Football wages are a ridiculously easy target – whether it’s the high wages paid by Chelsea and then Manchester City, the astronomical wage bills of Barcelona and Real Madrid fueled by unequal TV deals or the retirement homes that front as football clubs in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, football wages have steadily increased in the last 20-25 years.

But by how much? And is the growth spread evenly across all tiers of the game or concentrated at the highest level? You may already know the answer to that question, but even then the numbers below are eye-opening.

The data is taken from sportingintelligence.com (who have used their own research + an official PFA document detailing basic wages for the last 25 years) – here are some highlights:

The text below is taken from sportingintelligence.com – see source articles here and here:

• In 1984-85, top division players in England earned a basic average of £480 per week (£25,000 a year), which was more than double what the average worker earned, and which was three times as much as players earned in the Fourth Division. Today the difference is 30 times as much.
• In 1984-85, according to the PFA’s data, the average basic wage in the First Division – as the top division was then called – was £24,934 a year, or about two and a half times the average working man’s salary. With bonuses, it would have been around £36,000, perhaps more.
• In 2009-10, the average basic Premier League wage was £1.16m and the average take-home pay was £1.76m.
• In the Premier League, double-digit annual growth has been the norm in most years of the competition’s history. The biggest single leap was the 28.52 per cent year-on-year growth between 1996-97 and 1997-98. This was due to a new TV deal kicking in.
• TV cash has fueled players’ pay rises in the Premier League era. The first Premier League deal was over five years (1992-97), then next over four years (1997-2001), and the deals have been three years each since then (2001-04, 2004-07, 2007-10 and 2010-13 currently).
• The average annual basic salary in the Championship in 2009-10 was £211,068, in League One it was £73,320 and in League Two it was £38,844.
• Top division footballers now earn 46 times as much as they did in 1984-85
• Those in the Championship earn only 14 times as much as their counterparts.
• In League One the figure is six and a half times as much. In League Two the figure is 4.6 times as much.
• The average working man earns about three times as much.

Image from sportingintelligence.com.

Note: The numbers represent basic pay; wages typically increase by 50 to 100 per cent with appearance money and bonuses.

On the other hand, football ticket prices have increased by almost as much as 30 times in certain cases (looking at cheapest tickets / season tickets at Manchester United and London clubs).

And if you look at the commercial revenues generated by US sports, it’s evident that football, a more global sport, has still some way to go before it can reach it’s financial peak. So expect the TV deals, player wages and ticket prices to keep rising.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It has been 1305 days since Steve McClaren stood sombrely alone clutching the handle of an umbrella on a rain-sodden night at Wembley as the England national team failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships – beaten at home by Croatia. Many lessons were learnt that night, none more so for the man who failed to fulfil his obligation of qualifying for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland. As McClaren was sent packing by the bigwigs at the FA, he quietly re-established himself as a coach and is now back in the domestic English game hoping to propel Old Big Head’s Nottingham Forest back into the promise land.

It would be totally unfair, as to any previous Forest manager to make comparisons to the late great Brian Clough. The man who in the space of five years created arguably the greatest footballing miracle English football has ever seen by modelling a modest second division club to the kings of Europe, not once, but twice. There are not enough superlatives to portray how monumental an achievement that was but we are now living in a completely different era where money dictates the progression of the sport.

It has been 12 years since Forest were relegated from the Premier League. A period that has seen the club fall into the third tier of English football along with a number of disappointments in the play-offs. A far-cry from those glory days under Cloughie and his assistant Peter Taylor in the late seventies and early eighties.

Former manager Billy Davies flirted with promotion during his time. He has assembled a talented side mixed with discipline and a sprinkle of flair but just failed short of a successful promotion – leading to the termination of his contract last Sunday. Club Chairman Nigel Doughty had no hesitation in turning to McClaren as his successor and believes he is the man to gather the momentum to push them into the holy grail of England’s top-flight.

McClaren has been severely ridiculed by the English press and fans alike for the best part of four years since that dreadful night at Wembley. As the FA were left to pick up the broken pieces, as was McClaren who revaluated his career and took bold action by rebuilding his damaged stock.

