The darker side of Spain

Reports have come out this week claiming that La Liga was on the verge of the biggest change up since its creation. A study published by Sport+Markt, showed that Real Madrid & Barcelona gobble up roughly 19 times more money from the leagues TV deals, than the smaller clubs at the bottom end of the league.

The general system of revenue sharing which is adopted in rival leagues in England, Italy & Germany does not occur in Spain, and the world's richest clubs by income, Real Madrid & Barcelona, get around half the total pot of around 600 million euros from the Spanish Premier League. If this doesn't sound as odd or concerning, bare in mind that the richest clubs in the English Premier League, by contrast, earned around 1.7 times more than their smaller rivals.

In a Footballing world where the sport, and the individual leagues especially, are sold for entertainment purposes more and more every day, La Liga has been trying for some time now, to compare to the excitement and unpredictability of the English Premier League with its free spending clubs, pushing competition and the amount of shock results to the max.

A two horse race leaves alot to be desired, as interesting as Barcelona or Madrid are when they come up against Chelsea or Milan in the Champions League. A league format where the Championship goes either one way or another, with absolutely no chance of a third opponent, is never good for television appeal in foreign lands, or for the domestic game itself.

The last club to win the League besides Madrid or Barcelona were Valencia in 2003, and the league title has gone to a club outside Barcelona or Madrid only four times in the past 20 years(well, not true, Athletico Madrid brought it back to Madrid in 1995).

To add to that grim reading, last season Barca set a new points record in winning La Liga with 99 points, and Real were three points behind in second, with Valencia dragging behind in third with a massive 25 points between themselves and Madrid. As well as that, Valencia who many consider the best of the rest, had to sell David Villa to Barcelona and Silva to Man City just to break even. Showing just how broad a gap is between the rich top two and the other eighteen struggling clubs.

The major problem with this system is that the other eighteen clubs struggle to make enough money to compete by paying high enough wages or paying enough for the right quality of player. Recent studies published as recently as May show that the 20 La Liga clubs had combined debt of 3.526 billion euros in 2008/09, up from 3.49 billion the previous season. A mere fraction of it, from Madrid and Barcelona. With only one club(Numancia) making a profit besides the top two last season, and perhaps the most concerning figure being that Sevilla, Athletico, and Valencia's salary costs where 120% more than their total revenue.

Its good to here news like this, i don't think anyone would argue with a more competitive La Liga, where teams like Valencia, Athletico Madrid or Sevilla that provide us with a huge amount of tremendous youth players, are able to hold on to their best players and increase the competitiveness of the league.In a country that's always been dominated by those two clubs. Its good to here that some are standing up against them before they choke the rest of the league dry.

Premier League Round Up

This weekend may well be remembered as the round of giant killing. In a league that's major criticism is a predictable finishing spot for every team, we witnessed plenty of drama.

Liverpool continued their slow start to the season with new gaffer Hodgson, with 4 goals a piece when Sunderland traveled to Anfield. Kuyt opened the game with an early goal in the 5th minute when Torres took advantage of a poor pass by Micheal Turner and squared it for the Holland striker. Sunderland then responded impressively from a converted penalty by Bent after Poulsen handled the ball in the box, before half time. Only for Sunderland to continue their momentum after the break and score a quick goal in the 48th minute by none other than Bent again. Luckily for the Reds, their captain stepped up to the spot like he has done so often in the past, and scored on the 64th minute to save a point for his club. Daniel Agger almost managed to save Liverpool from embarrassment in the 7th minute when he headered wide merely 4 yards from goal. How long Hodgson will have to get into the pace of things is unsure, but a single point against a team who hadn't won an away game in some time, will not do.

