Soccer Europe |
- Talking Tactics Column: Swansea City vs. West Ham United and a Clash of Styles
- The Lowry Lowdown: Playing Against David Beckham
- Transfer market shifting into period where Galliani shines for Milan
- Inter Milan Transfer Roundup
- Europa League win over Hearts shows how far Liverpool have to go Under Brendan Rodgers
- Why Everton defeat was no barometer of Manchester United’s season
- Juventus rides controversy into opening Serie A match against Parma
| Talking Tactics Column: Swansea City vs. West Ham United and a Clash of Styles Posted: 24 Aug 2012 08:52 AM PDT
Swansea, promoted just over a year ago, played last term under a ball retention policy which, then-manager, Brendan Rodgers had instilled in the Championship and stayed true to in the top flight. The Swans gained many plaudits for their style of play, but more to the point they also gained many points, ending last season in 11th place, with 47 points to their name. West Ham on the other hand, promoted three months ago, is under the meticulous percentage-play approach and guidance of Sam Allardyce, formerly of Bolton Wanderers and, less successfully, Newcastle United. Allardyce’s team’s strengths lie in playing in exactly the shape and method to give themselves the best chance of creating scoring opportunities and preventing the opposition doing so as well. Both teams typically line up with 4-3-3 as the base shape, but while Swansea stay true to the three forwards alignment, with the wide attackers playing very far up the pitch for large stretches of the game; West Ham’s two wide players are ostensibly extra midfielders, giving the full-backs additional protection as they defend in numbers and with rigid organisation. The centre forward in both teams plays a similar function, in that he is to provide a focal point for the attacks. But again, there are differing attributes that each team look for. Swansea’s patient build-up and long term possession mean they require a forward with: constant movement between the defenders, someone happy to wait and bide their team and always looking to be in position for when the final pass is ready to come. Hard work also comes as standard for a team who press from the front, with the centre forward expected to get through many kilometres of running without the ball every match. West Ham require a player with more force and power, as they look to the front man to bring others into play from knock-downs, flick ons and holding the ball up. Not to say every pass to him is hit long, but he is as much a target from open play as from set pieces, causing trouble for the defence and allowing other team mates to benefit from the space he creates. Of course it is unwise to read too much into a single match in isolation, but the possession statistics from the opening day make enlightening reading nonetheless. West Home (at home to Aston Villa, won 1-0) on their return to the top flight were happy to concede ground and the ball, having just 34% possession for the game, playing only 270 passes in total (204 successes). Swansea City (away to QPR, won 5-0) had 50% possession for their game, which is lower than their usual for last season, but they were far more effective in front of goal. Swansea played 434 passes, of which 380 were successful. Looking deeper into the ball usage, West Ham played almost half (46%) of their passes forward, indicative of picking up possession of the ball very deep in their own half a majority of the time. Similarly, the entire team had 471 touches of the ball between them yet lost possession 144 times. Compared to over 600 touches for Swansea players, who lost the ball far less, on only 125 occasions. The styles of play are unashamedly different on both sides of this particular fixture; both believe they have the football formula to bring relative success to their clubs. In Allardyce’s case he is repeating what he did for years at Bolton, which brought him recognition as one of the safest bosses around—exactly what West Ham needed to get back into the Premier League, and what they need now to stay there. For Swansea, new manager Michael Laudrup is about continuity with the philosophy of the club and, of course, keeping them in the top flight in the process. He will have slightly different standards and ideas compared to Rodgers, but the instinctive wish to keep hold of the ball at all costs, and win the game from that point onwards, will not change. It promises to be an entertaining and intriguing battle of tactics, different player qualities and managerial wills at the Liberty Stadium. Come the end of the match we might be one step closer to seeing which philosophy will be bearing more fruit this season for each team. Also follow me on twitter @karlmatchett *statistics courtesy of EPLindex.com |
