English Premier League News Archives

Saying goodbye to the football season is very much like giving birth to a ginger child: after nine months of optimism, hope and anguish, you’re left with a genuine feeling of disappointment.

The final day is often emotional. Who could forget Arsenal pipping Liverpool to the title in 1989? Well sadly, my old man. In fact, if you see a small befuddled pensioner roaming the streets, you’ll be better off avoiding football trivia altogether; senility is no picnic.

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Today’s transfer roundup starts with transfer-related news, but not a big rumor. Instead, I give two thumbs-up to Real Madrid’s Wesley Sneijder for looking out for his brother’s best interests, as he stepped in to prevent Real from making an offer to former club Ajax for his brother Rodney, a promising youth team player.

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So, what’s going on in the world of transfer rumors today? As always, chime in and chip in with opinions - and with rumors!

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The article uses last available financial disclosures of the club as at 30th June, 2007 (download document (PDF) here). The words “current/currently” reflect opinion/fact with the same timeline in backdrop. All figures are in million pounds.

The author is a financial analyst.

It has been some time that people have been talking about a financial crisis in-the-making at Old Trafford. There are also those who insist we are already seeing one. The team, however, is doing extremely well on the pitch. That suggests, at least from a financial point of view (perhaps not conclusively though), that players are happy with their wages. After all, the club spent 74m on wages and salaries in 2006-07 (majority of which must have gone to players).

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Looking through the Soccerlens postbag this week we found a letter from a man much in the news at the moment. He has written for our help as he feels he is simply misunderstood:

Dear Soccerlens,

I have been reading your website for some time in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the game of football. I must say I find the writing of Graham Fisher to be particularly enlightening.

I need your help with a very difficult problem. I have made a sound decision based on my extensive knowledge of the game but it appears that most other people think I am wrong. I am disappointed to discover that in England people are allowed to disagree with me. In the past I would have had them….never mind, they’ve proved nothing!

People say my knowledge of football is lacking but I can assure you that I have followed Manchester for many years. I was surprised when I saw us play for the first time and we were wearing blue shirts and not the famous red ones, and I also found that we no longer played at Old Stratford, which was disappointing.

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All Premier League highlights from Saturday’s matches:

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Earlier this week Sir Alex Ferguson made an off-the-cuff remark which directly compromised the integrity of Premier League managers and the very institution of football that we, as fans, put their faith in.

He was answering a question about Eriksson’s predicament at Manchester City, and he said:

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An interesting article appeared in the Guardian this morning, featuring soundbites from 9 managers in the Premier League on the chances of Manchester United and Chelsea in winning the Premier League this season.

This was before today’s set of matches, mind you, so it wasn’t as if these managers knew ahead of time that Manchester United were going to derobe West Ham and then whip them into submission (some expressions don’t translate that well, I’m afraid).

The responses were predictable (8 out of 9 backed United, guess who was the odd one out), although it would have been interesting to hear the other 7 managers (keeping Curbs and Keegan out of this since their teams play the league leaders this weekend), I doubt they’d have gone against United, such is the level of expectations surrounding the Manchester club’s final 2 performances.

So what about Rafa?

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The press should be ashamed of themselves. Their suspicion and fueling of non-issues forces players and managers in the game to lie, to think 10 times before they say something, to spout carefully prepared statements or just hide from the spotlight.

Honesty and friendship, it seems, isn’t allowed in football.

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It be foolhardy to suggest that Thaksin Shinawatra knows more than the average football fan. He might know how to make money, and avoid going to jail, but in terms of pure footballing knowledge he would be more Macca than Rafa, if you catch my drift.

But the Manchester City owner does not consider Mr Eriksson to be the ‘right man’ for the job. That raises a host of interesting questions, such as:

Did Shinawatra really do his research last summer or did he just hire the most high-profile, unemployed, english-speaking manager available on the market?

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The move to Liverpool will tick several boxes for the Aston Villa captain: he gets to make more money (in a short career that’s always a consideration), he gets to play Champions League football and he gets to dream about the Premier League title as opposed to Champions League qualification. It’s a lifestyle upgrade, and although it won’t matter as much (I’m sure Barry has friends at Villa too) Steven Gerrard is being touted as another reason for Barry to leave Villa for Pool.

And then there is his candidacy for a midfield berth with the England national team. He is not my favourite footballer mainly because he has pushed Michael Carrick down the pecking order but the man’s game is more complete than Carrick’s and his versatility and ability to influence a game gives him an edge.

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Tubby Brazilian Ronaldo may be one of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch, but he’s definitely a poor role model. The AC Milan man let himself down when he invited three members of the late-night entertainment industry back to a motel. It wasn’t just the fact that they turned out to be ladyboys; he shamefully offered to pay them for doing nothing. If I pay a builder to construct a conservatory, and he brings along a few superfluous tools, I’d expect him to keep his head down and finish the job.

