With the Premier League season coming to an end, now seems like as good a time as ever to look forward and see which teams are in good shape heading into next season. There is still one trophy up for grabs, though, and if Manchester United were to beat Barcelona in the Champions League final at the end of the month, it would go down as a truly great achievement. Sir Alex Ferguson has won a fair few trophies in his time at Old Trafford, but would that trump them all?
Great times are surely waiting for United’s neighbours, Manchester City. City ended their 35 year wait for a trophy by defeating Stoke to lift the FA Cup, and if Roberto Mancini stays in charge at Eastlands, then the Italian will be looking to add to City’s trophy cabinet next season. Mancini’s men will not only be expected to challenge for the Premier League title, but having secured qualification for the Champions League, it will also be anticipated that they’ll do well in Europe, too.
Another Premier League side that look like they’re on the up are Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish has greatly transformed the fortunes of the Anfield club and there is a great sense of optimism on the red half of Merseyside. With Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez building a partnership up top, Raul Meireles and Maxi Rodriguez finding some form, Martin Kelly leading a host of impressive youngsters and Steven Gerrard to return from injury; Liverpool could be just a couple of signings away from great times once again.
One set of supporters who are desperate for great times to come again are Arsenal fans. The Gunners have gone yet another season without a trophy and the pressure continues to build on manager Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman can’t go many more seasons without winning some silverware for the Gunners, otherwise Arsenal might be forced into doing the unthinkable and giving Arsene his P45.
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As we head into the off-season, there will be just a few weeks rest before players, managers and the ground staff get ready for yet another season. Great times are waiting for someone, but for who? We’ll just have to wait to find out, and while you’re waiting, you might just want to grab some buds…
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Rafa Benitez talked to CNN’s Pedro Pinto about the challenge of succeeding Jose Mourinho as manager of Inter Milan and his style of coaching, as well as looking back upon his time at Liverpool in the Premier League. Regarding his time at Anfield, Benitez defends his record there, claiming that he made the club big in Europe again.
PP: I wanted to go back in time a little to your first day when you faced the players for the first time. What was going through your mind and how well did you prepare that first speech taking in to account how much success they had the previous season?
RB: I think it is the same in all the teams no? When you have a new squad and you have to know them and in this case to congratulate them for everything else they have achieved. I knew 5 or 6 players, so more or less knew how they were thinking about the future or what they were doing in the past or more or less I had an idea and it was easier because they knew me too.
PP: You may have had that contact, but when you come to a new group and they are used to doing things one way, and that was successful, how difficult is it for you to come in and say ‘well yeah that was successful but I want to do it this other way’?
RB: From the beginning I wanted to keep the things they were doing well, the style of play and things on a daily basis they were doing every day, and after a while you try and do things your way, but to arrive at a point of being successful, you can do things one way or the other way so there are different ways to arrive at the success. It is important to know if this is a good option we will try to follow this option.
PP: You and Jose Mourinho were rivals in England, and you succeeded him here. Did you feel people were still talking about him here when you came, and did that make it difficult for you?
RB: No I think it is always the same when you go to a club that has won something. When I arrived at Valencia they were playing in 2 Champions League finals so people were talking about how the team is strong, and a new manager will change things. Liverpool was the same, they were talking about the past and how they were winning trophies so it was a question of time. Here it was more difficult at the beginning, they had won the three titles, the three also that they had. Again we have to watch the future. This team has won the Italian Super Cup, and this is a minor trophy you won, but it is still a trophy, so hopefully now we can win the Intercontinental Cup, and everything will be easier.
PP: Different managers have different styles. Some are more enthusiastic, some are more controlled, how would you describe your own style? Some say you are very detached, when you are on the bench you don’t have a lot of feelings. How would you describe yourself?
RB: That is not true, so obviously if you can see any of our games you can see it is not true. I have passion, I have control, two things it is sometimes not easy to put together, but I like my job, I like to teach and I like to be involved and to show something to the players at the same time I have to think. So I need control, I need to know what is going on and to find a solution at the same time. I think we are in the big brother society so if you do more you are better, but you have to do what you have to do.
PP: What impressed you the most when you got to Inter?
RB: I would say to you that this is a big club. You can see that this is a big club. The mentality of the fans is similar to the mentality of the Liverpool fans, they are behind the team and they try to be behind the team and push them. The mentality of the players, the majority of them, they are very good professionals with a good approach, and this is very important if you want to keep winning games.
