Manchester United

After an incredible season in which Manchester Unitedd completed the double of Premier League and Champions League, one wonders whether there is a need to strengthen the squad. But, there is.

Right Back

United need a right back in the mold of left back Patrice Evra - capable going forward and supplying the crosses. They were chasing Jose Bosingwa of Porto but Chelsea beat them to his signature.

Striker:

A striker is also a top priority since Saha will be sold to the highest bidder. Wanted - a tall striker with a good physical presence and excellent finishing capabilities!

Meanwhile, there is daily speculation about Ronaldo leaving and the latest rumor is that a bid for 64 million pounds along with Robinho would make Man Utd sell their most valuable asset and the likely European and World Player of the Year.

Possible Ins

In: Dani Alves (Sevilla), Micah Richards (Man City), Philip Lahm (Bayern Munich), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Miguel (Valencia), Huntelaar (Ajax), Benzema (Lyon), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Ashton (West Ham), Berbatov (Tottenham), Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff), Valencia and Palacios (Wigan)

Possible Outs: Pique (to Barca), Silvestre (to Bordeaux), Ronaldo (to Real), Fletcher, Kuszack, and Saha

Manchester United Utd have reportedly made bids for French teen sensations Jeremy Helan and Darnel Situ. It would be great to get Richards and Benzema, but the possiblity of getting Richards is extremely remote. Aaron Ramsey looks promising and could be one for the future. Ferguson must be looking at offloading two of Fletcher, Saha, and Silvestre. If Ronaldo were to leave, I would splash the cash and buy Ribery from Bayern.

Chelsea

For Chelsea, the season began and ended in disappointment. One expects Roman Abramovich to splash the cash and get some of the best but 500 million pounds in investment, it remains to be seen how much further he wants to go.

The manager:

Avram Grant is likely to be sacked and replaced by either ex-Barca manager Frank Rijkaard, Roberto Mancini (Inter Milan), or Guus Hiddink (Russia). I expect wholesale changes to the squad that failed to win a trophy this season, after losing out to Manchester United in the Premiership and the Champions League and to Tottenham in the Carling Cup.

Frank Lampard is being linked with Inter Milan but I am sure Lamps is just holding out for a huge bumper deal. Chelsea will give him that deal as it plans to build a team around Terry and Lampard.

Didier Drogba looks certain to leave after whining through the season about how much he misses Jose Mourinho. Milan should be his likely decision but whether its Inter or AC remains to be seen. Whats going to be the fate of Andrei Shevchenko? Will Shaun Wright Phillips finally leave? Its going to be an interesting summer at Stamford Bridge.

Possibe Ins

Ribery (Bayern), Ramos (Real Madrid), Ronaldinho (Barca), Van der Vaart (Hamburg), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Dos Santos (Barca), Huntelaar (Ajax), Richards (Man City)

Possibe Outs

Drogba, Malouda, Bridge, SWPhillips, Belletti, Shevchenko, Kalou, Sidwell, Pizzaro, Ben Haim, Cudicini

“The Premier League has proposed an international round of league games to be played in five cities across the globe from 2011 to cater for the worldwide demand for English football.”

When Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced his ambitious plan to exploit English football’s popularity and expand outside England, there were mixed reactions to this plan. While a few managers such as Arsene Wenger and Roy Keane gave their backing to the plan, most fans were unanimous in their opposition to the proposed 39th league game abroad.

There are certainly pros and cons to this highly controversial plan, and there are some questions that still need to be addressed before a final decision is taken.

Pros

The precedent was set by NFL, which was taken from the United States to London and it was appreciated by the fans. Premier League is a major attraction throughout the world and is a cash-cow waiting to be milked.

Fans around the world will have the chance to watch wonderfully talented players from the world’s strongest league playing competitive football.

With more revenues, the sport can witness a tremendous improvement in the not just the quality of players but also in that of the stadiums and other related facilities.

As is the case with any other sport, football needs to keep evolving and innovating if the sport needs to expand globally and dominate other sports in terms of viewership.

Cons

The idea is seen as solely motivated by money and with utter disregard for the fans.