Over in London, things weren't going exactly to plan either. At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal managed to slip up when the Baggies managed to walk away with a 3-2 victory. The upset started when Chris Brunt failed to convert a first half penalty. Emmanuel Eboue had the first real chance for Arsenal in the 13th minute as well as Andrey Arshavin who should have put the home side in front seconds later when he managed to hit the post twice when he got on the end of a cross leaving Arsenal feeling a little unfortunate when they went into the break with 0-0 on the score board. But Roberto Di Matteo's side came out after the break with a little more passion than the first, and with 2 goals in 2 minutes on the 50th minute mark by Odemwingie and Jara on top of a goal from Jerome Thomas on the 73rd minute, they found themselves three goals to the good, with seventeen minutes to protect it. Samir Nasri then dragged his side back into the game with a brace (on the 75th and 90th minute) to set up a nervy finish. Arsenal pushed forward in numbers but Albion's rearguard held firm despite all the home side's efforts, to grab 3 points and leave Arsenal wondering what had just happened.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend was Manchester citys win over chelsea on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory at the city of Manchester stadium.
In a game touted as a battle of two Italian tactical managers, we saw Mancini set up with a 4-5-1 formation(yes the same one we saw time and time again at inter) to counter the free scoring 4-3-3 Chelsea line up.
The first half was rather dull, with nothing more than an Ivanovic header off the post from a corner, as Chelsea dictated the pace of the game and City looking their usual inept selves up front.
The second half was a different story. Yaya Toure, De Jong, and Barry were asked to close down quicker and we saw a chelsea side who struggled to hold on to possession or the ball (particularly ramires who got caught in possession for the goal),on top of a Didier Drogba having the poorest game of his season, thanks to an inspired Kompany who ended up with the man of the match award for his merited performance. City found the break through on the 59th minute from Carlos Tevez as he scored his 25th league goal in 29 games after an impressive solo run and long range effort that managed to slot into the bottom left corner from just outside the box. The victory saw Manchester City move into fourth spot and more importantly, prove a few people wrong about the cynicism to their title ambitions.

Around the rest of the country, we saw West Ham pick up their first victory against top 4 ambitious side Tottenham after Piquionne put his side in front from a corner on the 29th minute for his side to hold on to the lead. Robert Green looked like his old self pulling off a few spectacular saves, especially Modric's volley just before half time. It doesn't surprise that Green looking like hes back in form seems to be coinciding with West Ham finally picking up important points.

Martin Petrov inspired his Bolton side to a 2-2 draw with Utd on Sunday afternoon at the Reebok stadium. A 6th minute goal from Knight was cancelled out by Nani's superb solo effort hauling the visitors' level, only for Petrov to claim the lead for his side on the 67th minute. A troubling moment followed when Wayne Rooney was substituted on the 60th minute mark by Macheda, speaking loudly about the kind of place the English striker is in at the moment. Micheal Owen managed to grab a vital equaliser in the 74th minute with his third goal in two games for the Manchester side. But with 9 goals conceded in 6 games and Chelsea's slip up against City leaving a squandered opportunity by Fergie's side, Man Utd look some way from a Premier League winning team.

The rest of the fixtures saw Birmingham draw with Wigan at home 0-0, Blackburn pick up an important 3 points away to Blackpool in a 2-1 victory, Fulham hold off Everton for a goalless draw ( which saw Everton sink to the bottom of the table), Aston Villa travelled to the Molineux Stadium and managed to pick up 3 points with a late winner from Emile Heskey, and Stoke travelled north to Newcastle and managed to pick up 3 points in a 2-1 victory after going behind from a Kevin Nolan penalty only to win it in the 85th minute by a Perch own goal.

SerieA Roundup: Early Days

This week saw Cesena peak the top of the league for the first time since October 1975 as they remain unbeaten with seven points from three games after a 1-0 win over Lecce, despite having Giuseppe Colucci sent off on 38 minutes, putting the former SerieB club above Inter on goal difference.

The Milan club came from behind to claim the points with a 2-1 win over Palermo in Sicily courtesy of two goals from Samuel Eto. Palermo deserved better, in truth, striking the post once and having a pair of strong penalty appeals turned down. Their president even piped up claiming,

"What do they have against Palermo? Is it bad luck or something else? Are we going back to the old style of refereeing?"

Leaving the night with a very bitter tone.

The old Lady finally got going as they brushed Udinese to one side with a 4-0 win. Despite Vincenzo Iaquinta sparking a small riot with a gesture towards the Udinese fans(which he eventually had to apologise about), Juventus where impressive. With goals from Bonucci, Quagliarella, Iaquinta, and Marchisio and Krasic looking particularly lively, as they finally looked like they have some championship form about them.

