‘The idea of the sign of a good team is when they grind out a result from not playing well is b******s.’
These are the words of Oxford educated Brentford and FC Midtjylland owner Matt Benham. A former professional gambler, Benham hit headlines when former manager Mark Warbuton announced he would be leaving Brentford despite reigning over a period of success.
After leading them to promotion from League One, and ultimately a place in the Championship play-offs, Warburton was cast aside after a disagreement over the ‘long term direction’ of the side. Having been met with dismay from the Brentford fans, Benham calmly replied: “I am single minded in my resolve that we can leave no stone unturned in our quest for sustainable Premier League football.”
Now, Warburton – a fans favourite and a seemingly nice bloke – will be replaced by a continental structure with both a head coach and a sporting director. It is a common sight in football to see an owner ruthlessly kick a manager to the curb, as Carlo Ancelotti will tell you. The image of a cold hearted owner acting on his impulses is one of the most recognisable in football.
The same can’t really be said about Benham. Though the mathematical approach to football will rattle the diehard romantics, perhaps Benham’s approach is truly the more beautiful. Speaking to the Guardian in February 2015, Rasmus Ankersen (the man Benham appointed chairman at Danish side FC Midtjylland) quipped: “No one wants to say they were lucky when they win.”
Is this not more of a romantic approach to the beautiful game? Nothing is knee jerk. In Benham’s statistical revolution key performance indicators (KPIs) over the long term are more indicative of success. He is not interested in signing a flash in the pan striker, in fact he ‘does not care’ about such a player’s goal scoring record and is far more interested in how ‘the team do collectively, offensively and defensively within the context of the individuals performance.’
Rather than sit back and park the bus, Benham is driving it straight into a new era for football. The systematic approach is not quite as cold hearted as you might think.
In the Premier League, the vibrant Southampton had their own statistical revolution. Using a complicated recruitment system, they were transformed from would be relegation fodder to Champions League contenders. Their statistical approach to measuring how a player feels each morning, through the use of saliva tests, seems to have paid off.
How often has your club wasted millions on a signing? Perhaps the cliché shattering, statistical based way of running a club can rectify the age old problem of signing a stylish South American superstar with tricks to boot, only for him to freeze up on a cold night in Stoke.
Imagine where Manchester City would be if they had applied their multi millions in such a way. Southampton expertly reinvested their cash, as Liverpool paid £20million pounds for Dejan Lovern. That’s right. Twenty. Million. Pounds.
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As a result, they had an excellent season and can look forward to European competition next year.
‘When there’s a question, I trust the numbers. The numbers don’t lie.’ When a visionary like Benham says that, he is not being as cold hearted as it sounds.
Had it not been for a changing of the managerial guard at all of the Premier League’s top three clubs, the focus would have almost entirely been solely on David Moyes this summer. The new Manchester United boss has never had the luxury of virtually unlimited finance before, and with the Red Devils camp still remaining quiet regarding future purchases, we are yet to see what avenue Moyes will take in the transfer market.
Whether he will spend big or small, sign superstars or useful parts to the Old Trafford jigsaw remains to be seen, yet the overwhelming rumour that has emerged since the Scot’s appointment as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor has been the potential purchase of two of his former employees at Goodison – Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini.
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But should Moyes be so keenly reliant upon signing the two Everton boys? Is it more telling of his naivety at the highest level that he expects both to comfortably make the step up from a club with relatively little pressure to succeed to a club that can claim to be one of Europe’s footballing superpowers? Are there more risks than meet the eye, and would the two potential transfers be worthwhile?
Moyes’ first priority in the transfer market will undoubtedly be to sign a central midfielder. In the past few years, Ferguson has let opportunities to sign John Obi Mikel, Moussa Dembele and Wesley Sneijder slip by, and following the retirement of Paul Scholes in addition to Darren Fletcher still in recovery from stomach surgery, the issue of United’s midfield future needs to be addressed this summer.
But should the outstanding candidate for the role be Marouane Fellaini? The Belgium international has just come to the end of his most successful campaign in England, recording 11 goals and five assists in 31 Premier League appearances, and for the first half of the season was virtually unplayable – his hot form kicked off with an exceptional display against none other than the Red Devils during the Premier League’s opening weekend, scoring the single, deciding goal of the afternoon and dominating Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic in the air.
