This week, that means the first spate of qualifiers for Euro 2012, as well as plenty of fixtures in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and the US.  If you didn’t catch our big Euro preview midweek, it’s right here.  The upcoming matches aren’t all that has fans of the European game abuzz this week, though.  The transfer market has closed, although not without a flurry of last minute business.

Now that Alex has this transfer thingy down, maybe he can find a decent barber.

If you see a smiling Harry Redknapp walking about London, during the break, don’t ask him for an autograph.  His hands are still swollen from a last desperate grab, just as the transfer window slammed shut.  His grin is genuine,  though, because coming away with Real Madrid’s surplus midfield magician, Rafael van der Vaart, for Tottenham, was certainly worth the pain.

In Birmingham, Alex McLeish has no need of painkillers.  His timing was much better than Redknapp’s, as he landed Barca benchwarmer, Alex Hleb, Chilean World Cup winger Jean Beausejour and the towering Spartak Moscow centre back, Martin Jiranek, all earlier on deadline day,.  With the trio joining the likes of Matt Derbyshire and Ben Foster as newcomers to City, the Blues are looking good to improve on their ninth place finish, last term.  Now chairman, Peter Pannu is on the hook to sign the Scot to a new deal, after having made some unflattering remarks regarding his ability.

Most players only do this after scoring a goal; For Robinho, this is his reaction to everything.

While McLeish and Redknapp were adding to David Cameron’s headaches over immigration, Man City provided some relief for the Tory PM, shipping the red tagged Brazilian, Robinho, to AC Milan, at well over a 50% discount on his £32M purchase price of two years ago.  Although Silvio Berlusconi will need to find some spare change hidden under his mistress, sorry, mattress to exercise the option to purchase Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona, for €24M in one year’s time, the suddenly economically minded Italian president at least broke even on the Robinho deal, by sending Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to Schalke 04 for €13M.  With the aging squad he has, if the lecherous Berlusconi can keep getting these kinds of players through the door without cracking open his wallet, maybe he does deserve to continue running the entire country for a while longer.

Back in England, all twenty Premier League clubs submitted their 2010 rosters on Wednesday.  Despite all the kerfluffle, no one seemed to have much trouble complying with the Homegrown Rule.  Many clubs simply named less than the maximum 25 non-homegrown players to their squad and supplemented those they did with a bevy of youngsters.  In fact, Arsene Wenger, who is known the world over as a despiser of the rule, got in one last dig, by naming just a 20 man roster, accompanied by a whopping 56 under-21′s.

Oh, and we almost forgot.  Mikel Arteta won’t be playing for England.  The FIFA archivists, working long into the night in their Zurich vaults, uncovered an obscure rule which prevents the Everton midfielder from featuring for the Three Lions.  Apparently, since he played for Spain as a wet-behind-the-ears teenager, without holding a UK passport at the time, it won’t matter if he obtains one now.  That’ll teach us to write a feature article on the subject.

Not a person to be reasoned with.

The  international matches, all scheduled on Friday, make for an early weekend in Europe,  but Monday is the Labour Day holiday in North America.  For MLS fans, that’s not a reason to celebrate.  To them, the holiday is like some horribly mutated version of Groundhogs Day.  The difference, in this case, is that instead of a cute little bucktoothed rodent popping out of a hole, hoping to avoid its own shadow, a pair of terrifyingly large and hideous monsters, known as the NFL and NCAA football emerge from their lairs and stomp on anyone not wearing a football jersey decorated with large numbers on both sides.

Outsized and outnumbered, MLS will soldier on with a full slate of fixtures this weekend.  Mexico, however, features just a single match on its calendar.  Experts believe this has direct relation to the fact that most US Border Patrol agents are massive grid-iron fans, who would never miss opening day.

In the southern half of the Americas, Corinthians legend Roberto Carlos can rest easier tonight.  After years of study, French physicists have confirmed that the incredible bend that the former galactico put on his infamous 1997 free kick against their home side, was indeed no fluke and that the Brazilian deserves every accolade for greatness he receives.

It’s one thing for a planet full of pubcrawlers to argue that you’re the most amazing left back of all time but it’s another when science is on your side.  Forget string theory and quantum mechanics, this is research grant money well spent.

Now to what’s on tap this weekend.  The WFC gang is back to serve it up but you’ll have to supply your own pretzels.

That mad Baggins is off again...

From the desk of the vacationing Geoff Edwards

Belgium v Germany, Euro ’12 Group A

Given that many of the day’s headline matches are of the killer whale versus minnow variety, this tilt stands out at first glance.  Unfortunately, Geoff notes that Die Mannschaft haven’t lost to the Belgians since 1954, which, and I don’t get to say this often enough anymore, is before I was born.  In that match, the Rote Teufel (think ManU or AC Milan) caught the Germans with a major hangover, it being the champions’ first game after winning their initial World Cup.  Thomas Vermaelen wears the armband for the hosts, while Philip Lahm, now officially caretaking for Michael Ballack, leads out the visitors.  As well, Manuel Neuer’s stellar turn in South Africa has earned him the Nr. Ein for Germany.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Liechtenstein v Spain Euro ’12 Group I

Undoubtedly the biggest mismatch of the week, newly-crowned world champions Spain will travel to Liechtenstein (population 34,761) on Friday, where they will face a country ranked an incredible 140 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Vicente Del Bosque has named a full-strength team despite the lowly nature of Spain’s opposition and it would hardly be surprising if David Villa, Fernando Torres and friends racked up a double-figure margin of victory at the Rheinpark Stadion.

Estonia v Italy Euro ’12 Group C

The Cesare Prandelli era begins in earnest tomorrow evening, as the Azzurri take on Estonia at the Lillekula Stadium in Tallinn. If a new-look Italian side can gel from the off, led out by redemption minded Daniel De Rossi and Giorgio Chiellini, then Prandelli’s men shouldn’t have a problem with their Baltic opponents, but Estonia -- ranked 94th in the world -- should not be underestimated. Players such as Tarmo Kink and Andres Oper are more than capable of punishing the Italians should they lose concentration. It should be an straightforward victory for the Azzurri but, as we saw so clearly in South Africa, Italy can be prone to self-destruction.