This sorry tale was not the only case of mistaken identity this week; Rio Ferdinand kicked a female Chelsea steward after mistaking her for a wall. It sounds like a tall story, but I once kicked the wife by accident; I thought she was her mother.

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Main contenders for the English Premiership and finalists of UEFA Champions League. The title & crown of “Kings the 2007-08 season”, both domestically and in Europe, has come down to two clubs: Manchester United and Chelsea.

The former, defeating Spanish giants Barcelona after a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp and a Scholes-painted 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, will be looking to repeat the glory from their 1999 treble year and win over Bayern Munich. The latter, victors of rivals Liverpool after a 1-1 tie at Anfield and an excitement-laden 3-2 extra time triumph at Stamford Bridge, have qualified for the tournament final for the first time in the club’s history. No doubt they will be looking to improve that record very soon.

On May 21, as Red Devils and Blues face each other in Moscow, venue of the big tournament final deciding this year’s winner of the “Cup with the Big Ears”, the Premier League will be a completed affair. The big question is: will it be a glorious double or a sweet revenge?
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According to Forbes.com Manchester United have been valued at $1.8 billion, ahead of the club traditionally known as the richest club in football (Real Madrid, $1.285 billion) and their chief domestic rivals Arsenal ($1.2 billion), Liverpool ($1.05 billion) and Chelsea ($764 million).

Have fun sorting the lists according to different criteria. Here are some highlights:

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In US sports they call it the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award, but there doesn’t appear to be an equivalent honour in European football. I know the PFA have their ‘Young Player of the Year’ award – but when you’ve got seasoned veterans like Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo in the running it hardly stacks up.

So I’ve created a list of ten authentic rookies, all young but also inexperienced before the 2007-08 season began back in August. All of them have impressed us this season – but do any deserve to be called the ‘Breakthrough Player of the Year’ ? Or did I forget someone ?

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Since Tottenham crashed out of the UEFA Cup on penalties back in March, its fair to suggest that cruise control mode has set in a White Hart Lane. The north London club are guaranteed a spot in next season’s UEFA Cup following their Carling Cup victory. But with just two games of the season remaining, the height of the club’s current ambition is to leap frog West Ham into tenth position in the Premiership table.

Spurs’s league form has been consistently inconsistent throughout 2007/2008 and to emphasise the point, Juande Ramos‘ team have managed just one win in their last eight games. It’s hardly the kind of form expected from a side talked about in many quarters as being top four material last summer.

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Looking through the Soccerlens mailbag this week we came across a letter from a Premier League player who is facing a difficult dilemma. As always, Soccerlens can help.

Dear Soccerlens,

I am faced with an impossible decision at a crucial stage in my career. I don’t know what to do for the best and I am told that you are the people to come to for advice. I certainly enjoy reading Graham Fisher’s stuff, I really don’t think he gets paid enough.

I am twenty-seven years old and am a one club man. I skipper my team and everyone here likes me. I have played at centre-half, left back, left midfield and am now one of the best central midfield players in the country. I must be because I’ve got eighteen England caps to prove it. So put that in your pipe in smoke it.

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Sunday 27 April 2008, Premier League highlights:

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The stench of defeat is unbearable, as is the joyous celebration of the the non-Man Utd football family. We love to build up teams and then knock them down, and as far as the mob is concerned it’s time for United to be knocked down.

Since yesterday a lot has been said (hardly in praise of United, hardly in criticism of Chelsea) about what happened (during and after the game) at Stamford Bridge. Personally I would have preferred a repeat of last year in terms of team selection - send out the reserve squad and give your first-teamers a day off. Throw the fucking game and focus on winning the league on goal difference and having your players fresh for Barcelona.

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Saturday 26 April 2008 - English Premier League highlights:

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Chelsea v Manchester United
Stamford Bridge, 12:45 BST

Chelsea make a strange phenomenon. While being under heavy criticism throughout the season, The Blues find themselves just 3 points behind highly respected Manchester United. It seems that all the noise surrounding Avram Grant made us forget that Chelsea have one of the most talented squad in the Premiership. This alone makes Chelsea a prime contender for the League title.

The most surprising thing about Chelsea is the fact they are in reach of the Premiership title despite the fact they are playing poorly, using their skilled players to complete a lot of defensive tasks, while leaving no room for flair and creativity. The result is a set of boring matches, which often end in a 1-0 result in favor of the more talented squad of Chelsea FC.

That is the reason that the Chelsea supporters chant “You Don’t Have a Clue” towards their manager, and as time passes by, it sure looks like Grant is in a problem. In more than one case Chelsea looked as a group of players who met for the first time a couple of minutes before kickoff. There are no planned moves, no strategy, no special free kicks. All that we see is an extremely talented group of players getting the most out of their talent, which is just enough to bring them those 1-0 wins.

