All posts by h79snht.top

Arsene Wenger is one man that is clearly splitting opinion in and around the Emirates. The Frenchman once walked on water around these parts but six years without a major trophy has seen patience tested to the ultimate limit, with few willing to sit back and accept the excuses anymore. It could have been a whole different summer for the Frenchman had his charges not failed to show up at Wembley back in February. The problem with unrest at a football club is that causes people to panic and I truly believe that is what happened by Arsene on deadline day.

I have to say Arsenal’s activity completely baffled me if I am honest. Of course the signing of Per Mertesaker was superb and much needed, but can the same be said of the rest of the additions? The loss of Fabregas and Nasri was obviously a problem hole to fill, but is Benayoun and the injury prone Arteta really the answer? Wenger must have known that he was set to lose the duo months previous which makes the decision to replace them in the last hours of the transfer window all the more confusing – knee jerk reaction to their 8-2 trouncing perhaps, I mean it wasn’t as if these players were readily available to sign at any point this summer.

Looking at some of the Arsenal blogs there does appear to be optimism in their transfer dealings. I often wonder if that is more to the delight of seeing new faces and seeing Wenger spend some money, rather than thinking they will actually improve the current team. Mikel Arteta has masses of ability, but let’s be honest he isn’t in the same league as the two departed. It also begs the question that with this obvious optimism among supporters as to whether this will buy Wenger more time to bring success to the Emirates? I am sure the answer to this question in most cases will be no, but surely you can’t expect all the new signings to hit the ground running?

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Wenger has been in the game long enough to realise that he is under pressure to deliver silverware therefore why didn’t he look to have his new look squad ready weeks before the season started? Could it actually be, as I truly believe, that Wenger felt the likes of Ramsey and Rosicky would be able to fill in with ease this season and their unconvincing start forced his hand? There just doesn’t appear to be any other logic behind the delay in strengthening this squad, given the amount of money they received with the sales of Fabregas and Nasri alone. Delaying his purchases until the last knockings has done nothing but put Arsenal back this season as they are completely underprepared for the rigours ahead. Wenger is certainly not the first manager and won’t be the last to react to pressure, I just wonder if the poor preparation and subsequent panic buying may have taken his Arsenal side back further.

The Daily Mirror exclusively reports this morning that a bid has been received from a Qatari financial body, reported to be backed by the Royal Family, for the full value of Manchester United. The unpopular Glazer family have endured serious financial difficulties since the start of the recession and will have to give serious consideration to the bid, which the Mirror says is in the region of £1.5bn.

In today’s other stories, Mohammed Bin Hammam’s appeal against his lifelong ban from football has been denied by a FIFA appeals committee, Sol Campbell blames “institutionalised” prejudices in English football for the lack of black or ethnic minority managers in the Football League, and there are growing fears for the whereabouts of former West Ham striker Savio after the German youth international went missing from his current Italian side, Juve Stadia. Interpol are joining the efforts to locate the 22–year-old.

Qatari Royal Family in £1.5bn bid for Manchester United – Daily Mirror

FIFA appeal committee upholds Bin Hammam’s life ban – The Guardian

Parliament ramps up the pressure on FA to reform – The Guardian

Bayern Munich lining up new bid for Malouda – The Sun

Campbell: Lack of black managers is thanks to “institutionalised” prejudice – Daily Mirror

Spurs to land starlet after hush-hush trial game – Mirror

Wenger won’t rule out permanent deal for Benayoun – Mirror

Fletcher: United facing toughest title defence yet – The Guardian

Fabregas: Hard to see Arsenal winning trophies any time soon – The Independent

Agbonlahor: I almost quit Villa because of Houllier – Daily Telegraph

Pardew: Taylor ready for England call – Daily Mail

Bruce may give teen prodigy Wickham first Premier League start this weekend – Daily Mail

Former Hammers striker Savio feared missing in Italy – Daily Mail

Ball thieves leave Wigan kicking air – Daily Mirror

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Make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to experience for yourself and enter our competition now to win two places in a box at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea v Swansea.

