Wednesday 24 September 2014

Mesut Özil: A Fair Weather Player?

After a poor start to the season, I ponder the question, is Arsenal's Mesut Özil anything more than a fair weather player?

If we rewind back to the Summer Transfer Deadline Day of 2013 at 11pm, I'm sure most Gooners were ecstatic at the purchase of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid. Ozil was considered a vital cog in a Madrid side steeped with world class talent. 13 months on, the adopted German has been hit and miss for the North London side and this can be narrowed down to 2 reasons.

To begin with, we can scrutinise Wenger's tactics as to whether he is playing the former Bremen man in his optimum position. Recently, he has been shunted out to the left in order to accommodate Aaron Ramsey, where he has largely been ineffective. I draw immediate comparisons with Shinji Kagawa at Manchester United, who has returned to Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund. 

It is quite evident that Ozil doesn't look comfortable on the wing, particularly as he often seems disinterested when deployed there. A prime example was in the Champions League home tie against Bayern Munich last season. Wojciech Szcezsny was sent off, and in order to bring on a new keeper, Santi Cazorla was sacrificed. In hindsight, it looked like Ozil would have been the correct choice to replace as his inability to track back made Keiran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal's day a nightmare. However, what also should be noted, is that he played on the left in his early days with Werder Bremen.

On the other hand, he is getting paid £100k so Arsenal will expect him to play in the position Wenger wants him to. If Wenger feels that there are better players at present that play in his position then he will definitely pick them. It is up to Ozil to perform in training and when he gets the chance on the pitch, and so far he has not done that. During the Bayern game last season, Mesut Ozil's attitude was abysmal. He looked lethargic and that he only wanted to be back in the changing rooms. Ironic for someone who says his Germab heritage gives him his 'hardworking trait'. Surely this repugnant attitude is unsatisfactory for a club with the stature of Arsenal?

I've cherry-picked all the bad examples of when Özil has been nothing more than a liability for his team so it would be highly subjective if I were to gloss over the games in which he delivered performances that we expect of a player of his calibre. On Saturday past, Özil presented us with a first rate performance in Arsenal's 3-0 demolition of Aston Villa. A 92% pass completion rate meant that he dominated proceedings at the Emirates Stadium. This also included 2 key passes, one of which resulted in a goal. Not only did he assist Danny Welbeck with his goal but he also buried his own chance to cap a commanding afternoon from the German.

Prior to his multi-million pound move to North London, Mesut Özil was a sensation in Madrid. While Cristiano Ronaldo often stole the headlines, it is hard for anyone to disprove the theory that he was a vital cog in Jose Mourinho's team. The World Cup winner excelled in the Spanish Capital regularly playing behind Gonzalo Higuain or Karim Benzema and was arguably one of their top performers when they sold him for £42.5m. He assisted a massive 67 times in 137 appearances, that's not a bad return.

Whether you believe Mesut Özil is a big game player or not, he was simply sublime in Germany's young and vibrant World Cup team of 2010. During the competition he helped the Germans to a 3rd place finish with 1 goal and countless assists. In addition to this he was also nominated for the Golden Ball Award. Özil aided the Germans in their World Cup triumph in July by putting in stellar performances which included a decisive goal against Algeria in the round of sixteen.

It is quite evident that some Gooners find Özil a tad frustrating at times, and who can blame them? But we all know what the German international can do, and it's only a matter of time until he dazzles on the top club stage.

Tuesday 16 September 2014

The Champions League's New Boys

With the Champions League kicking off tonight and Liverpool facing their first European night in 5 years, here is a quick look at tonight's opponents Ludogorets Razgrad. Featuring in their first ever European Cup, their journey is quite spectacular from their conception 13 years ago to the present day.

Founded in 2001 as Ludogorie Football Club the club adopted the name of the town when one of the first clubs in that area was dissolved in 2006. Inpenalty tyr early years they won their group several times but due to their very small budget, were unable to progress into the higher leagues in Bulgaria. 

Only 6 years ago, they were promoted to the top tier in Bulgarian amateur football and it's pretty impressive to think that they are now competing in the most prestigious club tournament in the world. Formerly known as Razgrad 2000, the amateur side gained promotion to the professional stage in Bulgaria, and no doubt this would have been a momentous occasion for the fans. They were able to cement themselves in the second tier of the professional game in Bulgaria. 

