(All times UK. Pre-season friendly games are not included.)
Friday
19:30 Barrow v Oxford Utd, Blue Square Premier, Setanta Sports 1
Setanta have reduced the number of live Blue Square games this season. This is possibly because of poor ratings or because they've got other football to show instead. Either way you get the impression that they're getting their trip to Barrow out of the way early in the season.
Saturday
11:30 Urawa Reds v Kashiwa Reysol, J-League, British Eurosport 2
Sixth place Kashiwa will go level on points with their opponents in second if they win. Say whatever you like about the J-League, this game will be much better than the Everton v PSV game later on.
12:30 Falkirk v Rangers, Scottish Premier League, Setanta Sports 1
The Gers haven't even kicked a ball in the SPL and they're already out of the Champions League. Falkirk will be thinking that anything FBK Kaunas can do, they can do just as well. They won't though.
12:45 Birmingham City v Sheffield Utd, Championship, Sky Sports 2 / Sky Sports HD2
The Championship gets underway with what should be a cracking encounter. The Blades would have wished last season could have gone on for a couple more games as Kevin Blackwell had them going really well at the end. If they can carry on where they left off, they'll be strong play-off contenders.
22:10 Flamengo v Atletico, Brazilian Campeonatos, SportsXchange
As Mr Burns once said "Who the Devil are you?" SportsXchange are a free to air channel on the Sky Digital platform who have bought the rights to the Brazilian Serie A. Good for them. Flamengo will be looking to make up some ground on the leader Gremio... at least that’s what it says here.
Sunday
12:30 Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premier League, Setanta Sports 1
A quick start to the campaign could be all the more crucial to the Bhoys given Rangers fragility. Paisley's finest finished third from bottom last season so shouldn't prove too much of a test to the Champions at home.
13:15 Nottingham Forest v Reading, Championship, Sky Sports 2 / Sky Sports HD2
Forest's history means they probably have a large TV audience. Consequently we may well see them on TV a lot now they're back from their sojourn in the lower leagues. Reading are Reading: Plucky and brave in the Premier League, Berkshire backwater in the Championship. Harsh but fair.
15:00 Manchester Utd v Portsmouth, Community Shield, Setanta Sports
The traditional curtain raiser to the season (I've always wanted to write that) has moved to Setanta along with the FA Cup. Join John Champion and Craig Burley pretending to be Martin Tyler and Andy Gray at 3pm for all the action. Or watch a movie instead, that’s what I normally do for this game.
20:00 Botafogo v Palmeiras, Brazilian Campeonatos, SportsXchange
Does anyone have a copy of World Soccer I can borrow?
Showing posts with label guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guide. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Euro 2008 - Guide to Group C
Group C
The Official Group of Death for Euro 2008. There must have been dozens of Groups of Death down the years… I wonder how this one ranks against the others? (Mental note to self: look into this for a future article on SPAOTP…)
France
Qualifying
France were pitted up against Italy in Group B of the qualifiers and lived to tell the tale. Though Italy won the group overall, France beat the Italians 3-1 before a 0-0 draw ensued in the return match, plus they finished as top scorers in the group, largely down to the goals of Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka.
Players you might have heard of
Second only to the Dutch, France ooze household names of some quality throughout their ranks, many of which will be all too familiar to the British. There's Chelsea's triumvirate of Makelele, Malouda and Anelka, former Arsenal stars Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, Man United defender Patrice Evra and Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra. If you're still not satisfied with that, the names Thuram, Ribery and Benzema should leave you in no doubt as to the strength of the squad.
Players you won't be seeing
One Zinedine Zidane, for a kick off. The mercurial captain of the side and Headbutter Supreme has now retired leaving Patrick Vieira to run the ship. Without his skill and all-seeing vision, some say France lack that bit of sparkle they once had and those self-same people are predicting a decidedly normal-looking team will be there for all to see this summer. One way or another, he'll be much missed - except possibly by Marco Materazzi, but that's understandable.
Recent friendlies
May 27: France 2 Ecudaor 0
May 31: France 0 Paraguay 0
June 3: France 1 Colombia 0
Stingy…
Whether France reproduce their halcyon days of the late 90's remains to be seen, but one thing remains certain - it won't be easy to score against them. Since the summer of 2004, they've conceded on average 0.48 goals per game.
Further proof of their resilient defence is that they've only conceded one goal in their last five matches (in their 1-0 defeat to Spain in February) and the only two teams to score more than one goal against them since the middle of March 2006 are Morocco and Ukraine, the latter being France's last Euro 2008 qualifier.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Franck Ribery. He's just had the season of his life with Bayern Munich and is arguably the brightest star of all those in the French team. As chief playmaker, you can expect him to run at opposition defences with great gusto whenever he isn't inviting others to do the same. Expect this tournament to be his making on the world stage.
Italy
Qualifying
After a shaky start that saw them lose to France in Group B, they strode on confidently with all the hallmarks of a team that called themselves world champions. Unlike France, Italy also managed to beat the Scots in both matches which, as far as we’re concerned, is good enough to qualify for any tournament these days on its own.
Current Form
On the whole, pretty good. They've not played many friendlies since the end of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, but they can include victories over Belgium and Portugal among them. The only fly in the ointment was a 1-0 defeat to Spain at the end of March, but if it's any consolation, that's their only defeat in nine games.
That coach looks familiar…
When Marcello Lippi having steered Italy to their first world championship for 24 years, the man selected to take over was former Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni. A surprise choice for some as he was still considered to be going through his managerial apprenticeship with Livorno, but having got them up to sixth place in Serie A, he was deemed the ideal choice by the Italian FA.
For all that, we still remember him as the nippy winger that won titles galore with Milan over a 10 year period and helped Italy to third and second place respectively at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. With a career like that behind him, he must stand at least half a chance of achieving something as a manager. Watch this space...
Recent friendlies
February 6: Italy 3 Portugal 1
March 26: Spain 1 Italy 0
May 30: Italy 3 Belgium 1
Playing style
When possible, the Italians are encouraged to attack in big numbers to flood their opponents half of the field. While all that's going on, one midfielder usually stays back to mop up any counter-attacks, but this mob mentality to looking for goals has proven highly effective, largely due the quality of players that can make it happen in all parts of the pitch.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Luca Toni, Bayern Munich's free-scoring attacker who continues to net goals in Germany just as he did at Palermo and Fiorentina prior to his 2007 transfer. A man for the big occasion, he scored twice in Italy's 3-0 quarter-final victory over Ukraine and hit the crossbar with a header in the Final against France. Expect more fireworks again - and then some.
Netherlands
Qualifying
The Dutch didn't have it all their own way during qualifying. Playing in Group G, they went about the business of picking up points in a modest, business-like manner, but so did a resurgent Romania and an awkward Bulgarian team too.
The end result was that the Dutch qualified as runners-up but the fans weren't entirely happy with the manner of their doing so. The Netherlands laboured to dual 1-0 victories over Luxembourg, were unable to beat group winners Romania and ended the campaign losing 2-1 away to Belarus. Had they scored one point fewer, we'd be talking about Bulgaria now, not the Dutch.
Tactical switch
Marco van Basten had to swallow something hard and jagged not so long ago. Having settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation that initially brought the Dutch team many a decent result, things soon started to go wrong. Going in at half time 3-1 down against the Austrians was a key moment when Van Basten knew his tactical astuteness didn't have the depth it needed, but he sought advice from some of his own players and the boat was soon steadied again.
The likes of van Der Sar, van Nistelrooy and Seedorf were all quick to point out that perhaps the team might be better off playing a traditional 4-3-3 system instead, and they were right. They've not lost since and the players seem a lot happier knowing they're playing to a more appropriate system.
Recent friendlies
May 24: Netherlands 3 Ukraine 0
May 29: Netherlands 1 Denmark 1
June 1: Netherlands 2 Wales 0
Players you might have heard of
Er, how long have you got? There's almost as many players affiliated with British clubs just now as there are Dutch ones in the current squad. In goal, there's Van Der Sar of Man United and in defence we have Aston Villa's Wilfred Bouma, Wigan's Mario Melchiot and Blackburn's Andre Ooijer. Up front, take your pick from Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool) and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic) and that's without the likes of van Bronckhorst and van Nistelrooy who used to play in the Premier League.
Players you won't be seeing
Mark van Bommel. He's had an on-off involvement with the national team over the last few years thanks to van Basten's critical view of the midfielder. The coach has even gone out of his way to criticise van Bommel's poor performances at times, all of which led him to announce he no longer wanted to be picked while van Basten was in charge of the side.
Oh, and there's also Edgar Davids. The Ajax star broke his leg in a pre-season friendly which kept him out of the game for three months. A lack of match fitness reduced his likelihood of being chosen by the coach for the national team with other younger, fitter players available, all of which means we may have seen the last of the begoggled one on the international stage.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Rafael van Der Vaart. Despite suffering numerous niggling injuries, he's come through this season at Hamburg with 21 goals from 44 appearances (including those for the Netherlands) so this could finally be his chance to shine in the spotlight - as long as he stays fit.
Romania
Qualifying
In the end, Romania qualified at a canter in Group G along with the Netherlands and Bulgaria (as we've just heard). They were a lot more convincing than the Dutch, losing just one of their twelve games - to Bulgaria, strangely - and they scored an admirable 26 goals along the way too. The Dutch could only manage 15 and the Bulgarians only did slightly better with 18.
Top scorer for the Romanians was the former Chelsea attacker Adrian Mutu with six goals. Stuttgart's Ciprian Marica was one behind on five.
Current form
Apart from a 1-0 slip-up away to Israel back in February, they've looked quite accomplished. A 3-0 win over Russia and a 4-0 win over Montenegro have given them the perfect boost going into their first Euro 2008 game against France on Monday.
Players you might have heard of
Apart from Adrian Mutu, there's just the one for all British football fans to spot. It's Marius Niculae of Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Don't laugh - he's scored 13 goals in his 30 appearances for Romania and scores on average once every three games for the Scottish club too.
Recent friendlies
February 6: Israel 1 Romania 0
March 26: Romania 3 Russia 0
May 31: Romania 4 Montenegro 0
Not just making up the numbers
As mentioned earlier, Romania are quite happy to score goals for fun and love to play attacking football, but they can also defend as well. Fans of the Netherlands will tell you their team found it frustrating getting through the Romanian back line, failing to score in the two games they played against them.
Though Romania have been absent from the last three major tournaments, it's very likely they'll make up for that at Euro 2008 despite their label of 'outsiders'. Expect the other teams in their group to treat them with great respect on match days accordingly.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Adrian Mutu. After leaving Chelsea under a cloud due to that cocaine issue we don't talk about anymore, his career has been given a much needed shot in the arm at Fiorentina. Forming a formidable partnership with Luca Toni, he's reminded everyone just how versatile he is by not just scoring goals regularly but providing assists for others too.
Oh and a quick factoid for all of you out there: Romania have only lost once in games when Adrian Mutu has scored. They'll be hoping he's got his shooting boots on during Euro 2008, we're sure.
