“On Wednesday the headlines spoke of global domination, after Italy qualified for the World Cup with two games to spare. By Saturday the focus had shifted completely. Instead of speculating about the strength of foreign rivals, reporters were now fretting about spies within their own borders.” Guardian
“It’ll come as no surprise to learn that following Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to retire after 27 years in the dugout at Manchester United, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not only the longest serving manager still active in the Premier League, but in the Champions League too. The only coach working in Europe’s elite club competition to come anywhere close to him for longevity is Mircea Lucescu, who will complete a decade at Shakhtar Donetsk at the conclusion of the current campaign. Continuity like that is hard to find among the rest of the continent’s Champions League qualifiers. Call them the last of the managerial Mohicans.” ESPN – James Horncastle
“Fictionalized films about football are usually a bust. It seems hard to recreate on-field action. And nowadays professional footballers’ lives off the field can be regimented and organized, drained of any real drama. So we are not sure what to expect from the planned biopic ‘Pele’ by the Zimbalist brothers (to their credit, they directed the documentary ‘The Two Escobars,’ which even the Colombians we know, admit is a very good film). The hype for the film ‘Pele’ started in May this year and shooting was supposed to have started in August. That we know and (from the producers’ website) the film will only focus on his early life: from ‘… his impoverished youth to his unlikely rise to futbol stardom in 1958.’ …” Football is a Country
“The Bundesliga returns after the international break and matchday 5 was filled with several tremendous individual performances. From Marco Reus’ dominant outing against Hamburg to Kevin Volland’s match-winning performance against Borussia Mönchengladbach, this weekend was filled with some of the most memorable individual performances of the young season so far. Dortmund put on a show in the second half against Hamburg to maintain their perfect start while defending champions Bayern Munich continued their fine record against Hannover. Stuttgart continue their bounce back after a big win in Berlin and Eintracht Braunschweig won their first point of the season.” Bundesliga Fanatic
“For Roma, Erik Lamela’s departure to Tottenham is a huge loss. Or not, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, the Giallorossi have lost an immensely gifted young player who has been among their most consistent performers for the last two seasons. The 21-year-old was the footballer who many in Rome felt the future of the club could be built around—the type of forward who could consistently entertain the Curva Sud and fire the Lupi to long-awaited glory at the same time. He was the rarest of things: a possible heir to the throne of Francesco Totti.” Bleacher Report
A heat map showing Mesut Ozil’s touches in La Liga during his three seasons at Real Madrid.
“In modern football, the vast majority of top-class European clubs agree on the basic principles of attacking play. It’s extremely rare to see a half-decent side knock a long ball from defence, and it’s become increasingly uncommon to witness relentless crossing from wide. Instead, top-level football is about short passing, through-balls, and exploiting pockets of space either side of the opposition defence. There are certain qualities you unquestionably require to play this way: patient midfield passers to initiate the buildup, incisive creators capable of penetration and quick forwards who can sprint beyond defences.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)
““They won’t go far. They needed a player in the middle of the park with grit, determination, someone who can get stuck in.” Sound familiar? Arsenal fans like myself have been subjected to such warnings from rival supporters. Sceptics who have been eager to assert that while the purchase of Ozil was admirable, what Arsenal really required was some “steel” in the midfield. It has even been suggested that instead of going all out to capture the “the best Number 10 in the world”, Manchester United new boy Maroune Fellaini was the player that Arsenal should have gone all out to buy. Surely he would have added much needed bite and steel to what appears to be a lightweight midfield.” Think Football
“Even with Hearts in their current, diminished state, Celtic would never hand-pick a trip to Tynecastle immediately before a Champions League tie. What that in mind, Neil Lennon can consider this as a job well done in Edinburgh. The Celtic manager watched his players claim a victory they deserved over a Hearts side who, in fairness, offered more resistance than could have been expected. Gary Locke, the Hearts manager, is worthy of continued credit for his guidance of the administration-hit club as those off the field edge towards a deal which should return local ownership to these parts by Christmas.” Guardian
2002 World Cup in South Korea, John O’Brien
“John O’Brien was once lauded as the greatest American footballer of his generation. He successfully conquered Europe with his exploits at Ajax in Holland’s Eredivisie and drew many plaudits for his performances for the US national team at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. But for the Californian born soccer star, his career was left largely unfulfilled. Blighted by a history of chronic injuries, O’Brien never truly reached the level of performance that his potential promised, however, he did enjoy sustained success for a short time and his influence on football in the United States was no less important.” World Soccer