Roma on the other hand where 15 minutes from their first league win of the season on Sunday as they hosted Bologna, when 2 goals from Di Vaio(who coincidentally is a life long Lazio fan who came up through the ranks at the Biancocelesti's) to end the game at 2-2. After Ranieri saying the day before;

We won some, we lost some. Sometimes we played well, sometimes we played badly … [But] I will not accept these attacks. This is a team that has balls, and we will prove it.

when asked about his clubs season so far, its the same old, funny and slightly concerning news in Rome.

The rest of the fixtures saw Bari and Cagliari come to a goalless draw, Brescia went to Chievo to pick up their second win of the season. Lazio beat Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi 2-1, Milan slipped up and dropped two points at home to Catania and Napoli scored 2 goals in the last 7 minutes to win 2-1 at Sampdoria.

Grim Reading For An Average Club Fan

Earlier on this week, Walter Smith not only found himself having to defend his tactics against Man Utd at Old Trafford , claiming his team have had their hands tied from the Scottish game's poor situation in the past ten years, but was also accused of being a hypocrite after many journalists claimed the difference between Man Utd and Rangers was no different from Rangers and the minnows of the SPL.

I have to show some sympathy for Walter here, he has every right to go and set his team up like he did on Tuesday night,to a great deal of success. The same way any team would come to Parkhead or Ibrox every week in the SPL

The comparison made by some journalists that Walter is bitter about finances for the same reason Jim Jeffries would be towards the Old Firm, is ridiculous. The difference between Utd and Rangers is a team in a league allowed to grow and a team trying their hardest to hold on to some form of foundations for the future, the difference between Rangers and Hearts is simply that Rangers are better at Hearts on a very even playing field. Walter Smith isn't being hypocritical, hes trying to point out that there is an underlying problem in European football that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and teams like Celtic and Rangers are unfortunately part of the later, and their domestic leagues are getting terribly effected by it.

Celtic and Rangers, being the two big fish that they are, find themselves in an ever shrinking pond, receding to the fact that they know have to put their differences aside and deal with the international threat of never being able to compete on the European stage again because of the lack of money reaching the smaller leagues.
Walter had this to say;

Somebody, somewhere has got to do something to allow Scottish clubs, or clubs in smaller countries to gain a level of finance that's going to allow them to compete.

All this news comes off the back of more bad news that Scotland are at risk of loosing one of their two Champions league spots due to the lack of coefficients over the past 5 years. A fall to 16th also means the 2010-11 SPL champions will not qualify automatically for the following season's Champions League group stage. They will instead have to navigate three qualifying rounds, though all matches will be against champions from smaller European nations rather than runners-up or third- and fourth-placed sides from larger countries.

The current set-up puts the smaller leagues head to head with each other, literally fighting for the lives of their leagues as each of them trys to win vital European qualification spots from the other and some form of revenue stream from UEFA. Where Platini may of had a vision of a Champions League where every nation was fairly represented, we now have a situation where the richest clubs in the top 4 nations have too many spots and sit comfortably at the top of the pyramid, while the rest of Europe has to fight with each other for the scraps of the TV & sponsorship deals, at the end of the table.

Nothing will come of this, at least in the foreseeable future, this was nothing more than Walter Smith taking a moment to point out his concerns and plea's for his countries sport when the world was watching.

Maybe one day we'll have someone at the head of UEFA from somewhere besides France or Italy and can see past the shiny Premier League teams, or the romantic Milan sides, to the real places around Europe that need work. Before these leagues and clubs are gone.

Barcelona Bounce Back Big Against Panathinaikos

A solid display from a Barcelona side that looked completely disheartened only three days earlier against Hercules. The team was looking for a good start, what they lacked against Hercules at the weekend, but they wouldn't get their way. A multitude of chances pasted by the blaugrana including a near tap in by Xavi after a nice spin-and-pass from Iniesta, but the chance was squandered. Eventually, a sweet back heel pass from Cisse set Govou on his way to sprint past Abidal and finish clinically past Valdes for an away lead only twenty minutes in.

But the heart that Barcelona had been looking for in the last 110 minutes finally started beating when Messi caressed an amazing pass from Xavi past Tzorvas and into the back of the net, just two minutes after going a goal down. But the show was far from over, a corner kick was headed down from Busquets at the near post and managed to reach an unmarked Villa at the far post to volley in from 6 yards. And before the first half whistle could be blown, Messi charged into the box, passing to Pedro who passed back, then passing to Xavi who laid the ball off for Messi to finish, a wonderful team goal to close the half. The momentum was all Barcelona's.

