As a Villa fan, I am clearly devastated about the result on Saturday. Having gone into the day with quite some optimism that we might at least be able to grab a point, the final result was a bitter pill to swallow. Admittedly, a defeat is a defeat, but it was the manner of it that was so embarrassing. As O’Neill admitted, the team seemed to give up after the third, which for a professional football team, is simply unforgivable. However, it is only a single defeat and the overreaction that has been seen on forums and message boards is quite ridiculous. Demands for O’Neill to be sacked, for the entire team to be dropped and fined, or boycotting the cup semi-final will not help anything, and there is a lot to be positive about for Villa fans.
I am not claiming that everything is rosy at Villa Park. A previous article looked at the growing discontent with Martin O’Neill, and this defeat is only going to exacerbate the situation. As a fan, I try to support the management and the players as much as possible, but there is nothing achieved by permanently looking at things through rose-tinted glasses. We have just suffered our worst defeat for a generation, and despite having been unbeaten this calendar year, performances have been poor and we came into this game on the back of consecutive home draws against two relatively mediocre sides. O’Neill has said it is his most devastating defeat in his managerial career, and I suspect a lot of fans are in agreement with him.
The result keeps up Martin O’Neill’s unwanted record of still having never won a Premiership game in March in his 4 years in charge of Villa. Is it merely an unfortunate coincidence or a sign of something systematically wrong at the club? The team relies on playing a high-tempo, high pressing game, which becomes difficult when players become tired. The team is not renowned for playing possession football – indeed, the players do not look after the ball particularly well at all – meaning that there is a lot of chasing, requiring a high work rate. Against Chelsea, five players had fitness tests on the day of the game, with four of them playing. Furthermore, the players have looked tired in recent matches – a point picked up on by Chelsea and John Terry. So, considering the style of play, it only seems right to question the decision to play tired, injured players.
Richard Dunne has been clearly struggling with injury recently, yet O’Neill decided to drop Carlos Cuellar to bring in the fresh Luke Young. James Milner has been taken off in both of the previous two games with injury, yet he played all 90 minutes against Chelsea, despite being out on his feet by the end. He made a change by bringing in Steve Sidwell to replace Stewart Downing, and was rewarded by a good performance. He was excellent in the first half and was one of the only bright points for Villa in the game.
However, this situation is nothing new. We saw a spectacular collapse last season, which was blamed on our European excursions and a small squad. This season, we lost in the qualifying round for the Europa League and invested in a number of squad members over the summer. However, the situation is the same. He has failed to rotate his squad at all over the course of the season thus far, playing the first team players into the ground to the point where they are virtually all exhausted or carrying injuries. Despite regular claims that he intends to rotate, he has used the second lowest number of players in the league this season – players such as Fabien Delph, Habib Beye, Nathan Delfouneso, Nigel Reo-Coker, Mark Albrighton and Curtis Davies have made a grand total of 28 start and 22 substitute appearances between the six of them in all league, cup and European games.
He also seems to have a tendency to play players out of position. We have two quality right backs in Luke Young and Habib Beye, both of whom have impressed when given the opportunity, yet he continues to persist with Carlos Cuellar in that position. Whilst Cuellar hasn’t disgraced himself, he is a central defender by trade and severely limits our attacking ability down that flank. The conversion of James Milner into a central midfielder is not ideal either. Whilst he has impressed against the smaller sides, he has looked out of place against the leading teams and leaves us with a situation of having Stiliyan Petrov and three wingers in midfield. This is exacerbated by the fact that Petrov is an attacking midfielder by trade, but has been converted into a holding midfielder at Villa. Using Milner alongside two other natural central midfielders would work, enabling him to use his creative abilities, but having the cover of two other midfielders.
However, despite all the negatives, it has not been a bad season for Villa. They are in seventh place in the league, having played all of the top 6 twice, with the exception of Manchester City. Realistically, it could be argued that this is position that we belong. The teams above us have all spent a lot more money and have a better squad, so should be above us. There have been victories at Old Trafford, Anfield, and the derby at St Andrews to enjoy, as well as victory over Chelsea at Villa Park. Before the Chelsea game, Villa had the joint best defence in the Premiership with Manchester United and every team but Chelsea has lost more games. One cup final has come and gone, whilst there is the FA Cup semi-final coming up next month.
Hopefully, the 7-1 to Chelsea is simply a freak one-off result and it will act as the kick-in-the-teeth that both Villa and Martin O’Neill need to finish the season well. A victory against Bolton next weekend will provide 3 points from the two games – more than would have been obtained from two draws. If you remember, Everton got hammered on the opening day of the season and have bounced back strongly to have an outside chance of a European place for next season. With games against Bolton, Hull, Portsmouth and Birmingham to come, there is the potential to bounce back and secure the points needed to ensure European football next season. The Champions League may be beyond them, but a top six finish is still a realistic possibility.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Monday, 22 March 2010
A Club in Crisis
Rewind to October 2004. Juan Bautista Soler, a Spanish property developer, took over as president of Valencia CF, one of Europe’s biggest clubs at the time. In the previous four years, they had reached two Champions League finals, won the Primera Liga twice and had lifted the UEFA Cup. Their starting eleven included the likes of Roberto Ayala, David Albelda, Rubén Baraja, Santiago Cañizares and Pablo Aimar. Although Rafa Benítez had just left, Claudio Ranieri, the man who had led Valencia to the Champions League final, had returned. The future looked bright for Valencia. Fast forward back to the present day. With debts reported to be over €450m, construction having stopped on the new stadium and relegated to the depths of the Europa League, Valencia are a club in crisis. How could things go so badly wrong in such a short period of time?
As an example of how not to run a football club, the past 5 years at Valencia should be used to warn off all future owners. Major mismanagement, combined with the effects of the economic crisis, has hit Valencia hard, threatening the very existence of the famous club. Arguments between the boardroom and the coaching staff, and amongst the coaching staff and the playing staff resulted in club captain David Albelda taking the president and club to court. The inability of the club to pay its playing staff led to a downturn in results on the pitch. Valencia virtually turned into a tragic soap-opera.
We will come to the mismanagement and the financial problems later, but the first, and one of the more bizarre, happenings was the ostracism of three of Valencia’s star players. David Albelda, the most successful captain in the history of the club and an icon at the Mestalla; Santiago Cañizares, arguably the second best Spanish goalkeeper at the time behind Iker Casillas; and Miguel Ángel Angulo, who had made over 300 appearances for the club over 10 years. The decision came as a major shock to everyone. It is suggested that they were excluded by Juan Soler – the three were major critics of his regime and he wanted to silence them, potentially fearing the influence of the three as a threat to his power. The three players were eventually reinstated over four months later, following a court case and the dismissal of Ronald Koeman, but the whole incident had caused major divisions in the squad, with some squad members supporting Soler and others supporting the exiled stars.
However, it is the financial problems that are the biggest threat to the club. With reported debts of over €450m, up from around €100m when Soler took over, there have been many worrying events in recent times. Last season, they were forced to delay payment to player for two months, leading to a dramatic collapse in form; the club fell from second to eighth, and slumped out of Europe during this period. On the 25th February last year, construction on the new stadium stopped due to lack of payments. A fortnight later, coach Unai Emery admitted that the club had reached ‘rock bottom’. Mass player sales were expected in the summer, although the club defied the predictions to retain all their players, other than Raul Albiol, who moved to Real Madrid for around €15m.
The economic crisis has hit Valencia badly in comparison to other clubs, due to their position at the time. Soler’s grand plan was to build a brand new stadium and training ground, and finance it by the sale and redevelopment of the existing stadium land and training facilities. However, they were dependent on the housing and construction markets remaining strong. With the economic crisis, these two sectors were amongst the worst hit in the Spanish economy. The club were left with two stadia and two training grounds – one that they couldn’t sell and one that they couldn’t build. Huge expenditures under Soler on both players and coaches added to the problems. Severance pay totalling over €35m went to Quique Sánchez Flores, Claudio Ranieri and Ronald Koeman. The club spent around €20m each on the likes of Manuel Fernandes, Ever Banega and Nikola Zigic – none of which has justified the large price tag.
The club was rapidly going through staff members as well. Over the course of Soler’s four year reign, the club went through five sporting directors, three director generals and three medical chiefs. The departure of Soler as president in March 2008 hardly stemmed the flow. In the following 12 months, the club had four different presidents, whilst in only six months between October 2008 and March 2009, they had six different sporting directors. Within three weeks of Unai Emery taking over as head coach in May 2008, he had worked for more different bosses than he had in the rest of his four year career combined.
When Soler stepped down as president, he sold his shares to Vicente Soriano, who claimed he would pay €90m for them and find a buyer for the Mestalla at €350m, but he broke both promises – he didn’t actually have the money he claimed he did. The club were dropped by their shirt sponsor and ditched by the local government. As if to spite Soler, the club won its first trophy in five years months after Soler had left.
The club missed out on the Champions League again last year, denying the club a crucial source of revenue. They are currently playing in the Europa League, but the difference in the money between the two competitions is huge. Qualification for next year’s Champions League would be a major boost for the club, and they currently sit in third place, despite poor recent form and a major injury crisis in defence. It could be argued that with a strong defence, the club would have the ability to challenge for the title with Barcelona and Real Madrid. In an attacking sense, the club is blessed with a number of highly talented individuals.
David Villa is one of the most sought after strikers on the planet; David Silva is a hugely talented midfielder who has been linked with big-money moves to the Premiership on numerous occasions; Juan Mata is a Spanish international, rated as having more potential than Silva by many; Ever Banega has been reinvigorated this season and praised as one of the best midfielders in the league. If they were forced to sell players, there would be no shortage of suitors.
