Rant #1: Arsenal FC are all bark, no bite...

You and I hear it season-in, season-out, Arsenal FC promise everything, deliver nothing. After a horrendous 3-0 loss to Everton last Sunday, well, I among many football fans really wonder if they will mask a "hero to zero" league season with a win against Wigan in the FA Cup semi-final this weekend at Wembley.

On deadline day last summer, Arsene Wenger highlighted his intent to compete at the very top by pulling off a £42 million deal for German playmaker Mesut Ozil. I guess it's fair to say that Ozil has had an on-off season in 2013/14, but has nonetheless been an influential figure for Monsieur Wenger's team. Then again, just because you make one marquee signing, that does not guarantee that you will win your first Barclays Premier League title in a decade. Wenger's defenders have been hugely awful countless times this season, particularly against Manchester City and Chelsea where they conceded 6 opposition goals on both occasions. Not what you'd expect from a team who were "title contenders" earlier on this season.

The Gunners have developed a notoriety of being a "one-man team" in recent years and have somewhat still managed to end up in the top four. But on the flipside, has that brought any silverware back to Ashburton Grove? The answer is the opposite of what the average Gunner would like to think. It's true - Wenger made an absurd, pathetic decision to not sign a striker in January. Even ex-Lilywhite Dimitar Berbatov would have been a great signing. Wasted opportunity... 

It's all in your hands, Monsieur Wenger

One famous Hollywood scene which always stimulates me is Al Pacino's speech in "Any Given Sunday" - "We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time". Yes, that film is about American Football, but that little piece of motivation is destined to work anywhere, and I mean anywhere. Now, picture this: Wenger in full cry before the game, shouting and screaming into the ear of each one of his players the importance of togetherness, team-spirit and giving 100%. This is The Gunners' final chance to make a name for themselves this season. Can they do it? Personally, I think they can, but only if they can  make it over that hurdle. And can they make it over that hurdle? Well... 

...we'll see on Saturday.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Don't write off Argentina's chances

It's 29th June 1986. In a vibrant Estadio Azteca, the great Diego Armando Maradona captains his truly wonderful Argentina side to a stunning 3-2 victory over West Germany in front of a capacity of 100,000. Now, picture this: Lionel Messi, just inches away from lifting the coveted FIFA World Cup trophy after La Albiceleste beat Brazil in their own backyard; the Maracana. Speaking too soon? Perhaps, but 2014 may be the year Argentina take the football world by storm.

Argentina will be one of the most inspired, if not the most inspired team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. La Albiceleste's long-term rivalry with Brazil is among the most fiery in global football, and certainly manifests itself at both professional and grassroots levels. The hosts have experienced "national embarassment" once in 1950, where Uruguay beat them 3-2 on home soil and Argentina will hope to follow in the footsteps of Los Charruas. The fans in particular, will be relishing an encounter between the two nations who cannot meet until at least the semi-final and see FC Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar go head-to-head on the world stage. 

Captain Lionel: He certainly won't accept any Messing up in Brazil

Argentina have a vast array of world-class superstars up and down the pitch. Sergio Romero looks set to be Alejandro Sabella's first-choice goalkeeper, who, as it appears, will be backed up by an abundant defence, which comprises itself of players such as Ezequiel Garay, Nicolas Otamendi and Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta. Mascherano, Di Maria, Banega and Sosa make up a masterful midfield which will protect the back-four and supply ammunition to the stellar strike-force of Messi, Aguero, Higuain and Lavezzi. In terms of quality, second to none.  


So where does this squad lie in terms of utility? 

Choices, Choices, Choices: Alejandro Sabella

Argentina haven't the best defence in the world, with Sabella quoting in March 2013: "Sometimes, I have to cover my face when the opponents are attacking". The left-back void still needs be filled, leading to a selection dilemma for the Argentina boss, as to who will partner right-back Pablo Zabaleta. Further up top, La Albiceleste cannot afford further injuries to Messi or Aguero. Whether Carlos Tevez will be included in the final 23-man squad is another question. Argentina, in my opinion, may be better than Brazil in attack. Helped by a 4-3-3 formation, the aforementioned Argentinian strikers in this article have collectively been in fruitful form this season and have arguably performed better than the likes of Neymar, Hulk and Fred. However, that is not to say that they are definitely better than their rivals up top, when considering their latest 0-0 draw against Romania which falls well below the standards of a team of Argentina's calibre.

At this point, I see Argentina overcoming the quarter-final hoodoo they have faced at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups at the hands of Germany. They will do their best to get to the semi-finals at least and will be hugely inspired every step of the way but may, as I perceive, fall short of the final. Nevertheless, this could be a great achievement for a team which has appeared to be quite resurgent in the past year and is looking to claim a major trophy since their 1993 Copa America triumph against Mexico.

