After England’s lacklustre performance against Algeria the fans that had travelled thousands of miles to see their country play, elected to jeer the players off the pitch after one of the most abject displays in modern English international football.

England fans everywhere will empathise with the actions of those in the stands at Cape Town, after a performance that leaves England’s progression from the tournament hanging by a thread.

This booing has however be illuminated by the words of an obviously frustrated Wayne Rooney, who whilst trudging off after the game went out of his way to vent his anger. Looking directly into a trailing camera and shouting , ‘Nice to see your home fans boo you, that’s loyal supporters.’

Wayne Rooney has since apologised for this outburst and in balance I think that the fans in South Africa and back home will let this go. Passions run high and I think most will be glad to see that at least some of the players are angry, even if the transference to the fans was unnecessary.

However in my mind this reignites the issue of whether it is ever acceptable for a fan to boo their side and whether players can really expect the support of their fans to be unconditional?

There is no easy answer, in a utopian world fans would never boo their team and their support will be unconditional and partisan.  Yet in this utopian world the players will give 110% and would fight like lions for the team with results that reflect their talent.  

So really the crux of the issue is that fan reactions will ultimately match the performance if not the result, if a team is seen to be giving their all then the fans will back them win, lose or draw. Some of the most memorable moments for me have been watching fans backing their losing side, knowing they had given their all.

At the 1994 and 2010 FA Cup finals, I was privileged to witness two games where the defeated side supported their team loudly and proudly in the face of defeat, knowing that the XI players on the pitch could have offered nothing more.

The England players on Friday could not make this argument, however there is a distinction between the booing of a team during the match and booing a team after a game. There were few dissenting voices as the supporters tried to inspire one moment of magic during the game.

It is indisputable that fans should support their players to the last during the game, however after the game if you are a professional footballer, at the biggest tournament in the world and you have not stepped up to the plate then you are fair game for criticism.

So whilst Wayne Rooney’s comments were uncalled for and he has atoned for them, the relationship between players and their fans is inextricably linked. When it works well it can a team to feats that could not previously be possible, when it fails morale plummets and performances fall by the wayside.

Overall I believe that booing a team should not be taken lightly, but no team or player is sacred, if players do not show the passion fire expected, then they are not immune. Although one word of advice for any footballer, questioning the loyalty of anyone who has spent their life savings to see you play, will never win you many friends.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The World Cup is underway and amid vuvuzela’s, goalkeeping mistakes and the choice of World Cup ball, there has been plenty to talk about during this tournament so far.

 In the first week the talking points/questions from this World Cup have been:

 Is This World Cup is Boring?

 Firstly people seem to have short memories, this World Cup is no different than any other,  traditionally World Cup games are not goal fests. I was not surprised to learn that the most common score line during World Cup finals is 1-0, which given the pressure of the tournament is not difficult to understand.

However this World Cup has not been boring, Paraguay, New Zealand, North Korea and Switzerland may not have set the world alight, but they have refused to accept their minnow status and go gently into the night.

 I love watching these teams play, it is not exciting in the traditional sense of the word, but I have taken great pleasure in the performances and candour of those teams.

Even if the giants of the game have not yet warmed up (exception equals Germany), the tournament has offered a great deal whilst promising that more is to come.

Can the World Tolerate Vuvuzela’s?

If I had a dollar/pound or rand for every time I had heard someone mention the vuvuzela’s at this World Cup, I would be a rich man.

The crux of the issue is that Vuvuzela’s are an important part of South African football. Therefore I think it is ridiculous that there has been suggestion that they should be banned.

Sure they are annoying beyond belief, but who are the Europeans, North Americans or anyone else for that matter, to tell others how to enjoy their football.

The world should embrace the mighty Vuvuzela.

 Is the Ball/Altitude having a Detrimetal affect on the Competition?

It must also be remembered that the ball was chosen to be different and promote a brand, the manufacturer will not be ecstatic that this is the talk of the tournament. Yet I think it is unclear if the choice of World Cup ball has detrimentally affected the tournament so far.

In theory high altitude, a light ball and thin air will make things difficult for any player, however the playing field is fair and the true greats of the game will show their class and adapt to the conditions.

The World Cup so far has been plagued by errors, particularly from goalkeepers in Group C, yet it is impossible to definitively say what caused them. Each situation is different, it could have been the pressure, the ball, the altitude or one hundred other reasons, mistakes are a part of football and it has certainly spiced things up.

How are South Africa faring as a Host?

So far the story of this World Cup has been the football and not the host, which is excellent news. 

Reports from the fans in South Africa I have spoken to have been positive, the South Africans have been truly welcoming fans into their country showing excellent hospitality. Hopefully this can continue and the naysayers about the choice of venue will be firmly put in their place. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the World Cup so far and look forward to every game, whoever is playing, I just wish every month was World Cup month.

I wonder what the talking points of the World Cup will be in week 2?

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As the World Cup gets nearer and the media attention reaches fever pitch, it is impossible in the UK to escape the media spotlight placed on the tournament.

In England the tournament is everywhere; billboards, radio stations, televisions and the internet, nowhere and no one is safe.

It seems as if every company is jumping on the World Cup bandwagon to flog their wares; from the tangibly sport related sports companies and television manufacturers, to the more tediously sport linked chocolate bar producers and banks.

