28 February 2010. Why Premiership Fans & The Media Should Be Shown The Red Card by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Sky Sport's and MOTD's decision not to show the tackle/foul that left Arsenal's teenage midfielder Aaron Ramsey with a broken leg inevitably lead fan's to conclude that the perpetrator, Stoke's Ryan Shawcross, must have committed a heinous, leg breaking foul similar to the one by Birmingham defence Martin Taylor that left Eduardo with a detached ankle. Wenger did not help matters in his post match interviews when mentioning Eduardo and, bizarrely Diaby who no one can have any sympathy for given the murderous challenges he has committed in the past.

Before I get to what actually happened, with the benefit of a slow-motion DVR replay, let me make one thing clear. I do believe in the cliched rubbish trotted out by the pundits on Sky Sports and MOTD such as 'he was going for the ball', 'he got the ball', 'he's an honest lad' and all that other bollocks. As far as this country is concerned the media and the fans fester an environment in which putting in ILLEGAL tackles is encouraged. I saw a number of yellow card challenges in the Man City game, in addition to the bookings, that went unpunished. In the Stoke-Arsenal game Cesc Fabregas should have been red carded for his foul from behind late on, Birmingham's Liam Ridgewell should have seen red for a wild two footed lunge on James McCarthy (but the media instead chose to focus on an injury to the linesman) and this season Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe had committed some atrocious fouls. He stamped on Aaron Mokoena, he stamped on Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon's elbow AFTER he had the ball in his hands and just this past week at Wigan after a two footed, jumping foul on Gary Caldwell, which again did not even earn him a booking, Paul Merson on Sky Sports claimed he isn't 'that type of player' - he clearly is. The referees, the fans, the players, the coaches, the pundits, they don't know the rules, they don't know the difference between a tackle and a foul. The types of challenges committed on a weekly basis in the EPL simply do not happen in Italy or Spain and I dare say in other leagues as well. In Serie A especially half a dozen red cards in one round of fixtures is not uncommon. A look at last season's team discipline between the top three European leagues shows a staggering disparity in the red card count between the EPL as compared to both La Liga and Serie A :

2008-2009 Team Discipline

EPL : 1170 yellow cards, 62 red cards
La Liga : 2053 yellow card, 151 red cards
Serie A : 1711 yellow card, 123 red cards

Back to the Ramsey/Shawcross incident. Bendtner was trying to turn Shawcross on the centre circle, the ball popped up and hit Shawcross on the hand, as Bendtner appealed for handball Shawcross ran forward but his touch was heavy, Ramsey came steaming in with his left foot in the air as he made a challenge, almost jumping into a tackle HE SHOULD NOT BE MAKING, Shawcross followed through, trying to kick clear and judging by the still from MOTD Ramsey's right ankle was at an angle to the ground as Shawcross made contact. I know I'll get grief for this but that hasn't stopped me in the past, I actually blame Ramsey to some extent. There is no way he was going to win the ball without hurting either himself or Shawcross. These are the type of tackles players like Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho etc, etc do not make. So why is it encouraged in the EPL? 50-50 balls always seem to result in an injury anyway. Shawcross was just going for a ball that was more or less his, Ramsey made a stupid challenge and paid a heavy price.

In a broader context Wenger is right and something needs to be done to change the attitudes of fans, players, coaches and the media but I don't expect anything to happen. The rules are and have been designed to protect players from foul play. They need to be applied in the EPL as they are in Italy and Spain.

