazard

This Belgian superstar has wowed Ligue Un these past few years, the twenty-one year old scoring thirty-six goals in one hundred and fourty-seven appearances since 2007 from the left wing. Chelsea, Man United and Man City have all agreed terms with Hazard, and the footballing word will be awaiting his press conference or interview after the England-Belgium game which is when he will declare where he will be playing next year. £35m is considered to be the price they have offered to pay for his services, and it is a certainty that we will see him grace the Premier League next year, which will be a delight!

Follow Callum on twitter: @CJRivett12. You can find more of Callum's work here.

The End of Spurs or a New Beginning?

Tom Moseley explains to The Football Front the cross roads Spurs are at and why it could lead to a better future

Saturday 19th May. Every Spurs fan was a Bayern Munich fan. However after the game, I think most of them would have Dortmund down as their German side. Bayern kept pressuring Chelsea and looked like they had to win, with a total of 44 shots, but it was not to be. The football Gods were on Chelsea’s side, as they somehow managed to survive the relentless Bayern attacks and gain victory on penalties. 

Which therefore meant, no Champions League football for Spurs and another year in the Europa League.

At the start of the season, this wouldn’t have been a disaster for Spurs, as a 5th place finish is more than respectable, however it’s the manner in which it happened. 

Spurs were pushing for the title around December/January time, but they crumbled. And it coincicded with the heavy speculation surrounding Redknapp, regarding his court case and the vacant England job. I’m not saying that’s an excuse, but they only won one in nine games after the Newcastle game, when the speculation was at its peak, leading to a slide down the table and losing a 10-point advantage on their rivals, Arsenal.

This has led to many people saying this could be the end for this era of Spurs players. They will not be able to make the Champions League in the coming years. 

Indeed, missing out on Champions League football could have a big impact on them, with key players like Bale and Modric leaving and I’m sure a couple more players getting picked off, by clubs trying to bolster their clubs for the Champions League. Modric was centre of speculation last year, with Chelsea offering £30M, but Spurs rejected it, but maybe this year, things could be different. He might really want to go, as this could have been a ‘conditional’ year, where he would have stayed if they got Champions League football.

I agree, to a point. They could lose key players, that’s inevitable. The players want to play Champions League football, which you can’t really blame them for. However, I don’t think they’ll completely collapse and turn into mid-table-mediocrity. 

When you think about the players that could leave for Champions League football, Modric, Bale and Van Der Vaart, then not keeping Adebayor permanently due to his high wages. That is four key players, however, they could easily bring in £60M-£70M.

Which brings me onto my view. It’s not the end, it’s a new beginning for Spurs if they lose thse players. I know ‘Arry won’t get all £60M-£70M (if they do sell them) as I’m sure the board would want to keep some, mainly because of the money they lose for not qualifying for the Champions League. But with a  decent transfer budget and sales of players, ‘Arry could easily have £50M to spend and we all know what he’s like in the transfer market. He’s not called a wheeler-dealer for no minor reason. With that amount of money and some decent fringe players, who could have more of a chance now, they could challenge just as well as they did this year.

If you look at the squad now, they still have some good players that don’t play week-in, week-out.  They have players like Defoe, Krancjar, Dos Santos and Sandro. I know they’re not as good as the players they’re losing, but they can still do a good job and are also a good foundation to build a squad.

They are also (reportedly) interested in players like Asamoah from Udinese and Jan Vertonghen from Ajax, which, if they get sign would be great buys. Asamoah isn’t exactly a like-for-like swap for Modric, however, he is a good midfielder and will do well for Spurs, next to Parker.

This is what they need to do, if they want to remain successful. They need to either sign good players from slightly lower Premier League clubs, or go for an-almost Moneyball approach, by buying players from the non-major nations and leagues. They need to focus on the more long term future, instead of the immediate in future, in my opinion. I think they need to take the next season or two as transition seasons and get a new generation of players in, then really go for it in the third season. 

They need to sign players that are hungry and want to prove themselves at the highest level, instead of players who think they belong in the top level and were unwanted at a top club and see Spurs as a step down. I know this does work, look at Van Der Vaart, but it can also be a big gamble, especially as their wages are a lot higher.