“Middle Eastern investors have adopted a new strategy of buying low and selling high with a series of acquisitions of second and third tier European soccer clubs. In the most recent acquisition, Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad, the billionaire former president of Saudi Arabia’s most successful club Al Hilal and founder and chairman of the publicly-listed Saudi Paper Manufacturing Group, the largest paper tissue manufacturer in the Middle East, bought a 50 per cent stake in Sheffield United with the aim of helping the club graduate from the third league to England’s Premier League.” The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer
“Connor O’Neil and Xavier Leonovitch discuss CSKA’s chances in the Champions League this year and Leonid Slutsky’s role as CSKA manager: As we know, CSKA face reigning champions Bayern Munich, as well as Manchester City and Viktoria Plzen in their Champions League group. There are many questions about Leonid Slutsky’s ability as CSKA coach – can he lead his team to the round of 16? It’s a rather paradoxical question to ask when we examine Leonid Slutsky’s résumé since he took over CSKA Moscow in 2009…” Russian Football News
“For his next trick, Roberto Martinez will attempt the art of alchemy. The Catalan manager arrived at Goodison Park this summer once his powers of levitation and escapology had ultimately failed him after four seasons at Wigan Athletic. Everton have hovered agonizingly around the Champions League places for the past seven seasons under Martinez’s stoic predecessor, David Moyes. A gutsy underdog team with a rich tradition, whose mighty past had been outrun amidst the stampede of the Premier League gold rush. Martinez claims he was drawn to his new coaching challenge for reasons both emotional and rational.”
ESPN (Video)
“The first international break of the season has finally ended, and a return to club football beckons for the best footballers across the planet. The first 3 games of the season saw some lukewarm performances from most of the giants, but now that World Cup qualification is sealed for many of the players, and the season is well under way, we should see the intensity being upped. The return of club football has been marked by the return of one of the fiercest rivalries across football, and especially in the Serie A- the Derby D’ Italia. Aside from being 2 of the 3 most successful sides in the peninsula, the rivalry that Inter and Juve share is about much more than just trophies.” Outside of the Boot
“We are delighted to welcome back Matthew Rudd for the latest post in our Great Football League Teams series; Matthew having previously penned a popular post on Hull City’s 1965-6 side. Now, he casts his mind back to the early eighties. … It’s amazing what being skint can do for a football club. In 1982, Hull City were certain to go out of business, probably before the season had actually finished. In 1983, not only were they solvent again, but playing some delightful, devastating football and achieving what still ranks as one of the truly great promotions in the club’s history.” thetwounfortunates
“The song remained the same for the U.S. men’s national team against Mexico at Crew Stadium. So did the score, as the Americans defeated their bitter rivals 2-0 on Tuesday night and are now on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup. Eddie Johnson broke a scoreless tie four minutes into the second half, heading home Landon Donovan’s corner kick. Donovan then added an insurance tally in the 78th minute, converting from close range after excellent work from substitute Mix Diskerud. A makeshift U.S. back line, with some considerable help from goalkeeper Tim Howard, performed solidly on the night and then was able to see out a critical victory.” ESPN (Video)
For Klinsmann’s U.S., competitive culture pays off in Mexico win
“The U.S. national team that will fly to Brazil for next summer’s World Cup will consist of 23 players. That limit is unfortunate, because it took a lot more than 23 to earn the trip. Clarence Goodson may not make it. The San Jose Earthquakes defender was an alternate on the current qualifying roster. He played in Tuesday’s clincher here at Crew Stadium only because of Matt Besler’s suspension. Mikkel Diskerud may not make it. He’s one of several players vying for minutes in a crowded and talented midfield. The same could be said for Alejandro Bedoya. Yet all three played an integral role in lifting the U.S. to another 2-0 win over Mexico and a seventh consecutive World Cup berth.” SI
U.S. Wins and Secures Spot in World Cup
“… Almost 30 minutes later, Landon Donovan tapped home the Americans’ second goal, extending a tradition at this stadium, against this opponent. The United States had defeated Mexico here, 2-0, in their three previous World Cup qualifying cycles: 2001, 2005 and 2009. And they did it again Tuesday night, weathering an early storm from a desperate Mexican squad before Johnson and Donovan delivered the killer blows to delight an announced crowd of 25,584.” NY Times (Video)
“Robin van Persie scored twice as the Dutch beat Andorra 2-0, and Turkey’s 2-0 win in Romania ensured they could not be overtaken at the top of Group D. Italy just needed to beat the Czech Republic to qualify, and goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Mario Balotelli overturned an early Libor Kozak strike. Belgium, Germany and Switzerland need two points to secure a place in Brazil. Germany guaranteed at least a play-off spot with a 3-0 victory in the Faroe Islands thanks to goal from Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil and a third from Thomas Muller. Bosnia-Hercegovina and Greece both secured at least a spot in the play-offs in Group G, while France are likely to be in the play-offs after their 4-2 win in Belarus put them level on points with Group I leaders Spain, who have a game in hand.” BBC