Previous Entries

16 October 2009. Xabi Alonso - The Overstated Importance of a Square Passing Merchant
3 October 2009. Galliani is the Root of Milan's Problems
6 September 2009. Argentina - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
20 August 2009. Benitez Cannot Plead Poverty
16 August 2009. Video Technology - Take The Power Away From FIFA
24 December 2008. The Guardian Podcast - A Rebuttal
20 August 2007. One Rule For Liverpool, One for Everyone Else
20 August 2007. Sven Goran Eriksson's Transfer by Video Tape

16 October 2009. Xabi Alonso - The Overstated Importance of a Square Passing Merchant by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Real Madrid's pursuit of Xabi Alonso was one of the most tiresome transfer sagas of the summer, occupying more column inches than even the record breaking moves of Kaka' and Ronaldo. Experts and non experts alike argued Liverpool simply couldn't afford to lose him, argued he was the missing piece of the puzzle in the Real Madrid jigsaw. Two months into the new season incredibly these absurd claims have resurfaced. That the sycophantic hypocrite Guillem Balague, who worships at the Benitez altar, despite decrying defensive and in particular Italian football in earlier years, has re-iterated these points in a recent issue of Champions magazine is no real surprise but even the much respected Sid Lowe and the normally excellent Lee Dixon have propagated this myth.

Liverpool's poor start has convinced the press and Liverpool fans they are missing a player whose much vaunted range of passing yields a scant average of 4 assists a season. A quick glance at Liverpool's goals against column shows where the real problems lie. They have conceded 12 goals in 8 games having conceded 27 during the whole of the 2008-2009 campaign and the cracks in Liverpool's defence came to the fore last season when Xabi Alonso was still at the club.

Having held joint leadership of the league with Chelsea in November 2008 Liverpool drew four and won one of their next five league games. Their failure to press home their advantage while Manchester United were in Japan winning the Club World Cup proved costly. It took five years and this run of results for the coaching genius that is Rafa Benitez to realise the Premier League cannot be won by playing catenaccio away from home. The shift to a more adventurous brand of football produced some eye catching results including 5-0 and 4-0 victories over Aston Villa and Blackburn respectively, a 0-3 win at West Ham and of course a thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable 1-4 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford but it was a case of too little to late. Where does Alonso fit into all this you may ask? Sandwiched in between Liverpool's 4-4 draw with Arsenal at Anfield were their epic Champions League quarter-finals against Chelsea the second leg of which was also a 4-4 draw. Liverpool, forced to play catch-up in both eight goal thrillers without the injured Gerrard, were exposed, the much vaunted midfield pairing of Mascherano and Xabi Alonso couldn't cope with the added defensive responsibilities due to the newly adopted attacking approach. In that respect with Alonso now at Real Madrid, nothing has changed. Alonso offers as little defensively as he does offensively, a fact which lead Benitez to make the following comment on his notoriously injury prone replacement :

"For the final pass, Aquilani has more accuracy than Xabi."

Xabi Alonso's impact at Real Madrid has been equally negligible. It's no coincidence that Real Madrid were without Cristiano Ronaldo when they suffered their first loss, to Sevilla, earlier this month nor is it a coincidence that in their previous game they were being held 0-0 by Tenerife until the second half introduction of Kaka' a player who is of course infinitely more dynamic than the pedestrian Alonso.

In a recent issue of Champions magazine Xabi Alonso, on his role at Real Madrid, claimed :

"The challenge is to oil this machine properly."

Xabi Alonso is not the oil, he is the furry dice hanging from the rear view mirror, a pointless extra. Standards must have slipped greatly in recent years if a player like Xabi Alonso, whose main contribution is passing the ball to team-mates that are more technically accomplished, more creative, is celebrated or deemed vital to a team's success. It's a celebration of mediocrity. Xabi Alonso is no midfield orchestrator, he is a latter day Jamie Redknapp, a square passing merchant.


3 October 2009. Galliani is the Root of Milan's Problems by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Milan are a club in crisis. Their mid-week defeat in the Champions League by Swiss champions Zurich follows miserable domestic form which sees them sitting in a lowly 11th place but their problems go much deeper than the loss of Kaka', the retirement of Paolo Maldini and an ageing squad and their inept vice president, Adriano Galliani, is to blame. Despite former coach Carlo Ancelotti's lack of faith in younger players he deserves tremendous credit for what he achieved in Europe with limited resources.