It may be biased, as I’m a Wolves fan, but I think two good economical buys for them could be Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis, to replace Adebayor and Bale. I’m not saying they’re as good as them, but they’ll do a good job. Jarvis is similar to Bale in the way he’s a simple winger, he doesn’t overcomplicate his game, he gets the ball, runs at defences and crosses it. Then I see Fletcher as a good replacement for Adebayor, as he is a good all-rounded striker. He’s skilful, good touch, can finish and can head. Wolves have said an offer between £8M-£10M will tempt them though, so I’d say £15M would be enough for the pair of them, which, in my opinion, would be great for two consistent players.

They could also take an approach like Newcastle, as Newcastle have found a lot of good value for money players in France and then Cisse in Germany, so looking at these leagues could also be good, as players never seem to be as expensive, in my opinion. I mean Arsenal signed Podolski for £12.9M and Dortmund signed Marco Reus for £10M, so (slightly contraditing to my last point) but not looking at British players could  be the route for them if they want value.

Overall, I think this is a new beginning and generation for Spurs, if the key players do leave. I also think it’s an exciting time to be a Spurs fan, not a sad one. There’s many roads that Spurs could take if players leave, which can leave to some exciting new players. I personally think it’s interesting to see what will happen to Spurs, because of the options that could be open to them. It should be an interesting summer for Spurs, no matter what happens.

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This article was written by Tom Moseley, you can follow him on Twitter: @PlayedOfThePark .Check out his website too: http://playedoffthepark.net/

More of Tom's work can be found here

Video: Manuel Almunia Released by Arsenal: Some of his memorable acts

So, Manuel Almunia has been released by Arsenal. It's a few years late, but we all know Wenger kept him just so the rest of the Premier League could chuckle at his ways and saves.

This video collates all of his glorious and not so glorious moments in an Arsenal shirt.

Why is Demba Ba firing Blanks for Newcastle?

To be perfectly honest, Demba Ba has been the best free transfer signing of this season. The former Hammers man has scored 16 Premier League goals this term, with 8 coming at home and the other 8 of course coming on the road.

During December, it was perfectly arguable to say Demba Ba was the best signing of the summer. And it was merely stating the obvious that Demba Ba was one of the finest strikers in the Premier League. After all, he was scoring for fun. But when his international team mate Papiss Cisse joined, everyone thought Newcastle now had two brilliant strikers, meaning double the goal action for Newcastle faithful.

But things haven’t worked out exactly like that. 

Indeed, Papiss Cisse has hit the ground running in emphatic fashion. I mean 13 goals in 13 games in the Premier League is unbelievable, especially considering its his first few months in the division too.  And if you’ve seen his recent goals, most of them are just incredible, some of them are worldie efforts. 

But the partnership between Cisse and Ba hasn’t worked out completely to plan. And it’s had its most devasting effect on Ba. In fact, whenever the two have started a game Ba has failed to score in all of those games. 

But why is this the case?

To find out, we’ve taken Ba’s stats from when he was in lethal form playing in the middle as the main man at Newcastle (so stats from August to January). And we’ve also taken his stats from when Cisse joined the club (February till May).

Stats via EPL Index

It’s key to note, one of the first things Pardew did to facilitate Cisse was to shift Ba to a more left sided role, as opposed to playing them both up top. However, the strikers would often swap roles during games. But recently, Ba has occasionally gone up top with Cisse in certain periods of matches. And when this has happened, Ba has looked far more potent, especially if one looks at his final two games against City and Everton. 

Starting off with Ba’s shots stats, the Newcastle’s number 19 went from 60 attempts on goal, to 49.  The decline in shots, could show Ba struggling to get into the key positions or his favourable positions to attempt to score. But the most alarming stat, which further indicates this is Ba’s shots on target record. Prior to the arrival of Cisse, Ba had 30 shots on target, by the end of the season, Ba managed exactly half of that.  Furthermore, since playing from the left hand side, Ba has had more shots blocked too.  This could indicate defenders are more capable of nullifying Ba’s threat from the left hand, thus restricting his effect on the game.  

Ba’s move to the left handside has seen his shot accuracy decline rather drastically. From the start of the season to January, Ba had a 63% shot accuracy. While by the end of the season, it was at 45%. For me, this symbolises just how Ba has struggled to get into his favourable positions to be at his most clinical sharpness.

