Author Archives: 1960s: Days of Rage

About 1960s: Days of Rage

Bill Davis - 1960s: Days of Rage

Villarreal 2-0 Atletico: Villarreal impress with technical quality and ruthless finishing

“A 2-0 win that was both aesthetically impressive and quietly professional, as Villarreal move back up to second place. The home side fielded a narrow 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2 with two quick forwards, and wide players looking to move into the centre of the pitch. Cani made a rare start on the left, whilst Gonzalo Rodriguez was played at centre-back alongside Carlos Marchena.” (Zonal Marking)

Villarreal’s South American-European fusion:
“If Jonathan Wilson’s explanation as to raison d’être of the 4-2-3-1 formation is true (affording licence to playmakers and dribblers in an age of increased physicality), then little wonder it first became popularised in Spain, that country that produces a phalanx of ball-players; players who would be miscast if they were to operate as traditional box-to-box dynamos in a 4-4-2. Witness, for example Roy Hodgson’s struggles to impart lessons on Liverpool’s more adept ball players, or more pointedly, Joe Cole’s entire history as a young footballer.” (santapelota)

Out of Villarreal’s old orange grove grows ‘the perfect football eco-system’
“It was Benjamin Franklin who said nothing in life is certain except death and taxes but what does he know? Sure, he built a few libraries and did some experiments with electricity and catheters and fireplaces and stuff, but he didn’t know the first thing about what really matters: football in Spain, that magical world where death and taxes aren’t certain at all; where football clubs owe the taxman €627,266,721.38; where a player literally came back from the dead this weekend – Salamanca player Miguel García’s heart stopped beating, the doctor who saved him revealing: ‘He was dead for 25 seconds’, and where it’s not just that death and taxes aren’t inevitable, it’s that plenty of other things are.” (Guardian)

Napoli 1-2 Milan: Oddo off the bench to provide overlaps for both Milan goals

“A wet and windy night in Naples produced an entertaining game, and a victory for Milan over ten man Napoli. The home side set out in their usual 3-4-3 system, keeping the same attack and midfield as against Liverpool, only changing the defence where Paolo Cannavaro was suspended, so Gianluca Grava came in and the defence was shuffled.” (Zonal Marking)

20 Greatest Managers

Herbert Chapman
“In this new series The Equaliser takes a look at the 20 managers who we deem to have made the biggest impact on football over the last 100 years, taking into account their levels of success as well as the tactical, philosophical and developmental changes to the game they may have introduced and/or mastered.” (The Equaliser)

Manchester City May Not Be as Rich as You Thought

“It’s been happening quietly, since for some reason the media don’t seem all that eager to visit the possibility that their original version of the story was full of exaggerations and mistakes, but some of the grandiose claims about the purchase of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group are finally starting to go up in smoke. For instance: the notion that City’s new owners—usually described as “the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi royal family”—were sitting on $850 billion which they were prepared to pour into the club. This astonishing, not to say newspaper-selling, claim turns out to have been based on a simple misconception.” (Run of Play)

The increasing misery of modern football

“When Ottmar Hitzfeld was the coach of Borussia Dortmund back in the 1990s, he admitted that defeat would prompt him to sink into a two-day depression. It’s hardly surprising when you consider that being a manager (to use the British term) is the most demoralising job in football. You stand on the sideline, impotent to influence events other than through gestures and calls. And when your team loses, you end up taking most of the blame.” (WSC)

Chilean miners play football with president

“The 33 miners who were trapped underground for nearly 70 days took part in a friendly football match at the national stadium in Santiago against a team of rescue workers and cabinet ministers led by President Sebastián Piñera. The prize for the winners was a stay in the presidential palace, while the losers would have to go down the mine” (Guardian)

Manchester City 0 – 3 Arsenal

Treuziñ ar bed isdouarel, Joachim Patinir
“Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner were on target as Arsenal struck a blow for the old guard against 10-man Manchester City, triumphing 3-0 at Eastlands. City had been looking to reclaim second place in the Premier League but hopes of a fifth successive win were all but dashed with the early sending off of Dedryck Boyata.” (ESPN)

Manchester City 0-3 Arsenal: red card holds back City, but Arsenal impress in important win
“An early red card was the game’s key moment, but Arsenal played well on their way to an ultimately comfortable victory. Manchester City’s front six were as expected – the news was at the back, where Dedryck Boyata started alongside Vincent Kompany in Kolo Toure’s absence, with Jerome Boateng at left-back and Micah Richards at right-back.” (Zonal Marking)

An unfair advantage?