The Official Group of Death for Euro 2008. There must have been dozens of Groups of Death down the years… I wonder how this one ranks against the others? (Mental note to self: look into this for a future article on SPAOTP…)
France
Qualifying
France were pitted up against Italy in Group B of the qualifiers and lived to tell the tale. Though Italy won the group overall, France beat the Italians 3-1 before a 0-0 draw ensued in the return match, plus they finished as top scorers in the group, largely down to the goals of Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka.
Players you might have heard of
Second only to the Dutch, France ooze household names of some quality throughout their ranks, many of which will be all too familiar to the British. There's Chelsea's triumvirate of Makelele, Malouda and Anelka, former Arsenal stars Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, Man United defender Patrice Evra and Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra. If you're still not satisfied with that, the names Thuram, Ribery and Benzema should leave you in no doubt as to the strength of the squad.
Players you won't be seeing
One Zinedine Zidane, for a kick off. The mercurial captain of the side and Headbutter Supreme has now retired leaving Patrick Vieira to run the ship. Without his skill and all-seeing vision, some say France lack that bit of sparkle they once had and those self-same people are predicting a decidedly normal-looking team will be there for all to see this summer. One way or another, he'll be much missed - except possibly by Marco Materazzi, but that's understandable.
Recent friendlies
May 27: France 2 Ecudaor 0
May 31: France 0 Paraguay 0
June 3: France 1 Colombia 0
Stingy…
Whether France reproduce their halcyon days of the late 90's remains to be seen, but one thing remains certain - it won't be easy to score against them. Since the summer of 2004, they've conceded on average 0.48 goals per game.
Further proof of their resilient defence is that they've only conceded one goal in their last five matches (in their 1-0 defeat to Spain in February) and the only two teams to score more than one goal against them since the middle of March 2006 are Morocco and Ukraine, the latter being France's last Euro 2008 qualifier.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Franck Ribery. He's just had the season of his life with Bayern Munich and is arguably the brightest star of all those in the French team. As chief playmaker, you can expect him to run at opposition defences with great gusto whenever he isn't inviting others to do the same. Expect this tournament to be his making on the world stage.
Italy
Qualifying
After a shaky start that saw them lose to France in Group B, they strode on confidently with all the hallmarks of a team that called themselves world champions. Unlike France, Italy also managed to beat the Scots in both matches which, as far as we’re concerned, is good enough to qualify for any tournament these days on its own.
Current Form
On the whole, pretty good. They've not played many friendlies since the end of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, but they can include victories over Belgium and Portugal among them. The only fly in the ointment was a 1-0 defeat to Spain at the end of March, but if it's any consolation, that's their only defeat in nine games.
That coach looks familiar…
When Marcello Lippi having steered Italy to their first world championship for 24 years, the man selected to take over was former Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni. A surprise choice for some as he was still considered to be going through his managerial apprenticeship with Livorno, but having got them up to sixth place in Serie A, he was deemed the ideal choice by the Italian FA.
For all that, we still remember him as the nippy winger that won titles galore with Milan over a 10 year period and helped Italy to third and second place respectively at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. With a career like that behind him, he must stand at least half a chance of achieving something as a manager. Watch this space...
Recent friendlies
February 6: Italy 3 Portugal 1
March 26: Spain 1 Italy 0
May 30: Italy 3 Belgium 1
Playing style
When possible, the Italians are encouraged to attack in big numbers to flood their opponents half of the field. While all that's going on, one midfielder usually stays back to mop up any counter-attacks, but this mob mentality to looking for goals has proven highly effective, largely due the quality of players that can make it happen in all parts of the pitch.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Luca Toni, Bayern Munich's free-scoring attacker who continues to net goals in Germany just as he did at Palermo and Fiorentina prior to his 2007 transfer. A man for the big occasion, he scored twice in Italy's 3-0 quarter-final victory over Ukraine and hit the crossbar with a header in the Final against France. Expect more fireworks again - and then some.
Netherlands
Qualifying
The Dutch didn't have it all their own way during qualifying. Playing in Group G, they went about the business of picking up points in a modest, business-like manner, but so did a resurgent Romania and an awkward Bulgarian team too.
The end result was that the Dutch qualified as runners-up but the fans weren't entirely happy with the manner of their doing so. The Netherlands laboured to dual 1-0 victories over Luxembourg, were unable to beat group winners Romania and ended the campaign losing 2-1 away to Belarus. Had they scored one point fewer, we'd be talking about Bulgaria now, not the Dutch.
Tactical switch
Marco van Basten had to swallow something hard and jagged not so long ago. Having settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation that initially brought the Dutch team many a decent result, things soon started to go wrong. Going in at half time 3-1 down against the Austrians was a key moment when Van Basten knew his tactical astuteness didn't have the depth it needed, but he sought advice from some of his own players and the boat was soon steadied again.
The likes of van Der Sar, van Nistelrooy and Seedorf were all quick to point out that perhaps the team might be better off playing a traditional 4-3-3 system instead, and they were right. They've not lost since and the players seem a lot happier knowing they're playing to a more appropriate system.
Recent friendlies
May 24: Netherlands 3 Ukraine 0
May 29: Netherlands 1 Denmark 1
June 1: Netherlands 2 Wales 0
Players you might have heard of
Er, how long have you got? There's almost as many players affiliated with British clubs just now as there are Dutch ones in the current squad. In goal, there's Van Der Sar of Man United and in defence we have Aston Villa's Wilfred Bouma, Wigan's Mario Melchiot and Blackburn's Andre Ooijer. Up front, take your pick from Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool) and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic) and that's without the likes of van Bronckhorst and van Nistelrooy who used to play in the Premier League.
Players you won't be seeing
Mark van Bommel. He's had an on-off involvement with the national team over the last few years thanks to van Basten's critical view of the midfielder. The coach has even gone out of his way to criticise van Bommel's poor performances at times, all of which led him to announce he no longer wanted to be picked while van Basten was in charge of the side.
Oh, and there's also Edgar Davids. The Ajax star broke his leg in a pre-season friendly which kept him out of the game for three months. A lack of match fitness reduced his likelihood of being chosen by the coach for the national team with other younger, fitter players available, all of which means we may have seen the last of the begoggled one on the international stage.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Rafael van Der Vaart. Despite suffering numerous niggling injuries, he's come through this season at Hamburg with 21 goals from 44 appearances (including those for the Netherlands) so this could finally be his chance to shine in the spotlight - as long as he stays fit.
Romania
Qualifying
In the end, Romania qualified at a canter in Group G along with the Netherlands and Bulgaria (as we've just heard). They were a lot more convincing than the Dutch, losing just one of their twelve games - to Bulgaria, strangely - and they scored an admirable 26 goals along the way too. The Dutch could only manage 15 and the Bulgarians only did slightly better with 18.
Top scorer for the Romanians was the former Chelsea attacker Adrian Mutu with six goals. Stuttgart's Ciprian Marica was one behind on five.
Current form
Apart from a 1-0 slip-up away to Israel back in February, they've looked quite accomplished. A 3-0 win over Russia and a 4-0 win over Montenegro have given them the perfect boost going into their first Euro 2008 game against France on Monday.
Players you might have heard of
Apart from Adrian Mutu, there's just the one for all British football fans to spot. It's Marius Niculae of Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Don't laugh - he's scored 13 goals in his 30 appearances for Romania and scores on average once every three games for the Scottish club too.
Recent friendlies
February 6: Israel 1 Romania 0
March 26: Romania 3 Russia 0
May 31: Romania 4 Montenegro 0
Not just making up the numbers
As mentioned earlier, Romania are quite happy to score goals for fun and love to play attacking football, but they can also defend as well. Fans of the Netherlands will tell you their team found it frustrating getting through the Romanian back line, failing to score in the two games they played against them.
Though Romania have been absent from the last three major tournaments, it's very likely they'll make up for that at Euro 2008 despite their label of 'outsiders'. Expect the other teams in their group to treat them with great respect on match days accordingly.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Adrian Mutu. After leaving Chelsea under a cloud due to that cocaine issue we don't talk about anymore, his career has been given a much needed shot in the arm at Fiorentina. Forming a formidable partnership with Luca Toni, he's reminded everyone just how versatile he is by not just scoring goals regularly but providing assists for others too.
Oh and a quick factoid for all of you out there: Romania have only lost once in games when Adrian Mutu has scored. They'll be hoping he's got his shooting boots on during Euro 2008, we're sure.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Euro 2008: Guide to Group B
Group B
If Group C is the group of football death then B is the group of actual death. If proceedings are handled badly we could be looking at a new European War stretching from the Ruhr Valley to the Balkans via the Baltic Sea. Thank God England didn't finish top of their qualifying group. Imagine being shoved in with that lot?
Austria
Qualifying
No qualifying for the Austrians. They're the co-hosts, you see. It’s a privilege given to only a select few countries, namely those with the biggest, most bulging brown envelopes addressed to Michel Platini, c/o UEFA.
How the mighty have fallen
Once upon a time, Austria were one of the kings of world football. Go back to any year between 1930's and 1950's and you'll have seen them giving almost anyone a decent match. Even in the 70's and 80's they were still getting to the World Cup Finals and when FIFA introduced their World Rankings, they registered a high water mark of 17th in June 1999 (see graph, above).
Nowadays, they're ranked 92nd below such giants of the game as Mozambique, Guatemala and Qatar and last month they reached an all-time low of 101st. The only way is up, as they say...
Players you might have heard of
Between the sticks there's former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger (now playing for Siena in Italy) and in defence we have Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz.
Players you won't be seeing
Wigan's Paul Scharner. Having made twelve appearances for the Austrian team, he had a major falling out with current coach Josef Hickersberger and called his country's F.A. setup a shambles. Despite attempts to rebuild bridges with Hickersberger, he remained absent from the Austria squad for Euro 2008 promptung Scharner to call time on his international career.
Recent friendlies
March 26: Austria 3 Netherlands 4
May 27: Austria 1 Nigeria 1
May 30: Austria 5 Malta 1
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Martin Stranzl. For a team that's going to have to defend like fury against the might of Germany and Croatia, their 6 ft 4 inch centre back is going to have to be on his mettle in no uncertain terms. He can also score the occasional goal, too, as he's proved at 1860 Munich, Stuttgart, Spartak Moscow (his current club) and in the international side.
Croatia
Qualifying
Us English know all too well how the Croatians did in qualifying. They topped the group by five clear points ahead of Russia having lost only one of their twelve games. Key to their success was Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva who bagged ten goals, but after breaking his leg in the Premier League, he'll be noticeably absent over the next few weeks.
Current Form
Despite an emphatic qualifying round, they're finding life without a prolific forward not so easy. In the four friendlies since the 3-2 defeat of England that clinched their place at the Euro's, they've won just one and scored only three. Worrying…
Players you might have heard of
Aside from coach Slaven Bilic, who fans of West Ham and Everton will remember fondly, the squad boasts Manchester City's Vedran Corluka in defence and Portsmouth's Niko Kranjcar in midfield.
Recent friendlies
March 26: Scotland 1 Croatia 1
May 24: Croatia 1 Moldova 0
May 31: Hungary 1 Croatia 1
A small price to pay
Clubs and countries were on high alert recently when it became clear that Slaven Bilic's contract with the Croatian FA was about to run out when Euro 2008 was over. Given the fact that he was earning a paltry £35,000 a year, it's fair to say that he could easily earn a higher wage elsewhere but Bilic made a big commitment to the Croatian team by agreeing to renew his contract unconditionally until 2010.