Whilst the focus on the World Cup as an advertising strategy in a football dominated country like England is understandable, it is the contradictions and ironies that have struck me as corporations chase the money.

I understand that no company can afford to miss the multi million pound World Cup boat, but this is getting a little bit out of hand, as companies jostle to appear the most patriotic.

A classic example for this is Carlsberg’s current campaign, following the infamous, “If Carlsberg did…” theme. The advert features a mock teamtalk to the England players before a World Cup game.

As the team leave the changing rooms, the tunnel is crammed full of English sporting heroes, media and fans roaring their encouragement. Every inch of the tunnel is lined with famous faces, with the narrator giving an inspiring team talk.

This scene features Olympic greats such as Denise Lewis and Steve Redgrave and a myriad of other English sporting heroes, with an image of the recently departed Bobby Robson prompting the team talk narrator to ask the unidentified players to ‘do it for Bobby’.

The advert reaches a crescendo as the narrator ends his team talk urging the England players to become immortal. At the same time Bobby Moore beckons the team forward in an iconic pose, ball under his arm walking towards the pitch, the advert then finishes with a message of support for the England team from Carlsberg.

This advert and its images are fantastically done and will get the blood pumping through the veins of any English fan looking forward to this year’s World Cup.

Carlsberg for example have produced a very creditable and dare I say it inspiring World Cup advert, the irony however being that whilst Carlsberg has some UK operations is predominantly a Danish company.

This is not a huge deal, but the irony did irk me a little bit, the ‘If Carlsberg did team-talks‘ tagline is clever and effective, however I cannot help but wonder if a less cliche advert would have been more appropriate.

I do not watch much foreign televison, but I can imagine that Carlsberg like a host of other companies will be pledging support for a plethora of nations simultaneously during the World Cup to foster a patriotic image.

Carlsberg however are not unique, in England every company seems to feel the need to declare its support for the English national team, whatever its roots.

I know that the fickle nature of advertising cannot be avoided,  yet I cannot see what competitive edge this brings. Whilst anti-England sentiments would likely cause resentment I cannot feel a consumer making a purchasing choice because a product is one of Englands ‘Official Sponsors’ or was ‘backing England’.

Maybe it is just me, maybe the wall to wall coverage and build up has gotten to me already, already jaded this contradiction has pushed me over the edge in the heat of English World Cup fever.

To emphasise how much hype the tournament is getting in England, yesterday the BBC did a 7 hour live text commentary on the naming of the final 23 man England squad for the tournament. If this signifies the level of coverage now, what is it going to be like come the 11th of June?

I would like to say that apart from my nonsensical rant, the Carlsberg advert itself is absolutely epic, and will pull the heart strings of any Englishman.

Deep down I am also loving the World Cup hype, even if it is a Danish company that epitomised it the best, even if it is cliche and cheesy, even if I am cracking already, the message is clear; England the nation is with you.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are very few times that I agree with the ramblings of the master of the dark media arts Alex Ferguson and his accomplices, but yesterday the officials made far too many mistakes during Manchester United’s defeat by Chelsea.

During the game advantage was played too often, even when it was clear no advantage was to be gained and too many small decisions were given the wrong way. Worse still, when Mike Dean and his assistants were faced with big decisions, they appeared to bottle them.

However Manchester United’s management have no right to blame the officials for the shortcomings of their team in the game, if anything the inadequacies of officiating were the best we can hope for in football. They were balanced offering no advantage to one side or other and having no clear impact on the result.

Manchester United can point to an offside goal that they conceded and a penalty that on another day would have been given. Yet Chelsea can also feel hard done by that Nicholas Anelka was denied a stonewall penalty and that Federico Macheda was able to pull a goal back with a touch, that replays show clearly hit his arm.

Instead of focussing on these errors we should be thankful that they favoured neither side and therefore kept the integrity of the game intact, errors creating integrity may appear an oxymoron, but no one wants the title to be decided by a catastrophical refereeing error.

It is a severe bugbear of mine that given this balance, so called men of football cannot accept defeat but seek to play the mind games of manipulation regarding the officials. Where is the humility, the admittance that on the day a side can be outplayed, frankly the outburst from the Manchester United camp smack of desperation and a lack of class.

Referees cannot produce good displays with the pressure heaped upon them in the modern game, each decision is reviewed with a slow motion microscope and the respect campaign has become a joke. Time and time again Alex Ferguson and his ilk have been allowed to taunt and deride referees in an attempt to influence them; a governing body with testicular fortitude would have put paid to this many years ago.

As previously stated the general review of the match official’s performance from Manchester United was correct today, but if the decisions in a game are balanced I think that is the best we can hope for.

Referees are not machines and should be given more protection from the publicised ramblings of those with vested interests and games to play.

Also: United 1-2 Chelsea

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This week Chelsea U19’s defeated their Blackburn counterparts in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup Quarter Final, winning the game finished 4-0 (5-0 on aggregate), the club has reached it’s second FA Youth Cup Final in three years.

Whilst this is a noteworthy achievement for the players, coaches and scouts involved, it remains to be seen if this early achievement will translate into first team opportunities for the cream of the blue’s academy crop.

Since the club came under the ownership of Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich in 2003, substantial amounts of money have been spent developing the club’s youth set up. After six years the owner and the fans are desperate to see some return on this investment to replenish an ageing squad.