Fans were delighted with the progress made by the club in the short space of time, but little did they know that things were to only get better. A businessman purchased the club in September 2010 and announced that he had the long term vision of taking the side from Razgrad to A Group - the highest tier in Bulgarian football. With the new owner, Kiril Domuschiev, keen to invest money in his new project, it prompted a whirlwind of transfer bids for high calibre players, particularly for a local club like Ludogorets. Whoever said a money can't win you things was wrong on this occasion, they achieved promotion in Domuschiev's first season and haven't looked back since.

Their first season among Bulgaria's elite was very successful, as they completed the domestic double. It sounded like Domuschiev was a serial 'save and reloader' on Football Manager! The 2012/2013 season was equally as impressive as they started the season with eight wins on the bounce and went on to clinch the title on the last day of the season for the second consecutive year. The next season brought more success as they won another domestic double. Now that they have conquered Bulgaria, they turn their attention to Europe.

Similar to their history, qualifying for the Champions League was equally as melodramatic. In the play off against Steaua Bucharest, defender Cosmin Moti grabbed the headlines. He was forced to embrace the goal keeping gloves following the dismissal of their goal keeper in the dying embers of extra time, and when the match went to penalties he made 2 saves to send the Bulgarians to their first ever Champions League group stage as well as scoring a penalty. That will be a cracking story to tell the grandchildren.

Now mentally preparing themselves to embrace the home turf of five times winners of the competition, nobody is expecting fireworks from the 13 year old club. If they could score a goal, I'm sure they will celebrate with exuberance. Their experience of Europa League football will stand them in good stead, particularly as they were able to reach the round of 16.

As neutral, we all want them to do well. Imagine the scenes if they were able to pinch a second place spot? Anyway it's highly unlikely, but not impossible. In the long run, the experience of playing in front of a full Bernabeu stadium and Anfield will be valuable to the whole club, fans and players as well as the finances. It's been a climb to the top, so let's hope the Bulgaria new side can remain there for years to come.

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Euro 2016 Qualifying Summary - Round 1

I find it very hard to believe that it has been almost 2 months since Philip Lahm lifted the Jules-Rimet trophy for Germany and now, the Home Nations embark on another mission to reach the 2016 European Championships in France. With everyone playing away from home, the nations from the Emerald Isles kicked off the qualifiers and both delivered impressive performances:


Kyle Lafferty celebrating 88th minute winner 
Northern Ireland travelled to Budapest to take on Hungary in the newly opened FTC Groupama Arena. Things started positively but Northern Irish fans thought it was normal service resumed when former Watford man, Tamas Priskin headed the ball past Roy Carroll. The equaliser came 7 minutes later when Kyle Lafferty squared the ball after a dazzling run and substitute Niall McGinn was on hand to slot into an empty net. Lafferty turned scorer as he was able to bundle a cross into the back of the net and take the three points back to Belfast. The Green and White Army will be spurred on by this pleasing result and a terrific performance to go with it and could this be the year where they qualify for their first ever European Championship? I certainly hope so!  Windsor Park hosts the next qualifier against the Faroe Islands on the 11th October.

Aiden McGeady beats the Georgian keeper
Our Southern friends, and Aiden McGeady in particular were able to stage a fine performance in a 2-1 win over Georgia in Tbilisi. McGeady, assisted by James McCarthy, scored his first goal on 33 minutes through a left footed shot inside the box into the back of the net. Their lead didn't last too long as the Georgians equalised 4 minutes later through a shot from Tornike Okriashvili outside the box. After the break, the home side decided to up the ante and continued to press but were unable to get past a solid Irish defence and test 'keeper, David Forde. Similar to their Northern counterparts, it took a late strike from McGeady to seal the 3 points and an unbeaten start to the campaign. A home game against Gibraltar awaits O'Neill's men on 11th October.

 
Ikechi Anya in disbelief having equalised with Germany
Scotland certainly had the hardest task of the Home Nations as they travelled to the Signal Iduna Stadium to take on the World Champions. 5000 hardy Scotsman made the journey to Dortmund on Sunday evening and chorus' of  "Flower of Scotland" were heard throughout the night. As per usual, Thomas Muller was a nightmare to mark and it the Bayern man 18 minutes to open the Germans account after a looping header over stranded David Marshall. Scotland did have chances but Steven Naismith was unable to convert from on 48 minutes. Winger, Ikechi Anya had plenty of joy down the left flank and was able to capitalise when debutant, Sebastian Rudy was caught out of position to equalise. Thomas Muller netted his second minutes later after a classic Sunday league scramble in the box with a toe into the roof of the net. Scotland, spurred on by the Tartan Army, pushed for an equaliser but to no avail. They take on Georgia in their next match.


