Showing posts with label Premier League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Premier League. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Tuesday, 3 January 2017
Football's New Eastern Promise
 |
| Carlos Tevez |
The football war is on with the news
this week that Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down a €300 million transfer offer
to play football in the China Super League. It seems the Real Madrid striker could
be the next name on a list that has already claimed Carlos Tevez from his
boyhood club Boca Juniors in Argentina to sign for Shanghai Shenhua. The Brazilian
star Oscar, albeit in the twilight of a glittering career, who is also moving for
a €420,000 per week deal. These developments no doubt sending shivers through
the Premier League so very accustomed to bringing stars from abroad to England for
what have been to date record breaking wages.
Throughout Europe the feeling will
be the same as club presidents contemplate the fees that could be earned from
selling, not only key assets, but unloading peripheral ones on lengthy and unaffordable
deals. In a sport constantly seeking more cash to run expensive operations the
new China option clearly will make 2017 a very happy new year for many. Which already
impacted on Liverpool a year ago, when they missed out on Brazilian Alex
Teixeira. However, Juergen Klopp believes clubs like Liverpool still carry
lustre for those whose priority is football over wages. But he may very well
being walking alone with that assessment when he explained: “Nobody has to
leave Liverpool because of money,” said Klopp. “Maybe there are a few clubs in
world football who can play better and if you can go there, these few clubs,
yes then do it. But for all the rest this should be the best place to be.”
A touch of wishful thinking no doubt.
Given that the Premier League has just
established its global value thanks to the generosity of Sky Sports and BT
Sport which to date has allowed many clubs claim overseas players with their
loosened cheque books. And indeed, big name managers. No different to what the Italian
league did decades ago. Or La Liga in Spain where FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have
hired nothing but big names on record breaking fees over the years. And still
do with Lionel Messi Sergio Aguero, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Neymar
all enrolled in Spanish football for many years. So, the China influence will
cause concerns in a game that is driven by agents for the most part, all of
whom will now be seeking eastern clubs for more of their assets. The fees
quoted this week make the Paul Pogba move to Manchester United paltry.
Although the traditionalists will
baulk at the thought of having to watch games on TV at three am to see some of their
favourite stars. The stark commercial truth is that it will all be streamlined should
the European audience be of value. However, with the population in China
western viewership and their sleeping habits will be of little concern. But having
been accustomed to seeing the big names every Saturday on a Match of the Day,
live or indeed during Champions league clashes these audiences will fade if the
bigger names and younger starts chose to move east. In Europe, Real Madrid
could see their big names become very attractive also. Albeit Gareth Bale has
just extended his deal for another few years with an official buy-out clause at
€1bn – as a deterrent. Not a problem if any Chinese club fancied him in their
roster.
The names also include managers;
with Luiz Felipe Scolari joining Guangzhou Evergrande; former England manager Sven-Goran
Eriksson now with Shanghai SIPG and Dan Petrescu manages Jiangsu Guoxin Sainty.
Just to mention a few. Unlike the MLS,
or indeed its previous iterations, the USA is no longer the automatic graveyard
choice for retiring names. Or those seeking a juicy pension as China is attracting
a younger age demographic that the US was never able to achieve. The dangers
for the Premier League are obvious.
In 2016 Premier League clubs started
to share the £5.136 billion from Sky Sports who broke the bank to retain most the
UK television rights. A massive increase for the 2016-2019 rights from the
outgoing deal of £3.018bn deal and could not have factored the impact of the
China money that is already making senior professionals to start looking east.
Not only for the twilight years but for their last major deal. Undoubtedly the flights
to China are chocker with hungry agents, would be agents and the football
cognoscenti chasing these life changing financial rewards. It could not come at
a worse time for the Premier league already facing the wider uncertainty of Brexit
and freedom of movement in the EU.
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Monday, 24 October 2016
The Long Road to Eden for Mourinho
Looks like the long road to Eden for Jose Mourinho and that return to Stanford Bridge proved that much work needs to be done with The Reds. . Raising the question as to whether the Manchester United board will suffer while The Special One seeks to rediscover whatever made him great in 2005. Or lose patience not unlike Chelsea did when Mourinho returned last season from Real Madrid with little positive to contribute and eventually losing his job. The expensive and much touted moved to Manchester United was wrong from the start and a few months in to the season still looks a poor fit. With Antonio Conte proving the more astute manager on the day, winning by four gals and reviving Eden hazard from the dark place that he was under when manged by Mourinho. Who was keen to sell him at one point in his last stint at Chelsea.