| The Lowry Lowdown: Playing Against David Beckham Posted: 24 Aug 2012 03:18 AM PDT  David Beckham has played for the Los Angeles Galaxy since 2007. Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images. One of the most common questions people ask me is if David Beckham is as good as people say he is. My reply is always a resounding, “Yes!” He can put the ball on a freckle from fifty yards away if he wants to. If you upset him, he will take over a game and create more chances in ten minutes than most could in ninety. He is just that good when he wants to be. And believe me, it is no walk in the park when you step on the field against a player of his experience. We used to call him “The Quarterback”; he wasn't running around with his head cut off, but when he got the ball, you had better have your guy in your sights. Otherwise, he was going to burn you with a cross or Hail Mary that landed with the guy you were responsible for, heading straight to goal while you read the name and number on the back of his jersey. Many Americans don't fully understand that David Beckham is one of the most decorated footballers on the planet, having twice been the runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year. He is a six-time English Premier League champion, two-time FA Cup winner, UEFA Champions League winner, La Liga and Supercopa winner, as well as, an MLS Cup champion. We haven't even touched on his astounding 115 career international appearances with England. Beckham has played at the very best clubs in the world, winning championships and accolades at all of them. As you can imagine, playing against this caliber of player is daunting. The first time I played against him was during my second year in MLS at the Home Depot Center. Being that I was a homegrown American player who went off to college and then broke into MLS, this was a special moment and a challenge. I grew up watching Manchester United highlight tapes featuring this guy, and now I am on the field looking right at him. In the game we matched up against each other for about 65 minutes. He was clever, and it was tough to get around him to break up his passes or read what he was going to do when he got the ball. Playing against a guy like Beckham is a benchmark to challenge yourself to see if you can keep up. Let's just say it wasn't easy. It felt like everyone at the stadium was expecting him to make a fool out of you, and ooh's and aah's when he danced on the ball around you. In one instance, he got the better of me, and I was forced to drive a cleat straight into his shin guard and take him down so he wouldn't show me up too badly. I got to tell my buddies that David Beckham cursed at me, and the mark on his shin that week was from yours truly. Honestly, I was taken aback by just how truly competitive the guy was. After a career of successes, I was impressed with the fire still inside him to win every single time he stepped onto the field. Needless to say, I have the utmost respect for David, his abilities and accomplishments. This guy is the real deal. |
| Transfer market shifting into period where Galliani shines for Milan Posted: 23 Aug 2012 06:35 PM PDT
Milan has sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. They did not renew the contracts of club legends: Alessandro Nesta, Filippo Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso, Mark Van Bommel, Clarence Seedorf and Gianluca Zambrotta. As far as replacements in the squad, Milan has spent very little and acquired Riccardo Montolivo, Kevin Constant, Francesco Acerbi, Bakaye Traore, Giampaolo Pazzini, Cristian Zapata and young goalkeepers Gabriel and Edoardo Pazzagli. Milan’s fans are infuriated. Many are even claiming that the club won’t qualify for next year’s Champions League because the club has done nothing to bolster the squad. If there is one thing many Milan fans fail to remember, it is that come the last week of August, Galliani goes into beast mode and brings the team a gift. Sometimes this gift is a star whose name rings throughout the football world (Ibrahimovic and Robinho in 2010). Other times, he will bring in an internationally unknown player for cheap who ends up becoming a star (Kevin-Prince Boateng in 2010, Antonio Nocerino in 2011). The market doesn’t close until August 31st and it looks like Milan could be on the verge of two big signings, with Manchester City’s Nigel De Jong and Real Madrid’s Kaka linked to the club. Reports indicate that AC Milan has surpassed Inter in the chase for De Jong while Kaka’s exclusion from Real Madrid’s squad, for the Super Cup on Thursday against Barcelona, leaves questions about his future in Spain. Manchester United has also been linked with Kaka, but Milan seem to be the most likely to add him. De Jong and Kaka would be two huge additions to Milan and respectively they would help Max Allegri’s side on defense and in attack. Another attacking player could be brought in this week. Milan are in talks with Caen about acquiring the 17-year-old wonder kid, M’baye Niang. All three of these signings would be fantastic for Milan and they are all realistic. Things have been looking down so far, but this is where Galliani shines. There were doubts in 2010 as well, until the last week of the summer…and Milan went on to win the title. |
| Posted: 23 Aug 2012 05:28 PM PDT