He decided to dip his toe overseas with Dutch club FC Twente and within two seasons led them to their first Eredivisie title in 2010, thus becoming the first English manager to lead a club to a top tier domestic league title since Sir Bobby Robson with FC Porto in 1996. No mean feat by any stretch of the imagination to overcome the likes of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven or AZ Alkmaar yet the Yorkshireman assembled a side littered with top level attributes. Not to mention important changes in his personnel as the likes of Eljero Elia and Marko Arnautovic sought pastures new. McClaren himself has ambitions and upon leading Twente to their one and only league title, he opted to try his hand in Germany with Wolfsburg which would ultimately prove to be unsuccessful and was released from his duties earlier in the year.

Nevertheless despite that setback, Forest have hired a man who is undoubtedly a capable of fulfilling their aspirations. The 50-year old showed tremendous courage to at least have a crack in a progressive league such as the Bundesliga and although his time there was dreadfully flat, he will have learnt lessons from the experience. One thing that is striking about the man is his will to succeed and that will work in the favour of his new employers who possess a manager itching to redeem himself – especially in his homeland.

He was in high spirits during his inaugural press conference as Forest boss. It was clear by his beaming smile that he is honoured to be managing a club with such rich history and tradition – echoing it with a glint in his eye absorbing the prestige of the club as two European Cups sat not too far from him in the City Ground.

McClaren shaking hands with Forest Chief Executive Mark Arthur

Although he has taken a step-down from the top tier leagues in Europe, the man who once played at Forest’s local rivals Derby County had no hesitation in taking the job. He will implement his ethos into the club, which he hopes will get them back in the big time.

“I had no hesitation about managing in the Championship, it’s very competitive and very well respected abroad.”  he told the on looking press.

“I could have waited, I could have taken up offers I had from abroad, but I like a challenge. I am willing to take risks, that’s why I fall flat on my face sometimes.

“Getting Nottingham Forest into the Premier League is a big and difficult challenge, but I don’t fear it. English football is the best league, the best football, the most passionate, everyone from abroad wants to play here. It’s where you want to coach, manage or play.”

It is apparent a huge lure to the football club for McClaren was the history it beholds. He will be looking to use past glories as inspiration to re-establish Forest as a competitive force.

“I walk into Forest and the boardroom and there are two replica European Cups still there and all the trophies and you see in the pictures.”

“This club is very well known in Europe. People in Germany and Europe are texting me about what a great club it is. We need to embrace what is here. You can’t forget it, that is the inspiration, that is what can be achieved.

“It’s a great feeling, especially coming here. You can smell the history and tradition of this football club. I’ve been abroad for three years. I wanted to get back into English football.”

It is a prosperous challenge for McClaren to grasp and get his teeth into. The thrill of being back in the English game with such a renowned club is an exciting prospect for the former England coach and will look to steer The Reds back into the higher echelon of the Premier League.

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Like myself, all English football fans have been let down in recent years by our regularly under achieving international side. I would like to share my views on why this is the case, and on why I don’t see any reason to expect success in the near future.

The fact that us English created the beautiful game often gives fans a false sense of belief that we are also the best at it, trouble is, we aren’t. Nor are we close for that matter. When you look at the truly great international sides of today, such as Spain, Brazil, or Holland, you will note that they play a different style of football to our inferior England.

While our game is based on being fast paced, hard tackling and extremely competitive, other nations dedicate their attention to the finer things in football, pass and move, retaining possesion, creativity and flair. These are now proving to be far more valuable traits to learn and this is the sole reason England shall never be able to match top nations when they meet in major competitions.

In England we have teams like Arsenal – who try to play attractive football, coming up against the likes of Stoke City – a rough team that dedicate time to set pieces and often try to bully their way to a win. How can this possibly be of benefit to our national side? When a manager selects a squad of players to work together as a team, they all need to have the same philosophy of how to play the game, they need to be synchronized and understand exactly what each other are going to do.

