Mad-chester City!!!

FBJ is back once again folks, hope all is well with you all. Now before I get to the nitty-gritty of this article and its topic, I want to give a big thanks to all the positive feedback I have received of late regarding Frankly Speaking. Thank you all very much for your support, and indeed it is greatly appreciated. Now with the niceties done, it is amongst some of you that have also been asking me my thoughts on the whole Carlos Tevez, Roberto Mancini, Manchester City debacle from last Tuesday night.

Well those of you who are regular readers of Frankly Speaking, you will know I like to take the long-term view in my assessment to a particular issue. But in saying that, blimey where does one begin? No hold on wait a minute, here’s a good place, how about the moment the club unceremoniously handed Mark Hughes his P45 in December of 2009. To those who may recall, it seemed general knowledge that Hughes had been effectively replaced before his team were taking to the field in a home Premier League fixture against Sunderland. The fans knew it, the media were aware of the state of affairs, but there appeared to be a strange underhand situation that the club had created, in making Hughes a dead man walking. Surely knowing he was going to lose his job, or had been told minutes before stepping out into the stadium that this was to be his final game; Hughes still took to the touchline to lead his team out.

The official word was given out almost two hours after recording a 4-3 home win over Sunderland, that indeed Hughes had been given his marching orders. The swift fallout centered on how the club could sack Hughes on the basis of seven straight draws, and only losing two games in all competitions. One of those defeats came in that memorable, and controversial added-on injury time winner for Manchester United, in the derby match at Old Trafford. Nevertheless the club’s hierarchy felt Hughes just simply was not getting the best of the team.

Now obviously it is too simplistic to state that this is when all Manchester City’s problems have started from, but in my mind it set a certain precedent of haphazard, and care-free management of the club at all levels off the pitch. City’s defeat to Bayern Munich and all that surrounded the match was a mere conclusion to what has steadily been transpiring at the club both on and off the pitch. Think I am wrong? How many times have seen reports with clear images showing the players fighting between themselves, and with the manager Roberto Mancini? 

We have heard the reported situations where former captain Kolo Toure fought with Emmanuel Adebayor, and to those in the know would recognise that these two at the time were regarded as a good friends. The recently departed Jerome Boateng, who played for Bayern Munich last Tuesday night against Manchester City also had a run-in with Mario Balotelli. A deep though I know, but is it not a bit strange how Manchester City’s recent past and present was all laid bare on one night in Munich. Maybe it was written in the stars that a major issue was about to transpire that night, either that or maybe I have been listening to Tinie Tempah's smash hit song a bit too much.

Anyway back to the matter at hand and speaking of Mario Balotelli, we cannot seem to go one week without some mad story documented about the Italian causing some sort of trouble or another. Though on a side note I do feel at times Balotelli is an easy target by the media, and like to embellish certain stories that involve him because of he is a irritable character and has a chequered past. However putting that to one side, let us not forget Balotelli himself has had his own public altercations with Roberto Mancini, the latest occurring this summer during a pre-season game against David Beckham and his LA Galaxy team-mates, in the USA.

Up until a few weeks ago, City were employing a senior executive deemed to be an influential figure within the club, and a man who should demonstrate responsible conduct in and around the Manchester club. What was displayed was a man in Gary Cook who thought it wise to ridicule the severe ailing health of a fellow human being, and someone who is the mother of Nedum Onuoha, a player that represents Manchester City. How can an individual in such a lofty position exhibit such actions which simply go beyond football, are a matter of life and death, and show a complete lack of respect for a fellow human being?

I have merely just highlighted just some of the wild incidents that have transpired at City in the last two years, and have failed to even mention the steady stream of public flashpoints that Tevez and Mancini have had in the past before last Tuesday night’s shenanigans. This brief recap in history really boils down to the simple fact of this, there is something incoherently going wrong internally at the Etihad Stadium.