It is a worrying trend that local fans are often marginalized by clubs as the clubs seek to establish a global fan base. Fans often feel that the game is beginning to forget its roots and the tradition of local club support. This might force fans to be up in arms against their clubs, and ultimately turn their back on the Premier League.

There is already talk of too much football and no winter-break. There is talk of accommodating the 39th game in January, a time when clubs play for the league, the league Cup, and the FA Cup.

Other national associations will want to protect their own leagues and clubs and furthermore, they will not be happy about the Premier League coming to their domain and taking sponsors, and advertising revenue.

Questions

What will happen to season-ticket holders who support their club every game in the home stadium but cannot afford to travel overseas?

Will the money made from these matches be put back into youth and grassroots football? Will clubs lower ticket prices?

If this becomes a huge success, what is the guarantee that the Premier League will not eventually play more games abroad?

Will fans abroad be as interested in a Derby-Boro match as they would be in a ManUtd-Newcastle game?

Will kick-off times be arranged to suit both the spectators in the stadiums abroad and the local supporters watching their clubs on television in England?

As much a fan I am of the Premier League who would love to watch EPL clubs playing competitive games in India, I am averse to the idea of the proposed 39th game abroad. Football clubs, throughout the world, have been established on a strong supporter base, built and passed over generations. I have personally witnessed the passion of local club supporters who have struck with their respective clubs through decades of triumphs and losses, and I believe that if the Premier League, whose enormous success was possible only due to the support of the local fan base, antagonizes the local fans by sticking to its plan of holding overseas games, the game will eventually lose its soul.

Do you think EPL games should be played abroad in cities around the world?

“If you don’t put them in then you can’t know what you’ve got…if they’re good enough, they’re old enough” - Sir Matt Busby

February 6, 1958 - On that fateful winter’s day exactly 50 years ago, the plane carrying Manchester United players back from a victorious European match at Belgrade, crashed after a failed attempt to take off after a refueling stop in Munich. The club lost 8 players in that tragedy and this became a moment of profound significance not just in ManUtd’s history but also in English football’s.

Sir Matt Busby, the ManUtd manager, had envisioned a golden age for ManUtd after being crowned English champions in 1956 and 1957, with a team of young starlets including Duncan Edwards, the then golden boy of football and the youngest international in England’s history. Busby had dreams of European domination, but those dreams lay in tatters while he lay critically injured in a hospital, but more painful was the excruciating news that he had lost most of his squad.

Apart from Duncan Edwards, ManUtd lost their captain Roger Byrne, David Pegg, Eddie Colman, Tommy Taylor, Billy Whelan, Mark Jones and Geoff Bent. Eight journalists, 3 United staff, one crew member, the co-pilot, and two other passengers lost their lives.

Busby recovered from his injuries and so did a few other players including Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, and Bill Foulkes, among others. Amazingly, ManUtd made it to the FA Cup final, where they lost to Bolton Wanderers. But then, the club stumbled into the wilderness for a few years but who would have thought that Sir Matt Busby would build another great ManUtd side, a team that played some of the finest football in Europe.

At a time when football was moving towards conservatism and tactical organization, Busby’s refusal not to compromise on the club’s attacking style of football led to the club winning its first European title in 1968, the first English club to do so.

It is not the Munich tragedy that propelled United into a club with a worldwide fan base but it is the way they regrouped under their manager Sir Matt Busby, deriving strength from adversity, building a great side that consisted of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, and George Best, and winning the European Cup on the 10th anniversary of the Munich tragedy.

Fabio Capello’s first England squad, for the friendly against Switzerland on February 6^th, has been the topic of much debate ever since his appointment as manager, with many questions being asked: Would he go for youth over experience? Would all the members of the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ still be around? Would David Beckham be given his 100^th cap? Who would be the next victim of the English No.1 Jersey? Could he trace down at least a few members of the elusive species that is the Prolific English Striker? Answers at the bottom of the page…

Goalkeepers: S Carson (Aston Villa), D James (Portsmouth), C Kirkland (Wigan)

David James has been around for donkeys’ years, and in spite of his reputation for the occasional cock-up, is currently in the form of his life. Scott Carson has been terrific for Aston Villa, and Chris Kirkland is the only chance Wigan have of staying up. Paul Robinson isn’t even getting a game for his club, and is perhaps the first name on the list of high-profile casualties from squads under previous regimes. Expect Carson to start, with James as second choice.