This hunger is intensified as John Terry is the last player to have broken through the ranks at Stamford Bridge and this was over a decade ago. Since then only a handful of players have come from the youth setup to make their senior debut, fewer still have secured more than insubstantial cameo appearances.

The last 12 months has seen a dramatic rise in the number of youth players on the fringes of the first team. From the most recent batch of players tipped to breakthrough, Michael Mancienne, Miroslav Stoch, Scott Sinclair, Franco Di Santo, Jeffery Bruma and Sam Hutchinson have all had a taste of first team football in the last 18 months.

The demolition of Portsmouth last night saw Patrick Van Aanholt join this list, the clubs full back injury crisis gifting the player a 19 minute cameo. Van Aanholt started on the bench behind a player who is recognised in his position, however the lack of trust in the club’s youth system has time and again seen out of position senior players given the nod ahead of a youth team specialists.

When a squad weakness becomes apparent, expectation and wealth mean that the focus will always be on the potential players the club could buy, rather than those who could be brought through the ranks.  Expectation levels are so high that any player looking to breakthrough must already be world class before standing any chance of making the starting eleven.

This practice may be the result of, or the cause of, the proliferation of loan deals involving Chelsea youngsters. During this season alone 15 players have gone out on loan at one point or other, and it is common practise for some of these players to spend 2 or 3 years constantly away from the club.   

Of the players to make their debut in the last 18 months only Sam Hutchinson and Jeffery Bruma have not been on loan at some point this season.

Also of the players currently registered at Chelsea; Scott Sinclair, has played for 6 other clubs since joining in 2005, Slobodan Rajkovic has gained international notoriety during his two seasons overseas and Michael Mancienne who has spent part of each of the last 4 seasons plying his trade away from Stamford Bridge.

Notable players to have gone on loan early in their career include David Beckham (Preston North End), Rio Ferdinand (Bournemouth) and Chelsea’s captain John Terry (Nottingham Forest).

However is the continuous loan culture at Chelsea worthwhile? Cynics may argue that with the quality of the senior players at Chelsea and the subsequent experience and advice available, that all these extended loans do is reduce the queue for lunch at the club’s Cobham training ground.

Yet there are many arguments for sending a player out on loan, the strongest of which is the opportunity to gain first team experience that you just cannot gain on the training ground.

Players are also likely to develop as footballers and for those who will not immediately make it at the highest level, these stints are a vital shop window in the bid to secure their professional football career. In the last year alone Tom Taiwo and Jimmy Smith have left the club to play for sides which they had previously been sent out on loan.

Soccerlens spoke to David Chidgey part of the Chelsea Football Fancast, to get a fans perspective on the opportunities available for Chelsea’s academy players, and clubs continuous loan culture.

During the conversation David mentioned that this was a popular topic of conversation amongst Chelsea fans and that the general consensus was that players were not getting a chance to prove themselves. Stating that many fans felt players should get a “proper run in the team rather than a token two or three minutes here and there”.

This disappointment was also apparent when discussing the clubs loan policies with many fans feeling that few players having gone out on loan to come back improved, or ready for the first team.

Looking at the Chelsea squad and the wealth of talent available to Carlo Ancelotti, it is difficult to see a future at the club for most of the players who fought so hard to reach the FA Youth Cup Final.

Many will point to the records of Alex Ferguson’s and Arsene Wenger to say that it is possible to bring players through at a top club and criticise the lack of youth progress at Chelsea.

However without the stability and patience provided by these managers during the development phase of a players career many of the stars they nurtured may never have risen above mediocrity. With the instability at the managerial level of the club in recent times this pastoral care has clearly been lacking, the club must improve this if it wants to have a successful youth policy.

Whether any of those who play in the FA Youth Cup Final go on to play regularly for Chelsea is difficult to say, the odds are  certainlystacked against them. However in football stranger things have happened and as with much of what has happened since the Abramovich takeover, Chelsea must go their own way to find success.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As football fights its financial henchman, there is a temptation to criticise the greed, naivety and incompetence that has engorged football for over a decade. With countless clubs teetering on the brink of existence, club owners and administrators are coming under increasing fire as the true nature of the financial mismanagement within football is revealed.

Since the foundation of the Premier League, English football at all levels has lived in a pseudo reality to which the normal rules of business have been totally ignored or given only passing consideration. This fairytale football land has seen contracts, bonuses and expenditure expand exponentially at a rate only tediously linked to revenues and potential returns on investment.

This television funded fairytale punishes incompetence and failure with bloated payouts and limited consequences. In this land limited revenues are no obstacle to chairman wishing to chase the leprechaun towards the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Owners have been dazzled by the allure of such an ego boosting status symbol; normally solvent successful businessmen seem repeatedly unable to apply hard learned lessons to their football operations. Owners seem unable to find the balance between paying the bills, satisfying fan expectations and providing long-term stability.

This state of affairs is a corrosive force inside what was once a terrifyingly simple sport, in today’s high powered football economy something must be done to safeguard the future of the sport across all levels. Those involved in running the game must take action to nullify the threat to a nations way of life from the scourges of unaccountable ownership, suicidal spending sprees and unrestrained debt accrual.

I am keen to do my bit to help our beleaguered game and lift the looming grey skies that threaten to spoil the decade of sunshine that has made the Premier League the most popular league in the world.

