With Gian Piero Gasperini’s dismissal as Inter Milan manager, the Mourinho’s Curse has claimed it’s latest victim. Since his appointment at FC Porto, full-time successors have struggled to cope with the expectations of a Mourinho coached side. Almost all have failed.

It’s not necessarily a lack of results that drives the replacement of his replacements, either. Poor manager selection, bad luck, personal issues or presidential impatience has contributed to the carnage he inadvertantly leaves in his wake.

After his last exit – fresh off claiming the treble with Inter Milan – there have been four managers appointed within sixteen months. Big name Rafael Benitez wasn’t backed to his satisfaction in the transfer window and failed to impose his tactical will on his charges. Leonardo had more success, but was not thought of by many (probably including himself) as a permanent manager and now leads the PSG football department. Gasperini efffectively signed his own pink slip with the ill-fated acquisition of Diego Forlan and a preference for 3-4-3.

To examine the records of his immediate successors at each of his first two big club jobs (Porto and Chelsea), Mourinho’s record doesn’t necessarily overshadow those of his replacements. In fact, in the first season after Mourinho moved to London, the Portuguese champions employed three managers, though Luigi Del Neri didn’t even make the start of the season, citing homesickness.

It is seven years post-Mourinho at Porto. Six men have had their names on the manager’s office. It’s now four years now since Roman Abramovich let him walk and he has employed five managers. As you can see from the table below, it’s hardly because of results: though Jose boasts a better record than his collective replacements, it’s a matter of around 10%. (Having said that, 10% is often the distance at which a team wins or loses the title).  At Inter Milan, you can see the vast difference between Mourinho and his successors – the 56.1% includes Leonardo’s winning percentage, which was significantly higher than Jose’s.

Of course though results are usually the ultimate arbiter, there are further reasons for such management turnover. Mourinho’s last four stops have placed remarkably high expectations on the team and manager. Co Adriaanse – the fourth of five managers at Porto within a five-year period – moved back to his homeland (to take over AZ Alkmaar) of his own volition.

You can’t deny the importance of results. But it’s his personality that allows Jose to get such tactically disciplined teams; replacements apparently have difficulty getting their message across. There are very few in football with Mourinho’s strength of personality. Those managers who have attempted to impose their tactical will on a Jose-ified team (Scolari, Benitez and Gasperini) have failed miserably, each lasting incrementally less time than the last.

That caretakers Leonardo and Hiddink both bettered Mourinho’s winning percentage is telling. Both have a style that empowers players and allows each to do what they do best. Given Mourinho’s propensity for talent-spotting – favouring “power”-type players who are adept defensively – and the resuls of his tactics and training, what those players usually do best is either play Jose-ball or their own style.

For players so used to one style (and message), adapting to another method – especially when noted straight-man Benitez delivers the message – could prove difficult. Gasperini’s 3-4-3 was a mistake just because of a defence that looked like it was running through treacle. Imposing one’s will on a veteran team who have spent years being told “No one can beat us if we stay together and play this way” is a tough sell for anyone, let alone someone who has often moved internationally and is communicating in a second/third/seventh language.

With Gasperini’s firing, Mourinho’s Curse cements itself more firmly into football folklore. When he eventually leaves Real Madrid (who employed ten managers in the decade before Mourinho), his replacement will have to work in arguably a more intense environment. The results bear watching, as they do for the next four years at Inter Milan.

Matthew Wood regularly contributes to Soccerlens.  You can read more of his analysis and commentary at Balanced Sports or follow him on Twitter @balanced_sports

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Looking beyond the city rivalry, there’s plenty of ammunition for Villa fans to suggest that ‘Big Eck’ is not the right man for the job.

Alex McLeish has won just 26% of his games as a Premier League manager, so far no Aston Villa manager with more than five games in charge has posted such a low percentage. Of the seven permanent managers to have held the post since the introduction of the Premier League, John Gregory boasts the best win percentage (41.22%) while Graham Taylor endured the worst spell of the seven – the former England manager won just 29.41% of his PL games at Villa.