Defenders: W Bridge (Chelsea), W Brown (Manchester United), A Cole (Chelsea), C Davies (Aston Villa), R Ferdinand (Manchester United) G Johnson (Portsmouth), L King (Tottenham), J Lescott (Everton), M Richards (Manchester City), N Shorey (Reading), M Upson (West Ham), J Woodgate (Tottenham)

Capello has selected 12 defenders in his first provisional squad, of whom at least 2 are sure to be pruned at the weekend when the final squad of 23 is named. The most remarkable inclusion is Curtis Davies, currently on loan at Villa from West Bromwich Albion. Only 22 years of age, the defender got off to a rocky start this season, but has since been a rock for Villa, to the extent of dispatching Olof Mellberg to right-back. Rio Ferdinand is sure to start, most likely beside Ledley King in the heart of the defense. Ashley Cole is far from a shoo-in at left back, but possesses more quality than Wayne Brisge, and should expect to start, with Micah Richards on the opposite flank. Richards may argue that centre-half is his best position, but England have no dearth in that department. Besides, his versatility ensures that he will provide a physical presence, merged with pace and bags of skill, at right-back.

Midfielders: G Barry (Aston Villa), D Bentley (Blackburn), M Carrick (Manchester United), J Cole (Chelsea), S Downing (Middlesbrough), S Gerrard (Liverpool), O Hargreaves (Manchester United), J Jenas (Tottenham), S Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), A Young (Aston Villa)

Capello has made the brave decision to exclude David Beckham from his first squad, with the legendary midfielder on the verge of his 100^th Cap. In doing so, he echoes his predecessor Steve McClaren (and we all know how that turned out), but this is sure to be the right move. Beckham has had no competitive football of late, and strong cases can be made for the likes of David Bentley and Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right-wing. One suspects that a match-fit Beckham would figure somewhere in the manager’s plans, but this remains to be seen. Barry and Gerrard are expected to start in midfield, although Jermaine Jenas has been wonderful this season and surely deserves a look-in at some stage. While it would be wonderful to see Ashley Young start on the left-wing, Joe Cole is far the more likely to be on the pitch at kick-off next Wednesday against Switzerland.

Forwards: G Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), P Crouch (Liverpool), E Heskey (Wigan), M Owen (Newcastle), W Rooney (Manchester United)

Gabriel Agbonlahor will no doubt be elated to have earned his first call-up to the senior squad. A regular at U-21 level, the 21 year old has been an attacking force in a Villa side currently sitting in 5^th place in the league. Peter Crouch can’t seem to get a game for Liverpool, but scored in front of Capello at Luton Town, which must have gone down well. Crouch’s regular omission from the Liverpool squad is a mystery to many football fans, and the striker has a fantastic goals rate in the England shirt. Veterans Michael Owen and Emile Heskey have been retained, as has the mercurial Wayne Rooney, who sets up as many goals as he scores.

Answers: Yes. Quite a few, but signs are promising. Not yet. A 23-year old loanee from Liverpool. Given the resources, he’s done pretty well – Yes.

Disclaimer: Any attempts to predict the starting line-up in the above article have been made with the assumption that Fabio Capello will play a 4-4-2 formation.

Technorati Tags: Fabio Capello, England, David Beckham, Manchester United, Liverpool

As I watched Ronaldo get his first hat-trick for ManUtd against a manager-less Newcastle United, I couldn’t help wonder whether there was any other club which are better masters of their own self-destruction than Newcastle, who despite their claims of being a big club, continue to plunge deep into a quagmire of desperation. Sam Allardyce was the 7th manager to get the boot this season in the Premier League, and despite the fact that they played terrible football, it wasn’t fair to judge Big Sam after just 8 months.