The second half continued on in similar fashion, Kante was judged to have taken down Messi in the box after a darting run, but Messi missed the resulting penalty kick that would have given him his hat trick. The second half followed in chance after chance wasted by Barcelona, often passing when a simple shot was open. Finally a goal came in the second half; Bojan sets Messi through nicely but with a tight angle, Messi takes the shot which comes off both posts before falling right to the feet of Pedro who gets it over the line. And before the final whistle could be blown, Messi chips the ball over the defense to an onrushing Alves who carefully heads the ball over Tzorvas and into the back of the net. An overall great performance from the blaugrana, they lacked a pure finishing touch, but with the multitude of chances they had to score from it was bound to be a rough night for Panathinaikos.

Serie A Season Preview

Today marks the start of the new Italian season, there’s been a lot of changes in the league since last season, some good, some not so good.

Maybe the most notable one from an outsiders point of view, was the departure of Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid after doing what he does best, in waking up a sleeping giant, and get them winning again.
In his absence, the Internazionale board have signed up Rafa Benitez, who many believe needs Inter more than the club need him. He goes to the champions of Italy & Europe with the majority of the squad still intact with the up most of expectation, and a necessity to succeed and get his small militia of doubters, after his time at Liverpool, off his back.

Perhaps Benitez’s greatest task will be defending the Nerazzurri’s European title, not just for the sake of the clubs pride and his own head with the faithful. But because something will have to be done to make sure the Italian Coefficient doesn’t fall behind again after loosing its 4th spot to the German Bundesliga last season. With Sampdoria falling short of qualifying for the Champions League and with Roma & Juventus looking as far short of the rest of Europe’s elte as they do, the responsibility of Italys pride will fall heavily on the Spaniards shoulders.

Juventus have been the most active in revamping there squad, they’ve spent close to £41mil in bringing in Leonardo Bonucci to sit at the back beside Chiellini, back up goalkeeper Marco Storari, Marco Motta to slot in at right back, Aquilani to add a bit of option in the middle, and Milos Krasic and Pepe to add a bit of width to Del Neri’s rigid 4-4-2 formation. Although many have been quick to point out that the most exciting proposition for the old lady, is the thought that Diego and Felipe Melo will finally find their feet in the Italian game and, still, have the potential to be league winners for Juventus.

Roma on the other hand have had a challenging summer. After finishing a modest 2nd after pushing Inter for most the season, the club have found themselves stuck in a financial meltdown , after the bank finally losing patience with the owners, the Sensi family, over debts of more than £300m and team president, Rosella Sensi, agreed to hand over just under 49% of the club.
Positives for Roma are that they’ve managed to retain most of their squad from last season and have managed to sign Burdisso from Inter Milan, one of the keys to their success last season. The notorious Adriano has also been signed up( whether or not with Ranieri’s blessing) who could prove to offer some fire power up front for the capital side. Roma are probably considered favourites to challenge Inter for the top spot although Ranieri’s main aim will be to make sure Juventus don’t pip them to that 2nd spot.

Milan’s pre season seemed to be a similar story to the solemn tone that’s stuck with the club over the past few years. Before signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a spectacular loan move, the most i Rossoneri fans had to look forward too, was the arrival of Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan from Genoa( who offered to buy the player for Milan because they couldn’t afford the transfer fee) and 34 year old centre back Mario Yepes from Chievo. Despite the arrival of said players, the club haven’t changed too much with the squad that finished outside the top four, and a similar story can be said of Milan’s dependence on an out of form and unfit Ronaldinho. The clubs season will depend on how well the two signings can perform for the club and if Ronaldinho does in fact show some signs of his former self.

The middle of the table looks like the most likely spot for some entertaining change. The club with probably the best chance of breaking old habits in Italy are Genoa. After the arrivals of the Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo, the Schalke full-back Rafinha, midfield anchor man Miguel Veloso, striker Luca Toni and the centre-back Andrea Ranocchia (on loan from Inter), as well as not having to worry about a European campaign like there rivals, Palermo and Napoli. The club have bolstered there ambitions of fighting amongst the best.
Fiorentina will be looking to enjoy a comfortable season under new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, while two of the most exciting buys outside of Turin or Milan are Brazilian all round midfielder, Hernanes’ move to Lazio, and Giovinco’s loan move to Parma where he will try to earn back the promise that surrounded him before falling from Juventus’ first team plans.