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Slovenia v Northern Ireland Euro ’12 Group C

The Slovenians, under Matjez Kek, have made real progress, of late. A play-off victory over Russia cemented their rise to the top table of global football and rocketed them up 60 (yes, 60!) places in the FIFA rankings, all the way to 19th.  The rangy figure of striker Mile Novakovic may cause the likes of Jonny Evans problems, as the slippery Köln striker looks to evade the clutches of his markers.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland have a problem. They never seem able to get out of a group situation. Even in their last World Cup qualifying group, they were pipped by Slovakia and (you’ve guessed it) Slovenia. Manager Nigel Worthington will no doubt be scratching his silver mane trying to fathom how his side can conquer the likes of England and Spain, yet fail dismally against weaker teams. The Northern Irish cause should be aided by long-time saviour David Healy who, reminiscent of Lukas Podolski, remains out-of-form with his club side, while invariably turning up in spades for his country.

When not whipping Wales into shape, Toshack sings lead on PS Guitar Hero.

Montenegro v Wales Euro ’12 Group G

Recently established on the international stage themselves, Montenegro, host John Toshack’s Wales, in what could be a contender for match of the week.  The Welsh posses an in-form Gareth Bale, lightning quick and blessed with a traction engine in his left boot.  Montenegro, meanwhile are blessed with two goofy-footed technicians of their own. AS Roma’s Mirko Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic, of Anfield goalscoring fame, are more than a match for the weary defence of James Collins and Danny Gabbidon.

With both sides blessed with attacking menace and cursed with frail defences, the highlight reel should be lengthy.

England v Bulgaria Euro ’12 Group G

With the retirement of talisman Dimitar Berbatov, Bulgaria have adopted a 4-2-3-1 in recent matches, with the clear aim of controlling the ball for as long as possible. Martin and Stilian Petrov, in the midfield, should provide the Bulgarians with some creative spark against the too often lacklustre English.

With the English press heavily criticising Fabio Capello of late, the knives will be out should England not win this game and comfortably. Unfortunately for Capello, his side are suffering from any number of injury problems, most notably missing first choice centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, as well as rangy impact sub Peter Crouch. This leaves the Italian the tough choice of relying on his out of favour World Cup squad or blooding unproven youngsters in a game that actually matters.

England have often struggled against possession minded sides and whilst they may run out eventual winners, I predict it to be a frustrating one, with the Bulgarians combining technique and tactics to stifle Englands attackers.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

France v Belarus Euro ’12 Group D

While this match ushers in a new era for the French, Laurent Blanc probably still doesn’t know his best eleven.  We can therefore expect wholesale changes from the World Cup team.  Philippe Mexes will likely team up with Adil Rami in defence and Loic Rémy with Guillaume Hoarau in attack. The formation Blanc will play is also a complete mystery; the 4-4-2 diamond deployed against Norway will probably change to a straight 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, due to the lack of an attacking playmaker (with Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery and Yoann Gourcuff all ruled out). The diamond in the rough is undoubtedly Florent Malouda, who has arguably been the best player in the Premiership so far this season.

Belarus will look to spring a shock on France if the hosts start slowly, but it may prove a difficult task, as key winger Aliaksandr Hleb has hardly played since April.  To be honest, though, I wouldn’t like to predict how this will pan out.

Lithuania v Scotland Euro ’12 Group I

Lithuania are still seen as minnows but Scotland will undoubtedly know the threat of their opposition, with many of the home side being current or former practitioners in the Scottish Premier League. Aberdeen’s Andruis Velicka leads the line for the hosts, while former Hearts man Saulius Mykoliunas is sure to get a hot reception, after being banned for play-acting the last time both sides met.  Eight changes have been made by Craig Levein for the match. The most notable are the omission of James McFadden and the inclusion of 40-year-old David Weir, who will become the oldest player ever to have donned the Tartan Blue.

This match will undoubtedly be a tight one, with both sides seeing the match as a proverbial six-pointer.

Avi Goldberg

Avi Goldberg

San Marino v The Netherlands

For their first qualification game, Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk must like the thought of San Marino.  The Oranje can afford to play more attacking football but the question is will coach Van Marwijk change the formation and test the new boys, midfielders Hedwiges Maduro, Theo Janssen and the ‘old’ come back of Ruud Van Nistelrooy? The coach has not given any hints whatsoever on the details of the line up but one thing is sure, the fans are expecting a lot of goals.  Playing with a 3 man defence will definitely increase their chances for a nice goal fest.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Major League Soccer

As the season hits the stretch run, with most clubs having played 22 of their 34 matches, the top clubs in both conferences are feeling some pressure.  In the east, Columbus are clinging to a four point lead over the hard charging NY Red Bulls.  The Crew are in the capital, hoping to take 3 points from lowly DC United, while Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez face a strong challenge out west, in Rio Tinto Stadium, versus holders Real Salt Lake.

Real are trying to reel in the west leading Galaxy, who have cooled of late, and would like to take more than a draw from a home match, no matter the opponent.  At the same time, they must look over their shoulders, as FC Dallas have risen out of the midden heap and are breathing down their necks.

LA are in Chicago to face a Fire side that, with the addition of Freddie Ljungberg, has rediscovered its spark.  Fully 13 points behind the 2nd place Red Bulls, with two clubs to climb over before they can even consider the New Yorkers, the Fire have a great deal of work to do.  The good news is that, through some scheduling quirks, they have 3 matches in hand on the rest of the field.  They need to make every one of those count, however.

The Mexican Apertura

If you absolutely, positively can’t do without some Mexican football this weekend, you’ll have to settle for the Guadalajara derby; it’s the only show in town. Chivas and Tecos are propping up the Group 1 table, so if it weren’t for the local rivalry, you might not think much of the prospects for entertainment.  On the other hand, Chivas haven’t really been taking the Apertura seriously, chasing, as they were, after the Copa Libertadores.  Having come up just short in that pursuit, the Goats can fully focus on butting heads with their neighbours and serving notice to the rest of the league that they are baa-a-a-ck.

Argentine Primera Division

On Sunday, Velez Sarsfield, battling it out for second place, with who else but Arsenal (de Sarandi), are confronted with a golden opportunity.  They go into Estadio Jose Amalfitani to face top of the table River Plate.  It’s a heavy-weight battle and the winner will rule the Primera Division roost.  On the other hand, if the aforementioned Argentine Gunners take an inviting 3 points at home against minnows Argentina Juniors, a draw in Buenos Aires could see both of the big boys looking up at a surprise leader.