It is a shame to see one of the historic clubs of Europe in such dire straits; indeed, there were major worries over bankruptcy only recently, and officially, the club is still insolvent. However, Unai Emery has done a magnificent job on a very limited budget – he has taken the club from finishing in the lower half to realistic challengers for the Champions League, virtually without spending any money whatsoever. Qualification for the Champions League next year would provide some hugely needed revenue. However, it would be expected that the club are forced to cash in on some of their assets this summer – David Villa and David Silva are two names that are likely to be mentioned with regards to this. Hopefully the club can hang on to their stars and continue their gradual recovery, but the new unfinished stadium will remain as a monument to the financial mismanagement of the past.
As an example of how not to run a football club, the past 5 years at Valencia should be used to warn off all future owners. Major mismanagement, combined with the effects of the economic crisis, has hit Valencia hard, threatening the very existence of the famous club. Arguments between the boardroom and the coaching staff, and amongst the coaching staff and the playing staff resulted in club captain David Albelda taking the president and club to court. The inability of the club to pay its playing staff led to a downturn in results on the pitch. Valencia virtually turned into a tragic soap-opera.
We will come to the mismanagement and the financial problems later, but the first, and one of the more bizarre, happenings was the ostracism of three of Valencia’s star players. David Albelda, the most successful captain in the history of the club and an icon at the Mestalla; Santiago Cañizares, arguably the second best Spanish goalkeeper at the time behind Iker Casillas; and Miguel Ángel Angulo, who had made over 300 appearances for the club over 10 years. The decision came as a major shock to everyone. It is suggested that they were excluded by Juan Soler – the three were major critics of his regime and he wanted to silence them, potentially fearing the influence of the three as a threat to his power. The three players were eventually reinstated over four months later, following a court case and the dismissal of Ronald Koeman, but the whole incident had caused major divisions in the squad, with some squad members supporting Soler and others supporting the exiled stars.
However, it is the financial problems that are the biggest threat to the club. With reported debts of over €450m, up from around €100m when Soler took over, there have been many worrying events in recent times. Last season, they were forced to delay payment to player for two months, leading to a dramatic collapse in form; the club fell from second to eighth, and slumped out of Europe during this period. On the 25th February last year, construction on the new stadium stopped due to lack of payments. A fortnight later, coach Unai Emery admitted that the club had reached ‘rock bottom’. Mass player sales were expected in the summer, although the club defied the predictions to retain all their players, other than Raul Albiol, who moved to Real Madrid for around €15m.
The economic crisis has hit Valencia badly in comparison to other clubs, due to their position at the time. Soler’s grand plan was to build a brand new stadium and training ground, and finance it by the sale and redevelopment of the existing stadium land and training facilities. However, they were dependent on the housing and construction markets remaining strong. With the economic crisis, these two sectors were amongst the worst hit in the Spanish economy. The club were left with two stadia and two training grounds – one that they couldn’t sell and one that they couldn’t build. Huge expenditures under Soler on both players and coaches added to the problems. Severance pay totalling over €35m went to Quique Sánchez Flores, Claudio Ranieri and Ronald Koeman. The club spent around €20m each on the likes of Manuel Fernandes, Ever Banega and Nikola Zigic – none of which has justified the large price tag.
The club was rapidly going through staff members as well. Over the course of Soler’s four year reign, the club went through five sporting directors, three director generals and three medical chiefs. The departure of Soler as president in March 2008 hardly stemmed the flow. In the following 12 months, the club had four different presidents, whilst in only six months between October 2008 and March 2009, they had six different sporting directors. Within three weeks of Unai Emery taking over as head coach in May 2008, he had worked for more different bosses than he had in the rest of his four year career combined.
When Soler stepped down as president, he sold his shares to Vicente Soriano, who claimed he would pay €90m for them and find a buyer for the Mestalla at €350m, but he broke both promises – he didn’t actually have the money he claimed he did. The club were dropped by their shirt sponsor and ditched by the local government. As if to spite Soler, the club won its first trophy in five years months after Soler had left.
The club missed out on the Champions League again last year, denying the club a crucial source of revenue. They are currently playing in the Europa League, but the difference in the money between the two competitions is huge. Qualification for next year’s Champions League would be a major boost for the club, and they currently sit in third place, despite poor recent form and a major injury crisis in defence. It could be argued that with a strong defence, the club would have the ability to challenge for the title with Barcelona and Real Madrid. In an attacking sense, the club is blessed with a number of highly talented individuals.
David Villa is one of the most sought after strikers on the planet; David Silva is a hugely talented midfielder who has been linked with big-money moves to the Premiership on numerous occasions; Juan Mata is a Spanish international, rated as having more potential than Silva by many; Ever Banega has been reinvigorated this season and praised as one of the best midfielders in the league. If they were forced to sell players, there would be no shortage of suitors.
It is a shame to see one of the historic clubs of Europe in such dire straits; indeed, there were major worries over bankruptcy only recently, and officially, the club is still insolvent. However, Unai Emery has done a magnificent job on a very limited budget – he has taken the club from finishing in the lower half to realistic challengers for the Champions League, virtually without spending any money whatsoever. Qualification for the Champions League next year would provide some hugely needed revenue. However, it would be expected that the club are forced to cash in on some of their assets this summer – David Villa and David Silva are two names that are likely to be mentioned with regards to this. Hopefully the club can hang on to their stars and continue their gradual recovery, but the new unfinished stadium will remain as a monument to the financial mismanagement of the past.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
A Crucial Two Months for O'Neill
When he was appointed in 2006, over 1,000 fans turned up at Villa Park to greet his arrival. After the O’Leary years of gradual demise and fallings out with the crowd, new optimism surrounded Aston Villa as Martin O’Neill was named as the new manager, ending a 15-month hiatus from football. He took over a side that had just finished 16th in the Premiership, narrowly avoiding relegation, and has led them to serious Champions League contenders within 4 years. However, murmurs of discontent are beginning to be heard around Villa Park and the relationship between manager and fans is beginning to sour.
David O’Leary departed Villa Park by mutual consent following a row over player criticism of the chairman, Doug Ellis, and Martin O’Neill was appointed, shortly before the takeover of the club by American billionaire, Randy Lerner. The previous season, Villa had finished 16th and had a squad full of limited players. O’Neill was unable to bring in too many new faces in his transfer window, but spent almost £20m in the January transfer window, bringing in the likes of Ashley Young and John Carew at the expense of Milan Baros and Peter Whittingham. An 11th placed finish suggested progress. A further £15m was spent in the summer on the likes of Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood led to an impressive 6th placed finish in the 2007/08 season and an Intertoto Cup place.
The summer of 2008 saw a large expenditure of over £30m on 8 new players, including Brad Friedal, James Milner and Carlos Cuellar. An excellent start to the season saw Villa being mentioned as possible title challengers in January. A small squad threatened to derail the season, but with reports suggesting there was money to spend to bring in new players to solidify the challenge, optimism was high around Villa Park. However, Emile Heskey was the only new face added to the squad – a decision met with significant disappointed amongst the fans – and despite a debut goal, injuries and a drop in form saw Villa collapse to a 6th placed finish. The decision to send a youth team to Moscow in the UEFA Cup to concentrate on the league backfired, and saw the beginning of the fall in relations between O’Neill and the fans.
The retirement of Martin Laursen and sale of Gareth Barry in the summer of 2009 left O’Neill with a big challenge to maintain the upward progress of his side, but having spent more than £40m over the summer, bringing 6 new faces to the club, suggested the ambition was still there. However, questionable selection decisions in the early part of the season saw an opening day home defeat to Wigan and the club crashing out of Europe in the qualifying round to Rapid Vienna. After the team was booed off against Wigan, he criticised the fans, leading to a backlash against the manager, although a good run of form placated them for a while. However, although there has been an underlying current of discontent around Villa Park for a while, there had been no open criticism or demonstrations of dissatisfaction against the manager until yesterday’s game against Wolves. Ironic jeering of his substitutions and booed off at full-time showed the opinions of a large section of the Villa Park crowd.
His critics argue that he is stuck in the past, mirroring a style of management that he learnt from the great Brian Clough, but which is simply not suited to the modern game. His use of substitutions has been questionable at times, and simply bizarre at others. His team selection has been open to debate – an insistence on playing players out of positions and a dislike for squad rotation has been pinpointed as weaknesses. And his responses to questions about the crowd reactions have hardly improved his relationship with them.
For the first two years of his Villa Park reign, there were no recognised right-backs in the squad, with Olof Mellberg, a centre-back, being regularly used to cover that position. Last season, he brought in Luke Young, who proved himself to be one of the top right-backs in the league and it appeared that position was sorted. The signing of Habib Beye in the summer added competition in that position and fans felt Villa had two good players. However, with only 18 appearances between them this season, Carlos Cuellar has been used as the first choice full-back. A natural centre-back, he copes well against teams with an aerial threat, but against traditional pacy wingers, he does not have the pace or knowledge of the position to cope, as seen against Wolves yesterday.
Whilst all managers have their favourites, O’Neill seems particularly stubborn in retaining those players, regardless of form. Combined with either a lack of imagination or strange supposed master-strokes when it comes to substitutes, this attitude has begun to irritate fans. The introduction of John Carew for Emile Heskey happens around the hour mark, regardless of the situation in the game, and Steve Sidwell has been introduced almost without fail week-in week-out. The £8m signing, Fabian Delph, has only made 3 starts, despite two man-of-the-match performances, and has only been brought on as a substitute 4 times. Youngster Nathan Delfouneso has only made three substitute appearances this season, despite a record of two goals in two starts in the cup this season and three goals in four starts last year. And despite players looking tired in recent games after a hectic schedule, O’Neill still seems reluctant to give any of the squad players an opportunity to shine.
Frustrations are running particularly high this season, since the fans believe that they have the ability to reach the Champions League, but realise that this could be their last major chance for a few years. If the likes of Manchester City or Tottenham snatch that place, they have the attraction and finances to bring in quality players that could push them to the next level. Following the Wolves game, he stated that “maybe they are not happy with a Carling Cup final appearance and FA Cup semi-final appearance and still battling for the Champions League with nine games left.” Obviously the fans are happy, although the advantage of some fairly easy draws (the highest placed team Villa have faced in the cup this year is Blackburn Rovers) has helped, but a team playing some fairly poor quality football and scraping a draw at home against Wolves is not what the fans expect following a net spend of over £100m in 4 years.