This strange tactics will surely not work when Chelsea will face Manchester United on Saturday. United come very confident, knowing that even a defeat will not be enough to pip them from the top of the table, but more than that – United is a very good team, being led by the best manager in England. Sir Alex’s wits will help him to get his players ready to the Chelsea style of play, and when such strong squads collide – the side who will play as a team will be better than the collection of individuals.

This brings us to believe that Manchester United will not fall before Chelsea. Since Sir Alex knows that a draw will be more than enough to ensure United’s title (unless some catastrophe will happen in the next 2 matches), this is exactly what he’ll aim for. Manchester will take their advantage and use it to earn the all needed one point. Let the celebrations – Begin.

BetUKnow predictions

More then 50% of BetUknow community thinks that Manchester United will win this match, leaving only 18% to go with Avram Grant’s team. Both teams’ top predictors put their money on a draw.

We might be jumping the gun here, but we’d like to think that Gerry would have written about Megan Fox instead of French foibles and Ashley Cole if he’d gotten his hands on this collection of Megan Fox snaps.

Back to the article - here’s Gerry McDonnell with this weekend’s betting tips.

At one time or another, we all make a mistake of gargantuan proportions. When the wife asked for a potential destination for a short trip, I foolishly answered ‘France’. I completely forgot that the place was almost exclusively full of the French.

As soon as we arrived I appreciated the gravity of my error, as the locals made absolutely no effort to speak any English. It appeared that they hadn’t been informed of our arrival.

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While Manchester United keep closing the gap between themselves and rivals Liverpool in terms of league titles, a debutant playing at Anfield is close to matching (and if opportunities permit, breaking) a record set by a former Manchester United striker.

With 3 games left in the Premier League (2-3 more in Europe), Fernando Torres has 30 goals from 42 appearances, and 22 from 31 appearances in the Premier League. This leaves him just 1 short of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 23 goals from 32 appearances, and 6 short of his overall first season (2001/2002) tally of 36 goals from 45 games.

These numbers are phenomenal - RVN’s strike rate of 150 goals in 201 games is legendary and Torres can bring that consistency of 4-5 seasons (at least) to Liverpool, then who knows where they’ll go?

Some numbers:

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Sunday’s Premier League highlights:

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Highlights from Saturday’s games:

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Everton 0-1 Chelsea

Everton hopes of qualifying of the Champions League is all but over after Essien gave Chelsea the winning goal

Visit goalcentre.com for more football videos.

Today I want to talk about the Gentlemen’s club that each level of football in England pretends to be. Should any team not deemed worthy of admittance to their particular club have the temerity to be successful and gain promotion to join them, they will be met with criticism, hilarity and condescending pity wherever they go.

The Crystal Palace Chairman Simon Jordan recently made an outrageous comment that Watford last season and Derby currently, have embarrassed the Championship by being so poor in the Premier League. These clubs have had desperately disappointing seasons and have obviously been out of their depth, but that does not make them an embarrassment.

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Gerry McDonnell returns with a fistful of Ashley Cole, playing offside (or playing them onside if you’re Ashley Cole), and expert relationship advice (although in A. Cole’s case, ’she deserves a lot better, you moron’ should suffice).

As a society, we’re obsessed with appearance. I blame teen magazines for perpetuating the myth that skinniness equals beauty. If I had to choose between a thin girl and a lady with a fuller figure, I’d choose the one with the better personality. Obviously, if they’re equally pleasant, then fatty’s out of luck.

Men are far less uptight about how they look. Petr Cech was happy to return to work when half of his face was hanging off; he wasn’t concerned that he looked like Steve Bruce’s better looking brother.

Cech was back between the sticks within no time, as he managed to borrow the necessary protection from Ashley Cole. Not many people own chin guards, but Cashley is always wary of bouncing balls. I’ll be jumping up and down when Everton beat Chelsea at 14/5.

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As we approach the end of the season and that awful time called ‘the cricket season’ in England, I thought I would take a look at what constitutes a successful year.

The Summer is a truly dreadful period when us footy fans be come morose and irritable. We suffer from SAD, Seasonal Adjustment Disorder, it’s just that we get in in the Summer.

Apparently there is some minor International European tournament on this year, but it isn’t one of sufficient quality for England to want to take part. I might give it a look, but I think it will only have minor teams in it like Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal. I think England should have sent a team, I reckon we could have won it and built up our confidence ahead of more serious challenges.

Anyway, I digress. What is success?

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It’s that time of the season when the player of the season awards start being handed out. It’s also the time of the season when us fans argue about who has been the best player in each of the positions. It is unlikely that any two fans would select an identical ‘team of the year’ but for the purposes of debate and ‘friendly’ discussion I thought I’d have a go at putting my ideas on paper.

I have selected a squad of twenty-two from which I will select my final Premier League eleven. I just know that the players I select will be hugely proud to be recognised by me, a man who all the top players listen to. Mmm.

I’m going for a good old fashioned 4-4-2. Not because it is the only way to play but because it makes it easier to put down on paper!
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