Click here to win VIP tickets to Chelsea v Swansea

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An England under 21 international who has been tipped for a big future in the game by one of footballs most successful coaches in Carlo Anceloti, Josh McEachran is so very close to making it at the top level of our game. He is currently training daily with the senior squad at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, and has regularly found himself occupying the bench for the club in the last 12 months.

Yet, history proves that as close as he is, there is still a long way to go for the youngster. A creative midfielder, in his handful of appearances McEachran has impressed the faithful at Stamford Bridge with his sure touch and precise passing game. However, with his 20 appearances thus far largely off the substitute’s bench, both McEachran and the club must not run the risk of allowing his development to stagnate.

Chelsea are blessed with numerous options in midfield and the summer signings of Juan Mata and Oriel Romeu seem to have further limited McEachran’s chances of a consistent run in the Chelsea first team. At one point in the season, if suspensions and injuries combine, McEachran may well just get his chance to make an impact under Andre Villas-Boas. But, what if the Chelsea midfield remains largely injury free?  Quite simply, McEachran needs football.

At any stage of their career, footballers need to be playing competitive football regularly. With the news that Swansea City may be interested in taking McEachran on loan, surely the move can only benefit all parties involved.

Jack Wilshere found himself in a similar situation in January 2010, on the cusp of making it into the Arsenal first team. Wilshere was sent on loan to Bolton and under the management of Owen Coyle made a significant impact for the club. Bolton wanted to take Wilshere on loan once more at the start of last season but Arsene Wenger had seen enough.

Wilshere was thrown straight into the first team and went on to win PFA Young Player of the Year. Now a regular in both the Arsenal and England sides, few would doubt the effect his short spell at Bolton had in helping establish himself.

Brendan Rogers has been working wonders for Swansea and the clubs style of football is well suited to McEachran’s natural game. Rogers, a former youth coach at Chelsea, would be the perfect manager to aid McEachran in his devlopment.

If the move goes ahead, or at the very least McEachran finds himself on loan at another Premier League club this season, and the young midfielder is successful, then there is every chance McEachran can be a Chelsea regular in the near future.

A loan move is the best one for all, let’s just hope for McEachran’s sake that the club do not let his talents waste away by a continued lack of competitive football.

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Follow me on Twitter for discussion about all things sport @CamHumphries

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With an ever increasing amount of foreign players plying their trade in the Premier League, debate in recent years has often revolved around their impact on English football and in particular the youth development in this country. It is often suggested that clubs increasing willingness to go out and spend on a foreigner, is the reason why there is a lack of good English talent coming through, but can we really blame the foreign invasion for the state of youth development in this country?

If we look at the national teams results alone, it would be difficult to suggest that the presence of foreign footballers in the Premier League has had a detrimental effect. In 1992 the Premier League boasted a mere 12 foreigners, and England faced a barren few years at international level. Over the past decade the number of foreign players in the English game has swelled to huge levels, and England-ignoring fans and media expectation-haven’t had a bad record at major championships during this time.

It could be argued that the level of quality foreigners in the English game has actually raised the standards of our home-grown talent, as the English players who now make the break through to senior sides have to be of a very high quality and merit their place, due to the competition they face. Foreign players have undoubtedly improved the standard of English players, who can only improve by playing against the best players in the world on a regular basis. They have also brought improvements to the game in terms of nutrition and training, which have ultimately upped the level of English players.

English clubs have spent millions developing their academy systems and bringing up the youth in this country, yet it often seems as if this talent is stunted from progressing any further, as clubs are likely to go for a quick fix option and buy cheaper foreign players. Young English players need time to develop, and they are increasingly not afforded this luxury, as their places are taken by cheaper foreign imports. There is no doubt that practising every day with the best talent in the world is one way to improve standards, but young players must also be afforded the chance to break through at senior level.

Despite the congested nature of a lot of the big clubs, exceptional talents are still able to break through if they are good enough. England internationals like Steven Gerrard and John Terry broke through and managed to cement first team places at big English clubs. However, it appears that this is not always the case, and more often than not young talent has been held back. Look at how long it took Daniel Sturridge to breakthrough the ranks at Chelsea. If players are deemed worthy then they should be given a fair shot, rather than relying on cameo appearances and being shipped out on loan. The problem seems to lie in the footballing philosophy and mindset in England. Clubs are simply more concerned about short term solutions, as long term investment in academies and nurturing players for the future often takes a back seat to the constant demand for results and success.