Devoid of the financial knowledge required to understand the confusing football world of liquidation, administration and castration; I have put together some proverb based tips designed to guide new/potential owners through the football minefield and avert their eyes from the onrushing headlights of financial ruin.

Never a lender or a borrower be
Every business needs to borrow money from time to time, but using your club as a convenient place to create artificial debt whilst you spend your time watching an inferior, erroneously named form of rugby is not recommended, neither is allowing your team to stagnate as you argue with your co-owner about which one of you is the bigger idiot.

Board room tussles and corporate debt aside professional football is full of financial degenerates, so don’t be naive, never lend a single penny to a fellow football club. As harsh as this may sound you wouldn’t lend money to a penniless drug addict, so why would you lend it to a debt junkie football club that cannot afford to go to rehab?

Take this proverb seriously, avoid debt wherever you can and try not to be too generous when dealing with clubs, agents and other miscreants within the game.

Do unto others as they would do unto you
If you are considering a course of action that will affect your club in the long term consider your actions carefully.

You wouldn’t take over a theme park, run it for a while and then burn it to the ground once you got bored or there was a line at the concession stand, so why would you do it to a football club? Treat the club you own with respect and if you can’t do right by the club do us all a favour and invest in the Stanford series instead.

You have to spend money to make money
This proverb is a misnomer and proof that football is a unique and confusing business; you will have to spend money to achieve success but in a vicious cycle of disaster the more successful your club becomes the higher expectations. The higher the expectations the more it will cost to chase the dreams and if/when you fail the club may be irreparably damaged.

Former Tottenham Hotspur owner Sir/Lord/Gaffer/Baron Alan Sugar was once reported as saying that football is the only business where it is seen as embarrassing to make money; fans will not be placated solely by financial security. There is always a new star striker to buy or new stadium to build, even producing champion performances will mean nothing if you cannot balance the books.

So remember if you can’t gift your club millions or afford to run it at a substantial loss, the very least you can do is show that you have invested time, effort and money in the club*.

Knowledge is power
It is a little known fact that If you take the time to learn your market, your fans and the names of those on your payroll, your chances of success increase dramatically*.

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth
You need to have good people around you to manage the unimportant bits of your club such as ticket sales, the stadium and team selection. Whilst a hands on approach is good you need to avoid the temptation to micromanage your club. Remember just because you mortgaged your mansion to buy your national team’s hero you should not force the manager to play him. This logic also applies to picking the team, or moving the club to Belgium as you want to make waffles part of your players pre-match routine*.

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely
If you are going to make a go of this football ownership lark, you need to be the boss, the gaffer, the big cheese and top dog all rolled into one. You cannot be handicapped by the need to run decisions past a board of directors or your business partner. Areas of conflict to avoid include those concerning player purchases, and which brand of toilet roll should adorn the toilets in your office.

To succeed your power must be absolute, the buck stopping at your door, though this should not mean you can act with impunity.

For example, changing the clubs emblem may be ok if done sensitively to reflect the changing times or an event in the clubs history. However changing the emblem to your own likeness is only likely to be ok if you bare resemblance to a club mascot or fierce animal such as a centaur, lion or fallen angel. If in doubt about anything to do with the clubs identity speak to those loud fellows who occupy the seats in your stadium around 20 times a season, they will be more than willing to share their opinion.  

*This action is likely to reduce the risk of mass protest, media criticism and death threats
This concludes my proverbial guide to owning an English football club and I hope that if you are thinking about buying a club these quick tips will help you become fully qualified to own an English institution avoiding the mistakes of incumbent owners across the country.

I would like to leave you with the most important advice for those wishing to invest in football (I use this term loosely).

If you want to make money in sport start a bookmaking firm, become a football agent or invest in an American football franchise. Unless you own one of the giants of world football you should dismiss the possibility of applying such a ludicrous notion to football.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It has been announced that Wolves have been handed a symbolic £25,000 suspended fine for breaching Premier League rule E20 against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the 15th of December.

The punishment relates to Wolves manager Mick McCarthy’s decision to name a team of entirely different outfield personnel from the club’s previous fixture.

Premier League Rule E20 states:

“In every League Match each participating Club shall field a full strength team”

On face value this seems a simple, logical rule to ensure fair play and equality in the league, reducing the risk of bias or more sinister temptations such as match fixing.

However the action taken against Wolves highlights the inadequacies of the rule, questioning how such a subjective factor such as team strength can be effectively measured to allow fair and effective enforcement?

There is no doubt that Mick McCarthy did not give any consideration when naming his side to the implications to any other club than his own, or allow himself to be swayed by any deliberate or subconscious bias towards the current league champions.

A more plausible rationale is that after using his vast experience and knowledge he determined that the chances of securing an away result against the league champions was remote and that it made practical sense to rest players in preparation for another day.

This hypothesis is supported by the aggregated bookmaker odds for the fixture before the teams were announced, a draw was quoted at 6/1 with a shock away win considered 3 times less likely at a whopping 18/1.

Despite the dismay of some fans and the league ruling, at what point does such interference become justified and whose responsibility is it to decide what constitutes a weakened side?

Analysis of the team sheet masks the real issue to come to light from the leagues actions. If the manager of a club deems that the team from a previous game is not appropriate for the next fixture and their selection is in the best interests of their team, why should they fear the wrath of the league?