“In 1922, when English politician Stanley Baldwin wanted to launch a revolt against Prime Minister David Lloyd George, he described his adversary as ‘a dynamic force’. And, he added, ‘a dynamic force is a very terrible thing’. Those of us who love football will know what he means. The game runs on passion, from fans, players and coaches. Take the passion away and the game is nothing but too much is deadly.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

A Birthday Toast

“Ladies and gentleman, friends, family, opium smugglers, torch singers, bicyclists, balloonists, chemists, painters, gangsters, mysterious women in kimonos, and grad students; Three years ago today, armed with nothing but youthful pluck, a Google password, and a biography of Pierce Egan, I set out to create a sports website that would ‘be insanely profitable’ and ‘basically run itself.’ From those springs of innocent idealism, plus electricity and several computer languages, The Run of Play was born.” (Run of Play)

Inter 1-1 Sampdoria: Inter’s attackers struggle to break down Sampdoria’s two banks of four

“Inter dominated, Sampdoria took the lead, then Rafael Benitez’s side rallied late on to claim a point. Diego Milito was still out injured, but Esteban Cambiasso returned to the centre of midfield. Elsewhere, the side was as expected, with Jonathan Biabiany on the right and Coutinho on the left.” (Zonal Marking)

Hagi And Galatasaray. The Prodigal Returns

“With Frank Rijkaard linked to the Liverpool job, it’s worth noting that he really pulled up no trees with Galatasaray. The Dutchmans replacement at Istanbul, is former coach Gheorghe Hagi. IBWM’s Romanian correspondent Radu Baicu feels this could go well.” (In Bed With Maradona)

Videos of the Week: FA Fourth Qualifying Round Highlights

“We’ve got something a little different for our Video Of The Week this week. Match Of The Eighties will be back later on in the week, but for now it seems like as good an idea as any to ease ourselves into Monday morning with some highlights from this weekend’s FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round matches from the weekend just passed. We’re starting off with FC United of Manchester, who were at home yesterday afternoon against Blue Square Premier side Barrow. With the draw for the First Round Proper already having been made, United already knew that their reward for winning this match would be a local derby against Rochdale if they could get past a team two divisions above them.” (twohundredpercent)

An Honest & Thorough Inquiry into EPL Truths

“With several matches played, the dark haze clouding our view of football in England has finally started to disperse. Now, with the crystal clear light of the holiest of truths, we set upon the most divine of inquisitive expeditions. We turn a deciphering eye upon the UK, helping you to distinguish the verdad santisima from the deceptive half-truths mulling about. Let us begin.” (futfanatico)

The Most Famous Athlete In The World

“Two members of the Santos, Brazil soccer team passed the ball forward along the sideline, then shot it toward the small man called Pel�, who was waiting in front of the goal. Pel� lifted his right leg in a short, quick motion and looped the ball over one defender’s head. He dodged past that man and lifted the ball again as two more defenders approached. The ball seemed to hang in midfiight as Pel� feinted to his left; then he ducked his shoulders and lunged between his opponents. Before a shocked goaltender could react, Pel� drove the shot into the net with his head.” (SI)

The Old Firm yearn for more European glory

“Celtic have started the league season well. We’ve played eight, we’ve won eight. But there’s a familiar problem: Rangers have won all eight too. Something’s got to give today, when Lionel Messi’s favourite blue immovable object meets what was – until Tony Mowbray arrived in the East End – also an immovable object. By Scottish standards, at least. Who will win is as hard to predict as the league title. Celtic have the resources, but Walter Smith has steered a remarkably steady course through Rangers’ financial maelstrom. Neil Lennon’s side won the final derby of last season, but there was little to play for then, and his Celtic side are still unpredictable.” (WSC)

Celtic 1-3 Rangers: second half turnaround
“A typically fiery Old Firm derby saw Celtic lose their 100% record, and Rangers maintain theirs. Celtic were unchanged from their win last week at Dundee United, starting with a 4-4-2 system that saw Georgios Samaras dropping deep to the left.” (Zonal Marking)

Celtic 1-3 Rangers – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – SPL
(The 90th Minute)

Liverpool 2 – 1 Blackburn Rovers

“Striker Fernando Torres ended his six-match goal drought with the winner against Blackburn to provide a much-needed boost at Anfield. Goalkeeper Paul Robinson had kept the Reds at bay until Sotirios Kyrgiakos’ 48th-minute header and although a Jamie Carragher own goal quickly levelled things up Torres struck only his second of the season soon after.” (ESPN)

My Promise To Roy
“There was pressing. There was a higher defensive line. There was no Poulson to slow the game down. Meireles was not marooned on the wing. The game was taken to the opposition. There was passing and movement, playing to the strengths of the players. It was what so many of us have been calling for. Play like that in six of the next eight games, and Roy Hodgson might find the criticism from fans (myself included) dissipating. So that’s my promise: more of this, on a consistent basis, and all can still be forgiven.” (Tomkins Times)