Kris Dwyer

The Oz Files with Kris Dwyer

After last weekend, when the A-League took a ‘dive’ it’s only fitting that theres some tasty matches coming up.  First though, it’s the Socceroos.

Australia v Switzerland in Qatar

It’s a big game for Holger Osieck, the new $2million man at the head of the Socceroos.  However the ‘Roos have been dealt a blow with injuries to Michael Beauchamp (ankle), Josh Kennedy (back) and Harry Kewell (groin) limiting the squad for the upcoming international friendly match against Switzerland.  After consultation with the  three players and their clubs, Osieck has decided that they would not be required in camp.  Instead, the German has added Jon McKain and Tommy Oar into the squad.

On to the A-League, then…

Apparently, Perth have this nice chap named Fowler in their squad. Supposed to be famous or something.

Grudge Match -- Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix @ nib Stadium

Last season, the two play-off debutants faced each other in the first round, with the Phoenix taking out the match in a heart breaking penalty shootout.  The Kiwis ended up going all the way to the Preliminary Final only to be knocked out by eventual champions Sydney FC, whilst the Purple Army from the west seethed and dreamt of what might have been.

With the home side branding this as their chance for revenge, you can only expect fireworks, especially with former Glory players Jade North, Leo Bertos and new signing Nicky Ward, all making the trip west.  The Glory are at near full strength, with only Michael Baird (suspension) and Victor Sikora (long term hip injury) unavailable.

One to Watch -- Melbourne Heart v North Queensland Fury @ AAMI Stadium

Melbourne Heart are desperate to get their first win ever in the Hyundai A-League and North Queensland Fury are a team desperate to get back to winning ways.  Both sides play fluid Euro-esque attacking football, and, without a doubt, have two of the most passionate, flamboyant managers in the league, making this match a real cracker for the neutral.

..

Well, that about wraps it up.  We’ll be back on Monday with more news, reaction to the matches and, if we can twist the right arms, even a few highlights.  Enjoy the footy and we’ll see you then!

]]> http://www.worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/catch-them-if-you-can-3-5-sept-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/08/31/did-you-catch-it-%e2%80%94-28-29-aug-2010/ http://www.worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/08/31/did-you-catch-it-%e2%80%94-28-29-aug-2010/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:16:07 +0000 Chris Mann http://www.worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=5405 Another hectic weekend of footy is in the books but club managers will get a fortnight off now, to review and regroup, while many of their troops nip out for international duty.  With the transfer window closing in midweek, it will also give those gaffers with pressing needs extra time to sort out an eleventh hour deal.  So don’t put pen to paper fro West Ham quite yet, Mr. Parker.

No, Avram, I'm serious. The board said they were behind me all the way.

In Southampton, Alan Pardew was fully focused on making a last minute deal but his time with the Saints ran out much sooner than he anticipated.  One win in three matches, albeit a 4-0 thrashing of Bristol Rovers was not enough for the League One club’s board, who admitted, in their statement to the press, that giving their man the hook so early may look like panicking but, well, so what if we are?  Expect to find reports across the web, this week, that Alan Curbishley is the favourite to take over for his departed namesake and, yes, Sven may be interested in the job if the terms are right.

At the Emirates, Arsene Wenger lost a target for his annual frustration, as Robin van Persie took his yearly injury break a bit early and the KNVB, still smarting from last year’s tongue lashing from the Gunner boss, announced that they would not be calling the hobbled van Persie up for this week’s internationals.  On the bright side, it’s good news for the old horseman, Ruud van Nistlerooy, who once again finds his country in need of him.

In North America, it seems that CONCACAF may be switching its World Cup qualification format, eliminating the current Hexagon model, wherein the top six countries meet in a round robin group with three or four advancing, to two final groups of four.  Dependent upon whether the groups are drawn or seeded, the region’s two ‘super’powers, Mexico and the US, may never have to play each other, under the new system, to reach the World Cup.  Read this interesting article from MatchFit USA, to learn the reasoning behind the change.

As Bradley contemplates and decides against a move to Aston Villa...

...Juergen realises he needs to remove the 'For Sale' sign from the lawn of his Malibu villa

Also stateside, the USSF president Sunil Gulati recently met with Juergen Klinsmann, the former Germany and Bayern manager, in the wake of current manager Bob Bradley’s stated interest in the Aston Villa job.  Klinsmann was a candidate for the job, in 2006, upon leaving the Germany set-up but terms could not be reached and the decision was made to stick with Bradley.  The news had many fans of the USMNT excited, including our own Martin Palazzotto, who called for Bradley’s ouster right here on WFC .

Unfortunately, on Monday evening, it was announced that Bradley had signed a 4 year extension to remain the US coach.  All disappointments aside, this brings up some interesting questions.  Were Bradley’s interest in Villa and Gulati’s in Klinsmann both red herrings designed to push the other side closer to a deal?  Was Villa at all interested in Bradley?  Is Kevin MacDonald, with the victory over Everton, about to have the ‘caretaker’ removed from his job description?   And most importantly, is Juergen Klinsmann, right now, feeling about as used as Tony Blair backing up George W. Bush?

Elsewhere, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a little pouty on his return trip to Milan from Barcelona.  It seems he really wanted to stay with the Catalans but, nonetheless, he should definitely have seen the writing on the wall when David Villa was signed.  AC seems to be a repository for unwanted Barca stars, these days, with Ibra arriving and Ronaldinho also hanging at the San Siro while longing for the good old days.  Still, the addition of the Swede and the rumoured pursuit of Robinho, if it comes to fruition, could find Berlusconi’s boys pushing Inter for Milano and Serie A supremacy once again.

It would seem, then, there are a few players who have jetted off to play for their country but may find themselves needing to change their travel itinerary while they’re away.  As we await those developments, the WFC gang is here to catch you up on the matches you may have missed over your weekend.  Enjoy.

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards

St. Pauli 0, Hoffenheim 1 --Bundesliga

Not the exciting affair we may have been hoping for, but an absorbing game nonetheless.