Clubs across the league regularly rotate players throughout the season, what if one or two players are rotated? Rotation is for the most part a byword for the strategic weakening of a side based on the requirements of the forthcoming fixture. Pundits often surmise that effective rotation is essential for success during a demanding Premier League campaign.

Yet by the letter of the law the next time Wayne Rooney or Didier Drogba are strategically rested and replaced by an inferior international striker the FA will be forced to act.

This is without considering the debacle at the end of last season also involving Manchester United. In May 2009 in breach of rule E20 Alex Ferguson named a significantly weaker team for his club’s the last league game of the season receiving the full backing of the Premier Leagues Chief Executive Richard Scudamore in the process.

Despite the fixture having the potential to affect which team was relegated that day Manchester United were not charged for a breach of rule E20. Potentially because at the end of the day and to the relief of all parties Manchester United won the game. However had a wounded party such as Newcastle or Middlesbrough been relegated due to a Manchester United defeat would they have been entitled to seek recompense from Manchester United or the Premier League?

Also a Manchester United victory does not excuse Richard Scudamore or the league; they have displayed blatant hypocrisy in dealing with this matter. If it is ok for teams to prioritise different competitions and subsequently rest players, why are Wolves worthy of sanctions in this instance? Before Manchester United’s controversial fixture Scudamore went to great lengths to justify the selections of Alex Ferguson. His comments could have been construed as describing the rule as antiquated and out of touch with the changing face of English football. He described the rule to BBC’s Radio 5 Live as something which “predates the ’squad system” that “exists in every competition”. 

He reinforces the argument by stating ”I’m not saying that rule cannot be broken, I’m sure it can: I’m sure it can if the team doesn’t try, if the team was just people you’d never heard of and it was all people drafted in on the day then there is a place for that rule to be applied.”

However the final nail in the coffin for the validity of the sanctions imposed on Wolves in the Premier League however is the admission in the same interview describing why it was acceptable for Manchester United not to field their strongest side; “You have to be realistic: they’ve got a squad – everyone says the strength of that squad is what won them the league – and therefore you can’t argue that they deploy the benefit of that squad in a game on Sunday”

The above ill-judged comments seem to exonerate Mick McCarthy, in December he did not field an inexperienced reserve side against Manchester United. The team he selected have so far made on average 10 Premier League appearances each this season, hardly supporting the notion of a team of acne afflicted teenage no-hopers implied by the leagues investigation.

The comments of the Chief Executive and the suspended sanctions agains Wolves are damaging to the league and allow further accusations of bias by the games highest authorities towards the bigger clubs. Many fans and clubs will be sceptical and speculate that if the shoe was on the other foot on December 15th then no charges would have been brought against Alex Ferguson or Manchester United. 

However it is the opinion of this writer that when manager’s take on the mantle and responsibilities of Premier League management they earn the right to pick the team that they and not the Premier League board deems the most suitable for the task at hand.

If this argument fails and logic dictates that clubs must field their strongest available team for every league fixture can someone from the FA please explain who and how this decision is made? I think that Michael Mancienne and Matthew Hill would argue that they are both worthy of a place in the strongest central defensive partnership available to Wolves and only Mick McCarthy has the authority to disagree with them.

This begs the question, can anyone outside of a club truly be impartial and qualified enough to decide definitively what constitutes a sides strongest starting XI for any given fixture?

Even if the FA hired a panel of FA experts to decide a consensus will be difficult to reach and just as fallible as any managers choice. Let’s not forget the expert managerial nous that led to the selection of Ali Dia for Southampton or justified the signing of Francis Jeffers by Arsenal, Everton or any of his 5 other clubs. 

There is however a fair but drastic solution to ensure that the rules, equality and integrity of the Premier League are upheld, managers clearly cannot be trusted to do what is best for their clubs now is the time to take back our game and take it out of the hands of our managers. 

Originally I was going to suggest that teams will now be forced to seek pre-match approval of their starting line ups from the league, however on reflection I think that this does not go far enough.

To negate any risk managers should simply submit a list of available players and a preferred formation to the league an hour before kick off so that league officials can select the strongest team available.

This is the only logical conclusion to this predicament as there is no other way of determining whether two, five or eleven changes represent a weakened side, or whether every selection decision should be scrutinised.

In a time when clubs are beginning to feel the financial pinch a responsible ruling authority really cannot risk being forced to levy blatantly unnecessary financial sanctions on clubs that should know better, clubs must be controlled for their own protection.

An extreme and pedantic suggestion, but whilst the integrity of the game is paramount it is preposterous clubs should be punished for acting in good faith and the league should not interfere with team selection.

Whilst normally inconsistent actions and sanctions are lambasted in this instance further investigations should be discouraged and the Wolves example should not be the start of a trend. Whilst this opinion will attract many detractors clubs and managers must have their right to manage their affairs as they see fit protected. Whilst teams should not gift teams perceived as superior teams points, only in suspicious circumstances where foul play is suspected should investigation be warranted.

It cannot be determined whether Mick McCarthy was right to make so many changes against Manchester United. However if Wolves field a supposedly stronger team against Chelsea due to the timing of this suspended sanction, it will leave both sides open to accusations of meddling with the balance and equality of the league. 