Whilst Villa fans do appreciate the job that Martin O’Neill has done at the club, there are a number questioning whether he has the ability to take the club to the next level. His seeming lack of a plan B has led to people debating his tactical knowledge and his inability to take any criticism has soured his relations with the fans, but he still retains the support of the owner. As he continues to emphasise, Villa are still in the hunt for the Champions League, so he will argue that he is doing a good job. However, whether 7th placed should be classed as success is open to debate – John Gregory never finished below 7th and was classed as a relative failure.
The rest of the season could be vital in determining the mood of the fans in the summer. O’Neill decided against spending any money on a striker in January, but if the club go on to secure 4th place, then the discontent is likely to subside. However, should the club finish in 7th, potentially missing out on Europe, then the tide of public opinion is likely to continue to shift. His repeated questioning of the fans has been a gamble, and if he is not able to achieve what he has stated, then he is likely to get little sympathy from a notoriously difficult-to-please set of supporters.
David O’Leary departed Villa Park by mutual consent following a row over player criticism of the chairman, Doug Ellis, and Martin O’Neill was appointed, shortly before the takeover of the club by American billionaire, Randy Lerner. The previous season, Villa had finished 16th and had a squad full of limited players. O’Neill was unable to bring in too many new faces in his transfer window, but spent almost £20m in the January transfer window, bringing in the likes of Ashley Young and John Carew at the expense of Milan Baros and Peter Whittingham. An 11th placed finish suggested progress. A further £15m was spent in the summer on the likes of Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon Harewood led to an impressive 6th placed finish in the 2007/08 season and an Intertoto Cup place.
The summer of 2008 saw a large expenditure of over £30m on 8 new players, including Brad Friedal, James Milner and Carlos Cuellar. An excellent start to the season saw Villa being mentioned as possible title challengers in January. A small squad threatened to derail the season, but with reports suggesting there was money to spend to bring in new players to solidify the challenge, optimism was high around Villa Park. However, Emile Heskey was the only new face added to the squad – a decision met with significant disappointed amongst the fans – and despite a debut goal, injuries and a drop in form saw Villa collapse to a 6th placed finish. The decision to send a youth team to Moscow in the UEFA Cup to concentrate on the league backfired, and saw the beginning of the fall in relations between O’Neill and the fans.
The retirement of Martin Laursen and sale of Gareth Barry in the summer of 2009 left O’Neill with a big challenge to maintain the upward progress of his side, but having spent more than £40m over the summer, bringing 6 new faces to the club, suggested the ambition was still there. However, questionable selection decisions in the early part of the season saw an opening day home defeat to Wigan and the club crashing out of Europe in the qualifying round to Rapid Vienna. After the team was booed off against Wigan, he criticised the fans, leading to a backlash against the manager, although a good run of form placated them for a while. However, although there has been an underlying current of discontent around Villa Park for a while, there had been no open criticism or demonstrations of dissatisfaction against the manager until yesterday’s game against Wolves. Ironic jeering of his substitutions and booed off at full-time showed the opinions of a large section of the Villa Park crowd.
His critics argue that he is stuck in the past, mirroring a style of management that he learnt from the great Brian Clough, but which is simply not suited to the modern game. His use of substitutions has been questionable at times, and simply bizarre at others. His team selection has been open to debate – an insistence on playing players out of positions and a dislike for squad rotation has been pinpointed as weaknesses. And his responses to questions about the crowd reactions have hardly improved his relationship with them.
For the first two years of his Villa Park reign, there were no recognised right-backs in the squad, with Olof Mellberg, a centre-back, being regularly used to cover that position. Last season, he brought in Luke Young, who proved himself to be one of the top right-backs in the league and it appeared that position was sorted. The signing of Habib Beye in the summer added competition in that position and fans felt Villa had two good players. However, with only 18 appearances between them this season, Carlos Cuellar has been used as the first choice full-back. A natural centre-back, he copes well against teams with an aerial threat, but against traditional pacy wingers, he does not have the pace or knowledge of the position to cope, as seen against Wolves yesterday.
Whilst all managers have their favourites, O’Neill seems particularly stubborn in retaining those players, regardless of form. Combined with either a lack of imagination or strange supposed master-strokes when it comes to substitutes, this attitude has begun to irritate fans. The introduction of John Carew for Emile Heskey happens around the hour mark, regardless of the situation in the game, and Steve Sidwell has been introduced almost without fail week-in week-out. The £8m signing, Fabian Delph, has only made 3 starts, despite two man-of-the-match performances, and has only been brought on as a substitute 4 times. Youngster Nathan Delfouneso has only made three substitute appearances this season, despite a record of two goals in two starts in the cup this season and three goals in four starts last year. And despite players looking tired in recent games after a hectic schedule, O’Neill still seems reluctant to give any of the squad players an opportunity to shine.
Frustrations are running particularly high this season, since the fans believe that they have the ability to reach the Champions League, but realise that this could be their last major chance for a few years. If the likes of Manchester City or Tottenham snatch that place, they have the attraction and finances to bring in quality players that could push them to the next level. Following the Wolves game, he stated that “maybe they are not happy with a Carling Cup final appearance and FA Cup semi-final appearance and still battling for the Champions League with nine games left.” Obviously the fans are happy, although the advantage of some fairly easy draws (the highest placed team Villa have faced in the cup this year is Blackburn Rovers) has helped, but a team playing some fairly poor quality football and scraping a draw at home against Wolves is not what the fans expect following a net spend of over £100m in 4 years.
Whilst Villa fans do appreciate the job that Martin O’Neill has done at the club, there are a number questioning whether he has the ability to take the club to the next level. His seeming lack of a plan B has led to people debating his tactical knowledge and his inability to take any criticism has soured his relations with the fans, but he still retains the support of the owner. As he continues to emphasise, Villa are still in the hunt for the Champions League, so he will argue that he is doing a good job. However, whether 7th placed should be classed as success is open to debate – John Gregory never finished below 7th and was classed as a relative failure.
The rest of the season could be vital in determining the mood of the fans in the summer. O’Neill decided against spending any money on a striker in January, but if the club go on to secure 4th place, then the discontent is likely to subside. However, should the club finish in 7th, potentially missing out on Europe, then the tide of public opinion is likely to continue to shift. His repeated questioning of the fans has been a gamble, and if he is not able to achieve what he has stated, then he is likely to get little sympathy from a notoriously difficult-to-please set of supporters.
Friday, 19 March 2010
A Storm Brewing in French Football
The recent success of Lyon and Bordeaux in the Champions League, with victories over Real Madrid and Olympiakos respectively, has sparked talk of a revival in French football. Lille and Marseille also made it to the knock-out stage of the Europa League, and the national team is facing a relatively straight-forward group in the World Cup in South Africa. However, under the surface, there is major trouble brewing in the French game.
On Wednesday night, a 38-year-old man passed away, having been in a coma for over two weeks, following clashes between rival PSG fans before the clash with arch rivals Marseille on February 28th. Paris Saint-Germain have taken the step of banning their own fans from travelling to away matches, whilst their upcoming match this weekend at Nice will be played behind closed doors following trouble involving the Nice fans in their match on January 30th against Monaco, when they invaded the pitch and attacked Monaco fans. This could be a potential blessing, since there have been violent clashes and injuries in recent seasons at matches between the two sides.
The problem of hooliganism and violence is taking centre stage, with even politicians becoming involved. French sports minister Rama Yade said, “The worst has happened. Passions turned into sordid, senseless, murderous rage. Love of the team jersey has become hate for the other, hate for the sport, hate for life.”
Paris Saint-Germain has rival factions amongst its fans – a far right element that gathers in the Kop of Boulogne section of the Parc-des-Princes stadium has long been in open conflict with supporters from another section at the opposite end of the ground, the Auteuil. Ahead of the game against Marseille, the Kop of Boulogne fans attacked their rivals outside the Auteuil entrance, leading to the death of the unfortunate fan. Reports also suggest that they were chanting anti-Semitic and racist slogans during the attack.
The disturbing thing is that this death isn’t the first. Only four years ago, Julien Quemener was shot and killed trying to protect a Jewish fan that had been attacked by a hate mob made up of other PSG fans. The killer was an off-duty policeman. Only last year before their UEFA Cup match with FC Twente, around 250 hooligans fought in Central Paris and outside the stadium, sending innocent passers-by running for safety. Racism is also still a common problem in French football, despite the best attempts of the authorities and the government. Before the Cup Final in 2008, an Arab man was attacked by around 30 PSG fans at the Saint-Michel railway station, before being rescued by surrounding passengers.
PSG fan groups have close ties with the club management, even having the power to influence aspects of the internal running of the club. However, following recent incidents, the club has severed ties with all fan groups, pledging to eradicate violence in and around the Parc-des-Princes. The league has ordered PSG to play their next game behind closed doors, and the French Interior Minister has intervened, forcing them to play their upcoming cup game in an empty stadium as well.
Hooliganism remains a major problem in French football at the moment and is threatening to dampen the optimism generated by the success of French sides in Europe in recent weeks. Far-right and anti-Semitic groups are amongst those at the centre of the problem and the police and authorities will have their work cut out to curb the problem. Reports suggest the future of Paris Saint-Germain is at stake if they are unable to control the violent elements of their support and it would be a shame if a famous club such as PSG was forced out by the behaviour of their own fans. However, this is a real threat coming from the highest levels of the French political system and the club and their fans would do well to heed it.
On Wednesday night, a 38-year-old man passed away, having been in a coma for over two weeks, following clashes between rival PSG fans before the clash with arch rivals Marseille on February 28th. Paris Saint-Germain have taken the step of banning their own fans from travelling to away matches, whilst their upcoming match this weekend at Nice will be played behind closed doors following trouble involving the Nice fans in their match on January 30th against Monaco, when they invaded the pitch and attacked Monaco fans. This could be a potential blessing, since there have been violent clashes and injuries in recent seasons at matches between the two sides.