In a game of 2 halves, the hosts will count themselves unlucky to have lost as, for the most part, they went toe to toe with their more expensively-assembled counterparts and created the majority of the chances, most notably a Fabian Boll header which crashed against the bar. But (and here’s one for the cliche lovers), if you don’t take your chances in top-flight football, more often than not you get punished for it.  That was the case at the Millerntor, as Isaac Vorsah poked home a Sejad Salihovic corner with just 3 minutes remaining.

Hoffenheim took home the spoils and now sit proudly on top of the league, alongside Kaiserslautern in the 100% club. Disappointment for St Pauli, but they can take heart from their performance.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

Leicester  1, Reading 2 --The Championship

To Leicester’s surprise, it was Reading who stole victory, at the Walker’s Stadium. Gylfi Sigurdsson, as always, provided a touch of class for Reading, showing great technique to dink the ball over the Foxes’ keeper, Conrad Logan.

Lloyd Dyer similarly sparkled, capping an impressive display with a 25-yard barnstormer at the start of the second half, to draw the home side level. However, it was Reading defender Matthew Mills who stole the show, first scoring from a corner, and then clearing a certain Leicester goal off the line to secure the win.

Leicester still languish in the relegation zone after this one, then, while Reading’s season has sprung to life, the Royals having now gone five matches unbeaten.

Bordeaux 1, Marseille 1 --Ligue 1

After Lucho Gonzalez gave OM an early lead, this became a tense affair, with the early sending-off of Marseille midfielder Edouard Cissé. Despite this, Marseille almost managed to hold their own, until les Girondins snatched a draw, thanks to a late goal from striker Anthony Modeste.

Unfortunately, this was not taken lightly by 400 of the Bordeaux supporters, who targeted the Marseille team bus after the match, with police intervention required to calm the situation. Their frustration will be shared (albeit to a lesser extent) by both teams, who, while they did find transportation home, remain marooned in mid-table and facing a fight to catch up with early pace-setters Toulouse.

Fabricio Presilli

Fab Presilli

Internacional 1,  Botafogo 0 --Brazilian Championship

A crucial win for Internacional, which keeps them in the race for the national title. Botafogo threw everything but the kitchen sink at the much better Internacional team but in the end it was not an unexpected result.

Boca Juniors 2, Velez Sarsfield 1 Argentinian Apertura -- 4th round

A much needed win for Boca after a rocky week. Velez now stands second at the table, and have a key match next weekend against leaders River Plate.

Fluminense 2, São Paulo 2 Brazilian Championship

The MVP of the round in Brazil, without a doubt, has to be São Paulo’s keeper Rogerio Ceni. A goal from a freekick and a penalty saved helped his team get a point away against the board leaders.

It’s been a very competitive season.After 17 rounds of play, Fluminese and Corinthians are the only two clubs with better than 30 points.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Huddersfield Town 3, Charlton Athletic 1 --League One

I thought this might be an open game -- and it was -- but the encounter at the Galpharm Stadium turned out to be far more one-sided than many had imagined. Lee Clark has got Huddersfield playing an attractive brand of football and the young manager was rewarded with a confident performance from his team, against a Charlton side much-fancied for promotion. That said, the London club were the architects of their own downfall, all three of The Terriers’ goals coming courtesy of some catastrophic Addicks defending.

Matt Fry netted a consolation in injury time but it was not enough to mask the considerable failings of Phil Parkinson’s team.

Real Mallorca 0 v Real Madrid 0 --La Liga

Well, this was all rather disappointing wasn’t it? I’d been hoping to see either an emphatic start to the Mourinho era or an epic shock sprung by Mallorca but we ended up getting neither. The home side deserved a great deal of credit for the way in which they contained the galacticos, but as a spectacle the game was very little to write home about.

As expected, the Portuguese set his team out in a 4-2-3-1 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Canales and Angel Di Maria the attacking bank of three behind Gonzalo Higuain. We got a glimpse of Mesut Ozil with half an hour to go but the German struggled to impose himself on the game to any great degree.  Madrid’s misery was compounded after the final whistle with two pieces of news, first, from their medical staff, that Ronaldo will miss the next three weeks with an ankle injury and second, from Cantabria:

Racing Santander 0, FC Barcelona 3

All in all, a mediocre start to the season from “the world’s biggest club” (TM).

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Toronto FC 0, Real Salt Lake 0 MLS

Toronto was under the gun to get a result against the defending MLS champions on Sunday, with the Crew and Red Bull’s taillights fading in the distance of the Eastern Conference table and only 3 home games, including this one, remaining in the season.  Road weary from a midweek round trip to Panama, which ended in defeat and hampered by several players being unavailable through injury or suspension, Reds’ coach Preki was forced to go with midfielders Mista and Dwayne DeRosario as his strike pair.  The results were largely anemic and at the other end Stefan Frei was forced to come up big more than once, with Fabio Espindola smelling blood in the water.

With the carnival atmosphere of the Canadian National Exhibition (the fair of all fairs) ongoing in the background, TFC battled and earned a much needed point.

Cruz Azul 3, UANL Tigres 2 Mexican Apertura

If goals are your thing, then you should have headed south of the border, rather than north.  There wasn’t a lot of defence on display in Mexico City, by either side, but los Cementeros managed to hang on for their 5th victory in 6 matches.

Emmanuel Villa had the hosts on top very early, capitalising on a poor cross, but joy can be fleeting and Itamar Batista equalised for Tigres only a minute later.  The visitors seized the momentum from that point but not the lead and, as Geoff mentioned earlier, the inevitable occurred.  Against the run of play, Javier Orozco put Cruz Azul back in front just before the half, demonstrating why he has earned his first Tri Color international call up.   In the second stanza, Alejandro Vela added to Tigres’ misery, with a scintillating left footed effort that bent its way past the keeper and into the twine.  Itamar would give his side hope, pegging one back but Jorge Torres Nilo was sent off at the death, allowing Azul to close out the match in comfort.

The loss, in combination with Puebla’s 3-1 home victory over Pachuca, dropped Tigres out of the last at large playoff spot.  The train ride home was likely a somber one but, if all that noise in the background of the highlight reel is any indication, they were probably on their way quickly.