PP: You mentioned Liverpool, and I want to ask you a couple of questions about Liverpool. It’s not been a very long time since you left, but so many things have changed. When you look back upon your time there, what do you feel?
RB: Well I am really proud that I was the manager, the feeling, the relationship with the fans and the city. I was really comfortable there, and still I have my house there so always the same, if I finish here in ten years time, I will go back there so it was really good for me and my family.
PP: You’ve been asked a couple of times in press conferences about Liverpool and the new manager. I’ll be honest, I was entertained by the philosophical remarks you made, the priest and the sugar, the milk. How do you see the club how it is now?
RB: I still have a lot of respect for Liverpool and Liverpool Football Club, so I don’t really want to talk about them. But sometimes when someone says something I have to respond with what is in this case what I know. But again I would prefer not to say anything because I wish them all the best, I wish to stay in a really good position and do really well because for me it is what I feel too.
PP: But how difficult was the last year for you? Were you treated unfairly by the club?
RB: Again I would prefer to not talk too much about that so the people that were there are really proud now again. We have the opportunity to give them back the possibility to say I am a Liverpool Football Club fan and I support this big club. We gave to them this back by working very hard and winning. It wasn’t just Istanbul, it was more trophies, more finals, semi-finals quarter finals. The team was again very important in Europe and the fans, they know.
Interview transcript provided by CNN International.
Both Wayne Rooney and Tom Cleverley will miss England’s international friendly against Holland through injury.
Rooney has a throat infection, whilst Cleverley is still not back playing after a long-standing ankle injury.
Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the pair’s absence, and the Scottish coach hopes to have the duo back for Manchester United’s game against Tottenham at White Hart Lane next weekend.
“They’ll be out,” he told Sky Sports after his side’s Premier League win at Norwich on Saturday.
“Wayne has still not recovered from his throat infection, so hopefully we’ll get him ready for next Sunday, when we have a big game at White Hart Lane,” he concluded.
The Telegraph also indicate that Gareth Barry is a worry for Stuart Pearce, as the Manchester City midfielder is still suffering from a back spasm that he picked up against Porto in the Europa League.
Darren Bent is also ruled out as the Aston Villa man has an ankle knock; Danny Welbeck may well be in line for a start duo to the injuries.
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Liverpool forward Dani Pacheco spent the last part of this season on loan at Norwich City and although he didn’t start as many games as he would like he was very much part of things. It is then fairly inevitable to wonder what will happen to Pacheco next season. Clearly at the moment he will go back to Liverpool, work hard over the summer and try and get into the Liverpool first-team.
But if he isn’t likely to get an opportunity at Anfield then he could do a lot worse than spending at least one more season at Carrow Road. Last time Norwich were a Premiership side they recruited David Bentley on a season-long loan and he was an integral part of the Norwich first-team. It’s a shame his career has taken a nose dive since. However, his time at Norwich benefitted both Arsenal and Norwich and was an important step that allowed Arsenal to sell the player to Blackburn.
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That same season Norwich invested around £3m in Dean Ashton and had a role in developing him into a top Premier League and England player that persuaded West Ham to part with over £7m to buy him. It is a real shame that injuries ended the career of a player that could have been one of England’s best old fashioned centre forwards. Another England player Scott Parker also once had a spell on loan at Norwich.
Pacheco on loan at Norwich next season would appear to benefit everyone. Norwich can get a top quality striker at a low price and Liverpool can get some much needed Premier League experience into the player. Kenny Dalglish will also know that Norwich like to play football in the right way and with a style that will benefit the young Spaniard. Therefore, the only slight concern can be on how often Pacheco will play. But even if you assume he won’t be an automatic starter it will still be hugely beneficial for him to start games every now and again, make an impact from the bench on a regular basis and simply be involved in the first-team squad. Certainly this has to be better than only playing the odd reserve game – which may be the case at Liverpool.
Join the conversation on Twitter and tell me where Pacheco should play his football next season
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In his Sun column today, Harry Redknapp has stated that “Manager’s don’t have any power” and that “all the power in football these days lies with the top players”. But in the current football world, is this a situation that can ever been altered, and if so, is it something modern football clubs would want to change?