The St. James’ Park stadium of Newcastle has the 3rd highest capacity in England (excluding Wembley) after ManUtd’s Old Trafford stadium and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Newcastle have a large fan base and that the fans are very dedicated to their club in spite of poor results in recent times can be seen from the fact that home games are almost always full. But the fans have far too much expectations and they seem to forget the fact that they last won a major trophy almost 40 years ago.

The Newcastle manager job has always been a poisoned chalice. Just look at the list of great personalities who have been unsuccessful in the past decade - Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness. I wouldn’t blame Harry Redknapp for his decision to stick with Portsmouth. Who in his right mind will take up this job? And, it doesn’t help when foreigners takeover the club, splash money, and then expect returns immediately. Well, not every club can turn into a Chelsea. So, Newcastle will keep looking for their Messiah.

One just has to take a look at ManUtd and Arsenal, which have gained due to the stability provided by their respective boards. Sir Alex has been at ManUtd for 21 years while Wenger is entering his 12th year at Arsenal. The trigger-happy football chairmen of today would do well to remember that Sir Alex did not deliver his first trophy until the fifth year of his reign. And, we all know what ManUtd has achieved in the past decade and a half under the indomitable Scot.

Rafa Benitez seems to be the next on the list of managers likely to get the sack. This is the guy who won the Champions League for Liverpool in his first year. And, when the club owner accepts that he had talks with Jurgen Klinsmann about taking over Liverpool, it clearly undermines Rafa’s position at the club.

At present, it is difficult for managers to operate against a background of constant criticism and incessant speculation about their future. It is important for club chairmen and supporters to realize that the success of the football club on and off the pitch depends on a long-term strategy replete with the right foundations. As Sir Alex would say “Stability and consistency is the basis of success at any club.”

List of sacked managers in 2007-2008 season:

Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
Chris Hutchings (Wigan)
Sammy Lee (Bolton)
Martin Jol (Tottenham)
Billy Davies (Derby)
Lawrie Sanchez (Fulham)
Sam Allardyce (Newcastle)

What do Indian cricket and English football have in common? Gary Kirsten and Fabio Capello - both are foreigners about to take charge of the national teams of the most passionate sport in India and England - cricket and football, respectively. And that’s not where the similarity ends.

Couple of months back, in a surprising move, Gary Kirsten was chosen to be the manager of the Indian cricket team, ahead of other luminaries such as Dave Whatmore (appointed as head of NCA instead), John Buchanan and Martin Crowe. He has no previous coaching experience but had a glittering test and ODI career for South Africa.

Meanwhile, after Steve McClaren was sacked following England’s disastrous exit from Euro 2008, the English FA said they would appoint a world-class manager and courted ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho before the latter rejected the job. The FA has settled for Fabio Capello, an Italian with a great CV, and who has won trophies with big clubs such as Milan, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid.

Before we look at their challenges, let’s look at some of the similarities between Indian Cricket and English Football…

1. Cricket is by far the most popular sport in India and the pressure on the Indian team and the manager is huge. The media and the fans expect the team to win every game.
The same goes for the English football team.

2. India have been under-achievers in the game and have won the World Cup just once, in 1983. Despite a great team consisting of Sachin, Dravid, and Ganguly, India has failed to claim the ultimate prize in the sport and has never won a test series in Australia, the powerhouse in World Cricket.

The last time England won the Football World Cup was at home in 1966. Since then, they have had superstars such as Shearer, Linekar, Gascoigne, Hoddle, Keegan, Beckham, Owen, Gerrard, and Lampard but they have not even reached the final of a major Championships.

3. India looked strangely out of sorts at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean and crashed out in the group stage itself. The 2006 Football World Cup witnessed the English footballers’ wives create a bigger impact than their spouses. And, in 2007, the English team failed to qualify for next summer’s European Championships.

4. The Indian cricket team and the English football team have often been described as chokers on the big stage lacking mental toughness.

5. Indian cricket and English football are run by powerful governing bodies - the BCCI and the English FA respectively, consisting of officials, mostly old men, who have never played the sport professionally.

6. Indian cricketers and English footballers are often considered over-paid, and lacking the willingness to fight for each other. Are the sports being ruined by too much popularity, hype and money?