Liverpool 2-1 Blackburn Rovers – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
(The 90th Minute)

Tottenham 1-1 Everton: a good tactical battle

“An exciting first half followed by a quieter second, and a result that reflects the balance of play. Harry Redknapp chose to start with just one striker for the first time at home in the Premier League this season, with Peter Crouch supported by Rafael van der Vaart. Younes Kaboul played alongside William Gallas at the back, and Wilson Palacios came into the centre of midfield.” (Zonal Marking)

Football, Blogs and Newspapers Unite? Part Three

“So today, the meat and potatoes as it were of this series: what might more cooperation between independent blogs and on-line newspaper football sites actually look like? Before I dive in, I think it’s important to point out that I’m not going to lay out concrete models with specific revenue streams and publishing formats, but rather point out general features that would make a union more desirable than the current situation, where the only mutual connection between newspapers and blogs comes in the form of hyperlinks. I should also mention that discussion of the obstacles to this kind of union will be examined at length in a future post, but feel free to start shredding in the comments.” (Pitch Invasion)

Club, Community and Consumerism: What Do We Support?

“What is the purpose of a soccer club? What, indeed, is the purpose of using the word ‘club’ in the name of so many Major League Soccer teams – to keep the question focused on these North American shores just for now. Are we supporters of clubs, or are we consumers of products? (This is a question Toronto Football Clubs have been asking themselves recently, as we will discuss). We should begin with a pathetically brief description of what a ‘club’ is.” (Pitch Invasion)

River fail to win again, and Banfield are the day’s big winners

“River Plate and Racing made it a second damp squib of the weekend in terms of matches I’ve attended, with a 1-1 draw in which the hosts were comfortably outplayed for the first half, and perhaps just slightly the better team in the second. Colombian genius Giovanni Moreno got Racing’s goal, and Diego Buonanotte came off the bench at half time and scored River’s equaliser within a minute.” (Hasta El Gol Siempre)

The difference between two derbies – illustrating the change from Benitez to Hodgson.

“It was no surprise that Liverpool lost the 214th Merseyside derby given their woeful start to the season. No Liverpool fan, not even the most pessimistic of follower, would have fathomed such baffling results and such perturbing performances on the field given the strength of their squad at the start of the season. With some trading-up and trading-down from both Rafael Benitez and Roy Hodgson over the past couple of seasons, the majority of the Liverpool team still remain from the title challenging season of 2008-09. Crippled by the Hick’s and Gillett’s unwillingness to service the promises they provided when they took over the club, Liverpool stumbled around the Premier League last season, like a common drunk who is just about on their last legs before slumping face first into the bar.” (Talking About Football)

Napoli 0-0 Liverpool: the home side not brave enough when going forward“A fairly uneventful 0-0 at the Stadio San Paolo. Napoli played broadly their usual system, although here it frequently looked like a 3-4-3 rather than a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-4-2-1, as has been more accurate in recent games. Michele Pazienza and Walter Gargano started in midfield, whilst Hugo Campagnaro was in on the right side of defence, with Salvatore Aronica on the other side.” (Zonal Marking)

Napoli 0-0 Liverpool – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats
(The 90th Minute)

Video of the Week: Match of the Eighties, 1983/84

“It’s a couple of days later than usual, but this week’s Video Of The Week returns to the BBC’s ‘Match Of The Eighties’ series and on to the 1983/84 season. Liverpool had run away with the 1982/83 league title and they were to repeat this by finishing three points clear of Southampton, with Nottingham Forest in third place. How times have changed. Meanwhile, it wasn’t a terribly good year for most clubs in the Midlands – West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers took up the bottom six places in the First Division.” (twohundredpercent)

Pjanic on the streets of Lyon

“There are few things fellow Rambler and South American football guru Rupert Fryer likes better than discussing what constitutes a ‘true number 10’, as I rediscovered at dinner last week. From here we got onto a mutual pet subject, the marvellous Miralem Pjanic. Rupert, and Jonathan Wilson, who with us, both aired their doubts over Pjanic’s future, following the arrival of Yoann Gourcuff at Lyon. Two playmakers in the same team? These days, only if Rupert was the gaffer.” (The Football Ramble)

La semaine en France: Week 9

“The Ligue 1 table has a slightly more familiar look to it ahead of the 10th round of matches, after victories for all the big teams last weekend. Paris Saint-Germain climbed to third with an impressive 2-0 win at Toulouse on Saturday. Mevlüt Erding claimed only his second goal of the season to seal the win, finishing a neat move involving a typically ornate flick from Nenê and an astute through-ball by Ludovic Giuly. Paris are above Marseille on goal difference after the champions edged Nancy 1-0, with Loïc Rémy claiming his first OM goal – and taking a swipe at Damien Gregorini’s face in the process – to cover up an unconvincing display from Didier Deschamps’s side.” (Football Further)