Diagram of Ba goal placements:

If you look at Ba’s goals placements, most have been placed in the bottom left hand side. This to an extent, reinstates, why Ba has struggled to score in the second half of the season. Ba’s move to a more deeper left sided role has meant he has struggled to get into his most natural and instinctive position to find the net.  After all, if he's playing in a more left sided role, his chances of scoring via the bottom left hand corner are limited, due to his aim being narrowed by his initial position.

To many, Ba hasn’t done a brilliant job in his new role at Newcastle. You can see their point. I mean he has been anonymous since Cisse has joined. But what’s interesting is that in his deeper role, the Newcastle number 19 has won more aerial duals and won more tackles and he has also seen more of the ball too, as suggested by the number of passes he’s made. As much as this shows Ba getting involved in the nitty gritty of the game, Ba has struggled to actually create sufficient chances for his team mates, especially for Cisse. In his deeper role, Ba created just 10 chances, assisting once. But on the same token, when Ba was leading the line he assisted just once again and in fact created fewer chances (9). It’s transparent this is a feature of Ba’s game which he has to improve on. Ba as a target man or as a deep forward, he must be more effective in creating chances for his team mates. 

But what’s interesting is that in his deeper role,  Ba has made less final third passes and he has also attempted less crosses. For me, this along with the drought of goals and the lack of chances created it suggests two things. It firstly suggests Ba has not fully understood his new role in the Newcastle side, hence his anonymity in the second half of the season.  Or it could highlight Ba is not comfortable in the role, which would probably explain why he’s been on such dramatic goal drought this season.

For me, it’s a mixture of not understanding his new role and not being comfortable in it. As Demba Ba is a man who played in the right position can score for fun. Ba knows this himself more than anyone and one could argue, it’s taken its toll on his confidence. 

Now, with statistics, it’s hard to measure up confidence. Actually its impossible. But there are a few indicators. The clear chance conversion rate gives a decent indicator. Ba went from 62% to nearly half of that by the end of the season. Normally, Ba’s clear cut chance conversion should have stayed around 62- 50%, but the big decline shows Ba has lost that spark and confidence he once had in front of goal.

But the most devastating and most alarming stat is his conversion rate. Prior to Cisse’s arrival, Ba had a chance conversion of 33% and now that stat is down to 3%. That’s a huge decline of huge proportions. It demonstrates just how the confidence has been drained out of the player, and it hasn’t been helped by him being played out of his favourable position.  The few goals scored, the clear cut conversion and chance conversion rate worryingly indicate, Ba is not only out of form but it could suggest the player is suffering from fatigue too. One must recall Ba also played in the African Cup of Nations in January, granted it was for a very short amount of time, but the travelling and climate changes could have taken its toll on his body.  

Demba Ba has declined severely since January. The player looks uncomfortable in his new position and he seems bankrupt of confidence. It is crucial in the summer, Pardew devises a plan to finally get the best out Ba again. The Newcastle boss may need to redefine the role for Ba, thus attempting give Ba a better understanding of how he wants him to play in the position behind Cisse. But Ba himself must take a good break in the summer and come back in pre-season with the determination to rediscover his goal scoring touch and adapt to the role Pardew has set him.

However, I believe in order for Cisse and Ba to both be effective. Newcastle may have to do a Chelsea. Newcastle may well have to play one or the other, as opposed to starting them both. Just like Chelsea have done to facilitate Torres and Drogba. As it’s clear both players are at their most lethal when leading the line. Furthermore, with the Europa League to contend next season, it can’t be expected Ba and Cisse can both start all of Newcastle’s games. If the duo are rotated, it could lead to Newcastle having an eye for goal not only in the Premier League but in Europe too.

But so far, Ba’s new role at Newcastle demonstrates he is a player who is uncomfortable in the position he is playing in. It is crucial Newcastle and Ba get back to the drawing board and find a way to get him and Cisse singing off the same hymn sheet. 

(Stats from EPL Index)

Who Will Win The Euros?

Hello, I’m Callum Rivett and welcome to the latest part in my wide selection of articles! With the release of England’s Euro squad, I’ll look and see whether we have any chance at all of even passing the group stage, let alone winning it. I’m going to see who are the main contenders for the trophy, and give you my thoughts and reasoning behind my choice of who’ll win this year.

Let’s start by looking at the England squad and any mistakes I think Hodgson has made or what he has got right.