World Cup qualifiers: who’s in, out and who has their fingers crossed
“Uefa. Italy came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 and Holland beat Andorra 2-0 to secure their places in Brazil next summer, both leaving fascinating battles for second in their groups and the possibility of a play-off (only the best eight runners-up from the nine groups play off). In Group D, Hungary, having surrendered the initiative with their 3-0 defeat to Romania on Friday, seized it back by thrashing Estonia 5-1, while Romania lost 2-0 at home to Turkey. …” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
“Condemned as Brazil’s weakest squad in 60 years, the pressure is undeniably on for Scolari’s men as the road to the 2014 World Cup begins. Next year, the 20th World Cup unravels in South America, or more precisely—Brazil. The home advantage, arguably may give a morale boost for the men in yellow, or add even more pressure for such a young side to deliver on the grandest stage of them all. The last time a World Cup was hosted in Brazil, supporters were left heartbroken and distraught as it was local rivals Uruguay who came out victorious in the final so Brazil undoubtedly, will be looking to avenge those nightmares. Inspiring a Seleção to their 6th World Cup title will be by no means easy, but crashing out in the group stages simply isn’t an option for a nation looking to restore international dominance across the footballing globe.” Outside of the Boot
“With all of the talk of FA Chairman Greg Dyke and the targets for the England national team over the past week, it seems many have already written off the team’s chances of success at the coming world cup in Brazil 2014. There also seems to be an acceptance that England will find it difficult to qualify, and with this mood of doubt and discontent there is arguably a perspective whereby many fans would not be surprised if England were to fail to qualify, or at least not directly progress. Once again England fans have been put through a stuttering and inconsistent qualification campaign, with many unconvincing individual and team displays leaving many questions to be answered.” Think Football
Why do Premier League stars keep looking disjointed in English shirts?
“It wasn’t good, but it was good enough. England scrapped and ground its way to a 0-0 draw against a strangely subdued Ukraine to clamber over the toughest remaining obstacle between it and qualification for the World Cup, but it’s debatable how much credit it can draw from a stodgy performance. In a sense, this was typical England, technically substandard but sufficiently determined to drag itself through. In terms of spirit and defensive resolve — if not necessarily defensive shape — there was much to commend; in terms of ball retention and chance creation virtually nothing.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“… 1 — ARGENTINA KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. The first team from the continent to book their place in Brazil, Argentina’s qualification might seem predictable enough – but it looked anything but in the early stages of the campaign, when coach Alejandro Sabella’s side lost to Venezuela and drew at home to Bolivia. Since then, though, the side have made enormous progress. They are not perfect.” ESPN – Tim Vickery
“FC Porto aren’t even the best-supported team in their own country, they only play in the second biggest city in Portugal, and yet their contemporary European presence alone has alluded teams with five times the population in the containing area, and many, many times the income. UEFA Champions League winners in 2004, they have been drawn over the years with Manchester United, FC Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Arsenal, AC Milan, Internazionale and compatriots Benfica as tops seeds in the world’s primary football competition. This year FC Porto took their place in pot one of the UEFA Champions League group stage draw for the third time in the last three seasons. They’re regulars in the Champions League last sixteen and a staple of the European football scene.” Outside of the Boot
“For a long time football in Ukraine has been backward looking but that is beginning to change at last. For the first decade after Soviet fragmentation everything revolved round Valeriy Lobanovskyi and for the decade after his death everything revolved round Andriy Shevchenko, whom Lobanovskyi had hailed as being closest to his ideal of the ‘universal player’ and who revered the Colonel and his ideas. Lobanovskyi’s genius had been to keep evolving. He stayed at the top of the game for 35 years because of his ability to adapt but his legacy was stasis. Everything came back to his way of doing things; his philosophy became a religion that had to be obeyed.”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Mykhaylo Fomenko reignites Ukraine’s World Cup qualifying campaign