CREDITS:

Messi picture:  http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02754/Lionel_Messi_2754861b.jpg

Sabella picture:

 http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Sabella-Messi-Argentina.jpg

Barclays Premier League: Predicting the outcome of the 2nd half of the season

At every club in the Premier League, the pressure is increasingly mounting. No team is guaranteed anything right up until the last minute, be it a mid-table finish or avoiding relegation. If anything's certain, every game for every team will only get harder. Every fan expects...

Ole,Ole!: Solskjaer is intent on keeping his team up

...But before predicting who will finish where in May, the Winter Transfer window is a certain talking point. Arguably, the best deal of the window was Manchester United's acquisition of Juan Mata from Chelsea for a fee of £37 million. United, who currently sit 7th in the Premier League, are almost definitely out of the title race. That is not to say, however, that they cannot reach the Top 4 and still win the UEFA Champions League in May. Cardiff City, managed by ex-United man Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, have pulled off great some great signings this window, including Wilfried Zaha on loan from Old Trafford and Kenwyne Jones from Stoke City. Chelsea also had a great window, re-signing Nemanja Matic, as well as acquiring Mohamed Salah and Wilfred Zouma for combined fees of £50 million. On the down side, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham were the losers of this transfer window, bringing in no marquee signings, although the Reds failed in a £16 million bid for Yehven Konoplyanka; Arsenal reportedly had a £37 million bid for Schalke prodigy Julian Draxler blocked.

In terms of the top four, the top three seem to have a firm grip on their current respective league positions, with the final fourth place spot to be hotly contested. Manchester City are playing like champions and will be hoping to add to their sole Premier League crown which they won in a high-octane manner in 2012. Chelsea and Arsenal will press hard and intently in order to claim the title, but City, although having made no signings in January, are playing some of the best football in Europe, alongside Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Manchester United will not back down in these coming months. All of these teams have major players injured and know very well that getting into next season's UEFA Champions League will be a mountainous task; especially in the case of United. 

The top 3 are locked in battle: But there's only one winner

What about the relegation battle? Crystal Palace and Cardiff City have conducted good business this transfer window but will still have to pit their wits against the face of relegation. Can they save their season? I for one certainly think so. However, Fulham, West Ham, Norwich, Hull, Sunderland and even Swansea will not give up without a fight. Rather sadly, three of these teams will go down to the Championship, which will act as motivation for these teams' respective managers to work harder than ever in order to keep their team in the Premier League. 

So what are my 'final' predictions at this point? Manchester City, I think will win the title, followed by Chelsea/Arsenal in 2nd place. 4th place can go to anyone of Liverpool, Everton, Spurs or Man United, and I do not think we can truly predict who will claim the final Champions League spot. As it stands, I see Fulham, West Ham and West Brom playing in the 2014-15 Sky Bet Championship season, though we should expect to see late-season drama at both ends of the Premier League table.

A sad farewell to Tony Hateley; the ex-Chelsea,  Liverpool and Aston Villa man passed away on Sunday. Ex-Spain boss Luis Aragones, famous for La Roja's Euro 2008 triumph will also be missed by football fans all across the globe.



CREDITS:

OGS Picture: http://e1.365dm.com/14/01/768x432/Ole-Gunnar-Solskjaer-Cardiff-press-conference_3060500.jpg?20140102135041

Man City 2012 Title picture: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/13/article-2143702-13124E39000005DC-504_634x437.jpg

Barclays Premier League 2013-14: Mid-Season Review

In August, the Barclays Premier League entered its 22nd season - one which has had many ups and downs so far, with suprises and shocks at every angle. But how has it really fared up until now?

Was the future too bright under Mackay for Tan to bear?

Sackings. Before anything, the amount of sackings this season so far in the Barclays Premier League have been unbelievable. Starting in September, Paolo Di Canio's so called "controversial" reign at Sunderland came to an end after the Black Cats' dismal start to the season, with Gus Poyet coming to the helm. Just over two-and-a-half months later, Martin Jol was told at Fulham to pack his bags, as were Steve Clarke, Andre Villas-Boas and Malky Mackay from West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham and Cardiff City, respectively. But were some of these sackings justified? In the case of Malky Mackay's departure from Cardiff City, I for one certainly think not. His record proves that he is the greatest manager in Cardiff's history and he certainly worked his socks off getting them to the 2012 Carling Cup Final and promotion to this season's Premier League campaign. Vincent Tan, who claimed that "too much dirty linen had been exposed to the public gaze", following Mackay's public comments about transfer targets, can be rightly described as arrogant and domineering. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has replaced Mackay on an initial 12-month contract. AVB's sacking was right in the respect that they were underperforming despite having spent £100m on well-established world class players like Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado and on prodigies Paulinho and Christian Eriksen. Yet, it is logical to consider how a lot of these players came from different leagues and will still need to time to gel together - only then will Tottenham really manifest their on-field mojo.