The madness in Munich only compounds this theorem, and in my mind, the events that we saw were simply only a matter of time before exploding. How can a player in Edin Džeko, to my knowledge at least has no major record of challenging the manager and throwing a strop at the dare notion that a manager wants to substitute him? The exacting story has not come out yet but we saw Pablo Zabaleta having some sort of heated exchange with Mancini. And to top it all off we have Tevez who allegedly refused to go on to the pitch while his team are losing two-nil in a high stakes match. Why? Because supposedly his head was not right place, or his nose was out of joint at not being the first substitute used from the City bench. This is craziness!! Could you ever imagine all this going on at a club under the stewardship of an Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish, or Harry Redknapp?

This is no way a reflection of my opinion to Roberto Mancini’s style of management, however questions must be asked. But I feel more importantly, the latest issue that currently surrounds City is from the result of the club’s slapdash approach of trying to buy success at breakneck speed under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group. Are there any sound building blocks in place at the club? What happened to holding any positive, principled, and traditional attributes that the club used to have? Such as the successful academy setup that was producing solid talent, and the unyielding pros who knew that playing football was a privilege. Instead, the club shines as a beacon for individuals to come to the club and treble or quadruple their weekly salaries, with the club and not really knowing if their staff is going to conduct themselves accordingly with what a professional should exemplify in a work environment.

From a neutral perspective, I have always welcomed the way that Manchester City has helped shake the monopoly of what was ‘the big four’. Along with Tottenham Hotspurs, we have a legitimate significant six that can all stake some sort of claim to potentially being crowed English Premier League Champions. But at the very least, all these teams are realistic shouts for occupying the four Champions League berths the English Premier League has available. I just wish it was not at my team’s expense.

But in any case, I have always often said that Manchester City’s one true policy of buying anybody and everybody was a recipe for disaster. Acquiring top draw players for the pure sake of it without any necessity will come with consequences. The club had in my eyes a world-class goalkeeper in Shay Given warming the bench for most of last season. Putting it bluntly, Given could not complain because in Joe Hart, stood a player in front of him is that is every bit the world class keeper. Now with Shay Given being the top professional that he is, or what I like to call ‘old skool’, we never saw the histrionics that now goes before some of Manchester City’s players. To be fair it is not an attitude that is exclusive to Manchester City, but unfortunately it seems that this phenomenon is embedded with today’s modern day footballer.

Today’s football is indeed a squad game, and no one player is merited an automatic starting place. But when a competitive athlete performs well in one game and is dropped for the next several matches, whilst being regarded as one of the best in their profession, at times it is not that easy to accept. Unquestionably City should buy for what is needed and incorporate their acquisitions into the general setup of the playing squad, not stack several players for one position and only use sparingly. From the outside looking in, it will only create a problematic situation in the long term for both manager and their relationship with the players, and if not used wisely, can distort the employment of the key personnel used for a match.

Joleon Lescott has worked well with Vincent Kompany for much of the backend of last season, and so far this season the two have continued to perform well. But in trying to keep a top player happy, Mancini fields Kolo Toure who looked sluggish, slow, and woefully short of match fitness to start the game against Bayern Munich and in my viewpoint, his selection was only on the basis to make him feel part of the squad. Surely in such a key area of the team where continuity is paramount, selection should rather be based on the current form of the team to post a positive result.

Look at the players that did not either start, or feature in the match squad during the Champions League game in Munich. The register includes, Joleon Lescott, Stefan Savic, Aleksandar Kolarov, Adam Johnson, James Millner, Mario Balotelli, Owen Hargreaves, Dedryck Boyata, Nedum Onuoha, Pablo Zabaleta, Nigel de Jong, and of course Carlos Tevez. It will be him and his actions that I will focus upon chiefly in the next article, but I will conclude this post with this thought.

In the post match analysis of Manchester City’s last Premier League against Everton, in which Mancini’s men won 2-0, the studio analysts for that televised game for UK viewers were Jamie Redknapp and Joe Royle. In debating how they thought Tevez could be used going forward for the rest of the season, Jamie Redknapp claimed that Mancini should not isolate Tevez too much from the team and have a major problem on his hands during this campaign. Although things are going swimmingly for City now, he felt that the season is a long one and with injuries or loss of form of others, Mancini may have to call upon the services of Tevez for a prolonged period of time to be that match winner like he was many times last year. Clearly Jamie Redknapp must have felt something in his waters of things to come.