Yet at Old Trafford, the 25 year-old’s role would be comparatively different to this season. Rather than being an attacking threat, Moyes would use him first and foremost to add some physicality and power to United’s midfield, to provide protection for Michael Carrick and the back four. Fellaini is certainly capable of doing so, and we often witnessed his defensive utility, but if it is mettle alone that Moyes is looking for, there are cheaper and more accustomed candidates on the market.
Lars Bender for example possesses a much higher work-rate than the Everton midfielder, in addition to being more mobile and still capable of producing end product, with three goals and six assists for Bayer Leverkusen this season. Similarly, Celtic’s Victor Wanyama is clearly destined for a higher calling than the SPL, having impressed in the Champions League and become the most physically dominant midfielder in the Scottish top flight, all at the age of just 21. Both cannot compete with Fellaini’s Premier League experience, yet both are younger than the Belgian and both could be available for half of Fellaini’s costly £30million price-tag.
Similarly, a physical midfielder might not be quite what the Red Devils need. Over the past few years United have been their most efficient and profitable with Paul Scholes partnering Michael Carrick, with the pair bringing to the table enough quality and composure on the ball to enforce control over any match via their pulling of the strings and direction of play in the middle of the park. There are plenty of more creative midfielders who could be available should the price be right, such as Kevin Strootman, Yohan Cabaye, and Luka Modric. That being said, Fellaini’s utility is undeniable; his ability to play a rather unique role in attacking midfield would give Moyes a solid Plan B, and the importance of height at both ends of the pitch should never be underestimated in the Premier League.
Whilst central midfield is a clear priority for the United boss, the situation regarding the left-back slot is comparatively different. The Red Devils already possess two senior left-backs in Patrice Evra and Alexander Buttner, with both having an impact amid the Premier League champions’ successful campaign. Bringing in Leighton Baines would undoubtedly be an improvement, with the former United player reaching the twilight of his career and the latter yet to prove he is ready to be first team regular, but the transfer is by no means a necessity unless Evra takes a widely rumoured pay-out to join up with former club Monaco.
That being said, Baines has been by far the strongest left-back in the English top flight this season. The England international finishes the footballing year with five goals and five assists in 38 Premier League appearances, is the division’s most creative player according to OPTA, having created 116 chances to score, and has even rivalled Ashley Cole’s position in the Three Lions set up. Furthermore, his ability from dead ball situations makes him one of the biggest set piece threats in the top flight.
The only concern with Leighton Baines is whether his price-tag can be justified considering his age. The 28 year old still has a good few years left in the tank, but considering his importance to Everton and Bill Kenwright’s reluctance to let his star defender leave, any fee involved could well exceed the £15million mark – an excessive amount even by the standards of the modern market for a full-back who has already reached his peak years.
Similarly, with Evra himself recording four goals and five assists this season, would Baines’ acquisition bring any greater benefit to United’s cause? Buttner has many fans amongst the Old Trafford faithful, and some would prefer to see the Netherlands international share first team duties with Evra for a year before taking over the role completely.
Although David Moyes is desperate to step out of his predecessor’s shadow, he must ask himself what would Ferguson do. Both would be solid and stable acquisitions to the United roster, yet neither would add any further star quality and both have their fair share of drawbacks. Fellaini is useful, tried and tested, but his ill-discipline and poor attitude is not befitting of the Red Devils’ mould, whilst Baines is English and presents uniquely technical skills for a full-back, but his age in terms of cost-effectiveness will remain an issue.
The Scot could certainly do with some on pitch allies; for all his reputation, he will still need to win over the support and confidence of the squad at Old Trafford. But the ploy could easily backfire – should Moyes’ tenure get off to a poor start, the Everton pair would become synonymous with the United gaffer’s failings.
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Both transfers represent more risk than meets the eye, and it will probably come down to fees. Manchester United are by no means penny-pinchers, yet Moyes initial purchases in the transfer market will have to be a success if he is to have a bright start to his tenure. The proposed £40million fee, for the pair, as quoted in the tabloids, seems like a realistic price for both, yet it is still a lot of money for the Scot to part with in his first transfer window, for two players who will overall not be considered as marquee stars of the first team.
Despite the media focus, there are undoubtedly other candidates on Moyes’ radar. Yet he knows more than anyone what Fellaini and Baines are capable of and where their abilities can take them, having brought both of them to Goodison Park during his 11 year spell with the Toffees. Rather than club officials, coaches, the owners or scouts getting involved, the decision will rest on his shoulders. He must consider all of the alternatives however, as whoever he brings in during his inaugural transfer window will be representatives of his tenure at Manchester United and a new era for the Premier League champions.