The problem of hooliganism and violence is taking centre stage, with even politicians becoming involved. French sports minister Rama Yade said, “The worst has happened. Passions turned into sordid, senseless, murderous rage. Love of the team jersey has become hate for the other, hate for the sport, hate for life.”
Paris Saint-Germain has rival factions amongst its fans – a far right element that gathers in the Kop of Boulogne section of the Parc-des-Princes stadium has long been in open conflict with supporters from another section at the opposite end of the ground, the Auteuil. Ahead of the game against Marseille, the Kop of Boulogne fans attacked their rivals outside the Auteuil entrance, leading to the death of the unfortunate fan. Reports also suggest that they were chanting anti-Semitic and racist slogans during the attack.
The disturbing thing is that this death isn’t the first. Only four years ago, Julien Quemener was shot and killed trying to protect a Jewish fan that had been attacked by a hate mob made up of other PSG fans. The killer was an off-duty policeman. Only last year before their UEFA Cup match with FC Twente, around 250 hooligans fought in Central Paris and outside the stadium, sending innocent passers-by running for safety. Racism is also still a common problem in French football, despite the best attempts of the authorities and the government. Before the Cup Final in 2008, an Arab man was attacked by around 30 PSG fans at the Saint-Michel railway station, before being rescued by surrounding passengers.
PSG fan groups have close ties with the club management, even having the power to influence aspects of the internal running of the club. However, following recent incidents, the club has severed ties with all fan groups, pledging to eradicate violence in and around the Parc-des-Princes. The league has ordered PSG to play their next game behind closed doors, and the French Interior Minister has intervened, forcing them to play their upcoming cup game in an empty stadium as well.
Hooliganism remains a major problem in French football at the moment and is threatening to dampen the optimism generated by the success of French sides in Europe in recent weeks. Far-right and anti-Semitic groups are amongst those at the centre of the problem and the police and authorities will have their work cut out to curb the problem. Reports suggest the future of Paris Saint-Germain is at stake if they are unable to control the violent elements of their support and it would be a shame if a famous club such as PSG was forced out by the behaviour of their own fans. However, this is a real threat coming from the highest levels of the French political system and the club and their fans would do well to heed it.
Weekend Betting Tips
Charlton Athletic v Gillingham
Charlton have only lost twice at home all season, and despite a recent wobble, including a 4-0 defeat at Millwall, they will be looking to respond and get their promotion push back on track.
On the other hand, Gillingham haven’t won away from home all season and were lucky to come away with a point at bottom-side Stockport last time out. Facing a crisis in the striking department, with Chris Dickson unable to play due to the terms of his loan and Simeon Jackson facing a late fitness test, it is difficult to see where any goals are coming from.
I expect Charlton to win this comfortable and there may be some interest in the -1AH @ 1.95, but the straight win is the safer bet.
Bet: Charlton to win @ 1.57
Everton v Bolton
Everton have been in excellent form in recent months, particularly at home where they have won their last six games, including wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. The returns of Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka have been a massive boost, and Saha, Yakubu and Anichebe are all in good form up front. The departure of Landon Donovan will be a blow, but they have the quality to overcome that.
Bolton have taken only four points from the past seven away games, scoring 4 goals and conceding 16 in those games. The possible return of Gary Cahill would be a boost for Bolton, but they will struggle to get anything out of this game.
I expect Everton to win this and continue their late charge for a European place. Bolton are good enough to stay up as they have shown with 3 wins in the last 4 games, but will predominantly get the points at home as they are simply not good enough to challenge at places like Goodison Park.
Bet: Everton -1AH @ 1.93
Stoke v Tottenham
The Britannia Stadium is a notorious difficult place to go and win – only United, Chelsea and Arsenal have won there this season. The other 3 contenders for 4th place have all drawn there in recent weeks and Stoke will fancy their chances of preventing Spurs taking all 3 points back to London. With only 1 league defeat in 2010 and the memories of victory at White Hart Lane back in October mean that Stoke will be confident of getting a result. The return of Ryan Shawcross after suspension will tighten their defence and the likes of Ricardo Fuller and Dave Kitson will provide a goal threat.
Spurs have often struggled against some of the more physical sides away from home this season and will have to face the aerial barrage that ensues from the Rory Delap long throws. Spurs are still dreaming of fourth place and would love to get a result here, where their competitors have failed. However, their win at Blackburn last week suggests that they are able to go to difficult places and grind out results and with Defoe and Pavlyuchenko in top form, they always have the ability to score goals.
Very few teams go to Stoke and return with the three points and I suspect Spurs will be no different from Liverpool, Villa and City in recent weeks. None of them have won there and Stoke will fancy their chances of picking up more points against one of the top teams.
Bet: Stoke or Draw @ 1.66
Merthyr Tydfil v Hednesford Town
Merthyr have lost four straight games at home, have only won 1 of the last 11 and have a lengthy injury list, meaning they have struggled to find enough defenders in recent games. They have scored in each of their last 13 games, suggesting they have goals in them, but have conceded 29 in those games.
Hednesford have won 7 of their last ten games, having scored 22 goals in that time. They play aggressive attacking football, and although they give the opposition chances to score, they should have the firepower up front to see off Merthyr
Bet: Hednesford @ 2.25
Boston United v Nantwich Town
Since losing to Bradford Park Avenue in mid-December, Boston have won 12 straight games, scoring 41 goals in the process. An impressive record that has seen them moving up the table rapidly.
Nantwich Town have a long injury list and this is their fifth game in 14 days. Three defeats in their last four games, although they became only the second side to win at Kendal this season. They have been trying to bring in loan players to refresh their squad, but Boston should be too strong for them on this occasion.
Bet: Boston United @ 1.40
Charlton have only lost twice at home all season, and despite a recent wobble, including a 4-0 defeat at Millwall, they will be looking to respond and get their promotion push back on track.
On the other hand, Gillingham haven’t won away from home all season and were lucky to come away with a point at bottom-side Stockport last time out. Facing a crisis in the striking department, with Chris Dickson unable to play due to the terms of his loan and Simeon Jackson facing a late fitness test, it is difficult to see where any goals are coming from.
I expect Charlton to win this comfortable and there may be some interest in the -1AH @ 1.95, but the straight win is the safer bet.
Bet: Charlton to win @ 1.57
Everton v Bolton
Everton have been in excellent form in recent months, particularly at home where they have won their last six games, including wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. The returns of Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka have been a massive boost, and Saha, Yakubu and Anichebe are all in good form up front. The departure of Landon Donovan will be a blow, but they have the quality to overcome that.
Bolton have taken only four points from the past seven away games, scoring 4 goals and conceding 16 in those games. The possible return of Gary Cahill would be a boost for Bolton, but they will struggle to get anything out of this game.
I expect Everton to win this and continue their late charge for a European place. Bolton are good enough to stay up as they have shown with 3 wins in the last 4 games, but will predominantly get the points at home as they are simply not good enough to challenge at places like Goodison Park.
Bet: Everton -1AH @ 1.93
Stoke v Tottenham
The Britannia Stadium is a notorious difficult place to go and win – only United, Chelsea and Arsenal have won there this season. The other 3 contenders for 4th place have all drawn there in recent weeks and Stoke will fancy their chances of preventing Spurs taking all 3 points back to London. With only 1 league defeat in 2010 and the memories of victory at White Hart Lane back in October mean that Stoke will be confident of getting a result. The return of Ryan Shawcross after suspension will tighten their defence and the likes of Ricardo Fuller and Dave Kitson will provide a goal threat.
Spurs have often struggled against some of the more physical sides away from home this season and will have to face the aerial barrage that ensues from the Rory Delap long throws. Spurs are still dreaming of fourth place and would love to get a result here, where their competitors have failed. However, their win at Blackburn last week suggests that they are able to go to difficult places and grind out results and with Defoe and Pavlyuchenko in top form, they always have the ability to score goals.
Very few teams go to Stoke and return with the three points and I suspect Spurs will be no different from Liverpool, Villa and City in recent weeks. None of them have won there and Stoke will fancy their chances of picking up more points against one of the top teams.
Bet: Stoke or Draw @ 1.66
Merthyr Tydfil v Hednesford Town
Merthyr have lost four straight games at home, have only won 1 of the last 11 and have a lengthy injury list, meaning they have struggled to find enough defenders in recent games. They have scored in each of their last 13 games, suggesting they have goals in them, but have conceded 29 in those games.
Hednesford have won 7 of their last ten games, having scored 22 goals in that time. They play aggressive attacking football, and although they give the opposition chances to score, they should have the firepower up front to see off Merthyr
Bet: Hednesford @ 2.25
Boston United v Nantwich Town
Since losing to Bradford Park Avenue in mid-December, Boston have won 12 straight games, scoring 41 goals in the process. An impressive record that has seen them moving up the table rapidly.
Nantwich Town have a long injury list and this is their fifth game in 14 days. Three defeats in their last four games, although they became only the second side to win at Kendal this season. They have been trying to bring in loan players to refresh their squad, but Boston should be too strong for them on this occasion.
Bet: Boston United @ 1.40
Hodgson - the successor to Capello?
When Fabio Capello was named as the new manager of England following the disastrous reign of Steve McClaren, it was universally accepted that England would have to settle for a foreign coach once again. There was simply no standout English candidate at the time – the likes of Harry Redknapp, Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce were all mentioned, but none of them had a serious and realistic chance. However, when the time comes that Capello and England part ways, there is one man that currently stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of the competition as his successor – Roy Hodgson.
