Soccerlens Daily: Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton, Arsenal and Euro 2008
Since Graham’s been going on and on about predictions, here are a few I’ve made in the past (1, 2, 3, 4). I got a few specific ones wrong (David Jones was sold, Alan Smith was sold, Rossi was sold) but in hindsight, that was wishful thinking. I got a few key ones right as well – Makelele’s decline, Scholesy and Giggsy decline and Arsenal’s problems last season.
In any case, I hope you guys enjoy Gerry’s and Graham’s weekend previews – on to the rest of today’s news:
1. Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool
A lot to talk about Liverpool today – the way the fan-based bid for the club is going, the whole deal with DIC and Hicks and Gillett, Mascherano’s new deal and my favourite, Carragher getting arrested for ‘common assault’ earlier this weekend (he was released on bail, don’t get too happy).
I’ve written a whole article on it, go here and let everyone know what you think.
2. The Chelsea brawl and pack reshuffle
So, apparently the tiff between Terry and Cate was because the latter was getting on John Obi Mikel’s case for not performing up to standards. Terry took offense to that and stepped in, and the grapevine rumour is that the Chelsea squad sided with Terry over this one.
I don’t. I think Cate is right to berate Mikel simply because Mikel, for all his talent, is not a mature enough footballer. Yes, he’s young and he needs time. At this level though, you don’t have the luxury of ‘time’. Football at the highest level demands that players grow up and mature quickly – if Mikel cannot get his temperament in order, he deserves to be brought in line.
Then again, maybe Cate stepped over the line. Who knows…
Also, how does a midfield of Mikel, Lampard, Ballack and Essien play? Narrow and defensive, that’s how. It’s the suggested lineup in today’s Times Online piece and since it’s proposed for the away game against West Ham, it seems more like a defensive-minded, counter-attacking system than the attractive football everyone seems to want Chelsea to play.
People need to get off Grant’s back and give him more time. Of course, I said this yesterday and it didn’t change the world…
3. Everton’s Challenge
I was reading yesterday of how Everton are trying to keep Mikel Arteta off the surgeon’s table in a bid to qualify for the Champions League for next season. Here’s a player who is pretty much risking serious injury every time he steps on the pitch, but by taking it easy off the pitch and going through a specialised training program he’s able to play for Everton week in and week out to help the club qualify.
Here’s to Arteta – he deserves to play in the Champions League.
4. Eduardo Watch
Martin Taylor talks to the Independent about the tackle on Eduardo and the aftermath.
It is shameful to hear of the death threats that he has received. I wonder if Wenger will apologise for his ‘in-the-heat’ comments that he later retracted, considering that a lot of hate vented towards Taylor has been a direct result of those comments by Wenger a consequence of the influence Wenger’s initial comments had in shaping the viewpoints of Arsenal fans (I realised that my initial statement was incorrect and unfair on Wenger – thank you Spiral for initially pointing this out).
5. Euro 2008
Kevin Fylan (Reuters Soccer Blog) on the Euro 2008 stadiums.
6. Manchester United’s defenders
Rio Ferdinand’s contract is up for renewal, and instead of starting negotiations now they are being planned for the summer. Rio has another year left in his contract and this has given the tabloids plenty to wag their tongues about (and diverted some attention from the Arsenal / Chelsea / Liverpool focus in recent weeks). I honestly don’t see Rio Ferdinand leaving the club – he was chiefly responsible for United finishing 2nd instead of 3rd in 2005/2006 and he was a key player in our title-winning 06/07 season, AND he’s been our best defender this season as well.
The question has been that of wages – and while people talk about exorbitant wages, Rio is easily the most valuable defender at Manchester United and if that means paying him what Ronaldo is getting, then so be it. I also remember this Oliver Kay character, not exactly the best judge where Manchester United are concerned (unless you’re profiting from spreading false rumours about United).
And can we please solve the Wes Brown situation as well? Unless one of the Brazilians or Danny Simpson is going to surpass him next season, he’s the best right-back the club has.
7. Usmanov, Arsenal, Usmanov
Finally the tabloids are warming to the idea that the Arsenal board of directors could increase their collective stake in Arsenal to 51% and thus ward off any takeover bid from Usmanov. Still, if it took THEM an year to come around, I doubt that Arsenal’s finest are going to hop on to it next week.