Should Moyes sign Fellaini and Baines or will the Scotsman focus his attention elsewhere?
The last time I wrote I started by saying “don’t get carried away”. Well despite the weekend’s result, my feet are still cautiously on the ground.
However, if we leave Leicester with three more points and another effortless performance, then I fear there will be many Blackpool fans getting very excited. And who could blame them?
This is already our best start for many years, and if we make it four consecutive league wins we will top the league with 12 points and already have racked up a goal difference of at least +10. A very, very impressive start.
At the moment, us Blackpool fans are experiencing that joyous combination of both brilliant football and great results. It might not last, results wise, but it will almost certainly continue to entertain us. This purple patch has come after three years of measured progress on and off the pitch. Since Holloway’s arrival he has changed the structure and philosophy of the club. We play a brand of football that everybody loves to watch. A brand of football that doesn’t change, no matter who we play or what the score. And off the pitch, we actually have a youth structure that plays the same way, making progressing from reserves to first team easier for younger players. And, being a lover of pure football, I am so glad this has happened to my club and really, it’s all down to Ian Holloway.
I’ll always remember hearing a quote from the delightful Mick McCarthy which put me into a rage-induced coma. After yet another uninspiring performance which disgustingly gained three points, he said “We don’t have to entertain anybody”.
I was gobsmacked that he could possibly have that opinion. I ranted for weeks to whoever would listen (nobody). So you can imagine my delight when I heard Ian Holloway’s post-match comments this week. Despite winning 6-0, he was annoyed with the first half performance as it wasn’t as fluid as he expected. But this wasn’t sign of arrogance. He was just disappointed that the football wasn’t as entertaining as it should have been. He went on to say “Anyone paying to watch football these days deserves to be entertained because it’s so expensive. That’s all I’m striving for… We aren’t in real life here – we are just here to entertain people.”
It is comments like these that have made our recent results so satisfying. It’s not just that we are winning, but that the results are almost a second priority to entertaining football. And long may it continue. I am sure we can all agree that watching football is very sodding expensive, and too many managers forget that it is an entertainment business. Thankfully, with the recent rise of the continental style, we are seeing more teams adopt a more exciting approach right through the leagues, from Swindon to Swansea.
So, can this football keep getting the results?
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Well, we head to Leicester, a team Holloway hasn’t beaten since they sacked him. In fact, we only gained our first point against them under Holloway last year. Away from home, against a good Leicester side who haven’t started as well as they will have wanted, all makes for a very tough test. In fact, this is probably our toughest test yet.
But by Saturday we will know what our squad will be for the next 4 months. If Matt Phillips is still here, I can’t see him being left out much longer. His addition to the starting line-up could be massive, with teams surely starting to focus on Tom Ince, having another goalscoring winger on the pitch will be priceless. A reason I seriously hope we keep hold of him no matter what the price. Other rumours about Baptiste, Ince and a few others are still cropping up, but I can’t really see anybody wanting to leave. Holloway is still after a striker, so we could still see a new face by kick off on saturday, but to tell you the truth, I would happily take a loss on saturday in favour of keeping hold of everyone in our current squad.
West Ham fans just can’t get enough of Pablo Zabaleta, after the former Manchester City man dropped another brilliant performance on Saturday.
When Pablo Zabaleta left Manchester City to join West Ham last summer, Hammers’ fans themselves probably couldn’t even predict he would perform as well as he has.
The Argentine flying full back doesn’t do much flying down the wing anymore, which certainly prompted some concerns that he was a worthless signing.
Those concerns have been well and truly been put to bed this season though, as the 33 year-old hasn’t let his declining pace stop him from being one of the Hammers’ best players.
Zabaleta was at his very best again on Saturday, as the David Moyes’ side secured Premier League survival with a 2-0 win at Leicester.
The Argentine veteran gave absolutely everything in the win at the King Power Stadium, making two tackles, one interception, four clearances and also blocking one shot.
Zabaleta may have lost the pace to overlap his winger and whip constant dangerous crosses in, but his experience, intelligence and passion for the game has been a huge help for the Hammers this season.
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Some of the best twitter reactions can be found below…
Having lifted both the Coppa Italia and the Serie A in the last few weeks, Juventus also find themselves in the Champions League final. But do the Serie A giants have what it takes to do the treble?