Curiously he left it to his employers to award him a salary they thought was appropriate given his recent successes, but did make one stipulation - that his assistants be given a considerable wage. Robert Prosinecki is one of those that fits into that category and to date he hasn't earned a single penny for helping out his former Croatia team-mate
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
In the absence of Eduardo, the man being asked to step into his boots will be Luka Modric. The Dinamo Zagreb midfielder has the critics cooing over him something rotten. He's got a powerful right foot, can distribute the ball better than most and has been likened to none other than Johann Cruyff. "He's hard even to foul" said Bilic.
Germany
Qualifying
Some people have made big news of the fact that Germany only finished second in Group D behind the Czechs, but we think that's poppycock. The fact of the matter is Germany were the first to qualify from the group (maybe even the whole competition, if we remember rightly) and did so before Euro 2000 had even finished. More or less.
Oh yes - and they beat San Marino 13-0 as well.
Kit check
Germany do love their kits and you only have to go back to the 1980's to see a wide range of styles and designs to suit every taste. For Euro 2008, however, they've gone for a very bold black stripe across that famous white shirt. We're sure they've used the black stripe thing before now - perhaps back in the days before the Second World War - but we can find no evidence to prove it. Perhaps we're thinking of the German athletics team or something.
Anyway, if you think the white-with-a-black-stripe effect is bold, wait til you see the change strip. It features a red shirt with a broad black stripe running down the middle from top to bottom (see above). Apparently we've got Jurgen Klinsmann to blame for the switch from green to red. He figured that teams wearing red were statistically more successful than any other. It certainly worked for England in 1966...
Clear-cut favourites?
Even though everyone and his dog seems to be backing the Germans to win Euro 2008, there seems to be plenty of reasons not to. For a start, the squad contains many young players that lack a decent amount of experience on the international stage.
Of those that do have the experience of playing for their country, many, ironically, haven't been playing much for their clubs of late, and one key example is Jens Lehmann. He's just signed for Stuttgart after a season of only sporadic appearances for Arsenal, and his lack of regular match practice will be shared by other members of the squad like Christoph Metzelder, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski. Whether their undoubted star qualities will shine through anyway remains to be seen, but we won't bet the house on a German tournament win just yet if it's all the same with you...
Recent friendlies
March 26: Switzerland 0 Germany 4
May 27: Germany 2 Belarus 2
May 31: Germany 2 Serbia 1
Players you might have heard of
We've already mentioned Lehmann and Ballack, so that just leaves Thomas Hitzlsperger as a remaining Premier League stalwart to bring to your attention. He's the former Aston Villa midfielder with a blistering left-foot shot which these days helps him bag goals a-plenty at Stuttgart. He may only be used as a replacement for Torsten Frings, but what a good alternative to have, we say.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Michael Ballack. Yeah yeah, you know who he is and all that, but he's arguably the one main talent that the German team is based around, thanks to his goalscoring ability, experience and skill at distributing the ball to all parts of the team. And he takes a mean penalty, too.
Poland
Qualifying
What can we say... the arrival of coach Leo Beenhakker signalled a renewed sense of inner belief for the Poles during qualifying. After losing their first match 3-1 to Finland, they went on to top Group A ahead of Portugal, Serbia and the Finns. A particularly impressive 2-1 win over Portugal to accompany their previous 1-1 says everything you need to know - that Poland are capable of great things this summer. However...
Current form
'Iffy' would be a good way to describe it. Since qualifying for the finals last October, Poland have struggled to maintain the convincing form they'd shown previously. At the start of the year they beat the Czechs 2-0 in Cyprus but then lost 2-0 to the USA at home.
More recently they've scored three goals in their last three games during which they could only draw with Macedonia and scrape past Albania with a 1-0 win. Do we here the sound of wheels coming off?
Players you might have heard of
Several to choose from here. For a start, take your pick from all three goalkeepers well known to British fans - Arsenal's Lukasz Fabianski, Man United's Tomasz Kuszczak and Celtic's Artur Boruc.
Up front, Celtic fans will also recognise Maciej Zurawski - now at Larisa in Greece - plus there's Southampton striker Marek Saganowski.
Recent friendlies
May 26: Macedonia 1 Poland 1
May 27: Albania 0 Poland 1
June 1: Poland 1 Denmark 1
A man of some experience
What about that coach, eh? Leo Beenhakker - the man with a CV longer than Ruud van Nistelrooy's face. He's been everywhere and done everything during his career, so let's take a roll call of all the places where 'Don Leo' has brought his unique brand of leadership...
1972-1975 SC Cambuur; 1975-1976 Go Ahead Eagles; 1979-1981 Ajax; 1981-1984 Real Zaragoza; 1985 FC Volendam; 1985-1986 Netherlands; 1986-1989 Real Madrid; 1989-1991 Ajax; 1990 Netherlands; 1992 Real Madrid; 1992-1993 Grasshoppers Zürich; 1993-1994 Saudi Arabia; 1994-1995 Club América; 1995-1996 İstanbulspor A.Ş.; 1996 Guadalajara; 1996-1997 Vitesse; 1997-2000 Feyenoord; 2000-2003 Ajax; 2003-2004 Club América; 2004-2005 De Graafschap; 2005-2006 Trinidad and Tobago; 2006- Poland.
Marvellous.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Euzebiusz Smolarek. Scorer of nine goals during the qualifiers and a man of some considerable footballing pedigree. He was named after Portuguese legend Eusebio by his father who himself was no mug. Wlodzimierz Smolarek played for the Poland team that finished third at the 1982 World Cup and was the last Pole to score against Portugal before his son replicated the feat in October 2006.
If Group C is the group of football death then B is the group of actual death. If proceedings are handled badly we could be looking at a new European War stretching from the Ruhr Valley to the Balkans via the Baltic Sea. Thank God England didn't finish top of their qualifying group. Imagine being shoved in with that lot?
Austria
Qualifying
No qualifying for the Austrians. They're the co-hosts, you see. It’s a privilege given to only a select few countries, namely those with the biggest, most bulging brown envelopes addressed to Michel Platini, c/o UEFA.
How the mighty have fallen
Once upon a time, Austria were one of the kings of world football. Go back to any year between 1930's and 1950's and you'll have seen them giving almost anyone a decent match. Even in the 70's and 80's they were still getting to the World Cup Finals and when FIFA introduced their World Rankings, they registered a high water mark of 17th in June 1999 (see graph, above).Nowadays, they're ranked 92nd below such giants of the game as Mozambique, Guatemala and Qatar and last month they reached an all-time low of 101st. The only way is up, as they say...
Players you might have heard of
Between the sticks there's former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger (now playing for Siena in Italy) and in defence we have Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz.
Players you won't be seeing
Wigan's Paul Scharner. Having made twelve appearances for the Austrian team, he had a major falling out with current coach Josef Hickersberger and called his country's F.A. setup a shambles. Despite attempts to rebuild bridges with Hickersberger, he remained absent from the Austria squad for Euro 2008 promptung Scharner to call time on his international career.
Recent friendlies
March 26: Austria 3 Netherlands 4
May 27: Austria 1 Nigeria 1
May 30: Austria 5 Malta 1
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Martin Stranzl. For a team that's going to have to defend like fury against the might of Germany and Croatia, their 6 ft 4 inch centre back is going to have to be on his mettle in no uncertain terms. He can also score the occasional goal, too, as he's proved at 1860 Munich, Stuttgart, Spartak Moscow (his current club) and in the international side.
Croatia
Qualifying
Us English know all too well how the Croatians did in qualifying. They topped the group by five clear points ahead of Russia having lost only one of their twelve games. Key to their success was Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva who bagged ten goals, but after breaking his leg in the Premier League, he'll be noticeably absent over the next few weeks.
Current Form
Despite an emphatic qualifying round, they're finding life without a prolific forward not so easy. In the four friendlies since the 3-2 defeat of England that clinched their place at the Euro's, they've won just one and scored only three. Worrying…
Players you might have heard of
Aside from coach Slaven Bilic, who fans of West Ham and Everton will remember fondly, the squad boasts Manchester City's Vedran Corluka in defence and Portsmouth's Niko Kranjcar in midfield.
Recent friendlies
March 26: Scotland 1 Croatia 1
May 24: Croatia 1 Moldova 0
May 31: Hungary 1 Croatia 1
A small price to pay
Clubs and countries were on high alert recently when it became clear that Slaven Bilic's contract with the Croatian FA was about to run out when Euro 2008 was over. Given the fact that he was earning a paltry £35,000 a year, it's fair to say that he could easily earn a higher wage elsewhere but Bilic made a big commitment to the Croatian team by agreeing to renew his contract unconditionally until 2010.
Curiously he left it to his employers to award him a salary they thought was appropriate given his recent successes, but did make one stipulation - that his assistants be given a considerable wage. Robert Prosinecki is one of those that fits into that category and to date he hasn't earned a single penny for helping out his former Croatia team-mate
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
In the absence of Eduardo, the man being asked to step into his boots will be Luka Modric. The Dinamo Zagreb midfielder has the critics cooing over him something rotten. He's got a powerful right foot, can distribute the ball better than most and has been likened to none other than Johann Cruyff. "He's hard even to foul" said Bilic.
Germany
Qualifying
Some people have made big news of the fact that Germany only finished second in Group D behind the Czechs, but we think that's poppycock. The fact of the matter is Germany were the first to qualify from the group (maybe even the whole competition, if we remember rightly) and did so before Euro 2000 had even finished. More or less.
Oh yes - and they beat San Marino 13-0 as well.
Kit check
Germany do love their kits and you only have to go back to the 1980's to see a wide range of styles and designs to suit every taste. For Euro 2008, however, they've gone for a very bold black stripe across that famous white shirt. We're sure they've used the black stripe thing before now - perhaps back in the days before the Second World War - but we can find no evidence to prove it. Perhaps we're thinking of the German athletics team or something.
Anyway, if you think the white-with-a-black-stripe effect is bold, wait til you see the change strip. It features a red shirt with a broad black stripe running down the middle from top to bottom (see above). Apparently we've got Jurgen Klinsmann to blame for the switch from green to red. He figured that teams wearing red were statistically more successful than any other. It certainly worked for England in 1966...
Clear-cut favourites?
Even though everyone and his dog seems to be backing the Germans to win Euro 2008, there seems to be plenty of reasons not to. For a start, the squad contains many young players that lack a decent amount of experience on the international stage.
Of those that do have the experience of playing for their country, many, ironically, haven't been playing much for their clubs of late, and one key example is Jens Lehmann. He's just signed for Stuttgart after a season of only sporadic appearances for Arsenal, and his lack of regular match practice will be shared by other members of the squad like Christoph Metzelder, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski. Whether their undoubted star qualities will shine through anyway remains to be seen, but we won't bet the house on a German tournament win just yet if it's all the same with you...