Since taking over at Fulham in December 2007, the transformation that the club has undergone under the leadership of Hodgson is astonishing. With five games to go in the 2007/08 season, Fulham appeared a certainty for relegation. A win at Reading gave them hope, but defeat against an under strength Liverpool at Craven Cottage meant that they had to win all their remaining games to survive. At 2-0 down after only 19 minutes at the City of Manchester Stadium looked to confirm their demise. However, a stunning turnaround that mirrors the fortunes of the club in the years since, led to a 3-2 victory thanks to an injury time winner from Diomansy Kamara. Two victories in the final two games secured their Premiership status for another year and it has all been positive since.
The signings of Brede Hangeland, Mark Schwarzer and Bobby Zamora were hailed as masterstrokes by the press and a refreshing blend of simple, but quality football saw Hodgson record Fulham’s highest ever finish last year in 7th place, qualifying for the Europa League. If supporters thought that was the pinnacle, there were more magnificent moments to come. Two gritty, backs-to-the-wall performances against the holders, Shakhtar, saw them draw Italian giants Juventus in the next round. After a 3-1 defeat in Turin and conceding in the opening 10 minutes at Craven Cottage, the European adventure seemed to be over. Bookies were offering 70-1 on Fulham to qualify. However, a stunning performance, spearheaded by Zamora, who made the legendary Fabio Cannavaro look very ordinary, and capped by a wonderful goal by Clint Dempsey saw them recover to win 4-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate. The calls for Hodgson to replace Capello increased.
Roy Hodgson is one of those rare English managers that has spent significant time in Europe learning his trade. He was appointed to his first managerial role in 1976 at the age of 28 by Swedish side Halmstads. Having just avoided relegation the previous season, they were almost universally tipped to finish rock-bottom. However, in one of the biggest shocks in Swedish history, Hodgson comfortably led them to the league title. To this day, he still classes this as his greatest achievement. Following another title two years later, he moved to Bristol City, but struggled due to the club’s financial problems.
In 1985, he took over at Malmö, whom he led to five straight league championships, becoming a hero to the fans there, who have unofficially named a part of the new stadium after him. He was offered a lifetime contract at the club, but felt he wanted to move on and challenge himself in new competitions. He moved to Switzerland, managing Neuchâtel Xamax to victories over Celtic and Real Madrid, before being offered the national team role in 1992.
He led the country to the 1994 World Cup, their first in almost 30 years. The feat was all the more impressive considering their group contained Italy, who would go on to finish runners-up, and a Portugal team, featuring the likes of Fernando Couto, Vitor Baía and João Pinto. They went on to qualify from the group stage, but lost in the last 16 to Spain. Qualification for Euro ’96 was fairly straightforward, but Hodgson left in November 1995, before the tournament to join Inter Milan.
Despite the club having started poorly, he led them to a 7th placed finish that was good enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The following season he led them to a 3rd placed finish and the final of the UEFA Cup, where they lost on penalties to Schalke. He didn’t have a team of star names, but a strong physical approach proved successful. However, fearing the sack due to not winning the Scudetto, he moved to Blackburn Rovers that summer.
Following a 6th placed finish in his first season, he was being tipped as a future England manager, but a terrible start to the following season saw Blackburn bottom of the table at Christmas, and Hodgson looking for a new job. Spells at Inter, as technical director, Grasshoppers, Copenhagen, Udinese and Viking followed, whilst he was shortlisted for the England job, but lost out to his good friend Sven-Göran Eriksson.
He returned to international football with Finland, where, despite not being able to lead them to Euro 2008, he was hailed as a success, having kept them in contention until the last round of games – a feat virtually unheard of in Finland. However, he rejected a new contract to take over at Fulham.
A very intelligent man, who is famed for his attention to detail, he speaks four languages fluently and is relatively proficient in another four; he must surely be considered as one of the front-runners for the England job in the future. His reputation around Europe is well-respected; he has been offered the German job, before it was withdrawn following public pressure against appointing an Englishman, and retains a close friendship with Massimo Moratti, the Inter Milan owner, where there are rumours in Italy that he may be set to replace Mourinho in the summer, should the self-proclaimed 'Special One' decide to part ways with the club.
His CV is unrivalled, having managed 12 teams in 8 different countries, and 3 nations over a 34 year career. He is regularly approached by UEFA’s technical study groups to analyse systems and styles, and to educate and advise future generations. He has a good relationship with the national press, having gained a reputation as a straight-talking, honest manager, who rarely blames referees or other circumstances for defeats. And he has received the backing of none other than Sir Alex Ferguson, who claimed that he would be ideal for the England job. Everybody would ideally like an Englishman to manage England, and finally it would appear that we have a suitable man for the job.
Since taking over at Fulham in December 2007, the transformation that the club has undergone under the leadership of Hodgson is astonishing. With five games to go in the 2007/08 season, Fulham appeared a certainty for relegation. A win at Reading gave them hope, but defeat against an under strength Liverpool at Craven Cottage meant that they had to win all their remaining games to survive. At 2-0 down after only 19 minutes at the City of Manchester Stadium looked to confirm their demise. However, a stunning turnaround that mirrors the fortunes of the club in the years since, led to a 3-2 victory thanks to an injury time winner from Diomansy Kamara. Two victories in the final two games secured their Premiership status for another year and it has all been positive since.
The signings of Brede Hangeland, Mark Schwarzer and Bobby Zamora were hailed as masterstrokes by the press and a refreshing blend of simple, but quality football saw Hodgson record Fulham’s highest ever finish last year in 7th place, qualifying for the Europa League. If supporters thought that was the pinnacle, there were more magnificent moments to come. Two gritty, backs-to-the-wall performances against the holders, Shakhtar, saw them draw Italian giants Juventus in the next round. After a 3-1 defeat in Turin and conceding in the opening 10 minutes at Craven Cottage, the European adventure seemed to be over. Bookies were offering 70-1 on Fulham to qualify. However, a stunning performance, spearheaded by Zamora, who made the legendary Fabio Cannavaro look very ordinary, and capped by a wonderful goal by Clint Dempsey saw them recover to win 4-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate. The calls for Hodgson to replace Capello increased.
Roy Hodgson is one of those rare English managers that has spent significant time in Europe learning his trade. He was appointed to his first managerial role in 1976 at the age of 28 by Swedish side Halmstads. Having just avoided relegation the previous season, they were almost universally tipped to finish rock-bottom. However, in one of the biggest shocks in Swedish history, Hodgson comfortably led them to the league title. To this day, he still classes this as his greatest achievement. Following another title two years later, he moved to Bristol City, but struggled due to the club’s financial problems.
In 1985, he took over at Malmö, whom he led to five straight league championships, becoming a hero to the fans there, who have unofficially named a part of the new stadium after him. He was offered a lifetime contract at the club, but felt he wanted to move on and challenge himself in new competitions. He moved to Switzerland, managing Neuchâtel Xamax to victories over Celtic and Real Madrid, before being offered the national team role in 1992.
He led the country to the 1994 World Cup, their first in almost 30 years. The feat was all the more impressive considering their group contained Italy, who would go on to finish runners-up, and a Portugal team, featuring the likes of Fernando Couto, Vitor Baía and João Pinto. They went on to qualify from the group stage, but lost in the last 16 to Spain. Qualification for Euro ’96 was fairly straightforward, but Hodgson left in November 1995, before the tournament to join Inter Milan.
Despite the club having started poorly, he led them to a 7th placed finish that was good enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The following season he led them to a 3rd placed finish and the final of the UEFA Cup, where they lost on penalties to Schalke. He didn’t have a team of star names, but a strong physical approach proved successful. However, fearing the sack due to not winning the Scudetto, he moved to Blackburn Rovers that summer.
Following a 6th placed finish in his first season, he was being tipped as a future England manager, but a terrible start to the following season saw Blackburn bottom of the table at Christmas, and Hodgson looking for a new job. Spells at Inter, as technical director, Grasshoppers, Copenhagen, Udinese and Viking followed, whilst he was shortlisted for the England job, but lost out to his good friend Sven-Göran Eriksson.
He returned to international football with Finland, where, despite not being able to lead them to Euro 2008, he was hailed as a success, having kept them in contention until the last round of games – a feat virtually unheard of in Finland. However, he rejected a new contract to take over at Fulham.
A very intelligent man, who is famed for his attention to detail, he speaks four languages fluently and is relatively proficient in another four; he must surely be considered as one of the front-runners for the England job in the future. His reputation around Europe is well-respected; he has been offered the German job, before it was withdrawn following public pressure against appointing an Englishman, and retains a close friendship with Massimo Moratti, the Inter Milan owner, where there are rumours in Italy that he may be set to replace Mourinho in the summer, should the self-proclaimed 'Special One' decide to part ways with the club.
His CV is unrivalled, having managed 12 teams in 8 different countries, and 3 nations over a 34 year career. He is regularly approached by UEFA’s technical study groups to analyse systems and styles, and to educate and advise future generations. He has a good relationship with the national press, having gained a reputation as a straight-talking, honest manager, who rarely blames referees or other circumstances for defeats. And he has received the backing of none other than Sir Alex Ferguson, who claimed that he would be ideal for the England job. Everybody would ideally like an Englishman to manage England, and finally it would appear that we have a suitable man for the job.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Adriano - an unfulfilled career
“Really, this is a dream, to be a champion again and, above all, to be happy.” These words from a 28-year-old striker, who was once feared as one of the top strikers on the planet, only begin to give a glimpse into the complex character that is Adriano Leite Ribeiro, commonly known simply as Adriano. For a man that was once considered as the long term replacement for Ronaldo in the Brazilian national side, he has had a turbulent career, mixing some brilliant performances with a troubled personal life that has, at times, threatened to overwhelm him and destroy his career in football.
Adriano was born and bred in one of the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, and started his career at Flamengo. His career had a dream start – fast-tracked into the first team less than a year after signing youth terms with the club, he scored his first ever professional goal within 5 minutes of his debut against Botafogo. After scoring 7 goals in 19 games, he made his international debut against Colombia at the tender age of 18, having only played his first competitive match less than 10 months before.