No other team in Italy got a look in with Juventus this season. They won the league with a huge sixteen point cushion – and we thought Chelsea were good. Their team is one of the best in Europe, with so many big players like Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, Patrice Evra to name just a few.
When it comes to Europe, Juve absolutely deserved their place in the final. Their dramatic draw at the Santiago Bernabeu was enough to send them through, thanks to the all important away goal. The goal in question coming from Alvaro Morata: the player deemed not good enough for Real Madrid’s standards. You couldn’t make it up, could you?
But what a battle Juve have on their hands and they could not face a stronger side. Barcelona themselves have won the La Liga title, and are in the final for the Copa del Rey. So, by the time they face Juventus, Barcelona themselves could be looking to complete a treble of their own.
With the front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, they could spell trouble for Juve. They’ve spelled trouble for just about everyone else. If a strong Barcelona side is fielded (is there even a weak one?) Juve will have a tough time stopping them.
Andrea Pirlo has said he would love to lift the Champions League as a fitting send off to his Juventus career. But, now that Xavi will not be staying at Barcelona – he will be leaving the Catalan giants at the end of the season for Qatar – would it not be a the perfect end for him too? Of course it would. He has been vital to Barcelona’s successes and will be a huge loss to them. Unfortunately, both players cannot snag a Champions League medal at the end of full time.
Juventus are worthy contenders for the title. If they can stop the best side in European football on the 6th of June, it will go down in history. For right now, they are the underdogs.
Who doesn’t love a win for the underdog?
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Dave Whelan says Wigan’s clash at West Brom on Saturday is one they simply “have to win” if they are to stay up this season.
Latics are again in dire relegation trouble as the season reaches its conclusion but a win over the Baggies on Saturday could be the tonic they need to go on and beat the drop.
With four games to go this season, Wigan are five points from safety but they have a game in hand over Newcastle above them and Whelan knows just how important a victory could be this weekend.
“It’s a massive game for us – and we all know that,” he told the Evening Post. “We have to go there and win. We have to win.
“We actually went to West Brom last year and won 1-0, and it will be a real fight again this time. They’ve played well this season, even though they have had a bit of a patchy run of late.
“They showed last week at Southampton what they are capable of, when they won 3-0, and we have to be ready for that.”
Despite making it through to the FA Cup final this season, Whelan has again insisted the priority remains staying up.
“Survival in the Premier League remains the number one priority for this football club,” he added. “Winning the FA Cup would be amazing, but not if it comes at the expense of us losing our Premier League status.
“You always have to concentrate on one game at a time, and for us that is West Brom in the Premier League.
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“The feeling in the camp now is one of total concentration ahead of the West Brom game.”
Arsenal fans have come to terms with the fact that their manager of more than two decades will leave the hotseat at the end of the season.
Last week, Arsene Wenger announced to the world that he will leave his post at the Emirates this summer, one year earlier than the expiration of his contract.
Despite many Arsenal fans being keen for the Frenchman to leave, the majority had kind words for the 68-year-old when the announcement was made.
After all, Wenger did guide the club to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during his tenure.
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Now, attention has turned to who will replace the experienced coach, with numerous figures being mentioned in the gossip pages.
According to Sky Sports News, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis believes that former club captain Mikel Arteta is a worthy candidate.
The Spaniard spent five years playing for the Gunners following his 2011 switch from Everton, and after retiring, he began learning from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola by joining his coaching staff.
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Arteta has limited experience when it comes to management, but Sky Sports News believes that the former midfielder is an option for Gazidis, who will recommend a replacement to Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.
The initial reaction to the reports has not been met with much joy from Arsenal fans.
Mauricio Pochettino believes Harry Kane is a similar player to Argentine legend Gabriel Batistuta.
The Spurs ace has enjoyed a staggering breakthrough season, notching almost 30 goals for the London club despite starting the campaign as third choice behind Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor.
He has also won recognition on the international stage and netted on his debut for the Three Lions – within two minutes of coming on against Lithuania – before being handed a first start against Italy earlier this week.
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His all-action playing style has won Kane many fans, with Pochettino, his manager, firmly in the camp of his admirers.
And the Argentine believes that his forward is not dissimilar to Batistuta, who is considered to be one of his country’s best ever strikers and a Serie A champion:
“Harry Kane has skills that are similar to different players, including Batistuta. The challenge is doing it all again next season,” he is quoted by the London Evening Standard.