Little use is it picking a player who often attempts, and fails, to make forty yard passes such as Gareth Barry, to sit alongside a very talented individual in Jack Wilshere, who likes to get the ball down and play the sort of football that has recently propelled the Spanish to become world and european champions. These two men are only an example, however there are many players in the England camp which have a complete different understanding of the game to one another, and that can only mean one thing, failure.

Although it will never happen, my suggestion would be that clubs in England follow in the lead of teams such as ‘catalan giants’ Barcelona, and begin to invest more money and time in developing youth prospects at academy level, which would benefit the nation as a whole, and less money on bringing in foreign exports to play football in the way we can only dream of. Until this happens, my prediction is that there will be no future success at international level for our country, and the already endless amount of excuses and apologies, from managers and players alike, will continue for many years to come.

Follow the author on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Messrs. Gold and Sullivan have stumbled from bad decision to ludicrous decision since taking over at West Ham but they may well have struck gold with the appointment of Big Sam. The quickest form of transport is through the sky and that’s why Allardyce’s long ball football could provide the Hammers with an instant return to the topflight.

Last season was a truly catastrophic campaign for the Hammers. From the outside looking in, a team of talented players ended up getting relegated due to over-inflated egos and a terrible lifeless gaffer. Grant somehow managed to cling on to his job in January when it was evident change was needed. It proved to be a costly mistake by Gold and Sullivan to show faith in the Israeli and not install a manager such as Allardyce with a proven reputation for keeping teams out of the relegation dogfight.

The appointment of Big Sam may have happened 6 months too late but Gold and Sullivan have found an experienced manager capable of ensuring West Ham’s bubble does not burst. It may not be pretty on the eye but the 57 year old’s tried and tested tactics do seem to get results.

Just look at what happened when he left Blackburn. Blackburn were 7^th in the league when the new Indian owners decided they wanted to try and turn Blackburn into Barcelona and Allardyce was shown the door. By the time the season ended the club had narrowly avoided relegation on the last day of the season. The terrible work of Steve Kean has made Allardyce look like a tactician of the highest calibre.

Not even the Football Writer's Player of the Year could stop West Ham going down.

With Allardyce in charge West Ham should have more than enough to return to top flight at the first time of asking. Although a lot will depend on the clubs capability to hold on to their better players and if they leave, who is brought in to replace them.

Big Sam will look towards experience and has already talked of improving the squads ‘physical edge’. In other words a 6 foot 6 centre half will be arriving any time soon alongside a battering ram of a centre forward.

Great running track for Big Sam to make perfect use of with long throws.

Gold and Sullivan’s own ego trip will be a pain in the neck for Allardyce throughout his tenure at Upton Park, but that will be nothing like the actual pain in the neck the Hammers faithful will encounter as they look skyward, desperately trying to locate the ball as it plummets down from outer space after another Matthew Upson hoof.

The imminent move to the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Olympics could prove to be the making of West Ham. Not only will they have a better stadium to attract a higher quality of player, more fans and possibly an Arab sheikh with billions to spend but Big Sam will be able to utilise the running track for some superb long throw tactics. Don’t know about you but I can’t wait for it…

Daryn MacRae writes on Stay On Your Feet.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Scott Parker’s admission that he wants to leave West Ham for the Premier League will have piqued the interest of many top clubs. The three sides thought to be heading the queue are Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham, so here are the cases for and against the England midfielder joining each of them.

Arsenal

The case for: Parker is the tenacious yet technically able footballer Arsenal are crying out for. He has plenty of Premier League experience, meaning he would not need the period of adjustment many of Wenger’s foreign signings have required. At 30 years of age, he would bring considerable experience to a relatively young side. Parker is also forging a promising footballing relationship with Jack Wilshere in the national side, and if they were to play beside each other for club and country, it could bring the best out of both. Wenger would also be able to use Parker as a mentor for Wilshere, who is still maturing both on and off the field. Add to this that Parker is a leader (something which the Gunners sometimes seem to lack), and he becomes an ever more appealing option . Arsenal are the sole of the three sides which offers the chance of Champions League football next year, which Parker would relish. Furthermore, moving to another London club would mean no need for relocation and being able to stay in the city where he has spent the majority of his career to date.