Gargano had a falling out with the Walter Mazzarri which left Inter in the pole position to seal the Uruguayan’s signature. The Nerazzurri are also said to be negotiating for another Uruguayan as they are consulting with Porto ahead of a 13 million euro move, according to Calcio Mercato. Alvaro Pereira is rated highly because he is a constant threat in the attacking third, due to his tireless running. His defense doesn’t match his offensive ability, but he did fashion quite a career at Porto. Inter is also contemplating a move for Nigel de Jong. De Jong is valued at 10 million euros by his current club, Manchester City. It looks as though de Jong is being deemed surplus to requirements after the purchase of Jack Rodwell, which has alerted Inter and Milan-both are looking for an imposing, defensive midfielder in the transfer market. Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that Julio Cesar is in London ahead of a move to English side Queen Park Rangers. Cesar lost his squad number earlier this summer to Handanovic. He was appointed as Inter’s first choice keeper, and it was only a matter of time before he landed elsewhere. Lastly,according to Mundo Deportivo, Inter has expressed interest in signing Ibrahim Afellay from Barcelona. Afellay essentially wastes away on the bench at the Camp Nou, given their plethora of talented attackers. He is too talented not to be in a first team picture. Afellay would likely be fielded on the right wing in Inter’s 4-2-3-1 alongside Wesley Sneijder and Rodrigo Palacio. It remains to be seen what coach Andrea Stramaccioni will do with Afellay, but adding him to the squad would be huge. Inter have been making moves in the transfer market that will see them improve upon their 6th place finish from last term. Adding midfield and attacking depth, as well as some defensive help, Inter will not struggle to field a capable squad in the league with the crowded schedule of the Serie A and UEFA Cup competitions. Rotating quality players is essential for a team to be successful.Take a look at some of the more successful sides in Europe right now: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. These teams all boast very good benches. With Inter trying to do the same, look for them to be in heated competition with Juventus for the 2012-13 Serie A title. |
| Europa League win over Hearts shows how far Liverpool have to go Under Brendan Rodgers Posted: 23 Aug 2012 04:42 PM PDT  photo from liverpoolfc.com Liverpool took a step closer to the not-exactly-lucrative group stages of the Europa League on Thursday night with a 1-0 win over SPL side Hearts, thanks to an own goal by Andy Webster in the second half. It wasn’t a vintage Reds performance by any means, but it got the job done as Liverpool scored an away goal, secured the victory and saw plenty of early season fringe players given a good run out ahead of the Premier League encounter with Manchester City this weekend—as well as some key starters for that fixture being given a timely rest. Those who didn’t travel to Scotland for the first leg of the qualifier included: the captain- Steven Gerrard, forward-Luis Suarez and defender-Glen Johnson. Liverpool was put under a lot of pressure by the Edinburgh side. They made it difficult for the Reds to try and impose any sort of control over the game, but they didn’t help themselves with the midfield three constantly giving the ball away while looking for the difficult pass over the top rather than concentrating on simply maintaining possession and looking to build up gradually and work through Hearts. Jonjo Shelvey and Charlie Adam were largely at fault for this; but the defensive midfielder Jay Spearing also needed to show more measure of composure on the ball while starting the attacks from deep. In some instances it is not hard to see why the midfielders went for the spectacular too often.All three midfielders-plus Jordan Henderson, who started in a more advanced and wide role-were left out of the starting XI on the opening day of the Premier League season. The Reds are said to be open to offers for Adam and Spearing in particular. A loan move for Shelvey is not entirely out of the question. Though he seems to have played himself into Rodgers’ thinking with some hard work and encouragingly active preseason performances. Therefore, those players need to use the little game time they do receive to impress the manager, try to make their mark on the game and have a noticeable impact. The mentality of the players is such that, if a great pass comes off then the boss could think ‘I could do the job on a regular basis,’ ignoring in the process the fact that when the pass doesn’t come off, first time (or second time or even fifth or sixth), then all that is being accomplished is the exact opposite of what Brendan Rodgers is trying to achieve at Liverpool. Keep the ball. Rest in possession. Control the game. Giving the ball back immediately by trying a 50-yard pass onto the toe of a team mate is not hugely likely to be conducive to the above methodology. Big passes or big ideas are not the problem here, but the players’ mentality and match-day mindset are. Little by little, Rodgers