On Sunday, the Belgian international lived up to his surname and was nothing but a hazard for Mourinho, who on the side line looked almost a beaten man from the start and just hoping for the best. His team devoid of ideas and again a Paul Pogba who is playing like someone worth a quarter of the £89m transfer fee. Yet only months ago he was the main power with Juventus- the club he played at during four seasons. Ironically two of this were for Antonio Conte and were season that saw Pogba win the Biaconero with two Serie A in 2012–13 and 2013–14 and a Supercoppa Italiana. This season the trophy cupboard looks bleak and Pogba only half the player he was during EURO 2016. Indeed, Conte’s Chelsea looked like they had that proverbial extra man as they ran riot at Stamford Bridge scoring twice in the first half without reply. Then in the second succumbing to a Hazard goal and then Kate the latest recruit arriving from Leicester City.
Antonio Conte
"I am delighted for the performance because we played very well with good intensity, good positions and we moved the ball very quickly and created many chances to score goals," he said.
"This is the third game we haven't conceded a goal and that is very important. This type of game, against a very strong team like Manchester United, increases our confidence about our work.
"We are working very hard, I see my players every day with the right commitment and work rate and they deserve this type of win and performance.
"When you work very hard it's important to win because then you trust the work."
"I asked my players to start the game strongly and to show our desire to win the game, not just to our fans but to our opponent," he added.
"We scored after 30 seconds. The most important thing is that we continued to play and to try to score the second goal, it happened and I'm very happy.
"Now we must continue because this is the right way but for me United is in the past.
"We must concentrate on Wednesday when we have another tough game against West Ham and it's important to recover and prepare for that game."
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Thursday, 20 October 2016
Mourinho Dilutes Power of Pogba
It was another one of those Mourinho epics this summer, which again seemed to be endless as he compulsively chased the signature of French International, Paul Pogba for his new club Manchester United. The MUST have player finally arrived and United paid in the process a record breaking fee with an additional tumultuous commission to the relevant agent. The latter at one point the most contentious part of securing Pogba’s services. So it was a world record by any measure and saw the return of a player that had come through United's academy and then sought a move to the Italian club Juventus. Now after re-joining The Reds for £89m the same player now seems the same misfit at Old Trafford - as he was under Sir Alex Ferguson – when only delivering three goals over a season and a half.
With Mourinho at the helm this talented player from Lagny-sur-Marne still seems far from the force he was at Juventus for the past four seasons. Or the man who started much of what happened in the Italian team over recent seasons. Ably supported obviously by a cast of international stars playing around him. Not unlike his galloping runs that exemplified most of what was good about France during EURO 2016 only a few months ago that saw the host nation reach the final. But better players around you obviously make you play better and Pogba is finding his work at Old Trafford somewhat less straight forward than perhaps it might have been at a Real Madrid. For a player who with Juventus was a key force in reaching the Champions League final two seasons ago in Berlin where he lost to Barcelona. The summer defeat to Portugal in Paris adding to that misery as France had looked racing certainties to win the trophy on home soil.
These days at United that same rampaging Paul Pogba has faded and started to resemble what Eric Cantona once attributed to fellow countryman, Didier Deschamps, being a “water carrier”. His manager adding to the background noise complaining of his lack of attacking flair. Albeit some of that unfair as in the match against Liverpool in particular that saw the United team play with such a strait jacket even Zidane would have struggled to show any flair. Although Deschamps was more brawn and industry than silken skills, Pogba has a higher measure of both. And to see his role reduced to plugging holes in the middle of the park in Mourinho’s stifling tactics, raises the question of why buy him in the first place. But is not unusual for The Special One who has a history of struggling with talented players and found an ageing Inter Milan his ideal type of team. Taking them to the Champions League title in 2010 playing a very physical and oppressive style against Bayern Munich in Madrid. The same systems paying dividend against Guardiola’s Barcelona en route to that 2010 victory.
Then at Real Madrid the same man who had played so well for him in Italy was surplus to requirements and so Wesley Sneijder moved on to Turkey. At Chelsea it was Juan Mata that made way for other selections. Yet there is some merit to the analysis that the graceful athleticism of Pogba has been much diluted at United. And whether it is by managerial design, team formation or issues on the player’s side is now becoming a topic of media conjecture. No doubt though the rigid systems so beloved by Mourinho also plays a role, as was seen at Anfield in that meeting with Liverpool. A match that oozed promise but became a violent status quo from the start with neither side able to play anything resembling attacking football. With United parking the bus on three halfway line as is the Special One’s want. Again the player who had romped the stadia of France over the summer was left chasing shadows under a manager whose more rent record saw failure at Chelsea last season, and left Real Madrid without fulfilling the touted promise of a Champions League title. But then again Mourinho has form in this regard in more recent times.