The case against: Signing Parker would be a marked departure from Wenger’s usual transfer policy. Many would argue change is necessary, but it is yet to be seen whether Wenger would be willing to sign a player in his thirties. Arsenal may be more concerned with shoring up their patchy defence than their midfield, and if West Ham’s asking price is high, they may elect to use their funds elsewhere. Money may not be an issue for Parker, but considering Arsenal’s wage policy, he would almost definitely be able to command a higher wage at Liverpool or Spurs.

Liverpool

The case for: It is thought that Kenny Dalglish will ship out a fair few players this summer, and with midfielders Christian Poulsen and Joe Cole likely to be amongst them, reinforcements may well be sought. Although Lucas Leiva enjoyed a good season this year, his performances are sometimes erratic, and with Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing still learning their trade, Parker would provide consistency. Parker could also prove the talismanic figure Liverpool sometimes lack when Steven Gerrard is missing. Parker would also be a steadying influence on the crop of young talent establishing themselves in the first team squad at Anfield. Dalglish is a fan of buying British talent where possible, and the Kop would certainly take to Parker’s combative style. Liverpool are a club with rich history who are on the up, and to play for them under an inspirational manager in Dalglish, would be attractive for any player.

The case against: Liverpool are the only of the three clubs not to be based in London, and the major upheaval of moving may be unattractive to a player whose roots are firmly in the capital. They are also the only of the three clubs not to be playing European football this year, though the propsects of achieving it in subsequent years are very good. Liverpool are also debatably the club that need him the least of the three, boasting reasonable strength in depth in central midfield, and so may spend their kitty on other areas of the team.

Tottenham

The case for: Harry Redknapp is well known to be an admirer of Parker’s abilities as a footballer, and has been the most public of the three managers in his praise of both the midfielder’s physical and mental attributes, making the likelihood of Harry bidding for Parker very high. With Wilson Palacios increasingly being linked with a move away from the club, Parker would be a timely addition, providing the tenacity that Palacios gives whilst being good enough on the ball to fit into a stylish team. As with Arsenal, no major relocation would be required should he move to White Hart Lane, and like Arsenal, Spurs will feature in European football this year. Although Spurs are only in the Europa League, to play European football this year will be tempting for a player who is trying to establish himself in the England team.

The case against: Of the three clubs, Tottenham are the least fancied to get into the top four next year, and playing in the Champions League soon might be an opportunity Parker would be more likely to get elsewhere. Spurs may also need to sell before they can buy, which could lead to complications. There are also rumours that West Ham may not want to do business with Tottenham given the tension between the two over the Olympic Stadium, though this seems improbable.

Taking all of this into account, it appears that Liverpool is the least likely destination of the three for Scott Parker. They need him the least, and the geography of the move would be a sizeable deterrent. Arsenal certainly seem the most attractive proposition, and they are the team that most require a player like Parker,  but with Harry Redknapp being such an admirer, and with Liverpool’s prestige, don’t rule any of these clubs out. No matter who wins the tussle for his signature, you can be sure that Scott Parker will be playing top flight football next year.

You can follow Will on Twitter: @willmcbean

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Anointing a youngster “future England regular” is an exercise both in optimism and presumption. There have been several recent nominees for the position future England star – from Jermaine Defoe, through Jack Wilshere, Andy Carroll and even Adam Johnson. Each has had their sparkly moments in the Three Lions’ shirt and as Fabio Capello begins to assemble his squad for Euro 2012, certain names have been categorized already: Rooney – definitely, Lampard – probably, Naughton – perhaps, Bothroyd – unlikely, Scholes – I wish and Nugent – never in a million years.

Here’s one more suggestion for that “perhaps” category, a bolter from the field: Scott Sinclair, of Swansea City. In fact, it’s not too long a bow to draw to suggest he should have been considered for a call-up to the current England training camp as they prepare to face Switzerland. Take note he probably doesn’t deserve a place in the team just yet, but with his Championship form, Chelsea pedigree and blistering pace down the left of midfield he – and England – can only benefit from his exposure to top level competition.