Danny Welbeck scores his second goal of the night.
After a rather shambolic turnout at the World Cup and a poor performance against Norway on Friday, England had to build bridges and prepare for 2016. Many, included myself, expected England to struggle against the Swiss, however a solid team performance guided England to a 2-0 victory in Basel. Both teams had chances in the opening exchanges but it wasn't until a counter-attack from England in the 58th minute that saw the deadlock being broken when Danny Welbeck was able to convert a swift English counter. Switzerland were knocking on the English door but a Joe Hart halted proceedings. Sub, Josip Drmic had a magnificient opportunity but Gary Cahill pulled off a terrific goal line block to keep England's goal intact. Welbeck put the game beyond doubt 2 minutes from time with a side foot shot into the bottom of the net.
 
 
Gareth Bale celebrating his winner over Andorra
The last of my featured games is Wales' trip to the principality in the Pyrenees, Andorra expecting a routine victory. However Andorra obviously had not read the script as they took the lead with a penalty in the opening exchanges, their first competitive goal in 4 years. Wales found the principality difficult to break down but a superb early cross from Ben Davies allowed Gareth Bale to leap like salmon and guide the ball into the opposite corner of the net. For much of the second half Andorra frustrated Wales with their time wasting and rough tackles and it was evident that this did have an affect on the professionals. Eventually, with 10 minutes left, Bale stepped up and lashed a venomous free kick into the back of the net. Much improvement will be needed as the Welshmen face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their next match.
 
Excellent displays from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland grants them a platform to build on while Scotland can take heart from a terrific performance against the World Champions. England seem to be heading in the right direction and Wales have plenty of work to be doing on the training field after being bailed out by their talisman. 

Thursday 4 September 2014

LVG v David Moyes

We're 6 games into Louis Van Gaal's tenure at Old Trafford and it has not been all plain sailing for the Dutchman. However if we rewind 12 months, David Moyes endured a similar sticky spell, yet statistics show that he has gathered more points than the Dutchman in the first 5 league games. With this being the case, why did Moyes come under a barrage of abuse from the media and fans alike?

Quite simply, Van Gaal has the glossy credentials to support a claim as to why he can be considered one of the top managers at this present moment in time. The accolades to his name include league titles in Germany,  Spain and most notably in Holland with Ajax. His Ajax team of the 90s was driven on promoting youth and playing with pace and flair, all emphasised through a very effective 4-3-3 formation - something which I would love to see implemented at Manchester United.

In comparison, David Moyes did not have the glittering CV, nor did he have the quality of personnel that Louis Van Gaal did. Instead he has a solitary Division Two title that he achieved with Preston North End in 1999-2000 plus several Manager of the Month Awards. His lack of silverware in his managerial career made him an easy target for the press and fans. From the day his appointment was announced, the pressure was on the Glaswegian.

Hand-picked by Sir Alex Ferguson himself, the weight of expectation from a club that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, fell on the shoulders of the former Everton man and it did not look like he could cope with it. He guided Everton to solid finishes each year and reached the preliminary stages of the Champions League in 2005. Moyes often seemed nervous during the press conferences and often said the wrong thing at the same time. The sharp media that we have in our country picked up on that immediately and twisted it and yes I am referencing the comments made after the home game against Manchester City.
In contrast, LVG, walked into his first press conference with confidence and rebuked any journalist that asked any ludicrous and naïve questions. The media jumped on this and portrayed him as 'United's Saviour' and now they look ridiculous when David Moyes, a man who was cheered by Liverpool and Manchester City fans, has a better record than the World Cup semi finalist. That wasn't in Ed Woodward's script.
In terms of where I stand on this comparison of Moyes and Van Gaal, I share my opinion now, particularly if you missed my article for @FourFourTweet in April (http://fourfourtweet.co.uk/where-has-it-gone-wrong-for-manchester-united/). In that article I stated that I thought Moyes was used as a scapegoat and that others had to stand up and take the responsibility. As for Van Gaal, he has dodged bullets by talking about his 'philosophy' and if I got a pound for every time he mentioned that word, I reckon I could afford a ticket to the Emirates Stadium. Also, LVG made it crystal clear to everyone should not expect fireworks from the off, it will take a while until United are restored. An attempt to insure himself if United's season goes down the gutter? It looks like it. 
 