Real Challenge

It’s a terrific challenge for Kirsten and Capello. While Kirsten, who has previously criticized everything about India during his playing days, has neither the ego nor the dictatorial attitude of his predecessor Greg Chappell, he is a regarded as an intelligent cricketer. He not only has the task of instilling confidence and mental toughness into a team that has a new-found resolve following the Twenty-20 win and recent series victories over England and Pakistan. His other main task is to phase out ageing stars and blood a new, talented group of youngsters for the 2011 World Cup.

Capello too has the task of removing the mental block that England players seem to have when it comes to crucial matches. He has the balls to drop Gerrard or Lampard if he thinks it would benefit his team. This is the guy who has dropped Totti, Del Piero, Davids, Ronaldo, and Beckham during his long and productive club career. Moreover, the FA has to utilize his skill in such a manner that it benefits the whole coaching framework in England.

But there are certainly mixed feeling about these appointments. why does India, a nation of a billion-plus people and numerous ex-stalwarts in cricket, have to appoint a foreign manager? Why does England, the nation that takes pride in inventing football, lack world-class English managers? Do you think this is indeed a good trend?

In some games they’ve looked disjointed and careless; in some games they’ve looked like a well-oiled machine with the ability to turn over any defence in the world. In some games they’ve mixed both of the above to give watchers something altogether different. Whatever. Liverpool seem to be hitting a real run of form going into a sequence of games which could end up being season-defining.

Panic Stations

After an initial flurry of goals which saw them rise to the top of the Premiership table, the club appeared to fall apart. The dip in form which saw the side lose to Marseilles, apart from 4 altogether winnable draws, coincided with the loss of Pako Ayestaran, Benitez’s assistant of nearly a decade. But an away victory at Everton kick-started the motor, and soon they were puttering along nicely. For vast periods of play the Reds dominated Besiktas in Istanbul, but paid the price for a couple of defensive lapses. Next followed a hard-fought 1-1 against a high flying Arsenal, which could really have gone either way in spite of the Gunners’ monopolization of possession.

Robbie Returns - in more ways than one?

3 days later, Robbie Fowler returned to an emotional Anfield, only to see his side Cardiff lose 2-1 in the League Cup. As he walked out through the Shankly gates, probably for the last time, he blessed the possible successor to his legendary No.9 shirt. Fernando Torres had already shown us glimpses of his incredible ability before his untimely injury while on international duty, but his recent performances have left very few doubters that Rafa Benitez might well have pulled off the signing of the summer. The 23-year old has the opportunity to become the Dalglish to Gerrard’s Souness. This past Sunday, his delightful link-up with the Liverpool skipper seemed strangely reminiscent of Dalglish chipping the FC Bruges’ keeper from a Souness through ball in the European Cup Final of 1978. He has pace, power, skill and a terrific finish on him. And he’s only going to get better. Maybe I’m just overexcited. Anyway, moving on…

Hicks gets Rafa’s goat

A Turkish demolition job followed, setting new Champions League records and infusing the squad with confidence, which a victory at Fulham three days later did little to dissipate. Until a typically slow-for-news(!) international break saw a seething Benitez address a press conference with thunder in his face and defiance in his voice. “I am focused on training and coaching the players”, he said in response to no less than 20 different questions, prompting many to think something was wrong. Liverpool’s American owners told him to pipe down, but further shows of discontent were made. Wearing a tracksuit instead of his usual tie and coat at the game against Newcastle was strange, but his post-match interview was nothing short of scary. Rumours were rife in the media, with one tabloid suggesting Jose Mourinho was being lined up to replace Benitez. This was too much for Liverpool fans to take, and their vigorous demonstration of support for Rafa was backed up by the players beating Porto 4-1 in a crucial European game. Torres showed exactly why he was worth upwards of twenty million pounds, scoring two goals, including a sublime finish after leaving his marker spinning like a top.