As things stand, Usmanov has committed to NOT launching a takeover of Arsenal in the next 6 months. This is good in one sense – Arsenal will be self-reliant going into 2008/2009. On the other hand, it’s bad news because this will lead to intense speculation next season the last thing a club needs at the start of the season is takeover talk.
Incidentally, Usmanov owned Metallionvest will be sponsoring Dynamo Moscow for an year. Invest in football, I say…
Topics: Arsenal, Chelsea, Daily Football Headlines, European Championships, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United
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The death threats recieved by Tylor has bloody NOTHING to do with Wenger’s comments. These are Croatian fans and have nothing to do with us gooners. Talk sense please.
February 29th, 2008 @ 13:26Don’t you think that perhaps a bit of the blame for the Eduardo injury rests with Martin Taylor? After all he can’t be that dim that he doesn’t realise that launching a 12-13 stone object a someone’s leg could possibly cause some damage – or can he?
February 29th, 2008 @ 14:13its laughable how guys think brown is ANY good. He is actually appalling in all regards. Defensively he has frequent costly lapses in concentration and usually someone has to cover him because his positioning is atrocious even at the best of times. Offensively, he is more a liability than anything else. Even Simpson is better than him and I’d actually play hargo there instead until we get a full time RB of some quality
February 29th, 2008 @ 14:43Preface: I hate the gooners and I hate Arsene “I didn’t see it” Wenger.
Having said that, it is completely ridiculous to say any death threats on Taylor are a “direct result” of Wenger’s comments. I’d go so far as to call it pathetic.
The death threats are a direct result of Taylor nearly amputating the bottom portion of Eduardo’s leg.
February 29th, 2008 @ 15:01Shaheen…”we?” Do you play for United? Didn’t think so.
February 29th, 2008 @ 15:02Ahmed, get it straight please. By all accounts its mainly Croatian fans that are acting out on this. Aren’t you being a little bit presumptuous by saying that ‘a lot of hate vented towards Taylor has been a direct result of those comments by Wenger’. How did you know? Did you talk to any of them? Could’ve just been that the fans see it as ‘revenge’ by an Englishman for Croatia dumping England out of qualification & they’re taking a little bit of revenge of their own.
These remarks are not responsible, the same way Wenger’s remarks were not responsible. Just correct this…
February 29th, 2008 @ 15:15Just one thing
“At this level you don’t have the luxury of time”
“peopleneed to get of Grant’s back and give him more time”
Which is it?
agree about Mikel though, and I’m really glad United didn’t sign him.
February 29th, 2008 @ 17:12lol do use think about 95% of arsenal fans would have asked for a lifetime ban if wenger didnt say it.
February 29th, 2008 @ 18:07I remember people on all the blogs tht day i pissed my self laughing
“banned for life”
“bann him till eduardo is back”
“a leg for a leg”
“he should pay for the medical treatment”
i mean eduardo obviously dived. well the replays were inclusive but every one just quoted arsne wenger and added there own words.
and how fast do you guys think post is from croatia to england maybe about now he will receive those death threats not in one bloody day
i think now.. liverpool 8 – 0 Besiktas SK very comic..
March 1st, 2008 @ 01:49Taylor received death threats. Poor darling. If the football media did something convincingly last week, it was the portrayal of Taylor as a gentle giant, a much wronged gentleman, a pearl of a soul who’s condemned to a lifetime of agony, guilt and shame(and lets not forget, psychiatric torment in hell) because he accidently hurt a fellow player’s leg. What all he’s going through? What all his family is going through? What all his dog, his car and his house is going through? And to add to all of this, he has to bear the weight of Arsene Wenger’s comments(after all this is a manager who saw two of his players get the same fate-Pires and Diaby a few years back,) how cruel can the French be? And now Croatian death threats with a dash of French cynicism………….
March 1st, 2008 @ 03:19Spiral – updated the article, thanks.
March 1st, 2008 @ 05:02michael – fair point.
Mikel is an individual and has to deal with himself. In addition, he’s been at Chelsea for a while, so he has had some time to adjust (similar to Sheva, who’s had plenty of time as well).
Grant, on the other hand, is dealing with a team and an institution (Chelsea). Give him a full season atleast, and if he is going backwards, slap him as much as you want.
March 1st, 2008 @ 05:09