Recent friendlies
March 26: Switzerland 0 Germany 4
May 27: Germany 2 Belarus 2
May 31: Germany 2 Serbia 1
Players you might have heard of
We've already mentioned Lehmann and Ballack, so that just leaves Thomas Hitzlsperger as a remaining Premier League stalwart to bring to your attention. He's the former Aston Villa midfielder with a blistering left-foot shot which these days helps him bag goals a-plenty at Stuttgart. He may only be used as a replacement for Torsten Frings, but what a good alternative to have, we say.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Michael Ballack. Yeah yeah, you know who he is and all that, but he's arguably the one main talent that the German team is based around, thanks to his goalscoring ability, experience and skill at distributing the ball to all parts of the team. And he takes a mean penalty, too.
Poland
Qualifying
What can we say... the arrival of coach Leo Beenhakker signalled a renewed sense of inner belief for the Poles during qualifying. After losing their first match 3-1 to Finland, they went on to top Group A ahead of Portugal, Serbia and the Finns. A particularly impressive 2-1 win over Portugal to accompany their previous 1-1 says everything you need to know - that Poland are capable of great things this summer. However...
Current form
'Iffy' would be a good way to describe it. Since qualifying for the finals last October, Poland have struggled to maintain the convincing form they'd shown previously. At the start of the year they beat the Czechs 2-0 in Cyprus but then lost 2-0 to the USA at home.
More recently they've scored three goals in their last three games during which they could only draw with Macedonia and scrape past Albania with a 1-0 win. Do we here the sound of wheels coming off?
Players you might have heard of
Several to choose from here. For a start, take your pick from all three goalkeepers well known to British fans - Arsenal's Lukasz Fabianski, Man United's Tomasz Kuszczak and Celtic's Artur Boruc.
Up front, Celtic fans will also recognise Maciej Zurawski - now at Larisa in Greece - plus there's Southampton striker Marek Saganowski.
Recent friendlies
May 26: Macedonia 1 Poland 1
May 27: Albania 0 Poland 1
June 1: Poland 1 Denmark 1
A man of some experience
What about that coach, eh? Leo Beenhakker - the man with a CV longer than Ruud van Nistelrooy's face. He's been everywhere and done everything during his career, so let's take a roll call of all the places where 'Don Leo' has brought his unique brand of leadership...
1972-1975 SC Cambuur; 1975-1976 Go Ahead Eagles; 1979-1981 Ajax; 1981-1984 Real Zaragoza; 1985 FC Volendam; 1985-1986 Netherlands; 1986-1989 Real Madrid; 1989-1991 Ajax; 1990 Netherlands; 1992 Real Madrid; 1992-1993 Grasshoppers Zürich; 1993-1994 Saudi Arabia; 1994-1995 Club América; 1995-1996 İstanbulspor A.Ş.; 1996 Guadalajara; 1996-1997 Vitesse; 1997-2000 Feyenoord; 2000-2003 Ajax; 2003-2004 Club América; 2004-2005 De Graafschap; 2005-2006 Trinidad and Tobago; 2006- Poland.
Marvellous.
SPAOTP's Top Tip For Greatness
Euzebiusz Smolarek. Scorer of nine goals during the qualifiers and a man of some considerable footballing pedigree. He was named after Portuguese legend Eusebio by his father who himself was no mug. Wlodzimierz Smolarek played for the Poland team that finished third at the 1982 World Cup and was the last Pole to score against Portugal before his son replicated the feat in October 2006.
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Euro 2008 Qualifiers - quick guide
And so the Euro 2008 bandwagon rolls into town again, just four days since the last set of fixtures were played. The finishing line now looks not so far away and things are starting to get really serious. If you're unsure of where we stand in each of the groups, here's our quick guide to help you get a better understanding of those crucial games later on today.
Group A sees about as strong a four-horse-race as you can expect to find. Poland have 20 points in the bag at the top of the group but are without a win in two. They'll therefore be looking for a change of form as they travel to second-placed Finland this evening.
Portugal have also drawn their previous two games and they face their nearest opponents Serbia at home. Both teams have a game in hand over the leading two, and a draw would easy the pressure on Poland while having the opposite effect on Finland.
Arguably the biggest game of the evening sees Scotland take on France in Paris in Group B. Scotland incredibly find themselves in one of the two qualifying places with world champions Italy just a point behind in third.
If Alex McLeish's men can repeat their famous victory over the French back in October 2006, they'd have to consider themselves a racing certainty to reach the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year. After the goalless draw between France and Italy at the weekend, there's surely all to play for...
If Scotland lose, they'll be looking over their shoulder to see how Italy get on in their fixture against Ukraine. The Italians won the first encounter 2-0 at home and unfortunately for the Scots Ukraine struggled to even beat lowly Georgia at the weekend.
If any Scotland fans out there fancy a continued spell of nail-biting, pray for a draw in both matches...
Defending champions Greece seem to have found form again but tonight's away match against Norway could give us an indication of whether they mean business as they defend their title.
Elsewhere the chasing pack will be looking to put pressure on the top two as Turkey play hosts to fifth-placed Hungary while Bosnia-Herzegovina take on winless Moldova, currently bottom of the group. A slip up for either of those two could spell the end of their hopes as the campaign nears its end.
Germany are as good as qualified now after a slightly unconvincing 2-0 defeat of Wales at the weekend. They take a well-earned rest this evening while the Czech Republic and Ireland battle it out for the second qualifying spot in the group.
Defeat for the Irish tonight would virtually end their hopes of qualifying and a repeat of their 1-1 draw last October would be of little use either. If they're looking for positives to cling onto, they can turn to the Czechs under-exuberant performance against San Marino at the weekend, but the Irish struggled to contain Slovakia too, so the writing might be on the wall for Steve Staunton's men tonight.
Without question tonight's big game is the crunch match between England and Russia at Wembley. England are making up for lost time but are hitting form at just the right moment with three successive 3-0 wins. A repeat tonight would be a great achievement, but the Russians are still unbeaten in the group so a draw might be a more realistic target.
Croatia should continue their fine run with an away tie against Andorra, while Israel miss out on the action having seen their chances of qualifying all but diminish following Saturday's match against England.
Denmark have a game in hand tonight and they'll need to win it to stay even remotely in touch with the Group F leaders. They're at home to Liechtenstein, so a morale boosting victory could be the order of the day for them.
Spain's disastrous qualifying campaign could also regain some momentum at home to Latvia, but they'll be wary of what their visitors did to Northern Ireland at the weekend, and with Xabi Alonso sitting out the game with a suspension, all may not be as straight-forward as they'd like.
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, could make their second-placed position in the group more secure as they travel to sixth-placed Iceland. Three points for them would be most welcome, especially as they face group leaders Sweden in the next round of games a month from now.
Bulgaria can get their qualifying campaign back on track tonight as they play Luxembourg at home but the crunch match for them will be the home fixture against Romania in November. Any defeat from now on will mean curtains for the Bulgarians.
With Romania sitting out tonight's fixtures, the Netherlands have the chance to go top of the group if they can win by at least four goals away to fourth-placed Albania. It'll be a tough ask, especially as the Dutch only just scraped a 2-1 win at home back in October last year, but a similar score tonight will make sure Bulgaria stay in third place in the group until at least next month.
Group A sees about as strong a four-horse-race as you can expect to find. Poland have 20 points in the bag at the top of the group but are without a win in two. They'll therefore be looking for a change of form as they travel to second-placed Finland this evening.Portugal have also drawn their previous two games and they face their nearest opponents Serbia at home. Both teams have a game in hand over the leading two, and a draw would easy the pressure on Poland while having the opposite effect on Finland.
Arguably the biggest game of the evening sees Scotland take on France in Paris in Group B. Scotland incredibly find themselves in one of the two qualifying places with world champions Italy just a point behind in third.If Alex McLeish's men can repeat their famous victory over the French back in October 2006, they'd have to consider themselves a racing certainty to reach the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year. After the goalless draw between France and Italy at the weekend, there's surely all to play for...
If Scotland lose, they'll be looking over their shoulder to see how Italy get on in their fixture against Ukraine. The Italians won the first encounter 2-0 at home and unfortunately for the Scots Ukraine struggled to even beat lowly Georgia at the weekend.
If any Scotland fans out there fancy a continued spell of nail-biting, pray for a draw in both matches...
Defending champions Greece seem to have found form again but tonight's away match against Norway could give us an indication of whether they mean business as they defend their title.Elsewhere the chasing pack will be looking to put pressure on the top two as Turkey play hosts to fifth-placed Hungary while Bosnia-Herzegovina take on winless Moldova, currently bottom of the group. A slip up for either of those two could spell the end of their hopes as the campaign nears its end.
Germany are as good as qualified now after a slightly unconvincing 2-0 defeat of Wales at the weekend. They take a well-earned rest this evening while the Czech Republic and Ireland battle it out for the second qualifying spot in the group.Defeat for the Irish tonight would virtually end their hopes of qualifying and a repeat of their 1-1 draw last October would be of little use either. If they're looking for positives to cling onto, they can turn to the Czechs under-exuberant performance against San Marino at the weekend, but the Irish struggled to contain Slovakia too, so the writing might be on the wall for Steve Staunton's men tonight.
Without question tonight's big game is the crunch match between England and Russia at Wembley. England are making up for lost time but are hitting form at just the right moment with three successive 3-0 wins. A repeat tonight would be a great achievement, but the Russians are still unbeaten in the group so a draw might be a more realistic target.Croatia should continue their fine run with an away tie against Andorra, while Israel miss out on the action having seen their chances of qualifying all but diminish following Saturday's match against England.
Denmark have a game in hand tonight and they'll need to win it to stay even remotely in touch with the Group F leaders. They're at home to Liechtenstein, so a morale boosting victory could be the order of the day for them.Spain's disastrous qualifying campaign could also regain some momentum at home to Latvia, but they'll be wary of what their visitors did to Northern Ireland at the weekend, and with Xabi Alonso sitting out the game with a suspension, all may not be as straight-forward as they'd like.
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, could make their second-placed position in the group more secure as they travel to sixth-placed Iceland. Three points for them would be most welcome, especially as they face group leaders Sweden in the next round of games a month from now.
Bulgaria can get their qualifying campaign back on track tonight as they play Luxembourg at home but the crunch match for them will be the home fixture against Romania in November. Any defeat from now on will mean curtains for the Bulgarians.With Romania sitting out tonight's fixtures, the Netherlands have the chance to go top of the group if they can win by at least four goals away to fourth-placed Albania. It'll be a tough ask, especially as the Dutch only just scraped a 2-1 win at home back in October last year, but a similar score tonight will make sure Bulgaria stay in third place in the group until at least next month.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Guide to the Premier League 2007/08: Part 4
And so to the final part of our look at the prospective futures laid out ahead for the Premier League's great and good. We begin today with...
Reading
Chris O: "I get the impression Steve Coppell won't find things quite as easy this season. I know people talk about the 'Second Season syndrome', but I think there's definitely something in it. Aside from that, though, he's released Steve Sidwell to Chelsea and have made precious few signings of any note to replace him. They still have some quality players, but my feeling is they'll slip down the table a little bit." Verdict: Bottom half.
Smart: "Second season syndrome. Sold Steve Sidwell. ('She sells sea-shells…') I don’t see Reading being relegated, but I can’t see them finishing as high up the table as they did in their first season." Verdict: Bottom half.
Sunderland
Chris O: "I was one of many to be impressed by the way Roy Keane turned things around for Sunderland last season, and I think he'll give them the strength and spirit they need to hold their own in the top flight in 2007/08. If he can get the best out of Michael Chopra and Kieran Richardson, maybe a top-half finish could be possible..." Verdict: Bottom half.