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Lokomotiv Moscow 0, Zenit St. Petersburg 3 --Russian Premier League

It is safe to say that Lokomotiv were truly awful in this match, as Luciano Spalletti’s title contenders cruised to a 3-0 victory. Portuguese international Danny opened the scoring for Zenit with a goal steeped in controversy. Danny was presented with a tap in as the referee allowed Zenit to take a quick free-kick both confusing and infuriating the Lokomotiv players in equal measure.

Lokomotiv’s afternoon went from bad to worse as talisman and key attacking threat Dmitri Torbinskiy was sent off close to the hour mark. Zenit took advantage of the fact that Lokomotiv were a man light as Aleksandr Bukharov strode through the defence, rounded the ‘keeper and then had an age to carefully slot the ball home. The rout was completed with a delicious curling effort from Roman Shirokov, in the midst of more chaos and panic in the Lokomotiv defence.

Both teams were knocked out of their respective European competitions in the week but it is the men from St. Petersburg that proved that the poor performance in midweek was just a blip. Lokomotiv will have to regain their form fast if they are going to have any chance of claiming a Europa League spot again.

Matt Dalton

Matt Dalton with The Scouser Report

This weekend’s action, although hardly inspirational, did have a few interesting points to mull over.

Liverpool, in desperate need of both points and a performance, after a pretty timid start, grabbed all the points, albeit by the narrow margin of 1-0, against West Brom. The Reds didn’t exactly boss the game; in fact, they were only saved further embarrassment,  courtesy of a brilliant right footed volley from Fernando Torres, on the counter attack.  The Baggies, largely considered to be cannon fodder, actually had more shots on goal than their more illustrious opposition.

In the other Merseyside game, Everton were entertained by Aston Villa at Villa Park. Actually, now I come to think about it, entertained may be the wrong word! Despite dominating large portions of the game, Everton, led early on by new signing Jermaine Beckford and later by Louis Saha, were unable to break the deadlock and went down to a 1-0 loss.   Luke Young, following on from some excellent play from his namesake, Ashley, was the Toffees nemesis on the day.  How Everton lost the game, not many people (other than Geoff, of course) will fathom.

In the other games in the Premier League, Bolton valiantly fought back from two down against Birmingham to draw 2-2, especially significant given the first half sending off of keeper Jusski Jaaskelainen, following on from a rather tame slap on Roger Johnson. Refereeing really has gone barmy these days -- you only have to look at someone to get sent off! What would Tommy Smith think of this mayhem?

...This is not.

Premier League Etiquette 101: This is acceptable facial contact...

Elsewhere, Sunderland ground out a 1-0 victory at home to Man City, courtesy of a second half injury time penalty from Darren Bent, whilst Chelsea and Man United each ran out routine wins, 2-0 and 3-0 against Stoke and West Ham respectively.

In the surprise of the weekend, Tottenham went down at home to Wigan 1-0, but it was fully deserved. From start to finish, Wigan worked tirelessly to ensure that Spurs suffered from the well known “Champions League hangover”. It will be interesting to see how Spurs deal with this phenomenon. Personally, I think they may struggle.

..

Just because it’s an international week, don’t take your eyes off WFC!  On Wednesday, we’ll be publishing our Euro group qualification preview, a new Over A Pint is on the way, starring Mikel Arteta and his England suitors, and an international version of Catch Them If You Can will be out on Friday.  As well, look for the debuts of two new WFC writers, Oranje fiend Avi Goldberg and from Down Under, Kris Dwyer!

Until then, we’ll leave you with a tip for the young players out there.  Football is a demanding game.  It takes nerve, skill and, above all patience, to break down opposing defences.  Unfortunately the young Brazilian starlet, Neymar, forgot that advice in his weekend match against Goias:

Kids, now you know what your parents mean when they tell you to keep your pants on!

See you on Friday!

Mascherano, in traveling clothes.

With the transfer deadline just around the corner, the market has suddenly heated up.  Javier Mascherano’s one man work stoppage seems to have had the desired effect, for the player at least, and he is apparently on his way to Barca.  Does that mean Arsene Wenger and the Gunners can breathe a little easier re:  Cesc Fabregas’ future plans?  Don’t you bet on it!

Meanwhile, the Argentine’s action has had effect elsewhere, too, as Tony Pulis and Stoke are heading into Stamford Bridge, possibly without his preferred keeper from miodweek Asmir Begovic.  The keeper, in the second year of a multi-season deal, has decided he is destined for better things and that the future is now.  With the Blues having scored a half dozen goals in each of their first two matches,  rumour has it Pulis has warned reporters that if one more daft bugger mentions that these things tend to come in threes, he’s going to go all James Beattie on their ass.

Elsewhere, the Champions and Europa League group stage qualifiers concluded in mid-week, with one or two surprising entrants and some unexpected absentees.  The draws are set as well, with Harry Redknapp’s Spurs thrown right into the deep end, having drawn both holders Inter and Bundesliga power Werder Bremen.  At the same time, several Premier League sides began their Carling Cup quests, with only newcomers, Blackpool, failing to move on, going toe to toe at MK Dons but succumbing 4-3.

It's never pretty when the Yanks head south of the border.

The CONCACAF CL played its second round of group stage matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The surprising success of MLS clubs was cut short as they journeyed into Mexico and met their usual fate.  Although, this time, much of that had to do with a rash of suspect officiating that has the American press in a lather.  Looking on the bright side, it’s a compliment to how far the league has come, that it’s now able to blame it’s international failures on the refs.  Still, as they used to say at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, “We wuz robbed!!”

In the rest of the America’s , the Mexican, Argentine and Brazilian leagues are all sinking their teeth into the meat of their respective Apertura campaigns.  Sadly, in the far reaches of Brazil, at the grassroots level of the game, a senseless tragedy once again reminded us that there’s a dark side to our passion for the game.

That sobering event put the problems with the French national side in perspective, as Laurent Blanc named his squad for the upcoming internationals, striking a balance between the South African participants and new blood.  Although, Blanc was outspoken in his opposition to the suspensions to Patrice Evra (5), Franck Ribery (3) and Jeremy Toulalan (1), none of the trio were called up, which will therefore see Lyon’s Toulalan actually miss two matches.