Pain In The Arsène – Part 2

Okay folks as promised the second part of this article is forthcoming, and considering I have not been mobbed by Arsenal fans baying for my blood, perhaps some of the Emirates faithful agree with me and my thoughts from part one. Either that or the 3-0 win over Bolton last weekend has helped matters.

Speaking of which, I do believe congratulations are in order to Robin Van Persie as his brace during the game helped to post 100 goals scored for the Dutchman at Arsenal. Again as I mentioned in the previous part, should Arsenal lose Van Persie in a similar fashion to recently departed Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri, I think it is safe to assume it just does not bare thinking about for Arsenal fans. But anyway back to the matter at hand of the Arsenal inquest.

Arsène Wenger’s has often shown to have this quest of proving a point of achieving success in a certain manner. Trying to demonstrate that achievement can be done with the promise of youth, and without the gleam of proven star names. Providing a platform for the young and unearthed diamonds to be given their chance, and abiding to a certain tradition of building a football team rather than buying one, is a really commendable act on Wenger’s part.

A position that to some degree is absent in the grand scheme of things in many other industries, but that is another point entirely. However, in football I do believe it is really a shame that in this sport, finance governs success. But has Wenger’s stance compromised the club’s quest for trophies in recent years? It is hard to argue otherwise especially when allied to the fact that this standpoint has suited the Arsenal board. With Wenger working on a shoestring budget by comparison to the club’s fellow top teams whilst saving the club money, it has given the brass at the club full licence to be less than proactive in business-related endeavours.

Nonetheless, other ideals Wenger has installed must be questioned on. Is the need to have a hard and fast attitude to judge players over thirty at the club on their age, rather than their current ability to perform a fruitful position for the red and whites? He might not be a current favourite with Arsenal fans, but is William Gallas that much inferior to the current defensive centre-backs that Arsenal regularly employ as his replacement? And lastly why haven’t any of Arsenal’s revered past players not been offered a coaching role or executive position within the club?

I often could never understand how someone of Dennis Berkamp’s football prestige and experience, was not offered a coaching or adviser position within the club after he called time on his playing career. He is the current assistant manager with Ajax, yet if he is good enough for the famed Ajax surely he was and is good enough for Arsenal? And how can Patrick Viera, a man who currently holds the title of Football Development Executive at Manchester City, not be taking up such a position at the halls of Arsenal’s stadium where he has legendary fame? Surely such figures would have benefited Arsenal’s young guns over the last six years by passing on their successful experiences, and respected statuses within the club?

One definitive factor that has always sent me into a spin regarding Wenger is how he brought an air of picking and choosing what competition to focus on. Obviously without doubt, a domestic league championship and Europe’s Champions League are the two biggest prizes a club look to obtain this side of the world. But with so much competition for these coveted prizes, there is no guarantee of glory in putting all your eggs in one basket so to speak.

If you compare Wenger to long-time rival Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager wants to win everything available and keep the trophy count ticking over. Yes he may tinker with personnel in certain areas, for perhaps the supposed lesser matches. Examples may include the early stages of the League Cup, but once it gets to ‘squeaky-bum-time’ as he calls it, he goes in all guns blazing. While Wenger would not take the same attitude when put in the same situation. The 2007 League Cup final is a prime illustration when Arsenal faced Chelsea and left a few of his top guns so to speak, such as Thierry Henry out of the team line-up in wanting to give others a chance.

On that occasion Wenger’s actions are laudable indeed, particularly when a certain 6-3 away day result was achieved a few rounds earlier against Liverpool (oh the pain still remains). But the accomplishment of winning or giving yourself the best possible chance of winning, is no better experience for a talented but young squad of players. I should say there is a good friend of mine who is an Arsenal fan, and no doubt is reading this and is probably sick to death of me repeating this point ever since the defeat in the final, but I do believe there is a strong truth in this. Winning trophies breeds a winning mentality, no matter what age you are. Who knows where Arsenal could have been with silverware gleaming in the trophy cabinet.  