The former Chelsea man isn’t the best English left winger in the country. He may not even make the top seven. But what he does offer is an abundance of pace, youth, finishing skills and enthusiasm. In International football, speed is a crucial part of a team’s gameplan and something- Theo Walcott’s fragile body apart – that the Three Lions lack. He may develop into a gamebreaker (or not) but to include him at this juncture would only aid England’s process of ensuring the most appropriate talent makes their representative team.

Understanding that during their past few internationals England have trotted out James Milner, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young as regular left midfielders – Milner the incumbent and deserving Villa pair rewarded for good Premiership form. Other wide players like Matt Jarvis and Johnson round out the England squad – both of good, but not world-class standard. It’s hard to believe that Sinclair is that far removed from that second level, especially when viewed on a purely physical basis. Man City’s Johnson went from the Championship with Middlesbrough to the national setup within months of his acquisition by the Citizens and appears as if he has an England future. Sinclair could do the same.

The argument for calling up the Swans’ star is simple: why not? What has England got to lose? They include an upcoming youngster, give him exposure to training with top-class talent and play him only if they’re confident he won’t let the side down. If he’s not good enough, so be it – he can easily not be included in their matchday team. His Championship background shouldn’t scare Capello – the Italian called up Jay Bothroyd earlier this season and Sinclair’s record (27 goals in all competitions this year) is comparable to, if not better than, that of the former Cardiff City striker.  He’s already in the system as well as a regular for Stuart Pearce’s U-21 mob.

As any four-year old is frustratingly aware, the simple rebuttal to an argument of “Why not?” is “Why?”. England have a bevy of wide players with better and more established pedigrees – ranging from Milner to Jarvis. To represent one’s country should be earned and it’s questionable that Sinclair has done so. Often, managers look for two years of performances before rewarding players with higher honours.  But really, does training with the National squad have the same weight of meaning? Two years ago, Joe Lewis of Peterborough was called into the England training camp while Jordan Henderson’s tremendous start to last season got him an England cap, after which his form tailed away. To look back on those two’s call-ups is to ask if they truly deserved them also.

Scott Sinclair will find out later this year when Swansea City begin their Premiership campaign if he’s quite the player he seems. But Fabio Capello’s watching brief shouldn’t just include obtaining results but developing the national team for the future as well – and Scott Sinclair’s definitely one to watch. It appears he has missed a trick by disregarding the young Swan.

For more commentary and analysis, shoot across to  Matthew Wood’s blog, Balanced Sports. You can also follow him on Twitter - @balanced_sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Blackpool’s one-season jaunt in the Premiership, perhaps likely always to be record-setting, has come to a close. The Tangerines did set records, but not the ones that many predicted at the start of their top flight campaign. Blackpool boasted the smallest wage bill seen in the EPL for several years as well, capping their players’ deals at a (comparatively meagre) ₤10,000 per week. They also scored a Premier League record number of goals by a relegated team and may have had one of the better records in league history of any relegated side against the division’s elite.

As expected, Blackpool were eventually relegated. But they brought a spirit to the Premiership which is going to be missed and English fans are hoping that Swansea City can bring some of the same verve in their Premier League bow next year. It’s arguable that while Blackpool expected this and prepared for life back in the Championship by banking much of their TV revenues and are likely to do so again with their parachute payments.

Let’s take a look at how Blackpool can bounce back into the Premier League:

Blow the whole thing up and start again

Sheffield United went down this year after three years of trying to replace their Premiership squad on a bit-by-bit basis. They came out of EPL relegation in reasonable financial shape, given their West Ham settlement and reinvested part of those monies in an attempt to recapture EPL status. The gamble – like many of their signings – didn’t pay off and League One now hosts Steel City derbies. With Blackpool unlikely to be able to retain their better players (Adam, Campbell, Gilks and Crainey), perhaps it’s best to bid a fond farewell to the team that overachieved the last two years. Chalk them down to a beautiful, happy memory and move on.