Although the Wayne Rooney saga has seemingly abated, with the 24 year-old signing a new 5 year deal with Manchester United, this does not mean the debate surrounding ‘player power’ will subside.
Many have pointed to the Bosman and Webster rulings by FIFA as enhancing ‘player power’, but these rulings are more a consequence of modern football rather than a cause of increased individual power within the game. It is perhaps too early to examine the ramifications of the Webster ruling, having only come into effect in 2006, but the Bosman ruling has mainly concerned lesser players, like its namesake, Jean-Marc Bosman, and has prevented clubs exploiting these individuals, with only a handful of high-profile Bosman transfers in its 15 year existence.
It is perhaps in the genesis of the Webster ruling however, that we can begin to ascertain not only the modern origins of ‘player power’, but also the relationship modern football players have with their respective clubs.
Ever since the Bosman ruling of 1995, the European Commission had been closely following FIFA’s transfer policy, lobbying the world footballing body to bring their transfer system, specifically, but not exclusively, their guidelines on the freedom of movement of players, into line with other industries. It is here, in the terminology of ‘other industries’ that we can gauge some players’ seemingly unapologetic self-importance.
This essentially meant that the EC saw football as an industry, the football clubs as businesses and the players as employees, and although the supporters still attached the highest level of emotion to the game, this is precisely the perception modern football clubs wanted to present to the world; that football was a business.
The corporate circuses that are modern football competitions, clubs and even stadia can be presented in stark contrast to the footballing landscape 20 years ago. But in the creation of the Premier League, England set the precedent for football to become the financial colossus that it is today, threatening to destroy itself with its own enormity. Now I am not saying the creation of the Premier League has been detrimental to the standard of football or the quality of the game, but with vast media revenues and endorsements up to their eyeballs, the modern footballer is a commodity to a football club without even mentioning success or silverware. So is it any wonder that some players are treating their clubs with such disrespect and disloyalty?
Players like Wayne Rooney are of a post-formation of Premier League and post-Bosman era, they are also post the, what Harry Redknapp calls, “I’m going to stick Joe Bloggs in the reserves and let him rot” era. All they have known is football as a global financial industry, and football clubs as businesses, they were signed as fiscal commodities, and they treat their clubs as employers. If the clubs are not fulfilling their respective end of the bargain, the players up sticks and leave, as in any other industry, and the managers fall somewhere in the middle of this debacle, trying to balance, juggle and please everyone, all of the time.
As Chris Coleman recently noted, football bosses have to manage up, as well as down, referring to the fact in football management you have to think as much about your relationship with the board as you do with the players. This is nothing new, but reemphasises that many managers are stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to create a sense of loyalty around a club whilst proving themselves to be financially viable in their own role.
If we see the board-manager-player relationship in a warped hierarchy, with those on the ground and at the top having more power than the man in the middle, we can view how it is quite often the manager that is more expendable than anyone else. This isn’t necessarily the case with every manager and many, like Sir Alex Ferguson, have built a reputation for themselves at a club and are very often on an equal footing with both board and players, as has been shown in Sir Alex’s handling of the Wayne Rooney affair. But having seen Rooney throw his weight around, it is clear that even the likes of Ferguson can be shaken.
Top players will always be in command and control of their own futures, but with a new breed of financially conscious football players coming through, it won’t be long before more mediocre players are pulling a stunt like Rooney. As for whether this ‘player power’ situation can be altered or reversed; this is highly unlikely unless the self-sufficient financial snowball that is modern football crashes and burns. However, as for whether modern football clubs would want the situation changed, well, with the exception of clubs with less monetary or global clout, I can’t see why these businesses would want anything but what essentially equates to a footballing free market economy, where the trading of goods has as limited restraint on it as possible. While this is the case ‘player power’ will continue and grow, unchecked and unabated.
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It has been a thrilling year of Premier League football with landmark occasions and undoubted talent arriving on our shores. Goal-scoring has improved, defending hasn’t, but plenty of action packed matches and an improvement in how fans can watch the games means it has never been better to be a fan of English football.
Everyone will have their highlights on 2011, whether it be the possibility of Robin van Persie breaking records, Manchester United v Barcelona in the Champions League final, West Ham’s relegation or the fact that Fabio Capello is nearing the end of his England reign.
Certain players have disappointed and let down clubs but numerous players have excelled and gone from strength to strength, whether they have come through the ranks or become an unsung hero, here is a look at the top ten most improved players of 2011.