Goalkeepers:
Joe Hart (Manchester City), Rob Green (West Ham United), John Ruddy (Norwich City)
Defenders:
Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea)
Midfielders:
Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Manchester United)
Forwards:
Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United)

Including John Ruddy is a good decision in my eyes, he’s had a fantastic year for Norwich and came second as Norwich Player of the Season vote, beaten only by Grant Holt who definitely should have gone in place of Jermain Defoe. I also do not rate Danny Welbeck, he’s severely over-rated by the media, and I’m gutted he is included. Fair enough, if he ends the tournament top-scorer I’ll put my hands up and say I was wrong. But I doubt that.

Andy Carroll is a massive risk, he’s started to turn good for Liverpool towards the end of the season and I think next year will be his best year ever in terms of goals. Our defence looks shaky: having no Micah Richards is a mistake, he’s quick, a good crosser, who can attack and can play anywhere along the back four. The midfield looks predictable, and mostly what everyone would have expected. Except Stewart Downing. Why oh why has he picked him? Zero goals, zero assists for Liverpool this year. Terrible waste of a space that could have been used to accommodate someone who will offer more to the team - Adam Johnson perhaps.

Joe Hart is our number one, he will be world class. But Green ahead of Ruddy? Did he watch THAT match against the USA? Our strikers for the first two games have scored a whopping great total of… 24 (Defoe - 11, Carroll - 4, Welbeck - 9) in 90 combined Premier League appearances this season.

Yeah. Not so good.

After slating our national team, let’s go on to who I think will win the tournament. I’ll give you a clue: they’re 2nd favorites. Another clue? They play in white and black. We lost 4-1 to them in the World Cup 2010?

You got it. Germany.

One of the youngest, if not the youngest, squads in the world right now, and one of the most talented. Just look at it. This is their preliminary squad:
 

Goalkeepers:
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Tim Wiese (Hoffenheim), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Moenchengladbach).
Defenders:
Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Bendikt Howedes (Schalke), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Marcel Schmelzer (Dortmund).
Midfielders:
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Sven Bender (Dortmund), Lars Bender (Leverkusen), Ilkay Gundogan (Dortmund), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Marco Reus (Moenchengladbach), Mario Gotze (Dortmund), Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid).
Forwards:
Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Cacau (Stuttgart), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Andreas Schurrle (Leverkusen), Lukas Podolski (Cologne).

The amount of players who play in the Bundesliga in their squad stands at 23. They know each other, they know how to play with each other, and the chemistry level in their squad must be amazing. They’ve got the right mix of youth and experience, often combining the two, because they introduced them to the world stage two years ago in South Africa. Players like Mesut Ozil, Mats Hummels, Mario Gomez and Manuel Neuer are all world class, yet all so young. Then throw in players like Miroslav Klose, Thomas Muller, Lukas Podolski, Phillip Lahm - and that’s just to name a few - and you’ve got an awesome concoction of brilliant German efficiency.

Spain are favourites, but for me it’s Germany to win. Spanish players like midfield maestro Xavi are now into their 30s - as well as Xabi Alonso and Carlos Puyol. This last four years has undoubtedly been their ‘Golden Generation’ but to keep up now they have to move quickly to integrate the youth players into the senior team like they did all those years ago.
Holland are third favourites, but to not only repeat the feat of finishing second in the World Cup but to actually win it, is possibly a step too far for the Dutch. Players like Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie and Maarten Stekelenburg will have to be on top form to get them their and achieve glory for the Netherlands - and with possibly Spain and Germany blocking their way, it will be a very difficult task indeed.

That about sums it up, this has been a lot to get through but I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and will continue to read my articles. I’ll leave you with the thought that whoever the commentators are in the Euros, they will not enjoy commentating on Greece’s games. Spare a thought for those very unlucky people. That’ll be it my friends, goodbye for now and have a very good week.

Follow Callum on twitter: @CJRivett12. You can find more of Callum's work here.

The Football Front Awards

Hello there, I’m Callum Rivett and this week for The Football Front, I’m going to be giving my very special and virtually unknown (because I’ve just made them up) awards to various people and moments that have happened over the course of this entertaining season.

           

With the season nearly complete, the title is going to Manchester. But to which club? Red or blue? In my eyes, it has to go to City. They face a weak QPR side at home, where City have been magnificent this season, with a win guaranteeing them the title. United play Sunderland away - who are in bad form - so should win, but it will not matter unless City drop points at the Etihad on Sunday. So, on with the awards!