Aston Villa managers in Premier League history

Managers with more than five Premier League games in charge

Comparing McLeish’s record with the PL career records of the two most recent Villa managers – Gerard Houllier and Martin O’Neill – again does not make for good reading for the former Rangers supremo. McLeish’s 26% win record is inferior to those of both his potential predecessors at Villa Park.

McLeish compared to Gerard Houllier and Martin O’Neill – Premier League

It would be unfair to judge the Scotsman only on his Premier League record, however. McLeish successfully oversaw promotion to the top flight with the Blues and was given the difficult task of integrating them into the Premier League, something he successfully achieved in 2009/10, and despite relegation this season, he also lead Birmingham City to Carling Cup glory; their first major trophy since 1963.

Alex McLeish’s managerial career – all competitions

How do you rate Alex McLeish as a manager? Do you think Villa’s owners are genuinely settling for mid-table obscurity by selling their top stars and bringing in a manager specifically to ‘maximise’ limited resources?

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

2008/2009 was all-in-all Barcelona’s season. Pep Guardiola led his childhood club to glory like no other manager had done before him.

United on the other hand, weren’t too bad the whole season. They were back again in the UEFA Champions League final to defend the title that they had won last year against Chelsea.

08/09 Champions League for Manchester United

In 2008/09, Manchester United were in a rather easy group with Villarreal, Aalborg and Celtic. Four draws and two wins saw them top the group and move on to the first knockout stage.

They had Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the Round of 16. Julio Cesar saved the day at San Siro but United was too much to handle at the Old Trafford. United went through 2-0 on aggregate.

Porto caused some concerns for Alex Ferguson when they managed a 2-2 draw in Old Trafford in the quarterfinals. But a 1-0 away win guaranteed a place in the semifinal.

Arsenal was the semifinal opponents and United supporters were sure that United have the Gunners in their pocket for this one. United lived up to expectations and a 4-1 aggregate win awarded them a place in the final against the mighty Barcelona.

2008/2009 Champions League Semifinal: Manchester United vs Arsenal

08/09 Champions League for Barcelona

Barca, however, had a relatively easier start to the Champions League. Sporting, Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel didn’t cause them much trouble in group stages and a 6-3 aggregate win over Lyon in the Round of 16 meant it was all a walk in the park.

The quarterfinal opponents were Jurgen Klinsmann’s Bayern Munich. 4-0 at Nou Camp meant Guardiola’s men could just defend in the away leg. Aggregate score was 5-1.

The semifinal against Chelsea saw a lot of drama as Champions League was closing in on another all-English final. Actually a replay of last year’s final to be exact.

But Andres Iniesta’s late goal in the second leg meant Barca goes through to the final on away goals with the scores tied 1-1 over two legs.

2008/2009 Champions League Semifinal: Chelsea vs Barcelona

The Final

The final saw the beautiful Barca undone the moment of magic from Paul Scholes a year ago in 90 minutes.

Except the first few minutes of attack from the Red Devils, it was mostly one way traffic – the other way.

After a slow start, Barcelona had taken control of possession and Samuel Eto’o struck on the ten minute mark with a close-range near-post shot going just past Edwin van der Sar.

Then as the legs got tired, Barcelona’s young ace Lionel Messi rose between two of the best defenders, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to meet a cross and seal the game 2-0.

Whistle was blown and the Barcelona was crowned the 2009 UEFA Champions League champion.

2009 Champions League Final: Barcelona vs Manchester United

Teams in 08/09

Back in 08/09, Barcelona had a make-shift defense with Dani Alves and Eric Abidal missing. Yaya Toure was moved back to fill out the central defensive duties as Carles Puyol covered for Alves. Youngster Sergio Busquets was given the opportunity to perform at such a huge stage, so early in his career.

Xavi and Iniesta completed the midfield with Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry as wide forwards and Eto’o up ahead.

Manchester United, to start off with, still had Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. CR started and Tevez was brought on in the 46th minute for Anderson (because unlike in the FIFA game, Anderson can’t take on the prowess of Xavi and Iniesta).

Also van der Sar, Ryan Giggs and Scholes were young-er. Dimitar Berbatov was considered a very expensive goal-scorer. His going rate at that time was something like five or six million a goal.