Click on Kyle Walker to the top 10
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Mirror Football is reporting that Newcastle is ready to join the hunt for Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, however they are likely to face competition for the 18 year old from arch-rivals Sunderland. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is working through an extensive list of targets and Wickham is believed to be an option.
Wickham is the sort of raw talent that Pardew would hope to lure to Newcastle with the promise of more first-team football than he would likely get if he joined a team like Arsenal or Spurs. However, Steve Bruce is looking to substantial add to his striking options next season; Bruce is targeting as many as three new forwards and has described Wickham as the top young striker of his generation.
Wickham has been attracting plenty of interest from Premier League clubs and he has scored 8 league goals this season; Wickham has also represented England at U16, U17, U19 and U21 level. Wickham extended his contract in January until 2013 – but it is believed that there is a clause in the contract that would allow Wickham to move for a fee in the region of £15m, it is also believed that Tottenham have first refusal on the player. Wickham signed an extra one year extension in April committing him until 2014.
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New Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier is intent on making changes at Villa Park, but accepts that it will take time to implement his plans.
Houllier takes charge of Villa for the first time when they take on Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the Carling Cup on Wednesday evening, having signed a three-year deal as Martin O'Neill's successor.
The Frenchman told reporters:"In the short term I need to know the players more and they need to get used to the different types of training – more continental in terms of tactics and a variety of drills.
"It will take time to implement and be accepted. You come with philosophies and beliefs and need to convince the players to do them.
"Will we be playing in a different way? Obviously it won't be done overnight. You can't change habits in the middle of a competition, it has got to be gradual.
"The first mission is to get results, the second is to be entertaining. At the top level you need entertainment for TV and the fans. That will take some time.
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"But the players are eager to improve and everyone can progress provided the right environment and motivation is there.
"We have to improve in a few areas and the players know that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It only comes round twice a year and it’s always far more exciting than Christmas. Christians have Easter, children have birthdays, but for us football fans, the most important dates on our calendars are August 31 and January 31. Yes, it’s transfer deadline day. Prepare yourselves for a day of endless rumours of who goes where. Has Michael Owen been spotted in a Brighton supermarket? Did Fernando Torres really check into that Liverpool estate agent? And surely that wasn’t Lionel Messi in the dark sunglasses making his way through Leeds/Bradford Airport with a load of LUFC officials in tow.
Either way you put your work on hold, pop on Sky Sports News and settle down for the day. But not before you’ve enjoyed The Coin Toss’ Top 10 Deadline Day moves.
Click on Wayne Rooney to unveil the top 10
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Read more of my articles at The Coin Toss
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Two Midlands relegation candidates coming off heavy defeats will meet on Sunday, when Birmingham welcome Wolves to St Andrew’s.Mick McCarthy’s Wolves side have been entrenched in the bottom three for much of the season, and are sitting second from the bottom with four games to play – one point short of safety after their 3-0 mauling at Stoke on Tuesday.
Birmingham, meanwhile, are faring slightly better in 15th place, but are only four points clear of the drop zone.
Last Saturday, they ran into a rampant Liverpool outfit at Anfield, finding themselves on the wrong end of a 5-0 thrashing.
It has been a season of contrasting fortunes for Alex McLeish’s men – with their Carling Cup triumph over Arsenal on February 27 offset by some poor form in the league that has them in danger of becoming only the second side ever to win the league cup and be relegated in the same campaign.
In their only other meeting this season, a Stephen Hunt goal on the stroke of half-time was enough to secure Wolves a 1-0 win at Molineux.
Both managers have injury concerns, with Birmingham defenders Scott Dann and Martin Jiranek, plus striker Obafemi Martins all in doubt.
McLeish is hopeful big striker Nikola Zigic can overcome his groin and hip problems in time to play, but Enric Valles, James McFadden and reserve goalkeeper Maik Taylor are unlikely to play again this season.
First choice ‘keeper Ben Foster, who hobbled off with a thigh injury just before half-time in the Liverpool match, is expected to play
For Wolves, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is doubtful after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring injury, but Steven Fletcher could be available despite limping off against Stoke with a knee problem.
Irish duo Kevin Doyle and Hunt are nearing returns from their respective hamstring and hernia complaints, but are long shots to play against Birmingham.