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.

Dani Jarque, Siempre Con Nosotros

It's now been just over a year since the "Black Night" in Italy when while on the phone with his pregnant girlfriend, Daniel Jarque went into cardiac arrest and died in the team hotel. It was the preseason before the 2009/10 season, after Jarque had gotten the news that he'd been made captain of the team he had been a fan of since a kid, this after 14 years with the club. A lot of controversy had been made over Tamudo over his commitment and attitude with the club, which paved the way for Jarque to take the armband he rightfully deserved. He defended the shirt of the Periquitos on and off the pitch with all his honor and ability. It just so happens a few of my friends have met him, and be they Espanyol fans or not, they all had only good words to say about him.

He was pretty much as good as they get, a great defender, a true gentleman, and an able leader. All of those who played with him continue his legacy; Fabregas revealed a shirt with Jarque's name and number after scoring against Everton, and after scoring the World Cup winning goal, Andres Iniesta dedicated the goal to Jarque and conveyed the message: "Dani Jarque, siempre con nosotros" or "Dani Jarque, always with us" on his undershirt. It's a sad reminder that had it not been for the horrible incident just over a year ago, he (and Antonio Puerta who died from a similar problem while playing against Getafe for Sevilla), would have likely been on the field celebrating the Spanish World Cup triumph.

Giving the kids a chance

There is a prevailing attitude that exists at the top level in English football. Many Premier League chairmen, driven by the shirt sales and season ticket renewals, would rather spend large sums of money on a seasoned continental star, than invest time and patience in nurturing young British talent.

But from next season, each club must register a squad of 25 players, no more than 17 of whom can be 21 or older without three years of continuous development in the English game.

This idea has been in the pipe line for a few years now, and has clearly been pushed to the front of the agenda after the FA watched England and its experienced 'Golden Generation' slump out of the World Cup to a young German side. A country that got its act together and sorted out a youth program in the later nineties and is now reaping the rewards of that set up, (16 of the 23 man squad where under 26) . To then watch Holland, a country famous for its youth setup, and Spain, a country that fifteen years ago decided to re-vamp its set up and is now unrivalled in prospects, battle it out to be the best in the world.

Last season, the top 5 teams in the Premier League had on average 35 players in their first team squad. One of the first advantages that comes to mind about this new ruling is that big clubs will have to put a lot more time an effort into sorting out whats happening with their fringe players.

Big international players will still be coming through the doors at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, but with these new rules in place, we may begin to see a much heavier loan market open up between the Premier League sides and the lower division teams. Cash strapped sides in the football league will be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of Tottenham, Man City and Arsenal almost forcing their young prodigies on to them. There also is the fact that these young players who the coach deems good enough will be put in the squad, where in the past, the club may of bought an experienced international who was coming to the end of his career and was happy sitting on the bench with his retirement fund until needed.

But does that specifically mean English players are going to benefit from this? Sure eight of the twenty five players in the squad have to of trained at the club for a number of years before their 21^st birthday, but that’s doesn’t mean they have to be English.

This new rule seems to fit players like Cesc Fabregas or Gael Kakuta like a hand in glove and there is the negative approach that most clubs might(will) take, and simply spend more money and effort finding young foreign players faster and younger. We might find Joe English punted out the Academy before he's reached his 17th birthday, because he doesn't compare to Jose Brazil, who can balance the ball on his middle toe & already has a sponsorship deal with Nike. Never given a fair shot at it and doesnt get to take advantage of this ruling because Jose Brazil is also illegible for it.

Thats an extreme case, and im not entirely convinced that the introduction of foreign players exactly spoils our youth system, im merely saying it for arguments sake. Perhaps the problem isn't anything to do with our youngsters having a shot on the big stage, you could argue that plenty do, and maybe its a problem that's a little deeper rooted.

There is no denying that youth football in this country, is light years behind the rest of the continent, and it could be put down to plenty of things; kids can't play on the street any more, the diminish of the working class, the gap between the average punter and his club in the modern game, or perhaps that were just not doing it right.

Where is our Clairefontaine? France has 12 elite regional academy's, the Dutch have 14. How many do we have in Britain? Why don't all our youth teams play the same tactics and formations as the first team so they can easily integrate between the squads from the age of 16 like they do in Spain? Why are we the only country in the entire continent that play young players on full sized pitches, what is the British obsession with physicality over technical ability? In England, there are 2,770 UEFA qualified coaches, Spain has over 24,000 UEFA qualified coaches, and Germany has over 35,000. An average U-18 player in Holland receives up to 6500 hours of dedicated coach training, in Scotland and England its just under 2000. All these things I feel, need addressed if we really want things changed.

Its hard to look at these problems and come up with a reason to why these things aren't simply replicated in England, theirs plenty of money flying around and i think most people would have little sympathy for the FA if they were to say that they couldn't afford to fund these new schemes. Im sure Capello's £6mil annual salary could build an elite academy like the ones in France and Holland, im sure the £500 million Wembley could of funded a great deal more.

England are at a point in their footballing history where the tools and means are sitting in front of them and need someone to put them into action, footballs a game where trends go in and out of style, and the Premier League isn't going to always be the trendy, billionaire play thing that is today. Sure, they've made a little progress this year by implementing this rule, but its still a long road to go.

Conflict of Interests

Earlier today it had been said by Guardiola that Messi would not partake in Barcelona's preseason friendly against a select K League team, as he has only had one practice after a month of vacation. He felt it was unfair to put the player in a game situation so soon, and unsafe as he is more susceptible to injury without proper practice. When arranging the friendly it had been agreed that a "fine" of 200,000 euros would be paid by Barcelona if Messi did not feature for at least 30 minutes in the game. At first this was a price willing to be paid by Barcelona, but to make matters worse the Korean television station in charge of broadcasting the game said they weren't interested in going through with their assignment if Messi would not feature in the game.