Teams in 10/11

Since the match hasn’t been played yet, I will not be able to glorify Barcelona even more in a handful of paragraphs. So lets jump to the current squads:

Barcelona squad:
As we have noticed during the El Clasicos that Barcelona lack the depth in their squad. Throwing lots of high-importance fixtures their way seems to be the only way to beat them; as Real Madrid conducted the experiment.

In the final on 28th May, however, we expect that Barcelona will not have that problem.

Samuel Eto’o, Theirry Henry and Yaya Toure might be missing but Gerard Pique will be playing (hopefully) and up front, we have witnessed Pedro to have taken the step up. Also, the addition of David Villa to the ranks will somewhat fill the space Eto’o left behind.

Busquets will be available as well and now he has picked up a couple of years of experience and taken some acting classes.

Manchester United squad:
Squad depth is certainly not the issue with United.

Ronaldo and Tevez might not be here but they have been replaced with Berbatov and Javier Hernandez. Also, Wayne Rooney is coming back to form.

Nani and Antonio Valencia have both done a fine job on the wings. Two players who didn’t take the part in the 2009 final. Nani was on the bench and was left on the bench.

This year Ferguson has a fantastic team. A team full of talent and flair. But the actual question is, will Ferguson’s tactics this time be good enough to overcome Barcelona’s?

United fans will say yes and come up with a hundred theories, Barca/United haters will say yes/no and add a hate-comment to it and Barca fans will say no and come up with a hundred theories.

One thing that should be learned from the 08/09 final is that if you’re going to attack Barca early then you better as hell score. If they get the ball off you, you’ll be running around like a dog all day.

What else has changed?

In 08/09, Guardiola was new and no one had quite figured it out how to play against Barcelona. It has been three years since and we have seen Barcelona get defeated at the hands of a very few.

But one thing is for sure. Teams are building confidence in what little hope they see of beating Barcelona. They have realized that no matter how well rehearsed and efficient Barcelona are, they can be beaten.

Their terrific form over three seasons is also getting on other people’s nerves topped up with the on-field theatrics of Busquets and Pedro – mainly Busquets.

Alex Ferguson is one of the most experienced and seasoned tactician and with rumors circulating of his retirement, he will definitely want to give fans the Champions League glory to top off the 19th title and rub it in Liverpool’s face a bit more.

And Guardiola knows that very well.

Road to London

Barcelona had Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos in Group D, where they eased through to the Round of 16. The much debatable match against Arsenal ended in a close 4-3 aggregate to Barca’s favor.

The quarterfinal was a rather easy draw, Shakhtar Donetsk were no match for the Catalan giants as they won the two-legged tie 6-1.

The semifinal was a part of the four El Clasicos to be played in 18 days. With Madrid drawing the first and winning the second, it seemed like Mourinho has finally overthrown Barca.

Barcelona won 2-0 at Santiago Bernabeu and drew 1-1 at home. Theatrics from both side saw people flame the two teams and mainly Barcelona between the two legs. I know that doesn’t sound right, but that is what happened.

The away leg surely made the critics silent as Barcelona players stayed on their feet (or tried to) and Madrid players repeatedly got away without getting a second booking.

On the flip side, Manchester United had a relatively tougher group. In Group C, they were joined by Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor. But it was like a piece of cake.

In the Round of 16, Marseille fell to United 2-1 on aggregate. United won both legs of the quarterfinal against Chelsea and won the tie 3-1.

The semifinal was won before the first whistle blew. Even though Schalke had overcome defending champions Inter Milan but so did Tottenham.

United made the win official right in the first leg away from home by winning 2-0 at Veltins Arena. The two-legged match ended 6-1.

Semifinal decides the winner?

Let me take you back to 2008 UEFA Champions League final. Manchester United vs Chelsea. I won’t talk about the 2007 final because justice was done that day to AC Milan.

United faced Barcelona in the semifinal and won with just one goal scored by Scholes from long range. Chelsea faced Liverpool in the semifinal and they managed to overcome the Reds 4-3 in extra time. United won.

In 2009, Barcelona faced Chelsea in a crunching 1-1 draw over two legs and away goals rule deciding the winner. United scored three away goals against Arsenal in their semi. Barca won.