“Now it is up to him. Harry knows the way to improve his ability. He is in a very good moment to keep working hard and develop his game.
“You need to wait for the right moment to give a player the responsibility because sometimes we can see a player is ready, but not quite complete to assume the responsibility and keep the same level.
“Big players always have a good first season – like (Wayne) Rooney, after his first season a lot of people maybe had doubts about the next one, but this is football.
“It is not easy when the player goes down, this is our challenge, but not only with Harry, with all players.
“There may be people who doubt him about next season, but the people that know him understand, like us, know that Harry can keep the level he has shown.”
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Kane is one of a few players in the mix for the Player of the Year award after banging 19 Premier League goals – the joint highest tally in the division.
As the possibility of League One football looms for Wolves, guest blogger and Tranmere fan Paul Harper explains why Wolves fans shouldn’t feel too apprehensive about life in another division.
While League One football might not be what all Wolves fans would like for their club, let me reassure you all that it’s not as bad as it sounds. There’s a lot to like about the division, so here goes.
While divisions such as the Premier League has runaway leaders, the same teams battling for the same four or five top places season in, season out, League One is exciting and unpredictable. All teams can beat each other, whether they be at the top or the bottom of the table.
At time of writing, there is just nine points separating the top eight teams in the league. The league is up for grabs and will almost certainly be so until the last kick of the last game of the season.
On the pitch, whilst, yes, there are some teams who play what people call ‘old-fashioned lower-league football’ (they hoof it I mean), there are a lot of teams who like to play good, passing football too. MK Dons, Swindon, Bournemouth and my own team Tranmere all try to play football on the grass (it’s just a pity there isn’t much about at this stage of the season).
You have an eclectic mix of big, medium and small clubs all battling on a level playing field on merit. There are big boys like Sheffield United and Coventry City who have recently been in the top flight, together with teams who have gone up the football pyramid like Stevenage and Crawley Town.
There are some great grounds to visit on your travels. Bramall Lane, the Ricoh Arena, Deepdale, they’re all nice grounds. But you also have smaller, more traditional grounds too, where you can stand on the terraces like the good old days. Personally, I love all that at places like Brentford and Crawley. There’s some great atmosphere created at some of the smaller grounds in the division.
Atmosphere is generated by the people though and the support may be smaller in terms of numbers at some of the League One clubs, but they are as passionate and dedicated as they come.
Of course, not all the stadia in League One is fantastic, and in League One (possibly not next season though) there is Oldham Athletic and Boundary Park. It’s freezing there. You might think it’s lucky to be drawn to play them there in August or May. Think again. Dig the winter wardrobe out on that hot, sunny summer day because it WILL be needed!
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League One is home to the oldest professional football club in Notts County, founded in 1862. Not only are they old, but they are the reason that Italian giants Juventus play in black and white stripes. An English member of Juve, John Savage, back in 1903 had a set of County’s kit sent over to Turin and the rest, as they say, is history.
League One is not a bad division. There are some good clubs, good teams, good players, good stadiums and good days out to be had.
West Ham United moved a step closer to retaining their Premier League status for another season when Andy Carroll scored a last minute equaliser against Stoke City at the London Stadium on Monday night, and they may already be thinking about the players they could bring to the club over the summer.
It is clear that the east London outfit need to make a big improvement next term if they do stay up, and manager David Moyes – should he stay on – will be keen to add new faces to the squad in order to allow them to push on for a top-half finish.
One player the Irons perhaps should have their eye on is £8.1m-rated Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Pascal Gross, who has enjoyed a brilliant season and was once again one of their standout players for his team in their 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday night.
The 26-year-old showed his influence by having more touches (64) than any of his teammates, while he proved the difference he can make in the final third by making two key passes and sending in nine crosses, as well as scoring his side’s goal from the penalty spot.
It took the German’s tally for the campaign to six in 34 Premier League matches, while he has provided a further eight assists too, according to Transfermarkt.
The versatile individual, who has played as a secondary striker, attacking midfielder and central midfielder for the Seagulls this term, would undoubtedly be a good addition for West Ham this summer and would add some much-needed creativity given he has made 77 key passes this term, as per WhoScored.com.
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He would also provide some much-needed competition for the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble in the middle of the park – the latter duo came under criticism from the supporters on Twitter following their display against the Potters.