This would allow the Seasiders to maintain their business model of not overpaying wages or transfer fees, which in turn would give manager Ian Holloway the chance to build again from the ground up around a combination of Matt Phillips, Elliot Grandin, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, perhaps Luke Varney and the everpresent Ian Evatt. This would again be a long process, but with responsible use of their parachute payments they could raise their wage ceiling by ₤3-5K from their current ₤10,000 ceiling and employ better quality players. This challenge is one of building the club from a small-scale Championship one to a middle-tier team capable of challenging year-in, year-out yet still with the finances to retain their best players.

In essence, this would keep to Karl Oyston’s original plan of building a club, not a team.

but for instant gratification:

Sell Charlie Adam and replace him

Adam was crucial to everything Blackpool has done over the past two years. His scoring in the Championship (18 goals and 8 assists) allowed the Tangerines the chance to cream Cardiff in the Playoffs and he followed that dose with 12 EPL goals and 8 assists. Sir Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish and Harry Redknapp are all admirers – even if only two of those three are actually interested in bringing him in. He’ll go this Summer. The man ‘Olly signed in January to replace him, Andy Reid, late of Sunderland has already departed.

It will hurt, but chances are that Adam will fetch somewhere between ₤5-10 million, significantly below the rumoured ₤14 million asking price in January. Reinvesting some of that money in a potential replacement in Adam’s central role could go some way towards ensuring another Tangerine top-10 finish.  The first names that stream to mind are Joe Ledley, Kris Commons and Lewis McGugan who are all good fits but it’s questionable if the Celtic pair want to move, or if Blackpool is McGugan’s idea of a good career move; all would be hard to get.  Likely though, as DJ Campbell, Stephen Crainey and Matt Gilks will follow Adam out the door, it’s possible Holloway decides to revamp the entire Blackpool squad and with it, alter the way they play their game.

Try to keep DJ Campbell

For so long, Dudley Campbell has been earmarked “Championship Only – Leave behind when promoted”. After thirteen EPL goals, his publicist has tagged him available and he could move if the price is right. He – and his services – are needed in the Northwest, so Chairman Oyston should try and retain him. If they can’t, the recently released Kevin Phillips could prove a bargain-basement type replacement for his fox-in-the-box role and Marlon King has been good for Coventry City since his mid-season arrival.

Reinforce the defense, however, whenever, with whatever

Blackpool leaked goals partly because of their up-and-down style of play, and partly because their defence simply wasn’t up to Premiership standards. Ian Evatt, wholehearted trier that he is, just doesn’t cut the mustard as a EPL centre-back. How about testing Burnley’s resolve for Clark Carlisle? Perhaps ask a few pointed questions of promoted QPR’s spare central defenders as well. As for full-backs, see what Cardiff are doing with the disposable Paul Quinn or how much Coventry City really wants to keep Richard Wood.

The task is harder for Blackpool than for West Ham or Birmingham simply because they don’t have the same foundations for growth as their relegated comrades. On the bright side, however, they don’t have any of the crippling debt which is likely to play a key role in the future fortunes of the other two clubs, meaning that they are in a prime position to build a lasting entity rather than embark on a short-term “Premiership or (literally) bust” campaign.

For more commentary and analysis, shoot across to Balanced Sports. You can also follow Matthew Wood on Twitter @balanced_sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After Cardiff City’s exit against Reading in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs, Dave Jones has been sacked as manager. Jones spent six years at Cardiff, leading them to the 2010 play-off final where they were defeated by Blackpool. The Liverpudlian has paid the ultimate sacrifice for his side’s inability to get over the final hurdle and get promotion to the Premiership.

An official statement was issued on the Cardiff City website by CEO Gethin Jenkins on behalf of the Chairman and executive board at the Cardiff City stadium. Jenkins said: ‘We would like to thank Dave Jones for his considerable efforts with the Club over the past six seasons. He leaves his post in the knowledge that he has left the Club in a far better position than when he arrived.’ When Jones arrived in South Wales, he revitalised the Cardiff side and turned them into a top six side in the Championship on a regular basis and also steered the club to the final of the FA Cup in 2008, where they were beaten by winners Portsmouth.