“Out of chaos has come hope. When Oleh Blokhin quit as national coach of Ukraine after the 1-1 draw against England at Wembley to take charge of Dynamo Kyiv, there were three schools of thought. One thought it an outrage that anybody should abandon what was perceived as a patriotic duty; one accepted that, having spent 17 years as a player at Dynamo, the emotional pull was too strong to resist; the other breathed a sigh of relief at the deposition of a cranky and authoritarian manager whose teams had played crabby, bad-tempered football. As Dynamo’s slow decline continues – they lie sixth in the table after eight games and, as Metalist Kharkiv and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk grow, are arguably not even Ukraine’s second side (after Shakhtar Donetsk) any longer – it is the third school that seems most reasonable.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Roy Hodgson and England keen to make a point in Ukraine
“Ever since he unwisely admitted to thoroughly enjoying the dull scoreless draw between Manchester United and Chelsea last month, Roy Hodgson has been castigated for his innate conservatism. The England manager sets his sides up not to be beaten, it has been said, values a draw almost as much as a win and rarely attacks with sufficient aggression to deliver a knockout.” Guardian
“South America’s World Cup qualification campaign has featured 35 wins for the home side — and just 11 for the away. It is a statistic that puts the value of Uruguay’s last two results in stark context. The Sky Blues had a disastrous 2012-13, suffering four consecutive heavy away defeats and making it difficult for them even to finish fifth and claim the playoff slot. But Uruguay are seldom more dangerous than when they have their backs to the wall. They have since won away from home against their two rivals for fifth place — beating Venezuela 1-0 in June, and then winning 2-1 at Peru last Friday.” ESPN – Tim Vickery
“Belgium manager Marc Wilmots has a phenomenally talented bunch of players to pick from. It showed again on Friday, when Belgium hardly broke a sweat as they easily disposed of Scotland at Hamden Park. Belgium controlled the game from start to finish, not allowing their hosts a single shot on target. The 2-0 victory showed the strength in depth Belgium currently boast. Missing three key players in Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen and Eden Hazard, Wilmots simply had a look at his bench and fielded a team capable of coasting to victory away from home.” ESPN
“Seven games into the Russian Football League season and Rubin Kazan are unbeaten. Sounds good right? But the reality is that it’s not as bright as it seems early on. While it’s nice to see a goose egg in the loss column, Rubin only have two wins from those seven games meaning they’re already playing catch up to league leaders CSKA Moscow. Perhaps the saving grace for Rubin is that the league is so tight this year. Rubin sit seventh in the standings, but they only trail CSKA by six points. There’s certainly time for Rubin to make their way up the standings and secure European football again next year, but they better get moving soon.” Russian Football News
“To reach the chicest sports spot on Earth in the first week of September of 2013, get the train to Marienplatz. Change to the U6 line and ride north through Odeonsplatz, Dietlinderstr, Studentenstadt and eight other stops. Disembark at Frottmaning, and remember an old sports dynamic: the act of seeing something for real after seeing it only on TV. Remember how Augusta National always seemed to have a castle and a moat and turned out to have, humorously, a boulevard of aggressive ugliness just out front. Lambeau Field exceeded the imagination and wrought a little gasp.” Sports On Earth
Glantraeth FC
“So world club football comes to a sudden halt as we enter the international break. As the weekend’s Premier League football comes to a close, people begin moaning about the return of international football and begrudging the loss of the ‘real’ football (and I’m sure it’s the same in many parts of the world). I for one love international football, partly because I’m a very proud Welshman who loves watching his beloved home nation play football; if I can enjoy watching Wales (attempt to) play football, then I feel no-one else has any excuses. However, I’m not here to talk about international football or my love of Wales (we’d be here a while), but instead another perk that arises from international football weeks: that perk is National Non-League Day.” Outside of the Boot
“Scheduling pressure on international football from disgruntled clubs has one big positive for fans; the increasing presence of exciting and meaningful double-headers in the space of five days. This week’s raft of World Cup qualification doubles will go some way to deciding the line-up for Brazil next summer, with some new names on the brink of a first participation and some established ones facing the hour where it’s put up or shut up. Here are some of the major plot lines to look out for over the coming days.” ESPN (Video)
“AFC Fifth Round – Jordan v Uzbekistan. They don’t get much bigger than this. Whoever comes out on top over the two legs will lock horns with the fifth-placed team from CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying tournament (who as it stands is Uruguay on goal difference) in the intercontinental play-offs. Both Jordan and Uzbekistan finished third in their respective groups in the fourth round thus play each other now. … CAF Second Round – Cameroon v Libya. All World Cup qualifying is grueling but no more so than in Africa. At the beginning of proceedings, over 50 teams battle it out for just five World Cup spots. The second round sees 10 groups. To proceed to the next and final round you must top your respective group which is no mean feat. Ivory Coast, Egypt and Algeria have already secured their place in the third round.” Think Football