However, as attack is the best from of defence Mourinho felt Liverpool deserved more criticism than United for a 'cautious' approach and suggested the inclusion of Emre Can alongside Jordan Henderson stifled Pogba.
"You know, I think like everybody else the defensive side of the game I think that the team was perfect," Mourinho said at his post-match press conference. "Even the goalkeeper was on holiday for 90 minutes but he had two big saves to do and he did.
"When we recovered the ball I was expecting the team to be more dangerous, in spite of having a couple of very important chances, but Liverpool did well too, they are a very good team. You like to say they are the last wonder of the world in attacking football, but they are also a team that defends and thinks defensively.
"And I think the fact they played Can and Henderson together controlled the position where Paul should be more in control because we thought they were going to play with only one player there but they played with two."
In statistical terms Manchester United had a 35% possession and with Pogba playing higher up the pitch, the world’s most expensive player attempted just 38 passes. Pogba also passed the ball fewer times than the Liverpool goalkeeper at Anfield. His woeful pass completion rate of 71.1% was worse than every single player on the pitch barring Daley Blind and Roberto Firmino. Also he had just 63 touches of the ball with James Milner having 74. Pogba’s average for the season is 89. Then he had one shot on target in his last two Premier League games. He then created one chance against Liverpool – though it was the header that should have been scored by Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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Monday, 13 June 2016
Is O'Neill the Sorcerer's Apprentice
Martin O’Neill it is, seemingly, for the Republic of Ireland vacancy barring any mishap, change of mind, or appearances of other interested candidates. Or indeed the fact that O’Neill may not even want the post. Albeit newspaper reports this week indicate that the former Northern Ireland international may have met the Football Association of Ireland interviewing duet, Dokter and Houghton. However, it maybe just a formality as other reports scream that Ipswich Town’s Mick McCarthy is rather keen too. But has yet to be spoken to by the interviewers.
Although the return of McCarthy is hard to fathom in many ways, beyond perhaps the obvious – that much enhanced pay scale that now rates to the FAI position – as he already lived the dream in 2002. Coming close to Jack Charlton’s record from 1990 and almost getting Ireland to the quarterfinals. Proving just a penalty too far for Mick’s squad in Japan over a decade ago. To relive a lesser dream now seems unusual rare, unless your name is Gus Hiddink, who has no fear about returning to former clubs once, twice or even three times.
O’Neill’s name though has been long touted as the preferred choice for the FAI, even on previous occasions. But the decision was impossible for very understandable personal reasons at the time for him to take the role. Though in 2006 he did resurface at Aston Villa where he lasted four years and handled speculation along the way that he was England boss in waiting material. Or indeed even Liverpool bound soon after Rafa Benitez was axed at Anfield.
But as Brian Clough once said about O’Neill “If he'd been English or Swedish, he'd have walked the England job."
On the field though Martin achieved some magic with Villa and in the 2008/09 was at one point on target to clinch a top four Premier League place. However as it is with football those dreams fell apart when a loss in the UEFA Cup led to a lengthy losing streak in the League which ended the hopes long harboured at Villa Park of a return to the Champions League.
His premature departure - virtually at the start of the 2010 season - earned him no friends as he left the Villains very much in the lurch in pre-season. And without any added silverware if the analysis were to be fulsome, his reputation was somewhat tarnished. As winning was something he had regularly done at Celtic during his five year tenure. Then reappearance at Sunderland at the end of 2011, in the wake of previous Gaffers Niall Quinn, Roy Keane, Ricky Sbrigia, Steve Bruce and Eric Black seemed uncharacteristic.
However it was a club he had supported seemingly all his life and in some way that made sense of his choice.
Time though was to prove that dreams and success are very different things and O’Neill parted company with Sunderland in the spring of 2013. Again without any silverware or additional personal honours from those gained at Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City – in his early days of management - in the last Century.
But it is as a player that Martin O’Neill’s achievements cannot be faulted, twice a Champions League medal winner, First Division winner of the equivalent of the Premier League today, twice a League Cup Champion and then Super Cup winner in 1979. All achieved with the modest outfit put together by Brian Clough at the City Ground under the name Nottingham Forest. A team that went out and redistributed most of the trophies in Europe for about five years.