In 2010, even though Bayern Munich had won the Round of 16 (against Fiorentina) and the quarterfinal (against United) on away goals but both the time they managed three away goals. In the semifinal, Bayern won 4-0 over two legs against Lyon. Inter Milan on the other hand had to stop Barcelona from scoring two goals at the Nou Camp. Inter won.

Non-football reference: India beat fierce arch rival Pakistan in the 2011 Cricket World Cup semifinal and went on to win the cup. Like you care, right?

The 2011 CL Final

Barcelona have played against Real Madrid in the semifinal and came away as 3-1 winners after being considered slight underdogs in a long, long time. United has had an easy road to the final comparatively. You can argue but you know Schalke starts with a Madrid-reject (so did Inter though).

Prediction: Odds point towards Barcelona taking the trophy again but all I know is that it will be a tightly contested match with Barcelona somehow winning the night.

Lets just say that it will be kind of like Spain vs England.

Disclaimer: Forgive me, I am a Barcelona fan.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It is beyond doubt that Kenny Dalglish’s reintroduction to the Anfield faithful has provided the catalyst for a sparkling run of form that has seen Liverpool win six and lose just two of their last nine league games. But what has actually altered on the pitch for The Reds to now find themselves just four points off the Champion’s League place that seemed unfeasible under Roy Hodgson?

When Dalglish first took the hot seat, he experimented with a 3-5-2 formation, which saw Glen Johnson switching from his familiar right-back slot, to a more unconventional left wing-back role. This particular tactical switch saw mixed results; however this was a clear indication that Dalglish wanted to do away with the 4-2-3-1 formation originated under Rafa Benitez. Dalglish presumably felt getting the best from Steven Gerrard involved the Liverpool captain playing from a more traditional central midfield role, without losing the security of two more rigid, holding midfield players.

Gerrard and record signing Andy Carroll’s recent injuries have forced Dalglish’s hand in some ways into reverting to a traditional 4-4-2 system. And it is in this style the joint record league winners have attained success. Johnson switched back to his more familiar responsibility, while Lucas and Raul Meireles have been charged with dictating Liverpool’s tempo. Dirk Kuyt has switched from his hard working role on the right of midfield into that of a penalty box striker, and this switch has been rewarded with 9 goals in his last 8 league games.

Additionally, Maxi Rodriguez is beginning to show the form that once made him a regular in the Argentinian national side, providing goals and creativity from the wide areas culminating in two hat tricks in his last three appearances.

But it is the introduction of another big money forward that has seemed to spark life into a previously impotent attack. Luis Suarez, the villain of the summer’s World Cup finals, has made an instant impact on Merseyside, showing the quick feet, low centre of gravity and penalty area nous that made him one of Europe’s most sought after strikers. Compared to the toiling, sullen frame of Fernando Torres in his last 18 months at Anfield, Suarez is a breath of fresh air which began with a goal on his debut and has showed little sign of halting.

Opta reports show Liverpool score 2.20 goals per game with Suarez, whilst only mustering 1.28 goals without him, an instant return on at least part of the nearly 20 million pounds Liverpool splashed out on him. Dalglish will have a pleasant problem on his hands when Carroll and Gerrard return to fitness, both in terms of formation and personnel.

Regardless of this current resurgence, Liverpool have lost 12 games to date (10th May 2011), which is indisputably far too many for a team who’s tag as one of the ‘Big Four’ is without doubt under threat. And it is only the inconsistency of the league in general which has allowed them to get as close as they have to the hallowed fourth place. With this in mind, it would be interesting to gauge from those connected to the club in particular whether this push for an unlikely European place is enough to deem the season a success or whether ultimately, another season away from Europe’s top table is deemed a failure.

However this season is evaluated, it is surely only a matter of time before Dalglish finds himself having to deal with the real pressure of filling the position on a permanent basis, with all the expectations that being the manager of Liverpool brings with it.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The reign of Portuguese legend Paulo Sousa will never be one remembered too fondly around the City of Leicester. A man that tried to bring a certain art of football to the Walkers Stadium was, in my view, probably not given enough time to get his ideas across, and in time, develop his players at a level to sustain them.

After a run of 9 league games that saw Sousa’s Leicester pick up just 5 points, the club decided to part company with the man who was brought in by Chairman Milan Mandaric, whilst seemingly pulling the rug from under the successful Nigel Pearson in the process.