Clubs have also taken to scouring other countries for teenage talent, at the expense of developing home-grown players, although there have been moves to stem the flow of foreigners in the Premier League. Under the recent home-grown quota rule, clubs must now fill a third of their sides with home-grown talent, who have spent their formative years being coached in England/Wales. However, players who come from foreign countries at a young age, still qualify as home-grown, despite the fact that they are not eligible to play for England, which is a severe blow to this country’s youth development. The rule, instead of creating a philosophy where we base youth development around young English talent, simply continues to allow clubs to bring in teenage talent from other countries. If clubs can bypass the intention of the rule so easily, then it is unlikely to have much of an impact on real proper development in this country.

If we take Arsenal as an example, a number of their players who qualify as home-grown are not eligible to play for England, so what point does the rule serve? If anything the new rules will make clubs start scouring even harder for foreign teenage talent and ultimately jack up the fees of young English players even further. This then leads to a vicious cycle, where clubs are forced to look abroad, where they can get more for their money. The new demands encourage clubs to invest in their academies and promote from within which is positive, but academies must be filled with English not foreign talent, otherwise we are only aiding other countries progression, and making the English talent pool even smaller. Academy sides are now as cosmopolitan as senior sides, and this is not in the best interests of the national side. The home-grown rule doesn’t solve any problems, and though it is a way of getting clubs to stop neglecting their academies, it doesn’t stop them neglecting English youth.

It seems as if we are at a crossroads, of whether we want to see the best league in the world, with the best players, or we want a thriving national side with the best English players. Having such a fantastic league is all well and good, but forcing English players to wait in the wings as foreign players jump ahead of them serves no purpose. Obviously we don’t want to lower the quality of the leagues level, for the sake of fulfilling some quota, as this won’t be of benefit to anyone, or force anyone to improve, but there has to be some sort of changes to aid English youth development. The Premier League recently announced their Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) which seems to be a move in the right direction, as it aims to produce more top quality English players, but we will have to see if the changes have any real impact.

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It is unfair to place the blame for the state of youth development in this country solely on the influx of foreign talent, as there are other issues like investment in grass-roots, coaching quality and talent pool which all have some effect. However, the foreign influx is a contributing factor behind why English talent is failing to make the breakthrough to the next level. As well as welcoming the wonderful talent from the world stage, it is important that home-grown talent is also afforded the chance to breakthrough, and the opportunity to develop at senior level. As exciting as foreign imports are, their presence does little to promote the development of English players through the ranks, and a balance must be struck between the two, in order for youth development in this country to progress.

Do you think the influx of foreign players has had a negative effect on youth development in this country? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.

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If you ask any football fan, they will always have certain issues and laws within the game that irk them more than others, and even when casting around for ideas on this feature, many different suggestions were put forward, including the rather humorous one that I should include ‘the way all refs favour Manchester United’ and whilst Ryan Babel may be nodding in agreement, I’m sure all the United fans reading this are dying to comment and disagree! In seriousness, football is the beautiful game, yet some of the ridiculous rulings imposed by governing bodies are stopping the full enjoyment of the game, and this needs to end.

So I have complied a list of the top ten rulings in football that range from just something people disagree on to the downright ludicrous that have all fans screaming in the standards and even the pundits in the studio shaking their heads.

Click on Howard Webb to unveil the top rulings that have to change

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Do you agree? What are the rulings that annoy you the most? Comment to me on twitter @RebeccaKnight01

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Francesco Totti is a Serie A legend, one of the greatest Italian footballers of modern times. A player of his calibre certainly needs a WAG of equally high quality and that’s exactly what Totti has got in the shape of Ilary Blasi. Ilary Blasi, aka Mrs Francesco Totti, used to be a model and showgirl before settling down to the life as a wife of a professional footballer and World Cup winner.