Their classic rivalry with the mighty Liverpool in the late 1970’s stuff of legend. As was there first European title won in Munich in 1979 against Malmo.
A feat repeated at the Santiago Bernabeu the following year against the might of Kevin Keegan’s Hamburger SV, albeit both matches were won by just a single goal, they were still won. Still one of the teams to ever retain the European Cup trophy the others being Ajax, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Liverpool, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Exalted company it has be said, especially considering where Nottingham Forest is today in the 21st Century.
O’Neill was also part of a Northern Ireland team that reached consecutive World Cup Finals in 1982 and four years later in Mexico. Playing only in the qualifying campaign for 1986. The appearance in Spain being the most renowned as they beat the hosts - against all pre-tournament odds - and were rewarded with a quarterfinal stage in Madrid. Losing out to France one Sunday afternoon that July, understandably unable to repel the might of Michel Platini, Dominique Rocheteau, Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana, Marius Tresor, and Genghini at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.
But it was a memorable party at the Alameda Hotel that night. The team able to go home with heads held high having reached beyond their own dreams and Gerry Armstrong’s cracking goal in Valencia the abiding memory.
In Mexico four years later it was a different story and O’Neill was to miss out due to a chronic knee injury. Perhaps fortunate as passage forward that time was never going to be easy. Particularly at altitude and after drawing with Algeria in the first game, leaving the vital meeting with Spain all about payback for 1982. Then followed by a 3-0 loss to the Brazil.
On leaving Forest in 1981 O’Neill became somewhat of a journeyman with spells at Manchester City, Norwich City, Notts County, Chesterfield, Fulham and Swindon. Never able to recreate that magic of the Clough era from earlier years. Where a group of "has beens" and "unknowns" marched on Europe.
Clough and Peter Taylor gathered from Liverpool one Larry Lloyd; Frank Clark from Newcastle; John McGovern from Leeds United, then Birmingham's Kenny Burns; Banks understudy Peter Shilton; local lad Ian Bowyer, non-league find Gary Birtles, and also the irrepressible John Robertson already in house. Boosted then by the shrewd purchase in 1979 of the first million pound player, Trevor Francis. The team’s strength simply being the sum of all the funny individual parts all playing a passion game.
Of all the players in those two Champions League final teams, O’Neill remains the only one who has managed with any consequence. Holding the on-going spirit of those Clough days as his reference, and one of the few that still bears those secrets. Roy Keane perhaps another. Although the Clough of the 1990's was sadly not the same as the one that dominated Europe two decades previous.
Albeit Cloughie could still obviously spot a class player from a 100 paces.
Whether this record constitutes grounds for O’Neill to be an International manager, and one who brings success, is anyones guess. The only factor in favour being he is now older and further down his career path that a part time jobs might seemingly work better. As such partnerships when taken earlier in the managerial apprenticeship, like Mark Hughes at Wales, Steve McLaren at England, don’t work. Or with Nigel Worthington at Northern Ireland another case in point.
The FAI also wiser from their time with the playing legend that was Steve Staunton, during his time as Irish boss.
Younger managers prefer the day to day action of club football and the long intervals at National level are very frustrating. At one time too the national jobs attracted lesser pay-packets. But those days have also changed. Especially at the FAI where they now offer princely sums for a managerial post and a backroom team. All rather disproportionate for a national side ranked 60th or so in the FIFA World Rankings.
But it is more as a pundit that O’Neill has gained household fame. Perhaps also as a former undergraduate of Law at Queens University, where he studied during his time at Distillery. Even though he never completed his studies the cerebral reputation has always followed him, as he is always thoughtful and unique in his perspective at times. A bonus which has kept him at the forefront of TV punditry when out of the managerial game.
Undoubtedly that legacy of the Clough era - a man who thought, lived and worked football – also shared very clear views on how the game should be played with his apprentices. Many traits which O'Neill has inherited. Very particularly about the passing game. One very close to Clough’s heart.
"If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there."
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Friday, 13 May 2016
PSG Say Merci to Legend Ibrahimovic
Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has indicated he will leave the French champions this summer. The 34-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season.
On Friday, Ibrahimovic - who has been linked with a move to LA Galaxy - posted on social media: "My last game tomorrow at Parc des Princes. I came like a king, left like a legend."
PSG host Nantes on Saturday, before ending their season by facing Marseille in the French Cup final on 21 May.
Shortly after his tweet, the club posted an image of their top scorer this season along with the message "merci Zlatan."
Ibrahimovic, who will captain Sweden at the European Championship this summer, joined PSG from AC Milan for a reported £15.7m in 2012.