In the summer of 2001, he was signed by Italian giants, Inter Milan for a fee believed to have been over €5m, but struggled early on and was loaned out to Fiorentina in January, 2002, where he impressed, scoring 6 goals in only 13 appearances. He returned to Inter during the summer, but rapidly moved on, signing for Parma for €12.5m in a co-ownership deal that saw him playing for Parma, but meaning that Inter held 50% of his contract and had future options on him. He scored 15 goals during the 2002/03 and hit 8 in the first 9 games of the following campaign before Inter decided to buy out Parma’s 50% share for a fee of €29m – a huge fee, meaning that they valued him at around €58m. His impressive run continued and in the summer of 2005, he was rewarded with a new five year contract, having hit 40 goals for club and country in the previous 12 months and having picked up awards for the best player and top goalscorer in both the 2004 Copa America and the 2005 Confederations Cup. A legend appeared to be being born.
However, it was during this period that tragedies in his personal life began to affect Adriano. He was hit severely by the death of his father in late 2004, and then he was dumped by his partner during the summer of 2005, whilst she was pregnant with his first child. For a man whose teammates have reportedly claimed ‘his mind and mentality is still locked in his teenage years’, it was a difficult period. He began to seek refuge in ill-advised forms of entertainment, including alcohol and women. Reports surfaced that he was regularly blowing £30k in nightclubs, and his partying habits cost him his place in the national side, with his manager claiming he needed to ‘change his behaviour’ and ‘focus on football’. He was later dropped from the starting line-up at Inter following him skipping training the day after his birthday due to the effects of a length celebration the night before. Despite Inter flying his mother in from Brazil to try and help, his form plummeted and in November, 2007, Inter chairman, Massimo Moratti sent him on unpaid leave to train in São Paulo in Brazil, due to his poor physical condition and an ongoing battle with alcoholism.
In December, he was officially loaned to São Paulo to allow him to compete in the Copa Libertadores and he scored twice on his debut against Guaratinguetá. However, things were soon to go downhill as he was sent off against Santos a few months later and narrowly avoided an eighteen month suspension, escaping with a two game ban on a virtual technicality. Weeks later, he was fined for arriving late to training, then walking out early. He returned to Inter Milan early in June as Såo Paulo felt he was too unreliable to keep for the rest of the campaign.
His career back at the Guiseppe Meazza began well, scoring five goals at the beginning of the 2008/09 season. However, due to personal issues once again, he was allowed to return to Brazil early for the winter break, then his relationship with the club collapsed in April when he did not return following international duty, cutting contact with the club. On April 24th, it was announced that the club had terminated his contract by mutual consent. It was believed that he had abandoned his contract because he was unhappy in Italy and wanted to be closer to his friends back in the favela where he had grown up. Indeed, he came close to quitting football altogether claiming “I’ve lost the happiness of playing. I wouldn’t like to go back to Italy. I want to live in peace here in Brazil.”
However, he decided to continue his career and re-signed with his first club, Flamengo, the following month. He scored on his debut and went on to top the goalscoring charts with 19 goals in his first season, whilst winning the award for the Player of the Year. His improved performances caught the eye of the Brazilian national coach and regained his place in the national squad, scoring his first international goal for over 2 years against Venezuela and pushing for a place in the World Cup squad.
Unfortunately, once again his personal life has threatened to destabilise his prospects. In March 2008, he hit the headlines following a confrontation with his girlfriend whilst out partying with some of his teammates 36 hours before a crucial league match. He was reportedly attacked by her, pushing her away, then she damaged his car by hurling rocks at it. He then missed training the next day and there are reports that he has turned to alcohol again and is hiding out back in the favela. Marco Braz, a director at Flamengo, has said that “when he starts drinking, he can’t stop. He had to overcome this, but it started again because of this personal situation he is going through.”
It would be a huge shame if he is unable to overcome these personal demons, since he is undoubtedly a hugely talented footballer. His record of 27 goals in 48 appearances for Brazil is impressive and he has scored over 150 goals at club level at a rate of almost a goal every other game. His height, combined with exceptional pace and finishing ability, means that he is virtually unplayable on his day, and it is no surprise that he is still coveted by a number of European clubs, with Roma and Juventus the latest two sides to show an interest. However, if he is unable to put his alcohol problems to one side and concentrate on his game, a promising career may come to a tragic end earlier than he may have hoped.
Adriano was born and bred in one of the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, and started his career at Flamengo. His career had a dream start – fast-tracked into the first team less than a year after signing youth terms with the club, he scored his first ever professional goal within 5 minutes of his debut against Botafogo. After scoring 7 goals in 19 games, he made his international debut against Colombia at the tender age of 18, having only played his first competitive match less than 10 months before.
In the summer of 2001, he was signed by Italian giants, Inter Milan for a fee believed to have been over €5m, but struggled early on and was loaned out to Fiorentina in January, 2002, where he impressed, scoring 6 goals in only 13 appearances. He returned to Inter during the summer, but rapidly moved on, signing for Parma for €12.5m in a co-ownership deal that saw him playing for Parma, but meaning that Inter held 50% of his contract and had future options on him. He scored 15 goals during the 2002/03 and hit 8 in the first 9 games of the following campaign before Inter decided to buy out Parma’s 50% share for a fee of €29m – a huge fee, meaning that they valued him at around €58m. His impressive run continued and in the summer of 2005, he was rewarded with a new five year contract, having hit 40 goals for club and country in the previous 12 months and having picked up awards for the best player and top goalscorer in both the 2004 Copa America and the 2005 Confederations Cup. A legend appeared to be being born.
However, it was during this period that tragedies in his personal life began to affect Adriano. He was hit severely by the death of his father in late 2004, and then he was dumped by his partner during the summer of 2005, whilst she was pregnant with his first child. For a man whose teammates have reportedly claimed ‘his mind and mentality is still locked in his teenage years’, it was a difficult period. He began to seek refuge in ill-advised forms of entertainment, including alcohol and women. Reports surfaced that he was regularly blowing £30k in nightclubs, and his partying habits cost him his place in the national side, with his manager claiming he needed to ‘change his behaviour’ and ‘focus on football’. He was later dropped from the starting line-up at Inter following him skipping training the day after his birthday due to the effects of a length celebration the night before. Despite Inter flying his mother in from Brazil to try and help, his form plummeted and in November, 2007, Inter chairman, Massimo Moratti sent him on unpaid leave to train in São Paulo in Brazil, due to his poor physical condition and an ongoing battle with alcoholism.
In December, he was officially loaned to São Paulo to allow him to compete in the Copa Libertadores and he scored twice on his debut against Guaratinguetá. However, things were soon to go downhill as he was sent off against Santos a few months later and narrowly avoided an eighteen month suspension, escaping with a two game ban on a virtual technicality. Weeks later, he was fined for arriving late to training, then walking out early. He returned to Inter Milan early in June as Såo Paulo felt he was too unreliable to keep for the rest of the campaign.
His career back at the Guiseppe Meazza began well, scoring five goals at the beginning of the 2008/09 season. However, due to personal issues once again, he was allowed to return to Brazil early for the winter break, then his relationship with the club collapsed in April when he did not return following international duty, cutting contact with the club. On April 24th, it was announced that the club had terminated his contract by mutual consent. It was believed that he had abandoned his contract because he was unhappy in Italy and wanted to be closer to his friends back in the favela where he had grown up. Indeed, he came close to quitting football altogether claiming “I’ve lost the happiness of playing. I wouldn’t like to go back to Italy. I want to live in peace here in Brazil.”
However, he decided to continue his career and re-signed with his first club, Flamengo, the following month. He scored on his debut and went on to top the goalscoring charts with 19 goals in his first season, whilst winning the award for the Player of the Year. His improved performances caught the eye of the Brazilian national coach and regained his place in the national squad, scoring his first international goal for over 2 years against Venezuela and pushing for a place in the World Cup squad.
Unfortunately, once again his personal life has threatened to destabilise his prospects. In March 2008, he hit the headlines following a confrontation with his girlfriend whilst out partying with some of his teammates 36 hours before a crucial league match. He was reportedly attacked by her, pushing her away, then she damaged his car by hurling rocks at it. He then missed training the next day and there are reports that he has turned to alcohol again and is hiding out back in the favela. Marco Braz, a director at Flamengo, has said that “when he starts drinking, he can’t stop. He had to overcome this, but it started again because of this personal situation he is going through.”
It would be a huge shame if he is unable to overcome these personal demons, since he is undoubtedly a hugely talented footballer. His record of 27 goals in 48 appearances for Brazil is impressive and he has scored over 150 goals at club level at a rate of almost a goal every other game. His height, combined with exceptional pace and finishing ability, means that he is virtually unplayable on his day, and it is no surprise that he is still coveted by a number of European clubs, with Roma and Juventus the latest two sides to show an interest. However, if he is unable to put his alcohol problems to one side and concentrate on his game, a promising career may come to a tragic end earlier than he may have hoped.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Official Standards Slipping?
So this previous weekend, we saw the first major trophy of the season decided. A match from which much was expected. The most successful side in British football over the past two decades against a young, hungry Villa side, full of pace and trickery. The pre-match entertainment lived up to expectations, the national anthem was blasted out by almost 90,000 watching supporters, and then we were off. With barely five minutes on the clock, Gabriel Agbonlahor burst away from Nemanja Vidic, was hauled back by the Serbian defender, and then skipped away again, only to be brought down in the penalty area. Referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot and Villa and United fans alike waited to see what further punishment would be meted out. As we now know, not even a yellow card…In the modern day of football, where television cameras are everywhere and replays can be summoned up for the TV audience in a matter of seconds, the decisions of the officials are scrutinised more closely than ever before. There is barely a match that goes by where one of the managers is not bemoaning a call that went against his side. Pundits analyse the decisions in slow-motion and explain how the referee has made a terrible judgement. However, other pundits disagree and put their case forward for how the official has got it spot on. In these situations, the referee must make a split-second decision based on what he has seen. It is unfair to criticise his decision, if the pundits cannot even agree after watching it five times from multiple different angles.