From my perspective it was in this same year of 2007, where today’s cracks started to emanate from. The summer transfer window of this year saw the club’s lynchpin Thierry Henry leave as many thought this would be the end of Arsenal as a top force. But in fact the team grew from strength to strength, and it is strange how when Arsenal were last written off like they have been currently, was the beginning of the 2007-2008 season.

Despite the claims for the doomsayers, Fabregas came to boil as the main man at Arsenal and world class player. Emmanuel Adebayor was establishing himself as Arsenal’s top gun up-front, and the team was playing some sublime stuff. Does anyone remember Adebayor and Fabregas’ goals against Tottenham at White Hart Lane? An interesting thought to bring up in light of the upcoming North London derby.

You maybe wondering so where do today’s problematic areas surface from that season. But the 2007-2008 campaign soon all unravelled, and in my opinion most stemmed from Wenger’s almost arrogant attitude when his team faced Manchester United in the quarter-finals of FA Cup. A half-baked team fuelled by a half-baked attitude towards the game from Wenger saw his team defeated 4-0. Disappointing but not terminal, but the real knockout blow would come in the next game when Arsenal faced Birmingham.

Yes, those with a good memory will recall that this was the fixture where Eduardo broke his leg. Arsenal threw away a 2-1 lead in the dying moments of the game when now the  recently departed Gaël Clichy conceded a penalty, which was despatched by Birmingham. The Arsenal captain at that time, Willaim Gallas lost his rag and sat on the pitch when the players left the field as the game was over. Arsenal simply has never recovered from that game, despite good moments since. Lingering frailties seen from that game are very much entrenched within the Arsenal setup during a season. Promising up until March, yet when the big games come thick and fast and the scent of silverware is in the air, the season merely unravels. Perhaps I maybe wrong, but Arsenal fans and keen football followers, would I be wide of the mark in saying this?

As stated previously, I am a massive fan of Wenger and I think he has been brilliant for Arsenal Football Club. He has changed the club’s image from top to bottom from an ultra defensive team, to an exciting dynamic outfit that at times takes one’s breath away when they are really in the mood. The most hardened of football fans would only disagree with this, and the fact that Wenger has brought a refreshing influence to British football.      

Based on history, success, fan support along with finance, Arsenal rank only behind Manchester United and Liverpool respectively as England’s top tier clubs in my opinion. For Wenger, the club’s board, or more likely both to allow a situation where the club only has one world class player in Robin Van Persie and perhaps Thomas Vermaelen when fit, quite frankly something is drastically going wrong. 

As a Liverpool fan I always detested the way that a club of Liverpool’s nature, almost entirely relied on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres being present and performing well to post any kind of result for a prolonged period of time. Often felt that, that in itself was a disgraceful situation the club found itself in, given the status it holds in the sport. Since the dark days Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson respective reigns, the club look to be heading in the right direction with the squad being improved.

With sound squad strengthening and loosening the ideals on the club, if anyone can turn Arsenal’s troubles around I do not think you will find anyone better than Arsène Wenger. Maybe a touch profound, but football is like anything else in life. It only takes a moment for the supposed murky periods to lift, and celebrate the triumphant moments. The 2005-2006 was dire by the club’s standards under Wenger, until Henry’s solo goal against Real Madrid in quarter-finals of Champions League sparked a return of form for the club. We all know how that ended, an appearance in the final itself.

With the new signings which it has to be said was acquired hurriedly before the summer transfer window closed, and with the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford fresh like a open wound, perhaps it will act as a catalyst that the club seem to need both in and around the club to ride this rocky patch.

Pain In The Arsène – Part 1

Now that September’s round of international fixtures has passed, and last week saw UEFA club competitions officially begin, I often feel that this is when a new season really kicks into gear. Players are starting to near their peak from all the pre-season training undertaken during the summer, to become both physically and mentally ready for the new season ahead with games coming thick and fast. Teams are juggling domestic league duties with the rigours of cup games, along with a prolonged European campaign in the Champions League or Europa League for certain clubs. Not to mention top players participating in autumn international qualifying fixtures. So if you thought the summer off-season was a long one, well folks football is back with full force!