Fast forward to the present day and it is the former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson that you’ll find in the dugout, sometimes gingerly prowling the technical area of the Walkers Stadium.

Leicester City fans have taken to the Swede well, a man that propelled the club from its bottom three position to the verge of the playoffs.

If it wasn’t for a poor run of form in the run up to this seasons finale, Leicester’s dreams of Premiership football might well have been realised too.

However, after going on a dismal run since late February, which saw the club only manage to pick up just 12 points from a possible 36, Leicester now look set to finish in mid table mediocrity.

To put things in perspective here, Sousa’s eleven games in charge at Leicester, albeit two were Cup successes over Macclesfied Town and Leeds United, brought three victories. Sven Goran Eriksson’s Leicester have achieved that exact total of wins in their last eleven outings too.

Was Sousa really that bad after all?

Both Sousa and Eriksson arrived at the Walkers Stadium with a style of play in mind that would abolish former manager Nigel Pearson’s organized and counter attacking systems. Each managers ideas of how the game should be played is admirable, especially Sousa’s as he was first at Leicester to try them.

The difference between the tenures of Sousa and Eriksson is simply time. Time to allow the manager to get those ideas across and imprint his style on how Leicester City play.

The team that Pearson built consisted of strong organized defenders like Wayne Brown and Jack Hobbs, one hundred percenter’s such as Martyn Waghorn and plenty of pace for breakaway goals supplied through the likes of Lloyd Dyer and Matty Fryatt.

Sousa and Eriksson have replaced the tried and tested ways of Pearson for possession football, slick interchanges of passes and a 4-3-3 formation that’s operated in a completely different manner.

For better or worse both Sousa and Eriksson, not so coincidentally the first foreign coaches Leicester City have had, have brought football to the Walkers Stadium that builds from the back, and the players seem to have reacted in a positive manner about the change.

Midfield playmaker Ritchie Wellens embraced the appointment of Paulo Sousa, knowing what it meant for the teams style back in the summer of 2010. “As soon as he was announced as manager I was looking forward to playing the same style as Swansea played” said the former Manchester United trainee.

The difference in Leicester’s adoption to a game of football this season has been there for all to see. The team now likes to play a more patient, shorter game. Evidently it hasn’t worked all the time for them this year but the Foxes seem adamant that this style of play will suit and benefit them in the long run.

Leicester’s promotion ambitions may well be dead for another year but going into the new season, with Eriksson and with money to spend, the Foxes will no doubt be one of the favourites to achieve their aim of Premiership football next term.

How much easier did Sousa make the transition for Sven Goran Eriksson is open for debate, but I suggest to you that the Portuguese manager’s style of play was not as outrageously ambitious as some fans led others to believe back in October 2010.

He bedded them in nicely for Eriksson to pick up and Leicester’s rise through the Championship ranks have rewarded their persistence in the style of football the club want to play.

Leicester City are far from the finished article Paulo Sousa first envisaged last summer and the latest run of ‘form’ under Sven Goran Eriksson suggests there’s still a lot more adapting to be done at the Walkers Stadium. Ambitions however are high in the east midlands and with the money now readily available to help back up their new style of play, its warranted ambition too.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Not so long ago, Benfica manager Jorge Jesus was being labelled ‘The Special Two’. Though his career has taken rather a different trajectory from Jose Mourinho’s – he spent decades achieving minor miracles at small Portuguese clubs before Benfica finally gave him his big break – Jesus had constructed an aggressive, domineering side fizzing with pace, flair, and a ruthless streak which swept all before them on the domestic front. Yet Jesus’ Benfica have been overwhelmingly outclassed by a Porto team of whom precious little was expected before the season began.

After all, who was Andre Villas Boas? Having worked closely with Mourinho at Chelsea, the confidence (bordering on narcissism) of his predecessor had evidently rubbed off on him; denied a more senior role among Mourinho’s backroom staff, the young coach opted to go it alone, landing a job at lowly Academica, turning what was expected to be a relegation battle into the lofty heights of midtable mediocrity.