Werder’s defense still an issue

“Some goals Werder Bremen conceded in the 4-0 drubbing at Internazionale last month were so soft that Italian football paper Gazzetta dello Sport rechristened the team ‘Werder Crema.’ It was a charitable assessment; Gazzetta easily could have reached for a stronger Italian word.” (SI)

Panathinaikos 0-0 Rubin Kazan: little invention from attackers and a good result for neither
“A disappointing match in which both sides’ shooting ability deserted them.
Panathinaikos lined up with their now customary 4-2-3-1 system. Simao sat infront of the defence with Kostas Katsouranis playing a more energetic role, and linking up with Giorgos Karagonis. Luis Garcia started from the left and drifted into the centre, whilst on the other side, Stergos Marinos linked up with with Loukas Vyntra, the right-back.” (Zonal Marking)

Inter Milan 4-3 Tottenham Hotspur – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats
(The 90th Minute)

Twente 1 – 1 Werder Bremen: A self fulfilling prophecy for defensively tuned Twente
“Dutch champions FC Twente faced Werder Bremen at home for their third Champions League Group stage match tonight. This offered them a chance at revenge for both team’s match-up last season when the Germans knocked Twente out of the Europa League competition in the first knock-out stage. After winning 1-0 at home, Twente went on to lose the second tie 1-4.” (11 tegen 11)

UEFA Champions League Power Rankings After Matchday 3
“The Champions League is halfway through the group stage and the contenders to win the title have not really changed. Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern, and Real Madrid remain at the top. Other teams showing great form are Arsenal and Lyon who are both 3-0-0. The rankings are below and through October 21, 2010 and only include the top 8 (along with teams just missing the cut).” (The 90th Minute)

Love football, hate footballers

“If this week’s Wayne Rooney saga has done anything other than earn the Manchester United striker a huge pay rise and, presumably, an even huger grudge from his manager, it’s added yet another hammer blow to the wedge that is being driven relentlessly between players and supporters. The nutshell version of the story is that Rooney allegedly nailed a hooker, not-only-allegedly disgraced himself at the World Cup and allegedly briefed journalists that he wanted to leave United.” (twofootedtackle)

For a Break-Up [UPDATED]
“I, personally, have never been the type who dwells on heartache and tragedy. Others may whinge, but it’s never been my way. When a thing goes pear-shaped, you can either throw a bin through a window and steal a pair of trainers, or you can lift a pint to the good times and set about refactoring your tattoo situation.” (Run of Play)

Wayne Rooney, Manchester Uniter and Contempt
“Manchester United supporters have learnt a tough lesson this week. The fact that footballers are mercenaries may be common knowledge amongst fans of most clubs, but Manchester United, by virtue of their sheer scale, have been largely insulated from this. They have been able to hang on to the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs for years and years, and have been afford one major luxury that is denied to almost every other club – they sell, by and large, only when they need to sell and they feel that a player is surplus to requirements. Comments to the effect that they are not matching the ambitions of a player (a deliberately ambiguous statement – ‘not matching ambitions’ can quite easily be extended in its interpretation to ‘not doubling my wages’) are not something that they are used to.” (twohundredpercent)

History repeats itself as crowd trouble rocks Serbia

“Serbia is currently gripped by the dilemma of whether to cancel this weekend’s Belgrade derby between the country’s most famous clubs – Red Star and Partizan. This fierce debate was sparked by events which have once again cast the nation in a poor light around the world. Firstly, on October 10, Belgrade’s Gay Pride parade was marred by ugly scenes as right-wing football hooligans attacked security forces and laid waste to the capital city, resulting in more than €1 million (£890,000) of damage, 132 injured policemen and 249 arrests.” (WSC)

The Return of the Soccer Rioters

Charles Le Brun – Entry of Alexander into Babylon
“Last Tuesday, a riot broke out at a soccer game in Italy. Its perpetrators were a group of right-wing Serbs who had traveled to Genoa to watch their national team play Italy—or, as it turned out, not to watch it play, since the game was called off after just seven minutes. The Serbs threw burning flares onto the pitch and used a metal bar to try to smash the fence that separated them from the Italian supporters. A large, heavily tattooed man in a black ski mask climbed the Perspex barrier at the front of the stands and started slicing through the perimeter netting with wire cutters, pausing to give the occasional Nazi salute. As Italian riot police moved to surround the visitors, the Serbs set fire to an Albanian flag and unfurled a banner reading ‘Kosovo is Serbia.'” (Slate – Run of Play)

Bradley’s Lack of Commitment to New Tactics Deeply Concerning

“OK it’s been a week, and a rough week at that. The USMNT played Columbia last Tuesday, and I had planned to write my normal post-game, but after the match I was too furious to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as it were). I decided to calm down for a few days, but then the weekend came, and I got to experience the worst sports weekend I can remember in my lifetime. Let me explain.” (Yanks are Coming)