“Ever since he was five years old, Steve Davies dreamed of playing for West Ham United. He grew up in the rain-thrashed English working-class town of Rushden, where by birthright he should have supported Rushden Town, or Northampton, or even Coventry City. But after watching West Ham triumph over Fulham in the 1975 FA Cup final, he became a long-distance fan, pledging his allegiance to the claret and blue of the Hammers.” Guardian
“Sunday was a grim day for Roy Hodgson. It started badly as the England manager was denied a seat in the directors box at Anfield, seemingly because there were too many sponsors who had to be accommodated. Hodgson initially had to take his place in a section of seats usually reserved for scouts. The day got worse as confirmation came that Wayne Rooney will miss the upcoming World Cup qualifiers with a head injury, and it deteriorated further as Phil Jones and Glen Johnson were forced out of Liverpool’s win over Manchester United with injuries, Daniel Sturridge suffered a groin strain and Jack Wilshere, battling stomach cramps, had to come off before halftime in Arsenal’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“At the end of ‘What Are The Ingredients of a Great Team?’, TTT ran a survey to allow subscribers to vote on which players demonstrated each of the ‘elements’ discussed. The number of people completing surveys ranged between 44 for more established players to 28 for less familiar players. An error in the survey meant that Flair was not offered as an option to vote for on a number of players. Thank you to everybody who took part.” Tomkins Times
“… Arsenal recorded a narrow victory in the north London derby. Arsene Wenger was still without Mikel Arteta, Lukas Podolski is a new injury blow, while Bacary Sagna was unwell so Carl Jenkinson played at right-back. Andre Villas-Boas was without Gareth Bale ahead of his departure to Real Madrid, while Erik Lamela was only just signed in time and was on the bench, while Christian Eriksen wasn’t yet under consideration. In terms of tactical analysis, this was a remarkably simple game based entire around two concepts (and how those two concepts worked together).” Zonal Marking
Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham: Tactical Analysis
“The second installment of Super Sunday was the North London Derby, to be played at the Emirates. This fixture is always exciting, and carries an edge, but today was a little extra special, as it was a clash of two teams that will surely be gunning for 4th place, and two teams that have had slightly different transfer windows. Arsenal came into the game with a lot of familiar faces in the side. Koscielny was back from suspension and injury, but Sagna was missing and Jenkinson started. Gibbs was on the left hand side of the defence, and ahead of him was Cazorla, who was given a free role. In midfield, Arsenal started Wilshere, Ramsey and Rosicky, who was furthest forward in the triangle. Giroud was the lone man up front, with Walcott looking to use his pace to penetrate from wide areas.” Outside of the Boot
What conclusions can we draw from Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Spurs?
“1) Arsenal are not as bad as some will have you believe. After a poor display against (a strong) Aston Villa side on the opening day of the season, despite having ten men, many people began to write Arsenal off. Arsenal are a team that polarize opinion- many fans feel they can win the title, whilst neutrals often feel they’ll finish in sixth or seventh place. The truth of what Arsenal can achieve is somewhere in the middle. A title bid sounds very premature considering how their rivals have strengthened and the fact that Arsenal have been so far off the pace for many years now, but writing the side off as having no chance of finishing in the top four is ridiculous. …” Think Football
“You know the transfer fees and stats, have listened to the media-trained platitudes from the new signings and debated the winners and losers in the transfer window. However, amid the frenzied transfer activity, you may have missed some of the more quirky and curious snippets that have been reported about those players new to the Premier League this season. Here, BBC Sport picks 10 stories that have caught the eye…” BBC
“The age old rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is one that needs no introduction. Despite their overall success in recent years, Manchester United have largely struggled in their annual visit to Anfield barring last year of course. Liverpool came into the game on the back of 2 wins and were hoping to make it 3 wins out of 3. United and Moyes on the other hand, were off the back of a 0-0 stalemate against Chelsea, and were hoping to register their 2nd league win of the new era. Eventually it was Daniel Sturridge’s early improvised header which was the difference in what was a tightly contested affair. The match had few clear cut goalscoring chances for either side and as is the case with most games between the 2, the event failed to match the build up.” Outside of the Boot
Michael Essien – Ghana
“You can tell a World Cup is approaching because Kevin Prince-Boateng has suddenly decided he feels like playing international football again. The attacking midfielder retired from international football in 2011, but has ended his exile to come into the Ghana squad for Friday’s final World Cup qualifier in which Ghana need only to avoid defeat against Zambia to secure a place in the play-off round for World Cup qualifying. The structure of the African preliminaries may be nonsensical, but they do guarantee drama: 10 groups of four, with the top sides going forward to two-leg play-offs, with the winners going on to Brazil.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