But whilst having worked with Mourinho is seen as something of a golden stamp of approval in Portugal, one decent season in charge of a small club does not a Porto manager make. Having sacked the mediocre Jesualdo Ferreira in the summer, president Pinto da Costa took a gamble.

Now, the comparisons with Mourinho are impossible to ignore, in spite of the young manager’s repeated denials of the similarities between them; both arrived at Porto having achieved success at a small club. Both built unstoppable machines from sides no better on paper than their rivals. Indeed, Villas Boas’ debut season has actually yielded more points than any one season Porto completed under Mourinho – and they may well go on to finish the season undefeated.

What Villas Boas has done is restore the ruthlessness to Porto, the sense that no matter what happens, they will get the result they need. It was the hallmark of the great Porto sides of the nineties, and it was repeated, briefly, under Mourinho. Villas Boas’ achievement is that, should the golden trio of Hulk, Falcao and Varela misfire, Porto’s defence will ensure that nothing is given away, that all it takes is one burst of pace from Hulk, one Falcao backheel, and a game will be put to bed.

Under Villas Boas, centre-back Rolando has evolved from the functional foil for the domineering Bruno Alves into a world-class leader who could play in any team in the world; Argentine international Otamendi has slotted in effortlessly alongside him (Villas Boas quickly nipped previous incumbent Maicon’s occasional lapses of concentration in the bud); left-back Alvaro Pereira has found a consistency he lacked under Jesualdo Ferreira, as has Sapunaru on the opposite flank.

This is a team which has nothing like the swagger of the Benfica team of last season. But then last-season’s Benfica was a flawed masterpiece, bursting with a limitless supply of creativity and running but too tactically limited to react to adverse situations against top opposition. On the other hand, the current Porto team is a sophisticated, flexible model whose flashes of brilliance in attack have a solid tactical basis.

Villas Boas – with typical Mourinho cattishness – claimed, after last night’s win at Benfica, that ‘it was proven who is the best team’. He does himself little justice. The Benfica players, on paper, are more than a match for the options at Villas Boas’ disposal. Luisao, Fabio Coentrao, Javi Garcia, Gaitan and Saviola or Jara would all have a place in the current Porto side; the difference is that Villas Boas has crafted a unit more efficient than anything that has been seen in Portugal for years.

The future will tell if comparisons are premature. As well as a juicy Cup Semi-Final against Benfica, the Europa League holds the promise of further success. A league and cup double and a decent European run (the signs so far on that front have been extremely positive) would only reinforce the idea that Portugal can claim two of the world’s best coaches of recent years.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the Hawthorns to take on West Brom (now managed by ex-Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson), Kenny Dalglish only had positive things to say about his predecessor. When asked if Hodgson would have extra motivation to ‘prove a point’ against his former club, Dalglish said:

“Roy hasn’t got anything to prove to anybody. If you say he has extra motivation then you are doubting the man’s integrity and implying he never had enough motivation before.

It’s Liverpool versus West Brom and we’ll face a team that has been prepared by Roy. I don’t have a problem with that. It’ll be nice to see him again.

Roy brings his own management style to the club and they have done well since he went in there. We are looking forward to the game. I have great respect for him, as I said when I came in here, and that isn’t going to change now that we are playing against each other.

So for me, the game is about Liverpool against West Brom and that’s the way I’ll go into it. I’ll see an old friend of mine standing in the opposite dugout. Everyone knows he’s an excellent coach so we know what to expect. We know how they will play so it’s up to us to be better than them on the day.”

Dalglish isn’t the only Liverpool legend to speak positively of Roy Hodgson. Jamie Carragher has also spoken up for his former manager in the past, saying that it was a case of the players letting the manager down as opposed to the manager not doing his job right.

There’s a strong blame culture in football, where we tend to put the responsibility on everyone but ourselves when something goes wrong (also known as the siege mentality top manager love to infuse their players with). With managers blaming the referee, opposition players, the pitch, the weather, FIFA, the FA, the Premier League and owners of other clubs for their own team’s faults, it’s ridiculously easy for fans to latch on to the same sets of excuses.

It may work in motivating the players, and it may work in deflecting pressure off the players and onto the manager / the rest of the world, but perhaps fans should know better than believe such nonsense?