Real Madrid 2-0 Milan: Early goals seal victory

“An enjoyable contest between the two most successful sides in the history of the European Cup ended in a comfortable won for Real. Real set out in a fairly standard 4-2-3-1 system. Cristiano Ronaldo played higher up the pitch on the left than Angel di Maria on the right, whilst Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira alternated position, with Alonso generally further forward.” (Zonal Marking)

Real Madrid 2-0 AC Milan – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Minute)

Arsenal 5-1 Shakhtar: stalemate turns into a rout
“Arsenal started slowly but ended up thrashing a Shakhtar Donetsk side who offered no attacking threat until the final ten minutes. Arsene Wenger recalled Cesc Fabregas and played him alongside Jack Wilshere and Alex Song, whilst Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky were preferred to Andrei Arshavin.” (Zonal Marking)

Arsenal 5-1 Shakhtar Donetsk – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Minute)

Ajax 2 – 1 Auxerre: A false nine and a false nr. 10, but a true victory for Ajax
“The double confrontation with AJ Auxerre from France will be decisive on Ajax’ European Football campaign this season. Having faced world class teams Real Madrid and AC Milan in the first two matches, Ajax will have to defend a one point lead over Auxerre to hold onto the third place in Group G of the UEFA Champions League, and to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League.” (11 tegen 11)

Spartak Moscow 0-2 Chelsea: usual professional display from Ancelotti’s side
“Yuri Zhirkov’s stunning goal put Chelsea into a lead they never looked like giving up. Spartak fielded a 4-2-3-1 system, with Ari playing close to the main striker, Welliton. The two wide players stayed on their respective flanks for most of the first half but switched in the second. Ibson and Aleksandr Sheshukov played a loose double pivot, with a good understanding allowing each other to move across the pitch.” (Zonal Marking)

UEFA Champions League Video Highlights For Tuesday, October 19, 2010(The 90th Minute)

Why Wayne in White Would Be A Win Win Win

“If the average, cheese-brained, money-obsessed English footballer paid as much attention to becoming a better player as to the size of their bank balance, Ipod headphones and the press attaché’s tits then a heck of a lot more would have headed to the Spanish league in recent years than the brave few that have manfully taken the plunge in la Primera.” (Football 365)

Why isn’t Wayne Rooney the player we thought he’d become?
“Wayne Rooney is a force of nature: a natural, swaggering, street footballer who used to play the game with the reckless abandon of the best player in the playground and who made the dimensions of the pitch seem to shrink whenever he received the ball. He retains all of these qualities, despite his current loss of form, but he only really got the credit his talent deserved in England when he started scoring goals.” (Football Further)

Wayne Rooney’s arch adviser heads for another big pay day
“Wayne Rooney plays for England in a summer tournament, then returns to gory tabloid stories exposing his alleged weakness for prostitutes. Further stories soon follow, that he has fallen out with his Scottish disciplinarian manager and wants a transfer. The manager denies any falling out, but complains that, despite all his club have done for the ‘boy’, Rooney’s ‘advisers’ say he wants a move.” (Guardian)

Alex Ferguson is not always right
“It seems to be a truth universally acknowledged that, when in want of a new club, a footballer rarely gets the better of Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United manager, we are told, is the right man to send players on their way. He knows when to protect his players, when to discipline them and when to dispense with them. When a player looks set to leave Old Trafford we are fed the usual line, that Ferguson sells players when it suits him but not when it suits them. Well, Wayne Rooney might just be proving that theory wrong.” (WSC)

The Trade Secrets Behind Lyon’s Rise

“Despite their victory over Lille last weekend, Olympique Lyonnais’ start to the season has been far from convincing with manager Claude Puel reportedly being given three games to save his job. Coming off the back of two seasons where Lyon finished “only” second and third in Ligue 1, questions have been asked about whether Puel is the right man to take the team forward. Although this would have represented success for almost any other club in France, the end of domestic league dominance must have felt like failure to those supporters whose team won the League an unprecedented seven years in a row from 2002.” (The Swiss Ramble)

Morality and Marlon King

“It’s easy and facile to suggest that morality has no place in football, that ultimately only results count, that money talks louder than ethics, and that fans don’t care anyway. The furore over the hiring of Marlon King by Coventry City aside, it’s obvious that morality, both of the general type and of a more specific version relating to football, is at the heart of most interesting discussions about football. Fans care passionately about the nebulous quality ‘fairness’, about the ‘right’ way to play, and even to which values their club should aspire. Almost everything that makes people angry and passionate about football is to do with some kind of morality. It’s just that they rarely care about what two (or three) consenting adults get up to in a hotel room (allegedly).” (Run of Play)