Follow Kristian Downer on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In July on this site I waxed lyrical about how the oldest league club in world languishing in the bottom division of the football league had been taken over by a foreign consortium in a fairytale the audacity of which bewildered the football community.

However less than a season later the Nott’s County bubble has well and truly burst, despite a promising start the consortium never made good on its promises, the club has changed hands 3 times and it’s current more modestly funded owners have inherited £2.5m of debt and  a club and teetering on the brink of existence.

Sadly Nott’s County are now the perfect case study for the proponents of the evils of foreign ownership. The Munto Finance ownership of the club offers a perfect example of the perils of allowing the arrival of uncommitted foreign ownership into a football club.

The Munto Finance consortium arrived triumphantly during July promising to pump long-term investment into the club, launching a five year plan to get the club back into the top flight of English football for the first time since 1992.

The club brought in star players such as Lee Hughes, Ben Davies and Kasper Schmeichel on contracts that blew the rest of the league away. During a prestige friendly against neighbour Nottingham Forest the club unveiled the kingpin to all future plans; former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson who was introduced as the new director of football.

However even as the club rode this wave of excitement the first seeds of doubt began to develop speculation grew about the limited tangible accountability to the club that the new owners had displayed. Even the FA struggled to confirm the identity of the investors involved and perform the fit and proper persons test.

The clubs league form however did satiate the fans in the short term as the clubs unsubstantiated spending put the club in the upper echelons of the league. Nott’s County were riding high even if not quite matching the insurmountable expectations that had been built.

September saw the swift arrival and departure of Sol Campbell a player still regarded as having both Premier League and international pedigree. His debut defeat at Morecambe was the defender’s only appearance for the club and along with accusations of broken promises triggered his prompt exit. A move that heralded the first tangible warning sign that all was not rosy in the Nott’s County garden.

Whilst many scoffed and criticised the naivety of Campbell’s fly by night appearance and subsequent disappearance it now seems likely that his complaints of broken promises were well founded.

Off the field the club’s disintegration was rapid by December those inside the club began to realise that the promised finance from the Middle Eastern investors was not going to materialise. Munto Finance had by all accounts withdrawn its investment.

In the wake of this realisation embattled chairman Peter Trembling was forced to enact a management buy-out in the face of huge debts including tax debts which leave the club on the verge of a winding up order and administration.

This was the end of the Munto Finance chapter of the clubs history; the ambition displayed in the early months had led to improved on-field performance however without sufficient finance such investments continue to be unsustainable. Nott’s’ County is living beyond its means, in a worse position than before the takeover with more big name departures likely as quality players jump from the sinking ship.

Ray Trew is the latest to attempt to tackle the management of Nott’s County taking over with the less audacious aim of saving and stabilising the club. Crippled by inflated contracts and swimming in debt the stars that remain are naturally uneasy and the rays of hope that illuminated Meadow Lane in late summer have been replaced by storm clouds that sit not so far on the horizon.

Having been supporter owned, foreign investor owned, management owned and local consortium owned Nott’s County has gone through the entire ownership spectrum in the space of a season.

This should be a stark warning to clubs considering being taken over by unknown quantities wherever their origin, new ownership is often feted as the answer to many problems, but at whatever level a club plays its football it must be remembered that the grass is not always greener, and the only good promise is a kept promise.

Ultimately the club may yet pay the ultimate price for its dalliances in ownership this season, the taxman and creditors hound the club and administration remains a very real threat.

The club currently sits in the play-off places chasing automatic promotion 8 points adrift of automatic promotion places with 4 games in hand, administration would make even the play-offs a struggle for a club for which promotion or further takeover may be the only salvation.

As the oldest football league club battles for survival it would in some way be comforting to know that those partially responsible for the club’s woes are being held to account for their broken promises.

However there is nothing that can be done and I doubt the mysterious constituents of Munto Finance will lose any sleep over the plight of the Magpies tonight.

Can the Premier and Football League administrations really continue to allow their clubs to be owned/managed by parties with limited tangible personal or financial investment?

Is now the time to make owners show proper commitment?

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The World Cup is now well and truly within our sights. Whilst the domestic and European action will take centre stage for a while yet, if you are looking forward to the World Cup more than a bailiff/repo man enjoys a recession then now is the time to make some early preparations to make sure you do not miss any of the action. 

This may sound crazy with so much football before the competition starts but even those not heading to South Africa should start planning for the World Cup now. On this theme I have compiled some tips and suggestions on planning and organising your World Cup 2010 to ensure that you are fully prepared come the 3^rd of June.

 Planning – The Sacred Wall Chart of Truth

 This may sound obvious and preachy but with two games a day being played throughout the week there is no sense in risking missing games due to common sense failure. Make sure to check exactly when you need to be free to watch the matches you need to see. The simplest way to do this is to procure a wall chart from a paper of sports magazine for your region as this will show the kick off times in your local time without the need to find out what GMT + 2 means to you. 

Organisation – Football vs. Normal Life

With the wall chart firmly affixed to your bedroom wall you have noticed the deliberate mistake in the section above and hit the awkward realisation that your life may interfere with your football. 

The football versus life debate is a dilemma for all football fans from time to time however this is exacerbated during a World Cup.

During this year’s competition those in the Americas will watch the games over breakfast or lunch, those in Europe and Africa will be finishing work or enjoying dinner, whereas those in the football crazy Asian Pacific should probably already be tucked up in bed as as the action starts.