The main subject matter that was going to be put under the microscope in this article, was going to feature a certain Premier League club that wears red in North London. Clearly the article title and picture featured was a bit of a clue. But fearful of any backlash from Arsenal fans who may think I am having a go, I was not sure if I should still go ahead with the post. But as a long enthusiast of Arsène Wenger’s brand of football, I thought it would have been a waste if I did not proceed.

I must stress that this was written before the events of last Sunday and those who know me, if I wrote about Liverpool’s dire performance we would be here till kingdom come. Rest assured Liverpool fans, an article about Liverpool’s season will be coming soon. So with all that said readers, in a first for Frankly Speaking there are two parts to this post so keep an eye out for part two in the coming days.

Let’s get down to business, many of the key stories that have dominated this season so early on, have all seemed to feature Arsenal. Headlines which have focused on the players to depart the Emirates Stadium, to the club’s supposed inactivity to bolster a current squad of players perceived to fall short in keeping pace with its major rivals both home and abroad. Last Saturday’s loss against Blackburn have not helped matters, but the biggest story that sent Arsenal fans into a state of distressed panic was their humbling defeat by Manchester United.

With an 8-2 outcome, many might have thought that this was a scoring update from the famed cricket venue of Old Trafford. Needless to say, it was the end result from Manchester United’s home ground as they entertained perennial Premier League rivals, Arsenal. Thankfully a few weeks have past, and the crazed frenzy declaring the terminal decline of Arsenal as a major force that followed the result has died down a little, in which we can pick the bones of what’s gone wrong and where Arsenal go from here?

But before that is looked upon, one must give credit to Alex’s Ferguson’s men. With new summer signings being integrated into the first team with academy players such as Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverly given a concentrated run into team, you may be forgiven that the ruthless streak associated with Ferguson, and many of his sides during his 25 years at the helm would be lost with new look United side. Well this has not been diluted in any way shape or form with United scoring at will in what was jaw-dropping match. The faces may change but Fergie’s winning machine just keeps rolling on.

With the plaudits taken care of, United’s win compounded more misery and pressure on the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger. We have all heard the theories from people suggesting what is going wrong at the Emirates. Thoughts have ranged from the club selling quality players and not adequately replacing them, to not being positively active in the transfer market and relying heavy on potential rather than proven players. But whose fault is it, and more importantly how does Arsenal improve their present plight?

Wenger clearly is in the firing line, and quite frankly he does have to shoulder some of the blame. However, as an outsider looking in, it is not for the reasons many currently place at his door. A near 15 years at Arsenal, half of Wenger’s reign could only be described as nothing more than stellar. But in the latter half of his tenure I have often felt that Wenger has allowed his own personal ideologies to overshadow the club’s possible fortunes on the pitch.

Fortunes perhaps being the operative word, as during most of Wenger’s time he has brought little name players with poultry transfer fees and turned them into either global superstars or players who furthered enhanced their reputation. Either disgruntled or under-performing once they left the London club, their departures has always commanded high transfer tags that have looked good on the Arsenal balance sheets. Former players such as Nicloas Anelka, Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Viera, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Kolo Tourè are a few that come to mind. Clearly top names, but perhaps unearths the first major problem at Arsenal, where has all this money gone? Has it been used to fund or payoff the spectacular Emirates Stadium?

If so, then perhaps this demonstrates that Arsenal to a degree have actually been over performing for a few years now in mounting any sort of major trophy challenge. With restrained resources compared to their rivals, maybe now it is a question that Arsenal is now being exposed. Maybe Wenger’s managerial skill had papered over these cracks, and constructed a team to perform far better than what lies behind the changing room.

Conceivably, in performing these wonders and the manager himself putting a brave face on things on the field, perhaps naively Wenger has taken on the club’s business short-comings squarely on his shoulders, and drawn such ire from certain disgruntled home supporters who call for his head. If this is the case, and Wenger has been game to do this whilst those above at board level go unaccountable, then Wenger really only has himself to blame for covering the failings of others.