At the bottom of the table, there’s little surprises expected of the newly promoted sides, all three have been quiet in the transfer market with no real intention of strengthening their already weak squads. Put along side the usual stragglers of Chievo, Catania, and Cagliari all having new managers and you have a 6 team battle to see who can keep there heads above the water the longest.

Along the way we’ll see the introduction of fan ID cards to help minimise fan troubles and hopefully a continued rise in attendances(last seasons was the highest since 1992) from last seasons, could see the SerieA slowly climbing its way back to its past glory.

La Liga Season Preview Part Two : Midtable Madness

Continuing on with the preview of the upcoming La Liga season, are those who aren't expected to deal with too much drama, neither too weary of the drop, nor much European expectations.

Sporting Gijon: Los Gijones didn't have a great season last year, finishing just 4 points above the relegation zone. But this summer they've shored up most of the holes, and look a lot stronger side this year. They've signed Albert Botia on a 4-year deal, and Sebastian Eguren has come back to play in La Liga for Sporting after a short move to AIK to shore up the defense. While Ayoze, Nacho Novo, and Gaston Sangoy have been brought in to help the offense. Sporting have a lot of youth in their side and they'll be hoping they've finally got enough experience to push for a spot closer to 10th rather then just above the relegation zone.

Espanyol: Much of the problem for the Perequitos revolved around Tamudo with the club, and they'll be hoping that with his switch to Real Sociedad that they can concentrate on doing well in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. They, much like Sporting, have a good mix of experienced players like Kameni, De la Peña, and Luis Garcia to go along with a lot of promising talent like Raul Baena, new signing Felipe Mattioni, and Jose Callejon. Fans of Espanyol should be happy with a finish around what they achieved last year, but will have memories of their past European glories in the back of their heads. Will also be looking to do a lot better in the Copa del Rey after they got knocked out in the Round of 32 last year.

Osasuna: The side from Navarre don't have a side that looks very special, but they've proven that sometimes mentality can be as important as skill. They've sold off their best played in the form of Azpilicueta to Marseille, but you shouldn't count out them out. They carry the same Basque mentality I spoke of in Part One of this preview, and will always give nightmares to the big clubs the night before the game. Whether it be home or away, Osasuna will never let the opposition rest. They might not win every game they have against the big clubs, but being 3-0 down against Real Madrid or Barcelona only gives them more spirit to fight on and do better. They kept Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villarreal on draws on their visits to the Reino de Navarra, and also took home wins against Atletico and Deportivo. They managed to get three points from Villarreal at El Madrigal, and took the lead twice against Real Madrid before losing out 3-2. If anything they need to work harder on the games against more equal or worse opponents, which is what costs them a real chance for Europe.

Deportivo la Coruna: Deportivo is a team that loves to yo-yo. Right when you think they're set to blossom into a regular European contender, they slip up and fall to midtable. Far from the squad that won the league a decade ago, and were regular players in Europe, Deportivo can't seem to find their footing. Most of last year they were in the Europa League spots for La Liga, occasionally in 4th place which would merit a playoff to get into the Champion's League, then in the final strech they managed to fall down to 10th. Miguel Angel Loina has a lot of very good players including Andres Guardado, Michel, Adrian Lopez, Riki, and Daniel Aranzubia at his disposal, and at some point everyone will be seeing them as Europa League definites, but it's also to be expected that they slip up when it matters most.

Mallorca: Although being forced to sell players due to financial problems, Mallorca have managed to sign Cavenaghi on loan from Bordeux, Jonathan De Guzman from Feyenoord, and two Brazilian unknowns from Bunyodkor named Ratinho and Joao Victor, while managing to keep hold of Aouate, Chori Castro, Alhassane Keita, and Pierre Webo. Although they were in similar circumstances last year when they managed to finish 5th, the ruling from UEFA not allowing Mallorca to play in the Europa Leauge prevents them from getting money that would have helped them pay off debts, and will have a big toll on the spirit behind the team. Knowing that circumstances will likely be the same even if they manage to make it into Europe again, they might not have the same fighting drive that made the Ono Estadi a fortress, a likely drop down to around midtable.