The statement went on to say: ‘His efforts in the recruitment and development of players also meant that the sale of these players at times enabled the Club to survive. He has also had a significant contribution in the development of training facilities and the stadium during his Cardiff City career. We thank him for all that he has done and achieved with the Club and wish him well for the future.’

CEO Jenkins and club director Alan Whiteley will now begin the search for a new manager at Cardiff City, which will be recommended to the board who will make the final decision.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The English Premier League since 2002 has featured thirty-eight clubs, twenty-four of which have been in England’s top flight for three seasons or more.  It’s been a helluva ride: we’ve seen the record for fewest points broken (twice), seen Newcastle slip from the Champions League to the Championship and we witnessed Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink, Claudio Ranieri and “Big Phil” Scolari all take charge of Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea for varying short periods of time.  The natural resource-fuelled teams have begun to dominate the Champions’ League positions, and we witnessed first Arsenal’s Invincibles and ended the ten years marvelling at Sir Alex Ferguson’s “Slightly Less Invincibles”.

Compiling the entire Premiership into one table makes for interesting reading.  It’s arranged by order of Title Wins, then Top Four berths (minus relegations, which penalises both the Toon Army and Leeds), by average Points Per Season and finally, by Average Goal Difference.  It shows once again how stark the difference is between the Premiership’s “haves” and “have-nots” as during this past decade only eight clubs have managed a top-four finish.  Of those eight, Tottenham, Man City and Everton only climbed the mountain only once.  In stark contrast, the relegation zone saw multiple repeat offenders – West Brom, Sunderland and Birmingham chief amongst them.

Here, in all it’s glory, is the decade’s English Premiership Cumulative table (minimum three seasons in Premiership):

To view more on the Premiership’s Cumulative Tables, visit Balanced Sports‘ Cumulative Premiership Tables page.

For more analysis and opinion, shoot across to Matthew Wood‘s blog, Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It is back to the drawing board for Cardiff City following their second successive failure in the Championship playoffs.

The Bluebirds’ 3-0 aggregate defeat to Reading in last week’s semi-final was a bitter pill to swallow for the supporters, particularly with their side still well in with a shout of automatic promotion just days before the season finale.

The writing was on the wall for City’s promotion chances when several key first teamers were allegedly spotted drinking in the Welsh capital less than 48-hours prior to their automatic promotion decider with Middlesbrough. Many of these players were involved in the Middlesbrough debacle which saw Cardiff soundly beaten 3-0 on home turf, handing automatic promotion on a plate to Paul Lambert and his Norwich City side.

Similarly when the chips were down during their playoff semi versus Reading the same indispensible players went into hiding, allowing Brian McDermott to plot his side’s course to Wembley for a playoff final showdown with Swansea this bank holiday weekend.

For Dave Jones, managing the various egos throughout the Cardiff City squad is surely a veritable nightmare. Controlling big personalities such as Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd and loanee Craig Bellamy requires a strong character. Yet with the team in such a strong position fighting for promotion it was shocking to see key first team players showing blatant disregard for their squad status so close to the do-or-die Middlesbrough encounter.

For Bothroyd, whose domestic season entered terminal decline following an international call-up for England, he will be moving on to pastures new this summer at the end of his contract – destination Premier League.

It is an incredibly difficult balancing act maintaining a  squad that is brimful of talent but more importantly contains the right attitude and desire.

You only have to rewind the clock almost exactly 12 months to find Ian Holloway’s Blackpool enjoying a fairytale playoff final victory over Cardiff at Wembley – achieved with a close-knit squad of players willing to give sweat, blood and tears to the cause.

Similarly this season, Cardiff fell at the final hurdle in the race for automatic promotion to a Norwich City side not packed with superstar names or big wage earners, but with a balanced squad of players with a willingness to improve and test themselves at the highest level.

Whether Dave Jones continues in charge at the Cardiff City Stadium next term remains to be seen. Recent reports have linked Jones with the vacant West Ham managerial role.

Regardless of that outcome the close season requires some serious thought from millionaire Malaysian owner Chan Tien Ghee regarding player recruitment and a wholesale change in attitude on the pitch.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News