Then there's Manchester United. In December 2012, they were leading the pack with 49 points. They went on to win their 20th Premier League crown later that season. December 2013? Well, they were in 6th and had attained only 34 points. Where will they finish this season? Well, to be honest, they still very much have a squad capable of winning the title although I personally believe that the Premier League trophy will be departing Old Trafford in May. I still maintain the opinion that David Moyes is the right man for United, just as I said in July last year, although he does not possess the aura that Sir Alex Ferguson so profoundly did for 20 of his 26-and-a-half years as Red Devils boss.Their activity in the transfer market will be pivotal in a potential resurgence for this second half of the season, with Ander Herrera, Sven Bender and Leighton Baines all possible targets for the current champions.

Three, is the magic number: Suarez is certainly magical

On the plus side, the season so far has been nothing short of exciting. Liverpool's Luis Suarez has scored 20 goals in 15 league games so far, following his return from his 10 match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic. Kopites have been left in awe and all the more re-assured of his future, following his signing of a new contract. Mesut Ozil has settled in well at Arsenal and without doubt, made the right choice to leave Real Madrid last summer. Wayne Rooney has been the stand-out performer at Man United, but the focus has predominantly been on Adnan Januzaj, who has hitherto been impressive for the Red Devils and could be a prodigy for England if he chooses to play for them - if not, then either one of Belgium, Albania, Turkey, Serbia or Croatia. Speaking of prodigies, Ross Barkley's displays for Everton have not gone unnoticed, although The Toffees will be fighting to keep him. Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas have been nothing short of impressive for Manchester City, who are the bookies' favourites to claim the title in May. Chelsea's strikers have stuttered this season, with Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o only scoring 7 league goals between them. Jose Mourinho says that he doesn't need to purchase a striker this transfer window, but could still delve into the market for the likes of Diego Costa, Leandro Damiao and could re-call Romelu Lukaku from Everton.

Wishing all readers a Happy New Year.

CREDITS:

Vincent Tan Picture http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02698/tan_2698722b.jpg

Luis Suarez picture http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02714/luis-suarez_2714818b.jpg

NOTICE: Mid-Season Review

As we come to the end of a fantastic yet poignant 12 months of football, I will be publishing a review of the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League Season so far, in the coming weeks. Individual team reports and their transfer targets will be part of the agenda.

Wishing all readers a Merry Christmas

FIFA World Cup 2014 Draw: Assessment/Initial Predictions

Friday's draw for the 20th FIFA World Cup tournament saw a lot of surprises and shocks. The focus turns to all 32 teams who are taking part in Brazil next summer, as well as their chances at this early stage of prediction.

England. The eye of the nation is on the Three Lions who, it is fair to say, have been drawn into a tough group. In Group D, they are up against Italy, who last won the tournament in 2006 against France on penalties in Berlin's Olympiastadion, as well as Uruguay who claimed the final place for next summer's tournament beating Jordan in the play-offs. Joining the Three Lions are Costa Rica, with the two teams having never met each other before. Judging by current status, it would be hard to see England progress from the group stages. A win against Italy would at this rate, bring about complacency against Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19th and in effect, they could stutter against Costa Rica. They are in a group in which they will be up against world-class players such as Suarez, Cavani, Balotelli and Pirlo (if fit), and will therefore need to prepare well in advance, ensuring that injury does not cost them of their key players. Travel is a key issue, with The Three Lions having to embark on a 2,650 mile journey from their base in Rio de Janeiro to Manaus, for their match against Italy.

2,650 miles: But how far will Roy's boy's really go in Brazil?

The focus on key group games include the repeat of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final in Group B, as Spain take on The Netherlands, whom they defeated 1-0 in that tense, hotly-contested match on the 11th July 2010 in Johannesburg's Soccer City (now FNB) stadium, in the group's opening game. This time, in Salvador, Spain will need to prove that they still have an edge to their game and silence the critics after a humiliating 3-0 defeat to hosts Brazil in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final. The Dutch on the other hand, will be looking to prove that they are still a top team after bowing out of the group stages of Euro 2012 with 0 points. The "Group of Death" title belongs to Group G, where Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the USA will lock horns with each other. The bookies fancy the Germans and the Portuguese, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, to progress into at least the Round of 16, although Ghana, who also faced Germany in the 2010 tournament's group stage (losing 1-0 on that occasion), will arguably be the strongest African nation at next summer's tournament. Jurgen Klinsmann comes face-to-face with Joachim Low who was his assistant when he was Germany manager from 2004 to 2006.