It’s Time For Under-Fire Hodgson To Take Some Risks

“We have all been there. Whether it is a way to pass time in school or a pub debate, we have created an all-star football eleven. Variations within the definition of the team can range from the best players you have seen in person to the best eleven to have played in your lifetime. I’m sure you’ve done it.” (Micro LFC)

Zonal Marking blog: How Spurs can beat Inter

“It doesn’t get much tougher than a trip to the European champions, and in Milan Harry Redknapp has to prove that he is a competent tactician at the very highest level. Here are five key points to consider.” (itv)

Barcelona 2-1 Valencia: Barca outmanoeuvred early on, but stage second half fightback

“Unai Emery’s tactics worked a treat, but pure quality shone through and Barcelona were rampant in the second half. Xavi returned to action to boost Barcelona’s central midfield zone, so Andres Iniesta played in the forward three. Maxwell started at left-back, and Seydou Keita on the left of midfield. Valencia surprisingly omitted Juan Mata and instead used Ever Banega in an advanced midfield role, with Pablo Hernandez on the right. On the left, they pushed nominal left-back Jeremy Mathieu forward onto the left of midfield, with Jordi Alba playing at left-back. Roberto Soldado got the nod ahead of Aritz Aduriz.” (Zonal Marking)

Wayne Rooney and Manchester Uniter: A Sign of the Times?

“They booed the home team off the pitch at the end of Saturday’s match at Old Trafford between Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion. For the fifth time in eight league matches this season, United had failed to win a league match and, although they remain unbeaten in the Premier League table and stay in the Champions League places for the time being, for Manchester United supporters that have been plumpened with almost two decades of unbroken success, this is what counts for underachievement. More troubling for supporters of the club, however, will be the apparent breakdown in the relationship between Sir Alex Ferguson and another of his employers’ most prized assets; Wayne Rooney.” (twohundredpercent)

Blackpool deserved more against a fortunate City

“This afternoon I had the pleasure of sitting down to watch a full Blackpool match for the first time this season: I did not think that it would an enjoyable experience, but it was. A thoroughly entertaining match, very open, packed full of chances and (controversial) incidents. Blackpool have exceeded the expectations of many this season; fully expected to be the whipping boys of the league, they currently sit in a commendable 10th position and have more than held their own over the course of the opening eight games.” (Football Express)

Possible Tactical Alternatives for Ireland

“With a chance to experiment in next month’s friendly against Norway, and the 2011 Nations Cup next year, there could be a few new faces in the Irish team. Here we look at some possible formations and starting lineups Ireland could field in next year’s Euro 2012 qualifiers, as well as our take on the future Republic of Ireland starting eleven, and even an outlandish go-for-broke set-piece tactic.” (Green Scene)

Luis Zubeldía — The Rising Star of Coaches

“Argentinian football coaches, it must be said, are a weird mob. Like artists or rock stars or politicians, it takes a certain type of person; a certain type of ego and a particular temperament, to be a successful coach, especially in Argentina. ‘Eccentric’ could be one word to describe the typical Primera Division coach. ‘Nutjob’ sounds better and is probably more accurate, even if Microsoft Word doesn’t acknowledge it as a real word.” (Argentina Football World)

For an Anniversary

Wayne Rooney
“It was five years ago today. Five years, a long time. A lot of water under the bridge since then. A lot of Johnnie under the old soft palate. Why, I’ll tell you, Ryan Giggs was a wee lad of 47, back then. Nani wasn’t even a gleam in Anderson’s eye. We’d all heard the rumours, of course. An 18-year-old boy with the instep of Kylie Minogue and the brow of a young Jack Nicholson. So much natural spark it was as if Mr Tommy Taylor had been crossed with Guy Fawkes. Apparently he’d played rather well for Everton over the past two seasons and had starred for England in Euro 2004. Now, like all true United fans, we were excited to see him for the first time.” (Run of Play)

Declining Rooney’s relationship with United in critical condition
“It’s not hard to pinpoint where it all started to go wrong. On March 30, Wayne Rooney put Manchester United ahead in the second minute of a Champions League quarterfinal match at Bayern Munich, a controlled, eminently accomplished finish from a Nani cross. It was exactly what everybody had come to expect from a player who had already scored 33 goals for his club that season and nine more for England.” (SI)

Can Ronaldo prove us wrong again?

“It is one of the ancient battles of sport, the struggle between talent and the ravages of time. And it’s being fought out as the Brazilian Championship reaches a thrilling finale. With eight rounds to go – and at least four clubs still in contention – one of the big questions is this: Can he really do it again? Is Ronaldo capable of staging yet another extraordinary comeback?” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

‘Crisis?’ Conclusion: Costly Times.