Smart: "Quite a few signings, but £9 million on a keeper? I can't help thinking that would have been better spent on a midfield playmaker or center-forward, but time will tell. The strongest of the promoted sides? I think so. I also think the will still be close to the relegation zone. And I can’t wait to see Roy Keane face to face with the Arsenal Wenger on the touchline. Get tickets for that one at all costs!” Verdict: Bottom half.
Tottenham
Chris O: "I think the time has come for Tottenham to leapfrog Arsenal and become one of the top four this season. Berbatov and Keane were particularly impressive in 2006/07 and with new signings like Gareth Bale and Darren Bent, it can only get better - but Jermaine Defoe needs to start pulling his weight and that defence needs to tighten up a bit. Expect more greatness from Martin Jol, though... Verdict: Champions League spot.
Smart: "Plenty of people are tipping Spurs to finish fourth, but I can’t see it, personally. With clubs such as Portsmouth, Newcastle and Manchester City strengthening well I think Spurs will have a battle on their hands to retain fifth place, let alone go any higher. Plenty of options upfront, but it’s the conceding of soft goals that will be undoing of the Spurs season. So a normal season then. Keep an eye on Adel Taarabt though, quite a talented young fellow." Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
West Ham
Chris O: "One thing's for certain - West Ham won't top last season for dramatic incident. Out goes Tevez, sadly, but in comes a wealth of exciting prospects in all areas: Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy, Freddie Ljungberg, the return of Dean Ashton... it can only strengthen the side, but can Curbishley get them performing well as a unit? I think they'll improve on last season without setting the league on fire." Verdict: Top half.
Smart: "West Ham’s strength seems to be up front with Craig Bellamy and Dean Ashton looking like a good pairing. But beyond that I don’t see too much else. Robert Green and Scott Parker shine out in a team with the likes of Hayden Mullins, Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer… Alan Curbishley loved the mid-table with Charlton and I think he will be thereabouts this season." Verdict: Mid-table.
Wigan Athletic
Chris O: "Paul Jewell's gone. Arjan de Zeeuw's gone. Leighton Baines has gone. Even Emile Heskey's legs have gone, and all that can mean one thing - Wigan's chances of staying in the Premier League have gone. Chris Hutchings' new signings of Sibierski, Melchiot and Bramble might freshen the look of the side up a bit, but there's only one outcome for me - The Championship next season." Verdict: Relegated.
Smart: "I really feel that Wigan will struggle this season. Chris Hutchings has a lot of work on his hands, and if a relegation dog-fight ensues then he may not be the best man to be at the helm. Sibierski, Koumas and Landzaat all have the potential to save Wigan but it will be a big ask." Verdict: Relegated.
Reading
Chris O: "I get the impression Steve Coppell won't find things quite as easy this season. I know people talk about the 'Second Season syndrome', but I think there's definitely something in it. Aside from that, though, he's released Steve Sidwell to Chelsea and have made precious few signings of any note to replace him. They still have some quality players, but my feeling is they'll slip down the table a little bit." Verdict: Bottom half.
Smart: "Second season syndrome. Sold Steve Sidwell. ('She sells sea-shells…') I don’t see Reading being relegated, but I can’t see them finishing as high up the table as they did in their first season." Verdict: Bottom half.
Sunderland
Chris O: "I was one of many to be impressed by the way Roy Keane turned things around for Sunderland last season, and I think he'll give them the strength and spirit they need to hold their own in the top flight in 2007/08. If he can get the best out of Michael Chopra and Kieran Richardson, maybe a top-half finish could be possible..." Verdict: Bottom half.
Smart: "Quite a few signings, but £9 million on a keeper? I can't help thinking that would have been better spent on a midfield playmaker or center-forward, but time will tell. The strongest of the promoted sides? I think so. I also think the will still be close to the relegation zone. And I can’t wait to see Roy Keane face to face with the Arsenal Wenger on the touchline. Get tickets for that one at all costs!” Verdict: Bottom half.
Tottenham
Chris O: "I think the time has come for Tottenham to leapfrog Arsenal and become one of the top four this season. Berbatov and Keane were particularly impressive in 2006/07 and with new signings like Gareth Bale and Darren Bent, it can only get better - but Jermaine Defoe needs to start pulling his weight and that defence needs to tighten up a bit. Expect more greatness from Martin Jol, though... Verdict: Champions League spot.
Smart: "Plenty of people are tipping Spurs to finish fourth, but I can’t see it, personally. With clubs such as Portsmouth, Newcastle and Manchester City strengthening well I think Spurs will have a battle on their hands to retain fifth place, let alone go any higher. Plenty of options upfront, but it’s the conceding of soft goals that will be undoing of the Spurs season. So a normal season then. Keep an eye on Adel Taarabt though, quite a talented young fellow." Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
West Ham
Chris O: "One thing's for certain - West Ham won't top last season for dramatic incident. Out goes Tevez, sadly, but in comes a wealth of exciting prospects in all areas: Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy, Freddie Ljungberg, the return of Dean Ashton... it can only strengthen the side, but can Curbishley get them performing well as a unit? I think they'll improve on last season without setting the league on fire." Verdict: Top half.
Smart: "West Ham’s strength seems to be up front with Craig Bellamy and Dean Ashton looking like a good pairing. But beyond that I don’t see too much else. Robert Green and Scott Parker shine out in a team with the likes of Hayden Mullins, Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer… Alan Curbishley loved the mid-table with Charlton and I think he will be thereabouts this season." Verdict: Mid-table.
Wigan Athletic
Chris O: "Paul Jewell's gone. Arjan de Zeeuw's gone. Leighton Baines has gone. Even Emile Heskey's legs have gone, and all that can mean one thing - Wigan's chances of staying in the Premier League have gone. Chris Hutchings' new signings of Sibierski, Melchiot and Bramble might freshen the look of the side up a bit, but there's only one outcome for me - The Championship next season." Verdict: Relegated.
Smart: "I really feel that Wigan will struggle this season. Chris Hutchings has a lot of work on his hands, and if a relegation dog-fight ensues then he may not be the best man to be at the helm. Sibierski, Koumas and Landzaat all have the potential to save Wigan but it will be a big ask." Verdict: Relegated.
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
Guide to the Premier League 2007/08: Part 3
Moving on now to the next five teams in our alphabetical list, and today we start with...
Manchester City
Smart: "Sven's back and everyone in Manchester denies ever disliking him. He has bought a lot of new players to combine with the talents of Richards and Onuoha but most are players you haven't heard of. It could all go well…or it could all go the way of the pear. Me, I think they'll do OK.” Verdict: Mid-table.
Chris O: "Logic suggest that a new owner, new coach and new players could make for a team that doesn't knit together very well, but with Eriksson having an impeccable track record at club level, they might just have the important component they need. I'm personally unsure about the wealth of summer transfers, few of which have any great reputation to speak of, but they had a good defence last season and should consolidate their position this time." Verdict: Mid-table.
Manchester United
Smart: "Stronger all-round except in the goalkeeping department, where I think Van der Sar isn't quite United standard. Still, when your team are banging in goals left, right and centre you can afford to leak a few goals, right? Silverware heading to Old Trafford, but will it be in the shape of the Champions League trophy?” Verdict: Champions.
Chris O: "Man U surprised me a little last season, as I thought Chelsea were going to collect a second consecutive title, but what can I say - Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Nani, Hargreaves, Anderson… with players of that quality, I doubt that anyone can match them again - and that's without mentioning the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Van der Sar, Carrick et al. (Damn, just mentioned them…) No contest as far as I'm concerned." Verdict: Champions.
Middlesbrough
Smart: "Yakubu and Woodgate aside, I can't see much to look forward to when watching Middlesbrough. I don't think they will go down, but they wont be too far away, unless they can find some of the strength and resolve their manager used to show.” Verdict: Bottom half.
Chris O: "I really don't think Boro are going anywhere this season. Gareth Southgate has brought in Luke Young to bolster an already strong defence, but apart from that it's Tuncay from Fenerbahce - who admittedly has potential - and Jeremie Aliadiere who no-one seems to want. Their away form was poor last season, and I wouldn't mind betting their home form might suffer too this time." Verdict: Bottom half.
Newcastle United
Smart: "If Newcastle could have kept away from injuries they might have had some success in recent years I feel. Owen, Carr, Given, Duff to name a few. This year however, they have a big enough squad to cope with the long term injuries they have. Alan Smith is a good signing and Taylor is a good defender. With Martins and Owen due to form a partnership, perhaps the Toon will fulfil there potential this season.” Verdict: Mid-table.
Chris O: "Now here's something you don't often hear - Newcastle might do well this season. Sam Allardyce was a great choice to replace Glenn Roeder and already he's making all the right moves. Out went some of the dead wood and in comes a selection of fresh talent, none of which are exceptional in my book, but if anyone can get them working together well it's Big Sam. With Michael Owen chomping at the bit to get back, he might just have someone who can score goals, too…" Verdict: Top half.
Portsmouth
Smart: "I think Harry Redknapp has strengthened the squad really well. Distin, Hair Dryers Son, Utaka should make Pompey a strong side, and with no European competitions to hinder there progress, they should have their best season yet. Pompey fans - get your passports ready.” Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Chris O: "Who'd have thunk it? Portsmouth avoided relegation and finished 9th last year, and for what it's worth, my opinion is they'll do even better this year. Adding to established names like David James, Sol Campbell and Linvoy Primus, Harry Redknapp can also now boast David Nugent, Sylvain Distin, Sulley Muntari and John Utaka. Consistency is the key for Redknapp, though, and that alone could guide Pompey into UEFA Cup territory - just wait and see…" Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
The concluding part of our guide to the Premier League comes tomorrow with our look at the potential fortunes of Reading, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Ham and Wigan.
Manchester City
Smart: "Sven's back and everyone in Manchester denies ever disliking him. He has bought a lot of new players to combine with the talents of Richards and Onuoha but most are players you haven't heard of. It could all go well…or it could all go the way of the pear. Me, I think they'll do OK.” Verdict: Mid-table.
Chris O: "Logic suggest that a new owner, new coach and new players could make for a team that doesn't knit together very well, but with Eriksson having an impeccable track record at club level, they might just have the important component they need. I'm personally unsure about the wealth of summer transfers, few of which have any great reputation to speak of, but they had a good defence last season and should consolidate their position this time." Verdict: Mid-table.
Manchester United
Smart: "Stronger all-round except in the goalkeeping department, where I think Van der Sar isn't quite United standard. Still, when your team are banging in goals left, right and centre you can afford to leak a few goals, right? Silverware heading to Old Trafford, but will it be in the shape of the Champions League trophy?” Verdict: Champions.
Chris O: "Man U surprised me a little last season, as I thought Chelsea were going to collect a second consecutive title, but what can I say - Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Nani, Hargreaves, Anderson… with players of that quality, I doubt that anyone can match them again - and that's without mentioning the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Van der Sar, Carrick et al. (Damn, just mentioned them…) No contest as far as I'm concerned." Verdict: Champions.