Brazil: A nation expects

Before all of that, the tournament's inaugural game kicks off on the 12th June in Sao Paulo, where Brazil will open the first of 64 matches in their Group A game against Croatia, before facing Mexico 5 days later in Fortaleza; and will look to seal progress into the knockout stages by the time they play Cameroon in the capital city of Brasilia. They are firm favourites to win the tournament but will need the full vocal support of fans at matches to be a strong influence on team spirit and players' mentality. Neymar, Paulinho, Bernard and Fred are, so far, likely to be in Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad, with Philippe Coutinho, Alexandre Pato and Leandro Damiao also vying for a chance to represent Brazil on home soil. The Selecao could face The Netherlands or Spain in the round of 16 and in their best interests, will wish to avenge the "national tragedy" of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, where they lost 2-1 to Uruguay at the Estádio do Maracanã, and add a 6th star to their jersey.

Rest In Peace: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Aside the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the football world remembers Nelson Mandela, who sadly passed away on Thursday at the age of 95. Not only was he a pivotal figure in South Africa's successful bid (and tournament) for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but also a genuinely wonderful world leader and humble gentleman all round. He will be deeply missed. 

CREDITS:

Picture of Roy Hodgson: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02238/roy_hodgson_2238648b.jpg

Picture of Christ The Redeemer statue: http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/060/cache/brazil-christ-redeemer_6011_600x450.jpg

Picture of Nelson Mandela: http://images.smh.com.au/2013/12/06/4985450/dh_mandela2-20131206092256146309-620x349.jpg

FIFA World Cup 2014: The Draw

As customary for football fans all across the world, it is this time in the year prior to the FIFA World Cup in which we can start to make predictions about the winners and losers. This Friday, the official 2014 World Cup draw will take place in the city of Costa do Sauipe (near Salvador), Brazil. All eyes will be on who England will draw in their group, as well as the big guns such as Brazil themselves, and Germany and Spain. The possibilities are in some ways, endless.

The stage is set: Or almost, anyway

The worry of the nation is who England will face in their group. Having been confirmed as an unseeded team (and rightly so), it is possible that the Three Lions could be moved to Pot 2 via a random draw, with the likes of Germany, Spain and Argentina. They currently lie in Pot 4, alongside France, Italy and débutantes on the world stage, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Should England remain in Pot 4, they will avoid such teams until at least the last 16. On the other hand, they will definitely face a Pot 1 team in the group stages, and will look to avoid the hosts, the Germans, Argentina and current world and European champions, Spain, at all costs. If England are moved to pot 2, they will definitely face a South American seed. The following are the best and worst-case scenarios for England:

BEST-CASE SCENARIO:

Pot	Team	FIFA World Ranking (28/11/2013)
1	Switzerland	8th
2	Cameroon	51st
3	Australia	59th
4	England	13th

WORST-CASE SCENARIO:

Pot	Team	FIFA World Ranking (28/11/2013)
1	Brazil	10th
2	England	13th
3	USA	14th
4	Portugal	5th

Without doubt, Roy Hodgson will be hoping that England face the teams of the first category rather than the latter. However, anything could happen and when looking at the worst-case scenario, England may well be in the "Group of Death".

Another "Group of Death" could see Brazil, Italy, France and Mexico in the same group. Furthermore, The Netherlands, Argentina, Ivory Coast and Japan are aware that they could be playing each other in the first round. No group may have more than two countries from the same continent face each other. In that case, it would be impossible for England, Spain and Portugal to be in the same group, despite what some fans may be hoping (or not hoping) for.

The view from other nations will be slightly different. Whoever Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany face, they will been safe in the knowledge that they are the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy on 13th July in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium. But victory is never a guarantee and either of the favourites know very well that they could bow out of the tournament as early as the quarter finals - something Brazil have experienced in the last two tournaments. Moreover, there could be surprise packages, the most likely of which is Belgium, who took qualification by storm and are in Pot 1 for Friday's draw. The likes of Mignolet, Hazard, Fellaini, Kompany, Witsel and Lukaku will be fighting long and hard for the remainder of the 2013/14 season in order to get on Belgium's plane to Brazil, come June.

Besides the draw, the preparations in Brazil are in turmoil. Last week's crane collapse in Sao Paulo, which killed 2 workers will have delayed the Arena Corinthians' completion date by a considerable number of weeks (or even months). Several other stadiums look unlikely to meet FIFA's end-of-year deadline and social unrest over infrastructure and public services still remains present, at large.

Nevertheless, Friday's draw is at the subject worldwide attention and will be watched with anticipation. Do not miss it.

Tune in to BBC2 on Friday at 1630 (4:30pm) for the draw


CREDITS:

Draw stage picture: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25153780