“In ‘Pay As You Play: The True Price of Success in the Premier League Era’, one of the forms of assessment we use to judge the performance of a manager and his team is ‘cost per point’. That way, if you have a relatively low budget, and you don’t get lots of points, it’s still possible that you did a good job. In other words, you are judged by your resources, and compared against others with similar resources. If you were to get relegated with a team that cost pennies, but still won 30 points, you did well.” (Tomkins Times)

Glasgow. Birthplace Of Argentine Football

“Messi, Tevez, Maradona, Kempes. They owe it all to Scotland. Had it not been for a Glaswegian spark, football would not have been graced by Argentina. Dan Brennan has a history lesson.” (In Bed with Maradona)

England Manager Flowchart

“This is brilliant. You can check out more laugh out loud football comics on the excellent Things Fall Apart by C. Anderson.” (Footysphere)

Good Day, Bad Day – Round 7

“The best and worst of the weekend’s Spanish football, in handy tapas-sized dishes…” (Four Four Two)

Sampdoria 2-1 Fiorentina: Mihajlovic’s woes continue as Fiorentina go bottom of the table

“Fiorentina were ahead for the majority of the game, but two Sampdoria goals within 60 seconds sealed a remarkable turnaround. Sampdoria started with more of a classic 4-4-2 from last season rather than the 4-3-1-2 they’ve often sported this campaign. Fernando Tissone started in the centre of midfield, whilst Franco Semioli and Stefano Guberti were on the wings.” (Zonal Marking)

Groningen 1 – 0 Heerenveen: ‘The Derby of the North’ springs to life in the second half

“The first half of this season’s first ‘Derby of the North’ was a tame affair, as reflected by the 0-0 half-time score. In the second half the game came to life, with Heerenveen passionately chasing the game after conceding the opening goal immediately after half-time.” (11 tegen 11)

Notes on Nigerian Football Scandals & the Amazing Falconets

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“Today Naija Football 247 reposted a Sahara Reporters story about journalist Olukayode Thomas’s struggle with the Nigerial football/sporting executive Amos Adamu (FIFA and CAF executive board member). ‘How a David Defeated Goliath in a Nigerian Court’ is well worth reading, as is a more recent story on the same site about the place of that scandal in FIFA’s delay of the 2018 World Cup bid (‘Nigeria’s Amos Adamu Offers to Sell FIFA Hosting Rights for 500,000’).” (From A Left Wing)

Everton 2-0 Liverpool: scrappy Merseyside derby won by the side with more creativity

Franceso Guardi
“New owners, but a familiar poor performance for Liverpool, as Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta’s goals won the match. Everton started with a 4-4-1-1 formation – Johnny Heitinga in midfield alongside Arteta, with Seamus Coleman on the right and Leon Osman across on the left. Phil Jagielka was declared fit, and Yakubu started upfront.” (Zonal Marking)

Match of the Week: Everton 2-0 Liverpool
“For all of the talk of the modernisation of football, there remain some outposts of the game that are defiantly of another age. Everton’s Goodison Park is one of them, not that it hasn’t been for a want of trying to leave their home of almost 120 years in recent seasons. There is also something of the old school about the pre-match here as well.” (twohundredpercent)

Derby despair for struggling Liverpool
“Liverpool’s new owners were left with no doubt about the size of the task ahead as Everton emerged with a 2-0 victory from the 214th Merseyside derby. John Henry, head of New England Sports Ventures, was at Goodison Park to witness first-hand a fiery encounter which Everton dominated for long periods and deservedly won.” (ESPN)

Everton v Liverpool: Anfield club fired up after running Texans out of town
“Liverpool’s focus switches from Slaughter and May to slaughter and mayhem. It’s derby time. The match that showcases the Premier League at its visceral best, all high stakes and high tempo, probably a few high tackles as well.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)

Liverpool takeover: Hollywood ending for John W Henry now requires trophies
“Now that English football has leapt into bed with American sports owners it is worth recalling the fit and proper person’s test in the classic film Diner. Elyse, the fiancée of Steve Guttenberg’s character Eddie, must prove her marital credentials by submitting to a quiz about his beloved Baltimore Colts. Elyse needs 65 points otherwise the dress goes back, the cake gets thrown to the ducks and two young lives are wrecked.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter

The Truth on Hicks & Benítez’s Spending
“Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised by Tom Hicks blaming Rafa Benítez for the Reds losing money; after all, he’s after scapegoats, following his scandalously disruptive time as Liverpool’s owner. But people like Mark Lawrenson, Alan Hansen, Robbie Savage and Harry Redknapp should know better. (Okay, most of these aren’t intellectual titans, but even so.)(The Tomkins Times)

Everton 2-0 Liverpool – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
(The 90th Minute)