He has since scored 152 goals in 178 appearances for PSG and was top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
The former Barcelona striker is the top goalscorer in France again this season - 15 ahead of Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette.
PSG won the Ligue 1 title with two months to spare and are 28 points clear with one game remaining.
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Ibrahimovic, who has won league titles with six different clubs.
Leicester in New Era of Shirt Sponsorship
When Leicester City signed its first apparel deal with Puma four years ago, the team was firmly ensconced in English soccer’s second division. As the Premier League championship seemed less unlikely the ckub executives never even thought to include a bonus clause in its contract with Puma.
The two parties are now in talks about a new contract that would reflect Leicester’s sudden and unexpected status as England’s best soccer team, according to sources.
The terms of the existing arrangement are private, but it is worth a fraction of what the league’s traditional powers earn from their sponsors, and there are several years left on the deal.
Meanwhile, Adidas will part ways with last years ch,apions Chelsea, getting a payoff of at least £50m as the 10-year deal will end in June 2017, six years earlier than planned.
The breakup “comes as a surprise and leads to questions over what really happened behind the scenes,” Zuzanna Pusz, an analyst at Berenberg Bank, said.
“We find the event worrying, raising concerns over the intensifying battle in the European football sponsorship rights,” he said.
This season, in lieu of a bonus payment, Puma will pay for additional marketing for Leicester City, including an open-top bus tour next week and the team’s preseason tour to the US.
The sportswear manufacturer based in Herzogenaurach in Germany, was as surprised as the rest of the world by Leicester’s rise. It made about 25,000 shirts to sell to fans, an inventory that has been sold out for months.
Next season, it will produce as many as 90,000 shirts. Manchester United, the record 20-time English champions, has the UK’s biggest technical equipment agreement, a 10-year £750m (€950.3m) deal with Adidas.
Puma pays Arsenal about £30m a season, similar to Adidas’s arrangement with Chelsea.
Those figures dwarf the amount available to teams like Leicester, which typically get free-kit for the club and discounts on stock to retail to fans.
Until this year Puma’s relationship with Leicester was managed at arm’s length by a company based in Manchester that is responsible for arrangements with lower-tier teams in the Puma stable.
They include Fleetwood Town, where Leicester recruited its top scorer Jamie Vardy from.
Leicester’s unprecedented success has put the Foxes in the global spotlight, and Puma is struggling to put a value on a new deal. Leicester’s TV audiences are up more than 23% across metered markets globally with 29% growth in the UK, according to Repucom, a sports-intelligence company.
As a result, Repucom said, the team’s media value has grown 30% globally and 70% in the US, where the team’s zero-to-hero story has captured viewers’ imaginations. Puma shares rose 2.4% yesterday, while Adidas fell slightly.
| Club | Kit Supplier | Value (€/m) | Value (£/m) | Deal closed | Deal ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man Utd | Adidas | 105 | 75 | 2014 | 2025 |
| Bayern | Adidas | 60 | 43 | 2015 | 2030 |
| Chelsea | Adidas | 42 | 30 | 2013 | 2023 |
| Arsenal | Puma | 42 | 30 | 2013 | 2018 |
| Real Madrid | Adidas | 38 | 27 | 2012 | 2020 |
| Liverpool | New Balance | 35 | 25 | 2012 | 2018 |
| Barcelona | Nike | 33 | 23 | 2008 | 2018 |
| Juventus | Adidas | 23 | 17 | 2013 | 2021 |
| Milan | Adidas | 20 | 14 | 2013 | 2023 |
| PSG | Nike | 20 | 14 | 2013 | 2022 |
Saturday, 7 May 2016
Patrick Ekeng 1990 - 2016 #RIP
Cameroon International Patrick Ekeng has died after collapsing on the pitch during a match with his Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest.
The 26-year-old defensive midfielder fell to the ground without any contact with another player just seven minutes after coming on as a substitute during a league game against Viitorul Constanta.
Ekeng, who joined the Romanian club in January, was rushed to hospital where staff were unable to resuscitate him.
"Resuscitation attempts were made for an hour and half without success," Dinamo team doctor Liviu Paltinean told journalists.
Fans of the Bucharest club gathered outside the hospital late into the night to express their grief at the player's death.
"I can't believe it. It's a nightmare. For me, for the team and for all Dinamo supporters. It's too much," said club executive director and former player Ionel Danciulescu.
In 2003, Cameroon international midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe died after collapsing during a Confederations Cup match against Colombia in France.
#RIP
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