Due to a conflict of interests with his political career Silvio Berlusconi ceded control of the day to day running of Milan to Galliani. Recent successes in the Champions League belie years of mismanagement. Following Milan's penalty shoot-out triumph over Juventus in the 2003 European Cup final Galliani embarked on a policy of not only extending the contracts of ageing stars, out of a misplaced sense of loyalty, but also signing them - Vieri, Favalli, Rivaldo and Pancaro all joined after they hit 30. Ancelotti was never backed in the transfer market. As early as 2005 he requested Frank Ribery, then a largely unknown 22 year old who was struggling at Galatasaray following a controversial move from Metz but his requests were ignored. Last season he identified the need for a target man to give the Milan attack a physical presence but instead of Adebayor he was given Marco Boriello, a former youth team player who was sold to Genoa in a co-ownership deal only to be carelessly re-signed a year later for €10 million. Most damaging of all was the loss of Yoann Gourcuff. Milan beat a host of clubs to the signature of the prodigiously gifted playmaker in 2006. Even though Ancelotti failed to give Gourcuff adequate playing time the arrival of Ronaldinho pushed Gourcuff further down the pecking order and despite limited options in midfield he was sent on loan to Bordeaux with the added clause that gave the French club the option to sign him at the end of last season for €14 million, an option they promptly exercised after Gourcuff inspired Bordeaux to the league title, despite a last ditch attempt by Galliani and new coach Leonardo to change the youngster's mind. Milan have repeated the same mistake with teenage striker Alberto Paloschi, who has been sent on loan to Parma. At the end of the season they will have to outbid Parma in a blind auction to re-sign a player that, by rights, was theirs. Lazio winger Pasquale Foggia, now an Italy international, is another former youth team player sold under Galliani's watch. In the post Maldini, post Kaka', post Ancelotti era Leonardo is bearing the brunt of Galliani's ill devised transfer strategy.

Leonardo was a surprise choice as Ancelotti's successor especially as Marco Van Basten, Berlusconi's favourite son, had been tipped to succeed his former team-mate. Leonardo was part of Milan's title winning side of 1999 and had worked for years in a scouting capacity for the club. He was instrumental in bringing Kaka', Pato and Tiago Silva to the San Siro. As with Ancelotti, Leonardo has not been backed in the transfer market. He stressed the need for more options at full back and a centre forward. Milan were linked with a host of names - Eto'o, Adebayor, Dzeko, Luis Fabiano, Cissokho and Rafinha, none arrived. It was only after a run of disastrous defeats in pre-season friendlies that Berlusconi's hand was forced and following a meeting with Leonardo and Galliani Klass Jan Huntelaar arrived from Real Madrid. Berlusconi of course isn't blameless either. His inexplicable faith in Ronaldinho and sudden bout of austerity has compromised the clubs chances of success. Milan and Bayern enjoy a rare privilage among Europe's elite clubs, they are debt free but unlike the German giants Milan are a club with short arms and deep pockets.

Leonardo, in his first coaching role, is hopelessly out of his depth. His lack of personality, authority and ideas are evident on and off the pitch. As the pressure mounts, as Milan slip further away from the leading pack in Serie A and with impending defeats against Real Madrid in the Champions League on the horizon it's only a matter of time before Van Basten is sworn in as his replacement. Even if there are serious doubts about Van Basten's coaching ability he will have considerably more pull with Berlusconi than any other coach since Sacchi and, crucially, more than Galliani himself. Under Van Basten it's likely the squad will be purged and he will be supported in the transfer market. Whether he is successful or not is another matter.

Milan's finances are in a healthy state and they have one of the best scouting networks in the game - Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Desailly, Savicevic, Vieira, Shevchenko, Kaka', Gourcuff and now Pato are just some of the stars that have passed through the club and most of them were signed for a pittance. The conditions for success exist but if Milan are to reclaim past glories it's imperative that Galliani takes a backseat and his influence is diminished.


6 September 2009. Argentina - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Those of you who subscribe to the rec.sport.soccer newsgroup will know that I have claimed for many, many years Argentina will win nothing with a team of midgets. Once again the team shortcomings, literally, were cruelly exposed by Dunga's powerful, efficient, German like Brazil team. Maradona is clearly out of his depth but claims that Argentina lack quality in defence and calls for Riquelme's return are way off the mark.