Aston Villa 0-0 Chelsea: lack of finishing quality

“Chelsea dominated more as the game went on, but it was a game of missed chances. Aston Villa were without Emile Heskey, so started with John Carew upfront. Stephen Ireland came in just behind, so Ashley Young moved back to the left. Habib Beye made his first start of the season.” (Zonal Marking)

‘New Ronaldinho’ has trick up his sleeve for Arsenal

“The Brazilian enclave in Ukraine keeps getting bigger. When the naturalised Croatian Eduardo arrived from Arsenal in the summer, he became the seventh Brazil-born player at Shakhtar Donetsk. The policy of the coach, Mircea Lucescu, is simple: eastern Europeans at the back, Brazilians at the front. The effectiveness of the plan is hard to dispute: Shakhtar won the Uefa Cup in 2009 and stand five points clear at the top of their domestic table.” (Independent)

Loïc Rémy saves Blanc’s Blushes

“Amidst an aura of optimism and calls of ‘reincarnation’, Romania were close to ruining Laurent Blanc’s quietly-impressive start to his reign as Les Bleus’ national coach this week. Instead of opting for the 4-3-3 that got the French a formidable win against a Bosnia side, M. Blanc preferred the 4-2-3-1 system with the fleet-footed Samir Nasri picked for the role behind Karim Benzema, leaving Yoann Gourcuff, who, it has to be said, is lacking form of any definition at the moment, on the bench. France won this game two to nothing, which at first glance, is an adequate and expected result, but it was only through late goals and some much-needed changes late in the day.” (Talking About Football)

Scotand And Rangers – Developing The ‘Anti-Cryuff’

Walter Smith
“When you don’t have the players you once had, do you go for cutting cloth accordingly or biting the bullet and tackling the root of the problem. Rangers have made a choice, and the Scottish national side are following suit. Robin Cowan despairs at Scottish ‘anti-football’.” (In Bed With Maradona)

Glossary

“This website assumes a basic understanding of established football positions and roles – if not, this summary should help provide an introduction. However, it also uses terms that may be less familiar. Many of these are foreign phrases because, in the same way English football has traditionally lagged behind the rest of Europe tactically, it also lacks the the wide range of tactical phrases used in other countries. Many of these are Italian; where there are, for example, four or five phrases for different types of players that the English would group as ‘forwards’ – see here and here for more detailed explanations. Similarly, English lacks any equivalent of the term ‘carilleros’, the wider players in a diamond midfield, so it is often useful to venture into Italian or Spanish to precisely describe players and positions.” (Zonal Marking)

Player Profile – Balazs Dzsudzsak

“Since the days of Puskas’ Mighty Magyars, who dominated the international football scene during the early 1950s, I doubt many would contest the argument that Hungarian football has undoubtedly failed to live up to the enormously high standards that this legendary “Golden Team “created. 1986 was the last time we were graced with Hungary’s presence at the World Cup finals, and it has largely been a downward spiral ever since.” (6 Pointer)

On Second Thoughts: Italia 90

Toto Schillaci
“As a footballing show it left a bit to be desired – but as a dramatic spectacle the World Cup of Schillaci, Milla, Gazza, Pavarotti and the rest was nothing short of immense” (The Sport Blog)

Tactics: Were Holland 1974 the last true innovators?

“The words are those of Carlos Alberto, captain of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning team, and they come from an interview published in the 50th anniversary issue of World Soccer magazine. The former Santos right-back is one of a number of greats – including Pelé, Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer and Diego Maradona – to have granted interviews to the magazine about the changes in the game over the last 50 years and their answers repeatedly return to the same complaints: that in becoming faster and more athletic, football has lost some of the artistry that was once central to its raison d’être.” (Football Further)

Football and the Far-right

“Sometimes The Beautiful Game isn’t so beautiful. Waking up to pictures of Ivan Bogdanov, the Serbian ‘fan’ fingered by the Italians as the mastermind behind yesterday’s Serbia/Italy riot in Genoa, sure was unsettling. He looks like the prototypical eastern bloc fascist, complete with grenade tattoo and everything. The Spanish newspaper, El País, described the scene outside the stadium, prior to kickoff, as a ‘real pitched battle.’ The scene inside the stadium didn’t look much different, and the game was called off after only six minutes.” (Touch and Tactics)

The tall tale of Peter Crouch’s aerial abilities

“Peter Crouch is a strange footballer in many ways. Chiefly, he simply looks very strange. His gangly nature makes him stick out like a sore thumb – he looks awkward when merely running onto the pitch, and at a time when a club like Barcelona are packing their side with quick, mobile, 5′7 players upfront, with other clubs around Europe seeking to move in that direction, the sight of 6′7 Crouch battling with defenders seems somewhat bizarre.” (Zonal Marking)