The rumours were soon put to bed, albeit temporarily, and normal service has been resumed with a resounding 4-0 defeat of Bolton at Anfield. Things are looking rosy – Gerrard and Torres are already on the same wavelength, and all the new signings have bedded in well – Lucas Leiva in particular. The optimism surrounding his successful baptism of fire in the Merseyside derby has been reinforced by the all-action displays which followed. The young Brazilian has shown a good range of passing and can get stuck in with the tackles, but the most important aspect of his game appears to be his game intelligence – picking the right pass at the right time. Yossi Benayoun looks like he’s been at Anfield all his life, while Ryan Babel is clearly a striker-in-waiting, a couple of good performances on the wing notwithstanding.
Make or Break

Whether the side can maintain their form is the real question. Key players are performing – Torres has 11 goals in 17 appearances, while Gerrard has 8 from his last nine games. The next few weeks will be pivotal – a must-win game in Marseilles comes just before an Anfield summit with Manchester United, a side Liverpool haven’t scored a league goal against since 2004. With Messrs Hicks and Gillete scheduled to meet with Benitez in the aftermath, nothing really can be certain about the rest of the season. They’ve been portrayed as a club in turmoil by the media in recent weeks, and the most appropriate comment on Liverpool is that they are as enigmatic as Rafa Benitez’s goatee - things can get a little hairy, but the occasional close shave works wonders for confidence.

The inevitable was merely delayed, almost in the manner of a condemned man at the guillotine waiting for her royal highness to finish her cake. And much as that analogy left a lot to be desired, so did Steve McClaren’s ability to guide England through the choppy waters of their EURO 2008 qualifying group. The players’ performances on the night were abysmal, hardly aided by the driving rain and bog standard pitch, but the manager got his tactics wrong almost from the start. Maybe someday he will be more successful, but it won’t be with England.

In the wake of his departure, rumours have been flying thick and fast as to the identity of his potential replacements – Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Jurgen Klinsmann are just some of the names that have been thrown into the hat. But which one wants it the most? Or more to the point, who does the FA want?

Don Fabio has been an unqualified success wherever he has managed in club football – Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid can all testify to that fact. Less than 24 hours after the job was up for grabs, Capello said that it would be a “beautiful challenge”. He later claimed that he had been joking, but many believe that the interest was genuine. It remains to be seen whether the FA will take him seriously enough to offer him the job.

Similar stories have appeared in the media about Jurgen Klinsmann’s interest as well. The whole world sat up and took notice when he guided Germany to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Yet again, it’s in the FA’s hands as to whether they want him or not. It does seem odd that so many people are coming out and declaring their interest in the job – taking the FA for mugs has now become a transparent process. (Qualify for tournament, get knocked out in the quarters, wait for media to turn on you, accept massive pay-off after being forced to quit – McClaren would have loved to have gotten that far.) Still, the thought of a German managing England is almost inconceivable.

Scolari has proved himself more than once on the big stage – WC winners 2002, Euro finalists 2004, WC semis 2006. And his teams eliminated England on all three occasions, which leads to an instinctive belief that he may be the man to finally take them one step further. Heck, he’s still keen on the job, according to reports. But after the way he turned down the England position last year, it’s very unlikely that the snubbed FA will offer him a second bite of the apple.

Mourinho, as usual, is a case all to himself. It has been rumoured that several executives from the FA have been in touch with Jose’s agents, and there are indications that he might be keen on the job too. However, in sharp contrast to the others, he wants the FA to make direct contact with him – someone on the board, possibly Brian Barwick himself – and will keep his mouth shut until then. Mourinho might be just what England need – a man who can achieve success playing attractive football (remember Chelsea 2004-05, anybody?), and someone who might, just might, be able to get Lampard and Gerrard to dovetail in midfield. Plus the press couldn’t get up his back anymore than they did at Stamford Bridge. Or could they?
Other possibilities: Guus Hiddink, Alan Shearer, Marcelo Lippi

Recommendation to the FA: Fabio Capello - The man is adaptable, has his tactics spot on, can bring the best out of any group of players, and most importantly has an ego big enough to handle both the Media as well as the ‘names’ in the England Squad. Needs a translator though - Mourinho, perhaps?

England will not be in the finals of a major football tournament for the first time since the 1994 World Cup, as they lost to Croatia 2-3 at the Wembley. In a dramatic night, Croatia went two goals ahead after 14 minutes but England drew level after half-time with a Frank Lampard penalty and an excellent Peter Crouch finish.