“You know the cheap thrills that come with looking at box office returns on a Monday to see if a movie was a blockbuster or a flop? You don’t feel particularly proud of it, of course — after all, what does art have to do with money … wait, why are you laughing? — but you do it just the same. Now imagine those box office reports reflected movies that had been shot, edited, and marketed the day before they were to hit theaters. That would be funny. And that’s European football’s transfer deadline days. Incredibly rich football clubs making enormous decisions at the very last minute, buying and selling football players.” Grantland
“There aren’t many bandanas around Birmingham these days but in the summer of 1995 they were all the rage. Aston Villa, their supporters dizzied by the rollercoaster journey already shaping their existence in the new Premier League, had broken their transfer record to bring in one of their most exotic, most mysterious signings yet.” World Soccer
“Bill Shankly’s name reverberated around Anfield before and after a fitting occasion to fall on the eve of what would have been his 100th birthday. The Liverpool performance in between was too backs-to-the-wall to represent a tribute in his image. It did not matter. “If you are first, you are first. If you are second, you are nothing,” Shankly once said, and first always tastes sweeter in these parts at the expense of Manchester United. An early goal from Daniel Sturridge on his 24th birthday maintained Liverpool’s 100% start to the Premier League season, their best since 1994, and preserved David Moyes’s winless record at Anfield in the process.” Guardian
“Liverpool secured their best start to a Premier League season since 1994-95 with victory over champions Manchester United at Anfield. Daniel Sturridge celebrated his 24th birthday with his third successive winner of the season by steering in a close-range header in the third minute. Liverpool deserved their latest single-goal victory, a result that also maintained new United manager David Moyes’ miserable record at Anfield. Moyes hoped for better luck with United after 12 games without victory as Everton manager – but his team came up short despite enjoying plenty of possession in the second half after being outplayed before the break.”
BBC
Moyes suffers Anfield agony again
” The great managers whose finest achievement became apparent after their departure are a rare breed. Perhaps, as in much else, Bill Shankly is unique. As Liverpool celebrated Monday’s 100th anniversary of his birth with typical enthusiasm, it was in part because Shankly was the founder of a great winning dynasty. Another iconoclastic Scot had the same designs. Three games after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, Manchester United are discovering it is not that simple. His handpicked successor, David Moyes, was condemned to a first defeat at the ground where, infamously, he has never won and to the club that, famously, Ferguson knocked off their perch.” ESPN
Manchester United fail to emerge from the wings
“In Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester United, the Premier League champions were out-passed and out-thought in midfield, with Steven Gerrard outstanding for the home side in a deep role, and Philippe Coutinho making a series of dangerous incursions in the inside-left position. As they toiled to excellent effect, one fact became increasingly clear: In the frustrating summer rush to acquire at least one central midfielder, the worrying state of Manchester United’s wingers has not been addressed.” ESPN
“As coach of Barcelona, Pep Guardiola demonstrated a healthily idiosyncratic streak within the parameters of the club’s prevailing philosophy. And, as the new season begins in western Europe, the most pressing tactical question this term is what will he do at Bayern Munich? How will he react to a club that is not so steeped in those principles – and one that won almost everything there was to win last season, much of it in record-breaking style?” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson
“In a couple of weeks, when Australia travels to meet Brazil, Mile Jedinak may well be locked in midfield battle with Paulinho – just as the two were last Sunday at Selhurst Park. I was in the crowd for the opening weekend of the season clash between newly promoted Crystal Palace and a Tottenham team rebuilt in a bid to make into next year’s Champions League. On his competitive debut Paulinho had a solid enough game as Tottenham won by the only goal. But in an outgunned side, Jedinak was a candidate for man of the match. The Socceroos’ central midfielder had an excellent game shielding the Palace centre backs. He was so quick to spot any danger to his side, allowing him to snuff out any number of Tottenham attacks. In possession he did his best to knit the side together with safe, crisp distribution.” The World Game – Tim Vickery
“A spectre is haunting European football – the spectre of Qatar. No holy alliance has emerged to respond to this rising power; indeed, it has been embraced by both established luminaries (Barcelona, Zidane) and by (hopeful) rising stars, such as the Paris Saint-Germain football club and now, in Belgium, Eupen. Qatar is already acknowledged by European football powers to be itself a power in their midst.” Soccer Politics
“It was Juventus’ first home game of the season in the Serie A, with Lazio as their opponents. The home side had emerged victorious a few weeks earlier when the two sides met in the Italian Super Cup. While the scoreline does suggest a sense of domination, the game itself was a well-fought affair; it was a perfect example of how much Italian football has developed since it’s ‘boring football’ tag. The game was anything but a drab affair, quick movement, slick passing, excellent vision, were all witnessed at this fixture. A true modern-day Serie A battle. The final score of Juventus 4-1 Lazio was not necessarily a true representation of the way the match went on.” Outside of the Boot