She has caught the attention of the Italian press and public, having featured in Italy Offside three times in their regular WAG feature. But just in case you’ve not had the pleasure of seeing Ilary Blasi before then here she is and make sure you look out for her on TV when you’re next in Italy on your holidays!

Click on Ms Blasi below to see her in all her glory

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Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman has this week spoken out over the EPPP and the new rules which will soon come into force, stating that it is a ‘brazen attempt’ to help the wealthy elite comply with UEFA’s home grown rule. Well I have to say, that on the surface Steve seems entirely correct.

I am fully aware that in the past I have been critical of FIFA, UEFA and the likes, and especially of the home grown rule, stating that there is little point to it, because of the loopholes involved in the rule – Fabregas qualifying as a home grown player for Arsenal pretty much says it all here – and with the EPPP now set to abolish the 60 minute rule (where the club’s academy can only recruit youngsters within a 60 minute radius) and now most top clubs will be able to implement a nationwide policy, allowing them to cherry pick youngsters from the Football league clubs to join their top academy’s. Oh, and another thing – gone will be the tribunal system and a fixed compensation scheme will take its place – one suspects this again will favour the elitist clubs.

Whilst United academy manager Brian McClair is more than happy to talk up the system, saying it is the only way we can keep up with our European counterparts – most notably the Spanish who’s youth system, especially at Barcelona, has produced the likes of Fabregas, Pique, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta – and without the new EPPP rules, they would have no chance.

Yet it does just seem like a thinly veiled attempt to favour the elite clubs – 22 of the football league clubs voted against the new proposals due to the fear of the ‘top’ clubs now being able to poach their talent easier than ever before.

A class one academy – such as United or Chelsea – will, under the EPPP rules, be allowed to attend any training ground session to watch a potential prospect providing they give 48 hour’s notice. Well as Parish rightly points out, it is like letting lions into the petting zoo or indeed Balotelli into a firework shop and such easy access is quite frankly ludicrous. What chance do football league clubs have of holding on to these players?

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The Premier League however will have you believe that they are in actual fact doing the football league clubs a favour with the new fixed compensation structure, removing the uncertainty of ‘unearthing a gem’ and giving a fixed income which would in their calculations, take the income of the clubs who were involved in 125 deals over the last four years from £17 million to £25million.

Whether this will ring true is anyone’s guess, and it has to be said that the argument of trying to keep up with Europe’s elite does not ring entirely true here – Barcelona when playing United’s under 16’s had three players from Africa and one from Argentina – well they are not from anywhere in Spain, and when you think of their Academy’s greatest triumph of recent years – Messi – again not a Spanish international.

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The EPPP is clearly about allowing the best of the English crop of young players to move to the top Premier League clubs and be able to register as home grown. Even the way the Football League agreed to the proposals is typical of the FA – in the same weekend that the Premier League agreed to increase parachute payments and provide solidarity money for the football league they were ‘informed’ of the EPPP scheme and their anticipated support in exchange for the afore mentioned proposals.

I have to say I fully agree with Parish when he says that the gulf between the football league and top clubs – or even the gap between the top few and the rest in the premier league will widen, and all to allow our elite clubs an easy ride when it comes to home grown registration of players. To say this is about the English national team is a downright lie. Since when have Fergie or any of the top managers or even players in their clubs – think Gerrard here – put their country before their club? They do not. At least if the FA manned up and called the EPPP proposals what they are people may have a modicum of respect for them. As it is, they have attempted to disguise yet another way to benefit the league’s elite.

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I am not here to argue that the quality of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA is anywhere near the same level as the top flight in England, but one day, in the not too distant future it could be. More and more quality players are signing up for the American experience after David Beckham proved that it could be done successfully after leaving Real Madrid and Europe behind.

It may have been a quiet January in the transfer window in England, but the three biggest names to arrive have been from across the Atlantic. Landon Donovan’s return to Goodison Park has been met with joy on Merseyside and Robbie Keane snapped up the chance to play for his boyhood club Aston Villa for two months while the off-season continues in Los Angeles. Obviously you can’t forget Theirry Henry’s much publicised return to Arsenal, where he has already shown that he hasn’t lost any quality in sending the Gunners through to the FA Cup fourth round.