Argentina are in desperate need of better options at full back than the vastly overrated Zanetti and hacker Heinze. Whether they have the players in those positions is another matter. That however isn't a problem at centre back despite Maradona's insane selection of Nicolas Otamendi and Sebastian Domínguez, no I haven't heard of them either. Three more familiar names are Walter Samuel (Inter), Rodriguez Gonzalo (Villarreal) and Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid). Garay is just shy of 6ft 3in and can also play at right back. Samuel would give the defence the leadership and high level experience it desperately lacks and Gonzalo is a tremendous prospect, if he can put his injury problems behind him.

Maradona has burned his bridges with Riquelme which is no great loss because he's never been a team player. 34 year old Veron still has an eye for a pass and of course is the only giant in a team of umpa lumpas though why he starts ahead of the quicker, more dynamic Lucho Gonzalez, who was outstanding for Porto domestically and in the Champions League before his big money move to Marseille, is a mystery. The bully Mascherano isn't as effective when he goes up against DMs who are physically more imposing though does share a remarkable quality with Deschamps and Cannavaro in that he can continually kick players and get away with it but I would argue the more cultured and taller Gago would be a better option. Napoli winger Datalo is the only success of what has otherwise been a disastrous era for the national team under Maradona.

Messi may well be the best player in the World but an attack needs variety, needs a physical and aerial threat. The comments made by Julio Grondona, President of the Argentina Football Association in January 2006 still ring true :

"Those who would like to see these four play (Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Javier Saviola and Sergio Aguero) together can rent the film 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' rather than watch the World Cup. Football is a mixture of physiques and different techniques.

Yesterday Tevez started alongside Messi in attack. Tevez has a shocking record at international level - 8 goals in 51 games is a pathetic return which really should come as no surprise for a player whose main asset is running at the opposition, a poor man's Dirk Kuyt. Tevez's movement in and around the penalty area is appalling. Aguero isn't the answer either, he should be an alternative to Messi, not start alongside him. Real Madrid's brilliant 21 year old Argentinean striker, Gonzalo Higuain (6ft 1.5 in), has been criminally overlooked by Maradona. Argentina's loss, and it could be a huge loss, may be France's gain - Higuain was born in France. Diego Milito, a near six footer who has enjoyed great success in Europe over the past 4 seasons is a fantastic penalty box striker but has been overlooked by a succession of Argentina coaches.

For years Argentinean football has been obsessed with finding the new Maradona. They don't need a new Maradona they need a new Batistuta, they need a physical and aerial threat. A front three of Messi, Higuain and Milito is the answer.


20 August 2009. Benitez Cannot Plead Poverty by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez' whinging about a lack of transfer funds is nothing new, it lead to him leaving Valencia back in 2004 and has continued at Liverpool. Benitez has done a masterful job of duping the public and media into believing a lack of financial support from the clubs American owners is compromising his teams chances of domestic success :

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=824288.html

"We know the situation regarding what we can spend, and we are trying to find solutions if we do not have enough money. And we will still try to sign players that will make us better. But if you do not have too much money, and that is clear, we will have to have a little bit of imagination to progress in the market."
Rafa Benitez, 11 July 2008
 
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/03/10/rafa-benitez-angry-that-liverpool-don-t-get-the-respect-they-deserve-115875-21186192/
 
"The truth is that things are different between us and Chelsea and Manchester United in terms of money. There is a big, big difference that we are always trying to compensate for, and it will take time.
Rafa Benitez, 10 March 2009
 
http://www.thisisanfield.com/topstory/2009/08/benitez-frustrated-by-lack-of-funds/
 
"We are working hard with the players we have and the money we have. It is always difficult to compete in the Premier League with clubs who have more money." - Rafa Benitez, 10 August 2009
 
The fact is over the past two years under Benitez Liverpool have outspent the rest of the top four :