“The world of football transfers is mysterious and murky, rotten and ruthless. Millionaire players, demanding managers, extravagant owners and wily agents all make up the cast of the game’s summer soap opera. Fans find it fascinating and frustrating but are often left angered and confused by the veil of mistruths and rumour that drive the world of transfers. This summer has been a case in point. It has been the summer of the saga, the summer of Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale and Cesc Fabregas.” BBC
“If Arsenal’s deadline-beating transfer activity is once again going to be unflatteringly compared to a trolley dash, there is every chance the wheels picked up speed after the Champions League group-stage draw in Monaco.” BBC
“Last weekend, on August 17, NBC launched its new coverage of the English Premier League, after paying $250 million for the television rights to every soccer match played in the EPL over the next three years. Fox had been paying a third of that price to air a much smaller slate of games than NBC will. NBC’s execs seemed to have made a big gamble, betting that flooding the American market with English soccer would draw casual viewers in, boost NBC’s ratings, and increase the sport’s exposure in the U.S. The reward was the highest overnight rating in U.S. history for a Premier League season opener.” The Atlantic
“Michael Carrick has emerged as a key player for Manchester United in recent seasons. The English man has often failed to get the recognition he deserves as he has become the mainstay in what can at times be a thread bare United midfield. Against Liverpool though he’ll have a tough job on his hands as he sits deep against three mobile and possession based midfielders.” Think Football
“Today’s Europa League draw in Monaco ended in disappointment for VfB Stuttgart. The Swabians had a chance to be drawn as the team replacing Fenerbace Istanbul, but were unlucky. The two German teams were also handed tough oppositions in the group stage, but both Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg are in with a good shout of surviving the group stages. Christian Streich’s Breisgau Brazilians have probably been handed the toughest draw out of the two German teams. Freiburg are going to face off against two-time Uefa Cup winners FC Sevilla, three-time Czech champions Slovan Liberec and GD Estoril. Frankfurt on the other hand side are facing 6 times French champions and Uefa Cup finalists Girondins Bordeaux, 2012 Champions League quarter finalists APOEL Nicosia and Maccabi Tel Aviv.” Bundesliga Fanatic
“10 — Liverpool v Manchester United — Premier League, 2009: While the two sendings off in this 2-0 win for Liverpool happened in the 89th and 90th minutes, thus rendering them slightly irrelevant to the result of the game, the recipients of those red cards are worth noting. Something about this fixture clearly makes the blood of Nemanja Vidic and Javier Mascherano rise, for the pair managed to get themselves sent off five times between them, and in this Anfield encounter they both received their marching orders. One pictures them standing together in the tunnel, glancing at each other with a couple of ‘One of those days’ looks on their faces.” ESPN
“Manchester United are a side that has traditionally played with a lot of width. From George Best, to David Beckham, through to Cristiano Ronaldo and even the ever present Ryan Giggs, the club have always possessed quality wingers in abundance. That however has not been the case in the last two seasons or so. United’s wingers have gone from being a primary strength to arguably their greatest weakness. So does David Moyes need to sign a new winger for United?” Think Football
“The joy of such enthusiastically delivered news might be lost on some of those fans actually present. Sixty season ticketholders have been moved from their favoured habitat. This new £3 billion Premier League television deal comes at a cost for the match goer. Caring clubs are seeking to accommodate them in other parts of the stadium but fans are creatures of habit, wanting the same familiar routes, gangways, characters, seats, neighbours. It is like breaking up a good party, or even family. Television grows ever more powerful and demanding. More games are being screened in more countries with more cameras, some of them of the bulky, space-commanding 3D variety.” Telegraph – Henry Winter
“After a couple of years of harum-scarum goalfests between the big sides, Monday’s meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea was a return to attrition. It’s dangerous always to read too much into one game, but the indications are that defending is back at the top level of the English game — and it may be that that leads to improved performances in the Champions League. Many will suggest that is the influence of the return of Jose Mourinho, and it is true that he has no qualms about playing reactive football, but the stalemate at Old Trafford was just as much to do with the approach of David Moyes.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea- Tactical Analysis