Middlesbrough
Smart: "Yakubu and Woodgate aside, I can't see much to look forward to when watching Middlesbrough. I don't think they will go down, but they wont be too far away, unless they can find some of the strength and resolve their manager used to show.” Verdict: Bottom half.
Chris O: "I really don't think Boro are going anywhere this season. Gareth Southgate has brought in Luke Young to bolster an already strong defence, but apart from that it's Tuncay from Fenerbahce - who admittedly has potential - and Jeremie Aliadiere who no-one seems to want. Their away form was poor last season, and I wouldn't mind betting their home form might suffer too this time." Verdict: Bottom half.
Newcastle United
Smart: "If Newcastle could have kept away from injuries they might have had some success in recent years I feel. Owen, Carr, Given, Duff to name a few. This year however, they have a big enough squad to cope with the long term injuries they have. Alan Smith is a good signing and Taylor is a good defender. With Martins and Owen due to form a partnership, perhaps the Toon will fulfil there potential this season.” Verdict: Mid-table.
Chris O: "Now here's something you don't often hear - Newcastle might do well this season. Sam Allardyce was a great choice to replace Glenn Roeder and already he's making all the right moves. Out went some of the dead wood and in comes a selection of fresh talent, none of which are exceptional in my book, but if anyone can get them working together well it's Big Sam. With Michael Owen chomping at the bit to get back, he might just have someone who can score goals, too…" Verdict: Top half.
Portsmouth
Smart: "I think Harry Redknapp has strengthened the squad really well. Distin, Hair Dryers Son, Utaka should make Pompey a strong side, and with no European competitions to hinder there progress, they should have their best season yet. Pompey fans - get your passports ready.” Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Chris O: "Who'd have thunk it? Portsmouth avoided relegation and finished 9th last year, and for what it's worth, my opinion is they'll do even better this year. Adding to established names like David James, Sol Campbell and Linvoy Primus, Harry Redknapp can also now boast David Nugent, Sylvain Distin, Sulley Muntari and John Utaka. Consistency is the key for Redknapp, though, and that alone could guide Pompey into UEFA Cup territory - just wait and see…" Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
The concluding part of our guide to the Premier League comes tomorrow with our look at the potential fortunes of Reading, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Ham and Wigan.
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Guide to the Premier League 2007/08: Part 2
Continuing our look ahead to the potential fortunes of this season's Premier League teams, today we continue in alphabetical order with...
Chelsea
Chris O: "I see very little changing in Chelsea's status this season - that is to say they'll remain second best to Man United. The Blues' fantastic defensive line will no doubt continue to do well (especially if John Terry stays fit) and their midfield with Lampard and Essien will be strengthened further by the arrival of Florent Malouda. Add to the equation last year's top scorer Didier Drogba and they can hardly fail… until half the team fly off to the African Nation's Cup in January." Verdict: Runners-up.
Smart: "Chelsea have a stronger squad than last year with the additions of Malouda, Ben Haim, Alex and Pizarro. That should help avert another injury crisis at Stamford Bridge - although an injury crisis for Chelsea seems to be John Terry being injured. As for too many fixtures, well perhaps Jose should think about what he wants to concentrate on winning. Last year they missed out on the Premiership and Champions League yet won both domestic cups. Maybe this time it will be the other way round." Verdict: Runners-up.
Derby County
Chris O: "Great to see Derby back again but I fear it won't be for long - unless Billy Davies can prove his managerial strengths at the top level. Like Birmingham, they've had problems scoring goals but Davies has enlisted Rob Earnshaw to address that problem. Other well-known names arriving at Pride Park like Andy Todd and Andy Griffin should bolster the squad but they still look ill-equipped to face life in the Premiership." Verdict: Relegated.
Smart: "Probably the weakest of the promoted sides and I can see them struggling this year. They don’t seem to have a strong point and haven’t strengthened since gaining promotion. Let's hope they prove me wrong." Verdict: Relegated.
Everton
Chris O: "The Toffees impressed many last season (me included), and no wonder. David Moyes has created a settled and talented squad that proved a match for most teams and I see no reason why that shouldn't continue this season. Moyes quite rightly got rid of James Beattie who didn't seem up to the job of scoring on a frequent basis and if he can get Phil Jagielka to do so instead, everyone should be happy." Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Smart: "Everton have grown into a good side under David Moyes. They will do well this season but they don’t have a large squad. I fear that any success in UEFA will come at a cost in the Premier League come the end of the season." Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Fulham
Chris O: "The team that just won't get relegated won't get relegated again this season either, but again it will be a close run thing. Lawrie Sanchez could make a name for himself if he gets Fulham back up to mid-table again, but despite a number of interesting signings I can't see him achieving it. He'll have to fix his defence - the worst in the league last season - and get the best out of some of his other players… a tall order for a new manager." Verdict: Bottom half.
Smart: "What do we make of Fulham then? A new manager and plenty of new signings - yet still I can see them struggling. It seems to be quantity rather than quality when it comes to the Fulham players and I can't see them worrying too many teams this season." Verdict: Bottom half.
Liverpool
Chris O: "The gradual rise and rise of Liverpool under Rafa Benitez now means The Reds are arguably the third best team in the land, but becoming second-best will remain a step too far, despite their big-money summer signings. I do, however, think they'll improve - not easy when you've got one of the best defences and many high-calibre internationals like Gerrard, Alonso, Kuyt and Crouch. Second place will be a major achievement, but it won't happen this season." Verdict: Champions League spot.
Smart: "Unlike Fulham, Liverpool have both quantity AND quality. If they can get a good start this season, unlike previous seasons, they could have a successful year. I can see them winning the title, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they finished as runners-up." Verdict: Champions League spot.
Tomorrow: Part 3 (featuring Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United and Portsmouth).
Chelsea
Chris O: "I see very little changing in Chelsea's status this season - that is to say they'll remain second best to Man United. The Blues' fantastic defensive line will no doubt continue to do well (especially if John Terry stays fit) and their midfield with Lampard and Essien will be strengthened further by the arrival of Florent Malouda. Add to the equation last year's top scorer Didier Drogba and they can hardly fail… until half the team fly off to the African Nation's Cup in January." Verdict: Runners-up.
Smart: "Chelsea have a stronger squad than last year with the additions of Malouda, Ben Haim, Alex and Pizarro. That should help avert another injury crisis at Stamford Bridge - although an injury crisis for Chelsea seems to be John Terry being injured. As for too many fixtures, well perhaps Jose should think about what he wants to concentrate on winning. Last year they missed out on the Premiership and Champions League yet won both domestic cups. Maybe this time it will be the other way round." Verdict: Runners-up.
Derby County
Chris O: "Great to see Derby back again but I fear it won't be for long - unless Billy Davies can prove his managerial strengths at the top level. Like Birmingham, they've had problems scoring goals but Davies has enlisted Rob Earnshaw to address that problem. Other well-known names arriving at Pride Park like Andy Todd and Andy Griffin should bolster the squad but they still look ill-equipped to face life in the Premiership." Verdict: Relegated.
Smart: "Probably the weakest of the promoted sides and I can see them struggling this year. They don’t seem to have a strong point and haven’t strengthened since gaining promotion. Let's hope they prove me wrong." Verdict: Relegated.
Everton
Chris O: "The Toffees impressed many last season (me included), and no wonder. David Moyes has created a settled and talented squad that proved a match for most teams and I see no reason why that shouldn't continue this season. Moyes quite rightly got rid of James Beattie who didn't seem up to the job of scoring on a frequent basis and if he can get Phil Jagielka to do so instead, everyone should be happy." Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Smart: "Everton have grown into a good side under David Moyes. They will do well this season but they don’t have a large squad. I fear that any success in UEFA will come at a cost in the Premier League come the end of the season." Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Fulham
Chris O: "The team that just won't get relegated won't get relegated again this season either, but again it will be a close run thing. Lawrie Sanchez could make a name for himself if he gets Fulham back up to mid-table again, but despite a number of interesting signings I can't see him achieving it. He'll have to fix his defence - the worst in the league last season - and get the best out of some of his other players… a tall order for a new manager." Verdict: Bottom half.
Smart: "What do we make of Fulham then? A new manager and plenty of new signings - yet still I can see them struggling. It seems to be quantity rather than quality when it comes to the Fulham players and I can't see them worrying too many teams this season." Verdict: Bottom half.
Liverpool
Chris O: "The gradual rise and rise of Liverpool under Rafa Benitez now means The Reds are arguably the third best team in the land, but becoming second-best will remain a step too far, despite their big-money summer signings. I do, however, think they'll improve - not easy when you've got one of the best defences and many high-calibre internationals like Gerrard, Alonso, Kuyt and Crouch. Second place will be a major achievement, but it won't happen this season." Verdict: Champions League spot.
Smart: "Unlike Fulham, Liverpool have both quantity AND quality. If they can get a good start this season, unlike previous seasons, they could have a successful year. I can see them winning the title, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they finished as runners-up." Verdict: Champions League spot.
Tomorrow: Part 3 (featuring Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United and Portsmouth).
Monday, 13 August 2007
Guide to the Premier League 2007/08: Part 1
With the Premier League now underway and West Ham's solicitor barely back to his day job, Smart and I thought it'd be a good time to look at the potential fortunes of all twenty teams involved.
In order to make the list a little more digestible, we're breaking it down into four small parts - this one being the first. So let's get underway with Part 1 and don't forget, whether you agree or disagree with what we have to say, why not tell us what you think? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts with your fellow fans...
Arsenal
Smart: "Everybody is talking about the loss of Thierry Henry - so I won't. Wenger is no mug and still holds a talented squad and it's time for a few of the youngsters to make the step up. The squad doesn't have the talent-in-depth of other title contenders but injuries aside they should be fine." Verdict: Champions League spot.
Chris O: "I think Wenger was crazy even to consider letting Henry go, given how prolific he was. He's now left with a bunch of young players and new signings, some of which are undoubtedly good but I wonder if they'll perform consistently as a team. Should be worth backing in the Cups, I'd say. Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Aston Villa
Smart: "A mixed summer in the transfer market with the departure of Liam Ridgewell and the arrival of Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker, but who am I to question Martin O'Neills decisions - the man knows what he is doing. If Laursen stays fit and Petrov finds his goal scoring form an interesting season beckons." Verdict: Mid-table.
Chris O: "For once I'm questioning O'Neill's judgement. He's sold some useful players like Ridgewell, Gavin McCann, Stephen Davis and Juan Pablo Angel, and replaced them with Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood from West Ham. Unless there are more purchases to come, I think Villa are going to struggle. Verdict: Mid-table.
Birmingham City
Smart: "All of a sudden The Blues have players with Premiership experience and quality. Queudrue and Ridgewell will join Jaidi to strengthen at the back, plus they have an interesting signing in De Ridder. If (and it's a big if) Forsell stays fit, they may avoid relegation... but I can't see it." Verdict: Relegated.
Chris O: "If there's one thing that Birmingham are renowned for in recent years, it's scoring few goals. To my mind, they haven't addressed that with their many summer signings and though Steve Bruce will instil some spirit into them, I think they'll ultimately fail, sadly. Verdict: Relegated.
Blackburn Rovers
Smart: "How much of a toll will the UEFA Cup qualification process have on Blackburn? Hughes has strengthened well to add to the talents of Gamst Pedersen and Bentley but I fear that an early start to a long season will eventually undo a promising start to their Premier League campaign." Verdict: Top half.