However, there seem to be more and more examples of the officials simply making bad decisions. Decisions that were not a matter of judgement, but simple interpretation of the rules. Missing offside decisions that were clearly offside, failing to show the red card where it was almost impossible not to. Indeed, one of the worst decisions in recent years was the decision by Stuart Atwell to award Watford a goal against Reading when the ball had not even passed between the posts – how neither he, nor his two assistants had not noticed that simple fact is beyond belief. Yet he is now refereeing week-in week-out in the Premiership, supposedly the best league in the world.
Now I’m not suggesting that this is only an English phenomenon. Celtic has recently had discussions with the Scottish FA over their beliefs that the standard of refereeing has declined in recent years. A name that Chelsea fans will remember, Tom Henning Ovrebo, who controversially denied the English club a stream of penalties in their semi-final against Barcelona last year, has been in the news again for the wrong reasons following a sub-standard performance in the Bayern Munich against Fiorentina match. He made a number of strange decisions in the match – failing to send off Mark van Bommel for a horrific two-footed challenge, then failing to give him a second yellow card minutes later for a blatant dive. He then sent off Massimo Gobbi for violent conduct, despite replays suggesting that Arjen Robben had run into the motionless Fiorentina player, then collapsed to the floor clutching his throat. However, the worst decision was yet to come. Ivica Olic nodded the ball square to Miroslav Klose to slide into the empty net for the winner. However, apparently unseen to the referee or his perfectly-positioned assistant, Klose had been standing a clear three yards offside.
With the ever-increasing amount of money at stake in football, virtually every game gains more and more importance to clubs. Matches are growing in intensity, but increasingly seem to be influenced by the referee and questionable decisions. One of the major issues both fans and managers have with officials concerns the idea of consistency. Whilst nobody likes to see mistakes being made, if there was a degree of consistency in the decision-making across officials, people might at least begin to take a slightly less hard-line view on the standard of refereeing. When you compare three decisions in the past week – Salmon Kalou being brought down by Walter Samuel for Chelsea against Inter Milan, Gareth Barry being brought down by Belletti for Manchester City against Chelsea and the Agbonlahor and Vidic incident at Wembley – they are three almost identical situations, but which brought three completely different outcomes. Nothing was given for the Kalou incident, a penalty and a red card for the Belletti one and just a penalty against Vidic. It makes you wonder how three such similar incidents can be interpreted so differently by three supposedly highly-qualified officials.
Personally, I think that referees could use more help in the modern day. Technology is used to scrutinise their every decision and provide evidence for those who would criticise them, however there seems to be a lack of willingness to use similar technology to help them. Video replays are used in a number of other sports – rugby, cricket, tennis to name a few – and have been successful in most of these. I am not suggesting that technology should be used for every decision in football – there is still a strong role for the on-field officials. However, it would be beneficial for the game if some form of technology was introduced. Goal-line technology is the one that is most often quoted and this would be the obvious first stage. There is nothing subjective about whether the ball has crossed the line or not – it either has, or it hasn’t. And given that replays can be summoned in a matter of seconds, controversial decisions such as this could be resolved with minimal delay to play. Indeed, the players want it as well – a poll of the captain’s of the 48 Europa League clubs this season found that 90% were in favour of the introduction of goal-line technology, whilst UEFAs new experiment of two extra officials was found to have no improvement in decision-making by 70% of those asked.
The final thing that may bring players, managers and fans back toward agreement with officials would be the issue of accountability. Currently, managers and players must attend post-match interviews and press conferences to face the media. However, there is no such rule for officials, despite they are often involved in the most controversial moments during the match. They are marked by a member of the refereeing authorities on their performance, but we never find out how they are marked or indeed, what mark they receive. It is also very rare to hear a referee come out and admit that he made an incorrect decision, even when the evidence is obvious. A greater degree of transparency and accountability in this area would at least allow fans to hear the reasoning behind decisions.
So overall, whilst there are a lot of concerns about the standard of refereeing, it is difficult to know whether there is an actual decline or whether it simply appears that way due to the intense scrutiny that accompanies every decision in the modern world of TV replays. Either way, it seems clear that officials have distanced themselves from managers, players and fans alike, and it would be in their interests to try and bridge this gap. Issues of accountability and transparency would help, as would a greater degree of consistency across referees. However, it seems beyond belief that the footballing authorities still continue to prevent the introduction of goal-line technology that would surely provide added assistance to officials and help to reinforce the integrity of the game.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Terry for England?
When news broke over a month about the private life of John Terry, few would have anticipated the saga that would evolve over the coming weeks. You don’t have to have been a football fan to have been following this story that would rival most soap operas. It has been splashed across the front pages of tabloids and broadsheets alike and it shows no signs of going away. Hopefully now Terry and Wayne Bridge have come face-to-face on the pitch, the story will fade away and football can take pride of place again. Bridge has abandoned his hopes of representing his country at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa over the episode, supposedly over Terry’s failure to apologise, but there is growing concern over the position of John Terry in that team.
As the highest paid central defender, and 9th highest paid footballer on the planet, he would appear to be one of the very best in his role. And for a long time, it would have been difficult to argue with this fact. The banner that hangs in the Matthew Harding stand at Stamford Bridge – ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ – sums up the views of the Chelsea faithful and he has been admired by managers and fans throughout Europe for his performances on the pitch. Never one blessed with an abundance of pace, he has made up for this with his ability to read the game and a combination of his physical presence and fearless attitude. However, since the scandal broke, he has looked a shadow of his former self, and the intense media scrutiny is clearly having an effect on the Chelsea and former England skipper.
By his own standards, Terry will admit that he has not had the best season. However, an impeccable performance against Birmingham on January 27th was his best of the campaign and it looked as though he was getting back to his imperious best. Then the story broke. Ancelotti claimed that it would not affect Terry; that he was a big enough character to stay focussed on the pitch. The first game after the allegations came out, he scored a late winner against Burnley and it appeared that his manager was correct. He was applauded for his mental strength and ability to leave any personal baggage in the dressing room.
However, over the last couple of games, he seems to be feeling the pressure and mistakes are creeping into his game. By his own admission, he was at fault for both goals as Everton beat Chelsea at Goodison Park, losing Louis Saha from a corner for the first goal and misjudging a header allowing Saha in behind for the second and winning goal. An uncertain performance against Wolves followed as Chelsea recorded a narrow victory, despite an uncharacteristically nervy performance. Chelsea then headed for the San Siro to face Inter Milan, where Terry was again at fault for an early Diego Milito goal, his lack of pace now being exploited and punished.
However, the real test of his performance under scrutiny came last weekend as Wayne Bridge’s Manchester City were the visitors to Stamford Bridge. The media circus had been focussing on the handshake between the players, which never came, but more noticeable was the distinctly underwhelming performance from the Chelsea captain. Ancelotti claimed that Terry’s performance had been error-free, but it was clear to even the most casual of viewer that he was struggling with his form. At fault for the opening City goal, where he was turned too easily by Carlos Tevez, then was unable to catch him, he had a miserable afternoon as Chelsea were beaten at home for the first time this season. Questions are being raised about his presence in the Chelsea side.
So, whilst England have lost their second choice left back over the whole affair, the relentless media pressure and scrutiny of John Terry has clearly had an impact on his performances on the field. Given his current form, he looks a liability at the back, and if it was anybody else alongside Ricardo Carvalho, he would surely have been dropped by now. Fabio Capello has demonstrated that he is not afraid to make big decisions, having axed Terry as captain already, so if Terry is unable to break out of his current slump, his position in the squad has to be in question. England do have other options in the heart of the defence: Rio Ferdinand, who is likely to take over as captain, is a certain starter; Joleon Lescott and Matthew Upson have played in that position for England before, whilst Ryan Shawcross and Michael Dawson have been putting in a string of quality performances in recent months.
If he is not an automatic first choice on the team-sheet, there is an argument that squad harmony would be improved by not taking him at all. The French side of 1982 experienced a similar episode during the tournament itself, where following defeat in the opening game, rumours came out that Jean-François Larios was having an affair with the wife of Michel Platini. Larios was sent home immediately and the improved atmosphere was cited as the reason for the improvement in performances over the remainder of the tournament.
If the incessant media attention on this story does not cease in the coming weeks, the pressure on Terry will only continue to grow, and it is impossible for any player, no matter how mentally strong, to ignore it and not let it affect their performances on the pitch. As the saying goes, ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’, and it cannot be denied that John Terry has been one of the top defenders in the world over recent seasons. However, his lack of form will be a concern to Capello, and a failure to improve could eventually cost him a place at the tournament where he once may have dreamed of lifting the famous trophy.
As the highest paid central defender, and 9th highest paid footballer on the planet, he would appear to be one of the very best in his role. And for a long time, it would have been difficult to argue with this fact. The banner that hangs in the Matthew Harding stand at Stamford Bridge – ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ – sums up the views of the Chelsea faithful and he has been admired by managers and fans throughout Europe for his performances on the pitch. Never one blessed with an abundance of pace, he has made up for this with his ability to read the game and a combination of his physical presence and fearless attitude. However, since the scandal broke, he has looked a shadow of his former self, and the intense media scrutiny is clearly having an effect on the Chelsea and former England skipper.
By his own standards, Terry will admit that he has not had the best season. However, an impeccable performance against Birmingham on January 27th was his best of the campaign and it looked as though he was getting back to his imperious best. Then the story broke. Ancelotti claimed that it would not affect Terry; that he was a big enough character to stay focussed on the pitch. The first game after the allegations came out, he scored a late winner against Burnley and it appeared that his manager was correct. He was applauded for his mental strength and ability to leave any personal baggage in the dressing room.