Saturday and Sunday look to be just as hectic as the week has been, with the Serie A and La Liga at last joining in with the rest of Europe.  We hope you’ve checked out our previews for the two leagues but, in the meantime, the WFC gang is back to lay our picks for the best matches of the week on you.  So, break out the Tivo remote, the Orville Reddenbacher’s and enjoy the action.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

Leicester City vs Reading The Championship, Saturday

Both sides are still winless and will need to improve soon, if either is to challenge for promotion, come the final stages of the season. Leicester have had the pressure heaped upon them during the last couple of weeks, with the takeover by the Asian Football Investments Consortium. Reading, meanwhile, will look to kickstart their season after being victims of a League Cup upset, courtesy of Northampton.

Bordeaux vs Marseille Ligue 1, Sunday

The “crème de la crème” is still rising to the top in Ligue 1, as this weekend will see two big teams attempt to work their way up the table. Bordeaux have lost yet another big name this week, with Yoann Gourcuff moving to Lyon. They’re still a good side, though, and will want to show that the midfielder’s departure has not affected them.

The main attraction of the weekend will be Marseille’s front line, entirely different from last season’s due to the loss of first-choice strikers Mamadou Niang and Bakary Koné. Manager Didier Deschamps offset this by signing Andre-Pierre Gignac and Loïc Rémy (from Toulouse and OGC Nice respectively) for a combined fee of €30 million. Rémy will be under particular scrutiny, with doctors assuring us yesterday that his heartstopping play will only be figurative and not literal.  The partnership has been much-hyped in the French media, and has the potential to rival any side.

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Lokomotiv Moscow v Zenit St. Petersburg Russian Premier League, Sunday 29

Whenever a team from the capital city of the Tsar’s (St Petersburg) faces another from the capital city of Lenin (Moscow), the affairs can be highly contested.  Factor in that Luciano Spalletti’s men are seeking to cement their grasp on the league summit, by extending their four point advantage over Rubin Kazan, and the stakes get even higher.

Lokomotiv meanwhile remain locked in a battle with their own inconsistencies. The hideous banner, referring to newly signed West Brom forward Osaze Odemwingie illustrates the fans discontent with their team. Whilst they have already lost seven games, the Moscow club can still make an assault on the European places, with a mere six point gap between them and fifth placed Rostov. Expect there to be thrills, spills, the occasional display of technical brilliance and no more of cultural ignorance.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic League One, Saturday

This should be an entertaining game at the Galpharm Stadium, between two of the third tier’s most attractive sides. The hosts may have come horribly unstuck against Everton (losing 5-1) in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, but Lee Clark’s side will be keen to bounce back with a strong performance and have more than enough quality to worry a Charlton team that have got off to an excellent start this season. Expect a fast, flowing game with plenty of neat passing and incisive counter-attacking from both parties.

Real Mallorca v Real Madrid La Liga, Sunday

Jose Mourinho’s first league game in charge of Madrid will doubtless draw a lot of attention and, with a number of new signings having been brought to the Bernabeu over the summer, it will be fascinating to see the eleven the Portuguese selects for the trip to Mallorca. The memories of the excellent campaign the hosts enjoyed last season have recently evaporated in a cloud of financial difficulties and, despite finishing fifth in 2009/10, Michael Laudrup’s will be huge underdogs on Sunday night. This is a game between two teams at opposite ends of the financial spectrum and Los Blancos will be expected to march to a comfortable victory.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Cruz Azul v UANL Tigres Mexican Apertura, Sunday

Halfway through the competition, Cruz Azul sit atop Group 3, of three, in the Apertura standings and will be riding the emotions of their massive fightback, on Tuesday against MLS side Real Salt Lake.  In a driving rain, they scored 3 goals in the final 15 minutes to steal all 3 points from the American champions, with the officials apparently adjusting their umbrellas at critical times.  Meanwhile, Tigres are sitting third in the Group 1 standings but are clinging to the final at large spot for entry into the playoff.  The journey back to Nuevo Leon, from the capital, will be a long one for UANL, if they cannot secure a result.

Toronto FC v Real Salt Lake MLS, Sunday

TFC also made a long fruitless trip, mid week to Panama, losing to Arabe Unido, although in less dramatic style than RSL’s collapse in Mexico City.  Both clubs enter the match with sour tastes in their mouths and not from a bad batch of Labatts, either.  Having also had their home winning streak snapped, last weekend, by the Red Bulls, the home side need to get back into a positive mode, before their promising first season under Preki becomes irrelevant.

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards

St. Pauli v Hoffenheim Bundesliga, Saturday

Saturday in the Bundesliga sees every German neutral’s second team, St Pauli, go up against Hoffenheim, the club many love to hate, at St Pauli’s Millerntor stadium. Both sides will be coming off highly encouraging opening day wins, away to Freiburg and at home to Werder Bremen respectively. Among their ranks, the squads will boast promising young German strikers of African descent, Peniel Mlapa (Hoffenheim) and Richard Sukuta-Pasu (St Pauli, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen), who each made the scoresheet on opening day and could one day be a part of the multicultural national team. There should be a fantastic atmosphere generated by Pauli’s ‘alternative’ fans, and it will hopefully be a great game.

Fab Presilli

Fab Presilli

Internacional v Botafogo Brazilian Apertura, Saturday

Fresh from the Libertadores title, Inter must host the red hot Botafogo, the latter looking for their sixth consecutive win. This should be a real test, to see if Inter is still celebrating its victory and if Botafogo is a contender or just another early season fluke. Botafogo’s Caio is maybe the best young player of the season so far, and his North American heritage has led to an as yet unanswered invitation to play for the US team.

Fluminense v São Paulo Brazilian Apertura, Saturday

The leaders face a struggling São Paulo that desperately needs a win, to calm their supporters. It’s also the first opportunity for forward Washington to face his former team, having played in São Paulo until a month ago.

Boca Juniors v Velez Sarsfield Argentine Apertura, Sunday

After an unexpected loss to minnows All Boys, last week, Boca can get back in the race, in style, if they manage to take all three points hosting leaders Velez. It will be tough, with Juan Roman Riquelme likely sitting this one out, as he’s not fit yet to play for Boca, after knee surgery in the (South American) winter.