On the other hand, if we look at the results, David Moyes takes the points on this occasion. As you can see the respective starts from both managers, LVG was handed the easier of the two. Moyes picked up 2 victories against LVG's 1, while the former Bayern man achieved an extra draw. It will be interesting to see how LVG's United fares against the 'Top 4.' Van Gaal will likely play on the counter, particularly with an under-par defence coupled with injuries. I do think that United will alleviate their performances against the other challenging sides  and that they will have a better record under Van Gaal than they did under Moyes a year previous.
A major score for LVG is that he was able to sign quality players in an attempt to address problematic areas for the Old Trafford club. The signatures of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao in particular have pleased United fans. For David Moyes, he was only able to muster a panic buy from his former club for Marouane Fellaini in the summer. To say that Fellaini's performances were substandard would be an understatement. In the winter window, he acquired the services of Chelsea playmaker, Juan Mata. The midfielder was signed when United were apparently going through a midfield crisis due to supposedly not having a creative midfielder. This signing rejuvenated hope in the Old Trafford faithful, particularly with the thought that a major overhaul was going to take place. With Mata having scored 8 goals in 19 United appearances, this signing is a success.
Louis Van Gaal has got away with a lot of abuse that David Moyes would have received if he was in the Dutchman's shoes. Two points better off than LVG, Moyes would have been crucified in the media after the Leicester City game. It's a cruel world, with the media paid to separate the wheat from the chaff in the papers, especially after a disheartening performance. If this article has proved one thing, it's that life is not fair.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

10 Transfers That Caught Everyone off Guard

I nearly fell off my seat when I read on various sports sites that Manchester United had accepted a loan offer from Real Madrid for the little Mexican, Javier Hernandez. In light of Real Madrid's recent acquisition of Chicharito, what other transfers caught everyone off guard?


Luis Figo features on this list not because of his lack of talent (he had plenty of it!) but because of the clubs involved in his transfer. As all of you are aware, Barcelona and Real Madrid are fierce rivals, so to transfer from one to another during the peak of your career is seen as homocide. In 2000, he sentenced himself to a life time of abuse every time he visited the Nou Camp with Los Blancos. Everyone can remember his first El Clasico at the Nou Camp since his arrival in Madrid. The words "Judas", "Traitor" and "Scum" were ringing in Barcelona that night and was also mixed with the clatter of missiles aimed at the Portuguese international. It was safe to say that the Figo and Madrid were overwhelmed as they collapsed to a 2-0 defeat. 


Julien Faubert - remember him? Somehow the former West Ham wing-back managed to secure a loan deal to Real Madrid from the Hammers for a suspected fee of £1.5m with an option to buy at the end of the loan. I would like to know what Juande Ramos was smoking when he decided to sign Faubert, as he failed to score a goal in 27 appearances and only registered 3 assists, not very inspiring form to warrant a transfer to arguably the most famous club in the world. It was safe to say that the Frenchman flopped at Madrid, as he only made 2 appearances and his off field antics did not help him make his name at Madrid. He was once pictured sleeping on the bench as a substitute and even at his unveiling, Alfredo di Stefano seemed a bit bewildered.

                        

There was no way that this list would ever be complete without the Legend of Ali Dia appearing on it. I'm sure everyone knows the story but for those who don't let me refresh your memory. In 1996, Graeme Souness was convinced that the Senegalese footballer was the cousin of FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon D'Or winner, George Weah. Astonishingly, Souness, with an admitted lack of scouting, offered Dia a one month contract at the Saints. After making a single appearance at St Mary's, it was evident that Dia's footballing talent was not half as good as his persuasive skills and his contract was teminated 14 days later. It's a fact that you cannot buy a player without scouting and another fact that this remains the greatest football blag to date. All hail Ali.


A special mention has to go to the 2007 transfer scandal that involved Argentine's Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were interested in acquiring these pair and I am sure the money that was on the table was pretty healthy too. Everyone dreams of playing for the top European sides and when it was announced that they would be turning out in a West Ham shirt for the 2006/2007 season, it left everyone scratching their heads. It seemed too good to be true. Eventually the FA investigated, spotted the foul play and slapped a world record fine of £5.5m onto London club for their misdemeanours. Their time in London came to a swift end with Tevez venturing onto Manchester United and Mascherano rocking up north to Anfield.