Chris O: "Not much dabbling for Mark Hughes in the transfer market this summer, but Roque Santa Cruz and Maceo Rigters could make up for that. A side which already boasts the talents of Brad Friedel, Benni McCarthy, David Bentley, Morten Gamst Pedersen and my tip for the top, Matt Derbyshire, should do well again this season, if not slightly better. Verdict: Top half.
Bolton Wanderers
Smart: "Big Sam - or Sammy Lee as he is known - knows he has a lot to live up to, but he has a large enough squad to do it with. Boasting a midfield featuring Speed, Campo, Nolan, McCann and Stelios plus new boys Braaten and Wilhelmsson, it's not all gloom and doom at the Reebok Stadium. But is Sammy Lee up to the task?" Verdict: Bottom half.
Chris O: "I'm inclined to agree. Sammy Lee just doesn't seem to have the tactical insight and authority of his predecessor, so he'll be keeping his fingers crossed that his attackers - Anelka, Diouf and Davies - can score plenty this year. That and his defence leaking far fewer goals than last season. I think Lee might be a contender for 'first coach to be sacked' if things go as I suspect. Verdict: Bottom half.
Tomorrow: Part 2 (featuring Chelsea, Derby, Everton, Fulham and Liverpool).
In order to make the list a little more digestible, we're breaking it down into four small parts - this one being the first. So let's get underway with Part 1 and don't forget, whether you agree or disagree with what we have to say, why not tell us what you think? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts with your fellow fans...
Arsenal
Smart: "Everybody is talking about the loss of Thierry Henry - so I won't. Wenger is no mug and still holds a talented squad and it's time for a few of the youngsters to make the step up. The squad doesn't have the talent-in-depth of other title contenders but injuries aside they should be fine." Verdict: Champions League spot.
Chris O: "I think Wenger was crazy even to consider letting Henry go, given how prolific he was. He's now left with a bunch of young players and new signings, some of which are undoubtedly good but I wonder if they'll perform consistently as a team. Should be worth backing in the Cups, I'd say. Verdict: UEFA Cup spot.
Aston Villa
Smart: "A mixed summer in the transfer market with the departure of Liam Ridgewell and the arrival of Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker, but who am I to question Martin O'Neills decisions - the man knows what he is doing. If Laursen stays fit and Petrov finds his goal scoring form an interesting season beckons." Verdict: Mid-table.
Chris O: "For once I'm questioning O'Neill's judgement. He's sold some useful players like Ridgewell, Gavin McCann, Stephen Davis and Juan Pablo Angel, and replaced them with Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood from West Ham. Unless there are more purchases to come, I think Villa are going to struggle. Verdict: Mid-table.
Birmingham City
Smart: "All of a sudden The Blues have players with Premiership experience and quality. Queudrue and Ridgewell will join Jaidi to strengthen at the back, plus they have an interesting signing in De Ridder. If (and it's a big if) Forsell stays fit, they may avoid relegation... but I can't see it." Verdict: Relegated.
Chris O: "If there's one thing that Birmingham are renowned for in recent years, it's scoring few goals. To my mind, they haven't addressed that with their many summer signings and though Steve Bruce will instil some spirit into them, I think they'll ultimately fail, sadly. Verdict: Relegated.
Blackburn Rovers
Smart: "How much of a toll will the UEFA Cup qualification process have on Blackburn? Hughes has strengthened well to add to the talents of Gamst Pedersen and Bentley but I fear that an early start to a long season will eventually undo a promising start to their Premier League campaign." Verdict: Top half.
Chris O: "Not much dabbling for Mark Hughes in the transfer market this summer, but Roque Santa Cruz and Maceo Rigters could make up for that. A side which already boasts the talents of Brad Friedel, Benni McCarthy, David Bentley, Morten Gamst Pedersen and my tip for the top, Matt Derbyshire, should do well again this season, if not slightly better. Verdict: Top half.
Bolton Wanderers
Smart: "Big Sam - or Sammy Lee as he is known - knows he has a lot to live up to, but he has a large enough squad to do it with. Boasting a midfield featuring Speed, Campo, Nolan, McCann and Stelios plus new boys Braaten and Wilhelmsson, it's not all gloom and doom at the Reebok Stadium. But is Sammy Lee up to the task?" Verdict: Bottom half.
Chris O: "I'm inclined to agree. Sammy Lee just doesn't seem to have the tactical insight and authority of his predecessor, so he'll be keeping his fingers crossed that his attackers - Anelka, Diouf and Davies - can score plenty this year. That and his defence leaking far fewer goals than last season. I think Lee might be a contender for 'first coach to be sacked' if things go as I suspect. Verdict: Bottom half.
Tomorrow: Part 2 (featuring Chelsea, Derby, Everton, Fulham and Liverpool).
Wednesday, 14 June 2006
Your Guide to... Group H
Today sees the last of the 32 teams playing their opening games in the 2006 World Cup. Here's the form on the four teams of Group H...
Spain
Tunisia
Spain
- Spain hope their reputation for failing to deliver in the World Cup will come to an end this time with an experienced squad
- Coach Luis Aragones has favoured players who have picked up experience at club level from all over Europe, including Xabi Alonso (Liverpool) and Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
- He's also a big fan of captain Raul, however he may finally drop him to allow Fernando Torres and David Villa to play together after Raul's poor form over the last few years
- Spain's defence is settled and in midfield Joaquin and Arsenal's Reyes feature prominently on the wings
- Xavi is the creative focus in the middle of the pitch, dictating the pace of the game, using astuteness to make excellent passes.
- Striker Andrii Shevchenko is without doubt the big name in the team, but coach Oleg Blokhin has created harmony amongst his players by not making him the focus of their gameplay
- Shevchenko receives plenty of quality support from Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Oleh Husiev and Andrii Voronin, while the return to form of Serhii Rebrov provides an excellent alternative to Shevchenko on the bench
- Blokhin sees physical ability as being as much of a priority as technical ability, particularly in midfield where his players are required to chase and work hard
- Reliable first-choice keeper Shovkovskyi is back in the team after breaking his collar bone in April.
- Ukraine play in a defensive style, similar to that of Tunisia who also appear in Group H.
Tunisia
- Tunisia have an experienced and well-drilled squad that like to play a counter-attacking game
- In defence, they have two reliable performers in Hatem Trabelsi of Ajax and Radhi Jaidi of Bolton Wanderers
- In midfield, Tunisia have rarely used the same four players, so familiarity and understanding could be lacking between them at times
- The Tunisians can rely on a steady supply of goals if their strike partnership of Guemamdia and Dos Santos click into gear - between them they scored 10 goals during qualifying
- Though a tough unit, Tunisia appear to lack something special - an element of inspiration that can transform a game.
- Argentinean coach Gabriel Calderon guided the Saudi Arabians to qualification but was promptly sacked and replaced by Brazilian Marcos Paqueta after a poor performance in the West Asian Games last November
- The Saudi defence conceded only one goal in qualifying, helped largely by the return of veteran goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Deayea to the team
- Sadly their attack is not so reliable - Sami Al Jaber is their one recognised striker, but at 34 his best years are probably behind him.
Tuesday, 13 June 2006
Your Guide to... Group F (Part II) and Group G
Group F (contd.)
Brazil
- Where to start…? They have the ‘fab five’ - Ronaldo and Adriano up front, Ronaldinho and Kaka supporting them and Robinho capable of replacing any of them from the bench - unless he starts a match with them…
- Some players have suffered injuries or lack of club form while others like Ronaldinho have been playing virtually twice a week since August
- Brazil have been known to under-achieve when expectation is high
- Cafu and Roberto Carlos in defence are nearing the end of their careers while other defensive options like Roque Junior and Lucio haven’t met with universal approval so far
Croatia
- Croatia’s style of play is to sit back deep and hit their opponents quickly on the counter-attack
- Most of their best work goes through Niko Kranjcar, son of the coach Zlatko Kranjcar
- Croatia’s play can lack creativity, allowing themselves to be impeded by their own packed five-man midfield
- Their only star player is Rangers striker Dado Prso - the rest of the team don’t come close on quality
- Many of their goals come from set-pieces, and if Prso can be prevented from showing his skill, Croatia aren’t left with much to offer
Group G
South Korea
- The Koreans play an aggressive pressing game, trying to force their opponents into making mistakes
- Of their faults, they have a tendency not to be able to convert chances into goals
- Their star man is Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung, but of their foreign contingent they also have in their ranks Lee Young-Pyo, left back at Tottenham Hotspur
- South Korea's chances have been dealt a blow after striker Lee Dong-Gook (who spearheaded their 3-man attack) suffered a cruciate ligament injury
- The Koreans employ a 4-3-3 formation with which they forge strong links between the midfield and forward lines
Togo
- Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor scored 10 goals in Togo's qualifying campaign, and most of their play revolves around him
- Togo have had to borrow players with tenuous national links from Ghana and Nigeria in order to bolster the squad
- Togo did have a good team spirit and increasing self-belief during qualifiers, but since then the coach has been replaced, following which they lost all three games at the African Nations Cup
- A lack of preparation before the World Cup could mean the team play in a disjointed fashion
- Togo have suffred huge disruption prior to the World Cup - Coach Otto Pfister resigned in the last few days and has since been reinstated (according to one source), players have been caught up in pay disputes and Pfister has incurred protests from followers of the team after dropping Adebayor briefly at the start of the year.
France
- New coach Raymond Domenech has irritated some of the older players with his over-officious style since taking over from Aime Jacquet after the last World Cup
- They began their qualifying campaign by failing to score in their first three games against Ireland, Israel and Switzerland after several of the older players retired
- Having reversed their decisions, Zidane, Thuram and Makelele brought some much needed quality back to the team and they earned qualification at the last moment
- Elsewhere in the team, their talent is still of a predictably high quality - Henry and Trezeguet featuring in attack and Gallas and Thuram shoring up the defence
- At Euro 2004, much of the play revolved around Zidane but they may need to change that and make Henry the main focus instead
- Since winning the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, they were eliminated in the first round of the 2002 World Cup and the quarter-finals of Euro 2004
Switzerland
- The Swiss are a compact, well-drilled side, but their midfield play is somewhat one-dimensional - hard-working, but not imaginative
- They rely heavily on striker Alex Frei for goals, however he's only just recovered from a groin injury
- Goalkeeper Zuberbuhler is usually dependable but has made several mistakes lately
- The full backs are an interesting combination of veteran Patrick Muller and rookie Philippe Senderos of Arsenal
- The Swiss play a counter-attacking game - easy enough to implement against a fast-playing side like France, but against Togo...?
Monday, 12 June 2006
Your Guide to... Group E and Group F (Part I)
Group E
Italy
Australia
Next up: Group F (Part II) and Group G
Italy
- Strength in all areas, starting at the back with the dependable goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon right up to Alessandro Del Piero and Luca Toni up front
- Italy have fielded strong sides in major competitions before and under-achieved - most recently at Euro 2004
- Their qualifying campaign started off a little nervously, beating Moldova only 1-0 and losing 1-0 to Slovenia, but by the end, they cruised to top spot in the group comfortably
- Since qualifying, they've beaten Holland and Germany in friendly matches
- Coach Marcello Lippi asks his players to work hard, sometimes sacrificing exciting play in the process
- If Italy make a slow start as they have done at times in the past, they could find themselves playing Brazil in Round 2...