However, over the last couple of games, he seems to be feeling the pressure and mistakes are creeping into his game. By his own admission, he was at fault for both goals as Everton beat Chelsea at Goodison Park, losing Louis Saha from a corner for the first goal and misjudging a header allowing Saha in behind for the second and winning goal. An uncertain performance against Wolves followed as Chelsea recorded a narrow victory, despite an uncharacteristically nervy performance. Chelsea then headed for the San Siro to face Inter Milan, where Terry was again at fault for an early Diego Milito goal, his lack of pace now being exploited and punished.
However, the real test of his performance under scrutiny came last weekend as Wayne Bridge’s Manchester City were the visitors to Stamford Bridge. The media circus had been focussing on the handshake between the players, which never came, but more noticeable was the distinctly underwhelming performance from the Chelsea captain. Ancelotti claimed that Terry’s performance had been error-free, but it was clear to even the most casual of viewer that he was struggling with his form. At fault for the opening City goal, where he was turned too easily by Carlos Tevez, then was unable to catch him, he had a miserable afternoon as Chelsea were beaten at home for the first time this season. Questions are being raised about his presence in the Chelsea side.
So, whilst England have lost their second choice left back over the whole affair, the relentless media pressure and scrutiny of John Terry has clearly had an impact on his performances on the field. Given his current form, he looks a liability at the back, and if it was anybody else alongside Ricardo Carvalho, he would surely have been dropped by now. Fabio Capello has demonstrated that he is not afraid to make big decisions, having axed Terry as captain already, so if Terry is unable to break out of his current slump, his position in the squad has to be in question. England do have other options in the heart of the defence: Rio Ferdinand, who is likely to take over as captain, is a certain starter; Joleon Lescott and Matthew Upson have played in that position for England before, whilst Ryan Shawcross and Michael Dawson have been putting in a string of quality performances in recent months.
If he is not an automatic first choice on the team-sheet, there is an argument that squad harmony would be improved by not taking him at all. The French side of 1982 experienced a similar episode during the tournament itself, where following defeat in the opening game, rumours came out that Jean-François Larios was having an affair with the wife of Michel Platini. Larios was sent home immediately and the improved atmosphere was cited as the reason for the improvement in performances over the remainder of the tournament.
If the incessant media attention on this story does not cease in the coming weeks, the pressure on Terry will only continue to grow, and it is impossible for any player, no matter how mentally strong, to ignore it and not let it affect their performances on the pitch. As the saying goes, ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’, and it cannot be denied that John Terry has been one of the top defenders in the world over recent seasons. However, his lack of form will be a concern to Capello, and a failure to improve could eventually cost him a place at the tournament where he once may have dreamed of lifting the famous trophy.
The Demise of Portsmouth
So it has finally happened. On Friday, Portsmouth FC became the first Premier League club to be forced to enter administration. Whilst there have been 45 club insolvencies in the Football League since 2002, many of these following the collapse of ITV Digital, it seemed difficult to believe that a club in the world’s richest league could face the scale of financial problems that Portsmouth currently face. With debts of over £70m, despite player sales of over £50m in the past two years, and a tax bill of £12m and rising, it is difficult to see where Pompey head from here. Indeed, estimates suggest that they need £20m in order to see out the season.
Entering administration is not the get-out-of-jail card that it may appear to be. The process provides the club with a three month lifeline in order to try and get the club back in a condition to continue trading, whilst searching for a new purchaser to take the club forward in the future. However, the key objective of the administrator is to safeguard the interests of the clubs creditors, including HMRC and Sacha Gaydamak amongst many others. It is believed that Portsmouth will be able to provide the cash flow to see out the current season – they hope to convince the Premier League to allow them to sell players outside of the current transfer, as well as advancing them the final two television payments and parachute payments that they would receive from relegation, which is now virtually confirmed. Whilst it would require approval from 75% of the Premier League sides, given the fact that Pompey are now virtually guaranteed to be relegated, and the ability of the Premier League to implement ‘club in crisis’ measures, it is expected that they will give in to these demands in order to avoid the further embarrassment that would come about from one of their member clubs being forced to fold mid-season. However, further problems for the troubled club are likely to come in the summer, where they will be faced by a £3m a month wage bill, with no gate receipt to cover these costs.
Portsmouth has got itself into this situation by spending money that they simply didn’t have. A common issue in modern football clubs, where approximately 70% of clubs bridge the income gap through a wealthy benefactor. However, this does leave the clubs vulnerable to any financial or health problems the owner may face, as seen by the problems and eventual demise of Scottish Premier Division side Gretna in 2008. A major problem faced by Portsmouth was their infrastructure, which simply was not of a sufficient level to allow them to financially survive in the Premier League. A dilapidated stadium, which has now been seized by current owner Balram Chainrai in return for writing off part of the debt owed to him by the club, with virtually no corporate seating, and in recent times, a murky ownership structure, simply did not provide the revenue and cash flow to allow them to live at the level they were hoping for.
Much blame has been laid at the door of the directors and behind-the-scenes staff. Chief executive, Peter Storrie, is rumoured to be amongst the best paid in the division, whilst during their FA Cup winning season, directors salaries rocketed from just over £900k to well over £2.6m. Other shady figures lurk in the shadows – Arcadi Gaydamak, a convicted arms trafficker, has claimed them as an asset; they have been advised by Daniel Azougy, a convicted fraudster; Peter Storrie himself is facing charges of tax evasion. Even former manager, Harry Redknapp, has been the target of criticism, particularly given the past financial record of teams that he has been involved with – three have now gone into administration, whilst West Ham have faced their own financial problems in recent times. Rumours of corruption and money-laundering have been heard in recent weeks. However, it is general financial mismanagement all-round that has contributed to Portsmouth’s current plight, rather than errors by any one individual.
So what does the future hold? An indebted Championship side with no stadium and a battered credit rating is hardly attractive to new investors. Their future depends on the ability of the administrators to maintain a cash positive position, at least until the summer, whilst stepping up the hunt for possible new owners – ones that actually have the funding that they claim. They will also be attempting to secure a CVA, which would avoid any further deductions for next season, although this may be difficult to obtain, particularly given HMRC’s tendency to vote against them in football cases. Without this, they face at least a 15 point deduction for next season, which would leave them an uphill battle to avoid relegation to League 1.
Portsmouth will survive until the summer, but their future beyond that point looks bleak. A fire-sale of players will be inevitable and they face the real possibility of either further points deductions and following the path of their south coast neighbours down into League 1, or if they cannot survive the summer, a real possibility of going out of business. A new phoenix club would surely be born out of the ashes, but either way, it is likely to be many years until we see Portsmouth FC back in the promised land of the Premier League.
Entering administration is not the get-out-of-jail card that it may appear to be. The process provides the club with a three month lifeline in order to try and get the club back in a condition to continue trading, whilst searching for a new purchaser to take the club forward in the future. However, the key objective of the administrator is to safeguard the interests of the clubs creditors, including HMRC and Sacha Gaydamak amongst many others. It is believed that Portsmouth will be able to provide the cash flow to see out the current season – they hope to convince the Premier League to allow them to sell players outside of the current transfer, as well as advancing them the final two television payments and parachute payments that they would receive from relegation, which is now virtually confirmed. Whilst it would require approval from 75% of the Premier League sides, given the fact that Pompey are now virtually guaranteed to be relegated, and the ability of the Premier League to implement ‘club in crisis’ measures, it is expected that they will give in to these demands in order to avoid the further embarrassment that would come about from one of their member clubs being forced to fold mid-season. However, further problems for the troubled club are likely to come in the summer, where they will be faced by a £3m a month wage bill, with no gate receipt to cover these costs.
Portsmouth has got itself into this situation by spending money that they simply didn’t have. A common issue in modern football clubs, where approximately 70% of clubs bridge the income gap through a wealthy benefactor. However, this does leave the clubs vulnerable to any financial or health problems the owner may face, as seen by the problems and eventual demise of Scottish Premier Division side Gretna in 2008. A major problem faced by Portsmouth was their infrastructure, which simply was not of a sufficient level to allow them to financially survive in the Premier League. A dilapidated stadium, which has now been seized by current owner Balram Chainrai in return for writing off part of the debt owed to him by the club, with virtually no corporate seating, and in recent times, a murky ownership structure, simply did not provide the revenue and cash flow to allow them to live at the level they were hoping for.
Much blame has been laid at the door of the directors and behind-the-scenes staff. Chief executive, Peter Storrie, is rumoured to be amongst the best paid in the division, whilst during their FA Cup winning season, directors salaries rocketed from just over £900k to well over £2.6m. Other shady figures lurk in the shadows – Arcadi Gaydamak, a convicted arms trafficker, has claimed them as an asset; they have been advised by Daniel Azougy, a convicted fraudster; Peter Storrie himself is facing charges of tax evasion. Even former manager, Harry Redknapp, has been the target of criticism, particularly given the past financial record of teams that he has been involved with – three have now gone into administration, whilst West Ham have faced their own financial problems in recent times. Rumours of corruption and money-laundering have been heard in recent weeks. However, it is general financial mismanagement all-round that has contributed to Portsmouth’s current plight, rather than errors by any one individual.
So what does the future hold? An indebted Championship side with no stadium and a battered credit rating is hardly attractive to new investors. Their future depends on the ability of the administrators to maintain a cash positive position, at least until the summer, whilst stepping up the hunt for possible new owners – ones that actually have the funding that they claim. They will also be attempting to secure a CVA, which would avoid any further deductions for next season, although this may be difficult to obtain, particularly given HMRC’s tendency to vote against them in football cases. Without this, they face at least a 15 point deduction for next season, which would leave them an uphill battle to avoid relegation to League 1.
Portsmouth will survive until the summer, but their future beyond that point looks bleak. A fire-sale of players will be inevitable and they face the real possibility of either further points deductions and following the path of their south coast neighbours down into League 1, or if they cannot survive the summer, a real possibility of going out of business. A new phoenix club would surely be born out of the ashes, but either way, it is likely to be many years until we see Portsmouth FC back in the promised land of the Premier League.