Matt Dalton

Matt Dalton

The Scouser Report

I have to be completely honest, looking at the line up for this weekend’s Premier League games has hardly inspired me! Maybe it’s due to the fact that it’s so early on in the season, I just don’t know.  The lower table clashes just don’t have the tension at this time of the season, that they will have come May, and there are no juicy games involving the predicted top six.

There are, however, a couple of interesting games coming up this weekend, given recent events.

One can’t help but feel that if Liverpool fail to get a resounding victory at home to West Brom on Sunday afternoon, then the Kopp may start to get a little twitchy, even at such an early stage. There was plenty of optimism at the beginning of August but a dreadful performance against Manchester City has brought the tension back to the fore.  Perhaps, the actions of Javier Mascherano, in securing his escape from Anfield, will draw Woy some sympathy.

Aston Villa hosting Everton, again on Sunday, is another game with an interesting angle to it. Everton have started a little slowly, something you’d think they’d have been desperate to repeat after such a good end to the previous season. However, Aston Villa will certainly not be laying down for them this weekend after a couple of  embarrassing results in the last week, 6-0 away to Newcastle and then being dumped out of the Europa League by Rapid Vienna. Whatever happens, it will be a feisty match with both sides fighting for everything.

Well, even if you agree with Matt, that there’s nothing much going on in the Premier League, there’s plenty of other footy on tap just about everywhere you look.  So don’t go getting any silly thoughts of getting out and enjoying the summer sun, whilst it lasts.  It seems pleasant, yes, but it’s harmful to your skin and there’s all sorts of dangers out there.  You’re much better off settled comfortably in front of the telly.  Just ask Sky Germany’s footy presenter, Jessica Kastrop, who decided to get out of the studio and enjoy the sights and sounds of Stadion am Bruchweg in Mainz.

See you on Monday!

The UEFA boss has put his foot down...

With the the first kick of this year’s English Premier League, a new era dawns in English top flight football.  Under intense pressure from the mandate of UEFA president, Michel Platini, for clubs to be both financially sound and comprised mostly of the same national origin as the league in which they play, the Premier League and it’s head, Richard Scudamore, introduced what has become generally known as the Homegrown Rule.

Essentially, the rule states that on 1 September, every club in the Premier League must submit a roster of twenty-five eligible players, which cannot be changed until the January transfer window.  Further, eight of those players must be what the league considers homegrown.

“A home-grown player means one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).” –The Premier League’s official definition of the term.

... and the Premier League gives ground.

In addition to the 25 players, a club may also sign an unlimited number of players who are younger than or have turned twenty-one in the calendar year in which the season begins.

Those who are for it have proclaimed it as necessary to revitalise the national squad.  Opponents have branded it UEFA’s way of knocking the Premiership off its lofty perch as the number one European league.  As the season approaches, the argument has heated up like a kettle on the boil.

Now, the publisher of WFC, Steven Jones and our Championship and Ligue 1 correspondent, Tapesh Patel, shoulder their way into the melee.  Actually, they’re just trying to get a seat at the bar, where they can relax and, each sipping a frothy pint of Guinness, give their thoughts on the matter.  Let’s listen in.

One 'homegrown' player...

...and another, neither of which will ever play for the England National Team

Steve: On the whole, rules in football are put in place to even the playing field. Platini’s attempt to prevent large clubs from racking up massive debts, by requiring that no club may spend more than its incoming revenue, is an example. I’m all for making things fair, but I feel the 25 man squad with 8 homegrown players is going to cause problems at every level and it’s quite hard to see what they’re trying to achieve by introducing this rule.

It seems as though it has been set in place to tackle more than one problem.  Yes, you must have 8 players who have played in the English or Welsh leagues for 3 years before reaching 21 years of age, but they needn’t be English.  They could be Italian, Polish, Chinese or whatever.  How does that serve the development of the English game?  With such ambiguities, I wonder if the Homegrown Rule is going to accomplish anything at all.

Tapesh: To be honest, it shows that the FA has the national team’s best interests at heart. As well as attempting to solve the Three Lion’s problems on the home front, the FA has had to work around EU policy as best it can to implement a rule, which to be honest, England desperately needs. I mean, it’s only fair that an English league should contain some English players, right? With the current laws on immigration, it’s difficult to think of any better solution.

I think it might have been a bit easier to introduce the home-grown rule in increments, like the proposed introduction of the 6+5 rule, but I don’t think most clubs will have a huge problem in having 8 homegrown players in their squad. It’s definitely a good way of encouraging clubs to develop their academies, as well, something which will benefit all parties in the long term.

Do the big clubs, especially Wenger's Gunners, have an almost insurmountable head start in adopting to the new rule?

Steve: My main concern is with the medium and smaller sized clubs. So-called ‘homegrown players’ are going to be hotly sought after.  Premier League clubs competing on lesser budgets, who have thrived on foreign talent, will be relegated to signing the dregs of the homegrown barrel.  The cream, which, as is said, rises to the top, will go to the richer clubs, with their more extensive scouting networks and cash on hand.

As well, other countries do not have these limitations.  Not burdened by such restrictions, European clubs are going to find it easier to fill their team with talented foreign players, leaving a clear gap in the level of talent between the Premiership and other top leagues.

There’s another issue here, in that  the Premiership has marketed itself very successfully abroad.  It is a truly international league.  Most Premiership fans are not English and do not support England.  Why should their weekly football suffer because the FA can’t get things right at a grassroots level?

...And Cole, who has played in red previously, inspired.

For Hodgson, Shelvey was a creative signing...

Tapesh: Most clubs have already met the homegrown quota without their squads getting worse, so I don’t think there will be an issue of England lagging behind other countries in terms of the Champions League. Spain has implemented a similar rule, and Barcelona and Real Madrid are arguably the two best teams in Europe at the moment.

It’s true that most Premiership fans are from abroad, but it’s still an English league, whatever its ambitions.  I don’t think that the inclusion of 8 homegrown players should deter any squad, if they invest in the right ones.  Liverpool is usually identified as the club which needs to do the most to comply with the new rule.  Roy Hodgson has gone out and, on a bare bones budget, shrewdly managed to sign Joe Cole, as well as a gifted English youngster in Jonjo Shelvey.

As I see it, the top clubs will probably end up taking the best young talent, both from England and elsewhere, then loan them out within the league to gain experience, if required. Training with the best should, in theory, improve them.