Transfers In

Arsenal
2007-2008 :
Eduardo €11.00m, Fabianski €2.92m, Sagna €11.00m, Freeman €0.20m
2008-2009 : Nasri €16.80m, Arshavin €13.30m
2009-2010 : Vermaelen €14.00m
Total : €25.12 + €30.10 + €14.00 = €69.22 million

Chelsea
2007-2008 : Belletti €5.5m, Malouda €20.00m, Anelka €20.00m, Di Santo €4.00m, Ivanovic €12.00m
2008-2009 : Bosingwa €20.00m, Deco €10.00m
2009-2010 : Zhirkov €21.54m, Matic €1.75m
Total : €61.50 + €30.00 + €23.29 = €115.42 million

Liverpool
2007-2008 : Babel €17.00m, Benayoun €7.50m, Leiva €7.50, Torres €30.00m, Cooper €0.15m, Skrtel €10.00m
2008-2009 : Cavalieri €3.75m, Dossena €8.80m, Keane €24.00m, Riera €9.80m
2009-2010 : Aquilani €23.50m, Johnson €21.00m, Kyrgiakos €1.74m
Total : €72.15 + €46.35 + €46.24 = €164.74 million

Manchester United
2007-2008 : Anderson €25.00m, Hargreaves €24.85m, Nani €25.00m, Tevez €3.00m
2008-2009 : Berbatov €38.00m, Ljajic €9.65m, Tosic €7.42m
2009-2010 : Obertan €3.50m, Valencia €17.80m
Total : €77.85 + €55.07 + €21.30 = €154.22m

Many argue net transfers are better indicator of a coaches success in the transfer market. Personally given EPL and Spanish clubs are still not obliged to keep a tight control on their finances, unlike clubs in Italy, France and Germany, I fail to see the relevance however here is the data :

Transfers Out

Arsenal
2007-2008 : Muamba €6.00m, Aliadiere €2.20m, Ljungberg €4.50m, Reyes €12.00m, Henry €24.00m, Diarra €7.40m
2008-2009 : Hoyte €3.80m
2009-2010 : Adebayor €29.00m, Toure €19.00m
Total : €56.10m + €3.80m + €48.00m = €107.90m

Chelsea
2007-2008 : Johnson €4.50m, Robben €36.00m
2008-2009 : Sidwell €6.00m, Wright-Phillips €10.50m, Bridge €12.00m
2009-2010 : n/a
Total : €40.50m + €28.50m = €69.00m

Liverpool
2007-2008 : Bellamy €11.00m, Cisse €8.00m, Pongolle €4.00m, Sissoko €13.00m
2008-2009 : Crouch €14.00m, Carson €4.00m, Finnan €1.00m, Keane €13.50m
2009-2010 : Arbeloa €4.00m, Xabi Alonso €35.00m, Leto €1.40m
Total : €36.00m + €32.50m + €40.40m = €108.90m

Manchester United
2007-2008 : Smith €9.00m, Richardson €8.00m, Heinze €12.00m
2008-2009 : Pique €5.00m
2009-2010 : Campbell €4.00m, Ronaldo €94.00m
Total : €29.00m + €5.00m + €98.00m = €132.00m

Net Transfers
Arsenal : Transfers Out (€107.90) - Transfers In (€69.22m) = +€38.68m
Manchester United : Transfers Out (€132.00m) - Transfers In (€154.22m) = -€22.22m
Chelsea : Transfers Out (€69.00m) - Transfers In (€115.42) = -€46.42m
Liverpool : Transfers Out (€108.90m) - Transfers In (€164.74) = -€55.84m

Over the past 2 years not only are Liverpool the biggest spenders among the top four their transfer deficit is also higher because they have generated less revenue than both Arsenal and Manchester United in player sales. After five years at the helm Benitez can no longer use money as an excuse IF he fails to end the clubs two decade wait for the league title and it's about time the media and Liverpool supporters stopped letting him pass the buck for his own failings.