And better yet, if everyone in football had the same respect for their fellow professionals (managers, players, referees) as Kenny Dalglish, it would be a far more enjoyable sport to follow. Except for the hacks…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In what can only be described as a pamphlet rather than a book, eloquent and multilingual manager Fabio Capello has outlined how the average trophy-laden foreign coach can transfer their success to the English continent in just one hundred easy-to-master words.

The pamphlet, entitled How To Coach In Place You No Speak Good, was ghostwritten by his assistant Stuart Pearce, due to Fabio’s poor grasp of the English language. It outlines the most important phrases in a foreign manager’s repertoire in ten short and easy to digest chapters:

Pleasantries: “Hello”, “goodbye”, “yes”, “no”. Four words that should guide you through four months of press conferences whilst you get to grips with the indigenous people’s language.

Generic Phrases: Without simple commands like “go” and “stop”, “run” and “walk” and “move” and “there”, players would not be sufficiently pitch-trained, and would just do their own thing, running in circles and urinating on the astroturf. Reinforcing phrases like “faster”, “stronger”, “better” and “taller” will indeed make players play faster, stronger and better, but may not actually make players taller.

Attacking: Self-explanatory. The basics are covered, from “pass” and “cross” to the more elaborate “shoot” and “score”, with everything in between.

Defending: A little more pragmatic. The lexis is not as simple as when players have the ball, so suggestible words like “shirt”, “kick”, “tight” and “commit” can take on different meanings in conjunction with crazed facial expressions.

Abstract Terminology: Talking in abstract terms about a literal event can involve everyone in successes and distract everyone from failings. Phrases like “spirit” and “confidence”, popularised by foreign counterparts like Arsene, are integral when dealing with the media and falsely building up hope within your squad. Other words include “drive”, “passion” and “verve”. Use all in conjunction with the pronoun “we”.

Feelings: Whilst on the topic of interpersonal relationships, these words show that you are still human, despite talking like a badly programmed android. Stick to basic phrases like “good” and “bad”, “happy” and “sad”, “pleased” and “upset”. Some words are important, like “smelly” and “constipated”, but should not be used in the presence of the media.

Names: It is important to familiarise yourself with at least a few of the players. Talk lots about three or four players, then slowly learn the names of the others, and casually drop them into interviews so that it looks like you know them well. Journalists will like it if you refer to “Rio” and “Jack” on first name terms, but will equally acknowledge that calling players “Gerrard” and “Lampard” is often more respectful. Also, players will greatly appreciate being called something other than “hey you there”.

Locations: Directions are not necessarily important, as the relevant people will take you to where you need to go, but in order to do so, you will need to know the names of your desired destinations. For instance, knowing “England” is not enough: learn two or three city names, like “London” or “Manchester”. What’s more, learning how to say “Brighton” or “Soho” will open some doors in your personal and professional life.

Personal: Tell people you like things. It’s the best way to make friends and make the people of a country like you. Make sure you can say your favourite food in the native’s tongue (“spaghetti”, “steak”), clothing (“loafers”), film (“Robert De Niro”) and even music (“Jimi Hendrix”). Don’t bother learning words about the culture. You will not sample it, and if you do, you will not enjoy it.

Taboo Subjects: These phrases should not be used unless directly addressing the guilty player in your squad. In England specifically, it is important to learn the following words: “alcohol”, “prostitute”, “romp” and “steroids”. Do not, when questioned by journalists or Sheiks, mention words relating to personal controversies. Me personally, I cannot use the words “Bernstein”, “contract”, “scandal” or “nappyrash”, but it helps to learn the words regardless.

In total, Capello selects ninety-seven words which he believes are integral to coaching in England: the rest he ignorantly discards. According to Opta stats, the word Capello uses with the most frequency is “hey”, closely followed by “win” (mostly used in a pre-match context) and “sad” (prevalent in post-match interviews). The England manager stresses the need to use as few syllables as possible for ease of use and communication. The only words in his English coaching dictionary containing more than two syllables are “spaghetti”, “confidence”, “nappyrash”, “constipation” and “Manchester”.