Steve: The point about Real and Barca is interesting. I believe those teams are more desirable destinations for foreign players, especially South Americans because of their cultural links, so the Premiership needs to gain the upper hand through other methods.

A decade ago the Spaniards started from scratch, emphasising youth. Can England embrace the same patient approach?

The EPL has flourished with the introduction of foreign players and whilst I admit I’m not happy about seeing certain teams not featuring any English players, in some games, it’s for a reason.  The foreign talent is generally of a higher standard than we have here. I personally feel that the Homegrown rule is a poor attempt at trying to solve the underlying issue, which is that English players are not taught how to play football correctly, at a young age.

That is going to take maybe 6-8 years to turn around and the manufacturing of a squad’s make-up is not essential to the solution.  What is needed is a big rethink, new strategies and patience. If clubs, even those outside the top 10 of the Premiership, require loan players to fill their rosters, I believe it will lessen the stability of their squads, which, especially in the current economic climate, is something those teams strive to maintain week in, week out.

It now falls to the aptly named Roger Burden to revive the England's youth program

Tapesh: It’s true that English football needs a complete overhaul at the grassroots level but I also think that, although the homegrown rule may not be the be-all-and-end-all solution, it’s a good start; a signal that the FA is going in the right direction. As a temporary measure, it will give young English players, who otherwise would miss out,  the chance to make Premiership appearances.

The FA has done the right thing, following recent disappointments.  I don’t think any England fan would want the team to miss qualification for another major tournament!  We need our young players to develop.

Whilst it’s a shame that many Premiership clubs are now having to bring players in on loan, that’s a reflection of the economics of football nowadays.   The game has definitely gone top-heavy since the introduction of the Champions League.  The richer clubs have become richer, and the poor poorer.

..

Well, there you have it.  Steve and Tapesh have had their say, and having drained their glasses are each on their way home to explain their tardiness to the missus.  Who do you think was right?  Is the rule good for the Premiership, will it drag English football down into mediocrity or is the whole thing a tempest in a teapot?  You tell us, in our reader’s poll, below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Opening a newspaper or checking the sports websites and reading about a club in financial difficulty is becoming frighteningly frequent. It came as little surprise that Arsene Wenger’s response to Chelsea’s claims to be “virtually debt free” after converting the loans owed to owner Roman Abramovich into club equity was not one of congratulations. The Arsenal manager’s retort that clubs who recklessly reject the need to manage team and club finances as one are “half-cheating” was a timely reminder of his beliefs, which in the current environment, should be applauded.

In the past 5 years, Wenger’s rivals have grown richer than ever before. Chelsea have emerged as a threat thanks to Abramovich’s billions and Manchester City may well follow next season. Yet Wenger has not backed down or changed his style out of fear of the nouveau riche. If anything, Wenger has become entrenched deeper into his own philosophy. A whole new team of typical “Wenger-type” players has been slowly constructed at Arsenal. The ‘Invincibles’ of Henry, Vieira, Pirés, Ljungberg, Lehmann, Ashley Cole and more recently Kolo Touré and Adebayor have all been replaced by younger models for a sizeable profit. Wenger’s belief in his youngsters is something that is sadly not shared by all managers. The pressure for instant success has played an important role here. Sure, 4 years without a trophy is a long time for a club like Arsenal, but Wenger has earned that time and the Arsenal fans and more importantly, the board, are safe in the knowledge that their manager is usually right in the end.

The current side contains the big signings of Vermaelen and Arshavin, who themselves, in the current market, look like shrewd deals at a total of around £25million. These are surrounded by the classic Wenger signings. Young talent, brought in for a typically small fee who develop into key parts of the first team. This has been best highlighted this season by the midfield. The hole left by the likes Vieira and Flamini led to persistent rumours of either Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso being brought in for a huge fee as Arsenal looked for a player to fit next to Captain Fabregas. But now it seems like Wenger knew all along. Alex Song and Abou Diaby, were already at Arsenal and have been two of the most impressive players in the league so far this season, themselves ably backed up by Denilson and Aaron Ramsey. Plus, the TV pundits are quickly running out of superlatives for Cesc Fabregas. Again, Fabregas’ growth into perhaps the Premiership’s best player is not an accident. His performance in the 2006 Champions League game as an 18-year old against Juventus’ Patrick Vieira was one of maturity and quality. Since then, he has continued to improve and add different sides to his game. He has taken on the responsibility of the team’s talisman and is now the complete midfielder who would be the first name on arguably any team sheet in the world.

Perhaps the greatest achievement that can be attributed to Wenger is that Fabregas is not an anomaly, but rather one in a long line of successful Wenger projects. One point of interest personally as a Chelsea fan is that Fabregas arrived in 2003, the same summer as Roman Abramovich. Since then, Chelsea have bought over 15 players who have featured in central midfield at a total cost of 115 million. These include: Michael Essien,
Jiri Jarosik,
Juan Sebastian Veron,
Joe Cole,
Tiago,
Claude Makelele,
Scott Parker
John Obi Mikel.
It was slightly embarrassing to compare some of those deals to Cesc Fabregas.

Of course, Chelsea have won 2 league titles since then, every team would have been better off buying Fabregas,and players as good as the Arsenal captain are very rare, but it just signifies the difference between Wenger’s ideals and those of his rivals. One more thought that comes to mind after that kind of statistic, is Arsenal’s purchase of Fabregas the best signing of the last 7 years? Quite possibly.

Wenger’s team this year seems to be rid of the occasional vulnerability of a soft underbelly that has been exploited in the past. But even this has been done more mentally with a new steely determination rather than the addition of big, strong players at the expense of his preferred type of footballer. If a manager has ever, or can ever, deserve to win the League, then Wenger has to be considered. In the previous few years, he has portrayed the demeanour of a slightly mad professor, blinded by his own perfect vision of his football team. This year however, it could all pay off spectacularly. A title win in 2010 would mark a place in history for the “Wenger Way.” It would be an achievement for what is right about modern day football, something that we need to happen to restore some belief in the Premier League today, where the unthinkable notion of a club going out of business is becoming a real possibility. But we can be assured that it won’t be the end, Arsene Wenger is already working on his next Arsenal team.