It is therefore obvious that schedule changes are unavoidable and I have prepared the following tips.

 Send your wife on holiday with her mother

 Shimples as the meerkat would say, or for those counting the pennies simply pack your wife off to her mother’s for a few weeks ‘relaxation’. Alternately for the really lucky people whose partners have caught the football bug enjoy the games with your significant other.

 Break up with the girlfriend/mistress

 As above IF she loves you she will take you back. 

Buy A Plasma Screen TV/Skidaddle to you Local hostelry

Games involving your country adopted or otherwise need to be watched in style, get yourself down to your local electronics store and buy the most expensive TV in the shop for the comfort of home, or failing that get down the pub and get in with your local landlord to ensure that the best seat in the house is reserved for you come game day. 

Ensure that any pets adverse to loud noises are suitably kennelled/stabled/given away.

 Let’s face it, when explaining to your returning wife the new plasma screen TV you couldn’t afford it will be difficult enough without also having to explain the demise of Frankie the Gerbil who was inadvertently kicked across the room during a tense penalty shoot out.  Be kind this summer if  dog is really a man’s best friend make sure they don’t deserve to suffer the rollercoaster of a World Cup.

 Quit Your Job/Book Time off Work

 For those in football immersed continents such as Europe, Africa and South America this is not so much of an issue as countries may literally stop for the match however ensuring earning a living does not interfere with the match schedule should not be underestimated as others are not so lucky.

 I am sure that there will be many people in the U.S who are desperate to watch their team play in a group including England however taking time off to watch the game may not be easy so make sure you let your boss know quickly, if they refuse you have two options you can either miss the game or resign quoting the words of Bill Shankly.

Here is the genuine email which I sent my boss recently to ensure I would not face similar concerns feel free to use it yourself:

 Subject: ADVANCED WARNING – FiFa World Cup 

Dear Boss,

What Now?

Relax and feel the smug feeling of self satisfaction, I am confident but unwilling to be quoted on the fact that if you have completed the steps above then you will be well on your way to a hassle free World Cup 2010.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As Manchester United’s rout of Wigan signalled the end of the 2009 and the start of a yet unnamed new decade, the signs on the horizon raise questions as to the future of English football over the next 10 years? Can the growth and success of the noughties be replicated or do a plethora of social, political and financial factors mean that English football has reached its pinnacle?

The first decade of the new millennium affectionately known as the ‘noughties’ was hugely successful for English football, the rejuvenation of the sport following the launch of the Premier League in the 90’s continued into the new millennia; with match attendances, television audiences and club honours reaching unprecedented levels.

This period was graced by some of the greatest players in the world including foreign imports Henry, Ronaldo and Zola and patriots such as Rooney, Terry, Gerrard, Lampard, and Rooney. These icons were watched by global audiences in their millions as the league earned the unofficial title ‘the greatest league in the world’.

There seem to be unsettling signs on the horizon of English Football as the recession, foreign ownership and UEFA regulation rear their ugly heads and threaten the future of the league.

Is the Foreign Ownership Bubble About to Burst?

The influx of foreign owners across all levels of the game has had a mixed impact with some success and a plethora of failure resulting in unsustainable expenditure, insatiable performance demands, asset dependant debt and general instability. Two of the historical powerhouses of English football now find themselves saddled with unpopular foreign owners who have ridden the clubs with external debt that even threatens the competitively of the football empire that is Manchester United.

The Chelsea/Abramovich marriage can be argued as a success story, even if it will not form the groundwork for the ‘Foreign Football Owners Handbook for Beginners’. A chance flight over Stamford Bridge resulted in the club being bought by a cash rich and seemingly loyal owner willing to invest in the long term future of the club underwriting huge debts in the process to propel the club forward.

Other clubs have not been so lucky the dream story and optimism that stalked a post takeover Nott’s County has melted away as motives become clouded and the investment promises fail to materialise, the club faces an unknown future with existence re-emerging as a legitimate primary objective for those following the world’s oldest league club.

In a similar situation to Nott’s County, Portsmouth are currently balancing the memories of FA Cup victory against the imminent danger that their club will simply cease to exist due to the fall out of foreign ownership, short term thinking and mismanagement. A seeming succession of owners have entered Fratton Park promising to make the dark clouds go away but as winding up orders and administration loom, only a minor miracle seems to be the answers to Portsmouth’s woes.

Then there is the impatience of cash rich owners keen to see immediate returns on their investment on the pitch. QPR may be owned by men with unfathomable wealth however the club has welcomed 12 managers since 2006 and not looked remotely likely to secure Premier League football since the arrival of Bernie Ecclestone and the always controversial Flavio Briatore in 2007

Meanwhile in the top division Manchester City have started their assault on the upper echelons of the Premier League relatively well, supported by the oilmen of Abu Dhabi the future looks bright. Yet this was not enough to save Mark Hughes from the axe and although the jury is still out for qualification for the Champions League this season, the coming years may yet yield a sustained assault on league and European glory bucking the apocalyptic stories described above.

It is not all doom and gloom though, the work of Randy Lerner has put the smiles back on the faces of everyone at Villa Park, operating under controlled financial and playing expectations the club has kept its community feel whilst chasing success. Martin O’Neil has put together a well constructed squad that can have a real crack at usurping Liverpool in England’s ‘big four’ showing how foreign ownership does not have to be all about short term boom or bust.