The quality of these players in not in question and although it is assumed that a player will only move to America at the end of their career, the national team are a young, improving side and players like Robbie Keane still have a good few years left in him yet and will represent Republic of Ireland in the Euro’s this summer.

David Beckham revealed last week that he expects to stay in Hollywood and sign a new contract after big spending PSG declared their interest. The likes of Tottenham Hotspur have also been publically interested in the former England captain in recent times and he is expected to be involved with team GB at this summers’ Olympic Games in London.

More well known, quality players that European clubs will no doubt want in their sides such as Rafael Marquez, Fredy Montero and Torsten Frings also grace the MLS and the likes of Dider Drogba, Allesandro Del Piero, David Bentley and Michael Ballack are heavily linked with a move there in the near future, so the quality is only going to increase as the sport grows in the States.

One problem that ‘soccer’ has had in the USA has been the supporters’ interest, as the likes of Baseball and American Football are huge all over the country and will take some beating. Fans are choosing to go with their more prestigious sports which is completely understandable but with attendances rising at ‘soccer’ games in the past 12 months, slowly but surely it can compete.

MLS games in 2011 averaged 17,870 fans per game in contrast to last year’s 16,675 per game. Take a look at Wigan Athletic in the Premier League if you want a comparison. The improvement in attendance has propelled the MLS to the third-most attended sport in the United States, placing it in front of the NBA (17,319 average) and the NHL (17,126). The MLS has also become the 10th most watched league in the world, above Brazil’s Serie A and the Scottish Premier League which can only be good news for the fans.

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An improvement in quality, an improvement in funding and an improvement in support –  the MLS is starting to have what it takes to compete with other sports in  America and also top European Leagues and it may not be too long until matches between teams from the MLS and Europe become competitive.

Would you like to see the MLS become as big as the Premier League, let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard

Arsenal will be gunning for revenge at the Emirates tomorrow afternoon as the Champions arrive in North London. Arsene Wenger was particularly disappointed at the manner of their 3-2 defeat at the Liberty Stadium and suggested, at his Friday Press Conference, that referees have it in for the Gunners more than any other team in the country. Whether that is true remains to be seen but you can’t help feel that they Wenger’s men do get the thin end of the wedge at times.

Arsene Wenger also suggested that the failure to land a Champions League spot at the end of the season would be a devastating blow to the football club because anything other than rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite year on year would be a letdown.

This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include, time to stop this crisis talk; the ideal signing for Arsene Wenger, while it may be time for Arsene to change his ways. We have also added new features to our summary article that includes Arsenal’s quote of the week and a full match preview ahead of the United game.

 

Best of FFC

Arsenal’s top TEN wonderkids that proved anything but

A ‘super-signing’ can do so much for Arsenal’s future

Time for a change of ways Arsene

Does Arsene actually make a vaild point over January signings?

Time To Stop All This Crisis Talk

The ideal signing that both Liverpool and Arsenal should battle for

Will the Premier League’s top stars find the allure of Spain too hard to resist?

Interest in Berbatov as Arsenal weigh up more for wonderkid

Arsenal brace themselves for Lazio bid

Once a liability, now indispensable at Arsenal

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Best Arsenal Blogs on the WEB

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Beaten by Swansea in possession, points and budget | Wenger mess deepens at Arsenal – Le Grove

A year is a short time in football – Online Gooner

Arsenal: False Idols, Falsehoods and Victorian Abattoirs. One Of Speaks… – A Cultured Left Foot

Summer of Change as a Mass Exodus on the Cards…. – Highbury House

So the fans’ feelings count for nothing then Hill-Wood? – Gunnersphere

Arsène Wenger must end austerity drive to break Arsenal’s drought – Guardian

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Arsenal Quote of the Week

“I feel that the players technically are very good, but sometimes they don’t sense danger or show a ruthlessness in certain situations to win games,’

“When Arsenal lose control of the game, it just goes disastrously wrong for them.” Nigel Winterburn told talkSPORT.