The pamphlet is said to be in high demand amongst his counterparts. Early reports reveal that Christian Gross, Ruud Gullit and Ossie Ardiles have camped outside the FA’s headquarters at Wembley in order to obtain the first photocopied editions. FA administrative impresario Sir Trevor Brooking has banned Roberto Martinez, Carlo Ancelotti and Avram Grant from obtaining copies, hoping that it will prevent an influx of foreign coaches ruining the homegrown managerial credentials that the FA have worked hard to build up over the past ten years.

This article constitutes satire. Despite the use of real footballers and managers, the events discussed within the article are humorously fictional, and should not be taken deadly seriously.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As of 12th March 2011, Football Manager 2011 was not only still in the top 20 of sold copies in the UK, but it was at number 2 in those charts. 

It’s pretty phenomenal to be honest, and is in itself a reflection of the passion for the game in this country. We just absolutely love football, and as Johnny Karp wrote in his recent article, a brave soul has even dared apply for a job at Middlesborough on the back of their stellar record in….Football Manager. The article’s debate is on the pro’s and cons of prodigious football manager players going into management as more and more the Football Manager series links up with the footballing world (Incidentally, here is Johnny Karp’s Football Manager Stories website). 

Now Messi may have dribbling and technique stats of 20, but he's only got 9 strength so you can take him!..What?

It’s one thing to look at players stats on a screen, and quite another to watch hour after hour of video of a player who looks like he could be a star, only for that player to just have been having a good day/ been on steroids. Finally, it’s completely different to watch a game from on high and notice tactical flaws in your play, and quite another to watch this from ground level, where the view is simply a footballing battle.

Yes, the transition is huge, but hang on, hang on. Don’t throw your Mourinho suit in the fire just yet. Have you ever thought about coaching? 

Where are the England football coaches?

Bear in mind that fact at the top of the article, because the difference between Football Manager players and coaches is simply astonishing, and I’m not talking about the transition this time but simply the numbers. According to this article (based on a previous Guardian article) England are shockingly behind countries in the rest of Europe with regards to coaching staff – that is to say ‘UEFA data shows that there are only 2,769 English coaches holding UEFA’s B, A and Pro badges, its top qualifications. Spain has produced 23,995, Italy 29,420, Germany 34,970 and France 17,588.’ 

That, as a statistic, is a massive indicator of why England are so near yet so far - simply not enough coaches to nurture the talent that a country like ours undoubtedly has. In fact, the former quoted article has more damning statistics - horrible even. For every English coach of the above qualified level, there are Eight Hundred and Twelve active English players. Just consider that for a moment. That is like having one teacher per small secondary school. 

Rumours that Messi was created by Sports Interactive are unfounded.

That, translates as one fully qualified coach, for every, single, first, reserve and youth player in the premier league, championship, league one, and league two, and lots of other leagues. 

Forget about the gripes that top class players like Lampard, Rooney and Gerrard are not good enough - that is the problem. 

Which could well translate as good news for you - where there’s a problem, there’s an opportunity, as someone may or may not have said at some point. Football manager games are among the most popular, if not the most popular games in the UK. They are brought by die hard passionate football fans who love the intricacies of football management and coaching, and scouting, and tactics. And most importantly there is die hard passion. 

Football needs you, Football Manager fanatic, not because you have taken Chelmsford City to the Premier League or created a Champions League winning team from your academy, but simply because you love football enough to get involved in these little details. There is a huge hole in the market that can be filled by people who are so hooked on the beautiful game that they will watch pixels replicate football for the love of it. 

It’s not even as if we as a generation are less well equipped to coach either. As a people we have more information at our finger tips then ever. More analysis, more creativity, more idea’s more football teams. The opportunity is there for Football Manager players to make a transition into football management proper – that is if you want to. 

So yes, people could dismiss Football Manager players getting into the professional game as a far reach – I did. But consider, in that gaming population lies an absolute goldmine of coaching, scouting, hell eventually even managing potential. The knowledge of the game is undoubtedly there. Perhaps more so then ever. 

The FA’s official website is the ideal place to launch your coaching career, starting from the bottom and moving on to the very top. You can even find the appropriate courses near your location (and the McDonalds sponsorship might mean free food while you play Football Manager…who knows?). You can even take a course online.

Hell, Mourinho started out as a translator. Why can’t you start out as a football manager player?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News