Unfortunately this success story like the others is counterbalanced by at least two examples of failing foreign ownership experiments; the Glazers, took the reins at Old Trafford under a cloud of controversy and protest, having loaded the club with artificial debt this now threatens to force the club to downsize its transfer ambitions with wild rumours of asset sell-offs both on and off the pitch. Just 30 miles away Gillette and Hicks bicker and fight at the controls of Liverpool FC leading to a period of stagnation and mediocrity. Debt is like Manchester United a huge factor at Anfield with the playing staff budget under threat. With Liverpool battling to secure even Champions League football next season there is the very real threat that the gems in the Liverpool crown Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres may be sold to compensate for the resulting lost revenue.

Foreign ownership is not all sweetness and light and this bubble looks set to well and truly burst in the coming years affecting calibre of players that may be at our top clubs, affecting the games reputation and allowing uncertainty to reign.

Will even the Top Clubs battle for their existence?

In an effort to compete and attract the top names a football financial arms race means that today even average players attract wages that would have been unimaginable even 15 years ago; at the top of the league the most talented players use the increase in football revenues, agents and the limited English talent pool to command more money in a day than the average English worker can earn in a year.

It is not just the audiences that cannot afford to keep up with these wage demands, the start of the noughties saw the demise of Leeds United and there are now many more clubs across the football pyramid who are creaking under the financial pressures of competing in English football, all this despite exponentially rising revenues.

The recession is not yet over and whilst it has heralded talk of ‘a period of austerity’ in the U.K economy this has not yet been transferred to the football financial bubble that continues to inflate. Fans may be tightening their belts but this has not stopped the insatiable financial expenditure of our clubs. The recession coupled with a 50% tax rate and an abysmal exchange rate are affecting the ability of English clubs to compete particulary against their deep pocketed European rivals.

How long is it that top talent such as Fernando Torres, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas will be lured away from England for warmer climes and higher wages on the continent, English football is in danger of a resource drain that will lead to Spain regaining the title as the ‘best league in the world’.

Will Platini have his Day?

The administration of European football has looked jealously at the success of English football both on and off the pitch in recent years; an all English Champions League final in 2008 was the pinnacle of English domination of Europe which also meant that from 2005 the Premier League was represented in each final until the end of the decade.

Tapping up, youth poaching and foreign ownership have become issues of continental significance with English clubs under heavy suspicion, the fear for the new decade must be continued legislation from Europe directly or indirectly impacting upon factors such as freedom of movement and trade which helped the Premier League establish its worldwide dominance.

UEFA have attempted to introduce competition rules to negate the impact of the spending power of European clubs buying foreign players, much maligned in Blighty it was ironically European law that thwarted the controversial 6+5 proposal. However UEFA have pushed forward with a diluted system which encourages youth rather than punishing nationality. The ‘A’ and ‘B’ list system makes foreign players especially those not considered ‘untouchable’ an expensive strategic commodity whist the ‘B’ list makes young players important on a scale they have never been before, particularly when injuries start to take their toll and thin the number of available ‘A’ list players

The European bureaucratic machine is potentially a threat to English football in the coming years eccentric proposals are freely circulated seemingly testing the limits of acceptability. Clubs are under threat of increased regulation from UEFA in areas including financial aspects such as debt, transfer spending and wage expenditure. Whilst these factors are important issues which must be addressed I would like to throw doubt on the concept that a centralised bureaucratic body can provide solutions across a widely varying socio-economic footballing region.

The intrusions for the coming decade have as yet to be accurately defined however such regulation could change the face of English football in the same way as the foundation of the Premier League or the Bosman ruling. It has the potential to impact upon the way in which clubs do business and compete on both a national and European level. Only time will tell if such measures will be beneficial to English football, however I have yet to meet an English football fan who has faith in the European and World governing bodies and their ability to be even handed in their actions.

This article may appear to be full of doom and gloom; however it is difficult to appreciate just how good the first 10 years of this century were. As football fans we were well and truly spoilt and it is difficult to think of a way which the new decade can top the last.

More teams competing for the top prizes is one obvious way, and bizarrely the plans/consequences of many of the implications of the factors above that I have denounced may indeed spawn a more competitive league. This season bares this out in some regards; Chelsea live under the threat of a transfer ban, Manchester United and Liverpool looking less than impressive with the latter fading beyond recognition. Arsenal are back in the title mix and Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa show potential to really upset the applecart.

With the national teams ‘golden generation’ reaching their swansong the financial pressure on English football threatens to deflate the progress and growth of the Premier League and it is easy to think I am saying that the bubble is about to burst altogether but let’s not forget that the English game is still watched by a worldwide fan base turning up and tuning in to watch some of the most talented players in the world.

I therefore end the article with a half glass full attitude and proffer that whilst the ‘noughties’ may be impossible to live up to, II urge you not to fret as much as I obviously have and enjoy the glittering spectacle football on display in the 2009-2010 season and beyond.

The noughties were most certainly a golden age for English football but only time will tell if this ‘golden age’ has passed or whether its greatness will be surpassed during a new decade that for many starts full of uncertainty, doubt and fear, don’t you just love the English winter?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News