Surprise Package Team of the Season

Winner: Newcastle United

Runner up: Norwich City. Third: Swansea City.

            This goes to the club who have performed the best over the season., against all odds. This Newcastle side have proved the pundits wrong all year long: tipped for relegation at the start of the year, now fighting for a Champions League spot. The race for fourth - and arguably third - goes down to the final day of the season, and this is in no doubt a fantastic season for the Geordies. Norwich have to be ahead of Swansea because they have the youngest squad in the Premier League and were the first team in the top flight since 1999 to field an all-British starting line-up.

Player of the Season

 

Winner: Robin van Persie

Runner up: Joe Hart. Third: Antonio Valencia

            There is no doubt about it, van Persie has easily been the best player this season. Thirty goals in thirty-six Premier League games make him top scorer, and he should win the Golden Boot unless there is a remarkable goal-scoring feat committed by Wayne Rooney on the final day of the season. Joe Hart has been one of Man City’s unsung heroes this year, along with Vincent Kompany, keeping sixteen clean sheets. Valencia has fourteen assists and has been a vital asset for United this year in their rather unsuccessful season.

Game of the Season

 

Winner: Man United 1-6 Man City

Runner up: Man United 8-2 Arsenal. Third: Wolves 1-5 West Brom.

            The noisy neighbours got even noisier by hammering their arch-rivals 1-6 on their own turf. Old Trafford was stunned as the Citizens smashed six past the Red Devils, with goals from Aguero, Silva, and braces from Balotelli and Dzeko ensured United suffered their worst defeat at Old Trafford since February 1955.

Manager of the Season

Winner: Alan Pardew

Runner up: Paul Lambert. Third: Roberto Mancini and Brendan Rodgers

            Not surprisingly, the manager of the season order links up with the team of the season order. Newcastle’s Alan Pardew has been the mastermind behind the Magpies success this season, guiding them to a battle for fourth spot. They will definitely get the Europa League spot, so it should be interesting and exciting to see them in Europe next year. Lambert once again beat Rodgers to second, because he had less money, and Norwich have been underrated this year. Norwich have been the best promoted team this year, beating Swansea and QPR home and away.

Manager of the Season

Winner: Alan Pardew

Runner up: Paul Lambert. Third: Roberto Mancini and Brendan Rodgers

            Not surprisingly, the manager of the season order links up with the team of the season order. Newcastle’s Alan Pardew has been the mastermind behind the Magpies success this season, guiding them to a battle for fourth spot. They will definitely get the Europa League spot, so it should be interesting and exciting to see them in Europe next year. Lambert once again beat Rodgers to second, because he had less money, and Norwich have been underrated this year. Norwich have been the best promoted team this year, beating Swansea and QPR home and away.

Signing of the Season

 

Winner: Sergio Aguero

Runner up: Demba Ba. Third: Mikel Arteta

            Sergio Aguero’s twenty-two goals in thirty appearances for Man City this year have certainly helped City win the title. He seems a bargain at £35m compared to some other signings. To think Liverpool could have signed this star for just £35m more than Andy Carroll is astonishing, they really missed a trick there. Demba Ba has had a fantastic season for Newcastle, helping them to a top five finish. Arteta has been outstanding for Arsenal this season, and their recent drop in form can be coincided with the loss of Arteta through injury, so the sooner him and Wilshere return, the better for Arsenal fans.

Impact Signing of the Season

Winner: Papiss Demba Cissé

Runner up: Nikica Jelavic. Third: Stephen Pienaar

            Papiss Cissé has taken the league by storm since signing from German outfit SC Freiburg in January for a fee of around £10m. He has scored thirteen goals in thirteen appearances so far for Newcastle, becoming an instant fan favourite at the Sports Direct Arena. But the two Everton signings make it into the top three, Nikica Jelavic has also made an instant impact to Everton, scoring eight goals in twelve games, helping them finish above Merseyside rivals Liverpool. Third was a tight call between Pavel Pogrebnyak and Stephen Pienaar, but it has to go to the South African. His return to Everton, albeit only on loan, has sparked Everton’s season into life. The performance he put in against Chelsea was unbelievable, so for that, he has to get third.

Follow Callum on twitter: @CJRivett12. You can find more of Callum's work here.