However, Petric’s winner in the 77th minute and Russia’s 1-0 win in Andorra means England will have to watch the other big European countries converge in Austria-Switzerland for the Euro Championships.

England has one of the best squads, with lots of superstars, no doubt. But it takes an inspirational manager to mould the squad into a world-class team. England under McClaren, never looked like a ‘team’. Frank Lampard is at best, an overrated player who has Essien and Makelele doing the dirty job behind him at Chelsea. Gerrard is inspirational for Liverpool where he is surrounded by good foreign players but when has he ever shone in the English team?

No one can question their passion but Lampard and Gerrard just do not have the technique or the skill of a Fabregas or a Scholes. When was the last time we saw Lampard providing a defence-splitting pass for an England striker to score? And when his goals dried up, all we could see was a one-dimensional player. That players like Xabi Alonso, and even Cesc Fabregas sometimes do not make it to the first team, shows the quality Spain has.

Agreed that the English media puts tremendous pressure on its players but then it is the same case with Spain, Italy, and France. In fact, Spain’s Luis Aragones faced calls for resignation almost through the entire qualifying campaign.

It is not fair to put the blame entirely on Steve McClaren, his selection and tactics, since England players are not as good as they are hyped up to be. The huge influx of foreign players has definitely had a negative impact on the English national team, with fewer English youngsters getting a chance to prove themselves.

But then, who can blame top English teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool preferring to sign Portugese and Spanish youngsters when the only other option is English youngsters with limited technique. One would feel compelled to put the blame on the FA again for their failure to develop players at the grass-root level.

The failure to reach the Euro Championships (from a relatively easier group) might actually be a blessing in disguise. It has revealed some serious issues for the English FA to address. The FA has to take this opportunity and take some sincere efforts to improve youngsters at the grass-root levels. The English Premier League might be one of the best and most entertaining leagues in the world, but that just conceals the rot at the national level. It’s the bitter truth - England never truly deserved to make it to Euro 2008.

Teams for Euro Championships at 2008.

Switzerland Croatia
Austria Italy
Greece Czech Republic
Holland Sweden

Germany Poland
Romania France
Portugal Turkey
Spain Russia

November 6th 1986 is a Red-letter day in the history of Manchester United. That was the day when a fiery Scot named Alex Ferguson left Aberdeen to take charge of one of the most popular clubs in England. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Sir Alex’s spell as ManU manager has seen him secure nine Premier League titles, a Champions League title, five FA Cups, a League Cup, and a knighthood. Even at 65, he does not show any sign of slowing down and his enthusiasm for the game is still intact.

It is rumored that Fergie narrowly avoided the sack in 1990 after winning away at a 3rd round Cup tie at Nottingham Forest. ManU went on to win the FA Cup that season, kick-starting the golden years. A Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1991 after beating Barcelona in 1991 was followed by the disappointment of losing the league title narrowly to Leeds in 1992. The inspired signing of Eric Cantona in the same year propelled ManU to the inaugural Premier League title in 1993 and a League and Cup double in 1994.

In 1996, ManU overcame Newcastle, thanks to Fergie’s mindgames over Kevin Keegan and achieved a second League and Cup double. ManU clinched the treble in 1999 in a sensational manner, winning a dramatic Champions League final, beating Bayern Munich 2-1, the League title, and the FA Cup. In 2001, Fergie accomplished a hat-trick of Premier League titles, becoming the only manager to achieve this feat with the same team.

One more league title followed in 2003 and when calls for Fergie’s head increased after a few trophy-less years, he masterminded yet another league triumph in 2006/2007. Fergie always stated ‘his greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch’. I guess he has also knocked Chelsea off their fucking perch when it looked like Chelsea would dominate for a long time thanks to Roman’s riches.

No fan who has watched ManU play in the past couple of seasons would have any reason not to believe in Fergie’s belief that ManU can continue to remain a force in European football for years to come. Fergie is certainly one of the greatest ever managers to have been involved with the game. One more Champions League title for this living legend, and he will gladly fade into the sunset.