As you all know Messi is a worldwide superstar. He causes as much excitement in Asia as he would in Argentina or Barcelona, and it's fair to say he is the most important player of Barcelona in the eyes of the countless fans girls and football fanatics. Broadcasting a game in which Messi plays means more viewers, and more money. An agreement was reached that meant Messi would indeed take part in the match, although it is still unknown if he will take part in at least 30 minutes. As Guardiola has said before, the needs of the club out way the needs of the players and even the great "Míster" himself. Guardiola had to give in to the needs of the club to sell Chygrynskiy (a player who even after a shaky season, had full confidence of the coach) to cover some of the surmounting debt, and now he must do again with risking the health of his prized possession so that this mini-Asian tour will take in as much money as possible.

So not only does this show a conflict of interests between the Korean organizers and the club, but also between the club and its coach. Needless to say, these are never situations you want even before the season has started.

Technology in the Game

It seems like a lifetime ago that Jerome Valcke, the general secretary of FIFA, admitted that Goal line technology was back on the agenda.

Remember that big fancy tournament that they put on for us - with the vuvuzelas and that crazy fan with the pot on his head, remember boring old conservative Spain pacing themselves to the final only to walk even slower to victory, remember the commotion of England going out in almost clichéd fashion to the German's with the help of a disallowed goal, only to be out sung by the fight talk afterwards from FIFA's corridor's of power that this type of injustice would last no longer and something would be done.Yeh?

Well FIFA probably wont, which im not sure is exactly a bad thing.

''Consistency'' is the golden word in this sport and unfortunately its exactly what FIFA aren’t. Their constant wavering between decisions, seems to depend on how much coverage a cheeky lob from Lampard gets in the media, or how much Platini's recent manifesto on 'saving the game' has alienated the general punter from the beautiful games officiating body.

This sport cries out for a governing body that’s not only fair across the entire board, but has the sports best interests at heart, an institution – a religion to some. Not a corporation that’s single goal is to create wealth from the very events its supposed to be governing.

Im not arguing that changes don’t have to be made, theirs obviously something that has to be done to accommodate errors in the game. We live in an age where the men on the field cant hide from the camera so its imperative that any mistakes on the field are dealt with.

But why goal line technology, why does it have to be something that passes the blame? Maybe an extra referee who watches the game on a screen who's whispering into the referee's ear would be an interesting inclusion, but the day Eagle Eye is used to solve 4 or 5 decisions in a game, is the day the sport changes forever. Im of the old impression that half the enjoyment of football is the drama of it all, that titles are still won, not on how much you spend, but your luck on the day.

Most people would just be happy with FIFA being a little more genuine and honest about things, i'd much rather if the referee was allowed to be interviewed after the game and could just say ' i thought it was a penalty when i saw it, i've seen it again and its not, I did my best.'

It brings the referee back into the position that he used to be as the unbiased punter who did his best to keep the game flowing and call a decision if he had to. Instead of having the decision watched from 20 different angles and Howard Webb or Mike Reilly having to lock all their doors & windows in fear every Saturday night before they sit down to Dancing On Ice.

Football is a sport that is dictated by money, more and more, by the day. These new plans are nothing but fail safes, to make sure the money invested, definitely gets the results. FIFA are supposed to be a governing body that fight that transformation . Unfortunately, it doesnt, and with this recent outburst by Valcke it seems that they've gone for the old motto 'if you can't beat them, join them.'

England’s Sweetheart

We Liverpool fans back our managers to the hilt; we support them through the good times and through the bad. We defend them as fiercely as possible whenever their tactics, signings or credentials are questioned - it’s how we’ve been for generations now. My dad drilled these beliefs into me and his dad drilled them into him. Over the past six years we’ve had to do this week in week out. We’ve had to listen to the media, pundits and fans up and down the country tell us that Rafa is no good in the transfer market, that zonal marking doesn’t work, that he is cracking up. Now that Rafa has gone, could defending our manager could be a thing of the past?

In stark contrast to Rafa, his replacement is England’s current sweetheart, Roy Hodgson. After securing Fulham’s safety in his first season, he then guided them to a 7th place finish in the Premier League the following season, their best ever finish. But the best was still to come, with a 7th place finish came European football at Craven Cottage for only the second time in history, and boy was it worth the wait. Craven Cottage played witness to some great European nights on their way to the final, beating the likes of Juventus, Shakhtar and Hamburg before finally succumbing to Atletico Madrid in extra time. Roy was hailed a hero and was rightfully awarded with the LMA manager of the year award with the biggest winning margin in its history.

Roy’s arrival at Anfield was met by widespread approval, from both the media and from Roy’s fans. It was something Liverpool fans are not used to - well wishes from rival fans. There were messages coming in wishing Roy all the best, saying what a great appointment it was and hoping that he does well at Liverpool. Surely not? Everton fans, Utd fans, Tottenham fans all confused with their love of Roy Hodgson and hatred of Liverpool Football Club. Over the past 12 months, Roy has won the hearts of many, turning his Fulham side into everyone’s second team – never has England as a collective nation wanted an English team to win a European trophy so badly.

Unfortunately this will never last. We live in a fickle world and as a nation we love nothing more than to knock those down that we have previously built up. If Roy doesn’t get off to the best of starts there is no doubt many of those who have so readily praised him will ignorantly label him a one season wonder and suggest that he isn’t good enough to manager a club like Liverpool. So let’s just sit and wait, and see just how long it takes for Roy to go from hero to zero in the eyes of many. I’m sure it won’t be long. But don’t worry Roy, we’ll still be here.