Sol Campbell
As with Luis Figo it was the clubs involved that earned him a place on this list. Moving from Spurs to Arsenal is like a Russian defecting to the USA, only worse. There was once a day where he announced to magazine Spurs Monthly that he would never play for Arsenal. Oh how things changed. In the Summer of 2001 he left under the Bosman ruling and crossed the street to Highbury. What really rubs the salt into the wounds of Tottenham fans was that we enjoyed immediate success at the Gunners. In his first season with Arsenal (2001-2002) he achieved the league and FA Cup double. Could it get any worse for Spurs? Yes it could, in the iconic invincible season for Arsenal, they won the league at White Hart Lane. Ouch. At Arsenal he won 4 medals as well as an appearance in the 2006 Champions League Final. It's easy to see where Spurs fans come from, I would be pretty miffed if a top player moved from Manchester United to Manchester City... *Cough* Tevez *Cough*.


Andy Carroll
It seems so long ago that Andy Carroll was turning out at St James' Park for Newcastle every week, and I'm sure if he had known that things were to pan out this way then he would have stayed there a bit longer. It all started when Fernando Torres rocked Liverpool Football Club with his transfer request and that sent Kenny Dalglish on a mission to replace the Spaniard. We were thinking that they would go for someone European as they did with Torres, so when Andy Carroll was announced as the replacement on dead line day, there was a sense of confusion in the air. Unfortunately for Carroll, he was unable to live up to the £35m price that Liverpool paid for him. Injury plagued his time on Merseyside and was only able to score 11 goals in 58 appearances fro the Redmen. Eventually Brendan Rodgers decided to cut his losses and shipped Carroll out to West Ham.


Edgar Davids
In his prime Edgar Davids was a superb ball winning midfielder and was not phased by anyone, so when he moved to lowly Barnet in, it caught everyone off guard. For the Bees it was a massive coup, it generated more revenue through shirt sales and attracted bigger crowds to their matches. For Davids, it was one last hurrah in the lower tiers of English football. Most people would have thought that with his international experience and years playing at the top level of football, he would have guided the Bees to higher heights. Instead, Barnet were relegated to the Conference at  the end of the 2012/2013 season and he received a staggering 5 red cards and 13 yellow cards in 2 seasons. His move to Barnet was definitely a step down from the glorious heights of European football he experienced at Juventus.


Bebe
At Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson was renowned for buying young players and developing them into superstars, So when he bought Portuguese winger Bebe from Vitória de Guimarães in 2010 for £7.5m, we thought it was another masterstroke from the Glaswegian and we had another Ronaldo story on our hands. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Similar to Souness, Ferguson admitted to have done minimal scouting on the winger and his performances certainly showed that. Bebe was regularly dispatched on loan and after several mediocre seasons, he was sold to Benfica for €3m during the summer. To get that sum of money who didn't impress in his 7 appearances for the Red Devils, was quite staggering, I would have been impressed if they had got €1m for him. Bebe certainly rates as a baffling transfer and one of Fergie's worst blunders.


Fernando Hierro
Usually we associate Fernando Hierro as a great leader of men for Real Madrid and his goal scoring record wasn't bad for a centre back/defensive midfielder either, so when he signed for Bolton Wanderers along side Ivan Campo, we were left flabbergasted. Of course it was nice to see a household name arrive in England for a club other than the 'Big 4', and he tried to make an impact on the Reebok faithful. He made 29 appearances for The Trotters and scored a solitary goal in a 3-2 defeat at Norwich City. I'm sure fans from Bolton enjoyed the experience of having a footballing legend playing for them, and it was evident that he was liked both inside and outside the dressing room, particularly as manager Sam Allardyce and team mates attempted to persuade the Spaniard to extend his contract to no avail. He hung up his boots at the end of the season.  


Massimo Taibi
When Peter Schmeichel left for pastures anew at the end of Manchester United's treble winning season, Sir Alex Ferguson attempted at replacing the Great Dane with Massimo Taibi. Similar to Bebe, this has to rank as one of Fergie's most famous blunders. Ferguson threw him in at the deep end with his debut match coming against fierce rivals Liverpool. The debut jitters obviously got to him as he flapped at a free kick and allowed Sami Hyppia to score. Taibi became synonymous for his goalkeeping gaffe against Southampton where he let a pea rolling shot from Le Tissier squirm through his legs and into the back of the net. His other games weren't too fruitful as he conceded 5 in a drubbing against Chelsea and another 1 in a draw against Wimbledon. Overall he conceded 11 goals in 4 matches and never made another appearance in a red shirt again.     

I'd love to hear your suggestions on whose boots were to big or if anyone paid way over the odds for a player! As always I will probably have missed some blantantly obvious candidates.