“A game between United and Chelsea is always monumental. This particular fixture, the first big game of the season, was further intensifying, as it marked David Moyes debut as United boss at the Old Trafford. Mourinho returned to the scene of some of his greatest successes, and with all the speculation surrounding Wayne Rooney (involving the two clubs), the game was further spiced up. The final score of Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea seemed a fair result, a scoreline that both sides played for and will be content with. Neither would particularly like to drop too many points this early in the Premier League season.” Outside of the Boot
“‘Hi Uli,’ Michael wrote. ‘I came across SC Westfalia Herne, the first team of Hans Tilkowski. That was quite surprising. I consider myself very knowledgeable on German football, but never heard about this club before.’ He added: ‘Checked the internet and found out that you, most probably, have never written about it. So here is an idea — maybe you should. I’d like to know more about them.'” ESPN
“Usually when players decline it is a process so slow that at first it is almost imperceptible: a fraction slow to react here, slightly late to a challenge there, occasionally outmuscled or outpaced in a way they never used to be. Sometimes it is to do with age, sometimes with injury, sometimes form and confidence is eroded and never returns. With Kolo Touré, though, you can pinpoint the moment of crisis absolutely.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
“Will Hughes takes little spotting on the pitch. He stands out with his blonde hair as you would expect. You can use the word ‘shock’ if you like. He’s got hair that stands out on the football pitch like Robbie Savage or Jason Roberts used to do. He wears bright boots (but then again don’t all footballers these days?) but the days of plain black unless you were a real star (step forward Alan Hinton and Alan Ball) are long, distant memories…” Sabotage Times
“Unless Celtic’s players produce their best performance of the campaign to dislodge Shakhter Karagandy from their 2-0 advantage at the halfway stage of the Champions League play-offs, it looks as though inspiration will have to come from another capacity crowd in the east end of Glasgow when the Kazakhs arrive for the return on Wednesday.” Telegraph
Marek Hamsik
“It has been an exciting summer of coaching changes across Europe: The top seven favourites for the Champions League, the top three in England, the top two in Spain, plus the champions of France, Germany and Portugal all started 2013-14 with a new manager. In Italy, somewhat surprisingly, it’s been quieter. Of last season’s top four, Juventus’ Antonio Conte, Milan’s Max Allegri and Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Montella remain in their positions having performed extremely impressively, albeit in different ways, last season.” ESPN – Michael Cox (Video)
“When Suleyman Kerimov took over Anzhi in January 2011, there was little immediate interest from the wider footballing world. When Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos made his way to the Makhachkala club just a month later, the deal made the sports pages in a number of nations, but largely for the same reasons – Carlos was long past his best, looking for one last pay-day, and abuse received at Corinthians was the perfect excuse for him to move to Russia for comfortable semi-retirement.” Think Football
“Cagliari Calcio are an altogether unremarkable football club. For much of their existence they have been a yo-yo team, alternating between promotion and relegation and oftentimes languishing in the rustic depths of the Serie C, the third tier of Italian football. In their 93 years of existence they have conquered just one piece of silverware, a lone Scudetto won in 1970. In those brief glory years they were led by the inspirational Gigi Riva, the all-time leading goalscorer of the Italian National team. Since their latest promotion to the top flight in 2004 they have managed to stave off relegation but have been in a perpetual state of purgatory; too far off the top to the table to harbor realistic European ambitions, yet too far from the bottom to risk a return to Serie B. Their record is, for the most part, unexceptional. Yet in a curious episode long forgotten in the annals of football history, for a brief period of time they were known as the Chicago Mustangs. For one fleeting summer, Cagliari Calcio, the team from the picturesque Mediterranean island of Sardinia, used Comiskey Park on the South Side of Chicago as their home ground. This is their story.” In Bed With Maradona
City’s Bert Trautmann is knocked out during their FA Cup final in 1956
“After the passing of Bernhard ‘Bert’ Trautmann mid-July the obituaries appeared to reduce his life to 2 facts: the re-education of a former Nazi simply by the kindness and humility of the British people and the 1956 FA Cup Final. For Trautmann himself, this was not very particularly pleasing as he stated repeatedly.” Do not mention the war
“In a couple of weeks, when Australia travels to meet Brazil, Mile Jedinak may well be locked in midfield battle with Paulinho – just as the two were last Sunday at Selhurst Park. I was in the crowd for the opening weekend of the season clash between newly promoted Crystal Palace and a Tottenham team rebuilt in a bid to make into next year’s Champions League. On his competitive debut Paulinho had a solid enough game as Tottenham won by the only goal. But in an outgunned side, Jedinak was a candidate for man of the match. The Socceroos’ central midfielder had an excellent game shielding the Palace centre backs. He was so quick to spot any danger to his side, allowing him to snuff out any number of Tottenham attacks. In possession he did his best to knit the side together with safe, crisp distribution.” The World Game – Tim Vickery
Scissors Kick 