La Liga Season Preview Part One : Bottom Dwellers

With the new La Liga season dawning upon us, a preview of the teams taking part in the new season is in order. First up are those who are expected to be some of the last.

Levante: Although Levante is known for it's sunny beaches, it's likely to be a very gloomy year for the "Granotes". They were promoted as the third-placed team from the Segunda, and while finishing just behind Hercules and Real Sociedad, they haven't take the right steps into making a team that looks to be strong enough to stay in the Primera Division. Though some smart signings like Gustavo Munua and Xavi Torres, Levante is the team most La Liga fans expect to see at the bottom at the pack.

Hercules: Hercules made their way to La Liga much in very similar circumstances as Levante. They looked strong at first, had a major slump at about the half way point, then fought their way back into the top spots. Even though they've strengthened their squad with 7 signings (as of August 24th) including Nelson Valdez and ex-Herculano Abel Aguilar, they remain the bookies second favorite for the bottom spot. Hercules will need the "never give up" spirit that they had in many games last year to stay up.

Malaga: After being bought by a Qatari billionaire this summer, big things were expected to change for Malaga, but in reality all they've done is brought in Jesualdo Ferreira, who failed to make the Champion's League with Porto. With the rest of the teams around them gearing up for the new season, Malaga have lost most of their better players from last year, who had to return from loan to their parent clubs. Promising Venezuelan stiker Jose Rondon has joined from Las Palmas, but he's still largely inexperienced. This will be a tough year for the Anchovies, but they're hoping Jesualdo Ferreira can turn the squad of relative unknowns into a solid La Liga team.

Real Sociedad: Although having a relatively young squad, the players of Sociedad are largely experienced. A large part of the group are players that came from the youth team and started with the first team at a very early age. They've also incorporated a lot of exciting players like Joseba Llorente, Raul Tamudo, Antoine Griezmann (a young winger that was a relavation last season), and Dutch talent Jeffrey Sarpong. They deservedly finished as champions of the Segunda, and are fully expecting an extended stay in La Liga. Much like the other Basque teams, they've got a more physical branch-off of the usually technical style of Spanish teams, and they come with a bite. Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao have been giving the bigger teams of the league a lot to worry about whenever they meet, and Sociedad are hoping to do the same. And they'll try to work on the usual weekness of Basque teams from falling to the smaller teams in the league. This is the team I expect to finish with the most margin of safety as new comers, and will be looking to finish somewhere closer to mid-table then.

Almeria: Did generally good last year finishing in 13th, the core of their starting XI is still there and intact. They depend a lot on their speed and counter attacking, which could also be their downfall. The Almeria players are generally small in stature, which is expected of a more speedy team. They won't expect to get too many points off the bigger teams in the league, which means their survival depends largely on the points they get against the teams in the middle and bottom of the league. It just so happens that more and more teams that aren't in the top 10 or so (bar Athletic Bilbao) are getting more physical with their play. Pablo Piatti and Albert Crusat are the fan favorites, and both are under 5'5". Jose Ortiz and Kalu Uche aren't very big center forwards, and rely a lot on their speed and positional sense rather then physicality. The one true traditional center forward in the ranks is Henrik Goitom (who's 6'5"), but starts on the bench and only scored once last season in 21 league appearances. The Almeria midfield is solid, the defense was suspect at times, but with Diego Alves in goal, and new Danish defender Michael Jacobsen alongside team captain Santiago Acasiete, they're hoping to be more complete. With speedy wingers it doesn't seem as necessary to have your central forwards small and nimble, but I'm no manager. I don't see this season being as bright for Almeria fans, and they'll need Diego Alves at his very best to stop chances then quickly distribute the ball out for the counter attack to have a real sense of safety this year.

Zaragoza: This team doesn't have much going for them. They've signed Leo Franco and Nicolas Bertolo, while selling a few of their better players but their squad remains largely made of players more suited for Segunda play or La Liga players just beyond they're best. They're best talent is probably Ander Herrera, 20 year old Spanish youth international midfielder, but if he isn't picked away by the winter transfer window I'd be amazed. I see them as going down, but they'll give it a fight.

Racing: Very similar situation as Zaragoza, they've got Henrique back for another year along with Tziolis, and will be hoping from good things for them two along with veterans Pedro Munitis, Meme Tchite, and Oscar Serrano if they are to have a chance to stay up.