16 August 2009. Video Technology - Take The Power Away From FIFA by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Once again the call for video evidence rears it's head following the controversy over Crystal Palace's disallowed goal against Bristol City in their Championship (English division 2) tie on Saturday. FIFA president Sepp Bladder is of course opposed to the use of video technology but it's about time the various national associations and leagues took power away from FIFA and it's corrupt president Sepp Bladder, it's about time the coaches, the players, the television networks and the fans themselves had a say in how the game was run. What we need is the VT equivalent of Jean-Marc Bosman.

What exactly could FIFA do if all the major leagues collectively decided to use video technology in any manner they saw fit? e.g. to determine whether a ball had crossed the line, to determine penalty decisions, to punish players retrospectively for diving, playacting or violent conduct? The answer is of course absolutely F*ck all. FIFA would likely threaten to ban the associations and their national teams from competing at the World Cup and their various tournaments but a World Cup without Brazil, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Argentina and England i.e. the nations with the most lucrative television markets, most storied histories and largest worldwide fan bases would be an unmitigated disaster, without these nations there is no World Cup.


24 December 2008. The Guardian Podcast - A Rebuttal by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

More tiresome anti Milan rhetoric on Monday's show (22 December 2008). Kevin McCarra said Milan were the only Italian team to reach the semi finals of the Champions League recently. Semi-finals?!?!? They've bloody won it twice in the last five years! Gattuso and Ambrosini aren't getting any younger? Gattuso is 30, Ambrosini 31. When did we start writing off players in their early 30s? Lampard is also 30, he's clearly finished, as is Rio Ferdinand, also 30 and van der Sar? He's old enough to be Maldini's father.

Italy 'expert' Paolo Bandini claimed there are problems THROUGHOUT the team?!??! Pirlo, Seedorf, Gattuso, Kaka', Ronaldinho and Pato are a problem? The problems are in defence and Ancelotti's selections. People have been quick to write off Milan and hail the end of an era on numerous occasions over the past two decades during which time the club have reached EIGHT European Cup finals and won FIVE with three completely different teams under three coaches. That's a record the financial dopers Overdraft United could only dream of, a record even Real Madrid would be proud of.


20 August 2007. One Rule For Liverpool, One for Everyone Else by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

Following the rants by Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez and Liverpool captain Steven 'I never dive' Gerrard over referee Rob Style's controversial decision to award Chelsea a penalty at Anfield the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) stated :

"Replays showed there was no foul (on Florent Malouda) and, having reviewed the incident, the PGMOL have decided that Styles will not officiate this weekend."

Referees' chief Keith Hackett laughably tried to justify the decision :

"It is just like with players, if they miss an open goal they are likely to be dropped."

Really? Why was the referee who awarded Liverpool their late game winning free kick against Aston Villa, on the insistence of Steven Gerrard despite no foul, not also suspended? And why was Mike 'Old Mother' Riley also not suspended for failing to award Wigan what were by all accounts three clear first half penalties against Roy Keane's Sunderland? Does the fact that he awarded two second half penalties in any way excuse his appalling first half display? Can you imagine the furore in the press and media if the reverse was true i.e. is a referee was suspended for awarding Liverpool a penalty at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea kicked up a fuss? It seems the number of former Liverpool players and fans working in the media has it's advantages.

Just like the West Ham - Carlos Tevez situation. I'm sure the fact that former West Ham legend Trevor Brooking is the FA's director of football development had nothing to do with the Premier League's decision not to relegate West Ham for fielding a player clearly owned by a third party (Kia Joorabchian).

20 August 2007. Sven Goran Eriksson's Transfer by Video Tape by Mohammed Baybars Mehdi

I'm anything but a fan of Sven Goran Eriksson but the English tabloids thought the fact that he signed/may have signed players for Manchester City after watching them on video tape somehow highlighted his incompetence as a coach. Given Eriksson was appointed coach of Manchester City in early July can someone please explain to me how he was supposed to scout potential signings during pre-season when NO ONE was playing? And since when did forming an opinion of a player after watching video footage make that opinion any less valid? After all Milan famously signed Marco Van Basten after watching video tape highlights of goals he scored for Ajax. Given Manchester City's start to the season, SGE has won this particular battle against the tabloids.