But another major question that has to be queried is the player business policies at Arsenal. What top club in this day in age can allow one of its marquee players to enter the last 24 months of their contract without a solution being found that is beneficial for the club? And by solution I mean either the player gets tied down to an extended contract, or the club cashing-in and willing to sale at a top price. Rather than letting a negative course of action being taken and the transfer valuation of the footballer drop, and the player being in a strong position of leaving absolutely free to another top club?

Well in Samir Nasri’s case, he only had one year left on his contract before leaving for Manchester City this summer. Granted Nasri did not leave for free, but Arsenal were hardly in a strong position as it was clear with one year left on his contract, Nasri would be leaving definitively either this summer or next summer. As a club, why was there no suitable replacement lined up or already acquired for a player destined to go? Along with Wenger, what are the key executive men who thrash out player contracts doing at Arsenal? And here’s a worrying thought, newly installed captain and current talisman Robin Van Persie is entering his final 24 months of his current contract, are the lessons being learnt?  

Keep an eye out for part two coming soon in the next few days............. 

New Role For Raul

Written By Robert Amanze

I suppose Raul Meireles’ last-gasp £12 million move from Liverpool to Chelsea was the stand-out, from a rather underwhelming transfer deadline day.  

So, what have Chelsea now got in Raul Meireles? Is he a Modric clone that will link play and pirouette through the midfield? No, Meireles doesn’t have those attributes. He is far more likely to rampage through a midfield than dribble around it.  

However at 28 years of age, Chelsea have purchased an experienced International footballer who will give their midfield much needed exuberance and mobility. Meireles is an energetic player who provides versatility, assists and goals. 

Some will ask where Raul Meireles will fit in at Chelsea? Cynics suggest he was a panic buy by Villas-Boas, after being thwarted in his efforts to sign Luka Modric. Others think that Meireles and Lampard will struggle to co-exist in an attacking midfield. Both like to readily vacate central positions and get in the box. Both like to hang around the edge of the area and shoot at distance. Surely they’ll make the same runs and get into each others way?  

These connotations couldn’t be further from the truth. What I believe Chelsea have actually done, is finally fill the void left by Michael Ballack last summer. With Lampard and Meireles, Chelsea now have much more of a goal threat from central midfield. There will be less pressure on Didier Drogba to be the clubs principle source of goals. Chelsea do not look the same team when Drogba is unavailable or off-form (as we saw last season). Heck, the additional goal threat might even take the spotlight off the misfiring Fernando Torres. 

As a Liverpool fan, I know first-hand how good Meireles can really be. Especially, in a free-flowing team that play with fluidity and pace. He’ll exploit gaps and make a ridiculous amount of runs for the team. One of the reasons he settled so well into life in the Premier League is because he’s an extremely intelligent player. Let’s not forget he won the 2011 PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award in his debut season.   

Trust me when I say that the deadline day deal for Raul Meireles, was a clever coup by Andrea Villas-Boas. He now has a player who was one of the few success stories from Liverpool’s dismal 2010/2011 season. Meireles has also played regularly in the Champions League. Something that will come in handy as Abramovich’s Chelsea plot another pursuit of club football’s richest prize. 

I would go as far as saying that this transfer may have swung a title challenge back in Chelsea’s favour. With Meireles, Mata and Lukaku added to Chelsea’s already strong but slightly ageing spine, they now have a squad capable of keeping pace with both of Manchester’s early pacesetters. Man City and Man Utd have been playing sparkling football thus far, but weren't we saying the same thing about Chelsea this time last season? You don’t win anything in September, as the pundits love to say. 

It is unfair to make direct comparisons with the man Abramovich eyed (Luka Modric) and the man he ended-up with (Raul Meireles). Modric is a creator who can win you a game single-handedly. Meireles is perpetual motion and makes others around him tick. They are very different players but equally excellent, just in varying ways. This is despite the fact both players created exactly, 66 goal-scoring chances for their respective clubs last season.  

This is an interesting tidbit to finish off with. Only two players scored for Liverpool against Chelsea during the whole of last season (Torres and Meireles). Now both ply their trade with the club from Kings Road. The two clubs will clash again this season on November 20th 2011 and 5th May 2012. I wonder what will happen if Steven Gerrard or Luis Suarez score in any of those games? Just a thought.