will have to work into the minds of his troops that when the quick easy pass is not on, five or 10 yards forward or diagonal, then backwards is the way to go. Just keep the ball. Lucas Leiva is capable of it, and Joe Allen has been brought in specifically to do it. One more midfield place and a few more squad places must be filled with those who will do it best. Henderson and Shelvey certainly seem to have youth, athleticism and potential on their side and should be given further chances to integrate themselves into the team. First they need to understand and appreciate the way the new manager wants the game played. Both are capable of being big players for Liverpool this season, but both must first master the art and the artistry of the simple pass over the spectacular. For the elder Charlie Adam and the out-of-position and out-of-depth Jay Spearing, you suspect it has to be too late. |
| Why Everton defeat was no barometer of Manchester United’s season Posted: 23 Aug 2012 12:30 PM PDT If there is one thing that cannot be said often enough it is that: the opening fixture of the football season tends to offer a far more accurate guide about how one of the sides involved will fare over the next nine months than the other side. This certainly should be true of Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Monday. It is rare for United to lose their opening match; it has only happened three times since Sir Alex Ferguson took over as manager a quarter of a century ago. But there are some obvious reasons to avoid reading too much into one game in this instance. On the previous occasion United lost their first match, in 2004-05, the result was indeed an accurate barometer of things to come. Some reasons for the loss being that it was away at Chelsea and during the year Chelsea's manager, Jose Mourinho, lead the team to a record points total of 95, losing only once all season. However, prior to that, the last such loss was an infamous 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in August 1995. United had just sold Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kancheslskis. They were putting their faith in the young, raw talent of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers Gary & Phil and Nicky Butt, thus leaving some to question the manager’s sanity. We now know, of course, that this was the start of a great season for Villa and their new manager Brian Little. The club finished fourth in the Premiership, reaching a FA Cup semi-final and winning the League Cup. However, it will always be remembered for Alan Hansen’s dismissive comment on Match of the Day: “You don’t win anything with kids.” A few months later those same rookies were celebrating the league and FA Cup double. Hansen has never lived his comments down. Back in the present, an analysis of the Everton game indicates how many atypical circumstances were at play for United. Firstly, this was a side with just two fit defenders and a central midfielder (Michael Carrick) playing at center back. Sir Alex may have been somewhat curmudgeonly in describing Everton as playing route one football. But the tactic was irresistible for a tall side up against a team so critically weakened in its ability to defend against long balls. What made this approach so effective was an immense performance by Marouane Fellaini, who was utterly unplayable at times. What rendered it decisive was the Belgian’s success in getting himself against Carrick at a corner where he headed the only goal of the game. At the other end, there were other clear mitigating circumstances. Robin van Persie only played the last 25 minutes; it will inevitably take at a little time for understandings to be developed. Wayne Rooney and Nani played poorly, but only fools would expect that from them on a regular basis. Manchester United will soon start winning. Injured defenders will return and van Persie, Shinji Kagawa, Rooney and Nani will obliterate many defenses. This was a game that told us much more about Everton, most notably that their lethargic starts to recent seasons have been noted and addressed. This time, they have been gearing up to hit the ground running and they did just that. What must also be remembered is that Goodison Park is not a happy hunting ground for England’s best sides. Not since Manchester United won 1-0 there in 2007-08 have the season’s eventual champions won at the venue. Last year saw Manchester City lose 1-0 there and while Everton may sometimes cause United problems, they have won five out of their last six matches against the blue half of Manchester. Manchester United may not have felt it this week, but they could probably do with a few more sides in the Premiership like Everton. |
| Juventus rides controversy into opening Serie A match against Parma Posted: 23 Aug 2012 09:50 AM PDT The 2012-13 Serie A season kicks off this Saturday, with Fiorentina taking on Udinese, and defending champions Juventus hosting Parma. Let’s take a look at the gossip surrounding the Bianconeri’s opening match on Saturday. |
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