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Match Preview v Manchester United

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Arsenal will be gunning for revenge when they meet Manchester United on Sunday as they aim to get even with champions following the humiliating 8-2 thrashing in August.

Arsene Wenger’s side were humbled at Old Trafford in the opening weeks of the season as crisis gripped the Gunners following the departure of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Since then the Frenchman has steered the club into calmer waters and to within four points of the top four despite suffering losing two of his key players and having to deal with a never-ending succession of injuries. One defeat in 12 since mid-October had put Arsenal in with a great chance of achieving Champions League football next year but two defeats on the trot has seen them drop further behind Chelsea in the New Year. Wenger will have been unhappy with his side after they were blown away by Swansea at the Liberty Stadium last week and they’ll need to cut out the reckless mistakes that cost them in South Wales. With Johan Djourou and Ignasi Miquel continuing to fill in at full back they’ll need Andriy Arshavin and Theo Walcott to double up and minimize the threat of United’s wide players if they are to exact retribution for the embarrassing defeat suffered six months ago.

The Red Devils will be well aware that Arsenal will be vengeful going into the game but need to approach their trip to North London with a sense of trepidation. A 3-0 win at home to Bolton came after two consecutive defeats with Paul Scholes scoring on his return to Old Trafford. Whilst the veteran midfielder will probably be relegated to the bench at the Emirates his return to the club has provided a visible lift. Michael Carrick’s improved performances in central midfield will have delighted Sir Alex Ferguson who will more than likely recall Ryan Giggs to the starting line-up. The 38-year-old continues to defy the ageing process and his experience will be key to beating the Gunners who have been forced into fielding a number of teenagers and young players this season. Getting Wayne Rooney into the game will be key for United along with Antonio Valencia and Nani on the wings. The duo will come up against two inexperienced full backs on Sunday and Ferguson will make it clear to Valencia and Nani that they could be the difference in the game. Keeping Van Persie quiet will also be a high priority fo the Scot and it’s anticipated that he’ll charge Phil Jones with marking the prolific Dutchman.

Arsenal 5th : 36 points 

Last six: L L W D W L

Team news: Thierry Henry and Thomas Vermaelen are both doubts for Arsenal who have 11 players out injured.

Key Player: Robin Van Persie

His first goal of 2012 wasn’t enough for Arsenal to see off Swansea last week but there is no downplaying Van Persie’s importance to Arsenal. The Dutchman will be going all out to gain revenge after playing and scoring in the 8-2 thrashing back in August.

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Manchester United 2nd : 48 points

Last six: W L L W W W

Team news: Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Danny Welbeck are all doubts for Manchester United who have 10 players on the sidelines.

Key Player: Wayne Rooney

Despite having failed to score in the league since before Christmas the Red Devils forward still poses a major threat up front. Rooney’s playmaking ability, energy and determination to win will be key to United’s chances at the Emirates Stadium.

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Click on Roger Johnson’s misses below to unveil our current Premier League Wag XI

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Manchester City players David Silva and Joleon Lescott have welcomed temperamental striker Carlos Tevez back to their squad,

The Argentina international has recently returned from a self-enforced exile in his homeland, and after apologising to the club will be considered for a place in Roberto Mancini’s squad once more.

David Silva has hailed the potential impact of the returning attacker, and feels Tevez is an important player for the Etihad Stadium outfit.

“I just saw him this morning for the first time at training,” the Spain international told Sky Sports.

“I just wished him all the very best before he left. He was a very important player for us. If he is back with us, then perfect.

“Carlos is a great player and if he is physically fit he would be a very good player to have.

“But it will be down to the coaches and the technical team to decide who plays and who doesn’t,” the playmaker stated.

Despite Tevez’s reputation for scandal and controversy, Lescott does not feel the forward will make any waves upon his return to the team.

“No-one here sees Carlos as a disruption.

“If we can all get together and push in the same direction I am sure it’s a positive for the club.

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“With us, Carlos has never been an issue, and we are confident that if he does get his chance, he will score a lot of goals,” the England defender finished.

By Gareth McKnight

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