Plastic Problems

Today Harry Redknapp side tracked the inability of his star studded team, to take a minute to blame the surface of the pitch at the Wankdorf Stadium;

I played on Astroturf myself and hated every minute of it. We don't have it in England anymore and I don't think it should be used in a competition like this.

So what shall we do, ban synthetic pitches? Where do you draw a line for what is and what isn’t synthetic? Sure every pitch in the Premier League is Grass, but underneath it all is a working machine making sure it works properly. Just keeping a pitch in top condition requires regular watering, under-pitch heating to prevent freezing in the winter, and even the use of high-power lighting rigs to promote grass growth. Its easy for Redknapp to lambast plastic pitches from his thrown at White Hart Lane, but does he think that perhaps some teams in Europe need these pitches because grass pitches simply don’t survive or are far too expensive to maintain, I don’t imagine so.

Apparently professional footballers can’t cope with a different surface, maybe it’s because they’ve homed their fantastic skills so much, that the slightest tweak can ruin everything. That their passing is so inch perfect and so precise, that a slight change in surface throws everything off course. Surely its not fair to put such stress and hardship on our hero’s from North London, especially after their miraculous achievements from last season?

Nonsense. Last night we saw an over confident Tottenham side blown away by an efficient Young Boys side. For the first half hour, Tottenham’s defence couldn’t stop a thing, and before they knew it, they were 3-0 down.

The question here isn’t whether or not the surface played a part in the result, the question is whether or not Redknapp would of brought it up if the game had gone his way.

If the surface was to blame, how was it that we saw a different Spurs side in the second half, did they go in at half time, all change to Astroturf shoes and suddenly got their magic touch back? No, Redknapp clearly gave them a piece of his mind, got them focused and they managed to salvage something from the game, regardless of the surface.

Spurs now go into the second leg at home, with two invaluable away goals. Back to their fortress where Redknapp is confident his side will perform ten fold and secure a place in the elusive Champions League. And I’m sure they will, because they have better players, a better manager, their a much bigger club, more money to build a squad, they play in a better league and are a much better side than Young boys. Not because they can finally play on grass.

A New Day, A New Season

The Premier League season kicks off today. As a Bolton fan, it's a new era. A Coyle era. Sure, he was in charge for half a season last season, but that's not really a period where he can completely make his mark. A new season, however, is. We've signed some quality players in Petrov and Klasnic, some decent, experienced back up in Blake, and some promising players in Alonso and Eaves. I think with the squad we have, we have a real possibility of reaching the top 10. I should be really excited at the prospect of a new season.

But I'm not.

I can't put my finger on why not. Maybe it's because we kick off against Fulham at the Reebok. A game famous for its lack of entertainment. Maybe it's because last seasons opener, against Sunderland, was so horrendous that I'm scarred for life. Maybe it's because I have a new perspective on football and Bolton Wanderers, that I have been shunted out by missing 7 games last year whilst away at university. I don't know. Interestingly, the record for the 7 games that I missed was 4 wins and 3 draws, gaining 15 points. The 12 games that I attended consisted of only 2 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses, gaining a miserly 9 points. So maybe I feel I'm bad luck.

However, I feel it may be something rather more sinister than that. Maybe it's because I will be viewing the match from a different perspective, that is, seven seats and one row away. For the first time in over eleven years, Seat 229, Row M of the East Stand Lower at the Reebok will be occupied by someone who is not me. Eleven years. If I kept it for a further nine, I'm quite certain I can claim it as my own land according to the Adverse Possession laws.

The fact that my seat (which is mine) has been taken, along with the seat next to it, which has always been empty as far as I can remember, bar a few sell outs, tells me that we might, just might be looking at a packed stadium. I doubt it, but some hope holds out that will happen. An Elmander goal will have me locking my doors when I get back, surely two signs of the apocalypse.


As for the team, I'm expecting a 4-4-2. As per with Coyle. Jussi in net, obviously. Steinsson, Knight, Cahill and Robinson (maybe Alonso, but I'd say Robinson) in defence. Midfield of Lee, Muamba, Holden, Petrov. Up front will be Super Kev and Klasnic.

The more I type, the more I feel the excitement building. In fact, stuff it. I'm ready for the season.


BRING IT ON.