Ghana
- This is Ghana's first World Cup and it comes at the expense of South Africa who faltered in their qualification group
- Their star player is undoubtedly Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien - technically gifted, he's strong, quick and can read the game well
- Ghana have been looking desperately for decent strikers to put in the team, trying out various options in the many friendlies they've played of late
- The Black Stars are another team that can lay claim to making full use of the flanks in their build-up play.
United States
- Coach Bruce Arena encourages his flat back four to attack whenever possible
- Though DaMarcus Beasley is a gifted natural left-footer and well suited to play on the left wing, Arena doesn't have an equivalent player for the right wing
- Key midfielder Landon Donovan is yet to find an ideal position on the pitch but could be best suited just behind striker Brian McBride
- The midfield unit lacks muscle too, with no one player claiming to be a traditional 'ball winner'
- The team is fit and tactically adept but tend not to play an entertaining style of football
Czech Republic
- The Czechs boast a wealth of skilful and talented players, but the likes of Nedved, Poborsky, Koller, Galasek and Smicer are all now over 30 and not as quick and agile as they once were
- Only goalkeeper Petr Cech has emerged from the younger generation of Czech players with much credit while Milan Baros and Tomas Rosicky continue to hit form from time to time
- Since Euro 2004, the Czech defence has improved slightly with David Rozehnal and Jan Polak both showing good form of late
- The Czech Republic are generally a very good attacking side, but their defence can be weak when least expected
Australia
- Australia have a style of play influenced by British, continental and South American football, with a rough, physical edge
- Guus Hiddink has organised his troops into a side that often threaten to score, ditching the previous 4-4-2 formation in favour of 3-5-2
- While this makes the most of a very strong midfield boasting players like Harry Kewell and Parma's Marco Bresciano, it also highlights a small and weak defence which could easily be breached
- At the back, Mark Schwarzer is a goalkeeper that can win games while up front his Middlesbrough team-mate Mark Viduka has ended the season in good form
- Playing just behind Viduka is likely to be Tim Cahill who has scored 8 goals in 14 internationals
- Japan's strengths include strong discipline and a creative set of midfielders that can produce the unexpected
- Weaknesses include a collective inexperience in defence, no-one with a big, strong physique and a lack of outstanding strikers
- Zico's approach as manager is to concentrate less on tactics and strategy and play more in the Brazilian style, being impulsive and producing flair play off the cuff
- Japan are currently the best team in Asia and have achieved the occasional notable result in friendly matches, but would benefit from a natural goalscorer to help them achieve more
Next up: Group F (Part II) and Group G
Sunday, 11 June 2006
Your Guide to... Group C (Part II) and Group D
Continuing our look at Group C, here are the remaining two teams, the Netherlands and Serbia & Montenegro, plus all four teams in Group D.
Group C (contd...)
Serbia & Montenegro
Group C (contd...)
Serbia & Montenegro
- Serbia & Montenegro used to play a sweeper system but now favour a flat back four. It conceded only one goal in 10 qualifying games
- The former Yugoslavians have very few star names, but can boast Savo Milosevic and Mateja Kezman among their ranks
- The team's strong points are tactical discipline, solid defending and a great team spirit
- While not a team that makes the defence the heart of their play, they do now how to get a lead and hold onto it
Netherlands
- Coach Marco Van Basten has been trying out lots of lesser known players in the team recently, trying to rely less on the star names that play at club level around Europe
- Out of those star names that do get a game, they'll be hoping that Van Nistelrooy, Robben and Cocu remain fit
- The Netherlands did a fine job of defending during the qualifiers - in 12 matches, they kept 10 clean sheets against teams like the Czech Republic and Romania
- The Dutch play an attacking game with plenty of men storming forward, usually in a 4-3-3 formation.
Group D
Mexico
- Mexico's team is almost entirely full of home-based players - only four play their club football abroad
- Their schedule of friendly matches has been somewhat hectic. In 2005, they played 26 times...
- This has enabled coach Ricardo Lavolpe to bed in many young players quickly, reducing the average age dramatically
- Mexico are very adept at making tactical changes, often switching things around in the middle of a game
- They play a solid passing game but struggle against physical opposition
Iran
- They have two main stars on whom many people's attention will be diverted: Ali Karimi, a midfield who likes to run with the ball, and Ali Daei, veteran forward and captain of the side
- Iran's midfield contains many players who see domestic action in Germany's Bundesliga
- Iran like to play thrusting, attractive, fluid football, often centered around playing the ball down the wings
Angola
- In qualifying, Angola didn't concede that many goals but then again didn't score that many either...
- After decades of civil war, the team is now reliant on players of Angolan origin from all over Europe whose families fled when independence came
- Angola's main strength lies with their attackers, however their form in recent matches has been disappointing
- Their defence and midfield are both problem areas and goalkeeper Joao Ricardo wasn't even affiliated to a club last season
Portugal
- Portugal haven't got past the group stage of the World Cup since 1966 and this is only their fourth Finals campaign ever
- Some of their players have played very little during the domestic season, including Costinha, Maniche, Paulo Ferreira and Nuno Valente
- The team will rely on the bulk of the Euro 2004 squad that finished runners-up on home soil
- Portugal have a wealth of talent to call upon: Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo on the wings, Pauleta up front and Deco creating goalscoring opportunities from midfield
Next up: Group E and Group F (Part I)...
Saturday, 10 June 2006
Your Guide to... Group B and Group C (Part I)
Today's games feature all four teams in Group B and two from Group C, so here's what to expect from them...
Group A
England
Argentina
Group A
England
- With their first-choice XI on the field, England have strength in depth in all areas
- Terry and Ferdinand make an experienced central defensive partnership
- Gerrard and Lampard are star players in midfield, although there's some doubt about how to play both in the same team to maximum effect
- Gerrard's likely to be tired having played 60+ matches this season, but others will have benefited from early exits from European competition and other recent rest periods
- In attack, Owen and Crouch have started to click, although fans won't be fully confident until a recovering Rooney returns
- Their defence and goalkeeper lack some height, and this could be exploited by the other teams in the group
- Paraguay now boast a blend of veterans who have played in many recent major competitions along with a few new rising stars
- Paraguay are a resilient team who can't be written off until the final whistle
- They are a threat from set-pieces, with striker Santa Cruz of Bayern Munich being their most dangerous star player
- As ever, their defence is the strongest part of the team, although they've struggled to find consistency with their choice of back four
- Sweden are excellent at suffocating an opposing team's attack, conceding only 11 goals in their last 36 qualifying games
- In attack, they boast Ibrahimovic of Juventus and an ageing Henrik Larsson, fed by the wing play of Freddie Ljungberg
- The Caribbean islanders tend to suffer from bouts of poor concentration, slowness in transforming defence into attack and losing their shape under pressure
- Trinidad's few well-known players are of a generally high standard, e.g. Dwight Yorke and Coventry's Stern John
- A number of players have been tried out on the left wing, although Dundee United's Colin Samuel may play as a natural left-footer
- Many of T&T's players can be found playing their club football in Scotland, Wales and the lower leagues of England, including Jason Scotland of St. Johnstone, strangely...
Argentina
- Suffered a first round exit in 2002, so the expectations are lower this time around, but that could work in their favour as the pressure will be off...
- Argentina have suffered from a number of injuries to well-known players including Ayala, Heinze, Aimar and the returning star striker Lionel Messi
- Argentina have reverted to their old style of play where the ball is allowed to run more and possession is the key to building attacks
- Keeper Abbondanzieri is good at facing penalties and setting up counter-attacks but can lack confidence at set-pieces
- Their defence isn't much more inspiring, largely due to the number of injuries they've had to deal with of late
- Look out for their two star players - midfield engine Riquelme and the aforementioned Messi of Barcelona.
- They find themselves in the 'Group of Death' which isn't a good start for an African nation making it's debut at the World Cup...
- Ivory Coast will be heavily relying on the attacking skills of Chelsea's Didier Drogba around whom the team is based
- Elsewhere, they can boast Arsenal's Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue in defence and a midfield made up of several players from France and Holland
- Coach Henri Michel hasn't yet cracked a way to make his side play sparkling football, so in the meantime they've resorted to lumping the ball directly to the forwards as quickly as they can
- Though the Ivory Coast's defensive record is good, their goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie often has his nervous moments.
Friday, 9 June 2006
Your Guide to... Group A
And they're off!
As I write, the World Cup is due to start in just under 8 hours time with Germany v Costa Rica as the first match, followed swiftly by Ecuador v Poland. But what can you expect from Group A as the competition unfolds before your very eyes? Who should you be looking out for and who will succeed where others fail? Here are the facts you need to know...
Germany
Tomorrow: Group B...
As I write, the World Cup is due to start in just under 8 hours time with Germany v Costa Rica as the first match, followed swiftly by Ecuador v Poland. But what can you expect from Group A as the competition unfolds before your very eyes? Who should you be looking out for and who will succeed where others fail? Here are the facts you need to know...
Germany
- Unlike previous World Cups, Germany have no real leader on the pitch. Forget Beckenbauer, Matthaeus and Rummenigge - a 2006 comparison doesn't exist for them.
- In their favour is a relatively easy first round group and shed loads of home support, plus the fact that host nations reach at least the latter stages of the competition
- Germany's one true star player, Michael Ballack, is injured and won't play in the opening game, but his strike partner Miroslav Klose has had a good season with Werder Bremen and could net a few goals for them instead.
- Their defence is decidedly leaky and no-one's quite sure what the starting line-up will be - 14 players were tried out in defence in the 18 months leading up to the Finals.
- When it comes to the crunch, Germany could come unstuck. They haven't beaten one of the world's top sides since 2000 when they beat England at Wembley.
- Their star player is without doubt Paulo Wanchope, who continues to score regularly, as was seen during Costa Rica's qualifying matches.
- Costa Rica favour a short, snappy passing game, generating attacks from midfield.
- Their goalkeeper and defence is somewhat unreliable. A 4-0 friendly defeat to Ukraine recently highlighted the problem despite claims that the defence has been improved since the last World Cup.
- The Poles are decidedly schizophrenic on the world stage. In qualifying they were free-scoring and difficult to beat, but in major competitions they often underachieve and disappoint.
- With a rickety defence and no real ball-winner in midfield, Poland will look to keep the ball as long as possible before getting it to their useful front line.
- Poland have never beaten Germany, but if they get through to the second round they may face England who they notoriously always struggle to beat too.
- A 3-0 victory over Ecuador at the end of 2005 gives hope of at least three points being collected in Round One.
- Famously adept at playing at high-altitude on home soil, Ecuador aren't so good when playing away in unfamiliar territory.
- Ecuador have one or two familiar names from the Premiership (De La Cruz of Aston Villa and Delgado of Southampton) that generally play better for their countries than their clubs.
- Ecuador nowadays favour a direct style playing down the wings, ditching their previous intricate passing game which proved unsuccessful.
- In a bid to tighten their defence, so much emphasis has recently gone on improving the back line that attacking play may take a back seat when the action starts in Germany.
Tomorrow: Group B...
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